We are well into Christmas break, so now I no longer have any excuse not to blog. My fondest salutations to those who continue to check on this pitiful excuse for a web journal. It's been acting more like a peer-reviewed quarterly academic journal lately, with information that was hot last year being posted today.
Anyway, some updates are in order.
The above picture demonstrates how much of a nerd I have become. =p For "leisure reading" this break, I have Allen Newell's (1990) Unified Theories of Cognition and various articles on visual imagery and reasoning for my senior thesis. I've also played a few games of Sudoku, and have gotten to the 8-disc level of the Tower of Hanoi puzzle.
I've also gotten hooked on organization. I've finally come up with an accounting system that I can work with. Today I'll be able to analyze my December expenses and estimate a workable budget for the next month. :)
It's been a good year. I'm happy and content, and feel very blessed to be where I am today, with the opportunities I've got. I'm thankful for all the factors (parents' hard work, Ozarks' generosity, and ultimately, God's blessings) that have made it possible for me to study in the US. I'm thankful to God for blessing me with Anna. I'm thankful to God for "building my vita" with my summer internship in DC, Hagaman's arrival at Ozarks, and the continued generous support of my parents. Above all, I'm grateful that God loves me unconditionally and continues to work in my life. :)
Psalm 90 may be my Scripture for the year. My heart's prayer for 2009 is well said in these 3 verses:
v12 - Teach us to number our days aright, that we may gain a heart of wisdom.
v14 - Satisfy us in the morning with your unfailing love, that we may sing for joy and be glad all our days.
v17 - May the beauty of the Lord our God rest upon us; establish the work of our hands for us— yes, establish the work of our hands.
Entered into one of the most rewarding, joy-producing, and growth-inducing relationships of my life: a courtship with Anna Yong, the love of my life. :)
Experienced the power of God working through a healthy, Christ and gospel-centered church: Capitol Hill Baptist Church in Washington, DC.
Worked 6 weeks in the Lab for Applied Research in Cognition and Human Factors (ARCH Lab) at George Mason University in Fairfax, VA, as an APA Summer Science Fellow.
Was introduced to the power of Macros and Visual Basic programming in Microsoft Excel and Microsoft Word.
Co-authored an empirical paper on procedural errors with Dr. Raj Ratwani and Dr. Greg Trafton through my APA Summer Science Fellowship.Attended the 30th Annual Meeting of the Cognitive Science Society in Washington, DC.
Determined that I want to be a cognitive scientist, committing to acquiring and using a combination of scientific methods to study various aspects of the mind, including language, memory, reasoning, mental representations, and perception (of music, speech, etc.).
Identified a number of graduate schools I will want to apply to: University of Arkansas (Fayetteville), UT Austin, University of Illinois (Urbana-Champagne), SUNY Buffalo, and SUNY Binghamton.
Determined to learn basics of programming. I am now proceeding through CS106A: Programming Methodology with Dr. Mehran Sahami via Stanford's free iTunes U channel.
Witnessed the work of God on the U of O campus and in First Baptist and caught a fiery passion to work for the exaltation of Christ on this campus and in this community.
Realized that my sister is going to get married very soon (in October!!)
Acquired a position in the Bass section of Ozarks Chorale and Chamber Singers. I was previously a Tenor I.
Begun work on a Senior Seminar project that is designed to systematically investigate the complex role of working memory in making deductive inferences from prose.
Finished learning Claude Debussy's Claire de Lune (more than a year after first picking it up!!!).
Had numerous opportunities to share the gospel of Christ, both through word and action.
Wrestled with hard questions about suffering, the sovereignty of God, and election, among others, and emerged with a deeper appreciation and love for the mystifying magnificence that is the LORD God as revealed in the Scriptures.
Switched table tennis/ping pong grips from the pen-holder to the handshake.
Grown.
Loved
Lived, with immense gratitude for the blessings that I continue to drown in daily. :)
A piercing, honest, and very important article I think every Malaysian should read. Spread the word!
Note: Taken from the Star Online, 24 Feb 2008, Life Focus section.
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WIDE ANGLE By HUZIR SULAIMAN
Once every five years, our columnist gets all worked up. It’s that time again.
I started voting as soon as I was old enough to be eligible, and I’m proud to say I cast my ballot in the 1999 and 2004 General Elections. To be honest, I haven’t been hugely lucky with elections – nobody I’ve voted for has actually won, or even come anywhere near winning, the poor chaps – but that hasn’t stopped me. Whether it’s because I love suffrage, or merely because I love suffering, I keep coming back for more.
