Sunday, December 11, 2011

Sushi Night, and Flashback to GC


Today!!!!!! It was going to be filled with essay-writing, all day every day forever(!!!!!!!). Instead, I ran away /was rescued was able to go see Evelyn's students' recital with Cat, and then have a sushi party at Gideon's.

It was so wonderful to see Evelyn and Alex again (and meet Alec's mother!), enjoy the lovely music, see all the children and their families, and eat delicious baked goods. Then, we made sushi, SO MUCH SUSHI. I learned how to make inside-out rolls and rainbow rolls, and I also learned that Sherri and Eri can rock the heart roll, that Cat is essentially an expert of all-things-sushi, that Gideon can plate beautifully, and that Ivan has a not-so-secret talent for interpretive dance. We also talked and laughed about so many different things, nerdy, insightful, heavy, silly, and just weird. I think it was one of the first times I've gotten to hang out with Ivan and Sherri in such a setting as friends since they counselored us as teens - which was wonderful - it was also the first time I've gotten to hang out with Eri in a long while (ok, since August), and with Gideon really in general - and it's always a joy to spend time with Cat :)

On the way home I was recounting to Cat the trip that Helen, Vaneh and I took to the Grand Canyon and Las Vegas. Cat commented on how wonderful it is to be reminded that God cares for us through all situations, not just through what we might think of as rough times. And she reminded me again of how faithful God was during that trip.

The day we went to the Grand Canyon, it was completely foggy - you couldn't see a thing. We have some pretty sad photos. So we were a bit disappointed (though of course we sang our hearts out anyway (: ), and earnestly hoped for fairer weather the next day. We were greeted the next morning with pretty cloudy skies, and I wasn't so sure about it I admit - but we were actually able to see very very far out over the Canyon! A tour guide later told us that a day such as this was the best time to visit the Grand Canyon: on a completely cloudless day you wouldn't be able to see as far out because of the sun's glare. So, the heavy fog from the day before which we (at least I) had been so bummed about actually turned out to be a blessing, and provided just the right amount of coverage the next day to give us the best view.

Situations can change, but God doesn't. Perhaps certain concepts can't always be pulled from one context to the next, but I think in this case it can. Cloudy days and cloudy seasons will come and go, but our God remains the same. He is the Lord Unchanging, the Strong One Who Sees, Jehovah-Jireh, El-Shaddai. He is the Creator of my life, the holder of my heart. Soul, walk steadfastly with Him, for He knows where you are going, and He knows the path you most need to get there.

Saturday, December 10, 2011

Butts

A co-authored post by Lulu, Alice, and Gabriel

It's good to be home! Each year I notice that the conversations among my siblings and me get a little more interesting - although we do talk about things like butts, stinky feet, and obscene bodily functions, we also have been talking lately about things like ethical business practices, systematic education reform, and societal and biblical gender roles.

We haven't solved the crisis of the United States education system yet (a heavy task for sure), nor have we completely finished defining either ethical business practices or appropriate gender roles - but here are some of the highlights from our conversations of the latter:

A Short Treatise on Masculinity and FemininityBy the Hu Baby-Sibs 
What A Man Should Be
According to Gabriel:
- brave (like swim with sharks)
- strong (like have beefy arms)
- loyal (to people they love)
- humble (like not show off)
- chivalrous [after learning the word from Alice]
- have an ancient battle cry [emphasis mine - you can ask him for a demonstration]  
According to Alice: 
- swift, as a coursing river
- forceful, as a great typhoon
- strong, as a raging fire
- mysterious, as the dark side of the mooooooon [emphasis mine]
but seriously,
- brave (doing what you know you should do despite the risks)
- strong (mentally speaking, I don't think physically is a necessity)
- chivalrous (which historically speaking, means to honor God, honor the king, and honor women)
- mature (i.e. know what is important and care about what's important)  
What A Woman Should Be
According to Gabriel:
- the boss (because they get to eat food first and they can hit a man but he can't hit her back)
- have nice clothes (and dresses and stuff)
- warm-hearted (like being nice and kind and stuff)
- can keep secrets (like where are all the Christmas presents??)
- gooey [I will leave this one to interpretation]  
According to Alice:
- gracious (i.e. forgiving, putting others before self)
- compassionate ('like being nice and kind and stuff')
- mature (similar to point before)

Well I hope that this brought you some laughs - it definitely did for us :)

Some of my thoughts - I was quite surprised at some of the things my brother said, especially about women being the boss and men having beefy arms, and I was not as surprised about some of the things my sister said, especially about men and women's roles as defined by tradition, modern society, and the Bible. I also found it striking that my brother has such a very clear view of what makes a man, though he was much more hesitant to say what makes a woman. The same could probably be said of my sister. It's funny (and at times even a bit scary) what kids interpret from what adults in either their own lives or the media do and say. From a very young age, they're told what they should and shouldn't be, and whatever that message is, it is often reinforced towards the negative as they grow older. Through these conversations, I was reminded again and again of how important it is to have godly men and women in our lives, both as examples to look to, and as mentors and friends to live with.

