The costs of being a mom.
If you suspect your kids are eating you out of house and home, you might be right! Here’s how those numbers break down:

• Housing, including mortgage interest or rent, utilities, furnishings, and property taxes: $107,340.
• Food, including groceries, dining out, and school lunches: $41,490.
• Transportation, including vehicles, insurance, repairs, and public transportation: $38,670.
• Clothing, from diapers to dry cleaning: $12,720.
• Health Care, including out-of-pocket expenses and insurance not covered by an employer: $17,250.
• Child Care and Education, including day care, babysitting, tuition, books, and supplies: $38,220.
• Miscellaneous, including personal care, entertainment, and reading materials: $33,690.
• Total: $289,380.

If this doesn’t curb teen pregnancy, I don’t know what else would.

Ok those last 3 things were all lies. But I DO party more, I DO have a girlfriend, and I DO go out to bars now! What’s more awesome for me is that before this year, I had never really gotten in touch with my “Asian-American” side. I was always the token Asian, but this year I joined organizations like Asian American Association and was on the executive board of Korean Student Association! It’s a great experience that I’ve had so far.

Last week I went to the Asian American Association banquet and had a blast! I received the “Life of the Party” superlative and spent a great night partying with all my close friends

It’s been a great year so far, but now I am scared and worried about the graduate program of my physical therapy schooling. Let’s hope I will still have time to party and hang out with friends!! Wish me luck? No? OK FINE! Haha just kidding hope everyone had a great end to their school year like me!

-Ju

Hey all! Friday was a very special day for me. I’m happy to share with you that after two years of blood, sweat, and tears, I finally got my Master’s in Broadcast Journalism from the University of Southern California’s Annenberg School of Journalism.

Lol at the Harry Potter sleeves. The Master's attire was very hard to look cool in!

I’ve always known that I wanted to go to this particular program for my Master’s since I was in high school. (I’m a planning maniac if you haven’t noticed!) It’s been a crazy, fun-filled ride. It seems like it was just yesterday when I started the program. Somehow I managed to write a thesis and become a full-fledged certified multimedia journalist.

The whole experience has been surreal. It’s been a great two years. From being chosen as a blogger for MYX Tv, to writing and reporting for CNN International in Hong Kong, I can’t wait to see what the future holds.

Let the job searching begin. Can’t wait to see what’s in store!

PURPLE? Dubya-tee-eff, mate?

1. “Your John Kim got a new job? Hyong-Lee-Kim did too!” Asian parents boasting about their kids to other Asian parents must be genetic. I’ve yet to meet one Asian parent that doesn’t do this. “Oh, he got into Hahhhhvahd? Well, my Jason just started his new e-business and it’s doing so well, he might open another. Plus he’s probably smarter than your son–just thought you might want to know.” Wonderful, is there anything else we don’t know about your son? Perhaps how many meals he eats, how often he itches his nose, goes to the restroom?
   
   “My child’s reading MacBeth, yours probably doesn’t know the alphabet.”
3. Cheap Haggle Tactics. There must be a special school devoted to Haggling-101. No other ethnicity performs this more than the Asian parents of today. Now, this doesn’t apply solely to the customer end, the salesperson as well. “That’s it? Just a plasma? Nooooo, you want two! Perhaps another DVD player won’t hurt either. Come onnnn. COME ONNNNNNN.” It wouldn’t surprise me if an Asian parent ended up on The Price Is Right and lost, only to bargain with Bob Barker, asking why the price of that car wasn’t any lower. “The price is wrong, bitches.”
4. Bamboo sticks are much harder on the skin than American baseball bats and slaps on the buttocks. You caucasians have it easy. Baseball bats are just a pinch compared to what the Asians encounter. Ever wonder why your Filipino friend, or Japanese b.f.f. (!!!) never flinches when he comes into contact with physical pain (like running your shin into a table)? Well, now you know. It’s not all the rice, you see; years of bamboo overhand smashes, 360 roundhouse kicks will toughen one right up. Cal Ripken Jr., Jason Kidd, Allen Iverson, they all have one thing in common–their parents were Asian at one point.
5. No “A”, no way. Face it, if you’re not getting “A”s across your report card, you better pray to your deity
   that your parents aren’t Asian, or resort to running away from home like an steroid-laden Olympic track star and never come back. I was fortunate enough to have lenient parents that would allow a few B’s or even :gasp: C’s to slip by. But remember, nightmares of #3 will haunt you every night if you keep slacking.
   
