Chicken Art Museum

Yes, you read that right!  On Friday I visited the Chicken Art Museum of Seoul with my friend, Terri.  Terri has a things for chickens so she invited me to join her for the "tour".  It was a quick 5 minute walk from her house to the museum, and we spent almost as much there when we arrived.  We were greeted by a you Korean women who spoke very good english.  We paid only $3 usd, and made our way inside.  We started upstairs to view Korean chicken art.  This was mostly paintings, pottery, and carvings that usually adorned a burial casket.  On the first floor there was chicken art from around the world.  Ceramics, paintings, table covers, salt & pepper shakers, jewelry and more were all featured here.  While it sounds a little corny, the museum was interesting and has some nice things displayed.  Next time I'll have to remember my camera.    

Well, that's different!

Driving around yesterday I found myself coming up to a construction zone.  No biggie!  We deal with that in the US all the time.  And to have someone flagging traffic to one side, again, no big deal.  But what I did find amusing was the flagger was not a man, but a mannequin.  I did a double-take and couldn't believe it when I saw a plastic person dressed in a construction uniform, complete with reflective vest, and a flag in his outstretched arm.  I wish I had my camera with me, because I would have pulled over just to get a picture.   

Cookable in Korea

I've been trying some new recipes here and the ones that work have since been dubbed "cookable in Korea".  This means that I am able to find the ingredients and have the appliances necessary to make the meal.  One of our new "cookable in Korea" recipes is Hawaiian Chicken and I thought I would share the recipe here since it went over so well with our family.

Hawaiian Chicken

1 pkg Chicken Breast, sliced

1 clove garlic, minced

1 tsp fresh minced ginger

salt and pepper to taste

1 fresh mango, cubed

1 cup fresh pineapple, cubed

2 TBSP Soy Sauce

2 TBSP Brown Sugar

Brown Rice, cooked

Saute chicken, garlic, ginger, salt and pepper in pan until chicken is brown and cooked through.  Remove from pan and keep warm in serving bowl.  Add remaining ingredients to pan and cook over medium heat for about 10 minutes.  Pour sauce over chicken and serve with rice.  Enjoy!!

Jury Duty **UPDATED**

Yep...I got summonsed.  Go figure in all my eligible years, the first time I get chosen for jury duty is when I'm out of the country.  I hope they'll excuse me this one time.  Either that or Genesee County owes me a plane ticket.  

*UPDATE*  I've been excused from jury duty.  Yay!!!!

Seoul Grand Children's Park

Today we took the girls to Grand Children's Park.  Once again we set off not knowing what to expect.  I'd say this was a successful trip that we will take several times.  

We made it to the park at a reasonable hour and were able to find a parking spot.  All of the signs were in Korean so we just followed the others families and strollers through the gates.  We were greeted by a group of elephants in an arena on our left.  We were able to get close enough to touch their trunks.  Really they were just sniffing for food.  It turns out you could buy a bag of a carrots to feed them.  I have a feeling they are well fed elephants.  

Once inside the park we were a little confused on where to go so we just did out own thing.  We wandered across a bride over a huge pond filled with beautiful lilies.  We made our way towards a playground and let the girls run loose for a while.  Then we wandered off toward the zoo.  It was a small area with camels, monkeys, lions, zebras, an elephant and some ostriches.  It may have been small, but the girls were happy.  

After a good wash of the hands, we found a park bench to sit and have our picnic lunch.  We thought we had seen most of the park by then, but we were wrong.  Also inside this huge park, was an amusement park.  We didn't ride any of the 10 or so rides, but it looked fun and we promised Morgan we'd be back.

We made our way back towards the playground area to let the girls cool off in the splash area.  They both enjoyed this little treat.  As did Mom and Dad.  Most, if not all, of the other kids were 

splashing around in their clothes or underwear.  But not our "princess".  Morgan had to wear her swim suite and was the star of the show.  

We left the park having only to pay $5 for parking.  It could have been an expensive trip if we fed the elephants, rode the camels or ponies, or went on the amusement park rides.  But otherwise we were very impressed with this park that included a zoo, splash area and more.  We will definitely be back.  

