iKEN

My Childhood, Life, and WRC.

2012-02-12T20:05:00.001-05:00

This wasn't taken on an actual track- it's just a snow covered street in Toronto with tire track

As a young boy, there was nothing more fascinating to me than cars. Many of my relatives did not have to think too hard for my gift idea, since I was an auto enthusiast who was madly in love with diecast and toy cars. One of the best childhood memories was visiting an auto-show with my dad and spending the whole day walking around looking at shiny new cars. I still remember the time I used to go to my uncle's room and play hit titles of the original Play Station, like Need for Speed- Hot Pursuit (1998) and High Stakes (1999), Driver (1999), and Gran Turismo (1998).

But there was one title that I couldn't handle because of the difficulty, and that was called 'Collin McRae Rally'. Unlike the others, that particular game required precise controlling of speed and corner skid, and a detailed adjustment of the car setting for each run. The part that I didn't like the most, was that the game was time-challenge based, rather than competition amongst drivers.

Since the beginning of this year, I've started playing 'Colin McRae Rally 2005' and browsing around the World Rally Championship website, from time to time. Originally, it was an attempt to bring out a nostalgic challenge, but in the past months, I've been really into this whole new culture of the WRC and the joy of driving.

If you think about it, 'Rallying' is such an unique and interesting concept. Unlike any other motorsport like Nascar or Formula 1, WRC is always being held in wild terrain, from ice to tarmac, and unexpected weather- which demands patience and improvising skills of the drivers. Speaking of drivers, 'rallying' is the only sport that requires a 'co-driver' who reads the map and informs ahead. Even within the video game, it's impossible to drive properly without carefully hearing the given instruction of a co-driver like "50m, Jump caution, into immediate right hand bend severity 2 tightens". The Driver, or the gamer like myself, then visualizes the terrain on the head and decides the amount of brake to put, the direction of wheel, and desired gear level.

If I may apply my phony philosophy into the subject, I would say the world of rally represents many aspects of life: You aren't always going to be on a smooth tarmac with crowd cheering beside you, sometimes you'll get on a rough gravel that can flat your tires or mud that will make you loose control. If you have your map thought out, that's great, because you'll know when to hit the gas pedal or brake pedal. However, it's still okay. As long as you are focused and listening to the co-driver, you can improvise and choose the right passage; often co-drivers could be your partner, friends, family, or mentors. The chemistry is a key to success. Sometimes you might be overconfident and refuse to slow down around a corner. You can get lucky and go through it several times, but you'll eventually crash into a tree or roll down a valley. However the WRC consists of many rallies- you might be forced retire on that round, but there will be another set coming up. At the end, life is not about competing others on the same motor way at the same time, but it's about an individual's challenge of reaching the desired goal within the amount of time desired.

Feburary 12, 2012

2012-02-12T01:37:00.000-05:00

February 7, 2012

2012-02-07T00:35:00.002-05:00

Hollister, California

"There is a drainage culvert here. Do you see the offset? That is the San Andreas fault,

Passing right through there. It's the plate boundary.

So that you can have a nice glass of red wine and talk about geology.

And you know, life doesn't get better than that (: "

- Professor Nick Eyles

TV shows that I'm watching.

2012-02-05T10:07:00.002-05:00

An episode of a good tv show can make the awkward gap between classes more enjoyable.

The following is the list of TV shows that I'm frequently watching.

Same directors from 'the Office', using Parks and Recreation department as their new Dunder Mifflin Paper company. Amazing Bureaucratic humours and Interesting co-workers relationships. Many SNL casts appeareance.

literally one of the most intense and creative comedy show I've ever seen. Each episode contains unique subjects and story line, with various attempts for cinematography techniques. Tons and tons of pop culture reference- however, you don't necessarily need to know them in order to laugh.

This show is simply legend - wait for it - dary! Currently watching 5-6 episodes per day. That says it all. (:

February 3, 2012.

2012-02-03T13:21:00.001-05:00

The Guardian has published an article named 'Top five regrets of the dying', based on the book written by Bronnie Ware, an Austrilian nurse who spent past several years working in a palliative care. The following is the list, as witnessed by the author.

1. I wish I'd had the courage to live a life true to myself, not the life others expected of me.
2. I wish I hadn't worked so hard.
3. I wish I'd had the courage to express my feelings.
4. I wish I had stayed in touch with my friends.
5. I wish that I had let myself be happier.

The wisdom has left me some sincere thoughts, so I thought I might post it here.
The original article can be found here: http://www.guardian.co.uk/lifeandstyle/2012/feb/01/top-five-regrets-of-the-dying

Snow Patrol in Toronto.

2012-01-30T18:37:00.001-05:00

There are numerous alternative rock bands that I'm into, but Snow Patrol has been always on the top.

Tunes from their albums have made my days and nights so pleasant and refreshed my mind all the time.

I don't know if it's because of their band name, but the songs always remind me of the winter times I had in Ottawa. Perhaps it's because I often heard them while walking to school in a snow covered morning or skating on the canal.

For the most of people, Snow Patrol would be remembered as the band that sang 'Chasing Cars',

but for me, this band is remembered as a band that is like a hot chocolate on a cold winter day in Ottawa.

p.s. I guess I don't have to visit Northern Ireland just to see this band (:

p.s.2 I'm crossing my finger that I won't be having a final exam on that evening.

January 29, 2012

2012-01-29T20:09:00.004-05:00

There is a part of a day when snow turns its plain colour into this stunning colour- R154 G86 B114

However It's a meaningless colour data measured by the Photoshop, which won't reflect my feeling nor yours.

