August is a great month in the garden! Our watermelons look great; there are several that are bigger than softballs and a bunch a little smaller. There are still cherry tomatoes in the community veggie patch, and tons of mint and basil available for harvest.
The mint is growing like crazy; there are plenty of shoots if you want to take some cuttings for a pot or some other location. Mint loves soggy ground and may return in the spring. Just clip some of the shoots that are coming out from the main plants along the ground and pull them out, roots and all, and transplant them into damp soil. This post has links to some interesting and fun uses for mint.
The composters are working overtime turning kitchen waste and grass and leaves into super soil for next year; please add your kitchen waste to the effort! Just no meat or dairy, please: coffee grounds, egg shells, fruit and veggie peelings, bread crusts, shredded paper and other wastes are welcome. We are working on a mulch pile in the back corner. The more grass and leaves we can get, the better the dirt will be for next year. There are several inches of leaves on the ground around some of the MVV buildings that can be moved to the mulch pile, and there are often grass cuttings laying around after mowing day. Give each kid a plastic bag or bucket and see who can fill their container up first!
And, we have tons of butterflies; they can be seen on the sunflowers, mint and basil every day. There are also a variety of birds out there, and tons of insects and worms. If you haven't seen it lately, come by and check it out!
*You can shop online at Gmart Korea: they deliver!
*Check with the BX about ordering AAFES items and having them shipped to the BX. They will also send things here from the Yongsan PX. Give them a call if our BX doesn't have something you need.
*To get e-mail notification that you have a package, sign up at the package window.
*Mailing packages is faster if you use cash. The post office only has one line to run cards, so if someone else is using a card in another line, you'll have to wait.
*Try Hide My IP Address if you're unable to access websites you want to see; Korean IP addresses are blocked from many sites you might be interested. There are multiple free options for this.
*Click here for a links to online South Korean newspapers and news sources in English.
*The commissary sometimes has reduced prices on perishables on Sunday night, because it's not open on Mondays.
*There are book swap shelves at the library, one for adults and one for children.
*There is an awesome sports facility on top of the commissary parking lot: a soft-surface track, four tennis courts and a basketball court.
*There is a laundromat by the Main Gate with big washers for comforters and etc. They also have bathrooms in there if you need to go before you head-off base.
*Two options for getting your car washed: The Auto Hobby Shop has a new automated car wash, and there are business owners on bicycles around base that will come to your vehicle and clean it up.
*The O'Club has an email list that they use to send out their activities and events. Stop by to sign up.
Reasons for and styles of homeschooling are as unique as each individual military family. There are several homeschooling families at Osan. Chances are you have encountered one of us, whether you realized it or not.
I would like to address some popular misconceptions about homeschooling, and share a little about why and how it might be done.
Misconceptions
1. All homeschoolers do so for religious reasons – very untrue. Religion does not always factor into the decision, nor are all homeschoolers conservative Christians. We are also Jewish, Muslim, Hindu, Buddhist, Pagan, Agnostic, and Atheist, just to name a few possibilities.
2. Homeschoolers deprive their children of “socialization” – absolutely not. We are always on the go along with the rest of society. We run errands, meet in co-ops and support groups, go on field trips, visit the library, meet for playdates, scouts, sports, and more.
(Personally, I’m still waiting for someone to prove that children who go to public school somehow benefit socially from sitting in silence or standing quietly in line for several hours a day.)
3. Homeschool families have many children – our families come in all shapes and sizes. We happen to be an adamant only child family, while others feel the more, the merrier.
4. Children who are homeschooled are prodigies or geniuses – we wish! Homeschooled children range in abilities and talents. Also, many parents find that homeschooling children with learning disabilities or autism is more beneficial than placing them in public school. One on one attention can work wonders for all children.
Reasons for Homeschooling
I can only address our personal reasons. For me, I simply feel that the one-size fits all system of education is inadequate. The current way of doing things in a typical classroom puts boys at a disadvantage (check out The Minds of Boys by Michael Gurian if you want to learn more).
This isn’t to say that boys in public schools can not thrive; they certainly can and do!
But public school fails to take the needs of the individual child into account. They are simply incapable. Thus some parents choose to take their child’s education into their own hands.
