Xmas wishlist 2006

Dear Santa,

I've been a good girl this year. Yes, indeed. And this year I'd like the new iPod nano in fuchsia, or hot/glam/rockin' pink.

I've included photos below to avoid any confusion. I'd like the one denoted with the arrow (V).

                               V


And the back view:


Oh, and two hypoallergenic kitties (so they don't get lonely while I'm at work).

Thank you,
H

Hypoallergenic kitty!

"Allergy-free Cats For Sale At $3,950 Each"

And according to the article, the kitties weren't genetically modified -- just selectively bred.

You, too, can be the proud owner of a hypoallergenic kitty, but better get on the waiting list for one now (looks like it can take about two years to get one): Allerca Web site.

I better start saving my pennies.

I'm baaack ... with more weird news

Yes, I'm back. Did you miss me? Huh, HUH?

And for my first post after my return? Details from my whirlwind trip? Lamentations on being a year older? Nope.

"Penis Transplant Reported in China"

Yes, a man had a successful penis transplant with no physical rejection of the new organ, but after two weeks the man requested that it be amputated because of his wife's "pyschological rejection."

More posts to come soon ... but not on weird news -- unless I find some juicy tidbit that I can't help but share.

Books, books, books!

Ahh, Google has launched the beta version of its Books Search of digitized public domain books. Check it out at books.google.com. If you want the full online book or PDF to download, be sure to search with the "Full view books" option selected. You can search by author, title, date, publisher, ISBN, or even content.

I find it quite amazing.

Printed books, online versions, literary classics, trashy romance novels, mystery whodunits, true-crime biographies, military and war fiction and nonfiction, pop-up picture books ... I love 'em all (as is evident by my jammed bookshelves, one of which recently collapsed from the weight of the books piled on it).

Hmm, I predict my productivity level at work rapidly falling as I read at my desk (and still look like I'm working) classic works by Dickens, Hugo, or perhaps letters written by Jane Austen (text which is now seeing the light of day -- or light of a computer monitor -- instead of rotting away and getting moldy sitting on a dusty library shelf).

What's in a date?

A Korean friend who recently came to the U.S. to study English told me something interesting last night, perhaps a reason why older KADs find that they are actually older or their date of birth is different than what is listed on their birth certificates.

It seems that older people in Korea (but those young enough to have been issued a birth certificate) have birth certificates with dates that are not their actual date of birth, but instead use the date of application for the certificate.

My friend said Korea now uses the actual date of birth for the certificates, but that wasn't the case when she was young -- she's 38. The date on her birth certificate is not her date of birth, and her Korean passport also lists her birth certificate date, which is a few months later than her date of birth. She even knows a woman whose birth certificate date is two years off.

So what about all those KADs who do happen to have a birth certificate from Korea among their limited paperwork and records? Is the information they have completely misleading, inaccurate? What about all those KADs who search for birth families with what they believe to be their date of birth, one of the few bits of information used to help in searching?

Added note: I forgot to mention the use of lunar dates for birthdays in Korea. Another twist to figuring out birthdays for KADs.

What husbands are good for: Reason #1

1. When you forget your house keys and need to get in at the end of the day. Voilà! Extra set of keys.

Old ... getting old

For every new academic year, Beloit College in Wisconsin publishes its Mindset List for incoming freshmen (or should I be more politically correct and say first-year students?) to help educators connect with this new generation.

Read the 2006 list for the class of 2010. (BTW, you know you're getting old when the incoming class is the same year as the title of a futuristic sci-fi movie ... that's the sequel to a futuristic sci-fi movie.)

My favorites:

1. The Soviet Union has never existed and therefore is about as scary as the student union.


6. There has always been only one Germany.


9. A stained blue dress is as famous to their generation as a third-rate burglary was to their parents'.


21. Milli Vanilli has never had anything to say.


24. Madden has always been a game, not a Superbowl-winning coach.


34. They have always known that "In the criminal justice system the people have been represented by two separate yet equally important groups."


37. Brides have always worn white for a first, second, or third wedding.


39. "So" as in "Sooooo New York," has always been a drawn-out adjective modifying a proper noun, which in turn modifies something else.


40. Affluent troubled teens in Southern California have always been the subjects of television series. (See accompanying image from actual list.)


43. They are not aware that "flock of seagulls hair" has nothing to do with birds flying into it. (See image.)

The Hyphenator effects change!

Ahh, the Hyphenator rules!

Way back when the Hyphenator was a bride-to-be searching for wedding favors and decorations, she came across a silver bamboo frame on the David's Bridal Web site. The message in the frame caused her to fight against insensitive statements everywhere. OK, well at least against the message in the product image on the Web site. She sent of a scathing e-mail to the company.

The company must have feared the possible repercussions by the Hyphenator and removed the offensive message from its site.

Alas, a new message in the frame can now be found in its place.

No applause, no applause ... pleeeease.

Don't piss off the Hyphenator!

Ramblings of a bored procrastinator

Who needs coffee?
It's lunchtime and I'm sitting at my desk, enjoying a cup of tea. I love jasmine tea and green tea, which is supposed to be good for the skin (need that) and fertility (really don't need that now). So I was delighted to find jasmine green tea at the Trader Joe's by my work. I usually buy green tea my neighborhood Asian market, but perhaps I was dazed by the store's huge selection of teas that I missed seeing it there.

The Great Pumpkin
As I sit here, I'm also running my fingers through my newly shorn hair. My hair used to be very long, down to my lower back, and now it's a little above my shoulders with a bit of a flip, and a little more layered than I wanted it. Oh well. Whenever my hair is medium to short in length, no matter the style, it seems it always turns out pretty much the same. I think it's the texture and straightness of my hair, not to mention the shape of my huge head. OK, so it's not like Charlie Brown proportion but I've always thought I had an overly large head for my fairly petite body (or pocket-sized as my friend Ji-in would say, although I disagree, I mean really have you seen the teeny Asian girls running around San Francisco??). Hats don't really fit or look good on my melon, I looked ridiculous when headbands were in style when I was in high school, and I have problems finding sunglasses that don't leave nice dents in the side of my face. My hubby said my new haircut made me look more "modern," but I think shorter hair just makes me look older.

Leaving on a jet plane
In one week, my hubby and I will be flying across the U.S., across the Atlantic, and landing in Germany for a two-week trip, belated longer honeymoon, and family reunion of sorts (hubby's side). I never thought I'd travel to Germany, but whaddya know. I'm calling it my fairy tales and war tour. We'll be checking out some amazing castles and palaces, as well as some historic sites related to World War II, as we make our way from Berlin to Munich and the Alps to Cologne and Aachen. My hubby just hopes I don't drag him into every damn church and museum in the country like I did in Italy ... and Spain. Hmm, I'm going to have to hide my guidebook that I've filled with Post-it tabs and notes on sites to see.

Ahhh, comfy
Today I'm also enjoying a pair of new shoes (uh, one of four pairs) that I bought online hoping they'd be comfortable for above-mentioned trip. They are indeed comfy and "modern" -- goes well with my new 'do, I guess. I hate having to break in new shoes. My closet and bedroom are littered with barely worn shoes that blistered my feet.

Working for my vacation
Why is it these days when I'm planning to go on vacation, I have to do the work needed while I'm gone ahead of time? What's the point in that -- having to work twice as hard before taking time off?

Trying to wipe the stupid grin off my face
I saw "Blade:Trinity" over the weekend. I had seen the first two movies in the series, but hadn't seen the third one, which I understand didn't do as well as the first two. My hubby and I caught it on cable. We both got our kicks out of it. He enjoyed seeing Jessica Biel (I have to admit she had some lovely arms), and I drooled over Ryan Reynolds. Yes, Van Wilder. I've liked him since "Two Guys, a Girl and a Pizza Place." If I had known he was in the movie all buffed, toned, and half naked, I would have paid the $10 to see him on the big screen. I read he may be in a "Nightstalkers" film -- I'm really hoping it works out.

Aaargh, the guilt!
So much to do, so little motivation. I just want to fly, fly, fly! Sigh. I need to get two thank-you notes out for wedding gifts. One we just received last week so the guilt is minimal. The other I've been putting off for months -- it's to my Korean relatives. I need to write a letter and send copies of wedding pictures. I should also send pictures to other relatives and friends, and my mom wants all the digital pictures from the wedding, reception, and our somewhat short first honeymoon. Does she realize how many files that is???

