Things to send, good friends and a quick update

So many of you are offering care packages for the holidays, and I'm really touched. I'm trying to keep track of things that occur to me, in terms of what I'm missing most here. So far, the following would be welcome:

*TEA!! You can't imagine how hard it is to buy tea when you can't read the package, esp if you want the caffeine-free herbal variety. I tried a few here and they seem rather flavorless, so I need my Good Earth Original Blend and Celestial Seasonings Sleepytime. I'd be open to many other Celestial Seasonings flavors and if any of you have Starbucks connections (cough cough), Tazo would be fine too.

*Chapstick: Apparently I have developed an addiction to Burt's Bees chapstick. If you could throw a couple sticks in your envelope, that would be fantastic. Mom, that coconut stuff and the other stuff you usually send would be very welcome as well.

*Mulling spices: Word on the street is that it gets bone-chillingly cold here in the winter, and for the last couple years we've been fighting the harsh Northeastern winters with mulled wine and cider. I can find the apple juice and the wine here, but no mulling spices. Easterners, they sell them at Stop & Shop and they're like $1 in a little green packet. Westerners, you're on your own, but I'm sure they're around.

*And one last house-keeping item (literally)... there's a rubber dohickey that they sell at Bed Bath & Beyond that sits over the shower drain and catches hair. It looks like a hat, a little, with the top part of the hat being rubber mesh and the brim being solid rubber. It should also cost less than $5 and I desperately need one.

So! There's a couple ideas, and I'll try to post more. Thank you again for offering to send stuff, and if you don't want to end up all sending the same thing, perhaps you could post a little remark here letting people know what you're taking care of. :* !

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On a similar vein, I just want to acknowledge the empathy of the foreigner community, and my friends specifically. In the last two days, I have had several long conversations with close friends about my holidays. Since I don't hang out with any Americans, Thanksgiving seemed like it was just going to pass me by. And if you know me well, you know that Thanksgiving is a very important holiday to me, steeped in tradition and attached to some very moving memories. While living back east, Nicollette and I made the same enchiladas that are the mainstay of our CA Thanksgivings, and last year we had not 3 but 6 Californians in Boston for a 'family' feast. My good friends here have offered to help me make mashed potatoes, yams, and pumpkin something (pie is out of the question), and to come hang at my house with some wine to honor my holiday. We're doing it on Friday here, so that it is on the official Thanksgiving back home. Their concern and care means quite a lot to me, since this will be the toughest holiday to miss for me personally.

I have also spent a significant bit of time over the last couple weeks explaining the Winter Solstice, which is the winter holiday at my house in CA. As my friends pump me for more details and ask what exactly I will need to feel at home, I am repeatedly grateful that I have found these people and have such a great support group here. They are truly interested in my traditions and invested in re-creating as much of the homey holiday feeling as they can. Conversely, I am also on the planning committee for the Foreigner Christmas Feast, which will be held at a hotel on Christmas Eve. Holidays away from home are always tough, and I'm so glad to be with people who understand the need for familiarity and comfort.

Thanks everyone!

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So, for the quick update: The weekend after Halloween, I had the good fortune to be invited by Nicole to join her and a couple friends for a day of hiking and rock climbing. I rode on the back of Nicole's bike up to Munsu Mountain, where we met up with John (US Airforce, ending his Korean tour and heading to Germany), and later Dee and Jack. I'd never been rock climbing before, and wasn't sure I'd do it, but came along for the ride, the hike, the fresh air and the trees. The view alone was certainly worth the 45 minute trip. When we arrived at the mountain after a rigorous hike, John and Nicole took out their gear and showed me what things were called and how we'd be climbing. After Jack arrived, he led the climb, hooking the rope through a ring at the top of the rock face. Then John and Nicole climbed, and when she came down everyone was looking at me. So - I sacked up and put on the harness. Nicole was also kind enough to lend me her special rock climbing shoes that give you spidey-skills - those things STICK to the rock! I was really nervous at first, but soon discovered that I wasn't afraid of falling (Jack is a strong guy, and was belaying me), just failing. So with Nicole's encouragement I made some seriously cool maneuvers to get me to the top and had SUCH a rush when I got there. John has photos on his camera, and I hope to get them up soon. My arms and legs felt like they were filled with the stuff you scoop out of a pumpkin, but I felt GREAT!! I ended up taking another climb at the end of the day and was equally thrilled with that one. They told me I caught on fast, and I just hope the weather gives us another good weekend so I can try again :)

Other than that, I've been sick and laying low during the week, only going to Hapkido and work. Saturday nights are debaucherous as always, and last weekend we did it up right with a girls' dinner and cocktails evening, followed by a trip to Bench, a noribang and dinner/breakfast around 6am. Mandy, who hosted the girls' cocktail hour, just moved into a gorgeous new apartment with her husband. They have not one but TWO rooftop patios, and when she found out I can dance, requested swing lessons up there.

Speaking of dance, I saw a sign the other day that had an illustration of a couple ballroom dancing. I have no idea if that means there's a studio there or not, but I am determined to find out.

...and with that, I have to post this, since I have a photo shoot with a class of crotch-highs in a few minutes. Thus starts the rapid exploitation of the American teacher for purposes of parent recruitment!