The story stuck in many of our minds – a series of unfortunate events, and the most horrific of consequences. Getting lost with your family in the wilderness. Taking a wrong turn. Bad weather. No cellphone reception. The list goes on. The thought of waiting in one’s car with children for rescue is horrifying. The thought of realizing rescue would not come in time, even more horrifying. The thought of hiking through the snowy forest to save one’s family, and dying, not knowing your wife and children had been saved, is heartbreaking.

I don’t think I’ll ever forget the Kim family’s story. Despite all the badmouthing and criticism of their “mistakes,” it could have happened to most of us. It all started with a wrong turn, something we can all identify with.

James Kim’s father, Spencer Kim, wrote a letter entitled “Lessons in My Son’s Death” to the Washington Post, asking for change. For starters: lock the gates to undrivable roads, figure out new processes and training for search and rescue missions, and allow easier access to cellphone records (he stated that there were critical delays in accessing these records which led rescuers to a tighter search radius (previous to that, they had been searching nearly the entire state of Oregon). It is heartbreaking knowing the motivations for such a letter.
Who is this man? I myself have been wondering this for months now, as Spencer Kim has stayed out of the media for most of the ordeal. But it’s clear that this man is unique and special.

Emil Guillermo at Asianweek writes about Spencer Kim, James Kim’s father this week. In the letter, we get to know Spencer Kim a little better, and I wish him much luck and healing.

Her car was found in Santa Rosa, a town over fifty miles, a bridge, and two counties away from the Stanford campus. They opened the trunk and discovered Mengyao’s body, a sad end to a frantic search.

Her father is quoted as saying, “My daughter was very organized…If she had wanted to commit suicide, she would have sent some kind of indication. I don’t see any evidence there, any indication she was depressed.” This only stamps further in my mind that she probably committed suicide–those who want to commit suicide (and are “successful”) rarely let on their intentions. Police are continuing their investigation–but I’m afraid of all the possibilities–of homicide, and suicide.

All of the answers are ridiculous and sad.

I was at the Fancy Food Show in San Francisco yesterday where I was swallowed up in two cavernous exhibition halls of food. Happy to say that Asian foods had a huge presence, whether they were “yumberries” (kind of like rambutan) from China or Indian food (huuuge) or chocolates from Korea. According to signs up in the hall, 57% of specialty food consumers purchase Asian foods.

Notable were “collagen marshmallows” from Japan, a “functional food” which serves to erase wrinkles. Seriously, you eat these, and supposedly the collagen (3000 mg per marshmallow) finds its way to your (hopefully) facial cheeks. (Goodbye botox?)

Anyway, way to REPRESENT! Just to note: there were 2 soy sauce vendors in the entire Asian food contingency. Lee Kum Kee and Kikkoman.