Mina'in the future!

In 2010 my husband and I will start our diet. I cannot go back to my weight when I was single but I will try to be healthy with my husband who will stop smoking. He is stressed too much. I know but he will try. I will cook healthy and international food. I don’t like to spend time in the kitchen. One hour before we eat I will open the fridge and decide what I will cook. Now my kids are young. Minwook is starting to eat big meals. I will have to balance nutritious food.

We are planning for our children’s education. My husband, when he was 13 years old, went to boarding school in Switzerland and he graduated from university in America. He would like to send them to the same school as him. Before I thought the same. Now I am against boarding school. When I was growing up, I had many opportunities to do bad things. Whenever I get in those situations, my family helped me on the right path. I don’t know what the best is for my kids. I will start to pray about my kid’s education and health.

I would like to do charity work. Now we are holding back because of not having enough money. T.C and I will work hard and after ten years will hand over the proceeds to charitable works. We have a condition about charity which is not to give money directly. If they want computers, we will buy them for the charities. If animals need fodder, we will buy it and feed the animals. If people are sick, we will buy medicine but no cash will be given.

I will pray every day so that our dreams will come true and we will not change our visions.

Mina's Life Now and Ten Years Ago

Ten years ago in 2000, on Jan 15, I came to the U.A.E. I worked by traveling around the world. I introduced to the audience who wanted to travel about other countries. I gave information like which place is best of the best, culture, cuisine, religion, etc…
Sometimes I met famous people. In 2000, I have been to seven countries like U.A.E, Jordan, Bangladesh, Italy, Switzerland, Peru and Norway. In Italy, I met Giorgio Armani, Farragamo and the Zegna family. It was very lucky for me.

If I had time, I would have liked to learn something. I had certification in sign language. I liked to play bowling, skiing, swimming and pool.

In 2000, on Feb 4, my fate was decided when I met T.C and in the same year in December, we got married and in five years we had one son and two daughters. I gained 7 kilograms and I cannot do any sport! But now I am happy. I got freedom from the people’s focus.
I have more responsibilities but I can fulfill my duties. Nothing in the world can change the love and importance of my family. I wouldn’t trade it for anything

Mina's childhood

When I was young I went to my grandparent’s house. They lived in the south eastern part of Korea. They had a fruit farm. We could eat any kind of fruits and we could play everywhere.

My grandma liked to rear silkworms. One day I followed my grandma. She brought mulberry leaves and opened a big warehouse. I was shocked to see the silkworm. It was white and the size of a finger with a wriggle. I screamed “Ah~ak” but my brother and sisters liked them. They fed the silkworms and touched them. The mere sight gives me the creeps. They put the silkworms on their palm and stared at them with fascination. Thereafter, I never went there again. My mom explained that it had a yearly income which is how my mom went to school. My mom has four sisters and two brothers. They all graduated school because of the silkworms. I understood but still I cannot touch them.

We followed grandpa. He pulled weeds from the bean field. My brother wanted to help him. After one hour my grandpa worked again because my brother failed to distinguish between weeds and beans. He took the beans out.

Near my grandma’s house there was a small river. We caught fish and swam there. It was very peaceful and we learned to observe nature. I loved my grandparents. They loved us too much. Now we cannot meet anymore. I thank them for giving me grateful love and good memories.

Mina's memories of 2009!

I asked my husband “How was 2009 for you?” T.C said “Oh 2009? Like hell.” Yes, the end of 2008 started the bad economy in the world. We worked only projects.
In this country payment is always delayed. We have to survive!

