Today, instead of reminiscing, I’d like to share a little about what’s been going on recently.
My daughter just started 9th grade this April.
Her so-called rebellious phase began around 5th grade and peaked in 6th grade.
For about two and a half years—until the summer of 8th grade—she never really came down from that peak.
It felt like she was stuck on top of Mount Everest the whole time.
It wasn’t some mild turbulence—it was full of emotional landmines. A period I never want to relive.
We’re both women, so yeah… it often felt like a pro wrestling match.
And since I’m also going through perimenopause, our home was like a hormonal war zone.
Just thinking about it brings back all the irritation, so I’ll stop there.
But looking back now, I do understand it was a very important part of her growth.
As mother and daughter—two females in one household—we didn’t hold back.
We clashed, fully and honestly.
Even as a parent, I got angry and deeply hurt by some of the things she said.
There were times I just wanted to give up and walk away from everything.
And I told her that. I didn’t hide it.
Of course, she also threw all of her frustrations, fears, and anger at me with full force.
It was emotionally exhausting for both of us.
The one who stood between us and brought peace to the household was our little angel:
Kuku, our Maltese girl. Just looking at her cute face would melt away the tension.
She’d glance at us during a heated moment, and we’d both burst out laughing.
Just like that, the “match” would end.
There was a reason behind my daughter’s inner struggles during that time, and I knew it.
That’s why I agonized over it so much too.
I’ll talk more about that another time.
Despite the frequent fights, there’s something that truly bonds us: a shared hobby.
Because of it, we’ve had so many great moments together.
It all started in summer 2020, with the release of BTS’s Dynamite.
That’s when we discovered Jungkook—the handsome guy who pulled us in.
And just like that, we fell into the K-POP rabbit hole.
To be honest, I used to hate Korea and K-POP.
I thought they all looked the same, were full of plastic surgery, and the guys wearing makeup grossed me out.
I believed they just saw Japanese people as walking wallets.
So I didn’t even try to watch BTS. I dismissed them completely.
But my daughter saw Jungkook on TV, and that changed everything.
She hesitated, knowing I wouldn’t like it, but she wanted to know more.
So, she slowly started playing Dynamite around me, acting casual.
She’d say things like, “Isn’t this guy kind of good-looking?”
And before I knew it, the NaNaNa NaNaNa part of the song was stuck in my head.
Eventually, I started seeing Jungkook’s face clearly.
“…Okay, he is good-looking.”
From there, it was a slippery slope.
The pandemic hit, and with all the extra time at home, we watched tons of YouTube.
Before long, I could tell all the members apart, and I was hooked on their dancing and personalities.
I had to admit it:
“I’m sorry for hating K-POP based on my own biases.”
I realized how wrong it was to judge something without even trying to understand it.
Since BTS, I’ve explored many other K-POP groups—both male and female.
I already liked Korean food, and now Korean language doesn’t sound like noise anymore.
Even with all the historical tension, I’ve come to see the good in both countries.
If we can focus on the positives and enjoy the best of both cultures, isn’t that wonderful?
After the pandemic, we started going to live concerts and even traveled to different cities for them.
We went on a trip to Korea too.
Through our K-POP adventures, we’ve visited new places and eaten amazing food.
I’ll be sharing more of those stories bit by bit.
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