DONE! (for the quarter)

That's right, ladies and gents. I'm officially done with my fall quarter classes. Huzzah! Strange to say that my finals were a tad difficult precisely because the material was a little too easy. By that I mean I over-prepared for the spoken portion and instead of going with the flow, I got caught up with the byoootiful phrases I'd thought up beforehand. However, that had the unfortunate consequence of making my overall interpretation not as good though. Sad.

Oh wells. What's done is done, and I'm SURE glad to be done. :)

Save me from the matchmaking mamas!

No, seriously. Yesterday, I helped out playing piano at a new church plant out in Tracy (Spring Valley Chinese Christian Church) when one of the church members started talking to me. It was pretty normal small-talk up until she started asking me how old I was. And then she asked me if I had a boyfriend. When I said no, she asked again, "You really don't have a boyfriend?"

Uh....no?

Upon which she mentioned that she had a 29 year old son (*hint hint nudge nudge*) and began talking about him.

Oh. Dear.

Honestly, I couldn't tell if I wanted to be horribly embarrassed or bust out in hysterical laughter. Of course, I didn't do either, but I think I was more inclined towards laughter than anything else. Sad thing is, this isn't even the first occasion in recent years that someone has attempted matchmaking. I know that according to historical standards, I'd be considered an old maid by now, but can we please hold off on the matchmaking for a couple (several) more years?

Aiya.

Once Upon A Time

Okay, so I just started watching this new series from ABC, and while I think some of the acting/dialogue is over the top and/or badly written, it's been entertaining thus far (of course, "thus far" being two episodes in). Then again, the pleasure factor might have to do with the fact that I'm a sucker for fairy tales and clever adaptations of them. It's a little early to be making predictions for the ending, but my guess for the ultimate twist ending? Nothing is a fairy tale after all! At least, if I were writing a book/show, that's how I would end it. Goes to show how depressingly realistic I am.

Just remember, you heard it from me first. :)

Discipline--and the lack thereof

EDIT 10.27.2011: Upon further reflection, I've come to the realization that I take a certain perverse satisfaction in playing the devil's advocate. That is, I oftentimes find myself proffering contrary arguments to popular opinion just for the sake of debate. In essence, I think that's what happened with this post. The problem is that I realize now that I dipped into the other extreme of being so caught up with the letter of the law that I stumbled into the realm of complete gracelessness. *sigh* Delicate balance, no? 


In any case, I just wanted to clarify that I wasn't going law-crazy; I think I just went argument-crazy. haha. I'm not saying that either side is exactly right per se; I just wanted to make a point that wasn't acknowledged. That being said, read the below with a grain (or more) of salt, and I think we'll be alright. :)

If you're a student at UCLA or University of Arizona, you've probably already heard the news about the streaker who stole headlines (and nearly the game ball) at the end of the game. A student at Arizona, Landow got onto the field using a fake pass he'd made and dressed like a referee, proceeding to strip down as he tried to grab the game ball and run into the end zone. Landow's actions have resulted in his arrest for criminal impersonation and if convicted, could lead to 1 1/2 years in prison. What caught my attention isn't so much the stupidity of his prank (which Landow claimed he'd done just so he'd have a good answer to the application question of "What's the craziest thing you'd ever done?" for the reality show Wipeout). Rather, what interests me the most is the people's reactions.

For the most part, many of the comments I've read on various sites mostly agree on a couple of things: Landow's prank was funny, but stupid and mostly harmless; the DA is wasting time and money to try and convict him; there are other more serious crimes that should get more attention; and America is turning into a fascist country in which a college prank results in jail time.

As I was reading through a number of these responses like these, all I could think was this: "Are you serious?"

I don't know much about law, but a Google search on what criminal impersonation gave me this definition:


Criminal impersonation is a crime that is governed by states laws, which vary by state. It may involve, among other acts:

(1) assuming a false identity with the intent to defraud another; (2) pretending to be a representative of another person or organization; or (3) opening a bank account or securing credit in the name of another person without the other person's consent.

