Saturday, July 31, 2004

LAST WEEKEND
Last weekend was a great day for Karena and me to spend time with the family. And boy did we make our rounds!
We first swung by my grandmother's place to visit with her, my dad, and two of my uncles. The best part (besides, the air conditioning, the fan, the cool drinks, and the food) was when they pulled out the old Shen photo album. There was so much history there, it was unbelieveable. It's those talks that always inspire me to do more with my life and to be proud to be a Shen.
Afterwards, we went to see my grandmother who is unfortunately still unresponsive and recuperating in the nursing home. I think we're all doing the best we can with that situation.
Finally, we went to my parents place to go swimming and to have dinner with my parents, Jonathan, and my aunt.
This weekend will be spent celebrating the union of Nathan and Sinath. Congrats!

Friday, July 30, 2004

BOYS WILL BE BOYS
While talking at work, two co-workers decided they'd make a bet to see if one of them could completely finish a Burger King Whopper within 55 seconds. Then, I made the mistake of opening my big mouth by saying I could do it in 50 seconds.
So, next Friday, I have a 50-second date with a Whopper. Hopefully, I can do it ... and without throwing up.

Thursday, July 29, 2004

COMMUNITY
I think the best church retreat I ever went to was th Emmanuel one of my senior year.  We had it at Tahquitz Pines, Idyllwild.  What was so great about it?  One big part was that I was involved in the publicity by helping Jason, Enoch, and Reuel make the video (which was hilarous, by the way). 
One of my most cherished memories of that retreat was driving a new Christian named Dennis Loh. He was new to church. This was to be his first Emmanuel retreat.  Little did I know, it was also to be his last, as he was killed in a car accident soon afterward.  He was amazingly in love with Jesus and inspired others (including his non-Christian family) to strive for something more in this life.  His life (and death) is something I will never forget.  Anyway, whie driving him up to the retreat, he mentioned to me he loved the song "Meet Us Here."  So, on the last night, Danette was having a "request" time for worship songs and I requested "Meet Us Here."  Dennis just turned around as if to say thanks, but I just looked at him, smiled, and pointed at him.  That was a moment in time I will remember the rest of my life.
One of the central themes of that retreat was the idea of community.  We were trying to build exactly that and took this passage to heart: Acts 2:42-47.  In it, they talk about how the fellowship of believers was so strong that they each know their roles based on their spiritual gifts and gave and shared freely with each other.  What a great way to live!
After that, my entire attitude about my church family changed forever.  Since then, my attitude has been to have  good time with them, encourage them, mourn with them when they mourn, rejoice with them when they rejoice.  I like to treat them like family.  It's okay to be honest with them.  It's okay to love them and let them know.  It's okay to be vulnerable with them.  And it's okay to give freely to them.  That's why I love talking to them, spending time with them, putting my hand on their shoulder or shaking their hand when I say hello.  And that's why I'm not afraid to ask a serious question in the middle of a lunch where everybody's goofing off. 
It's just me being me ... and I hope they can just be them.


Wednesday, July 28, 2004

SO FRESH AND SO CLEAN
First off, before I begin, I've decided to experiment a little bit with some of the new features blogger has offered.  I've resisted all along from putting too many bells and whistles into this blog because I like the clean look of black text alone.  But now I'm beginning to realize what everyone else already knows: clean = boring.
 
Okay, back to the original topic: Karena's mom cleaned out her dad's old clothes from his closet recently and left a dozen shirts aside that she thought I might like.  As I went through them, I only chose the two plain white polo shirts ...  because you know me, I love the clean, fresh, and simple look.  But again, I was reminded that clean = boring.
 
Karena came along and pulled out two more shirts for me to take home with me.  They are two '70s shirts that amazingly look like something you'd find in today's American Eagle Outfitters.  I don't know when (or how) I'm ever going to wear them, but maybe they'll help me shed my clean/boring image.