I only wish more of my friends and acquaintances shared my passion for the polls. Some say there isn’t any political party they feel comfortable supporting; others say they never quite got around to registering; a few, I suspect, just don’t want to wait in line on a day they could spend catching up on American Idol, or eating tiramisu, or doing sudoku.
I realise I might be preaching a particularly fundamentalist strain of democracy, but I have always believed that having the right to vote translates directly to having a responsibility to vote.
In the parliamentary system, the idea of electing representatives is that we symbolically turn over to them our innate authority both to make laws and to form a government to implement those laws and pursue the national interest. That symbolic transfer of authority is crucial. If we can’t even be bothered to participate in the process of selecting the proxies who will legislate and administer on our behalf, we give up the right to criticise the manner in which we are subsequently governed by those proxies.
In short: Vote, or shut up.
Than Chee Beng made the effort to vote in Bukit Merah, Perak, in 1999. What about you?
Note that this is very different from “Vote, and then shut up”, which is the view taken by most Asian autocracies. Ongoing criticism, debate and dissent are vital. But if, after being offered the chance to choose, we decline to get involved in the beginning of the political cycle – the election – there’s little point in wandering in later with our grouses.
If you’re not eligible to vote, whether you’re too young or a Malaysian abroad, you still have the right to comment, in my book, because you are subject to policies that you couldn’t possibly have influenced. But once you gain (or regain) the right to vote, you are morally obliged to take a stand and cast your ballot.
Look around Southeast Asia, and you see Communist states, military dictatorships, recovering dictatorships, fractious democracies, fragile democracies, “guided” democracies? and then there’s us.
We’re one of the few places where people don’t have to worry about tanks rumbling through the streets if they vote in the wrong party. In the context of Southeast Asia, our democratic freedoms, deeply flawed though they may be, are a precious commodity, and shouldn’t be taken for granted. If we aren’t vigilant in the exercise of our rights, those few freedoms might evaporate.
In short: Use your vote, or lose your vote.
Our voter turnout has never been anything to boast about. The high was back in 1964, with 78.9% of eligible voters showing up. The low point was in 1986, with just 69.97%. At other times we have bounced along in the low 70s.It’s better than the United States, but that’s not saying much.
We should aim for an 80% voter turnout at this election. After 50 years of independence, it’s time we got more involved.
(We might not be able to do better than 80%, realistically, because there will always be some voters in hospital with dengue fever; and of course, going by the alarming crime rates, a large number of voters will be the victims of snatch theft on the way to the polling station, thereby losing their identity cards and being unable to prove that they are actual living, registered voters, as opposed to, say, one of 200 dead voters living in the same two-room house.)
Anecdotal evidence suggests that voter turnout is low among the educated and English-speaking. Readers of The Star, basically. I sincerely hope someone will come up with figures to show that I’m wrong, but that’s the way it looks.
Excuses for not voting abound.
The idea that by not voting one can somehow register “a protest against the whole political system” is utterly nonsensical. You wouldn’t be registering a protest.
You wouldn’t be registering anything. You’d be erasing yourself.
You’d be disemboweling your own citizenship.
You’d be tearing out the intestines of your patriotism and throwing them onto the barbecue of your apathy.
In short: If you’re not part of the solution, you’re part of the problem.
All right, but what if you don’t believe there’s a problem? One friend said to me, “I fully support the Barisan Nasional, and I know they will win, so why should I bother voting?” Well, obviously, if enough people think the way you do, Barisan won’t win in your constituency, and then you’ll feel pretty silly for having spent the day eating tiramisu, won’t you, you complacent middle-class tiramisu-eater?
On the other side of the spectrum, someone said to me, “I support the Opposition, but there’s no way they will win, so why should I bother voting?” Well, that’s why they don’t win – because of stupid ideas like that.
And even if you claim not to like a single one of the candidates in your constituency – which is entirely understandable, given that political parties of all sorts are occasionally obliged to distribute seats based on loyalty rather than competence, or indeed sentience – there will always be one candidate very slightly better than the others: the “least worst”.
Please vote for the least worst. Doesn’t Malaysia deserve the least worst, at least?
Happy voting, and good luck!
Huzir Sulaiman writes for theatre, film, television, and newspapers.
Taught in the College Bible class at church last Sunday. The subject was Uzzah's death during the Ark processional in I Chronicles 13. Reminded that God is not to be messed around with.
