Parenting on Purpose

Dalmaji Hill We awoke the next morning with a sadness in our hearts. This was our second last day in Korea, a land that we had come to enjoy. However, we resolved to make the most of the day and to end our holiday with a bang. The first stop of the day - Dalmaji Hill. The Life in Korea  website has an interesting description of this place: Dalmaji Hill  is a bluff cliff, located just southeast of  Haeundae Beach . Along Dalmaji-gil, near the entrance to the hill, a cafe town caters to lovers and young couples who come to enjoy a cup of coffee and the nice view of Haeundae Beach, the sea, and the moon. Special vista areas include  P'algakjeong  and  Jeonmangdae . The area has also become famous for watching the moon rising on the lunar year's first full moon day. (The name comes from this ritual-  dal  means moon and maji  means rising.) Each year 200,000 to 300,000 moon watchers pray for their wishes, watching the full moon rise ...

Jagalchi Market Korea's largest seafood market was one of our top priority stops in Busan. We were planning to get there early the next day, but the kids were very tired and we decided to sleep in, heading for the market only in the afternoon. Due to heavy traffic and the long travel timing, we only reached there just as the sun was making its way towards the horizon. "Jagalchi" is actually a combination of two Korean words meaning "small rocks" and "villages". Due to modernisation and the construction of a wharf, no traces of either remain. View from the city in the late afternoon. The boys enjoying a rare pensive moment. Wandering in the live seafood section. The practice is for you to choose your dinner at one of the numerous seafood stalls and allow the chef to cook up the meal of your dreams. Our sons were quite interested by all the fascinating sea creatures. We didn't expect both boys to enjoy looking at t...

Say "Cheese"! This was one of our most memorable days in Korea. Choosing to sleep in and enjoy the lovely hotel breakfast, we had lunch at a nearby restaurant before heading back to the Photo Is Baby Studio where we had earlier arranged a family photoshoot. We wanted the kids to be all rested and look their best for the camera. Thankfully the photographer Mr Kim was very good at engaging the kids.  It really takes quite a lot to get everyone smiling! Our older son enjoying a happy moment.  Our younger son looking like he was from the '60s. Our older son has always been an explorer. While the younger is pretty much at home in the kitchen. Our excellent photographer who truly understands the people he captures on film! After an exhausting day at the studio, we were happy to let the kids run around in the little indoor playground at the same mall and end the day with an early night. Next: A fishy experience at Jagalchi Market, Korea's l...

UN Memorial Cemetery in Korea We awoke the next morning for a delicious breakfast provided by the hotel. By the time we managed to settle the boys and travel by taxi to our first destination, the UN Memorial Cemetary, it was already lunch time. But we were at once awestruck by what we saw.  The Korean national tourism site provides some background information on the burial ground: The UN Memorial Cemetery in Korea honors UN soldiers from 16 countries that were killed in battle during the Korean War from 1950-1953. This serene park spreads across a grassy plain area of 135,000 m2. Some of the sites and memorials include: Memorial Service Hall, Memorabilia Hall, 2 Turkish Monuments, Greek Monument, Australian Monument, British Common Wealth Monument and 2 ponds. The Memorial Service Hall and the Memorabilia Hall were constructed in 1964 and 1968 respectively. The citizens of Busan dedicated the Main Gate in 1966. There are many annual events held here, some of the key even...