30.7.2012

We are now in Kyoto, after arriving yesterday from Incheon Airport, an hours drive from Seoul, where we had been for about 4 days. We had been in Busan, and then Seoul earlier, but of course, the main point of our trip was to welcome our beautiful, Hanee Annabelle Armstrong into the world. We thought we might as well see a bit of Japan, being so close, and we will break the flight to Sydney in a few days, by stopping-over at Kuala Lumpur.

We had a good time in both Vietnam and Korea, especially seeing dear Hanee. We celebrated her birth, and my 56th birthday at a fairly ritzy restaurant in Jeonju, not far from where Hyeja's parents live. Though Hyeja did not feel all that well, and so she and Gerard had to take her home. After the meal, we (the boys and I) went to a local karaoke club. I had never  been to any karaoke before, and probably won't bother going again! Though I do enjoy Singstar at home. 

We spent some time in Itaewon in Seoul ... where all the English speaking trendies hang out.

We also took a half day tour to the DMZ, which was not all that informative. Though the countryside around the DMZ is absolutely gorgeous. 

20.7.2012

The day began with another lovely breakfast in the hotel, where the owner's wife prepares both 'Korean' and 'Western' foods. So far, we have been getting the friend eggs and coffee served up (and very delicious) with lots of conversation in stumbling Hangul, and English, and the spaces in-between!

After sharing the few words with Hyeja's parents (we are all limited by our language) we decided after the hospital to look around Jeonju. It was a humid day again, but it was interesting just catching a cheap taxi not far into the centre of Jeonju, and from there exploring the area. We decided to have a look at the Nambu Markets, a traditional meeting area, Anne tells me, for people in the area to sell their wares, their vegetables, their fish and other sea creatures. It was quite fascinating just taking a slow stroll through the markets. As usual, I was aware fo the need to not amass too much luggage, because we still have to get home, and if we learned anything from our trip to America, it was that posting goods back to Australia can be expensive!

At one stage, after losing each other and then finding each other again, and after Anne had again darted off when she saw something of interest, we finally found a place where they had 'kopi' (coffee). We were worried that we might not have enough cash on us to pay for it, and there were no ATMs around, but  the lady who ran the place told us to just get coffee from the machine, and not to worry about paying. Well, she told us in Korean, but this was the gist of her message. We were both very impressed by her kindness, though Gerard told us later that kopi is often free in shops like this. Anyway, we had decided in the shop (after Anne had taken the lady's photo, and then later put it on Facebook!) that we would go back there for a meal soon. 

19.7.2012

We were at the hospital before 9am on this day, the day of our granddaughter's birth. Being a Caesarian birth, because of Hyeja's slight frame, all knew fairly well when the birth would take place. 

She entered the world at about 9.20am, and was soon brought out by a nurse for everyone to goo-gaa over. Actually, 'goo-gaa' does sound a bit like some of the sounds you frequently come across in Korean, but that is another story!

After this brief encounter (at which even the father is not allowed to make contact with his child) the babe is quickly taken to an isolation room for the next week, to avoid any nasty germs, etc. Quite different to our Western system, where the parents traditionally claim 'rights of possession' from the start. But the Korean system is different, and it is common for the mother to spend the '100 days' after the birth with her family, being looked after, given pointers on how to bring up baby, etc, by her mother and other associated people. In short, Hyeja may not be back in Australia for another three months. 

Naturally most of the day centred around the morning birth, and seeing the baby again in the early evening. 

We did,however, get out to see some of Jeonju. I will include any emails sent on the day to give you an idea of what happened that day. 

18.7.2012

Morning, our last day in Seoul. Today we catch a bus for Jeonchu, about 3 hours drive south of Seoul, where our granddaughter is to be born tomorrow.
Gerard arrives at Incheon airport at 4.15pm today, and heads straight for Jeonju, so we should see him tonight. We will contact Sang-eui (Hyeja's illustrious brother!) tonight when we arrive, and no doubt he will fill us in on what traditional Korean customs are for when we visit Hyeja, etc.
Seoul has been wonderful. A big city, transport is good, streets are generally clean, people seem to get on with each other, certainly the mark of a civilised people. No doubt I have missed evidence of the darker side of Korean society ... I will leave that for the movies, they seem to concentrate on the seedier sides of human existence.
It has been quite humid the time we have been in Seoul, but nothing too extreme. (Indeed, going by what I read in the news online a while ago, the US is going through a much hotter, more humid time than most places in the world at the moment. Bruce, in NYC, and Susan, in Baltimore, both long-standing friends we were delighted to have show us around New York when we were there only three months ago, must be suffering at the moment).
We are packed, just about ready to go, and Anne has finally settled down to write the school reports she has been assiduously avoiding since before we left!

