Summary Of Second Trip

Ok, so the first few days became a bit of a dissapointment because I was literarily stuck inside my parents home (which isn't located in Seoul but about a couple hours outside). Those few days became the most difficult because I wasn't able to understand much of what Omma or Appa said. So there were a lot of misunderstandings on my part, getting more food while you believed you didn't ask for it but it turned out you did...

Leaving food out in the air for hours because you didn't know when neither of your parents would be back, never turning the light out always keeping it on because you don't know when your parents would be back... Not getting your laundry washed because of the same thing as above, not knowing if you're allowed to take a shower or when to go to bed...

I spent approximately four or five days overeating while at my parents watching Korean TV for hours without understanding much. Although it turns out that two of the shows I begun wathing back home still airs here. But of course it's not subtitled but I still understand maybe 50 % or 60 % of it.  The rest of the time I sleept because there was nothing else to do. My parents somehow didn't want me to step outside the house...

Could be because I easilly might get lost or maybe they didn't want me to be out in public because they somehow were ashamed of me for some reason....

On the fourth day one of my Onnis came and I was allowed to go not only outside but all the way back to Seoul (where my sisters lived. Turned out they only planned for me to stay there for a couple of days and then return to my parents place, but I totally objected to that idea because I was so miserable there to be frank. So eventually my sisters agreed and insisted on having me staying with them alternating between two of their places.

Most of time my sisters were woorking not so much as my parents but still. So during the day I've been pretty much on my own, getting used to the subway system, been visiting the big tourist places in Seoul , done some shopping (almost daily) , being mistaken for a Japanese tourist on several occassions, seen a friend of mine who lives here, had lunch with my siblings on a few weekends.

Here and seeing foreigners I get so happy to here my native language Swedish being spoken here, a part of me have wanted to introduce myself to them but I so far havn't dared. Because i fear that if I confess that I'm a Swedish adoptee it might make these people feel uncomfortable so yes , I'm a coward too. Add that to the list.

Oh, yeah, now it turns out I might have to return for a particular time of the year, since I came up with the brilliant idea to buy one of older Onnis a birthday cake and a birthday gift since her birthday was one day before I came to Korea. That might not have been so very intelligent since I have more than four older Onnis which means I might have to buy cakes and birthday gifts for all of them. Luckily three of my Onnis all celebrate their birthdays in the same month. So I might have to plan my third trip here to match that time in...
I just hope my other Onnis aren't jelaous or disappointed about that sudden and unexpected surprise.

I just felt like I wanted to celebrate my older Onnis birthday (even if it already has been) and since I've missed almost 50 birthdays I wanted to get her a really nice gift. Although I knew it's bad to give a gift that's more expensive than what the person could afford in return...

But I wanted my siblings to truely understand how committed I am, and also have a lasting memory of me and to get a gift which I bough while in Korea. I actually gave all my sister a gift each, my oldest sister just had her birthday so her gift was a little bit nicer... I hope my other sister isn't offended by that.. I wanted to somehow try to compensate her for all the years we spent apart, and also for the fact that we didn't get to meet last year.

People are and have been very curious about exactly how I was able to communicate with my birth family, while still not being fluent.. The truth is that it was pretty easy, my siblings spoke Korean and then if I didn't understand they'll try to find the English word. I on the other hand spoke mostly English and occassionally Korean... It was somewhat easy to figure out what they meant, because they always said something after having done something or before doing something.

I'm a little disappointed about the fact that I didn't get to take as many pictures of my birth family this time, the truth is that they were working from 8 - 10 6 days a week... Even if I had pictures of my birth family I would never publish any of them in this blog (because they never asked for it for one, secondly it would be selfish and so much more) weither or not you have pictures of your birth families in your blogs are up to you, but I just want to clarify things for readers that might have forgotten and for new readers to know my standpoint.

And by the way the trip is still ongoing so I may have to finish this entry later...

© Taste Of Kimchi, Elle


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