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After 10 days

28/2/2016

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We've had ten full days in the city. I'm waking up on Saturday morning, drinking pretty crappy coffee, but still feeling happy knowing we've accomplished an enormous amount since we arrived.

Our two primary goals have been to make the kids feel like they have a home, and the other goal has been to ensure Barry is ready to work. So far so good.

Barry can tell you about the university, but I'll sum it up incase it takes a day or two. He has an office, he's teaching two classes for sure and maybe a third (depending on registration). The school is a ten minute walk through the park away. He doesn't have to wear a tie at work, and he seems to be able to put together three syllabi fairly easily. He starts teaching on Thursday.

George's update would probably be very short. He got a PS4 yesterday, so nothing else really matters. We just need a new tv to hook it up to - that's Barry's job today. His room is nicely outfitted, though he still needs a shelf for books, etc.. He's been shopping a lot for clothes in Malaysia and in Seoul so he looks good too. He's been running several times a week with Barry in the park. 
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Molly has said at least ten times she likes her room now. The first day we arrived in the apartment she mistook our room for hers and went from thinking she was about to have a nice big room to knowing she was getting a rather small room. It wasn't a great start. She now has a bed with pretty bedding from IKEA, a new wardrobe, new desk and shelf. It's the nicest furniture she's ever had, I think. It doesn't look like much in the photo, but the room is too small to get a good photo in.
Her priority has been to set up a crafting space, and I think she feels that that is now accomplished. There's a store nearby that is kind of like a dollar store, but better quality that we've been able to get lots of little things for her to make her room pretty and organized.The one downside of the rooms here, is that the walls are all concrete covered with wallpaper so I don't see how we'll be able to hang pictures...I'm working on that.

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Our room is nice too. We bought a pretty basic IKEA bed that we thought was queen size but turned out to be bigger than that (half way to a king). This isn't ideal given our room isn't huge, but it's fine. It has huge drawers underneath and and between those and our wardrobe we can store our clothes. We also have room for the laundry rack in our room, which is good because we don't have a dryer and we need a space to hang things up. We will use the roof for drying when I can figure out how to get the racks to stay up in the wind. 

The kitchen is coming along too. We have dishes, a few pots and the basics in the drawers. Our big purchase was a small oven. Traditionally Koreans haven't used ovens, and I'm sure most homes here still don't have them. But what you can buy is a small oven - kind of like a large toaster oven. I decided to buy one used from a New Zealander who's leaving soon. She gave me lessons on it and last night Molly baked a cake. We have yet to find flour, etc, so we'll have to rely on the few cake mixes we've seen for now. I'll be meeting the NZ lady in another two weeks to clean out the rest of the kitchen for her...good pots, pans, microwave, etc. 
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We still need a table and chairs, but it has to be the right size so we're taking our time.

In addition to setting up a home we've been trying to get used to simple things like how to manage our garbage. The system is complicated here but so far so good. Recycling is serious business. They separate plastic, plastic wrap, metal, glass, paper and styrofoam into containers not far from home. Additionally, we have to buy bags for food waste, which is collected in small pails outside our door, and then there's just regular garbage that we also buy bags for too. I spent a few minutes with a collector trying to learn through hand signals what to do with stuff on the street last night...I think I understand. 

For fun, the kids and I have started attending art classes at the Global Cultural Centre. The programs are run by the city, usually free, and open to foreigners only. In our first class we made Hanji - a traditional paper craft. It was fun, simple and we'll be going back every Wednesday afternoon till we tire of it. We'll also take painting classes starting on Thursdays. Our hope is to learn some crafts, but also we hope to meet some other foreigners there.



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Our big goal this weekend is to find a pool for Molly...and George too. She still resents us pulling her out of her synchro world, but she says she could make do with swim lessons. We could go to the pool in the more English neighbourhood for lessons, but it takes an hour on the subway to get there so we'll investigate closer options first. We're also investigating Taekwondo classes and other sports here. Most websites are only in Korean, so every place requires a visit which is time consuming. The school year starts here March 1, so I'm worried if we don't find things this weekend, we'll miss the start of sport seasons too.
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We had hoped there would be more families in the 8 unit building we're in. So far three other people have moved in but they're all single men. There appears to be some little scooters on the roof patio, but we've yet to see signs of kids - perhaps families will return before classes start next week. In desperation to meet people, Molly and I knocked on a door yesterday. We'd heard two little kids speaking in English a few days ago, but we couldn't see a parent through the gate and door so we didn't approach them. Since we hadn't seen them again we decided to be bold. It turns out they're Pakistani and the husband is a graduate student at the university. They've lived here for 3 years and the kids are about 1 and 3. She suggested when the weather is warmer, Molly and the 3 year old girl could go to the park together....Molly was delighted! 

