Day 6 - Picking a Korean name

Today, I went back to the district office and submitted the form, complete with P’s Korean name. I had wanted to register his name not only in Hangeul but also with hanja (漢子, Chinese characters), but they don’t do that for kids with foreign last names. That was disappointing, but I remembered that both our nieces have pure Korean names – they don’t have hanja for their names either – so I guess that’s OK.

Korean names, by the way, have to five syllables or less. Most Koreans have three, but a few people have two syllable family names (like 남궁, 南宮 ). Since my family name is two syllables in Korean, P will have a four syllable name, though it won't have a hanja like above.
We also asked for an English birth certificate from the hospital’s foreigner services desk. It’s nice that they have that, because it saves us from having to get an English translation. Included in the $10 fee is the purple footprint certificate.

Later, there was nobody in the nursing room, so I was allowed in with SY. It was kind of nice – room enough for about eight people, and complete with a nice, big television, though SY said the only thing they show on there is an instructional nursing video.

Still, I can’t help but feel left out sometimes...