Kimchi Mamas

What to do?

I have a decision to make and I need your help. Because of circumstances beyond my control, I may need/want to drive down to LA with my two boys (2 and almost five) from the Bay Area. It's just for the weekend but I'd be going down by myself sans the hubby. I'd be driving by myself and then taking care of the kids all weekend mostly by myself. BY MYSELF. (As Aiden the two year old would say, "I DO IT! I DO MOMMY!")

It will be at least six hours. Probably driving down on Friday and coming back up on Sunday. (Not in the immediate future, in October.)

Challenging Allegiant Air

Being a sucker for getting the best deal and finding the cheapest way to do something, I was happy when I was given the brilliant tip of flying into Bellingham, Washington and driving into Canada instead of flying directly into Vancouver. I had to get myself up there for a wedding and it didn't really matter to me how I got there, by land or plane or sea. Flying into Bellingham instead of Vancouver saved me about 300 dollars. International air travel sucks.

Anyway, I was also told about this airline called Allegient that supposedly had the cheapest rates from Oakland to Bellingham. I did my research and lo and behold they do. I book it and I had a decent flight with no beverages or snacks (not even juice or peanuts!) on my way there. However, the way back was a different story. I was late for my flight. Border crossings, I learned, were somewhat unpredictable. I know, I know, I should have left at the crack of dawn for my 9:15 AM flight but I didn't. I was at the check-in counter at a little before 9:00 and needless to say, it was too late. I was TOO LATE.

Korean Camping

I have been camping a lot this summer, and I started wondering how different cultures approach camping.  Personally, when our family camps, we do car camping.  Our favorite campsite had flush toilets, hot showers, playground, basketball court, and even fully furnished cabins for folks who don't really want to camp at all.  We pitch a tent that is big enough to stand up in straight (OK, we're not real tall, but still) and room to walk around all the air mattresses.  Heck, it even has cloth "walls" that we can button in place to divide the space into 3 "rooms."

A coworker told me about taking his Russian-born wife camping for the first time, and how she laughed when arriving at the car-camping site.  To her, camping meant a sleeping roll and a shotgun, period.  Of course, there are more rugged Americans too, who camp out under the stars, and cook their food over open fires, not propane fold-up stoves.

When I lived as an exchange student in Seoul for a year, the closest I came to camping was a day trip to Soraksan.  My friends packed daypacks with a one-burner stove and extra fuel.  They also packed whole carrots, onions, and potatoes.  I was a little puzzled by all the gear, as I expected we would just bring sandwiches.

We got up and boarded the bus at 5:00am.  It was several hours to get to Soraksan, and then we hiked around the whole day, stopping to take pictures.  There must have been places to buy lunch, but we bypassed all of them.  Instead, my friends found a nice spot in the shade, with a dry patch of dirt big enough for us all to sit around.  They opened up all the bags we had been carrying, and they proceeded to prepare Curry-Rice right there on the spot!  Never having camped as a child, I was amazed at the process.  Nothing was pre-chopped.  They peeled the potatoes, chopped the carrot, diced the onion right there in the wilderness (next to the sidewalk, anyway).  They opened the curry mix, added water, and in a short while, our hot tasty lunch was ready.  I can't remember if we had bowls, or just picked out of the pot with our chopsticks, but it was very tasty.   They wrapped up all the waste, in efficient Korean woman style, packed up the gear, and we were off again.  This was one of my favorite days in Korea.

Nowadays, our family's car camping expeditions have nothing Korean about them, unless I packed some gim as a snack.  I am the only one who eats kimchi, and while I suppose I could bring kalbi along, beef stew in my thermal cooker just seems easier.

Does your family camp? If so, are there any things you do, or bring along that are uniquely Korean?  Have any of you ever camped in Korea?  Just wondering...

Summer Camp in the Motherland

My in-laws live in Seoul and visit us about once a year. Our relationship is fraught and complicated, but (hopefully) improving with time. Regardless, they love our two sons and I know they try their best to be good to us.