   A one-way ticket to death. “F” is for FML (F*ck My Life).
6. Bowl of rice, bowl of soup, bowl haircut, you can’t prevent it. How many of you Asian readers out there have ever looked into the mirror and at one point said, “WTF DID I DO?” Congratulations, you’ve just joined the vast majority of Asians who’ve undergone the Bowleritis Cutteris; also known as: The Bowl Cut. This is unavoidable. Ask an Asian friend for old pictures of them, 9 out of 10 will reveal un-shocking news of said hairstyle. I’m not sure how this phenomenon transpired, but one thing’s for sure, it’s a thing of the past.
   
   What a wonderful older brother, ending his sibling’s life before he has to experience the bowl cut.
7. Ethnocentrism is a better form of patriotism. “Aiyah! China lost to the Americans?” “Ooooh, Michael Chang (performs Cabbage Patch)!” With all due respect, their are a few things to be proud of as an Asian, but running to the TV every time you hear something about your home country, and you leap over the dining table just to listen in, there’s something wrong. It’s not frowned upon, but really, there’s a limit–it’s just that Asian parents learn how to push it (to the limit!).
8. Why shop at Express, A/X, and J. Crew when you have “hand me downs”? Oh, the ol’ hand-me-down shenanigan. Don’t pretend like you’ve never experienced it. Every first generation of Asian children born here in the U.S. has come into contact with used: shirts, socks, hats, sweaters, jeans, and sometimes undergarments. Don’t be surprised if you’re slipping on your great-great-great-grandfather’s ancient (read: prehistoric) arcane vest from the Yin Dynasty. And of course, the more siblings you have, the more variety you’ll have in your closet. Who says underwear never lasts too long?

Verizon’s Asian Pacific American Heritage Month 2012 – Jay Park

Many of you will be excited to hear that Verizon’s Asian Pacific American Heritage Month (APAHM) has partnered with MYX TV to give away a total of 12 tickets to their national APAHM tour.  The highly anticipated tour will feature amazing artists including the Korean-American superstar, Jay Park.

The former member of boy band 2PM has found his audience well in his solo career. Park’s popularity has been on the rise since posting a cover of the B.o.B. and Bruno Mars hit “Nothing on You” on YouTube which had over 2 million views in less than 24 hours and won him a Mashable Best Web Video award. His album, New Breed, debuted at #4 on the Billboard World Album Charts.

Contest

Limited tickets are available for purchase and MYX TV will be giving away tickets to the following shows:

May 19: Washington DC at Fillmore Silver Spring (Jay Park, Dumbfoundead, and Viennie V) – 2 sets of 2 (total of 4)

May 20: New York at Best Buy Theater (Jay Park, Dumbfoundead, and Viennie V)

May 25: San Francisco at Regency Ballroom (Jay Park, AJ Rafael, and Blush) – 2 sets of 2 (total of 4)

May 27: Los Angeles at Club Nokia (Jay Park, AJ Rafael, and Blush) - 2 sets of 2 (total of 4)

How to enter for Twitter:

1. Share this post on Twitter
2. Enter “Help me win Jay Park tickets by retweeting! (City)” tagged with the city you want to visit DC, LA, SF using the following link: http://bit.ly/JuRrDx
3. Who ever gets the most retweets in each city will win

How to enter for Facebook:

1. Go to Facebook.com/myxtv
2. Find the Jay Park photo titled Verizon APAHM Tour
3. Enter in your Favorite Jay Park, AJ Rafael, Blush, Dumbfoundead or Viennie V song

*** Last day to enter is 5 days before the date of the show.  Shows date will vary based on the city.

 

Dark Shadows is in theaters everywhere May 11.

