Lately, I've felt my brain rotting more than ever before. While the stimuli surrounding me are overflowing, my brain's responsiveness to such stimulation is steadily decreasing. The fatigue from AI, the stimulating content filling the mobile world, and two-minute songs all wear me out. They're as exhausting as clothes full of intent but devoid of thought. YouTube is overflowing with summarized content narrated by AI voices, and even those are watched at fast-forwarded speeds. What exactly are we saving that time for—to consume yet more similar content?
I want experiences that truly stimulate my five senses and my brain, experiences that can genuinely satisfy me. When I think about where I can spend my time to achieve the most quantitative and qualitative satisfaction, to truly enjoy things with sufficient depth, it's clear the answer isn't on my iPhone.
So lately, I've been trying my best not to look at my phone. Instead, I'm striving to spend that time enjoying things that deeply reflect a creator's thought. A prime example is reading a good book. I'm trying to read both non-fiction and fiction, and in the past month alone, I've read more than three books. The experience of reading on my balcony, bathed in Singapore's bright sunlight, is quite a happy one. The book I'm currently reading is Milan Kundera's 'The Unbearable Lightness of Being'. Apart from the plot's narrative itself (seriously, so much infidelity!), some of the concepts introduced in the book—like compassion—and the beautiful sentences, rich with time and contemplation, truly bring me joy.
Music is the same. I own many LPs, and listening to them implies consuming music album by album. Unlike two-minute singles with sounds optimized for dopamine stimulation, consuming music in album units naturally reveals more of the creator's thoughtful intentions. Anyone who wants to have a listening session is always welcome at my place (just be sure to bring your own booze!).
Furthermore, conversation with good people is, in itself, like reading a good book and listening to beautiful music. Through dialogue, we organize our thoughts, form emotions, and share them to reach new conclusions. Having people with whom to have such conversations is truly a great blessing.
Finally, travel. Aren't the things we see and experience through travel the culmination of long-term efforts by countless, nameless creators? And through the consistent 'message' sent by these creations, we feel both unfamiliarity and empathy, as we chart our life's course.
These satisfying experiences not only enhance my quality of life but also seem to act as a driving force for living. Moreover, these experiences become 'memories' and their satisfaction doubles when shared with others in person, not just through AI or mobile devices. There's a fascinating concept called 'memory dividends' introduced in a book that we'll delve into in the next article. Furthermore, experiences that become memories shared with others must surely have been accompanied by conversation and good drinks, which also connects to the concept of a 'symposium'. I yearn for a symposium, and I miss symposia. Oh, incidentally, the theme for ybp magazine's third issue will be 'Symposium'.
In this article, I want to look back at one of the most satisfying memories I've experienced. All the elements listed above are directly or indirectly intertwined within this memory. And the people involved in that memory, including myself, are still living fueled by it. This article is dedicated to those who helped create such wonderful memories with me. And it's also dedicated to myself, with the hope of continuing to create such beautiful memories throughout my life.
Bilbo Baggins: “I think I’m quite ready for another adventure”.
It was November 2022, a time when everyone at the company was mentally frayed by the sudden, first large-scale layoffs. Incongruously, a big event was scheduled for me: a trip to New Zealand with my company colleagues (who are also like good friends) was just a week away.
Perhaps fortunately, none of the four travelers, including myself, were subject to the layoffs. And so, these four mentally frayed 'Fellowship of the Ring' members boarded a flight to Auckland.
The New Zealand trip had a clear concept: 'The Lord of the Rings'. I'm a Tolkien enthusiast (aka Tolkienist) with about 20 years of experience, and I had three major bucket list items related to it:
- Visiting the grave of J.R.R. Tolkien, the author of 'The Lord of the Rings' novels.
- Visiting New Zealand, the filming location for 'The Lord of the Rings' movies.
- Watching 'The Lord of the Rings' orchestra performance.
I already achieved the first item back in 2016 during my first Europe trip, by visiting Tolkien's grave in Oxford. The 2022 New Zealand trip was for achieving the second item, and I want to express my gratitude once again to the Fellowship members who readily accompanied me. (I achieved the third item during my New York trip earlier this year).
