100: 10 for 2010

So I thought it'd be quite fitting to make my 100th post on this here blogspot the last post of 2010, and maybe have 100 things or something crazy like that. But alas, that would take too long, and I have articles to edit, and so we're only doing 10. 10x10=100 right? I digress.

Bests of 2010

Music Added/Discovered - for the memories and for the musical goodness
- Daylight, Matt & Kim (i had to)
- Faith + Hope + Love and This is Our God albums, Hillsong
- Conditions album, Temper Trap
- Tarzan Boy, Baltimora
- I Stand in Awe, Jeff Johnson
- Aim and Ignite album, Fun.
- Come What May, Moulin Rouge
- The First album, DK Daniel Kim
- The Very Best of the Eagles, Disc 2
- Leaving on a Jet Plane, Peter, Paul and Mary
- In My Dreams, Matt Cheah (adding it to my iTunes anyway)
- Go West, Pet Shop Boys
- Meet with Me, Ten Shekel Shirt
- Saviour King, Hillsong
- Crossfire, Brandon Flowers
- Invented album, Jimmy Eat World
- Starfield self-titled album
- Silhouettes, The Nylons/The Rays
- In The Light, DC Talk
- Airplanes/Brick by Boring Brick and Fireflies remix, M. Henry & J. Robinett
- Happy Ending, Mika

Sports, for the epicness and the memories
10. Being a stringer for the Casper Star-Tribune
9. Fantasy Baseball Champion for the first time since 2003 (Thanks Jaime Garcia!)
8. UCI hiring new Head Coach Russell Turner
7. UCI women's soccer Sweet 16 run
6. Getting to meet Bud Black and family for a story
5. All-star game work and Fanfest Anaheim
4. Softball Classic Champions!
3. Dominating summer softball, winning every game until an unfortunate forfeit
2. World Cup fever, and USA Soccer making it out of their regional
1. Welcome to St. Louis, Sam Bradford! (notable wins: Seahawks, 49ers, Chargers)

10 more disjointed random things/comments, in no particular order...
1. 122 days of spring, summer, fall and winter. Squids basketball, it's yo birfday, weird tastes in guys, Yi Bu's transformation... it has been great. I don't think a full-length montage would be appropriate just yet.
2. BWAM LA love. First missions trip, and learning to go in with no expectations. Giving, receiving... loving.
3. The unexpected trials and tribulations of being EIC. I appreciate the fact that this book has yet to be closed. It's been an interesting and definite growing experience. 12 down, 19 to go.
4. Speaking of the New U, I am extremely thankful of T. G. Lee for her dedication and perseverance. To have a partner that goes beyond doing her own job but also inspires me to do mine better is a great thing.
5. Note to self: do not let yourself be mired in poor internships. Never again.
6. I think 2010 will go down as a year of unexpected (and maybe undeserved) opportunities. Reminders of trusting in Him.
7. ELC time, when my mindset changed from being happy about the now, and not wanting to graduate, to being excited for the future, and whatever that may entail. Still appreciative of now, but ok with the bit of uncertainty within 2012.
8. Giving into the Gmail and Twitter movements, with the latter especially something I thought I would never do. However, I guess I have learned not to be so judgmental of certain fads and trends.
9. Banquet 2010... memories that will go down in history. We may not be the world, but we indeed do not stop, and never give up.
10. A year of Traci. From the ashes of a miserable class is born a special friendship. Incredibly blessed to have gotten to know this girl; still wake up every day not taking this fact for granted. And it's only the tip of the iceberg.

The Final Page Count Down

16 pages to go by 6 p.m. tomorrow. May this running tracker keep me accountable and maybe even help ease the load.

1:00 p.m: 15 pages remaining.

2:54 p.m: 13.8 pages remaining.

5:52 p.m: because of a New U meeting in between, 13 pages remaining. Agh.

6:50 p.m: 12 pages left.

8:08 p.m: 10.7 pages left. Dinnertime.

10:55 p.m: 10 pages remaining. Roadblock: WRITE or STUCK.

FRIDAY 12:40 a.m: 8.8 pages remaining. I can smell the end of e105!

2:52 a.m: 7 pages left = done with e105! just got to proofread now.

11:00 a.m: 6.5 pages left. I can feel the stretch run a-coming.

12:05 p.m: 5.6 pages left.

12:51 p.m.: 4.6 pages remaining. Lunch, campus... birthday shindig.

3:19 p.m: 2.8 pages left. Let's go!

4:43 p.m: 1.6 pages left. So...tired.

6:33 p.m: done... and it feels so nice.

self-awareness

This word has been on my mind a lot as of the past few weeks, and recently I have realized the benefit of having people in your life that are not afraid to point out your flaws. In this sense, you are not so much self-aware, but aware through your community. I don't know if that makes sense, but too bad, it's finals week and I'm not going to go back and edit this right now.

Basically, thank you people for pointing out what I need to improve on, and not just staying silent. I think this in many ways is God speaking through your community. Without community, one would just keep on keeping on, oblivious to his faults and ways in which he is not glorifying God.

