Thoughts

LOOKING OUT FOR MY PEOPLE
One thing I've blogged about before but I'll mention it again because it struck me as so interesting was the time my dad got cheated in China. He bought something from a street vendor and instead of getting his 50RMB back in change, he got 50 rubes, which is apparently equivalent to about 80 cents instead of the roughly $8 he should have gotten back as change.
After he realized it, he wasn't so much upset about the money he had lost. His face was full of disappointment at how a Chinese people would purposely cheat a fellow Chinese person. That face is a mental image I will remember the rest of my life.
And again, just this week, my dad was getting some really shoddy care from Kaiser regarding his persistent cough, sore throat, and temperature. He left multiple messages with the doctor that the over the counter medication wasn't helping him and he needed something stronger. Kaiser's response? A recorded message one day later about colon cancer. Not a cough, but colon cancer. That was a pretty bad mistake! He became very upset and left more messages.
But afterward, he had the opportunity to complain about his doctor, but decided against it because he was Chinese.
Now, I know we should treat all people like that and I try to. But I still feel I learned a valuable lesson from my dad: you gotta help out for your own peeps!

SPENDING THE DAY WITH MY PARENTS
It's truly a sad sight to see your parents not feeling well. Your heart breaks every time you see them. You think back to the countless times you were sick and they cared for you. And now, you try to do as much as you can, but you still feel so helpless.
I planned to cook them something, but neither one of them can eat a thing. In fact, I ended up helping to eat their food so that it wouldn't go bad. How ironic is that?
I did help to process their China pictures and bought a photo album and put all the pictures in already so it'll be ready to show people on Saturday (for Sandra and Gabe's baby shower).
I brought Sprite for my mom since I figured she needed the electrolytes after vomiting repeatedly.
I bought some apples, which my mom was later very excited about and even tried to eat one later. Of course, that didn't stay down long.
I spent the majority of Tuesday with them and had a great time. I tried to do anything and everything.
Still, after all they've done for me over the years, I feel like what I did wasn't enough. It wasn't even close to be in the same vicinity of enough.

ROSE TEA GARDEN

I'm spending today with my mom, who is doing better, but still dizzy and nauseas (is that how you spell it? I can never remember). Anyway, I'm going to try to make some chicken noodle soup later. We'll see how that goes.

Anyway, in lighter news, our Young Married Couples group had their first outing the girliest place ever -- Rose Tea Garden in Pasadena. The girls seemed to enjoy their tea and tiny pastries and sandwiches, but the guys were left hungry. Still, everybody managed to have a great time. By the way, there were about 30 people in the place while we were there and the 4 of us guys were the ONLY guys in the entire place. In fact, a group of women and one guy walked in and I whispered to Karena, "Ten bucks says he walks out." Sure enough, he never stepped foot in the place. He took one look inside and left. It was classic!

Dennis joked that if he were still single, this would be a great place to meet women. Your odds are much better here than at a bar or club. I found that hilarious!

In conclusion, I feel this is a "must go" for every guy at one point in your life just to say that you've been there. As for me, thanks to Debbie and Jason and now Victoria and the rest of the YMC group, I've now been there twice. I think that's enough.

UPDATE ON MY MOM'S CONDITION
After being out all day Sunday going to church, having lunch with our Young Married Couples group and visiting with Karena's family, we finally managed to sit down to dinner around 8:30pm. But soon afterwards, we got a distressing call from my mom telling me she was completely numb on the left side of her body and couldn't walk. My dad called 911 and an ambulance was quickly there to wisk her away to the hospital.
So, we put our food down and rushed to the hospital. It turns out that my mom had a minor stroke, but was later released from the hospital at 3am. Now, she's able to move her arms and legs, but she's still dizzy and nauseated.
Please pray for her recovery and for my family. This was supposed to be a joyous time where we were to celebrate the soon-to-be arriving baby of Sandra and Gabe and the soon-to-be married Tammy (my cousin) and Hudson. But all of that celebrating is obviously on hold for now.

