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The News Kiosk.
recent happenings and other news
news also available at
genologue
september 27
2002 fri ///
chicago, il.
it's a week later and i find myself in yet another foreign place, waiting
again. it's chicago's o'hare, after four hours from san francisco,
and before eight hours to london. to london! i sit at
gate k12, taking note of the people around me, wondering who might be
authentic brits, and who might be going to my school. there's
something inside me that dislikes traveling unknowingly with others who go
to your school. it happens all the time on southwest flights from
the west coast to providence. i think it's just this selfish streak
in me that wants to have the entire experience be personal, almost
anonymous. but whatever. things are about to change.
i've officially ended a drawn-out, four-month summer. i didn't
really meet anyone new, and now... now it's time to go deep into the
basement and dig out my old, sociable self. hi, i'm eugene.
i'm from the united states. where are you from? switzerland?
can i join you for a winter holiday on the alps? ha ha.
i'm allowed to dream, right?
è
when i finally departed from my parents at sfo (san francisco
international), my parents had tears in their eyes! and when my
parents have tears in their eyes, i get tears in my eyes. i can't
help it! sometimes i think that my parents are my best friends.
we've been through so much, and our relationships are always growing, and
i'm always discovering new reasons to love my parents. last night,
as i said goodbye to michael, i contemplated how difficult it would be if
my parents got hurt while i was abroad. like, seriously hurt.
my parents are my closest, most vital links in life, and if anything were
to happen to them, i would feel the pain also. but enough morbid
thoughts! i am on the brink of new adventures and life lessons, and
though my excitement has metamorphosed into anxiety about an uncertain
future, i feel ready to ship out. for too long i've (again) accepted
a very small slice of life as reason for contentment. no more.
there is too much in the world that is still left unexplored. i
am ready for something new.
è
thank you to all of who have supported me in this endeavor... people
who have bore through my verbal diarrhea about how excited i am to go--
thanks for your patience, and look! i'm finally going!
i wouldn't be here without the support and prayers of friends and family.
thank you.
è
best of luck to all this academic year... brownies, we'll party
hearty senior year. peace!
september 20
2002 fri ///
SWARTZ BAY, BC, CANADA.
a month later, and so much has conspired: road trip with dan sim to
los angeles/orange county and back. san francisco/bay area
extravaganza with grace. a week of sweet solitude in san jose, with
the occasional trip to san francisco. a week of orange county, and
babysitting, and old akpc friends. the entire family up in san jose
for the weekend. a week of my new friend, clifton ii. and now,
the pacific northwest--seattle, victoria, and vancouver. è as i type i
am waiting to aboard the ferry from vancouver island to the mainland,
where we will stay in a lavish hotel in downtown vancouver at the stunning
rate of $50/night ($75 canadian), thanks to a friend. sounds like a
good deal. it's been a while
since i last came to this area--about ten years ago, actually. and
now, i just want to get a taste of this friendly neighbor country of ours
(despite what chretien said) before i head off to europe. agh.
this is a weak entry, so i'll end it here.
august 21
2002 wed ///
en route to san jose, ca
the other flight home--this time, marking more exactly the end of a summer
in providence. having said a seemingly endless round of goodbyes,
complete with hugs and "we'll keep in touch," i'm left with a startling
realization. providence isn't that bad.
è
when i left california, i questioned why i was leaving a place where
"people cared about and loved me, and i them." that same thought
occupies my mind as i leave providence not just for home but for london.
it feels like i have been anticipating my european excursion for ages, and
now that that moment is almost here, do i still want to go? of
course i do. just, i didn't realize how genuinely sad i would be
leaving my home of two years in new england. perhaps i didn't see
myself to enough emotional and mental preparation. and, perhaps, i
will just end up missing the place everyday--though, i do want my sojourn
abroad to be one that exhausts me so much that home isn't the united
states but exactly where i find myself to be now. i hope for
many things next year, and one is the opportunity to live with
possibilities unhampered by arbitrary expectations. i indeed hope
for this.
è
so many people to thank and remember, from random faces i'd see while door
guarding at the sci li, to those everyday contacts and intimate friends
who have seen me through thick and thin. i say farewell to a life i
began to claim once i found it no longer to be mine; i say hello to
a world not quite my own and not yet experienced in any capacity.
è
i do know this: i am ready now. i am ready for anything.
i am ready to make something of myself. i am ready to travel.
i am ready to explore.
è
sigh. two years under the belt, and two years remain.
changes ahead, familiarity later. what have i gotten myself into?
july 08
2002 mon ///
en route to san jose, ca
i enjoy and appreciate life immensely in the interim moments, a trend
seems to suggest. why is that? perhaps it is the virtue of
anticontext that i have for so long advocated and still practice.
essentially, anticontext is inviting in a fresh perspective, temporarily
disrupting the routine or normal and challenging the expectable to be the
spontaneous, or--at the least--meaningful. ha. perhaps it's
just california that makes me so giddy. perhaps.
è
the summer is a third or so over--a summer wrought of struggle and
over-self-analyzing, even cannablizing--in its symbolic sense.
suffocation is a word that seems a propos, perhaps frighteningly so, but
still: reality is reality and i am, refreshing to say, not fearful.
july in california, august in providence, september in london. grand
movements, great locales: boston, newport, washington dc. and
a host of great personalities--none of which have (and really shouldn't)
passed by the 24-hour liquor stores. but still: it's
okay, even if time doesn't heal all wounds. it's okay.
è
love from the skies.
may 22
2002 wed ///
santa ana, ca
a world of airports, it seems. in the john wayne airport of orange
county this time, and it's almost eight in the morning. awoke at six
fifteen--naturally somehow. days past remarkably full, furiously
refreshing. steve last night; mentor-friend for life, now encouraged
to head off to paris, london, europe, and join me. ashley hope so
redemptive, providing every reason to be happy. summer housing not
quite figured out; feeling gypped doesn't have to be an unexpected facet
of life. faces--mostly women's, but nevertheless a real part of who
i am. flashbacks. regrets only dug under; who am i fooling but
myself? i seem to have the power. indeed.
may 18
2002 sat ///
SAN JOSE, CA + in flight
in the san jose international airport, having finished a big mac combo.
i seem to live in airports sometimes. i remember a time in high
school when i was in the john wayne airport in orange county, waiting for
my flight--i think--to san jose.
