Seoul Lowe's

Caught In Action

2011-09-01T16:28:00.001+09:00

As foreigners in Korea, we get stared at . . . A LOT! It's not just the occasional glance, but standing and full on staring. It used to weird us out. But, now we are pretty much used to it. And then there is the touching. Mostly it is done by the older Korean women known as the "Ahjuma". They love to touch the kids. They touch their hair and their faces mostly. Ethan used to get so mad that he started hitting anyone that got near his face. They really find it fascinating that the kids have different hair and eye color than they do.

Well, I finally caught more than the Ahjuma on camera. One of the requirements of parents at the kids' school is that we serve lunch to the kids in their room. I really enjoy going and sitting with them. They are not used to a foreigner in the room since it is an all Korean private school. So, here I am, sitting at the table with Ethan, eating lunch. This little girl next to Ethan just couldn't stop bothering him. She was snapping his cheek, tapping his shoulder, and patting his head. I watched as he rolled his eyes at her, looked at me and said, "She does this to me all the time." Everyone loves running their hands over Ethan's head, especially since he got his buzz cut. And, here this little girl was doing it in front of me. I whipped out my phone and caught this picture of her. As I did, the little boy sitting on the other side of Ethan got his hand in on the action, too. We finally got a picture of what poor little Ethan goes through on a daily basis.

What's weird about this picture?

2011-06-21T12:52:00.000+09:00

The longer we are in South Korea, the more we take for granted just how safe it is here. Although crime does exist, it doesn't exist, at least not like we are used to. As we were sitting having a quick dinner at a local food court, we again were amazed at the people sitting next to us. It was the perfect picture of what the normal is here. Take a look . . .

This picture was taken about 5 minutes into the people being gone. We are not sure where they went. They certainly were not close by because we looked for them. As you can see, there are 2 backpacks, a large shopping bag and 2 smart phones. If this were to happen in the states, they could expect that none of these items would be there when they returned. It's just amazing. People in this culture are so trusting and know that when they return, all of their things will be just as they left them . . . still there. I love South Korea! By the way they came back about 5 minutes after we took this picture.

Ethan starts Kindy

2011-03-03T17:39:00.000+09:00

We have been leading up to this moment every day since Grace started school at CCA. Ethan threw a tantrum in the hall of the school the first day we dropped Grace off to her new class. He was so upset he couldn't stay and go to school, too. Needless to say, I will remind him of that day when he says he's tired of going to school sometime in his teens. Anyway . . . Every day he would ask where Grace was and if he could go to school. Really. No exaggeration. Finally, we are here. He was so excited when he got up this morning and he couldn't wait to get his new school uniform on. As he was putting his shirt on, he said, "Wow, this is just like Gracie's." He loves his big sister. We headed off to school and, as we were pulling in, he exclaimed, "This is my school, too, now!". I dropped him at his classroom. He didn't care he didn't say "Goodbye". He was ready to get busy in his classroom. I headed upstairs to await the ceremony. As it started, lightbulbs flashing from all the proud parents' picture taking, each of the 4 new kindy classes marched in. Ethan's was the last class. He looked so cute filing in behind all the little Koreans, sticking out like a sore thumb with his blonde hair. It was great. Tomorrow is his first full day. What will I do with my time?

View the video of his class marching in:

http://www.facebook.com/#!/video/video.php?v=1299542146195

Ethan sitting with his class. He is just above the lady's back that is kneeling next to the kids.

Ethan and his teacher.


Ethan super excited about his school uniform

Ethan . . . the Crafter?

2011-01-24T16:07:00.000+09:00

Yes, I continue to post the silly things Ethan does and am actually thankful that Grace is not as much of a curious night owl mess maker. I am beginning to see a pattern to the exploration of his crafty side. It always happens around midnight. Yep, midnight. He definitely has his dad's love of the night hours. Inevitably, you hear some strange noises, smell an odd odor, or actually see him walk by with his "I've haven't done anything you should be checking on" smile plastered all across his cute little face.

On this particular evening, Chris and I were up fielding phone calls, emails, and interviews about the Auburn video he made. It was about 12:30 at night when I began to smell a very strong paint-like odor. It didn't quite make sense because of the late hour and the fact that we weren't doing anything with paint or chemicals. As I exited the office and followed the smell to outside the kids room, I thought, "This isn't going to be good." I opened the door and switched on the light. I found Ethan covered in glitter, lipsticked up with Grace's lip-gloss like a clown in a Ringling Bros performance, and surrounded by all the playdough in their collection. I guess he was making a collage. I don't know. But, as we began to explore and clean up his creative mess, we discovered he also got into Grace's fingernail polish (the culprit of the initial odor that sent us to his room in the first place) and tried to paint his beadspread as well as spread lip gloss all over the underside of the top bunk bed. Yep. That's our boy. Of course, we captured the mess on video. Take a look . . .

