http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lj3iNxZ8Dww
Tuesday, November 11, 2008
Tuesday, October 28, 2008
What's in a (Korean American) Name?
There are only two demographics in the U.S. who have old lady names. Old ladies (duh) and Korean American women between the ages of 26 and 36. Names of people I personally know include: Irene Kim (me!), Eunice Jung, Grace Rhee, Eunice Park, Ethel Hong, Esther Lee, Susan Lee, Ingrid Lee, Deborah Lee.
My theory is that we were named after the actresses that ruled Hollywood around the time our parents immigrated to America. I'm talking about Grace Kelly, Ethel Merman, Susan Hayward, Deborah Kerr, Eunice, um… can't help you out with that one, Ingrid Bergman, Irene Dunn. I even know a Vivian Lee who may have been named after Vivian Leigh of Gone With the Wind fame.
I don't love my name. If I had a penny for everyone who said, "Irene? That's my great aunt's name!" I'd be rolling in the Abe Lincolns (which are far inferior to rolling in the Benjamins, but we're in a recession). When I volunteered at a retirement home in high school, old men would sing "Good Night, Irene", a song that reached the Billboard magazine Best Seller chart on June 30, 1950 and lasted 25 weeks on the chart, peaking at #1.
Then there's the issue of the Dexys Midnight Runners. You guys DO KNOW that it's actually "Come On EILEEN" not "Come On Irene", right? So stop swarming around me at weddings and at bar mitzvahs and at cheesy Murray Hill bars. Stop pointing at me and yelling "Dance! Dance! Dance!" Stop making me wiggle to a song that's not even about someone with my name. Sheesh.
I guess it could be worse. When I did some research for this blog, I came across a very popular name in the 1880's: DORCUS. And I laughed quietly to myself. DORCUS? Oh my.
My theory is that we were named after the actresses that ruled Hollywood around the time our parents immigrated to America. I'm talking about Grace Kelly, Ethel Merman, Susan Hayward, Deborah Kerr, Eunice, um… can't help you out with that one, Ingrid Bergman, Irene Dunn. I even know a Vivian Lee who may have been named after Vivian Leigh of Gone With the Wind fame.
I don't love my name. If I had a penny for everyone who said, "Irene? That's my great aunt's name!" I'd be rolling in the Abe Lincolns (which are far inferior to rolling in the Benjamins, but we're in a recession). When I volunteered at a retirement home in high school, old men would sing "Good Night, Irene", a song that reached the Billboard magazine Best Seller chart on June 30, 1950 and lasted 25 weeks on the chart, peaking at #1.
Then there's the issue of the Dexys Midnight Runners. You guys DO KNOW that it's actually "Come On EILEEN" not "Come On Irene", right? So stop swarming around me at weddings and at bar mitzvahs and at cheesy Murray Hill bars. Stop pointing at me and yelling "Dance! Dance! Dance!" Stop making me wiggle to a song that's not even about someone with my name. Sheesh.
I guess it could be worse. When I did some research for this blog, I came across a very popular name in the 1880's: DORCUS. And I laughed quietly to myself. DORCUS? Oh my.
Thursday, October 23, 2008
creepiest things EVER
creepy things, not to be confused with scary things or gross things:
long leather black trench coats - CREEPY!!!
james blunt - ewwwwww
james blunt wearing a long leather black trench coat - omg just got the chills
chicken feet - cooked OR raw
(it's too obvious, but...james blunt eating chicken feet - cooked or raw)...
awkward winking - usually administered by a male
what else, guys?
Friday, October 17, 2008
tacos
My dear friend Heidi invited me to a gallery opening last night (College Blanchard Gallery) where I met several of her post crunchy, neo new york cool, transplated Seattle friends. I was talking to one dude, we'll call him, oh...Lincoln, about my latest research project with schuyler: tacos! When I told him that we were going to schlep up to the UWS to pay a visit to the fabled taco truck on 96th street, Lincoln told me to STOP.RIGHT.THERE because as long as I didn't blog about it, he would tell me about his favorite taco secret hovel on 4x and x0th (I am a woman of my word - I told him I *would* blog about it, but not reveal it's exact coordinates). When I asked him what the taco stand was called, he said "Watso Wingo". WATSO WINGO? Would you go to a taco stand called Watso Wingo?
Wednesday, October 15, 2008
what wild animal do you think salon writer neiwert and cnn's sanchez is talking about?
During a very intense workout on the treadmill (7 minutes total, 39 calories expended - YESSSS! i can eat the creme filling in an Oreo!), I read this (via closed captioning) on CNN:
NEIWERT: Well, that was -- of course, that was an individual lone wolf who was associated with the patriots, but, yes, they basically come from the same sort of ideological background. That's correct.
SANCHEZ: Are they dangerous?
NEIWERT: Potentially, mostly when they feel that they are being threatened. But, for the most part, they are a pretty benign organization as far as that goes.
Because I was gasping for air, slumped over my machine, and feeling extremely light headed, I (silly me) thought they were talking about a wild or rabid animal (I was thinking Moose, Elk, or glowy - red - eyed rabbit) but you know what they were really talking about? Sarah Palin and her connection to the Alaskan Independence Party.
http://transcripts.cnn.com/TRANSCRIPTS/0810/14/cnr.07.html
Scarier than a threatened glowy - red - eyed rabbit.
NEIWERT: Well, that was -- of course, that was an individual lone wolf who was associated with the patriots, but, yes, they basically come from the same sort of ideological background. That's correct.
SANCHEZ: Are they dangerous?
NEIWERT: Potentially, mostly when they feel that they are being threatened. But, for the most part, they are a pretty benign organization as far as that goes.
Because I was gasping for air, slumped over my machine, and feeling extremely light headed, I (silly me) thought they were talking about a wild or rabid animal (I was thinking Moose, Elk, or glowy - red - eyed rabbit) but you know what they were really talking about? Sarah Palin and her connection to the Alaskan Independence Party.
http://transcripts.cnn.com/TRANSCRIPTS/0810/14/cnr.07.html
Scarier than a threatened glowy - red - eyed rabbit.
Tuesday, October 14, 2008
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Sunday, October 5, 2008
carton of irregular cat hats - i know you want them
Spotted on Craigslist San Diego. Who the HELL does this to their cat?
Carton Of Irregular Cat Hats
Date: 2008-02-07, 11:01AM PST
Hello. I have a big box of used cat and kitten hats that I have collected over the years for various occasions. As of recently my cat, Snowman, is no longer living and thus I am forced to get rid of these precious memories. I would not feel right asking money for them so I am offering the whole box for free. There are many styles from formal to cute and funny.
There is a variety of 14 different hats total. I just hope you and your pet can find as much joy in these hats as me and Snowman once did.
E-mail me if you are interested and I will give you my address where you can pick them up. I can also arrange for a free delivery if you are not too far away.
Thank you, PattySaturday, September 6, 2008
signs
there are a lot of weird signs out there. i'm not talking about signs like crop circles or other paranormal signals that m. night shyamalan makes movies about so that you shit in your pants in fear. i'm talking about signs made by man himself.
"The Most Frustrating Sign" on view at the denver international airport:
"I'm a piece of paper. May I help you?"
MAY I HELP YOU? Is this some kind of a JOKE?
"The Most Ill Advised Emergency Plan Sign" also at denver international airport.
I don't know about you, but a bathroom is quite possibly the LAST place i would want to be during a tornado...
Lastly, the "Overly Specific Sign" as seen in the NY Subway.
"Lean on your best friend for the $50 he owes you. But don't lean on the subway car doors."
Isn't this sign strangely specific? It's as if the copywriter's best friend owes him $50 and he is either really really MAD and wants to tell everyone that his BEST FRIEND is not paying him back or he's just really passive aggressive.
I can think of a zillion things that make more sense than "Lean on your best friend for the $50 he owes you. But don't lean on subway car doors."
Like:
"Lean on your best friend." FULL STOP. none of this "for the $50 he owes you.
or
"Lean on your Pro Med Walking stick. But don't lean on the subway car doors."
or
"Lean towards Socialism when the current administration seems to be f-ing everything up. But don't lean on the subway car doors."
"The Most Frustrating Sign" on view at the denver international airport:
"I'm a piece of paper. May I help you?"
MAY I HELP YOU? Is this some kind of a JOKE?
"The Most Ill Advised Emergency Plan Sign" also at denver international airport.
I don't know about you, but a bathroom is quite possibly the LAST place i would want to be during a tornado...
Lastly, the "Overly Specific Sign" as seen in the NY Subway.
"Lean on your best friend for the $50 he owes you. But don't lean on the subway car doors."
Isn't this sign strangely specific? It's as if the copywriter's best friend owes him $50 and he is either really really MAD and wants to tell everyone that his BEST FRIEND is not paying him back or he's just really passive aggressive.
I can think of a zillion things that make more sense than "Lean on your best friend for the $50 he owes you. But don't lean on subway car doors."
Like:
"Lean on your best friend." FULL STOP. none of this "for the $50 he owes you.
or
"Lean on your Pro Med Walking stick. But don't lean on the subway car doors."
or
"Lean towards Socialism when the current administration seems to be f-ing everything up. But don't lean on the subway car doors."
Monday, August 18, 2008
Sky Mall: More Non Solutions to Problems that Never Existed
Hello Readers. I know it's been, as Audris said, "Ten Years" since my last post. And I apologize. I will make more of an effort to prioritize Blogging above all else.
Since I am a little rusty, and I refuse to blog about the time a dirty gym sock was stuffed in my mouth (but if you catch me live, I'm sure with a little arm twisting that story will come right out), I fall back on old faithful: Sky Mall.
Check this New (!) product out: The "Stealth Secret Sound Amplifier":
WHAT, pray tell, is "stealth" OR "secret" about this device?
The ad CLEARLY states that it measures 3 3/4"H x 3 1/2"W x 1 1/4D". Even if you're Michael Phelps (God bless him), there is no way that the Stealth Secret Sound Amplifier can be any LESS than 80% of your entire EAR.
