Christmas lights

On New Year's Eve, there's much advice about cleaning one's house both literally and figuratively. So I spent the day cleaning, with frequent computer breaks. In the negotiations over rent, the last thing I remember is agreeing to accept $50 less if they do yardwork. I haven't heard anything since.
At 6:15 we left to deliver Michele to Tina's house to babysit. She got paid good money to sit and watch TV and play computer games. We drove Tina and her husband to the Navy Club, then dropped by the library and got a book. We lead such exciting lives! Then Chris suggested that we go get my camera and photograph the lights. I had been kicking myself for forgeting the camera. So it was a welcome suggestion. His next suggestion was to walk back for the camera since traffic was picking up. Ha! We did and it was COLD. The only reason I agree was that I needed some exercise to go with all the goodies I'd been consuming. Shivering burns calories, right? Then while Chris stayed in the car, I walked around photographing lights. I think my camera is better at daytime photos. We also drove to General Sterling's house to photograph their Seoul tower view, but the camera hardly caught any of that. So home we went. Tina's husband lent us "A Christmas Story" so we could see what the leg lamp joke was. We watched that and now that I know the story, it is much funnier.
We went to bed but I couldn't sleep. What with the noise from upstairs and rampaging thoughts, I was awake. About 12:30 am, I took a broom handle and rapped on the ceiling. They got the message and turned the music down. Later Michele called asking for a ride home. I let Chris handle that. Then blessed sleep....

Tenants!

AS usual, I went to the thrift shop to volunteer. We had so many donations, that all we did for three hours was to sort through them, passing all but the very best onto some other charity. When we left, there was a huge pile of garbage bags out back waiting to be picked up. Of course, more were coming in as we worked. We still have a huge pile of saved items to price and hang tomorrow. Sigh.
As Tina was somewhere with her husband, I went home to make a pair of dress pants. The first thing I did however, was to check e-mail. It is strange how I intend to do one simple thing on the computer and end up sitting there for hours. We got an e-mail about a prospective renter for our house. Yea! But they don't want to pay full price. Same old story. I responded to that, and then tried to work on making the pants. I kept getting distracted. Although by the end of the day, all that remained to be done was to handsew the elastic and hem them. I stayed up until midnight waiting to hear back from our realestate agent. In spite of all the consessions I made, they still aren't willing to pay the price. I responded again, and got up at 6 am the next morning to continue the 'discussion'.

Eeny, Meeny, Miney, DINNER

I got up early (I had forgotten what that's like) to make Chris a sandwich before he went to work. After answering e-mail, I packed a box of presents to mail (the last one) and decided to spend a few minutes on a computer game. That lasted longer than I thought. Then it was 11 am and Chris was calling to say he would meet us for lunch at the Katusa snack bar. We agreed, so he picked us up at the walk-in gate and we went to lunch. Michele had the cheese and ramen, I had the jabchai, and Chris had bibimbap. Chris dropped me off at the post office, where I waited in line for 15 minutes to mail the package. Then I walked to Tina's house. She wanted me to take her measurements so she could make clothes. The pattern-making system that she is using requires 20+ different measurements. After that, we decided to walk out gate 17 and look for a kitchen and sundries store that might sell a timer. We found it rather easily and bought a few things, like tape. Then I thought we were going back, but Tina said "Hey, what's over there?" "I don't know". "Well, then, lets check it out." I love the way she thinks. So we wandered about in that direction and others. We saw stores and restaurants, beauty shops and tailors. When she saw the frozen yogurt store, she was delighted, but it was too cold for it. So we wandered in search for a place to eat. When we had sat down, the waitress laid an order ticket on our table for us to fill out. It was all in Korean. Ramen noodles are a safe bet and I was able to make that one out (I know some letters like m,n, and e). So we checked that. Then Tina made some random checks, and we sat back to see what would be served us. We got ramen, a very large noodle on a stick, broth, kim bap (rice wrapped in seaweed), kim chi, and yaki mando (a small filled dumpling). Oh, and dish that looked like cheese manicotti, but the manicotti was made of rice. How they can reduce rice to a paste and shape things out of it is beyond me. Then we were full, but Tina decided that she was now warm enough to have the frozen yogurt. So back we went to the frozen yogurt place. What she ordered came with lots of fresh fruit and was really good, but I couldn't believe that we were eating it in December. Then, frozen inside and out, we went back home. She dropped me off. I got home to find Chris and Michele having dessert and popcorn.

Pictures

Today is not a productive day. I have been reading, which I plan to continue. Chris is at the commissary. I am adding pictures to some of my previous posts (because I use Chris' computer to do it and he's finally not here). So scroll down and check them out. Michele is applying to a college here in Seoul.
Later: I have uploaded 21 photos of my quilts to my Facebook account.
Much later: I uploaded a pic of Chrismas lights taken on Dec 31st.

Hyundai department store

I was a little nervous this morning as I remembered that I had agreed to 'teach' English to two groups of Korean kids at a culture center. All I had to do, so they said, was speak for an hour about winter. Ha! Chris drove me to the subway station where I met my guide. She didn't speak much English and I had a very hard time understanding her even though she had a digital dictionary. When we got to the destination station, I found out that she didn't know where the building was either. So we walked. And it was cold. Very cold. Because I felt I was representing America, I wore a skirt and a nice sweater. So my legs were cold.
When we found the building, it wasn't open for business, so we had to go in the back. Then up to the 10th floor. We were early, so we had some time to sit and admire the view. We found ourselves in a conference room. Then 15 first and second graders came and sat. They wanted to talk about Christmas, so we did. And winter, and snow, and warm clothing, and New Year's Day, Groundhog Day and Valentines Day and St.Patricks Day and anything else I could think of. When I invited questions, they asked how old I was and if I had children. Their English was quite good.
After they left, I was treated to lunch in the employee's cafeteria. There was Lunch A, and lunch B. I couldn't read either menu, but the sign indicated that both lunches had almost 800 calories apiece. I asked for whatever was traditional Korean. What I got was 4 kinds of kimchi, rice, and a soup that was mostly broth. Where did they hide 800 calories in that? One kind of kimchi had little bird eggs in it. After lunch, we stopped by the restroom to wash hands. The hand dryer looked like a microwave because of the hellish red light it put out. But it was just blowing hot air. After that, we went looking at 9 floors and a basement of merchandise. I thought to ask for pickled onions in the grocery section. Tina had been looking for them. But my rendition of spicy backfired. They were showing me RedHots and Altoids, etc. Even with her digital dictionary, it didn't translate.
So back upstairs for the second group. There were 3 4th and 5th graders. I had to cover even more territory to fill the time. When there was 10 minutes left, I asked for questions. One child asked me to tell her American history. In 10 minutes? Turns out I only know 10 minutes of history. I mentioned 1776 when we declared independence, 1864 when Lincoln freed the slaves, 1914 and WWI, 1929 and the Great Depression, and 1941 and the bombing of Pearl Harbor. I couldn't think of anything interesting past that so I dismissed them. (Later my daughter suggested 9-11 and I said "Oh, yeah!". No one has ever mistaken me for a history teacher.) When I finished, I was given a jar of pickled onions by the person in charge. Cool.
I thought the day was over, but my guide took me to a cafe on the 9th floor to exchange languages. I had a hard time hearing her words and she was not satisfied until I had pronounced each one correctly. It tired me out quickly, but she kept going. Finally I had to say "Subway, we go home." But on the way back, she kept drilling me on the phrases she'd taught me. And she made an apointment with me to exchange more phrases. I will bring Michele with me then, so she can help me interpret the sounds. When I got back to post, I called Tina and she drove me to her house. We ate a lot of chocolate and talked a good bit. Then she drove me home. I have been on the computer ever since. I think I shall sleep well tonight.
Soom cha da - short of breath
tahm tongue cha - person in charge
il gop she - 7 o'clock
ta zo tie - 5 months
Ha poom ha da - yawn
noon gam ta - close eyes

Day after Christmas

Intending to walk to the thrift shop, I left the apartment all bundled up. But a lady in the elevator offered me a ride to post. Isn't it amazing how things work out? Of course I could use a little walking after all the cookies I've eaten. I worked at the thrift shop for 4 hours and then walked with Gerry to Tina's house. But this time Tina wasn't home. (see pic of Tina and me) And it was too cold to wait, so I walked to the nearest bus stop. I stopped by the Collier gym to use the restroom. I mention this only because I was happy to see I wasn't peeing ice cubes, it was that cold.
I caught the bus back to the gate nearest our apartment. The elevator wasn't working so I got my exercise after all. After having a bite to eat, I cleaned up my sewing room and cut out a pair of pants. I am wearing them as I write, testing the length of elastic, which is good. All they need now is to be hemmed. I must admit they didn't take long to make. I also spent an hour with Michele on math and several hours on Bejeweled Two. One mode claims to be playable infinitely and I am testing that theory.

Christmas

Michele did NOT wake us up early to open presents. Instead I found her on her computer. I snuck up on her and yelled "Merry Christmas!". It was so funny, but I think it took 10 Christmases off her life. I insisted we sing some carols before we opened gifts. While Michele and I were singing, Chris secretly skyped his parents and aimed the camera at us. We had a nice visit with them and Marie. Becca skyped us, too. Then we opened our gifts, mostly DVD's and chocolate. I got Michele a Korean children's book. I thought it might be easy reading, like "Dick and Jane make Rice Cakes" or something. We spent the rest of the day watching DVD's, reading and playing on our computers. I do have a pic of our Chrsitmas tree, sad as it is.

