ANYASEOHHHHHH!

I have no idea if that's how to spell it, but that means HELLO in Korean! It's kinda tricky writing on this website, cause the log in page is in only korean figures, so I am writing with a blind eye.
I've been having so much fun over here with Miguel's family...it's been an interesting experience being in Asia with a puerto rican twist! I don't know where to begin...
The last four days we have spent in Seoul on the American military base. It's located in the south part of Seoul, just about a 15 min drive on side streets from downtown. His parents have the cutest little house, three bedroom and so roomy. They have a car and we take the subway. The driving here is crazy...this is definitely where crazy asian drivers originate! They are so swervy and seriously come within a millimeter of each other. His mom drives almost as crazy as the asians themselves (while cursing in spanish, of course), which makes sense actually, cause you wouldn't survive here as a cautious driver.
The weather is freezing, literal. It has been on average 22*F with a 10-15*F wind chill, settling at about 11*F. I seriously have to wear 3 sweaters. Walking around the city is almost unbearable for more than 15 or 20 min, so when we go out, we go to the outside market for a bit and then go into the nearest mall for a bit to warm up, and then back outside. I don't know how the venders sit outside for so long!
The food is amazing. We got our first taste of it on the plane ride over, bibimbop. It's a rice dish with some hot paste mixed in and a bunch of different veggies and meat. YUM!!!!!! We have been to one Korean BBQ, and it's my new favorite ethnic food!
The people are pretty nice. Miguel's dad was telling me that you could leave your car running the whole day in a parking lot, doors unlocked, while you were at work, or whatever, and that no one would touch it. It'd still be there that night. One of their friends left over $100 in his pants when he dropped them off at the dry cleaners, and every cent was there when he picked them up three days later. SO different from the US!!
Yesterday we went to the biggest knitting store I have ever seen in my life. His mom said that we were going to a craft mall, with lots of yarn, but I had no idea what I was in for. It washuge warehouse, with at least 100 different venders selling bags of yarn. I recognized a lot of the brand names from when I worked at skeins, so that was kind of exciting. We spent 2 hours there walking around, and after going back and forth on tons of different yarns, I didn't end up getting any. Disappointing, I know, but I think in reality the yarn wasn't too much less than in the US. It was so overwhelming. They had every size knitting needles for like $2 each. So much fun!
The past few days, his parents have had many Puerto Rican visitors, including three families that stayed at the house each night, all of which English being their second language to Spanish. We've had homemade Panamanian food every night with 2 or 3 main dishes of meat and fish, along with rice and some kind of fancy dessert. Salsa music is blasting in the background 24-7. The guys (Miguel and his dad esp) play his dad's bongos, maracas, and a few other Puerto Rican instruments along to the music making as much noise as possible in his dad's 10'X10' area of the living room desigated for the instruments. ha ha, it's so funny! His parents will stop in the middle of what they are doing, whether it be cooking, reading, walking- whatever- to just salsa dance in the middle of the room for a few. I love it! I am trying my best to absorb it all- picking up a few dance moves, practicing my spanish, and per Miguel's request, trying to learn EXACTLY how to make his mom's meals...while still making time to go out into Seoul and absorb that culture too. wheew, talk about sensory overload! It's sure been an interesting first week (almost)!
On Thursday we are going to make our way to the south part of the country to visit some of their friends (also Puerto Rican!!) and the Korean countryside. From there, we are going to Japan for a night. Next week we are signed up for a tour at the DMZ (North Korean border). We come back to Seattle on the 10th.
That pretty much sums it up so far. Happy New Year! Write me back on the blog!