People have been asking about my blog because I haven't updated since the end of November, so I'm finally getting down to the task of updating!
I looked at the calendar today and for the first time in weeks the date actually registered and I was shocked. Christmas was a month ago, and it's almost February. Time has been whizzing by this month because I've been working 42-45 hours a week since the end of December. While the students are on winter break from public school, they attend extra classes at our private English school. I'm working 6 days a week, 6 hours a day, plus an extra 3 hours a day 3 mornings a week (for the first two weeks of the break I was working 5 extra mornings, but luckily two classes got combined so I got two mornings off). My Sundays have been my day of much needed rest, though I've managed to go on trips or have auditions or rehearsals most of the Sundays anyway. With so much of my time and energy focused on teaching (which I don't mind, unless other friends remind me of all the time they have off right now) I haven't been keeping up with blogging at all.
It snowed - in Busan!! Granted the snow lasted for less than an hour in my neighborhood, but nevertheless I was tickled pink. The decorative cabbages on the streets looked so pretty with the little flakes of snow that lingered on their leaves.
So, a brief look at the higlights of the last two months:
On December 19th we held the Busan Musical Revue - a night of singing songs from different musicals. As a group we'd been rehearsng for about 2 months (or less?) and it was fantastic to be singing to perform again. I sang a solo piece - "Stars and the Moon," from Songs for a New World, as well as a duet - "What is this Feeling?," from Wicked. We sang two group pieces, "A New World," from Songs for a New World, and "Seasons of Love," from Rent, and I was lucky to have a solo part in each of those pieces as well. It was so invigorating to be back on stage singing, and also left me feeling wistful and nostalgic for the days that I spent filled with songs and rehearsals. My life feels so much more meaningful and vibrant when I get to sing with people and perform, and I miss having that in my life more.
I looked at the calendar today and for the first time in weeks the date actually registered and I was shocked. Christmas was a month ago, and it's almost February. Time has been whizzing by this month because I've been working 42-45 hours a week since the end of December. While the students are on winter break from public school, they attend extra classes at our private English school. I'm working 6 days a week, 6 hours a day, plus an extra 3 hours a day 3 mornings a week (for the first two weeks of the break I was working 5 extra mornings, but luckily two classes got combined so I got two mornings off). My Sundays have been my day of much needed rest, though I've managed to go on trips or have auditions or rehearsals most of the Sundays anyway. With so much of my time and energy focused on teaching (which I don't mind, unless other friends remind me of all the time they have off right now) I haven't been keeping up with blogging at all.
It snowed - in Busan!! Granted the snow lasted for less than an hour in my neighborhood, but nevertheless I was tickled pink. The decorative cabbages on the streets looked so pretty with the little flakes of snow that lingered on their leaves.So, a brief look at the higlights of the last two months:
On December 19th we held the Busan Musical Revue - a night of singing songs from different musicals. As a group we'd been rehearsng for about 2 months (or less?) and it was fantastic to be singing to perform again. I sang a solo piece - "Stars and the Moon," from Songs for a New World, as well as a duet - "What is this Feeling?," from Wicked. We sang two group pieces, "A New World," from Songs for a New World, and "Seasons of Love," from Rent, and I was lucky to have a solo part in each of those pieces as well. It was so invigorating to be back on stage singing, and also left me feeling wistful and nostalgic for the days that I spent filled with songs and rehearsals. My life feels so much more meaningful and vibrant when I get to sing with people and perform, and I miss having that in my life more.
My snowflakes, to keep me in the winter spirit!
For Winter Solstice some friends and I got together and had a cabaret night where we performed and had a potluck. In addition, we raised about $150 for a women's shelter, which was great.
On Christmas Eve, we had a "Dirty Santa" gift exhange, which means you buy a gift, but not for a specific person. Then, you choose numbers and take turns picking a gift. You can choose to steal a gift that the person before you opened, though, which is why the game is "dirty." My friend Carissa was stolen from 4 times, before finally getting that last gift left. If was actually pretty funny to watch. After, the teachers had a pancake night, which we did last year as well, and that was lovely. 
We wore these reindeer ears for the week of Christmas.
For Christmas, (after work, because, yes, I worked on Christmas Day again) my friend hosted people for the weekend at her apartment, which is in a small city just north of Busan, but only 2o minutes by bullet train, now, which is great. We had fun playing boggle, eating, and opening gifts together.
For New Years Eve I got off work and headed out to join my friends for a few hours to cheers midnight, but unfortunately had to work early the next morning, so my plans to go to the beach for the New Years Sunrise Festival were kaput. After work I got some much needed rest, because it was also the end of my first week of teaching the extra classes.
For New Years Eve I got off work and headed out to join my friends for a few hours to cheers midnight, but unfortunately had to work early the next morning, so my plans to go to the beach for the New Years Sunrise Festival were kaput. After work I got some much needed rest, because it was also the end of my first week of teaching the extra classes.
That covers the last two months, basically! As for what's on the horizon...
Happily, I have gotten involved with performing again with my free Sundays! Recently we started rehearsing The Vagina Monologues again, as we did last spring. This year we'll be performing at the end of February. I'll be doing two pieces, both special focus pieces that are meant to raise awareness of women's issues in other countries. One piece, called "Say It," is written to honor and tell the story of the "Comfort Women" of South Korea, who were forced into sexual slavery by the Japanese army durin WWII. We will be performing, as we did last year, with a Korean woman speaking in Korean, followed by me, giving the English translation. It's very powerful, and extremely meaningful to our group here in Korea. In addition, I'll be readin a poem written to honor the memory of a woman who helped lead women's rights work in Haiti, before she died in the earthquake. The poem honors her work and draws attention to the unique strugles facing women in Haiti since the earthquake happened. I'm thrilled to be working with an amazin group of women again this year to put on the show, and look forward to bringing awareness to the community in Busan.
Aside from being involved in performing, I'm just working and enjoying my free time reading in coffeeshops and going for walks, or spending time with friends here. I'm looking forward to having more time on my hands in the mornings soon, to hopefully make the most out of my time left in Busan.
Much love to everyone who has taken the time to read this : )
Aside from being involved in performing, I'm just working and enjoying my free time reading in coffeeshops and going for walks, or spending time with friends here. I'm looking forward to having more time on my hands in the mornings soon, to hopefully make the most out of my time left in Busan.
Much love to everyone who has taken the time to read this : )
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