So I highly recommend you to take a closer look at the colour of snow, around a sunset, when you get a chance.

I hope you could also appreciate this lovely colour and its crystal sparkles,

and the awesome feeling of crunching you get, while walking on snow that no one ever did (:

This Week's Grocery.

2012-01-21T18:47:00.002-05:00

Our campus doesn't provide residential meal plans, so I have to cook for myself for the most of the time (unless I grab a Subway sandwich in cafeteria). When I tell people about this, many of them get surprised and look at me in different eyes. Going grocery every weekends and looking up recipes on the internet was definitely not the kind of first year college life I expected nor dreamed of, but I gotta be honest- it's not bad :D

Oh.

To whom it may concern,

The picture does not reflect the amount of food or the kind of foods that I eat every week. Many of the items that you can see from the picture are for othe long-term, not daily basis. I bought 4 bottles of spaghetti sauces because my favourite brand was on sales (which doesn't happen very often) and got more potato products than usual (hash browns, patties, fries) because all of them ran out at the same time (Yes).

I have more vegetables and fruits in the fridge. Really!

Sincerely,

A Healthy Consumer

January 21, 2012

2012-01-21T02:34:00.002-05:00

I went a grocery shopping as usual but heard a song that I have forgotten about it for a while. It sounded very familier and I was able to whistle the melody by heart when the song was only at its intro. Since the unexpected encounter, I've been on a massive search for the title of this song but I haven't been really successful. It's a bit hard to find the song without knowing any of its lyrics.

This is literally killing me and I don't think I will be able to sleep until I find out about the identity of the song.

-

Search boundary is limited to the New Age genre-

Remembering Metcalfe Street.

2012-01-19T14:58:00.000-05:00

Well, this is not an example of well composed photo for sure; There is an inappropriate window grid that blocks the view and the reflection of stairs is appearing on the photo like a ghost. Moreover, there is no unique subject that particularly stands out within the frame, other than this plain view of the Metcalfe street and some building around it.

However, this is the photo that I can simply stare at it for hours and unconsciously revisit my piles of memories, including those thoughts and feelings that I had at the time. If I may use a cliche to describe it, I could literally feel 'A rush of blood to the head'. What make this ordinary picture special for me is, not what I see from it, but how my feelings are attached the space and the scene. An articulated perception.

The Metcalfe Street has been my home for the past four years; during the period of the arrival to Canada until the last summer- the high school graduation. It was also the street that I could see from my window day and night and walked through spring to winter.

The earliest memory of the street is when I just arrived in the city and visited the Museum of Natural Science with my mom and sister. From that point: There were times my mom used to drive me back home from a baseball game, and as she drived I could feel the spring breeze through my hand hanging out of the window and see the late- summer sun that is about to set. There was time when Metcalfe Street became pseudo- Elgin Street and took over all the traffic, when Obama first visited Ottawa as a new president elect. There was time I used to walk on the street with the girl that I liked; Who would've known that a simple walk could be such a nervous-breaking, an unforgettable experience. There were times I used to walk around in the midnight, with my camera strap on my shoulder, exploring the empty city. Walking on a street with no presence of automobiles, humans, and noises have been one of my favourite experiences and looking at this photo always remind me of that. There were times I used to walk back as late as 2am from the uOttawa library to home and woke up at 6am to go to band practices. Looking at the piece of Parliament building every morning always reminded me where I live.

Even though I'll eventually visit Ottawa again in the future, but it's hard to tell whether it's going to be feel the same as I left. Regardless, this is the street that I can recall my high school years and think about my confused adolescent times.

Washington, D.C.

2012-01-16T00:23:00.002-05:00

One of the courses that I'm taking this semester is called the 'Cities and Environments' (GGRA03H3S). It's an introductory human geography course that looks at the characteristics of modern cities and environmental issues, and their interconnections. Some of the major topics include: urban forms and systems, population change, climate change, water scarcity, planning for sustainable cities.

Interestingly, one of the sections of this week's assigned reading was about the history of the development of the political capital Washington DC, the city that was designed to reflect the national identity, which I've been twice.

My first encounter with the city was on the year of 2004, when my family travelled through the East coast of the North America. At the time, I was in around grade 5 or 6 and this city full of political infrastructures and memorials didn't really interested me so much. It was probably because my lack of understanding or knowledge on the American history, but it was also because of my strange obsession (or idolization) of the cool- good ol' New York City, just like anyone who would be visiting the States for their first time.

Luckily, I had an opportunity to visit the District of Columbia again during the last Christmas break, thanks to my roommate who is from Virginia and have offered me accommodations. It was very refreshing to explore around the political capital of a nation. The bureaucratic atmosphere somewhat reminded me of the Wellington Street of Ottawa, but it was in whole 'nother different level.

The following paragraphs are taken from the book 'Cities and Nature' (2008) by Lisa Benton-Short & John Rennie Short. I want to leave these paragraphs on this post because they do reflect of what I've seen in the city and provide good narration for the unique characteristics of it..

"The development of political capital, Washington DC, underscores the attempt to embody political ideals with a developing sensitivity to the natural world. The 1791 design of the new federal capital reflected the struggle to create a space representative of American ideals and aspirations. The city was from the beginning rich in the physical and symbolic expressions of democratic ideals and a reflection of the formulation of national identity."

"The neoclassical spatial order of the capital city was partly inspired by monumental planning trends in France. Common in France was the use of radial patterns imposed upon orthogonal streets, which offered an urban typology for expedient circulation, enchanting entry vistas and possibilities (space) for defining neighbourhoods. Within these monumental plans were symbolic spaces. Designing celebratory public spaces in squares and semicircles was supposed to give the city an air of grandeur, delight and edification. All of these planning elements were well known to L'Enfant and eventually incorporated into his design."

