Education
I am proud of my achievement in the academic world...getting a Ph.D. and all. But I can help but thinking twice in a while whether it is worth it. Sometimes I wonder whether it's because I took all the time and energy to achieve this, I convinced myself that it must be good.
I've been studying all my life. Studying as a self-fulfilling prophecy. Study just to be good at studying. Now that I'm done, I can't help thinking about what to do next. I don't know how to do anything else but to study. Well, I know how to do a few things...but I think that's not enough. I should know more (at my age).
Well, let me narrow down to the studies of Economics...my area of expertise. Interestingly enough, I know many (not all) of the theories well (and some, not well)...but I don't know for sure that a personal check in Thailand become invalid after six months, until today. And, I'm pretty darn sure most of economic students in Thailand don't know this. And, I bet most of economic students don't know where to get information about GDP, import, export, national accounts, etc. Ain't that something. Studying a lot of economics, but don't know how it actually operates.
So, what good does education have? I have given some thoughts into this, and I think the education is good and it's useful...in most case, when applied to solve real world's problems. So, useful or useless, it depends
a lot on the person utilized the education.
Let's say...a person's overall ability/quality (in general sense) comes from two sources: formal education and life experience. How much do you think comes from formal education as opposed to life experience? 50:50? 80:20? or 30:70? You tell me.
Personally, and this is only my view from studying economics, I think formal education contributes less than 50%. Mostly working experience, personal expertise (perhaps in computer programming), and perhaps personality contributes a lot to one's advancement in career/life.
Should it be so? To me, I would love to see more real life and real world examples in the classroom. I would love to see students (actually) learning...not just studying. I start to see, in the field of Economics and Business (perhaps), the academic world and the real world are drifting apart...especially in higher education (i.e. doctoral).
I really have no conclusion on this one. Only that, if I ever have a chance to pass on my knowledge to younger generations, I'll make sure I teach them something simple and useful...not some high-class theory (by some developed countries' standard) with no application to a country like Thailand.
Rochester, NY
I went to Rochester today. Rochester is one of a bigger town (than Ithaca, of course) in NY State. It locates about two hours northwest of Ithaca. Thanks to my good friends, Mo & Pim, who were kind enough to ask me if I want to go with them. I agreed :)
Off we went! There were six of us: Mo, Pim, Joe, Chate, Fair, and I. The first thing we did was going to a Chinese Restaurant called Golden Port to have some Dim Sum. Man! The Dim Sum was great! We had lots, and I enjoyed everything from Turnip Cake to Roasted Pork Bun.
After lunch, we went to a Buddhist Temple somewhere (I don't know where because I fell asleep all the way :P). The reason we went to a temple is because it's Fair's birthday, I believe. Anyway, at the temple, we donated some money, went through some praying, กรวดน้ำ (sorry, don't know how to say it in English), and chat with the monk. It happened to be a very interesting conversation because the monk talked to us about almost anything from thinking of our mothers on our birthday to Thammagaai (ธรรมกาย) Sect of Buddhism (and happened to be a controversial one in Thailand, I think) to a strong support to the current Prime Minister of Thailand. I almost fall asleep (due to lack of sleep the night before). Well...let's just say I'm not very good in paying attention that long.
We went to
George Eastman House (Eastman Kodak) afterward. The house is actually a museum of photography and film, the oldest one. It used to be the house of George Eastman, the founder of Eastman Kodak Company. I guess the pictures speak better than words...
We spent quite some time there at Eastman House. The next stop was the waterfall of Rochester. We didn't do much there beside chilling. There was quite a breeze.
Then, of course, we were hungry and ready for dinner. Shiki, a small Japanese restaurant, was our choice. There, I had some sushi and "hamba" steak. The impressive thing about this restaurant is their salad dressing. For most Japanese restaurant I've been to in the US, the salad dressing has lots of vinegar. Only for this one, it's smooth and creamy...a little bit sweet but light. Enjoyed the dinner very much :9
Well...let's just say (again) I came home very satisfied and full of Japanese food in my stomach.
P.S. Today's blog is a bit different as you notice. Lots of pictures. How is it? I wonder which one is better: more to read or more to see. Let me know. Here are some more pictures :P
Guilty
Have you ever pissed off a good friend unintentionally?
