Christmas Bliss and Happy New Year!

Hello everyone :) I have been busy the last few days posting pics, there are four new links on here so check them out if you have a chance.

Christmas in Korea/Thailand was definitely an experience to remember. There were more decorations up than I expected, considering Christmas really isn't such a big deal around here. Most people spend the holiday with friends, or their boyfriend/girlfriend (which is why Koreans pity anyone who is single for the holidays - there is no better feeling than being told by 11 year olds that you are going to be very lonely for a week). Most schools only offer one day off work, the 25th. However stores are still dressed up in lights and wreathes, and models of Santa's sleigh. In class we made Christmas cards, and some of my students delighted me with rather hilarious and heartfelt messages. The foreign staff had our own little work party - ugly sweater styles - and potluck dinner to get into the spirit. And then I wasn't around for the actual day because I was off to ... Thailand!

The trip was a dream. I spent most of it on the East Coast islands, sunbathing and enjoying the island rum. I met up with some friends for the first half of my trip, we went to the infamous Full Moon Party on Christmas Eve (1 beach, several bars and about 20,000 people in attendance. You had to walk about 10 feet to be in a whole different party, new vibe, different music, and lots and lots of dancing on makeshift beach stages. I have never in my life seen anything like it, and I highly doubt I ever will!) and ate 4 times a day just to try every dish on the extravagant menus. One of our friends, also an English teacher, had a Treasure Map of Ko Tao, the second island on my agenda after Ko Phangan. So we went for the day to explore, rented motorbikes, visited a monkey reserve, ate over-looking Shark Bay beach (and subsequently encountered the most beautiful sunset I have ever seen, over the valley beach and under the dark clouds of a sudden and thrilling thunderstorm) and relaxed for the night on Sairee Beach, a totally chill place where Bob Marley meets Jack Johnson and the chairs are cushions on the sand.

After that my girlfriends left for Vietnam and I returned to Ko Phangan to visit the friends of my cousin Pat. They took me scuba diving, which was incredible, and I met a few more English teachers to spend the evenings with. I was nervous at first when I had to learn to breathe underwater, and I barely slept the night before for all the worrying I did, but as usual as soon as I was in the gear and on the boat the worry slipped away in the ocean and I was so pumped to get down there. We dove at Sail Rock, 12 meters under, and I swam with so many different colours of fish and coral, saw a school of Baracudas, some eels and amazing sea urchins. It was an entirely new world that I barely knew existed, in fact a world I never really loved to think about because fish kinda creeped me out before this experience (but maybe that's just because they look so sad and out of place at the pet store); this was different. I was observing their world and I felt invincible as a spectator, and totally in awe of their natural environment. It's also a naturally reflective experience, since you can't talk (yes it was difficult for me) so you are alone with your breath bubbles and your thoughts and it was totally amazing. Plus I got to hear some great stories about Pat and Jamie and their year on the island, and in the Philippines, which was great cuz I sure haven't seen them in a while.

I spent one day in Bangkok, at the end, visiting temples and reading for hours in their version of Central Park. It's not a bad city but it's still a city and as they say not the 'real' Thai experience; I choose island life any day :)