I had an American flashback today.  We were sitting in Burger King having lunch, and I noticed an NBA game on TV.  Americans and American English filled the place.  I felt like we were back in the United States again!  In many ways it felt more "American" than life in multi-cultural Washington, D.C.  I know that I previously dissed Burger King in an earlier blog entry, but there was a good reason why we eat at BK today.  We had been out shopping and our son was very hungry.  BK was the closest restaurant we could find, so we ate there.  BK has a big play gym for kids, so we couldn’t help but stop for a burger and watch him play.  Also, I have to admit that I can’t eat Korean every day and need my American fast food fix from time to time.  It’s too bad that fast food is just about the only "American" food you can find overseas.

Afterwards I went to a nearby store, where I saw the brand-new Ford Mustang on display.  The new Mustang sports a retro look reminiscent of the 1960’s-era Mustangs.  It’s a muscular and sporty car.  I’m not a big fan of American automobile styling, but I have to say that I was impressed.  I can’t vouch for what’s under the hood, but I really liked the car’s outward appearance.  The Big Three automakers, especially General Motors, have made great strides in recent years to improve both quality and styling.  GM cars are now among the world’s higher quality cars, not too far behind quality champions Toyota and Honda.  Still, like many Americans we’ve grown used to assuming that American cars lag behind their Japanese counterparts.  We’ve been fond of Japanese cars for awhile, but their styling is dated.  Toyota has been trying to remedy that with updates such as the Toyota MR-2 and the launch of the entry-level Scion brand in the U.S.  I much prefer European styling to Japanese stying.  A Mustang is too sporty for a family guy like me, but I might take a look at an American car the next time we plan to buy.

We eat Korean food tonight, getting back into the routine of eating the local cuisine.  We went out with friends tonight for "pancake bulgogi", a special type of bulgogi I have never eaten before.  It had a unique taste I enjoyed.  I’m used to bulgogi; this special type of bulgogi will take a little getting used to.  I didn’t catch the name of the restaurant, but my friend who arranged the meal said that people come from miles around to eat at this restaurant.  If you visit Seoul, have someone take you for "pancake bulgogi."  I enjoyed getting out and exploring Seoul a bit.  We took our first walk through a subway station, using it as a shortcut and staying out of the cold.  The evening was cool and clear, warmer than the weather has been here in recent weeks.  I enjoyed getting together with friends for dinner.  We had to divide our time between conversation and watching the children, but I think we still had a good time. 

I spent most of the day today emptying boxes, arranging furniture, and putting away belongings in our new home.  I also went out to run some errands and eat lunch at a local Korean restaurant, a welcome respite from unpacking.  I didn’t realize how much stuff we own until I started going through all those boxes.  I repeatedly asked myself questions such as, "Why did I ship that?" and "Why did I ever buy this?"  For example, I found out that I accidentally shipped a miter saw that I have no intention of using while I’m overseas.  Somehow, I ended up shipping just about all the boxes previously stored in my garage, and now I have just about every home improvement tool available to me in a home that I do not need to maintain or improve.  If our place has a problem, I just need to call someone in maintenance.  I don’t need to be a handyman like I was when I lived in my own home.  I have all the tools I don’t need, and I’m missing some that I need.  I don’t even have a hammer yet.  My rusty ol’ hammer will come in a later shipment.  In the meantime, I’ll have to hammer nails to hang photos and prints using a heavy-duty wrench. 

I almost bought a new hammer at the store today, but I decided against it.  I already own one; why do I need two?  At first I justified the purchase by telling myself that my own hammer is rusty (accidentally left out in the rain), but I managed to convince myself not to buy it.  I’m glad I said no.  My family has become rather minimalist, partly out of necessity and partly out of desire.  When you live and work overseas, you don’t need as much as you need as a suburban American homeowner.  Too much stuff can be overbearing, and our life has been much too cluttered over the past few years.  We are planning to get rid of as much "junk" as possible as soon as possible to help unclutter our lives.  We want to keep only what we need or really want and avoid becoming transient packrats.  It will take some time.  We have to use up much of what we have bought–like those multiple bottles of laundry detergent–and sell or give away what we cannot consume.  We will still store some items away for our eventual return to the U.S. and for special occasions such as camping and Christmas.  We don’t have much storage room here, but we’ll find creative ways to put it all away.