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got back from virginia.
lovely wedding. congratulations, Mr. Dave Chu, and Mrs. Eunice Chu!!
left fri night in a rush after stopping by RCC for youth group. they were sleeping over and then going early to THE CALL. i hadn't seen the youth group kids for such a long time. i missed them. these days, i am seeing more of God's hand in their lives. whether it seems to be happening more, or whether i am beginning to be more aware of it, i don't know. but God is definitely afftecting these kids, and i don't want to miss any of it. this is truly an opportunity of a lifetime for me, STORM. i'm learning and seeing more than i thought i ever would.
had to leave STORM early, and get to the car rental place. none of us from NYU really planned anything, had no idea how we were going to get there, didn't really know where it was, where to stay. luckily, yu from columbia dental offered to let us join in their rental.
6 ppl in one buick sedan. ti, yu, and emay in front. bry, jeffr, and i in the back. first time mtg ti and emay. looong drive down. tried to get out of my comfort box, challenged myself to be initiator in conversation. after an hour, tho, i was tired of doing something so unnatural with absolute strangers.
5 hrs later, we got to tyson's corner, dropped off emay and jeffr, then to nam's house. nam was nice enough to offer us a place to stay for two nights, though she hardly knew bryan and me. i was a little unsure about the whole situation; if i were a dad, i sure wouldn't want my daughter to offer a place to sleep to two guys that she didnt' know very well. nam and i were on a praise team once in ny for a CMDA praise night, but other than that, didn't know her that well.
slept well, deeply. woke up approx 10 sat morn. set out to georgetown. shopped a bit, met up with v and jan. it was good to see them, as always. i'm happy that v and i are still very close, and can share deep stuff with one another still. had lunch at j.paul's (just OK. sequoia is a better place to munch, in my opinion), then drove around DC.
FDR memorial
so beautiful. i saw it two yrs ago, when i was a TA/RA for the NSLC (national student leadership conference). it was beautiful then, with giant slabs of cut marble arranged to allow water to flow and fall in a beautiful way. the lighting was beautifully arranged. it was perfect then, an ideal setting for deep introspection. this time, daylight revealed a completely different side to the memorial that i hadn't known before.
i was astounded by the character each portion of the memorial had. there was a difference in tempo and dynamics, something i had never seen before in a memorial. one fall would be powerful, loud, broad and sweeping. another would be intricate, little streams of water guided through complex paths created by the marble. yet another was of absolute stillness and tranquility. all reflecting the facets of FDR in differenct periods in his life. you have to go and see for yourself to understand and believe how a memorial, in the form of marble blocks and water, can capture the character of a man. absolutely incredible. it was really wonderful. a little unreal to me how the exact same memorial could be so different to me now.
i had never known the complexity and depth of FDR's person until i experienced his memorial, and read his quotes that were carved into the marble blocks. i have gained a deep respect for him, deeper than that for any other president.
rushed back to nam's, changed, and went to wedding.
the wedding
somehow got pretty good seats very close to the front, where the choir normally sits, and so got to see most of the great action first-hand.
eunice's father, a pastor, presided over the wedding. he escorted her to the front, then changed into his pastoral garb while another pastor prayed. dave later told me that he couldn't look at them as they were walking to the front, because he couldn't bear to look at the expression of sadness of losing his daughter mixed with happiness for her.
i must say, eu's dad was extremely hilarious. at first glance, he is your typical korean male, solemn looking, straight back, his face a stone. only more so because he was the pastor for the 1st generation koreans. but his voice, and the person behind that voice, really burst through. he was funny, entertaining, charismatic, but most importantly, you could see that this was a man who loved God, and loved his daughter, very deeply.
funny, as i was watching all this, i was empathiziing much more with eu's dad than with dave or eu. thoughts of how i would deal when i would have to marry off my daughter kept coming into my head. after the exchange of vows and rings, the couple embraced the parents. this part of a wedding is always the most emotional for me. it hurts and aches something awful when i see a daughter hugging her father, tears streaming down her face, or a son with his mother. literally, i was having trouble breathing, and had to wipe away more than a few tears. i don't know why i'm so emotional at weddings. 4 so far, and i've cried at every single one of them. such a cry baby.
pals from NYU, on my floor were also there. i'm so glad for dave that all of us from our floor were there.
