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Published: March 9th 2008
My Walk to Work
This is what I see after I get off the bus and walk to work. See the mountains in the distance? They aren't that far away- they look as if they are only a few miles off.Hey everyone! This weekend was great! I saw Dan, I (finally) have a comfortable bed, and I did a lot of walking around and checking things out.
On Friday, I got out of school and rushed home to find that Dan was already there (YAY!!). We waited until the landlord fixed our shower head (it was being held together with duct tape, but in fact worked just as well as it does now, all hail the power of the duct) and then went out walking around our little town as he filled me in on all he had learned at his briefings and classes. We made our way to the Camp Casey food court and had some pizza and soda then got some snacks (for when I’m at school) and a bottle of wine. On our walk home we stopped in some of the local stores and checked out what was available and for what prices and I showed him where Marty’s was (the American Bar and Restaurant).
Saturday we woke up at 7am, convinced we had somehow slept til noon. How was this possible? Well, apparently the bedroom window faces East or else we have a 50 foot
Food on Display
These displays slowly turned, showing off food selection in this window in Seoul neon sign they turn on at dawn across the street. It was so bright… so we decided to move the bedroom to where the living room was. It’s half the size, but at least we can get some shut eye past dawn (I know, Mom, it’s a travesty). After disassembling the furniture (and it was no difficult task, I assure you, since it’s all made of a sturdy, yet cheap, cardboard) we took a walk and got Subway for lunch.
Around 1:00 we met up with Dan’s younger brother, Christopher, at Camp Casey (he had taken an inter-camp bus) and we did some walking around with him. (Sorry Mom and Dad Inman! I didn’t get any pics of them together even though I had intended to!) It was nice that Dan and Chris had the chance to hang out, since they don’t see each other much (Chris has been stationed in Korea for 23 months). After picking some things up from the PX (like another egg crate for the bed since one was definitely not enough, these beds are like sleeping on concrete) we took a ride with Chris to Yongseon, where he had to catch the bus back
Our Bathroom
You can see the shower head on the wall to the right, and the drain on the floor. There is no division between the shower and the rest of the bathroom, which makes showering, brushing your teeth and sitting on the toilet at the same time a breeze! to Camp Eagle. Dan and I went to the library (they have an inter-library system, so you can borrow books/movies from one camp and return them to another) and picked up some documentaries (we have no TV or cable, which I actually don’t mind) and then strolled back to the train station, making sure to take pictures along the way. I have found myself not taking pictures because I’m started to get used to the things I see and I want to make sure I have ways of showing people at home how the Korean people live. After some spaghetti for dinner we went to Marty’s, had a couple beers, and shot some pool (Dan won, 2 games to one). It’s been so nice spending time with him this weekend. I realized how much stress this move had put on our relationship before, and how nice it was to not be worrying about packing, where we were going to live, how we were going to get around, etc. Things are still not 100% together (we don’t have an APO address, a Korean bank account, or our stuff from storage yet) but it’s all getting there and little by little this
Vending Machine
You can find these all over the train stations. See how tiny the cans are? All the sodas and juices come in small cans like these. place starts to really feel like home.
Dan picked up an Army issue magazine called “In The Zone” which includes all the local Sports competitions (5k Runs, free tae-kwon-do classes, boxing tournaments, etc), tours (Chong Dong Cultural Art Center, Korea Folk Village, and weekend trips to China, Japan and Russia) and entertainment (concerts, shows). It’s amazing all the things they provide and offer the military and their families, like free personal trainers, kid’s craft night, and language classes. I would find it hard to not find anything to do here, especially with as much as the Army does to make this whole experience as fulfilling as possible. Dan and I have already decided that Beijing is a MUST see while we are in this part of the world, and I think we will do that once I get some time off of work (turns out the kids here go to school ALL year round, I only have one week off in summer and one week off in winter).
OK, well, hope you are all well, and I’m sending lots of love! Xoxo -Erin
P.S. I am compiling a list of "Fun Things I Have Observed about Korea/Koreans".
"My Family"
My students showing off drawing of their families, although some did not understand the concept and just copied my example on the board Stay tuned...
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Louise
non-member comment
Hi Erin, I'm enjoying reading of your adventures. I kind of know what you're going through, and believe me, it will get better. Thanks for lending me your mom. I look forward to seeing her on Tuesday. Big hugs, Louise, Chloé and Patrick