It was a late afternoon when he finds himself in amid of heated debate amongst his colleagues in the tilted glass door of his boss's office.

'Is it because of the recent appointment she made against the nomination the committee made?'

The thought came across swiftly.

"Nay..."

He instantly shook his head because that would be unprecedented. And everything is precedent here at the campus. Like any other crown hierarchies with the reputable history, it is unheard of to witness things that do not carry the proven evidence.

'We just don't do things that are not proven!' 

He, then quickly walked to his desk where is located in the back of the office and also is cornered, facing outside and opened up his computer.  Unlike the others, he would have to turn on four monitors, each of which is dedicated to each major stock markets across the world. He had to pester a few weeks to have his financial manager agree to buy those monitors for him. Well.. that said, he was about to ask one more solely dedicated to rising African market. Then, it would complete his grandeur plan of having each for each continent in the world! He felt this smile spread across his wide face where two jaws were overly developed but nicely covered with beard. This feature signified his masculinity.

Each time he turn on the monitors, the memories brought him right back to the time he was a wanderer. Who would've ever guessed this clean-cut financier working at the Wall Street was once a man who grew dreadlock up to 20 inches and didn't bother sleeping on the street when he felt like. It was a temple where he met Monk Hyebok. He would have stay there for a tea ceremony that was organized by the Seoul Municipality.  He would have never seen that kind of tranquility nor found such profound peace in his mind. The cock crows telling the break of each dawn was even pleasant in his ears as it comes with such soothing yet awakening scent from inscents and chantings sound like a lullaby.

...

Summer Days

At last, the summer has arrived in this land of endless fog and rain. It's wonderful to observe how the sun can bring such brightness and smiles on people. All deadlocks that seemed existing everlasting can be magically resolved over the simple cup of coffee under the sun, and those who you would assure they would curse you in their dreams will approach to you and ask for a nice stroll under the summer breeze. What can we tell?  It is a magic! 

In the past couple of days, Vancouver has been under this blessing, the blessing of Pacific Sun. I wasn't quite sure things seemed more promising because I felt much better or those involved in made them easier. Once again, I realized the simple truth in life; all are intertwined and we are a merely part of that immense circle of eternal life.

One Sunny Day

When the sun is out, it usually becomes a bit more bearable to have it over the shoulder, but close to two third of days in a year rains in Vancouver. What on earth has she chosen the city, a question she hardly ever skips to ask to herself every day. At one point, she gave up murmuring it as it was certain no one would hear or even care about that. As if everyone has collectively hypnotised, the campus was filled with those who poured out from their offices and mindlessly wondered around, like zombies.. Suddenly, she wondered why all seemed to hold a tint of smile on their faces. Was it because they felt they were obliged to because everyone else held smile? Or did they truly feel overly exuberating as they looked?

"Who cares.." whimpered she cynically. Personally, it took a while for her to recall when exactly she was able to laugh so hard that she felt uncontrollable to subdue the sound unwantedly coming out from my month?? Couldn't answer that at the top of her mind for a good few minutes.

Suddenly, she felt like crying. Probably she would if the sun wasn't that shiny and the campus wasn't that filled with people with those fake smiles. "Let it rain", she silently muttered. In a split second, the old surge of memories from the years back banged the back of her head. The year that she graduated from the college.

Armed with hope, unstoppable passion and determination that she was so sure she would get them all. Everything seemed so reachable and she was ready to compromise whatever takes to obtain them. However what waited for her outside the Ivory Tower weren't facile enough to allow an inexperienced and naive youth to trespass its domain without having her to pay. And the tragedy was she wasn't aware of any of it. Decades passes by, and one sunny day, she was stunned to find herself in the very same place where she was in twelve years ago.

Felt beaten up, tired, but still so far from throwing a white handkerchief. She just knows the harder it strikes, the more formidable she gets; she always has.