Little Adventures

Nothing too big has been going on lately; I've just been enjoying life with friends, food and fun. But I have had a few small adventures in the past few weeks (with the exception of a fairly significant outing this past weekend, which will be detailed in a following post!).

I've finally started attending Zumba classes here in Daegu, which I've been meaning to do for months! It has been so much fun and a great way to work out. I'm glad I got my lazy butt in gear!

I also went to see the Phantom of the Opera (live) with Jenny and Cynthia during the second weekend of April. The performance was spectacular! I got the chills when the orchestra played the opening music. I was very impressed with the company's performance (it was a Western group, so it was performed in English) and the orchestra. Though I wouldn't have minded if the phantom had a bit more of an ominous voice. Overall it was a quality show and fun to see such a classic.
The next week our church had a Seder dinner the Friday before Easter. It was my first Seder experience. I really enjoyed seeing the whole process from start to finish and partaking in all the traditions. We had to adapt it a bit to fit with the things we had available in Korea, but I was really impressed with how smooth and legitimate the event was. And the food, once we finally got to the feasting portion, was absolutely delicious. It was a great experience!
The next day was quite busy. I attended a wedding, went to an evening church service and danced at another bachata event (which was an absolute blast). My previous coteacher Eunji (은지) was sweet enough to invite me to her wedding. I was really excited to go, because I was happy for her and it was my first Korean wedding! I had been briefed by friends who've been to other weddings about the process before I attended, but it was still an interesting experience.

I would say the goal of a Korean wedding is efficiency and speed. The whole ceremony, including taking pictures with the couple, was finished within half an hour. And many of the patrons left after the bride completed her walk down the aisle. And the majority of those who stayed proceeded to have loud conversations throughout the entire ceremony. There was even a child with a barking toy dog running free in the back! Additionally, the lights were used excessively, flickering on and off for different parts of the ceremony while the staff ran around, instructing everyone about what to do. My favorite of whom was the lady, dressed in jeans and a baggy T-shirt, who kept adjusting Eunji's dress, making sure it was perfectly placed for each picture. It all seemed like a big show with an under-rehearsed act and an inattentive audience rather than an important celebration. But I guess that is just a difference in culture! And I was happy to show my support for my friend and enjoy the buffet meal at the end of the ceremony. I'm definitely glad I was able to experience a Korean wedding before heading home.
On Sunday a few friends went out to a traditional makgeolli joint after church to celebrate Vincent's birthday. It was a nice, relaxed evening of drinking and hanging out. And I was impressed we found the place, because it had been more than a year since we had gone previously, but we zeroed in on it in the first try.
The following week was pretty quiet; mostly just work and lounging at home. Though I am currently taking more advantage of having access to my roof. I started doing yoga up on my roof when the weather is nice, which has been more frequent as of late. My roof has a really great view! I can see much of the surrounding buildings, but also the mountains that hug the area. It is a nice, serene spot. I'm really loving spending time up there.
The next weekend I watched Captain America with Elizabeth and Meghan. The movie was definitely much better than the first one, but it was still a bit ridiculous. Though it was a fun movie to see and nice for a simple evening. After the movie, we headed to an all-you-can-eat barbecue place. I finally tried 곱창 (gopchang pig intestines) and 막창 (makchang, pig intestines/rectum). It wasn't too bad, but it's not something I need to eat often. It had a lot of fatty tissue, and I'd rather eat actual meat. But I'm definitely glad I finally tried them both.

The last Sunday of the month, we had a basketball tournament after church. It was so much fun and reminded me just how much I love playing the game. I was definitely not in basketball shape, but I still loved every second of it. I played last year as well and had a blast, but this year was even better, because the competition and skill level was significantly higher this time around. April was a great month!