Are you superstitious? Even if you’re not, you probably think about the mystical ramifications of Friday the 13th whenever that nefarious date rolls around. It doesn’t come along too often, thankfully. Most of us don’t believe we’re superstitious, but we still have habits or beliefs that we think will contribute to our success or help us avoid failure. How about throwing a bouquet at a wedding to a potential bride? When was the last time you took an elevator to the 13th floor? Have you ever told a friend "break a leg" before a performance or presentation? Superstition is a part of our everyday lives, and most of the time we aren’t even aware of it. In Korea, some women believe that men with type B blood make poor mates. As a result, some type B men have trouble finding dates. Is it true? It may sound like a strange concept to foreigners, but some Koreans believe blood type or Zodiac signs are good indicators of compatibility. Americans also hold beliefs that border on the unusual. When we have trouble with items such as cars or computers, we tend to personify the object and yell at it as if our discourse will fix the problem. I’m guilty of this. "You !#$% computer!" can sometimes be heard when the computer I’m using misbehaves. Of course, the computer doesn’t respond to my admonishment, but it feels good to yell at it anyway.
This morning a Korean film star stopped by the office. Han Ka-in is apparently the hottest actress in Korea right now, although I don’t know her and haven’t seen any of her films. She recently married actor Yeon Jung-hoon, and they are now a Korean power couple akin to Jennifer Aniston and Brad Pitt (before their split). I was clueless about her, but I watched with amusement as a dozen or so of my coworkers crowded around and sought autographs from her. I’m sure I would also be very giddy if Jennifer Aniston showed up at my workplace. I might just have to check out some of Han Ka-in’s films to see if she is as brilliant an actress as my coworkers say she is.
The Seattle SuperSonics pulled out a 92-91 win over the San Antonio Spurs in the NBA semi-finals. The Spurs now lead the Sonics 2-1 in their best of seven series. The Sonics have been so hot and cold this season that I’m not optimistic they can get past the dominant Spurs. The Spurs are a class act. Of course, I am a pessimistic Seattle sports fan who understands all too well about getting my hopes up too high during championship runs. I’m glad to see that the Sonics made it to the playoffs and beat the Sacramento Kings, but I don’t know if they have what it takes to win an NBA championship. Maybe I’ll jump on the bandwagon if they can get past the Spurs, Suns, and Pistons.
