Imreadyforchange’s Weblog

So, after almost TWO weeks without internet in our new home, we finally got it installed yesterday. I would say it was worth the wait since we got a sweet deal and also a gift certificate in a large sum that will go towards my husband’s long awaited Wii. I don’t think our lives (or our marriage) will ever be the same We’re so competitive – I think we need to get games that require us to work as a team rather than against each other.

Anyway, I’m glad to be back in the blogging world. I feel like I’ve experienced SO much already and have so much to share. Here’s a few things that constantly remind me I’m not in Canada anymore.

1. U-turns galore – the urban planners for Seoul must have really enjoyed u-turns because they have specific lanes for these things to happen in. As well, there are many times when you are driving that you cannot turn somewhere, so you have to make a u-turn.

2. Running reds – I don’t think I could ever drive here! There is an unspoken rule that if you come up to a red light and see that by running it you won’t be harming yourself or others, then GO! A friend explained it in a way that sort of made sense. It’s almost as though if you stop for the red when you could actually continue driving you could be putting others or yourself in danger by  wasting everyone’s time.

3. Construction – and I thought Montreal was bad! Nope, in Korea, construction happens anywhere and at anytime! They are replacing the sidewalk near our place and they go ALL night. Whether it’s 2:00 PM or 2:00 AM, they are drilling away. At least they are considerate – when they haven’t had the opportunity to put the concrete down, they put blankets down on the sand covered ground so that your feet don’t get dirty. This, in theory, works. However, I have gotten my heels stuck in the fabric more than once and almost fell on my face a few times. How did I get SO graceful?!

4. One size fits all – in smaller clothing stores, they have one size of shirts. Being new in Korea, I wasn’t sure if Iwould fit into that “one size”, so I thought I would try it on.  As I’m removing the shirt from the hanger, the sales lady comes rushing over and starts speaking in a loud voice to me. I have no idea what she’s saying. She then starts to use hand gestures – making a big X with her arms, shaking her head and saying, “No try….no try”. I put two and two together….gotcha…no trying on things. I ended up not buying the shirt from the store.

5. Waiting forever for a taxi – taxis are relatively cheap here. You get in and the meter starts at 1900 won, which in Canadian dollars is about $1.50. So, depending where you are going, sometimes it’s worth it to take a taxi. However, if it is a busy night (like the weekend), it may take FOREVER to try to flag down a taxi. Apparently – though it is illegal – taxi drivers will stop, roll down their window and ask you where you are going. If it is too close to where they are at that moment, they will continue driving. We were downtown one night with another couple and we waited 45 minutes for a taxi! We had about 10 to 15 taxis stop to ask us where we were going and drove off without another word. That night we ended up taking the bus home.

All in all, Korea has been a wonderful and enlightening experience. If it wasn’t for my extremely supportive (and fluent) husband, as well as our many great new friends, it would have been a much rockier start.