My Second Ohana Meeting

I ate a lot, bulgogi, seafood pancake sliced like a pizza, chicken, tofu and beef soup, and got passed around from Auntie to Auntie to Auntie, and they all loved me. I had a wonderful time. That woman got sick, though, and kept sitting down. She put a cover over my head when we went in and out, so I wouldn't get wet, because it was raining very hard. I was mad at first, then when she uncovered me and there was Korean food and Aunties, I was very pleased indeed.

That Woman was so happy, though, because even though there were fierce storms - we could hear the thunder over the chatter in the restaurant, and some streets were flooded - but sixty women braved the weather to come to the meeting, some from the other side of the island, where it was really difficult to come from.

Also, they thought my plaid smock was pretty, and they liked Jack, too.

A month in captivity

I have a little monkey named Jack, that I like to hold and play with. One of the Japanese sisters, that I want to take me home with them, gave it to That Woman Who is Not My Mommy. It's tiny, and supposed to be a Joon Bear, but it is very ugly and has no ears, so it is a monkey.

Yesterday she just had chicken soup with noodles and some tea, but I had chicken with gravy and steak for dinner, fresh tomato slices and butterscotch pudding. She may not take me to the opening of Cafe-B, which I would have gone to, in a lovely outfit, were I with a real Japanese Okasan like my brothers, but at least she makes sure I am well-fed. She says when she gets well she will make steamed pumpkin yams; she says she thinks I might be fond of them for some reason. I think she needs to see a psychiatrist.

She is making information sheets for the Ohana meeting tomorrow - it is a month of my miserable captivity all ready, and no Daddy to save me and take me back to Asia! All he ever talks about is Asia, not her backward part of the world. She points out the message from BOF saying that the rest of the world is important and that they won't just say Asia any more, they'll say the world. I point out that if her rest of the world was so important, he'd mention it, look at Cafe-B for example. Asia. Only.

You don't count. I tell her. He never even thinks of you outside Asia.
Not true, she says. Look at IMX America.
That's IMX, not Daddy, I say.
She kisses me on the head with her flu germs and we agree to disagree.

Little Lord Friday

"He's dressed like a girl!" Alice said.

"Joon Bears have no gender." replied her mother.

What? Really?
(Checks)

Oh.

Well, it's a very pretty red plaid smock with a bow in front. It is NOT a pinafore! I feel very lovely in it indeed. I also got to munch on cheerios out of a baggie, pineapple-shaped cookies with nuts, bits of fruit and chocolate in them (I turned up my nose at the coffee bean one), and a lovely peanut butter and grape jelly sandwich on shepherd's bread. There is still thunder and lightning and That Woman is still sick. But she's talking about moving to Korea!

American Joon

She was in the news today. She did not mention me. "I didn't have you then, darling," she explained.

I am not her darling.

While Brokore has...

...beautiful pictures of my brothers in pretty outfits in a contest That Woman who is NOT my Mommy didn't even bother to enter me in, I'm stuck here taking care of her, because she went back to work too soon and got very much worse sick.
Also, she didn't bring me a present tonight. I knew it.

Storms

Last night, there was huge thunder and lightning outside of our bedroom window. It was so scary! But it was also fascinating to watch. That Woman who is not my Mommy held me tightly so I wouldn't be too scared while we watched the show outside. I let her, not because I like her - I don't...but it was comfortable, so I let her. I held her back a little bit, just to be polite. The electricity made our hair stand straight up!

It's sunny now and she's feeling better, so she's going to work. And leaving me alone here. Figures. I bet she doesn't even bring me a present tonight, either.

American Joon

That woman who is not my mommy and her daughter are very sick, and there are more storms coming to Hawaii. She says not to be frightened as we are on a high floor, and she will not let anything happen to either of us, meaning her daughter and me. That made me feel better.

I had chicken and dumplings and artichoke tonight, and That Woman and I split a lychee popsicle, which was very good. IMX America wrote to her Senior at Hawaii K-Drama Fan Club and said something nice about the website That Woman made, which made her very happy indeed. She gets dizzy after only a few minutes of sitting up, and I promised Auntie I'd be kind to her while she's sick. I will sing some more to her now.

Mid-March

That Woman has been very busy, working, helping other fan clubs and getting ready for her daughter's birthday. Last night after midnight she finished a large work project and today was the birthday party.

Last Tuesday was Purim. Purim is a holiday, apparently, where distinguished and handsome male bears are tortured by being forced to dress in women's clothes and are given pennies in return for their humiliation. When That Woman wasn't looking, I chewed on her camera disk, so there are no surviving images of me dressed as Queen Esther. I do have to say, however, that they were right - I was the prettiest Queen Esther there. The other ones had beards!