è
whoops. now i'm in the air. it was time to board so i had to
leave mid-sentence. continuing, i was at the airport, and i thought
to myself, "i really enjoy airports. i get a lot done here, whether
it be reading for english, writing in lifebook, or just collecting my
thoughts." i do think i have an affinity for terminal culture with
its overpriced fast-food and ubiquitous tv screens. there are some
airports that are definitely nicer than others. denver's is nice,
and it has a cool subway. vegas has its own slot machines. i
was tempted to play but didn't. providence and orange county's are
nice, but in a small-and-cute way. the disgusting ones have to be
san jose, los angeles, and islip.
è
i'm learning to enjoy my time here in sunny california. little time
has been devoted to my usual reflections-of-the-year, but i seem to have
preferred it that way. i think i'm having this underlying excitement
for everything that's to come. summer in providence should be a
blast because so many people will be around, and we've got two
autos at our disposal. even when i return to san jose and stay for
the entire month of september, i'll enjoy the company of my parents as
well as recent graduate and friend michael chang. while reading
newsweek aboard the plane, i thought about how technology is improving
life so quickly, allowing most of us to work less and leisure more, or at
least that's what it seems like. yes.
è
these vacation periods are so wonderful. i'm sorry; i just can't
seem to get over it. look at me. i'm 30,000 feet in the air
with my parents to the right of me, not thinking about
macroeconomics nor political science, just soaking up the sounds of
families and travelers nearby, anticipating delightful exchanges with my
family in fullerton, preparing myself for a summer that translates quite
readily to unadulterated fun, all prefacing an exciting, learning-filled
transition into british culture. lets soak it up.
è
looks like we're going to land now in orange county. hope all is
well in the rest of the world.
may 05
2002 sun ///
PROVIDENCE, RI
happy cinco de mayo, everyone. i'm in the sciences library, soaking
up my third hour of five. it's finals time, so that means two
things: (1) unusually large amount of white people in the sci li,
and (2) friends in high-stress situations. not to boast (and i have
tried to be careful, to those of you who are so quick to criticize my
tactlessness), but i am feeling great. i finished up two classes
completely last week: political science 105 and korean 040.
had to submit two final papers for ps105, and finished an easy cumulative
final in korean. all i have left is a simple group project paper and
a macroeconomics final next tuesday. this coming week will be one of
farewells as i start taking down the posters from my wall and make joymix
2002 for close and influential friends. only ten days until i am in
san jose, enjoying a meaty double double along with crispy fries and a
chocolate shake. i'm anxious to see mom and dad; haven't been
with them since january, and have definitely missed them over the
semester. now that i'm equipped with so much korean, spending time
with the parents should be a much more fruitful endeavor. hooray for
korean.
è
summer plans are solidifying; right now i'm considering taking west
african dance and video production, along with doing research with
professor harrington, living with eric huang and brian fong in the same
house, manny in the same room (andrews 330/332 all over again!). hm.
i just realized that i'm living with a whole bunch of chinese people.
so different from last summer, when i lived solely with koreans. i'm
hoping fongboy will share some of his culinary arts with us. that
should be tasty.
è
so now that life has settled down a bit, i'm just wondering what i will do
with my time. i do have to start packing. i'll begin studying
for macro on tuesday or wednesday. i need to schedule up meetings
with people. i want to go to boston on tuesday, if i can, just for
some fresh anticontext... and some good korean food.
è
well, to all my friends, good luck with your studies and let me know how i
can help. prayer, massages, cookies... i'll be there for you,
when you want me to. and i'll hold you tight? baby, all
through the night! i'll make ____ to you? too far, eugene.
too far.
è
oh, sam tam. you are funny. (he just visited me.) okay.
time to go.
april 28
2002 sun ///
PROVIDENCE, RI
i'm going to try out a new format to possibly replace the news kiosk.
take a gander at my
weblog at xanga.
[ READ
past news ]
current news headlines and weather
///
Metropolitan Booksellers.
current reads from geno's
bookshelf
letters to a young poet ///
rainer maria rilke
it was sarah kwon's sister, hannah, who recommended this book, and it's
great. it is basically a collection of ten intimate and encouraging
letters to an ambitious writer living in the early 1900s. some of
the letters are arresting, addressing so well things i have gone through
and am aware of. it's a must-read for any young writer, or anyone
struggling with the meaty questions of life, existence, and humanity.
è
on hold
the prayer of jabez ///
bruce wilkinson
i see this little book everywhere, even in costco (my favorite store)!
so i asked my old pastor, steve oak, what it's about. it's
apparently this tiny brief prayer that will transform your life. he
said it was "all right," but another guy named owen song really enjoyed
it. so i started it, and it's not fantastic, but i want to know what
the big hype is.
è
on hold
the worldly philosophers
///
robert heilbroner
a book that traces the history of economics. now wait a minute.
sounds dull, but it's actually quite good. it comes recommended by
my microeconomics professor, because it follows how economics developed in
a very "thriller-like" fashion. so he says. i'm only in the
first parts, but it's pretty good. i hear it's a must-read for
economics majors.
è
on hold
the prophet ///
kahlil gibran
sarah kwon bought me this book for Christmas and i never got around to
reading it. she got mad. so i picked it up again and started
reading, and it's pretty good. it's a bunch of poems on various
aspects of life... giving, clothes, love, freedom, pain,
self-knowledge, time... sounds like a good read and a nice break
from the Bible.
è
Finished 08.15.2001
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The Urban Development Office.
latest updates on the city
january
13 2002 sun ///
FLESHING with subpages
when
genotropolis premiered in the
fall of 2001, it only had the barest of bones to its existence. many
pages bore the lonely words, "under construction" or "coming soon."
that has changed as this winter break has afforded time to expand the
city. so, find a better interface in
the cliftonian, new viewable works in
the twidwell-batchelor school, and the first addition to
mo-cha. future updates will focus on
celebrity heights (influential people),
balboa pier (thoughts), and
missakian street (poetry).