To close, here are a few ending highlights and words of wisdom:
"I think that men should be able to cry too. Because sometimes things are really important, and if they know it then it's ok to cry about it.. like if someone they love is hurt or dies.. but not if it's like all the time like about dirty shoes or something." -- Gabriel
"What's that word again? The one with the 'w'? Oh yeah chivalry! I think it's like when someone wants to punch the king so you go and block it. Add that to mine ok?" -- Gabriel 
"A man should not scan his butt. Neither should a woman. Or anyone else for that matter. Because then you'll have to get a new scanner." -- Alice
"To scan, or not to scan. Choose wisely." -- Gabriel  

Friday, December 2, 2011

Sovereignty

"If you will give God your right to yourself, He will make a holy experiment out of you. God's experiments always succeed."
- Oswald Chambers

Thank you Cat!

This is God's sovereignty at work. People may fall, plans may fail, the careful devising and building of many years can go to ruin. But God's plans do not crumble, and His purposes do not weaken or change shape due to circumstance. He is unchanging and all powerful, and He is not so large that He cannot see and intimately love these little grains of sand that are us.

Wednesday, November 23, 2011

A Treatise

During my senior year at Wellesley, I often talked about Carol Dweck and her work's impact on me. Here is a short treatise on:

How psychology changes lives

One of the most influential people in my life is a woman named Carol Dweck. Carol is a social psychologist currently working from Stanford University. I've never actually met her in person, but her research about mindsets and failure helped to change my perception and understanding of myself. I grew up believing that failure was bad, and that failure in any way was a sign of my ineptitude as a human being. I had to avoid failure at all costs because I needed to uphold my image of being "smart", of being a good daughter, capable, put together, a good role model, etc..

Reading about Dweck's work opened up the floodgates for me in a sense - it helped me to better understand where I was coming from, why I was the way I was, what I could do to move forward. From her work, I understood that failure is not a condition in which I am eternally bound; rather, it stems from a mindset from which I was capable of breaking through hard work and perseverance. Looking back on my senior year, I have to say that her work was an important part in my pulling through thesis/antithesis - not only that, but it helps inform me in the ways that I think about education and instruction.

Sounds lovely right? And I held to this pretty firmly. I shared this with others who would listen, and I encouraged others to look at her work and research for themselves.

I even wrote up a nice little blog post about it, see?

But after writing this, even in my thinking of writing this, I realized how empty and meaningless our world's psychology really is.

Another Treatise, then:

How the Gospel changes lives

One of the most influential people in my life is a man named Jesus. Jesus is the Son of the Living God, wholly man and wholly God, who walked the earth more than twenty centuries ago. He currently lives in a time and space that I can't quite understand, everywhere and everytime, and also in me. I've never actually met him in person, but I have met him many times, and his life, death, and resurrection have changed my perception and understanding of myself. I grew up believing that failure was bad, and that failure in any way was a sign of my ineptitude as a human being. I had to avoid failure at all costs because I needed to uphold my image of being "smart", of being a good daughter, capable, put together, a good role model, etc..

Knowing Jesus opened up the floodgates for me - it helped me to better understand where I was coming from, why I am the way I am, what I could do moving forward. From the Gospel, I understood that failure is a condition in which I was eternally bound; it is not something as simple as a mindset from which I can break through merely hard work and perseverance. Indeed, it is impossible to escape through any way, except by the power of his life, death, and resurrection. Looking back on my past twenty-some years, I have to say that his work - his Father's work - his Spirit's work, are the most important and dare I say only real part in my pulling through thesis/antithesis - not only that, but it is the only thing that can give me hope, strength, and a future.

Sounds lovely right? And I hold to this firmly. Yet I do not boldly share this with others who would listen, and though I wish to encourage others to look at this for themselves, I do not nearly as often as I wish.

I only wrote up a nice little blog post about it, see?

But after writing this, even while thinking of writing this, I realized how empty and meaningless our world really is without it.


