April and May Happenings

I wouldn't go as far to say that being busy is the reason I haven't updated this in awhile. It's more or less that I don't really want this blog to be just a big, dumb ad for Liquor Burger. Making things difficult is that even the events we do now happen mostly through LB.

Back in April, we took 40 people to a Strawberry Festival in Yangpyeong. It was really a great time. We rented a bus and took an LB crew. We made strawberry bread, picked strawberries, ate some bibimbap, rode a tractor, made some rice cake and drank some maggulli.

It was a lot of fun to see what a strawberry farm is like in Korea. Because of the weather here, they raise the strawberries in greenhouse-like tents. I guess I'm not sure how they raise them in America. I just always pictured an open field. I suppose anywhere without a perfect climate would need something this, though.

Keeping with the theme of LB events, we took about 40 people to an Incheon SK Wyverns baseball game in May. With the summer here, we wanted to do more for the Yeonsudong crowd to make they get some cool experiences in Korea. While many of them have been to baseball games before, very few of them sat right down in the reserved seat fan zone.

So we booked tickets for all our buddies, made LB/Wyverns t-shirts and went and had a great time. Fortunately for us, Incheon won. There were even fireworks!!!

We did actually take a day off and go do something by ourselves! At the end of May, everyone had Monday off from work. We decided to close the bar on Monday as well and head to Gangwondo and Seokcho on the east coast. Over there, we headed to Seorak Mountain.

Everyone in Korea knows Seorak mountain. As far as this country goes, the east coast is my absolute favorite part. It's all countryside. There are mountains, rivers, trees and clean air. It's really incredible.

So we went hiking all day on Sunday, and then just hung around the east coast on Monday, when the weather didn't cooperate as well. It was an incredible time to just be by ourselves and get away from the city, the bar and school for a couple of days.

Everything at Hambak has gone really well through the first semester. I really like my co-teachers. We don't work directly with each other on normal days. But they're very professional. We discuss everything. They don't give me late info (unless it's late because of another source). The students all know me and we have a nice vibe in our classes. It's still a really pleasant work environment, and I'm happy to still be a member of the staff there.

On the side, I'm still teaching Mr. Kim's son for two hours a week. We even added one of his buddies now, as well. It's great to have a second student in the class. One-on-one can be tough unless the student's level is incredibly high. Now that he has a friend there, he is a little more comfortable and is quicker to answer questions. It also makes game a ton more fun.

While I am tired and do get a little stressed from all the odd hours, I'm very comfortable over here professionally right now. Outside of bar business, Jeong Mi and I don't even have the smallest squabbles. And we understand that when we fight about the bar, it's business-only. I'm sure there would be tension with any business partner. Things are obviously kicked up a notch when the person is your spouse.

As the end of June approaches, we have a couple of big things happening. One is our one-year anniversary. It's on June 26 (same day as my birthday, of course). The great news is that we'll be in America for the anniversary. We'll be home for the last week of June and first week of July.

While we're gone, we'll have one of our Korean buddies and a couple of part-timers running the bar. We'll still do our usual events. This is a guy we totally trust, so we're fortunate to have him. Neither of us were really looking forward to just shutting down for two weeks.

I'm sure there area bunch of things I'm missing in this update, but that's the basic scoop of everything that is going on here.

The bar is open now, so I guess I'd better get to work! See you all in a couple of weeks!!!

Check out more of our pictures here:

Strawberry Festival

LB Wyverns Game

Seorak Mountain trip

Marriage License

It's official and there's no turning back! Jeong Mi and I went to the American Embassy in Seoul and filed for our marriage license. It takes a few days to go through, but all should be well by now.

Married!!!

Pictures are here.

Vietnam Honeymoon!

This is a long time in the making. We've been so busy with out latest adventures, that I've had zero time to blog. I'm going to keep the writing short on this one, and let the pics do most of the talking.

We went to Vietnam on Aug. 13 for five days, and had an incredible time. Vietnam is very welcoming of foreigners, even if the motor scooter culture is slightly terrifying. Seriously, there are so many scooters buzzing around that I had a dream I was driving one on the first night.

Our first day started out ominously, but things turned up. It was raining and we couldn't find a travel agency because the one we planned on going to didn't exist anymore. Once we found Saigon Tourist, we were all set.

It rained almost every day for at least a couple hours around dinner time. It was little more than an annoyance, but that adds to the stress a bit when you're just trying to tour around.

In Ho Chi Minh City, we stayed in the district with a lot of shops, restaurants and hotels. As far as HCMC goes, we didn't leave our district very much. We didn't have a ton of time there, and we really had everything we needed right there.

