Monster Island (actually a peninsula)*

Pearls of witticism from 'Bo the Blogger: Kushibo's Korea blog... Kushibo-e Kibun... Now with Less kimchi, more nunchi. Random thoughts and commentary (and indiscernibly opaque humor) about selected social, political, economic, and health-related issues of the day affecting "foreans," Koreans, Korea and East Asia, along with the US, especially Hawaii, Orange County and the rest of California, plus anything else that is deemed worthy of discussion. Forza Corea!

Sunday, May 23, 2010

Baby Heigl okay following heart surgery

Over at The Marmot's Hole, Wangkon is asleep at the switch, so I'll do the honors and post on Katherine Heigl's daughter, which is of course a Korea-related story (and a Marmot's Hole favorite). Naleigh is doing just fine after open heart surgery, which she underwent before she left Korea to be adopted by Ms Heigl and her husband Josh Kelley last September. This is now being revealed in a Harper's Bazaar interview.

From People (reporting on Harper's):

When Katherine Heigl and husband Josh Kelley welcomed Naleigh last September, the couple explained that they were able to adopt their daughter faster because of her special needs.

Revealed to be a congenital heart defect, it was repaired with open heart surgery before the baby girl left Korea.

Now, I'll just come out and admit that I gave some thought to including this as the final story in today's Daily Kor. Something along the lines of "Katherine Heigl disappointed to learn only Korean cars come with ten-year warranty." But I have learned that making even the slightest of jokes about babies getting surgery can elicit depictions-of-the-Prophet reactions amongst the blog-reading populace (Exhibit A), so don't expect to read anything like that here.

Oh, but Ms Heigl can crack jokes:

"Her heart is 100 percent fine now. She has a scar, so she won't be wearing bikinis, which is fine by us," Katherine explains, unembarrassed by her overprotectiveness.

Sure, everybody gets upset that a marginal K-blogger makes a funny by connecting quality assurances on Korean products with adoptees from said country, but Mommy makes a potentially traumatizing comment that her daughter may be too disfigured to dress attractively and no one bats an eye. Really, between my comment and Ms Heigl's, which one will a twenty-something Naleigh be talking about with her therapist while on the couch in the year 2030-something?

Anyway, in all seriousness, I do say kudos to Ms Heigl and her husband Josh Kelley for their choice of adopting and taking the tougher route of adopting a special-needs child. And my best to Naleigh and all the children like her, who are always in my prayers.

[above: Baby Babe photos]

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Ask Kushibo.

My Google/Blogspot data shows that a lot of the 2 million people who have landed on my site (yes, that's the real number) are looking for cultural information on Korea (e.g., “When did Syngman Rhee die?” “What did the Indians bring to the first Chusŏk?’ etc., etc.), as well as practical or historical stuff.

That got me thinking that, hey, I have a master’s degree in Korean studies and a minor in Japanese studies, I’ve lived in Seoul far longer than most foreans my age (whether they're kyopo or non-kyopo), I teach introductory courses on Korea and its cultural trappings and history, so why not offer a free service where I attempt to answer people’s questions, point them in the direction of where they can get them answered, and/or offer my regulars (that’s you!) a chance to take a stab at some of this stuff, too.

So if there’s something you’d like to know from a “contrarian scourge,” click on ASK KUSHIBO and just ask a succinct question in the comments section below.

Oh, and play nice. Please don’t make me regret this.

九十五大怪獣란? 쿠시보의 몬스터 아일랜드란?

Pearls of witticism from 'Bo the Blogger: Kushibo's Korea blog... Kushibo-e Kibun...
Now with Less kimchi, more nunchi. Random thoughts and commentary (and indiscernibly opaque humor) about selected social, political, economic, and health-related issues of the day affecting "foreans" ("foreigners" in Korea be they kyopo or non-kyopo), Koreans, Korea and East Asia, along with the US, especially Hawaii, Orange County, and the rest of California, plus anything else that is deemed worthy of discussion. Forza Corea!

* Monster Island (actually a peninsula)

The name of this blog comes from a line in "Lisa on Ice," a beloved episode of The Simpsons, perhaps my all-time favorite television show (even though for several seasons there, it really did suck). Lisa is imagining being sworn in as president, but at the last minute, it is discovered that she failed P.E. (physical education) and she is thus "sentenced to a lifetime of horror" on Monster Island. "Don't worry," the Chief Justice of the Supreme Court confides in her, "It's just a name."

Fast forward to Lisa and other prisoners running in panic through a tropical jungle, chased by Godzilla-like creatures, including a monster turtle and a monster firefly.

"He said it was just a name!" Lisa screams to the man next to her. While he, too, runs for his life, the unidentified man calmly says, "What he meant is that Monster Island is actually a peninsula."

Anyway, I thought in some ways that punchline summed up modern-day Korea in a nutshell. For many people—foreigners and Koreans—the ups and downs and everyday travails of the Republic of Korea make it as precarious as a Monster Island would be (and with the DMZ being the only land border, it really is like an island). But it actually is a peninsula. Okay, it made sense in my head.

So as you can see, despite the hits I get from people looking for Japanese tentacle porn, it has nothing to do with anything salacious as that.

Monster Island (actually a peninsula)*

Sunday, May 23, 2010

Baby Heigl okay following heart surgery

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