You don’t even want to know when I first started writing this post. The struggle is so real. We are busy getting ready for our Spring Break trip to the Philippines. After school swim lessons are over for quarter three and middle school volleyball (I was helping coach) just ended, so we have just enough time to try and scrape together some warm weather attire and throw some bargaining chips in a backpack and head south for a week. We are going with two other teachers and taking nine high school students as well as our two kiddos.

We leave on Saturday at 4am and will be in transit for about 15 hours (1.5 hours to the airport, 4.5 hour flight to Manila, 8.5 hour bus ride to Baguio, Philippines), so if you think of us next week, first have a nice long laugh at our expense and then send up a prayer for us. I’m sure this won’t be us at all…

 

Anyways, here are a few more things about this place we call home.

 

Hailing a taxi

So luckily we learned this shortly after arriving, but hailing a taxi in Korea is apparently a bit different. You are supposed to hold your arm horizontal to the ground (palm down) and then pull your fingers back towards you.

We have been told that if you do it palm up, it is offensive, because that is the way you call a dog.

Good to know…

 

iPhones

I’m sure to most of us, a world without total iPhone domination sounds like it may be a sign of the apocalypse, but we live right in the heart of Samsung country. It was totally bizarre to walk into a cellphone store and not see any iPhones or Apple accessories.

Not mention, the nearest Apple store in Japan… (“No, customer service lady, I can’t take it in to my nearest Apple store.”)

 

Car colors

The Koreans share my affinity for neutrals.

 

Concrete walls

I am no engineer so don’t ask me why, but the walls in many buildings here are concrete. As you can imagine that makes hanging anything on the wall a real challenge.

Hellloooo command strips!

 

Non-automatic automatic doors

There may have been a couple instances when we first got here where we stood, waiting awkwardly, for automatic doors to open only for them not to. Many places here have automatic doors, but you have to push button, unlike the motion detector sensors in America.

 

Power Lines

In addition to not being a engineer, I am certainly no electrician, but…
I am just going to have to assume they don’t have the same safety codes as America.

 

At this rate it won’t be long before:

Eating

It seems as though everything here is meant to be shared. Almost everywhere you go you will see people order an entree or two, and then share everything that is ordered. They also eat many foods with knife and fork that you wouldn’t see happen in the states such as tacos, chicken wings, french fries, etc.. Isaac thinks that eating a burger with a knife and fork is a North Korean ploy.

Couple Style

This one still cracks me up. Couples will not just coordinate their outfits, but they will full on match, head to toe. I keep trying to get Isaac to do it but he just won’t go for it. And don’t you say I don’t have awesome photography skills.

This cute couple was heading to Dallas on their honeymoon. I suspect it is only this early in marriage that I may could have gotten Isaac to wear a boat neck shirt. Also, can you think or any better way to kick off a honeymoon than a 14 hours flight sitting next to us? I think not…

That’s it for now folks, time for you to get back to actual work. Have a great week!

 

P.S. In case you had missed this little gift from the internet; you can thank me later.