MinJungKim.com

Can I pretty please have just one day?
One day of not crazy?

Wait. I think I saw a purple shoe fly past your head.

Lunch: Bacon Cheeseburger w/ Fries
Dinner: Sino/Korean deepfried feast
* Deepfried potstickers
* Tang Soo Yok (Sino/Korean sweet & sour pork)
* Gham Ppoongi (Sino/Korean sweet ginger/garlic chicken wings)
* Loads of little panchan (veggie side dishes and kimchi’s)

Care of the amazing Two Sisters Restaurant on 5th between Clement and Geary.
I ordered take out and was amazed with their generosity in little panchan!
3 types of kimchi, soybeans, broccoli, radish root, dried anchovies, more vegetables and….
Oh.My.Gawd. – Raw white onion. And a little tub of black bean paste.

In sino/korean OG school fashion,
I am chomping on slices of raw onion
splashed with strong white vinegar
and then dipped into a salty dense flavored black bean paste.

I’m in heaven.

The white onion is actually quite mild and when splashed with the vinegar, almost sweet and crunches like a slice of apple or celery.
Seriously. And it cuts through the black bean paste to a near overwhelming delight in taste.

To you, perhaps it sounds weird. To me: hurray.

Sino0Korean cuisine as I call it, is neither traditional pure Korean cuisine nor is it your typical Chinese cuisine. It’s something totally other. I don’t know if it’s what Chinese people think is Korean food or what Korean folks think is Chinese food but if you’re lucky to find a place that does JjaJjang Myun (mien), Ggham poongi, or Tang soo yok, then bless your stars. You’re in for a treat.

I quit smoking now 2 weeks ago. I figure I’m allowed to eat whatever the hell I want until I get over this hump of detox.Today has got to be my most unhealthy but tasty eating indulgence day *ever*. After another week I’ll be ready to move onto a normal diet again and moderate excercise. Walked nearly 30 blocks yesterday. That actually felt pretty awesome.

I have really cool blackbean onion vinegar breath right now. Who wants a kiss?

Jane’s campaign blog is definitley picking up speed and so is the momentum of the campaign.

Go link it. Support it. Register to Vote (Deadline in California is October 18th) Volunteer, and Donate.

You’d be surprised at how grateful campaign candidates are over what you might consider to be a modest donation
$5 from 20 friends seems almost *too* easy, doesn’t it?

Could you do that 2-4 times during the course of a campaign? Come *on* now, yes you could.

We’ve been very lucky to get a number of phenomenal artists, teachers, parents, leaders, luminaries, and students out to support Jane and her campaign.

Check out the upcoming events schedule that I’m providing below.

October 02, 2004 District 5 Mobilization

This weekend Oct 2nd & 3rdwe’ll be dropping off Jane Kim literature in District 5. We’re meeting at 10 am both Saturday and Sunday at Ross Mirkarimi for Supervisor’s Campaign HQ in Lower Haight. It takes two people about two hours to cover one precinct. We’ll provide refreshments and Jane Kim for School Board buttons! Bring friends, come in pairs, or we’ll match you up with another volunteer.

Where: Horseshoe Cafe @ 568 Haight (between Fillmore and Steiner)
When: Sat Oct 2 and Sun Oct 3 @ 10 am
Who: You! Just email volunteer@janekim.org to RSVP.

October 02, 2004 Dinner and Dancing for Jane

Yes, the personal is political. As a benefit for Jane’s campaign, several Bay Area luminaries will be auctioned off for dinner dates. Proceeds from the dinner auction go entirely to the campaign, a portion of the cover from the after party will as well!

Where: The Velvet Lounge, 443 Broadway St, SF
When: Doors at 7:00PM, People Auction at 8:00PM, DJs/Dancing 9:00PM til close
Who: Bid to get music lessons from two musicians, or to talk cinematography with a filmmaker, or polish up your prose with a buncha writers, or meet up with some other seriously talented and charming folks.
How much: Before 9 PM — $5, after 9 PM — $8 (Please use the VIP Line and get the discounted cover by using the secret password “Jane Kim”)

October 09, 2004 Beau Sia for Jane!

