Tips for Adoptive Familes traveling to Korea: Phones

EPs! Referrals! So much great news in the past few weeks as the Korean ministry begins moving forward with international adoptions once again.

The next step will be travel calls. It's almost been a year since we received our travel call and my heart still beats fast as I remember the excitement, anxiousness and joy that call brought. I'm keeping my fingers crossed that soon friends who have waited this long year for the EPs to beging again will get their calls and be making the trek to Korea to complete their families.

With that in mind, I thought I'd share some of the travel information I have amassed. There's so much to share that I'm actually breaking it up into several posts.

Enjoy!

STAYING CONNECTED: PHONES

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To take a phone or not? If we were to do it again, I'd definitely opt for a phone. You can purchase calling cards very cheaply to call back home, but that means you always have to call from a land line. We found it very difficult to do this as we were rarely in our hotel room. Reasons to have a cellular are:

• staying connected with family back home (especially if you have children who did not come on the trip)
• staying in touch with the adoption agency in Korea--more importantly--they will have a way to contact you!
• connecting up with other adoptive families/friends in country
• taking advantage of the translation/tourist services available by phone while in Korea (see phone services section below)

So, if you opt for cellular service, it's cheaper than you might think. Here are some of the ways you can stay connected on your trip.

Use your own phone: Check with your current cellular plan provider. Many phones are now capable of international service and you can sign up for a short-term international plan with your provider. You will need to check if your phone model is capable of international use. Also make sure you know if texting is included in the plan. (We had an iPhone and it was an international version. We paid a small sum for the international plan with our provider. However, it did not work when we were in Korea, so we didn't have a phone for the trip.)

Rent a phone: Renting a phone in Korea seems to be quick and easy. And fairly inexpensive! Look for the rental kiosks at Incheon airport and Gimpo. S'Roaming is a rental agency there and from all I've read, most people have had great experiences with them. They rent both mobile and smart phones and you can reserve your phone in advance. You can see their rates on their site. There are also other rental agencies available. (CHECK OUT THIS SITE for more info.) I have not rented from any of these agencies though, so I can't attest to the actual process or service. If you rent a phone while in Korea, leave a comment and let us know how it went!

Rent a phone & use your SIM card: You may also consider renting a phone in Korea, but using your SIM card in the phone. This would allow you to use your own mobile number. Not sure how that affects prices/rates on your US plan. Check with your provider.

Calling card: If you opt to go sans cellular, you can always pick up calling cards and phone home. They are really cheap and easy to use.


SERVICES AVAILABLE VIA TELEPHONE IN KOREA
Korea has some amazing phone services designed especially to help English-speaking travelers. We used the interpretation service once to help a cabbie figure out where we were trying to go. It was awesome!

• MEDICAL EMERGENCY 1339: English speaking doctors are available to give medical info 24-hours a day. Dial 1339 without area code when calling from within Seoul. To call from a mobile or outside of Seoul, dial 02-1399.

• TRAVEL PHONE 1330: 24-hour service provides travel info and interpretation services! Info on tourist attractions, shopping areas, and travel packages, available in 17 different languages. Dial 02-1330. This is not a toll-free call.

• CRIME REPORT 112: 24-hour service where foreigners can report crimes to the Korean National Police.

• INTERPRETATION SERVICE 1588-5644: Volunteers provide translation services for 17 different languages. When you need to communicate with someone (cab driver, hotel staff, shop owner, etc.) you give them a call, talk with the translator and hand the phone over to whomever you are trying to communicate with. Don't you love Korean helpfulness?!

Trader Joes--a hotbed of Korean adoption action

Trader Joe's seems to be a hotbed of Korean adoption action for us lately.

Maybe it's the kimchi fried rice in the freezer section? (BTW--the kimchi fried rice is excellent and very spicy. We love it fried up with scrambled eggs.) Or could it be the fresh kimchi in the refrigerated section? (We have this in our fridge now but haven't taste tested it.) And LM and I LOVE the roasted seaweed.

It's fun to see so many Korean foods making their way into mainstream stores.

So, back to the Korean adoption part....

