Recently, David heard on TV News that O’Kims Korean Kitchen had been listed as one of the top 20 restaurants in the U.S. according to Yelp. So, he insisted we order food from there on Uber Eats.
I remembered I had written a post about O’Kims when we had lunch there back in 2019. It’s located on Nuuanu Avenue in Chinatown. It opened in 2016 and is owned and operated by Chef Hyun Kim, who immigrated from Busan, South Korea.
It’s a casual restaurant with a patio and an air-conditioned room. That’s David on the right in 2019:
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Anyway, this is what we ordered on Uber Eats:
Lunch consisted of Fried Chicken, Gnocchi, Purple Rice, Kimchee, and Green Salad with Ranch dressing.
It was a lot to eat, but I must say that I enjoyed every morsel. David thought the Kimchee was too spicy for him, but I ate it with gusto. The Fried Chicken consisted of dark meat, laced with Gochujang sauce, giving it a little kick. The Gnocchi was good, too.
First of all, he noticed that State Farm was going to raise the premium for our homeowners’ insurance to $3,500 per year, which amounted to an increase of $1,000. Insane!
So, David decided to switch to Allstate homeowners’ insurance plus Palomar hurricane insurance. Together, the total amounted to $2,400 per year. We’re saving more than $1,000 per year by switching plans.
Second, David heard on TV News that our water bill would receive a $240 discount if we submitted certain documents to the Department of Environmental Services. He did so, and we expect a discount on our next two water bills.
Yes, David will do anything to save a buck! I am so glad he’s on top of things.
David’s brother, Michael, and his family were here in Hawaii for three weeks, staying at a beach cottage in Kailua. They came to our home for lunch on the last two Sundays in May. It was good to see them again.
David and Michael are quite close, speaking over the phone at least once a week.
I give Michael and his wife Shirley a lot of credit for traveling overseas. They are our age, you know, but they can travel whereas David and I are too disabled to do so. We don’t know how long they can keep this up.We hope to see them again next year.
I enjoy Korean medical dramas, as they are both thrilling and educational. Keep in mind that I was employed as a medical secretary at UCSF Medical Center (California) in 1968 and at Mount Sinai Medical Center (New York) in 1973.
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“Doctor Lawyer” (on Hulu) tells the story of a cardio thoracic surgeon, who is framed during a heart transplant surgery and loses his medical license. He goes on to graduate from law school and passes the bar. His specialty is medical malpractice. Eventually, he regains his medical license and practices both medicine and law. By doing so, he nails the villain, who framed him. In the end, he decides to practice law full time and relinquishes his medical clinic to his trusted associate, who is also a talented surgeon.
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“Doctor John” (on Netflix) is even more compelling. It tells the story of an anesthesiologist, who suffers from CIPA (Congenital Insensitivity to Pain with Anhidrosis). Ironically, he manages a pain management clinic. He is fired when his condition is publicized. Meanwhile, his doctor tells him that he will die soon because his CIPA has worsened. He submits to an experimental drug trial in the U.S., which extends his life. However, he knows his life is tenuous at best, as CIPA is usually fatal. Few patients with this disease live past 40. He returns to Korea and opens a hospice, which focuses on living rather than dying. He finds peace and joy in this type of work.
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I googled CIPA and learned that one can only get this disease if both parents carry this recessive gene. If only one parent has it, then the child won’t have CIPA.
This disease is extremely rare. There are 60 cases in the U.S. and 300 worldwide, mostly in Israel and Japan. Most children die by age 3. They bite off their tongue or are unaware of broken limbs or physical trauma. Most die of fevers or overheating due to their inability to sweat (anhidrosis).
Oh, CIPA is a terrible disease to have. On the other hand, if the patient has cancer, he/she won’t experience pain. So, it’s a blessing in disguise.
Younger daughter Lisa arrived in Hawaii on Saturday and left on Tuesday. She was here to attend her friend Min’s funeral on Sunday.
Min died of a heart attack at age 44. Oh, it was so tragic. She was driving her car with her three children (a daughter, age 5, and twin sons, age 3) when she felt ill. She pulled over to the side of the road, turned off the motor, and then slumped over the steering wheel. The police and paramedics came, and she was pronounced dead.
David and I knew Min, as she was our dentist’s dental assistant. Min resigned from her job after she gave birth to her twin sons and stayed home to care for her three children while her husband was at work. Min was always pleasant and efficient. Such a sad passing of Lisa’s friend.
Anyway, Lisa brought cocoa puffs from Liliha Bakery on Saturday. The funeral was on Sunday. She brought Korean bentos from Soon’s Kalbi on Monday. On Tuesday, she returned to Las Vegas, where she works as a physical therapist at a hospital.
She seems to like these short jaunts to Hawaii. She was previously here for three days to attend my 80th birthday party in January.
These are photos of Lisa taken last week.
We’re so proud of our beautiful, talented and kindhearted daughter, Lisa!
President Obama was our best president in recent history. His signature act was the passage of Obama Care (Affordable Care Act).