If you can't view the video in the blog post, click the link below to view it on facebook:
http://www.facebook.com/video/?encoding#!/video/video.php?v=1273633898505

I Love the Quiet Game

2011-01-17T12:06:00.000+09:00

On a recent day, we had Grace's friend Katherine over to stay the night. After a full night and day of rigorous play, we were going to meet her parents at a cafe to make the hand off. As we were preparing to leave, Ethan was very cranky. A sure sign he is tired and will definitely fall asleep in the car. To make sure this happened, we told the girls that we were going to play the "Quiet" game in the car so Ethan could go to sleep. As we started off, about a minute down the road, Ethan proclaimed he's not tired followed up closely by the sounds of a soft snore. About 5 minutes further down the road, I thought to myself that the girls were doing a fantastic job of playing the "Quiet" game, seeing how these two girls are always talking, laughing, and singing. I turned around and they all were asleep in the back seat. Take a look . . .

Ethan and Evan

2011-01-13T16:12:00.000+09:00

Ethan just celebrated his 4th birthday right before Christmas. We decided to go light this year and just do pizza with some friends. For Ethan, there is only one friend he cared about coming . . . Evan. They are best of friends. Besides their similar names, they are only a couple months apart, have blond hair, dress alike, and talk alike. They are always so excited to see each other. They hug and in their little boy voices, update each other on what they have been playing with since they last saw each other, all under about 1 minute. Here they are, such cuties.

Funny Sights

2011-01-10T16:16:00.000+09:00

As it seems, I have a series going here. We see all kinds of sights that are funny to us. This is just another one . . .

We decided to go on our first trip to one of Korea's popular them parks on a day when it snowed pretty consistently. We were bundled up and had a great time not only with all the attractions, sights, and rides but with the snow as well. As we were walking along, I looked over at a young mother and had to do a double take. She was doing what any good parent would do on a cold, snowy day . . . roasting her child's wet sock under an outdoor heater to get it dry again. She gets the "Parent of the Day" award! Although I think the sock might be well-done by this point.

An Inconvenient Truth

2011-01-07T14:08:00.000+09:00

As parents, there always seems to be those moments that are unavoidable. A snack bag bursts in the back seat of the car. The chocolate milk spills down the front of a brand new white shirt. The inevitable words are heard, "Mommy, I need to go to the bathroom" when there isn't a bathroom for miles. I experienced the last statement recently, but with a twist. We were leaving to go out in the cold weather, all bundled up with layers upon layers under our warm winter jackets when Ethan says he needs to go to the bathroom (and it wasn't the easy one, I might add). I look down and see that the task is not going to be easy . . . try removing 7 layers of clothes. So, I simply helped him get his pants down and set him on the toilet. This was the picture . . . gloves and all. Inconvenient, but true.

A Blessing Song For Kimberly

2011-01-05T13:48:00.000+09:00

Chris' school has a group called the "Kidz Chorale". They sing, do traditional Korean dances and Tae Kwon Do demonstrations. I stepped in to do a bit of their choreography and get them ready for their trip to the states to perform. Just after finishing my last class with them, they all surrounded me in a circle and said they had prepared a gift for me. This is what I captured on video, from my point of view . . .

If you can't view the video, go to the youtube link:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4fIOFTiWvHM

Another New Adventure

2010-12-17T15:24:00.000+09:00

I have started a new blog, in addition to our family blog, about food. I love food and have always thought about being a food critic. As of today, it is official. Hop on over to my new food blog, become a follower, and enjoy our journey "Experiencing Food".

http://experiencingfood.blogspot.com/

Another Thanksgiving In Korea

2010-12-02T14:35:00.002+09:00

Thanksgiving came and went this year, hardly noticed. Since it is, of course, not celebrated in Korea, one easily forgets it is on the calendar. This year it happened just like that. Chris was working at a conference and it was business as usual on the home front. However, it was not until the following Sunday when our church had a Thanksgiving fellowship lunch that we were reminded of how international our community really is. Our church has people from so many nations around the world. So, it was at the end of the food line when the young lady next to me said, "What's that?" She pointed to the pie on the table. My first thought was, "Is she kidding?" But then I remembered that she is from South Africa. This is her first Thanksgiving meal. I simply responded, "Pumpkin Pie. It's delicious!" She said she thought she would pass because it didn't sound good. So funny! Chris had some of his students ask him what one of the items on their plates were when the school served a Thanksgiving lunch. Chris said, "Green beans." It's funny when we look at traditional foods and we find they aren't so traditional for other people.

HAPPY THANKSGIVING!

No More Emailing The Blog

2010-11-18T13:20:00.002+09:00

This is an update for followers that read the blog by receiving it through email. I am not going to be emailing the blog any longer. It seems that Google can not keep the account spam free and I receive some pretty raunchy spam from the blog account. So, if you want to keep following our blog, please sign up to be a follower. This should keep the spam from being sent out. Hope you all continue to watch our adventures!

