One of the things I have noticed when I came to live here in Seoul more than five years ago was the unwritten escalator “etiquette” that Seoulites were accustomed to. If you are in a hurry and you want to walk up or down in the escalator you have to take  the left side. If you want to take the leisurely escalator ride and remain stationery, you have to take the right side. Even couples do that.

Apparently, it’s not going to be anymore. It is being discouraged and advertisements are out educating escalator users not to walk up or down for safety reasons. When using the escalator, you have to be stationery as you are, in the first place, meant to be.

Flea markets are weekly sights in some of the apartment complexes around Seoul. They usually set up their tents in the parking lot left vacant for the scheduled time to accommodate them. This particular flea market was in Tae Young Apartments in Mapo-gu last week.

Noticeably, they are well-organized as the tents are set-up in almost the same way in the other apartment complexes I’ve seen. This is very convenient for the halmonis and ajummas living in the area. There is an area for fruits.  Another area for vegetables. There is a corner for wet goods (fish and other seafoods). Some vendors sell inexpensive clothing. I aso saw a truck with plants. Snack vendors offer Korean street foods which my son loved. Among the many choices, he savored on odeng. He easily finished 3 sticks and would have wanted more had we not stopped him.

But I don’t think all the goods are cheaper compared with supermarket goods. The banana for example is more expensive in this particular flea market compared with the price of the same size and brand in Lotte Mart. Anyway, flea markets are there for us to look for a bargain. It is up to us to gauge if we are indeed getting one.

When I first arrived here in Seoul more than three years ago, my husband immediately and excitedly brought me to the apartment we called home for two years. It was my first time to experience a Spring morning so I was freezing outside the door but hubby took the joy in showing off the keyless lock feature of our apartment. I was actually impressed… and relieved. From then on, I didn’t have to worry about forgetting the house key.

All the apartments I have visited here in Seoul have Pin-Code Door Locks. All we have to remember is our code combination and we could rush out of the house without any nagging feeling that we have forgotten something… the house keys. It is the convenience and the security which impressed me most with having this kind of door lock. In our current apartment, we have spare house keys, just in case. But so far, we never got to use these keys. It’s just there… for whatever purpose it may serve in the future, we are also comforted  by its presence. But still, using our own pin-code combination is a convenience I could not easily give up.

My toddler would often insist to press our pin-code combination so he could open the door on his own.  But I could not let my 34-month old son memorize our pin-code. Just imagine if we could have a Fingerprint Door Lock. He would be amazed by the power of his fingers:-). I wouldn’t have to test my patience in guiding him to press our code combination. His registered fingerprints will do the trick. That would be something to look forward to.

I have blogged before about the safety and convenience of the transportation system here in Seoul and since our family of three rarely goes out of town unless well-meaning friends invite us (and drive us around), we have not had any reason to get a car. This is going to change, however. With another baby coming in December, it is imperative for us to have one already.

I am now checking on some hybrid cars and there are just many manufacturers and even many more models to choose from, my head is spinning. I have never been interested in cars and I, maybe, am one of the few remaining women out there who thinks that choosing a car is a man’s domain. In fact, I wouldn’t know what brand one is driving. I can only say, “She’s driving a silver car”. On a get-together with friends last Saturday, I opened up the idea of buying a second-hand car. Somebody suggested that we just get a brand-new one as we intend to have a car for the children, anyway. So, here I am dutifully checking cars out.

Good thing, aside from the car photos, there are also reviews available on the internet. The internet is really a one-stop-shop for anything and everything. Anyway, the photos and reviews are really helpful. I may not still be able to confidently say which brand one is driving but at least, I have less reason to declare I know nothing about cars.

Since we are living here in Seoul, it is practical to choose a Korean-manufactured car. Saying that imported cars are expensive is an understatement! I focused reading on made in Korea cars, particularly Kia. Personally, I would prefer an SUV so I could just throw in all of the kid’s stuff inside and still have ample room. I checked the 2009 Kia Borrego and I like it. But, of course, hubby is the authority on this one so we will have to wait and see.

Hubby starts his day on the gym while Little Dynamo and I prepare for dinner. When hubby prepares to go to bed, Little Dynamo and I are just starting our day.

When hubby moves to another state, it would be another time zone and another adjustment will be done.  In a case like this, we could only appreciate how technology bridges the distance… and eases the longing.

Every waking moment means one day less and we will be laughing and playing together again. For our Little Dynamo, it means reclaiming Daddy’s suitcase as his own. He thought it was his when his Dad allowed him to drag the suitcase like a big man when we brought hubby to the airport.

As an expat family here in Seoul with hubby somewhere around the globe almost every month, one would think we would be used to the time differences.

We aren’t.

We can’t be.

Little Dynamo has a Wednesday playgroup. Every Wednesday, our group of four moms and four kids (plus one baby girl) would gather in one venue where the kids could play together. I love hosting our Wednesday playgroup because it is very convenient for me. I do not have to bring my son to another place or another house. Our apartment building has a playroom where I could bring the kids to release their energies. It has ample room for a balloon slide, a jumping platform, two kiddie houses and a good space where they can bump cars. There is a corner for moms to chit chat while watching the kids. The playroom is full especially during winter and very hot summer afternoons. Today was a hot Wednesday afternoon.

