Yes, it’s not as romantic as picking the honeymoon destination or how many pools you will have in your dream home, but perhaps necessary one…
Found this good article in the NYT on Money Talks to Have Before Marriage.
“Success in marriage is only partly attributable to compatibility. It’s about how you manage those differences and whether you have a style for doing so that is successful.”
My fears have come true… Jiwon and I visited the Belgian embassy this week in order to get some information on how to register our marriage in Korea and what she would need to go to Belgium without getting deported upon her arrival.
I did expect the process to be somewhat tedious but it turned out to be a real administrative nightmare (reminds me of my first days dealing with university administration)…
Here is just an overview of what I remember:
- The first thing I need is for the embassy to deliver a certificate of non-impedement to marriage but in order to get that certificate, I have to get some stuff from Belgium, which include my birth certificate (no biggie) and a letter proving my Belgian nationality and that I am not married. Problem with that is that the only way to request this letter is via mail!!! Yes, I have to write a letter (well, I can do that on the computer) and put it in an envelope with a stamp on it, hoping that someone at the city administration will be able process it rather quickly.
But here comes the best part. Once they receive my written request, they will mail (envelope and stamp, again!) me back indicating the cost of the letter, which they will send only after I pay.
My biggest worry is that there is no way to check whether they receive my written request and to know when they will be able to send me the letter I need.
- Anyways, after I submit all the documents and receive my certificate of non-impedement to marriage, I have to go the district office to register the marriage with Jiwon – that, I am not too worried about.
- Then, it’s back to the embassy who requested that we translate and legalized the marriage certificate (around 5 copies) and bring a series of other documents for Jiwon such as criminal record, passport, and family records. With that, Jiwon will apply for a long-term visa to Belgium, which should not be too much trouble.
- Once in Belgium, we have to go right away to the ‘maison communale’ and police will call us within 10 days to verify we do live together.
I like how the consul told us that our case was rather ’straight-forward’ !!!
If anyone has dealt with international marriages before and knows how to best handle it, feel free to let me know…
Last week, Jiwon and I drove South and crossed two items off my bucket list. We visited Gyeongju, which is the ancient capital of Korea, and Haeinsa, home to the largest Buddhist order in Korea (Jogye). Of course, it was nice to get out of Seoul but it was also nice looking into the history of the country. You often feel detached from it when you are in the city and visiting those temples and ancient monuments reminded me of the rich history of the country…
The photoshoot actually takes place before the wedding in Korea and ours was yesterday.
This may seem strange but I believe the reason is because most weddings take place in hotels or wedding halls and these seldom provide an idyllic background to ‘immortalize’ the big day.
That’s why couples go to studios where you can recreate backgrounds and scenarios that have a little more romantic flair.
It was a gruelling process actually – 5 hours in a studio, posing and smiling, and changing outfits a number of times (Jiwon had it tougher than me) – but the photographer made it quite fun and she was very professional.
Well, I am not going to show those pictures quiet yet but in the mean time, here are some shots from the fitting room (these were actually taken last week).
It’s full moonsoon season in Seoul and heavy rain has been falling unpredictably over the past few weeks, making weekend plans a volatile affair. We caught a little break this weekend and decided to have a stroll in one of our favorite neighborhoods in Seoul, Buamdong.
I went to the wedding of my old teammate Paul last weekend and it was quite interesting because they had opted for a traditional ceremony at the Korea House.
Not only was it fun to see Paul in a traditional costume but he picked Kieran as his best man and both were wearing traditional costumes and reenacted the ceremony. We were all trying to laugh discretely but some of us (Jiwon included) could not hold it.
On a side note, I also got my hanbok on Saturday and will post some pictures soon.
All the best Paul and looking forward to see you in England!
Hello all,
I just wanted to let you know that I have changed the blog a little bit. Maybe you have noticed that I erased a few posts (music notably). The reason is that I wanted to keep this blog about personal stuff and felt that adding too much posts would make it quite messy.
So, I built this other blog Silla Box where I post all the other things I am interested in. It mostly includes music, art, and there are also a few posts that are work-related.
Check it out if you have time…
Peace, Jerome
Here is evidence to a universal truth, as told by one of those people with letters behind their name i.e. Professor Denise Donnelly:
There is a feedback relationship in most couples between happiness and having sex. Happy couples have more sex, and the more sex a couple has, the happier they report being
Elementary, my dear Watson! :P
Well, it’s not exactly the backyard version with the trees and trimmed grass but in Seoul, rooftop bbq is as close as you’ll get to it. Celebrated the end of the season with the team and can’t wait for the next one.
