Tug of War and Christmas

New news:

LEXI'S COMING TO VISIT ME.... AAHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHH!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

I'm so happy!



I played tug of war with my co-workers today. Just before the match started, I betrayed my team and ran over to the other side. Chang Misook called for me to come over to her and I just can't resist her! It caused a big uproar and Jin tried to betray too, but in the end, they had to even out the teams and both Jin and I ended up back on our original team!

We lost! They play tug of war differently here than what I'm used to... they yell out, "PULL, PULL, PULL!" in Korean and when they're not yelling "PULL!" they relax the tension on the rope.

Ridiculous! You NEVER let up on the tension!!! I almost had my arm yanked out of my socket!

Then, we played T-ball! Darn P.E. teacher caught my pop fly! It cracks me up how enthusiastically my co-teachers play these little kid sports! Another group of teachers were playing kick ball and they were getting into it SO much! We played one round and then we quit and went inside for a FEAST! There was chicken and kimchi and juke and fruit and vegetables and beer and soju and on and on and on! I stayed and had dinner with everyone. It felt like Thanksgiving!

I started to tell Jin about all the food and traditions I have at home over Thanksgiving and Christmas. I think it moved her. Maybe the family gathering or the traditions or all the food or maybe just the combination of everything touched her. I'm not sure why, but she started to tear up a little bit in the midst of my remembrance's.

I realized then how blessed I am to have such a strong family. My home has always been filled with so much love and warmth, and it's tangible during these holidays. Seeing Jin tear up and in so much awe of my family traditions made me realize how hollow my life would be without my family and the gifts of love and warmth they have given me since childhood.

I told her about Christmases at Grandma's and the stockings, buckeyes, green bean casserole... just the tangible love in the room... I told her about my yearly tradition of finding the perfect tree for Grandma and our house with Dad... I told her about nut rolls and sugar cookies! I can hardly believe that I'm not going to be a part of it again and I wonder will it ever be how I've remembered. I don't know.

But, I do know that there is a huge amount of solid, immovable, irreplaceable love swirling in my heart because of my family and all of the Christmases, Thanksgivings and love I've had with them before and that I know is waiting for me back home again. I want to share this. I want to give this to Jin. I want her to feel this love and warmth.

When I started telling her about nut rolls and buckeyes we both got so excited we could hardly contain ourselves! I wonder if I could make a nut roll in my little toaster oven.... hmm....

And now I can see that I have a family here in Korea as well. My co-workers, despite our not being able to communicate 100% and all of the cultural differences, have embraced me and filled me with as many traditions as they could give.

Tug of war and T-ball never seemed so precious to me before.