Our living conditions

Recently someone commented that they were concerned about our housing situation here in Korea. Let me assure you, we are not living in a dive. It’s small by American standards, where bigger is better, but here it’s just your average middle class home. Our apartment is actually a lot nicer than even I thought it was going to be. Of course, when I arrived it needed some sprucing up. Michael had been living like a bachelor (i.e. no shower curtain, a sword on the wall). But a few framed photographs, and some chachkas later, and it’s starting to look and feel like home. I promise we don’t have these babies living in the ghetto!

Our apartment has 3 bedrooms, and 2 baths. We also have a living room, a full size kitchen with a breakfast nook, and an enclosed balcony. The master bedroom has a built-in armoire, but the other two bedrooms have no sort of closet, so we have clothes hanging on garment racks. The bathrooms are small, of course, but really neat. The master bath has a full size garden tub, which I’ve been really excited about. The second bath has a walk in shower, but it’s like the handicapped kind, where the floor of the bathroom is angled to drain water. It’s been great for putting the babies’ bathtub on the floor and letting them splash around. So, let’s see, what else? We have a regular refrigerator, a gas stove, and a keyless entry front door. It’s just like a keyless entry car, with a secret code to unlock it. I love it, especially since I have a husband who is ALWAYS loosing his keys. In fact, I think I might try to buy a door knob like it before we return to the states! Oh, and the ceilings are low. Michael can just reach up and touch them. But bear in mind, Michael is considered “king size” by Korean standards.

Even if it seems like a third world country to me sometimes, it’s really a pretty normal living arrangement. We’re not in some remote village in Africa! And our apartment is pretty Americanized with our furniture and belongings. If anything, we look like a Babies-R-Us showroom with all the baby stuff everywhere. Two swings, two bumbo seats, a bouncy seat, a couple playmates, boppys, and a couple double strollers. You name it, we’ve got at least one, if not two!