I'm Penny For Your Thoughts

Cooks' Kitchen [Flickr]

2012-01-11T21:37:29-08:00

Penny Kim posted a photo:

Kenny & Zuke's Delicatessen

Cooks' Kitchen [Flickr]

2012-01-11T21:36:50-08:00

Penny Kim posted a photo:

Kenny & Zuke's Delicatessen

Water closet [Flickr]

2012-01-11T21:36:10-08:00

Penny Kim posted a photo:

The Ace Hotel

Top Knot [Flickr]

2012-01-11T21:35:35-08:00

Penny Kim posted a photo:

Self portrait

Leave It [Flickr]

2012-01-11T21:35:12-08:00

Penny Kim posted a photo:

The Ace Hotel

My Behavioral Style and How It Relates to the Workplace

2008-08-07T09:25:00.004-05:00

I took a 5 minute questionnaire for a behavioral styles class that my company set up for us yesterday. Based on my responses, a report of selected general statements provided a broader understanding of my work style and how it relates to others. The following statements identify the basic natural behavior that I bring to my job. It was very interesting and eerie how dead on it was.

Penny wants to be seen as a winner and has an inherent dislike for losing or failing. She tends to work hard and long to be successful. She tends to have a "short fuse" and can display anger or displeasure when she feels that people are taking advantage of her. She is a self-starter who likes new projects and is most comfortable when involved with a wide scope of activities. She can be aggressive and direct, but still be considerate of people. Other people realize that directness is one of her great strengths. Penny displays a high energy factor and is optimistic about the results she can achieve. The word "can't" is not in her vocabulary. She has the ability to question people's basic assumptions about things. She prides herself on her creativity, incisiveness and cleverness. She may be so self-confident that others see her as arrogant. This confidence may be something others wish they had. She is a goal-oriented individual who believes in harnessing people to help her achieve her goals. She needs people with other strengths on her team. Penny is often considered daring, bold and gutsy. She is a risk taker who likes to be seen as an individualist. She likes to be forceful and direct when dealing with others. Her desire for results is readily apparent to the people with whom she works.

Penny finds it easy to share her opinions on solving work-related problems. She prefers authority equal to responsibility. Sometimes she becomes emotionally involved in the decision-making process. Sometimes she may be so opinionated about a particular problem that she has difficulty letting others participate in the process. Penny will work long hours until a tough problem is solved. After it is solved, Penny may become bored with any routine work that follows. She likes to make decisions quickly. She is decisive and prefers to work for a decisive manager. She can experience stress if her manager does not possess similar traits. Many people see her decisions as high-risk decisions. However, after the decision is made, she tends to work hard for a successful outcome.

Penny may lose interest in what others are saying if they ramble or don't speak to the point. Her active mind is already moving ahead. Her creative and active mind may hinder her ability to communicate to others effectively. She may present the information in a form that cannot be easily understood by some people. She tends to influence people by being direct, friendly and results-oriented. She challenges people who volunteer their opinions. Penny should exhibit more patience and ask questions to make sure that others have understood what she has said. She tends to be intolerant of people who seem ambiguous or think too slowly. She likes people who give her options as compared to their opinions. The options may help her make decisions, and she values her own opinion over that of others! She may sometimes mask her feelings in friendly terms. If pressured, Penny's true feelings may emerge.

True dat!

Downtown Living

2008-07-22T21:12:00.003-05:00

Going on week #2 of my new pad right in the heart of downtown Dallas. I'm working my way up.

2008 Democratic Race in 8 Minutes

2008-06-16T22:05:00.001-05:00

Now is the Time to Travel

2008-05-28T16:51:00.005-05:00

With the upcoming rise of energy costs and the obvious economic recession, it is inevitable that travel will soon become a literal luxury for most. One of my life (and forced short-term) goals for the future is to travel to a new city, country or continent. I feel that my life and the world as we know it is ticking away and permanently changing beyond our control. I need to see, know and appreciate what is out there beyond what's in front of me now.

