It's a cold day today

So many things have happened lately that it's impossible for me to truly update this blog in one post. Plus, I'm naturally a private person so some things have to remain a secret anyway. The fact that it's a cold day today isn't encouraging me to open up either.

But as for the things I can reveal:

1) I'm starting a business, and within a week or two it will all come to fruition. I'm excited about it, even though this does tie me down to Korea for the foreseeable future. I may end up staying her up to my early 40's at this rate;

2) I've had to reassess where I am in life, and what it is I'd like to be doing. I can't say I'm 100% happy with everything that's happened, but everything is part of a learning process, and the best I can do is to try to make the correct choices out of all my options. Now that I've decided to stay in Korea for some more years, however, my set of choices will be radically different from what they were before. I'm wondering just how well I deal with it;

3) Friends are so valuable and make life so worthwhile. If it weren't for my friends, I'd be lost right now;

4) I love all my students at Daewon. I haven't had a job this fulfilling in a long time, and part of my decision to start a business and stay long-term is due to the fact that I'm enjoying myself so much at the school. Let's just hope the new batch of students is similar to the old... :)

5) I'm committed to getting back in shape. I'm tired of always feeling tired after work, and a great deal of that is due to my lack of physical fitness. I have got to get my act together again. Enough is enough.

I hope the coming Christmas season is going to be much warmer and happier for everyone. Please do take some time to pray for those who perished and suffered through Typhoon Durian in the Philippines. My sincerest condolences go out to the families of everyone who was lost.

I appreciate...

-My friends, without whom life would be so empty and cold.

-My super-fast internet connection, which allows me to surf the internet about a million times faster than when I first got it.

-My job at Daewon, which brings me in contact with fantastic, smart, fun kids. I haven't enjoyed working for anyone this much in ages.

-My opportunities in life. Things are slowly shaping up for me here in Korea, and I may even end up living here for a long time.

-My family, who have always supported me. I love you all.

Business tycoon? :)

Don't ask why, but I've lately had a change in where I want my life to go. Now I'm focusing on starting businesses.

I have decided to invest in businesses (wherever I find them) that I feel are going to provide long-term profits for me. Korea, Thailand, Philippines... wherever. :)

I'll let you know where I stand after about a year or two, but don't be surprised if I have shares in companies in at least three countries. I just got tired of people questioning why I don't seem to be so hell-bent on making money. I figure I'll just invest in businesses so OTHER people can be hell-bent on making money with my money, and I just relax and wait for the returns to come in.

After all, what kind of businessman would I be if I was the one who did all the work? =)

Philippines per capita income: $1,463

I just read in the Philippine Daily Inquirer today that the Philippines per capita income is now $1,463, which is the highest it has been in the post-war era. (Of course, among all those other years, if you adjust for inflation, I'm sure you'll find quite a few which are above today's level.)

Just think about that for a second. The highest level in the post-war (WWII) era is $1,463???

Makes me realize just why so many Filipinos leave their country to seek work abroad. There is just no way, no way at all, that over 90% of Filipinos can hope to have a comfortable life with that kind of income. All the best universities in the Philippines (with the exception of the University of the Philippines) cost a lot of money to enter (I know of some whose tuition PER SEMESTER exceeds the income an average Filipino gets for a YEAR). Without "elite-level" education, how can Filipinos find jobs, especially in this competitive world? Without good jobs, how can they hope to feed their families and educate THEIR children in the future? The vicious downward spiral keeps going on and on... with no end in sight. I mean, if an average Filipino tried to pay rent on a decent (read: clean and reasonably safe) apartment, then he would have to pay more than the average per capita income just to have a place to stay... forget food, clothing, utilities and, God forbid, public transportation. He'd have to walk to the nearest banana tree to get a meal. (Which fact assumes that: a) there is a banana tree within 100 kilometers of his home that hasn't already been ravaged by hungry Filipinos and b) he is legally entitled to take the bananas, given that the rich (and decidedly few) landowners in the Philippines would probably shoot him for even trying...)

Damn. How the heck can a Filipino ever hope to see a brighter day with these numbers?

I am really fortunate to have been blessed with the skills and the opportunities to earn a much higher income, but I still can't help feeling sad that there's no way I could ever raise a family in the Philippines in the way I would like with the salaries they pay their workers, not unless I was a CEO or business owner. And the latter alternatives would take too long anyway. If I want to be able to raise a family soon (and who wouldn't be thinking this at my age?), I have no other option but to stay outside the shores from which my blood came.

It's enough to make a man really sad.

Chosun Ilbo article: Korean Food Among World's Most Expensive

taken from: Chosun Ilbo, Sept.9, 2006 (Online edition)

Korean Food Among World's Most Expensive

The prices of major foods including beef, pork, milk and potatoes in Korea are the fifth highest among 34 leading economies. The country has become one of the world’s most expensive nations, with consumer prices soaring about 20 percent since 2000.

A comparative study on consumer price growth in 30 OECD member countries from 2000 to the first six months of 2006 showed Korea experiencing a growth rate of 20.3 percent on average, the sixth highest after Turkey, Hungary, Mexico and Spain. During the same period, consumer prices increased 17.8 percent in the U.S., 16.6 percent in Britain and 6 percent in Switzerland, while the rate fell 1.3 percent in Japan and 4.9 percent in Hong Kong. Food prices climbed 22.3 percent on average in Korea, the fifth highest among OECD countries and far higher than the averages of the OECD (16.3 percent) and EU (12.9 percent.)

According to statistics on wages and food prices in 34 major countries compiled by the International Labor Organization, beef cost US$48.09 per kg in Korea, the second most expensive following Japan with $76.52. The prices of apples and potatoes were the second highest among studied countries, and 77 percent and 110 percent higher than those in the U.S. Korean milk was twice as expensive as U.S. milk. Pork cost $13.1 per kg, the fourth highest after Norway and Switzerland. Rice was sold for $2.15 per kg, the eighth highest, and bread cost $1.66 per 500 g, the seventh highest.

When Korean consumer prices are set as the standard of 100, U.S. prices stood at 180 in 2000. But the figure dropped to 148 in 2002, 116 in 2005 and 110 in June 2006. In other words, U.S. consumer prices were 80 percent higher than in Korea in 2000 but only 10 percent higher this June. British and Swiss consumer prices were twice as high as Korea with 180 and 209 in 2000 but only at 126 and 159 June this year. In Japan, consumer prices were 1.38 times as expensive as in Korea in June, down from 2.64 times.

Jeon Young-jae, a senior researcher at the Samsung Economic Research Institute, said prices have been growing rapidly in Korea since prices of imported goods are still high compared to advanced nations due to the nation’s limited opening of the manufacturing goods and service markets. “What’s more, productivity has improved at a lower pace than in other developed countries."

R.I.P. - Steve Irwin, The Crocodile Hunter

This news is sad... :(

He had such zest for life that you couldn't help but be enthused everytime you saw him. May he rest in peace, and may his wife Terri, and his children, recover from this tragedy.

* * * * *

THE Crocodile Hunter, Steve Irwin, is dead.

He was killed in a freak accident in Cairns, police sources said today.

It is understood he was killed by a stingray barb that went through his chest and reportedly into his heart .

He was swimming off the Low Isles at Port Douglas filming an underwater documentary when the tragedy occured.

The Queensland Ambulance Service (QAS) was called about 11am (AEST) and an emergency services helicopter was flown to the crew's boat on Batt Reef, off the coast near Cairns, with a doctor and emergency services paramedic on board.

Irwin had a puncture wound to the left side of his chest and was pronounced dead at the scene.

http://www.news.com.au/story/0,23599,20349888-2,00.html

Updates

It's been way too long since I blogged last. I guess things have just flown by rather quickly...

Here are just some random updates on my life and on developments in Korea:

1) I'm quite happy right now, having both a fulfilling career and a satisfying personal life. I'm blessed, quite frankly, and while the tendency would be to second-guess what's happening and maybe wonder when it's all going to end, I'm going to just take the "take it one day at a time" route instead. God's been good to me, and I'm very grateful.

2) With regard to work, I've started teaching an extra 8 hours a week. This takes my teaching load at Daewon to a grand total of 18 hours a week. I know a lot of ex-colleagues who'd kill for that kind of schedule, so I'm just happy to have the opportunity to do other things during the week;

3) With regard to my personal life, I've just come back from a great vacation in Thailand. I love that country, and honestly want to retire there in the future. I don't know if I'll be given the opportunity to do that, but it would make me happy if I could visit it at least once a year. I just have too many fond memories and good friends to ever really say "goodbye" to that place.

