Las Biblias

Confession: We committed several cultural sins while traveling around Seoul. Michelle didn't eat kimchi (a Korean staple food) OR street food, and Gail wore sneakers (no sexy heels?!) for the entire week. Besides that, the fact that we lived in the same pair of tights is just kinda gross. That and we don't want to know what happened before us in our room at the love motel.

Despite all our trespasses, however, we faithfully used our graduation gifts from the Biola journalism department -- perfect travel-sized Bibles. As we read in Proverbs and Psalms, a wise person listens to correction.

Traditional Korean Tea House

We escaped the snow and ditched our boots to sit on the floor and enjoy hot tea at this cozy spot. For the record, the papaya tea meant to cure a hoarse throat didn't work.

Octopus Soup

I didn't think I would mind eating octopus in a soup. So I accepted when Gail proposed such a dinner. Little did I know I would watch the innocent creature's cruel death. Then I'd eat it.

Cheonggycheong Stream

I'd love to see Cheonggycheong in the summer, at night, when it transforms into a Korean version of Fantasmic. Light shows, live music and crowds in metropolitan Seoul! But we chose to beat the crowds crossing the stream in the dead of winter. Sunset was still striking under the bridge.

Everyday Korean Food

From my first morning in Korea, I had my doubts about the food. Fish for breakfast? Seaweed?!

My provincial palate was about to get a rude awakening. Food was fishy. And spicy. But in a different way than the jalapeños and habañeros I'm used to.

But this appetizer -- taken in Gail's cozy studio apartment (literally cozy: the floors were heated) --was just the beginning.

Justin: Our First Goodbye

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It is with deep sorrow that Michelle and I say "until we meet again" to our Seattle friend, Justin Key, after he passed away from a sudden pulmonary embolism, December 14, 2009.

This week has been hard for both of us, however, through tearful Skype sessions, swapping memories, pictures and videos, we've come to celebrate Justin's full and vibrant life, resolving to follow his example this next year. As one person put it, "We live with the hope and confidence that it is not final and also the realization that his was not just a promising life but a life that already lived according to the Promise."

To our fun-loving friend:

--You're with Jesus now!
--We wish we could have accepted your Mexico invitation last summer.

--Thank you for sharing your gorgeous city with us last March.

--You're still on our "List of Extraordinary Gentlemen."

--We already miss you, your laugh, hugs, brilliant mind and devastating smile.

Until we all meet again in eternity,

Michelle and Gail

Made for Two

It doesn’t take a genius to figure out that Michelle and I are both hopeless romantics.

That’s why it’s no surprise that we were enchanted with the hottest new couples item on the market: Smittens! As you can see, they are perfect for holding hands with a significant other on bitterly cold days like the ones I’m experiencing in Seoul. We hope you like red as much as we do, because that’s the only choice, although hearts are optional. The only drawback we can see with this holiday must is that we’re having trouble thinking of guys who would actually use them. We did, however, come up with a few winners, and curiously enough, most of them are TORREY guys, confirming what we’ve suspected all along: They’re saps. The following individuals were carefully selected from a lengthy list of candidates:
-Dustin McCurry (Our first “Definitely!” candidate, just because.)
-Scott Munekawa (One condition: Only when no one is looking.)
-Michelle’s dad (Because the hilarity of her parents’ over-the-top affection is not lost on anyone.)
-Bradley Clarke (Because anyone who proposes in the Hagia Sophia’s got mega class.)
-Dr. John Mark Reynolds (Because his FB profile pic of him grabbing his wife’s butt gives us license to assume he’s OK with PDA.)

Note: This item is untested, as neither Michelle nor I have boyfriends and we don’t plan on using Smittens together.

Michelle and Gail dominate Asia!

After numerous video Skype sessions and spontaneous Oh-my-gosh,-guess-what-happened chats, Michelle decided she couldn’t stay away any longer. She’s coming to visit me in South Korea! And I couldn’t be happier!! I’m so, so, so blessed! One thing’s for sure: We’re going to have a blast. Here’s a sampling of what we’ll do in the five days she’s here:

-Indulge in CRAZY food!
-Visit hostels, temples and palaces, oh my.
-Go salsa dancing, now a tradition.
-Take a tour of the Blue House — South Korea’s version of the White House
-Attend the largest church in the WORLD, Yeouido Full Gospel
-Night cruise on the Hangang River, which runs through Seoul
-Teach at my school

Pretty sure the post-visit list of what we did will be much more entertaining, but there it is.

New on Skippy: The World Clock

When's the best time to Skype Gail? Or Michelle? With Skippy's newest feature, you can calculate the girls' time instantly, or your money back! Look to your left.

Skype Dates, Smoky Eyes and Hello Kitty Yoga Mats

Fortunately for ardent fans of Gail&Michelle, the adventures haven't stopped since Michelle moved away from L.A. and Gail moved to the Orient. The fun just takes a cyber twist.

Gail recently purchased a netbook with a webcam. Although the idea of a webcam can be creepy, especially in the hands of a Match.com or eHarmony client, it's made it possible not only to hear Gail's cheerful voice, but to see her myriad expressions. Today, she demonstrated her new "smoky eye" look, and showed the Hello Kitty mat that will be my bed when I visit her in Seoul.

Conveniently, Skype has a "video snapshot" button I can use to take incognito pictures during our conversation. Hence, the two photos you see here.

Fortunately for me, my laptop doesn't have a webcam. This means I can wear insulting shirts in Spanish (the one I'm wearing right now says "Nunca olvido una cara, pero contigo haré una excepción") and not comb my bed-head before our morning Skype dates. I tell Gail I will get a webcam soon, but "soon" could mean years from now.