Hook It Up

2008-05-02T09:25:00.001-05:00

This reminds me of display ads in paid search. Facebook needs to work on its geotargeting capabilities, though.

So, What's Your Myers-Briggs Type?

2008-04-29T21:23:00.005-05:00

I scored INFJ. I'm a pretty rare kind in this world.

Zach Time of the Month

2008-04-20T18:19:00.002-05:00

I Prefer Nintendo's Version

2008-04-15T09:31:00.001-05:00

Published!

2008-04-11T17:13:00.005-05:00

My photo just got published in the second edition of Schmap Texas Guide! Thanks Schmap!

It Is FINISHED!!! (Well Kinda)

2008-04-09T23:43:00.002-05:00

Thank the holiest of holy's! I've finally got some good content up on my domain, www.pennykim.com. Now, like a good SEO girl, I have to go through every linking site and feed and blog to update my url, add tags and keywords, add Google analytics and so on and so until I go crazy from staring at the screen too long. I must becoming "electronically addicted" like so many already.

Zach Time of the Month

2008-03-24T23:06:00.005-05:00

He brings me joy.

Cable In the House!

2008-03-17T23:22:00.009-05:00

So I finally did it. I bit the bullet and splurged on cable internet. Time Warner was the only choice for my area. I've been doing my thing for the past 4 years which consists of wireless surfing off other people's unsecured networks, hacking into those that were and the last resort of finding an internet cafe nearby (I've spent way too much $$$ on bubble tea and $4 cups of bitter coffee despite my slowing metabolism and growing tush).

So, after getting a job that pays alot more money and doing the dreaded math (I hate math), I'd figure I would save time and effort in the end just by doing what any normal, upright citizen would do anyways: purchase internet service. Plus, it gets old listening to mindless chatter, annoying cell phone conversations and horrible live mic night sessions from others.

I guess I never realized how important the web would become in my life. The last 2 years of my professional life have thrown my career goals for a loop and have made me an internet junkie. I wake up, check my email and PPC campaigns before breakfast, surf for information for about 6 hours, take the trek home and go online for a couple more hours before I doze off. I've become so wrapped up in online content nowadays (my Flickr photos, keeping my blogs fresh, reading up on marketing news, CNN too, and an occasional research or video here and there) that I need to fill my fix 24/7!

That Was Fast

2008-03-10T17:05:00.003-05:00

No Country For Old Men hits the Blockbuster aisles tomorrow, March 11th! This is a must-own movie.

There Will Be Beards

2008-03-03T18:22:00.004-06:00

I can’t tell you how much a fist full of beard turns me on. 2 day fuzz will even do. The age old symbol of virility and masculinity still lives on in the game of sexual seduction. I have two words for you: Zac Galifianakis. The right guys can pull off the “I’m serious but here to party” look with nicely trimmed scruff. Also, the easy-going, non conformist attitude types usually opt for the Jesus style. I don’t care what color your overgrown stache is, just keep it clean! There’s nothing worse than a beard full of cookie crumbs and dried drool. Even though I usually don’t have a preference, there is such a thing as too much face-shag. If your beard tickles my belly button when we kiss, it’s time to mow the lawn. If you look like the guy from Disney’s The Sorcerer’s Apprentice, the cat will stay away and the mouse gets no play. Sorry Santa, you don’t count. One last thing, fellas. If indeed you decide to get rid of your muff scrubber one day, please, please! Do it in gradual successions. Nothing is more shocking than to see a man going into the bathroom looking like Abe Lincoln and coming out looking like Michael Ceras. As a supporter and current promoter, do me a favor and be good to yourself. Grow your own beard. Beards are brave, beautiful and the saying holds true: bigger is better.

Where's the Blood?

2008-02-26T14:12:00.011-06:00

Finally! Someone formally acknowledges Johnny Greenwood's masterpiece in There Will Be Blood. It was a suprising letdown that his score wasn't even nominated for Best Orginal Score at this year's Academy Awards.

