Korea Update

We have survived almost two weeks here!

Our stuff that we had shipped over arrived. We finally have internet in our place, and a working phone. Last night we went and got cell phones. The only thing we are still missing is a car! Our is arriving October 20th, but I am working on buying a used car. It is really hard to find one- they sell almost once they are posted online!

We are adjusting to live in Korea. There are some small but significant differences. First off I finally figured out that we don't have a garbage disposal in our kitchen. It looks like there is one, but I could never find the plug. Finally I asked my friend Trent who taught me how to use the contraption. All the food goes down the drain and catches in this little netted trap. Then you put this lid over the trap and it centrifuges all the food particles down to a dry lump. Then you take the dry lump out to the trash pile. At the trash pile they have these yellow bins that you put all the food stuff in. It is really gross.

They recycle everything here. We have to separate all of our trash. I still haven't quite figured out where to put the dirty diapers? Having to work so hard to throw things away really makes you realize how much trash you create!

The next thing that is really different is the laundry. The property manager assured us that we did have a washer and a dryer, but in the laundry room was only one machine. Turns out that it is both a washer and a dryer. I assumed that once it was done washing a tumble cycle would then start. I was wrong. What happens is it washes the clothes, then heats up like an oven. Then it proceeds to bake your clothes for about three hours. Sometimes they turn out good, sometimes they are still damp. Out on our patio is a clothes rack for hanging the clothes to dry. I am using it quite frequently.

All of the appliances sing- whenever they are done with anything it sings a little song. Jordy really enjoys it!

I start actual work on Tuesday. Kind of scary since I will be all alone for three days because our flight commander is gonna be gone! I guess I will survive (hopefully the patients will too).

On Friday I picked up all my chem warfare stuff. They have two separate bags- training stuff and real world stuff. On Monday I get to go practice wearing everything, gas mask and all. I am sure I will be drenched in sweat by the time we are done!

Since we have been here I haven't been able to work out at all! I am so exhausted from the time change. I am starting to adjust. Jordy has done better than Joe and I. He is adjusted to the time. Hopefully by the end of this week we will be all settled and in a routine. It is hard for me to change my schedule all the time.

Next weekend we are going to take a tour of Seoul with the military tour group. I am looking forward to seeing the big city.