Halloween in Jinju: This was the first time in quite a while that I've celebrated Halloween. Living in Korea makes me revert back to childhood enthusiasm for "American" or "Western" holidays... AND, my Aussie and Kiwi friends had never carved a pumpkin in their lives! What better way to celebrate Halloween than carving pumpkins with friends? We searched high and low and the local market and FINALLY found some pumpkins to take a knife to--though, they weren't quite like the pumpkins back home. And, of course, the whole of Jinju had a costume party at a local bar. A day hike inspired some friends and myself to go for a 'jungle' theme... With our very own lion, king of the jungle. ROAR!
My very first lead climb: Lead climbing is where the top of the rope is attached to you instead of on an anchor above you. So, as you climb up, you clip the rope in to previously attached bolts along the route. It adds an extra element of danger (and therefore excitement!), but is something I was very proud to have accomplished.
My dear friend Chris always admired my tie-dye shirt from Eugene's Saturday Market. So, when my parents came out for a visit, they were kind enough to bring a matching tie-dye shirt for Chris. He loves it, and we both happened to wear our shirts on a hike. Upon reaching the summit of the peak, we couldn't resist taking a picture together with our shirts--Korean style.
My other dear friend, Megan, left Korea at the end of November. These pictures are from the last few days we had with her before her departure, and these are the people I have spent the majority of my time in Korea with.
In early December, a few friends and I decided it would be a great idea to go camping the night before a hike. All ended well, but WOW it was cold! We were bundled up as much as we could be, and still didn't have a warm sleep. However, it could have been worse and the day after--clear blue skies, sunshine and the magnificent view--was well worth a cold night.
Christmas #2 in Korea: This year for Christmas, 16 friends and one friend's mother and myself spent Christmas day and night in a pension that we had rented (comparable to renting a condo I suppose). The pension was up in the mountains, inside of Jirisan National Park. We arrived in afternoon on Christmas day, started cooking and enjoyed an amazing meal together. After having given Chris a tie-dye shirt, people got jealous. SO, in another kind gesture, my parents sent me a package that included an order of several more tie-dye shirts for some friends. All of us sported those lovely colorful shirts all weekend and without a doubt, we were likely one of the more colorful bunches of people on Christmas.
Just another little taste of my life in Korea. Peace and love to all in the new year.
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