We dropped by the Cheonggyecheon Stream last weekend to check the lantern displays. It was the the Lotus Lantern Festival and the famous Cheonggyecheon Stream had its annual lantern displays. I wanted to check the Lantern Parade but well… we opted to just check out the stream.

They were a lot of people but not as much as I expected:-).

cool welcome

Hubby, the boys and I walked the whole stretch of the stream. Considering how the stream was three or four decades ago, one would delight in thinking how this stream was transformed to become one of the busiest tourist attractions in Seoul… for free. Aside from the lantern displays, there was entertainment from a street singer with his own band the afternoon we were there. You could also see murals in one part of the Stream:

And there are several of these stone bridges:

My kids enjoyed taking on those bridges that we transferred sides several times.

As for me, I was fascinated with the waters.

Too fascinated.

I tried to get my camera on for the dreamy effect of cascading waters:

Darkness came on our way back. We were treated with the lighted lanterns and these are just two of them:

The end of our weekend walk was capped by this:

Fascinating!

One of the places for English-speaking family with kids around Seoul is the Eric Carle Art Studio in Apgujeong.

Here I’m giving you a glimpse of what’s inside:

It isn’t a cheap place to go to, though. Betchay of Buhay sa Korea got us a discounted ticket for 17,000-KRW per kid for an original price of 22,000-KRW. Two adults may accompany per kid. English programs still remain expensive in Seoul:-).

My 3-year old kid joined the 50-minute reading and art program but I had to go inside the reading room to help him out with the art work. The studio does not have enough staff delegated to be with the kids… that, or they expect the kids to work on their own. Other moms went inside the reading room, too. So, if your kid is exposed to regular book reading, at home or elsewhere and you do your own crafts from time to time, you might get a little bit disappointed. But if you don’t mind spending some amount for a 50-minute English art program…

The Eric Carle Art Studio is located at the basement of the Yoongdang Art Hall in Apgujeong. For more information about the place, the rates and the schedule, you may call 1577-2046. Or if you can read Hangeul, you may visit the Eric Carle Art Studio website.

I’m excited to share with you kiddos’ newest book. Hubby got it for them from the US and they had a preview of it over Facetime. Since then, they were excited to have the book on their hands. After all the excitement, I got the chance to borrow it and here goes:

It’s interesting!

I wonder about the effort behind the making of each moving image.

It was a movie date my two boys had long been waiting for!

And when hubby came back from his monthlong business trip from the East Coast, Ironman 3 was immediately scheduled.

Of course, Little Ironman is where Ironman is! He was soooo mighty proud of himself whenever people around us take notice of him and his Ironman suit.

My Little Ironman was almost crying during the first part of the movie especially when Ironman plunged into the water. He was snuggling up to me and he kept on saying, “I don’t want Ironman to die”. It was a little tough for him who thinks the world of Ironman. His Dad eventually had to put him in his lap to assure him. When Ironman started to fight back, our Little Ironman’s energy came back.

Throughout the movie, our Little Ironman kept on asking, “When is Ironman going to fight?” I guess, this is pretty much the sentiment of some moviegoers who expected Tony Stark to be in his suit for most of the movie time. I didn’t mind, though. I was still watching the witty and charming Tony Stark, albeit a little bit disturbed due to the anxiety angle that his personality is going through. Indeed, you can take the Ironman suit out of Tony Stark but he remains to be “the Ironman”.

I didn’t throw My Firstborn’s Kumon worksheets. I’ve kept them for close to three years already. And for good reason!

My adorable Secondborn has started using the worksheets since we came back here in Seoul last March. He feels good about having his “own” worksheets, when before he was just watching his Kuya doing worksheets he (my secondborn) barely understood. And so, the first time I presented to him his own “Kumon”, he was grinning from ear to ear and surely, he felt like he was a real big boy.

He doesn’t have to look far for inspiration and motivation. His Kuya has become an advanced reader. He often takes my role of reading, and he gladly reads, to his younger brother complete with sound effects and variation of voices which he thinks is appropriate for the story. He is just 6 but his reading skills is very, very excellent.

