Family- any group of persons closely related by blood, as parents,children, uncles, aunts, and cousins: to marry into a sociallyprominent family.
You are told that family is what is important. My question is... What is family? I have had this idea that family doesn't judge. Family sticks with you through thick and thin. Family is the only group of people that you can fully rely on. Blood is thicker than water.
Family does not have to be your closest confidantes. Family can just be that, family. I always make the mistake that my family will be there for me. When times are hard it seems that I am the only one that makes sacrifices. When I try to be vulnerable at all my family is the first to shoot me down.
The conclusion is that family is what you make of it. There is the family that you are born with. And then there is the family that you acquire. I have learned the latter loves me warts and all.
Tuesday, August 2, 2011
Wednesday, March 16, 2011
Worldly Adventures: Beautiful
Worldly Adventures: Beautiful: "So there is nothing really humorous about last night but I just wanted to give you a look at what it means to go out. When you go out ..."
Beautiful
So there is nothing really humorous about last night but I just wanted to give you a look at what it means to go out. When you go out just be expecting anything to happen. Though not everything I experienced last night happens all the time next time it will be something different. :)
I have been a work out fanatic (another post for another time) so to make sure I get my workout it means that sometimes I have to meet James at work to drop the children off so I can continue on to the gym. So after I realized that I stood up my friend I got there in time to work myself into a frenzy. lol Afterward we decided we would go out to a beef and leaf place. This is very popular cuisine in Korea. They bring you marinated meat raw which you then proceed to cook on either a gas, electric, or plain old coal burner. Coal is the connoissuer method. We have been to many different restaurants but there is one that is our favorite... Cow Meggie (this is phonetic as I have yet to be able to read or write hangumal). So after I got nice and sweaty and my face was as red as it could be, we went out.
Now we are already stared at and made to feel uncomfortable on a normal day and let me just say that I was not feeling lovely. :) So we park near the restaurant on a street where a little ajumma comes to meet you and give you a ticket. An ajumma is Korean for old married lady. So pretty much any old woman you see you refer to as an ajumma. :) These ajummas just hang out on this road and run to meet whatever car is parking to make sure you get your ticket. I thought it was pretty funny when we were first confronted with the ajumma parking lady. But now I just wait for her to make it to my car.
We walked the rest of the way to the restaurant and sat down where we were presented with side dishes (what they call all the dishes that go with their meal). There are many types of kimchi: cabbage, grass, onion, garlic, turnips, radish, etc. There is one particular dish at this restaurant that is Jamie's favorite. It has what looks like grass and leaves mixed with a pepper sauce. Jamie says it looks like they went in the backyard and clipped stuff to put in it. So we lovingly refer to it as backyard. lol So jamie's favorite side dish is backyard. I personally like the onions. :)
The thing that makes it really different from the states is that we do not blend in. No matter how much you try to act natural and like nothing is happening I am here to tell you that everyone else notices you and is not shy about talking and pointing, laughing, and waving. We sit at our table trying to enjoy our meal and the whole time we are treated like celebrities. I am telling you people I now know what it is like to be accosted by the paparazzi. Friends if you ever come accross a celebrity take it from me, let them be. They just want to walk, or shop, or eat. lol
After we are done eating we then leave and wait near our car for the ajumma to redeem our ticket. We pay her for parking on her street and go on our way. I decided to go to a coffee house with my friend. The coffee house is called Fontana and the atmosphere is great. Cute little couches with such a great ambience. Now it gets even better from here because the menu is in english. As we know things already read oddly when trying to be translated so I have a good laugh at some of the mistranslations. Here are just a few and see if you can guess what they are supposed to be. :)
Hurb Tea
Propoccino
Shangria
and many more that I wish I could remember. There is one however that I think is a foreign beer and I am not sure if it was mistranslated or just funny because it read funny in english. Hoegaarden. :) hee hee
After we order our drinks we sit and talk where we are trying once again to act normal and not achieving it very well. As people point, laugh, and talk we find ourselves being blinded by a little mirror that the table next to us had set pointing the light directly into our eyes. Go figure. When we leave... same thing. Pointing, laughing, surprise, shock, awe... the list goes on. And this is all a normal night when we go out into ROK.
