Now that I am living in Korea, it is amazing to see how focused Koreans and even non-Koreans are on their favorite soap operas.  Korean soap operas are unlike “All my children” or “General Hospital,” they are more like “Lost” and “Prison Break.”  Some of my friends decided not to hang out on a certain night of the day because of their favorite show.  Ridiculous, right? 

So here is my one cent on the issue of the Korean soap operas:  MADtv’s parady on the Korean Soap opera.  

Boxes and boxes of my highly valued treasure….. of course, clothes and shoes from all over the world….  were unpacked and displayed just like the way I like it. 

This morning I walk out of the house to go grocery shopping with my mom to prepare for Chusoek (the Korean Thanksgiving), we spotted a very special guest; a MAGPIE…. for those who are not familiar, kagpies are passerine birds of the crow family, Corvidae. 

A magpie was flying around my window and as we spotted her, she sat on the edge of my window and looked into my room.  My mom says that in Korean culture, Magpies are a sign of good news.  My mother told me that in Korea, people wish to see a magpie for the new years and many say if you see a magpie in the morning, a wanted guest is to visit you.

So we decided to name my magpie, Maggie~  Thank you for bringing luck to me Maggie.  Will definitely update you guys on my Maggie~

I work from Monday through Friday in the office and from Friday night to Sunday morning, I enjoy exploring the Soul of Asia, Seoul.  Then on Sunday morning, I head to Onnuri church located in Seobingo area of Seoul.   I love Onnuri church, and the reason is because people like me, Korean Americans attend the church without feeling too out of place.  There are a large group of Korean Americans and many celebrities attend the church.  It is a dynamic church that I feel much comfortable in, unlike many places in Korea.  One of the pros about this church is the pastors who are mostly Korean Americans, or sometimes 1.5 generation (born in Korea bur raised in the states).  One of my favorite pastors is Pastor Han, Hong.  He was born in Korea but raised in the States from his early teen years and attended UC Berkeley, and maybe that’s why I love him.  Anyways his sermon was absolutely what I needed. 

“Look at your self as if He was to look at you,” was the title.  

In Korea, all the girls look the same.  I didn’t understand why people had the same hair, same clothes, same make up and even same nose and eyes.  It turns out that it is very important to look the certain way in Korea.  If you don’t fit the bill with your looks, you might not be able to get the job even if you are qualified.  That’s how much it matters in Korea.  Therefore the message Pastor Han delivered was something that I think everyone, including me in this shallow world.   To quote him, “every single person has their own uniqueness and their own purpose for being here and it doesn’t matter whether you don’t look like the person sitting on the right side or the left side of you.”   According to an article published on the Korea times on July 25, 2005 titled Students Obsessed With Appearances.  According to the article “First good impression is very important for job interviews,’’ said Park Dong-eun, a graduate student of Ewha Women’s University (EWU). “Since people meet face-to-face during job interviews, it is important for women jobseekers to look good,” and “Koreans are forced to put our picture on our resume almost always, which is rare in other countries. Sometimes it is mandatory to write down our weight and height. I don’ t think it is necessary but that is the reality.”  As you can see from the quotations it is extremely important to look great in Korea and it is fair to say that the books in Korea are being judged by the cover and most of the time by the cover only.  I also had to put a picture on my applications when I was seeking for a job and the technology savvy photographers were able to conduct much magic on my picture with Photoshop to have me look much leaner and prettier (and maybe that’s why I got a job…. You never know.)  Below is the proof provided.

One of the most popular movies in Korea this year was “200 lbs. Beauty.”  This was actually the first movie I ever watched after arriving in Korea in this past January.  My dear friend and I watched and he, a Korean American said that he had changed his opinion about plastic surgery.  He was always against me thinking about getting my nose done (yes, I do dislike my round nose…) but after being in Korea for a couple of months more than me, he thought it wasn’t a horrible idea that I get some fine tuning on my face.  Yeap.  Here is a trailer clip of the infamous movie, check it out.

Koreans have made it clear to me and many of my non-Korean friends and looks is one of the most important things in Korea.  It is fair to say that Korean do judge the book by its cover.  I actually love the books printed and published in Korea because they are beautiful~

 Pastor Hong informed us that no one should look the same.  Every single person has his/her own reason for being here.  And then he played a short film for us.  And actually made the congregation tear up.

