OK so another Country but some days it totally feels like another world. I learned a couple things that will forever drive me crazy but I will have to adapt. Just cause its Starbucks and on American soil (US Army base) doesn't mean it will have the same drinks as the states. Same goes for Pizza Hut, McDonald's, Jamba Juice and the worst part; any kind of food shopping and or places like a Walmart. The Commissary annoys me for a few reasons. (for those of you who don't know the Commissary is military's grocery shopping. 10 times cheaper then the economy here.) I have only shopped the Commissary a few times back in the states cause in all honesty in America there really isn't that big of a difference with prices. Plus if I don't have to go on post and show my ID card to get on and when I enter the store then why would I? When shopping for Audrey it becomes very frustrating! At the commissary the only formula for her they have is a 15.00 container that only lasts about 4 days. Meaning I am spending an extra 20-25.00 a month on formula. I am just so thankful that we only have 2 months max and then we are off the formula anyway :) Second is snacks and silicon teethers. Her snacks are very limited over here, the variety when I can actually find them is only 1 or two flavors and the same goes for her everyday food. Just not a whole lot to choose from. Audrey loves Silicon teethers and they don't have them anywhere however she is adapting to the regular teethers well, you know the colorful circles that are different shapes that you put in the freezer. She used to not like those near as much as the silicon but she uses them now. She, apparently is adapting much faster than mommy.
Also when on post if your not active duty your not shopping without a ration card! Anyone who is not active duty must carry a ration this controls the substances you buy. Everything is a lot cheaper for us on post then the economy. For example we were in a small grocery store just outside our apartment complex and a box of cereal is like 6-7.00. We can get the big family size boxes cheaper than that. So with the ration card we can be monitored of what we are buying. If I buy 6 family size boxes of cereal a week chances are I am selling to the Koreans to make a profit and I will be under investigation. They really ration our beer and liquor over here. I don't know how that stuff is priced but I do know Collin bought 2 bottles of wine on post, 1 white and 1 red, he spent about $14.00. If he would have bought both of those bottles on the economy it would have been double if not higher. However I guess the other alcohol is worse though because they don't ration our wine only the other stuff.
So basically if you come to visit your not going on post and shopping with us. You cannot even enter the store! So when you come visit just give us your list and we will take care of your must haves before you get here ;)
We don't have a Walmart on post. We have an Emart on the economy but again its more expensive. The Emart is on the first floor of our small mall and seriously looks like a none grocery Walmart but I think is just as big as a grocery walmart. The stores we have on post are very limited as well and none of them sell the diapers with the little yellow strip that turns blue when wet :( but they sell Pampers so I guess I should just be happy with that :) No one sells baby monitors or strollers. We had to go to the furniture store to get the stroller (not as small as an umbrella stroller but smaller than the baby trend that we currently have). The furniture stores carries 1 brand of monitors and the only one it carried was a video one that runs $240.00 Ummmmm no thanks! The monitors I had in Colorado were the cheapest ones we could find at the time from Walmart (Audrey surprised us 5 weeks early) and they eventually just stopped working. So until we get new monitors I will continually get kicked out my King size bed by my daughter. Not daddy, No, he gets a Queen size out of it since Audrey gets as close to mommy as she can without me actually falling out of bed. Today we are going to check the second hand store for monitors or we may just have to wait until payday to go to the emart.
The language barrier seems to be a lot more difficult then I expected. As Collin said most of them speak pretty good English or at least get a short conversation off. The problem is, they don't want to use it. I can't blame them though I mean when people come to America to live we tend to act the same way. If you are going to live here, learn English! If I am going to live here I will need to learn the basics! I am pretty good at converting the money now. I can never get it spot on but I am usually only a buck or two off and its usually for the better. However the thought of ever using that subway system alone makes me look at Collin and say, "We will be just fine in the apartment. No need to go anywhere." or "Hey is that walking distance?" Its annoying when people stare. I get it I am American with my American family but we moved to a different location in the subway because some dude just would not stop starring it creeped me out being the first time this had happened to me but Collin was the one who moved so it most have been even a little creepy for him lol!
Well today is a new day! After Collin gets home we will go and get some things taken care of, reporting our broken furniture that got delivered, getting our Visa's, gas masks, and I am sure many other "Welcome to Korea" things that need to be done. Oh yeah I get to activate my phone today too!!!!! I hope you are all enjoying the football season. Even for the Browns fans and this year it seems to be the Steeler fans as well, learn to enjoy even watching a loss. I forgot the joys of having the choice to watch my team lose or not. I am totally missing sports right now. But just another overcome and adapt mission I suppose! While you all enjoy your last couple of games this week I am preparing to start my Monday! Off to do the dishes..............
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