한국어
Our First Days in Korea
Kindergarten and a Weekend with Family
First Days in Korea after arriving in Korea, Liam went to kindergarten the very next day.
It was a Friday, and since I needed time to unpack and settle in at home, sending him to kindergarten right away was the most practical choice.
Since it was the same kindergarten Liam attended for three months last year, there was nothing to think twice about. Many of the friends who had been in his class back then were still there, so Liam was able to settle in quickly from the very first day.
And maybe because he hadn’t been able to see his friends often during the school holidays in Australia, he was genuinely excited to go to kindergarten again.
❄️ From Summer to Winter
Coming from Australia’s hot summer straight into Korea’s freezing winter was definitely a shock to the body.
Right after we arrived, a sudden cold snap hit Korea, and nighttime temperatures dropped below –10°C. But since we had already experienced winter here last year, the harsh cold didn’t worry me too much.
Liam also seemed to enjoy the sudden drop in temperature, finding the chilly weather interesting and fun. After spending Friday at kindergarten, the very next day was already the weekend.
🗣 Liam Is Now More Comfortable With English
Over the past year, Liam’s English has improved so much that he now feels far more comfortable speaking English than Korean.
Last year, he picked up Korean quickly and tried to use it often, but now he has so much he wants to say that expressing it in Korean feels difficult for him. So he naturally stuck close to me and tried to speak only in English.
He also knew that his grandmother couldn’t speak English, so he didn’t even attempt to start a conversation with her.
Still, I’m already curious to see how much his Korean will improve by the end of our 44-day stay.
Weekend Fun: Kids Café, Café Hopping, a Movie, and Toy Shopping
Over the weekend, Liam, my mom, and I went to Cally Club, an indoor kids’ café Liam had been wanting to visit ever since we were in Australia.
Cally Club is a hands-on, activity-based kids café where children wear a wristband and tap it at different tag points throughout the play zones to collect points. It’s designed more for early elementary-aged kids rather than toddlers, and it’s a place where children can have fun on their own even without friends—one of the reasons Liam loves it so much.
After spending time there, we stopped by a Korean-style café filled with beautiful desserts and enjoyed some pastries and drinks while taking a break.
Since it was our first weekend in Korea, we decided to stay close to home and keep things simple. Liam, however, had the time of his life—he spent the entire day wandering around the neighborhood in his pajamas, happily running from place to place.
On another day, we went to watch Zootopia in Korea—something we hadn’t been able to do while we were in Australia. After the movie, we headed straight to get sushi, which Liam had been craving the most. Since sushi train restaurants in Australia are quite expensive, being able to enjoy them in Korea at a much more affordable price made us both excited. ><
Liam’s grandmother, who was thrilled to see her grandson after so long, took him to a toy store and let him pick out a toy he wanted. She also bought him a two-wheel scooter that he’ll be happily riding around for the rest of our stay.
Cozy Evenings with Family and Endless UNO Games
In the evenings, we gathered with my sister and her husband and enjoyed delicious dinners together.
Liam, who has recently become obsessed with UNO, carried the card game around everywhere and kept asking, “Let’s play UNO!” whenever he had the chance.
We spent the entire weekend surrounded by family, filling our days with simple but meaningful moments.
Christmas Day Flight from Australia to Korea: Long-Haul Travel with My 5-Year-Old
