Leaving Seoul

Here's to a happier ending!

Sorry I haven't posted the last 2 days. We've been getting in late (7:00 is late) and I was just too tired.

Tuesday evening there was a note on the door from Mrs. Lee saying that she had found us a guide for a tour following our 11am meeting and well-baby doctor's visit with Madeleine Joo Yun. It was so nice of her to go to what I'm sure was extra trouble...

Wednesday we had the well-baby visit , and met the foster mom and dad again. This time, we had a card expaining why we were late to our first meeting, the gifts, camcorder, etc. The FM gave us a beautiful hanbok for Madeleine (and we had bought them also for Susan and Audrey). She also had a photo album just filled with photos of Madeleine and the foster family!

Susan could tell that she was asking if we could go to lunch with them, but Mrs. Lee told them no, that we were going on a city tour. How sad. We enjoyed the tour lots (see below) but we really missed out on a special time there, I think.

Then we met Song, a 20-year old who begins university soon. He had made us reservations for lunch in the district near Gyeongbokgung palace, but Audrey was very sleepy and I had to carry her most of the way (my back!), so we missed the time. So he walked around until he found a restaurant that would take us... for a fixed menu Korean lunch. We each had a whole fish (Audrey wouldn't touch hers) and maybe 20 side dishes (various kimchis, fish, oysters, anchovies, seaweed, lotus flowers... on and on). It was wonderful!

We went onto the palace. This wasn't as exciting as it might have been, having seen Cheohndokgung the day before, so we went through rather quickly and onto the Korean Folk Museum. I would love to have had more time to look at everyyjing there--Korean history from around the birth of Christ to the present. Then onto Insadong, which was fun. We didn't see all of it, but ate an early diiner and went on home and to bed.

Yesterday, I wanted to get the last shopping done. We got an early start, and I intended to go to the Hyundai store in the basement of TechnoMart that Cheryl said was at Gangbyeon Station. It took an hour on the subway to get there, and we arrived about 9:45 to what was basically a mall. Most stores didn't open until 10, so we looked around for a while. Actually, the store in the basement was not a Hyndai store at all, but a Lotte Mart, so something must have changed. It was as Cheryl described, though, similar to a US Wal-Mart. Found some bottle nipples for Andie and bought lots of cookies/snacks to take home for gifts for nieces and nephews...

I don't regret going, because this was our only trip out of the city center, and we saw some scenery (the icy Han river, mountains) that we would have otherwise missed, since our planes arrived and are leaving after dark.

Then onto City Hall station, and we walked to the Kyobo building and bookstore. Wow! We found some large storybooks in Hangul and English, on a table near the primary school English readers (Grade 1, 2, etc.)

Then we walked toward Namdaemun, and stopped at a likely Korean restaurant. Susan got some noodles that she saw someone else eating, but I stuck with the dolsot bibimbap, having exhausted my adventurous spirit and wanting something that I knew I liked. Still, the waitress really wanted to help me stir it all up (I prefer mine not stirred so much). And only 8000 won for 2 meals.

Then onto Namdaemun where we finally found the name chops (see other thread) and ended up making ourselves 5 minutes late to pick up Madeleine. Who knows when we'll be back, so we had to get them now!

Back to Hapjeong, where Susan went ahead and I stopped by the florist. When we got to Holt, there was a radio crew there doing a story. They had alsready done one on domestic adoptions and were doing one on international adoption. They were interviewing the FM and took her photo with Madeleine. We also agreed to answer a couple of questions, and they recorded our voices and Mrs. Lee's translation.

Finally we were ready to receive Madeleine. Mrs Lee said a prayer in Korean. Susan wanted to videotape it, but I didn't feel right doing so. I don' know what she said, but the prayer went on a long time, and that's when the emotion of it all really got to me. It is obvious how much love and care everyone involved puts into giving these children a chance for a family!

The whole foster family were crying, even though fd was trying to stay in the shadows... The fm gave Audrey a knitted hat and scarf (purchased) and a hat for Madeleine (that she made herself). She even gave Audrey a sack full of cookies and snacks. It was a very emotional time, and one that we will mostly have to remember without video or pictures, because it happened so quickly.

Last night went better than I expected. Madeleine cried quite a bit for a while. It is obvious that she missed her fm. But then she had some happy time, and she slept in the bed with Susan and me. She got one bottle sometime in the middle of the night, and woke up around 5 am. We gave her another bottle and she slept with Susan until 9:00! I know we are in for some tough adjustment, but I am so happy to have slept when I had been prepared not to, and to have had some good bonding time with Madeleine!

It is now 12:40, and our van leaves for the airport at 3:00, so this may be my last post. I wanted to send some photos, but may not have a chance. So I'll post again from home! Goodbye Korea!