The success is the greatest revenge.

 

 

This video of John Carpenter solving the last question to be the millionarie and becoming the first winner of the quiz show is my favorite moment of the history. Especially the part that he called his father to tell that he would be the millionarire was the best. I am not sure that the story about his childhood that I heard was whether true or not, but it totally inspires me for the time I fell down.

Here in the world, in the relationship with others, I could not avoid getting wounds no matter how hard I tried not to be sensitive about the words and behaviors they've done. At the younger age, I've thought of so many revenges against the people who hurt me, but once in the period of growing up, the idea saying I should not be under what others said and did and never let them destroy the happiness of mine came right in the middle of the mind. I was really weak and easily get influenced by the environments and what people talked about me, but I learned that what others think and talk about me is nothing. Some are from the jealousy and others from the envious heart. The only duty that I have is to live my own life well enough not to leave the regret behind.

And the success is the greatest revenge. The sucess means not only well-living, but also the great fortune to let them know. To get the moment of the revenge, focus on the aim and life.

Stop delaying the tasks, finish the work you started and move onto the next stage.

 

Since today for the next four days, Korean thanksgiving break has been started, and I planned several things though my laziness might resist me from the end line.

1. Finish the final draft of the writing from the spring.
2. Read four books shown in the picture.
3. Start writing the Korean novel for the annual spring literary contest.

Last night, I read the webtoon, Korean cartoons published serially on line, and the main theme was about the motivation and action. I always try to do something, but don't have the energy to push through the ending line, which made me discouraged and later blamed on other factors. Now soon I be 25 years old and don't have time to waste anymore. Before becoming 25, I would like to finish things I've started in the previous year.

War is not the easy word to play around.

This book never let me get bored with short chapters and speedy development of the story. At first, I thought that Pete was a child with no consideration for his loving grandfather; however, being in his shoes at the age of ten-ish, the loving room-the own shelter-might mean more than the place to sleep. I really love that part when grandpa started his revenge and played around with him. Sometimes, grown-up men try to treat kids as they treated each other, but to let them learn about their behavior and life, they have to treat them as a little kid. Through experience, they will learn what is wrong and right. I believe because grandpa played the "war" with Pete, Pete got the change to think of the process of the war and what the meaning of the war is.

"Growing up, Pete," he said, "it isn't easy. Sometimes you have to do things you don't like." p.25

I totally sympathize with the phrase, but made me little sad. Grown-up meant more than "adult." They have to bear so many things that either they earned or not. By getting a year older, the society put one more responsibility and duty on the shoulders. It came as other forms and reasons, such as "for the loving one" or "for a living." However, sometimes, it became too heavy to tolerate that weight alone. 

"Maybe this is how wars get started and just go on and on," I said. "Your enemy does something bad to you, so you do something worse to him. Then he gets you back and you get him back and the whole thing gets bigger and bigger and meaner and meaner and in the end someone drops a bomb. Isn't that the way it happens?" p. 127

Generation who didn't experience the war thinks too easily about the war. The war is not the simple progress to get what we want, but the very complicated and dreadful wasting time on the desire of the power. Everything starts small, but grew bigger and bigger. Sometimes later, it became too massive to end it. The best example could be the world war 1 and 2. In my opinion, the World War 2 directly showed the disaster of the war. Through bloody fight, I bet some got the "historical" and "national" benefit, but there were too many victims who died and injured, not only because in the battlefield, but also captivated for the sexual slavery, the living-body test, and forced labor. War is not the easy word to play around. 

"How you shouldn't always do what your friends tell you to do. They're not living your life, you are. And you have to decide what's right or wrong." p.136

The War with Grandpa, Robert Kimmel Smith

Reading books in the library is the great memory of youth.

"I knew you would love reading if only you would give it a try." p. 46

It is the storytelling book about the library, fun and easy to read. It is not a book about the impressive saying, but about the ordinary life that I could experience when I was young. Author might want to give the positive image of library and reading, and I believed that it actually works. 

Because of my father, I had the great memories at the library, although I can't remember any librarian like Murphy. With the book, again I thought about the library and the time at the library reading books, and now I am working at English library although it is not the typical library that you might know. At first, I decided to work here because of many English books I can read. In Korea, English books cost much more than in America, of course, and I couldn't afford the price of books I read. Working here was the great opportunity for me to read as many English books as available with the improvement of English grammar. 