The following is an example of a state statute dealing with criminal impersonation:

(1) A person commits criminal impersonation if he knowingly assumes a false or fictitious identity or capacity, and in such identity or capacity he: (d) Does an act which if done by the person falsely impersonated, might subject such person to an action or special proceeding, civil or criminal, or to liability, charge, forfeiture, or penalty; or (e) Does any other act with intent to unlawfully gain a benefit for himself or another or to injure or defraud another.

(http://definitions.uslegal.com/c/criminal-impersonation/)

*My emphasis

For all those people that think the charge of criminal impersonation is bull, consider the definition. He impersonated a ref who, I'm assuming, represents the NCAA. #2 check. Streaking, I'm also assuming, probably falls on the list of things that'll get a real ref into some serious trouble pronto if he were so stupid to do it. Letter d check. So, Landow's actions--while entertaining to many after a hideous game--are by definition criminal. (And that doesn't even go into the possibilities of indecent exposure and so on.) And yes, I know that these laws vary according to state. I don't know what Arizona's laws are on this topic, but the general idea is there.

Having said that, the reason I'm so ticked off at these reactions is this: people are so self-righteous about the ridiculousness of a college kid possibly facing a year and a half of jail time for a "harmless" prank that they miss the underlying issues with this whole situation. In my opinion, this whole thing reflects a serious lack of discipline and the basic understanding of simple law of cause and effect. Lack of discipline because a 22-23 year old MAN (although his actions prove that he has all the maturity of an eight-year-old, if that) should not be considered a "poor kid" because he knowingly undertook actions that were obviously against the law. No understanding of cause and effect because he initiated a cause with his own actions, and he should face up to the natural effect of said actions. Maybe 1 1/2 years of prison time is a bit harsh for an idiotic college prank, but then again, it's not outside of the consequences of the laws that Landow violated. 

And hello? Upholding the law is considered fascist these days? If you'd truly been living under a fascist regime, you wouldn't dare use that term so freely. Oh hey, and guess what? You wouldn't even have the freedom of criticizing the government. 

People are so fixated on trumpeting the concept of "freedom" in America that they forget these freedoms are only made possible by the laws that prevent people from intruding on other people's rights. That is, you are free and have the right to do anything as long as you're not impeding on the freedom and rights of others. The problem is that everybody thinks that their own rights carry more weight than that of others. In short, we have a major superiority complex which is exacerbated by a mentality of irresponsibility parading under the mask of individuality. (Yeeesh, there's a mouthful.)

Arguing that there are other crimes happening all around the country that are more serious and should elicit more attention isn't any better. In fact, it's a terrible lapse in logic. I'm a bit rusty with logical fallacies, but it seems to me that this argument is one big red herring. Let's focus a little. The present issue isn't that there are crimes that should be dealt with. The issue is that Landow committed a crime. You know that saying, "Two wrongs don't make a right"? Well, in this case, it should be modified as saying "Ignoring a wrong by focusing on a greater wrong does not make a right." Yes, there are bad things happening all the time. Yes, I wish our law enforcement agencies will increase in efficiency. But guess what? Just because there are other crimes happening that you think deserves more attention doesn't mean that it's right to ignore the ones that happen right in front of your face. Don't try to detract from the fact that the guy did break a law (however minor you may consider it to be).

You wish that the DA and company wouldn't have to waste time and money on convicting this guy? I agree. But the solution isn't to let him go without any consequences. The solution is to get at the heart of the problem and stop it from happening in the first place. And what is the heart of the problem (at least this problem)? I think a lot of it can be traced back to what I was talking about before: kids growing up with a lack of discipline. People don't expect to be held accountable on the big things because they haven't had to be held accountable to the small things.

Of course, having said all that (and having had time to let my temper cool a little), I also realize that we live in a fallen world and there will be no way to eradicate the many problems of the world while we're all still sinners. 

Whatever your thoughts and opinions may be about this situation, reality is that people will continue to do stupid things and commit crimes (both major and minor) and just be really messed up. We all are. Be that as it may, my prayer is that I can live out Romans 12:2 where it says "Do not be conformed to this world, but be transformed by the renewal of your mind, that by testing you may discern what is the will of God, what is good and acceptable and perfect." Let's not focus so much on the atrocities of the world (which I'm not advocating that we should ignore by the way), but rather consider first how we can live lives pleasing to our Creator and Savior.

