Christmas

Oh man. I can finally have a moment between baking, knitting, drinking, being hungover, working, cleaning, etc. etc. to put up a post. I think I liked the holidays more when all I had to do was wake up on Christmas morning and open a bunch of gifts.

Christmas was absolutely wonderful. I was dreading it because this is the first Christmas I've spent in Seoul since the first in 2006. I missed my family super bad because I just saw them in October and I'm super broke from my trip blah blah. I had to work Christmas Eve and that was rough. There were tears in the bathroom, I'm not gonna lie.

Things took an upward swing after I arrived at my friend Amy's for a big dinner. I was pouring myself rather large glasses of wine and the company was fantastic. I scored an awesome chicken-shaped pot holder during Secret Santa.

The best part was when Matthew, Mary, Mike, Charlene and I tried to go to Midnight Mass. We were all more than a bit tipsy...alright, we were flat out drunk. We hauled ass all the way to Myeongdong (which really isn't that far) and when we got out of the cab, there was a long line. We assumed it was the line to get into the church so we queued. Mary and I started singing Christmas carols in loud and off key voices to pass the time. We finally cottoned on to the fact that we shouldn't be waiting in a line for Mass so we went to investigate. Turns out the line we were in was to look at a Nativity scene and the church was closed to any more worshippers. Ha!

Christmas day itself was more eating, drinking, and receiving Hello Kitty themed presents. My family finally learned how to use Skype but they called at about 4 am, two hours after I got home on Christmas night, and I was still drunk. I don't remember much of our conversation but I did ask where the hell my tauntaun sleeping bag was.

I am spending this week recovering for Christmas and gearing up for New Year's Eve. I just chopped off a bunch of hair and now I look even more like a 10 year old. SIGH.

The Nutcracker!

Last night, my friend Maria did the nicest thing ever. She told me and another friend, Jema, that she had a surprise for us and she flipping took us to see the Nutcracker! It was so sweet and unexpected that both Jema and I got all misty and kept giving Maria hugs throughout the show.

When I was a kid, my dad and stepmom took me to see the Nutcracker every year. I'd wear my Christmas dress and we'd go get a nice meal after. It brought back so many nice memories and as soon as I heard the first movement, I got hit with a huge wave of homesickness. Christmas is the hardest time to be away, it doesn't get any easier even though this is my third Christmas away from home.

The rest of my weekend was decidedly less sentimental. I spent my Saturday night drinking wine and playing a wonderful game called "YouTube DJ." Basically, you go around the group and each person picks a song on youtube. You keep going until you a) pass out or b) run out of wine, whichever comes first.

Some of our picks included: Spooky by Dusty Springfield, Love Will Never Do Without You by Janet Jackson, and Dancing in the Streets by David Bowie and Mick Jagger. It's pretty much silly/old songs that get people cheering. It was a great way to spend a freezing cold Saturday night.

Yes...it's so freaking cold in Seoul right now but no damn snow. It's seriously pissing me off but it's not as though we'd have snow days or anything. I need to pray to St. Eulalia of Merida, the patron saint of snow.

Last thing...I went on a downloading spree and got the entire Beatles discography (remastered...OH YEAH!), Dusty Springfield, Fat Freddy's Drop, the Steve Miller Band, and....the best of the bunch...The Bangles' Greatest Hits! "Am I only dreamin' or is this burning an e-ter-nal flaaaaaame?" It's gold.

I Flippin' Love The Beatles

My kiddies have an end of the school year concert coming up at the end of February and I have to teach them an English song to sing. I was listening to Yellow Submarine as I was prepping my work for next week when a lightening bolt struck...All Together Now! It's cute, the lyrics are simple, and who doesn't love the Beatles?

(Sidenote: how much do I love All You Need Is Love? Especially the line "Nowhere you could be but where you're meant to be.")

It's been really fun introducing the kids to the collected works. They love how silly some of the songs sound and how easy it is for them to sing along, like Hello Goodbye. I myself didn't grow up with the Beatles because my parents didn't really like them (they're more Motown/soul kind of people and as I result, I can sing you every Earth, Wind & Fire song from memory). I started listening to them as a result of my friendship with Julia but when I have kids, trust me. They'll be listening to them while in the womb!