I blame the brevity of my posts this quarter on the monstrosity that is e105 and lj103 reading and writing assignments. And some other extra-curricular stuff perhaps.

Weep not, children. Winter break is almost here.

meaning behind the obvious

God's strength + believing you can do it = success

Give us self-awareness for that which we do.

"Giving your best to equip yourself for God's work."

Isaac Bruce

[This post is a bit late, but I thought Isaac Bruce's jersey retirement ceremony warranted mention. I truly miss watching that guy play for the Rams.]

During the number retirement ceremony for No. 80 of the St. Louis Rams, Isaac Bruce was introduced at last after a lengthy introduction.

Walking up to the podium with boisterous cheers and a standing ovation, Bruce simply says "Glory to God, Glory to God" to start off his speech. No "I want to thank..." Just re-directing the praise right away.

"Just another example - you honor God, he honors you."

Thank you Isaac for always being a player who despite not being the tallest or the fastest receiver, always played the game the right way and got the job done.

"[Bruce is the] standard of the definition of how that position is supposed to be played." - Mike Martz

against better judgment

Sometimes, going with something that seems somewhat silly can turn into moments you don't forget.

Case in point:
1. Being at Disneyland for 1.5 hours
2. Karaoke-ing at 11:30 p.m.

All in all, not a bad Thursday. Not bad at all.

Pause

I feel like life is whisking by at a rapid pace right now, and I just want to click the pause button and take a second.

A second to appreciate how unbelievably good God is, and how much He has provided.

Looking back, this time period will probably go down as one of the greatest eras in my life, and I don't want to go through it in an unappreciative manner.

So let's all take a deep breath, smell the roses, and maybe even clip a few...pink ones while we're at it.

thunder!

So lately some random clashes of thunder (sans significant rain) have disrupted the dreary and anti-climactic Southern Californian skies, much to the delight and amusement of some of my friends and colleagues. We take whatever variance in the forecast we can get.

However, my dog Ranger has apparently yet to experience such shattering and booming noises of nature, and keeps freaking out every time he hears the thunder. The first time he frantically clawed at the door, which my Mom misinterpreted as a need to pee. Nope. Ranger took off galloping around the neighbor in a delirious stupor, winding up at the local elementary school where kind folks called us reporting our "scared little puppy." (Despite being 3 years old, he will forever look like a puppy German shep) Next time around, my mom ignored his escape requests, so Range dove under the kitchen table, scrambling for whatever cover he could get. Silly dog.

In some ways, I can understand what he's going through. "I know how you feel, Rangedogs." It's frightening to go through experiences that you haven't dealt with before, especially when things may be out of your direct control. Luckily, my Californian public school education (thanks Dr. Parham!) and well, God (thanks Holy Spirit!), have equipped me with the tools to carry on without ducking under the table.

And so I will keep trotting along to the best of my ability, and maybe someday, that thundering will be from the confidence and knowledge of my step.

give 'em some air

You can't hold too close,
for God needs room to shine His light in.
Nary a rip will be painfree,
shredding that which has been intertwined.
But remember to guide with love.

. . .

Cheers, Summer '10. Cheers.

Glorify

To unveil a majesty that could not be seen before AND/OR To bring joy to God.

I love finding deeper meanings of cliched English words.

"Jesus was not a religious man." - Darryl Brumfield (quote of the while back on popular demand!)

Subtle Racism

Call it harmless stereotyping if you want, but the roots of racism are still alive and kicking in the US of A.

Ex. 1: At Capital Seafood Express this past week, my Caucasian looking friend and I both bought two item combos. Upon sitting down, he incredulously realized that they had not given him chopsticks. Half laughing, half shaking my head, I reached into my bag to find chopsticks that I didn't mind giving him to use. However, upon further groping around the bag, I realized that they hadn't given me a fork. My friend gave me his, and the reverse stereotype was complete.

Ex. 2: "Hey David, you're good at computers right?! Can you help me fix this?"

Ex. 3: "Hey David, can you solve this rubik's cube for me?"

Sigh.

Melbourne, Victoria

So Melbourne reminded me of a New York or something along those lines. We weren't really in the city much (except to go to Chinatown for dinners), but I didn't mind. Instead, we went out to Phillip Island to see rafts of little penguins waddle on to shore, and the ruggedly beautiful coastline of the Great Ocean Road.

Both places required a lot of tour bus traveling, but the tour guides were great fun, and there was plenty of cheesy music involved. Good times.

In other news, I also found out about Australian Football, which is their own crazy version of football. There is no offense and defense (like soccer), and they kick field goals at any opportune moment. However, there are four poles, and if goes through the middle, it is a touchdown, whereas on the sides, it's only 1 point. They also seem to punch and kick the ball downfield, rather than ever throwing it overhand. [This is a very primitive understanding of the game] They also call soccer, soccer! Amazing.

Best Parts of the Stay:
Finding out that "kangaroo" in aboriginal language meant "I don't know what you are talking about," which is apparently what the aboroginals told the English explorers when they inquired about the animals (don't know how accurate this is, but this is what the tour guide said)

A group of squawking parrots and lorikeets landing on us and eating bird feed out of our hands, in groups of four and five. This was much more enthralling than words can describe for some reason.

