What's Hot in South Korea?

Super Junior! Just ask any adolescent Korean girl. Super Junior is comprised of 12 Koreans and one Chinese who are all in their mid 20's. I think they would be so popular in the U.S. My Korean girlfriends think I'm crazy but I told them that it's time for another 'N Sync although I'm hearing The Jonas Brothers are getting pretty big. My girlfriends said "But they don't speak English. " I told them the first time I saw ABBA on American Bandstand when they had their first U.S. hit "Waterloo" only one member at the time spoke English. You never know.



This song is called "U." It's pretty darn catchy.

Sometimes You Do Need A Man

Curt (hubby) has been in Naju, South Korea since Monday and will return tonight (Wednesday). He has travelled pretty extensively for his job through most of our marriage. It really has made me pretty independent and able to fix most problems that would arise while he was gone. I always like to think I can do it myself but last night was a reminder that I DO NEED HIM!

It started with our television. I pushed the wrong button on the remote and this calculator showed up. I couldn't get rid of it and it wouldn't allow me to switch channels. I monkeyed with it off and on for about two hours when I finally pushed the correct random sequence of buttons which removed it. Of course, I don't know what that sequence was and I also don't know which button I pushed to begin with. It was pretty frustrating.


Wednesday is water delivery guy and we weren't quite through the water from the week before so I used a glass to finish emptying the bottle and removed it from the base. No problem. I then dragged over a full bottle and lifted it to the table which is right next to the water cooler. I've done this before so I knew I could manage. I lifted the bottle from the table, flipped it over so the neck of the bottle was facing down and oops! The bottle fell out of my hands and onto the floor. Water went everywhere.

I panicked and quickly picked up the wet bottle and flipped it into the hole in the top of the cooler. Water was spraying everywhere from cracks all over the bottle that I hadn't seen. So I freaked again and lifted it off the cooler which was no small feat. The cooler puts a hole into the bottle so I had to lift it off of that which made water spew from even more places. The bottle was still about 3/4 full and my adrenalin was kicking in.

The picture above shows one of the cracks.


I heaved the bottle off of the cooler and into our sink with the intention of letting all the water drain. But then I didn't hear any water dripping and saw that now the bottle was stuck to that center thing in our sink and it had virtually sealed the bottle.

So I had to lift the bottle off of this strainer thing (they are in all Korean kitchens) that was in our sink and wouldn't you know, it stuck to the bottle. So I had to tug and tug hard to remove not only the bottle but the stinking strainer. The strainer was so hard to remove from the bottle almost like it had suctioned itself to the bottle. But I pulled and was able to pry it off the bottle. Then I turned the bottle back upside down to drain.

I was covered with water and the floor was flooded. I got out a bunch of towels and mopped up the mess. Curt decided this was a good time to check on me and he got an earful. Poor guy. I felt better after I got out of my wet clothes.

I left this cracked bottle outside our apartment for the water delivery guy to pick up. We leave an empty bottle out every Wednesday and he replaces it with a full one. I tape 5000 won to the bottle (about $5.00 U.S.). This time he left two bottles. I wonder if he noticed the cracks, apparently so.

I miss my husband!

A New Restaurant in the Neighborhood

This restaurant popped up almost overnight a few weeks ago. Back in the U.S., if a building had these kind of pictures, you would assume it was a meat market. But here in Korea, this is how restaurants like to advertise how fresh their food is. A seafood restaurant will have a tank of fish right in front of the restaurant and your meal will come out of that tank. Koreans love their food fresh and you can't get any fresher than that. Personally, I don't like to see what my meal looked like in it's natural state. I don't like to see raw meat and it isn't the least bit appetizing to me but that is just me.

The restaurant is the common Korean barbecue where you sit on the floor with a grill in the center of the table. Your meat comes out raw on a plate and you place it on the grill and cook it yourself. It is delicious! The restaurant has always been packed when we walked by at night. We will have to get adventuresome and give it a try. We tend to shy away from restaurants that don't have a picture menu.

Panhandling in South Korea

The first time I saw a Korean panhandler, I was really shocked at the way they position their body. They are on their knees with their heads facing the ground with only their arms to rest on. It has to be unbelievably uncomfortable. The panhandlers I've seen on the sidewalks always seem to be wearing some type of waders which cover their legs and probably are meant to protect them from the elements. I have only seen panhandling in Seoul. They will be in the middle of very busy sidewalks and also on the steps going in and out of the subways. I've never seen them with a sign.

A panhandler in my part of the U.S. usually stands on a busy street corner holding up a cardboard handwritten sign. In Korea, I have often seen Koreans drop money into the panhandler's basket but I haven't seen the same in the U.S.

