Malnutrition can happen
In the land that so blessed with abundant of food and has so many fat people, you would think malnutrition never happens! But someone can become malnourished for reasons that have nothing to do with enough food or not. Even people who have plenty to eat may be malnourished if they don’t eat food that provides the right nutrients, vitamins, and minerals.
Some diseases and conditions can also prevent people from digesting or absorbing their food properly. I remember an ex colleague who has a child born with gluten intolerant and intestinal problems. Although they wondered why the child never put on weight and was extremely difficult, they did not suspect anything wrong. When the child looked like skin and bone and started to resemble the poster child for World Hunger, they brought her to the pediatrician and the doctor ran a series of tests and found the causes.
They have to stop the formula they have been given to the child and gave her the kind of special gluten free formula milk. I am not sure whether it’s pediasure or some other brands, but I remember my colleague said it’s much more expensive than the normal formula. The child is 9 years old now, though she is healthy, and has grown taller, she is a skinny little girl.
Filed under buzz | Comment (0)Fire arms for sale at estate sale!
We were at an estate sale two weeks ago and we were shocked to find fire arms for sale at the basement. The owner of the house obviously is a avid hunter. He has tons of hunting equipment, branded hunting gears including Galco holsters and hundreds of hunting magazines.
That’s not surprised in the midwest. But, selling the fire arms at an estate sale? That couldn’t be legal to do so! Anyway, we didn’t buy anything at this estate sale because the prices were marked up quite a bit by the agent and they were on the pricey side. They have nice furniture, but not in the price range we are willing to pay!
Have a cup of coffee at Coffee Mill
In Seoul, where the older people generally prefer their morning brew to be of the hazelnut-flavored and watery persuasion. But the young people are flocking to many franchised coffee joints in the city because it’s considered cool and trendy things to do. You can imagine the Branding and marketing agencies for this frnachised businesses have done a good job in South Korea. The local cafes here are often pricey with plush, tacky decor, so stumbling upon a simple spot to have a decent cup of coffee which is not over priced can be an endeavor!
After visiting the Gyeongbok Palace and walking towards the nearby Seoul’s Samcheong-dong neighborhood–a corner of the city dotted with traditional hanok roofs, found the Coffee Mill, which is a quirky, humble joint. The wooden tables are etched with the names of customers and lovers, and the walls are covered with random drawings of cutesy characters.
In the cozy hallway of a coffee shop, the owner roasts his own beans–offering different varieties from different countries and far-off locales. He specializes in hand-pour drip coffee. Regular drip brew is not common in Korea outside of chains like Starbucks or The Coffee Bean; the choice is often between (usually bad) espresso drinks or famously terrible crystal coffee mix.
A strong, hot cup of coffee at the Coffee Mill will run you about 6,000 wons (about USD6 or RM19) , which is expensive even by American standards but is quite normal in Seoul. The cafe is a great spot to unwind and relax after a long day of walking and sightseeing, the mellow indie-pop music selection offers a soothing break from the roar of the metropolis.
Filed under buzz | Comment (0)Fashion and materials colonization
While flying into Chicago few weeks ago, I did a stopover for six days in Seoul, South Korea. This is my first trip to Seoul and South Korea though it’s part of Asia, where I have lived for many many years. Seoul is a vibrant and populated city, you see a lot of young people come here with dreams to make it.
The young people in Seoul dressed well and are very much into fashions. But, speaking as a non fashionista, my general observation is that the young people are led by the fashion instead of creating their own styles. I think it’s quite funny that many people on the streets seem to all dressed in similar outfits because the fashion malls are selling the same!
They are also many outlets for imported brand name clothing at the fashion malls. These clothing and accessories are definitely not cheap. Would you pay for an outfit or a pair of shoes that cost $1,000? I won’t. But the price tags do not seem to deter the fashion enthusiasts in Seoul . Obviously the Marketing Company and branding managers have done a good job in Seoul. :-)
A middle aged Korean man that I talked shared about the worrying trend of young people who carry credit card debts even before they started working. To me, it’s a different kind of colonization when young people abandoned their own culture to adopt the materialistic lifestyle blindly.
Filed under buzz | Comment (0)Study cosmetology to be a hairdresser
The big boy told me nowadays the hairdressers also do nails in the small town we are going to live. He thinks they are more and more this kind of saloons everywhere in America and it seems they usually hire Vietnamese girls to work there.
I wonder why? Is it because not many American girls want to work in the saloons? In fact, one can learn how to do nails, blow, cut and dye hair at a beauty school. It’s not difficult to get a job considering the demand for workers is always very high. Though it’s hard work and a service oriented job, it’s a job that pays quite well!
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