According to last week's article in NME, Greenwood's film score was ineligible for the coveted nomination. Why? Apparently, the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences stated that "the majority of the music was not composed specifically for the film". 35 minutes were original recordings and 45 minutes were made of pre-existing work. Does it really matter, though? I watched There Will Be Blood twice. The second time around, I had my eyes shut throughout half the movie just to immerse myself in the surround sound of Radiohead's Greenwood. This artist surely deserves more than some kudos from news articles.

History Erased

2008-02-19T15:06:00.006-06:00

It was a sad day in Seoul on Feb 15, 2008. One of Korea's historic landmarks, the Namdeaemun gate, burned to the ground from an arson attack by a disgruntled 70 yr old native. The 610 year old national treasure was located in the heart of Seoul and will take at least three years for full restoration.

Before:

After:

Sweet As Honey

2008-02-15T10:55:00.003-06:00

Dallas native Erykah Badu's first single from her new album Nu AmErykah named "Honey" has a sweet video to go along with its smooth lyrics and notes.

Bye Bye, Polaroid

2008-02-08T15:06:00.000-06:00

I read in the news today that Polaroid is shutting down its film factories by the end of the year and the classic instant photo camera will be no more. Blame it on the new age of camera cell phones. The Polaroid company is pushing their focus on producing digital cameras and printers instead. Yet, there's still hope in Polaraoid's announcement that it may license the technology to other manufacturers interested in supplying the camera's instant film after 2009. I've never owned one in my life, but I've always been intrigued with the novelty idea and 1970's feel it oozes. I guess it's time to invest in one for history's sake.

Recovering Grump

2008-02-07T11:42:00.000-06:00

I've discovered I have something in common with Eric Weiner, an award-winning foreign correspondent for NPR and the author of The Geography of Bliss: One Grump's Search for the Happiest Places in the World. Like him, I was molded with a "glass half empty" mentality and fortunate enough to travel all over the world. And like many people today, I'm constantly in the pursuit of happiness. So when I discovered that an intellect had tied in the significant relevance of science, sociology, psychology and geography with overall life happiness, I was sold.

According to Weiner, "Happiness went from being this glorious benefit bestowed on the fotunate few to something that each of us expects to obtain, and expectations and happiness are not necessarily related. They often go in opposite direction. The happiest countries I found actually do not contemplate happiness all that much, at least not in the personal way we do."

The publication also contributes Denmark as the happiest nation in the world according to 100 different studies produced by Britain's University of Leicester in 2006. Weiner really favors Bhutan, Iceland, Thailand, India and Switzerland. North America ranks 23rd on the happiness map, not too bad when compared to Qatar.

As it is with many psychologists and sociological research findings, Weiner's comment is no different in that money doesn't guarantee happiness. Instead, it's about other people and about relationships with family, friends and strangers. The Himalayans focus on national happiness and less on their gross domestic products. The Icelandic people are traditionally cooperative and warm. The chocolate-eating nation of Switzerland are content that their trains run on time and their cities stay clean. Weiner adds that the Swiss are more likely to vote compared to other nations which in turn gives them a say in what happens, and they have a healthier attitude towards wealth and money.

I think subconsciously and instinctively I've understood this correlation on some level. I've always been fascinated with traveling since my younger years watching The Discovery Travel and flipping through National Geographic magazines. The need to see the natural wonders of the world and be in the middle of foreign places seems to be unquenchable. I feel that I'm forever "roaming" and unsettled; it's clearly apparent in my annual goals of relocating and recent monthly trips. This book encourages me even more to aggressively pursue my lust for international trekking. My current list of places to see in the next 5 years include Machu Picchu in Peru, China, Costa Rica, and Bali. In the longer 10 year plan, I hope to add Mecca, Brazil, the North Pole, Jerusalem, New Zealand and of course, Switzerland.

