day 174: what dreams may come

in one week i will have been in korea for half a year. half-a-freaken-year. no expletive can describe the past five months and twelve days. frankly, it's been a blur. each minute clobbering the next minute without a second's notice. korea is on something else. i mean i'm korean so i should understand right? no way. the lifestyle here is for the f-a-s-t and literally, the furious. maybe that's why they hired me. cause i'm from cali, you know the west coast, it's straight chillin, right? we're all laid back, speak a little slower, and have a more relaxed lifestyle. maybe the students will understand my intonations better cause i'm not talking like i'm on speed (*side note: i never done it). well korea doesn't really appreciate that lax'd mentality. it simply does not fly here. i mean unless you want to get hit by someone behind the wheel of a new hyundai. other than that, i'm working six days a week. which means by the time i get passed hump day (theoretically wednesday), i'm still not quite over it. by the time i get done on saturday, half my weekends gone, and then in a blink of an eye, it's sunday! throw some laundry in the machine, and i'm getting ready for another week. alright i'm done with my complaints.

let's see. i've been keeping my brain/mind occupied with a few good reads. i recently finished the Alchemist, by Paulo Coehlo. a fascinating allegorical book about a young boy who abandons his routine comfortable life as a shepherd in spain, to travel and find the meaning behind his reoccurring dreams. before he embarks on his journey he encounters a wise old king. the king reveals to him the secrets behind the Personal Legend. he is a symbol of truth, an untainted character whose ultimate purpose is to direct those who need guidance in the right direction. throughout Santiago's epic expedition he stumbles upon many misfortunes and obstacles, all of which were necessary for him to attain his Personal Legend.. towards the climax of the novel, Santiago meets the Alchemist. another symbolic figure. this time a symbol of knowledge. the Alchemist shares his knowledge of the language of the world, and how we are all connected by it. a few more challenges, and Santiago finally reaches the treasure he has been seeking - the great pyramids basking in the egyptian desert. i'll stop here. i highly suggest everyone to give it a read. it's a relatively quick read (i finished it in about two days). i believe it is an important piece of literature that reminds the reader, that no matter how difficult, or seemingly impossible an individual's dream may be, it is always important to listen to your heart. many people get detracted from what they really want to do for the fear of failure is very difficult to overcome. i know, i have trouble overcoming this very fear. in the end, there's only one person that can stop you from achieving your dreams, and i'm sure you already know who that person is.

i want to share a part of the book that struck me:

"What you still need to know is this: before a dream is realized, the Soul of the World tests everything that was learned along the way. It does this not because it is evil, but so that we can, in addition to realizing our dreams, master the lessons we've learned as we've moved toward that dream. That's the point at which most people give up. It's the point at which, as we say in the language of the desert, one 'dies of thirst just when the palm trees have appeared on the horizon.'"

have faith.
have self-belief.
don't ever give up.

now for some pictures

enjoi
:)











do you believe in signs?