Bless My Seoul

Kris here -Jeff has been doing our blogs for the last few times. I have found that there is so much to experience and think about that it is hard to synthesize in a few paragraphs. I am not know for brevity. However, in my beloved bullet point format, here are a few of the cool things about being in Seoul:

• Last night we went back to a restaurant that we had been at for lunch the day before. The owner had been so gracious and friendly (bringing us tea and a parting gift), the food was good, they serve Pepsi WITH ICE, and we were with another couple so we went with the sure thing. The owner recognized me right away but was a bit confused that I was with another man (I didn't know Jeff was a ways behind me!). He seated us and brought water and menus which we began to peruse. About 4 minutes later he came and grabbed the menus and said soemthing which I thought was, "I need these for another table" (you ususally only get one menu), but then realized he was moving us to a better table. He was just waiting for someone else to leave! We had a great meal (lots of beef because the other choice is unidentified seafood) which was made even more entertaining by the couple next to us who isisted on trying to teach me to how to use my chopsticks! They laughed at my efforts until the woman finally handed me a spoon full of rice. Apparently they thought I might starve.
  
• Today we met Dr. Kim -the founder of Eastern Social Welfare Services (where we are). Jeff has just informed me that he is writing about that.
• After meeting with Dr. Kim we got to have lunch with him, another adoptive family and "the shopping moms" (two women from Maryland who buy stuff to sell at a Children's Home Society fundraiser on the east coast). We were in the dining hall where the agency staff and birth moms also eat. That was my favortie Korean meal so far. By the way, if Jeff hasn't mentioned it, he is in culinary heaven here. He has liked everything he has eaten from the gimchee to the bibimbap to the lotus root. But, his favorite by far is the French chain restaurant, Paris Baguette, where we have breakfast every morning. We have sucked in another couple who have joined us twice. Today I think we had no fewer than 12 items to sample. Here's to you Mr. When in Rome...
  
• We also saw the baby room. That is where the babies go until they are placed in foster homes or placed for adoption. Ammi was there from March until May. There were probably 30 babies in various stages of life and alertness. Most were sleeping under pink blankets (girls and boys); one could just see tufts of black hair sticking out. Babies, all waiting for families to take them home. Anybody interested? I don't think they will let us just grab another, but we can refer you to the proper authorities.
  

Speaking of Ammi, we finally get to see her again in about 1/2 hour. So, we are dressed up. Koreans are very formal, at least in a work setting so we were "suit and tie/dress and hose" kids to meet Dr. Kim and have lunch. We also are supposed to stay this way when we see the baby. Perhaps they think she will like us better if we look good. I am not going to let her see the run in my pantyhose and I plan to do a better job of making sure my dress stays down as we play with her on the floor. There are some pretty risque photos from Tuesday's meeting.

This whole experience is still a little surreal to me. I realize even using the word "meeting" to talk about being with our daughter identifies that feeling. But, she will go home for one more night with her foster family and so it still feels a little like someone else's baby. BUT tomorrow is Gotcha Day! We're gonna get her and she will be ours forever. If she sleeps the whole way home, bless her, she is ours. Is she screams her fuzzy head off the whole way home, bless her, she is ours. If she has a diaper blowout, bless her, (but lets hope it leaks on Jeff and not me) she is ours.

So, we will see y'all tomorrow, with our daughter, and Petra's sister, and GG, Lolis and Grandpa Jerry's granddaughter, and Dodo's great-grandaughter, and Julie, George, Laura and Lee's niece, and Sam, Eli, Ella and Davie's cousin, etc. etc. For if she is ours, she is yours too.

Love, Kris