2012: The Year That Was

Happy New Year everyone. So much has changed over the course of 2012 that it's seemed like a particularly long year, but altogether a good year of transition and personal introspection.

2012 saw...

• An 0-9 softball season that was still enjoyable due to the friends I was able to play with
• Group explorations of San Diego that revealed much more to the city than previously known
• A 3-day glimpse of working in sports and being a small speck on ESPN2
• Being fully caught up in Linsanity (and not being a bandwagoner, for the record) making a trip to Madison Square Garden only for JLin to be injured
• But still having a blast in New York with best friends, whom made commuting from the Bronx to Manhattan at ungodly hours not so bad
• My second and by far most extensive visit to China, which lent credence to all the raving about traveling while you're young
• More eye-opening in Korea, Italy, Greece and the Mediterranean region
• How to Succeed in Business (NYC), Jersey Boys (LV), and Book of Mormon (LA)
• The Cardinals coming within a game of the World Series, only to show flashbacks of '96 and '02
• Experiencing LA living... kind of.
• Witnessing and being part of the true international church, with affirmations that God is present no matter where you are in the world
• Struggling with the learning curve of law school life, while still trying to appreciate the joys of roommate life and living within the same (generally speaking) city as your girlfriend again
• First collegiate football game, first game at Pauley Pavilion, first NBA game, first game at Staples
• Successfully avoiding major injury/incident after finally manning up enough to bike through Westwood
• My first visit in conscious memory to Yosemite, and an all-male trip to Las Vegas, both relaxing and well worth the many hours spent on the road
• Everyone in my immediate family remaining in good health and spirits, which is a blessing to never take for granted.

Thanks for reading and for being a part of my 2012. Godspeed in 2013!

 

And... that's a wrap for semester one

The poor old proverbial putts have been cast aside for the past few months while I have been occupied with my first semester of law school, and now that I've emerged from the rubble after nearly three weeks of finals, I figured I'd try to jot down what few thoughts I have at the moment.

1. My writing ability has gone to crap. I've been reading too many confusing and long-winded sentences, so humorless, absent of poetic flair and devoid of any style in sentence construction that I think it's rubbing off on my own writing, which already didn't have much ability to spare.
2. This semester was my first where I actually felt like I was dependent on coffee/tea 5 days out of the week. I mean, I've commonly been sleepy during post-lunch afternoons before, but I would just let it slide. That simply won't fly anymore.
3. Someone once told me about their first year of law school that the maturing process was equivalent of all four years of undergrad. Still on the fence with how I feel about that; this semester felt long, but I don't know if it equates to two whole years of undergrad. Close, maybe.
4. The perks of living in a cool city are severely diminished when you are there to go to law school. 
5. Major conference college basketball is not that fun. Sure, the players are more talented, but there are also a lot more meaningless games/games everyone expects you to win. Maybe my tune will change if UCLA actually picks up their play for conference schedule.
6. Still, I feel very fortunate to be at UCLA. Sometimes I like to pinch myself and remind myself not to take it for granted.
7. Trader Joe's is really good at what it does.
8. I love being able to try unique places to eat almost every time I eat out. I also enjoy supporting mom and pop shops over the typical chains, which is quite a departure from my prior mantras.
9. You appreciate the days off so much more when your days at work are grueling.
10. I'm so very thankful for having a caring girlfriend and loving family within driving distance.

On an aside: happy birthday to my good friend Diane, who turns 24 today. We getting old.

thyme is of the essence

It's never about a lack of time, it's about a lack of gratitude. - Rankin Wilbourne

somehow it's the end of October

This whole law school thing is going by really fast. I'm afraid it's only going to pick up steam from here.

Also, it's been all too easy to keep my eyes focused on myself instead of focused on Him.

thoughts from a law library

Every so often, I get the urge to give up on trying to abate the onslaught of cases that we are forced to read, and just pick up a notepad and go interview the guy who has been working at the school coffee shop for over 40 years. Or to follow up on the new coach who is fulfilling a dream of returning to his alma mater but at the same time facing his old team that he has spent 10 years pouring his heart and soul into.

I also find myself falling into some of the same time sinks that used to plague my undergraduate career, despite my best-laid plans to turn over a new leaf. Some time I catch myself reminiscing over the good old days and wish that I could still partake in some event, even if it's not conducive to where I'm at now, and where I'm heading. Old habits die hard, I guess.

Rome to Los Angeles

I've been meaning to post an update since getting back from Europe, but just haven't gotten around to it due to various inconveniences of moving to L.A.

In short: Europe was eye-opening and fantastic in all the ways you usually hear praise regarding Europe. I loved the incredible history of Rome and the Vatican and Florence, the Mediterranean beauty of Greece, and the friendly peoples of Turkey and Croatia. It was mind-boggling to see the ancient theater where Paul spoke to the Ephesians, where the very first ancient Olympics were held, and St. Peter's Basilica honoring Peter the apostle himself. Usually not a true aficionado of art, I had my breath taken away by Michaelangelo's David and could have stayed in the Sistene Chapel for the entire day. 

On an entirely different level, I cherished getting to spend quality time with family, doing simple things like playing Hearts and sharing stories about the old days -- how quickly time has flown that Jonathan is now going to college in the fall.

***

Since starting law school, I haven't had a dull spare moment to twiddle my thumbs. If I'm not reading and trying to comprehend class, I've been setting up my new apartment and dealing with the difficulties of living by yourself. Ex: having a UPS package that requires signature while living in an apartment complex that doesn't have your name on the directory while not being home everyday from 9-5.

I will say that there just isn't all that much law school material that is interesting to blog about. Ex. no punitive damages can be awarded for breach of contract! The injustice! I will say that I am excited about the volunteer opportunities and organizations, and I like all of my professors. From time to time, I still pinch myself and think that it's pretty cool that I'm at UCLA... hopefully I'll still have these sentiments in a few months time. 

Week 11: Home Sweet Home

I'm safely back on American soil here at the Seattle-Tacoma airport, sitting next to a giant wall of windows with rocking chairs in the front row, waiting for my connection to San Diego. The spot looks familiar to me; either I happened to pass by the last time I was in Seattle (which was in middle school), or this is the location of that classic scene from Up In the Air.

