Arnold's Westcoast

Downtown

2009-11-26T13:24:00.000-08:00

Public Spaces - 2 - An old man walks onto the train. Another man beside me points to a woman sitting on a courtesy seat and says get up. She doesn't listen. The man shouts, "Get up!" The woman replies, "You didn't say please. How rude!" At the bus stop, a car passes by with a small dog barking his head off through the open window. An old lady and I laugh. I love downtown.

Customer Service

2009-10-25T01:05:00.001-07:00

I think most Korean restaurants are understaffed and terribly managed. My parents and I went to Kyung Bok Palace. We told 3 servers we were ready to order. Then, they asked us to move tables since we weren't using the BBQ. At the new table, we asked twice for cutlery and tea. It took 45 minutes to get food. Why are Korean restaurants the only places to have a "call server" button? This place didn't have one.

Transit Nazi

2009-10-23T22:12:00.001-07:00

Public Spaces - 1 - I met the Transit Nazi. He checked each person's ticket for validity. He argued with one man whose ticket expired. Over the intercom he gave us a stern lecture. "Proper fare must be ready before boarding the bus. If you do not comply, you can be fined up to $175. Translink is raising fares because of people who do not honour the system." Rain must have put him in a pissy mood.

Country

2009-10-22T09:23:00.001-07:00

I'm in the elevator and a man says, "What are you listening to?" I say, "Music." He says, "What kind of music?" I say, "Ambient." He stretches his hand towards me (I'm thinking he's asking me for money), and says, "Country!" I say, "Country?!...maybe if I'm from the Prairies." He starts laughing and says, "I like country! I'm from the Yukon." The door opens, he pats me on the arm, and tells me to have a nice day.

Running From The Cops

2009-10-16T15:00:00.001-07:00

A frantic young Hispanic male runs into the mail room asking me where the entrance is. He then dashes towards the freight elevator and jumps in. A minute later, a cop shows up asking me for a description of the male and where he went. I find out later that the suspect had ditched a car by the loading dock as he was being chased by the cops. A bit of excitement for Friday.

Playboy

2009-10-14T17:35:00.000-07:00

I'm On A Train - Ep. 8 - Two girls sit next to me. Girl 1 says, "My curls don't match evenly." Girl 2 says, "It looks okay." Girl 2 says, "I'm nervous about this casting call." Girl 1 says, "If I make it into the magazine, and I look back in 5 years, I'll look hot." Girl 2 says, "If Playboy asks me to strip, I'll do it right away." They both laugh. I smile and get off the train.

Ms. T

2009-10-09T09:32:00.000-07:00

I'm On A Train - Ep. 7 - I was dozing on the train this morning, when a young lady sits in front of me pulling out 6 necklaces from her purse. She untangles each one and puts it on her neck. After donning the 6th necklace, she goes into her purse and pulls out another and then another. I was waiting for her to pull out a rabbit. Mr. T must have influenced her at a young age.

Ticket to Ride

2009-09-29T15:07:00.001-07:00

I bought Ticket to Ride: Nordic Countries. Apparently, it's the hardest map, has some new rules, and very competitive among 2-3 players. I really enjoy playing Ticket to Ride: Europe and because a number of my friends have this game, I'm stoked to try out this new edition. The graphics are sweet with a Christmas theme.

Staring At The Sun

2009-09-28T21:02:00.001-07:00

I'm On A Train - Ep. 6 - A Chinese guy kept staring at a pretty white girl when she looked away for a few seconds at a time from Surrey to Burnaby. It reminded me of a quote from Seinfeld. "Looking at cleavage is like looking at the sun. You can't stare at it long, it's too risky. You get a sense of it then you look away.” - Jerry Seinfeld

Driverless Bus

2009-09-21T23:54:00.000-07:00

I'm On A Bus - Ep. 14 - I get on a driverless bus. No ticket needed to be checked. A security guard hounds the driver when he comes back not to leave the bus unattended. The bus is packed with people and the driver demands everyone behind the red line. An old man tells me they should send more buses because it was packed. I tell him had the driver been here, we wouldn't have this problem. We both laugh.

Raising Kids

2009-09-20T23:03:00.001-07:00

I'm On A Bus - Ep. 13 - A little girl pushes my knee with her foot from the stroller. The young woman with another baby in the stroller talks to her guy friend who I learn is 16 years old about raising kids. She tells him that she's 21 years old and the father is a deadbeat. She tells him to make sure he has protection so he doesn't end up being a young father. Raising two kids at that age, wow!

Walking Cane

2009-09-15T23:58:00.000-07:00

I have received a lot of feedback on my bland looking walking cane. Some suggestions include that I should have picked a wooden one with a snake wrapped around it; one with a spike or a mirror (yep creepy I know) on the end of it; one with bumper stickers; or one with an orange triangle flag. I keep getting asked when I'm going to get my top hat. I tell them as soon as I get my colourful fur coat like Kramer.

Vancouver Rain

2009-09-09T11:11:00.001-07:00

I'm On A Bus - Ep. 12 - An Aussie family hops on the bus soaking wet. The father and mother are wearing shorts, t-shirts, and sandals. Their baby in the stroller was a bit wet because they have no rain guard so the mother uses the umbrella. I ask the father if they are Australian. He says, "Yes and I can't believe the weather changes when September starts." I say, "Yep, indeed it does."

The Magician

2009-09-06T00:59:00.000-07:00

I was walking home from the movie theatre, when a guy yells out to me at a stoplight, "Are you a Magician?" I said, "Yeah!", smiled, and nodded. He said, "Niiiice!" I guess he couldn't come up with something better because he was expecting me to say no. I chuckled after he took off. By the way, I saw the movie, "Extract," with my buddies. It was a funny flick by Mike Judge who made Office Space. Ben Affleck was good!

Siesta Physio

2009-09-02T22:27:00.000-07:00

During physio today, I was lying on a bed with electrodes attached to my heal when all of a sudden I hear a man next door snoring loudly. It was like a bear taking a nap. He fell asleep with all these electrodes attached to him and my physiotherapist was busy typing away on his computer.

Easy Money

2009-09-01T18:07:00.000-07:00

I bet my dad $20 that the Canada Line costs $2-billion. He thinks it costs $20-billion and says he has a newspaper to prove it. I laughed pretty hard! He refuses to believe that he is wrong. I thought it was going to be easy money, but it looks like I have to convince him that his figure is ridonculous.

Ghetto Livin'

2009-08-31T20:38:00.001-07:00

I am looking out my window at the view of the dumpster where I am so often awoken early in the morning by binners and divers. On my way home from work this evening, I walked by a hooker drugged up swaying to-and-fro and another one walking in spike high heels that sounded like horse shoes down the middle of the street. They were next to children playing in the park. Ghetto livin' my friends.

Medical Advice

2009-08-27T23:17:00.000-07:00

I'm On A Train - Ep. 5 - A drunken homeless man raves about hot dogs. He says he wants to go to Surrey, but I tell him we're going to Vancouver. He says, "Sure, why not." He tells me he's been on the street for 14 years. He asks me what happened to my foot. I tell him the story and he gives me medical advice not to stand on it. As I get off at my station, he yells at me, "Don't walk on it man! Don't do it!"

Where's My Money?

2009-08-26T20:49:00.000-07:00

I'm On A Bus - Ep. 11 - At the stop, I sat beside a large man. A woman sat next to me. The man leaned over and said to the woman, "Where's my rent money?" She said, "You're drunk." The man said, "I want it right now!" I was going to say something, but then I realized that if he started a fight that a) my fist would bounce off his beer belly and b) if I ran away, he would catch me. Then, the woman gave him the money.

Concerned Parent

2009-08-25T15:47:00.000-07:00

I was waiting for my Quiznos when a lady comes up from behind me with a very concerned look on her face. She points to a little Asian boy wandering around and asks me, "Is that your boy?" She probably thought I was a terrible parent. I said, "Yeah, so what?" Just kidding. I said, "No." And as soon as she was about to walk over to the boy, his dad picks him up.

Paying Attention

2009-08-25T00:44:00.000-07:00

I'm On A Bus - Ep. 10 - A man asks the driver if he can ride for free for a couple of blocks. The driver says, "Okay." As we approach a bus stop, he walks towards the front and stops suddenly. An old woman not paying attention barely pushes her buggy into the back of his leg. He yelps and says, "Ow!" and then proceeds to limp off the bus. The woman tries to apologize as he gives her an evil stare. Drama.

I'm Not Alone

2009-08-24T16:38:00.000-07:00

I met two strangers on my way back from physio that know what I'm going through. One guy fractured his foot from a load of steel that fell on his foot. Another guy played football for SFU and destroyed both his elbows. Crutches make a good conversation piece.

Different Worlds

2009-08-19T00:02:00.001-07:00

I was eating at a pizza shop when the owner was drinking coffee and speaking on his cell. A customer entered the shop talking on his cell. The customer looked at the owner, used the peace sign to indicate 2 slices, and the owner while talking on his cell rung in the sale. No words were exchanged. It was hilarious watching them. We are busy in our own little worlds.

Disturbed

2009-08-13T18:06:00.001-07:00

I was walking home from work and a man in his 50s yells out to me from his window. He asks me what happened to my leg. He tells me that he was using crutches for 12 weeks. We share our stories and he asks if there is a lady in my life. Then, he asks me if I want to go for a beer on Friday. I told him I was going away. He told me to drop by whenever I'm free. Either he needs a friend or is a creeper. I was disturbed.

Velcro Shoe

2009-08-13T10:30:00.001-07:00

I'm On A Train - Ep. 4 - Last night at 11 pm while waiting for the train, I saw a man being chased by what looked like an 8 year old boy and 10 year old girl asking him for money. Then the boy asked me for money, and I said, "No." As if they were going to buy a ticket, they were going to hop on the train anyway. He then made fun of my velcro shoe. Punk kid! Where were their parents?

Bomb Threat

2009-08-11T23:24:00.002-07:00

I'm On A Train - Ep. 3 - Gong show tonight. A bomb is found at Metrotown closing the station. It takes me one hour to get to Edmonds Station. A bus called "SkyTrain Special" shows up and a huge crowd dashes like the running of the bulls. An old lady is shoved and I get pushed around. I'm like why is everyone getting on SkyTrain Special? It leaves and then Metrotown bus shows up. Hardly anyone on it. I was like sweet!

Coffee Stains

2009-08-09T11:19:00.000-07:00

I'm On A Bus - Ep. 9 - While sitting, a guy standing next to me says, "What the hell is on my head?" I look up and I see this lady holding her coffee mug way up in the air doing a balancing act. She turns around and apologizes for spilling coffee on his head. The drops then ricochet off his head and onto my shorts. Good thing it wasn't piping hot. There's a reason why there's a "No Food Or Drink" sign on the bus.

Tourists

2009-08-07T17:52:00.001-07:00

I'm On A Train - Ep. 2.5 - I ran into the same two teen boys on the same elevator exactly 8 hours later. Strange world we live in. Boy 1 asked me if the train on the right side goes to Science World and how much the fine would be without a ticket. On the train, a man asked me what station we were at. I felt like a tourist info booth.

Dead Cell Phone

2009-08-07T10:53:00.000-07:00

I'm On A Train - Ep. 2 - Two teen boys board the SkyTrain elevator with me. Here is their conversation. Boy 1 says, "I thought your cell phone was dead?" Boy 2 talking on his cell says, "Nope." Boy 1 says, "How come mine's dead? I want yours to be dead too." I cringed at the conversation. On the train, they blurted out that they hate the BC Lions. I was going to say, "Watch your back, boys! You're in Lion country."

Damn Kids!