What Do You Think These Are?

When my husband bought me a Kitchen Aid mixer a few years ago, these potholders were included as a free gift. I noticed the first two times the cleaning lady was here, the potholders were in the laundry along with other towels she used to clean our apartment. I confine myself to my craft room while she is cleaning to stay out of her way so therefore I haven't actually seen her use them.

I keep the potholders in the same drawer as the dishtowels so after the first time, I made sure that the potholders were on the side with the other potholders. In fact, I buried them so they were under a mitt potholder. But the following week, the potholders were in the laundry again.

I have noticed when I watch television where Koreans are cooking, if they need a potholder, they use the mitt type. So I'm thinking she doesn't realize that they are potholders.

Am I going to tell her? No, I don't really care. I just found it hilarious that she is using them for cleaning. It's actually a great idea and seems to work well. Who am I to disagree? When in South Korea...

My Biggest Fear Living in South Korea

A SQUAT TOILET!!!! They seem to be more common in places like the Incheon Airport and in the subways but I found this one while waiting for Curt (hubby) to get his Korean driver's license. I have not found a squat toilet in a restaurant or at the large department stores. When I have found them in the subway, the sign on the bathroom door has a picture of the squat toilet so you know before you enter what you will encounter.

Luckily, I haven't had to use one. In this case, all the stalls were squat toilets except for the handicap stall so that is what I used. My Korean girlfriends said that the handicap stall is really only for the handicapped but they understood my need to use that stall. I asked them why Korea just hasn't updated all their toilets from squat to conventional toilets. The reason is that some of the older ajummas (older Korean women) wouldn't know how to use one.

Also, do you see any toilet paper in the stall? You never find toilet paper in public bathrooms so make sure you carry your own. So you wonder what the garbage can is for? That's to throw away your used toilet paper that you brought with you because you don't flush toilet paper in South Korea (but I do). The gas station we usually use gives us a free packet of tissue as a gift every time we fill up so I have accumulated a boxful already in the six months we've been here.

How to Get a Driver's License in South Korea

Things you need to bring in order to get a Korean driver's license. This is if you have a U.S. driver's license:

1. U.S. Passport
2. U.S. Driver's License
3. Alien Registration Card
4. Three headshot photos (3cm by 4cm)
5. 11,000 WON - 6000 is for the registration and 5000 is for the physical exam

Also, it would be helpful (even mandatory!) to go with a Korean or someone who can speak Korean. It can be really crowded and confusing so we were so glad that my friend Hellena offered to help us out. We went to the examination office near the Samseong Station.

Directions: Subway Line #2, proceed to exit 1, exit and walk straight about two or so blocks. You will see a small sign in English stating "Driver's Examination Center." Turn right at this corner and it is about 1/2 blocks down and on the left. You will need to cross the street. Enter the building on your left and also the leftmost set of door, proceed to the 2nd floor and you will see a sign "Foreign License." Immediately to the left of the sign is a number machine and you need to press the button and get a number. Then sit and wait for your number to appear.

Hellena said it was best to go at 9:00am when they open, it gets very crowded as the day goes on.



A look at the station.



Curt anxiously waiting for Hellena to finish the paperwork.


Curt's number was called. Curt and Hellena completing his paperwork. Aren't her boots too cool? After your paperwork is finished, you go to the first floor to pay your 6000 WON, then you go to the physical examination building which is across from the registration building.


This is the front of the building. You enter and pay 5000 won and then wait in line. The examiner comes out and ushers a bunch in and you are lined up like a police lineup. The examiner has you squat for about 5-10 seconds, then you must show him you can flex your fingers.

Next comes the individual eye test. Here is Curt during his eye test. Next comes a color blindness test and you are done. You return to the first building and go back to the second floor and get another number. After your number is called, your completed paperwork is turned in and your license will be ready in 1 hour. So we went to lunch and returned after an hour. Again it is the place you began and you must get a number for the third time. It was pretty crowded by now. Curt's number was finally called and his Korea license was ready to go. He had to sign for it and we were done.

You also need to know that you must surrender your U.S. license. You can get it back before leaving Korea by showing them airline tickets. I'm not sure how we will do that since we always are issued e-tickets these days but that's to worry about another day. You need to get a Korea license if you plan on staying in Korea over a year. The international driver's permit we received in the States is only good for one year.

So why did Curt get a Korean license and Becky (me) did not:

1. They drive crazy here and I have no intention of ever driving in Korea except in an emergency.

2. Their parking spaces are so narrow that all cars have a feature where you can retract your side mirrors. I'm a lousy parker even when the spaces are wide.

