As promised.....   a view from the car!

Here are a couple of video clips taken on the streets of Ulsan.  I had to split the video. Sorry for any redundancy.

Just a glimpse of what it is like driving. I had time to do it this morning after taking Jonah to school.  

In addition, he loves his school.  He gets to ride the yellow bus tomorrow.  He seems excited about that.  When I asked him today if he went to his new school, he responded, "My have fun my new school."  I concluded that it was a positive experience.

A girl can't help but be a bit wary of the language exposure in terms of Jonah.  Think about it.  He goes to school where they speak English and Korean, then he comes home and watches Dora.  Poor kid!   LOL    

Getting Settled

We are finally getting settled. Charles and I finished getting Jonah's room put together and everything put away today.  We also got the office set up in our apartment, so I am finally able to post using my laptop and my docking station.  Things have been definitely different.  I was so used to working and having to be somewhere at certain times that this "have no place to be" lifestyle is a bit bothersome at times.  When I am not particularly bothered by it, I like it.

Driving in Korea is CRAZY!  If you have your hazard lights on, you can do just about whatever you want.  Motorcyclists weave in and out of traffic wherever their bike will fit and they could care less if the light is red.  No joke! But somehow or another, it works and you get where you are going.  The main roads are lined and traffic flows as it does elsewhere in the world. However, the side streets can be a bit of a challenge at times.  I will have to procure a picture of an example, but it will have to be when the hubby is driving. I suppose snapping pictures with you phone while in a death trap is not advisable.   :-)  

We finished up most of our shopping and such.  There are a few items that I will be requesting be sent. If my dear Aunt Jean will get to steppin', Jonah will have some mac and cheese soon.  Not to mention some coffee and, for heaven's sakes, some bleepin' creamer (french vanilla preferably).

Food and necessities cannot , in my opinion be labeled as cheap or expensive from my very limited experience so far.  Many things we typically buy are cheaper here than back home.  Certain things from the states we have no trouble getting. Of course, they are imported so they are a bit higher in price.  See examples below.

Coke/Dr. Pepper - 24ct (roughly about $16)

 That's right...name brand toilet paper (roughly about $25 for 30 rolls)

Enough about all of that!  Today was Mother's Day.  After finishing our shopping for a few groceries, my hubby took me out to eat. Authentic Indian food is great!  It was a lovely lunch on a patio overlooking Ilsan Beach.  The food was surprisingly good.  Let's be honest people.... southern gals, such as myself, stick to what we know (typically meat, potatoes and gravy).  I had a creamy curry, shrimp (prawn) and the most amazing garlic bread in the whole world.  Here is the view from our table at lunch.

 We have had a great couple of days.  I think we are finally recovering from the jet lag and getting on a decent schedule.  Goals for this week:  get out of the apartment more to exercise, cook more, and catch up on the laundry.

Good morning, Ulsan and the Hyundai Shipyard!

We have arrived!

We arrived in Ulsan, South Korea on Monday evening.  Upon entry into our apartment, we were greeted by all the items we airfreighted.  Our departure from the states was delayed by paperwork and the loss of my beloved grandfather.

We all had good flight experience.  However, the trip definitely messed with our sleeping schedule... well, Jonah's sleeping schedule.  He woke about 4 AM this morning, informed me that he slept good, and then ordered me to come play with toys.  LOL  

We are doing well.  Our first, full day in Ulsan was rather challenging.  We were suffering a bit from jet lag and had unpacking to do.  Chet went on to work that morning.  Jonah and I spent out morning unpacking boxes and putting things away. The purpose was to clean up, but it seems as if we only made a bigger mess with all the paper and boxes lying about the apartment.  We did make some headway thought.

Chet returned to the apartment and we had lunch at a place called Pub HQ.  I, like Chet, ordered the man burger.  It is apparently a favorite among the expats living in the area. Given that most of the expats are male, I could see why they appreciated it. It was meat-fest on a bun!  All the burger fixings on a bun with bacon, a hamburger patty, two chicken strips of substantial size, and a couple of different sauces popular to the locals.  It was fairly good.  I did remove the bacon an the chicken strips.... a persons mouth is only so large you know.

Yesterday evening we went to the Hyundai Department Store.  I was able to purchase a blow dryer and straightener. (Hallelujah!)  I paid 108,000 Won (about $100) for the pair.  We also grabbed a few groceries.  We also tried to go shopping at Home Goods but they were closed. Apparently, yesterday was a holiday and they will be open today.

All in all it was a good day.  You can see the rig's derrick that has been constructed from the window in our apartment. It is kind of cool to see this in progress.  We will be visiting the office today to meet everyone and such.  Looking forward to it!  More to come later...