tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1061309775722692814Sun, 01 Sep 2024 15:09:16 +0000adopteeSeoulbio-familieskorean cultureKyongjucostcoil sanBoryeong Mud FestivalKorea HouseKorean Folk VillageMei-Ling HopgoodOlympic ParkPusanSecret GardenSeoul TowerYoido Full Gospel Churchfoodfoster familiesfoster motherhanboklong duck dongmodel minorityorphanagespecial needsstereotypeTrying to reconcile my American culture with my Korean heritage, I hope that blogging helps me to process and connect these two elements of my life. Growing up as a Korean adoptee, I did not have any real interest in Korean culture; I did not really embrace it. I did not want to stand out or to be different. Now, as an adoptive parent of a Korean daughter, I see these two elements in a new light and want to learn more about the Korean culture for both me and my daughter.http://mymotherlandkorea.blogspot.com/noreply@blogger.com (LL)Blogger24125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1061309775722692814.post-3138968142849229859Mon, 24 Aug 2009 14:52:00 +00002009-08-25T07:07:19.657-05:00Mei-Ling HopgoodThis image is of Mei-Ling Hopgood with her adoptive parents in 1974.http://www.mei-linghopgood.com/assets/galleries/4/infantmeimomdad.jpgThis was just published on August 23, 2009 and I thought that it was worth sharing. The author, Mei-Lin Hopgood, is an adoptee from Taiwan.Another country, not my ownOne overseas adoptee explains: Parents’ embrace of the ”home” culture can have its costshttp://http://mymotherlandkorea.blogspot.com/2009/08/boston-globe-article.htmlnoreply@blogger.com (LL)1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1061309775722692814.post-7198369363330607185Fri, 21 Aug 2009 19:17:00 +00002009-08-23T06:36:29.811-05:00Yoido Full Gospel ChurchJune 26, 1988June 26, 1988 was a Sunday. We went into the city and attended a service at Yoido Full Gospel Church. This church boasts a membership that is not only the largest Christian congregation in Korea, but also in the world. With an impressive 830,000 or so members today, Yoido Full Gospel Church is remarkable in this regard due to the fact that there has not been a long history of http://mymotherlandkorea.blogspot.com/2009/08/yoido-full-gospel-church.htmlnoreply@blogger.com (LL)0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1061309775722692814.post-6047342185801052571Sun, 16 Aug 2009 11:37:00 +00002009-08-19T18:35:33.932-05:00adopteehanbokorphanagehttp://pegasus.cityofveils.com/images/photos/yhl-hanbok.jpghttps://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiC6ZgC0vy5k_H15v6prCeWkQQzYJZk66Lnv6aF4EJ2X0mYoPUtlLEzVr89YgRIdDcYg05cSZSO4QSS4H2uNwulkJ79xCm84ZMovmsX8AOoFHb_l0j1k-1NDRpzol_evYENQZbobOLYiPeO/s400/hanbok.jpgJune 23, 1988Back in Seoul from our road trip, we had a few more days to visit more points of interest. In addition, these http://mymotherlandkorea.blogspot.com/2009/08/sung-ro-won-orphanage.htmlnoreply@blogger.com (LL)15tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1061309775722692814.post-2819513439593355636Thu, 13 Aug 2009 01:44:00 +00002009-08-12T20:57:54.316-05:00View of Taeguhttp://mw2.google.com/mw-panoramio/photos/medium/2844139.jpgJune 20, 1988On June 20, we traveled to Taegu. Taegu or Daegu is the 4th largest city in South Korea. It is located in the southeast of the country and is Korea's industrial city. Here, textiles, machinery and metals are produced. We visited Taegu University. This university is known for its programs for those with http://mymotherlandkorea.blogspot.com/2009/08/taegu.htmlnoreply@blogger.com (LL)0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1061309775722692814.post-8017352888613203592Fri, 07 Aug 2009 19:44:00 +00002009-08-09T09:28:23.414-05:00long duck dongstereotypeWithout a doubt, John Hughes' films are my favorite movies from the 80s. From "The Breakfast Club" to "Pretty in Pink", Hughes' created characters that were relatable, flawed and memorable. Since his death, I came across a couple of articles that are very critical of the creation of Long Duck Dong from "Sixteen Candles". This movie was a favorite and the sophomoric humor can still get a laugh http://mymotherlandkorea.blogspot.com/2009/08/lasting-effects-of-long-duck-dong-on-my.htmlnoreply@blogger.com (LL)0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1061309775722692814.post-5751392256058969388Wed, 05 Aug 2009 11:29:00 +00002009-08-05T07:29:35.920-05:00adopteePusanOne of the beaches in Pusanhttp://photos.cleveland.com/photos/997da9e9cd8ecb0abbab7a5ba7de85b2.JPGJune 19, 1988We spent a relaxing day in Pusan. Pusan is Korea's 2nd largest city (and Korea's largest port city) which is located on the south/southeast corner of the Korean peninsula. In fact, you can take a ferry to Japan from Pusan. You will also find that Pusan has great beaches and is very http://mymotherlandkorea.blogspot.com/2009/08/busan-pusan.htmlnoreply@blogger.com (LL)3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1061309775722692814.post-2143540242070644426Tue, 04 Aug 2009 20:08:00 +00002009-08-04T21:02:41.285-05:00http://nimg.sulekha.com/Others/original700/laura-ling-euna-lee-lisa-chung-2009-6-3-22-20-46.jpgI wanted to post that I am relieved that Kim Jong Il has "pardoned" these journalists. I hope that they make it on the plane and are back in the U.S. ASAP. I am curious to learn about the deal making that took place before former POTUS Clinton arrived and am appalled that there is already criticism thathttp://mymotherlandkorea.blogspot.com/2009/08/euna-lee-and-laura-ling.htmlnoreply@blogger.com (LL)0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1061309775722692814.post-6302138488856277810Sat, 01 Aug 2009 02:37:00 +00002009-08-01T16:01:55.347-05:00bio-familiesOrphaned children in South Korea circa 2007http://www.achildshopefoundation.org/img/korean_children.jpgPreviously, I wrote that one of the most meaningful lessons that I learned on the motherland tour of '88 was not to take for granted the fact that I was adopted as an infant. Many of the adoptees left Korea as children and had memories of the day of their abandonment. Some of the stories still http://mymotherlandkorea.blogspot.com/2009/07/unforgettable-story.htmlnoreply@blogger.com (LL)1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1061309775722692814.post-6243517950574959351Tue, 28 Jul 2009 11:10:00 +00002009-07-28T06:53:36.916-05:00KyongjuSokkuram Grottohttp://londonkoreanlinks.net/wp-content/uploads/2009/06/sokkuram.jpgJune 18, 1988I mentioned in an earlier post that Kyongju was the capital of the Silla (Shilla) Kingdom and it is also a concentrated location of Korean Buddhist art. It is known as the "museum without walls" due to the many sites and artifacts that survived since the 9th century and UNESCO has listed Kyongju as a http://mymotherlandkorea.blogspot.com/2009/07/touring-kyongju.htmlnoreply@blogger.com (LL)0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1061309775722692814.post-6372017805620861548Sat, 25 Jul 2009 02:07:00 +00002009-07-25T14:56:09.288-05:00foster familiesmodel minorityA Korean/American flag hybrid http://images6.cafepress.com/product/225202066v3_350x350_Front.jpgDuring our tour of Korea, a few common questions among us were "What would our lives be like if we grew up in Korea?" or "What would we be like?" Of course, one could speculate endless possibilities, but a mutual postulate at was the debate of nature v. nurture. We were all curious as to whether or nothttp://mymotherlandkorea.blogspot.com/2009/07/korea-times-article-nature-v-nurture.htmlnoreply@blogger.com (LL)1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1061309775722692814.post-6197673913976008745Thu, 23 Jul 2009 03:27:00 +00002009-07-23T15:45:51.431-05:00adopteeKyongjuHotel Concorde, Kyongju http://cosmojin.com/photo/info/hotel_photo_204_1.jpgJune 17, 1988: Con't.After leaving the Korean Folk Village, we headed to Kyongju (or Gyeongju) which is located in the southeastern part of the country. This is one of Korea's popular cities for tourists and was the capital of the Silla (or Shilla) Kingdom for over 1,000 years. That said, there are many historic buildingshttp://mymotherlandkorea.blogspot.com/2009/07/getting-to-know-my-roommates.htmlnoreply@blogger.com (LL)1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1061309775722692814.post-6064173720511265708Tue, 21 Jul 2009 11:01:00 +00002009-07-21T07:45:35.933-05:00korean cultureKorean Folk VillageFarmers' Dance, Korean Folk Villagehttp://farm1.static.flickr.com/15/21117189_6d250d520b_o.jpgJune 17, 1988Our next point of interest was the Korean Folk Village. We left Il San in the morning and drove about an hour or so outside of Seoul to this park. It opened in 1974 with the purpose to educate its visitors about Korean history and culture. It also serves as a venue to exhibit various http://mymotherlandkorea.blogspot.com/2009/07/korean-folk-village.htmlnoreply@blogger.com (LL)3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1061309775722692814.post-4421470825230861542Mon, 20 Jul 2009 11:56:00 +00002009-07-20T08:50:26.258-05:00Korea HouseSecret GardenSeoulSeoul TowerSecret (Biwon) Gardenhttps://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgSHGCTdI-SkBp_6V7VaMd0OlgFZnfNDe7OWnT-wCPtyw9q92iQIjRRrkyqcC52pNphBxBneqk8APZSLtCO63ClhVXQFyzHOWFSqnc5xVb-5iTN3acWq_CG6UsMnGjM3wMocH8vfk1BQTo/s1600/cdg2.jpgJune 16, 1988: Part VOur next stop after the Olympic Park was Changdeok Palace (also known as Changdeokgung Palace). This palace was finished in 1412 by King http://mymotherlandkorea.blogspot.com/2009/07/secret-garden-seoul-tower-korea-house.htmlnoreply@blogger.com (LL)2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1061309775722692814.post-4117802832059454370Fri, 17 Jul 2009 07:36:00 +00002009-07-17T12:10:50.039-05:00Olympic ParkSeoulWorld Peace Gatehttp://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/0/03/World_Peace_Gate,_Olympic_Park,_Seoul.jpgJune 16, 1988: Part IVWhile many of us were left with few details about our biological past, we theorized that we were born to single mothers and/or the economic conditions under which we were born were not sufficient to raise a child. Because the Korean War was the event that led to http://mymotherlandkorea.blogspot.com/2009/07/harmony-and-progress.htmlnoreply@blogger.com (LL)1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1061309775722692814.post-5331258102164451162Thu, 16 Jul 2009 02:19:00 +00002009-07-16T07:12:31.053-05:00Boryeong Mud Festivalwww.flickr.com/photos/toughkidcst/2661403864/ http://www.guardian.co.uk/travel/2008/jun/28/fivebest.festivalsBoryeong Mud FestivalI will continue with my re-tracing of my motherland tour in my next post. I found this and thought that it was worth sharing.Some of you may already be aware of the Boreyong Mud Festival at Daecheon Beach (south of Seoul). This year, the festival took place on July 12.http://mymotherlandkorea.blogspot.com/2009/07/those-krazy-koreans.htmlnoreply@blogger.com (LL)1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1061309775722692814.post-207703202852451764Tue, 14 Jul 2009 11:25:00 +00002009-07-14T07:42:41.652-05:00adopteebio-familiesAnother trite title. Can't resist. They are too easy.June 16, 1988: Part IIII meant to write about one of the most significant parts of our agency visit in my previous post. If we wanted to do so, we were able to read our personal file that contained our adoption paperwork. I believe that the policy for our particular agency is that the adoptee must be at least 17 years old before s/he can http://mymotherlandkorea.blogspot.com/2009/07/heart-and-seoul.htmlnoreply@blogger.com (LL)2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1061309775722692814.post-5292029952458445964Sun, 12 Jul 2009 11:07:00 +00002009-07-13T10:06:02.435-05:00bio-familiesSeoulJune 16, 1988: Part IIOK, so the title of this post is trite and maybe it's not even appropriate. It was just easy.The last part of our agency office visit was to tour what is called the reception center. This building is very close to the office and is a place where babies live where they wait to be placed with a foster family. Although nothing can replace a home environment, the children http://mymotherlandkorea.blogspot.com/2009/07/seoul-searching.htmlnoreply@blogger.com (LL)0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1061309775722692814.post-6168020618088912178Fri, 