Literature Recommendation: “Tower of God”
“Tower of God” is a South Korean webtoon about a boy, Twenty-Fifth Baam, who has lived beneath a mysterious structure called “The Tower” for a majority of his life. When his only friend Rachel decides she wants to reach the top of the Tower, Twenty-Fifth Baam follows her, and so their journey begins. This is a suspenseful story set in a fantastical world that will have action-lovers on the edge of their seats.
Film Recommendation: Minari
Minari is the story of a Korean American immigrant family who move to an Arkansas farm in the 1980s. Jacob Yi believes that this move will be a fresh start for the family, and that they will be able to grow and sell Korean fruits and vegetables as a successful business. The complexities of the “American Dream” and what it has meant to the many Asian American families who immigrate to the U.S. are laid bare in this piece that seeks to explore themes of family, failure, resilience, and rebirth.
Food Recommendation: Tang Yuan (汤圆)
Tang yuan (汤圆) are glutinous rice balls filled with ingredients ranging from sesame paste to red bean paste. Tang yuan are traditionally served during Yuan Xiao, which marks the last day of the Chinese New Year, because the name is a homophone for “unity.”
Youtube recipe for tang yuan: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=t-pop_dGsgc
Song Recommendation: “Not Spring, Love, or Cherry Blossoms” (IU)
“Not Spring, Love, or Cherry Blossoms” (IU) is a sweet, melodic spring song about the itch to fall in love.
“Everyone but me is in love,
singing spring songs
Flowers bloom and sway before my eyes
But I want to hear something else
Something to sweep away everything
Not spring, love or cherry blossoms”