Enjoy the Moment

By:

Brandon Morrissette

Published:

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From my observations, I have noticed patterns involving friendship. The friendship between Korean people is structured differently than the friendship between westerners.
It is refreshing to have a handful of Korean friends. The way they interact is really simple and pure. This statement is hard to quantify because it can’t be measured in units, nor can we set up a controlled experiment for hypothesis testing.
What seems to not exist between Korean friends is a, “hidden agenda.” If you ever have the opportunity to have a Korean friend, treat them well. That friend will trust you and do anything to help you.
Recently I have been sad about 3 things. First, my parents inability to assist me with my education. While I don’t ask do a handout or a free ride such as what lots of other students have, I strongly wish my parents could have consigned on my student loans in order to lower my interest rate down from 11.5% ARP. Second, I don’t like competition. Any competitors for resources that I seek make my blood boil. At my home university, my ranking is more than 3 standard deviations above the mean. Here I am just an average B grade student. In addition, it appears the other international students are favored over me. Finally, I plan and worry a lot about what I will do after graduation. With my debt, it appears I will work and get old. As a result, never obtain graduate school or start a family.
What to do about it? I asked my badminton partner about the matter. He was rather shocked. He explained that in order to be happy, one should forget such matters and just enjoy the moment. For the past 2 days, I have implemented that strategy. The results are amazing. Instead of worrying about the things I don’t have, I just feel happy. Small things are bringing me a lot of utility. Whether it is lunch with friends, good weather, or a smile from a classmate.

Brandon Morrissette

<i>*BASAA Scholarship</i> Anyong friends! I am Brandon Morrissette. I study Finance at Plymouth State University. In the past before college, I worked in the hospitality industry. I was born and raised in a small rural town in the far northern part of New Hampshire. I will study two semesters at Korea University in Seoul. My goal from this experience is to be able to read, write, and speak Korean language at a fourth grade level. I want to travel to all places in Asia. This is because at work I met many friendly, interesting people from that continent. I chose Korea in particular as the result of gentle persuasion from my Korean friends. My favorite academic subject is economics. When I am not studying for my classes, I enjoy learning about Buddha and Confucius. I intend on doing many temple visits. In Korea, I look forward to being reunited with a co-worker who is really dear to me and that I have not seen for 5 years. In addition to seeing old friends, I look forward to meeting many new ones. I also look forward to eating delicious food in Korea. It is possible that I love food because I did not have the best food when I was a growing up. After study abroad and graduation, my goal is to financially support my whole family.