All of this to show how the Korean people view westerners. Koreans are fascinated with anything western. They love our eyes, our features, and our skin. They say that our eyes have double eyelids. They love them. ROK is second only to the US in plastic surgery. And the surgery that is most often received is the eyes. They have surgery to open their eyes more and to make them look more western. This sentiment of western looks being so beautiful is represented even with the word that means America in Korean. US in Korean is mee guk. I found out recently that mee guk directly translated into English means beautiful country. hmmmmm if that doesn't pull at your heart strings I don't know what does. A country so obsessed with making themselves look different than their genetic make up that the name of a leading western country means beautiful. I never thought much when I saw an Asian person. They were just another human being. But now it means so much more. This is a country that is 99 percent homogenous and they want to look like the beautiful country. It makes me sad because they are beautiful in their own way and should not be looking at others to get their beauty. Why are humans so obsessed with being what they are not? I want to look at the Koreans and yell at them to stop trying so hard and to just be. They are beautiful in their own natural way! But then I am confronted with my own obsession and I ask if I am content with myself.
I look at this culture obsessed with looking like me and my genetic make-up and yet I do not even want to be me most of the time. Such an oxymoron. How do I ask a culture of people to be happy with themselves if I am not happy with myself. I have been reminded of this daily for some time and I think the Lord is definitely doing a work in me as I live in a country obsessed with what I am so discontented... me.
I have been a work out fanatic (another post for another time) so to make sure I get my workout it means that sometimes I have to meet James at work to drop the children off so I can continue on to the gym. So after I realized that I stood up my friend I got there in time to work myself into a frenzy. lol Afterward we decided we would go out to a beef and leaf place. This is very popular cuisine in Korea. They bring you marinated meat raw which you then proceed to cook on either a gas, electric, or plain old coal burner. Coal is the connoissuer method. We have been to many different restaurants but there is one that is our favorite... Cow Meggie (this is phonetic as I have yet to be able to read or write hangumal). So after I got nice and sweaty and my face was as red as it could be, we went out.
Now we are already stared at and made to feel uncomfortable on a normal day and let me just say that I was not feeling lovely. :) So we park near the restaurant on a street where a little ajumma comes to meet you and give you a ticket. An ajumma is Korean for old married lady. So pretty much any old woman you see you refer to as an ajumma. :) These ajummas just hang out on this road and run to meet whatever car is parking to make sure you get your ticket. I thought it was pretty funny when we were first confronted with the ajumma parking lady. But now I just wait for her to make it to my car.
We walked the rest of the way to the restaurant and sat down where we were presented with side dishes (what they call all the dishes that go with their meal). There are many types of kimchi: cabbage, grass, onion, garlic, turnips, radish, etc. There is one particular dish at this restaurant that is Jamie's favorite. It has what looks like grass and leaves mixed with a pepper sauce. Jamie says it looks like they went in the backyard and clipped stuff to put in it. So we lovingly refer to it as backyard. lol So jamie's favorite side dish is backyard. I personally like the onions. :)
The thing that makes it really different from the states is that we do not blend in. No matter how much you try to act natural and like nothing is happening I am here to tell you that everyone else notices you and is not shy about talking and pointing, laughing, and waving. We sit at our table trying to enjoy our meal and the whole time we are treated like celebrities. I am telling you people I now know what it is like to be accosted by the paparazzi. Friends if you ever come accross a celebrity take it from me, let them be. They just want to walk, or shop, or eat. lol
After we are done eating we then leave and wait near our car for the ajumma to redeem our ticket. We pay her for parking on her street and go on our way. I decided to go to a coffee house with my friend. The coffee house is called Fontana and the atmosphere is great. Cute little couches with such a great ambience. Now it gets even better from here because the menu is in english. As we know things already read oddly when trying to be translated so I have a good laugh at some of the mistranslations. Here are just a few and see if you can guess what they are supposed to be. :)
Hurb Tea
Propoccino
Shangria
and many more that I wish I could remember. There is one however that I think is a foreign beer and I am not sure if it was mistranslated or just funny because it read funny in english. Hoegaarden. :) hee hee
After we order our drinks we sit and talk where we are trying once again to act normal and not achieving it very well. As people point, laugh, and talk we find ourselves being blinded by a little mirror that the table next to us had set pointing the light directly into our eyes. Go figure. When we leave... same thing. Pointing, laughing, surprise, shock, awe... the list goes on. And this is all a normal night when we go out into ROK.
