A Long Way Gone

source: Internet

“I would always tell people that I believe children have the resilience to outlive their sufferings, if given a chance.” – Ishmael Beah, A Long Way Gone

Esther, the nurse, keeps telling Ishmael that it’s not his fault. I feel that if we don’t even have awareness and if that small awareness doesn’t lead to an opportunity for children to outlive their sufferings, then the fault lies with us. From the many child soldiers in Africa to the many young victims of war in the Middle East who’ve seen so many things that such young souls should never have to see and go through, I hope that we feel the responsibility to stop a Lost Generation from arising.

“Some nights the sky wept stars that quickly floated and disappeared into the darkness before our wishes could meet them. Under these stars and sky I used to hear stories, but now it seemed as if it was the sky that was telling us a story as its stars fell, violently colliding with each other.”

emperor penguins are my new favorite animal

Sacrificial. Loving. Protective. Persevering. Patient.

Sitting in the comfy dark red theater seats, I found the qualities of an ideal spouse on the wide screen before me in the form of a chubby adorable emperor penguin. Who knew they had such admirable characteristics (both in their roles as a spouse and as a parent). Parenthood and the love and sacrifice that follow are apparently equally universally transcendent in all animals, and perhaps homo sapiens could take a leaf or two out of the emperor penguins’ books. It made me think that ‘fatherhood’ and the instinctive fierce sacrificial love that parents have for their children is a big part of how God created us in His image, since He placed that in all His living creatures.

Tears in the Atlantic (2012), directed by Jinman Kim

The well-filmed story (one of the best storytelling that I’ve seen in a documentary) depicts the beauty of the South Pole, which subtlely conveys the desire to put a stop to the commercial pollution of the Atlantic. I was glad that the director did not edit the film with a blaring condemning and guilt-inducing message but left it to the grandeur of the nature and emperor penguins, the ambassadors of the South Pole fauna in all their cuteness, to convey the soft plea.

with Sora unni and the not-so-cute penguin

I also thought that the final scene depicting the baby emperor penguins’ journey of independence left a befitting encouragement to Sora and I, both of us soon to leave the country and head to unfamiliar places by ourselves without the help of our families: “After overcoming the various struggles, the penguins are only that much closer to the beautiful ocean they are heading towards.”

Who defined ‘success’ anyways, let’s walk to our own drum beat – in the end we will see a beautiful ocean before us and every step, every struggle will have been worth it.

Superfreakonomics

 Theory isn’t always fun. But when theory is applied, then we get tools to see and interpret a world that suddenly becomes so much more enlightening and that’s why theory is important, and different fields of study are valuable in their own right. I fail at economic theory, as much as I want to understand it – believe me I do! I believe that economics is the basis of society and that it shapes history and politics. So the revelation that this book and its predecessor (‘Freakonomics’) gives in explaining the applicability of economics to the daily questions of life in a simple, light, and easy manner (so that even someone like I could understand), made it a surprisingly pleasant read.

“The economic approach isn’t meant to describe the world as any one of us might want it to be, or fear that it is, or pray that it becomes – but rather to explain what it actually is. Most of us want to fix or change the world in some fashion. But to change the world, you first have to understand it.” – Superfreakonomics

It finally hit me why I love my major. It’s interesting and fun, but it’s also a tool for me to understand the world I want to change. That’s why I love International Relations.

marching off the map

“물론 나도 알고 있다. 우리가 꿈꾸는 세상이 그렇게 쉽사리 오지 않으리라는 것을. 하지만 그렇다고 두 손 놓고 있는 것은 스스로가 초라해서 견딜 수 없다. 도시 전체가 암혹으로 뒤덮여 있는데, 나 혼자 촛불 하나를 들고 있다고 해서 그 어둠이 걷힐 리 만무하다. 하지만 어둡다, 어둡다 하고만 있을 수 없다. 우선 내가 가지고 있는 초에 불을 붙이고, 그 불을 옆 사람에게, 또 그 옆 사람에게, 초가 타고 있는 한 옮겨주고 싶다. 모든 일을 해결할 순 없지만 할 수 있는 일은 하고 싶다. 정말 그렇게 하고 싶다.”

