OH-Eight!

Can you believe it?

2008...

Let's make it a good one.

2008 Resolutions:
1. Create new years resolutions

Frustration.

It has been over a week and a half since my last final, but still I have no idea what this semester's hard work and effort has amounted to. I have been checking my transcript twice, sometimes even three times a day and this is what I see:


That's right, only ONE of my FIVE grades have been posted. The grade and GPA have been blurred out for confidentiality. But seriously, I'm getting to the point that I don't care what grade I get, I just want my grades.

Anyone else frustrated too?

Merry Christmas!

Most families make holiday Christmas Cards with family photos, but the Lee family is not like most families. So, from my family to yours... MERRY CHRISTMAS!

Lee Family Christmas Card

i love little kids.

So for a very long time my brother and I begged our parents for a younger sister. But once we were in high school we realized the effort was futile.

Tonight my mom's cousin's family came over to stay the night with their 3 children. Two boys ages 12 and 9 and a little girl age 4. And the little girl is absolutely ADORABLE. Her name is Crystal and she says the cutest things. Tonight we spent half an hour making Spongebob Christmas cards and I taught her how to write "Merry Christmas."

Now I've decided that when I have kids I want to have at least one baby girl. I can't wait to have kids, but I guess I have to figure out that whole wife part first. Nevertheless, I'm looking forward to that day there are many little Lees running around.

the power of music

There's something really powerful about music.

Music has a way of transporting us to a different time, a different place. It let's us rock out and dance when we're happy and it let's us simply let go when we're sad or heartbroken. Music is powerful because it tugs at our heartstrings and moves us.

Today I was watching VH1's Top 100 90's songs and it brought me back to my grade school days. I can still remember the very first CD I bought, "Crazy Sexy Cool" by TLC. I bought it for and listened to only one track "Waterfall." I'm not ashamed to admit that I still like this song, it's just good.




Another great song of the nineties and my childhood was, "Changes" by 2Pac. 2Pac may be gone but this song will never die. This was one of the very first songs that I tried to memorize all the lyrics to, the second being "My Heart will Go On" by Celine Dion, another timeless classic. Which brings us to one of my all-time favorites, "All My Life" by K-Ci and Jojo.

Afterthought: Does anyone else remember this song? "Sex and Candy" by Marcy Playground. It was my favorite song in 5th grade. Don't ask me why.

got rice?

I want to share with you about a great website I've heard about called: freerice.com It's an amazing website where you can play a free vocabulary game and help people at the same time!



Here's how it works: the website will give you a word and you have to match the correct definition to the word. If you match correctly then 20 grains of rice will be donated through the United Nations to fight World Hunger. The more you get right, the harder it gets.

Free rice embodies all that is good in this world: having fun, learning, and helping others. My vocabulary level was about a 41... try to beat that (and feed some people in the process)!

Last Lecture on Life

As I walk through libraries and study rooms during finals period, honestly at least 50% of the time people are watching something on YouTube or chatting on Gmail. I figured that if you're going to take a study break to watch something, you might as well watch something meaningful.

My mom sent me this video clip. It's the final lecture from, Randy Pausch, a computer science professor from Carnegie Mellon. But he's not retiring... he's dying from cancer. He only has a couple of months left so he gives one final lecture on life. It's a bit long, but it's amazing to hear his story and the lessons that he shares. It certainly puts things in perspective.

Finals Studiers 101.

In my long-lived academic career I have encountered many different types of studiers: the good, the bad, and the distracting. I figured with finals right around the corner I would give a primer for what type of studiers you might want to lookout for as you seek an optimal studying environment. Perhaps, for some of you, this will be an eye-opening post which will finally explain why no one will study with you. But generally speaking, I feel like everyone has their tendencies and can identify with one (or more of these characteristics). Here they are:

the Hermit – more likely than not you have never seen one of these studiers before because they spend their time holed up on the some obscure floor of vp in the stacks. They believe that any interaction with people might inhibit their studies.

Mr/Ms. Popular – these are the people that seem to know EVERYONE. So when you’re studying with them they have a visitor every minute and feel the necessity to talk with each of them for long periods of time.

Hardcore studier – this is the person who some would say are TOO hardcore. They get agitated by your every breath, until suddenly they leave with no explanation.

the Sleeper – some people go to the library to study. Others have the remarkable ability to fall asleep every time. These studiers aren’t so bad, unless they snore.

ADHD studier – these are the people you can often find smiling at their computer. If you think they’re studying… they aren’t. Rather than typing their papers they’re chatting with their friends, rather than looking through lecture slides they’re watching the latest episode of Heroes.

Inconsiderate Jerk – this is the person that has absolutely no regard for the people around them. They answer their phones and carry out full conversations in the library. They blast their techno music through the headphones for everyone to hear. They bring the worst smelling Wawa hoagie and eat it loudly for everyone to hear.

These are just a handful that I can think of off the top of my head, there are more to come. Please feel free to let me know if you think I missed one.

a war has begun.

This morning I awoke from my peaceful slumber to find toilet paper... EVERYWHERE.

While at first I thought that this was the product of a hall-mate's drunken escapade, soon I found a photo from the '09 ladies:

Apparently last night during their girl's sleep over they decided that it would be a good idea to go to all the '09 brothers' rooms at the break of dawn and wreak havoc. From what I understand it was called "Operation B."

Well, the girls made have won the battle but this is just the beginning of the war. Justice will be served.

"When justice is done, it brings joy to the righteous but terror to evildoers," Proverbs 21:15

the amazing gRACE!

Every year we plan a special event for the Freshman class and this year we'll be competing in The Amazing gRACE!



The Amazing gRACE
12/8/07
3pm @ Meyerson

Overflow - "by grace"

This is the piece that Overflow (GCC's dance ministry) did for the PennSori Concert last week. Story follows the lives of three different people: the bad person, the good person and the Christian person. Although they all sin and fall short of God, it is only by grace that the Christian is saved.

"For it is by grace you have been saved, through faith—and this not from yourselves, it is the gift of God— not by works, so that no one can boast." Ephesians 2:8-9

fall folly

A couple days ago I was walking through campus and I saw two men running around college green. I watched them for a while in confusion before I realized what they were doing: these two grown men were running around trying to catch falling leaves. Seeing them play their childish game made me smile, step back, and consider the simple pleasures in life.

With finals right around the corner, I would encourage you to take a step outside and appreciate the beauty of creation. I think you'll realize that God is an amazing artist.

giving thanks

So another Thanksgiving is here and let me tell you, I’ve got A LOT to be thankful for. But instead of making a never-ending list of all the blessings, friends and family I’m thankful for I want to share with you a list of things I love about Thanksgiving:

Spending time with family.
Unfortunately this Thanksgiving it was just me and pops, but still it's wonderful to see family.

