Orphanage Visit

Today I was lucky enough to visit an orphanage about 30 minutes outside of Okpo with a group of ladies whose husband's work with Shell.  The group has decided to help these group of kids once a month and collect donations in money form or supplies.  We had lunch brought in and were able to spend a few hours visiting and touring the facilities.  There are about 60 kids ranging from 1 year to high school age with majority of them in middle and high school.  It started in 1957 and has only had 2 adoptions since opening!  We tried to find out way so few but didn't really get the details.  From what information I heard someone wanting to adopt must go through an agency and they must pick where you adopt from.  There are about 4-5 orphanages on our island so I can't imagine how many there are all in Korea.  The government pays for about 50% of what they need to keep it open so donations are much needed.  Each child is allocated about $150 for clothes for ONE YEAR!  Can you imagine only having $150 for your clothes for an entire year??  Birthdays are celebrated once a month and the average gift per child is less than $20.  Besides what they don't have the kids all seemed very happy and excited.  Of course there were a few shy but isn't surprising especially hearing where they have come from.  A few of the kids still keep in touch with relatives but they are there because family can't support them.  I am sure I will learn more with each monthly visit but I just wanted to share with you my first experience. 

If you are interested in donating money or gently used clothes please let me know.  My mom and sister are coming in March and I plan to ask them to bring items for me especially since everyday things are so costly here.  Things that are also needed are school supplies (pens, pencils, crayons, paper, markers), Hygene items (soap, shampoo, toothpaste, toothbrushes, lady products, deodorant), and much more.  The ladies here have pledged a monetary donation each month and a birthday gift for each child.

These two are brothers.

Too Cute!  Only girl in the baby age group.

This was my pal for the day.  He was giving me high fives. 

Charlie and Laura with one of the baby boys.

Classroom

Middle school girls hanging out in their common area.

Typical boys room-4 boys to one room.  They sleep on bed pads.  I am not sure how they fit.

Mickey and the Principal

My buddy telling me he is 3!

Korean Cemetery

This week I discovered a Korean cemetery within walking distance from our apartment.  So I decided to go back today with my camera.  It is amazing how the Korean's bury their loved ones.  It looks extremely difficult and how they decide where to put them is a mystery to me.  Looking through the woods I found several graves just randomly placed.  It is obvious that someone still visits these graves and some I don't know how they get to them! 

More tombstones hidden away.

The Big Cemetery.  Not very many have markers.  It is over looking the water.

I didn't have the distance lens on for this one, but that is a tombstone in the middle of this steep hill/mountain.

Valentine's Day in South Korea

It is snowing today in Okpo!  I can see all of the school kids playing in the soccer field outside our apartment now.  Although they have a long and cold winters this doesn't happen very often.  It looks beautiful, but makes me a little nervous about walking to the grocery store with the steep hill I live on.  Last thing I want to do is fall down with bags of groceries.  Sorry Tommy we may be having left over rice a roni for our Valentine's Day dinner!!  Good thing we had our dinner on Saturday night.  We started out at a local Western Bar called WA Bar and had a few beers trying new things from Thailand, Australia, Belgium, and Singapore.  Then we headed to Michael Jackson's Ribs.  It was so much fun and cheap!  They pre-cook a rack of baby back ribs (which really don't have much meat on them) and bring them to your table where you have a grill in the middle and finish cooking them.  It was only $6,000 won which is less than $6 for a rack.  They call it Michael Jackson because you wear a white glove to eat with and help keep your fingers clean.  Remember sucking/licking your fingers at the table is very rude here!

Quick note on South Korean Valentine's Day-The women usually give the men in their life chocolate candy today and then on March 14th the men who received something on Valentine's Day return the favor but with something a little more pricey than chocolate candy such as flowers or jewelry!

MJ Ribs!