Nationally renowned slam poet and performer Beau Sia flies into SF for a special fundraising appearance for Jane. 8 pm at Cafe Royale at 800 Post St. $10.

Special discount for youth and student volunteers. Email Students 4 Jane at: students4jane@yahoo.com to sign up!

October 16, 2004 Artists for Jane!

Spoken word wizards Bao Phi, Shailja Patel, Jason Mateo, James Kass, Adriel Luis, and Aimee Suzara raise their voices in support of Jane Kim for School Board in this combination performance and art auction. Works from local Bay Area photographers, graphic artists, painters will be on silent auction. 7 pm at the Punch Gallery at 155 10th St in San Francisco. All ages show, $10 entrance. More info on artists to come!

Comcast Offers Presidential Debates ON DEMAND

Wednesday, September 29, 2004

Comcast and C-SPAN are bringing the Presidential and Vice Presidential debates, carried by C-SPAN, to viewers on Comcast ON DEMAND.

FYI: As of last week, the entire city of San Francisco now has ON DEMAND available.

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Event: Gettin’ Hooked Up at the Velvet Lounge

From: 
Pimps & Ho’s for Jane Kim – Sean, Kieu-Anh, MJ, Malcolm

Location: 
The Velvet Lounge
443 Broadway, San Francisco, CA View Map

When: 
Saturday, October 2, 7:00pm

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To look up at the moon tonight.
It’s gorgeous and full. Kinda like my belly right now.

Happy ChuSok!

I love being Korean American. I get the best eating out of the holidays.
* Chusok
* American Thanksgiving (Traditional fixings + Korean fixings + stuff like …. Kimchi Stuffing!)
* Christmas
* New Years
* Lunar New Year

I better find those fat pants.

Sanity Resumes

I’ve stopped kicking small woodland creatures and mothers no longer sheild the eyes of their children when I storm past.

Unrelated Thunks.

It’s been a long time, been a long time, been a long time indeed.

Kissing Bandit: Well, how you holding up?
Moi: You’re smoking on the other end of the line, aren’t you?
KB: (puff puff puff) Yup.
Moi: Bitch.
KB: Never claimed to be otherwise, though…
Moi: Though what?
KB: Well. Just think. The way that I live and my plans for the future have always been rather shortsighted. Because I pretty much know that I’m going to die in some firy scandle crash with some star or something.
Moi: That’s rather … uh… optimistic
KB: Well, it’s why I live so aggressively in the *NOW*. Because tomorrow may never come. Or it’ll be terrible.
Moi: But aren’t you creating a predestination for failure and tragedy?
KB: Realy, is it any different than what you do when you’re moaning and whining about **** , or *****, or that thing with *****
Moi: Shut up. That was really low.
KB: (Puff) …
Moi: K. was telling me that people typically quit about 4-6 times before quitting actually sticks.
KB: Does that make you want to cave right now?
Moi: Yes and no.
KB: You’re a pussy about the weirdest and most inane things.
Moi: And you’re just a nutcase. Even B. totally thinks you’re a crackhead.
KB: Oh so what if my lover thinks I’m nuts. It just shows that he’s got brains.
Moi: Nice.

(Time lapse explanation: I actually had my last cig last thursday. So last friday = Day 1….dont look at me like I can count right or do Math cjust cuz I’m asian, yo.)

Physiological change:

I had grown accustomed to habit and regularity.

And by regularity, I mean regularity.
Coffee. Cigarette. Wait a half hour. Go poop. Fairly clockwork.

I no longer have this.

My digestive system is extraordinarily confused and does not know how to respond. I become a pooting machine.
(Not a pooping machine. A pooter. *Poot* *put put put poot*)

Flowers start wilting along my path and random birds start falling from the sky. I trip over a family of pigeons. I’ve never liked pigeons anyway. When walking in groups, I yeild and settle in towards the back of the pack. This is both a result of total embarassment and a mindfulness to be merciful.

