Friday

Today I had nowhere to go,so I stayed home. I intended to work on a teacup, but I couldn't find the pieces I had so carefully stored in a bag for when I had time to work on it. I read a Chicken Soup book, full of touching short stories. I did a little cleaning up and putting away laundry. The cleaning I did earlier seems not to have lasted except for the bathroom. Now, I am preparing to shower and go to bed early so I can get up at 6 and go skiing for the first time in my life. Don't tell me to break a leg.

Hats all, Folks

Again, like yesterday, I did not feel the need to sleep in. I made three more blocks to add to the design wall. I made a hat and a half and a scarf. I cleaned a little, took out recyclables, etc. I kept finding one more thing to do such that I didn't get to the thrift shop until after 11. At lunch time we took a cake break. One of the charities we donate clothing to gives us cakes that have been donated to them. We finished up about 1:30 and I went over to the middle school to drop off my cafeteria request sheet. Having nothing else to do on post, I walked home. Then I got on my computer and wasted a lot of time, but hey, I did clear out over 200 old e-mails. Then I finished the half a hat, only to discover that, like the first one, it was too small (although bigger). Then I made a scarf hat from the remaining piece of fleece. Anybody need a brown fleece hat? Or 2?
Whle watching a movie called Split Infinity, I cut up the 8 yards of fabric that the quilt group bought for their block swap. I calculated it by the square inch to get 15 equal pieces out of it. Phew! Glad that's over.

Simple blocks

I usually sleep in after Chris and Michele leave, but last night was quiet and I guess I got enough sleep that I didn't need to sleep in. So I stayed up and finished one more block. Here is a pic of the 12 blocks so far.
Andrea came over for a sewing lesson. We made the next block of the month - Ladies Aid Album. Then she drove me to post to get a paper signed. But the signer wasn't in, so I went to the library to check out a book and study my Korean until 4. Then I picked up the signed paper, and stopped by the bank to get more won. Pretty good rate today. It was too late to turn in the paper at the school and too soon to expect a ride home with my husband, so I stopped by the thrift store. The people there were very talkative. They close at 6, so I had to tear myself away and walk home as it was then too late to catch a ride home. There was spaghetti cooking on the stove. Just as I started eating, Chris and Michele left to see a movie. I thought I had the apt to myself for a while, but apparently the movie was so bad, they walked out on it. They are watching the DVD Casablanca now (to erase the bad vibes of the earlier movie).

What husbands are good for.

Last night was the worst yet. Each night I listen to a meditation Cd with headphones. Even with headphones on, I could hear the TV from upstairs. Every night this happens. It doesn't bother Chris at all, so I figure it is my problem. But last night at 1 in the morning I had had it. I got out of bed, grabbed my pillow and retired to the futon in the computer room. It was quiet enough that I could think about something other than the TV upstairs. Chris then got up, got dressed, and went up to talk to the man. Very soon he was back and the TV was way down. And I finally got to sleep. I love my husband.
This morning, instead of sleeping in, I listened to my medition CD again (it was quiet this time) and then got up and started cleaning. I planned to go to the thrift shop, but didn't because I seemed to have the sniffles. Tina called later to ask if I knew why the thrift shop was closed. I didn't, and was glad I didn't go. I got more cleaning done. I did take a break when I discovered that washing the wallpaper paste off the lintels wasn't working. When the lintels dried, the paste reappeared. Great. I tried alcohol, a wet dryer sheet, vinegar, hot soapy water, and a metal scrubbie. Very limited success, or incomplete failure. I rearranged things in the kitchen and threw out unneeded papers. I cleaned the stove and told Chris he should buy a week's worth of microwave meals. Ha! Michele came home today with her cap and gown. She tried them on and was disappointed in the length. After supper, I went to Adele's house where the quilters met to work on unfinished projects. We basted Cathi's quilt and generally had a good time talking. I got home a little after 11. I am looking forward to a quiet night.

Memories

Here is a picture Tina took of me on the empty subway when we got stuck in the railyard. We were pretending to be camping like we might be there for days. We should have known something was up when we had no trouble finding seats.

Today is Monday, and a Korean holiday. So Chris and Michele were home today. I stayed home where it is warm. But Michele had been invited to a movie, and had to meet someone at the Yongsan station. So Chris rode with her there. Then he came home and later walked to the nearest station to walk her home. I guess she had a good time. I made 7 more blocks. I am thinking of taking a picture, but I may wait to make one more block.
While sewing I composed a verse to a favorite song:
The weather outside is frightful
but the fabric is so delightful
Since I have no place to go,
Let me sew, let me sew, let me sew.

