USA vs CANADA

My four day weekend was filled with fun and not so much sleep, but it was all worth it! On Friday night, we said good bye to teachers finishing their contracts and welcomed new teachers who had just arrived with a staff dinner and late night out at Noraebong (Korean staff included-FUNNY!) Saturday was Everland and Sunday was clean and catch up day at home. After a 1am

bed time, I woke up just two and a half hours later to throw my red, white, and blue on for the big and final USA vs Canada hockey game. Usually, on a night out, we're on our way HOME in a cab at 4am. This time, at 4am, Britney, Shauna, and I were on our way INTO Seoul to watch the

game streamed live at a bar owned by two Canadian men who used to be teachers in Korea. We got to Rocky Mountain Tavern just in time for the start of the game at 5am. Both the upstairs and downstairs was packed shoulder to shoulder with Americans and Canadians, like being in a mosh-pit at a rock concert. The energy was insane! Some people had been there for hours partying all night long for the big event. We stayed for quite some time until the streaming got bad and being squished wasn't so much fun anymore. Then we headed to a bar down the street to join a few of our co-workers and a group of Candian friends at a bar that was also showing the game. There were just a few small groups of viewers and the streaming was perfect at this place, so we definitely got the better end of the deal by changing places. I won't go into details since we all know how the game ended, but I'll just say it was a lot of fun and everyone in our group of Americans and Canadians left that morning in good spirits. We celebrated together with a big brunch at the All-American Diner following the game...mmmm mmmm! By 11am, big snow flakes were falling (I had changed back to close toed shoes that day) and we were on the bus back home.

That afternoon, I slept a few hours and then woke up to spend the evening with Forrest (a friend I met just two weeks before his contract ended) and some friends on their last night in Korea. We went out for dinner at their favorite Korean restaurant and celebrated their year with stories, beers, and Soju until 3am. Forrest and his friend crashed at my apartment to catch the airport bus that picks up right across the street from my house. Three hours later, I was saying good bye to a wonderful friend. I can only hope that our paths will cross again since we are both from MN. That was my first good bye in Korea, and it made realize what little time I have left to enjoy with such wonderful people. I'm officially past my six month mark, and now that I know I will officially be coming home after my year, I must make the most of my time left here!