A Season of FIRSTS...and Some Seconds, Too

This week has been the hardest week for me in Korea so far. I believe it has to do with the fact I was battling a cold, we hosted our biggest group of students thus far, and I was just plain ol' homesick.

But do not be dismayed! This has not prevented any new adventuring, and the week actually rapped out very nicely. I also have a slew of new videos and a couple of still-lifes (I know, who does THAT anymore?) to bring all of you a little closer to me--cause I'm selfish like that.

First things first in the week of firsts, cute little kids! Ok, so this is not the first time I've seen them, but this was my first chance to get video of the wee ones. These kids are part of the One Day Program (ODP). They usually arrive around 10am and wander to the different facilities throughout the day. Unfortunately, we do not get to work with them. It's probably a good thing or I might die of cuteness overload.

Our next first: riding the subway! All of the people who worked in the Special Programs department during the month-long Vacation Intensive Program (VIP) went to dinner together. We rode the free EV Shuttle into Ilsan, then took the subway to WesternDom (pronounced Western dome). Another first involved is you meeting my fabulous co-worker Patricka. Love her!

The next first is getting to see WesternDom itself. They have an IMAX theater there (note: In Korea even going to the cinema your seats are assigned like when going to performance theater--kinda strange, but the theaters are nice!) and lots of shopping and food. We ate at UNO's (for my Western US friends who were clueless like I was, it's a pizzeria that was started in Chicago).

Following that we have the first look at some of my Korean classes. The first group, boys from Buchan Middle School were my "home room" (we basically play games and just try to have fun with the boys, also take them shopping on Market St. and teach them language-centered lessons about going out to public facilities like travel agency, post office, clinic, bank, police station, etc.). The second group, girls from Buchan Middle School were my language/content area students. All of the really language-intensive lessons are in the morning and I was able to work with these girls. Later in the week I was also able to work with them on the M2NE1 (Message to Anyone) project in my content area (which is Arts, Broadcasting, and Communication or ABC).

On Friday I went with Adam's content area to lunch (the video is us proving the true meaning of HOV in Korea). Not far from where we live is a Shabushabu restaurant. Rather than me explain, I recommend you Google what it is, because I'm sure my limited understanding will be too narrow in defining it. Basically we had a huge salad bar that you could take as many trips to as you liked (it even included a chocolate fountain) and the actual shabushabu. It was really good! We'll probably be going back. But next time we'll likely be on foot...

Speaking of food, I had been craving some good American fare and asked Adam when we got paid if we could go back to Johnny Rocket's. So we did! But this time, we went with friends :) So this first is you seeing Brandon's first time to Johnny's and meeting our friend/co-worker Caleb.

While we were at the outlet mall where Johnny's is located we happened to spy a little "mall security." I may or may not have shouted, "PAUL BLART, MALL COP!" as I attempted to get my camera out and film as much as possible. But Dude was fast, so there's not much.

The next series of videos and stills document our FIRST excursion into Seoul! Honestly, we were surprised at how many people cared so much that we hadn't been yet. So Saturday we went (mostly because it involved books and because we are such bookish people we made it a priority).

Our first stop was in the foreign-district of Seoul called Itaewon (ok, so we pronounce it ee-tay-juan but Korean's kind of drop the W and it sounds more like ee-tay-ohn). Lo and behold, our booking at What the Book--

oooh! Doesn't that just look like home?!--(which you can visit here) took long enough that we didn't want to walk far to eat and right there, next door was this...

Real hamburgers TWO days in a row! It was bliss. They also had a special for ice cream. Two cups were 1000won (roughly a buck). So we decided to enjoy some. The taste was a little off (like they used powdered vanilla and the sugar was cooked too long), but it was the best we've had so far! Plus we had really cool utensils to eat with. Check them out!

Our other stop was in an outdoor market called Namdaemun (nom-day-moon). The very first thing we saw when we rounded the corner was Seoul City Tower.

(look mom! Proof that Adam is, in fact, alive and well!...and that I still have sad, ugly hair)

I took this video and Adam snapped these stills walking down our first street in the market (let it be known that we walked at least 6 or 8 different roads and still didn't hit them all, not to mention we skipped all the alley-ways in between).

It was so fun to see, and I even got to do a little bartering (Mama you taught me well and would be so proud!). These are my purchases for the day:

From front left: a clutch or "wristlet"--you can't see the strap because it fell backwards, but it's the cutest little bag for about $15! Sunglasses (these were 10,000won--roughly $10--I bought these after seeing another pair that were going for $135,000). A FABULOUS new purse--it has pockets, pockets, pockets galore (literally 8 zippered pockets and two open spaces). It's when I did the bartering. 