Around the block(s)

I woke up slowly this morning, dreaming that I was back in the U.S. I didn't want to wake up and deal with the reality of being so far away. When I finally did wake up, we had only 20 minutes to get ready for church. Luckily we made it and were only 2 minutes late. After church we had refreshments and I signed up for the Buddhist temple retreat. We stopped by Tina's house then to pick up my fabric that had gotten mixed in with hers. Then we stopped by the Lunds house, so they could pay Michele for taking care of their cat while they were gone. Arriving home, we admired the snowfall. While it snowed, we watched a Batman movie and did computer stuff. I also started a chicken-themed teacup and made some simple blocks in preparation for our block swap. Some of the members expressed an interest in finding simple blocks so they could complete the project before they have to leave Korea. So I thought since we will be having a meeting at my place on Feb 2nd, I could make some simple blocks as decoration for my walls and as samples for those that want suggestions. I made 4 blocks, but as usual, choosing the fabric took the longest.

Now I have a pair...

Today I stayed in all day. It was wonderful. It snowed last night and again today so I could look at it and not walk in it. I watched a Deepak Chopra DVD, and finished recovering a second chair. I started cleaning my sewing room in anticipation of the quilt group holding a meeting here on Feb 2nd. I washed some of the fabric I bought yesterday, but the rest of it inadvertantly went home with Tina. I plan to pick it up tomorrow after church.

CHUP_DA means 'cold'

This morning Michele and I went to the hospital to get our last round of vaccinations. We had to wait a while but it wasn't too bad. However I learned that I am only 14 months old. My dob is listed as 2007. And my last name is spelled Damourm. And my husband is not listed in some database the army uses. And the only way to correct any of this is to appear WITH my husband at the place where we in-processed. Don't hold your breath.
Tina and I had planned to go ice skating afterwards, but it was too cold. Yes, too cold for ice skating. So we decided to go to Dongdaemun instead and shop for fabric indoors. Well, to get there we bundled up. I wore two coats, two pairs of socks, two scarves and THREE pairs of gloves. At Dongdaemun we were soon much too warm inside, but I bought fleece to make a hat and two pairs of leggings to wear under pants. I also want to make a face mask like the Koreans wear. Tina got me one, but Michele has it. If it were black, she'd resemble Darth Vader. Tina bought several things and then we got into trouble. You would think that being able to read some Korean would be a good thing. But we were pressed for time. Then I spotted a sign in Korean that said 1 yard is 1000 won. Basically a dollar a yard. So of course we had to stop and go through the entire pile. Tina had been looking all day for flanned-backed denim. Nobody had it. But there was a piece in that pile! We left happy. But then we were back in the cold, then into the warm subway. But coming out at our destination, it was colder still. We had to wait for Tina's husband to pick us up. We were cold inspite of all our layers. Tina's husband dropped me off at our gate around 6:20. Michele and I were supposed to leave at 6:30 for our Korean lesson. So I ran home, downed two sausages in record time (forgot to eat lunch) and ran back out. Chris came with us to drive, but instead of attending the lesson, he went back to the office until we were done. The coffee shop we have our lesson in is a 10 to 15 minute walk in the freezing cold. My three pairs of gloves were not enough to keep my hands warm. Michele was cold, too. I hadn't done the homework because we got back so late, but Michele did hers in the car. We arrived ahead of our teacher so I worked on mine until she came. The lesson was interesting and all too soon it was time to go back out into the cold. I was so glad to find Chris waiting and to go home. The lunar new year starts tomorrow and we have been advised to stay off the streets due to traffic congestion. Also, many Korean places will be closed. The holiday is five days long. Staying home where it is warm sounds like heaven to me.

Midnight market? Midnight madness.

Thursday started off ordinarily enough. I volunteered at the thrift shop. But at 11 Andrea stopped by to take me to lunch. We also took her husband and two Katusa's. She and her husband want the manager of a Mexican restaurant to cater the next boyscout event. So we went there for lunch and brought the Katusas to translate. It was a good Mexican meal, but comparatively expensive to Mexican food in the U.S.
After lunch Andrea and I went to the middle school to check out the cafeteria for quilting purposes. Then I went to Tina's house for a visit. She hadn't been out in a while and decided to go to the midnight market. According to her sources it starts around 9. She dropped me by my apartment to get more layers. Then, we were there by 8 and, after being a relatively warm day (forties) it got cold. I was wearing two coats, two scarves, two pairs of gloves and two pairs of socks. I was still cold. Let me tell you the place was jamming. Loud music, college kids crowded around a stage where a dance group was performing, and rain. But where was the great shopping? I bought a pair of boots in the subway. We didn't buy anything else for hours. (I related to Tina how I had found our apartment unlocked and dark. Chris came home soon after and I asked "Where have you guys been?" He replied, "What do you mean, isn't Michele here?" I nearly had a heart attack, but he found her asleep in her bed. Tina said it was interesting how we had no concern for the fact that we were frequently lost in the fifth largest city in the world, and this time at night, but the mere thought that our child was not home when expected inspired a panic attack.) We wandered in search of a place to eat. We uttered phrases I never thought I'd say, like "Lets buy food from the street people" and "How about eating in an alley?" Finally we sat in a small tent that served food. We had kimbap, jopchai, kimchi and soup. After that, Tina spent over 30,000 won just like that! Then we passed a Korean snack place. We each bought some snacks, then headed for the subway. It was almost 11. It seemed to take forever to get back to the Samgakji station and find our way back to Gate 1. Tina drove me home and I nearly fell asleep in a chair before getting on-line to write this before I forget. We have NO plans to go shopping at night again.

