Korea: Bus to the airport

Korea: Day 5

I have come full circle since my first posting from Korea this trip. I am now on the bus back to the airport.

The weather is a strong contrast with rain and cold approaching to when I came with warm sunshine.

Like camp, the time spent with Kim was like a dream and it hardly seems that 7 years had passed since our last meeting. Hopefully not so much time will pass next time.

So I ate, slept, drank and relaxed. I also met some interesting people and gained a new perspective on adoption and adoptees that I will still need to digest.

I'm happy I came and sense I will be back....

-Tara
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Korea: B boys and the ballet dancer

Korea: B boys

Korea: Day 4 part 2

We went to a show called "B boys" with the Korean all-stars hip-hop dance crew. The show told a love story between a ballet dancer and a B-boy. While the story was a bit cheesy, the dancing was great to watch.

Apparently Korean hip-hop dancers are putting the Americans to shame in competitions. All I know is that the Step-In club at school could take a few lessons from these guys.

After the show Kim took me to the local "dyke club" - W - where the underground gays can be accepted. I guess they are not even recognized here, which I find strange and yet not too surprising considering the fairly conservative culture here. A drink and tequila shot later, we
went for more shots, food and drinks at another place. SY and I had a good time giving Kim advice on how to get a phone number.

The night ended successfully and I totally passed out once in bed as the drinks worked through me. Unfortunately, mosquitos are still around here too so I was rudely awakened by one having bit me twice.

Eventually, I will sleep again...

-Tara
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Korea: Day 4 part 1

I may be finally catching up on my sleep since I woke up around 830 this morning without feeling too groggy and was quite happy to feel relaxed. Kim even brought me coffee as I was waking up! Now that is service!!

After chatting online and another nice breakfast, we headed out. Kim made an appointment to visit a volunteer organization called G.O.A.L. to continue with her birth mother/parent search. It was nice to finally see the organization since I have only heard about them on Facebook and through Kim. We were there for a bit and then stopped at the local cafe for drinks.

I am search of some gifts so went down towards Sinchon to the Daiso but I couldn't find what I wanted so we headed back to SY's place.

Now Kim is studying and I am sated by the mandu I just had. It may be time for a short nap before we go out again later!

-Tara
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Korea: Day 3

Vacation is what life should always be instead of a break from it.

After a late night last night I thought I was doing well sleeping for 7 hours. So getting up at 930 or so and reading, chatting with friends and waiting for my hosts to wake up was a great way for me to start the day.

Once we got ready to go, SY took us to Yongsan to look for electronic items or rather I was looking for cheap movies and Kim needed a new battery for her phone. Me being an enthusiast (note sarcasm) for shopping wasn't so successful, though I was being particular about the movie I wanted. However, we found a battery and ate a tasty lunch and got to walk down the red light district street. So not at all a waste of a trip!!!

Sadly, SY had to leave us to work, so Kim and I braved the subway on our own and we went to the Namdaemun market where the locals go for everything! I was in search of Christmas gifts, though it was tough to know what to buy. Still we had a good time walking around and knowing
Japanese came in handy to buy things though I think perhaps some prices were raised due to them thinking I am Japanese. However, I got a few purchases and am happy with them.

We then headed back with a stop at the nearest grocery store, which was slightly different in that the concept of a line differs for Koreans but yet there is still order to the madness.

Since we still had to pass time before dinner, what else were we to do but to warm up with soju?? At last we had a reasonably good meal at Shanti, a nearby Indian restaurant.

Tonight is an early night as we sit in, still drinking soju and relax.

Sleep is quickly overtaking all thoughts and actions...

Until tomorrow,

- Tara
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Korea: Yongsan Electronics Market (Day 3)

Korea: Day 2 part 2

After the coffee shop, Kim and I went to have a snack of dukbokki (spicy Korean mochi) at a nearby place. Then, we went back to SY's place to drink soju and eat chips while we waited for SY to finish teaching.

