It's been a very hectic few days here, traveling to and from Seoul. I've noticed that my legs have swollen up and taken the shape of cankles. I always knew pregnancy would lead to swelling, but I had no idea it would hit me so soon. Hopefully it's nothing more than my body trying to acclimate to this weather and I won't look like the fat kid who ate the entire cake until later on in my 3rd trimester.
Speaking of cake, everywhere you turn there's a bakery or sweet shop with the most delicious and exquisitely decorated cakes. I have died and gone to bakers heaven. Not only are the cakes to die for here, but the fruits are so ripe and sweet. Some dish we tried the other day called ha-chae had diced fruits inside a sweet milk which was nothing short of an orgasm in the mouth.
I have heard that there are designated seats on the subway for pregnant women... Unfortunately it's right next to the smelly old people (and trust me, some of them are really stinky) so I choose to fend for my life like every other subway passenger. As soon as the doors open to board the train, it's like the music has been cut off on an intense game of musical chairs, and the last one standing is out!
The natives here have gotten really good at this "game" and some of them are so good, they don't even have to stand at the front of the battle ground to win it. People of all shapes and sizes will jump out of nowhere and push you out of the way just to grab the last seat. One man was in a squat position ready to sit down, and some grandma came out of thin air and slid home. He nearly sat on her, and all I could think was "WOW, now that requires skill!"
By subway, it takes approximately an hour and half to get from Ji-Hang (camp casey) to Seoul (yong san). It's a straight shot on line 1 pretty much the whole way there, but on the way back home we kept having to exit the train and wait for another one to pick us up. I'm not sure why we had to de-board if they were all going in the same direction, but there's a lot of things that I haven't quite figured out yet. On one stop, Brad and I sat in the train for about 30 minutes expecting the doors to shut and begin heading towards home. Unfortunately when the train did begin moving it went in the opposite direction, and to make a long story short, it took us 2 and half hours to get back home.
To keep you updated, we found an apartment in a town just south of Dong-du-cheon called Ji-Hang. It's a brand new complex, that has all new appliances (dishwasher, w/d, ac units, refrigerator), 4 bedrooms, and enough closet space to make even Carrie from SATC jealous. The train station is a 5 minute walk from our place, and the restaurants and shops are located there as well. We tried an all you can eat meat buffet, and for the two of us, it cost about 17 dollars. I am so thankful that this place exceeds my expectations by a million.
I am still unsure of the situation with the hospital and seeing the ob-gyn, but I was told the military base has helicopters available to transport us to Seoul if I were to go in labor. The little alien in my tummy has been kicking and punching almost every couple hours, and Brad has finally been able to feel the movements. Every time he detects anything, he gives me this wide eyed "AHA" look with a big gasp which makes me love him so much more. My belly button has almost popped inside out, and my maternity pants are getting more snug.
There is still so much to see and do, and I cannot wait to get settled. I'll be posting pictures of our place and the town in upcoming posts... Please stay tuned! Really miss all my friends and family, and I am looking forward to seeing a bunch of you here in Korea! Till next time... keep warm!
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