All you need is...a Citroen?

Yoko Ono and Sean Lennon have caused an uproar among Beatles fans by allowing John Lennon's likeness (with words dubbed by an actor) to be used in a Citroen car commercial. Read about the controversy.

Kim Yu-na pleases the unpleasable

South Korea's Kim Yu-na skated an flawless long program earning gold in Vancouver, last night. Perhaps equally as impressive was that she managed to impress NBC figure skating commentator, Sandra "All Y'all Suck" Bezic. While Scott Hamilton acknowledges the human element and pressures skaters are under, Bezic is continually hyper-critical and bitter-sounding. Watching Kim, however, Bezic gushed, "Oh my goodness. This is glorious. It's one of the greatest Olympic performances I have ever seen!" Kim deserves gold for that comment alone.

Watch Kim Yu-na's enchanting gold medal performance here.

Reduce your forkprint

My awesome aunt who gifted me metal ramen sporks for Christmas rolled back through town this weekend. This time she bestowed on me a traveling bamboo utensil set, complete with a spoon, fork, knife and chopsticks encased in nylon with a handy carabiner clip. In addition to being environmentally green, To-Go Ware's bamboo utensil set is attractive and well-designed.

Update: Ajumma used these twice in the past month. My husband says it's like watching a pool shark pull out her own cue, or a bowler arrive with her own ball. I said if bowling alleys used disposable balls for each bowler, then yes, I'd be the gal with her own resusable ball.

Damn, that's a big tattoo!

J.R. Celski ripped off his shirt following his 1000 meter short track semifinal, showing his ginormous tattoo. I am guessing it has something to do with the Phillipine flag, but I am too lazy to research this. Ajumma looks forward to J.R.'s races next week. I actually need the Olympics to end so I can resume washing dishes and go grocery shopping.

Bronze ain't bad

Apolo Ohno could not hold off the Lees in the 1000 meter short track final, tonight. Lee Jungsu and Lee Hosuk raced past Ohno when he bobbled for a second, just two laps from the finish line. At that moment, the Lees catapulted to hero status all over Korea, where Ohno is viewed as the devil. This hatred stems from the 2002 disqualification of Kim Dongsung from winning Olympic gold, because judges claimed he obstructed Ohno in the 1500 meters. I firmly believe if Satan and Ohno were hanging off a cliff and the Korean people had to save one of them, they'd save Satan. Think about it, the devil never caused Korea to lose a gold medal in the Olympics and he's not half-Japanese (as far as we know).

At the end of the day, Apolo's win in the 1000 meters wouldn't have ended global warming, helped the homeless in Haiti, or improved animal rights. But it would made Ajumma proud. Oh heck, bronze ain't bad and either are the Korean short track skaters.

Mixed: Portraits of Multiracial Kids

Mixed: Portraits of Multiracial Kids, the new photo essay book by Kip Fulbeck, debuts this spring. A follow-up to Fulbek's bestseller Half Asian, 100% Hapa, Mixed features portraits of kids along with their personal writing and artwork. Photos from Mixed will be on display at the Japanese American National Museum from March 20-September 5, 2010. Ajumma's excited to see this show in L.A. in June.

Ajumma's top Olympic commercials

Korean inspired kids frocks

Tea Children's Clothing sells colorful, funky kids clothes with a global twist. Destination: Korea, their newest collection, was inspired by a 2009 trip to the Asian peninsula.
Is that a Bongo on your shirt or are you just happy to see me?

My favorite pieces are Tea's girls tops, like this bojagi-style dress. Thanks to Alexis for sending me info on Tea!

M is for "medal" (and also "mullet")

After viewing pairs figure skating, I deduced that the Tarzan hairstyle ruled among men in Russia. Then figure skater Yevgeny Plushenko took the ice rocking a serious mullet. It's almost like Def Leppard singer Joe Elliot was out there whirling about on skates. I suggest that Plushenko skate to a dramatic interpretation of "Pour Some Sugar on Me."

Ohno & Celski, aja aja!

1500 meter short track medal ceremony in Vancouver

Ajumma wishes Apolo Ohno and the Korean short track team would kiss and make up already. evieliou

♥ Love hurts ♥

HERO (2002) Maggie Cheung is a Qin dynasty assassin who wounds her lover and slips into a showdown where he is facing certain death in his place. Cry-ometer: 3 of 5

BRIDE WITH WHITE HAIR (1993) This movie should be titled Don't Trust a Man Any Farther Than You Can Toss Him. Brigitte Lin stars as Lian, a mystical orphan adopted by an evil cult led by creepy Siamese twins. After falling in love with a winsome swordsman Lian decides to leave her cult. She has to face severe physical trials before she can do so, however. As she is undergoing her trials, her lover's clan is ambushed and it is assumed Lian is responsible. When Lian finally comes for her lover, he attacks her along with his remaining clansman. This betrayal transforms Lian into an enraged, white-haired demon woman. I felt this movie in my soul. Cry-ometer: 4 of 5

WINDSTRUCK (2004) Feisty female cop meets a lighthearted, male high school teacher. Despite her being a lose cannon, the male teacher worships her every move. Cop accidentally shoots the teacher dead and feels horrible about it. For good or bad, she can still sense him in the wind. One of my favorite movies of all time. Cry-ometer: 5 of 5

INDOCHINE (1992) This French film is full of tragic love stories. Set in French colonial Vietnam, Indochine follows the emotional love triangle between Eliane (Catherine Deneuve), her French naval officer lover, and her adopted Vietnamese daughter, Camille. Eliane and her officer carry on a steamy affair until he meets Camille, who he saves during a shootout on a street corner. Shortly after their encounter, his passions turn from Eliane to her beautiful daughter. Ouch. Cry-ometer: 1 of 5

CROUCHING TIGER, HIDDEN DRAGON (2000) I rolled my eyes at most of this movie until Chow Yun-Fat's character lay dying and called Michelle Yeoh "my love" in Chinese. Cry-ometer: 2 of 5

They're grrrreat!

Etsy features cute items inspired by Lunar New Year:
iPod case by pipocahandmade

Chinese zodiac cards by maustudio

Orange & red canvas bag by carriedawaybags

Blame it on the Koreans?

Is it me or was Apolo Ohno not his usual humble self during his NBC interview after his silver medal win in the 1500 meters? Ohno complained about his Korean competitors (which made bronze medalist J.R. Celski, who is on friendly terms with the Koreans, look uncomfortable), he brushed off matching Bonnie Blair's six winter games medals, and rather than respectfully waiting as Celski completed his portion of the interview, Apolo shrieked, hugged the bronze medalist, and then scampered off. Very odd. Perhaps Apolo was making his getaway before the Korean press caught up with him.

Watch the exhilarating final and post-race interview here!

Half-Asian men are taking over the world

Does it make a 'whoosh' sound when you open it?

It's comforting to know if we traveled into space, we could eat Korean food while there. Read more at Chosun Ilbo.

Hat hair is now a hairstyle

At first glance, singer Justin Bieber looks like a plucky young lesbian. I just wanted to get that out there. This boy has some serious hat hair, and I get the feeling it was styled without an actual hat. I am not hating on him, just his hairstyle.

Am I just an old fart or what?

My pet peeve is when you're with someone, maybe at a restaurant or in a car, and that person is busy texting another person who is across town. They are oblivious to their surroundings, the people they're with, and are connected only to the device in hand. I feel that texting will eventually contribute to attention disorders among young people. When that happens, I will LMAO.