Highrise, Here We Come!

We checked out the place during the day and we are going for it! It has a little bit of green space and is near the River Walk. Here are some exterior shots:


The view:

Real Estate Seoul: Decision Time

We've narrowed it down to three places:

1. An older house with a garden and basement/parking. It is very spacious, but has older kitchen and bathrooms.

2. A first-floor villa that is only two years old. It has a courtyard and small garden area, though neither are private. It has underground parking and it is not too crazy to get in and out of it. The kitchen and bathrooms are new and there is a fancy house manager system, tv in the kitchen and bathroom. It is walking distance to Hannam Village which has a commissary and playground and also Korean shops.

3. Highrise apartment overlooking the river. Beautiful interior with high-end finishes. Pool, sauna, gym and driving range. It has two master suites. One is nicer than the other, but still. 3 full bath rooms. We are going to look at it tomorrow to see if the areas around are suitable for walking Roxxy. We didn't want to deal with the elevator to walk Roxxy, but the swimming pool and sauna may have cinched the deal.

If this was the States and we were going to be here for awhile, I would choose to buy the house and renovate it. If we were spending our own money on rent, I would choose the villa. I like the villa over highrises without pools, but the pool is great and offers swimming lessons for kids.

So, if things check out tomorrow, we are going to go for the highrise. Pictures will be coming soon.

Ian's Current Vocabulary

"Tuck"= Stuck (He is always climbing, trying to open things and getting himself or his hand stuck).
"Nother"=Another (As in, "Give me another on")
"Mama"= Mama now!
"Da-ee"= Daddy
"Wa-er"= Water (in a glass, in the toilet, in a pool, rain, any other liquid)
"Backbeer"=Blackberry
"Why?"=As in,"Why are you doing this to me or why aren't you doing what I want right now?"
"Uh oh"=when he accidently drops something or purposefully does something he knows he isn't supposed to do.
"Whoa"=when something cool or surprising happens
"More"=More now!
"Ba-ee"=Belly
"Eye"=Look at my beautiful eye.
"No"= No (or yes, depending on whether it is accompanied by the sign for "yes")
Dere=There
"Dah" or "Dach"=Dog
"Beer"=Bird
"Bay-er"=Bear
"Ball"="Ball"
"Ro-mo" or "Mo-mote"="Remote"
"No way"="No way"
"Roll"="Roll"
"Hi"="Hi"
"Bye"="Bye"
"Mel-Mo"="Elmo"
"Bur"="Burt"
"E-e"="Ernie"
"DAR!"=who knows, I think he is trying to get out attention. He uses it a lot.
"ot"="hot"
"Door"="Door"
"Mine"="Mine"
"Bowl"="Bowl"
"Duck"="Duck"

Almost a Real Person

You aren't a real person in Korea until you have a cell phone. I am currently surfing the web complements of my new cell phone provider waiting for my phone to activite. I am using LG service. All incoming calls and incoming text messages are free. Nice change from the States. I was able to choose my phone number. I picked my parents last 4 digits so it will be easy to remember. They have Mary J. Blige ring tones so that is what I am going to get since Ian loves her so much. You can also program an international calling card in your cell to call the States on and it doesn't take away from your cell minutes.

Ian is sleeping in his carseat/Go Go Kidz Travelmate.
That thing has been a real life saver. With the dog and all of our luggage, I couldn't deal with the stroller. And at 18 months, carrying is no longer the best option for medium to long trips so we have been wheeling him all around and putting him straight into the real estate agents' cars.

More Real Estate

We have seen quite a few places and I have two appointments today. We were looking at villas or single houses because of the dog, but last night we saw some mid-rise and high-rise apartments that had gyms, saunas, and driving ranges, not to mention high-end finishes on everything. Neither of us golf and I don't know how much I would use the gym, but the sauna was great! The last place we saw had a pool which Ian an I would definitely use. It has a smaller sauna, but they have one and it isn't quite as high. It is near the river and has a great river view. It is probably the swankest place we will ever live in so it is very tempting.

Here is a picture of Ian in the villa courtyard:


It was also very nice on the inside, but does not have a gym, pool, or sauna. It is on the first floor, making it easier to get the dog in and out.

The houses we've seen have been very old. Houses are rare and expensive. I don't think we can afford a house with new appliances and bathrooms. Also, you have to deal with the landlord instead of a maintenance person for maintenance. I have a feeling we will end up in that mid-rise with the pool. Curt really wants a gym. We have a Bow-Flex and treadmill coming from Egypt, but somehow he thinks a gym will be better.

Pictures from Modeling

Ian on the Set:



Craft Services Table: Kim Bop (like sushi rolls but could contain anything from spam to tuna fish), sandwiches from the popular shop Parisianne Baguette, Dunkin Donuts, Pringles, miniature tootsie pops, green tea, barley tea and nescafe type coffee machine.


Modeling can really wear a guy out:


He goes for his third gig on Friday.

Ian Curtis, Male Model

From Montessori in Erie to modeling in Seoul, Ian's "work" has drastically changed. While at the hotel playground, we were approached by a modeling agent. Since we are living in a hotel and don't have anything scheduled to do besides some real estate appointments, we went.

Today was his first gig. It was a catalog shoot. They asked him back for tomorrow. Sue, the agent, provides transportation and food. I need to bring some Annie's crackers because Ian ate too much junk. I don't want them to be able to trace his cholesteral level to his modeling career.

His pay today covers almost half the stroller I want (I think Bumbleride Indie). One of the children there has been doing it for 6 months. We are just going to have fun and see how it goes.