james' blog...

2006-08-18T10:22:00.000-04:00

Semi-Annual Update...

Wow, I haven't posted in a long time. I was actually reminded of this blog from a friend who stumbled upon it - and reading all those old Jeopardy posts inspired me to put something new up.

So here's the update since the last time we met. I work at EY now, had a perfect softball season (in more ways than one), got married, had 3 kids, started doing steroids to match Jwoo's strength, among many other highs and lows. Ok, really my past half year can be summed up in: family, friends, softball and work. That's pretty much my life right now. And I like it!

In the spirit of Jeopardy and the season coming to an end, I present today's topic - ET softball players. Remember the rules - one guess per two hours and half points of question off per incorrect answer!

100 - After a year off to a different system, this rangy shortstop has returned to help anchor an infield in need of a veteran leader.
200 - These two ex-Lions were reunited on the I's this year, after respective sabbaticals led them back to play together.
300 - This lanky Oracle has matured greatly in now his fourth year on the team and in the league, showing much more intelligence in the field and sporting a bigger bat by improving from his singles-only ways in the past.
400 - This player is considered a bit below average in terms of skill but is best remembered for snagging an insanely hard line drive, hitting into a pretty double play and his overall good nature and for his trash talking mouth.
500 - These two ladies made their return to ET softball after a couple years off - playing for the first time on a senior team.

Good luck and have fun!

2005-12-25T02:24:00.000-05:00

Merry Christmas...

'Tis another beautiful day after an evening of fun, fellowship and good times with great people. Here's to a very special birthday.

Today's Jeopardy can be answered an unlimited number of times:
100: This is your favourite Christmas memory - past or present.

Have a blessed holidays. Cheers!

2005-12-13T15:03:00.000-05:00

A Few of My Favourite Things...

So the other day, I decided to take a step of faith. To be adventurous. To go where I had never gone before. Dare I say it...to...wear blue jeans for the first time that I could remember. Many asked how I felt that brave day. A little tight, a little funny, even a little blue...but overall, a good time. Thank you blue jeans, for adding a bit of spice to my life.

Well, Maria enjoys raindrops on roses and whiskers on kittens, but these are a few of my favourite things:

- APC's awesome Christmas concert with hero singers
- playin' badminton
- WarIII Frozen Throne custom games
- laughing at Nickelback's Photograph [both meanings]
- tons of EA Sports games w/JW
- job offers
- ET's silent service and the reminder of the truth of His grace and forgiveness
- RT's cube
- the innocence of a child and their desire to learn
- [spoiler alert!] - Danni winning on Survivor
- second chances
- Goo Goo Dolls' Better Days
- tasty Maxim cakes
- the anticipation of Christmas with family and friends

No Jeopardy today folks (AK's got that covered today!) - just a question for the ol' comment message board instead - 'What are a few of your favourite things?

2005-12-08T15:04:00.000-05:00

Happy Day...

...happy day/when Jesus washed/my sins away.

Back when I used to visit a lot of my friends getting baptized at different churches, they used to sing this song during or after every single person got dunked. I have to admit, it's a pretty happenin' song. I mean, to rejoice and to proclaim to the world what a great day it is because Jesus has washed away your inequities to such a melodic and cheerful tune - who can not love that?

Baptisms are part of what makes Christmas great for me. It's not just celebrating by remembering the birth of Christ - it's also celebrating a birth of Christ in a dear brother or sister's life. This year, at ET, one of my great (yes great, not just good) friends, Mr. Richard Tsang is declaring to the world that he is a Christian and that makes for many good times. (I don't think WJ reads this blog or I'd give him a shout out too.) I've known Richie for a great deal of time - and by great deal of time, I mean about a year or so. But throughout this time, I've been honoured to witness his growth as a Christian and as a person. His enthusiasm and zest for life is contagious and unrivaled; his humour and generosity (lately pertaining to his 'cube-of-games') really make him stand out as a individual and great friend. Ok, at the risk of making the poor chap e-blush (I just made that up, I refer e-blushing to blushing at the screen), I'll stop there.

Another great baptism story this Christmas (and actually the inspiration of this blog) comes from my dad's sister (my aunt) and their family out in San Fransisco. None of my dad's side of the family is really Christian (except one cousin) and after years and years of my parent's prayers for their family, they are the first ones next to our family to pronounce their faith in Christ. There's actually a much more storied history behind this story, so ask me if you're interested. My favourite cutie of a cousin and my aunt and uncle are all getting baptized this Christmas, hence the celebratory blog. Just goes to show you that persistent and consistent prayer can really work and make an impact. It really is a happy day for my family and I!

Ok, since I can't really ask too many questions about my aunt/uncle/cousin that none of you know, I will instead ask about my dear friend Richard. So today's Jeopardy is on Richard Tsang. Obviously Rich you can't answer nor can KL who helped supply me with the questions.

$100 - The number of year's Richard's played CCSA.
$200 - This is Richard's high school.
$300 - This is Richard's birthday.
$400 - This is Richard's favourite Mario character.
$500 - This is Richard's middle name.

Some of these are pretty hard, especially if you don't know Richie that well. Do what you want to try to extract this information out of him:

...don't worry, he said it's okay!

2005-12-06T13:45:00.000-05:00

Let's Go...

...let's go (echo), Blue jays...Blue jays (echo), let's (let's)...play (play)...ball!!! (Anyone remember that from the seventh inning stretch at a Jays game? It was freakin' good times!)

[Warning: This is a sports blog. If you hate sports, hate baseball, hate the Blue Jays, or love the Raptors, please stop reading now! (Sorry, every sports blog must contain at least 3 obligatory Raps-suck comment and 2 outrageous bold predictions.)]

So more big news today from the Toronto Blue Jays as they sign free-agent Burnett to a $55 million deal, just a week after signing Ryan to a $47 million deal (both five years). Captain Obvious says - that's a heck of a lot of money to pay to two semi-proven pitchers! Granted, as a fan, I'm very happy we get two younger pitchers to bolster our staff. I mean, would you rather have Ryan or Batista? Burnett or Lilly? Araujo or Iguodala? [Obligatory Raps-suck comment 2, check.] I've been a fan of the Jays ever since watching Nixon bunt to Timlin for the final out of the '92 Series. (Side note: who freakin' bunts on the last out of the World Series? It's the World Series!!! Why are you bunting Old Man Nixon?) Even when the Jays had their rebuilding process in the early part of 2000, they were still an exciting team to watch, had good marketing campaigns that brought out fans and actually had good prospects and a savvy GM, which is much more than I can say for the strategy-and-future-planning-challenged Babcock of the Raps. [Obligatory Raps-suck comment 3, check.]

Anyways, this is exciting news for the Jays, who after a few years of drafting and trading for prospects, have built from within a reasonably strong team. Adding more pieces to the puzzle and the continued development of their young guys (look for guys like Hill and Rios to get better this year) will only make this team a more exciting team to watch in '06. I believe that we'll finally move up from our perennial 3rd place finish. [Obligatory bold prediction 1, check.] And in the next 3 years, I believe that you'll see the Jays in the World Series. [Obligatory bold prediction 2, check.] At the very least, you'll see them in the playoffs light years before the Raptors! [Bonus Raps-suck comment 4, check.] I'm a little bummed that they didn't get Giles because I really would have loved to see him in a Jays uniform and now JP really needs to work the phones to pick up a big bat or two.

With all this newfound Jays talk, I thought it might be nice to revisit some of the old Jays that helped abet in my love for baseball in the first place. With that, today's Jeopardy topic is '92 World Series Blue Jays - that is, Jays from the first ever Canadian World Series.

$100 - This oldtimer sent a scorching drive down the left-field line that drove in two runs that would eventually win the Series for the Jays.
$200 - He hit a two run homer off baseball's all-time saves leader, Jeff Reardon in the ninth inning of game 2.
$300 - He was the key to victory in game 4, combining with relievers to pitch a five-hitter.
$400 - His near-costly error on fielding a ground ball in the 11th inning of game 6 nearly allowed the Braves to come back in the last inning to win the game.
$500 - These three infield Jays helped to secure a near-triple play after Devon White snagged a 400-ft drive in the fourth inning of game 3.

Good luck and remember, no Google, only memories!

2005-12-01T22:28:00.000-05:00

Worship...

Last Friday, I picked up the ol' guitar and with the help of Rich and Stella, led worship for the first time in a very long time. It was actually for the children because there was a youth missions night at ET and the kids weren't really part of that worship service. So I dusted off the old binder with chords and transparencies (you know it's and old binder when it has hundreds of pages of transparencies) and strummed along humming many of the old tunes that I used to know and love in preperation for leading worship. I really love a lot of the new worship stuff out there but those that know me will attest to my love for nostalgia and the "old school" on occasion.

Rummaging through all those oldies but goodies really put a smile back on my face and reminded me of the core and simplicity of my faith, when those songs were sung for a first time from my heart. Sometimes, things nowadays are too jazzed up that we neglect how beautiful it is to hear a group of kids sing "I Love You Lord" acapella while praising God with their whole hearts. Too bad most my kids were too naughty and didn't like singing that much.

With that, onto this edition of Jeopardy with the topic being Old school worship songs focusing on ones that I grew up to that haven't been done in a while. I've extracted one small section of the lyrics and you must guess the song - remember, no Google!

$100 - "You're my friend and You are my brother/even though you are a King."
$200 - "My heart's one desire/is to be holy/set apart for You Lord."
$300 - "I lay all of my burdens/down at your feet./And anytime that I don't know/what to do..."
$400 - "And when the dark clouds come/and bring down the rain/I know that you will sustain me Lord."
$500 - "Teach me your holy ways oh Lord/so I can walk in Your truth./Teach me your holy ways oh Lord/and make me wholly devoted to you, oh oh whoaaa"

Good luck, and remember, only HALF of the value will be taken off for wrong answers (ie. answer 100 wrong and you will only lose 50 points!) Have a great weekend!

2005-11-29T22:27:00.000-05:00

Sisters...

So some of you have been asking who bp (the blogger who posted "Double Jeopardy" in the post below) is. There are a handful of awesome women that I've met who have become super great friends, and with time, have developed into 'sister' figures in my life, seeing as how I lack a biological sister. Some are older and wiser and have given me advice and taken care of me and guided me when I was younger. Some are younger that I've been blessed with opportunity to share and get to know and help out on occasion. 'BP' is one such sister who has helped to fill up my blog when I have neglected it, among many other things.

With that, today's Jeopardy question is on five wonderful "sisters" in my life.

$100 - We hold an annual joint birthday party together every year (minus last year) - she used to take care of me when I was sick and even signed up for a first year class to watch out for me when she was in her fourth year.
$200 - She's grown up to be a wonderful woman of God, leading youth and university movements and fellowships, with an evident passion for revival and outreach - even appearing on TV and international conferences.
$300 - She plays LW for a championship winning hockey team and enjoys programming geek language and writing technical manuals.
$400 - She's a lawyer who recently got married and attends ETCBC.
$500 - She loves french, biting her nails, is extremely absent-minded and aspires to be a french teacher.

Happy Jeopardy and the new rule of the day is - no posting for a clue if YOU are the answer to the clue (or technically, the question to the answer)!

Double Jeopardy...

2005-11-29T02:10:00.000-05:00

Double Jeopardy

Category: Names
For $200: the middle name of this blog's primary blogger.
For $400: the middle name(s) of this blog's guest blogger(s).

2005-11-28T16:50:00.000-05:00

Mario...

