Back in Bangkok, the city of fun and hope

After a long while, I am now back in Bangkok. The city makes always a great deal of sentiment to me. Not to mention that Bangkok is full of all kinds of entertainment. An extravagant nightlife around Silom and beautiful boutique restaurants along with vast choices over street food, I would say that there is no doubt Bangkok is on top of people's minds as an entertainment destination.

The city means a lot more than that to me. I have experienced all the more ups and downs in this city. Once I have fallen in love here. Once I felt torn apart and fell in despair here. Yet, most of the time, the city has given me a specific turning point in my mind and recharged my soul.

During the past three days with my closest friends, Joohyung and Philipp, I have been realising that I could recharge my body and soul here again. Now that Joohyung went back to Seoul (Thanks again, by the way. You made it all the way down here to see me, AGAIN... What can I say? You are my true lifetime friend!), I think I should find more time on my own, reflecting on things have happened in my life during past few months. I am sure, when I leave this city for Dubai in a few days, I will have filled my heart with passion and hope again.

Thanks again, my friends. Thanks again, Bangkok.

Been a long time, mate!

In the meantime, one of my close classmates from IMD, KK visited Dubai. I haven't seen him since we graudated. The weekend with him was very pleasant in spite of a tragic news. These are some of the pix that I took with him.

On Friday, we went to Shang Palace at Shangri-la hotel for a Dimsum brunch. Anit, Jeremy, KK and I, we indeed ordered too much.


Then we went to Jumeirah Beach Park to join Minsoo under the burning sun and on the burning sand. Nevertheless, the water rather chilled our bodies pleasantly and a few minutes even after the water, it felt wonderful being grilled by the Middle Eastern sunbeam. We had a wonderful time. See the pic below. Minsoo boy was drinking Soju that I brought. Who can possibly block him!! :D


Then we later on went to Burj Dubai area to get together with other IMD classmates. From Souq Al Baher, we could catch up with Music Fountain show. I'm sure this will become one of the major tourist destination soon.


Later that day, we went to Anit's house warming party at The Address hotel. Boy, it was another wild evening party with a bunch of friends.

KK, I forgot to take any picture of you unfortunately. It was great to see you again and am happy that you had a good time in Dubai. Let's catch up soon either in Switzerland or back here in Dubai.

RIP, you will always be remembered

May 23, 2009

A ordinary man with very ordinary values who tried to change Korea has deceased. The man who has spent his entire life fighting for the humanity has thrown his life away and kept his dignity against the political oppression of the current administration.

Amidst hypocrites and thick-faced liars in this scene, he was the only one who kep his ordinary values as a human being and refused to compromise them to protect his people and the history.

Now he's gone. The great leader that the country has never realised what he truly was to itself, has left a lot of legacies and lessons that our generation has to deal with.

Mr. Roh. I will remember you. The society will remember you. The history will remember you. As another ordinary citizen just as you were, I will remember this day and constantly remind myself of what you were trying to accomplish in our society.

Thank you. It was great to have you as our president.

Rest in peace.

New York Times article on him

'Once', the movie of our ordinary sentiment

I watched this movie 'Once' last night. There are many things that I feel compelled to write about this movie.

There is no such a drama as other maid-in-Hollywood films. There is no artificial tear or heartbreak in this movie. It was rather monotonous capturing ordinary life strugging from ordinary life. The emotion and sentiment that two characters go through in the movie are the exactly same things that you and I would face in our daily life as an ordinary person. It is a story of you, a story of me, a story of us.

I can't even recall the name of the guy. I don't know whether he was ever called by his name in this movie. This guy is hidden behind the wall of his own world, just as most of us. He has his love, his wishes and dream. Yet, he is locked up in his routine life, longing for what he would pursue. The same story goes to the girl.

However, they have a truly special way of communicating to the world. Through their music. The music is an essential part of this movie, which both of them estalish communication to their heart and enjoy the freedom from their routine lives.

After all, their romance would not be materalised. They are bound to their own life, cannot venture anything further. The guy left for London to be with his girlfriend. The girl has her husband back from Czech. Are they happy after all? I am not sure. But I am sure they are relieved.

Ah, please go watch this movie and listen to its soundtrack. What I feel now.... this movie is gonna deliver a lot of emotions to me for a long time. I am watching it again tonight.

Listen to Falling Slowly from twisten.fm

I'll be alright without you by Journey

Al shared with me such great words of wisdom the other day. Al, you are truly amazing with all these great perspectives on life.

There comes a time in your life when you realise who matters, who doesn't, who never did and who always will. So don't worry about the people from your past. There is a reason they didn't make it to your future.

I am putting a firm closure now. It's been a great month together. It's been rather a soulful period of time dealing with the aftermath. Many questions remain. But I decided not to ask. I am very happy to move on this way.


Funny enough, I am listening on my itunes to this song from Journey. I'll be alright without you. There'll be someone else, I keep telling myself. Listen to this from twisten.fm.

Pondering over a getaway destination and the winner is,..

