Circular Logic

I've Moved!

2009-12-07T17:16:00.001-05:00

My blog has moved to the lazy person's preferred format of micro-blogging and secondhand link-posting: http://kimjinhee.tumblr.com/

Rhee's Hope for Reform

2008-10-20T21:01:00.002-04:00

This month's issue of the Atlantic included a wonderful in-depth profile of Michelle Rhee, chancellor of the DC Public School system, and the issues around the controversial reform initiatives she's introduced to the system.

Prior to reading the article in the Atlantic, I was only somewhat familiar with Rhee's policy initiatives within the DC public school system. But based on what I knew-- merit-based teacher salaries, restructuring of schools, rigorous performance evaluations-- I was thrilled that someone was finally making radical reforms to a long-broken system. My support was further compounded when I saw Michelle Rhee speak at an event in which she addressed the closing of several schools in front of a massive irate mob of teachers and parents. I thought for sure I was about to witness a crucifixion, but Rhee spoke to audience with such firmness and candor that I swear I think she managed to turn some hearts on the spot.

Being a DC-outsider (meaning not living in and paying DC taxes) with no real personal stake in the success/failure of the system, it's easy to throw in my support for the brash new chancellor that's shaking things up and enforcing accountability. But the article in the Atlantic forced me to consider the implications and potential costs of these kinds of reforms.

The writer, Clay Risen, illuminates the context behind the DC school system and how it became one of the primary political battlefields in DC. This is important to note because Rhee has famously noted that she has no intention to play politics with her role as chancellor, and as her actions show, she's not afraid to make enemies with her policy decisions either. But Risen, who seems to admire Rhee's mission and tenacity, questions how fair, realistic, and even democratic (or anti-democratic) it is for an individual to make (essentially) unilateral reform policy decisions in isolation of city politics, even when they are in the best interest of the children.

It's a fascinating read, and I still don't know how I feel about it: http://www.theatlantic.com/doc/200811/michelle-rhee

Heat: Just Skip to the End

2008-10-14T00:12:00.003-04:00

I received the 1995 movie "Heat" by Michael Mann in my Netflix queue this week. I forgot that I had even queued it up in the first place; it was always meant to statically sit at the bottom of my queue, much like the Criterion Collection DVDs that I never intend to watch. I added it after playing the mission "Three Leaf Clover" in GTA IV, because it reminded me of the shootout scene at the end of the Heat.

I remember thinking so highly of this movie in high school. It had a stellar cast: De Niro, Pacino, Val Kilmer, Tom Sizemore... It had well-choreographed action scenes, 'good' dialogue, and a well-paced plot.

Unfortunately, revisiting this movie was a bad idea. I was basically wrong on all counts except the action scene. Man, watching Pacino makes me want to drive two stakes thru my temples and take my eyes out in the process. And the characterization of women in this film is appalling, even for 90s action flick standards.

That bank heist and shootout scene however, is timeless.

Maybe.

P.S. - They are coming out with a videogame based on the movie, using the original voice actors. I look forward to playing Pacino's character and forcing him off tall building rooftops.

The Day of Reckoning

2008-10-09T18:17:00.003-04:00

Al Gore's incredible stump speech at the Al Franken campaign rally:

Great quote:

"I gotten to the point when a new outrage comes along, I’ve got to download some existing outrage to make room for the new outrage in order to react to it."

And the takeaway:

"There are as I say 31 days, one month from today, 31 days and a few hours. Early voting has already started. You have a very clear choice. One of the problems in our modern political system is that the effort to hold people in political parties accountable sometimes runs up against the outpouring of special interest money from the powerful groups that want to twist perceptions and distract people and put out things that will try to cause people to vote on something other than the issues. Other than their own self interest. Other than what democracy is supposed to be about at election time, and that is making clear choices and holding incumbents accountable and making a choice as to what the direction is for the future.

But this time, if this record on the war, on torture on mass wire-tapping without warrants, on financial mismanagement of a scale that’s unprecedented in the whole history of our country, of wrecking the economy, of ignoring the environment, of actively choosing the interest of these special interests over the interests of the people, if this record were to be rewarded rather than used as a basis for a clear and decisive choice to go in new direction, what would it say about the vitality of our democracy?"

Words I Never Want to Hear Again After This Election

2008-10-09T17:11:00.003-04:00

In an effort to preserve our collective sanity, I propose that we strike the following words from the remainder of the campaign:

change
fight
main street
maverick
hockey moms
joe six-pack
'the media'

I'm sure I'm missing a few, and will try to keep a notebook handy the next time I experience uncontrollable ticks upon hearing overused and hollow words.

Latest Obsession: Monkey Journey to the West

2008-09-25T12:00:00.001-04:00

I.O.U.S.A. (O.M.F.G.)

2008-09-12T15:35:00.002-04:00

So for reasons actually pertaining to work, I caught the documentary I.O.U.S.A on its final run date last night. I had been meaning to see the film, but the work incentive pushed me to catch it in theaters. While it's too late to catch its theater-run now, I strongly urge everyone to rent it as soon as it comes available on DVD. Go to the website, watch the trailer, and "Take Action" by writing to your local representatives in the House and Senate.

I knew our budget situation was bad, but I couldn't fully comprehend just how bad it actually is:

The U.S. is rapidly approaching a national debt of nearly $10 trillion.

Almost half of which is owed to foreign governments.

Your share of the total federal obligation is $175,000.

If things don't change, income taxes by 2040 will consume 42 percent of your paycheck.

One of the most chilling moments in the film was when Former Treasury Secretary Paul O'Neill stated that at the current rate, interest on the national debt will be unsustainable: "When you get extended to the point that you can't service your debt, you're finished."

Our current state and ongoing trend of debt accumulation is terrifying to say the least. But the most depressing thing about our budget situation is the fact that few Americans, especially young American who will inherit the burden, are aware that we're even in a crisis. I think part of the failure can be attributed to the shameful political landscape that seems utterly incapable of addressing these kinds of issues in an honest and meaningful way. I recall a quote in the movie from President George W. Bush:

"I think I got a B in Econ 101. I got an A however in keeping taxes low, and being fiscally responsible with the people’s money."

Even though our President doesn't get it, the message of the film is clear. And we need to demand that our political leaders address this issue in a real way. The U.S. has to cut spending on ALL programs drastically and increase taxes on every American (a lot, probably). This means cutting spending on things that are sacred (ahem, Social Security) and special (ahem Medicare and Medicaid) to many people, cutting back on the consumption of foreign goods, stimulating U.S. exports, and (as hard as it is to hear) big increases in taxes on every resident and business in the US.

The question, as the filmmakers of I.O.U.S.A. point out, is whether people are willing to endure the level of sacrifice necessary to secure the future of the nation.

Oh another great video clip in the movie, and great financial advice for everyone:

via videosift.com

What the F...

2008-08-21T10:13:00.003-04:00

You've got to be kidding me.

I work in the Arctic

2008-08-18T15:23:00.002-04:00

I think I've determined the cause of my now daily, pulsating headaches.

It's the sub-zero temperatures in my A/C-blasting office!

Note to self: Bring parka and Excedrin to work.

2008 Summer Olympics

2008-08-14T11:25:00.003-04:00

I love the Summer Olympics!!!

And I am so glad to be watching them from my relatively pollution-less, air-conditioned home on my widescreen HDTV. I've already cleared my weekend calendar to watch Michael Phelps make history, and to see the Americans sweep up at the Track & Field events. While both Korea and China have done me proud, especially at the agility and strength events, I'm now eager to see the USA own that top podium.

Seeing the Americans dominate at such a wide variety of the events reminds me of what makes this country so great-- opportunity for all. It sounds idealistic and naive, and maybe it is. But when I look at the class of athletes representing the US in the Olympic games, I can't help but be struck by the diversity of talents and backgrounds. We don't just produce the world's best basketball players, or runners, or swimmers...we embrace and nurture some of the best gymnasts, boxers, fencers, cyclists from around the world.

Lastly, I am baffled by my friends and colleagues that profess to love sports but have not tuned into the Olympics this year. While I won't feed into the "greatest athlete of all time" hysteria surrounding Phelps, I do believe we are about to witness an unprecedented display of greatness right before our eyes. If you are doing anything short of seeing your first child being born instead, FOR SHAME!!!

Futility

2008-07-26T12:56:00.002-04:00

Why can't things work like they're fucking supposed to, for once?!
No context, that is all.

Thoughts on Grand Theft Auto 4: Liberty City

2008-07-17T16:54:00.006-04:00

After 3 weeks with an average of 4 hours a day of gameplay (undoubtedly driving my roommate nuts in the process), I've finally beat both endings to GTA4. And yet the feeling the predominates is sadness that it's over. Sure, I could replay the game and go through the motions again (which is sadly, what I am doing) but it's really just tracing along a path that I've already seen to the end. And I'm not the first to feel this way, which is a testament to the incredible world of GTA4.

GTA4 doesn't skimp on the mission-based gameplay either; it clocks in at least 40 hours of story-missions and this doesn't include the nearly limitless detours one could take in the rich environment of Liberty City. Make no mistake, this game is HUGE. And yet reviewer after reviewer confesses that they didn't want to see it end. THAT is a pretty rare achievement.

OK so enough vague praise, exactly what makes Grand Theft Auto 4: Liberty City so great? Well to start, while all the previous GTA games starting with GTA3 have been described as non-linear due to their open-environment gameplay, this has always been somewhat of a disingenuous claim because the missions were still largely linear. In GTA4, players are truly presented with non-linear gameplay as their choices impact later missions and speak to the way they perceive the main character.

One of the greatest pleasures of playing GTA4 is the gradual development of the main character, Niko Bellic, which is slowly revealed and variably so depending on the amount of time the player spends with side characters who elicit Niko's background story. In this way, GTA4 aspires for more than just cinematic breadth (ahem, MGS4) and takes advantage of the uniqueness of the videogame medium.

The nuances of GTA4 don't end with the choose-your-own-adventure style of gameplay. This is best explained by contrasting the character of Niko Bellic to his earlier predecessors in GTA3, Vice City, and San Andreas. While I love all the GTA installments (esp Vice City), the main characters in each were generally flat caricatures without much depth-of-character. Claude (from GTA3) didn't even speak, and Tommy Vercetti (Vice City) and CJ (San Andreas) were only fleshed-out so far as their singular motivating purpose: revenge. Thus, they felt more like vehicles of destruction rather than protagonists; and honestly, going on killing rampages didn't carry much weight in those games. I'd argue that GTA4 is the first installment to bring us a multi-faceted character with a moral code, and it is the first time that I actually gave thought to my actions in the game.

While Niko Bellic is also initially driven by revenge, his motivations become much more profound and tragic as he reveals how deeply traumatized he is by his past. Niko's motivations become less about revenge and more about restitution, and it's then that we realize that there is no happy ending awaiting him.

Wow, I didn't intend for this entry to sound so stiffly academic, esp for my return from a long blogging vacation. If anyone is still reading this, I highly recommend getting an XBox or PS3 and playing GTA4. Not only does it deserve all the praise it's received for its storytelling, it is hugely fun to play and full of surprises.

Juno Shmuno

2008-01-22T10:29:00.000-05:00

I'm really annoyed that "Juno" is nominated for every other Oscar category this year. If that makes me a hater, so be it.

Ignorance is Bliss (a stick of bliss in fact)

2007-11-02T12:27:00.000-04:00

When we were in Japan, I bought a stick of lipstick from a drugstore for 500 Yen, or roughly 5 US Dollars. It is the best stick of lipstick I've ever used - lightweight, long-lasting, fragrance-free, and flattering. Since then I've worn it down to a little nub, and I'm trying to conserve it as long as possible or until I return to Japan.

I suspect it's made of baby whales or endangered monkey placenta, but I don't want to know.

Typical Conversation with Dad

2007-10-30T15:09:00.000-04:00

(Me, at work, 3:00 PM)

(Dad phones)

Dad: Jenny, Mommy say she want get Yoshi (the dog) fixed, what you call that?
Me: (in an attempt to muffle my voice among my adjacent co-workers) Uh..you mean neutered?
Dad: (loudly) WHAT?
Me: (muffled) neutered...
Dad: How you spell that?
Me: n-e-u-t-e-r-e-d
Dad: OK, you busy at work?
Me: Yes
Dad: OK *hangs up*

3:15 (Dad phones again)

Dad: Jenny, I just searched neuter and it say that they cut off Yoshi's thing completely.
Me: Um, yes that's what they do I think.
Dad: Oh. That is too cruel, don't you think?
Me: Yeah, well, I think most vets still recommend it.
Dad: Oh. I don't know if we can do this to Yoshi.
Me: Well...yeah, I can't really talk about this now.
Dad: What, you busy?
Me: Yes, sorta. I'll talk to you later.

3:25 (Dad phones again)

Dad: Jenny, tomorrow is Halloween and Mommy going to work at 6:30 and I won't be home til 8. Do you think we should turn of all the lights and leave a sign?
Me: Um, you can do that but the house might get egged.
Dad: Oh, you think bad kids will throw eggs on our home? *says 'little bastards' in Korean*
Me: Well, maybe not. You could leave a sign and leave out candy.
Dad: Oh, so turn off light, leave sign, and leave candy?
Me: Either turn off the lights or leave the candy. Not both b/c kids won't come if there are no lights.
Dad: OK, we will leave sign that says we are at church.
(hangs up without saying goodbye - Korean style)

I like comics

2007-08-14T23:15:00.000-04:00

* Thanks Shawn *

Oh and in case you haven't figured it out already, I gave up on my Japan trip recap posts. But, I will be posting about Sarah and Noble's fabulous wedding!

Maybe.

Japan Recap: Shibuya and Tokyo Fashion

2007-07-24T17:54:00.000-04:00

End of Day 2 - Shibuya in 2 hours

So after we awoke from our ramen coma, Cindy and I groggily forced ourselves out of the hotel and headed to Shibuya. Shibuya is one of the densest and busiest districts within Tokyo, as both a central business district and major nightlife center. When we hopped off the subway terminal we stood there gaping up at the skyscrapers and massive crossroads for about 10 minutes before we moved.