NPR story on transracial adoption

Today on "News & Notes," Ed Gordon tackled the issue of transracial adoption, specifically African-American children being adopted by Caucasian parents.

"Parents Increasingly Adopting Children of Another Race"

Very good piece, so be sure to check out the audio when it becomes available on the NPR site.

Also from today's show ...

"A Personal Story of Transracial Adoption"

And another segment from July ...

"Foreign Adoption of African-American Babies Grows"

And a piece from May on unwed birth mothers during the '40s, '50s and '60s ...

"'The Girls Who Went Away': Birth Mothers' Stories"

'Survivor': Battle of the races

Just announced this morning, the upcoming season of CBS's "Survivor" will take place on the Cook Islands. The twist this season? The teams will be divided by race: Asian, African American, Hispanic, and Caucasian.

The show has been criticized for its lack of ethnic diversity among the contestants. So they've decided to address this issue by recruiting more minorities ... and dividing the teams by race?

"New 'Survivor' A Race Among Races"

This year's cast on the CBS Web site.

I watched this show the first two seasons, but I avoided it later because I always got completely sucked in to watching the show every week. Now with my handy dandy TiVo, I'm sure I'll get sucked back in, just like those damn producers wanted.

If anything, I'll watch to see how the Asians do and also so I can yell at them on television when they do something stupid, like Korean-American Gina did all the time on "America's Next Top Model." (Yes, yes, I admit that I watch that show. Bite me.) I know, very supportive of me.

KAD promotes adoption from Africa

An article from Deseret Morning News in Salt Lake City about a Brigham Young University professor and KAD who recently published an article in the journal Social Work stating that "African nations and American parents should consider a radical increase in adoptions of black African orphans."

"Africa orphans need adoption: Crisis makes international action imperative, BYU professor says"

American parents have adopted a growing number of international children over the past decade. The United States issued 7,093 immigrant visas to orphans in 1990. The number rose to 22,728 last year.

Few come from African nations, which are reluctant to allow more.

"They're nervous because of the history of outmigration of their people into Europe and America, because of the former slave trade," Roby said. "They're nervous their children are being sold into domestic servitude or sex trafficking. I understand that. We all need to have empathy for that. But when they learn about the legal safeguards in place for international adoption, they want to consider it."

How about mentioning how adoption has become big business in the U.S.?

I was happy to read that the writer of the article also interviewed Joe Kroll, the executive director from the North American Council on Adoptable Children, which "believes each child should be placed with a family that recognizes preservation of the child's ethnic and cultural heritage as an inherent right."

"The federal government has gone overboard to try and make adoptions appear color blind," he said. "Color blind doesn't work when you're a person of color."

Kroll also worries that international adoptions have become trendy at the expense of older American foster children because of celebrities like Angelina Jolie, who has adopted two children, the most recent from the African nation of Ethiopia — a girl whose mother died of AIDS.

"My concern," Kroll said, "is that the publicity surrounding celebrities like Angelina Jolie is making people move away from the very real needs of the children in the American foster system. There are so many kids who need help."

Free weekends stress out Koreans

The Wall Street Journal today has an article about Koreans dealing with the reduced workweek (five days a week) that companies are changing to -- what to do with their free time, managing more family time (good or bad depending on one's view), and spending more money on leisure activities.

Unfortunately, a subscription is needed for online access. Some excerpts, though ...

SEOUL, South Korea -- Jun In Kyung is one unhappy housewife.

Her husband's employer just started giving him two Saturdays off a month. The 36-year-old wrestling teacher's new schedule, though, means Ms. Jun has to spend more of her time cooking and doing extra housework. Plus, she grumbles, after staying out late with his buddies on Friday nights, her husband sleeps a lot on Saturdays -- cramping their two children's indoor playtime.

"Home is supposed to be women's space and I don't like it when he spends more time in my space," says Ms. Jun, also 36. "It's like an invasion."

I found the following very interesting ...

"To help ease the free-time burden, the Korea Culture & Tourism Policy Institute is making available yeoga kwallisa, or leisure counselors, 'to teach people to seize their time,' says Yoon So Young, a chief researcher at the institute. 'It is something that needs to be learned.'"

I've found my true calling -- a leisure counselor. I would so rock at that job.

Best career for a KAD

Seattle Weekly has featured Tim Holm of Asian Adult Adoptees of Washington (AAAW) for its Best of Seattle 2006 series ...

"Tim Holm: Best Career for an Adopted Kid"

Summer of Hallyu!

The AZN TV network is featuring Korean dramas and movies during August and September with its Summer of Hallyu programming.

Watch for five back-to-back episodes of dramas, including "Winter Sonata" ("겨울 연가"), "My Lovely Sam-soon" ("내 이름은 김삼순"), and "Jewel in the Palace" ("대장금"), on Saturdays and Sundays. And be sure to catch the movie "Spring, Summer, Fall, Winter ... and Spring."

So crank up the AC, grab that remote control (or set your TiVo), and stay cool this summer while getting your fill of Korean shows.

For the children

Ah, yes, another example of international adoption working in the best interests of the children, I see.

"Locals unwelcome at Chinese orphanages: Agencies favour overseas adoptions"

"Chinese policies are supposed to favour domestic adoptions. Yet there is strong evidence that foreigners get preferential treatment -- largely because their payments are more lucrative. Despite the national policy, many Chinese orphanages have set up unofficial barriers to discourage Chinese families from adopting their orphans."

"Partly because of the barriers to domestic adoptions, China has a thriving system of private and unofficial adoptions, including an underground system of kidnapping and baby-trafficking. Earlier this year, China admitted that six orphanages in southern China had been purchasing babies since 2002, including the purchase of 78 abducted children last year alone. At least 33 people were punished for their involvement in the schemes. Foreigners and Chinese families were adopting children from the six orphanages, often for hefty fees."

An older article from the Washington Post, long but worth reading 'til the end ...

"Stealing Babies for Adoption: With U.S. Couples Eager to Adopt, Some Infants Are Abducted and Sold in China"

Some quotes:

"The prevalence of the problem has become clearer in recent weeks with the prosecution of a child-trafficking ring in the neighboring province of Hunan. Last November, police arrested 27 members of a ring that since 2002 had abducted or purchased as many as 1,000 children here in Guangdong province and sold them to orphanages in Hunan for $400 to $538.... The orphanages placed most of those children in homes with unwitting foreign families, many of them Americans, in exchange for mandatory contributions of $3,000 per baby -- a sum nearly twice the average annual Chinese income -- according to sources familiar with the prosecution."

"A state agency in Beijing, the China Center of Adoption Affairs, pairs prospective adoptive families with available Chinese children. Foreigners who want to adopt must work through a foreign agency certified by the CCAA. The process entails many fees, the largest paid as parents depart the province in which they adopt: They surrender $3,000 in cash, typically in $100 bills, and usually into the hands of the orphanage director."

"Such is the system absorbing the proceeds from foreign adoptions. Whole industries have sprouted to service the people involved. Travel agencies ferry adopting foreign families to sightseeing spots in Beijing, then on to the provinces handling the adoptions. Playrooms occupy space at five-star hotels in cities that have become hubs for adoptions, their lobbies often packed with foreigners carrying Chinese babies. Around the White Swan hotel in Guangzhou, the city through which every family must pass to receive a U.S. visa for a child, streets are thick with stroller-rental shops and silk baby outfits embossed with traditional Chinese logos. The hotel gives each adopting family a special doll manufactured by Mattel -- "Going Home Barbie," the iconic plastic figure carrying a Chinese baby."

My god, we're talking about babies here -- human beings being abducted, stolen, kidnapped, snatched away from their families and not "abandoned" -- who are being bought and sold like any other commodity for purchase on the market.

I find the final quote by an AP just as sickening: "If we can't bring closure to it, we're just going to have to live with it." (Or, "We're going to hand over our $3,000 cash and get our babies while we can.")

Updated (8/1/06): Not anything new or suprising ...

Found the headline below on the Korea Herald Web site but need to subscribe to access, so here's a link to the article on the Daum site:

"Volunteers brighten orphans' days"

"Fowler, an English teacher from the United States, has been promoting volunteering and adoption of Korean orphans since 1995. One of the biggest problems, he says, is that orphanages do not encourage adoptions as they get more funding with the more children they have."

