Shin-Ford Adventures

Our Family is going abroad! Find out what's happening through this blog (if you want).

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Yeosu

We went on a trip to Yeosu. Yeosu is a smaller city in the southern region of South Korea, on the ocean. I have been to the airport as I often fly there from Seoul, but I hadn't explored the city, ever. My wife and her family planned the trip! Yeosu is now a hopping tourist spot. It wasn't always this way. It's claim to fame was a singer over a decade ago visiting the city and then writing a song about it, and since then, it is a popular vacation spot for Koreans. We hit up the aquarium (this is Leia's third this year) and we were super impressed. There is a beluga whale, named "Rosey" that literally screeches at the kids. Check out the video! It is loud, and a bit surprising. She seems to truly enjoy freaking out the kids, lol. There were also very large turtles, sharks, and manta rays. Pretty sweet! It was 38 degrees outside so it was necessary to be indoors. We also hit up the Arte Museum, which has a series of museums, around the world. We had been to the Las Vegas location. They are very similar, unfortunately, but Leia still loved the wave room. The exhibition room had Korean historical art which was cool. The boat in the picture is for catching squid. They go out at night, and all the bulbs apparently light up, and it attracts squid, making it easier to catch them. We also saw fisherman casting from the port, and they were all actually trying to catch octopus! Apparently, there was one type of fish in the area that was so valuable, around 5000 dollars for one. Very rare to catch it, but a delicacy in fancy cuisine. Yeosu's real estate has basically tripled since that song came out, so many locals have moved away, to the neighboring cities, and commute to work. It's unfortunate, the song provided huge economic gains to the city but also priced out the locals.... sounds like a few places in Canada as well. Oh! One more cool story. There is a random light house in Yeosu. It is called Hamel light house. It is named after a Dutch dude who got lost at sea during the Joseon Dynasty and ended up in Yeosu, the locals took him in and helped prepare him for his long journey home, and the locals built that light house in honor of their Dutch friend. This Hamel guy spread word of Yeosu, and the Brits also came and checked it out. Oh, and I tried BBQ eel. I know that sounds weird, but its actually delicious. Was surprised, once you filet the eel it looks like fish.

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Ok, here are some pictures. The top photos are us walking around in Gimpo (Part of Seoul) at 3:00am looking for food. Luckily, there are so many 24/7 style stores so it is easy to get something. They even have fruit and vegetables available. We took a photo of the goods. Korea has awesome coffee, even from the convenience store. Below, is the picture of our hotel room. You can get a hotel for about 50 dollars per night, or you can go all out and spend hundreds. Korea has lots of options. It is not like Vancouver where you need to spend 500 even for a standard hotel. Seoul does have expensive places, though. Below that, we are in Suncheon, at my in-laws apartment. They live in a large high-rise with a bunch of similar buildings. There is a playground, a gym, a preschool, and a few other amenities that come with their complex. Below that, the place we have rented for the next 17 days. It is a traditional style home in an older part of town, and I am so happy with it. It will be a nice spot to relax and explore from over the next few weeks.

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We made it to Korea! 8 Checked bags, a car seat, a chariot stroller, 3 carry-ons, and my family. I was shocked to have nothing not make the trip! Getting all this luggage to my in-laws hometown wouldn't be possible without a shipping company. Luckily they have this service right in the airport, so you just give them the address and pay and it'll be dropped off right at the door. Leia did so well on all the flights. The long flight (Vancouver to Seoul), is about 10-11 hours. We got there in 10.5 . She did so well, having two naps. The layover in Vancouver was quite long, and then we had to take a taxi from Incheon Airport over to Gimpo, to catch a domestic flight very early this morning. We were up at 2:45 am as the time difference made us feel like it was 11:45 am Alberta time. I took a nap today and I feel like the jet lag may be over. We won't be flying again for about 3 weeks, and the next mission is to get all this luggage to the airport in Busan, and get it into China, all accounted for. I believe we will rent a van and drive to Busan with all the luggage, or use another shipping company, although its pricey to ship 10 pieces of luggage. I got an international driver's permit so I can drive in Korea if we go with this plan.

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Saw family and friends b4 we left

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It has been a great final two weeks before we depart.

We spent time with family and friends. And enjoyed water on hot days. Cycling amongst the mountains, and seeing old friends with their kids. Now it is time for Korea. 3 flights and a bus ride, about 3 days to get there.

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These are the photos of the final move-out and clean-up. My house was emptied out, and then my classroom. I packed everything I could into our family's truck, and the remaining items we didn't sell went to storage. This is all part of the requirements for us to go abroad. It has been something that has been on my mind for 7 years. ALOT of work is required, especially once you have a family and home. For example, you need to decide: will you keep your home or sell it? What about your vehicles? What about all your large item furniture (sell it if you can). What if you come back? Well, that is what the storage is for. We purchased a cargo trailer and it has a "house starter kit" inside, so when we come back, we aren't starting from completely ground zero. Other things to keep in mind: taxes. Does the country you are going to have a tax treaty with Canada? What documentation do you need to collect? I have read stories of Canadians coming back from abroad and getting a large tax bill from the CRA. We need to have all our documents translated, and I need to ensure I submit while abroad. There are also forms I can fill out to see if we will be considered a resident while abroad, so that will happen in the next week. This outcome will determine how much documentation I need. Anyways, phase 1 is done. It is a surreal feeling. I have gone from a fairly large home down to 6 suitcases, and a few boxes. I honestly didn't think we'd be going this year. I figured we would "try", learn what needs to be done, and then get it finalized in the following year. However, life had different plans for us: Our house sold in 6 days, our car sold in 2. Most of our large furniture and items sold at our 2 garage sales, and the others went on marketplace, quickly. I found a cargo trailer close to home, and it was absolutely the perfect size. I also have great friends who helped me pack, unpack, and box up so many things. To everyone that helped us prepare for this journey, thank you. I won't put your names, but please know I appreciate you all more than you know. Phase 2: We fly to Korea in 12 days. We will be spending 3 weeks there before our final destination.