Hong Kong Favourites

In third runner-up, oh Chinese food, how I've missed your glorious taste:

 Second runner-up, VLT deserves a category of its own. Irreplaceable taste indeed.

First runner-up, karaoke night with my parents, even though my dad and I sang while my mom mostly napped.

"Once more, with feeling." - Dr. Bob

In first place is spending quality time with my grandma:

Selfie on her birthday on Jan. 23, 2016~

She caught me going paparazzi on her.

She'll have her cake.

And eat it too.

Terrific trip. Twelve days went by so quickly, but I'll go back again next year with no time restraints when my contract ends for good.

Hong Kong Museum of History

I made my parents come with me to the Hong Kong Museum of History at Tsim Tsa Tsui in the afternoon of the first day. I'll never forget my dad, gazing around, curious and wide-eyed, saying "Wow, I never knew this existed in Hong Kong even though I've been here for decades", or my mom asking if we could take a break and go for a cup of coffee before we even made it through the entrance of the museum.

I don't think my obsession with museums, cultural and war history came from them.

A few snapshots:

The museum was separated into seven main sections, and by the time we got the last two, it was closing time. I wish we spent less time looking at rocks from prehistoric times, and spent more time in the Japanese Invasion and Hong Kong in the 70's Era sections. 

Next time I'll know better.

Museums are like buffets. Go for the good stuff first, and fill up on that.

Last Basketball Game Before Winter Vacation

My vacation officially started on Friday, Jan. 15th after finishing up with English camp. I went to play b-ball with the crew, and got these videoclip gems.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-uPegqQYmnk&feature=youtu.be

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Yflp7E4FEyE&feature=youtu.be

A few of us wanted to eat, so we went for chimek in Seomyeon. Here is a picture of Kris once again, falling asleep at dinnertime.

Exhibit 1:

Exhibit 2:

After a late dinner, we went to Thursday Party to meet up with Lana and her older brother who was visiting her, and had a few drinks. It was girl Alex's birthday, and we caught up with her and had more drinks in her honour.

Mini group shot.

We were jamming.

A great night to get the vacation started, before my flight on Sunday night.

Winter Camp at Dalbuk Elementary School ~ Success!!!

I went to teach my two weeks of winter English camp at another school with no small amount of trepidation, but I ended up having so much fun. The students at Dalbuk Elementary school were welcoming, sweet, and energetic. They seemed to genuinely enjoy all the activities I had planned, and listened to directions so well.

We did an upgraded and improved version of Around the World Camp, and watched the movie Paddington on the last day. I taught at Amy's school, and the two of us spent out bus rides to school and lunch hours laughing uproariously at lame jokes.

The two co-teachers at the school were kind and cooperative, and the principal was very welcoming as well. I had a great time teaching camp there, and was touched when my third-grader girls asked me to stay at their school instead of going back to Suan.

Camp is different from regular classes I guess. There's no dry textbook work and rote repetition of new vocabulary. All the lessons for camp are condensed into fun activities, which no doubt presented the illusion of me as some sort of carefree, fun-loving teacher.

Yea, I'm not.

I believe in having fun and spontaneity in carefully measured doses at precise time intervals.

Nonetheless, they were wonderful, and if I ever get outsourced at another school again, I would rather it be at Dalbuk Elementary School.

The kids, Amy, and Sarah teacher

A selfie with the group.

Splurging on lunch

Budgeting on lunch after splurging on lunch.

One of my sixth grader girls and her fourth grade brother bought me a scarf as a farewell gift!

Last Week's Language Cast Adventures

Last Monday, I made plans to meet up with JW to grab a drink at Savoy and video chat Ashika, so that they could get to know each other and can meet up when he flies to Vancouver tomorrow for a month long vacation.


Kate came too.


So I asked Alex to come, and he brought Daniel and Agnes.


Ashika's phone, as usual, was dead and the videochat didn't happen. Still, it was nice to grab a drink and chill. Kate left to go tutor some students near HaeEunDae, and we decided to all go on over to LanguageCast together. The cafe was packed, but we did hang around a bit talking to some people and playing this monkeys on a stick game.

I successfully dodged with only polite greetings, and I'm hoping to stay lucky tomorrow too. Thank god I'm going with Daniel.

With my penchant for persuasion, I made JW and Daniel come with me to Disco Pang Pang (yet again), and it was still fun the second time around. When Shota and Jayden comes to visit me in late February, I'm making them go with me too. Alex and Agnes joined us for noraebang afterwards, and we sang until it was time to run and catch the last subway train home.

Noraebang In Seomyeon

Tomorrow, we're having an early dinner at Chicago Pizza before heading on to LC after.

To-Do List for Monday, Jan.11th, 2016

Eat more healthy
Help mom move luggage and call taxi in the morning
Teach winter English camp until noon
Prepare conversation questions in Korean for LC
Make haircut appointment
Text Nurse Lee to find out when I can pick up health check results

Mom's Visit to Busan

My mom came specifically to see me, not to sight-see, I know that. Still, it would have been nice if I had more than just three weekends to take her around Busan. Her trip ended up being mostly about shopping and eating,

 I wanted to take her to Dongbaek Island, Apec, and Igidae Park, but she didn't have the passion nor the patience of any of those things. I think my mom is more of a consumer at heart. Her idea of a good time is consuming things, whether they be food, services, or materialistic things. 

Nonetheless, we still made some good memories in Busan.

The second night she came, we all had dinner together with my English co-teachers at a traditional Korean restaurant.

On New Year's Day, I wanted to take my mom to Spaland at Shinsegae for a day of relaxation, but stupid me forgot that on New Year's Day everything is closed. So we headed one stop further to Gwangan to walk along the beach and take a coffee break.

A candid shot.

Tiramisu cup, berry cheesecake, iced java latte, green tea

 Last Sunday, we had brunch with some of the girls at Melbourne cafe near by the riverside.

We walked along the river for a bit, before we all split up to do different things. I took my mom to the nearby Chungyeolsa temple, and we walked up what felt like a million stone steps, but the view was breathtaking.

We spent the rest of the day shopping at Nampo; all the Christmas lights were still up and it looked really festive.

Yesterday, we walked to Pusan National University to explore the area, and try the strawberry ice-cream waffles from my favorite cafe.

So fattening, and so good. No regrets.

Not from yesterday, but look at my bubblegum pink coat!

We had dinner with the girls again last night at a restaurant called Steak Jobs. They had caricatures of Steve Jobs holding a frying pan all over the walls.

Our sharing buffers of Margarita pizza and Roast Chicken pizza.

My mom and I shared the sirloin chopped steak.

Also, we had the tomato seafood spaghetti.

Love you lots, it's going to be goodbye for a week and then I'll see you in Hong Kong next Sunday night! <333