Sunny (2008) Korean Movie Viewing

Yesterday, Lisa (a Rangel fellow attending Princeton for grad school in the fall) and I went to a free showing of the movie, "Sunny" at the Korean Cultural Center which was sponsored by the Embassy of the Republic of Korea. They also had a free Korean dinner and you know I was happy to eat delicious free Asian food!
The theater was packed but it was well worth it. The movie was touching, insightful and dynamic. There was not a single dull moment as even the non action sequences were laced with emotion. I was amazed at how much I was able to gather when it came to the film's depiction of Viet Nam during the Viet Nam war. There were scenes where the Koreans were fighting the Viet Cong and all of a sudden the Vietnamese go under trapped doors into tunnels. I hastily whispered to Lisa, "those are the Cu Chi tunnels!!" I recognized them from my visit to Cu Chi while I studied in Viet Nam. I think that this movie portrayed a very realistic depiction of what Viet Nam was like at this time.

A truly enjoyable film, here is a synopsis in hope that you will want to watch it too!

With the film Sunny (2008), acclaimed director Lee Joon Ik departs from his usual male-centered films, such as The King and the Clown (2005), to tell the personal story of Soon-yi, a simple woman from a small town who journeys to Vietnam in 1971 in search of her husband, and herself. Sunny, as she is known, is dedicated to her husband and her family, despite her unhappiness with her lack of freedom in a traditional family. When her husband is suddenly deployed to Vietnam, to which South Korea contributed a sizeable number of troops who fought alongside American forces, Sunny is compelled to follow him, although her rationale is not always clear. As she journeys into a warzone, she joins a band of entertainers to make her way, and her search for husband and her true self becomes more difficult than she could ever have imagine.

Emmania Has Pharyngitis!

For the past two weeks I have had several lumps on my neck. Of course, things got worse the second week when I had to take ibuprofen just to get out of bed every morning to go to work. Closer to the end of the second week I not only had to take ibuprofen before I got to work, but once I came back home as well. Then yesterday, I felt worse than I have in the past two days. I started having difficulty swallowing, felt cold and totally exhausted. I kept wondering if I should go to the hospital because all these days I was trying to see a doctor but it was made nearly impossible because I am not from this city. The places I went wanted me to wait a month for an appointment as a new patient or would only take cash (no insurance) in order to tend to me right away. I thought to myself, "this is ridiculous...I have health insurance and on top of that I am going back home in a week. I may as well try to tough it out until I get back". Alas, I couldn't hold out anymore and decided to go to Howard University Hospital.

At first I was ambivalent about going because I had heard that they take anyone, regardless of if you have health insurance and so my initial thought was, "I am going to be here for a while". However, I was greatly mistaken and happily so. I got there at 7:30pm. By 8pm I had been seen.They took my vitals and noted I had a fever, several lumps on my neck and my heartbeat was fast. By 8:15pm they started to take blood, a culture test and a urine sample. By 8:40pm they put me on morphine and antibiotics which helped tremendously. I actually felt like myself. By 9:30pm I was diagnosed with Pharyngitis and am now on antibiotics, steroids and pain meds. If you don't know what pharyngitis is:

Pharyngitis is caused by swelling (inflammation) of the pharynx, which is in the back of the throat, between the tonsils and the voicebox (larynx).
Most sore throats are caused by a viral infection, such as the cold or flu. Some viruses can cause specific types of sore throat, such as coxsackie infection or mononucleosis.
Bacteria that can cause pharyngitis include Group A streptococcus, which leads to strep throat in some cases.

I have to give a shout out to Howard University Hospital because it is by far one of the best emergency doctor visits I have experienced and believe me, I have been to plenty of hospitals in my lifetime - what with my heart surgery, gallbladder removal, tonsil removal and eye surgery. One year when I was 12 I even developed chronic pneumonia in the summer and was admitted to the hospital. Anyway, the staff there was professional and nice. I have really difficult veins but the first nurse got it in 2 tries. The second time they needed more blood they sent someone who is really good with difficult veins and he got it the first time and I was very happy.

Let me also tell you guys a story about the significance of Howard University Hospital because I honestly think it is amazing yet unbelievable. Freedman Hospital which preceded Howard U Hospital played a significant role in the training of Howard University medical students and in providing quality heath care for the African-American community of Washington, especially during the era of segregation. Equally important during this era was its role in providing specialty training for African-American physicians. In that few white hospitals accepted black interns and residents, African-American physicians who completed postgraduate training did so largely at one of six black hospitals: Freedmen’s; Hubbard in Nashville, Tennessee; Provident in Chicago; Homer G. Phillips in St. Louis; Kansas City (Missouri) No. 2; and Mercy-Douglas in Philadelphia. Among the white hospitals that accepted blacks were Cook County in Chicago, Harlem and Bellevue in New York City, and Cleveland City Hospital. The other thing you won't find in many places even online is that during segregation it was the only hospital that cared for and looked after African Americans in the tri-state area during the era of segregation. I know no one wants to think about that terrible time in our country's history, but guess what, it happened and we must remember so that we don't do things like this ever again. We can't treat people like they are subhuman because they look different from us, they cry, feel pain and bleed too.

Emmania is Going to Burma!

Today I had a greatly productive day. I have been working on submitting two book recommendations, my CV and a writing sample to Columbia's International Affairs journal for their 2011 fall/winter issue on totalitarian governments. I am hoping this works out. I will know by Aug, 5th if I was chosen to write a book review on one of my book recommendations.

I also met with my FSO mentor who works in the East Asia and Pacific Affairs bureau at the State department and she is fantastic! I told her that I was torn regarding my overseas U.S. embassy internship for next summer but after talking to her I have decided to go to...BURMA! I know it sounds crazy and yes, the military dictatorship there still squelches dissent and democratic freedoms, but this is why I want to go even more. When I told my mentor that I wanted to return to Viet Nam but mentioned Burma she reminded me that I can go to Viet Nam at any time during my career, but that Burma is a unique experience like nothing else. I believe her. The more I read about Burma, the more I am intrigued by its predicament and sheer beauty. It looks like Asia before globalization took hold and it is breathtaking. This country has been so isolated that it is quite unlike anything in Asia, and not necessarily in a negative way. In addition, I am considering doing my thesis on Burma as my concentration is International Security with a regional focus on East Asia.
Here are some pictures to entice you, in hopes that you will have an interest to visit some day too.

Visit to Organization of American States

The Organization of American States is the world’s oldest regional organization, dating back to the First International Conference of American States, held in Washington, D.C., from October 1889 to April 1890.

Today, the OAS brings together all 35 independent states of the Americas and constitutes the main political, juridical, and social governmental forum in the Hemisphere.

The Wealth Gap Is .75 Miles Wide (NY Mag)

(Photo: Joerg Reichardt)

New York has one of the richest and one of the poorest congressional districts in the country … and they’re right next to one another. What money looks like from opposite banks of the Harlem River.

Economic disparity has been climbing for the better part of a century. But since 2007, the divide has been starker than ever, with the richest .01 percent taking home 6 percent of the nation’s income, a figure that has practically doubled in the past decade, and the top 10 percent now controlling two thirds of Americans’ net worth. According to recent data from the U.S. Census Bureau, New York City is home to one of the wealthiest—and the most impoverished—congressional districts in the country. Although NY 14, mostly Manhattan’s East Side, and NY 16, in the Bronx, are geographic neighbors, the two districts, in many other ways, couldn’t be farther apart. On the pages that follow, we sought to capture a picture of the state of income inequality today, as seen through perhaps its most glaring juxtaposition.


Photo: Courtesy of Congressional Representatives (Serrano, Maloney))

TWO REPRESENTATIVES, ONE BAD ECONOMY

Representatives Carolyn Maloney and José Serrano on the impact of the recession, New York’s unemployment problem, and what would happen if they switched jobs. By Alex French

What’s the most mportant issue in your district?
Carolyn Maloney (Democrat, Fourteenth District): The economy and jobs.

José Serrano (Democrat, Sixteenth District):Whatever is happening nationwide always manifests itself much more dramatically in the South Bronx. Always has. When people are talking about 5 percent unemployment, we may be talking about 10 percent unemployment.

You differed on your votes for TARP.
Maloney: My friends who work on Wall Street were calling me all day long, practically screaming—they could see us going off the cliff. The TARP vote, in my opinion, evaded a great depression and instead gave us a great recession. If I had it to do over again, I would. It was probably the least popular vote that I ever took.

Serrano: I’m the only New Yorker who voted no. I felt, as I do now, that we had to be careful not to be bailing out the people who were responsible for the mess in the first place. I knew the people who live in the South Bronx weren’t going to get any kind of bailout.

How have budget cuts affected your agenda?
Maloney: I like infrastructure projects. I have the two largest construction projects in the entire country: the Second Avenue subway and the East Side connector. They were the only ones of their kind not to get hit with the budget ax.

Serrano: It’s a constant battle here to try not to cut programs dramatically. I could talk to you about that for about ten hours. In my district, I was able to get a lot of federal dollars for programs that trained and provided services for people and, at the same time, created a lot of jobs. Unfortunately, earmark became a bad word.

Your districts are right next to one another, but far apart economically. Whose fault is this disparity?
Maloney: A lot of the proposals now being put forth by the Republican majority will clearly make these disparities worse, not better. They’re talking about ending Medicare as we know it.

Serrano: Whose fault is it? This is not about blame. I’m sorry, but I don’t want to go in that direction. It’s about getting people to understand that there are folks who need a boost. They’re willing to work, but we need to provide the opportunities.

If you swapped districts, how would your job change?
Maloney: I think it would be pretty similar. I’d wake up every morning and instruct my office to respond quickly and effectively to the individual concerns of my constituents.

Serrano: There are overcrowded schools, environmental issues, effects of the war. I don’t think it would be that different.


Illustration by Mark Nerys

One Family’s $2,222.98 Is Another’s $539.50

A study in two household budgets for a single week. By Eric Benson

Nicole Dewey is the executive director of publicity at Little, Brown. Her husband, Bill Seely, is the V.P. of marketing analytics at Publicis Modem, a digital-ad agency. They have two sons, Declan, 2, and Trace, 5. They also have a full-time babysitter, Tova.

Monday
Nicole
Subway, $2.25
Coffee and banana, $2.30
Cosi, $9.80

Bill
Subway, $2.25
MetroCard refill, $50
Chelsea Thai, $10.50
Taxis, $21.50

Tuesday
Nicole
Salad and soda, $8.97
Mansion Restaurant, $37.50
Taxis, $30

Bill
Subway, $2.25
Taxi, $18.80

Tova (expenses for children)
Drink and chips, $3.50
Drinks and cookie, $6.10

Wednesday
Nicole
Small coffee and banana, $2.30
bánh mì sandwich, $7.25
Taxi, $15.70
Almond milk, bacon, bread, and grapes, Gristedes, $25.77

Bill
Subway, $2.25
Hale and Hearty Soup, $9.30
Taxis, $28.10

Tova
Pull-Ups, $12.99

Thursday
Nicole
Bus, $2.25
Cookies for assistant’s birthday, $17
Dentist, $125
Tea and almonds, Starbucks, $4.58

Bill
Subway, $2.25
Taxis, $44.60
Sound-therapy system for Trace, $246.95
Chinese food, $23.65

Tova
Snack, $3.20
Ice cream, $5.75

Friday
Nicole
Bus, $2.25
Salad and soda, $8.97
Taxi, $14.30

Bill
Subway, $2.25
Amy’s Bread, $5
Taxis, $23.65

Tova
Chips and drink, $3.50
Toilet paper, $5.43

Saturday
Nicole
Mansion Restaurant, $31
Drinks, York Grill, $19
Laundry and dry cleaning, $105.45
Weekend babysitter, $120
Monthly trip to Trader Joe’s, $221
Target, $280.41
Chico’s, $179.73
Dinner and dessert, Le Zie, $124.24
Taxis, $33.12
Buses, $4.50
Car service, $10

Bill
Snacks and drinks, 7-Eleven, $12.73

Sunday
Nicole
Mansion Restaurant, $36.65

Bill
Drinks, 7-Eleven, $9.14
Diner in Greenpoint, $30
Taxi, $11
Car rental for Mother’s Day trip, $142.80
Bus, $2.25

Weekly Total: $2,222.98

Solymar Arias is a student at Monroe College and a mother of two, son Elijah, 7, and daughter Ja’Leah, 1. Her mother, María Aquino, a school aide, lives with the family.

Monday
Solymar
Bagel and coffee, vending cart, $2.25
Fruit and water, Jerome Avenue Grill (the JAG) at Monroe College, $2.95
Banana, water, and Lay’s chips, Met Foods, $1.85
Elijah’s snack, $2

María
Mayo, spiced ham, Swiss cheese, hard salami, and turkey, Met Foods, $16.99

Tuesday
Solymar
Bagel and coffee, $2.25
Granola bar, water, and fruit, the JAG, $3.20
Banana, water, and SunChips, Met Foods, $1.85
Gallon of milk, $3.49
Elijah’s snack, $2

María
$0

Wednesday
Solymar
Bagel and coffee, $2.25
Water, yogurt, and granola, the JAG, $2.50
Elijah’s snack, $2

María
Sandwich and soda, El Valle, $6
Beef patties, milk, sugar, hot-dog rolls, bagels, and bread, Met Foods, $30.74

Thursday
Solymar
Bagel and coffee, $2.25
Macaroni and cheese, veggies, and teriyaki chicken, the JAG, $4.95
Elijah’s snack, $2

María
Coffee and oatmeal, McDonald’s, $4.51
Soup and soda, El Valle, $7
Shrimp-with-broccoli and soda, Chinese restaurant, $7.25

Friday
Solymar
Tortilla chips and soda, Met Foods, $6.24
Elijah’s snack, $2

María
$0

Saturday
Solymar and María
Monthly trip to BJ’s, including Pampers, baby wipes, paper towels, pancake mix, butter, beans, spring-mix salad, and Chef Boyardee spaghetti and meatballs, $408.98

Solymar
Ice cream, Met Foods, $3
Elijah’s snack, $2

María
Ice cream, $3
Gallon of milk, $4

Sunday
Solymar and María
$0

Weekly Total: $539.50

The Unemployment Diaries

He’s a financial analyst who’s been on the job hunt for fourteen months. She’s a former caretaker who hasn’t had work for six years. As Told to Cole Louiso

NY14
Mitchell Weisenberg
Age 36

My last major role was as an equity analyst at Rockefeller Financial. Then, based on my skill set and what was needed at the firm, I was moved to the equity-trading room. It wasn’t a good fit; after several months, they let me go. At first, I felt a sense of relief to be getting out of there and not doing something I didn’t want to. Then it sunk in. I’m a people person, so not having a job, not having somewhere to go, just sitting in the kitchen—that was really hard.

Luckily, I got married recently, and there was a wedding that I had time to help plan. After that, I took several exams, including the Chartered Financial Analyst exam, an important credential for analysts. Once I started preparing for those, I felt a lot more optimistic. I was also able to find people in similar situations on message boards and found a study group. That camaraderie really saved me. I took the test about a week ago, so fingers crossed.

I’ve met with about 50 temp agencies and headhunters. It’s no fun to look for a job on the web. I sent my résumé to networks like Monster and company websites, which resulted in two interviews. That gets your spirits down, when you’re not getting a response. We’re definitely more conscientious about our spending and being wasteful. I have financial support from my family, and my wife is a therapist, so we have health insurance. But sometimes I think, How am I going to make this happen?

NY16
Roxanne Hunter
Age 53

I worked as a caretaker for a company that helps the mentally handicapped. You teach them goals. You teach them how to do things for themselves, like brushing their teeth and going to the store. I also worked with low-functioning adults. But things were going on there that shouldn’t have, and I wasn’t involved, but they let me go. I got into a similar company and passed all the tests and took their training and worked one day, and then they let me go. When I was younger, I did some time upstate. Once they took my fingerprints, they saw I had a felony.

It’s hard to get a job. They’re not supposed to discriminate, but they do. Before, I was going out every day. I went to about 100 places and filled out résumés. I even went to McDonald’s. “We’ll call you.” That type of thing. I collected unemployment for a year, I think. Social Security is $595 a month. That’s no money. Food stamps, it’s $200 a month, but we eat $200 worth of food in a week, if you buy meat.

I refuse to go on welfare. Just wouldn’t do that.

But my family’s helped me all these years. I live on the third floor of my mother’s house, and when I was looking for work, they gave me carfare. About a month ago, I applied for a job at the laundromat. They called me and told me they had somebody else. I’m not being disrespectful, but at this point, I’ll shovel shit.

NYC Housing, Financial Woes and a Random Thing or Two

On Thursday night the Rangels watched Empire of the Sun. This movie was really well done but depressing. At least I learned about something I didn't know. It focused on the Japanese internment camps in China where the British were held during World War II. If you have not seen it, I encourage you to watch it. Later that night I went out for a drink to McFadden's with Ashley and Jake. A cute white guy hit on me. I didn't quite know what to do about that...This summer is the first time I am actually going out regularly; I've never really done this "going out" thing before.

I got Friday off because my office is just that awesome. Half way through my internship I feel comfortable around everyone and I think they do with me as well. Their personalities are coming out and I love it! Although I don't see myself in Congress at this time, I think that I will miss this job. Not so much for the job, but more so for the people.

I've been looking for apartments in NYC because I need a place to live while I am attending classes at Columbia. However, I was very discouraged by what I had been seeing. Given that my budget wasn't that large for NYC living, I was looking at rooms yes ROOMS in an apartment with roommates I don't even know that were between $900 to $1100. The other thing was that all these apartments were at least a 20 minute commute to campus despite them being in Manhattan. People keep telling me I have lost touch with reality, even my own dad said it, when it comes to NYC living; Maybe they are right. Anyway, my ever supportive boyfriend told me that maybe I should talk with his parents who live in Manhattan to see if I could live with them and could just help around the house with chores and the like in exchange for housing. Having them tell me they'd be happy to host me was a huge relief! Although my fellowship covers $20,000 of tuition, Columbia is $40,000 a year and I didn't get any additional financial aid from Columbia... I can see how they keep this school "elite". It's always been my dream to attend Columbia but I shouldn't be surprised that although I've been accepted that it wouldn't come without some sacrifices. Thankfully living with my boyfriend's parents means that I can put the money I was going to spend on rent towards tuition which would greatly limit any loans I'd have to take out.

I am starting to feel a little depressed. The reality of my finances is slowly starting to weigh me down. I still owe $40,000 for undergrad, I pay health insurance monthly, my cell phone, part of my mom's debt and just being able to live... Let's just say, I've been eating a lot of sandwiches!