The guy told me, "I give you discount." He punched 120,000 into the calculator and said, "Price, but!" then he erased it and typed in 95,000 and said, "For you." And smiled. I grimaced and said, "I don't know. Let me go ask my husband." He didn't want any of that, so he said, with a very pained expression, "Ok, ok, ok, how much you pay?" Then he handed me the calculator. So I typed in 65,000. You would have thought I hit him with a baseball bat, but he relented in the end! And I also the super great slouchy cap (it totally reminds me of you b and Tia, too!). It's still a little too warm to be sporting the hat just yet, but September is here so the time is short!

The last first, at least for this post, was getting to see a new species of crab. The owners of Tom 'n Tom's Coffee Shop here in the village had them on display. Their daughter caught them at a little inlet not far from here. We asked if they would be kept for pets or if people would eat them. The woman made an awful face and said, "inside" and mimed lots of bugs crawling around.

I don't know if I could eat them either...

So in spite of the week being less than good, I think it turned out pretty alright.

A Video Dump

So basically anytime I see something particularly interesting/unique/funny, etc. I just whip out my handy digital recorder (thanks Mama!) and hit the big red button. True story: I carry it in my pocket in place of a cell phone to remind me to record often.

And so, in no particular order of importance rhyme or reason (nope, they're not even chronological) are little videos of my life in Korea.

Note: I watched all of these prior to uploading which means you're only getting a sampling of the videos because I find myself really annoying as a narrator. You also have my sincerest apologies for the narrating you do get. I mostly do it to help me remember why I was recording and what the subject matter of the recording is...and because I have this disease where I think I'm funny.

Video 1: Jet Air Dryer

In some bathrooms they have regular run-of-the-mill hand dryers. They don't work here at all. It's too humid and the dryers just are not powerful enough. However, at legit places (like the airport, movie theater, and Costco--yes, Costco) they have these super-high-powered air dryers. They're kind of the equivalent of the dryers in car washes, but for your hands. The difference? These work! I can stick my dripping-wet hands in there and they come out desert dry. I am fascinated by them.

Video 2: Filming at EV

It is common for different companies to film different things at EV. This is for a laundry detergent commercial. And yes, those are bubbles. Lots and lots of bubbles :)

Video 3: The Price of Feel-Goodery

There are lots of Western food items in Korea. Some of them have been rather mainstreamed. Most things we recognise from home are actually marketed by a company here by the name of Lotte (low-tay). Like Oreos, Post and Kelloggs cereals, Pringles, etc. However, there are some things that one must pay premium price for. Like this Maple Syrup.

(Update: Last night when we were at Costco I saw a quart of Maple Syrup for $46 and a quart of honey for almost $50. Adam said, "There must not be any bees in Korea.")

Video 4: Photo Op

Tons of tourists come through EV each day, and nearly all of them are snap-happy camera-toters. There is also another, more specific market for taking pictures in the Village. Wedding photos. I've seen several couples in the six-seven weeks I've been here.

Video 5: Primary Children Singing

A woman in our ward turned 70 years old, so the ward planned a surprise potluck for her. As one of the gifts the Primary sang her a birthday song. My heart melts every time at this...

Video 6: The Birthday Party

This was actually a precursor to the previous video. It features the buffet of traditional Korean food and a look at the building where we meet! This is taking place in the chapel/gym/cultural hall/stage on the second floor of the two story (well, three if you count the basement) building.

Video 7: Meister Artwork

In my earlier video about Meister I forgot to include my favorite part--the artwork! I'm pretty sure you cannot see all of the detail, but I love this stuff! I seriously am mesmerized by it every time we go.

Video 8: Green Space

During our first foray into a neighboring town called Ilsan we happened upon a lovely walkway designed as green space in the downtown area. A Korean coworker explained that Ilsan did not develop organically, but was a planned community, and people from Seoul have been moving there because they like it so much. We like it, too.

Video 9: The Not-So-Friendly Neighbors to the North

On a map if you look at Paju City, or read about it's location it appears to be about 45 miles from North Korea. WRONG! We are within swimming distance. Literally. This shows the meager boundary between the North and South.

