| What is your most memorable childhood experience? | Around a month before my birthday, I was spending some time with my father when he asked me what I wanted for my birthday/Christmas combination gift. It was pretty obvious to me at the time we weren't the richest people around. After all, do wealthy people combine birthday presents and Christmas presents into one? As much as I wanted a lot of things that a kid could want, I had made the considerate decision to tell my father that I didn't want anything; that I was quite happy with what I had at the time. However, due to my father’s insistence, I told him that I wanted a personal computer. We both joked and agreed that my mother would probably yell at my dad for spending money on something so expensive. Even so, he entertained the thought and concluded that if I was to "secretly" be a good son for a whole month, perhaps my mother would be okay with it. He would purchase the computer, and we would both "ask for forgiveness instead of permission" when the time came. I admit I was a pretty bratty kid, but for that whole month, I was a really good son. I listened to my mom, I helped around the house with no complaints, and I may have even gone to the nearby woods to pick fruits for my mom when she was sick. When the month came to an end and we decided to celebrate my birthday, my father presented the gift to me. My mother naturally objected, but it was obvious to me that she was acting, and that she might have been in on it the whole time. Chances are, my dad told my mom right after our secret planning and she just decided to roll with it. It’s things like this that made me appreciate my parents and how hard they worked for me. It wasn’t the new computer I was fond of, I was fond of the wholesome experience I had with my family. It’s memories like this I hope to keep forever and make new ones in the future. |
| What immediate family member do you closely identify with and why? | My dad. Everyone tells me I look like him. |
| What character traits do you admire in an individual? | Honesty and integrity. To practice what they believe in. |
| What is the funniest thing ever to happen to you? | Just having an inside joke with my brother that makes us laugh anytime it's relevant. |
| If time and money were not an issue, where would you travel and why? | I'd like to travel back to Korea and really enjoy my heritage and history. |
| When and if you ever have children, what would you like to pass on to them? | Work hard. Always compare yourself to your past self, not others. Stand up for what you believe in. |
