Wedding Bells and Welcoming Winter

Hello all you beautiful people! I'm sure you may be wondering as to the title of my blog entry....Well I hate to disappoint you but no, Patrick is not married and still single and ready to mingle. Actually, two weekends ago a good friend of mine, Monica, got married! I met Monica here in Korea and became close with her as we worked together at the same academy. She is a Korean native, as is her husband, and this was my first time experiencing a Korean wedding.
I wasn't quite sure what to expect, but I did think that it would be more 'streo-typical' and very custom oriented. However (and you think I would know by now that not much in Korea is still 'stero-typical' ) Monica's wedding was very different from what I pictured it to be, and not very much like Western weddings either. It was for sure noticeably a wedding, but none like I had been to before. There was new aspects combined with old traditions, and obviously some of the western world practices had been borrowed and combined with Korean lifestyle.

The wedding itself was very brief and to my opinion not very appealing as to what someone would want on their wedding day. Altho Monica, her husband, and the venue was all beautiful and well put together, it just wasn't what I think is a 'dream wedding day'. Despite some of my comments made in the video, I really did have a great time at the wedding and appreciated it for what it was- it just wasn't very appealing to me. However, seeing Monica so happy on her big day made it a very memorable experience and something I will forever remember!

Anyways, can you believe that it is already min-December!?!? Crazy how quickly time can pass us by. I have gone from exploring beaches, temples, and taking weekend getaways filled with kayaking, cycling, and lazy days at the pool to now spend more time watching movies with friends and eating nice hot home cooked meals while staying snug indoors! Altho both sides of life definitely have their pluses, I would still rather be laying at the beach! However, I wont let winter get me down. I have many plans for this coming winter. All summer long my friends and I kept speaking about how we needed to check out 'this museum' or 'that historical sight' or 'take a tour of this gallery'. Well...the next few months of -C degrees will definitely be the time to check out these indoor attractions. However, I also do plan on hitting up the outdoor and indoor ice skating rinks, Holiday light festivals, and also am planning on trying my hand at skiing for the first time in the northern mountains of South Korea!! Wish me luck!

Oh ya....did I forget to mention I'm taking a 6 day solo get-a-way to Tawian at the end of December? No?? Well I'M PRETTY STOKED ABOUT THAT TOO!!!

Not to mention Christmas is coming up!!! My classroom is decked-out with Gingerbread men, Red and Green, and more crafts are on their way from my lil Tigers!

Anyways, I hope ya'll are taking care and enjoying YOUR holiday season. Stay tuned for blog entries around Christmas time and also my trip to Taiwan!

Peace and Love to you!