Straight in front of us was the famous 109 Building, behind which runs Love Motel hill, which I don't know much about but based on its name I imagine it's a very romantic and innocent throughway.

Still somewhat groggy and disoriented, we ended up ambling through the maze of alleys in Shibuya and inadvertently ended up seeing actual Lost in Translation landmarks, including the karaoke bar from the "More Than This" karaoke scene:

and Cindy pretending to play the drumming game, although we were to cheap to put money in it, and instead spent money on sticker photos.

While ambling about I had more time to observe Tokyo-ites. It's certainly no exaggeration that the people in Tokyo are far more progressive in their fashion. It seems like everyone in Tokyo puts a lot of thought into their clothing, hair, and accessories, but not in a way that's conspicuous or that looks overdone. Self-proclaimed SJP-wannabe fashionistas are obnoxious, but in Tokyo, being fashionable seems effortless and natural. (What makes this even more amazing is that every girl wears heels all the time in Tokyo. Flip flops seemingly do not exist, which made us feel very self-conscious about flipping and flopping about in the city. Actually, I did try to go Tokyo-style the second day by wearing the one pair of heels I brought, but I ended up crippling myself for the evening.) I was momentarily inspired, and had made the hasty resolution to make a conscious effort to put more thought into my style when I returned home. But fortunately almost as soon as we arrived home I thanked God that I lived in the nation of flip flops, ironic t-shirts, and baseball caps.

Japan and Korea Trip: Recap and Photos

2007-07-15T23:30:00.001-04:00

Hooray for me, it's been over 2 weeks now that I've returned from my trip to Japan and Korea, and now that I've mustered the energy to write the blog entry I've nearly forgot every detail. WOOO, but here we go:

Sunday, June 24 - Flight from DC to Tokyo

Cindy and I took the direct 16-hour flight from Dulles to Narita airport via All Nippon Airways (ANA). After the positive experience of my direct flight from DC to Seoul on Korean Air, I was eager to compare Japan's national airline (in addition to JAL) against the Korean airline. My score breakdown is as follows (each score out of 5):

ANA
Boarding/Check-In: 5
Crewmembers: 5 (our first taste of first-rate Japanese customer service)
Comfort: 3
Food: 3 (this would be a 4 if it were not for the horrendous onion and mayonnaise sandwich they issued as a snack)
Movies: 3
TOTAL: 19

KAL
Boarding/Check-In: 3
Crewmembers: 4
Comfort: 4
Food: 4 (It's all about the complimentary Gochujang baby)
Movies: 5 (Korean dramas!)
TOTAL: 20

Monday, June 25 - Day 1 in Tokyo

We arrived at Narita airport on Monday afternoon. This was my first lesson in modern Japanese efficiency. That morning we had to A) get our luggage; then B) pass thru Customs; followed by C) withdraw Japanese Yen; D) book a limousine bus to the hotel; and E) rent a cellphone. This would take about half a day anywhere else in the world, but at Narita Airport we managed to hop off our plane and do all of the above and get on our limousine bus in 1 hour.

We arrive at our hotel in Tokyo, the Park Hotel in the Shiodome City Center (near Ginza). [As an aside, I did have fantasies of staying at the Lost in Translation hotel - the Park Hyatt in Shinjuku. However I figured that $350/night was too steep a price to re-enact a movie scene.] I highly highly recommend this hotel for anyone staying in Tokyo. It's luxurious but not absurdly expensive, and super-convenient as it's right above the Shiodome subway line. It also has a beautiful and tasteful glass and mahogany lobby where the staff greet all guests with a bow and a "Youkoso irasshai mashita!"

This was the view from our room (of Tokyo Tower):

Awesome.

Also awesome is the glorious Japanese toilet:

Equipped with heated seats, bidet, sprinkler, self-sanitizing mechanism, and "courtesy flush" noisemaker, you'll find it hard to crap in anything else once you've experienced the magnificence of this commode. Honestly, it's amazing that the Japanese get anything done b/c I can see all the guys back home wasting consecutive days sitting on heated toilet seats.

We were tired and jet-lagged, but did manage to wander outside our hotel for udon and Sapporo, which would mark the beginning our our noodle-tour in Japan.

Tuesday, June 25 - Day 2 in Tokyo

The great thing about being jet-lagged in Tokyo is that when you wake up in the wee hours of the morning, you get to catch the rare moments when the city is tranquil and calm. We decided to get the touristy/cultural stuff out of the way while we had the energy and took a train up to Asakusa where took the requisite photo of the Asahi Beer Golden Poop (supposed to look like a cloud of beer):

and saw some temples and shrines, which made us feel very cultured and refined.

This brings me to another point about traveling with my sister. She lies about wanting to see cultural landmarks! She professes her enthusiasm to see such sites, and then once we get there she becomes distracted by her one of her two true passions: shopping and eating.

Example 1: In Italy, while at the Trevi Fountain, Cindy is at the adjacent Benetton store buying pants.
Example 2: Again in Italy, while at the Pantheon, Cindy is distracted by the Gelateria.
Example 3: At the Asakusa temples, Cindy is too busy to look at Buddhist statues because she is buying Hello Kitty merchandise at the gift shops.

This is not to say that I'm a culture-geek either; truth be told, I was much more excited about the bowl of ramen we were going to have for lunch that day - A giant bowl of chewy noodles in rich soy broth, with a layer of fat coaxed from hours of simmering marrow. We went to a nearby ramen house recommended by the concierge and ordered the one with slices of pork shoulder AND pork belly, and soon joined the mass of slurping salarymen.

Warning: It should be noted that eating ramen effectively takes 3-4 hours of productivity in your day due to the inevitable ramen coma that ensues afterward. Upon finishing a bowl, it becomes a race against time to make it to a rest area before you conk out on a public bench. When we finished lunch it was 4PM and light out; when we woke up, it was 8PM and dark!

Stay Tuned for Shibuya and Day 3

Ching Ching Kim: 1991-2007

2007-07-12T16:43:00.001-04:00

As some of you know, our family dog Ching Ching passed away last week on July 2nd. He was 16 years old, a very ripe age for even Shih Tzus. Even sadder, Cindy and I were unable to see Ching Ching during his last few moments because we were away in Japan. However, in retrospect I'm glad that I didn't have to see Chingy suffer or finally go to sleep. I miss him so much, but am really grateful that we were so blessed with such a great dog. But he is in doggy heaven now, undoubtedly picking out the pebbles of dog food from his roast beef dinner and wiping his beard on the rug. Bye Bye Ching Ching, We Miss You Lots!

Coke is the Universal Food Product

2007-06-15T13:34:00.000-04:00

TIME did a great slideshow feature on what the world eats:

http://www.time.com/time/photogallery/0,29307,1626519_1373664,00.html

The difference between $500.07 in food expenditures per week:

and $1.23 a week:

GMail Chat with Colin

2007-06-08T14:35:00.000-04:00

From Jenny

Hehehe I found this photo while trying to find a new picture to put on my Facebook profile (yes, I've succumbed). So I feel like I'm really out of the loop with your new grad school and career plans, what are you up to this weekend or next? Let's do dinner and maybe see the Bodies exhibition:

http://www.bodiestheexhibition.com/bodies.html

I am almost recovered from my ailment!

Colin Gause to me show details Jun 7 (1 day ago)

That looks really interesting. This Sat. I have to go to Leela's going away party (I don't want to but she's leaving for 3 years min., or indefinitely), Sun. I have to play golf then go to my soccer game but Fri. I am free. What do you think. semi-interesting tangent:

----------------------------------------------------

Here's a funny little story. Firstly, you'd be surprised that MD and D.C. have like a billion golf courses. Somehow there are three within 4 miles of my house here. Anyway, I drove to one to use their pro shop to buy headcovers, and the place looks really good, everyone is white and 55+. In the shop I tell him my friends and I are always looking for cool places to play and ask if this is a private club. He says unfortunately yes, its very old (1800s) and traditional, he said when he started out he was at a semi-private place where membership was only $2,000 a year. I asked him what it was there. He says, I shit you not - 30. 30,000 dollars to be a member of a country club. I said theres no way I could do that unless I was retired and rich and he says "yeah, I mean unless you can get out here at least every other day it wouldn't be worth it for you." Then I go to pay with my CC and he says they only take cash and that most of the golfers don't even bring money, they just sign something and get billed at the end of the month so that they don't have to carry around a wallet, etc. I can imagine some guy getting insulted at the idea of being asked to pay, 'i'm not good for it? how dare you' etc. High rollers.

----------------------------------------------------

- C

Jenny Kim to Colin show details Jun 7 (1 day ago)

Hmm Friday I have to see my parents off at the airport b/c they're
going on vacation together for a week. Maybe next weekend then?

Some people have too much money.

Colin Gause to me show details Jun 7 (1 day ago)

Throw a massive party at their house that gets way out of hand. Then, when their vacation has to get cut short because of some work and they call you from the airport (and Cindy picks them up) we will all (everyone passed out on the floor, all over, etc.) from the party will have to get up, some will go shopping for replacement things, some will stay and clean for hours, Cindy will pretend to get lost on the way to buy us some time, then drive real slow on the way home and just as they pull into the driveway, like 15 people sneak out the back door and out of sight, as they open the front door the last person is closing the back door. Then everything is fine and your mom says "Huh...I remember this placemat being aquamarine not teal...[you start panicking and/or sweating]...ugh, guess I'm just getting old. Jenny I'm going to go take a nap". You sit on the couch and wipe your brow.

ROLL CREDITS

Alternate Ending: After you wipe your brow, you hear a scream as your mom opens her bathroom door and finds some guy sitting on the toilet with her robe on reading Sports Illustrated and smoking a joint (or something similar, ie. two naked ppl laying on the bed in on top of some cocaine - you forgot to check that room because you rarely go in there). Your eyes are closed until you hear "JENNY!!!!!!!" and you sit up and open them and gasp.

ROLL CREDITS

Next weekend is fine too.

Multi-tasking media consumption

2007-06-04T22:51:00.000-04:00

I've started a disturbing habit lately...caught between the indecision of either watching my latest Netflix arrival or delving further into my stack of summer reading, I've started to attempt both at the same time. Then I wonder why I can't remember what happened in either. Oy!

I should probably isolate the two stacks in separate rooms, TV in one, laptop in another, and books in the bedroom. Then they wouldn't all simultaneously tempt me. So while I'll put in the next episode of Deadwood, I'll also try to sneak in a few pages of "The Best American Nonrequired Reading 2006" edited by Dave Eggers. It's a collection of excerpts from blogs, websites, television shows, court cases, graphic novels, magazines, books, and other publications from the last year that collectively represent the broad range of writings from a wide array of modern media sources. And it's fantastic! Comics and the Iraqi constitution and Things You Should Know About Chuck Norris and Kurt Vonnegut...all in one book. It's like I died and went to ADHD-readers heaven.

Another series I've been enjoying lately is Slate Magazine's Blogging the Bible series. David Plotz is the author of a weekly series in which he reads, analyzes, and then write about each chapter of the Bible from the not so halcyon days of Genesis, to the John-on-an-acid-trip pages of Revelation. He's on Chronicles now, and every issue of this series has been both insightful, and hilarious. Highly recommended to queue up in your list of weekly on-the-job procrastination reading list.

While toggling between blog-haunting and occasionally working, I've been catching up on all the missed podcasts from this blog about Korea: http://metropolitician.blogs.com/scribblings_of_the_metrop/. I am a little ashamed to admit it, but I finally caved an bought an iPod. And...I think I love it. Harley don't hate me for it!

2007-05-22T18:53:00.000-04:00

*sigh* I love this man:

And so does the Washington Post!

Grab Bag of Goodies

2007-05-09T17:10:00.000-04:00

No entry today, just some highlights and discoveries of the past week that I wanted to share with my friends:

Film

Family Ties

I caught this at the Korean Film Festival on Friday. I must confess, I had serious doubts about this movie before watching it; a friend had sent it to me for my 25th birthday and for 5 months I let it sit by the TV unwatched while I blamed region encoding for the neglect. But can you blame me? Look at that DVD cover illustration - it screams cheesy Korean melodrama! And it was with that mindset that I reluctantly went in to watch "Family Ties" as its beautifully flawed, tormented, yet endearing characters proceeded to utterly charm me from start to finish. This film is the story of several 'families', all defying the conventional depiction of the Korean family, and all serving to remind us how family can provide the context behind even the most frustratingly cryptic and inscrutable individual. Unfortunately, I don't know have any suggestions on how else to catch this film. Unless you have an All-Region DVD Player or codec that allows you to view Region-3 DVDs, in which case, I'll gladly lend the film to anyone interested.

Television

Acceptable TV

Have you ever had someone jokingly insult you, and as much as you try to summon up the anger and indignation to punch them in the face, you can't help but laugh because it was actually pretty funny? That's kinda what Acceptable TV is like. It's a show that pokes fun at our complete inability to invest the attention-span for anything more than a gimmick. The premise is that the show airs five 3-4 minute long sitcom 'pilots' and allows the viewers to vote off 2, while the rest stay on to show the follow-up to their pilot in the next show. Catch this show while you can, b/c with VH1's shitty Friday @ 10PM timeslot, it probably won't survive much longer.

Music

Taxi Taxi - Maps & Legends

Solid songwriting AND polished production. You CAN have both, it is possible.

Blog

Puberty Sucks by Michael Kang

After seeing West 32nd, I decided to revisit Michael Kang's irresistably charming and impressive debut feature The Motel. And afterward, as is the natural and universal response after watching a great movie, I started Google-ing the crap out of it. I stumbled upon Michael Kang's supplementary blog which shares his personal recollections of his awkward/mortifying/lonely pubescent teen years, as well as some guest blog entries from others brave enough to share. And it's all pure gold (excerpt follows):

"“It’s tough for girls to imagine themselves with you,” he said.