SEMI-STREAM OF CONSCIOUSNESS THINKING
Even though it was more of a lazy Saturday than anything else, I feel like I had a lot on my mind. Karena and I are trying to get everything together for the games portion of Sandra and Gabe's baby shower. Also, my parents came back from China yesterday so we wanted to visit them and bring them some food. We also spent some time with Karena's family, discussing everything from how Karena spent countless hours on the phone to help get her dad a light-weight wheelchair to discussing football. And then, UCLA goes out and loses to Washington. Boy am I going to hear it from Garth later. And all of this and I neglected to do what I really wanted to do, which was call up my friend who was leaving a missions trip yesterday. I just wanted to let her know that we had been praying diligently for safety and God's blessings. Now, I'm just bummed I forgot to do it. And plus, after nearly two weeks, I'm still coughing. And so is my dad. Like father, like son, I guess.

WHITE AND NERDY
If you like Weird Al (and who doesn't like Weird Al), then check out his "White and Nerdy" video. (Thanks to Aldous for passing on the link!)

THE LO FAMILY
I had the privilege of sitting with Paul and Diana Lo and their entire family on Saturday night. Even though they had to keep the kids busy and we weren't sitting right next to each other, it was still fun to see them and catch up a little bit.
At one point during the evening, I just back and looked at the five of them. I remembered all the good times we shared at CEFC and how they basically helped to raise me spiritaully -- Paul being my Youth Camp counselor and guiding me through the baptism class and Diana beign my Alpha counselor and making me and Daryl memorize Psalm 1 (which I still can recite, by the way). And now, they have 3 beautiful kids of their own to raise up. It was a beautiful thing.
That is an image and a feeling that I will cherish the rest of my life.

HAPPY "TALK LIKE A PIRATE DAY"
Don't forrrrrget to talk like a pirrrrrrate today. Argh!!!!!

What's a pirrrrate's favorrrrrite fast food? Arrrrrrby's!

OK, that's enough of that.

SICK
I've been sick for nearly a week now. It all started on Tuesday when I woke up with body aches and a raging headache. Now, those pains have given way to a nasty cough, a runny nose, and a horrible voice. I hate having to raise my voice or talk to people when I sound so terrible, but that's I had to do for Simon and Vanessa's wedding and that's what had to happen to talk to people while the loud music was playing.
And for some reason, my theory of forcing myself to sing out loud to make my voice better isn't helping. Hmmm . . . the theory couldn't be flawed, could it?

SIMON AND VANESSA
Today we celebrate Simon and Vanessa's wedding.

Even though I've been really sick this whole week, I got up early this morning feeling very giddy. Turns out, I was just realy excited for them!

I sat down to write their wedding card. And my hand never had a chance to stop. All the crazy times Simon and I shared over the 25 years I've known him (we met in the first grade) just came pouring out. I remembered everything from playing on the La Merced Elementary playground with him to one Youth Camp where we marched back to our rooms singing "Our God Reings" to of course his now infamous Statue of Liberty sunglasses. I couldn't help but smile.

Congrats to you both. God has blessed you both beyond measure! And he's blessed me with a great life-long friend.

MESSING UP YOUR CLOTHES
I'm not sure what's going on here, but I've managed to mess up my clothes on two consecutive days.
The first happened yesterday morning. Before work even began, I sat down at my desk to enjoy some Mexican food my co-worker brought me. But when I opened the packet of hot sauce, it splattered all over my shirt and pants. I had to wear the dirty clothes all day and let me tell you, it did NOT look professional at all.
Then today, I was doing our laundry and felt good about it. Until I realized that I left a ChapStik in one of the pockets. It ended up ruining all the clothes with spots of grease everywhere. I felt horrible. My favorite khakis that I wear to work each week are ruined, as are some nice polo shirts and many of Karena's shirts. Luckily for me, Karena is very understanding and forgiving.
Still, I'm hoping tomorrow is a better day for our clothes.

