Day 6

Very busy day today. Up early -- well, early for me! Taxi to the Holt offices. They had devotions and an awards ceremony, it's the 54th anniversary of Holt Korea. It was interesting listening to a church service in Korea. My friend Eun Hee lent me her bible which is an NIV Korean-English bible. It was pretty cool, especially since the NIV bible is what I'm used to. I'd like to get the Korean-English version.

After a tour of the Holt offices we went to lunch with President Min Kyung-tae, David Lim (from Eugene who happened to be in Seoul at the same time), Molly Holt, 3 physicians from Ohio doing a residency exchange, and a couple of guys I don't know. We went to Bulgogi Brothers - sort of a Korean version of our Burrito Brothers, but much nicer. The food was excellent, although with my dietary limitations I didn't get to sample much. What I could sample was delicious. Very traditional meal, the meat is cooked in a pot set into each table, with many side dishes.

Touring the office here made me realize how easy I have it in my own office. They have 3 or 4 people squashed into one room the same size as the director's offices at HICS. Some offices were slightly bigger, but the cubicles are only low half walls, so there is no privacy at all. These are temporary quarters as a new building will be erected on the site of the old Holt offices, but it won't be finished for at least 28 months. We also got to see a lot of babies coming into the office, foster mothers picking up donated clothes, seeing the Holt physicians, and even a couple of families meeting their new children.

After lunch Angie and I visited a home for unwed mothers, which was very interesting. Some of the girls looked so young! They also asked some very good questions, obviously concerned that their children will have a good life in their new families. We also visited a foster family at their home. Angie and Pat will be escorting the little boy home to Eugene to meet his new family. Tomorrow is his first birthday, he's been with this foster family since he was 2 weeks old. He was so cute, very chubby, and very active. The foster parents were marvelous, long time foster parents for Holt. It was such an honor to meet them in their home.

I have learned a few lessons since coming to Seoul: The white lines on the streets are suggestions; the clutch on a 5 speed is optional; if you can fit your bumper between the two cars next to you, then you have the right to change lanes; motorcycles don't have to obey any traffic laws; and even if you don't need to change lanes, you should do so every block or so, just to make your presence known. Oddly enough, the driving here really doesn't bother me, as long as I don't have to do the driving!

No pictures today, too busy. We are hoping to visit Ilsan Town tomorrow, Holt's orphanage and where Harry and Bertha Holt are buried. Our guide/translator/exceptional friend Mrs. Lee Eun Jeong went to the hospital today for an emergency appendectomy! We saw her this morning, and she didn't look well, very pale. By the afternoon she was in and out of surgery and feeling no pain. I've met her before, and loved working with her. She is also the social worker who handles all US Holt clients. She had 4 families coming in today, and another 3-4 tomorrow. She's going to be out for at least 2 weeks. I wish one of us spoke Korean so we could help out tomorrow with the foster mothers and new families!

I'll be sure to get a picture of me in front of the Holt office tomorrow.

PS. I love it here!