Tuesday, July 27, 2004

TWO FUNNY EVENTS
1. An actual title of a book I saw on the church book give-away table:
"How to Be Happy Though Married"

I thought Karena and I should have picked it up so we could get cracking on that book!  =)
Or at least crack up.  That's hilarious.

2. I called up the Burbank AMC to look for show times (I don't get the newspaper during the week and didn't happen to be on the internet at the time).  To my surprise, instead of a recording of the showtimes, a live person answered!

I was so taken aback that a froze for a few minutes until he said, "Hello?" a few times.  I nervously said, "Ummm, I'm just calling to hear the showtimes. "  To my surprise, he was able to tell me all the showtimes I needed and answer some questions.   He was very helpful and I was glad to talk to a live person for a change.

But somehow, I felt like that Seinfeld episode where Kramer pretends to be the Moviefone guy and says, "Why don't you just tell me the name of the movie?"  Hilarious.



Sunday, July 25, 2004

WHAT'S IN A (MIDDLE) NAME
What's in a middle name?  Over the years, I've come to realize that having a middle initial in your name makes you sound that much cooler.  Just look at our upcoming election.  Some would argue that George W. Bush had no choice but to use his middle initial to differentiate himself from his father.  But I think he's doing it to make him sound smarter and more distinguished.
And I also hear that John Kerry would like to go by John F. Kerry.  Hmm ... that sounds awfully familiar to a certain former President John F. Kennedy.  I wonder if he's trying to tread on his good name and good reputation.
Either way, I think it's pretty obvious that the middle initial looks cool and may even help one become president.  I mean, just look at this site's address: victorwshen.blogspot.





Saturday, July 24, 2004

QUICK THOUGHTS
1. "Juicy Fruit" gum is good.
2. My dad is a savvy business man.  I wish I were more like him.
3. Former Oakland A's closer Dennis Eckersley (and Paul Molitor) are entering the Hall of Fame.  And although, I can't stand him, he deserves it.  Too bad, all anybody can ever talk about with him in Kirk Gibson's home run off him in the '88 World Series.
4. The Red Sox should sign John Olerud. They need help at first base.
5. I don't like to turn on the A/C very much at home because it costs too much. But having fans run in every room is not an economical answer either.  I've sort of been alternating between the two.
6. I'd appreciate more of your thoughts on ghosts on my guestbook.  So far, the consensus is that ghosts exist and are real.  I don't know if that makes me feel more comforted or scared.

Thursday, July 22, 2004

GHOSTS
When I'm hoping people find a topic of interest and flood the guestbook with comments, I usually end up getting none.  But I will tempt the fates yet again with this topic.  I hope you write because I'm very interested in it.

Recently, Karena told me her co-worker used to live in the same building I did in Palms.  It's that peach (most people who try to make fun of me claim it's pink) building off the 10 freeway at National.  Anyway, I never had any problems while living there.  But her co-worker claims her apartment was haunted.  She tells of hearing someone calling her name and seeing weird things at night. 

So this begs the question, are there such things as ghosts?  Do they haunt people?  As for as I understand (which isn't that much), there is a spiritual world with spirtual warfare being waged.  But are stories about haunted houses true?

Please hit up the guestbook with your thoughts and comments. 


Wednesday, July 21, 2004

COPS
I understand police officers and highway patrol officers serve a purpose in society.  Without them, there'd be anarchy on our streets and in our neighborhoods.  And for that, I thank them and appreciate them.
But what I can't stand most about them is when they use their power for evil. No, I'm not talking about the Rodney King issue or that other guy the cops recently beat up.  Instead, I'm talking about cops who purposely break traffic laws to speed on by.  Just this week alone, I've seen them turn their sirens on to go through a red light, cut across the double yellow line twice to avoid traffic, and speed on the freeway.  And the worst part?  They're probably doing it just because they know they can.
Today, we saw 6 Sheriff cars move freely in and out of the carpool lane repeatedly.  And each car only had one driver in it.  Karena kept looking at them and saying, "There's another $171 ticket and another ... and another."
It's not right.  If they are here to uphold the law, they should also abide by it.

