Staying connected half a world away
by Doug Haynes
When one branch of the family lives half a world away, the
challenges of staying connected can be considerable. In our case my
wife’s family resides in Korea, so we find ourselves traveling to Seoul
more than the average family. Despite the distance, we connect by
phone, Internet and regular visits back and forth.
In packing for a trip we load up the suitcases to the maximum
weight permitted by the airlines with gifts for my wife’s extended family.
Sometimes we try to find something special for each person, but lately
we have just been bringing along lots of honey (about 24 jars of it). It
makes a nice gift and so far we haven’t broken any on the way.
We usually stay for an extended period since the first week is kind of
sleepy. In 2007, we went to Seoul for three weeks so I could attend an
intensive language course and we could participate in my mother- in-law’
s 70th birthday. My wife (Jungja) and daughter (Hyunji) used the time to
explore Seoul and have fun with family and friends. My daughter likes
being with her aunts and uncles and cousins and enjoys playing at the
bathhouses. Last summer, I was invited to participate in an international
art exhibition in Japan in July, so we decided to make the trip a second
year in a row. We took an extended journey through the southern part of
Korea visiting mountains and temples and despite the steaming hot
weather we had a wonderful time.
When one branch of the family lives half a world away, the
challenges of staying connected can be considerable. In our case my
wife’s family resides in Korea, so we find ourselves traveling to Seoul
more than the average family. Despite the distance, we connect by
phone, Internet and regular visits back and forth.
In packing for a trip we load up the suitcases to the maximum
weight permitted by the airlines with gifts for my wife’s extended family.
Sometimes we try to find something special for each person, but lately
we have just been bringing along lots of honey (about 24 jars of it). It
makes a nice gift and so far we haven’t broken any on the way.
We usually stay for an extended period since the first week is kind of
sleepy. In 2007, we went to Seoul for three weeks so I could attend an
intensive language course and we could participate in my mother- in-law’
s 70th birthday. My wife (Jungja) and daughter (Hyunji) used the time to
explore Seoul and have fun with family and friends. My daughter likes
being with her aunts and uncles and cousins and enjoys playing at the
bathhouses. Last summer, I was invited to participate in an international
art exhibition in Japan in July, so we decided to make the trip a second
year in a row. We took an extended journey through the southern part of
Korea visiting mountains and temples and despite the steaming hot
weather we had a wonderful time.
On the way home, our suitcases must make room for the generous
gifts from family and all the goods acquired during numerous shopping
excursions. A good portion of our load was committed to various
essentials for Korean cooking. As we packed, I prayed that some of the
more pungent smelling ingredients would stay in their containers. When
we collected our suitcases at the baggage claim, I smelled the strong
smell of Kim Chee, but fortunately not ours. The customs agent in Chicago
seemed to be familiar with the aroma of Korean cooking and waved us
through.
Doug E. L. Haynes grew up in Madison, Wisconsin but finds himself
feeling very much at home in Seoul. Haynes and his daughter maintain
their language skills at the Korean Language School of Madison and
enjoy Korean cooking on a daily basis.
gifts from family and all the goods acquired during numerous shopping
excursions. A good portion of our load was committed to various
essentials for Korean cooking. As we packed, I prayed that some of the
more pungent smelling ingredients would stay in their containers. When
we collected our suitcases at the baggage claim, I smelled the strong
smell of Kim Chee, but fortunately not ours. The customs agent in Chicago
seemed to be familiar with the aroma of Korean cooking and waved us
through.
Doug E. L. Haynes grew up in Madison, Wisconsin but finds himself
feeling very much at home in Seoul. Haynes and his daughter maintain
their language skills at the Korean Language School of Madison and
enjoy Korean cooking on a daily basis.
(L-R) Hyunji Lee (Doug Hayne's daughter) enjoys playing on the cool Korean stream; Hyunji is
met by a relative in the airport; Hayne's photographic collage: "Men's Party"
met by a relative in the airport; Hayne's photographic collage: "Men's Party"
