Lunar New Year 설날

Happy New Year!  You may think I'm a little late in celebrating, but in Korea today is New Years Day.  For Asian countries including Korea, the new year starts on the second new moon after winter solstice.  The holiday lasts three days and is generally considered the most important of the Korean holidays.

The lunar new year or "Seollal" as it is called in Korea, is a family holiday.  Most Koreans go to their hometowns and celebrate with their parents and other relatives.  They eat and play traditional games.  A common food to eat is a rice-cake soup called Tteokguk 떡국.

On Seollal, Koreans often dress up in colorful traditional clothing called hanbok.  Meet Yuna Hong.  She is wearing her new years hanbok.

Her sister, Jenna and friend Yeji are doing the same.

On Seollal, children dress in hanboks and wish their elders happy new year with a deep bow.  They also say 새해 복 많이 받으세요, which translates to "wish you a blessed new year".  Parents typically reward this gesture by giving them money.

According to the Korean calendar, January 23rd, 2012 ushers in the year of the Dragon.  We just left the year of the Rabbit.  Asian cultures believe that the Dragon is a symbol of good fortune, power, and strength.  For the upcoming year, one may expect excitement, happiness, and success.  It is also a favorable year for establishing a family - the birth of healthy and smart children.  Fireworks can be expected when it comes to love and romance.

Sounds like a happy new year to me!

새해 복 많이 받으세요!


For more on Seollal look here: http://blog.korea.net/?p=6883
For more on the Dragon look here: http://blog.korea.net/?p=6629

Automatic Email Updates!

For those of you that have been wanting email updates whenever the blog is updated, I have a solution!  I thought previously that just being a google "follower" is all you needed to do, but I was wrong - sorry, I'm still learning about this whole blogging thing.  I've added a widget at the bottom right of the page where you can sign yourself up for email updates.  Just type in your email and click "Submit".

FYI, I found a good explanation for the current holdup of EPs.  Read about it here: http://mpakusa.blogspot.com/2012/01/everyone-is-waiting-for-exit-permits-to.html

The waiting is the hardest part

I think thats a song...  Anyways, we were told that by our social worker during our home study visits.  Now that we've finished all the paperwork, had all the fingerprints, medical tests, adoption classes, paid the bill, jumped through all the hoops, we are just waiting.  Waiting, waiting, waiting.  The process is now totally out of our hands and there is nothing we can do to speed things up.  The frustrating thing is that it doesn't feel like we are getting any closer to getting our son.  Because of delay after delay in the process we  are always being told it will now be later than we were told the last time.  We were told 4-6 months back in July.  Now in January it's still looking like 4-6 months.  My last entry about the new year bringing some movement to the process, about emigration permits being submitted to families again after a long wait, hasn't come to pass.  Still there is no movement.  We don't know why.  We don't know when things will start moving again.  We just wait...

On a brighter note, we got our monthly medical report from Korea today.  Sam is not only walking now, but he can walk backwards!  He can kick and throw a ball, scribble, and take off his socks.  He can imitate some behavior, point at things he wants, and can drink from a cup with help.

Happy New Year!

2012 is here and I can't help but think about how different it is going to be!  Tonight after work Kristi and I went out to eat together, then went to Safeway to pick up some groceries for the week, and now we're home with free time to do whatever.  I'm on the computer writing this and Kristi is probably reading or playing solitaire on the iPad.  Its quiet...  Just the muffled sound of the washing machine in the other room and the heat kicking on and off.  Tomorrow is likely to be similar.  But in a few short months, it all ends...  Samuel will be here!  (cue dramatic music) duh, duh, duuhhh!

Today is actually an exciting day for many families waiting to adopt from Korea.  For the last few months, families with child referrals since about March (including us) have been in a waiting pattern.  The Korean government issued the last of their emigration permits (EPs) in October.  They will begin issuing them again starting as early as today!  We won't be in the initial bunch, but finally the process will start moving again.  Its hard to know when they will get to us.  If they issue permits quickly like most are anticipating then they may get to us in February or March.  Roughly 2 months after the EP is submitted (April or May), we'll be on our way to Korea.  Of course things could go slower and push us into summer, but we are going to stay positive here!

I'm going to be keeping an eye on the Holt forum this week www.holtinternational.org/forums.  It is a good place to check on the status of other families.  I anticipate that many that have been waiting longer than us are going to get some good news this week.  Many other families have posted blogs too, and its kind of fun to check them out and see what their journey has been like.

Oh, one more thing.  We had one small milestone in December that I've added to the timeline.  The State Department's National Visa Center received and forwarded on our I-600 to the US embassy in Korea.  This means that once the emigration permit is obtained, the Visa process can start.  Maybe if they just accepted American Express this whole thing would go faster!  Ha ha, I'm funny.

Happy 2012 everyone!

하나님은 좋아요

Christmas 크리스마스

Since Christianity is relatively new to Korea (roughly 30% of Koreans are Christian), Christmas is not as popular as it is in other parts of the world.  It definitely isn't celebrated with as much craziness as here in the states.  Christmas decorations and music don't start up until a week prior to Christmas.

Those that celebrate Christmas primarily do so as a religious holiday.  Services are held on Christmas eve and Christmas day.  Gifts are exchanged typically on Christmas eve but not the piles of presents we do here.  One present or money gift is customary.

Santa is popular, but he is called Grandpa Santa.  He wears either a red or blue suit and can be found giving out gifts at stores.  Koreans often celebrate Christmas day with a family meal at home, but just as often eat out.  A lot of Koreans eat out on Christmas with friends and then eat a big family meal at home on new years - kind of the opposite as here.

South Korea is the only East Asian country where Christmas is recognized as a national holiday.  Christmas in North Korea, by contrast, is not allowed.  Since you can go to jail for practicing Christianity or carrying a bible, any celebrating of Christmas must be done in secrecy.

Want to learn more about Christmas in Korea?  Go here:
http://www.whychristmas.com/cultures/south_korea.shtml
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Christmas_worldwide

Also, here is a cute video I found teaching about Korean holidays, including Christmas:

Merry Christmas everyone!

Gift from Dad

I was excited the other day to buy something for Sam.  I think this is the first thing I've gone out and bought for him.  Most everything we have for him so far has been given by family and friends.  This one is from me!  It is going to be a little big for him until next fall when football season starts!

I think based on his stats so far, he will be a strong stocky kid.  So I'm thinking running back.  Or he could be a receiver like who he is named after....  Sammie Stroughter of the Beavers!

Ryo Oki RIP

We lost a member of our family last Monday.  Ryo was 9 years old - which in rabbit years is about 90.  He lived a long and spoiled life for a rabbit.  Since Kristi and I haven't been able to have children of our own, the bunnies had basically become our kids.  Ryo will be missed greatly and I'm sorry Samuel will not get to meet him.  He is survived by his little brother Mr. Blanco Boo, who doesn't seem to be sad at all of his brother's passing.  He rules the roost now!  At least until Sam comes!

Ryo Oki

February 28, 2002 - December 12, 2011