[Show as slideshow]

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Glee airs on Tuesday nights on FOX.

Bun Bo Hue

As much as I love a hearty steaming bowl of pho, I’d skip it any day for a bowl of Bun Bo Hue. I’ve always thought Bun Bo Hue was so much more flavorful than pho. The noodles are thicker and soft, and the broth is always intense yet clean at the same time. I won’t tell you what’s in it because you may get grossed out- but I promise its delicious!  Think pho but slightly less beefy, with a bit of chili oil, shrimp sauce and lemongrass! I’m not sure if I made it sound as delicious as it is, but its seriously delicious. I can finish the entire bowl- and its not as salty as pho can be.

Soondubu- I’m a lover of Korean BBQ, but I’m also a HUGE fan of Soondubu! I think the reason why I can’t enjoy Korean BBQ as much is because the best places are all All You Can Eat. And while that’s fun and all I always feel sick afterwards from stuffing myself to the brink of exploding.  At the same time there’s so many delicious KBBQ AYCE places anything not AYCE feels like a rip off so no one ever wants to go. What a vicious cycle. Anyway soondubu is a spicy tofu soup traditionally served alongside a fried fish and banchan (side dishes). The soup, served steaming hot in a little bubbling cauldron, is usually eaten with a bowl of rice. One of my favorite things about Korean food is that you get so much variety! It feels like a good bang for your buck. As a bonus- Soondubu is super healthy and low fat. If you’re SUPER lucky, one of your banchan will be Chapjae. Which is another one of my favorite things ever. Haha!

Champong- If shin ramen had a seafood restaurant quality brother, it’d be this. Champong is a spicy seafood noodle soup that has thick, soft noodles and a really delicious and hearty broth. Its not too spicy- just enough to make it taste delicious. There’s clams, shrimp and a few veggies thrown in there to give you a filling, hearty meal.

Sukiyaki- Sukiyaki is hot pot’s tastier cousin. The broth is really flavorful, compared to hot pot that usually uses plain, basic broths (or just hot water). Think Japanese fondue- but tastier! At the end they usually give you udon noodles to put in your tasty and flavorful soup broth. MMm

Zhajiangmien- Apparently people describe this as “Chinese Bolognese pasta”. Because I’ve never tried that and I have no idea what that tastes like I’ll tell you that its basically warm Chinese noodles covered in a meaty sauce, topped with fresh slivers of cucumber. The sauce is mostly a mix of ground pork and fermented soybean paste. See? This is why I don’t tell you what things are made of because I probably wouldn’t want to try them either. Think Chinese pasta with no tomatoes. I promise its delicious My favorite place to get Zhajiangmien is Class302 in Rowland Heights.

Pad See Ew / Pad Kee Mao- I think of pad thai like how I think of pho. They’re both good, and I started with both, but there’s just a lot more to Thai cuisine than pad thai. If you’re not too adventurous Pad See Ew is a flat noodle dish that’s savory and not too sweet. I find pad thai to get a bit sickening after awhile because of how sweet it is- but pad see ew tastes good until the last bite. If you like a bit of a kick Pad Kee Mao (also called Drunken Noodles) is basically the same thing but with peppers and a bit more flavor.

Xiao Long Bao- Not a lot of places make this well, but if you like dumplings then you will LOVE xiao long bao. Also known as “soup dumplings” these dumplings boast a thin skin that release a mouth full of hot soup and fatty pork on first bite. The best place to get xlb is at Din Tai Fung- their skin is thin and delicate. Place a dumpling on your spoon and eat with a dabble of a soy sauce/vinegar mix. You can also add a touch of shredded ginger if you like.

