The Foreign Tourist

My story started 25 years and 9 months ago, this is my second trip back. I've decided to return to Korea to get to know real Korean life not tourist Korea. I was born in Korea back in 1986 and now I've returned 25 years later.

I will hopefully be staying with my birthfamily but I'll be on my own durign the day, which means I can still  be a foreign tourist in Korea although I was born here and both my parents are Koreans as well as all my siblings.

Improvement of Hangul so far: no improvement noticed. 

I'm not sure how I'll approch this trip since it isn't a typical vacation trip, I know it's more of a family trip or reunion trip. But I think it's best to treat it as a language trip of some sort.

© Taste Of Kimchi, Elle

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Sleepless In Seoul

Love the Seoul subway system much cleaner than any  public restroom in Sweden.

(서울 지하철 사랑). I'm currently experiencing jetlag and it's my first day in Seoul Korea. I'll write more tomorrow. In the mean time 잘지내세요.



©Taste Of Kimchi, Elle

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Taking Off

Stockholm Arlanda Beijing

Sthlm Arlanda, Beijing Airport, Seoul Incheon Int

Yesterday I left Sweden to embark on a month long stay in Seoul, after a stop and change of plane in Beijing China. I'll be taking off from Beijing in a couple of hours then it's just a few hours left before my second arrival in Seoul.

Estimated time of travel : 3 hours.

© Taste Of Kimchi, Elle

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Taking Off From Stockholm

Taking Off From Sthlm Arlanda

 Even though I should have finished packing at least 90 % of my stuff
so far I´ve finished nothing. Everything is layed out to be packed into the suitcase but I really don´t wanna go... I´m still sad because grandma passed away earlier this week. A trip to Korea doesn´t seem appropriate, or does it ?

It certainly gives the expression cold feet a completely new meaning...

I'm off !!! Departing from Sthlm Arlanda changing plane in Beijing , China to go to my final destination Incheon, Seoul. Tomorrow early afternoon I'll be on Korean soil but first a connect flight in Beijing China.  Estimated total time: 14 hours . Yesterday Athletic's Cup started in Daegu, Korea - which by the way isn't the reason for my stay.

©Taste Of Kimchi, Elle

Related posts:

Favorite Blogs

1. Exile in Xiangnan
2. Yoon's Blur
3. The Queen Of Denial
4. adoptionechoes
5. Once Was Von
6. Declassified Adoptee 
7. Joy's Division
8. Lost Daughter's
9. Komapseumnida
10. Insert Bad Movie Title Here

I know there are more great blogs out there (if you're not mentioned here then don't take it personally) if you see a link to your blog then you're there for a reason - You have something important too say , togheter we can be strong.


Today I will do some last minute packing and then go to bed really early because tomorrow I'll be on my way to Seoul the city that never sleps which happens to be my birth place too. One of the first thing I have to do is to pick up some tourist maps (if I don't want to repeat last year's arrival to Seoul..) (Yesterday) and today I'll do some last minute landry washing.

© Taste of Kimchi, Elle


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Blog Readers

Search Terms

My Family II

When you get to know people for the very first time they usually ask for your name, age and family. But for me the later is a bit complicated to answer, sometimes they want another answer like where's you're family from ?

That's also a complicated question because I'm an adoptee which means I have the same citizenship as my adoptive parents. Which is way I suppose some people thinks I'm lying when I say I'm Swedish.
Foreigners or mostly immigrants doesn't understand what adoption means and I've tried to explain it but I have very little pacience when it comes to this. Trying to explain something that goes against someone's religion or ubringing usually means trouble.

I have a Swedish adoptive family with one mum and one dad and a younger sibling. But I also have another family: my Korean birth family which consists of one mother and one father, several daughters and sons.

© Taste Of Kimchi, Elle

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삼일

Three days left before I will be back in my birth country... As the days passes I realize that I for one still have a lot of preparations to do. I also realize that I might have taken on too much, I'm not sure where I'll be staying (hopefully somewhere, my family is rather big) and more importantly I'm not confident that there will be someone to pick me up at the airport. Maybe I'm foolish and naive for deciding to go there on my own.