All of this to show how the Korean people view westerners. Koreans are fascinated with anything western. They love our eyes, our features, and our skin. They say that our eyes have double eyelids. They love them. ROK is second only to the US in plastic surgery. And the surgery that is most often received is the eyes. They have surgery to open their eyes more and to make them look more western. This sentiment of western looks being so beautiful is represented even with the word that means America in Korean. US in Korean is mee guk. I found out recently that mee guk directly translated into English means beautiful country. hmmmmm if that doesn't pull at your heart strings I don't know what does. A country so obsessed with making themselves look different than their genetic make up that the name of a leading western country means beautiful. I never thought much when I saw an Asian person. They were just another human being. But now it means so much more. This is a country that is 99 percent homogenous and they want to look like the beautiful country. It makes me sad because they are beautiful in their own way and should not be looking at others to get their beauty. Why are humans so obsessed with being what they are not? I want to look at the Koreans and yell at them to stop trying so hard and to just be. They are beautiful in their own natural way! But then I am confronted with my own obsession and I ask if I am content with myself.
I look at this culture obsessed with looking like me and my genetic make-up and yet I do not even want to be me most of the time. Such an oxymoron. How do I ask a culture of people to be happy with themselves if I am not happy with myself. I have been reminded of this daily for some time and I think the Lord is definitely doing a work in me as I live in a country obsessed with what I am so discontented... me.
Sunday, February 27, 2011
Engrish alive and well
So I have been proofreading my blogs lately and realizing that I make way too many typos. And the spelling check changes some that are correct. Dang! So this got me thinking... I have seen way too much bastardization of the English language while living here so periodically I am going to blog about what I hear and see. Some of these things can not be made up. :)
So another Korean lesson. I have found out that Ls, Rs, and Ys are interchangeable. So there is a famous Korean admiral that I learned is Admiral Yi, but he is also referred to as admiral Lee and admiral Rhee. Gets a bit confusing for the average tourist. LOL Another interchangeable sound is the p, b, and v. It makes for interesting conversation. So now that I have prefaced with this I will share with you the top ten that I have heard about or seen.
10. Non-Smoking allowed (on the bottom of a non-smoking sign)
9. Be Smile with how to English (brought to you by a school that teaches English)
8. Don't go back inside (A sign on a lawn at a museum)
7. Protect your skin with ultraviolet rays (a slogan on a sunscreen bottle)
6. Pick up, Cool up, Feel up (slogan on the back of a drink)
5. Poison Bakery (mistranslation of a Korean Name of a bakery near Pusan. It is actually on the sign)
4. Lacquer Poison Chicken broth with Ginseng ( so there is some word in Korean that translates incorrectly a lot. On a menu at a restaurant)
3. Mickey is Independent, A positive thinker and Burn Leader ( On a t-shirt)
2. Sauteed Happy Family (A dish on a menu)
1. Church of Fruits (On an English School Van)
Now for some others that are funny but didn't make the top ten.
Crap Roll
Steamed Snow Crap
(My personal favorite) Spaghetti with swimming Crap (Label on a buffet)
Happy Christmas to you and your lovers (a commercial on a Korean station over the holidays!)
So that is the end of that for now but look back in the future for many more mistranslations of the English Language brought to you by South Korea!
So another Korean lesson. I have found out that Ls, Rs, and Ys are interchangeable. So there is a famous Korean admiral that I learned is Admiral Yi, but he is also referred to as admiral Lee and admiral Rhee. Gets a bit confusing for the average tourist. LOL Another interchangeable sound is the p, b, and v. It makes for interesting conversation. So now that I have prefaced with this I will share with you the top ten that I have heard about or seen.
10. Non-Smoking allowed (on the bottom of a non-smoking sign)
9. Be Smile with how to English (brought to you by a school that teaches English)
8. Don't go back inside (A sign on a lawn at a museum)
7. Protect your skin with ultraviolet rays (a slogan on a sunscreen bottle)
6. Pick up, Cool up, Feel up (slogan on the back of a drink)
5. Poison Bakery (mistranslation of a Korean Name of a bakery near Pusan. It is actually on the sign)
4. Lacquer Poison Chicken broth with Ginseng ( so there is some word in Korean that translates incorrectly a lot. On a menu at a restaurant)
3. Mickey is Independent, A positive thinker and Burn Leader ( On a t-shirt)
2. Sauteed Happy Family (A dish on a menu)
1. Church of Fruits (On an English School Van)
Now for some others that are funny but didn't make the top ten.