Tuesday, July 20, 2004

WITNESS
There's something eerie about seeing a car accident happen on the freeway.  It always leaves a sick feeling in my stomach.  Today was no different. While getting onto the freeway, I looked in my side mirror as I was merging into the lane and noticed a car swerving rapidly.  I don't know how he started doing that, but he lost control and slammed into a Fed Ex truck.  The truck's front side looked as if it exploded into debris and parts as it slid all the way to the center divider.  The car took the ricochet hard and went all the way up the grassy incline on the side of the freeway before coming back down and hitting another car.  Now, the scariest part was if I were 5 seconds behind where I was, I could have been right in the thick of that mess.  But luckily, I wasn't.  I just hope everybody was okay.
But after witnessing that, my driving was terrible. I couldn't get the image of the crash out of my head.  That made me nervous and wanting to over-compensate while driving.



Monday, July 19, 2004

QUICK THOUGHTS
1. Martha Stewart gets sentenced to 5 months in prison.
Even though they were just using her as an example, I feel pretty happy about it overall since it really bothers me that she's so sweet and loving on TV, and so rude and short with people in real life.
2. Lucille's BBQ is  a great place to eat (good ribs ... and lots of food). And it's an even better place to celebrate birthdays.
3. Digital cameras are the bomb.
4. What's up with that big Jeopardy! winner Ken Jennings?  To date, he's won 33 consecutive times and his jackpot is over $1.1 million dollars.  At this rate, he can quit his job.  And when people ask what he does for a living, he can just say, "I'm a contestant on Jeopardy."  The man is brilliant.  Plus, this new rule change is good for the show because I've watched more Jeopardy in these last few weeks, then I have in the last few years.   And the best part of every episode?  After beating them by $40,000 dollars, he shakes their hands and says, "Good game."  Good game?  Yeah right.  He's probably thinking, "Wow, you almost made me sweat today."


Sunday, July 18, 2004

PRESIDENT CARTER'S 1979 "MALAISE" SPEECH
 In the movie Miracle, one scene has President Carter's "malaise" speech as a voice over to show the state of the nation (and how they yearned for a victory of some kind to bring the people together -- even if it was an improbably hockey victory over the Soviet Union).  Here are some excerpts (sorry it's a little long, but SO worth it to read) from his 1979 speech that eerily still ring true today.  


The threat (we face) is nearly invisible in ordinary ways. It is a crisis of confidence. It is a crisis that strikes at the very heart and soul and spirit of our national will. We can see this crisis in the growing doubt about the meaning of our own lives and in the loss of a unity of purpose for our Nation.
 
The erosion of our confidence in the future is threatening to destroy the social and the political fabric of America. The confidence that we have always had as a people is not simply some romantic dream or a proverb in a dusty book that we read just on the Fourth of July. It is the idea which founded our Nation and has guided our development as a people. Confidence in the future has supported everything else -- public institutions and private enterprise, our own families, and the very Constitution of the United States.
 
Confidence has defined our course and has served as a link between generations. We've always believed in something called progress. We've always had a faith that the days of our children would be better than our own. Our people are losing that faith, not only in government itself but in the ability as citizens to serve as the ultimate rulers and shapers of our democracy. As a people we know our past and we are proud of it. Our progress has been part of the living history of America, even the world. We always believed that we were part of a great movement of humanity itself called democracy, involved in the search for freedom, and that belief has always strengthened us in our purpose.
 
But just as we are losing our confidence in the future, we are also beginning to close the door on our past. In a nation that was proud of hard work, strong families, close-knit communities, and our faith in God, too many of us now tend to worship self-indulgence and consumption. Human identity is no longer defined by what one does, but by what one owns. But we've discovered that owning things and consuming things does not satisfy our longing for meaning. We've learned that piling up material goods cannot fill the emptiness of lives which have no confidence or purpose.
 