I will be videotaping the kiddies singing, stay tuned!

The art classes with the kids are going fairly well. The five year olds are easy-peasy and they love everything we do. They went to town this week. I traced their bodies on butcher paper then they colored in their faces and clothes. I also had paper for them to work with and pastels, etc. and they had a great time. The six year olds have been more of a challenge (they're a challenging class in general) but the last class was great. They did still lifes and then we ate the prop food (bread, fruit) and chatted about the famous still lifes I had printed out for them to see. It actually clicked for some of them, very rewarding.

And on a less "Ooh, aren't I a great teacher" note, I got really drunk off of happy hour beer and came home at 2 am to eat turkey chili and pass out. Ha.

To Do List

I am taking a page out of Jamie's book and writing my "Things To Do Before I Die" list (I refuse to call it that other name!)

1. Climb Mt. Fuji
I am planning to do that this summer so I thought I'd put something I'm going to do soon on the top of the list :)

2. Live for at least a year in each continent (except Antarctica, obviously)
Not sure how realistic this is, especially when (not if, dang it) I meet that special someone and have children but I'd like to try. Well, actually...North America and Asia are out of the way, I plan to move to Europe in 2012...that would only leave Australasia, South American and Africa...hmmm.

3. Run a marathon
Especially one for a good cause

4. Take a major trip with my sisters
Travel is a huge part of my life and I'd love to share that with Gaby and Lexi

5. Have at least 2 babies

6. Visit Norway and El Salvador
I've been Mexico, were Abuelo Fox grew up, several times. Mom's mom grew up in SF and obviously I've been there. Grandpa Thor (mom's dad) is from Bergen, Norway and Abuela Fox is from San Salvador, ES so I'd like to go to those two cities and see where they came from.

7. Visit South Africa, Egypt, Tibet (but only when the Chinese leave), Argentina, Chile, Brazil, Italy, Austria, Germany, Russia, Croatia, and Poland.
Just because I want to see them

8. Write my memoirs, Nicole Fox and the Gentle Art of Living

That's all I can think of at the moment but I've given myself a lot to work with.

Omg! I cannot believe I forgot this one:

9. See Liverpool play live. That's been a dream for years. I swear, the cats are stealing my brain cells while I sleep.

Gee Gee Gee Gee!

Hello.

My name is Nicole Fox and I am a Korean Pop Addict.

Yes, it's true. The clearest symptom of my Stockholm syndrome is my un-ironic, unabashed love for K-Pop. Example 1 Example 2 and Example 3

I don't know how it came to this but it started as a joke between my co-worker Charles and I. Our first summer working together, we got off work at 3 pm and on Fridays (and sometimes Wednesdays...and sometimes Thursdays...etc.) we'd be at the pub by 4. We would harass this one bartender we hated by requested Big Bang's Lies, which was insanely popular at the time. At some point in time, Chas turned to me and said "I actually like this song" and I said "me too!!!" and all our shame was gone.

This summer was the Summer of Sorry Sorry. The Super Junior song blew up big time in Korea. All my preschoolers knew it and could do the dance, you could not avoid it. My friend introduced it to me via youtube and I became totally obsessed with it.

Charles and I are currently all about Girl's Generation. We love both Gee and 소원을 말해봐 (Genie). We can sing along in Korean (much to the amusement of the teachers at our school). It's really really sad/hilarious when we get all liquored up and demand bars play it and then dance around like lunatics.

And that is my confession. Carry on...

Hello Kitty Wishes You a Happy Merry Christmas

My friend had to go to Japan for a visa run and he brought me back this gem. Try not to be too jealous.

The rest of the damn trip

Ok, I need to freaking get this over with because there's Seoul stuff I want to write about and its getting ridiculous.

San Francisco was so-so. It kinda messed up my travel momentum but it was awesome to see my family for the first time in two years. My sisters are nearly teenagers! My parents are old! It was also nice to get a little American shopping in (mostly toiletries, it must be said) and to see some friends that are still living in the city. The best thing about the trip had to be the awesome boots I got on Castro.

