Ji-sun: Do you remember my sister?
Ji-sun (지선), do you remember my sister? She was the bright, artistic, shy little girl who sat next to you in school every day in Seoul. You both were about seven years old.
Category: Musings
Better than a McFail breakfast ♥
My favorite breakfasts are Korean – with rice, soup, banchan and kimchi. It’s something that many Westerners think about and say, “Ewww! Not for breakfast!” But if you haven’t tried it, you don’t know what you’re missing out on.
1st Grade
As we were walking to school, I told my son, “One day, when you’re older, you won’t want to hold my hand anymore. And that’s OK. You’ll be bigger and won’t need me to help you cross the street.” Kyle looked up at me and said, “I’ll always want to hold your hand, Mommy. Always.”
Assembly line
Long before I became a fancy reporter (stop laughing, ya’ll!), I worked in a factory. It was one of the most mind numbing jobs I’ve ever had. At that job, I learned how difficult it was to earn a few dollars. I also learned that prejudice sometimes is harbored by other minorities, who are afraid that their own social status will decline if they align themselves with another person of color.
Bullies
If you’re bullying someone for whatever reason and you get punched in the process, well, too bad for you. Maybe you should stop harassing other children and learn not to be a little jerk.
Jumoni (주머니), children and trust
Money isn’t the root of all evil. But not knowing what to do with it can be.
If I Could Do it All Over Again, I Would
I know I write a lot about my father, but this post is really about me and some of the (not-so-good) choices I’ve made. It took me a long time to get to where I am today. But I finally grew up enough to make some smart choices.
Do you need any help?
There is a concept in tort law called “duty to rescue,” where a party can be held liable for failing to help a person who is in peril. It was the basis of a plot line in the season finale of “Seinfeld.” It kind of boggles my mind that there needs to be a law to cover this. At what point does a person take it upon themselves to help a stranger who may be in need?
You can’t have your cake and eat it too?
No matter how rushed I am or what ailments I may have, I am having my cake and eating it, too — in every sense of the expression. And it feels really, really good.
Ladies first
My son is learning the concept of, “Ladies first.” We’ve been telling him that as he grows up, it’s polite to let girls and ladies go first. And that everyone should let the elderly go ahead of them.
And this is how revisionist history happens: Remembering Vincent Chin
Vincent Chin’s murderers served no jail time. They killed him, but the legal system allowed them to literally get away with murder.
Is Korean culture to blame for the Sewol tragedy?
News organizations are making the claim that Korean culture is partially to blame for the Sewol ferry disaster. Some even insist that had these been American children onboard, they would’ve escaped death. Shame on them for blaming the young victims of this tragedy.
Throwback Thursday
I found this photo when I was looking for something to put up for Throwback Thursday. I love this picture. I see a little girl who loved getting dressed up and having her picture taken. That’s what I remember. That even during a time of turmoil, a less than pristine backdrop was the worst part of my childhood.
Elton and Me: It’s a Little Bit Funny
I was at a record release party for Elton John (back when they were actually records, rather than CDs even) and he was taking pictures with fans. I was off to the side observing. He must’ve mistook me for a fan, ’cause he grabbed my arm and put his arm around me, smiled that smile et voila! Just as I was about to say, “Hi,” he kind of just shoved me aside so he could take a photo with the next person in line.
Press Passes
I have a slew of press passes from concerts and red carpet events. The event that I was thrilled to cover was the Democratic National Convention in Chicago. John Kennedy Jr. was there and, as could be expected, he was very charismatic and charming. But the celebrity I was most excited to see was…Chris Rock! He and his date were alone behind a roped off area.
If you want something for nothing..
Who doesn’t like a nice freebie every now and again? 
It’s easy to win! Good luck!
What exactly is “kimchee-scented Kleenex fiction”?
The worst book review I’ve ever read. Maureen Corrigan’s take on a Korean novel reeked of enthocentric entitlement.
Memories
Like a lot of Koreans of their age, my parents survived war and led very difficult lives. Books were an escape. My dad used to joke that had he learned Russian instead of English, we may have immigrated to the (then) Soviet Union instead of America.