I had my first brush with duck last night.  At least I think it was a first, I can't really remember if I've had it before.  We had to have reservations because they had to cook the duck in a clay pot for three hours before we got there.  It's basically like chicken.  It had seasoned rice for stuffing and several different kinds of spicy kimchi for side dishes.  Altogether, it was quite good, and something I probably wouldn't have thought to try by myself.

Starting next Saturday, I have my second longest vacation ever, through the following Wednesday.  We get this time off for Lunar New Year, which is technically when every Korean citizen turns one year older according to their age system.  Interestingly, all of the major theme parks have discounted tickets right after this holiday.  Totally taking advantage of that.  Some of them are indoors so it's not as bad as it sounds.  I'm definitely not planning to go on any outdoor roller coasters in below freezing weather.

Strangely, I may be adjusting to the cold.  I was a little bit to warm on my walk to work.  This is extremely weird for me.  For those of you that know me, I have a high aversion to cold.  I avoid it like the plague.  Hence part of my marvelous four year excursion to Miami and my probably one to Los Angeles for graduate school.  I mean yes, I was wearing a sweater, but I was wearing one less shirt than normal and leggings instead of pants.  I could get used to this.  I hope this doesn't make summer suck even more than last year with all of it's sticky sweaty rainy-ness.

Another interesting thing about winter: apparently all of my layers makes be appear more Asian because it covers most of my whiteness and I like to hide 80% of my face beneath a scarf and hat.  Since the winter season started, I've had more than one person come up to me and start blathering in Korean even as I'm trying to tell them that I don't really speak it.

Korean number of the day: 십이 (shib-ee) or 열둘 (yeol-dool) - twelve
Korean word/phrase of the day: 만두 (mahn-doo) - dumpling