I just did. And I can't do anything about it. Made me feel terrible. Imagine a friend who is too tired from a long day...don't want to listen to your explanation or your apology. I wish I could turn back time...and stop myself from making the stupid joke.
I don't think I can sleep tonight.
Ithaca Ginger Beer
The other day...I had a chance to try Ithaca Ginger Beer at
Collegetown Bagels ('ve been here five years and just heard of it ^^;). The ginger beer tasted very good. Like Root Beer with rich ginger flavor. It is actually gingery spicy. Love it!
New York City (again and again)
I went to NYC yesterday, but I came back today. Sooo tired...too tired to cook up a story right now. So, I'll come back and tell you all about it. You can be sure that good food is involved...
Well...I'm back. As many of you might have already guess it right, today's topic evolves around food again. But also something on this trip as well. Shall we start?
There were several purposes of this NYC trip (3rd time in two weeks). I went on Monday with Tob to help her move her stuffs as she'll attend NYU. On Tuesday, I picked up Pong (coming from Thailand), Aim (coming from Pittsburgh), and Pap (coming from DC) back to Ithaca.
There was nothing much on Monday. We departed Ithaca in the afternoon and reached Flushing by dinner time. We had a quick Korean dinner. Too bad we didn't know what to order, so just some simple dishes. I was so tired from driving. I fell asleep before I knew it.
Tuesday morning. Pong and Tob's mom arrived. Lucky me. I suppose to pick Pong up from the airport, but thanks to Tob's mom. He could tag along. So, I could sleep as late as I wanted :)
For lunch, I went to a very delicious Korean restaurant. Too bad I cannot remember the name, but I'll surely know how to get there. We had a very good Bulkoki and Kalbi and Soon Tofu Chige and many more. Thank you to Tob's mom who treated us that lunch. The funny thing about that restaurant is that it's Kimchi is patented. IH-22 Lactic Acid Bacteria! Wow!
In all, we had a very very good and satisfying lunch. I took a nap after that (now you know how good it was). Not so long, Pap called to tell me that she arrived Port Authority. That means I'll have to take off (with Pong going along). And so we did. Only that we had to stop by for a side mission, buying Cha-om (ชะอม) and other stuffs for Ple. Mission accomplished ^^
Finally, we picked up Pap and Aim and was on our way to dinner. I was gonna take them to a Yakitori place I like very much (and meant to go there many time, but failed). I failed again. We arrived there at 5:30PM, but the place won't open until 6PM. So we went to "Go" another Japanese restaurant with a really really good Okonomiyaki. I hadn't had a Okonomiyaki since I left Illinois. That's 5 years ago. So, I bought some ingredient for making a Okonomiyaki at home ^o^
But the day was not over. We continued our search for one of the best Cream Puff, according to Pong. It's
Beard Papa's Cream Puff. It's very delicious. They make the cream puffs at the instant we ordered by injecting the cream right there before your eyes. The cream puff is rich and creamy. Slightly sweet, but not too sweet. Crispy outside, creamy and soft inside. Ah...am I describing it too much?
Anyway, we left NYC another time. This time it was more about Japanese food than Chinese food. I thought it might be among the last times I'll get to enjoy NYC. May be once or twice more...
About Bangkok
About Bangkok is a restaurant owned by my friend, Ple. And, that where I was working today. The story started with About Bangkok was in shortage of staff...and I was able to trick Natt into going with me. (If you know Natt and I, you'll know that getting us to work in a restaurant is almost impossible) ...And so we went.
I did the cashier, hosting, answering the take-out phone calls, and other small things I could. Natt was the waiter, along with Ple. Things were so hectic for me. I have to get all the prices into the bill, and I have to browse through the menu for every bill. I guess if I can remember all the prices, it'd be an easy task. But anyway, I didn't do much. This machine here (on the right) I use very often. Just swipe a credit card and punch in some numbers...I was able to charge our customers.
There was about 25 tables in and about 10 take-outs. Natt did an excellent job on the waiting. The dude was as quick as a monkey. Well, anybody who knows Natt would know that he's a neat and clean person. But man, the dude was so efficient. A customer who was paying told me to make sure Natt gets the tip. I couldn't imagine Natt in a service industry, but he did a damn good job today
The evening went quite smooth. There are quite a few things I learned there:
- Memorizing the menu & price will make the job easier.
