Day before Chuseok

The day before Chuseok, Sang Yeon's mom kicked her family out of the house in order to begin cooking for the holiday. Having to kill a whole day with two small children can be a challenge, so we joined them on a trip to Kyeongbok Palace near downtown. The bronze statue of General Yi Sun-shin greeted us as we made our way to the destination. Kyeongbok Palace is great because they provide parking and there is so much space inside for kids to run around. We made it just in time for the changing of the guards, which I love since it includes processional music. The changing of the guards takes place every day at 11 am in front of the palace.

Jack continued in his quest to kidnap Ellie, but she was a little too savvy for him.

Ronan played hard to get all day, especially when it came time to snap a family photo. Oh well.

Sang Yeon multi-tasked while we viewed the guard change. Watching Sang Yeon multi-task was fun, too. I actually should have helped her, but that would have been less fun. ; - ) Ok, I did help a little, but only after she asked. That makes me the lamest friend ever; especially considering the fact that I still owe her for the multiple babysitting sessions in which she engaged during Dahin's babyhood. Ah well. I suppose I can blame it on having no brain left with 3 kids in tow.

We had thought that visiting the palace on this day would be relaxing and relatively crowd-free, but it seems like half the people in Seoul were out sightseeing. Those good old days when a majority of Seoul's population ventured out of town to their ancestral homes during Chuseok are, for sure, good old days. There was no easing up of traffic or crowds. Below, shy girl strikes a pose.

Oliver is ready for his closeup. The weather was warmer than expected, but the skies were clear and the trip was very, very pleasant once we made our way out of the crowded areas and found some space of our own.

Sang Yeon and her family are better dressed and way better at taking family photos than us. Below, we're still struggling to strang...I mean wrangle Ronan.

It was so sweet to watch Chieh-han show Ellie around the palace. Ellie is quadralingual (not sure if that is the right way to say it, but the child speaks 4 languages). In one day, I heard her speak German, Korean, English, and Chinese.

Jack and the boys find some free space in which to roam. Without the crowds in some spots, it was SO nice to just hang out and chat while the kids played.

We sat in this spot for a while, mostly discussing what we were going to eat for lunch. Nora napped while her mommy held her and Dahin poured over her diary.

Oliver, after first meeting Ellie at our place, had declared that she was his 'best fliend' (yes, I meant to write an "l"). When Sang Yeon told Ellie this, she made sure Oliver knows that she already HAS a best friend in Austria. It was fun to tease Oliver about it--he denied it at first, but then soon the two kids were playing together like 'best fliends.'

Below, Chieh-han gives his new camera a hug. He bought the new 500, which has video capabilities. I am, admittedly, a little jealous. We exchanged cameras at some point so that we could take photos of each other's families.

So many little doors and low walls--a long time ago, Koreans were really, really short.

The kids asked, "Are there ghosts in here?" I responded, "I suppose so," which resulted in mad hunts for ghosts and lost treasures.

I just love the designs of these buildings. I sometimes fantasize about living in one of these old houses during the Choson period, but then I remember that there was no running water, no toothpaste, no electricity, and life for women really, really sucked (for the most part).

The kids shouted "Hello? Are you a ghost?" into practically every crevice and sewer grate. Here, they discovered a passageway under the building and were convinced they saw a ghost.

Along the way, Ellie and the boys collected treasures that included mini pine cones, leaves, sticks, and rocks.

Some more of those low walls. Man, it would be fun to go back in time and just stand next to the outer wall of a residence and just say hi to people, or throw my leg up and do some stretches over their tiny, tiny wall. I'm hoping my longer-by-comparison legs would, as well, enable me to run hella fast so that I could evade capture. Beheading bites.

Sang Yeon looks radiant holding little Miss Nora as we make our way through the grounds towards our final destination: lunch. The grounds of the palace are just beautiful and the mountains in the back are breathtaking.

Sang Yeon brought nacho chips from Costco and we pounced on them like a hoard of locusts. When you don't think ahead enough to bring your own snacks, eat the snacks of those who do. A fabulous philosophy. One of the major complaints, well TWO of the major complaints I have about Kyeongbokkung: 1) rarely can EVER find a trashcan and 2) there is no place to buy food within the palace grounds. Mind you, this place is huge and you can spend hours there. When you're carrying your kids jackets, water, and other stuff, sometimes it's difficult to also bring snacks . It would be nice to get some while there. I suppose they are trying to cut down on trash a little by not providing disposable snack containers, but if they really wanted to try to cut down on litter they should have more strategically placed trash and recycle cans.

The National Folk Museum peaks through the trees within the palace grounds. The museum is free, but you have to pay to get into Kyeongbokkung to access the museum. Still, it's very affordable. Jack and I were about $3 each (3,000 won), Dahin's ticket was 1,500 won (about $1.50) and the boys were free. Museums and other historical sites are incredibly affordable here. The U.S. should follow Korea's lead in this category and make museums, etc. places ALL people can enjoy.

A flash of sunlight, or a ghostly orb? (see bottom of my skirt) You decide.... Heck. it's almost Halloween. Might as well have fun with it.

We finally found some vending machines around which many people were standing. Against my better judgement, we got the kids sodas for expediency's sake (too many people, must buy and step out of the way). We took our second and last break here.

This pavillian was built by one of the kings in, I believe, the 17th century. He used this spot to hold parties and to welcome important guests. Now, it's an awesome place to snap photos and watch the giant, hungry koi swim around.

Overall, we didn't stay that long, but it's difficult to make a full day of it. Better to go see and leave while everyone is still in relatively good moods.

