Drove from New York to Philadelphia the day before yesterday/ First impression Philly gave me was the buildings were very square & symmetrical, lots of African Americans, and very clean. I like the atmosphere! A bit like old-fashioned European buildings. Also, Princeton University seems more like a castle than a education environment. Beautiful~
HEADED TO USA/WEST CANADA FOR 3 WEEKS. HOPE IT'S AS EPIC AS MY TRIP TO CHINA LAST MONTH. CIAAAOOO
Made this after finishing the amazing drama- City Hunter! The lyrics from "Escape" just fit Minho's character so much + I ALWAYS wanted to vid with this song. Basically from the City Hunter's point of view, & how much he has to sacrifice for the purpose of revenge.
In the end, was it worth it?
"Time to escape
The clutches of a name
No this is not a game
It's just a little beginning
I don't believe in fate
But the bottom line
It's time to pay
You know you've got it coming
The clutches of a name
No this is not a game
It's just a little beginning
I don't believe in fate
But the bottom line
It's time to pay
You know you've got it coming
This is war"
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The first reaction after watching the last episode of City Hunter was: that's all? Because I felt like they rushed the ending with still a few loose ends to tie up. Did father & son reunite after all? & Why is he driving by himself at the end scene instead with Kim Nana whom he was in love with during the whole drama? But overall, it was really excellent. 90% kudos goes to Minho for portraying the City Hunter- he had the looks(extremely handsome but smart at the same time) & his action stunts (of which he did all by himself!) It just makes the drama that much better & harder to believe such a perfect man exists ;-). I felt like some parts had way too much talking, especially during the first few episodes. But toward the end, it just got better & better! It was unbelievable that the prosecutor died..what's the reason? Ironically, he was the one that wanted to catch City Hunter, but his last words before death recognized the goodness of actions that the City Hunter did for citizens, of which the unfair law couldn't.
This drama incorporates many aspects of life & society- from the concept of revenge, sacrificing for the better cause, choosing emotions/protecting loved ones than ruthless murder, & the corruptness of government- like the 5 that planned the Sweep Missions- from manipulating & overturning law to prevent their arrest, to taking advantage of college tuition donation funds, & lastly making their factory laborers work in inhumane conditions that result in chemical poisoning. It shows that not only society is corrupt, but the very people that should've been protecting citizen's & their rights (such as the president) actually use unclean methods to get their position.
Some moral issues in this drama really made me cringe. Such as when City Hunter's stepdad "Steve" literally tore Yoon Sung's family apart from the beginning. To taking him from his mom & telling him she abandoned him, to making him grow up believing his mission was to avenge for a man that he believed was his father..with the ultimate target being his real father. How cruel could someone be to use someone else's life as merely a possession, in order to help achieve his own selfish purposes? Than comes the girl he loves- Kim Nana of which the only way to keep her safe was not to be around her. "Do not fall in love with anyone" was what his stepdad commanded him in the beginning. It goes to show that love&emotions complicate things much more and there is that much more worrying than happiness, in his case. Sometimes love doesn't always mean happiness. Finally, the Prosector's role was the most tragic. He had to take public ridicule for his father's actions, stand by helplessly watching the City Hunter take over, & finally for the sake of finding truth sacrifice his own life. Lastly, this drama portrays how unequal society is. The upper & lower class. Kim Nana's parents, which one died & the other became a human vegetable was not served with justice. The criminal, which was the prosecutor's dad merely threatened the witness in order to buy his own innocence. Money really is the root of all evil, and the main cause for suffering in this world.
The storyline was seriously well scripted, because there were lots of surprising turns & realizations when everything started fitting together. I have to say, Korean acting is the best in the world-the characters & situations always portray aspects of real life. It's always very precise & not overly cheesy/unbelievable. Go korean dramas!