- The bottleneck is often in the kitchen (it's quite tough when everybody walks in around the same time, dinner time). If cooked faster, the turnover rate will rise.
- Kitchen floor can be damn slippery
- Coming in as a couple, they stay on and chat. Coming in as a family, they leave quickly
- If you sell liquor, you'll definitely sell more
- People don't like to wait too long for their food
- Helping each other makes the job goes a lot faster
- A glass of whiskey after work tastes a lot better than the same glass of whiskey alone
I think I'll do it again. I start to believe that it'll make me a better person. Really.
I'll do absolutely nothing next Friday!
I've been writing about what I had done. Since I hadn't done much, I'm going to write about my hectic 'next week'.
Tomorrow, I think I'll have to help Rodyon moving some of his stuffs from the storage to his new apartment. His storage is 10'x10'...can't imagine how much I'll have to carry. And, in the evening, I'll help Ple with her restaurant, which faces a serious staff-shortage problem. It'll be interesting because I haven't done this before...and even more interesting because I tricked Natt to going with me :P
On the upcoming Monday, I'll help Tob move her stuffs to NYC. More carrying. More driving. More New York City.
On Tuesday, I'll pick up Pap, Aim, and Pong from NYC to come back to Ithaca. Pap will be coming back from Washington D.C., Aim will be coming back from Pittsburgh, and Pong will be coming back from Thailand.
On Wednesday, I'll be back in Ithaca...but will have to help Rodyon with the final moving. More carrying is expected.
On Thursday, I'll have to bring my car to service. Something (minor) is wrong with a sensor in the engine. I'll need to get it fixed before the delivery of the car.
So...I plan to do nothing on Friday. Will just rest.
Tender Duck! Crispy Duck! (เป็ดนุ่ม! เป็ดกรอบ!)
The story begins with my recent New York day trip. I have got to go to NYC so many times this month. Every time, I have been going through the ritual of "Tender Duck! Crispy Duck!" ...more or less.
But the history of "Tender Duck! Crispy Duck!" goes way back to when NooMai and NooJill visited Ithaca earlier this year (is that right?). We went to NYC with Natt, who is an expert in New York Dining...especially the area around Chinatown. Natt took us to a Chinese food marathon eat-out. Starting with Dessert! At Cafe Ferrara, I ate a big strawberry short cake, cannoli and coffee. Then, we went to have the Tender Duck with Hoi-Jor. And we ended up at the Crispy Duck place to eat the duck and wanton + noodle. There were 5 of us, and we only ordered 1/4 of a duck and a bowl of wanton. Fortunately, the waiter didn't kick us out :P All the food were so delicious, but we ate 'til we couldn't anymore.
Ever since then, we (Natt & I) do the "Tender Duck! Crispy Duck!" ritual every time we take someone new to NYC. But since last week, we add the Mini-Salapao (เซียวหลงเปา) in to the sequence.
Yes, I went to NYC twice in a week already. Last Thursday, I went to apply for a Visa to Japan with Natt and Aim. I couldn't eat that much due to lack of sleep the night before, I guess. We started the Mini-Salapao thing.
I went to NYC again to pick up my Visa yesterday with Natt, Ple, and Pap. This time we had a long sequence of eating. We started off with a delicious Chocolate-filled Croissant from Payard, one of the best in NYC. Then, we went for the Tender Duck, where we had Duck (of course), pork leg (ขาหมู), and Hoi-Jor (หอยจ๊อ). The Crispy Duck was up next. And not just the duck, we had wanton and noodle too. The strange thing is that both restaurants didn't serve hot tea at all. Made us very เลี่ยน (sorry, I cannot find a word in English). But we continue on anyway to the Mini-Salapao place.
A mistake at the Mini-Salapao place was to order two set of the Salapao (8 pieces each). I ended up eating six pieces, and each piece is not small too. Delicious and overwhelming...good thing they serve hot Chinese tea there (Thank you).