Go West, by the Pet Shop Boys. (Look it up on youtube.)

Worst Parts of the Stay:
The bug bites that started to itch like crazy, but really, a minor nuisance compared to the rest of the trip.

Quote of the Stay:
Cairns Taxi Driver: Where you guys off to?
Mom: Melbourne.
Taxi Driver: Nice.
Mom: Oh yeah, there's no ice there. But it's pretty cold huh.

Cairns, Queensland

note: this was written back on the 23rd when we were leaving Cairns but I never got internet access on my laptop. Melbourne and overall thoughts that aren't so tourist-y coming soon.

Cairns is in far north Australia, and consequently much closer to the equator, and tropical in nature. Several flowers were ones you would find in Hawaii, and people walked around with no shoes to combat the muggy climate.

The town’s industry is 70% tourism, with its most famous attraction being the Great Barrier Reef. Up north a bit from the city is one of the only places in the world where legitimate rain forest lies side by side with coral reef (off the beach). However, most of the city had ugly mud flats instead of beaches, and waters that you couldn’t swim in because of lurking crocodiles.

Best parts of the stay:
Wearing boat shoes while driving a boat (albeit one that puttered along at a snail’s pace)
Catching weird Australian fish
Learning crazy facts about the rain forest and how God has created things in such a fascinating way
An impromptu family volleyball match that was actually great fun

Worst parts of the stay:
Probably my worst sunburn ever while out on the reef
Subsequent irritation that marred my next couple days there
Walking 25 minutes each way out of the hotel every time we wanted to go into the city

Quote of the stay:
"You can be speechless and still express everything perfectly." - random ad outside our hotel

Sydney, New South Wales

note: this was written back when I was leaving Sydney a couple days ago

Sydney is a beautiful place. There are a bunch of peninsulas that create uniquely large harbors and bays, as well as some areas that overlook rocky ocean on one side and tranquil waters on the other. The Blue Mountains right outside of town is like a smaller Grand Canyon—if it were completely covered in rain forest with a hanging blue hue draping the canopy. There are also “exotic” birds such as giant parrots, big white cockatoos, and various other cawing, vibrantly feathered avian creatures gracing the sky.

Speaking of animals, they are no where to be seen in Sydney itself, but man are they cute. George Lucas must have gotten his inspiration for ewoks (and maybe Yoda a little too) from koalas. How can you not like the little guys that just slowly munch on eucalyptus leaves while hugging the branches with their little paws? Kangaroos and wallabies too are pleasant enough, at least as babies.

Sudden revelation on this trip—platypuses and bats are seriously like hybrid animals. If they can exist, why can’t mermaids?

The major downfall to traveling in Australia—everything is expensive. A McChicken costs $4.75! I saw that and was heartbroken for Yibs. Regular bottled sodas in machines are like $2.50 or $3. Considering that an American dollar is about 90 Australian cents, it’s not like the conversion rate is the reason. Apparently, the Australian minimum wage is around $15.

I feel like Australia is Europe-lite (tried to find an unoffensive way of saying this… half-hearted, poor man’s…). People drive on the other side of the road, and have accents that if you try to imitate, sometimes turn into British accents (I know this from experience). There are a bunch of school kids dressed like Madeline running around, and people watch rugby and cricket on TV. [[A side note on Cricket: this must be the most boring sport ever. It makes baseball seem like a fast paced endeavor. I’m sure me not knowing the rules has something to do with it, but all I see is a pitcher running about 20 yards down the field before he pitches this bouncing thing that the batter awkwardly tries to make contact with. I think runs are scored when the ball goes foul. If there is even a foul. Sigh. I miss intramural softball.]]

Some of the Australian terms I’ve picked up on: in the queue instead of “in line,” take away instead of “to-go,” and Hungry Jack’s instead of “Burger King.”
I would say the population is about 50% Australian, and 50% immigrant. I’m sure being in Sydney has to do with this, but it’s definitely not a different sight for natives to see Chinese people in Australia. Along these lines, I think I’ve seen something like 3,482 white guys with Asian girls. I digress. Definitely a melting pot of culture here, arguably even more so than in America.

It’s nice to get a breath of winter air. Not that it’s terribly cold. It’s usually around 16 Celsius which I believe is around the low 60’s during the day. Cairns, the next city we’re going to, is up north, and so it’s a lot warmer. More to come! And yes, I “miss you guys or something.”

Quote of the stay:
"Now that's a cheeky smile!"- random Australian guy commenting on my smile during a picture... still not sure what he means.

Leadership

"Take ownership of your leadership." - Welcome Pet

For whatever reason, I have been thrust/presented the opportunity to lead in various roles recently. This has been going on for awhile now, but alas, I have only been thinking about it more lately (It also happened to come up on Wednesday in JL^2/EKu's small group). Plus, as men, we must be responsible for leadership roles more readily, in general.

