I'm still alive, I've just been insanely busy. I got back from my fantastic Europe trip safely and laden with 2100 pictures, and only maybe 40 of which were worth posting anywhere ... and yet I'm posting about 400.
Then it was off to a wedding, and I'm still catching up. Up in the next two months, two more weddings, two trips to LA, and a business trip to Korea. That's right, I'm going back to the mother land!
That's really it. I'm cognizant of the fact that my posts have been less frequent and meaty, atrophying over the last two years. Maybe it's time to let my online writing foray die peacefully after nearly 9 years. I'm not going to decide, we'll just see what happens.
On that, I love The Office and some of their brilliant quotes.
Add a Comment [0] I turned 33 today. I'm starting to feel old, although people still think I look young. When I at REI this weekend, the cashier thought I was buying travel stuff for my summer vacation. WTF.
I've been vacillating about keeping this blog. I really don't post too much anymore. You may or may not have noticed, but I disabled comments completely because I was getting spammed like nobody's business and I'm too lazy and busy to implement a CAPTCHA. I don't really know how often I'll keep blogging. I somewhat want to get to my 10th anniversary (Oct 2008), but we'll just have to see. But when it comes down to it, there's something intrinsically geeky about being the #2 link in Google for my name.
If ever I apply for a job at Google, I can certainly list that somewhere, right?
Meh. Happy Birthday to me.
Add a Comment [0] Who ever really sticks with their New Year's Resolutions? I've been really trying this year, and I've been doing a decent job.
mind: take a Korean language course
I had my Korean language final yesterday. I did really well in the class I think and I'm signed up for next quarter.
body: train for and do a mini or olympic triathlon
This was always going to be a goal for later in the year. I've been cycling now that the weather is better, and I'm running semi-regularly. I finally lost the holiday weight so I'm about 11lbs below what I was on Jan 3.
spirit: attend church regularly and really invest the time and effort
I have been attending church, but only semi-regularly, and I haven't really found one whose doctrine I can completely believe in. I'm pretty liberal and open so I rarely take offense to doctrine, but that's totally different from believing completely in one.
family: call my parents weekly and visit them 5 times this year
Sadly, I haven't been great at this one. I call them about twice a month and I haven't visited yet this year, but I will in three weeks and will again in mid-June.
culture: learn to play guitar
I haven't touched the guitar, but I've been bitten by the photo bug pretty badly and am researching and investing in some halfway-decent glass. I'm also taking a two-day photography seminar in late April for some pointers before the summer.
travel: visit Half Dome, Grand Canyon, and Europe
Grand Canyon won't happen, and if Half Dome happens, it'll be in August. But finally, I'm going to Europe. I'm going with the Moks to Spain for 8 days. The first 5 days will be at a resort about 150 miles south of Barcelona. The next 3 days will be in Barcelona. After that, I'll be flying to Berlin for 5 days! I'm meeting up with Jon (Clara's friend that I've met once but have known for years) as he's been living in Stuttgart for the past year.
Add a Comment [0] You know, I never really got into Scrubs until Season 4. Now I don't know what I was thinking passing it by.
Besides the good songs they have on there from time to time, JD's astute albeit uber-sensitive inner monologues at the end of each show leave me pensive and somewhat reticent. I watched a re-run today and I decided to make a change to something in my life.
Curse you, John Dorian.
Add a Comment [0] Two weeks ago I was emailed by a tech writer from the Wall Street Journal. She had found my profile on Yelp, liked some of my reviews, and asked me (among others, I'm sure) for some stories. After a few emails (I had to make sure this wasn't some Nigerian scam) we talked on the phone for 20 minutes. She seemed really fascinated with my story on finding a new haircut joint, probably because you wouldn't really expect to find that on a review site that is largely about restaurants.
Nevertheless, a week later, I was cited in the Tech section of WSJ!
I went to get a haircut today and was going to tell them about it, but they had already heard from another one of their customers! Man, they should give me royalties for all the business they'll be getting. Either that or they'll have to give me preferential treatment because they'll never have any reservations available.
