Slumdog Millionaire

Slumdog Millionaire will snag you immediately in its first scenes of kids racing across a Mumbai ghetto with police in hot pursuit. Unfortunately Slumdog doesn't keep the pace over 2 hours. Instead it soars, makes you squirm with intensity, and then makes you check your watch. The story between protagonist Jamal and his older brother Salim is truly heartaching, though. In the end I wished it focused more on the brothers rather than on Jamal's lost love Latika. Despite Ajumma's mixed review, people are raving about Slumdog all over the film festival circuit. Critics suspect it will be up for an Oscar next year.

Have the coolest tree on the block

Digs in downtown Northfield, MN is decked out for the Christmas season! Find handmade stockings, vintage ornaments and festive holiday cards in the little city made famous by an 1876 Jesse James raid. If Martha Stewart was young, cool, and earthy rather than an aging, megalomanic jailbird, she'd have a store like this.

Digs is located at 310 Division Street South, Northfield, MN 55057. Phone (507) 664-9140.

Maybe it's the hat

Have you seen the whimsical new trailer for The Curious Case of Benjamin Button? The story, starring Brad Pitt, follows a man whose body ages backwards. It's loosely based from F. Scott Fitzgerald's short story of the same name. Benjamin Button opens on Christmas Day.

It struck me watching the trailer how natural Brad Pitt appears on his motorcyle as opposed to some actors, like say Shia Labeouf.

This would be better with Angelina Jolie

Just because two actors are famous doesn't mean they'll have chemistry on screen.

Angry Little Asian Girl update

Angry Little Asian girl creator Lela Lee has released new products just in time for the holidays. How cute is Angry Kim in her winter cap and scarf? That how Ajumma looks most of the winter, only angrier. Check out the fun stuff at the Angry Little Girls site.

Have you hugged a soju bottle, today?

I'm frankly surpised this bottle doesn't have a million Korean men plastered to it. In case you haven't had the pleasure of trying soju, it's a distilled liquor made from rice. Soju has a lighter, sweeter taste than sake and can be found at any Korean outting except church picnics. Since I made a point of avoiding church picnics while in Korea, I probably shouldn't make that claim.

What you never see on nature shows

Cartoon by Natalie Dee

Sweet tooth sushi

Art school grad Clare Crespo is credited with creating Twinkie and Swedish Fish sushi. If any of you work up the courage to actually try these, let me know how they taste.

Ingredients:
3 Hostess Twinkies
Gumdrop candies or dried fruit
Green Fruit Roll Ups

Dried mango (which looks like ginger)

Swedish Fish

White powdered donuts

Green Fruit Roll Ups

All hail Fail Blog

Ajumma's friend Scott recently emailed me a link to Fail Blog, which he assured would provide hours of entertainment.  So far, he's right.

Asian guys with mullets

This fellow has the potential to be cute if it weren't for his mullet.

This guy, not so much.

It would take many shots of soju before Liu Kang
or his mullet looked attractive.

A+ for effort

Why do dogs look like their owners?

Minneapolis College of Art and Design held their annual art sale this weekend! Ajumma picked out this gouache print by MCAD graduate and illustrator Erik Christenson, titled, "Why Do Dogs Look Like Their Owners?"

Like if they were fried you wouldn't eat them?

My day is instantly brightened whenever I see Calbee Shrimp Flavored Chips at the Asian grocery store.

Brookdale: Not just a mall in the 'burbs

Every once in a while you hear a perfect pop song. "Confessions," by band Brookdale, is one of those songs. Listen to "Confessions" here.

At least they guessed John Cho correctly...

Star Trek's new trailer premiered during last weekend's James Bond film. Watch it.

"200 Pound Beauty" stage bound

I've paid to see two movies featuring actors in fat suits and both times I felt one step closer to hell. In the 2006 Korean comedy 200 Pound Beauty, an actress dawns a fat suit to play Hanna, an overweight sex phone operator who is also a voice-over artist. Hanna's life and love prospects improve when she loses 100 pounds.

A stage version of the movie (whose literal title is "Being Beautiful is Agonizing") will be performed at the Chungmu Art Hall in Central Seoul from November 27 to February 1.

Lego my Han Solo in carbonite

Back in 2003, a talented gentleman who had time on his hands recreated Han Solo encased in carbonite with Legos. See more photos of his masterpiece.

Pepero Day in South Korea

Rumor has it that girls in Pusan started giving Pepero to one another saying they hoped their friends would grow tall and thin like a Pepero stick. Now the whole country is in on the annual event, which began in 1994 and is celebrated on November 11.

Tough Pigs

Tough Pigs is a wonderfully random blog all about The Muppets. Enough said.

Cherry Blossom Cookies

Ajumma recently attended a birthday party for a one year old who is half Japanese. The little one's mom served pink frosted sakura cookies. I haven't found anything as cute as what I ate that day, but these come darn close.

Ugly people wear fur

PETA has been protesting the *#%*$! fur-loving Olsen twins at their book signings across Los Angeles. Say what you will about PETA, they have made themselves a household name and they have big cojones.

I wanna hold your hand

United Nations Secretary-General Ban Ki-Moon holds hands with Saudi Arabia's King Abdullah during a dinner at United Nations Headquarters in New York, yesterday. First Shia, now Secretary-General Ban. King Abdullah is a serial hand holder. He was last seen walking hand in hand with George W. Bush.

Chucky and Jimbo

The fact Chuck alludes cancelation makes me think someone on the cast is the relative of a NBC executive. However, if the actor who plays Chuck played Jim Halpert on The Office instead of John Krasinski, I might like Jim. I'd probably root for him and Pam. Right now Pam could do better.

Mindy Kaling is House Poor

Miffy says: If you ain't Dutch, you ain't much.

Miffy is an unassuming white bunny who wears a dress, paints, and is an all together nice soul. Today I learned that the picture book character, who I smugly felt was superior to Hello Kitty, originates in Holland, not Korea. For years I thought Miffy and her friends sprung from a Korean mind in retaliation to Japan's Sanrio characters. Crap. This is a little like when my friend Han discovered that Bruce Lee was Chinese and not Korean. For several minutes three of us told him over and over, "Bruce Lee is not Korean!" to which Han finally replied that many in Korea think The Dragon's Korean-born.

Miffy rice rolls by Los Dragonnes

and Miffy with deep-fried Mickey Mouse ears by Keiki

Are you drunk?

Ever wish you could show your frank disgust when another driver cuts you off, tailgates, drives too slowly, weaves in and out of traffic, or doesn't use their turn signals? It's now a reality with Urban Outfitters' road rage hand signs. My favorite is "Shame on You," but I also like "Are You Drunk?" If I had these signs while living in California I would have taped them all over my windows and let people guess which sign pertained to them.

If looks could kill...

Guinea pigs pretty much have one expression and this is it. But in this case, I do believe the look means, 'Die, human, die!'

The changing face of Asians in Hollywood

Aaron Yoo, Leonardo Nam and Justin Chon are kicking butt and taking names in Hollywood these days. KoreAm Magazine asks whether the cover boys' roles indicate the changing face of Asians in film. See what the guys have to say in the September issue of KoreAm.

Voting day in the USA

Vote today, or lose your right to complain for the next four years.

It's Tuesday!

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