My husband’s reason is that he is tired of schools teaching children what to think as opposed to how to think. This lack of acceptance of critical reasoning skills in public school is his main reason for wanting to homeschool our son.
Reasons can be varied and numerous, or simple. They can be religious or academic, social or practical. The reasons may be based on the child’s or family’s needs, lifestyle, morals, or ethics. If you want to know why someone homeschools, ask them. It will give you insight into their choice, but it will not be the same response for every family.
Style, Method, Approach
Perhaps you picture homeschool families sitting around a table, doing their work, or at little desks in a homemade classroom. Maybe you think we get out of bed at 5 or 6 a.m., like a family preparing for a public school day.
Some methods are academically rigorous, which others are child-led. Some focus on reading and language, while others focus on nature study.
Homeschoolers may get up early in the morning or sleep in, get to work immediately in the morning or take their time accomplishing educational tasks.
One thing many homeschoolers seem to agree on is that our “school day” is far shorter, yet richer, than that of a public school day. Within 4 hours, we can complete lessons for math, reading, writing, poetry or literature, science, history, art or music, and foreign language. This often includes nature study outdoors, rather than through books, computers or television, a visit to an historic site, and/or a trip to the library.
This sort of one-on-one academic attention leaves plenty of time in the day for a trip to the beach or playground, a picnic or time with friends, a concert or visit to the theater, and so much more.
Homeschooling is experiential more often than not, which is what tends to give our children their academic edge. They are not sitting in a classroom hearing about a subject, but often exploring the subject with all their senses.
In the end, we are doing the same things as any public school family – that which we feel is best for our child(ren).
If you're interested in learning more, ask us at osanparents@gmail.com and we can put you in touch with some Osan homeschooling families and resources.
Many of us are military spouses and moms and lots of us stay at home, especially here at Osan where there are fewer options for paid employment. And that's a great choice for lots of reasons, but unemployed spouses can be at a financial disadvantage, particularly when the employed spouse is military.
Often the spouse of an active duty service member knows little about pay, entitlements, life insurance and other benefits or obligations, and these things can be challenging to figure out. We all know that decoding an LES or information provided by the military can be difficult, and sometimes it's not even accurate. Click here for military.com's guide to military pay. https://mypay.dfas.mil/mypay.aspx is the military's myPay site. The site can be accessed with the active duty member's login ID and a six-digit PIN. The semi-monthly LES can be found here, as can the W-2 and other tax forms. Pay changes can be made through the site also: TSP contributions, exemptions, payroll deductions, direct deposit, savings bonds and etc.
Another potential disadvantage to the military spouse is the lack of a personal retirement plan. If you move from base to base, sometimes working, sometimes not, it can be difficult to amass significant retirement benefits. A Roth IRA can be an excellent choice for a retirement vehicle for a spouse. T Rowe Price and Fidelity both offer low cost Roth IRAs with a variety of investment choices. You can invest up to $5,000 per year (this year; limits will likely change over time) and many investment companies let you contribute automatically every month. Just sign up, pick a fund or fund(s) and forget about it. Or check into some other options, but do something for your future- Osan is a great place to sock away some money!
If you're interested in going back to school, the active duty spouse can now transfer his or her post 9/11 GI Bill benefits to a spouse or (child)ren, or any combination. The total benefit is 36 months (4 9-month school years) of tuition, housing at the E-5 rate for the locality, plus $1,000 per year for books. The benefit can be split up however you choose, and active duty members can do it from work with their CAC- it just takes a few minutes. You can read more the details and rules here.
And that brings us to three D's we don't want to talk or think about: Divorce, Deployment and Death.
As military spouses, we are possibly more knowledgeable than our counterparts married to civilians, because almost everyone has been through at least one deployment, probably requiring us to handle the family finances whether we usually do it or not. Both spouses should be up to date on bank accounts, debts, investments and other financial information and have access to important documents and data. If you or your spouse is a little behind the curve, sit down together and make up a cheat sheet, just in case.
