Alllll the parties

Hello again! I sat down to write a Christmas post last week and I just couldn't do it. I was so worn out - it has been a busy, fun, tiring couple of weeks full of all kinds of celebrations and parties and togetherness. I of course missed celebrating with everybody back home and I'm so jealous of  the white Christmases I saw plastered all over facebook, but I have great people here that make Busan feel like home too. 

Christmas Eve is a working day in Korea, so during class the kiddos and I listened to Christmas music and made stockings. 

After that I had a party at my house. I think this was the first time I've planned and hosted a party all by myself, and it was a huge success if I do say so myself. One of the girls told me that it was one of her top moments in Korea, and I felt so proud. We had so much fun! Cookies were decorated, presents were opened, and I'm a little surprised the neighbors didn't complain because we were definitely very loud. We were very cozy in my little apartment but I think that added to the goodness. 

Christmas morning I opened my presents from my family over skype. The box got here a week early and I had to look at it every day and think about what was inside. My mom made me promise not to open it and I obeyed, but I was not happy about it. Then in the afternoon we all gathered at church to celebrate together. We sang some carols and people shared what they were thankful for in 2013, we played games and ate lots of sugar cookies too. 

My friend InAi's birthday is on Christmas, so later that night we had her birthday party. We ate at a restaurant with the most beautiful view, and then crammed 17 people into her apartment afterwards to open presents and eat cake. 

The day after Christmas I got a puppy! I admit it was not the most thought-out decision I've ever made, but oh well. Sometimes in life you just have to be spontaneous. His name is Bear and I adopted him because he was abandoned. It's been a week and so far so good. The biggest struggle has been getting him to walk on a leash - unexpected. In the beginning he would just go limp when I put his leash on, or he'd decide to be done walking and lay down in the middle of the street. The vet says he's part Pomeranian, 2 or 3 months old, and he'll grow to 20 pounds max. 

And then it was new years. We got dressed up, went out to dinner at a new restaurant, and then did the countdown and lit off sparklers in the balcony of an apartment. At first I thought it was a super dangerous, terrible idea. It maybe was, but it was the highlight of the party for me. 

Oofda, I just got tired recapping all that. It's been wonderful, but I'm glad the holidays only roll around once a year. I hope you had Merry Christmases and Happy New Years!