My philosophy in life is to experience everything possible in this world while they still exist and you still have time. I believe we are living in an age of historical and lightning-speed change. Animals and civilizations are becoming extinct across the world. The faces of our natural wonders are becoming disfigured and destroyed. I regret not seeing the twin towers before they were destroyed and backing out of that trip to New Orleans a month before Katrina hit. And now with more uncertainty in our economy and my future, I feel an urgency to see the world and meet as many different cultures as I can while I have still have my youth, strength and freedom. That should be enough to help keep me from being grumpy.

Guns, Explosions & Koala Bears

2008-01-29T21:43:00.000-06:00

My favorite agency came out with this spoof for the New Commonwealth Bank of Australia.

San Francisco Eats

2008-01-23T10:50:00.000-06:00

I just got back from a three day weekend trip to San Francisco and my taste buds haven't been the same. Dallas food seems so bland and unfulfilling now. My first time to the Bay Area was in September of '07 and I enjoyed the cuisine of Chez Spencer and Aqua.

This time around, I got the real tour for the tastes of the town thanks to my local friend. The first dinner spot was Nopa. We ordered the warm goat cheese, crostini, pickled beets and frisée appetizer and the salad of bacon, chicories, poached egg, walnuts and pomegranate for my entree. This venue has spacious ceilings and warm candlelit tables. A great place to take your family and date.

Friday night was The House night, by far my favorite place! I've never cried over asian-fusion food as I did. For starters, we got the very delicious deep-fried salmon roll with chinese hot mustard and asparagus with roasted sesame seed dressing which tasted more like thai peanut sauce. For my dinner selection, I chose the special of the day which was grilled skirt steak with shitaki mushroom gravy and wasabi mashed potatoes. It just melted in my mouth. Each forkful just tasted as good as the last. I couldn't resist and had to try one of their desserts, another special which was their persimmon pudding with caramel ice cream. To loosely describe it, it tasted like a piece of warm, heavenly gingerbread pie. It tasted so good that I couldn't stop myself from laughing. It's funny how food can make you all emotional.

Moving on to Saturday, brunch was had at this little hip spot called Universal Cafe. Here I was a little impatient and we had to wait for about half an hour to sit. When we finally did, we already knew what we wanted and I got the french toast with pineapple compote, toasted pecans and chantilly cream. It was nice and warm and oh so big- I enjoyed it but couldn't finish it. I've been told this place is extremely popular and I could see where they're coming from, but personally I rate this brunch joint a 3 out of 5. Dinner time soon rolls around and we head to one of my friend's favorite sushi locations, Kiji. Here we let the guest chef cut loose and surprise us. He served us a duo of sea urchin, monk fish liver and quail egg concoction. Crazy and choice. The sushi sampler consisted of amberjack, tuna, squid, escolar (butterfish) and hokki clam. We also ordered the kanpachi carpaccio (thinly sliced amberjack with jalapenos, sea salt and olive oil) as well as the "green monster" roll (made of red and white tuna mixed with chili oil and topped with seaweed salad). Again, best sushi I've had in a very long time and the service was very friendly and accommodating. Kiji gets 5 out of 5.

My last Sunday brunch in good ol' San Fran was at St. Francis Fountain. This place is such an old and locally-loved hangout that it doesn't even have its own website. It's like one of those homey IHOP or Denny's in your old little hometown but with better food, music and people. I had a great time eating my country biscuits and gravy listening to LCD Soundsystem and watching the tattoo-sleeved waitresses. Not to mention, the service is fast and your food comes out literally in minutes of you ordering it. An extra plus about this cafe is that it's menu items are cheap which your poor wallet would greatly appreciate after a day in SF. Less pretentiousness and more personality, yes!

Journey to Jamaica

2008-01-07T15:42:00.000-06:00

I decided to take a last minute trip to the Carribean to ring in the 2008 new year. I flew into MBJ (Montego Bay) on December 28th and bus-pooled for 2 hours to new territories (I only realized later that I booked a hotel in Negril). The humidity and warmth hit me like a ton of bricks since the moment I stepped out of the airport but it was a welcome change from Texas' fickle weather. The hotel that came with my package trip was properly named Carribean Sunset Resort and sat at the top of the highest hill in the heart of Negril Square. It's rooftop and balcony views would come in handy later for the new year celebration.

