Update long overdue...

it has been a while...too long actually. i've been keeping quiet but not because nothing has been happening...probably the complete opposite really...

i've been busy with work but mostly play and when it comes to updating this blog, well i just get lazy...most of my free time at school is spent doing unproductive tasks like checking my e-mail a thousand times even though i don't write anyone so i don't know why i am expecting people to write me!

anyways...instead of a crazy update perhaps some highlights from each month since november! oops...lets start with my birthday

NOVEMBER

Birthday wknd- awesome awesome awesome...great friends, great food, great location, many laughs, too much drinking, too much eating. probably the best birthday celebration to date. took the ferry to nami island, about 1.5hrs from chuncheon. it is a gorgeous place with amazingly tall trees which line walkways...bike ride around the island until the sunset...two nights in a row of hwatoo, eating, cake (i had 4 cakes in the end), and taking shots of all concoctions...

Snow - it started to snow...it took almost 3 hours to get to school one day...don't know why i even bothered!it was beautiful...first snowfall for the winter...

Thanksgiving wknd - friends and i spent a chill wknd in seoul eating eating and eating...yes, we eat a lot! i am surprised we are not all obese and ben doesn't gain any weight at all! we found a very cool hookah bar and chilled there for a little while. there are surprises all around in korea, you just have to know where to look...

DECEMBER

Cheolwon - met all sorts of EPIK teachers in this small town right at the DMZ. highlight of this trip...hmmm...making out with cute boy in an individual karaoke booth in the arcade after being locked in...so should be part of a movie...wait, perhaps it was visiting the DMZ...no, no, i was right the first time...

Christmas - christmas is not huge in korea, not yet anyways. i am sure the youth of korea will turn it into the consumer driven holiday it is elsewhere soon enough. my friends and i got together for surprise...food...and presents. secret santa, stocking stuffers, good times, santa hats, 007 at 3am, seafood and sushi buffet and ruby tuesdays...i'm glad i had you all there to celebrate...andy, ben, james, chris, darree, seung, eugene...made for a memorable christmas. i will never forget it...

New Year's Eve - was quite the interesting nye...but all we wanted to do was spend time with each other. we drank champagne, moet actually, made bruschetta, fresh spring rolls, cheese and meats, a little karaoke and many rounds of cards with ridiculous punishments...we can be so cruel to each other. what a way to bring in 2007...

JANUARY

vicky and mathieu's visit - a whirlwind trip to and around seoul. we shopped, ate, wandered, talked and took pictures. it was less than 48hrs together i think but we packed in as much as we could. highlight - luxury noraebang (karaoke room)-vicky and mathieu's first time! they were karaoke virgins! it was sooo good to see the both of you...missed you the moment you got on that bus...

Japan - andy, ben, chris, seung, james, eugene and i (yes, it was the boys and bean, wish darree was with us) took the ferry from busan to fukuoka. our itinery: fukuoka - osaka - himeji - kyoto - tokyo - hakata/fukuoka - busan. for a week we traveled around japan on shinkansen, eating ramen, buying snacks and checking out clothes at zara. in tokyo i had lunch with wonj at the park hyatt...that was definitely a highlight as were cocktails there the night after. tsukiji fish market and the fish fiasco left everyone hungry for sushi and bed...funny moment - at himeji castle andy and i bought umbrellas for quite a marked up price. it was raining and we had lots of see outdoors...one blue umbrella and one white. as soon as we walked out of the store and opened them up, the rain stopped...it didn't rain the rest of the day, nor the rest of the trip...hmm...i guess it was good luck?

snowboarding - andy and i needed a beginners session before even thinking about going with the rest of the group. we donned our couple outfits (we got matching suits) and made for the slopes. we were doing well till i thought i had broken my tailbone. was in pain for more than a week...

mum's visit - mum came to visit for a month. it was lovely

FEBRUARY

lunar new year - so much food and family. i had no idea i had so many people in my family! it was a lovely way to start the lunar new year. it definitely will be the year of the pig if i continue to eat the way i did on new year's day!

snowboarding again - ben, andy, chris, seung and i went boarding. sensai seung helped me to carve down the slopes without killing myself. lots of fun was had even though the snow had almost totally melted.

springbreak - the final week of the holidays. we spent it together in daegu and seoul. we went to seoul to eat non-korean food...indian, thai, american brunch, steaks...delicious. the best spring break ever...

MARCH...finally...

james' bday - we celebrated james' bday this past wknd in daegu. it coincided with a dance party that jenn, andy's gf had organised for her fulbright friends. dancing, good friends, good food and laughs...the makings of a fantastic wknd...

wow...so you're all caught up with my life thus far...well, most of it anyways. inbetween all the fun i have had work and i have found a small social network in chuncheon which is great. my friend glory and i have been finding great little cafes around town where we meet and talk about all sorts of things...now for some pictures...