"If you look through the orphanage system, you will see that much of the money being donated by the banking, business and private communities is being spent on nothing more that the private needs of the founders, owners and their children," he says, adding that less than 40 percent of donated funds are spent directly on the children."

MTV K and adoption

The MTV K Web site has a news segment on Asian-American adoptees with interviews with some adoptees and adoptive parents.

(The folks at MTV K might want to do a little more research -- they said that the first wave of Asian adoptees came in the '80s. WRONG!)

"My goal is world peace"

I'm all for Miss Korea to kick some adhesive-stuck bathing suit butt in the Miss Universe pageant, but except for Jane Pauley's early beauty pageant stint, I really can't picture female TV presenters in the U.S. who want to be the country's "greatest anchorwoman" competing in a beauty pageant.

"SBS Anchor Dons Bikini for Miss Universe Pageant"

The pageant will be on NBC Sunday night at 9:00 p.m. Pacific time. (I love the list of telecast judges.)

I gotta say, Miss Korea's national costume beats the crap out of Miss USA's.

Who needs men

In my current foul mood, I was happy to read this article on artificial sperm ...

"First live births from artificial sperm"

KAD in the news

The Star Tribune has an article on stand-up comedian Amy Anderson ...

"Korean adoptee breaks new ground in stand-up comedy"

DMZ

Found this Web site for the Panmunjom Travel Center, which has info about the DMZ and tours. Also has some interesting info (and photos) on the North Korean tunnels.

"Measuring two meters high and 2.1-2.2 meters wide, the arch-shaped tunnel--large enough to move such heavy weapons as tanks, field artillery and armored personnel carriers--is capable of letting pass 30,000 troops moving three to four abreast, or a division strength, per hour. Bored through 3.5 kilometers of bedrock at a depth of 50-160 meters from ground surface, Tunnel Ⅱ intrudes 1.1 kilometers south of the Military Demarcation Line at a point 101 kilometers from Seoul. A spacious troop assembly area was carved out in the tunnel, which has three exits."

Bored through bedrock and large enough to move tanks!

Daniel

Some cheesy copywriting but this ad campaign for Bean Pole International has some lovely photos of Daniel Henney. Click through "Daniel's Story" and just try to ignore Gwyneth and the annoying Flash.

Crash course

A New York Times article on North Korean defectors in the South ...

"North Korean Defectors Take a Crash Course in Coping"

Soon after landing in South Korea, all North Korean defectors come here to the South Korean government's main resettlement center, called Hanawon, or to an annex, for a three-month crash course on life south of the demilitarized zone.

"When they arrive here," said the center's director general, Lee Choong Won, "they realize they've been living like frogs in a well."

Football frenzy

"Adoptees Join Football Frenzy"

Er, what's that you say?

So I was listening to NPR this morning and had to shake my head at a statement by the general consul for the U.S. Chamber of Commerce:

"I think the inclination ... is going to be to err on the side of not taking any even slightly adverse action ..." -- but he pronounced "err" like "her" instead of as with "error."

Looking "err" up on the Merriam-Webster site, which has audio pronunciation clips for dictionary entries, I was surprised to find that "er" is actually listed as a pronunciation for "err."

I have never heard the word pronounced that way before. Then again, I'm from the Midwest.

I pronounce "soften" and "often" without the "T." Coke is a brand of pop, not a soda (although in California, I quickly realized that I needed to ask for a "soda" from store clerks to avoid having them look at me like I just spoke gibberish to them).

I think I speak without a strong Midwestern accent (as in "Fargo"), but people in San Francisco have told me I say "Minnesota" with a long "O" as in Min-ne-SOH-ta.

The other week I lugged a bunch of groceries up three flights of stairs, and as I dumped them on the kitchen table, I found myself saying, "Uff da!" I had to laugh. If my mother had heard that, she probably would have just nodded her head and said, "That's my girl. She takes after me."

A friend posted this the other day, and I had to take this quiz myself. I'm 110% Minnesotan.

How Minnesotan Are You??

[X] You've been made fun of for your Northern accent
[X] You been to an ice hockey game before
[X] You've been snowmobiling before
[X] You know how the wind chill factor works
[X] You constantly make fun of Iowa (OK, not so much anymore)
Total: 5

[ ] You own skis or a snowboard, or snow shoes (Used to)
[X] You keep an ice scraper in your back seat (I think trunk counts since I'm now in Cali)
[X] You call the childhood game "Duck, duck, grey duck"?
[X] You know what the "Iron Range" is
[X] You've built a snowman before
Total: 4

[X] You consider 50 degrees in March a warm day
[X] You make fun of Wisconsin
[X] You know where yellow snow comes from
[X] At least one person in your immediate family hates the "Packers"
[ ] You go to "the cabin" on the weekends during the summer (Used to)
Total: 4

[X] You've taken a family vacation to either North or South Dakota before
[X] You're still mad at the LA Lakers for not changing their name (Stoopid Lakers)
[X] You know what the "North Shore" refers to
[X] You or your family owns a snowblower
[ ] You, your dad, or a close friends has a snowplow on the front of their pickup truck
Total: 4

[X] You expect school cancellations and delays to happen at least twice a winter (When I was still in school, yes)
[X] You still hear/tell stories about the "Halloween Snow Storm" of 91
[X] You know whether Minnesota really is the "Land of A Thousand Lakes"
[X] You know the names of the Twin Cities
[X] You've been to the city of Duluth
Total: 5

Grand Total: 22

Take your score and multiply it by 5. Repost this as "I'm 110% Minnesotan."

Pet stories

An amazing pet story ...

"A Bite and Bark That Saved a Life: Cellphone Chomp Called 911 for Beagle's Owner"


And a not-so-heartwarming story ...

"Puppy allegedly killed by 3 boys, ages 6 and 8"

Hmm, isn't animal cruelty during childhood a sign of a potential serial killer? I think I'd move my family, too.

Cat under house arrest

"Judge Spares Life of Lewis the Cat"

Hmm, sounds like a cat my parents had while I was away at college. I used to come home for visits and the Cat From Hell would jump out and attack me, biting at my ankles and hissing.

I want my MTV K!

MTV is launching a new channel for young Korean Americans. Check out the Web site for the new MTV K. While you're there, vote for the first video to be shown on the channel -- or just check out the Korean music videos in the running (after the annoying ad). Some are quite ... uh, interesting.

Unfortunately, the site says MTV K will only be offered on DirectTV's KoreanDirect package for now.

You'll have to excuse me as I need to go harass Comcast.

Greetings

The folks at Shoebox have put out a new book with the sentiments that didn't quite make it onto a greeting card.

The NPR segment reminded me of the difficult time I have buying cards sometimes, especially around Mother's Day and Father's Day. Everything usually sounds too lovey-dovey. Often, it's hard to find a plain card that wishes the recipient a happy day. No, it's usually "I looooove you! Thanks for all the wonderful memories growing up." Blah, blah, blah. **Hurl**

So I came up with some greeting card sentiments I'd like to see ...

"Mom/Dad, Happy Mother's/Father's Day! Without your love and support, I'd be ... exactly where I am now."

"Mom/Dad, Happy Mother's/Father's Day! Bet you'd like to have returned me when I was a kid, but hey, you get what you pay for."

"Mom, Happy Birthday! I always knew deep down that, despite what you said, you were a racist bigot."

"Dad, Happy Birthday! I'm so glad I married a guy who's so not like you."

"Congratulations on your new home! Glad it's 1,586 miles away from mine."

"Brother, Happy Birthday! Thanks for hitting me all those years and putting me down every chance you got. It's made me a stronger person ... who thinks you're an a--hole."

"Brother, Congratulations on your graduation and good luck at college! Don't let the door hit you in the a-- on your way out."

"Congratulations on your graduation! Here I thought you were set on a career of being a permanent student."

"Brother, Congratulations on your marriage! God help your wife."

"Merry Christmas! I'm sorry I can't be home for the holidays ... Well, not really."

"Congratulations on your new baby! Thank god she doesn't look like her father."

"Congratulations on your wedding! I have a year to buy you a gift, right? (If your marriage lasts that long.)"

"Sympathy for the loss of your husband/wife. You couldn't take it anymore, could you?"

"Good luck at your new job! And good riddance!"


Feel free to share your ideas for greeting cards.

Signs

Just realized that two of my friends are the most compatible with me in terms of Chinese astrology.