Today's the last full day of my stay in China. The current time is 12:05 am, just packed away all my luggage. Been looking at one of the toys I bought from the streetside, 10 yen~ thinking about the situation here. Just like this squishy toy's tough design and imperfectly painted face, much of China is still below the poverty line. This toy's face reminds me of all the misfortune I've seen along the way- from blind & scarred face beggars on the subway, to the ones selling souvenirs that don't make profit, to the ones that are forgotten under this country's insurance and medical care system. I don't know why I keep pitying people along the way, just everywhere when I meet someone's eyes I can tell they're unhappy with their lives, and that is heartbreaking to me. Heartbreaking they are giving up an eduacation to stand by the street side selling ice cream, old people that depend on recycled bottles for a living. I came across one guy's story that really shifted my paradigm. He had muscle paralysis at 3 months old, with his parent's neighbours and friends convincing them to give him up. But they didn't despite him being forever a vegetable. He eventually learned to walk, and now travels in Beijing to sing for change that will treat that medical condition. I thought to myself, how do people like that find the will to live. Facing the possiblity of death everyday, living in poverty- the kind that can't gurantee 3 meals a day, and steal being able to stand in front of a crowd of people everyday singing? Why is it some people have such a hard life? I told myself, if he can suffer like that and still not give up there is not a thing in this world that I can't do. I sometimes thought I wasn't good enough, rich enough, smart enough. But in fact, comparing my life back in Canada to him it is probably like heaven. Made me feel ashamed that I previously felt like my situation wasn't good enough. Look at him, what does he have~ nothing but a crippled life and body to hold onto. People like him, I just want to give them a hug and tell them everything will be ok. He is truly the definition of brave, a role model. Some have it even worse...I just want to do something for them. I don't want to live in an unbalanced country like this, where people are left without care to depend on themselves even when in need. When the rich can virtually do anything and go anywhere with their money, while the poor's yearly salary can't even reach a rich person's one time meal. I can't take that unequality, because beneath everybody's appearance and financial background we are really all the same. It is mind boggling to me how some people have managed to live in such poor conditions. Why is the difference between people here so big. Yes, there is much to do here but it is so uncomfortable passing by these people everyday and carrying on a good mood with my tour group.
Aside from that, I just really loved this trip. I came here thinking I wouldn't even be able to find an airplane gate by myself. From that, to eventually waiting for delayed flight after delayed flight, riding the train by myself, finding restaurants myself, being in a hotel for a week by myself, taxi-ing myself, and taking care of all my belongings. Most of all, the people I've gotten to know along the way and the numerous friends I've made are priceless. Young to old, all walks of life. It's just so strange thinking back to June 22, leaving Canada with a heavy heart and kind of homesick. To now having tons of contacts on my cellphone, and even meeting friends in a different city. So wierd that, just by myself I made all that happen. When so many things could've gone wrong or not my way. I am very thankful of all the adults that took care of me, of my uncle & aunt that showed me around, all the friends that worried for my safety and planned our time together. Despite the inequality and thirst for money evident in people everywhere, this country still feels like home to me. Though I'm already looked at as a foreigner, I love my country & the people here. I just can't put all that I've experienced into words, because these things are like life lessons and things I'll never be able to forget. All these nights of eating out, laughing, coming to my temporary home, transfering plane flights, riding the crowded Beijing subway, all the tourist spots I've been to. Feels so familar, like I've been living here forever. I feel sad to leave all this behind, the memories and atmosphere. The crowded night scene and the hustle and bustle of traffic. I'll miss it all. This time, I leave with a heavy heart full of nostalgia for many years to come. Thank you, China.
Aside from that, I just really loved this trip. I came here thinking I wouldn't even be able to find an airplane gate by myself. From that, to eventually waiting for delayed flight after delayed flight, riding the train by myself, finding restaurants myself, being in a hotel for a week by myself, taxi-ing myself, and taking care of all my belongings. Most of all, the people I've gotten to know along the way and the numerous friends I've made are priceless. Young to old, all walks of life. It's just so strange thinking back to June 22, leaving Canada with a heavy heart and kind of homesick. To now having tons of contacts on my cellphone, and even meeting friends in a different city. So wierd that, just by myself I made all that happen. When so many things could've gone wrong or not my way. I am very thankful of all the adults that took care of me, of my uncle & aunt that showed me around, all the friends that worried for my safety and planned our time together. Despite the inequality and thirst for money evident in people everywhere, this country still feels like home to me. Though I'm already looked at as a foreigner, I love my country & the people here. I just can't put all that I've experienced into words, because these things are like life lessons and things I'll never be able to forget. All these nights of eating out, laughing, coming to my temporary home, transfering plane flights, riding the crowded Beijing subway, all the tourist spots I've been to. Feels so familar, like I've been living here forever. I feel sad to leave all this behind, the memories and atmosphere. The crowded night scene and the hustle and bustle of traffic. I'll miss it all. This time, I leave with a heavy heart full of nostalgia for many years to come. Thank you, China.
