I can't believe that today, in just a few hours, I will get to meet Sung Min (Joe) for the first time. What a range of emotions I have been experiencing today. I slept in (hooray) after staying up late to skype with Brian and Olivia. It was so wonderful to be able to talk to and see them. Liv looks so grown up in her school uniform at showed me that she has received a smiley face every day on her calendar. She LOVES kindergarten and I'm more than a little bummed that I am missing this stage in her ever changing life.
I'm much calmer now, but I'm sure that can change at any minute. The range of emotions I am feeling is beyond what I ever expected. Sad, happy, scared, nervous, full of anticipation.
Saturday, August 27, 2011
Friday, August 26, 2011
Our first full day in Korea ... and full it was
What an incredible day today was. It started early (around 3:30 AM) since our bodies are so far off our normal schedule. We hung around in our room until it was time for breakfast. The hotel has an amazing spread for breakfast -- both Korean food (bulgogi, rice, korean soups and kimchi) and western foods (scrambled eggs, bacon, fruits, yogurt). Everything was delicious. After we went back to our rooms to grab our cameras, we hit the ground running.
Our first stop today was Gyeongbokgung Palace - a beautiful and HUGE compound. (And I'd like to take this opportunity to say that we totally rocked the Korean subway system, even with a transfer. Yep, once Amy found out I used to live in NYC, she figured she was set -- and with her blonde hair, people are asking us if we need help if they sense even the slightest hesitation). The architecture was amazing and we got lost in the beauty and history there.
After the Palace, we went through the Korean Museum of Folk Art. It was just as incredible. We didn't check out the Children's Museum, but we did see lines of adorable little Korean children walking onto the grounds.
After a morning of culture, it was time to do some shopping. It was a 10 minute walk to Insadong, one of the popular market areas. As we meandered through the narrow cobblestone streets, there were many different types of stores: souvenirs, antiques, clothing, and of course, many restaurants. We were very successful shoppers and I was able to use some of the few Korean phrases I know. Soaking in the sights and sounds of Korea has been an incredible experience in itself.
One of the shops we went in is known for their name chops. They hand carve stamps with names or sayings on them. I got one for Joe that has the Korean symbols for his name: Sung Min Kim and one for Olivia that has her name in English and also in Korean -- also picked some up for friends. Amy purchased some for her children as well. The shopkeepers are amazing artists in their own right and are known for their work. The Queen of England is among the famous people who have visited their shop. We enjoyed a delicious bibimbop in a stone dish lunch (not sure of the correct terminology) while we waited for our chops to be created. I have thoroughly been enjoying the food -- but I admit I didn't try the anchovies that were one of our side dishes...
In this last picture, I'm watching the woman carve the Korean symbols for "happiness" onto Joe's name chop. She did that for each of them -- and they were generous enough to also give us ink (in a ceramic) pot for each of the name chops as a gift. I know Liv will LOVE using her stamp -- but she definitely will not be able to use it without anyone watching.
As we continued on our journey, we noticed a group of young adults wearing hanboks and holding different signs, one of which read "Free Hugs". This gentleman motioned to me and I was happy to oblige. It isn't often one is able to receive a free hug in Korea from a man in a hanbok. What a great memory!
At this point, we were weary travelers and headed back to the hotel to take a little siesta. Our little siesta ended up being three hour power naps. Guess we were tired!!! I knocked on Amy's door to tell her it was after 8:00pm -- and after we fully woke up, we decided to hit an area with nighttime shopping Myeong-dong. We shopped, we ate, we people watched... and then the real excitement started.
We had taken a taxi to Myeong-dong and were charged 3,000 won, or $3. Awesome. On the way back, we got into the cab, gave the driver the card with the address in Korean and he said 10,000 won. We said no thank you and got out. The next driver we approached shook his head no and drove off, so we finally decided we'd take the subway since we were such pros. We started off well, got on the correct subway to Seoul Station, only to find out it was a different Seoul Station than the one by our hotel. We thought the underground passageways would take us there, but we ended up somewhere totally different. So much for our navigational skills!!!
We stopped at one of the ubiquitous 7-11 stores and, after much discussion with other customers, were told to take a cab for 2,000 won. Suddenly a minivan taxi appears and we give him the card and he tells us 10,000 won. Amy says, 5000. He says 10,000 -- that a smaller amount would be appropriate for a sedan, not one his size. Out of desperation, we got in the cab. He talked to someone on the phone and realized where the hotel was and suddenly, he was the happiest taxi driver ever and he flipped a switch and lights went on that would have made the decorators of the Cash Cab jealous. It. Was. Amazing. And totally unexpected -- and turned our frowns upside down. We noticed he had a hunting motif and a license plate inside that said "REBL" with a confederate flag. This was NOT your average taxi. I wish we had taken his number so he could be our driver the rest of our trip.