Sleeping in.

Playing golf with the Pops Thanksgiving morning.
A great Lee men tradition.

Watching/playing football.

Macy’s Day Parade.

Putting up Christmas decorations.
This year we're going with the reindeer and sled. It's a pretty impressive display if I may say so myself.

Mama Lee’s home cooking.
Mama Lee always knows best and cooks best too.

Being in Kansas.
No place like home.

Happy Thanksgiving y'all.. from my family to yours!

prayer request

please keep my family in your prayers.

1 Corinthians 15:54-55

brr.. it's cold out here

The word "fan" derives from the word fanatic which according to Merriam-Webster dictionary means, "marked by excessive enthusiasm and often intense uncritical devotion."

The word "fan" according to the GCC '09 brothers means standing outside in 40 degree weather with no shirts on as permanent marker ink seeps into our skin. Saturday, the GCC girls played the RCF girls in the first ever flag football game. Unfortunately we lost, but seeing our girls fight hard and have fun was definitely worth it in the end.


It says GCC! I would've chosen a bigger photo of us... but didn't want to stumble the ladies :)

Two days later and the exclamation point is still on my chest.

shout-out to Hyung

I've always thought that my "Hyung" (older brother in Korean) Eddie was quite a remarkable person; someone I love and respect dearly. Apparently, I'm not the only one who thinks he's pretty cool.

Eddie was featured in an article of the most recent edition of KoreAm Journal, which is a magazine for Korean Americans. The article is called, "College Bound: Step out of the Ivy and onto these standout campuses". It's supposed to be an article that spotlights non-ivy league schools and their students, but they heard about Eddie and wrote about his story too.

Here's an excerpt and picture:

Eddie Lee, 21
Senior, Harvard University
Government major
Specialty: Politics

OK, so he’s an Ivy Leaguer, but Eddie Lee’s story is too good to pass up. Months before graduating from Harvard, he decided to take a voluntary leave of absence. Believing he needed to be part of a bigger cause, Lee dropped his studies temporarily to join the Obama campaign. His parents disapproved at first, but Lee earned their vote of confidence after demonstrating how committed he is to the Illinois senator’s candidacy. “This is something that I’m always going to look back on and be very proud of,” he says. “There’s nothing that I believe in more than this campaign. My whole life, I’ve always wanted to be someone that’s willing to drop everything for something I believe in.”

http://www.koreamjournal.com/Magazine/index.php/kj/2007/october/feature_story/college_bound/(page)/6

Personally, I think this may just be the first of many to come. By the way... I've heard that coolness is a hereditary trait =)

dear '09 Sisters,

So a couple weeks ago I wrote a blog post about a term I called, “man-love.” This was one of my favorite posts and apparently a favorite among most of the boys; however, I got a couple of comments from disgruntled girls who had differing sentiments.

Anyways, last night, the ’09 GCC Sisters hosted “09 Brother’s Appreciation Night” – an amazing night of fun, football, and fellowship. It was rather evident that this night was a culmination of a lot of thought and hard-work. I thought that this would be an appropriate way to say thank you sisters:

Main Entry: GCC ’09 Sisters
Pronunciation: oH-nīn sis-tərs
Function: noun
Etymology: Middle English

1: The body of girls who attend Grace Covenant Church and are members of the 2009 class.
2: The talented ladies who cooked amazing food, organized exciting games and demonstrated their love during yesterday’s Brother Appreciation Night.
3. The caring and compassionate friends whom the ’09 brothers could not live without.
4. The best sisters EVER.
4a. Girls, last night was really an awesome night. Thanks for putting up with (and loving) a bunch of immature and ridiculous little boys like us. Although, we’re not always the best at showing our appreciation to you, we hope you know that the event was really encouraging and touching for all of us.

With love,
’09 Brothers.

hydrate responsibly

I'd like to preface this blog post by first saying that I'm not a big proponent of "fads." For example, I'm not a big fan of Mac's. Why? Because now a days EVERYONE is buying a MacBook. I know reasoning sounds ridiculous but it just makes sense to me. I don't like to be a "part of the crowd;" the only exception to this comes when I'm an early adopter (Wharton-term) or one of the first people that begins this fad. For example, I began using Gmail the summer of 2004 when it was still in Beta testing and no one knew what the "G" in Gmail stood for.

But now I must confess that I've eagerly bought into one of the latest product fads... Vitamin Water. I was quite averse to drinking it at first because I thought it was a rip-off: $1.50 for watered down popsicle water. But then my older brother, Eddie, got me hooked; he told me that it not only tasted great but that it gave him nutrients and energy. That got me intrigued, so I began drinking them... and I haven't stopped since.



I've tried nearly every flavor and the "Focus" Kiwi-Strawberry is my favorite. I love it because it tastes good (subtlety sweet), it refreshes me (almost certainly a placebo effect), and the bottle is very aesthetically pleasing. The only drawback to drinking "Focus" is that it's bright pink. Not exactly the most masculine looking drink but still worth every drop. Apparently I'm not the only who thinks so because Vitamin Water is now EVERYWHERE.

spread the vitamins and hydrate responsibly. (btw, I received NO commission from Vitamin Water for this post... although I should).

be the remedy

Today we went to the David Crowder Band Concert "The Remedy" guest starring Phil Wickham and The Myriad. It was really amazing.


here's some food for thought: if there are so many Christians, then how come this world isn't a better place? here are some of the lyrics sung tonight... think about it.

He's the remedy
Let us be the remedy
Let us bring the remedy

When all the love in the world is right here among us
And hatred too
And so we must choose what our hands will do
Where there is pain
Let there be grace
Where there is suffering
Bring serenity
For those afraid
Help them be brave
Where there is misery
Bring expectancy
And surely we can change
Surely we can change
Something

(contribution by "smother")

sharing is caring

So recently a friend of mine told me about a very easy way to help families in need this Thanksgiving season. All you have to do is go to: www.spreadthesharing.com and type a short story about a time that you shared or someone shared with you. For each story, Country Crock (the Butter company) will donate a meal to a family through America's Second Harvest.

This is a really simple way to give thanks, here was my "story:"
Last spring break a bunch of friends and I traveled down to Miami to spend a week building houses for Habitat for Humanity. Being able to share our time, energy, and resources was really rewarding.

I would really like to encourage everyone to take a couple minutes to do it as well. And once you have, please share your story on this blog with a comment (you can do it anonymously). I think it's encouraging to hear how other people have shared or been shared to.