Been really busy this week. Absolutely no time to write about my day’s events! Starting Monday, we went to 2 ancient grave evacuation sites and a temple that took 53 BILLION YEN to build. So crazy…all for a couple of buddhas and temples? Well, it was very interesting but kind of creeped me out because I don’t know WHAT to worship. Neverthelessly, it was really magnificent and a new experience for me. Never seen anything like it before! The past 2 graves were special too, just so historical that it was unbelieavable, the stuff I’m looking at was used, built, and seen by people from thousands from years ago. The ride back and forth was tortous, I HATE riding the damn tour bus. Just so waste of time and non accomplishing. I don’t know, before I used to love the idea of being in a tour group but now absolutely NOT. Anyway, came Tuesday. Time for Hua Mountain tour day. RAINING THE ENTIRE DAMN WAY. And the damn tour company driver comes to pick me up at like 7;30 in the morning and makes everyone wait in the parking lot until 9. NOT COOL. Goodness Christ, wanted to hurt one of the tourists. So at the mountain we arrived, eating ghetto village food along the way. Man, the washrooms are absolutely a wretched site to behold. So disgusting, that putrid smell of days old urine and NO STALL DOOR. Just 3 pits and everyone pees in the open, LOL. I was like, uhh….get it together, China. Ya’ll cant ever get a good reputation with public toilets built like this. Damn, I still shiver when I think of those washrooms. At the mountain was rainy, everywhere was multi-colored rain ponchos lining up to ride the cable car up the actual mountain. Yeah…not cool. Theres nothing to see when its raining because it creates a massive white fog, all the views blocked. And we cant climb or see ANYTHING. Damn that day, just damn it. Wearing my ghetto ass 12 YEN rain poncho of which was already broken right out the package, with my 50 pound luggage backpack, soaking wet. I thought I was gonna die, honestly. Sorry, I cant suck it up, its not in me too. The worst part was when I decided to come down from the mountain early and got off at the wrong stop, of which the tour guide told me to taxi back to the hotel meeting place. Ya’ll cant be serious when ya’ll call THAT a hotel. More like a 0.1 star horror movie scenery slaughterhouse. Oh my god, ghetto chinese people can just sit the hell DOWN. Damn, how do they even freaking live in that condition is completely beyond me. The “beds” are on top of dusty cement, broken and obviously full of dirt and lice. The kitchen, lets not get into that. I would not sleep there if even someone offered me a million dollars. At the same time, I feel so bad for local people there that will spend their entire life there. Never being able to break out of that poverty cycle. Just glad to be back home. Of which my aunt picked me up and went out to dinner.
Last tour day came yesterday, Xi’an Horticultural GARDEN EXPO. The joke of the century. Oh my actual god. The “garden” are a bunch of random bamboo sticks and stubby grass. The “museum” buildings are either rest areas of which there’s not even any seats. Yep. So ghetto and freaking ass boiling HOT to the point where I got a 1st degree sunburn. If people call this a “world expo” I really fear for their intelligence level. And lunch and China brand’s “dico” was 3 massive lumps of fried chicken of which I felt like I was gonna puke. Just glad to get out their alive without fainting from a sunstroke. That night we went out for Korean food- douboukki, kimchi, and cold noodles. Their restaurants are so similar to ours, I never thought it J
Last today was spent at the local museum, pretty interesting with many historical artifacts. We went around noon to pick all the pictures from my photoshoot a week ago. Pretty nice shoots, I must say! That took 2 hours…then went to “Bei Lin” a ancient chinese calligraphy site. Very interesting as well, just that today’s weather was too hot. I felt like faint all along the way, probably because I’ve been out nonstop since leaving Vancouver for china. Tomorrow is another long day, we’re seeing the city’s most famous terracotta soldiers until 9 in the evening. Must sleep now. But just thinking of all the different experiences, people, sights I’ve interacted with along the way over the past few weeks. Well worth it, more then worth it! J nacht.