The symptoms of this crisis of the American spirit are all around us. For the first time in the history of our country a majority of our people believe that the next 5 years will be worse than the past 5 years. Two-thirds of our people do not even vote. As you know, there is a growing disrespect for government and for churches and for schools, the news media, and other institutions. This is not a message of happiness or reassurance, but it is the truth and it is a warning. These changes did not happen overnight. They've come upon us gradually over the last generation, years that were filled with shocks and tragedy. We were sure that ours was a nation of the ballot, not the bullet, until the murders of John Kennedy and Robert Kennedy and Martin Luther King, Jr. We were taught that our armies were always invincible and our causes were always just, only to suffer the agony of Vietnam. We respected the Presidency as a place of honor until the shock of Watergate.
 
What can we do? First of all, we must face the truth, and then we can change our course. We simply must have faith in each other, faith in our ability to govern ourselves, and faith in the future of this Nation. Restoring that faith and that confidence to America is now the most important task we face. It is a true challenge of this generation of Americans.
 
We know the strength of America. We are strong. We can regain our unity. We can regain our confidence.




Saturday, July 17, 2004

FINALLY
I've been meaning to write earnestly for a while, but just haven't had the time (or the energy).  But finally, I get my chance to write about life, love and the Lakers
 
1. There is something therapeutic about feeding a fish.  Even though I often view it as another chore, it always makes me feel good to meet his needs, like manna from heaven.
2. I think the world is all Lakered out.  I shared yesterday from my head about how you don't trade a franchise player like Shaq.  Jason is right to say it's like the Piazza trade.  Those two days (May 15, 1997 and July 14, 2004 will resonate with me forever).  But I was surprised to learn that in my heart, I was hurt by the way everything went down.  I felt hurt and disgusted by Kobe's news conference.  He lied repeatedly about wanting to play with Phil and Shaq forever.  All I kept thinking was Liar!  Even though I usually love hearing what Kobe has to say and how he says it, I realized my heart just doesn't feel the same about him.  How can I even trust him now in his rape trial?  But I'll keep on cheering for him because he's a Laker (as is the Marijuana Boy Odom and Bad Knees Grant) because (as outlined in the movie Miracle), the name on the front of the jersey is a hell of a lot more important than the name on the back.
3. Sorry, one more sports one.  I'm so sad to see Derek Fisher go.  Best of luck to you, Fish.  Keep the Fisher Flop alive ... and your positive, Christian perspective in Golden State.
4. Karena says I talk about sports and watch sports too much.  She asked me if Shaq and Kobe really have an effect on my life.  As a result, I'm going to try and cut down on the sports chatter. 
5. I had the opportunity to hang out with two of Karena's old boyfriends (including staying with one of them) and it went beautifully.  It just goes to show that people can break up and still be good friends.
6. Quizno's sucks.  I'm a much bigger fan of Subway because I feel their quality is much better.  Plus, Subway gives better coupons than Quizno's.
7. Vh1's new "I Love the '90s" just isn't as good because I don't get that same nostalgic feeling.  How nostalgic do you expect me to get when they're talking about Harry Potter?  I'll stick with the '70s and '80s.
8. This has nothing to do with my political views one way or the other, but can't we all agree that John Kerry's face looks like a caricature drawing?




Friday, July 16, 2004

DAY OF INFAMY
Wednesday was Karena's birthday.  And how did we celebrate?  Well, we woke up at 5:45 am, left the house at 6:30am, worked until 8pm, went straight to class in the Valley and didn't get home until 11pm.  Then, we were both exhausted and went to sleep.  Happy birthday?  Yeah, right.  Sorry, honey.
As for what else went on that day ... Shaq officially becoming a member of the Miami Heat was sad to me.  It shouldn't have come down to that.  You NEVER trade a one-of-a-kind player like Shaq.  No way. Do you see the Timberwolves trading Garnett or the Spurs trading Duncan?  It's a shame both Shaq and Kobe's egos were too big.  Now, Kobe gets to run the show completely as player, leader, captain and apparently coach, general manager, and almost owner.  He better know what he's doing.  Still, it's a sad day in LA.   Very sad.

