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Here is the debut music video of the EV Boyz, our friends Brian, Mike and Christian from the English Village in Paju.  Geumchon is the downtown area of our old country town of Paju, and it’s about the most exciting thing Paju has going (which isn’t saying much).

These guys are hilarious, and though you probably won’t catch half of the hilarity without knowing the context, I thought you might enjoy this.  Here is an insight into the life of our friends up in Paju, South Korea.

[youtube]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QjBfy_HVoSM[/youtube]

Intro:
This song goes out to all the waygooks lookin’ for the place to be

Chorus:
Kickin’ it in Geumchon, Oh, Oh
Komsomnida, Annyong Haseyo
Kickin’ it in Geumchon, Oh, Oh,
Komsomnida, Annyong Haseyo
Kickin’ It, Where? In Geumchon Where?
In Geumchon. Where? In Geumchon Where?
Kickin’ it in Geumchon, Oh, Oh

Verse 1:
South Korea’s got Jeju, South Korea’s got Seoul
Busan and Ilsan if that’s how you roll
But when you work at EV, and live in Paju
Then the town to get down is 15 minutes from you, How do I get there?
Hop on the 900 bus
I use my T-money card so there’s never no fuss
Jump off at the station, or shall I say “yuk”
Are you fluent in Korean? No I got a phrasebook
Pang Pang, now we’re off to the races
To the backstreet market checkin’ out pig faces
Octupus on sale, squid 2 for 1
Let’s hit the waterpark for fun in the sun, I got my swimcap!
Baskin Robbins and Pizza Hut
Knock Domino’s down then slam Dunkin’ Donuts
Geumchon rocks, then it rocks some more
The street meat is sweet and corndogs galore

Chorus:
Kickin’ it in Gumcheon, Oh, Oh
Komsomnida, Annyong Haseyo
Kickin’ it in Gumcheon, Oh, Oh,
Komsomnida, Annyong Haseyo
Kickin’ It, Where? In Gumcheon Where?
In Gumcheon. Where? In Gumcheon Where?
Kickin’ it in Gumcheon, Oh, Oh

Verse 2:
Sometimes it’s spelled with a G, I’ve seen it spelled with a K
Sometimes it’s spelled with an E, I’ve seen the E go away
But regardless of spelling, pronunciation’s the same
The town’s so explosive, Boomchon could be it’s name
The movie theater keeps it real with no subtitles
But we never go cuz there’s no subtitles
But birthday party time it’s so simple to rally
We alls grab our balls at the bowling alley
Then to the Sky Golf hittin’ nothin’ but net
The locals wanna wager but it’s illegal to bet
If your mouth is dry, or if your throat’s got a tickle
Part for the Family Mart, to lick a popsicle
Hungry for bibim bop? The choices never stop
The spice is so nice could make a tear drop
We dedicate the bridge, but not in haste
To the cabbage that we ravage with the chili paste taste

Bridge:
Kimchi, Kimchi, it is good for you and me
Kimchi, Kimchi, it is good for you and me
Kimchi, Kimchi, it is good for you and me
Kimchi, Kimchi, it is good for you and me

Pre-Verse 3:
Kickin’ it
In Boomchon
Kickin’ it
in Boomchon

Verse 3:
When I go to Geumchon, I look at all the hotties
Those ahgashis, they got the hottest bodies
The padded bras, the high heeled shoes
Hey ladies? Can I buy you some brews?
Drinkin’ Cass-uh, drinkin’ Hite-uh
Feelin’ alright-uh, drinkin’ all night-uh
La festa’s no longer the best
Ride your scooter to Guemchon and head over to Zest
The barman’s got flair, flippin’ bottles in the air
Tom Cruise in Cocktail can’t even compare
Upstairs at Posse yogurt soju’s flowin’
Plus Froot Loop balls and the roofdeck’s blowin’
Nature videos while I’m singin’ my song
Number six one three seven at the local Noraebong
Want a night on the town? Wanna spend some won?
Come kick it with us, come kick it in Gumcheon

Chorus:
Kickin’ it in Gumcheon, Oh, Oh
Komsomnida, Annyong Haseyo
Kickin’ it in Gumcheon, Oh, Oh,
Komsomnida, Annyong Haseyo
Kickin’ It, Where? In Gumcheon Where?
In Gumcheon. Where? In Gumcheon Where?
Kickin’ it in Gumcheon, Oh, Oh

(Written by Christian Zonts.  The EV Boyz are Christian Zonts, Mike Nance, and Brian Peterson)

-Jessica

We have lived in Korea for 14 months now, and we have hardly gotten out of the Seoul area and into the rest of Korea. Well, that’s about to change! This weekend through Wednesday is the Korean Thanksgiving holiday called Chuseok. We have work off, the motorcycle is tuned up, and we’re blowing this popsicle stand!

