A good traveler has no fixed plans, and is not intent on arriving.

-Lao Tzu

Chinese taoist Philosopher, founder of Taoism, wrote “Tao Te Ching” (also “The Book of the Way”). 600 BC-531 BC

Life is too important to take seriously

-Oscar Wilde

Well I thought I was being witty walking around Union Square today when I thought “Life is too important to take seriously.” But apparently I was just unwittingly plagiarizing Oscar Wilde; damn I felt so damn cool about this saying. I probably read this quote before and just didn’t remember that I had. Anyways, I’ve noticed since I’ve been home that people seem to be aggressively planning or surviving life, instead of just enjoying life. It was sad to see so many people just preoccupied with getting through their day, work week, or just thinking “someday I will…”  instead of thinking of how their time could just be a little more amazing. I know this is some campy, pseudo-inspirational work poster kind of stuff, but I found myself thinking about it. It really is depressing to see people doing that though.

“Since I don’t smoke, I decided to grow a moustache – it’s better for the health. However, I always carried a jewel-studded cigarette case in which, instead of cigarettes, were carefully placed several moustaches, Adolphe Menjou style. I offered them politely to my friends:

‘Moustache? Moustache? Moustache?’

“Nobody dared touch them. This was my test regarding the sacred aspect of moustaches.”

“Many that live deserve death. And some that die deserve life. Can you give it to them? Then do not be too eager to deal out death in judgement. For even the very wise cannot see all ends.”
J. R. R. Tolkien

I recently just watched a very excellent movie called The Life of David Gale with Kevin Spacey. The movie revolves around a murder and questions about Capital Punishment. I do not want to ruin the movie but the movie inspired me to recall one of my favorite quotes from Tolkien (spoken through Gandalf the Grey) about taking a life as punishment for guilt. My mind recalled this quote by Tolkien when Kevin Spacey’s character said “…what do we really know about death? Just that nobody comes back.” Both quotes bring up the fact that causing death is an irredeemable act which no one can take back. Just thought it was some wonderful food for thought…

After getting a little liquored up on Soju, Bryan had us cram into a cab and go up the rode to ride some mini electric motorbikes! Needless to say rolling around a lake in Gyeongju, South Korea was super fun! Although there were definite hazards such as kids on their own electric bikes (they move in no discernible pattern like something from quantum physics) or sitting to far back on the bike, popping a wheely, and landing on your ass! Even though Gyeongju is a town packed full of much history from the Silla civilization it might just be worth your while to rent a mini bike for an hour and go blasting around the lake!

My compliments to the photographer Mariel because I rarely end up in photos on my own camera… 고마워

More photos of Motorgangs in Gyeongju

He who has why to live can bear almost any how
-Nietzsche

Thought this was an awesome quote, because it touches on that the people that have a purpose/reason/goal (i.e. the ‘why’) do not need to ask themselves ‘how to live.’ They already have their answer. For the Atlas Shrugged fans out there I bet this is a quote that can speak to you.