A lot has happened lately. And by a lot, I mean nothing. And by nothing, I mean nothing I really want to share. Well, not explicitly anyways. I still feel up and down about many things - days range from amazing to okay, but generally I've been trying to keep my optimism level up. To focus on the truth that every good and perfect gift comes from God. And that He gives and takes away.

Anyways, onto something lighter. Much of the fun this past weekend has come at the expense of Tracy and Richard's respective Gamecubes. Those lovable Nintendo characters sure know how to take your mind off the harsh realities of the world. With that, it's time for this week's Jeopardy. One new rule after receiving numerous complaints: you can only answer one question every two hours per user, so "buzz in" only for the ones that you're sure of first or the big money ones.

Category: Mario Characters
$100 - This plumber has the same first name and last name and was originally named after an Italian landlord
$200 - Originally known as "Koopa", this ultimate Mario villain is infamous for his power and his unintelligent one-liners.
$300 - He is the oldest and most loyal of Peach's servants and is seen constantly with his cane.
$400 - His arcade game spawned the birth of Mario and was originally a villain against Mario but with time, his popularity changed that perception.
$500 - This is the original name of this brunette turned blonde who is now called "Peach".

Ok, that's it and happy guessing - and remember, only one guess per person every 2 hours!

2005-11-23T22:52:00.000-05:00

Jeopardy 2...

Due to overwhelmingly popular demand, I've decided to continue on with Jeopardy. In these times of serious blogs on depression, difficult circumstances and horror stories around the world, I figure that some lighter reading may do the heart and soul some good. After all, isn't laughter often the best remedy to many problems?

Instead of awarding arbitrary non-existent prizes, I shall keep a running total of the cold hard cash earned by each individual. The rules are simple. If you answer correctly, you are awarded the monetary amount of the question – if you are incorrect in your answer, you shall be deducted that amount and cannot guess again for that particular clue. Each clue can only be answered once correctly. Lastly, there will be no notification of when Jeopardy blogs are posted, so those who check most frequently and consistently have the best odds of “buzzing in” first. With that, let’s get to the game!

Today's category is "ET CCSA Softball".
$100 – In the ‘o5 playoffs, this monster bashed 6HRs knocking in an astounding 16RBIs while batting .857 and slugging a gross 2.500.
$200 – This individual holds the record for most career MATs for an ETCBC player.
$300 – This individual is the only person to ever hold a head leadership position without being a regular ET-er.
$400 – This individual ended the ’05 season with the highest batting average.
$500 – This individual ended the ’05 season with the most singles in all of ET – she also set a modern day record (since stats were first recorded four years ago) for most singles in a season for a female.

Please refrain from checking your stats if you have them and make this game fair for everyone. Cheers!

2005-11-23T12:58:00.000-05:00

Passion...

"Yes, LORD, walking in the way of your laws, we wait for you; your name and renown are the desire of our hearts." - Isaiah 26:8

For me, passion is an unquenchable thirst and desire for an object, individual or just for something. Last night was the reminder of just what our desire and our passion really should be - His name and his renown. A reminder of the smallness of man and the bigness of Majesty. A reminder how trivial and frivolous our concerns are at times compared to the vastness of His splendour.

2005-11-21T01:56:00.000-05:00

Jeopardy…

Growing up in an age of “Wheel of Fortune” and “The Price is Right, one of my consistently favourite game shows has been Jeopardy. Perhaps I enjoy entertainment that also stimulates the mind and requires some sort of intellect – and yes, I’m sure that does make me somewhat of a geek. I’ve always preferred mind games such as Cranium, Taboo, Scategories, Mastermind and Trivial Pursuit to games based on chance or accumulation of fake monies.

So in the spirit of entertainment and making this a blog not just about me but also of all you faithful readers, I present to you Jeopardy, a la James. The category is Famous ET People and a tremendous prize shall be presented to the winner. The rules are simple – be the first to correctly identify all five clues (don’t forget, in the form of a question!) and you win. Simple enough? Let’s play!

$100 – His love for laptops, bats and Korean pop singers are second to none.
$200 – She has the uncanny ability to pick out a flat but is oblivious to a fart.
$300 – This proud father has a jovial and passionate only child who leads a fellowship and captures the heart of many.
$400 – He has a fine place of residence, plenty of neat toys, and a penchant for belting a note or two.
$500 – His name is synonymous with a luxury car, a chain of luggage stores and an “Illuminator”.

Good luck and happy guessing.

Note: Prizes have no [cash] value and may be withheld at the discretion of JL.

2005-11-18T15:49:00.000-05:00

Let it Snow...(*3)

There's something magical about snow for me. The perpetual flow of soft cool flakes fluttering down all around only to disappear into a mass blanket of white. Sometimes soft, sometimes crunchy, sometimes even brown or yellow, with the appropriate abettor of course. Ok, before you all start to think I’m a poetic fruit…

…Perhaps one of the reasons for my appreciation of snow is that it is generally the symbol of what’s to come: Christmas. A time when everyone is home and happy, time to celebrate a majestic birthday, to scour for holiday deals and time to stuff your face with whatever food you can get your grubby little hands on. And if you know me, those are the things I really love most about life: friends and family, celebrations, finding good deals and eating grubby hands [note – I did not forget the ‘with’ accidentally].

So strap on your boots, furry winter coats (ooh I need me one of those) and long wool scarves – ‘cause baby, it’s startin’ to snow - and that really does lift my spirits!! (And c'mon, two blogs in two days - aren't your spirits already lifted?!! =)

2005-11-17T18:43:00.000-05:00

Back From My Hiatus...

Well, ‘tis been about four months since my last blog entry. You know what they say about out of sight, out of mind…speaking of which, whatever happened to those lazy childhood days you could wake up at noon, watch cartoons and play video games, while eating excessive meals, occasionally playing sports and staring at a screen until your eyes hurt, than staring some more? I digress…

…or do I? So that’s been the story of my life since September when I finished off my Masters program. It can be summed up nicely from Gamecube, TV shows, badminton, kids programs, shopping, eating and sleeping. Life is good eh?

Well, not everything’s peachy and daisy (like the lovely Mario girls) as I continue the never-ending quest for a utopian perfect job. So if you’re an employer looking to pay big bucks for a semi-hardworking individual to work a few hours a week in your HR department, give me a shout.

Until then, hope all is well with you, my lovely readership. Hopefully my next post won’t be four months late.

2005-07-26T11:09:00.000-04:00

Internet Nostalgia...

In continuing with my summer time theme of nostalgic memories, I will go through a couple of the big fads that have hit the internet during my teen years that I used to spend many many hours on!! Kind of brings back old memories of much wasted time, but I suppose that's what makes up this new generation of teens.

SixDegrees - Anyone remember six degrees of separation? Very much like Friendster nowadays but it was really one of the originals. It allowed you to see how you were connected to whomever, up to six degrees. In essence, everyone would be connected to everyone so you could really connect to everyone, so it made it kind of pointless, but it was one of the original programs that really got this whole "online community" business started for me.

Manga house is another popular one way back when, when users could build little houses to form virtual communities and have neigbours, etc. You could accumulate points for things that I didn't understand, but I do know that it allowed you to have a little description of your house as well as leave other users comments. Again, pointless but one of those quick flash fads.

Asianavenue is the big one that I'm sure all are familiar with. I remember the good old days when points would get you clothing (I have at least a few AA tshirts and CDs!) and guestbooks and notes weren't limited or restricted. Designing pages gave me the basics of HTML that I use even today as well as popularized the whole asian pride deal among many teens. From member-of-the-week to insane Java AA chats that would crash to accumulating hits and guestbook entries to insane AA names that all featured cute sweet azn gurlie 69 hottie babie or some variation or combination of the above, AA definitely was a big part of many Asian teen's lives!

QuizYourFriends was another fun one that didn't last very long, but people would make up these ludicrous questions such as "What is my third favourite colour and why?" And then they would base their friendship on how well you did on that quiz!! Man!! I don't know and I don't care!!! I remember we used to cheat the system because you could finish the quiz from questions 1-9, then exit it and know all the right answers from 1-9 and then just re-open it and do it again, this time getting everything write (at least 1-9). LOL! All our friends thought we knew them so well, even their obscure questions. Oh man, good times! (I bet I've just lost like 10 friends' respect whom just realized I've fooled them for so many years!)

There were more fun ones like making a fake "blackplanet" account and Findapix, NeoPets and many other mini virtual communities as well that were completely pointless yet consumed so much of my young life. But with the popularity of Friendster, myspace and all the other ones out there right now, it seems as if everytime one dies, another one springs up. I suppose it's become engrained into our cyberspace culture.

2005-07-22T11:50:00.000-04:00

Summer Fun...

Well, thesis writing is just about finished as I'm just finishing off my last edits now. Submitted the majority in today and it feels like a huge load has been lifted off my shoulder. Had an amazing birthday with some of my closest and best over for dinner. Thanks for all the laughs, good food, awkwardness and surprises!!

Softball's rolling along with Little League and with CCSA - been a lot of good times with that. Suppose I'm just trying to relax and really enjoy this summer before it gets hardcore and I have to work. Summer resolutions: sleep in, see many friends, lots of leisure reading (any recommendations?) and swim lots.

Hope you're all enjoying soaking up all the sun!

2005-06-23T21:39:00.000-04:00

Back in K...

Good seein' some of the boys again from yesterday. Being at k definitely ain't the same without all my boys. Love me the boys.

(PS. love me THE boys, not love the boys - big difference there!!)

2005-06-21T13:46:00.000-04:00

Blast from the Past...

I was skimming over Vida's blog that I hadn't visited in like half a year and I realized a reoccuring theme of "missing" things. Faithful readers can attest that throughout the days of this blog, numerous blogs have been written with the central theme of nostalgia. I suppose reading through the lists of things missed by her made me also miss many things of my own.

What do I miss you ask (or not ask)?

I miss the days when my parents planned big birthday parties for me, and no one would show up but my cousin and closest friends. It was a lot easier to tell who actually liked you and who was just there for the free food.
I miss the days when I played CCSA because I loved softball and not because I had to lead but just had to play.
I miss good summers spent just chilling with my favourite people.
I miss old friends whom I used to be super close with and talk with and see everyday - yet I haven't seen in years now. Those are the people I want to find!!
I miss waking up at 9am on Saturday morning to watch cartoons such as Ninja Turtles, Teddy Rupskin, Smoggies and Denver the Last Dinosaur.
I miss waking up at 10am during my teen years to watch Saved by the Bell the new new new class, Hang Time, and California Dreams.
I miss when I could still understand the words to what they were singing on the radio.
I miss snack time at Chinese school when my parents would bring me hot fish and chips as a motivation to not leave at the break. Those were some sweet fish and chips!!
I miss staying in on Friday nights to watch TGIF - Boy Meets World and Hanging with Mr. Cooper and Step by Step.

In sum, I really miss old friends, simplicity and my old TV shows.

2005-06-20T02:04:00.000-04:00

Busy busy...

My life can be neatly and simply summarized into softball and thesis on the surface this past while. Mondays-Thursdays consist of hardcore (or attempted hardcore) thesis work to finish this bloody paper that will never die and only grows stronger every time I attempt to defeat it. Thursdays/Fridays are little league games/practices with our kids for softball, Saturday is Illuminate team days, and the rest of Fridays/Sundays creeps away for fellowship and church. Creviced in the cracks of free time is family time, seeing friends and miscellaneous errands. You now know my entire life. I'm serious, it's sad.