Crap Roll
Steamed Snow Crap
(My personal favorite) Spaghetti with swimming Crap (Label on a buffet)
Happy Christmas to you and your lovers (a commercial on a Korean station over the holidays!)
So that is the end of that for now but look back in the future for many more mistranslations of the English Language brought to you by South Korea!
Wednesday, February 23, 2011
Night out in Changwon
So first let me explain a little of where we live. Chinhae is a tiny little city by the ocean (great view). When I say tiny... 300,000 people. So while we tell everyone we live in Chinhae that is only a neighborhood of Changwon. 3 cities united to create a mega city and they were Masan, Chinhae, and Changwon. The name of this mega city is Changwon because Changwon is the larger of the three with around 800,000 and Masan has around 500,000. I know, crazy right. Everyone asks if we like Chinhae because it is a small city. I just respond with, "Have you been to Elizabethtown, KY". :) Since Changwon is the larger it is the to go. There is the City 7 mall and a number of movie theaters that show movies in English. Restaurants are amazing and even the same stores that we have in Chinhae are bigger and better in Changwon. And this is where my story begins.
Once a month the women of the American base go out for a night. It is seriously great fun and a great way to meet people. This happened a while back but I am now finally writing it. I have for years told people that I despise Indian food. The yellow curry is just way too much! I would tell everyone that I hate Indian curry but I love Thai curry. So where do the women of the base want to go for the night out? You guessed it... Indian. I was not thrilled but I wanted to get to know people. So a night at Bombay was on the menu. LOL After Bombay we were to go to a little bar that my sister and I had heard about a lot. I will tell more later in this story. Come to find out that I love Indian food. I have been to this place a number of times to eat. I have even taken Jamie who has claimed that he hates Indian curry as well. Guess what, he likes it as well. :) I guess that we have just always tried the wrong places for Indian. lol And once again I tangent. :) So the thing is if you want amazing Indian food... Come visit me in S. Korea. lol
While in Bombay enjoying some crazy good food a friend and I needed to use the ladies room. So they tell us where it is and we head that way. We are on the third floor and there is one restroom per floor. We get in there to discover there is only one traditional toilet as we know them and the rest are just holes in the floor with guards. Seriously! My friend goes into the stall with the toilet only to discover there is not toilet paper. So I search the other stalls and there is none in any stall of this bathroom. Not sure what to do. We go back to Bombay to request toilet paper only to realize that toilet paper has to be requested from the business you are at. Seriously folks, it is bring your own toilet paper to the toilets here in this next of the woods. I have a friend that says that she does not leave home without a roll in her purse. Good gravy... it is the simple things... like some good old toilet paper. :) So funny thing is while I am waiting for the good toilet (I am not using the hole for I did not sign up for camping lately) a woman enters and in a Irish accent says, "dang, the good toilet is taken". I just stared and nodded for I love accents. This leads me to the bar.
It is called O'Briens. Hopefully by the name you have figured out what kind of bar it is. YES! An Irish pub. So you can come to S. Korea for some great Indian and a great little Irish pub with the best hamburgers I have had outside of the state thus far. Come to find out, Irish pubs are big in Seoul. Just didn't expect S. Korea to be such a culture mecca. When I say that it really isn't but there are more foreigners than I originally expected.