The joys of Morgan riding the bus

Morgan got off the bus today and as we were walking home in the rain she was singing a little tune.  I couldn't quite catch what she was saying because the rain was pounding pretty hard on our umbrellas.  But then I heard it.  A clever little ditty in that neat little knock people will do...bum bum bum bum bum...bum bum.  And here it is: Some-body fart-ed...its you!  

Yes, yes!  Quit your smiling.  You all know you said it, or something equally amusing, as a kid too.  Which is why I couldn't scold her for it.  It was all I could do to keep my smile and snicker under my umbrella.  Thank heaven she had her own.  I did ask if she heard this new song at school or on the bus.  And, what a surprise, she heard it from the big kids on the bus.  I knew she couldn't possibly have heard it at school considering yesterday she was singing "This is the day the Lord has made."  Its gonna be a fun year!!!  

So you wanna talk about gas prices?!?!?

I know the US is seeing all time highs for gas prices.  Thought you might feel some relief in knowing that we are currently paying a whopping $7.19 per gallon for gas here in Seoul.  

*pics of my new little car coming soon*    

2nd Day of School-Another Success

Morgan was back at school today.  She climbed on the bus like an old pro and was off.  The bus picks her up at 7:19, so its an early day for us in the Faust home.  Morgan is dropped off around 3:42 in the afternoon.  Its a long day, but she is really enjoying it.  Today she was happy to tell me about her music class and teacher, that she didn't eat her grapes because she was full (but didn't have any trouble finding room in her belly for her treat that I packed) and that she bumped her head on her cubby and didn't cry.  I also found out "the girl in the red shirt" that Morgan played with yesterday is named Erin.  Morgan was quick to inform me that Erin is also a girl's name, not just a boy's like Uncle Aaron.  

I had a pretty successful morning myself.  Several of the "bus-stop" moms walk in the morning and today I joined their group.  There were 6 of us today but that number fluctuates each day depending on each of our schedules.  They are a nice group of women, I just need to make a note to stay clear of the PTA ladies.  I don't want to get sucked in just yet.  

The house was really quiet this afternoon with Morgan in school and Molly down for her nap.  I didn't quite know what to do with myself.   Of course that didn't last long.  Before I knew it Molly was up and we were headed out the door to get Morgan.  It may take a few days for us all to get used to this new schedule.  But I think we are all going to be just fine.

Book Worm

Molly LOVES her books!  She can tear the book shelf apart in a matter of seconds in search of the "perfect" book.  Lately she loves the ones with buttons to push and pages with textures to touch.  She's our little book worm!

First Day of School

Our "little girl" is all grown up.  Today was the first day of Jr. Kindergarten for Morgan at Seoul Foreign School.  She woke up bright and early, had a decent breakfast, put on her shiny new uniform and was ready to face her day.  She boarded the bus with the big kids at our bus stop and was off.  I sped ahead of the bus to meet her at school.  She was surprised, but happy, to see me at school.  We walked to her new classroom and she knew right what to do.  Her backpack was hung in her cubby, she found her name tag and was off to play.  But not before Mom took a quick picture of her (long-term sub) teacher, Mrs. Lee.  Morgan's teacher Mrs. Benger is undergoing treatment for cancer and will hopefully be joining the class at the end of October.  

It was a long day, but she made it home safely with a smile on her face.  The highlight of the day was playing on the playground so many times, smearing shaving cream around on a table, and art class.  She also made friends with "the girl in the red shirt".  I think we are going to be just fine.

Morgan's New Class

Morgan starts school tomorrow at the Seoul Foreign School.  It is an international school that follows an American curriculum.  Yesterday they posted the class lists on their website.  We now know Morgan's teacher's name, Mrs. Benger.  We also know that she will, once again, be surrounded by boys.  If you remember in China she was in a class of 10 boys and 4 girls.  Well in her new class there are 12 boys and 5 girls.  It shouldn't be too bad considering she's already used to being outnumbered.  And in China, the girls could hold their own and didn't put up with any of the boy's pranks.  

Expect pics tomorrow.  Our baby is riding the bus for the first time.  Yikes!

