Name/Korean name: Zhen E Rammelsberg (Korean Name: Yoon Sun Yung 윤 선 영)
First KAtCH event:
2017 After we had met Chris Detrych in Korea for IKAA in 2016 he told us about KAtCH so we attended the dinner at SunWah in Feb of 2017 and then that Summer the picnic at Montrose Beach. We happened to be in Korea again at the same time as Chris in April 2017 and again in 2019 for IKAA.
Where did you grow up/Where do you live now?
Grew up in small town in Iowa with only about 700 people (all white except for me) and now live 35 miles East of that town in Cedar Rapids/ Marion, Iowa
Tell us about yourself:
I am a late-to-the-table KAD, who is now truly embracing the KAD experience. I lived most of my life in an adoptee fog and wanted to not talk about being Asian. I would be the first to make the joke about being Asian or being the only Asian so you couldn't make the joke about me, but I was never really proud of being Asian until my late 30s/ early 40s. Now, I'm all about advocating for adoptee rights and for adoptees in general. I am a published playwright ... I wrote a play called "Black Box: An Adoption Choreopoem" that was performed at an Asian Playwriting Festival in Chicago and many KAtCH members attended that. I obviously love to use ellipses... I have my fingers in many things... I do wigs and make-up for the Opera here. Have been doing that for about 15 years. I am still actively involved in theater... started onstage... moved more to production or playwriting or serving on boards and attending performances... but still well known in the local theatre scene in Iowa... I have been married to my husband Robert for almost 30 years... we have a wonderful son Jordan who proposed in 2019 at IKAA to his KAD (now wife) and they got married in 2021 and we now have a gorgeous almost 6 month old granddaughter Jasmine Nari. We are also the parents to 5 (yes 5) cats.
You’ll likely KAtCH me doing the following:
We love to hike but that has been curtailed a bit by my breaking of my ankle on our trip to Korea last October where I slipped and fell and broke my ankle on Jeju Island. (The ONE time Chris Detrych was NOT in Korea at the same time) I have been rehabbing and relearning how to walk. Like I said before, I love to write. I am part of an Adoptee Voices Writers group where we meet once a week on Zoom and we write from an adoptee narrative and perspective and it's been cathartic and helpful. I have gotten to publish some of the pieces as well as read them during a couple of podcasts and on Iowa Public Radio. I also have my own health advocacy podcast called Sick&Tired 2.0.
I spoke above about theatre and being a glamma (glammalni). We love traveling, cooking (I really am enjoying learning how to cook Korean food) and our 5 cats. I also am an avid Hello Kitty fanatic.
Why do you enjoy being involved with the KAtCH community?
Like I said earlier, I found KAtCH when we met Chris Detrych and since I grew up and still live in Iowa where we are all spread out, it has been wonderful being involved in a group that has very fun and well organized events. We travel 4.5 hours to attend KAtCH events but several of the KAtCH community became like another family and they also attended our son's wedding. We joke that Allen Majors is the KADfather and Chris Detrych is the glue and common link that all KADS know. So it's like 6 degress of Chris D...
Our son lives in Antioch, Ill and used to live in Milwaukee so we would drive up to his home and then go attend a KAtCH event in Chicago. Some of our favorite events have been the Ugly Sweater Party, SunWah BBQ duck, Seollal, Chuseok, picnic and KAtCH10.
Favorite restaurant(s) in Chicagoland:
K-Coop Chicken, SunWah BBQ for duck, Great Sea for lollipop chicken wings, H-Mart for samgyetang and Torerore Chicken, Sprinkles Cupcake ATM
Find me/Social Media: