Anthony Kim Shows Jessica Alba How to Putt
February 2, 2010
via Korean Beacon
RIP: Pauly Fuemana — ‘How Bizarre’
February 2, 2010
via Leor Galil/True Slant Network
Pauly Fuemana, the half-Niuean and half-Māori lead singer of New Zealand group OMC, died Sunday. He was 40.
All I can write, without a hint of irony, is “How Bizarre.” I can still remember the immense joy I got listening to that song in elementary school. Be it jammed on the bus on the way to school, hearing it blasting on some radio station somewhere… The song was practically everywhere. It’s one of those rare moments when a song seems to fill the air. It really was everywhere. I never thought twice about how I could connect to a song created worlds away.
That’s a testament of a good song: Even some kid somewhere in the world can’t get it out of his head and (even years later) wouldn’t want to anyway.
Didn’t know about OMC (Otara Millionaires Club, a tongue-in-cheek reference to Otara’s status as one of the poorest suburbs of Auckland.). Mellow and very reminiscent of Sugar Ray/Mark McGrath, but they apparently predated SR. Wow. Sold over a million copies in the U.S. (four million worldwide), and “How Bizarre” is the biggest selling record ever to be released by an act originating from and recorded in New Zealand. according to Wikipedia.
Right on, my Asian/Pacific brother! Thanks Leor.
Saying Good-bye to the Green Card: Good-bye
February 2, 2010
“It’s final. I am naturalized citizen of the United States of America. I am an American—a Korean-American to be specific.
“The ceremony was a mix of corny and genuine. The couple in front of me held hands and glanced several times at their 8-year-old-ish daughter who was presumably American-born and their photographer for the day. The couple and the woman to my right shed a few tears as 121 of us stood up as the names of the 44 countries we represented were called out. Lucky for them I always carry Kleenex.”
So begins Kathy Khang’s Saying Good-bye to the Green Card: Good-bye; her thoughts on the occasion of her recent naturalization ceremony. Khang describes herself as a mother of three who lives in the north suburbs of Chicago. She works for a parachurch organization as a multiethnic director.
Khang writes that before entering the hall where the swearing-in rites were to be held, each soon-to-be U.S. citizen had to surrender their Permanent Resident Alien or “green card” after having their ID’s checked and double-checked. Here’s the line that got me:
“There was something beautiful and poignant in that stack of green cards—so many stories to be told.”
Read Ms. Khang’s essay in full at her blog, More Than Serving Tea.