2009-08-05T09:25:00.000-07:00

I'm On A Train - Ep. 1 - A teenage girl sitting behind me chews her gum loudly and talks drama on her cell phone. She said her friend let people touch her friend's boobs at a party. Another teenage boy fights to get his cell phone back from his friend where the F-word is used as a noun, verb, and adjective. I felt like an old man wanting to shake my crutch at them and say, "Learn some manners, you damn kids!"

I'm On A Bus

2009-08-05T09:20:00.002-07:00

I'm On A Bus - Ep. 1 - Only in Surrey. I was waiting for my bus and a lady asks me to buy her a bottle of water. I had no change. I told her my bus is coming any minute and I'm on crutches. The bus doesn't show up and I wait almost an hour. I get on the bus, then get to the transfer station where I take another bus, and the driver ends up missing a turn and has to back track to his proper route. Total trip = 2 hours to Delta. And it's hot!

I'm On A Bus - Ep. 2 - I saw a lady drop her bag of plums on the bus this morning and watched the little fruit roll up and down the aisle as the bus drove up and down hills. The driver had a perplexed look. The whole scenario was hilarious!

I'm On A Bus - Ep. 3 - I sat with a Mexican family on the bus this morning. It reminded him of taking the bus in LA. The man was trying to learn English and French at the same time and the woman was helping him out in Spanish. Culture is great!

I'm On A Bus - Ep. 4 - I listened to a conversation at the bus stop. A guy asks a lady to buy a smoke for a dollar. They are menthol. He says he'll smoke anything. He then tells her he smokes a lot and ran out of smokes after work. A girl asks the lady for a smoke, but she says she's going to run out of smokes. She comes back telling the girl she found an extra pack in her purse and that she can have a smoke. They all light up.

I'm On A Bus - Ep. 5 - An older man walks onto the bus and sees my crutch thinking it's a post, so he grabbed it to brace himself and to his surprise it wasn't sturdy as I had to hold tight. He apologized, and I said that's alright. Before he got off, he paused, looked at me smiling and said, "Have a good day!" I said, "Thanks!" And just past him I noticed a beer can. Someone's been drinking early this morning.

I'm On A Bus - Ep. 6 - I'm sitting at the bus stop and a lady walks up to me and asks if the bus had gone. I said, "No, it should be here in a few minutes." But it actually should have shown up a minute ago which the bus then comes. The lady gets on the bus and says to the driver, "You are a minute late!" The driver was like excuse me, and said, "It's not a guaranteed time!" I think the heat is making people snappy.

I'm On A Bus - Ep. 7 - I'm waiting for my bus and another bus pulls up where a beautiful girl steps off and proceeds towards the bench I'm sitting on. She briefly looks at me with a smile and sits right next to me. The bench is about 15 feet long with only the two of us on it. Does this mean anything? I noticed her toenails were painted green and she smelled good.

I'm On A Bus - Ep. 8 - A guy hops on my bus and looks at his ticket trying to figure out which way it goes into the machine. The driver says it's the direction where the arrow points. As we cruise along, the guy walks up and says he wants to get to a certain street. The driver says he is on the wrong bus. The guy pulls the stop and runs to the exit where he doesn't know how to get out. A man yells, "Push the handle!"

Hospital Again

2009-06-06T02:17:00.004-07:00

I just got back from the hospital and it wasn't because I thought I ruptured my appendix. But I did rupture something else. Let me explain. This evening Dave and I decided to play some b-ball down in Yaletown. We had played in the courts there before so it was going to become a regular outing. We had a pickup game and played an intense match against some guys. As the sun was setting, they wanted to play one more and during that game I went up for a rebound and a guy came up with me, but landed on the back of my heel on the way down. My knee totally lurched forward and I could barely walk to the sideline. My friend, Sam, had arrived and saw my swollen ankle. She decided to head to a clinic and pick up some ice. I thanked her for doing that.

After icing it for a while, we decided to get it checked out at a clinic. After going to a couple of them, they were closing and no longer accepting patients. It was actually a good thing because we ended up going to St. Paul's Hospital.

Funny thing driving there from the courts was that Sam didn't have a driver's license and my buddy, Dave, had is Aussie license. He had only driven in Vancouver once so it took a bit albeit quick for Dave to get used to driving on the opposite side of the road.

When we arrived at the hospital, I totally thought this was going to take at least five hours to get in and out. But surprisingly the process was very quick. As soon as I got there, they registered me, and before I knew it they took my vitals and took x-rays. The nurses there were so nice and accommodating. I was laying in a bed with my leg on ice. The doctor came in and told me it was a sprain. But then he wanted to do one more check on my calf and realized it was much worse than what he thought. Because my ankle wasn't moving, he knew that I pretty much tore my Achilles tendon. That changed everything.

I will be going for surgery next week to get my tendon repaired. After a couple of hours being at the hospital, I was released. My friends and I went for some dinner at 11 pm. Using crutches has been interesting. I've never injured my body like this. Dave and Sam drove my car home and took the SkyTrain back downtown where both of them live. That was nice of them.

It's been a humbling experience being at home. It's a lot of work to get things done on one leg. I was told by the doctor I won't be able to walk for at least three months, and won't be able to play basketball for at least nine months. Funny thing is that tomorrow morning I was supposed to go on a hike.

So I guess delivering the mail at work on Monday may be a challenge. Looks like I'm going to be sitting at my desk a lot more.

Peace.

Talking to a Mormon

2009-04-18T16:43:00.004-07:00

After picking up my Marketing textbook from the SFU Harbour Centre campus today, I headed home on the SkyTrain. It was at my station where I ran into a well-dressed Mormon wearing slacks, a white button-up dress shirt, a blue tie, and sporting a simple black plastic name tag who wanted to share the purpose of life. Instead of blowing him off, I was totally intrigued to find out what he believes is the meaning of life. I asked him questions about the origins of Mormonism and how he came to believe. He told me that growing up he went to an evangelical church, but had questions about why there were so many different churches and theologies. He ran into a Mormon one day who explained to him why the Mormons believe theirs to be the true church. He explored the Mormon faith and found it to be true.

I asked him about Joseph Smith and he told me that they believe him to be the apostle that came to explain the true church which is how they have the Book of Mormon. He said that they believe Jesus Christ as their saviour; however, Joseph Smith came after where he received a vision from God who gave him the answers to the theological issues that have created the many different denominations we see today. The Mormons mission is to explain to people that in addition to believing Jesus as their saviour, they have the answers to what God's church looks like and that they are the true church.

I explained to him where I was coming from about how the rituals in church are man-made and that God from the Bible didn't explain how it is suppose to be setup. The true church is the people or the body. I said there are differences in theology and each one of us has a different interpretation of the Word, but the basis of Christianity is a personal relationship with God. He told me he believed that, but asked me what if there is something more than just knowing Jesus Christ as our saviour. I told him we don't have all the answers since we are human which is why we have a thing called faith, but one thing I do know is that Jesus is the first and the last who loved and died for us and having a relationship with Him is the most important thing in a believer's life. He agreed.

I asked him questions I've always wanted to know like their stance on polygamy and levels of heaven. He explained that they don't believe in polygamy, but originally they did because of the Old Testament. He also told me that there are three levels of heaven, but didn't go into further detail.

Throughout our conversation, I really just listened instead of argued. It was refreshing. The fact is we have our own beliefs, and I know I wasn't going to convince him with my view nor was he going to convince me, but I think it was very good to talk about the spiritual dimension of our lives. I love learning about different people's views on faith and religion so it wasn't a waste of my time having a conversation with him. He's really just a normal guy, but with different beliefs than me.

I found out he's a Korean-American who's family moved to California when he was one. He did a year at Bringham Young University and moved to Vancouver to do a two year missions trip. I asked him what he wants to do after, and he told me he plans to go to the California Institute of Technology to study Computer Science or Engineering. He eventually wants to go to MIT. Ha ha ha...I wonder if he was influenced by his parents with that decision much like my dad who wanted me to become a doctor or a lawyer. I ended up a Geographer, sorry Dad.

He asked if we could meet again, but I know it'll just open a door to having them come visit me on a daily basis, so I said no. But he did leave me a card with his contact information. We shook hands and then I headed home filled with some new knowledge about Mormonism.

Peace.

Ambulance Ride

2009-04-05T17:45:00.009-07:00

I don't remember the last time my body felt as weird as it did this weekend. Yesterday morning, I went for a haircut and headed to the recreation centre to work out and go for a swim. After exercising, I felt totally awesome and as soon as I got home, I started to feel some loose bowel movement which meant I had to prepare for some D train. I thought I would be okay as I felt totally fine, but I was wrong. I ended up sitting on the throne at least ten times, too many to count. I wonder if it was the fish I ate the night before.

After the D train subsided, I decided maybe I should eat dinner which might help harden the stools and I was really hungry anyway. After hitting the toilet once more I didn't have to go to the bathroom after that. Feeling fine, I decided to hook up with my buddy Justin at midnight to go for a drink. I ordered a strawberry shake at a Vietnamese restaurant. Then, as soon as I got home I started to feel some pain in my abdominal area, but I felt maybe it will go away while I sleep.

At 5 am this morning, the pain in my abdomen was excruciating. It was aching and burning, and I decided maybe if I go to the bathroom I'd get some relief, but no. I was thinking at the time, could my appendix be ruptured? I didn't want to take a chance that it wasn't the case so I dialed 911. This is the first time I ever dialed that number. I explained my pain to dispatch and she sent an ambulance over to my place.

I met the paramedics at the door and took a ride in the ambulance to the hospital. A lot of documentation was taken during the ride and when I got to the hospital they processed me pretty quickly. I did some tests and before I knew it I was lying in a hospital bed. The doctor came in and asked what my symptoms were. He pretty much knew right away it wasn't my appendix, and explained that I had stomach acid. I drank this nasty concoction that freezes the stomach to eliminate the pain. He gave me a bunch of Antacid tablets and told me I was good to go home. I then asked the staff which hospital I was at and they laughed. I had no idea since I got a ride there. They pointed me in the direction of where the buses were.

It was beautiful and sunny this morning, and I took the wrong bus. I thought the bus I was taking would take me home in about ten minutes, but I ended up getting the grand tour of my city which took forty minutes. I then hopped onto the Skytrain and headed home and went to bed.

My loose bowel movements have come back and I hope it clears up soon. It's been a weird couple of days because when I have D train I generally have other symptoms like a fever, headache, muscle aches, vomiting...you know what a flu feels like. But this time I feel completely fine except for my bowels.

I'm thankful to be living in Canada because had I been in the States, that ambulance ride would have cost me at least $1000 against an insurance policy and would have affected probably my decision whether or not to go. I'm glad we have universal health care.

Peace.

Spiritual Discipline

2009-02-28T16:37:00.005-08:00

I've been thinking about my faith lately and where I'm at. I think my growth is pretty slow and I haven't prayed or read my Bible in a long time. I do feel it's good to read the Word, but my mind is easily swayed to reading other books. I think the cool thing about the Bible is that I do learn something new each time I read a verse. It's just getting the motivation to read it.

I read a pretty interesting article titled "Willow Creek Repents?" about Willow Creek Community Church admitting that they made a mistake by investing millions of dollars into programs and measuring participation as an indicator of spiritual growth. From a qualitative survey of people who attend the church, the staff learned that those who were not Christians felt the church was doing a great job meeting their needs. However, those who were devoted followers of Christ were not growing spiritually much at all through the Willow Creek model of seeker sensitive programs. The biggest thing they learned was that teaching the age old spiritual practices of prayer, bible reading, and relationships were the most effective methods of helping Christians grow spiritually. And these basic disciplines do not require millions of dollars to promote.