Well, the story was delightful and I don't really have anything to say. For kids, a good book to read. 

The Legend of Spud Murphy, Eoin Colfer

No matter where you go, there is always the garden for you.

"There are always things to miss," said Maggie. "No matter where you are." p.46

"You must have a garden. Wherever you are." p.47

It was my starting book of Patricia MacLachlan series, although I was planning to read only three of them. While reading the beginning when Sarah came to live with Anna and Caleb for a month, I could expect how the story will end. The story was smooth and calm like the tranquil night. There was nothing surprising or remarkable; however, I really like the theme, "new beginning," and the symbol, "garden."

Life never let me stay at one place. I have to keep moving around to go forward and grow up, but if I leave things after me, I could not fit in the new environment. Until college years, I always thought of the things I miss from the past years by comparing the lives between the years. Although it did not help me to do something, I could not accept the fact that no matter where I go, I will miss things that I had in previous years. I believed that if I did my best, if I made the other decision, my life would be much happier and more enjoyable. However, after accepting the truth of things I miss, I could move onto the next chapter. I could grow up and change. 

When I move on, at first I felt like an orphan. I have no where to go and nothing belongs to me. I felt like I lost my own stage for the play of my life. I didn't know the most important truth of the life. No matter where I go, there is another "garden" that I need to take care of and write my own words. 

Life never ends until death. Always new hope and wish spring up with the new beginning. With this idea, I would like to give five stars :^)* though it was a bit boring. ★★★★★

Sarah, Plain and Tall, Patricia MacLachlan

You have to write your name on the dust of the land.

"You don't have to love this land," said Maggie. "But if you don't love it, you won't survive. Jacob's right. You have to write your name in the land to live here." p.45 

It was my third book written by Patricia MacLachlan, and in my very personal opinion, this one is the best among the other two, Caleb's story and Sarah, Plain and Tall. The other two series are more like typical dramatic stories I can often watch TV for Korean drama show about the family, love, and forgiveness, but the topic of Skylark is more about hometown, the land where I was born and where I live at this moment. 

In fact, sometimes, while living in every day life, the meaning of the land seems much smaller than it actually is, but through the matter of drought, she well treated about the hometown and the family. I really like all the quotations talking about the land, especially part of when Sarah wrote her name on the land to show how she thought about the place where she lives with Caleb and Anna. 

The land, where I am from and where I am living, put the identity on me. I am from Busan, South Korea. When speaking in both Korean and English, I have a strong accent from Busan. When growing up and studying in the other country, being from South Korea helped me to find my own identity in every way, historical, cultural, and so on. Since being globalized, we neglected the importance of the land; however, land is more than just ground and where I live. 

Because I am dreaming of being a writer, it was one of my favorite quotes in this book, 

"I loved what was between the lines most."

"What was between the lines?" Caleb asked.

Sarah looked at me when she answered.

"His life," she said simply. That was what was between the lines."

p. 12-13

Some people who did not read any types of writing often, they might think the only words are delivering everything writer wants to say, but actually not only words, but also the arrangement of the words, phrases, and sentences delivers the mood of the writer and of the writing. Therefore, when studying poetry, we treated the space very carefully and kept them to make the tone. 

Although it was not the first series of her, I would suggest this one if anyone wants to read her books. Five stars :) ★★★★★

Skylark, Patricia MacLachlan

Enjoy the lunch by myself in the crowd.

For about a month, I was so starved for the Italian food, not about the pizza, but about the noodle, spaghetti, and finally went to the Italian restaurant by myself. It was not unusual to go to the restaurant alone, but still felt really butterflies to stay in the crowd. Actually I could more focus on the taste of the food and of the noodle. 

While eating, I've thought of saying that "if you cannot enjoy every single moment of the life all by yourself, although someone came into your life, you would not be able to enjoy the moment of happiness." by me. I totally practiced standing on my own feet, and realized that the happiness never come through others, but from inside of my mind and heart. 

There was another saying coming out from my heart. While going through the life, there were two things we have on our hands; one is the matters that we can solve and change to move forward, and another is that there is nothing we can do about it, just let the heaven work. However, because of the ignorance, we got confused which one is which and wasted the time and energy. We waste our energies on the problems that we can't solve and waste our time not to do anything on the matters that we can change and move on.  I have to wake up and always try to be wise by reading books and others' words and by facing new experiences through new people and environments. 

