Technology-induced procrastination, sick children, and boring things like cleaning bathrooms are producing infrequent blog posts. Sorry. My computer has died. In it are trapped almost all of the pictures I've been saving up to blog about.
In the mean time, I'm monopolizing my Dear Husband's computer to write a boring, picture less post.
One of my dear sisters asked me what I'm finding the most difficult here. Besides the bathrooms (yes, they'll get a whole post to themselves eventually)? The language barrier.
I hesitate to write this post. I don't want to sound like I'm complaining. I appreciate this culture and I understand that I am a guest here. I also understand that I have a responsibility to learn as much as I can about the local culture, customs, and language and that doing so will eventually make my daily life easier. I guess I'm just suddenly realizing that the base of consumer knowledge that I've had nearly 30 years to build is not as useful here as it is at home.
It's not that I have trouble getting around or doing the basic things I need to do. I can get a cab, go where I need to go, buy food in a restaurant, shop for groceries, all the basics. But my days as an informed consumer are over. I'm sure there are a myriad of stores here where I can get exactly what I want (a nice wool area rug with a pattern I like and cotton backing for example), but simply finding that store is difficult, let alone knowing for certain that I'm getting a quality product for a good price. Prices here are not always posted, and even if they are, you're supposed to bargain it down. I can't just drive around town and spot furniture stores because 1.) The signs are in Hangul and 2.) I'm either walking or in a taxi and taxi drivers don't exactly specialize in "Sunday drives" or vague instructions like "take me to a store that sells nice area rugs". Searching for local stores on the Internet is crippled by the language barrier as well, so I mainly rely on word of mouth from other expats, many of whom have been here for a short time as well. And bargaining for a price?! Incredibly intimidating, especially when I don't know if I've just offended them by my offer or if that's just part of the bargaining process. I don't want to look like a tacky American, implying that the goods they're selling are sub par, but I also don't want to be an easy target.
Somethings, like grocery shopping, are made better by adding a little adventure. Spice up my grocery shopping any day! And most days the language barrier makes everything exciting. Some days though, I just want to buy a rug.
I do run into nice surprises though. Although stocking my home with houseplants is not quite as urgent as finding a couch and a rug, it's still on my list. I happened to discover a lovely little flower shop near my home. A peep into the windows on our walk the other day revealed a nice variety of house plants in lovely pots. I did not relish taking all three boys into the shop however as boys #1 and #2 love nothing quite so much as digging in the dirt, so actually gaining entrance and purchasing plants has been saved for another day.