A few weekends ago we were shopping with Little Man in tow, when a woman ran up and said "my daughter was adopted from China and my son is from South Korea. Is your son from one of those places?" Awesome! We chatted quickly and found that their son is about a month older than ours and he came home a week before us! And, we both used the exact same two agencies. Weird.

So, in the midst of the produce area we exchanged numbers. We managed to catch up for dessert a few days later and I can't tell you how much fun it was. We'll be getting the boys and the rest of the family members together again soon. Yay!

Flash forward to last week's shopping trip. Again, in the produce area (?!) a lovely woman stopped to chat with me. She has a daughter in tow, a few months younger than Little Man. She asked if my husband was Asian and then gently asked if Owen was adopted. When I said yes, he was born in South Korea, she shared that she too was adopted from South Korea and she and her husband were working on an adoption as well. They had passed their home study and were waiting for a referral when she got pregnant, so their adoption is currently on hold. They are waiting to begin the process again.

So we exchanged info as well.

Again, I am reminded how adoption has opened up our world in so many wonderful ways! Can't wait to see what happens this week at Trader Joe's.

Friday Flotsam: 3.23.2012

Surprise! A Friday Flotsam! Unfortunately, blogging has fallen a bit by the wayside lately. I really don't like that because there's something comforting in sitting down to think and write and share. I miss the "me" time!

I'll catch ya up later on what's going on around here. But today we wanted to give a big birthday shout-out to my folks, AKA, Gamma and Papa.

Gamma's birthday is today, and Papa's is tomorrow. Little Man really loves to spend time with them both, but since we live so far from them, he mostly has gotten to know them through our video chats.

Christmas morning: opening presents from Gamma and Papa during a video chat. © Cheese Curds & Kimchi

Every Sunday, we fire up the computer and visit. Sometimes LM hangs out on our laps and talks to them. Sometimes he shows off by running around the room and showing them his toys. He's also played some fun games of hide and seek with them, and chatted with them while he was taking a bath and eating dinner.

Lately his favorite thing to do is to have them try some of his cooking. He holds a ladle or cookie up to the computer monitor where their faces are. They lean in close to the camera on their end and take a bite. LM thinks this is the coolest thing!

I can't tell you how fun these chats are, and I'm so glad there is the technology out there to help bridge the distance between us. And it's nice that Gamma and Papa make the time to do this every week. They even fired up the computer for a chat when they were recently on vacation at the beach. Cool!

So Happy Birthday to my parents, two super awesome people who have always been there for us through the joys and trials of our lives, and who are fantastic grandparents!

We love you guys! Please feel free to leave comments and wish them Happy Birthday!

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To laugh: Baby Sleep Positions
To surprise: Ice Cream Sundae Kit
To remember: It's Homestudy Day and I'm Not Perfect Yet
To play: 39 Ideas To Play And Learn With Playdough
To remind them you love them: No Time To Be Fun
To teach: Why I Argue In Front Of My Kids (Sometimes)
to be honest: A long, rambling post in which I talk about attachment

Domestic adoption rules change in Korea

News of yet another change in the revision of adoption processes in Korea. This rule came into effect March 9 and doesn't seem to speak specifically to international adoptions. But it could possibly have big repercussions for the domestic adoption process in Korea.

Some of the big changes are:

• Birthmothers must wait 7 days before relinquishing the babies for adoption: this sure seems tough. In the US the waiting period is 24-72 hours. It's unclear in this article if the birthmothers in Korea will remain in contact with the babies during this waiting period. 
• Domestic adoptions will be on the public record: this seems like the biggest and most potentially problematic rule change. Adoption in Korea is still quite secretive and the majority of the adoptive parents there do not tell family or children about the adoption. So if the adoption is now a public record, will it make Koreans less inclined to do it? This would have the exact opposite result that the government has been aiming for which is to promote domestic adoption.

Read more about the rule change in THIS article. It's really insightful to learning more about how adoption is viewed in Korea.

Coming full circle--A Korean adoptee returns to volunteer at a baby reception home

No time to blog right now, but wanted to share this great story with you right away. Korean adoptee Jennine Cusimano shares her story about volunteering at a baby reception home in Korea for a month during the summer of 2011.

