More on the Ah-pah-tu, and a Great Discovery

Have I mentioned that I like my apartment?

I timed it yesterday--it takes me 13 minutes, door to door, to walk to work.  Well, as long as they haven't surrounded my building with barbed wire and body-armor-clad soldiers (don't worry Mom--it was just an exercise).  I'm enjoying the views from the apartment, the air conditioning (a box in the ceiling of each room, controlled with a remote), and the ample space.

The last photo, taken from one of the bedrooms, shows the Korean War Memorial and the building where I work behind it.

There are a couple of quirks to this place--the water in the kitchen sink is controlled by a foot pedal, the laundry room smells like kimchi and was clearly not built for American appliances (the movers moved them in through the kitchen window and creatively finagled them so I can open both the washer and dryer at the same time), and there are consoles and buttons all over the place that play seemingly random nintendo noises and are all labeled in Korean.  It just adds to the charm, I think.  Actually, I had kind of hoped to live in a smaller "villa"--a few floors of apartments with a nice Ajumma landlady who made her own kimchi and smiled at my attempts to use Korean; my sweet husband, however, really liked the idea of his wife living in a penthouse with a security guard and modern amenities.  And I have to say I'm really happy we got this place.  So convenient!  

Speaking of convenience, I made a fantastic discovery today.  Several of my coworkers live in this area (one actually lives in my building, five floors down), and one of them mentioned a Korean restaurant in the complex.  I took a lap arounds today on my way home from work, and came across a hole in the wall restaurant that has a menu written on the wall, two Ajummas behind the counter cooking up some magic, and another folding kim-bap (rice, pickle, and sometimes meat, wrapped in seaweed--kind of like Korean sushi) by the door.  But wait, it gets better.  There are no tables, and as I'm standing there working out the Korean menu, I notice a busboy hurry back into the place with a tray of diner remains, grab another tray, and take off to another building.  I place my order with the kim-bap Ajumma, and my hopes are confirmed--she asks for my tower and room number!  It's like room service, at my house!  And it's about $4 for pork dumplings and a kim-bap roll!!  Hooray!!!  And YUMMM!  This place is going to be a staple.  Now if I could only learn enough Korean to place an order by phone...