[ REad
PAST UPDATES ]
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Welcome Center.
message from the mayor
greetings and welcome to genotropolis, geno's very home on the web.
THIS city has been long-in-planning. past attempts at HOMEPAGES saw
only mild successes. first, IN 1997, there was "THE EUGENIUS
COLLECTION," A SMALL BUT AFFECTIONATE COLLECTION OF GENOSORTS. THEN,
IN 2000, THERE WAS "WORKS," A LITERARY HOME THAT FAILED TO SEE ITS OWN
REAL CONCEPTION. SO, IN 2001, IT WAS TIME TO GIVE HOMEPAGES ANOTHER
SHOT, AND THE RESULT WAS GENOTROPOLIS. [
continued ]
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Welcome to
Metrosquare.
You've reached the epicenter
of the city--metrosquare. From here you can access the rest
of the city by riding one of the Metrolines (see below).
Here in the Square, be sure to check out:
ç
THE NEWS KIOSK
*updated*
recent
happenings and other news
news also available at
genologue
í
METROPOLITAN BOOKSELLERS
current reads from geno's bookshelf
ê
urban development office
latest updates on the city
ê
calendar of events
the
life of geno in calendar format
ê
welcome center
message
from the mayor
Metroline
schedules.
Œ
Business District.
Take the 1 line to the busy Business District. There you will
find:
graffiti alley
guestbook to sign and to view
mo-cha
personal profile, autobiographical sketch, and contact information
joydesign inc.
works and samples from joydesign
Riverside.
Take the 2 line to reach the popular Riverside area. Be sure to
visit:
anaheim eden-grace chapel
christianity, prayers, and other god-thoughts
the cliftonian
picture galleries and exhibitions
jung sook art gallery
PHOTOGRAPHY, ARTWORK, AND OTHER CREATIVE WORKS
Ž
East Hills.
Take the 3 line to reach the residential East Hills area. Spend
some time at:
celebrity heights
stories, biosketches, and profiles of
influential people in geno's life
college hill
ADMISSION ESSAYS AND OTHER SCHOLARSHIP
MATERIALS
the twid-batch school
papers, essays, and other academic works
South Beach.
Take the 4 line to enjoy the coastal South Beach area. Enjoy
your time at:
balboa
pier
reflections, thoughts, and excerpts from the "lifebook" entries
missakian street
pOETRY FROM "POETRYBOOK" AND "ENTRUST"
e squared cafe/club
songs, lyrics, and recordings
Outer Rim.
Take the 5 line to get to the Outer Rim of the city. If this is
your last stop, hope you
had a great time in genotropolis
and come visit again as the city is constantly expanding!
nancy lee cinemas
joyfilms and other videos and movies
totoro jane airport
LINKS OF ALL SORTS
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The News Kiosk - Archives.
archived news
april 24
2002 wed ///
PROVIDENCE, RI
i find myself with a burgeoning interest in economics and business.
writing on my concentration forms helps me to think what i really want to
do, and i want to work on an international level, perhaps in advertising
or marketing. but with such divergent interests, it's impossible to
be confident enough to really say where i think i'll be in five years.
happy, is all i can hope for, and hitched. just kidding.
è
so, andrew mauzey--my best friend from home--is transferring to
new york university from his current school, the christian-oriented
azusa pacific university. it's something we've been praying about
(with other good friend, ian) since as far as back as september 2001, if
my memory serves me well. so, naturally, i was ecstatic to hear the
good news. i felt like i've never been more genuinely happy for a
friend before. (for those of you who are responding, "but what about
that time with me? wasn't that the most?" uh, sorry. not
anymore. the trophy goes to andrew now. ha ha.) when i
found out, i got chills all throughout my body. it was funny,
because i talked to andrew's mom first and she was like, "oh, eugene, i
want to tell you so badly but i know andrew will want to be the first to
tell you." and he was, though i figured just as well after the
exchange with his mom. oh, man. this means so much for both of
us. it means andrew gets to cultivate his talents in the cinematic
arts at the competitive and recognized tisch school of the arts while
facing challenges unlike those ever faced before. it means he'll be
in a metropolitan city, without the comforts of home and family friends
nearby, finding himself amidst countless cultural shows and great
restaurants. and, most importantly, it means he'll only be three
hours away (four hours on a greyhound), but only during our senior years
since i'll be in london next year. nevertheless, knowing andrew's
nearby is a blessing in itself, and knowing that he's experiencing life in
such an enormously lively city is a joy. you deserve it, andrew.
grow, live, experience, and tell me of all your adventures.
è
increasingly hard to believe that there are so few weeks left.
today, summer plans to stay in providence and assist with research have
been finalized, and i can finally say when i'll be home. (it'll be
may 15 to 25, for all you californians.) so, as it all winds down,
desires to meet up with seniors and others who i won't be able to chill
with over the summer are intensifying. meal dates, emotional
letters, solemn goodbyes are all to come, so quickly, so hastily.
don't know if i can handle the pressure.
è
hard also to believe that april is already over. seemed like just
yesterday we were off to paris. not an entire month has passed and
the summer is forthcoming. o life, let me suck the marrow from you
before you fly from my hands. o me, o life.
april 19 2002
fri ///
PROVIDENCE, RI
i'm allowing myself to be a little lazy, a little happy, and a little free
as the providence weather turns warm enough that i can keep the windows
wide open at night. i'm content with what i have, anxious for what
is to come, and excited to utilize what i have learned so far. i was
reminded today--while checking out a senior industrial design show with
gina--that i love art and its expression, and artists especially, who tend
to rank high in my book of attractions. and i love design. i
am a self-proclaimed aesthete.
