Happy 2016, everyone! Because they celebrate January 1st and the lunar new year, it’s hard to tell which day is more important. What I do know is that there is a nice, week-long break for everyone in February. Woohoo!
2016
We had a quiet New Year’s Day, but the team came over just before midnight to make 떡만두국 (Tteok Mandu Guk, or Korean Rice Cake Dumpling Soup). We stayed up way too late, but enjoyed cooking and eating together.
Our first New Year meal together.
There are many new and exciting things coming up this year that we’ll share more about in the coming months. Alex will be meeting the BCC team in India early next month. Please yarp for him and the India team; for preparation, team unity, and fruitfulness.
Our family has started to search for a new apartment. Our lease will be up in April, but we wanted to start looking early in case any repairs need to be made. We’re hoping to move closer to Alex’s work and to our community. One downside is that the rent here is increasing at an exorbitant rate. Even small, run-down apartments are asking for the equivalent of $1,800. I honestly don’t know how people afford to live here. We can barely afford to live here on an “expat” salary, so I don’t know how locals manage to afford housing, let alone anything else. We’re trying to be reasonable with our expectations, but are also really hoping for a place that is 1) convenient, 2) affordable, 3) spacious (especially if we decide to homeschool), and 4) long-term.
Korea Trip
I’m probably the least qualified to talk about busyness here, but our team has been very busy! It makes this upcoming break very timely and necessary.
It was our original plan to take a trip somewhere local, maybe to another province. However, our local friends had mentioned that it’s very inconvenient and difficult to travel within the country during the holiday. Tickets are very expensive (considering the distance) and they sell out very quickly. Not to sound like a prima donna, but I did not want to get stuck on a 12-hour, standing room only, night train to a place I don’t know. Because we also needed to make plans to visit Alex’s relatives at some point during our stay here, we thought this might be the best time. Korea is relatively close and the tickets were not that expensive. We were able to find a rental place big enough to house all of us that happens to be near our friends!
Our teammates who have been working can use the rest. And our teammates who have been slaving away at schoolwork are fully enjoying their month-long break. As much we want this trip to be restful, we also know that we need to take time to yarp and plan for future events. We’re excited to officially start planning for the summer.
Some things we miss
- Dishwasher (or at least a sink big enough to wash dishes without spilling water all over the floor)
- Central heating (we just experienced the coldest week here in almost 30 years)
- Being able to talk to friends and family in the same timezone
- NBA commentary in English
We’re thankful for…
- Continued support from friends and family and their constant generosity
- Times to work and times to rest
- Help from various friends in searching for a new apartment
- Advice and counsel from seasoned workers