Since I'm taking the graveyard shift with our baby girls, I thought I would rattle off another 25 random things :)
1. My mother's name is Insoon, her Korean birth name. Later in life she wanted an "American" name, so she sought one with a Biblical meaning. She decided on "Jemima," who was a daughter of Job and means "Dove (purity)." My brother and I warned her that cultural context was important along with the meaning. She ignored us. My dad initially had a field day at grocery stores pointing to bottles of "Aunt Jemima" maple syrup saying, "Hey, look there's your sister!"
2. My mother wanted our daughters to have Biblical names while I told her we were going to consider more progressive names. It was almost a decade since the above situation, so I forgot about her American name because she doesn't use it. I was finally reminded, so the discussion abruptly ended.
3. I cried at my wedding. I was holding back so hard that I was silent for almost a minute during the vows and provided some drama at our ceremony, and then silently teared like a baby. Since I rarely get emotional, my mom was so shocked and amused she made fun of me afterwards, "Were you crying!? Hahaha... I don't believe you were crying..."
4. I've been a groomsmen 13 times and an usher almost twenty times.
5. My favorite baseball player in my youth was Don "The Hit Man" Mattingly even though I wasn't a Yankee fan. Class, skill and humility. I wish his back wasn't injured during the time he could have won the triple crown, and so that he could have played longer.
6. I worked at Arby's during the summer of my junior year in high school since my friend, Hamon, asked me to work with him somewhere. They had these uniforms and the longest pants were 29 inches in length. I was 32 inches, so they placed me in the back to make sandwiches.
7. My favorite course during college was my lit class on John Milton. Reading and analyzing "Paradise Lost" with Prof. Weiner was amazing.
8. My most difficult final exam during college was one covering 13 of Shakespeare's plays. I had to read, memorize and know almost every sentence in these plays.
9. I initiated the Bible study group at Yonsei University's Summer Program in 1990, which I believe stands to this day. I remember planning for it before leaving for Seoul that summer after my freshman year. Unfortunately, since I had so many family obligations and friends living in Seoul I attended about half of our meetings.
10. I rarely curse, but have a way with words especially the word "idiot." My friend, JB, said the way I use it pisses people off more than if he or others cursed at them. M*(#$@F&!k*& doesn't come close my usage of "idiot."
11. My pet peeve is people cutting lines. Can't stand it. One time at Jake's Dilemma (NYC), we were signed up and waiting for the pool table. This guy skips my name and a few others on the board. I saw this as I was talking with JB and our friend, Terrance. Shorten conversation: "Excuse me, you just wrote in your name and skipped four people."
"So??" (typical NYC tough guy) "Um, what don't you understand? Are you a friggin idiot??"
The guy comes at me; I grab on to his sleeves at the wrist; he's helpless and flailing; I calmly ask him if he really wanted to continue; the bouncers took him away.
12.I don't mind conflict. I actually enjoy it. Verbal, physical, whatever. I have extremely thick skin, so I don't mind going back and forth endlessly. Better if it's a constructive discussion that leads to better ideas or thinking, but mindless dribble is tolerable as long as it's fun.
13. My pivotal professional experience was doing my first tech startup, ViewPlus. From learning how to write a business plan, pitching angel investors and venture capitalists for money, and learning a new industry, it is my most cherished experience especially since it was with two dear friends. A close second was the Coro Fellowship since that provided me the confidence to enter and learn any new industry and environment.
14. When I was younger, many people thought like looked Chow Yun-Fat. Now my mother sums it up best, "Dear, you don't look like Chow Yun-Fat. You're just FAT. Please lose some weight!"
15. Verbal abuse does not motivate me. Whether from my mom or anyone else since I'm thick-skinned. "Dear, you're so fat now that your face is round. When you have a round face, you look dumb. You look like you have low intelligence. You should really lose some weight..."
16. I have a high pain threshold. People that dish out pain feed on this. In my youth, my dad burned acupuncture incense pads on my hands to improve my circulation. Probably more than needed. My Taekwondo instructor loved pushing my limits especially during stretching. He would sometimes break that threshold and I would scream. Not unexpected since this is a man who broke large beach stones with his bare hands (one of the most amazing things I have seen).
17. I enjoy a good cigar, cognac and great conversation.
18. I enjoy beer, Buffalo Joe's wings and very little conversation.
19. I got food poisoning three times in my life and all three times were in Asia. Once in Thailand and twice in Korea. All from raw or undercooked fish. Twice in Korea could have been prevented since my parents warned me to only eat raw fish at nice hotels during off season.