Add a Comment [0] I'm not sure how six weeks went by without blogging, but it did. Work has been downright insane, and the cold cold weather espouses my long hours in the office. So I broke up with the girl right after my last entry; I guess it is pretty easy to see my thoughts and feelings based on what I write in my blog. I initiated it, but I guess it was bound to happen. We simply didn't see eye to eye on how a relationship should go, and she chose to prioritize work and everything else above me (and other people). I simply will not tolerate being disrespected and underappreciated like that. Not anymore.
When it rains, it pours. Literally within two weeks of the break-up, three separate friends mentioned their desire to set me up with their friends. That rarely happens, I'm not sure how that happened suddenly. I've only been in contact with one, and perhaps it is too soon or the connection is simply not strong enough, but it's not going to work out.
I've been trying to run and bike, but the aforementioned cold weather has prevented that. As much as I hate the gym, I've been forced to go in order to get some semblance of athletic activity.
The Korean thing is going well. I now have a language Exchange partner. Re-founding South Bay Dongari is a bit tiring and time-intensive, but it's been two months and we're rolling. Add on to that my twice-a-week Korean class. We're one month from finishing and I have to say I've learned a great deal. I finally make the connection with how the things I know are constructed and formed. Ah.
I'm contemplating taking the second semester class, but I'm not sure if I'll be around enough to justify it. My huge project at work is 5 weeks away from releasing. I'm going to Vegas in a month for work. If the project is as successful and well-received as we all think it will be, I'll probably be headed to London in May and very likely Tokyo in July for work.
Oh yeah, little thing. I'm finally going to Europe! I'm heading to Spain with the Moks for a week, and when they leave for home from Barcelona, I'm going to head off to Germany on my own for another week. The Spain part of the trip is fully booked, it's finally happening! Jawohl!
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Add a Comment [5] For New Year's Eve, I went to Las Vegas with K and some friends. We left during the day on the 30th. As expected, we hit some pretty heavy traffic en route. After about an hour of driving, Steve felt sleepy so I took over and drove the rest of the way. After the heavy traffic through the mountain passes into Victorville, the traffic finally let up. After a stop in Baker, we hit some pretty heavy traffic again. What was normally a 3.5-hour drive had already taken 5 hours.
K's car has GPS--the other car in our group did not--and Steve saw that there was a service road that ran parallel to the 15. After some debate whether or not to take it, we decided to go for it. For the most part, the traffic was faster than the 15, and we were cruising at a cool 50mph. There was a loose line of cars in a caravan; apparently a few other people had the same thoughts. We were behind this Hyundai on the single lane road.
A few miles down the road, it started getting really bumpy. There were huge potholes scattered around the road. We hit one really hard in the beginning, and after that we were on full alert watching for potholes. I realized that we could use the Hyundai to help predict when potholes were coming up. Thankfully there was no oncoming traffic, as we needed to swerve several times to avoid the holes. It felt like some sort of slalom.
We hit more traffic, and we noticed that there were at least a dozen cars off to the side of the road. They had apparently hit some potholes and had to replace tires. The real traffic, we found out, was because an SUV's axle snapped in the middle of the road. Near the end of the service road, we missed the 15 onramp and got to the end of the road where we had to turn around. There was loose sand on the shoulder, and we passed a BMW that got stuck in it.
We got back on the 15 and had gained some good ground on the rest of the traffic. Another 15 miles ahead after Jean, we got back onto another service road that turned into Las Vegas Blvd and led right onto the Strip. This road was much better maintained and was a cruise compared to the first road. We made great time and got to Vegas 30 minutes before the other car. Nevertheless, the entire trip took nearly 7 hours. We were tired but excited to finally be in Vegas.