4) Love is good. :) I'm a rather secretive sort, so I'll leave it at that. But it is good. :)

5) The Korean High School Nationals are over, and we've already selected 21 kids who will be part of the national team training pool. All of the former national team members who participated (Seo Hee, Bo Kyeong and Suhyun) made it to the pool, so I'm happy for them. I'm also excited to coach some new blood. The tryouts promise to be very interesting...

That's it for now. Will post pictures soon.

Back from the World Schools Debating Championship

It's been a month since I've updated this blog, and the reason for that was the 2006 World Schools Debating Championship (WSDC) held in Cardiff, Wales, from July 5th to the 14th.

I spent the past month training the Korean national debate team, first in Thailand (for a week) and then the succeeding two weeks in Wales. This past week was merely my "detox" period, so my body could rest.

First of all, let me proudly announce that Korea is a Quarterfinalist at this year's WSDC, the first time it's ever achieved that distinction, and the first time, if I'm not mistaken, that an EFL (English as a Foreign Language) team has ever made it to that point in the tournament. Add to this the fact that we beat the no.1 seed, Pakistan, in the Octofinals (round of 16), which is the first time it's ever been done in WSDC history, and you have a very successful tournament indeed. The fact that one of the Korean debaters, Seo Hee, was named the No.1 EFL speaker was the icing on the cake.

I'm proud of all the team members this year (Bo Kyeong, Hye Won, Jihye, Seo Hee and Suhyun), and am also grateful to all the people who supported us and helped make it possible (Joshua, as team manager, Jiho and Jungwon as judges, and Bo Yun, Hoon Ik and Sang Jin as observers and valuable researchers). Thanks also goes to our middle-school observers, Christine and Jay, who flew all the way to the UK to witness our historic triumph.

I'd also like to publicly appreciate the tremendous help offered by our friends in Thailand, such as Amp, Billy, Praew, Tanya, Pat, Namwan, Rut, TJ, Sara, Nico, Sabiha, Peter, Suree, Saurabh and everyone else. Thanks to you, Team Korea had a very fruitful and enlightening practice week leading up to the WSDC. I'm truly grateful.

Lastly, to everyone from Korea who helped to support the team, in training and elsewhere, I'm also sincerely thankful. Thanks, especially, to Ah Young, Jumin, Jong Min and everyone else who went to trainings and helped the team learn, either by debating against the team, or providing valuable input and feedback.

Now that I've reached the end of this Oscar-like litany of thanks, I only have one more thing to say: British food is good, but Korean food is sooooooooooooo much better. ;) So, for that matter, is practically every other food in the world. =)

On life, love and food

Love is nothing more than having faith in something greater than yourself. For us to truly love anything or anyone, we must first find within us the strength to let go of our fears, and to embrace something we cannot yet see to the end of.

Will it always be good? Of course not. Will you ever get hurt? Naturally. That's the reason why love is so precious. It hurts us in ways we could never imagine, but still we hang on... because we realize how precious it really is. Besides, we only really live once. How sad would it be to grow old knowing that you had rejected the chance to be happy, just because you were afraid of being sad? Is the point of life simply the avoidance of all pain? Or is it to experience everything life could offer, good and bad?

The best analogy I could think of is rice. It's absolutely tasteless. No chance of ever getting food poisoning from it. No allergies, no rashes, no spices, no taste. It just is. And yet how many of us live for the day when we can eat only rice? Sure food can be spicy, sweet, sour, salty or anything and everything in between... but how much more joy is in our lives because we can eat the foods that truly excite us? And would we ever be foolish enough to give up eating something just because someone couldn't cook it right now and then?

I don't know about you, but I don't only want to eat rice for the rest of my life. I want to eat all the greatest foods in the world: beluga caviar, tom yam kung, kimchi, sushi, penang char kway teow, pate de foie gras, buffalo mozzarella with fresh tomatoes and olive oil, szechuan shrimps, etc. etc.

Life would seem so boring with nothing but rice.

Would you pay $1.2 million for this car?

So you wanna fly? Try the Bugatti Veyron, which goes so fast that they had to design it not to take off. For slightly more ($1 million) than your Average Joe Enzo, you can do what most people will never, ever get to do – which is generally the point of spending all that cash. In this case, the money goes toward owning the fastest passenger car ever built, a phenomenal exercise in engineering, perseverance and the great lengths a rich person will go in the ultimate game of one-upmanship. The engine, an 8.0-liter W16 (that’s two V8’s fused together) that has four turbochargers, gets 1,001 horsepower. It carries a dry sump lubrication system and a giant radiator so as to handle the amount of heat that comes from all that power, and burns about 1.33 gallons of gasoline per minute.

Frankly, that’s an obscene amount of excess.

Price: Around $1.2 million

Source: ESPN.com

Go Red Devils!

I went to City Hall in Seoul to watch the World Cup match between Korea and France this past Monday morning. It was amazing to see tens of thousands (a hundred thousand? more?) of Koreans just jammed in there, at 4 a.m., cheering their guts out for their team. When Park Ji-Sung scored the equalizer in the 81st minute, I swear there was an absolutely defeaning eruption from the people in the streets, no doubt mirrored in every public place and private home in all of Korea.

This led me to a few observations of the Korean people:

1) It's amazing just how patriotic Koreans can get. I have NEVER seen a more patriotic people in my life. Ever. And I've been to five different continents;

2) I was tremendously impressed with how Koreans clean up after their own mess. Right after the match was over, thousands of Koreans (plus yours truly) started picking up the trash/litter found on the street and putting them in plastic trash bags for easy collection by the city sanitation workers. I went to City Hall about an hour or two after the game, and it was spotless! Absolutely clean. Even cleaner than Manila City Hall without any celebration. Then again, that's Manila...;

3) Football is the perfect game to get a whole nation enthralled, and Koreans prove this. It's 90 minutes (or more), with very few goal-scoring opportunities... so it builds up anticipation like no other game. Anything can happen in the final minutes (or seconds), and because there are so few goals, when one is actually scored, it gives countries an excuse to go absolutely bananas. I never really appreciated football until I lived in Thailand... but I can now understand why people LOVE the game after living in Korea;

4) Koreans, in general, are quite orderly. No massive rioting (unless you're a farmer fighting the WTO =), no major need for tear gas from the police, etc., etc. Very large aggrupations of people are not at all frightening. I know if I were stuck in the middle of a band of cheering football fanatics from... England, for instance, I would be afraid. Very afraid; and

5) The color red absolutely fits the Korean people. No doubt about it. Red is the color of passion, fire, excitement, heated emotions, anger, shouting, etc. etc... It's what Koreans are all about. :) If there's one nation on earth I could be SURE would be passionate, it would be Korea. It's not always good, as many Koreans I've met have demonstrated when angered, but it does make for great cheering sessions. :)

So, for the first time in my life, let me say... "Go Red Devils!" =)

Starbucks more fattening than McDonald's?

This counts as something in the "interesting to know" department...

Who knew that Starbucks could be so fattening?

* * * * *

"A 20-ounce Venti banana mocha Frappuccino with whipped cream contains 720 calories and 11 grams of saturated fat, and a banana cream crunch bar weighs in at 630 calories and 25 grams of saturated fat. By comparison, a McDonald's Corp. Big Mac has 560 calories and 11 grams of saturated fat."

Source: Reuters

Last day of work!

This is my last official day of work for the term. :) I still have other work, of course, related to national team training, etc., but this is my last day with my formal employer for this term. I'm expected back on August 5th.

:)

I suppose this is going to be good for me because it will give me a chance to renew my batteries for the long haul. I never realized just how valuable vacation time really could be. I won't ever take it for granted again.

After today, all I want to do is spend quality time with friends and/or myself. I wonder if I should party tonight?

Hmmm... ;)

I'm tired...

I'm just tired. Mentally, physically, emotionally...

I need something to renew me. No matter how strong a person may or may not be, it is impossible to sustain energy for everything in life without having something to renew that energy.

I don't know where to look, but I hope I find that source of renewal soon. Otherwise I may just break.

I know it's funny that I'm saying this now, after such a good start to my day, but I guess I was just on a "sugar-high" that time... it's hard to sustain enthusiasm when the source of your energy is your own, finite well of emotions.

Maybe it's all the work I've been doing lately. Fulfilling as it may be to teach young people, it still takes a lot of emotional and physical energy. It takes a huge toll, really. And I would normally take my off-days as opportunities to rest and relax, but my off-days are when I train the national team, or do other work.

I think I will have to declare a moratorium on things that cause me grief... at least for a week or so. I just need the break before I crack under all the non-stop stress.