Been really convicted on many things lately such as a renewed prayer life, community and intentional living. Each of these topics could be a series of blogs on its own, but I'll choose not to bore you by divulging in these at the present moment. Instead, I shall bore you with my ever-popular list - some of the good times over the past couple weeks that I have truly treasured:

- fun times in k to goodbyes
- Illuminate ownage awesomeage roxors - love me the team!!
- Dar and Eric in k = woot times + too much poker + too much MVP + too much tetris + too little pita grill + too much hawtness (in more ways than one) = TOO MUCH FUN
- Unionville festival - fireworks ownage in the eye (literally!)
- CC small group reunions + massive spamage - awesome fellowship
- lovable little league lightweights losing n' learning n' owning (couldn't think of another L-word for winning)
- ET fellowship community becoming tighter - love me Titus, the leaders, and the church
- Alfred's sermons owning everyone and everything - tear-jerking heart-pulling solid material - so dirty!!
- muchos coffee with new friends and old
- dropping by parties - my new thing - no more attending, only dropping by =)
- bitten alive at tent camping at Presqu'ille yet still good times
- droppin' bombs like they're hawt

I don't know why I keep my blogs so formalized in writing style. I wish that I could write hawt instead of hot more often and use created words such as awesomeage and ownage to the maxors instead of terrific and excellent in my blogs. Perhaps one day will change.

gg you l33t h4x0rz.

PS. I know why I can't write like that - only Ken/Dar/Jus will understand me, thus ostracizing the rest of my readers.

2005-06-01T13:50:00.000-04:00

Back Again...

Ah yes, the obligatory "update" blog. After not blogging for over a month, it's time for that monthly update so that all you happy readers are kept satisfied and checking this increasingly-mundane blog. Remember when blogging used to be cool? What? It still kind of is?!....

Things have been awesome. If I had the time (or the will and desire) to blog these past couple months, this blog would actually contain some relevant substance. Being in Kingston has been sort of comforting – a real home away from home. Not too many friends here but a lot of time just to do my thing – get work done, see some important friends, catch up on e-mails and other miscellaneous things. Every weekend then I head home to see more friends, do lots of softball and church and family.

Speaking of which, Illuminate’s amazing. ‘nuff said. Campus Challenge was inspiring – I couldn’t sum it up in one sentence so e-mail me if you actually want the whole spew. Anyways, back to slaving away at this brutal thesis – I don’t think I’ll ever finish!!

PS. I think this is truly one of the dry-est blogs I’ve ever written.

2005-04-29T13:40:00.000-04:00

Goodbyes...

I suck at goodbyes.

There, I said it. I'm the absolute worst. I don't know how to give them, I don't know how to receive them. I always have that mooshy warm fuzzy when it's time to leave, but usually, I'm good enough to distance myself from the moment and make myself believe that I will indeed see that person very soon in the near future. But honestly....I'm awful with goodbyes.

It's for this precise reason that I really wanted to detach myself at Kingston this year. I came in here with the mindset of not seeking to meet new friends but instead, nurturing the relationships I already had. Well, as God would have it, the people here are so darned awesome and my selfish plan ultimately failed.

I’ve met some of the most amazing people here and built some awesome relationships over my past 8 months here. And now, I’m kind of paying the price as the last month and a half has been slow painful goodbyes. The past couple days have been especially tough, perpetuated by numerous sleepovers, videos and long talks. I don’t remember the last time I actually experienced this amount of sadness saying goodbye to someone.

I haven’t blogged much since being in Kingston. Perhaps I’ve grown out of it a bit or perhaps I’ve just been too busy and preoccupied with everything to constantly maintain and upkeep this site. Consequently, I’m sure not many Kingston people read this. But if you are and you’re someone who has enriched my life this year, in any big and small way, then thank you for making my year memorable in so many ways.

No farewell my friends, only ‘see you later’. Till then, may you be blessed immensely.

2005-04-14T01:41:00.000-04:00

A Night to Remember...

You know those nights where nothing really happens, but you get home and it's the most exhilarating, fuzzy (warm fuzzy, not drunk fuzzy) and just sweetest night in a while. Well, tonight was one of those nights.

A day which began with the completion of a long and arduous take-home exam, a successful arbitration, a fun library visitation continued into a beautiful evening. An evening filled with “man’s pasta” – featuring five meats (chicken, ground beef, meatballs, pork, sausage) – for dinner, shopping, library visitation and exam-care package delivery, house dessert delivery (featuring some hard-as-rock home-baked brownies and ice cream sandwiches), frosh chilling, hangin’ out with a silly melon, coffee and chilling with uppers, group hugs, nostalgic stories, adventurous summer plans and so much more.

It’s bittersweet though, I must say. It’s April 14 and exams are about to end, people are about to head back to their respective cities – and yet, ‘tis a beautiful night for falling in love again with Kingston.

There’s so much I want to share, so much about how God’s moved my life here in K. So much about wonderful friendships, tough lessons, amazing joys and personal grown and realization that has seized me in my limited time here. I will write again, don’t you worry.

But for now, ‘tis back to the balcony, chatting with a dear friend, sippin’ on some hot tea, munching (*ahem* crunching) on some brownies, and basking in the beautiful Kingston evening.

PS. - Please excuse the sap – there’s enough to make maple syrup.
PPS. – Please excuse the cheese – there’s enough to um…make the Ontario dairy farmers stop rapping.

2005-03-08T11:35:00.000-05:00

Spice Up Your Life...

A little bit of amusement for those of you stressed or busy. (The link will only work until next Monday.) Hope it "spices" your day up (insert polite obligatory har har here).

[Disclaimer: any traumatizing mental images or disabilities brought on by the video is the sole liability of the watcher. Proceed with caution and at own risk.]

2005-03-05T17:35:00.000-05:00

Thoughts...

Why am I perpetually sick? Just when I get better, I'm starting to come down with something again. Perhaps little to no sleep and being fueled constantly by caf food isn't the wisest thing to do.

I'm back in full school mode. It took me two months, but I'm back and working consistently again. You know that feeling when you're just in the zone, and you sit there and work gets done. That's kind of how I feel now. Must make the most of this advantageous situation.
Back to work.

2005-02-26T15:44:00.000-05:00

A Touch of Nostalgia...

UTCCF grad din 04

There's a certain twist of nostalgia for me whenever I enter into a place of the past, such as an old school (no pun intended) or a place of familiarity of the past. So yesterday, I set out to visit my old high school, Unionville. Something about walking past those old pink lockers and passing by those old physics stools where four precious years of my adolescence disappeared brings back warm memories.

After conversing briefly with some old teachers and touring the new sections of the buildings, I set off downtown to UT for the first time since my convocation last year. Being an old-school kind of guy, I parked my car in the same spot as I had my last year, walked to the same buildings as in past classes, and visited old hangouts as per my storied four years at the institution.

Everything from the familiar odours of "Wokking on Wheels" outside Robarts to hordes of pigeons swarming next to the hotdog vendors (the same ones for the past 5 years) to feel of the Robarts cubicles as I studied reminded me of the past. After meeting up with old professors and catching up with old friends, I headed to CCF for fellowship. I must say it's been amazing how they've grown and a blessing to hear about their retreat. Going into CCF, I was expecting to know little to no one as many had forewarned me that the demographics were completely different. But seeing old face after old face with warm greetings and familiar smiles really made my evening. And to complete the evening, I went out with four of my favourite CCF boys to Sushi Inn (home to countless lunches and dinners throughout my tenure there) for dinner, stopped by ET fellowship and took Tim home. Just like old times. Like nothing had ever changed in 10 months.

Sometimes, when you're caught up in the everyday and the now, you forget about the past. For me, it's always bittersweet to take a step back and relive the days of the old. Thanks to all for making it special and a wonderful day.

2005-02-25T02:12:00.000-05:00

Guess Who's Back?...

...back again? I'm surprised people actually still come to this blog - a thousand apologies for being such an uninspired and unmotivated blogger this past month; hope you UNderstand (har har, pun intended). 'Tis not to say that the past month (quite literally) has been uneventful - it actually has been a flurry (no pun intended) of activity.

Most notably, winter retreat was good times in finding good physical and spiritual renewal and rest. It's also been uber good times meeting up with the guys on a regular basis and going through the books of Titus and James with them. And more recently, it's been a blessing hanging out with new study buddies. Nothing makes you bond like hanging out semi-delirious at 4am the night before an exam at the library.

I was sick the week before last, which inevitably led to the demise of my voice, rendering me literally quite speachless. In the end, I ended up over a week voiceless, learning throughout the joys of listening and whispering, as a welcome change to my loud talkative self. Thanks to those who kept me well-stocked with an endless supply of neocitrin, buckley's, advil, tylenol cold, chinese herbal medicine, tea, lemons, boxes of tissues and so much more. The fevers, killer throats and constant coughing and sniffling would have been unendurable without you guys. And special thanks to those who put up with my persistant and incessant blowing of boogers - I don't know how you endured it.

So reading week has been good. Spending every day at home, which is definitely a change from my past return-trips, and only going out in the evenings to see friends. Definitely not as packed as in the past, but 'tis also been a great time of seeing old friends, having great laughs, filling dinners, home cooked meals, and meaningful conversations. Life is great.

Anyways, I think I've fulfilled my obligatory blog, after my brief one-month hiatus. I promise to blog on a more consistant and regular basis, so check back soon. Blessings to y'all and have a great weekend.

PS. recent adventures uploaded on imagestation.

2005-01-25T01:47:00.000-05:00

I'm Alive...

..no seriously, I really am! It's been a pretty busy past couple weeks back here in K, but it's been good. Some really good news with school including the exciting news that I've got a research professor confirmed now!!! (Ok, it's exciting to me anyways!!) I've also dropped another course that I didn't enjoy so I have a lot of time to read and work on my research this term, which is relaxing for me and I'm really enjoying.

It has been freezing here though on some days, almost deathly. But all in all, lots and lots of fun with BEWIC sports day(s), coach carta-ing, dinners, meeting up with my boys again, getting back into all the TV shows, and so much more. It's good to be back.

Hope you're all doing well, and I promise to update sooner!! Blessin's.

2005-01-10T13:03:00.000-05:00

What a Break...

My oh my gee golly gumballs! It has been quite a break indeed!! 29 days of "holiday" flew by way too fast as it was hectic and restful at the same time. It can be summed up in the 5 "F's" - family, friends, food, fun and fatness. I present to you, the higlights:

- chilling with family and extended family and numerous family dinners (hence the fatness)
- dinners and potlucks with friends, at church and out (again, hence the fatness)
- "early" 11am catch-up breakfast/brunches (see the reoccuring theme of fatness?)
- good solid late night chats
- shopping
- being back at ET again
- new years eve party - trivia pursuit
- ribbing DL till the cows come home
- Mario tennis and wrestling
- late nite thesis cramming
- waterloo trip - hyped up gummies, so many photos, n64, HL birthday celebrations, good talks, fast drives, seeing EL jeh, good meals, queens invasion, lccf, pho, amazing brotherly host = tons of fun
- home cooked meals and parents learning everyone's names
- AC's surprisingly sexy dances
- movies galore (i-robot, the best movie in the world *ahem*)
- christmas gift making
- hero UAC service/ET services
- Becca/Jubz'baptism/mission trip
- catching up with those who have impacted me so much in my life

Cheers and have a great start to your year!!

RSS

2005-01-07T11:56:00.000-05:00

RSS

For those avid RSS readers out there (like myself), you will be pleased to hear that jamescl.blogspot.com is now syndicated. Simply point your feed reader to http://jamescl.blogspot.com/atom.xml to start your subscription today!

2004-12-31T13:23:00.000-05:00

Reflections...