I start to feel really anxious and vulnerable for some reason, I know Korea is a pretty safe town to be in compared to Europe and big Western cities. You can't feel safe in Stockholm but you can feel safe in Seoul (generally speaking).

The fruit company associated with New York has been suwed by a staggering 27.000 South Koreans for breach of privacy... I wouldn't like to be that fruit in a bowl right now... Just saying..


© Taste of Kimchi, Elle

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Travel Buddy

Who's Reading Taste Of Kimchi?

Today or actually this week started pretty sad so I don't have the energy or motivation to write long enries about my life.... I'm feeling guilty right now for going overseas instead of staying home to attend the upcoming funeral. (I had sort of promised myself I would attend the funerals for both of my still living grandparents.)

I write in English but I'm a native speaker of Swedish, (for obvious reasons I prefer to blog in English). So maybe it's not so surprising to see that most of my readers are from

• The US
• Great Britain
• Australia
• Canada

And since I'm living in Sweden my readers also comes from Sweden and since I'm a Korean adoptee many of them also are from South Korea.

And then there's those who I'm not quite sure of (why they read this I mean) that would be:

• Germany
• France
• Russia
• Singapore
• The Philippines
• Iran
• Malaysia
• Saud Arabia
• Ukraine
• Estonia
• Latvia

Which country do you come from and where do you live ? (when you're reading this blog where in the world are you?)

And most read posts are:

1. the entry from 17th February
2. Korean Technology
3. Seightseeing in North Korea
4. 11th November entry
5. Olympic stadium
6. 27th December
7. Adoption Day
8. Dual Citizenship
9. No Ending

© Taste of Kimchi, Elle

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Kimchi Thoughts

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Adoptees Rights For Parents Not Siblings

As you all know by now Korea is determined slowly cut of inter country adoptions (whenever possible) which means that they will try to make bigger effort in first of all keeping children with their birth parents or immediate family or relative and if the birth family for some reason isn't capable of caring for the child they would either try to get the child adopted to another family in Korea or maybe put in a foster home.

At a last resort the government supposedly would have to consent to international adoption.

Let's say you already have adopted once and know you're interested to add to your family by adopting another child from the same country (which would become the first child's sibling.) The government has enabled adoptive parents to get state funded help which would encourage adoptive parents to adopt more than one child.

Here's the difference when a child can't be raised by its birth parents or close relatives and the option of placing him in foster home or being adopted domestically by other Koreans if all of those efforts have failed. Then and only then would a child be placed up for adoption. The child has a right to be raised by parents (bloodrelated or not) and also to a family.

But the adoptee has no right to become a sibling (by adoption) even though the Swedish government is encouraging adoptive parents to adopt more than one child.

Do you think adoptees should be entitled to siblings? Would you have liked a sibling or two (if you were a lonely child) ?

I solved the issue with my comments I switched from Internet Explorer to another webbrowser. Problem solved.

© Taste of Kimchi, Elle

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Latest From Sweden

Sweden defeated Australia with 3 -1 and will play in the Olympics... Hope they do well.

Swedes eat more unhealthy now compared to some 20 years ago... Who's to blame ?

Crime Novels the bomb what about Dirty Crime, Elegant Crime, Wine Crime or Stockholm Noir ? And the great success of Wallander and Millennium trilogy has now also been turned into a American movie...

Swedish HRH Crown Princess Victoria an expecting mother, but remember she's not the first pregnant mother and the child is yet to be born.


Saab's road down to nothing... many companies seems to have fallen this last couple of months first Saab then Onoff. Who's next?

This morning a few hours ago my grandmother passed away, she became ill yesterday. Dad is sad , cries sometimes but tries to be brave. His mother became 95 years and she managed to keep a clear head and she never had to be on bedrest. Now I'm thinking it might be selfish of me to travel to Korea to see my other family (even though it's someting I wanted to do for a long time), maybe it's selfish of me... I will most likely miss my grandmother's funeral since I will be gone for a little over a month (that is if I do decide to). I only have grandparent left now on my mother's side it's my grandmother she's 88...

