Muji has launched some remarkable kits combining paper cut-outs with Lego pieces.
I have no idea when these will become available stateside, but I have no doubt that they will follow in the success of Muji’s minimalist (but highly functional) stationery, as well as their popular City in a Bag wooden toy sets.
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Hit up the link for more samples!
Via Core77.
Today, my mother is spending the day resting at home and playing with Comang, whom she had graciously agreed to watch for us while we are away.
When I called her to wish her a Happy Mother’s Day and she enthusiastically replied, “Happy Mother’s Day to you too!”
(FYI, J doesn’t think that this Mother’s Day “counts” for me because the baby’s not yet born. Poo on him.)
We had booked this vacation without realizing it fell on a holiday, so I will be celebrating Mother’s Day with my mom next Sunday instead. I asked her what she wanted to do, and she said she wanted to go baby shopping so that’s that (should we go to Babies”R”Us or buybuyBABY?). I also hope that we can watch the much-blogged documentary Babies as well.
J and I are having a fantastic babymoon so far. I can’t remember the last time I slept this well — I haven’t even woken up in the middle of the night to pee! In the two days that we’ve been in Palm Beach, we haven’t done anything that we can’t do at home (sleeping in, eating in bed, surfing the web, going to the movies to watch Iron Man 2, etc).
However, this morning, as J opened the sliding door to our balcony and the fresh ocean breeze wafted into the room, it finally set in. We are on a dazzling getaway. We are expecting a beautiful baby girl. We are both healthy and happy, surrounded by wonderful friends and family.
We are SOOO blessed.
We plan on hitting the beach today to get some sun and frolic in the beautifully clear (and warm!) ocean. Can you believe that in the seven years we’ve been together, this is J and my first time together at a beach?
I hope everyone has a great Mother’s Day. And as my friend Shortcake so eloquently said,
Happy Mother’s Day to all of the mothers out there – with babies in their arms,
tummies, or in their memories and hearts.
Early tomorrow morning, J and I will be boarding a plane to…
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This is our first real vacation together since our honeymoon two years ago. I can’t help but be giddy with excitement!
I know that most couples choose to babymoon late into the second trimester, but we decided to go a bit early since summer in NY is hot enough (and I wanted to go to a beach destination).
And because this will most likely be our last vacation for a looooong time, we decided to splurge a bit. I had visited West Palm Beach in 2000 and loved the more relaxed and “adult” atmosphere (as opposed to Miami), so we chose The Omphoy Ocean Resort in Palm Beach.
I’m not sure if I’ll have time for blogging, but I’ll try to squeeze in a few posts here and there when J is remotely called in for work.
Until then, please wish us a happy and safe trip!
(Some people may frown upon my announcing our vacation plans to the world, which may open our empty home to burglars/vandals. Fear not, as my in-laws are still in town and will be safely guarding the premises.)
Yesterday I read that the Nevermind baby is now grown up and working for the artist who designed the Obama Hope posters.
The Nevermind-wha?
This CD cover may help jog your memory:
It’s hard to believe that this much time has passed since the release of Nirvana’s ground-breaking album.
I once read that our generation’s Kennedy assassination — meaning the prompting and universal understanding of the question “Where were you when Kennedy was shot?” — is the late Princess Diana’s tragic car crash.
I disagree.
Among my group of friends, among those who lived out our angst-ridden teenage years in American suburbia, the better question would be, “Where were you when Kurt Cobain committed suicide?”
And to answer my own question, I was at school. More specifically, I hurrying through the hallways in an effort to make it to 2nd period algebra on time when I noticed students huddled in corners, whispering in front of lockers, and crying.
At the time I knew who Kurt Cobain was but was not a fan of Nirvana. It was only within the next year that I became further entrenched in the growing alternative movement and saw Nirvana for who they were: an iconic band that spearheaded the grunge genre of music and became the flagship band of Generation X.
Hence, I did not grieve Cobain’s death with the rest of my generation. I only grieved for his death months and years after the event, additionally mourning my earlier overlook of his talent.
Where were YOU when Kurt Cobain committed suicide?
