Life in the ROK

West goes East: The lives and adventures of a Californian couple living in Seoul

Friday, February 29, 2008


At almost 37 weeks pregnant, I show Jay that I can still do the tree balancing pose before I go to my yoga class.
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Wednesday, February 27, 2008

This last weekend our friends Manisha and David threw us a baby shower to help us prepare for Max's arrival. Here Jay and I pose as we start the food line. David is in the background. Thanks guys for the shower!!!
Next to me is my good friend Manisha, she is watching a pictionary game while I score the A-Z baby word game. Jay came pretty close to winning that one, but his "I" word was Itaewon which is an area in Seoul just outside of the base...not exactly a word having to do with babies, although he did try to claim that a lot of babies have been made in this area.
Delicious chocolate cake with cream cheese frosting:)
Our friend Heather feeding her son Walker some cake. He loved this photo so much that he had me show it to him about 50 times after I took it. Each time he saw it he would open his mouth really wide like he was taking another bite of cake and then say Walker and laugh....pretty cute.
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Tuesday, February 19, 2008

Here's what it takes to ride bikes outside in the Korean winters. First layer-- sexy biker shorts and wool socks.
Here's where the first layer really begins but there are four socks and I thought my mom would be offended by just socks. This is a family blog after all. The second layer is another pair of wool socks, thermafleece leg warmers, UnderArmor cold weather mock turtle neck, polyester gloves and a semi balaclava thing for the head.
Third layer is shoes, lightly buckled to preserve insulating space, Gore Windstopper bib tights, polyester long sleeved jersey, another glove layer, and sunglasses so I look bad like Arnold. Or just bad.
Final layer is polyprene (? wetsuit material) shoe covers, Gore Windstopper jacket, lobster claw third glove layer, and helmet.

Finally ready to ride!

I am so excited for spring.
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On Ganghwa Island we saw this restaurant. This happy little eel seemed so inviting so we stopped for dinner. He was actually about 20 feet tall.
We decided to get the "Two People Eater." But it made us suspect the big happy eel outside. Did he have something else in mind?
Turned out the "Two People Eater" didn't refer to the eel, thank goodness. It really would have been a "Two and a half People Eater" anyway, which wasn't even on the menu. Despite the empty restaurant, it was delicious! Mashissosoyo!
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We drove out to Ganghwa Island on President's Day. Ice fishing is a pretty popular pastime in Korea during the winter. Colleen is now about one month and one week from the delivery date. She did not go ice fishing.
We saw this crazy little house/cafe thing. I don't really know what to say about it.
Then we went to a Buddhist temple that was built in something like 300 AD by one of first monks to bring Buddhism to Korea. We think this is a big prayer wheel.
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Thursday, February 07, 2008


Not even camoflage can hide my ever increasing belly. Here I am at 33 weeks.
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Saturday, February 02, 2008

In December, the day before I left for California, the Officers of the Emergency Department treated the Korean Ambulance Drivers and the Medics to a holiday dinner at the Noryanjin Fish Market.
SGT Harper shows SGT Cuyno how to squeeze orange roughy so it doesn't slip out.
CPT Doug Erdley, Emergency Nurse, digs in to some king crabs.
Skates. These things taste like NH3. Ammonia, for those not chemically inclined.

We packed 30+ inside the restaurant. The left side.
The right side. Three toasts for the Officers, Koreans, and best for last, the Medics.
The overflow.
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Then we went to the Noraebang, aka karaoke. Koreans love noraebangs, which are different from other karaoke because you get a room for yourself and your friends, no strangers. I guess it's easier to let loose with people you know, if ultimately not as safe.
Dr. Jim Hill shows how to do it solo.
Dr. Jim Hill shows how to do it with a group.
Oh oh oh...oh....oh.....oh?
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See what I mean by 'not as safe'?


The biking club in front of Namdaemun Gate in Seoul. It was built in 1395 to protect the city from Korean tigers. There are no more tigers. Now there are only half-suicidal bikers racing buses on Seoul's crazed cityways.
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