Happy Valentine's Day!

It's been nearly two months since our wedding and I'm happy to report that we're still married!...which means I need to do something for Valentine's day.

While I think up something romantic, you all can check out our amazing video my friend Mark Morgan shot/directed/edited from our wedding. Mark is a genius with his camera and somehow managed to make a great wedding video while still having time to party and pluck chickens.

Okay, okay, I get it. Nobody actually likes to watch someone else's wedding video, right? Well, the beauty of this one is that it's just three minutes and a lot of fun. Heck, you didn't even need to go to the wedding to enjoy this! Thanks again, Mark!

OUR WEDDING VIDEO!!!!!

Oh, and happy Valentines day to the best darn wife I've ever had! Love you, Huyen!

Learning New Things Everyday

One question you get asked after you get married is, "Is there anything new that you learned about your husband/wife since you got married?" Considering we had lived together for a year before getting married, there's nothing really new to report...except one thing.

I've recently learned that my wife doesn't know how to take pictures. I'm not sure how I've overlooked this fact over the last couple of years but it must be because I was always taking photos for the blog. During our honeymoon though, I asked Huyen to take a couple of photos. Check one out and see if you can see a problem:

(PICTURE: Me and Le, the bus driver.)

Maybe Huyen is just so sick and tired of me that she doesn't want to see my face anymore.

Welcome Back Mai!!!!

(PICTURE: Mai and me.)

Mai:

A) One of my favorite people I've met over the last few years...
B) The Godmother of the Hanoi Ultimate Club...
C) Now a green card holder living in California..

...came back to Hanoi for Tet! It was Mai's first trip back to Vietnam after living in the United States for over a year. Seeing Mai was not only awesome but also a very eye opening experience for both Huyen and I. Mai married an American last year and has been living in working in California. Hearing about her first year experiences was definitely very exciting and informative but also nerve wracking. Mai is one of the toughest people I've met out here and she confessed to us that she cried nearly every day because of homesickness. Specifically Mai said she really missed her family, friends, the food and the culture in Hanoi.

Neither Huyen or I have any doubts that Huyen will suffer from homesickness too. It's not going to be an easy transition but, like Mai, Huyen is a tough girl. I think Huyen and I also have some advantages over Mai when it comes to our transition. For one, I have been living here a long time and understand Vietnamese culture. I think that will go a long way. Mai's husband, who is a great guy, never lived in Vietnam and might not fully understand the little intricacies of Vietnamese culture (I mean, I say I understand but there's still so much I'm oblivious to I'm sure). Secondly, Mai is living in a smaller city. Huyen and I plan on living in a big city as soon as we can get jobs. I think this will make life more exciting and help Huyen interact more with other Vietnamese people (Mai told us that she goes to the local nail salon to chat with girls there in Vietnamese). Thirdly, Huyen and I will have the goal to make sure Huyen visits Vietnam within the first year away. Our plan is for Huyen to come back to Hanoi next Tet so that she has a set time to return and something to look forward to. Finally, Huyen and I are going to give her parents a computer and set up Skype for them. Mai has talked on the phone with her family but I think seeing someone really makes a huge difference.

It was great seeing Mai and catching up. Huyen and I definitely plan on visiting her the next time we're in California!

Are you pregnant yet?

Coming from America, you always expect the first people to pressure you into having kids to be your parents. However, in Vietnam, everyone pressures you into having kids ASAP. I swear to you that at the wedding, more than a couple of Vietnamese people asked me when we were going to have children. Since the wedding, a countless number of times people have asked Huyen, "Are you pregnant yet?" Even today, we saw one of my friends (who was married in October and is six months pregnant) who basically yelled at us to get knocked up.

This is definitely a case of cultural differences. In Vietnam -- as I've mentioned on here before but now that I'm married it is really hitting home -- people get pregnant right after (or right before) the wedding. People just don't seem to understand the "we're planning on getting pregnant in two years" excuse we keep telling everyone. We literally get looks as if we're Galileo trying to explain to people that the Earth is round. People have inevitably started to ask questions and wonder, "What's wrong?" now that we've been married for nearly two months and don't have a bun in the oven.

Yup, I sure can't wait to get back to American where we'll have at least a year or so before my parents start to ask us when their next grandkid is coming.

Hello Jordan Major!

(PICTURE: Those cheeks are only gonna get chubbier with Tay and Andrew's cooking.)

Congratulations to my great friends Taylor and Andrew on the birth of their little girl Jordan Major!


(PICTURE: Mom and daughter.)

Jordan really couldn't be luckier to have been born into this family. Tay and Andrew are two of the greatest people on the planet and are gonna be fantastic parents. I've got to admit that I'm jealous of Jordan as she is gonna enjoy a lifetime of great meals as Tay and Andrew are perhaps the best cooks on the west side of Los Angeles.


(PICTURE: Dad and daughter.)

I've said it before but being away for moments like these is the hardest part of living abroad. I can't wait to meet Jordan in person this summer! I hope she'll be able to deal with six months worth of pent up hugs!

The Talented Mr. Sokolowski

(PICTURE: Since Sebastian gave this kid a few tips, the kid has one six major photographic competitions in southeast Asia.)

A couple of weeks before our wedding, Sebastian sent me an email asking what he could give us as a wedding present. I told him that if he could just take some pictures and be our unofficial photographer that would be amazing. You see, when Sebastian was out here in 2009 he took a bunch of photos that are probably 90% of my top twenty favorite shots of my time in Hanoi. In fact, one of Sebastian's pictures has been my screensaver for two years now and Huyen's father has a picture on the wall of their house that Sebastian took. It's the only photo of anyone that hangs at their house. That's all to say that Sebastian has more photographic talent in his pointer finger (that's the one you use to push the camera button, right) then I have in my whole body.