I don’t think I had much of a reaction to this. I think the truth of it was too painful for me to even acknowledge. But I knew it was true. Somewhere deep down I knew that no girl in school ever had fantasies about me as the guy that asks her to the prom, or showing up to their house with a bouquet of flowers. I had to accept my fate as the high school eunuch. The friend to girls. The funny but non-threatening buddy to the guys. A supporting character in my own life."

One day I might summon the courage to attempt to recall the horrors of my teenage years, but for now I'm thoroughly enjoying reading other people's traumas, and anxiously awaiting the next installments.

Back from Tribeca

2007-04-30T10:26:00.000-04:00

As a native DC-resident, I reflexively buck whenever someone makes a claim about NYC's superiority over Washington's culture scene. I still think that argument is pretty stupid, but I have to confess that every time I visit NYC I'm awestruck by how massive and densely and diversely populated it is. And not just with regards to people, but the neighborhoods, private establishments, architecture, and fashion...it never fails to amaze me every time.

This past weekend I had the fortunate opportunity to check out the Tribeca Film Festival for the first time. Specifically though, I went up to see Michael Kang's new film "West 32nd St" about a young lawyer played by John Cho, who gets tangled in the criminal underworld of NYC's Koreatown. The film also starred Grace Park of Battlestar Galactica fame, and newcomer Jun Kim, who mark my words, is on the cusp of being HUGE.

The film sold out to a packed house on Opening Night, with over 100 people waiting for the possibility of rush line tickets before the show. And while I had seen a similar turnout for Opening Night at the the San Francisco Int'l Asian Film Festival, I was so proud to see such support at a non-Asian film festival, esp one as renowned as Tribeca. It truly is a testament to the state of Asian American filmmaking today.

Michael Kang, John Cho, Grace Park, Jun Kim, and Jane Kim were all mingling in the front of the theater as we walked in to pick up our tickets. John Cho is surprisingly tall in person. He sported a smart-looking black suit, skinny tie, and shiny coiff that reached for the skies. Perhaps it was nerves, but he seemed pretty serious and stoic. Grace Park was looking as pretty as ever in a short green and white cocktail sun dress; I swear she has one of the friendliest and warmest smile I've ever seen. But I was most excited to meet Jun Kim, who plays the aspiring room-salon manager and gangster. I was almost too nervous to introduce myself to him, even though I rarely get starstruck like that, especially for someone I've rarely seen on the screen. But I think it's just that Jun is SO DAMN BEAUTIFUL:

And to top it off, he is incredibly nice and approachable. Although, it helped that one of the staff members knew him through a mutual friend.

How was the film? It was really good! Well-structured, gorgeously shot, and paced pretty well. The performances feel fresh and relevant, and the look of the film was absolutely mesmerizing. It was fun to see John Cho play the awkward Korean American boy who struggles with the language and culture, and later becomes seduced by it. Overall, this film was great great fun, and I would unquestionably recommend it to any one of my friends.

As for the rest of the trip, it was awesome fun but all too brief! I never seem to have enough time (or stomachs) to do (and eat) everything I intend to in NY. Here are a few snapshots of the short trip:

Brian's fabulous Crabcake and Avocado Salad dinner:

Blessed Coffee:

Steamed Pork Buns at Momofuku (criminally fattening but soooo worth it):

Momofuku Ramen:

Dignified Colin:

Yikes!

Me and my most unnatural smile with John Cho:

Me, Jun Kim, Henry, Mike:

Mandu Gook and Panchan at Kun-Jip:

Brian and Tina:

Steve:

Wyman and Steve:

Disappointment

2007-04-19T11:28:00.000-04:00

I haven't been able to find the words to express how I feel about the horrific shooting at Virginia Tech. And honestly, all the words I know are unfit to describe the profound tragedy of that event. But one thing I will respond to is my personal embarrassment at how some members of the Korean American community are overreacting
to this incident:

(10:59:10) Sarah: yesterday, one of my co-workers in that stat
department sent out a mass email saying sorry on behalf of the korean
community

and

"On Tuesday my mother asked me how my work went. I told her I got fired for being a Korean. She said my sister had her office door closed all day because she was embarrassed."

and

Mom: "Make sure no one thinks you're weird or loner type, be careful."

Last night at our APA staff meeting, CNN came to interview the Koreans regarding their thoughts on the fear of a backlash. The reporter said that in order to be "more efficient" (huh?) the group should sit around and pretend to be discussing their thoughts on the event and the Korean community's response. It's unfortunate to see images on the news of Koreans supposedly congregating and feeling this collective shame.

The reality is that we aren't all part of this all-inclusive mass with the same thoughts and fears, and personally, I don't see any reason to band together in some sort of defensive stance when we should all be coming together, as HUMAN BEINGS and as Americans, to grieve for those lost instead of focusing on the lurid details of the deranged shooter.

Added 12:14PM:

Wow the NYTimes has completely lost its damn mind:

A recent national study financed by the National Institute of Mental Health found that Asian-Americans are less likely to seek care for mental health problems than other groups. The study, which sampled 2,095 Asian-Americans of various backgrounds, concluded that Asians born in the United States and those who immigrated as children had higher rates of mental disorders, especially depression, than Asians who immigrated to the United States as adults.

“Korean culture does not recognize mental illness,” said Professor Park, the anthropologist. “People do not recognize it or get help. There is a huge stigma.”

Rodriguez Food Philosophy

2007-04-10T18:25:00.000-04:00

I'm in yet another blog slump, and this one isn't going to be much of a post either. I don't mean for this to become a food blog, but these next two videos are quite possibly the best thing that Robert Rodriguez has ever captured on film. I'm more convinced than ever that passion about food and kitchen skills are among the sexiest traits a person could have.

Puerco Pibil:

Breakfast Tacos:

You know your work environment is uber-depressing when...

2007-03-28T18:10:00.000-04:00

... your 'cubicle' is actually smaller than the cubicles drawn in Dilbert.

However, I can momentarily forget the miseries of the work life during (ironically) my commute home thru bridge-traffic. The cherry blossoms are nearly peaking around the Tidal Basin, which is now surrounded by an explosion of pink:

I often tell people that the only saving grace of working in rat-infested L'Enfant Plaza is the 2-week period of cherry blossoms each year. But that's not entirely true, because there is also the Penn Quarter farmer's market which re-opens next week.

PENN QUARTER, WASHINGTON, DC

Season: April 5 to November 15, 2007
Day and time: Thursdays, 3 pm to 7 pm
Location: North end of 8th St. NW, between D and E Sts. NW

But remember! When you buy your fresh local farm goodies to take home and cook up at home, DON'T stick your cast iron pan in the oven at 500 degrees and then later grab the handle with your bare hand, causing 2nd degree burns onto your palm and frying it to a crisp. Not that I know anyone stupid enough to do that...

If You're (Coming Back) From San Francisco...

2007-03-21T23:33:00.000-04:00

I just returned from my trip to San Francisco for the 25th Anniversary of the San Francisco International Asian American Film Festival. It was an amazing experience, and I was stunned by the incredible support that SF's festival has garnered from both an international audience and its local populace. It's opened my eyes to what we can aim to achieve for the DC Asian Pacific American festival, and given me hope for the Asian American film market in general.

It also reminded me how important a part film has remained in my life. It amazes me that despite the influx of different forms of media and the threat of online narrative forms cutting into the film market, film continues to be such a prevalent and dominant form of storytelling. I think one of the great things about film is that it has an ability to shape on the screen what may have been sitting idly in our subconscience but that which we were never able to fully articulate or even gain awareness of. It doesn't even have to be a deeply profound message either!~ it can simply be a feeling (like in "Lost in Translation") or a observation (the stereotype of Asian overachievers in "Harold and Kumar"). In doing so, film still plays a critical role of helping us connect to ourselves and society. This is precisely why diverse stories deserve and need to be told.

I met a lot of incredible people, not just actors or filmmakers, but regular individuals who poured tremendous energy into their efforts to advocate and support the films and stories that they felt needed to be seen and heard. On my flight home I realized that in just the few days I spent out in San Francisco, watching films, talking to filmmakers and filmgoers, was the most rewarding few days I had spent in a long time.

When I got home, I wrote out my resignation letter...ha, but the next morning I didn't have the sac to sit down with my manager or turn it in. So there it sits on the corner of my kitchen table, waiting..looking at me with accusatory expectation. And telling me that weekends like this will merely be blips in the flat-line of my life.

Transcending the Hot Dog Stand: DC Street Food

2007-03-14T10:00:00.000-04:00

As an addendum to the previous post, the Washington Post also reports that 21 new vendor sites have been awarded in an effort to increase the presence of street food vendors across the city. Of course, it will take a long while before I can get past the stigma of bacteria-laced hot dogs stewing in week-old meat juices in the ubiquitous Red Hot carts all over southwest DC.

On the topic of meat though, last night I popped in "Fast Food Nation" by Richard Linklater and was reminded again of the horrific process by which most Americans get their meat. Of course, it wasn't an eye-opening revelation, as anyone who's been to college has had at least one hemp-wearing vegan with dreads expose them to the inhumane and revolting practices of the modern-day slaughterhouses. But it's like this collective societal guilt that we push to the back of our minds because it's just easier not to question it. No one wants animals to be skinned, butchered and processed while alive; or for immigrant workers to be injured every day at the processing factory; or to eat irradiated feces while enjoying a cheeseburger. But regardless of what vegetarians and vegans claim, human beings are omnivores and meant to eat meat (at least on occasion). Unfortunately our meat sources, much like many other modern day conveniences, have been distanced so far from our day-to-day reality that we just can't be bothered to think about it. And I've admittedly lost much of my youthful zeal for activism. I would definitely support legal regulations on farming and processing practices, and ideally I'd like for farms and plants to be completely sustainable. And as for today, I'll opt for the veggie pita, but tomorrow, I'll probably return to complacent ignorance.

Niche Restaurants

2007-03-13T23:07:00.000-04:00

One of my biggest regrets about DC's food scene is the lack of niche food joints, which are generally common to most big cities. I've always wanted to open several niche food joints around the city: one for kimbap, one for waffles, one for mix-and-match mini tapas-style sandwiches (called bocadillos), one for tempura, and one for Korean yogurt desserts (Pinkberry beat me to it). The obvious benefit of niche restaurants is that with one product to sell and stand by, it's gotta be daaamn good. Sometimes it works - Amsterdam Falafelshop - and sometimes it doesn't - M'Dawg Hot Dogs. But it's nice to have that one go-to place that elevates foods that other restaurants dismissively relegate to their side dishes menu section. And so I'm very excited that Potato Valley Cafe will be coming to Chinatown next month! I mean LOOK:

Good golly gracious, I can't wait.

Blog Hiatus

2007-02-27T22:52:00.000-05:00

It's been a while since I last posted. And really I don't even have much to say for this post. I just wanted to assure anyone that visits this site that I'm not dead. But while you're here reading, here's my current Top 3 Things that Suck List of the day:

I've finally watched all the to-date episodes of "The Wire" at least twice each. Life now feels aimless and without purpose.
I got locked out of my car today at work and had to shell out $100 to get a locksmith to wedge a piece of plastic into my door and flip the lock open with a coat hanger. Afterward I gave the locksmith a ride to his car and he left my car with the lingering odor of booze, cigarettes, and puke. Nice.
Speaking of locking, my JAW is constantly locking in place and preventing me from eating gigantic sandwiches for lunch. Coupled with item #1 above, this problem has caused me to become a very depressed, sandwich-deprived girl. But the good news is, I don't think it's tetanus.

But on the upside (as always) good music:

Cut Copy - Hearts on Fire

Weekend Recap

2007-01-29T12:38:00.000-05:00

Sunday dinner - Bibimbap:

Sunday tunes - The Good, The Bad, and the Queen:

Sunday activity - Season 1 of The Wire:

I reference the above photo of The Wire as a general plea to all television and screenplay writers out there. PLEASE retire the contrived chess game metaphor scene once and for all. We get it -- chess, like life, involves strategy, rank, and sacrifice. Yes, very profound.

Aside from the lame chess scene however, I cannot deny that I am a full-out Wire-junkie now (ha!). I knew this day would come, and I can already see my entire month of February being spent to feed my addiction. Damn you HBO, with your brilliant and edgy programming!

74% Ella Fitzgerald? Really??

2007-01-24T23:24:00.000-05:00

Hi! It's Jenny Kim, and guess what, I ate all the pizza!

2007-01-22T13:33:00.000-05:00

While it wasn't explicitly listed as a New Year's resolution for this year, I have been making a conscious effort to do more cooking at home. Although, I usually let myself off the hook during the work week when I generally don't get home until 8 and it's all I can do to even swing by a Wendy's and order the #6 combo (plain, with a Diet Coke and a cup of chili). Sundays are always reserved for a quiet night of cooking and watching Iron Chef America. And while my cooking ability has but modestly improved over the past few years, my appreciation for the time, patience, and effort required for delicious and honest food has grown by leaps and bounds. Anyway, this past Sunday I took another stab at the elusive art of pizza-making. The sauce and dough were made from scratch using organic ingredients. And let me say that kneading dough may be the cheapest therapy you can find. I think I have a few more iterations to go before I get the recipe just right, but all in all it was a pretty damn tasty pizza.

And one more thing while I'm on the food subject, why is it that all canned soups that aren't Chicken Noodle or Vegetable soup taste like chemical snot?

In what is the best music news I've heard in months, Rage Against the Machine announced that they're re-uniting to perform at Coachella this year! I never thought I'd use to word "necessary" to describe a band, but in these bleak times, RATM is one fucking necessary band.

