too much rice?

apparently 12 months have turned me into a bonfide Korean. i blame the rice, and perhaps the tap water i wasn't advised to drink. but ever since returning stateside, i've had countless people tell me i'm looking a bit Korean these days. though, i don't know if this Korean-likeness is a step up or down from the previous Russian prostitute reference... while, i did recently made the jump from blonde to "espresso", as L'Oreal calls it, i think it goes deeper. i do in fact have bits of mongolian in me, but i don't see why it would take this long to appear.

exhibit A: me and a real Asian (Twainese-thanks Pei Pei)...i don't see it.

thanks to my mom and her XX gene donation 23 years ago, i am the owner of a small pair of eyes. maybe countless amounts of rice, paired with learning a new language, and habitually squatting over toilets brings about physical alterations. or not. i'm not Asian people.

save it for a soldier.

I have a new found love and respect for our nation’s military, and you should too. I lived in Korea for a year, where there was required 2 year military service for all males. We are blessed to live in a country with such options. Whether you support the current war or not, the soldiers are just doing what they are told.
I always “supported” them, but never opened my mouth to say so. Shame on me.

For the past year I witnessed the sad dichotomy of the critical Western media with the personal reality of those criticized soldiers and their families. Simply put, these men and women are displaced; separated from their families, friends, and home. Their bases provide them with all the necessary Frosted Flakes and Taco Bell Burrito Supremes they could ask for, but it’s not home. They choose to be there, they choose to represent our country, they choose to serve...they choose what I haven’t, and yet I benefit. The bottom line is that whether in Texas or Afghanistan, those in the military are places where we aren’t. My couch and warm feet suddenly get a little more comfortable…

My charge to you: buy a drink, shake a hand, give a kiss, anything. Say thanks. They need to know.