Today we were on our own. So we caught up on sleep, had a quick breakfast, called our parents and went shopping.
Korea lives up to their moniker of being “The Land of the Morning Calm” so there wasn’t a point to getting out of bed too early. Even the coffee shops don’t open before 9:00 am. I did wake up at about 7:30 and wrote in Alex’s journal. We are keeping a little journal of the trip for Alex. I have been recording the different things we have been doing, our feelings and emotions and reporting on the steps we have taken to get here.
Our shopping trip was dedicated to the quest of momentoes for Alex’s rememebrance box. We also found a Hanbok (a traditional Korea outfit) for our little neighbor who was also adopted from Korea. We also bought a few momentoes for ourselves. However, the main momento for us is this wild haired, 18 pound little boy.
Last night we had dinner with another couple who are also here adopting. His birthday is a day after Alex’s. It was nice to share stories of where we have been and where we are going. We ventured off the main drag into a back ally off a back ally to eat in a traditional Korean restaurant. The food was very good and there was a lot of it. It was a good mixture of spicy, vegetables and meat dishes.
All of the couples we have met are very supportive. It is nice to be at this point of the journey with so many other people who are on the same path. The staff at the agency have all been very nice, pleasant and supportive. In general, Koreans are very friendly and helpful. Michelle and I were on the subway today talking. An elderly gentleman was standing close. About halfway through the trip he interrupted us. He wanted to practice his English. He was very inquisitive on where we were from, what we were doing in Korea and what we like about Korea so far. He was very pleasant to talk to and his English was very good.
Tonight we are going to lay low. Michelle is actually resting right now. We had a big lunch so we may not venture out of the hotel tonight.
Tomorrow (Thursday) we will be meeting Alex again. We will get a chance to play with him so that we can begin to bond as a family. We then will have a little ceremony were Dr. Kim will say a prayer, we will have the opportunity to thank the foster mother and we will be off to spend the night together as a family of three. We are scheduled to live Korea on Friday at 12:00 PM Seoul time. We will be sitting with another couple from Chicago who are also adopting. It should be a very interesting flight back.
We will write more tomorrow and have picture if time permits.
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So we are all getting settled back in Wisconsin. Alex is doing all the things a little boy should be doing. He is pretty much attached to Michelle’s hip. But at least he is no longer sleeping directly on her. He is adjusting to the time change and is now falling into a deep sleep. He is playing and has had his first bath. He is smiling at all the good things and is playing peak-a-boo. He is a smart little guy. I have uploaded the photos from the trip at the following link.