Love to read when working.

It has been almost five months since I started to work at English library in Mok-dong. Although working didn't always provide me the best experience and the achievement, until the time I publish my own writing, it is the best place to work for me, except the vacation season. 

I have several tasks to finish. If finish them early, I could have my own time for reading. 

1. counseling on the phone

2. writing the progress report

3. 1:1 checkup after students finish reading and writing.

There are hundreds books to read including the picture books, young adult series, and adult novel and non-fictions. I started to read the whole young adult novels and classics. I really like the way I organized my place and spent some time here. Today, I'm reading "Skylark" by Patricia MacLachlan, one of the sequel to the Newbery Medal winner Sarah, Plain and Tall.

The more fierce winter, the warmer story.

"Not one thing in the world is wrong." p. 132

The story was actually not my genre I like to read, but it was calm and touched my mind while reading. To be honest, at first, I had a little difficult time focusing on reading since the beginning was a bit weak, which made me read with the audio book; however, after about a half later, it became little more interesting and finished little quickly. Since the book was for young adult reader, age 8-10, the story was warm and could be strong, but for those who are already adults and have experienced so many things through the life, like me, the story could be boring and stereotypical plot. 

"Everyone's not a writer, Caleb," said Anna. "but everyone can write." p. 9

However, with the fierce winter, the atmosphere I delivered was really cozy and warm which made me miss the winter. (In fact, I hate winter. I am a summer person.) With the comfortable story, author well delivered the fact about the forgiveness and the love of life. We cannot blame anyone, when the time comes. 

Caleb's story, Patricia MacLachlan

There is no way to get out of the facebook.

About a month ago, I deactivated my facebook account; however, it only lasted for a month. Today, on my way home, I reactivated my account and started to think of posting my Korean diary on the facebook. Through facebook, I could read and see how my friends live nowadays. My blog is the top secret that I don't want to tell anybody who thought they knew me well, and everything in here is planned to be posted in English. I want some other place to post in Korean and maybe the facebook could be the best.

It is a little weird to show my life to someone who knew me face to face, but I need to get used to it since every one will read about my words, including novels, short stories, essays, poems and articles.

One of the blissful facts in the life is the family and friends cheer for my dream.

 

 

 Reading books and writing are the factors which kept me going on the goal. I've dreamed of being a writer for about  ten years and kept running toward the aims. I always try not to forget which way I should go becuase once I forget, it is really easy to lose the purpose of the life.

 

While I was reading a book titled "Top Secret" which was for the young adult readers, my bestfriend sent me a text with this picture. She asked me to send my writing to the writing contest and told me that I would keep the writing job for a living. It really encouraged me and actually the fact that someone believed me to achieve the life goal is the most marvelous thought to keep myself up.

 

Actually I failed about two years ago. But with my friend, I decided to attemp for this one more time. I should start soon and try to bring the fine work, which could be my first work in Korean novel.

It's already September.



It's already September and I started the new chapter of my life. I scheduled for the rest of 2015 and set the aims to accomplish. It was not that hard ones, but the goals that definitely let me go to the next level. I'm taking the beginning Chinese course in the morning at Yeouido Pagoda Language Center. Although I told them as I started Chinese for the simple hobby, actually I believe that one day, I might use it for some further plan which I don't have the exact idea at this moment, but I will when the time approaches. Also, I changed my English tutor to the meeting one, not just the texting one since she needs some speaking rather than writing.
The most important fact is that I started to go to the dawn prayer meeting every weekday. It was reaaly graceful to begin my day with the words and prayers. I felt to be protected in the Almighty God and totally to be guided in the words. While praying, I could get some wisdom for life and days and I could go to bed around 10 to 11 p.m. I totally felt that my life is getting healthier.


 

I started to go rideing the wakeboard at Gapyeong. It was funnier than I expected and I really loved it. Even though there was no one who can go with me, I just go by myself. I can have the vacation no matter friends can spend some time with me. Now I am able not only to ride following the boat, but also to do some tricks. However, I am just a beginner who started to enjoy riding them. I hope to make as the professional rider who truly feels the waves and the pressure in between the feet and water.