After a long break, I started playing football again with Lokomotiv Goyang, a good bunch of guys (and girls) from all corners of the world, in a league called Super Sunday Football League. The games are somewhat competitive because of the league format but also because some players take this thing very seriously.
This season was a little frustrating because despite a decent squad, we have lost (or drawn) a number of games at the last minute because of lack of concentration or, I use it as my excuse, a repeated string of bad luck.
In any case, we closed it off with a good victory 8-4 and looking forward to next season. Have a good summer boys!!!
I don’t like staying at home too much, especially on weekends.
I usually read on my way to work or at coffee shops and I don’t watch a whole lot of TV. Not because I blame it for dumbing society, I just don’t have cable.
But the past few weekends have been filled with so many activities and appointments that we decided to spend it at home to relax and get some much needed rest. Plus, Jiwon had some work to get done for school…
As any lounging day, it was quite uneventful except for the announcement of the suicide of former Korean president Roh Moo-Hyun who jumped off a cliff following charges of bribery during his presidency.
Ironically, it did give us something to watch on TV.
Busy weekend: movie, soccer, dinner with Jiwon’s friends, massage, and to top it all, we went to see Tower of Power at the Seoul Jazz Festival (thanks to my friend Hana who got us free tix).
I have to admit that I was a bit worried before the concert, for two reasons: First, these guys are way past their prime age as they have been around for more than 40 years and I wasn’t sure if how they would sound. Secondly, the concert was at the Sejong Cultural Center, which is a sitting venue, and thought it was quite inappropriate for a band that takes its inspiration from James Brown. Nevermind, it took the audience about 3 seconds to get up and line up towards the stage much like the Beatles groupies did at the Shea Stadium. Although Jiwon and I were up on the balcony, we were right there in spirit screaming and dancing for most of the concert and we also briefly contemplated jumping off to see if people below would catch us for a crowd surfing session.
I know I am dramatizing but the concert was that good. The band is still kickin’ and played some classics “You are still a young man” and “What is hip” along with some tunes from their new album “The Great American Soulbook”. I used to listen to this band when I was in college and never thought I would get the chance to see them live. It was the perfect way to end the weekend and have a lot of positive thoughts before getting back to work :)
It’s pretty rare for me to get to try a restaurant during its opening week. I had heard raging reviews about the place on Tuesday and as soon as I had told Jiwon about it, we had seats reserved for Saturday 01.00 p.m. 3 people.
Salvatore Cuomo is already a household name in Japan where he opened approximately 60 establishments and he also made inroads in the Chinese market (Shanghai) before coming to Korea.
Now, from what the waiter says, Cuomo sounds like a ‘pain in the butt’ because of his seemingly compulsive drive to find just the best ingredients for his cuisine. He has seafood and fish shipped every morning from the port city of Busan by KTX (high-speed train), toured the country to find the best clam, and replicated the breeding environment for pigs to make his prosciutto. Opening this restaurant was apparently a six-year enterprise.
But I suppose that’s the price you pay for quality because with food like we’ve had, I would also believe him if he said the staff had to handpick the wheat to make the pizza dough – the best I have had in the country, simple as that!
I haven’t perfected the art of food photography (or at least think about taking photos before eating the food), so you can look at some on this blog. I do have some shots of us, however.
I just got back from a small trip with Jiwon’s family, visiting her father’s home town in Goseong. It was the first time they brought an ‘outsider’ to meet with their relatives and visit the grave of Jiwon’s grandfather. It was a great time and I feel I have come much closer to her family but unfortunately, I only brought my film camera with me and I do not have visual documentation. Still, I wanted to share a couple of thoughts that went through my mind and/or things that just happened:
- Jiwon’s father: He is not a very talkative person. In fact, we never had much of a conversation but I hear many Korean men, especially from the older generation, are that way – it’s just how they were brought up as it used to be manly to appear stoic. However, I had a glimpse of his softer side this weekend. It was decided that all the guys would sleep in one room and without even drawing the short straw, I found myself sandwiched between him and Jiwon’s younger brother. Add the fact that I was also a little self-conscious of my ‘hyperactive’ sleeping habits (teeth grinding, snoring, talking, and kicking the blankets around – sorry Jiwon, I am working on it) and enjoying my usually deep and unperturbed beauty sleep proved quite difficult. In any case, I was woken up in the middle of the night to see her father pull the blanket that I had probably kicked back over me. I just pretended to be sleeping but I know now he’s not as tough as he appears – hehe.