è
hard to believe that so little of the semester remains, with next friday
the beginning of reading period. in less than a month i will be in
california, again unpacking all the lessons i've learned at school and
facing fresher resolution, stronger self-definitions. london to come
so quickly. my god, where does the time go?
april 10 2002
wed ///
PROVIDENCE, RI
on monday, i had an economics midterm. yesterday, i turned in two
papers. today, i rest, even with my headache. it's hard to get
back to work when for 72 hours straight you have been studying and writing
away. it is now almost mid-april and i have to get my summer plans
settled. providence or korea or california?
è
i'm happily reconnecting with some old contacts from high school,
remembering that--yes--there is a world outside of the brown bubble.
è
i definitely miss home and want to see my niece. and i'm anxious for
the semester to be over, and for london to come, though lately the
realities of studying abroad seem to be only breaking my quasi-rough
exterior. seniors are leaving and i won't see anyone i know for an
entire year. my pursuit of study abroad seems to vacillate between
voluntary isolation and ambitious independence, with a mix of intensifying
wanderlust. oh, the questions.
è
i received my paris pictures online; they should be posted soon.
i look back and see how happy we were... but reality is now, life is
now. so i will choose to live it.
april 04 2002
thu ///
PROVIDENCE, RI
i awake and it is 430 ante. shuffling to the bathroom i entertain
the thought of staying up and doing work, but retreat quickly to my bed
and fall asleep. i awake again at 720 ante, the sun fighting to push
past the window blinds. it is now 747 ante, and i find myself
listening to a song by jennifer knapp that reminds me of people from as
far back as junior high, and times when all was simple, optimistic, and
exciting. few people seem to be awake, but thanks to jet lag, i am
fully alert. and with an unwieldy load of papers, midterms, projects,
and appointments on my plate, i question why i even bother to indulge in
this diversion. my stomach grumbles, half out of hunger and half out
of self-disgust. eventually, eventually.
è
as for paris, i miss it, and i have come to question why i am not in a
place that makes me as happy and free as when i was there. i liken
this environment to a prison sometimes; not all the time, but enough
to be unhealthy, perhaps, i hope not. i hate depending on the future
to pull me through the present. i hate routine, and allowing it to
get the best of me, to violate me and arrest me, trap me and deceive me.
paris was huge anticontext, and i do feel vastly affected by the
less-than-weeklong excursion. what is it, sir? what do you
want? i cannot tell.
è
so i am back in providence, both glad to be back and uncomfortable to be
in a place so "grossly familiar" (melissa's verbage), pushing away the
thickened branches of human drama, heightened insecurities, shouting
deadlines, barely-breathing faith. indeed, we trouble ourselves, i
trouble myself. just get up and go.
è
only four weeks left, and life takes on another spin, though i still don't
feel recovered from the last headache. here we go again. but
relaxing, in the warm providence sun, or the serene dark of my new
pembroke single. let me learn the art of surrender. let me see
the joy of life.
è
new link to jeungmi woo's picture shoebox at the
TOTORO JANE AIRPORT.
march
24 2002 sun ///
PROVIDENCE, RI
ah yes. spring break at last. as i write, i am watching the
oscars with friends melissa, michael, dan, and grace. and, here's
something unprecedented in genotropolis--a special guest newsreporter in
the news kiosk. please welcome contributor grace cheung.
è
bonjour, geno-fans. paris awaits -- less than 48 hours!
nibbling on pastries in cafes, winding up and down crooked little streets,
riding up the eiffel tower and taking in a fabulous view, sniffing
fresh-baked french bread, slipping hands in burlap bags of beans.
moulin rouge, cathedral of notre dame, musee rodin, dome de les invalides
de champa-fame, the mona lisa in the louvre. montmartre, provence if
we have time -- that means pure white cows in lavender fields, sweet
thatched-roof cottages, and vineyards. marvelous. but until
then it's sleepovers and staying up 'til 4 in the morning, endless
blockbuster movies, filling out tax forms, eating mediocre thayer fare,
walking down silent streets. starbucks is empty. amazing.
welcome, spring break.
è
thank you, grace. and now i will return to viewing the oscars.
happy break everyone. life is swell.
è
find new material in
missakian street and
celebrity heights.
march
14 2002 thu ///
PROVIDENCE, RI
my heart feels heavy from the realization that the seniors are graduating
this year and that i will be gone next year. i used to think it so
easy for me to say my goodbyes; now i am confronted with a painful
reality that it's hard for me to let go of anyone dear to me. i just
can't seem to imagine a life without frequently seeing the people i know
so well right now, or at least people with whom i share such rich and
intricate histories of jealousy, joy, bitterness, struggle,
self-discovery, tribulation, enlightenment. and they are many--those
difficult and humbling moments, subtle conflicts and tired surrenders--all
of it articulating the forming of a relationship like none i haven't yet
experienced. and now to let go of it, let go of it all, say my
farewells to brutal life forsaking friendships and directing people
elsewhere, away... away from a place called providence, a place i
once hated and now am beginning to love. all the struggle, painted
in the faces i see everyday, and the romances, failures, and lesser-known
pleasures... all swamped in a kind of selfish desire to keep what's
familiar within. my heart is heavy. i do not want to let go.
è
i recall past times, forced to say goodbye, nothing but tears, this
feeling of divorcing a part of myself, a part of me. the same to
come, too soon to comprehend, too cruel to reconsider.
march
09 2002 sat ///
PROVIDENCE, RI
already mid-semester, which means 25% of sophomore year left. where
does the time go?
è
this past week has been the worst of the semester thus far. ec121
midterm monday, ps105 paper tuesday, so105 presentation thursday, and
ko040 quiz friday. not to mention a
wov arch sing thursday evening and a study abroad decision deadline
friday. i guess i deserve it; the weeks preceding were fairly
easy and manageable. the next week doesn't look too daunting, and
the final week before spring break should be a breeze. and then what
is it? PARIS. je m'apelle toilet. that's all i know, but
i'm hoping to learn so much more. i'm prepping myself with french
films like amelié, come undone, and fat girl. i
just watched fat girl tonight with my beautiful friend and
co-counselor, rachel marshall. we were fully disturbed. sigh.