the reception
at an old historical school house. very cute. food was great, buffet style. paul, dave's brother, gave the first toast. with his first words, his voice broke a little, and it was over for me. he thanked dave for being his brother. a wonderful brother, encouraging in faith, always there. i kept thinking of my own brothers. maid of honor did her thing, and then, dave gave a toast to eu.
it was so genuine, so original, so sweet. in a way that every single felt a tug at what it may one day be like.
afterwards, had a chance to talk with the newlyweds. also got to talk with dave, more personally. while i was reclining on a bench with bry, dave came over and said the most random thing i've EVER heard. i will never forget what he said. "s******. g*****f****** s********. bry and i were dying. so funny.
then, more about b****. 45 ?
crashed again at nam's. but not before having a great late night chat with yu, nam, and bry. hilarious.
sunday
at KOPC (now ODPC)
wonderful church. highly recommeded from my short visit. i especially like the pastor. he was relatively young, but spoke so wisely, i felt. he was simple, direct, and unafraid to speak the message that God gave him, however painful it might be. "some of us, some of you, need surgery (for your spiritual lives). it will be painful." i like that. no beating about the bush, no catering to what the people want. just the message God gave him, straight up. thoroughly convicted. was wide awake, tho their service started at 9:30 and i had little sleep the nigth before.
lunch with jeffr, his mom, and bry. jeffr's mom is so outgoing. i was very surprised, and more importantly, taken aback by the depth and openness of her christianity. this will come out all wrong, but i'll be honest, i am somewhat skeptical of a lot of asian 1st gen's christianity. a little more for non-korean's than koreans (dude, i'm so racist), and other korean parents more than my own. i think it's so hard to live this life, especially when scrutinized daily by your kids, to see whether you practice what you preach, or whether you are a hypocrite. yet i think my parents do just that, with very little lapses that are rare and nothing in light of how they live their lives daily.
i guess growing up in LA in an area that is mostly chinese/taiwanese, and then listening to buddhist or atheist chinese/taiwanese parents, and even some christian chinese/taiwanese parents, and hearing the things that are passed on to their children, really makes me biased. many parents preach: do what is good for YOU, be the first to get good things, look out for yourself, you can't trust others, materialistic values, etc, etc. (note, i am NOT saying that they are ALL like this. this was just generally my experience growing up in a big taiwanese/chinese community in LA. there are also a lot of 1st gen korean christians who are like this.)
put simply, these views are in direct conflict with christianity. most asian virtues are pretty much christian vices. make no mistake, there are lots of korean parents who also preach the same, tho they may be christian. even my parents, at times have said something similar in the past. thankfully, my parents are much wiser and consistent. truly, i am really thankful for this. sometimes, watching and hearing of the struggles that the 2nd gen christians go through with the conflict of how they would like to live (as a christian) vs. how they were brought up to live (materialistic, self-centered worldly success) really causes my heart to ache for them.
to hear this elderly chinese lady speak with passion for Christ as though she were a college student who has just come back from a retreat...wow. stunning. i actually enjoyed talking to her. i usually have a phobia of talking with asian parents, especially korean parents, but i really enjoyed having a conversation with this lady. i have a lot more hope and faith in the asian christian community. thank you, mrs. chiang, for showing me that passion and deep faith is alive and well in the 1st gen chinese/taiwanese, and knocking some sense and reality into this biased heart and these limited eyes.
5 hr ride back up. sang oh so many praise songs. loads of fun and bonding, as well as intimate times of worship. yakked a lot more, wasn't an effort at all. learned lots more about my car compadres. very enjoyable ride, and extremely happy that i made some good friends. this, in itself, was worth this weekend. combined with the wedding, and it has been an unforgettable three days. i hope that the ball would not be dropped, and God may take the beginnings of such friendships further.
