Savor the Moment.

Revisiting Friends: Will Kwon and I

Will Kwon and I went to school at JIS (Jakarta International School) together "back in the day." He has been such a supportive, loving friend and it was wonderful seeing him again. Studying Economics at the Graduate level at USC, he cited sports affiliations for his migration from Yale. We hung out at Newport Beach CA, eating the best burgers from some hole-in-the-wall and watching the Seagulls go by. We took photos of my toes in the sands, reminisced about old times, and discussed the uncertainty of the future. Will has the biggest heart, the gentlest nature and the most infectious smile - a friend I hope I can keep for life.

My Toes at Newport Beach

I grew up loving the ocean, the beaches, the sand. One of my favorite pass times is burying myself in the sand, and wiggling my toes at people passing by.

I continued this tradition in California, and took photos to prove it. Makes me think of the sand dunes of Eygpt somehow, with me being some collosal statue buried in the sand, lost to time and decaying with the passing of ancient civilizations...

I have a very active imagination.

California Love

Over the summer I helped my ex-boyfriend Eric move from Seattle, Washington to Irvine California. For those of you who don't know, that's one long ass-drive. Although the trip through Washington and Oregon were beautiful, California left much to be desired. Into our 10th hour, the alternator in Eric's car failed, and we were stranded in the Californian desert mountains, at 3 am on Sunday morning, near Weed CA. Weed California is a lovely town of less than 20,000 inhabitants, and we lost power about 16 miles away, in some shady rest stop for truckers on their way to Las Vegas.

As the night got colder (in California, go figure I would freeze in Cali) we bunkered down to wait for dawn, light, and hopefully an answer to our problems. As the sun came over the mountain peaks, light flooded the valley, and revealed to us the great expanses of... emptiness.

My heart sunk. We had another 8 hours of driving ahead of us, and a deadline to meet. (Eric had to check into his apartment complex before the office closed to get his keys.) After hours of disappointing attempts to enlist some help, two Christian missionaries confronted Eric about our problems. They saw the mass of tools strewn about the parking lot (Eric had all his tools - he was moving after all) and wanted to aid us in our time of need.

I am usually not one for missionaries from any faith, as I find most of them overbearing and unable to tolerate diversity amongst God's children - but these two were different. They lead a life based on love, on learning and opening their hearts. They took Eric on a 100 mile roundtrip journey looking for a replacement battery, and then a replacement alternator. Taking time out of their lives to help strangers, they reminded me that there is still good in this world. Still people willing to help each other, learn from each other... They only asked us to help others while in need, and spend some time in thoughtful prayer (in the faith we found most comforting).

Those two missionaries are solid examples of the character I hope to possess. To be able to look through my creature comforts, time schedules and deadlines, and come to someone else's aid in their time of need. To be selfless, and realize that life is more than material wealth, a successful carreer, an obession with consumption. I aspire to such a humble nature, and try to remember their selfless acts as one of my life’s greatest lessons.

They may only remember us as two crazy kids on the road to L.A. But to us, they are and will always be angels, the greatest examples of when religion gets it right.

Eric and I made it to Irvine (in South California) 9 hours later than scheduled at around 11:52 pm. We unpacked that night, took showers and collapased exhusted - happy to at least be in a warm bed instead of the roadside. It wasn't the most fun of experiances I've had, but as I told him then, "Someday, this will be funny. It'll make a good story and thus be worth our pains, trails and tribulations."

As my graduation date creeps closer by the day, many people have inquired about my future endeavors - a question that I cannot so easily answer.

The book of life has written many challenging chapters for me, and the plot seems to thicken page by page. My lifestyle has flung me to the far reaches of the globe, which only compounds the complexity of my experiences. God willing, that aspect of my life will never change. This poses a significant problem though, as keeping in touch with those who support me in spirit becomes a tough challenge.

My blog is a serious effort to combat such impediments in communication. I seek to provide an easy window into my humble experiences, in hopes that we can bridge the gaps of time and space. To those of you who have touched my life, shaped it and exposed me to alternative schools of thought, I thank you. My hope is that we continue such open dialogues and learn from each others experiences and points of view.

As I begin my journey as a full-fledged "adult", I can only hope these pages grow full of amazing adventures, impossible dreams and fantastic triumphs. Above all, I hope to continue growing as a person, and that in 30 years, you would still be part of my life.

To my peers, the class of 2005, I leave you words from a wise woman.

"The future belongs to those
who believe in the beauty of their dreams."
Eleanor Roosevelt