Category Archives: Assignments

How to Make Kimchi: According to my Kun-Umma

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Every ethnically Korean household is bound to have kimchi, a Korean fermented pickled vegetable dish that has been a solid staple of Korean food for over 1,500 years. While it can be store bought, more often than not, homemade kimchi is always preferred. It is a strenuous and time consuming process, with each batch taking more than eight hours to complete. Because of this, many family members will gather together to create one large batch to share, as is the traditional way. However Bong Ja Lee, the director Samuel’s or Kiehoon’s (his Korean name) Kun-Umma (familiar title for the wife of one’s uncle, specifically the older brother of their father), demonstrates this process all by herself.

Kun-Umma goes through the her recipe of making kimchi step by step, from what ingredients to buy, what tools one needs, and each process as carefully as she can with her Konglish (a mix of spoken Korean and English). With her verbal directions come visual aids of her actually going shopping for ingredients and her preparing the kimchi at her home kitchen. Kun-Umma is engaging with her background stories, current events in her life, and her teasing yet heartfelt jabs at her nephew’s life as an unmarried bachelor. All in all, it felt very much like watching a short Food Network show episode.

Thanks to its cutting, editing, and add-ins of animation of select dialogue and an on the streets interview, Director Kiehoon gave his documentary a very professional feel to it. And while his work does have a feel of professionalism, the director was also gave the documentary a feeling of homey-ness. Cuts of Kun-umma at her job at the Korean Cultural center teaching Korean language and culture to next generation Korean-Canadians, cuts of their family interactions, and Kun-umma bringing the cameraman/director into the work with conversations. It gave the documentary a family home video vibe to it. Providing the duo “feel” to the documentary as both professional and homey helped defined the work as an educational, inspirational, and intimate. The documentary proves to be an accurate and personal lens into the Korean tradition of kimchi making as well as the dynamics of a multi-generation Korean Canadian family.

While the star of the documentary is supposed to be kimchi, it also clearly shares the spotlight with its maker, Kun-umma. Though it is her first time on camera, she is unfazed, natural, and completely herself in front of the lens. She brings life and vivacity to compensate for the kimchi’s lack of personality (though that can not be helped much since kimchi tends to be pretty inanimate in any case). Directer Kiehoon’s aunt is sensible and excitable, lively and engaging, funny and wise. And while Kun-umma jokes of her old age, she is still vibrantly youthful and so full of life. Every second watching her becomes more and more excruciating as I ended up wishing I was actually in the kitchen and conversing with Kun-umma. Thankfully, her personality shines across the screen well enough to satisfy the viewer.

I for one connected with this piece greatly, as I am Korean American and have watched the process of kimchi making my whole memorable life. It is unsurprising how Kiehoon’s family assimilated into Western culture. I have seen it myself in other Asian-American families as well as my own. I have seen first hand how older generations hold fast to their native cultures, and how the younger generations are quick to grasp the new Western culture. Kun-umma noted the importance of her work at the cultural center and as a Korean after-school organizer. Despite being in another country, she said it was essential to know where one came from. She valued her work because she helped keep alive the Korean culture in her community, and remind and educate those who felt out of touch with their roots. Making kimchi at home, and now making kimchi for the world to see, was just a part of that.

Watching How to Make Kimchi: According to my Kun-Umma was not watching some Korean lady speak about her life while making some strange red pickle; it was an experience. It was like sitting down at the kitchen table and listening to a close family friend sharing her personal recipe and along with it a part of her life. It was a vibrant and delicious slice of life of a Korean-Canadian woman. While I myself was familiar with kimchi and Korean culture,  viewers who are not as familiar feel welcomed by Kun-umma and invited to share her Korean culture. You really can not regret investing 19 minutes for this film.

Julie & Julia a Bittersweet Review (but more sweet then bitter)

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Julie & Julia is a 2009 American comedy-drama that uses a creative lens to entwine and retell two true stories.  The film compares and contrasts Julie Powel, a young writer who, in the year 2002, lives in NY and works in a cubicle answering phone calls all day, and Julia Childs, an American housewife who moves with her husband who is assigned to work in France in the 1950’s. Initially bored at home, Julia makes history as she decides to spend her time learning to be a professional French cook. She eventually collaborates on the writing of a comprehensive cookbook, which also serves as the first French cookbook for American women. Julie goes through a similar transformation as she fills the emptiness of her life by writing a blog detailing her 365-day journey as she cooks her way through all 524 recipes in Julia Child’s Mastering The Art of French Cooking.