Aside from the convenience, I love preparing snacks for the kids and the moms. Today’s chocolate torte was a hit. So was the lemom loaf I prepared the last time. The lemon loaf was such a hit that one boy spontaneously exclaimed “Mashita!” (delicious). Today’s chocolate torte’s left-over was all crumbs. I never thought I could get this kind of satisfaction from people liking my baked goodies:-). Just how domesticated could I get? LOL. I don’t think I will ever desire going back to reading law books… hahaha.

Last week, my part-time helper brought a sad news. The live-in partner of my former part-timer was caught again in a factory raid and was immediately scheduled to be deported back to the Philippines. This was his second time to be deported back to the Philippines.

There are thousands of silently existing Filipino workers here in Seoul who are undocumented. They peacefully go about their ways, maximizing their work hours so they would be able to send enough money for their dependents back home. Go to Hyehwa every Sunday… and they all flock there. Not all are undocumented, but most are. This is just one question you don’t openly ask.

I got to know my two former part-time helpers through a nun-friend from Hyehwa. The Catholic church was my only link with other Filipinos then and if there were people I could bring myself to trust, they should be coming from the church. I had two helpers for different days of the week and I immediately saw my son warmed up to them instantly. The “interview” went with a candid admission that they were undocumented.

Marife had been living here in Seoul for three years already. She came over as a tourist. After a few months, she became undocumented. She met another Filipino, Jimmy, with whom she became pregnant. They lived together until she delivered her baby daughter here in Seoul. Being undocumented, they had to immediately send the baby back to the Philippines before she turns one month old. I’m not sure about the process but she told me they had to send her baby to the Philippines because the longer the baby stays here, the more difficult it will be to bring her home without the mother. At three weeks old, the baby boarded the plane carried by Marife’s Filipino friend (the friend was working here legally). Upon arrival at the airport in the Philippines, the baby was turned over to the waiting grandparents who went to Manila from the province.

Marife could do nothing but cry her heart out unless she also decides to go back to the Philippines and be with her baby… without a job and without money. Marife and Jimmy, with some friends, had to comfort each other and bear the longing for their baby. After a month, Jimmy was caught in a factory raid. He was deported back to the Philippines. Marife worked doubly hard for their baby’s needs, her family’s needs and Jimmy’s needed cash to be able to go back here in Seoul. Jimmy processed his papers again and after several months, under a different name, was able able to come back here in Seoul. He looked and looked for a job all the while cautious of being caught. It took a number of months before he got another factory job. They were living quietly, working diligently and attending bible study sessions. They have a good circle of supportive friends. And then last week, Jimmy was caught again. Marife cannot go to jail to meet Jimmy. She has no legal documents to show. They had to rely with other documented Filipino friends to bring Jimmy’s things. Marife now has to work more hours than necessary to pay the debt they incurred while processing for Jimmy’s papers, which wasn’t fully paid yet as Jimmy was only able to work for some number of months.

Who reported about the undocumented workers’ presence in the factory? A fellow Filipino.

Ate Susan had been living illegally here in Seoul for the past six years. The last time she was in the Philippines her daughter was 4 years old (she is now turning 11 years old). She’s living here with her husband, also undocumented. The daughter is being taken cared of by her sister in the province. They send money for their daughter’s needs as well as for her sister’s family’s needs. Her sister is looking after her daughter, after all. She got pregnant again and is due to deliver first week of July. She plans to go back to the Philippines for good after giving birth to personally take care of their children. The husband will remain here with the everyday hope that he will not be caught by immigration officers.

Marife stopped working for me because I had to go home for Christmas vacation last year. I told her that it was ok if she had to take on another job for the days she was working with me. It would have been unfair for her if she waited for me and she wasn’t paid anything. Ate Susan stopped working for me this year as her belly was already getting bigger and it was getting more difficult for her to work. She recommended my current part-timer, Tintin. Tintin is luckier. She is working here with legal papers as a domestic helper to an embassy consul. Her contract is only three times a week so she has time to work for other employers. But Tintin left her sponsor’s employment because of disagreement over salary. With the help of their “network”, she found another one for other days of the week. She only works for me every Saturday.

Ate Susan also introduced me to Ate Lorna when I needed a tarpaulin for my son’s birthday last year. Ate Lorna knew of a store in Dongdaemun. I met Ate Lorna in a subway. She was wearing a hat to conceal her hair-less head. She was undergoing chemotheraphy. She has cancer. She had been living here in Seoul for 12 years already. Last year when I met her, she was no longer working. She was staying in a religious institution which supports her treatments. I asked why she did not go home to the Philippines. It would be harder, she said. The treatment, the money, the everyday expenses… While she was working here in Seoul, she sent her nieces to school. She had a nurse already and one was waiting for the board exam. She is single and her happiness rests on the achievements of those she helped. What of her now that she needs help?