The cover sometimes is important but what is underneath has to be the most important factor.  Go ahead and judge the book by its cover but you make sure you wait and see what the contents have to offer you.  

Even though I have lived in the states for all my life, I didn’t have much knowledge of Guam, a territory of US.  I mean, geography was never my best subject but still, I knew of Costa Rico, so what is up with Guam.  I have been representing Guam for several months now, and it was finally about time that I visit the island. Off the plane, a limo waited from Hyatt Regency Hotel.  The first thing I noticed other than the happy Chamorro people was the fact that many of the signs were in Japanese.  I figured because there have been a huge number of Japanese tourists, so Guam has grown into developed to cater to Japanese.  Then I was enlightened of the history of Guam and I think it is one of the most interesting places I have ever been to.  According to Felix, our Korea Marketing Officer in Guam, Guam was officially the territory of Guam and the Chamorros, Guam’s indigenous inhabitants populated the island from about 6,000 years ago.  Then was colonized by Spain in 1565 then after the Spanish-American War, the US took control of the island in 1898.  During WWII, in 1941 Guam was attacked and invaded by Japan.  During the Japanese occupation, the indeginious people of Guam were subjected to labor, incarceration, execution and prostitution.  According to reports, about a thousand Chamorros died during the Japanese occupation and later the US returned to win the Battle of Guam in 1944 and established Guam as an unincorporated organized territory of the US in 1950. (for more detailed information, please visit http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Guam)

It seems as Guam has gone through a very similar history with Korea.  I immidiately saw similarities in how many nations attacked both countries and were occupied by Japan and had to encounter extreme brutality from the Japanese military.  However how the two nations react to such history are night and day. 

 What I have noticed is that there is a subtle anti-Japanese belief among Koreans where Guamarians welcome Japanese with open arms.  One of the most famous tourists attractions is the Shoichi Yokoi’s tunnel-like underground cave.  According to history, Shiochi Yokoi is the last WWII Japanese soldier.  According to reports, Yokoi went into hiding after the US took over Guam and then was discovered in 1972 in the jungles of Talofofo.  After his return to Japan, Yokoi became a celebrity and his cave became a famous tourist destination. 

This would never be possible in Korea.  The memory of the Japanese occupation being featured as a vacation destination?  I don’t think so.  There are still severe feelings between the Koreans and the Japanese. 

Even though the conflict betwen the Korean and Japanese, for the longest time.  But being in Guam has made me think about many things.  Below are some of Yul Kwon’s movement regaring the Resolution calling on Japan to apoligize. 

Is it just simply cultural difference?  Listening to the youtube short films, for some reason it makes me tear up.  I wonder if it is the Korean side of me, wanting an apology from the Japanese government.   Truly, this business trip to Guam has made me think of many different things about cultural difference and help me understand how my ancestors felt, just a little bit.

This past week, I had a chance to visit Guam for a week as a business trip.  We had several issues that we needed to discuss and at the same time I needed to visit Guam, because I have actually never been to Guam.  The thing was how am I going to represent Guam when I don’t know what it is about.  Is it like Hawaii?  Or a Southeast Asian country?  I had no idea, what to expect. 

So to be honest, I was super excited.  Yeap, even though it was on business, I thought I lucked out, going to a vacation destination during the high peak season.  Oh, boy.. was a wrong.  I don’t think I have ever been so tired and exhausted on a business trip before.  Well, Now that I am back from the land where America’s day begins, I would like to share with you guys what I have learned from this little beautiful island. 

One of my favorite comedians in the world is Margaret Cho.  I would consider she is one of the most famous Korean American “celebrities,” but I was surprised to learn that barely anyone knows of her in Korea.  How is that possible?  I mean, Korean people have such strong nationalists, they recognize anyone famous in the world who might have a drop of Korean blood.  I can list those I see in Korean TV commercials and I am enlightened that they are part Korean.  Did you know that Ulsula Mase, Sanda Oh, Grace Park, Daniel Dae Kim, John Cho, Randal Duck Kim, Rich Yoon, Kal Yoon, Alexandra Chin, Will Yoon Lee and even Hines Ward have some amount of Korean blood in them?  To be honest, I had no idea.