Consider this.

A good friend of mine forwarded me this email and it's a bit long but certainly worth reading:

The following was written by Ben Stein and recited by him on CBS Sunday Morning Commentary.

My confession:

I am a Jew, and every single one of my ancestors was Jewish. And it does not bother me even a little bit when people call those beautiful lit up, bejeweled trees Christmas trees. I don't feel threatened. I don't feel discriminated against. That's what they are: Christmas trees.

It doesn't bother me a bit when people say, 'Merry Christmas' to me. I don't think they are slighting me or getting ready to put me in a ghetto. In fact, I kind of like it. It shows that we are all brothers and sisters celebrating this happy time of year. It doesn't bother me at all that there is a manger scene on display at a key intersection near my beach house in Malibu . If people want a creche, it's just as fine with me as is the Menorah a few hundred yards away.

I don't like getting pushed around for being a Jew, and I don't think Christians like getting pushed around for being Christians. I think people who believe in God are sick and tired of getting pushed around, period. I have no idea where the concept came from that America is an explicitly atheist country. I can't find it in the Constitution and I don't like it being shoved down my throat.

Or maybe I can put it another way: where did the idea come from that we should worship Nick and Jessica and we aren't allowed to worship God as we understand Him? I guess that's a sign that I'm getting old, too. But there are a lot of us who are wondering where Nick and Jessica came from and where the America we knew went to.

In light of the many jokes we send to one another for a l augh, this is a little different: This is not intended to be a joke; it's not funny, it's intended to get you thinking.

Billy Graham's daughter was interviewed on the Early Show and Jane Clayson asked her 'How could God let something like this happen?' (regarding Katrina) Anne Graham gave an extremely profound and insightful response. She said, 'I believe God is deeply saddened by this, just as we are, but for years we've been telling God to get out of our schools, to get out of our government and to get out of our lives. And being the gentleman He is, I believe He has calmly backed out. How can we expect God to give us His blessing and His protection if we demand He leave us alone?'

In light of recent events...terrorists attack, school shootings, etc. I think it started when Madeleine Murray O'Hare (she was murdered, her body found recently) complained she didn't want prayer in our schools, and we said OK. Then someone said you better not read the Bible in school. The Bible says thou shalt not kill, thou shalt not steal, and love your neighbor as yourself. And we said OK.

Then Dr. Benjamin Spock said we shouldn't spank our children when they misbehave because their little personalities would be warped and we might damage their self-esteem (Dr. Spock's son committed suicide). We said an expert should know what he's talking about. And we said OK.

Now we're asking ourselves why our children have no conscience, why they don't know right from wrong, and why it doesn't bother them to kill strangers, their classmates, and themselves.

Probably, if we think about it long and hard enough, we can figure it out. I think it has a great deal to do with 'WE REAP WHAT WE SOW.'

Funny how simple it is for people to trash God and then wonder why the world's going to hell. Funny how we believe what the newspapers say, but question what the Bible says. Funny how you can send 'jokes' through e-mail and they spread like wildfire but when you start sending messages regarding the Lord, people think twice about sharing. Funny how lewd, crude, vulgar and obscene articles pass freely through cyberspace, but public discussion of God is suppressed in the school and workplace.

Are you laughing?

Funny how when you forward this message, you will not send it to many on your address list because you're not sure what they believe, or what they will think of you for sending it.

Funny how we can be more worried about what other people think of us than what God thinks of us.

Pass it on if you think it has merit. If not then just discard it ... no one will know you did. But, if you discard this thought process, don't sit back and complain about what bad shape the world is in. My Best Regards.

Honestly and respectfully,

Ben Stein

the BUSY-ness of life

My entire life I’ve been accustomed to hearing some variation of the comment, “Wow, you’re really busy…” and most of my life I’ve heard that and felt a twinge of pride and self-accomplishment. I felt that being busy meant that I was spending my time effectively and “making the most of my time.” But recently I’ve begun to question that intuition. While being busy may imply that one has many tasks and is involved in many different things, being busy may also imply that one is too busy… too busy for God, friends, and chill time.

It’s weird to say this but now as I begin thinking about internship opportunities this summer and ultimately post-college career choices, I’ve begun to realize that I’m on the second half of my college career. I can see the end right around the corner and it’s quickly approaching. I want to spend the rest of two remaining years in college not being “too busy;” to some extent this means that I want to spend my time even more effectively, on the other hand it also means that I also want to more intentionally spend my time being available, doing things I love, and enjoying the simple moments in life.

In the busy-ness of life… let’s not forget our business in life.

man-love

This past weekend the GCC ’09 class went on a fall break trip to Jersey Shore; it was a really amazing time. We spent time playing on the beach, watching movies, traveling into the city and sharing something that I like to call “man-love.” That’s right man-love. For the ladies who will never experience man-love, I’ve included a definition below.

Main Entry: man-¹love
Pronunciation: maen\’ləv\
Function: noun
Etymology: Middle English, from Old English lufu

1: Strong manly bond with another man arising out of kinship or personal ties; completely non-sexual affection based on admiration, benevolence, or common interests
2: Unselfish loyal and benevolent concern for the good of another; brotherly concern for others
3: Comraderie felt by men on the same sports team (as demonstrated by the love-tap)
4: Common method of displaying affection among GCC brothers

It’s crazy this thing they call man-love.

lessons in heroism

So lately I've been hooked on a great show called "Heroes," but yesterday a friend sent me an article about someone dubbed a "hero." You can read the article here but essentially a female student was walking home alone late at night in Philadelphia when she was mugged by a man. After she gave the man her purse, she followed her instincts and ran. Unfortunately the man chased her down and began pummeling her on the ground. This is when another young woman Leslie Rogers happened to be walking by on the the other side of the street. She immediately called 911, yelled and began running toward the man. The man heard her calling the police and ran away.

I thought this was a really great act of bravery. Of course in those instances we all know what kind of action we need to take, but I think that in the moment it really takes a lot of guts. But it's in those moments that our true character is revealed. I loved the quote: "I remember, while I was running, thinking maybe this isn't the smartest thing to do," Rogers said. "But I didn't want to wake up the next morning and not be proud of how I handled it."

I think there are a couple lessons to be learned from this story:
1) Please be aware of your surroundings and be SMART. Ladies, this means that when a guy offers to walk you home that you should let him. Also, if no one is offering, you should ask someone. Boys (GCC boys in particular!), you SHOULD be offering to walk girls home. I know it's an inconvenience sometimes and it can really disrupt your studying or schedule, but I see it as a really tangible act of love to our sisters.
2) Consider what you will do in the case of an attack or if you are to witness an attack. If you see an attack you don't necessarily have to go fight off the attacker but you should call the police. The last thing we need is another Kitty Genovese, who was stabbed to death over a span of half an hour with more than 30 neighbors watching.
3) These type of attacks DO happen. Just last year one of the older guys from GCC was mugged about 50 yards from lower quad gate.