It is hard to believe that Christmas is here. In the states, Christmas starts so early that I have to actively avoid it until the first week of December so that I won't be sick of it by the 25th. But here there are few reminders. Yes, there are lights on post. But I haven't been shopping in malls stuffed with decorations and surfeited with Christmas music. No radio or TV reminders since we watch mostly DVD's. I haven't had my Christmas fix yet.

Chris has sentenced Michele to one hour of calculus a day since she is not doing well at all in calculus. Being the resident calculus expert, I share in that sentence. It is a good thing I love math.

Christmas Eve

Tina had some last minute shopping to do in Namdemun, but we went to Dongdaemun also.
I bought 12 yards of brown flannel to make bedroom curtains so we can finally sleep in the dark. I also bought some dressier fabric to make a pair of dress pants. Tina bought fabric for pajamas and a skirt. In Namdemun we bought shirts and pants for the men in her family and socks for ourselves. I ended up wearing my new socks over my old ones for better protection from the cold. We stopped at a little restaurant for curry chicken and kimchi. Also,I bought three items that looked and felt like large cheese tubes. Actually they were rather bland, probably made of rice somehow, and hot off the grill. Tina and I ate one and I kept the rest in my pocket for the warmth.
The funniest thing was that Tina bought a leg. Yes, a leg. Like the ones used to display knee-hi's. So out came all the leg jokes. 'Need a leg up?', 'Have a leg to stand on?', 'Your leg seems a little stiff.', 'Here, hold my leg for a moment' etc.
We laughed so hard. She bought it as a joke gift for her husband, something about a lamp made of a leg appearing in a movie.
Anyway, we finally called it quits and took the subway home, or tried to. One of the subway gates is right by Namdemun Gate 1. But today it wasn't there. Like it had been moved. Just not possible and yet there it wasn't. I was expecting someone to shout "Candid Camera". So we walked to Gate 6 and took the subway from there.
Tina gave me a container of cookies she'd made. When I came home with it, it became very popular. Then we dressed for church and left. The music was excellent. Have I ever mentioned that the choir of about 10 is all Korean? Wonderful singers. We also had a clarinetist and a trumpet player, both military men. After the service, the entire congregation met at the Sterlings for treats and conversation. Some caroling ensued. She weaves, and does some needlepoint. Her house is fascinating. And their view of Seoul is breathtaking.
Michele is looking forward to a TV family Christmas where the children wake the parents up early on Christmas morning to open presents. So off to bed....

Korean pretzel

I spent the morning on the computer reading e-mail and checking out links. Kurt Skyped me and we talked for an hour. Then Laura called to say the item I had ordered had come in. She was at the thrift shop so Michele and I went to pick it up. It is Chris's Christmas gift. Michele wanted to buy a gift for a friend so she went farther on to the Dragon Hill. Once I was at the thrift shop and picked up tha package, I stayed to help out, which lasted an hour.
Then, a bit at loose ends and not wanting to return home so soon, I headed for the library. But just then Tina called and askedme to meet her at her house. So I did. She had seen PVC somewhere and wanted to check it out. Well, it was bitterly cold. Andit turns out they didn't have the right pieces anyway. Neither of us had had lunch so we stopped in at a restaurant and ordered by pointing at pictures. We were going to go on to Namdaemun and so entered a subway station. There someone was selling interesting little treats. Not at all unusual. What Ibought turned out to be like a slightly sweet pretzel. Pretty good, actually. But then it was getting late and colderso we shelved the trip for the morrow.
I forgot to mention our little trip to the library, where once again we didn't find what either of us were looking for. But we spent plenty of time at it.
When I returned home, I went back to the game I left the other day. Big mistake! Another few hours flew by with nothing to show for them. Then I went to bed, thinking to get up early to make a pie, but as it turned out, I reached for a book and lost more time. Then Tina called....

Mailing the packages

I awoke Monday to hear my cell phone ringing. Actually I wasn't asleep, but I just hadn't gotten up yet. It was Tina wanting to know if I wanted to ride to the post office. I have GREAT friends! Anyway, she picked me up and we went all over, the PX, the commissary, the library, the bank at Dragon Hill, etc. It is a relief to have the packages in the mail and most of the cards,too. (I'm having trougble with the space bar). One package didn't make it because Michele wants to add something to it,which she hasn't bought yet. I wrote several more cards after supper. The only other thing I did was play a few more rounds of Bejeweled and that must have taken quite some time. Chris finally hung the seascape picture over the kitchen table. I was so sure that would 'make' the room, but it didn't and I don't know why.

A car!

We went to church this morning, this time under our own power, now that we have a car. Chris mentioned that he has already had fixed all the reasons why it failed inspection. The bill was so reasonable that I suggested a tune-up. He said it had already been done. You really can't tell. Oh well.
After church I took its picture. Then I watched a DVD on creative ways to give cash. There were 10 suggestions on the DVD and a hint of more on the website, but I couldn't get the website to load.
I painted my potato necklace, which had gotten roughed up in the move. I cleaned up the kitchen. I started to clean the sewing room, but kept getting sidetracked. Then Chris, Michele and I wrote Christmas cards until we ran out of stamps. I meant to send all Korean cards, but where are they? I know I bought two packs, but could only find one.
Then, I sat down to play 'Bejeweled 2' a game that Tina lent me. I played the puzzle version first, where you have to clear umpteen planets. When I did that, it unlocked a secret level. But this level has levels of its own, but they don't tell you how many. Anyway, along about 1 am I tore myself away and went to bed. I am keenly aware that the game is waiting for me.

Decorating Tina's house

I planned to go to the thrift shop since today was the last day it would be open until next year. So, as long as I was going that far, I figured to mail presents, too. It took me all morning to find and wrap presents. When I was done, Chris informed me that the PO closes at 1, which is what time it was. So I walked to post, perused the Chosun gift shop (it was their last day too) where I didn't find anything I needed, then went to the thrift shop next door. All I got there was a children's book in Korean. Maybe Michele can use it. But I had a good time talking to Mary Ann. Then, as has become my habit, I walked over to Tina's house. I helped her decorate under the mantle, in front of the windows, and on her walls. Her house looks very holiday now. She lent me several computer games. Then she drove me home and we brought a grill (which we had 'acquired' some months earlier when it had been left behind). Now we (Chris) can grill steaks on the veranda! I showed Tina our apartment, especially my sewing room. She wants to make a quilt frame like I have. It was nice to have her visit.
Michele (who had been babysitting since 2:30) came in around 10:30 with $80. I think I need to take up babysitting. I remember getting $2 an hour as a teenager and thinking it was a lot.

Namdaemun and karaoke

Hyon came over this morning for a quilting lesson. Afterwards, her driver drove us to Namdaemun. Namdaemun is full of little shops. We started with a kitchware store. We looked at wrapping paper briefly then went to lunch. In America the health department would have shut this place down. The restaurant was very small and very crowded. So crowded that they were cooking in the alley. And we had to wait to get a seat. I was right by the open gas burners and was afraid of catching fire. When we did get a seat, we shared the table with two other people; there were no empty seats. They were serving only two entrees: egg something and fish. Hyon ordered us the fish. It was full of bones and we had to use our chopsticks to comb the meat off the skeleton. There were also several kinds of kimchis.
After lunch we had a ball picking out wrapping paper sold by the sheet, minimum of 10. It was about 17 cents for a nice sized sheet so we bought over a hundred sheets. We also stopped by the Alpha store and bought felt and paint and brushes.
After they dropped me off at the apartment, I used the large green sheet of felt to make a Christmas tree. But I made the cuts too long and narrow, so had to bolster the 'branches' a bit. I was disappointed with the outcome so I will try it again later.
We were invited to a barbeque by a Korean friend, so we had no idea what kind of evening we would have. First, we were late getting to the subway because of traffic. (We drove to post and parked by a gate near the subway) But we navigated the subway easily and arrived just in time. We were met and led to a small house. One other person I knew had been invited. Much food was set out and we had our fill. THEN, came the entertainment. Karaoke. Everyone was expected to participate. The Koreans, young and old, engaged eagerly. Apparently it is very popular with all generations. But we Americans were not prepared. However, in the spirit of the festivities we sang anyway. Hopefully no recordings exist.
During the course of the evening, Chris was asked to play Santa at a dapartment store on Christmas eve, and I was asked to 'teach' English to two groups of kids at some culture center on the 27th.
Karaoke ended at 10 and the party broke up immediately. We were led back to the station and even accompanied onto the subway train. The older man, Dr. Moon, showed me Korean characters on his cell phone, explaining which letters they represented. That was interesting, but I am not sure how much of it I remember. We rode several stops past theirs, then walked back to the car, and drove home. Too tired to do anything else, we went to bed.