Wow, so many blessings, lessons and moments of 2004. Some highlights:

- new school, new friends, and a whole new atmosphere in Kingston this year
- great summer hanging out with core friends n' family
- watching ET grow and falling in love more with the church - a place to belong
- wealth of fun and learning at Paramount over the summer
- learning about love and life
- so many incredible chill times
- convocation from undergrad, and the beginning of a new post-grad chapter

No resolutions, as per the usual. Starting up promises that I don't intend on keeping or that I find it hard to keep are always difficult and futile. I think I'd rather keep growing and changing the things that have already been on my heart.

Happy new year!!

2004-12-25T01:13:00.000-05:00

Merry Christmas....

You know, chestnuts roasting over an open fire, mistletoe hanging overhead brightly lit beautifully decorated trees and tons of amazing presents are nice. And of course, I'm as big a fan of the white Christmas as any other. And going to an amazing Christmas service/show production with heart-warming music and meaningful messages is such a blessing.

But when it all comes down to it, nothing makes Christmas Christmas without spending some time reflecting on the real reason for the season. For a Saviour that was born on this special day, born with the purpose to eventually die. And nothing beats having some of your closest friends, sitting around sharing, chilling and just sharing life together. And of course, countless great meals and times spent with family.

After all, it's the great times with friends and family that really makes me feel like the most blessed person in the world. Merry Christmas to y'all and may you be blessed beyond wonder.

2004-12-13T21:04:00.000-05:00

Delicious Relationship Cookie...

Here's something you don't hear everyday: this blog has been inspired by Pucca & Garu. Yes, those two lovable Korean/Jap figures with the novelty oversized heads, large beady eyes and dark rose coloured cheeks. (Then again, that could encompass more asian characters.)

Looking at my friend's pencil case, which features the two lovable characters amicably pecking just reminds me of those good old days when we all had pencil cases/bags. For my asian brothers, you'd remember those little box cases that have buttons at the end that spring open the eraser cabinet, the multi-purpose magnifying glass and prop up the pencils secured in the pencil case. The case was usually decorated with a race car or a motorcycle.

The best thing about the asian cases and bags though was the incoherent broken english that absolutely made no sense. Stationary bags outlined with mantras such as "sound is the essence of tree" and "happy friend loves joy hug" definitely were the highlights of those bags.

I suppose seeing "delicious relationship cookie" etched into the back of the bag brought back many fond memories. So for now, all those with exams, "happy work pass blessing" to y'all.

2004-12-10T16:09:00.000-05:00

All I Want for Christmas…

As it’s only 15 days until Christmas, visions of gifts and goodies dance rampant in many heads. From the precious priceless potent presents of the three kings to the goofy gifts of the twelve days of Christmas, presents are inevitably part of the Christmas season. Fueled on by corporate marketing and consumerism, it has become a staple and chief contributor to the celebrated “Christmas spirit”. And though presents are definitely not the reason for the season, a well thought gift certainly does spread holidays cheer. So I share with you my principles behind gift giving, useful not only during this season but anytime from birthdays to bar mitzvahs.

All gift-giving must fall into one of two fundamental categories – practicality or sentimentality. Nothing’s more awkward than saying thank you for that oversized novelty cowboy hat that you know you’ll never wear in your life. At the risk of losing all my friends who’ve gotten me gifts in the past, I’ll stop making fun of prior gifts.

Practicality is what every guy wants – things that people can actually use, what a concept! Some of my best gifts that I’ve received have included computer speakers and car fresheners, things that I use in the day to day. For all you ladies out there, let me tell you the mantra that will win your man’s greedy heart – computer peripherals and other tech-toys. For example, memory is the most practical and beloved of any gifts, from hard drive to RAM to USB keys.

Sentimentality is what melts a girl’s heart. From making cards to making your own brand of chocolate to buying special flowers, sentimental gifts show the receiver that you care. People, girls especially, want to know that you care and have made the effort into thinking up the present and then actually buying it. The time-tested-true present for showing someone you really care is to fold up thousands of mini origami cranes and then to stuff them into some oversized (almost eerily scary and morbid) glass-Winnie-the-Pooh-head-jar to show that you’ve invested hundred of hours of finger-numbing time.

The ultimate gift of course is to combine a gift that is both practical and sentimental at the same time. I can’t divulge too many of my trade secrets on public domain but I will share with you an example. A 1gig USB key with a video slide show of memories and an artistically photo-shopped note and other personal goodies pre-loaded onto the key. It’s all about combining practicality (so they will use it) with sentimentality (so that they feel special.)

As for me, I’m looking for a 17’ LCD, a USB laptop light and a Gateway M275XL port replicator *hinthint*. Happy shopping to y’all.

2004-12-05T22:54:00.000-05:00

Stuff...

Well, lots of stuff have definitely been happenin'. Fun stuff, good stuff, bad stuff, busy stuff, interesting stuff, shocking stuff, disappointing stuff, upset stuff, surprising stuff, crazy stuff, amazing stuff. This kind of stuff is the stuff that makes life interesting and full of stuff.

But despite all this stuff goin' around that keeps me so busy and consumed, none of it really matters. Know why? Cause Someone's birthday is coming up in under three weeks. And it's all the reason in the world to celebrate.

Note1: the word "stuff" was used 18 times in this blog.
Note 2: most people use the word "stuff" when the have no other intelligent word to use.
Note 3: me not dumb!
Note 4: How much does a polar bear weigh? =)

2004-11-30T17:58:00.000-05:00

MIRs...

Ugh, just reading my horrible last post makes me want to bury it instantaneously. Man my brain sucks when I'm not feeling well. Here's my current background of MIRs that know how to have fun (halloween at Elixir). Cheers.

Oh, here's an interesting blog I found on one soldier's pov in Iraq.

2004-11-30T17:43:00.000-05:00

Sick/Tv...

So lately, I've been sick - confined to my bed for the past couple days. Reading only perpetuates the problem by giving me massive migranes (ok, small headaches, but the alliteration for migranes sounds cooler) so I've resorted to watching muchos (my new word) TV.

Gone are the days of having to get up to turn the little dial that changes channels or the days of having your friends alternate holding the antenna while you try to watch between the fuzzy lines. And as technology advances, the days of sitting there with your remote control skimming the digital satelite channels as you watch on your plasma high-definition TV are near. For me, the not-so-fortunate-or-wealthy student, that means downloading those HD programs and watching the series' on TV.

So these past couple days have been a marathon of CSI (all three though LV is still the best), Joey, Las Vegas, and Desperate Housewives *ahem* (which I must say is surprisingly addictive.) You know the saying 'you are what you watch'? If that holds truth, then I'm a lovable dim-witted surveillance officer, stuck trying to solve a dead mystery in a perfect sub-urban American neighbourhood.

Ok, less blogging, more watching/sleeping.

2004-11-25T01:20:00.000-05:00

Rejoice...

Why dwell on bad when there's so much good? Thanks for those special few (V, Mo, C, B, J) who've taken the extra effort and care to really make a difference through my rough patches. When the darkness closes in, still I will say: blessed be Your name. Cheers to good friends and uber blessings.

PS. Good friends at Timmys this past weekend. Guess who's taking the picture that would aggrevate us so much?

2004-11-23T13:33:00.000-05:00

The Good, the Bad and the Ugly...

The good - this weekend seeing my brother and friends again was definitely good. Fun times of eating, hanging out, late night jamming, good frosh dinners, long talks, daddy/daughter times, pumkining, many meals, scrabble and so much more definitely made this weekend an enjoyable one.

The bad - so drained it's unbelievable. So much on my mind. So tired, both physically and emotionally. Almost thinking of redefining the way I am. Confusion. Longing. Misunderstanding. Not just with one case but with different people and circumstances and it seems so many things are stockpiling. I haven't been myself, as my true friends can atest lately. Seems so much like there's no one that gets me and there's no one that I can just sit there and vent to. Seems as if life is so lonely and that no one cares (though I know it's a lie). I hate venting to the world on my blog but alas.

The ugly - me. Must reinvent myself.

2004-11-15T01:28:00.000-05:00

Solid Weekend...

You know, humans are a lot like wind-up toys. You give them a good wind, and they'll start moving. The longer and better the wind, the farther they'll go. If you don't wind enough (or at all), you won't go anywhere. This weekend, I feel charged enough to make it through until end of exams. It was definitely a good weekend of recharging. Highlights include:

- raspy voice scary greeters
- good deals at vaughn mills
- lots of amazing food including Japanese dinner, dim sum, favourite foods for dinner, Ikea, etc.
- seeing lots of great people again
- catching up with muis
- C's massive house
- pleasant surprises in conversation
- too much momo & CB =)
- quality family times (over meals)
- really good bus rides

Ready to go for another week now. Thanks to all who made it as good as it was.

2004-11-12T01:46:00.000-05:00

C'est Finit...

Yes, the massive paper is finally finished. And just as I was going through my celebratory mood swing of bliss, my friend asked me how my team skills paper was coming along. Team skills I replied? And then it hit me. My 10 pager was due tommorrow and I had not yet begun.

So why am I blogging you ask. Well, it's almost 2am and before I begin, I figured I needed to procky as much as possible.

Have a great weekend and if you're important to me (and you know who you are) then shoot me a message if you're back in Toronto and I haven't seen you in ages. =)

2004-11-09T19:23:00.000-05:00

Procrastination...

Procrastination (henceforth known as "procky") is a fickle thing. A paradox if you will. It seems as if when you need it most, it alludes you. Take these past two days for example. Massive midterm, intense papers and so much to do. But somehow, amidst the storm (snowstorm?), I've found time to clean my filthy washroom, kitchen, and room, along with walk the streets, make tea for twenty minutes and do all sorts of zany procy things I would never do under normal non-stress-inducing times.

Anyways, back to work. Or procky. It's all the same to me. =)

2004-11-08T01:15:00.000-05:00

Update...

Ah, the infamous update blog. I've tried to shy away but alas, I've once again resorted to the update blog, the useless blog to fill the few that care what's been occupying my time in recent times. Perhaps update blogs are actually really boring to read, especially if you don't care that the person has eaten out 5 times in the past 3 days or that some MIRs started drinking at 4 one day and were still going strong at 12.

From lots and lots of studying for midterms last week and late night dates with Stauffer, to lots of fun dinners, Naomi Klein lectures, eating ostrich, super surprised daughter, lots of tea, enough beer to last a month, and late night conversations, I must say this past week has been fun.

The weekend's been absolutely awesome though. I've had four people whom I love hanging out with come up with lots of chill times. There were Sci-formal walk-throughs, "early morning" Cateraqui shopping, late-late-night talks, jamming, lotsa really good solid meals, tons-of-frosh dinner, praise n' power, gay inuendos galore, lots of pictures, gamecube and so much more. The only thing severely lacking was any sort of productivity on my part.

Anyways, at the risk of rambling on about my weekend, hope y'all had wonderful weekends. Oh and I've managed to hit 30,000 hits!! Perhaps I'll post a celebratory blog sometime. Or perhaps not.

Oh and one last note: seeing as how I've been extremely lazy in posting pictures on my blogger, I have been more dilligent in posting them on my imagestation. Enjoy.

2004-11-02T13:04:00.001-05:00

Happy Birthday...

...l'il bro. Blessings and joy on your special day. Oh how you've grown....

2004-10-31T14:03:00.000-05:00

MIRs...

...know how to have fun. A good night of halloween with the MIRs.

And just a link dedicated for Ang/Grace and the rest of the "boys-are-stupid-throw-rocks-at-them" house.

2004-10-28T16:39:00.000-04:00

Pitter-patter...

Pit pat. Pit pat. Pit pat.

Pitta-pat. Pitta-pat. Pitta-pat.

Pitta-patta. Pitta-patta. Pitta-patta.

