That's a bit of a glum title, I admit. But I have a touch of some kind of respiratory infection so I am entitled to taking liberties.
The initial three-month 'Hey shoo wow, everything is sparkly and new and quite wonderful' honeymoon period that I was warned about is over. Thanks to Lisa C for preparing me for the downer that was to follow. :) While I was prepared for it, as much as one can prepare for anything that you have never encountered before, I am fully aware that reality has set in: this is my life now. I am not on some extended working holiday. I am going to be here for the foreseeable future. And while I still love being in a new country, and experiencing all manner of things for the first time, not all of these experiences - predictably - are good. For instance, I just had my first encounter with Korean physical punishment in school. Not pleasant.
On the upside, we are in the home stretch before the Winter holidays and I have been learning with most of my classes how to make origami Christmas decorations and paper snowflakes. I have never made a single thing out of folding paper, so I dare say I have learnt as much as they have during the last week or so. I'm having lots of fun with it and have an ambitious plan to make a few decorations for my home in the next week. I even bought my first Christmas tree and decorations yesterday. Amazing, the idiosyncratic little grown-up things I am doing for the first time! Funnily enough, I thought it would be easy to find a real pine tree here, where they are native, but alas, no luck. So I have a 3 ft green plastic tree, some baubles and a couple of very quaint material, felt and wool Santas, reindeer and hearts and stuff. Very cute! Very hippie. Tonight I need to find fairy lights and tinsel, and I will be ready to decorate my tree! Can't help but get into the Christmas spirit, the kids are so excited about doing Christmas lessons and are all learning English Christmas songs. Also, being away from family and friends for the first time, I feel that I have to make an effort to buoy my spirits around this time of year!
I will spend Christmas Eve on Palgong mountain with some friends from Daegu, where we will have huge bonfires, buffet and open bar, paintball in the forest on the mountain and a DJ and dance floor. All of this in the warmth and comfort of a hotel on the mountain. On Christmas day I plan to return to my town in time for the big Christmas lunch at my local, after which we will all go to a nearby orphanage to hand over money and presents that have been collected at events during the last couple of weeks.
My first Winter Christmas and snow is almost guaranteed! It has been snowing in other parts of the country, even quite close by, but apparently it is quite rare to have snow falling out here on the farm. :) It is getting pretty frosty though! Friday is set for a low of -6 during the night and a max of 1 - fun fun fun! I will take some lovely frost pics later this week as it continues to get colder.
I am going to be SO ready for my beach holiday by the end of January... But more about that later.
<3 <3 <3