When my first son was three months old and I was returning to school to finish my last quarter of undergrad, my mother-in-law pretty much offered to take him to Korea with her for the next three months. She was worried I wouldn't be able to handle a baby and school. I, on the other hand, was so appalled at the very suggestion of living an ocean apart from my infant for three months that, in my shock, I blurted out rudely, "I would never do that!"

Fast forward a few years and now we have two sons who are four and nearly two. Every visit, my in-laws drop hints that in a few years they expect us to send the kids to Korea for the summer to stay with them. I know that, as much as they want to spend time with the children, they also think of this as a generous way of giving us a much-needed break. But, much as my reaction to my mother-in-law's initial offer so ungraciously showed, I still have a hard time wrapping my head around the idea. As much as I think that spending a summer (or summers) in Korea would be a wonderful experience for my kids, I still can't imagine sending them anywhere without me. I can barely leave them overnight at my parents' house when Yubo and I manage to plan a night away for necessary romantic purposes. And not just because I miss them, but because they seem insecure and overly irritable for days afterward.

Is this just me being overprotective and overly attached? Perhaps. But, to be honest, I'm comfortable with that. Even if the idea of a whole summer without the kids is mildly tempting (freedom!), I'd still much rather spend that time with them than without them. And as someone who tries to practice attachment parenting, I have a hard time believing that young children benefit from being away from their parents for extended periods of time. I know that there are plenty of Korean American kids (including some of my friends growing up) who spent summers with relatives in Korea and they turned out fine blah blah blah, but I'm still not sold on the idea.

Greetings from Cheju-Do!

My family took a wonderful cruise vacation this month in Asia, starting out in Tianjin, China, with excursions to Cheju Island, Korea and Kagoshima, Japan.  The highlight of the cruise was viewing the total solar eclipse near Iwo Jima on July 22.  We ended our trip in Kobe, Japan and spend two days in Osaka before flying home.  It was a wonderful trip, and one of the highlights for me was our trip to Cheju-do.  I have been to Korea twice before to visit relatives in Seoul, Inchon, and Tongduchon, but had only heard about Cheju-do from my mom and family members.

We arrived in Cheju (or Jeju) at 8:00 am on July 19, to cloudy skies. We had booked an excursion with the ship we were on, trying to cram in as many sights as possible into an 8-hour stop.  At the pier, we were met by Korean drummers in colorful costumes, welcoming us to the island.  Aside from the eclipse, this excursion was the thing that I was most looking forward to on the trip.  My mother had told me many times about Cheju-do, and how Koreans go to this romantic island getaway as a "honeymoon paradise."  Of course, while we were there, I had to call her to rub it in that I was here and she was not.  I'm nice like that.

 

Kid-Friendly Jeju Island

Jeju Island is the honeymoon capital of Korea and therefore "kid-friendly" doesn't immediately come to mind, but my family and I recently had the opportunity to spend a few days there while my dad (who was turning 60) and his extended family golfed the days away.  So the four of us (including our 5-year-old and 2-year-old), along with my sister and cousin, were given a guide and a tourbus, free to roam the island as we wished.  We knew taking the kids to the typical folk villages and temples would result in mutiny, so we asked our guide to take us to kid-friendly destinations.  We ended up having a fantastic time, and there is definitely more than enough to experience for me to wholeheartedly recommend Jeju Island as a family vacation spot.  Here is a summary of where we went:

Psyche World
Our first stop in Jeju was a butterfly and insect museum, and it turned out to be a real treat for the kids.  The first wing we visited, Parody World, consisted of dozens of whimsical dioramas created from preserved insects, including scenes from famous movies and a self-explanatory rock band set-up simply titled, "The Beatles."  The best part, however, was Live World, where visitors can hold and take pictures with a variety of cute, fuzzy, and not-so-fuzzy animals.  The kids cuddled up with bunnies, hamsters, parakeets, cats, hedgehogs, and even a stag beetle.  As you can imagine, there were plenty of Kodak moments, and even the adults couldn't resist oohing and ahhing over all the cuteness thrust into their hands.  Apparently there's an actual butterfly house as well, but we missed it.  I'm sure that's even more magical.

