Birthdays and Bubbles

We started off this weekend with a semi-field trip (aka Sports Day). It was a crazy morning—trying to wrangle fifty rambunctious children into participating in structured games. Several times I got tackled by entire herds of children. They’re something like hyenas, one at a time they’re okay. But several at once can bring you down into the ground! It was a fun, rather exhausting day.
For dinner on Friday we (Ferrin, Brett, Abbi, Me and David) decided to celebrate David’s 23rd birthday at our new favorite restaurant: “What’s David’s.” The restaurant is just downstairs from Kid’s College and it’s actually owned by the mother of one of Abbi’s students. It turns out she knew we were coming so she decorated part of the restaurant for David’s birthday! She even made him wear a birthday crown (I got a bright pink party hat to match). Our gracious hostess even brought us free pumpkin soup, sparklers and champagne to help us celebrate the evening. The restaurant itself serves amazing Western food: pizza, pasta, Mexican food, fish and chips. It’s all gourmet style and very mouthwatering. Ferrin brought a chocolate cake from Paris Baguette and we played with the sparklers until they ran out.





Celebrating with the cake!

Saturday day was spent cleaning the apartment and writing a few pages. In the evening we took the subway into Seoul to see a show called “Bubble World.” One of my student’s mothers had bought tickets for all of us to go see it. The show was geared mostly toward children, but we still had a great time blowing large bubbles of our own! David even volunteered to get up on stage and be enveloped by a giant bubble. A Korean girl got up there with him and they were both forced to stand close together and have the bubble put over them. They both felt a bit awkward. =)





Bubbles!

After the Bubble Show we headed over to Hongdae to meet up with our friend Snyder and pick up the care package. We got there a little early and wandered around for an hour before meeting up with him. What a crazy neighborhood! On weekends it’s the place all of the college people go to party! The streets were packed with vendors and enthusiastic college kids. I met the dog of my dreams there. I’ve decided I want one just like it someday when we have a lifestyle fit for such a thing.



My future dog!

Sunday we mostly bummed around the apartment. It was a good respite to our busy week, and a good birthday for David. I made sweet tea yesterday! Our friend Snyder brought us a care package from his recent trip to America. Among other things my wonderful mother packed in some “Constant Comment” tea packets! David and I walked to E-Mart (S.Korea’s version of Wal-Mart, except bigger and crazier) and bought some Lipton tea to complement it. I’m really excited to get just a little taste of home!