Hajin the Hermit

Cutting out planks of wood for the skate ranch, I looked up at the sky. The sun was shining down strongly ((as it had in Santa Cruz)). There was a US history project to finish by the weekend, along with my vector calculus online lecture. After I’ve gone through that, there will be something else to do. And another. And another. When I find something that I am willing to give up everything for, will I be courageous enough to do it? Wave Alert: a school guard was approaching the storage rooftop from the hills above. I looked around the fences surrounding me and finally at that the “Staff Only” sign hung high above the entrance, pretending it had only just come to my notice. As I stood up from my work, wind blew across the new skate park, cooling my sweating back. The grass around the English department whistled like the Eucalyptus trees surrounding the Santa Cruz campground had. I was going to make it work, too.

From Summer Session Writing I remember the airplane lifting and me wondering when exactly does the airplane lift itself up. I remember seeing airmats under the other campers' tent. I remember seeing the absence of an airmat under mine. I remember the exact contour of the ground u nder me as I slept and my careful position not to slide off. I remember Alladin freezing as Javar sent him to the end of the world in the Santa Cruz movie theater, and pitying him because I could almost feel the cold. I remember the ending credit roll up and thinking I didn't want to leave because this black room with a hundred people inside was warm, while the night in the campground would be freezing again. I remember Ed telling me that surfing was a martial art. I remember his garage filled with surf boards of all shapes and sizes. I remember planning out my life as Ed showed me his pipeline photos. I remember the sun bleached hair and tan skin of local Santa Cruz surfers. I remember shouting out

In the optician's shop: The Wonderful Wizard of Oz There are mirrors everywhere--luring customers inside, glass walls are windows and the literary representation of an eye. Hundreds, maybe thousands of glasses are on display. Each person has a different lens of perceiving the world around them. They each have different curves and tinted colors, finely tuned to disturb our perception of the world. People with blue tinted glasses, for instance, cannot differentiate certain colors and are blind to specific shades of blue. However, some are color blind and need artificially tinted glasses to distinguish wave frequencies. More people with "bad eyesight" need lenses to realign the light that enters their eyes. Oz believed people in Emerald City needed color lenses to see a charming city, something Mr. Baum made clear he disapproved. I used to favor modernism and realism over the victorian age. I still do, but mostly on the grounds of disagreeing with 18th centu

Topic: Christmas Mr. and Mrs. Claus were mortal. Or it was just Mr. Nicolas known as Mr. Clause. Anyways, after his 34th sleigh ride, he sighed, "Oh dear, I've gotten too old for this" as he sat deep into his armchair and inched his frozen feet closer to the quietly cackling fire. The smile barely showing through his beard, however, did not fade. He knew anther Santa Claus would replace him. I believe everyone would love to celebrate Christmas. Its root may be Christian (some have different opinions- my friend Janet claims Coca Cola painted Santa Claus red in the 20th century), but how many things on earth are faithful to their initial creation? For me, Christmas is the celebration of Everything--Christ, friendship, family, love, and food. One may think having so much to celebrate can be burdensome, but never fear! The extra convenience of Christmas is that it is a holiday. On the other hand, individual birthdays are random. It is difficult to remember everyone'

Today, I think I'll write another draft for a surfing essay instead of doing a writing exercise. At first, the waves are incomprehensible. Going into the ocean is like exploring the unknown, walking through the jungle or entering a foreign galaxy. I fall. However, I gradually learn the laws of physics. I see the physics in waves, and understand that there is logic in them. Now understanding, I let myself ride the waves in harmony. I do not conquer the waves, but follow their rhythm. We coexist in harmony. The important thing: I enjoy the whole process. Happy, I decide to move to a new surf spot next time. And repeat the same process.  When I looked over my shoulder, or rather, peaked through dripping seaweed hair, the wave's crest was the darkest I had ever seen. Read the waves. As Jon Kabat-Zinn said, "You can't stop the waves, but you can learn to surf." notes: hit the water crucial moment pivot your board in the same direction

The Notebook: a notebook of ideas and observations, pieces of conversations and events, and writing something in it every day. #day1 A smell Reading Dumbledore's illuminator as a kid, I was struck by a deep desire to be accepted to Hogwarts, not just to learn Wingardium Leviosa, but to be mentioned in Dumbledore's will and inherit an illuminator, too. What if there was a tempusator, storing time? The time spent waiting in line at the white, hushed bank could be saved for a green and chattery walk with a friend.  What if there was an aromator, storing smell? And for taste? These will help trigger Proust effect in daily lives. The senses are doorways to lost memories. I am comprised of the memories of Vancouver's forests, my sister's tickle attack, and yesterday's Vietnamese noodle. The aromator would prevent memories from ebbing away, perhaps even bringing self awareness. But to think of it, I wasn't sure if the plethora of photos were doing

              Welcome aboard, welcome to my observatory. This private observatory is about the size of a bedroom—in fact, it is a bedroom—with pale blue walls and sailor-white windowsills. The room’s two windowed-walls join at the top corner of my house, reminding one of a ship’s head. Spanned outside the windows is greenery, but for now, imagine the panorama to be as blue as the wall. There is only one wooden chair, so if you could draw up the folded extra leaning in the corner, that would be great. You must now be thinking that the place looks nothing like an observatory. There are no mass cylinders, electric circuits, telescopes, or brass scales after all. But not to worry—a laptop, a globe, and a small trunk of books will be enough for our expedition. Ship Ahoy! Open your laptop and google Earth Null School Ocean Currents Map (NASA and NOAA are also possible destinations, if you prefer). The screen turns black, as with the scenery outside the windows. We are in space. Adjust o