I'll reassess my life after, and see if I'm really heading down the path I want to head, or if the price I'm paying is worth the potential reward.

It's never too late to fulfill your dreams

This story was taken from www.inq7.net
http://news.inq7.net/breaking/index.php?index=3&story_id=79207

San Francisco grandmother, 98, gets high school diploma
First posted 10:14am (Mla time) June 15, 2006 By Agence France-Presse

SAN FRANCISCO -- A diminutive grandmother donned a cap and gown on Wednesday and fulfilled a dream she had abandoned 80 years earlier -- she got her high school diploma.

"I felt like I had missed something," Josephine Belasco said when asked what inspired her to complete the schooling she began at Galileo High School when it opened in 1924.

"I thought, gee, if I could ever get that, I'd have a fruitful life," Belasco said.

Born in Calabria, Italy, in November of 1907, Belasco was 18 when she moved to San Francisco with her family.

She was one semester shy of graduating from Galileo when she dropped out to care for a severely ill sister and took a job with an insurance company to help support her family.
Her career as an accountant spanned 36 years. She married and became a mother, then a grandmother.

A grandson inspired her to go back to school and get her diploma, she said.

School officials still had her records on file, and arranged for her to earn an honorary diploma by completing tutoring sessions with Galileo students. The typical ages of high school graduates there are 17 or 18 years old.

Belasco held a white flower as she was escorted to her chair on stage during the high school graduation ceremony on Wednesday.

Her late-in-life accomplishment garnered nationwide attention, including a telephone call at home from late night television show host Jay Leno.

"I'm over the sun and the moon," Belasco said after getting her diploma. "I'm just stunned. I can't believe it mushroomed like this."

Life is good

When you wake up in the morning with a smile on your face, and you know that whatever you will face that day you will face gladly... you're having a good day. :)

I'm not usually one for bright, chirpy mornings... but then again I've been doing a lot of things lately that I wouldn't normally do. I guess that's just par for the course when you're having fun with life.

Thank you.

Sometimes it's good to admit you need people

I've always thought of myself as a loner. Even when I was young, I tended to keep to myself, opting to read books in my room or go on the internet instead of trying to socialize with friends and family.

Things changed a bit when I got to high school and college, where I discovered, in turn, debate and judo. I guess the combination of the two helped me to break through that tough facade I had been maintaining all those lonely years growing up.

However, a part of me never really changed. I never used to like asking for help, and I still don't. I somehow felt then, as I still do now, that being independent was a good thing, and that my problems were my own... not meant to be a bother to others, but rather an obstacle for me to overcome. After all, wasn't it Nietzsche who said, "What doesn't kill me, makes me stronger..."?

But lately, I've started to realize that it's ok to ask for help. After all, even the greatest generals had their armies to lean on. Alexander the Great didn't conquer the known world with just his sword; Attila the Hun didn't get to the gates of Rome just because he was fearsome or, by all accounts, ugly. :)

No... they had their armies, and their trusted lieutenants. Few are the men and women so great that they can change the world all by themselves. Even Jesus Christ needed his apostles.

So as I get older, and painfully wiser, I suppose it's time for me to accept that I can't solve all my problems on my own. In fact, perhaps some of my problems stemmed from the fact that I kept wanting to solve my OTHER problems on my own. After all, you can't bandage your own back. If you're bleeding, you need someone else's help to stay alive. I'd just been leaning with my back against walls, trying to stem the flow. A stupid way to live, really. Not even physicians can heal themselves of everything.

So now that I know you're a part of my life, however that may play out, let me publicly acknowledge that I need you. I can't do everything on my own, least of all the things that matter most. If you'll be beside me, however, I think I can push away from that wall, and start to see the world the way I was meant to see it.

If you watch my back, I'll watch yours. Deal? :)

What price are your dreams worth?

I had a long talk last night with a very special friend, one of the best I've had in a long time. We basically covered a whole range of topics, but the one that stuck in my mind was related to dreams and money.

She told me that she was at a point in her life where she was faced with a quandary: should she pursue her dreams, the ones which she has had for over a decade, or should she instead try to find work and make the most money she could? The options are mutually exclusive, as she couldn't do both at the same time. On the one hand, she could pursue her passions, but with the knowledge that, before she became successful in her field, she would have to really "struggle" first. On the other hand, she could pursue some career in a field that she really hated, earning decent money, but never looking forward to the next day's work.

I told her it was no contest: she had to choose her dreams. I mean, what price are one's dreams really worth? Sure money is good, but only because it can help pay for the things that help make you really happy. If you give up being really happy to make money, of what use is it then? The opportunity cost of giving up something so sacred to who you are, something so special that you have been dreaming about it since the time you could really formulate adult-level dreams, is incredible. Unless you're making hundreds of thousands of dollars a year, I just can't see the opportunity cost being paid, to be honest. In my case, millions of dollars wouldn't do it. That "hated" job would have to pay as well as what Bill Gates is worth for me to want to give up my dreams for it.

Of course, it's easy to say "follow your dreams" when you have enough money to feed yourself, pay for rent, and so on. And I realize that all human beings have to have their most basic needs fulfilled, but my friend can earn all she needs for her basic necessities without having to take those "hated" jobs. She can find enough money to survive, and to pursue that which makes her happiest in life. So it's not like she's going to starve or anything. She may have to give up buying expensive things, or shopping on a whim, but what price is that to pay compared to the alternative? At the end of one's life, one will never regret not buying another bag, or having spent less in a shopping spree... one WILL regret not giving one's dreams a chance to be realized.

I have a simple philosophy with regard to choices like these: when faced with a difficult decision, always choose the one you will LEAST regret when you die. It has served me well so far, and I'm sure my friend will realize that it is a philosophy that will help her be happier with her own life. After all, I want to see her, in 30 or 40 years time, being happy and content with the life that she has led. I want her to be able to hold her head up high and tell the world that she made her own decisions, based on her own dreams, and that, regardless of the mistakes she may have made, she was proud of the life she has led. I do NOT want her to say that she is a rich yet bitter woman who can afford to buy the most expensive things on earth... and yet finds that nothing she could ever buy could ever make her as happy as the dreams she had given up many, many years before.

Just remember, before you choose the path that leads to great wealth, to ask what that wealth is really for. If it is to buy you greater happiness, then isn't it counter-productive to give up what makes you most happy in life, just to be able to lead a life you hate with which you hope to be happy in the future? It really doesn't make any sense to me.

If a fisherman has already found a way to catch his dream fish, and it's right there, in front of him, would he then stop fishing and work in an office, just to buy a bigger fishing boat? I don't know about you, but since that ocean is so damn wide, I will take the opportunity NOW to catch that fish... instead of spending the rest of my life dreaming about "the one that got away."

Marriage is...

"...like a slumber party with your best friend. but all the time. :) "

- My dear friend Henny, who just recently got married

World Schools coming up...

Getting to the home stretch for national team training... About a month to go before the start of the World Schools Debating Championship. :) Can't wait to see how the kids will do against the best of the best.

Congratulations to Bo Kyeong, Hye Won, Jihye, Seo Hee and Suhyun for making it to the team!

Dinner was good, wasn't it?

Thin strips of prime beef, marinated in bulgogi sauce, lightly sauteed with olive oil, on a bed of stir-fried onions and garlic

and

Two kinds of mushrooms with broccoli and carrots in oyster sauce, garnished with spring onions, and seasoned with black pepper, oregano and basil leaves...

;)

Now THAT was a dinner to remember. :)

Re-evaluating...

I'm re-evaluating my life at the moment, and wondering if I'm making all the right decisions. I may have acted impetuously in some areas of my life, and I think I have to start being a bit more careful about my choices from now on. After all, I'm not getting any younger, and each new decision leads me further down a path I may not be able to come back from.

Normally I wouldn't care, as my life has been one long series of vignettes... of moving from place to place, city to city or even country to country, and discovering what life has to offer. At this stage, however, I'm starting to wonder if life hasn't already offered me the best deal I could get... and if perhaps I should start shouting "Deal!" instead of "No deal!" ;) (For those of you who didn't get that reference, you probably aren't fans of Howie Mandel either. :)

Hmmmm.... Deal? Or No Deal?

Money isn't everything

Big decisions have to be made soon... mostly involving my future and money. I'm being offered a job that pays very well, but which would entail me losing a lot of the freedom and independence I so cherish. I was tempted for a long while... but no longer. I've decided to turn it down.

