Last week, Melinda, an adoptee from California went on the live KBS Show that helps people search for their birth families. Because I am going on the show later in the month, Melinda invited me as her one guest to accompany her. We went to a room with the producer and the two people who were going on the show. Each person was given their "script" a typed version of their story, and they reviewed it with the producer. The two other folks, one man, one woman, were each Korean, and we couldn't understand what they were saying. They both had artist's depictions of places they remember. Melinda said the one woman had been there the same day she did her pre-interview and her translator told her the story she related. She had argued with her mother and threatened to run away...later that evening, her mom said they were going to the store and got on subway. The little girl fell asleep on the subway and awoke alone. Her mom had abandoned her on the subway.
Melinda got a translator that the show provided. They reviewed her "script" and then we all went to the TV studio. The background was pink and purples and flowers...very Korean. (Koreans like flowery, pretty things...the women wear VERY feminine clothes...everything is soo cutesy.) There were two rows of women in the audience, two emcees and three other announcer-type people who spoke during the program. The two Korean-Koreans went first. They had their depictions and described their story. The emcees asked them questions and the audience ohhh and ahhhed, as if on cue. They interviewed a woman via Skype (an internet connection that has video and audio capabilities). The woman has married a Japanese man and now lives in Japan. A video was then shown of a reunion. Someone who had previously been on the show was reunited with her family. It wasn't completely clear, but it looked like maybe an uncle/aunt or older sister or brother. It showed them going to a burial plot and placing flowers on her mother's grave. Although it was in Korean, it was a real tear-jerker that she had found her family, but her mother had already passed away.
Then it was Melinda's turn. She has experience in broadcast reporting, so I knew she would do well. She was cool and confident and started on her script as planned. Then the emcee added a question or two...I was surprised as I'd listened to their review and knew those were unplanned questions. But Melinda handled it easily and moved on. She had provided a number of pictures of her as a young girl...pictures of her in her sports uniforms, pictures from high school, as well as baby pictures. They were so cute. They were flashed up while she was being interviewed. The show took an hour from start to finish. I'm hoping that I will be able to make it through my turn on 6/24, as easily as Melinda did.
On Saturday, I was out shopping in Insadong area, and heard the beat of the Korean drums. It was a traditional wedding ceremonial march. It was the bride being taken to her husband's family. It was a colorful parade. The groom is on the horse, and the bride is being carried in the "thingie" (that's a technical term...heehee). What a colorful parade.
Also in Insadong was a demonstration and fundraiser for refugees from North Korea. As you all know, North Korea's government and leaders are corrupt and power hungry, as was demonstrated by their recent unprovoked sinking of a South Korean ship. The residents of North Korea experience great hardship including starvation. Many people try to leave the country, but because the borders are heavily guarded, it is a dangerous proposition. They must usually bribe the border guards to let them cross, take their chances that they won't be caught in China and returned, find their way to a different country, and then finally return to South Korea.
We heard a recent story about a family with three children who were trying to escape. The children went one way and the parents the other. They had plans to eventually met up together. The parents were caught and returned to North Korea. They were interrogated and asked where their children were. Because the parents did not know where they were, they told them where they thought they might be. The army went to look for them and didn't find them, the parents were shot and killed. So, Holt was called to see what they could do for the children. It's difficult though, because the stories they hear are all secondhand, of course, so they can't be 100% sure that these children are now orphans. North Koreans must stay in a repatriation (is that a word?) camps for two months. This is partly for the South Korean government to make sure they are not spies, and partly for their benefit as they are given jobs by the South Korean government, signed up for monthly stipends (not sure how long that lasts), and are giving referrals to other support networks, as it is necessary for them to get support from outside sources because they have no family here.
My homestay dad actually leads one such support organization for North Koreans. They plan outings together, visit each other when a family member dies (they do three days of mourning), attend each others' celebrations (anniversaries, etc.), provide scholarships for their children. He actually escaped from North Korea when he was 17 years old. His sister still lives there, and they have orchestrated visits with her in the past. But because she is older, it is too difficult to have these meetings any more, which involved his sister donning a wetsuit in the winter, crossing the river, removing and hiding the wetsuit, and then going to a nearby town in China where a covert meeting was arranged. On their last such visit, she told them she couldn't do it anymore. The stories she told them were really horrible included watching people being shot on the street, going to and receiving rice where food was being distributed (and was being videotaped), then being required by the government to return the rice the next day, after the cameras were gone.
Holt has a wheelchair basketball team, and they were participating in a tournament, so we went to watch one of their games and cheer for them. I went with MeeHyang, an adoptee from Belgium who was living and volunteering at Holt's Ilsan Town, had met the team and knew some of the players. They are all volunteer players, and all have jobs, so they have to find the time to practice. They are a good team, but some of the other teams have sponsorships that allow them more regular practice and training. When you first start watching the game, it's hard to see what is going on because there is so much equipment on the floor. After a few minutes, you could see their strategies, watch how hard they play and observe the skirmishes. It was really great. One of the players had a "fan" section...we guessed it was his mom. She and her friends were yelling and cheering. The biggest difference in the rules, is that the traveling rule is a little different. Obviously, they have to roll their wheelchair...they do dribble a little, and must dribble when they change directions, otherwise it is traveling. But, if they aren't changing directions, then they can carry the ball on their lap (like for a fast break). Their play was spirited and physical, as you might expect any sports competition to be. In fact, several times the players fell out of their chairs...just watching it made me wince...it had to hurt! The teams were tied at half, but Holt ended up falling behind in the last quarter. Like any other game, they lost their game at the freethrow line.
Today there is a family party at my homestay. A niece and nephew-in-law from Colorado are here visiting, so the family will gather for dinner. I will help where I can, but their ajuma is here to help with the cooking, so I'll mostly just stay out of her way.
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