Life in Korea for us is about attempting to brush aside the day-to-day strife and focus in on those smaller, more meaningful elements of life. These are those lingering moments or spots of time that never fade in the memory, money cannot purchase them because they are unique and priceless at the same time.
We live somewhere in between Gangbyeong Station and Guui Station, and the location is ideal for our collective situations. The apartment is tucked away from the main road and despite being tiny, we are incrementally turning it into the sweetest of homes. We have Daiso to thank for that one because we purchased from them a whole bunch of quirky little nik-naks to spruce the place up a bit. Here are a few things we have changed since living together:
- We finally got a bed! Not only a bed, but a Queen Size bed that slots perfectly into the corner of the room. Getting a good night sleep is a quintessential part of life and it has definitely meant that we can wake up in the morning void of back pain and with a marginal smile on our face. The beauty of this bed was that we got it for free. These freebies are somewhat inaccessible to foreigners because buy and sell websites like Craigs List are occupied by expats trying to make a quick buck. If you can speak Korean however, the game suddenly changes and you can utilize resources such as: http://cafe.naver.com/joonggonara.cafe
People here are just trying to unload goods completely free of charge, and the user base is immense to say the least. Users post up freebies seemingly every minute or so, and members snap them up moments later. You have to be quick, but luckily for us, Jiwon stayed up half the night waiting for the right moment to pounce, she really is one numble critter indeed 
- We got a miniature Christmas Tree from Daiso and have absolutely no intention of taking it down! I purchased it and decorated it personally, surrounding it with gifts and surprising Jiwon when she came home from work. I don’t think anybody has even given her so much as a single present before, and it took some time for her to digest what had just happened. The gifts verged more on the ridiculous than the lavish, but in our relationship, it is and always will be the thought that counts. Somehow we have brought light into one another’s lives, and the way we have transformed the apartment from a characterless space into a cozy retreat is testament to this fact.
- Recently we put together a memory board and stuck it up above the bed. We just grabbed some tacks and coloured paper on the cheap from Daiso and are slowly fashioning a collage of some of our fondest memories along the way. It gives me so much pleasure to get in from work after a terrible day of nonsense and workplace/university politics, grab a milky cup of tea and take a trip down memory lane for a moment or two.
- Jiwon bought a huge angry bird pillow that I have quickly grown attached to, and we even have a new addition to the family: his name is Mr. Dangle Dong, and he sits, legs hanging wide apart on the bedside table. I am sure he could tell you a story or two!
No matter how much I enjoy moaning about anything and everything, as you see from this blog, I also understand the concept of making the best out of a bad situation. As we get to know one another more and as we grow in this relationship, our home comes along for the ride. We are not big shoppers, and we hate the department stores that literally bludgeon you into submission with their relentless selling tactics. On the other hand, we enjoy wandering around and window shopping on the odd occasion. On that note, I feel compelled to share with you a few recent photos from our trip to Toys R Us. Life can be far too serious for my liking in this day and age, so it is an absolute necessity to let your inner child out of the cage in a fit of spontaneity sometimes. As you can see from the pictures, no matter how old we get, we will always be children at heart!
