Family Update - December 2006
As of December 17th all of us have finally arrived in Seoul!
Somehow, Nancy got herself, both kids and 12 large pieces of luggage from Detroit to Seoul and other than being completely exhausted did it without incident and without loosing anything. Those of you with experience with air-travel understand what an accomplishment this is. Many thanks to the grandparents and friends who chipped in to help with closing up the house. We really appreciate everything you did for us.
Since arrival we've been exploring the city together and getting to know our little neighborhood in Hannam-dong. So far the verdict from everyone is very positive.The kids love the apartment although learning to control the noise level has been a challenge at times (like that was never an issue in the US! - Ha!).
Among the activities we have done so far...
- Hiked our wonderful little mountain we live on
- Viewed the Christmas lights downtown
(photos from http://seoul-man.blogspot.com/2006/12/seoul-christmas-lights.html - my tripods not here yet)
- Saw the Nutcracker performed at the Seoul Opera house (wonderful),
- Visited the Seoul Natural History Museum (no English translation for most of the exhibits but it was nice - er, I think),
- shopping Korean style (crowds and haggling)
- and traveling about on the subway.
So far I think everyone is in agreement that we love the subway. No traffic jams, very cheap and very clean. Can be crowded at times but overall very good. Both kids seem to view it like an amusement park ride which is an additional plus I suppose.
Of course, we are all having to get used to being stared at as being among the few westerners around we stand out a bit. The kids get the most attention. Koreans love kids and the red hair makes them stand out just a bit. Of course the hat choice may draw some attention on it's own! Not exactly the stealthy look.
Finally, the day before Nancy and the kids arrived, mother nature paid a little visit to Seoul leaving 4 inches of fresh snow behind. Didn't last long and I was very glad it happened Friday night so I didn't have to try to drive in it but the city looks beautiful in white. I was sorry to see it go.
Of course, Seoul still looks pretty good in it's regular attire. We are fortunate to have this type of sunset to look at most nights here. I think it's not a shabby way to end the night...or this section of my web site.
East Asia
