72 Hours in Tokyo...

**YOU NEED to copy & paste the YOUTUBE link below in your browser to watch the COOLEST & CRAZIEST Travel video ever to understand why and how I wrote this article.

(I tried to post this video link below but the embedded code was disabled so just):

Copy & Past link into your browser now or--> http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=G7Z35_x7eT4&feature=related

Or go to YouTube and search "Victors Trip Rules of Attraction Scene"

Anyone who has flown to another country, backpacked or gone on vacation before can relate to this video (hopefully, with exception the hard drugs & European prostitutes)

WATCH THIS 2 MIN VIDEO NOW BEFORE READING THE REST OF THIS POST (or the rest of this article won't make much sense):

WATCH NOW-> http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=G7Z35_x7eT4&feature=related


Now, I will attempt to re-create a similar montage of my recent trip to Tokyo Japan

"Fri Nov 19th 8am, woke up dazed & confused surrounded by boxes in Busan South Korea after a short 4 hour sleep.

I am currently in the mist of moving into my new 'upgraded' apt in a few days after I get back from Japan. View from my new loft apartment. BTW, this is a big upgrade from the tiny cell / apt I was living in back in Seoul:

Looked at my watch and freaked out. I only had 90 mins until I had to get to Gimhee airport to fly to Tokyo Japan for a last minute 3 day whirlwind spur of the moment trip.

Grabbed my bag, a bagel, threw my passport and a bunch of Japanese Yen I exchanged from Korean Won at the bank yesterday from a beautiful Korean girl who spoke no English. She could have been 16 years old or 40, its hard to tell over here.

Got on the flight, it was packed, no leg room. Downed 3 Sapporo beers. Ate some sushi and passed out for the duration of the 90 minute flight.

Woke up when the pilot starts speaking Japanese stating we are descending over the biggest metropolitan city in the world where 34 million Japanese people rushed around like polite robots.

I left Narita airport and was immediately terrified looking at the Tokyo Subway map. Intense.

Some woman sold me a subway card and pushed me through the turn style. Then I was unleashed in the biggest metropolitan city in the world...

The subway ride to DT Tokyo took longer than my flight from South Korea.
Which Sucked.

The subway is confusing, cramped, and very convenient & inconvenient at the same time. I finally got the hang of the hundreds of subway lines and took it everywhere.

Saw the first actual house I have seen in months (there are no houses in Korea, only tall lego like apartment buildings that all look the exact same).

A Japanese business man sees me looking at my map and asks if he can 'help'. I say 'thanks' and bow, but decline his offer. Then moments later an attractive Japanese girl asks me the same question. I accept.

I finally come out of the underground tunnel into Harajuku park.

Japan's famous fashion 'hang out' area. I am shocked, its the middle of downtown Tokyo and it is the cleanest and quietest city street I have EVER seen.

Everything & everyone seems totally zenned out. Yes, its busy with people everywhere, but its organized chaos.

Shot a video of a walking tour DT Tokyo (fyi: a couple of cute random Japanese girls that come up to talk to me in this video, it was pretty funny actually :)

I see a Japanese girl with pink in pig tails, short mini skirt and knee high socks (seems to be the common look here), I'm a fan.

She was surrounded by 4 Japanese punk rockers dudes with Mohawks and piercings. They see me starring at their crew and invite me over. We exchange awkward greetings, pose for pictures with each other and then I bail.


So far Japan is a nice change from the the crazy street mayhem that runs wild back in Korea.

No horns were honking, no loud music blaring out of shops, and even more bizarre, no one was speaking. Total calm.

I see a mother and her son both wearing a Komono. It was incredibly cute and culturally inspiring.


I get back on the subway. I want to see Shibuia crossing, the busiest street crossing in the world. I get there at rush hour and can not move in the subway and get caught in the masses of human traffic. I feel like a giant as I am about 1.5 feet taller than everyone (I am 6'7). Picture of me towering over Koreans in Seoul Station:


I get ushered across the famous crossing in a title wave of flesh. Its like being part an organized ant farm, but with people.

I take a Shibuya Crossing Video of my view from a Starbucks, from above the crowds.

I can't find wii fii or phone signal anywhere on my iphone. Worried I can't message to meet my girlfriend (actually, ex girlfriend b/c we broke up a week before my trip to visit her here in Japan). Talk about bad timing. I was supposed to stay with her here in Tokyo at her place, but after we split I graciously declined that offer.

So now I had to find my new accommodation for the weekend. We were still supposed to meet for dinner while I was in town. The EX:
I grab another Sapporo beer from a corner store. One of my favorite things about Asia, its lax drinking laws and ability to walk into any shopping mall or store with a cold beer in one hand and a stick of BBQ street meat in the other. Delicious & ridiculous if you think about it...

Anyway.

I see a street banner called "Take-Shit-Has" and take a picture. Since I have been living in Asia for almost 10 months now, I have seen some insane names of businesses, streets and even people.


I go and buy some over priced tacky tourist souvenirs just because I feel am I am supposed to.


I have developed a compulsive addiction to buying a t shirt from every country I visit. Its insane. I know.

My closet is packed with crappy t shirts from all over the world: Australia, Greece, Portugal, France, Israel, Egypt, Bangkok. South East Asia, shot glasses from Las Vegas I even have a F'n sombrarro from Mexico!
And now I have a Tokyo T-shirt and a Japanese headband. Check.

Then a random girl smiles at me from across the street as I come out of the store with bags of tacky shit. She walks over to me and asks me where I am from. We make small talk for a bit, she asks me where I am staying and invites me to meet her for drinks later. But I think shes possibly / probably a prostitute, so I give her a fake number when she asked for mine. I make an excuse to end the conversation, ask her where the closes subway is and then leave immediately.

So now I have to find the new place I am staying to drop off my bags. I do, its an absolutely AWESOME room on the 46th floor overlooking all of DT Tokyo.

Pimped out to say the least.


Video View from Tokyo Tower 46 floor from my room...insane view!


I take a deep breath, sit on my bed and immediately feel like Bill Murry sitting alone in Toyko and wondering, what the f&%k am I doing here?

I hooked up this amazing accommodation from a buddy of mine in back in Busan who met the owner in Tokyo a few months ago off CouchSurfing.com. I have heard of the site and this was my first time using it. It was amazing.

I had my own room, private bathroom and shower. Oh ya, and it was all for free!
This 2 bedroom place rents for 8,000$ USD / month. I learned quickly Tokyo is not cheap.


It had a better view than the Tokyo Tower that was just 2 blocks away.

I ditch my bag in my room, have a shower, and hit the streets for food, drinks and fun. Easy to find in this city.

We hit a tapas restaurant.

There is no waitresses because they have been replaced by an ipad like device that you order all your food and drinks off of. Japan's technology is light years ahead.
The New Electric Waitress:

Warning: soon all those slutty hostesses back in North America will be replaced by a small computer. Not sure if that is a good or bad thing yet. At least you don't have to leave a tip for it lol!

Bottles of Sake start to clutter our table. I eat some great seafood, and sushi that makes me drool still just thinking of it.

The streets are filled with drunk business men in black suits that all look the same.
We stay out late, hit a few different nightlife spots.

I drank some Redbull & Vodka and my heart feels like it gonna explode out of my chest. Caffeine totally cracks me out. I can' tdrink coffee or pop, my body is sensitive to caffeine. Suddenly everything goes blurry and I am in a rainbow of bright flashing neon lights.

