The Shopping

The shopping with my birth family was fun the first day because I felt like a really lucky kid in a candy store, but after we got through the majority of the second day, it started to get a little high pressure. Thankfully I had Amy who was translating for me on the sly, but it ended up so that I was walking around a market or a store, and they were pretty much single file walking behind me. So about 7 people weaving in and out of very small spaces most of them whispering behind my back that they were worried I didn't like things, and I thought things were ugly. Not exactly like a fun day out shopping with friends and family.

At first the gift buying made me a bit uncomfortable because I had just met these people and I didn't go to meet my birth family expecting tons of gifts, I just wanted to meet them but eventually I just stopped arguing because I think it actually made them feel better than it made me feel. It was a way for them to relieve some guilt about giving me up for adoption. Plus,  I'm now the youngest which in Korea where age is very important the younger siblings are always paid for by the older ones. Come to think of it, I kinda like that mentality. Maybe we should adopt that custom here!

I found in talking to the other adoptees I was not alone in having the shopping spree experience with the birth family. Most of my other  friends that I spoke to about this shopping stuff told me not to fight it because A) You can't fight with Koreans and win especially ones who are older and in your family. B) The guilt thing C) They had all tried to argue previously with their birth families and oddly if they won the birth families ended up getting their feelings hurt and being offended.

Who knew shopping could be this complicated?

In the end I am really happy with all of the things they bought me especially the Hanbok.

Here is a picture of me in it for the first time. (The picture quality is a little crappy because my camera had run out of batteries so I had to take this pic with my iPhone in florescent lighting)

The whole Hanbok outfit consists of:

1. The pants (kind of like a slip)
2. Petticoats
3. Skirt
4. Jacket
5. Special socks
6. Shoes
7. Tassel
8. Purse
9. Ring

Its my favorite thing that we bought the entire time I was there, I absolutely love it! I can't wait for an event where I can actually wear it.

Careful if you make plans we me, I could show up in the bar all Hanbok-ed out!  Heh.

Comments

[Peter]

you look beautiful in it if not the size of a lilliputian.