Sometimes I feel as if I too naturally take the backseat. My mom always criticized me for being like a "wooden plank" when I had to notice things to do myself--i.e, people too often had to verbally tell me to do something for me to do it. This is obviously not what being a leader entails. For anyone reading this and thinking to themselves, "uhh you still do this David," I apologize.

I pray that I can become someone who takes ownership of their leadership position at all times. Someone who can speak up knowing what to say at all times and someone who represents qualities that people want to follow. Besides not wanting to let anyone down (which is huge in itself), I know that these positions and opportunities are key foundational building blocks for the rest of my life... and I don't want a weaksauce foundation.

"Tact is the knack of making a point without making an enemy" - Isaac Newton

Heh

And of course last night was a clear sky with stars shining brightly.

God and his sense of humor...

How Great Thou Art

There is something beautiful about impromptu worship on a warm summer night with just a keyboard, a few voices, and a cool breeze floating in through the open windows.

Let's do it more often!

Oh, Happy Day

God is good, all the time. Thankfully, I have been more aware of his brilliance lately.

Much congratulations and jubilance over my brother, Michael Wen. As the first person I have witnessed through the process, it makes my heart soar with immense joy. Excitement and hope have filled the air like a refreshing deep breath of deliciousness, and praise the Lord for that.

At small groups this week, besides having a good time of fellowship, we were able to dwell upon who God is, and who God is to us (a God of grace and never ending blessing), delving deeper than just the normal descriptions that people throw out as the "right answers". Through reading Psalms 112, we also got on the topic of "the fear of the Lord."

Wisdom, knowledge, and apart from being anxious about worldly things, my fellow leader Amy summed it up nicely. Having a fear of the Lord is being fearless of worldly things. Amen!

You are over comer,
You are heart transformer
You are life forever, ever more.
You give songs to the hopeless
Shower grace on our weakness
You are love forever, ever more.

Sure Enough

One of the best things I learned from AP English in 11th grade was to cut out all the unnecessary words and clutter in your writing. Recently, I've been reading a book about becoming who God intended, and the author has some great ideas, but is less than eloquent.

I especially didn't like his use of the phrase "sure enough". As in, "I surmised that Johnny would be playing video games. Sure enough, when I looked inside, there he was, playing video games." What does that even mean? "Sure enough"? There is no 'enough' involved, Johnny in this case IS playing video games. I love my figures of speech (and catachresis apparently), but this one just seemed overly hackneyed.

It's weird, because "sure enough" is never usually used in its literal context anymore--the debating of whether you are confident enough in your decision. Instead it is like a guarantee of sorts--basically the "enough" is silent.

Hmm. In other news, cheers for successful new experiences and challenges, back-to-back walk-off wins in summer softball, Jesus equalling the rock in the bible, and the All-Star Game in Anaheim.

A Blast to the Past

Get Him to the Greek. MLB Showdown. Board and Brew. Strolling the Beach. Padres - Blue Jays. BP Home Run Balls. Oh Canada. Jose Molina. Not right now. World Cup Craziness. North Korea - Brazil. Del Mar Fair. Dennis DeYoung performing the music of Styx. Desert Moon. Domo Arigoto, Mr. Roboto. Come Sail Away. More World Cup. Steve Cherundolo. Vienna. Lakers - Celtics at 126. Home made spaghetti. Monopoly Deal. Moulin Rouge Singalong. Phantom Redux. Elephant Love Medley madness. USA - Slovenia on the projector. Stupid Mali ref. Donovan and Bradley. Taco Truck. Lollicup. Pick-up basketball at the arc. In-n-out. Boy Meets World. A wrench in the plans. Jamba Juice. UCI campus tour. More Vienna attempts. Toy Story 3. Korean BBQ. Three ice cream cones each. Pick-up softball. The epic socal road trip of death. Irvine - El Segundo - Montclair - Hacienda Heights - El Segundo - San Diego. Showdown comeback and an epic Game 5. Leaving on a Jet Plane.

It doesn't get much better than that.

helpless

The inexperienced boy stood like a firefighter without water, exasperation and a lingering wistful aftertaste hanging in the air.

"Just wanted to say that I love you man," he said quietly, looking at his feet. "I freaking can't wait to talk to you again."

Three Years

Today marks the end of my third year of college, as well as the end of my vegetarian challenge. On one hand, it all seems to have passed so quickly. When I think of my college experience as 3/4ths over, I shudder and can only shake my head. But then I think back to certain moments from this year, times that I can reflect on and contrast to today... and I can find a sense of peace in the year gone by.

This quarter in particular was not an easy one. It definitely was filled with plenty of good times and new friendships, but above all, it was a quarter filled with challenges.

One in particular, the vegetarian one, I can soundly say was a success. I hope that all of my challenges this quarter can turn out that well.

But all in all, God has repeatedly been good. So very good. And for that, I am thankful.

Lessons from Love & Estrangement

As daunting and challenging this class was at times, I left it saying to myself "Man am I glad I'm a LJ major..." more times than not, and that pretty much speaks for itself.

"Life moves fast. Memories fade. People die. Only storytellers have the power to slow down time, force us to pay attention to the quiver of an old man's lip, the lavender streaks in a Missouri sky, the flutter of a woman's heart. How often do we ignore these details in every day life? How lucky are we to document them for the world to read?"

