3rd time lost and found… lucky!

Losing a cellphone and a wallet with cards! How serious this could be? What if you do.. OMG! Again, forgot to take my cellphone, and wallet after playing basket ball yesterday.. can’t believe it took few hours before I was shocked and jumped up from the chair I was sitting.. and asked, ‘where is cellphone and wallet’?!

So.. how to call cellphone, how to call wallet, how to say I lost these things, how to express time and where I left these things.. NOT in English, mandarin or languages I familiar with.. This was the challenge, while my small chock was showing 1am midnight! Perhaps, better way is go to sleep.. and yes, I did (what the..). May tomorrow a better day!

Early this morning, waiting at the dormitory office.. and be the first person to greet (Annyonghaseyo.. 안녕하세요..) the warm security guard who can understand English better.. It seems like someone found it and submitted to dorm office and in turn, returned to me! what a great relief, Hehe..

Two time was by a local (the same person), and this was by an unknown foreigner.. whom I highly appreciate! Ooo.. never try my luck again (I said it twice and plus this)! ..really no gut to do more the exciting trials of this kind, even though looks safe here.. Okay, today is a good day!

Learning and Memory

…was preparing for an interesting EXAM about learning and memory this week, and had used my learning and memory ability at max! ..also was thinking and curious too, about how our learning and memory work? Perhaps, should ask how our brain does? Our brain simply never stop learning and memory.. unless we do (another issue). That’s how we know the how-to, the what-to, and the why.. in study and work, playing sports, making friends, traveling around, clubbing, car drifting, blogging and many routine or extraordinary activities; as well as even for understanding of the nature and universe (this is too much). Furthermore, this is how we store tonne of information about anything we came across with, in books, movies, music lyrics, history, news, and even the feeling when we meeting girlfriend(s), or enjoying time with friends and family in a holiday; as well as in cultivating our habits like alcohol drinking, smoking, and also the healthier one such as reading, sleep and wake up early..

When something goes wrong with this, learning disability or memory loss, we may not know who we met, LOVE or what we knew about before, or we may not even able to remember what we just did 5 minutes ago every time.. Although, can delete the old unpleasant memories, however, we need learning and memory. Yes, this is learning and memory.. but how it happens? Neuroscientists believe, it is the trillion of little cells, of different types, at different region of the brain, with ‘their’ tiny molecules, in ‘their’ dynamic activities, that makes this complex, flexible yet sometimes rigid learning and memory ability of our brain.. can ‘they’? ..also in monkey, in dog, in mice, in fly, in snail (the quite recent important break-through!), in fish.. How ‘they’ do then? These are the scopes of question that really tested me out, in the recent inspiring EXAM about learning and memory. Don’t ask me..

Took a walk in the Silla Kingdom

Love the feeling of historical places.. Perhaps, I’m getting old nowadays (slightly), or maybe having intention to go back to the past to fix something up (if I could go back, I would just say let it be).. or probably due to the one critical decision that I ever made, which withdrew myself from my comfort zone at that time and took up a short term hard time and then now here I’m! If not the decision, where will I be? Anyway, work on today before it becomes the past..

Last weekend, visited Gyeongju city, the capital of Silla Kingdom during 57BC-953AD, which for the first time united another 2 kingdoms of Korea as one nation; Just like Qin Shi Huang did, the Qin Dynasty (221 BC - 206 BC), the first to unify China from previous 7 kingdoms, and zzzZZZzzZZ… Okay, sleepy if too detail history and I might have slept first.. I'm just a scientist. However, the historical highlights should be appreciatable! In the classic Gyeongju city, despites the must-see, a UNESCO World Cultural Heritage, Bulguksa (very old temple), I was very much attracted to the restored Silla Kingdom.. and can feel like during the life of imperial or dynasty period, which is different from today metropolitan city life.. the former could be livelier! ..if without wars.. Oh, I was attacked by Silla warrior?! (in the photo below). I can handle this...

‘Take home message’ of a movie.. questionable..

Just watched Terminator Salvation... well, when getting older, felt myself do not prefer this killing or war-type of action movie.. full of actions only or too many, including that throwing around of John Connor action, instead of quick execution, by the Terminator perhaps.. After the movie, I was wondering, besides actions, what was it about? However, a ‘take home message’ that I was able to remember was.. a question that actually many might curious about.. quite interesting yet difficult to deal with somehow.. What makes us human?

Are we (or some of us) living like a machine? What makes machine a machine? We are talking about functionally I guess.. We do quite depending on machines (computer, vehicle..) most of the time or sometimes.. Who knows, one day a human-like machine will be built, just like in Terminator movie. Anyway, when reading daily news, it seems that some places on earth might already having war-like situation as in Terminator movie, but instead of between machine-human, they are human-human. Does this mean some human (really unknown number of) might not live like a human? ..of unknown or some reasons, maybe. So, what makes us human?

The feeling of early..

As usual a bright sunny day.. as usual wake up from a good sleep.. as usual eat a hearty breakfast.. as usual prepare well and go to work place.. the wind in the outside was a little cold.. and looked at my watch, Ooops, it was 5.30am! Even though I didn’t know the position of the sun but that day (at that time) was really sunny.. but, okay, a misjudgment of a tropical country student in a 4 seasons country here.. Haha! Now should be in early Summer, after only month of Spring I think.. strange climax..

Apparently I was the earliest person arrived at the work place.. Hey, the feeling of early morning.. was wonderful and energetic! It is definitely better to be early than to be late.. whereas the feeling of LATE is somehow uncomfortable or just not the motivating type I feel.. if starting EARLY in a day, there will be usually a 'relay time' spared (perhaps a little picnic at Ssangam Park with lovely 'kimbap' 김밥 sometimes worthwhile) for ensuring optimum condition to deal with everyday big and small tasks, and tend to be more progressive.. On the other hand, starting late in a day, it could be a rush and in a hurry as if times up..

Walking in a long journey of life and could be unpredictable most of the time.. and in order to last that long.. NO HASTY. When was the last time go for picnic? Oh ya, I need to get back to work.. do work hard.

Different from a young boy 3 years ago..

2 months passed swiftly (while swine flu is spreading everywhere huh lately).. an informative, eye-opening, stimulating, and unique 2 months.. ya, I think almost finish 'warm up' here (Ooo, Spring is pretty warm..), and quite ready to accept NEXT challenges!

It was 3 years ago.. the last exam before university graduation, and I have forgotten the ‘taste’ or the feeling of exam when grew older.. However, I had to go through this week graduate school first exams with unknown feeling. Perhaps, the perception on exam has changed since already old.. perhaps, deviated from a young boy 3 years ago, in seeing an exam (collecting ‘A’s). Today, as an old student who would like to or is doing experimental research, might want to ask, ‘A’ for what? Get the ‘A’, anyway..

So, what exam for? Well, maybe the better question should be what are we studying for? I do have some reasons to (be a scientist and..), but never the exam per se. That’s made a difference between this old student here and the young boy 3 years ago..

Slow Walk festival.. how slow is slow? Don’t rush..

In the photo above, looks like a familiar posture of an old student slowly making out ‘something’ in a toilet. Haha.. But NOT this time, ok. This is impressive as I never seen such big ‘sea’ of flowers! You probably run in a crowded, busy, big and wonderful modern city, while I too might be currently in.. So, the name, ‘Slow Walk’ that they are promoting, is somewhat strange. However, for a healthy life (physical and mental), the organizer believes slow walk works! Well, did some slow-walking along ‘some’ flowers last week in Wando island, a slow-walk city.

SLOW doesn’t always mean do nothing, or procrastination or laziness.. Perhaps, no rushing, not too hurry! Especially when don’t know what is so important to haste for.. I quite agree with the word, slow, though I might not that slow.. Even if in a slow pace, it is still necessary and should able to get things done (quality and quantity) on time. More essential would be knowing what we are doing.. On the other hand, FAST might look good usually.. but I found that (from experiences up to today), it is ineffective and even do as if no do.. because most of the time, get surprised by big and small mistakes that seem unexplainable (actually careless) and hence do again! One wanted quick, ends up slow.. Therefore, I’m starting to see the meaning and realized the importance of ‘SLOW is FAST’. Go slow, guys..

err.. mid-term exam is right in front me, can I?

A meaningless lost game… even if win..

Losing or winning the game wasn’t a problem but.. what meaning? If had put in the best of individual member’s strength as well as of the whole team spirit and potential in a sports game, then what ever the result is! And, I even more excited to meet good players! However.. If within a team, member’s potential was underestimated by members of team; If a star or two existed in a team who do not really better relatively but try to be; If each member of team overestimated themselves when reality was there; Yes, that was what happened..

A recent meaningless sports match, was embarrassing (I have to say) as an audience, while the most regret thing was, I was in the team.. Not because of the lost game per se, but the lack of something, the most crucial in sports! Apparently, that was the reason for the lost.. Therefore, how skillful an individual is or how great looking a team is.. does not really matter much, though also important (to be independent), I found myself realized deeper (hit by the clear evident) about a very old fact (perhaps, the bigger problem lies in how to define this word) – TEAMWORK!

Well... there are many to appreciate, apart from the disappointed one.. Haha! A chance to see roadside Sakura 櫻花 along the street, while thinking of someone.. was far more worthy than the victory and the prizes (if happen to)! So, was waiting for someone? err...