"Central to the plan were two hills- one called Jenkins Hill, which would be the site of Congress and the other to the west would be the President's Palace (later called the White House). L'Enfant intended the two critical government buildings to be separated by space, a metaphor for the need to separate the branches of government. "

"L'Enfant's broad vision of a capital of buildings, public squares and promenades reflected the new country's optimistic outlook. It was a design intent on celebrating a ceremonial city, the center of national government and culture. The plan was on an immense scale, far beyond the size or even expectation of the government at the time."

Luftpost.

2012-01-12T14:47:00.000-05:00

I received a post card from my good friend who is currently studying

at the Westfälische Wilhelms-Universität Münster.

Best of wishes from Canada, Moritz!

Professor Nick Eyles.

2012-01-10T18:31:00.011-05:00

I'm taking an Environmental Science course called 'Introduction to Planet Earth' with Professor Nick Eyles, who have filmed a mini-series documentary on CBC, as part of the David Suzuki's 'the nature of things'. Although I've only been to his lecture once so far, I could already sense that this course is going to stimulate both my interest and knowledge in Geoscience.

My professor uses his own book as a course textbook and recommend his students to watch his documentary series on CBC website. He is also a self-claimed motorcycle enthusiast. How boss is that!

Megabus.

2012-01-05T13:33:00.002-05:00

Early reserved ticket for New York to Toronto: 12$

Writing this post on Free Wi-Fi courtesy : Priceless

National Gallery of Art.

2012-01-02T23:11:00.000-05:00

Smithsonian National Air and Space Museum.

2012-01-02T22:54:00.001-05:00

The last time I've been to this museum was when I was in grade 5 or 6, still living in Korea. On that summer, my family rent a car and traveled the Northeast region of the United States and Canada for the spirit of vacation. Of corse at the time, I was not able to speak English nor felt the need. Although I was not able to read much descriptions nor understand the science , the scale of the museum and the variety of the exhibits totally blew my mind.

It's only been 6 years from that point, but so many things have changed in the meantime.

Although the exhibits of the museum still fascinated me, I couldn't stop thinking about my past self.

Sunset in the Capital.

2011-12-31T23:01:00.000-05:00

This shot was taken when I was walking on the Arlington Memorial Bridge of the Potomac River.

At the moment, there were absolutely no thoughts or concerns on my head, but only of what I could see through eyes.

The only sound I could hear was the 'Comfortably Numb' by the Pink Floyd, being played on my earbuds.

Arlington National Cemetery.

2011-12-31T22:03:00.000-05:00

A walk between the veterans and casualties from each of the nation's war.

Thinking that all the bodies that lie in front of each stone once breathed and lived, gave me a slight chill.

'All Gave Some, Some Gave All'

Smithsonian National Museum of Natural Science.

2011-12-31T18:37:00.000-05:00

United States Holocaust Memorial Museum.

2011-12-30T13:20:00.000-05:00

United States Capitol.

2011-12-30T13:07:00.000-05:00

E pluribus unum : Out of many, One

Washington Metro.

2011-12-30T12:01:00.002-05:00

Designed by the Chicago architect Harry Weese- these metro stations remains as a good example of Brutalist architecture which was spawned from the modernist architectural movement between 1950s to the mid 1970s.

(Heavy usage of concrete and repetitive design motifs)

This is known as the second-busiest metro system in the United States after the New York City Subway, and I was able to take advantage of this well planned and organized system for the past four days.

Park and Ride.

2011-12-26T23:08:00.000-05:00

Old State House

2011-12-26T10:15:00.000-05:00

For the British Colonial Government - Established in 1713

Boston, Massachusetts

New England Architecture.

2011-12-25T01:35:00.000-05:00

Boston, Massachusetts

Acorn Street.

2011-12-25T01:23:00.000-05:00

Boston, Massachusetts

New York Public Library.

2011-12-21T23:17:00.001-05:00

Departure.

2011-12-21T14:39:00.001-05:00

White is the New Red.

2011-12-14T09:47:00.000-05:00

December 12, 2011

2011-12-12T14:44:00.006-05:00

- This is just a rant, but it's definitely something to be dealt with in the future.

I'm slightly concerned about the prospect of transferring to the St.George campus, because I'm not getting the GPA that I desired. Also, it's a bit depressing to see where I stand, in terms of mark, amongst the big groups of people. I don't know why I took much more time to adjust myself into university studying compare to the others.

The first year is already half way through but what's going to happen for the second year is still unclear. I'm still not sure of my academic interests and there seems to be a conflict of interest between my parents and I regarding this issue. Although it's a very sensitive topic, I will be discussing more about it with them in future.

Well, a grocery shopping is definitely a significant part of my week and honestly it's interesting (no sarcasm), I need to find something more fun or better to do other than going a grocery shopping. It's a bit sad to think back of my time in Ottawa, where I often went to see the orchestra of NAC, visited museums and galleries for free, biking and walking along the canal, taking photos around the city, etc. The place where I'm living is too dry; suburban isn't the right place for me.

December 11, 2011

2011-12-11T11:08:00.002-05:00

o.0

December 9, 2011

2011-12-09T16:17:00.002-05:00

I think the greatest feeling amongst all, is having a genuine interest on something.

December 7, 2011

2011-12-07T13:24:00.006-05:00

"Have Yourself a Merry Little Christmas" - She & Him

Listen to Zooey Deschannel's nostalgic voice (:

Waltz with Bashir.