On our second day, we went to the Cu Chi Tunnels. It's an area of Vietnam that has proud people who held off the "crazy devil" Americans as they tried to push north. They did so by making elaborate, excruciating traps and popping out of tiny tunnels in various locations to mow down troops.

While the day-long American hate fest was a bit uncomfortable, it was a really interesting experience to hear history from the other side.

On our third day, we took a great trip to the Mekong Delta. The guide on our car ride spoke English really well, and we had a great conversation about the country. When we arrived, we switched off to a local tour guide. She took us on a variety of boat rides to the various islands.

While there, we rode on a horse cart, went to some local villages, saw a bee apiary and ate some awesome honey. The day wasn't even close to over then. We also saw some traditional Vietnamese singers, are a lot of fruit, saw them make coconut candy and were served a traditional meal of fried fish, meat and fruit.

The jungle was just beautiful, and it was interesting to see how a lot of these people live their lives. They really do depend a lot on tourism, but would probably just go on the same without it.

We spent Wednesday and Thursday on the east coast at a beautiful resort. The ride was about 5 hours each way with traffic that appeared to have no rules. We really went through some incredibly poor areas, though they were rich in propaganda.

The resort was awesome. It's right on the beach, and only a ten-minute drive from a natural phenomenon. It's a red sand desert that is sitting right next to the beach. It's stunning to see.

At the resort, we just relaxed and took it all in. There was the beach, a pool, great food and cheap drinks. There's nothing wrong with any of that. It was a perfect end to a wonderful honeymoon.

Even though the plane ride back was quite bumpy, we really had an unforgettable vacation. It lived up to anything I could've imagined as a honeymoon.

We have so much more to do now that we're back. Back to work!

Check out my pictures here.

And check out Jeong Mi's pictures here.

Getting Laid Off: Doesn't Feel Great

I've been quite busy lately, and with good reason. It turns out that the Hambak English Center will lose its funding from the district office at the end of the budgetary year in December.

The last we heard is that we'd be funded for one more year, so this was a surprise. It was also a bit of a wake-up call. As stable as I thought this job was, it just goes to show that nothing is set in stone. I was expecting to sign up for one more year at Hambak, and then look to other options.

But timing is pushing me in another direction.

While I am upset about this, I don't blame the school. They want to keep us. My contract ends in October, but they're offering me the option to stay on until the end at the end of December. So I'll be the last native speaker to have worked at Hambak English Center.

It's a nice gesture by the school for a few reasons. One is that I don't have to scramble to find a new place to live. Two is that it gives me two more months of paychecks and pension contributions before I'm cut off.

So really, as losing a job goes, this really isn't the end of the world.

To add on to the relief pile is that we'll finalize our marriage license on Tuesday, and then go about changing my visa to an F-2-1 from my current E2. As far as I can tell, an F-2-1 (spouse visa) gives me the opportunity to really do anything I want as a job over here.

And it turns out, Jeong Mi and I already have a plan. We are going to open a bar. It sounds like a strange idea considering there are endless drinking establishments here. But the options aren't endless in this neighborhood for places where teachers and other non-Koreans can go and feel welcome. Now, there are places we can go, but welcome is not always there.

I've been lucky to find a good hangout and friend in Radio and Woo Min. But he is trying to sell. He has been for awhile. We actually talked about buying his, but one of the required deposits is far out of our range.

But what we did find is a bar on the second floor of a building on the main drag. While that is sometimes seen as not good for business, this bar has an outdoor patio, which really boosts its appeal. It also used to be a foreigner hangout three years ago. Some of my current friends had gone to the old place, but turnover here is so high that most people don't remember it.

And while I was stressing about making sure we'd do enough business to make a decent living, I came to the realization today that with an F-2-1 visa, I'm not limited to one job. So I can teach English part-time with any company or do private lessons to supplement the bar. I could easily make enough teaching a few hours a day, three days a week to completely pay for the rent for the bar in any given month.

We also have some ideas to draw in enough teachers and other foreigners that are unique to the area specifically, and Korea in general. Jeong Mi will make these awesome mini-burgers as our specialty food item, and we'll have a variety of event nights throughout the week to try to turn our place into a good hangout. Of course, we're not forgetting our Korean brothers and sister, as we'll have soju and a few popular bar side dishes from which to choose.

So I haven't updated in awhile, but I think you guys can understand why. I'll have a more uplifting post in a week or so. Jeong Mi and I leave for Vietnam for our honeymoon from the 14th through the 18th. We're very excited.

So think good thoughts for us as we take our trip and come back to embark on a new career opportunity as a small business owner!!!

The Wedding, Family and All The Fun Times

This might be a bit of a long post, but there's a good reason. I saved up EVERYTHING we did during my family's time here, and I'm going to throw it all out here. I usually throw all my pic links at the end, but look for them throughout this post.

