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Thu, November 15, 2018 | 21:22

Opinion > Columnists > Hyon O'Brien >

Finding our voices

Our book club recently read “Their Eyes Were Watching God” by Zora Neale Hurston (1891-1960). Published in 1937, this book met with criticism from black intellectuals as being insufficiently politically aware, and it faded into obscurity until rediscovered by Alice Walker in 1975. Since then it has become an acknowledged classic of American fiction.

Hyon O'Brien | 2018-10-31 18:27

Think clean, think green

Last month we joined the annual Clean-Up Day organized by the Ocean Conservancy. We joined other volunteers at a portable tent set up on the beach in front of our apartment. Every September, VolunteerCleanup.org participates in the International Coastal Cleanup's global event (started in Texas 30 years ago, now active in more than 100 countries) and our Miami Dade County chapter mobilized in the clean-up. Last year, they had 40 clean-up sites with 3,000 volunteers clearing away tons of trash. This year, my husband and I spent two back-breaking hours combing through the beach and the bushes a...

Hyon O'Brien | 2018-10-07 17:31

Salt of the earth

It is embarrassing to admit that it took more than 40 years for me to feel that I can claim to make good kimchi. Now that I feel somewhat more confident about that ability, I can also share with non-kimchi-making people that the key to good kimchi is a matter of knowing the salting process. When we wash heads of Chinese cabbage after cutting them into bite-size pieces, the next crucial step is immersing them in salted water.

Hyon O'Brien | 2018-09-07 16:57

I grew up with five brothers and three sisters. None of us had any private space. Each room was used for multiple purposes. Our parents' bedroom was used as a living room and (with the addition of a tray) dining room, and contained a telephone and eventually a TV set. Later on, a refrigerator joined the furniture.

Hyon O'Brien | 2018-08-10 16:54

Where is your home?

My breakfast consists of half a bagel with some peanut butter spread on it, together with a cup of coffee. There is a New York-style deli run by an Israeli family a few blocks away in our neighborhood, and every three weeks or so I bike over there to replenish my supply. Yesterday I noticed I was running out, so I stopped by there. When I walked in, the face of the cashier lit up and she came out to hug me with the broadest smile on her face. She said, “Where have you been?” You can imagine my delight being greeted like that. I felt like I was surely on my home ground.

Hyon O'Brien | 2018-07-15 17:32

Did you learn something today?

Walter Isaacson's remarkable 2017 biography of Leonardo da Vinci (1452-1519) concludes with a list of the key characteristics of the genius. Three of Leonardo's traits that particularly stood out for me were being constantly curious, observing everything in detail, and retaining a childlike sense of wonder.

Hyon O'Brien | 2018-06-17 17:31

Strength in diversity

We just returned from a two-week tour of Morocco in North Africa. Seventeen of us traveled. All of us were American citizens who came from different states and backgrounds. However, we all had one thing in common: the Peace Corps. Four had served as Peace Corps Volunteers in Morocco, two in Tunisia, others in Malaysia, Belize, Costa Rica, Korea, Brazil, Mali and Jordan at different times. The remaining four are spouses of those who served: interestingly, these spouses represented four countries, Turkey, Korea, Australia and America.

Hyon O'Brien | 2018-05-18 17:17

My recent trip to Guatemala opened my eyes to the mystery of the lost civilization of the Mayans, and how it was rediscovered.

Hyon O'Brien | 2018-04-20 16:47

For 25 years I have been a member of the Philanthropic Educational Organization (generally known as the P.E.O. Sisterhood). Its aim has been “women empowering women through education,” now rephrased as “women helping women reach for the stars.” Since it was founded in 1869 by seven Christian women who graduated from Iowa Wesleyan College in Mount Pleasant, Iowa, P.E.O. has grown from that tiny membership to more than 250,000 members in chapters through the U.S. and Canada, with headquarters in Des Moines, Iowa.

Hyon O'Brien | 2018-03-23 17:02

I first got my own dog in May, 1970 when we moved to Daegu, Korea and inherited a mutt. The dog's name was Ralph, which had been transformed into “Lappi” in Korean pronunciation.

Hyon O'Brien | 2018-02-23 18:01

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Choking on worsening air pollution