Transportation Class

This morning I went to a class on using the subway, bus and rail system here in seoul.
I have had all kinds of experiences with the subway already, but figured a little formal instruction couldn't hurt. That and Chris wanted me to go. So I went.
The class started at 9 and I was there by 8:30. But soon others came and we chatted until 9. There were supposed to be 14 people, but only 6 other people showed up. First we watched some slides, and there were handouts, maps and such. Then we all walked to Noksapyong station. She explained all the clues to be found here and there about where we were, where the trains go, and what was near each exit of the subway. Then we rode the train to Samgakji where we transferred to the blue line and traveled to Namdemun. It is a shopping mecca. However, we stopped at a restaurant to eat, then walked through the market streets to another subway exit. We did not stop to shop because we had to be back by two. We the class decided to exchange phone numbers and meet to shop one day. Many of them live in Park Towers. The gates near the towers were closed today due to Korean protesters. They were upset because 7 or 8 people died in a fire that the Korean fire company didn't respond to in a timely manner. On Tuesday the riot police shot five of them. They were back protesting today. I feel sorry for the people who live near there.
From the class I walked to the library, and then to the Four Seasons, at which I bought sandpaper, chair feet, a ratcheting screwdriver, and a small flashlight. Then I walked to Chris' office and read a magazine until he was finished with work. He drove us to the thrift shop where he bought a coat and I got 6 more movies.
We came home, had leftovers for supper, and then I covered the back of another chair. Maybe tomorrow I will have the opportunity to do the seat. Then I will have 2 matching chairs.

It's curtains for that chair

I went to the thrift shop to help out. I was an hour later than I had planned because there was always one more thing to do before leaving the apartment. While I was at the thrift shop, Alison showed me a drapery panel that someone had donated. There was only one and she didn't know if they should try to sell it or not. I told her it would look good on a set of chairs I recently acquired. And so I bought it. For some reason the picture is below. She talked me into buying the two pillows that were very similar. So with that big bag of stuff I didn't want to be walking around to all the places I had planned. I went directly home. Tomorrow I shall make the rounds.
Planning the chair recovery was quite a job because one has to center the motif, both on the chair seat and on the chair back. I have to use the fabric as wisely as possible to have enough for all four chairs. I only got one done, and nothing else.

OSAN!

So here it is Monday. Chris and Michele have the day off. Chris wants to go to Osan Air Force Base to buy a coat. Michele wants to stay home. I want to see the Bx I've heard so much about but was closed when we went on Thursday. So off we go.
Chris and I met his coworker along the way, so it was the three of us. I was wearing two coats and was comfortable outside but too warm inside the train. There was a movie poster above one door with 2 faces on it. Using my elementary Korean decoding skills, I sounded out the name next to the male face. Buh-ray-duh Pea-tuh. Oh, Brad Pitt. Next to her face, I saw Kay-ee-tuh Bel-lon-shess. Was that supposed to be Kate Blanchett? I could not make out the title of the movie. It started with Ben.
We got to the station and took a cab to the base. Then we walked to the BX. They were all sold out of men's long coats. The wonderful sewing section I had heard about was merely an endcap, less than what we have in Yongsan. They had a selection of women's boots. TWO. Stylish, but not practical. I was disappointed to say the least.
So then we walked to Chili's for lunch. The weather had warmed up to the point where I only had to wear one coat. But still 2 pairs of gloves. We had a nice lunch. We walked to the main gate to look off post for coats. But Chris quickly lost patience with walking and looking. He wanted to know exactly where the coat shop was and just go there. But I didn't know where they were, so we caught a cab back to the train station. We got home about 4. Chris and Michele went to feed the cat. I laid down for a while. After supper I got up and fixed Chris' coat, for the FOURTH time. This time I also stitched over the seams I thought would tear next. I told him he'd better buy himself a new coat because I wasn't taking that lining out again.