Why Women Use Going to the Bathroom as a Reward

Several years ago I had the good fortune of hearing a comedienne (yes, that is the legitimate spelling for a woman comedian) Wendi Fox at Snow College. As part of her routine she asked why women use going to the bathroom as a reward. As in, "I'll go as soon as I finish washing these dishes." or "I'll go as soon as I finish changing the laundry and fold the big pile." Until eventually you forget you had to go until hours later when you have to go again and you can't remember if you ever went when you needed to before (admit it, this has happened to you).

But having moved to Korea I think I've figured out the real reason why.

If you live in an arid place, like Utah, you may not fully appreciate this. Likewise, if you have never worn nylons with a skirt and a slip you cannot appreciate this.

I used to think Ohio was  humid. I was wrong. During the 5+ weeks I have been a resident of Korea we have had a grand total of 5 sunny days. Some days it hasn't rained, but it's been overcast. Most every day it rains. Some days it's not legitimate rain, it's more like the sky is sweating on you--like this moist, hot dew that just condenses on your body.

It is under these conditions that I have had to go to the bathroom. 

Remember with me, if you will, those times when you've gone to the swimming pool and no sooner than you have submersed yourself in water you get the "I-gotta-go-NOW" sensation, so you do the bent half-shuffle to the bathroom, avoiding running so as not to attract the attention of the life guards, only to get into a stall where you peel the saturated suit off your wet self. Sitting on the seat you're not sure if everything coming from your person is making it into the bowl because you have, what you hope is just water, coursing down your legs. 

And you can almost forget wiping.

As soon as your soggy fingertips touch the paper it practically melts to your flesh, let alone trying to get enough to the place where it's supposed to perform its purpose. If it does get there the majority of it has flaked off onto your thighs and there's a mass of floating toilet-paper bits in the bowl.

Then comes the most arduous task. Getting the wet swimming suit back on. No matter how much you dance, wiggle, shimmy, jump, twist, shake, tug, pull, jerk, shove, stomp, or squat that sucker is not going on right again.

This happens when a woman wears nylons as well. Getting them on is difficult enough, but as soon as they're partially pulled down for a pit-stop there's no getting them back on right without starting from scratch. Conditions must be just right for a successful nylon application attempt to be succesful. Bathroom stalls are not incubators of good fortune in that department.

You may think I'm wandering, but here comes the point.

Combine all those elements and it's like going to the bathroom in Korea. No. I haven't been swimming. It's just that humid. I've found I avoid going to the bathroom, not because I find going a complete waste of time (which I do), but because I want to avoid the fiasco of getting everything put back together again.

My take is not that I use going to the bathroom as a reward, but as a process of procrastinated punishment and effectual torture.

I'm Famous!...-ish

While our Russian students were here there were a few crews with video equipment going around (on the first day they told us it was Sonja's birthday). Apparently one of the crews was recording for a news group called Arirang. This is an interesting clip about English Village (this one focused all its recording on Gyeonggi, but refers to the English Villages in Korea in general, as there are several) and I happen to be in it (in all my un-make-uped hair air-dried, post-wedding-weight-gain glory!).

I taught all of the Russian, Japanese, and Korean students you see in the video, and I know/have worked with all the teachers.

Hope you enjoy!

The Disquieted Mind

(Otherwise known as the pent-up words and videos of the last few weeks post brought on by a bout of insomnia, joining Pinterest, and reading too much of this blog.)

First, a warning about the blog I've been reading too much of. I recommend everyone read it. It may very well change your life. I believe it has changed mine. That said, it is not (hopefully *yet*) a happily-ever-after story. It is about a family in California whose 7-month-old baby is dying of liver failure. I've read the entire blog over the past two days and I almost feel like I've been reading a heart-tugging fictional story that ends leaving you hanging. 

Except this is real life, and this tiny baby's life is hanging in the balance. I'm tearing up just thinking about it. So, with fair warning, I suggest you read it. Why? To see eternal truths prevail in the face of adversity, to read of a normal family whose lives have been catapulted into the strange because of a one-in-a-million-odd disease who still make (not find!) the time to take their three-year-old out for ice cream, and to have your heart touched forever by Ruby Jane.

It's ok. I don't mind if you link over. This will still be waiting here when you get back.

And now I'll give you some time to compose yourself if you did link over because I'm switching some serious gears (don't worry, I totally lost it while in the computer lab at work today where all the teachers are required to be. Two other teachers checked on me to make sure I was ok because my heart was so touched by this terrible and beautiful tragedy).

Now, back to my continued adventures in Korea!