20. I had very stinky feet from high school through college. It was accentuated when didn't wear socks, and docksiders were big during my high school years. It got so bad my friend, Sang, refused to let me in his house unless I washed them first. I don't know what happened, but by my mid-twenties the stinky feet disappeared. It might have transferred to my stinky farts.
21. I rarely get stressed or panic. Even in life-threatening situations, I'm calm. This is ok with Christine, but not getting stressed sometimes is an issue with her. Note to self: when wife is stressed, be stressed too.
22. I loved graduate school, especially since at Columbia you can cross register with the other professional schools. I could have easily taken another year of courses.
23. I will probably live in Europe for a year or few. Both Christine and I want to since we both lived in the U.S. and Asia. Just have to wait for the when.
24. I come from a tall family of Koreans and Korean Americans. I'm 6'1" and somewhere above 220 lbs., and I'm not the tallest. My dad is 6', my younger brother is slightly under 6'3", a couple other cousins are about the same, several uncles and other cousins that are 6', and my big cousin John is 6'5".
25. I come from a family of carnivores. My favorite meal is a porterhouse steak. I once saw my brother eat a few rack of ribs without breathing. It was pretty gross. My dad once ordered his steak "raw" instead of "rare."
Showing posts with label 25 things. Show all posts
Showing posts with label 25 things. Show all posts
Sunday, February 8, 2009
Monday, February 2, 2009
25 Random Things About Me
A popular Facebook chain note has been going around and I finally caved in and wrote my response. I decided to post it here for your amusement and to show that I'm not a completely stale, boring blogger:) Some of it is best understood in the context of my friends since I primarily connect with people I know in Facebook, and I made some edits here for favorable public consumption :)
The rules: Once you've been tagged, you are supposed to write a note with 25 random things, facts, habits, or goals about you. At the end, choose 25 people to be tagged. You have to tag the person who tagged you. If I tagged you, it's because I want to know more about you.
To do this, go to "notes" under tabs on your profile page, paste these instructions in the body of the note, type your 25 random things, tag 25 people (in the right hand corner of the app) then click publish.
1. Over the past year, when I go to McDonalds alone, I order a BigMac, Filet-O-Fish, and Southern Style Chicken (their new sandwich is magic). No fries. If I'm not that hungry I'll get a cheeseburger instead of the BigMac. When I go with Christine, I order a BigMac and maybe a Filet-O-Fish if the mood is right.
2. During college, my father got into a juice kick and made some pretty horrible drinks with his juicer (e.g. beets, lettuce, celery, and maybe an apple). I came back during a break and my brother warns me to pretend sleeping. Next day at 6am I hear thumping at the door. "Wake up, Bernard!" My dad walks in and hands me a tall glass of liquid that looks like the sick cousin of V8. "Drink it... Drink it now." The nightmare began that lasted a couple years.
3. During my second startup, I lived in Seoul with my parents, who were there seventy percent of the year. My dad forced my brother and I to eat yogurt from Tibetian mushrooms for a few months. Supposedly it helped clean your bowels. Still uncertain of its effects, but it did double my crap output. I took a crap 3-4 times a day. My younger brother, Lenny, took 5-6 craps a day. I believe his sphincter muscles are permanently damaged.
4. My friend Sang and I started two things together at our high school, Glenbrook North: GBN Bible Study and the Boys Volleyball Team. It was also cool several years later to see Lenny (5 years younger) win the IL State Championship for Boys Volleyball for our high school.
5. I had to get my stomach pumped as a toddler. One of my dad's drunk friends gave me a bit of whiskey one evening. I don't believe my mom ever allowed him back in our home.
6. I have a natural high tolerance to alcohol from my dad's side. This was scientifically supported when I got pulled over at a check point in Seoul and blew into a breath analyzer. After five drinks, it registered a .03% (limit in Korea is .05%). I wasn't even buzzed, so I was confident that I would pass.
7. Japanese is my favorite cuisine. I love sushi (toro, maguro, uni, everything!), shisamo (it grosses out Christine, but i can eat dozens of them), teppan style, ramen, soba, etc.
8. I was a Dungeons & Dragon geek as a youth. I was primarily the dungeon master.
9. Christine is my best professional coach and counselor. Extra gravy on top of being my godsend wife and partner.
10. I sometimes hate arguing with Christine because even when she's wrong, she can make her viewpoint sound rational and mine irrational. Drives me crazy!
11. During junior high, one of my friends pushed my younger brother, Lenny off his bike. Lenny was crying, so I was pissed and pushed my friend off his. That event eroded our friendship within the year, but it was worth it.