A bottle later, we went to eat pulgogi, which was sooo nice! We tried to get SY to catch up but she was smart! Once our stomachs were full we headed to a bar called Mike's cabin. It used to be owned by a Korean adoptee but now his ex runs it or so goes the story!

We had drinks there while playing Apples-to-Apples and some foosball. We were also joined by a very strange French-Korean adoptee. He was cool but a bit too crazy for me. Though he did say to me that he wanted to see me go wild - hahaha. He was strangely quick to read me... Maybe I am becoming less of a mystery to others.

We stopped at another bar for a last drink before heading home for bed at 2am.

-Tara
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Korea: Day 2 part 1

One of the things I have noticed in the past 24 hours is that Koreans not only love to eat - evidenced by the ever-present food stalls and numerous restaurants- but also they love coffee shops! On every corner I have seen a coffee shop and so now I write in Coffee Lab near SY's
place where they are working/studying and I, for the first time in ages, sit and ponder where I am.

I slept well last night. After waking at 9, which is already amazing, I fell back asleep until nearly noon!!! I haven't done that in ...who knows how long!!

Kim made a tasty brunch while we chatted and then we were off to Hongdae area so that Kim could get her cell phone sorted out with SY's help. We walked around noting all the food areas, stopped off for a coffee at Angel-in-us Coffee and then are back in another shop. Hahaha, what a life, huh?

For the first time, I actually considered what my birth mom might look like if she is in her early 50's and does she dress in the typical middle-age outfits that others wear? Strange question.

Before I didn't sense such a similarity to Japan, but this time it feels almost like the same place only in a different language. Hmmmm... What does it mean???

- Tara
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Korea: Coffee Lab (Day 2)

Korea: Day 1 part 2

It's been a long, but fun day.

After arriving at Hapjeong bus stop, Kim met me and we walked back to her friend's place, who has very kindly allowed me to stay as well. Once I dropped off my stuff, we went around the comer for lunch and coffee.

While I am quite comfortable with not speaking Korean, it would definitely come in handy to know a few phrases for ordering food. Somehow we managed base on Kim's prior experience there. So a lovely meal and much needed coffee was enjoyed as we started to catch up for the past 7 (according to Kim) years. While we have kept in touch seeing each other and talking is different.

Sated by the coffee and food, we went to window shop on the streets nearby the top art uni in Korea. Walking made us tired so we went to the 405 cafe for some sangria. Mmmm sangria!! Feeling relaxed and in need of a snack before the concert, we moved on.

We passed time in the Art Square building looking at books and where I bought a mini subway map. Around the time we agreed to meet we went outside and SY arrived saying the concert had started nearly an hour before.

Dear Cloud performed tonight as a club opener and perhaps released a new album. They were good and fun to watch even if we missed a bit.

After the concert, eating commenced. Nothing on earth is comparable to Korean food in my opinion! We ate, talked, drank, and watched Korean TV, which is sadly too similar to Japanese tv.

Now the end of the day has come. The second major goal behind eating is to sleep and so I sign off for today!!!

-Tara

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Korea - Dear Cloud concert

Korea: Day 1 part 1

I am on a bus going into Seoul from Incheon airport. I have already had to adjust to the culture and body block an older woman from cutting in front of me to buy a bus ticket.

It smells like kimchi on the bus and I am enveloped in sounds of a language I barely know anything about. Yet as the other two times I have been to Korea, I feel a sense of calm and peace even though I have no clue as to what people are saying to me.

Somewhere in my memory must be a time when I felt safe though I was not yet fluent in the language.

So I am on my way to see a friend I have only met a handful of times since we were 8/9 years old, but with whom I share an experience - of being adopted from Korea. The years have passed as letters were exchanged, emails sent, facebooked and with sharing our stories of life so far.

Now we reunite again in the land of our birth...

More to come -

-T
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