Back to Seoul

Pardon my short posts lately.. My keyboard has lost power and I have to manually toe on the touchpad of my ipad, and I am very slow at it. So, I may have to embellish these posts later as I don't have the time to write for long. This is long post as I am writing it on a 4 hour bus ride.

It's now Sunday and we had two days in Busan and are on our way back to Seoul. We are riding on a bus for 4 hours. We are watching a Korean drama on the big screen....here is a picture with the kids watching.

Busan was a  beautifully city and we wish we could have stayed there longer. Our hotel was right on Hyundai beach. We spent yesterday first at the orphanage Ae Ran San in Busan where there were about 70 children from baby to about 14. We were able to spend some time with some of the younger kids and play with them a bit. Claire brought some bubbles from home and had fun blowing them for the kids who chased them. There was one little guy who was enamored by her and this and stayed by her side for the longest time. Here she is laughing as the boy was blowing his own bubbles with his saliva!

But she was most interested in holding the babies and she had her chance to do so.

It was an excellent experience and rather sobering too, thinking of the children there who had to live there. Most of the children had single parents who could not care for them, but they would not allow them to be adopted. Some of their parents placed them there for an extended period of time hoping someday to come and get them.

Then off to another lunch buffet .... Been doing a lot of those! Lots of various Korean foods and seafood and some with American versions of food like pizza ...kimchi or Bulgogi pizza. After lunch we visited a fish market...it was totally awesome to see all the various fish and squid and octopus. Lots of pictures taken. Many of the kids were grossed out by the sights and fish smells, but it was an experience no one will forget I am sure.

Then shopping at a market area and back to the hotel to get ready for our host dinner. Families in the Busan area volunteered to host our families at  their home for dinner. We met them at the hotel and they brought us to dinner. Ours took us out to dinner at a Hawaiian buffet, then we walked along the beach all the way to their hi rise apartment home. The father of our host family was an American who works for the US army as a physical security officer for Korean citizens. He married a Korean woman and they have a five year old daughter. They live on the 19th floor of a luxury apartment...it was gorgeous. Lots of space and marble and the most amazing view. They will be moving to the US before the year ends. The father had lots to say and was very candid in answering all our questions, both mundane and political. It was really interesting and a great opportunity to truly learn about life in Korea, especially for an expat.

We just stopped at a rest stop on the highway...nothing at all like the rest stops in Wisconsin. It was almost like a street fair. Fried foods on sticks (including seafood) and shops and souvenirs. We had ice cream and "Chinese" pancakes  filled with hot cinnamon sugar. Now back on the bus. 

It is so mountainous here and are often driving through long dark tunnels cut though the mountains. Haven't taken too many pictures with my ipad, The only way to post them to this blog is if I take them with the ipad. Here is one picture from the moving bus. 

  

Beautiful Busan

View from our hotel...we are right on the beach and it is very beautiful. 

We went to Busan aquarium and watched them feed the sharks.

Giant crabs!

And played in the ocean....

Tomorrow to visit an orphanage and go to a dinner hosted by a local family.

Lewis in WI doing well....

Just got an update and pictures of Lewis at home in Wi from the dogsitter. He is doing well and looks so cute. We all miss him but the pictures help some!  What a cute little guy!

Friday June 28 - On the Train to Busan

Just got on the train to Busan, the KTX train - it travels 180 mph, so it takes about 1/2 the time as traveling the country by car. Our group is filling up a couple of the train cars. We'll get a chance to see the scenery in the country... get out of the big city for a while. Busan is right on the Ocean and we plan to take in the boardwalk by the hotel and visit an aquarium. We'll be there for a couple of days, then back to Seoul for a few days before our trip to JeJu Island.. 

This is a picture outside of our hotel in Seoul from the 8th floor - in the distance is Seoul tower, located on Namsan mountain. Although it looks far away, it's a short walk to get to the cable car that takes you to the top. Last time we were here picking up Claire, we went to the tower in the evening and rode the cable car and saw the lights of the city. We hope to get back there on this trip.

Last night was a "chat" time for kids and a different one for parents. We had a chance to talk about some of the more significant experiences we've been having - especially after the birthmother talk yesterday. It's so wonderful to be able to talk to other parents who have the same feelings, concerns and questions about our kids' emotions and experiences. 

Ok, now off to see the countryside outside the train windows. 2 hours we'll be there!

The ups and the downs of the trip....

Thought I'd make a list of the good/challenging, ups and downs of the trip... Today, just some of the ups... will get to the downs soon.

Good

- Like being here with friends - 5 families from our Korean Connection group are here with us. It's great to feel comfortable with people you know.

