Let's Learn about Korea on Tuesday-Lesson #31

Welcome to the final class (sniff, sniff). I thought it would be fitting to make this last lesson on school and education in South Korea.

School
Education is very competitive and valued in SK. The school system is set up similarly to the U.S. in that there is elementary, middle and high school. Elementary school is similar to here, but middle school and high school are a bit different. High schools are divided between general and vocational and you must apply to get in; it is not mandatory that you attend. Because of this, it is very important to do well in middle school. Many middle school (6th-8th grade) students work after school with a tutor and don't get home until late at night.
College is the most competitive. The day of the entrance exam for college is an event in SK. Businesses open later so parents can drive their children to the test, there are special prayer services at temples and churches, and newspapers publish the test in a special evening edition after the exam. There is such intensity because getting into the right school can make a huge difference on a person's success in life.

Congratulations!! You have graduated from "Let's Learn about Korea on Tuesdays." I have thoroughly enjoyed researching and teaching you about some aspects of Korea and Korean culture. I hope you have learned a few things and had some fun! Class dismissed...

Gabriel YoungMin

Today Gabe is 8 months, and I thought we could mark the occasion by explaining how we chose his name.

Gabriel
There are a few reasons why we chose this name, starting with honoring both our of our families. We followed Dave's Jewish tradition of using the first initial of a relative that has passed on to pick a new name for the baby. We wanted to name our baby after my Papa, George, who was my Greek grandfather that I loved dearly. We also prefer traditional, biblical names and both really liked the name Gabriel and Gabe. Since Gabriel the Angel was God's messenger, it seemed like the perfect choice.

YoungMin
The name he was given in Korea was 영 민. According to his paperwork, his name means 'brilliant' and 'wise.' The social worker at the agency in Korea named him in hopes that he would become clever and bright. This name is very much a part of him and his Korean heritage, and it is important to us that he keeps it.
He was named using Korean characters, Hangul. After conferring with many Korean Americans, the most common translation of 영 민 is Young Min. To help encourage westerners to keep it as one name we are making it one word, but capitalizing the "M," making it YoungMin (pronounced just as it looks).

We hope our angel grows up to be clever and bright and would make Papa proud.

Lucky 7's

My buddy Christine tagged me and frankly, I need the distraction. It's supposed to be "Crazy 8's," but I'm using creative freedom and changing it to "Lucky 7's"

Things I'm looking forward to:
(in chronological order)
1. USCIS approval
2. Furniture delivery
3. Upcoming birthday celebrations
4. Going to Wisconsin
5. Going to Korea...
6. Meeting Gabe...
7. Bringing Gabe home!


Things I did yesterday:
1. Got a haircut
2. Went to the Sox game
3. Took a nap after work
4. Cuddled with my cat
5. Ate a hot dog
6. Stalked people's blogs for good news
7. Showed off Gabe's pic


Things I wish I could do:
1. Sing
2. Cook
3. Golf better
4. See more of the world
5. Meet more of my blog/adoption friends IRL
6. Take great pictures
7. Take more deep breaths during this wait


Shows I watch:
1. Mad Men
2. Lost
3. Amazing Race
4. How I Met Your Mother
5. 30 Rock
6. Dexter
7. Psych


I'm Tagging:
Jen
Katie
Colleen
...because they need some kind of distraction from their wait to travel!
And...

Sue
Cori
Emily
Sunny

Let's Learn about Korea on Tuesday-Lesson #30

On this 'lucky' day, the lesson will be on superstitions in Korea.

Superstitions
All countries and cultures have certain symbols that are considered lucky or unlucky, and Korea is no different. Not all Koreans believe all of these, just like not all Americans think 13 is unlucky.

*It is considered bad luck to celebrate someone's birthday after the actual birthdate
*The number 4 is unlucky because it is pronounced the same as 'death' in Chinese.
* White symbolizes death and mourning
*A magpie is considered to be a messenger of good news the tiger is considered good luck. The two appear together in many paintings, like the one below:

*Other good luck creatures include: Turtles, Bats, Roosters, Wild Geese, Cats, Butterflies, and Dragons.

It's Shower Time

My shower was this past Sunday and it was a lovely afternoon. My dear friends Julie and Katie really outdid themselves. It was so great to have all my ladies (old and new friends and family) together for a 'girl party.' Everyone was so generous, and Gabe will for sure be livin' large with all his awesome gifts. Here's a few photos from the day:

Ya gotta have cake...

And Korean snacks...

Gifts...






Lots o' pretty ladies...




Phenomenal hostesses...

And loving "grandmas."

The Red Thread

At my shower, I tried to relay the ancient Chinese belief in the 'red thread of fate.' I was a bit emotional, so not sure how succesful I was in my explanation. Here is the original saying:

"An invisible red thread connects those who are destined to meet,
regardless of time, place or circumstance.
The thread may stretch or tangle,
but it will never break."


This week, I came home and found a package on my porch. One of the ladies from my shower had sent me this:
Awww...don't I have great peeps?

DCFS 2nd Letter

Finally, we got the second DCFS endorsement letter! It was dated June 26...6 weeks after we got our legals. Like I said before, most people get this letter in 3 weeks. Will it affect when we travel? Who the heck knows!? Some people wait much longer than necessary on some steps, while others fly through.
Next step is waiting for USCIS or Immigration to issue the 171-D. Most people have been getting this quickly but...well, see the above paragraph! I'm not optimistic with the 4th being this weekend, but maybe we'll be pleasantly surprised. Come on USCIS, aren't you feeling patriotic?

Can You Even Stand It?

This is Dave's b-day gift from his folks....matching golf shirts for Dave and Gabe. Love it!

Happy Birthday, Dave!

Today is my husband's 35th birthday. Each day my love for him grows and here's just some of the reasons why...

• He's one of the smartest people I have ever known. He knows a little about everything and a lot about some things.


• He has a sharp wit, but never at the expense of others.


• He's loyal to his friends and family, goes out of his way to help them and never lets them down.


• He's passionate about what he believes in. He's often in heated discussions about many topics. Beware though...he knows his stuff!


• He loves and knows more about sports than just about anybody. I never thought I would meet someone that knew more than my dad, but I did.


• He's warm, caring and considerate.


• He always knows what is 'the right thing' to do.


• He makes me a better person.


• Oh... and he's pretty darn cute too!

Our lives are changing in a big way this year and I'm sure he'll be a great dad. I'm so lucky to go through life with such an amazing co-pilot.

Happy Birthday, Davers...I love you!

It just so happens that my friend Rachel, is having a "wedding album picture carnival" today. Good timing, huh? Here's a pic of us at our wedding on November 22, 2003.