Some time back my mom was telling me of dis simple breakfast she makes for herself, consisting of 2 slices of bread, butter, and chocolate sprinkles.
Rite off the bat I tot she was pregnant or something. Wat kind of abomination r u craving there, mother?
Turns out dats an actual breakfast / snack in Indonesia, called something like roti meises. It was directly derived from the Hagelslag, when they were a Dutch colony, and somehow still relevant and being eaten today…
Ever since then I’d make it for myself sometimes, when I dun rlly wanna cook or spend money for breakfast. It tastes… interesting, I guess…
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I oso noe dat my mom’s a closeted BTS fan. Recently, she’s either being more open abt it, or worse at hiding it.
The other day I passed by her room when she was watching TV wif the door closed. Then I heard from the speakers: “…swim….swim….”.
“Hmmm…” I thought.
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It’s actly been a few months / years now dat I randomly catch glimpses of her phone screen, with TikTok / shorts of some ARMY’s edit of Jungkook or Jimin. Sometimes when it’s not BTS, it’s either another group, or a random K-drama. Every time I see them, idk how to react but go “hmmmm….🤔”
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Ofc, nothing against BTS or Kpop culture. I too like and indulge in it, and myself have a weird admiration for Ms Roseanne Park
But u see, I’m a woke city boy, who grew up watching a wide array of random media, local and international. They were ingrained in me from an early age.
In contrast, my parents who lived in kampongs til like, their late teenage years, are generally conservative and traditional ppl. Who do traditional Asian things.
Things like husband doing more of the paying the bills, and wife doing more of the housework. Dat kinda old-school.
Oso men cannot cry, and women must be compliant…
yea… I dun rlly subscribe to dat way of thinking…
Anyways, I have a hard time fitting BTS into dis mould of “traditional interests”. Especially when it comes to my parents’.
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Perhaps it’s a showcase of BTS’ influence. Or maybe it shows dat no matter how u were raised, and how old u get, u can always grow a more open mind and learn new things dat may interest u 👍
No matter how random & oddly specific those things may be….
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And I dun think it’s just BTS. Pretty sure she has dis weird admiration for Korean ppl.
The other day the TV was showing Tottenham Hotspur’s game. First thing she asked was where Son was. I tot nani, how da hell do u noe Son Heung Min. But then I rmb the things I’d catch her watching and realised ok yea dat makes sense, actly…
Speaking of which, I have a South Korea NT Heung Min Son jersey. The R, E, and A in KOREA peeled off, so it just says KO, and dat doesn’t make any sense 😠
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Honestly, I’ll probably never ask my mom the why’s to any of those things I spot, becos I’m not rlly dat close, nor talk to her whole lot. No bad blood between us, just dat we dun rlly have a whole lot in common.
Oso, wif her being more conservative, we have more of a traditional relationship going on. Certain roles and lines shldnt be crossed, lest it be awkward. So none of dat “parents / children are ur friends” stuff…
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But it makes for amusing observations every now and then. For me to process and internally think “hmmm… 🤔”
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13.04.2026
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