Wednesday, July 07, 2010

Got married. More later.

A few things about the wedding:

1. my wife is just awesome.

I'm trying to think of a new nickname for her, now that she's no longer girlfriendoseyo... I'd gotten used to girlfriendoseyo, and liked it (fianceeoseyo and betrothedoseyo didn't really work), but with the new upgrade to "Wife" status, I think it deserves a new nomenclature, and Girlfriendoseyo 2.0 isn't going to cut it.

2. My family's in town.  It's AWESOME having my family in town.  To a person, my brothers, sisters, in-laws, nieces, nephews, parents and steps are top-notch human beings, and I love having them in my life, and I really love combining the things I love about my family with the things I love about my life in Korea:

seeing my new wife laughing with my sister.
seeing my new wife playing with my nieces and nephews.
seeing my nieces and nephews take her hand as they walk along the chonggyecheon, as naturally and unconsciously as if they'd known her and hung out with her since the day they were born
the funny variety of reactions as different kids find different things they like and dislike in the dishes of food put in front of them by waiters in Korean restaurants
everybody turning into butter when my nieces say "kamsahamnida" to them
walking through the winding back alleys
my nephew sidling up to me and asking me how to say "You look pretty" in Korean, so that he can tell the lady in hanbok what he thinks (an my niece calling all the ladies in hanbok at the traditional show "princesses")

3. If you have the chance, get out to the Jung-dong theater and see the show "Miso".  It's described as an opera, but that's a huge misnomer: when people say "Opera" it stirs up associations of pretension, dry snootiness, and long, boring performances that make grey-haired people nod their heads they way they do when they swirl their wine glasses.  In fact, this show was captivating, for everyone from my dad, approaching retirement age, right on down to my two and three-year-old nieces, who always had something colorful to look at.  The show's almost entirely nonverbal, the costumes are fantastic, they incorporate really skilled demonstrations of most of Korea's traditional performance arts, all into a colorful, funny, charming adaptation of a Korean folk tale.  So yeah, drop the thirty to fifty thousand won to see the show: it's worth it.  Every member of my family had a great time.  This is the same theater where I saw this show, which was amazing... but Miso is even better.  By about a mile.

Now I'm showing my family around Seoul for a week, before my folks head home (they're going home in stages: my brother yesterday, my sister + 3 kids and brother-in-law today, my other sister, niece, and parents on Friday), and then on Saturday Wifeoseyo and I will head out on a honeymoon.  It's been great.

4. I've been overwhelmed by the support and goodwill my friends have put forward.  Honestly, my wedding was on July 4th, so I expected a number of my American friends to go, "Geez; bad choice of date... It'd've been nice to go, but I have an Independence Day party to attend"... but instead, almost every person I invited, showed!  It was humbling and amazing.  The wedding venue actually had to set up extra tables for the dinner, because so many people came out.  Plus, I was worried that when they do the traditional photo of the couple with all their friends standing behind them, that Brideoseyo would have WAAY more people on her side, than I had on mine... but it turned out that we were pretty much balanced.  Sweet! 

"You really do like me!"

5. Because the wedding was on the Han River, on July 4th, we got to look across the river and see a fireworks show during the after-party, in the air over Yongsan army base, due to the independence day festivities there.  Did YOU have a spectacular fireworks show on YOUR wedding night?... I mean, an ACTUAL fireworks show?

Yah, I didn't think so.

Pictures... when I have the time.

Continue to expect light posting until I get back from the honeymoon.

And thanks for coming! (if you came)
and thanks for not coming! (if you didn't come.. because we were overflowing as it was...though I still wish I could've seen you)

17 comments:

Chris in South Korea said...

Hey dude,
Glad the Lady in Red and I could make it out to see you and Wifeoseyo (it really does work) get hitched. The date was ironic - but worth coming out for. Don't try that around Christmas time, though :)

JIW said...

I hope to get a post up about your wedding. Still working on the video though. It was great~

JIW said...

July 4th is meant for time with friends and family. Since I have been in Korea you and other bloggers have been my friends but also like family. So to me the date was sentimental in that way.

The Sanity Inspector said...

Congratulations to you both! As for a nic, you could make like many other bloggers and call her "Mrs. Internet Handle", which in your case would be Mrs. Roboseyo.

Stephen said...

Now that you're married, your better half is truly your yeoboseyo (여보세요). ^^

Caryn Ouwehand said...

We don't get fireworks on our anniversary... but we get them the night before (July 1st - Canada Day) every year.

You know... real fireworks.

...and fake ones.

kushibo said...

Stephen beat me to it: She really is your Yŏboseyo now.

Other than that, Spouseoseyo works, or Esposeyo.

Anaeseyo.

And Chukaseyo to you!

melissa v. said...

xoxoxoxxo,
sorry I missed it.....

:(((((((
So glad to hear details, if few!!! Have fun with your family and on your honeymoon!

I did send a gift with Deb! I was there in spirit!!xoxoxxo

shannon said...
This comment has been removed by the author.
shannon said...

pooooop, i wanted to make the yoboseyo comment too.

i'm so sorry that i couldn't make it- i intended to but actually kyoungseok fell rather ill that day TT.

i'm glad that you had a wonderful day, complete with fireworks!

The Seoul Searcher said...

DUH! Yeoboseyo! (Yeobo, being what Korean men call their wives.)


...

Appears other people beat me to it.

Oh well.

Congratulations. My wedding in October will hopefully be half as succesful as yours sounds like it was.

elizabeth said...

Many Years and my best wishes...

Anna said...

You're welcome for not coming and requiring a chair and food! Happy honeymooning, and see you when and if I am in beautiful Korea one day!

Hannah said...

Congrats, Rob! Sorry I couldn't be there. From all accounts, the wedding was an elegant affair. It sounds like you're having a great time with your family. What a heartwarming post!

Jess O. said...

I wish you both a happy, wonderful, delicious, life giving marriage- congratulations!

Unknown said...

Congratulations and Im glad the family has bonded so well!

This is my input:

Chagiseyo
Ypuseyo
Yobo-seyo LOL

kushibo said...

I vote "Chagiseyo!"