I'm grateful for the time I had in China. I'd like to think that my Chinese speaking ability and overall life maturity has benefited decently in these 11 weeks. I'd like to think I have an increased comfort level with doing things on my own, including traveling to new places, which I had never done before. And yet, I will miss the company of my grandmother, who stuffed me with food whenever possible and gave me umbrellas even when it wasn't raining. I will miss looking at a price and dividing it by 6.3 and feeling better about the purchase, but I won't miss looking at Mao's face on every single bill.

But oh my goodness it is nice to be able to type on a computer without accidentally switching on the Chinese pinyin mode. Thank you guys (all seven of you) for reading along during my time here. I look forward to seeing all of your faces very soon.

Week 10: Closing Time

With just a few days left in Beijing, I'll just come out and say it. I'm ready to go home. It's been a good experience on the whole, but I feel like I'm ready to move on with my life. Through my time here I've learned that while I could live in China permanently and survive just fine, the United States are most definitely home for me, and as they say, home is where the heart is.

A few quick hits from the previous week...

1. All the signs had pointed to my internship being unpaid, to the point where I had just accepted my uncompensated status without directly asking if I was getting paid for my time here. So you can imagine my delight when they informed me that I still had to go get my paycheck from the month of May with about four days left in June. All in all, I made a cool 4,000RMB during my time here, which amounts to a grand total of $632.91 in American dollars haha. Although this turns out to roughly $2.63/hour, I was still pretty pleased to be getting anything at all. On the bright side, this sum pays for all of my living expenses while in China plus some, so I guess it's all about perspective and expectations. As Mr. Chi City would say... get money, get paid.
2. I had donkey meat for the first time this past week. Apparently it's a trendy meat these days--the restaurant I went to specialized only in donkey dishes. Aside from a slightly weird red hue, it didn't really taste much different than beef.
3. While finally making it out to the Bird's Nest and Water Cubic (which you can swim in yourself for only 50RMB, or about $8), I noticed a little food stand selling weird fried insects. Of course, there were the expected beetles, grasshoppers, and scorpions that everyone always talks about, but I was quite shocked/disgusted to see these giant fried tarantulas also skewered on a stick. I mean, these babies were as big as my hand probably. The vendor got mad when I tried to take a picture, but my cousin was able to snap a blurry photo while running away.
4. Excited to make my second ever trip to the Great Wall tomorrow. Different portion than the tourist-heavy part I went to in 2004, and I'm going at it solo this time around. I think it's one of the places in the world where I've come closest to reaching the sublime (thank you, E100... the gift that keeps on giving.), so it should represent a nice final image of China and last hurrah to my time in Beijing.

Week 9: Seoul Ink

This past weekend for Duan Wu Jie (Dragon Boat Festival Holiday) I was able to experience Seoul, Korea for the first time. Although only two hours away by plane from Beijing, it was a very different culture and an all-around great experience. I feel like my writing doesn't have its best stuff today, so I'll try to scrape through five innings with the help of some junk balling and a pitch-to-contact approach.

• First and foremost, I really appreciated the Korean culture of being polite and courteous. Even though all I said was Kam sa mi da and Anion Haseyo, it was still a nice change of pace from the Chinese people who just ignore you after you make a purchase.

• Apparently I can pass for Korean pretty easily, because a bunch of people came up to me asking for directions (I assume). For the first time this trip, I was a true foreigner who couldn’t fake it. Props to the few shop vendors who called out to me in Chinese from the get go.

• Once when another shop vendor started talking to Vanessa and I in English, I said “No English!” just for kicks, and he switched seamlessly to Chinese.

• Korea is cutesy central. I’ve never seen so many cute socks available for sale on the street, and I’ve never seen couples actually dress the same from head to toe on a normal day basis. All the cafes and eateries also seem to be very “cute date place” oriented. Also, couples have some sort of rule that they must be holding hands or touching at all times.

• Korean guys are very comfortable with their masculinity. They go above and beyond murses and reside safely in the straight up man purses and man clutches zone.

• I’d also say that Koreans on the whole dress more stylishly than Chinese or American people.

• I still don’t get why instead of selling everything for thousands of won, they don’t just simplify everything to one dollar, two dollar etc.

• Korean street food was pretty unique, but I didn’t find a go-to item that I had to get every time I saw it. Shikae on the other hand, I was obsessed with the entire weekend. Also, chilled Makgeolli is delicious.

• It was surreal having Korean BBQ in Korea for the first time. But I guess you shouldn't expect the 8 dollar AYCE to have rice paper or radish.

• I officially like Kimbap better than Japanese sushi. I could have eaten that stuff for every meal. Not such a big fan of the spicy red sauce they lather on everything, nor the extreme-carbohydrate dokba (?). Overall, a big thumbs up to Korean food, even though I didn't even get to have soondubu.

• Other things that will have to wait until next time… authentic Korean Norebang and sleeping overnight at a Jjimjilbang.

• They have these things called Love Motels in Korea apparently, where it’s rather blatant that they’re there for R rated activities. One place I saw had a silouhette of a guy in a top hat and cane plus a heart next to it, with the Chinese character for love on top. Apparently this was also a byproduct of living in Janghanpyeong haha. I digress.

• I was really excited to watch my first international baseball game in Korea, where we saw the Lotte Giants take on the LG Twins. The Lotte pitcher threw 7 1/3rd perfect innings, so it was a fun game to watch and try to see history unfold—there apparently has never been a perfect game in Korean baseball history. We also got to wear orange bags on our heads as fans of Lotte for the day, which was a bizarre but cool sight to see. Unlike American baseball games, fan engagement is most excellent, with support for both the home team and the visiting team roughly 50/50, and the crowd breaking out into songs and cheers constantly throughout the game. The Lotte side sang a version of Glory Glory Hallelujah as their main fight song, while the LG side switched it up between “My Life Would Suck Without You” by Kelly Clarkson (in Korean) and Happy Together by The Turtles.