As far as the picture he took, well, they're awesome. Overall during his travels, Sebastian took 6,000 photos. Out of those, probably half were of our wedding festivities and honeymoon. Recently Sebastian sent me a link to the photos and Huyen and I sat there marveling at nearly every shot*. Not only did we have a great friend come to our wedding, but we lucked out and had an amazing photographer come too!

* None of the pictures I've been posting are Sebastian's photos. He is sending me a DVD with all of the photos so I don't have copies of the shots yet.

Saying Goodbye

(PICTURE: Giving JR a tour of Hanoi before he flew home.)

After the "honeymoon" we had to say our goodbyes to everyone. Some people departed the night we returned, others departed the next day and a few would go on to do their own travels throughout the country. It was sad to see everyone go but also a relief that for the first time in weeks -- let alone since we got married -- we would have some alone time.

(PICTURE: Hannah's last request before leaving was for a ride around Hanoi. She got the best damn xe om driver in town.)

I'm writing this over a month since the wedding and Huyen and I keep talking about how lucky we were to have so many people come out for the wedding. Our friends here also keep commenting to us how cool it was that so many people flew in for our special day. I'd like to just take a moment and say thanks to everyone who made it (in the order that they arrived in town).

(PICTURE: Most of the out-of-towners before the an hoi.)

Thank you Mark for being our official videographer. It was great having a second Asian adventure with you. I'm not sure if my wedding tops the World Championships of Team Table Tennis but it sure came close. I'll never forget you plucking those chickens!

Thank you Urszula for livening up the party. We'll never forget your dance moves with the local villagers. You're now a legend in Huyen's village!

Thank you Sebastian for coming out to visit us again. Your photos are unbelievable and are deserving of their own blog entry which will be up tomorrow. I'll never forget how you nearly fell off a cliff and were severely injured.

Thank you Pat and Herb for being so gung-ho to dive into Vietnamese culture. I'll never forget Herb polishing off a bunch of home made wine on his first night here and nobody will forget Pat's intrigue at everything and anything Vietnamese.

Thank you mom and dad for everything. I'm still in shock that you've now been out to visit me in Vietnam the same amount of times you visited me in LA...and I've been here for four years less! You guys embraced the whole week with open arms and a great attitude. I'll never forget my mom wearing her ao dai or my father recanting story after story in the back of the giant pink bus.

Thank you Paul and Heather. Heather, I'll never forget seeing you bond with all of the Vietnamese especially Hang and the tour guides. Paul, besides you falling asleep at the opera house and the water puppets, I'll never forget how you partied like a champ at the an hoi ceremony. Noah could never keep up with your drinking skills!

Thank you Mark and Anthony for without a doubt being the life of the party. You guys had everyone laughing for seven straight days. There's no doubt in my mind that the week wouldn't have been nearly as fun or memorable without you guys. But seriously, when we all meet back here for the 10 year anniversary party do not give my dad chocolate or ice cream! I'll never forget how you two were both on for like 168 straight hours.

Thank you Aunt Donna and Uncle Barry! Barry, I'll never forget playing pool with you or you leading the rendition of the Beatles "When I'm 64." Donna, having you be part of the marriage ceremony was awesome and I don't think there was a time all week that you weren't smiling. Having spent so much time with you both growing up, it was really special having you come across the world to be here for me.

Thank you Masumi and Kensuke! Masumi and Kensuke were the sole reason that I had such an amazing experience in Japan. Having them here really made the event feel complete as they have become a big part of my life since I left America. I was so happy that they were able to make it to Vietnam despite this being their busiest time of year with work. I'm also so happy that they got to meet my family after I had spent so much time with them and Masumi's family when I was in Japan. I'll never forget how we got to drink rice wine together here at the an hoi, like we used to do in their kitchen.

Thank you Hannah for risking your career to be able to make this trip. Too often I feel like mom and dad because I find myself bragging about you to people. I'll never forget how the ao dai we had made for you fit so perfectly...and then how you basically didn't take it off for 48 hours! I'll also never forget you breaking the table while ironing your dress...or how we shared a room/misery the night before my wedding...or how we ate some street food I'd never seen hours before I got married...or how you always seem to be cool and calm in every situation.

Thank you Ronny for, well, a lot. First, thanks for the beautiful family tree pictures you gave me when you arrived. Secondly, thanks for being so excited to every little thing we did along the way. I'll never forget going to the airport with you and hearing your kind words about your experience here. That really touched me.

Thank you Justin and Dana. Despite Justin losing his camera when he first got here, he didn't let that drag him down in the least. I always knew that I could count on Justin to help me out whenever I needed anything from helping my mom on the boat in Trung An or rounding people up for buses. And Dana, it's always awesome seeing you and Hannah get along so great. Besides that, I'll never forget your excitement for moving to Singapore. I'm at the end of my time here and seeing you glow about your move here really brought back a lot of good feelings. Good luck and enjoy every moment over there!

Thank you Lily, George, Claire and Simon. The Salter crew were constantly up for anything throughout the trip. I'll never forget how the Salter women made the Salter men carry all their things on the trek. Despite that, Claire and Simon finished the trek looking like they never even broke a sweat despite being the only people over 35. And Lily and George, your impersonations will forever be something all us Americans can laugh about. Lily, as always, thanks for being a good friend. Hopefully we'll see you in Paris soon!

Thank you JR for flying across the world just to arrive in time for the wedding. Being able to spend time with you here was awesome. We've come a long way since Day Hall -- London, Los Angels and now Vietnam. Good memories. I'll never forget your ridiculous disposable camera or how you attempted not to move while a bee explored your nasal cavity.

Thank you everyone for making this the best wedding Huyen and I could have ever imagined!