White Sox 4, Royals 2

A fun day was had by all. I had on my long underwear and lots of layers (that's why I look a bit smushy in the pic below). Though it was only 45, it was a very nice day with the sun shining. The Sox were down 2 to 1 going into the bottom of the 8th, but Jim Thome hit a 3 run homer to win the game. Another successful opening day...bring on summer!

(I know you envy my satin jacket)

Let's Learn about Korea on Tuesday-Lesson #17

I did do a post on Korean food before I started my weekly lessons but one type of food needs it's own lesson, the ubiquitous kimchi. It's so ingrained in the culture that when taking a picture, Koreans will say "kimchi," to provoke a smile like we say "cheese." Let's learn about this important Korean food.

Kimchi
When most people think of Korea, kimchi is the first thing that comes to mind, and there's a reason for that. Kimchi, pickled vegetables with spices, is served at almost every meal in Korea. There are about 200 different varieties but the most common is the spicy cabbage type, pictured below:

Koreans have been making kimchi since ancient times, where region and season influenced the flavor of the kimchi. For spring, summer and fall consumption, kimchi was cured in a small quantity, but for the winter months, large quantities were made so that it could be eaten over three or four months. The climatic differences of each region affected the taste of kimchi as well. In southern Korea where it's warmer, chili powder was used in abundance so that kimchi could be prevented from going bad. On the other hand, kimchi made in colder areas was less salty and pungent. Traditionally kimchi is stored underground in earthenware jars that aid in the fermentation process, but nowadays, special containers and even refrigerators are being developed so families can make smaller batches all year round.

Kimchi certainly has a strong, distinct, flavorful taste, one that I really like. Health and well-being are very important in Korea and since kimchi is considered a very nutritional food it fits in nicely with a healthy diet. So, give it a try!

Ahhh....Opening Day-Postponed :(

Today was supposed to be opening day here in Chicago, but alas since it IS Chicago...the weather is 34 and possible snow. Now as Chicagoans, that doesn't really bother us, but I suspect it's hard to run the bases in 4 inches of snow and 40mile/hr winds. So, Tuesday will be opening day for the White Sox where the forecast is a balmy 37 and partly cloudy instead.

But here's why we still attend this very American tradition...
After a long winter there is nothing like baseball's opening day. Most years you can feel spring and summer around the corner. There is such energy in the air and everyone is filled with hope. Any team, no matter what the predictions has a chance to win it all (I'm looking at you, 2005 White Sox). Even if you've been disappointed before, opening day has potential to be THE year and that's why we keep coming back.

Here's a glimpse of what it will look like tomorrow:

You know I'll be there... Tuesday, April 7, 1:05 CST, White Sox VS Kansas City. If I get some good pics, I'll post them Wednesday.

GO SOX!!

Slightly Obsessed

There are 2 things that I have become, as my sister-in-law says, OB-sessed with lately.

The first is BLURB. I found this site on my friend Christine's blog awhile back. It is a book self-publishing site. Now there are quite a few companies that do this, but what's great about Blurb is you can "slurp" all your blog contents (instead of cutting and pasting) into a document where you can get as creative as you want, then publish your blog as a book. I definitely wanted to make a hard copy of the blog for our little one and was looking for an easy way to do it. My friend Cori (who coincidentally mentioned Blurb in her blog today!) assured me of the quality...so off I went. Well, I LOVE playing with the look, layout, pictures, font, etc. and am totally obsessed with my books and the look of them. I currently have 2 books going now....one cute little book with all my Let's Learn about Korea lessons and the other about the posts related to the adoption. I highly recommend all my fellow bloggers check it out.

The second obsession was where we are in our wait for our little one. I emailed my social worker and she told us we are #3 on the list for a boy. I like 3...3 is a nice number. Getting a little morsel of info eased my anxiety and this obsession has now subsided a bit. One of my closest friends, Amy, put it this way: "It's not a race. It's about the right path to YOUR child." So true...and though I know that, having a dear friend remind you makes such a difference.

Any of you "slightly obsessed" lately?

You Oughta Be in Pictures

I've mentioned my new, good friend Rachel before and how the two of us should get our referrals fairly close together. It seems that while everyone is being matched with their babies lately, the 2 of us are still just...waiting. Lately, we have gotten a bit giddy and goofy in our wait. In her excitement, Rachel decided to throw the O Baby Picture Carnival. Everyone who wants to participate should post a baby pic of themselves and their husband on their blog, today. So here goes...

(on my mom's lap... you like that Wisconsin shirt, Rach?)

(I know it's cheating, but I was much cuter as a little girl)

Now one of Dave...

(awww...isn't that blondie so cute?)

Let's Learn about Korea on Tuesday-Lesson #16

Korea has many spring flowers, but one of the most captivating is the cherry blossom. During the month of April, South Korea has many festivals to celebrate Spring and her flowers.

Cherry Blossoms
The cherry blossom is a beautiful spring flower in shades of pink and white that is indigenous to many Asian countries including Japan, China, India and of course, Korea. These flowers create quite an impact since there are thousands of blooms on one tree and when many trees are lined together it's quite stunning, as the photo below illustrates.

The trees tend to shape a dreamy tunnel that I'm sure is heavenly to walk under. There are many places to enjoy these flowers in Seoul. For those of you lucky enough to be traveling there in the next few weeks, check out this link for places and festivals in SK. If you're not traveling to Korea, there are places in the United States to see cherry blossoms: Washington DC, Macon, GA, Newark, NJ, and Philadelphia are the most well-known.

Welcome to 10 Months of Waiting

I don't have anything witty or profound to say about another month down. I hope I don't have an '11 months of waiting' post in May. But if OUR child isn't ready to be known yet...I can wait longer.

I'm Glad You're Here

I wanted to say 'thanks' to all of you that read my blog. Some of you make yourselves known by posting in the comments. Some of you email me or tell me in person that you read it. Some of you just quietly check it out. Whether you're a regular reader or an occasional lurker...you're always welcome here. You all offer me more support and encouragement than you probably know and I'm so glad to be sharing this life-changing journey with you. LBOS has a few purposes: inform you of our process, a journal for our child, and something to keep me busy! I really appreciate that you care enough about what I have to say and our life to take your time to read it. When you tell me that you actually enjoy reading it and offer feedback, that really means a lot to me. I hope you continue to stick with me and that it all pays off real soon!

Let's Learn about Korea on Tuesday-Lesson #15

Many cultures and languages have words that describe a feeling or sense that is reflective of the culture. In Danish, there is the word hyggeligt, which describes the cozy, warm feeling that you have on a dark night with low candle light. That word describes Danish culture perfectly. Today's lesson is on a word that that is important in Korean culture.

Nunchi
Nunchi literally translates as 'eye-measure' but it means so much more than that. It's the intuitive sense of the feelings of the people around you. Those feelings or moods are known as kibun. It is important to keep people's kibun in mind when in a social setting, even sometimes at the expense of your own feelings. For instance, you realize that the people you are with are hungry even though they didn't say that. So you ask if the group should eat, even though everyone may know that you're not hungry. That 'reading between the lines' is nunchi.
If you make others wait, people will say you have no nunchi (no common sense, perception, manners). People will think you have no nunchi because you are too self-absorbed to think about others or you may innocently just not realize the kibun of others. Either way, having no nunchi is not good.

Nunchi is a valued trait in Korean culture. You should be polite and considerate to the mood and feelings of the people in your group. There are many unspoken subtleties that can be picked up on if you have nunchi.

***thanks to the relatives and friends that helped with this post***

Today is my mom's birthday. Happy Birthday, Mom! I love you!!!

(My mom and I doing what we do best...laughing!)