2011-12-01T19:21:00.001-05:00

I've recently watched some great international films, but this Israeli animated documentary film really stood out amongst all. Many elements of the movie, including its animated cinematography, historical backdrop of the 1982 Lebanon war, and presentation and orchestration of sound, were one of a kind and totally blow up my mind. Different animation techniques have also added more favour to the movie's dream-like atmospheres. Overall, the movie is both visually-striking and emotionally-provoking.

November 30, 2011

2011-12-01T02:25:00.003-05:00

First snow of the winter.

Last Saturday, I was walking back home with grocery bags and saw a car being parked at a driveway of a nice home. When I saw the driver getting out of the car, I thought myself 'he looks rather familier'. When the man looked at me and I was definitely able to tell by his look that he knew me from somewhere too. There was a few seconds of uneasiness in the atmosphere and both of us were making an eye contact constantly on and off, then I finally shouted "Professor Bunce? You are professor right?". At first, it was hard to recognize my professor outside of the lecture hall and at such an unexpected place, but it was professor Bunce who lectures the 'Geography and Global Processes' course. He after told me that he didn't know my name but recognized my face and the fact that I'm in his first year class. When I heard this, I was quiet amazed that he remembered me from the lecture hall with more than 300 students and recognized me on a street. This totally made my day.

Just today, I went to see professor Meriano during her office hour to ask her about karst formation around Guelph region, to gain some background knowledge before travelling there this weekend. Very surprisingly, the moment I walked into her office, she recognized me and greeted me by name. It also seemed like she was very happy to see me. At first I was a bit confused, but then, I remembered an occasion that happened a month ago in the 'Environmental Hazards' lecture when she asked my name after when I helped her to gather up some survey sheets from the students. The fact that she remembered my name really touched me. During the office hour, She has shown great amount of interest on my trip to Guelph this weekend and I was able to discuss about it in detail for an hour and gained some valuable informations. The professor also asked me to report back to her after the trip, with some photos of karst topography, so that she can consider it as a potential field excursion site for her next semester- second year geomorphology class. + she also asked whether I would like to be part of that field trip and I immediately said yesss.

These little, what might looks like events without any significance, have been really brighten up my days (:

University of Toronto.

2011-11-28T23:52:00.001-05:00

I am not standing here as a tourist vising Toronto

or photographer taking architectural shots,

I am standing here as an undergraduate student.

Cavalcade of Lights.

2011-11-27T10:20:00.002-05:00

Lighting of the City of Toronto's Official Christmas Tree

The number of people on the Philips Square skating rink last night

reminded me of a first weekend of the Winterlude festival in Ottawa

I have a week of regular lectures left, then it's a final exam period.

Although it hasn't snowed here yet, it's beginning to look a lot like Christmas.

Subway Tunnel.

2011-11-26T10:08:00.000-05:00

When you get on a subway, always take the first car and stand infront of the window,

and look through the dark and deserted underground passage lit up by electricity. It's pretty fascinating.

Ottawa - The Final Days.

2011-11-23T13:32:00.000-05:00

These are few images from the walk I took, on the night before the departure.

To think that I won't be able to see them again, what used to be a casual walk path felt much heavier.

There are just too much memories and feelings attached to each parts and scenes of Ottawa.

where you could unconsciously fall into day dreaming as the sunset crawls down

where I used to walk across in the midnight and could see the time on the Peace tower

where I always used to question how to get to the other side

November 21,2011

2011-11-21T01:07:00.004-05:00

I always love taking photos, because photos can show people how you perceive the world.

Writing paper is just like taking a photo, it tells people how I see the world.. but in more literate medium

Almost every weekend goes somewhat like this:

On Thursday night, I treat myself with Subway and start brainstorming. Start doing research on Friday morning.

Then Boom. The next thing you know, the weekend is already over with finished paper on your hand.

I don't like spending weekends like this but at least I enjoy doing research and writing good papers :D

항공 우편

2011-11-18T00:07:00.003-05:00

My good friend Nora has sent me a postcard during her visit to my hometown, Seoul, Korea!

She spent a week in the city through a Korea-Germany Exchange Program last October.

Thanks Nora, I hope you could visit the city this summer again (:

November 16,2011

2011-11-16T20:41:00.000-05:00

I had a short meeting with my geography TA at the Sidney Smith building, St.George Campus.

(Several floors of this building are solely dedicated to the Department of Geography!)

Apparently, she is a PhD candidate in Geography and she has an office of her own like the other graduate students.

She kindly answered my questions regarding geography major and told me about her experience as an undergraduate.

+ she also introduced me to a physical geography graduate student, so that I could ask for some advice from him too

My marks aren't that great for now, but the university and its academia are awesome.

I just love this network of people with similar 'scholarly' interest. It's very different experience from high school.

Three views of space.

2011-11-11T13:06:00.001-05:00

Interesting lecture note from GGRA02H3

Geography and space: Human geography is inherently concerned with space. The followings are three important implications for the way we understand the world and conceptualize space.

- Absolute space - units of territory which can be numerically measured and are ontologically given (i.e. they exist independently of the way they are perceived - they are real). Space is ready to be filled by the features that make up geographies. Referred as cartographic space - measured in units

- Relative space - space is 'perceived' by humans and this perception may vary according to their culture, available technology and resources. It is the 'sense of space' rather than actual measurement. It constructs and is constructed by human activity and experience.

- Metaphorical space - Space that does not refer to any territorial unit at all. The 'space of views' - thinkers in one paradigm might be spread out but don't share an absolute space. For example, internet, virtual reality, and the advent of cyberspace. It doesn't exist 'on the ground' but it can have real effects.

