Last month I received a phone call from my dad. This is how the conversation went: Dad: Jenny I want a smartphone. GiH: That's great. What kind do you want? Dad: ...
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One of the biggest stereotypes about Asian women (aside from the notion that we are meek, timid creatures who are sexual slaves in the bedroom) is that we never seem to age, or age at a much slower rate than the rest of the population. And wouldn't you know it — here is a funny cartoon to show just that: (image source) While I'm not so sure about other Asian women, I can attest that now, at the age of 30, I am starting to notice signs of aging. I am very lucky that I have not yet developed wrinkles; however, I am beginning to get plagued by dry patches of skin and age spots. My metabolism is nowhere near where it...
Continue reading(image courtesy of Little Seouls Blog) I remember when I was little, the best part about New Year's Day was not the gathering of family or the delicious food. The best part of New Year's Day for me — and for millions of other Korean kids — was getting dressed in our hanbok (traditional Korean dress) and doing the traditional bow to relatives while wishing them a happy and prosperous new year, who would in turn give us money. Cha-ching! My sister and I would usually consider ourselves lucky if we received $20 from an elder. It wasn't until years later that we discovered some of our friends would receive upwards of $500 from a single relative! When Claire gets older, you can be sure...
Continue readingJ is pretty particular when it comes to authentic Chinese vs. "Americanized" Chinese food, products, and ideas. For example, he thinks it's a travesty that I prefer Chinese takeout from Panda Express over authentic Chinese cuisine from Chinatown, and swears that he will teach Claire to know (and prefer!) only the best. Be that as it may, I have a feeling that even he won't be able to resist these adorable fortune cookie baby booties from Etsy seller sushibooties: I love everything about these $24 booties — from the the personalized custom fabric fortunes to the Chinese takeout box packaging. It also doesn't hurt that they look super warm and comfy, and feature no-slip grip soles. You can even get a Mommy &...
Continue readingAn old coworker used to joke to me that all Asians look alike to her. While some may find this offensive, I knew that it was all in jest and chided right back that all white people look the same to me. I think that being Asian myself has helped me become familiar with specific features that are common within the various Asian races; I am usually pretty good when it comes to guessing whether a person is Chinese / Japanese / Korean / Filipino / Vietnamese / Thai / etc. That being said, when I stumbled upon a website called Asian Look-Alikes, where you are prompted to guess the ethnicity of the pictured person just based on their looks, I was...
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