Belize was beautiful, gorgeous, and so much fun. Julia's wedding was incredible. I totally cried all through the vows and nearly spaced out when I was supposed to had her Mitch's ring. Everything was just lovely and Julia looked so beautiful in her dress. It was also great to see her family along with Linda, Nathan, Ursula, and Michelle and Jim. Very very good times though Linda and I were stupid and laid out in the sun between 11 and 3 and each got a wicked sunburn.

Costa Rica was the perfect wrap-up to the trip...relaxing, chill, beautiful. Bess met up with me in San Jose and we bussed over to Puerto Viejo on the Caribbean coast. We ate and laid out in the sun and that was about it for 5 glorious days. Our hotel room had an awesome porch and we spent hours reading books and drinking coffee. We spent our last night getting piss-drunk and had to pay for it on our travels back to our respective homes...not fun!

I know that was a rush job but that was the rest of the trip. It was an amazing three months but I don't know that I'd ever be on the road for that length of time again. I can see myself staying more or less in one place for that long, like a volunteer stint, but the constant travel definitely got to me. Which is not to say that I regret this at all. I met amazing people and I was reunited with people who are very dear to me.

It's also made me appreciate my home and how much I love Seoul and my friends here. I also feel more certain than ever, after taking three months away and being so happy to be back, that being a preschool teacher really is my calling.

I am really freakin' proud of myself for avoiding disasters on this trip. I didn't lose anything besides my laundry bag, I had no crises, no drama. I also learned a lot about myself and notions I had about myself. Here are the things (I am such a dork, I wrote them in my journal on my loooooong flight back to Seoul) that I learned on this trip:

1. I am competent.
2. I have oodles of common sense
3. I am funny
4. I need to chill when I can't have control over a situation
5. I should trust people to do their part
6. I am beautiful the way I am
7. I am emotional and that's never going to change and I should stop wishing I wasn't
8. I need God/spirituality in my life
9. I love my friends very very much and carry them with me wherever I go
10. I am pretty damn tough

Thanks for reading through the zany adventures....back to regular Seoul rantings now...

Belgium High Lights

Oh my god, y'all. I am so freaking behind on this, many many apologies...

-Seeing Fifi La Rue
Felicia and I have know each other for ages. We went to high school together and we shared an apartment after I finished university. She is 15 different kinds of fun and just the sort of person you want to visit in a foreign country. It was so incredibly good to see her and hang out and see her life. We had a lot of fun doing nothing in particular and I can't wait to visit her again. Then again, in general I loved everyone I met in Gent. Felicia's boyfriend's parents are the nicest, most generous people I've ever met and I got to spend a lovely Sunday at their home eating a delicious lunch. Felicia's friends are also pretty fun and her boyfriend is on crack, in the good way.

-The Beer
Obviously, I'm not going to visit Belgium and not talk about the beer. It was incredible! I drank quite a variety and they were all excellent quality, even if they weren't to my tastes. The biggest surprise for me was how much I liked the fruit beers. The cherry beer I had was my favorite in general and I had this delicious strawberry beer that tasted like liquid toast with jam. I know that sounds really strange-ee but that's what it made me think of. Felicia's boyfriend is extremely knowledgeable about beers and he gave me a crash course on Belgian brewing methods, I feel very beer-nerdy now.

-The architecture
The buildings in Gent, Brugge, Brussels, and Amsterdam were beautiful. I could not stop taking photos of all the details. I love how they still use all these old buildings because here in Seoul nothing is older than 60 years and even then, they're tearing everything down and building hideous modern stuff. Also, I freaking LOVE canals and there are a ton in the low lands. It made me very very happy.

Belgium was just lovely. It was the first place I didn't have to worry at all about sexual harassment, it was my first time in a home in months, and I got to do laundry for free. I got to sit on a couch and watch TV while eating dry cereal and if you've ever been on the road for a long time, you'll know how amazing that can be. I also got a sassy haircut in Gent and I got to ride a bike all around the city for a day. I have wonderful memories of that week and seriously, I cannot wait to get back there.