lately i've been really inspired by the multitudes of art created by seemingly simple things. paint and canvas, a single sheet of paper, words on a page... combined in the right way can create something amazing.
a few things that inspire me:
this quick note is tied to my last post about various websites that help out those who like to study at home. i just found berkeley's webcast page and... it is awesome! they have recorded lectures to make full courses in so many different subjects. just click here, and check it out. i'm excited about it.
shoot.
i guess ry was right.. i am a nerd..
since i left my small university i have been suffering from withdrawal. i found that i long not only for the close community that i was once a part of, but also for the challenge that university courses present (i never thought i would say that). and so, seeing as i only work 6.5 hours a day, i have learned how to (partially) satisfy this hunger for knowledge and challenge. i have started reading books that i want to read, and studying things that i think are interesting. i've even found various sites that will act as a (kind of) replacement to university courses. and the best part about it is that it is free. this blog is dedicated to those lovely sites that attempt to show that, with enough determination and perseverance, anyone with an internet connection can obtain a wealth of knowledge. (though i don't think anything could beat a group of eight or nine friends and a professor discussing issues in the context of a defined course... sigh..)
these are some of the sites that i have been able to get some cool stuff from..
logic tutor - this site was shown to me when i was in logic class at ssu. it is supposed to be done with the book, but you don't necessarily need the book.
internet archive - one of my favorite sites: they host a variety of goodies- from audio readings of classic books (dickens, twain, wells, herbert, etc.), to online versions of books and other things. i have an audio library of mp3 books that i often listen to (great for a multi-tasker!).
the stingy scholar - this is a blog that continues to give out ideas on how one (properly motivated) can learn for free on the internet. there are many great ideas throughout his blog, and many great resources he lists.
wide open education - here is another blog that lists many other sites where one can acquire free textbooks, and other educational stuff.
science and engineering texts - here is a group of free science and engineering textbooks.
textbook revolution - this site is dedicated to supplying the links to a bunch of different textbooks.
berkeley courses - this is a pretty cool site - if you have high speed internet you can watch a variety of courses from the university of berkeley that were video taped. my favorite is the introduction to nonviolence course.
uchannel - these are a variety of podcasts compiled from courses and lectures from various universities. i believe this site is associated to princeton university. if you are getting tired of listening to music on your mp3 player, why not turn to a podcast of your favorite subject?
open textbook - another site where you can score some free textbooks..
world lecture hall - free course materials from around the world.
these are a few of the sites that i have found to be pretty good, in terms of giving out quality, free material. if you know of any others, or would like to see more links let me know. in this age anyone with the proper motivation, and the adequate tools (internet), should be able to acquire knowledge in just about any field.
enjoy.
disclaimer: this entry is unedited and ... made up of various thoughts that may, or may not fit together.. it's your free time.. spend it wisely.
two things that i am beginning to understand:
our human life is finite.
every moment has worth.
there is a problems though.. how does one respond to these two truths? do we use every second we have to try to fill our heads with knowledge and experience, and try to squeeze every last drop of life we can come across before the curtains close? or, do we relax and do anything or nothing because we know that life is not endless? obviously there can be no real objective answer, but that everyone will see the meaning of life in their own way. my view falls dangerously on the former response. i say dangerously, only because - one can go crazy if they never truly rest and relax.
this isn't meant to be a depressing note, but more of a thoughtful one. it's a serious question: how do we go about living our lives? and i definitely don't expect any answer (i imagine that most people ask this question to themselves, in one form or another, daily).
i had no real intention on blogging tonight, but as i wondered around my little apartment with so many aspirations about what i could do with my free time, i felt completely overwhelmed with possibilities. this is a positive thing isn't it? there are so many without, while i'm here wondering about how to spend my time when i'm not working at my high paying job in a foreign country. it's just, the opportunities that i've been given- the social class i grew up in- makes me feel a kind of responsibility with how i spend my time. i don't know if i am alone in feeling this, or if this is a good thing or bad thing, but i think.. that it's a good thing.
a friend of mine once said "we (as fellow human beings) are responsible for the quality of life in this world", and.. i like this. the notion of responsibility, how we are obligated to improve life if it is at all possible. i am also beginning to think that the more possibilities that we have, the more responsibility we are given..