è
well, somehow i have to get on the ball with schoolwork, concentration
forms, summer internship applications, and other misunderstood joys of
life. indeed, i'm hoping to make this weekend a productive one, even
though grace and i are planning a zoo trip! whee.
è
photos of the collective sophomore birthday party and of newport, rhode
island with mel tea
HERE.
march
01 2002 fri ///
PROVIDENCE, RI
if you happen to meet february, tell her i must have missed her.
è
the past week has been filled with resolutions of travel. first of
all, i have decided--at last--to study abroad at the
london school of economics next year. i received the official
letters yesterday and must reply within a week. you must understand
my excitement; a full year in a foreign country will be such a
challenging, growing experience for me... something i've been
craving for a long time. lets hope for the best in this exciting
venture.
è
secondly, a few friends and i have finally confirmed our decisions to go
to paris over spring break. we've purchased air and hotel, and i'm
thoroughly excited because (1) i love the people who are going, (2) i've
never been to paris, and (3) i can't wait for some serious anticontext.
è
so, in short, life has been good this past week. i had quite a high
earlier this week; life felt so carefree and lighthearted. i
find that music, often, helps to alleviate the suffering, and that
thoughts of the future help to place things in perspective. i feel
my heart cave with gratitude sometimes, as i lie on my bed before falling
asleep, wondering how i could ever deserve all that has been given to me.
è
peace to everyone and happy march!
february
23 2002
sat ///
PROVIDENCE, RI
i'm tired of everyone trying to be a comedian. i find myself
increasingly weary of the incessant laughter. yes, i love to laugh.
i love to be happy. i prefer joy over pain anyday. but
honestly, is everything a laughing matter? is it just at
brown where people seem glazed by happiness? where is the
brokenness, the suffering? rarely, these days, do i come by those
conversations that remind me of the depth of human experience; the
kind of conversations that inspire me to pursue poetic celebrations of
life while never compromising the significance of sorrows and other
emotional torments. sigh. i am feeling dry.
è
i listen to andrew's songs and am reminded of how we loved to make music
together. simpler times, more accessible glories. none of this
extra baggage.
è
speaking of andrew, i posted some of his songs.
hear
some tunes.
february
10 2002
sun ///
PROVIDENCE, RI
overall this past week was happy. i felt content with life, enjoying
people and taking in each fresh day with a fuller, more coherent
perspective. thank God for the nice changes that come with time.
è
life at brown has been a mixed bag. many changes came with the start
of the semester as i was no longer a counselor and moved to a new dorm.
two full weeks of class have passed and, despite the circumstances, life
has normalized quite judiciously. as i write the clock imparts a
late 325 ante, the day preceded by anti-productivity and fun moments.
in a few hours, i shall awake and enjoy breakfast at a grace covenant
ministry leaders meeting. anybody want to join the newsletter staff?
è
looks like i might be in providence once again this summer, should i land
a research assistantship with sociology professor b harrington. it
would be great to stay and absorb the new england summer before my (most
likely) trip to england for a year of study abroad delights. we
shall see what God has in store for me.
è
well, it's late, and i could complain about how little i've accomplished
today, and how much i have left to do, but you know what? i have
good people to spend time with, a God who loves me, and my bed about two
feet away. so i will just smile and call it a day. good night!
january 13 2002
sun ///
SAN JOSE, CA
birthdays are strange things indeed. i encounter people who say
they're just "no big deal" and treat the day as if it were any other.
one friend of mine, eugene jang, refuses to let anyone know when his
birthday is so that nobody will celebrate it. after playing with a
few identities, i find that i am not like that at all. i expect the
special treatment. and that doesn't necessarily mean that i want
everyone who knows me to shower me with gifts. i just want the day
to be special in some way, and i imagine most other people do too.
è
okay, okay. so why all this birthday talk? you guessed it.
today i turned the big two-zero. no longer a teen. grace
called me at midnight and asked what it felt like to be an adult. i
had no idea. i explained to her, "i'm not an adult." and then
i started singing "i'm not a girl... not yet a woman" by britney
spears. it seemed befitting enough. but in all seriousness,
come on. what does it mean to be twenty? first the age gods
strip you of your venerable status as a teenager, and then they enslave
you with one more year until the alcohol and gambling becomes legal.
i mean, come on! you'd think there would be some benefit to
living two decades, but sadly i don't see any. it's a similar gripe
with my fellow double decaders, gina (jan 03) and melissa (jan 08).
sigh. ah well. i guess life can't be perfect, eh?
è
well, as i celebrate the final hour of my birthday, let me send my
gratitude for a day that really was special: grace, gina,
melissa, dan, nancy, and debbie for the phone calls, michael for the day
in san francisco, family for the dinner food and love, friends who thought
of me, and God who makes life worthwhile birthday to birthday.
thank you all!
january 07 2002
mon ///
FULLERTON, CA
merry christmas, happy holidays, and happy new year... all things i
didn't have a chance to say since the last entry. i am currently in
orange county and am fully convinced that this is the best place to be.
earlier today i chilled with some high school friends. ian and i
drove over to andrew's school (azusa pacific university) and had lunch at
in n out. we then went to andrew's place and saw annie james and
amanda eckels, two friends from high school. (all of us--save ian--were
in show choir together.) it was so nice to see them and chat with
them. i got caught up on a lot of high school gossip... who's
going where and who's dating who, and who dropped out. apparently
some people i know dropped out because of drug and alcohol problems.
it makes me sad to think that so many people are struggling. anyway,
the five of us watched the emperor's new groove and then had some
home-cooked dinner. it was a good way to spend a monday.
è
winter break is now in its third week (of four). i feel like i have
accomplished little. looking at a calendar yesterday made me realize
how quickly all of it was going by, and melissa [friend from brown] and i
chatted last night on im about how we would like this break to be a little
longer. we chatted for a good three hours about all sorts of
things... it was nice. i've had plenty of time to think about
this past semester and evaluate myself as a student, friend, and religious
believer. no solid conclusions, but admissions that this past
semester was a true struggle. of all my semesters so far, i would
have to say that this past one was the most difficult. of course,
trying times lead to new revelations, new lessons. and i'm still
learning those things as the fourth semester comes to a hasty start.