- Getting to know "new" people and families on the trip too - from all around the country

- We bought Claire a beautiful new hanbok today...teal blue and pink, with matching shoes, headband and "bokjomani" or little purse/bag

- We took the subway today - they are so clean and easy to use (after we got help from a friendly Korean young man)

- Both Jaden and Claire are making new friends and solidifying old ones... Love that the kids all sit in the back of the bus as we ride from one place to another and talk and laugh and have fun together while the parents sit in front and talk, and laugh and have fun together too!

- Seeing new things, learning about new things - sharing them with the kids

- Toilets here have lots of buttons on them with all kinds of various activities (bidet, seat warmer, washing and drying your bottom (see photo)

- Going to new places in Korea - in the past we've stayed mostly in Seoul, but now are getting out of the city and experiencing new places (Tomorrow we go to Busan - right on the ocean, with beautiful beaches)

- Visiting the hospital where Claire was born and meeting a nurse and the actual doctor who delivered her! An unexpected event - didn't think we'd do anything there but get a chance to see the room where she was delivered and the hospital as a whole. Claire got to sit in chairs that her birthmother would have sat in 8 years ago! This means a lot to an adopted child!!!

- Walking out the door of the hotel and into an awesome shopping area - with restaurants and every kind of fashion store, etc. Lots of young people hang around here and it's fun to just be in the mix.

- Knowing the experience of being a minority.... Us Caucasian blonde haired people stand out like a sore thumb here :)  

 

Ok, off to bed. We need to be on the bus at 7:00 a.m. tomorrow to go to the KTX high speed train station where we will take a bus to Busan.  

Esther's Home and Jacob's Home

We visited a maternity home and orphanage today. Here are some pictures.

This sweet little guy ran right up to our group and to our friend Mark. He put up his arms, asking to be held. Mark scooped him up and he held on tightly! So sweet.

Jaden outside of Esther's Home, where birthmothers live until they have their babies (and beyond). 

We took a tour of the place, then sat in the chapel and had a chance to hear from about 10 birthmothers. Some of them pregnant, some already had given birth. Some already deciding to keep their children, others still trying to decide. We had a chance to ask questions and they asked questions of us. They were worried that the kids "hate" them if they choose to place their babies for adoption. They were worried that their children would be safe and happy in their new lives. They were worried that they would never see their children again. The kids asked some questions but most just poured their hearts out to these young women and told them that they love and miss and always think of their birthmothers. Tears were pouring from everyone's eyes...kids, parents, birthmothers.

"I see how this works...all the Asians sit in the back of the bus."

Comment from Aaaron - a teen on the trip regarding how we all sit on the bus. He said it in jest, but also with a keen eye toward social justice. It's funny because all the kids run to the back of the bus, just as all kids do, and all the white parents are sitting in the front!

Day 2 - Day of Claire

Today was the day of Claire, as we met with her foster mother and visited the hospital where she was born. Emotional day. A hard day, a happy day, a sad day, a day of excitement and remembering. A day to cherish for the rest of her (and our) life. We just got back and have a bit of down time until we join the whole group at Pizza Hut in an hour or so. Will write later with a few more details.

Official Day 1

Am posting yesterday's pictures today :)

Korean Air - the plane that got us here safely.

So today is our official day 1 - We had to meet by 7:00 a.m. for a great buffet breakfast (many, many kinds of food both Korean and American breakfast foods). Kimchi for breakfast anyone?? 

Then we had a group orientation/introduction. Time to meet the other 100 or so people with us. Then off to the busses - three of them, loaded according to the ages of kids you have so they can befriend others their ages. Our local Korean Connection group is all on our bus, even though the kids' ages are not all compatible. It's nice to be traveling with so many friends that we know.  Our first stop was at the   ChangDeokgung Palace, located right in the heart of the city. 

Great place for taking pictures.... unfortunately this is not one of ours. I didn't bring my ipad/camera and that is the only way I can post photos. Will do so on our next days. Jaden really seemed to love the place and experience and took many great pictures there on his ipod (Julie and Grandma, you remember how great his pics turn out!!)

The highlight was seeing the kids there on a fieldtrip and initiating a connection by saying "announg hasseo" (hello) to them and then hello in English. They seemed genuinely surprised that I was trying to talk to them - but then they smiled and answered shyly. We even were able to ask some boys how old they were and learned they were 12. I guess it's the teacher in me that had me interested in talking to the kids. 

Then off to lunch - I KNOW, it felt like we had already eaten, but it was a long drive (on the way to our next sightseeing location). We had another awesome buffet in Siwon where we had all kinds of food - seafood, pizza, whelk. Claire actually tried to pry one of these shells open - the shell was pretty, but the creature inside was slimy and kind of gross. She got the award for the most adventurous eater. 