I am but a work-in-progress... and works-in-progress in the agile cycle are iteratively thrown into the fire.


Lord, throw me in.

Sunday, November 20, 2011

Upcycling Lightbulbs

Do you have a bunch of old burned-out lightbulbs lying around? Here are some projects you can do to upcycle them! 

Hanging bulb vases - so pretty!

How To make the Hanging Lightbulb Vase - FreePeople

Simple vase! - arte.sano Instructables

Terranium - arte.sano Instructables

Salt and Pepper Shakers - Esprit Cabane 

More hanging vases - Esprit Cabane

How to Hollow Out a Lightbulb - TeamDroid


Our house uses energy efficient lightbulbs, which don't lend themselves well to such projects because they're filled with mercury which can keeeel you, but we do have a few old bulbs like the above that could use a makeover. That said, I think those spirally energy efficient lightbulbs would look so pretty as a vase!! If only they didn't contain nasty chemicals...

Anyway, this had been added to my list of projects! Which is ever growing, and currently kind of stuck on Project Mittens..

Thursday, November 17, 2011

Awesome Sleeping Resources

Two of my favorite web sleep resources right now: 
Sleepyti.me ~ A lovely, simple little tool to calculate how much sleep you should get, and what time you might try getting up in order to complete a good number of full sleep cycles. This also works the opposite way around, a.k.a. what time should you sleep if you need to be awake at such and such time?
AskMeEvery ~ This is absolute genius - a cellphone-linked self-accountability system, whereupon you determine the question you must ask yourself each day, and are prompted via SMS to tabulate your results. You can view your progress or lack thereof via a simple plotted graph. 

When I first started using AskMeEvery, I asked myself how many hours of homework I did each day. But this information was ultimately useless to me. Now, I've been asking myself how many hours of sleep I got each day. The results for this past week have been pretty sad. 
I'm doing better!

This is not something I'm proud of. Let it be known that Lulu will [try to] get lots of sleep henceforth, with lots of sleep as defined by whatever sleepyti.me tells me is good via its shade and tint of green. 

8:15am=good! 5:15am=not as good. 12:45am=why are you doing this?

One design suggestion: they should show the first few options in
RED and then reprimand me the user for my his/her poor life habits.  

Oh the wonders of technology! May these resources be as useful to you as they are to me. Do any of you have favorite resources out there? Please share! 

The end.

Sunday, November 13, 2011

Catherine and Hope - Reprise

Current thought: I like to clip my nails, and I also like that my nails grow quickly so I can clip them more often.

Some other things that relax me: 
- Clipping nails
- Painting nails
- Knitting
- Cooking
- Cleaning
- Sleeping (well duh)

My most recent nail adventure: Cosmic Nails!
The galaxy was at my fingertips.


This past weekend Hope came over to play! We got to run around in Boston and in fountains, explore the Freedom Trail, eat lots of food and see a good show. The week before, Catherine and Jean also came to visit - we ate lots of food, went to a concert, and took super quick driving tours of Boston. Oh, and lots of pillow talk for both. I just learned this term. IT WAS SO MUCH FUN!!!! *insertincoherentyelling* Both times after they left, I felt really really sad though I shouldn't be surprised - it's always sad when good friends leave, especially after they live with you for a few days.

I love having people I love come to visit, and I love when people I love meet each other. The first time my worlds collided, my mind was blown and I couldn't handle it. But the more it happens, the more I love it. PLEASE HAPPEN MORE.

All said and done, I'm still recovering physically from the last two weeks. I look forward to finally sleeping and getting to breathe again. Maybe after Thursday. I intend to not get sick, but knowing my immune history, perchance not. But it's ok! I'm fine, Mom. :)


And no, I don't like clipping other people's nails. Unless it's a baby's nails, in which case I would like to do that but I'm also scared I'll hurt the poor child and thus I don't really clip anything or wait until they're asleep.

Tuesday, November 1, 2011

Patterns

[This post is inspired by Lifehacker]

I've noticed a pattern in my dreams recently -- there's been a theme of not knowing what to do with what I've got, not knowing how to use my skills and assets, not knowing how to solve a problem... Just last night I dreamed something akin to the Hunger Games (another pattern in itself -- why are my dreams always like this?? I haven't even read it.), and I was faced constantly with this feeling of "omg this sucks I'm going to die" rather than my usual "Yeaaah adventures!!" I generally remember emotions in my dreams very well (as opposed to in real life haha -- but really, I'm trying!) and I've noticed that the overwhelming feeling in my dreams of late is that of a pervasive directionlessness, joined with frustration and an overall color of burnt sienna.

