Wednesday, April 26, 2006
My sister is coming back home tomorrow after a 4-month study abroad program in London. This means the house will finally be back to its full glory. I must admit I'm excited to have her back home for the summer as it's always great to have my sister around. Here are a few reasons why:
1) One more body lounging around the house means more entertainment for me. Someone to watch movies with and frolic around with
2) My knowledge on pop culture will undoubtedly increase exponentially as my sister will surely update me on all the sleazy stuff happening in Hollywood
3) One more person I'll make read my books ... the books on deck are:
City of God by Augustine,
Blue like Jazz by Donald Miller,
Stiff by Mary Roach
4) One more person I can get my books from ... the last Harry Potter book has been sitting on my desk untouched for the past 6 months now
5) I will learn more about my skin - surely she will make me do facial masks with her and teach me once again how to exfoliate my skin effectively
6) I will learn how to bend my body in weird positions (Yoga) - I still can't do the
lotus position. I'm pretty flexible, but I think my leg doesn't bend that way for some reason
7) One more person to steal some love and attention from my parents, so I don't suffocate from the intense focus of attention. I need some more freedom and independence!!!
Oh I love my sister!
Monday, April 24, 2006
I was reminded this weekend that the best things in life cannot be bought by silver or gold. Sure, money can get you a lot of things: a big house, a nice car, and even a gorgeous wife or a handsome husband in some circumstances, but money can never buy true friends ... or true love.
Hanging out with the Cornell guys made me realize how blessed I was to have such good friends. I simply love the level of comfort we have around each other and the depth of conversation we can engage in. But most of all, it was the genuine care and the unashamed vulnerability that make this group of guys stand out from the rest. We laughed together, we cried together, we dug deep down in our hearts and shared our pains and struggles, then we built each other up with love and encouragement ... and all this while fixing our eyes on the Lord.
I know it sounds almost too good to be true, and that's why I say I'm blessed beyond all else. I have a feeling that this weekend will even be crazier, I can't wait until the mega-reunion.
Friday, April 21, 2006
The two most anticipated weekends of Spring are here: this weekend I'm heading up to New Hampshire and retreat to the woods with a bunch of brothers to throw my friend Matt one last bash before his wedding next weekend (Congrats Matt & AJ). There's really only a few things better than getting dirty and bonding with the guys out in the woods. We all need to retreat from our overly technological lifestyles and return back to simplicity.
Next weekend is the wedding!!! Woohoo! I love weddings! They are so much fun, and it'll be basically a big big reunion for all my college friends so it'll be a blast. Even though I haven't seen so many of them in so long, I just know it'll be just like old times when we meet up again. Funny that lately I've been very nostalgic about my college days. In some ways, I want to go back to that type of lifestyle ... classes, sleep, study, hang out and have fun ... who wouldn't want to do that over again?
Yes, and being back in the college years means my body wouldn't be deteriorating. Supposedly, once you reach 25, it's all downhill from there. Even though I don't really believe that LIE FROM DEPTHS OF HELL, I still have some fears as I grow older and older. Today I was filling out a registration form for a conference that I want to attend, and listed under "age group" was *18-24*, *25-30* ... etc. That really took me for a ride, and I was a bit taken back that soon I'd be in the 25-30 age range. Think about it ... that means I should be married and having babies while bbq-ing on Sundays with my soon-to-be-balding friends. *sigh* woe to me! AHHH ... and I'm going to a wedding again next weekend. It's so bittersweet.
Disclaimer: I don't know what's wrong with me, I must've gone through a temporary mental lapse when I wrote the entry above ... I love growing older
... ehh ... right ...
Friday, April 14, 2006
If you ever have a question, you can go
here for an interesting answer.
I don't guarantee you'll always the answer you're looking for, but at least it'll be fun!
Wednesday, April 12, 2006
I was in DC this weekend and I saw this special advertisement campaign that McDonald's is running. This has got to be one of the weirdest slogans I have ever seen, I honestly wonder how an advertising firm came out with this.