So when visiting... Don't forget the Charmin. It will come in handy. ;)
Once a month the women of the American base go out for a night. It is seriously great fun and a great way to meet people. This happened a while back but I am now finally writing it. I have for years told people that I despise Indian food. The yellow curry is just way too much! I would tell everyone that I hate Indian curry but I love Thai curry. So where do the women of the base want to go for the night out? You guessed it... Indian. I was not thrilled but I wanted to get to know people. So a night at Bombay was on the menu. LOL After Bombay we were to go to a little bar that my sister and I had heard about a lot. I will tell more later in this story. Come to find out that I love Indian food. I have been to this place a number of times to eat. I have even taken Jamie who has claimed that he hates Indian curry as well. Guess what, he likes it as well. :) I guess that we have just always tried the wrong places for Indian. lol And once again I tangent. :) So the thing is if you want amazing Indian food... Come visit me in S. Korea. lol
While in Bombay enjoying some crazy good food a friend and I needed to use the ladies room. So they tell us where it is and we head that way. We are on the third floor and there is one restroom per floor. We get in there to discover there is only one traditional toilet as we know them and the rest are just holes in the floor with guards. Seriously! My friend goes into the stall with the toilet only to discover there is not toilet paper. So I search the other stalls and there is none in any stall of this bathroom. Not sure what to do. We go back to Bombay to request toilet paper only to realize that toilet paper has to be requested from the business you are at. Seriously folks, it is bring your own toilet paper to the toilets here in this next of the woods. I have a friend that says that she does not leave home without a roll in her purse. Good gravy... it is the simple things... like some good old toilet paper. :) So funny thing is while I am waiting for the good toilet (I am not using the hole for I did not sign up for camping lately) a woman enters and in a Irish accent says, "dang, the good toilet is taken". I just stared and nodded for I love accents. This leads me to the bar.
It is called O'Briens. Hopefully by the name you have figured out what kind of bar it is. YES! An Irish pub. So you can come to S. Korea for some great Indian and a great little Irish pub with the best hamburgers I have had outside of the state thus far. Come to find out, Irish pubs are big in Seoul. Just didn't expect S. Korea to be such a culture mecca. When I say that it really isn't but there are more foreigners than I originally expected.
So when visiting... Don't forget the Charmin. It will come in handy. ;)
Thursday, February 17, 2011
Funny and possibly offensive so beware!
So I have not blogged in a while. Who had time when you are crazily trying to set up house in a land that does not speak your language. Which leads me to what I am blogging about.
Language and things that mean nothing to the culture that you are living in but means a lot to you. So I am immature... everyone who knows me knows this. My sense of humor ranges from injuries to passing gas. And some where in the middle is just anything that strikes me funny.
So We move to Korea and Jamie is trying to tell me about everything that is great in Chinhae. Well let's just say a little overwhelmedness came along and I kind of did not hear half of the things said. He happended to mention that there is a new downtown in Chinhae which is the young hang out. So hey, we are young of course we want to hang out. lol Well here is the deal. I am going to teach you a little Han'gumal. An e and an o together make the sound owe. So Seoul is pronounces S"owe"ul. The downtown area of Chinhae is called Seok Dong. Dong in Korean means neighborhood. So for instance Jamie and I live in Jeonchong Dong (another area of Chinhae). Well how this becomes funny is that we found out the hard way that Chinhae is considered down home country bumkins in Korea. We went from Kentucky to Chinhae. Maybe we are country bumkins... no offense to all my lovelies in KY :). Anyway, back to Chinhae, their speak has a major accent to the rest of the country. So Seok Dong is pronounced Suck Dong here. I hope that I do not have to explain why this is funny. But just imagine riding the bus and a gentle womanly voice tells you of what neighbor you are in at every stop. Yes, I am immature but it was stupid funny. So yes folks Jamie and I venture to Suck Dong for fun. *giggling inside* Still funny...
SO this next experience at the language difference needs no lessons or explanations. It will read through very well. In Pusan (about and hour away from us) there is an incredibly beautiful (world known beautiful) beach. And on this beach is an aquarium. Well we received free tickets to the aquarium at the new years party on base so we decided to take the boys. Let me just say it is incredible. I enjoyed every minute of it. The otters were so cute and playful. THe sharks were awe inspiring. The natives taking picture of my children like they were on display was hilarious (yes this does happen, shopping is interesting). And finally we get to the penguin tank. They are just so cute waddling, and diving, and jumping around. We stood there for a long time when my sister had to stretch and looked up to find the name of the tank. We were in disbelief so we checked a number of times. I can tell you all with complete certaintly that the penguin tank at the Pusan Aquarium is called the Jackass Penguin Tank. Honestly I can only tell you this much. The kids loved the sharks... the adults loved the Penguins. :)
And so now I leave you offended but hopefully laughing. I am sure I will run across more of these issues but for now these are the ones that keep me laughing. And anyone who knows me knows I will laugh about something funny for a very long time. :)
Language and things that mean nothing to the culture that you are living in but means a lot to you. So I am immature... everyone who knows me knows this. My sense of humor ranges from injuries to passing gas. And some where in the middle is just anything that strikes me funny.