10 YEARS LATER
There have been a lot of famous people who have come and gone in my lifetime. I have never met these people, but somehow I manage to miss them. One such person you might not expect me to miss much is rapper Tupac Shakur. But everytime one of his songs comes on the radio, I usually find myself saying out loud, "It's too bad he's dead."
Time sure flies. Today marks the 10 year anniversary of his death. And to commemorate the day, many of the local hip hop stations have been playing his music non-stop.
To me, he was a little different than other gangsta rappers. Sure, he said and did a lot of bad things that I wouldn't condone. But I felt that he was trying to get his life right. He was trying to figure it out. He had a rough life but managed to see things very clearly. The problem is, I don't know if he quite got to where he wanted to be in his life, but I felt he was indeed trying. And that's what I valued about him most.
So, here's to one of the greatest lyricists of our time.
Hey Pac, if you were a true believer, then I DO think heaven's got a ghetto for you. Rest in peace.

NEW YORK PHOTOS
This was one of the most interesting trips I've ever been on. The first part of the trip to Ithaca was filled with beautiful scenery complete with water falls and beautiful architecture. And trust me when I say I've never seen colors in nature like that before. Also, there was a small-town feel that I've never experienced before. The second part was the exact opposite. The energy of Manhattan can't be compared to any other place on earth. I really enjoyed both.
During our trip, Karena wanted to take as many pictures as we could (with our new digital camera and a new 2GB memory card which holds over 700 photos on the highest resolution). At first, she wanted me to take them all since I enjoy photography (though I'm not that good at it.). But by the middle of the trip, she was yanking the camera out of my hands to take photos she thought might be good. And what'll you know? She's got great eye!

5 YEARS
I remember this day, September 11, by re-posting excerpts of what I have posted on this day over the last 5 years:

2001: Even though our hearts are filled with saddness and our eyes are
filled with tears, I ask that we all pray for the people who committed these
violent acts of terrorism. These people need are prayers and our love.

2002: It's amazing that those images could still affect me the way they do
even one year later. Everytime I see the number 11 written out, all I can
see are those Twin Towers. Please continue to pray for our country, our
friends, ... and our enemies.

2003: It's been two years now and I have to admit that I woke up this
morning and didn't really think about it. But somehow, all that emotion came
back to me today while I had to write the date over and over on my charts. Two
patients mentioned to me that they knew people who were working there that
fateful day and had lost their lives. It is true that we will never
forget.Tonight, I didn't listen to the radio or watch any of the news stories
about how America is remembering tonight. No, instead, I just sat there in the
quietness of my own heart, and was reminded that God is still soverign and in
control.

2004: A moment of silence, please . . .

2005: I LOVE that Jesus intertwined these two commandmants ["Love the Lord" and "Love your neighbor"] together so that you can't have one without the other.

QUICK THOUGHTS
1. I'm so sad to hear about Steve "The Crocodile Hunter" Irwin's death from a sting ray. It's so sad. Even though this isn't what eventually killed him,I never thought he should have gotten that close to dangerous animals. Even though it made for better TV, it wasn't necessary.
2. Major props go out to Enoch for not only driving us out to the airport Sunday night, but also for BBQing and cooking up a feast for us to eat. We had leftover meatless pork, beef ribs, baked beans (we opted not to eat too many of those since we were going to be on a cramped plane!) from the Phil's, the best BBQ place in San Diego. He also booked up some brocolli and rice, and BBQed corn and his famous chicken. Plus, he packed up some leftovers for us to eat later and let us park our car in his driveway. Thanks E! We owe him bigtime!
3. Since we didn't end up eating much on Monday (except Enoch's chicken for breakfast), I was starving by the time we had dinner at one of Cornell's dining halls. I over-loaded on food and ending feeling gross when I left. They had some good pizza, good burgers, terrible pasta, and excellent cookies. They say their food is award-winning, but I would have to respectfully disagree.
4. Karena tried to show me all the good places she used to eat at, but sadly, many of them are gone. In fact, a lot of things have changed in the 10 years since she's been gone, including one of her dorm halls.
5. After walked around campus all day yesterday and today and eating at a dorm hall last night, I've decided that I'm much happier with my life today than being back in college.
6. Cornell's food may have disappointed, but their scenery is some of the nicest I have ever seen. I'll post some pictures when we get back.

