Today the skies are blue and the sun is shining. It is quite the contrast to the “Asian Dust” storm we experienced yesterday. Josh called me in the morning to warn me about yellow sand, (one of his co-workers told him about it). He said if I go outside I should wear a mask.
I had no idea what it was so I looked it up and found a chart on the Korea Meteorological Administration. The chart levels were still low when I checked, (they must not have been updated yet).
However later in the afternoon it looked really yellow outside. It was very bizarre.
So what is yellow sand? Apparently it is fine yellow sand from the Gobi desert in Mongolia that blows over to South Korean and Japan in the Spring. Deforestation and industrialization in China has made the “yellow dust storms” worse, with more negative side effects (I have heard that it is loaded with toxins from pollution and can cause respiratory problems.) more…
Last weekend we found another underground mall, it is in Bupyeong. This mall is much closer than the COEX in Seoul and the subway ride is more pleasant, (we can usually get a seat). We spent a few hours shopping there and found some really good deals.
The mall itself was very crowded. I hope this is not the norm and can be attributed to the holiday weekend. Another problem I encountered was the lack of dressing rooms. I did try on a skirt in what seemed to be a cleaning closet which was … different. I purchased a few items not really knowing if they would fit, and I got lucky – they did. It was a relief to discover I am the same size in women’s clothing in South Korea as I am in the U.S.A.
Shoe sizes are a different story. I am a 7.5 in U.S. sizes which is a 250 Korean. A few weeks ago Josh and I were looking at some rollerblades and had our feet measured at the store. more…
It’s not very difficult to find “American” restaurants and fast food places here. We have already found a Bennigans, Dunkin Donuts, Starbucks, Baskin-Robbins, Popeyes, and have been informed that McDonalds delivers here (though we have not actually tried it yet). I am not a fan of “fast food” but I have been known to indulge in the Starbucks Grande Mocha every now and then.
We have tried a few of the local restaurants, (other than Korean restaurants). There is a place just around the block I really like, (I think it is called the Fresh Chicken House). We have tried a dish that looks and tastes like orange chicken. There is a salad they serve that is delicious, it’s a shredded cabbage with and apple flavored dressing. The chicken platter is 16,000 won, but it is enough to feed two.
There is also a Kraze Burger right next door. We ate there one night, we both had the “spicy burger”, (8,600 won each). Also pretty reasonably priced and pretty good. (That means a lot coming from me, I do not have a strong affinity for burgers, and was actually craving one yesterday for some strange reason). more…
No it’s not a car, I am not sure I would want to drive here. We finally broke down and got a bike. Josh has been utilizing the car pool, but since we live very close to where he works a bike might be more convenient and healthier.
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