Taking the Long Way Home

On my way back from shopping at Home Plus (Korea's version of Target), I decided to take the long way home through the back streets. It is so different from our neighborhood back in the States.



You also see outdoor video games with children playing them.


I was able to get up close and watch this little guy playing a fighting game. He was really into it.

I think this was his sister. She just kept watching him while twirling her jump rope. It also reminded me that I have yet to see a little girl NOT wearing pink.

Kinda scary but another example of English here in South Korea.

Around My Neighborhood

A view from the center of our apartment building. I was waiting for Curt (hubby) to pick me up for dinner and I looked up to this view. It was just too cool. I was also standing next to a running motorcycles (not a scooter) and it was left unattended the entire five minutes I was waiting. I did think for a moment it would be fun to hop on and take off. Although, I've never been on a motorcycle before but it can't be much harder than a bicycle, right?

A little boy, about 10, came up to me while I was waiting and said, "Hi!" I said, "hi" back and then he just stood there so I added, "How are you?" He shrugged his shoulders and walked off saying, "mol-lah-yo." A Korean phrase I know well which translates to "I don't know. "
I've walked by this building several times and not until Sunday while out on a walk with Curt did I notice the architecture at top.

A closer shot. For a moment, I thought I was in Italy!

Off to Seoul tonight to hang with the girls and work on maedeup.

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.

Trying to Find the Post Office

I set out on a walking excursion to find the post office and a community center which are both within a half mile of our apartment. I found a set of buildings and this sign. I'm sure it identifies what the buildings are but I couldn't read it. So I went into the nearest building and up to the information desk. I heard an orchestra playing in the background and I inquired if this building was the community center. No one spoke English and they tried to give me a program to the concert. I declined, thanked them and headed for the door.

I found a second building that looked (to me) like a community center. I entered and again inquired at the information booth. The young girls here were quit giggly and also spoke no English. They talked among themselves for a time and then a security guard came up and led me to another building. I assumed he had understood me.

We enter the third building which seemed more like an office building and we approached the counter. A group of six girls gathered and the guard was telling them something and they were responding. Finally, a girl from the back of the room came forward and took me to a another counter and gave me a form. I told her I was looking for the community center. She said the guard had told her that I was moving and wanted a form to change my address. She didn't really understand community center so I said that I liked to swim. She understood and pointed me to a fourth building. I thanked her and off I went.

I entered this building and was greeted with that old familiar smell of chlorine. I love that smell! It reminds me of so many fun times. I went up to the information desk and asked if I could get some information. More of the same - big smiles, embarrassment and no English. I said, "So, no one speaks English here?" I got a bunch of smiles in return and took that for a yes. Oh well, off the the post office.

I became lost taking many of the tiny sides streets in my neighborhood and came across this elementary school. I would love to do some volunteering while I am here so I went into the school. I was surprised that none of the doors were locked and were, in fact, propped open. I found the Administration Offices which were also labeled in English and I entered.

Work ceased and I had their full attention. I spoke to a girl about volunteering. She didn't know English and really didn't know what to do about me. Suddenly, an older Korean came over and asked in English if he could help me. I think he could have been the principal. I told him that I would like to volunteer or help in a classroom. He said, "Must be Korean to teach." I said, "I don't want to teach, just help. Volunteer, for free." He said again, "Must be Korean, only Korean." So I said, "So that means I can't help out here at your school?" He said, "Yes." I said thank you and that was that. I'm going to ask our relocation agency about it. I would still like to do it.

I never did find the post office.