I don't know much, anything about my Korean grandparents they could have died and passed away without me ever finding out. My Omma no longer has contact with her side of the family and they only see dad's side of the family on special occissions like weddings and such.

Hey, what's wrong with blogger I can't seem to leave comments on other peoples blogs, it says something about me not having permission for that identity. Weired. And annoying.

This entry is already a mismatch of basically everything so here's some more I have an account on tumblr now.


(c)Taste of Kimchi, Elle

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Inside My Head

There's so many thoughts and ideas in my head right now. There's so much I want to do. And in reality just so much I could do.


I've been thinking of weither or not adoptees have a certain process before connecting with adoptive parents... And if there really is any truth to the supposed trauma that both adoptees and birth mother feels. As I'm over 18 years old I've also started thinking more and more about ways to find a job and if there are something that makes it extraordinary when an adoptee tries to find a job in Sweden which also ties into my name change. And adoptees and name changes which are a totally different and complicated subject.

Is blood really thicker than water? Can you call yourself Korean just because you're born there (and because your birth family outnumbers your adoptive family)..?


As my trip is approching superfast, I start to realize what is to come without even knowing... I don't even know where I'll be staying, kind of exciting I suppose but what if you already have lacking orientation skills?

I know (or presume) that my birth family not only loves me but also are proud of me for being a foreigner with killer English skills and so much more. But I wonder what life there with them will turn out to be, as an adoptee can I really expect my birth family to introduce me to their friends while out in public ?

I better take a pass on that one.

See why it sometimes get's complicated ? I wish i had a basic answer to avoid getting in to long discussions or being accussed of being a liar but so far I have failed. Maybe it gets further complicated by the fact that since I mostly watch Korean historical costume dramas so far the words I've managed to learn by heart are: 왕 (wang as the surname) meaning king, 여왕 (yeowang) meaning queen, 왕자 (wangja) prince, 공주 (gongju) princess, 공격 (kongjukara) meang attack, ahjusi (older man not directly related), ahjumma (older female not related), 난 네가 좋아 meaning I like you, 죄송합니다,반말,미안헤 I'm sorry.

And no I don't like that Swedish Ziperall thing, why? First of all I think you look like a giant baby, despite the fact that it's very comfortable. And if you pull the zipper all the way up you look even wore like a ganster or someone in a corpse bag. And what about the price, it looks horrible nevermind if it's Swedish or not. But hey that's just me I'm going to stick with my jumpsuits and onepiezes instead.

Here's clubs I would be a member of (if they existed)

1. Say No To Facebook
2. I Don't Want A Ziperall Because It's Ugly

Yesterday my cat had a slight encounter with a great green bush cricket I think it bit him... And no I don't live out in the bush.

