Tropical Storm WHO?

I had no idea about these things...that they would come HERE. How did I miss this in all my research? I heard about monsoon season...and that "great leader" to the North, but THESE?


What in the world!? I guess I've survived hurricanes and tornadoes before...I can handle this. I'll just make sure we have plenty of groceries and crayons. Thank goodness Dan comes home tomorrow.

It's been so humid here today, and now, it's humid and windy. It's been raining quite a bit. I was going to go to the library with the girls today, but it's so yucky, I don't want to go out in it. Hopefully, we'll get out tomorrow...

Video

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Wdw9gE7imYc



I can't get it to 'link' it in any of the posts and blogger won't let me upload it. It's a cute video of Abby on the monkey bars...you'll just have to copy the link and paste it. Sorry.:(

Lotte Mart...oh! How we love thee....

Today, we walked there! I really wanted to drive because I needed the car to transport all the things I wanted to buy, but the girls wanted to walk...so this we did. It was *only* at mile, so not too bad.

Their English titles (translations) crack me up! There's a store called 'skin food' that is a chain. Dan thinks it's hilarious.:)

See? Civilization.:)

They have cool looking refrigerators! A little expensive, but very neat. I have to say, the insides were pretty roomy too!



On the way, we saw workers building this statue. The 'globe' part looks like it's dirt...so either flowers or grass will grow out of it! I will look forward to seeing the end result.

Lotteria...the generic McDonald's. I doubt we'll go there again for FOOD, but we did stop for drinks today. The girls got iced tea, but Abby couldn't drink her's. It *was* gross, although Ava drank her's and Abby's! I ordered a *coke*, but only saw Pepsi on their fountain drinks. Interesting...they only have one sized drinks, that I've seen, could be wrong, BUT, they're about our smalls...

Bye, Bye, Lotte Mart! We'll be back....:)

Land of the Not Quite Right...

There are days...well, every day I leave the house, that I wish I had a camera in my eyes. Seriously. The things we see here...are just so...different. I've drilled it in the girls' heads that it's not weird, but different. Just some of the things:

Koreans recycle just about everything...and I mean, EVERYTHING! We have to purchase our trash bags (not cheap), and recycling bags. We have to put our left over food in a certain bag, the plastic wrap that everything is wrapped in is recycled,and so is styrofoam, and cooking oil!

When we leave the house, I don't feel like I can wear yoga pants and/or t-shirts. Not that I felt comfortable doing that back home, but there is NO WAY I'm doing that here. I'd say 90% of the women here are consistently dressed up with heels on. Remember, we walk A LOT and these women are in HEELS...not pumps...heels! They're crazy.

They don't wear sunglasses here. They use umbrellas on sunny days.

Electricity is imported here, so it's super expensive. Granted, the Army gives us a generous (I pray) allowance for this, but I've been told to not use our A/C (it's on right now) because we'll end up with a $600 electricity bill.


They like to honk their horns here.

They don't point here. This is what they do instead...you put your fingers together and 'point' with your entire hand...Dan thinks it hilarious because I actually do this. He says he's an American and refuses, but I'll do it like Vanna White, when we're in public, just to crack him up. I've noticed the girls have picked up on this and are doing it.



When you greet someone Korean, even if it's passing on the street, it's polite to bow to them. I need to research this more, but have noticed it's expected for older people, but they do it back to us? The poor guy who delivered our pizza tonight, after I gave him a small tip (I'd been told it's rude TO tip them, but I can't NOT tip!), about bowed to his toes three times after I told him to keep the change. Bless his heart.

When you are giving someone older than you SOMETHING (I *thought* it was only drinks), you're supposed to use both hands. I haven't fully figured this one out either, but had vaguely remembered reading about it. However, last week, when we stopped for a slushie downstairs, Abby went to grab it, but the man told her, "NO! Both hands!". I was a little annoyed with that, but get that he was also trying to teach her a lesson. I am not happy when the little Korean cashiers hand me back my money with both hands (one is handing you the object, and the other is on your arm/wrist)...like I'm OLD or something!


They like to honk here...A LOT!