Both of their stories are focused on their own personal identity. They are both confronted with a lack of purpose in their life and they fill their gap with cooking.  For them, cooking is filled with excitement and challenge and the more they become obsessed the more it defines them. When Julie begins to have a large following of readers and begins to feel overwhelmed by her full time job and self imposed cooking challenges she neglects her husband in favor of food. Eventually, she strikes a balance between the two and achieves success by identifying herself through both her cooking and her relationship with her husband. After forming a balanced identity Julie continues her undertaking and achieves publicity, fame, and monetary success once she is written about on the front page of the NY Times.

Julia also defines herself through food and as Julia’s husband mentions, if he would like to see his wife he must enter the kitchen. She works very hard to become a proper chief and later spends many years of her life writing her comprehensive cookbook. When her efforts appear for naught, as the publishers believe her book is too expansive to be printed, she becomes devastated. She identified herself through her work and with the apparent failure she seemed to be without an identity once again. Fortunately, with the encouragement of her supportive husband, she moved on and continued her culinary pursuits in other manners. Eventually, Julia was contacted by a different publisher and offered an even sweeter deal. They published her masterpiece and Julia found her identity through food in both her private and the public world.

While at times the movie seemed a bit discontinuous, as the scenes oscillated between the two plots and some ideas, sometimes somewhat irrelevant, were introduced but not developed, overall the plots were paralleled very nicely and imbued with both entertainment and suspense. The juxtaposition of conceptually linked scenes between the stories highlighted the similarities between the ways Julie & Julia struggled, developed, and addressed their own personal identities. Food is the medium through which each understands their identity, but it the plot it serves other roles as well.

The movie transforms food into more then a hobby, job, or even the defining feature of their identities, as food becomes a tool for connection. Not only do characters bond while working in the kitchen, eating together at a table, or by talking about food, but also they bond over space and time via food. As Julie states, she can feel Julia’s presence in the kitchen with her, and can learn from not only as a chief, but also as a moral role model. Even though the end of the movie questions Julia’s role in this one sided relationship, it also points out that the bond is nonetheless still fully existent for Julie. Food becomes more then just a purpose, but also an identity, a way in which they can bond to others, and a way in which they can make their mark on the world against all other odds.

The actors did a fantastic job, and truly seemed like people, although in a couple scenes Julia enthusiastic personality made her appear a bit unrealistic.  In both tribute and criticism, the movie left the viewers wanting to know more about their stories, as it interested viewers in the main story although it did not seem to tie together all the different parts conclusively. Because the movie was telling two true stories, at points it seemed a bit like a documentary and compounded with a few seemingly irrelevant scenes the movie became longer then necessary.  While the movie lacked a true dramatic climax, it still left a very positive impression on its viewers. I would therefore rate the movie as a 3.5 and maybe even a 4 out of 5 for all those who have the time to watch it fully.

Review Essay: Boca Chica

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Lisbel Diaz

Boca Chica, Sabor Latino 

          Located on 96-20 37th avenue Corona, Queens, Boca Chica offers a Dominican seafood cuisine suitable for the Hispanic population situated in this area. The restaurant is small yet accommodates its clients well. It offers a buffet in which costumers can come in and order take out food. It also has the option of delivery and of course dinning in the restaurant. The restaurant primarily serves seafood dishes but serves other dishes for meat lovers. The workers are friendly which gives the restaurant a welcoming feel. Although there is one major setback, the in-dinning service is slow. But if you’re willing to enjoy a delicious Hispanic meal, its well worth the wait.

The restaurant offers complementary appetizers of soup. The choices of soup are fish soup, seafood (marisco) soup, and- for those who prefer meat- chicken soup. The restaurant has authentic Dominican foods listed on their menus such as Mondongo (which is Tripe soup), Asopao de camarones (Shrimp soupy rice) and Mofongo (mashed platains). The menu, aside from having authentic Dominican cuisines, contains dishes that attract any Latin food lover taste buds. They serve latin dishes like Ceviche and their tropical shakes. They even have burgers and fries to accommodate what may be more Americanized food. Their dishes are flavorful and cooked with natural ingredients and are low in sodium. I had arroz con habichuela (rice and beans) with steak. The steak was well done and had a juicy flavorful taste. The rice and beans intermingled well with the steak and left me wanting to continue eating even though I would’ve never be able to finish the big pile of food on my plate. My order could definitely be dinner for two. Although the service was slow the food was well worth the wait. It tasted like food I can find in the Dominican Republic and definitely was authentic to that culture. The desserts were also typical Dominican pastries such as flan and tres leche. They were just as delicious and rich in milky caramel flavor like the typical Dominican sweets I’ve had before.

