the eternal

I remember after I used to have late-night workout sessions with some of my GNC brothers, I would come home and ask them if I really had to shower. I hated showering so late at night, especially after being so worn-out from exercising. Plus, I didn't even sweat that much. They thought I was disgusting and rebuked me for this.

I know this is going to sound gross, but I'm not a big showering kind of person in general. I mean I shower daily out of obligation and because it's a cultural norm, but I don't understand those people who can take 30+ minute showers... I get so antsy in there. I remember when I used to dorm with Joyce at Yonsei, and after every time I'd come back from showering in our communal showers, she would be a lil' taken aback and say "that was fast." EVERY time. I sometimes purposely tried to stay in a little longer, conditioning my hair an extra 2 minutes or so just to get her to stop saying that.

I guess the reasoning behind not wanting to shower (unless its really hot, humid subtropic weather and I'm sweating buckets) is that the feeling is so temporal. We shower daily just so we can get dirty and shower again. And the same thing goes for food. I think the main reason why I'm not a hardcore foodie is that the joy one gets from eating food is so fleeting that sometimes it doesn't feel like it's worth it. 10 minutes of pleasure... for what? A hole in your wallet and possibly a stomach-ache or bad indigestion.

That's why I think I enjoy books so much. Reading a book is something that is a long, time-consuming process (a labor of love) where you feel emotionally attached and invested. Also, once you're done with a book, you don't just forget about it. The feelings, emotions, ideas, and application of a good story could resonate with you permanently.

I think that's one of the characteristics that I love about God. That He's timeless and the promise that He offers is an eternal one.

Quote from Dostoevsky from Tim Keller's The Reason for God (I just have to say how happy I am that he quoted Dostoevsky- Kudos to Tim!):
"I believe like a child that suffering will be healed and made up for, that all the humiliating absurdity of human contradictions will vanish like a pitiful mirage, like the despicable fabrication of the impotent and infinitely small Euclidean mind of man, that in the world's finale, at the moment of eternal harmony, something so precious will come to pass that it will suffice for all hearts, for the comforting of all resentments, for the atonement of all the crimes of humanity, for all the blood that they've shed; that it will make it not only possible to forgive but to justify all that has happened."

And C.S. Lewis:
"They say of some temporal suffering,'No future bliss can make up for it,' not knowing that Heaven, once attained will work backwards and turn even that agony into glory."

so many books, so little time!

So I sat at Barnes & Noble for a few hours today just to kill time, and I started reading:


There seems to be a lot of buzz 'round this book lately, and friends have mentioned/recommended it to me since it has a "Chekhovian" quality to it, according to the NY times, and the title includes my favoritest adverb (i.e. "super"). Oh and of course, the female lead in the story is a Korean-American girl (Eunice Park-> most typical Korean-American name ever) such as myself.

Aside from being Korean, the similarities between me and this girl are uncanny!
-Both in our mid-20's. She's 24 though, at least in the beginning of the book.
-Grew up California.
-Her family currently resides in Fort Lee, NJ (that is literally 2 min. away from me right now).
-Both have sweet, loving, but nagging/suffocating moms who email/text us in broken English.
-Both have siblings who are back at home with the family who (kinda) give us guilt trips for leaving home.
-Both cynical and angry at the world.

Except I'm not as angry, and she's probably a lot more badass.

Anyway, the first 50+ pages seem promising, even though I'm a bit wary of the Korean-ness of it (but aren't I always?). And I feel like I'll end up getting really repulsed at Lenny (the homely, self-deprecating 39-year-old protagonist). I feel like I have a thing against self-deprecating guys unless they're actually great or hilarious so there's not too much truth behind it (i.e. Conan). Otherwise, it's just annoying and pitiful.

Another book that's under my radar (and recommended by a friend):

I'm sucha sucker for zee Russians! The only gripe I have about Russian lit though (at least the lit from the "Golden Era") is that they are too many repetitive names in one story and each character has multiple names. Are they trying to confuse us on purpose? Reading, in and of itself, is already difficult for people, but when you have too many damn Alexei's and Sergei's, it's just game over. wth? I always find myself making a character list (a la CliffNotes) to keep track. Wow, I'm sucha nerd.