“한편으로는 이런 문제에 처해 있는 복잡한 상황을 우리가 안다한들 뭘 할 수 있을까 싶은 생각이 들 것이다. 그러나 정말 우리가 할 수 있는 일은 없을까? 나는 있다고 믿는다. 그 곳에 평화가 오기를 진심으로 바라는 일, 우리가 그들을 똑바로 지켜보는 일, 어느 편이건 간에 국제 사회와의 약속을 어기고 불의를 저지른다면, 한 목소리로 응징하는 일 등등. 이렇게 우리를 포함한 전 세계가 감시자와 목격자의 역할을 충실히 한다면 팔레스타인과 이스라엘에, 중동에, 나아가 세계에 마침내 평화가 찾아 올 것이라고 믿는다. 적어도 평화가 오는 날을 앞당길 수 있을 것이라고 굳게 믿는다.

 “Of course, I know that the world we dream of won’t come along that easily. But to let go and not do anything makes one’s self-shabbiness unbearable. When an entire city is covered in darkness, it’s impossible to get rid of the darkness with the lone candle I’m holding by myself. But we can’t simply sit around complaining that it’s dark. First, light the candle that I have, then light the next person’s, and the next person’s. As long as the candle is burning, I want to pass it on. We can’t resolve everything, but I want to do what I can. I really do.” 

“On one hand, the thought of what could we possibly do even if we are aware of this complicated situation and its issues will surface. But is there really nothing we can do? I believe there is something we can do. To genuinely hope for peace there, to closely monitor the situation, to unanimously punish whichever side breaks a promise with the international community and commits injustice, etc etc. In this way, when the whole world that includes us dutifully fulfills the roles of monitor and observer, I believe that peace will finally come in Palestine and Israel, in the Middle East, and furthermore in the world.

At least I firmly believe that we can hasten the arrival of peace.”

– Han Bi-ya, “Marching off the Map”

한비야는 말하듯 글을 쓰셔서 누구나 부담없이 읽기 쉬운 책일 거 같다. 그리고 책을 통해 전해 받는 그녀의 열정과 에너지는 정말 본받고 싶다. 그녀는 우리가 사는 세상의 아픔 현실들을 구호현장에서 전해주지만, 그녀의 아름다운 눈과 마음으로 볼 때 그런 세상 마저 아름다워 보이기도 하다. 아름다운 세상에 언젠가 살 수 있을거라는 희망을 품게 되고, 적어도 내가 아니라면 노력을 해서 내 아이들에게는 꼭 아름다운 사람들이 눈물과 기도와 땀을 흘려 현장에서 가진 모든 것을 쏟아부어 만든 그런 값지고 아름다운 세상을 물려주고 싶다.

“All izz well”

Rancho: That day I understood that this heart scares easily. You have to trick it, however big the problem is. Tell your heart, ‘Pal, all is well. All is well.’
Raju: Does that solve the problem?
Rancho: No, but you gain courage to face it.

Sometimes the heart needs to be told, “All is well,” for a little bit of courage.

And sometimes, I need to stop racing. Why so serious? Why running so fast? Am I racing, or am I chasing my passions?

I loved the movie because it was heart-warming, it made me laugh and cry, and it reminded me of a close friend who used to say that he’d rather be a warm-hearted ‘idiot’ over a smart person anyday.

I wholeheartedly agree.

—————-

“작년 이맘때, 어디선가 이런 글귀를 보았다.
“너무 똑똑한 사람이 되지 마라,
조금은 어리석어야 따뜻한 사람이 될 수 있다.”

나는 잘난 사람이 되고싶지 않다.
그저 내 길을 묵묵히 걸어가는,
어리석은, 따뜻한 사람이 되고 싶다.”

나도, 나도