Cold Weather is a Coming

 As I was walking to chilbo on Friday, I saw the coal truck delivering coal briquettes.  There are still a lot of older homes that are heated this way in the winter.

 I've wanted to get a good picture of the mountain near chilbo but it's usually hazy or the sun is in the wrong place.  The colors are spectacular and I took a picture anyway.

 Rocketman arrived home yesterday totally exhausted.  It was like he had come back from a trip back to the States.  The week in the Japan turned out to be stressful and exhausting but after a nice long nap, he was feeling much better.  Though he wasn't too happy to find little to no food in the house.  I had not gone shopping while he was gone and had eaten what we had.

He called when he got to the airport and wanted me to pick him up at the airport bus stop which is near our Home Plus.  I was nervous to drive since I haven't driven since our visit to the States back in June.  It was lunchtime and we decided to meet at the McDonald's which was just before his bus stop. 

I went down to the basement and used the remote opener to open the car door.  It's a keyless Hyundai Sonata and I got in, closed the door and adjusted the seat (Rocketman is VERY tall) and pressed the start button.  The dash lit up and the seat went back to the original position but no engine sound.   Hmmmm.  I pressed the button again and then thought, oh maybe the engine is just super quiet.  I put the car into reverse ... nothing.

So now I knew the engine wasn't started and I freaked looking everywhere for who knew what.  I was nervous about driving already but not being able to even start the dang car just put me over the edge.  I was sweating and pressing all kinds of buttons when I looked at the speedometer and saw a picture of a foot on the brake and then pressing the start button. 

It worked and the car started.  In Korea, the parking spots are so tiny that everyone turns their outside mirrors in with the push of a button.  Could I find that button?  I had pressed so many but not that one.  It took some more pressing before I found it.

I managed to back out of the parking space taking 3-4 times and inching a few feet, then reverse a few feet till I was finally safely in the clear.  I drove up out of the parking ramp shaking like a leaf and scared witless.  I managed to get out onto the road and was making my way when the phone rang.  Thank goodness I had it handy and it was Rocketman telling me that McDonald's was too packed to park and to see if I wanted to meet at Pizza Hut which was just across the street from Home Plus.  He would have to walk a few blocks with his suitcase but he was fine with that.

Traffic was horrible and mind you, I had only one mile to drive during this whole ordeal.  I had to go out of the way to get to Pizza Hut.  It's right at the corner of what I call "Dead Man's Curve" where nobody who is turning right ever stops.  I was coming in the opposite direction and would be a great moving target for these rogue cars, buses and taxis.

By this time I was stressed and wanted to be done with the driving.  I saw Rocketman standing in the parking lot of Pizza Hut as I waited for my arrow.  The arrow came, and sure enough the cars that should have stopped kept coming.  I had my turn signal on and I let a couple cars by but it would have never stopped so I just went honking my horn the whole time and I don't know how at least two cars missed me but they did.  Rocketman saw the whole thing and he was sure I would have been hit too. 

There were few cars in the parking lot so I was able to pull in easily.  We had a great lunch and Rocketman drove us home.  I don't know how people do it here.  Maybe I would get used to it if I had to but the complete disregard for red lights is unnerving to say the least.


 Rocketman brought me some gifts that he managed to grab.  I can't wait to do these when we are back home and I have some free time.

 It looks like he is going back to Japan next weekend for another week.  Maybe he will have some time to shop.  I would like some Japanese paper.  They have their own version of hanji paper with beautiful patterns and colors.