I got over seventy shiny pennies. I am rich!

IMX is opening an office in America! That Woman says this proves I was meant to come live with her, that some way or another, it would have happened. I remain doubtful of that. I think I am still the only American Joon. But to think of the USA with Joon Bears living all over the country - that would be paradisical.

Here are a few pictures of me at the BYJ's Ohana Meeting. Didn't I look good? I wanted the women there to play with me - and they DID! I like that very much.


My Auntie BB wrote about me and my brothers today, and I am so proud that we Joon Bears do not sit on shelves, but are dressed up and held and loved and taken fun places. I feel sorry for other bears that don't get the attention and love we Joon Bears get. I hope our Daddy knows how much love we Joon Bears collect upon his behalf, and upon our own behalf as well. I, myself, am very, very loveable.

That Woman went to the cemetery statue without me, but took photos of it and showed me. I think I would like to visit her. Maybe she would feel less sad if I went to see her. I have a talent for removing sadness from people who know me. That woman's great-aunt died last week, "a relief," she said, as she'd suffered terribly and for too long. "Death," she informed me, when I reacted with surprise to her statement, "is usually only bad for those left behind." From the look on her face, I decided to not press the matter.

At the birthday party today, we ate pizza and corn dogs, as well as pixy sticks and fruits, and candy necklaces, cranberries and oreos and soda and ... my stomach hurt. So, for dinner, we had tofu and miso soup, Alice had octopus, and Mo- That Woman and I had salmon. I think salmon is my favorite fish.

The kids played noisy video games and ate, then swam for over four hours! They played volleyball, blind shark, Marco Polo, and find the fish. I got to go into the pool with them!

Alice got a pretty dolphin anklet, which was too large for her ankle, so she's letting me borrow it as a necklace until Uncle Bob cuts it down to fit. That Woman says she found a woman who will make clothes for me, which is good, because I only have two outfits and wore my sleeping t-shirt into the swimming pool. When I'm awake, I wear my green outfit, but for three days straight last week, all That Woman did was stroke my hair and kiss my head or nose in the morning when she left and very late at night, when she came home. I didn't like that, but she moved me up onto her bed so that I wouldn't be entirely away from human contact. It's warm and comfortable, at least.

Today, That Woman taught me about 'snoozing', which is very enjoyable. Late in the afternoon, when the sun is comfortably hot and the breeze is just right, lay back with one arm up and one arm down and let yourself float in a place halfway between asleep and awake. Oh, so pleasant. Five minutes in, a boy at the party decided to come over and make conversation, as volleyball in the pool was "boring". After a moment, he left, and I snuggled back into the arms of That Woman, who, by the way, makes a very soft pillow, and drifted off again. Five minutes later, he was back. Every time I got comfortable, he was back. I wanted to bite him, but That Woman insisted on ruining my afternoon snooze by sitting up and talking to him about video games and hugging chickens. Yes, hugging chickens. Something called "Harvest Moon". Sigh. I was so comfortable, too.

I promise I will blog at least once a week, if you will forgive Yours Truly for being away so long.
Please send me comments!

A busy weekend

We were worried this past week, as there was flooding around our island. That Woman said to not worry, as she would make sure Alice and I were kept dry. I was glad to hear that. Alice wished her school would close, like other schools on the island. The sun is out now, and the people who were flooded are cleaning up. No one was seriously hurt, so we are all relieved.

That Woman took me and Alice to work with her the other night, and we had Pizza. I like pizza. It had chicken and pineapple on it, as well as many other things. That woman has had all sorts of things on pizza. Squid, corn, peanut butter, mashed potatos, goat cheese - but not all at the same time, thank goodness.

She got invited to the official Academy Awards party and did not take me. I was upset. She bought a black suit and pink shirt, and did not bring me a suit. She took her friend David instead. She should have taken me. Do you know where she says she's going to take me? A graveyard! She wants to photograph an old statue there that she loves. Brrr! But she says there are wonderful historic places near there that she thinks I would enjoy visiting, as I am not only adorable, but very intelligent. She is right.

She made me grilled salmon and coffee with milk for breakfast, so I am going to eat now. I'm sorry I was away.

Sleepy

I went to the Ohana Meeting. I have 80+ Aunties who petted me and held me and love me and think I'm adorable. And they're so right!

I ate delicious Bi Bim Bap and drank tea, and ate mushrooms and fishcake too. Wonderful!

But most of the US sisters don't know what a Joon Bear is! Maybe I should send for some of my brothers!