A Hometown Tourist

When friends and family from afar come to visit, we have the unique opportunity to become tourists in our own towns and territories. My friend Dave from Toronto, Canada came down to visit me to see just what the good ole North Cackalack and southern folk are all about. He loved the accents and couldn't get over how "nice everyone is."

At one point he said to me, "You little Southerners are just so cute!"

We are, aren't we? ;)

A trip to the Biltmore Estate in Asheville is usually necessary when showing someone what NC is all about

We love our cultural activities but we really love booze so what better way to incorporate the two than a tour through the winery at the Biltmore?

He blended right in with the southern folk in the bar :)

Had to show him the campground....which he guessed is where the southerners send all the gay people?? bwahahahahah

Not happy about this sign....

Haha doesn't Murray's Mill look just lovely? Ewwww....

Daddy teaching Dave to play Zoey's toy drum - SO cute :)

(Not a southern thing, but definitely a Keller thing haha)

Miss you Dave! Come back to Koreaaaaa!!!!

Next Post: Malaysia!!!!

Topsail Beach in a Snapshot or Two...

Here are a few pics from the first family vacation we'd taken together in a looooong time....it's amazing how it takes a child to get grown-ups to loosen up and remember the fun parts of life! We quite enjoyed the new additions to our getaway - Zoey and Jack but particularly Zoey, as the pictures (and above statement) explain why :)

Mommy Leenie with Zoey in the Sunset

Footprints in the Sand

(Can you guess whose is whose? Hint: One is mommy's....)

Awwww...sleepy baby :)

The first time I've ever actually flown a kite....or that most of us had actually!

I'm quite thankful to have such an amazing and supportive family. Love and miss them more every day!

Vacation = WOW!

I just got back from a 10-day trip to Singapore and Bali...and realized that I DESPERATELY need to update my blog.....but by GAH I just want you to know that I LOVE traveling!!!!! :)

I Live in Korea...really.

I'll post more about my trip home and to Malaysia very soon but first, there is something I have to get off my chest....

Ever since I hit that 6 month mark of living abroad, have been home and returned and now am going on about 15 months....it's finally started to hit me that I live in Korea.

I know - DUH, right? But wait...I can explain.

Some days, I never utter a word of hangul (word for the Korean language), I read English books and watch English videos on YouTube, I spend countless hours in bars filled mostly with other foreigners, and I don't even notice the passed out Korean business men on the side of the street. Other days I spend completely submerged in this very confused and yet distinctive culture that is Korean which means stopping to stare for a second at those passed out Korean business men on the side of the street, eating a diet filled mostly with rice and meat that only seems to ever experience garlic and ridiculously spicy pepper as seasonings, flashing annoyed looks at the dirty old men that spit huge wads right by my feet on the street, and smiling at all the cute children that shout, "Hello! I love you!" as I pass by.

I'm not sure what it is. Maybe it's just that I tend to notice certain things more on some days than others based on my mood - which can be affected by a number of different variables (no point in even TRYING to analyze that). Maybe it's that I happen to be in the right place at the right time to feel certain ways, such as going to school where I speak English all day and then going to my English-speaking lash extension beautician or (vice versa) being yelled at by an adjuma to move the #!@$ out of her way and then stopping in at a Korean restaurant where I must read the menu in Korean, as there is no other option. Maybe it's based on my personal struggle to figure out who I am and what the hell I'm doing. Maybe it's culture shock from moving to Korea - a place that allows or better yet pushes me to live outside of typical social norms merely because I have light hair and skin. Maybe it's culture shock from visiting home - a place where I feel more restricted to live within the realm of society - and then returning to what's become my new playground. Maybe being the different one has become my new identity. Maybe it's all of the above...or maybe it's none of it.

Whatever it is....I know now that I am living in Korea and I know at least ONE reason why I am starting to realize this....

Asian men are starting to look attractive.

ATTENTION GERMANY: I will be there sooner than we both realize.

I Can Hear the Bells.... (and it's making me sick)

From my best friend....to a bride.

So my best friend got married while I was home and I was the Old Maid....eh HEM, I mean Maid of Honor.

So what duties/privileges did this involve for me? Well...

~ Show up, first of all - which was actually a fairly large task considering I had to come all the way from KOREA!

~ Wear designated dress - which thank goodness Grace has excellent taste :) (I only hope I can still wear it after having spilt coffee all over it late in the night - something I completely didn't remember doing until the next day....and didn't even really remember then.)

~ Attend all wedding festivities. (which were a good number - a house warming, a spa day event, rehearsal dinner, a brunch the morning of and - of course - the actual wedding)

~ Bouquet duty (aka shove it in the bride's face before she runs down the aisle with the groom to the back to retouch her makeup before greeting everyone)

~ Maid of Honor speech - which I PERSONALLY believe I rocked and will post as soon as I can get a copy of it!

~ Added tasks: Bachelorette Party (took place 24 hours after I'd landed, during which time I'd only had about 10 hours of sleep in 3 complete days), and entertain everyone at the reception by cutting some serious rug on the dance floor and accepting drinking challenges from the grooms' friends that were present negative wives/girlfriends (Score 1 for the Old Maid)

All in all, the wedding was basically perfect. Grace was beautiful, as she ALWAYS is. No one fell down (accept perhaps me as I was leaving at the end of the night). The food was great. The beer and wine poured endlessly (perhaps the least perfect thing for me since it caused me to be sick at the end of the night). Grace's little brothers were as adorable as always. No one cried (accept for me after the endless pouring). The pictures turned out amazing. The music was gorgeous. Everyone had fun. The weather was brilliant. Button's decorations, flowers, etc. were out of a dream. All in all, awesome, amazing...perfect.

So why do I still feel sick to my stomach?

The Wedding Party

(Her little brothers are SOOO cute!)

The "Ladies in Red" Bachelorette Party

My sentiments exactly

Alas...always a bridesmaid, never a bride.

(Though this pic could explain some of the sickness I feel)

Ooops....

Lots to catch up on....let's start with my trip home!

I was SO anxious to get on that plane! Unfortunately, Mackenzie and Christine (coworkers) made so sure I was good and sojued up the night before that I left my cell phone on the bus before leaving the country. Oops. Oh well. I slept well on the plane at least!

After what felt like a million hours (was about 16 or 17 hours of travel in all I think), I was greeted by BOTH my siblings (SHOCK!) and my father carrying his BEAUTIFUL grandchild on his shoulders. This meant that my sister and I could attack/hug this time (as last time we could not since she had above-said child in her arms the last time we met). It was wonderful. I heart family :)

Click for why I heart family :)

Climb Every Mountain..

If you look back to my blog entries one year ago, you will see pictures of an 80's party.  Last year, my friend Hayley celebrated her birthday with a nostalgic neon gala that basically the entire ESL teacher population of Seoul attended.  This year...we celebrated a bit different....

We climbed Seoraksan Mountain.  Much less low-key...and SO nice!  It was a fabulous weekend getaway of four ladies in their 20's enjoying nature, each others' company, and SERIOUSLY committing gluttony!  We figured we deserved it after our strenuous uphill hike to a cave on the side of the mountain - where we found a beautiful lady monk singing and playing various traditional instruments.

Big Buddah near the bottom of the mountain

Early on in the hike

About Mid-Hike

Lady Monk in the cave

Kimchi and makgeolli - the only way to end a hike in Korea :)

A 25-hour mart?  Only in Korea...

Our palace...HAHAHAH!  YES - we slept here...and NO, it's not a love motel.  The VHS tapes in the hall were real movies.