I saw a picture of a sundae at the generic McDonald's today and it said it was a bean sundae. I didn't think that was possible...possibly something lost in translation, but when I looked at the picture more closely...YUP...them's BEANS! eewwwwwwww

They put corn on their pizzas and it's good. But, not on the Pizza Hut pizza, and that's still good too.

I've been told Koreans don't use their dryers here because they're too expensive. You'll see them hanging the coats (that they've washed) and comforters from their balconies. The Daiso (think dollar tree) store here even sells clips for them! I've heard, and seen while snooping, that most new apartments have these clotheslines already installed. Our's is broken, but I think it's supposed to go up and down so it's out of the way when you're not using it.


The delivery drivers use scooters with their food on the back. They are the craziest of all drivers (with the buses a close 2nd). They will drive across playgrounds, on sidewalks, in between traffic, etc. Dan said they call them bulgogi bombers (bulgogi being a popular food here).

The kids here run around without a care in the world! We walk a lot and we see kids, as young as Ava or younger, walking and crossing the streets. It's so crazy!

Did I mention they like to HONK?

That's all I've got for now...If I think of anything else, I'll be sure to add it!

Weeks 2-3(?)

I've lost track of the time here already.
Some odds and ends that have been going on...
The night before MY BIRTHDAY, our first shipment of stuff came! OH...you have no idea how exciting this is, unless you've gone without your things as long as we did. It was only about 20 boxes of dishes, clothes, toys, towels, etc, but it made such a big difference around here. It's weird to be in your 'home' without your things. It's kind of like living in a hotel, but not as fun. Dan came in from the field that afternoon so we could go to the Brigade S3 Hail and Farewell. I knew this was going to be at a place called (something) BBQ, so I thought, GREAT! A BBQ place...I can handle that. However, when Dan called me on his way home, he warned me it was a full-on Korean restaurant. RUH ROH! It ended up being just fine. We were a little late because Dan had to come in from the field AND I wasn't ready because of the HHG delivery. Mitzi came running up to me, when I walked in the door, and so did Unhi, another wife (who is Korean). Mitzi was SO SWEET, knowing I don't 'like' Korean food, and showed me all her favorites. You have to sit on the floor, go to the buffet (camera in my eyes), get your meat, and then cook it! I actually liked several of the things and the girls had a lot of fun cooking their own food. Everyone was so welcoming and friendly...so NICE! Too bad Dan's already left Brigade (as of today, the 18th), and in another unit. I hope 1st tank is as friendly!
The next day, I celebrated my first birthday in Korea! I woke up a little grumpy, because Dan was not here (he had to go back out like at 5am)and it was ANOTHER holiday, meant to honor ME, and here I was, by myself, dealing with the kids. NOT FAIR. I TRIED so hard to be a trooper about it and was on a positive route...I was going to take the girls to Baskin Robbins (a ten minute walk, if that) and get myself an ice cream cake! YAY! We hadn't been there yet, and thought this would be the perfect time to go. However, when I went to get my Won out of the cabinet to pay for my cake...I had NONE. NONE! I was so mad because I knew I'd just got $100,000W ($100), but then remembered that we'd used it to pay for the meal the night before and Dan must have forgotten to give me my money back. Well...full-on pout ensued! I had to have a hot dog for lunch, NO Baskin Robbins, and Dan wasn't due back home until 8 that night. OH...GOO! My poor family.
Thankfully, Dan came home about 2 that afternoon and we spent the afternoon going to a store and market I wanted to go to. It was FUN and ended up being a great Korean birthday.:)

2nd week in Korea

The past weekend, we decided to take the train from our station here (Jihaeng) to the one right outside Camp Casey (Bosan?)...it was pretty interesting. We had a few hiccups, but that's to be expected. We figured it out and all was well. The girls thought it was cool. We walked around post for a bit and then hurried back because the water delivery guy was bringing our water and then they were delivering our new TV stand! It was all pretty exciting for a Sunday.
Dan was back to work on Monday, but had to come get us to finish up a few things on post. Early Tuesday morning, he had to go to work...they have tank gunnery going on right now and he's transitioning from the Brigade Training Officer (?) to 1/72 Battalion S3. He's been able to call and text a few times and we might get to see him this weekend for a bit. That would be really nice since it's my birthday!
I drove on post, by myself (with the girls), to run a few errands yesterday. I was pretty nervous, and killed it a few times, but everything ended up being OK. I was so happy to be able to get out and do things for myself...I didn't get lost (I might have had to turn around a few times), and remembered more than I thought I might!