(Murray W. E. (2005). Geographies of globalization. New York: Routledge)

2011-11-11-11:11AM

2011-11-11T11:11:00.001-05:00

What are you doing in this historical moment? I'm re-watching a lecture!

(screen was captured before an hour though)

Don't be disappointed if you've missed this special moment whatnot

because we will have 2011-11-11-11:11PM tonight!

+ Lest we forget, Canadian veteran

November 10, 2011

2011-11-10T01:59:00.001-05:00

Right at this very moment, my friends back in Korea would be writing their College Scholastic Ability Test.
This all-day test will evaluate their effort of the past years and determine their future path.

It's weird to think that I could've been one of those people writing this test of a lifetime.
I'm already too distant to the idea.

Papers.

2011-11-08T14:17:00.001-05:00

'Avalanche hazards and mitigations, in regards to socio-economic status of a nation'

I've been reading papers and writing papers for the whole weekend

p.s) At one point, I was considering putting the soviet russia joke on it

I obvisouly didn't.. because I take academics in very serious manner 8-)

T.A. Nathan

2011-11-04T18:16:00.001-04:00

I had a 30-minute meeting with my favourite Environmental Science T.A. Nathan last Monday, and he was kind enough to answer all the questions I had about experience and prospect of being a physical geography major. I don't know if it's because he's done his Bachelor's at the OttawaU where I visited often or lived in Sandy Hill area where I used to skate, I feel very interested in talking to him.

His story was very interesting. He originally started off his undergraduate doing major in bioscience field, but later changed to geography in his second year. Along with his geography major, he has choose minor in Geomatics and has worked for the City of Ottawa as an environmental engineer for the co-op term. During his term, he has worked on a GIS project regarding environmental effects of road salt usage. Upon his graduation, he has done mapping expedition in various regions, including Yukon, Alaska, British Columbia, and most recently in Indoneisa. Oh yeah, and at some point of his career, he also worked for the Department of Fisheries and Oceans Canada. Now, he is a graduate student and a teaching assistant at the University of Toronto, and I happen to be in his tutorial session.

It seems like he and I had similar interest of broad aspect of geography. He has answered my questions regarding the difference of geoscience and physical geography, and the level of science that is usually requirement to comprehend the subjects. Through out the whole time, I was just happy to be listening from someone who has close academic interest, but only a handful years ahead of me. I also thought myself, If I'm really willing to be in geography/geoscience field, he could be both my role model and best source of advice.

At the moment he's in Minnesota with Professor Mitchell, whose my EESA01H3 lecturer, for the purpose of collecting instruments that were used to gathering data of mercury bioaccumulation level in the wetlands of southern states.

---------

Beside Nathan, I found all of my teaching assistants very helpful in terms of academics and beyond. They are more approachable than professors and have better understanding on what the undergraduate students go through. They are mostly graduate students but they and I have same common ground of being a student. How exciting is that!

Human Development Report 2011.

2011-11-02T19:41:00.000-04:00

I woke up 7 in the morning, just to watch this interesting live webcast. For a note, it means a lot for a college student to wake up early on the day that has no morning schedule.

The webcast briefly overviewed the newly updated human development index for the year 2011 and possible challenges for sustainable growth of human well being, equally for every nations. According to the presentation, two central challenges for the upcoming years are on equity amongst the nations and environmental sustainability. In the mean time, on going world issue includes, the people in disadvantageous part of the world taking both vulnerability and deprivation, as known as double burden, and climate change effecting the poorest nations that are incapable of self-recovery.

The detail report can be found on the United Nations Development Programme website: http://hdr.undp.org/en/

Federal Reserve System.

2011-10-30T13:14:00.004-04:00

This is the food bank, Cabinet branch.

There are two more branches located in the fridge and frizzer

I'm done with all my mid-terms :D

Where Will I Be?

2011-10-19T21:05:00.003-04:00

'Talk' by the Coldplay

"You can take a picture of something you see
In the future where will I be?
You can climb a ladder up to the sun
Or write a song nobody has sung
Or do something that's never been done

Are you lost or incomplete?
Do you feel like a puzzle, you can't find your missing piece?
Tell me how you feel?
Well I feel like they're talking in a language I don't speak
And they're talking it to me"

-

Imagine a boy wearing a school hoodie and a sweat pants running around the campus
with stapled papers, looking for a dropbox in the science wing. That's me.

Imagine a boy who's walking back home at 3 o'clock.
Not because he's been partying but studying. That's me.

Imagine a boy who's eating morning toasts on the way to a lecture,
while carrying a travel mug full of milk. That's me.

-

By the way, new album from Coldplay just came out; 'Mylo Xyloto'.
This album got some potential.

Unexpected Face-off

2011-10-16T10:33:00.000-04:00

What are you suppose to do when there are three racoons waiting for you at the door?

#awkwardsilence

Children are Precious.

2011-10-15T23:05:00.000-04:00

Schedule of the week.

2011-10-11T15:05:00.005-04:00

I started to use the iCalc and my outlook for a week became crystal clear.

*sigh* the very first mid-term in the university is imminent...

Thanksgiving Weekend.

2011-10-10T15:22:00.001-04:00

I just came back from my aunt's in Guelph, ON

where I had a really relaxing weekend with the family and a fine thanksgiving cuisine (:

One month in the University.

2011-10-08T23:19:00.000-04:00

I'm quiet into what I'm studying here. It's exciting to go to lectures and listen to the professors have to say.