Hear in the Village there are a couple places we frequent. One much more so than the other. The below videos feature Castel Nuevo (known to the teachers as Pizza Pasta). The woman who runs the store is really nice, and now recognizes Adam as a regular. Plus, the food is really good! If you read Adam's blog you also know that the prices are pretty nice, especially for teachers (who get a discount-woohoo!).

The next is the closest thing to "fast food" we have here. It's called Meister (belying the German roots of the Hamburger). We go here significantly less often.

Next, on to a little something I've been working up the courage to get over, but just can't seem to (kind of like the shower curtain thing). My first experience with a Korean bathroom at the airport was pretty cool. There was this handy button that wrapped plastic around the toilet, making sure it was a sanitary seat at the beginning of each individual. 

Nothing too fancy beyond that. Flush and go (or rather "go" then flush and THEN go...)! The toilet in our apartment was also "normal" by all regards--it even came with an elongated bowl (yes Daddy, I thought of you). It's a little close to the wall (read: my butt is too big for me to sit on it normally, I have to sort of do a 1/4 side saddle, but that's no biggie), but again it's just like at home. 

Then came my first experience with a toilet in the cafeteria. 

Here is where my confidence wavered. I walked into the stall and along the entire left side of the toilet is an electronic panel of buttons (all labeled in Korean). No matter what I tried I couldn't figure out how to flush the thing to save my life (thank goodness I had the sense not to pee in a toilet I couldn't flush!)...so I duck-walked back home. 

The next try was using one of the bathrooms in one of the buildings where we hold class. I was relieved when I saw that their was no fancy panel of buttons (sidenote: I learned those are just "luxury" options and that the lid to the toilet was hiding the standard flushing mechanism common among public toilets). The sign on the door read "Please put toilet paper to garbage, not to toilet." Fair enough, even if it does make the stalls remind me of the smell of our camp trailer after a long weekend on the mountain...

Glad to have conquered the actual toilet part of going to the bathroom I walked out to triumphantly wash my hands only to find there was no soap. Then my observant eyes fell upon a slimy teal-colored mass congealed in what appeared to be a soap dish. I may have audibly whimpered. Don't believe me? Here's proof!

Public bar soap? REALLY? Ick. It still grosses me out. 

Not only that, but after the encounter with the soap (which kind of mushes because of the humidity and constantly being wet from use so it never really feels like it rinses off, and I feel like my hands are coated in other people's germs) I turned to find an air dryer. Pretty sure I thought, You have GOT to be kidding me! After about 3 minutes of vigorous rubbing under the hot air my hands were still wringing wet. So I walked away. Consequently, I've since determined that the Cafeteria bathrooms have the best hand soap (not the mushy green stuff, it's legit Oil of Olay Creme bar) AND they have paper towels.

Amidst all the blog reading, eating, and post-eating functions of the day I have actually been teaching, too (I know, I know, where do I find the time?)! The majority of the Village is occupied with an extended holiday program called VIP (Vacation Intensive Program). Adam and I were temporarily reassigned to "Special Programs" instead of being involved in VIP. 

This means we get to work with International students, teach a different variety of lessons, and we don't have specific content areas (we are science, film, cooking, and language teachers). That said, it's been a lot of fun! For the first week I worked with a program that combined Korean, Japanese, and Russian middle school-aged students. We had heard horror stories about the previous Russian students, so I was a tad trepidatious, but it was no big deal. The Korean and Japanese students were only here for one week, but the Russians stayed for a second week. 

Originally I was not scheduled to be with them, but luck prevailed and I was reassigned to stick with them. They were so much fun! I got to know their personalities and had some good laughs. I was shocked at their eagerness to play Twister during "Action Time" (basically a period where we just play games and let them take a break from English study). This is a series of clips I took while we played a game one night.

Their last day they even prepared a song and gifts for us. I really did almost feel like crying. It was so sad to see them go! But this week it was on to Elementary and Middle School students. 

This group was a lot more diverse from most we teach in One Week Programs (OWP--this school seriously has enough acronyms to rival the Church!). Typically we get groups from entire schools. This week (and next) our students, the majority of them, don't know each other. Their parents all work for Industrial Bank of Korea, and the bank sends the kids here. 

It's fun, but can prove difficult with activities that require groups or for students to put themselves on any kind of perceived limb (like "Dance Party"). This week the kids did great. I was honestly shocked at how quickly they gelled. Hopefully next week goes well, too!

