Taken from the bus to Andong

So my first week of being in Korea was terrific! I can't believe how nice and kind everyone has been. Roland and I have just really settled in fast. 

It's been super cold, but it doesn't seem to affect local people like it affects us. We are definitely the most bundled up people on the street.

Everyone here thinks that this is a really small town, and Roland and I are still exploring it! 

This is Roland's favorite place to eat. In those steel steamers are the buns he loves!! Seeing that a bun is the  equivalent of $1.00, I approve!

This is the outside, now come on in!!

It's small but, since Roland and I have been traveling for the past 3 years, living out of a suitcase in whichever corner that we could find to stay, the idea of have a place were we are not going to have to move for a year is like a dream come true!

This is the first thing I cooked in our kitchen, it's a mushroom, green onion and cheese omelet. It was super tasty!!

Roland let me pick out the tea spoons. Aren't they cute!

Adorable bunny in a hot chocolate spa! It's the best.

We are really loving Andong, and I feel that being here is definitely a blessing. What a wonderful way to start 2012! We are going to try to do a blog once a week, maybe twice if we aren't super busy. We want to send love and best wishes to all our friends and family! Happy New Year!

I studied pretty hard today. It was a really off day I think, my mind was full of things and I was a bit sad.  Probably just the nerves of starting something new plus the added stress of a new place. I'm sure my lack of good rest is mostly to blame.

The day was bright and sunny, and the sky was blue. It wasn't nearly as cold as it was yesterday.  Roland and I tried to figure out the movie theater, but evidently they don't have fancy things like a timetable for movies.  You're supposed to ask, but seeing that we have no idea how to ask, and if we did the answer would still not be useful.  We are still going to try though!

I am still completely amazed and I feel blessed to be a part of this school. They are good people who really are caring. It's a good feeling. I really like the ownership they try to instill in their teachers. It makes  everything a little better.

The down stairs mini mart heated our spaghetti for us! It wasn't the right taste, but it was still a nice change from ramen. Though this chicken and pig riding a chili restaurant down stairs makes me really curious, but we have no idea how to order. Maybe someday...

Taken in Yokahama cause I forgot my camera today! oops

Today started too early!  Our bed is too hard and I can't seem to get warm or comfortable. Roland is pretty flat, but I have curves everywhere! After waking up several times in a few hours we went to the local hospital for my health check.  You have to have a health check to obtain a alien registration card which allows you to have a health care, cell phone and other useful things. So I was poked and squeezed but it was not as uncomfortable an experience as it was in Japan. After the hospital part of the day was over, Roland and I took a taxi to the school and tried to find our way home. Once that task was accomplished we then sought to find warm food. On the street was a huge cloud of steam, and this meaty, oniony, garlicky good smell. We pointed at the steamer and held up 2 fingers and 2000 Korean won and got 2 good sized steamed dumplings!  They were so hot and delicious. It was a great find. Later Roland brought me another for dinner.

My school is so kind!  Roland doesn't teach but he has a desk next to mine in the teachers room!  They really wanted us to know that we are apart of a caring company that is truly trying to bring the world to the children of Andong.  I can relate to them because I grew up in a small country setting, and I know that  it just takes a person to open your eyes and show you that the world is wide and full of things!

 This is the view of the river in Andong taken from the street next to our Apartment.  It's really lovely here, but I have no idea how to get to work! Roland and I walked all over and never did find it.  I am sure I will figure it out soon.

This building  houses  an E-mart. Roland I made 3 trips to this shop today! It was so difficult! It was crowded and we didn't really understand much of what the store ladies were saying.  We went in for some house making materials, towels, blankets,  kitchen stuff, bathroom stuff, basically we had to buy necessities.  We also bought some food there, but got over whelmed by choice, and confusion and went home.

We have had a bit of tough luck today.  I started to not feel well again, and got a cough. I probably shouldn't have been out in the cold as much as I was. We found our stove is not connected to the gas line, so no cooking. The kettle we bought, has no bottom part to make the water cook, so I need to ask for help from my school to return it.  We have no idea how to work the TV, the US router doesn't work, we bought a Korean one but we can't read the instructions. Finally the floor is either too hot, and the room is warm, or the floor is safe to walk on, but the room is chilly.  I am sure we will work out a bunch of these hic-ups this week.  Well if I can find the school that is.

We are in Korea, and pretty happy.  The bus ride was a long trek, but what I noticed was that it didn't look too different than West Virginia.  When I realized that, I smiled and relaxed.  This is a picture of  Roland on the bus.  It takes 3 hours to get to Seoul by bus, and the station it goes to is crazy!

This video is our apartment, we got here at night with our luggage. The house was mostly empty. We had some flower mugs, yay!  So about an hour after this video our bed arrived and 3 men came in and built it like they train for a NASCAR pit crew or something. It was impressive. We wished them a Merry Christmas and they were off just as fast as hey came in.  Then we went shopping!  We will have a new video of a more moved in apartment soon!

Talk to you soon!!! <3