Lotte Mart

Andrea came over this morning to make a pillow. It shouldn't have taken long, but we talked a lot and she also brought material for curtains. So it was 11 before we finished. She also brought me a CD on creative ways to give money, and some felt to make a Christmas tree, and info on some other things. She is so nice to me! She even gave me a ride to the thrift shop. I meant to volunteer, but there was no one there. So, I walked to the Embassy Center and bought sushi. Then I met Tina walking her dog. So we walked for a while, then went back to her house to eat the sushi. It was good, but not as good as the sushi from Costco.
Since her husband was still home recovering from his minor surgery, we went to the PX and the Four Seasons, both on post. She asked me if I'd ever been to Seoul Station and I hadn't, so we walked out gate 1 and turned right. We walked until we found a subway station, then took it to Seoul Station, which was only one stop. I guess we could have walked, but it was cold! Anway, there was a large store there called Lotte Mart. It was like Target, but with a grocery floor, and a 1000 won section. We had the best time shopping for little items and finding new snacks to try. I wonder what the cashier thought about our apparent food choices. They had clothes and shoes, but we could find them cheaper in the subway. Then we ate at the food court. The food court had a lot of food preparation places surrounding a room full of tables. But you order and pay at a central location and then they tell you which place will make your food. I don't know if each one is a different restaurant or not. Your order number appears above the restaurant that prepares your food when it is ready. We had Korean sausage with rice, and ramyen noodles. I don't know where the sausage was. The rice tasted like sausage and was wrapped in seaweed, then cross cut into sushi-like rounds. Nearby was a place that claimed to be a riceteria. I guess all their selections were made from rice.
After our meal, she wanted to try the fluffy ice cream stand in Lotte Mart. So we went back. She bought a blueberry cone for herself and a melon cone for me. It was good, but not as sweet, or as creamy as in the U.S. We talked for hours. Good, old-fashioned female bonding. I called Chris to let him know where we were. Michele answered, and said she had Calculus homework. I suppose I should have rushed home, but we were having too good a time. Around 9pm we decided to head back. We passed a man selling leather gloves in the subway for 5000 won. Everywhere else they were 15,000 to 20,000 won. So we got three pairs. Then we caught the train back 2 stops, the stop before where we'd gotten on. Turns out it is closer to the north gate. Which was good since it was so cold. She drove me home, and I found both Chris and Michele in bed already.

Window Topper

Andrea came over today. She wanted to make another baby quilt and we did. This time we sewed it inside out and turned it right side out. She took it home to slip stitch and tie. We talked quite a bit so she didn't leave until 1:30.
I washed and dried my window topper. I sewed paperclips to it so I could hang it up. I took a picture, too, but you can't really see the detail. And it is too short. Oh well.
While I was sewing paperclips on, we watched Nicolas Cage in Ghostrider. I also used that time to take apart the extra row on the baby quilt top. After the movie I sewed it on as another column, making it a 7x7 top. It is too cute to not have a binding, but that seems to be its fate since we just turn and tie them. Maybe I can sneak a small border on it to have the same effect.
Chris called after work to have me meet him at the commissary. We bought groceries and then DROVE home. Yes, he bought a car today. Well, actually, after having the car fail inspection, the guy GAVE it to Chris. Its a real winner, and I'll have to take a picture in daylight. I must admit it was nice to not have to carry the groceries all the way home. We'll see whether he and Michele take the bus tomorrow, or drive.

E-Mart

Today I went to the thrift shop at 9:30 to volunteer. But after waiting in the cold for 20 minutes to no avail, I walked over to Tina's house. Lucky for me it was merely cold today - little wind. Tina was glad for some company. Her husband had minor surgery and she needed some time away. So we went to the commissary and then parked at gate 19 and walked to E-Mart. They had a Korean grocery store there. I bought lots of Korean snacks to try, as well as a jar of kimchi, and 10 kinds of sushi. I also stopped by the bathroom and was glad to see a real toilet and not a squat pot. In case you don't know what that is, it is a miniature urinal laid flat into the floor. You squat over it to do your business. Seems rather primitive to me. Sorry, no pics.
Tina dropped me off at home, and I spent the rest of the afternoon and evening chenilling a 10 foot window topper for my new burgundy silk curtains. I still have to wash and dry it for the effect. Michele and I also tried all the snacks. Most were good. She and Chris tried the sushi, but they agreed that next time I can have it all to myself. I can live with that.
It is so dry here that the flowers that I bought almost 2 weeks ago which should be wilted have dried in their vases. It is so dry that my nose bleeds spontaneously.

Baby quilts

This being Monday, the quilters gathered. Pam was sick, so I had to take the bus. I was so proud of myself: I had taken home a set of blocks to make a quilt top at home. Well, when I got there, they had a production line turning quilts, and tying them because Ralu did 10 of them at home. Way to go, Ralu! Then, I discovered that they wanted a 7x7 top, not the 6x8 like I had made. So even my one top was not right and I had to bring it home to re-do. AND THEN, Ralu gave me 4 packets to do for next month: cutting AND sewing!
After we broke up, Cathi gave me a lift to the library. I was looking for 2 books and 2 DVD's. The first book was listed as 'checked in' but wasn't on the shelf. The second book they only had in Korean. The first DVD was also 'checked in' but not on the shelf. And they didn't even list 'Time Bandits'. Oh well. Then I went by the PX to buy a filter for the 'new' vac, and hopped the Post Run bus for home. Now that was an experience. A whole bunch of high school kids got on, and one of them was rapping. I couldn't hear exactly what he said, but by the reaction of the other kids, it was pretty bad. One guy remarked "That was sick." as though that were a compliment. I was glad to get off that bus.
I spent the rest of the day working on the silk window topper, occaisionally giving my machine time to cool down by helping Michele with her Calculus. For some reason she doesn't seem to enjoy math like I do.

Dinner Party

I looked up the manual for the vac on hoover.com. It was very enlightening and all I needed to do was change a setting. That was Friday. On Saturday we Skyped my in-laws, who are now in Brazil visiting my sister-in-law. After that I got a little sweeping done before Andrea came over to make baby quilts. Her machine was in storage so we used mine. We only got one done and she decided to do the others later. So I spent the late afternoon lining a panel of burgundy silk as a curtain. Michele and Chris went to the library and the movies.
Hyon had invited us to her apartment for dinner Sat evening. So the three of us walked to the street to catch a taxi. But though many passed by, they were all in use. We walked to the commissary then and had no trouble catching one. But we had to call Hyon and let her explain to the cabbie where to go. It was a huge building, over thirty floors. Very nice. The Lunds were also invited, as well as another couple we didn't know and a young relative who teaches English nearby. The apartment was nicely decorated with plants and candles. They served wine and Korean dumplings for an appetizer. For the meal, she served lasagne, broccoli, potato rolls, kimchi and something I can't remember 'cause he kept adding to my wine glass. For desert, we had apple tart and cherry pie, brought by other guests. Chris was quite the conversationalist. Hyon had a glass of slips of paper. Each one had a questioin on it and we had to pick one and answer the question. It was a way of getting to know each other.
When it was time to leave, we had no trouble getting a taxi, and only a little trouble directing him to our apartment complex. I was so full that the next morning I skipped breakfast.
The Lunds gave us a ride to church. On the way back I heard Chris tell them that he will take the drivers test on Monday and buy a car on Tuesday. Isn't that nice to know? I'm glad I was listening.
After church I had a headache so I read for a while. Then I had an idea for a silk window topper. To make it, I need to chenille a piece 10 feet by 8 inches. It took four yards of silk cut diagonally to make six layers. The color will be richer after the process is finished. So I am looking forward to the finished product.

Wall Quilt

Thursday morning I met Pam in the parking lot and we drove over to Hannah at the commissary. She is Korean and drove us to Dongdaemun. We bought fabrics, and jewelry, and thread. It sure was nice to have someone who speaks both languages to translate! We got back around noon and Pam dropped me off at the thrift store. I helped hang clothes on the racks for a few hours, then walked to Commisskeys to catch the bus. The next stop was the commissary. When we stopped there, a bagger helped an old lady onto the bus and put her grocery bags by the driver. I was sitting in the front seat, which I don't usually do since I leave them to older folks and people with packages. I patted the seat beside me to show her she could sit there. She smiled at me and sat down. I thought it was a shame that I was getting off so soon because I'd have to squeeze by her to exit. Well, she started talking to me and I changed my mind. Her breath was so bad I had to turn toward the window to take each breath, then turn back and smile and nod without breathing. As a child I was told to "be polite even if it kills you" and it very nearly did. The shame of it is that I don't remember a thing she said and she seemed so nice. After I got home, I mentioned her breath to Michele and she said it was probably kimchi breath. God bless South Korea.
That evening I put together the blocks for the quilt that inspired me earlier. It was a simple block and to use the large print so that it showed up well, it had to be a 16 inch block. I swear that quilt wanted to be a full bed quilt, but I only needed it to hang on the wall above the couch, so I limited it to 6 blocks. I had bought the dark green border fabric earlier, but it needed to be washed. I had to wait until the next morning to wash it because running the dryer means opening the window to hang the vent hose out. In the summer that lets in mosquitoes and in the winter it lets out heat.
So in the morning I washed all the fabrics I bought on Thursday. I added the borders, cut a strip of cardboard to hang it on, and stuck two hooks to the wallpaper in the living room. To make the wallhanging as light as possible, I skipped superfluous things like batting, backing and binding.
I also made rolls using my mother-in-laws recipe, but dividing it by three to fit into my bread machine. It made 18 rolls.
After that, I tried to use my 'new' vacuum from the thrift shop. Instead of picking up dirt, it left dirt. Very odd. Must be a new feature. I decided to circumvent the new feature by cleaning out the plastic bin and filter. When they dry, we'll see if it works any better.

