Happy New Year. Again.

I have four days off -- in a row. Happy Seollal.

I woke up to four inches of pristine white snow.  Even 23 million people can sound muffled in four inches of snow.

I got a massage today. It was GOOD.

I have a SERIOUS case of senioritis. I am so anxious for the next phase of my master plan to begin that I find myself forgetting to live in the here and now.

The writing prompt for this month's test asked my kids to invent a new animal and then describe it. Anthony wanted to invent a cock. Man, did he ever have a twinkle in his eye when he dropped that bomb on me!

I think I'm falling in love with my second graders. Last week we did a lesson on idioms and now everything is a 'piece of cake.' 

I desperately want a new camera, computer, haircut, pair of shoes and winter coat. I need exactly none of these things.

Gustav Klimt has been stalking me throughout Korea. I knew nothing about this artist until my dear friend Lorien introduced him to me by way of an art project at school. Koreans seem to love him, can't get enough of him. I've seen his work as puzzles, murals in bars, backdrops for fashionable cafes and on countless handbags, posters, and calendars over the past nine months. And then today, as I was waiting for the subway, I saw an ad for a Klimt exhibit. Of course, I have no idea where it is, as I have not bothered to learn Hangul. But I shall persevere...

The Kiss
The Tree of Life
Adele Bloch-Bauer I

I am nursing a teeny, tiny crush. 

Valentine's for AIDS is coming up and I have submitted a piece. Check it out at the Flying M Coffee House at 5th and Idaho starting February 8th.

Gimcrackery is a real word. I know because my office has decided to do a word of the day. And blogger didn't check it as a misspelled word. There's a LOT of gimcrackery here in Korea. I'm practically surrounded by it.

My mom thinks the banana bread I baked today is only good because I live in Korea and my standards have somehow been lowered on account of there being no decent bakeries. Except that there are good bakeries and my banana bread was phenomenal.  

Sometimes there is amazing art to be found in this utilitarian country. Over the past few weeks I have visited the Seoul International Photography Festival and the Leeum Samsung Museum of Art. The works at both entranced and inspired me, but what really got me were the spaces. The SIPF was held at the old Seoul train station, a dilapidated, sprawling maze of a building, completely out of place in modern-day downtown Seoul. The juxtaposition between old and new and the eerie charm of the building (and the fact that it was freezing ballz cold inside) definitely left an impact. If you have a chance in the next week, you gotta check it out. Also, they have an entire exhibit of user-submitted work and photos from HS students. And the Leeum? Go, you'll be amazed.

I watched Obama's inauguration while roasting s'mores at 2AM. I think that's a pretty good 'where were you when?' story.

That's Michelle Obama through a toasted marshmallow.  See, food IS cute.
Who needs a campfire?

Damn, how'd this get so long? 3 more months...