Hopefully I can say the same thing even after the mid terms that are coming up in a couple of weeks.

My Environmental Science T.A. told the tutorial class that he did Bachelor's at the University of Ottawa;

majoring in Environmental and Physical Geography with minor on Cartography (yes!)

and spent many years doing field research around the world from Alberta to the South Asia.

I can't wait to chat with him about Ottawa and his study.

Since the university is very research-based, most of the professors are very active in their current research

and extremely passionate about their field. A few of them seem to be living in their own world though haha.

- The followings are some of the academic journals that I particularly found interesting -

1) Hardin, G (1968). The Tragedy of the Commons. Science, 162, 1243-1248

2) Tenenbaum, D. J. (2009). Oil Sands Development: A Health Risk worth Taking? Environmental Health Perspectives, 117, A150-A156

3) Yeh, S., Jordaan, M. S., Brandt, R. A., Turetsky, R. M., Spatari, S., Keith, W. D. (2010). Land Use Greenhouse Gas Emissions from Conventional Oil Production and Oil Sands. Environmental Science & Technology, 44, 8766-8772.

4) Jackson, P (2006). Thinking Geographically. Geography, 91(3), 199-204.

5) Sachs, D (1999). Twentieth-Century Political Economy: A Brief History of Global Capitalism. Oxford Review of Economic Policy, 15(4), 90-101.

Nighthawks.

2011-10-06T19:56:00.000-04:00

Art Side Out.

2011-10-06T19:53:00.000-04:00

How can I make my photos stand out amongst the others?

TTC: Ride the Rocket.

2011-10-04T10:05:00.001-04:00

Scotiabank Nuit Blanche

2011-10-02T17:46:00.001-04:00

October 1, 2011

7pm to 7am. Free all-night contemporary art event in the downtown Toronto.

For a little note, I was totally blown away by all the art projects and ideas

and couldn't stop thinking about it on the subway heading home at 5am :)

LeuWebb Projects (2011)

Installation

"Yonge Street will become a public space with furniture created from vanishing media merchants:

photoshops, record stores and booksellers."

LeuWebb Projects - Toronto, Canada

The Heart Machine (2010)

Interactive Sculpture

"How we perceive technology guides our interactivity with the machine.

Do we watch passively for the machine to react to our presence or do we take active control?

Do we reach out and explore without fear or do we wait to take the lead from others?"

Christine Irving - Toronto, Canada

Interactive Art - Toronto, Canada

Flightpath Toronto (2011)

Installation

"An interactive visual airscape, and enables hundreds of peoples,

enwinged, to re-imagine the city and the way we move through it."

Usman Haque - London, United Kingdom

Natalie Jeremijenko - New York, United States

Cardiac Combustion Chamber (2011)

Performance Installation with Live Drummers

"Car parts are suspended into space becoming a drum kit

propelled by the drummer's amplified heartbeat."

Camilla Singh - Toronto, Canada

New Dawn Fades (2011)

Installation

"New Dawn Fades utilizes light therapy technology to beckon a coming day

with the rhythmic pulse of light. Their cyclical transmission of a perpetual dawn

signals the stutter of an impending future caught by a statsis in progress."

Michal Maciej Bartosik - Toronto, Canada

I just know that something good is going to happen (2011)

Interactive Installation

"Simulated rain, lights and fog; These physical effects augment the location,

transforming an innocuous underpass into a fantastical scene."

Curtis Grahauer - Vancouver, Canada

Memorias (2011)

Installation

"The artist's broader questioning of the cylical reproduction of human

and material labour within trans-national economies"

Camilio Ontiveros - Los Angeles, USA

Barricades (2011)

Installation

"Sculputres that fail in their original purpose to guard anything,

and act instead as sources of curiosity, absurdity and faith."

Jeremy Jansen - Toronto, Canada

Niall McClelland - Toronto, Canada

Time is of the essence.

2011-09-30T21:20:00.000-04:00

by Cold Mailman

Subway Memory.

2011-09-26T16:31:00.002-04:00

When I was in kindergarden, my mom and I often visited my grandparents by taking Seoul subway line 3. As a child, I was fascinated by every aspects of the extraordinary urban infrastructure; underground tunnels that are connected like a giant spiderweb, trains with metallic gloss making screeching metallic sound, diverse of passengers from a homeless to a white-collar commuters, etc.

One of my most cherished childhood memories is, standing on the platform while holding my mom's hand and waiving at the train that is slowly heading into the darkness. Best part of it was, of course seeing a train conductors who waved me back.

It's been a decade and many things have changed.

There are now 15 subway lines in the Seoul Metropolitan area, but I am no longer a constant passenger.

Instead, I've been riding the New York City's MTA and Philadelphia's PATCO in the past month.

From this month, I'm becoming much familiar with the names of Toronto's TTC stations.

Go Global Expo.

2011-09-25T11:44:00.000-04:00

Westin Harbour Castle Conference Centre

Passage.

2011-09-19T20:38:00.002-04:00

Tonight is the very last night of being a 17 year old boy.

At the moment, I am very overwhelmed with excitement to think about the years that are about to come.

Although I've gone through some uneasy time during the grade 12, I hope to make the best out of the upcoming years.

I hope my time at the University of Toronto nurture both of my knowledge and critical thinking, and open my visions to global perspectives; something more than just a degree and experience farther than conventional concept of education. I hope to take leadership roles in different organizations and leave positive influence on the communities in Toronto, my new home away from home away from home. Last but not least, I want to keep searching for my true self and interests to reach the point that I know myself as much as possible.

I want to thank my mom and dad, who are on the other side of planet, for all the opportunities they've given me.

