Birhdays, partings, and new friends

It's been too long since I posted anything...I guess nothing much has been happening. I've been religiously going to the gym since the beginning of August and rather enjoying it. The theatre festival took up a lot of my time. But we haven't been having many crazy adventures of late...

Let's see..where did I leave off. Oh yes, I don't believe I've posted about my new friends yet. One night not too long ago after soju and fireworks in the park, we partook what has become our new fad, crane games. You know the kind where there is a glass box full of toys and whatnot and a big claw that picks them up. They have them all over here and you can win really cool things like mp3 players, digital cameras, ipod accesories. At least in theory you can, but they make it pretty much impossible to win those.

Anyway, I don't think I mentioned it, but my faithful teddy, Punky, was accidentally left behind at the Motel Coconuts while we were at the Mud Festival, and I have since been mourning the loss. Now it just so happened that there was a teddy in the particular crane machine we were at, and after pumping in all of my cash, I finally won her. I named her Miju, and while she is not Punky, she does have a striped jumper like he did.

Here she is while still inside her prison.

Also that night while walking around looking for more crane games, we came across Hue.

Imagine the looks we got carrying him home!!! (Don't worry, I didn't steal him, he was set out to be taken away with the trash.) I named him Hue after the seedy Hotel I can see out my window. I will paint some fashion on him eventually.

We have been going through a period of transition here at the Village. Three teachers have gome home, and two more have arrived, soon to be a third. It was a very sad week for us, saying goodbye to two members of our five-some.

We went to our favourite place, Carne Station (all you can eat bbq and all you can drink alcohol) on Saturday for one last night out. Needless to say we took full advantage of the open bar sitchation. And then went to our favourite Doll House noraebang, horseheads in tow.

Details are splotchy at this point...sorry...

Tuesday was my birthday, and Mel and Shawn's last day of work. So it was a bitter-sweet day for all.

I got some carrots as a gift, a joke at the expense of my penchant for red-heads and thus all things orange.

Here is me blowing out the candles on my cake. And I thought I was going to a staff meeting...

Here's a pic of the staff as they were on Mel and Shawn's last day.

After cake we went for Thai food and then back to our apartment for drinks and fireworks. And a tearful, prolonged goodbye. Its crazy how, though we've only been together for 4 months in total, I feel so close to the people here. It broke my heart to say goodbye to them. I suppose I should get used to it if I'm going to keep up this nomadic lifestyle...

We miss you Shawn and Melodie!!!!!!!! The Villagey will never be the same without you!!!!!