Shared in Alpha & Omega on Tuesday. Learned in Exodus 32-33 and John 15 about how God calls us to a deeper "face-to-face" relationship with Him as friends.
Snowed on Thursday! :) Went sledding and snowfighting. Lots of fun and aching arms the next day.
First looks at the snow..
Snow-covered El!!
Lots of people taking pictures of the unusually heavy snowfall
Happy people after sledding and snowfighting :)
Me and a random snowchild
The snow-covered campus the morning after. It all melted away in the 50+F afternoon
Went to WinterJam yesterday (Friday) night. Newsong, Skillet, Barlowgirl, and MercyMe. God spoke to me about faith throughout the concert, even though I normally don't enjoy such events as much. Tony Nolan spoke of the benchmark for faith through the story of a tightrope walker who walked on a rope across the Niagara Falls twice with a wheelbarrow. The crowd cheered him on for a third, screaming their belief in his ability. He told them to demonstrate their faith by coming out to sit in the wheelbarrow as he walked. How many of them really believed? How many of us really believe?
Right now I'm waiting for 30 pork dumplings (siu mai??) to be done in Anna's steamer. Jian Peng's idea. Tongue and stomach itchy dy. =p
Gotta go study for my Intro to Music Lit. test. And then find time to sift through 62 assorted Raphael frescoes, Madonnas, portraits, and other works for a 30-40 minute presentation for Monday.
Yes, Christmas break is over. I had a blast. I earned $$, met with God, grew closer to my friends, learned the art of Surprising, further honed my culinary skills, drove a lot, played jazz, ate a lot, traveled, took care of cats and dogs, etc, etc. I'm thankful. =)
Well, tomorrow is the first day of classes. I have 3 semesters to go before I graduate. Isn't that just insane? This is a true saying: "Time fly like bird" (Adam, RBS 2006, qtd. by Anna Yong and Patrick Lee).
Sighs.
I am looking forward to this semester though. I'm excited about all my classes. Experimental Methods and Inferential Stats will be great - I'm pumped because I'll also begin crystallizing my senior seminar this semester, and those classes will be invaluable to that process. Introduction to Music Lit. and Renaissance & Baroque will be so interesting. And of course Choir and Chamber and Bells are always fun. And I'm sure I'll enjoy Tennis II. I can't wait! =)
So, tonight I'm going to refill my folder with notepaper, pack my hole-puncher in my bag (for the syllabi), and get a good night's rest before tomorrow. I'm excited to see what God's going to do this semester.
I want to share my theme song for the new year, gifted by God through a Gift of a friend:
Come meet us, King Jesus Oh wind of change blow through this temple Sweet Spirit of God, come and mend our hearts For all we have are songs Unless You come
Awaken what’s inside of me Tune my heart to all You are in me Even though You’re here God come And may the vision of You Be the death of me And even though you’ve given everything Jesus come
Come free us, King Jesus It’s the only way that freedom’s given From You and You alone In the work You’ve already done For all we have are songs, Unless You come
Here we are, Lord In this place Crying out for Your embrace To hear Your voice More than songs Please come Jesus come
Well, Christmas is over, and I'd be robbing God and my wonderful friends and extended family here in Clarksville of credit if I didn't tell of my positively marvelous Christmas season. :) Here are some snapshots to aid in the telling..
December 24th: Christmas eve at the Crows'. Robyn is in green, and Cady, her sister, is in red. Robyn is Anna's roommate. Her family graciously invited us over for Christmas dinner.
Matthew, Robyn's brother, waxing dramatic over the contents of his stocking.
Robyn's mum, documenting family memories.
Nana, Robyn's grandma - an AMAZING cook. In the background is Robyn's grandpa, fondly known as Hoot Nanny.
Joy in a Christmas card. :)
A giant remote control for Hoot Nanny. Lol!
The aftermath of the gift exchange. Many thanks to Robyn and the Crows for a wonderful Christmas eve! :)
December 25th: Christmas day at the Edingtons'. Samantha is in her new pink pajamas, and Emily is in colorful new pajamas also. The Edingtons get new pajamas every Christmas eve.
One of Lisa's faceless angels. They usually creep me out, but this one doesn't look half bad up close. :p
Anna with the girls, trying to figure out Emily's new Barbie laptop.
Anna and I are literally paparazzi at every event we attend. But hey, memories are well kept in photographs, no? You'll be thanking us years down the road, just you see. ;p
Mark joins in the Barbie fun. Looks pretty intense!
New bikes for the Edington girls!