The park still seems to be our big source of daily entertainment. The zoo is full of animals and this has inspired both kids to take a zoology class through homeschool website. As for the other classes....I've been trying to rework their programs, but I'm not happy with the math and English so I think we'll return to the textbooks we brought for those two subjects. We've started a Korean class to teach them the alphabet, but I'd like to get them registered for a real class with other kids too....so much to do! 

I'm sure I have a lot more to say, but it's time to get on with the day, and I'll be surprised if many of you even make it to the end of all my ramblings.

We'll keep you posted. 

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Day 5 in Seoul

22/2/2016

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It's amazing what you can accomplish if you put your mind and wallet to it. 

In the past five days in Seoul, we have managed to see a good amount of the subways system, we've covered a fair number of kms around the city, we've moved in to a new apartment, we've got rooms at least half furnished, no one has yelled yet during IKEA furniture assembly, and the kids are still talking to us. 

​We have a new couch, a queen bed partly assembled at writing time, and more furniture for the kids' rooms to come. I still need lots for the kitchen, but I should be able to make a simple dinner tomorrow. 

George and Molly are falling in love with the animals in the zoo which is open all hours of the day to explore. It's only 300m away so they can venture there on their own. They buy food from a  vending machine for a $1 and feed it to the hungry deer, peacocks and such.  At least they feel like they have some friends.

The apartment is fine. It's required a good amount of cleaning, but not thing windex, grease remover and soap won't fix. The washing machine works and the air is so dry hear that both my skin and the laundry are crackly dry by nightfall. The climb of four flights to the apartment may finally get my legs in shape, and it will remind the kids to remember their subway passes when they leave the apartment...just ask George who had to run back up this morning. 

We haven't met a single person in our building yet. Some of the apartments are occupied but the tenants are away during the semester break, and others are expecting new tenants this week. Some of the 8 units will remain empty. Molly was excited to hear two little kids speaking English in the building next door, but we didn't have a chance to meet them...soon. She also say a slew of daycare kids that she'd like to meet. Maybe she could volunteer there.

Anyway, we're all fine. We're getting ready to go for dinner with Barry's old friend, Ambassador Yim. We'll be going to the US Army base! We'll have to tell you about that later.

Gotta get presentable now.
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First two days in Seoul

18/2/2016

6 Comments

 
I'll start by saying how grateful I am to the people at Sejong University who have come through on promises in the last few days to make sure we had all we've needed to arrive comfortably. From the visa business in Malaysia, to the airport pickup, to the hotel with a nice breakfast included for 2 days has been very nice. And lastly, the apartment we saw last year is the apartment we have been given. It's ready for our use and there is a bit of furniture in it. It's tiny, as expected, but in good condition. The kids did enjoy wandering the big park next door and seeing the zoo and theme park. Molly says it's the only thing she likes in Seoul so far!

The last thing I hope Sejong can do for us tomorrow is get our shipment from Vietnam released from customs. 

Some of the novelty of the move wore off today as we unsuccessfully tried to shop on Craigslist (like Kijiji) and wonder from store to store and we arrived at a huge market hoping to shop but it closed 10 minutes before we got there. All in all, the day was not fruitful. 

We move to the apartment tomorrow, so the pressure is on. There were 2 single beds and mattresses in the apartment for the kids to use, but if we don't get a queen bed by tomorrow at 9pm, Barry and I will be sharing a skinny fold out mattress on the floor. Maybe I'll let Barry have it and share with Molly instead!

We're off to IKEA ( the world's largest) to get what we can tomorrow morning. I'm not sure how the delivery will work, but we'll find out in the morning. A mattress, a bed frame, bedding, towels and dishes are are priority!

The kids are hanging in there, but the last two days have been overwhelming for them. Molly's priority is buying crafting items so she can make art projects, but it'll have to wait...I really don't want to sleep on the floor. She's running out of patience...

Pray for good shopping tomorrow for us so I can hit the craft market before it closes at 6:00.