It isn’t always a hard and sad life. Some lucky ones turn to support groups, church organizations being the most popular. They get their strength from each other and develop life-long friendship bonded by their common status in a place far away from home. They go to out of town trips together. They organize picnics. It’s just sad that they have to be constantly wary of the people they deal with, lest they will be reported to immigration. Sadder of it all is, they have to be wary of their fellow Pinoys.

How do you make friends? Do you make friends because you instinctively like the person? Do you make friends because you need them?

What are your reasons for making friends with a particular person?

A month ago, a mother living in the same apartment where I live sent me a message if I had time to spare so that our boys could play together. I readily agreed as Little Dynamo and I were free that time. And I have already said no several times in the past because our schedule wouldn’t permit it. After several meetings and after knowing that my son has a playgroup scheduled every Wednesday, she also asked if we can schedule our boys’ playtime together. Now, aside from school, my son’s weekdays are full:-).

She is a very efficient mom with a very smart and obedient boy. She is one of those rare Korean women who believes that the English language is not a subject. It should be part of their daily life. Her little boy, without an English hagwon, speaks good english for his age. The boy can speak both Korean and English… because the mom makes the effort to speak to him in English. During one of our play time last week, the mom spoke Korean to another lady. Her boy reminded her “Don’t speak Korean. It’s English time”.

It dawned on me. Oh, my son and I are good companies for the boy’s English education:-). Kids don’t lie.

I know Korean moms are aggressive when it comes to their children’s development, even more so for their children’s English education. English is just a must in this very competitive society. I also know that some of my friends initially like to be with me to learn a thing or two about the English language or at least, practice their English speaking skills. It’s just that, this is the first time that it hit me straight in the face.

Nope, I didn’t take it against her. I was simply amused. Truth be told, I also enjoy being with her and learning from her. I think I have learned a lot of insights from her, in terms of how Korean moms are, more than from any other Korean friend that I have.

Oh well, sometimes the motives do not matter anymore when, in the process, you would grow to genuinely like each other’s company:-).

Some days ago, I received a notice from the Mapo Post Office with the bill for residence tax(?). Last Tuesday, I went to the Post Office which is just a few buildings away from where I live to pay for it. The amount is very minimal so I didn’t make further inquiries regarding the bill.

I had the most pleasant customer care experience!

The first man I approached to ask which window I should transact with cannot understand English but he smilingly told me to wait and a few seconds later he was with another man who showed a lot of eagerness to assist me. In his struggling English, he instructed me which window to go to. He even got a number for me. Aside from wanting to pay for my bill, I went there with a lot of questions to ask. I was actually hesitant to ask since the man is obviously just struggling to understand and speak to me in English.

I got my answers and more. He was just the nicest government employee I am happy to have the chance to encounter. I asked about the rates for packages to be sent to the Philippines. He gave me a brochure in English… and explained the table (fees) to me. He also offered the information that the brochure only contains the rates for Express Mail Service. Regular rates are not printed but are available through the counters. And he asked a lady in one of the counters… and wrote down the information for me. He also led the way to the counter which called my number. Until I got out of the post office, he was there to open the door for me. Don’t you just love being treated that way?

In one of our coffee time, some members of the Pinoy Seoulites offered the observation that customer service here in Seoul, even in government offices, is really satisfactory. I agree with that. I went to the Immigration Office in Mokdong and I absolutely have nothing bad to say about the people behind the counter and the service. Very efficient.

I heard a lot of complaints from my Korean friends about Korean taxi drivers. One personal experience makes me disagree.. at least regarding this one taxi driver I encountered. My Filipino part-time nanny and I did our grocery for my son’s birthday last year. While we were putting the boxes in the trunk of the taxi, the cart was left by my nanny and moved towards the taxi. There was a dent left by the impact. I was afraid that the driver will make a scene. He didn’t. On the contrary, he was very soft-spoken and he brought us to my place where my husband was waiting to talk with him. Everything ended well… we paid him 100,000-won for the damage. It was a very small amount but hubby managed to negotiate:-).

The banks are very easy to deal with. No fuss transactions. I wrote about my experience with a bank here in Seoul in this post.

The power of one pleasant customer care experience! It brings back good thoughts of living here in Seoul:-)

We are all affected with the global economic slump, one way or another.

I see the effect in my grocery bills. A little over 100,000 won grocery bill used to be enough to cover some basic ncessities for our family of three for a month. This does not include food and clothes and cosmetics but the really basic ones for household needs like soap, shampoo, conditioner, toothpastes and the like.

Last month, the counter machine generated for us more than 180,000 won. Last Sunday, our grocery bill was over 200,000 won! I admit, I have this habit of taking from the rack those I think the family needs without mentally computing how much is in the cart. What a thrifty housewife I am. But really, I only get the necessary items.  So, it isn’t just me. It’s the rising prices of commodities.

Given the continuing rise in the prices of commodities, I really should be more conscious next time…

The thing is, much as I want to consider myself meticulous, this does not extend to taking note of the prices of commodities for comparison purposes. I only know that ice cream is cheaper in the supermarket than in any convenience stores. Ice creams are sold at half of its tag price (or at least 40%) in the supermarkets:-)

I welcome any “housewifey” advice on this. Thanks.