What Koreans like...

I've been reading this website called Stuff White People Like.  It made me laugh like a hyena....farmer's markets, camping, eating outside, moleskine notebooks, trains and Mad Men.  So here's my take on stuff Koreans like....based entirely on watching my parents and corroborating it with other friends...

1) Church - Even if you are not a Christian...you will go to church, a Korean one.  Church=social club. Plus your kids might meet their future spouse there!  I did not but that's a small detail.
2) Dial soap - Old school orange version.  It will cure all ailments according to my parents.  From eczema to getting sick a lot.  "Dial kill da germs."
3) Roe (fish eggs) - Personally this makes me want to puke but my parents treat this like black gold. Let's just throw in fish eyeballs too.
4) Slippers - Once you take your shoes off at the front door, you slip your feet into some nice terry cloth slippers and scuff your way to the kitchen to boil some tea...
5) Barley tea - Dark brown tea made with barley....hot in the winter and cold in the summer.  I love it.
6) Burberry - Raincoats, visors, quilted jackets, golf gear, purses....ya gotta have it....real or fake, don't matter.
7) Plastic or glass containers - My mom must have 4000 small glass/plastic containers to store even the smallest amount of food leftover from any meal.  One orange segment? Put it into a tiny container!  It looks like an Escher drawing in the fridge: staircases to nowhere....
8) Golf - most obvious one.  I think it has to do with being able to rate your ability vs. someone else's.  After you get your PhD, how will you know where you rank?
9) Serialized TV dramas - Korea produces the most widely watched drama shows in Asia.  They are translated into all languages.  I happen to love one the most - My Lovely Kim Sam Soon.  This show rocks.  My parents rent these shows on DVDs - checking out 10 at a time! Highly addictive...
10) Fruit after dinner - After dinner, we used to watch TV while my mom cut apples.  We ate apples every night - varying occasionally with watermelon, grapes or pear but apples were a mainstay.  My mom even taught me to cut an apple in the "right" way which I still do to this day....

25 Random Things Re Me

1. I tried out for the movie Joy Luck Club and made it to the next level after cattle call.  They asked me to read for the character Waverly.

2. I taught Sunday School.  

3. I worked at Tower Books when I was in high school.  

4. I used to drink gin and tonics - now I can barely drink half a glass of wine.

5. When I was six, I wanted to change my name to Maria.  I loved Mexican dancing with those big skirts.

6. I can't sit down to eat in my kitchen unless it is totally clean.

7.  My first car was a bright orange VW van.  Yes, I took my driver's test with it.

8.  Sometimes, I wish I still smoked.  (I know, smoke kills)

9.  I love steak, cake and Korean food but not all in one day. 

10. My favorite childhood memory is riding my bike with no hands around my neighborhood.  

11.  I have my own Razor scooter.  

12.  I ran my first 5k six months after my daughter was born. I didn't lose ANY weight.

13.  I love karaoke.  The sappier the songs the better.  

14.  I hate pedicures.

15.  When  my little brother was born, I looked into the crib and thought - when is someone going to pick up their baby?

16. I've always wanted to be a writer.  A famous writer.

17.  I have a very large head.  I wear a men's L or XL.  One time I won a contest in my office for largest head (measured by circumference).  Luckily the head measurer covered for me and said someone else won.  I might have won for smallest hands.  

18.  I've been told that I'm a very good listener and give sound advice.

19.  I believe I will die one day of too much diet coke.

20.  I hate Sunday nights.

21.  I took piano for 8 years and still can't really play a tune without music.

22.  When I lived in NY, I saw Al Pacino, Madonna, Uma Thurman, Al Franken and Jackie Kennedy!

23.  My favorite pasttime is talking with friends in a nice restaurant with all the time in the world.  

24.  I cannot walk across the Golden Gate Bridge without breaking out into a cold sweat.

25.  I used to be able to walk across the Golden Gate Bridge.  

Thank you, God.

It's been a while since I've posted.  A few things have happened in the last month:

- kicked my sleeping issue - its all anxiety issues...same stuff, diff. day.  it's a third generation problem.  I blame my Confucian ancestors who were probably repressed, anxious warriors.  

- Daniel is now walking (at 1 year!)

- we had S' first parent teacher conference (yikes tho it's all good)

- my good friend, P, left me for the Jerzey Shorr where she actually gets to visit all the places I read about in my New Yorker.  Eat a lot of good K-food for me, Cho-P!

- hosted my first official playdate in kindygarten incl. providing a nutritious lunch for two 5 year olds!

- finally admitted i need daycare - economy or no economy.

- finally admitted i need a housekeeper.

- finally admitted i need to chill.

- finally admitted that I need peeps.  not the easter candy.

- finally admitted that i will turn 40 next year.  Holy nutburgers, Batman!

Funny lines from S-child:

- Upon leaving Peetz after Dbonz took an impressively smelly poop in his pants about 2 minutes after we got there, she looks at me and says, "Mom, we should name him In-n-Out Poopburger!"

Sweet lines from S-child:

- I know you get tired of hearing me say this all day but Mom, I love you.  

A memory I will cherish forever:

- Watching Dbonz and S-child freshly bathed (of course) playing in their PJs in Sophie's room - climbing over each other. Fighting a little bit but sharing the same space and being sibs.  So innocent, beautiful and awesome.  I could watch them forever - if only they wouldn't make any demands on me. 

A fact you don't need to know:

- I'm growing out my bangs - so is my daughter.  

peace out.