"God is in the details."

"Put yourself aside. Because the stories you write are so much bigger than you. Because the people you interview deserve to have their stories told. Because it is our responsibility."

Call me a sucker for the motivational speech, but I am pretty dang motivated. How can you not be after reading that on the last day of class?

LOVE, the whole campus singing along

Last year's spring quarter was a memorable time of fun--I seemed to just float through it all, lounging around in Aldrich Park during breaks, going to concerts, watching movies, all while doing decently well in school.

This spring however, I feel like I've been picked up by a slow moving tornado and whirled around town at a rapid pace. This tornado hasn't been moving too fast so as to kill me, but it does leave very little time to well, stop and smell the roses.

---

Being a coordinator for senior banquet 2010 was an opportunity of a lifetime, and I am so thankful to have gotten a chance to work with my fellow point leaders. Special shoutout to the Munster and Welcome Pet, you guys really stepped it up big time. I know this is kind of tumblresque, but I feel like Welcome Pet put it best:

"I've had so much fun working with everyone on banquet these past few weeks. It was pretty stressful but I never regretted it at all. Just seeing how everything was coming together and getting to know a bunch of you so well was an amazing experience for me and honestly, I'm going to miss it a lot. I really appreciate the time and effort that everyone gave and I think it really came out looking amazing. Awesome job everyone."

It's weird and very bittersweet being done with it all, but I know that besides all the amazing videos that I will re-watch again and again, I will come out of this experience with new and strengthened friendships, some xp in leadership and decision making, and even a few dance moves to boot. I'm also really glad it was this senior class that I got to honor, because I truly love a bunch of them to death. It's mind-boggling to think of myself as a senior so soon.

---

The softball season ended today on a disappointing note. I totally choked in the last inning, and George's huge hit was nullified by the ump giving the other team another inning. It's funny because in co-ed, we lost when the umpire took away an inning a bit prematurely. Still, it was a blast (as always) being able to play softball with a great group of guys and girls, even if attendance was much more difficult than in the past. Interestingly enough, we felt much more confident in our co-ed team at the beginning of the season, and we also felt really confident in this men's semi-final game at both the beginning of the game and after we took the lead in the bottom of the 6th.

Things don't always turn out like you anticipated, and that's part of life I guess. I'm excited to have some relative "downtime" for the rest of the quarter, and spend more one-on-one time with the big man upstairs. Lord knows I need it.

God Provides

In a time of challenges:
Veggie Grill gift cards for the vegetarian thing.
Journalism sources falling into my lap.
An amazing group of co-coordinators for banquet that are picking up my slack.

Skunk! Part II

At 11:30 p.m. last Sunday, as I was merrily walking Rangedogs through the brisk but not too chilly neighborhood, I was in pretty high spirits. The day back home had gone very well, with a groundbreaking interview in the morning and an enjoyable family dinner at night. All I had left to do was finish up a couple of articles, and I looked forward to getting a solid night's sleep. On top of all that, I was listening to the newly acquired fun. CD and it's borderline impossible to feel anything but happy while listening to them.

About 50 feet away from returning home, after Ranger had raised his stupid leg about 37 times, this fatty skunk or racoon type animal waddled across the street a little ways down the road. Ranger went ballistic, somehow ripping himself free of not his collar, but the metal carabiner that linked his leash and his collar. This newfound freedom allowed Range to frantically sprint around the neighborhood for about a minute, joyously seeking out his prey, while I tried in vain to get a hold of him.

Finally, Ranger stops by a car and barks a few times. A rotten stench wafts through the air. It was most definitely a skunk. Drained from his jubilant adventure, Rangedogs puts his head down and promptly trots back to our house.

I go home, proclaiming the bad news. We decide to wait for my brother to get home because he knows the concoction. Meanwhile, Ranger somehow got loose from the backyard, and is once again roaming the neighborhood.

By the time we finally find him, get the delightful mix of baking soda, hydrogen peroxide, and water all over Ranger's pungent fur, shampoo and bathe him, it is 2:30. At this point I still have to deal with the slightly mind-boggling fact that my sister had gotten all my whites stained a pale green because she had inexplicably threw some of her own green clothes into my batch of whites (that was already done) and re-started the wash. I also still had to finish my articles, and drive back to Irvine early the next morning.

God has an interesting way of reminding us about things. Patience, unconditional love, not being too comfortable to the point of stagnancy, humbleness...

I can feel the stretch run a-coming

Every year, spring quarter always ends with such a bang. School stuff seemingly goes on the backburner, and all these awesome events like dance practice and trainings and softball take over my daily thoughts. This year, it seems like it's even more pronounced because I have been thrust into a leadership position in many of these roles. Sometimes, I feel this overwhelming burden of not messing up/being an inadequate leader. Other times, I feel a rush of satisfaction of a job well done, or something that went better than expected. Overall, I'm glad I took these opportunities. Definitely some good character building and all that jazz.

These moments are only going to intensify as the year comes to a close. For some reason, the stretch run where Zenyatta bursts to the front of the pack comes to mind. ZEN-YA-TA!!!!

The vegetarian run has been good thus far. I think the first time that I started wanting meat again was last Wednesday. Some meals are a bit pathetic looking. But in any case, I think it is a very good reminder for me in the midst of my busy days to take a breather and look up to God and just honor him. I have a budding sense of encouragement about the goals that I want to see accomplished.

(Side note: I think the style of this post was kind of similar to Fooks' "Week 5" post. I have this slightly disturbing, somewhat uncanny ability to (sometimes unknowingly) imitate writers that I read. Like when I read the entire "Roll my Thunder, Hear my Cry" series in eighth grade, I picked up that Southern reconstruction era style. When we read Frankenstein, it was the depressingly romantic stuff that I started spewing. Reading Bill Simmons usually makes my sports columns a little funnier.
So the question remains: am I merely some kind of chameleon writer who, like we learned in music 3, can perform, but cannot compose?)

Curveball

A common problem for many minor leaguers who may boast the best athletic tools or raw talent is that they can't hit the curveball. Sometimes, they even know the good old breaking ball is coming, and they still can't hit it.

So when that 12 to 6 pitch comes, I hope that I am either able to hit it, or that I realize relatively quickly that I can't, so I can retire gracefully and pursue other things in life.

vegetarian experiment & NBA Love

Inspired by DSzeto, I am undertaking a two month vegetarian experiment (with the exception of fish) from April 24 to June 24. Results to be updated.

In other news, how great that there is so much love for our NBA group the same week that I write a column lambasting the real NBA.

Spring quarters always seem to have an interesting way of coming together.

softball love

*And it's a well-hit ball over the shortstop's head, the left-fielder is racing towards it, andd Shi is there, the ball is bobbled, but he MAKES THE CATCH! AHHHH AND THE CROWD GOES CRAZY! GAME OVER, IT'S A TIE FOLKS. I DON'TTT BELIEVE IT, runners on first and third with no one out and the Sandlot defense absolutely cracks down!*

Another reminder of why I love the game of baseball (and its alternate versions).

self-consciousness

Imagine a world where everyone acted the same regardless if they were in the public or in private. Where everyone wasn't so self-conscious about how people interpreted them or self-conscious about giving the wrong impression.

And I'm not even talking about simple stuff like outgoing-ness and lewdness. What about interactions with each other? Do we change how we act with certain people based on if we are in public or private? Maybe it is a necessary thing. Maybe it isn't even a bad thing. Nonetheless, it would be interesting to live in a world where no one felt hindered in public.

21

Shucks guys. Y'all are too good to me. Not sure if it was planned that way, but the waves of surprise thing was really like four times the fun. I know I said I was giving up sweets for the rest of junior year, but I am going to thoroughly enjoy all these treats.

. . .

In other news. These last three days have been a crazy reminder of many things:
Of sickness and not getting enough sleep
Of a contrarian God and mind-boggling love
Of my important responsibilities, priorities, and being a bit selfless this summer
Of the very real danger and possibility of car crashes

. . .

Baseball is back for my 15th conscious season. Another summer to enjoy my boys. And I am as excited as ever. Thank you Albert Pujols for being the man you are.

BWAM LA & other realizations

It dawned upon me today that I only have a third of my undergrad college career left. The first third and the second third couldn't have been more different in nature, really. Now, going into the third, I really want to reach that proverbial palace. But I must admit, amidst my confidence and motivation, I still have some streaks of self-doubt and insecurity. It only hit me right now how relevant Francis Chan's message this morning was. Such a nifty reminder to be at peace with what we're doing, and to know that God has planned it this way. Humility is thinking about other over yourself, not thinking about yourself at all. Humility is not putting yourself down.

On a sidenote: Writers always seem to have a mentality to try especially hard on introductions/hooks/leads. What if we wrote everything with as much effort and emphasis as we did our leads? Anyway, another thing about writing is if you do too much of it in one chunk, no one will read it. So without further ado...

~BWAM LA 2010 Thoughts~
1. First time I actually enjoyed working with kids, something I've never particularly felt very comfortable doing. Maybe because I only get along with certain types of kids, but it was an eye-opening and encouraging experience. It was just saddening to have to leave so soon after barely getting any time with them. Hearing their stories made me want to go back.
2. I LOVE my BWAM team forreals. I feel so blessed to have spent spring break with the specific people that the LA Confidants consisted of. So much laughing, insight, and honesty. :)
3. Speaking of being blessed... this trip made me realize God is too good to us. Complaints for me should be non-existant.
4. Quick hits from devotionals... Listen and understand, love on the lost and the forsaken, even when it is a lot harder to do so, love intentionally and without agenda (and do it yourself), friends shouldn't be the exact same as you, but rather challenge you to be more than you are.
5. As Christians, we should not tell others "you need to do this, you need to do that". Rather, just keep giving encouragement and support. Pray for specifics, and look to God for change.