More patterns in life: I love problem solving - challenges excite me, and I love tackling something that I find difficult or elusive or overly ambitious. At an extreme, if something feels almost impossible to me, it's probably something that I will latch onto and try to tackle (however consciously or willingly), and typically not with the careful foresight and analysis that should accompany it.

I am competitive. Perhaps I don't seem to be (or maybe I do -- do I? Not sure), but I can take the most meaningless activities and make them unnecessarily cut-throat. That said, I mean this in solely play-environments. Though for a while my family (thankfully no longer) and family friends valued competitiveness in terms of grades, GPA, SAT scores, trophies, medals, and extracurriculars, that is not the sort of field I want to compete in. That makes me very sad -- maybe because I now associate that with a sense of worth - i.e. if you have higher grades or salary or what-not, you're automatically better? Or if you've created more artwork than person B in the last month, you're a superior artist? Far from it! But if you're going to play a sport or game or anything else, have at it! It's the attachment of worth to any accomplishments that sets me off.

All these now written out... I've been feeling quite at odds with myself. I want [to do/be/have] a lot of things, and in my typical too-excited-and-not-enough-thinking way of jumping into things, I often bite off more than I can chew. Thus, part of growing for me means learning to recognize my limits, to think more thoroughly before I leap, and consider more carefully before I accept a challenge. Though it's no excuse, I think this does help to at least partially explain why my plate is often overflowing with projects to do, people to see, places to go - perhaps why I often feel like I'm running madly behind life, trying to keep up with and not be dragged along by time.

More thoughts are swimming, but I will have to sieve through them another time... Good night.

Monday, October 31, 2011

Mind Blown

But I guess that it's such a small world I should not even be surprised. Even so, mind is blown.

Monday, October 24, 2011

Leaf Rose and Other Stuffs

Many of you know that I love crafts and DIY projects. I don't think I've ever posted about any of my projects though... so I'll start now! :) YAY!

I haven't had much time to do crafts lately because of school and work, but I did a lot over the summer and I'll go through them one by one, all retro-flashback-style. I don't have any tutorials written either, but I will practice doing that eventually because I'd love to one day have a large following of other craftaholics. For now I'll just photo-spew my adventures!

I had a bit of time to do one project today - Leaf Roses from DesignSponge! I didn't have the brilliant red maple leaves like the ones in the tutorial because the ones near our house are all dried and crackly - so I made do with some yellow linden and a red mulberry leaves.

Pictures! ---

 
Materials: scissors, floral tape, 12 total of maple, mulberry, and linden leaves.
Progress shot! I only took one.. it was too difficult to hold everything in place.
Almost done! This is when you're supposed to start taping.
Yay!

Ok, so the final product doesn't look as pretty as the roses by Kate, but I'm happy!! I plan to undertake this project next: a Netbook Book Cover. As a sidenote: I dislike that it's called a "Man Craft". I like netbooks and books and hot glue guns too!!!! :( Boo.

The Netbook Book Case!

I went to the MIT bookstore loading dock sale today, and got a few books that I plan to use for this. I have to say, the covers are definitely not as cool as this one of the man fighting a bear. But the titles are beautiful.

This describes my life. 
This too. Though I'm really not that fashionable. 

And I have to share some of the pictures in the FashionEast book!!

So this is where all those stripey skirts
from summer are coming from!
Beautiful!
This is the inside cover -- sooo pretty!

That's the end of my crafting adventures for today. I have more in my arsenal that I want to share, and so many more that I want to undertake!! Ahhh too much!!! That is what Pinterest is for. But this is it for now. Stay tuned and good night!

Saturday, October 22, 2011

Chejil -- 8 Body Types

I learned about something new recently -- chejil. From Anna's blog,
"For a long while, according to findings in Oriental Medicine, humans were classified as one of four body "constitutions" or chejil. One's chejil is determined from birth and is distinguished by the relative size and strength of one's organs. In turn, one's chejil influences one's appearance, temperment, physiology, and pathology. A specially trained hauisa, is able to determine your chejil based on your pulse."
I am an avid self-diagnoser. I've diagnosed myself with a multitude of really strange diseases and disorders, as some of you know well... So naturally, when Anna told me about this I immediately started to diagnose myself as one of the chejil.

