Our lives begin to end the day we decide to become silent about things that matter. — Martin Luther King, Jr.
Monday, October 28, 2013 (DAY 602)
Mugunghwa House was founded on October 18, 2012 and is a guesthouse dedicated for grown-up international adoptees and is operated by Eastern Social Welfare Services. Mugunghwa (무궁화집), is translated as ‘Rose of Sharon,’ which is Korea’s national flower as well. The property sits on the corner of a quiet street and is surrouned by a tall security wall with an intercom system for guests as the arrive. The house is several homes down from the bustling street and has 6 relatively spacious bedrooms (remember I’m used to more proper dorm living as well as very small Korean apartments with the CouchSurfing I’ve been doing), and allows for about 15 guests at a time. There is also a living room that flows into the dining area and wraps around to the kitchen, several bathrooms are situated throughout the property, there is even a small laundry area with a washing machine with free laundry detergent available for guests that is just outside the back door from the kitchen, from this small space there is a series of stairs that lead to what appears to be either more bedrooms or even a small basement apartment. At the time I was given the tour it appeared to be occupied by two long-term guests that I received very brief introductions with. Overall the property feels very much like a your mom’s house, and it seems to be a very peaceful environment for adoptees as we learn more about our roots and have a chance to experience Korean culture.
Mugunghwa House was founded on October 18, 2012 and is a guesthouse dedicated for grown-up international adoptees and is operated by Eastern Social Welfare Services. Mugunghwa (무궁화집), is translated as ‘Rose of Sharon,’ which is Korea’s national flower as well. The property sits on the corner of a quiet street and is surrouned by a tall security wall with an intercom system for guests as the arrive. The house is several homes down from the bustling street and has 6 relatively spacious bedrooms (remember I’m used to more proper dorm living as well as very small Korean apartments with the CouchSurfing I’ve been doing), and allows for about 15 guests at a time. There is also a living room that flows into the dining area and wraps around to the kitchen, several bathrooms are situated throughout the property, there is even a small laundry area with a washing machine with free laundry detergent available for guests that is just outside the back door from the kitchen, from this small space there is a series of stairs that lead to what appears to be either more bedrooms or even a small basement apartment. At the time I was given the tour it appeared to be occupied by two long-term guests that I received very brief introductions with. Overall the property feels very much like a your mom’s house, and it seems to be a very peaceful environment for adoptees as we learn more about our roots and have a chance to experience Korean culture.
As you enter the house, there is a small entrance where you are required to take off your shoes–typical Asian custom. Directly to the right of the foyer is an office that Crystal and another volunteer are working out of and is across from the living room. Since the bedrooms are divided by gender, I am in a 4-bed dorm with bunkbeds upstairs that also has a large full ensuite bathroom with a shower and a small oval garden tub. The room is spacious and each bed is accompanied with a tall closet or chest that has a keyed lock for you to store your belongings securely. The cabinet is quite spacious as I’m able to fit my entire 65 liter backpack plus two smaller backpacks as well as hang up a few shirts and my jacket. On the bottom inside of the dark cherry cabinets is two deep drawers, one on top of another, where there is plenty of space for a stack of folded clothes, especially since it appears most adoptees only occupy the house for the standard 7-day period anyways. Air conditioning units and a standing fan are also found in our room, and I am assuming this is common for each room, however since each door is shut I haven’t felt the urge to go snooping….yet. Hey you never know when you might find that magical door to Narnia or something.
In spite of the constant turnover of guests and even a few long term resident adoptees, the house is very clean and well kept. The kitchen is very organized and there are both plenty of dishes and workable cooking preparation surfaces. A large refrigerator and gas range accompany everything that should meet any Western-style standard for kitchen use. There is also a coffeemaker and free cold purified water from a filtration system that sits next to the refrigerator. The Wi-Fi, as expected in South Korea is up to the normal fast speeds, and can be connected to throughout the entire property (indoors or outside on the small patio or garden area).
MY RTW PERSONAL EXPERIENCE:
My last night CouchSurfing with Ray was my sixth night (almost double the amount of time most hosts are willing to accept a surfer) and we’ve decided to have dinner at an all-you-can-eat Korean BBQ restaurant. Even before we have left the apartment I’ve already decided that I’m going to pay for his dinner since he was such an exceptional host, plus he paid for our share of the taxi and waking up to the surprise of a McDonald’s delivered breakfast. This has nothing to say about my other hosts’ I’ve had in Seoul, because every one of them have been exceptional, Adam, Austin, and Scott, it’s just that I suppose because Ray’s schedule was more flexible that we had a chance to go out a bit more around the city. The food was amazing and we ate to our stomach’s content. He did mention that even though it’s all-you-can eat for only ₩10,100 ($9.52 each), that if your eyes end up being larger than your stomach at the end of the meal and there is a plate of uncooked or even cooked meat, they will charge your wastefulness, which I said was fair, but also wondered how many Americans found this out the hard way and failed miserably by arguing the fact. After dinner we took the subway back to the Sillim station and walked around the area since it wasn’t too cold out, we ended up sitting by the recently engineered river discussing a variety of topics. Apparently a former mayor of the city convinced tax payers that several publics works projects such as constructing sidewalks for running and biking trails that run the length of the river as well as a variety of others will benefit the entire public and bring Seoul upwards to being a major international city for tourism. This was our last conversation of the evening as we made the short walk up the street to his apartment–stating that within the next 15-years or less Seoul is on pace to be just as sophisticated and desirable as other sought after destinations such as Tokyo, Paris, and New York.