After stopping at the 7-11 across the street from the hotel for a beer, we got back to our room and settled in after our busy day. Tomorrow (later today, actually) will be less hectic as Mr. Choi (and maybe the rest of the family) will be picking us up and taking us to their house for Joe's (Sung Min Kim's) dol celebration.
I'm so excited to see -- and be able to hold -- my son for the first time. (And of course, I wish Brian and Liv were here to share all these experiences with me)
Thanks for joining us on our journey.
To be continued...
Our first stop today was Gyeongbokgung Palace - a beautiful and HUGE compound. (And I'd like to take this opportunity to say that we totally rocked the Korean subway system, even with a transfer. Yep, once Amy found out I used to live in NYC, she figured she was set -- and with her blonde hair, people are asking us if we need help if they sense even the slightest hesitation). The architecture was amazing and we got lost in the beauty and history there.
After the Palace, we went through the Korean Museum of Folk Art. It was just as incredible. We didn't check out the Children's Museum, but we did see lines of adorable little Korean children walking onto the grounds.
After a morning of culture, it was time to do some shopping. It was a 10 minute walk to Insadong, one of the popular market areas. As we meandered through the narrow cobblestone streets, there were many different types of stores: souvenirs, antiques, clothing, and of course, many restaurants. We were very successful shoppers and I was able to use some of the few Korean phrases I know. Soaking in the sights and sounds of Korea has been an incredible experience in itself.
One of the shops we went in is known for their name chops. They hand carve stamps with names or sayings on them. I got one for Joe that has the Korean symbols for his name: Sung Min Kim and one for Olivia that has her name in English and also in Korean -- also picked some up for friends. Amy purchased some for her children as well. The shopkeepers are amazing artists in their own right and are known for their work. The Queen of England is among the famous people who have visited their shop. We enjoyed a delicious bibimbop in a stone dish lunch (not sure of the correct terminology) while we waited for our chops to be created. I have thoroughly been enjoying the food -- but I admit I didn't try the anchovies that were one of our side dishes...
In this last picture, I'm watching the woman carve the Korean symbols for "happiness" onto Joe's name chop. She did that for each of them -- and they were generous enough to also give us ink (in a ceramic) pot for each of the name chops as a gift. I know Liv will LOVE using her stamp -- but she definitely will not be able to use it without anyone watching.
As we continued on our journey, we noticed a group of young adults wearing hanboks and holding different signs, one of which read "Free Hugs". This gentleman motioned to me and I was happy to oblige. It isn't often one is able to receive a free hug in Korea from a man in a hanbok. What a great memory!
At this point, we were weary travelers and headed back to the hotel to take a little siesta. Our little siesta ended up being three hour power naps. Guess we were tired!!! I knocked on Amy's door to tell her it was after 8:00pm -- and after we fully woke up, we decided to hit an area with nighttime shopping Myeong-dong. We shopped, we ate, we people watched... and then the real excitement started.
We had taken a taxi to Myeong-dong and were charged 3,000 won, or $3. Awesome. On the way back, we got into the cab, gave the driver the card with the address in Korean and he said 10,000 won. We said no thank you and got out. The next driver we approached shook his head no and drove off, so we finally decided we'd take the subway since we were such pros. We started off well, got on the correct subway to Seoul Station, only to find out it was a different Seoul Station than the one by our hotel. We thought the underground passageways would take us there, but we ended up somewhere totally different. So much for our navigational skills!!!
We stopped at one of the ubiquitous 7-11 stores and, after much discussion with other customers, were told to take a cab for 2,000 won. Suddenly a minivan taxi appears and we give him the card and he tells us 10,000 won. Amy says, 5000. He says 10,000 -- that a smaller amount would be appropriate for a sedan, not one his size. Out of desperation, we got in the cab. He talked to someone on the phone and realized where the hotel was and suddenly, he was the happiest taxi driver ever and he flipped a switch and lights went on that would have made the decorators of the Cash Cab jealous. It. Was. Amazing. And totally unexpected -- and turned our frowns upside down. We noticed he had a hunting motif and a license plate inside that said "REBL" with a confederate flag. This was NOT your average taxi. I wish we had taken his number so he could be our driver the rest of our trip.
After stopping at the 7-11 across the street from the hotel for a beer, we got back to our room and settled in after our busy day. Tomorrow (later today, actually) will be less hectic as Mr. Choi (and maybe the rest of the family) will be picking us up and taking us to their house for Joe's (Sung Min Kim's) dol celebration.
I'm so excited to see -- and be able to hold -- my son for the first time. (And of course, I wish Brian and Liv were here to share all these experiences with me)
Thanks for joining us on our journey.
To be continued...