So far, these are the ones that seem to be most descriptive of me:
http://www.8bodytype.com/en/board2/8_pul.html
http://www.8bodytype.com/en/board2/8_pan.html
Overall things that are beneficial for me:
- Seafood!!!! (YES) Leafy veggies. White rice. Cucumbers, cabbage, chocolate and bananas, pineapples. 
Things to avoid:
- Potatoes. Chicken?? (noooo) Ginseng, honey, apples.

Interesting facts:
One of the things I DIDN'T want to see on that list: Coffee and Tea. Apparently it's harmful for a pulmotonia type, so I hope I'm not that. The pulmotonic also should not have vitamins A, B, C, and D (HAHAHAHA), old fillings, or any other types of medications, and using saunas. The pancreotonic also should avoid living in red rooms, and is prone to sterility.

Ok, so this was a fun exercise, but I hope I'm none of the above. Bahah! I do like my seafood, but I also like my coffee and tea and saunas, thank you very much. But I understand where the idea of chejil come from, and I think it's probably very true and something that I should be more aware of. So FINE. I'll lay off some of those to-be-avoided foods. It will be an experiment. YAY EXPERIMENTS

Thursday, October 20, 2011

From Maple's Post

Bible Emergency Numbers:

When in sorrow, call John 14
When men fail you, call Psalm 27
When you have sinned, call Psalm 51
When you worry, call Matthew 6:19-34
When you are in danger, call Psalm 91
When your faith needs stirring, call Hebrew 11
When you are lonely and fearful, call Psalm 23
When you grow bitter and critical, call 1 Cor 13
When you feel down and out, call Romans 8:31-39
When you want peace and rest, call Matthew 11:25-30
When the world seems bigger than God, call Psalm 90
When you want Christian assurance, call Romans 8:1-30
When you leave home for labor or travel, call Psalm 121
When your prayers grow narrow and selfish, call Psalm 67
When you want courage for a task, call Joshua 1
When you think of investments/returns, call Mark 10
How to get along with fellowmen, call Romans 12
For invention/opportunity, call Isaiah 56
For Paul's secret to happiness, call Col 3:12-17
For idea of Christianity, call 2 Cor 5:15-19
If you are depressed, call Psalm 27
If you want to be fruitful, call John 15
If your pocketbook is empty, call Psalm 37
If you're losing confidence in people, call 1 Cor 13
If people seem unkind, call John 15
If discouraged about your work, call Psalm 126
If you find the world growing small, and you great, call Psalm 19


Tuesday, October 18, 2011

Verses of the past few days

Psalm 27:14 Link
Wait for the LORD; be strong and take heart and wait for the LORD.

Psalm 51:12 Link
Restore to me the joy of your salvation and grant me a willing spirit, to sustain me.

Thursday, October 13, 2011

Verse of the Day

Jeremiah 29:11 Link
For I know the plans I have for you,” declares the LORD, “plans to prosper you and not to harm you, plans to give you hope and a future.

Other thoughts -

I dreamed last night that I was a white man, and father of two little boys. One of them had some eye poop that was bothering him, and I didn't know how to help him get it off. Then while struggling to help him, I realized that I also didn't know how to get rid of my own eye poop. We both felt very lost and confused. But my little boy was so cute! *squeeee* I still remember his face pretty distinctly. I have no idea who the mother was though, and my other little boy was a baby. Why am I dreaming about these things??

Wireframing tools

List of places to look for Wireframing Tools:



One day I will write my own reviews.

Monday, October 10, 2011

Verse of the day

Proverbs 19:20-21 [link]
Listen to advice and accept discipline, and at the end you will be counted among the wise. Many are the plans in a person’s heart, but it is the LORD’s purpose that prevails. 

Other thoughts -

I'm excited to get started in my balloon making adventures (inspired by the balloon master Nancy)! Right now I've only made a dog, flower, and bunny. This is my ultimate goal:

Balloon Tardis [link]
I would love to make it interactive too. You'll be able to walk in, see the flashing lights and hear the vroomvrooms, and of course, it'd be bigger on the inside. Like this one, but not edible, which does make it slightly less cool.

Linlin, sometimes I think about getting a tumblr just to reblog you. But then I realize it takes too much time. So here you go, I'm reblogging you a different way. :)

---- edit ----

Here's another one!

Twisted And Radically Designed Inflated Structure [link]   
So appreciating the name.

Thursday, October 6, 2011

Slow morning

We're having a slow morning today. No regular meeting, and there are technicians coming around to check our building and facilities. 

The news that's been going around about Steve Jobs - it's quite surprising to me how strongly people are affected by his death - myself included. This man really did change the world. It's amazing what one person can do. 