It’s my baby’s turn now. We still have a long way to go… but I know we are starting right.

When he can finally read independently, I’m sure we will all rejoice and he will feel so proud of his feat.

In the meantime, I am gladly going back to the basic routine we used for my Firstborn. My eager learner Secondborn delights in my undivided attention.

Yesterday, my 3-year old big boy baby (D) was kicked in the nose by a 7-year old boy:-)… and his nose bled. Rough play by the big boy… just play, but rough, very, very rough.

Before we started with our bedtime story:

 D: Mommy, I hear my heart has a sound.

Me: Oh…. that’s the beating of your heart. Let me listen.

(and I pressed my ears to his heart)

Me: That means your heart pumps blood so it can go all over your   body.

D: So it can go to my body… and to my nose?

Me: Yes, your legs, your arms, your head, your nose.

D: Because… because… we will die if our heart has no sound and so we will have no blood?

Me: Well, yes we will get sick if the heart stops sending blood to our body.

D: So, I won’t die when ___ kick me in the nose?

Me: Oh, that one we will never allow to happen again.

I’m sure he will never forget the function of the heart. Experience, after all, is the greatest teacher.

Damayan will have a fundraising show on Children’s Day, May 5, 2013 from 1-6pm at Inbong 7080 Live in Bupyeong (Incheon). My Rocking Cradle and Buhay Korea are giving away 4 tickets to the event.

This is open to all. Filipinos woul have a great chance to meet with other Filipinos and taste great Filipino food. Non-Filipinos would be introduced to Filipino culture through songs, dances and Filipino food.

Join this contest and bring along friends or family with you. Contest ends on May 1.

Goodluck!

My Filipina friends and I scheduled a visit to the National Assembly grounds this afternoon. I prepped up the kids about the trip last night explaining to them that it would be good for them to see how a government building looks like and that is the place where the government leaders make laws. Oh, it wasn’t easy explaining it to them in the simplest terms:-). I just had to so that the trip would be relevant to them. And I also thought that it would be a good exposure for them.

We all know that a Filipina was elected to the Assembly last year in the person of Miss Jasmine Lee. Our group was lucky to see her and we were even luckier to have been accommodated by the gracious Congresswoman into her office. She was very warm and accommodating, probably glad to see a group of Pinays in the Assemby. Of course, we didn’t let the opportunity pass to have a photo with her inside her office. It isn’t everyday that you get to be accommodated like this:

photo credit to Miss Razel Kim

At one point, Firstborn whispered to me, “Mommy, when can I meet the President?” I had to stop myself from showing amusement to his very innocent question. As if meeting the President is a normal thing to do:-).

The Congresswoman’s office has a live telecast of the happenings in the session halls of the Assembly. He asked me if that was how the leaders (this was the term I used to him to refer to the legislators) work. He then added, “How I wish I could meet the President”.

Secondborn wasn’t as aware of his older brother of the surroundings. He was just busy playing around especially when we got out and took some pictures in front of the Assembly. The ground was very huge and there was more than enough space to run around. I didn’t take my DSLR with me so this photo was just taken using my smartphone:

I have always wanted to visit this place and take pictures as this is near where we live… just across the Mapo Bridge:-). Just when I had the chance to do so, I left my camera behind and using my smartphone took the most common angle taken of the Assembly… harharhar. But, at least now, I have a picture!

My son is turning 7 on November. That means he will be in first grade… in June if we are in the Philippines, last March if he started attending a Korean school, and in August if he goes to an international school.

Since we are here in Seoul, he will be attending an international school. And I have narrowed down our choices to 3: Seoul Foreign School, Yongsan International School of Seoul, and Dwight International School.

For those who are planning to send their kids to an international school here in Seoul, these schools have a common eligibility requirement as set by Korean law:

• one or both of the student’s parents holds a foreign passport; or
• in case both of the student’s parents are Korean nationals, the student must have resided in a foreign country for at least three years

I spent months researching on which school to send our son to. Even when I was still in the Philippines, I was already keeping in touch with the Directors for Admissions of these 3 schools. And they were all prompt with their replies and patient with my questions. But, mind you, I haven’t made up my mind until this week.