Therefore, there was an essential prerequisite before this trip: watching the entire 'Lord of the Rings' trilogy with my commentary. It would have been great to read all the books, but I feared I wouldn't finish them before the trip, so I prioritized watching all the movies. (After the trip, I gifted the books to one of them who loves reading). The movies go for more than 12 hours, so we watched them in parts, and I confiscated everyone's phones during the screenings. Instead, all food and drinks were provided free-flow. This 'Lord of the Rings' watch-party is still ongoing at my place, so if anyone wants to truly experience 'The Lord of the Rings,' trilogy, feel free to contact me anytime.
After completing these checklists, the 11-night trip remained an incredibly beautiful memory. At the time, the mentally frayed state of the four Fellowship members manifested as a kind of PTSD, which we named 'unexplained anxiety' - a phenomenon where one would suddenly wake up anxious for no reason, even after the layoffs had ended. Despite that state, New Zealand's truly magnificent natural scenery, the star-filled night sky, fresh eggs and milk, delicious wine, the songs we sang together throughout the car journey, and the beautiful conversations encompassing all of these moments, instantly became memories. By the end of the trip, most of our 'unexplained anxiety' had been healed.
The trip largely focused on the South Island, aligning with the 'Lord of the Rings' theme, and included winery tours along the way for my mustachioed brother who loves wine. Since virtually the entire South Island of New Zealand is a filming location for 'The Lord of the Rings,' we didn't specifically tour only the distinct LOTR-themed spots. To conclude the article, I'll introduce some particularly memorable places from the itinerary, along with photos.
1. Lake Tekapo : Driving south from Christchurch on the South Island, following the magnificent natural scenery, you'll eventually see snow-capped mountains emerge at the end of an open national highway. One of the first towns you can visit there is Lake Tekapo. Looking at the beautiful landscape, where a clear blue lake (like one Hobbits would live by) blends with green fields, you'll find yourself humming 'The Lord of the Rings' OST. Furthermore, at night, you can gaze at the Milky Way and countless stars while sharing life stories. It's a place I definitely want to revisit if I go to New Zealand again. 
2. Ferg Burger @Queenstown: This is a famous burger joint in Queenstown, the largest city at the southern tip of the South Island. I had never tasted such a juicy burger in my life. They put New Zealand beef steak directly into the burger, and the price is even cheaper than most burgers you can have in Singapore. It's truly delicious, so if you go to Queenstown, I highly, highly recommend it (surprisingly, there are no food photos... I must have been too busy eating!). Oh, and in Queenstown, I also recommend a helicopter tour. You can see the high mountains where the beacons were lit in 'The Lord of the Rings: The Return of the King' from a helicopter.
3. Milford Sound : This is where you can actually see the 'fjord landscape' that you only read about in textbooks. The journey to Milford Sound itself is comparable to that of the Fellowship; even in the South Island, where roads are generally designed to wind around mountains without tunnels, this region requires tunnel access. Naturally, there's no phone service or internet, making it a place for a forced digital detox. Once you enter the Milford Sound area, you're surrounded by fjord landscapes, and the sight of very thin waterfalls cascading down high cliffs is spectacular. And if you take a ferry out to sea, you can observe the fjord formations much more thoroughly (there are also dolphins!)
4. Marlborough - Cloudy Bay Winery Tour : Marlborough, New Zealand's renowned wine region, is home to several wineries, including Cloudy Bay. If you take the winery tour operated by Cloudy Bay, you can ride a jeep deep into the vineyard, enjoy the panoramic views, and drink wine. If there's anyone in your group who loves wine, I highly recommend visiting Marlborough. 
5. Waiheke Island & Auckland's TULBO NE Sundae Guk : Waiheke, a small island near Auckland on the North Island, can be reached by ferry. This island, with its small wineries and Airbnbs offering stunning views, remains memorable because of a silly incident that became a cherished memory. We lost all four of our bus cards; the first bus driver kindly let us ride for free, but the next bus was unforgiving, so we called an Uber. And that Uber driver was the very same one who drove us when we first arrived on the island! (In fact, there is only one Uber driver in the whole island) In short, it's a very small and peaceful island, and if you have Auckland in your itinerary, I recommend spending a day there. You'll find yourself thinking, "I just want to settle down and live here..." / Since all four of the Fellowship were Korean, we were craving Korean food by the third day of the trip. What saved us then was 'TULBO NE Sundae Guk' in Auckland; as soon as they opened, not only us but also New Zealand locals came in, and we knew this place was "the real deal". Having tasted it, it truly is. So if you're craving Korean food in Auckland, you don't need to go anywhere else; 'TULBO NE Sundae Guk' is the place.