The reason behind Margaret Cho being not so popular in Korea is because Koreans are ashamed of Cho.  As an Asian American, growing up in LA and going to school in Berkeley, I learned not to be defined by the stereotype images of Asian American women.  The significant roles in Hollywood films and TV shows still show the Asian American stereotypes.  Well, for those unaware of the stereotypes for us, Asians in the states, let’s go over them.  

Stereotypes of Asian American men can be divided into two large sectors.

1.        The fabulous Kung-Fu fighting man who doesn’t speak English well.  Jackie Chan in the movie Tuxedo was very controversial because it portrayed an Asian man not being capable of anything good except when he wore the tuxedo he turned into a superhero.  Even though Chan was playing the love interest of Jennifer Love Hewitt, there were no kiss scenes that you even see on Disney channel these days. 2.        The super nerd with big glasses and no sex appeal.  Long Duck Dong in the movie Sixteen Candles portrays the Asian American men to the tee.  Unattractive man who tries hard to be accepted but is not accepted into the culture.   

Stereotypes of Asian American women can also be divided into two sectors.

1.        The Dragon Lady.  An Asian woman who is seductive and desirable by men but at the same time she is considered untrustworthy and conniving.  Pearl in film Payback played by Lucy Liu defines the Dragon Lady.  The sadistic dominatrix/hit woman for the Chinese mafia (www.wikipedia.com).  Need to say more?

2.        The fragile young women who are waiting for a man to come and rescue her.  Chiyo/ Sayuri character of film Memoirs of a Geisha played by Ziyi Zhang represents a typical Asian American woman men vision.  The helpless yet beautiful and fragile woman who can’t do anything for herself and therefore a man (preferably a Caucasian) needs to rescue her. 

Okay.  We all know that Asian Americans actually do not divide into these 4 sectors, right?  As an Asian American woman, I have to say that I was not affected horribly by these stereotypes.  Growing up, I had 2 sisters and we were raised to be very atypical Asian women, thanks to our fabulous and very westernized father.  But there had to be a reason that I didn’t find Asian men attractive at all.  I am not talking about Asian movie stars; of course I crushed on them, but on real Asian men.  Nope, no interest at all until recently where I am surrounded only by Asian men.  A friend of mine who grew up in LA and now here in Korea once told me that he was judged by those stereotypes every day of his life; when I can’t see Long Duck Dong or Jackie Chan in him.  He was a boy from great family and background, intelligent with great degrees, cute, and above all, a suave DJ; okay there were no cool Asian DJs in any movies I watched growing up.

Here in Korea, interestingly and to my surprise, I am looked upon through the stereotype of Gyopo, Korean American women in the Korean language.  The outspoken and wild party animals with long brown dyed hair with thin eye brows.  Yeap, that’s the stereotype of Korean American women here in Seoul.  Even though I think I look Korean, I am spotted everyday as a Gyopo and honestly I spot “one of us” in the streets of Abgujung (the Beverly Hills of Korea).   Honestly, I have never struggled with my identity, growing up.  I thought working in Korea was going to be as easy as working in the States.  Boy, was I wrong.  Anything I say in the conference room is easily taken out of context and judged with the comment, “oh, she’s a Gyopo so…”  The way I look is always on the chopping board, how I look young and unprofessional.  I think so far, I have received more feedback on my appearance on my clothes and hair rather than the quality of work.  So, I made a big, I mean, big decision.  I cut my long brown colored hair to a short little bob.   

I had to whine about this somewhere.  I wasn’t aware that I would have a stereotype that would follow me in Korea.  What I feel is that I truly don’t have a culture or a nation that I belong to.  If I am not considered a true American, even though I was born and raised there, and I am not considered a true Korean, even though I look Korean; well, I don’t have blue eyes and blonde hair, where do I belogn?   I can already tell this stereotype in Korea is going to be a hard one to break.  My first step has been taken (cutting the hair) and I will definitely update everyone who is willing to listen on how I am doing so far on it.  

Let the games begin~  Bring it!!

