Monday and Tuesday

I know there are not enough details and pictures to satisfy you all but let me tell you that you’re lucky with what I’ve managed to post.  Our days have been jam-packed–starting at around 7AM and ending around 10PM.  We got in “early” tonight  (around 8PM) which is why I am attempting to stay awake to post.  I am warning you in advance about the clarity as I am feeling jet-lagged just plain tired and am sitting with 3 different USB cables to accommodate 5 cameras trying to make sense of everyone’s pictures.

Monday it rained ALL day.

I think I mentioned that before.  We were able to explore Insadong Street (long stretch of shops selling everything from tea sets to modern art to jewelry to stationary…pretty much anything but clothes).  It was hard to appreciate the experience through the dripping overhangs, wet plastic coverings, and dreary conditions but it was an experience nontheless.

We ate lunch at a restaurant we picked pretty much on its outer character.  We were looking for authentic Korean and that’s what we got.  It would have been nice to know that we did not need to order a full course meal 4 times over and that the button on the end of the table signaled the waiter and that you always take the check up front in Korea.  Then we could have avoided the awkwardness of waiting for the waiter to come take our order, trying to get the check when the meal had just begun, and finally using the bell for something the waiter does not do anyway.

After lunch, we hurried back to the hotel to gather what we needed to take to the Holt office for our first meeting (cameras–video and still, tripod, and gifts for other foster mothers).  We got a little lost finding the subway and then a little lost finding Holt Post Adoption Services where I needed to pick up information on our trip to Masan.  The receptionist at the Holt Guesthouse (which houses PAS), who I mentioned in an earlier post, delayed us even further.  We were 30 minutes late to our first meeting.  Apparently late is better than early according to the Korea etiquette books, but I think the foster mother (FM) and Ty had been waiting for a while.

The meeting was a little hectic with 6 of us plus FM, social worker (SW), and Ty.  I tried to video tape FM’s answers to my questions but I think PJ’s and Mia’s voices may have drowned her out.  Oh, did I mention that the tripod was broken when we arrived at Holt (no idea when this happened) so I had to rig the camera to it with my watch?  There will be a great part in the video when Ty and Mia fall backwards into the tripod and send the video camera flying.  Thankfully it didn’t hit the ground due to my MacGuyverish camera-securing skills.

Monday night we headed to Itaewon (popular shopping district that caters to westerners).  There is no documentation of this because we were too cold and wet to care.  We tried to eat dinner but ended up in a pricey, empty (that should have been our first clue) Mexican place where we just shared nachos for $12.

Tuesday we headed to Masan.

Masan is the city where I was born.  It is just south of Busan (Korea’s 2nd largest city and it’s largest port) on the eastern coast.  Holt graciously coordinated a volunteer (let’s call him H) to take us the 4 hour bus ride to visit the children’s home where I was abandoned shortly after birth.

Upon arriving in Masan, Nana had her first ATM experience (nope, not first internationally) and we hired 2 taxis to take us to Ae Ri Won children’s home.  Despite multiple near-death experiences with our taxi driver and getting lost on the hilly (think San Francisco) streets of Seoul, we did make it to Ae Ri Won.  Apparently the institution moved in 1988, so it wasn’t even really the place of my abandonment and they have no record of me ever being there, but it was nice (if not awkward) to meet the staff and tour the facility.

Lunch was more authentic cuisine.  We even sat on the floor this time.  H graciously answered all of our questions as we grilled him about Korean culture, food, etiquette and even his personal life.

After lunch, we wandered down to the water and then into a large (we’re talking 3 or 4 square blocks) fish market.  The highlight of the day was when Mia started to feel comfortable enough to greet anyone she rode by with a cheery “anyounghaseo” (“hello”).  She turned quite a few heads and most were thrilled to return the greeting.

We spent the rest of the day traveling back to Seoul and then back to our hotel.

Wednesday will have to wait for another day.

It is entirely past my bedtime.  The 2009Korea album has been updated with all the pictures to match this post.  ENJOY!!

**If you can’t see all 79 photos, click the ‘refresh photos’ button in the upper left of your screen.**