And so it begins

Both the highlight and disappointment of the weekend must have been the trip down south to Indiana for the Notre Dame Tourney. The team was just out-classed in every way - offense, defense and experience. The notes I took were of little use because we couldn't even execute our own game, forget about setting up plays to exploit the opponents' weaknesses. It was disappointing to play 4 games and not win a single set. This must be a new personal record for a losing streak even though I didn't play :-(

The up-side of the trip must have been getting to know everyone. At least I won't be the strange, Chinese senior citizen come the spring semester when I join officially; I'd be the more familiar Chinese senior citizen. It was been too long since I felt that I've got something to offer on the court as a player and I'm eagerly anticipating playing in a team again.

Note to self of names to remember: Andrew [Captain], Frog/Mark [Setter], Elliot, Ivan, Big Matt, Matt, Money, Kevin, Connor, Kyle, Dennis, Jesse, Chewy, Jordan [the hope in spring], Kriss, Mark, Pat, Steve [the coach whom I've yet to engage].

Facebook Faceoff

Having just posted anew, I read a couple of the old posts and they brought back a sense of nostalgia that Facebook can't really capture. Photos are nice and easy to do on FB but I think being able to write keeps things in perspective and captures the moments. As I clicked randomly through the old writings, I can recall the exact feelings and the actual moments. As anachronistic as it might seem, perhaps blogging still has a place in my online experience.

Re-invention

Between a sobering car accident and the birth of my nephew, Death and then Life both knocked on my door in a single week. Maybe this is a knee-jerk reaction that would fade with time or it might be a mid-life crisis come early but I dove back into my daily routine with a new-found vigor. Getting schoolwork done ahead of time, making a point to spend quality time with friends and family, returning to the gym (when I could finally walk) and then joining the MSU men's volleyball club.

The story of my life is that I get bored when I don't have enough variety to occupy my time. Let's see where this re-invention takes me. ONWARD!

Temporary Migration to FB

Most updates are photo stories more easily shared on FB. Temporary migration to FC. Blog will be inactive for a while.

Mildly surprised

I was mildly surprised to find Ruth "in a relationship" with Christine. Not shocked; not flabbergasted; just mildly surprised.

A deluge of social capital

When words like misanthropes and troglodytes start to swim and dance on the computer screen, it's time to set my papers on social capital aside and just sleep.

Serenity Prayer

Grant me the serenity to
accept the things I cannot change,
The courage to change the things I can,
And the wisdom to know the difference.

In pursuit of Happyness

There are times in my life when I pause and ask myself what am I doing with my life. This is one of them. Few can claim that they've held on to an ambition that they have had for a decade and am now living it. Yet, this was not how I thought it would be and I realize that I've been drifting, sail-less and aimless even as I live my dreams of old.The methodical planning and sacrifices that have been made all led up to this aimless existence in a small room; second guessing my decisions?

Tonight, the Greater Mind reached out and touched me. It was a confluence of awakening bells - a conversation with a confidante, a film with a misspelled title and a snowball that somehow pelted itself on my window. Awake and live in the moment, it seemed to say. With the skills of old and knowledge accrued, I can eke an existence but I will be doing so with no conscious thought; wandering towards where the next hand points me. And when the hands reach out no more, I will be lost.

How can I claim to be in pursuit of "Happyness" if I don't know what I am pursuing? What do I want? I want to be unabashedly proud of being a Spartan, even though I'm a decade late. I want to pursue an education because I am passionate about what I'm learning about; not for the appearance of being smart. I want to stop living life like how I think what others want me to live.

Tonight I rest. Tomorrow I awake. In the moment.

Uncle!

I'm so glad I decided to make that Skype call back home. I'm going to be an uncle! Meh...Bin & Candice certainly move fast. Wasn't the wedding only in January? So exciting!