Also, you can check out my dad and mom's blog for another perspective on the trip. You can find dad and mom's blog here.

I won't type too much, as I'll try to let the pics do most of the storytelling, but get ready for the show!

June 24


The family arrived right on time, and Jeong Mi was at the airport to meet them with a call van. We got them back to their rooms quickly, and then went straight to the hanbok store. We had to get there quickly so we could catch the baseball game.

While there, my parents got measured and picked the style they liked. It all went smoothly, as my parents were also meeting Jeong Mi's parents again for the first time in a year.

We got out of there quickly to head to the baseball game, but the rain would take its first point from us, as the game was called off. You'll see the rain becoming a common, unwelcome theme throughout the trip.

We ended up just going back to my neighborhood to eat lamb skewers at my favorite place, and then we headed to Radio to introduce my family to my friends and the place where I spend the majority of my weekends.

June 25


Jeremy, Melissa and Alan had a morning and afternoon to rest, but Mom, Dad, Jeong Mi and I had to get up early-ish. We went to the wedding place to check out a ceremony, so my parents would have some idea of what was going on. Though they didn't need to know much, it was good to see.

After that, we went back to Yeonsu-dong and ate at a galbi restaurant with Pel, Kim and Popper. In an unprecedented event, they all decided to stay with us and join us for a trip to the norarbang. There are a million in the area, so we picked one and hit it. We had a great time singing and hanging out. We took a lot of good pictures and great videos.

Check out the June 24 and June 25 pictures here!!!

June 26 - Wedding Day


As I've been saying, if it rains, it might as well be a typhoon. And that's just what we got. A tropical storm blew through the morning of the wedding. While we were covered under tarps, the wind still whipped in and brought some splashes of water with it. To add to the fun, Pel and Popper got stuck in an elevator, and made it only minutes before the ceremony started.

Unfortunately, that means they couldn't carry me in, but Jun and Oson stepped in alongside Barry and Woo Min, and it was as really fun experience. While I was carried in, I was goofing around by peeking around the shade and generally just having a good time. Then Jeong Mi came in, and the wedding was underway.

The ceremony itself was short, but ours added other things on to stretch it out. We had a drum band play for at least ten minutes. Our fathers both tossed roosters. I carried around basically my whole family and her family on a piggyback ride. We also had the ceremony where the family members each come up and say nice things to us. Then we took a bunch of pictures. I also translated the whole ceremony through the mic. I didn't expect to, but I guess it was bound to happen. While fun, those things definitely tacked on time.

There was hardly any food left for us when we finished!

After that, a big group of us headed back to Radio for the after party. Woo Min really worked hard that day to help organize all our friends and then host us after the wedding. We had a blast hanging at Radio. We even got to do the Chicken Dance!!! A Bruckart wedding can't happen with that!

Check out wedding pictures here!!!

Keep in mind that we have a ton of wedding pics. This is just a first uploading. So if you keep checking back, there will be more and more. This will at least give you a taste of what happened that day.

June 27 and 28 - Gangwondo


While not yet a honeymoon, really, the days after the wedding provided us a chance to take a trip with Jeong Mi's parents as well as my family. We went to the northeast coast to the province of Gangwondo. It's my favorite place in Korea. It's all nature and beaches and mountains and trees and rivers. The air is fresh and clean, and it's just beautiful.

On Monday, we checked out a beach and a few different spots to catch a good view. We then got to our pension and grilled as much meat as two families possibly could. We also toured a South Korea ship and a North Korea submarine.

On Tuesday, we headed up past the 38th parallel to a lookout that is less than 5 kilometers from North Korea. From the mountaintop, we were looking straight into North Korean territory at some of its mountains and islands. It was an incredible site.

After that, we checked out the DMZ museum and headed over to Mount Sarak, where we rode the cable car up and hiked onto one of the peaks. What a beautiful view! I definitely want to go back in the winter time.

Check out the pictures from the Gangwondo trip here!!!

June 29 - DMZ


This day was another early morning riser. This day was special because we were going to the DMZ. We left our place at 6 a.m., and headed into Seoul. That's where we would catch the bus to the most heavily armed border in the world.

Just crossing into the civilian territory is almost surreal. Soldiers check IDs and passports, and they warn you not to take pictures. Though, if the barbed wire and armed guards weren't all over, the countryside would be just beautiful.