Sam says Merry Christmas to grandpa while Lisa takes a photo.
Emily sweet-talking grandpa. Precious, isn't she? Many thanks to Mark and the Edingtons for letting us in on a warm and joyful Christmas day with the family. :)
December 25th: Christmas makan/surprise birthday celebration for Anna with the Ozark-Malaysians. Angust displaying the results of his ridiculously strong arm. One stroke from the butcher's knife cut through the chicken, split the chopping board in half, and cut the table too!!
A closer look at the carnage..
Relaxing after a great Christmas and birthday meal. Thank you, my countrymen, for your part in a truly satisfying and meaningful Christmas and birthday party! :)
Anna and I.
Florence and Anna.
Lay Hoong and Anna.
The cousins! Susan and Anna.
Fun with Florence! :p
Those three are something else! Susan helped to surprise Anna with Zai Choi, her favorite Christmas and birthday dish. The three of them also baked a scrumptious chocolate cake for her (with Angust's help). Thank you all! :)
I think this year's Christmas has been one of my fullest and most meaningful one yet. Heaps of Christmas food and cheer at the Crows' and Edingtons', oodles of Malaysian food and fellowship (including Zai Choi, Emperor Herbal Chicken, sardines, and Crash Bandicoot), a Malaysian gift exchange, and the joy of having a part in making Anna's birthday a special time.. All these goodies swirl around my deep gratitude to God for leaving the splendor of heaven for the squalor of earth and the shame of the cross, all for love.
Yes, God has been very good to me, and I cannot help but praise Him for who He is and what He's done for me. My God is a loving Father to me, who takes care of me, is willing to stand by me through tough times He puts me through for my own good, and never lets up loving me, no matter how many times I fail. My Father loves me for who I am, not who I should be. I was adopted into His wonderful family when I latched onto His Son Jesus (whose birth, incidentally, is the occasion for yuletide cheer) 19 years ago, and He wants to adopt and love you too! I pray that as the Christmas season passes and the new year approaches, you will find peace and love and joy in my Father's arms as I have.
Harlo everyone! It's been awhile since I've last updated. Actually haven't updated at all since Finals ended and Winter Break began.
To be brief, I have been rested and busy, if that makes sense. I've been busying myself with a number of odd jobs (e.g., filming basketball games, washing dishes, feeding cats, raking leaves, driving people to the airport) and earning money. But I've also been able to watch a few movies (watched Ratatouille at Huy's place last night), get out of Clarksville a little (went to Little Rock with Huy, his sister, and Anna yesterday), start on a puzzle, do some reading, cook, and most importantly spend quality time with God.
Upcoming plans are to take a diagnostic GRE today, look up internship options with USM, and relaxation at Joco Java tonight. Also spending Christmas day with the Edingtons, driving to Texas with the girls to visit Anna's relatives, and driving to Memphis to visit Robyn (Anna's roommate).
For now, have a peek in video form at what I've been doing so far:
Finals is overrrr!!!! I'm FREEEEEEEEEEEEEEEE!!! I turned in my final paper for Social Psych at 1:30pm earlier.. I am now content from a good lunch at Wendy's and $235 fresh in my checking account.
And I have a Psych journal article on "happiness" in my backpack. It's not for a class or anything. I got a copy of it from Stephenson for "my reading pleasure".
I think it's good that I'm still interested in psych even after Finals. Makes me think that I'm in the right place. =)
I read the following news article with great sadness. Please spread the word to all you can to pray, and pray hard, for Malaysia. Things are looking black, very black.. What better atmosphere for the Prince of Peace to come through?
Malaysia's crackdown on dissent widens By Anil Netto
PENANG - The administration of Malaysian Prime Minister Abdullah Badawi, rattled in recent months by a series of street protests, launched on Sunday another tough crackdown against peaceful demonstrators in which at least 23 human-rights lawyers, activists and opposition politicians were arrested.
The Malaysian Bar Council planned its annual walk for human rights in downtown Kuala Lumpur, which some predicted could have seen a turnout similar to an earlier march held in the administrative capital of Putrajaya in September where some 2,000 people participated.
But the council backed down in the face of warnings from the authorities that stern action would be taken against those involved in public demonstrations. Its "Festival of Rights" celebrations were then moved to its premises in Kuala Lumpur. A group of prominent human-rights lawyers and several dozen activists and supporters, however, decided to press ahead with the march. Observers said police outnumbered the marchers by a ratio of around five-to-one.