SHAVED SNOW. Which is like shaved ice’s more delicious awesome wonderful cousin that will make you never want to eat shaved ice again. Blocks of milk are shaved down with special machines- the result is tons of silky ribbons of fluffy, ice cream textured shaved ice. It feels like eating clouds! Nothing is gritty and EVERYTHING tastes good (no bland huge ice chunks here)! I’m a big fan of strawberry Especially because a lot of shaved snow places use this weird preserved mango- which I’m not a fan of. TRY STRAWBERRY. In Southern California Class 302 (Irvine and Rowland Heights), Tasty to Go(Arcadia) and The Balcony (Irvine) serve this, but I know this is picking up in a lot of other areas as well.

So there you go! I hope that I’ve somewhat opened up your gastronomic horizons. I realize a lot of these dishes are noodles, but honestly all racist jokes aside I love noodles! I was never a big rice person. I’m also a pasta lover.  I hope that you guys try some of these dishes and let me know how you like them

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I’ve always thought that if my journalism career didn’t work out that I’d create my own type of tour guide. I love history and shopping like any other person, but I go anywhere for the food. I don’t want to see any landmarks, show me the food, then more food, then more food! Trust me, ask my friends that I’ve taken on “tours” of Hong Kong or LA. They ate from morning to night and were not given any of those boring experiences. Oh no, this was the Kristie experience.

So what did I do when my non-Asian besties came for a full day of visiting me in the SGV? Food show down. We ate for hours straight. I squeezed in some Asian shopping for them in between, but other than that we ate from lunch to dinner, layered with lots of snacks and more snacks, and shopping and snack shopping. That’s how I do.

We started the day off with some Taiwanese style Shabu Shabu aka hot pot. Everyone get their own mini pot where you can choose whatever soup base you want. I chose the Japanese Spicy Miso. You also get to choose what type of meat you want. I chose beef. Your order also comes with some sides like veggies, noodles, etc. Try it yourself at Jazz Cat.

At this point, I knew it was time for dessert. We drove all the way to Rowland Heights for some shaved snow from the famous Class 302. Their sign is only in Chinese. They have a minimum of $3 per each person if you want to sit so we got it to go and ate in the car. This was our mango and strawberry with condenses milk snow. It was like the ice I have in Hong Kong, which is hard to find in the U.S.. I’m not wowed like all the yelp reviewers though. I’ve had better. If you do not live near the San Gabriel area, I’d recommend trying Hawaiian shaved ice from Get Shaved. They have a food truck that drives all through the Los Angeles area.

Next we went to the Atlantic Times Square for some Ten Ren. Their boba is really good, but pricy. It’s about $4 for a small. There’s also some fun shops in the area. They  enjoyed the Japanese makeup shopping available there. Make sure not to get their slushies though. Only get the teas here. You have been warned.

By this time we were stuffed like no other. But that only means we had to move on to the next stop. Bakery time! I love bakeries. I’m extremely picky when it comes to pastries and bread. This is the pineapple bread from Kee Wah bakery. There’s actually no pineapple in it. It tastes like a Hawaiian sweet bread, but better. It’s just that the crust looks like a pineapple. Anyways I Kee Wah is only good for their pineapple bread at 80 cents a piece. I would not recommend any thing else from them, no matter what their yelp pages says. You want better bakeries? Just ask! I have a list of my top 10.

Then for the true Asian experience, I took my friends to the 99 Ranch Market to check out some Asian fruits. Of course, I had to show off the horrendous smelling Durian. My sister says durian smells like rotting trash that has been stashed somewhere for a week. It’s definitely an acquired taste. Great photo opp though.

They ended up buying some lychee, dragon fruit, mangosteen, and star fruit.

And then came dinner time. My biggest secret is Boathouse. As many of you may know, Boiling Crab is a cajun place that has waits of upwards of 2 hours for their food. Boathouse is a great alternative in Alhambra that has no lines and is much cheaper.

Our raw oysters.

Our mussels, corn, potatoes, shrimp, and clams.

The battlefield…

We went to four cities: Pasadena, San Marino, San Gabriel, Alhambra. We meant business. So did you agree with my food choices?

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