****
1st clerkship begins tomorrow.
i can't believe it. i'm hitting the hospital floor.
i begin with psych, so i can ease into it, but still. can you believe it is happening so fast? i can't. it's a blur.
finally, the original purpose for this blog/journal comes into being. i started this to record all the wered/interesting/funny experiences and dreams i go through during this eventful year.
i'm scared, but excited. may God give me wisdom, and demostrate love through me. may i live this life intensely and passionately, for the glory of God. soli deo gloria!
yakob at 10:06 PM
-----------------
lovely wedding. congratulations, Mr. Dave Chu, and Mrs. Eunice Chu!!
left fri night in a rush after stopping by RCC for youth group. they were sleeping over and then going early to THE CALL. i hadn't seen the youth group kids for such a long time. i missed them. these days, i am seeing more of God's hand in their lives. whether it seems to be happening more, or whether i am beginning to be more aware of it, i don't know. but God is definitely afftecting these kids, and i don't want to miss any of it. this is truly an opportunity of a lifetime for me, STORM. i'm learning and seeing more than i thought i ever would.
had to leave STORM early, and get to the car rental place. none of us from NYU really planned anything, had no idea how we were going to get there, didn't really know where it was, where to stay. luckily, yu from columbia dental offered to let us join in their rental.
6 ppl in one buick sedan. ti, yu, and emay in front. bry, jeffr, and i in the back. first time mtg ti and emay. looong drive down. tried to get out of my comfort box, challenged myself to be initiator in conversation. after an hour, tho, i was tired of doing something so unnatural with absolute strangers.
5 hrs later, we got to tyson's corner, dropped off emay and jeffr, then to nam's house. nam was nice enough to offer us a place to stay for two nights, though she hardly knew bryan and me. i was a little unsure about the whole situation; if i were a dad, i sure wouldn't want my daughter to offer a place to sleep to two guys that she didnt' know very well. nam and i were on a praise team once in ny for a CMDA praise night, but other than that, didn't know her that well.
slept well, deeply. woke up approx 10 sat morn. set out to georgetown. shopped a bit, met up with v and jan. it was good to see them, as always. i'm happy that v and i are still very close, and can share deep stuff with one another still. had lunch at j.paul's (just OK. sequoia is a better place to munch, in my opinion), then drove around DC.
FDR memorial
so beautiful. i saw it two yrs ago, when i was a TA/RA for the NSLC (national student leadership conference). it was beautiful then, with giant slabs of cut marble arranged to allow water to flow and fall in a beautiful way. the lighting was beautifully arranged. it was perfect then, an ideal setting for deep introspection. this time, daylight revealed a completely different side to the memorial that i hadn't known before.
i was astounded by the character each portion of the memorial had. there was a difference in tempo and dynamics, something i had never seen before in a memorial. one fall would be powerful, loud, broad and sweeping. another would be intricate, little streams of water guided through complex paths created by the marble. yet another was of absolute stillness and tranquility. all reflecting the facets of FDR in differenct periods in his life. you have to go and see for yourself to understand and believe how a memorial, in the form of marble blocks and water, can capture the character of a man. absolutely incredible. it was really wonderful. a little unreal to me how the exact same memorial could be so different to me now.
i had never known the complexity and depth of FDR's person until i experienced his memorial, and read his quotes that were carved into the marble blocks. i have gained a deep respect for him, deeper than that for any other president.
rushed back to nam's, changed, and went to wedding.
the wedding
somehow got pretty good seats very close to the front, where the choir normally sits, and so got to see most of the great action first-hand.
eunice's father, a pastor, presided over the wedding. he escorted her to the front, then changed into his pastoral garb while another pastor prayed. dave later told me that he couldn't look at them as they were walking to the front, because he couldn't bear to look at the expression of sadness of losing his daughter mixed with happiness for her.
i must say, eu's dad was extremely hilarious. at first glance, he is your typical korean male, solemn looking, straight back, his face a stone. only more so because he was the pastor for the 1st generation koreans. but his voice, and the person behind that voice, really burst through. he was funny, entertaining, charismatic, but most importantly, you could see that this was a man who loved God, and loved his daughter, very deeply.
funny, as i was watching all this, i was empathiziing much more with eu's dad than with dave or eu. thoughts of how i would deal when i would have to marry off my daughter kept coming into my head. after the exchange of vows and rings, the couple embraced the parents. this part of a wedding is always the most emotional for me. it hurts and aches something awful when i see a daughter hugging her father, tears streaming down her face, or a son with his mother. literally, i was having trouble breathing, and had to wipe away more than a few tears. i don't know why i'm so emotional at weddings. 4 so far, and i've cried at every single one of them. such a cry baby.
pals from NYU, on my floor were also there. i'm so glad for dave that all of us from our floor were there.