So, I guess the television renaissance even spilled over to SNL, as it is apparently funny again! Here's a sketch of a few handy lessons about sexual harassment in the workplace, brought to you by the irresistable Tom Brady:

And one more thing while I'm on the sex subject, I saw this Zipcar ad while reading DCist today:

Where the hell are they getting that number from? 350 HOURS a year having sex? HOURS. In one year. That is like, an hour a day. I don't even think that my constantly horny married friends are having quite that much sex, and they have ready-access! Here's some advice Zipcar, next time don't depress your target consumers with ridiculously bogus statistics in your advertisements; who wants to think about renting a car when they're too busy thinking about all the ass that they're not getting.

New Year: Mixed Bag

2007-01-02T21:10:00.000-05:00

Is it too cliche to still write New Year resolutions on January 1? Notice that 4 of my 2006 resolutions have been carried over to 2007. I think those deserve a 2nd attempt. But overall I'm pretty happy about my progress on my 2006 goals. I'm hopeful that this year I'll bat at least a .75. If anyone has any suggestions for a class to take for my #10 resolution, please throw it out there. Right now I'm considering salsa dancing, cooking, and yoga.

Random thought: You gotta love songs about men working themselves to the grave, all for a thankless cold-hearted bitch:

Led Zeppelin - "Since I've Been Loving You"

Michael Jackson - "Workin Day and Night"

George Michael - "Everything She Wants"

So Christmas in Vegas was not too shabby. I consistently had great coffee every morning (and night), ate amazingly well (too well), dipped deep into my savings (on multiple shopping binges), and spent a lot of quality time with the family (and without the need for sedatives). I have to confess though, that Vegas isn't really my bag. When I travel, I like to look at things and speculate about the trail of events and circumstances that led to its existence, even if it's mostly myth or nonsense that's all created in my mind. Like the burial mounds in Korea's old capital Gyeongju, or the Colosseum in Rome, or paella in Madrid. I think that requires at least the veil of authenticity, which is pretty much the anti-thesis of Vegas. That being said, it's hard to decline a free vacation in a lux hotel even if it is to a place that is entirely about surface value.

Another random thought: I'm so happy that Dyson's inventor is getting knighted!

Finally, I am trying to put together a list of must-read books for this year, of reasonable length, fiction or non-fiction, and from any year/country/genre (except fantasy). So far I have:

"Brief Interviews with Hideous Men" by David Foster Wallace
"The Weather Makers: How Man Is Changing the Climate and What It Means for Life on Earth" by Tim Flannery
"Blink: The Power of Thinking Without Thinking" by Malcolm Gladwell

So recommendations would be much appreciated!

Xmas: Top 3

2006-12-20T12:55:00.000-05:00

Top 3 Reasons Why Christmas Still Rocks:

1. Special Extended Christmas Episodes! - This year "The Office" had a special 1-hour Christmas episode, which nearly eclipsed my birthday as the highlight of my month. For those of you who watch the show, but missed the Christmas episode, you can see the rerun of it this Thursday (TOMORROW) on NBC. However, if you happen to have a social life that conflicts with the rerun, you can catch the latest episode as well as all past episode of "The Office" on Daily Motion. Merry Christmas:

The Office S03E10 - A Benihana Christmas
Uploaded by funkafied

2. Going to Vegas with Family - Actually, this is not so much a reason why Christmas rocks, but moreso a reason why my Mom is AWESOME. Direct quote from the moms: "Why go to Europe when you can go to Vegas, which is closer, cleaner, and there's much more to see and do." Yep, screw that authenticity garbage, the Kim's are goin to Vegas!!!!

3. George Michael's "TwentyFive"

There are few songs in history that are genetically encoded in the human DNA to evoke an assured response. One of these is Madonna's "Get Into the Groove" which is certain to compel even the stiffest wallflower to move his feet. Another is "Pour Some Sugar on Me" which is actually only encoded for white females and when played in a bar setting, is accompanied by a horde of sorostitute harpies singing along with the chorus. But one of my favorites is George Michael's "Last Christmas" which without fail, instantly gets me into the spirit of the holidays. Apparently it is the same for everyone, as it is so widely covered by other bands, that there is a blog specifically dedicated to tracking the cover versions.

Anyway, happy holidays everyone! I have to say that I'm sad to see 2006 come to an end. It's been a remarkable year, I've built so many great relationships with amazing people and grown a lot personally. See you in 2007!

Widescale Global Disaster Doesn't Have to be ALL Bad

2006-12-12T16:33:00.000-05:00

I have to confess, global warming never felt so good. I can't recall ever seeing 60-degree weather on my birthday before...I'm pretty sure this is probably the first time that it's ever happened. And I will pretend that it's God's special gift for my 25th birthday, and not the case that my quarter-century milestone happens to synch up with a horrifyingly undeniable sign of global climate catastrophe. But, even if that IS that case, a few extra inches in the oceanic water level and some drowned polar bears are a small price to pay for such an occasion.

Fun Song Alert!

2006-12-05T18:09:00.000-05:00

New Young Pony Club - "Ice Cream"

I can give you what you want.
I can make your heart beat short.
I can make you ice cream
We could be a sweet team
Melting in your vice dreams, sport.

I can be the sauce you crave.
I can spell what you can't say.
Chocolate flavor love theme
Treat the treats you so mean
Covering you nights and days.

Let me give you what you'd like.
I can make your mouth run dry.
Drink me like a liquor
C'mon and dip your dipper
Show me what you're here for, guy.

I can give you what u want.
i can make your back real taunt
Fantastic flavor fancies -
Sick like Syd and Nancy -
Wicked as a joyride jaunt.

What you want
I can give you what you want
What you want
I can give you what you want, you want
You want
I can give you what you want
What you want
You want
Whatcha whatcha want now.

On Regret

2006-12-03T13:37:00.000-05:00

Gotan Project - "Celos"

In the past, I've too often found myself regretting the multiple instances where I let pride and stubbornness foil relationships I've had with other people. And I'm not actually referring to guys I've dated, but primarily totally platonic friendships. I guess I tend to hold people to a high standard, and then find it hard to forgive if I feel let down or disappointed. I came to realize later on that this was an unnecessarily harsh and futile cycle, which really only made life harder on myself, and that I really needed to work on being more forgiving. This realization was coupled with my increasing awareness of my own flaws and limitations; and I think that level of humility helps in striving to be more forgiving.

It sucks though, that I had to realize this so late; and now I find myself running into people that I wish I hadn't closed the book on in the past. But then I tell myself that maybe some people/things are just meant to serve as lessons and reminders.

Yeah, sorry for the unusual sentimentality; I'm always such a sap when I'm hungover. :)

Threadless Sale

2006-12-01T14:18:00.000-05:00

Give the gift that keeps on giving until approximately 5-6 washes. T-SHIRTS! Threadless is having their holiday sale now:

"Nothing Rhymes With Orange"

Why Koreans are Awesome Drinkers

2006-11-25T22:52:00.000-05:00

Soju - Talk about a multipurpose alcohol; it not only gets you completely trashed, but also masks the meat-smell in meat marinades, cleans engines, and the bottle makes a great vase!

Anti-Hangover Honey Water (Ggool Mool) - Perhaps the greatest discovery ever during my stay in Korea - an anti-hangover drink! Ggool Mool is a syrupy sweet concoction in a little bottle sold at late-night convenience stores for the trashed businessmen and college students who need some pre-emptive defense from the imminent soju headache.

Office Hangover Policy - Seoul (and Tokyo) is one of the few cities where calling in late to the office b/c of a raging hangover is actually acceptable. The downside - policy only applies to men.

Drinking Food (Anju) - Koreans take "drinking food" so seriously that they gave it its own word - ANJU. Bars commonly offer a menu of fries, tater tots, hot dogs in chili sauce, seafood pancake, and a myriad of other greasy delights to help take the edge off the caustic ulcer-inducing soju.

Before-Drinking Food (Pojangmacha) and After-Drinking Food (Ramen House) - This is a quick rundown of the eating sequence during a typical night of drinking in Seoul: 1) Eat spicy rice cakes (dduk bokgi) and fish cakes (odeng) at a street vendor cart (pojangmacha) before the hitting the bars (HOF) for soju and 2) anju; then head to a 3) ramen house or kimbap house (i.e. - kim bap nara) for kim bap and ramen; then go out for "second round" (ee-cha) at another bar! I miss Korea...

Titanic! - I'm not 100% positive that this was invented by Koreans, but regardless, Koreans are great at playing lethal drinking games. Titanic is one of them; everyone circles around a half-full mug of beer in which an empty shot glass floats atop. People take turns pouring soju into the shot glass and whoever sinks it has to toss back the entirety of the god awful mix. In all likelihood, one person will end up being the unlucky one who sinks it time after time until he/she finds himself face down in a gutter. Fun times!

The Pour Policy - And for those rare nights when drinking games are not played, you can guarantee that good ol' Korean traditionalism will ensure that everyone gets properly shlitzed. I refer to the "pour-policy" which demands that whenever an older person at the table has cleared his/her drink, one of the younger people must pour him another glass. Also, whenever an older person tells you to drink, you have to do so. These nights generally end in someone puking on the steps of a karaoke bar..

I'm sure I will think of even more bullets to add to this list, but I wanted to address a remark that made me write up this list in the first place. A friend texted me a message after going to one of the ubiquitous Korean BBQ restaurants in the area, for Galbi (marinated beef short ribs). He wrote: "Korean food is not drunk food." But what he was referring to, specifically, was Galbi. This is true, expensive beef short ribs are NOT good 'drunk food'. However, even Koreans would agree with this point, which is why they reserve sub-par "anju" for drunk-food. In fact, I have to confess that during my whole stay in Korea, I had Galbi but ONCE. Galbi and Bulgogi are much more common in the US, where it is both more accessible and palatable to the American consumer. This is not to say that I don't love BBQ Beef; it's awesome! But to equate Korean food with BBQ is just plain inaccurate.

And as a general rule of thumb, cultures that have historically suffered prolonged oppression and poverty (Russia, China, Korea) know a thing or two about harsh liquor and cheap eats.

Time Flies When You Live For the Weekends

2006-11-14T22:02:00.000-05:00

Now Reading Perry Bible Fellowship

Now Listening To...NOTHING

FUCK!

So after procrastinating until my computer's hard drive was literally 500MB away from maximum capacity, I finally decided to get an external hard drive and backup all my MP3s. It took 4 excruciating nights of slow copy/transfer/delete, but I finally managed to backup all my music and then delete it from my laptop. I then wake up to a desktop crowded with a cascade of hundreds of error messages saying that there was a "write delay" and that my files could not be transferred. I found out that I lost ALLLL my music, over 30GB worth. I nearly puked all over my hard drive before throwing it onto the floor.

Ugh, I still feel sick.

In other more positive news, I have to say that despite being relatively acquiescent with regards to working under people, I've never expected to actually LIKE my boss/manager. Until now, I never hoped for more than indifferent respect for my boss, and in reality I usually fell short of that. But for the first time ever, I really like and admire my manager, and to be honest, it's really screwing me up. On the one hand, I sense that I'm getting bored with my current project to the point where I find it difficult to get up for work. On the other hand, I'm reluctant to leave behind the uniquely positive and comfortable culture that my manager has instilled in the office. And I don't know which is more important.

And on another random side note, I'm disturbingly, turning a quarter century old in one month. And I'm still as confused as ever. Where the hell does the time go? I guess that's what happens when you hole yourself up backing up non-tangible and entirely too precious electronic bits of data night after night. But seriously, the days go by really fast when you live for the weekends. It's pretty frightening.

GAAHHHH I'm so sad about my music.

The Sign

2006-11-05T14:52:00.000-05:00

Mmm Sundays. I've been diggin the Nujabes lately, and really like the lyrics to this song in particular:

Nujabes - "The Sign - feat. Pase Rock "

Do you wanna watch it all fall apart?
Everytime I walk, I watch
I look, I notice, I observe, I read the signs
And the signs are pointing in the wrong direction
The signs are not naming the streets or leading you to the highway
The signs are naming names
Tombstones to mark the dead, of children not even born
And I don't mean abortion, I mean what is to come
The signs are telling me to turn back around
The signs are telling me to research my past
The signs are telling me to learn from my mistakes
The signs are asking me questions
Do you wanna watch it all fall apart?
Do you have any control?
Is there anything that you can do?
Time is not a nice person
I know because the signs said it
Time can be generous, but ultimately time is indifferent
Time does not give two damns or a fuck
So what will you do?
What will we do?
So I'm in the middle of the street talking to the signs
And people are looking at me
Pointing and laughing, like this motherfucker's crazy
But do they not see the signs?

Do you not see the signs?

There is one thing in this world you can depend on
And you can bet your last dollar on
It's the ignorance of the American people
Still I have faith
And still I read the signs
And there aren't any there
Some of us are lost
And will not find our way no matter what the signs say
Some of us do not see the signs because we are too busy shopping
Some of us do not see the signs because we can't help but stop and look at the accidents
Stare, we are in a daze
We are amazed by the world's displays
Some of us do not see the signs because we are giving spare change to the homeless
We are getting gas, we are volunteering for duty
And we are watching television
We are driving around in circles on spinners
And we are working eight to six
We are on our way to the club
We are high, we are drunk, and we are sober
And we do not see the signs
We are listening to a moron babble
We are listening to tongues that lie
We give them an ear, we give them a hand, and we give them both eyes
So we cannot see the signs
Slow there, children playing in these streets
And they cannot read the signs
They are only children
Stop

Stop

I fear there is no u-turn
And that this road dead-ends
Because we cannot read the signs
Do you not see the signs?
We must read the signs
And we must turn around
We must turn around
We gotta turn this shit around
And we gotta read the signs
We must read the signs
We must read the signs
We must read the signs
We gotta read the signs

We gotta turn this shit around
We must turn this shit around
We gotta turn this shit around
We gotta, we gotta...