I decided to walk back to my room.

Lied in bed. Couldn't sleep. I realized I either got food poisoning or the Redbull had me hard wired awake. Drank some tea to try and chill out. Felt tense. Still couldn't sleep.

Decide to go out for a walk.

At one point I see a staggering drunk Japanese man in a very nice suite that stumbles into a garbage can, falls down, and stays down. Passed out & blacked out.

No one even looks twice. Just another Friday night in Japan.

Along my way I pass a massage parlor (a legitimate one, not those shady ones). I walked in and there was a row of tables filled with little Japanese men and woman, getting massages on them. I decide to partake to help get to sleep. Got 45 min massage by a tiny Japanese woman who spoke no English.

The old Samaria looking dude laying on the table beside me was moaning as his even tinier masseuse stepped on his back and cracked it repeatedly. I couldn't relax listening to him groaning.

I finally leave, go eat some rice and seafood and finally go back home, take a long shower and fall asleep by 6am after realizing I was up for over 22 hours.

Saturday sucked.

It rained all day and I had a dinner date to meet the ex that I came to visit. I met her in Roppongii. We had an awkward meal, followed by even awkwarder conversation.

Downed some drinks. Said our goodbyes, then walked out of the restaurant, and each other's lives. Breakups are a bizzar thing. You get to know someone so well, then all of a sudden they become almost total stranger and you wonder if you ever knew them at all. Like I said, its a bizarre experience.

I then cabbed to the the #1 'local' nightlife area called Shibuya. I hate 'foreigner bars' that are just a bunch of drunken ex pats dudes. I am told by 3 different club promoters on the street handing out fliers that the best local club is called "Womb".

I meet 2 English Teachers drinking Asahi beers outside a Family Mart, (a very common sight in Korea, was nice to see over here. Little known fact, Family Mart originated in Japan).

One ESL Teacher was from Ireland and the other from Australia. I have a couple beers with them outside sitting around a plastic table. They both tell me they have been living in Tokyo for 3 years so far, and that neither of them ever plan on leaving.

I am beginning to see why.

They also tell me to hit up Womb, as well as name of another list of other 'wicked places' I would never remember.

Womb is hard to find, its in a random non-descript back alley. There is no line, and unfortunately & surprisingly it does have a 3500 Yen cover (equivalent to about $50.00 USD) with no drink included.

Drinks inside are an extra 1000 yen (equivalent to about 13$ USD).

Needless to say it was an expensive night.
Ya, like I said Tokyo is expensive as hell. But well worth it.



I waked into a insane seen, its 2am, place is packed, 5 levels, 4 different DJ rooms and a TON of insanely hot Japanese girls. It makes clubs in north America look like a lame after school movie of the week. I scan the room, I am one of a small hand full of foreigners. Perfect.

The rest of the night is kind of a blur. Lots of drinks, (sake bombs), bumping bass from an array of speakers, thousands of people (myself included)dancing like maniacs, and lots of broken English conversations.

I end up meeting, drinking & dancing the night away with 2 attractive (and lesbian) Japanese girls who have been dating for over a year. Both spoke better English than I do. Seriously.

One left the the bar early. I ended up with the other in a Karaoke room until 6am. Enough said.

(Side note: here's a random pic of in a Karaoke room in Seoul from a while back)


I stumble into Shibyua subway station at 7am Sunday morning. The majority of people are on their way to work and or church. However there are a few other all night partiers swaggering in the isle.

I look to my left, and not even 8 feet way from me I see Japan's #1 famous baseball player and Seattle Mariner Ichiro Suzuki (in his full Mariners uniform non the less) with his luggage.

Here is an MBL All Star Major Leager, (and the #1 Japanese icon) standing next to me on the subway at 7am on a Sunday morning (and I still haven't slept yet). As you can imagine, it was VERY unexpected sight to see.

I somehow find my way home, grab an omelet at street vender on the way. Open my bedroom door & CRASH hard.
~ ~ ~ ~
I wake up around noon. Eat breakfast on the 46th floor of this amazing place talking in the breathtaking view of the biggest concrete jungle I have ever seen.


It reminded my of standing in the Namsan Tower in Seoul a few months back.
Seoul City @ Night.


Realize I only have 8 hours left in this amazing country before my flight back to Korea.

Tick Tock, clock is ticking.

I jet out the door, hit the subway camera and map in hand and decide to take in some culture and palaces. I hit the Imperial Palace right downtown at Tokyo Station.
Sights & Scenes:
Ancient Japanese Palace / Park Video:









An akward Swiss tourist starts asking me to talk a bunch of pictures of her posing.
It was weird. I find most people from Switzerland I have met on my travels to be a bit...whats the word?..."strange." Friendly, but like I said; strange.

I had lunch with an older cool American dude I met who has been to Tokyo 13 times (has an office out here).
He claims this is the best city in the world, I nod my head in agreement.

Out of the literally hundreds of cities I have been to, its the coolest by far. Super clean, incredibly friendly, super fashionable, fascinating culture, and not to mention the abundance of nightlife and restaurants.

Its an amazingly warm and sunny Sunday afternoon. I feel like I am on vacation in Central Park in NYC, or even back home on the seawall in Stanley Park in Vancouver. Couples walking, people jogging, teenage Japanese kids riding bikes in the park.

I stop and buy the first newspaper I have probably ever purchased in my life.

I drink a beer and instantly remember why I never read the news. Its totally depressing.

A day at the park and palace was perfect way to unwind and detox from a whirl wind few days in the no stop action of the city life.

I lay down under a tree and reminisce on my trip.


Then I go deeper and start thinking about my real life stuff.

My career, my relationships and my life.

What am I doing here?

Whats the purpose of it all?

Will I ever stop this desire to explore new cultures?

Why am I so addicted to travel and is there any cure for this all encompassing infatuation called "Yellow Fever"?

All I can come up with is that 72h in this amazing vibrant city is no where near enough.

Now my mind wanders to already planing my next trip back here :-)

All the other 'deeper' questions will have to be answered in another article, or another country because I've got a flight to catch in 2 hours back to my new home, Busan South Korea.

Goodbye Tokyo Tower,


See you again real soon.

Another country & city checked of my to do list.

"Kanichiwa"

Quinton

Tokyo.

I picked up a few souvenirs at the Narita Airport upon arriving in Japan.

I fly to Tokyo tomorrow, just found this video of the nightlife. Looks awesome, will post more videos and articles when I get back...or if I get back ;-P

The Butterfly Effect.

I got this email from a very good friend and it made me think of my grandpa who died last year who was a Army Veteran named Jerry Westlake.

You may have seen it before, but I thought I would honour his memory and the millions of other soldiers who have paid the ultimate price fighting for freedom.

Ironic, isn't it?


"The Sack Lunch

I put my carry-on in the luggage compartment and sat down in my assigned seat. It was going to be a long flight. 'I'm glad I have a good book to read. Perhaps I will get a short nap,' I thought.

Just before take-off, a line of soldiers came down the aisle and filled all the vacant seats, totally surrounding me. I decided to start a conversation.

'Where are you headed?' I asked the soldier seated nearest to me.
'Petawawa. We'll be there for two weeks for special training, and then we're being deployed to Afghanistan

After flying for about an hour, an announcement was made that sack lunches were available for five dollars. It would be several hours before we reached the east, and I quickly decided a lunch would help pass the time...