3. I'm not crazy about giving up my U.S. license. Curt didn't mind but I'm afraid Korea will lose it. Maybe I'm too much of a control freak.

A funny thing while we were waiting, Curt and Hellena were at the counter and I was seated with others waiting for their number to appear. A Korean girl (about 16-18) who was waiting with her boyfriend (I think) kept stealing glances at me. This continued for a few minutes and then I think she finally got up the courage to talk to me. She suddenly spun around and asked me, "Why are you here?" I said that my husband was getting a Korean driver's license. She said, "No, why are you in Korea?" I explained in the simplest terms I could and the questions kept coming. She told me she had already spent a year in Canada studying English and was going to go again because she had forgotten all her English for a three week period. It had since returned but it had frightened her enough that she asked her parents to send her to Canada a second time. I told her that her English was very good and it really was. She was absolutely delighted. Curt and Hellena returned which ended our conversation. Curt said, "Do you make friends wherever you go?" I told him, "I do in Korea."

My New Book is Out!

My new book with Leisure Arts is out! I am so excited because this book was so much fun to do and a totally new direction for me with polymer clay. I want to thank Debra Nettles of Leisure Arts for her belief in me from the very beginning. This is my fourth book with Leisure Arts and it's been a wonderful experience.

There is a lot of hard work and nurturing that goes into each book project along with a healthy amount of stress. Sleepless nights as the deadline approaches, making sure I've included every step needed to complete the projects, packing it all up in individual Ziplock bags and finally, mailing it off praying the post office doesn't loose the box (I haven't had that happen). Then the book is published and all that hard work pays off.

Dragonflies Everywhere!

Maedeup class this week started out very interesting. It has steadily been growing from week to week but I was shocked to find eight new beginners. This is in addition to already having about eleven of us. The room is not that large and we are squeezed into it so much that it is hard to find a place for Curt (hubby) when he comes over to wait for me after his Tae Kwon Do class.

As I've stated before, the maedeup knots have been getting steadily more difficult so it was a wonderful surprise to do the dragonfly maedeup which in Korean is called jamjari maedeup. It was a combination of several knots that we already knew. The next class we will be making a pin with the dragonflies that we had made.


We also learned this knot which is called byeongari maedeup. It is made using two knots that we have already learned. One of the knots, saengjjok maedeup, I know very well and the other, gukhwa maedeup, I am still trying to master and then to put them together... The right maedeup is a completed byeongari maedeup and the left is my homework to finish. We also added two garakji maedeups to it.

The reason our maedeup class is growing so fast is due mainly to the Korean government. In 1964, the government of Korea created the Important Intangible Cultural Properties. The list contains arts and crafts, music, dance and even tea. Maedeup is number 22 on the list. Recently, South Korea has become very worried that these ancient arts are dying and so to encourage Koreans to continue to learn this aspect of their culture, they are reimbursing your class fee. So everyone in my maedeup class is being reimbursed for the class when they have completed the session. But the class is more regimented than before. Class was from 12:00 pm - 5 pm and people would sometimes be 1 to 1 1/2 hours late and we would usually be done by 3 or 3:30. Now class is from 12-5 and each student has to sign in and out. It is a lot more regimented and we were even scolded my the teacher for talking too much (it was while we were working on our maedeup). Unfortunately, not being a Korean citizen, I'm not eligible for this program.

I thought it was such a great idea and I wish the U.S. did something like this. I feel that it would encourage a lot of people to take up crafting. I remember needle pointing and doing crewel when I was younger. I was also big into cross stitching when it was popular in the 80's. I think it's time for it to come back! It's pretty big over here. I love to sew, quilt, chainmaille, and of course, work with polymer clay. I'm still sad the see the lack of craft shows on television.

It has been a sad few weeks here in Korea. Last week, there was a warehouse fire that killed 40 people. Then Curt called today to say he wouldn't be home for dinner. One of his co-worker's father was killed in a car accident yesterday and he was leaving work to drive 2-3 hours to attend the funeral. The entire office went and he probably won't be back until midnight or later. I was hoping not to learn what a Korean funeral is like but I'll be finding out shortly.

On a happier note, a co-worker invited us to his baby's first birthday party. It is a really big deal so I'm so excited to be going. It's January 25th.

Snow in Suwon

It's snowing in Suwon. It was coming down pretty heavy when I first woke up this morning but with the temperatures above freezing it shouldn't accumulate.


These pictures were taken from our apartment.


I didn't have anywhere I had to go today so I just hung around the house and practiced my maedeup in preparation for tomorrow's class.