the reception
at an old historical school house. very cute. food was great, buffet style. paul, dave's brother, gave the first toast. with his first words, his voice broke a little, and it was over for me. he thanked dave for being his brother. a wonderful brother, encouraging in faith, always there. i kept thinking of my own brothers. maid of honor did her thing, and then, dave gave a toast to eu.
it was so genuine, so original, so sweet. in a way that every single felt a tug at what it may one day be like.
afterwards, had a chance to talk with the newlyweds. also got to talk with dave, more personally. while i was reclining on a bench with bry, dave came over and said the most random thing i've EVER heard. i will never forget what he said. "s******. g*****f****** s********. bry and i were dying. so funny.
then, more about b****. 45 ?
crashed again at nam's. but not before having a great late night chat with yu, nam, and bry. hilarious.
sunday
at KOPC (now ODPC)
wonderful church. highly recommeded from my short visit. i especially like the pastor. he was relatively young, but spoke so wisely, i felt. he was simple, direct, and unafraid to speak the message that God gave him, however painful it might be. "some of us, some of you, need surgery (for your spiritual lives). it will be painful." i like that. no beating about the bush, no catering to what the people want. just the message God gave him, straight up. thoroughly convicted. was wide awake, tho their service started at 9:30 and i had little sleep the nigth before.
lunch with jeffr, his mom, and bry. jeffr's mom is so outgoing. i was very surprised, and more importantly, taken aback by the depth and openness of her christianity. this will come out all wrong, but i'll be honest, i am somewhat skeptical of a lot of asian 1st gen's christianity. a little more for non-korean's than koreans (dude, i'm so racist), and other korean parents more than my own. i think it's so hard to live this life, especially when scrutinized daily by your kids, to see whether you practice what you preach, or whether you are a hypocrite. yet i think my parents do just that, with very little lapses that are rare and nothing in light of how they live their lives daily.
i guess growing up in LA in an area that is mostly chinese/taiwanese, and then listening to buddhist or atheist chinese/taiwanese parents, and even some christian chinese/taiwanese parents, and hearing the things that are passed on to their children, really makes me biased. many parents preach: do what is good for YOU, be the first to get good things, look out for yourself, you can't trust others, materialistic values, etc, etc. (note, i am NOT saying that they are ALL like this. this was just generally my experience growing up in a big taiwanese/chinese community in LA. there are also a lot of 1st gen korean christians who are like this.)
put simply, these views are in direct conflict with christianity. most asian virtues are pretty much christian vices. make no mistake, there are lots of korean parents who also preach the same, tho they may be christian. even my parents, at times have said something similar in the past. thankfully, my parents are much wiser and consistent. truly, i am really thankful for this. sometimes, watching and hearing of the struggles that the 2nd gen christians go through with the conflict of how they would like to live (as a christian) vs. how they were brought up to live (materialistic, self-centered worldly success) really causes my heart to ache for them.
to hear this elderly chinese lady speak with passion for Christ as though she were a college student who has just come back from a retreat...wow. stunning. i actually enjoyed talking to her. i usually have a phobia of talking with asian parents, especially korean parents, but i really enjoyed having a conversation with this lady. i have a lot more hope and faith in the asian christian community. thank you, mrs. chiang, for showing me that passion and deep faith is alive and well in the 1st gen chinese/taiwanese, and knocking some sense and reality into this biased heart and these limited eyes.
5 hr ride back up. sang oh so many praise songs. loads of fun and bonding, as well as intimate times of worship. yakked a lot more, wasn't an effort at all. learned lots more about my car compadres. very enjoyable ride, and extremely happy that i made some good friends. this, in itself, was worth this weekend. combined with the wedding, and it has been an unforgettable three days. i hope that the ball would not be dropped, and God may take the beginnings of such friendships further.
****
1st clerkship begins tomorrow.
i can't believe it. i'm hitting the hospital floor.
i begin with psych, so i can ease into it, but still. can you believe it is happening so fast? i can't. it's a blur.
finally, the original purpose for this blog/journal comes into being. i started this to record all the wered/interesting/funny experiences and dreams i go through during this eventful year.
i'm scared, but excited. may God give me wisdom, and demostrate love through me. may i live this life intensely and passionately, for the glory of God. soli deo gloria!
yakob at 10:06 PM