Sebin White Sand Beach
This beach rivals any you can find in Hawaii.  The sand is so white and fluffy, the sea a milky jade green, and during low tide the water forms a natural kiddie pool, never exceeding 2 feet in depth, perfect for our little ones.  Our two-year-old, Emily, especially loved wading through the water and squealed with glee when tiny fish kissed her toes.  There was also horseback riding available, and the horse lady brought with her a young foal who ran around the beach like an excited puppy.

Goldenhill Herb Farm
This little farm and restaurant really reminded me of Berkeley with its laid-back naturalism.  Their specialty is a huge hamburger about a foot in diameter.  The bun is made in-house, an herb-laced sponge dough that reminded me of slightly-sweet focaccia, and stuffed with a Korean-style patty and lettuce, tomato, sweet pickle, onion, and even thinly-sliced apples, all doused in this herby goo that was absolutely delicious.  While they cook this masterpiece for you, you are treated to some fresh herb tea while the kids can wander the garden, fully visible from the windows.

Elephant Land
I have always wanted to ride an elephant, I never thought my wish would come true in Jeju of all places!  Since they're not indigenous to Korea, these Asian elephants and their mahouts were brought over from Laos.  My husband, who rode elephants in Thailand, warned me that I might not enjoy seeing these wonderful creatures being whipped into compliance, but I was happy to report back that these men at least did not use whips, but rather nudged behind the ear of the direction they wanted the elephant to go with their knees.  They also hold a few shows a day with the elephants and a variety of other animals.  During the ride, I also got to see "backstage" a bit and the elephants seemed relaxed and well cared-for, fooling around with water and snacking on dandelions.

Go-Kart Racing
There are Go-Kart tracks sprouting up all over the island, and the one we went to had no problem with our small kids going along for the ride, although they did request that the 2-year-old not drive her own car.  What a bunch of fuddy-duddies, right?  Gotta love Korean safety standards.  They did, however, provide helmets and a brief safety demonstration.  We decided to have the kids ride with a parent, and although both had a great time, something about the racing brought out the Steve McQueen in Emily.  She set her jaw tight the whole time, squinting at the track, speaking only to bark at me to go faster.  Who knew this little girl had such a need for speed?

Horse Riding
Jeju is famous for their breed of wild horses, some of which still roam free to this day.  However, there are many opportunities to go horseback riding on some very well-trained domesticated horses all around the island.  A word of warning, though: there is definitely a wide range of animal husbandry standards, and if you're at all concerned at how the horses are disciplined, make sure to ask around.  At the first place we went to, the horses cowered whenever they saw their trainer, and with good reason: once he got the pack into the woods, my husband reported that he whipped the horses quite heavily.  The second place we went to did no such thing, so hopefully this guy was an exception.

Pork Belly
Jeju is famous for its unique varieties of fish and shellfish as well as its tropical produce, but if you eat pork at all, the pork belly (sam gyup sal) is second-to-none!  Our guide took us to this unmarked building that looked like a house, and inside there was a Korean grandma and 3 tables with grills installed.  Right as we sat down, she presented us with the most gorgeous strips of pork belly I had ever seen, apparently from Berkshire (sometimes known as kurobuta or simply "black") pigs from the next town over.  She also had homemade kimchis, ssam jang, and home-grown lettuce to accompany the sizzling meat, and I seriously thought I was going to die from the yumminess of it all.  She even made some noodle soup for the kids, and showered them with kisses.

If you would like to see pictures, our Jeju vacation albums can be seen here and here.

Happy travels,
Julie

New York Times Features Korean Art & Culture in NY

Today's New York Times features an article about all things Korean in New York, from the Korean Art in the Metropolitan Museum to the row of Korean restaurants on West 32nd Street. 

I'm curious to know what our New York Kimchi Mamas and Papas think of this list.  Are these places you recommend to visitors?  Or do you know of other hidden gems?

I went to college in New York many (*cough* many *cough*) years ago, and back then I didn't know anything about the Korean community.   It's nice to see that it's getting some focus and attention by the Times.