Tomorrow evening, we’ll drive up to Paju to stay the night at English Village, then we’ll set off with our friend Bill on our motorcycles for the east coast town of Gangneung in the Gangwan-do province.

This is not only our first adventure into the rest of Korea but also our first road trip on the motorcycle. I’m really looking forward to the wind in my face, the fresh mountain air, and a dip in the ocean. A generous Korean family that we met has made hotel reservations for us. I love Seoul, but I am so excited about a nice break from the noise, pollution, and crowds of the big city. It’ll also be nice to spend time with our friend Bill.

Pray for blue skies! We’ll take lots of pictures and let you know how it goes!

-Jessica

This video is amazing.  Our friends Baz and Katie met and fell in love at the English Village, and now they’re back in the States.  This week, Baz popped the question to Katie in a very Baz sort of way…

[youtube]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FJvcUH36KGc[/youtube]

Congratulations, guys!  Best wishes!

-Jessica and Adam

We’ve been packing all weekend.  This is the first time Adam and I will actually be prepared for a move.  I think we may finally be growing up a little.  :).

I have two days left working at English Village.  We had a really nice farewell party last night, and now we’re really ready to begin the next thing.

See you on the flip side.

-Jessica

Our Korean home, English Village, is constantly the set for photo shoots, music videos, TV and film. Here are two music videos recently shot that show a lot of the Village.

*In the first video, when they are sitting on the bench, they are directly below our apartment window.

*In the second video, keep your eyes out for Hippokey and Teero (two of our mascots) as well as the Romanian tram driver (one of the most photographed foreigners in Korea).

*Bonus points if you can spot Victoria Town restaurant with the Christmas garlands still up in July…

[youtube]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8ujVIM0Us8g[/youtube]

[youtube]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HRahABuBif4[/youtube]

-Jessica

Adam and I are in one of those spots.  One of those transitional phases.  We’re very near the end of our first year in Korea.  Our year at English Village.  We’re preparing to move to Seoul in just a few weeks, and we’re feeling a potent mix of nostalgia, melancholia, anticipation and home-sickness.  I’ll speak for myself, but I know Adam also feels a lot of the same things…

It has been a great and difficult year.  We have made some good friends, seen some new things, and we have learned a LOT.  The thing about learning is that it sucks.  Only later do you look back and say, “well, at least I learned a lot…”  Korea is an intense place.  Intensely good and intensely infuriating.  The building blocks of this culture are so different from ours, so we think in very different ways, work in different ways.  It’s good to get shaken up a little– to say, I don’t really know what I believe– I don’t know exactly who I am and why I value what I value.  It’s also good to sometimes be able to tactfully say, that’s weird and I don’t agree.  Then there are the great things, the great people, the great traditions, the great food.

The thought of beginning again and getting even deeper into this place makes me alternately thrilled and terrified.  I sort of want to run away home, but what baby reaches the pain of birth and says, “no, I think I’ll just go back to the womb.”

Tonight I watched the video I made in December, walking through Seoul.  I remembered the city with similar nostalgia as when I remember Nashville and Chicago.  You see a place, a person, a time through the lens of your choosing.  This second year in Seoul is going to be incredible.  I think this year has been a gestation.  We need to stay for the birth (…this metaphor is not to be taken literally… we are not, read NOT, expecting a baby this year…).

This blog has been pretty lame recently, and there are two main reasons.

1. Adam and I are a commuting couple for June and July, and a lot of my time that had been spent blogging is now spent in the city or hanging out in Paju with Adam when he’s home.