Thursday, August 25, 2011
We made it to Korea ... I promise to add more
The trip to Korea was long, but thankfully uneventful -- no delays, no lost luggage, no drama at cruising altitude. The most stressful time of the day was frantically running around the house making sure everything was packed and getting all the last minute things together. I arrived at the Cleveland airport in plenty of time and enjoyed the nice short trip to Atlanta.
Once in Atlanta, I met my friend, travel companion and partner in crime at her gate at ATL and we hustled our way to the furthest terminal to recheck in at the Korean Air gate. This plane was HUGE - and comfortable - and had the best airplane food I'd ever eaten - not to mention frequent snacks and plenty of movies and tv shows to watch. And the best part, we both got a good amount of sleep during the 14.5 hour flight.
We were in Korea before we knew it, sailed through customs and immigrations, exchanged some money and the got suckered into taking a gypsy cab to the hotel. I was still a little groggy from our flight and kept taking some cat naps on the way home -- as evidenced by this shot Amy snapped of me. I was like one of our little chickens at home: up, alert, moving around and then suddenly out like a light for a few seconds... We made it relatively quickly, but paid for it...
After checking in to our awesome room, we walked around our neighborhood of Seoul for a bit to get some exercise and (hopefully) help us sleep. We were each up by 3:30 am Korea time and are waiting for breakfast so we can officially start the day.
Here are some pictures that Amy took last night on our adventure:
Once in Atlanta, I met my friend, travel companion and partner in crime at her gate at ATL and we hustled our way to the furthest terminal to recheck in at the Korean Air gate. This plane was HUGE - and comfortable - and had the best airplane food I'd ever eaten - not to mention frequent snacks and plenty of movies and tv shows to watch. And the best part, we both got a good amount of sleep during the 14.5 hour flight.
We were in Korea before we knew it, sailed through customs and immigrations, exchanged some money and the got suckered into taking a gypsy cab to the hotel. I was still a little groggy from our flight and kept taking some cat naps on the way home -- as evidenced by this shot Amy snapped of me. I was like one of our little chickens at home: up, alert, moving around and then suddenly out like a light for a few seconds... We made it relatively quickly, but paid for it...
After checking in to our awesome room, we walked around our neighborhood of Seoul for a bit to get some exercise and (hopefully) help us sleep. We were each up by 3:30 am Korea time and are waiting for breakfast so we can officially start the day.
Here are some pictures that Amy took last night on our adventure:
Tuesday, August 23, 2011
Joe's Story - Part I
Joe was born Sung Ming Kim on August 25, 2010. His mom, a woman who studied Japanese in college, named him well. In Korean, Sung means "to achieve" and Min means "smart". This little man has great potential.
When he was 4 days old, Joe (Sung Min) spent a few days in the hospital making sure his ability to feed was where it should be. Since he as 24 pounds at 6 months of age, he definitely had no long term feeding issues. At 6 weeks old, Joe was placed in foster care.
On February 18, 2011, Joe's life was forever changed, although he would not realize it for many months. On this date, Joe was matched with our family. I received a call around 9:40 a.m. from our social worker, who told us she had very good news. She said we had been matched with a little boy and that she could meet with us later that day to go over the details. This was, of course, the ONE day that Brian was impossible to reach. We had spoken just before we received that call and, try as I might, I could NOT get hold of Brian. And I didn't know what the phone number to his OR was, so I waited. And waited.
That night, our social worker was having a dinner party at home so her time was limited. I told her I could meet her near her house and Brian could meet us when he god off work. It all worked out and we had our first glimpse of Joe. The boy who could be our son. I immediately noted to our SW that I saw a resemblance to Brian -- he was a beautiful, healthy boy and we were ready to call him our son.
A few days later, we accepted his referral and sent in the next batch of paperwork. We were thrilled to be able to announce that we had a child. A son. A new addition to our family.
A few months later, in June, Joe was placed into a new foster home, one that was willing to take on the additioal challenges of raising a child nearing his first day. What an incredible blessing this turned out to be. The Choi family is amazing. They have been fostering for years and each child is treated like family.
In June, an email appeared in our inbox that was written in a foreign language. Although it was 4:30 am, I had a sneaking suspicion that this was written in Korean -- and seeing there were attachments, my curiosity was piqued. What an incredible blessing to see pictures of our little man. Precious is an understatement. I may be biased, but this boy is beautiful. And don't get me started on how kissable those cheeks are...
This was the first of many emails we have received over the past two months. It has been wonderful to get to know Kyung Sook and her family - as well as others who have had the privilege of having Omma and Appa as their Korean family. I am beyond excited that in just a few days, I will be able to celebrate Joe's Dol, or first birthday celebration. Kyung Sook and her family would like me to be present for this occasion - and I wouldn't miss it for the world.