Even though Boca Chica is a Dominican Restaurant it reaches out to the other Latin immigrant community in Corona. From Columbians to Ecuadorians to Mexicans, all clients enjoy the rich and flavorful food at the affordable price offered at Boca Chica. To reach other Hispanic groups the owner welcomes Mexican Mariachi bands play at the restaurant at around Dinnertime on Sundays. It’s a great place to have a family Dinner and bring culture to your taste buds.

The environment of the restaurant and layout offer a very welcoming Latin vibe. The workers all speak Spanish and are more than happy to greet you. Most of the clients go often so they have a special bond with the owner and waitresses. There is an open bar and buffet for take out food which offers more variety to the restaurant. Latin music is always playing and the ball game is on for the sport fans to watch. The restaurant tries to reach a large audience by offering various commodities. Even though the restaurant is small in size it does well for the space it has. The take out buffet also gets a lot of business from outside workers on their way to work or coming back from work that don’t quite have the time to cook. The food prices are affordable which makes it possible to get food more than once a week at this restaurant.

The layout of the restaurant is organized well. The buffet is in the front for those who are interested in take out and the bar is located in the back for those who want to have a drink and watch the game. Tables for four are situated around the restaurant. It is great for families or for to bring a small group of friends. On the other hand for a bigger party of people it would be too crowded and difficult for seating. This can also be a setback around lunchtime when there is a line at the take out section and affects people who are eating at the restaurant.

All in all, I would give the restaurant four out of five stars. The restaurant does have friendly workers who make you feel right at home when you enter the restaurant. It offers various dishes at affordable prices. It isn’t too roomy and the service may be slow, but it can be good place for a small gathering of friends or to eat Dinner with your family. Corona, Queens has various Dominican restaurants but not too many seafood restaurants so it is definitely a place you may want to check out if you’re ever in the area. Boca Chica brings Dominican culture to food beautifully and will leave you more than satisfied.

 

Review Essay – The Harvest/La Cosecha

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U. Roberto Romano’s film The Harvest/La Cosecha bring the viewer into the world of migrant workers in the United States.  We follow the lives of Zulema Lopez, Perla Sanchez, and Victor Huapilla, who are all children that travel around the country doing strenuous farm work with their families to earn enough money to get by.  All of these children have no choice but to work because of the difficult financial situation that their parents are in, and the physical and emotional toll that this work takes on them is revealed through their explanations of their daily lives.  There are so many obstacles that these children and their families face each day to keep afloat, and their financial stability rests in their power to persevere through even the worst conditions.  This film aims to raise awareness for the deplorable conditions that thousands of migrant workers face as they attempt to make a living in the United States.

This film does and excellent job of humanizing a group of people that is not commonly held in high regard.  One may not realize how normal these people are, and how they blend into our society so seamlessly so that we may not ever notice just how different their lives are.  The two girls featured in the film, Zulema Lopez and Perla Sanchez, have been raised in the United States, speak perfect English, attend public school when possible, and are very much involved with American culture.  There is a myth that migrant workers are usually Mexican immigrants who speak little to no English and have no understanding of American culture and values, but this film works to dispel that idea by presenting the viewer with examples of “normal” workers who could also be considered completely “normal” Latin-American children.  Many viewers who may have an another image in their head of what a typical migrant worker looks and sounds like may have been very surprised to see what these people are actually like.

Another issue that the film does a great job representing is that danger involved with working these jobs.  Many of us eat the produce that these workers pick each day without even realizing what really goes into getting the food from the plant to the market shelf.  One example that we are told about is when Victor Huapilla explains how one day he was laying down the plastic that is used for sowing the crops, and the chemicals that were on plastic actually began to melt his skin off.  Earlier in the film, Zulema talks about how she has injured herself with the shears used to cut roots away from crops she was picking.  Both of these examples highlight the day to day dangers that these workers face, and the instability of their health and their work.  For example, if a worker were to get seriously hurt on the job, they would then be unable to work for a few weeks, months or maybe even permanently.  If that did happen, they would then not be able to help their families make money to survive.  Romano’s film does an excellent job of bring these issues to light and helping the viewer to really understand the troubles these people face.

All of the themes discussed in this film directly tie into what we have discussed in class this semester.  It is very clear that migrant work is a niche job, as a disproportional amount of these workers are Mexican, and the field as a whole is largely influenced by Mexican culture.  Another theme we discussed in class is the idea of health issues among specific populations of immigrants.  It is really clear from this documentary that obesity and accidents are common in this population because of the nature of their work and their low income.