I had plans for Wednesday which included leaving the apartment early to maybe volunteer at the thrift shop for a few hours before hitting the ACS building to beg to keep our chairs (they say we have had them for 90 days and they want them back) and to report items broken in shipment. Well, what with doing a little of this and a little of that, I didn't leave until 2:30. One thing I did was to take all the quilting fabric out of the closet, organize it in stacks by color and put it back. In the process I noticed that two fabrics, each on the top of its stack, went really well together, and so I felt a quilt coming on. But I had to get to post to run errands, so it had to wait.
First I went to ACS, where they told me to send a letter of exception regarding the chairs. (As my friend Tina says "What are they going to do? Break in your house and take the chairs back?") They also gave me the e-mail address for the shipping company and said we'd have to deal with them separately.
Then I went to the thrift shop because I expected Tina to be there and I had some DVD's for her. But she wasn't so I talked to a few people, bought some stuff and walked over to Tina's house. Tina was decorating for Christmas. All sorts of decorations everywhere! She asked me if I'd decorated yet, but I said we didn't bring much because we didn't expect to have room. Actually, I have two stockings hung. One came from the stocking exchange we had last week, and the other I made to go with that one because I decorate in pairs.
Tina told me that she'd tried the EFT website and was able to reduce her tennis elbow pain to almost nothing. She was excited about it and wanted to view my EFT DVD's. I was excited for her.
Then Chris called to say he was leaving the office for Commisskeys. On Wednesdays they have free horsd'oevres. Tina needed to go by the commissary anyway, so she dropped me off. Chris and I had a nice time there, drinking tea, eating snacks (the ham was good, the broccoli was sad), and talking about the presidential election and if there is a chance Obama is not eligible to be president and will the Supreme Court hear the case, etc. Michele declined to join us saying she had math homework. Well, I love math as much as anyone, but free food is good, too.
That evening, we watched a little TV. Chris hooked up the TV in my sewing room and I started the quilt that was coming on earlier. I couldn't wait to finish it, but finally had to go to bed. Pam and I are going to Dongdaemun with Hannah in the morning.
I know I should be shopping, wrapping, packing and shipping for Christmas, but I am just not in the mood. Long lines at the post office aren't helping. I don't know who died and left me in charge of it all. So, Christmas may be late this year.

Rag Quilt/Rug

Monday night after the tour of homes I sat down to watch "The Illusionist", our most recent Netflix movie. While I watched, I snipped. I was working on the rag quilt that we started that morning. I had almost finished it when the movie finished and it was past bedtime.
Tuesday, Pam picked me up for the AFSC luncheon. It was a dress-up affair this month so I wore a dress and makeup. As usual, we bought lots of fabric from the fabric vendor. There are a number of vendors that set up their wares for two hours before the luncheon. We could have bought purses, jewelry, Korean furniture, candles, etc.
This month's theme was a murder mystery. There were about 10 ladies who played a group of rich women aboard a yacht. The missing character was the mystic who was found dead. We were given clues, verbal and written. There was a newspaper page (fake) on each table. Some of the articles seemed irrelevant, but they weren't. We even got to ask a few questions of the 'suspects'. It was all very fascinating and our table won. Another table had guessed that the captain did it, but we had the best reasons. We each got a necklace for that.
After that, a group of us delivered fabric and batting to the ACS building - provided by the vendor for charity quilts. Then we all went home. I spent the rest of the afternoon and evening washing, drying and pressing all that fabric. In between, I finished clipping the rag quilt and washed and dryed it. Made of flannel and squares of dense batting, it is very warm. I will use it as a rug.

Holiday Tour of Homes

Monday is quilt day. Only today instead of making quilts for others, we had a demonstration of rag quilting and each made our own. Mine will be a rug since I need something in my sewing room to separate my feet from the floor. Turnout was light since a number of our members were involved in the Holiday House Tour. Pam and I were to go together in her car, but then Adele invited us to go with her, and she invited a few others and then we were all in somebody's van. We all met at the Dragon Hill Lodge. There were horsd'ovres, but I was too busy waiting to sign in, getting a map, running into people I know, etc to get any before we left. I did have a glass of water. On the way, Adele read the booklet blurb for each house we were about to see. Most houses asked us to remove our shoes. A docent or two was available to explain what we were seeing. I had thought we were going on a tour of Christmas decorations, but these houses had items from all over the world. It was fascinating. And they were beautiful. We visited the houses of colonels, and generals, all on post. We saw elaborate furniture, a functional suit of armor 3 feet high, antiques, tables set for 20. At General Sharp's house, they gave out chocolate in military shapes. We ladies had a great time. Maybe next year my family will come.

Arabian food is good

Saturday morning we stayed in because it was so cold. Then Andrea came by around 3 to bring me a door mat. Wasn't she sweet? We had looked at them in Dongdaemun and didn't find what I wanted. But she found the perfect one at the Px and delivered it to me. She wouldn't even let me pay her. And THEN she drove me to Tina's house so I wouldn't have to walk.
Tina was nice to me, too. She and I worked on the three quilts, finishing by 12:30 am. We watched episodes of "House" which she can download from the internet via an apple box. She fixed supper for all of us,(her family was home). She gave me her pointsettia. She gave me quilting safety pins. She had even dropped by the thrift store earlier and bought the vacuum I wanted, which we then transported to my apartment at almost 1 in the morning. Its great to be me.
This morning we went to church and then decided to walk into Itaewon (ee-tay-won) for a late lunch. Did I mention that it snowed? It was finally warm enough. But still COLD! We walked to an Arabian restaurant called The Dubai. It was all very good. For an appetizer we had flatbread and dips of hummus, sour cream, and eggplant. We all ordered lamb entrees. They were differnt. Michele's (which Chris ate) was extremely spicy, and served with coleslaw. Chris's (which Michele ate) was like a stew with potatoes and zuchini. Mine was a bowl of yellow rice with piece of lamb in it. We sat near a bar with a dozen hookahs displayed. I thought they were decorative until we noticed another customer using one. (It wasn't listed on MY menu.) So we speculated that the wooden box at the end of the counter was probably a humidor.
On the walk back, we bought a hat for Michele from a street vendor. We also stopped at the German deli for soft pretzels. The man in back saw Chris wearing the hat Michele crocheted for him and remarked that his grandmother would wear a hat like that.
After we got back, we were going to go to the commissary, but had had enough walking in the cold for one day.

SKYPE

Friday we got up at 5. Why? Our computer was 'ringing'. The night before we loaded Skype onto my account and then went to bed. Apparently you have to tell it that you are not there, otherwise it proclaims to the world that you are on-line. So we got calls all through the night, although we didn't hear them until the one at 5am. Thinking it was my brother, I Skyped him back. He said he'd called hours ago. So we hung up and went back to bed, but couldn't get back to sleep. At 6 the normal routine prevailed. Then Chris Skyped his parents, who had also Skyped us and we had a nice chat. We chatted for over an hour after Chris and Michele left. BTW, Skype lets you chat face to face using your computer for free.
After breakfast Kurt and I Skyped for a long time. At one point, while he was looking for some pics to send me, I played around with an options pop-up. When he said "How did you do that", I looked at my thumbnail (the image of me that the computer is transmitting) to discover that I'd grown elf ears. And they were moving as my head moved! It was so funny.
I also put the ingredients for persimmon bread in my breadmachine because the persimmons really needed to be used up. Then I wrapped my exchange gift for the luncheon, and ran to catch the bus.
The luncheon was very nice. It was at the Main Post Club, well decorated with good food. I brought a bottle of cider and ended up with a box of chocolate. Good trade. I also won the drawing for a black purse. I thought I was the only one there whispering "Don't pick me, don't pick me", but after they did pick me, it took a while to give it away.
Friday was cold, and I mean bitterly cold. The wind was cutting and it hurt to breathe the air. Tina and I had planned to go to Dongdaemun after the luncheon, but decided that it was just too cold. She was still working on that massive quilting project, so we went to her house and I stayed until midnight.

Toy Alley

I met Andrea at the commissary. We called a taxi to go to Dongmyo, which cost us 8000 won. I was a little surprised. Dongmyo is the home of Toy Alley, where each store sells toys or stickers or kids books etc. Andrea wanted stickers and found them without too much trouble. Anne Marie called and wanted to meet us in Dongdaemun, which was 4 or 5 blocks away, past the shoe streets. The three of us looked at several kinds of fabric, jewelry findings, fur, towels, etc. Andrea wanted Minki for the backs of three baby quilts she is making. I am not sure that is what she ended up buying, but we had fun pantomiming the question "Is this washable?"
Andrea and I came back by subway, and took the on-post bus to our closest bus stops. It happened to be the bus carrying kids home from school, so Michele was on it and surprised to see me. We walked home together. Soon after we got home, Hyon came by for a quilting lesson. I wrote down all the steps she would do for making the block that she chose. But of course, nothing beats actually hands-on experience. So we got started with the cutting. She picked it up fairly well. We marked some diagonal sewing lines, but then the hour was over. Normally I wouldn't care, but I had to be at Commisskeys 40 minutes later to catch a bus to a Christmas party. So I dressed up for the party, walked to the nearest bus stop, and decided it would be faster to walk all the way than to wait for the bus. Luckily I was wearing flats. I arrived in time to see Chris waiting for me to get on the bus. It took a long time to get to the party location. But it was so beautifully decorated. We stood around talking and having appetizers until all three buses had arrived. Then we toasted with eggnog before we all lined up for the buffet tables. The food was reasonable, but nothing to blog about. I didn't eat much considering that I missed lunch. You'd have thought I would be ravenous, but I wasn't. There were the usual after-dinner speeches, and an ELF-Yourself video using the faces of our highest on-post officials. Very funny! Also, a five piece wind ensemble from the 8th Army Band played Christmas music. Then we boarded the buses back to post. Chris' coworker offered us a ride back to our apartment. BUT, Chris elected to leave the bus as it was entering post and walk back. Thanks, dear. It was COLD and my dress shoes were rubbing the backs of my heels. I am not bitter, but NEXT time he WILL accept a ride, or be walking back without me.