John Street Roundhouse.

2011-09-18T16:57:00.001-04:00

There is a small park infront of the CN Tower and Rogers Centre called 'John Street Roundhouse'. In the past, It has been used as a storage and repair facility for the trains coming from the Union Station, and now, the building is currently being used by the 'Steam Whistle Brewing' and the furniture franchise 'Leon'.

I think this park has greater potential to become an open space landmark of Toronto.

Toronto International Film Festival.

2011-09-17T23:54:00.001-04:00

North America's most major and most prestigious film festival,

and the most widely attended worldwide.

I watched an independent film called 'Hanaan', and the experience was quiet refreshing.

Every film is unique on their way and each really do represents the vision and ideas of the director.

City of Toronto.

2011-09-17T14:25:00.000-04:00

This is more than just a city that wants to be New York

Frosh Year - Fall Semester.

2011-09-14T01:31:00.000-04:00

EESA01H3 Introduction to Environmental Science

EESA05H3 Environmental Hazards

GGRA02H3 The Geography of Global Processes

PHYA10H3 Introduction to Physics IA

MATA30H3 Calculus I

Courses were selected based on the two possible paths for the next year.

1. U of T Scarborough, Double major on B.A Physical and Human Geography and B.Sc Statistics

2. U of T St.George, major on B.Sc Physical and Environmental Geography and minor on GIS

First week in the University.

2011-09-12T14:57:00.002-04:00

Just some scribbling of thoughts.

- It's a bit of pain to watch those cars passing by when you are carrying bags full of groceries in both hands and back.

- My campus is located in the Greater Toronto Area called Scarborough. The campus is surrounded by large forests and quiet suburban neighbours. It's a perfect environment to be fully focused on academics.... :)

- I am already seeing many colleagues who are start taking the 'freedom' for granted. However, by all means, I am not going to be one of them. I want to be different than the others (in a good way).

- I miss Ottawa a lot; those highway 417 signs, public buses with red maple leafs, government workers with dog tags, friendly smiles of people, buildings with the government signs, construction on Bank Street, joggers by the canal, and tourists taking pictures of the Parliament hills, etc.

- Ottawa might be the political capital of Canada, but Toronto is definitely the cultural and economic capital. The city has a lot to offer. I just have to ride TTC and grab it.

- I'm thinking of going to the Toronto International Film Festival this weekend and volunteer for the Environmental Film Festival (Theme: Landscape) in the October. Events in Toronto are in different scale than those in Ottawa.

- Text books cost fortune, but no one questions why (!)

- I started cooking for myself. It's only a matter of time to get better on it.

- 'Internationally- minded person', that's who I want to be.

- Internet speed is horrible.

#HappeningNow.

2011-09-09T12:51:00.001-04:00

- Due to an error on my DSLR memory card, all the photos that I took in the past two weeks were gone. However, I'll be recovering those photos once I buy a card reader p. There are approximately 1k photos taken in the past weeks and I haven't got a chance to upload the finest on this blog.

- As you can see from the photos (which were taken by phone), I have well arrived at my residence in the University of Toronto at Scarborough! I'm still working on unpacking and organizing those luggages, and it will be done sometimes over the weekend haha.

- There are several items being shipped from Amazon.ca at the same time. It's just a perfect source for college essentials.

- I'm getting used to the fact that I'm living in Toronto and having a phone number that starts with 647. My experience here will be definitely different than one from Ottawa, but I hope to make the best out of it.

All You Need is Love.

2011-09-02T00:27:00.001-04:00

from Philadelphia, Pennsylvania

Aperture.

2011-08-29T23:31:00.000-04:00

#HappeningNow.

2011-08-29T01:02:00.000-04:00

I really wanted to visit Chicago, but today I finally decided not to visit the city since my parents and relatives were graciously worried about my safety.

Although a home stay accommodation has been arranged and reservation on Amtrak (from New York to Chicago) and Porter Airline flight (from Chicago to Toronto) have been finalized, I made hard choice of not going there.

This decision is based on the experience that it's quite challenging to travel as 17 years old minor; even youth hostels have age limits of being over 18.

So, Instead of the clean, modern, sleek, artistic, chic city Chicago, I'll be visiting the historical city Philadelphia for the next couple of days.

p.s) this is a photo taken this morning at the Princeton Junction station in New Jersey.

2011-08-27T23:05:00.000-04:00

First, the president and officials were warning about it

Then, the cities closed all the major airports, stations, and public transits

Now, the death toll from the hurricane is keep rising little by little

This hurricane Irene is a serious issue than I thought.

Princeton in New Jersey will be soon under the impact

United Nations.

2011-08-27T22:33:00.000-04:00

At the Intersection of the First Avenue and the East 42nd Street of Manhattan.

Representatives of all 193 member states come here and gets only one vote for each.

That means all member nations have equal representations; regardless of their power and size.

Every nations in the world, coming together to face and find solutions for a global challenge.

I think this is a triumph of human civilization and proof that the world can be a better place.

The High Line.

2011-08-27T11:25:00.001-04:00

Who knew an abandoned urban infrastructure had this much of potential.

Metropolitan Museum of Art.

2011-08-25T17:54:00.000-04:00

Princeton University.

2011-08-25T10:45:00.004-04:00

Beyond the level of gracious, my uncle has decided to provide me a week of accommodation.

So I'm currently staying at this beautiful township called West Windsor, formally known as Princeton.

The township is exceptionally peaceful and gentle with old artificialities, similar to Ottawa.

