Tuesday in Korea

Tuesday was the busiest day we have had! The sleep we got on Monday night helped us feel like we were ready to go out and do some things! We hung around the Co-Op Residence until 11:30 and then had lunch at TGI Fridays right down the road. We split something, as did most of the people there. It was fun to see how the menu was different and I had some delicious lemonade.

Then we headed off to start out shopping adventure. We started under the subway at our stop - Gangnam. We found some fun little things down there and got the shopping bug. We figured out where Kyobo Bookstore was and started walking there. We loved the street we walked down to get there - lots of fun little stores and signs. I loved the bookstore, of course! I got some coffee table books with gorgeous pictures and some Poong-Poongie DVDs. For the uninitiated, Poong-Poongie is a Korean kid's TV character - his name roughly translates to the King of Farts. The show is actually kind of like Sesame Street.

As we walked back, we stopped and got a strawberry smoothie - it was the best thing ever! I have at least mastered hello and thank-you in Korean. From there we can usually communicate what we want.

It was funny to walk past another Caucasian and think, "Oh! That person looks like me!" We have gotten so used to Asian faces! We talked to a man waiting to get on the subway last night who asked if we were sisters. We said yes and he said he could tell because we looked alike. We laughed and he said something about all Caucasians looking alike to him like all Asians must look alike to us.

After the bookstore, we went to a bank near SWS to exchange some money. We were treated so graciously and it was a lot more formal than our banks.

Then is was time to go visit Kristen again. As we entered SWS to go up the elevator, it was just closing and we saw Kristen and her care-givers. They waved to us, stopped the elevator and let us on. Then there were too many people and it wouldn't go up! So, one of them got out. We went in and had our visit in the room I have seen in so many pictures with the yellow couches, bears, and a crib. The best thing we did on this visit was roll a ball back and forth - this let us make eye contact and interact a little. Then she colored for a while. She talked a lot more today, which was good. Her caregivers brought a whole bag of snacks for her and she got to pick one to share with us. They were really good chocolate cookies. After the snack it was time for her to go. She didn't want to leave as she was busy with the toys. Her caregivers and the SW told her to hug and kiss us and she did. So sweet! We did get pictures with her on my lap! That was fun. We will pick her up for good Wednesday at 2:00. I am so nervous, but so excited. We are planning to take a cab back to where we are staying because we have all her things and are anticipating that she may be crying.

We took the subway back to the Co-Op after the visit and then went off to find Namdaenum Market. That was definitely an awesome place! Stall after stall of different merchandise, food carts, little restaurants. It got dark while we were there, and was all lit up. We found most of the things I needed to get and had fun buying them from the different people.

After shopping we were so hungry! We went back to our subway stop and tried an Italian place we had passed that afternoon. Hannah and I both got a baked spaghetti and we got a pop for $7.00. It tasted so good.

We are planning to try some Korean food tonight when we have Kristen. When in the US, I get a headache everytime I eat it, so I have kind of been avoiding it. But, I want to try it at least once here. We are going to try to find someplace that has pictures of the food - for us and for Kristen!

We will leave for the airport in about 24 hours. This has been such a fast trip! I wish we had a few more days to explore. I can't wait to bring the whole family back here.

I will leave you with my favorite picture from yesterday.