Funny how giving up a lot of money can somehow make you seem so free. :)

I've built my whole life around the principle that money would never rule my world. I've even taken huge pay cuts just to get the jobs that would make me happy in the end. For the most part, I've been successful in finding situations where I can be both fulfilled and yet marginally "successful," at least monetarily. The key for me, however, is living a simple, almost spartan lifestyle. Once you have few wants and needs, you have much less need of money, and that helps broaden my options; it helps to set me free.

I'm not going to be poor or anything like that... I certainly appreciate many of the finer things in life. I just won't be given to stupid expenditures that can't be justified, especially now that I'm giving up that other job. What use is money to me anyway? It's not like I need much to be happy. :) I've got all I want in life already, with the exception of one thing. And THAT you can never buy with money...

I would weep, if I could

I would weep, if I could
For all the memories lost
Of a future now untold, unpassable
Now that you no longer tread the road
Beside me, in the dark, lonely night.

How sad is it that your presence
Is most greatly felt when you're gone,
And even the shadows seem more substantial
Than the hand I once felt holding my own?
And the most unrelenting sadness
Comes unbidden to my eyes
Even as they hide the tears I never cried
When I walked by your side
Down that road only you and I dared try.

I will never again have the chance
To tell you how much I love you
Or how much you helped me understand
That life is about more than hopes and dreams
And is, instead, a choice that we make
To stand and face the inchoate demons of doubt
That scream and rail and shout
Even as we write our own chapters with our own hands
And we taste the blood we spill as we bind them to our hearts.

My soul, forevermore, is altered
Without the calm, guiding softness of your smile
And the days that seemed bearable
In spite of the coldness of the nights
Seem no longer as warm, nor bright.
Help me, one last time, through the spirit that still
Inspires in me a yearning for the light,
To face the final steps of my own journey
To the eternal conclusion of my now lonely life.

*Dedicated to my good friend, Tarique, who lost his father. May his soul rest in peace... always.

Climbing my own mountains

Life has new beginnings all the time. Every day has a new sunrise, every new friend you meet has a smile, every new memory brings new emotions that can elicit laughter, tears and everything else in between.

The problem with life is that some people are often only willing to begin something they think will make them happy in the end. I just had a chat with a good friend about whether or not to love someone, even though the relationship is "doomed" to fail. I told him that, on a practical level, it would be better not to go into it if it was so serious, because the pain would almost be unbearable at the end.

However, I also feel that life is not about the missed opportunities, the blown chances, the lasting regrets that we will never be able to make right. Life is about risking, each and every day, what contentment we might already have... because how can we truly be content when we don't know if we've tested our own limits? How can we be content when the only valley we know is the one we've lived in all our lives? Some days, wouldn't it just be cool to go climb up that scary mountain that casts a shadow over us everyday?

That's what I'm doing right now: climbing my own mountains. I'm not sure what I may see on the other side, or even if there will BE another side... but I do know that staying put won't ever make me happy. Not if there's a chance, small as it may be, that there's a more beautiful place somewhere not too far away.

My friend and I eventually settled upon the ideal that life is too damn short to be wasted by NOT choosing to love someone. I told him to go for it, because life is not complete without at least one tragic love story. :) I should know... I've had my fair share. But, really, how many opportunities do we get in life to love the person we truly want to love? When the chance presents itself, you MUST take it. There's really no other way to act.

Someone once asked Sir Edmund Hillary, the great mountaineer who, along with Tenzing Norgay, was the first to scale Mt. Everest, why he climbed the mountain. His response?

"Because it was there."

And THAT is why, if you ever need to find me, you'll have to look up a bit, into the shadows of the great mountain. I'll be somewhere up there.

Rest in Peace

One of my best friends, Tarique Shakil, lost his father this past Friday.

It is a profoundly painful time for him, as well as for his family, and I wish them my sincerest condolences in this time of grief.

Salaam Alaiykum, Mr. Shakil.

Congratulations to EDIS!

Congratulations are in order for the Ewha Women's University Division of International Studies Debating Society.... whew! What a mouthfull. :)

They just recently won the Paju English Village Young Challenger Debating Forum 2006. ;) 7 out of the 9 teams they sent reached the Octo-finals (top 16), 5 reached the Quarters, 3 reached the Semis and EDIS Team 3 won the whole darn thing. ;)

8 out of the top 10 speakers were from EDIS too.

All in all, an ok tournament for the girls. ;)

Congratulations!

The Lakers are back in the playoffs! =)

My favorite basketball team, the Los Angeles Lakers, are back in the playoffs! :)

Man, I'm so excited to watch! =) They missed the playoffs last year, for the first time in over a decade, and that really didn't sit well with me. Now that they're back I'm eagerly anticipating each game, and which watch it on TV whenever possible.

=)

The Lakers are baaaaaaaaaaaackkkkkkkkkkk!!!!

Crash - The Movie

I saw it this past week, and I must say that it is a deserving Oscar-winner for Best Picture. I had seen Brokeback Mountain before Crash, and had thought, then, that it was a shoo-in for the award, but after watching Crash I must say that the Academy got it right.

Exceptional acting from everyone concerned. I have always been a fan of Don Cheadle's work, but so many others turned in stellar performances as well, most notably Matt Dillon, who was spectacular in his role as a morally-ambiguous, racist cop. Great, great stuff.

I love this movie. I'll be watching it again next week. It's that good. :)

Free for a while... ;)

I'm done with teaching till the end of the month, with the exception of one Saturday class. :) I can honestly say that I'm happy... :)

Now I'll take the time to try to tour Seoul and see all the wonders this city has to offer... or find out the horrible truth that there aren't any. =) Either way, I'll not have to wear a suit while doing it.

Ah... rest is bliss. :)

My first set of student evaluations

Wow. :) I'm still grinning ear-to-ear. I am so gratified that the students I teach seem to appreciate the effort I am giving in class.

Here are all the evaluations, in their entirety, including the negative ones. I have left no word out.

* * * * *
I hope I can get rid of those nerves I feel before giving a speech throughout this class! Can't wait :)

Sometimes, you teach us something vague. Please explain it in detail.

Hello~ Peejay~ I was very impressed by your first class The class as a whole was like a fantastic speech!! It motivated me to have confident in public speeking although I'm so bad in it.. Like many other students, I think your class is the most humorous and enjoyable class than the other GLP classes.. And, also, you are always well-prepared for the class since you come into classroom few minutes earlier and write what we will gonna learn today on the blackboard; that is the other thing that impresses me.. Although this is not a suggestion, I just wanted to tell you what I think about your class :) BYE~

Buenos Dias! I really love your class! It is really amazing, largely because of your sense of humor. When you say "for example", I am always ready to laugh!!! Well, my parents always say that I was really brave in speeches as a child that I always showed up in shows instead of my sunbaes! But I don't know that I am still brave... I was really shy in my elementary and middle school years, but this is being corrected as I entered DFLHS. Help me constantly!

His class is just amazing. I've never seen class like it before. Mr. Garcia's class is full of passion. Even though I had him for shor period of time, I feel like I already perceived and learned many lessons in Speech and Debate by Mr. Garcia. I am looking forward to have him class in future and I can't even wait. He has just great talents of making students concentrate and his talking is really grabbing our attetion fully.

You are very funny guy.

I like your class because you show a lot of passion everytime you come in. Sometimes, however, you lose your point and seem to focus more on making us laugh. I hope we will finish the theoritical(?) class contents quickly and have a lot of debates. Just to let you know, I like persuasive speeches more than informative speeches, and I prefer debates to persuasive speeches!

NO suggestion Perfect Perfect Perfect. Thank for being my teacher

I feel grateful for taking Speech and Debate class with YOU. What you said in class is still in my memory, and the whole class period is really exciting!

Please don't change anything; your current method is great!

MR GARCIA ~~~!!! I LOVE YOUR CLASSES !!! Your classes are never boring and I especially like how you tell us the examples hehe

Can't we do in class debate????

Hello Mr.Garcia, I just wanted to suggest letting the students mention their thoughts about their peers speeches. Not something like an evaluation sheet, but just saying it to them. Thank you.

I enjoy your class, and I am content with it. Your class is both fun and informative. I can't think of any suggestions to your class, since I am so content with it.

Thank you for teaching us.

Mr. Garcia helps us enjoy the class.

Great class, I wish that this syllabus would be kept on forward.

You are the best speech teacher I ever had!

Your class is really interesting! I think it would be really great, if you can give us more details and information about how to make a good speech.

GREAT

I like how you teach us but since it is Speech and Debate class, I want to have more speech experiences. Giving speech only twice is so little.