I realize that these past couple posts make Philly out to be a really terrible and scary place, but I figure it's better to be slightly on edge and aware than nonchalant about the city.

one thing i'm thankful for...

This sounds ridiculous, but one thing I'm very thankful for are disposable toilet cover sheets. You know what I'm talking about, the thin-filmy-flushable paper that you place on the seat before sitting on it. These sheets are a rather new phenomenon that have become quite common in the last couple years or so.

I was thinking about it today as I was sitting on the toilet (sorry for the details)... it's funny how a thin piece of paper 1/10th of a millimeter thick can give us such a sense of security. Some of the filthiest toilets in the world you couldn't pay me to sit on are bearable with some cleaning and the placement of just one disposable sheet. But yes, I'm very thankful for that and for the brilliant man who just got tired of carefully placing strips of toilet paper down before using the toilet.

This is kind of a random post, but I've found that life is so much more pleasant when you are thankful for the little things.

(btw, it's pretty exciting to see comments being left on the posts... so please do!)

the world's a scary place.

Growing up in the suburban Kansas I think I lived a rather sheltered and protected life. But just last week, I was disturbingly reminded that the world’s a scary place.

Last week a friend and I went downtown to do some shopping. As we were wrapping up, my friend went to go make one more purchase while I decided to head back to the subway terminal to listen to some of the subway performers. As I was standing there listening, an older gentleman about 50 years old strolled up next to me. He gave me a friendly smile and said, “Hi, how are you.” He looked like a homeless man seeking out some pocket change so I said, “Good, thanks.” He then proceeded to introduce himself so I shook his hand and then nonchalantly moved away.

About 5 minutes later, he showed up next to me again. “He’s really good, huh?” the man said as he looked around. At this point I began to get a little uncomfortable and suspicious; but I figured that he was just a lonely old man. He asked me where I was from and I told him I was a student in the area. Then he proceeded to say, “I can see you like the music… you know, I’ve got a lot of music videos at my place.” I nodded politely and said, “I see.” Then he said, “Do you want to come over some time and listen with me?”

It was at that moment that everything clicked. Something about him had struck me as odd, his hand shake had lingered a little too long, he was standing a little too close, but it was then that I realized what he was inferring. In shock, I said, “No I’m not interested” and I hurried off.

The rest of the day I was quite shaken. I just couldn’t believe what had happened to me. Sure, I have seen shows about sexual predators but I never really believed that they were out there. What was most disturbing to me was the thought that a child or young teenager could potentially fall victim to that man or other men like him.

The reason I’m writing about this is because I want to remind everyone to be vigilant and aware of the dangers out there. Unfortunately, the world’s a scary place. I hope and pray you’ll never encounter anything like that.

O sleep, where art thou?

Sleep, my dear sleep, where art thou? I search for thee in the depths of my bed and in the dark of the night but do not find you. I long for thee all hours of the day with no avail. We were of such fond acquaintance but now we are strangers. Yet, you seem to find me in the unlikeliest of hours and the most inconvenient of times: during a protracted lecture or in the depths of a dreary book. Sleep, my dear sleep, I miss you so.

Rocking it Old School.

A new school year has begun. What does this mean? New courses, new dorm room, new textbooks, and yes, new family group. Family group is the small group of that our church GCC does bible studies in. Generally 10-15 people are in each group and throughout the year you really become a family. In the past I’ve been really fortunate with amazing family groups: Second Serve and GUM. This year, however, I’m not only part of one, I’m co-leading one. Thus far, this has been one of the most amazing, yet difficult experience ever. There’s something about trying to invest, love and sacrifice for people that barely know you and often don’t reciprocate the love. But when I think about it, it’s really an awesome burden; one that I face eagerly.

This year my family group is called “Old School” and our verse is Proverbs 22:6 “Train a child in the way he should go and when he is old he will not turn from it.”

I know God has some amazing things planned for us this year. Please pray for us.

Always remember 9/11/01

I was in the boys’ locker room changing for my freshman P.E. class when a voice spoke out over the speakers, “There’s been a terrible accident at the World Trade Center building…” Though I heard the words, the information or significance didn’t quite process in my mind. In fact, as I headed out to the gym I distinctly remembered a friend asking me, “What is the World Trade Center Building?” To which I answered, matter of factly, “Oh, I’m sure it’s some important business building.”

That hour of PE was an hour of ignorance and bliss. It was an hour during which words like terrorism, Osama Bin Laden, Al-Qaeda, and even World Trade Center meant nothing to me. But once I left that gymnasium, I was bombarded with images of the burning towers, terrified people and valiant rescuers, images that are seared into my brain to this day.

While 9/11 is a day in our history that we will never be able to erase, the memory of the brave men and women who ran into those burning buildings and of the lives lost should never be forgotten.

first day jitters

I have survived 14 first days of school in my life, yet this morning when I woke up I had some jitters. A couple of butterflies as some thoughts raced through my head: what if I say something stupid in class? what if I get lost? what if I don’t know anyone and have to sit alone? Sure small and frivolous things but things that crossed my mind as I left my snug dorm room to begin another first day of school.

The day went pretty well. I did have an incident where I actually went to the wrong classroom and took a seat. But as soon as I realized my mistake I handled the situation with ease, nonchalantly picking up my stuff and walking out. I suppose these things just come with a couple years of college education. All my classes seem bearable and atleast slightly interesting and my classes tomorrow should be even better. All in all, this should be quite a challenging yet educational semester.

Add another notch to the belt, number 15.

it's the little things in life.

Sometimes it’s the little things in life that can make us the most happy. I was reminded of this important lesson as I sat in a terminal in Minneapolis waiting for my flight to Philly. There was a four year old boy sitting across from me and he was obviously grumpy and wanted the whole world to know. He was crying and pouting, fighting with all his might to get beyond the grasp of his frustrated and slightly embarrassed mother. She tried everything to appease him, she played with him, gave him milk, pleaded with him but nothing seemed to work. Until she presented him with a box of crayola crayons that is. At the very sight of those crayons his face brightened and his little arms stretched out to grab his favorite.