© Taste of Kimchi, Elle

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Search Terms

• under the loving care of the fatherly leader + facebook - first thing first, Under the loving care of the fatherly leader is a book about Kim Il Sung but I doubt he has facebook. Because first of all Kim Il Sung is dead, but Kim Il Sung's son Kim Jong Il is the current North Korean leader. He might have facebook but I wouldn't bet any money on it.
• love is an obsticle - love becomes what you make of it, if you decide it is an obsticle nothing will change. I have an entry with obsticle in it's title.
• Asian fairy tales jeju national museum - an art exhibition of Asian fairy tales at Jeju brought you here, sorry but I have no information. I do however admit I've written some about Jeju.
• New York City Korea Day Kimchi Contest - I don't think I ever have written about New York here... and I think it's kind of obvious that the reader didn't find what they searched for but even so they ended up here.
• baking school in Seoul - ok obviously I do bake and cook a lot, but I don't have a baking school in Seoul. It's Korea's capital city and the place of my birth. That's it .
• Korean Pine Apple Bread - this is a blog about Korea , and I've made the famous Pine Apple Upside Down Cake. And also written an entry about Korean bread.
• Korean Sesame Tapioca bread recepie - one of the bread types I've written about but I don't know any recepie myself for that bread.
• Seoul and travel - I'm planning a trip to Korea so yeah that seems right, nothing fishy there.
• how to be a God mother - I have mentioned once in one entry that I am a Godmother to my best friend's child. But I don't know how to be a God mother and hey, yes there's a diffrence between Godmother and god mother.
• adoptees original surnames - one subject that I've written about almost since day one was personal name change and also how adoptees relates and thinks about original surnames and names in relation to their natural heritage.
• adoption agency Sweden- I was adopted to Sweden and yes, I've written an entry about Swedish agencies.
• kimchi freezing - kimchi should be considered Korea's national dish if it isn't already. It's also a part of my blog name not webb address. And I suppose kimchi can freeze.
• is kimchi dirty - well, I tried to make my own kimchi one and considering that it's made out of vegetables I guess it could possibly be dirty if you don't clean the vegetables under water first.
• Kyss Mig - a Swedish movie currently airing.
• what the taste of the kimchi - have no clue, did someone want to find out what kimchi tastes like or did try to come to my blog?
• Korean big feet - yes I'm an ethnic Korean with big feet - maybe that's surprising?
• Dirty Korean - That's only the title of a book , I would never actually state that the Korean language is a dirty one. It is however a really old language.
• my brother Swedish - I'm a Swedish citizen from adoption that was raised in Sweden with my younger brother (from adoption).
• Kim Kyong Hui - if you read the actual entry you know what it says; that said woman is the sister to North Korea's leader Kim Il Sung.
• Korean traits - I have written an entry about the infamous Korean stubborness. But I'm not sure if stubborness really is that uncommon these days.
• Korean culture - one of my interests is Korean culture, but since I have haven't been raised there my knowledge is suspiciously limited.
• kimchiblog - maybe that will work to get you to the right place, I'm not sure. Are you ?
• tasteofkimchi - the title of my blog.

Do you have any peculiar search terms in your stats?

© Taste of Kimchi, Elle

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To me there are no differences between them (my two families) , even if the love I feel for my birth family is different than the one I have for my adopted family. Maybe it's strange but I guess it could be the cultural gap thing for one. The second is that one family never knew me before I was 20 or so years old. That's a huge difference because the other family was fortunate enough to raise me, see me grow up and son on...

I really wonder how a birth family remembers a child they adopted and that later returned... Do they feel any different for that child? Do they really recognize their once adopted child as one of their children or do they think of the child as a native of his or hers adoptive parents country?
How then do adoptive parents relate to their adoptive children? Are they truely recognized as their daughter, do they even realize that their parenthood was a result from another woman's decision to relinquish their newborn child? Do adoptive parents feel the need to keep a link to their adoptive children/childrens birth culture or do they feel like the adoptee has put on another costume (once the adoption was finalized) ?

© Taste of Kimchi, Elle

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© Taste of Kimchi, Elle

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Korean Pictures



The Bucket List

1. Learn Korean (one way or another)
2. Stay in Korea for a 3 months stay
3. Visit Korea for Lunar New Year
4. Visit Korea for Liberation Day
5. Live in Korea for one year
6. Apply for Korean citizenship !?
7. Have a Korean wedding in Korea
8. Go on honeymoon to Korea

6: I guess I might not be in a position to make a final decision about a supposed dual citizenship application. There may be more negative things than compared to positive. 7 and 8; only applicable if I ever fall in love...

Yesterday I watched three Korean movies; the first one was 200 Pounds Beauty, 미녀는 괴로워where the protagonist is weighing 200 pounds at the start of the movie but after successful plastic surgery she gets the life she wants to live. It makes me wonder if plastic surgery really is that common in Korea ? I know that Korea is infamous overseas for their plastic surgeries.. but somehow I'm not sure if it's that common among the overall population... I should have watched that as the last one not the first as the other two were really, really sad romantic stories...

The second one was A Millionarie's First Love 백만장자의 첫사랑 , a very touching story of love that was never mean to be. You would probably think that one was the saddest movie that I watched, but actually you're completely wrong.