Girls' Day Out

The girls and I were itching to get out today after being in the house for the last few days.  We headed to a local shopping center in search of their play area I read about on an expat website.  We found the play area, and although we were a bit disappointed by its size, the girls still had a fun time!  Here are a few pics from today's outing:

Hey Good Lookin...

Whatcha got cookin???

Molly still loves playing with this little kitchen! It keeps her occupied for quite a while.  She likes to pretend like she is shopping or cooking.  You never know what you'll find inside the cabinets and refrigerator.  You'll find anything from plastic food and dishes, to dress up clothes and socks.  That's our Little Chef!!  

Someone's been playing with the buttons....

on Mommy's toilet!!!!  Apparently our toilet comes with the heated seat feature.  When I went in to use the facilities this morning, the seat was warm.  When I looked at the "control panel" there were several lights turned on which had not been just recently.  The thing is, I'm afraid to push the buttons in fear of being squirted, puffed dry and then flushed.  Guess I'll be breaking out the users manual to figure this one out.  In the meantime, I'll have to remember to close the door to any little visitors with curious fingers.  

Here we GROW again!!

Its that time of year again when the little princess in our house morphs into what can only be a teenage boy.  By that I mean, Morgan is eating us out of house and home.  Over the last several days she's been eating non-stop.  It seems like every 30 minutes I hear "Mom, I'm hungry.  Can I have a snack?"  

This from the girl who will usually sit at the table for 20-30 minutes and hardly take 4 bites.  We usually have to force the food into her using the promise of dessert to bribe her to eat.

Proof that she's growing....she's been complaining of her shoes hurting her feet.  You can bet this is one nervous Mom here thinking of the hundreds of dollars of new school uniforms and shoes sitting in her closet.  I can only hope she'll fit into them and stay in them for the next several months. 

Grocery Getter

Grocery shopping is good and bad here in Korea.  Good because the stores seem a lot cleaner than what we experienced before.  Bad because we don't seem to have quite the import selection we are used to from China.  

We have a couple of neighborhood markets that carry a basic selection of produce, meat, dairy, and bread.  They also have some household goods, cereals and snacks.  Perfect for "hey Mark can you grab milk and jelly on the way home from work today?"  For our regular shopping trips we go to E-Mart, Homever, and Costco.  Costco is exactly like what we have in the US.  Except 2 stories.  E-Mart and Homever are like Wal-Mart and Meijer.  They have everything from toys and shoes to milk and bananas.  I prefer Homever's produce and meat departments, but E-mart has the better bakery for bread and bagels.  

When you arrive at these stores parking can be an issue.  Often there is a line of cars waiting to get into the parking lot.  At E-mart the parking garage goes 6 stories under ground.  The store it self goes 6 stories up.  Costco's parking garage is above ground, but the store goes two stories under ground.  Parking is always free if as long as you've made a purchase at that store that same day.  

You may not have to pay for parking, but you do have to pay for your shopping cart.  The carts are all chained together.  You have to put in your W100 coin and then you take your cart.  When you are done with your shopping, you hook the cart back together in the coral and your coin pops back out.  And if you didn't remember to bring your own environmentally friendly, reusable shopping bags, the stores charge you for the plastic variety.  Not really a big deal in our minds since we've been using the reusable bags for a while now.  

We're not starving, but we are still trying to navigate our way through the grocery stores.  We've had to make some menu changes and adapt our favorite recipes to what are able to find in stock.   

Madame President

Introducing your future President of the United States......Molly!!!  

She's got it all...

Organization! Charm! Efficiency! And....a winning Smile!

Keeping Cool

It may not be the Vizcaya pool and club we're used to from China, but it does the trick.  I purchased this small pool to help keep the girls cool from this summer heat.  Molly doesn't like to get in it though.  She puts her feet in the water and starts screaming "cold, cold" (even though I fill it in the morning to let the sun warm it up by afternoon).  However, she does like it when her big sis splashes her on the side.  And yes, those are old fashioned do-it-yourself juice pops.  The girls think they are so fun and Morgan likes to help make them.  

As you can see, Sadie is looking pretty in her new back yard.  She's been going crazy with all of the different smells, sights and sounds.  But she seems to be happy now and is enjoying herself. 

