Korean Sizes

Things in Korea are smaller than in America. Starting with the cars, all the way down to the kitchen counters which aren't even to my waist.

Here is an lovely example we found for your enjoyment:

It's about 2 feet shorter than me! hehe.

Forever 21 in Seoul

We visited the Myung-dong Forever 21 in Seoul for a little taste of home. This is what we got along with our "made in China" clothing...

(For those of you unsure of what they're doing, the staff/employees of Forever 21 are bowing and thanking the customers coming in and out for shopping there.)

JUMP!

For our long weekend, during Buddha's birthday, we decided to go to Seoul!

We stayed at Windflower Guesthouse by Hyae-hwa... and it was ok. We did wait a bit too long to book it, so all the "nice" hostels were already taken. I don't think I'd recommend Windflower for a long stay. Even three nights was too long. The set-up of the rooms is pretty bad... we had to walk through a "mixed" room where 4 people were sleeping, to get to our "private 4 person" room. They hated it. We didn't exactly like it either.

ANYWAY~ besides the sleeping arrangements, our time was pretty fantastic! We went to Everland on Friday (which was the craziest idea we've had in a while), and then went shopping on Saturday and watched JUMP!

It's a comedic martial arts performance. Basically, the best slap-stick humor you'd ever see! ^^ Afterwards, we bought this poster and lined up for their autographs. Assa! hehe

The show is about this martial arts family, and the boy the grandfather brings home to marry the granddaughter.

...And the drunk uncle. hehe. I don't know how he managed to act like that! It was incredible!

--More pictures on Everland coming soon--

Family Holidays

Today is "Children's Day" and this Saturday is "Parent's Day" here in Korea.

They really celebrate family here because the kids treat Children's Day like Christmas! They get all these gifts from their parents and grandparents, and their parents spend the whole day with them! (Which is rare in Korea, especially for fathers.) The families go to amusement parks, movies, and zoos to play. The day before Children's Day, public schools have a Sports day (similar to the American "Field Day") with races and small, fun competitions. The parents come and watch and cheer their child on.

I just recently learned how "Children's Day" started in Korea. Apparently a man named Bang Jeong-hwan, who wrote childrens' books, wrote "An Open Letter to Adults." In the letter he asked adults to "speak to children with respect, and speak softly." One translation of Bang Jeong-hwan's letter says:

"Children are the future of our nation. Let's show respect for children. Children who grow up with ridicule and contempt from others will become people who disrespect others, while children who grow up with respect from others will become people who respect others in turn."

I think Korea, more than most nations, realizes the value of their children. The mothers especially help their children in whatever way they can. They would probably even walk over glass!

I'm glad the kids have a day to relax with their family and just play like kids are supposed to... even if it's only one day. Sometimes I think the value that's placed on the kids can be too much pressure, since they're expected to succeed in all they do.

I think being a kid in Korea is hard, so this one day is like a breath of fresh air!