Oh, what I wouldn't give to be a synapse in that woman's brain as that lecherous cad looms closer.
Second: "The Pizza Pro"!!!
Readers, can you help me think through this? I went over the hypothetical logistics of owning the Pizza Pro, and I just can't wrap my bird brain around it.
Step One: You cut a hole in the box. Oh wait, that's a different set of directions. Ok. Step One: you cut through the pizza pie.
Step Two: You pull the Pizza Pro away from the pie and you move it to the left 3 inches. Wait no. You move it to the RIGHT three inches if the spatula is affixed to the LEFT of the scissors. You move it to the LEFT if the spatula is .... Gosh darnit. What's wrong with an ordinary pizza cutter. And let's face it. When does pizza ever not come already cut into 8 slices? When you think you're Mario Batali, that's when! And if you're a 300 pound Italian celebra-chef, you probably shouldn't be eating pizza anyway.
(Mario straddling a chair. Wearing clogs. MUST. LOOK. AWAY. *Shudder*)
Since I am a little rusty, and I refuse to blog about the time a dirty gym sock was stuffed in my mouth (but if you catch me live, I'm sure with a little arm twisting that story will come right out), I fall back on old faithful: Sky Mall.
Check this New (!) product out: The "Stealth Secret Sound Amplifier":
WHAT, pray tell, is "stealth" OR "secret" about this device?
The ad CLEARLY states that it measures 3 3/4"H x 3 1/2"W x 1 1/4D". Even if you're Michael Phelps (God bless him), there is no way that the Stealth Secret Sound Amplifier can be any LESS than 80% of your entire EAR.
Oh, what I wouldn't give to be a synapse in that woman's brain as that lecherous cad looms closer.
Second: "The Pizza Pro"!!!
Readers, can you help me think through this? I went over the hypothetical logistics of owning the Pizza Pro, and I just can't wrap my bird brain around it.
Step One: You cut a hole in the box. Oh wait, that's a different set of directions. Ok. Step One: you cut through the pizza pie.
Step Two: You pull the Pizza Pro away from the pie and you move it to the left 3 inches. Wait no. You move it to the RIGHT three inches if the spatula is affixed to the LEFT of the scissors. You move it to the LEFT if the spatula is .... Gosh darnit. What's wrong with an ordinary pizza cutter. And let's face it. When does pizza ever not come already cut into 8 slices? When you think you're Mario Batali, that's when! And if you're a 300 pound Italian celebra-chef, you probably shouldn't be eating pizza anyway.
(Mario straddling a chair. Wearing clogs. MUST. LOOK. AWAY. *Shudder*)
Friday, July 18, 2008
detention was my middle name
In elementary school, I was always in detention for STUPID THINGS. All detention meant was that I had to stay after class for an additional 15 minutes. It was okay because my mom was always 15 minutes late in picking me up so as I was walking out of detention for STUPID THINGS, a big red Cherokee Jeep with a tiny Asian lady (my oma!) with big permed hair and sunglasses would be peering over the steering wheel…waiting for me.
Example of STUPID THINGS:
I was in love with Donnie Corn. I don't know why I was in love with Donnie Corn because he had opaque white skin and orange hair. ORANGE. In fact, he looked like this:
Very appropriate that his name was Donnie Corn, now that I think about it. Donnie took advantage of my brains. Meaning, he loved to ask me questions when he didn't want to think for himself.
Thing is - I wasn't being cheeky. I really thought Donnie was asking me how to spell smartypants and I was THRILLED that he had graduated to polysyllabic words!! I practically sang it to him. SMARTYPANTS!! LA LA LA!
Except.
It hit Teacher SQUARE IN THE MIDDLE OF THE EYES.
Teacher took the masking tape ball, unrolled it, and read out loud, "ARE.AY.TEE. RAT".
I had detention for 2 hours that day.
Example of STUPID THINGS:
I was in love with Donnie Corn. I don't know why I was in love with Donnie Corn because he had opaque white skin and orange hair. ORANGE. In fact, he looked like this:
Very appropriate that his name was Donnie Corn, now that I think about it. Donnie took advantage of my brains. Meaning, he loved to ask me questions when he didn't want to think for himself.
Donnie: Psst. Irene - how do you spell "cow"?
Irene: "um, REALLY?" (why do I have a crush on you, Donnie? why why why, you are so DUMB!) "CEE. OH. DOUBLEYOU. COW".
Donnie: Rad. Now, how do you spell "dog"?
Irene: leave me alone! I'm going to get in trouble. Ok fine, it's "DEE OH GEE. DOG".
Donnie: Ok, smartypants...how about RAT?
Irene: "S-M-A-R-T-Y-P-A-N-T-S"
Thing is - I wasn't being cheeky. I really thought Donnie was asking me how to spell smartypants and I was THRILLED that he had graduated to polysyllabic words!! I practically sang it to him. SMARTYPANTS!! LA LA LA!
TEACHER: Irene, I've already asked you once. SHUT YOUR TRAP. You're close to getting detention.
Irene: Sorry, Teacher. (sad Irene - I was always getting in trouble).
But Donnie was looking back at me expectantly and urgently. It nearly broke my heart. So I peeled a piece of masking tape that was holding my name card to the front of my desk and wrote, "R-A-T." Rat. I rolled it up into a little ball and flicked it off my desk towards Donnie.
Except.
It hit Teacher SQUARE IN THE MIDDLE OF THE EYES.
Teacher took the masking tape ball, unrolled it, and read out loud, "ARE.AY.TEE. RAT".
I had detention for 2 hours that day.
Tuesday, June 24, 2008
the rise and fall of: AC SLATER
Hunky Minority in "Saved By The Bell" (as AC Slater)
Slightly Washed Up Hunky Minority in "Saved By The Bell (The College Years)"
Celebrity Dancer in "Dancing With The Stars" 
Monday, June 23, 2008
Wednesday, May 28, 2008
Tuesday, May 27, 2008
more airport hijinks
5:35 am is not a good time to make a Junior Varsity move.
On the morning of 5/9/08, on my way to Playa de Carmen, I stood in front of the United Airlines self check in kiosk and swiped my credit card. The following words flashed across my screen: “Your flight is actually on US Airways, Dumbass.”
Frustration!!! My instinct in situations such as this (any situation, really), is to turn to the nearest Co2 emitting mammal for solace and comfort. Unfortunately, the small boy standing to my left started to cry as I approached him with outstretched arms and a worried look in my eyes. I ran outside to catch the employee airport bus instead.
Airport buses are strangely similar worldwide, aren’t they? I think they must be manufactured by the same company the world over. It wouldn’t even surprise me one bit if the airport shuttles on flippin' MARS bounced to the same bussy rhythm, and had the same sticky upholstery (blue with yellow and orange lightening bolts).
On the morning of 5/9/08, on my way to Playa de Carmen, I stood in front of the United Airlines self check in kiosk and swiped my credit card. The following words flashed across my screen: “Your flight is actually on US Airways, Dumbass.”
Frustration!!! My instinct in situations such as this (any situation, really), is to turn to the nearest Co2 emitting mammal for solace and comfort. Unfortunately, the small boy standing to my left started to cry as I approached him with outstretched arms and a worried look in my eyes. I ran outside to catch the employee airport bus instead.
Airport buses are strangely similar worldwide, aren’t they? I think they must be manufactured by the same company the world over. It wouldn’t even surprise me one bit if the airport shuttles on flippin' MARS bounced to the same bussy rhythm, and had the same sticky upholstery (blue with yellow and orange lightening bolts).
By this time, low grade panic was pulsing through my body. I was going to be late. So…I asked the only other breathing being on the bus for help and comfort (obviously…). Enter cantankerous driver with Tourette's Syndrome.
Irene: Excuse me. Hi. Are we close to US Airways?
Driver: Grunt. Issalastah (translation: Grunt. It’s the last stop.)
Irene: Ok, thank you.
Driver: Oil fire! Oil fire! Tire fire! Tire fire! SKAAAAA! (translation…???? NO idea. None whatsoever.)
Interlude: Doo doo doo…Irene listens to some music to sooth nerves. Takes a Vicodin and does breathing exercises.
Driver: Grrr, Geta hera wa!! (translation: girl, get out here and walk!)
Sigh. It’s only 5:53 am and it’s already been a long day.
OMG: I just saw something to add to my airport observation list: People who pre-wear their neck pillows and walk around with them on BEFORE THEY ARE IN THE PLANE!!!
Tuesday, May 20, 2008
why is it that i STILL press "9" whenever i make a phone call from my parent's home?
i'm at home hanging out with my family. turns out that it's a good time to be away from work with layoffs hitting the financial markets pretty hard.
it's a bad habit of mine, but i checked my blackberry during lunch with my mom yesterday.
me: wow. looks like there are going to be a lot of layoffs on wall street this week. even at lehmans.
mom: whaaaaaa? neimans? who's going to make sure their yearly sale happens?
it's so nice to be home.
Monday, May 5, 2008
Would you immediately chop off your arm or take your chances?
Something unfortunate happened to me the other day.
A co-worker walked over to my desk and wanted to talk to me about his upcoming wedding. I swiveled around in my twirly chair to face him. He was standing up (looking down at me), I was sitting down (looking up at him). Ok, everyone have a visual?
Right then and there, God pressed the "slow mo" button on life. A foamy chunk of spittle gracefully arced out of my co-worker's mouth and headed straight to my face. Despite my frantic ducking and dodging, there was no escaping this heat seeking missle. It implanted itself in the worst possible place EVER: IN.MY.EYE.
I immediately slapped both hands over my left eye and exclaimed, "YOU SPIT IN MY EYE!!" *sound of chuckles across the trading floor*
OK, NORMAL.
THEN, I said, "Do you have any diseases?" *sound of awkward silence across the trading floor*
NORMAL???
