the asian-american male

As I get older, I have become increasingly interested in the Asian-American sub-culture, particularly of those whose parents faced immense hardships to immigrate to the United States. One of the cool things about law school is being introduced to individuals who have blazed the trail before me, people who faced similar pressures during childhood. Perhaps because while growing up I didn't know any ABC/K/J/et al. who belonged in that older generation, but it's always inspiring and encouraging to talk to these people who have succeeded and found balance between their cultural upbringing and their own individual interests.

While I haven't actually met him, Yul Kwon is someone who exemplifies what I'm referring to. He says he went on Survivor to break stereotypes and to be a role model for the Asian-American community; I'd say he accomplished what he set out to do. This interview below with Anderson Cooper captures things in a nutshell.

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.