My LYLAS friend Ji-in is four years my junior, while my other friend is eight years my junior (crazy to think that for this ol' gal) -- together that makes us a very compatible threesome.

This is in addition to our compatibility based on our Western astrology signs.

No wonder why we all get along so well.

A few years back, we hung out on a regular basis and went through a period that was, for me, one of the most fun and memorable outside of college -- that is, if you overlook some of the drink-'til-you-puke incidents and the hangovers the next morning (we always had a designated driver).

Now, we're scattered all over the country, two of us are married and the other in a LTR, and on the weekends you'd most likely find me sitting on the couch knitting or doing needlework as I catch up on my TiVo'd K-dramas.

Thank god for the Internet.

Goood moooornin'!

This morning my hubby and I were rudely awakened this morning at 5:24 a.m. by our bed shaking and things rattling in our apartment. Turns out it was a 4.7 magnitude earthquake centered an hour south of San Francisco near Gilroy (which has a lovely outlet mall complex BTW -- my first thought when I heard Gilroy was "Don't take out the outlet mall!!").

According to hubby, this morning's quake was small, but it was the biggest one I've felt since moving to San Francisco. The other ones I felt while at work when the whole office swayed back and forth. On these occasions I'd send IMs to my hubby at work: "Earthquake!" His usual response: "Really? Didn't feel it." And I'd just sit at my desk, wondering if anyone else felt it.


My co-workers tell me I am more sensitive to the small earthquakes since I haven't lived here very long. Glad to know I'm a human seismograph.

If only I could predict them, then I'd be all set.

Tagged, again

As if I didn't have anything better to do. OK, so I don't. Well, OK, I do but I'm procrastinating. OK, so I was tagged a while ago. Damn it, said I was procrastinating! Get off my back -- geesh!

Four people you would like to meet and the questions you'd ask them:

1. 장동건: Will you run away with me?
2. 우리 할머니: Please tell me the story of your life. (OK, so not a question.)
3. 우리 아빠: Did you know what was going to happen to our family?
4. 우리 엄마: Will you forgive me?

Four monuments/places you have seen and would like to see again:

1. Anything in Korea
2. China/Hong Kong
3. Sistine Chapel
4. El Templo de la Sagrada Família

Four favorite words:

(not in any particular order based on usage or anything)

1. onomatopoeia
2. 사랑
3. 엄마
4. whatever

Four cities with delicious food:

1. San Francisco
2. Seoul
3. Florence
4. Barcelona (especially breakfast)

Four (nonfiction/fiction) books you would recommend:

1. A People's History of the United States, Howard Zinn
2. The Rape of Nanking, Iris Chang
3. Any novel by Jane Austen
4. Guess How Much I Love You, Sam McBratney and Anita Jeram (illustrator)

Four jobs you've had:

1. corn detasseler
2. fast-food slave/grease monkey
3. third-shift data entry procezzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzz
4. prufreeder

Four quick answers:

1. Insomnia — Where's the remote?
2. Allergies — Kitty!
3. Road rage — A--hole!
4. Daydreams — Sorry, what did you say?

GOOOOOAAAAAAAL!

The 2006 World Cup started today in Germany. It hit me this morning that almost four years ago, for the 2002 World Cup, I was in Korea.

In Seoul, I remember seeing pictures of Korean footballer Ahn Jung-Hwan plastered all over. (Here is his official site and more info.)

World Cub souvenirs were everywhere, and I eventually bought an official soccer ball to bring back home. Getting caught up in the Ahn craze, I also bought a red t-shirt with his image on it. (I should dig that out.)

One afternoon I found myself sitting outside one of the World Cup stadiums, seeing before me a sea of red -- all the Koreans dressed in their "Be the Reds!" t-shirts in support of the Korean team, trying to catch a glimpse of a match on the large screen off in the distance.

I remember wearing my own "Be the Reds!" t-shirt and just sitting among the throng of fans, amazed at the frenzy but glad that I was in Korea experiencing this period of immense national pride -- and, probably most of all, thoroughly enjoying the fact that I was no longer a minority in a crowd of people.

I'm the one in red.

Ready, set, GO!

Here's hoping the new "The Fast and the Furious: Tokyo Drift" movie does even better at the box office than the previous two movies in the series did. Why? Two good reasons: director Justin Lin and Korean-American actor Sung Kang.

After seeing a preview of the movie a while back, I remember rolling my eyes and cringing at the thought of Hollywood doing a racing movie set in Japan. But Jeff Yang's column on today's SFGate.com has me wanting to check out the new film.

OK, granted the movie is set in Japan, and looks to have a bunch of non-Japanese stars (including Bow Wow??), but Yang interviews the director, who explains some of the casting decisions and changes to the original script.

"After I read the original script, they called me up and asked, 'What do you think?'" says Lin.

"And I said, 'I think it's offensive and dated, and I don't have any intention of doing it.' But Stacey [Snider], the head of the studio, said, 'Just tell us what you'd do differently.' So I said, 'To begin with, I'd get rid of all the gongs and temples and Buddhas and the visual gags about how the white guy is a foot taller than all the Asians.' And she said, 'OK, we'll make the kind of movie you want.' I was like, 'Uh, are you sure?'"

We can also look forward to more movies with Sung Kang, thanks in part to Lin who cast him as the racer who teaches the main character (white boy) how to drift ...

"When we were screening this movie, Sung tested through the roof. It was unanimous: Every focus group we threw out there, he was their favorite character. Now they're looking for vehicles for him to be in. That's what it's all about, man: opportunity. It's not a revolution or anything -- it's winning one gunfight, not the war. But it's important. Little by little it adds up."

Check out the full article on SFGate.com: "ASIAN POP: Switching Gears."

Other interesting notes:

According to IMDB, "600 Asian extras were used during the LA filming days for the street scenes," more than 100 cars were wrecked during the filming, and all of the drifting in the movie was done by professional drivers, not created by CGI and computers.

Hot.

I haven't seen the first two movies, at the theater or on DVD, but I may just have to plunk down my $10 at the theater for this one.

(Stupid Blogger site having problems!)

A program for orphans ... orphaned pets, that is

" A place for orphaned pets: SPCA program places animals in new homes"

"The Sido program, named for a collie-sheltie mix who narrowly escaped a death sentence in 1979 after her owner committed suicide and left a will demanding that Sido be put to sleep, finds new homes for orphaned Bay Area pets."

Animals grieve, too ...

Louisa DeRosa, Sido's animal grief counselor:

"Heathcliff here was so depressed when we got him," she said of a Sido cat currently up for adoption. "He'd put his face up against the wall and just stare at it."

"The Maine coon cat refused to eat, became anorexic and had to be hospitalized; his lifelong friend Tang, a Siamese mix, paced and cried, worrying about Heathcliff on top of dealing with the same loss...."


Another great animal organization in the Bay Area is Pets Unlimited, which rescues shelter animals who are scheduled to be euthanized or sold for medical research, and gives them a place to stay until they are adopted into new homes. Check out their Fairytail Endings page.

Ignorance

You may have heard of Project Gutenberg and the World eBook Library. They're planning to have a World eBook Fair with free downloads of ebooks from July 4 to August 4.

"E-Book Giving Access to 300,000 Texts"

Project Gutenberg founder Michael Hart:

"We want to give the most books to the most people.... It has been our goal since the dawn of the Internet to break down the bars of ignorance and illiteracy."

I'm sure all the poor, ignorant and illiterate people who can't afford computers or Internet access will be lined up at the computer terminals at their local libraries, or perhaps at their neighborhood Internet cafes, during the month of the ebook fair, overjoyed at the prospect of reading classic literature on the computer or downloading ebooks in PDF files to -- oh, I dunno -- their PDAs ... until the next poor ignorant, illiterate person in line gets impatient and demands his or her time at the computer. Breaking down the bars of ignorance and illiteracy -- yes, indeed.

The beauty of Seattle

Hello, Seattle!

It's a sculpture. It's a vane. It's practical.

Pick a pepper.

Space Needle

Yum, crab!

Bloomin' peonies

A puffin! (And an annoying tourist)

Goodbye, Seattle!

South Korean female politician attacked

"South Korea's main opposition leader recovering after knife attack"

"Park Geun-hye, chairwoman of the Grand National Party, suffered an 11-centimeter (4-inch) cut on her face Saturday when a man slashed her with a box cutter at a campaign rally for her party's candidate for Seoul mayor."