10 Jul 2009 04:35:00 +00002009-07-12T06:04:36.104-05:00foster motherJune 16, 1988Part IThe first stop was to visit the agency office. This was where our paperwork was processed, where social workers matched us with our families and where many of us were relinquished. Needless to say, it would be significant for us all.When we arrived, we were greeted by the entire staff. A few of the office staff and social workers had been with the agency for many years. Somehttp://mymotherlandkorea.blogspot.com/2009/07/into-seoul.htmlnoreply@blogger.com (LL)4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1061309775722692814.post-5506429873026012728Thu, 09 Jul 2009 02:33:00 +00002009-07-09T06:48:53.369-05:00il sanspecial needsThis photograph was taken in the mid-1950s.Our first full day in Korea was spent at Il San. This allowed us to help with the time adjustment and to get to know our fellow travelers. I was still amazed that I was in Korea and with Korean adoptees. I found myself wanting to know about each adoptee and their bio-history. I wondered if they had the same life that I did. In addition, I didn't http://mymotherlandkorea.blogspot.com/2009/07/june-15-1988.htmlnoreply@blogger.com (LL)1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1061309775722692814.post-7915954096753532404Tue, 07 Jul 2009 21:28:00 +00002009-07-07T22:14:10.154-05:00adopteecostcoil sanIt might seem weird that I am posting a map to the Il San Costco. I wrote about Costco in my 1st post. I came across this when I was looking for images of Il San.June 14, 1988 Con't.Upon our arrival to Kimpo International Airport in Seoul, we were greeted by members of our agency. Not only was it overwhelming to be in Korea, but it was also quite rare to be with a group of individuals who http://mymotherlandkorea.blogspot.com/2009/07/il-san.htmlnoreply@blogger.com (LL)1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1061309775722692814.post-2809637868554930976Mon, 06 Jul 2009 00:57:00 +00002009-07-06T09:09:27.436-05:00adopteeSeoulFor me, 1988 was a significant year. It was probably one of the most purposeful of my early adult life. 1988 was the year that I graduated from high school, the year that I went to college and the year that I returned to my motherland since I left almost 18 years earlier. I had no idea how meaningful and poignant this trip to Korea would be. In June of 1988, I had the fortunate opportunity to http://mymotherlandkorea.blogspot.com/2009/07/1988-and-38th-parallel.htmlnoreply@blogger.com (LL)0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1061309775722692814.post-8944455702021925469Sun, 05 Jul 2009 11:51:00 +00002009-07-05T06:53:04.559-05:0068zhfvdx52http://mymotherlandkorea.blogspot.com/2009/07/68zhfvdx52.htmlnoreply@blogger.com (LL)0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1061309775722692814.post-7847477811378154071Fri, 03 Jul 2009 02:04:00 +00002009-07-05T13:16:34.174-05:00foodkorean cultureA large part of any culture is food and this is one of my FAVORITE topics. I see Korean food through a very specific lens. My perspective is one of an American who happens to be of Korean descent and has a limited experience with Korean cuisine. However, I have eaten Korean food many, many times both in the U.S. and in Korea. That said, I will attempt to describe what Korean food is for me http://mymotherlandkorea.blogspot.com/2009/07/beginning-to-demystify-korean-food.htmlnoreply@blogger.com (LL)4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1061309775722692814.post-1383085045717850263Thu, 02 Jul 2009 03:50:00 +00002009-07-05T18:40:38.625-05:00costcokorean cultureAs I begin this blog to reconcile my Korean heritage with my American culture, I came up with some ideas of how to bridge the two. After sifting through a few ideas on paper, I glanced to the right of my legal pad and saw my Costco coupons. After realizing that I only had another day or two to use my coupons, it hit me. Costco in Korea. This is the epiphany. It isn't any deep, meaningful, http://mymotherlandkorea.blogspot.com/2009/07/to-begin-costco.htmlnoreply@blogger.com (LL)0