Camp Kajok

Each year the Korean Presbyterian Church in The City hosts a Korean Culture Camp for Korean adoptive families.  Last year since Reuben was just two, Peter and I went.  But this year all four of us went and we had such a great time together.

We went to five classes:

1. How to celebrate the Lunar New Year, their biggest holiday

They wear hanboks and travel to be with family.

This was my first time wearing one and I felt very princess-like.

I loved that it's so big and roomy.

They're not going for the shortest, tightest dress to look attractive, 

but fluffy and flowy.

2. How to eat with chopsticks

We learned that chopsticks originated in China to hold hot things.

Then they used them for all eating.

Then later the Koreans made them with stainless steal, instead of bamboo.

Stainless steel ones are very thin and tricky.

Practicing by picking up marshmallows.

Then they pulled out these training chopsticks that are joined with a hinge at the top and have finger grips.

3. The ondol floor heating system

This was really interesting and makes so much sense.

We have a pic of Rueben's bed at his foster mom's house and it's a mat on the floor.

 Very opposite from China where the floors are nasty nasty.

4. How to make Kim Bop

If you saw it you'd say it was sushi.

But there's no raw fish.

I think that's Japanese.

On a big seaweed sheet you put rice, radish, steak, carrots, pickle, egg, and anything else you like.

Then you roll it up using this handy bamboo mat.

Then slice it and eat it.

The boys thought they were super tasty.

5.  How to write in Korean

Learning his name.

Then we had a glorious feast for lunch.

In which they got to use their chopstick skills.

Then a demonstration of the important Dol ceremony.

This is the first birthday party to celebrate that the child survived to be one.

We tried to do this for Reuben when he was one.

There's a lot to it and we naively left a lot out.

But we did it and we have pictures to show Rube when he's older.

Then a drum dancing demo.

Reuben got his drum and sticks taken away due to his overexuberant drumming.

She was very polite about it.

Aha, and then the Tae Kwon Do demo.

The highlight of the day.

They were so excited.

Here, Master Ahn is trying to pry open his fist.

He was really into it.

She's showing him how to punch because he's about to break a board.

Watch this...

What a fabulous day!