Full Circle

Yesterday, my homestay mom, Angela drove me to Wonju, the city of my birth.  It was definitely on my list of must do's while in Korea.  It's a little bit more than an hour by car.  Angela is in her late 60s and didn't learn to drive until she was in her 40s.  She explained that she was in a couple of taxi accidents when she was young and was traumatized by that.  I thought the road was wide and well marked along the way.  There were even English translations of most of the Korean signs.  Angela liked to take more than one lane at a time...yikes!  She asked me if I thought I was a safe driver.  I told her yes, but she might get a different answer if she asked someone else.  She then asked me if I thought she was a safe driver.  I told her that I thought she was a safe driver.  She said she drives slowly...I said she drives like my mom (speed wise, only, my mom doesn't straddle the lanes).  I'm happy to take the subway for the remainder of my stay in Korea.  lol

super rest stop

 live music at the rest stop

On the way to Wonju we stopped at what I can only describe as a super rest stop.  This area's parking lot was incredibly full...people everywhere.  It looks like a strip mall with restaurants, small gift shops, large restrooms with many stalls (yay...no waiting), even people selling stuff out of their truck.  It was amazing.  The gas station is at the far end of the rest area.  It almost seems like it was added as an afterthought.  We did have to stop for gas, and they pump for you (how novel).  Angela brought some snacks with her and tea (made from some tree root, but "good for health").  I tried it.  It tasted like tree root tea.  Well, it was actually not that bad and the taste kind of grew on me.  In fact, she offered me some more later, and I accepted.  She also gave me a piece of pork sausage wrapped in cellophane...it looked like a tootsie roll.  It was good.  I tried my first (and probably my last) piece of dried ginseng...it is also a root and good for health.  I'm not so sure I want to be that healthy.  

 Mt. Chiakasan

Back on the road again, and I couldn't help but notice how poor the air quality was.  There are mountains in the distance and they were barely distinguishable.  Angela explained that yellow sand from Mongolia China blows through the air.  It is sometimes so heavy that it settles on the cars and people are warned to wear face masks.  In fact, I saw a number of cyclists, all who wore face masks.  They sell face masks that are made of a colorful, stretchy fabric and fit over your face, or can be worn as a headband, or just around your neck to keep your neck warm.  

We stopped for lunch and Angela ordered pork (she knows I'm not a big fan of fish).  She explained that the pork is boiled, so that there is no fat left, and all the spices in the water are absorbed by the meat.  It was really very tasty.  John, you would have loved it because it was a fatty piece of meat.  To eat the pork, you put it on a lettuce leaf, with some onions and red sauce.  It's messy, but delicious.  She also ordered soup with homemade noodles.  She told me that all soup stock is made with dried anchovies and vegetables.  The fish flavor wasn't noticeable, and the soup was delicious.  They float small pieces of nori and white sesame seeds on top before they serve it.  It was a pretty dish.  But, eating the noodles with chopsticks is a talent I've not quite mastered.  I used my spoon, instead.

 hospital building on the university campus

house, now a museum

YWCA

We got to Wonju and my first impression was that it was a big, modern city now.  There was road construction and many new apartments being built.  Angela's son went to medical school in Wonju, so she took me to his campus, as there are several older buildings there.  She said that the hospital on the campus used to be run by missionaries.  The building has been renovated, so it looked newer.  The other older buildings I saw were the YWCA, which currently houses a daycare; and a large, obviously older house, that is now a museum at the university.


As I stood on the campus and looked over the view of the city, I felt very emotional thinking about how I'd actually been in this city many years ago.  I thought about my birth mother and the difficult choices she had to make.  I thought about a young Johnny, full of anticipation, riding with the two missionaries to pickup a tiny baby. I was surprised at how much the city looked like where I live now.  The hills look like the hills of Sonoma county.  There are rivers in both cities.  I felt a connection to the city, and a peace that I'd come full circle.  It's hard to explain the swirl of emotions, but mostly of gratitude.  I'm so thankful for my parents for adopting me and for giving me such wonderful opportunities.  I'm thankful for my birth mom for bringing me into the world a healthy baby.  I'm so thankful for John's selflessness to let me leave him minding the shop alone for three months.  I'm thankful for all the wonderful friends and family I have and for the awesome moral support I get from them.  And, I'm so happy that I was able to make this trip.