Late posting...

Hi All,

I apologize for the late posting, but this week has been very busy! A few highlights from last week: cooking class! We made bulgolgi (marinated meat) and mandu (dumplings). It was yummy and fun. Highlights from this week is the fact we finished language classes yesterday! Woo hoo! Although we took a three hour final- ick. I studied lots when I got back from Seoul and our teacher told us that we did pretty well on the final. We have our "graduation" from class tomorrow!

The main highlight from last week was the fact that I went to Seoul on Friday night. Be warned, this is lengthy!

I left on Friday evening with Amber to meet up with Amelia and Ray (who was already in Seoul). This past week was the IKAA (International Korean Adoptee Association) 2007 Gathering. They host gatherings every three years, in Seoul, and I think this was either the third or second time it happened. It's a pretty big deal and I guess the last time they had it there was a lot of media and press coverage. I heard there was supposed to be a lot this year, but the main thing in the news here are the hostages in Afghanistan. There weren't any workshops happening this weekend- the plan was just to head to Seoul to meet people and hang out- which happened, so it was a pretty cool weekend. There were over 500 people from Europe and the US for the gathering.

Friday night we went to dinner and then out to a bar where we hung out and got to meet some people. It was hard to get to know people right off the bat because everyone already knows one another, but it was still pretty chill.

Saturday we slept in a little- had lunch and then went to two shopping districts in Seoul. We didn't see much of Seoul, but we're heading back there this coming weekend or the next and I figure I'll have a whole year to go back and site see. There was a gala dinner for the conference and I was able to find a dress and shoes and attend the dinner- which was really nice. I'll post pictures soon. I wasn't going to go, but I figured I might as well since I didn't know if I'd be able to go to the next gathering. The dinner was really nice- at one of the nicest hotels in Seoul (the Shilla). Good food salad, steak, soup, and a mouse desert. They also had a few performances which were really neat- a drumming thing, traditional instruments and a modern bboy group (beat boxing and break dancing). After that we went back to the hotel- changed and went out for the night. Went to a bar with a whole bunch of people and then out to a club. We didn't get back to the hotel until the morning and we slept most of Sunday! I've never stayed out so late, but it was a lot of fun.

Amber and I ended up staying with Ray and one of his friends at the hotel. We got extra blankets and slept on the floor. It turned out to be the best since everyone with the conference was staying there. It turns out Ray's friend went to CU and graduated in 2004. It was fun to talk about Boulder. Then later on Saturday I sat next to someone at lunch who went to Dennison and we talked about Columbus- it was pretty neat. There were so many different types of people all with different and really interesting stories. Most of the participants were older than I (late twenties, 30s, etc.) but it was still a good time. Actually on Sunday we met a woman (an adoptee) and her husband at lunch. She was 55- it was the first time I've met someone who was one of the first waves of adoptees in America- it was pretty neat.

A lot of people had done birth searches, were in the process of it, or recently did them- and of course, like everything else, people had many different situations (some good, some not so good). Amelia met her biological brother on Sunday and so far her experience was positive. They met with a social worker who translated and then he took her out afterwards. He lives in Pusan which is about an hour away from Daegu- so he plans on seeing her and keeping in touch.

Next week orientation ends. We head to Seoul for Yonsei Day. This is when we meet our principal, vice principal, and maybe co-teacher too. They will take us to our placements and our home stays. Please pray for safety and a good school and home stay!

Thanks everyone!

-Jenna