Tuesday, October 4, 2011

Undeserved Love

How deep the Father's love for us

Ever since I can remember, from early elementary on, I tried hard to be loved by those around me - friends, teachers, family, even strangers. I even remember bringing snacks for the kids at my table just to curry their favor. A people-pleaser at heart.

I also linked love with favor and approval - i.e. if somebody was disappointed in me, in my head that meant their love for me was gone. Of course, this would inevitably happen, and I interpreted this as growing evidence that I was therefore unlovable. So as the years passed, I built a thick wall of callousness around myself. I told myself that I didn't need the approval of others, and I really believed it. I began to dissociate myself from others, not necessarily in an antisocial way, but in an aloof and disconnected way, where I could prevent myself from ever losing their love and approval. I reasoned to myself, however unconsciously, that if I don't let anyone close, then I can't get hurt. If I don't let others see my faults and know my insecurities, then I won't lose anything. If I don't invest, I won't be hurt. If I don't take a leap of faith, then I can't fall.
If I don't try, I can never fail.
So that became one of the core philosophies that I carried across all aspects of my life, and it infused my relationships, my work, my studies, my spiritual walk...

Praise the Lord, for he had no plans for me to stay this way. He blessed me with my family, who love through thick and thin, who know more of my faults than I care to think about, and who care more for my good than my comfort. And he blessed me with dear friends who know and love me beyond my closely guarded surface, who stick through hardships and challenge me to grow, who can show their love in truth through both approval and disapproval. Little by little through the years, the walls have been torn away. It's scary to be vulnerable, but that's where true fellowship begins.


As much as I'd like to be and try to be, I'm not a reflective person by nature. My instinct is to think just of the present, ignoring both past and future. I'm definitely a present-oriented hedonist. Reflection takes time and effort, and all too often unearths pain, guilt, and regret. But I forget that it unearths many more treasures, and deepens joy and gratitude. With remembrance comes gratitude, and with gratitude comes praise.

Praise that Lord. We cannot curry God's love - it's poured down on us, completely undeserved. There's nothing we can do to add to it, and nothing we can do to deplete it. His love is not shown simply through approval, but through gentle and firm discipline. This is a philosophy that has not infused my life, but one that I hope and pray is taking deeper hold each day.

How deep the Father's love for us, how vast beyond all measure, that he should give his only Son to make a wretch his treasure.

Monday, October 3, 2011

From Gospel Centered Discipleship:
"Know this—it is the gospel that allows you to be real. It admits us all as sinners and establishes us all as saints... Be real. Admit where you are and what you are. This will allow others to minister to you, and you to minister to others."
How true this is.. and how not evident in my life.

God does not change, and He has promised to change me.

Tuesday, September 27, 2011

Reviewing Life Trends

Over retreat, we did an exercise where we wrote out three timelines, from birth until today. One timeline recounted how God's been working in our lives to bring us where we are. One was about the struggles that we've gone through, and how God brought us through them. The last was about the times that we've felt the pleasure of God, as described by Eric Liddell -
"When I run, I feel His Pleasure."
It was amazing to see my life history visually laid out like that - I'm sure that there was so much that I missed too, and much more that close friends and family could remind me of.


As a side, I've been able to see a little bit more why I might have my penchant toward over-scheduling myself. Example - my dad is involved in like 500 activities, ranging from service in and outside of church to heading group activities, to studying part time, attending conferences, investing in networks of learning, and side activities like gardening, traveling, kite making, slug hunting and fishing with rubber. Of course, he's a lot more put together than I. :) When I take a closer look at my family, my own strange habits start to make that much more sense - eating strange foods, making strange crafts, reveling in strange activities, and so on. Hi family, if you're reading this :) Thank you. <3


As a kid I never really had a liking for history - to me, it was just boring stuff about dead white males. But as the years passed, I've come to realize how important it is. Reflection lets us understand who we are and where we come from. It gives us a window to the future as we understand ourselves. And finally, reflection brings remembrance, remembrance, gratitude, and gratitude, praise.

Let us remember.

Friday, September 16, 2011

2 Tim 3:1-7

"1But understand this, that in the last days there will come times of difficulty. 2For people will be lovers of self, lovers of money, proud, arrogant, abusive, disobedient to their parents, ungrateful, unholy, 3 heartless, unappeasable, slanderous, without self-control, brutal, not loving good, 4treacherous, reckless, swollen with conceit, lovers of pleasure rather than lovers of God, 5having the appearance of godliness, but denying its power. Avoid such people. 6For among them are those who creep into households and capture weak women, burdened with sins and led astray by various passions, 7always learning and never able to arrive at a knowledge of the truth."

