So now on to Saturday. We had a really busy day yesterday (Saturday) I still feel a little worn out this morning. Our friend Joe picked us up at 10 am and we drove around Seoul looking for housing. First we went to Itaewon which is kind of an expat area -it is near the military base. We talked to a slightly sleazy agent there who showed us some real dumps and one expensive decent sized place.

From there we moved on to Sadang. I really liked this area but when we stopped in to ask at an agency the agent told us for our price we needed to move further towards the mountains. Ok with me, as all this city is kind of oppressive feeling. So we went over the mountain.

We stopped for pho noodle soup lunch that was delicious. Then we found an agency and began running around in the heat looking at apartments. First we looked at 2 bedrooms and then we figured out that for John to have an office at home we really need 3 bedrooms. So the search continued. Olive was asleep in the stroller and so we walked and walked. Carrying her stroller up and down lots of stairs. At one building one of the agents just motioned for me to leave Olive in the stroller with her and I could go in. This was a kind of leap of faith for me. But up I went. From then on that sweet lady helped a lot with Olive. We went back to the office to get in cars and go to another area together. Olive woke up and off we went. Netta was a real trooper during all of this walking and looking. She brought her Ipod along so she was able to check out into the world of Harry Potter when she needed to. It was very hot. The next apartment was our favorite. It was up a hill and Olive rode on the agent's back Korean style while we climbed the hill.

The apartment was cool. A very nice Korean wooden door, kind of a weird kitchen (I guess a functional large kitchen is not yet in the works for me), 3 bedrooms and a bathtub. It was very close to a cute little playground which seems vital for our little clan. It is right now inhabited by an artist, so there were drawings in the works and lots of canvases stacked in the apartment which we liked. We have until Monday to decide - they will call Joe as he did all the translating for us. We could never have worked with a local agency like this without his help.

There are some questions we have about how it will all work out there as we will have to buy all the furniture and appliances- but we are hoping Craigslist will help with that if we can figure out how to transport things there. Also we wonder about climbing the hill in the winter. It could be icy - any thoughts out there?

After all this running around, I think we ended up seeing 8 apartments yesterday, we needed to do some shopping so Joe took us to E Mart. I guess it is like a Walmart although I haven't really been in a Walmart at least not in the last 15 years or so. And now I know why. It was totally overstimulating. So many people shopping - so much stuff. We needed some things so we braved it but by the end I felt as if I had accomplished little and done way too much.

After we checked out of the big store we went to the food court where you ordered from a central cashier and then I guess a computer sent your order to the stall where you picked up your food. John and I had yummy be bim bap but Netta had a hard time finding food she would eat. She likes noodle soups but the ones we tried were spicy or filled with fish cakes. Olive ate the fish cakes and Netta -who was starving by now- ended up with a cheese sandwich from Paris Baguette. But not before getting sad while also trying to hold it together. It broke my heart to watch her eyes tear up as I knew she was really hungry and tired by this time. She did not however throw a huge fit as she might have at home. Watching her grow is so amazing and sometimes so sad.
Now comes my favorite part of the story - right after the saddest part. Olive was wild and running all around meeting Korean babies and charming everyone with her squeals and impish looks. She was really tired and asked me to nurse her. I had seen a room labeled in Korean and English "Nursing Room" so off we went. We walked into a small neat area with cribs, a sink and some magazines and then we found a little section where you walked through a gauze curtain into a room with two couches. It was like an oasis of peace. There sat a mama nursing her little 2 or 3 month old baby. Olive and I sat down opposite her and started to nurse. My hormones kicked in as the milk let down. In walked two more mamas one with a 6 week old baby. Olive and I gazed at the babies and we all smiled and relaxed. I left the room in an altered state able to see the craziness through milky eyes. AAAhhhh.
I have always resented places that confine nursing mamas to special rooms but this room taught me their value.