Winery Weekend

2006-11-05T12:45:00.000-05:00

Awesome awesome day yesterday with the old group at a Virginia vineyard. It was the perfect autumn day for it; gorgeous brisk weather and beautiful hues of red/orange/yellow foliage blanketing the mountain peaks. And it was really great to see the old gang together again, who've all changed (in positive ways) in many respects, but remain the same in the important ways:

Tuesday Poem

2006-10-31T17:17:00.000-05:00

This place is a prison
Makes me want to eat donuts
Dunked in whisky

The Clientele - "(I Can't Seem To) Make You Mine"

And the Douchebag of the Week Award Goes to...

2006-10-25T10:22:00.000-04:00

Rush Limbaugh!

Quick kids, who is by far the most uncontestedly admired film star from the 80s and early 90s, loved by 80s children and Gen-Xers alike?

Correct! Charming, aloof, and completely non-threatening Michael J. Fox. Werewolf, time traveller, assistant to the president, and now a national hero for his publicized campaign to fight Parkinsons Disease.

I guess someone had to take him down a notch or two:

Rush Limbaugh: "He is exaggerating the effects of the disease," Limbaugh told listeners. "He's moving all around and shaking and it's purely an act. . . . This is really shameless of Michael J. Fox. Either he didn't take his medication or he's acting."

Yep, pretty amazing even for Rush. Read all about it here: http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2006/10/24/AR2006102400691.html

Another thought...

I've met a lot more thirty-something women recently. There's something inexplicably graceful about many thirty-something women; I simultaneously admire and envy them. At age twenty I had ambition, and now that I'm looking at the big TWO-FIVE this year, I feel like direction is the major milestone reached. Hopefully by thirty I'll have achieved the confidence that my friends possess. And thirty-five? I dunno, maybe wisdom. And the curly updo ajoomah hair style (it's a Korean thing, don't worry about it).

I think I'm over going to concerts now. Kinda sad. I never thought I'd say this, but I'd much rather spend a Saturday night in a jazz lounge, where I can hear others talk, and sip a decent drink in a comfortable space.

The Mary Onettes: "Lost"

Sermonizing

2006-10-19T21:12:00.000-04:00

Now Playing Death From Above 1979 "Black History Month":

Now eating pumpkin risotto:

Now writing:

I never wrote a recap entry about the Christian fellowship event I attended on Monday night. I spent the entire day leading up to it in a state of sheer anxiety and apprehension; I always feel like a phony in church groups, as if the people there can see a burning pentagram tattooed on my forehead. I think another one of my co-workers probably sensed this, and decided to go with me sorta like a security blanket, which I was grateful for. After the band finished rockin out their Christian worship songs, the pastor took the stage and started his sermon. The first half of the sermon concerned the matter of discipleship and the obligation that Christians have in spreading the word of God. That was admittedly kind of unsettling, and I had the feeling that I was last week's homework assignment. But then he shifted into a personal anecdote about his own conversion to the Christian faith, and how he left behind the 3 hallmarks of youth and moved toward adulthood. He noted how before he found his faith, his life was characterized by 1) and egotistical inclination to talk rather than listen; 2) insecurity; 3) an insistence to actively determine his circle of friends, rather than let God (or circumstance) find his friends for him. This particular part of the sermon really resonated with me, because those hallmarks are exactly the characteristics I've noted within myself that I'm trying to work toward fixing. And I particularly valued the pastor's message that we need to regard our present circumstances as an opportunity, rather than fight against it. Of course, in context of his sermon, he was specifically referring to the opportunity to spread Christian faith to your present peers. But I interpreted it as a more general message. It's difficult to reconcile this notion with the American ideal of self-determination, which I still hold valid. But at the time, the sermon reminded me to balance those two ideals. It was definitely a worthwhile experience, and although I'm still pretty far from considering myself a Christian, I will likely be attending soon again.

Autumnal Mood

2006-10-19T01:05:00.000-04:00

I guess I am in that state where I would rather music speak for me

Phoenix - Honeymoon

I think I may be ready for something new.

Process

2006-10-17T17:48:00.000-04:00

A new beginning?

2006-10-16T16:31:00.000-04:00

YES it's NOT my imagination, music really IS getting better:

http://www.midlake.net/

lazy ramblings

2006-10-16T16:00:00.000-04:00

Holy Shit I'm so bored at work today that my brain is starting to feel like tofu in my skull. I'm too bored to blog stalk. Too bored to browse recipes. Too bored to watch movie trailers. Too bored to do much else but space out and drool and speculate about whether I've done more travelling than the pennies on my desk. I'm thinking that the dirty penny from 1994 may have passed through quite a few hands in its day. That thought sets off a whole chain of conjecturing that kinda grosses me out.

I guess I can't complain too much, I had a pretty decent weekend. Caught "The Departed" and "Science of Sleep" in one weekend, both of which were very good in very different ways. However, of the two, "The Departed" is the one I would choose to see again. It's misleading to say it's a return to form for Scorsese though, because structurally it's very different. However it does employs some similar stylistic devices, like opening with first-person narration and pivoting a male-dominant ensemble cast around a single female character. I didn't see "Infernal Affairs," so I had nothing in the way of expectations or baseline of comparison, which I'm grateful for. I was just happy that Scorsese made a film that was entertaining from beginning to end, after the coma-inducing "Gangs of NY" and "Aviator".

While driving into work this morning I realized that dating for me is like jean shopping. On the rack, a pair of jeans may look super hot, but you can never tell if it's going to be a good fit until you try it on. That said, I have yet to find a pair of jeans that fit perfectly. I'm not sure they exist. But I can tell within 10 seconds in the fitting room if the jeans are all wrong. Sometimes I don't even need to bother zipping them up to decide. Inevitably after a dozen or so pairs of this routine, the sales clerks lose their patience and say that I'm too quick to judge, but hey, when they're wrong they're wrong. And there's no point in trying to shimmy and shake into a pair that just isn't working out. But the ones that have potential, even if the pant leg needs tailoring or the seat of the jeans require me to cut back on french fries for the next month, are worth the effort to conform to them. A great pair of jeans are really rare to find. And additionally, I really like the ones that have a swooshy stich pattern on the back pocket. Hmm, I guess the analogy stops there.

I agreed to go to this Catholic Fellowship event tonight with a co-worker of mine and it's kinda freaking me out right now.

sharp like an edge of a samurai sword

2006-10-02T13:15:00.000-04:00

I can't tell whether it's because lately I'm happy, that music sounds so good
Or if it's because lately music sounds so good, that I'm happy

I guess regardless of whether one drives the other, these days I feel like I'm brimful of positivity (don't worry, this won't last long) and brilliant tunes. I am so thoroughly enjoying the Samurai Champloo soundtrack, that I can't bring myself to listen to anything else because everything thing else is an offense to the ears in contrast (OK, slightly over the top there, but somewhat true). It's an incredibly layered blend of jazz, ambient, electronic, hip hop, and SO FUCKING SMART! SO SMART! It's inspiring to listen to something so well thought out and yet appropriately restrained.

Onto another subject -- you know what's really attractive in a guy (and girl for that matter)? When he shows that he can be a really considerate and genuinely caring host. That ability to take care of people, make sure that they're comfortable and enjoying themselves, even if doing so is awkward or cuts into one's own fun...it's really admirable. It's also very different from being a social butterfly and the life of the party. The former is about others, the latter is often about oneself. I guess I discovered that whereas before I thought that I was attracted to confident guys, I think it's not so much confidence as it is lack of ego and self-scrutiny that I really value. Hmm...but I suppose that could be considered confidence too.

And don't forget y'alls, APA Film Festival is still going throughout the week with two parties coming up on Thursday and Saturday night.

some days, some nights
some live, some die
in the name of the samurai
some fight, some bleed
sun up to sun down
the sons of a battlecry

Holy Crap it's Festival Time!

2006-09-28T14:29:00.000-04:00

Stop blog stalking and get your ass to the DC APA Film Festival. Great films, raffle prizes, giveaways, talented filmmakers and attractive staff members! ;) What more could you ask for?

Confessions of a Nerd

2006-09-15T16:51:00.000-04:00

Despite the temptation of two happy hours going on last night, I decided to forego the risk of stunting my flu-recovery and stayed home like a good girl. It's a bit twisted, but aside from the physical unpleasantness of being ill, I actually don't mind how being sick forces me to be a homebody and be good to myself. For example, this week I've cooked at home more than I have in the past month, and perfected my rice porridge recipe! I listened (really listened) to my new albums, and fell in love with Fujiya and Miyagi. I finally finished the last few pages of Norwegian Wood and launched the APA Festival Website!

But my greatest joy this past week was receiving my long-awaited Netflixed DVDs of Samurai Champloo. So last night, while my co-workers were doing rounds of Jager and the APA crew was sipping on martinis, I was in my pajamas with a hot mug of chai watching the first few episodes of Shinichiro Watanabe's follow-up to Cowboy Bebop.

This show is SO MUCH FUN! It's got the same Cowboy Bebop sensibility without the seriousness. And the hip hop soundtrack is dope. Yep, it's true love. A match made in nerdy heaven.

And I imagine it comes as no surprise that I am still single. Oh well, back to Champloo.

The Good, the Bad, and the Hello? Anyone there?

2006-09-11T01:31:00.000-04:00

Huzzah! Dad's 60th birthday dinner went off without a hitch. Low-key, yes, low-budget, no. That dinner put a hurtin on my credit card that will have me eating hot dogs and beans for weeks. But it was worth every penny and buttery pound. It was at the Charleston in Baltimore, by that part of the harbor that looks like Arlington/Alexandria's Maryland-doppleganger (complete with Whole Foods and South Moon Under). Everything came together perfectly, the staff was wonderful, accomodating, and attentive, the food was beautiful and decadently delicious, the wine was perfect (and in the case of the Chardonnay we had, startlingly good), and the atmosphere was just right. They even printed out the menu I had planned out beforehand, with my Dad's name up top, and added some other complimentary touches like a free amuse bouche, chocolates, and dessert wines. And the obligatory sappy final note about the night: the best part truly was seeing how happy we made Dad and Mom.

So there's the good, here's the suck: I'm freakin sick AGAIN. Why am I cursed with the immune system of an 80-year old leper? I don't get it, I eat relatively healthy, exercise, try to get enough sleep these days, and quit smoking (except on weekends). I even switch out my toothbrush every month b/c I'm paranoid that it's become a petri-dish of bacterium. Anyone have any ideas or suggestions?

Well, I didn't want to make an announcement on my blog before the official DC APA email blast, but then I decided that I'm pretty sure my sole blog reader is probably Harley. So Harley, just so you know, our trailer contest is now online at our website: http://www.apafilm.com/contest.php. Rock the vote.

Holiday Weekend Lessons Learned

2006-09-05T21:45:00.000-04:00

Some things I've learned this past Labor Day weekend:

This is kind of gross. But I noticed that whenever I eat a good dose of onions, be it regular onions or shallots or green onions, my eyes get irritated and itchy. So on Saturday when I went to town on the green onion salad over dinner with the family, I once again found myself rubbing my eyes dry a few hours later. I then discovered that my tears smelled like onions! I guess it's one of those things that saturates your pores and fluids after eating...like garlic. Eew.

I am so grateful to be a part of APA Film. Everytime I hang out with the staff, I'm amazed at how likeable and motivated everyone is. I honestly can't say think of one person I don't like on the staff. And while my involvement started out as a way to distract myself from other things going on in my life, it's now become a major part of my life.

Speaking of which, I ran into my ex on Thursday night. It had been nearly a year since I'd seen him, and although I was a bit anxious about summoning up old feelings that I had buried, I actually found myself to be completely disconnected from all of that. It felt like meeting someone at a happy hour and forgetting their name afterward.

I'm getting giddy from the imminent Fall weather approaching. And my appetite has taken a headstart with its sudden cravings for comforting pot roasts, creamy soups, and sturdy Cabernets.

I'm really on the fence with my law school essay. It was written within 2 hours while I was doped up on cough syrup and Sudafed. It's about how I've managed to convert my obsession with cleaning into a semi-philosophical approach to life. Does that sound beyond terrible?

Yar, Beef Bourguignon coma.

Strained Efforts to Not Be Lame

2006-08-31T00:17:00.000-04:00

Harley: "Why is your blog so lame lately?"

It's true. I've been really remiss in keeping up with the entries lately, and I can't even blame it on work anymore. At least not directly anyway, since my work schedule has calmed down significantly with this new project. But indirectly I sense that work has massaged my mind into a comfortable laziness further spurred on by overspecialization in mental processing.

I had a conversation with a friend and APA Film associate over dinner at El Pollo Rico last night. As we were shamelessly tearing into our chicken carcasses, I listened to him talk about how he reads about modern business models in his free time and thinks about the practical application of these models to help relieve the poverty and inefficiencies in third-world countries. I could tell he was trying to engage me in the conversation, but as hard as I tried, the only thought I managed to summon from the dusty recesses of my brain was how I should've gotten the Inca Kola instead of the Diet Coke. Christ.

But our talk did spark something, although I can't tell if it is inspiration or envy or just a reality check. It reminded me of the days when 10 pm meant I had at least 3 good hours to really get shit done (as a personal investment). Whereas these days, by 10 pm I resign myself to thinking 'what's the point'.

Yes I know, this is a pretty repetitive theme across my blog entries (which again, may be attributed to the mental laziness). But I recognize that although I may not be the sharpest tack in the box, or the most talented of the bunch, my one advantage in life is my innate ability to focus my obsessive compulsive tendencies on something until I completely exhaust it. And right now this potential is just sitting there...worthless.

Which reminds me of something that another colleague at work said today; he mentioned that he puts his entire savings into a safe but slow-growing savings account due to his indecisiveness in how to invest his money, which I interpreted as being primarily due to laziness and/or fear of any level of risk (no offense B, feel free to blast me on IM if I'm wrong here). But I'm metaphorically doing the same thing with my youth; I know what it's like to invest my ambitions toward something and not having it pay off. I guess it led me to settle for risk-free comfort.

Anyway, all that being said, I STILL don't know what I should really be doing, so I guess I will try to go back to doing little bit of everything.