- Buddhism: I am not a religious person and I certainly don’t know much about it but I accompanied Jiwon’s family to a temple for the celebration of Buddha’s birthday. Based on past visits and largely on my ignorance, I had always pictured Buddhist temples as havens of peace and tranquility but the weekend celebrations were anything but quiet. Large crowds had made the trip to this temple which was heavily decorated for the occasion and accompanied by ‘spiritual’ music through speakers scattered around the site. I wouldn’t say it was a rave-like party but the mood was definitely festive. What struck me, though, was the more individual nature of the celebration. Unlike Christians who would gather and pray together, each person stood in line in front of the different halls and waited for space to clear before praying/bowing individually. It may be my selfishness but I find it interesting that Buddhism seems to allow a more personal relationship with their god but again, I am speaking out of my a## right now and I will get back on this topic once I find out more about it.
- The one everybody hates: It seems all families have this person in their circle. There are actually a few of those individuals among my relatives but in Jiwon’s case, it is the father’s older cousin. Loud mouth who was teaching me all about all the traditions, customs, and various forms of respect I should show to older people while his daughter who moved to Seoul six months ago didn’t even pay a visit to Jiwon’s house.
- Food: Her family really appreciates it and we have indulged in lots of delicious dishes including raw fish, grilled fish (yes, it was by the sea), and the best beef barbecue. Best of all, I didn’t pay for one thing. But I shouldn’t take advantage of their kindness and will return the favor sooner than later.
It was Jiwon’s birthday this week and because of the bad weather, we celebrated by indulging in one of our favorite passtimes: food.
Except for dog and raw liver, we’ll eat pretty much anything, usually in large quantities, and we love discovering new places that we then advertise to our friends as though we know the hippest and trendiest places around town.
There are already plenty of food blogs and review sites out there, however, so I am not going to add much to the conversation but I wanted to post a short list of some of our favorite restaurants in Seoul (this is not an exhaustive list, of course):
- Do Ga Hun: Nested behind Hyundai Gallery in Samcheong-dong, Do Ga Hun is a luxuriously converted traditional hanok house. Its secluded location makes you feel that you have left Seoul for an instant (a priceless feeling) and we always enjoy having coffee while lounging at their terrace after a visit to the gallery. They also have a restaurant serving western cuisine – expensive but very much worth it for the special occasions – and an insane selection of wine.
Address: Jongro-gu, Sagan-dong 109 (02.3210.2100)
- Haemong: There are thousands of samgyupsal (grilled pork strips) restaurants in Seoul and it is safe to say that you’ll have a good dinner in most of them. However, Haemong has the particularity of providing a home-made sweet chili sauce that adds a whole new dimension to this BBQ experience. Unlike many places, this restaurant did invest some money in the interior and has been hugely popular over the years (it is packed every night, so reservations are highly recommended)
Address: Yangcheong-gu, Mok 1 dong (02.725.4229) – right outside Omokgyo station exit 3
- Mignon Terrace: It must be the Belgian connection or the fact that it reminds me of home but we go to this place almost once a month and ironically, I have had much more moules frites in Seoul than during my entire time in Belgium. Nevertheless, Mignon offers a good selection of Belgian and French dishes, including carbonnades flamande and waterzooi, and the terrace is the ideal spot to sip a Hoegaarden or Leffe in the summer.
Address: Yongsan-gu, Itaewon-dong 116-4 (02.793.30.70)
- Reggae Chicken: I remember reading a NYT article about the fact that fried chicken was not exclusively from Kentucky. Indeed, Korea has its own fried chicken and is consumed extensively but Reggae Chicken, owned by my good friend Gwanghee, does it with style in this tiny joint (it only has four tables) with Jah blessings.
Address: Mapo-gu, Donggyo-dong (02.333.3438) – Hongdae station exit 2
- Gwang (光): This is by far one of the best sushi restaurants in Seoul. It is a very small but authentic izakaya run by a very nice couple who propose a wide selection of side dishes, ranging from chicken terryaki brochettes to grilled fish in soy sauce, that accompany the delicious platters of sushi. What I like best about this place, though, is their oden (fish cake) and its amazing broth. It has such a clean taste and it’s actually the only place where I eat oden.
Address: Mapo-gu, Donggyo-dong (02.337.0092)
Feel free to ask for directions but I am especially interested in your recommendations!
