The year of the White Tiger....2010

If I haven't already had the chance to personally tell you, I wish each and every one of you a happy new year, full of wealth, health & happiness... or as the saying goes "good luck, good f*ck, and good money" right?

The start of my new year was celebrated in a church service, where to be quite honest I was a little weirded out by the number of people who were praying out loud in what sounded like tongues. Never the less, one of my new years resolution for 2010 is to somehow restore my belief in God, and to renew my faith. I don't know how I'm going to make this drastic transition in my life if I don't. So I'll probably update you from time to time about my religious excursion.

So if you don't know already, I'm 21 weeks pregnant... That's right, there's a little alien growing inside my belly, and every now and then I can feel it kicking and punching. It forces me to eat sweets against my will, and stuff my face with the most delectable cakes ever known to woman. Brad insists that it's a boy, despite what the sonogram technician told us, and as well endowed Asian men often are, there's always the possibility that the tiny little wee-wee didn't show up. There's not a doubt in my mind, however, that we're having a little girl.

"They," the superstitious Koreans, say that 2010 is the year of the White Tiger, and unfortunately that will mean that my little Addison will be extremely assertive and domineering. I might have the next Hilary Clinton on my hands. "They" also believe that May is the month in which genius' are born. So I guess this means I'm going to have one heck of a kid!

As I sit here and type, I can faintly hear the Korean anthem being played over an intercom of some sort. Everything here is covered in white. I can see my breath even after I enter the buildings, and I can barely maneuver in my puffy blue ski jacket I bought to battle the cold. They say it's the worst winter here in 103 years, but I can't remember ever spending a winter here to be able to compare.

After our 14 hour flight from DFW to Incheon Airport we waited around for another 2 hours for the military buses to come pick us up and drive us into Yong San which is right north of the Han-Kang river, smack dab in the middle of Seoul. It took us about an hour to get to the military post, and about another hour and half for the sergeants to brief us on the policies and to tell us that they weren't quite sure what will be in store for the next couple days. Now, if you are anything like me, and you don't really know a single thing about the military, just know that the one thing you can count on is that nothing is ever certain, and everything is subject to change.

Walking out of the military brief, and to our hotel through the snow with our enormous bags reminded me somehow of the Trail of Tears. Everyone was so tired from their long journey, and yet we still had to lug our shit around from one place to another. Haven't they ever heard of a bell man?? A single bell man could have made a fortune on tips, but I guess the economy hasn't quite hit an all time low yet.

As of right now, I'm sitting in a hotel room at the Dragon Hill Lodge, waiting on any word from my husband that we are to grab our stuff and be sent to Camp Casey. Camp Casey is more than likely where we will be staying for the next 2 years. It's about 30 minutes away from the DMZ, and I'll be neighbors with North Koreans. Camp Casey is known for their readily available abundance of prostitutes with big hair and bright red lipstick. They say a lot has changed, but it'll be a big change from what I'm used to. Never the less, I am ready for the challenge, and can't wait to get settled in.

There are a few downsides to living in Camp Casey as opposed to Yong San. There are obvious reasons like the fact that Seoul is just a larger city & everything is more accessible, and the big one is that I'll have to drive 2 hours at least to come to Yong San and see an OB GYN because Camp Casey doesn't have one. That will be an adventure in itself, and I'll definitely keep you posted on how ideal that is being pregnant.

I am ecstatic about all the food I'll be able to eat here. I can't wait to stroll down the street and try all the different cart foods like dduk bokki, o deng, roasted corn.... yum! The list goes on and on. I will definitely keep you posted on all the new foods and restaurants we try, and if I come across any good recipes, I'll be sure to post those too! I can't wait to cook with real Korean ingredients!

The sun is slowly rising, and the town is waking up. I don't know what the day will have in store for us, but it will be the beginning of a new adventure. The year of the White Tiger will be eventful for us to say the least. Brad and I will finally get to settle down as a married couple, welcome Addison into our lives, and learn all about our heritage. We anticipate traveling around Asia while we're here which I am very much looking forward to sharing with you guys.

In the meantime, to all of our friends~~ please be safe, make the most of the new year, and live life to the fullest!!! Until next time... ahn young~!!!