But the real moral of this painfully drawn out entry is that you always learn something about yourself over chicken and cole slaw.

Lets Go Out to the Movies

2006-08-24T21:59:00.000-04:00

Several years ago, I once listed my top 5 picks for most promising young filmmakers:

1. David Fincher
2. P.T. Andersen
3. Darren Aronofsky
4. Sofia Coppola
5. Michel Gondry

Well, years passed, and all my big picks (with the exception of Gondry's "Eternal Sunshine") weren't really panning out as expected. But sometimes good things just come in long-awaited batches:

David Fincher's "Zodiac"
Based on the Zodiac killer in San Francisco in the 1960s and 1970s. The temptation to predict that this will be a blend of Seven and the Game (also based in SF) also sets the bar pretty high on expectations. But the nice thing about watching anything by Fincher is knowing that the production-quality and cinematography alone make the cost of a movie ticket worth it.
(Release Date: January 2007)

Paul Thomas Anderson's "There Will Be Blood"
Not much in the way of details for this one, although it IS supposedly filming. The main character is a Texan oil prospector played by DANIEL MOTHERFUCKING DAY-LEWIS. P.T Anderson AND Daniel Day-Lewis??? (((mind exploded)))
Release Date: unknown

Darren Aronofksy's "The Fountain"
I've waited for this movie for so long and seen the trailer so many times that I sometimes get confused and think that I already have seen the movie. I won't bother with a plot summary because it will likely be blown to bits thru the course of the actual film.
Release Date: November 2006

Sofia Coppola's "Marie Antoinette"
OK I admit, this one probably won't be that good. BUT it will be pretty to look at and have a rockin soundtrack.
Release Date: October 2006

Michel Gondry's "Science of Sleep"
This movie and its actors have all been lab-engineered for me to fall madly in love with it. Watch the trailer and just try not to bounce in giddy excitement, I dare you!
Release Date: September 2006

Now why can't I program stuff like this

2006-08-03T14:41:00.000-04:00

A co-worker of mine opened my eyes to Pandora Radio and it was a magical day:

This has been the sole reason that I haven't already thrown myself under a truck while at the office.

Obey the Shih Tzu!

2006-08-01T22:21:00.000-04:00

Yesterday while at lunch with co-workers I saw a woman at the Smoothie King with her son and Shih Tzu. And as any dog owner can attest, we have this compulsion to compare every dog of the same breed against our own dog(s) and reconfirm that ours is WAY WAY cuter. But in my case, it's totally true. In fact, I went home and did a Google image search on Shih Tzus, and am confident in saying that my Shih Tzu is an anomaly of mind-boggling cuteness not only amongst the breed, but of the entire dog species:

However, one page I stumbled upon during my Google search caused me to suspect that maybe my dog's incomparable cuteness could actually be a guise for his ultimate plot for world domination:

Yeah...I'm clearly procrastinating from doing my law school applications.

Discovery and Flux

2006-07-29T01:19:00.000-04:00

It's Friday night, at 2:00 a.m. and I'm sitting here in pajamas and a ponytail, watching Food Network and working on the APA website. I am a rockstar. But I'm down with the strep, so I got a good excuse. I also got dead tastebuds, which are making my Diet Coke taste like battery acid. So being housebound as I am, I decided to sort out my neglected lists of to-dos and goals and tasks, and do a little mental spring cleaning. I weeded through my journals, stacks of calendars, past events, invitations, and made my way through my documents and came across this one, written in June of 2005, when I was obviously on a Buddhist kick:

"On Flux" - 06/25/2005

Life is a series of overlapping, transitory events and phases
The one constant in life is impermanence (is this a contradiction? or harmony?)
Even the "self" cannot be considered a static entity -- one's self and sense of self is also in a perpetual state of flux
Pain, suffering, and regret are often the result of people coming into and out of our lives - either physically or metaphorically - we must accept that our connections to people and relationships with others are impermanent
Similarly, we often experience self-doubt and pain when life takes a new direction or when we fall short of our goals , resulting in feeling lost and aimless.
The term 'path of life' is deceptive; life more closely resembles a perpetual cycle - the start and end of a series of endeavors - thus, the concept of "progress" even in context of ourselves is flawed! How can one progress in a circle?
This is not to imply that life should be idly lived in apathy, but rather, that we should be aware of the present.
And THAT is why I don't buy into the concept of transcending the cycle of life...it distracts us from living in the moment.

While the Buddhist notions of recurrence and cycle have always resonated with me, I could never really fully adapt it to my personal philosophy of an obligation to the present with a mindful eye toward the future. To be sure, I'm just like many other people my age who worry about career, marriage, investment portfolios, etc. But beyond the societal bullshit and pressure, in my mind, I want my priority to be what is happening now; to be conscious and conscientious of the present moment. I was much better at this when I was younger, and much more able to sense joy while it was happening too. But one of the luxuries of childhood is never having to think about the path ahead. These days I find that I'm doing more planning and less doing. Ideally, I would like to merely set milestones that allow me to amble my way forward and maintain my responsibility to my present actions. I have to remember that life has much more to offer than anything I could ever plan for myself, and by being willing to say YES to the moment, perhaps I can overcome myself and live life more fully than I even thought possible.

please let me die. not really. but kinda.

2006-07-21T01:24:00.000-04:00

16 hours at work

dreaming
thinking
speaking
in
c o d e

my mushrooms went bad

that's not a metaphor. they really did, because i haven't been at home for dinner in a week. no mushroom risotto for me. :(

pulling late-nights for college projects was fun when i did it with sam.
sam + wawa hoagie + coding = fun
coding - sam - hoagie = existential despair.

this is really really funny, and i don't even like kevin smith:
http://hedonistica.com/yt.php?path=http://www.youtube.com/v/vgYhLIThTvk

i changed my blogger profile photo because someone said that my old photo looked like i was intentionally trying to scare off any male readers. let me know if the new photo is less scary.

someone save me from my job

Bizarro Family

2006-07-17T14:30:00.000-04:00

Does anyone else communicate like this to their parents? It amuses me though.

Jenny Kim to Wung
More options 9:23 am (4 hours ago)

Daddy,

I am reading a book on Nietszche now. Do you still have the book
"Thus Spake Zarathustra"? I want to borrow it. How are you feeling?

Jenny

Reply Forward

Wung Kim to me
More options 2:19 pm (2 minutes ago)

Jenny,

I have it somewhere. I will look for it for you
I saw a doctor today. He said everyhting looks ok
I am doing fine. I am working today. Mom does not like it, though

2006-07-13T20:56:00.000-04:00

It's hard to write an entry about a near-death experience without sounding trite, but I guess when one of those experiences occurs, the last thing you care about is how you come off to other people. Anyway this isn't about my own near-death experience, but my dad's. Today while at the office, I received a phone call informing me that dad was in a terrible car accident and was rushed to the emergency room at Suburban hospital and I had to come right away. Without knowing much else, and unable to get my mom on the phone, I immediately assumed the worst and hopped into my car without even knowing where the hospital was. I frantically tried to recall the last time I saw dad, what I said to him...I remembered that it was hard for me to even look at dad when I last went home because of how aged he looked. That sounds really bad, but it's not to imply that looking aged is bad in and of itself, but I just felt overwhelmingly responsible and guilty for every carved line in dad's face, every square inch of baldness, every pound lost and every moment of raspiness in his voice. I had hoped that once I settled down and straightened my life out, I would be redeemed for all the hardship I put him through; but while driving to the ER I had to consider the possibility that the opportunity might be lost.

I'm infinitely relieved and grateful to say that dad is OK. Banged up a bit, for sure, but he managed to escape one devastating car crash in one piece. I have photos from the police report, and his car was essentially reduced to scrap metal. Thank God he was wearing his seat belt, which managed to keep him secured to the seat while the car flipped over TWICE. I know I am my father's daughter because the first thing my dad did when he got home was to SHOWER. hahaha

It's unfortunate that it sometimes takes events like these to shake you and remind you what is ultimately important in life. Which is not to say that every time spent with your loved ones should be framed around the idea that they could be taken from you at any moment. But at the end of the day, it is a secure feeling to know who is truly important to you, and be confident that they know it.

Guilty Pleasures

2006-06-29T17:09:00.000-04:00

While eating my chicken salad sandwich during my 3 hour lunch break today, I realized that it was my 4th straight day of eating a chicken salad sandwich for lunch. Chicken Salad is one of those things that you never really want to admit to people that you eat (unless it's one of those bougie asian chicken salads with mandarin oranges, although in that case it's still a pretty embarassing food to eat), based on the universally agreed fact that it's one of the most disgusting edible creations ever made. It's true, I can accept that shredded chicken slathered in mayonnaise and flecked with diced celery is a culinary abomination, but I'm helplessly addicted to it. This got me to thinking of other guilty pleasures, so here's a few lists, organized by category, of things that I'm usually too embarassed to admit that I love:

Movies

Jurassic Park

Any Given Sunday

Donnie Darko

Music

"Crunk" Rap

Reggaeton

Pet Shop Boys

Kylie Minogue

Books

Alice in Wonderland

Chuck Palahniuk books

Batman Comics

Food

chicken salad

Cranberry Crunch cereal with Vanilla Soy Milk (doesn't sound bad until you see me finish a whole box in one sitting)

boxed wine (but only one brand: Banrock Station Shiraz)

Cinnabons

Popeye's Fried Chicken (and biscuits dipped in the mashed potatoes...mmm)

Celebrity Crushes

Topher Grace

George Duran (Ham on the Street)

Lee Byung Hun

Hobbies

compulsive vacuuming

cleaning the shower

designing elaborate menus for dinners that I will never host

drawing random people's caricatures and hiding them in their belongings

Blog Slump

2006-06-26T00:07:00.000-04:00

Well, since the last time I wrote an entry, I've spent 2 wretched weeks in Italy, 2 liver-damaging weeks in Chicago, gained 5 pounds, met dozens of new people from all over the world, tried 3 new types of pizza, bought loads of new albums, and yet I have absolutely zero motivation to write about any of it at all. Sorry, if you really have any interest in hearing about any of the above, I'd be happy to oblige in person.

Things I am looking forward to: new project at work, 2006 APA film festival preparations, Pirates of the Caribbean sequel, Dad's 60th birthday, and actually living in my apartment.

As a random aside, today our building fire alarm went off because the basement was flooding. When the fire alarm went off, I was eating a big bowl of cereal, and had to contemplate whether I should: a) finish my bowl and evacuate; b) leave the bowl and allow the cereal to become soggy and inedible; or c) evacuate while eating the bowl of cereal. Thank God it wasn't a real fire, because I seriously stood in my PJs and slowly crunched on cereal like a dumb cow while deliberating for like 10 minutes. I finally wimped out and chose (b), and let the last bowl in the box become mush while I waited for the fire department to come so that they could turn off the deafening alarm. This story doesn't have a point, other than it being the low-point of my otherwise average day. Which is good! Because I've sorely missed "average" days.

See, my extended blog-absence has really been a blessing for both me and my now non-existant readers...I've finally become too stupid to write a coherent entry.

Italia!

2006-05-27T17:45:00.000-04:00

Mamma mia pizza pie I'm in Italy! The days are sweeter than a cono of pistachio gelato. Mike, my Gmail is on the fritz here but since I know you'll read this, I connected with Stefano and Istvan in Milano. I can't believe you never told me that Stefano has a hangook yuhjah chingoo that speaks fluent Italian! Great news about your placement in Japan! Will visit for sure. Speaking of japanese, about every 15 minutes of walking down the alleys here, random Italian guys attempt to say 'hello' in this order: "Ni hao! Konichiwa! Arigato! Mooshi Mooshi!" Anyway, using blogger to write basically a personal email is pretty tool-ish of me so I'll go, will post fotografs when I get back!

Who's Got Soul???

2006-05-19T15:41:00.000-04:00

I've been sadly out of touch with music these days. It's not even that I've been looping the old stuff, but rather that I haven't been listening to anything. ANYTHING! I find that it's hard for me to concentrate with music at work, so I don't generally play any unless I'm doing something mindless (which rarely happens anymore). And I've admittedly gotten a bit lazy about seeking new music.

No music is bad for the soul. Something in me dies a little bit with each day that passes without good music. But I've found the magic soul-revival tonic in Frank Popp Ensemble. Funk, jazz, lounge, soul, whatever you call it, it's pretty groovy shit man. Whenever I listen to the album, I mentally visualize this non-existant 70s roller-derby disco movie starring Pam Grier and Elton John.

"When the sun goes down and the moon goes up, I turn into a teenage goo goo muck!"

Wow TV, you've changed

2006-05-15T00:37:00.000-04:00

For a long while I was nearly completely estranged from my television aside from the background noise of Food Network and the occasional taping of the Daily Show. Part of the reason being that I didn't have a TV for the first few months of moving into my apartment, but mostly it was because at the time, TV programs were the suckiest suck to ever suck. But since the Sopranos has started airing their new (and last ) episodes, I've been catching up a bit with the digital cable offerings at home, and am startled to find that TV is actually good again. My new favorite channel is Fine Living, which shamelessly caters to my yuppie foodie weaknesses. But generally I spend the most time watching on-demand music videos like a highschool burnout until Sopranos-time. Which brings me to....HELLO, has anyone else seen the new Kelis video for "Bossy"??? Whoa. I always thought Kelis was one of those artists that was pretty in an underrated way; like you had to really look under that mop of hair to notice. But now Kelis looks like a crazy lab-engineered hybrid mix of Aaliyah, T-Boz, and Missy Elliott but in a hot body. I think even Jay-Z's gotta be sittin at home, watching the "Bossy" video, and thinking to himself, 'damn, Nas wins.'

2006-05-10T00:21:00.000-04:00

Uggghhh, fucking shoot me. The throbbing pain from the now blistering rash is making me nauseous, while the fever is giving me night sweats. On a happier note, Mike is going to be teaching in Japan this Fall for sure now, which means I'll be raising hell in Shinjuku come winter! Suki desu!