Let's do this like Brutus Spring 2010.

finals week moments

1. songs that transcend time
2. "if the price ain't right, then the price is wrong."
3. "does it look like there's a girl on my bed?"

resolved

1. another sweets ban... until the end of junior year
2. a revitalized attempt at some kind of facial hair/scruff
3. synth + keys + welcome pet + rk music

so much fun

Despite it being a bit rushed at parts, botched in others, and the mike not being in the best position for the drums, this was still a great reminder of how fun playing music with other people is. I couldn't stop smiling after getting off the stage.



In other news, the goal of getting an intramural champion shirt every year is alive and well. I don't know what it is about our softball team dynamic, but something about it just clicks and works. THE SANDLOT, 2010 SOFTBALL CLASSIC CHAMPS! A special shoutout to our all-star 2nd baseman's line drive snag, our left fielder's diving catch, absolutely stellar digging at first, and a couple of bombs from the usual big boppers. Actually, everyone played well, and all the bats made good showings as well. Last but not least, I'm loving the navy blue baseball t's and the pre-defense huddle. <3

PTL

My original intention was to put up another laundry list of things I had to get done this week in an attempt to gain some sympathy or look back fondly at the week and nod my head in accomplishment. However, through Philippians 2:14, I have learned not to complain or grumble. The thing is, looking back at the week that was, I can only smile and thank God for how well everything went.

1. Thanks to the New University staff for bestowing their confidence in me, and thanks for my community for lavishing me with congratuations. To be honest, I was not planning for or expecting the position going into this year, but really appreciate the chance to do something great. I can promise my utmost dedication and effort.

2. Thanks to my small group guys for participating in my first bible study for a good amount of time. I can only hope they will forever take away something applicable from the topic we discussed.

3. Thanks to Chef Yu for accompanying me on a softball team shirt journey. You never know what kind of discounts you can get without asking =)

4. Thanks to Welcome Pet for being an absolute blast to play with. We can't stop now! Let's cut the legs off our pants and slip and slide on subway grates!

5. Thanks to Squids for the great season. The results might not have been there in the win/loss column, but we had our moments. Also a side note thanks to the unicorns for their undying support.

6. Thanks to KSong for the history essay conversation. It is pretty hazy now but I just know I got out of it alive.

7. Thanks to the amazing planners, acts, and behind the scenes people that put on Moca. It was probably the best talent show I have ever been a part of it, and very well organized. Good job everyone, seriously.

8. Thanks to my Los Angeles BWAM Team! I'm excited to get this going.

9. Thanks to Fooks for all the help with worship team tryouts. I at least know that I did what I could given the circumstances, and can proceed without regrets. As for Fooks, you are so great at giving and serving, be sure to open up and let others serve you sometimes too. We'll talk more soon.

10. Thanks to my UCI Anteaters basketball team for pulling out this homecoming game for us. It was a thrill, and I'm really rooting for you guys to finish this season strong.

11. Thanks to the Glory people who came up and supported us during MOCA and hung out for the weekend. Sorry I could not see you guys for longer, but Silent Library was hilarious nonetheless (really, when is it not).

12. Thanks to Dave Gibbons for the inspiring message and prayer that managed to strike a chord. Great vision comes from great relationships indeed.

Sociology Research Ideas

Things I've wondered about and would research if given the opportunity...

I. The effect of your placement in terms of your siblings (i.e. only child, youngest daughter of 3, oldest brother of 4, twins etc etc), and also factor in age differences

II. The effect of the spring time on blooming romances (i.e. the warming of the weather, the pleasantness of spring blossoms, the time of the school year)

III. The effect of your interests relating to where you grew up, and what your parents interests are

Copyright Dvdgao, 2010

Full House

You know how when you have something huge coming up like the AP test in high school, that day becomes ingraved in your mind as the ultimate doomsday or day of infamy? Like when the day finally arrives, it's a sinking feeling in your stomach just because of how long you've dreaded it. But then maybe you decide to drop that AP test, and the day kind of disappears from your mind. When the day comes, it's like "whoa", today would have been the day...

notes from a conversation

After writing ~20 pages in the last week or so, I am unfortunately going to keep it to bullet points once again. Here are some things that stood out and that I agreed with from a conversation I had on this lovely Chinese News Year and Valentines Day night.

- As male leaders, we sometimes need to be able to be honest and not always present this warm unabrasive conversation that gets nothing done.
- "Chatting" is time better spent than regular time wasted, because at least it is towards a relationship.
- Be careful of using "God's plan" or "what God was trying to show me" as a crutch for past issues
- Have confidence in new things and your own ability to do them; better to try out and go for it and not make it then be too paralyzed by fear and keep it safe
- Sometimes, it is necessary to take risks by doing something whatever it is that seemingly does not make sense. This usually results in being vulnerable in order to love others.

one of those weeks

beginning today ending friday, the 12th...
- 2 intramural basketball games
- UCI game
- New U production
- Super Bowl
- Worship team app
- EIC Platform
- sister appreciation weds
- 2 essays due thurs
- midterm thurs
- essay due fri
- commotion fri

CHARACTER BUILDING on 3... BREAK!

Relevant for the Week

These lines randomly came to me while I was traipsing across the numerous puddles on campus, sans umbrella.