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Where I'll be volunteering in Seoul

17/2/2016

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Here's an article about the school I'll be spending 2-3 afternoons per week at starting in March.

http://www.koreatimes.co.kr/www/news/nation/2016/01/485_184277.html
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The last day summary

16/2/2016

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Over the past 6 months - 176 days - we have had an extraordinary tour of four continents, 16 countries - Belgium, France, The Netherlands, England, Italy, Switzerland, Morocco, Spain, Israel, Turkey, UAE, South Africa, Vietnam, Australia, Singapore, Malaysia, and 2 city states, - Monaco and the Vatican; we’ve had 16 flights, multiple train trips, and driven countless miles: we’ve been in or on 3 oceans, 7 seas, many mountain ranges, valleys, forests, cliffs, rivers, waterfalls, savannahs, deserts, a micro rain forest and the outback; in the wild we’ve seen lions, giraffes, elephants, rhinos, kangaroos, fishes, whales, dolphins, sharks, penguins, butterflies, gorgeous birds, lizards, rats and cockroaches; we’ve cuddled a caracal, leopard cubs and koalas; we’ve been chilled at -5 degrees on the mountain top in Switzerland and sweltered at over 35 degrees at the Dead Sea, Kruger park in South Africa, the outback in Australia, and KL in Malaysia: we have visited Christian churches, Muslim mosques, Jewish temples, Hindu shrines, and Buddhist temples; we have tried to say thank you in French, Dutch, German, Italian, Spanish, Berber, Arabic, Hebrew, Turkish, Afrikaans, Vietnamese, Malay, Chinese; we have had only one minor medical issue requiring treatment; we have laughed, cried, been in awe, in disgust, in fear, in grief and in love; we have been excited and homesick; we have been welcomed and never shunned; we have met old friends and made new ones; and, finally, we have been continuously impressed by the general kindness of people in the world and, most impressively, by our children’s resilience and their courage to try new experiences; the final important fact is that even after it all - we still like each other.


Tomorrow morning, February 17, we will arrive in Seoul, our final stop on this journey. This is where we will set up a new home and stay for two years - visiting Canada each summer and travelling each winter. 


This trip has been a once in a lifetime experience. One that will always be remembered with the greatest fondness.
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Not seeing a lot of KL

14/2/2016

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As Barry mentioned in his post, we haven't been getting out and exploring KL they way we really should be. We've spent most of our time in the hotel and at the mall attached to the hotel. The good news is, we've managed to get everyone what they need to cope through our first week (and more) in Seoul.
Today, I broke the shopping spell and felt I really should see something of this disjointed city. George has a cold - kind of ironic in 35C heat - so he stayed in, and Barry didn't want to go...so just Molly and I set out. We thought we'd start with the butterfly park, stroll through the big Sentral Park and then head to Chinatown to buy a new suitcase to carry all our new clothes.
After a short, but rather rough taxi ride, we went inside the mediocre butterfly park. Unfortunately, the carsicknesses I thought I got on the trip over wouldn't pass, probably due to the intense heat, stifling humidity and the pungent odours in the butterfly park. Before long I was sitting with my head between my legs. 
We saw what there was to see and headed to the hotel in a much smoother cab. We'll have to get the suitcase later.
Fortunately, the gross feelings passed in a few hours and I was ready to head out late afternoon to see the Petronas Towers, KL's landmark. George wasn't really feeling that perky, but we dragged him along anyway.
We could't get up the tower today (perhaps Tuesday), but we strolled around the big park nearby and saw how families spend their Sunday. We were also blown away by the number of luxury brand stores at the attached mall. This city must have some money to support Gucci, Louis Vuitton and all their friends. 
Despite the rain, we're soon heading upstairs for a swim in the dark . It just seems like something we should do here. 
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Hibiscus - Malaysia's national flower
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A rare family selfie at the Petronas Twin Towers
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a Sunday afternoon in KL
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Kuala Lampur

12/2/2016

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I feel like I don't have a lot to share with you about the past few days. It's been exceptionally hot (35 degrees today) so we've been staying indoors or swimming on the rooftop, but even today we avoided the sun midday. 

We haven't even explored much of KL. The first day we were here, we pretty much stuck to the pool and the mall - we're on a bit of a mission this week to get some practical, everyday, clothes for all of us.I've gotten jeans, and Molly has new boots and tops. Even tonight after dinner George got two new pairs of pants and three shirts. I don't think it's cool to wear zip-off travel pants in Seoul. Barry may need some more coaxing to shop given it is his least favourite activity.

Today's highlight was learning the traditional Malaysian art of batik painting. There's a shop at the Central Market where they have pre-waxed outlines on cotton and customers can paint their own pictures. Molly posted some photos on her blog. It was a fun art project, and it was nice to get our hands a little dirty. Molly continues to dream of finally getting some art supplies in Korea to have around whenever she feels inspired. I've got to look into art classes when we get there.

We all agree that we aren't in love with the Malaysian food we've had so. It seems to lack the spice and flavour of so many other foods. Oh well, they have a lot of Western foods to keep us happy.
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This is the Central Market - a tourist zone for Malaysian handicrafts and other goods.
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Made it to Kuala Lampur

10/2/2016

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​We enjoyed our very pleasant 6 hour bus ride from Singapore to KL on a luxury bus today.