One of Those Days

Do you even have a day when things just seem to keep going wrong? That was yesterday for me. I swear I haven't seen the sun since our return and that hasn't helped my mood either. Good news is that the sun has made an appearance today. The picture above is of me when I was about 4 or 5 and kinda says it all.


DO NOT hit the red button! This is our doorbell which plays a little song when someone wants to enter the apartment building or is outside your apartment door. I press a button which opens the door to the building. Then when they are at my apartment, they ring the doorbell and I proceed to the door to let them it. It's great for when the church ladies visit (and yes, they still do) because I can see who they are and not answer the door.

Yesterday was the first day of the new cleaning lady that Curt (hubby) let me hire. She spends 4 hours cleaning for 30,000 WON which is about $30.00. She will be coming every Wednesday. She rang the apartment so I would let her into the building. I haven't had to do this for so long that I panicked and hit all the buttons INCLUDING the red one. The red button is the "EMERGENCY ONLY" button and it started screaming like a siren along with some Korean dialog. I just kept pushing buttons as I called Helena in a panic. By then, the cleaning lady was at the door and so I gave the phone to her to talk to Helena. As they were trying to figure out how to turn it off, someone punded on my front door. I opened it to find a security guard ready to do battle. We have security guards at the two entrances to our apartment complex and I recognize all of them now and he wasn't one of them.

As he came in, I ran and grabbed the cleaning lady who graciously explained to him what had happened. The security guard looked relieved and then proceeded to open this hidden panel which housed a bunch more buttons. He proceeded to press one of these buttons and the alarm ceased. He then showed me several times which button to press. Yeah, I know I'm an idiot. I was so embarrassed that this had happened and in front of my new cleaning lady. She was a really good sport about it.

I didn't know what to expect in a Korean cleaning lady. I was surprised at how dressed up she was and with only her purse. I think the cleaning services back in the States come with their own supplies. She put on an apron and I showed her where I stored all my cleaning supplies but she ended up not using them as far as I know. She did a great job and it is so nice to have someone to clean our apartment which will give me more time to craft. This episode wasn't the first time I've been embarrassed in Korea and I know it won't be the last.

The second thing that led to my funky mood has to do with our newspaper delivery back in the States. We were only getting the newspaper on the weekend and I called to cancel shortly before we moved. Their invoices state that you must call to cancel. I wrote down on the latest bill that I had called and cancelled and filed the bill away. I remember the conversation with the newspaper because she asked questions like why were we cancelling, were we unhappy with the paper... I told her about our move to Korea.

I didn't give it another thought until a few months later when my son mentioned that the newspaper was still being delivered. I figured that it must be some kind of mistake because it had happened before that I put a stop on the newspaper, due to vacation, only to come home to find that it hadn't been stopped. I had a lot on my plate with the move and adjusting to life in Korea that I didn't follow up on it. Until I received a past due bill in November! We had moved July 1st! I called and was told that I had not cancelled and their policy is to continue to deliver even though the bill has not been paid for an additional three months. She had no record of me calling and basically said that I owed the $32.33. Now, that isn't a huge sum of money but it is to me when I did call and cancel. I told her that we had been getting the Minneapolis Star Tribune for 25 years and would have upon our return from Korea but if they were really going to insist I pay that I would NEVER subscribe to their paper again. She still didn't care and said she would make a note that I was refusing to pay.

We received another notice in December stating that they were turning us over to a collections agency so I called again. They didn't care and insisted I owed the balance. By now, Curt (hubby) is thoroughly mad at me for just not paying it. But it was the principle of the whole thing. They require a phone call to cancel, yet how can you prove you called? If you write "please cancel" on an invoice which I've done with other services, you have a written record. So I was fighting for the little guy! How many times has this happen?!

I did call our telephone company because I know I called from our home phone and not a cellphone. That was a mistake because with my cellphone, I get a record every month of every phone call and it would be easy to prove that I had called them. The telephone company said they did have my records but I would have to pay $300.00 to get them. Can you believe it?

Curt arrived home Tuesday and wasn't in too good a mood. The Star Tribune had turned us over to a collections agency which sent us a letter . So I give up, Star Tribune wins and I'll pay the dang $32.33. But they've lost my business and my respect.

Take Out - Korean Style

Having been in Seoul all day trying to learn that blasted maedeup knot (which I still haven't been able
to make without the teacher's help), I was tired and in no mood to cook. Although, most nights find
me in no mood to cook so I thought I would surprise Curt (hubby) with take out from our favorite
restaurant, Nolboo. We love their budae jjigae and I saw someone getting to go once so this has been
in the back of my mind for a while.

