My Turn Outside the Gate

Last night, I was able to venture outside the gate for the first time!  I was so jealous that Kevin and a few of the kids were able to go yesterday.  I wanted to take the maiden voyage with them.  But since Little A was sick, I stayed at the Hotel Home with her.  Outside the gate was crowded, busy, new, lights everywhere, new smells, and words that looked like drawings everywhere.  It is so crazy to be somewhere and not be able to read anything.  It wasn't scary or over daunting though, because I experienced this when I lived in Russia in 2001.  I felt like I was in a cartoon with crazy picture writings everywhere.  The people driving around was the craziest part.  I was told that the driving and traffic here is lawless, and it sure felt like that.  Cars are parked in every which way in every single tiny spot available.  The cars are going down alleys, streets, and it honestly looks like there is no rhyme or reason, just go from point A to point B in any way possible.

We went to an Indian restaurant for a Hail & Farewell dinner for those in the med group.  As we were walking up the steps to the restaurant, I felt I could die at any second!  The iron steps and platform that we were walking on was old, rusted and had holes everywhere.  At one point, I felt my entire weight sink a few inches.  I ordered Curry and Naan bread and really enjoyed the food.  All our kids looked like walking vampires with blood red eyes, and poor Monster had a fever from teething and was super grouchy and tired.  The kids didn't eat anything and were asking every few minutes if we could leave.  We also made the mistake of sitting in front of the portable AC unit.  Combine tired, grouchy, freezing cold kiddos all in one, and the combination is perfection for failure.  In all honesty, being in the restaurant felt like we could be anywhere in the world, and not just South Korea.

However, the second we walked outside of the restaurant, all of a sudden, the tired grouchy vampires turned into bubbling, excited wide-eyed kids!  M&M was jumping in place as she drank in the flashing neon lights and odd stores that surrounded us.  Instead of can we go home, we were hearing, can we stay?!?  The neon lights were so bright that it looked like day.  Signs were in every which way! We walked down super narrow alleys that were filled with stores carrying jewelry, hanging meat (how long has that been there?!?), and weird food.

I'm excited to turn those cartoon characters into something I can read and understand!  I am excited to go out into these crowded busy streets and know were every store is.  I am excited that I get to call this place home for the next two years!