I reaaaally love your class, and I was moved when I listened to your speeches. Although I cannot deliver good speeches, I am looking forward to delivering speeches and having debates. I strongly believe and wish to learn a lot from your classes. Thank you.

Mr Garcia, To tell the truth, I have not found a single aspect of your classes that is not satisfying. Your knowledge on the subject is irrefutably well-organized, and your deliverance is straightforward. One minor suggestion to mention: It would be fun to use leftover time to conduct impromptu speeches and debates. From my personal experience, I was able to see that some "pressure" affected students quickly and effectively. In this way, I am sure you will be able to give more A's than what you expect.

Hello, Mr. PJ? I love your class~!! It is so interesting and funny(?)! I wonder why we only have your class once a week.......

I think you're fun. I enjoy your classes. Teach us how to give a perfect speech specifically.

Hi Mr. Garcia~ I'm one of your students. I like very much your class. Your teaching is very easy to understand and interesting. I, however, think this class will be better if we have more chance to conversate with each other, because I think Speech & Debate class is the class to improve our speaking ability.

I feel so lucky to be in your class!! However, I want to make a suggestion; can you change the formats of class periodically? I know it can be hard for you, and answering the question is a very creative and good format, but if we keep working on one format, we could get a little bored. If you change formats of class periodically, it would be so great!

Your explanations are great! I love your classes

Too many homework and quiz

* * * * *

That last one was funny, because I don't give quizzes. ;) Anyway, I'm quite satisfied with the results. :) Wow. THIS is why I teach!

Take the road of least regrets

In life, we are faced with many roads to take.

I believe we should always take that which would lead us to the least regrets, regardless of how painful it might be to walk through.

New study finds 60% of the people handling food in the Philippines have worms

Check out this link: http://news.inq7.net/breaking/index.php?index=2&story_id=71954

Are you kidding me???

60%???

Damn.

I mean, I don't really need a reason not to eat in a Philippine restaurant, as my years abroad have spoiled me and I currently don't settle for anything but sanitary food, but... damn. 60%???

I have had my share of upset stomachs eating in the Philippines. This only confirms why.

The sign of the times...

Hell must have truly frozen over.

First, Prime Minister Thaksin Shinawatra of Thailand says he will step down. Then, a movie producer is offering Paris Hilton the role of Mother Teresa in a new movie.

Words fail me...

I'm still waiting on whether Thaksin really means what he says, and what, if any, political machinations he may have put into place. As for Paris Hilton, I think the Heavens would open up and... (this is a family-friendly blog, so the rest shall remain unwritten).

Paris = Mother Teresa???

The lost weekend...

Saturday

Woke up at 6:30 am. Worked throoughout the day. Got home at 2:30 am the following day.

Sunday

Got home at 2:30 am. Slept for a bit. Woke up at 6:30 am. Worked throughout the day (still ongoing)... may be back by Monday morning.

* * * * * UPDATE * * * * *

Got back to my place at 10 AM on Monday morning, after working all night. Wow. That's got to be some new record.

* * * * *


Guess that was a bit of a wasted weekend. :)

When I born, I Black

Got this from a friend online. I don't know the original author, so I can't credit him/her, but if anyone does know, please feel free to contact me and I will be happy to include the credit here.

* * * * *

When I born, I Black,
When I grow up, I Black,
When I go in Sun, I Black,
When I scared, I Black,
When I sick, I Black,
And when I die,
I still black..

And you White fella,
When you born, you Pink,
When you grow up, you White,
When you go in Sun, you Red,
When you cold, you Blue,
When you scared, you Yellow,
When you sick, you Green,
And when you die, you Gray..
And you calling me Colored ??

How many times would you be willing to get hurt before you start quitting on a dream?

How many times would you be willing to get hurt before you start quitting on a dream?

If you keep hoping for something good to happen, and you keep on giving yourself up, and opening yourself up to hurt, and you never seem to get what you want... is it time to stop wanting it?

All my life I've been taught the value of perseverance, but my experiences have also taught me the prudence of pragmatism. When is something so impractical it becomes harmful to keep wanting it? And when is something just another dream away from happening, in spite of all the hardships and difficulties you've already had to go through to continue dreaming it?

I guess this is what will ultimately determine how much you really want something. If you keep on bleeding for it, no matter how many times you've been disappointed, then I guess you must REALLY want it. Whether you're ever going to get it, though, is another matter entirely.

But I supposed there are worse things in life than dying with unfulfilled dreams. After all, if we always got what we wished for, were we ever wishing hard enough in the first place?

Points to ponder, surely...

Is happiness a reaction or a choice?

Is happiness a reaction to the things we experience in life, or a choice we make internally to deal with what we find in life?

Something to ponder on a cold spring day...

Cool time in class today ;)

I did something interesting in class today. :)

I was explaining the concept of "facial expressions" and why they were so important in public speaking, and on the spur-of-the-moment I decided to try a new thing. I asked my class to give me 5 different emotions (they gave, in order, "happy, angry, frustrated, sad and confused"), and then I asked them to give me a topic (they gave "Iraq").

I then immediately launched into a speech on Iraq, using all of the emotions IN ORDER, and even using George W. Bush's voice. ;) It was way cool. I had so much fun doing it, and the class loved it. They were clapping by the end of class. =)

I love these random moments in teaching. They give me a feeling of purpose. You get to discover these small moments of joy each day if you really just look hard enough. ;)

The scale is tilted only one way

I can't wait to get to Thailand. I intend to get at least two massages a day... I kid you not. :)

I just wonder whether, when I get back, I'm going to regret leaving it in the first place. My life is so different now... I work much harder, earn much more, but get to do fewer things for myself. It's the classic dilemma of having to choose between earning more money or having a more relaxing life. I realize that striking a healthy balance is probably what I should be striving for, but right now the scale is most definitely tilted only one way...

Who is the dumbest person you know?

Just felt like asking a random question today. :)

Relativity

It's interesting to note just how expensive things in Korea can be, and yet how oblivious people in Korea are to just HOW expensive they are relative to the rest of the world. For instance, the first time I bought rice at the grocery, I went for a nice-looking 3 kilogram bag... only to find out later that it cost US$18! Are you kidding me? I paid 18 bucks for 3 kilos of rice?

Just to put that in perspective, in Philippine pesos that would be over 900 pesos for 3 kilos. Wow. I'm not exactly sure how much rice in Manila is now, but I'm pretty sure it hasn't yet hit 100 pesos per kilo. Not even close. After all, the minimum wage is only slightly above 200 pesos per day.

This is why people from rich, developed nations often consider products/prices in developing nations to be so cheap.

But if you think a bit deeper, you may also realize just how little effort has to be expended to make the world a better place. After all, if you throw away 500 Korean won (20 Thai baht) on a small ice cream snack one day, then why not help feed a poor kid in a developing nation? 20 baht can buy you quite a meal in Thailand, especially in the countryside (where I once had a good meal for 10 baht). Think about it. Half an ice cream bar = one full meal for a hungry child.

I don't know if it's my Catholic upbringing (with the whole "guilt" factor and this uber-emphasis on charity), but I guess a part of me always wants to give back something to someone else who is more in need. And the fortunate thing about my current circumstances is I can now afford to be even more helpful. When I visit the Philippines again this year, I think I shall find a nice little charity to help out. All I have to do is give up eating ice cream for a year, and assuming I would have eaten one ice cream bar a week, I would have as much as 1,300 pesos (500 Korean won = 25 pesos). When I get back, however, I will have much more to give.

Just these little sacrifices can go a long, long way for a poor child in need. My father was a scholar when he was young, and if it wasn't for the kind-heartedness of donors, he would never have had the opportunity to go to school and make a good life for himself and his family. Now he's doing very, very well, which is why he always finds the time to give back. He was once really poor, and now he's really successful. That's why he can afford to give, and that's why he does. I'm just trying to follow in his footsteps.

It's all relative, after all. No pun intended.

Visas and vistas

I am finally getting all my visa/work issues sorted out, and should leave Korea sometime next week (we need to pick up work visas outside the country). I am thinking of heading to Bangkok to see some old friends and pick up some stuff that I'd left behind.

It should be interesting seeing Thailand from a different perspective. The last time I was there, I was so immersed in everything (daily life, work in Thammasat, etc.) that I didn't really get to "see" the country and appreciate the natural beauty Thailand had to offer. I am intending to maybe visit a beach this time, or at least get to see some sights I never really had the gumption to visit while I was living there.

I guess that's how all of us act sometimes: it's easier to appreciate culture when you're not really immersed in it... otherwise it's not really a separate entity ("culture") but rather a basic part of everyday life.