Church can be scary...

This afternoon I used my new VCR to watch The Blair Witch Project while I ironed fabric out of the dryer. Chris and Michele had marveled at my choice in movies, saying it was a scary movie. I had heard that it wasn't so scary. Well, I kept watching, waiting for the scary part and it never came. There was a lot of screaming, but I didn't see anything to scream at. In fact I'd have to say church this morning was a lot scarier.
I was as scared this morning in church as I have ever been in my life. No joke. Three quarters of the way through the service, there was suddenly this deafening noise like 1000 bombers flying overhead. Michele said it was like a gunshot that never stopped. I was sure we were all soon dead. I crouched down and covered my ears and head. I was in tears. It was so loud my ears hurt. It seemed to go on for a long time. But no bombs fell. After a while it stopped and the service proceded as usual. But I couldn't stop shaking. I think it must have triggered some childhood trauma that I don't remember.
After supper I traded chair backs on the blue chairs so that the torn back was on the chair with the torn seat. Now I have three perfectly good chairs and only need to recover one.

(Have a seat) x 4

We slept late this morning, partly due to the curtains keeping out the daylight and partly due to the TV in the apartment upstairs keeping me awake. I called Andrea to find out if she had found her son, and she had. Thank God. Then she told me how she had rescued 4 chairs that were being thrown out near the school. She had heard my story of the gov't wanting their chairs back and took pity on me. These chairs are in good condition except for two that have tears on the back or seat. That I can fix. So way to go, Andrea! She brought them over in her van.
I spent the afternoon watching movies on my 'new' VCR while ironing all the fabric I bought on Tuesday. I also made a handle for the teacup and started hand-quilting the coaster.
Then we went out to eat with Hyon and Tim. They took us to a Korean restaurant that served ribs barbequed over hot coals set into each table. According to Korean custom, there were many side dishes, including 3 kinds of kimchi, mushrooms, squash, lettuce and sesame leaves, and dipping sauce. Afterwards they took us back to their apartment for chocolates and orange sections. We had good conversation and a wonderful time. We drove home about 9, stopping along the way to feed Nancy's cat while she is away. Hyon gave us a bag of clothes that she cleaned out of her closet.
When we got home, Michele and I divided the items between us.

$2000 on fabric?

When I left the apartment this morning I was greeted by a heavy snowfall. It was beautiful. However I almost needed an umbrella. I slipped and slid my way to post where Pam met me and we went to Gate 19 to meet the others. The quilt group had been given $2000 to buy fabric and supplies for making baby quilts and Quilts of Valor. We also had 90 days to do it, and they were about up. So, off we went to Dongdaemun, the fabric mecca. We were a little slow getting started, but soon realized that at $3 a yard, we really had to do some serious selecting to spend that much money. Before noon, we had amassed quite a pile of fabric and batting. Then the merchant threw in a large box of scraps in appreciation of our business. Some of us bought fabric for ourselves and were given several yards each of fabric. It's a great place. I can't wait for our next get-together when we open the box he gave us.
This evening Michele and I walked to the coffee shop where our Korean friend tried to teach us Korean last week. Only this week Chris came along. She went over many things, and I don't remember many of them, but I took notes. Some of it I just don't understand. Some of the sound differences between words I can't hear. But I am keeping with it all the same. Michele is a big help because she has been taking Korean in school.

....And then there were none.