In the end, we stopped by Cafe Ferrara for ice cream on the run. We had to send Pap at Port Authority by 6PM. And, we had about half an hour starting from Chinatown. With the traffic, we might not make it. So, Ple took Pap on the subway. They got there just in time to buy the ticket but not for the bus if it left on time. Luckily, the bus was an hour late. Pap got on the bus and reached DC on time. Everybody goes home happy...and very very full.
P.S. Sorry, no photos of the food...because we ate them too quickly :9
Dust in the Wind
It's been a while that we haven't had a song on. Here it is... Dust in the Wind originally by Kansas...but sung by Sarah Brightman here. Gosh, she has a beautiful voice.
Past, Present, and Future
Today's blog can be confusing...because, at this point, I really don't know what I am going to talk about. Just my thoughts, I guess.
The Past. Some people, it seems, spend most of their days in the Past. And, from my own observation, they are mostly sad people. It's not that their part is all bad. It's only that they choose to cling on to the sad parts of their pasts. They are sad not because of something happens today, but from something happened some time ago. Maybe yesterday. Maybe two years ago. It makes their lives miserable. So miserable, most of the little good things in the present are often clouded by the fog from the Past. They cannot enjoy the present, let alone the future.
But of course, we cannot live without the past. The Past contains our memories. The Past, when looked upon, can sometimes make people smile even if it has just a little of good memories in it. The Past makes us who we are today.
The Present. People, who spend most of their days in the Present, are mostly happy people. At least that's what I think or what I see. These people seem to enjoy every moment of their lives...from waking up, listening to music, eating, playing, etc. Even when they have to go through a tough day at work, they confront it with courage and the will to move forward. They enjoy the present so much...they don't care how long it will last. That is because they enjoy the Present, not (enjoying) a day, a month, or a year. Just the moment.
But, again, enjoying so much the Present can just make one forget about the Past...which can mean that person completely lost his/her memory or, in a milder case, simply forget his/her mother's birthday.
The Future. If you only concentrate on the future alone, you are just plain confused. You are confused possibly because you don't know what you are doing in the Present and what the Past means to you. Some people call it daydreaming. Of course the future is uncertain, so people of the Future spend a lot of time thinking about many possible futures. Some (possible future courses) are unreasonably thought of more than others. The people of the Future never reach their destinations or have been fulfilled...because the future always run away. Afterall, Tomorrow is still a tomorrow.
Of course, without thinking about the future, one has no hope. The Future is good at keeping people in focus...keeping their chin up no matter how bad the Past has treated them and how empty the Present is.
Who are You?
The View from Space
I've been playing with "Google Earth" - a new software by Google. What it does is that it lets you browse the earth with the ability to zoom in. In most big cities, the details of buildings when zoomed in are amazingly impressive. Thank you to
Xtreme for introducing the software to me through her site.
I thought the program was so-so. But, my impression changed after I was able to find my house in Bangkok (above). I think it's a quite-cool program. More things can be done if your location is in the US though...such as finding hotels, highways, restaurants, etc. If anyone want to find out more about this program, it's
here. Have fun!
Happy Mother's Day !!!
I love my mom very much.
Wishing you all the joy and happiness na krub, Mama ;)
Blogging at 5
It's almost 5AM, and I just woke up.
For some people, this is called "early." But for me, it's "middle of the night." I often wake up in the middle of the night when I drink a lot. And, I did drink quite a bit earlier. In fact, I was drunk...drunk enough to fall asleep unknowingly. Somehow, when I just wake up, I have a sudden urge to blog. Oh...maybe I'm addicted to this thing already.
Anyway, there was a party earlier. The original cause of today's party was the fact that Nong Pap is done with her Q-Exam, a super-stressful Ph.D. qualifying exam in the Econ Department. And, it is because Nong Noki and Pap will leave tomorrow for Washington D.C.
It started quite early, about 3PM. Natt and I bought Supporo Beer and waited at her apartment. We (Natt, Noki, Pap, Aim, and I) went out shopping for dinner cooking and bought a lot of raw materials.
