May 5 is a national holiday here in Korea. It is a day for children.
Korean children view this day the way Christmas is viewed by many children. They expext to receive gifts and spend the day with lots of fun. Parents are free to indulge their child/children since this is a non-woeking day. Most parents take their children to amusement parks, movies, parks, zoos, and other places that would make kids happy.
Bang Jeong-hwan, a children's story book writer, started Children's Day by writing on May 1, 1923, "An Open Letter to Adults." One translation of Bang Jeong-hwan's letter states:
"Children are the future of our nation. Let's show respect for children. Children who grow up with ridicule and contempt from others will become people who disrespect others, while children who grow up with respect from others will become people who respect others in turn."
Interestingly, the original date of Children's Day is May 1 owing to the above history. However, the South and North Korea opted to celebrate the day on different dates. In 1946 South Korea moved the Children's Day to May 5. North Korea followed to celebrate International Children's Day on June 1.
We celebrate ours everyday. We just chose to make it more special for LeRuof since May 1 (also a holiday so Manuel was able to spend the whole day with his son). Manuel was able to go with us to baby class. We just then spend the rest of the afternoon in Starbucks... meeting a friend... reading... playing...
(di naman terno?)
Saturday was spelled F-U-N. We went to the Seoul Grand Park and rode the skylift. We went home tired but inspired...
(on the skylift)
More tiring, maybe because we were already tired the day before, was Sunday. We went to a baseball game in Jamsil. It was an exciting game between LG Twins and Doosan Bears. We watched the game to expose LeRuof to sports. It turned out that the Mommy was more excited and bubbly before, during and after the game.
We hoped to make Monday (the Children's Day) a more relaxing time. It was relaxing... and exhausting at the end of the night. LeRuof made us sleep at 1am. Father and son had a huge space for kicking the ball in the park along Han River in Yeouido. The place is full of children with parents eagerly giving in to the energy of their children.
The afternoon fun was not enough for LeRuof. Perhaps knowing that the day was for him (more than any other day), he tirelessly ran around the park behind Hanhwa Obelisk (our previous apartment, just two buildings away from our current apartment) at 10 in the evening.
Upon arriving at home, he was filled with laughter playing with the gift he received.
And we slept on the first hour of the next day...
