Seoul to Soul
So it's official. . .I've got my ticket and I'm headed to South Korea with my Sister. Unless the Korean conflicts don't escalate, we'll celebrate her "29th" birthday with Kimchee and many dishes you or I have probably never heard of. If all else fails, we'll stick with dishes we know our Mother made us. I mean how many of us don't like Bulgolgi? I hear they serve dog near the country side, but my only concern is if I try it and like it! I mean I'm living in Mississippi for crying out loud-- if it's not deep fried or covered in fat back, it's not fit for eatin', folks! Fried dog might be good?!
What made me decide to make such a trip? A combination of many things: Joy Luck Club (though a movie about Chinese women, still makes me bawl 5 minutes into the opening sequence), my friend Ko-Huan (who recently visited Korea), tax refund check, Air Force friends near Seoul, a wonderful husband willing to sacrifice for me (we could have bought another dirtbike with my airfare cost, alone!), and a longing to see my roots and feel closer to my Mother.
Somehow that last one makes more of a difference now than it ever did. After the birth of Milla, I need her more than ever. I need her to tell me what to do or what not to do. I'm missing some part of me that I'm suppose to channel these ideas and thoughts from. All I'm left with are remnants of phrases and memories of how she lived. I'm supposed to take those and use them or change them to make me a better mom and wife. She had so many secrets and so many cultural practices that exhaust me! I feel guilty for being the spoiled and selfish daughter I was and I feel guilty for being the spoiled and selfish mother I tend to be.
Will this trip change me? Who knows, but I'm excited to think about leaving the USA for the first time and stepping off of the airplane in a foreign country-- one with a completely different language, alphabet and culture. I'm glad I've got Jean to go with me. We'll get lost together, eat together and cry together! YaY! Seoul Sista's!!
Well, I've got lots to do to prepare for this Korea Expedition:
1) figure out how to say a few common phrases (thank you Pimsleur Korean and Lonely Planet)
2) determine where and how we are going to meet relatives and friends
3) buy gifts for relatives I've never met
4) come up with an itinerary that doesn't get us killed or hopelessly lost
5) lots of other stuff that comes up. . ..
Any suggestions? I'm all for it!
What made me decide to make such a trip? A combination of many things: Joy Luck Club (though a movie about Chinese women, still makes me bawl 5 minutes into the opening sequence), my friend Ko-Huan (who recently visited Korea), tax refund check, Air Force friends near Seoul, a wonderful husband willing to sacrifice for me (we could have bought another dirtbike with my airfare cost, alone!), and a longing to see my roots and feel closer to my Mother.
Somehow that last one makes more of a difference now than it ever did. After the birth of Milla, I need her more than ever. I need her to tell me what to do or what not to do. I'm missing some part of me that I'm suppose to channel these ideas and thoughts from. All I'm left with are remnants of phrases and memories of how she lived. I'm supposed to take those and use them or change them to make me a better mom and wife. She had so many secrets and so many cultural practices that exhaust me! I feel guilty for being the spoiled and selfish daughter I was and I feel guilty for being the spoiled and selfish mother I tend to be.
Will this trip change me? Who knows, but I'm excited to think about leaving the USA for the first time and stepping off of the airplane in a foreign country-- one with a completely different language, alphabet and culture. I'm glad I've got Jean to go with me. We'll get lost together, eat together and cry together! YaY! Seoul Sista's!!
Well, I've got lots to do to prepare for this Korea Expedition:
1) figure out how to say a few common phrases (thank you Pimsleur Korean and Lonely Planet)
2) determine where and how we are going to meet relatives and friends
3) buy gifts for relatives I've never met
4) come up with an itinerary that doesn't get us killed or hopelessly lost
5) lots of other stuff that comes up. . ..
Any suggestions? I'm all for it!
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