(Later) The bus trip to Jeonju was uneventful, and our hotel was only a few minutes walk from the bus station. I didn't realise that, though until I had caught a taxi with all our luggage to the hotel. By the time I had asked the driver (through the owner of the hotel) to ask the driver to get the others, they had  arrived anyway. So, I was sent on ahead in the lifts, to take all the luggage to our floor, and it was at this point that my head and an unwelcome meeting with an elevator door. Still, I didn't need stitches, and didn't lose too much blood!

Not long after we arrived, Hyeja rang ... she and Sang-eui were in the hotel lobby, and wanted to take us out for tea. So, we grabbed the troops and marched off to a Korean restaurant, where we ate well.


                                                              * * *
  

Wednesday 17th July, was a fairly easy day for me, spending some time in the hotel just trying to learn more Korean. Earlier, we had gone to a section of the city, Sodaemon, where we eventually found the sought-after "Japanese Soldiers Prison". This memorial to the retention of a strong Korean desire for independence detailed some of the uglier ones in the Japanese tried to claim Korea in an imperialistic fashion from 1910. It was very interesting and sobering. 

After seeing the prison, we went to local markets and settled down at one of the familiar small Korean stalls, where a lady gave us a magnificent soup (tasting like a spicy chicken noodle), and dumplings dipped in a delicious soy sauce. Food for the goods, and at a price that would have been much higher in the restaurants (though most of these are very cheap by Australian standards, too).
After I returned to the hotel for study, Anne went to investigate the local shops and returned a few hours later with descriptions of where she had been, and also with very tired leg muscles from all the walking she had done this day.

                                                             * * *

Tuesday, 16th July.
On this day we saw the Gyeongbokgung Palace,
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Gyeongbokgung
a wonderful old collection of buildings 600 years old, where the Royal Family was in residence. Beyond the walls on two sides are magnifiicent peaks, and the gardens and pools, streams, inside all seem in balance, in feng shui.
We also went into a section of the city where David was able to seek out a battery for his phone, Anne could seek a charger for her tablet, and Bernie could look for a better lens for his camera (particularly for shorter range shots).



                           

21.7.2012

Still no name for our little granddaughter! That is, apart from the one that Anne devised for her ... "Schoene Liebe Kleine Keine Name..." (German for 'Beautiful dear little no-name'!)
We saw everyone at the hospital in the morning, and then went with Gerard to the Nambu Markets (where he hadn't been before) and we all poked around again. And, true to our intent, we did have lunch at the little shop where the lady had given us coffee the other day.
Gerard came back with us to the hotel in the afternoon. After explaining to him that we couldn't find a way to get our photos from our cameras to the computer, Gerard and Bernie had it all done within about 20 minutes! I had given up in distress over the previous few months, when I couldn't work it out, Bruce had partially worked it out, the system that the guy from Apple gave me didn't work properly, and all seemed a forlorn project. I should have relied on Bernie and Gerard's skills a lot earlier!
In the early evening, we went to the hospital, thinking we would both see mother and (in the isolation ward) 'Schoene Liebe Kleine Keine Name' but although Hyeja was there, Gerard had apparently gone off to see Sang-eui. We had thought that we were going out with him, and that he was coming back to stay at the hotel while David was back in Seoul, but it didn't work out that way. And Hyeja was called away (we think to express milk) after we had been speaking to her for 45 minutes or so, so after waiting for her for some time, we simply left her a note saying we had to go, and left the hospital, heading back to the hotel, but stopping for an evening meal on the way. A cold, but spicy bibimbap, which was very nice.

Jeonju

21.7.2012

20.7.2012

The day began with another lovely breakfast in the hotel, where the owner's wife prepares both 'Korean' and 'Western' foods. So far, we have been getting the friend eggs and coffee served up (and very delicious) with lots of conversation in stumbling Hangul, and English, and the spaces in-between!

After sharing the few words with Hyeja's parents (we are all limited by our language) we decided after the hospital to look around Jeonju. It was a humid day again, but it was interesting just catching a cheap taxi not far into the centre of Jeonju, and from there exploring the area. We decided to have a look at the Nambu Markets, a traditional meeting area, Anne tells me, for people in the area to sell their wares, their vegetables, their fish and other sea creatures. It was quite fascinating just taking a slow stroll through the markets. As usual, I was aware fo the need to not amass too much luggage, because we still have to get home, and if we learned anything from our trip to America, it was that posting goods back to Australia can be expensive!

At one stage, after losing each other and then finding each other again, and after Anne had again darted off when she saw something of interest, we finally found a place where they had 'kopi' (coffee). We were worried that we might not have enough cash on us to pay for it, and there were no ATMs around, but  the lady who ran the place told us to just get coffee from the machine, and not to worry about paying. Well, she told us in Korean, but this was the gist of her message. We were both very impressed by her kindness, though Gerard told us later that kopi is often free in shops like this. Anyway, we had decided in the shop (after Anne had taken the lady's photo, and then later put it on Facebook!) that we would go back there for a meal soon. 

