June 18.

Yesterday evening we had dinner with a Korean fella by the name of Kenny Lee at the US military installation in Seoul. Kenny was introduced to us through Randy House, a former commander of the US forces in Korea, and a friend of Chuck Rosenthal, the DA in Houston. Thanks, Chuck, for the introductions. We also had dinner witha colonel at the base, Franklin last-name-I-forgot-at-the-moment, who was in charge of US media relations with Korea...a tough job.

No pictures because.....well, the base looked exactly like America. Every detail seemed like home, and I think that is the point. We had a great dinner and learned a ton about US/Korea relations and how this country had grown. Kenny Lee's family fled Seoul when the North attacked, and Kenny's father was taken north at the end of the war and never seen again. Kenny is now the head of the "Koreans who support relations with the US" group. (Don't really know the name). But Kenny comes and goes as he pleases at the base, so I kinda figure he is a good friend and helpful in relations between the two countries.

We also learned that: The North had artillery aimed right at us and could hit us at any time while we were having dinner. The North Korean soldiers are now 8 inches shorter than their Southern counterparts because of the poor northern diet. The South is deathly afraid that the North will collapse, because they will have to pick up the pieces and it will be a tremendous burden. (East Germany was nuthin' in comparison.) The South Korean soldiers patrol the border checkpoint with ball bearings in their pants cuffs because it makes it sound like more men are walking than there really are.

In 2012 the US will give up this base right in Seoul, and the Koreans current plan is to make it into a Central Park. That is, unless they pack in an ungodly number of highrises...

Now today, we traveled south on the subway/train to Suwon, where the Korean Folk Village is. OK, sounds touristy, like the pioneer villages we have. The photo is of Klay inflicting traditional punishments on Max. Maybe this has something to do with the low crime rate.

Basically, the traditional Korean life was in a simple house with a couple out buildings and lots of vegitable growing. Sounds familiar.

One last full day tomorrow. Mrs. Ahn, Max's foster mother, will be here at the orphanage with her two foster babies. We will be here for that, because Klay wants to hold the babies. Never figured him for that, but he is the one on the baby brother/sister tear.

See y'all soon...