Park is a potential presidential candidate in South Korea. Her family history ...

"Park, 54, is the daughter of the late President Park Chung-hee, who ruled South Korea for 18 years after taking power in a 1961 military coup.

Park's mother, Yook Young-soo, was fatally shot in 1974. Five years later, Park's father was assassinated by the then chief of the state intelligence agency."


Found this info about the attacker, 50-year-old Ji Chung-ho ...

"Attacker hates establishment"

"Ji was orphaned at an early age in Incheon and raised by foster parents. But his mother mostly raised him alone after his father died when he was young. His neighbors reportedly said Ji became uncontrollable and rebellious after he found out his parents were not his biological parents when he was in junior high school."

Just say no!

I think I'm going to be sick ...

"Bush promotes brother Jeb to follow him in White House"


Gotta love Mark Fiore ...

"The Decider"

I love you, Mom -- now change how you look

From Reuters Health ...

"A new wrinkle in gifts for Mom and Dad"

"South Koreans traditionally used to say it with flowers or money, but now more are showing love and respect to their parents by giving mum and dad coupons for cosmetic surgery.

Local media has reported a boom in orders this year for botox treatments, face lifts and hair transplants to mark Parents' Day on Monday."

May 5, 2006

In addition to being Cinco de Mayo, today is Buddha's birthday and Children's Day (어린이날), public holidays in South Korea. (Children's Day was known as Boy's Day until 1975, according to a Wikipedia entry.) And to incorporate the two holidays, how about a photo of children celebrating Buddha's birthday? :D


Some interesting articles I found on the Korea Times Web site:

"For the Beauty of 'Hangul'"

Hangul calligraphy and design becoming popular around the world.

"'Hollywood Plagiarized My Novel'"

A Korean author has filed a lawsuit against a U.S. film distribution company, claiming that the movie "The 40-Year-Old Virgin" plagiarized his 1996 novel, "Virgin Till The End, Just Once."

:O

"400 Dead Dolphins Found in Tanzania"

"At least 400 dead dolphins were found on Zanzibar's northern coastline early Friday, alarming villagers, fishermen and tour operators, residents said."

"400 dead dolphins found off African coast"

(The second link includes a photo.)

Spring has sprung

Spring has finally come to San Francisco. The endless days of rain have gone and the cherry blossoms have bloomed.

Cherry blossoms by the Japanese Tea Garden in Golden Gate Park...




On Sunday, my hubby and I went to the Northern California Cherry Blossom Festival in Japantown. He hates crowded events but was a good sport considering the festival was packed since it was the last day and the day of the grand parade.

It was cute seeing little Asian kids dressed in kimonos. What was not so cute was seeing white women dressed in cheap kimonos. I wish I had taken some cute/not cute photos to post.

Always fun is checking out the vendor booths, such as the Blacklava one. Had to laugh at seeing this t-shirt and this one ... oh and this one, too. YES!

Also cool were the origami and paper doll exhibits ...

Reward

This post started out about my new t-shirt (see below) ...

I hate going to the dentist -- hate it, hate it, HATE IT!

I didn't always feel this way.

When I was younger, my parents took me to a dentist who specialized in pediatric dentistry. I actually looked forward to seeing my dentist every six months. Although, the little rewards that I got at his office probably enticed me -- and helped my parents avoid having to drag me, kicking and screaming, to the dentist.

At my dentist's office, the kids could pick a "reward" at the end of each exam from this huge, green plastic frog head toy box for being such a good patient. I remember sitting in the waiting room, looking through an issue of Highlights, and eyeing the toy box in the corner of the room before each exam. I couldn't wait to open the lid to all the wonderful toys inside and choose my reward.

After every visit, I'd walk out with a new toothbrush, a little floss dispenser, a sticker on my shirt, the taste of strawberry fluoride in my mouth, the crunch of the polishing material in my teeth, and a little trinket -- often a shiny plastic ring -- from the frog toy box.

For years I went to the same dentist -- even for the braces I got in seventh grade. But I grew up, went off to college and didn't have dental insurance for many years. When I got my first "real" job with medical and dental benefits, I decided I better go the dentist since I hadn't been to one in years and made an appointment with an office near my home.

That cleaning was the most painful, torturous visit! Granted, I hadn't been to the dentist in years, but I take good care of my teeth -- I even floss nightly -- and never, ever had a cavity before. I found out at a follow-up appointment that the sadistic hygienist who ripped apart my mouth was a temp filling in that day. Lucky me. After that series of visits, it was years before my next dentist appointment.

Since I moved to San Francisco and again got a job with dental benefits, the adult voice inside my head told me to go for regular cleanings and get my money's worth.

I found a dentist (a nice, youngish Asian one) near my work. He has a new, high-tech office -- we're talking digital x-rays, digital camera system, flat-screen monitors by the patient chairs (so you can see the hole in your tooth that he's telling you to get filled), and computers with electronic dental records in every exam room.

After a two-hour initial exam last fall, in which the dentist explained all the issues concerning my teeth, gums and oral health, and showed me digital images to back up what he was saying, and a not-too-bad cleaning by the hygienist, I decided to return in six months for another cleaning, especially after being assured that the next visit would only take an hour.

So yesterday I took off early from work for my spring six-month cleaning, feeling relatively relaxed and at ease with the idea of going to the dentist. Unfortunately, this visit wasn't as pain-free as the last. Since I was the last patient of the day, perhaps the hygienist was impatient to leave and wasn't as careful. Whatever the case, I was glad to get the hell out of the dental chair.

Despite the scraping, jabbing and poking 'til my gums bled, I have to say that dentistry has come a long way, especially in terms of easing patient discomfort: using a topical anesthetic to numb your gums (I applaud whoever decided that it should be used during dental cleanings), sonic tools to help kill all the nasty bacteria, foaming fluoride treatments (no more gooey glop in mouthguard-like styrofoam trays) and background music (to help block out the horrible scraping sounds in your mouth). I actually turned down the opportunity to watch music videos on the flat-screen monitor.

After my somewhat painful visit to the "dentist" (the nice Asian dentist didn't even examine my teeth -- guess it really was just a cleaning), I walked out with a new Colgate Active Angle toothbrush (for nonsonic toothbrushes, these are the best, plus they come in blue and yellow!), a minifloss dispenser (perfect for my purse), strawberry-flavored fluoride on my teeth, and crunchy polish in between them.

But as I walked down the street and even though I am now thirtysomething, I decided I deserved a well-earned reward for my pain and suffering.

With no big green frog toy box from which to choose my reward, I headed downtown and went shopping. I bought myself this Jim Benton/Blackjack Inc. t-shirt at a local discount store:



Mine's black with a white and pink bunny -- love it! (It's what I'd like to say to my babbling, whiny co-worker.)

A Web site was included on the shirt tag so I checked it out to see what other t-shirts were available. I found this one, which is on my list to get next:



(KADs know that this sentiment perfectly expresses how we feel about certain people.)

There are other great design lines, and here are links to some of my favorite shirts from each: It's Happy Bunny, Dog of Glee, Sweetypuss (and this one, too), Just Jimmy (I saw this one on a shirt yesterday), Just Plain Mean and So Totally True.

Kimchi!

My co-worker sent me a press release about a cardiologist named Dr. Asher Kimchi who will receive the "Passion of the Heart Award" at the American Heart Association Heart Awards Gala.

This prompted a Google search. We found that the root of the family name Kimchi comes from Kemach, which means flour in Hebrew.

But, another Google result had me drooling onto my keyboard. The Korea Agro-Fisheries Trade Corp. kimchi Web site has everything you ever wanted to know about kimchi, its ingredients and health benefits (according to the site, it helps prevent constipation, enteritis, colonitis, acid toxicosis, obesity, diabetes, gastrointestinal cancers and arteriosclerosis; helps with digestion and suppressing aging; has lots of vitamin C; and more), along with recipes for kimchi, Korean dishes, and Western dishes that incorporate kimchi (spaghetti, pizza, pork cutlets -- sorry, no burgers).

The site also has a page on the cute, trademarked kimchi character, developed back in 2000 to "promote the excellency of Korean kimchi and to emphasize the difference from Japanese kimuchi."

(Last year I went to the Northern California Cherry Blossom Festival -- which, BTW, is this weekend -- in Japantown, and one of the food booths was serving what looked to be kalbi with kimchi. At the time I thought, "Since when is kalbi and kimchi Japanese?" The kimuchi link above helps explain the Korean/Japanese kimchi dispute.)