Is that English?

2010-11-18T13:06:00.004+09:00

One of the pretty funny constants here in South Korea is how bad the English spelling and grammar can really get. We wonder sometimes why more companies don't employ native English speakers to edit anything they distribute containing English anything. I know I have written about this before, but we keep coming upon some pretty funny stuff. Take a look:

We came across this milk carton in an E-Mart, the local retail store kind of like Wal-Mart. It is actually a bank made to look like a milk carton. So, they put all the printing on it like a normal milk carton would have. What is really funny is the recycle insignia on the lower right hand corner.
What should say something like "Throw Away" or "Please Recycle"
actually reads "Throw Up".

While walking around a small village area with lots of restaurants and cafes, we came upon a cafe that is named "Awesome Cafe" but spelled "Asome Cafe". This is pretty usual.

We saved the best for last. I actually considered a blog post just for this. We went into a restroom in a little area. It was very clean and tidy. On the wall was posted a sign that reads "No Smoking Except For Guide Dogs". The "Dogs" had been smeared but that is what it said. I'm not sure any amount of grammar could help as it doesn't make sense to begin with.

Motto31 Official Launch

2010-11-05T12:45:00.002+09:00

Motto31 is a company I created that sells quality fashion accessories at great prices. I am super excited about this company because it also offers a business opportunity to anyone looking to make extra money. The website has just been published so take a look! There is a lot of really awesome information. The address is www.motto31.com. I also just finished up this 2 minute promo video. Check it out! If it won't play, click here: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fvbvwLlIAbI to view on youtube.

For those of you in Arizona, We are also having our very first Fashion Accessory Home Expo on Sunday, November 14th from 2:00pm - 4:00pm. It is being held at Allison Edelmann's house (9231 E. Camino Del Santo, Scottsdale, AZ, 85260 - just off Raintree and the 101). You can call Allison at 612-203-0468 if you need directions. I am very excited as this is going to be quite an event. I really hope that you can go. For thos of you outside AZ, please be praying that it is a total success and momentum takes off from there.

Forward this on to anyone you might think would benefit from the business opportunity.

Videos Fixed

2010-10-28T20:12:00.002+09:00

I know that some people were having trouble playing the videos. Because we live in South Korea, there are issues sometimes. So, our youtube account now says we are in Sweden. You should be able to click on the videos directly and they all will play now. Or, you can go to youtube and search for the video titles. You can also search by my email address: kimberlydlowe@gmail.com. Don't miss out on the Ethan and the toilet plunger video. It is a good one!

Grace's Special Heart For The Homeless

2010-10-23T17:10:00.004+09:00

Once a month, Chris and Grace are involved with the homeless ministry through our church. They head down to one of the major subway stations in the area and hand out things to the homeless men there. They have done this for about a year now and it has become a great time for the two of them to spend some time together and serve. Chris had a school function and was not going to be able to go. So, because Grace wanted to go, I packed up Ethan and headed that way. It was really wonderful to see Grace interact so comfortably in this environment. She and the 2 group leaders were the only ones that had been there before. She grabbed the bags full of things for the men and off she went. They had prepared baggies with toothbrushes and toothpaste, warm hats, and other toiletries that they were handing out. They also picked up Dunkin Doughnuts as a treat for all of them. These men just lit up when they saw Grace. Chris had told me about how happy they are to see her every time they go. But, it was wonderful to see for myself. I would hear this "Gu - lace - uh" from across the station. They would come up and hug her and tell her how happy they were to see her. She would talk to them a bit and just love on them - mind you all of this conversation happening in Korean on both sides. How heart-warming it is to see my daughter with such a heart for - a loving spirit toward these people. We can only imagine what this will turn into as she grows into a beautiful young woman of God. There are a couple of the people that are her special friends . . . her 친구 (cheen-goo “friend” in Korean).

Our new little go getter

2010-10-23T17:08:00.003+09:00

We got a new car. Well, not new. But new for us. We sold our old car to Cameron and Lauren so they would be able to drive around as well as down to see us. Our new car is a compact, SmartCar looking thing. It gets really good gas mileage, we pay half price at the toll booth, taxes are almost nothing, and insurance is ridiculously cheap. Lots of benefits for us. It is a great little car. This is Cameron and Chris goofing around in front of them. The red one is ours. The brown one used to be ours and is now theirs.

Ethan and the plunger

2010-10-23T17:01:00.002+09:00

The kids are in bed. Chris and I decide we are going to watch a movie. We turn on the computer, plug in our headphones, and cuddle into the bed. Fast forward about an hour or so. I hear over the sound in my headphones a weird popping noise. I hear it again. I pull of my headphones and pause the movie. There it is again. What is that? The apartment is pitch black. I stick my head out our door and see the only light on in the whole place is coming from the kids bathroom in the hallway. POP! There it is again. Only, this time it is followed by Ethan’s voice singing. I quickly grabbed my camera knowing this was going to be good. Take a look at the end of Ethan’s little escapade. It was priceless! Sorry, you might have to turn sideways to view.