Bill Hybels who founded Willow Creek Community Church confessed:

"We made a mistake. What we should have done when people crossed the line of faith and become Christians, we should have started telling people and teaching people that they have to take responsibility to become ‘self feeders.’ We should have gotten people, taught people, how to read their bible between service, how to do the spiritual practices much more aggressively on their own."

My thinking about which church to go to has made me realize it doesn't matter. Which church has better praise and worship or sermon really doesn't affect how one grows spiritually. I'm sure I will be staying at my church for a long time because I learned today that what matters most for my growth spiritually is self discipline. It really made me realize that faith is a journey and if I want to make the most out of it, I have to put my own effort into simply praying, reading the Bible, and building relationships. Programs are not going to help me grow, but quiet times will. That is truly what I am lacking and I need to think about that.

Peace.

Goodbye Westbeach

2009-02-18T15:58:00.006-08:00

Last Saturday night, I was walking down 4th Avenue with my buddy to go out for dinner when I noticed Westbeach shop was gone. My buddy, Justin, said, "It's an end of an era." We remember it used to be so popular back in the 90s. I bought my Burton snowboard bindings there and still use my velcro Westbeach wallet. I was saddened, but things change. It has now been re-branded as Showcase. Apparently, Showcase Snowboards was one of the first snowboard shops in Whistler and has been a strong brand up there so it's good to know the shop is in good hands.

A fact I didn't know is that Westbeach was started by Chip Wilson who founded Lululemon Athletica.

I also learned Westbeach as a clothing brand is still alive and kicking it. Their stuff can be ordered online as they celebrate their 30th year since its inception in 1979. I remember the guys in my Grade 12 year wearing Westbeach hoodies with four multi-coloured dudes carrying a surfboard. I also remember guys sporting the Westbeach branded snowboards, although I don't think they were very good boards. I really just loved the clothes they made. Ah...the memories.

Peace.

Yes Man

2009-02-12T15:59:00.007-08:00

It's been about 5 months living on my own. I enjoy it, but at times it feels lonesome. I think during this time, I realized how much of a people person I am. I try to go out as much as I can. Pretty much any event invitation I get on Facebook, I say "yes." I am for sure a "Yes Man." I should see Jim Carrey's movie. I used to be more of a "No Man" or I chose to wait to see if there's something better. These days if someone invites me to something, I say "yes" unless I'm already doing something on that day I had already said "yes" to or I have final exams coming up (although that's not always true). Actually, I've agreed to go to my friend's concert this Friday night and another friend's concert this Sunday night even though I have my Statistics final next week. I figure life is short and really what am I going to do with Stats...ha ha.

This "yes" feeling has been great because I've experienced a lot more in life than if I had said "no." I think Facebook and Messenger is great because even though I'm alone at a computer, I still feel connected to people. Whether it's chatting on Messenger, writing on someone's wall or checking out their pictures on Facebook, there's a sense of community in my life. I think in the future when I have more cash, I will join a ice hockey team. I'm glad I go to church and just recently I went on a pretty rad ski trip to Silver Star with 25 other people. I made some new friends and got to know others better.

I think when I'm a senior I would prefer living in a home. I like the fact that people are around and we could hang out playing video games or cards. I don't think I'd like living on my own then.

Move For Me

2009-01-28T16:17:00.004-08:00

Another lazy post I know, but I've heard this song "Move For Me" by Kaskade & deadmau5 a few times on the radio and I can't stop listening to it. The lyrics are simple, but the beat is so addicting. A random fact about me: my favourite techno group when I was twelve was 2 Unlimited. I owned all of their two albums...ha ha ha. I also really liked Zhane. I think my current favourite DJs are DJ Tiesto and Amplive.

Peace.

Life in Technicolor ii

2009-01-22T14:02:00.007-08:00

This new music video from Coldplay made me laugh. I had to post this.

Peace.

The Bachelor

2009-01-13T13:27:00.006-08:00

Yes, I'm a sucker for watching this season's The Bachelor. After watching last season's The Bachelorette and seeing Jason Mesnick get shot down by DeAnna Pappas, I was interested to see what kind of ladies were gonna show up for Jason this season. I heard DeAnna dumped Jesse Csincsak, the winner last season, about a few months after she accepted his proposal. Jesse was a pretty rad dude and it's too bad DeAnna left him. I sent a friend request to Jesse and he added me on Facebook. Cool eh? I hope he becomes the next bachelor. I think the show would be a lot of fun to watch with him in it.

This season with Jason has been pretty good so far. Being a bachelor myself, I enjoy watching the ladies getting catty with each other and competing for his attention. It'll be interesting to see how these relationships form and what ladies generally want in a man. Also the ladies of course look hot. One girl that immediately caught my attention is Jillian from my hometown, Vancouver, and not because of where she is from. From what I've seen so far, she seems really down-to-earth, funny, outgoing, confident, and positive and also very attractive. She runs her own interior design company and seems to be at a point in her life to settle down with a man. She's definitely the type of girl I would love to date.

Check out a couple clips of Jillian below and you'll see what I mean. Her "hot dog theory" is hilarious. You can catch The Bachelor on Monday nights at 8 on CityTV.

Peace.

Stuff White People Like

2009-01-02T15:28:00.004-08:00

After a busy Friday morning delivering three days worth of mail after Christmas and New Year's, the afternoon has slowed down somewhat. As I surfed the net, I remembered a conversation I had with some of my friends at a birthday party about a book called "Stuff White People Like." I googled it and found a blog from where the book came about. I have been reading a number of entries and I'm learning how white I am. One entry was so true of me.

This one comes from #116 - Black Music that Black People Don't Listen to Anymore.

Historically speaking, the music that white people have kept on life support for the longest period of time is Jazz. Thanks largely to public radio, bookstores, and coffee shops, Jazz has carved out a niche in white culture that is not yet ready to be replaced by Indie Rock. But the biggest role that Jazz plays in white culture is in the white fantasy of leisure. All white people believe that they prefer listening to jazz over watching television. This is not true.

If you are good at concealing laughter and contempt, you should ask a white person about “Real Hip Hop.” They will quickly tell you about how they don’t listen to “Commercial Hip Hop” (aka music that black people actually enjoy), and that they much prefer “Classic Hip Hop.”

“I don’t listen to that commercial stuff. I’m more into the Real Hip Hop, you know? KRS One, Del Tha Funkee Homosapien, De La Soul, Wu Tang, you know, The Old School.”

I realized that in all the underground hip hop shows I've gone to in the past, more than 80% who attended were white people. I thought this was funny because I wondered in the past why there were so few black people at those shows.

You can find out more about what stuff white people like at stuffwhitepeoplelike.com

Peace.

The Husband Store

2008-12-29T16:28:00.002-08:00

A store that sells new husbands has opened in New York City, where a woman may go to choose a husband. Among the instructions at the entrance is a description of how the store operates:

You may visit this store ONLY ONCE! There are six floors and the value of the products increase as the shopper ascends the flights. The shopper may choose any item from a particular floor, or may choose to go up to the next floor, but you CANNOT go back down except to exit the building!

So, a woman goes to the Husband Store to find a husband. On the first floor the sign on the door reads:

Floor 1 - These men Have Jobs.

She is intrigued, but continues to the second floor, where the sign reads:

Floor 2 - These men Have Jobs and Love Kids.

'That's nice,' she thinks, 'but I want more.'

So she continues upward. The third floor sign reads:

Floor 3 - These men Have Jobs, Love Kids, and are Extremely Good Looking.

'Wow,' she thinks, but feels compelled to keep going.

She goes to the fourth floor and the sign reads:

Floor 4 - These men Have Jobs, Love Kids, are Drop-dead Good Looking and Help With Housework.

'Oh, mercy me!' she exclaims, 'I can hardly stand it!'

Still, she goes to the fifth floor and the sign reads:

Floor 5 - These men Have Jobs, Love Kids, are Drop-dead Gorgeous, Help with Housework, and Have a Strong Romantic Streak.

She is so tempted to stay, but she goes to the sixth floor, where the sign reads:

Floor 6 - You are visitor 31,456,012 to this floor. There are no men on this floor. This floor exists solely as proof that women are impossible to please. Thank you for shopping at the Husband Store.

PLEASE NOTE:

To avoid gender bias charges, the store's owner opened a New Wives store just across the street.

The first floor has wives that love sex.

The second floor has wives that love sex and have money and like beer.

The third, fourth, fifth and sixth floors have never been visited.

The Reason for Saying "Eh!"

2008-12-05T15:48:00.002-08:00

I was reading a blog about the Toronto Raptors hiring of Jay Triano. He will become the first Canadian-born coach to run an NBA team tonight. He used to coach the SFU (my alma mater) men's basketball team from 1988-1995.

In this blog by Mike Ulmer of Raptors.com, I found it intriguing as to why many Canadians use the word "eh" in their conversations. I felt compelled to quote him in my blog because it makes sense to me.

"Americans often tease about the Canadian habit to end sentences with the word "eh." I like 'eh.' It is an invitation to agreement or at least more dialogue. I've always felt it was better to end a sentence with a question mark than an exclamation point. One piece of punctuation invites input. The other silences it. It's a key distinction that really speaks to who we are." - Mike Ulmer

I've always used the word "eh" in my conversations and never thought it was a bad thing. It's another thing that identifies us as proud Canadians next to our love for hockey.

Peace.

I, Lucifer

2008-11-20T15:07:00.003-08:00

I, Lucifer, Fallen Angel, Prince of Darkness, Bringer of Light, Ruler of Hell, Lord of the Flies, Father of Lies, Apostate Supreme, Tempter of Mankind, Old Serpent, Prince of this World, Seducer, Accuser, Tormentor, Blasphemer, and without a doubt Best Fuck in the Seen and Unseen Universe (ask Eve, that minx) have decided – oo-la-la! – to tell all.

That is the opening sentence to a novel I'm reading called, I, Lucifer. The book is about God offering Satan a second chance at redemption. He offers him a human body for one month. If he can live a life without sin for a month, he can keep the body until it dies. If Satan lives virtuously and repents, he can return to Heaven except regain angelic status. Satan isn't about to take Him up on the offer, but would like to have fun being a human in the flesh. God chooses, Declan Gunn, as his host, a depressed writer contemplating on committing suicide. Satan plans to subject his host to as much sex, drugs, and other vices possible. But living in a human body gives Satan a real understanding of what happens when we sin and maybe he might just want to take up on God's offer after all.

I'm enjoying this book.

Peace.

Hip Hop Choir

2008-11-18T12:03:00.004-08:00

This is hilarious. When I'm a senior, I will for sure be spitting out lyrics like these gramps and gran'ma mas.

Peace.

Selling to Strangers

2008-10-26T17:39:00.006-07:00

I recently sold three of my PS3 games as a bundle on Craigslist. I paid a lot for them, but I never play them anymore. Such is the nature of video games. I decided to sell them all for $60 and after posting an ad last night, I got four replies this morning. I didn't know what to expect, but it was interesting reading each e-mail. Deciding on who to sell the games to was kind of like an interview. For me it wasn't first-come first-served, but what he or she wanted to offer me, if there was a convenient location to meet at, and if it sounded like a person I could trust.

I think you can really get a feel for what the person might be like based on his or her writing skills and how much information they give in a response.

Here are the four replies I got to my ad.

Buyer #1: "Ill give you 60 dollars for those games and drive down to pick it up myself. All I want to see is that the games are in fine working condition."

Buyer #2: "Hi. Are the games still for sale? Let me know."

Buyer #3: "Hello. I am writing with interest in your games bundle. I am in Vancouver East End (Commercial Drive area), and am wondering if theres a possibility of meeting up in my neck of the woods. I would be available today to make this deal happen. Thanks for reading."

Buyer #4: "Hey. Would you part CoD4? How much would it be, and do you have a number i could call. Thanks."