Ok, ok, so I know I'm a bit of a hypochondriac. But I think it's because I grew up in the 80's where my greatest fear was to contract a blood borne disease. Like that nurse who accidentally dropped test tubes of blood plateles on her face and got AIDS. Or the story where a kid was stuck in the arm with a dirty syringe by a maniacal crazy person and died. I replayed this scene many times over and over in my head. If this happened to me, would immediately chop off my arm or take my chances?
A co-worker walked over to my desk and wanted to talk to me about his upcoming wedding. I swiveled around in my twirly chair to face him. He was standing up (looking down at me), I was sitting down (looking up at him). Ok, everyone have a visual?
Right then and there, God pressed the "slow mo" button on life. A foamy chunk of spittle gracefully arced out of my co-worker's mouth and headed straight to my face. Despite my frantic ducking and dodging, there was no escaping this heat seeking missle. It implanted itself in the worst possible place EVER: IN.MY.EYE.
I immediately slapped both hands over my left eye and exclaimed, "YOU SPIT IN MY EYE!!" *sound of chuckles across the trading floor*
OK, NORMAL.
THEN, I said, "Do you have any diseases?" *sound of awkward silence across the trading floor*
NORMAL???
Ok, ok, so I know I'm a bit of a hypochondriac. But I think it's because I grew up in the 80's where my greatest fear was to contract a blood borne disease. Like that nurse who accidentally dropped test tubes of blood plateles on her face and got AIDS. Or the story where a kid was stuck in the arm with a dirty syringe by a maniacal crazy person and died. I replayed this scene many times over and over in my head. If this happened to me, would immediately chop off my arm or take my chances?
Friday, April 25, 2008
the great questions of 2008, YTD
I have a little black book that I carry with me at all times. It’s my life in calendar format. The last 10 pages are dedicated to ‘Great Questions of 2008”. These are stumpers that come up during my conversations with friends. See how many you get right! Take the Challenge. Answers follow the questions.
- What do Water Chestnuts look like in its natural form? Like normal chestnuts?
- Are green peas the inside of green beans?
- Is Bob Dole’s hand REAL or FAKE?
- Did African American men or Women get the vote first (technically)?
- Are coffee beans red?
- What are macaroons exactly?
- Do Asians metabolize alcohol faster?
- How any cabs are there in Manhattan?
- Irene, why is salt water taffy so special?
- How do dogs lap water?
- What is the difference between liquor and liqueur?
- What do you call people who live in Myanmar, formerly Burma?
- Is there a test to see if a pilot passes out when flying an F16?
- Are Snapple facts true?
- Snapple Fact: Seals sleep in 90 second increments
- Snapple Fact: Beavers was once the size of bears (!!!! What happened????)
- What is the origins of SARS?
- What is Trazodone?
- What is the Mongolian Blue Mark? And does Irene have it?
- Is “Knightrider” Michael’s last name?
- Can dogs be autistic?
- Is Jon Stewart 5’2”?
- In fact, yes. Yes they do.
- No silly!
- Real, but only 1.5 fingers of his right hand work
- African American Men
- The coffee tree produces red or purple fruits (drupes). DRUPES!! Hooray for drupes!
- Macaroons are cookies or confections. The macaroon is a close relative of of the macaroni and the Macarena. JUST KIDDING! Can be made of almonds, coconut, hazelnuts.
- not faster, just differently.
- 13,000. still not sure if this answer is correct.
- Friends, it’s special for so many reasons. But interestingly enough, there is no clear connection between “salt water” and the“taffy” it precedes apart from the fact that it contains both salt, and water. (duh)
- OMG! They lap it with the tongue scooping it pointing downwards! "A dog's tongue curls down and back (NOT UP) in a sort of fishhook shape and he literally pulls the water up and it falls into the floor of his mouth," explains Stan Coren, professor of psychology at the University of British Columbia and author of "How Dogs Think."
- A liqueur is a sweet alcoholic beverage, often flavored with fruits, herbs, spices, flowers, seeds, roots, plants, barks, and sometimes cream. Liqueur = Liquor
- Burmese even tho their country is now called Myanmar.
- I DON”T KNOW!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! But one can pass out bc the G force is so great when doing the loop de loop in an F16.
- Yes. But no one believes me
- it’s true.
- also true!
- From eating civit cats: A team of researchers from China and Hong Kong has found a genetic link between SARS in civet cats and humans, thus the disease seems to have been transmitted across species.***OR***From bats: SARS may have originated in wild bats in China, an international team of scientists report this week in Science.
- a psychoactive compound with sedative, anxiolytic, and antidepressant properties.
- Mongolian spots are blue, bluish-gray, bluish-green or blue-black flat skin markings that appear at birth or shortly thereafter during the infantile age ON THEIR BUMS. Common among Asian, East Indian, and African races, but rare among Caucasian and other races. I am fairly certain i still have mine or else it’s a bruise that won’t go away.
- Knight
- Yes. Tho not clinically diagnosed as autistic, dogs can have autistic symptoms
- No. 5’7” seems to be the most common answer out there.
Saturday, April 5, 2008
george michael has chiclets for teeth!
it's just wrong. someone needs to inform him that his teeth look like Chiclets.
Thursday, March 27, 2008
self strangulation
In 1974, Dr. Henry Heimlich published findings on what was to become the Heimlich Maneuver. A week later, the first choking victim was saved by the method. In 1978, New York City passed a law requiring that every establishment, regardless of size or design, “where food is sold and space is designated specifically as eating areas shall have posted in a conspicuous place, easily accessible to all employees and customers, a sign graphically depicting the Heimlich Maneuver or a comparable technique instructing on how to dislodge food from a choking person.” The bill was passed unanimously by the City Council in 1978 (five days before Christmas and its feasts.)
http://www.backspace.com/notes/2002/08/16/x.html
Take a closer look at this poster:
...doesn't it look like...she's CHOKING HERSELF?I can just see this scenario play out at The Spotted Pig:
Asian Lady: "That's it!" (throws napkin down) "I just can't take it anymore!" (choking noises)
White Lady: Lady! Hey lady! Chill out! You're going to be ok! You have so much to live for!" (taking her tenderly from behind) ... i love you...
Asian Lady: "aaahhhhhghhghhghahgghhgurglegurgle"
Is this poster a "how to" for the Heimlich or is it really an expertly disguised PSA for the Suicide Hotline?
i know it's a kid's thing, but i swear someone on my floor has this
CROUP (http://www.kidshealth.org/parent/infections/bacterial_viral/croup.html)
Signs and Symptoms
Croup is characterized by a loud cough that may sound like the barking of a seal and may be accompanied by fast or difficult breathing and sometimes a grunting noise or wheezing while breathing.
Signs and Symptoms
Croup is characterized by a loud cough that may sound like the barking of a seal and may be accompanied by fast or difficult breathing and sometimes a grunting noise or wheezing while breathing.
Thursday, March 13, 2008
Flying Sucks
I spend a lot of time in airports. Enough to say that they should be renamed Sinkholes of Productivity or Bastions of Boredom. I’ve clocked in at least 10 dog years at airports and I want to take this time lay out my observations for you. The first two observations have been blogged about (ad nauseum) in previous posts:
Observation #1: “Man and his Hidden love of Tomato Juice when aboard an aircraft”.
Observation #2: “SkyMall is Great!!!”
The next two observations are new:
Observation #3: “The Man and the Teeny Tiny Rolling Backpacks. Why?”
Observation #4: “The Onboarding Process as the Ultimate Proxy for the Hierarchy of Man and Display of Pomposity."
I’d like to focus on #4. I have never understood the rush to get into an airplane. This isn’t the Chinatown bus, everyone. We all have assigned seats. What’s the upside to getting on the plane FASTER? An extra 20 minutes to marinate in stale airplane air while you Observe #5: The Man and his difficulty in putting small suitcases wheels first into the Overhead Bin? Sign me up!
Airlines have stratified the onboarding process to a startling degree. And this stratification wafts an “I’m better than you” fragrance throughout waiting line. As the first class are invited to board the plane first, people are watching JEALOUSLY as they are given the dubious honor of sitting in fart air before the rest of their airplane peers. And I swear airlines are making up more and more categories with each passing day. Does this sound familiar? “We’d like to invite all first class passengers to board at this time. After our first class cabins have been seated, we’d like to invite all Platinum members and Group 1 to board at this time. After Platinum members and Group 1, we would like to invite Diamond members in the following order: Brilliant Cut, Princess Cut, and dead last, because you are ugly: Pear Shaped Cut. Following ALL Diamond members, we would like to invite the Titanium Infused Onyx class along with Groups 2,3,4,5,6. Lastly, we begrudgingly invite the Poopy Pants class to get on the plane.”
Even if my points or my company has paid for me to sit in First Class, I always join the Poopy Pants class and walk on the plane dead last. And if I bought my ticket on Travelocity and my seat is in 2987 B (middle seat, last row), must everyone make me feel like Rosa Parks?
Observation #1: “Man and his Hidden love of Tomato Juice when aboard an aircraft”.
Observation #2: “SkyMall is Great!!!”
The next two observations are new:
Observation #3: “The Man and the Teeny Tiny Rolling Backpacks. Why?”
Observation #4: “The Onboarding Process as the Ultimate Proxy for the Hierarchy of Man and Display of Pomposity."
I’d like to focus on #4. I have never understood the rush to get into an airplane. This isn’t the Chinatown bus, everyone. We all have assigned seats. What’s the upside to getting on the plane FASTER? An extra 20 minutes to marinate in stale airplane air while you Observe #5: The Man and his difficulty in putting small suitcases wheels first into the Overhead Bin? Sign me up!
