I had a very busy week last week! On Wednesday my friend Ashley and I went to Osan Airforce Base for the annual air show.

From Adventures in Korea

The static display was very neat! We saw some cool Korean fighter jets and helicopters. We missed the Thunderbirds performance, but we did get to see a really cool mock rescue. They had an American soldier "stranded" in the airfield and they sent in A-10s, helicopters, and a Chinook in to save him. (I put a few pictures up in my photo album)

On Friday night Chris' Battalion Commander hosted a Halloween party. It was quite interesting. Chris thought of a great idea for a costume! French men! I hand drew all the stripes on our shirts...and our mustaches were my work as well. We had a lot of fun. Almost as much fun the ExO...who came in drag...including tights.

From Adventures in Korea

I tried a French accent, but those of you who know me, know that any kind of accent I try to copy ends up sounding Chinese...eh...Ce La Vie.... ;)

Juicy Stuff

No, Chris and I have not started gossiping! ;) We have started enjoying some wonderful juices in Korea! Juice is customarily served after dinner here. We are enjoying juice all the time though!

From Adventures in Korea

Here is a picture of our favorites: Mango, Grapefruit, and White Grape. mmm....

On another note, there are a few pictures from our trip to Seoul last weekend in our Picasa album. I didn't take many pictures because there wasn't much to capture, and I was busy taking it all in anyway! We started by taking the bus from Pyeongtaek (right near post) to Seoul. It was about an hour ride and it only cost 7,000 won! ($6) There is an underground market below the bus station. It was amazing! All kinds of vendors...and hundreds of them. There were clothes booths, where a lot of the stuff was handmade or hand styled--not many brandnames. [[ We bought some beautiful curtains for our bedroom. They are thick and keep out most of the morning sun (since my husband is a cave dweller). I love them. Gold, silver, and chocolate brown with a damask-like design stamped all over. :D ]] There were booths with other household items: lamps, rugs, tables, chests, dishes, etc. On and on and all amazing stuff you cannot find in the States. There was also a section with fresh and artificial flowers. Like I said, I didn't take many pictures, because (a) it wasn't really a tourist spot and (b) I was taking it all in and (c) it took all my strength not to buy everything I saw that I liked and I had no energy left to take pictures.

We walked around a bit more and then headed to the Korail train to go back home. It was a great day and we had a great tour guide! Our friend Shane speaks Korean and knows the country very well. Chris and I are always agreeing how lucky we are to have him to show us around. I joke around and call him the Diplomat, or tell him that he should start charging for these tours.

Today, I took and PASSED my USFK Driver's Test! phew.... Now, I can drive anywhere I want without having to bring my passport and Family Travel Orders.

Wednesday I'm going to Osan Air Base for "Osan Air Power Day"! I am sooooo excited! I think the Thunderbirds will be there! :) I hope to take a few pictures of that for another post soon!

Take care my faithful followers (all 4 of you!)

Love,

Mav

PX:8, Team Fowler:0

Hey there,

I wanted to share the humorous, yet frustrating story of the battle between us and the PX (Post Exchange). Chris and I have been getting the apartment in order trying to make the apartment our home and have gone to the PX several times to get supplies. In short: the PX is kicking our butts. Here is how the fight has gone so far:

Round 1: The "stainless" steel utensils we bought rusted.

Round 2: One broken cake plate in the china we bought. (Couldn't be returned because I already gave the receipt to return the utensils)

Round 3: Mop breaks 15 minutes into cleaning the floors for the whole apartment (luckily I also purchased a huge back up sponge...I'll give myself half a point for that one)

Round 4: The electric drill we bought to hang curtains is just that: the drill, with no drill bits.

Round 5: After buying the drill bits and plugging the drill it sparks, then smokes! (we decided to use a screw driver instead--which Chris got charged twice for! *sucker punch*)

Round 6: Chris plugs a surge protector into the wall and that too sparks, then smokes.

So if you at home are adding it up, its more like PX:7, Team Fowler: .5 but you get the idea...

Luckily, I'm married to the most patient, calm, cool and collected man I have ever met! So, instead of getting angry, we just laugh, shrug our shoulders and move on.... <3

The New Apartment!!

