EGGI&FISH

Never put your passport in the laundry – especially when you’re living in a foreign country just 30km away from one of the “axises of evil”…. Time to find the US Embassy…

After a beautiful week in portland for Brand Camp it was off to LA with the team for some market travel…

/ The Blue House
/ The Crew in Venice
/ Me spinning some tunes (kindof)
/ Michael chillin in a favala
/ The Boys at the Stadium
/ The Crew at the Chivas MLS Game
/ Us at the new UNDFT in Santa Monica

A week back in good old Beaverton for BRAND CAMP!! That all emcompassing experience that pulls 200+ of Nike’s top marketers together for learning, sharing, a drink and some casual chit-chat. It was a blast to be back and great to see so many old friends (as well as make new ones).

/ We kicked it off with an informal AP Dinner with Korea, China and Taiwan
/ Did Wings
/ Then we HIT the town
/ Had a Drink or Two
/ And Hung with the Cool Kids
/ But really this is what Tony did more of the time…

… it’s the big day for SoYoung, one of JiYoung’s best high school friends and someone I’ve actually met before and hung out with. She’s marry a military boy so it was held at the Korea Air Force Hall. As i mentioned earlier, wedding in Korea are a little different than what I’m used to.

They are more of a mass affair with attendees ranging more on the side of friends of your parents vs. friends of your own. Of this average size 250 person wedding, about 25 were friends of the couple. This ceremony was a little more traditional to the US with the decorations and music but still had the bubble machine and built in smoke machine. One of the other interesting traditions is that the bride sits in this room where people can come visit with her and take pictures… a shot of the girls! Another wild card that would make some US brides really nervous is letting your friends sing to you during the ceremony!! Karaoke to a whole new level. Here are YoungRun and JiYoung singing to the new couple. I guess when it’s what you know, what you’re used to.. it’s all good :)

/ SoYoung walking in under Korean guard
/ The girls warming up their voices
/ The lovely couple taking their vows
/ The newly married couple!
/ The high school Trio at the alter
/ JiYoung + Me chillin’
/ SoYoung being hailed by the guards

One new thing is this wedding that I hadn’t seen before was the post ceremony and reception part 2 of the wedding in traditional garb and surroundings!!

/ The gang!
/ SoYoung in Hanbook dress with the girls [1] and [2]
/ JiYoung sporting the traditional face dots
/ JiYoung and YoungRun with the dots
/ JiYoung + Me with the dots
/ Me carrying the Traditional DokBoKi

The first of two weddings this week. It’s Arbor day – a national holiday here in Korea – so i guess a perfect day to get married. This is my second Korean wedding and those of you who have been following know some of the intracacies of the local ceremony (more to come in the next wedding’s post). Here are some snapshots for SongSue’s (JiYoungs grade school friend) wedding…

/ The Group of Us
/ JY + Me in front of the Ice Sculture
/ The Middle School Sillim Girls
/ JY + Me falling off the “bride stool”
/ Us a little tired at the end of the gala…

On the hustling streets of seoul, among the carts of dried squid and cellphone toys is a cart that has a kids game on it. There’s a board with a grid of 50 numbers on it. You get 6 pucks – 5 small and one slightly larger – and you place them on numbers of your choice. Then there’s a roulette style dart board with the same 50 numbers. The man spins the board and you throw a dart at it. If your dart number matches your puck number – you win a candy. Simple. If your dart number matches your larger puck number you get a big candy. The basic match skills of JiYoung and I put the odds at about 1-3,000 to win the big candy… What a lucky couple we must be…