Hallelujah, grace like rain falls down on me
Hallelujah, all my stains are washed away, washed away

Amazing Grace will probably always be on my top 3 favorites list. Old-school hymns ftw.

Sunflower Seeds

First off, props to JGao on the new photo. Even though it took way longer than it should have.

During last finals week, I was up late studying and instead of energy drinks or coffee, I had a bag of salty sunflower seeds. They became addicting, and the salt somehow pruned my fingers, while my tongue shriveled up. Whether it was the sodium levels, or the mechanical flow of the crack, flick, and crunch, I didn't get tired at all staying up super late studying for boring topics.
- - -
Instead of life is like a box of chocolates... Girls are like a bag of sunflower seeds, you never know what you're going to get.
On the exterior, for the most part, all girls are the same. Decently friendly, dressed nice, incapable of farting. All the seeds are salty, crisp, and gray. But when you go a bit deeper...

- The plain jacked up
The few that are cracked with scarred holes in the shell, half the seed has disappeared, and you have no idea how a sunflower seed can even taste like this. Sometimes, they manage to be still normal tasting. Other times... well. Approach these at your own risk.

- The run of the mill
On the interior, the majority of the seeds are ok, about what you expect. Decently courteous, can hold conversation for awhile. Pleasant, nothing to object about.

- The naked
There are a few random ones without shells, and at first your eyes light up because hey, no work needs to be done. An easy treat. But then you realize the flavoring is a bit weird and its been over saturrated and exposed. I mean, anyone can just come along and eat these seeds without shells and not do any work for them. This is probably also why this variety is more expensive (by the bag).

- The blindsiding rotten.
The type that seems fine on the outside, just like your run of the mill sunflower seed, but on the inside is for some reason, rotten. These are the nastiest things ever. A sour taste takes over your mouth, and you wish you never would have even started eating these blasted unreliable excuses for snacks.

- The cream of the crop, diamond in the rough.
It tastes as if it has been slowly roasted and bursts with richness. The flavor to size ratio is out of this world. But there is absolutely nothing on the outside that gives away what lies inside.

(if you're reading this, you are probably in the last category :)

What a Decade...

I regret to say that my last few minutes of the decade were spent asleep somewhere in the middle of no where, past Barstow but not quite into civilization yet.

However. I would just like to say that the decade largely defining my childhood was largely, un-freakin-believable. I have been incredibly blessed in so many aspects, graced in so many ways, and the health of my family has been kept so in tact... thank God so, so much, for all this. His greatness really cannot be expressed in these mere putterings.

Without further ado, the bests of 2009, because the entire decade would take too long (and since it would pretty much be 85% of the best of my entire life).

Music Added/Discovered - for the memories and for the musical goodness
- Africa, Straight No Chaser
- Phil Wickham Album (Self-Titled)
- On the Wing, Owl City
- Hosanna, Hillsong
- It's So Hard to Say Goodbye, Boyz II Men
- Come on Eileen, Dexys Midnight Riders
- Sweet Caroline, Neil Diamond
- Brick, Ben Folds
- The Crane Wife Album, The Decemberists
- The Fray Album (Self-Titled)
- Sing, Sing, Sing - Chris Tomlin
- (If You're Wondering If I Want You To) I Want You to To, Weezer
- For Good, Wicked
- Magic Perfume, Charlyne Yi
- Burndt Jamb, Weezer
- Forget and Not Slow Down Album, Relient K
- Heaven & Earth Album, Phil Wickham
- She Drives Me Crazy, Fine Young Cannibals
- Hello Hurricane Album, Switchfoot
- Amazing Grace, Sufjan Stevens

Sports, for the epicness and the memories
10. The greatness that was Pujols, Carpenter, and Wainwright
9. NLDS Game 2... The Holliday drop game
8. John Smoltz debuts with Cards by striking out 7 straight Pads
7. UCI Baseball 5, UCLA 4 (10 Innings)
6. UCI 84, LMU 78 @ LMU with EJ and Pappy
5. Mizzou Elite 8 Appearance
4. UCI Men's Volleyball National Champs
3. Hoai's Game saving catch in summer softball
2. Welcome Week Dodgeball Champs
1. Spring Softball, 0-4 reg season, 4-0 Playoff Champs

The People I have gotten to known better. And to prove that I don't like drinks more than eating.
- Ms. Black tea with milk and 12 pumps of classic & panda express
- Mr. 85 degrees milk tea & Watermelon
- Ms. Gingerbread latte & Ice chips
- Mr. Wine & Carrot Quesadillas
- Ms. Bottled thai tea & Massive pot of chili
- Mr. Ju hua cha & Bao Ze
- Ms. Candy Cane Hot Cocoa & Chicken Pesto Pasta
- Mr. Apple Juice Chugger & Buttered Chicken
- Ms. Bon Epi Tea & Crazy Homemade Cakes
- Mr. Arizona Ice Tea & Weinerschnitz chili cheese burgers
- Ms. Coffee Bean & BJ's alcoholic drinks
- Mr. Hawaiian Punch & Minato sushi