Holiday! Celebrate!

It's Saturday, day 1 of a 4 day weekend for the Chuseok holiday. Chuseok is Korean for Thanksgiving. Its roots date back to the 17th century, when pilgrims from China celebrated their first successful harvest by having a giant feast with the native Koreans, who helped the Chinese adapt to their new land and survive the harsh Korean winter. Today, the holiday is spent with family, watching football games and the Lotte Chuseok Day Parade before enjoying a delicious meal of turkey and pumpkin pie.

I may have embellished that a bit. But, it IS a 4 day weekend for the Chuseok holiday, and Korean winters really do suck.

To celebrate all the kids wore their hanboks (or humbok, as some people call them) and we made songpyeon with the kids. It was the same thing we did last year, only this year I was smart enough to not eat any songpyeon, despite the vivid inviting colors. In order to think that is good/food, you have to grow up eating it. I had a stomachache for two days after eating it last year. The kids sure think it's a big treat though. Here are some pictures of my kinderhearts in their hanboks.

Earth class boys!

Earth class with the director of the school

Su Hyeok

Sun Woo

Seung Hoon

Hyun Seo

Ji Min

This is Min Seo. She is a cute kid. It's impossible for kids in glasses to not be cute. This is not the best picture of her, however I just like Sun Woo in the background, getting ready to punch Jun Woo. She is always the charmer!

Min Sol! She is so sweet that one picture is not enough for her.

Jun Woo

And my little Hyun June. He deserves more than one picture as well.

Now here is a video of the kids singing a song. It has nothing to do with Chuseok, but it is an Earth class favorite.

40 days from today I am leaving Seoul. 40 short days. I have 11 days left at work . 11 even shorter days. 11 more circle times. 11 more before school speech times. 11 more walks to school. 11 more kimbap shop lunches where people talk obnoxiously/purposely loud about the restaurants they go to after Korean class-A little louder please! I'm not sure Kim Jong Il heard you up there in Pyongyang.

As much as I don't like crying so hard during Dateline that I have to turn it off, I enjoy (not the right word, I don't enjoy them, but my English is gone. I think I only know about 300 words now, so for lack of anything better, enjoy) all the tributes and specials being done to observe the 10 year anniversary of that day that no American will ever forget. I'm proud of my country and I'm proud of my compatriots. Even though I swear them off every time I go to Itaewon, I really do have nothing but gratitude for those in our military. Once I have my own house with a porch and also once I learn the proper flag etiquette, I fully intend on displaying an American flag with pride. I'm proud to call myself an American. America, I love you and I'll see you soon!