The Love Cafe

2010-10-23T16:48:00.003+09:00

Chris and I get to occasionally get to go on dates. When we do, we like to wander around and discover new places. We were planning to hit up a bookstore and get a coffee. Chris noticed about the starbucks was a cafe called "Love Story Cafe". We entered and found a pretty interesting atmosphere. Every booth essentially had it's own room. Each room had either french doors or curtains to partition off the area. When the waiter would come to any of the rooms, the knock and announce themselves and wait until you let them know it is OK to come in. Hhhmmm? What do people do in places like this over a cup of coffee? Evidently nothing that us old foggies- married-for-a-decade do. But, Chris did write a little something on the wall with everyone else's professions of love.

Here is a video I snagged at the cafe . . .

Happy Birth Chris!

2010-10-23T16:46:00.002+09:00

Chris celebrated his 35th birthday at the beginning of October. Some of our friends threw a BBQ and made him a cake. Unfortunately, like everything here, the cake was small.

Daddy! Seriously?

2010-10-23T16:44:00.003+09:00

I was doing some work in the office when I heard Grace giggling one of those dad-your-such-a-dork giggles. I knew this was going to be the first of many, so I thought I would take a look. This is what I found . . .

I got a new tattoo for our 10th anniversary

2010-10-23T16:40:00.004+09:00

This June, Chris and I celebrated our 10th wedding anniversary. It is quite a miracle we made it to this small milestone. But we did. So I decided to get a new tattoo.

No, it's not real. My friend Judy painted it during a church event. But, it was the though that counted!

The Joys of Parenting a Boy

2010-10-23T16:36:00.002+09:00

I'm not sure that this picture needs much explanation. It is widely excepted in Korea that when your young child has to go, especially a boy, they can pee wherever. I'm not sure I am ok with this cultural practice. But, it's not about me here is it? I hope he outgrows this soon. Well, I digress . . . most of you know his dad!

It's Shabu Shabu Time!

2010-10-23T16:31:00.005+09:00

Our friend Kelly had her birthday lunch at a Shabu Shabu (pronounced Sha-boo) restaurant. We have been here a year and still not experienced this great food that everyone talked about. Essentially, lots of veggies are dropped in a pot with noodles and left to simmer. Once the broth is hot, you can add meat. It was super yummy! After you are all done and there is only a little soup at the bottom, the waiter makes a porridge for dessert. It was delicious!

Ethan's lost again

2010-10-23T16:26:00.002+09:00

We got to move to a new apartment with Chris' job change. We went from a one-room with loft studio to a 3 bedroom / 2 bath apartment. We love it. What does that have to do with loosing Ethan? Like I said, we loose him often. He is such an explorer and just goes without letting us know or any fear of being by himself. As I was packing up the apartment, I stacked several boxes together that were taped and ready to be used. It got quiet . . . again . . . so again . . . I went looking for Ethan. This time it took a little longer because he was actually trying to hide. I found him slouched down inside a box inside some bigger boxes. He's so clever! Is anyone wondering why there are no pictures of Grace doing crazy things? It's because she doesn't!

Ethan Loves Spicey Food

2010-10-23T16:20:00.002+09:00

What is interesting about Grace and Ethan is how polar opposite they are. I know, they are suppose to be. Ethan says things like "Killed it dead, blood everywhere, no more monster" and Grace says "Mom, don't I look pretty in my beautiful pink dress and matching bow". Same goes for food. Grace cries if she eats anything spicier than ketchup. Although, I will give it to her that she is actually eating her Kimchi at lunch every day. But, it is the watered down version for kids. Ethan loves spicey food. He asks for more. Check out this video of him eating some spicey kimchi soup.

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A Little Peace and Quiet at the Grocery Store

2010-10-23T16:16:00.005+09:00

Often times, Chris will entertain the kids when I go to the store, just to give me a break. This time, Chris took Ethan to the store to give me a rest a home. It's not fair that it was not as rowdy as it usually is that day for him.

I mean, asleep in the cold food section? This is where I'm usually pulling him out of the case and have at least said "No" a million times. Chris even let him take the long red bangy thing that makes lots of noise. Is this payback for something?

The American Dream

2010-10-23T16:11:00.004+09:00

If you read the earlier post about baseball, we have moved on to the American Dream. As I was shopping in E-Mart, kinda like Walmart, I found a Yankee Candle display. It smelled wonderful and really reminded me of home. There is something about scents like that to cover the fishy smell we sniff here often. However, after taking in the wonderful aroma and opening my eyes, I quickly saw the price tag. Needless to say, I always walk through this department at the store since it is exactly where I left the candle. At 123,000 KRW (about $120), it can stay there.