Got a quick peek into a Korean grocery store where you needed to take an escalator up - reminded me of Whole Foods in Milwaukee, Jim of the big Menards store!! We would have loved to walk up and down the aisles to see all the various kinds of food but had to get on the bus to the next stop, the Korean Folk village.

Saw this rope walker...an older gentleman who did awesome things on the suspended rope. Jim and I wondered if it was the same man as we saw 10 year ago when we were there the first time. 

Saw the farmer's dance. These guys are awesome the way they twirl their heads and sway the long ribbon on their hats, when the drums bang the rhythm. Claire wants to buy one of these hats for herself and learn the dance!

The weather is really humid and sticky and hot, but today was overcast and there was a slight breeze so that helped a bit. We are getting used to being kind of soggy, inside and out, as the air conditioning in the hotel is not too cool. Today we bought fans to keep us cool while sightseeing in the upcoming days.

Now off to do some exploring the neighborhood around the hotel - Myeungdong. It's an awesome shopping area with tons of stores and restaurants. We had dinner there last night - Korean BBQ and kimchi pancakes. We sat at the tables where we sat on the floor (and had to take off our shoes). The kids' first experience with this. Tonight we may try the Korean McDonalds as Claire is interested to see if they have kids' meals. 

Tomorrow is a big day for Claire - she reunites with her Foster parents who took care of her for the first  4 months of her life. We are also visiting the hospital where she was born - a place to connect (at least in spirit) with her birthmother. Jaden's day comes a bit later when we travel to Gwanju, his birth city. We know it will be an emotional day for Claire, but an important and very special one as well. Emotions are good, especially when you are validating who you are and where you came from.

Hope to post "real" pictures soon. Jim has been taking TONS with our new camera.

And we're off...

*** Been trying to get pictures in here, but for some reason I cannot. Will try again as we are getting some good ones!

We've been traveling 6 hours, about 1/2 way there. I am writing this post and hoping to post it on the blog when we get to Korea and have some WiFi service. The kids are doing well - loving the individual entertainment centers on the seatbacks in front of them. Games, movies, music. Lunch was bibimbop and seaweed soup--very yummy. It smelled and tasted like Korea on the plane! Now after 6 hours, it's easy to forget where we are going!

Jaden took pictures on his ipod of the Alaskan snow topped mountains. Beautiful! He is sitting by the window. Claire is across the aisle sitting next to a nice halmoni (Korean grandmother) who is helping her when she needs it - putting her blanket on her completely, opening her rice. Kind of like when we traveled home with her at 4 months old, and when she cried, many of the Korean passengers offered to hold her. Same thing with Jaden.

Getting on the plane I was struck emotionally of what we are doing and our last time(s) flying on Korean Air and what it meant to us - beginning and expanding our family. So glad we made this decision to go back and explore the country with the kids. We are ready for an emotional and life changing trip. And exhausting too - a very full schedule. Jim slept for a while, but the rest of us haven't and I keep telling the kids to nap! The teenagers with us are having no problem sleeping - a lot!

We are on the plane with many other families who are taking the trip with us -- 5 that we know and are friends with. We took a chartered bus from one family's home in New Berlin - we all met there at 7:00 a.m. and brought breakfast items to munch on on the way to O'Hare. We are enjoying spending time traveling with the others and all the people we know will be on the same bus (the yellow bus) as we travel about the country.

One of the guys (who is on our tour but we just met at the airport - he's from Beloit and 26 and traveling alone) realized he had forgotten his passport :(  He had to take a bus back home and get it, and will be taking a flight tomorrow. We all felt bad for him but will see him when he gets to Korea. There are other families on the plane that we haven't met formally yet, but they all are wearing the yellow name badges with Korean Ties on it, so we say hi and look forward to meeting the when on the ground in the Land of the Morning Calm.

When we get to Incheon airport in Incheon South Korea at about 4:30 p.m. Monday (it's currently 7:28 p.m. in WI as I write this) we'll get picked up and driven the hour or so to Seoul and our hotel to get settled in. If there are more than 3 people in a group, you need to get 2 hotel rooms - so Claire and I will share and Jim and Jaden in the other room.

Ok, now I'll try to get some sleep and pass the last 6 hours or so that is left.

The Eve before we leave...

Almost ready to go...packing finished. Lewis delivered to the dogsitter (it was sad saying goodbye to him for that long!) Kids finally asleep. They have been experiencing a range of emotions this week. Excited, scared, sad, happy... and the list goes on. Well, off the bed with me-- let's see if I am able to get some sleep. Up by 5:00 to get ready and be at Kinzers at 7:00 to board the charter bus to O'Hare for our flight.