Nothing to crow about. We see it everyday. Why would we need to visit that place?

The trip should be interesting. :)

How long can a body go on before breaking down?

Just wondering. :)

I'm just a bit tired. I already talked about how much work I'm doing in my previous post. That's a lot of work to worry about, and I'm not exactly as fit as I used to be.

I can't really complain, though, as I'm doing something I love. I just worry about those times when I may get sick. But I guess I'll cross that bridge when I get there.

I knew I would miss Thailand... but now that my body is truly aching for a massage (Healthland... where art thou?), I REALLY miss Thailand. :) Cheapest and best massages on earth.

Sigh. :)

I'll be visiting again soon... to get my Korean work visa (I have to get it outside Korea). I swear I will get as many massages as my body can legitimately handle. :) Maybe 3 a day?

Hmmmmm....

Settling in...

I'm feeling like I'm finally settled in here in Seoul. I have a nice apartment, two good jobs, a nice bunch of kids to train for the national team, and I even got measured for two new, nice suits today. :) Life isn't bad.

My only disappointment of the day came when I went to this university to help train the debate team. Only 4 people showed up, and while I appreciate their dedication, I felt a bit let down that the others didn't bother to turn up. Oh, well. It's always hard to motivate people to give up time for debate, but considering I was going all the way to their university, I thought that perhaps some of them might at least find it convenient to come. :)

In any event, I still had a good time today. Thanks to Ah Young, Ji, Reela and Youna for being around. :) The Thai dinner we (minus Youna) all had may not have been authentic Thai food, but the friendship and friendly times definitely were.

It also snowed a bit on the way home. Just some drifting snowflakes slowly wafting towards the earth. I felt kinda cool walking home in all of that. :)

Like I said. Life is good.

Funny Bush video... ;)

Just to lighten the mood a bit... :)

http://www.badmash.org/videos/videos_flv.php?v=drunk-bush512K_Stream.flv&t=Drunk%20Bush%20II

Watch it. It's hilarious. ;)

Contract signing

Signed my first Korean job contract yesterday with what is arguably the best foreign language high school in Korea. I'm looking forward to working with the students, especially those with the debate team.

Things are starting to get more stable over here, and apart from the occasional blistering-cold days (-8 today), I suppose I'm settling down into a nice flow. My only problem is that I'm so in-demand as a trainer/coach that I'm doing work 7 days a week. I think I'm going to have to start turning down jobs pretty soon, if only to maintain whatever semblance of health I have left.

I'm grateful to all my friends in Korea, those whom I knew before I arrived, and those whom I have only recently met. :) It's always nice to know that there are friendly, decent people wherever you live. It's because of these people that I'm learning to bear my days as a single guy in Seoul.

Later, y'all.

What makes good friends stay friends for life?

A good friend of mine is about to get married in a few days, and I was just thinking about the ingredients of a successful friendship.

What makes good friends stay friends for life?

I've mulled over some of the usual comments, from "mutual respect" to "honesty and openness," and I've come to realize that while these are, indeed, important, there is one quality that, in my humble opinion, trumps them all: the willingness to forgive each other.

Friends aren't just the people who pick you up and make you happy. They aren't just the people who buy you birthday presents or help set you up with your crush. They are the people who can hurt you the most... the people who can disappoint you the most. Friends are the people you often expect to always make you smile, so it comes as an extra-painful realization to find out that they are also often the reason you cry the hardest in life.

Friends can say the most hurtful things. They can dash your fondest wishes, shoot down your most lofty ambitions, or even destroy your most secret of dreams.

But in order for me to still be friends with people like these, I often have to take that extra leap of faith that often defines the greatest of love affairs: the knowledge that none of these things were done to deliberately hurt me, and that many of these things were done to help.

I have to have faith that the person who is telling me not to pursue a career in law is doing so because he knows I wouldn't be happy living with the Philippine judicial system, or the person telling me that I'm not athletic enough to make the school basketball team is just helping me focus on my studies, so that I have a better chance in life. I have to have faith that the person who tells me that I'm getting fat isn't worrying about hurting my ego, but rather about protecting my heart. I have to have faith that the person who tells me I am not ready for a commitment to the girl I like isn't trying to discourage me from trying but to encourage me to better myself as a person, so that whatever love I may then be privileged to share will be all the stronger for it.

Unfortunately, the nature of human beings and pain is that we often shun the people we think hurt us, and the understanding that perhaps they were actually helping us doesn't often come until much later. I have had to examine whom I truly considered friends in my life, and have always had to make the choice: to forgive them for constantly "hurting" me, just as I rely on their goodness to forgive me for hurting them.

I'm not, by any measure, a perfect man. I have more flaws than most, in fact. But I do try to forgive those I know were willing to love me well enough to actually NOT give me everything I wanted, or tell me what I always wanted to hear. After all, these are the people who make me a better man, and I strive to be better, in part, because of them.

I will disappoint them; I will hurt them; and I will probably test their patience to the utmost limit... but if my friends and I are to last as friends for the rest of our lives, then nothing is more important than the willingness to forgive each other for all the myriad trials and tribulations we put each other through.

Any clown can make people laugh. It takes a true friend to still embrace those that make you cry the hardest.

So, to my dear, dear friend... please accept my most sincere and heartfelt wishes for a wonderful, wonderful life ahead. May you and your husband always find the time to reflect on what you each mean to each other, so that every tear you shed will not have to dry in vain. Besides, if you've been friends with me THIS long, you certainly have enough patience to deal with marriage anyway. = )

My first trek through the sludge that is snow...

I woke up yesterday expecting a relatively warm day (-2 degrees instead of -12 degrees Celsius the previous week), so I was actually contemplating going to work in a leather jacket, instead of my usual winter parka.

Thank God I didn't listen to myself.

When I stepped out the door, I was shocked to see the whole world suddenly covered in blinding whiteness. It's amazing to see how an entire landscape can change overnight, but that's what snow will do to you, I suppose. :)

I even took a picture, which I will upload just as soon as I figure out the Korean instructions on my camera phone. ;)

It was, in a word, breathtaking. It was like God decided to let the melancholy clouds kiss the earth a billion times over, one teardrop at a time. It was majestic. :)

Of course, after the initial admiration, I actually had to walk through all this snow (which hadn't yet been cleared from the streets), and let me tell you... doing this in leather shoes more suited to pavement than ice is NOT an easy thing... especially if your apartment is at the top of a small hill. :) It was very slow going to the subway, I can tell you that.... :)

In the end, though, despite the inconvenience of always stepping as if I valued my dignity, I really did have a grand time. I believe I walked throughout the day with a perpetual grin plastered on my face. How could I not? All my life I had seen sun-dappled grains of sand by the beach... this was my first full day's experience with the delicate whispers of winter's breath. :) My ears, cold as they were, for one full day at least, were happy to listen.

=)

Updates

I finally feel like I'm settled in to Korean life (and the ghastly weather), and I suppose I should start updating my blog (thanks to a little nudge from a dear friend...).

What's happened so far:

1) I arrived in Korea late on January the 20th. The "apartment" I was hooked up with resembled a slightly expanded phone booth... and I'm not exaggerating when I say that. Needless to say, I am sorely disappointed. The hunt for a new apartment begins, even as I still try to figure out where I'm working and what my schedule will be like;

2) I get a cellphone (with the help of a dear friend), and select an apartment in a very pricey neighborhood. I figure I might as well save money by eating in (I can cook, after all) instead of by scrimping on my accommodations. It's my one big "luxury" here in Seoul, after all. I am VERY happy with the place, even though it's about 40% of the size of my old apartment in Bangkok, and about 3 times the price; in the meantime...

3) I start working at this language institute in Seoul (called a "Hakwon"), and begin to teach middle-school kids some debating. The kids are all cool, and I'm enjoying my classes, as well as the camaraderie I feel in the institute;

4) I apply to the top foreign language high school in Korea. I am up against a number of Ivy League grads, so I'm not holding my hopes up (decision to come by this week);

5) I start cooking for myself again. More than at any other point in my life. I mean, I can cook, but I have never actually cooked 4 straight meals for myself before (as I did last week). I'm saving money while doing all this, so I guess that's a major plus. My last dinner? A special chicken dish. :) Basically, I brown some chicken breasts on a pan along with some sliced garlic, adding some soy sauce, straw mushrooms, carrots and some special seaweed, flavored with oyster sauce and extra virgin olive oil. :) Mmmmmmmm... yummy. :)

That's about it for the updates, I guess. I just got paid for my first two weeks' work (payday is the 5th of every month), but I'm saving all this money to pay for rent and other expenses. Life is generally good here in Seoul, and I'm happy I have the opportunity to live and work in this fine country. The only thing I can possibly complain about is the extreme cold. It got to as low as -13 degrees (celsius) just a few days ago. No way is this my idea of paradise. :)

Hope everyone else is doing well. :)

Finally have internet...