…or do you believe “Where were you when Princess Diana died?” is a better question for my generation?
J and I have a thing for zombies. We love zombie flicks, zombie video games, and even zombie books (I personally think Pride and Prejudice and Zombies is overrated but believe World War Z to be one of the best books of the past decade).
And we’re pretty sure that if there were ever to be a zombie apocalypse, we would be able to survive. 
So how could I resist posting these Zombie Street Fighter illustrations by Manuel Augusto Dischinger Moura?
 Ken |
 Chun Li |
 Guile |
 Akuma |
 Ryu |
 Camy |
 Ibuki |
 Blanka |
 Sagat |
I can definitely see some Resident Evil influence in the Zombie Blanka (holy tongue-whips, Batman!), and like to think that Chun Li and Guile look especially gruesome in their undead states.
Which is your favorite?
Are you a fan of the zombie genre as well?
Via Geekologie.
This week’s update is a few days late, but I’ve had good reason to postpone.
There isn’t anything new or exciting on the pregnancy front aside from my severe round ligament pain. I still feel some aching, but it seems like the pain is gradually getting better. Praise God! I’m happy that I can now move about, especially considering that we’re leaving for our babymoon in just two days (!!!) and we had purchased non-refundable tickets and hotel rooms in order to get the best possible rates.
I am however, feeling extra sluggish and Jabba-esque due to my being in bed for the past few days. I stepped on the scale this morning to find that I had gained two pounds from my last weekly weigh-in. But since I had lost some weight in the past few weeks, I am still a few pounds lighter than I was at my heaviest (at 13 weeks).
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As you can see, there doesnt’ seem to much development in the belly department either.
On to the update!
Dear Baby,
Your father and I are still getting used to calling you and referring to you as “she” and “her” as opposed to “it.” We’re both overjoyed that you’re doing well in there, and we honestly can’t wait to meet you face-to-face.
Your father constantly sighs while looking at my belly. “I wish she were here already,” he would pout. 
You are now the size of a sweet potato, or a large bell pepper. You are now about 6″ crown-to-rump and weigh 7 ounces. Looking at a ruler, it’s already hard to imagine that you’re already this big!
Your ears are now in their final positions (although they still stick out a bit), and a protective covering of myelin is beginning to form around your nerves, a process that will continue for a year after you’re born.
According to Baby Gaga, this week is an important one for your skin:
There are now two distinct layers—the epidermis (or the surface skin) and dermis. Currently, their skin is covered with a greasy, waxy, cheese-like substance, known as vernix caseosa. Sure, it sounds pretty nasty, but this mixture of fatty secretions covering your little swimmer from head to toe is the best way to protect their oh-so-thin skin from bruising and abrasions as well as chapping caused by amniotic fluid exposure (and your little one is swimming in that stuff!). Still don’t like the fact your little darling is currently slathered in fatty cream like a greased pig? Well, you know the birthing process? Where you have to push something the size of a watermelon out a hole the size of a grape? That adorable little greased piglet would have a lot harder time getting through the birth canal without the vernix caseosa.
I just imagined myself giving birth to a greased-up baby pig…thanks for the mental image, Baby Gaga!
In addition to your skin, your sexual organs are now formed and in pace. You will even have developed a vaginal canal by the end of the week!
I always said that it must be weird for mothers who are growing boys inside; after all, they are growing a tiny penis inside of them! But now that I know that I am growing a tiny uterus, fallopian tubes, and a vagina inside of me…well…
JUST DON’T LET ANY BOYS COME NEAR YOUR HOOHA, OKAY???
</end overly protective motherly rant>
Baby, the past few days have been especially tough on your mother. Please don’t give me any more trouble while we are on vacation. I promise I will get lots of sun and tons of relaxation on the beach which I know you’ll love!
Ask any child in Korea what the date June 25 signifies and they may give you a blank stare. But any mention of May 5 will be met with smiles and excitement.
Why?
Because May 5 is Children’s Day, a national holiday reserved for the celebration of children and the youth and innocence they embody.