Now as I begin my Junior year it ever so important to hold tight to this lesson. Sometimes life seems so complicated and serious, but I’ve got to remember that it’s the little things in life that can make us the most happy. Little things like playing a round of golf with my father, eating a nice meal out with my mother, or seeing good friends after a long period of time. It’s these little things that we have to cherish when we’re grumpy and our worlds are falling apart.

now cough.

So I just returned from the hospital and some IHOP with mamma Lee and I’ve come to an insightful and well thought out conclusion: I don’t enjoy going to the hospital. I don’t think anyone enjoys going to the hospital for that matter. Sure people may not mind getting check-ups or visiting a friend, but I have yet to meet anyone who is eagerly anticipating their next visit to the hospital.

The hospital is just not a pleasant place. Maybe it’s the sterile office, the cold steel, or the excruciatingly long waits. Personally, I became all too familiar with the hospital at too young of an age battling chronic asthma attacks and the little lollipops they gave me after each visit were not enough to entice me back.

I suppose my relationship with hospitals is rather love-hate. I hate going to the hospital, but having been to so many, I love medicine, science, and the doctors who commit themselves to battling sickness. I just hope that I never have to see another one of those great people again.

On a related note, last night I saw a man in the grocery store wearing this shirt.

deep, huh?

hello stranger.

Yesterday, I suffered through a rather terrible flight from Manchester to Newark. I flew Continental, which I’m convinced engineers their cabin to be as awkward and un-ergonomic as possible, maybe they wanted to stimulate the feeling of being trapped in a coffin. Anyways, most of the flight was unpleasant: I slept through the complimentary drinks/food and was pinned to the window seat so I couldn’t go to the restroom. It was only when we were unboarding that I met my seatmate a girl by the name of Caroline. As we walked off the plane together began talking and ended up suffering through our hour layover together over some mediocre airport food.

Caroline was a senior in college on the brink of pursuing an acting career in New York. She had just finished her summer involved in a theatre that had put on numerous different shows. While I felt like we had come from such different backgrounds and areas, we had also met at a very similar point in our lives and had so much in common. We spent the conversation talking about how much we loved the work we did this summer: for her acting, for me campaigning.

She then introduced me to the world of acting. A world of constant rejection and failure, only to succeed and be discovered at the most unlikely time. A world where ones work is so personal yet so easily criticized. A world where you become the characters you play and live out the plots written for you. It was a world so different than mine, yet a world I found quite fascinating. By the time I saw her board her next flight, I had the utmost respect for her and her passion for acting.

One thing she said really struck me, “If there is anything other than acting that you think you might consider doing, you have to leave acting and go do that. It’s just that difficult.” I envy her passion for acting and I believe that this is the commitment and desire that we all must have in our vocation and life.

dare to hope.

Today’s my final day in the office. So I’m finally taking the time to sit down, look around and take it all in. It’s the pillars in the office that strike me the most. All of the pillars throughout the office are covered with signatures of the community leaders, staff workers, interns and local volunteers who have spent countless hours working for the cause, the cause that is boldly painted on walls “hope.action.change. Obama ‘08.”

People continue to ask me as I leave, “What did you learn from your time here?” and I’ve been pretty stumped. Sure there are the obvious things: I learned how campaigns worked, I learned how to work 12 hour days, I learned how to communicate my opinion on difficult issues and I learned the importance of civic duty. But those were implicit lessons that I knew I’d learn when I flew out to Manchester. What did I really learn on this campaign?

As cliché as it sounds now, I learned about the Audacity of Hope. In our imperfect world full of imperfect people there is a necessity for hope, a desire and belief of something better. I don’t think that we can live in this world without hope: whether it is hope in the goodness of people, hope in a better tomorrow or hope in God. Unfortunately, these days people are disillusioned by hope. They are afraid to hope because they are afraid of being let down or being wrong, and that fear is paralyzing.

It’s here on the Obama campaign that I once again discovered the audacity of hope. I’ll be honest, before I joined the campaign I was a cynic. I supported Obama but couldn’t bring myself to believe that he could win. I couldn’t bring myself to put my hope in him. But here in Manchester I met thousands of people who had put their hope in Obama, everyone from the staff worker waking up at dawn to assemble the press clips to the single mother who had shown up with her child to volunteer for the campaign. It was remarkable and it challenged me to hope once again. And it was hope that sustained me through the 12 hour days, it was hope that helped me survive the sweltering nights on the couch and it is hope that allows me to believe that Barack Obama can and will be sworn in as President on January 20, 2009.

I double-dog dare you to HOPE.

hope.action.change.

Me with Senator Obama in Derry, NH.

Working hard, living the dream and changing the world. Thus is the life of an Obama intern.

Obama ’08.

a few good men.

If you were to ask me what one attribute I look for in a brother, mentor, candidate or friend, I would say character. I admire men of character and constantly strive to develop it in my own life as well.

What exactly is character? Character means standing up for what you believe in when it’s not the popular or easy choice. It means having integrity and being consistent to your values. It means being loyal and faithful to a devotion, person or cause. It means understanding when you have made a mistake and being able to admit that you were wrong. It means being able to sacrifice your personal gain for an even greater purpose. Character is that one human attribute that is just uncommon and the attribute that far too many people are lacking. Even myself.

It’s when I think about men of character, that I can see that I’m just a young, immature boy with plenty of room to grow.

barack the vote.

Me with Senator Dick Durbin and Senator Barack Obama in Washington, D.C.

hope. action. change. obama '08

throwing out the plan book

If all goes to plan, in ten years I will be happily married with a couple of kids settling down in the suburbs. If all goes to plan, I’ll be financially secure and living a comfortable lifestyle. If all goes to plan, I’ll be very content with my life. But is being “content” good enough? What up’s and down’s, excitements and downfalls will I forgo living life according to my “plan book.” The last thing I want is to look back at my life with regret, knowing that I could have done great but settled for alright. I don’t want to live my life afraid of risks; rather I want to live my life embracing risks.

I truly respect men who live with a greater vision and a sense of purpose. As RFK said, “Few men are willing to brave the disapproval of their fellows, the censure of their colleagues, the wrath of society. Moral courage is a rarer commodity than bravery in battle or great intelligence. Yet it is the one essential, vital, quality for those who seek to change a world which yields most painfully to change.”

...

I have absolutely no idea what the next three weeks have in store for me, but I know this for certain, I’ll never look back ten years from now and wonder what could have been.

(written 8/6/07)

terminal reflection: my DC experience

In my life, I’ve spent countless hours in terminals around the world reminiscing of that summer or semester’s great memories. At times, it feels like my life is on constant fast-forward from one summer to another, one terminal to another. So terminals evoke rather bittersweet emotions for me, they remind of the amazing experiences I’ve been so fortunate to have had in my lifetime but also of the multitudes of places and friends I’ve said goodbye to.