Ladies Trip to Busan

This post is a little late!  Last Thursday I went with the ladies group on a shopping trip to Busan.  We had a private bus that took us to a market.  There were alleys and streets full of vendor after vendor, selling anything from light bulbs to jackets to fake purses to cameras and much more!  Although I was expecting more "deals".  It seems the South Koreans don't really negotiate.  A few ladies were able to get $2-3 off but nothing too big.  We did get to see street performers that were very entertaining.  Pictures below.

After this market we went to another enclosed market, I think it was called Jin Market or something like that.  It was 4 floors of clothes, jackets, blankets, bedding, sewing supplies, etc..  At times I did get a litte claustrophobic.  Again, vendor after vendor cramped in where ever there was a foot of space.  They have many seamstress and taylors that will custom made anything you want.  I plan to have custom curtains made for our home before the end of our trip.  The fabrics are beautiful! 

This picture doesn't do this place justice.  It is huge!  But you can get an idea of how crowded it is.

While we were there I had to use the restroom and it was an experience and one I hope not to have very often!  It brought back memories of being in high school-pasture parties!  I had to hover over this hole in the ground.  It also had a flush handle, like I am going to touch that.  Do you know how many people can't aim?? 

Korean Table Manners

Today was coffee group at the Foreigner's Club.  There was a guest speaker teaching us Korean table manners.  A few things I learned:
1. You must wait for the elders to be seated and then wait until they eat before starting
2. No blowing your nose at the table!
3. No sucking your fingers (so becareful when eating ribs!)
4. Try to eat at the pace of everyone else
5. Offer alcohol to the elders first
6. When accepting a dish or drink do so with both hands
7. Pour drinks with both hands
8. Your utensils stay on the table when you aren't eating, you can't place them on your plate or bowl.  The only time you may do this is if you are honoring the dead in a ceremony.  Well I have been doing this at every meal, so I have been very rude!  I just don't want my utensils laying on the bare table in between bites.
9. Don't talk with you mouth full (sound familar?)
10. No elbows on table (another familar one)
11. If you don't want someone to refill your drink then leave a little liquid in the glass, oh and you aren't supposed to refill your own glass, so you need to watch around you to refill your neighbors glass.

After our lesson we went for a Korean dish called Guk and Bob, which is soup and rice.  It was a spicy beef soup with cabbage and other veggies and a side of steamed rice.  It was excellent!  One of my favorites so far and I can't wait to take Tommy.  It was also my first time to sit on the floor while we ate.  At first it was no big deal, but then my legs started to fall asleep! 

Tomorrow I am heading to Busan with the ladies for a shopping trip so I will let you know what goods I find!

Weekend Trip to Busan 04Feb11

Took an overnight trip to Busan to explore a little and get the tour from Todd and Hyunji Keonig, who live there.  Had a great time eating, shooting roman candles on the beach, riding a carnival ride similar to the sea dragon, and ending up at a Hof (Korean type bar) to polish off about 8 kettles of rice wine.  Thanks Todd and Hyunji for the Busan tour, can't wait to get back! 

Entrance to our Hotel

Hotel Lobby

More Hotel Lobby

Some sort of artwork in the lobby, lots of little people.

Side street in Busan

View from our room. The day was really hazy for some reason.

Really nice beach in town.

Same beach, but the water view. 

Lighting the roman candles.

Happy Lunar New Year

Turtle

The roman candle posse.

Hey lemme ride that donkey donkaaaay!

The appetizers at the Hof.  Korean pancake, kimchi,

peppers, raddish, soup, and yes larvae.  The bowls with

 the white liquid is the rice wine....you mix it with cider in the 

stainless kettle on the table and just drink it out of the bowls.

Close up shot of the larvae.

Turtle going for it on the larvae.  We both ate one, not

very tasty, but not as bad as we thought it would be. 

Now we can say we've eaten bugs.  Yipee.

Hyunji and Shawn.

For some reason, these strangers wanted us to come

over to their table.  They didn't speak any English, but

we drank a few shots of Soju with them before they were

off to the karoake bar. 

I still kinda don't know what's going on, but it was fun.