Now I'm craving kimchi. Good thing I have a jar at home. :D

Exports

Looks like South Korea will soon be exporting nurses in addition to babies ...

"South Korea plans to export 10,000 nurses to U.S."

But I'm guessing the nurses will have at least some say in the matter of leaving Korea.

Other related articles ...

"U.S. to import 10,000 S. Koreans for nurses over five years"

"US to Recruit 10,000 Korean Nurses"

Oops!

At my office, we get the the printed version of the Wall Street Journal delivered daily. (I have to say that sometimes I miss reading printed newspapers, flipping through sections page by page instead of clicking and scrolling, clicking and scrolling.)

Wednesday's section of the Personal Journal included Avery Johnson's Travel Watch piece (page D5), which mentioned how airlines were starting to offer healthcare services onboard flights. Its subhead read: "Heath Care in the Air."

Personally, I love finding errors in printed materials. Must be the former proofreader in me. Errors like those also make me appreciate one of the benefits of online publishing -- mistakes can be quickly corrected.

Oriental City

April 18, 2006, marks the 100th anniversary of the great 1906 San Francisco earthquake and fire. There's an interesting article in the Wall Street Journal covering the experiences of Chinese-Americans after the earthquake, and how city leaders wanted Chinatown rebuilt on the outskirts of the city and renamed the "Oriental City" ...

"A Century Later, Chinatown Revisits History of Quake"

Updated (4/12/06): NPR broadcast a segment on Chinatown after the earthquake on Wednesday's Morning Edition program: "Rebuilding Chinatown After the 1906 Quake."

Having a field day

The Chosun Ilbo has been covering Hines Ward's visit to Korea with his mother ...

"Football Star Talks of Feelings About Korean Roots"

"Football Star's Mother Looks Back in Anger"

"One Man's Power to Change Ingrained Perceptions"

The last is an editorial/column, but doesn't say who wrote it.

Updated (4/18/06): Found this Reuters article, "South Korea welcomes new-found sports hero Ward"

Korean screenwriter for 'Lost'

Christina Kim made her screenwriting debut with "Lost" ...

"The Invisible Korean Behind U.S. Hit Drama"

Owwww

OK, this just makes me cringe ...

"9,000-year-old dental drill found"

Help!!

I'm surrounded by freshly printed wedding pictures, five different types of photo paper, a rainbow of ink cartridges, postage stamps, and thank-you cards and envelopes that are staring blankly back at me, making me feel guilty.

You may not hear from me for a few days -- or weeks.

Until then, though, you can enjoy a photo of my beautiful bridal bouquet ...



But, if you don't hear from me in a month or two, send help!

Sadie

Sadie, Sadie, married lady, that's me!

The line from the "Funny Girl" song keeps playing in my head, especially when I gaze down at the lovely, sparkly wedding band on my left hand. (Although after seeing some wedding photos, another line, "The groom was prettier than the bride," also keeps popping into my head.)

Before, I wrote that when people asked whether I was excited and looking forward to the big day my reply was that I was looking forward to the day after the wedding. But, I have to admit that I was wrong. Turns out I really looked forward to the night of my wedding, after the reception ... when I could take off my wedding dress and breathe, slouch and be comfortable. I'm FREEEEEEEEEE!

Now, people keep asking me if it feels any different being married. Other than feeling more relaxed and stress-free, I'd have to say no. Maybe once I actually see the marriage license, which is suppose to arrive by mail in about 120 days, I'll feel differently. Then again, probably not.

We still have yet to completely unpack (or I should say I have yet to completely unpack) our suitcases and wedding crap (err, I mean, beautiful wedding accessories). We still have to clean up the absolute disaster of a mess we (I) left in our home before leaving for our wedding trip. And we have yet to clean out the old housewares to make room for all our lovely wedding gifts. (But, on the upside, we [I] get to go shopping with all the gift cards we received. Yay!)

When will I feel married? Probably when tax time hits next year and we have to write out a big, fat check to the IRS since we are now DINKs.

I'll just keep singing to myself ...

I'm Sadie, Sadie, married lady!

(BTW, I did change my name -- my middle name is now my Korean first name. I think I made the final decision just days before the big day. Writing my new name on the marriage license felt a bit odd, but it also felt right -- it was me.)

Right on!

DailyIndia.com recently published an article about the 1.5 million orphaned children from the South Asian tsunami of December 26, 2004, and the response to the interest from around the world to adopt these children.

Since the disaster, adoption agencies around the world have been fielding phone calls from well-meaning families wanting to adopt a child from one of the countries hit.

Adoption experts say the best thing people can do is to donate money to causes that directly help the children. They say it's wrong to take a traumatized child away from the environment that they have grown up in.

"Adoptions, especially inter-country ones, are inappropriate during the emergency phase as children are better placed being cared for by their wider families and the communities they know," said the charity Save the Children in a statement released Jan. 6, 2005.

International Adoption needs to be well planned.

"The last thing they need to do is be rushed away to some foreign land," said Cory Barron of Children's Hope International, an American adoption agency. "We have to think of the child first."

Adoption by some well meaning couple in the west flying half way round the world bearing large sums of money to whisk the child away to a life totally alien to everything it has known isn't always what is in the best interests of the child.

Sad

"Dana Reeve dies of lung cancer"

I keep picturing the scene at the end of "Somewhere in Time," except with Christopher Reeve standing there waiting for Dana.

Heartbroken?

Rio was 35. We both grew up in Minnesota, and I remember visiting her many times.

"Rio, Minnesota Zoo's oldest female dolphin, dies"

"One of Rio's calves, Harley, died in January after fracturing his skull when he jumped out of the water and hit his head on the concrete deck."

Perhaps she was heartbroken over the loss of Harley.

Twins fans in mourning

I'll always remember his game-winning home run in the 11th inning of the sixth game of the 1991 World Series.

"Hall of Famer Kirby Puckett, After Stroke, Dies at 45"

"Twins devastated by Puckett's death"

"Goodbye, Kirby"

That time of year again

One reason why I love living in San Francisco ...

"24th San Francisco Asian American Film Festival"

Missing KAD found

A sad update to the missing St. Cloud KAD ...

"Radel's body pulled from Mississippi River"

Maximum

I hope she gets 40 years, which still doesn't seem long enough ...

"Woman Pleads to Killing Adopted Girl"

"Hilt admitted a few days after Nina's death last July that she became upset with the girl for crying and dropped her on the floor, kicked her and jumped on her abdomen."

Hire me!

Damn, I want to work at Google ...

"Now Google's cooking: Internet giant's free, gourmet global cuisine powers its workforce while offering chefs and producers a place to shine"

Married?!

"She got married!"

"Married?!"

"Married!!"

"Maarried??!"

"MAARRIED!!! Sheesh!"

Bad, kitty!

"Wis. Fire Officials Blame Cat for Fire"

Cat's probably thinking, "Yeah, sure. Just blame it all on the cat."

P.S. I'm currently leeeeaving on a jet plaaane ... Don't know when I'll be back again. But I've posted this for your reading pleasure.

Kimchi battles the bird flu

Kimchi, the miracle food ...
"Kimchi-spiced air conditioners to fight bird flu"

Updated (4/20/06): Hmm, stoopid Reuters' link doesn't work anymore and can't find it on the site. Anyway, here are other kimchi-related articles ...

"Korean dish 'may cure bird flu'"

"Kimchi Helpful in Fighting Bird Flu"

"Kimchi Effective in Fighting Bird Flu"

"Kimchi Sales Rise on Link to Possible Bird Flu Cure"

KAD takes the bronze!

Awesome Dawson gets the bronze in moguls!

Read Toby Dawson's bio and a New York Times article (login may be required) about him and his search for his birth family ...

"U.S. Skier Hopes Bronze Medal Will Help With Another Quest"

Also check out his childhood photo gallery.

Gimme a 'C'!

Found this interesting information about "Korea" vs. "Corea" ...

"Why I Spell 'Corea' With a 'C'"

Two mouths part II

A follow-up story to the two-mouthed trout ...

"Injury Caused Trout to Grow Two Mouths"

The countdown begins

Ten days and counting ...

So much to do, so little time.