Two smokers whom I’m friends with share the following.
“Great job!” (puff)
“I wish I were you” (puff)
“I’ve quit twice (puff) before”
“If you’re constipated (puff) just drink (puff) lots of coffee”
“I used to (puff) smoke while *in* the can… that was the only way (puff) I could take a really satisfying (puff) dump”
“Yerba Mate … chew on that…”

I consider to myself what an *unsatisfying* dump might entail.

The coughing of foreign objects has begin.
I feel l ike tiny tobacco gnomes are within my lungs and mining for gold.
The detritis left loose by their efforts is an odd flavor and texture of phlegm. To spare you, dear reader, I will not go into further dettails.
Share this information with all young children susceptile to smoking. You do *not* want to start a coughing fit in front of someone cute and have hack out from your lips something that looks like it might dissolve metal and bone a la Alien spittle. It’s not quite sexy. And heaven knows we’re all about sexy.

Guide from the ACS

When Smokers Quit – What Are the Benefits Over Time?

20 minutes after quitting: Your blood pressure drops to a level close to that before the last cigarette. The temperature of your hands and feet increases to normal.
(US Surgeon General’s Report,1988, pp. 39, 202)

8 hours after quitting: The carbon monoxide level in your blood drops to normal.
(US Surgeon General’s Report,1988, p. 202)

24 hours after quitting: Your chance of a heart attack decreases.
(US Surgeon General’s Report,1988, p. 202)

2 weeks to 3 months after quitting: Your circulation improves and your lung function increases up to 30%.
(US Surgeon General’s Report, 1990, pp.193,194,196,285,323)

1 to 9 months after quitting: Coughing, sinus congestion, fatigue, and shortness of breath decrease; cilia (tiny hair like structures that move mucus out of the lungs) regain normal function in the lungs, increasing the ability to handle mucus, clean the lungs, and reduce infection.
(US Surgeon General’s Report, 1990, pp. 304, 307, 319, 322)

1 year after quitting: The excess risk of coronary heart disease is half that of a smoker’s.
(US Surgeon General’s Report, 1990, p. vi)

5 years after quitting: Your stroke risk is reduced to that of a nonsmoker 5-15 years after quitting.
(US Surgeon General’s Report, 1990, p.79)

10 years after quitting: The lung cancer death rate is about half that of a continuing smoker’s. The risk of cancer of the mouth, throat, esophagus, bladder, kidney, and pancreas decrease.
(US Surgeon General’s Report, 1990, p.110, 147, 152, 155, 159,172)

15 years after quitting: The risk of coronary heart disease is that of a nonsmoker’s.
(US Surgeon General’s Report, 1990, p.79)

Hey kids! It’s me, Anonymous Guest Blogger! I wanted to share a little something having to do with the fabulous hostess-with-the-mostess, Min Jung. My mom came to visit me a short while ago, and while she is getting on in age, I never expected the mind to go so quickly. Next thing you know, she’ll be wandering around IHOP wearing nothing but the remains of her Rutti Tutti Fresh and Fruity breakfast special.

Mom: What is that scrubby thing in your shower?
Me: It is a Korean washing cloth. It is used to exfoliate and make your skin softer.
Mom: Where did you get it?
Me: Remember my blogging friend from San Francisco who stayed with me during SXSW? She gave it to me.
Mom: Well, you should call Mai Ling and ask her to send you some more.
Me: Mom…her name is Min Jung.
Mom: I knew that.

Later on that day:

Mom: My skin is so soft. Seriously, you need to ask Mai Ling for more Vietnamese scrubbing cloths.
Me: They aren’t Vietnamese, Mom. Plus, her name is Min Jung. If you can’t remember it, just call her MJ.
Mom: MJ, I think I can remember that.

