What a Weekend! {Buddha's Birthday/Memorial Day}

Hi friends!  For the first time since moving to Korea, we had a three day weekend the same weekend as people in America did!  Of course, it was for different reasons.  We did not have school on Monday because of Buddha's birthday.  Ya'll in America had Memorial Day.  {here is a blast from the past aka my post from Buddha's birthday last year}.  Just to clarify:  Buddha's birthday is on the lunar calendar, just like Chuseok and Lunar New Year.  Therefore it is not on the same (what do we call our calendars?  Julian?) day every year.

There were a bunch of lanterns (holding Buddhists' prayers or something) hanging in a park near our apartment...enjoy!

Our weekend started with a wedding of one of Ian's co-teachers!  We are so happy for the couple.  And the wedding factory hall was right next to Daegu Stadium where the 2011 IAAF World Track and Field Championships were held.  Ian had not seen the stadium before, so I was excited that he got to see it (well the outside at least).

Cutting the Wedding Cake with a Sword

Best part of the wedding?  One of the guests sang a song to the couple during the wedding...norribang style (picture the whole audience clapping and swaying along while the lights turn techno colors and swirl around the room.)  Or maybe my favorite moment was the "medical test" for the groom.  He went over to his mom and picked her up (off the ground) on his back.  I am not sure how medical this is, or what they are testing, but it provided entertainment for me :)

The Happy Couple

The rest of Saturday and Sunday were not all that interesting, just same ol' same ol' for us.

Quick shoutout to our fam in America!  Congrats Donnie and Kinzie!  We are SO happy for ya'll and wish we could have been on there on Sunday to help celebrate!

Monday (Buddha's Birthday) was Date Day 2012.  Since we had the day off of school, we thought we should spend the whole day going on a series of dates.

More lantern pictures

Date #1: with the pavement...just kidding.  I did get up and run before we left though.  I attempted to do a 6 x 400 meter @ 5k race pace with 400 meter recovery workout...kicked.my.bum.

Real Date #1: Starbucks!  We stopped and got a white caramel mocha for the train ride to Busan.  If I had to pick one date to go on every week for the rest of my life, it would be coffee dates.  (Sad, but true).

I did not take pictures of date 1 or 2, so here are some more lanterns

Date #2: Mexican Restaurant in Busan!  Ohmigoodness!  I am trying to think of a word to use to describe the experience...and I can't think of one right now (does that make it indescribable?).  I had a beef steak burrito

with fresh cilantro

in.des.scrib.able

I thought I had died and gone to heaven (not for real).  I can not even begin to tell you how amazing fresh cilantro tastes.  Fresh cilantro may have just beat out feta cheese for #1 food item I miss now.  But it may be because feta cheese is turning into a figment of my imagination....I can't remember what it really tastes like anymore (Goodness, I can ramble on about nothing).

It was a gorgeous day!

Date #3: The Beach.  We headed to Gwangli Beach to stick our feet in the cold ocean water.  And let our food digest before heading to date #4 location.  We just happened to run into some pretty cool people there and decided to hang out with them.  It is so fun being friends with a couple! (I just proofread that sentence and thought, "hmmm strange sentence"  but meh, I am going to leave it).

So glad we got to spend part of the day with them!

Date #4: Double Date at Sharky's.  Ya'll.  Imagine with me: Hamburger bun, hamburger patty, slices of avocado, bacon, onion, and Lord knows what other types of goodness all together on a plate.  And

Wait for it...

They also had cranberry juice + o.j.+ peach schnapps + vodka all mixed together in a glass.  (I am trying to keep this rated PG, so if you know what the name of the drink, you can insert it there for yourself...)  Ian ordered a mojito and shared with me.

WAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAA....best burger I have ever had in Korea.  Along with my two favorite drinks.

Date Day 2012!  p.s. it was windy at the beach, thus I have weird hair...

I think I will forever remember this day.  Best American food that I have had in Korea and even better company.

I love both of these pictures.  For different reasons, but they both crack me up every time I look at them - hahaha or kkkk (depending on what side of the globe you are on ^-^)

Thank you Buddha, for having a birthday and letting us get out of school for a day.