After leaving Kyeongbokkung, we made a bee-line to a gomtang restaurant and had some yummy beef soup and rice. Then, Sang-Yeon and Chieh-han treated us to some dessert at La Lee, a cafe where Sang Yeon and I spent some time together in Korea before we had husbands and children. I didn't know it, but this was the last time we were to hang out this time around. I regret starting the day grumpy and all headachey! When time is short and demands on visiting time and research projects (which Sang Yeon was working on here) are high, that's how life goes. Sad, but true. The day went by way too fast. After we left the cafe, we did a bit of shopping near Ehwa University and said our goodbyes. : - ( My hope is we can see each other again very, very soon. Oliver will need to reunite with his 'best fliend.'

Two Days before Chuseok

It was two days before Chuseok, and all through the land, the kids wore hanbok and prepared to make ddeok by hand--well, all except my kids, that is. All the kids made rice cakes (actually, songpyeon--a special ricecake made at Chuseok; stuffed with sesame and brown sugar and boiled with pine needles) at their respective schools, but the boys' hanboks were too small being that the only hanbok we have for them are from their first birthdays (parent guilt trip; note to self: get hanbok for New Year's Day) and Dahin just flat refused to wear hers. Once she got to school, I suppose she regretted it since she came home and reported that EVERYONE had on hanbok. Still, I snapped some photos of the little girls who wait for their buses with us every morning and got some shots of the boys 'on the run.'

Meanwhile, since classes were cancelled, I decided to have some 'me' time and went antique shopping with my friends Roald and Katherine (and one of Katherine's fellow Fulbrighters).

There was so much fabulous stuff to see in the shops. The weather was perfect, as well. Sunny, and only a little bit cool.

The shop below contains old movie posters and memorabilia. The owner is an avid collector and not eager to sell to just anyone. His shop was a pleasant break from the 'buy our stuff rich foreigner--it's Korean, I swear' attitude of most of the shop owners. One woman actually drug us, by arm, into her store. I hated to tell her, but that does not make us want to buy anything. Anyway, Roald was in heaven looking over a rare collection of movie memorabilia from the 1920s and 1930s--kept as a scrap book by an actor of the era--in mint condition.

After the shopping day, we relaxed in Insadong in a favorite tea house. I ended up buying two hairpins and a Chinese stringed instrument with a cool design at the antiques market. It was fun to splurge and hang out with my friends before they returned to their respective homes (Australia and the US) as their research periods were ending.

On the way home, I ran into a group of Mexicans performing in the subway. What else would you expect? ;- ) There are more and more diverse types of performances in Seoul's subway system, held at designated 'culture stage' spots. On any given day, you can see Andean music or bellydancing, Tex-Mex ensembles or African drumming.

Of course, the best part of the day was meeting up with the kids on the way home and having Burger King for dinner. Our neighbors went with us and the kids, with their friend Da-eun, enjoyed some icecream at Baskin Robbins.

Lunch with the Tzou Family

Chieh-han and Sang-Yeon invited us to have lunch with Sang-Yeon's sister's family at a local dimsum restaurant. The good was so, so good. The restaurant was a bit noisy, but after the two birthday parties left, we had the room all to ourselves. I'm craving that wonton soup....

Because I'm playing catch-up and posting information on the past two weeks, I'm keeping the commentary at a minimum. It has been so great to see Sang-Yeon and her family. Hoping that we can see them on a regular basis now. Spending time together makes me realize how much I miss her! Just thinking of her staying up late into the night before Dahin's first birthday and making food with us....Such a great friend! So, now I have to devise a scheme to head to Austria; preferably at Christmas time.

Indiana reunion

My friend Sang Yeon and her family (living in Autstria) are visiting for a few weeks. Because another Indiana classmate is here on a research leave, we had a wonderful opportunity for a reunion. Sang Yeon's beautiful--and well-dressed--family came over for dinner and Kyo-im was here as the 'surprise.' It was so nice to just hang out, eat, and talk for a while.

'Creepy' Uncle Jack threatened to kidnap little Ellie--only joking, of course. But, seriously; how cute is she? After a little while of being shy, she warmed up and played with the kids. She and Oliver played really well together. Her baby sister, Nora, was very, very good the whole evening.

Chieh-han and Sang Yeon paid me a visit on campus. We had some lunch together and spent a little more grown up time chatting. Above, Chieh-han and Sang-Yeon are in my office and, below, Chieh-han made us pose by more office door. Glad no students walked by. ; )

Visitors from Oakland

Our neighbors in our old apartments have come to Korea for a couple of months to visit. We never hung out, at all, in Oakland; just really greeted each other in the halls. Before Jack and Dahin left, they hosted a farewell dinner in their apt. We bought them galbi and went out for some ice cream (well, gelato) afterwards. It was really a lot of fun, and their daughter is such a cutie. Very polite, listens well, and got along really well with the kids.

The gelato place was so relaxing. Initially, we went to a cafe where, once we entered, it was clear they did not want a bunch of kids there. Walking through Apgujongdong's fashion street with jeans with kids, it was clear I did not belong (at least in mother mode). Man, I've never felt older and so unfashionable. Everyone was walking around in the latest designs and hairstyles, and most were stick thin and wrinkle-free. Well, still, it was fun to look at all the boutiques, and eventually we found another dessert spot. At the gelato store, the people were very nice and there was enough space to move around if we needed to. I tried the 'white wine gelato' (no kidding) with mango and yogurt flavors--it was so nice. Our friends from Oakland were saying, "Yeah, but it's not Fenton's." Well, of course there is no other place like Fenton's (craving the hot fudge Sunday right about now), but this is not bad at all.

Ronan, our little mack-daddy, was attempting to pick up on the two girls eating their gelato outside. He believed his cuteness would win them over. No doubt, he IS cute.

Glad we were able to spend sometime together. I remember her as a little baby. A lot of fun to see how kids grow.