I Turn My Camera Onby: the real ginger on: May 28, 2008 5:02am
Wow, it's been a busy week! Sorry I have been so bad at updating, but my parents have been here and I've been spending all my time with them. We did everything touristy--palaces, Insadong, Namdaemun, etc., plus they went on a 4 day trip of Korea with a tour group. They loved Seoul because of its modernity and how "innocent" it seemed for the city of its size. When walking along the Cheonggye on a Saturday afternoon, my dad turned to me and said, "Do you know what this would be like if it were at home? Drug dealers. Drug dealers everywhere."
Interestingly enough, the US beef protests have been brewing this past week as well, so my parents got to witness some of Korea's political activism. On Sunday, we were walking by the Cheonggye and ended up walking alongside a massive protest. There were women with megaphones shouting "Ee Myung Bak! Out!!", people with signs, a man dressed up as a cow, etc. On Monday, they parked a truck with a giant plastic cow wearing a US flag around its neck in front of the Cheonggye. Police men were swarming over the City Hall/Gwanhwamun area all weekend--literally thousands of them were lining the streets with their billy clubs and shields. The US embassy was particularly well-guarded. Anyway, this anti-US beef thing is ridiculously huge. The Koreans I talk to just keep saying that the US beef quality is very low and that if they eat it, they will all get very sick. *sigh* When I tell them that I have ate US beef for 2 decades and haven't gotten sick, they just kind of awkwardly shrug and say it's bad for you.
Today, my parents, Dean, and I visited my adoption agency because my mom really wanted to see the babies. They were SO CUTE! I definitely want to bring my friends over to volunteer. In the hallway, there tons of photos taken this year of groups like SNSD and celebrities like Daniel Henney posing with the babies. The agency has really been trying to get famous people to come so it will raise more awareness for orphaned children. I really, really think I need to go and volunteer there, even if I have a slight phobia of holding babies.
My parents leave tomorrow but...my sister is coming tomorrow night! It'll be easier to show my sister around since we will do a lot of shopping and uh...drinking. She's just a year older than me, so we're great friends. She's adopted from Korea, too, and this is her first time coming back. We're gonna have a goood time. :) Ah, here is a very short video of some of the anti-US beef protest.
These guys were pretty wasted. Dean got this picture just as the guy on top was wiping away some drool. They were drunkenly cuddling the whole time I was on the subway. The other subway riders looked either insanely amused or very awkward/disapproving. I have a bunch of other pictures, too...they were just too funny.
From May until October, City Hall will be having free concerts every night! So far, we've seen a bboy group, a jazz band, and 2 different traditional performances. Pretty fantastic.
Some protestors along the Cheonggye on Sunday. This was around 4 or 5 pm. A little while later, the protest turned pretty violent and a bunch were arrested.
Dean and I rocking our glasses. Finally...the baby pictures at the agency!!
This title is I Turn My Camera on by Spoon
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Comments |
which adoption agency do you volunteer at?
i'm planning on going to korea early june till late august/early sept
and have really been considering volunteering at an adoption agency.
i love kidsss and cute babies =]] let me know!
i'm pretty sure as long as the agency is in Seoul, I can drop by to
volunteer whenever! Btw, I love all your pictures Ginger!
by: SOPHIIE
Jun 17, 2008 11:14pm
memeu: He had been crying--ALL the babies started crying at once. It was really cute because they settled down as soon as the one who started it all stopped crying. And yeah, the protesting crowds just keep getting bigger and bigger...
saera: I don't want to call them idiotic, but there's definitely a lot of false, completely untrue rumors that are spreading around. There is such a wild surge to peg the American beef as bad that any negative rumor is taken as a fact. It'll be interesting to see how this administration shapes itself in the coming months.
barbiegrace: Wow, you work in a pediatric unit? That's very cool! I have a lot of respect for people who can work with small children. As for the US beef thing, basically many Koreans feel that their president only cares about making economic ties with the US. Because of this, they think he is willing to import unsafe beef that could be infected with mad cow disease--meat that they claim Americans won't eat but is more than willing to shove onto another country. *sigh*
koncettina: The protests are frustrating for me because there are just so many lies that are being told and it's working the people up into a frenzy. Hope you're having a good time with your sis!
greenteaorama: It's easy to just get wrapped up in the shopping and eating aspect of Seoul, but something really is ALWAYS going on here--festivals, free outdoor concerts, open markets, etc. I love that Seoul is having these free concerts all summer! Thanks for reading
by: the real ginger
Jun 01, 2008 4:58pm
there always seems to be so much going on in seoul through your eyes. when my friends go to korea, they just come back with a new haircut and some fobby clothes and comment on how they ate a lot of food and visited relatives. but through your blogs, i get a different perspective on korea; it's the korea that i want to visit and experience for myself. i realized this even more when i saw the picture of the traditional concert outside. that must have been amazing. apart from the actual music, it must have been nice being outside at night and listening to a concert. that sounds perfect to me.
and that last picture was powerful. combined with the poem that you had, i seriously had to look back at the pictures again because there was a different message altogether that i received after reading the poem.
i look forward to reading more of your entries =)
by: greenteaorama
May 31, 2008 10:05pm
I wonder where you went...anyway I'm glad you're having a good time with your parents! Yeah, and your dad is so true....that was almost poetic. Anyway I think the protests are pretty pathetic actually they're just being ignorant and just assume the meat is bad for them. And poor Lee Myung-bak, he just got inaugurated in February!
Truthfully I'm not fond of babies but I can't deny that those were cute! SO CUTE! I think that Super Junior went to a orphanage too....I think.
I hope you have fun......drinking....with your sister! :D My sister is coming out in a few days too! Expect that she's six years older than me!!
Love ya!
by: koncettina
May 29, 2008 12:09pm
Hi there!!! Glad to hear that you had a great time with your parents! Hope you and your sister have fun too! Hope she enjoys her return to korea!
The 1st photo was really cool! I was laughing when I saw it! hahaha! You we're just there sitting beside them like a very innocent girl! hahaha!
The US beef thing... what's wrong with it? Even here in our country a video of koreans protest was shown in the news! It ended in something like a riot and 30 koreans were arrested... That's what the news said...
Cute babies!!! I love them!!! I work in a pediatric unit in the hospital so I get to see kids all the time! I love taking care of them especially those hard headed ones! Most nurses dont like the pediatric unit but for me its the best! I think its a good idea to do volunteer work!
by: barbiegrace
May 28, 2008 11:18pm
it's sad that such a developed nation is doing something so idiotic. Koreans will believe anything they see on TV - it's sad, really.
I keep telling people in Korea that US beef is probably safer than Korean beef and of course they wont listen to me. Jeez.
Lee Myung Bak is possibly the only good thing that's happened to Korea in a while, and no one appreciates him. haha.
Craziness. Hopefully something else will pop up to get their attention.
by: saera
May 28, 2008 10:50pm
Awww...those babies are too cute! Especially the one with the watery eyes, like he has been crying. Reminds me of my baby, he would tear up like that when he's upset.
and...Wow, that is a pretty big protesting crowd.
by: memeu
May 28, 2008 8:55am