This Train Food is Delicious

**Peaks head around corner** Are you still there?

Hope you all didn't give up on me! Were you afraid that after a year and about 9 months I had finally dropped the ball on this whole blog thing? Wouldn't you be so lucky. No, honestly, it's been a bit of a mix of the fact that nothing too blog worthy has happened since Jeju (minus a few events) and also I haven't found the time to sit down for a while to post something. Tonight, however, I plan on completing the  task of catching you up on the past 3 weeks. *takes deep breath*

To begin, let's zoom on back to the weekend after Jeju. A group of us gals (and Brent) attended the Seoul Jazz Festival at Olympic Park. As a previous attendee, Lysianne promoted this event as a must-see this summer. We arrived at the part entrance and were met by lines upon lines of people getting their wrist bands to get into the grassy stage area. Finding a small plot of land to claim as our own, we spread out the blankets and set up the provisions (mainly fruit and wine) to last us throughout the festival.

The beginning of the concert was great. The weather couldn't have been more perfect and the other bands were excellent "chilling-outside-on-a-blanket-in-the-grass-surrounded-by-strangers" music. The artist we were all waiting for (as was most of the crowd) was Damien Rice, closing out the festival for that day. I was just walking back into the area after going on a wine run when I heard him start to play "Delicate". Deserting Brent, who had to make a pitstop, I yelled for him to meet me at the front of the stage as I sprinted past semi-concerned-Koreans. For those of you who don't know Damien Rice or haven't heard him live, you owe it to yourself. While I stood there, on my own I might add, waiting for my friends to find me, I was so happy to be finally hearing him in person! His songs just kept getting better and better. As the night went on (and the alcohol flowed) he began inviting people up on stage.....


No I didn't get picked, but made you think for a second huh? No, a few lucky Korean gals got chosen to 1. Sing with him, and 2. Act out a scene where they drank a whole bottle of wine together. He was so entertaining, slightly drunk by the end, and yet still incredibly talented. I didn't want it to end! We were all captivated by him and I must say it was one of the best days I've spent here. Great music, great wine, and most importantly, great friends.

 

Flash forward through a Damien-induced haze, past some goodbye picnics by the Han...

to last week, where Little America had yet another, always exciting, song contest and birthday party. With only 3 kindergarten classes, two of which are beginners, these events have become a lot less stressful and time consuming. Plus these students are super adorable. Not that that has changed too much over these past few years....I swear they are getting smaller and better at the puppy-dog-eyes. I might have to sneak some in my bag on the way back. Their parents would welcome it I'm sure. Great way to get them to practice their English.

I'm a little teapot

 

Bro hug

Only 3 more of these celebrations! (I was told it's bad when I can count the number of song contest/birthday party celebrations on one hand...)

Onto the next, and final event of the post (see that wasn't too painful). This past weekend, our friends, who will now be known as Sigmund Froid and Le Chef, hosted a group of us for a murder mystery party. Having done one of these before, 8th grade I believe, I was so pumped to try it again! Le Chef put together an impeccable spread including lettuce wraps filled with bleu-cheese-apple-walnut-heaven, caprese skewers, and something that became fondly known as a "meat stick".

Our mystery was titled "Murder on the Disorientated Express". The cast was as follows;

• Sigmund Froid - The Cold Austrian Psychoanalyst
  With clipped beard, glasses, cigar and smart suit, Sigmund has a wonderfully calm bedside manner, even if he is obsessed about your dreams and sex life.



• Heidi Evidence - Swiss Bank Clerk
  A wonderfully beguiling lady with pigtails, freckles and innocent expression. She is often seen in either her smart banking suit, or her Swiss national dress.



• Ivan Ego - Russian Inventor
  Pessimistic and pragmatic to the last, Ivan is reliable and built to last, even if he does run on vodka.



• Dee Sypher - Code Breaker
  Secretive and quiet, Dee is a real cloak and dagger sort of a girl in dark glasses and trench coat.



• Herr Cutt - German Barber
  Never without his trusty pair of scissors, Herr Cutt is round but well turned out with a pencil moustache and slicked hair.



• Kiki De’Leggs - French Cancan Dancer
  Always dressed to show off her fabulous legs Kiki is always Ra-Ra-ready for anything.

As we arrive, in full costumes, (including drawn on facial hair and a cat-pocket-T-shirt), we were provided with a packet giving us more insight into our character and our relationship with the murdered man on the train. Not only had Sigmund and Le Chef set out food, but there was even period-appropriate music and a looped video of a view outside of a train on the TV screen.

As I tried to get into character (hint: I had pigtails...) we dove straight in. We immediately noticed that Sigmund and Ivan not only both have impressive accents (Austrian and Russian respectively) but also their ability to get into character and ramble off script was just inspiring. Aka we couldn't catch our breath to say our lines due to laughing too hard. Going through the rounds, breaking for dinner, drinks, and dessert, we came down to the final guessing round where we actually collaborated our ideas of who we thought committed the crime. Turns out...we were all dead wrong... I won't ruin it, because perhaps someone will play this free downloadable version of the game, but either way we finished the game with a ton of laughs and plans to try again another time now that we know what to expect. Instead of visiting a nore-bang in our costumes, as recommended in the beginning of the evening, we settled in to watch a murder mystery classic, "Clue", as half of the guests had yet to ever see it!

The next day I headed down to a farewell dinner for a friend heading out next week. It's sad to start saying goodbye to people here. I realized today that I have 90 days left until the end of my contract. I can guarantee that those are going to be the fastest 90 days that the Earth has ever seen.

On a brighter note-- KAITIE AND KATRINA GET BACK IN 2 DAYS! These lucky ladies have been traveling all around Southeast Asia for the past 3 months, and I can't wait to have them talk my ears off about how everything was! Their pictures have been absolutely-obnoxiously-ohmygodwhydidn'tyoutakemewithyou-gorgeous and it'll be so nice to have them back, even if it is just for a very brief time.

Until next time xoxo

Korean of the post:
카운트 다운을 시작합시다
(kaunteu dauneul shijayhamnida)
"Let the countdown begin"