As I reached for my wallet, I overheard a soldier ask his buddy if he planned to buy lunch. 'No, that seems like a lot of money for just a sack lunch. Probably wouldn't be worth five bucks. I'll wait till we get to base.'
His friend agreed.

I looked around at the other soldiers. None were buying lunch. I walked to the back of the plane and handed the flight attendant a fifty dollar bill. 'Take a lunch to all those soldiers.' She grabbed my arms and squeezed tightly. Her eyes wet with tears, she thanked me. 'My son was a soldier in Iraq ; it's almost like you are doing it for him.'

Picking up ten sacks, she headed up the aisle to where the soldiers were seated. She stopped at my seat and asked, 'Which do you like best - beef or chicken?'
'Chicken,' I replied, wondering why she asked. She turned and went to the front of plane, returning a minute later with a dinner plate from first class.
'This is your thanks..'

After we finished eating, I went again to the back of the plane, heading for the rest room.
A man stopped me. 'I saw what you did. I want to be part of it. Here, take this.' He handed me twenty-five dollars.

Soon after I returned to my seat, I saw the Flight Captain coming down the aisle, looking at the aisle numbers as he walked, I hoped he was not looking for me, but noticed he was looking at the numbers only on my side of the plane. When he got to my row he stopped, smiled, held out his hand and said, 'I want to shake your hand.' Quickly unfastening my seatbelt I stood and took the Captain's hand. With a booming voice he said, 'I was a soldier and I was a military pilot. Once, someone bought me a lunch. It was an act of kindness I never forgot.' I was embarrassed when applause was heard from all of the passengers.

Later I walked to the front of the plane so I could stretch my legs. A man who was seated about six rows in front of me reached out his hand, wanting to shake mine. He left another twenty-five dollars in my palm.

When we landed I gathered my belongings and started to deplane. Waiting just inside the airplane door was a man who stopped me, put something in my shirt pocket, turned, and walked away without saying a word. Another twenty-five dollars!

Upon entering the terminal, I saw the soldiers gathering for their trip to the base.
I walked over to them and handed them seventy-five dollars. 'It will take you some time to reach the base.. It will be about time for a sandwich.
God Bless You.'

Ten young men left that flight feeling the love and respect of their fellow travelers.

As I walked briskly to my car, I whispered a prayer for their safe return. These soldiers were giving their all for our country. I could only give them a couple of meals. It seemed so little...

A veteran is someone who, at one point in his life, wrote a blank check made payable to The Goverment of Canada for an amount of 'up to and including my life.'

That is Honor, and there are way too many people in this country who no longer understand it.'

May God give you the strength and courage to pass this along to everyone on your email buddy list....
I JUST DID
Let us pray...
Prayer chain for our Military... Don't break it!

Please send this on after a short prayer.. Prayer for our soldiers Don't break it!
Prayer:

'Lord, hold our troops in your loving hands. Protect them as they protect us. Bless them and their families for the selfless acts they perform for us in our time of need. Amen.'

Prayer Request: When you receive this, please stop for a moment and say a prayer for our troops around the world.

There is nothing attached. Just send this to people in your address book. Do not let it stop with you. Of all the gifts you could give a Soldier, Sailor, Airman, & others deployed in harm's way, prayer is the very best one.

GOD BLESS YOU FOR PASSING IT ON!
"

So that was an inspiring email to get today, thanks for reading and feel free to pass it on.

Best,

Quinton

Home is Where the Heart is...

I have come to the sometimes inconvenient conclusion that I travel alot.

Way too much to be honest...

Its almost a uncontrollable disease.

I just realized that I have not lived in one location for 12 straight months since I moved out of my parents house at 17 years old after graduating high school, relocating to attend university out of province.

I would have 8 months in school, then come home for 4 months summer.

Repeat year after year.

And I haven't really stopped this cycle since.


However, out of the plethora of cities & countries I have lived in or traveled through, one city remains as a 'home base' in my heart:

Vancouver

(I live in the tall greenish building on Beach Ave)

This video really hit home capturing the feeling of coming back home after a long trip and remembering what a incredible city this is...

EF - Live The Language - Vancouver from Albin Holmqvist on Vimeo.

There is something incredibly grounding, and therapeutic of getting off the airplane at YVR, and driving over the Burrard bridge looking at the city of glass downtown core...


Right now I am writing this blog post in my apartment in South Korea, just one week before I fly to Tokyo Japan to experience and explore the biggest metropolitan city in the world, (also to visit my girlfriend)

After watching this video about Vancouver,

1/2 of me just wants fly back home to the only place I really consider my home...

While the other half of me wants to prolong my 'leave of absence' from what is rated one of the top 3 best cities in the world for as long as possible, and stay in Asia to explore this fascinating culture and web of amazing countries & cities for as long as possible...


I guess that's the illusion we humans constantly struggle with, the bitter sweet symphony that we always want what we don't have.


When I am lying in my bed at home, surrounded by the English Bay beaches looking out on the ocean facing the far east orient, all I want is to be on the other side of the vast pacific ocean...

And yet when I am now here in the middle of the orient, actually on 'the other side' of the pacific ocean in the midst of the flashing neon lights, busy streets and packed subways, all I want is to feel that soothing touch of home, to be back in my quiet & peaceful North American bedroom looking out at the beach away from the tasty dish of 'craziness' that Asia serves so well.


Just as Alanis Morissette sang, "Isn't it Ironic..."

Another "Note From The Universe"

I've posted a few of these emails in the past, its by far my favoriate email subscription list that I am on, www.tut.com.

Heres my email from today

"Be there, Quinton. Go there now and never leave. Imagine that your dreams have already come true. Live your life from that mindset. Predicate your behavior on that reality, not the illusions that now surround you. Filter every thought, question, and answer from there. Let your focus shift and be born again - because dwelling from, not upon, the space you want to inherit is the fastest way to change absolutely everything.

See the difference?
The Universe"

LOVE IT :-) Thanks Mike Dooley for your inspirated words...

"What Should I Do With My Life"

I found this sweet article below from a blog called http://www.couchsurfingori.com, that helps answer the question we have ALL asked (probably more than once).

"What Should I Do With My Life"

Enjoy:

“Hey I just wanted to ask you how you knew what you wanted to do with your life? I am a 24 year old female and have no idea what I want to do career wise. I am intelligent but don’t know what I am really good at and get frustrated easily working for other people. I have tried several business opportunities and IM and really love it but haven’t made any money so get demotivated very quickly. I am confused.com so just wanted to know if you have any tips on how to change the path I am taking.”

I thought the reply was something that anyone can benefit from, regardless of age or occupation, so I’m posting it on my blog. I suggest you share this- someone will appreciate it.

It’s a patented multi-step process that took me years to perfect, but I’ll share it with you, ’cause you seem cool.

Step 1: Wake up

Step 2: Stretch

Step 3: Look in the mirror (optional) – and ask yourself “What do I feel like doing today?”

Step 4: Do that

Step 5: Did you like it?

Step 6: If yes, figure out how to make money off of it.