Airlines have stratified the onboarding process to a startling degree. And this stratification wafts an “I’m better than you” fragrance throughout waiting line. As the first class are invited to board the plane first, people are watching JEALOUSLY as they are given the dubious honor of sitting in fart air before the rest of their airplane peers. And I swear airlines are making up more and more categories with each passing day. Does this sound familiar? “We’d like to invite all first class passengers to board at this time. After our first class cabins have been seated, we’d like to invite all Platinum members and Group 1 to board at this time. After Platinum members and Group 1, we would like to invite Diamond members in the following order: Brilliant Cut, Princess Cut, and dead last, because you are ugly: Pear Shaped Cut. Following ALL Diamond members, we would like to invite the Titanium Infused Onyx class along with Groups 2,3,4,5,6. Lastly, we begrudgingly invite the Poopy Pants class to get on the plane.”
Even if my points or my company has paid for me to sit in First Class, I always join the Poopy Pants class and walk on the plane dead last. And if I bought my ticket on Travelocity and my seat is in 2987 B (middle seat, last row), must everyone make me feel like Rosa Parks?
Tuesday, February 19, 2008
Wednesday, February 6, 2008
running out of luck
i came back from
i wasn’t very surprised, then, to find myself wedged between the window and the belly of a very large man from
i’m the first to admit that at times i may appear to be fickle. boyfriends, dear friends, family, and wait staff have all told me that. but i swear there is, to use a tired cliché, a method to my madness.
example of a "method":at any given day, i will or will not talk to the person seated next to me on a plane if:
- said person orders tomato juice – no talk
- said person orders liquor on a morning flight – no talk
- said person smells – no talk (too busy breathing through my mouth)
- said person is a weathered female who looks like she has a good story to tell – yes talk
- said person is hot – yes talk
- said person is reading a book that i have read – yes talk, but usually only to say “i read that book!”, then no talk.
- said person is drinking Heineken with shots of Jack irrespective of time of day – no talk
my fellow passenger fell into category #7. i immediately put on my headphones and tried to lose myself in Depeche Mode.
it didn’t work. he (and i am not kidding you), removed my right ear bud and said:
man: do you live in
irene: yes
man: so how far is my hotel from laguardia airport?
irene: (shrug)
man: i’m staying at the crown plaza times square
irene: maybe 30 minutes by cab
man: but how many miles?
irene: no idea. i don’t drive. i have a bad sense of direction.
man: why don’t you drive?
irene: do you mind if i put my headphones back on?
***two songs worth of time elapses***
man: do you know if i can buy hats and “i love
irene: yes, you are in times square.
man: so…i’m close?
irene: you are not only close, you are IN times square. crown plaza
man: so, then…close.
irene: (in my head) i am so done with you.
i put on my head phones and flipped through skymall. even skymall couldn’t cheer me up.
the last ten minutes of my flight was him staring out the window. unfortunately, my head was in the way and he punished it by staring into the canal of my right ear. then we did the head dance, i.e. i moved back to give him a better view just as he moved back right as i moved forward because he moved back right as he moved forward because he moved back. you get the picture. people do that dance on the street sometimes. we did that same dance, only with our heads and on an airplane. let me tell you, it's a lot funnier on the street. he was annoyed, evidenced by his deep sighs and fidgeting. i almost turned to him and said, “i’m extremely sorry that my head isn’t one big piece of plexiglass.” but i didn’t, and for that, i am very very proud of myself.
i can’t wait for my luck to replenish itself next week.
Wednesday, January 30, 2008
real blog coming soon...but first...
i know i know - i have been a bit remiss in my blogging. but things have been busy. and anyway, i never wanted this site to be a "diary", so i'll spare you all the banal details of why my life has been so busy. what i really came here for is to say:
i don't know why they do it, but asian parents put the article "the" in front of everything. for example (and these are real examples):
"did you get my forward about the antarctica?"
"do you live on the street with the gays?" (sorry sorry, nothing malicious meant by this...that's just what happens)
"let's go shopping at the nordstroms!"
...etc. etc. does anyone know why? i don't. but it's cute. and it makes me laugh.
i don't know why they do it, but asian parents put the article "the" in front of everything. for example (and these are real examples):
"did you get my forward about the antarctica?"
"do you live on the street with the gays?" (sorry sorry, nothing malicious meant by this...that's just what happens)
"let's go shopping at the nordstroms!"
...etc. etc. does anyone know why? i don't. but it's cute. and it makes me laugh.
Saturday, January 12, 2008
pavlov's dog
i like to change up my ring tone every so often. for a long time, it went like this: "beep boop BOO doop" also known as the Counter Terrorist Unit/Jack Bauer/24-the show ring tone. these days, it just goes: boop. boop. boop. boop.
it's a nice, clean sound. i just didn't want anything that made me feel like i was sipping pina coladas in a hammock (someone's ring tone at work does this to me - i almost feel like harry belafonte is about to pop his happy head out from behind a computer terminal and hand me a banana to tally whenever it rings).
aaanyway, i digress. the other day, i was in bed, all snuggly and excited to finish off my book when i heard "boop. boop. boop. boop." i LEAPED out of bed and literally SPRINTED to get my phone. i slipped on the newly pledged floor (why does my cleaning person DO this? who puts pledge on the floor? ok fine, i did, but i was in college and i didn't know any better) and slid right into my dining table.
and my phone wasn't even booping!! i had left the TV on. the booping culprit was the scale on "the biggest loser". its boops are at the same pitch and intervals as my phone's boops.
how is it that i have become so conditioned to running after my phone when i hear it beep?
i'm pavlov AND his dog.
it's a nice, clean sound. i just didn't want anything that made me feel like i was sipping pina coladas in a hammock (someone's ring tone at work does this to me - i almost feel like harry belafonte is about to pop his happy head out from behind a computer terminal and hand me a banana to tally whenever it rings).
aaanyway, i digress. the other day, i was in bed, all snuggly and excited to finish off my book when i heard "boop. boop. boop. boop." i LEAPED out of bed and literally SPRINTED to get my phone. i slipped on the newly pledged floor (why does my cleaning person DO this? who puts pledge on the floor? ok fine, i did, but i was in college and i didn't know any better) and slid right into my dining table.
and my phone wasn't even booping!! i had left the TV on. the booping culprit was the scale on "the biggest loser". its boops are at the same pitch and intervals as my phone's boops.
how is it that i have become so conditioned to running after my phone when i hear it beep?
i'm pavlov AND his dog.
Thursday, January 10, 2008
let's play M.A.S.H.
"MASH" stands for Mansion, Apartment, Shack, House. it's a game that i used to play in grade school. the point of it was to "predict" your future in neat categories: your future husband, your future car, your future car color, your future job, your future husband's future job, your future honeymoon location, your future city of residence, etc etc...
in each category, you and your MASH partner come up with 4 choices. and one of them has to be perfectly horrendous. for example, under "car", popular choices are: mercedes, BMW, corvette, and *gasp* a YUGO!! or under "husband": carlos, donald, jason, *omg* MR. ROGERS! then through a slightly inaccurate process of elimination, you come up with "your future".
it's a real hoot. except when you find out that in your future life, you're a bum, living in a shack with your husband Big Bird who drives a multicolored tricycle to his job as a zebra stripe painter to support you and 1000 kids who are growing up in the bad part of detroit.
well, i played MASH over instant messenger with my friend (who wanted to remain anonymous) today.
MASH friend: can we play MASH please?
MASH friend: i'll do your fortune
irenejkim77: yes.
MASH friend: no shack, i know, don’t worry
*doo doo doo...mash interlude*
MASH friend: ok
MASH friend: let me know when you're ready
irenejkim77: yay! ready!
MASH friend: so, as you're cruising down the streets in your RED VOLVO STATION WAGON ....
irenejkim77: NICE
MASH friend: you get all nostalgic, as the palm trees in california remind you of your dope honeymoon in bora bora!
irenejkim77: woo hoo!!
MASH friend: however, the nostalgia quickly fades
MASH friend: BECAUSE
MASH friend: you miss your husband who is off being an ambassador
MASH friend: and saving the world
MASH friend: you look in the backseat of your car at your TWO GORGEOUS KIDS
irenejkim77: (thank god not 100 like in 5th grade)
MASH friend: who look just like your husband and quickly you're back to nostalgia
irenejkim77: ew...
irenejkim77: who is my hubby?
MASH friend: (WAIT)
MASH friend: as you pull into your LUXURY APARTMENT
irenejkim77: oooh
MASH friend: you get a postcard from your husband
MASH friend: which reads ....
MASH friend: "you're too beautiful to work! i'm glad you decided to become a real housewife from orange county*!"
MASH friend: "love always, your husband:
MASH friend: (deleted for blogging purposes)
yippee. i can’t wait.
*only the best show in the world: http://www.bravotv.com/Real_Housewives_2
in each category, you and your MASH partner come up with 4 choices. and one of them has to be perfectly horrendous. for example, under "car", popular choices are: mercedes, BMW, corvette, and *gasp* a YUGO!! or under "husband": carlos, donald, jason, *omg* MR. ROGERS! then through a slightly inaccurate process of elimination, you come up with "your future".
it's a real hoot. except when you find out that in your future life, you're a bum, living in a shack with your husband Big Bird who drives a multicolored tricycle to his job as a zebra stripe painter to support you and 1000 kids who are growing up in the bad part of detroit.
well, i played MASH over instant messenger with my friend (who wanted to remain anonymous) today.
MASH friend: can we play MASH please?
MASH friend: i'll do your fortune
irenejkim77: yes.
MASH friend: no shack, i know, don’t worry
*doo doo doo...mash interlude*
MASH friend: ok
MASH friend: let me know when you're ready
irenejkim77: yay! ready!
MASH friend: so, as you're cruising down the streets in your RED VOLVO STATION WAGON ....
irenejkim77: NICE
MASH friend: you get all nostalgic, as the palm trees in california remind you of your dope honeymoon in bora bora!
irenejkim77: woo hoo!!
