You are my very best friend. Thank you for all your love and support throughout my whole life. I love you so very much.
Sunday, May 12, 2013
Sunday, May 5, 2013
See You Again In Heaven, Hal-Ma-Ni.
This is my Hal-Ma-Mi ("Grandma" in Korean).
She passed away last month (April) 2013.
She lived in Seoul, South Korea (I have to put in the "South" because people still actually ask me, "Are you from North Korea or South Korea?" I very politely say, "South Korea.").
Because my Hal-Ma-Ni lived in Korea and I lived in the United States, I didn't know her too well. I left Korea when I was one-year-old so I didn't get to spend time with her. She did come visit us in the United States a couple of times for a couple weeks each time. But even then, I didn't get to spend too much time with her since it was for such a short period of time, I was in school most of the day, and she was splitting her visit among my aunts, uncles, and other cousins. And before you knew it, it was time for her to take off back to the mother land.
It wasn't until I graduated college that I got to spend more time with her. You see, after college, I decided to live in Korea for one year before starting law school. I wanted to "get to know my background." I felt it was important to me to know my "roots." So, I rented a tiny room in Shin-Chon, Seoul, Korea, taught English at various English academies in Korea, and took Korean classes at Ehwa Women's University. And most importantly, I spent some time with Hal-Ma-Ni and my family in Korea.
Hal-Ma-Ni and watched Korean t.v. shows together. She cooked me Korean dishes. We walked around Seoul together. We talked. We laughed. We held hands.
One day she was cleaning out her closet and we came across a bag filled with pictures. We opened the bag and there they were: My "roots." She had pictures of her and my Ha-Ra-Ba-Ji ("Grandpa" in Korean) when they were younger.
She even had pictures of my great- Hal-Ma-Ni and great-Ha-Ra-Ba-Ji.
It was amazing. Staring back at me was my family whom I've never met, yet I would have never been here if it weren't for them.
My grandmother told me she remembered running with my mom on her back during the Korean War. She remembered hunger. And she remembered the death of one of her babies (My mom's older sister) during that time.
Despite all that we talked about and all that she told me, the conversation that sticks in my mind the most is this: I was going to be leaving Korea to come back to the states in a couple of days so I could start getting ready for law school. We were feeling sad because we both knew that after I left we would be thousands of miles apart again and we wouldn't spend the same kind of quality time together, probably ever again. We were sitting at her glass kitchen table with all of her vitamins and medications stacked up one one side of the table against her wall. She said, "Jeami-ya (My Korean name), when will we see each other like this again?" With deep sadness and a lump in my throat, I told her the truth, "I don't know." I followed up by telling her, "If we don't ever spend time like this again on this Earth, we will again in Heaven." My Hal-Ma-Ni promised we would.
Rest in Peace, Hal-Ma-Ni. I'll see you in Heaven.
I love you.
-Jeami
She passed away last month (April) 2013.
She lived in Seoul, South Korea (I have to put in the "South" because people still actually ask me, "Are you from North Korea or South Korea?" I very politely say, "South Korea.").
Because my Hal-Ma-Ni lived in Korea and I lived in the United States, I didn't know her too well. I left Korea when I was one-year-old so I didn't get to spend time with her. She did come visit us in the United States a couple of times for a couple weeks each time. But even then, I didn't get to spend too much time with her since it was for such a short period of time, I was in school most of the day, and she was splitting her visit among my aunts, uncles, and other cousins. And before you knew it, it was time for her to take off back to the mother land.
It wasn't until I graduated college that I got to spend more time with her. You see, after college, I decided to live in Korea for one year before starting law school. I wanted to "get to know my background." I felt it was important to me to know my "roots." So, I rented a tiny room in Shin-Chon, Seoul, Korea, taught English at various English academies in Korea, and took Korean classes at Ehwa Women's University. And most importantly, I spent some time with Hal-Ma-Ni and my family in Korea.
Hal-Ma-Ni and watched Korean t.v. shows together. She cooked me Korean dishes. We walked around Seoul together. We talked. We laughed. We held hands.