Enjoy the pics!  FYI...you can click on the picture to make it bigger.  

   

We made it....

The girls and I were determined to get out and have some fun today and we found our way to the aquarium.  It was so much fun.  Morgan and Molly both enjoyed seeing the fish and underwater creatures.  The aquarium had a lot to offer.  Shark tank, children's area, art scenes.  One room showed everyday things turned into aquariums.  Which is why you will see fish swimming in a toilet bowl.  But they also had a refrigerator, TV, phone booth and more, all filled with fish.   We'll definitely be back!!  And thank heaven for the GPS, that is now possible. 

Pizza

Molly's new favorite word is pizza.  Probably because we've been frequenting the local Pizza Hut a few times too many lately and she loves the cheesy goodness.  Now any word that remotely sounds like pizza, is pizza.  So I say...let's put on your pj's, and I hear from Molls "pizza, pizza" as she heads for the kitchen.  I say...let's read your teapot book, and Molls chimes in "pizza, pizza".  We need to teach this girl another new word.     

House Pics

As promised here are pictures of our new house:

http://gallery.me.com/x95faust#100039

Noisy Neighbors

We thought that by living on the outskirts of the city and halfway up a mountain would almost be like peaceful country living.  We'll we have some noisy neighbors that I could do without.  I don't know if they are bugs, birds or both, but they make an alarming amount of noise.  No joke.  On one of my first mornings here, I was up early do to jet lag and had stepped outside to check out the morning view and heard this awful noise.  I seriously thought I had tripped the house alarm.  I quickly stepped inside, but soon learned that these noisy neighbors are here to stay.  I wish I could post a sound clip for you to hear just how loud they are.  I'm hoping this is only seasonal and that they will be moving out soon.    

Let the Fur FLy!!!!

With much anticipation and a major migraine, I am happy to report that we are a whole family again.  Sadie is HERE!!!  The whole saga has been one giant nightmare and I will spare you the details.  But she is with us now and is settling in to her new place.  The girls have been giving her extra love.  Even if Molly keeps calling her "Flower" (my parent's dog's name).  She is getting her favorite treat, ice cubes, and extra snuggles from us all.  Its great to be together again!!    

Warning....Detour Ahead

Today we had a disappointing adventure.  Early this morning we decided to take the girls to an Aquarium.  I found the information for it on an expat website and it had great potential.  We punched the address into the GPS system in our car and we were off....so we thought.  As we were driving, we kept getting farther and farther away from the city.  But I wasn't about to question the driver (Mark), or our GPS.  Finally, 45 minutes into the trip we pulled out our paper map of Seoul only to discover that we were nowhere near where we needed to be.  We turned around and headed for home.  We'll have to save that adventure for another day.

Bike Chick

  

Morgan is eager again to try riding her bike with no training wheels.  For the last two days, Mark has been guiding her along ready for her to go off on her own.  It wont be long now and she'll be off on her in no time.  

I know it's hard to see in the pictures, but Morgan has tongue sticking out...a sure sign she's concentrating.  Something she's inherited from her father. ;)       

FYI...the pictures were taken on our street outside the new house.  The picture below shows the gate leading to the front of our house.  More pictures to be posted soon.

What I LOVE about Korea right now...

* Our house.  It is spacious, and seems to fit the needs of our family.  We are all happy that Mark has a designated office now in which he can take his evening phone conferences.  I am also thrilled to have our own furniture here with us.  It really makes this feel like home. (Pictures to be posted soon.)

* Military radio.  It is great to listen to the variety of American music played on the station.  In china we listed to the same cd's over and over.  Even our driver Mr Yu could sing along by the time we left.

* Clean grocery stores.  No need to hose down after a trip to the local grocery.  The stores are bright, clean and well staffed.  The produce is fresh and the rice isn't moving.  

* NO smelly water.  When I run a bath for the girls, the water doesn't stink AND it isn't yellow.

* The architecture.  Its true that Korea may not have the tallest building in the world, or very many sky scrapers at all.  However, the buildings that are here have character and charm.  (Pictures to be posted in the near future.)