How to Make Ddakji – an easy, cheap, and FUN Korean game

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Korean Ddakji – an easy, cheap, and FUN game

My toddler is in a throwing things phase. It’s incredibly annoying!

Even though I’m happy he has a good throwing arm, it can be destructive at worst and disruptive at best. (I think our senior dog is going to have a heart attack!)

So I said to myself, ‘Self, what activity can we do that allows him to throw things and improve his aim but isn’t so destructive?’

The answer was staring me in the face! Literally, it was on tv! I was watching Running Man, per usual, and they were playing…

DDAKJI! [Read more…]

Korean Age vs. American Age

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Korean Age vs. American Age

I remember when I was a kid, my cousins and Korean friends would ask how old I was. But when I answered ‘I’m seven’ or whatever age I was at the time, they’d say “What year?” They did this to figure out ranks, if you will.

In Korean culture, for those of you who might not know, age is a big deal. And I don’t mean in a “younger is better” kind of way. [Read more…]

Why Do East Asians Make A V-Sign In Pictures?

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Why Do East Asians Make A V-Sign In Pictures?

It’s well known that East Asians like to throw up the v-sign in pictures. But why?
It appears that no one knows anymore!

War and Peace

Some suspect that it came from Winston Churchill’s “v” for victory (1940’s) or Janet Lynn’s “v” for peace (1970’s). [Read more…]

A Memory from a Korean-American Childhood – English the Korean Way

8:00 am

A Memory from a Korean-American Childhood – English the Korean Way

This story isn’t actually mine. It’s my older sister’s. But I thought I should share it (with permission from my sis) because many of you will probably relate to it.

Many years ago in Kindergarten, Eonni (Korean for older sis to a girl) was learning the English alphabet. The teacher assigned a letter to each kid in the class. (I guess there were 26 kids in the class?)

And they were told to go home and learn how to pronounce the letter for the next day.

So the next day comes and Eonni goes to school. She did her assignment and was ready.

Each kid was told to stand up to say and pronounce their letter clearly.

“A!” Shouted the kid with the first letter. “A for apple!” [Read more…]

Gift Guide for Pucca Fans

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Gift Guide for Pucca Fans

Pucca is a South Korean animated cartoon little girl. (Just in case you landed here out of sheer curiosity.)

She’s tough and sweet and even has a ninja boyfriend, albeit he’s reluctantly so.

I first found out about Pucca because she was on some colored pens. It appears that’s how many people find out about her. Because she’s on everything from pens to sunscreen!

Pucca’s life is action packed, as most cartoons are, and is animated adorably.

And even though Pucca never hit it big, she’s made a lasting impression on many, including myself!

If you know someone who’s a Pucca fan, they’re going to flip over these gifts! [Read more…]