The bottom line is that people are full of shit. The people that say you’re supposed to go to school, get a degree, then have a career for 40 years doing that… are all miserable. Most people hate their life. They go to work, go home, watch TV, go to sleep. *vomit*

You can make money doing ANYTHING. If you’ve studied marketing, then that’s wonderful… now apply it to something other than “how to make money online” — you can help a local business get traffic, help improve their copy and design, and voila… now they make more $ than before. Get testimonial & get percentages. Or take friends that make stuff, and help them sell it online. MLM’s a biatch, but I know many multi-millionaires from it… I’m just pouty ’cause I didn’t make money when I tried it before knowing marketing.

Think about branding. Think about marketing. Think about PR. It’s all about spin. how do you position something.

Perfect example- http://www.littlemissmatched.com/

What happens?

Little girls start going to school and showing off their mismatched socks… it becomes cool. Now everyone wants mismatched socks. They have hundreds of prints. You buy… you get what they send you… you show it off to your friends, and y’all compare.

Show me someone else (other than Hanes or Gold-Toe) that’s made millions off of socks… and at $9 per sale.

Get it? THAT is marketing. Not just making sales letters.

Great skill to have… but it’s just a tool… like a pencil. You can do anything with it. You can draw, you can stab someone, you can keep a door open, you can use it as a hole-puncher, you can set it on fire, you can play pencil-peg (a game where you keep hitting each other’s pencil until one of them breaks — lame… but as more interesting than my 7th grade science teacher).

Using Copywriting you can increase someone’s sales, control people’s behavior, make yourself seem more personable, make someone’s day, make someone out to be the bad guy, help a cause… the possibilities are endless.

When people talk of “Hackers” they generally are misusing the term. I think a hacker is someone that understands how something- or pieces of something – works, and then find other uses for it. In this regard, I am a hacker. So… learn skills, combine them, and do what other people aren’t doing.

Might I point out something? You asked “how you knew what you wanted to do with your life?” and then went on to speak about having no idea what you want to do career wise. Are the two the same?

So often when I ask people about who they are, they tell me what they do.

Sad.

You are so much more. You are your hobbies, your passions, your interests, your friends, your experiences, your hopes, your dreams, your failures, your successes, and so much more.

If someone asks me what I do, I say that I travel the world completely based on who’s couch I’m crashing on next… meeting incredible people, seeing incredible sights, learning about myself and the world, taking great pictures, helping people, solving problems, and telling many bad jokes.

Their response is usually a small delay, followed by “Uhhh… how do you pay traveling like that?” “Oh.. that… well, it depends on what I’m in the mood for, but… I do business coaching, business consulting, life coaching, photography, videography, video editing, motion graphics, 3d animation, print design, copywriting, pay per click advertising, search engine optimization, and a bunch of other things… how much time do you have? Or… better yet, why don’t you tell me what the biggest challenge you have in your business or life is, and I’ll come up with the proper solution for you?” (For a few references check out http://CouchSurfingOri.com/services)

Did you notice the difference between who I am, and what I do?

The two overlap… sure… helping people requires skills… photography’s in both. Both depend on my creativity and voracious appetite for learning… but… we are so much more than our jobs!

Now then… As a child, what did you want to be when you grow up? What are the things that when you do them, the entire day flies by, and people have to remind you to take breaks and eat? What are the things that when you watch them on Television (or Youtube/Hulu / movies / etc) you are on the edge of your seat, and find your pupils slightly dilating, perhaps you are slightly licking your lips?

One last tip- meet as many people as you can. Ask them about what they are passionate about, and ask WHY they are interested in those things. What do they enjoy the most. What sucks. Why did they end up doing this, as compared to the things they’ve done before. What is involved in doing this thing? Can you watch? — Maybe Google / Youtube it when you get home…. You’ll quickly find out what fascinates you.

Remember… money is just a means to keep on living… the more you have, the more you can do, sure… but… people who work at McDonald’s are in it because they need money. I doubt they are really THAT passionate about feeding Type 2 Diabetes to the people, while inhaling grease particles, or that they love the uniform that much. Then you got your millionaires in high stress jobs that hate themselves, and have no time with their significant others.

Then… you got the people that don’t make that much money, but do what they love…let’s call them artists. Read the book Flow, and watch the movie or read the book The Peaceful Warrior.

I think I’m going to repurpose this answer into a blog post, because I think many people can benefit from the answer"


Hope that helps...

But if it doesn't, and if you wanna do something totally random & radical like I am currently, (living & teaching overseas) contact me at quintoncarlin@gmail.com b/c we are looking to hire more teachers asap, if you have a college degree or a TESOL Certificate and a pulse, you have a good shot at making it here.

Cheers to the good life...

Quinton

I have to admit, this has been one shitty week.

-it started last weekend when I got bit in the leg by a random stray dog while I was trying to relax at the beach. I even had to go and get the wound cleaned out and sterilized. Not fun.

-Then I found out I am getting sued by a shady tenant I unfortunately rented my condo to before I left Vancouver Canada a couple weeks ago before moving to Asia.

-Next on the list was having a huge fight with my new director who looks (and acts) like ET (and I wouldn't be surprised if she actually was from another planet).

I almost quite on the spot and even considered leaving Asia and returning home...

Then my rath from the animals continued as I got crapped on by a bird 3 different times in just 2 days, (twice at the beach, once while I was sitting in the park).

Apparentely that superstition does NOT offer good luck, because if all the above events weren't bad enough...

I went to go for a surf to clean the white crap off my shoulder, and then after catching my first wave of the day, my leash broke (in my 10 years of surfing experience, this is the ONLY time this has ever happened...and the waves weren't even that big).

It goes to show you, the Law of Attraction is real, you attract more good when you feel good, and more shit when you feel shity (litterly) re: the birds...

Then two things happened to put a smile back on my face.

1) my son called me up on skype video and was extatic to show me his two 100% marks on his test from his new teacher that he loves (he hated his 1st grade teacher from last year, so his mother and I are very relieved that he has a good teacher this year).

2) my mom forwarded me this email below:


"Everything I need to know, I learned from Noah's Ark .

ONE: Don't miss the boat.

TWO: Remember that we are all in the same boat!

THREE: Plan ahead. It wasn't raining when Noah built the Ark.

FOUR: Stay fit. When you're 60 years old, someone may ask you to do something really big.

FIVE: Don't listen to critics; just get on with the job that needs to be done.

SIX: Build your future on high ground.

SEVEN: For safety's sake, travel in pairs.

EIGHT: Speed isn't always an advantage. The snails were on board with the cheetahs.

NINE: When you're stressed, float awhile.

TEN: Remember, the Ark was built by amateurs; the Titanic by professionals.

ELEVEN: No matter the storm, when you are with God, there's always a rainbow waiting.

Please pass this on to people you want to be saved in your Ark...

Give it!

Don't just get it.

Most people walk in and out of your life,
But FRIENDS leave footprints in your heart. "


So thats that.

Change your vibraton & change your thoughts to change your results, as my friend (and best selling author) Michael Losier always says in his book, "The Law of Attraction."

The Inches Of Life...

That's what living is...

That's what team does...

Best. Song. Ever....|Period.

Nothing more to say...
Besides listen to it again, and again...

You want something? Go get it. Period.

Will Smith, from "The Pursuit of Happiness" movie quotes:


My son, Ethan just started grade 2 this week, & this is exactly what I told him...

Word for word.

He is my real life version of my own Pursuit of Happiness...

This will be an interesting year, 2011-2012.

A Note From The Universe

My favorate newsletter list I subscribe to by far is Mike Dooley's "Notes From The Universe" via www.tut.com.