Guess who I sold the games to?

Peace.

Me in Gastown

2008-10-25T11:33:00.005-07:00

Photography by Justin Alm

To date or not to date

2008-10-19T21:44:00.003-07:00

I've been contemplating on whether it mattered if I dated a Christian girl or a non-Christian. For the longest time, I figured as a Christian I should only naturally date Christian girls, but the question has become why. I know it makes sense that it would make things easier to date someone of the same faith, but lately it hasn't. Two of my Christian friends have gone through or is in process of divorce. One of my friend's wife left him after only a year of marriage as soon as her debts were paid off. They met each other at church. Another friend of mine is in the process of divorce where his wife cheated on him twice. They met at Bible college. Another guy I know went through a divorce a couple of years ago where his wife left him for his sister's husband whom she is now divorced from as well. The guy met his ex-wife in a college and career adults group from their church.

My buddy and I were having a discussion about dating and whether dating a girl of the same background made things any easier whether it be ethnic background, religion, interests, or others. We both agreed that just forming a relationship with a girl is no easy task in itself.

In a lot of cases, I seem to find it much easier to talk to a non-Christian girl I meet for the first time than a Christian girl. Some non-Christian girls I find are really good at small talk which can lead to great conversations. Maybe it's because they get out more socializing in bars and night clubs...I dunno. When I try to engage in a simple conversation with some Christian girls I've met for the first time I find they throw up a wall and wonder why is this guy talking to me. Is he interested in me? The conversation becomes awkward and very brief. In my mind, I'm like just relax, I just want to chat. I know I'm generalizing here, but this is what I've been experiencing as of late.

I think what I find difficult about dating Christian girls is that they have these very high expectations of what they're looking for in a guy. Not to say that non-Christian girls don't, but I find that some Christian girls need to relax and not think if this is the guy they are supposed to marry.

Whether I end up with a Christian girl or not, my buddy and I both agree that the most important aspect of any relationship is trust. Without 100% trust in the relationship, nothing can save it.

Peace.

Famous Mail Room Clerk

2008-09-19T14:55:00.003-07:00

I found this on Wikipedia about our current Prime Minister, Stephen Harper.

"Harper then enrolled at the University of Toronto but after two months he dropped out, then moved to Edmonton, Alberta, where he found work at Imperial Oil, in the mail room." The rest is history.

There is hope for me. Ha ha ha.

Peace.

Grocery Item = Jacket

2008-09-18T20:36:00.004-07:00

Last night, I went to the grocery store and bought a jacket. How many people can say that? Well I guess since Wal-Mart has started offering a grocery section, more people can say something along the lines, but I actually bought it at the Real Canadian Superstore. Have you heard of this clothing line called Joe Fresh Style? I was reading an article in the newspaper and apparently Loblaws who owns the Real Canadian Superstore called in a Canadian fashion veteran by the name of Joseph Mimran to create a clothing line. He headed up brands like Club Monaco and Alfred Sung.

I looked at the Joe Fresh flyer and thought to myself this actually looks pretty good at a great deal. It's kind of got European styling that appeals to me. My friend told me to check out H&M for cool yet affordable clothing.

One thing about Superstore at Metrotown is that I hate shopping there. Everytime I go there it's like a freakin' carnival. It's always packed and the line ups are long. When I picked up the jacket and went to pay for it, I headed towards the "Express" line. Well the Express took me 20 minutes to pay for it. The thing about that Superstore is that it mostly attracts a demographic to the low income earner. I stood in line with one family disputing a discount where they had to call the manager and then there are people who are asking for some discount they saw in a flyer. It's hella annoying which is why I shop at Save-On-Foods for groceries. Most of the time people just pay for the item probably knowing that it's a bit more expensive than other grocers, but they don't care just like me. Just pay as listed and get out.

Peace.

Salmon Steak

2008-09-14T00:15:00.004-07:00

I've been having a lot of chicken and beef as of late and decided to give fish a try. I've never cooked a piece of fish before so to prepare myself I watched a few videos on YouTube. How can I go wrong with the Internet. It seemed like a very simple process of heating the fry pan to medium, adding olive oil, putting in the fish, and topping the fish with salt and pepper.

I headed to the local grocery store and picked up a couple of wild Coho Salmon steaks. I love BC Salmon. Choosing wild over farmed makes a huge taste difference with me preferring the former of course. As I cooked the Salmon, I realize I put a bit too much olive oil in the pan and it started to snap, crackle, and pop violently. I had to turn the heat low, empty some of the oil out, and resume cooking. The result was that the Salmon broke apart because I was worried I would burn it, but it turned out fine. I got a bit of oil on my nice shirt so I washed it in the tub. Next time I cook, I will remember to wear some crappy shirt or get an apron, and add less oil.

Peace.

Training Day

2008-09-13T02:15:00.002-07:00

I work in the Mail Room and I am the only one that works on that floor of the university. I often get asked if I feel lonely. It is a windowless space, but it's actually not that bad. Most of the morning, I am out and about on campus delivering mail to all the departments. I enjoy chatting with everyone and bringing smiles to their faces. The job jives quite well with my personality in that I love being with people, but I also like spending time on my own.

Anyways, I had training the other day as a Floor Warden. In case of a disaster, I would be the one to gather everyone in my area and show them a safe exit. Even though I am the only one in my area, the loading dock generally has a number of couriers that come and go so it is good to know.

I learned that you never take the elevators because during a fire, they act like chimneys gasping for oxygen. Always take the stairwell because it is built to keep smoke out and is the strongest structure of a building. Also, you want to go down, not up because fire and smoke rises. Bruce Willis goes up, we go down. I also learned that what happens in movies is not what actually happens in real life. No way. Most people stuck in fires don't burn up, they die by smoke inhalation. It only takes 4-5 breaths before one loses consciousness. Also sprinklers in a building turn on in isolated areas when heat reaches a certain level. They don't all turn on like a thundershower with beautiful people struggling to find their loved one in movies. During an earthquake it isn't the floor giving out that you should be concerned about, it is the small things inside the room that can fly and knock you flat. Most deaths occur by interior objects hitting them during a quake. So it is a good idea to hide under a table or desk in the event the earth is shaking.

The presenter did a great job in training how we should react during a disaster. At least he did a good job presenting, but in practice it was another story. As soon as he finished training us, the fire alarm went off. We all laughed because it wasn't planned. Then, springing into action by heading towards the stairwell, half the people took the elevator up and half went towards the fire exit stairwell. Of that half that headed towards the stairwell, half went up the stairs and my half went down the stairs which is what you're supposed to do. I guess they all want to be heroes.

Peace.

Transitions

2008-09-07T00:34:00.009-07:00

Been a while since I blogged last. I spend too much time on Facebook, but also I've finally moved out on my own. Twenty eight years has been a long time with the 'rents and I told my mom a year ago I would be out by this month. Originally, I was supposed to move out with my buddy and his cousin. However, finding a three bedroom in Vancouver was daunting especially since the guys weren't even here and I can't say many landlords would jump at the opportunity to house three guys.

So for a couple of weeks I was searching for a bachelor suite and found a great suite in Metrotown. I love the area. It has everything I need within walking distance. People ask me if I feel lonely, but it has been anything but. I think I've spent more time with my friends outside work than when I was living with my parents. I feel this huge weight lifted off me and living with my parents was just unhealthy mentally and spiritually. I believe my relationship with them will improve as a result of the move.

I think one noticeable difference living on my own is getting used to new noises. There some interesting noises that come and go, and the water pump noise right by my bed will take some time getting used to. I already received two complaints from the resident manager that my TV was too loud at night. I was like what?? There must be a lot of seniors living here. So I now use my headphones at night which is fine with me because I can hear everything clearly anyway.

Last night at 10 pm in the spur of the moment, I asked my buddy, Juice, on Messenger if he wanted to do some photo shoots of the city. He was totally down and after picking him up, we went to the Lonsdale Quay, and then headed over to Kits Beach. Being at the beach at 2 am was awesome. I've never been out there that late. As we exposed our cameras we just chatted while we waited and took in the beautiful lights of the city. I felt this total peace and calmness. I love breathing in the fresh air of the night. I also learned some new things about my camera that I had no idea existed on it. Juice knows a lot about photography.

Vancouver from the North Shore.

Tugboat at Lonsdale Quay.

English Bay.

Peace.

Do Manners Mean Anything Anymore?

2008-08-12T13:02:00.004-07:00

I don't know if there was a full moon out or what, but last night my pet peeve radar perked up ten fold. After work, I had to head downtown to write a final exam for my Human Resource Management course (which was easy by the way) and my journey began at Surrey Central SkyTrain Station. I'm not sure if it was at that station or the next one, but four girls got on the train and sat next to me blabbering about everything. This one girl was so freakin' loud and dropping f-bombs right, left, and centre. It's amazing how some girls need that attention without regard for the public who doesn't want to hear how much sex one's had lately. So this went on and on all the way downtown and I was gonna say "shut up" but opted not to. I didn't want to cause a scene.

After I got off at Terminal, I had some dinner at Harbour Centre and then went to the computer lab to kill some time before my exam. As I was sitting there, this lady comes in and sits in the pod next to me eating her sandwich. She was chewing like a freakin' horse with her mouth open and all. It was incredible how noisy she was chopping on this sandwich. I could have said something, but I was like forget it, I'm not going to be here long, but it was hella annoying.

As soon as I got out of there, I made my way towards the Segal Graduate School of Business where I had to write my exam. As I sat there during the exam, my classmate just randomly coughs like mega loudly. It's not like I can tell him not to cough, but wow dude put your hand to your mouth or get a drink of water. Thankfully the exam was open book so it wasn't too distracting.

After the exam, I got onto the SkyTrain to head back to work to pick up my car. After a few stations, this drunk guy boards and grabs a beer out of his bag, cracks it open, and drinks it. He started to stare at people and tried to do some hip hop kind of hand shakes with strangers saying who knows what. At each stop when the doors opened, he would just randomly yell at people walking by and just say whatever. I was like where the heck are the security guards. I mean I could have called the police, but what were they going to do anyway. As I was thinking about this, the drunken man got off at a station. I thought he had no clue where he was, but apparently he knew where his home was.

After that event, I got off in of course Whalley where even weirder things happen, but it was normal. I headed to my car and listened to some GZA all the way home.

Peace.

Supernatural BC

2008-08-10T23:48:00.004-07:00

Sometimes I take living here for granted. For me at least, this is the best place on Earth. Now that I'm watching the Beijing Olympics, I'm pretty pumped about the Olympics coming here next.

Peace.

You're Here

2008-07-16T23:45:00.005-07:00

My friend, Anna Vandas, goes for a peaceful walk. Reminds me of all the times I headed home from a major sporting event or the fireworks from English Bay in Vancouver. This is one of her songs called, "You're Here," from her album "All I Thought I Knew." Her husband, David, directed the music video. He's got some mad skills.

Peace.

Foreigners Speaking Korean

2008-06-19T20:29:00.003-07:00

I remember watching this show in Korea where foreigners speak Korean. It was the most bizarre thing to see. I guess it was the same thing for Koreans who found it bizarre that I can only speak English. With so many new university grads teaching English in Korea, there can only be more foreigners learning Korean.

Peace.

True Story

2008-06-19T00:16:00.004-07:00

*Update* Okay this story is not true. I was totally fooled. Good story though.

My co-worker told me a true story that happened to his brother's girlfriend's friend who lives in Toronto. Recently, the girl was house sitting for a family. The mother told her that the dog in the house may possibly die while they are away on a two week vacation. The dog was really old. The mother asked her that if the dog died to take it to the vet to have it disposed of. She agreed and then two days after the family left, the dog died. It was a Labrador and quite heavy. She didn't have a car, so she found a suitcase, managed to put the dog into it, and wheeled it to the bus stop.