Today, the girls and I decided to walk around. We took a different route to New City and found a few fun things. The older two don't really like to 'walk', but I enticed them by saying there was a craft store I wanted to find. I knew it was by Chicago Dentist (where we'll go), and in the same building as Dunkin Donuts. Like everything in this country so far, I know I've seen things, but don't necessarily know how to find it again. So, we walked around the Chicago Dentist block a few times before I saw the sign for Alpha craft store, but we found it and it's actually on 'our' side of New City and easy to get to!


Dan's back at work and, in fact, in the field for three days now. BOO! Isn't there a rule somewhere that states you are not allowed to dump your wife and three kids in a foreign country and then go play on tanks? Granted, he *was* a little giddy about it, from talking to him, he's not getting to play as much as he'd like. Poor Dan.:-/
The girls and I have just been exploring. They don't like the walking bit, but I LOVE it! I love seeing everything and it seems like every time we go out, I see something new. It's great! I just wish I had my BOB stroller because the sidewalks are bumpy, with bricks, and there aren't always smooth transitions from the sidewalk to the street. Some of them even turn and are slanted at the same time so that I almost tip the stroller if I don't do some handy manuevering. I've taken the girls to the park here...


WOW...see? I really shouldn't be doing a blog. I can't finish my thoughts. I did that...oh, a week or so ago and now, it's a week later! I don't even remember the sequence of things or where my thoughts were going with that. I'm just so thankful blogger automatically saves my drafts so I don't lose anything that I've saved.
I might have to just do another photobucket or flikr account so I can post all of my pictures.
I like to post pictures to facebook for our family and friends to see, but I feel like I'm shoving it down everyone else's throats. Where's the happy medium? If I don't post anything for a while, I get emails saying they want more, but then I feel like I'm 'that' person that won't shut the heck up!!:)

First week in Korea

What a whirlwind! In this post, I'm just going to post what I wrote in a few emails...it's easier than writing it all again, because, let's be frank, I might still have a little jet lag....
We've been running around A LOT and are all so tired. We went to the 'Ville today and walked around. It's the area right outside of post where all the soldiers go to. Everyone speaks English and it's like a little 'America'. We bought some movies (4 for $10) and the girls watched Ringo this afternoon. Libby is having a super hard time with the time change, but I guess that's to be expected. We have about 2 roosters that crow all day and night (kind of annoying) and I've even heard a cow??? One morning, when I was up at 4, I looked over our balcony and saw a couple of old Korean people working in their garden. I'll have to take a picture of it sometime. It's very quaint.:) I'm enjoying it all so far and hope I continue to like it. Each time we leave the apt, I feel more confident. I'm really looking forward to our stuff getting here! I've tried ordering a few things online, for the house, but whatever I was ordering, apparently wasn't allowed to be shipped here? I've gotta run. I hope you all survived the storms OK. We heard about them on the news and on facebook. We really don't miss all of that. Love you all!