Overall, I rate this film 4.5/5 – as it did a really wonderful job illustrating the issues of this population of people and giving the viewer a much clearer understanding of their lives.

Review Essay- Man Push Cart

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In this course, we strive to comprehend the complex relationships between the people of the five boroughs of New York City and the various cultures that reside in its depths. We have looked at and even visited certain neighborhoods of New York City, as well as talked with their respective residents. After experiencing all the different kinds of work in Peopling of New York City, we are now in a position where we can contextualize creative works and businesses in order to better understand our class’s themes of immigration, identity, and, of course, food. For this purpose, I viewed Man Push Cart, a 2005 American independent film directed, produced, and written by Ramin Bahrani.

      Man Push Cart tells the story of a former Pakistani rock star turned immigrant pushcart owner, trying to adjust to his new “New York City” life. During his work days, Ahmad (Ahmad Razvi) attends to normal in-a-rush New Yorkers, selling them coffee, juice, bagels, and sweet rolls, among other morning treats. During his work nights, however, he heightens his income by selling bootleg DVDs of pornographic movies. At the start of the film, it is established that Ahmad wants to be able to raise enough money to get his own place and hopefully reunite with his estranged son: Ahmad’s wife is dead, and his in-laws won’t allow him to see his son. Though the odds are against him, he soon forms a friendship with fellow immigrant Mohammed (Charles Daniel Sandoval), a generous yet condescending countryman who readily takes the tenderfoot New Yorker under his “omniscient” wing. He remembers Ahmed’s former rock star life (“the Bono of Lahore”) in Pakistan, so he decides to give Ahmed some additional work in decorating his apartment. Meanwhile, Spanish immigrant Noemi (Leticia Dolera) works at a nearby newsstand, finding herself warming up to the troubled former rock-star’s shy nature. As Ahmad, Mohammed, and Noemi gradually begin to socialize together, a tragedy in Ahmad’s past soon prompts the struggling New York newcomer to question the true nature of his current relationships.

There is a lot to be said about a movie of such caliber as Man Push Cart. Its actors are impeccable, the direction and cinematography are absolutely brilliant, and the music choices will touch your soul. The movie’s title is just as wonderfully understated as its content – yes, a man actually does push a cart throughout the film; however, it is the history behind his cart pushing that makes the character of Ahmad such an interesting protagonist. We can only imagine an immigrant’s struggle, but, at its surface, it is one that is notably relatable: being the little fish of the big pond, unfamiliar with your surroundings and lost in its residents’ neighborhood familiarity. Ahmad had a very good life in Pakistan, living the rock star life as “the Bono of Lahore,” even though he only had one hit record in 1995. Along with many other unanswered questions of the film, we never really find out what prompted Ahmad to immigrate to America, but I guess going into that backstory would imply that this is a “conventional” film, which it most certainly is not. Rather than an overdone approach of going into one’s history – flashing back and forth between the present, past, and future – Man Push Cart utilizes only its present reality for exploration. As for the actual cinematography of the piece, it used a “concealed camera” approach: a lot of long-distance shots, angles chosen as if filmed in secret, and a choppy editing style that ironically made the film more fluid and personal. There’s one scene in particular that particularly highlights this, when Ahmad pitches his bootleg pornos to two unknown consumers. This scene is filmed from far away, and was so alarmingly spontaneous that it seemed like I was watching MTV’s “Punk’d” or “Candid Camera.” As this film was presented in a documentary-like kind of format, I have to compliment the acting of Razvi, Dolera, and Sandoval, for having such genuine deliveries of their characters that furthered the film in its documentarian approach. I could feel Ahmad’s pain and struggle in the film’s entirety, and cringed whenever he would experience any level of heartbreak: not being able to see his son, the loss of his push cart, and his internal struggle with his feelings for Noemi. Man Push Cart offers a simplistic view of a complicated situation; it is successful in its artistic goals, in Tumblr terms, cause only the largest amount of “feels.”

As per this course, I feel as if this film does an amazing job of exploring how Ahmad’s identity is formed through his immigration to America, the livelihood of his pushcart (food), and his relationships within the confines of New York City. Right at the beginning of the film, Ahmad is met with an all-too-familiar problem: having to start back at square one. Many immigrants come to America with only hope in their pockets, hoping to be able to make a living and experience opportunity that could only be attained in this country: at least, in their minds. Ahmad uses food in order to relate and socialize with the residents of New York city, hoping to establish some sense of familiarity in this unfamiliar world.

Overall Rating: 4 out of 5