When the bus arrived, there was a man waiting for the bus as well, and he helped her lift the suitcase onto the bus because it was quite heavy. The man asked why her suitcase was so heavy, and she of course didn't want to tell him that there was a dead dog inside, so she told him that she was bringing back her laptop and other school stuff from university.

The bus then pulled in front of the vet, and she got off. Well, the man got off too and she didn't want him to become suspicous as to why she was heading into the vet. She then proceeded to walk down the street as if she was going home, but then she turned around after walking for a while back to the vet. As she was approaching the vet, the man was there and then all of a sudden he punched her in the face and took her suitcase. She was okay, but the man just stole her suitcase thinking he stole her laptop and other belongings when in fact there was a dead dog inside.

Could you imagine the surprised look on his face when he opened the suitcase?

Why Men Hate Church

2008-06-13T14:29:00.005-07:00

I was reading this article called "Why Men Hate Church" by David Murrow. I can see his point and why so many men don't go to church. Here is an excerpt.

"When men need spiritual sustenance, they go to the wilderness, the workplace, the garage, or the corner bar. They watch their heroes in the stadium or on the racetrack. They plunge into a novel or sneak off to a movie. Church is one of the last places men look for God. More than 90 percent of American men believe in God, and five out of six call themselves Christians. But only two out of six attend church on a given Sunday. The average man accepts the reality of Jesus Christ, but fails to see any value in going to church. Men’s disinterest in Christianity is so consistent around the world, it can’t be explained by pride, father issues, sin, or distraction. Neither can we say, “Well, men are just less religious,” because this is untrue. Male and female participation are roughly equal in Judaism, Buddhism, and Hinduism. In the Islamic world men are publicly and unashamedly religious—often more so than women. Of the world’s great religions, only Christianity has a consistent, nagging shortage of male practitioners. What is it about modern Christianity that is driving men away?"

It’s not just a lack of presence; most of the men who do attend our worship services just aren’t “getting it.” Every week the gospel bounces off their souls like bullets off Superman’s chest. Here are the facts:

• A significant number of churchgoing men attend out of habit, unaffected by what they hear.
• Quite a few men go to church simply to keep their wives/mothers/girlfriends happy.
• The majority of men who attend church do nothing during the week to grow their faith.
• Relatively few churches are able to establish or maintain a vibrant men’s ministry.
(Source: churchformen.com)

Do you think church these days is a sort of women's club? I've been thinking about why I fight hard to stay awake during sermons or why I find services kinda boring. Maybe it's my attitude, I don't know. I'm confused, and I believe the church does in fact need to change. There shouldn't be a men's ministry, but just one ministry involving both men and women called the church.

For the link to the article, click here. Apparently, it's a summary of his actual book under the same title.

Peace.

Death and All His Friends

2008-06-09T15:14:00.008-07:00

Have you heard, Coldplay is releasing their new album called "Viva La Vida or Death and All His Friends" on June 17. Are you going to download or buy it? I am. I've listened to some tracks and I like it. I enjoy listening to Coldplay because it fits with the emotional side of my personality, and then there's listening to Conan O'Brien who fits my humourous side.

Here is a vid for one of their songs called "Violet Hill". Coldplay did a good job putting the dancing politicans together. There are so many things going on in this world, yet with dancing you can do no wrong.

"The best bands in the world today are probably Arcade Fire and Sigur Ros. I think Coldplay is only the seventh best band in the world." - Chris Martin

*UPDATE* My co-worker just gave me a link where you can listen to the album in its entirety before its release. Click here.

Peace.

Lakers vs. Celtics

2008-06-06T15:35:00.004-07:00

The NBA Finals are starting and it's a classic! Remember when it was Larry Bird vs. Magic Johnson, now it's Kevin Garnett vs. Kobe Bryant. The Lakers and the Celtics have met a total of 11 times in the NBA Finals. Boston has won the first eight meetings, and LA the next two. One of my favourite games on the old Sega Genesis was Lakers vs. Celtics by EA (yes they have been around that long).

GO LAKERS!!

Shanghai Kiss

2008-06-03T16:03:00.003-07:00

I watched this movie called "Shanghai Kiss," and it was very good. It stars Ken Leung (Rush Hour, X-Men: The Last Stand), Hayden Panettiere (Heroes), and Kelly Hu (X2, The Scorpion King). The film is about "Liam Liu (Ken Leung), a Chinese American actor living in Los Angeles who unwittingly gets involved with a high school girl. He suddenly has to go to China after learning from his father that he has inherited his grandmother's home in Shanghai. He's not very appreciative of his Chinese roots and at first only wants to sell the house and get back to the U.S. as fast as possible. He gets a taste of the Chinese culture after meeting a girl there and ends up having some big decisions to make (wikipedia.org)."

This film was like a biopic of my brother. He was actually thinking of making something similar to this and told me about it before I found out about this film. But maybe someone beat him to it because a number of American or Canadian-born Asians can relate to the material. I could definitely relate to some of the experiences in the film that I felt when I was in Korea last October.

Here is a short clip from the movie when Liam Liu lands in Shanghai. I love the soundtrack accompanying this clip. The song is called "Nothing But The Sky" by Ivy.

Peace.

RIP Luc Bourdon 1987-2008

2008-05-29T18:11:00.005-07:00

Canucks Nation is deeply saddened by the passing of Vancouver Canucks defenseman, Luc Bourdon. He was killed in a motorcycle accident early this afternoon near his hometown in New Brunswick. He was 21.

Luc had so much going for him and was poised to become one of the top defenseman in the NHL. It's tragic that a young man with a full life ahead of him was cut short. It reminds me how precious the gift of life is. It's fragile. One day you're here, then next day you could be gone.

Even though I don't know and have never met Luc, his death has affected me a bit. I think because as a community being so involved with the Canucks, it felt like losing someone in the family. I felt like I knew him because I seen him play, read about him, and watched his interviews. The slogan, "We Are All Canucks," definitely hits home.

My thoughts and prayers go out to Luc and his family.

Click here for the Full Story.

Peace.

Indiana Jones

2008-05-27T14:09:00.007-07:00

So I went to see "Indiana Jones and the Kingdom of the Crystal Skull" on its third night since the release. My buddies called me up and asked if I wanted to go see it. I was like dude it's gonna be packed, but I was informed that the movie was playing almost every 15 minutes. I figured let's do it and when we arrived at the theatre, we only had to wait for an hour to get good seats. As we sat in the theatre watching previews, I started getting pumped to see this new Indy flick. The movie started slow and then the ridonculousness happens. As each action scene was coming together, the movie just takes a nose dive. I was like c'mon! Is Lucas serious?? I was like man what fantastical thing is gonna happen next. Some parts of the movie were okay, but others not. Here are some scenes that bugged me the most. I'll be vague so as to not spoil others who haven't seen the film.

1. Atomic Bomb
2. Prarie Dogs
3. Tarzan
4. Car in Tree
5. 3 Falls

Maybe our generation is spoiled with great scripts or George Lucas is getting old. The young minds these days are much sharper. I am okay with the popcorn action flick with the unbelievability factor to it, but it has to be done well like Iron Man. Now that was a fun flick.

Peace.

Conan

2008-05-19T21:52:00.006-07:00

Not many of you know that I'm a big fan of Conan O'Brien. He will be taking over The Tonight Show in 2009 and I'm looking forward to what he will do with it. I like Conan because he's real, brilliant, creative, experimental, and of course hilarious. I was watching a one hour interview of him on the Charlie Rose show and it was interesting to see his humility and how he got into show business. One quote that stood out to me was him talking about the youth of today.

“What astounds me is how many young people come up to me and say, ‘Conan, someday I’m gonna be on your show.’ And I say, ‘What is it you do? They don’t know. That’s the craziest thing, most people, it’s the Paris Hilton phenomenon, they just want to be famous, and they’ve actually seen it work. They’ve seen someone get incredibly famous for being just being famous, so that’s a little unsettling sometimes.” - Conan O'Brien

How very true that I notice how many people of our generation just want to be famous. People want to be out there and get noticed.

Peace.

Places I've Been

2008-05-04T01:28:00.002-07:00

You are about to witness my very first YouTube video. I decided to be creative and used the program Sony Vegas to make a slideshow accompanied with music by AmpLive called "Weird Fishez." It chronicles my travels from the year 1999 to the present.

Peace.

Better Than Yesterday

2008-04-25T13:29:00.003-07:00

Another dope track called "Better Than Yesterday" by MC Sniper with his crew. Emcee Outsider can spit out lyrics at a ridonculous speed. Check it out at the 4:23 mark of the vid. The whole compilation of this track is sick.

Peace.

MC Sniper

2008-04-24T21:44:00.003-07:00

I bought 2 of his albums while I was down in LA. MC Sniper is dope. He's my favourite Korean hip hop artist. Peep this video from 5 years ago titled "Koreans".

Peace.

Kali-Fornia

2008-04-12T21:24:00.011-07:00

On Friday, I visited the Cathedral of Our Lady of the Angels. There is a daily tour that runs at 1 pm, but on this day, I was the only one. I had a private tour. Haha. The church is quite beautiful and replaces the old one that was damaged during the 1994 earthquake in the region. Theoretically, this is the safest structure to be in in the event another earthquake happens. The church is 12 stories high and can accomodate up to 3000+ worshippers. The building and landscape reflects modern day LA with waterfalls, palm trees, and a sandstone coloured environment.

After the cathedral, I went to Little Tokyo to see the Japanese American National Museum. This was a great experience as I learned about the history of Japanese Americans who contributed to US society and the difficulties they had to face during and after World War II when they were deemed aliens.

My aunt and cousin took me up to the Griffith Observatory. I was surprised to see some stars up there because LA has so much urban light pollution. I was able to take this shot on a ledge without blurring the image. The city looks gorgeous from up there. It's a great date place.

I went to Universal Studios today. It was good fun! Some of the highlights include the T2:3D show, Jurassic Park ride, Special Effects show, Universal Studios tour, Shrek 4D show, and Water World show. Notice I'm wearing my giant souvenir globe hat.

Water World was my favourite show of the day. The actors were throwing buckets of water on us, the Sea-Doos were spraying the audience, a great pyro show occurred, and a sea plane jumped out over the set into the water. It was rad.

Peace.

The City of Angels

2008-04-10T20:12:00.017-07:00

Los Angeles. I haven't been here since I was 6 years old, and have no memory of what it looks like. As my Air Canada flight was preparing to land at LAX, I peered out the window only to see row upon row of mixed commercial and residential areas. It is a huge city and a concrete jungle. There is no natural river flowing through the city, only a man made concrete channel.

I am staying with my aunt in Koreatown and it really does have a similar feel of being in Korea. It's like part of Seoul was relocated to a part of LA. My first night here was interesting. It was just like out of a LA set movie. The residences here have all their windows barred up, sidewalks are cracked and not flat, police helicopters hover by (I hear one right now), dogs are barking, and emergency services sirens are blaring.

With that kind of environment in mind, the biggest surprise to me being in LA was that the people are really nice. Everyone I've talked to or asked for directions were very helpful and genuinely wanted to make sure I got the answer I needed. It seems the people here are a lot nicer than some of the people I've met on the streets of Vancouver. Also the demographic in LA is something I'm getting used to with many Latin Americans and African-Americans living in the area.

Here are some of the things I've done so far.

On my first night in LA, my cousin took me straight to Hollywood Boulevard. Here I am in front of Grauman's Chinese Theater, home to the hand and footprints of the Hollywood Stars.

I had to take my picture with the Governator.

