Off to South Korea

[Dori Senior Member Find all posts View Profile Close Dori]

Tomorrow DH and I are flying to South Korea to visit our son, who teaches ESL about an hour out of Seoul. We are so excited about this trip, but also very nervous! He has lots of plans for our stay, from a weekend in the mountains to a resort stay on Jeju Island. Wish us luck!

Dori

[Nancy Platinum Contributor Find all posts View Profile Close Nancy]

Have a great trip

Have a great time.

Nancy

[ArtsieAng Super Moderator Find all posts View Profile Close ArtsieAng]

Good luck Dori.....It sounds very exciting. Be sure to take pics, and share them with us when you get back. Enjoy!

[PeelBoy Senior Member Find all posts View Profile Close PeelBoy]

Enjoy Dori. Too bad North Korea has shut down the border; otherwise, it is quite an experience day tripping there. In Jeju, try or at least watch eating live octopus. Also, try Korean cosmetics - different but interesting. Go to Itaewon to explore how American military spends their leisure time - not for everyone but.....................

[Dori Senior Member Find all posts View Profile Close Dori]

Here we are in Bundang, staying with DS in his little apartment. We are having a great time sightseeing and seeing various sights. Bundang is very clean with lots of beautiful parks and green space.

Two of DS's Korean friends, who had visited us in Toronto while they were there learning English, took us to Insadong (sp?), a lovely Korean teahouse, dinner at a Vietnamese restaurant, and to see a wonderful show called Nanta, sort of like a Korean version of Stomp. It was a great show.

This weekend we have been invited to a Korean wedding! I'm not sure how traditional it will be, but should be very interesting.

Dori

[ArtsieAng Super Moderator Find all posts View Profile Close ArtsieAng]

Sounds like you're having a wonderful time. Enjoy the remainder of your trip!

[catwgirl Contributor - Bronze Find all posts View Profile Close catwgirl]

Sounds like a wonderful trip. Enjoy!

[Dori Senior Member Find all posts View Profile Close Dori]

PeelBoy, if my dinner is moving on the plate, I ain't eating it!

Today, we visited DS's school , met staff and students and watched him teach a lesson. It was probably a bit stressful having Mom ( a retired teacher) and Dad watchinng, but he did a great job. We are very proud of him.

Dori

[gophish Super Moderator Find all posts View Profile Close gophish]

Sounds like you are having a wonderful trip. Would love to visit there one day. Our younger son (now 24)is Korean born, came to us when he was 4 months old so doesn't really have any conscious recollections of being there but would like to visit the country of his birth with him one day. As a strange coincidence our older son will be going there for a conference in September this year.
Anyway continue to enjoy the time with your son and your new experiences!!

[Spence Super Moderator Find all posts View Profile Close Spence]

Tomorrow DH and I are flying to South Korea to visit our son, who teaches ESL about an hour out of Seoul. We are so excited about this trip, but also very nervous! He has lots of plans for our stay, from a weekend in the mountains to a resort stay on Jeju Island. Wish us luck!
Dori

Sounds like you're having a truly great trip, being able to go places with your son's friends makes it a winner!!

Go to Itaewon to explore how American military spends their leisure time - not for everyone but.....................

Itaewon is a truly remarkable area of antiques stores, etc. It is not how American military generally spends their leisure time. I've been there shopping with my Admiral when I was an Aide in the Pacific on Guam. PeelBoy is alluding to the fact that it's also a red light district. I was there with my wife, very very crowded, she was behind me (8 months pregnant) when a madame tried to pull me into her establishment, she was quite apologetic when she saw what popped out from behind me. We were there pre-Olympics ~1982 and Koreans on the street would stop and stare at my wife as if they didn't think Caucasians had babies the same way they do.

North Korea was not possible when I was there either but I did get to go to the DMZ, see where the Axe Tree murders were and walk around the conference table on the border into the North Korean half of the room.

[Dori Senior Member Find all posts View Profile Close Dori]

We had a wonderful time at the wedding. DS's friend has an American dad and a Korean mom. When they got married, her parents would not accept him, so they married in the US and have lived there for 26 years. When her parents passed away, her 5 brothers and sisters asked them to come to Korea to be married in a traditional ceremony. We were very honoured to be invited. It was beautiful!

We have been to so many restaurants and teahouses- I don't think anyone here cooks (or sleeps!) The restauants are always busy, even at midnight.

PeelBoy, DS talked me into trying the live octopus!! OMG, I can't believe I did it! I can't wait to tell my friends back home when we meet for lunch!

This weekend we went to a market that was so crowded and up the Nam Mountain in a cable car. At City Hall, there was a very strong police presence, with dozen and dozens of police buses. This has to do with the ex-president's suicide and the displeasure with the new president (I think).

Tomorrow, we are going to try our luck at a casino in Seoul, if we can find it- there are 8 or 9 subway lines!

Dori

[shaggy Moderator Find all posts View Profile Close shaggy]

Dori, what a trip you are having!!! I'm so happy for you, you are seeing the country as a "friend" not a tourist. shaggy

[Dori Senior Member Find all posts View Profile Close Dori]

Today I lost some at the casino, but DH won $100! We walked around the financial district and visited the Hyundai Department store- huge prices there! The subway system here is incredible. There are 8 or 9 lines! However, the signage is very good and people are very helpful. We managed not to get lost.

Shaggy, you are so right! We have seen and done things that ordinarily tourists would not experience.

Dori

[Dori Senior Member Find all posts View Profile Close Dori]

Yesterday we went to the DMZ. What a fabulous experience! We walked through the Third Tunnel and learned so many interesting facts. It was a great tour.

Dori

[Dori Senior Member Find all posts View Profile Close Dori]

After a wonderful weekend on beautiful Jeju Island, we are getting ready to fly home today. What an experience this has been for us. It was so great to see our DS, and get a glimpse into why he loves this amazing country.

Dori