Finally!!!

:)

I moved into my new place last week, but only got my internet connection set up today. I'm so happy, I can't even describe it. I never knew how much of an internet addict I've become... :)

Internet in Korea is BLAZING fast. Coming from Thailand, where waiting for a page to load was almost like pulling teeth, this is a very welcome change indeed. ;)

Anyway, now that I've got the connection, I can begin to update my blogs again. :)

Happy Lunar New Year to all! :)

Am in Korea :)

Just wanted all my friends to know I'm now living and working in Seoul, South Korea. :)

It's been an interesting first full week of work. I don't mind the work hours so much as the damn cold. This past Monday, it hit -7 degrees Celsius, and I think I froze some new muscles I never knew I had before. ;)

It's always difficult settling in to a new country, but I have so many friends over here who have helped to ease my transition tremendously.

I'll be moving to my nice, new apartment on the 28th of January, which is also when I celebrate my 33rd birthday. :) I guess life does take some strange turns, and I will just have to see where I end up on this new, grand adventure of mine.

Hope everyone else is doing great. Happy Chinese New Year to you all! :D

I finally get my visa... wooohooo!!!!

Got my visa today!!! :D

Am flying to Korea tomorrow... Jan.20, arriving at 18:30. :)

Can't wait!

To all my Korean friends... I'll see you all soon! =)

Great article on the Philippines :)

The Philippine name game
By Sarah Toms BBC News, Manila

Naming a child is often a difficult decision. For many Filipinos, individuality is an important factor, with many choosing unconventional first names. So when the BBC's Sarah Toms gave birth in the Philippines, could she come up with an original name?

In March, my daughter will be celebrating her second birthday in Manila.

Made in the Philippines and born in the Philippines, it seems only yesterday that I was trying to leave hospital with my newborn.

The nurses had quickly christened her "Miss Philippines" because of her long legs.
But then I discovered that until I came up with a real name and began her birth registration at the hospital, I would not be allowed to leave.

Exhaustion made any decision difficult and I started worrying I would be celebrating her first birthday in the hospital if I did not find a name soon.

'Ace' politician

Filipinos place serious importance on finding unique names for their children, most of them injected with a large dose of Philippine humour.

Here, there is nothing ironic about a senator called Joker Arroyo - it is his real name.
Joker Arroyo, who is no relation to the Philippine President Gloria Arroyo, has a brother called Jack but there is no word on any other siblings called Queen or King.

Another politician however, is known as Ace.

Congressman Robert Ace Barbers is always known by his middle name as his two other brothers and late father all share Robert as their first name.

One composite name that has become popular is Luzviminda, taken from the three main regions of the Philippines: Luzon, Visayas and Mindanao.

One writer said it is like being called "Engscowani" for England, Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland.

In this devoutly Roman Catholic country it is not surprising that many have taken on religious names, but with a Philippine twist.

Take the mayor of Makati, the financial district in Manila.

His name is Jejomar, composed of the first few letters of Jesus, Joseph and Mary.

Catholicism started here with the arrival of the Spanish in 1521 and the colonisation of the Philippines.

Beyond food and architecture, religion is one of the lasting influences of Spanish rule. And that is at the root of the desire to have a unique first name.

Many Filipinos who converted to Catholicism took on surnames with religious references, such as Santos or De la Cruz, for good luck. But this resulted in many people having the same last names.

To solve the problem, the Spanish decided to restrict the surnames of Filipinos to a number of acceptable ones. But with a rapidly growing population, it seems there are not enough last names to go round.

Originality

Security experts say that with so many surnames being the same it can take ages to do background checks.

Filipinos encounter their own problems with the country's notoriously poor records system.
Getting a bank loan or passport can be a nightmare if someone with the same name is wanted for a crime.

With the country ranked as one of the most corrupt in Asia, thousands of Filipinos are forced to walk around with certificates from the National Bureau of Investigation to prove they are not wanted criminals.

So a first name with a bit of individuality can help avoid confusion and cases of mistaken identity.

Because of that I know a Peachy, a Preciosa and even a Bogi. I also know a Boy and a Girlie, names that often come from being the lone son or daughter in a large family.

I even have a female friend called Ken and no one thinks it is odd.

Still, I was taken aback when a famous and middle-aged newspaper columnist asked me to call him Babe.

Cultural misunderstanding

Some of the names are real and some are nicknames, but it is hard to tell them apart.
That brings me to the doorbell names: it is not uncommon to call your little one Bing, Bong, Bong Bong and even Ping and Ting.

Another category is the rock 'n' roll name.

How would you feel being christened Led Zeppelin, Mick Jagger or Nirvana?

One journalist friend told me of an interview he had with a Hitler Manila.

Mr Manila, who does not share the Nazi ideology, told him that he was always remembered for his name but it sometimes caused problems.

One time, when he was shooting pool with some visiting Germans, the atmosphere became tense after he wrote his name on the blackboard to reserve the next game.

Order was not restored until he pulled out his driving licence to prove his name really was Hitler.

Still, that experience did not stop him from carrying on the family tradition. His sons are named Himmler and Hess after two of Hitler's closest associates.

Deliberation

Another friend told me of a couple who named their five daughters Candy, Caramel, Cookie, Peanut and Popcorn.

Scott Harrison, an American businessman here, says he has heard of a woman who gave birth to twin girls on either side of midnight, naming them Sunday and Monday.

Nothing unusual in that - my daughter's kindergarten teacher is called Wednesday.

So what did I name my daughter?

After much deliberation and temptation to join the Philippine name game, I settled for an old French favourite, Elise.

Elise is not a strange name by any means, but in the Philippines it is as unusual as you can get.

Which generation is greater: the past or the present?

My Dad and I were just talking over dinner, and he mentioned the topic of the speech they had to give for the Voice of Democracy national oratorical championships. My Dad was a national finalist in the Philippines, and he said their topic was "Which generation is greater: the past or the present?"

To put this in perspective, I reminded him of a quote attributed to Sir Isaac Newton, in a letter to his friend. Reacting to the notion that he, Newton, had the greatness to see things others could not, Newton's response was:

"If I have seen further than others, it was only because I stood on the shoulders of giants."

What an absolutely perfect quote for that topic.

Isn't this what human society is all about? Isn't this what the word "progress" really means? To be able to say that the next generation is greater in terms of achievement, and yet to be able to praise the accomplishments of those who came before, without which the "greater" generation would not have been able to achieve such greatness?

It's a great metaphor for our own lives. Our parents always want the best for us, and I think the true test of selflessness and love is to always wish for your children to do more than you ever did or could. That's what my Dad wants for us kids. He wanted to be a lawyer, but through force of circumstance he chose instead to be a banker, so we could have a better life. Now any of his children can choose to be anything, because of his sacrifice.

My Mom had the same self-sacrifice. Early on, she and my Dad agreed that she would give up her career first, and wait until we were sufficiently old enough to take care of ourselves, before she took care of her own prospects. That's why she only got her MBA in her 40's, and why she's only recented applied for, and been given, her CPA license in the US. She is now the auditor of a university in America, and I couldn't be prouder of her. She gave up a great deal of money and opportunity for the three of her children, and we are all the better for it.

If I, or my siblings, ever accomplish anything great, it is only because we have stood on the shoulders of our own giants. Without our parents, none of what we have done, or will ever do, would have amounted to much, because we would never have had the example of sacrifice, determination and dedication that our parents instilled in us, and still inspire in us today.

Don't forget to acknowledge the giants in your own lives. Remember that behind every great person is a proud set of parents, both of whom probably don't get nearly as much credit as they richly deserve.

Why do we have our goals in life?

What defines your life's goals? What makes you want to do the things you want to do?

Some of us prefer to focus on the end goals, and the means necessary to achieve them. I like to take the thought process a step further and ask why I have those end goals in the first place.

I mean, when you think about it, why do we want "success" or "wealth" or "power" or anything else? Why? To what end?

Take money, for instance. I mean, some people spend their whole lives seeking ways to make more and more money. I could certainly understand if the money were for some decent reason such as education for one's children, or buying homes for one's parents, or even something altruistic like helping to feed the world's poor.

But sometimes, in the pursuit of money, or power, or success, people seem to lose sight of the fact that these are supposed to be TOOLS of life... things that help you get the "better things" that people aspire for.