MASH friend: however, the nostalgia quickly fades
MASH friend: BECAUSE
MASH friend: you miss your husband who is off being an ambassador
MASH friend: and saving the world
MASH friend: you look in the backseat of your car at your TWO GORGEOUS KIDS
irenejkim77: (thank god not 100 like in 5th grade)
MASH friend: who look just like your husband and quickly you're back to nostalgia
irenejkim77: ew...
irenejkim77: who is my hubby?
MASH friend: (WAIT)
MASH friend: as you pull into your LUXURY APARTMENT
irenejkim77: oooh
MASH friend: you get a postcard from your husband
MASH friend: which reads ....
MASH friend: "you're too beautiful to work! i'm glad you decided to become a real housewife from orange county*!"
MASH friend: "love always, your husband:
MASH friend: (deleted for blogging purposes)
yippee. i can’t wait.
*only the best show in the world: http://www.bravotv.com/Real_Housewives_2
Monday, January 7, 2008
celebrity animal look a like
i have this talent that oft goes unnoticed. i have the ability to pair celebrities with their animal lookalike.
MATT LAUER...
...looks like a GERMAN SHEPHERD! (more specifically, the german shep from "all dogs go to heaven")
AL GORE...
...looks like a COBRA!!!
SURI CRUISE (so adorable)...
...looks like a precious moments (http://www.preciousmoments.com/) doll!
i know a precious moments doll is not an animal, but i wanted to make the comparision anyway since the resemblance is so striking.
MATT LAUER...
...looks like a GERMAN SHEPHERD! (more specifically, the german shep from "all dogs go to heaven")
AL GORE...
...looks like a COBRA!!!
SURI CRUISE (so adorable)...
...looks like a precious moments (http://www.preciousmoments.com/) doll!
i know a precious moments doll is not an animal, but i wanted to make the comparision anyway since the resemblance is so striking.
Sunday, December 30, 2007
what's your number?
my elementary school had a tire swing. i never understood why tire swings were so popular. the ratio of “fun to comfort” was way off for my liking. monkey bars were fun. yes, they were slightly uncomfortable and i often walked away with pole burns on the back of my knees or calloused hands. but fun enough so that i could overlook these minor discomforts. tire swings were not fun. they were, in fact, lame. they didn’t hang flat, if you know what i mean. the chains were affixed so that the tire hung in the air like this: “O”. i would teeter uncomfortably on top of a mass of thickly treaded vulcanized rubber and try to ignore the wedgie that was quickly forming.
my red headed, freckled elementary school crush asked me if i wanted to ride the tires with him one day. “Ok, but they are not fun, just so you know”. the things i did for my crush! i grabbed the chains and hoisted myself up. i was barely on the tire when the chains gave way and i fell face first into the sand. i hit my teeth hard on something on the way down and i also felt a sharp pain in my knee.
i was FURIOUS at my red headed, freckled crush. “the edges of my teeth feel like sandpaper. oh, and by the way, i HATE YOU for making me do this. you’re not my fake boyfriend anymore!”
i angrily stamped my foot in the playground sand. i was punishing the ground and i was punishing my crush. then he said very sadly, “irene, you’re bleeding”. i could tell he felt really bad and i was GLAD. i had chipped teeth AND i was bleeding!! i looked down at my leg. there was a strangely shaped wound on the top of my left knee cap. i suspect that as the sharp chain whipsawed itself away from the tire, it touched upon my leg. the wound was deep, small, and extremely precise. a rivulet of blood was zig zagging its way down my leg and it threatened to stain my socks (socks, plural, as in two socks on one foot. it was 1983 and doubling up color coordinating socks was en vogue.).
as it turned out, my fake love affair with my red haired, freckled crush carried on well into the 8th grade when he left me for a beautiful filipino girl named lorna. i forgave him for almost killing me because he so tenderly put a bandaid on my knee that day. but mostly, i forgave him because the bloodstain that slowly formed on the bandaid was heart-shaped (i immediately put this bandaid in my picture album, see below. i thought it was cool).
last month, i sat next to a numerologist on an airplane ride from dallas to san francisco. he told me that everyone has his or her own “number”. most people don’t know what their number is because they are not looking for it. but this number will show up more often in their lives than any other number. i told him, “i already know what my number is but i’m too embarrassed to tell you…ok fine, i’ll tell you. My number is 420.” Yes, the numerical icon of cannabis tokers everywhere. (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/420_(cannabis_culture))
i don't know why, but my special number is 420. i see it all the time. whenever it’s 4:20 pm, i just happen to glance down at my digital casio. When i pay for a taxi, my fare often is $4.20. my hotel room in Chicago was room 420. the building across from my Montreal hotel room was 420 Sherbrooke Street West. my favorite New Order song is 4 minutes 20 seconds long. my mom’s car had a cracked windshield over Christmas. the replacement car the dealership gave us was an E420.
after we bonded over having found and realized our special number, i felt close enough to him to confide in him that that i also have a special shape. i see hearts. like the heart shaped blood stain and my heart shaped scar. and the heart shaped cloud i saw this morning and the heart shaped clump of algae in bodrum, turkey (picture above). on christmas day, as i was sitting in church, i saw a heart shaped pattern in the tweed holiday sweater in front of me. when i looked up, i saw heart shaped tessellations on the ceiling.
i turned my gypsy numerologist (who wore sunglasses inside the plane and had a fake mole tattooed above his lip) and looked at him intensely. i grabbed his forearm i asked him in earnest, “do you have a special shape?” he looked at me – the NUMEROLOGIST FROM DALLAS WHO JUDGES THE STATE FAIR SPAM COMPETITION WITH THE FAKE MOLE TATTOO – looked at me like i was some kind of crazy.
so, what’s your number? what’s your shape?
EPILOGUE - my friend james is visiting nyc from LA. we’re going to have dinner. i picked a place. i went on eater.com and just picked one that sounded good. we’re going to “the smith”. their phone number? 212 420 – 6500.
Ridiculous.
Sunday, December 23, 2007
smom
it's december 2007 and i’m home for the holidays. this means that in a seven day period, i will experience more laughter, frustration, boredom, excitement, arguments and love than new york city can offer me in an entire year.
sometimes it’s too much. like my heart is being squeezed.
when i’m at home, i’m reminded of a concept that learned in my first year in college: the principles of ego-centric behavior. not to be confused with egotism, egocentrism is basically is when one thinks everyone else sees what he/she sees or thinks what he/she thinks. i'm often faulty of egocentrism. i think it runs in the family.
yesterday evening my mom and i were hanging out at home. we had a late lunch at our favorite hangout (fashion valley) so we had christmas cookies and tangerines for dinner. i was on the computer (on facebook, if you must know) when i heard my mom say, “uh muh nah! irene illyuh wah! national lampoon's christmas vacation is on! nuh moo nuh moo che me suh!” (translation: oh my goodness! irene come here! national lampoon's christmas vacation is on! it’s so so fun!”).
i looked over at my mom – she was in front of the tv on our electric heating pad (in many korean families, couches are rarely used. although we have couches, we only use them when company is here. during family time, we all pile on a souped up electric heating pad and cover ourselves quilts. it’s fun. i think erin – my childhood bff – is the only person who has actually been in there with the entire kim clan. if you ever have an offer to do so, consider it a huge honor. it means you’re family). my mom was propped up and peering over her shoulder at me. she had a huge smile on her face and patted the area next to her invitingly. it was really adorable.
“ok ok mommy. hold on. i’m IM-ing david”, i said. david is my younger cousin.
“david, i have to go – my mom wants me to watch national lampoon with her”
“omg. doesn’t that get raunchy at times?”
“idk. anyway, my mom will just cover up my eyes and we’ll both pretend it never happened.”
“irene hurry up before the house lighting scene is over! nuh moo nuh moo che mee suh!” my mom more urgently this time.
i scooted next to my mom on the electric pad and watched ten minutes of painful slapstick comedy. i really didn’t get what was so funny. my mind was wandering. juliette lewis is in this movie? i didn’t know that. this is ridiculous. there's no way chevy chase's nose is not broken. his wife in the movie is really pretty. the grandma looks really familiar…who is she? mom would know. my mom has the most impressive arsenal of classic movies and pop culture knowledge in her head. she can tell you how many movies ginger rogers and fred astair starred in, she can tell you who dudley moore is married to, she can tell you where anthony bourdain is now and when his new book is coming out.
“oma? who plays the grandma in this movie?”
“diane lane”
“diane lane??? come on!”
“smom”
“what? diane lane smom? what’s that? oh. diane lane’s MOM.”
“you know what i mean”
THIS is what i mean about egocentrism. like, everytime my mom calls my brother “irene”. when i come running over and she looks at me like, what are you doing here? i want to talk to your brother. then i’ll explain why i am standing in front of her and she’ll say, “well, you know what i mean.”
it’s funny and frustrating at the same time. but as i get older, it’s mostly just funny because i know that in her head she's saying what she means. it's just that it gets a little lost in translation.
but making up your own words and attaching your own meaning to them can be very embarrassing.
the whole family was having thanksgiving dinner at my cousin’s house one year. let's see...i was still in college so i’m thinking that it was in the late 1990’s. we were catching up in the kitchen when my aunt came running over us holding out the shiny thing that the toilet roll hangs off of. “this keeps falling off of the wall! can you screw it back in?” she asked.
my cousin and i both looked at her with a “do i look like bob vila?” expression on our faces so she said exasperatedly, “ah rra suh (translation: got it). i’ll give it to your younger brother. he’s very good at screwing.”
i whipped my head over to look at my cousin in horror. his head was on the counter in the crook of his arm. i had no where to look but down. i furrowed my brows and bit my lip as i thought hard about what i should do diffuse this awkward situation. i looked up and slapped my hand on the kitchen counter. i could NOT allow my auntie to go around saying such things!
“sumo?” (sumo means your father’s brother’s wife. emo means your mother’s sister. komo means your father’s sister. three different words for "aunt") “what you just said does not mean what you think it means.”
“what, screwing? what does it mean?”
“it means...uh, it means that…*SHITE! how was i going to get myself out of this one?* "it means that you drink too much.”
