I got to the Holy Grill just on time, actually, and had arrived on my own. The Holy Grill is located on the third floor, though, and the staircase is not one of our American staircases with even floors and perfectly spaced stairs; in my mind as I lay with my bones knitting, the stairs became more lopsided, uneven, and incredibly tall--I was almost so scared I didn't go. In the end, it wasn't until I distracted myself that I left without thinking. I think this is a tool I need to remember in the future, that when I'm scared I need to concentrate on something outside of myself to overcome that fear.
The dinner was pretty tasty. I don't know where they got turkey from, but it was delicious, as was the ham. The food was a little cold, but I was still really grateful. The stuffing definitely wasn't like mom's. I discovered something kind of fun about going out on Christmas Day: not only do you not have to do dishes, but you can order milkshakes with Kahlua. Yum!After dinner, Heather and I went back home laughing about the useless stuff that 20-something-year-old girls laugh about when on vacation and without many cares in the world. Parting ways, I was left to my own devices and discovered the joys of high speed internet mixed with popular music. Merry Christmas to me~ Merry Christmas to me~ This was all happening while I waited for Mel to sleep off her turkey coma, so when she woke up we headed off in search of Yes Man. (Yes, that's right, I saw it again, and after recommending it so highly I do have one note: there is a scene that if seen by both parents and older children simultaneously, it will cause great awkwardness. Just a head's up!)
When we got there, it was a little before 10, and the movie started at 11. An hour. Well, it wasn't too long, so we both kind of convinced each other to stay. After buying our tickets, we sat with some hot cocoa, but for some reason our conversation lulled while we waited. As I looked up past Mel's head, I saw two motorcycles for a racing game. Eyes lit up, hopeful like a child on Christmas, I asked if she wanted to race with me. I got turned down, but the Wack-A-Mole game intrigued her: Mel is from New Zealand, and she had only seen them in movies. After wandering around the game room, we both got a case of the giggles, and I ended up going up to a man with about 30 dimes and gave my best pathetic "Help me" look, because I couldn't actually ask him to exchange the coins for the fifty-cent pieces we need to play the games. Mel and I ended up racing cars (read: slammed into the sides a lot while laughing), and then the Wack-A-Mole. I'm pretty sure we're the worst players ever, but I think since it brought us so much glee, the man brought us prizes anyway!
I got home just in time to call Tracy up and wake her to wish her a Merry Christmas, then shared some of my bouncy Christmas joy with Tamara. For some reason I was just incredibly excitable, so I called home and mom was less than awake. So I got passed to dad, who was sitting near his label maker. I had a great time helping him come up with uses for the label maker: I think somewhere along the line the pie got "marked." This probably would have been less funny had I been at home and thus had the pie off-limits!Overall, the day was going to come when I would not be able to return home for Christmas for whatever reason. Despite the disappointment, though, I was able to keep in touch with my family very well. I love them dearly and plan to spend the next Christmas with them, but being on my own (sort of) in South Korea proved to be a growing experience. I've always wished that I would seize the day more, and that I would create my own nice circumstances. This has been a successful step in that direction.
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