I’m impressed. Not only is Obama’s new economic committee head advisor a Korean-American, but the advisor’s a woman. WOO HOO. That just added double kudos in my book. Added to that is the fact that she’s only forty years old. Hah! Sometimes age is nothing but a number. Who says you need to be anciently old to know how to get the job done? Well, providing she does get the job done, I hope she’ll do a fine job with her new position.
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Tags: audrey choi, barack obama, choi sook nyul, east germany, fulbright scholarship, harvard, Korean American, pyongnyang, united states, wall street journal, west germany, white house fellows

Thai Title: Rung tua thii paet khawng khwaam rak
International English Title: Rainbow Boys: The Movie
US DVD Title: Right by Me
Regarding the image to the left, the boys are listed as follow (from left to right) - Ek, Tat, and Nat.

Premise: Based off of Alex Sanchez’s young adult fiction, Rainbow Boys, which is about three high school boys who have their own love triangle going on, are coming of age with their transition into adulthood and their sexual orientations, and go through other difficult issues like parental abuse and homophobic abuse.

In this Thai film, it’s pretty much the same thing, except replace high school with college, and obviously replace the American setting with a very Thai one. Tat (Jackie) and Nat (Pimpong Isarasena na Ayudhya) are best friends and polar opposites from one another except for their sexual orientations. Nat’s effeminate and out of the closet while Tat’s more studious and not out of the closet, especially towards his parents. Nat likes Tat. Tat, however, likes the basketball star, Ek (Palat Ananwattanasiri), who is supposedly straight, with a girlfriend, but that’s all pretty much questioned when Tat and Nat sees Ek at a gathering for gay youth. Later, Tat tutors Ek in math, Tat comes out to his parents, Tat helps Ek through his sexual identity crisis, and Nat comes to his own terms with his own life.
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Tags: alex sanchez, film, gay, jackie, palat ananwattanasiri, pimpong isarasena na ayudhya, romance, Thai, Thailand, united states

While it may be presumptuous to say that I am 100% bilingual, it is safe to say that I am bilingual, only not 100%. Unlike a lot of my peers who had mixed families, where one of the parents was Korean, I was lucky enough to have a mother who spoke her native language to me 95% of the time. Of course, I’m sure living in Korea gave me an advantage over my peers who lived in the states for the most part, but I’m thinking about the ones who have lived here most of the time instead.

It’s funny. At work, my Korean ahjumma co-workers keep praising me at how I’m so lucky to speak English and Korean well. Even the other day, when I went to do my hair, I was a translator for my friend, and the stylist told me that he’s jealous that I am fortunate to speak both languages. Even my mother, gets praises from her peers, saying that she’s lucky to have a daughter who speaks Korean and English instead of just the latter. I admit, being bilingual really is a useful skill, but I will admit that my Korean’s pretty weak. Sure, I can speak, read, and write Hangeul, but my speaking skills are at the level of an eight-year old, and my reading and writing skills are of those belonging to a seven-year old.
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Tags: ahjumma, bilingual, discrimination, hangeul, korea, language, united states

To say that I have never driven in Seoul, South Korea is a lie. To say that I have driven on the US military bases in Seoul, South Korea is the truth. However, to say that I have never driven on South Korean soil is the truth. Confused? Bottom line: I have yet to drive outside of the US military bases in Seoul or anywhere in South Korea. Why? Here’s why:

1) Public transportation is cheap and effective.
2) I live near the base so I can easily walk to and from there.
3) I think I’d rather jump off of the Seoul Tower before even attempting to drive in the dreaded traffic.
4) I usually do not go anywhere far to need a car.
5) I have a personal chauffeur by the name of Daddy, and I’ll take advantage of that as long as I can.
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Tags: han river, korea, military, seoul, seoul tower, traffic, transportation, united states

Ningin has always had a lot of visitors from South Korea and other Asian countries. We’re quite proud of that actually because it means we’re transcending national and cultural boundaries. It doesn’t matter who or where you are, if you’re interested in Asian media, we’re happy to have you here! So to better serve our international members (and really everyone in general) allow me to introduce Tara Popp, our newest blogger from South Korea:

차렷, 경래, 안녕하세요! (Cha-lyut, gyung-lae, ahnyoung-ha-sae-yo! = Attention! Bow and say hello!) Well that is one way to say hello in South Korea, especially at an institute, I suppose.
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Tags: camp zama, citizen, japan, kanagawa, korea, military, seoul, tara popp, united states

Earlier this week I contacted James Yee about him being chosen as a national delegate and what will it will entail at this years Democratic Convention from August 25-28.

James Yee is the “former US Army Chaplain and graduate of West Point who served as the Muslim Chaplain for the U.S. prison camp in Guantanamo Bay, Cuba that would become controversial for its treatment of detainees designated as “enemy combatants” by the U.S. government. While ministering to prisoners at Guantanamo Bay, Captain Yee advised the commanders of the camp on detainee religious practices and objected to the cruel and degrading abuses to which the prisoners were subjected.

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Tags: abuse, army chaplain, cruel, cuba, delegate, democratic convention, detainee, guantanamo bay, interview, james yee, muslim, prisoner, religion, united states

Things like this need to stop:

“AUSTIN, Texas (KXAN)—Police officers have halted a nationwide Asian prostitution ring based in Austin. Neighbors living in the Balcones Woods Apartments in Northwest Austin said they were stunned to hear women were suspected of being sold for sex in one of the apartments.

…What Prine did not know is that Carl Clark, 56, and his wife, Yuzhi Jia, 44, were suspected of running a prostitution ring that exploited Asian women from an apartment. “They were getting Asian females from different parts of the United States every month and recruiting girls to perform services,” said police Detective James Mason. Police were first tipped off a year ago by suspicious neighbors at the Balcones Ranch Apartments, where police said they believe Clark and his wife operated before moving to Balcones Woods.

Officers said they are not sure how many women Clark and Jia sold for sex. “Once these girls get here, they receive some money, but not a lot,” Mason said. “They feel trapped within their apartment and can’t get out.”

Tags: asian, austin, carl clark, james mason, prostitution, texas, united states, yuzhi jia