While I’ve been in Korea for just over a month now, this is the first real opportunity I’ve had to write about it. So I apologize if these intial posts jump back & forth a bit.

But we all landed safe & sound on May 14th – me, our howling cat, Kitten & the terrified dog, Maggie Moo (who’d been traveling for 48 hours). 

While there are lots of stories to tell – I’m sure you’d rather see pictures first. So what follows is a quick tour of our area.

We live on the outskirts of Anjung-Ri. It’s what they call a ‘ville’ just outside of Pyeongtaek, South Korea. We were going to lunch in the ville on this day & I wanted to get the shot of the contradiction of old & new…plus the roses were in full bloom.

So there I am – camera in hand…trying to frame just the right spot when the smell hits me. And like any good wanna-be-professional photographer I didn’t budge as I said, “Man, this city stinks!”

At which point Eric says through his laughter, “You’re standing right on top of the trash.”

They don’t have dumpsters here. People put their garbage out on the curb & I was standing smack in the middle of rotting fish heads.

Since I arrived mid-May, none of the rice fields had been planted yet. So my first impression of Korea was that of never-ending mud flats stinking with stagnant water. Yeah, not the greatest smell.

Our little house is the third from the left – but you’re looking at our backyard. It’s a two-story duplex in what is mostly an American compound off-base. (They wouldn’t take Maggie Moo – she’s on the agressive breed list, if you can believe that.)

But it wasn’t long before every rice patty was planted – including our’s.

More to come – for now I’m off to boil water then start my work day.

Love to all!