It's All Down Hill From Here

Did you know you can go sledding for 5,000\?

They provide the sleds and everything.

Comfort Cabinet

$2 at Daiso. Use makeup sponges instead of brushes for easy painting.

A Drama's set is very important.  

It's as much a character as a place.

It reflects the priorities of the players,

and the direction of the story.

Which is why my Drama's set is always changing,

because so am I. 

Since joining Pinterest,

this evolution has taken on an a life of its own.

Starting with my Comfort Center

which holds all the things for making 

my winter days at home a little more fun:

TV

Chocolate

Music

Booze

Cookbooks.

One problem though,

its UGLY!!

and it makes my living room look like a college dorm.

 

However, no matter how ugly it is,

I don't want to spend money on it.

So, a quick look at the DIY porn on Pinterest, 

a quick run to Daiso, 

and three hours later we have this!

Painted the insides black and added a pretty paper to give contrast. Added extra storage below.

The room feels much more grown up and settled.  Less like I make beer runs at midnight.

Empty pasta sauce jars wrapped in juk calendars make the feet :)

I added a tea box to save room in my kitchen.  Also keeps my tea nice and dry.

It's true, me on Pinterest
is like handing a crack pipe to an addict.
I'm already looking at my rumpous room doors wondering,

"How can I make those prettier without losing light?"

Looks like I need to go check out some more DIY porn.

This Entertainment center cost:

$18 for shelf turned on its side.

$1 paint

$1 sponges

$2 for pretty contact paper

$8 for orange runner

$10 for baskets & boxes

$50 speakers

$5 Christmas decorations

Shot glasses gifts

TV comes with apartment

Cable comes with apartment

Internet comes with apartment

DVD Player gift

Misc decore student gifts

Booze gifts

Wine glasses gifts

Chocolate gifts

Tea gifts

Books brought with me

Feet recycled.

$100 TOTAL

Now THAT'S what I call comforting.

I Say Fancy, You Say Fency

Pyeongtaek Coffee

There are days when only 

high backed chairs and rich textures will do.  

Days when I wish I was in Russia with my family

sitting around the Christmas tree drinking hot cocoa

we've brought from the states just for the occasion. 

On days like that,

I go to Jung Jin Won.

It wraps around me like a big comfy sweater.

When I'm sitting in their burgundy velvet chairs 

thumbing through my thoughts,

I can't help but fall in love my crazy little Drama 

just a little bit more.

Beans from all over the world. The Kona are "Extra Fency". 

Bubble tea!!

The privacy for working is awesome. 

5 out of 5 on the *hand heart* o'meter

If you want to get your Coffee,

Do this:

Step 1

Look out from AK Plaza.  

Take the road that goes to the right of This phone shop.

Step 2

Turn right on the street before

system G.

Step 3

Take the HARD left at Mr. Pizza.

There are two lefts,

Turn BEFORE that red stand.

YOU ARE HERE

 It's going to be on your left about half-way down the street.

How To Fix What's Broken

The Foot Shop - Not just for your feet.  Amazing sports massages that keep me walking.

 Sometimes you just need a massage.

You need essential oils and soft music.

And you need these things all by yourself.

Clean, Quiet and Beautiful

Since I have/had a broken back,

this is more of necessity, 

and they have to be very good and this places does a great job. 

In short, I need 

a massage therapist that knows their stuff.

I also need them to be affordable and not double as a brothel,

The Foot Shop is all of these things.

With massages starting at 40,000 

and excellent massage therapists

it's a no brainer.

I usually pay 60,000 - 70,000 for two hours 

Step 1

 Looking out from AK plaza,

follow the street to the left of this building

Step 2

You are going to walk on the right side of this street

until you see Caffe Benne on your left.

Step 3

There will be a waffle shop 

and then a shoe shop on your side of the street.

You have arrived!!

Perfect, Just As It Is

Beautiful things are everywhere, just waiting to be found.

But I've always loved the lost, broken things the best.

Just ask the Hairi-bou.

A Woman's Right To Choose

Maybe it's just me, 

but I've felt like 

the USA held my uterus hostage.