Ah yes, the Virgin Megastore along the boulevard. It once operated in downtown Vancouver on Burrard.

The folks from The Church of Scientology tried to convert me that evening in Hollywood. But Tom Cruise, albeit a great actor, had already turned me off from the movement. Haha.

The next day, I decided to head down to the University of Southern California by bus. It was a beautiful and hot day as were the ladies on campus.

The USC campus has a building full of trophies. The university is well known for its excellent college football program.

O.J. is an alumnus of USC? I learn something new everyday.

I saw some cool fossils at the Natural History Museum of Los Angeles County located across the street from the USC campus.

More pictures to come, but I will likely load all of them up on Flickr.

Peace.

World

2008-04-07T20:18:00.002-07:00

My bro bought me "The New Penguin History of the World" book by J.M. Roberts for my birthday. I originally saw this book when I went down to Seattle with Tom, and bought it for him as a gift. I plan to read it while traveling to LA and Las Vegas this week. I'm excited about this trip and reading this 1264 page monster of a book. "The book covers the history of our planet from our origins on the African savannah to the state of the world in 2007."

Peace.

Q & A

2008-03-21T01:42:00.007-07:00

I was tagged by t for this meme. If you see this, you're it. Okay you don't have to play and start acting all grown up and stuff.

What were you doing 10 years ago?

10 years ago, according to my calculations that would be 1998. Ninety-ninety-eight, what did I do. That was the year I graduated from high school. During the year I went on a Grad ski trip, boat cruise, went to dry Grad, rented a limo with the gang, and signed yearbooks late into the night at my friend, Meghan's house. I didn't get accepted into UBC's Engineering program because I was too dumb in Physics. I did get into UVic's Engineering program because my dumbness level just made it in Physics, but I couldn't afford moving there. So I was left with the only university that accepted me into their Science program (which I ended up not doing right off the bat) at SFU. It was at SFU that I almost ended up in a cult. I was walking downtown one day and this guy comes up to me to ask if I go to church and I said yes I do. He then told me about his church and how it was way better than any other church out there. Little did I know that I ended up going to a service at the Church of Christ. I was a bit naïve. I was literally scared so it was short lived after the guy kept calling me to join his Bible study and I said stop calling me you freak. No I didn’t say that. After that, I ran into another cult and ended up serving with them for 5 years and even became Student President for a couple of years. I’m kidding about the cult part, the organization was Campus Crusade for Christ and they are good folks. I’ve made a number of close friends whom I still keep in touch with.

What were you doing one year ago?

I got up, did my business in the toilet, ate breakfast, put on clothes, went to work, ate lunch with co-workers, worked again, went home, took a shower, got into my sweats, sat on the couch, watched TV, ate dinner, watched some more TV, played Playstation, surfed the Internet, and then went to bed.

Five snacks you enjoy?

1. Kimchi Bowl. It’s the only kimchi I will eat in soup form. I enjoy this noodle snack late at night. For some reason, every time I eat a bowl, I feel I have shortened my lifespan by a little bit.
2. Microwaveable Popcorn. I enjoy this snack late at night too. I used to get the heavy butter, but now I usually get light and throw in some powdered white cheese. I like real popcorn from a machine, but I’m too lazy to set it up plus I don’t have a popcorn machine.
3. Potato Chips. I’m addicted to these things. I keep eating them until I get sick of them. It has definitely contributed to my belly expanding more than it should.
4. Cereal. I usually have a bowl at night. Biggest mistake ever is to buy no name brand cereal. Okay cereal is cheap in the first place, but to buy something even cheaper, you get what you pay for. There is a box of Western Family Frosted Flakes that my mom bought 2 years ago still in the house. No one has bothered to throw it out because it’s still full. It is the worse cereal I have ever eaten.
5. Ice Cream. I love this frozen delight especially going to that ice cream place on Venables in the industrial park near downtown that has like over 200 flavours. I don’t know why it’s in the middle of nowhere.

Five things you would do if you were a millionaire?

1. Buy a Ferrari
2. Buy a penthouse condo suite in downtown
3. Buy a yacht
4. Buy expensive champagne to celebrate how rich I am
5. End up bankrupt

Five bad habits?

1. My mom gets annoyed when I shake my leg a lot. I don’t know if I’m anxious or bored or if it’s a condition. Generally it’s spontaneous. I can only stop it by concentrating on it or sitting with my legs crossed. But then I start bouncing up and down.
2. My bro gets annoyed when after washing my hands, I never give them a shake into the sink to pre-dry them off before grabbing a towel. I tend to let it drip all over the place before reaching for a towel.
3. My dad gets annoyed with my printing skills. He says it’s the worst printing he has ever seen and that nobody can read it. I’m pretty sure someone can read it or else I really did buy my bachelor’s degree online and never told my dad.
4. I don’t do enough ab crunches. My dad sees my belly getting larger and tells me I’m fat.
5. I procrastinate quite a bit on my school work which is why I am doing this meme right now.

Five things you like doing?

1. Snowboarding. Whenever it’s sunny or a clear night, I head up to Grouse and use my Y2Play pass. I swear the mountain is owned and run by Aussies.
2. Playing Call of Duty 4 on the Playstation 3. I will play this game for hours on end and not get bored. Well I do after the 3rd hour. My dad thinks I’m going to join the army and that this is my training.
3. Watching Canucks games. I love watching them play and I will even go so far as to watch the pay-per-view games on the Internet. Go Canucks Go!
4. Golfing. I enjoy this “sport” lugging a heavy bag of metal sticks all day with my foursome. I lose about 15 or more balls a game.
5. Blogging. Need I say more.

Five favourite toys?

1. Laptop. If I was stranded on a deserted island and could only bring one thing, it would be a laptop provided it has unlimited battery power and Internet connection. Forget about a mirror or a flare gun. I have e-mail.
2. Terminator action figure. It doesn’t do anything. It just looks cool.
3. Sony PS3. I love this thing, it plays Blu-ray movies, video games, you can surf the net and add your photo collection. When I’m away on vacation, I think about this machine from time to time, missing it.
4. Digital camera. I enjoy taking pictures with my regular 7.1 Megapixel Canon. None of this DSLR shenanigan. Oh wait, I do want one, but I don’t have a G lying around.
5. Cell phone. It really does beat searching for a pay phone in heavy rain and does wonders for keeping a contact list in one place rather than on a long strip of paper.

Five things you would never wear again?

1. Speedos. I don’t want to embarrass the other guys with how manly I look in them.
2. Hypercolor t-shirt. I felt cheated after washing and drying them once only to end up with permanent pink rather than the original purple. I didn't know if you put it in a dryer, it screws up the chemical balances of the shirt.
3. A cheap suit. I will wear my cheap suit from Moores but I will never buy another one again. My next suit will cost a G and it will be from Harry Rosen. Then, I will feel like a millionaire.
4. Wifebeater (aka sleeveless shirt). It just doesn’t look right on me plus I’m pale.
5. Shorts from China. I didn’t even have the chance to wear the pair I bought from China. No one told me that what I know as a large is extra extra extra small in China.

Peace.

Wow!

2008-03-19T14:00:00.002-07:00

Wow! That's all I can say about this clip. It happened in yesterday's game between the Toronto Maple Leafs and New York Islanders. Maple Lefas won 3-1 by the way.

Honda

2008-03-12T20:26:00.005-07:00

Makes me want to buy a Honda, but I will be with my Saturn until death do us part.

Diamond Shreddies

2008-03-10T11:58:00.002-07:00

How do you like your Shreddies cereal?

Square

Diamond

I prefer diamond because it's a new shape. Hahaha.

Rainydayz

2008-03-07T21:05:00.007-08:00

It's raining right now. I've been trying to start the next Accounting case where I'm supposed to share my answers in tomorrow morning's meeting, but I continue to procrastinate. I was checking out YouTube to watch and listen to some of my favourite underground hip hop artists when I stumbled upon Amplive's Rainydayz Remixes. Amplive is one of my favourite DJs and is part of the Zion I crew. In this project, he remixed some songs from Radiohead without their approval, and apparently they came to an agreement where he could release the album to the general public for free. I've been trying to download it from the main website, but not having much success. I will continue to look for it in this vast cyberspace because the remixed songs are sick. *UPDATED* I finally downloaded the album from the main website, the server must have been down earlier this evening. Get your free copy here.

Check out this track called "Video Tapez." It features one of my favourite MCs, Del The Funkee Homosapien, along with Thom Yorke from Radiohead. I have actually seen both these artists live in their respective shows and they were fantastic.

Disneyland

2008-03-01T23:52:00.003-08:00

I've decided that after my Accounting final in April, I'm going to Disneyland. Well actually, I'm planning to go to LA. It's not too expensive and I have a place to stay. I'll be seeing some aunts and cousins for the first time in 20 odd years.

According to a US census, there are about 1.4 million Koreans and Korean Americans living in the United States. About 350,000 live in Los Angeles County, mostly in Mid-City's Koreatown. They represent the largest community of Koreans outside Korea. I heard it's just like being in Korea and I will find out soon since I had gone to the country last October.

I'm looking forward to meeting Mickey Mouse too.

Peace.

Historic Concert in North Korea

2008-02-28T22:22:00.012-08:00

In one of the most secretive societies in the world, the New York Philharmonic became the first American cultural group to perform in North Korea on Tuesday. A group of 105 musicians and an American press corps made the journey to the capital, Pyongyang. Tuesday's program was televised in North and South Korea, and around the world. Only the North Korean elite attended the concert; however, the North Korean people were also able to watch the program on TV, a break from the 2 channel propoganda they normally get. The leader, Kim Jong-il, was not present at the concert.

I'm really glad that this event came to fruition. Music was a fantastic way to break the ice between North Korea and the US. I believe music is an incredible way to bring peace and harmony if only for a moment in a world that has its atrocities.

To read some articles, check out...

Historic concert in North Korea brings violinist to tears (CNN.com)

N.Y. Phil's Concert in North Korea leaves diplomacy hopes on a high note (Los Angeles Times)

Here is a clip of the NY Philharmonic performing, "Arirang," the most popular and best-known traditional Korean folk song. The song is considered as a sort of anthem for a reunified Korea and is usually played before friendly events between the two sides.

*UPDATED* North Korea has officially invited rock guitarist Eric Clapton to play a concert in Pyongyang next year. This is the first time a Western rock star has been invited to the communist state. Eric hasn't made a decision, but it has piqued his interest. It is reported, the leader, Kim Jong-il is a Clapton fan. I think it would be great to see Eric Clapton live in Pyongyang.

Colbie Caillat

2008-02-24T02:27:00.003-08:00

I first listened to her song, "Bubbly," on the radio and totally dug it. I then listend to the rest of her album, "CoCo," and enjoyed it all. It's a pretty soothing, chill at the beach kind of album. I love her voice and her music is well written and crafted. According to Wikipedia, Colbie is noted for her MySpace profile which led her to become the number-one unsigned singer in her genre for 4 months. She then signed with a label, Universal Republic, that allowed her total creative freedom to write her own music. Colbie hails from Malibu, California.

This is one of her songs called "Realize" from her album, "CoCo."

Mentos

2008-02-17T19:35:00.003-08:00

This is what you get when you combine footage from Jean-Claude Van Damme's movie, "Bloodsport" and Mentos. This Mentos commerical spoof cracks me up everytime. Pretty amazing to see how far Forest Whitaker's career has evolved from "Bloodsport" to winning an Oscar as Best Actor in "The Last King of Scotland" last year.

Peace.

Aceyalone

2008-02-14T23:26:00.005-08:00

Looking forward to this show.