• More funny moments from the baseball game: when the pitcher throws over to first base too much, the crowd antagonizes him, and in unison says something like ‘MAH!” while the other side responds with another monosyllabic shout. In addition, the Twins featured four mascots, a set of boy twins and a set of girl twins. They break danced. Also, there were four cheerleaders on both sides that danced every time their team was at-bat.

• Nanta! Is like a Korean version of Blue Man Group. I recommend it.

• People are out at crazy hours in Korea! And not just young college kids out partying—old dudes and even families with kids are out eating and stuff at like midnight.

• The amount of public drunkenness is ridiculous.

• They have done a really good job with their Olympic Park from 1988. It was a pleasure to bike around.

This post would be amiss if I didn’t mention how appreciative I was to have Vanessa and Tim (if only for an afternoon) as my gracious hosts during my time in Seoul. I realized what a huge difference it makes when you get to travel with old friends instead of by your lonesome; there’s really no contest between the two. While some independence and silent pondering while exploring is okay once in a while, I much prefer the reminiscing and old jokes that naturally play out even amidst a new setting. It confirms my inherent extrovertedness, as well as the value I place in personnel over location. While Seoul the city was a great deal of fun on its own, it became that much better with a few familiar faces, and I’d rather hang out with good company in a thoroughly boring place than be stuck all by yourself in the greatest amusement park there ever was.

Week 8: Notes From a Company Cafeteria

During the many lunches I’ve had with co-workers, one of the recurring topics of discussion is a cultural exchange between how things are in the states and how things are in China. Through these chats, I’ve gained a better understanding of not just how things are in China, but a possible explanation of why they are the way they are. (Disclaimer: I’ve been reading Blink by Malcolm Gladwell, which may have influenced the blog content this week. However, none of this is all that well researched, and more speculation than actual research.)
Some of the topics we talk about are fairly simple. For example, Chinese people eat much less meat, drink less milk and eat no cheese in their diet, which is why most Chinese kids are shorter than their ABC counterparts. The breakdown that follows however, struck me as a minor revelation.

My initial prompt: When you think about it, China has the history, manpower, and early advanced civilization that should allow them to be a global power. Not just an emerging one that is making huge strides in recent years, but one that should have been duking it out with the Soviet Union and the United States decades ago. The Chinese are known for their four original inventions: paper, the compass, gunpowder, and printing, so how come today China can’t make an automobile that can compete on the global market?

My co-worker’s response: In short, Chinese culture is too conservative (loosely translated). Throughout history, they spend too much time stuck in one era while other civilizations moved on. A feudal China remained intact for much too long, which eventually led to the Communist takeover which further set back industrial growth. Whenever China latches on to something, it seems like they don’t want to let go. They grow comfortable and prefer not to change things up.

For example, buddhism, which originated in India, but is no longer the main religion of India... still the most prominent religion in China. Socialism, which originated with the Soviet Union, but is no longer in power... China steadfastly refuses to abandon it. An alphabet system, which pretty much every other symbol-using language has adopted (Japanese, Korean, and going way back, Egyptians)... China still largely has no alphabet.

***

Call it loyalty, or preserving tradition, but in the long run, it has set China back. Compare this to the founders of the United States, who not only had the courage to rebel against their former countrymen but boldly establish a new form of government, and it’s a stark contrast. Of course, how China and America are now operating in the 21st century and how things will look going into the future is a whole ‘nother topic for another day.

Obviously, this is an overly simplifed synopsis, and there are plenty of alternate explanations, missing pieces and huge loopholes, but it’s an example of what I get to ponder about out here. Hopefully I’ll return to the states with a broader understanding of things that expand beyond the Socal bubble.

Note: Happy 150th post, Proverbial Putts! Special thanks to those who have been here all along.

Week 7: Lost in Translation

Despite my subtle boasting about my improving Chinese conversational skills last week, this week brought that all crashing back down to earth. The scene of the crime? Mickey D’s.

To preface the situation, earlier this week when my co-worker took me to Starbucks (a luxury destination in China), I ordered the drink name in English, and not only did the barista understand, but she called out the drink in English to her fellow workers. Thus, at Mickey D’s, I figured that I could do something similar since the English names are also written on each packaged item. Usually, I get around ordering directly by saying "What kind of chicken dishes do you guys have?" or “Can you recommend a good soup?” and then just repeating something that sounded good. Very rarely have I been in a situation like Mickey D’s, where a menu (although without numbered value meal choices) is simply before you, visible all at once.

(regular font is translated from Chinese. Italicized font is spoken English)

Mickey D’s Cashier: Hi.
Me: Hi, can I get a Oreo McFlurry?
MDC: (puzzled frown on his face) What?
Me: Uhh, that ice cream?
(pudgy middle school kid next to me turns around, wondering who this idiot is)
MDC: … which kind of ice cream?
Me: (starting to panic, I point in the general direction of the Mcflurry on the menu. I desperately try to read the Chinese letters again, even though I know I can't. I only recognize the last word - wind - and so mutter something to myself instead)
MDC: Oh, the (somethingsomething wind)? Which flavor. We have strawberry and oreo (pronounced ah-ree-ah).
Me: Right, the… ah-ree-ah.

Nothing like McDonald’s to humble the spirits.

***

For the most part, it seems like the general American to Chinese translation is better than it was in 2004 when I first came to China. Grammatical signs aren’t so egregious, and misspellings are forgivable. One thing that I still get a kick out of though, are the weird English words that people print on shirts. Many times it will be just complete randomness like “Machine IPSQ X PP.” Other times it’s some poetic phrase that’s just a bit off, like “Live to Laughs… Love in the Quiet… Flow like a River.” My top three favorites so far though:

3. A balding 50-60 year old guy wearing an oversized fake ECKO shirt
2. A peppy 20-something year old girl wearing a shirt that just says “STOIC” in huge block letters
1. A stocky 8-9 year old boy wearing a shirt that says “Goddess” in a bland font

One more thing. Angry Birds is all the rage right now in China, and I’m not talking about people playing the game. Little kids love Angry Bird T-Shirts like fat kids love candy. I’ve also seen hats, watches, and even entire outfits that come together… I’ve even seen a Chinese style Angry Birds fan. It’s much more common than Mickey Mouse or really any other cartoon figure that kids should like. It’s a decent game for your phone, but the birds are not that cute. They don’t have much personality. There is basically zero storyline besides what is implied with their name. There are no jokes, heartfelt moments, epic scenes, hero figures, nothing. It’s just a simple slingshot game where you try to knock things down! Simply baffling.