Pitta-patta, pitta-patta. Pitta-patta, pitta-patta. Pitta-patta, pitta-patta.

Pitta-patta, pitta-patta, pitta-patta, pitta-patta. Pitta-patta, pitta-patta, pitta-patta, pitta-patta. Pitta-patta, pitta-patta, pitta-patta, pitta-patta.

2004-10-25T01:22:00.000-04:00

Buried...

A tip for all you bloggers out there: ever feel like you've just blogged something but don't want everyone to read it? A time-tested mechanism to prevent readers that you barely know who skim the first blog on your page from reading the important more "confidential" material is to bury it. That usually means quickly blogging one or two blogs shortly afterwards so as to "bury" the secretive blog down on the page so less readers will read it. Thus only readers who really care about you enough to read through your pages of text will be able to discover the "teasure blog".

Just another tip from your friendly neighbourhood blogger.

2004-10-24T01:35:00.000-04:00

When You Love Someone...

...you gotta learn to let them go.

Trust. Peace. Growth. Passion. Independence. Love.
May this fit into Your perfect plan.

I love you. I miss you.

2004-10-20T14:10:00.000-04:00

Glory...

I fix my eyes on the Author of my life
may I realize that Your glory far outweighs this simple life
oh may I, may I open up my eyes
Lord open up my eyes

-SB

That's been hitting me like a ton of bricks.

2004-10-19T20:18:00.000-04:00

Francais!!!...

Regardez, mon deuxième poteau en autant de jours. Je suis juste sorti de la classe française et dans la bibliothèque. Remercie tellement à V de m'aider à apprendre cette substance. Et merci beaucoup au dictionnaire français-anglais, mon meilleur ami.

Au revoir et ayez un jour splendide!

2004-10-19T01:20:00.000-04:00

Blogging Bonanza...

Ok, so this isn't really a blogging bonanza, seeing as how it's really my first blog in a long time. But at the risk of allegations of false advertisement, I'm hoping to start my blogging bonanza. What's a blogging bonanza? Or even a bonanza? It's usually associated with big events at shopping centers with lots of hurrah and glitz. So I'm hoping to commence my return to blogging.

There have been so many things that I've wanted to write about but just lacked the time. Some topics include:

- conclusions
- updates
- law cases
- rollercoasters
- great people
- baseball playoffs

For now, just broadly about great people, I must say that I just love my "kids" here in Kingston. They really know how to make my day. I love ya!!

2004-10-09T01:47:00.000-04:00

Visiting Hours

Visiting hours are from Monday to Sunday from November 8th onward. Please come find me when you visit your brother - if is he still there. Sorry, we are closed for Christmas holidays and New Year's; please come again!

2004-10-06T01:38:00.000-04:00

Let the Good Times Roll...

Lately things have been pretty great here. Lots of breakfasts/lunches/dinners with different people, hanging out with froshies, lotsa baking for birthdays, workin' out, study groups and just solid times of conversation with people that I really love.

I'm definitely anticipating Friday though as I really miss Toronto. But the good thing is that it's a different kind of miss - not the I'm-so-lonely-and-I-miss-TO miss but more the things-are-great-here-yet-I-miss-my-friends-and-family kind of miss. (I-promise-not-to-do-the-dashes-so-much-anymore.)

School's been rolling along and seems like the "busy" part came and left and now is a little break before the midterms. I "luff" the people a lot and I think that's partly why I'm enjoying my stay here in Kingston.

Anyways, hope to see some of y'all this weekend. Have great weeks!

Dedicated for my breakfast buddy and loyal reader, V.

2004-09-25T11:10:00.000-04:00

Go Carbs! Go Fibre!...

In the past couple of days, Health Canada has put out new rules stating that by the end of 2005, food companies may no longer label and promote “low carbs” or anything related to a reduction or lessoning of carbohydrates in food products. I think this is to ward off all those companies *ahem Atkins ahem* that take advantage of people desperately looking to lose a pound or two and don’t really know their nutrition.

For someone that’s so anti-Atkins and so pro-fibre, I was delighted to hear that some experts believe that the next big thing will be high fibre products. Yes, they make you poop and may prove gaseous, but it reduces risks of many diseases such as cancer, heart attacks and organ problems. So whip out your All-bran and let the tootin’ begin.

2004-09-19T17:20:00.000-04:00

Pickin' Up...

Things are really startin' to pick up here. School's just flying along. I discovered that not only is everyone in my program a genius, but they're all just great people. I think my calling for this year is to really just befriend them and build relationships with them for the furtherment of His kingdom.

God's really been surprising me with so much more than what I thought my place here would be. From making new friends to just everything in academia, things are really starting to pick up. I'm even back to my work-out regularity.

Back to readings for now: assignments due tomorrow. Hope y'all are doing great in your respective universities/jobs.

2004-09-13T23:24:00.000-04:00

Update...

So things have been pretty solid here, can't complain too much. So many blessings with good friends, good program and just bright prospects. It's day 9 here for me, and I think I'm starting to feel the first bit of homesickness. It's when everything settles down, visitors from TO head home, school starts, you start eating meals by yourself and spending time locked away in your office studying alone that you start to miss everyone back home.

I think I'm gonna miss Toronto friends and family a lot and also ET. I've grown to love that church and going to Bethel this week just didn't seem the same. On the other hand, I know God has put me here for a purpose and I'm excited at the prospects in the near future.

Blessings to y'all wherever you are.

2004-09-08T01:39:00.000-04:00

Just a Cheeseburger...

So today, I met all my faculty and classmates and saw the place where I'll be at pretty much every day for the next year. And let me tell you, it was truthfully quite intimidating.

Everyone in the program is a genius, bred for the sole purpose of studying and succeeding accademically. One of my good new friends claims she feels stupid as she only graduated with an 84 from Waterloo, and boy do I feel stupid.

The analogy I feel is most appropriate is that of a cheeseburger. It's like we're all cheeseburgers - some of the best and brightest from our undergraduate programs. From Newfoundland to Manitoba to BC, these cheeseburgers have been owning the hamburgers for the past four years. And now, today, this cheeseburger has discovered that in our cruel and fateless world, there are actually Big Macs. Big Macs made not only of the extra coating of gooey cheese that seperates the cheeseburger from the lowly hamburger, but an extra patty, a sesame bun and yes, even the dreaded secret sauce.

So as I walked around our new offices, I saw about 15 of the 20 students already hard at work, reading their pre-bought books - books that were bought before they even registered in the classes - on the first day of orientation (note that classes have not begun yet!).

Looks like I'll be spending a lot of time studying this year. Off to bed to wake up early and study, thus to begin the transformation from cheeseburger to BigMac.

Disclaimer: No Big Macs were hurt or consumed in the production of this joural.

2004-09-06T13:17:00.000-04:00

All My Bags Are Packed...

...I'm ready to go. Well, technically, I've already um, unpacked my bags but since we were singing that on the way up... Anyways, I've finally moved into Kingston and left my comfort zone of Toronto. Thanks so much for Bec/Sa for helping me move in earlier a massive desk and to "make my bed" and to Dan/Jus/Chow for sending me in yesterday and helping me to finish moving.

My room's pretty much all set, save for some decorations and stuff. And with each passing minute, I seem to be discovering new things that I either forgot or never anticipated I needed. The dreaded "first night alone" wasn't half bad - of course, I was out with people 'till pretty late and a movie always passes time - and things have been pretty good all in all.

I think I'm gonna like it here.

2004-08-30T12:26:00.000-04:00

Flurry...

Like every summer, it seems as if it all ends in a flurry. There's been Reblazed, playoffs (congrats to the O's), scrambling to meet up with people for the last time, lots of War3, and mainly, just preparing for Kingston.

All in all though, things have been great. It's been another solid summer, with good memories, good times and good friends. I'll be moving in probably by the end of the week so I suppose it signals the end of summer for me.

2004-08-29T12:24:00.000-04:00

One...

Thanks for one amazing year.

*muah

2004-08-21T01:46:00.000-04:00

No Longer Homeless...

Well, since I've actually discovered people still read this (in some cases, even daily *ahem* Albert *ahem*), I've decided to try to keep it a bit more up to date.

So I'm officially no longer homeless for the upcoming year in Kingston. I went in today and signed a lease for a place at 210 Colborne (I think that's how you spell it anyways). The room's a bit small but the living room/kitchen's really nice and it's very clean and cozy. I talked briefly on the phone with my new roomates too and the two guys seem like really good people so I'm lookin' forward to next year.

If anyone has any furniture they'd like to donate, lend out for a year, or sell for ridiculously cheap prices, you know how to find me! I just need a few small things for my place and it should all be good.

2004-08-20T01:14:00.000-04:00

Wonderland...

Well, as quickly as it began, so it ends. My time here at PCW is over with a bang. Tonight was my last night (along with the other 4 in my recruitment team) so we had a huge lunch party, then had a great night of bingo, henna, chilling with Sponge Bob and Dora the Explorer (Scooby Doo was a snob!), massive dinner with lamb, roast beef, sausage AND chicken with a sweet (and I mean sweet) dessert. All topped off with some good free fun (it's always better when it's free!) at the arcades where we learned all the tricks of the games and arcades and how to win everything.

All in all, my experience here has been awesome. I absolutely love the people I've worked with, the job knowledge I've obtained and the experience that I've gathered. I'm gonna miss Wonderland.

2004-08-06T00:20:00.000-04:00

Fly Away...

Summer's just flyin' along and things are great. Summer conference was awesome, departmental cottage trip was full of memories, and everything else has been progressing nicely. I think highlights must include "Name That Tune", jammin' and crazy mini busses.

I still need to head into Kingston and actually find a place to stay for next year. And if anyone knows of any positions available for engineering co-op students for next term, shoot me a message. Seems like a tough year for jobs.

So tired. It's 20 past 12 which means it's 20 minutes past my beadtime. G'nites.

PS. for new pics, click here.

2004-07-30T13:26:00.000-04:00

jamescl is married!

last night, i found out that jamesies just recently married a girl that i didn't know. i was pretty happy for him, and felt really old because everyone around me was getting married! for some reason, i decided to clean his room which had two beds in it. as i was cleaning, they came back - so i met his newly wedded wife and she was happy to see that her bed was made and all with pink blankets and stuffed animals on top. i left the room and let them be, wondering which bed they'd sleep in and how they would manage to fit on a single sized bed.

before james kills me for posting this, i must remember to mention that this was all a dream :).

2004-07-22T22:59:00.000-04:00

Sean Tin...

My friend, your kindness, your contagious smile and your invaluable friendship shall never be forgotten. You live on through us.

Victor Sean Tin.
Nicest guy in UT Commerce.
Businessman.
Friend to all.
Gone.

2004-07-20T01:20:00.000-04:00

22...

Another day, another year older. Nothin' too special anymore. Guess what they say is true: you know you're old when your birthdays don't mean anything anymore. Thanks for all the wonderful messages. G'nites!

2004-07-15T00:18:00.000-04:00

Good Times...

Well, the past few days have been good times indeed. Things have been really AWESOME beginning with a super Switchfoot concert on Friday night in Hamilton. They were better than I thought they would be, and though I haven't been listening to them for a long time, it was easy to love their music. Saturday was fun with softball and then seeing lots of old friends for our little gathering. We definitely had a great turnout from the people that we really wanted to see again, and managed to raise a nice chunk of change too for missions. Sunday was our softball doubleheader, and we hadn't played in a long time. We had another dramatic last-inning-walk-off homerun to win the game and won our other one as well. Most importantly though, I feel as if we really bonded and played as a team together. We ate together, joked around together, and just chilled as if we had been friends for a long time. And Monday, my new tablet convertible laptop finally shipped in, so I've been playing with that for the past while. It's so sweeeeet!! Anyways, just a quick update with me. Things are great, work's fun and I got my contract extended. I'm probably going to head into Kingston next week to look around for housing too if anyone's interested in that! OK, super tired so GOOD NIGHT!!!!

