Understanding Red Calendar X's

These winter days are long and slow; January's calendar pages have fallen with slow ease to the floor as each day has quietly strolled slowly into the next. We wake early, walk through the chilly air, sometimes let snowflakes tickle our noses, and commit ourselves to a half-hibernation state at work. The month is almost over, the intensive teaching will come to an end, and as it does I will fold the blankets, and pack my bags for our honeymoon holiday to Cambodia. We will wave goodbye to grey Korea if but for a short while.

In anticipation I've been sitting in my favorite coffee shop near the school, drinking coffee and reading up on the Lonely Planet. The coffee keeps me warm and awake as I've naturally wanted to return to the sleeping state after nine hours of being trapped with the desks, chalk, and crumbled papers. The lovely green plush seats that Etre (Suwon's only little French-style cafe that I can find) make for nice sitting and even better daydreaming.

I've been seriously seeking warmth. Though cocktails can be difficult to find, and sometimes outrageously expensive, I've managed to sip upon two June Bugs in the last six months. The later and pictured was of better taste. Kristin and I ventured into the Western World of Korea, and sipped lazily upon such lovely drinks at TGI Fridays; we went on this past Thursday, hoping that it would magically turn into Friday. It didn't, but the walk home felt much warmer than had we not stopped for a drink. Yes, the warmth felt very comforting.

It seems everyone is fighting the weather in one way or another. I burst into hysterics when I saw the absurd size of one of my student's umbrellas. Korea is full of strange things, umbrellas are not strange here though, as Koreans seem to carry them in whatever the weather. This one must have been to protect a head from the falling snow, I think it did the job.

As I make my way to saying goodbye to January, I will also be saying goodbye to the most amusing class I've had since I've been here. This last week has been presentation week at school; the students seem to dread them, but this class was of good spirit. When "Sam" talked about Mars, the whole class burst into hysterics, including "Sam." Something about, "Maybe one day you would like to go to Mars too" tickled everyone's fancy. Especially mine.

*Now what tickles my fancy is the plane to Cambodia, ten days and counting!*