I drove off post for the first time today. I'll start by saying that I'm sure glad that Nana Faye and Nana Jean weren't in the car with us. I would hate for the kids to have witnessed their Grandmothers having heart failure right in front of them.
As kind and respectful as Korean people are, when they get into an automobile they are CRAZY! I can't even begin to tell you what it's like to drive in bumper to bumper traffic with cars literally sqeezing in and out of lanes that aren't really lanes while motorcycles and mopeds are passing in the emergency lane and buses are doing what they want because they are the biggest thing on the road. Not to mention the fact that traffic lights are apparently optional (although I don't recall that on my test) and can be ignored at whatever point the driver decides he doesn't want to sit and wait any longer.
Anyway, later that evening we went to eat with our neighbors M & M (without the kids). We parked at one of the "walk through" gates on post and walked into Itae Won. The restaurant was a traditional Korean buffet where you sit on the floor and cook at the table. It was a delicious meal and good company. Before leaving I had to go potty so I walked into the unisex bathroom where a man was standing at the urinal. I tried to be nonchaulant and act like it was no big deal. Then two more Korean men came into the bathroom, followed by R and M (our friend). Needless to say, that was a very strange predicament that I'm not sure I'll ever get used to.
After leaving the restaurant we took a "shortcut" and ended up walking what seemed like the whole perimeter of the city of Itae Won--in the rain-- to get back to post. All that, and we still got home before 9:30 pm. It was quite an adventure.
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