Is it too late to run off and elope to Vegas? I'll just grab my fiancé and bring my wedding dress and our wedding rings -- that's all we really need. Screw the catering, flowers, cake, musicians, decorations, wedding favors, wedding programs, rehearsal, rehearsal dinner ... AAAAAaaaarrrrgggh!

Everyone asks if I'm getting excited. My answer? "I'm excited for the day after."

Have you seen this KAD?

Minnesota KAD is missing in St. Cloud ...

"Family unites in search for missing student"

(Check out the link to the photo gallery for a picture.)

Scot Radel, 21-year-old St. Cloud University student, has been missing since last Thursday.

The pressure

According to the Washington Post, Japan has the world's oldest male-dominated monarchy still in existence. The Japanese government is trying to pass a bill to allow female succession, but those against the bill are probably overjoyed at today's news that Princess Kiko, the wife of the second son of Emperor Akihito, is pregnant. Will it be a boy or another girl? Talk about pressure.

"Princess Kiko Shocks Japan With Pregnancy"

I also like this quote by a politician against female succession ...

Now, critics argue, changing that male-only right to succession could forever taint the imperial blood line -- particularly in the modern era of globalization and women's liberation.

"If Aiko becomes the reigning empress and gets involved with a blue-eyed foreigner while studying abroad and marries him, their child may be the emperor," Takeo Hiranuma, a top member of Koizumi's ruling Liberal Democratic Party and head of a block of politicians opposed to female monarchs, said last week. "We should never let that happen."

Hmm ... Watch out! Those blue-eyed foreigners are dangerous, impregnating us Asian women and trying to spread their seed all over the world.

MVP, baby!

Woo hoo!!! It's awesome to see a hapa receive one of the top honors in sports.

Here's an interesting article about Hines Ward and his background ...

"Ward to honor devoted mother with trip home to South Korea"

Happy New Year!

새해 복 많이 받으세요!

May the Year of the Dog bring you all many blessings and good fortune!

The Year of the Dog started today, and this year is an auspicious year for getting married. This year has 13 months and lasts 385 days until February 17, 2007, which will occur only 12 times between 221 B.C. and A.D. 2100. And this year also has two beginnings of spring on February 4 in 2006 and 2007.

I consulted my Chinese horoscope book and it states: "It's a truly fortunate year and you can expect domestic joy. Prepare for a large family as the Dog is the sign of fertility!"

With my wedding less than a month away, I need all the luck I can get! :D

Weird?

Hmm, I've been tagged.

My five weirdest habits?

1. I talk in my sleep. I've talked in my sleep since I was a wee lass growing up in the Midwest. My mom likes to tell stories of how my brother and I (we slept in separate but neighboring bedrooms) would hold conversations in our sleep, talking back and forth to each other. Nowadays, my fiancé is the happy recipient of my nocturnal babbling (very much like the "Friends" episode with Chandler and his sleep-talking date). Sometimes I wake myself (and him, of course) up in the middle of the night yelling at him in my dreams for some reason my conscious mind must suppress during the day. I often find I talk in my sleep when I'm stressed out. Just the other day, I had three consecutive nightmares regarding my upcoming nuptials and all three times I woke us up with my yelling, crying and/or whimpering talk.

2. I floss religiously. If I don't floss every night, I feel as if bad bacteria are swarming around my teeth and gums. Mint waxed dental floss by Target is my preferred floss. Every time I shop at Target, I have to stock up on dental floss. I also have a container of floss in my tote bag for those occasions when you have that annoying piece of food stuck between your teeth that is determined to stay there and establish residency.

3. I pluck out the gray hairs I find ... in my fiancé's hair. Yes, not only do I pluck out my own gray hairs when I find them (usually with the same reaction I have when I find an insect in my home), but I pluck out his, too. Although, I find I am losing the battle with his. The gray hairs keep coming and seem to be conquering swiftly, which makes me wonder if there is some truth to the idea that two gray hairs grow in when one is plucked out.

4. Messiness drives me crazy, unless it's my own. I can be the worst slob, not surprising since I am a hoarder. My messiness does not bother me usually, but some days I get fed up with myself and go on cleaning binge -- everything must be in its proper place, clean and dust-free, or hidden away from my sight. However, if my fiancé doesn't put something away where it belongs, watch out! I'm not sure this is really a habit, but I realize that having kids will surely put an end to this behavior.

5. Hmm, I've got to think about the last one. I'll keep you posted.

Year of the Dog

2006 is the Year of the Dog, and in Korea the dogs are partaking in the celebration.

Poor little dolphin

:(

"Minnesota Zoo dolphin dies after jumping from pool"

The biggest terrior

Yes, Shrub (oops, I meant Buhs) is a big "terrior of the world."

Too be or not too be

Came across this article yesterday in the SF Gate by the AP ...

"First Lady Assails Sen. Clinton for Remark"

Referring to a comment by New Orleans Mayor Ray Nagin ...

"Asked about the comment, Mrs. Bush joked that she didn't really think she could speak for God. Then she added that she believes Nagin wants New Orleans to be rebuilt.

'He wants people who lived in New Orleans to come back,' Mrs. Bush said. 'I do to, and I know the president does to. You know it's going to take a long time.'"

Now, I can understand the mistake of using "to" instead of "too" -- twice -- if the statement were actually written by Shrub, but for the AP to quote Mrs. Bush and get it WRONG is just bad, bad, bad.

Georgelandia

By Mark Fiore at the SF Gate ...

"Greater Georgelandia"

Updated (April 14, 2006): I've updated the above link to the Georgelandia comic instead of the daily comic for Mark Fiore.

Kitty, you're my hero: Part II

"Cat Interrupts Catnap, Possibly Saving Two"

"Jean Poole and her 9-month-old granddaughter were dozing Tuesday in Poole's home in the Newberry Estates mobile home park. Poole's 7-year-old cat, Princess, woke them up, meowing loudly."

Oh, Christmas tree!

Over the past few weeks in San Francisco, the city streets have been lined with stripped, discarded Christmas trees just kicked to the curb. Some were abandoned and left in the gutters right after New Year's, still looking fresh and green, to be hauled away with the other "garbage." The other day I saw two trees sticking out from the back of a garbage truck -- so heartbreaking.

My fiancé tells me that it's not so bad, that Christmas trees are farmed now. Still, I can't help but think what a shame it is to throw away a live tree. I know, I know, it's been cut and no longer has any hope, but at least let it stay beautifully decorated with ornaments and lights until it's ready to go off to Christmas tree heaven.

This past Christmas was the first one my fiancé and I celebrated alone together. We'd always gone home to our families every year, but this year we decided to stay in San Francisco to save money for our wedding in February.

To help us get into the spirit of the holidays, I decorated our living room with white lights and some other ornaments my mom had sent with me when I moved to San Francisco.

It being our first Christmas together, I also wanted to have a tree to decorate. While shopping for Christmas dinner fixings, I came across a live tabletop tree, still in a planter. It was perfect! (Although, at first, it reminded me of Charlie Brown's Christmas tree -- a bit pitiful as it leaned awkwardly to one side.)

But we decorated it together, and I have to say it turned out lovely.



I'm hoping that the tree will flourish in our little humble abode until one day we have a backyard to plant it in. Then, we can show our kids our first Christmas tree, still alive, growing and doing well.

Friday, the 13th

Hey, today is my day ... mine, Mine, MINE! OK, OK, I guess it's for the whole Korean-American community.

"U.S. names Jan. 13 Korean-American Day"

Confucius says ...

David's Bridal is run by a bunch of idiots.

Lately, I've been Web surfing for items for our wedding reception, looking for ideas for place card holders and wedding favors. I've seen a lot of Asian-themed favors and gifts, but this one caught my attention.

Check out the message displayed in this silverplated bamboo frame with an "Oriental touch" by David's Bridal.

I'm thinking Caucasian couples might find this funny and cute, but I'll be taking my business elsewhere.

Kitty, you're my hero

Kitty to the rescue!

"Cat Calls 911 to Help Owner, Police Say"

Two mouths: Double trouble?

A fisherman in Nebraska caught a double-mouthed rainbow trout (yum!), and it's going off to Harvard ...

"Two-mouthed trout heads to Harvard"

Note (added 2/16/06):
Hmm, appears original article is no longer available. I found another page online with the same story and replaced the link above.

Apostrophes gone wild

On Christmas Eve, I saw a sign on Ocean Avenue that read "Christmas Tree's" were for sale.

This year I've also seen many family holiday photo cards that read, for example, "Happy Holidays, The Doe's."