I decided to get away from my life here for a week. Can't afford more than that. I thought I was in need for a (semi-) medical treatment. Given that my mood was not very much as high as usual and that I felt some issues also about chemical imbalance, I thought that was what I was going to do. Now I have a burning desire of seeking fun in addition to rejuvenation.

I have seriously then considered Mykonos / Santorini in Greece and NYC. I wanted some serious distraction and an opportunity to reboot my mentality. While was hesitating over 3 destinations, I had a chance to speak to Chris. He reminded me again of the simple fact. I have a bit of health issues and this requires a certain medical attention. Going to Bangkok would be a good combination of rejuvenation and will give me a chance to catch up with my very best friend. More than anything else, I need to stabilise my life.

So the answer is Bangkok again. It would be like what,... 23rd time for me to visit that city? Who cares. I feel comfortable and very relaxed in Bangkok. I know the city inside out. I love the food and the culture. I love spa experiences. I feel very happy in Bangkok. That's what I need. After this trip, I will be seeing myself fully back on the track.

I will be leaving on May 28 and coming back in the following weekend.

Ah, one more thing, Behzad told me one thing when he heard of this plan. "Have a blast in Bangkok!" Yeah, mate. I surely will!

One of those lists

Got this list from Marcus's blog.

Rules for the 'game' is simple but very strict. You may only answer with Yes or No. No improvising. Nothing else but Yes or No.

Although you may explain your answer if anyone asks you to do it later in the comments.

1. Kissed any one of your Facebook friends? Yes
2. Kissed someone you didn't like? Yes
3. Slept in until 5 PM? No
   
4. Fallen asleep at work/school? Yes
5. Been cheated on? No
6. Held a snake? No
7. Ran a red light? Yes
8. Been suspended from school? No
9. Totalled your car/motorbike in an accident? No
10. Been fired from a job? No
11. Sang karaoke? Yes
12. Done something you told yourself you wouldn't? Yes
13. Laughed until something you were drinking came out your nose? Yes
14. Caught a snowflake on your tongue? Yes
15. Kissed in the rain? Yes
16. Sang in the shower? Yes
17. Sat on a rooftop? Yes
18. Been pushed into a pool with all your clothes? Yes
19. Broken a bone? Yes
20. Shaved your head? No
21. Blacked out from drinking? Yes
22. Played a prank on someone? Yes
23. Felt like killing someone? Yes
24. Made your girlfriend/boyfriend cry? Yes
25. Had Mexican jumping beans for pets? No
26. Been in a band? Yes
27. Shot a gun? Yes
28. Tripped on mushrooms? Yes
29. Donated Blood? Yes
30. Eaten alligator meat? No
31. Eaten cheesecake? Yes
32. Still love someone you shouldn't? Yes
33. Think about the future? Yes
34. Believe in Love ? No
35. Sleep on a certain side of the bed? Yes
36. Lied to a friend? Yes
37. Had your heart broken? Yes
38. Broke someone's heart? Yes
39. Have regrets? Yes

If you're interested and want to do the same game just copy the questions and answer them according to your level of confession ;)

Believe in love was tough for me. Had to think for a few minutes. :D


By the way, Marcus and I first met in London in Spring 2003. As we shared a lot of interests together, we had great fun chatting and drank a lot at a bar near Trafalgar/Soho. (Didn't we? ah we also went to that Vodka bar with other friends when it comes to drinking, hehe.) Later on that year, we went to Rock-am-Ring concert in Germany and camped out with hard-core rock fans together. It is very interesting to see how we have crossed paths with each other since then. Even though I haven't seen him for a long time already, I know for sure that we will cross paths again some time somewhere in no time. Mate, I miss you!!

What if people change their personalities?

An interesting talk out of the first BarCamp UAE last Saturday was about people exhibiting transparency throughout various social media tools that they use. When you are interviewed for a job, they will check your facebook, twitter, myspace, cyworld, etc. to figure out who you are. Your words, your thoughts, your opinions followed by the interactions with others will be engraved in this digital world and tag along with you whenever you go. How does that feel?

Funny thing is, I tend to have a very different 'self-portrait' on each of those tools. Just as you don't speak similar language/vocabulary with different types of groups in your life, my behaviour patterns are governed by personality that I choose to present in that specific space. On top of that, I tend to move away from heavily-crowded services where the interaction is a must component. I sometimes need my own space and tend not to actively pursue such interactions. (This is also why I recently restarted blogging.)

If somebody tracks those accounts across various web 2.0 serivces, would he/she have a fair picture of who I really am? What if I don't agree any more to some opinions I have made on some websites some years back? Does this still define who this person is to some people out there?

Scary, isn't it? Such rapid developments across social media space will define you who you are to other people based on tracks that you have left behind, with or without your consent. There will be better tools soon coming out to help others define you more, specualte your tastes and attitude. So,... what if people still do change? what if I am not a person who I used to be? How can you get away from such biased minds out there?

A message from a friend

One of my friends sent me this SMS last night.

How we deal with life is really a matter of personal choice. So choose to be happy.. Find joy in the simple things and see beauty in each person you meet. And when times are difficult, just remind yourself that no pain comes to you without a purpose.

Thanks, Al.