Late night quilting

Wednesday: Got up with Chris at 5 because he had a videoteleconference at 6. I made his lunch and Michele's, then laid down for a few minutes until she got up. After she left, I had plans to do some cleaning and be over at the gift shop by 10 when it opened. But, I started reading a book and couldn't put it down. It was 2:30 by the time I got to the gift shop. I got some little boxes and some silk, then dropped in on Tina who was still working on the quilts. She had the second top finished, so I worked on the third. She had had some lazer removal of brown spots and her lower face was red. She didn't want to be seen, but it didn't bother me. Heck, I hadn't even noticed the brown spots before she removed them. She invited me to supper, so I stayed. I called Chris to let him know and my cell phone died. So she put it on her charger since she had the same phone. At 6:20 she and I walked to Adele's house for quilting. Tina kept on walking, but I stayed until 11:20. Toniette brought a basted quilt and we machine quilted it and put on the binding. Afterwards I caught a ride with Pam. Then I realized I had left my phone at Tina's house so we stopped by to pick it up. Poor Tina. If I hadn't needed it the next morning I would have waited until Thursday.

Christmas lights

Today I helped out at the thrift store. And I am so glad I did because there was a little Korean table for $3. I couldn't believe it was so cheap, even though it was chipped. So I got it. I also signed up for their Christmas luncheon on Friday. I'll have to come up with a small gift. Hmmm. I returned home to have lunch and do some cleaning. I also trimmed all the flowers and made smaller arrangements. Then I caught the On Post bus to the Christmas lighting ceremony. They were giving out free raffle tickets for an ipod and two plane tickets. (I didn't win). Several groups of kids sang songs, and then the lights went on! It was spectacular. There were lights all over the base. And of course Santa showed up riding on a decorated fire truck.
But it got quite cold. I was able to catch a bus to the library, where I checked in one book and checked out two more. But the book I really wanted wasn't there even though their computer said it was.
I caught the next bus back to the walk-in gate (I'm so glad I didn't have to walk around to the main gate), and found Chris and Michele at home. Michele was doing her Calculus. After that, we watched CSI and Chris re-loaded the printer driver so I could print out a quilt block. Chris retired early because he has a video teleconference at 6 am tomorrow. Better him than me :)

Quilters

Today is the first Monday of the month. That means we (the quilters) gather at someone's house to exchange Secret Sister gifts, eat snacks, share quilting magazines, see what each other is working on, and just socialize. We also had a stocking exchange. Each of us made a stocking and decorated it. Then we picked numbers from a jar to see who got which one. We had a marvelous time. From my secret sister I got a cut glass candy dish and a bag of m&m's. I also got to show off the two rugs I finished yesterday, see pic.
After our get-together, Pam and I went by the Px. She bought a card and I got velcro sneakers. I am tired of my shoelaces coming loose. Then she drove me home. Michele arrived soon after. I spent the rest of the day making another stocking (I needed a second one to go with the one I got this morning) and making earrings. When Chris came home, he had two packages that had come in the mail. One was a set of sheets from my in-laws and the other was a birthday gift from my parents. I have much to be thankful for.

A profusion of flowers

Today is my 46th birthday. It may interest you to know that I am a bit of a snob when it comes to numbers, especially prime ones. The more factors a number has, the more I like it. So 45 is definitely better than 46. 46 is better than 47 (totally prime). But 48 is one of the best.
Anyway, at church the pastor always has the birthday people stand with him and pray. So I did. And during the service, Nancy and her friend played Panis Angelicus as a cello duet. That was very nice. I pretended it was for my birthday. After the service, Nancy and I took her cello home then returned for our husbands. Chris Skyped them later in the afternoon to check out the video capabilities of the connection and our computer. Our Skype ID is Damourcd.
Along about 6pm I started getting worried that we hadn't seen Michele. She wasn't allowed a cell phone (or a watch), and we didn't have a contact number or an estimated time of return. It was dark and I didn't want her having to walk home all that way. Chris called around, got a contact number, and found out that they were just then about to leave the retreat center. So we dressed up warmly. I told Chris he needed a scarf and he said "But you made a rug out of it!". Fine, wear the rug. (pic to come).
Anyway, we left a note and a cell phone facing the door, in case she got a ride home, and set off for the South Post chapel. About half way there, she called, so we turned around and headed back home. She greeted us with a large bouquet of flowers that they had given her at the retreat. Add that to the flowers I bought Friday and the ones she came home with on Wednesday and you get a table full. I love flowers. I spent the rest of the evening binding the scarf rug and making another larger rug.

The election isn't over?

This morning, with Michele gone, we stayed in bed later than usual. Then I checked my e-mail and found one that said that the presidential election is not over, that the electoral colleges have not voted yet and that there are many outstanding lawsuits against Barak Obama alleging that he is not elegible to run for president. That sparked a lengthy discussion between us on what might yet happen, how the courts could rule, the dictates of constitutional law, etc. Chris said it would be amusing if Cheney resigned, and Bush appointed Condoleeza Rice as VP, then resigned himself. Then Secretary Rice would be the first black president (and female), stealing some of Obama's thunder.
After that, Chris and I walked to post. He went to the commissary and I to the thrift shop. I brought my shoulder bag, which I filled with a few purchases: measuring cups, 2 tall glasses (to use as vases), a large square of denim, and a clamp lamp for on my sewing table. Then I walked to the Dragon Hill and signed up for another phone so that now each person in our family will have their own. But, they told me I'd have to come back in an hour to pick it up. Ha! Have I mentioned that today is very cold - especially when the wind blows? Brrrrr! Not wanting to sit and do nothing for an hour, I walked to Gate 17, crossed under the street via the subway, and proceeded to search for a hardware store I spied a month ago. Now I don't usually leave post by myself unless I'm going to our apartment, but I didn't want to ask a friend to freeze with me looking for a place that would be of little interest to anyone else. I felt a little out of place, but had a fine time finding new streets and markets. I bought a metal scrubbie and an adapter for the lamp I'd gotten at the thrift store. Then, I found the hardware store. Unfortunately they didn't have any 90 degree three-way elbows, but they did have some PVC pipe. I bought a length and the lady was kind enough to saw it up for me, or I'd have had a time carrying it back. I was loathe to leave the area because exploring was such fun, but it was cold and my load had gotten heavier, so I headed back. I stopped by the Dragon Hill to pick up our new phone. Then caught the bus back to our small gate. But I had forgotten that it is closed on weekends. Ha. Silly me had to walk back to the main gate and then proceed to our apartment. I warmed up at home with some sushi and a cup of hot orange marmalade. Well, it isn't marmalade exactly, but a spoonful of it in a cup of hot water is delicious. Chris and I spent the afternoon and evening watching Dvd's. Chris was on his laptop most of the time, and I sat on the couch thinking I ought to be doing other things, but I can't think what they are while the TV is vying for my attention. Chris thinks it is just me that has a problem, but I think the people that make TV shows and movies have done research into what grabs and keeps your attention and they purposely fill the programs with it so you won't look away. Sure I'm paranoid, but am I paranoid enough?

Costco, the flower mart, and CSI

My in-laws called us this morning because it was Thanksgiving Day for them and my side of the family was there, too. So we got to talk to them and my parents and sister. Then Michele got ready for her outing and asked if we wanted to see her off. Turned out that she will be gone till Sunday, didn't know where she'd be and couldn't bring the cell phone. So of course I went along to find out just what was going on. I found out that it is some sort of religious retreat, they don't allow any electronics, and the new kids aren't supposed to know where they are going or what they will be doing. Well, HELLO, their parents still need to know! So then I waited with her 'till their bus came, an hour later. One of my friends from the quilt group had 3 kids going so it must have been ok.
Afterwards, I stopped by the Dragon Hill Lodge to see if cell phones were on sale. Then off to the thrift shop to meet Nancy who invited a bunch of us to go to Costco with her. First we went to the flower mart. We all bought some cut flowers. I only did because Michele had brought me some from a friend's mother and it needed a few more stems to fill the vase. I got roses and carnations. In another building we bought pointsettias.
We drove from the flower mart to Costco. It was a big building, crowded. Well, I think we all got something, like napkins, juice, pizzas, grapes, Ziplocks, etc. Then we had lunch there as it is so inexpensive. Just as we were checking out, I rushed to the sushi counter to get a large platter. It is cheaper than in the commissary and I wanted to get it at the last minute.
Nancy drove each of us back to our homes. She dropped me by the gate and I called Chris to help me carry my purchases over the bridge. He had been watching a movie and, after it ended, he gave me a massage. He asked what else I wanted and I replied "Sushi and candlelight". So he lit a candle and fed me sushi in bed. It pays to be gone for the day! BTW, the sushi was excellent!
We watched more movies and took a nap. I had put my flowers in water when I got home, but they still weren't looking good. So then I cut a few inches off of each stem and hoped for the best. We had leftovers and watched CSI on the OCN channel. After the last episode of CSI, a Korean movie came on. I couldn't understand it, but Chris was pretty good at guessing the story line. And I thought he wasn't good at picking up on social cues!

