All right, everybody. It is time again to meet the Angry Reader of the Week, spotlighting you, the very special readers of this website. Over the years, I've been able to connect with a lot of cool folks, and this is a way of showing some appreciation and attention to the people who help make this blog what it is. This week's Angry Reader is Hyun Kim.
Who are you?
I'm Hyun Kim and I'm trying to figure it out.
What are you?
Just look at my name. I guess I'm what they call the 1.5 generation thing. I came to the U.S. when I was 7 so I remember having to walk for a long time to go to school and getting threatened to get hit by the teacher with a ruler.
Where are you?
I'm a Korean living in Chinatown, NYC. Some say where I live is the Lower East Side but I live above a laundromat and next to a wedding studio and Chinese bakery. So yeah, I live in Chinatown.
Where are you from?
I was born in Korea. Raised in Ithaca, NY. And after living in 4 out of 5 boroughs for a total of 13 years, I can also say I'm from New York City.
What do you do?
I get asked that at least once a day. I consult for brands and provide content for media outlets. I started out in print (Vibe) then went digital (MTV.com) then went marketing (started two agencies) and now I do all three. People know me for different things including food, dabbled in that industry for a bit. I have an agency, DNST, which is me but I form teams for different projects. Currently I work with Nike, Footaction, Heineken and Hennessy. I also work with this great site and creative agency run by college kids, Madbury Club. They call me Uncle and let me write cranky things.
What are you all about?
New experiences. Being adventurous doesn't just mean jumping off cliffs in the Himalayas, though that sounds amazing. I enjoy meeting new people, being exposed to new perspectives, going to new places. You'd be surprised how many people in NY refuse to leave their borough or even their own neighborhood. On the weekend, I like to pick a neighborhood and explore it. Yes, even the Bronx and Staten Island. It's fun to be uncomfortable. People get complacent and lazy and think the world only happens outside their window. I like to soak in as much as I can so I can better understand. Putting myself in a place where my ideals can be challenged. I may not agree but I want to understand.
That reads like a dating site profile.
More new things: Lately I've been listening to a lot of old blues and country. It's very soulful stuff. I went canoeing the day after Hurricane Irene, flipped over, had a minor concussion (I think), lost my glasses, didn't wear a helmet or life preserver and don't regret it. Recommend doing the Inca Trail to Machu Picchu, changed my life. My parents moved to Little Rock, Arkansas last year and that, including a weekend in Oxford, Mississippi, changed my perspective of the South.
I'm all about my family and friends.
What makes you angry?
Complacency. Rude service at restaurants. Snobbery. Injustice, especially towards Asians and nobody caring. People who talk loudly on the phone at the gym. Bitter, jaded young people. Tunnel vision. Whiners who do nothing. Not caring.
