Après-ski

I don't really like to ski, but I LOVE après-ski! What a great activity! :)

Here are some pics of my trip to Chamonix with eight other coworkers from Spain. I am AWFUL at skiing. Seriously, I snowplow on a BUNNY HILL. It's that bad. That's goodness my friend Amy is from the Midwest and just as bad as I am! Despite my lack of skiing abilities, it was totally worth it for the scenery. I"m would do a ski vacation again in the lovely Alps, but next I'll either be snowshoeing, cross country skiing, or sitting at Chambre Neuf.

Hello 2011!

I"m going to try writing shorter posts. I feel too much pressure to write long posts! (Mostly from myself, but I can't stare at my empty blog anymore!)

I know it's a little late to introduce the new year, but better late than never!
The start of 2011 has been great thus far!! Some highlights...


1. Going to Manila to visit Alan for Christmas break.




2. Bre and Leah came to visit at the beginning of February. It was so great to some Korea folks!





3. Signing up for the Madrid half marathon! This is my first race in almost eight years!





I can 't wait to see what the rest of 2011 brings!

October 12th- Spanish National Day

I love getting random holidays off as an overseas teacher. It's usually an excuse to sleep, but it's also important to partake in the culture of the host country. October 12 was Spain's National Day. I got up early to attend a military parade with a few friends. Spain definitely flexed their military muscle. I've never seen so many tanks and soldiers marching on the street! They even had a ski patrol! It was also interesting being in the crowd and hearing Spaniards cry out for the love of their country and the hatred for the current president, Rodrigoi Zapatero.
Here's a video of the military parade from 2007. Wrong year, but you get the idea.
Vive le Espana! (I think that's the right phrase.....)

Alicante!

Here are some overdue pics from my trip to Alicante. What a wonderful beach town and an excuse to go on a Spanish road trip with my new friends!

Hemingway!

I am currently teaching the novel The Sun Also Rises by Ernest Hemingway to my IB juniors. During a presentation, one of students said her grandfather used to fraternize with Hemingway. I almost dropped my papers mid-presentation. I squealed with delight and asked her to tell more stories. She brought in a few photos to show to the class. Yesterday, she told me her grandfather used to date Ava Gardner. What??? What kind of kids am I teaching?

Espana principios....sort of.....

That's right. I'm back. It's been too long, but I'm back. Here's the skinny on my new life in Spain: I like my roommates, my new job, and the crazy city of Madrid. I'm still adjusting to the differences between Eastern and Western culture and not being the minority for once, and I still miss Korea quite a bit, but time is always the best medicine.


Here's a quick peek at my new life.

In front of the palace...



Plaza Mayor at sunset....


Roman aquaducts in Segovia....



See the rest of my photos on my Facebook page!!

노란색 별표! Estrella Amarillo!

I can get a little obnoxious when I start learning a new language. Once I muster up the energy and motivation to actually learn the language, I'll flaunt my new skills to a-n-y-o-n-e. I learned how to say Spanish shapes and colors last week, and I've constantly spouting out the colors of t-shirts and leaves in Spanish. My friends smile and laugh, but the occasional eye roll comes out when they've heard me saying "la blusa rosa" for the umpteenth time. My favorite phrase is "estrella amarillo" or "yellow star". I like the way it looks and rolls off the tongue.

Amidst learning Spanish, I realized that I have no idea how to say yellow star in Korean. This thought makes me panic, momentarily, that I didn't spend my time wisely in Korea simply because I don't know this phrase, or that learning Spanish right now means I'm "leaving" Korea too quickly. Luckily, the moment passes, and I silently laugh at my melodramatic logic. I think it's ok to be excited and sad in the same moment. Last week, I went on a retreat with my seniors and learned about a transition concept called R.A.F.T. It stands for Reconciliation, Affirmation, Farewells, and Think. The concept encourages people to properly say goodbye to their home and gives positive strategies how to transition to the next one. I've definitely done my share of transitions, but I don't know if I've ever properly said goodbye to a place. I think my exit from Korea will my first proper goodbye.

I will definitely learn how to say yellow star by next Tuesday.