...What a day this has been, what a rare mood I'm in...
This morning I made a saucer to go with my teacup. Since I expected to go to the quilting night at Adele's, I packed my unfinished project along with the materials needed to finish it. First, I went to the thrift shop to volunteer. But I missed the bus, had to walk and was late. There I found a VCR for $10 and the movies were 6/$1, so for $11 I can now watch 6 movies.
Carrying it with me I proceeded to the ACS building where there was a ceremony honoring selected volunteers. Afterwards they cut a cake in their honor. Right after the cake table was a table full of Subway sandwiches, cut veggies, kimbap, fruit and tea. So dessert and then lunch. The lady that asked me to teach at the Culture Center downtown came and handed me an envelop. I did not open it at that time. She asked me to teach an English class one night a week. I told her it was illegal for me to work in Korea. She replied that she would call me and let me know which night. It was surreal. Tina was at the luncheon and she and MaryAnn and I went to the Dragon Hill where Michele was having lunch to remind her to baby sit Tina's son after school. Then we drove to Gate 17 and boarded a subway train for Osan.
Well, several trains actually. We had to change trains once. Then while riding the next train, I noticed fewer and fewer people. Finally the train slowed down and stopped and there was no one on it except for us. Oops. What happened? We were stuck in the middle of a trainyard. Then the cleaning crew came through. They left. Then the conductor left. Then a new conductor came through. We were able to communicate just enough to understand that we should get off at the next stop. The train started up again and went backwards. We got off at the next stop and looked around. There were the cleaning ladies motioning to us to join them in the elevator. Okay.... So upstairs in the station we walked and looked for signs. Then there were the cleaning ladies again, motioning to us to join them in another elevator going down. They pointed to the platform where a train had just stopped and they left. We got on that train, and PTL it was the right one. OSAN!
We took a taxi to a shopping area right outside the air base. I have to tell you it was COLD! We walked around freezing. We bought extra gloves to put on and extra socks, too. Double-gloved and double-socked I was still cold. The only other thing I bought was dark blue embroidered hanbok fabric. (See pic) Finally we walked onto the base. There everyone was in full battle gear with gas masks on. Yikes! But soon an announcement was made that it was an exercise. So we walked to the Bx and had a bite to eat. Then clang, clang, the doors came down on the Bx. They closed it early because of the exercise! So, taxi back to the train station and ride home. All was well on the return trip. We got back to Tina's car, and drove MaryAnn to her gate. We got lost trying to get back to South Post due to the one-way lane. When we finally got back to Tina's house it was after 9. That's when I remembered the quilting night that Pam was going to pick me up for. Poor Pam. Michele had left her phone at home and I had given her mine which she put on vibrate. So she never heard the phone ring. Oh well, I called Pam to explain and I think she has forgiven me. What a day of adventure! We laughed so hard at ourselves for getting lost, ending up in a train yard, trading socks, missing the Bx shopping experience, etc. We'll have to do it again sometime.

Sew finally

I arose early this morning to start washing all that fabric I bought yesterday. In between loads, I picked up around the apartment. Andrea came over for a sewing lesson just after 10. She wanted to make a baby quilt out of an alphabet panel. Easily enough done, but we talked so much that it took 4 hours. After she left, I got on the computer for awhile, then finished a little quilt top made of blocks of the month. I had cut so many pieces for the demonstration that I was able to make 3 blocks. So I made one more and put pieced sashing strips in between. I taped it to the wall in my sewing room for some color.
Then I searched the internet for a pattern for a quilted teacup. I have made them before, but my pattern is in storage. Chris told me to just buy another one, but they don't seem to sell it anymore. So I spent the evening drafting one. It isn't quite right, but pretty close. The cup is mostly done, now I need to work on the saucer.

Do you like totally remember the 80's?

Today was the AFSC luncheon. The theme was the 1980's. Everyone was encouraged to dress up. There were some wild costumes there. Princess Diana, Richard Simmons, Cindy Lauper, Janet Jackson, The Judd sisters, Bo Derek, Jane Fonda, and Tina Turner were just some of the look-alikes there. We had a great time listening to '80's music, too. For lunch we had a potato and salad bar, apparently reminiscent of the 80's. Rubik's cubes were mentioned and a high school senior was brought in to show how fast he could solve one. At one point he was working the cube without even looking at it. It was a lot of fun.
As usual, there were vendors selling their wares beforehand. I bought lots of fabric. After lunch Pam and I went to the Px. Christmas stuff was 75% off. All I bought was posterboard. That was fun carrying home along with 44 yards of fabric.
Michele did go to school today although she was not eating as much as usual. I am glad for that. She and her father watched movies in the evening while I sewed some blocks together. I also mended Chris' coat, for the third time. I think it is just old and the thread is falling apart.

Hurray for nurses!

It seems Michele had not recovered from yesterday's illness. She couldn't eat breakfast and even water would not stay down. I didn't know what to do. She had no other symptoms, but I was afraid that she would dehydrate before she could fight off whatever it is. So, she and I met Pam at the gate and I asked Pam to drive us to the on-post hospital, instead of the quilt meeting as scheduled. There, I told the receptionist our problem and she said Michele had to in-process before she could get her an appointment. During the in-processing, the lady asked if Michele wanted to be an organ donor. I didn't think she was that sick. Goodness, what a question.
Anyway, there were no appointments to be had and the emergency room was full. So I asked if I could just get some advice. The receptionist took me down the hall, and stopped a male nurse. He said to give her popsicles and Pepto Bismol or Tums. It was good advice. Pam took us to the shoppette, since the commissary is closed on Mondays. We got popsicles and Tums and that allowed her to hydrate and keep it down. Actually seeing a doctor wouldn't have been any better, probably the same advice and this was free! She hasn't eaten anything since then, but she slept a lot and drank quite a bit of water. I think she will do just fine.

