Kimchi Mamas

Contest: Kimchi Parent Moment

May 8th, Parents Day in Korea, is coming up. 

According to Wikipedia, "In the Republic of Korea, Parents' Day (어버이 날) is celebrated on May 8. Usually, one gives a carnation with presents to his/her parents and/or sings the Parents' Day song."

Yellow paper carnation.  I remember painstakingly perfecting two carnations in art class at school.  My clumsy fingers would be slathered with glue, catching delicately thin tissue paper on finger tips, bits tearing here and there...the end results were never good enough.  Each layer would be somewhat lopsided, the green wire stem dirtied from my glue-paper smeared fingers, my lower lip bitten from concentration, I was so desperate to present my parents with at least half decent paper carnations to make up for the lack of obviously prodigious talents.

My parents are not perfect parents.  Hell, last time I spoke with my dad was almost 20 years ago.

Yet, in my memory, I have an image of them both proudly clipping the dirty disproportionate yellow paper carnations to their equally disproportionately wide shirt collars (hey, it was the 70's). 

In honor of that memory, I would like to offer up a $50 CafePress gift certificate (to purchase wonderful Kimchi Mamas stuff) to one winner of Kimchi Parent Moment contest.  If there's a tie, I might split it into two $25 gift certificates.

North Korea to try Asian American journalists

Laura Ling and Euna Lee will be tried for hostile acts against the North Korean state. If actually tried and convicted (and really, who are we kidding here?), they could spend years in labor camps.

When I first heard about two Asian American journalists from Current TV being captured, I was worried and upset, but hopeful that they would be quickly released in some face-saving way. Who knows, right? But the idea that they might be kept there - even tortured or punished or God-I-don't-even-want-to-think-about-it - it's just too horrible to think about. From the first moment I read about their capture, I've felt protective of these two women. And yes, it is partly because they are Asian American. Even as a second-gen, there's a feeling of solidarity and kinship amongst those who have experienced life as we have experienced it. I guess it was a similar glued-to-the-TV/internet-for-any-updates that went on when James Kim and his family went missing. That sense that it could have been one of us, any of us, our friends or our family and, knowing how close-knit our communities are, that wasn't and isn't so far-fetched.

So I know we're supposed to be all measured and circumspect about this since so little information is doled out about North Korea, but can I just say that I am very, very worried and not a little upset by this newest turn of events?

But I'm still hoping and praying for their safety and their quick release. What else can we do, after all?

A Whole Fish for Breakfast

In my early 20s, I used to think it was important to marry a Korean.  Not that I was particularly attracted to Korean men.  I wasn't.  And even though their incessant harping weighed down on me, it wasn't only because my parents wanted me to bring home a Korean boy with an advanced degree and the perfect Korean family.

Mainly, it was because I couldn't see how a non-Korean could fit into our family.

For decades, our family of five had lived as if we were stranded on an island.  We had no relatives in the US.  My parents had very few friends.  We no longer attended church.  The time they didn’t spend at our dry cleaners was passed snoozing in front of a TV.  We didn't have family activities apart from eating.  We hadn't taken a family vacation since the mid-80s.      

Interrogation: Please Don't Run Away!

I have started dating someone . . . and it's getting pretty serious pretty quick.  I have no issues with the speed at which things are happening . . . My family on the other hand may.

Though I'm kind of hoping this is one of those situations they surprise me . . .

The Old Man and the Cow

The LA Times has a touching story about a beleaguered South Korean couple, rural farmers made suddenly famous by a documentary made about them and their old cow. "Old Partner" is playing with English subtitles right now at a theatre in LA's Koreatown and if I can manage to escape baby-watching duties for a few hours, I think I might go this weekend. Maybe I'll see you there?

- Nina

Open Thread Thursday

It's the down-side (or the upside) of the week, yesterday was Hump Day.

Today it's Open Thread Thursday.

What's on your mind?

--The Kimchi Mamas

Stuff Korean Moms Like: Stockpiling

"This from a woman who has no uterus," says my sister.

Kimchi Mama Stefania Pomponi Butler is in Hawaii visiting her mom and coveting her stockpiles of feminine products, toilet paper, shampoo, soap, pasta, and cereal.

DAE HAN MIN GOOK! (clap clap -- clap clap clap clap)

Is what you will hear chanted at our house tonight starting at 6pm PT (9pm ET)  as we watch Korea face off Japan in the World Baseball Classics.  The tournament has been on our set a lot during the last week, and in very rare form we consumed our dinner in front of the TV during the last two evening's semi final games.  Korea and Japan have already played each other twice during the tournament.  Korea won the first game.  Japan won the second, and now we'll just have to see tonight.  

Korea played Venezuela on Saturday and won.  Last night, Japan trounced the USA team.  My parents were rooting for USA fervently because it's such a tense and crazy game when Korea and Japan get together.  They say they didn't want the stress, so they wanted team USA to win because they'd rather lose to USA than Japan.  I, however, wanted Japan to win because 1) I'm always conflicted a bit when it's Korea vs the US.  I am both.  I know both sides of the story and want good things for both, and 2) I think it'll be way more exciting tonight for everyone if the final game is Korea vs Japan.

It's always interesting to me how much Korean Koreans have a problem with the Japanese.  I really see them as similar in a lot of ways.  In fact, the language was easy for me to learn because there was a lot of the exact same words and sentence structures in both languages.  People from both countries bow all the time, and share the love of raw fish.  Yes, I know the history.  But to me, it's just history.  It happened, and most of the people who live in both countries had nothing to do with it.

Then again, it helps me better understand the continued rift between the black and white communities even after everything is supposed to be all better now.  I guess there's a lot of old stuff still there.  

In any case, I predict there will be much yelling and throwing things at the TV tonight at our place.  Hopefully there will be some cheering too.  Will you be watching?

Dating in the 21st Century - Asian Fetish Anyone?

I recently joined an online dating service.

Hello, my name is Angie in Texas and I date online.

The experience overall has been really positive.  I've met a few men who are interesting, smart, funny, good-looking, etc.  I have even gone on a few dates with these men.  And how do I know they're good-looking?  Because many of these sites (I use only one in particular) allow you to post photos of yourself and actually encourage you to do so - you generate more interest with photos . . .

The problem is that the photos are a dead give-away that I am Asian.  (There's a place to denote your ethnicity on your profile, but it's the photos that do it, I think . . .)  I have no issue with the fact that I am Asian.  I know it.  My family knows it.  Even my friends know it. 

The problem lies in the responding interested parties.

Like: Asian Fetish Man. 

Asian Fetish Man is the man who says "ni how" or "an yeoung" at the bookstore.  Asian Fetish Man is the guy you dated who on your first date wanted to know ALL about your "Asian-ess" or worse, kept talking about his experience with Asia, the people and the culture . . .  Asian Fetish Man is also the creppy guy who you *just KNOW* has that demoralizing fantasy of "oh me so horny" sexiness or complete submission.

Have you run into Asian Fetish Man?  And now that you're a MILF, do you still?

-Angie in Texas deletes Asian Fetish Men from her email.

Hope for Safe Returns

It was reported earlier this morning 2 reporters have been detained by North Korean officials for "trespassing". 

Though not enough of the story has emerged, please refrain from passing judgment about the reasons they were there, but instead please take a moment today to pray, hope, wish, whatever you do . . . for the safe return of Laura Ling and Euna Lee.

Update 3/21: New York Times coverage

--Kimchi Mamas