I can text now! Our router came through the mail yesterday (well, that's when we picked it up-we had mailed to ourselves last week), so I can use my iPod to text now. BUT, I'm getting an iPhone next week! Woot!!:) I looked at them yesterday, but decided to wait to 'think about it'. They have them at a booth at the PX on post. It will be nice because I think they have a GPS on them so I can download Korean maps. It's quite intimidating thinking about getting lost. Dan, of course, knows his way around, but it makes me nervous because the streets are NOT on a grid and I get so turned around and of course, not much is in English.
We are living in an apartment off post. It's on the 8th floor of a high rise complex. The place we're at, didn't allow families until two years ago, so there's no on post housing. They plan to move all this stuff some day, so there are no plans to build any family housing on post. Of course, they've been planning this for 10 years now, but whatever. It's a good-sized apartment, but I am already looking forward to the older two going to school-on post. They do have an elementary school, which sends a bus to the apartments that have Americans in them. Our neighbor is American-there are only two apartments on this floor in this building. So, when we get off the elevator, there's only their door and our's. BUT, she homeschools her girls. Did I say that they're the same age as Abby and Ava?? They played together on the playground yesterday, but I was napping. Dan said that she just sent her kids down there and then yelled at them to come back up when it was time. I don't know if I feel comfortable with that? Maybe later. They've been here 2 years and will be here until February. I dunno. Crime rate is pretty low here...and mostly caused by soldiers.
Everything is so foggy to me. I am SO out of it and Libby gets up about three times a night for 2 hours. It's exhausting. Dan and I have been taking turns with her, but she's so noisy and whiny that it wakes up the entire household. PLUS, I wake up and feel like it's the middle of the day, which it WAS just a week ago! ARGH. It'll get better, and it does every day, but this part sucks!
Dan goes back to work next Thursday and then I think he goes to gunnery on the fifth...UNTIL THE END OF THE MONTH! So, I need to get my license. But, I'm so intimidated to drive here! But, I get more confident every time I go out. I think we're going to go to a big commissary on Tuesday with his hoopty car and I'll stock up on food so we don't HAVE to go out. I'm so thankful that I met my neighbor because she's so willing to help and I know if I need something while Dan's gone, she will help me! The commissary and PX here are pretty small because they were built for just single soldiers. We'll have to go to Yongsan, which is in Seoul, for the bigger shopping.
Isn't it all so crazy?
We went to a Korean 'Wal-mart' the other day. It's called Lotte Mart. It was so neat!!:) We got a Korean hair dryer, toaster, and vacuum because they go off of the different wattage and their plug-ins are WAY different. Anyhow, we asked a few questions, and the people had to run to get people that spoke English...which they did fairly well. Anyhow, we needed hand soap and bought two bottles there-for $6 each! It was a bit pricey, but very clean, very nice people, and so much fun, for me! We would have stayed longer, but Libby was whiny and really needed to sleep.
Ok, Dan just ruined the only cable we have here (Armed forces network-10 channels) and I promised the girls I'd take them to the playground.
May 28,2011 ^^^
Libby has slept through the night the past few nights...well, until about 5am or so, but we'll take it! It has been almost necessary to have Dan here to help me with it all. We've been having to run around to get my important stuff taken care of. I had to get registered in 'the system' the other day to even get on post. They scanned my fingerprints!!! I also had to get a rations card so we don't sell stuff on the black market here. I did find some Coach purses for about $30!!! I just got the purse I have now, but will be going back.
I think the girls start school the end of August. We walked past their school last week and saw their big playground. They're so excited (and so am I!)
We weren't looking at regular food, but they do advertise, on the Korean TV, for Oreo cookies and Abby saw some Twix candy bars at the Daiso store we went to yesterday. It's kind of like a dollar tree, but some of the stuff is up to 3,000 won (which is about $2.50?). They have a small commissary here and are able to get our groceries there. We just wanted to go to the Lotte Mart to get a Korean vacuum, hair dryer, etc because of the plug ins.
