okay, the date is almost 99% settled.

Jan. 6th~ Jan. 16th:  Mongolia
Jan. 18th ~ Feb. 4th: California

I haven't yet bought the tickets for home yet, but it is reserved. 

Yes, I'm still taking pictures.  Yes, this blog was originally for pictures.


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I got up at 4 today.  I exercised, ate breakfast, read a little bit, had some time to think about economics, politics and life, took a shower, updated my blog, and I must say, I feel fantastic.  The only problem is that it's 6:30 and I feel like going back to bed now. 

Mongolia is a fascinating country, populated by fascinating people. 

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I will break this news to the bloggers first:  There is a good chance I will be going home this winter break.  The original plan was to only go to Mongolia but... my parents miss me a lot and I need the California sun (...and tacos and dimsum and pho) because I'm slightly depressed these days. 

I'll let everyone know if it happens!

I miss home.  A lot.

Why do I want more of what I hate?  Whenever I browse through facebook statuses, I cringe  and think, "why would you anyone post this?"  And then couple minutes later, I check back again and I'm a little disappointed that there are no new statuses.  I suppose I'm just like the guy who always complains that there's nothing to watch on TV, and flips through the channel for another 4 hours.


My favorite statuses are pictures, because no matter how bad they are, I can still appreciate them.  Unfortunately (?), I can't say the same for inanity.

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yes, the above comment was on fb as well as my blog as well.  I obviously did this because I liked what I had written, and I wanted to keep it as a record (because fb is lousy for keeping records).  But without doubt, I will hate the above paragraph next week, embarrassed that what I consider to be "good work" is... well, THAT. 

The best test for your work is time.  I hate everything that I've created at one point or another, from letters to photographs to music.  Sadly but necessarily, most of my creations stay that way, but there are few gems where I say, "hey, may be this isn't that bad after all." 

Shit is a necessary component of creative process.

Winter reading list

That is right.  Korean schools have longer winter vacation (winter + spring vacation, because they are together - total of 2 months) than summer vacation, so it makes more sense to make a winter reading list instead of summer list.  Here it is:

Naked Economics, Charles Wheelan:  This book is pretty much what you think.  The author explains economics, also known as the dismal science, in a witty and entertaining way.  You'll be surprised how insightful economics can be.  I suggest that you read Freakonomics before you read this though.  Freakonomics is an economist's take on seemingly banal and unrelated issues (what does sumo wrestlers and teachers have in common?  How influential are over zealous parents?), while Naked economics explains what economics is all about.

Moneyball, Michael Lewis:  The true story about the great Billie Beene of course.  (Also a major motion picture).

Nothing to Envy, Barbara Demick:  Demick follows lives of 6 North Koreans for 15 years, and their realization that their country has betrayed them. 

False Economy, Alan Beattie:  I'm really interested in economics these days, can you tell?  But what I'm interested in is behavior economics, which is somewhat like a mixture between psychology and economics.

국가란 무엇인가?  유시민 (What is a government?): A book about the role of a government.

Playing our game; why China's rise doesn't threaten the west, Edward Steinfeld (in Korean):  Another economic book, but on China.

In the Jaws of the Dragon; America's fate in the coming era of Chinese hegemony, Fingleton (in Korean):  This book directly contradicts the book above. 

The Shack, WM. Paul Young:  Do I need to explain?  Here's an excerpt:  "In a world where religion seems to grow increasingly irrelevant, The Shack wrestles with the timeless question:  Where is God in a world so filled with unspeakable pain?" 

The Importance of Being Earnest, Oscar Wilde. 

Norwegian Wood, Haruki: 

That's about it.  Feel free to make any recommendations!

An average person's day consists of work, house labor, and hobby (may be what I really mean is leisure instead of hobby).  Yes, the lion's share of our conscious time is spent doing these three things above, and then we die. 

But that depends on how you define hobby.  Well, how do you define hobby?  The authors of Freakonomics define it as "something you do without being told to do [outside of work]."  I have a slight problem with this definition, because no one tells me to brush my teeth but I wouldn't call it a hobby (may be house labor).  I guess you can refine it by saying, "something that you do for fun, relaxation, amusement or achievement, though you are not being told to."  By this definition, it's pretty much everything else besides sleep, work, and house labor. 

So what is your hobby?  Unfortunately, mine is facebook and cyworld.  Yes, facebook and cyworld.  It's grim and pathetic, but it's true.  Friends, that is how I spend most of my leisure time, on facebook, nate.com (another name for cyworld), and skype.  There is a good reason why I haven't had any magnificent accomplishments lately.