My next mp3 player…

I currently use the venerable Creative Zen USB 2.0 20 GB mp3 player.  It is good for what it does.  However, the built-in HDD sounds like it may die soon… which will “force” me to find a replacement!  😛

It’s really nice having a HDD-based mp3 player.  Why?  I get to carry ALL of my CD collection (200+) on it!  So my next mp3 player would also be 20 GB (or better yet, 30 GB!) player… the biggest $1m question is… “Which one?”

There are million brands out there and then there’s the Apple’s iPod.  I for one don’t care much (if any) for it.  I care more for functionality and value over how pretty it is and what color it comes in.  Hee…

Additionally, with the advancement in technology, I decided that I’d want to watch stuff on it too!  😮  How cool would it be to watch my TV shows on it whenever I get a chance to!  And in this category, it seems that my motherland of South Korea has two really good offerings!

1. Digital Cube’s i-Station i2 and the new V43 (higher res screen!)

Here’s a pic of V43!  It has 4.3″ screen with 480 X 272 TOUCHSCREEN!

And the slightly older i2 (and smaller at 3.5″)…

And next… we have…

2. Cowon A2 with 4″ LCD screen!  I gotta stop drooling…  😛

Both support DivX-encoded videos and both have at least 20 GB storage… the final question?  The price!  Ouch… don’t ask yet.  At least $300 in Korea last time I checked…  Oh well…  I guess watching “24” on such tiny thing wouldn’t be that awesome!  (Oh, yes it would!)  K… bye for now.  😉

Do You Live to Work or Work to Live?

This question is one of the first questions I set out to answer PRIOR to starting to work. Heck, I addressed this question when I was still in high school.  Yeah, I am a bit oddball of sorts.  😉

When I was senior in high school, our English teacher wanted us to write what our ideal dream life in the future would be. While most wrote houses and $100K+ salary, I wrote (what I thought as) modest $50K salary living in the country side. I wanted to just have a good and happy family life, raising kids who will grow up joyful enjoying life God gave them fully.

When I was in college, I swore to myself that I’d choose a family over work.  If I had to choose between $80K job that required too much relocation and/or
traveling, and one that offered $50k job that would let me leave work at work and rarely any traveling, I’d choose the latter.  To this day, I’m glad to say
that I’ve stayed true to myself.  I didn’t even bother applying to jobs that would either ask more of my time or traveling.  Some of you may just say I’m not developing my full potential in my career.  While that may be true, and having grown up with my parents (esp. my dad) being so busy with work that they rarely spent any time with us, I do not wish that upon my two children nor esp. on my wife.

I like coming home without beggage from work.  I like not having to go into work at wee hours of the night (or the morning). I enjoy being able to flex my time at work AROUND my family.  I am so glad that I don’t have to think about the job-related things while I spend it with the family. So what if I make less money?  When I am up on my death bed, there are only two things I want to be sure of.

1. Did I live fully for Christ?
2. Is my family happy with the way I have lived with them and for them?

I just pray that I’d never get swept up in that workaholic mentality… ever.
So… do you work to live or live to work?