We woke up and were out of the apartment by 7:30AM. We took the subway for nearly an hour to reach the exit for the embassy. We exited the station and hailed a taxi. Go figure...they had absolutely NO idea where the embassy was. We semi-expected this, so we went back into the subway station to check out a map to find the closest major building. We found some international language school that the taxi driver still had to punch into his navigation device. We got to the building and walked the rest of the way to the embassy. There were so many buildings that should have been on that map instead of the international school...like...oh I don't know...the Hyatt. That would have been something that the taxi driver would have actually known.
Anyway, when we got to the embassy, we realized that the opening time on the website didn't match the opening time on the sign. We went in and waited in the waiting area. We discussed how the ETA that went with Margaret last year wasn't incredibly reliable and ended up showing up at the embassy without any passport pictures. For real...who does that?!
We had received a letter from Fulbright to give to the embassy explaining why exactly we don't have alien registration numbers (the most frustrating thing in the entire world when living as a foreigner in Korea!) Because we are on A3 visas and employed by the government, we are not given these super vital little numbers that you need to do basically anything. We can't order anything on line, we can't get any sort of tickets, I have had problems with medical stuff and insurance stuff because of it, AND it almost cost us our trip! >_< I can't remember if I blogged about this, but a few weeks ago Margaret called Rebecca and me to tell us that the trip was going to be canceled, because we couldn't get visas without this damn little number. After throwing a fit and contacting about every embassy relevant to the situation, Margaret called back telling me that the woman at the embassy had done some research and that we could, in fact, get visas. It was a few horrible hours of worrying though. After all of that crap, we got our visas without a problem.
I, however, couldn't pick up my own passport. Rebecca picked it up for me, and I'll get it from her the day we fly out. I had to get back to Wonju to go to the orphanage. My host fam went out to eat about 10 minutes after I got back. We had bibimbap at this really cute restaurant in the country. I invited my host sibs to come with me to the orphanage. My host sis was ecstatic and skipped her English class to go with me. My host brother was really disappointed that my host mom wouldn't let him out of his math hagwan to come with. I was really surprised that they wanted to come with me so badly. It was awesome!
At the orphanage, we decorated paper stockings and stars for them to hang up in their living rooms (a girls' line of stockings and a boys' line of stockings). We also made yarn bracelets. I let them choose three colors, and we just did a simple twist method. We'll see how many of them still have them on after my vacation.^^ My host sis passed out candy canes to each child, and I gave an American calendar to the boys and to the girls. I also gave a box of South Bend's famous Chocolate Charlie to the office. They gave me a card and some cute traditional boy and girl key chains. I'm not sure how my host sis felt about being there. At first, she was shy and embarrassed, because everyone was asking who she was. I know she was tired afterward, but I think she enjoyed it.
My host father brought home a Christmas cake a few hours after we got home. It was sooo cute! Apparently, they do Christmas cake in Korea...very common. We ate dinner and cake, and then my host father disappeared for a while. There were some of his friends coming over, so I guess he went to get supplies.
There were two couples that came over; one I have met many times. One couple had a baby, and the other couple had two children; one my host sis' age, and one about 4 years old. SUPER CUTE! We watched Polar Express (my first time to see it!); how appropriate to watch on Christmas Eve. I was getting a little sad about Christmas, but I got over it quickly. My host parents and their friends were being loud; the man from downstairs came up and complained. After that, everyone went home; my host mom felt bad for the family downstairs and said that we need to be more careful in the future.
Oh, I almost forgot the most random part of tonight. I was given a present at dinner to open; it was a beautiful purse! My host sibs couldn't wait to open theirs, so I let them. Then, at midnight, my host sister went running around wishing everyone a Merry Christmas. Next thing I know, my host father is walking to the mirror in front of my room and thanks me for the hat. LOL! My host rents opened their presents without me around. It surprised me for about a second and then remembered that this is Korea.^^ They don't really open presents in front of the people that got them the presents.
I stayed up until about 3:30AM, so I could sneak my family's stockings out onto the couch.
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