My daughter Lisa and countless others belonged to Obama Care, as they were self-employed. Now, Lisa has joined a hospital as a permanent employee and thus qualifies for group health insurance.
Will we ever elect another great president like Barack Obama? Someone, who cares deeply about us folks.
I want a president, who will protect Medicare, Obama Care and Medicaid. Not a president, who only caters to the rich and likes to wage war.
I have hired a wheelchair transport company to take me to and from my appointments. I no longer drive, as it’s difficult to get into my car and then walk from the car to my destination. David hires the same company.
In July, I’ll make an appointment to replace my driver’s license with a State ID. However, we plan to keep our car, as David still likes to drive for enjoyment.
I just try to eliminate stressful situations. First, I pinpoint the cause of the stress. Then, I solve the problem, using common sense. I don’t have to be a genius to solve my problems.
I take each day as it comes. This attitude has brought me peace and a wonderful sense of freedom.
Astronomers now believe that the planet Earth was created 4.54 billion years ago from an ice molecule and the universe 14 billion years ago.
According to a recent poll, more than 75% of people around the world believe in a religion. It seems that there is a need to find meaning in life. Most of us want to know why we were created in the first place.
Many people have an “I don’t give a damn” attitude. They just exist without probing the superficial aspects of their lives. Many are hedonists out for a good time.
However,I know that God is looking out for me. He is here by my side every day. It was God, who brought me people at critical points in my life, when I was under great duress.
For example, God brought me Deirdre, a Presbyterian missionary I met in Thailand. Being a foreigner, I was very lonely. She invited me to her home for lovely family dinners and let me borrow one of her violins to play duets with her.
God also brought me the Seymours when I got sick in New York. They helped me vacate my apartment and paid for my return trip back to Hawaii.
God also brought me the Feldmans, who took me to and from the hospital. They even brought me groceries from the supermarket until I got back on my feet.
Best of all, God brought me David. My husband has many flaws, and our marriage has been stressful at times. However, it’s because of David that I have a better life now than when I was single. Without David, where would I be?
I could go on and on. God does care. I may have thought that I was all alone in the world, but God stepped in and brought people to help me.Without God, life would be meaningless.
Tap into God’s love. Keep praying. You won’t be disappointed.
This is BTS with President Joe Biden at the White House. Fingers crossed like this signify Love in South Korea. (2022)
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Lisa called recently, and we chatted for 20 minutes about BTS. She and Maria love BTS, the world renowned South Korean boy band. BTS takes K-Pop to the stratosphere!
After completing their mandatory military service (Army) in 2025, BTS has kicked off their “Arirang” World Tour. One of their stops will be Las Vegas at Allegiant Stadium in May.
Lisa bought single tickets to 3 concerts. They are very good seats at the bottom tier of the stadium. (No, she won’t tire of attending the same concert 3 times.) She also bought a ticket to the AMA show, which is scheduled for the same week as the concerts. BTS has been nominated for several awards.
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I recently watched 2 shows on Netflix. One was “BTS: The Return.” This documentary is a must-see for those of you, who want an inside look at these singers’ personal lives following military service and the creative process of putting together their “Arirang” album with 14 tracks.
The other show on Netflix I watched was “BTS: The Comeback Live Arirang.” It was a concert performed in Seoul, South Korea in March 2026 and featured English songs from their new album.
Personally, I prefer the slow, mellow songs, not so much the fast hip hop ones. My favorite song from the Arirang album was “Swim,” which evoked pleasant memories of snorkeling in Hanauma Bay. The melody and lyrics were outstanding!
By the way, “Arirang” refers to a famous Korean song, which dates back to 1400. “Ari” means Beauty, and “rang” means Love and Yearning. Every Korean knows this song. It’s the title of the BTS latest album as well as their concert.
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Lisa’s favorite member is RM (Kim Namjoon). He is the leader of the group, speaks excellent English, and is the tallest member at 5’11”:
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Maria prefers V (Kim Taehyung). He is the cutest and most soulful one and is also tall at 5’10”. I liked him in the cooking reality show, “Jinny’s Kitchen,” which was set in Mexico. You can watch the series on Netflix:
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It’s so nice to connect with my daughters regarding BTS. We don’t always agree on a topic, you know, so this is truly special.
I graduated with a BA in Sociology in 1968 from the University of Hawaii. Sociology majors study society, whereas Psychology majors study the individual.
Lately, I have been studying trends in society.
I googled about religions of the world. I discovered that within 10 years, Muslims will outnumber Christians, because Muslims procreate more than Christians do. Also, the number of Buddhists is decreasing, because they are not procreating either, especially in Japan, where there is a low birth rate.
I also read that South Korea has the worst birth rate in the world. This is due to the high cost of living and work-related stress. Despite government bonuses and incentives, couples are reluctant to marry and have children.
Hence, the government is welcoming long-term immigrants to bolster the work force to address the severe labor shortage in South Korea. These immigrants are encouraged to assimilate into Korean society on a permanent basis.
This is what Sociology majors like to do. We enjoy studying demographics and trends in society.
gigi-hawaii 
