Sannakji is a variety of hoe, or raw dish, in Korean cuisine. It consists of live octopus that has been cut into small pieces and served immediately. The nakji pieces are usually still squirming on the plate. The active suction cups can cause swallowed pieces of arm to stick to the mouth or throat, which can present a choking hazard for some people.

Pardon me while I vomit everywhere. Don’t look at this gif that I made for you to look at.

O_____o whatever, i still love octopi. and korean food. lol.

To tell you the truth, growing up was really hard for me. Having a parent who is “fresh off the boat” made it really tough for me… socially. Not only her accent, but her personality, her outfits.. they were all so different. I’m not going to use the word weird, because that’s not what it was. To me, it was normal. I grew up with it; it was a part of my life, my culture, myself. But it hurt me when I started noticing the way my friends looked at her. Friends would come over, and my mom would offer them food like kimchi and all these ethnic foods that seemed normal for me, but I knew to them, it was so bizarre. Sometimes they’d make little comments here and there like, “Why does your mom eat that stuff?” or “Why does your house smell like that?” or “Your mom sounds different.” It was such a struggle for me. So, being young, ignorant, naive, and wanting to fit in, I began to distance myself from my mom— not from myself, but rather from my friends. I stopped inviting people over, and I would try to avoid situations where she’d be able to talk to them. Looking back, I was such a horrible son for doing that.

As I grew older— graduating from high school and leaving for college— I began to appreciate my mother’s “FOBbiness” more and more. Especially with all the multilingual students I met during my first semester in college, I grew envious of those who were so much more ethnic and culturally enlightened. My interest in my Korean culture grew so large, so quickly. I started asking my mom questions about anything and everything related to Korea, Koreans, their language and their culture (especially about FOOD! lol). I couldn’t keep myself away! I became so proud of my heritage, and was willingly identifying myself as a Korean-American. Every time I met someone else who was Korean, my eyes widened and my heart started beating faster. I loved that my mom was a first generation Korean. “Yup, my mom’s from the motherland.”

Recently, however, I’ve been reevaluating whether or not I appreciate her ethnic authenticity. Being a first generation mom, she has very old-fashioned practices, beliefs and customs. I can’t deny the fact that she has grown a lot as an individual throughout my 20 years of life— adapting and assimilating to the “American culture”, but there are still instances where her true self shines through. I don’t really feel comfortable providing examples here, but let’s just say she’s stubborn when it comes to “different” phenomena.

BUT I LOVE MY MOM NO MATTER WHAT. I know deep down, as with many parents out there, that she means well and she only has the best intentions for me and my life.

…and with that, I’ll take my leave. wompwomp.