So now here I am sitting at the Reagan National Airport terminal waiting yet again for another flight home. Yet as I sit watching people slowly crowd the terminal, it’s difficult to fully realize that my time in Washington, DC is up and that I’m going home.

My summer in DC was outstanding; the city is amazing and the experience was unforgettable. It’s difficult to convey my love for the city to people who haven’t experience it for themselves. To them, my gushing over meeting politicians and visiting historical sites can seem like a fanatical experience quite appropriate for a “power-hungry” city like DC. Rather, I have experienced quite a different city throughout this summer, I have experienced the “historical DC,” the “proud DC,” and the “selfless DC.” Sure, those power-hungry people certainly exist in DC, but the good people have left a much better impression on me. In this city, I remembered the millions of good Americans who have given their life serving this country. In this city, I realized the tremendous impact that a few great leaders have made throughout the course of history. And in this city, I was reminded of the earnest hope and desire a person can have to change this world for the better. Politicians are often written off as sleazy or self-gratifying, but I’ve come to believe that almost every one of these men and women serve because they genuinely want to and can effect positive change for people. Sure, I disagree with many politicians regarding how to best bring about that change, but regardless of their thoughts or political persuasion, I have a tremendous amount of respect for them.

As with every great “experience” I have had in my life, I have considered what it is that I’ve learned during my time in DC. After all, this term experience cannot loosely be attached to any event or period of time, rather, experience requires judgment. Judgment is required to discern what was learned and how I grew, so that my summer in DC is more meaningful than just an event in my lifetime. I’ve learned from this experience the true power of hope and meaning of ambition.

So now I continue to hope. Hope that a Black man can become president. Hope that Asians can be better represented in politics and media. Hope that this world can become a better place. I also continue to strive. Strive to live for more than financial security and power. Strive to live for Christ and on behalf of others.

“There’s nothing wrong with making money, but focusing your life solely on a buck shows a poverty of ambition.” – Barack Obama.

I love DC.

Why do I love DC, you ask? Because only in DC can you be eating dinner at a Chinese restaurant with friends and happen to see Presidential Candidate Congressman Dennis Kucinich walk in with his wife. Last night, seeing him stroll in and take a seat was astonishing for my friends and I, who all happened to be very interested in politics. Of course, being the young, brash aspiring politicians we are, we wanted to say hello but ultimately felt that would be rather rude. Instead we decided to settle for some glimpses of the back of his head en route to the restroom. As we were leaving the restaurant, however, it just so happened that the congressman and his wife had finished their meal as well. And we shook hands with Congressman Kucinich in the hallway.

I also love DC because only in DC can you go to Capitol Hill and meet Presidential Candidate Senator Barack Obama. That’s right, this morning I shook hands and took a photo with Senator Obama, the man I believe should be the next president of the United States. It was extraordinary meeting Obama. He is a man that I have only the utmost respect for, a man that can empower this nation’s young people, and a man that I believe can change this nation for the better. I sincerely believe he is our generation’s JFK and will forever be remembered in history as a great man.

In fact, I believe in Obama so much to the point that I am seriously considering spending the remainder of my summer in New Hampshire interning at his campaign headquarters. I’ll keep you informed. But for now, I’m relishing my last remaining days in DC.

a matter of life and death.

I have been fortunate throughout my lifetime to have very few encounters with death. I grew up rather unfamiliar with the reality, finality, and pain of death. In today’s society of constant news I have even become jaded to the daily reports of lives lost in war or in other tragic circumstances. Unfortunately, today death has become evermore real to me. This morning I learned that a high school peer of mine died this weekend in a motorcycle crash. I can’t say that I was very close friends with him or that we spoke more than a dozen times over the six years I knew him, but it’s still hard to believe that he’s gone.

In the news report he was referred to as a “21-year-old Overland Park man.” I was struck not only because he was so young, but also that he was referred to as a “man.” When did we become men? Weren’t we just teenage boys playing basketball together in P.E and anxiously talking about girls?

It’s moments like this that reminds me of the frailty of life and the suddenness of death. Although I still can’t fully grasp the reality of death, I am reminded of the meaning and purpose of my life.

The lyrics of a MercyMe song say, “You never know why you’re alive, until you know what you would die for.” I would die for Christ. Maybe it’s time for you to consider what you would die for.

Mike, Rest in Peace.

a tribute to great men

(Clockwise from top-left: Secretary Norman Mineta, Dr. David Ho, Toby Dawson, Yul Kwon)

Aside from shaking my hand, what do all these men have in common? They are all great Americans. They have served this country as Secretary of Commerce and Transportation, they have identified the HIV virus, they have won the bronze medal in skiing and they have won a season of Survivor. In their respective fields they have excelled and made a tremendous contribution or achievement that has improved this country. They are all leaders who make me proud to be an American.

By the way, did I mention that they all happen to be of Asian decent as well? As an Asian-American, meeting these people was a particularly great honor. Perhaps it's because I can see within this handful of men the potential that lies in Asian-Americans like myself. Slowly we are emerging from years of discrimination and glass-ceilings to bring about a better future for our country, the United States of America.

I myself feel a great responsibility to excel and make great achievements as I serve my God, my country and pay tribute to my heritage. I want to one day be remembered as someone who did something for others, who truly served others to his utmost ability, and someone who was proud to be Asian and American.

Asian-American Pioneers

Tonight was the most outstanding night. I just returned from a Gala of Asian-American Leaders and I had the wonderful pleasure of meeting Dr. Ho (Time's 1996 Man of the Year), Secretary Mineta (Secretary of Treasury under "dubya"), Toby Dawson (Olympic Bronze Medal Skier), Ambassador Lee (S. Korea's ambassador to US) and finally.. Yul Kwon (recent winner of Survivor).

More photos/follow-up to come. But for now...

One of these two men were voted one of "People's Sexiest Men Alive." M.. take your guess.

family matters

Growing up, one thing I always felt was missing was my extended family. It's not that I didn't have any extended family, I did. The problem was that they all lived in Korea. So that meant that aside from the occasional summer trip to Korea, it was simply the four of us. Don't get me wrong I have a wonderful and loving family, but I always used to wonder what family reunions were like or how Thanksgiving dinner would be different with more seats at the table. Perhaps this is the reason that I'm excited for when Eddie and I both begin having children, and we'll have to have many of them so they don't feel the same way.