2004-07-01T01:42:00.000-04:00

Go With The Flow...

So I was driving to work this morning around 8 o'clock and traffic was flowing and I was just kind of bored. Didn't really want to wake anyone up in the morning to chat with me so I decided to call in to Flow 93.5 and see if I could enter a contest or something. My cell phone has this feature that continuously redials busy signals and then beeps to notify you when they've gotten through. So I punched in the digits and let the phone do all the work for me as I drove to work.

A couple minutes later, I actually got a couple beeps and checked my phone. It was actually dialing! This happens sometimes and a lot of the time, nobody picks up. But after two rings, DJ Strong picked up and began a lively conversation with me! It was actually tape delayed so I couldn't hear myself on the radio as I was talking to him over the phone. So I asked him if there were any contests or games that I could play to win something and he said that I was on "the game with no name."

Pretty much, I was given 4 questions and all the answers rhymed with a certain word. So today's word was rapper. First question was something like: this is the name of a fish. Snapper, I replied correctly. I forget what the next one was but I got it right too. The third one was really weird. It was something like "someone who dresses really nice" and I had no idea and thought I was dead for sure. I blurted something really fast that resembled "bapper", whatever that is. To my surprise, the DJs said "YES!!" and played their audience-cheering button on their sound board. The last one was a weird one that I had no idea and paused a long time to think. There was no way I was going to get it. But Strong was pretty nice and gave me a hint and said, "it's also part of goalie equipment" so I got trapper easily.

When I actually heard it on the air, they edited out the hint I got and all the pauses (or at least shortened it) so it sounded like I got all the answers bang bang bang. I ended up winning some DVDs or something (Tupac Resurection?) and entered into a weekly draw to win a trip for two to Barbados. I hope I win the trip!!

Anyways, that's my story of the day, goodnite and happy Canada's day! Moral of the story is to enter as many contests as you can and try to win as much free stuff as you can. That after all, is the Chinese way.

2004-06-29T00:50:00.000-04:00

Let The Good Times Roll...

Things have been pretty good lately, except for the constant lack of sleep, the bloody noses while asleep (waking up to a pool of blood on your pillow is quite a traumatizing sight) and the allergies that I still haven't figured out what I'm allergic to. But barring those minor inconveniences, life has been pretty good.

Lions won their first game this past Sunday in a nailbighting-suspenseful-clutch-hitting-two-out-bottom-of-the- 8th-game-winning-hit thriller. It's been good seeing old friends again for the summer. Lots to do and so little time to do it all. Work has also calmed down a bit which is very nice. I actually get off work at reasonable hours now (5pm most days) instead of 9 or 10 at night every night. It's been great also having new friends at church lately.

And so much more is happening in the near future: Switchfoot concerts (still have a couple more tickets left if anyone's interested), downtown attractions (Wonderland gets us+friends free into CN, Hockey hall of fame, ROM, AGO, Casaloma, Science center + 100 other places), softball gatherings, and lots more. I think this is going to be my last free summer for a while, so might as well make the most of it.

Pet peeve of the day: I was swimming at Milliken pool today and going in the fast lane when the slowest woman on the earth was cooly wading in the lane. There was literally a line-up behind her waiting to pass. She wouldn't move to the slow lane either and gave us dirty glances when we passed her. It's like driving on the highway: don't drive on the fastest lane if you're going to do 70km/h.

2004-06-19T02:16:00.000-04:00

Update...

Well, I'm sure many of you have been waiting a long time for this. Or, more probably, you just randomly came on this after not coming on here for a month and saw the new post. Who can blame you, as I haven't posted in a month now. I was actually contemplating a permanent hiatus from blogging or at least for the summer, but after some incessant nagging and a few pesky emails, here I am.

So much has happened in the past while. The job has been crazy busy, but also full of fun and learning, and definitely a great experience. Among the perks included are free rides and go-karts anytime including break time, lots of free food and snacks and getting your many friends jobs for the summer. I truly do feel blessed to be working here.

Another big thing is that I finally convocated this past Wednesday. Four years of hard work (or um, just four years) have finally paid off. It's probably the most expensive piece of paper I'll ever own in my life. Also for those of you who don't know, I've also decided to go to Queens university next year to work on my Masters degree. So things are lookin' up and I'm feeling tremendously blessed lately in my life.

That's not to say that all of life has been peachy and rosy. I've noticed more and more lately that I'm becoming especially intolerant of people - in particular, cocky and cliquey people. Also people that are so fake on the outside and say one thing, but really their motives, their thoughts and their desires are in a totally different place. And there are so many people that expect you to act a certain standard to them (ie. always greet and welcome them) yet never recipricate that standard of care back to you. I guess lots of pet peeves and nuisances lately that I have been dwelling on lately.

Anyways, it felt good to write here again. I'll promise to try to write here more. A few more things of note before I head off to bed. First softball game's tommorrow - looks like the season's kicking off again. May the Lord really bless this season and all the team's in it - not that their balls may fly farther and their swings be sweeter but that the Word be spread farther and His love be shone brighter. That truly is my prayer this year. Oh, and mark off July 10 on your calenders lady and gents. More to come later...stay tuned...

2004-05-20T23:02:00.000-04:00

Work...

Well, like my past years, looks like as work consumes my life, it will also be the devotion of this blog. So we'll start with yesterday. I woke up with a "Hi, you got the job. Can you come in this afternoon and start?" A few hours later, I was starting the training. It's actually pretty cool since everyone was super nice to me. Since I was a recruiter in HR and would be doing the same job as the trainers, they were extra nice to me. Afterwards, they even took me out specially out to the rides to ride them while no one else could before the park even opened.

Today was so hectic. I was imagining a full day of formal training and just learning the ropes. Instead, they had booked me interviews and by the afternoon, I had a full lineup of interviews that I needed to do. I stayed till 9pm doing interviews and finally left dead tired. I think I also set a record for most number of declined interviews (meaning they didn't get the job), maybe 'cause I'm strict? I kind of realized it's weird how in less than 5 minutes (I leave the room for less than five minutes to make a decision whether they are hired or not), I can make or break the summer plans and happiness of a person. That's actually kind of scary. The other recruiters told me that after a while of saying "no", you get desensitized to it. I certainly hope not. They taught me to make it short and sweet.

Off to bed, just got back a little while ago. Have to get up 7ish tommorrow morning. Did I mention I'm dead tired?!!

2004-05-19T14:15:00.000-04:00

Workin' Man...

No longer am I among the unemployed masses. I am officially a working man. I will be starting my job at Wonderland as recruiter tonight. My summer is officially over.

2004-05-14T16:11:00.000-04:00

Fuel

And you all thought that gas prices were bad in Ontario. The cost of driving in BC? Up to 99.5 cents per litre for regular unleaded.

2004-05-13T12:34:00.000-04:00

I'm Back...Sorta...

Well, it's been so long since I've blogged. As my regular readers know, my template broke down for a while, then I decided to take down the page for a while. I haven't really cared to stay on for too long. So much has happened since: the Leafs losing in the playoffs, softball season starting off, me finishing my exams (finally), countless poker nights, job prospectives, people coming back from school, lots of cooking/baking and so much more. I'll try to fill you in as it progresses.

Anyways, I'm back. Sort of. I'll try to blog more regularly now. Hope you're all enjoying summer and hope to see you all soon.

2004-05-10T16:36:00.000-04:00

Pyra

ebrian remarked that the new Blogger interface resembles that of gmail - a pointed observation, as they are owned by the same company.

2004-05-04T08:03:00.000-04:00

something's screwy w/ my blog!!

2004-05-02T01:18:00.000-04:00

Stuff...

Man, I can't believe I haven't blogged for so long. By my count, this 10 day layoff is the longest absence in a very long time. So much is going on:

- I realized how much my life revolves around cable internet/TV. In my 24 hour Rogers hiatus, I almost missed a Leafs game (had to go to a buddy's place next door to watch it) and missed out on changing fantasy pools, reading articles and other essential things in my everyday life.

- went to Tomlin concert tonight. It rocked. (More to come soon.)

- lots of softball.

- hanging out with people a lot.

Just lots of great stuff going on. So much to say, yet too tired to say it all. It was great seeing lots of people, especially someone, over the past week or so. Kind of makes me jealous though, as I still have two more exams left: one on Monday and another on Tuesday. It's scary. I'm so out of exam-mode. I'm dead.

2004-04-20T23:08:00.000-04:00

Go Leafs Go...

As the seconds ticked away and thousands of Leaf Nation members gleefully poured out of the ACC and surrounding community, excitement, rowdiness and drunkness all filled the air. We were decked out in our Leaf jerseys cruisin' in Will's car complete with the essential Leaf flag perched atop. (Note: the Leaflag is a must-have for every bandwagon - and real - fan to place onto their vehicles come playoff time.) Unfortunately, his horn was not working as car after car honked on Danforth n' Bloor. We saw flags everywhere, hockey sticks out windows, heads, jerseys, and um, I think I even later saw a rear end.

I headed up to my buddy's apartment after where I was greeted by a group of drunk guys playing foot hockey in the lobby and spent my next ten minutes indulging in an old-school pastime. I was pretty good - in fact, I got invited to join a ball hockey league (with sticks, not feet of course). Good times indeed.

Now, I'm at the library, I'm tired, it's almost 12 and it's time to forget about Eddie's stellar are-you-kidding-me saves, Lalime's not-so-stellar that-was-ugly flops, and Tie's bone-crunching hits. It's time to focus on....exams. 9 hours an counting...

Go Leafs go!!!

2004-04-19T09:05:00.000-04:00

Randomness...

Man, I've wanted to blog so long but it seems as if I've been so busy lately. To be honest, I'm pretty stressed out with these final exams along with making softball preperations, worrying about Masters stuff and handling other stuff on the side. Nonetheless, here are some random notes of late that have been running through my brain.

- I haven't had much time to write about my beloved Leafs. I've been watching them get rocked every night with (generally) poor inconsistent play from forwards and scrambling from the D. The only saving grace is that Eddie's protecting the net as if it were his newborn child. With a heavy collective sigh last night, the entire GTA student community saw their GPAs drop a few percentage points after the frustration of watching a double OT game and wasting all their valuable study time. Moreover, the loss left many (including yours truly) too frustrated to focus and study. And lastly, the addition to the loss, yet another game 7 on Tuesday further detracts away from our invaluable study time (considering especially as I have exams on Wed morning and Thursday as well.) Talk about a three-hit combo. Anyways, I digress. Go Leafs Go!

- 3.9 GPA and can't get into Masters?!! (4.0 GPA = perfect) What is this? My friend got early rejected with a 3.9. EARLY rejection. Are you kidding me? (In best Chuck Swirsky voice.) I'm starting to freak out.

- As everyone comes home for the summer (which I can't wait for) and finish their exams and go into full relax mode, I begin my exams this Wednesday. Heck, half my friends will be already finished and home by then. I go until May 4. Kill me. Hell week part 1 begins this week with part 2 commencing on the week of the 2nd of May. I won't (or shouldn't) be on MSN and will definitely not be checking emails, updating hockey playoff pools or attending to any other trivial business during my hell weeks. Call cell if you wish to reach me.