Since when does pluralization require an apostrophe?

Apostrophes indicate possessiveness or omitted letters, such as in the case of contractions. (Relative pronouns don't get apostrophes, of course: his, hers, ours, yours, theirs, etc.) Although, "it's" and "its" seem to cause people many problems. To clarify, "it's" is a contraction for "it is" or "it has," while "its" is the possessive form of "it" with no apostrophe.

When in doubt, add an apostrophe? NO! A while ago I saw someone had written "its' " as the possessive form for "it." I have to admit, that is the first time I had seen that and made a mental note to write a blog post about its incorrectness. It's never correct to write "its'."

Other apostrophe pet peeves include words such as "CD's" and "DVD's." I can see how pluralizing these words may be confusing, but they don't need the apostrophe. Single letters require an apostrophe to avoid confusion: His report card was full of A's and B's. (You wouldn't want to say he got As.) But multiple letter combinations do not need an apostrophe: He learned his ABCs.

So the lesson of today's blog post? An apostrophe is not to be used indiscriminately ...

Trees
CDs
DVDs
A's
ABCs
it's
its

The possessive form of words ending in "S" and other more complicated apostrophe rules will have to wait for another lesson when the Hyphenator is less stuffed with Christmas ham and holiday treats.

BTW, after a thorough check of the greeting cards I received this year, I was happy to see that my relatives avoided using an apostrophe with their family names, either by pluralizing correctly (The Hyphenators) or avoiding the issue altogether (The Hyphenator Family).

Merry Christmas, Happy Hanukkah, Happy Kwanza, Happy Holidays, and Season's Greetings from the Hyphenator!

To hyphenate or not to hyphenate

Sorry, this is not a punctuation lesson. The Hyphenator is in a sort of hyphenation quandary.

I've yet to make a final decision on what to change my name to after I say "I do" -- if I decide to change it at all. Should I truly become the Hyphenator and use a hyphenated married last name?

Not only do I have to decide what my last name will be, but I now have the opportunity to change my middle name as well. (I don't really have a middle name as my parents thought I could choose one myself when I was older, thinking perhaps I might want to use part of my Korean name.)

My last name options:

1. Do I leave my name as is: Mrs. Hyphenator? (Women in Korea keep their family name when they marry. For more information about Korean names, check out Wikipedia.)


2. Do I take my future hubby's last name: Mrs. Grammarman? (This is least favorite option.)


3. Do I hyphenate: Mrs. Hyphenator-Grammarman?


4. Do I make my last name my middle name and tack on hubby's last name: Mrs. Hyphenator Grammarman? (Unless I hyphenate my name and my future children's names, this may be helpful in identifying me as their mother.)
   

The combinations go on and on when it comes to using my Korean name as part of my middle name:

1. Use Korean family name?


2. Use Korean first name?


3. Use whole Korean name?


4. Use Korean family name, then first name?


5. Use Korean first name, then family name?

Then there's the question of whether or not to hyphenate my Korean first name (the two characters or syllables), or combine them into one name. According to AP style, Korean family names always come first followed by the first name. But South Korean first names are hyphenated, as in Yoon-jin Kim, while North Korean first names are not, as in Kim Jong Il. I know other Koreans who have joined both characters/syllables/names of the first name together: Yoonjin.

To add to the confusion is the spelling of my Korean name. I've always known (and spelled) my Korean name based on McCune-Reischauer romanization. But the revised system would make Kim Jong Il, for example, into Gim Jeong Il. I'm not too fond of the revised romanization as I'm set in my ways. To me it's kalbi -- no, I don't mean galbi. I suppose kimchi or kimchee would be gimchi.

In the Midwest, Swedish names are fairly common: Johnson, Anderson, Swanson, etc. Asians with Swedish names are not so common. Personally, I like the fact that my name does not reflect that I am Asian. Not because I don't want to be associated with being Asian or because I am trying to be white. I like the surprise factor in meeting someone who only knows me by my name -- for example, in job interviews. Looking at my résumé, potential employers would have no clue that I am Asian. So upon meeting me, they can be caught a bit off guard -- advantage the Hyphenator!

After I am married, I suppose people might see my wedding band and assume my Swedish name is my married name, not my maiden name. That's where a hyphenated last name would make things interesting -- "Wait, is that her maiden name and her married name or what?!"

I actually like my name. I never had a problem with my name in school. Kids had a hard time trying to come up with rhyming names to tease me with.

And I'm fond of my last name. I'd like to keep it as it reminds me of my paternal grandfather -- to this day, whenever I think about him, I get teary-eyed. He never treated me any differently from his other grandkids -- I was never his "adopted granddaughter." If anything, I was his "favorite granddaughter."

At the same time, I feel like now is the perfect chance to include my Korean name to reflect who I am. Ever since I learned what my Korean name is, I've identified with that on a certain level as if it had never been taken away from me. In Korea when I met my family, it felt so natural to respond to them when they called me by my Korean name.

Perhaps in the end I will not change my name at all as procrastination is one trait I've perfected over the past 30-plus years (BTW, I started this post in July). The legal papers will probably be in front of me ready to be signed as the beat of "My name is ..." repeats through my head, still undecided.

One thing's for certain, although tempting, I won't be changing my name to Princess Consuela Banana Hammock. (I swear, there's a "Friends" reference for everything, even adoption.)

Spell check, please!

According to an SF Gate article, "World Wide Web creator" Tim Berners-Lee has started up his own blog.

For his first blog post, he describes the beginning of the Web and how it "was soon full of lots of interesting stuff, but not a space for communal design, for discource through communal authorship."

Perhaps you shouldn't use such a big word as "discourse" if you don't know how to spell it correctly, or else use a spell check program.

Why fly when you can fly?

"Stranded loon gets a lift from Northwest Airlines"

"A male loon that lingered on Mayhew Lake when other loons migrated this fall has finally flown south -- with the help of Northwest Airlines."

Maybe it didn't want to fly south. Maybe it didn't want to just be one of the flock anymore. Maybe it enjoys the beauty of Minnesota winters, with the 10 inches of snow falling and snow emergency parking bans (even? odd?) in effect.

Sometimes I wonder why I moved to San Francisco. The thought of shoveling out my car from almost a foot of snow helps remind me.

Free Willy!

"Daring rescue of whale off Farallones: Humpback nuzzled her saviors in thanks after they untangled her from crab lines, diver says"

A humpback whale freed by divers from a tangle of crab trap lines near the Farallon Islands nudged its rescuers and flapped around in what marine experts said was a rare and remarkable encounter.

"It felt to me like it was thanking us, knowing that it was free and that we had helped it," James Moskito, one of the rescue divers, said Tuesday. "It stopped about a foot away from me, pushed me around a little bit and had some fun."

When the whale realized it was free, it began swimming around in circles, according to the rescuers. Moskito said it swam to each diver, nuzzled him and then swam to the next one.

Weird human story

"Pregnant Skydiver Survives Plunge"

Shayna Richardson was making her first solo skydiving jump when she had trouble with her parachutes and, while falling at about 50 mph, hit face first in a parking lot.

Although badly hurt, she survived — and doctors treating her injuries discovered she was pregnant. Four surgeries and two months later, Richardson said she and the fetus are doing fine.

Why am I here?

Finally, an answer to my burning question of "What is the purpose of my existence?"

Answer: To provide customer support help.

A customer/user/client had e-mailed in search of assistance, I replied and received the following message in turn:

"Thanks for being there. Glad you're on the planet."

Question answered. All is now right in the world of the Hyphenator.

Ready, set, TiVo!

Tune in to PBS's Independent Lens series on Tuesday, December 13, at 11 p.m. Pacific time (with encore presentations throughout the week) for "Seoul Train," a documentary on the "Underground Railroad" of North Korean refugees.

From the Wall Street Journal article, "Desperate Journey," by Nancy DeWolfe Smith on Friday, December 9 ...

"Getting out of North Korea, which this documentary accurately describes as the 'world's largest prison camp,' may be the easy part. Once they make it over the border into China, the refugees are hunted like rabbits by zealous Chinese cops and soldiers. Forcibly repatriated to North Korea, the refugees face torture and imprisonment for the treasonous act of leaving the country. It's a crime punishable by death. Some of the North Koreans interviewed for this film probably are dead already."

"It's estimated that up to three million souls have perished from hunger in recent years."