Read all about the short trip to Brisbane in Julie's news. The idea was to coincide the trip with me being able to attend the Boeing NES Division Employee Forum meeting in person, instead of dialing in from Deakin, & provide Julie with an opportunity to have a look at our investment properties in Brisbane & the block of land in Hervey Bay. We managed to do all of those on the Friday, ending in Hervey Bay for the night. We were sitting in the outside area of the local tavern after dinner when I found an unsecured wireless network with the laptop & checked Julie's orders for Korea. Lo & behold, there they were - approved!

On Saturday we headed for the beach to have breakfast & spotted what looked like a big flock of birds. They turned out to be thousands of fruit bats returning to roost for the day, accompanied by lots of noise & smell. The plan was to head for Steve Irwin's Australia Zoo, but by the time we got there at lunch time, to discover that the entry cost is $43 each, it wasn't going to be particularly good value, so we headed straight for Brisbane. At the motel, I noticed an ad for the Lone Pine Koala Sanctuary, so we bolted down there, just managed to catch the tail end of the "you can have your photo taken holding a koala" session & you can see the results on the photos page. They even let me hold it too, which was a real buzz, but no photo because we hadn't paid for one. The little guy snuggled right into my shoulder! And true to form, he peed on Julie. They're not called piddling koalas for nothing, you know! After that we mosied on up to Simon's place for dinner. Simon was the Aussie Resident Manager in Seattle, so it was great to catch up with him again.

Then on Sunday it was back home again, on another early morning flight. Interestingly, the Brisbane airport was full of SES (State Emergency Service) people in their orange overalls. We finally figured out they were farewelling all of their interstate colleagues who'd been helping out with Cyclone Larry. All but the top brass of the SES are volunteers, so these guys take leave to go out & work their rings off helping others.

Julie is now off work (her contract finished at the end of March), so she's at home each day, getting things done & psyching herself up to head off to the wilds of downtown Seoul & keep the rest of the world protected from the scourge of the Communist hordes. So for half of April & all of May, we can all sleep soundly, knowing that we are all that little bit safer!

And today the plans got firmed up one more step when I collected her tickets from the US Embassy. Wow, she really is outa here. And her accommodation for the weekend has been confirmed - on Monday she moves in to the barracks. We'll head on up to Sydney on Friday (it's Easter - Good Friday & Easter Monday are both public holidays here) & stay overnight right near the airport, so we don't have a mad scramble at 2 am to get her there from Canberra.

All went pretty much according to plan this weekend. I took charge of the packing on Thursday night, to discover that the total weight as packed was 30 Kg (68 lb), with the smaller suitcase packed inside the larger one, in readiness for the mass transport of goodies from Korea. Then I decided to check on the baggage limits, to discover that we had been spoiled on the US route with 2 bags of up to 32 Kg each, & found that this trip is limited to one only of just 20 Kg (44 lb). This resulted in a complete re-pack & cull of all but the non-essentials on Friday morning. Still, we managed to get away by about 10, for breakfast at the Pancake Parlour (which is open 24/7/365) before leaving. On Good Friday in Australia, together with Christmas Day, EVERYTHING except the essentials like service stations & the occasional cafe are closed for the day. This meant that we were severely restricted for dinner that night & decided to eat in the motel restaurant, followed by drinks in the outdoor covered area, where we managed to start a party!

Consequently, getting Julie out of bed on Saturday morning proved to be quite a challenge, the highlight being me ripping all of the covers off the bed at one stage, & complicated by the total lack of hot water in the room, resulting in a decision by both of us to forego a shower. Thank God we were only a 3 minute drive from the airport! I even got her through to Customs an hour before flight time, only to discover when I went to pay for parking, that my credit card was missing. Panic, followed by some retracing of steps found it back at the motel. Whew!

Having not heard from Julie on Saturday night, I called her at her hotel at 8 am Sunday her time. Heh heh. She explained that she had been the only non-Asian on the flight & had just about starved, because all they had for food was rice & kimchi. As expected, it took about an hour to get off the plane & out of Customs, only to find that the next shuttle to the base leaves in 2 hours & that the (only, apparently) taxi authorised to enter the base had also just left & wouldn't be back much sooner! She finally got in at 11 pm, although later today she said it was about 9:30. By then, of course, she wanted to do nothing but sleep.

Since my life is rather boring compared with what Julie is doing over there, we'll just keep the daily diary going here ... BTW, the "hotel" is called the Dragon Hill Lodge & it's HUGE!

Sunday, just kicking back & getting bearings. Got onto the wireless network & we had a good talk over Skype. Her "barracks" is apparently one room of a 3 bedroom house. She's decided to stay another night at the hotel, just to get work & other basics sorted out first. Also, she's been shifted from the original area, so it's a bit up in the air.

Monday, started work & discovered that she'll be helping to set up for the next exercise in August. Apparently she's working on the welcome video, which will be something she can get her teeth into. Also that the barracks doesn't supply sheets, blankets or towels, so she's had to go shopping already. Hmm ... And bought a mobile phone - the number is +82 10 3040 7045. It's free for incoming calls, which means you, the caller, will get slugged. You have been warned!

Tuesday, she ate at the chow hall, something about corn dogs & orange cheese - she enjoyed it, but my reply left a nasty puddle on the floor. And the barracks is only a short walk from the hotel, so she's bought some air time at the hotel & will come up there each night & get online. Work is 15-20 minutes away & there are lots of stairs, so she should be fit soon. And I'm walking the dogs every night (so far), so I should be too. She also has e-mail at work, so we can at least communicate during the day as well.

