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We are back in Seoul, safe and sound.  We may have a few stories to share soon, but for now, enjoy our photos from the trip!

-Jessica and Adam

We’re having a great time in Koh Chang, Thailand. We’re staying in a little Bungalow by the sea. The water is blue and warm, the air is clear, the food is delicious, the people are relaxed, and we’re happy as clams. On top of that, we’re celebrating Adam’s 29th birthday today!

Yesterday, we began a three day certification course to become Open Water Scuba Divers, and it has been amazing so far! The first day included an instructional video, a written test, and two hours learning skills below the the surface in their diving pool. Though we didn’t go deeper than ten feet on the first day, we were breathing underwater for two straight hours! Today we celebrated Adam’s 29th birthday with two guided dives! We took a boat out to two different coral reef sites off of Koh Chang, and at lunch on the boat, they even brought out a birthday cake for Adam.

We’ll be taking some photos on our dives tomorrow, but we’ll probably wait to upload everything until we return. Here is a photo of us in Bangkok, though!

Have a great day!

-Jessica

We’re now good friends with the workers at the Korean consulate in Bangkok.  Today, after our third visit, we have our visa in order, and it’s off to the beach tomorrow!  We’ve enjoyed our unexpected extension in Bangkok, and it has given us the chance to see a few things we hadn’t seen before.  We’ve gotten to dig a little deeper than the backpacker haven of Khao San Road.

We also have a lot of thanks for our friends Tyler and Dasha for showing us around. 

I’m keeping it brief because we’re using the free computer at the consulate, but we’re well and wanted to let you know.  See you later!

-Jessica

Perhaps it would be easier if we just married a couple of Koreans.

The main purpose of our trip to Thailand was to process a new work visa for our acting in Seoul.  But alas, our employer didn’t give us the right paperwork, so we’re hung up in Bangkok with visa woes.  We’ll get to the island, but two days later than planned.  Maybe.

For now, we get to explore Bangkok more deeply.

-Jessica

Yo!  I’m sorry I’ve been a little out of touch, but I’m now writing from a different country.

Adam and I have just arrived in Bangkok for our second annual spring vacation to Thailand.  We’ll be seeing some of our old English Village friends in Bangkok, and then it’s off to the island of Koh Chang for almost two weeks.  THIS year, we’re wearing our sunscreen so we can enjoy it more fully.  We’ll even be taking an open-water scuba course for four days.  :).

Just wanted to drop a note to let you know what we’re up to.  We hope all is well with you, and we’ll say hello again.

Sawadeekaa,

-Jessica

Here is my first big role on Korea’s MBC TV show, “Surprise”.  Our manager from the show called the day before filming to let me know that I’d be the lead, and that I would be singing.  I was excited because, you know, I like to sing.

Well, I was a little surprised to find out what they had in mind.  I hope this disclaimer is unnecessary, but, uh, I don’t usually sing like this.

Drumroll, please.

[youtube]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3NAT7fTQ4a4[/youtube]

[youtube]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Dk3fw2yxNRA[/youtube]

Mom, are you proud?  :).

-Jessica

p.s. If you’re curious, this is actually a true story.  Check out Florence Foster Jenkins.

Koreans love emotional schmultz, so they need not one, but two Valentine’s Days.

In Korea, Valentine’s Day, February 14th, is the day where the woman give the man chocolate and showers him with love. Then March 14, White Day, is when the man returns the favor. Lucky for me, Adam and I had a good ol’ American Valentine’s Day last month– he brought me out to a romantic dinner of at our friend’s Mediterranean bistro, Ape With Pipe (I did my part, and gave him a pack of chocolate covered almonds from 7-11). Then tonight, he treated me again for White Day, taking me to a tapas place nearby. Ahh, it was delicious.

Along the theme of treating the woman, and because I’ve heard a lot of talk about International Women’s Day approaching, Adam and I took about an hour at dinner to list female role models, strong women A-Z.

For example:

A- Amelia Earhart, Anne Frank, Aphrodite
B- Beatrix Potter, Bette Midler
C- Cate Blanchett,
D- Doris Rau (my grandma), Dorcas (Bible character), Dorthea Lang
E- Esther (Bible character), Eleanor Roosevelt, Ella Fitzgerald

Can you do it?

It’s after midnight now, but I wish you ladies on the other hemisphere a happy White Day!

-Jessica

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

Spring is pushing through Seoul’s wintry chill with more and more persistence. Yesterday, I squeegeed off the plastic chairs on our balcony and enjoyed the mild afternoon with my feet up on the railing. Adam took the heavy foam hand-warmers off of the motorcycle handles, and today we rode comfortably through the city to our various voice-over jobs with the wind in our faces.

Riding a motorcycle in the city is a much different animal from riding up in the countryside where we lived last Spring. Mind you, I’m not driving, just riding, but it’s like a high-action video game or maybe a roller coaster.

Motorcycles (”Auto-bi” in Konglish) and scooters are to Seoul what I hear bicycles are to New York City. Delivery men and messengers whip and weave between the car traffic with freedom and ease. 20-somethings in their vespa-esque scooters coast by with Stevie Wonder blaring from the dash, weaving up onto the side-walk to skirt a car turning in front of them. Scraggly old men, “Ajushis”, with knee pads, reinforced leather armor, and road-worn stallions lug silver cases of food-delivery as they drive one-handed and coast through red-lights. Other Ajushis, more weathered yet, speed along perilously close to the curb with only a force-field of invincibility keeping them from grazing the cars lined up millimeters away– while the rear of their bikes are rigged with crates piled a meter high with odds and ends bound to be delivered somewhere (on time, to be sure).

In short, Seoul’s traffic laws apparently do not apply to those on two wheels. The thing I enjoy the most about riding with Adam is the feeling that I’m in a motorcycle gang. In heavy traffic, all of these two-wheeled riff-raff emerge from backed-up traffic to wait in front at every red light, together. Then, as the light turns, we take off down the empty road ahead, leaving the cars and their gridlock in our dust.

It sounds dangerous, and it is. But Adam has been driving very well, keeping alert and defensive, knowing in the back of his mind that everyone on the road is trying to kill him. And, of course, he’s picked up a lot of driving skills from the Ajushis.

-Jessica

This morning, Adam discovered this meeting of our two worlds: my favorite band–U2, and his favorite film– a German film called “Wings of Desire” directed by Wim Winders. We were surprised that we’d never come across this before. The song was written for the film’s sequel, “Far Away So Close”. Winders directed U2’s music video, borrowing heavily from his own films.

In this video, the members of U2 are angels watching over the city of Berlin. Lovely. Bono can sing in my ear any time.

[youtube]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lQbNDmm09bQ[/youtube]

-Jessica