- Just a note for my MSN buddies: if you already have me on my account at jameslauis@hotmail.com, don't add my new jameslau@rogers.com account to your list also. Stupid MSN lists maxed out so I made a new one. I always open the two of them together so both lists are online, so you only need me on one list. Thanks.

- I'm up at the library at 6AM. Did I mention how much I'm looking forward to summer?

- Current Timmy's Roll-Up-The-Rim-To-Win record: 2-24. (Odds given are 1-9 to win.) For the record, both "wins" have been crummy (not crumbly, har har) donuts.

- Yes, you read correctly: 24 coffees over the past two weeks or so of studying. And we haven't even started counting the Starbucks coffees, 2nd Cup Lattes....

On a totally unrelated note, I think I may be dying of caffeine poisoning.

2004-04-14T01:05:00.000-04:00

McNotes...

I decided to drop by the mall in between my studying today to get some excercise in, since it was raining outside. Of course, as I walked in through the Wal-Mart entrance, the smart marketers at McDs had the irresistable smell of burning french fries fuming in the air. Drawn to it like a hypnotized dog to a bone, I went into McDs only to discover it was a special kids hour for the week. It was $2 happy meals for kids and free coffee for parents. Not too shabby, so since I hadn't had McDs since my last Queens visit (which is coincidentally the only time I have it), I decided to stop by inside and pick up one of these ridiculously cheap meals. As I requested a happy meal (which I swear is the first time in my consious life that I have ordered one), the manager raises an eyebrow and asks if I'm really 12 years old. Before I can answer, he remarks that I'm probably close enough and gives me a happy meal. I don't look like I'm 12 do I?? I was dressed bum from studying, but com'on - 12 years old?!

Speaking of McNotes, anyone try out the new McCafe yet?! It's supposed to be McDonalds' answer to Starbucks by trying to steal market share of the gourmet coffee industry since no one is buying there high-fat, cholesterol-raising, heart-attack-inducing, blood-clotting burgers and extra-super-supersized fries anymore. They sell tiramisu and expresso in a nice comfortable atmosphere supposedly. I'm interested in seeing the health facts for what they serve. Somehow, I'm sure they'll manage to get in an unhealthy-near-deathly dose of saturated fats and calories. Or they'll manage to invent, coin and make popular some sort of new fat, much like the trans-fat they helped to make popular.

I swear I'm not bitter at McDs. Anyone wanna go try McCafe with me?

2004-04-10T23:42:00.000-04:00

Thank you...

...for the cross.

Every time I remember the cross, I cringe as I remember that it was my sinfulness that pinned Him there. I covered up my eyes half the time I watched Passion. Every Easter I tear up as I remember His ultimate sacrifice. There is no greater love than this.

I have nothing left to say, but thank you.

2004-04-06T00:01:00.000-04:00

Opening Day...

So went to opening day at the SkyDome. Jays got hammered by the woeful Tigers 7-0 but it was still a fun day. Got tickets from scalpers for 8 bucks, with of course some good negotiating and bargaining tactics. Since it was opening day, they were giving out packs limited edition UpperDeck PowerUp cards (3 cards per pack per person.) After 4-0, a few of us decided to go scope out the dome and get some mementos (for me, a frugal Chinese student, this was signing up for the Mastercard free Jays visor.) Sam and I stumbled upon more packs of these cards and after collecting about 30 of them, the hunt was on. Will, Sam and I were determined to collect all the cards to make the complete 100-card set. Keep in mind you only get 3 cards per person when you enter the stadium.

Flashback to my wonderful childhood. I grew up collecting baseball cards. I still remember getting my first ever 1990 red-bordered black-dotted Donruss pack of cards at PharmaPlus that my mom bought me. I remember clearly the Henry something (Ok, so I don't remember every detail) baseball card. He was there in all his glory, bright blue uniform and swinging at the pitch (and since he was a no-name, probably missing badly.) Thus marked the beginning of my love of baseball cards and from then on, it consumed me and captivated me, like Smeagol to his Ring. (Ok, so there's a slight exaggeration there.) I've collected boxes of cards, stayed up late memorizing the stats (along with the height and birthdays) of players, played my own "fantasy baseball" with them by making teams, traded and re-traded cards, among other things. It's always been one of my biggest hobbies.

Fast forward back to today. We scoured the entire 500 level of the stadium, circling the entire dome and going up and down all the stairs, walking through almost every row. It was quite a workout I must admit. We were startin' to sweat, it was hot, we were tired but we kept going. We'd find entire packs left on the floor that people didn't even bother opening and also find individual cards left lying around. I remember seeing Ichiro still in its original package, but drenched in Coke and peanut shells. It was one we didn't have yet but to go through all that goo... (we picked it up anyways). In the end, we had almost 400 cards. We sorted them through the doubles, the triples, the quardruples. In the end, we were 7 short of a full set, but it made the day fun anyways. Did I mention the Jays got hammered 7-0?

Edit: Since then, the Jays have been officially swept by the 4-0 Detroit Tigers. And I'm still missing 7 cards for the set. It's going to be a long season. On another note, anyone want to go to $2 Jays game in May?

2004-04-03T13:57:00.000-05:00

Grad Dinner/Commerce Formal...

Yesterday was a strange day for me. You see all those years sitting back at CCF grad dinners and going to formals for other grads made me feel secure that I would be a student forever. I never felt as if I was in any jeopardy for being forced out of this school. In a way, the "student" status is the only thing I've known. For as far back into my waking years as I can remember, I've been a student. It's been one of my identities. I've embraced all that has come along with it: cheap movie and bus tickets, sleeping in until 4 in the afternoon, sleeping at 7 in the morning, and all the other perks of being a student.

On Friday, it was another rite of passage for me - a going away party. First the CCF grad dinner. It was an amazing time of worship, chilling, skits, speeches, disses, food and of course, picture taking. I leave with my head up high, happy and content. I see the new generation of leaders that God has raised in this fellowship. For the first time since I've been here, there will be a full committee next year. Not only that but there are so many others wanting to step up and take charge. It's exciting for me, even though I probably won't be here to see it, but at least I leave knowing and trusting that the fellowship is in good...no great hands.

After the grad dinner, I went over to the Commerce formal where it probably will be the last time I see many of those faces ever again. We danced, talked and took more pictures and after formal, we went karaoke until the wee hours of the night. I've spent four years in classes with some of them and just chilling around Rotman with them. It's been a lot of fun and there are a few that I know I'll be friends with for a very long time.

But alas, it is my time to move on. In only three days, I will be officially finished all my classes and soon, officially, I shall no longer be a student of UT but an alumni. It's actually quite frightening as I've already gotten letters from the UT Alumni Association requestion money. For Pete's sake, I'm not even graduated yet!! I don't know if I'm ready (or willing) to go out into the big bad working world full-time for the rest of my life. Perhaps that is why I'm contemplating Masters. Maybe it's just an attempt to prolong my studenthood - my childhood. Anyways, it's been a great four years. Only a month left until exams are over and convocation in June. Pretty scary. I still remember the first day I walked into res in first year...

2004-03-31T10:20:00.000-05:00

Softball...

So last night I was driving home around 8pm listening to AM640 and listening to the talk show. The discussion was about an employer of a local grocery market store that had called in and this guy was absolutely hardcore. Hardcore what you ask? Hardcore softball of course. This guy was the epitome of a hardcore softball coach that wanted to win win win at any and every cost. He claimed that there was an "asian SOB that owned another competing grocery market" that whooped him in the local grocery softball league every year.

However, this year he had a strategy that was foolproof. He was going to force his employees to play. His rationale was that sometimes, you find a hidden gem so if he forced them to play (if they refused, they would be fired) then he could locate all the talent and make an awesome team. His second action was even more brilliant (and um, also more controversial) - he was going to import immigrant workers, mainly from Mexico and Latin America along with some Japanese speedsters to work for him (and hence play on his stacked team). That way, he could save on his wages and improve his softball team. It was an absolutely hilarious show - I truly believe that the whole employer was made up. There's no way that someone could be that much of a jerk. One of his employees even called in and said she was filing a human rights lawsuit. She was a diabetic overweight woman and he threated to fire her because she couldn't hit the ball hard enough. Of course, he had the stereotypical Pakistani accent and it sounded so made up. The whole show was a complete joke (and it was pretty funny to hear how outrageously jerk-ish he was) that they claimed was real.

Then I thought of how sometimes, other people on the outside listening and watching some of the CCSA leaders haggle and argue as well as tear each other apart - in our Christian league no less. Perhaps we may sound just as ridiculous and outlandish in God's eyes.

2004-03-29T13:17:00.000-05:00

It's Raining Men...

So less than half an hour ago, I was in my daily routine driving to school and listening to AM640 Leafs Lunch talk on the radio. I had just finished reading a few articles on the tragic Cecilia Zhang incident and listened to a few of the radio news shows. The thoughts of the tragedy were still running fresh in my head as I had a few talks regarding the incident the previous night.

All of a sudden, as I'm approaching the bridge right before my exit on the DVP (I believe it's the Bloor Viaduct or something like that) I see something large falling out of the sky from a distance. About 15 cars slammed on the brakes in front of me and I slammed down as well, while all the objects in my car flew around. Each driver slowly and cautiously drove to the object, motionless on the ground. Most pulled over by the time I had reached the object. As I drove by (pretty much rolled by at 1/2 a km/hr), I saw clearly that it was a man, arms and feet all tangled up and lying in a big ball on the ground. I pulled over and talked with some of the drivers who had all witnessed the same thing. Some people called the cops and some hung around, and some eventually left. It was surreal, like a scene right out of the beginning of a CSI episode. I suppose anything can happen in Toronto. More now than ever, I realize how full of sin and hurt this world is. More now than ever, we need God's hand on this city, this world.

2004-03-23T23:53:00.000-05:00

Kingston...

So right after TC on Thursday night, I set out with Jon on a nice trip to Kingston. It was definitely good times seeing everyone (esp. someone) again and hanging out there. I was blessed with incredibly good food as we went in for the annual KCCF cooking contest, so that was good times. Also had some good hangout times with some pretty super people there, I got "fun-boyed", got to spend some time with my muis (even one from Toronto!) and watched lots of movies and even did some work. Plus where else can I grope a sexy Chinese butcher's butt? What more can a guy ask for?

Anyways, it's back to work for me. Too much slacking!

2004-03-19T22:41:00.000-05:00

TC Rec...

More TC pics here

Rec team is what?!! Dyanamite!! First off, my sincerest apologies to the inventors of that dynamite cheer, as well as the ROWDY cheer. We've managed to absolutely and brutally kill those cheers after four days. Rec team, it was an honour serving with y'all - it was great fun with lots of memories that I'll cherish. Among them:

- gettin' pumped up for cheers
- seein' some of the kids come to Christ
- Halls and Ricola galore
- 3am poker
- crazy circle BO cheers
- "what's the name of the game BACKWARDS?!!"
- can't touch this!!
- makin' up skits in 20 mins or less
- doing kitchen dynamite in chinese
- the ultimate see-foo battles
- rec vs. media vs. a/v vs. MCs vs. worship jokes
- worship times
- doing homework in the middle of TC
- crazy jokes, laughs, and so much more
- super nicely designed t-shirts
- lots of chinese food - esp. TV dinners

2004-03-11T23:57:00.000-05:00

Seeing Stars...