Unfortunately, rain once again reared its ugly head. But that didn't hurt our first plan. We went to the third infiltration tunnel made by the North Koreans. Once there, we strapped on our helmets and rode the tram underground. The tram tunnel was made by the South Koreans, but we soon stepped into North Korean-made territory. The tunnels were tight and small. An average person couldn't stand straight up. The helmets came in handy for a few people on the tour. It was interesting to think that these tunnels exist and were once used for terrifying things. On top of that, there could be many more tunnels around the DMZ.

After that, we went to an observatory, where we saw ABSOLUTELY NOTHING because of the rain and fog. Then it was onto Dorasan, the northernmost train station between North and South Korea. It was previously used to make cargo deliveries, but in recent years, trains hit that stop for some workers, and then come right back. It's another surreal area, almost like a ghost town.

Our last stop on the tour (besides eating) was Imjingak unification village. There was really nothing to see there. It's mostly set up as propaganda. I think the tallest viking in Korea is there (!).

That was it was the DMZ. The idea of it is scarier than being there. Of course, being there when a war is actively happening would probably be a nightmare. I couldn't imagine fighting in the heat and humidity and the heavy forests. And don't even start thinking about wintertime. Yikes.

Check out DMZ photos here!!!

Coming back in from the DMZ, we stopped at Jeong Mi's parents' place. We had a great meal at a Jajangmyeon restaurant, then went to their house to watch some of the DVDs and picture slideshows her dad made for us. It was really fun.

June 30 -- Wolmido and Baseball


We woke up Thursday morning late, because it was a planned rest day. But seeing as the weather was nice, I wanted to do something relaxing. So we headed to Wolmido! Wolmido is my favorite place in Incheon. It's the site of the famous Incheon Landing, and is now home to an awesome boardwalk with rides, drinks and fun.

We got there around 4 p.m., which is a bit unfortunate, because the place really starts rolling at night. Also adding to the bummer factor, is that they are now doing construction on a large chunk of the boardwalk in order to expand it into the sea area.

We still had a good time, because almost all of us got on the slingshot. It's a wonderful ride that does what it says and shoots you into the air. Though we all only paid for one trip, business hadn't really started for them yet, so he gave each of us to big rides. It was a great time. Even Jeong Mi and Dad got on the ride.

Then, since the weather was holding out, we got to go to a baseball game!!! This was really exciting for me. Baseball is a really different experience here. So we sprung for tickets almost behind home plate, got our thunder sticks and enjoyed a really great game.

We got on the jumbotron a bunch and mom even won a free pizza for a dance contest. We even saw an almost-fight between the first-base coach and the ump. Incheon lost, as usual. I'm sure me being there hurt us. But it was still a great time.

Check out Wolmido and baseball game pics here!!!

July 1 - Seoul Bus Tour


Just like last year with Mom and Dad, we took the family on the Seoul Bus Tour. It's a great tour that is only 10,000 won per person, but takes you to basically every big spot in the city. This year we went to Gyeongbokgung (Sejong's palace), Seoul Tower, Itaewon (only for lunch!) and Insadong.

This was really the only time we got to spend in Seoul, but it's a cool trip and worth a day on anyone's schedule. I didn't take too many pics, but mom has a bunch more in her blog.

Check out Bus Tour pics here!!

July 2


Saturday was really just a day to relax. We went to Outback for some actual good food, and then I took Jeremy shopping a bit. Melissa and Alan came over to our place and hung out. Then we went to Radio for a couple hours to hang out and wind down. Woo Min and Jun surprised my parents and family with some very nice gifts. I have some great friends here, and I'm glad my parents got to meet them all.

July 3 - Farewell


We woke up early-ish on July 3 to meet Jeong Mi's parents for one last meal. We went to a nice meat restaurant in the neighborhood, and they got to chat (through me) one last time on this trip.

We then loaded into the van, and headed to the airport. For the second year in a row, I watched my family take off from the airport and head back to The World. It's always hard watching them leave, especially when I don't yet know what my own future will hold.

We had a really incredible time and things went fairly smoothly. Unlike last year, where a day of translating would force me to take two recovery days from mental and physical fatigue, this year was a piece of cake. What a difference a year makes, huh? I only needed my dictionary a couple times at the DMZ, but it was mostly in my ear hole and out my mouth hole without even stopping to think anymore. And it didn't wear me out at all. It felt pretty normal.

I'm so thrilled my family could make it out for my traditional Korean wedding, and that they could see a glimpse of my life over here. Any of you other teachers -- or anyone living here -- who has a close family, get them to come out and spend a week with you. Even though it can be a bit stressful, it's totally worth the time and effort.

As for the rest of my family, we look forward to partying with you guys back home and celebrating American-style as soon as possible. Anyone who stuck with this through the end, thank you so much! Keep checking back for picture updates.

Once more to my family, Jeong Mi, her parents and my friends: I love you guys! Thank you so much!