If I didn't follow their rules,

jump through their hoops,

pay their excessive fees then

NO BIRTH CONTROL FOR YOU!!!!

In South Korea it's simple,

you walk in the pharmacy 

and you say, 

"Piim juseyo."

or show them this,

피임주세요.

They then hand you your birth control,

you pay 6,000 to 10,000 won

and then you leave.

There are strange reports online 

about how women have felt

 "judged" 

by the looks at the pharmacy.  

As far as I can tell, 

this is a personal issue. 

There hasn't been a pharmacy around 

that has been anything but polite to me 

and I've lived in only small towns.

If you need to know more 

about the birth control you have been given, 

it's all easily Googled when you get home.

Korea is not a third world country.

They have birth control everywhere,

and easier and cheaper to access than at home.

Try E-mart or Home Plus
if you are wondering where to get started.
Just, whatever you do,
don't be young and stupid.

On the other hand,
having a kid in Korea is virtually free
so whatever floats your boat.

You Can't Touch This

These boys have me wrapped around their little fingers.

 There are a lot of lonely people out there

who feel disconnected,

and lost in the space between 

themselves and other people.

This is a universal experience, 

yet borders seem to magnify it.

For reasons I haven't quite understood,

once you cross a border it's like, 

for many people,

you stop existing.  

You have fallen off the ends of the earth.

The funny part is that in a country the size of the United States,

living outside the country is sometimes closer then living in the country.

For example, 

visiting my family in Seattle

is only a 9-10 hour flight from Korea.

Yet, when I went to college in Nashville 

I was 16-20 hours away from my home in Talkeetna.

Still, folks consider my move to Korea more of a displacement.

I can tell you right now, 

it was not.

That said, 

whether I'm in Alaska, Tennessee or South Korea,

maintaining a connection with my family is my priority.

They are the light of my life and the beat of my heart.

Thankfully, they feel the same way,

and we don't let each other miss out on all the important days.

They set a place for me at Thanksgiving dinner,

and I join them at 8am via Skype.

My brother Skyping me 
from his Russian hospital bed,
even while getting a consult from his Dr
just so I know he's pulling through.

Planning my sister a surprise 30th birthday
and filling it with Skype dates for her with people 

from all over the world who miss her. 

My nephews calling from Russia 
to learn about Korea,
and to just say hello.

We make sure to have smart phones and FaceTime 

and we take each other on virtual tours of places 

the other has never been.

My aunt and cousins calling to chat about their days
and just be a family.

We use text messaging to keep each other posted

with moment to moment photo of our daily delight

and the knowledge that we are loved.

Basically, we always remember 

that the other needs the other

and that is all the heart truly needs.

Pretty, Tasty

Pyeongtaek Restaurants

Del Vino

 Sometimes one just wants to eat pretty things.

You want little bites that trigger memories

of days you loved to live.

It's not that you don't love

 every moment of today.

No, it's not that.

It's just that you want to remember.

Fresh, spicy tomato seafood pasta.

Homemade Lemon Sorbet

Perfectly pulled espresso.

Lovely open kitchen setting.

As a quick side note.

It has been discovered that Del Vino is run

by the super awesome former head of wine bar.

Which explains why it's so lovely and inviting.

This my new fav place.

5 out of 5 on the *hand heart* o'meter

If you want to get your Del Vino,

Do this:

Step 1

Look out from AK Plaza.  

Take the road that goes to the right of This phone shop.

Step 2

Turn right on the street before

system G.

Step 3

Take the soft left at Mr. Pizza.

It's at the intersection on the right.

Where's My Unicorn?

When you need a little sparkle.

Pyeongtaek Coffee

If coffee is a mother's love,

then Pomegranate Cider is 

the glitter on your Trapper Keeper.

EDIT: These days the coffee shop is still cute,

but the management is not as friendly.

We no longer go here all that much.

The Black Bean Factory

4 out of 5 *hand hearts* I don't like all the smoking.

Step 1

Facing out from AK Plaza,

follow the road to the left of this shop.

Step 2

Just after McD's there is a Baskin Robbins,

take a left and walk  to the next intersection.

STOP!