(Aaaaaaannnnnd once again, my writing has gone totally out of control. *sigh*)

INSANITY

Justine, you know I love you, but my muscles are not very happy with you right now.

I don't know which one we did, but I'm feeling the consequences of it today. Thanks for showing me how much I need to work out more......haha.

World economy: the bovine edition

It would've been nice to have seen this back when I was getting my degree. You know, the one for International Development Studies....

In tribute of cliche romance stories...

Ahaha....too funny.

Generation gap? Not so much.

So there I was watching TV with my parents when a commercial comes up about commemorating the influence that rock 'n roll has had on society and the lives of people. My dad interjects with something I don't remember the wording to, but basically encompasses the idea that rock 'n roll was responsible for the moral decay of American society.

Now, you have to understand. I love rock (as music). I'm not sure what the exact difference is between rock 'n roll and other kinds of rock is (other than their relationship musically and stylistically), and so admittedly, I was pretty offended and immediately responded by saying that I didn't quite agree with my dad's statement.

Needless to say, what followed was a very interesting and enlightening--albeit a little loud, but honestly, we weren't arguing; just discussing...loudly--conversation. In short, what I thought was a mostly harmless form of music/art with an admittedly bad origin was something altogether more serious for people from my dad's generation.

For them, the heyday of rock 'n roll was also the heyday of hippies, advocating freedoms of all sorts that really shouldn't be freedoms, propagating concepts that would pave the way for post-modernism, and--wait for it...the moral decay of society. Welcome to the 1960s, ladies and gentlemen. Behind rock 'n roll are the ideas to do away with traditions, do away with rigidity, and in many ways, do away with God. Therefore, for people of my parents' generation, rock 'n roll is associated with all the bad and nothing good.

Now, even though I understood this, I was still torn about it. I think you youngsters out there like me don't think about rock (or even rock 'n roll) as an entity so closely related to moral decay, or even as a form of rebellion (or maybe it is because your parents hate it). In fact, the style of worship music that many churches play is heavy on rock. So have we all been inadvertently advocating a sinful thing?

And guess what? All that angsting about my favorite music style was resolved by going back to the Word. (Whoa...what a surprise. *note the sarcasm)

Ultimately, my dad and I agreed that this was an example of "to eat or not to eat." By that, I'm referencing Romans 14 when Paul is talking about whether it is sinful to eat food that has been offered to idols. Paul's answer? It's both! The food by itself is not sinful, nor is eating it. However, notice verse 23 when it says "But whoever has doubts is condemned if he eats, because the eating is not from faith. For whatever does not proceed from faith is sin." For the believer who eats the food even though he thinks it's not right, the action of acting against his conscience to eat it anyway is sin in God's eyes! And yes, it's okay for believers to eat the food, but not everyone has gotten over that barrier, and so one should not insist on eating it anyway. Verse 15 says this: "For if your brother is grieved by what you eat, you are no longer walking in love. By what you eat, do not destroy the one for whom Christ died." My attention was drawn especially to the last part of this verse. Not only are you not being loving, you're actively destroying your fellow believer by that callous act! Man, talk about serious consequences!

Similarly, while I think my dad and I essentially agreed to disagree on whether rock 'n roll is sinful in and of itself, the same principle works here. For those of us who were born post-1960s, we just don't fully comprehend the negative effects that rock 'n roll had on previous generations. Rock for us is just another genre of music. (You see me using rock and rock 'n roll interchangeably, which technically I shouldn't, but I'm kind of lazy...haha). We are like the believers who don't see anything wrong with eating food offered to idols. (NOT to say that we're more spiritually mature than those who do. My dad is a lot more spiritually mature than I am, just to start with. Also, I think us youngsters don't care as much because we're kinda ignorant, if I may be blunt.) If you're anything like me, at some point in your life, you thought that your parents were being super old-fashioned and narrow-minded when it came to rock music, especially being played as worship music in church. Well, sorry to break it to you, but you were (are) being incredibly insensitive and unloving to your brothers and sisters in Christ. Think I'm exaggerating? Read Romans 14:15 again.