2 Timothy 3:1-7


This gives me super chills, especially the last two verses. "Always learning and never able to arrive at the knowledge of the truth."... How does you know if you're in this position? Always learning, but never arriving. By God's grace...

Oh man

Sunday, May 15, 2011

Little things

Just got a free bag of chips and salsa from Anna's for their 15th anniversary, and a candy bar from MIT's Operation Smile brigade (finals-time-cheer team)

Little things :)

Monday, January 31, 2011

Catherine's Visit

Catherine came to visit this past week! We got to play in and around Boston and Wellesley in wonderfully beautiful weather -- God provided warmth, sunshine, beautiful friends and family, and plenty of joy and delicious food. We made luxurious ramen and healthy leftovers, ate out in small and quick places and big fancy venues, met up old and new friends, explored all the major neighborhoods of the city... lots of stuff! Here's a quick and dirty rundown of our adventures. BTW, did you know that "quick and dirty" is programming jargon? At least according to Wikipedia, the source we all know and kind of trust.

Day 1, Tuesday: Cat arrives after a long and perilous journey from Minnesota! I make it to the airport without trouble, but it's dark and formidable outside and I quickly get lost while trying to drive us back to Wellesley. The intended 1/2 hour trip lengthens to a rough 2 hours, and we take an impromptu driving tour of Boston and Cambridge. We finally arrive at my makeshift home and enjoy healthy bowls of luxurious shin ramen. It's been a long day, and we both crash - me on the desk as I try to finish my homework.

Day 2, Wednesday: Move out day! We have homemade breakfast and then a quick trip to the vil to tour and pick up tickets from the library. Then we rush back to move out and settle in Caz. Had lunch with Liz and Helen at Amarin, and then came back to have a nice devos time together with more studying and talking, and a delicious and unhealthy dinner from Dominoes. Two pizzas, one regular crust with pineapple and ham, the other thin crust with spinach and bacon. YAY! More studying and crash again.

Day 3, Thursday: This is big-day-in-Boston-number-1! Prior to this I rushed over to Bates to retrieve my sadly abandoned computer charger. Poor baby! :( But then we went to the science museum with Liz and Helen, and enjoyed the exhibits for a while until we were basically starving. Liz and Helen left to their lunch meeting and we toured our way past Government Center to Fanueil Hall, which was closed for renovation! Boo :( We were introduced to the Freedom Trail, and saw that Fanueil Hall was being used temporarily as a Naturalization Convention center - very exciting! Took a picture of a newly naturalized and very happy Joshua :) Or was it Justin? Ahh so many J-names! Next step was lunch at Quincy Market - we had delicious chicken tikka masala and boston clam chowder. NYUM. Then we went to Starbucks to keep studying, and I received news of my UMN acceptance! Happy pictures ensued. We got in touch with Heidi and made an impromptu dinner date in Little Italy, Panza to be exact. Lots of deliciously rich food, and off to the famous Mike's Pastry! Cannoli... mmm... Vowed to return. Made it back to Wellesley on the commuter rail, and crashed again!

Day 4, Friday: This was meant to be a nice day in. Woke up and worked, and then had lunch with Helen at Cafe Mangal - wonderful Turkish and Mediterranean food! I had a slab of meat with lemon on tortilla-like skin. NUM. After was studying at Starbucks in the Vil - lots of good productive work, had a photo opp from the outside, and saw Sanghee before leaving. We then left for home and had a nice romantic dinner for two under candlelight. Dinner consisted of leftover Panza, Dominoes, Cafe Mangal, and freshly made spinach tomato asparagus and olive oil salad. With water, chocolate, and cookies.