Even later on that day:

Mom: Why don’t you call her now?
Me: Tell you what mom, if you can remember her name, I will call her right now.
Mom: *thinking* LBJ?
Me: *giggling*
Mom: WHAT?!?

The brink of insanity.

Outside for some fresh air, I conversate (as J. Simpson would say) with some co-workers and former smoking buddies.

Accountability, I’ve learned is key. So is abject paranoia. My strategy is to announce my intention to quit smoking so that their encouragement/judgement of my intentions are transparent. If my personal will power cannot appropriately nudge me into quitting, then my vanity and hubris at the notion of failing in front of my peers, surely will.

To my non-smoker friends, I tell them that I need to hang with them more often while I get over this hump. I humbly request their patience for any mild or slight hyper sensitivity or irritability.

To my smoker friends I blurt out “DON’T GIVE ME A CIGARETTE OR I’LL PUNCH YOU!”

In one situation, Smokey responded with a distinctly arched eyebrow as he tapped out a cigarette from a softpack of Camel Light’s.

“I’m quitting! I’m on day seven!”

He congratulated me and immediately patted down his chest and pockets for a lighter.

“I MEAN IT. I’LL PUNCH YOU REALLY, REALLY HARD! KICK YOU TOO!”

He lights up his cigarette, smiles wanly, and inhales with smug relish.

“I AM SO FRICKING SERIOUS. DON’T DO IT!”

“Smokey” responds “So if you’re going nuts and start pummeling me and demanding me for a cigarette, am I supposed to give it to you or no?”

”NO, DEFINITELY NO!”

“You know you’re kind of nuts, right?”

“HAVE A FRICKING ORIGINAL OPINION. WHY DOES EVERY MAN WHO CROSSES MY PATH SAY THE SAME FUCKING THING?! WHY! WHY GAWD WHY!!!”

(Curious. Why is everyone backing away slowly from me?)

My car smells like a cheap cigarette.

No, I DID NOT CAVE.
I just drove a friend of mine whom I allowed to smoke in my car this evening.
In a short amount of time my nose has gotten sensitive again to those smells.

Geeze, I musta stunk.

Today’s challenge: Being around 1 smoker and not bumming a drag.
Success.

This resource gave me some comfort on my general crankiness.

Nicotine Withdrawal

When smokers try to cut back or quit, the absence of nicotine leads to withdrawal symptoms. Withdrawal is both physical and psychological. Physically, the body is reacting to the absence of nicotine. Psychologically, the smoker is faced with giving up a habit, which is a major change in behavior. Both must be dealt with if quitting is to be successful.

Withdrawal symptoms can include any of the following:
depression
feelings of frustration and anger
irritability
trouble sleeping
trouble concentrating
restlessness
headache
tiredness
increased appetite

Uh. I’ve suffered from all the above symptoms.
How long is this shit going to take?

Continued:

Recent discussions reveal my true geekdom.

O. asked the other night, which universe I would prefer to live in.
Starwars, StarTrek, or LOTR.

My answer before reading Empire vs Federation debate?

Oh man, dare I reveal my geekery?

I would, hands down, prefer the Starwars world.
One where people and economics and politics and powerplay are reasonably famliar as my own. Where people are fucked up and dysfunctional and oftentimes swear but are real. Where the force can be revealed in anyone and no genetic predisposition generates skillsets by species driven phenotype ( a la character skill sets in LOTR universe). Technology and guts and the energy of the universe determine destiny in the Starwars universe.

Oh let’s debate, shall we?

The original discussion started out with an inquiry on what type wedding would be the best. In which case I’d guess LOTR as there’d be lots of good food and wine. But then again, them Ewoks can really party. Trekkies? Too involved in behing highly civilized and well behaved and mature and polite to well — get down and boogie and accidentaly talk a friend of the bride’s home to bed with you.

Thunks of your own?

The last of my four roommate’s has finally started blogging.

JaneKim.org/blog

Get a peek into local SF Politics and what it’s like to work at a bootstrapped grassroots campaign from the inside out.
Woot.