Lloyd, the coolest restaurateur I've ever met.

                                Arnold, Helen, Meredith and I

     I was invited to Helen, my English teacher’s "Sabbath Special Thanksgiving Dinner" in Long Island at the day after Thanksgiving Day. Though it was the second time visiting her house, I was excited because it was my very first Thanksgiving Dinner at American’s home and also my first Sabbath dinner with Jewish New Yorker. I knew Jewish history, tradition, and their way of life; at the same time, I was always curious about how they keep their faith and remain strong among nations.

    

      Once I got there, welcoming hospitality of Arnold and Helen made me feel at home; dinner was almost ready and we waited a couple more friends. One of guests were the Lederman, they brought some authentic fare from his deli to share. Usually, I am a horrible picky eater; I don't eat poultry at all. Yet, I decided to try new dishes, for it was rare opportunity. Fortunately, many of the dishes were vegetarian, and most of all; Helen's turkey with cranberry was succulent.  

   

                              Lloyd is about to attack the poor turkey, 

with cranberry sauce; it is one of a kind delicacy!

Amusing and dainty to see, 

a colorful salad as gem stones was surprisingly tasty.

     During the course of dinner, I befriended with Lloyd, a son of Helen’s best friend, who is a restaurant owner in Brooklyn. Tasting foods from his deli in family style was enthusing; all dishes were prepared with strict Jewish traditional diet. Lloyd is an expert restaurateur who seemed very proud and serious about his work. His grandfather started a restaurant business a Century ago and the family has worked in restaurant business ever since they came from Poland to New York. Naturally, as a young boy, Lloyd’s helped his family business. Listening to his experience of running restaurant in New York was fascinating, as I had also worked in restaurant business in Paris.

Everything was so elaborated and tasty.

                        

                          Bonne Appetite everyone!

     

     Lloyd and I had very interesting discussion about things around the restaurant business; from exhausting long hours of work, how difficult it is to run a restaurant in a big city, to make money while being as honest as possible to all kind of dreadful details: bills, charges, tax, regulations, administration, hygiene inspections, new grading law, loan, hiring staff, tips, rent, contract, fines, and many more. There are many commonalities between us, yet we also found a great deal of difference between New York and Paris; especially French laws that protect employees! All kinds of contracts; CDI,  CDD, and seasonnier. Moreover, firing employees are nearly impossible unless they quit by themselves. That nearly drove me crazy all through my experience, and Lloyd didn’t want to be my place, either.

     Running a restaurant in a foreign country is similar to being an Ambassador in someway; they can do things that their Embassy can’t do. There are significant exchange between clients and a host everyday around table. In a big city like New York and Paris, competition and pressure among local restaurants and international restaurants are very high. A well-known expression says that survivors from a restaurant business can do any other business successfully, and I do understand why…

  Nowadays, it's easier to find foreign foods, people don't have to go out of the country to experience different culture. Trying new ethnic foods may be the first step. Food is not only a simple thing that fills stomach, but also deeply ingrained with a country’s tradition, culture, and belief that people stick to. Restaurant business is surely a hard work, and it has indescribable disadvantages people from outside are unaware of; but we, restaurant owners know what the advantages are and joy comes with. The best moment for restaurateur is seeing clients again. Aware of it, I decided to visit his deli Jay& Lloyd’s in Brooklyn. After the end of semester, I was reminded of my friend Lloyd, I went to his devoted restaurant with my roomi Rutsuko.

 Jay&Lloyd's

2718 Avenue U

Sheepshead Bay, Brooklyn

718-891-5298 

718-891-5302

Directions: take Q train to Avenue U station and 16th St

then take bus 33 Eastbound to Bergen Beach

Open seven days a week

White Dear

Dear Miss Cho,

白鹿不怕遠征難 千水萬山只等閒

백록불백원정난 천수만산지등한

A white Deer is not afraid of many challenges,

It takes every difficulty normal and easy.

白鹿(White deer)不怕(is not afraid of)遠征(walking a long way)難(hard)

흰 사슴은 험난하고 먼 길도 두렵지 아니하고,
千水(thousands of rivers)萬山(10 thousands of mountains)只等閒(is easy and   normal)

수많은 물과 산이 다만 한가롭기만 하네.

Chinese translates into Korean by Takyoung Jung and English by Yachun! 

It's good to have such intellectual friends -,.-)

Letting Go

People travel some places to remind, keep, or forget something in our life.

So we did it;

We’ve spend time together,

So we made it;

To keep our precious time of this wonderful semester that we had together.

So we kept it;

Now we are thankful for having such a great opportunity.

We are never going to forget them.

So just letting go, don’t hesitate,

Even though we farewell each other,

Each of us remains the other’s memory.



Poem by Akgul, Hyoung and a little of HyunEun

A beautiful day in a beautiful place with beautiful musics leaves beautiful memories...

Just Letting Go-

December 4, 2011

Roosevelt Island

Akgul, Hyoung and HyunEun

Lovely Day by Bill Withers

Your Song by Billy Paul

As Simple as Possible

It's been awhile I've been thinking of      

changing my mind. What's disturbing 

is, I just can't be honest with myself.       

Life in New York is getting pretty much 

 enjoyable, yet I found myself distressed.

 Because I can't take care of it as much

     as I want, I have to let go some of it.   

 I wish I had 28 hours per day. Thinking

 too much about agenda becomes seriously

 stressful. Why can't I live simply? What   

 is it all about? Is it worth doing all that?    

What for I have to stay awake late? Why 

do I prevent myself from having pleasures? 

                                                                    

I might take some time only by myself and go somewhere far from here.

 Empty my mind to fill with something new and positive!

                     Illustration by Jean Jacques Sampe

Thanksgiving Pensée

Happy Thanksgiving!

I hope everyone had a wonderful Thanksgiving

even though we are living in a country far from our family.

The cover of The New Yorker published in November. 27. 2006, illustrated by Chris Ware,

contrasts two different Thanksgiving dinners.

Chris Ware is an American graphic novelist who I like the most.

Well known for his series of Acme Novelty Library,

I first discovered his works at Album in Paris,

and little by little, I collected his art book in English, with which I enjoy spending time.

His works are so dearest; quality of hand drawing is outstanding, as well as the deeply touching stories.

His main characters are all but depressed, lonely and fragile;

I suppose that following them page by page might not be a pleasure for certain readers.

However, it was a huge success in France and his fans make Chris Ware one of the best contemporary American cartoonist. He has an incredible ability to talk about loneliness in a Psychological,
and Philosophical way unlike the other cartoonist.

Among his works Jimmy Corrigan is my favorite; having second Thanksgiving Day in America,

give me a little more idea about how awful Jimmy might have felt during his sojourn

with his unknown father.

While the others enjoy the holiday with their family, Jimmy only deserves the worst holiday near his father who he had never known. Jimmy is a timid, pathetic and lonesome middle aged man who lived with his controlling mother, meets his father for the first time in a Michigan town

over Thanksgiving weekend, and witnesses his father's last days.

His father is a kind of weirdo and somewhat a looser; he tries hard to make it cheerful, but very awkward because the men don’t know each other. While escaping from his father, Jimmy has a car accident, which is followed by a fatal car accident of his father who has just told him that he loves Jimmy.

Jimmy Corrigan, the Smartest Kid on Earth was published in 2000. Graphically, Jimmy Corrigan is extremely archived, very detailed, with an extraordinary colorization.

It is the most successful American graphic novel in France both critical and commercial 
that won the first prize at Angoulême Comic Festival in 2003.

한국에서 2009년에 발간된 크리스 웨어의 2001년 작품 "지미 코리건, 세상에서 가장 똑똑한 아이"는 미국과 유럽에서만 아니라 가까운 일본에서도 큰 히트를 기록한 그래픽 노블의 보물 같은 작품이다. 성인물이나 일본식 화풍의 순정 만화가 대세인 한국에서 얼마나 많은 관심을 끄는지는 미지수 이나, 뒤늦게나마 좋은 작품을 한국어로 만날 수 있는 좋은 기회가 아닐 수 없다.


내 경우에, 빠리의 시립 도서관에서 처음 불어판으로 이 책을 접했을때, 뭐 이런 썰렁한 만화가 다 있어 라고 생각하며 읽기를 뒤로 미루다가 그래픽과 색상이 엮어내는 시적이고 따스한 이야기에 점차 빠져들게 되었고, 급기야는 아마존 닷 컴을 통해 원어로 주문 한 이후, 크리스 웨어의 작품을 하나 둘 컬렉션 하는데 이르게 되었다. 그의 작품들에서 반복적으로 다뤄지는 공통점들 - 헤어짐, 공허함, 외로움,미움, 자살, 중에서 특히 미국인들의 가장 큰 명절인  Thanksgiving을 
주제로 하는 "지미 코리건- 세상에서 가장 똑똑한 아이"는 책의 두께가 주는 무거움으로도 짐작 할 수 있지만, 아일랜드 출신의 4대에 이르는 코리건가의 남자들을 백년의 시간을 타임머신을 타고 비행하는 방대한 스케일의 에픽 그래픽 노블 이라고 할 수 있다.
   
홀아비가 되자 살아남기 위해 어린 제임스를 버리는 지미의 증조 할아버지와, 
아버지를 한번도 만난 기억이 없는 지미...
크리스 웨어는 말로 할 수 없는 지미의 사연을 정겹고 포근한 사랑어린 시선으로 한권의 책에 담아 냈고, 미국과 유럽에서 만큼이나 한국의 독자에게도 사랑 받으리라고 확신한다.


전통적으로 유교 사회인 한국도 어느 순간 부터 가족 해체와 이혼이 큰 사회 이슈로 떠올랐고, 더 이상 쉬쉬 할 수 없는 현대 한국인의 중요한 한 부분을 차지 하게 된지도 꽤 시간이 흘렀지만, 아직도 현실을 받아들이지 못해서 우리 사회에서 일어나는 갈등들을 볼때 서구 사회의 여유로움과 넉넉함이 잠시 부러워진다. 외국에서 좋다는건 다 가져야만 하는 우리들. 초 현대식 아파트, 유럽식 가구, 미국식 라이프 스타일, 지중해식 웰빙 요리, 해외 여행, 언어 연수, 조기 교육, 성형 수술, 럭셔리 명품. 


그럼에도 불구 하고 2011년에도 여전히 고아 수출국 1위인 한국, 이제는 먹고 살만 한데도 해외에 나와서 까지 돈돈돈 하며 60년대 이민자 보다 나을게 없는 삶을 살아가는 한국인. France의 tolerance도, noblesse obligée 도 다 양보와 나눔에 바탕을 둔 말인걸 기억하고, 극도의 이기주의자들만 배 불리는 사회 구조이지만 외로운 이웃에게 작은 관심을 가질 수 있는 겨울이었으면 하는 바램이다.      

Raul is...

A wonderful teacher.

He has done a great job for our blogging class.

Since the beginning, the class's been really challenging and it's going to end in three weeks.

We still have so much to learn!

This post will be a little surprise for him from all of us.

You guys are creative!  Post something which is enjoyable, memorable and cheerful!

I just want to say, THANK YOU RAUL!

Here's a bouquet for you from all of us.

Eataly, awesome?

 Preview  

Atmosphere	★★★★
Food	★★★✩
Service	★★
Value	★★★✡

    

     Many people say Eataly is the one of the best places for having authentic Italian food in New York. It is a big food market situated in Harold Square. There are more than six restaurants propose all different kinds of Italian culinary: take away counters, bakery, Lavazza café, gelato counter and many more selections. Also, there is a tiny bookstore that sells fusion style Italian cookbooks, and next to the bookstore, a small utensils shop sells innovated fancy kitchen gadgets imported from Italy, which is very expensive! Large choices of imported products: cheese, wine, chocolate, and dessert made in Italy will definitely entice you, so be ready! Unlike the other crowded restaurants, as soon as we walked into the place, we were surrounded by the perfume of coffee from Lavazza counter; it was so inviting.

     Akgul and I came here last week after the TOEFL class, which is some times stressful, even though our TOEFL teacher is great. We invite Warren, our classmate. He is the toughest guy at ALI and who has been looking for a nice date spot. For Monday afternoon, it was pretty crowded, so we had a hard time wandering around for getting a table for three. Warren wanted to have a whole pizza, and Akgul and I preferred vegetable dishes. :o) Before we starved to death, we ended up finding some available seats on the counter. We couldn’t wait anymore, so we just jumped in. Le Verdure is a table area and a seated counter that serves Italian style vegetable dishes. It was clean, casual and reliable. It has an open style kitchen so we can see how they cook and what ingredient they use. Compare to junk foods out there, we were about to have well-being style slow food, which is rare in the middle of the busiest place in town.

    
     Warren ordered Gnocchi Alla Romana that wasn’t as good as he imagined and the portion was pitiable. Therefore, he was still hungry an hour later; he ordered a Hotdog at AMC Theater. Akgul’s was Verdure Alla Piastra; a vivid colored of various vegetable dish. I liked it except it was chopped up onto too small pieces, it looked as if it was made by a beginner. I chose Fritto Misto; it was too salty. The way it served was careless and unsophisticated.

     By the way, the staffs were very friendly, helpful, speedy and ready for answer to clients. We actually shot a video with a server who was working in front of us.

     Although we shared the same moment, we have different opinions about Eataly. Warren didn’t like it, but would return one more time with his girl friend. Akgul like it, and will recommend to friends.  I would’t recommend the place to my friend, yet you will surely see me there on Thursday afternoon, after the TOEFL class near Union Square, having an espresso with a Tiramisu. 

Opening hour: Monday - Saturday 11am-10pm

                        Sunday 11am- 9:30pm

Location: 200 5th Ave, New York, NY 10010

Metro: 23st  N,R,F,Mand 6 trains

                                                                 
                                                                Akgul,Warren and I
                                                                 14 November 2011

Tiger Mother

     Studying Causative ”B” in Martha's class made me think about my son and myself.
Back in Paris, I could have been a tiger mother. I love Neils so much that I was willing to do more than I should have for him. At least, I tried to be a real Korean mother to my French son, but he didn’t go along with my plan at all.  He didn’t let me do what I thought was my job as a mother, and with many regrets, I had to let go.

    I was a young single mother and Neils was my sunshine. I made many sacrifices to be able to afford his private school. I had him go to Korean school on Wednesday afternoons and study English at the British Council in Paris as well. I made him do swimming, chess, fencing, piano, judo, taekwondo, golf, violin, and most of all singing. He got into in children’s chorus of a very exclusive conservatory in Paris, Le Conservatoire de Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart.

     The morning in the day of registration, I had to wake up at five o’clock in order to obtain a place for him. He was only eight. I invited the staff to dinner and it worked out just fine - in France you have to do that, and a lot of things happen because someone pulls strings. When Neils was admitted to the school, I was very proud of having my son study there and, of course, of myself. That was a perfect beginning. It didn’t work out so well, though. After only few months, the director called me and told me that Neils was too immature for the school, and that he would have to leave and come back later. Even though he explained it politely, I took it personally and badly. It was an insult. 

     I held back the tears for quite a while, but as soon as I got to my work, I ended up bursting into tears in front of  my employees. I lamented that nothing was working out with Neils. I didn’t deserve that. I really blamed Neils for not working hard enough. He should have worked harder if he loved me. Then, I tried to get him to work in other areas by pushing him even more, and after awhile it all backfired on me.

     Finally one day he spoke up. “Why should I work? You do what you want, Dad does what he wants, therefore I‘ll do what I want.” He was determined. He definitely let me know that I was throwing money out of the window. We had a huge fight and our relationship became very tense. I was furious, mad and unable to control myself. Hopelessly, I dissolved into anger. I spoke to friends and family, but their advice was insufficient. Since I desperately needed professional help, I went to see a psychologist.

     At first, the doctor let me vent for an hour. I explained the disturbing situation and told her how terrible I felt. After I calmed down, the doctor said, “ Why do you consider your son only as a pupil? Love him as a mother instead of having him work or making him study. Don’t confuse your main role.“ Her words resonated with me. Indeed, that answered my question perfectly. It was concise, wise, and easy. That I can’t make my son do things he doesn’t want to do, and my role is to love him anyway. I took her advice willingly and I found peace immediately.

     Year after, although I gave up on pushing him, I still had a hard time controlling myself. When the son of my friend was dancing while “Fantasia" was playing, Neils just stood there watching like a statue, which made me nervous.

     One beautiful spring day, the Korean Embassy in France held an art contest for children in their gorgeous garden. Neils went there with his Dad. Then a couple of days later, one of my clients told me that she saw Neils’ work at the event and said he had done a good job there. A few days later when the Embassy called me to say Neils had won the third prize; I was euphoric and delighted to hear that, and I told everyone. That day, I realized that like other members of the family, he was gifted in art. Drawing and painting were his thing. I should have known this. It made me especially happy because I knew it runs in our family. I felt so awful about my past actions. Obviously, I bought many painting materials to encourage him to paint.  I felt fortunate to be the mother of a future artist.

     I must admit that I made many mistakes. I was a beginner at being a mother, and therefore I was awkward for the role. My obsession has separated me from the one I love the most.

Now, I’m studying in New York, even though that used to be a plan I had for my son. I’m preparing for a Masters degree in Marketing Cosmetics and Fragrance. Neils supports me although he didn’t want to come with me right now and prefers to stay with his Dad in Paris. Last winter I heard him saying that he was happy in Paris, it was the very first time I heard him using the word HAPPINESS. I was glad in a way but I must say I felt a little pain. He said he wants to work in the UN and he did tell me to get everything ready for him, which gave me hope.

He’s taking piano lessons, but he has abandoned the violin and does theater instead. Still, when I think of his violin gathering dust in the corner of his room, I get a little annoyed. I know that the best way to show my love is to believe him and trust him more than anything else and the best thing I can do for him is love him no matter what.

In 2008 at Korean Embassy, Paris 

August 19, 2011 in the United Nations, New York

I Wanna Be Loved By You by Marilyn Monroe from "Some Like It Hot"

Finding love by giving up everything?

I wonder how many of us are ready for this.

Hopelessly in love, 

Sugar expects her chevalier to come and see her show, 

gives her best performance.

Probably she describes her own wish in this song; 

loved by just one alone but nobody else.

Beautiful, sensual and fragile;

to me, Marilyn Monroe is the greatest American actress.

 I wish she lived longer to fulfill her life.

Glamorous, hilarious and amorous; initiation into a real love, 

 Some Like It Hot is my favorite American comedy film. 

I wanna be loved by you, just you

and nobody else but you

I wanna be loved by you, alone

Boop-Boop-Bee-Do

I wanna be kissed by you, just you

Nobody else but you

I wanna be kissed by you alone

I couldn't aspire

to anything higher

Than, to fell the desire

to make you my own

I wanna be loved by you just you

And nobody else but you

I wanna be loved by you alone

I couldn't aspire

to anything higher

Than, to fell the desire

to make you my own

Ba Dum-Ba Dum-Ba-Diddle-Dum-Poo

I wanna be loved by you,

and nobody else but you

I wanna be loved by you

Ba-Diddle-Diddle-Diddle-Dum

Ba-Boop-Bee-Do