Monday, July 12, 2004

PICTURES

New York/Philly pics
NEW YORK/PHILLY LIFE
Biggest disappointment: I didn't get to do the "Rocky" run up the stairs.
Biggest realization: Manhattan is so fast-paced, I'm surprised people don't have more heart-attacks. People are always running to catch the subway or dodging between cars when they drive or filling their life with various activites that run well into the night. Case in point: We came home from a dinner party Friday night/Saturday morning at 1am. We then proceeded to meet up with some friends at 2am and stayed out until 3:15am. That's normal Manhattan life!
Best food:That had to come from Charice showing up "Philly's best ..." That included everything from cookies to cheese steaks to baby back ribs to hot wings to chocolate covered potato chips.
Strangest wedding: The ceremony started late at 7:45 pm! The place would not allow us to leave a certain room and did not provide water or snacks for anybody beforehand. Afterward, there was an open bar the entire time (including expensive drinks such as Remy Martin), an appetizer hour with more food than most dinners we're accustomed to (including salmon, carved meats, made-to-order pasta, quiche, bread and cheese, fruit), and then dinner (our choice of filet mignon, stuffed shrimp, salmon, lamb, etc.) This was followed by dessert, wedding cake, and a three-tier fruit plate. I was so full afterward, I felt like I was going to explode. Dinner was served at 10pm and we didn't leave until after 1am ... and we left early.
Most humbling experience: It's still a spiritual experience to see the WTC site, even though now it's all clean and construction has begun on the monument that will soon stand there.
Best food II: Although I still can't stand to see all the Yankees caps and jerseys everywhere, New Yorkers really do know how to make a good pizza.
Celebrity sighting: Cuba Gooding Jr. filming his upcoming movie "Shadowboxer" in Philadelphia.

Sunday, July 11, 2004

TIRED
We're back. We had a lot of fun, although there was very little sight seeing involved. I'm tired. I'll just have to blog and put up some pics later. Good night.

Thursday, July 08, 2004

WASSUP
I just wanted to say a quick wassup to everyone from the East Coast. We took a red eye flight to New York and took a $20 bus from NY Chinatown to Philly Chinatown. And now we're hanging out with Charice. Well, gotta go eat!

Tuesday, July 06, 2004

PAIN
This morning, I had two appointments: one at the gym with my personal trainer (you get 4 free sessions when you sign up for 24 Hour, so I decided to do it, even though I already know the stuff) and one at the dentist. I couldn't decide which was going to be more painful. But in the end, I got my answer loud and clear.
After meeting my personal trainer at 9am, I worked out with him for an hour doing various cardio things, weight training, and core stabilization exercises. Afterward, I came home and started to feel awful. I thought I might be dehydrated (which I was) so I drank a lot of water. But that only made things worse. The next thing I knew, I was bowled over the toilet throwing up. It was awful. But what made it worse was 10 minutes after throwing up, I was due to see the dentist. I quickly brushed my teeth and used mouthwash for about 10 seconds and rushed out the door.
I'm very thankful the dentist didn't hurt much at all.
Hmm ... I wonder if you can get some novacane before going to the gym.

Monday, July 05, 2004

(NOT SO) QUICK THOUGHTS
1. Last week, Richard said something that has resonated with us. In talking about tithing (a very difficult topic to give from the pulpit), he said we should view our jobs as the means in which we are able to tithe. That way, we take ownership of our work, have a greater sense of attachment with God, and don't get so burnt out by day to day tasks at work. That has really changed our perspective about work (we're big complainers about how stressful work is).
2. After church this week, we took Enoch's suggestion and sent to this place on Garvey (between Del Mar and San Gabriel) called Xin Bao. Anyway, it should be renamed $1.88 since they have wonton noodles for that price. And it's a good size too. Plus, if you order 5 dishes from the lunch special ($3.95), you get a free fish too! We ate like kings! Best $1.88 I ever spent!
3. I love '80s music. I found myself listening to that more than the mixes that other radio stations were playing this long weekend.
4. No Mike Kryzewski in Lakerland. Honeslty, I don't know how I feel about that either way. I think I'm overall happy about his decision because I was very wary about a college coach, albeit a successful one, taking over the NBA's biggest drama kings. Plus, this means Kobe won't get everything he wants, just because he's now calling the shots.
5. Eric Gagne blows a save, ending his 84 consecutive save streak. I can no longer say that the last time I was at Dodger Stadium was the last time he blew a save (Aug. 26, 2002). I guess it's safe to go back there again. =)

