korea*heart*kurdish

In case you were wondering where I got the address idea from.

I'll have to take a picture of the "we are friends" bus and post it soon too.

We get a kick out of the not-quite-right English(engrish) that's thrown around here.

How many needles?!

This morning I gave Eastern medicine a try.

Another story for another time, but the other day I smacked my shin pretty hard.

Really hard.

And I've been semi-limping since. After seeing me hobble into the morning meeting and sitting on the sidelines at yesterday's soccer game, one of the Majors suggested acupuncture to relieve my pain.

Oddly, it was relaxing having 10 slim needles inserted directly into the huge knot on my shin. I can't say that the pain is completely gone, or if the lingering tingle from the needles is distracting me. I tried it though. I find that sometimes its easier to just say 'yes' than to try to reason or refuse their requests.

Koreans are persistent.

Guess who's door this is...

maybe my identical-except-for-the-color running shoes airing out on my front steps (i like to think of it as my 'porch') gave it away?

And yes, I'm such a girl, I even have pink running shoes. (My house is pink, my gym towel is pink, my cell phone is pink...)

Anyway, behind the door is my little room. Florescent lights, wood paneling, single bed, itty bitty desk, sorta broken camp chair, night stand...little room, but all mine. We're small enough up here that everyone gets their own room, so the privacy is nice. The ability to not have to see or listen or talk to anyone. I don't spend much time there - an hour to read before falling asleep, getting ready for the day by drinking instant coffee and listening to music or _This American Life_. Not much else to tell you about this room. I'll try to post pictures of it later for those that are curious.

This morning I didn't have any meetings or running dates so I was able to sleep in and enjoy my little room. I cried my way through the end of _The History of Love_ just like first time I read it. I drank a cup of tea. I edited some pictures on my computer. I created some playlists on my iTunes.

I wish there was something more exciting to tell you! I might have something more fun later today.

Harry the Head Cleaner

We have a contract with some locals to clean our bathrooms. I'm not sure what his real name is, but he's been stuck with "harry the head cleaner" No doubt, my Navy girl named him. In the Army, a bathroom is called a Latrine. The Head, apparantly, is where Navy people go to answer nature's call. I really don't think the Air Force names their bathrooms anything - Pops, care to educate me?

My Korean Sister

Her name is Park Bo Yun. CPT Park is the G3 english interpreter and arrived early this month, and it is so so nice to have another girl CPT around. One day in a meeting, I was passing her a note - work related of course - but we started giggling. Her boss, MAJ Kim, looked at us, shook his head, scribbled another note to us that said, "You two are twins."


This was taken earlier this month when the G3 section invited me to run with them.


Don't worry Carol, you're still my favorite sister.

It started off with just me

and I was trying to convince the ROK Major that I really was not a violinst (he kept calling me a violinist) and that I was a novice, that I had only taken lessons for 9 months. He asked me to play a piece for this event the ROKs are hosting in April. I did manage to convince a few Korean friends to choose a song and play with me. So, our little ensemble grew to a vocalist, guitar playing guy and a girl on the keyboard. They speak little English; I speak less Korean. Our rehearsals were funny. .. "AmatoAmato da da dah dee dah..." Somehow, the ROK Army Band leader got involved and now we have a bassist, a drummer and an electric guitar. I am definitely the amatuer in this group.

Oh, I think I agreed to wear a Hanbo (traditional Korean costume) for the event.

Today's English Lesson

Try explaining what 'ass-chewing' means to a Korean general.

My not-quite-daily meetings with BG Lee and 2LT Oh usually consist of story telling - the general goes first, then the lieutenant, then me. Life here isn't terribly exciting, but last night I received a semi-ass chewing from my boss. So I decided to relay that story to the others. LT Oh learned English where proper students should learn - England. I don't think either really understood what I meant by "ass-chewing." It was fun trying to explain it though.