Crystal Watanabe made these “cupcake girls” out of bundles of multi-colored somen noodles and quail eggs. Red and yellow peppers or nori were used for the bangs.
Obento, My Bento!
Creating bento box art is a growing trend in the States thanks to the power of social media.
by VIVIEN KIM THORP
Lunchmeat lions, cheese slice tigers, sandwich bread bears … oh, my! Welcome to the world of the modern bento, where rice balls lead second lives as nori-clad ninjas and artfully trimmed veggies can turn a bed of noodles into a tasty tableau.
The classic version of the Asian lunch box has rectangular compartments holding the contents of a pre-cooked meal, as well as the bento’s fanatical offshoot, the charaben, in which anime characters and the like are obsessively fleshed out over a canvas of white rice. But as of late, the bento has crossed the Pacific with a new role: ambassador for the healthy, homemade lunch.
Crystal Watanabe, a 32-year-old university office administrator and co-author of the Yum-Yum Bento Box cookbook, first started making bento in 2007. “I was trying to lose weight to be in my friend’s wedding party, and bento was a great way of doing portion control,” she says. Continue Reading »
North Korea releases captured Chinese fishermen, boats
Los Angeles Times
North Korea has released 29 captured Chinese fishermen and three fishing vessels, putting an end to a 13-day ordeal that raised questions about the stability of the Pyongyang regime.
The fishermen returned to the Chinese port of Dalian on Monday morning, the New China News Agency reported.
North Korea Urged to Back Down on Nuclear Test
New York Times
Senior American, Japanese and South Korean diplomats warned on Monday that North Korea would face more sanctions if it conducted a nuclear test following its failed rocket launch last month. But, in their first meeting since the rocket launch, they also urged the North to back down.
Man serving life for Tenafly murders faces credit card fraud charges
Bergen County Record (N.J.)
A New York man serving life in prison for a 2008 triple murder in Bergen County has a date in federal court in Newark this summer relating to his alleged use of stolen and fraudulently obtained credit cards.
U.S. District Judge Katharine S. Hayden signed an order Wednesday requiring Kang-Hyuk Choi, 36, of Valley Stream, N.Y., to be brought before her on July 25 for what could turn out to be a one-stop plea hearing and sentencing on the credit card charges, according to court papers.
A Talk with Peter Underwood, Part 1
Wall Street Journal
Few foreigners are as knowledgeable and influential on the South Korean business scene as Peter Underwood, senior partner at IRC Ltd., the Seoul consulting firm that has been a bridge for international firms doing business here and vice versa for more than two decades.
Urged by friends, Mr. Underwood recently published a book in Korean called “First Mover.” It examines the transition South Korean businesses and the country as whole is making into setting the pace in industries – a change from the historic role of “fast follower.”
Roy Choi’s Sunny Spot goes to the Caribbean
Los Angeles Times
The new Venice restaurant from the Kogi BBQ truck founder resides in a vaguely Jamaican world. Pass the rum and roast lamb, and groove to the reggae beat.
The 10 K-Pop Groups Most Likely to Break in America
Rolling Stone
YouTube’s most-watched Korean pop music video, Girls’ Generation’s “Gee,” has earned 74,000,000 American views alone, even though most mainstream U.S. music fans have never heard of it. The song and video – a calculated, colorful, choreographed affair that sees the nine-member girl group smiling and winking for the camera in flirty outfits as they change formations and soloists without a hitch – epitomize how Korean pop music (K-Pop for short) has been able to break language barriers and captivate a passionate U.S. audience. More recently, acts have begun turning the interest into profitable American tour stops and announcing plans to officially release music stateside. And as if to officially christen the genre’s U.S. crossover potential as an internet phenomenon, Google will host a multi-act K-Pop concert at their California headquarters on May 21st, which will be livestreamed on their YouTube Presents channel.
Tiger JK Says Yoon Mirae will be Going to America with Far East Movement
Yahoo Philippines
Yoon Mirae will soon be stepping into America with Far East Movement, the Asian hip-hop group that topped the Billboard charts and produced some of America′s biggest summer club hits.