We went to a restaurant with a friend of Dan's yesterday. It was called Little Prince. When you walk in, you have to take off your shoes. I didn't know and wore flip flops. I asked the wife, Mitzi, and she had too, but she got us some 'house slippers' we wore. I think I got two left shoes, but it wasn't a huge deal. Anyhow, they put stickers on the back of your kids and then they have this HUGE play area and watch your kids for about $5 each for two hours. We were able to go eat without kids! Well...I ended up going to get Libby, but she ran around a lot to play. I got a salad that was so yummy and Dan got a pizza that had corn on it...BUT, it was so good. We were pretty surprised. They had Korean food there as well, but...I was hungry and wanted food I had a chance of liking!ha:) It was in an area called New City and it's about 3 blocks from here. There's tons of restaurants and shops. The friends showed us where to get good pizza and where we'll go to the dentist. They also have this huge park there, where it turns into a water park on the weekends. They also shut down the streets on the weekends (or just Saturday?) and they have like the Barbie Jeeps. The girls will be able to take their bikes down there, once they get here. There's a Baskin Robbins and I saw a Pizza Hut too.
I think I'm going to take the test to get my license tomorrow. EEK! Pray for me. Some of their rules are a little different and then the way it's written it's obviously by a Korean, so some of it makes no sense (Dan had a study guide). They are kind of crazy drivers here-Angie, you would fit right in!!:) I'll probably walk as much as I can.
We'd talked about walking down to this bakery that is super close today, but it's drizzling rain today. So, hopefully it'll clear up because I've been eyeing it since we got here. WE drive past it every single day!!:) Mitzi said they have delicious stuff.
Dan goes back to work on Thursday and then we'll find out what's going on with him going to the field. Hopefully, it won't be for a while yet and for just a short while, although I know of three women now that know what they're doing and are very willing to help.
Dan got me an iPhone yesterday. Woot!!:)
May 30, 2011^^^
The weather has been BEAUTIFUL here! The warmest has been about 80 degrees, but there's a wonderful breeze all the time. The past few days have been rainy, but just for a little while. Last night was a bunch of light thunderstorms...just thunder and lightening. I don't mind those.
We're feeling much more rested with Libby sleeping through the night. So hard to believe we've been here a week. It's gone by quickly.
I think I forgot to tell you all. We went to Yongsan Army post on Saturday(?) or Sunday. Anyhow, it's south of downtown Seoul, so we had to drive THROUGH the city to get there...of course, there's an easier way, but we only had a subway map to help us get there, and Dan, who I should never trust...just looked at Google maps before we left and said we had to take hwy 3 to hwy 6. I won't go into details, but we can't exactly read ALL of what every sign says, and just follow when we saw a 3 or a 6. We got there, but it took us like 45 minutes longer than it should have. We bought a detailed map and made it home in an hour and some change. Much easier when you have a map to read and can take expressways.:)
Anyhow, we walked into the Yongsan PX (much bigger post), and I had to wait on Dan for something. This Korean lady approached me and said that I had beautiful children and wondered if I was interested in them modeling. I just had to send her their picture via email and she'd get in touch with me. In the states, I would be leery of this (and still am a little), but we'd been told that they LOVE blonde hair, light eyed kids here and they do all the modeling for catalogs here. Dan's co-worker (a Korean) saw a picture of the girls and told him that they'd probably do modeling once they got here. So, we'll look into it and Dan's going to ask the Koreans at work about her-she gave us her business card, but what a great way for them to get college money. I was prepared for it, but couldn't believe we'd been in country three days and were approached!
I got my license today! I even drove on post. I'm still not super confident about driving in the city, but I'll get there. The test was pretty easy. I got a perfect score...of course.;-) Dan had a study test and it was pretty much the same as the test. I guess they just pass it around. The thing is...they have pretty much the same rules, but NONE are followed. They run red lights (after stopping first), stop on the side of the road (and block the right hand lane), and do illegal stuff ALL OF THE TIME. So, when I read the manual, I was pretty surprised at some of the laws.:) Anyhow, I have one now...it's in Korean and English. I have to carry a SOFA card with me (something of forces agreement) so I'm somewhat protected in case of an accident.
Tomorrow, Dan goes back to work. I'm not looking forward to that, but he's going to pick us up in the afternoon so we can get the girls registered at the CYS (children and youth services). It's so they can go to the CDC AND they have summer camps the girls can go to! I was so excited. They go on field trips at the end of the week and they're gone from 8-5 M thru F. It'll be great for them to get out of the apartment and give me a break in the middle of the summer.
We had Pizza Hut last night!! Woot! It's just two blocks away. Dan and the older two walked down to get it.
My iPhone is broke. It doesn't ring when I have a call. So, we took it back today and she has to send it off to be fixed. Said it should be gone a few days. NOT happy about that.
Dan went to pay rent today. It's 1,622,000 won! AND, we have to pay in cash. So, we went to the ATM today and they gave it to him in 10,000 won bills. We had a wad of 165 won bills in my wallet today while running errands. It would barely fit!
June 1, 2011^^^