One day she was cleaning out her closet and we came across a bag filled with pictures. We opened the bag and there they were: My "roots." She had pictures of her and my Ha-Ra-Ba-Ji ("Grandpa" in Korean) when they were younger.
She even had pictures of my great- Hal-Ma-Ni and great-Ha-Ra-Ba-Ji.
It was amazing. Staring back at me was my family whom I've never met, yet I would have never been here if it weren't for them.
My grandmother told me she remembered running with my mom on her back during the Korean War. She remembered hunger. And she remembered the death of one of her babies (My mom's older sister) during that time.
Despite all that we talked about and all that she told me, the conversation that sticks in my mind the most is this: I was going to be leaving Korea to come back to the states in a couple of days so I could start getting ready for law school. We were feeling sad because we both knew that after I left we would be thousands of miles apart again and we wouldn't spend the same kind of quality time together, probably ever again. We were sitting at her glass kitchen table with all of her vitamins and medications stacked up one one side of the table against her wall. She said, "Jeami-ya (My Korean name), when will we see each other like this again?" With deep sadness and a lump in my throat, I told her the truth, "I don't know." I followed up by telling her, "If we don't ever spend time like this again on this Earth, we will again in Heaven." My Hal-Ma-Ni promised we would.
Rest in Peace, Hal-Ma-Ni. I'll see you in Heaven.
I love you.
-Jeami
Friday, March 29, 2013
Michelle and Charles Are Engaged!
Yay!!!! Congratulations Charles and Michelle! So happy to have another sister! :)
Panama-Part II: Cheers to Si and Mike!
These are our friends who got married in Panama. This wedding was off the hook! It was like a movie-star wedding.
Si and Mike are so cute and sweet together.
Mike is hilarious!
Siannah is beautiful.
The reception was so much fun! We danced the night away and we even did the harlem shake. Hilarious!
There was even a fireworks show!
Woohoo!!! Congratulations Si and Mike! We are so happy for you! Xoxo!
Panama-Part I
Josh and I went to Panama a couple of weeks ago for our dear friends, Siannah and Mike's wedding. At first Josh and I didn't think we were going to make it since this whole house remodel is literally sucking us bone dry of funds...Josh is working tons of overtime and I am packing my lunch everyday and eating in every night to save us some $$ (Eating out adds up).
But Josh and I discussed it and we felt that it was important to share this very special occasion with our friends. So, we scraped up our money, postponed our further much-needed renovations, and packed our bags and flew to Panama.
We are so happy we went! :) We had a blast !
One of my favorite things we did was to go to The Panama Canal. The Panama Canal tour was so interesting. I am embarrassed to say that I didn't really didn't know too much about the canal. But after going on this tour, and seeing the canal for myself, I understand the importance of it. It was both shocking and extremely impressive on how much work actually went into building the canal. (For those of you who do not know, the canal is so important because it connects the Atlantic Ocean to the Pacific Ocean. So basically, it allows direct access from one side of the world to the other, significantly reducing the amount of travel a ship needs to do to transport it's cargo
since the ship will not have to go all the way around South America or North America).
Josh was totally into The Panama Canal too.
We also go to tour the city.
And the beaches.
The food? Absolutely delish...
My favorite? The ceviche...
Parting thoughts? "Unforgettableness."
Monday, February 11, 2013
Cars...
I asked Josh, "If I were to die tomorrow, would you remarry some day?" Josh answered, "Oh no, Sweetie. I wouldn't remarry. I would just get a house with an eight-car garage and fill it up with cars."
What can I say? The man loves cars....
Josh talks about cars, texts about cars, studies cars, fixes cars, researches cars, reads about cars, races cars, and he even stops cars (while working) that he likes.
Josh was talking about the BMW M3 and M5 ever since I met him. And according to him and his friends even way before he met me. So...we bought one...
I actually feel kind of guilty for having this kind of a luxury item. But hey, we work hard for our money, and it makes my husband happy. And that makes me happy.