Week 6: In the Absence of Twitter

It's a bit surreal that I only have about a month left in China. 30 + days still seems like a good amount of time, but the last 30 seem like a blur. I also feel like I have been writing too much on each blog post, to the point where I am no doubt oversupplying my readers with content. So, I will try to be more laconic in the coming weeks while holding out hope that my few remaining voracious readers will voice their displeasure and demand more proverbial putts going forward.

A few random thoughts that I probably would have tweeted if I were able to do so in China...

• Mark my words: lung cancer is going to be a major problem in Beijing in the future. Although the air quality has been much better (or maybe I'm just getting used to it, who knows) in the past couple of weeks due to a healthy amount of wind blowing the pollution away, you can't go anywhere without running into smokers. Sometimes I will be walking on the sidewalk and there will be four guys walking in a row ahead of me, all smoking at the same time. In times like these, it is nearly impossible to avoid breathing the secondhand smoke that inevitably comes drifting my way in this miserably large cloud. Then there are the hardcore smokers who smoke without using hands and while biking. Remarkably, they puff in and out without ever removing the cigarette from their mouths. People also openly ignore "No Smoking" signs in restaurants and stairwells, puffing away at the table while the waiters and attendants do nothing to stop them. [Matt: I've thought about you several times in these situations and how you would probably enjoy being in my shoes.]
• Watch where you step. That pool of liquid on the ground might be baby urine. It always strikes me as odd when parents let their little ones simply pee on the ground outdoors, sometimes in a tree planter patch of dirt, other times right on the side of the sidewalk. Instead of diapers, babies simply have a slit in their pants, providing convenient access for peeing in public. I even saw a mom let a 10-year old pee on the side of a wall, in a heavily trafficked area. C'mon people. [Trace: I wonder if you'd still find these babies cute while they were urinating in public. The jury is out on this one.]
• There's something pretty fun about meeting new people in a foreign country. Everyone has a more interesting story to tell, something different from what I'm used to. Whether it be English-speaking expats or Chinese middle-aged white collar workers or even the barbers and masseuses I happen to encounter, everyone has a wonderfully different story to tell. I take a bit of pride in being able to talk to anyone among these drastically different groups of people, and especially enjoy trying to pass off as a Chinese native who doesn't know English. Sometimes I'm successful, but other times people can see right through me. One of the taxi drivers I encountered bluntly asked me if I grew up in a foreign country, because he noticed that I reached for the seat belt upon entering the cab. [Mwen: you'd be proud of me. It's like I'm you at Tea Station, but all the time.]

Week 5 Part II: One Body

Inside the crowded auditorium, faces representing just about every single major ethnicity in the world stand together, singing praises to the same God. The worship team features a mix of Americans, Africans, and Southeast Asians. The pastor is from Oregon, the lady he brings on stage to share a testimony from Hong Kong. Having gone to Asian American churches my entire life, it's pretty funny that God took me to China, a land with a largely homogenous population, to truly experience the global church for the first time.

Culturally, I’ve found a melting pot community more vivid and unique than the relatively easy to ignore hodgepodge of original ethnicities that have now formed mainstream American. Beyond partaking in different cultural foods and dabbling into foreign affairs and cultural differences, we don’t usually have a chance to truly understand what being in the midst of a melting pot means in the U.S. I feel that people that have been in the states for a long time are more similar to the "typical American" than they might care to admit. I admit that I'm guilty myself of diregarding certain newcomers seen as "fobs" as they are easily ignored unless you go out of your way to form friendships. Here, in the Beijing International Christian Fellowship community, I’ve discovered what it means to interact with different peoples and exchange culture equally, because there's no other choice. Everyone has a different story and different background, and together I like to think that it creates the image of one body under God that the Bible talks about so frequently in the new testament.

Granted, this is not the typical China experience either, as a large portion of Chinese (especially away from the big city) never experience a melting pot culture of any kind, at all. But I'm glad that I've been able to experience this unique international environment, something that you definitely can't appreciate in the U.S. I'm beginning to experience the value of diversity first-hand - as opposed to UCI which was predominantly Californian and I hung out with people predominantly from the same types of backgrounds - and it's much more interesting and valuable than I originally anticipated.

Week 5 Part I: Tower of Babel Fallout

During my last few years of college, it became a cliched revelation from people that studied abroad that living in another country has changed their life for good (cue Wicked music). Until now, I’ve been a bit skeptical of such remarks, wondering how much of the experience was really “eye-opening” cultural stuff and how much of it was just because you’re in a foreign country with an easy workload and a bunch of same-aged friends looking to have the time of their life. Hopefully, my thoughts this week (a little more than a month into my time in Beijing) will help all you people who sat in the same skepticism boat understand what really can be so “eye-opening” about living abroad (in my humble opinion). Part II is waiting in the wings.

***

To sum it up, I appreciate my Mandarin speaking abilities more than ever before. Living in the U.S., speaking Mandarin is something that has three main benefits as a kid:

1. Impressing/not losing face with the older generations.

2. Being able to speak in code when the situation calls for it (i.e. on the softball diamond or in a publicly crowded place commenting on someone within earshot).

3. Silly entertainment value/for fun/a common shared bond with your fellow ABC friends.

In other words, the importance of being able to speak Chinese is understandably lost to Chinese-heritage transplants growing up in the U.S. Here in China though, being able to speak Mandarin pays off tremendously in that I can actually, well, communicate with people, as well as translate things orally. People are almost always impressed that my pronunciation and speaking is so satisfactory considering that I have only been to China once before in my life (of course, I then downplay my ability and say that two of my former roommates are American-born like me and speak/read/write much better than me). My slight Beijing "qiang," aka accent, also usually amuses the non-Beijing natives.

