Our New Apartment

It was the first one we saw and definitely the best one available. It is a two-story four-bedroom two and a half bath unit with a patio and a bus stop nearby. Only about two kilometers away from post and in an all-American neighborhood community. (Not necessarily, a selling point to us but it will be nice to have neighbors that speak the same language I have to admit!) It is a little like something out of star trek with the security camera at the door and the screen in the living room to view who is at your door a code you punch in to enter the house, a complete alarm system on all windows and doors and the digital refrigerator. In complete contrast there is an old style gas stove (I guess some appliances don’t need to be improved on) and wallpaper everywhere! Some looks nice some is just wow what were they thinking and we aren’t allowed to change anything in the house… Overall, for one point four million won (about one thousand four hundred dollars a month) it's pretty nice. We move in on Tuesday or Wednesday.

Initial Culture Shock
The flight to Japan; thirteen and a half hours
We weren’t sitting together, the kids sat in front of us so they could share snacks and we sat directly behind them. I sat in the middle and Brad was in the aisle seat. But I mostly stayed scrunched up to Brad because the man next to me kept his arm on my side of the armrest. We got lunch, dinner and then lunch again as we passed the international date line, leaping ahead to the next day. I put my arm around brads on his armrest as I watched bones episodes to kill time. The woman sitting directly behind Brad took her shoes off and put her brown and black fuzzy socked feet up on Brad’s armrest. Every time I moved my elbow back, I got toe caressed by twinkle toes. I finally fell asleep, until Mr. elbows to the left rubbed his arm up my side. I sat up leaned forward in my seat and stayed there trying desperately y to keep my composure. I was eventually able to chalk it up to a difference in the need for personal space.
Once at the Japan Narita airport we were stared at a bit but I wasn’t offended (we saw only two other Americans while we were there). I took the kids to the bathroom, the first toilet had buttons all over it, the last toilet had “Japanese style” written on the door, I opened the door and there it was a porcelain-covered hole in the ground with a white hump sticking out of the ground on one end. I stared and contemplated how one would use such a toilet but proceeded to wait in line for the western style pedestal toilet (The Japanese woman were waiting for the western toilet as well). Once at the gate the kids and I immediately fell asleep because the airport had the most beautiful serene environment I have ever seen. The lighting was calming and Japanese music played softly it sounded like brain wave synchronizing bell sounds. Brad woke us up when it was time to board the plane. Brad said he had gone to smoke and when he came back, some man was sitting in the one empty seat between me and one of the kids. Brad said he gave the man a glare and he moved as Brad came back. I was very freaked out by this because one; we were all sleeping so heavily and two there was no shortage of seats at the gate. The airport employees and flight attendants were some of the sweetest people I have ever encountered. They went way beyond what they needed to assure our comfort, they gave the kids toys and drinks and talked so softly to us asking repeatedly if we needed food, or drinks or pillows, or blankets. When we were asleep on the flight from Japan to Korea, they left little notes on our seats saying they would like to serve us food or drinks upon awakening and to please let them know if we needed anything.
We arrived in Seoul after a short flight, exhausted, cranky, hungry and thirsty. Then we got to customs. Brad went through first and had our arrival form. But after he passed through, we were told we all needed to fill one out so I went back with the kids and filled out three more cards. The papers on the plane said we would only need one per family. I fought back tears of exhaustion and the urge to yell at the customs people. I kept messing up on the forms and having to fill out new ones. Finally got through customs and from there were taken very good care of by army personnel.

Journey to Korea day 1

Our journey to Korea started at three am Monday morning; our flight was a six ten flight out of Sky Harbor International. I intended on staying completely calm and positive the entire trip no matter what! I promised myself I would look at it like a vacation and make it fun for everyone. We left in a rush at three forty, ten minutes behind schedule, pulled into the Casa Grande AZ gas station, popped open the gas tank on the rental car and accidently punched in the wrong zip code. I swore as I watched Brad (my husband) having a conversation with a man standing outside of the gas station. Brad walked back over to me and I told him about the zip code. The stubborn machine refused to let me try again it just said “see cashier” Brad told me that the gas station attendant had locked herself into the gas station and called the police because the man outside the gas station was trying to get money for a train ride…
We (very quickly) got back in the car and went onto the next gas station. Now fifteen minutes behind schedule…
Now the kids are fighting and were fighting and bickering. We were supposed to fill the rental car up with gas again before we got to the rental station but we didn’t have time. We ran out of the car rental building and watched as the terminal three bus drove off. Fifteen minutes of impatient waiting and another shuttle picked the four of us up as well as all the many others that had formed in a line behind us. The bus driver grabbed our luggage for us and put it on the bus. Three bags altogether. A big black bag with white string on top, a blue large Wal-Mart rolling bag and Brads Army rucksack. At the airport the shuttle driver immediately took all the luggage out of the bus and by the time we got off (first on last off) three bags sat on the curb, then I noticed that the black bag had a yellow string tied around the handle instead of our white string, and I immediately yelled to Brad who was already arguing with the airport employee about letting us use the luggage cart. Brad ran inside to try to find whoever it was that had taken our bag and I waited again impatiently outside with the kids and the mystery bag. After a really really long time (okay it was only ten minutes but it seemed like more) Brad emerged with a tall man who was very relieved to have his own bag back as well. And boo on the airport employee who still refused to let us use the luggage cart. At this point, I could have cared less I was still just happy that we got our luggage back!
In case you have lost track we are now fifty minutes behind our scheduled arrival time of four thirty. We go through security at five twenty and get to our gate as our plane is boarding. Big sigh.