When I talked to the (white) guy at the booth, he told me that McD is committed to help Asian American students acheive their education dreams ... mainly via scholarships. While this is a great idea, the slogan really throw things off for me. The first thought that came into my head when I read it was, "Are they saying that asians are short?"
You can see their website at
http://www.i-am-asian.com/.
Here are some
pictures I took in DC.
Friday, April 07, 2006
Here are some interesting/useful Latin phrases we all should have in our repertoire
Use when contemplativeCogito, ergo sum. = I think, therefore I am.
Cogito, ergo doleo. = I think, therefore I am depressed.
Use during a fightCatapultam habeo. Nisi pecuniam omnem mihi dabis, ad caput tuum saxum immane mittam. = I have a catapult. Give me all your money, or I will fling an enormous rock at your head.
Sentio aliquos togatos contra me conspirare. = I think some people in togas are plotting against me.
Magister Mundi sum! = I am the Master of the Universe
Use during social situations
Die dulci freure. = Have a nice day.
Noli me vocate, ego te vocabo. = Don't call me, I'll call you.
Canis meus id comedit. = My dog ate it.
Fac ut vivas.Get a life.
Vah! Denuone Latine loquebar? Me ineptum. Interdum modo elabitur. = Oh! Was I speaking Latin again? Silly me. Sometimes it just sort of slips out.
Use when you're in ChinaUtinam barbari spatioum proprium tuum invadant! = May barbarians invade your personal space!
Nihil curo de ista tua stulta superstitione. = I'm not interested in your dopey religious cult.
Te audire no possum. Musa sapientum fixa est in aure. = I can't hear you. I have a banana in my ear.
Tuesday, April 04, 2006
Oh Mr. Josh Harris, I'm kissing dating hello ...
If you are constantly frustrated because you think the man/woman of your dream does not exist, you should consider trying
Google Romance! Forget eHarmony, google romance will solve all your relational problems. Now finding your perfect soulmate will be as simple as doing a search on google.
Ain't life grand?
Monday, April 03, 2006
There are reasons why I like to run during thunderstorms: I love to feel the raw power of the downpour and the calm after the storm. It's a cleansing that you don't get to feel very often, a genuinely
cathartic experience.
Lately I'm realizing that I analyze and rationalize things too much. It gets so bad to the point where if I can't make sense of things, then my brain will continue to subconsciously process it over and over. That's probably the main reason why I've been so tired lately, all those loose ends are sucking up all my brain energy.
After much thought about this (ha), it became more apparent to me that this stems from my need for control. Just like everyone else, I want to be able to figure out what's happening and why they are happening. But I can't do this anymore ... some things will never really make sense to my feeble brain, and there are not always simple answers for everything.
It's really not my place to make sense and solve everything in my life. After I let go and left my burdens at the feet of the cross, catharsis finally came.
Saturday, April 01, 2006
Before I continue on with more social commentary entries, let me take a moment to show you my new favorite shirt.
It probably wouldn't be my favorite shirt if I hadn't spent the last two years in
East Asia doing secret missions work. Since we risk deportation if we weren't hush hush about our plan to save peoples' souls in EA, I basically lived like a secret agent for two years: watching who I made friends with, what I told them, using code words in conversations, pretending that I am a foreign student ... etc.
Now that I'm back in the US, I'm thinking of ways to stick it to the EA government. I still don't understand the whole
censorship bit and I definitely don't know why they still hold so dearly to their communist beliefs even though rudimentary capitalist markets have pretty much taken over. Anyway, I wish I had the chance to wear this shirt when I was doing missions work in EA, that would've been my own rebellion against government. It would be great because even if the police came up to me and said, "Hey! You're a missionary, we shall kill you .. mwahahaa!" I would just respond with, "What are you talking about? I'm on a mission ... ... ... to eliminate intrusive foreign influence on the motherland and to garner ever more support for the communist party."
I'm even thinking about sending a couple shirts to my friends who are still there now, but I know I'll get in trouble for that; if not from the government, then from our regional leaders. Yea, it just wouldn't be the smartest thing to do.
Sorry, I guess this did turn out to be a social commentary ... until next time.