But yesterday, I met my mother's aunt for the first time (that I can recall atleast). I had dinner with my "immo halmuni" (my Aunt-Grandmother), her daughters, and their children who all live in Virginia. At first it was quite awkward, we spoke about the job and the weather. But soon we got to know each other and I slowly became "Uncle Jason" to the young boys.

Last night was the first time that I've felt that larger sense of family in America and it was wonderful. There's something about being related to someone that creates an inherent bond of trust and familiarity. For most of my life I've wondered what this feeling would be like and now I know (it's warm and tingly).

As I left last night my immo halmuni promised me that this was just the beginning and that we would have many more encounters to come. Perhaps it's time to buy more chairs for the dinner table...

walk the walk: register to vote.

On Nov. 2, 2004, 10.5 million under-25 voters went to the polls, compared to 8.7 million in 2000, raising the turnout rate to 42.3 percent from 36.5 percent. The past presidential election was a dramatic demonstration of the power, influence and ability of America's young people. Still, we can do better.

This summer in DC has been especially exciting for me because it has marked the beginning of the first presidential election I can vote in. Tonight a bunch of my friends and I watched a really exciting debate between the Democratic candidates, then we spent a couple hours afterwards discussing the issues and sharing our opinions. And as excited as I am about being knowledgeable about the issues and being involved in the democratic process, I know that there are those young people out there who are simply apathetic. To be honest, their apathy or lack of interest in politics doesn't bother me.

However, what does bother me is when young people complain about issues and express dissatisfaction about the status quo but do absolutely nothing about it. They talk the talk, "We shouldn't be in Iraq" "College tuition is way too high" "I believe in protecting life" yet when election time rolls around and they have a chance to do something about it, they sit idly.

So my challenge to young people today, regardless of political affiliation, is to walk the walk. Don't simply talk about what you don't like about this country, about what could be better, rather be the catalyst to that change. Now I'm not saying that young people should blindly register to vote, rather, I believe that young people have the ability and the responsibility to become educated on the issues and make their voices heard.

If you'd like to become more educated on the issues:
CNN Election Center, Rock the Vote, NYT Political Blog

hairspray.

This is a feel-good movie that'll have you dancing and singing out of the theater. I couldn't help but smile like a fool throughout the entire film. I thought it was great and would highly recommend it. 4.5/5

sad day: So You Think You Can Dance results

For those of you who may not know, I'm an avid dancer. I'm all about swing and hip-hop. There's something about feeling the music and dancing that is simply undescribable.

It's for this reason I have no shame in admitting that this summer I have also become an avid fan of the show "So You Think You Can Dance." My Wednesdays and Thursdays in the office pass treacherously slowly as I anticipate the show those evenings. The show is great because there is so much talent and diversity of dance displayed. Plus, a lot of the girls are... really nice.

Today, however, is a sad day as my favorite guy dancer "Hok" was voted off. Hok was the b-boy, hip-hopper with crazy hair from Canada who I steadfastly supported throughout the show. Unfortunately his reign on the show is over but life must go on.

rock the vote.

new layout: better or worse?

let me know.

hermaphro.. what?

So recently I decided that I would get back to one of my favorite old-school hobbies reading (another old-school hobby? pogs). I didn't have a book that I had heard much about or really had an urge to read, so I wandered into the bookstore and began browsing. I came across a book called "Middlesex" by Jeffrey Eugenides author of "The Virgin Suicides." It had a nice looking cover (I always judge a book by it's cover) and it also happened to be recommended by Oprah (who btw also is a strong supporter of Obama), so I bought it.

now reading: Middlesex by Jeffrey Eugenides

Only a couple days later did I open it up to read what it was about... "This wondrous epic from the author of 'The Virgin Suicides' travels from Mt. Olympus to Detroit to tell the story of an all-American hermaphrodite." That's right, I'm currently reading a coming of age novel about a hermaphrodite. At this point, I'm half way through the book but still unsure about what I think. I must say it's quite different: quite interesting at times, also quite disturbing at times. But I'm trying to keep an open mind and I'll let you know my thoughts when I finish.

marriage: i do?

Recently the idea of marriage has become abundantly real to me. No, I'm not considering marriage myself (far from) but it turns out many of my peers are. Within the last couple months I have learned that 2 friends my age have gotten married and 2 friends younger than me have gotten engaged.

When I learned about all these developments my response was one of shock, then disbelief, then joy, and finally puzzlement. At my age, I can't even fathom proposing to someone let alone getting married to someone. Marriage is such a binding commitment, it's such an adult commitment, and it's forever. Goodness, these days I still have second-thoughts selecting my own ice cream flavor, obviously I'm no where near selecting my wife. But I have a great amount of respect and joy for my friends who are taking their steps down the aisle. In this department, they are far more mature than I am (hopefully).

As for myself, I am completely content with living my single life and developing myself so that when the "right girl" comes along I'll be ready to take the plunge myself.

do you believe in magic?

About 7 years ago I could have legitimately called myself a Harry Potter fan, but my impatience got the best of me, I couldn't bear the idea of waiting a year for each new book release. Last night, I went to go see Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix to relive some of my childhood magic. I thought it was quite entertaining, but not much more than that. 3/5

Siskel, Ebert, Roper & Lee weigh in.

In high school one of my passions was journalism. I was the editor in chief for my school paper and also a guest movie reviewer for the teen section of the Kansas City Star, my favorite part of which was watching films one or even two weeks before they premiered and then writing scathing or gushing reviews. This summer as an old man, I have been watching many movies and now I’ll share with you some of my “expert” opinions:

Evan Almighty

-Slightly disappointing. I found 40 year old Virgin hilarious, so with Carell’s new movie I had quite high expectations. I thought Evan Almighty would be a clever, light-hearted comedy but I found the film a little surface level and predictable (spoiler! there’s a flood at the end). 2.5/5

Ratatouille

-Pixar has never failed me, now add Ratatouille to their list of successes. Pixar just has a magical, Disney early-90’s formula of great characters and deep story lines that warms my heart. 4.5/5

Transformers

-Rather than warming my heart, Transformers got my heart racing and kept me glued to my seat. With past success like Independence Day, Armageddon and Bad Boys, director Michael bay has proven himself the master of action films. The film was wildly entertaining and certainly worth the terribly inflated prices of DC movie tickets. 4.5/5

Movies I still plan to see: Ocean’s Thirteen, Die Hard, Harry Potter.

perspective

I want to introduce you to a man named Brett Leake.

He's hilarious. He's been on Jay Leno. He was also born with muscular dystrophy and has spent 43 years of his life confined to a wheelchair.