2. It’s not as easy to write when you don’t know what you feel exactly.  Maybe it makes for good reading, but it’s not easy writing.  I’ll try to be more candid if you’ll forgive my clumsiness.

And I think that’s it for now.  Here is the video, re-posted from December.  It’s funny that the whole first sequence up through the Galbi restaurant is filmed in immediate proximity to where we’ll be living very soon.  Enjoy.

[googlevideo]http://video.google.com/videoplay?docid=4914792137795201625&hl=en[/googlevideo]

-Jessica

This has surely been the week of parties (see photo sets for the Mexican Fiesta and Cheryl’s Birthday), and tonight was no exception.

Happy Canada Day, eh!  It took moving to Asia for me to learn that America’s northern neighbors celebrate their big patriotic holiday on July 1.  Who knew?  …I think they’re just copying.  Tonight, one of our Canadian friends, Andrew, hosted the Canada Day party, eh.  There was barbecue, watermelon, fireworks, and some drink that involved maple syrup.  My parents mailed us some American flag cups, plates, and napkins for July 4, but since we’ll celebrate in Seoul on the fourth, we decided to show our support of Canada Day by bringing our patriotic goods to the party.  American/Canadian feuding ensued.

Then it was off to another apartment where our Romanian friend Irina was celebrating her birthday in Romanian style.  There was Romanian gypsy music and Romanian dancing.  It was yet another unique meeting of cultures at English Village.  Pretty fun.

Happy Canada Day.  Happy Birthday, Irina.  And almost, happy 4th!

Joking aside, Adam and I have felt very nostalgic for home recently.  There’s something about summer and the 4th of July that makes us really crave a nice evening in the back yard with family and a good burger.  We really miss you guys…

-Jessica

Nearing the year-mark of our arrival in Korea, Adam and I are getting into the next level of Korean culture.

One, we’re shopping for our first apartment really in Korea. You probably know, we live in a theme park called the English Village an hour north of Seoul, on the border of North Korea. It has been a great experience, and we’ve learned a lot. But we’re really looking forward to the next chapter, living in the city, having to use more Korean in our day-to-day interactions. We’ll begin moving our stuff in July, and we’ll live full-time in Seoul starting in August when my contract is up at EV.

Second, we have been given Korean names! Korean names come from Chinese characters, and they are usually made of three characters/syllables. The first name/syllable is the family name, and there are relatively few family names compared to the infinite number of family names in the States. The second two names are the familiar name, and the familiar name is only used alone if the speaker is an extremely close friend. If the familiar name is used without the family name, the syllables “ah” ㅏ or “shi” ì‹œ are usually added for politeness.

A few of my Korean co-workers have given me the name No Hye Young– 노해영 which means wise, beautiful flower. “No” is the Korean family name closest to “Lofbomm” since the family name Lo/Ro is not used. Adam has adopted the Korean name No Young Jae– 노영재– meaning genius. Our favorite security guard at English Village is named Young Jae, and Adam is the only person he allows to call him by his familiar name. The rest of us little people have to call him Captain Lee.

(Young Jae and Young Jae)

Have a great day.

-Hye Young

It’s Tuesday evening, which is Friday afternoon according to my current work schedule.  I’ll be off at 9:00 tonight, then I’ll jump the bus into Seoul to be with Adam for my weekend.

Last week, Adam finished his schoolwork for the summer, and immediately a job fell into his lap.  This is his second week staying in Seoul, teaching at five different study rooms for kids who can’t afford to go to the Hogwans (language academies) that are so popular in Korea.  He is staying with our good friends.  I miss him, but it works out that we still see each other every day.  He leaves Paju on Monday morning, I go to Seoul Tuesday night through Thursday, he comes home Friday night through Monday morning.  And plus, he likes to have something to do while he’s waiting for the Fall semester to begin.

We’ve decided that when my contract is finished here at the end of next month, we’ll be moving to Seoul.  I’m really looking forward to living in Seoul.  It’s an incredible city.  I’m looking forward to what lessons and mysteries this coming year holds.  Maybe we’re gluttons for punishment, but each difficult change has been so rich and rewarding.

Enjoy your week.

-Jessica

p.s.  Happy birthday to Gene’ and Nellie, and happy graduation to Amber.