And lastly...I have an overwhelming desire to do some nesting here. We have a whole lot of white walls and it's driving me nuts! Tonight I bought a rug and some vinyl clings. I have some ideas about paint and accent pieces. Pinterest browsing is not helping me narrow down what I want to do.

Oh (I know I said lastly, but I'm allowed to change my mind)--shout out to my middle-aged parents who figured out how to Skype using Daddy's new iPhone4. I *LOVED* seeing them and talking to them. Family really is where it's at.

Drippings

It seems that the drippings of things are where all the really good-tasting, bad-for-you parts reside. And since everything here is dripping these days, I guess it's all pretty much good stuff.

Some videos to illustrate the past few days...

Video 1: The Rain

After a week of dry skies we thought we were clear of the bad weather. Apparently we were sorely mistaken. We were assigned dinner duty the other night (our job to usher the students down to their hotels rather than let them wander the village, as you see two boys doing near the end--so don't mind me yelling at the very end...)

Video 2: MORE RAIN

At first the rain was all pretty and neat. Then it became the bane of our existance. Adam suffered the loss of a third umbrella in so many weeks thanks to the stiff winds that drove the rain in sheets and utterly soaked everything. You know the part of "Forrest Gump" where he says that the rain comes from all directions, even up? That's how I felt yesterday. In spite of a rain jacket and umbrella I was still wet (I'm sure you can imagine that poor Adam was soaked through and through). Here is more footage of the waterfall stairs and pooling of the rain (the area where this was shot is now dried out).

Blessed Assurance

ADVISORY: This post is regarding faith and religion. If it is something you choose not to share, go ahead and scroll to the next post. If you're curious, give it a paragraph or two. But for all of those of you who know me even a little, this is what makes me who I am.

The rendition of "Blessed Assurance" that Gladys Knight did is the one that's rolling through my head. I've always thought that on some inner level I am a soul sister just waiting to get out. And while I can't belt like Gladys can, I can reiterate the words that she sings so well.

Perfect submission, perfect delight,

visions of rapture now burst on my sight;

angels descending bring from above

echoes of mercy, whispers of love.

This is my story, this is my song,

praising my Savior all the day long;

this is my story, this is my song,

praising my Savior all the day long.

After our adventure on Saturday we went back to the church on Sunday. Pretty sure the Adversary was trying to keep us away, as torrential rain unlike what we had seen up to that point suddenly fell from a sky that had been dry for six days. We would not be deterred. It rained so hard it started seeping through our umbrellas. The water splashing up from the ground soaked our legs. But the bus eventually came. And I swear to you as soon as it did the rain began to lessen until, by the time we reached our stop, it had ceased.

It turns out the gate we found is the back one, and we can access the church directly from the roundabout where our bus stops. We tentatively stepped in and were instantly welcomed. A woman, who only told me her English name, Julie, greeted us in remarkable English. She told us each where to go, and interpreted Relief Society for me (which she kept calling Social Society--a truer translation, IMO). At the end I asked where she learned her English, and she told me she learned it from the missionaries.

Sunday School was interpreted for us by an Elder who was just transferred in, Elder Pak Woo Jon. I don't know that I've ever concentrated so hard on anything as I tried to follow our lesson on the importance of Priesthood Authority and discernment between false and true witnesses.

During Sacrament Meeting a young man, his English name is Jeff, translated for us. His father is in the Bishopric, and he spent 10 months as an exchange student at Ohio State. He's currently trying to get in to BYU.

Between each of the meetings, and before and after Church nearly every member of the ward came to introduce themselves or say hello to us. We were something of a spectacle. They were all so polite and welcoming and kind. We received several offers for rides to and from church. Jeff's mother extended an open invitation to her home if we ever wanted to "get away" from the Village. And he offered his assistance when we go to get a phone. So many people, so willing to help. It was overwhelming. 

And the quiet familiarity and presence of the Spirit was remarkable. That in Relief Society they sing an opening hymn and a practice hymn and sisters share in testimony with one another. In Sacrament that the bread and water are blessed and passed by worthy young men wearing white shirts and ties. That youth speakers race through their three minute talks in under one, and that closing Priesthood speakers get to "fill" the remainder of the time. The squirming children who are so captivating and given little "treats" to keep quiet. Even so far away it is so familiar.

It feels so much like home.

I keep getting messages from friends and family saying they are praying for us, that they love and miss us. Those prayers are answered, they are felt, and we are overwhelmed with gratitude and appreciation for the tender mercies of the Lord.