This morning, there was an eye catching article on the USA Today titled “Rudeness, threats make the Web a cruel world” 

Many make comments on issues without fully thinking what impact that will have on the person on the issue, because you are in a separate world where you face and real name is not presented for others to see.  Through these thoughtless actions on the internet seem innocent and harmless but it should be taken more seriously. 

When I moved to Korea in January, I was fascinated with all the absolutely gorgeous celebrities in Korea.  It was amazing to see how beautiful and interesting these celebrities are.  Another shocking thing was that within months of my arrival in Korea, two famous Korean actresses had committed suicide.  Jung, Da-Bin and Unee were loved by many fans and were featured in many popular dramas and had hit songs.  Even though there were publicly stated reasons behind the deaths of the two young talents but many speculated that the pressure of being on top killed them.  Another issue brought up by the management companies of the two young celebrities was the hatred comments on the internet about the two women.  How the comments affected their daily lives in such ways that they wouldn’t use the internet for months at times to avoid seeing negative statements. I know that these two events could seem like extreme examples.  While reading the article feature on USA Today it reminded me how powerful words are, whether it is spoken in English, Korean, through audio or viewed through a Dell monitor, they are powerful enough to make a difference in the world and also lead one to take his or her own life. 

As Voltaire stated, “the right to swing your arm ends where my nose begins.”  

Even though it is hard to believe, religion, race, culture, skin color and other still make a difference in how people react in the twenty-first century.  Even though I would like to believe that we are no longer racist and hatred towards each other, it is true that we see these kinds of things every day.

Living in Korea and seeing the recent articles and news clips on Korean channels got me thinking about these matters.  As many of us already know, 23 Korean volunteers were captured in Afghanistan several days ago and recently the leader of the volunteers was killed by the Taliban.  This morning, Koreans were shocked with the news that another male Korean captive was killed after only hours stating that further talk will take place in 2 days.  It is yet to be confirmed that the killed Korean man is who Korean media says it is, but it is most likely that another family will go through heartache.

At this point, there are many different opinions and a thought surrounding what is happening in Afghanistan.  There are many people praying and sharing the sorrow of the families who have their loved ones in Afghanistan, there are many who are criticizing those captured in Afghanistan and saying that they shouldn’t have gone when the government informed them it was too dangerous.  I think it is too late for those thoughts at this time.  I don’t fully understand what those 23 volunteers were thinking when they got on that plane for Afghanistan.  But I know one thing, whether they should’ve listened to the government or not, those 23 innocent people went to Afghanistan to share the love, not hatred nor blame.  I hope that the lives of those two victims and the remaining peoples’ struggles will not be forgotten.  Everyone, I mean, everyone, Christians, Muslims, Buddhists, and others regardless of their religion, race, skin color, wealth status, has to remember that the act of love should not be repaid by hatred and sorrow.    

My parents moved from S. Korea to live the American life and as a result I am naturally and American.. well, to be exact, a Korean American.  My parents worked very hard to make sure that I was not just an American, but a Korean as well.  Having a loud and “bubbly” personality I only knew what I saw in the sunny California.  A

s a child, I always thougth my hair color will change one day to… blonde.  And eventually figured out that I was different from my blue eyed and blonde friends. I was different in sense that in my house a tea called “boricha” was water which I didn’t know it was weird until one day in 3rd grade.  

Living in Los Angeles, California, my whole life, I thought the world began and ended with things filled in LA.  Did great throughout my school years and was accepted to the prestige UC Berkeley and Stanford.  My parents of course wanted me to attend Stanford where I will grow up to be “the proper” Korean American and meet the “perfect” Korean American husband.. But I decided to follow my instinct and the full ride, to Berekeley…

Boy, was I wrong.  I have never ever experienced more culture shock in my life.  Berkeley was another world in California.  They were more free spirited than an LA girl can take.  So in the middle of the first semester in Berkeley, I came back home to my comfy LA bed.  My parents were of course disappointed and of course if I’d gone to Stanford as my parents wanted, I would’ve never returned home.. I guess… But.. from the moment I walked on Telegraph, my whole life changed.

I learned to appreciate the differences in peoeple, culture, and religion while meeting many different people and cultures along the way in Cal.  I would like to further my adventure in learning and appreciating the differences the world has to offer.

Now that I am living in Korea while working for an American company, I think this will be a great new chapter of my life explore and share with the world…