Ethan's In The Closet

2010-10-23T16:07:00.002+09:00

Literally. When it's quiet and I know Ethan is in the house, I go looking for him. As this common occurrence happened again, I began to scour our very small apartment. I began to get worried after the first sweep of our 25 x 75 foot apartment yielded no Ethan. I was standing in the hall and heard a faint clicking sound. I opened the closet door and discovered Ethan sitting in the clothes basket playing with a flashlight. Such a boy.

Grace Driving Already?

2010-10-23T16:05:00.001+09:00

Upon seeing this ride, Grace was so excited and exclaimed, "I get to drive! I get to drive!". Is this a sign of what's to come in about 10 years?

Yeah for McDonalds!

2010-10-23T15:59:00.001+09:00

Yes, there is McDonalds in Korea. However, they are all walk in places. Until now. We actually passed by the first drive thru we have seen since being here. Too bad they don't have chocolate shakes!

Koreans and Cautionary Signs

2010-10-23T15:54:00.002+09:00

This sign was posted at Lotte World as we were getting ready to board the train that loops around the whole complex. Besides the bad English, we especially loved that "drunken guests" were included in the people that needed to be accompanied by an adult.

North Korea Here We Come!

2010-10-23T15:39:00.009+09:00

Well, maybe only as far as the DMZ anyway. We took a tour of the DMZ area. It was extremely interesting and educational. Not only did we learn a lot, but we met some great people on the tour with us from Germany and Finland.

The tourist center at the DMZ

One of the temples near the DMZ

Dad with one of the DMZ guards on the border. He is smiling. Can you tell he is from the South Korea side?

They warned us to stay within the boundaries as there are still live mines in the area.

We are all getting ready to go down into one of the tunnels that were discovered dug by the North Koreans to infiltrate the South.

Cats

2010-10-23T15:35:00.002+09:00

OK . . . Maybe not the theatrical version.

The top one is Pat. He is our cat. He is a fat cat. That is why we call him "Pat the Fat Cat". Kinda sounds like a Dr. Seuss story.

The one on the bottom step is Asian Kitty. He is actually Cameron and Lauren's cat. He comes to visit when they go travel.

One of the many reasons I love my dad . . .

2010-10-23T15:32:00.001+09:00

Dude! Love your Hat!

2010-10-23T15:29:00.002+09:00

We came across these two guys at Lotte World that had American baseball team hats on. Dad had picked up a Korean baseball hat at the game we went to. Makes for a great picture!

Bubbles! Bubbles! Bubbles!

2010-10-23T15:26:00.005+09:00

There was a guy at Lotte World that walked around with a bubble machine. All the kids went crazy chasing the bubbles all over the place.

Especially the big kid on the left!

Lotte World

2010-10-23T15:10:00.016+09:00

Lotte World is one version of Disney Land here in Korea. Part of it is inside and part outside. We took Dad and the kids and had a great time. Lots of things to see, eat and ride.

Grace and Ethan so excited to go in!

Really, who's the kid here?

Lotte World has an indoor ice rink on the first floor.

The hot air balloon ride we were on.

Again, really, who's the kid here?

Spring Cherry Blossoms

2010-10-23T15:07:00.006+09:00

Cherry blossoms are native to Asia and are extremely beautiful when in full bloom. Imagine this all around us in the spring. Simply beautiful.

Poor Tree?

2010-10-23T15:04:00.002+09:00

As we were picking up the kids from school one day, I happen to notice something attached to a tree as we were passing by. I would like to know what the thoughts were when this was put up . . .

Grace Turns 7

2010-10-23T15:00:00.004+09:00

Grace turned the big 7 in May. She is getting so big! We had a birthday party while Dad was in town. It was a great time!

Take Me Out To The Ball Game

2010-10-23T14:33:00.014+09:00

Koreans love America. I mean, why shouldn't they? The American dream, apple pie, and baseball. So, let's start with baseball. A professional game here is not like a professional game in the states. Let's first start with the food. Leave the cotton candy, hot dogs, peanuts, pretzels, burgers, and popcorn behind. That's right. Bring on the dried squid on a stick, kimbap, and seaweed. Don't forget the noodles and beer. The good thing is that you can buy all of this stuff and take it into the stadium with you, including beer & Soju. No hiking up the price and gouging you inside. Note . . . this is why I started with "Baseball" and not "The American Dream".

Once inside and the game is on, the atmosphere is more like a college football game. They have a team band for each side and cheerleaders. All the fans know all the words to all the chants and rev-em-up songs. And, there is no shame in grown men standing up and singing as loud as they can. We absolutely loved it! Now, we just need to get a cotton candy maker so we can take our own!