12. During my late 20s, I discovered I had extra padding on my cheeks that provided additional protection. One time I got sucker punched by a guy who was a solid 225 lbs right on my eye. Bone on bone sound was heard, but no damage, no bruise and just a little pain. If I knew about this before, I would have trained to become an MMA fighter in my early 20s (Where was Henry, a friend that trains special forces Brazilian jiu-jitsu, back then?).
13. During college, I ordered from Domino's Pizza so much that when I called from other locations, they would say, "Moon, what are you doing over there?"
14. After intense workouts, I crave milk. A couple tall glasses, or if it's after playing basketball outside I would buy a bottle of Strawberry Quik and Gatorade. Drink the milk and then the Gatorade. This would gross out a few of my friends.
15. I have an extremely long second toe. Some friends would call it "the finger" because it sort of looks like an index finger. My close friend, Hamon, would call "hand ball!" a few times during high school soccer practice.
16. I was nicknamed "Ralph" separately by two friends during freshman year. One because my wardrobe back then was about half Ralph Lauren. Another (PAhn!) because when I played with Korean Americans I was always stuck as a center but wanted to play small forward like Ralph Sampson. So when I'm at a fast food joint and have to give a name, I sometimes use "Ralph."
17. While living with my parents in Seoul, I got kicked out due to their disapproval of the girl I was dating. My friend, Mike, had an extra room and saved the day, and later corrected my delusional thinking about this woman. This ex is still the ace card for Christine if we argue... negotiating from a weaker position really sucks.
18. I still want to skydive and bungee jump. Hopefully I can make time before 40!
19. While learning to ride a bike, I was knocked unconscious. My father tried a short cut and placed me on an inclined road and let it ride! My brother was given the slow route on flat surfaces when his time came.
20. I was a mediocre hockey player in my youth (started late). During high school tryouts for the JV team, I wasn't looking and collided with someone during a drill. I got up and couldn't remember my name. Then I couldn't remember the day and time. My parents picked me up and I went home, slept almost 24 hours, and was okay.
21. I was addicted to volleyball from my senior year in high school through junior year in college. I loved the sport, but rapidly lost interest after I sprained my ankle during my junior year that kept me out for a few months. I tried a few come backs, but it was never the same. I play once in a while thinking I still have a 35" vertical but really have a 12". Yes, it doesn't look pretty when you're form is based on having a vertical 20" higher... net, net, out, net, out.
22. I sharted once during college when I was trying to let one rip in my buddy's room. My friends Sam and Bob had a good laugh. I had to get new underwear.
23. During freshman year, my mother would call my dorm room every morning for a few weeks to wake me up. I felt really bad for my roommate and friend, Chad, and begged her to stop, which she finally did. Amusing outcome is that Chad can speak a few words of Korean after listening to some of those morning conversations.
24. I miss delis in NYC... the sandwiches, sides and breakfast sandwiches (egg and double bacon on a roll, please). I miss hot dog joints and steakhouses in Chicago. I miss noodle shops in Hong Kong. I miss mandu (dumplings) and gop chang joints in Seoul. I wish those Star Trek teleporters were real.
25. I look forward to getting old with Christine and seeing our daughters grow up. So much more to do and places to visit. I can't wait to travel around the world with our children.
("More 25 Random Things About Me")
The rules: Once you've been tagged, you are supposed to write a note with 25 random things, facts, habits, or goals about you. At the end, choose 25 people to be tagged. You have to tag the person who tagged you. If I tagged you, it's because I want to know more about you.
To do this, go to "notes" under tabs on your profile page, paste these instructions in the body of the note, type your 25 random things, tag 25 people (in the right hand corner of the app) then click publish.
1. Over the past year, when I go to McDonalds alone, I order a BigMac, Filet-O-Fish, and Southern Style Chicken (their new sandwich is magic). No fries. If I'm not that hungry I'll get a cheeseburger instead of the BigMac. When I go with Christine, I order a BigMac and maybe a Filet-O-Fish if the mood is right.
2. During college, my father got into a juice kick and made some pretty horrible drinks with his juicer (e.g. beets, lettuce, celery, and maybe an apple). I came back during a break and my brother warns me to pretend sleeping. Next day at 6am I hear thumping at the door. "Wake up, Bernard!" My dad walks in and hands me a tall glass of liquid that looks like the sick cousin of V8. "Drink it... Drink it now." The nightmare began that lasted a couple years.
3. During my second startup, I lived in Seoul with my parents, who were there seventy percent of the year. My dad forced my brother and I to eat yogurt from Tibetian mushrooms for a few months. Supposedly it helped clean your bowels. Still uncertain of its effects, but it did double my crap output. I took a crap 3-4 times a day. My younger brother, Lenny, took 5-6 craps a day. I believe his sphincter muscles are permanently damaged.
