Water is the life force of Earth. Nobody needs to be reminded of the universality of our liquid manna. From plants to animals to humans, we rely on it to such an extent and for most of us; it is provided with such ease that it is basically the most taken for granted thing in our daily lives with the possible exception of the radiant sun. Continue reading
life
Facebook Famous
It seems with the rise to mainstream prominence of Facebook and Twitter; we see much more hyperbole in the day-to-day life of normal citizens. We often read about, “best weekend ever”, “best friends forever”, “greatest night in the history of Fort Lauderdale”, “most hilarious thing ever”, “this is amazing” et al. I believe this is not always even believed by the people who write it, but perhaps to make others believe that the author was involved in something so great, so stupendous, that not only must others hear of it, in turn feel jealous of it, but know, that since it was “the best girlfriends in the world partying in Miami for the weekend” that no one can ever top that wonderful moment. Continue reading
Small Pleasures
Hungry after a long day at the hagwon with a slight headache breathing through my temples, I wandered into a local eatery. There were no less than 7 policemen in their full blue and gray gear, loudly, violently and quickly consuming a crowd of plates. They ate with typical Korean gusto. However, one always feels good eating where the local cops eat. I ordered my mandu-gu soup and leaned back in the chair. Continue reading
Dualism of Life
In the hot and cold waters in the sauna, I contemplated what I had learned from last week’s hike. The man and woman, the day and night, the sick and healthy, the weak and strong, attractive and ugly, rich and poor, tall and short, I had found the two sides of it all. Continue reading
Oh, Thunder Road
About six or seven years ago, I was working construction with my father. It was probably summer time. We were renovating a 19th century mansion on the big hill overlooking my childhood town. It was not an easy job. There were nasty days full of the worst grease, grime and grit you can imagine. There were days where we felt like nothing was getting done and the job would never end. There were days when I wished I were anywhere else but there. And, of course, there were days that I’ll never forget—quality time with my pop learning his craft. Continue reading
Not So Fast
Sand falls through the hourglass in the incessant, inevitable march of our collective moments. The sand represents only the quantity of time. Memories provide the qualitative quotient expressing our tenuous grasp while drifting among the currents. Nobody needs to be told, “Life is short.” Continue reading
SCUBA in Thailand
The videos prepare you for the worst, the instructor prepares you for the dive, the panic prepares your concentration, the excitement prepares your anticipation, and yet nothing can truly prepare you for the quiet, pulsing energy of breathing underwater. The barnacle crusted line leads downward toward the dark, sandy bottom. Equalizing the pressure against your ears as you swim, the calmness begins to envelop your body. Continue reading
Seoul is Not Vienna
“Seoul is not Vienna.” They were some of the first words my American friend and I exchanged on our new Korean cell phones. Continue reading
Losing
Losing is the hardest part of playing. Some take solace in the “it was a great season” or “we tried our hardest” or “they were the better team today,” but it hurts nonetheless. The winning is why we play; the winning is what makes playing anything possible. Continue reading
New in Korea
The plane takes off, and I realize, it actually happened. I am on a plane for the far east. Continue reading
William Sabia 