Thanksgiving

First thing in the morning we got a call from Chris' parents. That was a nice surprise. Chris and Michele spent the morning on their computers. I altered a pair of pants. All of a sudden we realized that we had only a few minutes to catch the on-post bus to make the dinner we've been invited to. Half way there, it hit me that I'd forgotten my ID. So I ran back thinking the others would get the casserole there on time to be reheated. But I had to wait for someone to come out of our building because I didn't have my building card either. When I finally got my ID and card, there was Chris. Apparently the bus was only running every 90 minutes because of the holiday. So he called Rick, and Rick came to the apt to pick us up.
There were 8 of us for dinner: Rick and Nancy, Chris, Michele and I, and 3 co-workers of Chris'. We had a marvelous dinner and interesting conversations for hours. Unfortunately Nancy was feeling under the weather and couldn't eat with us. It was a shame since she was the hostess and couldn't enjoy her guests. Chris and I helped clean up, but she insisted on doing the dishes later. Rick drove us home because it was raining.

Potatoes and rolls

This morning after packing Michele's lunch and seeing them off, I got started making a sweet potato casserole, the traditional Reber Thanksgiving dish. The Korean sweet potatoes are not orange inside, although they are sweet. After boiling them, peeling them and mashing them (since the potato masher didn't get shipped, I put them in the mixer), they were a green mush. Hmmm. Well, undaunted I finished the recipe and baked the casserole. Tomorrow we shall taste the results.
I also baked the traditional Grammy's Rolls that the Damour family eats each Thanksgiving. They took longer than I had planned because I thought they weren't rising. Also I was running out of butter and had to stretch it to get all the rolls made. While waiting for the rolls to rise, I cleaned Michele's bathroom, the kitchen, and swept the floors. That's one of the great things about having company - it motivates me to pick up and clean like I ought, but don't usually take the time to do. On the other hand, by the time they arrive I am usually worn out from cleaning.
Hyon arrived exactly on time, and brought me a rosemary plant. We looked at her chosen design and the fabric she'd brought. Since it was already cut, she needed to buy more. So she suggested we just pop on down to Dongdaemun. Just like that! Having her own driver made it easy. She even had him stop along the way to look for PVC. He was really good at driving through traffic. I couldn't watch. But we made it. Then she and I picked out fabric. She also bought a rotary cutter and ruler. On the way back it was getting dark and the city turned its lights on. Oh what brilliant displays! I hope they are not just for Christmas.
The rest of the evening was spent watching movies.
P.S. I am now on Facebook thanks to my cousin Gwenda. Anybody want to join me?

Preparing to prepare for Thanksgiving

After packing lunches and sending the family off, I settled down to finish reading a book. I also finished the alterations on two pairs of pants. Then I headed for the bus stop to wait for the bus to the thrift shop. Just after I sat down, a man driving by offered me a ride. Since waiting in the cold is not my thing, I accepted. He was very nice, and dropped me off at the front door of the shop. I helped out for a few hours. Then I dropped by the bank. On my way back, a woman stopped me to ask where the furniture store was. It was on my way home, so I walked her there. She was nice, too. She is living in the Dragon Hill and looking for an apartment close to base. Well, I know what that is like.
When I got home, I had lunch, checked e-mail, and made my scarf into the rug it was meant to be. Looks good. Chris gave me a pair of pants and a book bag to mend. Then I started cleaning my sewing room since someone is coming by tomorrow for some quilting assistance. I printed out the two recipes I plan to make tomorrow morning (to be ready for Thursday). I put a new bag in the vac and now I can go to bed.

the scarf-rug (and hat)

Today I took my chenille scarf to the quilt meeting. They agreed it made a lovely rug. So why fight it, since I need a couple of bathroom rugs anyway? Maybe I'll make more. Only four of us stayed for lunch, but we still happened to have a balanced meal: fruit, a ground beef dish, pasta salad and pumpkin cheesecake. Afterwards Pam and I went to the PX and the Gallerie. I got some Korean Christmas cards. I spent the afternoon reading a book and falling asleep. Now everyone else is asleep and I am awake.
In the photo you can see both sides of the scarf and the hat Michele crocheted for Chris.

Hiking vs. mountain climbing.

The Lunds provided us with transportation to church as usual. After church, I met a lady named Hyon. She wanted to learn machine piecing and quilting so I invited her over. She and her husband followed us home from church to see where we lived. Then, after giving Chris a haircut and making a list for the commissary, I got a call from her asking if we wanted to go hiking with them in an hour. We said yes, then had to rush to the commissary and back to be ready on time.
There is a difference between hiking and mountain climbing. Parts of the trail were very close to mountain climbing, especially since we were ascending a mountain. We were greeted by 60 degree slopes of granite and limestone covered in leaves and pinestraw. I did slip a few times, but the views were worth it. I forgot my camera, but Hyon brought hers. She sent me a pic, and I will post it if she gives me permission. The wind was cold at the top of the mountain and I was glad for Chris' jacket. We had a good time talking with them and seeing their 2 little dogs run up and down the rocky formations. I hope I won't be sore tomorrow.

The Tina Tour

Tina is my friend from Australia who likes to sew both quilts and clothing. We agreed to go to the craft show at the high school gymnasium on Saturday. She picked me up at our apartment complex around 10 and we went to the bank to get $100 bills to exchange for won. Then we parked at her house to go to the craft show. I got a handmade Korean embroidered painting. That took all my American cash (but not the $100). We went into Itaewon to get her shoes reheeled and exchange money, but the rate was lower than on post, so we went back to the bank for won. We also bought scarves, hats, and gloves from street vendors. It makes a big difference in price who you buy from, so ask at several places.
I had a magazine article on a thrift shop in Insadong, so we searched for it, starting at the gate 17 subway station - Ichon. It took us several trains to find the right station. Then we searched for the shop based on the recognizable buildings in the photo. We finally did find it, but it wasn't much what we were looking for - mostly clothing, dishes, and books. So we stopped at a small Korean restaurant and ordered what the ladies at the next table were eating. We figured if Koreans ordered it, it must be good. It was. Both dishes had noodles, which were a challenge to eat with chopsticks. We were laughing at each others efforts. Then one of the ladies got up and brought us forks. Either she felt sorry for us, or she'd had enough of our antics.
Then Tina wanted to see the night market. So we went to Namdaemun. That was quite an adventure in itself, riding this train and that. But we did find it, and wandered around until we were lost, but didn't care. We saw lots of little shops. Tina likes to look at shoes. We found an art/scrapbooking/toy/office supply/greeting card place. And more wrapping paper than you can imagine. It was quite dark when they turned off the lights and we had to leave. So Tina wanted to explore the Underground Market there. We did, a little, but they were closing up one by one also. Then we walked around topside looking for a subway station. We saw some beautiful city lights. Finally we came home. Tina thought I was tired, which I was, but I didn't want to stop 'cause I might miss something. She dropped me off at our apartment and I showed my purchases to Chris, then went to read a book and fell asleep.

Sewing and sewing and sewing...

Thursday I went to the thrift store to volunteer. We put out Christmas stuff, and arranged purses in the back. I also sorted the utilitarian bag display. Tina was there, and after lunch (somebody brought two pizzas), we went to her house for another sewing marathon. I finshed the first quilt top while Tina cut strips. Then, while she put the top and backing together, I sewed strip sets. We now have enouugh strip sets for the next two quilts. We stopped by the commissary. then she drove me home. Chris had made supper (he always does, isn't that wonderful?) so we ate and went to bed.
Friday while waiting for Tina to call, I finished a chenille scarf. I had already cut out the strips longitudinally. But then she remembered that she'd cut hers diagonally. So, whereas she sewed longitudinally, I had to sew diagonally. Arrgh! Then I soaked it and put it in the dryer. It fluffed nicely, but didn't get dry. Cutting through the channels, I ruined my second best pair of scissors. There was a pin I didn't see. Double arrgh and triple arrgh! I also made another pair of pants and nearly finished lowering the waistband on the previous pair. Tina called about 4, and said she'sd call back, but she didn't. I expect to hear from her this morning. We have plans to go to the craft sale at the high shool and to find the thrift shop in Insadong.
I got an e-mail this morning from our realestate agent. He says our hot tub is discouraging potential renters. Surely there has got to be one person out there who loves a good soak as much as I do. But whatever happens, I loved it while I had it.

COLD!!!!

Chris had to be at work at 6 this morning. I didn't envy him as it was below freezing and he had to walk. Poor man has no gloves, hat or scarf. These are more things that we were CERTAIN we had shipped, but they never arrived. But no boxes were missing from the shipment, so go figure.
I met Pam at the gate at 10 to go to Dongdaemun. This time I bought Swarovski crystals, more stretch denim, a zipper, flannel to make a scarf, poly and cotton threads, border fabric, and elastic. I gotta say the elastic here is wimpy. It is more like underwear elastic. No braided elastic anywhere that we could see.
It was cold! I was so glad I had a heavy green coat that my neighbor in NC gave me. The worst part is the wind. So I will make a scarf like my friend Tina made. It is nine layers of fabric, with 4 layers chenilled on each side. Warm and soft and cozy.

