happy 4th
may i be the first to wish it to you, since it's 6am...and i'm off to bed soon.

a few observations.
*my mom pointed out to me one of the advantages of working with koreans instead of chinese people, as she did in her past life as a restaurateur. koreans, because of the strong class delineations in their culture, are incredibly obedient when you tell them to do stuff, or you are reprimanding them. they just nod and say yes, and when you are yelling at them, they don't look you in the eye because they are so embarassed. however, she's also told me stories of how much they talk about each other behind their backs, and all the backstabbing...personally i'd rather have someone tell me they hate me to my face, because then i get a chance to deck 'em.

*my parents' european vacation was good for their relationship, i think. last night during dinner, after my mom and i went to the gap to hit their sale, where my mom bought me clothes for the first time in AGES -- you know, with her actually being there and stuff -- and we bought these matching skirts. my mom was telling my dad about it and my dad had said previously that he liked that skirt and that my mom should buy it. she wouldn't at full price, though. the reason my dad liked it: it reminded him of this red dress she used to have when they first got married. everybody now: aww! well, this is a big deal for my parents. it's not like it's the arctic in their bedroom. it's just that most of the time, they don't even sleep in the same room!