Thoughts While Running (달리면서 생각하다)

The above post is my very first (!) translated into Korean. English, Chinese, Japanese, and now Korean! I feel kind of accomplished, until I remember how long it took me to get competent in Japanese, and how low on the totem pole I am in Korean. (we're talking like beginner level here). It does remind me, though, that a long, long time ago in a galaxy far away, I started learning Japanese and I dreamed about climbing the long, treacherous, rocky mountain that is the tower of Japanese fluency, finally crawling, exhausted, to the top of the mountain, only to find that another mountain was in front of me, this one called Korean. I didn't know at the time, though, that while learning Japanese I would pick up a pick axe, rope, mountain climing gloves, and some other handy tools that would help with Korean.

Btw, the above text is probably NOT how you translate the idea of "things I think about when running," it's more like "While running, I have thoughts" which is close but not exactly the idea that I would want to convey, which is still the problem with Google Translate and other translation devices and why I still have hope that learning other languages is useful in the future (maybe my futile effort to justifying my learning of these languages, but I gotta cling onto something, right?) Not only does learning a new language give cultural context and show one intricate nuances of words and expressions in another language that's not offered by just using an online device, the computers and other artificial devices can't readily translate languages whose grammar is all screwed up and have different ways of expressing things, and some phrases in different languages just have no equivalent in the other language, YOU JUST HAVE TO KNOW THE LANGUAGE ITSELF. So empowering, then, is the ability to get inside that secret society, to be able to know the secret handshake, to have a secret hidden ability (I always wanted to have a super power up to when I was 20 years old, by 30 years old I've been able to develop my own superpower). Sure plenty of people know English and Chinese, or Japanese and Korean, or English and Japanese, but all 4 languages at the same time? (not there yet, obviously, but working on it!) - probably less than thousands.

Thoughts while running: My best thoughts are done while running, the mind is free, the body is free, the wind is free, it's like an open world and reflects the time and place where I'm at, what mood I'm in.

1.) I like my new apartment. It is in a developing location in South Downtown LA.
2.) Summer nights are one of the best things in life to enjoy. It's like it's not even dark; Seems like endless possibilities.
3.) Amazon might take over the world- just bought Whole Foods this week, who's next?
4.) Sumo wrestling is interesting- some complicated rules, but who doesn't like 300-pound dudes stripped down to thongs trying to impose their wills on each other?
5.) I never got into video games after 8th grade, but if I did, seems like a lot of games would be a ton of fun. Which is why I like to read the plot summary of the hot new games........
6.)........and the plot summaries of horror movies, just to judge if I would have been a little scared, very scared, or cover-my-eyes-and-ears scared. The new Alien: resurrection movie would have probably given me nightmares.
7.) I wish something like Pokemon Go would enliven the summer like July 2016: it united neighborhoods, people collectively went outside to enjoy the parks.
8.) I really dislike possums and mice that scurry across my path when running, for fear I might step on one. Mice, ahem, rats in LA are BIG.
9.) The new Wilshire Grand building seems NICE. LA 2024 Olympic bid.
10.) It's not easy to win a Ultimate Dodgeball Championship qualifer. Our team, ABC, went to Lee's Summit, MO last week to qualify and barely squeaked out a win. Other top teams like TC Boosh in Minneapolis and Rochester Tigers in New York also barely squeaked out a win (won 3-2 in best of 5) or lost their qualifier. It's like living the NCAA tournament, dodgeball is played everywhere in the country to determine who the best teams are, and upsets happen.
11.) I'd like to spend a week in Seattle or Vancouver during the summer to experience the 10PM sunsets there.
12.) I like running. I often feel stressed out before one and rejuvenated after one, in a much better mood. When people ask how I deal with anger or depression, I run. I think it probably saved me from my rebellious (and overweight) teenage years and allowed me to get a better handle on myself. Thank you, running.

Fantasize on,

Robert Yan