The Most Random Day of All the Days

Well, I'm not going to lie, I've been having a little bit of a meltdown over here. It's been a tough week. First, Kendra teacher finally left to head back to Canada... a day I had really been dreading! I'm missing the girls that have gone home like nobody's business. Also, as Christmas is well, tomorrow technically, I'm also really missing home. I really love Christmas... like, a lot... and it's just well, different here (who would have thought??) Christmas here isn't so much about oh, the birth of Christ or even family and togetherness... it's about couples. Not entirely hard to believe from a country that has THREE Valentine's days, but I think it takes a little something away from the actual holiday. However, I think I'm rallying. Sam has been great, as always, and I finally got our Christmas tree up (expect photos soon), and just knowing we get a day off on Thursday (1st holiday since September!) is easing some tension. Still with me? Sorry, I just needed to get that off my chest, now for the REAL post :)

As I mentioned before, Kendra and I have been working on a list of things to do before we leave, and she, Shana and I (Shana post your pictures!!!) checked some off the list on Sunday! It made for a randomly awesome day for sure!

We started off at Lotte World, which is a giant mall just a few blocks from our house. In said mall they have 1) Ice skating 2) Bowling 3) an Amusement Park and 4) A SHOOTING RANGE!!! Obviously we had to go! A few pictures...

(I think the child really adds a little something special to this one)

(Prepping to shoot my Barretta 9mm... the Glock was broken, unfortunately)

Post shooting... leaning against (not) my 100% accurate target. I actually scored a 35%, but hit the target 7 times with 2 shots that would definitely have killed Mr. Super Stationary, so look out! If there's ever a pre-loaded and cocked gun chained to a booth that you are standing in front of, there is a 1 in 2 chance that I will maim you!

(Also, we may look tough, but none of us knew that the casings would come out of the gun, and I may or may not have momentarily thought I managed to shoot at myself. Dude, I grew up in Flower Mound and was not in Boy Scouts (ahem, Samuel) so this was my first time... don't judge!)

Kendra modeling our super hot vests and the hats we found just lying around the place.

Did I mention we were IN THE MALL? Just a few yards from where we were weilding our instruments of death (and adrenaline rushes!) there was a marching band on ice. Making a love heart. Because Christmas is for couples. (Sidenote... If I hear "All I Want for Christmas is You" one more time I may punch someone out. It's like the only Christmas song I hear!!!)

After a delicious dinner at On the Border ("Holasumnida!") we went back to Kendra's to help her pack up a bit and meet up with the boys. Then we decided to have a late snack of... Live Octopus!!! We headed up restaurant row in Cheonho to find a tank displaying the sea creatures and then whipped out the phrasebook to tell them what we wanted. Then we had to mime that we wanted it still wriggling. Yeah. So, out the man went to pluck a live one from the tank and then we heard the chopping block.

Technically the octopus is dead, but it still manages to wriggle and suction. So, basically, chew really fast and thoroughly, or it will suction to your throat. Awesome! Who doesn't like a snack with a side of possible death?

Look Ma, no hands! (I'm also pretty sure I didn't stop making that face for the entire time we were in the restaurant...)

Doing the same thing... to. Sam's. face. Ahhhhh!

Also, just because I have the pictures... there is an outdoor skating rink in Olympic Park where skate rental and entrance fee cost a whopping 1,000 won to skate basically under the Peace Gate. We went on Saturday and glided like ice angels. (Okay, at least we managed not to fall down and only took out one small child!)

That's all for now, but I wanted to wish all of you a very "Helpy Christmas" from South Korea! We love and miss ALL of you!!!