MEE HYANG'S GOING AWAY PARTY

Monday was Mee Hyang's last day here at Ilsan.  She is now going to live in Seoul and teach English through Holt's "Homestay" program for adoptee's.  She will be doing this until September. 

This past Friday, the staff at Ilsan gave Mee Hyang a going away party

Fruit, drinks and cake was had by all!

A few words from Molly...a few words from Mee Hyang

A farewell song (traditional in Korea) sang by the staff (see video)

FYI: It's Korean tradition (I was told it's the "Christian way") to sing this song and hold your palms up - a simply lovely gesture! 

A gift and a lovely framed certificate presented by Director Kim (see video)

FUN TIMES

Here are some random pictures of things...

We showed up at Wanda Home today, and this gal had the silliest ponytail on her head. So we decided that Martin should have a matching ponytail! The gal was happy about it....Martin? ... not so much. 

Walking the lovely Wanda (Home) ladies back to their house

The lovely flowers in front of Love Home

                                                                                    

This resident gave Molly and Dr. Cho corsages for Parent's Day

Cute boys playing on the playground!

I saw this jacket in a flea market in Seoul...made it's way half way around the world! 

Mee Hyang giving Molly a gift - a lovely pair of shoes she found in Incheon in China Town! Molly LOVED them! and *whew - they fit!

On a shopping outing - Mee Hyang carried Molly's new bed (called a "Yo") for her. 

Yo's are very popular in Korea - since space is a luxury.  You put this down on the floor and sleep on it.  Very handy for one room apartments, because you can pick it up lean it against a wall during the day. 

DID YOU KNOW??

• In Korea, you are not served water at a restaurant unless you ask for it, and sometimes, you have to get it yourself. Koreans rarely drink while eating.  They'll eat an entire meal (which is spicy) AND then drink a small cup of water. 
• They use metal water cups that look like the top to a baby bottle (that shape).  They hold about 4 oz., so you have to constantly refill them. 
• Men in Korea are not afraid to wear pink pants, pink shoes, pink shirts, carry pink phones...they are not afraid of the color pink!
• Couples in Korea wear matching clothes...matching shoes, matching shirts, matching pants or shorts.
• The napkins here are the size of a piece of note paper...seriously small and paper thin...no big triple-ply napkins here.  So one must take tons of them instead of using just one. And in some restaurants they will literally just put a roll of toilet paper near the tables - on a toilet paper holder mounted on the wall. 
• Koreans likes to dress up their dogs. and/or dye their hair (I've seen hot pink and purple already).
• Koreans are taught not to talk much while eating.  Socializing begins after the meal, over drinks. And in Korea, being loud in a restaurant is tolerated and may even be a sign that it's a good restaurant.
• It's not uncommon to see Koreans drunk during the weekdays. If the boss invites you out to drink, you CANNOT refuse him...and if he stays out till 1 a.m....you are too. 
• Young Koreans are greatly influenced by their parent's opinions of their boy/girl-friend. If the parents don't approve, more than likely it will end the relationship.
• Koreans often live with their parents until they get married even though it may be when they're in their 30's. 
• Everyone line dries their clothes...fabric softener is key - then you don't get sand paper towels.
•  In Korea, heavily congested traffic conditions often make it difficult to arrive for a meeting on time, so Koreans accept this as normally unavoidable. 
• Seniors and small children get to ride the subway for free.
• When you attend meetings, you almost always get a gift.  Popular gifts are soap, towels, facial tissues, toothpaste, socks, and umbrellas.
• Bath towels are often the size of our hand towels.  The towels you get as gifts from the meetings always have the name and date of the meeting embroidered on them.
• You can buy socks for 500 Won (US equivalent of less than 50 cents).
• Koreans usually only drink 1/2 cups of coffee.  It's strange, but if they make coffee for you, it's never a full cup...usually only a half, maybe two-thirds. And they will assume you want cream and sugar in your coffee.
• No one says "excuse me" or "sorry" when they bump into you or need to get by...they just push by. If they had to say this EVERY time they bumped into someone, they would be saying nothing else all day. Seoul is very congested no matter what time of day it is. 
• Koreans don't really know how to "fix things" - they sort of jerry-rig things to continue working. They will use something until it's last breath and then buy new. So they buy things - run the heck out of it and then buy a new one: cars, appliances, electronics, dressers, shelves...no Home Depot's or Lowe's, no hardware stores...just use the hell out of it and then buy new. 
• Things that we would normally refrigerate - Koreans don't. For instance, things Koreans don't put in their fridge:  pickles, sandwiches, brown raw eggs, many types of leftover food...it's VERY strange - and believe me...we don't eat what they leave out...just to error on the side of caution.   

ELECTION DAY

Wednesday, June 2nd is election day here in Korea.  It's a national holiday so everyone can go and vote. It's been a crazy time here in Korea for the past few weeks.  Candidates are EVERYWHERE along with their supporters handing you these business cards with their name and picture on them. It's tough since I look Korean, they always want to give me their card and ask me to vote for them; and I keep having to tell them "Miguk" - American.  Sorry, can't vote...

Candidates wear sashes - like the kind a beauty queen would wear. They too have their name on the sashes and a HUGE number on them. Each candidate is given a number, so voters can remember which one they like by number. So far here in Ilsan we've seen numbers #1 - 8, all wanting to be the next city Mayor.