Personality Type

2008-01-16T16:13:00.000-08:00

"You are a strong type B. In general you are more laid back, more invested in friends than networking and not as hard driving and competitive a Type A. You want to enjoy life and work is not your main identity. Your idea of a good vacation is one that excludes work. You like a calmer, less extroverted life." (NBC News)

This is very true of me. My philosophy is live now and have fun. Don't wait until retirement.

Peace.

Living Shangri-La

2007-12-19T23:21:00.000-08:00

This was taken from Flickr. The Living Shangri-La mixed-use building located on the left is coming together quite nicely. It will be the tallest building in Vancouver at 62 floors when completed in 2008. The building will contain a 5-star hotel, offices, and condo units. It would be nice to live there, but on my salary, I don't think so. There's only 6 units left starting at $4.62 million.

Peace.

Korea Trip Pics

2007-10-18T17:42:00.001-07:00

I have finished compiling a sort of photo blog of my experience in Korea. It was one of the best times of my life. Click on the thumbnail for descriptions.

Here is the link...

http://www.flickr.com/photos/15069571@N02/sets/72157602424152036/

Enjoy.

Also, I have added a new vid of the week and it is the music video of So Nyuh Shi Dae [소녀시대]. They are the hottest all female group in South Korea right now. I kept hearing this song wherever I went.

The Land of the Morning Calm

2007-10-14T17:26:00.000-07:00

Sorry for the delay. I was going to write a mini diary during my stay in South Korea, but my cousin's computer had blogger all in Korean so I had no idea how to navigate the menu. Anyways, the first day was definitely the longest day of my life. I got up for a 6:30 am flight to Seattle and waited for about 7 hours to take a 12 hour flight to Seoul. I didn't sleep at all. The flight was actually quite comfortable on Asiana Airlines. The flight attendants service was exceptional (and they were beautiful Korean women too). Each seat was equipped with a LCD screen where I could watch tons of movies, tv shows, or listen to music.

I finally landed in Seoul at 5:30 pm their time. When I came out the gate, my cousin was holding up a sign that said "Arnold." My uncle and aunt were also there and it was a happy moment. I haven't seen them in 21 years and had no idea what they looked like. At the airport, my cousin rented me a cell phone which became very handy during my trip. We headed to a Korean restaurant where I had Korean BBQ. Then, we went to my cousin's apartment and made plans for the next day.

I was going to write some long thing about each day in Korea, but actually I'm quite lazy right now so I think my photo blog will have to do. I will post the Flickr link soon with comments. It will be more visually interesting too.

For now, I will have to say my overall impression of Korea is that it is a really fantastic place to visit. There is so much you can do here including sightseeing, night life, eating, traveling, watching shows, and shopping. The city of Seoul is plain huge. Every corner looks pretty identical with many stores and restaurants with huge bright coloured signs so one could easily get lost. The transportation system especially the subway is exceptional. I'm amazed how easily you can go from one place to the next. I was able to get around using English and asked only the young adults for directions and such. Most were able to help me out.

The air quality is definitely poor so pollution is a big problem. The city is relatively clean and there weren't too many homeless people around which was quite different from what I'm used to in downtown Vancouver. Traffic was the worst and it's almost as if they give out driver's licenses to anyone who can use the gas and brake pedal. Vehicles acted just like people shoving their way in and not looking around. I've seen quite a few accidents and fender benders. Also, people don't get the right of way. I almost saw an old lady get hit by a car as she ran across the crosswalk without looking to catch a bus.

One of the highlights of my trip was visiting the demilitarized zone. It was a heavily secured area and my passport was checked about 5 times. I got to see the border of North Korea and the guards. I also had the opportunity to explore one of the four tunnels the North Koreans built hoping they could reach Seoul. The first tunnel was discovered by accident and the South Koreans were alarmed to find out there were 3 more tunnels. Apparently, the South Koreans are wondering how deep the North Koreans will go to dig more tunnels in the future if they wish to be undetected since they use dynamite to blast.

There will be some more info within my Flickr blog so look out for that.

Korea: One Week Left

2007-09-23T22:25:00.000-07:00

My apologies for the lack of updates. Summer can do that to me. I didn't take any vacation days, but it did feel like a vacation nevertheless. I just had my weekends booked with activities like camping, parties, dance shows, etc. Now that Fall is in effect, I can take my vacation. Haha. I have one week left until my adventure to Korea begins. I decided to go now because it is the best time to visit the country. Winters are bitterly cold, Spring can be unpredictable (ie. dust storms), and Summer is hot, humid, expensive, and busy. The Fall still brings mild weather and it is a beautiful time of the year with the leaves changing colour.

I really have no plan about how I will be spending my time there. All I know is that I will be picked up by my aunt. What I have in mind is that I'll do the subway tour in Seoul. Basically, I will take a map of a line and see what sites I can visit off those lines. I plan to go to one other city called Daejon to meet up with another aunt and uncle, and maybe see my friends who are teaching English there.

Now my Korean is quite bad, like really bad. I can't even keep up a conversation. I'm looking forward to what comes out of my mouth to communicate with extended family I haven't seen in 22 years. I know my one aunt who spent a couple of decades in Italy before moving back to Korea speaks a bit of English. I'm hoping my one cousin who is the same age as me speaks a bit of English as well. Maybe all the Korean I spoke at 5 years old is trapped inside my brain and will unleash its power. Who knows?

So I've been thinking about what to pack this week. I'm glad I bought a camera that takes "double A" batteries. It's a bit challenging to think of what electronic equipment I can bring without having to charge it or plug it in. The power conversion is different. I'm pretty sure I'll be leaving my iPod at home because I have no idea where I can plug in that usb bad boy. I'm thankful that each seat in my plane leaving from Seattle is equipped with an LCD monitor so I can watch whatever they have. I'm thinking it'll be a good time to read all the books I haven't read that I bought.

I got my Hep A shot a couple of weeks ago. I heard from friends that this virus is quite rampant because of the unsanitary conditions from street food to who knows what. I have to remember to try to stay away from anything raw because getting food poisoning sucks.

My parents are gathering some items like smoked salmon, vitamins, and honey. I guess those are the hot commodities to have in Korea. I was initially pissed that I have to bring these items because I hate carrying extra stuff. But I began to realize in my selfishness that it would be a good gesture to present gifts to family members who I might be staying with. I made it clear to my dad that I didn't want to meet a whole bunch of people that I have either met when I was young or never met. I want to sightsee Korea as much as I can which is basically the purpose of my trip. I'll be making sure I let them know I want to do that without being too rude. Canada has really influenced my life to think and do things independently, but Korea is quite the opposite where dependency is the norm. We'll see how that pans out.

Keep visiting my blog as I will do my best to update how this "banana" survives in a foreign homogenous world where the saying, "All Asians look the same," becomes a reality.

Summer Solstice

2007-06-13T13:42:00.000-07:00

It's been a while since I blogged, eh? Well, I won't be blogging much this summer. I'm enjoying it too much hanging out with friends, golfing, camping, playing PS3, watching dance and hip hop shows, going to parties and bible studies, singing on the praise and worship team, and chillin' out at the beach. Check back more in the Fall as I'm planning to go to Korea for 3 weeks. I'll have lots of stories then. I have only been there once in 1985.

I may blog here a few times during the summer, but likely not unless something significant happens.

Peace.

Salvation

2007-04-28T13:51:00.000-07:00

A few Sunday's ago, my bible study class discussed the topic of salvation. It is an interesting subject about how or when a person becomes a Christian. Basically salvation is a process that involves "our hearing the gospel call, our being regenerated by the Holy Spirit, our responding in faith and repentance, and God forgiving us and giving us membership in his family, as well as granting us growth in the Christian life and keeping us faithful to himself thoughout life. At the end of our life, we die and go into his presence, then when Christ returns, we receive resurrection bodies, and the process of acquiring salvation is complete." (Grudem ,1999).

Process is the key about how a person becomes a Christian. Many people in North America have heard of the Sinner's Prayer. It's basically a prayer of recognizing sin, knowing the need of a Saviour who is Jesus, asking for repentance, being forgiven, and allowing Jesus to enter one's heart. I have found the Sinner's Prayer to be the ultimate decision maker in becoming a Christian. I think there is way too much emphasis on this one act rather than the actual process of knowing God. I know of many Christians who have prayed this prayer and then fell off the map in their relationship with God. The problem here has become pray this prayer and you'll become a Christian and if you don't you're not a Christian. We live in a society that follows a magic pill formula. But Christianity is not setup that way.

In my own life, I don't know when I crossed over to become a Christian, but I do know at some point I did. It was a process that involved learning about Jesus and following Him. I believe someone who claims to be a Christian should be one who follows Christ. It's that simple.

"Then Jesus said to his disciples, 'If anyone would come after me, he must deny himself and take up his cross and follow me. For whoever wants to save his life will lose it, but whoever loses his life for me will find it. What good will it be for a man if he gains the whole word, yet forfeits his soul? Or what can a man give in exchange for his soul? For the Son of Man is going to come in his Father's glory with his angels, and then he will reward each person according to what he has done." (Matthew 16:24-27)

Peace.

Today, we are all Hokies.

2007-04-17T13:43:00.000-07:00

My thoughts and prayers go out to all those affected at Virginia Tech and their families during this difficult time.

“He will wipe every tear from their eyes. There will be no more death or mourning or crying or pain, for the old order of things has passed away.” Revelation 21:4

Random Updates

2007-04-09T16:45:00.000-07:00

I guess it's time for an update eh? Well lately, I've been contemplating about going to Korea in October for 3 weeks. I figure it's about time to meet some family I haven't seen in 22 years. It'll be nice to be able to appreciate my background and see where my parents came from. I just mailed my passport application and I didn't realize how much work it involved. I wish it wouldn't expire in 5 years since it costs $87 everytime to apply plus the hassle. It's pretty lame.

Next week, I'll be attending an information session on the Graduate Diploma in Business Administration program. It's basically the first year of an MBA. It's a great option for those who don't have a business background and also doesn't make you commit to do an MBA. I figure it's a good idea to invest in developing new skills and as an employee, tuition is free.

I was asked to join the men's softball team at church, but I declined. The fellowship was good, but the sport is way too boring for me. I'm also more into leisure activities like snowboarding, hiking, and golfing. But I did join the Praise and Worship team as a background vocalist and started practice last Sunday. The group likes my voice so that is a good sign.

Last Friday, I went snowboarding at Grouse. It was hot and sunny so I went in my t-shirt. I saw a number of hikers doing the Grind which was a funny sight to see as I laced up my snowboarding boots. One would wonder how snow can still be around, but there is and still lots of it at the top.

I may not update in a while since my team, the Vancouver Canucks, are starting their playoff round with the Dallas Stars on Wednesday. I can't wait and this post season is gonna rock just looking at all the teams involved. The New York Islanders win in a shootout over the New Jersey Devils to capture the last playoff berth in the Eastern Conference was intense. That win put the Leafs out of the playoffs, and so it will be a dark Spring for many a fans in T dot.

Peace.

Tanpopo

2007-03-23T00:12:00.000-07:00

I stole this picture from my buddy, Justin (far right), taken last year in January. I really like this photo. Justin and his friends came to Vancouver from Saskatoon to see Coldplay. Crazy kids. I took them out to my favourite all you can eat Japanese restaurant called Tanpopo at English Bay during the weekend they were here. It's a must if you're from the Prairies. Some of you may recognize my good friend, Stefanie, holding sushi with her chopsticks.

Aren't we a multicultural bunch?

Peace.

Half-Canadian

2007-03-18T00:46:00.000-07:00

I had a conversation with my dad the other day about relationships and how I told him that I'd probably marry a white girl or non-Asian. My dad would like me to marry a nice Korean girl and he's even mentioned a couple. But I knew those girls wouldn't be a good choice for me. They aren't even Christian and that for me wouldn't work. My dad thinks they would go to church since I go, but that's just not how it works in regards to where I'm at spiritually. Even mentally and socially plays a large role in who I choose to be with.