I walked into the restaurant about 4:00 p.m. to find all the waitresses eating their dinner. One of the girls saw me and ran over to seat me. She didn't understand that I wanted to place a "to go" order and I was having
trouble conveying what I wanted with my English along with pantomiming. Finally, our regular waitress came and quickly realized what I wanted. It only took a few minutes for them to gather the order and off I was.



Inside the bag is a package of ramen noodles, a plastic container with all the ingredients and then a bag of the stock.


A closer look.


Here it is opened and ready to go.

This is what it looks like when I dumped the container into a pan.

This is what it looks like after you add the stock. Then just boil the heck out of it. I also made some rice to go along with the budae jjigae. They didn't include the 6 or more sides that you get when you eat at the restaurant which was fine with me. Curt is the one who eats most of them anyway.

Curt was really shocked when he came home to see what I had made for dinner. He didn't realize you could get it to go. Total price: 11,000 WON which is approximately $11.00. What a great deal.

My Korean girlfriends are surprised at how many dinners I do cook. Most Korean women now order dinner through the many restaurants located in their neighborhoods. You can also buy all you side dishes ready made at the local grocery store. Watch out for those scooter guys which are delivering these dinners. They are everywhere including the sidewalks. They never obey light signals and rarely stop for a pedestrian. But I'm sure they have a lot of Korean households to deliver to each night. I wish I could call a restaurant and place an order for delivery. Maybe someday.

My 1st Maedeup Class of 2008

This knot is called Gukhwa Maedeup which also means Chrysanthemum Knot. I had missed a months worth of classes which has allowed another group of beginners to get to our level. So now instead of three of us at the same level, there are seven. This doesn't include the four others who are still at the more advanced level. But this means it will be more difficult for the teacher to give individualized help and with the knots getting more and more complicated, I need all the help I can get. So I will be going to the maedeup shop during the week for extra one on one help. I have decided to go on Tuesdays and if I need it, also on Thursdays. This is in addition to my Saturday classes. I asked about paying additional money for the extra classes and was told that however many classes including the private instructions it takes for me to complete the course, it is covered in the initial fee. What a great deal and it's one of the things I love about Korea.

I passed the Beginner/Intermediate class and am now starting the Advanced class which takes approximately 6 months to complete. After that, I begin the phase of perfecting the 30 odd knots I have learned in anticipation of taking the Certification Test. The shop is very excited about me complete the certification program. They said I would be the first Westerner to do so and I'm not sure if they mean the first in their shop or the first in Korea.

A Big Surprise Courtesy of Northwest Airlines

We had a huge shock as we preboarded our flight for Tokyo. As Curt gave the ticket agent our tickets, some red lights started beeping and I thought our seats had been double booked. Curt had gotten us the best seats in coach thanks to the help of seatguru. It turned out that we had been upgraded to BUSINESS CLASS! WooHoo!! I hadn't flown in the first class section of a plane since 1986 so I was so excited.



Here I am in our seats. I couldn't believe the leg room! I also couldn't stop smiling!



The dinner menu. I thought we were in a 5 star restaurant!



The second half of the menu. Can you believe the choices?

I forgot to take a picture of the appetizer but here is the salad. It looked too pretty to eat.

I'm a huge fan of curry so I chose the curry chicken. It was delicious.

This is the lava cake. It melted in your mouth.

Now we have a huge problem! Could I ever fly coach again knowing what business class is like? But Curt solved that for me when he told me the price difference between coach and business class.

Christmas 2007

Noah, our grandson, opening a present. It seems just like yesterday that we were watching his mother
do the same thing.



Curt was so surprised to get this t-shirt from me. He absolutely loved it! I must thank Helena for the heads up
on this. If you want to know the meaning behind it, see my post on "Fan Death"



Laura (our daughter) and Brent were married in 2005. Instead of having the traditional wedding
book for guests to sign, we had them sign quilt squares. I made this quilt using the signed squares
along with pictures of the wedding. The pictures were created using "Printed Treasures." I had the
quilt professionally quilted and it turned out beautifully. I finished the binding of the quilt while
here in Korea.



Another picture of the quilt. That is Laura holding the quilt and our son, Luke, looking on. It was amazing
that we had the entire immediate family at the wedding: both sets of parents and four sets of grandparents. I am sad to say that since the wedding we lost Curt's mom and Brent lost one of his grandmothers.

Christmas came and went way too fast. As we were packing our bags to go, it became real apparent that I had done a little TOO much shopping at the craft stores. Somehow it all fit and we were only a few pounds overweight but they let us go without a surcharge. Curt was really stressed about it and I think he still wonders what the heck did I buy. Northwest Airlines had a surprise for us as we were preboarding our flight for Tokyo. I'll tell you about that tomorrow.

Happy New Year Everyone!