So had a pretty fun day today. Went off to the library in the morning to work and to change some dvds. Off topic - I love the library. They have the best stuff - everything from movies (Face Off to Remember the Titans), TV Shows (Friends to Smallville) and even Chinese movies. I love it!!! Anyways, while at the library, I discovered why sometimes "nice guys finish last." There was a little Chinese kid with a tape that he wanted to check out so being the nice guy that I am, I decided to let him go first. There's only one librarian so he walks up and puts his tape down. Suddenly, his parents come from behind holding STACKS (and I mean stacks) of books, tapes, videos, and DVDs. There must have been at least 50 items, and I'm not exaggerating one bit. I must have waited for at least an hour (okay, really it was ten minutes.) Ah well, at least I got my DVDs out.

I headed over to Fairview after to return some stuff and I'm walking along and who do I bump into? Avril!!! Yes, my good friend Avril Lavigne who was there to give a free (non-SARS) concert. Watched her do a bit of this and that and went on my way to head downtown. After a nice dinner with my dad, we headed off to ACC where we had super sweet seats a few rows behind the glass. Pucks wizzed and we got to see everything up close and personal. After one of the plays, I yelled out "Let's pick it up Leetchy!" (obviously to Brian Leetch) and he turned around and yelled something at me and smiled. I smiled back completely not knowing what he said. All in all, it was a great game with lots of excitement, crazy fans around us, scoring chances and fun. We even made it onto the JumbleTron (albeit for only a second when the crazy fan in front of us was waving his massive flag.) Only drawback: Trevor Kidd (which of course equates to a loss.)

Pics will be up shortly.

2004-03-10T22:01:00.000-05:00

Update...

I've really been meaning to update and try to write every few days. Weekend was really good and got to see some old faces as well as hang out with different people. Happy birthday Vels/Jess. This week's been pretty fun as well - had good times of watching the Leafs, watching hours (9.5) of trade deadline coverage, going over all the trades with Sam/Willy, havin' Becca back for a surprise visit, doing lots of work and research, UT-ET sharing, and just lots of chillin' times.

Anyways, have to go back to my studies. Oh, and my dad surprised me with tickets to tommorrow night's Leafs game! Hope you're all havin' blessed weeks.

2004-03-05T14:22:00.000-05:00

Mamma Mia...

Last night was a fun night out for dinner and a show. Watched some cheesy movies at home, then went downtown to meet up with some chums to catch Mamma Mia. It was what I expected: a lively and fun show, full of colour and humour. You couldn't help but leave with a smile plastered on your face. Sometimes, after long nights and semi-stressful times, a night out is just what the doctor orders.

2004-03-02T23:48:00.000-05:00

Random Thoughts...

It's really cool how God works. The other day I was going to some studying while downtown but it was raining outside. Not wanting to get wet, I decided to stay in my building. I felt a prompting just to go upstairs and as I went up, I ran into a bunch of commerce buddies. We just chatted and the Oscars led to the Passion which led to Jesus Christ. And then a pretty neat thing happened. First, I discovered that a bunch of them whom I've known for a while were actually Christians all along. Even more cool was that the non-Christian there was so intrigued by Christianity. It was one of the moments as if God had set up that whole moment and placed you there so that He could work. Questions were asked, thoughts were discussed and in the end, a challenge issued. "Convert me", he defiantly proclaimed. Wow. Talk about getting slapped in the face. We're trying to arrange a time to meet up and see Passion and talk about Christ. I'm excited.

On a related note, I was driving on the DVP today and listening to the Leafs game. (There's absolutely no relation to the above story - I was being sarcastic.) As the Leafs scored their second goal of the game, I immediately slapped down on the steering wheel because of force of habbit. The horn honked and simultaneously, another car honked next to me. I looked over and the guy was pumping his hands in the air and I shared a Leafs connection.

Anyways, I can't wait for trade deadline day - Tuesday March 9th. They should make that day a national holiday. I'm planning on staying home all day flipping between TSN, Sportsnet on commercials and occasionally the Score when it's boring. I hope we pick up someone decent.

2004-02-29T00:03:00.000-05:00

Six...

- In 1967, Stanley Milgram coined six degrees of seperation, the idea that every person in the US is connected by a chain of six people at most.
- The NHL's Original Six were the only teams until 1968.
- The Great Plague of 1665 in London led to the law that the dead had to be burried six feet under.
- The entire world was created in only six days.
- Six people have been killed by polar bears in Canada in the last 25 years.

Why the obsession with six?
Six months of happiness with you, makes the past six the best. *muah

2004-02-27T15:12:00.000-05:00

The Fly...

So today, I went downtown to meet one of my big important profs. He was the one gracious enough to write me one of my coveted reference letters. It also helped slightly that he was the big head honcho of the board. He was one of the members who would be reviewing the applications (and in essence, would be reading his letter that he wrote for me.) He's written tons of textbooks and is well respected in the HR academic community. As the cherry on top, this guy even has his own annual award named after him. (For confidentiality reasons, I can't list his name here.)

So I went in to meet him, this big meeting that would hopefully help to determine the course of my very existance. We talked and he gave me great insight on the different programs at the different schools, and listened as I told him my lifelong ambitions and dreams. And then, I noticed it.

So evident, it was. The fly. Open. Exposed. We're not talking halfway down here; we're talking the whole way down. So blatantly open, it was embarassing. As we kept talking, an epic battle ensued in my head. To tell, or not to tell - that is the question today. We were about to leave, I had to make a decision. If I didn't tell, he'd be embarassed and it's a civic duty to tell a fellow human being their fly is down. But if I did tell, he'd also be embarassed, perhaps even angry? What if it was too embarassing? Would my dreams and hopes all "fly" away?

Choose your own adventure:
If you choose to tell, turn to page 74.
If you choose not to tell and leavve, turn to page 14.

2004-02-23T23:20:00.000-05:00

Reading Week...

I was originally supposed to travel for reading week. Possible destinations included New York, Montreal, Cuba, New Jersey, California and a few others that my friends were planning to journey to. Alas, it wasn't meant to be. An extraction of four wisdom teeth put a quick dent in my plans and I found myself at home the entire week.

And what a week it was. Probably one of the best I've had in a while, full of Mario Tennis, Leaf games, movies galore, reality TV and many other TV-related activities. Oh ya, and I got to finish quite a bit of work as well. It was really relaxing, lots of great time spent with friends doing absolutely nothing. It was like one big Seinfeld episode and it was great. Full of humour, action, fun - but in the end, nothing really happened. And now, it seems it's back to my relatively boring life at school as I try to finish the stretch run of my undergraduate career.

In unrelated thoughts, isn't it crazy how Monday morning gas stations bring out the worst in everyone? Sure the gas is cheap, but the line-ups are getting crazy. Today, someone tried to back in to unintentionally "steal" another's spot, which led the other lady to get out of her car and start yelling at the guy. She then started pushing the car and kicking it when it still backed in and when the guy got out to pump his gas, an all-out fight broke out. Gas guys came from everywhere to break it up as I can imagine how gas fights in which enraged participants are armed with working nozzles could be potentially dangerous. (Understatement of the day?)

Anyways, back to my boring life. Midterm tommorrow. Whoopdie-doo. (Is that how you spell that?)

2004-02-18T11:27:00.000-05:00

Family...

2004-02-17T13:15:00.000-05:00

Wisdom Teeth...

If you call me and I don't pick up or mumble some jumble, don't be offended. It's only because I just got my 4 wisdom teeth out this morning (or the fact that I may not want to talk to you =). I'd prepared for the worst: keeping congee in the fridge, picking up tons of DVDs to watch while staying at home all day, borrowing my friend's N64 to play while being bored, adding extra pillows in my room to make it extra comfy, and even contemplating picking up a box of baby food.

So this morning, I went in, sucked up a little gas and got a needle and I was out like a cheap lightbulb. Next thing I know, I wake up and everything's ok again. To be honest, it wasn't too bad. I came home, didn't even nap, and just did my everyday stuff. I finished some applications, did some readings, watched some TV, talked a bit on the phone, and even ate dinner (consisting of congee, ho fun, and ja leung). I think this whole wisdom teeth thing is overated. *knock on wood. I just hope it doesn't get worse tommorrow (as I heard from Shar.) Anyways, if you're bored and want to come over to bum, I should be home all week for a change. Give me a ring...um, I mean, leave me a message.

PS. No, I will not post pictures of my semi-inflated face for those that have requested. (It isn't even that noticable!)

2004-02-16T18:21:00.000-05:00

Winter Retreat...

More pics here.

T'was a great time of rest and hearing God. Some highlights:

- pre-retreat mini-trip to Waterloo and seeing old friends again
- worship team being such a great blessing and getting to know them more
- men's small group and listening to different points of view during BS
- creating and interesting video drama
- Gin rummy 500, Big 2, Apples to Apples, Texas hold'em and various other card games
- men's sharing - intimate, personal and being more community-like
- terriyaki chicken and spaghetti meals were fabulous
- jammin'
- good talks with new friends

I think this being my last year, retreat has also shown me that CCF is in good hands. Some of the new "kids" are going (or already are) great leaders with great hearts. My encouragement to y'all and blessings to you.

2004-02-08T21:38:00.000-05:00

Teachings...

In compliance with the request of my beloved fans and in a shameless attempt to make this blog more educational, I've decided to dedicate this blog to some "teachings" I'd like to pass on of knowledge I've recently acquired.

1) As I was sitting back enjoying a brewsky on Thursday, as I watched my beloved Leafs come back from a 4-0 deficit (not to rub it in or anything Sens fans), I thought of what makes a good beer good. Good quality tasting beers are usually affected by the brewing process (for more click here.) Now when comsuming your favourite beer, you'll notice that different beers have different tastes. Some may be richer or fuller, some lighter. Lighter beers usually have lower alcoholic content and go down easier, while rich or full beers usually have a stronger taste (and hence are usually known as "manlier" beers.) As an aside, try drinking Guinness, the ultimate full beer if you want to sprout a few chest hairs quick. My motto for what makes a good beer is that every beer is good. You see, choosing your favourite cold one is a lot like choosing your favourite colour - it all comes down to personal preference. One may argue white is the best colour, another might say blue. You have your pinks (Coronas) that girls love, your blacks (Guinness) that guys may like more, and your blues (Heinnekens, Keiths) that are popular with everyone. So go ahead, try all the colours of the rainbow. (How's that for educational?)

2) I'd also like to educate you on how to sing - I believe in arts and culture as well as science and alcohol. But since it's difficult to teach over the net, I decided to let my good friend William Hung take a crack. Listen to the way he sings and watch him dance and you'll be well on your way to becomming the next Canadian Idol.

Cheers.

2004-02-07T23:07:00.000-05:00

E-mail Of The Week...

Dear jamescl,

My son reads your weblog everyday. Could you please put some more educational material on it? Thank you.

- RN

2004-02-04T22:29:00.000-05:00

Sick...

So for the past almost-a-week, I've been grabbin' tissues, rushin' to the washroom and over-poppin' on Advil. (Did you know that the new Advil Extra Strength only allows you to take one per 4 hours and max three per day? Apparantly, I didn't and popped 6 in 17 hours. Anyways, I digress...) I've had horrible headaches, sore throats, stomach aches, fevers and days of just feelin' miserable.

And then my girl friend says to me, "Now you have a glimpse of how it feels when you're on period." Ouch.

2004-02-01T23:57:00.000-05:00

Superbowl...

It was a great night of fun, though it didn't start out that way. After missing the opening festivities because of too much NFL Gameday, we watched an awful quarter of football before retreating back to Gameday. We returned at the end of the 2nd quarter to witness the beginning of the scoring, the halftime show (and um, show we got), as well as the wild and crazy finish that my not-so-beloved Pats took home. A true night of guys-nite-out with football, video games and um...coke. Next year boys, we'll have a real Superbowl party. Thanks Keith for letting us trash your house.