And what about divorce? It may not surprise you to hear that if you and your active duty spouse separate, the military will be of no assistance to you until a divorce settlement is finalized. If you are separated and your spouse won't give you any money, guess what? The military doesn't care. If you think you might be in this position in the future, make your financial preparations now: get a credit card in your own name, and start stashing away some cash. You may or may not be entitled to a portion of the military member's retirement, so if you are facing this possibility, get a good lawyer with experience in military finances.
You probably know that the active duty service member has life insurance coverage through SGLI. If your active duty spouse elects a beneficiary other than you, your permission is required and a notification is sent to you. Is the SGLI enough? Check out your other benefits and entitlements in this situation and look at your family's finances to decide if you would need more. What about the stay at home spouse? If something happened to you, would your spouse be able to afford to pay someone to do all the work you do every day? Chances are, if you have kids, coverage for you makes a lot of sense.
The bottom line is that a little bit of time and effort now will pay big dividends in the future- keep up on your family and personal finances!
Korean overpasses and bridges: Not for the faint of heart. I thought the Chesapeake BayBridge was bad? That the Tobin was the stuff of nightmares? HA!!!
There are no shoulders on the overpasses and bridges here. If you are sitting on the right side of a vehicle, do not look out the window, because you're just looking DOWN. Straight plummet to your doom. I kid you not.
Korean Air: The 14.30 hour flight was pretty good, even for someone like me, who hates to fly.The flight attendants were warm, gracious, and NEVER terse (unlike American flight attendants). And the Bibimbap served as our first meal on the flight?Yummy.
Humidity: Those of us from the East Coast complain about humidity in the summer. It's our thing.Well, we don’t have anything on Korea!Humid does not even begin to describe it. I couldn't even tell that the AC was on in the airport and when I finally felt it (after changing into a tank top and sitting for a while), it was still so muggy, I could have bathed in the Korean air.
ON THE BASE
Moving In: Thursday was my first long contact with one of the civilians who works on base. He was very thorough in explaining everything to us, and also exemplified the strong Korean work ethic. These folks are VERY customer service oriented. He would give us an example of something that might go wrong and then say, "No problem" and tell us who to contact to fix it.
A Walking Base: When we first arrived, we needed to purchase bedding for our loaner beds and left the BX with a shopping cart (that included a sleeping child!).I felt so nervous walking the shopping cart home, but this is “a walking base”.People do it all the time.
Just remember, after you do your shopping, bring the cart back to the store.Please don’t leave it under the stairs.Nobody is sent to collect them – if you take a shopping cart, it is your responsibility to return it.
Ration Card: I had never heard of such a thing, so I was befuddled to hear the words “Ration Card” when I went to the Commissary in an attempt to shop.It turns out, you need to go to MPF with your spouse to obtain this little card.This is what entitles you to shop at AAFES facilities such as the Commissary, BX and Shopette.
I was given a temporary card, which was turned in to MPF when the “permanent” plastic card arrived.
NEO Packet: This is another thing that I did not know to expect.When you arrive at the base, you and your spouse need to visit the squadron’s Orderly Room to meet your NEO Warden and obtain a few things.
The first is a letter that you will take with you to the Spouse Orientation (more on that later) to get your very own gas mask.
The second is a NEO Packet.In order to fill out the information, you need to know the social security and passport numbers of the family members here with you, and they suggest including many records that you would not want to be caught without in the event of an evacuation.
While I have yet to experience one, there are NEO Exercises for the families.From what I understand, you go to these, bringing your gas mask and packet (and perhaps your NEO bag).The people there just process you through the line by verifying that you are prepared for an evacuation.
Spouse Orientation: I have not experienced this either (and, to be honest, have better things to do that day), but they have them at the end of each month.Unfortunately, if you want your gas mask (both for yourself and your children), you must attend this 8-hour briefing.
They tell you about things that might or might not be important – getting your child enrolled in school, base legal, and why the military is here on the peninsula, just to name a few of the topics.
You must register to attend by calling the AirmanFamilyReadinessCenter, and bring your NEO gas mask letter and NEO Packet.
So there you have it – the things I did not expect and wish I had known before I got here!Hopefully this entry will help prepare you for your first few weeks at Osan.