haha, listen to me - the idealist.
the blog started out with me wondering how to spend my free time wisely, and i'll bring it back to that now.
i guess everyone need to find out on their own how to spend their time in such a way that brings life to that individual - be it learning online, watching re-runs of seinfeld, or playing halo 2 on the old x-box. is there such a thing as wasted time? some would say yes, and others would say no, but i guess the final call lies on the shoulders of the individual. does this mean that one man's solitaire addiction is worth just as much as another's research in finding cures for cancer? i suppose to each individual - both endeavors are equal. but the global population, the latter might actually make an impact, and better someone else's life.
so maybe that's the bottom line; that responsibility resulting from ones opportunities is only a weight that is added subjectively to the shoulders of those who do not feel a big enough burden with their own lives? basically, if we want to change the world for the better, we should feel welcome to do so - but there is no real obligation for anyone to do so.. however, if everyone only looked out for themselves, rather than giving something back, i don't think we as a species would have made it this far.. (how far have we made it anyways?)
geez... i gotta stop writing these before i sleep..
does this post make sense? although i think blogs are more honest when they are written this way, i also feel like i should start writing smaller entries. free time is a precious thing.
although this blog has not been updated recently, or on a regular basis, i plan to change that. as of lately i have been attempting to learn html and create something that isn't a carbon copy of every other blog page. i feel like i divulge enough personal information on this page for the page itself to warrant its own personal feel. i'd like the page to be of my creation, and not a simple copy and paste template.
anyways, this past week saw the celebration of chinese new year! becky and i took advantage of the five day weekend and went off to the island of jeju. it was gorgeous with volcanic rock everywhere. it was as if the people wanted to make sure its visitors knew that the island was formed from a volcano. it reminded me a bit of scotland with its rural landscape and its stone fences. the vacation was a good and relaxing time, although getting to and from the island was a bit trying. we took a boat from busan and traveled along the coast. this would have been a beautiful ride with spectacular views - except, the voyage was eleven hours long, and it was made overnight. departing at 7pm and then arriving at 6am, this lengthy boat ride made me feel like i just spent a full day at wonderland, riding every roller coaster twice.
the ticket prices varied from about 36,000 won ($36) to about 150,000. seeing as we are both in korea to pay off debt, we opted for the 39,000 won tickets - not quite at the bottom. it turned out that the lowest class tickets were for these medium sized rooms that were supposed to hold up to 125 passengers overnight. no chairs, no mats, only floor to sleep on. and a bathroom to share. the tickets that becky and i purchased were for a little nicer surroundings: a room that held ten people, with little foam bricks for pillows. the lack of sleep and the rocking of the boat made the next day fairly interesting.
when we arrived on the island we headed off down a main street, dreaming of breakfast restaurants back home. "would you like coffee or juice?", "you want the hungry man's breakfast?", "white or brown toast?". as we meandered along, completely unfamiliar with the area, we reached a mcdonald's. i'm ashamed to say it, but i was super happy that i found a place that served a standard western breakfast. not surprisingly, we ran into the other foreigners who were also on our ship. also not surprisingly, the big breakfast that i ordered turned out to have been a classic case of false advertising, where the food in the picture was fit for a sunday brunch, but the food delivered was like the leftovers from the sunday brunch.. on monday.
anyways, not to make a long story out of every aspect of our trip, i'll just say that i enjoyed it. becky and i were able to meet up with a friend of ours who worked with us back in july, who is now teaching at a camp on this beautiful island.
funny story - so in our groggy, dizzy state, becky and i decided to pick a place we could put our stuff down, and maybe have a nap to get over the ... boat-lag. we were looked at a map wondering which direction to head towards and decided on this hotel (looked inexpensive with an ocean view) that was close to these 'lava caves' that we wanted to check out. anyways, the place we chose turned out to be within walking distance to our friend's place - and it is a fairly big island; big enough to be a province anyways.
so, the holiday was a good time. i plan on going back, and maybe bringing my bike. the 11 hour ship ride was pretty brutal, but on maybe the next trip we'll get a bigger group to go. and maybe on that trip, we'll opt for the room with bunk beds, rather than floor..
