Back Again!

Time to dust off my blog and post again! So many dramas yet to review and new drama fans to recruit!! In addition to a busy schedule in December, I've spent the last month engrossed in timing JuMong. I’m totally addicted to timing fan subs. It combines my love for dramas with my Korean language studies (ok not as much with JuMong because they use “old style” Korean). I’m so into JuMong anyway, and it makes no difference that I’m timing it as I see an episode for the first time! I get completely drawn into it. I’ve been timing with tears running down my face or cheering on a main character. Ok, aside the hours I’ve spent on timing, let me share some of the other cool things that we have been doing!

For Thanksgiving, we got together with many of our closest friends and friends of friends for a get-together on the beach at the Outrigger. For those that saw the KBS Sunday show Heroine 6 that was filmed in Guam, this is the hotel that they filmed at. In fact, one of the families that came runs Skydive Guam, who took many of the KBS celebrities tandem skydiving. I talked to the skydivers that were on the show. They of course had no idea who all the Koreans were, so I explained that they were indeed big celebrities in Korea. They did say that KBS did a great job in editing the skydiving footage, and they were impressed with the outcome of the show. Anyway, a great time was had by all and it was a wonderful way to spend Thanksgiving, given that we all live so far away from families.

One week later, we hosted a huge party for my son Jack’s 8th birthday! I invited all the Korean students from the English school where I teach to join us. For many, it was their first chance to attend an “American” party. It was fun to show off a traditional American party with American food because my students are always teaching me Korean culture. We ended up with a house full of people and kids everywhere! My favorite kind of party! It was also fun to have my Korean friends there to have someone to share all my Korean pop music with. Outside, my husband and his buddies were playing “classic rock-n-roll” while in the kitchen, I got everyone dancing when I cranked up MC Mong!

A couple of days later, my Emma danced in her ballet recital. She was adorable of course and made her parents very proud.

Finally, the last two week of December we hosted my brother-in-law and my parents-in-law. My father-in-law is in the last stages of a lengthy battle with lung cancer. We offered to travel to Illinois for Christmas, but he was adamant about coming to Guam. He absolutely wanted to spend Christmas in the tropics with his family. He and my mother-in-law braved the long trip out here, despite all his pain. We were very limited as to what we could do while they were here because of his condition, but he did have some very enjoyable times with the kids. They also attended Korean Church with me. The church members did a beautiful “laying on hands” prayer for him after the service that was very moving. Prayer transcends the language barrier and God’s spirit could be felt. My in-laws were very touched. The highlight of the trip was the two days we spent at the Hilton (just a mile from our house!). We got a suite for my in-laws, and my father-in-law was able to enjoy two memorable days sitting on the balcony, viewing beautiful Tumon Bay. Thankfully, the weather was perfect and the ocean colors spectacular.

Happy New Year from our family! I wish everyone a blessed New Year!!