No more guests

We got up about 7. Chris and his parents were ready to go by 8. He drove them to the airport, then on the way back, dropped the car off to have the damaged tire fixed. I think they found something else to fix as well. I read my e-mail, had lunch, and re-recorded some affirmation tracks that didn't come out exactly right. Chris was home by 12:30. We washed all the sheets. Then he and Romaric walked over to pick up the car. I wrote myself a shopping list and then wasted a lot of time looking for the Namdaemun map. Finally I left without it. In Dongdaemun I got two strings of amethyst, but no citrine. And fabric. I wanted size 12 machine needles, but every place I went only had 11's and 14's. Had to buy the 11's. Then I went to Namdaemun. I got my usual pineapple on a stick. I did a lot of asking around for the soap shop and powdered metal. The alpha store had the powdered metal. No one knew of any soap making supply shop. When I was ready to head back, I could not find the subway. I was lost. Because I was supposed to meet some ladies for supper at 6:30 and it was getting late, I bought a dress and changed in the bathroom (when I finally found the subway station). But it was too big, so I took the time to park and walk to the apt to change. Then my purse didn't match, so I changed purses and went back to post. Well, my car keys did not change purses with me, so I called Nancy and she picked me up. All the others were waiting for us. Then we walked into Itaewon to a Mexican restaurant. I ordered a chicken fahita pita, but did not eat the fahitas. I took them home to Chris. On our walk back, some stopped for ice cream. I called Chris and he picked me up at the Itaewon gate. He and Michele were watching Sherlock Holmes. Afterwards we dressed the beds and turned in for the night.

Trying to get a handle on the situation

I still didn't have to make a sandwich so I stayed in bed 'till after 8. Then had the usual breakfast, shower, etc. Chris let me know that the extraordinarily expensive skillet that I'd bought online, had broken. So I e-mailed the company to tell them I wanted a refund and why I was dissatisfied. I also sent them a pic of my broken skillet. At 10 I was dressed, but realized that my top needed darts to fix a bad case of gaposis. That took longer than I thought it would. I did make it to the thrift shop by 11, but not earlier like I had planned. There was supposed to be a meeting at 11, but everyone was working, so I did, too. About 11:15 Ella called us together, said the usual things like be nice to customers but watch them in case they steal something, etc. Then we broke for lunch. Not wanting to put in the time for deviled eggs, I had opened a can of bean salad and put it in a container which I brought along. We all set out what we brought, and about half was stuff I could justify eating. As we ate, I met a new volunteer and talked her into trying our quilt club. When lunch was over, we went back to work. Lots of books and movies to shelve. Around 1 Maryann came in and told me that the Chosun was selling all the silk pieces that they used for decorating. It was only open to volunteers at that point, so I gave her $50 and asked her to buy all of it for me. Turns out there was $70 of silk, but I didn't care. They might not get any in next year. At three I called Julia to see if she wanted to do anything, but she was glued to her AC. So I worked until 4, then paid for a book I'd found with beautiful pictures of a valley in China. I grabbed my silk and headed home. I arrived at the same time as Chris, Cecily and Al, who had all gone to the War Memorial Museum. We talked for a bit, then started supper. I cleared a bunch of e-mail, then Michele came home, and we ate soon after. After supper we sat quietly in the living room, reading or doing math puzzles. I got an answer from the cookware people asking why I was so negative, and offering to send me a replacement for $50. So I explained that cookware that has a risk of thermal cracking is of no value, and that I wouldn't have bought it if they had mentioned that in the ad, and I wouldn't want another one even if it was free. We'll see what they think of that.
**Here is another quilt from yesterday's show-and-tell using our exchange blocks**

Show-and-tell

Chris got up early to go to work for a short time. He returned home just before I had to leave for our quilt social. We were supposed to bring food, which is annoying to me because I am a quilter, not a cook. But I had a bunch of hardboiled eggs in the fridge and my m-i-l helped me peel some of them and make deviled eggs. They were hard to peel and some were too messed up to use. But finally I had a plate full and left the apt for post. I drove to Cathy's apt. Just a few of us showed up at first so we sat and talked. But more and more came. We ate and had show-and-tell, then had the final reveal of the secret sister program. Several people had already guessed who had their name. Others were completely surprised. We had a short passing of the mantle ceremony for officers. I am now officially only VICE-president. Hurray!
Around 3:15 the three remaining ladies (including me) drove to the DHL for Cathi's husbands retirement ceremony. It was mercifully short, and we got in the receiving line, shook hands, etc. Then I drove Toniette and her daughter home. We spent some time talking in case I never see her again. She flies out on Monday.
So then I went home, and cleared some e-mail before supper. Michele was having a late day so missed supper. We talked for some time afterwards and I showed off my latest quilts, until Cecily went to bed. Even then we stayed up talking until Michele finally came home, around 11. But now she has had her shower and is ready to kick me out so she can sleep.