Although it looks like an isolated town in New Jersey, it seems there are a lot of commuters living here,

Since the NJ Transit can connects the town and New York Penn Station in an hour.

The university art museum held an interesting photography exhibition:

The Life and Death of Buildings

Alma mater of the Institute for Advanced Study includes Albert Einstein and Alain Turing

(These two were the only names I had known haha)

Enroute.

2011-08-24T00:37:00.001-04:00

Good-bye Ottawa, you'll be missed :(

Don't Stop Believin'

2011-08-18T21:06:00.001-04:00

by Journey

"Strangers waiting, up and down the boulevard
Their shadows searching in the night
Streetlights people, living just to find emotion
Hiding, somewhere in the night."

Through the week, I met various people who are different than me, but understood my issues.

All of them had so much to tell and share, for me whose about to start my own journey.

I felt through their eyes that they were sharing wisdoms and ideas for my benefit.

They gave me the courage and confidence to keep going forward.

I hope I can 'hold on to the feeling' through out the summer and so on.

The trip to Vancouver and Banff region with my mom ends here.

She will be heading back to South Korea this sunday and I'll be leaving Ottawa on the same morning.

From then, I'll be traveling New York, Philadelphia, and Chicago for two weeks until the school starts.

This is it. Leaving Ottawa and starting a new chapter of my life. All by myself :)

YVR.

2011-08-17T23:17:00.000-04:00

Vancouver International Airport.

Where the journey began. Where the journey ends, for now.

Victoria.

2011-08-17T23:08:00.000-04:00

Victoria, Vancouver Island, British Columbia

This small city reminded me of Ottawa.

Political capital. British influence. Historical architecture. etc.

Canadian Pacific Railway.

2011-08-17T22:53:00.000-04:00

Transcontinental route from Atlantic to Pacific coast.

Contributing the Settlement and Development of the western Canada.

This isn't just tracks of steels. It's the foundation of Canada and its history.

Top of the Rock.

2011-08-17T14:26:00.000-04:00

Sulphur Mountain Cosmic Ray Station

Banff National Park, Alberta

The Canadian Rockies.

2011-08-17T00:49:00.000-04:00

Truly Awe-Inspiring

Columbia Icefield.

2011-08-16T00:36:00.000-04:00

Trans-Canada Highway.

2011-08-13T00:52:00.000-04:00

Nowhere to go but to East

West Coast Skyline.

2011-08-12T10:43:00.000-04:00

Enroute.

2011-08-11T12:36:00.000-04:00

I'm traveling Vancouver and Banff region with my mom for a week.

(Currently on Vancouver International Airport Public Wifi)

OC Transpo.

2011-08-10T18:20:00.000-04:00

Bus lines to remember: 85 Hurdman, 86 Licolnfields, 4 Downtown, 97 Southkeys. 14 St.Laurent.

Looking at these numbers in Toronto won't feel the same way.

O'Connor Street.

2011-08-10T17:10:00.000-04:00

Red lights. Stopped traffic.

And movements between 0.5 seconds.

2011-08-07T22:59:00.003-04:00

But! I don't think it's too late to start looking for the answer

After all, I am still 17 years old. hehe

Natural Way.

2011-08-07T22:10:00.002-04:00

Parc de la Gatineau, Le parc de conservation de la capitale.

The Lock.

2011-08-06T11:23:00.000-04:00

Time Lapse.

2011-08-05T23:57:00.000-04:00

Between the season to season, many things, including this photo, didn't work out as I wanted them to be

#HappeningNow.

2011-08-03T22:05:00.000-04:00

This is it. Everything I had in Ottawa will be shipped back to South Korea across the Pacific ocean.

I'll be making a new start with nothing but three bags and a box in Toronto from this September :)

It feels like I am becoming a 21st century nomad.

Ottawa Citizen

2011-07-30T13:33:00.000-04:00

New York got Times

Washington got Post

Chicago got Tribune

Toronto got Star

Vancouver got Sun

and Ottawa got Citizen

Be Thankful for Brick Walls.

2011-07-28T23:58:00.000-04:00

"The brick walls are there for a reason. The brick walls are not there to keep us out; the brick walls are there to give us a chance to show how badly we want something. The brick walls are there to stop the people who don't want it badly enough. They are there to stop the other people!" - from the Last Lecture by Randy Pausch

Disney's The Lion King.

2011-07-23T23:49:00.000-04:00

12 years ago, my mom often put on the Lion King home video and we used to watch it together.

Today, I invited my mom to watch a very special broadway musical that we know in common.

All the musics, actions, stories, and lightings were simply amazing and mind blowing.

It was an unforgettable experience and I was truly overwhelmed by my sweet childhood nostalgia

National Capital Region.

2011-07-23T10:44:00.000-04:00

Volunteering and Bike commuting.

2011-07-20T16:00:00.001-04:00

I am currently volunteering at the St.Elizabeth Elementary School near the Carling Avenue as an assistant to the teacher in an international language summer program for aged 6-7 (Junior Kindergarden to First grader). It's only been a short time but I could already tell my popularity in the class is going rocketing high; I frequently become a tree for them to crawl upon and often become a guest whose invited to a tea party or whatever they wanted me to be :). It's very fresh experience to be with these children who aren't exposed to mature values and have different world of their own.

Thankfully, the location of the school is close to a bike pathway, so I started to cycle everyday as a commuting method. The three things I realized are that: there is a lot of bike commuters who head downtown in the morning, which proves that bike can be a good method of transportation, but it really sucks to bike if there is no path (I'm really afraid to ride on a busy road...). Back and forth to my destination is about 16km and I think it's a pretty good exercise.