Kimchi Mamas

Roots (part 1)

This is the story of how I ended up living in the US. I think it's pretty long so thus, I put part 1. And due to its sensitive nature, I've opted to leave this post anonymous. I've told snippets of this story to a lot of my friends but never had time to write it all down. What better place to do it than here on Kimchi Mamas?

It all starts with my grandparents. My hal ah buh ji (grandpa) and hal muh ni (grandma) were apparently pretty well off during the pre-Korean war times. My hal ah buh ji owned a mill and my aunts and uncles told me that if you had a mill during those days, that meant that you were pretty well off. My hal ah buh ji, I was told, was also quite a handsome man. He was totally in love with my hal muh ni and he would even take her on his horse to watch the movies when the movies first came out. He was a community leader and a faithful Catholic. He never turned away a hungry person who knocked on his doors. These are all just stories I heard from my aunts and uncles so I'm not sure how much of it is true but they seem to be truthful... 

Reunititing Families to Unite A Nation

Whenever North Korea is in the news, and lately that's been pretty frequently, I'm struck by how the media talks about the country as if it were separate - a truly alien and different entity from industrialized, modern, democratic South Korea. And no doubt there is much to separate - over a half century of disparate ideologies, influences and, of course, the DMZ, two and a half miles of the most militarized border in the world.

But if there is any evidence left that Korea is truly one nation waiting for reunification, it is the thousands of Koreans cruelly separated from their family members all these years. Children separated from parents, brothers from sisters. These tragedies are nearly mythic, part of the many narratives of war that our grandparents and parents have carried with them all these years. Over time they become nearly irrelevant, their potency diluted against the mongering of missile testing, sanctions, politics.

But this week, those stories are being told again. 97 families were reunited in the North Korean mountain resort of Keumgang and 99 will be reunited next week. These are families - Korean families - able to embrace each other again after decades of separation. They are the fortunate ones. There are thousands of families who applied who were not picked for this round (and hopefully there will be more) of reunification meetings.

I've read that many people in South Korea are ambivalent - or at least concerned - about reunification, whether it will ever happen and even, whether they want it to, considering the possible economic ramifications. But I know most Koreans still yearn for unification. They still know, despite all their modern differences and latent ideological and political hostilities, that the 38th parallel is truly just an arbitrary line drawn in the sand of one nation. They are not truly North or South, they are simply Korean and one day will be so in name too.

- Nina Moon

Open Thread Thursday

It's gonna Rain in Singapore!  Beyonce and Rain are scheduled to make appearances at Singapore's F1.

The Sonata to take on the Accord and Camry?!  You've come a long way Hyundai!

It's Open Thread Thursday . . . What's on YOUR mind?

--Kimchi Mamas

Katherine Heigl is a Kimchi Mama!

Congratulations are in order--Katherine Heigl and Josh Kelley recently welcomed a new addition to their family, baby Nancy Leigh!  Awww, so sweet!

Photo by: Cheyenne Ellis / AP

Figs

Last time my mother-in-law was here, I was not quite myself.

I had been living with my mom for about a year by then and she was literally driving me crazy.  Her constant nagging and criticizing to her taking over the house and putting everything where she wanted, etc... was slowly chipping away at my sanity.

So, when my MIL was visiting, I was not the perfect hostess that I would have otherwise been.  (Who am I kidding, I would NEVER be the perfect hostess.)  But yeah, the last LAST time she was here, she seemed to like me enough and I think she had a good time even though the jet lag and plane ride was taxing on her frail health.  

The main reason my MIL visited this time was because my mom was going to Korea for about a month so my MIL came to watch and bond with her only grandchild.  It was kind of like an excuse for her to visit... we could have put him in daycare or something but I think it was around his dol (1 year b-day) too so yeah, she came for about 2 months (it ended up being 2 months because my mom stayed in Korea for longer than expected and then even when she came back, my MIL stayed longer.)

Open Thread Thursday

Makes you wonder what "Old Boy" would be like . . . the largest cinema screen opened in Seoul.

Prayers and sympathies to the family of Annie Le.  May they find some peace . . .

It's Open Thread Thursday . . . what's on YOUR mind?

--Kimchi Mamas

Nor Cal Kimchi Mama meet up

I think the first Bay Area Kimchi Mama meet up was a success.  I mean, how could it not be with all this great Korean food?

 

Open Thread Thursday

    Take me out to the ball game!  Pro-baseball in Korea making a come back in popularity . . . especially with the women!  Gee, I wonder why?

(Courtesy of zimbio.com)

Katherine Heigl and hubby are adopting . . . a little girl . . . from Korea.  (*Her adopted sister, Meg, was also adopted from Korea.)

I fell down the stairs.  Again.  I wonder what whacky kragee 'medicine' Mom will suggest . . .

It's Open Thread Thursday . . . What's on YOUR mind?

--Kimchi Mamas

How to Make (Pretend) Gimbap

Yesterday my daughter and I went to a children's museum in Irvine, where we made "sushi" with construction paper. I thought it would be fun to adapt the project to make pretend gimbap. My daughter was able do most of the work by herself, and we already had everything we needed around the house.

 

You Need

a toilet paper tube

toilet paper

green, brown, yellow, and orange construction paper

glue

rice

 

Adult Work

Cut the tube into gimbap-sized lengths (about two inches.)

Cut a strip of green construction paper to wrap around the tube.

Cut green, brown, and yellow paper into small squares.

 

Kid Work

Glue the green paper around the tube.

Crumple toilet paper and stuff it in the tube. Glue rice on top.

Glue the tiny pieces of construction paper on top of the rice.

 

--Weigook Saram

Open Thread Thursday

OH HELLZ NO!  I know if this were the case, Kimchi Mama/Korean Death Stare (KDS) would be the LEAST of his problems!

Asians are HOT!  And it's for a great cause!!  I know what all the females on my Christmas shopping list are getting . . .

It's Open Thread Thursday . . . What's on YOUR mind?

--Kimchi Mamas