The theme was Kalbi (Korean-style Ribs hotplate). Oh...we had so much food. Soooo much that it made me actually feel really "stuffed" ...really and seriously. If you buy a pack of Kalbi (raw), you'll often see a lot of fat. Fat makes it tastes very good, but not feeling good after a lot consumed...I learned that the hard way today. I was so stuffed with fatty delicious food that I couldn't move. How pathetic...
Beside Kalbi, we had Jab-Chai (Ten-Veggie Soup). Only that I had about 4 kinds of vegetables in the soup. Natt also made his famous fried chicken...a lot of it. It took four people to prepare the chicken into a huge bowl. I couldn't believe Natt cooked it all...and I couldn't believe that we ate it all too.
Then, I guess, we drank a lot. Natt seemed to be drunk ahead of everybody else. Ple stopped by to give Por her birthday present, but she left early. I don't know whether it is because of us, drunk people, or because she's tired from working all day. But I guess it is the latter. It could have made the party more fun if there was more people.
Anyway, we played Kings for two rounds...which is enough to speed up my alcohol level fairly quickly. Natt was very drunk. Perhaps it's because he hasn't been drinking for a long time. Pap and Noki was happy, I guess, but not drunk.
Everything concluded at 1AM. Everybody was sent home. Thanks to Soe...because neither Natt nor I was able to legally drive. We came back home. Although I was drunk, I managed to take a shower (usually I go straight to bed and worry about the shower in the morning :P). Somehow, I fell asleep almost right away after the shower. And then, I woke up feeling quite refreshed (what a surprise). And here I am...blogging until the morning.
Ima, Ai ni Yukimasu
Well... more movie is coming this way. It seems I watch so many Japanese movies lately. Today I watched "Ima, Ai ni Yukimasu" or "Be with You" - a movie originally recommended by
Noomai.
Ima, Ai ni Yukimasu (2004)Directed by Nobuhiro Doi
Based on a novel by Takuji Ichikawa
Sypnosis: Takumi (Shidou Nakamura) and his six-year-old son, Yuji (Akashi Takei), lost their wife and mother, Mio (Yuko Takeuchi). But their lives continued. Although not without difficulties, Yuji seemed to look forward to the rainy season because he remembered his mother's promise to come back during the rainy season a year after her passing.
Even though Takumi was not that confidence about Mio's promise, he seemed to hope that his son's wish of seeing his mother again came true. And it sort of did.
They met a woman in the woods, who looks exactly like Mio. Only that she didn't remember them. They took her home telling her that she's Mio. At first, Mio didn't know what to believe, but she went along and started to believe she's Mio. The family became a family again. Mio had become the mother and slowly grew to love Takumi all over again.
But then, the rainy season ended. It's time for Mio to leave. Will she leave? Who is she, really? Discovering Mio's diary unveiled the mystery.
****************************************
What do I think about the movie? (Warning: might contain spoilers)I love
Ima, Ai ni Yukimasu a lot. I love the absolutely wonderful acting of everybody in the family. I love how the story is tied together and how the story unveil itself through out the movie. I love how Takumi tell his side of the love story and how Mio tell her side through her diary. And, especially, I love how Love is portrayed in the movie.
Watching the movie had made me think about someone's saying, "Oh...I wish I know now what will happen in the future." Personally, I believe the future contains both good and bad things...happy and sad events. If you know your future, would you continue to walk the path toward such future? Or, this has let me to think of another question, would you change your past if you could?
Watching Movies
I have got to confess that I haven't done much recently beside watching movies. March of the Penguins, Crayon Shinchan, Paranoia Agent, and The Classic are the movie I am/have been watching.
March of the Penguins was a good movie. Or I can just say a good documentary. It's a story about a group of Emperor Penguins living, mating, and producing little penguins around the Antarctica area. They have to endure so much, walk so much, and be patient so much to achieve what they've done for thousands of years (or it could be longer than that).
Here's something I learn from the movie:
- penguins are monogamous
- the father will keep the egg warm for 4 months without any food at all while the mother walks to find food for herself and her child (and not the father)
- penguins work together to keep themselves and their eggs warm while waiting for mothers' return
- a mother who lost her baby will try to steal a baby from another penguin
- when baby penguins grow up big enough, their parents will leave them forever
- And, baby penguins are very cute
Crayon Shinchan: The Movie was fun and relaxing to watch. All the adults was hypnotised (in a way) to become childlike: irresponsible and always playing. Shinchan and his friends will have to save their parents.