GREETINGS FROM CORNELL
Karena and I are visiting her old stomping grounds to reminisce and to take in all the beautiful scenery that Upstate New York in the fall has to offer.
So far, the trip has been great. We got to see Mission Impossible III on the plane and I even enjoyed the 4 hour car ride from Newark to Ithaca! Imagine that!
We plan to eat at the dorms tonight so I can experience just how good Cornell's food is. The word on the street back when I was in college was that UCLA had the best. I'll let you know which I feel is better.

ANOTHER LABOR DAY FIASCO
You would think I would have learned my lesson by now. After being called upon to lead worship for three of the last 5 Labor Day weekends while most of the church is away at Summer Retreat, I should have known better.
See, the Labor Day Sunday services are special beause all the good mics, mic stands, music stands, speakers, etc all go to UCSD along with everybody else. And that leaves a sort of skeleton crew to assemble the pieces to make a decent worship service on Sunday morning. Is it right? No, but you can't blame anybody.
Anyway, 5 years ago, the congregation was so small and I was so flustered after having a horrible time with setting up the mics and the guitar pick-up that Rhonda Chin walked up there, put her hand on my shoulder, and helped me sing. And praise God for her . . . because I really needed the help.
Last year, at the last minute, the A/V crew told me I had to play guitar and sing from the pulpit because there were no more mics or mic stands for me to use. Do you know how hard it is keep a distance from the pulpit so I could strum and not hit my guitar against the pulpit, while trying to be close enough to the mics to sing? It is definitely not an ideal place to lead worship.
And this year, we had such technical difficulties and no time to get things together, as the Mandarian congregation got out late. Plus, I gave John the wrong number for the mic so the mic didn't work. Henry Chiu had to hold a mic to my face while I sweated all over his hand. Meanwhile, the feedback was so loud, I couldn't even hear myself singing! And since we couldn't find a PowerPoint person, we used overheads that Twiner so graciously agreed to do. But of course, when we got there at 10:15, there was no overhead projector, leaving us scrambing at the last minute.
I really felt terrible, but we made the best of it. I only hope and pray that God saw our hearts and our efforts, and not necessarily the final product.
Still, I think next year, we need to plan way ahead and do better.
But don't worry. I've learned my lesson: Next year, I'm going to Summer Retreat!

VHS INTO DVD?
We have totally forgotten that we still have our VHS video of us swimming with the dolphins in the Bahamas back in May. Does anybody have a way of turning VHS tapes into DVDs? Or does anybody know of somebody or somewhere cheap to get it done, while still getting good quality?
Please let me know.

MEETING THE RE-INVENTED ME
Karena and I were watching TV when a Madonna video came on. I mentioned how the only reason she has stood the test of time is by constantly re-inventing herself, similar to the way U2 has down. That's the only way to have any lasting power in music.
After that conversation, I thought about the different ways I've had to re-invent myself over the last 10 years. Ten years ago, I was a happy-go-lucky guy who let people take advantage of me. Back then, I figured that I'd be nice to them and if they chose to walk over me, then that sin was on their head. I wasn't going to stop it. And that's what people did.
But over the last 1o years, through good and bad situations and circumstances, I've become much more cynical, much angrier, much "harder" and I'm much less likely to let people take advantage of me (although it still does happen).
The problem is that I can't decide which is better. To be honest, I really liked the guy I was 10 years ago, but now I can see that he was very naive. He didn't want to let the world get the best of him.
But it did. And now, as I look at myself in the mirror each morning, a part of me asks myself, "What have I become? Am I better now than I was then?"
What would the me from 10 years ago say if he met me today? Would he even like me? I wish I knew.