The first snow of the winter season! Little did I know that this would just be the beginning of many snow days.
My second solo visit to Seoul. This is the gate to Changdeokgung Palace. It's huge and you can only enter with a tour guide escort.
The very thorough and knowledgeable tour guide. Changdeokgung was declared one of UNESCO's World Heritage Sites.
I met with GHP buddy Jin-hee Lee for the Shift and Change art lecture series at Ssamzi Space.
Three Georgia peaches! We're all teaching English and finding solace in one another to deal with cultural differences and vent about students.
Several school teachers and I are with cast members from the hit comedy play "Liar."
A small entertainment show for the elderly at church. The grandmothers get a kick out of seeing the priest and sisters dance in silly clothes.
See what I mean? Note my very amused grandmother on right.
Too bad schools don't close on snow days but that makes the school day all the more exciting! Although, the students weren't nearly as thrilled as me.
School looks more pretty with snow on it. Actually, come to think of it, everything looks prettier with snow on it.
Do we REALLY have to sell beer this way?
Chicken and beer with other native English teachers in Wonju after we sufficiently gawked at the "Hite" beer sign. Well, we DID buy the beer so what does that say about us?
Celebrating my great uncle's birthday in Doksoh.
Singing the Happy Birthday song.
Kids are cuter as presents. Perhaps because he was walking slowly to keep the bow on his head as opposed to running around.
I taught my students about gingerbread houses so they made their very first gingerbread house with me!
These girls from my after school English Drama Club are proudly displaying their completed gingerbread houses.
Winter EPIK teachers' reunion in Daejeon--with friends, Andrew and Wayne.
I worked up the courage to play the fiddle in the talent show. It was a rusty performance but definitely worth it!
Christmas performances at church. My grandma is doing what she loves best--dancing. With a birthday hat on. And a paper skirt.
I got a cool opportunity to be a part of the Christmas play the high schools boys put on. I am the nun and my student is the priest. Interestingly, he will really enter seminary school soon while I will not be entering the convent.
I was scared at how believable I looked. I am "hosting" for a contest that involved making the best manger. There was quite a lovely message to the whole story.
The play involved song and dance so the boys are doing the final number. Students are such great dancers here!! I passed their offer to join in on the dance to spare the embarrassment.
A chatty student poses with me at my desk. I feel very teacherly at my desk where I make lesson plans like real teachers do.
The evening of Christmas Day, several of us teachers celebrated our singleness with food and wine! We are prepping to cook or at least attempt.
Here is one success: ddokboki. It's made of ricecake, cheese, hot sauce, mushrooms and it's a national favorite for the young and the hungry.
Our dinner set up.
Happy teachers! Ms. Lee (center) is my main co-teacher at school.
Another Christmas feast to behold! The church Legio prayer group had a potluck.
The super friendly members of the Legio group.
I look longingly at the cutting of the cake. Only special people get to touch the knife.
I was given a very nice coat from the Legio members. It was their way of thanking me for the English lessons I gave them.
For New Year's, I asked my grandmother if we could make dumplings. She is making the dough for the dumpling skin.
Now, she rolls the dough into thin ovals at which point, I fill them with, none other than, filling. I've never had home-made dumpling skin so this was very special for me!
The finish product sans cooking.
My good friend Joohee and I climbed Chiak Mountain to the second highest peak. Here we are at the base, ready to embark on the hike.
Water flowing beneath the iced streams was beautiful to hear/see!
The sun is slowly rising. It was truly refreshing to be in a clean environment away from smog.
The legendary bell at Sangwonsa Temple on the way to the peak.
At the peak we cooked ramen with dumplings in our gas stove kit we brought. Ramen never tasted this wonderful!!
A pre-hike picture taken post-hike. We climbed to Namdaebong. It wasn't a bad hike at all compared to Birobong, the highest peak on Mt. Chiak.
I learned how to play Hwa-tu on the internet so now my grandmother and I play together. It is one of her favorite hobbies.
With no connection to my nun part in the Christmas play, I got a rare chance to visit Our Lady of Perpetual Help Convent in Seoul. They gave me a personal retreat so I got some time to reflect and pray a lot. It was an amazing experience!
I learned so much from the sisters. Their pure joy and love is so infectious! The place is very beautiful and the way of living is extremely neat and systematic.
One day I went to Yongpyang with family friends to see a ski resort. Despite the throngs of eager people ready to ski, I had no desire to participate. So we just looked.
Our ski lift trip to the peak. I think the mountains of snow with naked trees look like a buzz cut of someone's hair. It is really cute.
Joohee and I on the ski lift. I was happy to be inside and not outside in the cold.
My grandmother and I admiring the scenery.
Our monthly service trip to the Angels' Home in Wonju. The children are getting ready to watch a musical ensemble.
I enjoy watching the children as much as they enjoy watching the performers. They are so beautiful!
The children anxiously wait to pray the rosary with us in English.
The Haksongdong Catholic Church Legio volunteer team!
