è  go > [ you are in metrosquare ] > [ sign guestbook ] > [ view guestbook ] > [ intro ] >

metroline one
business district
[ graffiti alley ]
[ joydesign inc. ]
[ mo-cha ]
metroline two
riverside
[ a. eden-grace chapel ]
[ the cliftonian ]
[ jung sook art gallery ]
metroline three
east hills
[ celebrity heights ]
[ college hill ]
[ the twid-batch school ]
metroline four
south beach
[ balboa pier ]
[ e squared cafe/club ]
[ missakian street ]
metroline five
outer rim
[ nancy lee cinemas ]
[ totoro jane airport ]

 





 

 

 

 


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.

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current news headlines and weather  ///

View news headlines at MSNBC

 

 


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

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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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Calendar of Events : Spring 2002.
the life of geno in THE REAL WORLD

spring 2002  ///   cLASS AT BROWN UNIV
time to take another stab at academics.  the fourth semester has a concentration of social science courses, a dramatic shift from the last spring semester which was filled with art and literature.  the final cut:
     ec121  MACROECONOMICS
     ko040  intermediate korean
     ps105  ethics and public policy

     so105  methods of research in organizations

mar 26 2002  ///   SPRING BREAK IN PARIS
adventures to abound as four drama-laden friends embark on a six-day, five-night excursion in a bed and breakfast located in the 12th arrondissement of paris, france.  how will geno's first trip to europe turn out?

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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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GENOTROPOLIS © 2001-2002 by joydesign .  all rights reserved .
established on tripod 07.10.2001 .  this page last updated 09.28.2002 00:16 .