Battery of life

A fighting soul means such an exposure to physical and mental drain. Whilst striving to maintain a positive outlook on things around me, my battery was running out fast, I guess.

So far I have mostly dealt with an emotional hiccup by staging another state of mind in me. Sometimes my mind was even forced to forge such a state of mind. Only recently I realised how dangerous this could be.

Unlike my well-known extrovert personality on the surface, during past few years, I must have developed my inner-self as an introvert. Once in a while, I tend to enjoy a couple of days of total solitude at my own place cutting all the ties and communication to anyone. It was obviously a way of recuperation and protective mechanism that I needed to perpetuate my social life. It was the price I needed to pay for staging and maintain a certain state of mind in me.

I woke up this morning with fever and rash skin. Last night I knew it was going to happen like this. This fight that I picked up for myself, was not meant to guide myself to be more true to what I am and who I am. I guess I need to be true to my innerself now.

When this fever is gone, this surge of emotions subsides, I will be listening closer to my heart and trying to learn to focus on being more honest to myself.

Emotions come, they go. I don't manipulate, I don't encourage myself to respond.

Yalla. Going back to bed.

* Listen to The world I know by Collective Soul from Blip.fm

A little report on life

After a great evening with Jeremy, Anit and others at The Address and Chi/The Lodge yesterday, I spent the whole day catching up with things that I wanted to do for some time.

I got a haircut and a facial massage. Went to a Korean restaurant for lunch. Then went to Leigh's place for a garden party with a bunch of colleagues, followed by a wonderful Chinese oil massage at a parlor which was opened recently in my neighbourhood. Spent quite a bit of money for this body maintenance, yet it feels good. At least my shoudlers feel way better than before.

Tomorrow BarCamp UAE will be held at Dubai Internet City from 10am. BarCamp is a un-conference or user-generated conference. (Have a look at the Wikipedia link) Unfortunately I won't be presenting anything this time. It still feels very rewarding just to be a part of the organiser team. This event will be broadcasted live tomorrow through ustream. Check this link out.

Tomorrow, 8.30am at the BarCamp venue, finishes at 4.15pm. wrap up until 5.30pm, personal trainer appointment at 6pm. And in the evening I will stay home catching up with some work.

See, life goes on and moves on. I will be soon back mentally/emotionally/physically in shape again.

By the way, I am seriously thinking about going to San Francisco and NYC or taking a rejuvenation trip to Thailand or Sri Lanka.

Resolutions

It is easier said than done. It is difficult to realise that there are many things that we cannot manipulate. Especially when it comes to feelings and emotions. I decided not to waste my energy. I once was positive in general towards my life and the world that I live in. Though I wanted to go back to that happy self, I should not have wanted to reach there through what was quite relying on something unreachable.

Now I got it. Resilience will manifest in the quiet and painstaking process that I nurture within myself. Once the surge of emotions blew my mind away, I felt vulnerable out there facing the simple reality to fight through this long silence.

I feel that I am getting ready to enjoy this silence. I will enjoy this rebuilding process and get back on the track again soon. In this silence the answers will come... for sure...

My resolutions for now.

• Exercise regularly, get back in shape
  
• Read more books
• Spend more time with friends outdoor while I can
  
• Focus on work/life balance. Life first, others don't matter.
  
• Getting back to my original plan.. :)

Focus on fun, just as I once did.

Ah by the way, been a few days to post a song..

"One" by not only U2 but along with Mary J. Blige. It sounds very different. Click to listen from Blip.fm.

Soju

Another big surprise to add is, one of my friends who used to stay at my place for some time has just come back to Dubai for a visit and he brought this carton of Soju!

I love it!

Equilibrium and control

Chris has always been such a soul mate to my life. Whenever I was down and out going through turmoils, his sixth sense didn't fail to notice and led him suddenly to show up in my life. Everytime he helped me greatly hold on tight to myself and restore positive energy within me.

It was a nice surprise to have him visit Dubai last weekend. Just after a couple of phone calls and emails, he flew a long distance from Seoul down to Dubai.

During past few days, I was relieved to have this friend around my life. Not to mention that he helped me regain the equilibrium again in life, he just reminded me of the simple fact. We are all just living organism with susceptibility to emotional hiccup. What matters eventually is that some try to make constant efforts to control the state, whereas some let themselves be controlled.

There is a long journey ahead of me, or maybe a long battle ahead. No matter where it goes, I think I know a bit better where to and how to drive my energy better. As life is a constant change and I hope to keep it under control.

Thank you Chris. Have a safe trip back to Seoul, my friend.

An evening at Madinat Jumeirah

I spent a wonderful evening with one of my colleagues at Madinat Jumeirah. After a long day at work, Heineken draft beer was a good start for the evening. We sat there sampling various drinks over several hours. Sharing interesting insights/perspectives on life, emotions over many hours by the lake, I feel that I am privileged to have such a friend in my life.

Me? After all this talk, I feel greatly stabilised. I think I can go on.

Ah by the way, I need to get up in 2 hours to go to the airport to pick up a friend coming from Seoul. Dang, I am drunk and tired.... but I feel that I have regained my soul and it was very rewarding.

Good night, world. Life can be filled with hope.