All in a Sunday

Getting ready for church this morning I realized the downside of having a design wall where the hairdryer is used. Thankfully I discovered this before too many pieces came off.
Several days ago Chris came home from the commissary and very proudly showed me his purchase - 2 large jars of mincemeat. I hated to tell him that I have never liked mincemeat. So he made two pies and brought them to church today. We had a party for a baptism and a going away. There were many desserts there and not much of any one got eaten. Michele was invited to another party this evening. Afterwards we stopped by a friends house to feed their cat. We went home and I read for a while and fell asleep. When I got up, Michele and I did Calculus together while Chris went to the library. When it was nearly time for the party, Chris went with Michele on the subway to meet a young man who would accompany her from the subway to the party location, which turned out to be a Bennigans. Chris came home and we watched a movie until she called. Chris met her at the nearest station to our house and they walked home. I'd like to say she took a shower and went to bed, but in the middle of her shower she started throwing up. She went to bed after that, but then got up again for round two. Chris fixed her a cup of tea, but it didn't stay down. She went to bed again, but couldn't avoid round 3. I've just cleaned that up and let's hope it is over now. She blames it on alfredo sauce, with which she has a history.

The good and the bad.

Today I got up early to check my e-mail before my daughter awoke. That way I can be finished with MY computer before she wants it. Then I took a shower and somehow managed to lightly sprain my back. However, that did not stop me from washing the fabric I bought yesterday and other laundry for a total of 4 loads. I finished adding 4 inches to that pair of pants that shrinks every time I wash it. I also did some more work on the wall hanging. Basically I made more pieces to play with. I used double-stick tape to hang a piece of flannel on the wall next to my bathroom and laid out as many pieces as I could. I think I have found an arrangement I can live with. And I am pleased that the flannel hasn't fallen off the wall. Yet. I would have put it in the sewing room, but I can't reach the walls in there because there is furniture of some description in front of every wall.
Then I took a break to watch Pride and Prejudice, which was a gift from my secret sister. It is close to bedtime now, but I may do a little more sewing before retiring for the night.
Checking my blog I see that Linda has posted a picture of the heart block I sent and writtten some very kind words. To see for yourself, visit her blog at www.sewgratefulquilts.wordpress.com.
P.S. The bad is the annoying music coming from upstairs. The good is finally having a design wall.

Fabric shopping

A group of quilters gathered at gate 19 to go to Dongdaemun. Thankfully Andrea gave me a ride. It was soo cold. She didn't go with us, she just wanted to show me what she was looking for - conversation heart fabric. Tina didn't go either, she was sick, but she wanted a French curve. SO I had some things to look for. There were 4 of us, and we had a good time. We perused quiting fabrics, and fleeces. We bought some, and passed up others. I bought some red and pink for the next block of the month. It is hard to find a red and pink that go well together. My best bet was to get a red and pink print and then match either the red or the pink in it. SO that's what I did. Now I have to wash them.
When I got home, I checked my e-mail as usual. And as usual it took far longer than it should have. Then I made myself get started on that wallhanging project I cut the pieces out for the other night. I'll scream if I don't get SOMETHING up on these blank walls. Well, that was fine for a while, but then at a critical point I had to make a decision - surround each block with 4 large triangles, or 8 smaller triangles? I laid a mock-up of each on the cutting table, but couldn't decide. So I wandered off to other things (namely lengthening the pants that get shorter every time I wash them). Finally Michele came in and gave me her opinion and I could get busy again. But then it was time to go to bed.

Movie Day

I started the day by listening to my meditation CD. Then I proceeded to the thrift shop to volunteer. They had a version of the last Harry Potter book that had been published in England and I got it on Tina's behalf. Then I walked to the hospital for my final round of vaccinations, but they were closed for training. So I went home to work on a new pieced wallhanging. But, Michele came home and I wanted to watch our Netflix movie with her so I could return it. The Jane Austen Book Club. It was pretty good. Funny in an amusing way. Then Chris came home and made supper and left again for the grocery store. (His car battery had died yesterday when he tried to go shopping and he got a friend to jump it at lunch today) After supper and putting away the groceries, we watched The golden Compass. I have seen it before, but must have fallen asleep before the end. It was as unsatisfactory as Michele had said. There must be a sequel because there are too many unanswered quesions.

