Author Archives: authorbengarrido
The Cave-beast
Most of us are civilized. We open doors for old people and self-deprecate so that everyone feels at ease. We drink whiskey on the rocks because it’s crude to drink from the bottle and always in moderation because it’s even less refined to lose control. We turn off lights in other people’s offices because we want […]
A Collaboration With “Unload and Unwind”
I had an interesting discussion with “Unload and Unwind’s” Jenni about social class. Let me know what you think. I said: “I am curious about your class. You said you identified mostly by social class – before anyway. How did you perceive people from the lower classes, particularly ambitious ones?” She said: “Sadly I didn’t perceive […]
Exuberance over Pretense, An Examination of 1Q84
I should say first that I would recommend this book to almost anybody. 1100 pages of I’m not sure what, but 1Q84’s endlessly entertaining, the pacing (somehow) works and the world building is masterful. Haruki Murikami’s imagination seems to operate in the same, fevered, delirious and warped way that normal people only experience while dreaming […]
Blog Hop Writers Award Showcase
Originally posted on Unload and Unwind:
? I was really flattered when Irene asked me to participate in the Blog Hop as it is an award designed to showcase blogs devoted to writing, be it journal style, political, fiction, short stories or human interest along with the many other variations that those who enjoy the…
I’m Officially a Novelist!
I believe I’m experiencing incontinence of joy. I’ve got this thing going on where I stand in my bedroom, flapping my hands like a developmentally disabled but very happy chicken. No, I have not taken up hard drugs! No, I have not lost 18 consecutive rounds of beer pong! I am frightening anyone who […]
What it Means to Be Weak
Korea is obsessed with development. It attaches the term “development” to almost all of its official endeavors. Corrupt political systems are not unfair, they are undeveloped. Gender equality is desirable mostly in the context that it represents the development of Korean society. Social equality is not so wonderful on its own, but as a sign […]
The Taste of Life
This is the script for my third Toastmasters’ speech. In Korea, there is no equivalent to Western idioms about flavor. If, for example, you call a Korean person “very sweet” in Korean, they will either think you misspoke or conclude you have some unresolved issues with cannibalism. I thought it would be interesting to use […]
인생의 맛
3번째 토스트마스터스 연설 각본입니다. 제생각에는 음식과 인생은 비슷합니다. 둘다 행복의 원천입니다. 음식의 종류는 많고 인생종류도 많습니다. 음식처럼, 인생에도 유효기간 이있습니다. 미국 사람들은 성공을 세이버리 맛이라고 말합니다. 우리 속담에서는 패배는 쓴 맛이고 실망은 신 맛이라고합니다. 튼튼한 사람들은 짜고 착한 사람들은 달콤합니다. 하지만 모든 사람은 인상이라는 맛을 맛볼 수 없습니다. (멈춤) 테디 루세벨트는 저의 […]
The Innocent
The bright young man trusts and admires the older man, calls him sir, says it’s an honor to contribute to the older man’s essays. The kid means it, too – he visibly freaked out that one time the older man mentioned a dislike for ass kissers, worried the older man was referring to him. This […]
Wayfarer’s Challenge
This is an article I wrote for A Holistic Journey. South Korea was, and still is, a means of escape for me. On a practical level, it offered me a ticket out of my depressing neighborhood in Nevada (U.S.) with the meth lab across the street. On a slightly higher level, it released the […]
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