Hey there,

I just got back from our NEW apartment! I had to be there to receive some furniture that we are borrowing from the Army. I took some pictures while I was there. Here is a preview of the awesome space that will soon become our home!

From Adventures in Korea

Click here for Video Tour: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=iriMHuqmoTE

Here is a top 10 list of my favorite parts of the apartment so far:

*please refer to the rest of the pictures in the album for visual*

10. Heated toilet seat: yes, in the master bath, my tush will stay warm on those cold winter nights! It's technically a bidet, but I don't think I will be exploring that feature.

9. Big Screen TV: okay, this is more of a top ten item for Chris, but the TV that came with the apartment is pretty sweet. I found a channel today that plays American shows with subtitles in Korean, so I can watch and listen in English! yippee!

8. Foyer: You can't really tell by the pictures, but the foyer is awesome. Granite floors, and closet space for jackets, etc. In Korea, the custom is to leave your shoes by the door. This area has plenty of room for shoes. It also has great shelf space to display picture frames and other momentos.

7. Couch: Okay, we've all seen a brown leather couch with animal print cushions and secretly, or not so secretly, wanted it for our living room... Well, we didn't have to buy it because it came with the apartment! At first I was thinking Hugh Hefner, but now I'm thinking Pottery Barn with edge!

6. Farmer's Market: Once a week the apartment complex lets vendors set up on the street around the building. They sell everything from vegetables to potted plants to popcorn. I am looking forward to buying fresh produce which we can't find at the commissary on Post.

5. Heated Floors: Koreans heat their houses in the winter through pipes under the floor. I can't wait to experience this because, Chris can tell you, my feet are like ice cubes all year long!

4. Guest Room: Good news for all you world travelers! We have room for company!! The apartment has three rooms, the master, and two others. We are using one for an office (#3) and the other to hopefully house some guests in the next two years!!

3. Office Space: There probably won't be much work getting done in the office, but we are psyched to have borrowed a desk that will soon be home to Chris' iMac! His Macbook is dying (sniff sniff) and I promised him he could buy a new iMac once we were settled. Besides that, it's a win for me too, because I'll sneak on while he's at work! (shhh)

2. Walk-in Closet: Need I say more? (insert "cool shower" as Chris' #2 pick)

1. The View: I can't wait to take more pictures out of the windows of the beautiful view! We are on the 5th floor and so we have a better view than most of the city, country, and mountains!

Stay tuned for an update on our weekend travels. We are headed to Osan Air Base with some friends tomorrow! Chris has off Monday and Tuesday, so were are planning a day trip to Seoul for Monday.

Take care everyone!

-Mav

From Adventures in Korea

I took this pictures while Chris was driving us to dinner a few days ago. I find Korea to have beautiful views. There are mountains, rice paddies, and the city. The little bit of everything! I'm amazed at how much this place reminds me of home on Long Island!

Mmmm...

Here are some pictures from Chusok with Mr. Kim and his family:

Here we have an assortment of delicious traditional Korean dishes. Mr. Kim's wife prepared every dish herself! We ate Bulgogi, Culby, and a few other things that I forget how to pronounce. Everything was amazing! We ate in the living room, sitting legs crossed on the floor. This was comfortable until I got full and started tilting to the side...

From Adventures in Korea

From the Left: Shane, Mr. Kim's son, Mr. Kim, me, Chris

From Adventures in Korea

Our First Korean View

From Adventures in Korea

Right now I am staying with Chris at the BOQ (Bachelor Officers' Quarters) on Post. The fall here in Korea is beautiful! (It reminds me so much of Fall in NY) This is a picture I took the other night when we were walking over to the movies. Behind the sign is the back of the commisary. Past that is the PX and food court. On the far left is the movie theater where Chris and I have been able to catch up on all the latest movies from the states.

Happy Chuseok!

Today is my first blog post. I hope to update frequently of our journeys in South Korea, land of the Morning Calm.

In addition to celebrating the creation of my first blog entry, we are also celebrating Chuseok. Chuseok is the Korean equivalent to the American Thanksgiving. It is a celebration of a good harvest.

Chris and I were invited by his Korean co-worker to celebrate in his home. It is a great honor to be invited, as outsiders, into a Korean home for this kind of celebration. We are looking forward to it!

More entries to come...

Annyonghi gyeseyo,

Mavie