Wheel of Coupons

The morning started with a church service. Pastor Stan spoke and he was humorous. His subject was God's promises to us. We had snacks afterwards, then came home to change clothes and relax before walking into Itaewon. We went back to the Thai restaurant because Michele did not get to go the last time. The food was good, and, because we were so close to Paris Baguette, we stopped there to get another cake to take home. This one was a blueberry yogurt cake. We got back around 2:30. I mended Chris' shirt, and started in on his jeans. Then my sewing student Amy arrived. She has already shipped her car to the U.S. in anticipation of moving back, so she came on her bike. She brought some of her daughters clothes so we could make her a dress for a play. I drafted a pattern and we cut it out, and sewed it together. We did not have time to hem it as she had only 2 hours to spare. After she left, I walked into Itaewon to meet Julia. She'd had a bad day, and wanted to talk. We got kabobs at a stand, and then went to Cold Stone. They had a wheel you could spin to win coupons. So we did. She got a free brownie, and I got a buy one get one free tea or coffee. It was busy so we sat in the window. From there we could see that the back of the wheel was weighted. Ha! We talked, played a round of banangram (kinda like Scrabble), and did a nanogram together. Then she had to leave. I walked back, calling Chris to let him know I was on my way. After I got home, I called Julia to let her know I hadn't been abducted (apparently some women have been). If I had been abducted, I would have taken pictures so you all could share in the experience.

Saturday catch-up

Chris and Michele played with the voices this morning, while I got on my computer to clear out e-mail. My in-laws sat on the couch and read. I think my m-i-l also did some laundry, as did Chris, later. After lunch, everyone but Michele and I went to the Px and commissary. When they got back, we all put groceries away, and the supper process started. I went to Youtube to see a video, can't remember what it was now, but it led to others and still others. People demonstrate the making of small bombs, incendiary devices, etc and I just want to ask them: "Do your parents know what you are doing?" I also learned how to make rust. I wanted to know because I need metal powder for my organite. But other people use it to make thermite - hence the videos about burning and exploding things. My organite, being made of low-temp paraffin, is awfully soft and sticks to whatever surface I put it on. Yes, it is finally hot here. I am looking forward to having either soap base or resin to make the next batch.
**I didn't take any pics today, but here is a short video clip of Chris taking pics of some school kids at their request (outside the Gyeongju museum)**

We're back!!!