The movie is funny from time to time. And, it actually has a plot. It's good for relaxation, and perhaps practicing Japanese language. Unfortunately, I would have no clue if not for the English Subtitle.
Paranoia Agent was a strange Japanese cartoon series. I only watch half of it (i.e. six episodes) and still cannot explain when someone asked me what it is about. All I can tell is...there are several stories about different people, what happens to them, yet these stories seem to converge into one single story. But I can't be sure because I have not finished the movie. So...this one is "to be continue..."
The Classic was a classic. Korean love story. A young girl found old letters her mom exchanged with her lover. The stories carried on...lovers departed, reunited, faced obstacles, and approached a very sentimental conclusion.
I usually get sensitive when watching this kind of movie. In fact, I do cry easily...and very "in"to the stories (Yes...you heard me right). Somehow and surprisingly, this one didn't get to me. Is it the movie? Or is it me.
To-do List
I have spent time with my thoughts a lot lately...thinking about how much/little I have accomplished and how my life is going to be. I can say that I rarely have 'dreams' (of achieving something) since my childhood. I don't know why, but I hardly want anything. It sounds like a good thing, but well...seems like a bad thing for me at the moment. So, I'm trying to think back (and forth) about what I want to do, to see, to get, etc.
And, here's a list of things I have wanted for myself so far (no priority whatsoever):
Get a PhD: That's done. Although it is not as fulfilled as I thought it would be, I'm sure I'll appreciate it more in the future.
Spend a year or two in Japan: I can't really explain why Japan. I know I love the atmosphere, culture, people, although I cannot understand Japanese. It could be that I was a Japanese in my past life. Or it could be just because I read too many Japanese comics during my childhood and got brainwashed.
Write a book: I originally wanted to write a novel, but I guess a textbook counts now.
Backpacking Europe: This is perhaps more common and easier to achieve than others. It's the same thing as traveling around.
Earn millions: I can't say how many millions (Baht or US$) because the value of money changes every year. Long long time ago, I wanted to make one million Baht a year...but I guess that might not be enough by the time I'll have to pay for my kid's tuition.
Raise good kids: I guess this is the scariest one of all. Many of my friends said they don't wanna have kids because the world today is scary and cruel. But I want to face it. I believe raising a good child is as hard as raising a bad child. Well...that's a little far, but still on my list.
Well...that's more or less it. My to-do list. I guess there might be a few things I should be thinking of doing them, but I just can't think of more right now. So, people, if you have any suggestion, fire it away!
A Wandering Homeless
Notice anything? A new haircut? New shirt? Well... my blog's name has changed. "I'll give it a try" is no longer. I think I've tried it enough... write much enough... addicted enough... and enough not have to try anymore.
I thought I must have a new name for it. If I'm not trying here, what am I doing here?
Looking back to the origin of it brought my dreamy head to places... where I stayed... how I started this thing... where I am now... a new apartment, but not mine. The thoughts got carried away... my old apartments weren't mine either. I can't call them home. They are just nice places I stayed in for a period of time. How about my parents'? Yes, that's home. My parents' place will always be my home...wherever they'll be. But, it's a sanctuary-type home, where I can feel safe and taken care of.
But, it's not the home I'm talking about here. I'm thinking of a home, a sanctuary provided by me (not for me). A home that I can welcome family and friends. A home that I can offer shelter, food, and protection. A home that I am the man of the house...the caretaker.
I haven't found that home anywhere...over the course of my 30-year journey (well if counted from when I've officially become a 'man' then it's a 15-year journey...whatever it was).
Tonight, I'm writing this blog from a living room of my friends' apartment in Northern Ithaca. I sleep here and call it my 'bedroom'.
A couple of months from now, I'll probably be some place far far away. I've always been on the run...wandering around. AFS-Minnesota, Thammasat-Bangkok, Exchange Program-Montreal, Work-Bangkok, Master-Urbana-Champaign, PhD-Ithaca. My life has always been a journey. And, in some way, so does this blog. I started it, and I'm sure I'll stop it someday.
And that's the day I'm no longer a wandering homeless.