A Moment To Remember 내 머리속의 지우개 was actually the saddest even though there was no death, but loss of memory instead...

I really wonder what consequences a dual citizenship could have, would it mean that you would risk being deported there or being forced to serve in compulsory military training ?

© Taste of Kimchi, Elle

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Apperently North Korea has had yet another military exercize but this time supposedly three granades come close on hitting South Korea's territory. South Korea responded by firing counter attacks at the border in self defense. North Korea has also been accused of having plans of killing South Korea's minister of defense... Just as South Korea agreed to send emergency aid to North Korea...

It makes me wonder if now really is a good time to visit South Korea...

Something a little more cheerful now then, is that apparently four Swedes has acchived much success in the game Starcraft and is now going to have to defend themselves against four South Koreans in four seperate games. The Swedes names in Starcraft 2 ? Jinro, Naniwa, Sase and Thorzain... Although they were to playoff on the 8th there's still been no update on the outcome so I don't know how it turned out...

© Taste of Kimchi, Elle


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Travel Buddy For Seoul

Maybe I should look for a travel buddy although the thought scares me.. Not a little, kind of very much.


Or maybe I should try to find a Korean adoptee that either lives in Korea or will be in Korea at the same time as I...

Just in case that this trip don't turn out the way I thought...

Oh yeah, last year I found an amazing Italian Jazz restaurant called La Travola, it was located in the Gangnam-gu area. Their food was amazing, we went there every day for souper. The pizzas were the best if you ask me but the pasta and risotto was also very good. If you need a place to eat that's the one I recommend. But eating ethnic (Korean) food is actually much cheaper. Just so you know and now you do.

© Taste of Kimchi, Elle

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My Packing

Before I do anything no I'm not living on unemployment benefits, I do however parasite on my parents and not on the state. I'm not even entitled of unemployment benefits as it is since I've not protected by any union whatsoever and if anyone can tell me how I am supposed to get 299 SEK a month to pay for a reduced unemployment allowance then be my guest. How on earth are you supposed to come up with 3600 if you have no income, savings or inheritance to go to. Sure beats me. Sometimes I just love Sweden.

Below you see a list of what I'll bring on my trip in two weeks time.

• passport
• money
• medicine (allergy pills, allergy spray)
• camera
• toalett paper
• anticeptic soap
• sunblock
• notebooks and pencils
• dictionary
• (summer) clothes
• school books 
• novels
• magazines
• gifts
• candy

© Taste of Kimchi, Elle

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Closing A Chapter

 Anyways about my university studies I can now say that I havn't been able to complete the B level yet but my teacher allowed me to start working on my C level thesis which sure was nice of the teacher. But I have unfortunately not been able to complete the thesis writing course which means I still have two redos to make before I will have finished the level. I've not been feeling to well, I've been a bit under the weather lately trying to imagine and prepare for my next step in this reunion saga of mine. And then there was the 22nd of July in Oslo which shocked me tremendously last time a disaster happened I developed a depression but so far I'm doing all right. Maybe because I do have something to look forward to despite it being the scariest thing I've ever done although my trip last summer at that time held that spot. This time it's not about me it's about them my family and my birth country but also about the language and it's culture. If it's possible I might start a korean language course when I get back...

And I just realized the title of this entry might be somewhat misleading perhaps it should have been titled something Second Time Around or something. Oh well.

Yesterday I watched 100 Days With Mr Arrogant, to try to cheer myself up... It kind of worked, temporarilly. I', honestly not sure where my life is going, what I'm supposed to be doing with my life.. I'm not even sure who I am anymore... I thought it would be easier to get a job at least it would be so much better if the employment agency was willing to offer you some support, instead of giving you straight answers you'll have to go on several meeting before you might find out if they'll be able to help you. I visited said agency a few days ago, and they were worried about two thing:

1. if they was giving me unemployment benefits or not
2. when I would return to Sweden (did I have a return ticket)

To be honest I wish I would be able to live the life I want... I honestly I wish I could stay longer.... Sorry if I'm a bit whining today. I know I could be much worse off.