So We move to Korea and Jamie is trying to tell me about everything that is great in Chinhae. Well let's just say a little overwhelmedness came along and I kind of did not hear half of the things said. He happended to mention that there is a new downtown in Chinhae which is the young hang out. So hey, we are young of course we want to hang out. lol Well here is the deal. I am going to teach you a little Han'gumal. An e and an o together make the sound owe. So Seoul is pronounces S"owe"ul. The downtown area of Chinhae is called Seok Dong. Dong in Korean means neighborhood. So for instance Jamie and I live in Jeonchong Dong (another area of Chinhae). Well how this becomes funny is that we found out the hard way that Chinhae is considered down home country bumkins in Korea. We went from Kentucky to Chinhae. Maybe we are country bumkins... no offense to all my lovelies in KY :). Anyway, back to Chinhae, their speak has a major accent to the rest of the country. So Seok Dong is pronounced Suck Dong here. I hope that I do not have to explain why this is funny. But just imagine riding the bus and a gentle womanly voice tells you of what neighbor you are in at every stop. Yes, I am immature but it was stupid funny. So yes folks Jamie and I venture to Suck Dong for fun. *giggling inside* Still funny...
SO this next experience at the language difference needs no lessons or explanations. It will read through very well. In Pusan (about and hour away from us) there is an incredibly beautiful (world known beautiful) beach. And on this beach is an aquarium. Well we received free tickets to the aquarium at the new years party on base so we decided to take the boys. Let me just say it is incredible. I enjoyed every minute of it. The otters were so cute and playful. THe sharks were awe inspiring. The natives taking picture of my children like they were on display was hilarious (yes this does happen, shopping is interesting). And finally we get to the penguin tank. They are just so cute waddling, and diving, and jumping around. We stood there for a long time when my sister had to stretch and looked up to find the name of the tank. We were in disbelief so we checked a number of times. I can tell you all with complete certaintly that the penguin tank at the Pusan Aquarium is called the Jackass Penguin Tank. Honestly I can only tell you this much. The kids loved the sharks... the adults loved the Penguins. :)
And so now I leave you offended but hopefully laughing. I am sure I will run across more of these issues but for now these are the ones that keep me laughing. And anyone who knows me knows I will laugh about something funny for a very long time. :)
Thursday, January 27, 2011
Getting around
You never know how much you rely on a care until you don't have one. But I must be honest for a moment... the bus system here is incredible. I have never felt like there was nothing that I could not do. And if shopping gets a little out of hand and you don't want to lug everything on a bus there are taxis.
They are so much more affordable than you would think. Or maybe that is because we are so used to them being crazy expensive. Let's put it his way, there is one taxi that is allowed to go on base. It is so nice to be able to call him and he will meet you at the commissary and take you home. I guess this is where I need to further explain that we do not live on base. We live as far away from the base as you can go with still staying in Chinhae. (I know why James got this apartment, but sometimes I wonder if the beautiful ocean view is worth not being in town where all the shopping and everything happens). Anyway, I have digressed, so I continue with the taxis. This guy who meets you on base has been Americanized (how everyone terms it). Koreans do not accept tips, Mr. Park (the one taxi allowed on base) does. The other taxis charge far less for the initial opening of the door price than Mr. Park. And this is the kicker... he drives a normal speed which jacks up you cost. Here red lights are optional. Turn lanes, also optional. Speed limits, Just a waste of material. Why post it... no one follows it. And have I seen a cop, once (I will get to that story later in this post). SO I have come to appreciate the crazy driving for it is great on the wallet. hee hee My sister and i were in a taxi one night and we found ourselves upset because he was keeping a safe distance form the other cars and driving slow (the speed limit). We later laughed at our change of attitude because just 4 weeks ago we were hugging each other in fear for our lives in a taxi.
