Kimchi Mamas

Kimchi Mamas Honor Roll: Christy NaMee Eriksen

From yesterday's Angry Poetry Corner on Angry Asian Man, here is a snippet from a poem entitled "How to Tell if a Korean Woman Loves You" by Christy NaMee Eriksen, a Korean Adoptee based in Juneau.

If you walk out of a Korean woman’s kitchen
and there is rice on your sock
she loves you.

That speaks volumes, doesn't it?  Just letting you inside the kitchen is a big step.  

For channeling William Carlos Williams' knack for imagery and reminding me that I should read some more poetry, I hereby nominate Christy to the Kimchi Mamas Honor Roll.

Here is Christy reading "My Son Runs in Riots":

More of Christy's poetry can be found at her blog, Tsunamee.  Really, really good stuff there.

First day of school

I still remember my first day of school in Korea. We lined up in perfect rows in the main field. We extended our arms in front of us, parallel to the ground and pointed at the shoulders of the person in front of us to make those perfect rows. I had my name written on a white hankerchief which was pinned to my jacket. It was March, and still quite chilly. My father must have walked me to the school but I can't remember. I don't remember much else besides those white hankies and those perfect rows of children in that large field.

We took our son Christian for his first day of kindergarten this past Monday. The parents swarmed with their little ones in the little playground next to the classroom (the teacher didn't open the door until the bell rang). The teacher handed each child a name tag necklace as they walked in. The parents lingered for a bit, straining their necks to look inside the windows. I waved good-bye as I caught Christian's eye. He waved back. I walked to my car to get to work.

Anyone else start kindergarten this year?

- Mary didn't know that kindergarten is only 3 hours long until a few months ago.

Gangnam Style by Psy

 

So... this video has gone viral. I even saw a short clip of it being talked about on CNN. CNN!!! Anyway, I'm not a huge fan of Psy or anything but I think the video is hilarious. I laughed out loud when the camera zooped out to reveal him sitting on a toilet. What is it with Koreans and the toilet? I remember the guy in the Wonder Girls video of Nobody being on a toilet too. On a side note, my boys are 3 and 5 and talk about poop non stop. They think it's the most hiLARious thing. I guess I'll have many more years of that?

Anyway, if you haven't seen it yet, enjoy!

- Mary