A funny little joke one of my co-workers told me: “If you can speak four languages, you’re quadrilingual. If you can speak three languages, you’re trilingual. If you can speak two languages, you’re bilingual. If you can only speak one language… you’re American.”

The lesson learned is that knowing Chinese isn’t only important if you are a person of a certain heritage. It’s important because being able to communicate with the largest population in the world is extremely useful. In addition, almost every single other country in the world has a largely bilingual population except the U.S., and it's because we're one of the few privileged countries that have the mindset that we don’t need to learn anything but English (Ex. All the fuss and political debate over laws requiring exclusive English language usage on the job. People forget Americans don’t have this problem because most can’t speak another language to begin with.).

Now that I've been in the Chinese workplace and also see how dedicated other foreigners are towards learning Chinese, I think I finally fully appreciate the value of being multi-lingual. I think my time here has cemented the fact that I will one day do my best to teach my kids Chinese, even if that means forcing them through the dreadful weekly exercise that is Chinese School. Looks like my parents were on to something forcing me to slog through those countless Sundays. Who knew!

Week 4: A Tamed Bull in a China Shop

Another week is in the books here in China, the highlight a weekend foray to Shenzhen and Hong Kong. I mostly went along as my grandma’s accompaniment/assistant as she had to take care of some matters there. It was a very short stay (Saturday afternoon arrival, Monday afternoon departure), and I was only in Hong Kong long enough to eat some authentic dim sum (especially memorable: the luo bu gao, the shrimp dumpling, and the mango pudding; especially disappointing: the chang fen and lack of almond tofu.) and go up to the Peak, but it was still nice seeing some relatives and new scenery down south. As has become the running theme when visiting different cities during my stay here, I was there just long enough to get a glimpse of the place — an appetizer for a future visit moreso than a main course indulgence.

Some Things I Like About China

1. Cheap Transport: My hour-long commute from work back home costs me 0.40 RMB, or, about six cents U.S. I can also zone out and listen to my iPod everyday, which has been revitalized from the dead, getting used to the max everyday. Like, I’ve-nearly-beaten-Temple-Run-and-I-only-downloaded-it-after-getting-to-China to the max.

2. Delicious Green Bean Popsicles: There are always a wealth of little food stands selling beverages and ice cream and various other hot foods (that I’m too afraid to try due to a constant fear of explosive diarrhea), which bodes well for convenient thirst-quenching and a brief escape from the muggy weather. Sadly, I cannot say the milk tea here are any good. The weird Chinese milk really throws things off (and the boba reportedly has been caught with fake plastic-y stuff in it). This may be my greatest disappointment in China to date. Luckily, the green bean popsicles more than make up for it.
3. Large population = always having someone to talk to/service you: The plus to having a ridiculously large population is that the service labor force is bursting at the seams. Every foot massage place or barbershop features at least one if not two greeters, while a large parking lot may have 5-6 people guiding you to the correct spot on a normal day basis. Even the public buses feature people who are just stationed at each bus stop, waving little flags to usher in each bus while screaming at the lurching mob trying to cram their way on. Each public bus has an additional person besides the driver whose only job is to sell tickets and announce each stop (even though there’s already an electronic announcement). Elevators in modest buildings have elevator-button-pushing-people so you can spare yourself the tremendous physical expenditure. Toll booths are well stocked. I could keep going.

4. People can fly kites really, really high. Seriously, it’s downright impressive. Random kites fly way above my 10-story building, with the kite-flyer no where in sight. In fact, it's so high that it looks like it's flying over the highway, with the assumed park not even in sight. I guess it’s one way to brighten the smoggy horizon.

5. The lack of freedom of speech and the general absence of checks and balances. Rumor has it that certain internet searches for the term “democracy” will be redirected/blocked. Also, I find it amusing that every single dollar bill has Mao Zedong on it. Talk about repetitive. Although, I better shut my trap before I get deported or something.

***

Okay, so that list didn’t last as long as I anticipated. I’m sure there are some more things I have forgotten. For example, as soon as I finished last week’s list, I realized that I forgot to include the fact that I miss having clean, ice cold water available at every single restaurant. Here, you usually have to buy bottled water, and many restaurants don’t even carry ice cubes. After playing badminton last week and becoming weary, I was handed a nice cup of steaming hot water. Anyway, I digress. I’ll have more noteworthy things to blog about next time around.

Week 3: Expat Exploits

Note: When I say "exploits" in my title, let it be clear that I mean "a striking or notable deed" and not "to utilize, especially for profit" or "to advance or further through exploitation."

The first week of my internship is in the books, much less productive and busy than I anticipated. My daily routine consists of a sweaty one-hour commute (bus-subway-transfer subway-short walk on the way there, one-hour bus ride on the way back) each way, lunch with various company employees where I ask and answer the same set of basic questions, and a whole lot of sitting at my desk trying to stay busy. Ocassionally I’ll have a proofreading/editing assignment thrown my way, but most of the time I’m reading various documents and guides for my personal knowledge. Almost all of the top lawyers in the office are out of the country on business, so hopefully when they come back next week there will be more to do. In another exciting development, I may have a few English language tutoring gigs coming up, helping people study for the Gao Kao (big entry test for college, equivalent to the SAT but more important) or TOEFL.

***

Due to rave reviews from my bolded list format previously as well as several questions about my adjustment to life in China, I’ve decided to come back with another list and accompanying bolded sentences. Cheers to breaking up long paragraphs.

Things I miss about the US of A

1. Ease of Commuting: In San Diego, a 25 minute drive to work was a tiresome task, traffic-induced driving speeds below 50 mph were frustrating, and avoiding a few fixies and/or were the extent of my hassles on the road. Here, anything above 25 mph is seen as solid movement, an hour commute is bearable (my first attempted route took two hours, with traffic getting so bad that the bus driver turned off his engine numerous times), and I am constantly scared to cross the street due to cars that do not yield to pedestrians, mopeds which honk rather than slow down, and bicyclists which waffle around treacherously.