Ed. note: Thanks to 'Anonymous' for this important message about some common problems that are not often talked about. If you need help, you can call mental health at x2148 or Family Advocacy at x5010 during business hours. For an after hours emergency, dial x2500. And, if you want to share your personal story, submissions, anonymous or otherwise, are always welcome at osanparents@gmail.com.
After spending two years at Osan, I’ve spent a lot of time reflecting on the impact it has had on my life. Osan had many wonderful aspects. The support the families offer each other is both limitless and priceless and getting to travel and see Asia was a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity, but now I’m gone, I’m wondering if all those things were worth the stress on my marriage and my own personal mental health.
The bottom line for me is that all the support in the world does not substitute for the absence of my husband and the father of my children.His 18-hour work days (often 6+ days a week) and the stress the Osan pace put on him brought us all to near collapse. The party line of the base leadership at the time was “it is a privilege” to be at Osan because many service members couldn’t bring their families. This was infuriating because it put me in the pos ition of feeling like I’d asked for all the trouble and that I was on my own.
After about a year of keeping up the Osan pace, I found my emotional health slipping. Being completely responsible for my family half-way around the world from the rest of my family and typical resources was taking its toll. Despite my best efforts to learn as much as I could, not speaking the language was isolating and left me feeling like I was stuck on base and often couldn’t get some of the simple things that would have made me feel more at home.Having limited reliable childcare made taking classes or getting a job nearly impossible. The absence of my husband and his partnership in the rearing of our children and in our marriage drained me emotionally and physically. I was having a hard time keeping up with the demands and responsibilities. I felt like there was no way out.
I finally realized that I needed help and called the Mental Health clinic on base. My first attempt was extremely unhelpful. It was hard to get an appointment (I had to call several times and wait weeks to20be seen) and the counselor I saw did not listen to me. I was telling her what I needed based on previous experience and her treatment style didn’t work for me. In addition, during my first appointment, she told me she was PCSing in a few weeks so she would have to give me to someone else when he/she arrived to take her place.
So I gave up. And I got sicker. I was given medication at a dose that, it turns out, was making me suicidal, but no one was monitoring my care. I slipped through the cracks. Finally in desperation, I called Mental Health again and told them that I was having suicidal thoughts. Finally, they took me very seriously and that is where the help really began. Finally after 6 months of the worst depression I’ve even suffered, I was in the hands of a skilled and caring counselor whose style helped me immensely.
On the marriage side, we didn’t have as much success though. Our marriage counselor was hopeless. He was prior military and unmarried. He instantly, shamelessly, “sided” with my husband. He told me that I simply neede d to put myself in my husband’s shoes and be more supportive of him. He implied that I was substandard because I couldn’t handle the pressures. He did much more damage to our marriage and we are still trying to recover from his “help”.
My advice:
·Ask for help. Don’t let yourself slip through the cracks.
·Be clear about what you need. You have a right to receive the care you need.
·Be persistent. If you can’t get an appointment, walk-in and make them see you.
·Don’t wait until you are desperate to get help.
·Take advantage of the plethora of hourly babysitters on base. Get out. Make sure your life is not just cooking, cleaning, childcare, and sleep. I implemented a night out each week and made sure I hired a sitter regardless of my husband’s schedule. I went out anyway. It was worth it.
·You are not crazy. It is extremely hard and everyone has a different tolerance level.
We are still holding on, but the things that I took for granted in my life are no longer secure. We’ve got lots of work ahead of us. Osan’s legacy will remain to be seen. Anonymous, guest blogger
Here's a fun and delicious activity for the garden and kitchen: Tomato Basil Mozzarella salad! Here's how to do it:
Pick some cherry tomatoes and basil in the community areas of the garden. Wash them, toss them in a bowl and add mozzarella chunks or shreds. Toss and eat- super easy!
The salad in the picture was made entirely by a four year old. It was a great opportunity for him to learn to use a knife, but a younger child could use shredded mozzarella and do it without assistance. A variation would be to put the cheese, tomatoes and basil on a pita and have a do-it-yourself pizza.
August is a great month in the garden! Our watermelons look great; there are several that are bigger than softballs and a bunch a little smaller. There are still cherry tomatoes in the community veggie patch, and tons of mint and basil available for harvest. 