Sunday, July 04, 2004

FREE
Especially on a day like this, we are reminded of our freedoms. And not just freedom from tyranny or oppression, but also from the bondage of sin. Here are the lyrics to one of the most powerful songs in Christian music ever. Please read them completely and let them sink in.

Free
Steven Curtis Chapman

The sun was beating down inside
The walls of stone and razor wire
As we made our way across the prison yard
I felt my heart begin to race
As we drew nearer to the place
Where they say that death is waiting in the dark
The slamming doors of iron echoed through the halls
Where despair holds life within its cruel claws
But then I met a man whose face
Seemed so strangely out of place
A blinding light of hope was shining in his eyes
And with repentance in his voice
He told me of his tragic choice
That led him to this place where he must pay the price
But then his voice grew strong
As he began to tell
About the One he said had rescued him from hell
He said ...

I'm free, yeah, oh I have been forgiven
God's love has taken off my chains
And given me these wings
And I'm free, yeah, yeah, and the freedom I've been given
Is something that not even death can take away from me
Because I'm free
Jesus set me free

We said a prayer and said goodbye
And tears began to fill my eyes
As I stepped back out into the blinding sun
And even as I drove away I found that I could not escape
The way he spoke of what the grace of God had done
I thought about how sin had sentenced us to die
And how God gave His only Son so you and I could say ...

And if the Son has set you free,
Oh, if the Son has set you free
Then you are free indeed
You are really free
If the Son has set you free
Oh, if the Son has set you free
Then you are free, really , really free

Oh we're free, yeah, oh, we have been forgiven
God's grace has broken every chain
And given us these wings
And we're free, yeah, yeah, and the freedom we've been given
Is something that not even death can take from you and me
Because we're free, yeah, the freedom we've been given
Is something that not even death can take from you and me
Because we're free, oh we're free
We are free, we are free
The Song has set us free

If the Son has set us free
You are free indeed.

Saturday, July 03, 2004

BBQ WITH THE FAMILY
I've always had a thing for entertaining. Even though it's a lot of work, I get such a thrill from seeing everybody having a good time at my place that it makes all the effort worth it.
Tonight, we had family members from both sides here for a BBQ. And while I was manning the grill, I was so happy to see my cousin Jonathan playing 1-on-1 against Karena's uncle Sherman. And later that evening, I was happy to see all chatting, watching movies, and playing foosball.
By the way, I lost my first game ever on my foosball table tonight to Jonathan 10-6. It was awful! I thought I was pretty good at foos. But it turns out that I'm not that good. Jonathan kicked my butt, and then he got his handed to him by my cousin Tammy's boyfriend Hudson. Then, my uncle Gerald kicked all their butts. He says he played A LOT in college instead of studying.
Taking a step back, I just couldn't help but smile.

Thursday, July 01, 2004

THROWBACK THURSDAY
My workplace had this dumb policy about having to wear a white lab coat at all times unless you were wearing a white shirt. So, I'd usually wear a white polo shirt so I wouldn't have to wear those darn lab coats that make me hot all the time. But just in the last two weeks, they changed the dress code to allow you to wear any color shirt without wearing the lab coat. Everybody was thrilled and nobody wore white shirts anymore because they were sick of it and felt free to wear colors.
But today -- maybe because it was laundry day or maybe it was time for the return of white -- almost everybody wore white shirts. 10 out of 18 people wore them, including me. It was amazing. My co-worker called them our "throwback" jerseys and deemed the day "Throwback Thursday."
And for some reason, I thought the whole experience was so fun. Now, that either makes our workplace an environment of well-bonded people ... or just a bunch of losers.

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