And then there's these little trucks that are parked or driving around town EVERYWHERE, blaring music, with supporters and sometimes the candidate themselves on the back.

Check out my video to experience what it's like! This particular one was parked across the street from the Daehwa subway station.  

I can't imagine this type of campaigning being allowed in the U.S. - blaring music throughout the streets, supporters in sashes and t-shirts on the side of the road anywhere...

2 more days...

BEAUTIFUL CONNECTION CONCERT

Thursday night was the "Beautiful Connection" concert.  The show was comprised of three choirs:  Voices of the Soul (Ilsan's special needs choir), Felice Children's Choir (cutie kids!) and the Namgalam Choir (all women's choir). I'm sure at this point you are expecting some great pictures, maybe even some video of the event? nope...the venue it was held in (a large concert hall) wouldn't allow pictures or video to be taken. But my friend Keren managed to pop this one off without one of the ushers seeing! This is all three choirs combined for a big finale song!

Once again I felt like a proud parent watching her kids at a recital.  They did a fanstastic job! It was so fun after the concert to go and see them all and give them big hugs and tell them, "CHALANDA!" (good job!)

Molly let me wear one of her Hanbok's for the occasion, so it was fun to see the residents faces when they saw me!

This is Kim, Hyun Gun - he usually has a solo, and did this night; he nailed it! did a fantastic job! 

Many of the kids get flowers from their parents or if they're orphans, Holt gives them flowers!

Molly is always the star attraction! This time she was being asked to sign programs.  In the car on the way home she said, "that's never happened before...I don't know why they would want my signature?" She really is so humble and honestly doesn't see what the big deal is...but of course we all understand! 

 

SERIOUSLY???

When we went to the Hanbok store, we had to go through this market area...there were many interesting things to see...Lots of fish!

Some nuts.....but never in a million years did we expect to see....

Wanna take a guess at what this is? 

<--- this sign right here? ... it says, "Kae kogi"

Kae = dog     Kogi = meat

Yep, you got it...that is dog meat right there...

HANBOK SHOPPING

Thursday I went shopping with Molly for a new Hanbok - it's a traditional Korean dress women wear for special occasions. I wish I had brought the one I bought during my first trip to Korea, but then again; it's more than 10-years-old.  Molly has mentioned that with all these events we go to, she wished that she wasn't the only one wearing a Hanbok...that's all I needed to hear.  She took me to the place where a woman has been making her Hanbok's for years.  And it's the same woman that made Hanbok's for Berta Holt too! I couldn't pass up this opportunity!

It's a little overwhelming when you first walk into the store. So many colors and patterns to choose from! it makes your head spin! 

We looked through a few books, and I decided on a traditional Korean Hanbok (like the one in the picture above).  They have "modern" ones they make these days, but they aren't as elegant in my opinion. 

I picked a beautiful red one, with a white jacket! It's GORGEOUS!! can't wait to wear it and post it on my blog! 

LADIES OF SUZANNE HOME

Wednesday it was the ladies of Suzanne Home! 

We took them for a walk around the grounds. 

And took a brief pause to get a picture next to the entrance of Ilsan Town.  The city named the entire street, "Holt Street." 

LADIES OF LINDA HOME

FINALLY the sun came out and we were able to take the ladies of Linda Home out to the playground on Tuesday. 

Volunteers from Lotteria (Korean McDonald's) came and pulled weeds! 

COLORING DAY WITH WANDA HOME

Rain, rain...go away...

We had another coloring day with Wanda Home

While coloring with the ladies, President Lee, Myung Bak gave his national address in regards to the sinking of the Cheonon War ship. 

The steps outlined by Mr. Lee in a nationally televised speech — coupled with new moves by South Korea’s military to resume “psychological warfare” propaganda broadcasts at the border after a six-year suspension — amounted to the most serious action the South could take short of an armed retaliation for the sinking of the ship, the South’s worst military loss since the Korean War ended in a truce in 1953.  “We have always tolerated North Korea’s brutality, time and again,” Mr. Lee said. “But now things are different. North Korea will pay a price corresponding to its provocative acts. Trade and exchanges between South and North Korea will be suspended.”

 

DAY 2 IN INCHEON

We took in some historical sights...

The Korea-U.S.A. Centennial Monument - On May 22nd, 1882, the Treaty of Peace, Amity, Commerce and Navigation was concluded between Minister Sin, Hon of the Kingdom of Choson and the Commodore Robert Wilson Shufeldt of the U.S.A. on Hwadojin Hill at Chemulpo. This treaty marked the initial and historical establishment of formal diplomatic relations between the two countries, that have lasted through many changes and vicissitudes. 

The Battle of Inchon was an amphibious invasion and battle of the Korean War that resulted in a decisive victory and strategic reversal in favor of the United Nations (UN). The battle began on September 15, 1950, and ended around September 17. Through a surprise amphibious assault far from the Pusan Perimeter that UN and South Korean forces were desperately defending, the largely undefended city of Incheon was secured after being bombed by UN forces. The battle ended a string of victories by the invading North Korean People's Army (NKPA). The subsequent UN recapture of nearby Seoul partially severed NKPA's supply lines in South Korea.The majority of United Nations ground forces involved were U.S. Marines, commanded by General of the Army Douglas MacArthur. MacArthur was the driving force behind the operation, overcoming the strong misgivings of more cautious generals to a risky assault over extremely unfavorable terrain.

This is a memorial to the missionaries that brought Christianity to Korea.