I just spent the past thirty minutes reading Rachel Shukert’s essays on Salon and Nerve. I instantly knew that I would like her writing when I saw the title of her Salon essay: Sweat, barbecues, bathing suits, I hate summer.”

Do you ever read someone’s work and think oh my gosh this person is JUST LIKE ME only I’m the Korean version of them? Okay, I guess you wouldn’t be the Korean version–unless you are Korean–in which case may I ask why you are reading this blog instead of studying to be a doctor?

After reading her essay, I scoured the internet for more pieces and came across her bio. She was one of the few Jewish kids in a small town in Nebraska. I was one of the only Korean kids in my small town. Okay, so by small town I mean Miami, Florida. She studied theater. I studied theater! She married an alien and experienced the onerous immigration process in this country. I AM an alien and need someone to marry me so I can endure the onerous immigration process. She’s a contributing writer for Salon. I wrote two pieces for Salon and then the editors decided they didn’t want to run both stories. Oh, and she also has a book out called Have You No Shame and Other Regrettable Stories.

Er, I guess it’s not really considered parallel lives when the other person is in a completely different plane.

But I plan on buying her book and reading it on my trip to Vegas. I figure Vegas is the perfect place to veil yourself in shame.