littlewonderlog

A few months ago, I was reading Dale Carnegie’s book, “How to Win Friends & Influence People” but tossed it aside after a few pages. There was something about that book that just didn’t intrigue me. Sentences were woven in a strange way, it wasn’t really fun and almost felt like I was dragging myself through those pages. That was strange, because I think I enjoyed reading the Korean translation a long time ago. Then, after reading some other books, I picked it up again, and voila. It reads smoothly, it’s fun and I find myself nodding a lot of times in agreement with the contents.

I don’t know the reason of this, but I know this – The perfect moment to read a certain book is when it reads effortlessly.

 

It was the blink of an eye. It felt like only a few days ago when I told myself, “Ah, now trees are getting light greenish”, but now the park is covered with greenery. It’s not like the green shades of June or July, yet it’s full of green. When did that happen? Maybe they all grew quickly after a rain shower.

It’s the season of the green leaves almost embracing us with their big arms. It’s a good season for taking a walk. Nothing is really different since I walk all the time, but it feels much better as I can walk enjoying the greenery.

It feels great that there are many things I can feel great about.

It’s strange.

Like a ghost, my body just knows. Once the weather gets a bit warmer (or hotter), suddenly, I want something cool and something sour. A bowl of Makguksu (Korean buckwheat noodle) would do the trick, yet buckwheat noodles that usually contain some portion of wheat is out of the reach of someone on 10th month of cutting out wheat (already!).

Then my husband pulled it up (that’s my man). There is pure buckwheat Makguksu which is made from 100% of buckwheat. There are actually quite a lot of places selling it. The pure buckwheat noodle is not coarse or crumbly as I expected. It’s got its character and I liked it.

It would be great to go on some pure buckwheat Makguksu quest. Hahahaha. I am very good at finding excuses to eat.

“Are you an idiot? I told you not to do that.”

In our 11th year of marriage, I realized again that there isn’t much to fight about if we manage not to say those words. There are so many times that I want to say it, but somehow just swallow it down. Yumyum. Phew, I feel full.

From the look on my husband’s face, I guess he feels pretty full too. He must be swallowing a lot too. Well, is this what people mean when they say married couples start to look alike? (Not really).

When everything just clicks unintentionally, it feels so great. On a sunny day, on the way to the East Sea, when the Jeongseon traditional 5-day market opens, it feels so great. Oh, what is all this? Everything makes my eyes pop. There are cross-shaped long streets filled with stalls. You can see so much corn, wild greens (such as Gondre), mushrooms, and Korean rice snacks (Hangwa). I almost bought all that stuff. Phew. I pulled myself together. Nicely done.

In every market, there are distinctive characteristics of the region.

I enjoyed the full Jeongseon vibe. When the market opens on your journey, it feels so great.

“Do you think we can see the sunrise tomorrow if we sleep now?”

“Who knows? Let’s wake up at 5 am first and then see.”

We woke up at 5 am, splashed some water on our faces, and strolled down to Sokcho Beach.

“Do you think the sun will come out?”

“We’ll see.”

Walking through the ocean pine forest, we waited for the sun we might not see, while wondering whether or not to get a decaf coffee afterward.

It was 5:45. It was supposed to be sunrise, but we couldn’t see it.

“Today might not be the day.”

“Well, let’s just walk for a bit and then head back.”

But then, a small, blood-red circle began to come up through the clouds near the horizon, painting the whole sky with warm colors.

“Nice.”

“I like that the ocean breeze isn’t so cold.”

We took some photos, staring blankly at the sun for a moment, then grabbed a hot decaf coffee from the café that already opened at 6 am, and went back to the hotel.

It wasn’t New Year’s day, yet the sunrise was beautiful enough and the start of our day was perfect enough.

My friend whom I’ve known for about 20 years said that she is a fan of a boy idol. She wanted to join his fan club, but she couldn’t do it since it might upset her husband. I never imagined her falling for a boy idol. For a minute, she just felt like a different person.

An old friend often feels like someone completely new.

The new side of someone I thought I knew very well can be a source of pleasure.

Today, I start again with a new mindset.

Whatever I did wrong yesterday, whatever I lacked yesterday, I shrug off the past and move forward with a new mindset. Yesterday’s failure becomes a trial and error, and yesterday’s trial and error becomes an asset today. Today, as I have learned more than yesterday and am wiser than yesterday, I move forward again. No reluctance, no regret. I am starting anew today. Every day, today, I start again like this.

Today, I start again with a new mind.

And I will do the same tomorrow, and the day after tomorrow, and always.

My husband suddenly said while reading a book and writing something in a notebook. “I can’t really read what I have written at the top of the page.” What? You can’t read what you’ve written? Seriously? He has always had bad eyesight and has worn glasses, but now he can’t even read his own writing right in front of him. Oh, well. Here he is. The infamous guest showing up around one’s 40s, the “aging eyes”.

My husband was told that he didn’t really need to get Lasik surgery because the results wouldn’t last more than a couple of years due to the oncoming eye aging. Is it really happening?

Since the version of ourselves we remember still a bit younger and more immature, this shade of ageing feels a bit unfamiliar.

Aging eyes, I mean, it’s even a bit funny.

 

These days, I am writing every day.

I have always liked to scribble floating thoughts and shove them away into some dark corners, yet these days, it’s a more conscious and intentional activity. And today, I have decided to write down why I write.

1. It clears my head. It helps clear up floating thoughts.

2. It’s fun, especially when things just write themselves and when I find it funny to re-read what I had just written.

3. The record becomes memory. I can’t really rely on my damn brain that forgets everything in a second, yet writing creates a record and it boosts memory. Even if I forget things, I can just read what I wrote.

4. It might help somebody. The lessons I learned from my experience can be of help to somebody or my writing itself can give pleasure (hopefully).

5. Consistent writing should improve my writing skill. I prefer writing well to just writing. It would be great if my writing gets better the more I write.

6. Writing helps organize thoughts. It’s a bit different from the first one – clearing my head. As I am writing something, I often realize that there’s an error or flaw in my thinking. Writing also clarifies thoughts by structuring them.

Just as I will keep reading and learning languages for the rest of my life, writing will be part of my life as well, while I enjoy it fully and also make it useful for me and hopefully for somebody else.