That Dirty Asian Girl

2006-05-08T20:50:00.000-04:00

Well, based on my self-diagnosis of shingles, I called my doctor in a panic and asked him to call in a prescription of anti-viral medication to stop the spreading of the rash. Shortly after, I drove to the pharmacy to pick up my prescription, assuming that it would be your standard anti-viral meds only to find myself signing for a prescription of Valtrex. At first I stammered to tell the pharmacist that it had to be a mistaken prescription because mine was for shingles. But she assured me that it was the correct prescription and that Valtrex is used to treat both herpes AND shingles. Great. I stuffed the prescription in my purse and tried to walk out as incognito as possible. On the way back I stopped by the local French cafe to pick up dinner. This place is like 80% of the reason why I'd consider staying in Cherrydale rather than move downtown; it's run by the sweetest elderly French couple, and they always throw in the occasional dessert for free because I come SO often. I especially love the grandfatherly proprieter, he's the cutest bushy-browed French man ever. Too bad I can never go there ever again. As I walked out with my usual Chicken Tarragon on baguette, the owner called out after me to hand me the prescription that had fallen out of my purse on the way out. I don't know if it was my imagination or if the look of horror->disgust->dismay on his face was genuine, but I'm fairly sure he read the prescription, and my only hope is that he hasn't seen the commercials with the herpes-infected people frolicking in the meadows. So I made sure to slowly savor my chicken sandwich, as it will be a long time until the next one.

Diseased

2006-05-08T18:13:00.000-04:00

I was going to write a glowing post about my first-time experience at a gay mens club, but I'm too busy FREAKING OUT about my shingles outbreak. Or, at least I think it's shingles. That's my sister's diagnosis. And she's going to Pharmacy school this year so that almost makes her qualified to give one. I have a rash going from my back to my my side, and I've been slipping in and out of a fever-induced delirium all day. This is what I get for making fun of my college roommate for having shingles. Kharma is such a hoe-bag.

My Idea of a Vacation

2006-05-03T22:36:00.000-04:00

In my everyday life, I'm a planner. If I don't have at least the next few steps mapped out, I completely wig out. And despite constantly reminding myself to relax and live in the moment, I usually find myself calculating my agenda in the back of my mind all the while. The one exception to this general rule is when I'm on vacation. I truly put my mind to rest when I'm on vacation (and I'm sure my liver wishes I paid it the same courtesy), and to this end, I usually strive to travel with people who either: a) do all the planning for me, or b) are content with just cruising and doing whatever. Unfortunately, this time my travel companion to Italy is my sister, who is neither (a) nor (b) but rather (c) - utterly incapable of making any arrangements whatsoever. As such, planning this trip is stressful as a motherfuck. I feel guilted into seeing all the art exhibits and chapels and historic sites. Turns out, there's quite a few in Italy. But between you and me, I'd much rather spend the whole time bouncing from osteria to trattoria, eating al fresco style, drinking vino and people watching. As we all know, (Drinking + Food) x Chillin = Good Time. That's a classic formula, why mess with it. I'd consider it a fulfilling trip if my only experience was taking in this view with a couple charming, albeit hairy, natives.

Morning People Should Get Stuffed

2006-04-27T11:17:00.000-04:00

Our project recently started enforcing the workday start-time of 8:30 am, which is actually not unreasonable. So it's pretty pathetic how bad I'm struggling to make it in by this time. On an average day, getting in by 8:30 am would require me to leave my apartment by 7:45 am to account for traffic. It generally takes me about 30-45 minutes in the morning to fix myself up to look decent, but only about 5-10 minutes to throw on some wrinkled clothes, pile my hair into a nest, grab my keys and leave for work looking like a crackwhore. I usually opt for the latter. However, every work night I go to bed determined to start my early morning routine, and get in to work looking presentable and feeling sharp and refreshed. I set up THREE alarm times on my cell phone (6, 6:15, 6:30), and a backup alarm for 6:35 that is so jarring that I swear it shaves off a day from your lifespan. I even place that alarm on the other side of the room so that I'm forced to get out of bed to turn it off. Despite this alarm clock obstacle course, I still manage to start each morning turning off all 4 alarms and crawling back into bed only to wake up in a panic, scrambling to get into work on time. NOTHING works! I could have an alarm clock that freakin requires me to finish a Sudoku puzzle and do 5 cartwheels to turn it off and I'd still crawl back into bed afterward. I'm just not wired to be an early-riser. And even when I do manage to get in by 8:30, my brain is still useless pudding until the 3-4 cups of coffee I drink eventually gets the circuitry going. I'd honestly like to be a morning person if such a transition is possible, but it seems that instead I just drag ass all day long.

P.S. - This is a great website (don't bother unless you live in DC-MD-VA): http://www.tylercowensethnicdiningguide.com/

Agenda: Hard Candy

2006-04-22T18:57:00.000-04:00

Stop!

Drop what you're doing right now.

Check the clock, make sure that it's Saturday April 22 before 9:30, and if so go directly to AMC Loews on Wisconsin Avenue and ask for tickets to see Hard Candy for the DC Film Fest.

Revel in every gut-wrenching moment (and try to ignore the weak-stomached ones that excuse themselves halfway thru the film).

Chuckle to yourself while exiting the theater and overhearing the audience talk about how disturbingly enjoyable the movie was.

Thank me later.

And Another One

2006-04-19T11:00:00.000-04:00

Newsflash: McClellan Finally Says "Fuck this shit."

Making Peace with Mediocrity

2006-04-16T23:27:00.000-04:00

It suddenly hit me today, that April is half over... Which means it'll soon be May... Which means, this year is nearly HALF OVER. I blinked in disbelief and then turned a skeptical eye toward the list of 2006 resolutions I have tacked on my wall:

Jenny's 2006 Resolutions

Focus on maintaining a good work ethic.
Break obsession with food.
Keep detailed account of all spending.
Improve articulation/communication.
Follow through on endeavors.
Read more
Start investing
Keep in touch with family and friends.
Work on some sort of spiritual life.

I decided I needed to recalibrate my expectations and figured that if I made at least some progress toward #1, #2, and #8, then it would be forgivable to be a broke-ass, blathering and illiterate soulless pagan.

I'd say that if I had one undeniable talent, it's writing lists that will inevitably be unfulfilled and forgotten. Each morning starts with a list of that day's 'agenda'. Even when my planned agenda for the day consists of NOTHING, I still have to write out the time slots occupied by showering, eating, and sitting on my ass. But more often than not, I end up writing out ridiculous overly-ambitious agendas for the current day, only to review them at the end of the day and find that I have accomplished about 10% of what I projected. This is why I'm stupified when other people actually use the word 'productive' and 'motivated' to describe me. Which leads me to conclude that as long as you document the things you would like to achieve, no one will really notice how utterly useless you are.

YIPPEE! Film Fest DC!

2006-04-11T20:43:00.000-04:00

I want to see EVERYTHING in this! Who's with me???

You Must Know These Things

2006-04-09T23:02:00.000-04:00

A list of things everyone should know about:

1. Rogue Dead Guy Ale - Although I was resistant to the whole Rogue Brew marketing gimmick at first, this beer changed my whole outlook on not just the Rogue line, but beer in general. Dark and malty, but not heavy like a Guinness, and not bitter like most other hoppy ales. It has a pretty high alcohol content to boot, so you'll feel happy after just one 12 oz. Mmm...I really could go for one right now.

2. Perry Bible Fellowship comics - OK, perhaps you know about this one anyway, but did you RE-discover it yet??

3. Cooking in Parchment paper - How can something so easy produce such delicious results?? Tip of the week: Prepare a whole week's worth or parchment dinners in advance, and just pop in the oven when ready to eat. Once you master the parchment fold technique, it's downright criminal to go back to those frozen dinners. My favorite combo - Haddock with Green Beans and Cherry Tomatoes in a white wine and olive oil sauce.

4. Hokusai exhibit at the Sackler - Haunting and intense, although the exhibit space could be better laid out. However, if you are lucky enough to be able to sneak away on a long lunch break and miss the crowds, I highly highly recommend it. Totally worth the shit you'll hear from your boss the next day.

5. Demetri Martin - Unfortunately his website is perpetually under construction. When girls say they ultimately want to settle down with the dorky type that makes them laugh, they mean Demetri Martin.

6. Ham on the Street - This show is the reason why my Wednesday nights are booked for the next 2 months. It was love at first sight (of deep-fried-brownie).

A is for Andy (and for Apalling - inside joke not to be explained)

2006-04-01T15:23:00.000-05:00

Perhaps the only saving grace of working by L'Enfant Plaza is being walking distance from the Tidal Basin, especially when the cherry blossoms are in bloom. After work one blustery and cloudy Friday, Andy and I went to see the cherry blossoms and walk around the WW2 memorial:

Also while reading Andy's blog I came across one particularly charming entry, and it made me smile. Andy is such an enigma...he makes me worry that he has absolutely no faith in humanity, and yet he can be pretty sentimental sometimes:

Saturday, March 18, 2006

Burr-i-tooooooooo.....

So my dad comes home and he is telling me about this awesome new burrito place my brother told him about and he brought a burrito home for me. As soon as i saw the signature silver aluminum foil, I knew my dad had discovered chipotle, but pretended I had never heard of it, as he was so happy to be sharing his new joy with me.

Apparently, at some point he told me that I should get a plate and eat it with a knife and fork which I didnt hear, because as soon as I start eating it he starts yelling at me about how he told me they were impossible to eat with out making a mess. He then went on to describe that first chipotle experience we all have whereby ingredients are spilling everywhere. Even though I was being yelled at, I couldnt help but find it amusing that my dad had discovered the phenomenon know as OOCB or out of control burrito. So I got a plate cause I didnt want to explain that an experienced burrito man like my self no longer suffered from the OOCB phenomenom (because then he would know that he wasnt sharing a new joy with me). And when he saw me eat the burrito flawlessly he was quite impressed. Thats it, thats the whole story. I just thought it was funny, like one of life's simple joys.

Films and Truth

2006-03-21T12:34:00.000-05:00

I think the regression back into winter weather has inspired in me an inclination toward classic, romantic, and foreign films lately. It really only takes one good one to ignite the flame, and that was Tony Takitani on Saturday afternoon. A quiet and restrained but lovely short film. I love that classic Japanese sensibility of stripping away all the extraneous matter, to only leave behind the absolutely pure and essential elements. Very direct, and honest. I like that.

Then again I also love the embellished style of neo-Realist Italian films - low-angled shots capturing dramatic lines and angles and bold architecture. Deep, dark shadows and rich colors and aggressive camera movements. Last night I finally crossed off Cinema Paradiso off my list of been-meaning-to-see-films. It was the first time in a long long while that I fell head over heels in love with a movie. At the same time, it made me lament the 'progress' in movie technology, and the over-saturation of movies being pumped out of the industry. I guess I'm at the age where I really envy the innocent sense of wonder that I used to get from merely seeing moving images on a screen, or listening to a simple tune, and being captivated by my senses alone. One of my favorite scenes in Cinema Paradiso is when the old projectionist (Alfredo), in his blind state, touches the strip of film, runs it through his fingers, and tastes it - I really like that idea - of loving film so much, that you want to consume it in every way possible.

And now for a totally random aside: Yesterday, while in Bethesda, I walked into a new "salon" to buy some overpriced & unnecessary conditioner, and the proprieter/stylist approached me and started a conversation. I almost mistook him for a panhandler that had ambled in the store, b/c he was dressed in a dirty black hoodie, cargo pants, sneakers, and his lips were really chappped. But he said that he had studied in Europe as a stylist for years, catering to supermodels, and that he came back to the states to start his salon because he had grown weary of the haute fashion world. Eh, even with the hobo getup, it would've been mildly believable, but when I asked him where in Europe he had studied, he got really flustered and stuttered, "You know the usual, Paris, Milan, NICE..." which he pronounced like "She is a very NICE lady." Ha, I don't know, I thought it was pretty amusing and cute, so I bought the conditioner he was pushing, just because he was trying so hard. It's funny, but as much as I appreciate honesty and sincerity, I don't usually hold dishonesty against people as long as their intentions are good. Maybe it's because I'm the biggest liar I know. Or maybe it's because I've always been cynical in thinking that everyone lies, and the best we can hope for is that they mean well. I would gladly trade a little honesty for an equal share of care and compassion.

Tonight, ChungKing Express REDUX.

2006-03-16T23:43:00.000-05:00

WARNING! This is going to be one of those half-drunk rambling and unbroken blog entries. I keeps it reals like that. It was the first day of the week that I got out of work before 8, so instead of meeting up with the rest of the office at Georgetown, I opted to spend a night inside with a bottle of wine and some rented movies. I just finished watching "A History of Violence" and am pretty confident that I made the correct decision to stay in for movie-night. Excellent film, strong acting, and superb direction (hello, it's Cronenberg). But why the hell did William Hurt get nominated for this, wtf! Highly recommended, and it's not just the Merlot talking. Actually, I should watch it again tomorrow just to double-check that, but I'm pretty sure I know what I'm talking about. In any case, I have a positive bias for films that take place in the nothingness of the midwest (note: west of Reston to me, qualifies as the "midwest" - this means you Chantilly). Wide, flat landscapes sparsely cut thru with dusty, unlined roads and the occasional rambler equipped with a wraparound porch, swing bench, and decorated with floral wallpaper. If you haven't yet been stranded in some podunk town whose main attractions include Walmart and the local wax museum, you have yet to experience the best that America has to offer. Diners and down home service and mini-golf and pickup trucks and meatloaf. That comes off as patronizing, but I'm completely serious. In fact, ever since my sister and I discovered this B&B in said-podunk town in the Shenandoah, I have made my way over twice since, and have thus designated it as my resident local getaway. It is truly the epitome of Americana...Sunday finds the neighborhood deserted since everyone is either at Sunday church service or at the diner (post-service) or at the local Sunday flea market. Hmm...I have a sudden craving for scrambled eggs and bacon. OK, before I leave to succumb to that craving, let me say add this to my endorsement of "History of Violence": it has the most original sex scene I've seen in years.

