As the title suggests, this book is a very unusual story of a retired man in his 60s who studied abroad in the United States and lived like a young man.
This is a story that proves that age is just a number.


“When I retire in the distant future, after I’m over 60, what if I go back to college and study various subjects I like?” This is a slightly reckless yet delightful romantic study abroad story by the author, who turned the words he said to a friend on the day of his college graduation in his 20s into reality.


Part 1 is about studying abroad in the United States, which is the main theme of this book.
Reading about the stories of people who enrolled in and took classes they really wanted to take at Berkeley Community College—music, art, philosophy, sociology, film, and so on—makes me feel like I was there, enjoying the vicarious pleasure of experiencing it.


In a new environment, the lessons I learned from attending and presenting lectures on current issues and interacting with the younger generation were both fascinating and informative.
It also shows us the back alleys of America, allowing us to gain a proper understanding of the United States, as it allows us to learn about systems that are different from our own, such as the ability to pay tuition at the end of the semester.
There are so many homeless people, and some areas are so dangerous at night that it is expensive to get a room in a safe area.

In an American university that emphasizes presentations, it is noteworthy that they actively promoted our culture, including K-pop.
At an American university, where students from various countries gather, I actively promoted our culture, serving as a "cultural ambassador." In the process, this book naturally reminds us that exchange between older and younger generations is both necessary and possible.


The professor spoke too quickly, making it difficult to understand, so the enthusiasm to enlarge and print out all the professor's writings and read them is also worthy of applause.
It's embarrassing to see people making excuses like "I have poor eyesight and it's hard for me to read and study."
Where there's a will, there's a way! No, those with a will make a way!

Part 2 consists of the author's thoughts in his 60s, which are essential for understanding the author who wrote this book.
There are honest confessions from looking back on 38 years of teaching, as well as touching episodes from counseling parents.
It's also worth hearing about the extraordinary life wisdom of a democratic husband and empathetic daughter, who recently suffered a heart attack and learned something new.


There are many parts that will be stimulating to those who dream of a second life.
As Confucius said, "It is better to like than to know, and better to enjoy than to like," it is heartwarming to see someone in their 60s enjoying studying simply out of curiosity.
If you're curious about what it means to age gracefully, or to live a life that matures day by day, you must read this!

The younger the professor, the more he clicks on the screen during lectures, explains things in a flurry, and goes up and down, it's crazy.
Please take your time, it's a bit difficult to do.
As a foreigner, do I really have to understand everything 100%? I just move on.
All you can do is try to get used to it.
I still have a lot of life left, but if I don't get used to this and that now, in ten years I might end up like an old man in the back room who is completely confused about everything.

Anyway, after wandering around for the past few days, a thought suddenly occurred to me: getting older means slowing down.
It's bittersweet, but there was a time when my youth was as brilliant as yours, and when I was filled with hope, as if the world were mine. So, kids, don't criticize me for being a little foolish in my old age.

But these days, I feel like it really depends on my mindset, and I no longer feel like words are flowing out of my head.
My brain cells come alive, and I can easily recall words I've seen once.
Ah, youth, you are still young!
?
Isn't it true that people with weak bodies become skeptics?
I feel a sense of empathy when I think of Descartes, who ran around here and there and ended up in Sweden, where the weather was bad, and died because he had a weak body and had to wake up early in the morning to teach the queen.

The next time I went, I read Spinoza in advance and it was worth listening to.
The professor talks endlessly, but 90% of people just read it verbatim.
I almost memorized it because I made it myself.
Since I'm listening to the same content I've read before, I feel like I'm getting some listening practice, and even if I'm just reading it, I can tell where the focus is, so it's okay.

?My favorite band Forestella just recently covered Queen's Bohemian Rhapsody on Immortal Songs, so I played the whole thing.
I requested 3 more minutes in advance and finished in 13 minutes.
You must be punctual.
The alarm goes off in 2 minutes.

As expected, the response was very good.
While I was presenting, the students were saying things like, "Wow, K-pop," and were very impressed.
In Bohemian Rhapsody, when Kang Hyung-ho hits a high note, there were even gasps of surprise.

And there were some unexpected and interesting reactions.
I put in a picture of four Forestella members wearing colorful, pretty t-shirts, and said that they were well-educated at good universities, good-looking, and had great personalities, making them future sons-in-law for mothers with daughters. When I said this, people immediately burst out laughing and thought it was really funny.
So I said, 'If you asked me to choose between these, I would be very happy,' and he laughed again.

The streets of San Francisco are as teeming with beggars as they are with tourists.
People begging with cans, people rummaging through trash cans, people opening the door to Starbucks and asking for change—the begging scene is as diverse as the people of different races.
Every time you pass by, all kinds of bad smells vibrate.
There is a strong smell of urine even on the streets.

It feels good to see young people.
About two years ago, I met my student Chan-hyeok, who was now a college student, and we bought him lunch and talked.
After dinner, we went to a cafe. Since it was winter, I ordered warm tea, but he said he wanted shaved ice.
If someone had asked me back then what youth meant to me, I would have said it was eating shaved ice even in the middle of winter.

When I listen to the stories of children with a bright future ahead of them, my heart brightens.
An age where one is still naive and ignorant of the world, but where hope seems to be open.
Ah, so this is why youth is so good...
Of course, let's forget for a moment the situation where the term "Hell Joseon" comes up.

