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July 24, 2006
Equidistant
Dear Christ almighty, what a weekend.
I wound up taking a bus all the way up to Port Authority, NY to go stay with my sister in Little Neck. The whole ride through the Lincoln Tunnel was stop and go, from the stretch of the Turn Pike, right into MidTown. And the bus driver took “stop and go” quite literally. When it was “go” time he’d punch it, and have to stomp on the breaks when it was “stop” time.
There was a Muslim family of about 8 in front of me, and one very frightened, ill-informed, white man behind me, shaking in his seat and muttering “oh god” under his breath every time one of the 8 made a move he thought was too quick or jerky. It was semi entertaining for the first 20 minutes, kind of a study on the reaction of the general white guy, but after about hour three I wanted to smack the living shit out of him.
NY was waaaay too fugging hot, and I never appreciated central air more then I did, sleeping in my sis’s, box air only, housing unit.
My family unit is a bit unconventional. The family that I sayed with is hardcore Korean, Buddhist, Yankees, and I’m a southern, white, Catholic…
So how are these people related to me you might ask? Well sit down and take notes:
My father was married to another woman before my mother, who couldn’t have children.
They adopted my Sister from a Korean lady, who couldn’t take care of her.
Dad divorced said woman.
Married my mom.
Korean lady had three other boys.
Sister was always close with Korean family.
Sister became Buddhist, and started learning Korean.
Dad and Mom had me.
Dad got custody of Sister.
I was born.
Sister and I grew up together, 11 years apart from each other.
Lived together for 8 years.
Sister moved out to NY with Korean family.
I visited Korean family frequently.
Summing it up I have:
1 Adopted Half Sister
3 non legally or blood related Korean “Brothers”
1 non related ‘adoptive’ OMA, or Sister’s birth mom.
2 birth parents…
crazy, huh?
personal | By west | 02:41 PM
Comments
Damn, That's a helluva family unit, but tres cool.
Are you generally accepted as a part of the Korean family?
I wish I had a chance to meet my Puerto Rican family members. My mom was adopted away from her roots and forced to whitewash herself. She found some of them in the 1980's...but isn't in contact often.
Posted by: Lori at July 24, 2006 04:09 PM
yeah, I'm completley accepted, wich is rare, but mainly because I try really hard to fit in, and I've been doing it for so long. Like, I'll go to temple with them, try to say please and tank you in Korean, and eat kimchi in large quantities.
It's hard to get accepted into such a tight-nit culture, but I've just been there so long, I'm part of the fam.
I'm REALLY lucky, cause that almost never happens. Especially with white people.
Posted by: west at July 24, 2006 04:19 PM
Geez... that's absolutely nuts. But you ARE "the American Family," you know? Only in America.
Posted by: Charissa at July 26, 2006 10:20 PM