Feening for More Sopranos

2006-03-13T02:23:00.000-05:00

HOLY CRAP, the season premiere episode of Sopranos last night rocked my mother fuckin socks off! I relished every delicious second of it. The season premiere reminded me why people are so quick to call the Sopranos the best show on television; it's just astonishing to see the mix of magnificent writing, acting, and production all converge in 1 all-too-short hour of pure brilliance. Wow, just...WOW. The days between Sundays could not go by fast enough.

In other news, my sister has just got accepted to the University of Maryland's Pharm.D program! Congratulations sis! This is welcome news for my parents, but especially my dad, who is looking forward to my sister finally moving out so he doesn't have to worry about coming home to the 'watchdog' that my sister has become. It seems that he's regressed into bachelordom by hanging out with friends, drinking on work nights, making frivolous purchases on expensive clothing, and being all around sheisty. But my sister tries to keep him in check by interrogating him when he comes home late at night. Me, I could never do that, especially since I was always the one in the household that kept the family waiting with my long nights (or early mornings). What's funny though is that my dad has started using all the old strategies and excuses that I used to use on HIM. Like telling my sister that he was going on a Barnes and Noble run (but really meeting up with friends), or bringing food home as a distraction from the fact that he's been running around with friends all night. I feel like I should be paid royalties damnit! And to add, either the world is topsy-turvy or my life is fucking pathetic, because every time I ask my dad if he wants to meet for dinner, he says he's already got plans that night and blows me off to meet up with friends. Yes folks, my dad's social life is hotter than mine.

And what else is going ons in the infinitely frenetic life of Jenny Kim? I'm going to Italy this summer! The original plan was Greece, but island-hopping proved to be too much of a pain to plan for this year. However, it seems that planning for Italy is not much easier, since there's way too much ground to cover in merely 2 weeks. I am tentatively thinking of flying into Milan, travelling south thru Tuscany, Rome, to Napoli and back up North, perhaps stopping at Verona (and skipping Venice entirely). Too much? I honestly could see myself stopping short in Florence and just kickin it for the whole 2 weeks at Enotecas, drinking vino the whole time. But if you have other travel itineraries or suggestions, let me know.

2006-03-06T23:44:00.000-05:00

It wasn't too long ago that I used to think I had an inexhaustible amount of energy. Not so much active, physical energy, but at least the mental capacity to cram a lot into a day, as long as time permitted. Now that I'm working 12-hour days on a pretty consistent basis, I come back home feeling like my remaining mental energies are like the last bit of sand slipping through the hourglass until I am completely tapped out. It's frustrating that I feel utterly unable to expend the same amount effort I used to on things that matter to me OUTSIDE of my job. Sadly, I'm pretty much limited to choosing ONE mentally taxing thing to do once I get back from work, and grocery-shopping is now considered a mentally-taxing task (as evidenced when I tried to both balance my budget THEN go grocery shopping which only led to me drooling in a stupor in the cereal aisle). It makes me realize that as I get older, I'm fighting more than just time; each passing day depletes a little more from what I now see are increasingly scarce resources: youth, energy, mental acuity, and idealism. And it scares me! (I want to end this entry on a more conclusive note, but I'm too exhausted to do so.)

Ugly! Just Like Us!

2006-02-24T18:23:00.000-05:00

Thanks to Sam, who can always be relied on for links that will provide hours of idle procrastination.

Airbrushed Goodness...

And the Awful Reality...

Major Crisis of Epic Proportions

2006-02-17T09:59:00.000-05:00

MY VACUUM BROKE!!!

Only those who really know me would truly understand why I'm so distraught. You see, I have this...quirk, where I have to vacuum my apartment every few days. Sometimes, I vacuum even more frequently than that, especially after particularly long/stressful days or days when I cook at home. Next to a hot shower and vegging out to Food Network, I'd have to say that vacuuming is one of my topmost therapeutic activities. But it's more than just therapy, because if I let a few days pass where I don't vacuum, it takes it's toll in a mental and physical way (read: eye-twitching and sleepless nights).

So Wednesday night, I get home and ALL I want to do is take a hot shower, eat a simple dinner, and vacuum before I sit down to watch Project Runway. I plug in the vacuum, press the power pedal, and after just a few rows of vacuuming the rug, my vacuum goes "VROOOOooooooo...." and silence. I tap on the power pedal, but no response. No smell of a burnt out belt, the bag was empty, everything seemed to be spinning below, and the cord was plugged in.

I know it's not much of a vacuum but I loved it. It suited my apartment and vacuuming needs, was lightweight, easy to maneuver, and had a long enough power cord for my whole apartment. Now that I'm looking at the prospect of buying a new vacuum, however, I feel like I should buy an "investment" vacuum. I lust after the Dyson, but is it really worth $400?

Hints of Spring

2006-02-13T16:50:00.000-05:00

The Bosco at Pizzeria Paradiso

Sunning by Jefferson Memorial

Belgian Beer Happy Hours

National Gallery of Art Exhibitions

Bubble Tea at Green Tea Cafe

Snowed In Weekend

2006-02-12T13:59:00.000-05:00

DC finally got the snowstorm it was waiting for all winter, and although many of my non-DC native friends amused themselves by teasing Washingtonians for their Chicken-Little syndrome, the snow was enough to keep me snowbound all weekend. I crossed off my planned agenda for the weekend, made a midnight run to the grocery story on Friday night, bought some chicken thighs, noodles, aromatics, and coffee creamer, and put on a huge pot of chicken stew for the weekend. Whereas the original plan was to work at the office thru the weekend, host dinner for the parents, and buy some much-needed work clothes, I've been catching up on reading and movies, eating comfort foods, drinking way too much coffee and red wine, and sleeping in without guilt. So who says snow days are wasted on the weekend. Mmmm

2006-02-08T09:55:00.000-05:00

I'll get around to a proper post in a bit, but for now, here's something to brighten your morning:

Free Burrito > Having a Valentine

2006-01-30T12:34:00.000-05:00

Hey All, buy a $5 Chipotle gift card before Feb 11th and redeem the receipt on the 12th, 13th, or 14th for a FREE BURRITO!

Sexier than any Valentine could ever be...

Feb 4: D-Day

2006-01-27T12:41:00.000-05:00

One week left til the LSAT.

The night of Sat, Feb 4, I am drinking my face off. Who's with me???

"Face. Off." (haha, who gets it???)

Movies That Make You Feel Bad, in a Good Way!

2006-01-23T23:40:00.000-05:00

1. Blade Runner
2. Lost in Translation
3. Alice in Wonderland
4. 8 1/2
5. In the Mood For Love

All this recent movie talk with Andy has made me think about movies that make me feel shitty but at the same time, are oddly satisfying. I can't explain it, but all these movies make me simulataneously lonely and comforted. Is there a word for that feeling? Does anyone know what I'm talking about???

Yo Baby Girl...You Gotta Dollar?

2006-01-19T21:44:00.000-05:00

Arrested Development fans might appreciate this one... Tonight while walking out of LSAT class, I got hit on by a homeless panhandler on R and 21st St. Well at least his sign "Help the Homeless" seemed to suggest that he was homeless. But as I stood there waiting for an opportunity to cross, this guy comes up to me to lay down game! "Baby girl how you doin... You just get out of work? Goin home? Need some company?"...with his folded cardboard sign still at his side. I didn't know whether to be impressed or insulted. Maybe he recognized my photo on my online personal ad...

Stalk My Music

2006-01-17T12:20:00.000-05:00

Mike just reeled me into the LAST FM community. I'm suddenly all self-conscious about the music I'm playing (staying away from the secret 'NSync stash), but I'm sure that I'll soon forget about the Audioscrobbler plugin that is silently publishing all of my tunes.

http://www.last.fm/user/kimjinhee/

On another music-related note, DJ Shadow released his new album "Funky Skunk"! YES!

2006-01-15T10:52:00.000-05:00

Mornings like these make me wish I could bottle up moments in time to keep forever. I'm sitting here in hoodie and shorts, slowly blinking through the sunshine pouring through my window, drinking a hot cup of coffee that's kicking my ass, and listening to woxy.com's throwback Sunday morning radio which is playing Bell Orchestre right now. This. Is. Bliss.

Last night in the middle of the NE/Denver game, the power went out. Maybe it was to spare me from witnessing NE's pathetic loss, but I ended up downing 4 beers and passing out at 11:30. I groggily wake up at 2 a.m. and all the lights are on. The blaring sounds from the TV and the rumbling of the dryer feel like they're trying to fight it out in my ear canal. I'm still somewhat drunk from the beer and I manage to completely forget about the power outage. So I'm sitting in bed wondering what time it is, what the hell is going on, and why I feel like I'm in the movie "Fear and Loathing in Las Vegas." The lesson, my friends, is to turn off your appliances if you're planning on passing out during a power outage.

OH HELL YES, John Vanderslice to El Ten Eleven. I'm in heaven.

IM Excerpts

2006-01-13T15:21:00.000-05:00

(Note: Actual screennames not used)

me: a few of my friends were debating whether they'd prefer a 1 minute long orgasm or a 1 minute long poop
laconic: hahahahhahahhahahhahhahhahahhaha
laconic: what was the verdict
laconic: and was this all guys or the girls too?
me: all guys
me: i was just fortunate to be witness to the convo i guess
me: but they were unable to come to a unanimous vote
me: and most of them couldn't decide one way or the other
laconic: it's so obvious. gotta go with the orgasm.
laconic: giants dumps feel awesome after it's done.
laconic: that feeling like the bottom dropped out from under your stomach
laconic: it's that clean and empty feeling
laconic: don't act like you never took a giant one and felt awesome after.
laconic: like you just lost 10 pounds.

toughguy: if you voted you can't complain unless you really didnt know these things go on
me: what?
me: that doesn't follow
toughguy: you supported the system
toughguy: despite knowing its corruptness
me: so what's the other option
me: not voting and not exercising any rights
me: the system isn't inherently corrupt
toughguy: well, its that mentality that allows it to continues
toughguy: yes it is
toughguy: politics are corrupt
toughguy: which is why i dont see a problem with abramhoff
toughguy: i mean
toughguy: he was working in the system
toughguy: doing what he did
toughguy: just as much as you were by voting
toughguy: he didnt circumvent the system
me: i'm not saying that lobbying doesn't happen
me: or that it's all bad
toughguy: it has to happen
toughguy: that is the system
toughguy: think about it
toughguy: in actuality everyone is a lobbyist
toughguy: but instead of money you give a vote
toughguy: abramhoff gives money
toughguy: which boils down to giving lots of votes

me: what the hell is 'math-rock'
me: http://www.tinymixtapes.com/musicreviews/h/hella.htm
me: i hate genre types
blunt: it just means the rhythm section sucks

bboy: maybe after law school, you can program the first judge-bot
bboy: using both law skillz and coding skillz
me: oh my god that's ingenius
bboy: but no one will know how shoddy it is.....its prime judging technique comes from the random class
me: hahaha
bboy: the defendant is 44.6% not guilty

foodie: I think I just grossed my coworker out, they were eating tiny baby carrots
foodie: so I called them fetus/placenta carrots

airhead: i say if greece doesn't work out we go to italy
airhead: florence, rome, naples
me: ok
airhead: much to see and do
me: that's totally easier
airhead: alright
airhead: yummy food too :)
airhead: sistine chapel!
airhead: breathtaking vistas
airhead: siestas
me: siestas? in italy?
airhead: yeah they do siestas
me: no they don't
airhead: they do gelato!

OK one more song from 2005 and that's IT

2006-01-11T15:47:00.000-05:00

Of Montreal:

THE PARTY'S CRASHING US

You’re such a mystery I just want to stand and stare
Nibble on your ear and smell the ocean in your hair
You know you damage me you leave me tangled in a knot
But when you reappear I see Neptunian blues that eyes forgot
Neptunian blues that eyes forgot

I only feel alive when the vu’s flashing alarms going off in my head
I want to grab you and just kiss you maybe I should sit down
No sense in cashing us now
Still I only feel alright when the vu’s flashing bombs going off in my head
I want to grab you want to scream at you no icing me down
The party’s crashing us now
The party’s crashing us now

Oh well we made love like a pair of black wizards
You freed me from the past you fucked the suburbs out of me
And all those ugly days that made us so sick
They are just fossils now we’ve learned the elevating trick
We’ve learned the elevating trick

In-class Reality Check

2006-01-10T22:47:00.000-05:00

*Lifted from my personal journal*

1/10/06

In LSAT class right now and the last thing I should be thinking about is &%*^#. I don't have a good feeling either, about the LSAT or &%*^#. I feel as if I've set my eyes on too many choices and now it's got to the point where I need to hurry up and jump for one.

Quick List Time...Priorities:

1. Family
2. Friends
3. LSAT / Law School
4. Self - health, self edification, interests (rememer those, Jenny?)
5. Organizations
6. Boyfriend?

That's what it's all about, hokey pokey!

JK

canto rock

2006-01-06T11:49:00.000-05:00

my latest obsession = my little airport

The precious pair of basement lo-fi rockers from Hong Kong just came out with a new album: "becoz i was too nervous at that time", whose title hints at their playful style and affinity for long titles. After reading the back of the CD I was already poised to love the album for song titles like "Leo, Are You Still Jumping Out of Windows in Expensive Clothes?" or on their other album "the ok thing to do on sunday afternoon is to toddle in the zoo" with songs like "you don't wanna be my girlfriend, phoebe" and "edward, had you ever thought that the end of the world would come on 20.9.01?" Fortunately, their talent backs it up; they manage to be coy with their lyrics and arrangments without compromising the edgy quality of the instrumentals. I wish stuff like this would come out of Korea more often...

I admire couples that create art together.