To catch up though - my finger is much better - this second skin stuff is amazing and the cuts have healed really well. I am still not using it to type though.
Morgan went off like a trooper on Friday for her second full day at school and came home on the school bus as L and M have decided that it makes sense for her to use it. So it will pick her up at 8.47 and drop her home at 2.53!!! It seems she is the last to be picked up and the first to be dropped off as school stats at 9.00 and ends at 2.45, The bus will wait for 2 minutes in the morning so no room for tardiness or tantrums..... not that we have many of those - usually a melt down at a moment of real tiredness and usually from a place of feeling misunderstood or hard done by, as in that's not MY choice mommy or daddy!!!
On Thursday evening Mel arrived home from work really knackered and suggested that Luke and I go out for sups and a look see. So we drove the car literally 300 metres down a ridiculously steep hill, found a parking place squashed against someone's house wall, walked another 100 metres to a busy street full of restaurants, little shops and bars. What a rush - just so unexpected so close to the apartment. Really buzzing - its one of the 3 main roads of Itaewon which is the suburb Luke and Mel live in. There were masses of people in restaurants and walking on the pavement. The shops close at 10 pm. Its weird to see families out with young children at night but I guess it is so hot during the day the children sleep in the afternoon and stay up late. Apparently it is fine in Korean culture for the woman to show their legs so skirts are ridiculously short and many wear shorts but breast are covered so necklines are high - so as Luke pointed out - its OK to see a woman's nickers but not a glimpse of boob!! Unlike Nepal where one never saw men and women holding hands or showing affection - here couples behave pretty much as we do in the west! It was great just wandering down the street - such different food on offer - local to European to American, in all sorts of places - even places whrer you have your food barbecued at a fire in the middle of your table - with everyone looking really hot and sweaty but being cooled down by full blast fans next to each table! On e restaurant had tables made from planks balancing on bricks with the people sitting on milk crates - but somehow it looked very chic and not like a township shebeen!!
I saw a couple of African women with a bunch of children with little girls with their hair in beaded corn rows and greeted them. It turned out the one woman was from Nelspruit!!! Her name is Cynthia. I asked her what her other name was and she replied Pumla!! The other lady was Agnes from Ghana. They had just come from church which was right there and were very keen for us to come to their church - we declined but said that Memory would definitely be looking for a church. It was wonderful speaking to them!!! They are both studying and seem to have been here some time.
We ended up at a restaurant with tables right next to the pavement but raised on a platform so you could look down on the pedestrians. Very few people smoke. I think I have noticed about six people smoking!! One of those is a guy who comes out onto a little patio at the back of his house at the top of some stairs - he overlooks the play area in the apartment complex and looks like a very unhappy somebody as he puffs away all by himself . So I have not eaten much Korean food - not being a very adventurous eater!! Mel has brought some takeaways home with her which I really enjoyed - some sort of meat dumpling and a meat dish with greens served with rather stodgy rice but very tasty - don't know the names of it though - no sign yet of the cabbage I was warned about.
It is weird to not have even touched the money here yet! I have not needed to as Luke and Mel take care of everything. I must say it does feel relaxing though to have a sense of my time here stretching out into the future. It is amazing to think that we have been here nearly three weeks already. I have no doubt they will settle very well here and really enjoy their time - everything is so organised and clean and 'user friendly' Luke has done a lot of cycling - he left this morning at 4.45 am to meet a friend and had a great ride. Luke and Mel were out this evening with friends from Mel's work. I have no doubt that they will very soon have a good circle of friends. They have been invited to a spitbraai next weekend at the home of the South African ambassador whose daughter is the other South African in Morgan's class!!
Luke is still enjoying being a househusband - I thought he might get antsie and need the stimulation of work but not so - he is really into his cycling and also into being a full time dad. He and Morgan have a great time together. Luke high jacked the garden hosepipe and made a water slide on the slide in the complex garden. He put the little plastic pool at the bottom and he and Morgan had such fun on it!!
I did chuckle though...Apparently Morgan walked into school on Thursday without her shoes on and when the teacher commented on it, Luke said she far preferred to go bare foot. Then when he collected her from school that afternoon, he walked in barefoot - at which the teacher remarked - ah I can see where she gets it (her bare foot habit) from!!
We had the most amazing day today at Seoul Forest. Do look at my face book to see all the photos that Luke and Mel posted on their face books and tagged me in on (is that the correct term-age!!)
Its late now so I will describe our time there later.
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| Seren and me in fountain - well at the edge! |
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