(Miss part one?…Read it here.)

Well, our car finally arrived. Actually, it arrived about 3 weeks ago and we still don’t have it!

I’m keeping my fingers crossed that it’s sitting safe & sound at the Seoul VPC (vehicle processing center) in Yongsan anxiously awaiting for us to come pick it up…rather than being packed back up & sent back home.

But remember SOFA? Well they have a specific rule about cars.

We are only authorized one vehicle – just one, not two…just one. (Ok…you got it? Just one.)

And in order to pick up our car in Yongsan, there are several things  that we have to have first:

• An international driver’s license (check – Eric’s got one)
• Proof of in-country insurance (check – courtesy of USAA)
• The title to our car (check – thank you, Alicia!)
• Temporary plates issued by the local DMV
• And a temporary pass to allow the car onto Camp Humphries so we can officially register it on base

Too easy, Drill Sargeant.

So two Thursdays ago Eric & I drove into Pyeongtaek to the city’s stadium (where the DMV is located) to get our temporary plates.

It’s true, apparenlty South Korea considers driving a competitive sport.

They have a a special line just for SOFA members, like us – which has been the one & only perk in this whole process.

So we hand the girl behind the counter all our paperwork at which point she asks to see our Command Sponsorship orders.

No problem! I open our moving book, flip to the orders section, pull out my command sponsorship memorandum (which authorizes my travel to Korea) & hand it to her.

“No — no good. Does not say Commanduh Sponsuhsheep” – (my lame attempt at her phoentic English).

So we look at the paper again – ahh, yes, this proves I’m command sponsored. And we point out where it says “authorized concurrent travel”.

“No — no good. Mustah say Commanduh Sponsuhsheep.”

- Really?…You have to see the actual printed words on the page?

“Yes – tank yoo. Nextah in rhinah, please.”

(part 3 to come)