I told him that being born in Canada and growing up with Western ideals has made me a completely different man than if I was born and raised in Korea. My dad still has tradition in mind, but I believe in the 28 years he has lived in Canada, he has changed. Although he prefers I be with a Korean girl (which I wouldn't completely object), he would be okay with me marrying a non-Asian.

My dad told me he considers himself Half-Canadian, Half-Korean. He has a Western and Eastern side to him now. He told me he wouldn't make friends with new Korean immigrants because of how different their thinking is. I find it amusing because it makes sense that spending the latter half of his life in Canada would make him Half-Canadian. What's also different about my dad is that unlike some strict Korean father types, he's very loving and always gives me a hug, telling me he loves me almost every other day. I'm thankful for that.

My mom wants me to marry a Korean girl, but she's generally pretty open to whoever I choose. She kind of follows my dad.

I'm glad I have parents that are open at least more so than some of the Korean parents I have encountered. I count it a blessing, and only hope that our relationship will flourish as we understand one another in a dual cultured environment.

Peace.

Pearl Jam

2007-03-08T22:42:00.000-08:00

I was listening to some tunes on Pandora (great free personalized radio btw), and happened upon some old Pearl Jam songs. It brought back memories of how I loved this band in elementary/high school. Actually, it was my favourite rock band back then. I never wore the grunge attire which included flannel shirts, long hair, and jeans. But I dug the music.

I bought their first album, "Ten," at a pawn shop in Whalley when I was 12 years old. Since then I've collected 6 including the first album. But I stopped buying their albums with my last one, "Binaural" in 2000. That's when I entered my Christian rock bands buying phase which lasted for a couple of years. But I have since returned to buying music that really speaks to who I am which includes mostly secular but also have praise and worship thrown in there.

Today, I picked up Pearl Jam's greatist hits from 1991-2003 album. It includes some remixed tracks and quite a few songs from "Vs." that I enjoy but don't have the album. Man, grunge used to be huge: Alice in Chains, Nirvana, Soundgarden, and of course, Pearl Jam, and it's pretty amazing they all came from Seattle, just 2.5 hours away by car.

I enjoy listening to underground hip hop and I actually went to a show last Sunday night with my best bud. The show was Lyrics Born and the Coup which featured live bands. I love instruments and there are times I just love to rock out. Pearl Jam is definitely the band that rocks my socks off. I'm glad I've rediscovered them.

What was your favourite band in your elementary/high school days?

Peace.

Canada Fitness

2007-02-25T23:26:00.000-08:00

I have been trying to exercise more as of late, but sometimes I'm just not motivated. I think I need to have some sort of program that gives you a reward or that I should set a goal to achieve. Although, setting personal goals aren't great motivation for me. Current gym programs do offer good goal setting measures. Maybe I was brainwashed when I was a kid that I need an actual reward to be motivated.

I remember in elementary school, they used to have a program called "Canada Fitness." Each year, it was mandatory that every student participate in this program. We were to perform a series of tests that involved push-ups, chin-ups, and a lot of running. After all the tests were complete, a cumulative score was tabulated and you were awarded either a bronze, silver, gold, or red badge. The red was the highest honour you could achieve and in addition you received a certificate from the government for the "Award of Excellence." The worst was being awarded none of those and receiving a small plastic white pin for participation.

I remember how kids used to hide their small plastic white pins because they would feel so ashamed. They were also made fun of and maybe that's why the program was abolished after I think when I was in Grade 5.

We used to have this one test where we would race against other kids. It really wasn't a race because the score was based on personal time. But to us kids, it really was a race to see who was the best. I felt sorry but also made fun of the fat kids who had to do this test. We can be so cruel as kids.

I never received a bronze for my efforts. I've received mostly gold and maybe one or two silver. I was jealous of my brother because he got mostly red for the "Award of Excellence" and maybe one gold.

It strikes me that in one sense, the program was really not a good one because it ranked kids on one general system, but on the other, a lot of kids these days don't even have gym as part of their curriculum which has led to our current high level of obesity.

I think some sort of new program like Canada Fitness except without the rankings would really benefit our youth of today. I certainly feel the Canada Fitness program helped in providing me a healthier lifestyle as a child than kids today who watch a lot of TV and play video games. Kind of funny now that after work that's what I do is watch a lot of TV and play video games. I should get off my butt.

Peace.

You Know You're A Vancouverite When

2007-02-19T09:34:00.000-08:00

There's more out there, but these ones apply to me the most.

1. You know the mountains are located north. In fact, you use them to get your bearing when lost.
2. Checking the weather means looking out the window.
3. You hate the Calgary Flames.
4. You consider anything below 5 degrees to be freezing.
5. Deciding where to eat is a matter of deciding what type of food you’re in the mood for: Japanese, Chinese, Mexican, Italian, etc.
6. You know where the two Starbucks corner is downtown.
7. You know all the T.V. shows and movies filmed in Vancouver.
8. The whole city shuts down over less than a foot of snow.
9. You know many jokes about Slurry… Surrey.
10. The concept of skiing, golfing, and sailing in the same day does not seem impossible to you.
11. You can pronounce Tsawwassen, Squamish, Osoyoos, Ucluelet, Esquimalt, Sooke, and Nanaimo.
12. You know the Vancouver Canucks started the ‘white towel’ trend in sports.
13. Rent and housing prices make you cringe.
14. You know the Canucks have never won the Stanley Cup.
15. You’ve been lost in Richmond because you thought making two right turns would get you back on to the main road.
16. Hal Johnson and Joanne McLeod had more influence on your daily life than Vladimir Putin.
17. You have several public transit stories involving: drunks, crazy people, and teenagers.
18. A yellow light means keep going and a red light means three more
cars.
19. Finding parking takes longer than it did to drive there.
20. If you hear someone is doing the Grind, you know they’re not hitting the books.
21. In winter, you go to work in the dark and come home in the dark.
22. You have actually used your mountain bike on a mountain.
23. The cars in the student parking lot are way nicer than the cars in the staff parking lot.
24. Lululemon is not just a clothing brand but a way of life. (for girls and, probably should be less, guys).
25. A one hour parking spot equals minimum wage.
26. You know what ‘The Big One’ means.

300

2007-02-11T00:32:00.000-08:00

I'm pretty pumped to see this movie when it comes out on March 9th. Just from the trailer, the imagery, direction, and use of colour blows my mind. The movie is based on one of Frank Miller's graphic novel called "300." The novel retells the 480 BC Battle of Thermopylae when King Leonidas and his 300 Spartans fought against King Xerxes and his massive Persian army. The battle is said to have inspired all of Greece to stand against the Persians and help usher in the world's first democracy.

I saw Frank Miller's other movie adaptation of his graphic novel, "Sin City." It was probably the most graphic movie I've seen (one I wouldn't recommend), but I appreciated the technical aspect of the film. It really felt like a comic book coming to life.

This movie, "300," piques my interest because of its historical retelling of a period that was so long ago. It also incorporates fantasy and has a biblical tone to what may have transpired. I couldn't imagine a movie being made from the Old Testament due to how brutal it was back then. But 300 does come close to something I would enjoy and appreciate. I'll see for myself. Also it's definitely a "made for man" movie. It's striking how different men and women are where men generally tend to enjoy a lot of action. I sure love a solid action flick.

Peace.

Quarter-life Crisis

2007-01-30T22:23:00.000-08:00

Some people (I won't say who), want me to update more frequently. I just don't operate that way so I'll try and make an effort, emphasis on "try." Lately, I've been thinking about the future and I find myself waking up every morning depressed. I don't know if it's because I feel I haven't accomplished much in life yet or if I'm just tired and grumpy when I wake up. My job is good, but I know it's not something I will do for the rest of my life.

My life has been pretty routine. I put in a full day of work, come home and watch TV or exercise. After dinner, I play the Nintendo Wii for an hour or so, watch more TV, surf the Internet, and then watch the news. I have bible study one night a week and on weekends, I sleep in and try to go out with my friends.

Sometimes, I think of just taking off to some island and make a living as a simple fisherman. Other times, I think of hooking up with a sailing team and traveling the world. I would also love to be a treasure hunter. I think it's in my blood to want to get out there and do something different.

My dad, for example, knew in high school he didn't want to live in Korea after he graduated. At the age of 23, he decided to move to Vietnam and work for a company contracted out to the US military during the Vietnam War. He told me it was difficult to sleep for the first couple of weeks because of the echoing sounds of bombs being dropped and the rapid gunfire, but he got used to it. He then moved to Saudi Arabia to work for another company for a couple of years when he thought of moving to Canada. My dad actually made a trip to Iran to obtain a Canadian visa because they had offices there. Strange to think it was possible back then and look where we are now with the US and the Middle East.

I think I may be going through a "quarter-life crisis." But overall, I'd say I'm pretty happy with my life. I continue to ponder, but will need to get motivated. There are things I do want to accomplish and I think this year will be a good one for me to set the right course.

Peace.

Prenup

2007-01-19T13:15:00.000-08:00

Today, a couple of my co-workers were discussing prenuptial agreements and whether you're entitled to the accumulated assets at the end of a marriage or get what was before a marriage. To me, it's hard to hear them discussing prenups because current North American society had ended up that way. About one in three of all first marriages end in divorce and fifty precent of second or third ones end in divorce.

As a Christian, I couldn't fathom signing a prenup just based on what I believe in once you're married, it's death do us part. I believe that divorce is based on selfish reasons except if a partner is being physically abused or a partner engages in extra-marital affairs. Divorce in the former revolves around "me" and "I." It's based on what I feel and how my needs are being met kind of attitude.

Prenups also provide a fragile foundation for a true marriage. It's like just in case we divorce, I'd like my stuff back and the money I've made. For non-believers, this makes sense because earthly possessions and money are valued highly. As a Christian, I really could care less if my possessions and money were taken away because I can always acquire new things and reestablish my finances knowing God will provide. And possessions and wealth mean nothing after I die.

Although I'm unmarried, I know marriage is a shared union that requires work and communication. Marriage involves "we" and "us." I look forward to sharing my life with a godly woman until death do us part.

Peace.

Vancouver Area = Ching Ching $$$

2007-01-04T22:02:00.000-08:00

The housing market in the Lower Mainland is ridonculous. My parent's just received their annual property and home assessment. Prices have now been increasing less than before, but in my community based on July 2006 figures, housing prices have jumped 30%. My parent's house has increased by $50,0000 in a one year period. Most single family dwellings in the Lower Mainland fetch between a half million to more than a million dollars these days.

I don't know how I'm going to afford a house. It's crazy to think so many people mortgage a good chunk of their lives. One thing I don't get about Vancouver is that condo construction has been booming. Where are people getting these good jobs to afford such units? I want to know. I struggled just to find a salaried position and it's not enough to even be approved for a mortgage.

My friend had a great idea to purchase a trailer home for as little as $20,000 and then deck it out with the best furnishings. And do we really need all that space in a regular house these days anyway? The only challenge is finding property values low enough to make the idea worth it. Living in a trailer park wouldn't be ideal for a souped up trailer (due to possibly getting robbed).

I'm hoping that by the time I get married and look for a home, the housing market will take a big dip and become sane. Prices can only go so high before people can't afford housing right? Otherwise, I may opt to move out East. Then, my blog will be titled "Arnold's Eastcoast which used to be Westcoast because housing prices suck."

Peace.

Prayer

2006-12-25T00:17:00.000-08:00

I found out my friend's roomate in China was arrested and imprisoned. Please pray for her release as they continue to do the Lord's work there. Pray for the country.

Peace.