Tiger JK said on the May 17 broadcast of KBS2’s Happy Together 3 that his wife Yoon Mirae will “soon be going to America” with Far East Movement and that she’ll “be very successful soon.”
History of Korean rappers just may trace back to hatted Joseon Dynasty poet
Yonhap News
When asked to imagine early rappers, most people are hardly likely to conjure up the picture of a Korean man, dressed in humble clothes, sheltered from the rain by no more than a straw hat, walking across Korea with a staff and finding his lodging and food based on the wit, and sometimes ferocity, of his rhymes. And yet, the Korean poet who went by the name Kim Satgat could well be called the original rapper/battle-rapper.
Probation for Calif. man who killed motorcyclist
Cortez Journal (Colorado)
A California man was sentenced to probation in connection to the death of a motorcyclist on the Mesa Verde overpass last year after an emotional hearing Friday.
Joonwon Choi, 21 at the time of the incident, apologized in court Friday to Cindy James, the wife of 54-year-old Richard James, who was killed Aug. 5 when his motorcycle was struck broadside by Choi’s SUV after he ran a stop sign. Choi said he did not see the motorcyclist.
“I’m terribly sorry to you, your family and the deceased,” Choi said before choking up, unable to finish his statement.
Woman charged with pushing North Side alderman in breadcrumb dispute
Chicago Sun-Times
A 59-year-old Uptown woman is facing a battery charge for allegedly pushing a North Side alderman during a confrontation over feeding pigeons.
Ald. James Cappleman (46th) said he saw breadcrumbs on the ground near North Broadway and West Wilson and began to sweep them up. A woman then exited a car and a confrontation occurred.
Police said Young Kang told Cappleman, “You are the alderman; I voted for you. You should not be sweeping up breadcrumbs.”
Cappleman told police that Kang — listed in the police report as 5-foot-2 and 110 pounds — shoved him hard enough to physically move him into the street, then threw a handful of breadcrumbs at him, according to police. She then drove away in a gray Toyota Prius.
Anthony Kim to miss rest of regular PGA Tour season
USA Today
Anthony Kim will miss the rest of the FedEx Cup season to treat chronic tendinitis in his left arm.
Kim has made only two cuts this year and has withdrawn from his last three tournaments. Along with nagging pain in his left forearm, Kim hurt his right elbow when his club struck a rock while he was trying to hit out of a bush at the Texas Open.
New Korean Bell Garden Opens Near Wolf Trap
Washington City Paper
There were Choco Pies, taekwondo demonstrations, and local pols shoring up the Korean vote at Saturday’s opening of the new Korean Bell Garden at Meadowlark Botanical Gardens in Vienna, Va.
Vivid and Rare Colour Images of Prewar Seoul
KoreaBang (blog)
The following series of photos show post-division prewar Seoul in the months leading up to the devastating Korean War that flattened most of the country and took the lives of millions of people.
“Gook” is a bad word
Ask a Korean! (blog)
Dear Korean,
Lately, the guys at my school have started calling my Korean friends and I “gooks”. At first we just thought it was an immature thing that they had made up, but it turns out that when my older cousin was in middle school, her math teacher called her and all the other Asians the exact same thing. Is it supposed to be a racist word or just another name to call Koreans/Asians?
Sincerely, Confused “Gook” Girl
This post is more like a PSA, because the Korean believes (or hopes!) that most people would know about this. But apparently, at least some people in the world does not know this, so here it is:
So, no ‘Rush Hour 4′?
International action star Jackie Chan dropped a bombshell at Cannes today when he told a group of reporters that his latest film, “Chinese Zodiac,” would be his last action movie, according to news reports.
“I tell you, I am not young any more … I am really, really tired,” the 58-year-old actor said, according to TMZ. Continue Reading »
North Koreans pose for photos in front of the newly unveiled statues of Kim Il-sung and Kim Jong-il at the Mansudae Grand Monument in Pyongyang.
Photojournalist Mark Edward Harris captures scenes from North Korea’s celebration of the 100th anniversary of the nation’s late founder.
story and photographs by MARK EDWARD HARRIS
On April 13, the North Koreans launched a three-stage rocket. Seconds later, it exploded. The launch was no doubt timed to coincide with the 100th anniversary of the birth of the nation’s late founder, Kim Il-sung—an occasion also marked by a series of major celebratory activities, including a simultaneous, multicity fireworks display and grand military parade.