Now, this isn't to say that I disapprove of worship music that is stylistically rock. Again, I love rock. However, I think that to be more sensitive to our fellow believers, we should be very careful about the demographics and spiritual maturity of the congregation. Be sensitive and don't shrug off their concerns just because we think they're being "old."

Both generations could use some teaching. That is, the older folks could benefit from younger folks explaining that using rock in our worship music is a way we express our praise for God and that we do not use it in the same way that it was used originally. Of course, this entails that the younger guys and gals be educated in some history. LEARN how rock 'n roll (or insert anything that might potentially cause a rift) originated and try to understand why it's a big deal for a lot of people.

Anyhow, just to recap. If you skimmed through this post, read these two points and you'll get the general gist of this loooooong post:

1. Be sensitive to other believers. I'm talking especially to the young folks. Maybe I'm extra critical on you (us) because I'm one of you and I know how you think. I know that I'm arrogant and I know that I used to think that my dad was really old-fashioned and out of date. But because I know that this is true for myself, I've also got a pretty good idea that this is probably true for others as well. Younger guys, admit it. We're prideful more often than not, and we think that we've got the world figured out. Guess what? We've got twenty-plus years LESS experience. Keep Romans 14 in mind, and remember that the music we play or listen to is being offered up as WORSHIP to GOD. That being the case, we want to encourage our fellow believers to worship the Lord with a genuine heart, not one riddled with doubts.

2. TALK TO YOUR PARENTS. If I hadn't had this conversation with my dad, who knows how long I would have gone without fully understanding the deep negative impact that rock 'n roll had on the older generation? And even though it got a little loud every now and then (which seems to happen a lot in my family...I think we're just naturally loud people...haha), as my dad said: "Iron sharpens iron, and one man sharpens another" (Prov 27:17). We are able to come to a better understanding of both each other as well as how to practically live our theology through conversation and challenging one another intellectually, emotionally, and spiritually.

Thanks for the talk, 老豆!

(Ouch. I meant for that to be a short what-an-enlightening-conversation-I-had-with-my-dad post. Instead, it turned into this monster...Oops?)

Bwahahaha!

Follow the link: http://xkcd.com/610/






(There's also something hilariously ironic if you just did what I told you to and compare with the content....mwahahaha!!!)

Also, I seem to be slightly addicted to tvtropes.org. Save me!!
(Again, the irony.)
http://tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pmwiki.php/Main/TVTropesWillRuinYourLife

I love my parents

Yesterday, my mom tried to wake me up from my nap by calling me. Literally. As in with a cellphone. While we were both at home. MLIA?

Ah yes, back to the land where...

...everyone (most people) understand me and I understand everyone (mostly).

It's been a crazy six months full of hard, hard lessons and lots of struggles, but it's also been an amazing time of independence and lessons in humility. I've learned that toothpaste and dish detergent are two must-have household items that cure anything from oil stains in your clothes to water burns to clogged toilets (yes, it was quite an adventure trying to unclog my toilet without a plunger, and yes, dish detergent works amazingness) to weird, oily clumps in your hair created from a combination of hard shower water and shampoos/conditioners that leave too much residue (fie on you Pantene Pro-V!). I've also learned that it IS possible to steam frozen buns using a water boiler and the creative use of lids and plastic bags.

But aside from all the obstacles that come from living by myself in a foreign country and basically living hand to mouth (many thanks to the occasional supplemental cash from Daddy when he came to visit!!) for six months, the biggest struggle for me came spiritually. I realized quickly that if my motivation for serving Christ came from anywhere but a changed heart, it's worthless. In some respects, I wanted these six months away from home to be a sort of testing ground, if you will. A test to see, when removed from the spiritual Disneyland that is Grace Community Church and Grace on Campus, whether I would be part of the faithful or if I would be left adrift and aimless without such solid guidance. Unfortunately, I found myself floundering more often than not. The desire to go to church and fellowship with believers warred with that sinful human tendency in me that feared new situations. My resolve to read and study both God's Word and additional works to supplement my understanding gave way to exhaustion. My need to pray was muted by my want to satisfy my physical needs.

