June 19.

Our last day here in Korea. It started with a visit from Mrs. Ahn, Max's foster mother. She was in with a 2-month old boy she is caring for. Klay thought he would make a good homecoming gift, but they just wouldn't let us take him....

Then to the Korean war museum. A very important place for folks here, since they have spent the better part of 1,500 years fighting off the Chinese, Japanese and North Koreans. We found this A-6 Texan trainer here; one of about 200 they purchased from the US after WW II. Small world proof -- Kristy's grandmother Bertha was a "rosie the riveter" during the war, and worked on these planes in the Arlington factory. For all we know, she had her hands on this very plane.

Very mixed emotions for all of us coming home in the morning. Very happy to be coming home and seeing our friends. But this has been a wonderful place. And not just to visit, but to live for three weeks. We haven't spent much time telling y'all about the day-to-day stuff, like the subway travel, the food on the streets, the weather, the odd snack carts. But this is a great country. For these people to have achieved what they have since 1950 is amazing.

...When your house burns down, pick up the nails. Indeed.

See you on Friday.

rob, kristy, klay and max

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...

Saturday, June 16.

Today we met Max's foster sister, Sun Ok. She is the girl in the pink. Her friend, Soo Ri, and Sun Ok went with us to the Incheon v. Seoul K League soccer match. Really nice girls who wanted to spend some time with us working on their English, because they both want to go to flight attendant school when they graduate from high school next year. Their English is actually good, they just need to build confidence to use it...

And the soccer, that did not disappoint. have pictures of the game, of course, but the shot above is of the Seoul FC end zone cheering section and their fire in the stands. What's soccer without a fire in the stands? It was loud and crazy and everything that a soccer match should be.

Now stadium food here is great. for a buck you get a ramen bowl. They have huge tanks of scalding hot water and chop sticks. You can also get a kimbab roll (rice, meat, egg, cucumber and maybe spam rolled up in seaweed paper. Awesome). And that's it, unless you want the dried squid flamed over an open gas fire until it shrivels into a frito.

And the mess? None. Everyone cleans up their mess. separates the trash into paper, plastic and food bins. In fact, you do that everywhere, including the McDonald's.

And here is a mystery. There are no public trash cans on the street. But there is no trash on the street. Cleanest city you will see. Read about that in advance, but waited to see for myself. It's true.

It's now Sunday here, and tonight we are going to the US military base to have dinner with some folks there. Should be interesting. Tomorrow, it is the Folk Village down south of town in Suwon. Then, just one more day before we head home....we will be sorry to leave, the pace here has been just right...

Oh, and Dad, Happy Father's Day!

Friday, June 15.

Today was a rest day...we went back to the World Cup Stadium and saw a movie. Shrek 3. Wanted to see Pirates, but it didn't show until late tonight. Prices for this stuff is the same, except that cinema snacks are normal price -- not jacked up. Very refreshing. Also, your seats are reserved. Finally, you can go to a special "gold standard" door and sit in a private room to watch your movie. It costs a lot, but if you want privacy....very plush.

When we went out, the Korean women's soccer team was playing Bejing in a summer series. Rough soccer, and fun to watch.

When we rode the subway back, we got off the main street to hunt for dinner. As usual, we found a whole different world behind the main street. In this area of Honkik University, it was a college/young professional town. had some great roasted chicken at a "Hof", a place you go for chicken and beer. 19 bucks. And remember, no tipping allowed.

A note about the weather. it has been no hotter than 80 degrees since we have been here; almost always overcast and dingy, but cool. They warned us to be prepared for rain all the time, but it has been very nice.

Tomorrow, Incheon for FC Seoul versus Incheon in the K-League. We'll let you know. Klay is hoping for fires in the stands like he has seen on TV. Me, I am hoping for kimbab rolls for stadium food...

Ahhh, a tale of two cities. We as Westerners sometimes forget that the other side of the world was rocking along as Europe developed. The dynasties of Korea formed in about 40 BC, and had a real growth period in the 300 AD period. In the 1300's this palace, pictured on the right, was the center of culture in this country. Gyeongdungbok was the place to be. It appears that they didn't get very far after this period; basically fending off the Chinese and Japanese for about the next 1,000 years. To give you some idea of the growth over here, seems that they lay claim to the first real metal-type printing press, about 75 years before the Gutenberg (sp) bible was printed. Needless to say, that claim may be a bit controversial in the West, but they claim they have a UN resolution to prove it....

So, now, after a few hundred years of isolation and dominance by Japan, they are playing catch-up big time. So far, they have done a great job of "knocking off" everything others have done (like Japan did 40 years ago). Just look at the cars. Every one is good mechanically, and they all look vaguely like a car someone else designed -- a BMW, Mercedes, Lexis, you name it. But they seem pretty determined. Heck, the Hyundai I drive looks like a 2004 Jaguar. Really, it does. Don't laugh.

Now, the new Korea is the picture on the left. Tons of riot police outside the very temple guarded by the 1300 AD soldiers. Seems they have pretty big demonstrations on a daily basis around here, and one was ginning up again today. Democracy in action, and apparently still a little messy.

And here is a mystery. Hardly any crime. One of the safest counties in the world. Poverty here to be sure. So what's the secret? There was a 5,000 won note ($5) on the floor here outside the hall where the dirt-poor mothers-to-be stay here at the orphanage, and it stayed there for 4 days.

June 14.

Hi, Klay here. Today we are at a Buddhist temple. You can tell how much Max and I like this place, because we are busy sword-fighting right outside the place where the monks are praying. Really, we read that the monks of Korea were fighting monks who had to fight for their country. Cool.

Also, I tried kimchi today. Picked cabbage. I know, doesn't sound right. But all Koreans eat it with every meal, and it is good. My mom actually snuck into the kitchen here and got us a big bowl to have with dinner.

June 12. The games Koreans play.

Korea is obsessed with golf. It is everywhere on TV and in the stores. But you can't find a golf course anywhere. But you will find tons of these everywhere. In a country where flat ground is a precious commodity, you can't waste it on knocking around a little white ball.

But you can engineer these immense driving ranges. Some have 5 stories of hitting boothes. All the balls go into the huge net suspended by a massive steel bar structure. You can actually hit the ball a couple hundred yards in some of these things. There is one right down the street from the guest house.

A round of golf? $200 bucks, we are told, for the least of the courses here. So these golfers get pretty good before they hit the links, is my guess.

It is now Wednesday the 13th...we took the KTX back to Seoul today. Sad to leave the Westin Chosun Beach, a hotel that feels like something out of a Bond movie, with all the foreigners and business people and gamblers. The have 1 casino in Busan, and it is for foreigners only. Now there is a way for Texas to do casino gambling -- require that only Okies can play! In any event, the place brings in a certain crowd to the hotel that gives it a Casablanca feel. Right down to the acts in the pubs and lounges, all who sing American songs -- but are Russian.

Good news. We scored soccer tickets for Saturday evening. We need to take the train to Incheon. Incheon plays FC Seoul that night. And we get to go with Max's foster sister. Sun Ok is now 17, and will be going to college next year. She wants to see Max -- she was 10 when Max was at her house, and cried and cried when he left, we are told (Max was the first foster kid in Mrs. Ahn's house). So Sun Ok and a friend are going to go with us to the game. She wants to try out her English. Should be a great time...