Here was my message today

"Do you think, Quinton, that if someone finally realized that their thoughts became the things and events of their life; began believing that they were truly unlimited; and started to grasp that divine intervention could be freely summoned by anyone to help make their dreams come true, they'd continue doing the same old things, living the same old life, and waiting for the same old miracles?

Or would they begin thinking things they've never thought before, saying things they've never said before, and doing things they've never done before?

Precisely.

The Universe"

Smart stuff to start focusing your day the right way...

The #1 Business in the world: "APPLE"

I recently lost my most precious and prized possession...my Apple Iphone.

I went though desperate withdraw, the loss of ALL my contact #'s and day timer for almost 4 days without a phone while I debated if I should even get a new Canadian cell before I left to Asia in a matter of days, then a friend of mine offered to lend me her un used Blackberry (which I have never used before). In under an hour I was re connected to society...

I quickly realized there are cell phones, and then there is the iphone...vast differences.

Blackberry took over the market in the early - mid 2000's, but Apply dominated and destroyed ALL competition growing 160% in the last 12 months alone, (BBM only grew 11% and is closing stores and laying off record # of Blackberry employees this year.)

My buddy who is a stock trader on Wall Street in NYC called me the other day from the "Big Apple" and we spoke about Apple's stock prizes (that he bought and told us to invest in when it was a mere 15$/ share a few years ago which is now trading at over 370$/ share...and it will continue to rise with this innovative company)

So, why does Apple grow exponentially while competitors try to scramble to get a piece of the market share?

This article talks about this business plan and marketing strategy Apple uses that made it the #1 company in the world this past week (Aug 2011)

Apple bite by bite:

"Most of Apple’s money comes from recently invented gadgets. More than two-thirds of Apple’s revenue comes from product types that didn’t even exist five years ago (iPhone and iPad). And 78% of Apple’s income is made by products unimaginable just ten years ago (throw in iPod and iTunes).

That means, in order to stay on the same growth curve in the current decade, Apple will have to invent product categories as new as the iPod, iPhone and iPad were, right?

Wrong.

The new products were part of a killer strategy Apple came up with in 1997. Apple will dominate the future by sticking to the strategy, not by trying to invent more product categories.

Apple became the most valuable company in the world twice this week, trading places briefly with Exxon Mobil. But Apple and Exxon aren’t even in the same league in terms of coolness, greatness or any other ness you want to throw at it. One company sells flammable muck sucked out of the ground to be converted into air pollution, and the other makes the MacBook Air, the most perfect computer every built.

Apple used to be a big loser. I mean that literally. Some 14 years ago, Apple had been losing money year after year. The conventional wisdom was that it’s glory days were in the past.

The PCs wars were over. Microsoft had won. Attempts to invent new platforms, most especially the Newton platform, had failed. The company was in a pickle. If it tried to be unique, it would remain a shrinking, minor fringe company. If it sold out and tried to be more conventional, it would be destroyed by more efficient conventional competitors.

Apple was not only a loser, it seemed that there was no possible way it could win. It was a relic from the 80s, a minor footnote in the history of computing.

The lowest point in the company’s history came in 1997. Out of desperation, Apple forged a new partnership with Microsoft in which that company invested $150 million dollars in Apple in exchange for a promise by Apple to offer Internet Explorer as the default browser on Macs, and other promises. Apple needed the money. And the partnership.

Apple had sunk so low in 1997 that they were willing to try anything. So out of sheer desperation, they promoted Steve Jobs from “advisor” to “interim CEO.”

Jobs, no longer just a visionary loose cannon, had become a skillful leader. The whole experience of being driven out of his own company, and building a new company from scratch, taught Jobs to be the complete visionary dictator he was born to be.

Jobs packed the board with loyalists, unceremoniously deleted entire product lines, and re-structured the company around a breathtaking, new, long-term vision.

The new vision was to transform Apple from a computer company to a content appliance company. No, THE content appliance company. No other company had or currently has the same strategy.

Apple clearly devised this strategy in 1997. That’s when the “Think Different” advertising campaign launched. That campaign broke all the rules for positioning computing products. Instead of “buy this, it’s faster, cheaper, runs more software,” the pitch was: “aspire to genius, we’ll give you the tools to create.”

So while Microsoft sees itself as a company that makes software, Dell a company that makes hardware, Google a company that sells advertising and HP a company that provides turn-key business solutions, Apple would obsess over content — big products for creating it; all products for consuming it.

Of course, Apple products are multi-purpose devices, useful for communication, business, doing taxes and other purposes. But the content creation and consumption would be the company’s laser beam focus and the centerpiece of the Mother of All Winning Strategies.

Apparently Apple noticed in 1997 that nearly all the ways that people consumed content sucked. Hard.

People were paying $12 to $18 per CD for music, then carrying around massive CD players to listen. Television was always horrible. Cable TV services were (and are) clunky, non-intuitive and expensive. Car radio never had anything good on. Books and magazines were expensive and wasteful.

Apple could see that new digital technologies, combined with the Internet, could fix what was broken in content consumption. But Apple could also see that the various content industries would fight to prevent needed change.

People talk about the iPod, iPhone and iPad as merely new gadgets that Apple invented, which succeeded because they were appealing consumer electronics devices. But you can’t really understand why they were all so incredibly successful unless you view them in the context of the content strategy.

While Apple’s competitors were focused on building devices, Apple was focused on transforming how people interacted with human culture. The iPod was created to use digital media and the Internet to fix what was broken about audio content. Likewise with the iPhone, the iPad and Apple TV.

The theme with all Apple’s new products in the last decade has been to use digital technology plus the Internet to fix what’s broken about how people consume content. And likewise with Macs and MacBooks — Apple has improved those products by fixing what was broken about both the consumption and creation of content.

And that’s why Apple is done creating whole new platforms. There will be nothing in the coming decade equivalent in newness to the iPod, iPhone and iPad.

Apple’s full line enables the company to fix what’s broken about all the major ways people consume and create content.

I do believe Apple will offer a TV set at some point. But they can’t claim to have invented the TV set. It’s not a new gadget platform in the same way as, say, the iPad is. A better TV is not the same as inventing the TV.

The important point is that Apple absolutely does not need to keep entering whole new businesses like it did with iPod, iPhone and iPad in order to continue growing and dominating.

The iPod, iPhone and iPad didn’t make Apple billions because they were new, high-quality gadgets. They were that, but they enabled the company to improve content consumption in places where people would be consuming content anyway.

Apple needs only to continue to perfect the platforms it already offers. For example, Apple will continue to add touch-friendliness to Macs. Look for all-touch iMacs and all-screen MacBooks (where the keyboard is a screen) in the next five years. Yes, Apple will continue to innovate brilliantly. But those innovations will be improvements to existing lines, rather than the creation of all-new lines as represented by the iPod, iPhone and iPad.

Apple’s continued growth will come from growing marketshare, new markets and new revenue models. The iOS platform, in fact, is the likely model for all future business.

On the iOS platform, Apple makes money from sales of the integrated hardware/software appliance. Then it takes a huge cut of all third-party app sales. Then it takes a cut of all content downloaded to the device. It makes money selling advertising that will be displayed on the device. It will make licensing revenue from desperate competitors who copy the device.

Apple will continue to grow revenue by rolling out this model more completely to desktop and laptop devices, and also television.