So, to help out parents who will be coming over or who are planning to send their kids to an international school here in Seoul, here are the requirements and contact details of each school I listed above:

Seoul Foreign School (email: admissions@seoulforeign.org)

• Passport copies of parents and child
• Copy (front and back) of Alien Certificate of Registration
• Child is a fluent English speaker
• Request for confidential teacher recommendation (to be passed by teacher through email)
• SFS Admissions test
• Writing test

Dwight International School (email: admissions@dwight.or.kr)

• Copies of passport of parents and student
• Proof of eligibility
• Copy of birth certificate
• Assessment of student health form
• Bus application (if applicable)
• 3 color pictures
• 1 letter of recommendation from homeroom teacher
• Academic records for the current year plus previous 2 years
• Most recent standardized test

Yongsan International School of Seoul (email: admissions@yisseoul.org)

• Completed application for admission
• Copy of passport of student and parents
• Copy of birth certificate
• 2 passport size pictures
• Copy of school records
• Copy of recent standardized results
• Teacher recommendation form
• Health information or physician’s examination form

For an easier comparison of rates, here is a tabular presentation for the 3 school’s 2013-2014 rates:

Honestly, I would have really wanted my son to get into the Seoul Foreign School (SFS). My husband and I were concerned though because the Admissions Director was quite straightforward when she told me that because my son is currently not enrolled, this might work to his disadvantage. This, despite the difference in school year schedule of the Philippine school system. He has already graduated from Kindergarten. It would be impractical for us to enroll him again in a Kindergarten class so we opted to wait until the August opening. We just can’t pay 300USD for his application fee knowing that he might possibly not make it because of this particular issue or SFS might recommend that we enroll him in their Kindergarten class which finishes in June. Hmmm… impractical and the tuition fee rates are quite steep. Unlike the other 2 schools, SFS requires this 300USD payment prior to submission of the application form. The other 2 schools receive the application form and the supporting documents and the applicant will only be billed of the corresponding fee upon schedule of testing/interview.

With this monetary consideration, it would have been impractical for us to go testing for each school. Though hubby’s company is paying, we have to spend wisely as though we are the ones paying. That’s exactly the reason why hubby has his company’s confidence. We decided to focus on one school instead.

We opted for Dwight International School. It is the newest international school here in Seoul and its campus and facilities are new. It carries with it the history and qualifications of The Dwight Schools from New York, London, Canada and Beijing. And, of course, I didn’t fail to check the qualifications of its teachers and staff:-).

August will be a big event in our family. We are officially sending our Firstborn to Grade 1.

How time flies… not long ago, I was just cradling him in my arms:-)…

I have a 6-year old and a 3-year old in the house. What do you expect when you have 2 active boys staying at home?

A BIG MESS!

No matter how obedient they are during clean-up time (and most of the time they aren’t…lol), the house still ends up having so much clutter. These days, my 3-year old likes using scissors. In fairness to him, he always asks permission and ask me for papers he is allowed to cut. So far, he has not sneaked out on me and cut something he was not allowed to do. Pray that day will not come!

One day last week, it got me into thinking, if you can’t beat ‘em, join ‘em! And so, I gave him scratch papers to tear. This time without scissors… and he complained that it was hard for him to cut without scissors… hahahaha:

In between complaints, he managed to tear the papers and realized he was actually having fun doing it while complaining at the same time. Does it make sense? Hahahaha… that’s my adorable 3-year old.

He was intrigued when I got a glue and an empty container. When he knew what he was about to do, he enthusiastically glued each torn scrap paper to the empty container:

He was quite pleased with himself. He knew that he made something out of his mess and he will have a present for his Daddy when he comes home from his business trip:-):

Simple things + simple joys make a Happy Child.

Have a wonderful week ahead.