October 25, 2007

• Recently Seoul held their annual Seoul Orphanage Olympics in Children's Grand Park.  If you scroll down to the previous entry you can see a short clip of my orphanage winning the orphanage soccer championship in a shootout.  For this entry though, its all pictures.  Enjoy!

  A shot of about half the kids present, about 22 orphanages or so were present, not all the orphanages came and not all the kids from each home came, but it was still a lot...

  

  Our soccer team captain Sang Kook and another girl reading some sort of pledge before the games began

  

  Koreans and their weird warm up dance routines...

  

  I'm not sure when I'll adjust to this...

  

  One of the first events... DODGEBALL!!!  WOO HOO!!!  In this version, it was girls against girls with one guy playing as a "wall," allowed to block the other team's throws

  

  We lost a few girls, but Choong Hee was a good wall and we won the event

  

  Interestingly, every orphanage had to have a cheerleading team... our kids were the best!

  

  Sun Mi was a bit too small for her cheerleading outfit

  

  Our kids and staff cheering... we came in 1st for the Spirit competition

  

  I loved this random event... a simple relay where two teams of 4 guys from each home had to run while carrying two small kids in an inflated tube... here little Dal Woo is seated and ready to go

  

  Our first set of guys, about to run with Dal Woo

  

  I love this picture... the second group of guys carrying little Soo Yun... we won this event too!

  

  Here is Myung Bae winning his 100 meter race

  

  Here is Soo Hoon winning his race by wisely cutting off his competition

  

  This was a weird event where the elementary kids had to throw little bean bags at this plastic container to try and open it up, kind of like a pinata.  I feel bad for the poor guy having to hold the pole in the middle...

  

  Hae Ji and some of the other kids watching the action

  

  Our soccer team having a prep talk and then praying before their match

  

  The two teams lined up greeting each other before the game

  

  Jong Hyun raising his hand after scoring his penalty kick during the shootout (it was hard to time these pictures with my aging camera)

  

  The other team giving a courtesy greeting/bow to our coach after losing to us

   

  Our kids walking back after victory

  

  Another cheerleading shot

  

  Some boys buried in pom poms... goofy kids...

  

  The elementary student, junior high student, high school student, and dorm mother relay... here is Sung Hyun giving the baton to Yo Han (elementary to junior high)

  

  Our dorm mother Yoo Mi finishing and winning the relay for us... my orphanage dominated this olympics!

  

  Soo Hwan and Sang Kook holding up our trophy for winning the soccer championship (Soo Hwan was missing a tooth, but got a fake one placed in this past week)

  

  Eun Jin and Young Eun holding up our awards for winning the Spirit competition

  

  Sang Kook and our soccer goalie/MVP Choong Hyuk after receiving a third award that I can't remember... we dominated!

  

  The soccer team

  

  The orphanage (though not all of us)

  

  We were crammed on our bus on the way back to the home so we had to double up some of the seats with kids... here Soo Yun and Myung Bae fit together well...

  

  With Sun Hee and Sun Mi who both slept for nearly the whole 2 hour ride back

  

  We had a great time.  I've already been asked by kids if I will go again next year.  I'm already looking forward to it.    God bless!

  • 10:42 am
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