Happy Easter!

I talked to my grandma this morning!  It probably wasn’t even for two minutes, but I was so happy to talk to her.  I was in a rush as usual trying to leave for work when my sister called me.  Everyone was at my grandma’s house—still Sunday evening over there, still Easter.  The phone call was so perfect, especially for a Monday morning!  I saw a few pictures from Easter this morning and that’s when I wished I was with everyone.  Yesterday didn’t even feel like Easter to me.  The phone call was perfect timing.  At least I had that before running off to work, literally running.  Well, more like really fast walking.  That’s become by normal “walk” to work.  Not good, I know.  I really need to get some more sleep.

Back to Easter, though.  I thought I’d share what my Korean Easter weekend was like.  Let’s start with Good Friday.  I worked.  No long weekends for Easter over here.  My afternoon classes were canceled on Friday, though, so I was done teaching at 10:40.  Aside from my hour lunch break, which I walked back to my apartment for to get out of there for a bit or maybe it was to avoid the food, I had until 4:30 to catch up on work.  And I did!  Finally caught up for the first time.  Those first two days they didn’t tell me anything about my job...yeah, that really threw me off.

With work over for the week, it’s time to go shopping right?!  They have H&M here--my favorite!  But what I also got to experience was the underground shopping.  This is really the place to go for very decent prices.  There are a million little shops that just line these halls.   It looks like it goes forever.  It was fun, but it was so crowded and the shops were so hot.  I think the prices do make up for it, though!

                                                           Underground shopping.

                                          Shopping and coffee.

At home I won’t ever buy clothes without trying them on, but that’s not possible here!  At least with the underground shopping.  They don’t have dressing rooms because the shops are so tiny.  You also can’t return your clothes to most of these shops either.  I felt like I was gambling.  I bought two sweaters and a top and was hoping I didn’t just waste my money.  So of course I tried them on as soon as I got home.  I’m three for three!  Can’t believe they all fit.  I’m ready to go back!

Saturday night I had more Skype time scheduled as usual.   I skyped with my parents, my sister, and my Grampy!  Grampy always comes over on Easter and eats with us, but since I wasn’t going to be home for that, I skyped with all of them the night before instead.  First thing he said was “Love you babes.”  Gosh, I miss him.  He is so funny and he had this giant smile on his face the whole time.  Seriously don’t know what I would do without Skype or FaceTime.  So thankful for Kakao Talk too!  Friends, family, you can text me for free!  Just download the app—Kakao Talk.  My ID is my first and last name (no space and no apostrophe).  You can find me with that.  This is how Morgan called me this morning—there is free calling as well!

                                                        Grampy!

Sunday morning I was off on my 42 minute subway ride to church.  I found a church to go to here which has been so great.  I checked online for churches while I was still at home--this is the one that I found.  I go every week, unless I oversleep which happened my first Sunday in Busan.  I overslept three times that week—once for church and twice for work.  Talk about being a little exhausted?  I probably really was running to work those days!  Back to church—everyone has been so friendly and so welcoming.  The church is called Redeemer ICC (International Community Church).  After a very nice Easter service, we went out to lunch, walked around to enjoy the cherry blossoms, stopped for some coffee, and explored Seomyeon (where I did all that shopping) a bit more on our way back home.

It was a good day but still didn’t feel like Easter.  I missed being home with my family.  You know what else I also missed this weekend?  Reese’s Eggs!  If anyone wants to mail me some, I would be very okay with that.

I did get an Easter package from my family, so that was wonderful.  I came back to my desk from teaching a class and there sat a package from home.  Such a lovely surprise to get in the middle of the day.

Missing everyone and thinking of everyone back home.  Happy Easter!