Wednesday morning we packed a few clothes and such, after breakfast, and took off to Gyeongju. It seemed like a long trip. Chris drove and his mother navigated, supplementing the new GPS unit. We stopped several times for bathroom breaks and once for lunch. Korean rest stops are not paragons of healthy food. We got to Gyeongju around 3 I think. I remember that we were on a slim trail between rice paddies when the GPS unit announced that we had arrived at our destination. Ha! At least we could see a hotel at the top of a nearby hill. When we found our way there, it was a large establishment, nearly void of life. We were given a room on the 6th floor. There was a large room with a small kitchen area, and then two bedrooms. The kitchen had a rice cooker instead of a microwave, and one bedroom had no furniture, only quilted pads to put on the floor. The decor was gray and brown. But the view was lovely, the lobby was elegant, and there were computers you could use for a fee. It was a complex of hotels and we investigated several buildings. We also went into town to sign up for a tour on Thursday. We did a little exploring of the area, found a nice park, and a sit-on-the-floor place. Finally we ate in a Korean bar recommended by the tour desk attendant. We just mentioned bulgogi and they brought us rice, kimchi, side dishes, raw beef and a tabletop grill. Afterwards we went back to the hotel. We played rummy until bedtime. My in-laws let Chris and I have the bed while they slept in the other room on the floor. In the morning we took showers, finding out that the water goes all over because there is no shower curtain, and the third wall doesn't touch the floor. There was no shower pan. The bath towels were tea towel sized. No face cloths. But we got showered and dressed and went downstairs for breakfast. The dining room was closed. We hopped in the car and Cecily suggested the nearby golf club. But she wasn't impressed with having Korean food for breakfast. So while the others had just coffee, I had persimmon juice. Then we went back to the hotel, got a 6-pack of eggs from the FamilyMart, and Chris and I made boiled eggs. Then we met the bus for our tour. Of course it was in Korean. There were little bits of English on the Dvd that she played between stops. We saw a small watercourse where a king and his court played drinking games. The associated palace was gone. Then we saw burial mounds. One grassy hill looks like the next, but the park-like setting was beautiful. We saw a stone observatory that was not very high or on a hill. Then we stopped for lunch at a Korean smorgasbord. What a selection! No idea what most of it was, and not enough room on my plate to try it all. No one left hungry. Some members had 4 or more strawberry ice cream cones. Then we were taken on a long trip up into the mountains to see a granite buddha. It was a long but beautiful walk through the forest. They had built a small building around him and glassed him in. Pictures were prohibited. We got there between large groups of school kids. I was glad I have been taking the steps to my apt, because all the walking up and down large stone steps had my legs feeling like jelly. After the buddha, we went to a palace complex with more buddhas meditation chambers. And more school kids. We tried to see it all, and take some time to just enjoy the incredible weather and forested scenery and fresh air. Finally we got back on the bus and were dropped off at the hotel.
We went to the sit-on-the-floor restaurant. First you go to the beef counter which looks like the meat counter in a supermarket. You pick out your cut of meat, which is handed to you on a plate. Then you take off your shoes, and are taken to a low table with mats to sit on. There is a grill built into the table and you are given tongs and a pair of scissors to grill the meat. Side dishes were placed all around. The beef was EXCELLENT, and no one went home hungry. We went back to the hotel, which was no longer empty. A herd of monkeys moved in upstairs. I don't know how many kids they must have had but those were the most energetic bunch of bouncing bodies I have ever heard. Thankfully I had brought my CD player, and when the CD was over, they had gone to bed. But they got up early, and the thudding started all over again. Chris and I had the remaining three boiled eggs, while Cecily had orange juice. We packed up and headed for the Gyeongju museum. I wanted to be left at the park, but no such luck. At least this place (which every school child in Korea must have attended with their little notebooks) handed out (for a fee) a little translator device with head phones. You hang it around your neck, and when you get close to an exhibit, an audio is triggered, in English, explaining what you are looking at. You just have to be careful not to walk out of range before the recording is finished. When you walk back, it starts over from the beginning. There we saw another large Korean bell, and a mock-up of how they cast it, making a mold underground and pouring hot metal into the crevass. From there we got on the road for Seoul. We stopped several times for bathroom breaks, and then for lunch. My in-laws had ice cream, while Chris had mandu and coffee. I had the broiled cuttlefish - a squid on coals. I got a few looks from Korean bypassers. Then we drove to the gas station nextdoor to investigate a flat tire. It would not hold air, so Chris and Al tried to change the tire, only to find that there was no lug wrench included with the spare and the jack. AFter much gesturing, the station manager walked Chris to a booth set up in the middle of the parking lot selling all kinds of stuff, including lug wrenches. The man insisted on changing the tire himself and storing the original in the trunk in just the right way. We had to insist that he accept money for his service. Then we were on our way again. Although we ran into some traffic, we made good time. The toll charge was $16, which we think was less than on the way up. AFter getting back, Chris and Al went to the commissary for a rotissary chicken. Michele got back from college about 6, and we ate at 6:30. She wanted to get back to writing her paper, but was made to sit and listen to our adventures. She said she got a lot of school work done while we were gone.

Irregular Tuesday

Because it is Tuesday, I went to the thrift shop, only to find that no one else showed up, and there is a BIG pile of donations. I called Maryann on my cell phone and found out that she is at the beach, and no one is coming in today. Ha! If I had walked to the thrift shop, I would have been pissed. I left my car there, and walked to the DHL bank to get Julia a cashier's check. Then I went back home. Chris and his parents were there, eating lunch before going to the National History Museum. They left me alone (Michele was at college), so I made 2 more small pieces of orgonite. I used a Korean egg carton top for the mold and it was too small for any of my crystals, so I used the amethyst chips. I tried to get some sand from the playground, but it was more like small rocks than like regular sand. I searched the internet for cheaper crystals and metal powder. Chris and his parents returned just after 4 and started supper. I went to the Ichon subway station to meet Julia. She gave me the won equivalent of the cashier's check, and a Korean smiley scrubbie, and a bookmark. A very nice metalwork bookmark. We talked for awhile, then she went in search of food while I went home. Chris had made meatloaf, more butternut squash, and broccoli. After supper the others ate cake and ice cream and I ate a piece of my fudge. Chris and Michele opened their presents from Faye, which had just arrived. "Avatar" and "Sherlock Holmes". Cecily refused to watch either one as she had been told that they were too violent for her. Then Cecily and I took all the flowers out of the two vases, trimmed them, and then rearranged them, albeit a little shorter.
Then we all sat down to watch our movie star child act out the last scene in 'Doubt', playing the part Meryl Streep played, and doing an excellent job. It was a project from her film class, recorded on DVD. I see an "A" in her future. We ended the evening watching a Hornblower movie at Cecily's request, but she fell asleep.
I took one last look at e-mail and got a request from a friend for some emergency math. She is subbing in Algebra tomorrow. So I worked the problems and scanned them back to her. Poor Michele is now trying to sleep as I finish my blog.
I am not sure what is happening tomorrow. Chris made plans for the four of us to go somewhere historic for three days. I can't take my computer, but maybe I can get on his, if there is wi-fi.