Unfortunately, the more people get fixated on these things, the more these "tools" end up becoming the "things to aspire for."

I mean, if we forget the real reason we are on a particular path, would we ever know when it would be time to stop and smell the roses? Or would we just keep on trudging along, with the only goal being to get as far as we can on that path before we died?

Next time you think about your life, stop for a bit and look around. If you can't recognize where the heck you are, and why the heck you're there, perhaps it's time to ask if you're really living a life you want to live.

My favorite Korean singer

I just think this girl is amazing. :) Exceptional looks, incredible dancing ability... oh, and she's not a bad singer too, though that is incidental. ;)

Of all the people I wish I could meet in Seoul, she is no.1 on my wish list. :)

I've created a new blog

It's called "The Bull's Eye" and it is primarily dedicated to commenting on the stupid things politicans, businesses, military folks, etc. do everyday.

http://fight-the-bull.blogspot.com

:)

A bit low on the happiness thermometer...

I'm feeling a bit low right now. I guess it's a combination of uncertainty regarding my work status, and dissatisfaction regarding the rest of my life.

I'm just finding it hard to choose to be happy these days.

In the old days, I might have blamed this general malaise on "Kill Bill, Part 1," which I finally watched today, but that wouldn't be true... especially since I actually felt BETTER after watching it. It seems that watching movies or listening to songs that mimic your general mood (bloody? angry? vengeful? what???) sometimes helps you to feel better. I read about some scientific study sometime in the past that said that really angry people sometimes got to feel better by listening to music that fit their mood (i.e. heavy metal, pumping rock, etc.). Makes sense, I guess. If I were really pissed off, the last thing I'd want to listen to would be Mozart. :)

Oh, well. As they say in Gone with the Wind... "Tomorrow is another day..."

My doggies think they're people...

I have two big, pure-bred Bull Mastiffs at home... one is named Kiwi (the mom) and one is named Tim (the son). They both seem to think they are really and truly part of the family. Kiwi, for instance, will take advantage of any open bedroom door to sneak in and jump on the bed... she likes sleeping on beds. Tsk tsk. :)

Tim, on the other hand, prefers sofas. When we raised the sofa cushions (they're detachable) so that he would, presumably, stop sleeping on them, Tim found a way to push them down again so he could have a more comfortable rest.

If they weren't so big they could eat me, I might actually put my foot down. As it is, they're just too big (and, admittedly, cute) .

Oh, well. Guess I'll just have to never forget to shut the door. :)

Ever wondered...

1) How George Bush got to be President with fewer votes than Al Gore... ? I mean, I thought the electoral college was meant to ensure fair representation across the states. If having fewer voters get to select the leadership of the US is fair, then I guess America deserves Bush.

2) How oil companies can claim they didn't take advantage of Hurricane Katrina, and yet subsequently raise oil prices and declare record profits by the end of the year? Hmmm... seems to me, if you raise prices for poor people AFTER a natural disaster, and then throw parties for yourselves because you got more money than you ever got before... surely some people have LESS money than they had before? And wouldn't those folks be... the ones who suffered from Hurricane Katrina? How is this NOT exploitation?

3) How some women claim they don't care about rich guys, and only want those with "kind hearts," and then go for either Brad Pitt or D0nald Trump? Where are all the supermodels in love with the sweet, nerdy guy next door?

4) How most women in a party/dinner/social cannot possibly go to a bathroom alone?

5) How many men actually say the vows "till death do us part" with a straight face?

6) How many priests actually look hopeful during the marriage ceremony? If gambling were legal in the Church, do you think that priests might start betting on how many couples they can get to STAY married?

7) How some kids can be so darn cute when young, and just plain look like they fell out of the ugly tree when they get older?

8) How many times we end up rebooting our computer, without EVER complaining to Microsoft?

9) How we could possibly let O.J. Simpson go? And how we could not fire every member of the prosecution team for screwing up an open-and-shut case?

10) How Jennifer Lopez can actually make money? I mean, she can't sing, she can't act, and she sure as heck can't make perfume...

11) How Britney Spears could pick Kevin Federline? I mean, this is Britney, for crying out loud?? You'd think she could at least have picked a guy with some talent. Then again, what does she know about talent?

12) How John Kerry could be so BORING?

13) How movies like "Gigli" ever get made? I mean, shouldn't there be a rule that if a movie this bad is ever greenlighted, the guy/girl greenlighting it should be fired... if not shot?

14) How cigarettes kill over 500,000 people each year (compared to less than 20,000 for ALL illegal drugs), and yet cigarettes are legal but marijuana is not?

15) How America has the most gun violence among children in the world, and the most guns in the world, and yet the NRA still insists that owning guns makes America a safer place to live?

16) How women can say they are "absolutely stuffed" after the main course, but then immediately start munching on a hot fudge brownie offered to them for dessert?

17) How some men actually pretend they aren't afraid of commitment? Of course, many of these men end up getting divorced and practicing "serial monogamy," which is the state of being always faithful to each new girl you end up with.

18) How smart George W. Bush makes ordinary Americans feel? I mean, if HE can be President, then so can anybody else... Thank God Arnold was born in Austria...

19) How chocolate has given women more consistent pleasure than all the men in the world combined?

20) How people will get outraged, OUTRAGED at a man who kicks a puppy to death, yet not bat an eyelash when thousands of innocent Iraqi civilians are bombed or shot to death in this senseless war...?

I've got so many more, but no more time. Perhaps another day...

Ateneo and Debate

Congratulations to Sharmila and Chars of Ateneo B, and Glenn and Leloy of Ateneo A, for making the break at Worlds this year! :)

It's the first time Ateneo has broken 2 teams at Worlds, so I'm really proud of them. Ateneo was the only Asian university to reach the top 32 teams of the world this year. The next highest ranked team was ranked 70th.

This has been a really great year for my alma mater, having also won the Asian Universities Debating Championship, and reaching the Grand Final of Australs. :)

I'm happy to have been a part of that legacy, if only briefly. I know, at heart, I will always be an Atenean debater.

Fried chicken and motels... a marketing dream? :)

I just found out from one of my friends tonight, that this motel chain in the Philippines is offering free fried chicken to couples who stay an extra hour in the motel. ;) I have no clue what they call this promo, but a few phrases come to mind... :D

Seeing as how some kids read this blog, though, they will remain unspoken/untyped.

Funny though, what some marketers will do to get customers. Reminds me of that case we studied in my Masters program, about the convenience store chain that decided to put the diapers right beside the beer. They had found out through customer research that most of the people who buy diapers are actually fathers coming home from work... and that some associated selling (hence the beer) might work.

Guess what? It worked like a charm. :) Beer sales have never been higher.

So I guess this fried chicken thing might not be such a bad idea after all... ;)

As we leave our shadows behind

It's hard to imagine life
As anything more than
An unfinished palette
Less masterpiece than mess,
Dubious colors swirling in the shadows
Of the approaching sunset,
As the light gives way to something less...
And what artificial cheer is brought
By hopeful pricks of candlelight
In the gathering storm of gloom that is night
Seems to fade to insignificance beside
The darkness it seeks to set aside,
As the flickering shadows intrude
On the thoughts we seek most to hide.

Dawn is so very far away,
And even as we start to say goodbye
To the day that slowly leaves our minds
We yearn for hopeful truths to find
Somewhere in the morrow
Where the candles need no longer shine
As the spirits that stir in the enveloping dusk
Fall, once again, asleep a time,
Where the one true joy is only ever thus...
To see the sun, glorious in the newest of days...
To transcend our past, as we leave our shadows behind.

What would you do...?

I wrote this some time ago, but I guess the ideas are always going to be relevant, so here goes...

* * * * *

If you know your relationship is going to end at some point, but you still love each other very much, do you let the thing drag on until it gets too painful to hold on to, or do you end it quickly to save yourselves the pain?

There are a number of sides to this, of course, not the least of which are practicality vs. romance. I mean, if you can avoid pain, the practical side of you would probably say, "Do it." If, however, you can somehow hold on to your love for even a little bit more, the romantic side of you may say, "Hold on."

I guess it all depends on what you consider important, and just how much you're willing to sacrifice for it. But, really, if there is no happy end in sight, is life going to be better for you if you move on as fast as you can?

Why is it, though, that life often forces us to choose between what we want, and what is good for us? Why do we seem to always have to embrace options we never wanted?

Too many damn questions. Too few real answers. "And never the two shall meet..."

Happy New Year :)

Just wanted to wish you all a Happy New Year! :)