1a. Personal Space: Getting on to the subway (and certain bus routes) during busy times goes something like this: edge forward in a giant mob, getting pushed from behind which forces involuntary pushing of whoever’s in front of you, protecting your belongings by wearing you backpack on your stomach, all while navigating to hopefully avoid standing next to people who smell funky. Ultimately, if you are able to get on without getting smushed by the closing door, it's a good day.

2. Community: This one is the obvious one and probably the most difficult to deal with on a daily basis. I miss seeing my friends (probably you, if you're taking the time to read this blog right now) on a routine basis, chatting about whatever is going on and just spending quality time with everyone’s beautiful faces. Now, I feel like most chats are a frantic endeavor due to limited internet time or time difference or an overwhelming feeling of too-much-to-catch-up-on. However, I am working to creating a local community. I found an international church (hopefully more on this in a future post) that offers small groups which I hope to get plugged into, and I've also been connected with a Peking University student who seems extremely friendly and helpful. Don’t want anyone to think that I’m miserable or depressed over here, in case these few things accidentally hint at such.

3. Trusting what you buy: Everytime I make a purchase, eat out, or get in a cab, I have a slightly nervous feeling that I’m getting jipped, getting poisoned, or getting charged an extra fee because I am American. I’m usually pretty good at blending in and not revealing my identity as a foreigner (Read: keeping dialog to a minimum), but it’s still slightly taxing compared to everyday life in the states. All these rumors about using Di Gou oil in restaurants (from what I understand, re-using dirty cooking oil that is collected from ditches in order to save money on cooking costs), fake eggs, recycled leather shoes mixed in with stuff, and who knows what else results in a near-constant paranoia. Luckily, I’ve avoided any cases of explosive diarrhea… thus far.

4. Live Sports: This one is a minor quibble given my relatively short time here, but I miss being able to watch baseball and basketball games live and/or on TV. The CBA isn’t even in session, so I can’t even go see washed up-NBAers Stephon Marbury (who inexplicably just had his own statue erected in Beijing after the Ducks won the championship this year) and Bonzi Wells light up Chinese players.

5. A Certain Someone: It’s rather difficult going so long without seeing someone you’re used to spending time with on a semi-weekly basis, especially given the lack of available web cam technology at my disposal. For now, I just have to make-do with old fashioned telephone conversations while inquisitive relatives ask for more details, banking on the eventual reunion which should rox in a box, or something to that effect.

Next time, I shall recap some of my favorite things about China, so as not to come off as a whiny American hating on China. I apologize if this post comes off as such. I'll also try to post some photos, both notable and unnotable deeds included.

Week 2: Quality Time with the Old-Timers

Dr. Ma is 91 years old. He's lived on the first floor of the same three-bedroom flat for nearly 60 years. Despite missing several teeth, his taut yet wrinkled face show several features that made Dr. Ma a handsome man in his youth. A shock of white hair is partly combed neatly, partly in messy tufts due to an afternoon nap.

Throughout my last week in China, we visited numerous grandpas and grandmas now in their 80s and 90s. While my dad diagnosed and treated their various ailments and sicknesses, conversations inevitably took a stroll down memory lane, leading to numerous intriguing stories full of historical background.

Dr. Mo had perhaps the best memory clarity of them all. He told vivid stories of the devastating times of the Communist takeover in the late 1940s and the early 1950s. Disturbing persecution of certain folks with even the loosest ties to anti-Communist interests, forced inhabitation by peasants and workers, the cancelation of traditional schooling... he had gone through it all in the same city, in the same house. Most memorably, my dad and I were able to ask questions and hear a few stories about the grandfather I never knew, a friend and neighbor of Dr. Mo's. Through it all, he was able to stay surprisingly light-hearted, but the emotions he inspired were real, the images vivid.

***

My own grandpa (on my mother's side) was the first person I visited in China. Bedridden with Parkinson's and dementia, he was able to recognize me after a few reminders. Unlike some of the other folks, conversation is usually sparse, but the emotions are in full force. As a child, we used to shoot hoops and fly paper airplanes together. A renowned surgeon in both Shanghai and Beijing during his career, I'm thankful for the chance to visit him now. While he has shown signs of improvement in recent days, it's unclear whether he will be able to move back home from the hospital. I will do my best take care of him and brighten his day a little bit every time I am able to visit, whether that be through food, a few bits of conversation, or simple physical touch.

The many stories told and moments shared were the true rare opportunities of my trip so far. Sure, the bullet train was impressively efficient and smooth. Hearing the familiar voices of Cheah Pet and Fooks and JLim + RShi come on shuffle brought a nice touch of home to a foreign land. My dad and I were treated to an awesome feet washing/massage. We had some delicious Xiao Long Bao in Shanghai amidst the crowded sea of people celebrating the May 1 Chinese holiday. But all of these wonders of technology and luxuries of modern day society will be more to come, possibly tenfold in the future. But there are only so many more times we can visit the older generation, carrying on their stories for future ones.

Week 1: A Country Bumpkin and his Illiterate Son

Rather than attempting to start a separate blog about my time in China only to have it inevitably fade into a short-lived endeavor that would feature neither the quality nor quantity to stand on its own, I’ve going to just continue blogging here on trusty ol’ Proverbial Putts. Ideally, I’ll put to use some of the writing style and general know-how I learned from the infamous Images of China class, but I’ll settle for a few golden nuggets of travel journalism here and there.

***

My first week in the motherland started with a domestic goose chase and took me through four different cities—Beijing, Jinan, Xiamen and Suzhou. A Harlem Globetrotter sat a couple seats away from me on my flight across the Pacific. I was forced to ask numerous people on the street for directions after the taxi driver dropped me off a bit far from my grandparent’s place. I saw starfish and alcohol with a dead snake soaking in it at a buffet (partaking in neither). Out of the blue, through general osmosis, I improved my chopstick skills. But rather than rely on a disjointed recap or an overly tedious play-by-play, I’ll stick to a few of the things that stood out most from week one.

