We’re finally in an apartment in Gyeongju. Myung has done everything, from finding the place to buying what was not already here, to setting up the utilities, to getting another phone. In short, she’s done it all. I’m pretty helpless here, in a system I’m not familiar with and in a language I’m just starting to learn. I’ve forgotten most of what little I learned when we lived here 12 years ago.
Turns out, this apartment is a great deal. The 95-year-old woman who lived here went to live with her family. The family didn’t want to deal with anything in the apartment. They were going to get rid of it all. So they just gave it all to us. There’s a fridge, a TV, almost all the furniture we need, an air conditioner that worked after a $52 repair, tables, a sofa, kitchen and dining stuff and more. I was planning/dreading buying it all. All we bought or will buy was one bed, a table-top oven (as there is no oven in this typical Korean apartment) and a stainless steel table to put it on, a better dining table and chairs, a microwave, a coffee maker, a toaster and some odds and ends. I’m probably forgetting something, but the point is we don’t have to spend too much to have what we need/want here. For what should come to about $600/mo including building fee, utilities and internet, it’s really better than we had hoped for. Myung pulled all this off in a couple of weeks.
The main thing to accomplish at this point is for me to get a permanent visa. There’s been a big glitch in that regard. The authorities need an original of our marriage certificate. This I have, but Myung didn’t put her father’s correct birth given name, so they won’t take my application at this time. I had to apply to the State of California for a certified amended copy with the given name as it appear on Myung’s birth certificate. There is a process for this, involving online notarization of a form (which I learned is possible), a translated copy of her birth certificate with her father’s correct name, and a couple other forms. We got all this, and I sent it by EMS to my friend Mary, who in turn has sent it on to the guy with the state vital records department. His name is David, and I now have something of a personal relationship with him. He should have it by today or maybe Monday. I emailed him, asking him to verify I did everything right.
Here’s the problem. It might take 6-8 weeks to get the certified amended copy. I’m here on a three-month tourist visa. So I don’t have time to get it back and apply for a permanent visa. Unless I can wangle an extension, I may have to leave the country and come back. When we lived here before, I just took a cheap, short ferry ride over to Fukuoka, Japan every three months and back the same day. Now, because of coronavirus, I can’t go anywhere around here. They won’t let Americans in, or almost anyone for that matter. The cheapest destination is going to the US and coming right back. I may have to do that. And of course, I’ll have to quarantine again when I arrive back in Korea.
Other than all that, things are going pretty good. Our place is nice. There’s a park a couple of blocks away that covers what seems to be many square kilometers, if it is contiguous with a little mountain we can see from the park interior. There are several other large parks in this historically significant former Silla dynasty capital. Gyeongju is a nice size, about 250,000 people. Public transportation is good. I think life will be good here.
I gotta get a grip n the language. I’m working on it.
So that’s about it for now. When more develops and/or we go do some photo worthy things, I’ll write again. For now, be well, all of you. And be safe.