English not so great

2010-10-23T14:27:00.004+09:00

There are several funny things about Korea that are always noticeable. One of them is the very poor English spelling and grammar all around. Even though English is up and coming and more people are beginning to learn, it still is very "up and coming". There are always very funny misquotes and spelling errors. It is almost as if they tapped it into Google Translate and whatever it came up with, they printed. Here are some T-shirts we found. Very high fashion.

Seoul Tower

2010-10-23T14:00:00.008+09:00

Seoul Tower is one of those landmarks in the middle of Seoul like the Seattle space needle. It sits on top of a mountain and has magnificent views. Koreans love to hike from the bottom to the tower with frequent Soju breaks along the way. We, as tourists, took the bus up and skipped the Soju. However, we had a great Korean dinner and loved the night lights.

Noriyangjin Fish Market

2010-10-23T13:38:00.007+09:00

The Noriyangjin Fish Market in Seoul is one of the largest in the world. We took a trip there when dad was here and had a great time. It was stalls and stalls of every kind of fish and ocean dwelling animal you can imagine and some you can't. It is not a highly touristy area so we got a lot of attention from all of the vendors, especially the kids. One of the highlights was turning the corner of a long row to find two fish mongers that evidently had gotten hungry and just cut open one of their fish to eat. They filleted it right there, dipped it in some sauce, and started eating. The funny part is that they offered us to join in. This is what we love about the Korean culture. They are very friendly and inviting. Well, they don't really "invite" you really. It's more like they pull up a stool and force you to sit. They also feed you. It is very impolite to say "No". So, there's dad being hand fed freshly cut raw fish dipped in some crazy Korean sauce and laughing at the predicament he is in. It is quickly followed by rice wine. It is definitely an acquired taste . . . something along the lines of mushroom juice. Dad takes it and drinks. This is one of the moments I never knew I would see my dad taking part in. It was awesome.

A tradition at the fish market is that you pick out something fresh from one of the vendors and take it to one of the restaurants to cook it up. We did this. Talk about knee deep in the culture! We found ourselves in some back alley hole in the wall restaurant surrounded by loud, happy Koreans eating their freshly prepared fish dishes and drinking lots of Soju (Korean vodka like liquid). They put this steaming pot on our table full of veggies and spices and stock and add our fish. It was so spicey. We hardly ate all of it. But it was a memorable experience!

Update

2010-10-23T13:35:00.002+09:00

OK . . . it has been a long time since I posted anything. There has been a serious back up of things to share. I'm sorry to say that means a serious flood of postings heading your way. So sit back and enjoy the funny stories, great pics and updates about everything.

PS - I hope you don't get spammed. Please report it if you do!

Dad Bowman Visits Seoul

2010-04-11T20:42:00.004+09:00

Well, we have our first family visit. My dad arrived on Tuesday and we are showing him around. We have been doing lots of fun things and he has been experiencing lots of new things. This afternoon, we did an early Korean BBQ dinner and Noribang (Korean Karaoke). Dad has been having a great time. Check out the pics . . .

This is Dad's first Korean BBQ. It was yummy!

This is Dad singing "Kokomo" by The Beach Boys

Arizona sounds better by the minute

2010-03-22T22:28:00.003+09:00

OK . . . it's March 22nd and you would think we would be through with the snow by now. But, no. We're not. It snowed AGAIN today. We have had some spring weather followed by a snowfall several times in the past month. And the cycle didn't quit today. It was snowing so hard we couldn't see down the block. We are thinking about those winter free years spent in AZ and wishing to see that here. We miss the sunny days and warm weather.

Grace Picks The First Strawberry

2010-03-11T20:29:00.002+09:00

We finally decided it was time. It looked ripe all over. We thought it would be fitting for our little "Strawberry Head" to do the honors. Take a look . . .

We cut the strawberry into 3 pieces so we could all try it. Take a look at Grace and what she thinks . . .

Our Garden

2010-03-11T20:20:00.006+09:00

Well, this is our garden. It's not much. But, the kids have had fun watching it grow. Jeannine, Chris' mom, sent us a packet of Dill seeds. I had asked her to send Dill from the store because they don't know what Dill is here. We can't find it anywhere. So, she did. But she also sent along some seeds to plant our own. So we did. And to the right is what it now looks like. We are waiting for it to bloom so we can collect more seeds. I bet it will be really good over our salmon!

As you can see, it sets in our window.

This is our strawberry plant that we bought. It is only one plant. And, so far, only one strawberry. But I'm sure it will turn into more once it really begins to kick into gear.

It has been hard to keep Ethan from picking it.

Blizzard In Seoul

2010-01-04T18:04:00.011+09:00

We've got snow!!! We have had a little dusting over the past month but nothing like last night and today. They don't know what a snowplow is so the roads stay pretty full. We watched as traffic came to a standstill from our window. People got stuck all over the place along with a few fender benders. So, I took the camera along as I picked up the kids and these are some of the fun pictures I took. We hope it's warmer where ever you are!

This is a picture of our building.

This is a picture of the streets taken from our car.

This is Grace and Ethan trying out the snow for the first time

What's funny about this picture is all the people in the window watching the kids play in the snow.

You can see the people in the window here, too

Grace's first snow angel

Grace's first lesson in gravity. What goes up must come down . . . including snow

Ethan after Grace hit him with a snowball.

Ethan's first real playtime in snow

Grace picking up some snow

Me crossing the street - Chris' school is in the 2nd floor right above the "Paris Baguette". Not a snowplow in sight.

2009-12-07T14:54:00.002+09:00

OK, so it's called "BBQ", but it is not BBQ like we know it. We would usually think of something like a Memphis style sauce that goes over the meat. Not here. "BBQ" here refers to you cooking your own food over a fryer or hot coal pit on or in your table. They serve all these side dishes (as they do with everything here) like kimchi (fermented cabbage in a lot of hot spices), different types of lettuce leaves to wrap your meat in after it's cooked, cabbage, poached eggs with green onions in a boiling pot, tofu soup, sliced radish in wasabi sauce, pickled garlic, boiled rice blocks, and all kinds of sauces to dip your meat in. You can pick between several different cuts of pork and beef. You just throw it on the grill and let it cook. It is very good! Here is a video of our outing last night.

Nori Bang

2009-12-07T11:20:00.002+09:00

A "Nori Bang" is a traditional karaoke joint well known here in Korea. They are actually pretty cool. You go and and you get your own private room, sometimes with a couch and tables and chairs. Everyone settles in for a fun night of singing talent - or not - but definitely fun! A friend of ours took us out on Saturday night to one in the building right next to where we live. We took the kids and they had a ball. We all got a chance to stretch our vocal chords. It was a bunch of fun. Ethan even got involved with his rendition of "Everybody Dance Now". I think he got his dad's entertainer bone.

Blog Update

2009-12-03T15:51:00.002+09:00

Hello Everyone! I thought I would drop a quick note to update you on an email issue. Through our blog, every time we enter something new, it automatically emails people in our contact list. One of our friends (Thanks Scott!) let us know that every time someone replied to our blog, everyone was getting the response. I have now gone in and fixed that so everyone won't get all the responses. When you write back, it now only come to us. You can also respond by going directly to the blog and posting a comment. In your email, below the post, there is a line that says something like "Posted By Seoul Lowe's to Seoul Lowe's" - "Seoul Lowe's" is in a different color and underlined. It is a link to the blog. You can click there to go see the whole blog (which also has a link to our online picture album you can view). If anyone that is receiving our blog posts does not wish to receive our blog posts every time we post, but would rather go directly to the blog to read updates, let me know and I can take you off our contact list. Thanks for all the great responses! The blog is turning out to be a great way to stay in touch! Kimberly

Ethan's not used to the cold yet

2009-12-01T09:56:00.002+09:00

We can definitely tell Ethan was born in a desert climate. Every morning, we hear an "I'm cold" coming from the loft. Throughout the day, he often mutters "I'm cold". When we are inside or outside, he sometimes shivers and says, "I'm cold". Do you see the theme here? Well, this morning, I actually had the camera sitting right next to me as he commenced his morning ritual. He turns on the heater, scoots a pillow in front of it and plops right down. I think it takes him back to his desert climate.

It's beginning to look a lot like Christmas . . .

2009-12-01T09:37:00.003+09:00

Here we are kicking off the holiday season in a new land. Although it is celebrated, it already is nothing like the states. There aren't any huge shopping sales. No mad dashes to the store the day after Thanksgiving. And, although they have Christmas decorations, the stores devote about 10 square feet to the sale of all things that make it look like Christmas. So, we went on a hunt to find a tree and trimmings. What we found is, if we wanted to spend Chris' entire monthly paycheck on making it look festive, we could. Trees and decorations are expensive. That meant we had to get creative. We headed off to the craft store and bought some green construction paper. Then, we came across some bulbs and lights pretty cheap at the 1,000 won store (Korea's version of the Dollar Store). We spent the day cutting and punching and taping and VIOLA, a tree. I will say, it turned out pretty good. Grace loves doing crafts so this was right up her alley.

Thanksgiving Korean Style

2009-11-29T15:50:00.006+09:00

Well, this past week was Thanksgiving. Of course, they don't celebrate it here. However, our new friends we met down the hall were throwing a Thanksgiving Party. By the way, Kim and Todd are from Kansas City. They have a son that is 10 and a daughter that is 6. They literally live on our floor right down the hall. Grace and Lea have been playing together. They introduced us to their church. It has been great getting to know them. Anyway, they invited a bunch of people to their place for this meal. Keep in mind, the apartments are about as big as storage units. We packed probably a little over 30 people into essentially two rooms. We stood where we could and ate very carefully. Everyone pitched in and brought a dish. Everything but turkey that is. I don't think they know what a turkey is here. So, we had the traditional thanksgiving chicken. It was all wonderful. Check out how cramped it was. The first picture was me with my back to the wall facing everyone in front of me eating. The second picture is when I turned to my right. The last picture is of Kim, the host. She is the best! It was great. Great company, great food, great hosts! Happy Thanksgiving!

Traffic! Traffic! Traffic!

2009-11-29T15:37:00.003+09:00

Yes, we know there are a lot of people in Seoul. A lot of them use the public transportation system to get around. The subway is super easy to use. However, because there are so many stops, getting anywhere takes twice the time. None the less, it is convenient. Then there is the bus system. Buses have their own lanes so they avoid the traffic. So, it does take a lot less time. However, the bus schedules are all in Korean. And, if you don't know where you are going, you don't know when to get off. Of course there are taxis. Most know a little bit of English. They aren't too expensive. But, not cheap either. And then there are cars. It is amazing the driving here. So many cars. So few laws observed. People drive and park on sidewalks, run red lights, put their cars in neutral when stopped. It's all weird. I actually asked if Koreans have to take a driving test to get a license. They said "Yes". I wondered what that test consisted of. Maybe they just want to see if you know how to unlock and start your car. If you know that, they issue you a license. The only law everyone observes is stopping for people to walk across the crosswalks. Anyhow, there is so much traffic all the time. It takes 2 hours to drive 15 miles. Crazy. I can't believe people do it. Here is a picture of the traffic taken from our apartment window.

Eating Out

2009-11-29T15:20:00.005+09:00

Seoul is full of great things to eat. Some of the things we know what they are. Some, well, we're not so sure about. Not only have we been introduced to new things to eat, but to new ways to order and eat them. We went to an outlet store right across the street from where we live. They have a food court kind of thing there. You order at the front where there is a display case showing you all the different kinds of food you can get and what it costs. You tell them what you want and pay and they issue you a number. Once you find a table, you sit and wait for your number to pop up on the number board. Once you see it pop up, you go see which window it has popped up at and retrieve your food. It seems like a bit of work, but it is actually very efficient. It is also extremely cheap. We usually spend about 9,400 won, which is about $8 for me and the kids to eat. It is so yummy! I included a picture of Ethan slurping some long noodles from his bowl. So cute. As I was taking pictures of the restaurant, I saw what we actually see all the time. Koreans use chop sticks for everything. Really. Here, I captured a young woman using her chop sticks to eat her french fries. Funny!

Our Apartment

2009-11-24T16:02:00.005+09:00

Seoul is not known for sizeable living accomodations. Our apartment is basically one huge room with a loft-style area. Below is a video tour of our apartment. There are some pictures as well if you click on the "View My Gallery" link on the left by the pictures and then click on the Apartment picture album.

Chris and Silkworms

2009-11-24T15:52:00.005+09:00

OK . . . for our first food posting, we give you Silkworm Larvae. This is one of the weird yet common protein filled treats offered up by the local street vendors. Yes, it is actually what we say it is. Silkworm eggs. Sometimes they season them, sometimes not. You always know when they are being sold somewhere in the vicinity as there is, shall we say, an odor that signals their availability. It is pretty close to dog vomit. However, being the aspiring food critics we are, we decided to at least try. Once you get past the smell, they actually taste like boiled peanuts you would find in the south. Not bad. That is if you CAN get past the smell. Check out the picture of Chris trying them out . . .

Last Snow Video

2009-11-24T15:38:00.002+09:00

Here is the 4th and last snow video . . .

Snow Video 3

2009-11-24T15:30:00.002+09:00

Here is the third video . . .

Snow Video 2

2009-11-24T15:21:00.002+09:00

Here is the second video we took . . .

Singing in the Rain . . . I mean snow

2009-11-24T15:10:00.003+09:00

Yes, it snowed a couple of days ago here in Seoul. Although it did not stick, it was the first snow and it was the first time Ethan has seen it snow. Check out the videos we took . . . Snow Video 1

Additions

2009-11-24T15:08:00.003+09:00

Okily dokily . . . I have added a bunch of pictures to our Picassa Web Album. There is a link to it on the left. Click on "View My Gallery" at the top of the picture list to see all of the great pictures we have taken since being here! We will also be adding videos to the blog as well.

Lowe Blog Numero Uno

2009-11-24T12:28:00.000+09:00

Well here we are, continuing to evolve in the technology age. We have decided to do a simple blog that we can log into often and add pictures and videos. That way, all of you only have to go to one place to see all of the really cool stuff we put up. We hope you enjoy everything. Let us know what you think!

This picture was taken the day we arrived in Seoul at the airport. The kids rode through the airport on the luggage cart atop the stack of totes we used as suitcases. They loved it!