(1) Birthday: February 9th

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(2) Favorite Book: That's a hard question! That's like asking a parent who their favorite child is. Hmmm... I can tell you some of my favorite books. Below is just a brief list.

 

When I was a kid, it was hands down the Chronicles of Narnia. I read that series of books maybe five times each (I can't remember if that was a childhood exaggeration or reality, but I do remember reading the books multiple times). As an adult, I like the allegorical aspects of these books, but as a kid, I just enjoyed how C. S. Lewis created such a rich parallel world. In fact, for a while, I wanted to name my first-born son Shasta. Daniel, my actual first-born son, will probably be grateful that I didn't stick with this youthful resolution!

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In high school, "1984", "Animal Farm" and "The Outsiders" impacted me enough that I still remember sitting in class and discussing those with the teacher and my classmates. I vaguely remember identifying with Johnny in the book "The Outsiders". In homage to "1984", I had a poster in my locker that said: "Big Brother is Watching". That wasn't accepted very well by the other students in the school, but I loved putting up those esoterica allusions. A secret code, if you will.

 

During my undergrad, I used to argue with my fellow literature majors that Michael Crichton would someday be inducted into the hall of fame known as the "classics". Time will tell. Though, I think Umberto Eco has a greater chance of that distinction, and I started reading his book "The Name of the Rose" because of the movie by the same title. I love historical fiction, and I probably started reading those during my undergrad.

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In grad school, I read the book "Silence" by Shusaku Endo, which greatly disturbed me. I was at a Bible college (Moody) at that, so it really asked a lot of questions about faith and martyrdom. I remember putting down the book and imagining myself in the main character's position. What would I do? Could my faith in Jesus hold even in that situation? Did I truly know that I held the Truth that answered the eternal questions? I hope and pray that I will never have to find out if I could go through that experience! But it did challenge me!

 

My favorite genres are historical novels, suspense, murder mysteries...to name a few. But I don't like to pigeon-hole myself to one genre. At the insistence of a friend, I once read a harlequin romance novel, and I disliked the sex scenes in them. But I liked reading MacDonald's romance novels, even though, for me, they are a bit too simplistic in how their characters interact.

 

Really, this is only a glimpse of the books that I have enjoyed reading over the years.  I used to carry a backpack full of odds and ends, but it always carried three or four books that I was in the middle of reading. Now, I have a kindle full of books I am in the middle of devouring.

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(3) Favorite Bible Verse: This question is actually not that hard. I remember one evening during my freshman year in college I was hanging out with some friends of mine at a local "greasy spoon". At the end of the booth we were sitting at was this framed picture on the wall. I can't remember what was in the frame except for that it included the verse John 15:13-14. "Greater love has no one than this: to lay down one's life for one's friends. You are my friends if you do what I command (NIV)." I had been seeking truth, the meaning of love, the answers to the eternal questions and just a lot of "dark night of the soul" searching, and during this time, I had said to my closest friends that I would give up my life for them if they asked me to. I know that is weird, but it was my way of saying that I deeply cared for them. So, when I read that verse, it resonated with me. God loved me so much that He gave up everything in order to rebuild the lost connection with His creation. That might sound odd to some of you reading this, but it truly resonated with me. And during that time, I began looking at the claims of Jesus...and falling in love with the God presented in the Bible.

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(4) Career: English teacher since 2001 (TESOL, EAP, etc.)

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(5) Dream Job: I used to tell my students that my dream job was to be a professor.  It was.  Still is in some ways.  Though, I have other dream jobs now, including novelist, film director, photographer, etc.  Why limit your dreams to one?  Though, right now, I am focusing on my writing career, so the dream right now is to become a full-time novelist (or short story writer).  All in prayer.  :)

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(6) Travel:  15 countries (at last count), including South Korea, China, Japan, Thailand, Vietnam, Turkey, Israel, Egypt, Greece, and Mexico.

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(7) Favorite Place Visited: Boracay in the Philippines or Turkey...or Israel.  I like different places for different reasons.  Though, for writing, I would choose Boracay because I can relax and get some good writing done.

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(8) Best Friend:  My wife, Grace Eunhye Han

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(9) Religion:  Christian (this is very much a part of who I am in so many ways.  If you are interested in learning more about my faith and relationship with Jesus, then please follow this link - The Gospel in Four Minutes.)

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(10) Favorite Quotes: 

            "We work to live; not live to work."

                                    -personal life motto

            "Truthful lips endure forever,
             but a lying tongue is but for a moment."
                                   -Proverbs 12:19 (NIV)

             "I have seen their tears, I have heard their cries and I will give every

                       drop of blood in my veins to set them free."

                                  -Harriet Tubman

             "He is no fool who gives what he cannot keep to gain that which he

                       cannot lose."

                                  -Jim Elliot (copied from Wheaton College website)

            “People are often unreasonable and self-centered. Forgive them anyway.

                     If you are kind, people may accuse you of ulterior motives. Be kind

                    anyway. If you are honest, people may cheat you. Be honest

                    anyway.  If you find happiness, people may be jealous. Be happy

                    anyway. The good you do today may be forgotten tomorrow. Do

                    good anyway. Give the world the best you have and it may never be

                   enough. Give your best anyway. For you see, in the end, it is between

                    you and God. It was never between you and them anyway.”

                                  - quote attributed to Mother Teresa