è
i definitely think i am one who makes life more complicated than it needs
to be. simplicity has always been a rarity. it was, in fact,
my "theme" for 2001. i don't seem to have a theme for 2002. in
fact, the holidays were of little significance this time around, and i
don't know precisely why. christmas just passed and new year's was
no big deal. i didn't write down any resolutions and i didn't
seriously evaluate how 2001 went. i would say it was a pretty poor
year, though. the summer was a redeeming part, but the spring and
fall semesters of school were difficult to swallow. i can only hope
that next semester will bring good things.
è
well, before my fourth semester of college begins, i still have
some time to chill. life over break has been lazily calm. i
began with a five-day new york immersion with grace. then it was a
week in san jose where i filled my days with small errands, belated
christmas cards, fantasy role playing computer games, and the internet.
my cousin from south korea, hyung-choon, is staying with us, so we went up
to san francisco one day. on the first day of the new year, the
parents and i drove down here to orange county, where i have mostly met up
with old friends from high school and church. notably, i spent a day
with eugene jang and nancy lee shopping at cabazon and riding a rotating
aerial tram in palm springs just this past saturday. i have so much
of a rich history with both of them that spending an entire day with them
reminded me of the good times we shared. i also had an
opportunity to spend some time with john jung and jane & juliet park,
close friends from church who have also constituted a major part of my
formative years. jane and i actually go way back, and i've always
taken to juliet and john because they're like family. i still want
to see more people but my time in orange county is winding down. i
was considering taking a road trip down to san diego to see john and
juliet as well as irene rhee, another friend from high school. they
all go to uc san diego. and i still want to see eugene and debbie's
dorm room at uc irvine. when i head back to san jose, i'll hopefully
get a chance to go to berkeley and catch up with friends who go there.
it's funny how these vacation periods become a time of "catching-up" with
so many different people who were/are such a significant part of my life.
i imagine that post-college years will find the same pattern with friends
from college life.
è
as for now, i continue to play with ashley hope, update
genotropolis, and understand
myself a little better. i enjoy life without the intrusion of tests
and papers, but such intrusions are soon to become reality -- and a reality i
hope to make the most of.
november
26 2001 mon ///
en route to providence
going back to school now. an eventful thanksgiving break full of
disneyland, family, and sleep. and now it's back to tackle the last
leg of the fall semester. i'm feeling a bit refreshed, though
staying home a little longer would have been nice. it's okay.
break is less than a month away, and i can handle the finals coming up if
i start early. it was nice to see andrew again; we chilled at
craig park in brea and talked about my not-so-hot life of faith.
jane and i went to disneyland with my cousin who is visiting from south
korea for an oddly indefinite amount of time. i bought over $130
worth of stuff from target to bring back to brown. i saw several
movies, including shrek, run lola run, center stage,
and planet of the apes. i chilled like crazy, with ashley
hope (she's gotten so cute) and bear (who will always be the most
beautiful dog in my book). as i jump into a week that's already
started, i will begin studying for my finals, work on a korean
presentation, plan our last unit program, and put together my study abroad
application for next year. life moves on... and it's okay,
because that's what it's all about. good music, good friends, and
sweet memories seem to make things more worthwhile. and life at
brown should be manageable until the break rolls around. good.
things are looking up, and i love my family. i really do.
looks like were landing in kansas city soon, and then it's back in the air
to providence. thank you to anna & dave, mom & dad, ashley
hope & bear, andrew, jane, hyung-choon, and blockbuster for a thanksgiving
replete. peace.
november
09 2001 fri ///
providence, ri
somewhere in between worrying about the "disappointing" B i might get in
art history and finding ways to make my day more efficient and productive,
news of death hit me. a dear teacher i worked closely with died this
past saturday, november 03. she is colleen easton, key club advisor
and beloved woman of faith. i took the news with disbelief;
nancy lee, old high school friend, called me up and shared the unfortunate
news with me. i cried, playing clips in my head of times when i'd
waltz into mrs. easton's class and talk to her of my day... she
listening intently and reassuring me of the greater things of life,
sharing as well her personal struggles and lessons. she was an
amazing woman, an immensely popular teacher, and a beautiful human
being... and now she has passed away. hers is the first death
i have ever had to experience, of people whom i felt personally attached
to, and it's difficult to take when i'm 3000 miles away from where it is
all happening. i can only offer my prayers, monetary support, and
words of condolence. she will always be remembered, forever a sweet
person in my heart who inspired and helped me, supported and saw me
through my personal growth and success. "she is somewhere now where
no one can hurt her," her daughter, erin easton, stated to the school.
how true that is. God's peace to her family, her four daughters, and
brea olinda high school, as well to all those who knew mrs. easton for the
wonderful woman she was. mrs. easton, we will never forget you.
october
04 2001 thu ///
providence, ri
at last. tomorrow i head home to see my little niece,
ashley hope, and i get a much-needed respite from life in providence.
it's been an eventful seven or eight weeks, to say the least. i feel
like a good recovery is underway this weekend. sometimes i get a
little weary, though, because i don't want to get too dependent on
"escaping." i am heading home this weekend, and i have looked
forward to this with great enthusiasm, but i hope i'm not becoming too
dependent on home... because, you know, i am growing up.
whatever. i try to justify everything by mentioning my niece, and i
think it's a legitimate justification. as for life ensuing, i
actually don't want to think too much about it. when i return to
providence, it will be the final week before the two-week wave of midterms
hits... which means mad studies.
è
sometimes i get all excited about being in college, experiencing again a
kind of first-love with being around so many people and learning so much.
and then sometimes i just get so claustro'd out, and i can't believe i'm
seeing the same people everyday, and i can't handle all the publicity of
college life. it's a tiring duality, but one i must learn to cope
with.
