Month 7 & 8: March & April

I can't believe that it completely slipped my mind to write my monthly update in March, and now it is almost the end of April.  In my defense, it has been an extremely busy couple of months and I have been sure to update everyone on all of the various activities and things that we have been up to.  I suppose getting engaged and having visitors takes a lot of out a girl ...so don't get too frustrated with me, I have a list of excuses to throw out there.

I suppose you could say that it has been an incredible couple of months.  I think that it could have been raining or even snowing and hailing, with us working 16 hour days and never sleeping and I would still have a smile on my face ...I am engaged.  I don't need to say more:)

Other than that, we have been really lucky to hire a couple new Canadian teachers at our school and you will be seeing them throughout out pictures.  Marty & Em are East Coasters and have become great friends.  Gotta love being surrounded by Canadians.  Funny how that happened, when we first got here the Canadians were defintely out-numbered by Americans and slowly but surely we have started to take over. 

As you saw, baseball season has started and we are loving the games.  It's such an awesome way to spend weekend days - the tickets are only $8 (actually less because they are 8 won) and beer is only $2.50 per can.  Ridiculously cheap, can't argue with that.  And with jerseys, hats and a new flag - we are definitely contenders to be voted the #1 fans.

Matt's visit was a huge highlight for both Wayne & I.  It's amazing to have just a touch of home and it made me think again of how much I miss home.  (Not that I don't think that every single day, haha.)  That being said, if all goes as planned, we are officially at a point where we can say - "this time next year, we will be home!" I made Wayne promise that we will be home for my 31st (is that even possible?) birthday ...so regardless, we are in the home stretch.  And it's incredible how quickly the first 8 months have gone.  I may have even reached the point where I might *gasp* miss this place once we leave. 

It's such a strange feeling - to have built an entire life and then one day pick up and go home and never return.  It's like you never even existed here.

Anyways, I'm sure one of the biggest highlights of my whole experience is going to happen in a couple days (no pressure of course!) ...when my parents get here on Friday!  I have been so excited for months and then it just hit me in class yesterday that this weekend will be spent with them:)  I actually cried last week thinking about saying goodbye to them when they have to go home ...so Wayne has barred me from going to the airport when they leave, haha.

Well - it's test time, and while this has been a great way to procrastinate a bit, I think I better get back to it.  Thanks again for keeping up to date with us, and please mark a year from now on your calendar ...because we will be coming home!!! (Sad that, that seems soon to me at this point.)

Oh! And in case you haven't heard yet, I started 2 other blogs ...if you are intersted and I don't monopolize enough of your time with this one:

The Girl in the Pink Wedding Dress

My Black & White Polka Dot Wedding

ps. my aunt just brought this to my attention ...Wayne & I are officially googable as a couple!  Now if that's not an accomplishment, I'm not sure what is.  If you go to google and type in Lori & Wayne...you will get this blog!

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Matt in Asia

I have come to the conclusion that there is nothing better than having visitors.  You get to have a little piece of home in your new home, you get to share 'your world' with them, experience everything as though it's new again with them ...and they bring amazing goodies from home that you have been missing.

Matt was our first, and I am so happy that he was able to make it.  He spent the week saying, "I can't believe I am in Asia," and I think by the end of the week he had not only experienced, but enjoyed.  I hope anyways. 

A week is a short time to visit, after a 13 hour flight (which is actually kinda like 24 hours on the way over because of the time difference and 1 hour on the way back ...crazy) I'm sure it can seem like a whirlwind as your body tries to adjust to not only the new food, the new smells, the new environment, the new language going on all around you but also the time difference.  It probably takes a week once you get home to settle from your 'vacation.'

Sadly, visiting us isn't quite like visiting Club Med ...but I didn't make him clean his clothes up off the ground ...and he did get the customary vacation nap in most afternoons ...and he enjoyed Soju with the best of them, so hopefully Matt will recommend hotel Lori & Wayne to any other guests travelling this way.  He has assured me that the next time he is in Asia, he will be sure to stay with us.

While there isn't a huge list of things to do and see, there is definitely enough here to keep you busy and having fun for a couple weeks.  Matts priorities were the DMZ Tour (North Korea,) the baseball game (it comes highly recommended,) alittle sightseeing in Seoul and of course, you can't come to Korea without taking a trip to the Nora Bong.

So in short, he did it all.  And then he was gone, and I can honestly say that the apartment felt emptier without him ...cleaner, but definitely emptier.

Have a look at the pictures above, my favourites of course being the Nora Bong ones.  People simply do not realize how much they are going to love it until they are in it.  But second to that, you have to check out the picture of Matt standing next to the door ...classic.

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