I know it may seem like a stretch--but if you know me at all you know it's not--but driving down that first service road reminded me a little bit about how life is. There's this road that it seems like everyone goes down, and sometimes it's slow, methodical, and boring. Then if you are looking for it, there's this other road. It's unknown and oftentimes a bit dangerous. Sometimes really dangerous. Caution and perseverance are key here. It helps to have a GPS, it helps to have a Hyundai ahead of you unknowningly showing you the potholes to avoid. But no GPS or Hyundai can prepare you more than your own reactions or having passengers that are looking out for potholes, too. A little luck never hurts, either.
We hit that first pothole really hard, and I was thankful the car withstood that without a problem. I felt sorry for the people on the side of the road with flat tires and broken axles; they just had bad luck or passengers that simply weren't on the ball. I've driven to Vegas many many times, and to go off the main road to the one less traveled took a bit of faith and a whole lot of crazy, but sometimes you need to feel that discomfort to reach your goals. You need to risk the potholes, flat tires, and loose sand to do something that challenges you. As we drove down the second service road onto Las Vegas Blvd and saw the glow of the Strip ahead, I knew that the risk had been worth it.
Add a Comment [2] When I was in LA for the holidays, I stayed an extra day to take my mother out for her 60th birthday. I had already given her a 60th birthday gift (Koreans usually give a trip or something), but I'm not usually around on her birthday, so I thought it would be nice to stay for this one. We went out to a steakhouse that she liked, and K came as well.
Admittedly, I was a little apprehensive as to how my mom would react. My mom hasn't met many people I've dated, and she was never really one to be expressive and overtly friendly. Over the past few years, she has changed a lot. What once oppressed her is now gone, and as much as it pains me to say it, divorce has done wonders for her.
Dinner was good and conversation never really stalled, which was a good thing. One of the topics--naturally--was how I was like as a child. My mom mentioned that when I was young, I used to think that she really really loved eating fish heads. I was too young (and too selfish) to realize that my mom was saving the best parts for me. K literally jumped out of her seat in agreement; her mom would have been able to relate. I couldn't help but smile.
I never really gave my mom credit for the job she did as a mother. She was never one to be a guide, a counselor, and instructor. She seldom shared her wisdom and was almost never the disciplinarian. What she did was always things in order, keep the family financially stable. She did all the big things that were disguised as little things. She took the fish heads so that I could have the best meat. My mom is a very patient person. She used to wait months if not years to save up "ammo" and then bring it all out in a single battle. She never said anything about this in my 32 years of life until this moment.
I don't think I'm a needy person; quite the opposite, I'm fairly independent. But like just about every other human--if we go back to Maslow's Hierarchy of needs--I crave human contact and a feeling of worth. When I left for college, I didn't think I'd ever be close to my parents. I basically phased them out and "disappeared" for a few years. Awhile after I left college, that started to change. I couldn't wander through life on my own as much as I wanted to think I could. I'm not as close as some people are, but there is no need to compare; we're all different. Sometimes I see this look in my mom's face, like she always knew I'd be back when I was ready, and she'd be there waiting if she could. I realize my parents aren't going to live forever, and I make a concerted effort to talk to and see them regularly. I'm their only child, and it is my sole responsibility to live out the legacy that they have started. All of their hopes and dreams are going to continue on through me.
If mothers are good for one thing, it's that they remind you of what love really is. That everyone needs to find their own way in their own time and eventually, if things are right, they'll come back to you. That patience can sometimes be validated, and when it is, it's completely worth it. That some people in your life are worth disguising the big things as little things. That sometimes you have to accept the fish heads so that the people around you that you care about can have the best parts.
Add a Comment [5] Three years ago I decided to focus on one or two goals in each of the major parts of my life. Having a long list of seemingly arbitrary resolutions never worked. That being said, this is my list for this year:
Big list still? Perhaps. But I'm already attending church regularly, I just signed up for a 3-month Korean course, and I've got a buddy in LA that is going to do a triathlon with me in the Aug/Sept timeframe. I visited my parents 4 times this year. Not a bad start.
Happy New Year everyone.
Rabbit.
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