Eight demonstrators were arrested after they tried to negotiate an extension of the short time that police had granted them to complete their march on the planned route. They were charged in court Monday with participating in an "illegal assembly" and failing to disperse when ordered. They were later released on bail, but the offenses carry possible fines and jail terms of 30 months.
"If the choice is between public safety and public freedom, I do not hesitate to say here that public safety will always win," said Prime Minister Abdullah, according to media reports. "Malaysians must never, ever, take their peace for granted and they must continue to be responsible to each other."
Rights groups, for their part, slammed the arrests. "We are appalled that even a small gathering of marchers to a nearby destination in an orderly manner without obstructing the traffic or causing any chaos to the public cannot be allowed or tolerated by this oppressive regime," said P Ramakrishnan, president of the social reform group Aliran.
"If this little act of a democratic principle cannot be exercised in a responsible manner, can we pretend to be a democratic country any longer?"
Police also detained Edmund Bon, head of the Bar Council human-rights committee, for allegedly trying to obstruct security personnel from removing publicity banners placed on the Bar Council's buildings. A Malaysian Bar official said that the banners were clearly within the Bar's premises. Bon was released on bail Monday.
On Sunday evening, two prominent opposition politicians, Tian Chua and Mohamad Sabu, along with 12 activists, were also arrested for their involvement in another gathering the authorities considered an "illegal assembly". Most of them were crowd control marshals from the opposition Parti Islam Malaysia (PAS) who had participated in a November 10 rally in the capital which called for electoral reforms.
The rally was organized by the Coalition for Clean and Fair Elections (BERSIH), an initiative spearheaded by civil society groups and backed by a number of opposition parties. PAS marshals were widely credited for ensuring a peaceful and orderly rally attended by some 50,000 people, mostly ethnic Malays, though other ethnic groups also participated. Police, however, used tear gas and water cannons on sections of the crowd in a bid to disperse them.
The BERSIH rally was followed by another large protest on November 25, when an estimated 30,000 ethnic Indians from across the country converged in Kuala Lumpur to highlight what they perceived to be systematic ethnic marginalization and religious discrimination by the government.
The rally was spearheaded by the Hindu Rights Action Force (HINDRAF) and led by a small group of vocal ethnic Indian Malaysian lawyers. Last week a group of 31 HINDRAF protesters were slapped with the charge of "attempted murder" of a policeman during the November 25 rally, while 16 of them were also charged with taking part in an illegal assembly.
In the eastern state of Trenggganu, two PAS members have been charged with causing injury to a police officer during another rally in September which similarly called for electoral reforms. Both opposition party members have been denied bail.
Still, the string of arrests have not deterred another small group of five lawyers and opposition politicians from marching in Kuching, East Malaysia on Monday morning in a symbolic gesture to mark Human Rights Day, reported the independent news portal Malaysiakini.
Some analysts believe that the widening gap between rich and the poor in Malaysia is fueling the growing number of protests. They point out that neo-liberal economic and privatization policies, cuts in subsidies for essential services, and rising fuel and food prices have burdened the poor.
Indeed, most of those attending the recent large BERSIH and HINDRAF protests appeared to be from lower income groups. "The underlying causes [of the protests] are economic," said prominent economist Subramaniam Pillay. "There is a widening income disparity between unskilled and semi-skilled workers on the one hand, and skilled workers and connected people on the other."
He added that the incomes of unskilled and semi-skilled workers had been depressed by cheap foreign labor. Subramaniam is also chairperson of the steering committee of the civil society Coalition Against Health Care Privatization. The Coalition today received the 2007 Malaysian human rights award from the Kuala Lumpur-based rights group Suaram for its campaign.
The mass arrests and trials of demonstrators in court are worryingly reminiscent of the mass trials during the so-called Reformasi streets protests of 1998-2001, when dozens were hauled to court to face charges of illegal assembly. Some believe that the protracted trials of that period, including of former finance minister Anwar Ibrahim, served two purposes: they sapped the energy of the Reformasi demonstrators by dragging them through the court system, while the trials also deterred others from taking part in more protests.
Unlike his predecessor Mahathir Mohamad, Prime Minister Abdullah has not yet used the draconian Internal Security Act against those mobilizing the demonstrators - though he has not discounted the possibility. Abdullah, whose reform agenda to stamp out corruption and abuse of power has floundered, now faces a ground swell of popular disenchantment which has spilled onto the streets.
The year-end season of discontent could force him to delay plans for calling an early snap general election, which is due at the latest by early 2009. Instead, prominent opposition politicians believe the embattled premier is on the brink of ordering a major crackdown against dissent.
(Dec 12, 2007. Inter Press Service with editing by Asia Times Online)
If you're even looking at newspapers or watching the news at all, you should know something about the explosion of racial tensions in Boleh Land aka Malaysia. The latest hot button is the recent surge in protesting, this past month or so by the Indian community. My Gmail inbox is being flooded with Google alerts about Malaysia from Indian newspapers.. Things aren't looking so good for racial harmony in Malaysia now. And we all know that's bad news for human rights, bad news for public policy, and just bad news all around.. Lord knows Badawi needs prayer and massive changes of heart in his Cabinet and bureaucracy.
Will you join me in praying for peace in Malaysia?
My clock tells me it is 3 minutes past 1am. It's the 10th of December, 2007. Finals Week has begun.
I've already finished one paper to be turned in for Social Psychology. It's due on THURSDAY. Can you believe that? Joel finished a paper more than 4 days before it is due.
I was talking to Anna earlier today, and realized that one positive change I can praise God for has been my attitude toward academics. I used to rest on my laurels a whole lot more, being content to earn "good grades" with minimal effort. I didn't realize what a lousy steward I was being of my God-given intellect. Things are changing for the better, thankfully. My resolve to work and really learn and be excellent continues to grow. We'll see what benefits it produces for Finals.
God has been good to me. I am poised on the edge of Finals week, and am bathed in Hope and Joy and Peace instead of stress and fear and irritability, even on the back of a disappointing grade on a Stat take home test. I have time enough to stop to help others, pray for a needy friend, chat about politics, pray for the political situation in Malaysia, and sit and reflect over the semester.
I must praise Him for the lessons in humility and genuine love that I've had the opportunity to learn this semester. It wasn't always easy, and still isn't, but I am thankful that I can be thankful for them - I can clearly see my Father's loving intentions behind the thorny circumstances that often clothe those lessons. My spirit loves what is happening, even though my flesh and soul don't always share that attitude.
I must also praise Him for the way He's directing my life. Internships and graduate schools are coming into sharper focus, as are the skills and knowledge in my own life which seem to confirm the direction I received coming here at the U of O. I am also grateful for my musical growth this semester. I can sing higher, louder and better than ever before, and my fingers are better equipped to make melodious praise to my Father.
I am most grateful for the newness of my relationship with Him that I'm finding. The dross of idealism and emotionalism have been painfully extracted from me this semester, and the process is not yet complete. What lies beneath all that dross and pain, however, is a kernel of faith in a Loving Father; it does me good to find that kernel underneath all of that, for I know without a shadow of doubt then that my heart is held in my Father's hand, which tells me that no matter how much I hate what I see in the mirror, no matter how uncomfortable or scary or frustrating my circumstances get, there is an ever-present Help and Hope for me.
How has your semester/year/month/week/day been? I encourage you to take some time to reflect and realize just how much of God's blessings really are in your life. Take some time to praise Him for who He is, even if you can't think of anything positive; it's worth it. No. HE's worth it.
me is pitiful. last post was weeks and weeks ago. ah, me. =p needless to say, i still live. as to how i'm doing? as i wrote on an old friend's facebook wall the other day, i am "taking photos, learning psych, playing music, loving life, god, friends, missing home and char koay teow and mamak, beginning to stress about postgraduate options, looking for internship this summer, trying to save $$, wishing i was rajin enough to blog consistently, sleeping late.." to sum it, life is good.
the sem's winding down to a close, and i can't shake this gnawing feeling that i've only barely scratched the surface of the disciplines i'm supposed to be studying this semester - social psychology, descriptive statistics, and new testament greek. it's a true statement (that i've only scratched the surface), but it does not follow that i haven't learnt much.
i realized yesterday while talking with anna bout the sem that i've actually amassed quite a bit of skills and knowledge in my studying this sem - the only difference i can identify between this sem and sems past has been my level of output (measured by the amount of tests and papers i've had to do for my classes).
i've previously gotten used to weekly 30-page reports, bi-monthly tests, and homework, homework, homework. this sem's been different. with the absence of "output" (read: busy work), i've had more freedom to explore the disciplines. i've been using my handy greek new testament for my bible study, and have actually begun browsing psych journals (esp. social psych) for FUN (god forbid!! =p). i like things this way. even now, as i'm studying for an impending social psych test (on tues), i'm enjoying looking up research and actually LEARNING the stuff, as opposed to merely engulfing material to be regurgitated come test day.
makes me feel like the money invested in my education is paying dividends. =)
enough talk, then. let me entertain you with... *DRUM ROLL* *CHIANG!!!*
THE LIFE OF A PAPARAZZI PHOTOGRAPHER
(introducing.. Alicia and Kellie!!)