--Glennia

U.S.-Korea Cultural Emissary: my (reluctant) job title

As the Nabi family officially starts countdown until our trip to Korea begins, I am finding myself straddling the two cultures, Korean and American (well, that's too broad, I guess - small town Wisconsin, suburban Minnesotan, and mishmash of Midwestern towns, mostly non-cosmopolitan) cultures, more often with wider stance that I had expected or, rather, I should be at this junction of my marriage and life.

Not to say that Papa Nabi is completely devoid of travel-experiences - he was in the navy for a couple of years but mostly on South American waters or European/Mediterranean waters and have visited Europe a few times in October for certain beer fest in a country called Germany - but we are clashing a bit on our ideas regarding preparations for this trip.

Just popping in

to say "hi!"

We are having a great time in Korea. Despite a somewhat rocky start (our flight to Chicago was delayed and we thought we'd miss our connecting flight), we made it (by a squeak - 10 minutes, and only because the flight to Korea was 20 minutes delayed) - but alas, our luggage did not fare as well. I was advised ahead of time to carry spare clothing in our carry-on, so we managed until our luggage was found three days later. Fresh clothes have never been so welcoming. My kids also both got sick on the long bus ride from the airport to the hotel. I feel like I've lost 5 pounds already, just by all the walking and sweating!! It's been cooler than expected but still hot, hot, hot and humid.

But once we arrived at the hotel, all was good. My friend Jane (also an adoptee who has been living in Korea for the past 2+ years) welcomed us at the airport and has been an amazing guide and it's been great to catch up as well. Her Korean language skills are amazing to me, and even though she feels far behind, I have been inspired by her to start taking language lessons seriously when I return. I know that the next time I come to Korea, I want to be able to speak more than "hello" and "thank you."

So far, we've done a bunch of real tourist-y things and I have been awed by how well my kids have traveled. We have visited Insa-dong, Namsam Park and took the cable car to Seoul Tower. We visited Lotte World (though not the rides) and visited the Folk Museum there, and watched the changing of the guards at Gyeongbokgung Palace. We went to Korybo bookstore and found Harry Potter (a requirement for my daughter) and also bought the first Harry Potter book in Korean for fun.My friend lives near Sinchon, so we've spent several evenings walking around that college neighborhood stufing ourselves on street food and buying cheap trinkets.

We took a road trip to Daegu to visit my orphanage. My kids sat on the steps where I was found as a one-year old baby. For my kids, that made my history all the more real. They are really quite the troopers. We went to the Heinsa temple and that was so beautiful and made me really appreciate the country that I was born in. My daughter, who is 13, said to me in the car on the way back to Seoul, "I'd live here, Mom" and I felt like I'd won the lottery.

My son, with his cute curly hair and sweet face, has been the delight of all the ajummas in Seoul. Every day, they pet him and force feed him raisins and mints and gum and candy and one even pulled him out of one subway car into the next one because there was an empty seat for him. Hmph. She didn't care one bit about the rest of us! That was one bold ajumma. She took off his baseball cap and wiped the sweat off his face with a tissue. My daughter has been feeling kind of jealous of all that attention. If I was worried about the stares and rude behavior, it's been the opposite. My husband and son are fawned over every time they open their mouths. Oh, they coo and aaah over their "kahmsamnida's" while my daughter and I are virtually ignored!! (We're still having a great time, though)!

Tonight we picked up a bunch of friends for dinner. The IKAA conference I'm attending and presenting at doesn't start until next Wed. but people are starting to trickle in and I've reconnected already with several long-time friends.

We have another few days before Mr. and the kids leave and the conference begins. I'll pop in again if I get the chance. I've been journaling like crazy, and hope to have some interesting things to write about for the blog when I return.

-- Jae Ran

Kimchi Kids Honolulu Meet-Up

Yesterday, my kimchi kids and I met up in Kahala with Kimchi Mama regular commenter and blogger "Jooliyah" and her kimchi kid ("Turtle") for a morning of swimming, eating, and fighting over toys.  As they say in Hawaii, "Cute, ya?"

Turtle wearing Wallie's floaties with Umma.

They refused to pose for a photo..."playing" the fishing game. Can you feel the tension? All hell is about to break loose.

—Stefania Pomponi Butler/CityMama