for the first time in a long while, i stayed at home all day today-- what a waste of an unlimited metrocard! i cleaned my apartment, i made myself lunch (bokkeumbap made with hotdogs), ate the leftovers for dinner, watched tv, cleaned my email inbox... i did leave the building to go grocery shopping. jiffy corn bread mix was on sale for 33 cents. so i made some corn bread... yummmm.
just as i was opening the door to my apartment, i got a call from my parents. weirdness commences. i answer and (#1) it's my dad. my dad never calls me. he and i don't have the most buddy-buddy relationship, so it's usually my mom's voice i expect to hear and my dad just blurting out things in the background. i was also surprised to hear (#2) no nagging... just a bunch of pleasantries: jahl it nya? (translation: how's it going?), byul leed ub go? (translation: everything's okay?), etc. he gives the phone to my mom and she says they (#3) may come visit me sometime this month or next. i've lived away from home for over 7 years now and my parents have visited me twice-- for a total of 8 hours. the first time was for my college graduation: they came for the commencement, stayed for lunch and, right after, drove back down with my aunts. the second time was sometime last year. they were in town on business and had time to buy me lunch (when my parents are paying, i almost always choose kalbi). my mom continues to repeat the same pleasantries my dad already asked-- something i expect to hear from my mom. she still urges me to go to law school-- no conversation with my parents is complete without it-- but (#4) only says it once. (#5) she ends the conversation with the phrase i've never heard come from the mouth of my mom: "i love you", followed by a giggle. as you may have already guessed, my family's not affectionate. no hugs, no kisses, no birthday parties or pats on the back. you may think it's sad (or maybe not, i don't know), but this is the way i've grown up. it's what i'm used to.
it's interesting that she said it in english. my mom doesn't really speak english. her english is limited to "big mac" and "bye". in fact, her spanish is waay better than her english, having lived in L.A. for so long (she doesn't conjugate very well, but she still communicates her point). i wonder if she thought i wouldn't understand if she said it in korean. or maybe she just thought it was weirder to say in her native language. and that giggle. she shares it with her two youngest sisters (my aunts). i've heard it many times before, but i don't think i've ever heard it as an attachment to one of her own statements. she doesn't really make jokes. sometimes it's spontaneous or it follows a cheezy remark someone makes. but something about hearing her own voice uttering the words "i love you" made her giddy.
today must be bizarro day.
just as i was opening the door to my apartment, i got a call from my parents. weirdness commences. i answer and (#1) it's my dad. my dad never calls me. he and i don't have the most buddy-buddy relationship, so it's usually my mom's voice i expect to hear and my dad just blurting out things in the background. i was also surprised to hear (#2) no nagging... just a bunch of pleasantries: jahl it nya? (translation: how's it going?), byul leed ub go? (translation: everything's okay?), etc. he gives the phone to my mom and she says they (#3) may come visit me sometime this month or next. i've lived away from home for over 7 years now and my parents have visited me twice-- for a total of 8 hours. the first time was for my college graduation: they came for the commencement, stayed for lunch and, right after, drove back down with my aunts. the second time was sometime last year. they were in town on business and had time to buy me lunch (when my parents are paying, i almost always choose kalbi). my mom continues to repeat the same pleasantries my dad already asked-- something i expect to hear from my mom. she still urges me to go to law school-- no conversation with my parents is complete without it-- but (#4) only says it once. (#5) she ends the conversation with the phrase i've never heard come from the mouth of my mom: "i love you", followed by a giggle. as you may have already guessed, my family's not affectionate. no hugs, no kisses, no birthday parties or pats on the back. you may think it's sad (or maybe not, i don't know), but this is the way i've grown up. it's what i'm used to.
it's interesting that she said it in english. my mom doesn't really speak english. her english is limited to "big mac" and "bye". in fact, her spanish is waay better than her english, having lived in L.A. for so long (she doesn't conjugate very well, but she still communicates her point). i wonder if she thought i wouldn't understand if she said it in korean. or maybe she just thought it was weirder to say in her native language. and that giggle. she shares it with her two youngest sisters (my aunts). i've heard it many times before, but i don't think i've ever heard it as an attachment to one of her own statements. she doesn't really make jokes. sometimes it's spontaneous or it follows a cheezy remark someone makes. but something about hearing her own voice uttering the words "i love you" made her giddy.
today must be bizarro day.
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