© Taste of Kimchi, Elle

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To Do List

Learn basic Korean phrases

1. Learn the basics of Hangul
2. Watch a Korean drama and a K movie
3. Listen to Korean songs
4. Learn a Korean children's song
5. Learn a Korean song (not just the lyrics but also what the lyrics say)
6. Translate Korean emails to English on my own
7. Write a letter in Korean
8. Watch a Korean TV - show without translation
9. Have a conversation in Korean with a native speaker

Korean cooking

1. Learn how to make a Korean traditional dish
2. Learn a recepie from Omma
3. Eat food to fight heat
4. Learn to make a Korean bread

Korean culture

1. Learn how to put on a Hanbok
2. Read Samguk Yusa and Samguk Sagi
3. Learn a Korean Folk tale
4. Visit the Korean Folk Village
5. Visit the Korean National Museum
6. Spend one day at ondol house
7. Learn Bakduk game
8. Visit a Buddist temple & Confucian temple
9. Look at (my) family register
10. Noreabang

UNESCO World Heritage Sites

1. The Royal tombs of the Joseon dynasty
2. Gogureyo tombs
3. Gyeongju area (historic sites)
4. Changdeokgung
5. Hwaseong fortress
6. Gochang, Hwasun and  Ganghwa (dolmen sites)
7. Haeoe Folk Village
8. Yangdong Folk Village
9. Haeinsa Temple
10. Korean Folk Village
11. Bulguksa
12. Jungmyu shrine

Places to visit

1. Jeju Island
2. Yeodo Island
3. National Tresures
4. Andong
5. Busan
6. Daegu
7. Pusan
8. Kyongju
9. Mt Seo Rak
10. Tean peninsula
11. DMZ (Demilitarized zone)
12. Korean War Memorial
13. National Park
14. Insadong
15. Itaewon
16. Namdaemun
17. Dongdaemun
18. Changgyeonggung Palace
19. Myeongdong
20. Sinchon
21. 88 Olympic Park
22. Jindo Beach
23. Korean Water Park
24. Lotte World
25. COEX Mall
26. Everland
27. Yook Sam

Celebrations

1.  Seollal (Lunar New Year)
2. Chuseok (Autumn Festival)
3. Dano (Spring Festival)
4. Daeboreum (First Full Moon)
5. Samiljeol (Indenpendence Declaration Day)
6. Eorininial (Children's Day)
7. Seokgatansinil (Buddha's Birthday)
8. Hyeonchung -il (Memorial Day)
9. Jeheonjeol (Constituation Day)
10. Gwangbokjeol (Liberation Day)
11. Gukunuinal(Armed Forces Day)
12. Hangeulnal (Hangul Day)
13. Confucian Coming of Age Rites
14. Gidoktanisil (Christmas Day)
15. Dol, a child''s first birthday
16. Baek-il, a child's 100th day celebration
17. Hwangap, an adult's 60th birthday
18. Someone's birthday
19. A Korean wedding
20. Valentine's Day 
21.  White Day
22. Peppero Day

© Taste of Kimchi, Elle

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사극

Summer Baking

1. Whoopi Pies
2. Regular Pie
3. Cookies
4. Cakes
5. Cupcakes
6. Bread
7. American recepies
8. Swedish classics
9. Jam, marmelade and jelly

Summer in a nutshell strawberries with plain yoghurt, yummy !!!

My two different jams on sourdough bread another very tasty culinary delicacy if you ask  me. Last picture sweet pizza with sweet Italian cheese (forgot the name of it) raspberries and chocolate. The original recepie was a little different.

Oh and the other month I had a big problem with strange insects called Indian Flour Moot, really annoying. I guess there's one of the downsides if you bake or cook a lot... Although the original source seems not to have been flour, but more likely ordinary birdseeds bu t I must say that these little buggers are extremly persistent and they seem to especially like organic produce but if given a chance will spread to anything like sugar,seeds,cocoa powder etc.


