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November 30, 2004

Reflections

Woohoo!!! Finally put up my pictures from Asia! =)
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It feels good to finally have the time to read some of my favorite blogs and journals; something that I couldn't do in the recent past. It's great to see that despite the time and life changes, some journalists like Scott continue putting out great entries. =)

I wonder what will be the future of my own blog? I guess I can only continue writing as the inspiration (or lack thereof!) strikes, and hope that at least 1% of the junk is encouraging or entertaining to you all. =) Who knows, maybe this site will transition into more of a photojournal as I continue dabbling with digital photography. Hehe.

On that note, one of the dangers of returning to the full-time working world is: resisting the temptation to buy all the gadgets I drool over! >.< Thankfully, most of the Canon L lenses I lust after are still too expensive (we're talking 4 digits here baby!) right now... but I have been researching about new TVs and cel phones! ^^;

Plus, there's that supercharger I've always been meaning to get for my car...*grin* What's sad/scary is how in comparison to these camera lenses, the supercharger no longer looks that expensive anymore... ^^;

P.S. Brrrr... after being in Asia for so long, I really can't stand this cold weather anymore!
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I believe that the past/history is an important facet of my being. Experience - and learning from past mistakes - helps me to grow and mature as a person; however, sometimes I just never learn my lesson.

I can't stand how I still sometimes fall into old patterns when I meet someone that I'm interested in: I either get really shy and quiet, or I become too excited and eager. I hate how I can't just be myself... how I lose sight of myself...

On an encouraging personal note though, I see God's lesson here: a consequence of me putting my own selfish desires ahead of God's - trying to seize control of the situation, instead of continuing to trust in His plan and develop a God-driven relationship. I now fully accept that, and whatever consequences that may result because of my actions.

Posted by stevelee at 03:31 PM | Comments (0)

November 24, 2004

Public Service Announcements

In the spirit of Thanksgiving/Christmas and giving back to the community, here is some info you might find meaningful:

Toys for Tots Drop Off
My friend Jessica is planning to do a drop off on December 5th. If you have any toys, stuffed animals, board games, etc. in good condition to donate, please put them all in large clean plastic bags. You can then either contact your local Toys for Tots contact or drop them off with me, and I'll make sure that your donations get to Jessica/Toys for Tots. =)

Susan G. Komen Breast Cancer Foundation Jelly Bracelets
(Information again courtesy of Jessica)
The Susan G. Komen foundation is making their own individual jelly bands and will be available in DECEMBER, at ONE dollar EACH. Proceeds go towards breast cancer research, treatment, and prevention. So buy some for your friends, yourself, your family, your co-workers - please support the cause!!!!

Clothing and Shoe Drive
My friend Bev is hosting her 3rd Annual Clothing and Shoe Drive. She will collect anything that is in good condition, and all proceeds will benefit InnVision, a non-profit organization in San Jose dedicated to empowering homeless and at-risk families and individuals. She will take donations until the week before Christmas. Your fully tax-deductible contribution - no matter how big or small - will have a direct impact on those in need.

Feel free to contact me, and I'll be sure that your donation(s) get to Bev. =)

City Team Benefit Concert
When: December 3, 2004 at 7:30PM
Where: First Baptist Church
21 Octavia St
San Francisco, CA 94102
What: "its a free worship concert sponsored by city team ministries. this will be an opportunity for us to hear about their ministries and how they serve the poor, homeless, and drug addicts of san francisco. there will be testimonies of how people have been blessed by this nationwide urban ministry. there will also be a love offering taken at the concert even though its free."

3rd Annual Thanksgiving Day FOOTBALL
If you're interested in playing flag football tomorrow starting at 10AM, let me know and I'll provide the information. Men, women, and children of all ages are invited... and no, you don't have to be Christian to attend. =)

Posted by stevelee at 06:56 PM | Comments (0)

Living to serve (God)

Another reason I looked forward to this trip was because I wanted to get a taste of what it would be like serving God outside of the US. To understand the different cultures, their needs, and how to share God's salvation with them. Most of all, to see if my heart truly held the conviction to love and reach out to them.

I remember towards the beginning of this year, when some fellowship members returned from their respective missions trips, one of them started sharing her testimony... before she completely broke down over the fact that most of China is unsaved and a "sea of darkness." I remember commiserating with her out of sympathy, but not really understanding why she was so upset.

But over the past few months, as my faith continued to mature, I began appreciating the depth of God's love. And now, I finally understand the depth of that sister's sadness.

As I traveled through Thailand, I found myself praying a lot... for the people I encountered, their hardships, and people back home that I cared about... My mom remarked something along the lines of "This place is so poor and dirty, and the people here are so sad... There's no way you could ever live here."

I didn't say anything at the time, but she had no idea how wrong she was... seeing the despair and sadness made me more determined to serve these people, and share God's hope.

I'm still not sure where or how God wants me to serve... but I truly am thankful for the experience. At least, I gained a deeper understanding and heart for their needs, and how to pray for them.

It's neat to see how God's shaped my life... it seems I've always had a heart for serving others; I've been involved with various volunteer service groups my entire life -- not the least of which is Alpha Phi Omega =) -- and I'm happiest when I'm doing something (keeping myself busy)... so serving God seems the logical, ultimate step, eh? =)

Finally... a few of my readers know/remember that I have a slight sensitivity/empathy with regards to the supernatural. It was interesting to note that as soon as I landed in Thailand (I made a comment in my previous entry about all the shrines and spirituality there), I started feeling... tired. And as our bus neared a temple, the dull soreness in my head became a pretty bad headache... but as soon as I started praying, the pain went away.