So this is where I return to the buses. The run like clockwork. There is not a specific time that they will be at a stop but you can look and the list and find how often that bus passes by. For instance, the 302 (som beck ee... alittle Hangul for everyone, and it is phonetic so not sure if I spelled it correctly) runs every 15 - 20 min. The 317 (which comes right to our house) runs every 25 - 30 minutes, which is a bummer if you are in a hurry. Not sure why everyone drives like a bat out of hell here since I have now come to learn there is a such thing as Korean time. I did not coin this term. It was told to me by someone else. If the tell you they will have dinner with you between 2 and 3. Count on 3:30. I tell you this only in telling you that the buses also differ a bit in their times that they state. So rule of thumb is give yourself about an hour to get anywhere on time. But to be able to get to a bus stop and know that the bus will be there any minute is such a safe feeling. The newest technology is the computer screens at the stops. They will let you know how far out the buses are and if one is in range. The routes overlap so much there are often times multiple buses to choose from to take. So say the 305 is closer than the 302. Take the 305... it will get you there as well. :) I know I have mentioned the crazy driving already but it gets worse with the buses.
Fearing for your life is an understatement. The buses are the biggest vehicle on the road. No lie, even the flat bed trucks do not compete. Big rigs, are a thing of the past. It is the bus beast that rules the road. They cut people off, make left hand turns from the right lane (been in that many times), speed, run people onto curbs. I think you get my point. Riding the bus is sometimes a harrowing experience. While Jamie has been here for 4 months already I have the joy of saying that I have only been here a month and already been in a bus accident.
Yes, that is right, my luck is coming through for me even in a strange country where I can't even speak of my horror to anyone. Kanon and I were sitting in the back as we often do and suddenly there was a crash and he was on the floor. I can't make this up people. :) He said nothing about the fact that he found himself squished into the seat in front of him and that he was doing a weird pose on the floor. No, Kanon was so upset that his glove was further away from him on the floor. *sigh* my children never cease to amaze me. lol I was a bit shaken and this leads me to my first police encounter in Chinhae S. Korea. He wanted the passengers to give a statement. Have I mentioned yet that I DO NOT SPEAK HaNGUMAL. (written language is Hangul, spoken language is Hangumal). I just stared at him and he spoke many things rapidly. After I lifted my shoulders in the I don't know fashion about 10 times I think he finally realized that unless he got someone who spoke English he was getting nothing from me. I felt so helpless. But after I recovered I practical ran to Jamie's school when I got to the base to inform him of my adventure. Funny, huh. I was so proud that something happened to me and not to him. hee hee
And accidents don't happen every day, but getting almost left does. When the bus stops you need to run on and get to your seat because they will shut the doors and leave you. And they do not wait for you to get to your seat. It just goes when everyone is on and the doors are shut. So my sister and I have lovingly named the swagger to you seat, while the bus is jerking and swerving, as the Korean shuffle. Jamie informed me that the other morning on his way to school he was trying to make it to his sit with the erratic driving and he tripped on a step which brought him to his knees. Then he got up and realized he dropped his glove. As he bent to pick it up the driver jerked suddenly which brought Jamie to his face instantly. A friend of his that goes to work with him every morning got to see all of this and for that I am incredibly jealous. I could have laughed about that for months. :) For all of you that do not know my sense of humor I can tell you this. People falling is one of my favorites. Not sure why, but it just makes me laugh more than anything. While Jamie's episode is funny almost being separated from your children is not. The kids move a bit slower in the crazy driving and the doors have almost shut on the kids while they were getting off. Kanon now runs and jumps on me. And like a monkey he wraps legs and arms tightly in a death grip. It would be funny except for the complete look of horror on his face. He fears the buses more than I can tell you. lol
All of this just for the buses and I am sure I left something out. I can only tell you this is the beginning of the journey thus far. :)
They are so much more affordable than you would think. Or maybe that is because we are so used to them being crazy expensive. Let's put it his way, there is one taxi that is allowed to go on base. It is so nice to be able to call him and he will meet you at the commissary and take you home. I guess this is where I need to further explain that we do not live on base. We live as far away from the base as you can go with still staying in Chinhae. (I know why James got this apartment, but sometimes I wonder if the beautiful ocean view is worth not being in town where all the shopping and everything happens). Anyway, I have digressed, so I continue with the taxis. This guy who meets you on base has been Americanized (how everyone terms it). Koreans do not accept tips, Mr. Park (the one taxi allowed on base) does. The other taxis charge far less for the initial opening of the door price than Mr. Park. And this is the kicker... he drives a normal speed which jacks up you cost. Here red lights are optional. Turn lanes, also optional. Speed limits, Just a waste of material. Why post it... no one follows it. And have I seen a cop, once (I will get to that story later in this post). SO I have come to appreciate the crazy driving for it is great on the wallet. hee hee My sister and i were in a taxi one night and we found ourselves upset because he was keeping a safe distance form the other cars and driving slow (the speed limit). We later laughed at our change of attitude because just 4 weeks ago we were hugging each other in fear for our lives in a taxi.