SIWA Internation fair (Seoul International Women's Association)

Today we went to the SIWA International Fair at the Grand Hilton, downtown. It was a frosty morning as we waited for the hotel bus to pick up a lot of us in Itaewon. The conference center at the hotel was warmer. There were many countries represented. Each had at least 2 tables. There they wore costumes reminiscent of their country and sold handmade products, like clothing, jewelry or food. Some gave out samples. There was also musical entertainment. In another room, many countries were selling hot foods. We had the chicken and dried fruit entree over rice. It was good, but I can't remember which country it was from. I got to practice my French at the FRANCE tables. I didn't get any French food because all they were selling was bread. But I did get some blueberry/blackberry confiture at their table in the other room.
While waiting for the return bus, we could see our breath in the air. We didn't spend much because the stuff we really liked was really expensive. Oh well. It was another day out and a trial for my new black pants. They fit much better than the last pair. I guess I am learning.
I was supposed to meet Tina at the fair, but we didn't run into each other. She called when she got home, and we arranged to spend the evening at her house making quilts for a friend of hers. This friend had started the first of three quilts to give as Christmas gifts, then got a job and couldn't finish it. Tina feels somehow responsible, so I am helping her finish them. Good thing we are going to Dongdaemun Wednesday because we need more backing and border fabric. Did I mention that her friend is just learning to sew? Finishing that quilt top was a challenge! The next two ought to be easy.

Finishing projects

In church we heard a new instrument. It is called Hae Gum. It had two strings tuned a fifth apart. The bow went between them so she could play either string, although I don't think she could play both. Here is a picture.
Sunday afternoon I finished the second quilt and started my second pair of pants. These will be black. I have the pieces cut out and sewn together. I just need to find the right placement for the elastic band, and hem them. While I was binding the quilt, we watched CSI. It was the first TV we've watched since we got here. We can't change the channel for some reason, but as long as they keep playing CSI episodes, that's ok with me.

Monday I got up early, worked on the pants some more, got ready for quilt meeting, and made a heart block. Then it was time to leave. That was when I realized that I had inadvertently sewn an extra piece of fabric to the backside of the heart block. Grr. Anyway, we (Pam and I) showed up for quilting and the first thing I did was take out the stitches holding the extra piece. At the end of the meeting, I re-stitched it by hand so we could drop by the post office and mail it.
Pam and Andrea and I are going to the SIWA arts and crafts fair tomorrow. Then on Wednesday, Pam and Tonette and I are going to Dongdaemun. So stay tuned.

Music Street

Saturday: No one e-mailed me to do anything, so we (the family) decided to go to Music street, some place Michele had heard about where bands play. She knew the Korean name, which I forget, and which subway stop it was on. So off we went, bringing scarves (too warm for coats, too cool for just a shirt) and an umbrella because it looked like rain. We had to buy Michele a subway card, but now we each have our own. We had to transfer twice to get to the correct station. Then we had no idea where to go. We headed off in one direction. No luck, turned left. Walked a ways, stopped for lunch. It was an Indian Nepalese restaurant. My dish had prawns. Michele's had lamb, and Chris' had cottage cheese. But it was the sauces that really made each dish. (Chris's was the best).
We did more walking after that. But no luck. We found a tourist info center. They said the street was called Club Street. Neither Chris nor Michele wanted to go then, so we stopped at a French patisserie and bought two good-looking pastries. Then we took the subway home. Only we didn't get home. At the last transfer station, we got on the wrong train. Apparently there is more than one train on that track. We went across the river, got off at the next stop and came back. We went to the same place, and got on the next train. This one DID take us home. Phew! When we got back, we found that after the trip, our pastries looked like modern art. The one I chose had a cappucino flavor. Lucky for me, the one Chris chose tasted like peaches. So we switched.
I forgot to mention yesterday that I was stopped in the subway by a young man asking if I was American. I said yes. Then he put his arm around me, and took our pic with his cell phone, said 'Thanks' and was gone. I don't know what it means, but I guess I 'still got it'.

Nearby Dongdaemun

I got up early to make lunches, and STAYED up. This is an amazing thing for me. Usually there is an irresistable urge to climb back in bed. But instead, I made bread, did a load of laundry, emptied the dishwasher, followed up on e-mail, cleaned my newest thrift shop chair, assembled the glass doors for the TV stand, and hung some pictures on the wall. Then I went on post to mail a package, get won at the bank. I met Chris for lunch, then dropped in on Michele having lunch with her friends. After that, I met up with Tina and we went to Dongdaemun to follow the flea market signs we'd seen yesterday. Only we couldn't find them today. But a very nice young lady noticed us looking lost and tried to help us. We followed her as she asked around for directions and took us exactly where we wanted to go. She said she'd been to the U.S. and knew what it was like to be lost in a foreign country. She was a life-saver for us. Then we had a ball looking at all kinds of stuff: decorative, old, junky, barely used, yard sale-like, etc. You know, it is HARD to haggle when you don't speak the language. We mostly bought fruit and Korean snacks to try later. I wish I had a pic of the Korean candy shop and all its selections. My best buy was an antique(?) wooden chest(?) that locks. When Chris saw it, he said he couldn't imagine why I would want such a thing. He'll soon find out.

Where's the denim?

Wednesday night I had finished another quilt top, all except for the corners, which I put on Thursday morning. I am not sure when I will get to quilt this one. It may be the second in a series of three.
I took a bus to meet Tina at the middle school. She met me there with her dog, saying that she'd stopped by the thrift shop and no one answered despite the doors being open and the lights on. So the two of us walked back to check. Tina was afraid we'd find someone dead on the floor, but I walked in calmly and checked it out. All lights on, computer on, no one anywhere. So we went to Tina's house since she lives next to Gerry, who kinda runs the thrift shop. On the way, Tina pointed out a grill that had been standing out for a few days. She assured me that the owners had moved, leaving it behind. So I helped her carry it back to her house.
She showed me around, then we knocked on Gerry's door to tell her about the thrift shop, and walked from there to the subway.
Where were we going? Why, Dongdaemun of course. Tina had a long list of things she wanted to get. We got a few impulse purchases also. I wanted to get some more denim. It was so obvious last time. Aisles and aisles of it. But this time we were lucky to find one place. We couldn't remember what floor it was on. We searched and searched. I got hungry and tired, but on we went. We did finally find one place, each of us purchased two yards, then went in search of food. We settled on a tiny sit-down restaurant in a small tent on the edge of a street. One of many. We had kimbop (mmm), and some kind of soup, and a spicy chicken conglomerate. For napkins, they had a roll of toilet paper hung on the wall.
Then we checked out the undergarments building. Huge! I won't describe our purchases. We went back to the fabric bldg and stumbled upon stabilizer. Tina bought the whole roll for 10,000 won! Over three feet high and 6 inches in diameter. She then went in search of serger thread. She got 20+ spools. We had quite a haul to carry home on the subway. During the ride we agreed that one day we should throw a dart at the subway map and just go there.
She had her husband meet us at the post gate. He drove me to my gate then they went home. I was so happy not to have to walk all the way! I spent the evening watching Hogan's Heroes episodes and washing the fabrics I had bought. Just too tired to quilt. Stay tuned for Friday when I get more won, mail a package, and we go off on another adventure.

Lucky find

Wednesday: I got up early to make lunches, but DIDN'T go back to bed. Yawn. Instead, I started sewing on another quilt, a variation of the one I just did. I had cut the pieces last night, so all I had to do was sew. I am making triangles by sewing together squares and rectangles, and cutting off the part I don't need. Also, I am sewing together the cut-off triangles for another project. Boy, are there a lot of them!
A friend asked for some silk, so I packed it in my bag along with her address, and an envelope for my mother. I headed out. When I reached the post office, I realized the the address had stayed home. Grr! But they let me bring the box home to pack and address later. But on the way, I stopped by the Chosun, where they had a new shipment of silk in new colors. How to choose? Luckily a friend was there, choosing also, so we decided to split 4 colors. We each bought two colors and will exchange halves on Monday. I also stopped by the thrift shop. What a lucky thing! I found a chair that exactly matches the chair I bought there a month ago. What are the chances of that? But then I needed my rolling cart to get it home. Before I could leave, The head of the thrift shop cornered me. They have a fashion show every February where the volunteers of the thrift shop wear outfits and accessories from the store and the guests can buy the ones they like. Nisha really pushed to have me pick out a gown to wear. I just don't know about doing that. I did finally get out, went home, brought back the cart, and rolled my chair home. What a pair they make. Then, after supper, I finished my quilt top. I also watched our current Netflix movie "Tuesdays with Morrie". What a good movie! Watch it with tissues.

