Never mind everyone telling me how brave Steve and I were for moving our family across the world to Korea. The real troopers here are my kids. I couldn't be more proud of Benjamin especially. Those who know him well know he is an old soul with a very special spirit. From our camping trips walking along the Appalachian Trail to meditating in the mountains with monks, he always has a positive attitude and appreciates the small delights.
This move hasn’t been the easiest adjustment on him. To begin with he has a new pesky little sister to deal with and had to say good-bye to his favorite dog. His school bus comes at seven in the morning when it’s still dark outside and he rides the bus about forty-five minutes to school and back every day. We live far from the youth activities that the American base offers. Still, Benjamin has handled all of the obstacles amazingly well for a five year old. He loves to eat with his chopsticks and ride the subway and the bullet train, and eat bulgolgi at the Korean restaurants.
Recently I enrolled him in a Korean art school. He has been going after school twice a week. The teachers do not speak English and he is the only American child in his class. A little bus drops him off at our apartment after class. I am so proud of him. He never once put up a fight or resisted because he would be the only American kid in class. He is so brave and everyday I admire his kind-hearted soul.
Sadie is my real Korean baby. She’s been attending a Korean nursery school for six months – again the only American child in the school. She literally understands and speaks more Korean than the rest of us in the family. It’s so cute to see her little Korean mannerisms – the way she squats and bows. Her favorite food is rice. She could eat rice for breakfast, lunch and dinner. I’m told she likes her seaweed and anchovy soups at school and she would rather eat a cucumber for dinner than a piece of pizza or mac n cheese any night. The teachers and students adore her at school. The teachers are very skilled in many areas including art and music. The other day I dropped her off a little late and the children were all sitting around singing songs while one teacher played piano. No cd player, not sitting in a circle singing “the wheels on the bus,” but instead the children get to enjoy this gift every day.
This is a gift and experience I hope that one day both Sadie and Benjamin will look back at and appreciate. I hope that they will always look upon new experiences and opportunities with an open mind and with optimism. When they meet new people, travel to different lands, or just think of the past, they will always be able to say, “When I was in Korea . . .”
This move hasn’t been the easiest adjustment on him. To begin with he has a new pesky little sister to deal with and had to say good-bye to his favorite dog. His school bus comes at seven in the morning when it’s still dark outside and he rides the bus about forty-five minutes to school and back every day. We live far from the youth activities that the American base offers. Still, Benjamin has handled all of the obstacles amazingly well for a five year old. He loves to eat with his chopsticks and ride the subway and the bullet train, and eat bulgolgi at the Korean restaurants.
Recently I enrolled him in a Korean art school. He has been going after school twice a week. The teachers do not speak English and he is the only American child in his class. A little bus drops him off at our apartment after class. I am so proud of him. He never once put up a fight or resisted because he would be the only American kid in class. He is so brave and everyday I admire his kind-hearted soul.
Sadie is my real Korean baby. She’s been attending a Korean nursery school for six months – again the only American child in the school. She literally understands and speaks more Korean than the rest of us in the family. It’s so cute to see her little Korean mannerisms – the way she squats and bows. Her favorite food is rice. She could eat rice for breakfast, lunch and dinner. I’m told she likes her seaweed and anchovy soups at school and she would rather eat a cucumber for dinner than a piece of pizza or mac n cheese any night. The teachers and students adore her at school. The teachers are very skilled in many areas including art and music. The other day I dropped her off a little late and the children were all sitting around singing songs while one teacher played piano. No cd player, not sitting in a circle singing “the wheels on the bus,” but instead the children get to enjoy this gift every day.
This is a gift and experience I hope that one day both Sadie and Benjamin will look back at and appreciate. I hope that they will always look upon new experiences and opportunities with an open mind and with optimism. When they meet new people, travel to different lands, or just think of the past, they will always be able to say, “When I was in Korea . . .”
4 comments:
Great post! Aren't children resilient and amazing? We are glad that we have experienced a lot of this craziness with you and your family! Just think in a few months we will be saying, "remember when we were in Korea and..."
What a wonderful outlook, Jenny! And how lucky Benjamin and Sadie are to have a mom that appreciates them and sees how strong they are.
A great reminder to all of us "parents" how strong and open our kids are to people and experiences. Way to go Benjamin and Sadie. Cho-sim-ne-da!
Beautifully put. You are definitely giving your children great exposure. I'd love to hear more about that art school. It sounds wonderful.
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