The first snow of the winter season! Little did I know that this would just be the beginning of many snow days.
My second solo visit to Seoul. This is the gate to Changdeokgung Palace. It's huge and you can only enter with a tour guide escort.
The very thorough and knowledgeable tour guide. Changdeokgung was declared one of UNESCO's World Heritage Sites.
I met with GHP buddy Jin-hee Lee for the Shift and Change art lecture series at Ssamzi Space.
Three Georgia peaches! We're all teaching English and finding solace in one another to deal with cultural differences and vent about students.
Several school teachers and I are with cast members from the hit comedy play "Liar."
A small entertainment show for the elderly at church. The grandmothers get a kick out of seeing the priest and sisters dance in silly clothes.
See what I mean? Note my very amused grandmother on right.
Too bad schools don't close on snow days but that makes the school day all the more exciting! Although, the students weren't nearly as thrilled as me.
School looks more pretty with snow on it. Actually, come to think of it, everything looks prettier with snow on it.
Do we REALLY have to sell beer this way?
Chicken and beer with other native English teachers in Wonju after we sufficiently gawked at the "Hite" beer sign. Well, we DID buy the beer so what does that say about us?
Celebrating my great uncle's birthday in Doksoh.
Singing the Happy Birthday song.
Kids are cuter as presents. Perhaps because he was walking slowly to keep the bow on his head as opposed to running around.
I taught my students about gingerbread houses so they made their very first gingerbread house with me!
These girls from my after school English Drama Club are proudly displaying their completed gingerbread houses.
Winter EPIK teachers' reunion in Daejeon--with friends, Andrew and Wayne.
I worked up the courage to play the fiddle in the talent show. It was a rusty performance but definitely worth it!
Christmas performances at church. My grandma is doing what she loves best--dancing. With a birthday hat on. And a paper skirt.
I got a cool opportunity to be a part of the Christmas play the high schools boys put on. I am the nun and my student is the priest. Interestingly, he will really enter seminary school soon while I will not be entering the convent.
I was scared at how believable I looked. I am "hosting" for a contest that involved making the best manger. There was quite a lovely message to the whole story.
The play involved song and dance so the boys are doing the final number. Students are such great dancers here!! I passed their offer to join in on the dance to spare the embarrassment.
A chatty student poses with me at my desk. I feel very teacherly at my desk where I make lesson plans like real teachers do.
The evening of Christmas Day, several of us teachers celebrated our singleness with food and wine! We are prepping to cook or at least attempt.
Here is one success: ddokboki. It's made of ricecake, cheese, hot sauce, mushrooms and it's a national favorite for the young and the hungry.
Our dinner set up.
Happy teachers! Ms. Lee (center) is my main co-teacher at school.
Another Christmas feast to behold! The church Legio prayer group had a potluck.
The super friendly members of the Legio group.
I look longingly at the cutting of the cake. Only special people get to touch the knife.
I was given a very nice coat from the Legio members. It was their way of thanking me for the English lessons I gave them.
For New Year's, I asked my grandmother if we could make dumplings. She is making the dough for the dumpling skin.
Now, she rolls the dough into thin ovals at which point, I fill them with, none other than, filling. I've never had home-made dumpling skin so this was very special for me!
The finish product sans cooking. 
My good friend Joohee and I climbed Chiak Mountain to the second highest peak. Here we are at the base, ready to embark on the hike.
Water flowing beneath the iced streams was beautiful to hear/see!
The sun is slowly rising. It was truly refreshing to be in a clean environment away from smog.
The legendary bell at Sangwonsa Temple on the way to the peak.
At the peak we cooked ramen with dumplings in our gas stove kit we brought. Ramen never tasted this wonderful!!
A pre-hike picture taken post-hike. We climbed to Namdaebong. It wasn't a bad hike at all compared to Birobong, the highest peak on Mt. Chiak.
I learned how to play Hwa-tu on the internet so now my grandmother and I play together. It is one of her favorite hobbies.
With no connection to my nun part in the Christmas play, I got a rare chance to visit Our Lady of Perpetual Help Convent in Seoul. They gave me a personal retreat so I got some time to reflect and pray a lot. It was an amazing experience!
I learned so much from the sisters. Their pure joy and love is so infectious! The place is very beautiful and the way of living is extremely neat and systematic.
One day I went to Yongpyang with family friends to see a ski resort. Despite the throngs of eager people ready to ski, I had no desire to participate. So we just looked.
Our ski lift trip to the peak. I think the mountains of snow with naked trees look like a buzz cut of someone's hair. It is really cute.
Joohee and I on the ski lift. I was happy to be inside and not outside in the cold.
My grandmother and I admiring the scenery.
Our monthly service trip to the Angels' Home in Wonju. The children are getting ready to watch a musical ensemble.
I enjoy watching the children as much as they enjoy watching the performers. They are so beautiful!
The children anxiously wait to pray the rosary with us in English.
The Haksongdong Catholic Church Legio volunteer team!
