Who reads these things (blogs) anyway?

Seoul: 25° F with slight overcast...
or so says my dashboard widget...
it's too damn dark to see outside.

Couldn’t sleep. I noticed the “NEXT BLOG>>” button on the top right corner and started clicking on it. One blog after another… one boring/mundane story after another. I mean, all the bloggers are writing as if someone is actually reading their stuff… wait… I’m reading their stuff… Wait, come to think of it, I’m one of those bloggers…

I guess this is what happens to your brain on sleep deprivation… Not a good way to start out the year...

Happy New Year!

Seoul: 31° F with slight overcast

May you pass out happily drunk and awake without a hangover... or a mistake sleeping next to you. And, hopefully, don't make a habit of it in 2006.

May your new year be filled with good fortune and wisdom.

Pirated Movies: AeonFlux & The Chronicles of Narnia

Seoul: Mostly Sunny 35.6° F

I see a sign that says “Any three DVDs for 10,000 KRW (about 10 USD).” ‘Oh, good.’ I’m thinking I could probably get a bargain on classic movies or used DVDs. As I walk up closer, something immediately grabs my attention. AeonFlux? ‘Wait… is that movie even released?’ I ask the vendor if I could check if it actually works. It’s a good thing I carry my PowerBook at all times. I open the case to find a generic blank writable DVDs you would normally find in stores. I pop in the DVD and it actually starts playing AeonFlux. ‘How could this be???’ Then I notice another movie I know for sure hasn’t released in Korea: the Chronicles of Narnia. I want to take a picture of the entire display, but I don’t think the vendor would appreciate that. So, I bargain with the vendor and fork over 7,000 KRW to buy pirated AeonFlux and the Chronicles of Narnia so that I can take pictures.

I am not in the habit of playing the role of a tattletale… I am usually known for the opposite: keeping secrets. But this time, it is just so wrong that I have to say something. I take pride in my Korean heritage and I believe Koreans have come so far in such a short time. And to see something like this in broad daiylight on the streets of Seoul, it made my blood boil. Also, as a movie enthusiast, I want movie industry to make enough money to reinvest into improving itself.

I think the Korean government needs to strengthen their enforcement of copyright infringement and clean up the image of Korea. It’s bad enough that Dr. Hwang is giving Koreans a bad name.

Note after a quick fact check: AeonFlux and the Chronicles of Narnia were released in the states on 2nd and 9th of December, respectively, but neither of them was released in Korea.

Teaching English in Seoul

Well… not exactly. ‘Trying to teach’ would better fit my experience. So far, I had 3 prospective students and 2 last minute cancellations. They made the appointment and made it sound like they were quite committed. Being a naïve American, I took their word for it. The first one never even bothered to tell me that he changed his mind and ended up waiting for him for an hour. I actually had to call the second one an hour before scheduled meeting to find out she had a change of heart.

Is it just me or is this common practice in Korea? I feel I need to walk this off…

I may be a workaholic...

Seoul: Sunny 28° F

Well, I may be a workaholic. I should be enjoying my time off after living my life at full throttle for the last several years... But, I am going stir-crazy. I feel as if I am at a stand still on a conveyer belt that is moving slowly backwards.

Thinking of Seattle

As I sit by the window, on the 2nd floor of Starbucks near the American Embassy, I regurgitate the third and final over-the-phone interview with the company based in Seattle (see entry "Seattle..."). I think it went well… I am unsure what the next step will be. But as I ponder on the possibility of relocating, I feel myself drawn a little closer to Seattle.

2006: Year of Charlie (?)

I couldn’t help but laugh when I read the news titled Modern Upgrades Under Way At Nation's Oldest Subway. Apparently Boston’s Massachusetts Bay Transportation Agency (MBTA) is upgrading their system to use smart card. But the funny thing is, they are making it sound like they are on the bleeding edge of technology… calling it the “Charlie Ticket” as if it needed a name and calling 2006 the “Year of Charlie.” Koreans have been using it for years. They have smart chips in their credit cards, transportation cards, mobile phones, and key chains. I mean, it’s great that MBTA is upgrading their system, but don’t make it sound like this a groundbreaking revolution.

