Land of the Morning Calm

I can hardly believe I've been in Korea a week!  So many amazing things have happened!  I met my birth family for the first time last Saturday.  I am not sure how to put so many feelings and happenings into words in a short time.  To put it into one entry would not do things justice, but I know that many people are waiting to hear stories and see pictures. 

My birth family is so amazing!  They have been so generous and loving to Nate, my parents, and me.  We have been spending as much time together as possible until we left to go to Haeinsa, Daegu and now Gyeongju.  The first day that we met, my birth father and stepmother, brother and sister-in-law with their son, and oldest sister (Uhnnee) and her husband came to meet me at Eastern.  I can't believe how well it went.  We arrived first and they shortly afterwards.  I was mostly excited, and maybe a tiny bit nervous. 

We talked for a little while there, but then went to my birth father's home for lunch and to get to know one another more.  The entire family would show up there and we spent a wonderful few hours together.  We had Jane as a translator, which was wonderful, but during lunch, Nate & I sat on the floor, while the parents talked at the table with her translating.  However, I felt like I just fit in, even though we didn't know anything (actually, almost everything) they were saying.  Fortunately, my brother speaks pretty good English. 

My oldest sister and brother-in-law (Hyungboo) SangMan drove us back to our hotel.  She is wonderful!  We have spent a lot of time in the car together and I think she might be the one that I become the closest to.  We will stay at their house two days after the tour has ended.  She told me that my laugh is like my birth mothers and a little like hers. 

It is amazing the number of similarities between my siblings, and some of the differences, too.  We are all pretty outgoing and have the same nose.  Immediately when my brother walked into the room at the agency, my birth father commented that we were definitely siblings.  I am the only one of my siblings that has glasses.  I'm not sure if that's due to genetics or if they acutally need glasses, but don't wear them, or if they have had surgery to correct their vision. 

My birth family had wanted to spend from 11 am until 9 pm our first day together.  Actually, they wanted to meet us at the airport the first night that we came in, but I am so glad that Jane said no.  After a sixteen hour travel time (12-hour flight the first leg), I would have been too tired to comprehend what was going on.  They had so many things they wanted to show me and wanted to fit it all in the weekend.  Fortunately, on Sunday we had the morning until 4 pm where we went shopping, to lunch, and then to see a parade for the Tripitaka Koreana and dress up for the changing of the guard at the palace. 

On Monday we spent the afternoon and evening with them, going to a palace, museum, take-out from pizza hut (I had bulgogi pizza), and a night-time boat cruise on the Han River.  It was so much fun, and again I felt like one of the family.  My brother and Uhnnee Hye Jung took the day off of work and my niece and one of my nephews took off school.  Koreans only get five days off of work a year and education is top priority, so this was a big deal.  We had to say goodbye this evening for a few days while our tour went South. 

I have posted some pictures on my facebook page, but below are some of my family.  Nate's camera has the best pictures on it, but we don't have the connection to the computer.  Everything is wonderful and I wish I could stay for a whole month, rather than just a few extra days. 

I hope to post more while we are here! 



Sisters - HyeJung, HeeJung, YoonJung