“uh muh nah!” she exclaimed. her fingers fluttered around her mouth in horror.
i looked over to my cousin. his head was still on the counter, in the crook of his arm. i couldn’t tell if he was laughing or just didn’t want to deal with the situation at hand.
ah, home. being here makes me feel strange sometimes. i become a kid again. and that can be frustrating. but also liberating. it’s the only place where i allow myself to leave the house looking the way i do. oh, don’t get me wrong, i wear normal clothes. it’s what’s on my head that’s strange. my mother insists i wear a visor with a 14 inch brim on sunny days (i live in san diego, so that's every day). i look like jennifer beals, the welder, not the flashdancer. but she promises that when i'm her age, i will be beautiful. just like diane lane's smom.
sometimes it’s too much. like my heart is being squeezed.
when i’m at home, i’m reminded of a concept that learned in my first year in college: the principles of ego-centric behavior. not to be confused with egotism, egocentrism is basically is when one thinks everyone else sees what he/she sees or thinks what he/she thinks. i'm often faulty of egocentrism. i think it runs in the family.
yesterday evening my mom and i were hanging out at home. we had a late lunch at our favorite hangout (fashion valley) so we had christmas cookies and tangerines for dinner. i was on the computer (on facebook, if you must know) when i heard my mom say, “uh muh nah! irene illyuh wah! national lampoon's christmas vacation is on! nuh moo nuh moo che me suh!” (translation: oh my goodness! irene come here! national lampoon's christmas vacation is on! it’s so so fun!”).
i looked over at my mom – she was in front of the tv on our electric heating pad (in many korean families, couches are rarely used. although we have couches, we only use them when company is here. during family time, we all pile on a souped up electric heating pad and cover ourselves quilts. it’s fun. i think erin – my childhood bff – is the only person who has actually been in there with the entire kim clan. if you ever have an offer to do so, consider it a huge honor. it means you’re family). my mom was propped up and peering over her shoulder at me. she had a huge smile on her face and patted the area next to her invitingly. it was really adorable.
“ok ok mommy. hold on. i’m IM-ing david”, i said. david is my younger cousin.
“david, i have to go – my mom wants me to watch national lampoon with her”
“omg. doesn’t that get raunchy at times?”
“idk. anyway, my mom will just cover up my eyes and we’ll both pretend it never happened.”
“irene hurry up before the house lighting scene is over! nuh moo nuh moo che mee suh!” my mom more urgently this time.
i scooted next to my mom on the electric pad and watched ten minutes of painful slapstick comedy. i really didn’t get what was so funny. my mind was wandering. juliette lewis is in this movie? i didn’t know that. this is ridiculous. there's no way chevy chase's nose is not broken. his wife in the movie is really pretty. the grandma looks really familiar…who is she? mom would know. my mom has the most impressive arsenal of classic movies and pop culture knowledge in her head. she can tell you how many movies ginger rogers and fred astair starred in, she can tell you who dudley moore is married to, she can tell you where anthony bourdain is now and when his new book is coming out.
“oma? who plays the grandma in this movie?”
“diane lane”
“diane lane??? come on!”
“smom”
“what? diane lane smom? what’s that? oh. diane lane’s MOM.”
“you know what i mean”
THIS is what i mean about egocentrism. like, everytime my mom calls my brother “irene”. when i come running over and she looks at me like, what are you doing here? i want to talk to your brother. then i’ll explain why i am standing in front of her and she’ll say, “well, you know what i mean.”
it’s funny and frustrating at the same time. but as i get older, it’s mostly just funny because i know that in her head she's saying what she means. it's just that it gets a little lost in translation.
but making up your own words and attaching your own meaning to them can be very embarrassing.
the whole family was having thanksgiving dinner at my cousin’s house one year. let's see...i was still in college so i’m thinking that it was in the late 1990’s. we were catching up in the kitchen when my aunt came running over us holding out the shiny thing that the toilet roll hangs off of. “this keeps falling off of the wall! can you screw it back in?” she asked.
my cousin and i both looked at her with a “do i look like bob vila?” expression on our faces so she said exasperatedly, “ah rra suh (translation: got it). i’ll give it to your younger brother. he’s very good at screwing.”
i whipped my head over to look at my cousin in horror. his head was on the counter in the crook of his arm. i had no where to look but down. i furrowed my brows and bit my lip as i thought hard about what i should do diffuse this awkward situation. i looked up and slapped my hand on the kitchen counter. i could NOT allow my auntie to go around saying such things!
“sumo?” (sumo means your father’s brother’s wife. emo means your mother’s sister. komo means your father’s sister. three different words for "aunt") “what you just said does not mean what you think it means.”
“what, screwing? what does it mean?”
“it means...uh, it means that…*SHITE! how was i going to get myself out of this one?* "it means that you drink too much.”
“uh muh nah!” she exclaimed. her fingers fluttered around her mouth in horror.
i looked over to my cousin. his head was still on the counter, in the crook of his arm. i couldn’t tell if he was laughing or just didn’t want to deal with the situation at hand.
ah, home. being here makes me feel strange sometimes. i become a kid again. and that can be frustrating. but also liberating. it’s the only place where i allow myself to leave the house looking the way i do. oh, don’t get me wrong, i wear normal clothes. it’s what’s on my head that’s strange. my mother insists i wear a visor with a 14 inch brim on sunny days (i live in san diego, so that's every day). i look like jennifer beals, the welder, not the flashdancer. but she promises that when i'm her age, i will be beautiful. just like diane lane's smom.
Saturday, December 15, 2007
mushy foods
i love mushy foods. baby food, over boiled carrots, the noodles at the bottom of your chicken soup. throw a matzoh ball at me and i'll love you forever.
also, i eat spicy oatmeal.
i take oatmeal, sprinkle it with salted, toasted pumpkin seeds, and then put a dab of hot sauce on it. and then i eat it.
ziva: ummmmmmmmmmm
ziva: how do i say this politely???
ziva: YOU'RE A FREAK
ziva: OATMEAL WITH HOT SAUCE!?
irenejkim77: ok listen.
ziva: (this better be good)
irenejkim77: how is spicy oatmeal different than savory polenta? or salty grits?
irenejkim77: or cheesy risotto? or hot couscous?
irenejkim77: every nation has a savory mushy dish.
irenejkim77: see??????
ziva: hmmm you have a point ....
irenejkim77: thank you.
also, i eat spicy oatmeal.
i take oatmeal, sprinkle it with salted, toasted pumpkin seeds, and then put a dab of hot sauce on it. and then i eat it.
ziva: ummmmmmmmmmm
ziva: how do i say this politely???
ziva: YOU'RE A FREAK
ziva: OATMEAL WITH HOT SAUCE!?
irenejkim77: ok listen.
ziva: (this better be good)
irenejkim77: how is spicy oatmeal different than savory polenta? or salty grits?
irenejkim77: or cheesy risotto? or hot couscous?
irenejkim77: every nation has a savory mushy dish.
irenejkim77: see??????
ziva: hmmm you have a point ....
irenejkim77: thank you.
Tuesday, December 11, 2007
guess the closed captioning!
A few weeks ago I was in Chicago on a business trip. There are exactly three reasons why I HEART Chicago. (1) the toilets at O'Hare airport have SaniSeat (http://www.saniseat.com/). What is SaniSeat? Only the greatest invention dedicated to the prevention and eradication of feces and urine borne diseases. (2) Chicago’s relative lack of edgy fashion sense means that I can find good stuff in the Sale section of Urban Outfitters (yes, I am 30 years old and I still shop at UO). (3) Ummmmmmm. Oh, did I say I had THREE reasons? I actually meant two. The Saniseat counts for a lot, though.
After a day of meetings, (I stayed at the Drake Hotel where they charge you $10 to USE THE GYM. Don't stay there) I was ready to go to for a run on an artificially monitored and perfectly flat surface, aka a treadmill. And I was simply DELIGHTED to see that my workout coincided with the best of Celebrity TV Journalism available: Showbiz Tonight.
My 45 minute run never flew by faster.
It wasn’t the celebrity va-jay jay flashing contest that kept my mind off of the mind normally mind-numbingly boring run, it wasn’t the break up of Terry and Linda Hogan (I predict that it’s a publicity stunt; they’ll be back together soon), it wasn’t even commentary on J-Lo and her shopping spree for baby clothes. It was the CLOSED CAPTIONING that kept me in stitches. Ok, so for Live Programming such as Showbiz Tonight (p.s. I can’t say “such as” without thinking of Miss Teen South Carolina. And if you don't know what I'm talking about, you're living in a hole) the soundtrack is transcribed by an operator using a stenotype or a stenomask. The phonetic output is instantly translated into text. INSTANTLY. Why is this important? Because this means that a *lot* of mistakes occur.
Let's play a game! Guess the Closed Captioning:
What I Read:
HELL, I'm a Hamster, broadcasting tights and VERY TIGHT from New York City.
Hi dear, everyone. I'm Broke and Son, coming twight from Hollywood! And TWIGHT, weave got opera with fries concessions-- having enough AIR under her men decal crisis. But can OPERA reeling do anything rung? THAT's coming oop!
What Was Said:
HAMMER: Hello, I`m A.J. Hammer, broadcasting tonight and EVERY NIGHT from New York City.
ANDERSON: Hi there, everyone, I`m Brooke Anderson, coming to you tonight from Hollywood. And TONIGHT, we`ve got Oprah Winfrey`s confessions -- having an affair, her medical crisis. But can OPRAH really do anything wrong? THAT’S coming up!
What I Read:
Well, come back to Showbz TIGHT, Tee Vee's most pro vacuum est internment new show. I'm Brook Anderson and Hollywood. Hay, looks like we'll get some may soon be working on a new phelgm, he has made a rare pub lick peer ancela at the cream EAR of "Marrya Gang Stir", starring his end, Russl Crow and then zellington. Showbz TIGHT asked well when he'd be doing mother movie and he said, quote "PRRRRRETTY
SPOON!!"