So this is where I return to the buses. The run like clockwork. There is not a specific time that they will be at a stop but you can look and the list and find how often that bus passes by. For instance, the 302 (som beck ee... alittle Hangul for everyone, and it is phonetic so not sure if I spelled it correctly) runs every 15 - 20 min. The 317 (which comes right to our house) runs every 25 - 30 minutes, which is a bummer if you are in a hurry. Not sure why everyone drives like a bat out of hell here since I have now come to learn there is a such thing as Korean time. I did not coin this term. It was told to me by someone else. If the tell you they will have dinner with you between 2 and 3. Count on 3:30. I tell you this only in telling you that the buses also differ a bit in their times that they state. So rule of thumb is give yourself about an hour to get anywhere on time. But to be able to get to a bus stop and know that the bus will be there any minute is such a safe feeling. The newest technology is the computer screens at the stops. They will let you know how far out the buses are and if one is in range. The routes overlap so much there are often times multiple buses to choose from to take. So say the 305 is closer than the 302. Take the 305... it will get you there as well. :) I know I have mentioned the crazy driving already but it gets worse with the buses.
Fearing for your life is an understatement. The buses are the biggest vehicle on the road. No lie, even the flat bed trucks do not compete. Big rigs, are a thing of the past. It is the bus beast that rules the road. They cut people off, make left hand turns from the right lane (been in that many times), speed, run people onto curbs. I think you get my point. Riding the bus is sometimes a harrowing experience. While Jamie has been here for 4 months already I have the joy of saying that I have only been here a month and already been in a bus accident.
Yes, that is right, my luck is coming through for me even in a strange country where I can't even speak of my horror to anyone. Kanon and I were sitting in the back as we often do and suddenly there was a crash and he was on the floor. I can't make this up people. :) He said nothing about the fact that he found himself squished into the seat in front of him and that he was doing a weird pose on the floor. No, Kanon was so upset that his glove was further away from him on the floor. *sigh* my children never cease to amaze me. lol I was a bit shaken and this leads me to my first police encounter in Chinhae S. Korea. He wanted the passengers to give a statement. Have I mentioned yet that I DO NOT SPEAK HaNGUMAL. (written language is Hangul, spoken language is Hangumal). I just stared at him and he spoke many things rapidly. After I lifted my shoulders in the I don't know fashion about 10 times I think he finally realized that unless he got someone who spoke English he was getting nothing from me. I felt so helpless. But after I recovered I practical ran to Jamie's school when I got to the base to inform him of my adventure. Funny, huh. I was so proud that something happened to me and not to him. hee hee
And accidents don't happen every day, but getting almost left does. When the bus stops you need to run on and get to your seat because they will shut the doors and leave you. And they do not wait for you to get to your seat. It just goes when everyone is on and the doors are shut. So my sister and I have lovingly named the swagger to you seat, while the bus is jerking and swerving, as the Korean shuffle. Jamie informed me that the other morning on his way to school he was trying to make it to his sit with the erratic driving and he tripped on a step which brought him to his knees. Then he got up and realized he dropped his glove. As he bent to pick it up the driver jerked suddenly which brought Jamie to his face instantly. A friend of his that goes to work with him every morning got to see all of this and for that I am incredibly jealous. I could have laughed about that for months. :) For all of you that do not know my sense of humor I can tell you this. People falling is one of my favorites. Not sure why, but it just makes me laugh more than anything. While Jamie's episode is funny almost being separated from your children is not. The kids move a bit slower in the crazy driving and the doors have almost shut on the kids while they were getting off. Kanon now runs and jumps on me. And like a monkey he wraps legs and arms tightly in a death grip. It would be funny except for the complete look of horror on his face. He fears the buses more than I can tell you. lol
All of this just for the buses and I am sure I left something out. I can only tell you this is the beginning of the journey thus far. :)
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