On Saturday, August 27, 2011, I will be meeting my son for the first time at his birthday party. I. Can't. Wait. I'm thrilled that my friend Amy will be with me on this amazing day (and throughout our time in Korea). On August 29, we will be seeing the foster families and our children at KSS for a few hours. This will be a wonderful opportunity to ask questions and see our children with those they know and love. On August 31, 2011, Joe's life will be forever changed. To be continued.
When he was 4 days old, Joe (Sung Min) spent a few days in the hospital making sure his ability to feed was where it should be. Since he as 24 pounds at 6 months of age, he definitely had no long term feeding issues. At 6 weeks old, Joe was placed in foster care.
On February 18, 2011, Joe's life was forever changed, although he would not realize it for many months. On this date, Joe was matched with our family. I received a call around 9:40 a.m. from our social worker, who told us she had very good news. She said we had been matched with a little boy and that she could meet with us later that day to go over the details. This was, of course, the ONE day that Brian was impossible to reach. We had spoken just before we received that call and, try as I might, I could NOT get hold of Brian. And I didn't know what the phone number to his OR was, so I waited. And waited.
That night, our social worker was having a dinner party at home so her time was limited. I told her I could meet her near her house and Brian could meet us when he god off work. It all worked out and we had our first glimpse of Joe. The boy who could be our son. I immediately noted to our SW that I saw a resemblance to Brian -- he was a beautiful, healthy boy and we were ready to call him our son.
A few days later, we accepted his referral and sent in the next batch of paperwork. We were thrilled to be able to announce that we had a child. A son. A new addition to our family.
A few months later, in June, Joe was placed into a new foster home, one that was willing to take on the additioal challenges of raising a child nearing his first day. What an incredible blessing this turned out to be. The Choi family is amazing. They have been fostering for years and each child is treated like family.
In June, an email appeared in our inbox that was written in a foreign language. Although it was 4:30 am, I had a sneaking suspicion that this was written in Korean -- and seeing there were attachments, my curiosity was piqued. What an incredible blessing to see pictures of our little man. Precious is an understatement. I may be biased, but this boy is beautiful. And don't get me started on how kissable those cheeks are...
This was the first of many emails we have received over the past two months. It has been wonderful to get to know Kyung Sook and her family - as well as others who have had the privilege of having Omma and Appa as their Korean family. I am beyond excited that in just a few days, I will be able to celebrate Joe's Dol, or first birthday celebration. Kyung Sook and her family would like me to be present for this occasion - and I wouldn't miss it for the world.
On Saturday, August 27, 2011, I will be meeting my son for the first time at his birthday party. I. Can't. Wait. I'm thrilled that my friend Amy will be with me on this amazing day (and throughout our time in Korea). On August 29, we will be seeing the foster families and our children at KSS for a few hours. This will be a wonderful opportunity to ask questions and see our children with those they know and love. On August 31, 2011, Joe's life will be forever changed. To be continued.
Monday, August 22, 2011
Joe's Timeline
1/7/2010 - Submitted preliminary application
5/14/2010 - Received formal application
7/19/2010 - Completed formal application submitted to FAC
7/30/2010 - Homestudy process begins
8/19/2010 - First interview (Brian & Becky)
8/25/2010 -Second interview (Becky)
9/2/2010 - Third interview (Brian)
9/29/10 - Home inspection by fire inspector
10/7/10 - Fourth interview (Brian, Becky, Olivia) and home inspection
10/11/10 - Final interview (Brian & Becky)
11/5/10 - Homestudy completed
11/15/10 - Filed I-600A paperwork
11/26/10 - I-600A received
12/20/10 - I-600A approved
2/18/11 - Received Joe's referral
2/22/11 - Accepted referral
3/16/11 - Learned KSS (Korean Social Services) is closing when all children remaining in their care are placed
4/1/11 - I-600 (Visa) is provisionally approved
4/13/11 - P3 Packet sent to KSS
6/13/11 - Learned Joe and other kids probably won't be granted passports until 2012
7/27/11 - Received call that Joe (and others) will come home in August
7/29/11 - TRAVEL CALL - magic date is 8/31/11
8/1/11 - Finalized travel arrangements
8/15/11 - Personal interview at US Embassy
8/16/11 - Visa physical
8/17/11 - Passport approved/visa processed
8/24/11 - Becky travels to South Korea
8/25/11 - Joe's first birthday (and Liv's first day of preschool)
8/25/11 - Becky arrives in Seoul
8/27/11 - Joe's dol (1st birthday celebration)
8/29/11 - Official meeting at KSS with Joe and Kyung Sook (foster mom)
8/31/11 - Depart Seoul
8/31/11 - Arrive in Detroit (Brian, Liv and Grandma to meet us there and drive us home)
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