What Was Said:
ANDERSON: Welcome back to SHOWBIZ TONIGHT, TV`s most provocative entertainment news show. I`m Brooke Anderson in Hollywood. Hey, it looks like Mel Gibson may soon be working on a new film, he has made a rare public appearance last night at the premiere of "American Gangster," starring his friend, Russell Crowe and Denzel Washington. SHOWBIZ TONIGHT asked Mel when he`d be doing another movie and he said, quote, "PRETTY SOON."
And I am *pretty sure* that the only time I laughed harder in the gym was the time my trainer's spandex split as he was showing me how to do lunges and his bum squirted out of his unitard like jelly out of an overstuffed donut.
After a day of meetings, (I stayed at the Drake Hotel where they charge you $10 to USE THE GYM. Don't stay there) I was ready to go to for a run on an artificially monitored and perfectly flat surface, aka a treadmill. And I was simply DELIGHTED to see that my workout coincided with the best of Celebrity TV Journalism available: Showbiz Tonight.
My 45 minute run never flew by faster.
It wasn’t the celebrity va-jay jay flashing contest that kept my mind off of the mind normally mind-numbingly boring run, it wasn’t the break up of Terry and Linda Hogan (I predict that it’s a publicity stunt; they’ll be back together soon), it wasn’t even commentary on J-Lo and her shopping spree for baby clothes. It was the CLOSED CAPTIONING that kept me in stitches. Ok, so for Live Programming such as Showbiz Tonight (p.s. I can’t say “such as” without thinking of Miss Teen South Carolina. And if you don't know what I'm talking about, you're living in a hole) the soundtrack is transcribed by an operator using a stenotype or a stenomask. The phonetic output is instantly translated into text. INSTANTLY. Why is this important? Because this means that a *lot* of mistakes occur.
Let's play a game! Guess the Closed Captioning:
What I Read:
HELL, I'm a Hamster, broadcasting tights and VERY TIGHT from New York City.
Hi dear, everyone. I'm Broke and Son, coming twight from Hollywood! And TWIGHT, weave got opera with fries concessions-- having enough AIR under her men decal crisis. But can OPERA reeling do anything rung? THAT's coming oop!
What Was Said:
HAMMER: Hello, I`m A.J. Hammer, broadcasting tonight and EVERY NIGHT from New York City.
ANDERSON: Hi there, everyone, I`m Brooke Anderson, coming to you tonight from Hollywood. And TONIGHT, we`ve got Oprah Winfrey`s confessions -- having an affair, her medical crisis. But can OPRAH really do anything wrong? THAT’S coming up!
What I Read:
Well, come back to Showbz TIGHT, Tee Vee's most pro vacuum est internment new show. I'm Brook Anderson and Hollywood. Hay, looks like we'll get some may soon be working on a new phelgm, he has made a rare pub lick peer ancela at the cream EAR of "Marrya Gang Stir", starring his end, Russl Crow and then zellington. Showbz TIGHT asked well when he'd be doing mother movie and he said, quote "PRRRRRETTY
SPOON!!"
What Was Said:
ANDERSON: Welcome back to SHOWBIZ TONIGHT, TV`s most provocative entertainment news show. I`m Brooke Anderson in Hollywood. Hey, it looks like Mel Gibson may soon be working on a new film, he has made a rare public appearance last night at the premiere of "American Gangster," starring his friend, Russell Crowe and Denzel Washington. SHOWBIZ TONIGHT asked Mel when he`d be doing another movie and he said, quote, "PRETTY SOON."
And I am *pretty sure* that the only time I laughed harder in the gym was the time my trainer's spandex split as he was showing me how to do lunges and his bum squirted out of his unitard like jelly out of an overstuffed donut.
Wednesday, December 5, 2007
I was waiting in line to check in at a hotel the other day when I saw these shoes dangling off of a man's backpack:
I surreptitiously snapped a picture of it (i.e. I fake-yawned and stretched my hand towards the shoes while innocently scratching my head so as not to attract attention to my actions). These beige, suede shoes looked like something a large elf would wear. Or that they had the ability to expel poison darts and had sharp blades hidden in the toe area.
I had well behaving feet. They are a nice size (size 6) and the toes line up all in a row like russian dolls. This may seem obvious, but not all toes do that. sometimes, the second toe is bigger than the first toe. I do not think this is a sign of leadership as some people might tell you. in fact, i believe it is just a way to make one feel better about the fact that ones toes are out of order. it's like saying it's good luck when it rains on your wedding day. no one really wants to have toes out of order, just like no one *really* wants rain on their wedding day. clearly, it's not the end of the world...but one would just rather not.
Other than a nail on the toe that cried "wee wee wee all the way home"(*) all foot parts are present (i think my dad stepped on the little toe a long time ago and popped the nail off. It never fully grew back).
So why am I writing all of this? Because I have BUNIONS and i am just coming to terms with it.
Bunions are:
"a sometimes painful structural deformity of the bones and the joint between the foot and big toe." Bunions are often caused by by wearing shoes that are not the natural shape of one's feet, i.e. 99.999999% of women's shoes. Wiki's definition of the bunion goes on in greater detail, but is filled with words like "valgus", "sac", and "deformity" but my gag reflex kicked in so I stopped reading.
My second appointment with my podiatrist is this Friday. it is upsetting to me that my feet are suffering so much. and it is upsetting to me that Giant Elf Shoes are deemed to be bunion-worthy.
*a childhood game my mom and i used to play. it's very simple. mom wiggles each toe, starting with the biggest toe and sings "this little piggy went to the market, this little piggy stayed at home! this little piggy had roooooast beef, and this little piggy had none. so THIS little piggy cried wee wee wee allllll the waaaaay home!"
I surreptitiously snapped a picture of it (i.e. I fake-yawned and stretched my hand towards the shoes while innocently scratching my head so as not to attract attention to my actions). These beige, suede shoes looked like something a large elf would wear. Or that they had the ability to expel poison darts and had sharp blades hidden in the toe area.
I had well behaving feet. They are a nice size (size 6) and the toes line up all in a row like russian dolls. This may seem obvious, but not all toes do that. sometimes, the second toe is bigger than the first toe. I do not think this is a sign of leadership as some people might tell you. in fact, i believe it is just a way to make one feel better about the fact that ones toes are out of order. it's like saying it's good luck when it rains on your wedding day. no one really wants to have toes out of order, just like no one *really* wants rain on their wedding day. clearly, it's not the end of the world...but one would just rather not.
Other than a nail on the toe that cried "wee wee wee all the way home"(*) all foot parts are present (i think my dad stepped on the little toe a long time ago and popped the nail off. It never fully grew back).
So why am I writing all of this? Because I have BUNIONS and i am just coming to terms with it.
Bunions are:
"a sometimes painful structural deformity of the bones and the joint between the foot and big toe." Bunions are often caused by by wearing shoes that are not the natural shape of one's feet, i.e. 99.999999% of women's shoes. Wiki's definition of the bunion goes on in greater detail, but is filled with words like "valgus", "sac", and "deformity" but my gag reflex kicked in so I stopped reading.
My second appointment with my podiatrist is this Friday. it is upsetting to me that my feet are suffering so much. and it is upsetting to me that Giant Elf Shoes are deemed to be bunion-worthy.
*a childhood game my mom and i used to play. it's very simple. mom wiggles each toe, starting with the biggest toe and sings "this little piggy went to the market, this little piggy stayed at home! this little piggy had roooooast beef, and this little piggy had none. so THIS little piggy cried wee wee wee allllll the waaaaay home!"
Saturday, November 17, 2007
Sunday, November 11, 2007
you call them rubbers, i call them something else, but definitely NOT rubbers
last friday, my coworker visited the ny office. he lives in hong kong and like many hong kong residents, he throws around the word “honky” with the greatest of ease. mind you, he wasn’t using the word “honky” to mean the pejorative racial slur for people of european descent. instead, he was using the word “honky” to mean anything from the hong kong currency, to hong kong itself, to the people of hong kong. but that didn't matter. it was still embarrassing because everyone around us was collectively bristling each time he screamed “honky” across the trading floor.
i, too, have been in this situation. for example, when i moved to the east coast, i quickly learned that east coasters don’t use the word “thong” when referring to flip flops (i.e. “hey, hold on, let me put on my plastic thongs on before we go to the beach”). another example: the british say “pants” when they mean underwear, underoos, boxers. and let's throw in thongs (of the undergarment variety) just to make things more complicated. when i was a visiting student at oxford, i actually said to my friend “i went to miss Selfridges today and found the most amazing pair of velvet paisley pants that i want to wear to the party tonight…what else am i going to wear with them? probably just a t shirt and heels." REEAAAAAL classy. oh, yeah, and let's not forget the time i told someone that her boyfriend was seen at a black tie event wearing a tux accompanied by a "nice vest and bow tie". how was i supposed to know that in the UK, a “vest” means “tank top”? that’s right, i had just told my friend that her boyfriend went a fancy schmancy ball dressed up as a Chippendale stripper.
all this just means that one has to constantly adapt to the local vernacular. sure, i grew up calling my athletic shoes “tennies”, but now i call them "sneakers" and when i was in england, i called them "trainers". so if *i* make the effort to conform, so should other people.
i was 22 years old when i got my first corporate job at a big consulting firm. i was nervous, unsure, and scared of anyone whose billing rate was higher than mine (which was basically EVERYONE, including joe, our forlorn mail sorter). i knew i’d be in for many new experiences, but never did i think this scene would unfold:
project partner: well good morning Irene! you’re here bright and early!
Irene: (nervously) heh heh. yeah. heh.
project partner: it’s really terrible weather out there with the snow and sleet. did you drive here ok?
Irene: actually, i spun out of control in the bright green, tin can mustang that hertz hands out like stale candy. i almost killed someone on the way to work, but the car stopped spinning after 4 rotations and so i’m -
project partner: well, that’s fantastic! now, let’s get down to business.
