Lesson #1: Don’t run out of heating oil!

It’s snowing…still…again…still…again…take your pick.

As I wrote yesterday’s post the snow continued to fall – big white fluffy chunks.

We wound-up getting about 6 – 8 more inches and it’s falling again this morning.

But we also looked up to see a great big FLASHING 03 on our temperature thingy.

We were out of heating oil - again.

We had actually run out on Friday - New Year’s Day. But because it was the holiday, no one was going to deliver anything until Monday. So our custodian gave us two little jugs of oil to tide us over.

Turns out, 2 little jugs of heating oil lasts 3 days – and that’s only if you make it stretch.

We only turned on the heat for 2 hours in the morning & 2 hours at night.

Wait…I take that back – one night we didn’t even turn it on because the Fire King had made a nice, big roaring fire.

LESSON LEARNED: Schedule the guys to come out & top-off your oil supply around mid-November.

Lesson #2: Don’t run out of firewood!

What was it? Late November when they delivered our 22 bags of firewood?

About a week after it was delivered, the guys came back. They took it all out of the nice, neat little bags, stacked it uncovered up against the kitchen window & took off with the bags.

Well, it’s early January now and we’ve just about burned through all our wood.

Which wouldn’t be such a big problem if we hadn’t run out of heating oil.

LESSON LEARNED: Purchase at least 2, if not 3, orders of firewood.

[this picture intentionally dark]

Lesson #3: Don’t run two space heaters at the same time!

So in the process of trying to make our 2 little jugs last over the holiday weekend while trying not to burn through our dwindling pile of wood – we purchased a second little space heater on Saturday.

We set it up on the other side of the living room so we’d get double-duty from the fire & the heater.

Then, as is our routine…I turned off the heat, went upstairs to climb in bed, turned on our little upstairs space heater, turned on our electric blanket & cuddled-up with Maggie for a good night’s sleep…while Eric stayed up a little while longer before heading up to bed with us.

I would say it was about…oh, I don’t know…midnight maybe…when suddenly I was awakened by loud sounds.

[THUD, THUD, BANG - BANG, CLOMP-CLOMP-CLOMP]

Eric came into the bedroom groping around in the dark – fumbling for the space heater & ripped the cord out of the wall.

We had over-heated our little 110 power converter & it shut everything off.

He headed back downstairs to bang & thud around some more as the lights flickered on, then off…then on again, then off again.

It was no use. We had to leave it off so it could cool down & hopefully reset itself – which it finally did.

LESSON LEARNED: That pungent, rusty smell that fills the house is the wiring trying really hard not to catch the house on fire…not your brand new space heater giving off that first-time used funky smell.

BONUS POINTS: Should you run out of oil & lose power entirely at the same time having a big dog in the bed really helps put out heat.

Lesson #4: Don’t run out of groceries!

Yes, I had sent Eric off to the commissary with a last minute list before the holiday – but it was truly a last minute list, not a full-scale hibernation plan.

But at the time, the snow was just starting up again & being the rookie I am, I figured it would stop soon, the roads would be passable in a day or two & then I could hit the commissary full-steam when I got the car back.

Yeah, not so much.

Don’t get me wrong – technically we’re still ok.

The dog has food. We’ve got lots of rice & beans stocked-up – not to mention canned chicken. But we’re running low on cat food & I’m down to one egg*.

*A story I’ll save for tomorrow.

So all the baking I could do/ know how to do - using the oven to also help heat the house at the same time – is lost.

LESSON LEARNED:Make sure the house is completely stocked to the gills no later than December 20th.

Lesson #5: Don’t expect the snow will stop so you can get the heating oil delivered, order more firewood to be delivered or race to the commissary to stock up on everything you put off till the last minute.

It just doesn’t work that way in Korea.

In Texas, having your air conditioner go out in the middle of the summer is considered an emergency – day or night. And they’ll send someone to fix it right away – you just can’t fool around with 100+ degree weather.

But being out of heating oil in the middle of winter in Korea is not considered an emergency situation.

Stupid, ignorant American-induced situation? Yes….Emergent? Not so much.

So as ironic it as it sounds, we can’t get any heating oil until it heats up enough outside to make the roads passable.

At which point I’ll also be able to order more wood & hit the commissary.

LESSON LEARNED: Don’t be an idiot & try to think ahead more than 2 steps next time.

Class dismissed.

Now that our internet is back-up, the dreaded battalion FRG meeting is over (with one more to go) & I’ve cleaned up Maggie’s “oh-my-god-where’d-they-go” anxiety-driven chewing fit, we can get back to the business at hand.

So let’s see…where was I?…

Oh yes, there was something about kicking & someone was screaming…it’s all a bit fuzzy.

[scratching head]

Ah!…I remember. We’re embracing Korean culture!

Yes, yes…embracing Korean culture.

So if you’ll turn to page 3 of your Life in Korea with Jenn manual, you’ll see that our first lesson is holidays.

Specifically, Chuseok.

Chuseok is a Korean holiday to celebrate the autumn harvest.

Kinda like our American Thanksgiving, but without the Pilgrims…and the Indians….and the Cowboy game….and I’m pretty sure they don’t do that whole marshmallow-sweet potato thing.

(I won’t get to see the Cowboy game this year – no American TV.)

[remembering to refocus]

Anyway…Where was I?….

Ah yes, harvest.

Just as American Thanksgiving falls every 4th Thursday in November, Chuseok falls every…

every….(fudge – where is it?…I just had it)…

ah, every 15th day of the 8th lunar month.

What does that mean?…Well, I have no clue.

But last year it was mid-September. And this year it’s October 2nd – the 4th.

But as you can see, the rice is getting fuller & fuller…almost ready to harvest.

Nearly all the peppers have been picked & are drying.

The buckwheat they laid out earlier…

…has all been dried & bundled up.

They’ve shelled & dried various kinds of beans & peas.

The last of the squash will be ready not too much longer now.

And the fall lettuce they planted just a week or two ago…

…is almost ready to be picked.

(Do you ’pick’ lettuce?…I know you pick beans – pick tomatoes – pick corn, but lettuce?…It just doesn’t sound right…Hmm…maybe you pluck it. Plucking lettuce?)

What I find the most amazing is that these pictures aren’t just of the Lumber Baron’s fields.

Every Korean…in every space…big, small or street corner…is planting, growing & picking the same things.

Which leads me to your first homework assignment…which I’ll get to in a second.

This lovely action hip-shot is of Mrs. Lumber Baron – that’s her in the left corner, smiling.

(I’m still afraid to ask if I can take her picture so I keep trying to sneak one in. Granted…I can’t remember how to say ‘ can I take your picture’, but still.)

Mrs. Lumber Baron has been extremely kind to me & Moo.

Over the summer she’s handed us apricots & sunflower seeds to share from her own garden.

And because I walk past her almost everyday, I’d like to give her something in return – for Chuseok.

So your homework assignment for today is to come up with an idea of something I can cook, bake, etc. to wrap up & give to Mrs. Lumber Baron.

…My assignment is going to be finding someone to write ‘Many thanks & Happy Chuseok’ in Hangul.

Hangul: Hangul is the name for the Korean script-writing. Koreans speak Hangul – just as Americans speak English.

I don’t want it to be something too sweet…I don’t think Koreans have the same taste for sweets Americans do. But something representative of fall…and autumn harvests…and American Thanksgiving.

So there you go. Please have your assignments completed & back to me no later than Friday, September 25th.

Class dismissed.