Mailing a fortune

Wednasday. A day to stay home, only I didn't. Couldn't really, it was the last day to register for the monthly luncheon and you have to do that at the Chosun gift shop, which is only open two days a week. They close at three and I barely made it. I spent the earlier part of the day making a small gift to be mailed. I don't think that person reads my blog, but I am not sure, so I will describe it in the loosest of terms. It was a fabric fortune cookie. I'd never made one before, so I had to experiment a little. Then, how to wrap it to be mailed? Will the post office even send such a small package? Then, off to the gift shop, then to the thrift shop (its right next door, so why not?), then to the post office. They DO mail such small packages! OK, next: the Dragon Hill. I picked up two January USO flyers. Tina wanted one, so I stopped by her house. Her son was sick so she was home. We perused the flyer and some she had. There is also an expat's flyers club offering a half day flying lesson for $80,but she declined. We decided on the Tiger Indoor Water Park. Then I helped her do a muslin fitting of a skirt pattern she is drafting. Just before 6, she and I and the dog walked to my walk-in gate and I went home from there. Chris and Michele were watching movies he'd gotten at the library. I got on the computer and finished listening to an e-book. It wasn't that great, but I had never done it before and it was free.
One of the things I miss most here in Korea is being alone and quiet. There are always people sounds everywhere I go and especially here in the apartment. The people upstairs are cleaning during the day and have the TV on all night. The post is full of people. I want to sing or scream but I'd be disturbing someone. But today, I heard the lady upstairs plunking at the piano and I decided to throw caution to the wind and play my trombone. If she (or anybody else) didn't like it, they kept it to themselves.

Learning Korean

After making the ritual sandwiches, I hung the fourth panel which I had finished yesterday and forgotten to hang until it was too late. Now I had a dark room. So I went back to bed to enjoy it. I arose around 9 to call Tina and tell her I was staying home to clean, etc. Well, I did more etc., mostly on the computer. There is a website available to AKO members to download e-books for free. So I spent part of the day listening to one of them. Then Michele came home and I made her do all her homework and her hour of Calculus.
AFter supper, Chris drove us to Gate 1, from which we walked to the Samgakji subway system. We were to meet the lady who had taken me to the Hyundai Department Store building the Saturday after Christmas. She wanted to teach us Korean and learn English from us. We didn't see her in the subway and so she called to tell us which exit she was at. As it turned out, it was on the far side of the subway so we had to pay fare to get in and walk across. That irked me. But we found her and she walked us to a coffee shop. We sat down and she opened a grocery bag with snacks. I was a little embarrasssed to have brought snacks to a coffee shop which sells their own. But we did order drinks then so it was not so bad. She gave each of us a laminated subway map, and several Korean worksheets. We talked about pronunciation, and the names of Korean letters. It was very hard for me because she spoke little English. Michele had a much easier time. A lot of Korean consonants are a misture of our own. One letter is a cross between a j and a ch sound. Some letters appear to have the same sound. She insisted they were different, but I could not hear the difference. It didn't help that there was music playing in the back ground. Then when it was time to go, she wanted to set up a regular schedule of every Friday. That was way more than I wanted, but Michele seemed eager and I wanted to support her. AFterwards, the two of us walked back ABOVE ground, eschewing the subway and the fare we would have paid. Luckily there were some highrise buildings that we could triangulate on to make sure we went the right way. It took us 15 minutes in the freezing cold. I kept thinking there must be a shorter way. Chris met us at Gate 1 and drove us home. I spent the rest of the evening working on my computer game skills and listening to the e-book.

We are truely gifted.

Monday is quilt day and since it was the first Monday of the month, we all met at someone's house, in this case, Deena's. Deena has the cutest little dog named Scooter. Scooter is paralized from the waist down, so he pulls himself along on his front legs. He moves quite quickly, too. They have a little custom made cart that they use to take him for a walk. It has wheels and supports his hind legs.
Deena had food prepared and everyone said how good it was, but I still had no interest in eating. We exchanged Secret Sister gifts and I got a tub of popcorn and the DVD "Pride and Prejudice". When we broke up around 2, Tina asked if I'd like to go to E-Mart with her. So I did. We had to travel through the subway station to cross under the street. In that station we found the Korean pretzels that I'd been looking for. I bought 2 packages. Then we finished our trek to E-Mart.
We stopped in the grocery store section to buy some snacks for Michele's lunch. We stopped by the eyeglass place to get Tina's glasses adjusted. Then we stopped in the clothing and sundries section to look at coats, socks, books, whatever. After buying a small handful of items and feeling a little disconnected from reality, I decided I needed to be home. So we walked back to base, and just missed the bus to my gate. However, Deena had just returned home from picking up her kids and gave me a ride. I was very tired when I got home and laid down. When Chris got home, he announced that gifts had come in the mail. They were from my sister. She'd Sent Christmas in a box. There was a tiny tree and mini ornaments and a string of lights on a battery. Also, a cd of Christmas songs and holiday scented candles. She included Sudoku books as a birthday present to me, and checks for each of us for Christmas, and an oversized pen and pencil for Michele. There was also a Christmas game and a folding wheeled cart. Wow!
After a small bowl of soup, I spent the rest of the evening on my computer while Chris and Michele discussed the intricasies of applying to colleges whose deadlines are imminent.

