You Know The Saying...

Grandparent and parents alike joke about walking two miles to school in the snow, barefooted, and uphill both ways... It was always just a saying until I came to Korea. Now by no means do I want anyone to assume that I am complain, anyone that lives in Korea can relate and for those of you in the states, you will hopefully gain a better understanding of our life experiences in Korea. I have always thought about the increased difficulty of the simplest tasks

It is the simple things in life. Prior to Korea I paid all my bills online, knew the places to go to get a manicure or my hair done, took for granted only have to drive a few miles to Saint Barbs, forgot how nice it was to have a Wal-greens down the street, and many more simple tasks that I will go explain.

This all came about today when I was out running errands. We receive our bills in our Korean mailbox (which are the ONLY pieces of mail that we receive there) and I usually wait until we have received both the gas and electric. Then I withdraw the amount in dollars and then take it to a little hole in the wall phone store that has a person that usually has a decent exchange rate to change the dollars into won. Next, I walk across the street to the realtor's office to pay the bill and then walk back to the car to go home. Not the easiest process and luckily the realtor is usually open until 7 PM during the week. Today was an exception since I was off for the holiday. In the process of paying bills, I thought it would be a good idea to go get a manicure and I had heard that Lotte Mart was a good place to go.

I headed down to Lotte Mart and walked into the nail salon only to not be greeted by the two women sitting behind the counter. When I asked if I could get my nails done they booth proceeded to shake their heads at me and look away. Disappointed...I resorted to a Mocha Frappe from Angels In Us and yes, that is that name of a coffee shop here. The only other nail salon that I knew of did not have a parking lot, which is not uncommon around here which makes simple tasks/errands even more difficult because then one must plan their trip and where they will park. My hopes of getting a manicure were crushed by lack of options.

While I was driving between paying bills and Lotte Mart, it was a beautiful day; we almost made it to 50 degrees today! When cruising around it would have been nice to listen to my favorite radio station but NO there is only one American radio station to choose from here which only plays Top 40 pop music, which usually is not too bad, but after a while it gets old.

Now for the corner store such as Wal-greens, we have a little store out in front of our apartment complex which has been a lifesaver for a couple of products. It is where we buy our eggs since we can get thirty eggs for about four dollars, great deal!! Korean milk is just not the same. Robert does not like the smell or taste of it but after being out of milk for a few days it was a last resort since every time I thought about getting milk I had already left post.

Going to Saint Barbs used to be so easy! So easy that I could work a half day at work and still get my hair done and make it there in plenty of time. In Korea, one must drive an hour and a half to get to the ball and that does not include the possibly of being stuck in traffic. Then again, there is a lack of options when it comes to having someone do my hair or my nails, which both I ended up doing myself in order to make life a little easier.

In conclusion, there are many tasks that I do, which were so much easier in the states...oh the good days. Going to dinner, getting the oil changed, or getting my nails done used to be so much easier! I have loved our time in Korea but when the simple tasks cause problems I have to take time to laugh and know that this is not forever and one day it will be easier again. I had to share my thoughts of today with you. I also wanted to add that it was so beautiful today that I was able to take my computer out to our patio, sit, and enjoy the view out of our apartment without freezing. I am looking forward to the massive amounts of snow melting and everything to turn green again. I am sorry but I do not have any pictures to share today just my thoughts and experiences. I hope everyone is doing well!





Here are a few pictures that I found on my camera. Did not realize that Robert snapped a picture of Mia and I while we were sleeping! Typical Saturday or Sunday nap!! Also, our new toy - a bike trainer! We love it! It takes up a little space in our living room but totally worth it!