Yahoo! Avatar

I started using Yahoo! Avatar – a Flash representation of self. Yes, I must admit I have way too much time on my hands, but that’s what you have plenty of when you are on a sabbatical of some sort. Apparently, this is closest I can get to what I look like given the limited options provided. I personally think I have better taste in clothes...

Since the image is generated from a Flash contruction each time the image is accessed, when I change my Avatar, the image will change. It's an interesting concept. This may get better as they add more options.

old journal entries: 24th Boston Marathon

2005.04.18 13:31:59 Monday
Boston

It is probably the first warm spring day in Boston that happened to coincide with the 24th Boston Marathon. It's the day for everyone who's endured the long New England winter to bask in the warmth and the beauty of Boston spring. It's filled with life and budding fresh leaves match the crisp and fresh spring air. Though it's still a bit brisk for tanning, Bostonians who have been yearning for the warmer days shed their shirts for the warm mid-day sun. Someone once described this phenomenal sight as "hanging out the laundry." One small cluster after another, just enough space between them to distinguish the groups, Bostonians let their winter pale skins be introduce, once again, to the love they once abandoned at the end of summer... and yet I sit indoors, shielding myself from the pollens that stealthily travel up my nose and wreak havoc with my immune system...

Book Review: Pragmatic Version Control Using CVS

I don’t know why it took me so long to pick this book up. It’s a fairly brief book on version control using CVS. I have been using CVS off and on for the last 7 years, but since I used it for my own small pet projects, I only utilized a small subset of features of CVS; I really didn’t feel the need or have the time to create a well-structured repository. But this book explains CVS in simple and practical fashion that I now want to use CVS properly. I spent only a couple of hours in the morning reading it and it was worth every minute.

Product Review: Sony Cybershot T1

Well, I guess it’s a bit late to be writing about a product that’s been out for more than a year, but I just had to say something. T1 was marketed as the most “portable” digital camera on the market. While that is true to a certain degree, I feel the need to comment on the T1 having had it for more than a year.

Warped Reality

Observe the two building in the picture on the left. The two building are leaning toward the center of the picture. The first time I saw it, I thought it was just my eyes. Then when the warp appeared consistently, I realized it had something to do with the lense and how it captures the image. I’m no expert photographer, but I really would prefer the camera to capture life as it is.

Tripod Adaptor?

After taking a good share of nighttime photos, I realized when taking a picture of stationary objects at night, it’s far better to turn off the flash and allow for extended exposure. The problem is holding it still. So, I decided to buy a small, hence portable, tripod for the T1. Then I realized Cybershot T1 doesn’t have the standard port(?) – an inlet to screw in a tripod. The sales person told me I would have to buy a whole kit that is no longer sold since T1 is a last year’s model.

High School Photo from 1988

I was going through some old photos when I came across one of my high school photos. It has been almost 20 years, give or take a couple of years, since that photo was taken and it seems so far away. My worries of those days were so trivial compared to the ones I struggle with today. Will I regard my worries of today as trivial in another 20 years…? I wonder how the friends of my adolescence are doing…

Blog Annoyance...!

OK. I consider myself somewhat technically savvy, but I’m experiencing some annoying behaviors from my blog provided by Blogger.com and I don't have a solution. I guess the whole problem started when I changed my blog name from oldman1004 to gentlekryptonite. For some reason, Google’s blog search seems to link my blog entries that do not appear on the first page with the old blog name (hence WRONG URL). And when I tried to search for words I am absolutely sure exists in one of the entries using Blogger.com’s search-this-blog feature, search comes up with nothing. Does anyone have any idea how I can fix this annoyance!?

Knowledge vs. Wisdom

This is a re-post of a page from my old website [2001.01.30]

Over-eating sometimes causes indigestion and a long-term practice of over-eating can result in waste build-up in our system/body. So what does this have to do with Knowledge vs. Wisdom?

I have been thinking from time to time about the relationship between knowledge and wisdom. Some people may not wish to or be able to differentiate the two terms, but there is a clear distinction between knowledge and wisdom.

Knowledge is basically the food for our brains. Knowledge gained through many forms (books, mass media, religion, etc.) can shed new light and introduce catalyst that can stir our minds and put thoughts into motion. Knowledge, however, does not automatically result in wisdom - as we often see quite a few so-called "intellectuals" who couldn't be further from being "wise". What, then, is wisdom? Wisdom is the final product of fully digested knowledge that helps us with future decisions in situations seemingly unrelated to initial state of knowledge.