And Apple will be happy to leave the low-margin, high-maintenance businesses to sucker… I mean competitors. The PC clone vendors, the Chinese tablet makers, the Korean cell phone makers — Apple will let them claw at each other for near zero-margin hardware sales.

Apple is the most successful company in the world because Apple has the greatest business strategy ever devised: Fix what’s broken about creating and consuming content.

Apple invented three radically new gadget platforms in a single decade. But those inventions were only means to an end. Those inventions inserted Apple into all the major ways people consume content.

Now that Apple has product lines that offer the best experience for creating and consuming content, both on the desk and on the go, no further product lines need to be added.

The invention of whole new gadget categories at this point would mean Apple was trying harder for smaller markets, for the fringe, for the periphery.

And that’s something Apple hasn’t done since 1997."

Time to go buy some "Apple's"

My Best,

Quinton

Business & Life Success Principles

I'm a member of a subscription site my a mentor of mine named Mike Dillard created called the Elevation Group (www. He wrote this in his newsletter I read today and wanted to post this because its not only values for business success, but life success.

Enjoy Mikes message:

"Part 1 – Core Values For A Long, Profitable Business & Life...

I launched Magnetic Sponsoring in 2005, which is now six years ago. During those years, I’ve seen dozens of “leaders” come and go in the network marketing and internet marketing industries.

They come in, make a big splash, and within 12 months they’re gone.

Why?

There’s typically two reasons…

1: The screwed people over.

2: They were only in it for the money.

On the other hand Magnetic Sponsoring is bigger than ever, and the fact that my reputation has only grown during that period makes me one of the few dinosaurs of the internet marketing world, who is still here, and still growing.

The internet and social media have changed business forever. In the past, the power was in the hands of the company. If they provided poor service or product quality, you were basically screwed because you were limited to the options within your local area.

Today, companies compete on a global level, and the customer has all of the power, because their voice and opinion can be heard by thousands of friends and family members with the click of a mouse.

Today we are in a “trust-based economy”, where your reputation literally IS YOUR BUSINESS.

Take The Elevation Group for example…

I launched EVG in December of 2010 with the clearly stated expectations of, “I’m not an experienced investor, I’ve made financial mistakes, but we have a big problem and we’re going to solve it together.”

There are clearly more qualified people to learn from when it comes to investing than I…

Yet more than 10,000 people joined EVG that very first week…

Why?

How is that possible?

Did I use some kind of trickery or gimmick?

No.

It was possible because I’ve spent the last six years building a reputation around the world as someone who is honest, someone who is authentic, and someone who always over-delivers when it comes to the content I provide.

MANY people who joined EVG, did so blindly without even watching the presentation because they’ve come to trust the products and work I produce.

This kind of loyalty, response, and recommendation would not be possible without sticking to a core set of values.

There is nowhere to hide. If you screw people over today, you won’t be in business tomorrow. It’s that simple.

Given this fact, it is critically important to create a foundation of values for you and your business right from the start.

So with that being said, here are the values that have enabled my success in this business…

1: Forget About The Money, And The Money Will Come.

If you do something for money, you will fail. Making money is the BY-PRODUCT or result, of helping other people solve a problem. When I stopped worrying about making money, and started focusing on helping others, the money came quickly and by the truck-load.

I do not look for ways to make money. I look for problems I can help people solve.

2: Always Deliver What You Promised, And On Time.

If you sell a product to someone, make sure it’s delivered quickly. If you say that it will be there in five days, deliver it in three days.

If you’re not sure if you can meet a deadline, then don’t set one.

3: Be Authentic.

I’ve been told many times over the years that the reason people like to do business with me, is because I’m real. Every event I’ve ever been to, I’m approached by someone who says, “Wow Mike… You’re exactly the same person in real life as you are on the web…”

People don’t want to buy from a fast-talking sales person. They want to buy from a friend they can trust.

Be yourself.

4: Deliver 10 Times More Value Than The Price.

Whenever I produce a product, I make sure it’s worth 10 times more than the price.

This is extremely important if it’s your very first product, and therefore, your very first impression on your new customers.

5: Never Make A Decision Based On Money.

There are extremely profitable products and services that I could promote to EVG Members, which would probably make me an extra $50,000 or more per month.

But I do not promote them.

Why?

Because in most cases, I don’t feel like they’re in the best interest of my Members. I do what’s right for my customers, not what’s right for my pocket book.

And it’s for this reason, that I’ll have customers for years, instead of cash for a few months.

6: Always Make Decisions For The Long-Term.

A very good friend of mine recently asked me if I had plans to write a main-stream book based on The Elevation Group in the coming months,, as it would help with branding and promotion.

I said that yes I did, but I’m going to wait at least two or three more years because I want to earn the right to produce a book that can truly change people’s lives.

I am confident the decision to wait and write a truly profound book three years from now, will result in benefits that are far greater than a mediocre book I can write today.

7: When You Screw Up, (Because You Will), Admit It And Apologize.

While I strive to be the best I can, I am not perfect. Your customers will forgive you and respect you that much more if you acknowledge your mistakes and apologize. Trying to hide it will only turn you into a liar.

8: Provide The Best Customer Service Possible.

Treat your customers as you’d like to be treated. Make it easy to reach your customer service department, and train your agents well. They represent you.

9: Say “Thank You” Sincerely, And Often.

If you don’t, they will buy from someone else who does.

10: Stick To Your Guns.

Stand up for who you are and your beliefs. You will never be able to please everyone, and attempting to do so will only make you look like a flip-flopping politician. Sticking to your beliefs will help you create true, loyal fans.

11: Never Burn A Bridge Over Money.

I see partnerships or joint-ventures fall apart all the time over a financial dispute. Always give the other person the benefit of the doubt, and the money that’s in question.

It’s only dirty paper, and burning a bridge or screwing someone over for money is the quickest way to end up at the bottom.

Industries are small, word gets around, and no one wants to do business with a jackass.

12: Never Argue With A Customer.

Just give them a refund and a respectful “thank you”. You don’t know what’s going on in their life, or the problems they may be having.

13: Fire Bad Customers.

On the other hand, if someone’s an asshole or treats anyone on your team with disrespect, fire them. Give them a refund, remove them from your database, and wish them well. They’re never worth the money.

14: Stand Up For Yourself.

If you choose to start a business in the “information marketing” world as I have, you will become a tiny celebrity in your own little way.

While most of the people you have contact with will become fans if you follow the values outlined above, “haters” come with the territory. (Even Jesus had haters).

Should you find yourself the target of a mentally unstable person who wishes to harm you or your business, stand up for yourself and take the high road. Do not engage them publically, as they are only looking for attention.

You can engage them privately to try and find common ground. When I’ve seen a negative post in the past, it’s usually a case of miscommunication. I’ll personally email or call the person to clear the air, and that’s worked wonderfully 99% of the time.

If they continue to abuse you and your reputation without just cause, get a good attorney, and sue the crap out of them.

These people are bullies who feel safe behind a computer. That feeling goes away when they’re served with a lawsuit in person.

Your reputation is your business. Stand up for yourself.

15: Thank Your Mentors.

None of us can build a business, or acquire new skills alone. We all need teachers and mentors, and I believe that teaching is the noblest profession on the world.

So There You Have It…

Staying true to these principles have allowed me to build a long-profitable business in our new “trust-based economy”.

Print them out, write them out, post them on your wall, and never forget them.