The Korean Children’s Day was created by the children’s writer and storyteller Bang Jung Hwan in 1923 as a way to instill a sense of independence and national pride in children. Bang had noticed the low status that the Korean culture — based on Confucian ideals of placing value on age and maturity — placed on children and so wrote an “An Open Letter to Adults,” which stated:
Children are the future of our nation. Let’s show respect for children. Children who grow up with ridicule and contempt from others will become people who disrespect others, while children who grow up with respect from others will become people who respect others in turn.
Children’s Day highlights the dignity of children and their need for love, care, and respect. It is also a day to honor adults that have contributed to improving the lives of children.
Being a national holiday, all schools and most offices are closed on Children’s Day. Parents are encouraged to go out with their kids in order to fully celebrate the holiday, whether it be via amusement parks or the numerous festivals that are held on this special occasion.
And you can’t forget the presents. I remember that growing up in Korea, we children probably received more presents for Children’s Day than for Christmas.
I always wondered why the United States doesn’t have an official Children’s Day; after all, many other countries in the world celebrate their youth with a national holiday.
My family hasn’t celebrated Children’s Day since we moved to the states. However, I fully plan on celebrating this Korean holiday with my kids. If mothers, fathers, veterans, and even dead Presidents get a day dedicated to them, I feel that children should too.
Used (and loved) by many a minimalist and design enthusiasts alike, it has become one of the most popular screensavers of the past year.
And today, I found the perfect physical accompaniment:
I love it — it’s the perfect mix of retro, minimalist, and functional design. Measuring more than a foot wide, it is surely to make an impact in any home.
Get your own for $80 at the Little Clock Shop.
Via Apartment Therapy Unplggd.
Sunday night. (Or Monday morning, if you prefer.)
I woke up at around 2 a.m. with some pain in my lower right abdomen. I got up to pee — which is not unusual these days — and went back to bed. “The pain will subside,” I told myself. “You’ve been having tons of pregnancy-related twinges, pangs, and aches over the past few months. It’ll go away.”
It didn’t.
By 2:45 a.m. the pain had gotten so bad that I was thrashing around on the bed. And no, J didn’t wake up because he’s the world’s deepest sleeper which has me convinced that I’ll be doing all the 3 a.m. feedings by myself when the baby comes.
I finally couldn’t take it anymore and poked him. Then pushed him…and shook him until he finally woke up.
“I think we have to go to the ER.”
He got up, put on some clothes in record time and hauled our asses to the hospital.
One thing I learned from our last ER visit was that they do not have doctors and nurses running around in blood-stained scrubs, yelling things like “Stat!” like they do on medical dramas. It’s a fairly calm affair —
— unless you’re in excruciating pain, that is.
By 3 a.m. the pain had gotten considerably worse. It had started as a dull, throbbing ache but it was now a full-on sharp, STABBING sensation that ceased to stop. Not only that, the pain had spread to my sides and back as well, forming a U-shaped band of agony around the lower right side of my torso.
How bad was the pain?
At its worst, I had trouble breathing. I had tears running down my face and was dry-heaving (and am certain that I would have been puking if my stomach was not empty). I was shaking so much that the nurse had trouble putting in the IV.
There were people in the ER who were more vocal about their discomforts than I. So J had to go grab the nurses on more than one occasion and angrily ask what the hell was taking so long to get his pregnant wife some help.
Someone finally arrived with a vial of morphine. Can I just say, that sh*t is DOPE? I can now understand how so many people can get addicted to narcotics.
When my pain had finally subsided — or more accurately, been masked — and everyone started talking reealllly slooooowww and things became fuzzy wuzzy, they finally announced that the ultrasound tech had arrived and was ready for me.
I did not like the ultrasound technician. (And this is saying a lot coming from a patient who was high and happy on morphine.) He had bad bedside manners and kicked J out of the room. He wouldn’t even show me the screen, and when I asked if the baby is okay, he gruffly replied, “It’s moving.”
He performed a full abdominal ultrasound which took a good 20-30 minutes. I was then wheeled back to my bed and awaited the results.
When the on-call OB arrived, imagine my surprise to see what it was one of the doctors from my OB practice! He said that all my bloodwork looked normal and that the radiologist couldn’t find anything abnormal on the ultrasound.