 

An Experiment...

Adam and I decided to venture out on our own today. After two weeks of research we thought we'd finally discover where we were supposed to go to church. The following videos document our adventures today...

Video 1: Johnny Rocket's (a place you can find in the states that has legitimate "American" fare even in Korea)

Video 2: Our attempts to figure out mass transit from Paju to Geumchon

Video 3: After a few streets too far, and turning prematurely Adam spied the spire in the distance.

Video 4: Our new near-by market offers grocery delivery...

I'll work on retro-posting the other videos I have taken thus far (for those of you in the know they are already on my Facebook cause they take about 10 times longer to get them on here).

The Beginning

This first week has been rather intense; a veritable whirlwind of activity. The school runs unlike anything I have ever seen before. There are 4-5 basic "content areas" where we focus on different target language. Rarely does a teacher see the same class multiple times in a day, and unless they are a homeroom group, more than twice during a week.

The students like to laugh at my attempts to speak their names. Needless to say, my Korean is wanting. They are (almost) all in love with a pop artist/group called Beast. I've heard the song "Fiction" many times already. They are also fascinated that I am married, and get really excited when they figure out that Adam is my husband. The other day a class went nuts, then one of the students quickly explained to the other teacher, who is a native Korean, that earlier the class had met Adam and he had said his wife was very beautiful (enter me at the end of the day with only mascara on and my hair attacked by rain and humidity...I think they thought he was lying, but it was still a nice compliment to receive).

They really are typical teenagers: obsessed with celebrity icons and social trends, the girls are boy crazy, and the boys are clueless. Today some girls in one of my classes showed me eye glue. It is applied using a toothpick and glues the lower part of the top lid (where the eyelashes are) to the upper top lid to make the eyes stay open wider. They explained that it is very popular in Korea to want bigger eyes, whiter skin, blonde hair, and noses with shape (not flat). One girl held her arm out and said, "We are yellow." I placed mine next to her's and there wasn't much difference, at least not that I could see.

We also went on a second shopping trip yesterday. The first one took three hours and was completely overwhelming. This time we went to a slightly smaller and and somewhat closer store called E-mart. Rather than sprawling and large, they build up (but they are still not small, mind you). The main floor had electronics, clothing, and some home organizing things, as well as the photo booth. The top floor had a veterinarian and hair salon. The bottom floor had the groceries, toiletries, bath/kitchen, and cleaning supplies. It took us just over an hour and felt much more manageable. We were also excited to see a new, smaller grocery story (one level) opened just down the street called S-mart. Hopefully we'll be able to do most of our shopping there.

The items that most excited me on our recent venture: Shower curtain and rod! In Korean it is common practice to have a "wet bathroom." The shower and tub are open to the rest of the room, and one wears stiff shower slippers in the bathroom to keep from falling. I just couldn't cope, so we westernized and today I was blissfully happy to step out of the shower onto a mostly-dry floor (humidity still makes it damp). A toaster! Now we can do more than eat cold cereal in the mornings :) And...a wireless router! Poor Adam was exhausted last night and I wouldn't let him rest until we had the thing installed. But all the directions are in Korean and we never got it worked out. Perhaps tonight...

I'm still on the hunt for a shoe rack (our carpet in the bedroom is industrial, really-hard-to-clean, felt-like stuff so we take our shoes off at the door), but we'll make do until we get it taken care of. It's beginning to feel more like home, I'm trying to pick up Korean phrases, and I feel a little more comfortable in this very foreign place.

An Introduction

My husband has always wanted to live in an apartment over a shop or store of some kind. Makes sense. We’re people watchers. No, we’re not creepy stalker-types; we’re writers. We just moved into a one bedroom, one-story walk-up. We live above a gift shop. There’s a coffee house two doors down, next to that a little Italian place, across the way a burger café, a little bakery, and not too far down a true English pub. We live on Main Street. Just up from here the bend in the road turns into Market Street. Although I can’t be sure why, as the bend in the road leads to the end of the road, and all the shops are here on Main Street, even the little convenience store.

The door to our building stays open all the time. Except on weekends. Weekends on Main Street is a mad house. But the rest of the time, it just stays open. The door to our apartment is always unlocked. As are all the apartments here in the Village. Seems kind of counter-intuitive with laptops out, all our personal possessions contained in 300 square foot cubes. But when we first arrived the guy who brought us to our apartment simply shrugged and said,

“This is Korea.”