11
Feb
Seaweed Soup
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I learned how to make Seaweed Soup today. It is supposed to clean the blood and help you lose weight. You can eat it hot or cold, and at any time during the day.

seaweedThe seaweed comes dried but expands a great deal in water. It’s pretty cool to watch, (I am easily amused). ;) I also received a rice maker from Mrs. Lee which means no more “microwavable rice”. After you cook the rice in the rice maker it can stay in there for up to a day. So I made some this morning and will have some later with dinner. This weekend is the “Lunar New Year” which is a big celebration here in South Korea. Almost everything in town shuts down except for some of the “American Style Restaurants”. more…

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10
Feb
Neighborhood Walk
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Last night Josh and I took a little stroll around town. The weather was pretty mild (a balmy forty five degrees), so we decided to check out some of the local restaurants and shops.

lovebarThere are a handful of American Style Restaurants and Stores. I actually saw a Seven Eleven and a Dunkin Donuts. I saw some strange things like like street lights that looked like they were installed upside down, and clothes hanging on trees. There was one store that had three small square cages outside of it. Josh said “look it’s a real Korean Style Restaurant, they serve dog here.” I didn’t think that was very funny.

There are some interesting names for bars as you can see in my photo. I am not sure why there is an apple instead of a heart in the “Love Bar”. We didn’t go in yet, maybe for Valentine’s Day. LOL.

We did check out the shoes.com store. I have no idea how to figure out my size though. There was a number that I thought was the price but Josh said it was the size. more…

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09
Feb
What Books Did I Pack?
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Packing for a six month journey was not an easy one.  I love to read and bringing a small library of books with me was not an option. So I finally broke down and bought a Kindle.

I love it. My husband has already acquired a small library on his Kindle, (which is linked to mine), so I have enough to keep me occupied for a few weeks. I read this book on the plane; Cultural Dimensions of Expatriate Life in South Korea, by Bill Drake.  It gave me a crash course on Korean Culture, which has already proven to be useful.

crashproofThere was one book that I couldn’t bring myself to leave behind, Peter Schiff’s Crash Proof 2.0.This book has been a real eye opener for me. In the past I never had much of an interest in economics. The bursting of the housing bubble and the shrinking job market has effected my husband and I in many ways.  I stumbled upon one of Peter’s video blogs by accident one day and I was very impressed with what he had to say. This was before he was a candidate for the U.S. Senate.

This book is not political – just common sense economics. Peter Schiff predicted the bursting of the housing bubble many years ago. This book is just an update to the original Crash Proof. I would highly recommend either book to anyone who wants to know why the U.S. is in a recession, and most important, what you can do to protect your savings. The fundamentals of the U.S. economy are not sound, it is a house of cards that may be about to come tumbling down. more…

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05
Feb
First Night Out
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<b>So I arrived at the airport early, not sure how that happened. Must have had a strong tailwind. So then I decided I should call Josh and let him know. Only problem was my cell phone would not make international calls. (Grr.) So I found a pay phone but it only accepted Won. Great. So I found a debit machine and took out 10000 won (approximately $10.00 US) so I could use the phone machine. As I am standing in front of the public phone with a befuddled look on my face a Korean Man came over and offered to let me use his phone. Whew.</b>
<Photo 1>So Josh was on his way with Mr. Lee. Mrs. Lee was apparently at the airport already looking for me so I described to Josh what I was wearing so she could find me. She found me first and Josh arrived shortly. Mr. Lee drove his car to the airport and had his driver come to the airport as well. I was very surprised and honored by this (I think it is a big deal). Josh later told me that I was getting VIP treatment because I  am his wife and Mr. Lee wants me to be happy here so we will stay. I was pretty impressed that Josh made such a great impression in such a short time.
So they dropped us off at the apartment and we made dinner plans to meet up in a few hours.
This time Mr. Lee’s driver picked us up and we went to a Korean restaurant. I was expecting the traditional Korean style, where you sit on the floor. They had a separate section that had tables and chairs which is where we sat.
The beef is cooked right in front of us and there were a lot of smaller dishes set out in front of us. I asked Mr. Lee if there was any particular order in which we were supposed to eat. He said no it is not like America where you start with an appetizer or salad. In South Korea you eat everything together usually with rice.
I really wished I would have practiced more with chopsticks before I came. Fortunately I found a set in the apartment so I will have to get to work.
Mrs. Lee brought a gift for me, a pretty aquamarine shawl. I also received a cell phone from Mr. Lee. He has pretty much adopted my husband so I am his adopted daughter too he told me. LOL.
I was warned about the Soju by Julie the other night but when Mr. Lee offered it I couldn’t resist. I am a curious person. So I tried it. I forgot to accept the drink with two hands, and I knew better because I read about that before arriving. ;( I was surprised at how smooth the liquor was. I really liked it but I didn’t over indulge because it is supposed to be very strong (though it does not taste strong).

So I arrived at the airport early, not sure how that happened. Must have had a strong tailwind. So then I decided I should call Josh and let him know. Only problem was my cell phone would not make international calls. (Grr.)

So I found a pay phone but it only accepted Won. Great. So I found a debit machine and took out 10000 won (approximately $10.00 US) so I could use the phone machine. As I am standing in front of the public phone with a befuddled look on my face a Korean Man came over and offered to let me use his phone. Whew.

viewSo Josh was on his way with Mr. Lee. Mrs. Lee was apparently at the airport already looking for me so I described to Josh what I was wearing so she could find me. She found me first and Josh arrived shortly. Mr. Lee drove his car to the airport and had his driver come to the airport as well. I was very surprised and honored by this (I think it is a big deal). Josh later told me that I was getting VIP treatment because I  am his wife and Mr. Lee wants me to be happy here so we will want to stay in South Korea. I was pretty impressed that Josh made such a great impression in such a short time. more…

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