© Taste of Kimchi, Elle

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사극

As a part of my last preparations I recently begun watching Korean dramas again, but not just any dramas particularly Sageuk dramas because I'm interested in Korea's culture and history and Sageuk dramas usually have a lot of war scenes, which I strangely enough seems to appreciate more than I thought I would... There's only one problem as I trying to pick up prounanciation, word order and likely spelling do the actors use current Hangul or do they speak an older version of Korean ? Maybe a stupid question but I honestly don't know. Bellov a somewhat extensive list of Sageuk many which I have not seen, usually the length of Sageuk's seems to be a very high number but so far only one Sageuk has managed to produce 200 episodes !? And that would be Emperor Wang Geun which was broadcasted in 2000. Unbelievable but totally true. Except for Sageuks Korean dramas are usually only under 20 episodes or somewhere around.

• Ballad of Suh Dong 서동요
• Chuno 추노
• Dae Jang Geum 대장금 - seen
• Damo 조선 여형사 다모
• Dong Yi 동이
• Emperor Wang Geun 태조 왕건
• Empress Chun Chu 천추태후 - seen
• Gye Baek 계백
• Hong Gil Dong 쾌도 홍길동 -seen
• Hwang Jin Yi 황진이
• Iljimae 일지매 - seen
• Ja Myung Go 자명고
• Jumong 삼한지-주몽 편
• King Geunchogo 근초고왕
• Gwanggaeto the Great 광개토대왕 - following
• Kingdom of The Winds 바람의 나라 - seen
• Merchant Kim Man Deok 거상 김만덕
• Princess Ja Myung Go 문성근 - seen
• Queen Seon Duk 선덕여왕  - completed
• Seoul's Sad Song 한성별곡
• Strongest Chil Woo 최강칠우
• Painter Of The Wind 바람의 화원 - seen
• Princess Man 공주의 남자 - seen
• Return Of Iljimae 돌아온 일지매 -seen
• Warrior Baek Dong Soo 무사 백동수
• Yaksha 야차
• Yi San이산 / 이산-정조대왕 - completed

Which dramas have you seen ? Do you have a favorite ?

© Taste of Kimchi, Elle

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Simon Winchester Korea

Nicely written without being too heavy, written by Simon Winchester.. The cover picture's really beautiful too.

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Korean Pictures

As I currently am starting to become really, really nervous about my upcoming trip - having mixed feeling all over the place and ultimately thinking way too much this post is a post which contains no pictures but links to previous entries with pictures. Also due to the fact that I'll be back there soon (hopefully taking lots of new pictures...) So for now this post will have to do.

Open Market

Tourist Sights

Korean Nature

Seoul City

Itaewon

Itaewon II

Memorial Museum

Namdaemung Market

Random Seoul pictures I

Random Seoul Pictures II


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First Few Days

이 십 년

이 십 년. Twenty years, two decades. That's how many years I've spent being raised in another family, that's how many years it took for my birth family to erase the memory of me and my place in the family. All of those years, months, weeks, days and hours should have made me forget where I came from but because I knew of them, my other family I was raised in their shadow. They were of course not aware of this not until just a few years ago, that's when they learned of me. I no longer have a place in my birth family, if I ever go back with whatever intention there's no place in the family to reclaim. All of those lost years has made that happen, my birth family lost two decades with me. They didn't get to see my first tooth, watch my first steps, here my first word or introduce me to my older siblings.

That was not to be , but all may not be lost. I am still here, alive which means there's a little bit of hope left and time to get to know my birth family, to really get to know them as seperate people.
I guess that's all that remain... Why?

Because it doesn't seem fare to demand that they will treat me as one of their own after two decades I am not a young child anymore. I'm an adult I should be able to make it on my own but I'm still their daughter and sister. Despite everything I fulfilled my lifelong dream and I only wonder where I go from here. What's to happen next, but I know my birth family loves me and they certainly are very proud of me their European sister.

But there's still the fact that I wasn't raised in their culture I don't really know their costumes and traditions... That certainly complicates it a little more.

I'm just trying not to get my hopes up too much, still trying to stand firm because honestly I'm aware of the fact that as the day comes closer my expectations seem to grow... I need to remind myself of what I like to call the harsh reality, sort of like a smaller reality cheack. But of course life's not really that simple it's not just black and white...

