Yuki's Haven: Happy Lunar New Year!

Now I can say we are officially in the new year. 2014 started a few weeks ago for the western calendar, now Asians join in the new year at last! It is a bright new year day, with a cold wind but a warm sun and the light it good for the soul.

On Wednesday we had our last school day of the year 2013, and all the school found itself covered in silk. There was only one kid that did not wear hanbok, Julie in my class, but she still dressed up in a big pink dress. I felt sorry for her (I think her mom is a reasonable as mine, preferring to buy her a really good quality hanbok when she is grown up enough that she won't need to buy her many as she grows up) because every single kid in the school had theirs, a couple of which were bought the day before and worn for the first time. Winter hanbok are so cute with the small fur jackets.

Silk is so warm, whatever the quality. I'd been freezing at school everyday lately, but I was sweating all day in my hanbok last Wednesday. We did not do any work with the kids during that time, we just did crafts: There were three different things kids did in the morning: Korean traditional games in the gym, Korean crafts and Korean traditional manners and new year etiquette. The two other foreign teachers and I taught the craft part all morning, the school being divided in three groups, the groups moving from one activity to the other.

As I did not want to ruin my hanbok with glue and make it dirty, I wore the silk apron my mommy bought me when she was in Korea. I actually like the dark green on the pink skirt. I originally wanted to buy a completely new hanbok this year, and take the time to choose it better than the first one I got (I don't like how the skirt falls, I don't really like that both parts are pink, I don't really like that the top part is high, I'd rather have the long pans at the front and back, like princess dresses), but after seeing the matching of the green and pink, I think I could probably just get a new top that would go with it.... À suivre.

Hillary, my little princess. She requires so much attention in class and hates doing anything that implies writing, but she is a beautiful princess that loves dancing, singing, imagine herself in the craziest stories... she is really sensitive and has some trouble associating with the others. She reminds me a bit of me, in the socially awkward part, and the fact that she has so many talents, but knows not how to put them forward.

This kid is my little genius. Monica. She is beautiful, and she knows it. She is the princess who knows her worth and she does not take any bullshit from anyone. Not even me. But she is not rude or obnoxious about it, she is sweet. Her mom always gets her the weirdest hairstyles and they look great with the fashionable clothes she wears. Everyday is a surprise.

Claire and Mary, from Evan's class. The highest level class of the school. They are basically all fluent, and some of them have lived abroad. Their parents are so demanding, those kids basically do the work we ask of 15 years old kids, in another language, while they are only 6 years old (7 years old Korean age).

4 years old princesses, Eileen and Jamie <3

3 years old Tyranno, Edwin and Rachel <3

5 years old Paul, from Stormy's class, in his hanbok. It might not show on the picture, but the quality of the silk of his costume was crazy. It was probably ordered and fitted especially for him. His parents are both crazy rich designers so I would not be surprised. He is soooooo cuteeeee

In the afternoon, thank you Ian for the link, we watched FROZEN with all the kids on a big screen in the gym. Frozen is by far, one of the best Disney movies they have made since the 2000's and it's a big thing in Korea right now. The songs are being played everywhere in Coffee shops, and bars (??).