We haven't mentioned this yet, but we should. Traffic laws here are basically non-existent. It's scary! People run red lights all the time, & it's not just the last second of making the light because they don't want to stop; the light will be red & someone will just randomly go if they think they can! Even when a crosswalk turns green for pedestrians & bikers, you still have to make sure no cars are going to come & hit you. We don't like it but we also don't want to die so we do our best to be careful! Taxi rides are still a little nerve-racking for us.
We went on a few new "adventures" this week. Earlier in the week we ran into one of Nicole's coworkers while walking around & she showed us some good chicken places & got us some teriyaki chicken. We also went to a pizza place on our own later in the week - the pizza was cheap & delicious! On a side note, while we were waiting for our pizza, the phone rang & it was the ringtone for Jingle Bells. Yes, we did start to sing the song. :)Wednesday evening we ventured out to find another store called Emart Traders (Target, but everything comes in bulk). The store is very big. It took us a while to figure out how to get to the basement floor - it took probably 10 minutes. Maybe longer because Nicole got distracted by puppies on the 2nd floor. We went back Saturday to get a few more things in bulk & we figured out a few things... First, carts can slide sideways! Second, when on the escalator, the wheels automatically lock with the ridges & the cart doesn't move. Third, to actually get a cart, you have to put a 100 won coin (approximately a U.S. dime) in a slot to unlock it from the cart in front of it. When you put the key/lock back, you get your coin back! Oh the things we learn. We also found tennis courts at the park by Emart Traders. Now we just need rackets to play!
Also, on Wednesday, there were a few helicopters in & out of the river after Nicole got off work. We have no idea why they were there but Nicole got a couple of good pictures. And also a little wet.
A couple of kids in Nicole's cooking class this week thought it would be a good idea to taste a finger full of salt (because it looked like sugar) - the faces were priceless! They made yummy chocolate chip muffins!
Having an oven at our place would be really helpful. We almost got one this weekend, but we missed out & it was sold. We'll just have to wait a little bit longer.
In our apartment, we think we have finally figured out our hot water system. Everything is in Korean. This week was the first week we both had consistently good showers. FINALLY! Showering in cold water is no fun! Now we don't dread taking showers.
In other news, Nicole is starting to miss her clothes. We had packed things to be in China for just a few months & then everything changed so fast that we didn't get a chance to repack for a whole year in South Korea. A shopping mall is in our near future!
Birthdays at Nicole's school are a huge deal. She got to experience one this week. When it is a student's birthday, the celebration lasts for 45 minutes. All of the kids bring in presents for the birthday boy/girl, everyone sings happy birthday, & we all eat cake, fruit, & whatever else the birthday kid's mom/dad brought in. It is fun & elaborate & yet, slightly ridiculous. But, hey, free food is free food!!
Friday was another adventurous day, Nicole's school went to the Science Museum. It was really interesting & very large. We will have to go back without the kids soon.
In the evening we went out to Self Bar for dinner with a couple of Nicole's coworkers. The restaurant is all you can eat meat for $10. YES!! We all had a great time. And we found an adorable store called Artbox - definitely going back soon!
John starts his new job on Monday! He will be observing for the first day & then he will be teaching & introducing himself another day in the week. He is trying to think of some icebreaker games for all ages since he will have young elementary & gradually teach up to middle school age each day. He is excited to finally start working! And his school is actually closer to our apartment than Nicole's school is - that was lucky. The school is nervous to hire him because of a few of their recent hires that have been bad, but they have to hire someone & John has done his best to convince his bosses that he will work his hardest & not let them down. It is going to be a great experience!
Here are some more facts about Korea:
-Recycling is very specific here.
-When you go to someone's house/apt you have to take your shoes off - even in some restaurants, & at Nicole's school.
-Some keys are round (picture of our apt keys below).
-Stealing here is considered taking somebody's bad luck (which is why stealing doesn't happen often).
-In the summer, Koreans will still wear long sleeves because they do not want to get tan.
-The water here is very harsh & has a lot of chemicals - too many to even drink it. No wonder bottled water is cheap!
In other news, Nicole is starting to miss her clothes. We had packed things to be in China for just a few months & then everything changed so fast that we didn't get a chance to repack for a whole year in South Korea. A shopping mall is in our near future!
Birthdays at Nicole's school are a huge deal. She got to experience one this week. When it is a student's birthday, the celebration lasts for 45 minutes. All of the kids bring in presents for the birthday boy/girl, everyone sings happy birthday, & we all eat cake, fruit, & whatever else the birthday kid's mom/dad brought in. It is fun & elaborate & yet, slightly ridiculous. But, hey, free food is free food!!
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| Some beautiful cherry blossoms on the way home from work. |
Friday was another adventurous day, Nicole's school went to the Science Museum. It was really interesting & very large. We will have to go back without the kids soon.
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| A dinosaur? And some planets behind it at the Expo Science Museum |
John starts his new job on Monday! He will be observing for the first day & then he will be teaching & introducing himself another day in the week. He is trying to think of some icebreaker games for all ages since he will have young elementary & gradually teach up to middle school age each day. He is excited to finally start working! And his school is actually closer to our apartment than Nicole's school is - that was lucky. The school is nervous to hire him because of a few of their recent hires that have been bad, but they have to hire someone & John has done his best to convince his bosses that he will work his hardest & not let them down. It is going to be a great experience!
Here are some more facts about Korea:
-Recycling is very specific here.
-When you go to someone's house/apt you have to take your shoes off - even in some restaurants, & at Nicole's school.
-Some keys are round (picture of our apt keys below).
-Stealing here is considered taking somebody's bad luck (which is why stealing doesn't happen often).
-In the summer, Koreans will still wear long sleeves because they do not want to get tan.
-The water here is very harsh & has a lot of chemicals - too many to even drink it. No wonder bottled water is cheap!
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| Our apartment keys |
Yay!!! Congrats and way to go on getting your TEFLs. Now it sounds like you need to get your TDFCs (Teaching Driving as a Foreign Concept). Be careful!! I must say, that pizza looks particularly good. Brady's not up, but I'll show him tomorrow, and he'll probably be salivating. As always, great insights on the blog. Thanks. Miss you guys.
ReplyDeleteLove, Dad