He said that the most likely culprit is severe round ligament pain (RLP). HOWEVER, there was still a chance that it was appendicitis.
He explained that although my appendix didn’t look inflamed from the ultrasound, they couldn’t be sure without a CT scan (which they are reluctant to perform on pregnant women). For the time, they will rule it out since I didn’t have a fever and my white blood cell count wasn’t elevated.
Thankfully, the baby was doing just fine and didn’t seem to be in any danger.
The morphine had started to wear off and my pain hadn’t returned, so they decided to discharge me. If I continue to experience the pain, I was to call the OB office right away.
I spent all day yesterday recovering. The pain would come and go in waves, but it hasn’t been as bad as before.
I called the office when I became concerned that the pain wasn’t going away, but the on-call OB agreed with the other doctor that it is most likely RLP for which, unfortunately, they can’t do much. Severe RLP (like mine) is rare, but not unheard of. I just happen to be one of the few lucky women who has been blessed with it.
The bad news is that there is a chance I will continue to experience RLP for the duration of the pregnancy, or even after!
However, I take solace in the fact that the baby is doing okay. Even if I have to experience RLP every day until she is born, she’ll all be worth it. I even joked to J, “Well, she’s really making me work for her, isn’t she? At least I’ll appreciate her that much more when she’s born!”
I’m still in some pain as I write this. Mercifully, the pain seems to be lessening with each wave.
Please keep me and the baby in your prayers.
P.S. — Happy Star Wars Day! May the 4th Be With You!
This morning, I received my first traffic violation ticket in over a decade.
I was at a busy intersection (corner of W. 42nd and 8th Ave) and attempting to make a left turn onto 8th Ave. The traffic signal with a left arrow turned green, so I slowly started to make the turn, but stopped as there were still pedestrians crossing the street. I waited until all the pedestrians had passed, then finished making the turn.
I was then immediately pulled over and given a ticket for “failure to yield to pedestrians.”
The cops had obviously set up a trap at this location, because three other cars got pulled over for the same reason at the time. And in the time that I was waiting for the ticket to be issued, I witnessed at least 10 other cars doing EXACTLY what I had done, or worse (pulling deep into the middle of the pedestrian walkway) and getting off without a glance.
I would like to contest this ticket as I did not block any pedestrians, or ignore them, or drove on through. I waited until everyone had passed before continuing to make the turn. I did not do anything worse than what all NYC drivers do, and I certainly did not hurt anyone.
However, I realize that the law is not on my side as the judge is more likely to take the officer’s word over mine. In addition, my understanding is that the officer has THREE chances to appear in court so I may need to show up in court three different times, which I am reluctant to do as I’ve heard many stories of people waiting for hours on end in traffic court with no success.
This violation is a 3-point violation, which will most certainly jack up my insurance rates. I would also need to pay a fine of $160.
Should I contest this ticket?
I contacted a traffic violation attorney to see what my options are. For $300, they will file all the necessary paperwork and make all appearances in court on my behalf. I do not even need to meet with them — we can do everything over email, phone, and regular mail.
I asked what their success rate is for the dismissal of traffic violation tickets, and they answered 65-75%.
J thinks that the $300 is worth it, especially considering the increase in insurance costs over the years. As for me, I’m a bit reluctant because it’s a lot of money for something that I can do myself. I may not necessarily do it better, but it’s still doable.
Would you hire an attorney?
On a more personal note, SCREW YOU, NYC.
I know that the city is strapped for cash. But purposely setting up traps like this — on a crowded street during rush hour, no less — is just bad form. They blocked off TWO lanes for this trap, further aggravating rush hour traffic and inconveniencing motorists and pedestrians alike.
Find other ways of raising money. Traffic tickets are fine when warranted. Not when it’s for something that happens in NYC on every corner, every hour of each day.
I like books, gadgets, spicy food, and art. I dislike shopping, hot weather, and the laws of entropy. Although I am a self-proclaimed computer nerd, I still have a love for handbags and makeup... and I am always teetering on high heels. To learn more about me, visit the "About" page.
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