For me? If my husband heard my answer he might get angry. I am quite good. Last summer I went to Korea with my children. I met my family and traveled a lot around Korea. First I sent Minwook to a public Korean school with my nephew. He got many friends and speaks, reads and writes Korean. And he started to eat spicy food like Kimchi. He feels his blood is from Korea. Then Eunjin and Eunhee, they are still young, but I sent them to kindergarten. They didn’t like it there. However I couldn’t stop sending my kids there. As time went by they relied on each other. They are so close! Now they are good friends but they don’t speak Korean. My mom cannot speak English. When I went out, my mom couldn’t understand. At that time Eunjin was a good interpreter. I was happy. I met my family and friends. I enjoyed the food. Every week we traveled with my entire family, which is 18 people in total. It was a big group but we were always together. In the last 3 weeks my husband joined us. When we came to Korea he started on a diet. He surprised me because he lost 12 kg and he told me “I cannot come to Korea.” When I went shopping he called me “I am in Seoul.” He was a naughty guy.

This year I improved my belief in Christianity. I went to church only but last Christmas I stood on stage for the play “MESSIAH” and I qualified as an assistant leader of the church. I am lacking many qualities but I try to do my best all the time!

Mina's Christmas in KOREA

I was brought up a Buddhist. I often went to a temple. When I got married I changed my religion. When I was young I never went to church. But my second sister, she sometimes went to the church because she wants to get a Christmas present. I become curious that many children sing a carol in front of the door at midnight. They went around the whole town. I wanted to be one of them.

My mother was not strict about religion. In my house, we never decorated the tree but my mother always prepared presents. Sometimes my father was caught when he put the present on our headboard. However, my brother and sisters pretended to be sleeping. We knew who Santa Claus was.

When it was Christmas we always ate Korean B.B.Q called galbi, which is beef rib. It was very tasty! After, we ate Christmas cake. Koreans usually buy Christmas cake from the bakery because Korean cooking does not use the oven. Even my mother has an oven which she never uses. People rarely baked at home.

When I was growing up one Christmas Eve, my friend and I wanted to watch a movie. But the road looked like a parking lot. All the cars were stuck in the traffic. We arrived at the cinema just in time but all the tickets were sold out already. At that time one man appeared to us. He sold us illegal tickets. Unwillingly we bought it. We paid triple the initial price. I remember the movie’s title was ‘DEMOLITION MAN’. Now in Korea illegal tickets don't exist anymore.

Due to that situation, I learned that what is more important to me is being with my family. I hope that Minwook, Eunjin, and Eunhee also have experience like me. Nearly every Christmas I miss my lovely family in Korea!

KOREAN Recipe - Samgye tang

Koreans eat Samgye-tang at least three times at summer.
After we eat, we are full of energy.
This is a recipe for samgye-tang, a Korean ginseng with chicken soup.
For this soup, you need these ingredients:

*one whole piece of chicken
*two roots of ginseng
*Five dates
*three chestnuts
*one clove of garlic (peeled)
*1/4 inch piece of ginger (peeled)
*half cup of sweet rice

You make it like this
*First, put all the ingredients into the chicken.
*Then, use a toothpick to close the opening.
*Next, pour water to cover the chicken.
*After that, bring to a boil and turn down to simmer for about 45minutes
*Finally, the Samgye-tang is ready. The soup looks like milk.

My hometown is called Jung Gu, which is one of the 25gu. It is located on the north side of the historical center of the city. It has a population of about 135,173 people. Long time residents of Jung Gu have lived there for many generations. There are 3,500,000 people residing or transiting Jung Gu everyday.

The symbol of Jung Gu is the Korean magpie. Jung Gu’s color is green, its tree is the pine and its flower is the rose. The Korean magpie brings good luck to us. When you wake up in the morning, if you hear the Korean magpie, you will have good luck. There is fantastic harmony old and new and it’s the middle of the capital since 1394, almost 600 years.

Jung Gu’s land mark is N tower, which has a beautiful view point. If you want to propose to some one, go to N tower at night, I am convinced that their answer will be 100% “YES’’ or else not!!
Myong-dong and Nam dae moon are called the paradise of shopping. There you can get anything you want with only US$ 100. There are lots of festivals and a variety of food. If you go there let’s enjoy these things! You might fall in love with Seoul!!!