It's curtains for me.

It was another bad day to be me. We woke up and dressed for church, but were too late because SOMEBODY thought the service started at 11 even though we've been going at 9:45 for three months. So, we stayed home. Wanting a close-up for my Facebook picture, I started photographing myself. Then I got nauseous. (I don't think I look that bad, do I?) So I read a little, did some Sudoku, and played on the computer for a long time. Eating was NOT on my agenda. Finally in the evening I was feeling a little better and I finished my Secret Sister gift and made curtains for the bedroom. After making three panels I had the idea to see if three were enough to cover the window. And yes, they were. So I didn't make the 4th. But when I went to hang them, I found a 'stop' at the center of the curtain rod. A panel hung in the center would not be able to move to the side. Dang! But it was 11pm, so I just went to bed with three panels hanging. The one part of the window not covered seemed to be much brighter now that the rest of the room was dark. Oh well, tomorrow I can fix that.

Groannnnn....

Today was not a good day to be me. I ate very little and had a headache. I read some, and watched 'Wargames' with Chris and Michele. Later I put together a block demo for Monday, and started my Secret Sister gift. I read some more and did a round of Bejeweled, then went to bed.

A meeting with the Moons

Ok, raise your hand if you knew you could 'chat' in real time with people on Facebook. Well, I didn't. But two people invited me to chat, at the same time. I never knew I was so good at multitasking! Unfortunately we spent 4 hours at it. Then I had to finish making the pants I planned to wear later. Then I got back on the computer to check e-mail. Chris came home and it was time to leave.
The three of us traipsed to the subway for the longest ride yet. We changed trains twice. Once, while transfering, we passed a stand selling Korean pretzels. But we didn't have time to stop. By the time we got to where we were going, it had taken an hour and a half. Mr. and Mrs. Moon met us at the station. They took us to a Korean restaurant located on the 2nd floor of a building. After riding the subway for so long, I had to use the restroom. She showed me the way. It involved putting our shoes back on and walking around the corner in the outside hallway. Now when we returned, our food was on the table. I so wish I had a picture. It was incredible. We had two 4-person tables shoved together. They were completely filled with small dishes. Each person got a dish of rice. All of the other dishes were community foods. There were three kinds of kimchi, broiled fish, crab, bean paste, a bowl of leafy greens including seaweed, pork with something spicy, dried seaweed, soup, bean curd, glassy noodles, mushrooms, and a few things I couldn't identify. To drink we had some kind of tea which I thought tasted like popcorn. They showed us how to remove most of the rice from the bowl, then pour tea on the burnt stuff on the bottom. Let that sit, then eat it. The leaves were for wrapping around rice or pork so you could hold it in your fingers and dip it. Same with the dried seaweed. Later I saw how the meal had been delivered: The waitress brings a tabletop covered in dishes on a rolling cart to your table and slides it over what you thought was the top of your table. Smart. We ate our fill. Then they took us back to their apartment, where we saw potted camelias and azaleas in bloom. She served us African tea, beer and coffee. We also had kiwi, apples and tangerines. And some chocolate. We talked about the succession of U.S. presidents, which they were remarkably well-informed about. And they are Korean. We talked about a lot of other things too. By 10 they had us back at the subway station. Which was good since we had 1.5 hours of travel time ahead and the subway stops running at midnight. I tried to buy Korean pretzels at the same subway station where I'd seen them, but the stand was closed.
We walked home in the cold, glad that at least there was little wind.

New Year's Day

When I woke up, Chris and Michele were home. He had fetched her in the middle of the night from a babysitting job. I checked my e-mail, had breakfast, cleaned a little, did some mending, etc. Then Chris suggested having some mushrooms with supper. Since the commissary was closed, I suggested going to the Korean market outside gate 17. So off we went. We drove to gate 17 and parked. Then we walked. When we found the market it was closed. Unfortunately. But we did find a man selling apples from the back of his truck and we bought some. We walked back to gate 17 and drove home. Kurt Skyped me and we had a good chat.
For supper Chris cooked 3 Cornish game hens. It reminded me of an old joke in our family: It is said in German but it means "Each man sticks his own bird". Chris also ccoked glazed carrots, wild rice and baked cinnamon apples for dessert. Then I opened a box of chocolates I had saved. After supper Michele did her hour of Calculus and went to bed. Then we talked to Chris' parents via Skype. Afterwards, I stayed up typing all my stateside e-mail addresses into our damourcf@yahoo.com account so Facebook could tell me if any of my friends are on Facebook. But Facebook wouldn't do it. So I had to search each one individually. I apologize if I missed anybody.