For my first real day in Jamaica, I hit the 7 mile beach which was a 5 minute walk from the hotel. At the bottom of the hill, I passed by a jerk stand that supposedly had been run by the same man for the past 15 years. It proved to be better bbq chicken than the hotel restaurant's version. In no time flat, I was taking in the sights and taking off my sandals to feel the sand beneath my feet. I've never seen the ocean so blue and clear like I did in Negril (even the beaches in Hawaii were very hard to compare). Along with the general touristic crowd, I saw many Europeans (lot's of Italians) and a few Canadians and Americans here and there.

The locals are friendly, although sometimes overbearing. They're always trying to sell you something (whethers its fruit, drugs, cds, or hand-made knick knacks) on the beach and in the streets. Nevertheless, the natives seem to mean well and don't mind casual conversation with tourists. I had my first Jamaican meal along the beachside at a little cafe- I ordered some delicious pork jerk. It's been a very long time since I could enjoy a great meal outdoors somewhere exotic. Jamaica is a great place for people watching as well. There's such a strange dynamic of demographics- young and older couples mostly- and cultures. Add in the local mix and you'll be plenty amused for the rest of your stay. I hung around a little longer in the sun then went back to the hotel for a little R&R and planned for my next adventure.

The day before my departure (literally hours after booking online) I bought a Frommer's travel book on Jamaica. Frommer's has proved to be pretty accurate and handy in my travel destinations. Under the nightlife section, the book suggested a resort called Hedonism II. Apparently, I'm the only one who hasn't heard of this place; everyone else I know recognized the name from previous Cinemax and HBO documentaries. However, I'm no dummy and had a pretty good idea to what the place was about from it's name. So my curiosity got the best of me and I bought a "night pass" that evening to check it out. The resort was only a 5 minute drive from my hotel and I was soon in the all-inclusive buffet line. The food didn't compare to the $7 dollar pork jerk lunch I had, but I filled up and scoped the crowd. From a sociological perspective, Hedonism II had an interesting mix (however dissapointing) of people. You had your Hugh Hefner wannabe with his buxom 30-something blonde and on the other side of the room you had your dominatrix couple. There was a couple reminiscent of Bill Gates and his wife and a young Asian couple who seem to be out of place. All in all, there was really no shows of nudity or sophomoric lust-fests as many would expect. The highlight of my visit to Hedonism was its beach. Even though it was dark at night and only lit by a lone lightpole, the view was spectacular. The docked sailing boats were picturesque in the moonlight and the sand shimmered in the shallow waters. It was completely still and solitary. During my entire trip, this was the only moment where I was the only person on the beach- I felt it was all my own. To me, that experience was worth it.

The second day, I followed my beach-and-sun routine and headed out early in the morning to get optimal ray exposure. I had brought along my camera and took a number of pictures of my surroundings (check them out here). I took a cat nap, burned my back and headed back to the Carribean Sunset Resort. In the lobby, I met a fine couple from Toronto, Garth and Trisha. They were very outgoing and hospitable- they offered to take me out on the town later that night. Garth used to live in Negril and moved to Canada about 10 years ago where he met his fiance Trisha. I also had the pleasure to meet their 3 kids. After dinner and a movie, I went out to meet the Canadians. We decided to go to Alfred's, a beachside bar and club which was also recommended in my Frommer's guide. Honestly, I wasn't impressed. There was a J$700 cover charge (about $5 US dollars) for what seemed like a lame show for a bunch of white people. The music didn't move me and wasn't as cultured as I expected (I don't consider Marley remakes as cultured). I felt like I was at a tourist meat market; Garth pointed out the native women who were "negotiators" and explained how they worked men, expecially tourists, for money. It was very interesting and shocking to see these beautiful, fresh and young Jamaicans negotiating sexual exchanges with drunk and greasy men. Needless to say, I really didn't have a great time and went back to the hotel looking forward to watching more tv.