The rest of this is from notes that she has sent me. Got to her room & found that the previous occupant had left everything, so now she can return the linen. Left a nice warm civvie jacket too. Woke to the sounds of Army doing PT, reminded her of a Danny Devito movie! And (finally, after working with him remotely for over 6 months) met her recruiter from Japan.

Wednesday, cold & raining, but with no (military) coat to wear over her uniform, & therefore wearing no coat at all, she just keeps reminding herself that it's just like Seattle. (And we only packed summer weight uniforms too.) She's working with an Army Major, an AF Major, an AF Captain (her boss), a Navy Lieutenant & an AF Staff Sergeant. A Korean was killed by an Officer yesterday, hit by his car. There's a new General in charge, so we'll see how he handles it. The red light district changes each week, but you walk by windows with women sitting in them - if the chair is empty, then she's busy. In order to get leave, the Army people have to do PT tests every 6 months & fire weapons every 3 months, but the weapons thing is a lottery, so they never know when they'll get called. And Chow Hall food hasn't changed much!

Thursday, the Chow Hall opened late this morning, so she went to the Mini-Mart for a "thing" called a Tornado - the description said eggs, sausage & cheese, but the sausage was very spicy. Still cold & windy, which apparently is unusual for this time of the year. And the roomies are pretty unfriendly, which is a pity. Work is interesting & challenging, which is unexpected. Saturday's plan is to go look at the shopping district of Itaewon, which is within walking distance.

Whoa, time out. Just when I thought that the happenings of 2003 couldn't get to me any more, I got hit by a combination of being in the city on my own, with the young fella's 21st birthday tomorrow without his mother, & seeing the Organ Donor exhibition of photos of real people, both donor & recipient. Found myself walking down the street, bawling my eyes out. As always, after 5 minutes on the phone to Holly, I felt much better! Just having someone to talk to, who will understand, is critical at these times.

This from a standing orders type thingy of the US Forces Korea:

Only one Privately Owned Vehicle (POV) is authorized per family for command sponsored personnel. For unaccompanied military personnel, only those military personnel in the pay grade of E-7 and above are authorized to own and operate a POV. USFK Pam 385-2, Guide to Safe Driving in Korea, serves as the study guide to prepare for the written driver's examination for military personnel and their family members. Family members must be at least 18 years of age to drive POVs in Korea.
There must be a logical explanation why driving in Korea is more difficult than in the United States. At first glance, you can clearly see that there are many vehicles and too few roads to handle the traffic in an orderly manner. This situation may be the reason taxis and other vehicles drive aggressively, weaving in and out of traffic. Buses and heavy trucks are required to use the extreme right lanes but very often wander into other lanes.
In addition, experience is a factor in driving in Korea. Americans have been driving for many years. As a result, we developed and learned safe habits when around motor vehicles. In Korea, the motor vehicle growth was sudden, thus not allowing for the development of safe habits as in the United States.
On every road in Korea, you can expect to find people. On expressways, extra caution is required around road repair and maintenance sites. Maintenance workers are prone to step into the path of traffic and drivers must be prepared to stop immediately. Also watch for workers when going through tunnels and toll gates.
There are many pedestrians in Korea. Traditionally, they have felt that they have as much right to the use of the roads, and therefore expect vehicles to yield to them. This behaviour creates a real hazard for you as the driver. It is wise to reduce speed when driving around pedestrians, especially children. Many Korean children have a preconceived notion that by raising their arms, a vehicle will stop to allow them to cross the street. Watch out for them and prepare to stop. Pedestrians also become confused while crossing roads, often stopping suddenly and then moving into the paths of moving vehicles. A common occurrence is for pedestrians to run or walk into traffic lanes from the front or rear of halted or parked vehicles and other blind spots.
Although much of Korea is using the motor vehicle as a means of transportation, there are still some people who rely on other more economical means of transportation. It is not uncommon to find yourself sharing a road with animal or human drawn carts. Even more unpredictable and hazardous are bicycles and motorcycles. They are usually overloaded and unstable. Slow down and give them lots of room, as the operators are noted for weaving into the paths of passing vehicles. Even more disturbing are the motorcyclists who drive on the extreme right side of the road at an excessive rate of speed and pass your vehicle on the right (one should constantly keep an eye on rear view mirrors to reduce the element of surprise).
Other hazards on Korean roadways are created by nature. Two of the more notable ones are potholes, created by the winter freezing and thawing process, and flooding, caused by the rainy season. Slow down. Avoid potholes if you can. Potholes damage tires, oil pans, or even entire cars.
Truly, driving in Korea is a challenge. Relax, be calm, be alert, and drive defensively!

I've put an update direct from Julie onto her newsletter page here.

Explanations for the latest photos are as follows. 

Photos courtesy of Google Earth, showing the extent of the base, its relationship to the city (top centre), Julie's main hangouts.

Inside the barracks (house), view from the house, walking the other way towards the DHL, the Korean Honour Guard practising & a car washer dude, who will wash your car & expect to be paid.

Cherry blossom (& razor wire), "home", up to the chow hall, main arterial road, "Julie's Place".

Stay tuned for more exciting instalments from the Land of the Morning Calm ...

Meanwhile, the weather in Seoul: