Monday, November 27, 2006
Father Knows Best
In many ways, I'm still an adolescent. Yeah, I'm a teacher. It's well into my 5th year of teaching.
And yet, in many ways, I'm still an adolescent.
I recently had a conversation with my Father. Now, mind you, I don't know exactly what transpires in a typical
American father-son relationship so I certainly can't say that my experience is the norm. Mine is the Korean-American
father-son relationship, typical in some respects and not-so-typical in other respects.
Most times, my Father and I will converse in Korean. But there's a slight problem. While I am full-blooded
Korean, and my future kids (should I marry a Korean woman) will be Korean or at the very least half-Korean, I am very American.
Should I decide to go back to Korea and plant my roots there, I will be received not as a fellow Korean but rather as this
strange kyopo breed: a Korean by blood but culturally very foreign. And therein lies the problem.
While I know enough Korean to communicate with my Dad, I simply don't know enough Korean to actually communicate
with my Dad. So my relationship with my Dad in my adult years has not really developed a level of closeness that most
"American" fathers and sons are able to have developed.
Now back to my conversation. For some reason, we started speaking in English. It kind of amazed me how fluent
in English he really is. Even though my Father has been living in the United States for over twenty years of his life,
he's somewhat of a typical first generation Korean. But he's picked up a lot more of the English language
than I had realized. What he lacks in vocabulary, he can make up in "fako" phrases and such. What he lacks in proper
grammar, he can convey in distinct mannerisms that get the message across.
My father was not much of an academic. I asked him if he had ever really studied hard in his life. The
only time that he had ever studied in his life was the six months before he took the college examination to get
into Seoul University, the most prestigious institution in Korea. My father has been more driven by that which is practical.
I asked him if he regretted coming to the United States. He unhesitatingly said yes. The accepted stereotype,
at least in what my mind perceives it to be, is that first-generation Korean-Americans come to the United States
in order to provide a better life for the children but are happily willing to pay the price in the drop of socio-economic
status. That's not been my Dad's experience. When he goes to Korea, he says that he has to speak
in vague generalities to some of college friends when asked what he does in the United States. Whereas his successful
classmates have a hand in guiding the direction of the Korean economy, my Dad's business consists of a simple supply
and demand model of selling wallets, handbags and luggage.
But what's done is done. And my Dad has the keen ability to shake off that which has been done. He knows
and understands the concept of sunk cost. He remains optimistic in his outlook and takes pride in his
ability to build a profitable business that takes him to Mexico, to China, to the United States and back to Mexico.
And I'm proud of him for that as well.
Monday, November 20, 2006
On Rants, Raves & Kramer
Everyone has a tipping point. It's a shame that Michael Richards, TV's Kramer from Seinfeld hit his spewing racial
slurs while trying to do a stand-up routine. His "botched" joke will now be the most popular video on the internet for the
next couple of days.
Which -- (random aside)
An ex-student just G-chatted me and said how her roommate was an ex-tutoree of mine. Quite an odd piece of information to
synthesize, but lends credence to the idea that we live in a really small world, but I digress.
I've quasi-jokingly talked about entering the political arena. J. Daniel Park. Jibin Park. Or a compromise: Jibin Daniel
Park. And yet I would really have to consider my motives of entering into the public arena. You really have to have thick
skin to get into the dirty business of politics. No matter how idealistic and selfless you might be entering into politics,
each and every act that you make will be scrutinized for the media to slice and dice. John McCain is no longer the
Senator of Arizona. He's the moderate Republican who's making a play to the conservative wing of his party, trying to convince
the Jerry Falwells and Gary Bauers of the world that he is in the best position to keep the White House red in '08. He certainly
does not want to pull any type of John Kerry and make any sort of pejorative reference to getting stuck in Iraq.
And then there's Hillary Clinton. Should she become serious about running for the Dems in '08, the media will hound
the ex-First Lady and mercilessly dig into her past. Why would she want to go through all of that? These politicians who
make it to the top have sacrificed their private lives for the greater good.
Massachusetts Governor Mitt Romney will be running as a Mormon. Utah Republican Senator Orrin Hatch was a Mormon
running for the top spot in 2000 and faced that religious ceiling that hits all non-Protestants and Catholics in this very
religious nation of ours. Soon-to-be Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid is a Mormon but is not running for the nation's
top spot.
I appear to be going a bit off-topic, but the point I'm trying to make is that once you're in the public arena, you're one
simple mistake away from being you-tubed your way into infamy. Today, you no longer have the luxury of making a mistake without
the fear that your sins will be exposed for all to see.
Now, I'm of the theology that the motives that guide each and every one of our actions will eventually be exposed when we
meet our Maker. But we haven't reached that point yet. And I, for one, understand the difficulties associated with being
a public figure. To an extent, as a public school teacher, I am a public figure. I went to the local Rite Aid today and
saw a student of mine that graduated in '03, who happened to be at the store picking up a 12-pack of Miller Lite. Suppose
the reverse situation presented itself. That would be slightly awkward, or at least I would feel slightly awkward -- perhaps
a tad bit more than slightly awkward. And that's the thing. Life is difficult enough as it is without having to wonder whether
a slip up you make is going to be the topic on the Late Show with Letterman.
And so that's why I can respect the Grace Napolitanos of the world, and even the Sidney Streets of the world
who are willing to put themselves out on the line to serve the public interest.
So if asked to run for political office any time soon, I respectfully decline.
Ask me again in 10 years... win with Jibin!
11:26 pm pst
Sunday, November 19, 2006
On Making Life Decisions
Some decisions are simple; some are clearly not. For example, I have pretty much decided that at some point in time, I will
have to cut my hair. I've received some counsel about this and most people are in agreement. Now, there is a vocal minority
that have counseled me to let it grow as long as I possibly can. But...
can't elaborate now, so I'll post now and
revisit this later
6:24 pm pst
Thursday, November 9, 2006
On Life
Well, I just spent the last 20 minutes or so filling out a survey on Work and Family Life for my alma mater, Claremont
McKenna College. Currently, I'm in the Cal State Fullerton computer lab. I spent the hours after school conducting a
pseudo-Academic Decathlon meeting while writing a "referee report" about how professional sports leagues act as a single entity
in making league schedules. That report took me a good 2-3 hours. I was a bit distracted because I was typing the report
while watching the last episode of the 1st 6-episode unit of Lost. What I did was split the screen in half and change
the 100% setting of the Microsoft Word to 68%. For some reason, I derive an odd sense of peace while watching Lost.
One could even say that I get lost watching Lost. But I digress.
I was reading some pollworking writeups,
and I got the sense that the experience was worthwhile. Some of you even said that pollworking was the "greatest experience"
you've had thus far as a Senior. Some of you thought the experience was a "once-in-a-lifetime" thingie. Most of you fell
somewhere in between, much like the political ideologies of Americans. Sometimes I wonder whether I should have parlayed
my CMC (Claremont McKenna College) experience into a career in politics, and there are moments, especially during elections,
in which I'd like to be in Washington, D.C., doing something political. While I don't quite have Potomac Fever, there's this
12% part of me that is intensely political, and it usually manifests itself while I teach the subject (or at least attempt
to) early in the morning. And, should Mr. Roberts confront me as to why there has been only one tardy in my 1st period AP
Government class all semester thus far, I will tell him that my students are so eager to effect political change that the
thought of coming to class at 6:58 AM or later terrifies them. At least that's how I'll spin it to Mr. Roberts.
So
where was I? I'm in the computer lab at CSUF, and I need to run a couple of regressions using 25,000 pieces of batter data
and 19,000 pieces of pitcher data for an eventual 20-25 page report on the impact of free agency on the competitiveness of
MLB baseball. I'm just a thesis away (plus the 3 classes I'm currently enrolled in) from getting my master's degree in economics.
So why am I putting myself through this academic strain given that my monetary incentive for taking more classes no
longer exists (as far as being a teacher is concerned, that is)? Well, I suppose the main idea is that I'm building my human
capital, and unlike what President Bush was able to do in Iraq, I'm slowly but surely building my exit strategy out of teaching.
Now, I'm perfectly happy doing what I'm doing now, but I'm looking 3-5 years down the line when I'm 30-32 years old and I
may decide that teaching's just not my thing. Should I take another route in life, I would like to have the opportunity to
have as much desirability in the job market as possible. Sometimes, I think it would be glamorous being an investment banker
or consultant or doing something more quantitive than teaching, but at the same time, I know that after a couple of months
doing that, I'd probably miss being in front of the classroom.
Anyhow, it's 8:02 right now, and I need to get my regression
results run in less than 2 hours. Out.
8:02 pm pst
Sunday, November 5, 2006
Park's Political Predictions
House of Representatives: It's clear that the Democrats will gain enough seats to take over the majority and we will
have Speaker of the House Nancy Pelosi. Republicans will try to spin this loss as being the result of this being the
sixth year of a second-term President. Democrats: 230 Republicans: 215
Senate: Again Democrats will more than likely win some seats in the Senate, but to what extent? Will we see Harry
Reid (D) become the Senate Majority Leader? Also, if the Republicans maintain control of the Senate, who will replace
retiring Senator Bill Frist?
Republicans: 50, Democrats: 50 (including Joe Lieberman) I think it will be a tie
in the Senate. Should this happen, it will be imperative for Vice President Dick Cheney to remain in Washington, D.C., and
keep his cell phone on at all times.
California Races Predictions:
Governor: Schwarzenegger(R) 53%, Angelides 40%
Lt. Governor: McClintock (R) 45%, Garamendi 44%
Insurance Commissioner: Poiznier (R) 52%, Bustamante 43%
Attorney General: Brown (R) 53%, Poochigian 43%
Secretary of State: Bowen (D) 47%, McPherson (R) 44%
Proposition Predictions
Prop. 83: Yes
Prop. 84: No
Prop. 85: Yes
Prop. 86: No
Prop. 87: No
Prop. 88: Yes
Prop. 89: No
Prop. 90: Yes
Prop. 1A-1E: Yes
These are my predictions. Part of your test that you will take on Monday will be on what actually happened to these
Propositions as well as what happened in the national elections regarding House and Senate races.
Have fun working at the polls!
7:42 pm pst
