Great Hall, Hogwarts | Harry Potter Studio Tour 1 of 6

I don't know about you, but I love Harry Potter. I remember when Markus and I were dating, he convinced me to watch The Sorcerer's Stone. I had resisted for a very long time because I thought there was too much hype. I'm glad that he convinced me to watch it in 2001. I would've missed out on 10 years of Harry Potter all because of some stupid reason.

The fantastical world of Harry Potter is everything I wanted as a child. I always dreamed of going to a British school with awesome teachers and cool friends. Who wouldn't want to attend Hogwarts? I know there is a lot of danger involved, but that's the exciting bit. Who doesn't like a little bit of adventure in their lives? 

As we planned our trip to England, Markus and I both agreed that nothing was going to keep us from the Harry Potter Studio Tour. We were unable to go to the Wizarding World of Harry Potter in Orlando, so I was  determined to make it to the Studio Tour. The tour is much different than the theme park. There is a considerable lack of roller coasters, but it's where the actual filming took place. I do enjoy rides, but I think this was much better than its counterpart in Orlando. This was the real Hogwarts. This was where the actors spent 10 years of their lives and visiting was a dream come true. 

The first room of the tour was the Great Hall. Walking through the huge wooden doors and seeing the same room from the movies was absolutely surreal. I couldn't believe that I was in the same place, so much happened in that room. Houses were chosen, hearts were broken, duels were fought and kisses were made. Everything began and ended in that room. When I think of Hogwarts, that's the first thing that comes to mind. It's probably the most iconic room in all of Hogwarts and my favorite part of the Harry Potter Studio Tour.

Happy Christmas 2012 from Busan, South Korea

This year we decided to make a Christmas video instead of sending out Christmas cards again. We took silly photos in the hopes of sending out cards, but I ran out of time. I don't know how time got away from me. Although, I think the video is much better than the cards because it shows what our life is like as teachers in Korea.

It's a bit hard being so faraway from home during the holidays, but thankfully Markus and I have each other. It's been a bit easier because we can have a Cruz Family Christmas. Even though we haven't been home for about 15 months, Markus and I have been able to create some amazing memories. So with that dear readers, I wish you and yours a Happy Christmas and a Merry New Year.

Minsu's Birthday Celebration

Earlier this month, we celebrated Minsu's birthday. Minsu is one of the librarians at the library and a good friend. Sometimes when I'm at work and having a rough day, I walk over to Minsu's desk and we chat for a bit. Afterwards, I always feel better. Even though he doesn't speak much English and I don't speak much Korean, we're still able to have a great friendship.

Not too long ago, I sprained my ankle and needed to see a doctor. Minsu left work and took me to the hospital. If it weren't for him, it would've been really difficult. He helped me hobble around town and translated every conversation. I'm very thankful to have him as my friend.

We met Minsu, Junnie, Jun-young and Kelly for dinner at a pizza restaurant owned by Minsu's friend. In Korea, there are an abundant amount of "pizza" restaurants. I say "pizza" because most of the time, they call anything with lots of cheese pizza. At this place, I wouldn't call it a pizza, but more of an open faced quesadilla. Although, it was quite tasty and I enjoyed it.

When we finished eating and Minsu opened his present, a lovely scarf that I almost kept for Markus, we headed to 21, a nearby bar. We hung out there for a bit. We drank a few cocktails, played darts and said goodbye to Kelly. Unfortunately, she had to work the next day. It was nice having Kelly there. Usually, I'm the only girl and even though she couldn't stay the whole night, at least I wasn't alone the entire night.

Somehow, we ended up at a noreabang or karaoke room. I shouldn't be surprised, nights out always end up at a noreabang. They served us way too much food and we sang too many songs off key. It was a long night, but it was a amazing. We celebrated the birth of a dear friend, ate great food, sang too many songs and made wonderful new memories.

Ultimate Christmas Playlist

I love Christmas music. I remember waking up on Christmas morning and hearing the soothing voices of Dean Martin, Bing Crosby and Frank Sinatra. My daddyo was born on Christmas, hence my name Noelle. My two older brothers, also have Christmas names.  Daddyo would wake up early to prepare the house for visitors. I would stumble out of my room and wish him a Happy Birthday and a Merry Christmas. We would sing a few songs together before I got ready for the day. I miss those days. It's been eight years since the last time we did that.

With the memories of those special mornings, I've created my Ultimate Christmas Playlist. These are my absolute favorite Christmas songs. It would've been easy to just post one of the albums that daddyo used to play, but there are so many amazing songs out there. I've compiled a list that spans all genres and eras. Take a gander, listen to a few and let me know what would be on your Ultimate Christmas Playlist!

1. Don't Shoot Me Santa - The Killers
2. The Little Drummer Boy - David Bowie & Bing Crosby
3. Baby, It's Cold Outside - Zooey Deschanel and Leon Redbone
4. White Christmas - The Drifters
5. Have Yourself a Merry Little Christmas - She & Him
6. Sister Winter - Sufjan Stevens
7. Let it Snow! - Dean Martin
8. Merry Christmas, Happy Holidays - 'N Sync
9. Last Christmas - Wham!
10. All I Want for Christmas is You - Jimmy Fallon, Mariah Carey & The Roots
11. Christmas is All Around - Billy Mack
12. I Wish it was Christmas Today - Julian Casablancas
13. The Christmas Song - Nat King Cole
14. Christmas (Baby, Please Come Home) - Death Cab for Cutie

Used Books and More | Manchester, England

While in Manchester, we found this amazing used bookstore. I'm kicking myself in the bum, because I can't remember the name of the store. We found it as we were strolling about in the city center. It was quite dusty, but also cozy. In the front there were heaps of old novels and paperbacks. They even had sections specifically for Doctor Who. I spent most of my time perusing that area. I was able to purchase a tiny little Dalek, Weeping Angel and Cyberman. I know they're meant to be menacing, but when they're so tiny, all I can say is, "aw".

I really enjoy used bookstores like this. Manchester and Edinburgh had many similar kinds of establishments. In Florida, we used to have this amazing used bookstore, All Books and Records. It was huge and filled with books, DVDs, CDs and comics. It was a haven for Markus and I. Then one Saturday we drove there and it was unexpectedly closed. We never found out why, it was boarded up and the sign was gone. It was like a piece of us had suddenly gone missing. In the growing age of technology, stores like this are slowly disappearing. It makes me sad, but it makes me cherish the ones that are still open even more.