Tuesday, August 30, 2016

Seoul Searching

I made it to Korea!

The flight from LAX to Incheon was smooth, aside from the elderly Korean woman next to me elbowing me a couple dozen times. Apparently elderly people in Korea can get away with pushing, shoving, etc. so I guess it was just preparation, ha! Otherwise, I slept and streamed an Ed Sheeran concert and a couple of movies.

Korean Air out of LAX

Korean Air blanket, headphones, slippers, toothbrush, toothpaste & water

Airplane bibimbap, bleh

Day One was really just the flight in and then meeting up with several of the G.O.A.'L. volunteers and other Korean adoptees on the First Trip Home. After checking into BOA Travel House, our Korean home away from home in the homeland (got that?), several of us went out for the real deal Korean BBQ.

K-BBQ, beer & soju

Day Two started early with jogging along a stream that feeds into the Han River with a group of 7 of us, me being the most out of shape of all of them, but hey, at least I tried! 

After grabbing some pretty good coffee at one of approximately 1,000,000 coffee shops in Seoul, we gathered as a full group of First Trip Home adoptees and staff where we had an overview of the trip, a basic Korean lesson by one of the women behind the Talk to me in Korean YouTube Channel. We all received the book Hangeul Master - Learn How to Read and Write in Korean. Apparently, it's the book that Conan O'Brien used on his trip to South Korea. Well, if it's good enough for Conan...

After a group lunch, we had an overview of a company that conducts DNA testing followed by a cheek swab and hair pulling sample. This is to ensure if there is a birth parent match, it is a solid one. Already two of the nineteen people are having birth parent reunions. We'll learn more about our individual birth family searches tomorrow. 

Had time to do a bit of shopping and seeing the area we're near. 

Korean won - I feel rich

Down a shopping alley

I've never been in beauty shops that feature all Asian women

Couldn't resist taking a photo of this one after 14 years of living in the South...a Korean Waffle House!

Off to group dinner. More to come!

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