My last full day in Jamaica was Dec 31, New Year's eve. Following suite, I woke up early to go to the beach. But first, I decided to try a real Jamaican breakfast and ordered ackee and saltfish at the hotel's restaurant. Suprisingly, it was delicious and tasteful. It was my first time trying this native dish and its ingredients and I really enjoyed it. I spent the rest of the day on the sand and took in as much of Jamaica as I could without cooking myself red. By sunset, I was exhausted and planned on staying at the hotel for the rest of the night. I had made friends with the hotel staff and they joined me at the resort's bar to watch the New Year's fireworks display from the rooftop. What better way to spend a new year than with new people in a new place. It was a happy, free-feeling and surely, once-in-a-lifetime experience.

New Year's day, I hitched a bus back to Montego Bay and departed for cold Dallas via Miami with the memorable remnants of my journey to Jamaica.

Waiting For the Winner

2007-12-18T17:25:00.000-06:00

Would it be considered pathetic or a little geeky to be waiting in line an hour early prior to the free screening ticket giveaway? How about the fact that I'm writing this blog while waiting in line outside the theatre? Is “The Diving Bell and the Butterfly” worth the wait? Since it was nominated as one of the top ten films of the year, I damn well think so. Plus it's free and I like all things free. Major brownie points go to Angelika Film Center for giving the Dallas audience a chance to watch this gem before its first showing on Christmas day.

Flipping the Gay Switch With Fruit Flies

2007-12-11T10:16:00.000-06:00

Who would have ever thought that Perez Hilton would be so interested in scientific research news that he would post new findings on "fruity flies" on his celebrity gossip site?

Apparently, a new study reported by Nature Neuroscience finds both drugs and genetic manipulation can turn homosexual behavior of fruit flies on and off within a matter of hours. It is one of the latest studies that challenges the belief that homosexuality is biological and hard-wired in humans and animals.

Don't Overthink It

2007-11-26T17:09:00.000-06:00

According to a new psychology article in Newsweek, the ways of writing down pros and cons in an attempt to come to a logical decision may be overrated. Benjamin Franklin used to give advice on reasoning out complex decisions- he called it "moral algebra". His theory states to divide a sheet of paper in half, write down a complete list of pros and cons, revisit the list in a couple of days and weigh the pros and cons, decide which pro and con seems of equal weight and then strike them both out. What's left in the balance is your best answer.

Wray Hebert writes "Such "balance sheet" calculation is still taught today as the most logical and systematic method for dealing with many of life's complexities. Kids are counseled to choose colleges and careers this way, and managers similarly deliberate the pros and cons in important business decisions. But is moral algebra really the best method for decision making in today's dizzyingly complicated world? Or is there virtue in simplicity for many life choices? A growing number of psychologists are questioning the soundness of Franklin's method, and its modern iterations, including data-heavy calculations by increasingly powerful computers".

A leading challenger, Gerd Gigerenzer of the Max Planck Institute in Germany, is the author of "Gut Feelings", a book that collects a convincing body of evidence for the power of hunches over laborious data crunching. Hunches, gut feelings, intuition—Gigerenzer calls these "heuristics," fast and efficient cognitive shortcuts that (according to the emerging theory) can help us negotiate life, if we let them.

Maybe we are overcomplicating things and wasting time on unecessary details in everyday and life changing decisions. We should strive to be "satisficers": a term coined by Gigerenzer for people who practice "satisficing" decision making, as in "satisfying" enough to "suffice." Satisficers don't feel the need to know everything, in contrast to "maximizers," who do want to weigh every detail imaginable in making even minor life decisions. Interestingly, studies have found that satisficers are more optimistic about life, have higher self-esteem, and are generally happier than maximizers.