Shallow DaRaverLA

Co-worker: Hey, what are you doing this Saturday? I know this girl, and if you are interested, I can set up a blind date for you.

Me: Um, no, I am fine. I am not interested at this point.

Co-worker: Well, she’s really a nice person.

Me: No, thanks. I am ok. I think I have to do some errands this Saturday, anyway.

Co-Worker: Ok, I understand but she’s really sweet with great family values. And I could see you guys clicking in a lot of ways.

Me: I am sorry, but I am really not interested in meeting someone. I don’t even know where I would be in six months!

Co-worker: But you might like her. You never know. Oh, by the way, she’s working as an aerobic instructor at this fitness club. I shouldn’t say this since you haven’t met her... but she has a really, really nice…

Me: Actually, now come to think of it, I think I can make it this Saturday. Doing errands can wait. There are much more important things in life that calls for immediate attention. And I believe that this is just a classic example of understanding the significance of capturing that opportunity. And I do appreciate your consideration in arranging this sort of meeting with her. Oh, yes, you are definitely right about us being together part. I can definitely see myself with someone with her caliber. Given the high level of intellectual curiosity of mine and the nice personality and strong family values of hers, I can clearly see that we will immediately have something going between us. And please tell her that I am really looking forward to meeting someone like her who has a really sweet and nice personality. After all, that’s what I am looking for the most in a girl: great values and outstanding characters that would be rivaled to those of my mother. What time did you say it was? 6PM? Well, tell her I will be there by 5:00 sharp. ("Korean Time" be damned!) And yes, tell her that there is no need to "underdress" for the date.


Stay tuned for more updates after the Big Saturday...:)

I miss LA

As I was reading through some of the much-deserved euphoric posts by WakeChick and CalGrad on their acceptances to the Anderson MBA program, I realized that I had, frankly, some mixed reactions to their news of getting admitted to the program. I was genuinely excited for them since we all know how tough, how uncertain, and how demanding this whole MBA application process has been for them. (much kudos to these two applicants. Despite their outstanding academic/professional profiles that would have gotten them to a top 5 school, they were determined to go to Anderson for their own unique personal reasons and willing to forgo the opportunities available at other schools in exchange of their places in the class of Anderson 2007. Not easy thing to do, at all) But at the same time, I couldn’t shake off a sense of strange envy I had for them. I really envy them so much because after a long soul-searching in the light of the current family situation, I have come to realize that LA is my home and that I really want to go back to re-establish my roots there. And naturally, UCLA Anderson MBA is, I recognized, my top choice at this moment - by far.

After a few days of grieving after my rejection notification from Wharton, one of my old friends from LA visited me here in Seoul, and he just went off at me for not keeping in contacts with him and other good friends I had left behind. I just didn’t realize how much I had left behind in LA until he made me feel really guilty about not being able to maintain friendship with some of my closest friends I had in the past. He basically told me that everyone missed me and that they had talked about me whenever they met and hang out. And that's when it hit me. LA is my home, and there is no place like home, truly. All of my American friends in Seoul had already left for the States, and I am here now without having any close friends. And just to show how lonely I have been (oh, boy, this post is really getting sentimental), recently, I have been going to movies alone, all by myself. And it’s not a pleasant feeling at all, especially considering the frigid, harsh weather in Korea that constantly aroused a sense of nostalgia every time I went outside.

Talking about weather, another critical factor behind the emergence of UCLA as my top choice is weather. The hash winter in Korea has been really annoying, as I had been sick for about four days in the last two weeks. And on one day, I couldn’t even move out of bed because I was so sick. Normally, I proud in myself and my ability to fend off any cold/flu symptoms with a couple tablets of aspirin, but this time, I was totally helpless. I just don’t want to spend another winter in this cold-climate country. As silly as this may sound, weather is such an important factor for me that it has even influenced the choice of MBA programs I now want to go to. Just for this weather reason alone, I decided not to apply to Kellogg and Tuck. It would have been awesome to meet fellow classmates such as Void and Attagirl, (that is, if I indeed get into the program) but at the same time, I need to think carefully, realistically about the kind of environment I want to be in for the next two years. Without sounding paradoxical, I know that the weather in New York where Cornell and Columbia are situated isn't that much better than that in Tuck or Kellogg, but my recommenders had already submitted their recs for me by the time I seriously began to take this weather factor into the consideration. So I just decided to submit my apps to these two programs. But, now, based on my own personal criteria that were not considered seriously in my previous Wharton application, UCLA is my only viable option as this time. There is no secret now: I want to go back to LA, live there, and work there.