In Part III of Lesson 11, we’ll get into the different types of business, different industries, different skills sets, and personality types that I believe offer the best opportunity today…"

Words of Wisdom...

I'll be sharing more from my man Mike in the future...

My Enneagram Personality Type = #7 The Enthusiast

Enneagram Type 7 - The Enthusiast tied my #3 characteristics from the last post below, and here are the results: (btw, if you wanna do it, here is the site, its free & fun http://www.eclecticenergies.com/enneagram/introduction.php, lemme know what you are by posting your results below in the comments section if you want)

"The Enthusiast's are Pleasure seekers and planners, in search of distraction"

Enneagram Type 7 - The Enthusiast People of this personality type are essentially concerned that their lives be an exciting adventure. Sevens are future oriented, restless people who are generally convinced that something better is just around the corner. They are quick thinkers who have a great deal of energy and who make lots of plans. They tend to be extroverted, multi-talented, creative and open minded. They are enthusiasts who enjoy the pleasures of the senses and who don't believe in any form of self-denial.

Sevens are practical people who have multiple skills. They know how to network and to promote themselves and their interests. They often have an entrepreneurial spirit and are able to convey their enthusiasm to those with whom they come in contact. When they are able to focus their talents, they are often highly successful. Focusing does not always come easily for Sevens, however. Their tendency to believe that something better awaits them, makes them reluctant to narrow down their options or to pursue their aims with true devotion.

The central problem for Sevens is that their pursuit of pleasure is compulsive. Sevens are fear types who are specifically afraid of the power of negative states of mind. These they avoid by seeking distractions in the external environment: by multi-tasking, by keeping their options open, by engaging in stimulation seeking of all kinds. For this reason, Sevens are more prone than most to addictions of all sorts, whether it be to shopping, gambling, sex, drugs or whatever.

Sevens usually have a high opinion of themselves and their talents; they tend to focus on their strengths and virtues and to downplay their flaws and vices. They are often a bit self-centered which manifests in an unfounded feeling of entitlement. As Sevens don't want to confront their own darker emotions, they also have difficulty acknowledging the pain that others experience, so that they sometimes have a hard time seeing the reality of other people. The extent of the Seven's flight from negative emotions is really a measure of the Seven's mental health; the more that the Seven flees from them, the more their strength grows and the more likely they are to erupt into consciousness in the form of an anxiety disorder or a severe depressive episode.

As they are outward looking and not especially prone to introspection, it is not uncommon for Sevens to mistype themselves. Sometimes they mistype as Eights, as Sevens too can be domineering, especially if Eight is the dominant wing. But Eights are not anxious and they lack the quick, mental energy that is charateristic of the Seven. Sevens can easily mistype as Threes, but Threes are much more single minded than Sevens and don't suffer from the desire to keep all options open. Surprisingly, Sevens can mistype as Fours. When they recognize the disparity between the optimistic, fun loving persona that they project to the world and their own, often anxious internal mental states, they can confuse their pain with the melancholia of type Four. Sevens are in flight from this pain however, whereas Fours often cultivate their negative mental states."

Guilty as charged...

Quinton

My Enneagram Personality Test = #3 The Achiever

So I have become totally obsessed with learning about these personality tests, the last one I did was the MyersBriggs evaluation were I was said to be an "Inspirer" / ENFP type, that I was very please to hear...(I posted the results / summary under the May 2011 archives on this blog if you wish to check it out and get the link to do that test aswell).

I now just heard of the Enneagram Test Type (http://www.eclecticenergies.com/enneagram/introduction.php) and it listed me as both a 3 - "The Achiever" and a 7 "The Enthusiast" (which I will post after)

here is the description of an Achiever the good, the bad and the ugly of it...

"Focused on the presentation of success, to attain validation

Enneagram type 3 - the AchieverPeople of this personality type need to be validated in order to feel worthy; they pursue success and want to be admired. They are frequently hard working, competetive and are highly focused in the pursuit of their goals, whether their goal is to be the most successful salesman in the company or the "sexiest" woman in their social circle. They are often "self-made" and usually find some area in which they can excel and thus find the external approbation which they so desperately need. Threes are socially competent, often extroverted, and sometimes charismatic. They know how to present themselves, are self-confident, practical, and driven. Threes have a lot of energy and often seem to embody a kind of zest for life that others find contagious. They are good networkers who know how to rise through the ranks. But, while Threes do tend to succeed in whatever realm they focus their energies, they are often secretly afraid of being or becoming "losers."

Threes can sometimes find intimacy difficult. Their need to be validated for their image often hides a deep sense of shame about who they really are, a shame they unconsciously fear will be unmasked if another gets too close. Threes are often generous and likable, but are difficult to really know. When unhealthy, their narcissism takes an ugly turn and they can become cold blooded and ruthless in the pursuit of their goals.

Because it is central to the type Three fixation to require external validation, Threes often, consciously and unconsciously, attempt to embody the image of success that is promoted by their culture. Threes get in trouble when they confuse true happiness, which depends on inner states, with the image of happiness which society has promoted. If a Three has a "good" job and an "attractive" mate, she might be willing, through an act of self-deception which is also self-betrayal, to ignore the inner promptings which tell her that neither her job, nor her mate are fulfilling her deeper needs. Even the most "successful" Threes, who generally appear quite happy, often hide a deeply felt sense of meaninglessness. The attainment of the image never quite satisfies.

Threes can sometimes mistype themselves when they mistake the more superficial features of their personalities as indicators of their type. So, for instance, an intellectual Three might mistype as a Five; a Three who is devoted to her role as mother might think she is a Two; a Three in a leadership position might mistype as an Eight and so on. Regardless of the manifestation however, the core of the type Three fixation is the deep need for external validation."

Well, not sure if I TOTALLY agree with that for myself, I think that my other 1/2,
"# 7: The Enthusiast" defines me more accurately...

"Everything is AMAZING, yet no one is happy...?!"

Connan O'Brian's guest makes some GREAT points about living in a 1st world country, and all the amazing 'things' we have, yet no one appreciates them.

Be Greatful :-)

Eastern vs Western "CRIBS" (Asian vs Canadian)

My bedroom...
My balcony...


My Canadian home in Vancouver on Beach Ave:


Compared to

My Asian "Apartment" in Seoul, South Korea


Drastic differences...

Inspiration.

Most Inspiring Video I've seen all year:

"Homeless Boy Sung-bong Choi brought a tear to my eye"

[via Korea's Got Talent]


Everything happens for a reason... and there is a plan for everyone's life, no matter how good or bad it seems.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zB8XLB9xPMA&feature=related

An Old Man Once Said...

"There comes a time in your life, when you walk away from all the drama and people who create it. You surround yourself with people who make you laugh.

Forget the bad, and focus on the good. Love the people who treat you right, pray for the ones who don't. Life is too short to be anything but happy...

Falling down is a part of life, getting back up is living."~

Dating Culture: The Foriegner & The Korean

Dating Culture: The Foriegner & The Korean

Whats your thoughts / experience with 'online dating'?

When I 1st arrived in this foreign land I signed up on a random dating site to attempt meeting 'English speaking Koreans' (which is harder than you'd think), but I got totally wierded out after 2 different occasion's when 2 different random girls recognized me on the street's of Seoul from the site and started freaking out when they saw me and started trying to talk to me...

It was extremely awkward to say the least...but kinda cool at the same time, if that makes sense?

In a city of 24 million people, whats the odds? I guess they are 1 / 24 000 000.

