Thursday, July 31, 2008

I Love Michelle Wie

Being HIV+, you quickly learn how important it is to stay positive--in your outlook, with your health; otherwise, it can all go downhill really quickly. You also learn that there's no room for hate. For frustration, yes; for hate, no. Ever since she played at the Sony at the age of 14, Michelle Wie has attracted her share of haters. Today she teed it up with the big boys again at the Legends Reno-Tahoe Open. For that decision, she got grief from Jay "I-don't even-know-who-that-is" Williamson; Annika "I-don't-understand-why-she-continues-to-do-this" Sorenstam and Paula "that's-not-the-pathway-I've-chosen" Creamer. For the record, Michelle shot a 1-over 73 today which means she'll probably have to shoot 1-under tomorrow to make the cut. (Jay Williamson shot a 74, but Michelle has too much class to rub that fact in his face. Luckily, I don't.) Every person has his or her own path to walk. Their own dream to chase. It's never been a secret that Michelle's has been to play in the Masters. What's wrong with embracing that dream with her? It may not come true. Perhaps Michelle's best bet is to play the LPGA. But there are so many dreams out there that will never come true. I think Michelle is still young enough and talented enough to keep dreaming for a while. You go girl! Make the cut tomorrow! Even if you don't, this blogger loves you greatly for having the guts to put it all out there. Good luck Michelle!

Saturday, July 26, 2008

Michael Jordan Doesn't Like Korean BBQ!!

What's up with that? Who doesn't like Korean BBQ? Well, at least, that's what MJ says in his new Hanes commercial with Charlie Sheen, who it would seem DOES like Korean BBQ. What a long way Koreans have come since everyone thought that I was either Chinese or Japanese. First there was the Hyundai commercial in 1988, and then people began to know what tae kwon do and kimchi were, but it really does seem like the BBQ is what many Americans love about Korean culture. (There is this really bizarre Pine Sol commercial with a black woman and a man speaking Korean in a temple, but I doubt many can recall this still running TV spot.) And of course, now there are so many Korean-Americans making their mark, among them my new favorite athlete Anthony Kim. With two wins under his belt, a third possible tomorrow if he goes low in the final round of the Canadian Open, this kid is the new Tiger.

Thursday, July 24, 2008

Senselessness and Sensibility

I recently finished my second screenplay and have been thinking about several ideas for my third. The problem is that the stuff in the headlines is so outrageous that anything I think of seems to pale in comparison. Kids in Congo dying so that kids in America can play Play Station. That one just made me want to pull my hair out. This cannot be a sane world that we are living in. One minute we're supposed to laugh at Miley Cyrus' latest fashion faux pas and the next we're supposed to worry about suicide bombers in Iraq. It's all getting to be a little too ridiculous. How are we supposed to care about anything? Which brings us to yesterday when I got totally dumped by someone I had developed real feelings for, but the feelings hadn't been mutual. Part of me feels I was lied to, another part of me feels I was just an expendable person whose feelings didn't matter. Things really don't make sense. How long do we keep pretending that they do?

Saturday, July 5, 2008

If You Were Dying, Would You Want to Know?

Today I went to the hospital to say good bye to my friend Steve. Steve is going back to his home country tomorrow. Steve is 30, has a brain tumor, has less than a year to live and doesn't know. But everyone else does. Steve's uncle told me last week that the doctors have done all they could for him. But Steve seemed really cheery today, talking about the future as if it were going to happen. He mentioned today that he wanted to be a nurse, that being in a hospital for a month had given him a real respect for health care professionals and the work they do. It was lunch time when I got there and he complained about the food; I commiserated. There was nothing on TV. I let him do most of the talking. He said that he had been in such pain the month before he was hospitalized. Does it make sense for everyone to know that Steve is dying, but Steve does not? Apparently he only has a few more months of lucidity before the tumor will wipe him out. Do we let him enjoy these final months? Or do we tell him so that he can prepare himself?

I remember how terrible I felt when I had been arrested and deported from Korea, all within two days. No chance to say goodbye to friends, relatives, colleagues. No chance to retrieve the things I had worked so hard for. Maybe this is why I wanted to say goodbye today instead of 'see you soon'. But again, a simple lie took the place of the demanding truth. At the end of life, do we end up buried under a peaceful mountain of little lies?