Kellie: eh? is he taking our picture ar?
Alicia: erm... wait ar, let me think..
Kellie: think so long for wat, just look at the fler la!!
Alicia: hmmm.. ya hor..
Both: WAHH!! HE REALLY TAKING OUR PICTURE WORR!! SHOOT THE PAPARAZZI MAN!!!
Note: No subjects or photographers were harmed in the making of this pointless excuse for a story.
Perseverance in the face of constant and humiliating defeat has paid off. I've been playing against athletes of a vastly higher caliber in my racquetball class this semester. There are 5 of us - 2 are instructors, and 2 are varsity athletes (baseball and soccer), both with previous experience in racquetball, quick reflexes, and ridiculously strong arms. And then there's little old me. Slow reaction times, weaker strokes, inconsistency.
It's true. You play against people who are much better than you, you lose. You keep playing, you improve. Until one day, you find yourself on the higher end of the scoreboard.
Today was such a day.
We played doubles - it was me and Bradley (the instructor) against Kurt and Nate (baseball and soccer athletes). I felt good, hitting a few good shots, and most importantly, not getting in the way of my doubles partner (I used to swing at every shot and miss).
First set: Bradley and Joel bt. Kurt and Nate 15-14 Second set: Bradley and Joel bt. Kurt and Nate 15-3
A quick, shameless plug for my new photography blog: elspictures. I'm using it as my picture-sharing website - a way to share what I'm seeing and experiencing here in Ozarks. Hope you visit it and enjoy it! :)
Wow. Another week flies by. I'm convinced that rate of time passing is directly correlated with age of observer. Or maybe times just flies faster when you're caught in a whirlwind of activity.
To take stock of this week, I have to give glory to God for being faithful to answer my request to soften my heart and open my eyes to see things in his word. Have been reading Bob Sorge's "In His Face", a great worship-inspiring book. Read a chapter about hardened hearts (based on Jesus' parable of the sower) last Friday, and have been really convicted that my the soil of my heart is really very much like the stony ground. Passionate and quick to respond to the word, but lacking depth and roots, and ultimately doomed to fall. Am earnestly seeking God to break up the fallow ground of my heart.
With reference to the statement "whirlwind of activity".. It's strange. I'm having such a light semester that I'm having trouble adjusting to it. I used to not be able sleep hardly at all on Thursday nights, because I would be working on my weekly tome: the dreaded Clinical Experience Report. Last semester I had readings and homework due every single day.. This semester I actually have enough breathing space ot engage in and enjoy the learning process. I'm developing interest in the field of social psychology, and am relishing the new skills I'm building in New Testament Greek - reading the Bible in its original text opens up new breathtaking vistas of meaning and insight. It's so exciting! Sometimes I feel guilty for having so much time.. But today I realized that God may be giving me all this free time to allow for me to seek Him. I really need to. My graduation looms closer and closer, while the time frame for initiating and completing the application process for grad school grows narrower and narrower with each day that passes. God knows I need His direction, and strength and grace to follow it.
Beside that, there's also a lot of growth going on in me. One of the fresh insights I've gained this week has been in the practical area of practice. I realized on Saturday that my attitude and skills in the area of practice (especially for music) are dismal. I'm so used to learning and catching and mastering things quickly, and thus get inpatient very easily when I practice. As a result, I lose the tremendous benefits of patient and consistent practice. For example, I'm trying to learn Claude Debussy's "Claire De Lune" (for piano) and John Mayer's "Neon" (for guitar). Both pieces have proven to be stubbornly unresponsive to my "quick wit." I am frustrated time and again at my failure to quicly learn and master those two songs. But I'm learning. Anna's patiently teaching me to be patient. Start slow. Focus on parts. Practice those parts. Pick up speed by increments. Start by getting all the notes, then throw in dynamics, and then feeling. All commonsensical pointers that I regularly disregard in my "practice sessions" (which usually degenerate into impromptu jam sessions). In any case, I'm learning. And I'm excited about it. :)
For Voice Class on Wednesday, I have to learn an Italian song called "Tu Lo Sai". It's an interesting little song sung by a very self-confident ladies' man who says to a lady: "Ask thy heart." In essence, he says, "You know you want me." =p
And on that note, I adjourn this blog until my next weekly update. =p Ciao!