We were just ‘tagged’ by our Nashville friend Jennifer to list our five favorite restaurants in Korea. It’s a little difficult to do. Since there are SO MANY restaurants in every town in Korea, we seldom eat anywhere more than once or twice. I’ll do my best. Maybe Adam will have something to add later, but here’s my list.

1. Genghis Khan Mongolian Barbecue. This is the best restaurant on the English Village campus. I get 5 meal vouchers per week, and usually two of them are spent at GK each week. One meal voucher buys a “small” barbecue. This so-called small barbecue is almost too much food for Adam and me to share for dinner. We get a small bowl and can collect with metal tongs what we want in our dinner. We fill the bowl to brimming with fresh vegetables, press them down to fill in any air pockets, heap on more carrots, green onion, cabbage, sprouts, cucumber, thinly sliced beef, pork, chicken, and thick tofu. When we can no longer balance anything else on top of the precarious tower, we hand it over to the cook who dumps a massive handful of spaghetti noodles on top, at which point it all spills over onto the plate under the bowl. The cook scoops spicy barbecue sauce, lemon sauce, a canned fruit salad, and minced garlic atop it all. Then, it is all cooked together on a hot stone slab. Ohhh… my mouth is watering.

2. Tongildongsan Dubu Village. Dubu is the Korean word for tofu. Adam particularly loves this place which is down the road from the village. It’s a wonderful healthy feast. You can gorge yourself and still feel like you did something good for your body. You can eat for hours on more manifestations of tofu than you could ever imagine. Adam’s favorite is a soup that smells distinctly like stinky feet. I like the reaaaaally soft tofu served in a little log. It’s so soft that you have to eat with a spoon and then dip it in this yummy soy sauce mixture for perfection. I could eat a whole log of it myself. They also make kimchi that I actually enjoy.

3. Duck. This is another favorite restaurant down the road from the village. We ate my favorite Korean food, beef galbi, there several times before we realized that the restaurant is named Duck because they actually serve duck (we’re bright, I know). We went there with a whole group of my co-teachers, mostly Koreans, and we shared Duck’s specialty, a large stuffed duck. Duck’s duck has the most flavorful, earthy stuffing of vegetables and long-grain rice. Adam and I were scavenging every last grain of rice from the remains with our chopsticks. The flavor was so earthy and unique, we weren’t surprised when our friends said that the duck is slow cooked in some sort of mud… I didn’t really understand how. But it’s so delicious.

4. McDonald’s. Just kidding– seeing if you were reading. How about… Everest Indian/Nepalese Restaurant in Dongdaemun. We ate at Everest for the first time last night, but I can see many bright visits in our future. This wasn’t the same earth-shaking quality as our Indian cuisine encounter in Bangkok, but it was solid Indian food with the biggest, garlic-est naan ever. We devoured everything and licked the bowls clean. Most of Seoul’s Indian restaurants are wicked expensive, so it’s a relief to find good, affordable Indian food. The service was so great and the atmosphere so comfortable that we didn’t realize that we had been there almost four hours until the staff was sweeping around us.

5. Freevie’s in Ilsan. We’ve been there twice now for special celebrations with our English Village friends. It’s a massive buffet. It’s also really expensive, but come on. Freevie’s takes all of the foreigners’ favorite hard-to-find foods and puts them all together in top-notch quality. Fresh, made-to-order sushi, a pasta bar with traditional and adventurous options, taco fixin’s, pizza, steak fillets, chocolate fountain with fruit and marshmallows, sundae machine, cotton candy, rich chocolate mousse cake… mmm… They definitely win for the best concentration of desserts we have found in Seoul.

I’m fasting today. Can you tell? I got a little animated in those descriptions.

In keeping with the international theme, I hereby tag these five people to tell us their top five restaurants:

Daniel and Elizabeth, where are your favorite places to dine in Ethiopia?
Heather, what do you northern Canadians eat?
Scott and Sheryl, as you near the end of your year in Europe, can you identify the top 5 best restaurants at which you dined?
Shaun Groves, what sustenance provides you with the energy to keep on soft-rocking around America?
Melanie, you always say how incredible the restaurants are in New York City. Which five do you miss the most?

Buon Appetito.

-Jessica