News of the failed launch was unusual in that it was broadcast to the people of North Korea without the usual spin—no scapegoating or attaching blame on those south of the 38th parallel or Washington. Is this a signal of the leadership style of new, third-generation leader Kim Jong-un?
I wanted to travel for the eighth time to North Korea to see the country for the first time since the passing of Kim Jong-il, son of Kim Il-sung, last December. I arrived April 14 at Pyongyang’s Sunan International Airport, where I had first set foot in the reclusive country seven years earlier. I have witnessed a sea change since 2005—including scenes like this one: an Italian restaurant complete with red-and-white checkered tablecloths and Italian clothing-garbed women tossing pizzas; a Helmut Sachers Austrian coffee house; and a Paradise microbrewery.
Thousands of cars now travel on the once-barren streets. This is, of course, in Pyongyang, which is the showcase city of the North. But having ventured throughout the country on numerous occasions, I am witness to historic changes that cannot simply be passed off as propaganda created for foreign eyes. Continue Reading »
Here are some videos we’re watching this week at KoreAm.
Honda’s New Segway
With Japan’s median age growing, Honda has released a trailer for a new mobility machine that seems to be the combination of a segway and a unicycle.
SHIRI Humanoid Buttock Robot
We’ve seen Japan’s extensive research and creation of robots of all sorts for a variety of purposes. Recently, they have released a robotic buttock that can react to the touch. Robot butt cheeks with realistic quivering? Um, yeah.
Rap Songs in 11 Different Accents
There might not be another like Rice Boy Liu, who created a rap song in 11 accents from around the world. This unique song mixes the eleven accents along with varying characters and stereotypes.
Korea’s World Largest LEGO Tower
South Korea has created the World’s largest LEGO Tower at the Olympic City stadium of Seoul. The Lego tower is 105 feet tall and is made of 50,000 Legos bricks. It took five days to create the tower, which beats France’s last Lego tower, which stood at 103 feet.
Jessica, Girls’ Generation’s Worst Pitcher
Throwing the first pitch at a baseball game is set as an honor for a guest and at this South Korean baseball game, Girls’ Generation’s Jessica made her way to the pitcher’s mound. She spent a minute hyping up the crowd but when she makes the actual pitch spikes the ball three feet in front of her.
ROK on! (love for Korea)
This fast-paced video highlights exciting aspects of Korean life and culture one experiences on a daily basis.
Now That I’m Relevant I Can’t Get a Job
Tony Yang, a history lecturer at two California universities, earned his Ph.D and shortly after that, filed for unemployment. He describes the toll it takes on being educated but not being able to find a job.
Meanwhile in China, Butt-Kicking Patient Makes Surgery Tough
Earlier in May, a patient came into a hospital with apparent knife wounds. When the surgeons asked him his name, the patient loses it and starts attacking the doctors. After 20 minutes, with the patients family nearby, the patient agreed to be treated.
2PM Delivering Pizza
Back in December, boy band 2PM became the faces of Mr. Pizza, a Korean pizza chain. As a part of a promotions campaign, the boys were given the task of delivering pizza to unsuspecting customers. Nichkhun, Junho and Changsun delivered pizza to university students and Taecyeon, Woohyun and Junsu delivered pizza to a company. See the reactions of the customers as well as the boys and prepare your eardrums.
If you have more videos you’d like us to see, email linda@iamkoream.com.
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Featured Event
One of the the biggest Asian cinema events to hit Southern California opens on May 10. The Los Angeles Asian Pacific Film Festival, presented by Visual Communications, features the latest works by established and emerging filmmakers, along with seminars, panel discussions and symposiums on topics relevant to Asian Pacific cinema.
Opening Night features “Shanghai Calling,” directed by Daniel Hsia and starring Korean American Daniel Henney, who plays a Chinese American expat lawyer navigating his way through the mean streets of Shanghai (the picture above also indicates he is a raisin smuggler). But does he take off his shirt? Go watch the movie to find out! read more
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