High Chair Quest 2012

In Korea there are no large baby stores like we are accustomed to in Australia.  There are a few stores around that stock a handful of car seats and strollers at extraordinarily inflated prices, but nothing huge where you can get everything at once.  Koreans buy most of these things online I believe, which is challenging for a foreigner for bureaucratic reasons, plus the obvious language barrier.  So, instead they have a baby fair about twice a year.  A few months ago Husband, the Colonel and I (along with every Korean couple who had a baby or had become pregnant within the previous six months) dutifully trotted off to COEX (when it's not hosting the Nuclear Security Summit) to see what we could find.

This is not my picture but gives you an idea of the line!

 To say it was busy would be an understatement bordering on the ridiculous. 

We arrived as the doors opened at 10am and it was already packed.  Which we found surprising as Koreans aren't known for being anywhere early morning on the weekend.  That said, you could get everything there, and all delivered for free (which is another awesome thing about Korea that I will save for another post).

We were a family on a mission, to find a fancy Scandinavian high chair that I'd set my heart on despite its high price in comparison with your cheap Ikea variety (which presumably a baby can sit in just as effectively).  Success!  We found the stall we were looking for, an achievement in itself given the size of the fair, and managed to purchase the chair in the colour we (okay, I) wanted.

Whaddaya think? Oh wait, not done...

Then we just had to wait patiently for the chair to arrive and for the Colonel to be big enough to sit in it.  After three weeks of text messages from the company saying that 'it is coming next week', last night it arrived!!  Naturally I immediately tipped the contents of the box onto the floor, found the allen key and got to it.

As I have been married to an engineer for many years and am notoriously impatient, it has been quite some time since I have put together flat pack furniture (somewhere exists a wonky bedside table that is best not discussed).  But Husband wasn't home and I promised myself that I would be extra careful.  It wasn't particularly difficult to put together, but my reputation with the allen key is such that I almost considered waiting for back up to arrive....almost.

After a little swearing, tightening the screws, then loosening them again, putting the next piece in, tightening the screws again, some consultation via Skype about which way the cushion went on, I was left with what looks remarkably like the picture on the box.  Triumph!

The Colonel was pretty pleased at breakfast this morning to be sitting up at the table.  My back is also grateful that I no longer have to twist so much to get the food in her mouth...or occasionally up her nose, but that's another story.

Ta-daaaaa!