So incredibly random!

Needless to say, I canceled my account later that second night so I would not be awkwardly ambushed on the streets again, and I decided to meet girls the old fashion way; pay for them - just joking haha - (fyi: I've never done that, nor could I ever).

In closing, I have to say that Korean's are absolutely great people as they have shown me a great time in my 6 months in their country and I am very appreciative and forever grateful.

I will miss alot of the great people I have met here, but I have a sneeky suspicion I will be back in the not to distance future...

Unitl then, here is a funny video about the awkwardness about cross cultural dating...

"Tourist VS Traveler"

Which one are you?

Forgotten Fathers...The Untold Story

My 1st Fathers Day (June 2004)
Today is Fathers Day June 19 2011, so let me say warm wishes to all the great dads out there, especially mine, Paul Carlin. (Picture: Father/ Son camping trip to Tofino BC 2010)

Today while most people are enjoying a fun and stress free experience with their fathers & children, my heart & thoughts go out to the literally millions if not billions of fathers who have had to fight for their fatherly rights who have been put through the most agonizing & de humanizing experience any person could face; the "Family Court System".

I call this torture chamber "FCS", because that's exactly what most fathers get, "Fucked", when they attempt to maintain, keep, and develop a meaningful relationship with their children during the custody litigation process.

Pardon my language, but this is an emotional subject for me...

Why?

Because I, (along with over 50% of other unfortunate men who have ever gotten separated or divorced with children) have also 1st hand experience with this 'system' when they wanted to get custody of their children.

Chances are, or you know someone who is divorced or has kids, right?

In North America today if you get married, their is over a 50% chance that it will happen to you...those are some intense stats.

To set the record straight, I have never been married, (and if all goes according to plan, I never will be, but that's a whole other topic).

However I am a proud parent of an incredible 7 year old son named Ethan that I have done every possible thing within my power (with very little help & assistance from the courts) to remain a big part of his life after his mother and I separated since she has gone on to marry another man. Thinking back on it now, its amazing how a fast a happy family can disintegrate these days...tragic.

I spent the majority of my 20's (23-30) over 6 years of grueling litigation, that I would not wish an experience like that upon my worst enemy).

While I was not spending my time with my son, I was spending my days in court rooms, conference calls with lawyers and meeting with professional custody evaluators, meanwhile my friends spent their masses of free time hanging out in clubs & parties...needless to say I grew up fast thanks to this intense school of Life Lessons 101.

I wish that my story / negative experience in the "FCS" was unique, unfortunately its not.

During my journey I met countless other men who have experienced the same (if not worse) up hill, frustrating attempts when it comes to getting their 'fatherly rights' acknowledged, let alone granted and honored by litigating and lobbying for court orders.

Long story short, the court system (especially the family one) is a business.

Yup, you got that right, its a business, BIG business.

Why do you think that court custody cases & divorce proceedings take so long to "resolve?"

Because no one gets paid when the case is closed.

Universally, lawyers make billions of dollars per year (and Judges make even more), by feeding and fueling the fire of the emotions of their clients. Both lawyers and judges work together manipulating each client like puppets to prolong this process as long as possible because do you really think its in their best interest to close the case?

Nope.

So why would they?

If they do, then the mountains of cash $ would stop flooding into their sheik offices, that good people who are spending a fortune just so that they can be a part of their children's lives, interesting enough its this desire of parent that pays for those office furnishings. Ironic.

By the way, a case is never "resolved" or 'closed', only 'adjourned' until further notice or evidence...

I will never forget back when this entire process started, I was only 23 years old.

I had just wrote my last university exam, and then the following week I was in a layers office filing for full custody.

As I was waiting in the lobby, there was a man at least twice my age weeping uncontrollably, after talking with him I learned that he spent over 100K and 4 years of his life and savings and still ended up having an 'un resolved' case because his child's mother moved out of the province and if he wanted to proceed he needed to move as well to continue the case. To this day I wonder how his case turned out...

I never imagined when my case opened over 6 years ago that my proceedings would end so similar to that strangers.

I won't go into details, but I was on the brink of finally going to trial to resolve this never ending nightmare, then my son's mother came into the room with her cut throat lawyer and said they were moving, not only out of the province, but out of the country to California!

In a matter of moments after years of waiting...Boom: Case Closed.

No resolution, no order of justice or custody, no nothing.

Everything I worked and waited for now was non existent, and my only choice was to relocate (again) to continue in California (were prices of litigation are triple) or adjourn.

Long story short, this was about 12 months ago. 6 months after they moved I decided I needed a major break from this soap opera and decided to take much needed vacation and come to Asia to take a contract teaching English for a few months to just clear my head...(

BTW, if you follow me on Twitter / Facebook and have seen a little of my 'wild side shenanigans' you now know why I have needed to blow off all that stress that has built up over the past number of years and let loose here in Asia.

I usually don't party this hard, but due to the circumstances...

This has been exactly what the doctor (and my lawyer) had ordered / suggested.

I return to North America in 2 weeks. I have missed my son greatly but we have had great weekly web cam connections together via Skype video which has been great but I can't wait to give him a big hug and see how much taller he has gotten (hes the tallest in his grade 1 class by far...I wonder why? I'm 6'7 and I am sure he will be taller than me, hello NBA lol! )

At this point, I would like to offer the 2 best resources I have found for Fathers Rights and if you know of anyone who is in this situation, please do them a favor and refer these 2 great resources to them:

This book by Alec Baldwin (who paid over 1.3 million for his 5 year divorce / custody case) is the Bible for fathers in court, I wish I found it when I was beginning this process instead of near the end of it as it is an invaluable resource.

And another great website that talks about Parental Alienation Syndrome (as my lawyer said is the main concern / issue of my current case, which is also noted as being the most difficult case to resolve)

*www.MrCustodyCoach.com*

I didn't write this article as a ranting sob story to go into the details of my own and other fathers personal experiences, or have people feel sorry for the many other fathers who have been put through this same situation. I have taken full responsibly for my experience and actions and I hope that many of the others have aswell.

My sole purpose is to raise awareness at how screwed up this entire "Family Court System" is when a parent needs to spend 10's of 1000's of dollars and go through years of emotional anguish just to maintain a relationship with their child.

So next time you see a separated dad, or a childless father, or see the array of 'step dads' don't be so quick to cast judgment, and always know that there are 2 sides to every story and you have no idea what lengths that parent went through before they were forced to either walk way, or accept the limited parenting role the "FCS" system offered / granted them...(which I think is absolutely disgusting that the majority of single dads are only granted 'visitation schedules", but once again, that is conversation for another topic.

The question is, is there any reasonable / rational justice that the "FCS" offers?
My hope is that you never have to find out first hand.

I will never forget this Fathers Day as after I talked to my son, I called my own dad and he said "Quinton, I am so proud of you for sticking in there all these years after everything you've been put through at your young age, most guys would have left, but your son Ethan will one day understand everything you did to continue to be his dad in his life".

Hearing my dad tell me that made the last 6 year roller coaster worth it (as well as everytime I hear my son's voice and /or see his smile either in person or on the webcam, it makes all the past challenges worth it...


Hopfully one day when your older Ethan, you will read this letter and realize how much I love you and that you realize that I'd do anything for you, just as I already have...

I'm extremely proud to be your father and honored to have you as my son,

Love,

Your Dad,

Quinton Carlin