So having said all these romantic, sentimental things, I realize that I need to become more proactive now. I intend to fly to LA sometime in the early February to meet the adcom at Anderson for an interview. I just cant wait for them to invite me to interview. I realize that I have to be more determined and passionate, and the best way is to act on it, as opposed to outguessing myself.

Columbia and Cornell apps submitted

Thanks fellas for all the love and support you guys have shown me!

My New Year Resolutions: the Top 20

1. Quit smoking. When every person claims that it’s bad for me, then it is probably, most likely, and obviously bad for me. So please refrain myself from arguing with him or her that it’s all propaganda promoted by media.

2. Settle down. I need to realize that I am not looking to get marred with the hottest babe at a bar. A wife is not a commodity, but a true soul mate.

3. Learn how to play piano.

4. Reconnect with my father. Before he is my father, he’s a human being. And that comes
with territory and price. Accept this fact first and then start respecting him for the sacrifices that he’s made for me but I might be not aware of on a conscious level.

5. Send an email to all of my old friends at least once in every two weeks. Understand that my friends are the only people in my life outside the family whom I do not share any business interest with. And that is the true blessing in disguise.

6. Stop bitching about life. Life is not fair. I should know this by experience. But do look for the silver lining in the clouds. After all, life is equal in the eyes of every person.

7. Always carry the changes so that when I see a person in need of mer help or cash, I would always have the money to spare. For every ten alcoholic freeloaders, there must be at least one person with soon-to-be rejuvenated determination for a new life.

8. Increase the bench-press weight at least by 30% by the end of this year.

9. Learn to how finish one-mile run on a consistent basis. And please, please don’t stop for a cigarette break while I am at it.

10. Respect my older brother. After all, he’s four years older than me. And please remember the very fact that it was him who bought me a new pair of the Andre Agassi shoes - out of his first meager paycheck.

11. Learn how to hold liquor in a manner comparable, or at least mildly acceptable, to the standard of my friends. By now, I should have figured out that it’s freaking embarrassing to deliberately try to spill the overflowed alcohol on the table when they are not looking. And please try to realize the obvious that I am not the only person who has noticed this blatant, poorly calculated strategy.

12. Learn to hold the door for ladies. Being in Korea doesn’t give me the exclusive right to adopt the nation’s prevalent way of life and to disregard the mannerism I have acquired previously.

13. Enjoy walking. If I can’t get the morale of this advice, it might be useful for me to take a look at myself in the mirror, because I look pretty amazingly, unbelievably pale, even in comparison to those Korea high schools senior girls who spend most of their time studying at school.

14. Do approach a girl that I find attractive. For every ten girls who quickly avert their eye contacts from mine, there must be at least one girl who might be interested in what I am doing for a living. Oh, and if she does indeed ask me for what I do for a living, don’t try to be cute by saying, “it’s a secret.” That strategy never worked even in high school, and most likely, it will never work in the future either.

15. Don’t get perplexed and disappointed if a Korean girl tells me, “No way! You can really speak English well!?” After all, she does have every reason to doubt my fluency in English, given the profuse amount of evidences of the poor grammar being used on this blog.

16. Learn how to say, “Oh, I am sorry. The word ‘recalcitrant’ means ‘unruly’, not ‘polite’ as I have just told you” in a very humble manner. After all, all my students probably figured out by now that they have more potential to score above 600 on SAT Verbal section than I do.

17. No, I will not buy a motorcycle, no, no, no, not ever in my lifetime. So please stop hanging around that bike shop.

18. Learn how to look cool in plain white shirt and a pair of jeans. After all, it is a SKILL to look cool in plain fashion.

19. Please understand and accept that the real-life case of “being good under pressure” applies only to Michael Jordan and no one else (not even to the beloved Kobe). And learn to stop procrastinating.

20. And finally, try to drop a note to every blogger who has been considerate and caring enough to log on my site and leave me a message.

Because they do mean a lot to me at this juncture of my life.

Submitted the Application for UCLA

And ready to submit the Cornell app....yet again, for the 5th time....