My last night CouchSurfing with Ray was my sixth night (almost double the amount of time most hosts are willing to accept a surfer) and we’ve decided to have dinner at an all-you-can-eat Korean BBQ restaurant. Even before we have left the apartment I’ve already decided that I’m going to pay for his dinner since he was such an exceptional host, plus he paid for our share of the taxi and waking up to the surprise of a McDonald’s delivered breakfast. This has nothing to say about my other hosts’ I’ve had in Seoul, because every one of them have been exceptional, Adam, Austin, and Scott, it’s just that I suppose because Ray’s schedule was more flexible that we had a chance to go out a bit more around the city. The food was amazing and we ate to our stomach’s content. He did mention that even though it’s all-you-can eat for only ₩10,100 ($9.52 each), that if your eyes end up being larger than your stomach at the end of the meal and there is a plate of uncooked or even cooked meat, they will charge your wastefulness, which I said was fair, but also wondered how many Americans found this out the hard way and failed miserably by arguing the fact. After dinner we took the subway back to the Sillim station and walked around the area since it wasn’t too cold out, we ended up sitting by the recently engineered river discussing a variety of topics. Apparently a former mayor of the city convinced tax payers that several publics works projects such as constructing sidewalks for running and biking trails that run the length of the river as well as a variety of others will benefit the entire public and bring Seoul upwards to being a major international city for tourism. This was our last conversation of the evening as we made the short walk up the street to his apartment–stating that within the next 15-years or less Seoul is on pace to be just as sophisticated and desirable as other sought after destinations such as Tokyo, Paris, and New York.
Monday morning, I am awake just after Ray has left to teach and mold young Korean minds and looking at the clock on the wall it is just after 7:45am. Today I will be packing up and moving to my fourth location to call home in Seoul since arriving 13-days ago, however today’s move is the reason that brought me to South Korea and a flood of emotions is beginning to rise. Feeling as though I shouldn’t meet my birth mother tomorrow looking like Grizzly Adams, I pull out the cordless hair trimmers I purchased a few months ago in Thailand and give myself my typical hair style cut, buzzing it down, again some things backpackers do, not out of style but out of convenience or utility. While, this isn’t the true hairstyle choice for most backpackers, I’ve found that it works better than the normal– growing long shaggy hair. I also finally shave and now that I’m two-hours ahead from Southeast Asia I’m finally able to Skype with my parents before heading out, since it’s around 7pm yesterday in Denver. After talking with them for about 90-minutes, since our last conversation was almost 2-months ago in Thailand because our schedules and the frustrating time difference was a constant battle, I am packed up and ready to head out just after 11:30am. Using the excellent free subway app titled Jihachul, I’ve calculated that from the Sillim station to Hongik University station it will take around 20-minutes plus the additional time to walk, wait on trains, and transfer via 2 local buses, so I’ve guestimated 45-minutes. About an hour later and I’ve made it to the coffee shop that’s directly across the street and a half a block from Mugunghwa House. Since I was told that check-in was after 1pm I’ve ordered a coffee and spent a bit of time proof-reading and editing my most recent blogs. Yes, I have to admit that most of the time whether I’m in a hurry or I just don’t take the time to go back and read what I’ve written there tend to be numerous grammatical mistakes. Plus, I also tend to start writing my blogs in Word docs and will often write a paragraph or start a thought and just reopen my computer days later and pick back up so there seems to be some continuity confession and I apologize for that. BUT, I’d like to see how well other people manage doing all of this traveling, moving around, and blogging. Oh, wait they’re called travel bloggers and they actually get paid to do this. Yeah….I’d like to one day be there myself but I suppose for now just sharing what I’ve experienced and learned and passing that along with my personal journey on the road will suffice for now. Since tomorrow is a big day and I’ve still got a lot of feelings buzzing around inside me, I think I’m going to take a short walk around the neighborhood and get to bed early so I’m well rested for whatever tomorrow may bring with meeting my birth mother for the first time.
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