valentines day

Love is a game that two can play and both win

unnecessary "gratitude" from brandon 

dark chocolate from student 

I thought Valentine's day was just huge in America and boy was I wrong! There is Valentine's day written all over Korea!  The past few days there has been chocolate and red everywhere, including the occasional bear here and there.  

More importantly though is the month after Valentine's day here!  There is a "White Day" which is the March 14th when men purchase candy instead of chocolate for their girlfriends and wives.  So apparently V-Day here is a day when just the women buy chocolate for their guys!  

And for the singles, March 14th is considered "Black Day" for those which makes sense -- I guess .. 

So White Day started in Japan for some reason and naturally has made its way over to Korea!  Well I got a lot of sweets from my girl students today, so maybe I will get some from my boy students in a month!  =)  Now wouldn't that be nice? 

HOW WAS VALENTINE'S DAY IN AMERICA?  

Being in Korea has made me forget about a lot of important things in my life that I never appreciated, meaning I took for granted (Independence Day, Memorial Day, Labor Day, Halloween, Thanksgiving, New Years, Super Bowl, basketball games, and ... Valentine's Day [not a bad thing to lay to rest]).  

That last picture is of five pieces of candy made from scratch from a Masters student named Jane, how sweet and thoughtful of her!! 

got that good good

Do not look back on happiness or dream of it in the future. You are only sure of today; do not let yourself be cheated out of it.

enough said. 

in gangnam 

so I've been hanging out with my friends a lot lately, or trying to at least because they are all leaving very soon!  one of my best friends was let go at work so they are actually leaving a couple weeks in advance  (supposed to leave in two weeks).  most people go through their average five-step grievance process but I'm special so i go through seven steps.  they are bafflement, denial, anger, bargaining, relief (overcompensation), depression, acceptance.  i am currently at number four i believe which is bargaining.  So i am in a little maze where i get lost time to time and i think for me, this stage started later last week.  i keep asking myself: what if and telling myself: if only.  all in all though it is a blessing in disguise for my friend because we are probably not happy at work any way despite the strong bonds we have through our friendships.  
so my other friends are all leaving in a couple of weeks.  i am simply speechless about it.  i have never spent so much time with a group of people so much in my life like the way i have this group the past 8.5 months (sorority does not count).  just feel like everything is happening so fast, almost too fast.  i made friends fast and now i am losing them fast.  but maybe that is telling me something.  maybe after everybody leaves, something else will quickly happen and ill forget i even had this thought in my head.  Maybe ill finally get to read faster.  i don't know but we will see and learn the hard way.  
i found out this week that they are taking my masters class away from me after this term, which i was expecting but definitely not anticipating for.  i have grown very fond of my masters classes this and last term.  the one thing i am almost passionate about, i was able to teach (with boundaries of course) to students who also really cared about it.  at the end of the day though, i have had my fair share of teaching this great class, now it is somebody else's turn to do all of that ridiculous amount of work every week! 
anyways regardless of what has been said, i am really happy because i got to spend time with my aunt, who is also my best friend, all weekend.  she is in town working on the samsung and apple case in seoul so i got to stay at  the grand intercontinental hotel with her there and it was bliss.  i miss my family but i will see them in 3.5 months!  until then!  =)