Seoul Days

Many moons ago, our family lived in Seoul, Korea for a couple of years.

Look at that crew . . . 

And now my fabulous niece Corey is in South Korea for a year, teaching English, seeing the world, being your average young american rock-'n'-roll superstar.

Look at *that* crew . . . 

It was her birthday last week -- Happy Birthday Corey! -- so my Mom and sisters and I were all in touch with her. She was on her way to an overnight in Seoul so she asked questions about our time there, where we lived, what we remember.

Mom looked up the exact address of the American base we lived on: "Building #4969B Yongson Military Reservation....also Seoul Military Hospital, Yongson."

Corey said, "Yongson? I go there all the time! The old base is a park now!"

I mean, right? Things were heating up.

Separately, Corey and I were texting and she asked me what living in Korea was like. 

"Well I was little — part of nursery school, all of kindergarten, a month of first grade — but I was a blissed out kid, so it was blissful! 

"I had my mom and my dad and my sisters and my neighbors and my classmates and it didn’t matter where I was — I loved life. 

"As your Jiddoo would say, what’s not to love? 

"But I do remember that we all thought it was really special and cool to be there."

She asked about food and I said, "I remember our helper guy Mr. Han eating a giant plate of plain rice every time he was there."

Corey: "Yeah rice is essential. My Korean coworkers always comment on it if I don't take that much rice at lunch."

Me: "So. Much. Rice."

Corey: "It's the corn of Asia!"

Me: "Spoken like a true Midwesterner."

I told her I had a framed photo of my kindergarten class and I'd send it when I got home.

I finally got home I spent way too much time searching in the wrong boxes, but I finally finally found my quintessentially and iconic Corey family "School Days' book:

Page one is Kindergarten, of course:

And my report card was in the page pocket. Wanna see?:

All Ss? Not one O? Ha-rumph.

I love Mrs. Parks' comments:

I appreciate "She has shown good leadership" instead of "Man, what a bossy little kid." Thank you, Mrs. Parks.

And then, finally. Eureka.

I don't know how I got that center spot, but I'll take it. Mom loves the kid in the front with the bow tie. I love the boy holding the sign -- he's obviously a fashion designer now -- and the boy the second from the left in the front row, who looks like he's wearing his big brother's suit. 

And look at the kid to my left.

Jane said, "Everything about this picture is epic. The cat eye glasses two to your right. The boy in front with his hands by his side. Love so much."

Plus? Mrs. Parks. We were all in love with her.

Meanwhile, 52 years later,  Mom pulled out the 1967-1969 photo album from her closet and pored over the love. 

In a photo album chock full of treasures, she sent this, a true gem:

Hey, it was New Year's Eve -- you've got to wear your glad rags, right? Or a least clutch a doll wearing said glad rags.

All the talk about Korea and all the reminiscing lead me right to the very best thing written about our time there all those years ago, by our very own Littlest, she who was born on that foreign soil during that strange and magical time. Jacquie's blog from somehow-now-12-years-ago, is perfection: Heart and Seoul. 

It is, simply, the very best.