Day 5: Saturday: Day-out-in-boston-2! First, I picked up May from the airport at around 7am. We then took the 9 bus out with Helen and May to the Leows Theater at Boston Common and saw Black Swan (at once compelling and scary). Then we had dimsum at Hei La Moon, sadly without 小龙汤包 bwahh :( All ended well though, as we made it to Newbury soon after. We meant to walk all the way down but got distracted by Second Time Around, a wonderful name for an interesting store. We spent too long there, then went to Pinkberry for froyo. Helen and May had to leave, unfortunately.. we enjoyed delicious froyo - I got regular and blood orange with mochi and granola. YAY! We returned to Second Time Around and proceeded to spend way too long trying on every single outfit in the store. Phrase only slightly exaggerated. I bought a very-me shirt and cardigan, and Cat acquired a wonderfully flattering sweater. YAY! Then, we finally met with D! We tried many times to get a parking spot for Blue Ribbon BBQ, finally made it, and ate too much sandwich. I kind of crave it now though. Then we had more food, ice cream at Cabots! Ahh food! Delicious. And then hang out again. :)

Day 6, Sunday: BCEC in the morning! Jerry graciously provided a ride again for us. I fell asleep during service :( I'm sorry! Cat really enjoyed service though, and we both stayed wide awake during Trellis. Both bought a book - Life Together - wonderful! And then lunch with BCECers at Pho Pasteur. We shared an extra-large bowl of pho, too... much... Wanted to get bubble tea, but were stuffed to the brim. Or more. Then we took a quick pitstop at Harvard Square - saw the cute stores there, namely Black Ink and Kotaru (I think). Rushed back to try and catch the next bus home, almost failed bc I think we almost missed the final Riverside senate. But we made it back and had a nice dinner on campus. At pom, where we met Nia! Then we did something or another.. I don't remember. Doh!

Day 8, Monday: I had class in the morning, Cat studied in the P-level, and we ate lunch at Bates after classes! I visited another class and Cat studied in Pendleton, then we finally got to go to Prudential Center for Top of the Hub! Prior to this we had dinner on campus, but just a quick dinner. I don't remember. Before the quick dinner though, Cat did my hair awesomely! I looked amazing *gloat gloat* but really the gloating is for Cat's exemplary beautifying skills. Top of the Hub - beautiful! It was a clear night, and we got a great view. We had mussels and some tuna thing that was pricey but nicely laid out, and a pretty drink each. Delicious and definitely a night to remember :)

Day 9, Tuesday: More classes in the morning! Cat studied at Pendleton again, and we had lunch at Tower! Toured Tower a bit to see the castle like features, and then I had more class.. after class we lounged around, walked around a bit and played pool.. hahah ~ Then we took the bus out at 6 for dinner! Rebecca lent us her unlimited charlie card :D We ate with Helen at Korean Garden, had soondubu (?), bibimbap, and tubboki. I can't spell! We then went off to Mike's Pastry again for a final round of gathering goods, stopped at JP Licks for some ice cream, and then made it back home to crash again.

Day 10, Wednesday: I stopped by 215 to say hi, and then we went on epic Wellesley tour! We toured the Greenhouse, then to the Japanese Garden by the lake - we made a whirlwind trip to Stone-D, the Chapel, and then ran off to pack up some last minute things and head on the bus. We made the 1pm bus and had a lovely lunch at Flour Bakery! :D Then, we had a massively quick tour of the Boston Public Library! It was lovely, as always. We also found their temporary art gallery, which showcased 3D sculptures of famous paintings from the original painters' perspectives. AMAZING. So glad we made it there :) Finally, we headed to the airport and bid our farewells... Cat left on her flight safely, and I went back to MIT in hopes of studying. Didn't do that, ended up coming back to Wellesley straight away and here I am today. O_O


Since then, life has been less exciting and adventuresome in terms of exploration and Cat-love, but it's been filled and exploding with God's love and grace -- I've been learning so much more about His infinite worth, His unending promises, His wisdom, love, power beyond measure, and this little pot of tilled soil that is me. Ay... God is gracious, too gracious to me, I am at a place now where I am so brimming with His given grace and peace that I can't picture being filled with more, yet I am filled each day again and again, each moment, with His glorious communion. A while ago, I read a word of wisdom to write down who God is to us when we are closest to Him, and remember that He is always that way and more even in our darkest times. I am blessed to be in a place of closeness now, a place not where I am doing "well" and feeling "stable" or "steady" necessarily, though those are wonderful blessings in themselves, but where I am truly being filled with the all-surpassing gift that is Jesus Christ.

What else have I done so far? I've cleaned my room multiple times. I've done laundry multiple times, I've indulged in a lot of delicious food and also started exercising again. I decided on a few impulse classes. I slept until noon again! I went to the greenhouse again for a night show. I made tree cookies (nonedible!). I made more ramen with rice and eggs. I got a new watch from my old watch. I've been made aware and so grateful of the many blessings of beautiful, beautiful friends that I've been showered with... I'm the richest person alive.


Final words: Miss you Cat! Boston misses you too. Come back, but only with me :P BWAHAH! Also, I wonder who else reads this thing...