This female professor is not only talented but also a very attractive person.
The PPT for class is well-made and the lecture content is rich.
If you lecture on this content at any prestigious university, it will get a good response.
So, there are many students who follow this professor's lectures and listen to them.
I will also be taking this person's class again next semester.
The lecture is called "Crime and Deviance." At first, the title didn't really appeal to me, but several students strongly recommended it.
They say this lecture will change your perspective.

After the exam today, I had a brief chat with the professor.
When I said I'd like to have lunch with him, he was very happy and said yes.
Haha, I feel good.
But when I said I would treat them, they said since it was still the semester, we would each pay for our own meals.
Aha, even without the Kim Young-ran Act, they still care about things like this here.

Taking the Sociology of Death class, I often thought to myself that I was really glad I came here.
In this course, I read some good books, but I also watched a lot of good videos.

One particularly memorable story was about euthanasia in Belgium.
Europe is much more tolerant of euthanasia than the United States.
In California, euthanasia is only permitted for terminally ill patients and not for minors.
However, in Belgium, in addition to physical pain, mental suffering is also a condition for euthanasia.
And minors can also apply for euthanasia.

A publishing company president said that his wife saw my blog and said she also wanted to go abroad to study.
So I said, “If you have money, send it,” but he said he didn’t have the courage to send his wife away.
Actually, most Korean men are afraid of living alone or feel uncomfortable.
Other people at the meeting also said that it was more impressive that my husband agreed to it than that I went out.

Sometimes, I find it very precious to have the time to look outside and reflect while looking at the trees.
The subway station is close, it's safe, and there are almost no homeless people.
Just two blocks down from here, the rent goes down a lot, but the problem is, it's not safe.
A little further down is the Tenderloin, a high-crime area in San Francisco that you should never visit at night.
Assaults, robberies, drug use, and sometimes gun crimes occur.

I downloaded the CNN app and it was all about coronavirus, so I thought I shouldn't watch it too often.
There is a lot of bad news, such as bags containing dead bodies being left on the streets without any countermeasures, and there are also many interviews with people who suddenly closed their stores, lost their jobs, and cried about having to drive trucks to make a living but now their jobs are cut off.

But the people of this country don't make a fuss or criticize the government no matter what happens.
One day, all of a sudden, an executive order is issued and it's over.
If it were in our country, there would be chaos and the internet would be abuzz, but they just follow along without saying anything.
Is there really no such thing as trying to break through the situation and fight?
What can the government do when a disaster suddenly strikes?
To that extent.

One interesting thing is that, seeing Korea's rapid response to the coronavirus, they started reporting on our word "hurry hurry."
I was wondering, "What on earth is this country called Korea?" "Ppalli Ppalli" (hurry up, hurry up) is a very negative word, often associated with Seongsu Bridge and Sampoong Department Store. It was fascinating to see that the word was used to analyze positive aspects of Korea.

I started talking as I looked at Junseong's mother.
"I think my mother had a lot of misunderstandings about school.
If I had a child who was always with me, it would have been less...
“I always felt bad for my son because I couldn’t even make him a warm meal in the morning, and I think he came running because he felt ignored at school too.”

But the moment she finished speaking, I felt the intense anger and venom disappear from the mother's face and eyes.
It felt like the tense expression was relaxing...

But the KakaoTalk message my daughter sent to her aunt was like this.
"Auntie, it must be hard taking care of your grandmother all by yourself. I'm sorry I can't help you because I'm far away.
Still, I'm glad to hear that your grandmother is feeling much better.
It's all thanks to my aunt's devoted care.
Grandma must be so happy to have a daughter like her.
When my family gets sick, I want to be a daughter like my aunt.
Aunt, cheer up.
Go for it.
"I love you." And then he sent out a heart.

Ah, so this kid resolves conflicts like this.
You know how to get into other people's minds.
This child has abilities that are very different from mine.
As these thoughts came to mind, many thoughts about the relationship between my mother, me, and our daughter crossed my mind.

The intensive care unit was an unexpected experience for me.
Because my body was sick, everything but survival was far away.
If only I could stop breathing, if only I could get off the oxygen mask, if only I could sleep on my side, if only I could wash my hair—my head was so full of these little wishes that I didn't think much about other higher-level thoughts.
Occasionally, certain events from my life would flash through my mind, but that was it.
I don't think I had the energy to reflect on the past.
It seems that the Buddhist saying, “Do not suffer from delusion,” has been put into practice naturally.


I think we will need to make efforts to simplify our lives like this in the days ahead.
Then, wouldn't we be able to live naturally, like water flowing, without greed?
Sometimes I wonder what the last things I will think of when I truly leave this world.

There are three greatest compliments in my life.
The first is what my daughter said to me when she was seven years old, “When Mommy smiles, it feels like cosmos flowers are blooming.” The second is what my homeroom teacher, Seongsu, said when I was in the first year of high school.
Seongsu followed his parents, who were stationed overseas, to an American school for a few years when he was in elementary school, and he said this to his mother.
“Our homeroom teacher is like the teachers I had at American School.
“Your mind is very open.” And the last compliment was something a male teacher in his 30s said to me when I was in my 50s.
“My wife is also a teacher.
I wish this person would grow old like you, sir.”

Even though I live confidently, there are times when I feel like I haven't accomplished anything in life or feel empty. When I think of these words, my heart feels warm.
If this praise is to continue to excite me, I will have to laugh more, interact more with young people, and age very slowly, both physically and mentally.

--- From the text