Wednesday, April 30, 2008

Let's drive.


A company in South Korea just came out with something incredibly useful: a digital map of S. Korea. It's used in navigation systems (GPS driving systems) in cars and is marketed towards foreigners living in or visiting Korea. The names of almost 4,000 different places, streets and buildings have been romanized for people who can't or haven't yet learned how to read Hangul. I hope they have to make a bunch! That means there are lots of folks interested in S. Korea. I know I can't wait to get over there for the first time.

Go Go!

I am continuously getting more and more excited for Speed Racer to come out. I watched Stephen Colbert the other day when Rain-oppa came on and challenged him. It was kind of funny to watch him speak English. I have a bad habit of laughing when they do that. In lots of the tv shows and movies I watch the actors and actresses suddenly switch to English and it makes me giggle. I hope Rain displays wonderful diction while delivering his lines in Speed Racer. He's still learning now, and filming wrapped up forever ago. The premeire was this last weekend and there are a few fan-vids floating around on Youtube. It would have been great to be there and see Rain so close up. I really do use him as an inspiration. I can't wait! Only another 9 days. :)

Remember: Aja! Aja! Hwaiting!

Book Review: Trail of Crumbs by Kim Sunee

I was shuffling through my step-mom's copy of People back in February and found a little blurb on this book and it piqued my interest. So, I immediately requested it from the library and a little less than two weeks ago it finally became available. New books take bee longer to get, you see. Well, I just finished it. I have mainly been trying to find a job these last couple weeks but I really wanted to read it, so I made time. Now, what does this have to do with THIS site you say? Everything and nothing. The author, a American woman, was adopted as a toddler from South Korea. I have read a few books about adoption - from the parents point of view and from the child's point of view and I suppose they have a pretty common theme and story, but this one was quite different. It was, for lack of a better word, sensual. The story oozed romance, even when she was just talking about food. It wasn't a romance novel at all, but a rich story about a woman who is desperately searching for her way in the world and trying everything she can to feel whole or "at home." I can understand some of her feelings, because I myself feel torn at times. It is no real news to those who know me, but I am very much Asian, even if I am white. Ha ha. My friends all call me their "little Asian" and my best friend (Yixuan, who is Chinese) just recently told me that I know pretty close to as much about China as she does. She swears I was born Chinese inside. So, in the way that she was born Korean, but lives in America kind of rings a bell for me. The book also contains some yummy looking recipes that follow along with the story. If you are a cook you should give them a try. The book is also being released in Korean soon, so tell your Korean friends too! If you are looking for a story that is moving and inspirational, I would recommend reading Trail of Crumbs: Hunger, Love, and the Search for Home.



p.s. - you can check out her site and her own blog here. I find it interesting that she is going on the South Korean tv show "I Miss You." It makes me think of Daniel Henney in his role in My Father. I somehow have been connecting with adoption stories lately.

Monday, April 28, 2008

I am worried.


I was reading a Chinese news web-site that said there was a really bad accident involving two trains, one leaving Beijing and the other leaving Yantai. My best friend lives in Yantai and they said that it is the train that leads to Jinan, her home town. I don't think she was going home this week, but I am worried and have not yet heard from her. More information here.

Edit: By a very lucky chance, my friend was in Meifang instead of Yantai - she actually might have been on that train otherwise. She was taking a test - yay TOEFL!

Saturday, April 26, 2008

Kirei!


I saw these on a Korean news site and had to post about them. As long as I can remember, my grandmother has been collection Swarovski crystal figurines. If I had a nice big pile of money, I would buy a pair of these sets for her and for me. The panda's are a part of a few year set to raise awareness for endangered species. They are a bit expensive though, so hopefully they do something worth while with the proceeds!

Thursday, April 24, 2008

Rice-ess Crises.


I was watching the local news and found it odd that local super-stores were limiting the amount of rice people can buy. I found it odd, but not too surprising in our crappy economic situation. I also found out that it's become an issue in other countries too. It's so hard to believe that we are so close to recession and depression in the world. I have a lot of things in my life that are indicative of this. I really hope that we can get away from this trend. Let's hope that things get better soon for everyone.

Tuesday, April 22, 2008

China Goes Green

Well, sort-of. It's a nice start for them anyway. They are starting a government subsidy that is creating light bulbs. Not just any light bulbs - energy efficient light bulbs. And because they are through subsidies, the common consumer pays fifty percent less than the MSRP and businesses pay thirty percent less. Since China makes the majority of the worlds light bulbs, hopefully their mass production will trickle into other countries. :) Nice little Earth Day message I think.



Sorry about not posting, there has been more drama in my life.