We spent the late afternoon and early evening enjoying the hotel's great rooftop infinity pool. I'm too tired to load any photos or write anymore, but just wanted to say we made it here safely. 

Goodnight.

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Super Impressed with Singapore

9/2/2016

3 Comments

 
Singapore is super coo! Not in temperature, but in it's urban design. 

This city - this country - has embraced such impressive design feats that it's not surprising so many people want to come here to work, live and explore.

Today we strolled from our hostel along the river towards the Bay Gardens. Along the way I continued to be impressed at the way this place has woven together such industrious history with today's modern financial and globalized needs and wants. We walked by a statue honouring Sir Thomas Raffles, the British man who is credited for "founding Singapore in 1819" and his "genius and perception changed the destiny of Singapore from an obscure fishing village to a  great seaport and modern metropolis." Obviously, this Brit led the way in developing something that has certainly not given up it's desire to be great. I'm also impressed that there doesn't seem to be a stench of resentment towards the colonizers here (or maybe there is and I don't see it).
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This modern land of opportunity has the most impressive building I've ever seen. It's called Marina Bay. You can pay to take the elevator up to see the city, but it wasn't a priority...maybe it should have been.
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Marina Bay and the Merlion - the mythical Singapore creature
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I'm not sure if I'm more impressed by the design of the building - three towers with a ship on top, or if I'm more impressed with the fact that some city planners actually approved it. I'm sure there are thousands of imaginative architects out there, but not as many creative people in city offices who are willing to see ideas actually completed.

Anyway, once we were done being impressed by this, we walked to the other side of it and visited Singapore's top rated attraction, Gardens by the Bay. 

I have never been more moved by a park. The contemporary geniuses of Singapore have found a way to beautifully blend human creation with Godly creation. Plants, water, stone, steel, lights, plastic, and throngs of visitors mesh together into something really graceful. It's like the Haliburton Sculpture Forest on steroids. Super steroids!
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​The light today was incredibly flat, so the pictures lack a lot of colour. The scale is also a challenge to capture, but here are few images anyway.
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​These tall structures are called the Super Grove - human made "trees" covered in real plants. They might not look like much, but they are really cool.

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I won't bore you with more photos, but I will say I'd really like to come back here to fully explore the park, including the indoor section and the skywalk which were too busy due to Lunar New Year national holiday today.

This evening I saw some more beautiful sculptures in the city when I had a private walk. 
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Anyway, I'll be sad to leave Singapore tomorrow because  I feel like there's still so much to explore here.
​We'll be back. 
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Bringing in the year of the Monkey

7/2/2016

1 Comment

 
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It's Lunar New Years Eve, and the Singaporeans know how to celebrate it. The main ethnic group in Singapore is Malay, but there's also a large number of Chinese (and Indian) people here, so Chinese New Year is a big deal. The city has been nicely decorated all week, and the kids were given chocolates at the hostel reception today. It's a fun atmosphere.

We had a pleasant day strolling the main shopping district and having a tasty lunch in one of the malls. Singapore is known for it's good, cheap international cuisine, and we've yet to be disappointed. Barry asked the questions if people even have kitchens here because it seems there are restaurants everywhere, and they're always full. 

After our shopping we rested up in our room till 7pm then ventured over to Chinatown to find dinner and see how the locals celebrate. We found some yummy street food, and miraculously a table to eat it at, and some nice people to share a table with. 
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Just for the record, Ted, the big bottle of Tiger was $8...and that's pretty good here.
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The crowds were certainly out, and some of the streets were packed with more people that I thought could possibly fit on them. Molly asked what the plan was if we got separated, and I said I didn't have one - we'd have to stick together. She didn't seem satisfied with that answer so the hostel (3km away) became the meeting place. Anywhere else would have been too chaotic. It'd be like trying to meet a salmon midstream in spawning season. Luckily we all made it back to the hostel safely. 
It's 11:25, and I know we'll be missing a fine fireworks display in half an hour, but we just couldn't hang in  there. 
All in all, it was fun to participate in a celebration that a huge portion of the world's population considered the biggest night of the year. 

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Happy New Year!
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    Author - Ursula

    We are embarking on the family journey of a lifetime and I am trying to be the bravest and most adventurous version of myself as we begin. Looking forward to this journey is very exciting and rather overwhelming at the same time. We are making huge changes in our lives in hopes of enriching them.

    My blog is a personal account of this trip. I'm happy to it share with my family and friends so they can join me on this journey. 

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