And by the way just to clarify the parents that created me are Koreans but I was raised in Sweden by a Swedish couple. So I assume that this post might possess qualities that are more or less unKorean...

© Taste of Kimchi, Elle

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It's a little old now, but I still think it's worth seeing... To view you it, you might have to click Google Video and then go to video to actually see it.

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My Han Bok

When all is said and done... I might be all alone again traveling down a lonely road. But I'll at least have my Han Bok (made on sight).

A Han Bok is a traditional Korean costume which consists of the chogori (the jacket) and the ch'ima is underneath, that would be the actual skirt. And there's the under skirt and the undergarments and the special socks. The chogori can have a longer front part but the more modern chogori doesn't have that. For the hair there's a special hair piece, a purse and those beautiful but weird and painful shoes. But even though I'm not a married woman I do still own a Han Bok, I guess that makes me a Korean adoptee.

If everything else fails I'll at least have that, a bunch of pictures, all the memories and not to forget my new name (which isn't that new now). I wish my upcoming trip will be able to give me peace and comfort in a way that I didn't get last time. Only then will I be able to move on with my life but it would help if I somehow could get a permanent definition of my new relationship with my birth family.

My Swedish (adoptive) family has always considered themselves to be able to define and preserve me. For them I'm their daughter and I can't change that but to still insist on using their prefered name on me is really insulting. It somehows dehumanizes me into something very similar to an item, but hey I'm not an item no body's doll to play with. I'm human being, a person and I have feelings and a brain which means I can think for myself but also get hurt.

© Taste of Kimchi, Elle

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Last Letter

I havn't planned to write a last letter to Korea anytime soon... A part of me wishes that I some day will be able to keep a longer conversation going with Omma, tell her about my day and as for my siblings I wish I could tell them what I like, dislike and dream about. But right now that's not possible... because my native tongue was replaced before my 100th day...

If my Korean family knew Swedish (as if that would ever happen) or at least English that would make things much easier. Maybe I will be able to express myself in my last letter (which hopefully is at least 6 or 7 decades away)...

I also whish that I one day could show my mother and father my home in Sweden if I'm lucky maybe one of my siblings will come to visit one day... I want my birth family to know what my daily life is like, so they know what kind of life I have lived. Maybe then they will be comforted knowing that everything turned out allright. But I will always miss them, miss the things that I wasn't able to experience with them...

Being scolded by Omma, told what to do by Appa, joking around with my Oppas and arguing with my Unnis. (Although I do think Korean siblings don't really fight )... This time I hope I will get a glimpse at what it means to live in Korea as a native citizen, not just a random tourist on vacation... That's at least what I hope will be able to get a taste of if not a complete experience... Maybe I'm crazy for thinking this but still it's 100% what I want. It's the essence of me in a sense.



© Taste of Kimchi, Elle

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Back To Black

Last month ended very, very sad indeed. Norway lost almost 100 people, in two linked events. It remined me of how prescious life really is, but I will not stop living just because of it.


Amy Winehouse was discovered dead at an all to young age only 27...

There are more sad things to write about I know that like the situation in Africa and the starving people in Somalia, the economic crisis in Greece, the US economy, Syria revolution and much much more... But if I was to write about everything that's slightly out of order... important events and different crisisis then this blog would saddly lose it's purpose...

© Taste of Kimchi, Elle

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They Did It Again

Some years ago there was a rather controversial movie about a gay couple wanting to become parents.


Last month another (Swedish) movie with a similiar scenario premiered, this time the leading parts was portrayed by two women and not men like in the previous movie. This one is titled Kiss Me or Kyss Mig (original title).

Other Swedish movies that I recommend is Jag saknar dig, jag saknar dig which originally was a book now turned into a movie. I remember I loved that book when I was teenager.

Försvunnen, is another potentially good (Swedish) movie but this one is thriller unlike the others.

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Ars Longa Vita Brevis Est

Ars longa vita brevis est; art is eternal, life is short.

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Gratia Artis