Josh loves the car. He says we are his two loves. But good to know that he loves me more (That's what he says anyway):
What can I say? The man loves cars....
Josh talks about cars, texts about cars, studies cars, fixes cars, researches cars, reads about cars, races cars, and he even stops cars (while working) that he likes.
Josh was talking about the BMW M3 and M5 ever since I met him. And according to him and his friends even way before he met me. So...we bought one...
I actually feel kind of guilty for having this kind of a luxury item. But hey, we work hard for our money, and it makes my husband happy. And that makes me happy.
Josh loves the car. He says we are his two loves. But good to know that he loves me more (That's what he says anyway):
(Josh's two loves: Me and M3)
Sunday, February 10, 2013
Panel
I've been asked to be part of the panel to speak with the new hires of the LADA's office. The following are the questions that will be asked of me:
1. What was your first day like?
2. What does a bad day look like?
3. How did you deal with your anxiety?
4. What advice would you give?
5. What was your interaction with court staff like?
6. With defense attorneys?
7. What, if anything would you do differently?
These are my answers:
1. What was your first day like?
Answer: Terrifying. Nerve wrecking. Crazy. Exciting.
Terrifying because I didn't know what I was doing.
Nerve wrecking because everybody was watching me, and judging me: The judge, defense attorneys, defendants, colleagues, civilian witnesses, victims, law enforcement witnesses, court staff, and supervisors. Even though I had no idea what I was doing, I had to "fake it until I make it."
I woke up, said a little "God, get me through this day" prayer, wore a black suit, and took a deep breath. I went into court with a stack of cases (approximately 60) for that day. I was as prepared as I could be (I read all the reports) and I had my handy dandy offer sheet (A list crimes with our standard offers for those crimes). I sat down at the counsel table. And was swarmed by defense attorneys wanting offers, wanting to "wheel and deal;" with witnesses who were subpoenaed and wanted to talk about restitution, wanting to drop charges, saying that they had to leave because they were missing work, asking why it was taking so long; and the judge calling the cases on calendar. It was a mental juggling act...Doing 50 things at once...Multi-tasking at it's best.
Exciting because in the midst of all the chaos...This was exactly what I always wanted to do...Do justice as best as I could.
2. What does a bad day look like?
Answer: Days when you're so busy that you don't have time to eat or drink...Days where you barely have time to go to the bathroom, and you only go because you have to go. Then you go home and have prepare for the next day barely getting sleep. You sleep only because you have to sleep. Then the next day, you start all over again.
3. How did you deal with your anxiety?
The best way to combat anxiety is to be as prepared as you can possibly be. This is how to combat the "unexpected" as much as possible. The more prepared you are and the more you know, the better equipped you will be to handle issues that may come up. The more prepared you are, the more confident you feel, which in turn lessens anxiety.
4. What advice would you give?
Answer 1: Pray.
Answer 2: When you feel self-doubt: Surround yourself with good friends and good people that you can trust in the office. We deal with really serious and scary stuff. We are surrounded by people who are/appear to be so poised in the middle of utter chaos. But at the end of the day we are all human. No one is perfect.
You're going to have good days and bad days, and there is nothing better than to have friends to laugh with and commiserate with. For example: A colleague was really busy (juggling of course) and she ran to court in a rush in the morning. At the end of the day she went back to her office and realized that she was wearing a different shoe on each foot but was too busy to notice. We all laughed together. Another colleague bent down to pick something up and her skirt ripped in the back exposing her underwear in front of the entire court. We commiserated together.
A good support system is worth more than gold or silver.
Answer 3: Don't lose sight of the ultimate goal: Justice.
Answer 4: In everything you do, shoot for doing an extraordinary job instead of just an ordinary job. The difference between "extraordinary" and ordinary is just a little "extra."
5. What was your interaction with the court staff?
Answer: Great. Treat them with respect and kindness. They work hard. You need them and they know it.
6. What was your interaction with defense attorneys?
Answer: Depends. Depends on the case and how they are. But no matter what, keep it professional.