And so it went that I was on this rapidly descending spiral that filled me with all sorts of anguish because suddenly I felt this disturbing gulf between myself and my Lord that should not exist in a believer's life.

Thanks be to the Lord on high who is persistent to bring me back into His fold even when I am faithless! Though I struggled and fell more times than I care to count, He was faithful to orchestrate situations so that I would be surrounded by His people. He planned it such that I would have a Christian supervisor at work who would go with me to BSF (Bible Study Fellowship) on Tuesday nights so that we could split the cost and minimize my financial burden. He led to warm sisters in Christ who encouraged me and exhorted me in my weakness to lay my burdens before His feet. He taught me that my strength is nothing compared to His might.

And perhaps this was the greatest reminder of all: for all my faults and all my shortcomings, the Lord has ordained it so that I--even I--am counted righteous before Him because of the terribly wonderful work of Jesus Christ on the cross and His subsequent resurrection. Praise, praise, praise God for the fact that I cannot earn my salvation because I see so very clearly that if it were up to me, I'd be the first one in hell. And while I understand that I've definitely done some backwards slipping during these six months, I can rejoice in the knowledge that He will give me the strength to fight this sinful tendency in me. Repentance and the path to righteousness is difficult, but we are by no means alone on the narrow road. We have the great High Priest, the most effective intermediary on our side. "For we do not have a high priest who is unable to sympathize with our weaknesses, but one who in every respect has been tempted as we are, yet without sin. Let us then with confidence draw near to the throne of grace, that we may receive mercy and find grace to help in time of need" (Hebrews 4:15-16). And that is so amazing it boggles my mind.

In short, God has used these six months to humble me. I am not as strong as I think I am, but in recognizing my weakness and absolute dependence on God, it gives me even greater strength because that strength is not my own.

"But He said to me, 'My grace is sufficient for you, for my power is made perfect in weakness.' Therefore I will boast all the more gladly of my weaknesses, so that the power of Christ may rest upon me. For the sake of Christ, then, I am content with weaknesses, insults, hardships, persecutions, and calamities. For when I am weak, then I am strong." 
- 2 Corinthians 12:9-10

Just another day at the supermarket...

(Alternately titled, "Why shopping in China anytime even close to the vicinity of Chinese New Year's is a really, really bad idea")

Most people know that I'm not that big of a shopper.  In fact, I'm a very lazy shopper. If I can avoid having to go shopping, I will.  When I do go shopping, I go straight to find what I want and bam, bam, bam, I'm done. I like being able to go in and get out quickly. Unfortunately for me, I forgot that the weekend before Chinese New Year's is probably the worst possible time for me to pick up my daily use items.

There were So. Many. People!  I was jostled and tossed about like a little toy boat in the sea that is holiday-shoppers.

But, I will say that there has been vast improvements since the last time I was in China.
1. There were lines. (Or at least something that resembled them).
2. People (some) actually said "Excuse me."
3. The fearsome older generation of Shanghai ladies actually asked each other where the end of the line was.

I hope you realize that I'm not being sarcastic (not completely, anyway). I really do think there have been some really good attitude improvements from the general public and it's heartening.  The fact that little things like this are heartening is a little disturbing in what it says about how things were like before, but still, count your blessings, dear soul.

Admittedly, I was really grumpy when I was being bumped about in the store, but as I was waiting in line (with those measly five items), I couldn't help but find the humor in the situation. Why get upset when it'll just be a waste of energy?  Better to save up the moments and report to all you dear ones who may be reading this. :)

In other news, a big thank you to Anita for teaching me the use-toothpaste-on-burns trick.  Silly girl that I am, I just bought a heat/cold preserving tumbler, and when the pictures said that I can turn in on the side without anything spilling, I tried it without thinking. Suffice to say, false advertisement still runs rampant in China.

The Body of Christ is Amazing!

Today, I went to visit BSF (Bible Study Fellowship) for the first time. The cool thing? I went with my supervisor who I just found out is also Christian. Yay! How awesome is it that God has placed me where I am right now with exactly these people around me?

Week 1 in Shanghai: What I've Learned

- Don't take hot water for granted: I'm reminded of this every day as I turn on my water heater which takes about 2 hours to heat the water enough for about a 10 minute shower.

