Memorial Art Gallery

A few pictures from the Memorial Art Gallery's Asian Heritage Celebration. Although both children were exhausted, they had a great time. We visited the Korean booth, saw a TKD demonstration, tried Chinese dancing, and ran around outside. It is a fun event!

Seoul, South Korea

Trying to write a blurb about Seoul is like trying to summarize all New York City has to offer in a few sentences!

From July 6th to 8th our itinerary says "sightseeing of Seoul city." This time period corresponds with the time we will be with our host family. This trip is unique it that it offers visitors at chance to live with a Korean family for 3 days. From my perspective, this is one of the things about the trip I am most excited about. My children lived in foster homes prior to coming to us. I am eager to get a glimpse of what their homes were like, what their meals were like, and what routines they followed. I know it won't be exactly the same, but I like to think it is a little bit of a "window" into their early lives.

My travel book says, "Seoul is the heart of Korea - a mixture of chic shopping districts, traditional markets, historic palaces, towering office buildings, crowded streets, and pulsating nightlife." Seoul is the capital city of Korea, and its largest urban area. It is located on the Han River. It has the 4th largest metropolitan economy, behind Tokyo, New York City, and Los Angeles. Seoul is also one of the most technologically advanced cities in the world, with the fastest internet connection and one of the best public transportation systems. In addition to modern construction, there still exists traditional markets and historical tourist sites.

While in Seoul we will be visiting adoption agencies, a Korean folk village, and schools. The adoption agency we worked with, Love the Children, had a relationship with Eastern Social Welfare Society. Since LTC started, one of its goals has been to involve American families in supporting Korean children living in Korea. LTC provided funds for several schools for disabled children, an unwed mothers' home, and the van which transports the children. I am hoping to see some of these things, as well as see the place where my children lived prior to going to be with their foster families. It is going to be emotional for me. Someday we will return to visit as a family.

I am also interested in learning about Korean education. From what little I do know, it is a stressful and competitive environment. Math, science, Korean, English, and social studies are considered the most important subjects. High school is not mandatory, but 97% of Koreans graduate from high school. Much emphasis is placed on "entrance exams" and most students strive to get into good colleges.

A Trip to New Jersey

Last weekend Pete and I made a quick trip to New Jersey to attend a fundraising gala for Sejong Cultural Education, Inc. We are not well seasoned travelers...and we have have never left both children overnight. The travel plans and the "sleep over" with Grammy went very well. Hmmm...maybe there are more travel weekends in our future?

The event was held in Fort Lee, NJ. We flew into JFK and took a car service to the hotel. At one time, Fort Lee was the "motion picture capital of America." The 2010 census indicates that Fort Lee's Korean population is about 24%. Everyone we talked to said the Korean population was more along the lines of 80% to 90% of the city. It was really neat to see Korean signs, have Korean food served at the hotel, and have our pick of Korean restaurants!

We had very little time to do anything but attend the dinner. We had a late lunch at a restaurant called Gam Mee OK. It was delicious! I have never seen Pete eat so much kimchi.

The dinner was very nice. We were seated at a table with two other educators who are going on the trip. I did not get much of a chance to chat with them, since it was a busy evening. They had several speakers and performances.

The first was gayakeum (stringed instrument) duet. They played a song called "Dorajee," which was fun for us because we are familiar with it. We have it on an album of children's music (Rabbit Days and Dumplings by Elena Moon Park).

The next performance was really exciting. It was a drum dance called "s'am-g'o-m'oo." It is a dance that originated in Buddhist temples of Korea. According to our program, "The dancers' beating of the drum is meant to instruct the evil-minded on the ways of Heaven and to save creatures suffering in hell."

There were several other speakers as well. The keynote speaker, Mary Connor, is a retired educator from California. She started The Korea Academy for Educators. This non-profit organization provides workshops and seminars for educators to learn more about Korean culture and the Korean students they teach. Ummm...something for next summer? 

It was a quick trip, but a wonderful glimpse of Sejong Cultural Education, Inc. It made me even more excited for the trip!

Incheon

I will be leaving for Korea from John F. Kennedy airport. The flight will be about 14 hours. I am not much a traveler, so this is all going to be new to me! We will be flying into Incheon in South Korea. At this time of year, Korea is 13 hours ahead of us.

In one of my travel books Incheon is called "Korea's transportation hub." It is 25 miles west of Seoul. It is a located on a harbor and is Korea's 4th largest city. It is important for shipping and air travel. The airport is actually located on a small offshore island. Construction on the airport started in 1992. Near the airport is an international business center with luxury hotels and high-rise office buildings. The site of Incheon is also famous for the role it played in the Korean War (General MacArthur landed US troops there, which was a turning point in the war). Older parts of Incheon offer shopping, inns, and fresh seafood. Incheon also has Korea's only official "China Town.'

I don't yet know if I will be spending any significant amount of time in Incheon. The first thing we will be doing is a 3 night home stay with a Korean family. I do not know where I will be staying. My guess is that we will be traveling onto Seoul, but I am not sure.

In a couple of weeks my husband and I will be traveling to New Jersey for a fundraising dinner for Sejong Cultural Education. I am hoping at that time to learn more about the trip and meet some of the other people I will be traveling with.

My life has taken me in directions I never expected. If you had told me 5 years ago that I would be planning a trip to Korea this summer, I would have told you that you are crazy. Totally insane.

My husband and I struggled with infertility for over 4 years. For us, international adoption was a good fit. We thought we learned a lot about the process and the issues related to transracial adoption prior to welcoming our children into our lives. As my husband and I have continued to educate ourselves, we have come to understand that the social and cultural aspects of transracial adoption go well beyond what we initially learned about. While adoption has brought us much joy, we have learned that there are also elements of pain, loss, and grief associated with it.

I am a school psychologist in a large suburban high school. The school I work in is largely homogeneous in terms of race and socio-economic status. My own parenting experiences have prompted me to look closer at how we, as an educational community, include those students who are "different." How do we address issues of race, culture, gender, sexual orientation, or socio-economic differences? Is our school climate accepting of those who are different? Outside of school, I am active with a local adoption support group called Love the Children of Rochester (LTCR).

In July 2013 I will be traveling to Korea. I am very, very grateful to have been granted an educator's scholarship through Sejong Korean American Cultural Education, Inc. (in collaboration with the Grace and Mercy Foundation). Through this trip educators learn about the history and modern culture of South Korea. There is the expectation that when I return I will use what I have learned to educate others.

In order to prepare for the trip, I am planning on researching the areas I will be visiting. I am hoping this background knowledge will allow me to make the most of the experience. In addition, I hope to continue learning about ways to address the issues associated with race, culture, and adoption that I encounter in my personal and professional life. This plan is ambitious, given the fact that I constantly struggle with the exhaustion that comes from working full-time and raising two young children! I am going to do my best, though, since I feel it will be a valuable learning experience for me. I understand that this blog won't have a large readership, but I am hoping that a few people will enjoy learning along with me.

Trip Itinerary

Arrive in Incheon International Airport

3 night home stay

Sight seeing in Seoul

Visit adoption agencies

School visits

Korean folk village

Jeju Island

Visit Jeju Disabled Children's Home

Visit Hongik Child Welfare Center

Tour Gwangju City

Program with Jeon Nam University students

Visit Song Gwang Sa Temple in Soon Chun City

Visit 5/18 Memorial Museum

Tour Kyoungju City/Pohwang/Daegu

Visit industrial site

Tour DMZ

Korean musical show

Visit Royal Palace/watch Guard Exchange Ceremony