19.7.2012

We were at the hospital before 9am on this day, the day of our granddaughter's birth. Being a Caesarian birth, because of Hyeja's slight frame, all knew fairly well when the birth would take place. 

She entered the world at about 9.20am, and was soon brought out by a nurse for everyone to goo-gaa over. Actually, 'goo-gaa' does sound a bit like some of the sounds you frequently come across in Korean, but that is another story!

After this brief encounter (at which even the father is not allowed to make contact with his child) the babe is quickly taken to an isolation room for the next week, to avoid any nasty germs, etc. Quite different to our Western system, where the parents traditionally claim 'rights of possession' from the start. But the Korean system is different, and it is common for the mother to spend the '100 days' after the birth with her family, being looked after, given pointers on how to bring up baby, etc, by her mother and other associated people. In short, Hyeja may not be back in Australia for another three months. 

Naturally most of the day centred around the morning birth, and seeing the baby again in the early evening. 

We did,however, get out to see some of Jeonju. I will include any emails sent on the day to give you an idea of what happened that day. 

18.7.2012

Morning, our last day in Seoul. Today we catch a bus for Jeonchu, about 3 hours drive south of Seoul, where our granddaughter is to be born tomorrow.
Gerard arrives at Incheon airport at 4.15pm today, and heads straight for Jeonju, so we should see him tonight. We will contact Sang-eui (Hyeja's illustrious brother!) tonight when we arrive, and no doubt he will fill us in on what traditional Korean customs are for when we visit Hyeja, etc.
Seoul has been wonderful. A big city, transport is good, streets are generally clean, people seem to get on with each other, certainly the mark of a civilised people. No doubt I have missed evidence of the darker side of Korean society ... I will leave that for the movies, they seem to concentrate on the seedier sides of human existence.
It has been quite humid the time we have been in Seoul, but nothing too extreme. (Indeed, going by what I read in the news online a while ago, the US is going through a much hotter, more humid time than most places in the world at the moment. Bruce, in NYC, and Susan, in Baltimore, both long-standing friends we were delighted to have show us around New York when we were there only three months ago, must be suffering at the moment).
We are packed, just about ready to go, and Anne has finally settled down to write the school reports she has been assiduously avoiding since before we left!

(Later) The bus trip to Jeonju was uneventful, and our hotel was only a few minutes walk from the bus station. I didn't realise that, though until I had caught a taxi with all our luggage to the hotel. By the time I had asked the driver (through the owner of the hotel) to ask the driver to get the others, they had  arrived anyway. So, I was sent on ahead in the lifts, to take all the luggage to our floor, and it was at this point that my head and an unwelcome meeting with an elevator door. Still, I didn't need stitches, and didn't lose too much blood!

Not long after we arrived, Hyeja rang ... she and Sang-eui were in the hotel lobby, and wanted to take us out for tea. So, we grabbed the troops and marched off to a Korean restaurant, where we ate well.


                                                              * * *
  

Wednesday 17th July, was a fairly easy day for me, spending some time in the hotel just trying to learn more Korean. Earlier, we had gone to a section of the city, Sodaemon, where we eventually found the sought-after "Japanese Soldiers Prison". This memorial to the retention of a strong Korean desire for independence detailed some of the uglier ones in the Japanese tried to claim Korea in an imperialistic fashion from 1910. It was very interesting and sobering. 

After seeing the prison, we went to local markets and settled down at one of the familiar small Korean stalls, where a lady gave us a magnificent soup (tasting like a spicy chicken noodle), and dumplings dipped in a delicious soy sauce. Food for the goods, and at a price that would have been much higher in the restaurants (though most of these are very cheap by Australian standards, too).
After I returned to the hotel for study, Anne went to investigate the local shops and returned a few hours later with descriptions of where she had been, and also with very tired leg muscles from all the walking she had done this day.

                                                             * * *

Tuesday, 16th July.
On this day we saw the Gyeongbokgung Palace,
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Gyeongbokgung
a wonderful old collection of buildings 600 years old, where the Royal Family was in residence. Beyond the walls on two sides are magnifiicent peaks, and the gardens and pools, streams, inside all seem in balance, in feng shui.
We also went into a section of the city where David was able to seek out a battery for his phone, Anne could seek a charger for her tablet, and Bernie could look for a better lens for his camera (particularly for shorter range shots).



                                                              * * *

Monday, 15th July.

---

All journeys start and end. This particular journey, which sees Anne, David Bernie and myself traveling again to Asia ...specifically to Korea for the birth of our first grandchild ... Will also take in impressions of Hanoi and Halon Bay in Vietnam, Busan, Seoul and Cheong-Ju in Korea and Kyoto and who knows where else in Japan?