New Quilt

Monday I finished the quilt, then Chris and I met Nancy in Itaewon for lunch. (Chris was home because it was a training holiday and they told him to take the day off.) We ate at a Thai restaurant. It was outstanding! And spicy. I had the chicken with green curry. After wards we stopped by the German deli for pretzels. We passed a man selling fruits and vegetables. I bought some more persimmons. I had used up the last two making persimmon bread (like banana bread). On the way back my right earring fell out. We couldn't find it. Chris told me to just make another one, since I had made that pair with stuff from Dongdaemun and Chris' Leatherman. So, ok.
Tuesday all three of us were home for Veteran's Day. We discussed ideas for a family outing, but Michele didn't feel well and had homework. So Chris and I took the subway to Insadong, since I had heard it mentioned a lot. We wanted to see what was there. But that meant different things to each of us. To me it meant wandering down streets, looking into shops, and taking a closer look at ones that looked interesting. To Chris it meant taking a quick walk around, noting what kind of stores there were and leaving. Oh, well. We did buy a stand for my keyboard, and a foot shaver (for the dry skin). Also, we bought local food: a sausage with coleslaw wrapped in a pancake. It was very good. And a pancake wrapped around mashed potato salad. It was good, too. I didn't believe the sign that said "Mashed potato salad", but that is exactly what it was: mashed potatoes with pieces of hard-boiled eggs, and spices. And the pancakes were even better. They were sweet. Chris thought they were made from buckwheat. We brought these delicacies home to share with Michele.

SEWING, finally

So, Friday I stayed home to sew. I finished the stocking and the December block of the month (see pic). Saturday I stayed home to sew again. I wanted to make some small quilted things. I have noticed that other quilters have a plethora of small quilted things lying about their houses. And since I will be the February host, I figured I had better have some small quilted things, too. But what? Looking through my block-a-day for a year calendar, I came across a block called Autumn Cross. It had lots of pieces for a 12 inch block, so I doubled it to make a 24 inch block. Might as well make it big enough to see. And I had the fabric selection for the block of the month still lying on the table. Well, I divided it up into 9 segments, which would go together like a 9-patch. I made the segments, but then played around with their placement. That made a totally different block. I added a pieced border to finish out the new design, and called the top complete. So on Sunday (after church), I layered and quilted it. I am working on the binding now.
For this quilt I have been using the reconditioned machine I bought, Singer 140Q. The quarter inch foot is awesome. I had to match a million points and almost all of them are perfect. I like the machine, but it growls at me when I step on the foot pedal. I don't know what that means.
Re: the blue pants. I like they way they fit and look, so I want to make some more pairs. But in order to buy more stretch denim I have to decide what color I would like my underwear to be. Maybe red. Then I will have some red, some white and some blue.

Dongdaemun AND Namdaemun

Thursday Pam and I went to Dongdaemun, to find various things for our stocking exchange. In December each of us makes and decorates a stocking to exchange. Well, we made the rounds, examining yards of trim, beads, laces, etc. Then, thoroughly tired, we decided to check out Namdaemun, a marketplace. Well, it wasn't on Pam's subway map. But one of the stations on our way back was circled, so we said "Hey, let's go there". It turned out to be Namdaemun. We didn't stay very long because of the purchases we were toting. But I did get TWO packages of rice cakes.
Friday I stayed home to make the stocking. According to the directions, you decorate it first, then sew the two halves together, WRONG sides together, then do an overcast stitch. Well it came out very elegant (burgundy and green silk), but the edging looked terrible. I was so mad. I didn't want to do the project in the first place, and now it had eaten the entire day, was unnecessarily complicated by the 'curly toe' feature, and looked raggedy. So, I gave it a reason to fray. I lined both sides of the edge with green silk, and clipped it every 1/2 inch or so. Turned out ok.
Oh, Chris called me to meet him at work as he had a large package to carry home. It turned out to be the sewing machine I ordered.
My new blue pants now have company: blue underwear and blue shoelaces. Add that to my blue hands and socks. Why aren't my legs blue?

Blue pants (and hands and socks...)

I slept in this morning, even though Chris had to get up extra early for a teleconference. The great thing about Daylight savings time is that now he must be there at 6 am instead of 5 am. Which means that the near gate is open and the buses are running, I think. Anyway, after sleeping through his departure, I slept through Michele's, too. After all, I wouldn't want to show partiality. When I did finally rise, I readied myself for visiting the library and commissary. When I got to the near gate, I had a 15 minute wait ahead of me, so I started walking. I got to the bus stop by the thrift shop and decided to wait for the bus there, since I was going all the way to main post. There I jotted down a list of things I might want for Christmas since I've been asked. Then I rode the bus to the library, dropped off books, walked to the Gallerie to ask the embroidery people where they get their thread, then to the PX. From the PX, I walked to the Dragon Hill, where Michele was sitting with a friend eating a hotdog. I walked up behind her and said "Its a terrible thing when a mother won't fix her daughter lunch." She just glared at me, so I left. I went to the thrift shop, bought two quilting magazines, was told Obama won the election, went to the Chosun, bought some silk, then walked to the commissary, thinking it had to be a mistake (Obama winning). I bought food, including a very large bottle of cranberry juice for Michele. She'd better appreciate it, because that bag was heavy! But, as I approached the pedestrian bridge (on my way home) a very nice young man offered to carry that bag for me. Being too polite to refuse, I accepted. Chivalry is not dead. Anyway, came home, put groceries away, checked e-mail, had lunch, Michele came home, I went into my sewing room determined to make the pair of pants I had bought fabric for a month ago. Well guess what? I hadn't washed the fabric, and the blue rubs off! My hands are blue and my socks are blue. My legs are probably blue, too. But I shant go to bed before they are finished. I just have to take in the elastic a little more.
Michele got her SAT results today. They were in the 500's and 600's. Chris told her that she most likely won't get into Georgetown or Will and Mary with those scores. She was devastated. So we had a discussion about how she should apply anyway, make herself look as good as possible on the application, and look at other colleges to start off her college career. I think she's ok now.
Well, enough break, back to the blue. I must get my beauty sleep so I can go back to Dongdaemun tomorrow.
Addendum - I washed the pants to get the extra dye out and the water was YELLOW! Color me surprized. I soaked them overnight in vinegar water, then washed and dryed them by machine. I wore them to Dongdaemun the next day and still had blue socks at the end of the day.

Circles Around Dongdaemun

This morning I set off for Gate 19 to meet Nancy for a trip to Dongdaemun. BUT, the bus schedlues have changed, so my bus was 12 minutes later and I missed the connecting bus. So I walked from the school to the gate, rather than wait for the next bus. Nancy wasn't far behind me. Then we walked to the subway station. All the while I was keeping an eye out for the rice cakes with the sweet bean filling that is often sold in a street-side stand or in the subway stations.
Nancy had never been to Dongdaemun, so it was up to meto find the way. It was so easy I couldn't believe it. And we got to sit on the train, too. Then, there we were, looking around and taking it all in. We proceeded to the 5th floor, found buttons for her, pearls and beads and trim for me, and gobs and gobs of other stuff to feast our eyes on. The only other thing I wanted was Mettler machine embroidery thread. Actually, the brand wasn't important, but NOBODY had any, except some Gutterman varigated thread. So we checked other floors. No luck, just lace and stuffed bunny heads. No, we do not know why you would want to buy a bag of small stuffed bunny heads. Anyway, we decided to walk the perimeter of the buildings and see what those stalls had. No luck. More trims and rusty medical instruments. Ok, so we crossed the street to look there. No luck. We passed a Christian bookstore, actually lots of bookstores, in Korean, and hats, and trims, and umbrellas, and Christmas ornaments. FINALLY, we found a store selling embroidery thread in large spools. But, when I showed her my almost-empty spool of thread, she pantomimed that what I had (polyester) was stronger than what she had (rayon) and wouldn't sell it to me. She sent us back the way we had come, 100 meters. So, thinking we had missed something, we backtracked, and took a left at the Christmas ornaments. No luck there either, but there were a lot of food places. One had live eels ina tank, but we passed that one by. Finally we sat and had lunch. It must have been the Chicken Soup restaurant. That and side dishes were all that was on the menu, as far as we could tell. And the proprietress must have been a Jewish mother because she hovered over us, making sure our bowls were filled, showing us how to eat noodles with chop sticks, cutting up the chicken, encouraging us to eat more kimchi, etc. We did the best we could, mouths burning, and my nose running. She found that very amusing. Maybe if I had left it run, she'd have wiped it for me.
After that, we made our way home via the subway. I never did find any rice cakes.

Secret Sister gift

Sunday we went to church, transported by the Lunds. Thank you, Rick. Chris tells me he will buy a car this month. I suppose he has it picked out. I spent the rest of the day working on my secret sister gift. I have made 6 blocks so far, with plans for 3 more. Making the block is easy, but I have to get the digitization right. I also wrote a poem to go with it so she'll know there will be more coming. I think two at a time is enough. I wrapped two of the blocks in a square of coordinating fabric along with the poem. But guess what? She didn't show up this morning so the gift was never opened. It will be passed along to her at some point, and she'll open it without the attention of the group. I am a little disappointed, which begs the question, did I really make it for her? or to show off? I'd like to think I just wanted to see her open it. My secret sister gave me a small box of chocolate, and a picture frame with a pen. We opened gifts at Hannah's house. This is the one Monday a month that we meet at someones house. We were to bring something to work on and something for show and tell. I didn't have either. Ralu had two things, so she let me sew binding on one of her quilts.
Walking to and from Hannah's house, I spotted a little shop with PVC in the window. I will have to go back and see what kind of selection they have. After we returned to post, Pam (my friend with a car who likes to drive me around) asked if I needed to go anywhere. I wanted to go to the commissary, so she dropped me off there. What a genius I am. The commissary is closed on Mondays. Oh, well. A little extra walking never hurt.