Vivo Per Lei with English lyrics

Who I Really Am in All Candidness

I know that I am a unique individual. Everybody is unique, yet I value uniqueness and independent thinking a lot. I am a strong non-conformist, so I fit into no categories. I float around from group to group and meet a variety of people. I don't limit myself to any circle of friends. I don't care if my ideas aren't popular. If someone doesn't like my ideas, then they can just stop listening to me.

I do know that I often come across negatively to other people. Sometimes I come on too strongly when someone piques my interest and I want to know them better. They then think I am rude. I do need to be more careful about how I approach people. I am just not shy. I don't want to be rude to anybody. It's just that "Hi, I think you are cool! Let's hang out!" doesn't always work.

Being a gifted individual has made things awkward. I like it when I can connect with people who are on my intellectual level. I have no problem in associating with people of various intellectual levels. Yet when I talk to other highly intelligent people, I feel that I have more to talk about. When I am with the average crowd, I don't always have something to add to the conversation. I then remain quiet, just listen, and people think I am being snobbish. I am not, I just have nothing to say. It's not always that way, I have found many people that aren't highly educated that are self-educated who are still interesting.

I don't care for most mainstream movies and books. I want to watch the better films and read the better books. I watch the best films of the year and some artsy independent things. I like to read biographies, classics, travel narrative, science, and educational magazines. I can't stand movies with badly formed plots, slapstick comedy, and too much action for taste. I also don't want to read cheap fiction.

I want to be known as a kind person. I want to be down to earth. I want to be considerate. I guess I am one of those that people that need some getting to know before I am figured out better. It has hurt me a lot that some people already made a verdict before scratching the surface.

I'm Getting My Hair Done

WOW! I am currently having my hair worked on in the Lotte Dept. Store in Jamsil. Yes, I can use the internet while having my hair done. I love Korea!

Vespers, 29th Birthday

Yesterday I did vespers at Sahmyook University. I was still working on it on Friday morning. I don't have a printer at home, so I was in need of someone letting me use theirs. I saw the English department's door open and went in there to see if anyone was around. Nobody was. Outside I met Professor Kim Kyoung Chul and he let me into his office in the religion dept. I was greatful.
The vespers went well. It started very small, but the group grew. I did my talk on Philemon, and how it is a parallel of the Cross. We were slaves to sin, but Christ has redeemed us, freed us, and we are reconciled. Paul had the hardship of being a prisoner, but that trial became a blessing because he witnessed to many people as a prisoner. He wrote many uplifting letters to the Christian church that are now in the Bible. I used some quotes from the Desire of Ages to talk about the church's mission to win souls. We are to use the gifts that are given to us. Many people told me my speech was good. I then spent the night at Peter and Wendy's home.
Early in the morning we went to Sabbath school. I met Simon, a Danish man I met a few years ago. I also saw Allou, who is sadly leaving soon. I was glad to see him again and am disappointed that he and his wife are going.
We had a fellowship dinner. The entire church sang "Happy Birthday" to me and they had prayer, mentioning me in it. I like this new family. I sat with Elroy, Allou, Adam, Victor, and a few others. I was given a small piece of cake by someone. I had it on the fork and called it "my birthday cake". haha.
After taking a nap we all went to the lake. We sang some songs and had prayer. We then went to the campus and there was a fire. We drank hot cocoa, ate brownies, popcorn, and potatoes. Some pizzas from Pizza School were ordered. Some people toasted marshmallows, but I didn't.
I am glad I had a good birthday.

Going Crazy

Yesterday I had a little girl in my class that had to use the toilet. She went because it was an emergency. I am only supposed to let them use the toilet if they have to use it badly. She went out the door and came back in a few minutes. Soon my children were shouting "ddong!" "ddong!". I knew that is Korean for "sh!t". The girl had diarrhea all over the back of her coat. It was smeared straight down the back. She seemed unaware of it and was trying to go back to her seat. She was also near my desk and I didn't want her stuff to get on my desk. I sent her out into the hallway and let the secretaries know what happened.
Back in the classroom, the students were holding their noses and still murmuring "ddong!". I stood on top of my desk and opened a high window. Of course the class was still in chaos for a while. Yet I wondered, "how does someone get diarrhea on the back of their coat?". I then decided that I didn't want to think about that anymore. This week at the hagwon has been like that every day. I am glad it's Thursday.

Pie Jesu

Master of Public Health

I stayed Saturday night at the apartment of an Australian couple. They are nice people. I then went to the Master of Public Health seminar. I am not in the programme yet, but I went to the seminar yesterday to see how it was. I took a seat next to my new friend Maike. We talked for a while. I also met up with Renata, another friend that I had met 2 years ago. I wondered about her, and she said she had wondered about me. I also met up with Grace, who I was introduced to online by my friend Jim.
I think the MPH programme looks great. I am wondering if it's good for a PhD at Loma Linda University in California. I do need to get in contact with LLU and find out. I do think that a PhD is something nice to strive for. A PhD has to be persued for the right reasons. It shouldn't be for the prestige, a plan B, or anything else like that. A PhD is a way of life. It is for the academic knowledge and the continuance of that. It is for the person to see how he/she can do for academia.