è
man, am i dissatisfied, or am i not? and why is faith so hard?
september
27 2001 thu ///
providence, ri
i don't know what to say. it has been a tumultuous month and a
disappointing week, but i am actually feeling a bit optimistic right now.
nothing has really been going the way i would have hoped. i am
behind in work, unversed in the lives of people i care about, and
desperately seeking some "time away" and real joy and peace. i'm
excited to go home and see my niece,
ashley hope. i bought a ticket to go home for columbus day
weekend and the roundtrip airfare was only $128.50. i'm excited
because i am certain this trip will do me some good--it will give me a
chance to reflect about the start of my sophomore year, organize my
priorities and reiterate my expectations, and learn to appreciate all that
i have been experiencing. there really has been no real break ever
since mpc training began back in mid-august. though i took a nice
boston day trip, it was hardly sufficient in fully reinvigorating me.
i've been telling rachel (my awesome women's peer counselor) that i have
not been myself these past few weeks, and that a trip home will reorient
me for the better. i have definitely been having a hard time this
month--relationally, socially, spiritually, emotionally. i've been
telling people that counseling is not hard but it is
challenging, and that i don't regret my decision to counsel. i'm
learning so much through counseling, and i'm enjoying interacting with the
first-years. i do feel, though, that i still want to pursue
something outside of academics and counseling. be it community
service, increased involvement in the church, or whatever, i want somehow
to challenge myself even more--that i may learn and take advantage of the
college experience. it's funny. lately, i've been thinking
about how much i love literature, and how much i love a good book--though
it is reading i have qualms with. i have also been thinking about
concentrations, and education always seems like an attractive option.
i wonder what i will do with my ivy league education-- i was
reminded by our professor in sociology 103 that, as college students at an
elite institution, we represent the top 0.1% of humanity. her
thoughts made me wonder how i would serve the world with my abilities,
creativities, and ambitions. in terms of concentration, i thought i
had abandoned theatre arts and english, but i am reconsidering english and
also education. i experimented with economics and decided it was not
for me, so now i am looking into a lesser-known concentration known as
ppso, or public and private sector organizations. fa la la.
there seems to be so much that could be good news, but i'll just let it
all flow for now. the weekend is almost here and it's hard to
believe that i am excited to get some serious studying done... but i
am. go studying!
september
13 2001 thu ///
providence, ri
tragedy still lingers in the air, and it's been one hell of a draining
week. all of us are aware of the recent terror attacks, and on
tuesday--though very distraught i was--i was absolutely exhausted. i
feel like, in many respects, that this year has begun in all the wrong
ways. in conversation with john oh, my discipler, i was listless,
unenthusiastic, even pessimistic. i feel like i've become more
cynical, more critical, and less capable of enjoying life. the
causes? uncertainty about the future, troubles with faith and sin,
relational inadequacies, and self-esteem issues. i had such a grand
vision for sophomore year, and with one week of class under the belt, i
find the entire start to be rather anti-climactic. but this is
nothing compared to the recent horrors, and i do feel that things within
the personal sphere are slowly improving. i must remember to pray
for those who are hurt and in need, and i am hopeful for a bit of personal
relief as the weekend comes. grace and i plan to have a mall-go
date; we've had little opportunity to re-connect since the school
year has begun and since we are so far apart residentially. my hope
kids are all superstars. and, of course, it is a solemn time, and i
am anxious to see what the next course of events will be. peace to
all who read this.
september
04 2001 tue ///
providence, ri
the first day of the academic year. i am now an official sophomore.
i'm feeling a mix of things: fatigue, excitement, optimism,
uncertainty... the past two weeks have been a mighty blur;
writing in lifebook iii tonight i realized that little time has been spent
in reflection, journalism, and quiet time. i'm afraid the year only
gets busier from here on, with its own provocations and obstacles.
though fearful, i'm fully aware that challenge is the mother of
self-discipline, and already i see small spurts of personal growth in the
areas of interpersonal communication, personal integrity, self-esteem and
identity, and time management. i am overwhelmingly grateful for the
people who support me, say hi to me, hug me, and offer their
much-appreciated friendships and smiles. i love my hope kids, i love
my room, and i am finally loving brown. all good things. and
what's better: this is only the beginning. to sophomore year!
august 30 2001 thu ///
providence, ri
mpc training, all-counselor training, twtp, and now orientation 2001.
the past fifteen days have been an absolute blur. i've been busy
from morning to morning, and already the class of 2005 is already here.
classes begin tuesday, and most people are back or are moving back to
brown. sophomore year has already begun in one sense. i'm
sitting in my hope single and realizing that my unit is going to be
awesome this year. i suppose things are optimistic in general for
me, though i don't feel it. any excitement might be subsumed in a
greater, all-encompassing fatigue. very possible.
august 20 2001 mon ///
providence, ri
training is a bit exhausting. mpc training ended [yesterday,] and
all-c training begins [today.] i finally moved into my hope single,
and i'm enjoying it. location is prime... right by manning
chapel (where i worship) and on the main green (where i class-go).
nothing's really unpacked, and it's almost 1 ante. i'm tired, but
i'm not sleepy. you know the feeling? but i have a mixture of
excitement, anxiety, and exhaustion regarding the next week. some of
the first-years of color will be here friday, which means counseling
duties begin very soon. insane. the past week, with mpc
training and all, has been a trip. i'm so grateful for the
opportunity to meet new (and good) people, and it's good to know that
we'll be a pretty solid group. my co-counselors in hope are
fantastic; i don't think i could go any better. and our
community director is awesome. things just look very positive.
so thank God. faith has been a positive thing in recent days, and
john oh finished his mcats. i love that kid. such fun.
well, sophomore year has begun, and i'm assured it's been a good start.
blessings for a good year...
august 15 2001 wed ///
en route to providence, ri
so i decided to stay in orange county for a few more days just in case my
sister went into labor. the doctor had told her that she was due any
minute now, so hopefully by week's end i would be an uncle.