Yesterday I saw Brett do an hour of stand up (sit down, rather) comedy and it was really funny but also really inspiring. His philosophy is that life is full of problems but you've got to be able to find the humor in every problem. As he spoke about his life, he really put things in perspective: life is a miracle, life can be difficult, but life is SO precious. It's amazing to see someone who's lived such a difficult life, love life so much more than those more fortunate.

So next time you get caught off on the highway or have a rough day at work... take a moment to consider how lucky you are to be living.

for his glory

God gives us all different talents and abilities so that we may glorify him…

K.J. Choi: I just want to thank the Lord for just bringing me this win and all of the success I’ve had in my career. I’m just shocked at myself being able to win Jack and Tiger’s tournament. You know, I can’t really express in words what this means to me. All I can say is I just did my best. I just believed in the Lord, felt like He was with me all this time. I just tried to make myself as comfortable as I could, just pray hard, and just give it my best shot and approach it like a professional.

“I tell you the truth, anyone who has faith in me will do what I have been doing. He will do even greater things than these, because I am going to the Father. And I will do whatever you ask in my name, so that the Son may bring glory to the Father.” -John 14:12-13

a glimpse of greatness

Every so often in sports someone special comes along, an athlete who seems to break all the rules and changes the nature of the game: Jordan, Ali, Mantle, Gretzky... and Tiger.

Today I got a glimpse of greatness. I went to the ATT National and watched Tiger tee off an amazing 300 yards. One day when they talk about the golf legend Tiger Woods, I'll be able to say I saw him play. Today I also saw KJ Choi, Stuart Appleby, Vijay Singh, and Anthony Kim (got his autograph).

It was a beautiful day and quite enjoyable following KJ (who began as the leader) around the course. It was slightly bizarre being part of the huge Korean horde following him around, but I certainly felt a sense of pride. There's something about seeing someone who looks like you doing well in a sport with so few minorities.

Anyways, boy do I still feel fortunate. Be thankful for your blessings.

july4th: belated reflection

This was pretty much the view I got Wednesday night sitting on the national mall watching the fireworks, it was spectacular.

As I watched the stunning show, I experienced a deep sense of appreciation. I am so fortunate... to live in the United States, to have been born into a middle-class home, to have gone to a good school, and to have traveled the world. This privileged life I live was not mere coincidence or good fortune, rather, it came with a price. The price was paid by my forefathers, by the brave men/women of the armed forces and by my immigrant parents...

and to them I say thank you.

stupid-people anonymous

Let’s face it, nobody is perfect and everyone does stupid things. Isn’t it one of the most foolish feelings getting caught doing something stupid? This includes everything from leaving your cell phone on during church service to picking your nose when you think no one is looking.

I’m constantly caught in the same act: dancing in public. I have this tendency to practice random dance moves throughout my day, but I can’t tell you how many times elevators have opened with me dancing in them or someone walks into the bathroom with me practicing my newest rave move.

Today was a pretty empty day at the office. And as I was walking down the hallway to the bathroom I get the urge to do a robot/harlem-shake-esq dance. I’m doing my thing when suddenly this woman comes out of no where; she sees me and gives me a confused look. I decide to go with the “play it off cool method” by doing the same motion less vigorously as if I was simply practicing the drums.

I’m sharing my stupid moment with hopes that you will do the same; to create a forum of sorts embracing human imperfection and debunking our perfectionist standards. Please if you’re reading this (if anyone’s reading this) leave a comment sharing your moment(s) of stupidity.

let’s go there… let’s talk about race.

On April 29th, 1992 a predominantly white jury acquitted four policemen of beating black motorist Rodney King after he had fled and resisted arrest. What ensued in the days following was a mass riot of thousands of blacks throughout the city rioting against racial profiling by the LAPD and also against the growing racial tension with the Koreans in the community. At least 53 people died in the LA riots.

My work at the Department of Treasury happens to have a large percentage of African Americans. It makes for a very diverse workplace that I really enjoy; it’s like a mini-UN. The only other Korean delegates at the Treasury are the members of the kind Korean family that runs the basement cafeteria/shop. Every morning, I drop by for my breakfast tea/toast and also to say hello.

This morning I witnessed an episode that was particularly unsettling. A black woman was standing in line watching the wife of the shopkeeper make her pancakes with a particularly distressed look on her face. As the wife began to place the butter on the pancake the woman shouts out, “No no girl, you better not be putting the butter on the pancake yet.” The wife looked back slightly puzzled, not quite understanding what the woman was requesting. She said once again more forcefully, “Don’t put the butter on the pancake yet.” The wife kindly smiled, “Ok ok, wait for butter.”

The woman then turned to one of her co-workers and snickered. She said, “These people…”

Once the woman got her pancake, she handed an empty syrup bottle, “Do you have more syrup?” Then the wife took the bottle and asked one of the other workers in Korean to go get some more syrup. Yet, the woman stood there waiting for a response and demanded once again, “I need some syrup.” I was torn, because I could understand Korean and knew that they were getting her some syrup but they had failed to inform her that they would.

This brief, unfortunate interaction gave me a tiny glimpse into the essence of the LA riots: a miscommunication of cultures and a lack of empathy. This was a revealing episode for me because as a Korean-American I could understand both sides of the story: the woman was probably having a bad day and was frustrated by the fact that the wife couldn’t understand her, on the other hand, the wife, an immigrant from Korea, had poor English skills and had to accommodate the demanding needs of customers.

Something that people often lack in this world is empathy. If only we respected one another and were considerate in our actions so many conflicts like the LA riots would be avoided.

perks: equal opportunity?

Last night after watching Knocked Up (which was both hysterically funny and slightly disturbing) my friends and I went to go get some ice cream and something very interesting took place.

I stood at the counter for a minute considering each of the flavors and contemplating which to get. After a minute of internal struggle debating the merits of strawberry v. cookie dough, I still had not come to a conclusion. So I kindly asked the girl behind the counter which flavor she recommended. She looked at me for a second, then asked me whether or not I like coffee ice cream. I told her I did. Then she reached down into the freezer and gave me a large cup of coffee ice cream with a cone sticking out of it; she said, "you can have this." At first I wasn't quite sure what she was saying but then I realized she was giving it to me for free. Apparently someone had ordered it earlier and couldn't pay for it. I thanked her and wished her a good night.

As we walked back to the dorms, I told my friends what had happened and how nice the girl had been. But then they told me that she wasn't just "being nice," rather that she had given me the ice cream as token of interest/attraction, if you will. I was puzzled. Perhaps I'm just naive but I always thought that girls seemed to benefit from these type of perks, not guys. I'm still not convinced, but please feel free to weigh in with your thoughts.

One thing I am convinced about is related to my previous post: kindness is contagious.