Updates are looooooong overdue. A 2 month blogging hiatus is unacceptable. I hereby make amends in point form. Since I last blogged...
1. I got new shoes. From Fayetteville. The first pair of "real" Nikes that I've actually bought. $39 for a pair of white Nike Air basketball shoes. I love them to death.
2. I got my hair cut by a first-time hairdresser. One of the best haircuts I've ever gotten from someone with no professional training. Kudos, Anna, for actually listening to the customer's wishes. :) 3. I learned that when John told his disciples, "Look, the Lamb of God who takes away the sins of the world" (John 1:29), he was actually saying, "Look at the Lamb of God who is [right now] taking away [and putting on himself to bear] the sin of the world." This from a simple analysis of the layers of Greek semantics packed into the word "takes away" in that verse. I'm thankful for the opportunity that I have here to learn New Testament Greek.
4. I've finally started learning jazz songs. For those of you who don't know, I ardently desire to become a jazz pianist, but before last week, I had zero jazz songs in my repertoire. Go figure. That's changed tho. I've learned "Misty" and "Peace Piece" (Bill Evans), and am working on "Autumn Leaves" and "Somewhere Over the Rainbow."
5. Prayer meetings are growing!! It's exciting to see how God is moving on this campus.
6. I added "really-tasty-beef-semi-stew-with-onions-and-tomotoes" to my culinary repertoire.
7. I'm awestruck by how the Malaysian population on this campus has grown. We are now 22-strong, and a sizeable (and oftentimes vociferous) force on campus.
8. I got a grade changed from an A- to an A for one of my classes for last semester (Abnormal Psych) and can now give God glory for my first 4.0. 9. I've been driving like MAD. Made 3 trips to Little Rock airport and 2 trips to Fayetteville (running errands for Huy). And no one died. =p I did get a teensy bit lost tho.. But it turned out all right in the end, thanks to some cool nerves inherited from my beloved father, and to my co-driver Anna Yong's reticence from yelling, "What the heck is your problem??? WHY didn't you take that turning????". =p 10. I learned to play basketball. Yes, as shocking as that may seem, yesterday was the first time I actually learned how to shoot - from the legs, follow through with the arms, use the backboard, jump shots, etc. Many thanks to Susan Low (our resident freshman wonder-athlete) for taking 45 minutes of her time to patiently coach me. It's exciting to learn new things!! 11. I've learned to skip rocks. Yes, another new skill that I would expect me to already have under my belt. Cool, nonetheless, to watch a rock leave your fingers and skip across a body of water, thanks to fascinating mechanisms of physics I am unacquainted with. 12. I've been pressed with a growing realization of my own depravity and pride and abject need for God. May God continue working in me to develop the humble character of His Son. A life verse I have recently received has been from Matthew 11:28-30: "Come to me, all you who are weary and burdened, and I will give you rest. Take my yoke upon you and learn from me, for I am gentle and humble in heart, and you will find rest for your souls. For my yoke is easy and my burden is light." Many thanks to the Holy Spirit for opening my eyes to see the context of the verse: weariness and burden is a direct result of self-striving and selfishness and pride, the opposite of gentleness and humbleness of heart. Jesus invites us to adopt his mantle of humility and find the ease and lightness of that way of living.
13. I've been more active and outgoing this semester, spending time playing captainball on Sundays, swim parties, going out to lakes and mountains, playing racquetball (the American equivalent of squash), cycling. I've discovered that healthy eating and exercising naturally go together: the more I exercise, the less I am drawn to fatty foods and the less I tend to overeat. A neat little cycle that you might want to experiment with.
14. I'm beginning to look at post-baccelaureate options. As of now, I have a pretty good idea that God's direction is to go ahead to graduate school, so I'm working by faith on that assumption and searching for fields of psychology to specialize in and places to study at. At present, it looks like God's leading me to stay on in the States after graduation to pursue a PhD or PsyD. God's timing is weird (in a sense that it rarely ever fits our schedule) but perfect: I talked to Prof Jones last week, and found out they're just beginning to reach out and look for Universities to network with for internships and graduate school opportunities for U of O psych majors. I'm excited to see how He will lead and I will follow in the days to come.
Sinner. Saved by grace. Saint (in the making). Worshipper. Musician. Wordsmith. Artist. Lover of beauty. Man. Child of God. Wannabe athlete. Emotional. Thinker. Complex. Different. Person.
