Relaxing with soju on a Thursday afternoon...

So December 10 and here are 6 exciting things! You're welcome!

1. Our trip Hong Kong and China is booked, paid for, ripped, roarrin' and ready to go! Plane tickets, train tickets, hostels/hotels, and visas are all set. We have a countdown on of 13 days, 19 hours, 41 minutes and 31 seconds, no 30, now 29, 28, 27, 26....you get the point. We're not excited or anything.
2. We have a Christmas concert on December 24 for the kids. We get to prepare 2 songs for each class and my class is reciting their "Dear Santa" letters as well. My class is singing "Christmas Don't Be Late", yes that's right, the chipmunks Christmas song. I figured their voices all sound like the chipmunks anyway so it is an obvious choice. We are also dancing our booties to "Santa Claus is Coming to Town." Easy songs I know but the "Dear Santa" letters are tough...you try teaching 7 year old Korean kids the word 'appreciate.' Actually they are doing ridiculously well and they practice singing and dancing all class whether I tell them to or not. Allison's class is going to be rocking out to "I'm Getting Nothing for Christmas" and "Up on the Housetop." Nothing but 100% cuteness will be forthcoming I'm sure.
3. Our Pittsburgh Steelers are rocking out baby! At least our defense is. The offense has a ways to go. But to have a 10-3 record with our outrageously hard schedule so far is nothing less than impressive. My 3 most hated NFL teams (New England, Dallas, and Baltimore) in a row. 2 victories down, 1 to go!
4. The weather here is unreasonably nice right now. Its been mid-50s and sunny the past week. I'll take that in December any time.
5. You know how you have certain musical artists who you kind of forget about, and then get back into listening to several years later. I am doing that with Ben Folds right now. I have the songs ripped on the computer (thanks Johnny F) and have literally not listened to them since like 2003. I forgot how amazing his songs are. If you are not listening to Ben Folds right now, you should be. Download or buy his live album. He is just a good musician. Singer, songwriter, plays piano, guitar, bass, drums and more. I mean, anyone who writes lines like "y'all don't know what its like being male, middle class and white" and "Won't you let me explode in a karaoke supernova? " and covers Elton John's "Tiny Dancer" in concert (and does it awesome!) is worth listening to.
6. We are getting packages of wrapped presents from our family. They (our family) are the best!

Guess that is about it. In honor football season, how about some Pittsburgh pics? Sound good? I thought so.

They have mullets in Korea, lots of them actually. But there is just something about a genuine Pittsburgh mullet....(sigh).











I understand he is just a random drunk guy with no shirt we met while tailgating before going to the Steelers last home game in 2005 (the year we won the Super Bowl!!!) but I miss him. Oh yeah, and I really miss Matthew Voland. I am in desperate need of the 'pearls of wisdom' the spew from his mouth.










And finally, yes I understand Allison hated it, I miss my beard. It was sweet. I grew it while studying abroad in Germany, perhaps there is a parallel to be draw with teaching in Korea and growing it back....hmmmm.