7. What, if anything would you do differently?
Answer: I can't think of anything right now. Ask me again in five-ten years. I may have a different perspective.
1. What was your first day like?
2. What does a bad day look like?
3. How did you deal with your anxiety?
4. What advice would you give?
5. What was your interaction with court staff like?
6. With defense attorneys?
7. What, if anything would you do differently?
These are my answers:
1. What was your first day like?
Answer: Terrifying. Nerve wrecking. Crazy. Exciting.
Terrifying because I didn't know what I was doing.
Nerve wrecking because everybody was watching me, and judging me: The judge, defense attorneys, defendants, colleagues, civilian witnesses, victims, law enforcement witnesses, court staff, and supervisors. Even though I had no idea what I was doing, I had to "fake it until I make it."
I woke up, said a little "God, get me through this day" prayer, wore a black suit, and took a deep breath. I went into court with a stack of cases (approximately 60) for that day. I was as prepared as I could be (I read all the reports) and I had my handy dandy offer sheet (A list crimes with our standard offers for those crimes). I sat down at the counsel table. And was swarmed by defense attorneys wanting offers, wanting to "wheel and deal;" with witnesses who were subpoenaed and wanted to talk about restitution, wanting to drop charges, saying that they had to leave because they were missing work, asking why it was taking so long; and the judge calling the cases on calendar. It was a mental juggling act...Doing 50 things at once...Multi-tasking at it's best.
Exciting because in the midst of all the chaos...This was exactly what I always wanted to do...Do justice as best as I could.
2. What does a bad day look like?
Answer: Days when you're so busy that you don't have time to eat or drink...Days where you barely have time to go to the bathroom, and you only go because you have to go. Then you go home and have prepare for the next day barely getting sleep. You sleep only because you have to sleep. Then the next day, you start all over again.
3. How did you deal with your anxiety?
The best way to combat anxiety is to be as prepared as you can possibly be. This is how to combat the "unexpected" as much as possible. The more prepared you are and the more you know, the better equipped you will be to handle issues that may come up. The more prepared you are, the more confident you feel, which in turn lessens anxiety.
4. What advice would you give?
Answer 1: Pray.
Answer 2: When you feel self-doubt: Surround yourself with good friends and good people that you can trust in the office. We deal with really serious and scary stuff. We are surrounded by people who are/appear to be so poised in the middle of utter chaos. But at the end of the day we are all human. No one is perfect.
You're going to have good days and bad days, and there is nothing better than to have friends to laugh with and commiserate with. For example: A colleague was really busy (juggling of course) and she ran to court in a rush in the morning. At the end of the day she went back to her office and realized that she was wearing a different shoe on each foot but was too busy to notice. We all laughed together. Another colleague bent down to pick something up and her skirt ripped in the back exposing her underwear in front of the entire court. We commiserated together.
A good support system is worth more than gold or silver.
Answer 3: Don't lose sight of the ultimate goal: Justice.
Answer 4: In everything you do, shoot for doing an extraordinary job instead of just an ordinary job. The difference between "extraordinary" and ordinary is just a little "extra."
5. What was your interaction with the court staff?
Answer: Great. Treat them with respect and kindness. They work hard. You need them and they know it.
6. What was your interaction with defense attorneys?
Answer: Depends. Depends on the case and how they are. But no matter what, keep it professional.
7. What, if anything would you do differently?
Answer: I can't think of anything right now. Ask me again in five-ten years. I may have a different perspective.
Monday, February 4, 2013
Toot!
I am not one to "toot her own horn." But...Can I toot? Just this once? Just for a second? Please?
I scored a 100...
I worked my butt off to score this...
So...Toot!
I scored a 100...
I worked my butt off to score this...
So...Toot!
Beautiful...
My sister-in-law, Jessica, is getting married to the love of her life in June in Maui Hawaii. And a beautiful bride-to-be needs a beautiful dress to get married on a beautiful island. Something white. Something light. Something beautiful...
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