Author Archives: Jen

About Jen

I’m a Korean-American living in the bay area, I studied public health and social work in grad school, and I have an obsession for anything theater related, especially ballet and Broadway musicals. I just spent three years in NYC so I am still adjusting to normal winter weather and having a car, and most of the time, I am busy funding my passion for theater with a full-time job in healthcare public relations. On any given day, you can find me watching Project Runway, shopping, doing yoga, skipping to the theater, or looking for the perfect cocktail.

Margaret Cho: You’re the Fattest Ballerina

Posted on June 5, 2008 by Jen

I was flipping through my beloved O Magazine this month, and a familiar face appeared — Margaret Cho! There was a very touching series of short stories about shocking comments parents tell their daughters, and Margaret’s story began the series. … Continue reading →

Posted in Lifestyles | Leave a comment

SF Ballet’s Star Yuan Yuan Tan Performing in Hong Kong this summer

Posted on May 29, 2008 by Jen

“I think right now is about time I want to give something back to China,” said Tan, a Shanghai native, who became a principal dancer with the Ballet in 1997 at age 21. One of my favorite ballerinas, Yuan Yuan … Continue reading →

Posted in Entertainment, The Arts | Leave a comment

Doodle 4 Google Winner: 6th grader Grace Moon from Castro Valley

Posted on May 22, 2008 by Jen

Google hosted its first Doodle 4 Google competition, and out of 16,000 entries from K-12 graders nationwide, 6th grader Grace Moon from Castro Valley won, with her illustration above. You can also find it on the Google search page, for … Continue reading →

Posted in Current Events, The Arts | 3 Comments

Are Illegal Extramarital Affairs in South Korea Outdated and Ready for Change?

Posted on May 19, 2008 by Jen

The New York Times article “Koreans Agog as Off-Screen Soap Becomes Courtroom Drama” brought to light a Korean law I was unaware of, that extramarital affairs are considered illegal in South Korea. Park Chul, a Korean actor, pressed charges against … Continue reading →

Posted in Current Events, Politics, WTF | 9 Comments

Chat with Classical Guitarist Steve Lin, Part II

Posted on May 9, 2008 by Jen

In Part 2 of my interview with Classical Guitarist Steve Lin, Steve speaks with me about classical guitar, his passion for modern music, and creating new works for the guitar. J: Why do you feel it’s so important to commission … Continue reading →

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Chat with Classical Guitarist Steve Lin, Part I

Posted on May 8, 2008 by Jen

I had the opportunity to chat with classical guitarist Steve Lin and had a fascinating discussion about Asian American issues, music, and being a classical guitar player. He is currently pursuing his doctoral degree at the New England Conservatory of … Continue reading →

Posted in Announcements, Music | 6 Comments

Kristi Yamaguchi: Dancing with the Stars

Posted on April 13, 2008 by Jen

  I know some of my fellow 8Asians writers like America’s Next Dance Crew…I know “hip hop” is popular, and break dancing is much more sexier and grittier than ballroom dancing right now, but I’m going to still stick to … Continue reading →

Posted in Entertainment, Sports | Tagged | 17 Comments

South Korean scientist caught faking research

Posted on March 11, 2008 by Jen

No, not that one, but another one has been caught faking scientific research data, this time from the prestigious Korean “Caltech”, KAIST. His name is Kim Tae-Kook, caught fabricating data, even in an article published in the prestigious Science Magazine, … Continue reading →

Posted in Current Events, Observations | 12 Comments

In Ballet, Where are all the Asian swans?

Posted on March 4, 2008 by Jen

I saw the most amazing thing last weekend. At the San Francisco Ballet‘s Giselle at the War Memorial Opera House on a rainy evening a few days ago, I saw the Shanghai-born ballerina Yuan Yuan Tan dance the lead romantic … Continue reading →

Posted in Entertainment | 38 Comments