unfortunately, no baby through tuesday morning, when i had to leave for
san jose so that i could make my wednesday flight from oakland to
providence. and get this... my sister went into labor that
very day. go figure. so by the time i got up to san jose,
my sister was in the hospital, and mom said that we would have ashley hope
by midnight. it was a good estimate. ashley hope arrived just
around midnight early wednesday morning (today!) and everyone has suddenly
become someone new. my sister and brother-in-law are parents, mom
and dad are grandparents, and i am an uncle. so now i'm going to be
called "uncle geno." catchy, eh? i'm very happy for my sister
and brother-in-law, anna and dave song. please pray for their new
arrival, and if you know them, feel free to send them congratulatory notes
at
dnasong@aol.com. i'm sure
they would appreciate hearing from you! well, i'm now on a plane to
providence, where i'll begin mpc training thursday evening. i wish i
could have stayed in orange county longer, not only to see my niece, but
also to stay with friends, enjoy the california sun, and relax. but
it's okay. sophomore year promises to be an exciting year, and
although i do wish i had a longer stay at home, i know i'll be having fun
as the new academic year begins. good luck everyone as you head back
to school!
august 11 2001 sat ///
fullerton, ca
i'm still in orange county, and my sister has started having her
contractions. the entire week before was all about meeting people
and catching up, and to be honest, i got exhausted. it was all
enjoyable, of course, but it made me so tired. today i just slept in
until past noon, catching up on a lot of lost Zs. well, in a couple
of days, i'm headed back to providence for mpc training, which should be
an experience in itself. < sigh > i'm lovingly enjoying my
time here in orange county, though... doing nothing, sleeping in
late, and talking to bear (our dog). if only life weren't so fast
during the good times...
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The Urban Development Office - Archives.
archived updates
november
22 2001 thu ///
thanksgiving touch-ups
it's a serene morning in fullerton, california as i fix some stylistic
problems with metrosquare. i have had little time to do anything to
genotropolis since school started, but now that i'm "home" and it's the
holiday, i'm free to do whatever i want... at least for a couple of
days. to see what's going on for the weekend, check out
the news kiosk.
august 15 2001 wed ///
metrosquare renovation
metrosquare has been given a little renovation so that more current news
are located near the top of the page. older and less significant
items have been placed to the side or near the bottom, with links to make
navigation quick and easy. good times. oh, and please
understand if there are little to no updates in the next few weeks as the
new academic year begins with counselor trainings and such. much
love!
august 13 2001 mon ///
a new flash has been made and added to the index page. it describes
some resolutions for the upcoming year. this web design business is
horrific fun. i've been glued to my laptop for the past two days
just having fun designing and playing with different features. but
soon enough it will be time to take a break from it all, as i travel back
to san jose and then to providence. i would like to make metrosquare
smaller and more succinct, and i still need to make the rollovers and
hyperlinks colors on each page consistent. i was having a lot of
trouble earlier today with the photo galleries in the cliftonian. i
wanted all of them to be a horizontal layout, but two were especially
rebellious. so i made one into a vertical layout, and the other into
a slideshow. i guess the computer won this one. the city is
definitely growing but i don't know how many features will be up by the
time school begins. we shall see.
august 11 2001 sat ///
i'm redesigning a few things and trying to give a cohesive look to all the
pages. by the next publish, there should be a consistent
navigational header to each main page. metrosquare has undergone a
little renovation as well, particularly in the metroline schedules.
august 06 2001 mon ///
metrosquare has been added and will hopefully serve as a convenient hub to
the rest of the pages in genotropolis. the city is slowly but surely
growing, and i'm hoping it will make it to its fall 2001 deadline.
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Welcome Center.
message from the mayor
(CONT'D)
IT'S FUNNY. THE IDEA OF A HOMEPAGE CAN BE QUITE TWISTED. IT'S
A RATHER SELFISH ENDEAVOR, It may seem. "LOOK! THIS IS ME!
AND MORE OF ME! AND OH, EVEN MORE OF ME! ME ME ME!" BUT
THEN AGAIN, IF YOU THINK ABOUT IT MORE, A HOMEPAGE IS SOMETHING
MAGNIFICENT. WHEN "WORKS" WAS BEING PRODUCED, ITS MAIN INTENTION WAS
TO CREATE AN ACCESSIBLE ONLINE ARCHIVE OF LITERARY WORKS.
GENOTROPOLIS INCORPORATES THAT AND MORE. that's because a homepage
is LIKE AN EXTENSION OF THE SELF--PERHAPS EVEN A FORM OF CREATIVE
EXPRESSION. IT'S NOT NECESSARILY TRUE THAT PEOPLE WHO HAVE HOMEPAGES
ARE TRYING TO GAIN BIG HEADS; RATHER, IT IS ANOTHER WAY TO SHARE A
LITTLE BIT OF HIM/HERSELF TO THE WORLD, IN A MEDIUM SO NEW AND universal.
HENCE, GENOTROPOLIS IS JUST THAT--A LITTLE BIT OF GENO, expressed and
shared.
WHATEVER YOUR TAKE ON HOMEPAGES, I JUST HOPE YOU ENJOY WHAT YOU FIND IN
THE FOLLOWING PAGES. IT'S NOT ALL "GENO-THIS" AND "GENO-THAT."
CELEBRITY HEIGHTS IS DEDICATED TO THE IDEA THAT PEOPLE ARE WHAT MAKE LIFE
SO MEMORABLE. THERE YOU'LL FIND BIOSKETCHES OF PEOPLE WHO HAVE BEEN
VERY INFLUENTIAL TO MY LIFE. YOU'LL ALSO FIND LINKS TO OTHER PAGES
AT THE TOTORO JANE AIRPORT. MUCH OF MY WORKS CAN BE FOUND AT
MISSAKIAN STREET OR THE TWIDWELL-BATCHELOR SCHOOL. AND PHOTO
GALLERIES ARE LOCATED AT THE CLIFTONIAN. WHILE IT'S TRUE THAT A
HOMEPAGE IS A VERY PERSONAL THING, IT'S MEANT TO BE SHARED AND ENJOYED.
AND I HOPE THAT YOU ENJOY YOUR STAY IN THE CITY.
EUGENE CLIFTON CHA aka geno
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