Irene: oh ok – here’s the powerpoint deck that i worked ---
project partner: but FIRST (reaching down)let me just whip off my rubbers…
Irene: (covering eyes) AHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHH!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
project partner: (clearly perplexed) what is WRONG with you?
important distinction: for dorky men over the age of 50, “rubbers” mean small plastic shoes that stretch over your fancy tasseled Florsheims. for people UNDER 50, “rubbers” mean something completely different.
And in England, “rubbers” means erasers.
PS: look what i found on wiki! “Prior to using rubber, white bread (without crust) was used to erase the mark of graphite pencil and charcoal.” i LOVE wikipedia almost as much as i love Suri Cruise. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Eraser
Tuesday, October 30, 2007
please be good
a few months ago, i wrote a story called “introducing trouble.” if you remember, that’s what my parents called me. it seemed that wherever i went, mischievous drama nipped at my heels.
i have a hazy memory of huddling under a sink cabinet with a Handi-snak clutched in my hand, wondering how long i could survive on 4 crackers and a one square of spreadable, non perishable cheese. if i had to, i would also digest the red plastic stick. the damn S pipe under the sink was scratching my cheek. Everything was a little damp. and i had no bottoms on.
every Sunday my family went to church. my parents woke us up by blasting classical music through our intercom system and singing in a then annoying, now cute way, “Good morning Children!”. my mood when i woke up was wholly dependant on what dream they were interrupting. if they yanked me out of the tracks of a shadowy monster that was about to eat me, i ran downstairs grateful and smiley. i still haven’t forgiven them, however, for interrupting the BEST DREAM EVER. i was dreaming that i had the ability to fly by scissoring my legs back and forth. as i was flying through the rafters of an old medieval church, i turned to grin at my flying partner who was, surprise! the dashing fox from Disney’s Robin Hood.
I had the biggest crush on him, and i have to admit, i still kind of do. when the classical music hit my ears and gently pulled me out of sleep, i remember tossing and turning, squinting my eyes shut and trying to reclaim the dream, but the moment was lost. bye bye Robin Hood. i love you so much. will you be my boyfriend even tho you are a cartoon fox?
my mom dressed me until i was about 6 years old. the Monday after this particular Sunday was the last day she even tried. i was a particularly snazzy dresser, if not an incredibly opinionated one. i liked to wear clothes that made me feel FUN! and HAPPY! and PUNKY! and BREWSTERY!
enter grey wool skirt.
when my mom presented this skirt to me with great flourish, i fingered it’s grey wooliness and immediately thought “please sir, can i have some more?” i probably had a far away look in my eyes as i transported myself to center stage in the starring role of my school’s production of Oliver Twist. this drab, scratchy skirt would be perf!! My oma, on the other, hand, was thinking “Madeline in London” (author Ludwig Bemelmans wrote “Madeline in London” in 1961. It is part of a children book series where a little French girl romped around the world wearing a ridiculous hat).
anyway, when i saw that my mother intended to dress me in what i felt was a step below prison garb, i did what i had to do. i called upon my supernatural powers and willed my skeleton out of my body and fell to the floor in an un-grabbable, wiggly heap. when my mother stood up in exasperation, i quickly re-skelefied and ran away. a quick stop at the pantry and we’re back at scene one: handi-snacks under the kitchen sink.
This time, my parents didn’t try to find me like all the other times i “ran away”. Classical music floated through the air as order was restored. i felt SO disobedient. why was i always the bad kid? not to mention that i pulled this stunt on Sunday – a SUNDAY!! a day when i was supposed to be extra good and go to church and talk about how Jesus Christ is my lord and savior who saved me from my sins and then put a dollar in the offering tray to help those less fortunate than us.
Well, two things go through my head as i recount this memory:
•it’s funny and cute how i thought that the handi-snak incident made me a bad person
•it’s frightening and not cute how my idea of what is bad has grown exponentially with age
i see things around me that are truly evil. not six year old evil, but really really bad. and i probably do a lot of them without knowing that i’m re-circulating bad-ness into the universe. is there a limit to what i grow desensitized to?
anyway, that’s why i don’t watch horror movies. i don’t ever want to walk by a man getting his head cut off in a back alley and think, “huh. that's too bad.”
Friday, October 26, 2007
one more sky mall post. that's it. i promise.
I'm sorry. I know I keep harping on this SkyMall thing. But given the amount of travelling I have been doing the past few months, SkyMall is as comforting to me as a good old Korean ear picking.
I don't know how I missed this one the first time around. I mean, really. Do people really use these things? Isn't it better to buy one of those mattresses where you can set a glass of red wine in the middle of it and then jump around without spilling a drop of Bordeaux if you are experiencing lower lumbar pain?
Imagine it:
(dim lighting, strewn rose petals, Barry White in the background…)
Lover 1: "We're gonna take the receiver off the phone . . . because baby, you and me, heh . . . this night, we're gonna get it on" (citation: Barry White, Love Serenade (Part 1)", from his 1975 album Just Another Way to Say I Love You)
Lover 2: "mmmph mmphh hppphh hh?" (translation: can't you see my face is in a swedish polythyrene synthetic mattress pad?"
Unreal.
I don't know how I missed this one the first time around. I mean, really. Do people really use these things? Isn't it better to buy one of those mattresses where you can set a glass of red wine in the middle of it and then jump around without spilling a drop of Bordeaux if you are experiencing lower lumbar pain?
Imagine it:
(dim lighting, strewn rose petals, Barry White in the background…)
Lover 1: "We're gonna take the receiver off the phone . . . because baby, you and me, heh . . . this night, we're gonna get it on" (citation: Barry White, Love Serenade (Part 1)", from his 1975 album Just Another Way to Say I Love You)
Lover 2: "mmmph mmphh hppphh hh?" (translation: can't you see my face is in a swedish polythyrene synthetic mattress pad?"
Unreal.
Thursday, October 18, 2007
milk me, audrissy!
audrissy makes me laugh...again.
audrissy: dammit i messed up
audrissy: i told my coworker "milk me" today when we were both getting cereal and he had the milk
audrissy: and he said it sounded weird
audrissy: and then got really embarassed
audrissy: dammit i messed up
audrissy: i told my coworker "milk me" today when we were both getting cereal and he had the milk
audrissy: and he said it sounded weird
audrissy: and then got really embarassed
Wednesday, October 17, 2007
cornflake girl
Apocrine glands. Apocrine glands are the glands that make the scents that we usually call “body odor” also known as “B.O." What's really interesting is that the distribution of apocrine glands can differ widely from race to race. In fact, Koreans seemed to have won the apocrine gland lottery because not only do “Asians have an extremely low distribution of apocrines”, but “Koreans are among the least odor-producing people on Earth—50% of them have no apocrine glands at all”. (source: “The origin of “Races” by Bert Thompson, Ph.D.). Ok, fine. Some would categorize Bert Thompson in the "Whackadoodle" bucket what with his kooky creationist theories (and alleged misconduct with boys). So if you don't believe Mr. Thompson, why don't you go to your local Koreatown (every self respecting city should have one) or better yet, any Presbyterian church (we Koreans like the middle of the road Protestant demonimations, particularly those who were instrumental in the Ecumenical movement -I just made that up right now but I'm serious about Koreans = Presbos) and do your own smell test. Come on. Just do it. I'll even offer up myself as a data point, but then you have to buy me a drink.
Hold on. I didn’t start this blog entry with the intention of discussing body odor or to extol the virtues of fragrant (or at least, fragrant-less) Koreans. that would be weird. instead, i want to talk about something else that also is a unique Asian quality: dry ear wax. you heard me right. i want to talk about ear wax.
One can identify Asians from non Asians by their ear wax. i know that sounds weird, but it’s true. and lest you find this claim wholly ridiculous and seemingly unfounded, let me quote NY Times: “The wet form [of ear wax] predominates in Africa and Europe, where 97 percent or more of the people have it, and the dry form among East Asians”…
(source: NYT Article "Japanese Scientists Identify Ear Wax Gene" by NICHOLAS WADE, Jan 2006, http://www.nytimes.com/2006/01/29/science/29cnd-ear.html?ex=1296190800&en=7f6c667589328421&ei=5088&partner=rssnyt&emc=rss)
2006? TWO THOUSAND AND SIX??? Japanese "scientists" discovered this in TWO THOUSAND AND SIX?
I didn't need no NYT article to realize this. When I was 12 (in 1989, might i add, almost TWO decades before the Japanese "scientists" discovered the gene), my caucasian friend stuck a Q tip in her ear and when she pulled it out it was covered in orange, sticky goo. I knew we were different. I also thought she poked her brain out.
Ah ear cleanings! I have great memories about ear cleanings. It takes a strong person to admit this and I am willing to bet that a lot of korean americans share the same fond yet unconventional memory. Ear cleaning was a special and strangely comforting ritual in my household. Step one: You cut a hole in the box*. JUST KIDDING! No, really. Step One: I would either stand and put my head in my mother’s lap (or lie down as i got too tall for her). Step Two: My mom brandish a slender bamboo pick that had a shallow scoop at the end of it and a rabbit hair puff ball at the other end. Step three: she would go to work on my ear. Oh, step four: Mom would say “uh muh nah, Irene! did you put cornflakes in your ears this morning?” and, Step five: Irene would crack up. it’s amazing how that joke never got old.
when she was done, she would dust my ear with the other end of the bamboo pick which had a fluff ball on it. It was the best part of the whole cleaning. It felt … satisfying.
i know this practice seems strange and archaic. And I'm 100% sure that there is a direct (negative) correlation between how many times I have had my ears cleaned vs. how well I can hear a person 20 feet away.
So. Next time your korean friend seems to be ignoring you, maybe she just doesn't hear you. But at least she doesn’t smell.
*i just had to plug my favorite SNL skit ever. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BKOiBZpUKW8
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