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Not a bad thing to know something about darkness. You can’t talk about light without some knowledge of darkness. Like your buddy Nietzsche said, 'He who fights with monsters should look to it that he himself does not become a monster. And if you gaze long into an abyss, the abyss also gazes into you.' Keep that in mind.

A lone person devoted to reading novels has the power equal to a hundred people gathered at a meeting.

A tree that is unbending is easily broken in a powerful storm. But not grass.

Try not to think too hard about it. For now, it’s best you cry your eyes out and eat whatever the hell you want.

Nationality isn’t much more than a lease to an apartment, ” I said. “If you don’t like the apartment anymore, you break the lease and get out.

I was called an 'ethnic traitor' and kicked in the pit of the stomach, then called a 'sellout' and stuck across the face again. I really couldn't understand what the last one meant. I knew the literal meaning of the word, of course, but I just couldn't bring myself to think that I was a sellout. I could sense the incongruity of the label but didn't have words to express it. Then someone who was able to say exactly what I was feeling appeared, like a superhero. A voice rose up from the back of the classroom. "We've never belonged to a country we could sell out

Take a good look at the wide world,' he said. 'You decide the rest.

The results of the mock exams came back. To my surprise, my academic rating went up from about the calories of an egg white to that of egg custard.

But,” began the Zainichi North Korean man, “even if we know all that stuff, isn’t it pointless if the people discriminating against you don’t?” “What matters is that we know,” I said. “Those ignorant haters who discriminate based on nationality and ethnicity are pathetic. We need to educate ourselves and make ourselves stronger and forgive them. Not that I’m anywhere near that yet.

I’m not Zainichi or South Korean or North Korean or Mongoloid. Quit forcing me into those narrow categories. I’m me! Wait, I don’t even want to be me anymore. I want to be free from having to be me. I’ll go anywhere to find whatever thing will let me forget who I am. And if that thing isn’t here, I’ll get out of this country, which is what you wanted anyway.

Losing the exchange booths and going to Hawaii had made my mother stronger. The Korean character has always been deeply colored by Confucian ideals, and that tradition was passed on to the Zainichi community. Roughly put, Confucianism was about respecting your elders. In our household, that basically translated to “the wife and child are forbidden to oppose the head of the house.” So at meals, my mother always served the old man two more dishes than herself or me. But after my parents came back from Hawaii, that number increased to four. “What’s with all the extra dishes lately?” my father asked one day after dinner, patting his bulging belly. My mother, who was in the kitchen, cleaning up, chirped, “I was hoping you’d get diabetes.

We started walking in that direction. I rolled the Newsweek into a cylinder and held it in one hand. Sakurai said cheerfully, “Looks like a club. Are you going to protect me?” I tossed the magazine at the trash bin some distance away. It went in. “I don’t need a club to do that.” Seemingly happy, Sakurai body-checked me with all her might. I staggered from the impact. Sakurai looked at me, her brows furrowed. “Maybe we’ll need that club back.

Then why don’t you live a random life with me?” I asked. Jeong-il shook his head. “I’m not the type.” “How could you know that now?” “Because I do. Those things are already decided from the start.” “You sound like a diabolical scientist.” “No, this is different. What I’m talking about is something like a person’s role in life.” “Forget about roles.” “If I did that, I’d stop being me.

No soy coreano, ni japonés, soy un nómada desarraigado," he muttered. "Huh?" "It's Spanish. I always wanted to be a Spaniard." I didn't reply. "But it didn't work out. Turns out, it wasn't just about speaking the language." "Language has everything to do with your identity--" "In theory maybe," he said, cutting me off. "But we live in circumstances that can't always be explained away by logic. You'll understand someday.

What kind of music do you listen to?” she asked. “All different kinds. But I guess I don’t listen to a lot of Japanese music.” “Why not?” “I don’t know. I never really thought about it. What kind of music do you listen to?” “I listen to all different kinds. But I guess I don’t listen to a lot of Japanese music.” “Why not?” “I don’t know. I never really thought about it.” “I guess that makes us the same.” “I guess it does.

Her forefingers slid gently over the backs of my hands. Then they stood on end and moved back and forth on my hands. “I’m reading you right now,” she said softly. I kept quiet and watched her fingers moving. I can’t tell you when humans first began to use their hands, but right then, I wanted to thank that first person.

didn’t believe in the power of the novel. A novel could entertain but couldn’t change anything. You open the book, you close it, and it’s over. Nothing more than a tool to relieve stress. Every time I said as much, Jeong-il would say something cryptic like, “A lone person devoted to reading novels has the power equal to a hundred people gathered at a meeting.” Then he’d continue, saying, “The world would be a better place with more people like that,” and smile good-naturedly.

How can you call us Zainichi without so much as a second thought? We were born in this country and raised in this country!

Sometimes I wish my skin was green or something. That way, the good people will come closer and the haters will keep their distance.

The young cop would be so informed. Then he would ask, “Do you have your alien registration card?” Japan used to have a law called the Alien Registration Law, which oversaw the foreigners living in Japan. Although “oversaw” had a nice ring to it, the law was basically there to put a collar on so-called “bad” foreigners. Despite being born and raised in Japan, I was still considered a foreign resident, so I was required to be registered as one and have an alien registration card. You were supposed to have this card on your person at all times and not having it could get you a year of

To protest the Vietnam War, where it seemed like only black and brown people were being sent to the front lines and dying, Hendrix played America’s national anthem on his guitar like this: Scree scree screee screee screeee screeee Waaah waaah grraaah grraahh Squeee squeee squeee Gagagaaah gagagaaah gaah gaah

Jeong-il would say something cryptic like, “A lone person devoted to reading novels has the power equal to a hundred people gathered at a meeting.” Then he’d continue, saying, “The world would be a better place with more people like that,” and smile good-naturedly.

serious expression and continued. “They finally got me. The government’s power is a terrifying thing. You have to be pretty fast to outrun it.

When the elevator opened at our floor, Sakurai walked straight up to the ticket booth and bought her own ticket. Before I had a chance to pay.

A house built on a bad foundation will easily collapse.

Any man in his youth should apply himself to amusement to his heart's content. Too long a time in a forest of words will leave him trapped and unable to escape.

We need to educate ourselves and make ourselves stronger and forgive them. Not that I'm anywhere near that yet.

But you should live a random life. I mean, your life has already veered off the rails. I wish you'd keep on veering and see where it takes you. You're someone who could pull that off.