People, for some reason, seem to equate knowledge with wisdom. In search of wisdom, they plow through self-help books, attend lectures, earn degrees... and form reaction dictionaries in their minds; in situation "A", must react by action "B". As the reaction dictionary grows, the false illusion of becoming wiser grows.

They fail to question - "why B"? When they do not question the reasoning of the originator for choosing "B" as the reaction for situation "A", they are assuming the words originator of the reaction to be absolute; this is quite untrue. The word human itself has imbedded in it the sense of weakness and imperfections. Since the reaction "B" is derived by an imperfect being, one must question the reasoning and study the situation carefully and arrive at one's own conclusion. This is how we can learn from bad as well as good example. Once we arrive at our own conclusion and have given the knowledge enough thought to evaluate (digest), we must remember that we, too, are human and can be wrong. It may seem absolutely correct at the moment, but with introduction of newfound truths our absolute truths will one day be only partially true if not obsolete. If we don't lose sight of this fact, we will spare ourselves from the pains of "pride".

Without rambling on... "what is the indigestion of the brain?" It's an illness caused by over accumulation of knowledge without proper digestion resulting in arrogant individuals who fail to live as decent human being. This "indigestion" is triggered by losing sight of the fact that they are human beings and the truth they hold dear may be incorrect. This often occurs due to achievements, giving validity to their "truth," and the false notion of the center of universe.

I need to get some sleep... (2001.01.30)

oldman?

OK... People keep asking me if I'm really old and how old. So, I thought I would make this clear -- in writing -- so that I don't have to keep repeating myself. It's just a nickname I picked up as soon as I was born. Because I was about twice the average birth weight (notice how I barely fit into a child's chair on my 100th day), the nurses kept referring to me as the "old man." For some reason, that stuck with me for life. Even as a child, I've always considered myself an old soul.

Update: As of 2006.03.20, I am 33.

Seattle...

Nothing is set. Nothing is definite. But, recently I have been considering moving to Seattle. I have been planning my return to the states; looking for a job was the first thing on the list. I searched the usual places online – HotJobs, Monster, CraigsList – for jobs in Los Angeles area. But for some reason, a well-known company in Seattle contacted me for an interview. As I went through the first and second over-the-phone interviews I keep imagining myself living alone in Seattle – a small condo in a high-rise in downtown.

Movie Review: Typhoon

Wow. I must admit Korean film industry has come a long way. I am no expert, but as a critical movie enthusiast that watches an average of 50+ releases in theathers a year, I can safely say, I have seen a good share of movies. And let’s just say, Typhoon just put Korean movies in a whole category; it rivals any of the Hollywood movies I’ve seen.

Typhoon is about a North Korean defector, Sin (short for MyungShin), whose family was shunned by South Korean government due to political pressures from China. The Chinese government turns over the family back to North Korea and in the process the entire family, with the exception of Sin and his older sister, dies. From that point, he vowes revenge. This all sounds like any old action movie with little significance. However, what the movie did so well was handling of delicate balance of human condition. I’ll stop here since I don’t want take away from the whole experience.

I strongly believe, as long as the production company doesn’t butcher translating into English, the movie will do well in most English speaking countries as well.

First Snow

2005.12.03 22:32 Seoul

It was late. The lights were turned off for the night. As I looked outside the window from the living room, the evening sky was glowing; a haze of whiteness was reflecting the city lights into an eerie orange… As I looked closer, I realized it was snowing. First snow… My mind began to drift… to a place where I was once happy…

As I sit and watch the snow fallin’ down
I don’t miss you at all.
I hear children playing, laughing so loud
I don’t think of your smile.
So if you never come to me,
you’ll stay a distant memory.

Out my window, I see lights going dark…
your dark eyes don’t haunt me.
And then I wonder who I am…
without the warm touch of your hand…

And then I wonder who I am…
without the warm touch of your hand…

As I sit and watch the snow fallin’ down,
I don’t miss you at all.
I don’t miss you at all.
I don’t miss you at all.

"Don’t Miss You at All"
by Nora Jones
Feels Like Home (2004)