Meyongdeok Crab Festival- 13 March 2011

So it has taken me two weeks to get this blog up and entered but hey I am now sharing the festival with you. We went to a crab festival two weeks ago and had a great time. We will probably go again next year but not on the bus! The bus ride took about 2 hours and we had 4 bus loads of people going. When we got to Myeonkdeok we had a buffet style lunch with the mayor and the food was great! We did think that that there would be crab on the buffet but nope, just normal Korean goodies! After lunch we went across the street to the festival area and got to watch a talent show. There were some from our group who went up on stage and danced then participated in the talent show.  There were lots of booths around: face painting, soap making, soju tasting, mask making and lot of places to get crabs. Zane did get his face painted and smeared it just shortly after. We got a tour of the maritime museum and then got to fish for crabs. We did catch 4 crabs but didn't buy any extra to bring home and cook. We didn't get to cook our crabs the night we brought them home as we didn't have a steamer for just 4 crabs. We didn't feel like firing up the turkey fryer. We did cook them the next night and the first two weren't so good, not sure if they went bad or the cook didn't know what she was doing. It was my first time cooking them after all. We did get one out of the four to eat and I was the only one to eat the crab. Jim doesn't like picking them apart and I didn't want to take any chances with Zane getting sick if the crab was bad! After living in Baltimore for so many years I was missing crabs and excited to have these. One of these days I will get back to B-more for a bushel of crabs with friends! Here are just a few of the pictures, hop enjoy enjoy them!- So I will try to post pictures later, right now the network drive isn't cooperating!

Where has the past year gone?

So as of yesterday, Korean time, 11 March, we have been in Waegwan a year! We got to Korea 4 March 2010 and spent 7 days in Seoul while Jim in-processed and received a lot of information about the do's and don'ts while in Korea. Zane and I hung out at the hotel with our new friends the Williams while the guys worked. The Williams are here as well but in the town next door. I can remember going out to the area around the base in Seoul, Itaweon and seeing how everything had changed from being here a little more than 10 years earlier. Zane even buckled himself into his stroller that day as he was afraid of all the new faces and I am sure was adjusting. So much has been asked of our little man in the past year with picking up and moving to a new country, not knowing anyone or the language. He has risen to the occasion and doing wonderfully! He does understand Korean and we are hoping that he will start speaking it as well. Of course he believes it is only for the Koreans to speak not him. Even the idea that he and mommy can share a language that daddy doesn't know got a smile but he still won't speak to me.

We haven't ventured out as much as I would like in regards to seeing the country but are starting to do a little more sightseeing. I know that if the tours that exist today were around 10 years ago I would have seen a lot more of the country! Now that the hubby is comfortable with his job we are starting to get out more often. I can't wait to see what else we do but tomorrow we are heading out to a Crab Festival and I will blog and share pictures!

Not only has the past year been a growing experience but it has given us 2 years together under the same roof which has been amazing! Can't believe that in almost 7 years of marriage this is the longest time we have been together under the same roof! We have learned lots of lessons as well in regards to do's and don'ts.  I know that we probably wouldn't have rented an apartment that has nothing underneath but a parking lot, no heat to share. We have seen children in cars without car seats and mom's get behind the well with babies in a carrier on their chest! We get told by the older generation that our children aren't dressed warm enough and lots of candy is given, well attempted, to children who aren't behaving. Zane has been offered lots of candy for this as well as just being cute! He doesn't like when the Korean's come up to him and touch him or tell him how cute he is. We are working on trying to get him to understand that yelling at them isn't the answer but to say no nicely or please don't touch me.

We still have 2 years left in this country and I am sure much more to learn. God has been amazing this past year and blessed us so much, with so many different blessings in so many ways! I know that He will continue to do so as well. The past year has gone by quickly and I am sure that the next 2 will as well.  You are all more than welcome to come and visit us in our little home. Mind you we don't have a grass yard but a parking lot to play on, but that is okay as we have parks to walk to, a river front to walk along, and lots of interesting places to visit and see!  I can say that I don't really miss Wal-mart or Target but the opportunity to run to a 24 hour store if I need something, wait I think that is what www.amazon.com is for! I miss an American size oven but have learned to live with what I do have! I know my mind is all over the place and I wanted to try to have this all make sense but that just isn't going to happen tonight.

We love and miss our friends and family in the states. Our door is always open and you are always welcome!

From the Land of the Morning Calm,

Love,
Jim, Liz, Zane and Maya

Eyes & Dogs

I was going to publish this post earlier this week but wanted to wait until I had pictures to post and share to go with the blog. So this past week Zane and I had eyes exams and on the same day Maya got spayed.  It was easier taking care of Zane with huge dilated pupils than it was Maya. Maya is now fine and thinks she is super dog, must be the meds and is running and jumping all over the place!  So back to the eye exams. We decided that Zane needed to have his eyes checked as he would sit on the couch and squint at the tv and tell us he couldn't see, so we made appointments. Then I get a message from his school that we might want to take him to the eye doctor. Anyway the eye doctor was great with Zane. Zane had a very hard time waiting for his turn and loved playing with all of the expensive equipment! He loved moving the chair in the exam room to laying down and then sitting up.  The eye doctor did dilate his eyes and let me know that it could take up to 3 days for the dilation to return to normal and it did. Zane got to wear his sunglasses to school and at anytime while outside so he wouldn't cause damage to his eyes. He loved it and so did his classmates! Yesterday, Friday 11 March, his eyes were normal again so we went down to pick out his glasses. Zane tried on many pairs for his size and decided he like the powder blue pair the best! Daddy on the other hand really wanted to Zane to get the ones that were a black eye frame with red arms. Daddy lost in the end! Zane loves his new glasses and does well wearing them for reading and playing his hand held video game. He did have to have a lesson about not putting the glasses down on the lenses and how to put them away. He will take them to school on Monday and wear them for class. We shall see how it goes as I am sure it will go over well with everyone as Zane looks so adorable in his new glasses!

Zane in his new glasses.

See if they make a difference and he says that they do!