4. My friend Sang and I started two things together at our high school, Glenbrook North: GBN Bible Study and the Boys Volleyball Team. It was also cool several years later to see Lenny (5 years younger) win the IL State Championship for Boys Volleyball for our high school.
5. I had to get my stomach pumped as a toddler. One of my dad's drunk friends gave me a bit of whiskey one evening. I don't believe my mom ever allowed him back in our home.
6. I have a natural high tolerance to alcohol from my dad's side. This was scientifically supported when I got pulled over at a check point in Seoul and blew into a breath analyzer. After five drinks, it registered a .03% (limit in Korea is .05%). I wasn't even buzzed, so I was confident that I would pass.
7. Japanese is my favorite cuisine. I love sushi (toro, maguro, uni, everything!), shisamo (it grosses out Christine, but i can eat dozens of them), teppan style, ramen, soba, etc.
8. I was a Dungeons & Dragon geek as a youth. I was primarily the dungeon master.
9. Christine is my best professional coach and counselor. Extra gravy on top of being my godsend wife and partner.
10. I sometimes hate arguing with Christine because even when she's wrong, she can make her viewpoint sound rational and mine irrational. Drives me crazy!
11. During junior high, one of my friends pushed my younger brother, Lenny off his bike. Lenny was crying, so I was pissed and pushed my friend off his. That event eroded our friendship within the year, but it was worth it.
12. During my late 20s, I discovered I had extra padding on my cheeks that provided additional protection. One time I got sucker punched by a guy who was a solid 225 lbs right on my eye. Bone on bone sound was heard, but no damage, no bruise and just a little pain. If I knew about this before, I would have trained to become an MMA fighter in my early 20s (Where was Henry, a friend that trains special forces Brazilian jiu-jitsu, back then?).
13. During college, I ordered from Domino's Pizza so much that when I called from other locations, they would say, "Moon, what are you doing over there?"
14. After intense workouts, I crave milk. A couple tall glasses, or if it's after playing basketball outside I would buy a bottle of Strawberry Quik and Gatorade. Drink the milk and then the Gatorade. This would gross out a few of my friends.
15. I have an extremely long second toe. Some friends would call it "the finger" because it sort of looks like an index finger. My close friend, Hamon, would call "hand ball!" a few times during high school soccer practice.
16. I was nicknamed "Ralph" separately by two friends during freshman year. One because my wardrobe back then was about half Ralph Lauren. Another (PAhn!) because when I played with Korean Americans I was always stuck as a center but wanted to play small forward like Ralph Sampson. So when I'm at a fast food joint and have to give a name, I sometimes use "Ralph."
17. While living with my parents in Seoul, I got kicked out due to their disapproval of the girl I was dating. My friend, Mike, had an extra room and saved the day, and later corrected my delusional thinking about this woman. This ex is still the ace card for Christine if we argue... negotiating from a weaker position really sucks.
18. I still want to skydive and bungee jump. Hopefully I can make time before 40!
19. While learning to ride a bike, I was knocked unconscious. My father tried a short cut and placed me on an inclined road and let it ride! My brother was given the slow route on flat surfaces when his time came.
20. I was a mediocre hockey player in my youth (started late). During high school tryouts for the JV team, I wasn't looking and collided with someone during a drill. I got up and couldn't remember my name. Then I couldn't remember the day and time. My parents picked me up and I went home, slept almost 24 hours, and was okay.
21. I was addicted to volleyball from my senior year in high school through junior year in college. I loved the sport, but rapidly lost interest after I sprained my ankle during my junior year that kept me out for a few months. I tried a few come backs, but it was never the same. I play once in a while thinking I still have a 35" vertical but really have a 12". Yes, it doesn't look pretty when you're form is based on having a vertical 20" higher... net, net, out, net, out.
22. I sharted once during college when I was trying to let one rip in my buddy's room. My friends Sam and Bob had a good laugh. I had to get new underwear.
23. During freshman year, my mother would call my dorm room every morning for a few weeks to wake me up. I felt really bad for my roommate and friend, Chad, and begged her to stop, which she finally did. Amusing outcome is that Chad can speak a few words of Korean after listening to some of those morning conversations.
24. I miss delis in NYC... the sandwiches, sides and breakfast sandwiches (egg and double bacon on a roll, please). I miss hot dog joints and steakhouses in Chicago. I miss noodle shops in Hong Kong. I miss mandu (dumplings) and gop chang joints in Seoul. I wish those Star Trek teleporters were real.
25. I look forward to getting old with Christine and seeing our daughters grow up. So much more to do and places to visit. I can't wait to travel around the world with our children.
("More 25 Random Things About Me")
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