The story gave me more insight about the facility itself, as well as the experience of the birthmothers, called "little moms" who live there as they wait to give birth to their children. I found this passage in particular, especially touching:

"I really enjoyed staying with the little moms, we all would hangout and watch television or play games on our lap tops or have ice cream parties and eat pizza and snacks. A lot of times, I would watch the little moms make toys and clothing for their babies. It was important to them to know that they were sending their baby away with something that was from them, one of the girls told me that it was her way of leaving a part of her with her baby. Some of the little moms also kept journals with photos of their sonograms and wrote letters to their babies saying they were sorry they had to give them up, but it was because they loved them very much and only wanted the best for them and that they deserved a much better life than they could give them. It was extremely emotional and the little moms always took pride in what they made for their babies and most of the girls who had already given birth would show me photos of their baby."

I also loved learning how an adoptee felt about returning to Korea and getting a glimpse into her culture.

Here's the link to the story--My Spence-Chapin Korea Intern Experience.

10-months and three days

Dearest Little Man,

As you sleep sweetly, your old mum is writing with a full heart. I know the day is nearly over, but I had to put this down while there are still a few hours left on the clock.

Today was a lovely day! We road tripped to Madison to spend the morning with friends from our Korean support group. You were a great travel companion. Too bad Daddy couldn't come but I was happy to have you to myself.

We sang songs on the drive and after about an hour you finally closed your eyes for a little catnap. I shifted my rear view mirror to get a better view of you as you slept, and marveled again at just how perfect you are.

It was a wonderful visit with our friends. Don't you wish we could do this more often? But we had to head back home, so we loaded up and hit the road once again. The drive back was just as fun. You entertained yourself by taking off your shoes and socks and shouting at trucks on the freeway.

Once we got home, Daddy was there waiting for us. We only had a little time together before I had to leave for work. And by all accounts, your afternoon with Daddy was just as nice.

But these things aren't what made today so special for me.

No, Darling. Today was special because you have been with us for 10 months and three days. Which is exactly 1 day longer than the age you were when you came home.

That means that you've been with us longer than away from us. We've been a family longer than we were apart. It's sort of amazing, isn't it?

Amazing and wonderful!

That's all I wanted to tell you, Babe.

Hugs and kisses,

Mommy

EPs are rolling!

Oh, happy day! Remember that whole EP backlog I wrote about last year. Well, many families have had a long wait, hoping for the Korean government to begin releasing exit permissions/emigration permits (EPs) so they could bring their children home.

I don't have to tell you how tough this would be. To wait and wait, knowing everything was in place to finally bring your child home, and all that was holding it up was this one piece of paper and it's politics behind the mess.

For some families, the wait is finally over. The first EPs have just been released since last summer! So happy for these families. They hope to travel within 3-4 weeks. It depends on their agency and with so many people receiving the EPs at once, they have to spread out the arrivals.

But at least, things are moving again. Hopefully they will continue progressing smoothly and these kids will be united with their forever families.

For more info on the EP situation, go HERE.

Next, hopefully referrals will pick up again too.

I've got first world problems

source: midnightdiscord

My refrigerator is so stuffed with food that some of it goes bad.

My smartphone keeps dropping calls.

Starbucks made my latte with whole milk instead of low fat. Now I have to go through the drive through again so they can fix the mistake.

Yes, these are some of my real-life problems. I can't believe we live with this shit. (Sarcasm, people.)

************

Welcome to the world of First World Problems. FWP are stupid things that we whine about. They are "problems" that we have the luxury to have.

Check out this super funny list of First World Problems that other people have dealt with. This list had me laughing and reminding me again, what a privileged life we really have.

Here's a few of my favorites:

• My hand is too fat to shove into the Pringles container so I am forced to tilt it.
• I can't hear the TV while I am eating crunchy snacks.
• I forgot to bring my phone with me when I went to poop and I was bored the entire time.

For more First World Problems, check out these sites:


First World Problems {firstworldproblems.com}
First World Problems  {reddit}
20 First World Problems {the Chive}

Do you have any First World Problems??