We are either really brave or just insane. But really, the kids did great and I managed to keep my own whining to a minimum. I expected the worst, sleep-wise and behavior-wise, and pretty much geared up for a miserable time of sleep-deprivation, dehydration and an illness that would require time spent in a Korean hospital.
Thankfully, only the first two happened, and mainly because the kids were so excited and because airplane rides really do dry you out. Thanks to the sheer adorableness and charm of our kids, Armando was able to win major brownie points with an important customer, and we also had some much-needed family together time.
Here's a few highlights of our excursion and our time in Korea:
- the flight attendant on the way there who graciously patted my shoulder and handed me a glass of wine in the back galley as my kids ran, screeching, up and down the aisles.
- the dozens of people who stopped to talk to and/or touch our tow-headed children and the hundreds who stared at the bright orange double-wide stroller with the blonde kids inside (apparently not an everyday sight there, not surprisingly, as most things there are small, and most of the Americans there live on base).
- Anika and Reni mastering chop-sticks, and Anika delightfully devouring octopus and shrimp with fish eggs
- Anika exclaiming she loved the "local food" and Reni asking for "spicy food!!" (although he did cry a bit when he first tried kimchi)
- Our daily search for the ever-elusive Hello Kitty lip stick that Anika so desired, and our eventual desperation-fueled purchase of a ridiculously overpriced stuffed puppy-in-a-purse that she has rarely let out of her sight since (for those who are wondering, she named it Rosita).
- The jet lag. Something I don't care to experience anytime soon again. First few nights there, kids were exhausted by 4 p.m. and awake at 12:30 a.m. - for the day. Try entertaining two extremely energetic kids in a small hotel room (thank goodness we were upgraded to the suite, so we had a bit more room) when you're going on maybe 2 or 3 hours of sleep over the past 36 hours. At one point, I handed them a sleeve of Ritz-like cheese-filled crackers and let them go to town. A merciful 40 minutes of sleep-like state for me, a horrific mess for the maid that day. We left a large tip and apologized profusely, as we always saw her in the hallway and she was really sweet and friendly to the kids.
- the equivalent $90 grilled cheese sandwiches. Served with pickled vegetables. It was gorgeous - four slices of bread sans crust and lots of gooey cheese - but after that, I just stocked up on snacks from convenience stores so that the kids would have something to eat for their 2 a.m. breakfast.
- Drinkable yogurt. Kimchi. Bibimbap (mixed rice). Ox Bone Soup. Clams, oysters, sushi. Noodles of all kinds...even transparent ones! Fresh-squeezed fruit juice. Delicious. I miss the food.
- Anika and Reni doing gymnastics in the cable car riding up a mountain in the middle of the city.
- The look on the kids' faces as we traversed the city by foot, and how their eyes would grow wider and wider as they scanned buildings higher and higher on the skyline. The looks on their faces when they got to ride in busses or cabs without their car seats. (I feared retribution when car seats would be required back in the U.S., but so far, not a peep.) Both kids insisted on being buckled in, too, and both had to get it done themselves.
And, finally, our 8-hour layover in San Francisco, which meant a much-long-overdue visit with dear friends from our DC days (who now live in SFO and Toronto, respectively):
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