- Don't take heaters for granted: It usually works fine, but every now and then it just stops and I end up seeing a white puff of air from my breath that really shouldn't be there.

- Don't take soft beds for granted: And I thought the mattress I had for college was bad. My current bed is about as soft as sleeping on the carpet at Grace Church (yeah, all you people who stay for Evening service to "study" know what I'm talking about...). This has been fixed, however, as of last night by doubling up a blanket on the bottom as a cushion.

- Don't take stoves for granted: My mind keeps wandering to what I should cook for dinner...until I realize I have no stove to cook it on. I want to buy a single-burner electric stove soon, but it's been too cold out for me to want to do anything. Like move.

- Public transportation is my friend: 2 RMB for buses, and 4 for the metro. That comes out to about $.30 and $.60, respectively. This is how the rest of the world gets around, California.

- Tote bags are my friend: Curiously, the supermarket near my apartment only gives you ONE plastic bag to hold your purchases. Hello, free UCLA blood donation tote. :)

- Living with myself cannot be good for my sanity... because I've found myself talking to, well, myself a LOT more often. Haha...whoo boy...

- Google talk is pretty darn amazing: Yay for cheap free international calls home.

- Bringing an umbrella would have been a good idea: For all that Shanghai only snows once every couple of years, it's snowing this year. Haha... It'd be pretty if it weren't for the fact that I'm kinda freezing my posterior off.

Annnndddd...I think that about sums up everything except for work. But I'm getting a little chilly at my desk, and since I don't have wireless and I can only do internet things while AT my desk, this means that I'm done for now. Until next time, dearies.

Win

Thousand year egg and slim pork congee + you tiao = 6 yuan.

Yay KFC.

I'm still looking to see how much cheaper I can get my meals.  If KFC is going for 6 yuan, I'm positive I can find something at 2....

Day 1 at work...

1 hour in: my head is practically spinning from the training. And I haven't even gotten into the meaty parts yet. Yikes.

2 hours in: more training. Lots and lots more.

3 hours in: lunch! Yay for 85 degrees in China! :) (that's right, suckers. there's one right next to my workplace...guess who's getting fat on pastries?) 

4 hours in: first project - program writing: due date - Monday, 1/17

6 hours in: am told by supervisor that I can leave an hour early since it's my first day. yay!

8 hours in: just kidding. internet problems. must cover for some other teachers.  thrown feet first into teaching with very little prep time. yikes!  okay, so it wasn't too bad, just unexpected and a little funny considering it was my first day.

9 hours in: braving the harsh winter winds of Shanghai to go home.  Was originally planning on dropping by the supermarket, but the cold changes my mind.

Annnnddd...there you have it. My first day of work. Half-exciting, half-what-in-the-world-am-I-doing, but altogether pretty good. My coworkers are all very friendly so that's a plus. Now if only I can get off my lazy butt to go to the supermarket tomorrow morning before work...(my hours are 10-7).  The below-freezing temperatures are something of a deterrent from going anywhere. Granted, it's also probably a really good incentive for going to work since my workplace has better heating than my apartment. Lol...

Full Circle

Well...this is exactly why I fail at keeping journals. I forget too often.  :)

Anyhow, these past couple of weeks have been extremely crazy for me.  In a matter of two months, I've essentially uprooted my life and readied to plant myself right back where I started from six years ago.  That's right, it's back to Shanghai for me (as of 10 hours from now).  That being said, if memory serves me correctly, blogspot doesn't work over in good ole China, so I think this journal is going to be abandoned for six months. Sad.  I'll try to set up something that does work, but in the meantime, I think I'll just try to stick with email updates.

Aside from all that madness, the last 2 months can be summed up like this:

- Titus
- family fun (Settlers of Catan)
- food
- Titus!
- Settlers
- food
- Titus
- food
- TITUS!!!
- Settlers
- Mahjong
- food
- Tiiiiiittttttuuuuuusssss!!!!!

Yup. That's a pretty accurate summation of Christmas 2010 with the Kwong family. Love it. :)  Anyway, I'll go more in depths with all the wonderful blessings these past weeks have been in a later update, but for now, I just finished packing and really shouldn't be up this late.