Korean Love

Kelvin and I visited South Korea in April 2014 on our last major trip before becoming parents.  It was our first AirBnb experience (hosted by a lovely Korean women in her apartment), and from the sights to the ease of getting around to the food, we loved it. 

I now have a lot more "lovin' Korea" in my life. 

I have always been a big pen-and-paper (rather than digital) person and a couple of years ago got back into using a paper planner with week views for organizing my day-to-day life. I struggle with living in the in-between (with duplication of calendar events and tasks) as I still use google (calendars, tasks, and more, which nicely sync with my phone), but I much prefer writing to-dos and events down on paper. They're not cheap, but my favorite planner is one (Iconic series from Mochi) that I get shipped from South Korea in about October of the preceding year. If you are an organization nerd like me, filled with newfound resolve to lead a purposeful, resolution-filled life starting in January, check these out.

My sister-in-law gifted me the book Crying in H Mart, a memoir by Michelle Zauner, and I have to say it was an amazing first book to read to start the New Year (I hope this is another year filled with enjoying great works of literature). The memoir (a New York Times Bestseller) tells the story of Michelle's sometimes conflict-filled but also love-filled relationship with her Korean mother, who gets hit with a surprising cancer diagnosis, weaving her memories of Korean language, culture, and food with her own current grief.  I loved this book, highly recommend it, and was surely crying in my own living room as I devoured it (like I would bulgogi with kimchi) in two days.

And, for more drama...  while in Orange County, our friend Tina recommended a Korean mini-series on Netflix (Crash Landing on You).  In a more than a decade together, Kelvin and I have hardly ever watched/enjoyed a TV show together (exceptions: The Office, How I Met Your Mother, Breaking Bad [dyssynchronously]), as we have quite different tastes in media! Nevertheless, we gave the pilot a shot and while I wasn't initially hooked, we kept watching in the evenings... and now I'm officially (eight episodes into the sixteen), hooked. I have to restrain myself from "cheating" on my spouse by watching without him. The show tells the story of a South Korean businesswoman and heiress who, in a freak paragliding accident during a tornado, lands across the DMZ in North Korea, and has to figure out how to get back home, all while meeting kind-hearted people along the way. This show has it all-- drama, suspense, love, culture, a great soundtrack, food, humor (and subtitles), and I highly recommend it, especially to distract you from the depressing news of COVID!