Ddakji

When I was little our family went to Korea (my first time) when I was about 8 years old. We stayed with our grandparents and it was there that I learned the game ddakji with the neighborhood kids.

Ddak-ji is a popular Korean childrens game played using specially made cardboard disks. The disks resemble Pogs but are perhaps thinner and slightly curved. Unlike the games played using Pogs, Ddak-ji uses no 'slammer' piece. Only the ddakji themselves are used.

In the basic version of the game the throwing player is chosen by 'Rock, Paper, Scissors' and the losing player places their disk on the table. The active player throws their disk down on it in an attempt to make the inactive player's disk flip over. The curvature of the disks makes finesse an important part of the technique. If a disk is flipped, the player who flipped it gets to keep it. Variants of this play style exist. (taken from boardgamegeek.com)

Back in those days we made our own ddakji with paper and would decorate it. The newer versions are made with popular characters like Pokemon and Maple Story and is hugely popular right now with kids in Korea.

We recently picked up some ddakji for Little Seouls and introduced them to our boys. They were very intrigued and actually ended up really liking the game.

Try it! It's only $.99 for a pack of 7 pogs. I warn you...your kids will get hooked!

Korean celebrities promote adoption

The "Letter from the Angels No. 5 & Prime Campaign" started in 2003 to encourage adoption within the motherland. My daughter was actually one of the little babies featured in their 2006 campaign.

Explanation behind Korea's Low BirthRate

Here's a great article written by Joong Ang Daily that explains how the middle class plays a big role in the Korea's low birthrate.

Photo taken from JoongAng Daily.

Happy Thanksgiving!

We had Thanksgiving early and this was our Thanksgiving table. We had most of the traditional fixings except we also had kimchi! And yes, we eat with paper plates and wooden chopsticks...is that a Korean thing?

Happy Thanksgiving!

Koreans and Elders

Recently, we celebrated our grandmother's 90th Birthday party. Koreans customarily throw a big birthday party for the 60th birthday party called "hwangab." However, as people tend to live longer, less and less Koreans celebrate "hwangab," and will celebrate the 70th or 80th birthday party. Similar to a first birthday "dol" party, these parties celebrate life and are a big occasion among Koreans.

Here are some cultural tips that we can think of when socializing with the elderly.

Respecting your elders is a big deal among Koreans. When meeting a Korean person, you are expected to bow and greet the older person with respect. If you are sitting down, you are also expected to stand up when greeting them and this also applies when the older person leaves. When dining with an older person, it is respectable to offer the first serving to them and wait until they have taken the first bite before you begin eating. If the older person offers you a drink, you are supposed to politely accept with both hands (left hand on your right arm).

If you know any more, please share!

Winner of the National Adoption Month Giveaway!

Here is the winning photo of Baby Olive on the day she met her mommy! Photo was taken on July 18th 2008.

When we asked her mommy what led their family to adoption, she replied:

"From the moment my husband and I married over 10 years ago, we knew adoption was the way we wanted to build our family. We weren't ready for a long time, but once we decided, we plunged in. As for Korea, we ended up there in a roundabout way. We had originally intended to adopt a child from Viet Nam, but the program closed and we took that as a pretty clear sign that the child who was meant to be with us resided elsewhere. We began preparing an updated homestudy, and in the process, I found our Olive on a waiting child listing. The instant I saw and read about her, I knew she would be our daughter. And I didn't care where she was from! We found out she was from South Korea and were thrilled to research the country to know more about the culture and people. Now, we can't imagine NOT going to Korea - we fell in love with Seoul, the people, the beautiful sights, sounds, and smells, the culture... we hope to go back someday and absorb even more of it."

Olive is now 2 years old and is described as the most perfect child to their family. Here is what else her mommy had to say:

"She is so easy going and laid back. She hardly ever cries or gets angry - very even tempered. She is gentle and kind, and displays a great deal of empathy for others. She adores playing with other kids and is a wonderful "big sister" to our cats. Olive loves animals, being outdoors, and is very active. I couldn't ask for a better daughter!"

We thank Olive's family for sharing their precious photo and adoption story! And thank you to everyone who shared their photos with us. We really enjoyed seeing the photo entries!

Makes a Great Teacher Gift

If you are looking for something unique, besides candy and chocolate, try giving your child's teacher this towel cake! Every year my son gives this to his teacher and they are always so delighted to receive this unique gift. If you're wondering why a towel, towel gifts are very customary in countries like Japan and Korea.

Comes in the packaging as shown.