1. There’s a weird paradox between being “advanced” and amusingly basic/inadequate. Every time I discuss my upbringing in the United States, people are always amused when I admit that I cannot read Chinese beyond an elementary level. In Xiamen, my dad and I were talking to a pair of younger 20-somethings. Many conversation topics involved life overseas and the immigration process, as well as things that China could improve on compared to the U.S. In these aspects, we were the authority. At the same time, my inability to read and write as well as my dad’s unawareness of several recent country icons/celebrities led to jokes about us being the equivalent to an oblivious country bumpkin and his illiterate son. I’ve never felt the concept of third culture so vividly.

2. It’s fascinating to hear the specifically different dialects in each province. I always knew that there was a vast array of different accents and dialects across China, but I now more fully appreciate just how things evolved through time. Before, I thought of things as Mandarin or Cantonese with a few different accents sprinkled in, much like how people sound different in Georgia compared to Long Island. But China is actually much more similar to how things were with different languages among Native American tribes, with every city/province having their own unique language that has slowly conformed closer to Mandarin. Still, it’s impossible to understand each region’s own language. Thus, most every Chinese person that doesn’t live in Beijing in effect knows two languages besides bits of English. It’s also interesting to think that Cantonese wouldn’t be so common in the U.S. if the majority of initial immigrants weren’t from Guangdong. Likewise, “Pu Tong Hua” could easily have been some other dialect besides what is known as Mandarin today if the government had decided to make for example Shanghainese or Fujian or Suzhou dialect the national language.

3. Physically being in China and seeing the environment (except much worse) where my parents grew up really makes me appreciate what they’ve accomplished all the more. I always knew that what they did in immigrating and learning a new language wasn’t easy, but seeing how easily my dad can fit back in with the Chinese culture serves as an explanation for many of the things that I might grow annoyed at in the U.S. It’s a great reminder that I am remarkably blessed to have the life I have today, because I would have been living a completely different lifestyle if they had decided to remain in China and play it safe with their life ambitions. Whatever cultural idiosyncrasies and things lost in translation are a very small price to pay, and at no point should hinder my appreciation for their courageous and inspiring accomplishments in a completely new land.

4. Another paradox seems to exist between friends who are courteous to the max and random people on the street who couldn’t care less about you. It seems to be a population of extremes. When you’re being hosted as guests, your hosts are really going to go above and beyond to wine and dine and send gifts and the whole nine yards. Otherwise, on the streets people aren’t going to be helpful, and instead are probably going to try and jip you or trick you for an extra buck. Meanwhile in America, we are usually more courteous to strangers at all times, saying “thanks” and “excuse me” etc. but generally lax about hosting friends and sending gifts to third cousins and friends of friends who happen to be in town.

5. It's tough to deal with the pollution and traffic of Beijing. Seeing the smoggy gray haze inspires a worse depression than the worst rainy day. Even the green leaves of trees seem faded and slightly wilted, as if they are overwhelmed by the amount of CO2 they have to deal with. It makes exercising and running not only tough, but counterproductive, and I dislike battling the weird smells of gasoline and other unidentifiable unpleasantries on a daily basis. Call me a spoiled and sensitive American, but it is what it is. The pollution amount is a lot better in Xiamen and Suzhou, but the driving is bad everywhere. Both cars and mopeds are obnoxious and wild, weaving around without regard to lines or anything resembling a right of way. It seems that people use their horns significantly more than they use turn signals, and that includes mopeds honking at pedestrians as well. It also seems like people will turn on to a street expecting the significantly higher speeds of traffic to change lanes to make way for them, which ironically draws no honking. Just one week in, and I’ve already given up feeling nervous about a car coming way too close for comfort. Surprisingly though, I feel like fewer cars here bear marks of an accident than in America. Just won’t be getting behind the wheel myself any time soon.

Lessons from New York

Five days and four nights later, some thoughts regarding the Big Apple:

- Friendships transcend geographic location and time apart; it is possible to pick off where you left off.
- When in frigid temperatures, hooded jackets come in handy. Multiple hoods, even better.
- Comfortable shoes are a must.
- Use the bathroom before entering public spaces.
- Floor level seats for NBA games aren't particularly necessary.
- Prepare things to say to NBA players when you get their autographs. Otherwise, you will say something entirely inconsequential/irrelevant/forgettable.
- Be sure of your destination and stop before getting on the subway.
- Buy the unlimited week-long subway pass, and make sure everyone you travel with has it too.
- Do not take offense when people bump into you on the street or do not say "thank you" when you hold the door for them. Also brace yourself for a "watch it!" and glare or two.
- Avoid eye contact with raging lunatics, and whatever you do, do not stop and consider any offers for free music or other promotions. They will hook you in, and refuse to let you leave.
- Shake Shack is overrated. Especially their concretes.
- Joe's Shanghai and Halal Cart are most definitely worth the hype.
- New York Pizza is available everywhere in the United States.
- Commuting from North Bronx to Manhattan is quite the trek, and arguably detrimental to your travel itinerary.
- You will also be just fine going through the Bronx at 2 a.m.
- 30 Rock stands for 30 Rockefeller Plaza.
- Musicals on Broadway won't necessarily be better than the National Tours, but they will usually feature bigger names and classic theaters. Regardless, a spectacular experience.
- It's hard to take photos on the top of the Empire State Building.
- If possible, find an Empire State Building tenant to take you up to the top.
- Going anywhere in the world can be a great time, so long as you're with the right people.

Frequent flyer miles, anyone?

New York 3/29 - 4/2
Beijing 4/20 - 7/7
Chicago/St. Louis ... ???
Los Angeles ~8/1

Operation "4 of the 29 most populated cities in the world in the span of four months" begins soon. This blog will help record the memories. Should be an adventure.

this is the last chance I have to...

I feel like these last six months are filled with statements that begin with this remark.

...travel somewhere big.
...read for leisure.
...cover sports.
...explore San Diego.
...improve my Chinese.
...learn other grown up things.

Sigh. It's almost overwhelming, and seemingly more things are added every day.

...Maybe I should add writing better blog posts to that list.

An ode to Jeremy Lin

During my freshman year, the extent of my UCI basketball fanhood (which was in its infancy) was casually scanning the box scores and attended home games when I could. I remember thinking that it was interesting that they were playing Harvard on the road that season, and also thinking that it was somewhat embarrassing that it took overtime to beat them. Upon checking that box score though, a name jumped out at me: J Lin.

"Hey, an Asian guy! And what? A 20/13/3 night? With five steals and 43 minutes, the most on the team!? This guy is pretty good!" Being the blatant homer Asian athlete fan that I am, I proceeded to read up on him and continued to follow him for the rest of his collegiate career.

I learned that he was Harvard's best player, and that he had gone to Harvard the East Coast because no West Coast California Pac-10 teams had offered him a scholarship, despite gaudy high school numbers (Harvard doesn't give athletic scholarships). I learned that he was a devout Christian who was considering becoming a pastor. I even learned that he was his high school newspaper's editor. Needless to say, he quickly became one of my favorite college players, someone I would always update Yi on whenever he had a particularly good night.

That being said, I never thought that Lin would make it to the NBA. He wasn't drafted, and while he was good in college, he wasn't carry-his-team-to-the-NCAA Tournament good. At least so I thought. Sticking in the NBA is an extremely hard task, even for those drafted in the second round and from bigger name schools. It isn't like Lin was some 7-foot big man who could exist in the NBA simply due to his size. It isn't like Lin is super athletic or even the quickest guy on the court. When the Warriors signed him as a rookie free agent, I thought it was more of a token nod, due to Lin being from the Bay Area. When he started to actually do well in the preseason rookie games, I was impressed. When he made the team, I was excited. When he stuck with the team minus a few trips to the D-League, I was happy. But always lingering in the back of my mind was a sense of doubt. Maybe Lin was there as a sort of publicity stunt due to the high amount of Asians in the Bay Area. Maybe he was only there because the Warriors stunk that year.

This year when he was cut by the Warriors, I thought it might have been the end of the line. Plenty of players get a cup of coffee in the NBA and then disappear, never to be heard from again. I thought that Lin's ~40 games his rookie season were a fair cup of coffee, and just hoped that he would at least get a few 10-day contracts. When the Houston Rockets claimed him, I was again pleasantly surprised. Again however, I wondered if the Rockets were just appealing to their Asian fan base recovering from the lack of Yao. When he was bounced to the Knicks, I started thinking that Lin was just hanging on by a thread, not playing very often at all. I always hoped and rooted for him to persevere, but I didn't expect anything too crazy.

Then a couple nights ago, Mike D'Antoni played Lin in the first half, as one of the first guys off the bench. A beacon of hope! Last night, Lin finally got his chance to shine. He proceeded to lead all scorers with 25 points, outplaying all-star Deron Williams and carrying the Knicks on a night when Carmelo Anthony and Amare Stoudemire weren't getting it done. He even got all of Madison Square Garden chanting his name and "MVP! MVP!". Big time stuff. Some significant quotes to sum it up:

“Jeremy came out and gave us a great spark off the bench, and that was phenomenal for us tonight,” forward Amare Stoudemire said.

“If you would have told me Melo would go 3 for 15 and Amare would get in foul trouble, I’d think, `Man, we’d win by double figures,”’ Nets coach Avery Johnson said. “But when you have a guy coming off your bench like that and getting 25 points, it’s pretty deflating.”

“I had my doubts, but we just stayed with it and he has some of the qualities that we needed,” D’Antoni said.

“There is so much focus on Carmelo, Amare and the other guys that our game plan was to help off him and go under (screens) on him,” Williams said. “He started knocking down shots, got confidence. He was taking it to the basket and had a lot of success.”

"At times it did cross my mind; maybe I might not get a chance," said Lin, who played sparingly for Golden State last season.

"Let me go home and digest this a little bit, but obviously we're going back to the well," D'Antoni said. "He can give us something that we can't do without."

To sum it up, Jeremy Lin is the proverbial Hollywood story of an underdog who everyone doubted. From college coaches to the NBA, it's been Lin that has had to prove people wrong. As the first Asian-American NBA player, Lin is an inspiration and role model. He strives to know God more intimately, and is unashamed of his faith. Today, his tweet after the game began: "God is good during our ups and our downs!"

Playing in the NBA is just about THE most unlikely (and yet one of the most common) pipe dream for any young Asian American guy. The fact that JLin was able to do it gives me confidence in a small way that I will one day be able to accomplish a pipe dream of my own.

the calm before the storm

It's odd to think that six months from now, I will be launched into a stressful environments, studying like I've never studied before, living in a new city and hopefully maturing into someone who is real world-ready at a more rapid rate than ever before.

Now is like the calm before the storm. The menial tasks seem somewhat pointless, while any steps toward preparation can only do so much. And yet there is nothing else to do but to press on.

The Water Ride Smell

I have a confession.

I enjoy the smell of water rides. You know, that mix of dirty water, chlorine, and constantly damp cavernous area that you find on rides like Splash Mountain. When I mention this to people (usually on the ride itself and not out of the blue), everyone always makes a face and thinks that my weird affinity for such a disgusting smell is reprehensible. I always maintain that the “water ride smell” is not nearly as bad as such toxic smells like cigarette smoke or gasoline, but I admit that it is a bit weird.

I think I have finally determined an explanation.

While I suppose it is possible that I just inherently enjoy that mildewed smell, I realized that I only enjoy the scent because it is reminiscent of the smell of my old basement where I hung out growing up. It was my feel good place in the house, the spot where I could escape the heat of summer and invent crazy makeshift sports and watch the Cardinals or Blues game while eating a nice cold grapefruit. It was freedom from (my little) responsibility, my own little cave that I could rule over and have fun in before having to attend to the drone of homework or practicing piano. That basement constantly required the hum drum of a dehumidifier, frantically and pointlessly fighting a battle it couldn’t win.

This correlation explanation applies to other things in our lives too. So many people going to Las Vegas seek freedom and an escape from the real world, a place where people can leave their responsibilities behind. Getting drunk and doing what people commonly do in Vegas is thus associated with these positives ... but in reality, all you’re doing is smelling bad air.