...Argh, it's 6:30AM (almost 11pm in HK) and I still can't sleep yet. *sigh* =(

Posted by stevelee at 05:20 AM | Comments (0)

Adventures in Asia

I'm back from Asia! I took lots of pictures, but it's going to take a while to put them up. =/

Overall, I really enjoyed and appreciated traveling around Asia. It kinda sucked not traveling with anyone my age, but I made the most of it. The emails I received from a friend back home helped keep the lonliness at bay, too. =) But I digress... I thought the entire trip was "interesting" -- observing how the culture and lifestyle was different from my experiences in the US. Of course, eating all that delicious food rocked too! Man, now I gotta figure out a way to lose all the weight I gained on this trip! Oh yeah, it's good to be multilingual, hehe. I don't think I've spoken this much Chinese (or Japanese) over the same time frame, ever!

As much as I liked places like Hong Kong, I still have to say that there's no place like home. =) Having clean, relatively unpolluted air helps too! Haha. One of these days, I need to put together an online travel database with useful information like places to see, tipping etiquette, cultural faux pas, etc. Of course, I need the feedback of seasoned travelers like 6togo and gg. =)

Impressions of Thailand
-LOTS of dogs and shrines...
-Very polarized society - the gap between the poor and rich seems huge and painfully obvious. In Bangkok, you have new, large apartment complexes literally right next to dirty, run down shacks. Also, for a city that is infamous for its availability of cheap prostitution and other sins, it's kinda fascinating how spirituality/religion plays a large role in society.
-The food didn't taste all that special/different from the US. There seems to be a greater emphasis on sour flavors (e.g., lemongrass) though.
-Dude, where were all the men? Seemed that virtually everywhere I went in Thailand, 90% of the people I saw walking around or waiting for the bus were women. Quite attractive ones at that. Not that I mind of course, but still curious all the same.
-I love (*sarcasm*) how my mom speaks without thinking: "...you should get a Korean wife. Unlike Japanese women, they are still very obedient. Like my brother's friend's wife is from Korea. Every time her husband yells at her, she just keeps smiling..." ^^;
-It's ...odd seeing so many old white men with young, scantily clad Asian women. What do you all think of the men and women who participate in that kinda stuff?
-I think I spent most of my money on food, internet usage and massages. Hehe. But man, $6 USD/hr massages kick butt! Mmmmmmm.... By the way guys, there's a huge difference between "physical massage" and "body massage" in Thailand, be careful of what you ask for. =P
-I saw the islands they used in the Thailand legs of last season's Amazing Race... where they had to find the correct Thailand flag? That was kinda cool. =)
-LOTS of scooters... they're even used as family vehicles for 4! >.<

Impressions of Guangzhou
-Wow, the food here rocks! Much better and cheaper than the US!
-The specialties seem to revolve around tofu, goose, and (BBQ) pork.
-The air quality seems even worse than Thailand's >_<
-I still can't get over how awesome the food and service is here... the closest thing we have in the Bay Area is probably Koi Palace, but even that comparison is like night and day. For about $4-6 USD per order (considered pretty expensive in Guangzhou), you're literally waited on like royalty.. and they go the extra mile for you, unlike any place in the US. I mean, it's one thing to change dishes, pour tea, and such... it's another for the waitress to rush over to carry your LEFTOVERS and escort you out!
-On that note, I can't get over how you're not supposed to tip regardless of how spectacular the service is... whereas here in the US, you're expected to tip at least 10-15% for crap-tastic service. What's up with that?
-Speaking of waitresses... once again, can't help but notice how the service industry is DOMINATED by women. Seriously... it seems like you can't run a restaurant without having a number of young women serving as hostess/waitresses. And the higher class the restaurant, the more beautiful their waiting staff...

Did I mention that they're ALL in cheung saam? Very sexy... RAWR!
-Lots of night clubs and bars along the Pearl River
-Went to Baiyun San (White Cloud Mountain) on a Saturday... it's cool to see how entire families and groups of friends would just go out and the spend the day together... just walking around, enjoying the outdoors and playing together. San Francisco has nothing like that... a big, clean, safe area with lots of nice views and places to rest/play.
-Overall, I liked Guangzhou a lot better than Thailand. The food is much better here, and it has this... cute, rustic-yet-growing-city feel that reminds me a lot of Davis.
-Went to Luohu Commercial Mall in Shenzen Province... this place is best described as a super flea market/shopping mall - 5 floors packed with flea market-esque vendors!
-Finally learned why so many restaurants have young, pretty hostesses trying to entice you to come in... they get paid commission to bring you in.
-People are constantly cleaning everywhere... even the subway rails are clean! That will never happen in the US.

Impressions of Hong Kong
-Once again, the food here rocks! Cost of living is high here though, so don't expect a huge savings over the US. For example, a 1.5 bedroom condo near Victoria's Peak costs about $4k per month! Ouch. And of course, if you live in a place like that, you gotta have your own maid...
-I've never seen so many current model Benz S500s and BMW 7 series at once place at one time, ever (Central... which is similar to San Francisco's financial district).
-Once again, I can't get over how clean the area is... even though air quality is probably the worst of the 3 places.
-Oh yeah, paper seems to be a precious commodity. If you travel through Asia, don't forget to bring your own supply of kleenex/napkins/tissue paper/etc. You've been warned. =P
-Went to this beautiful beach in Repulse Bay on a Saturday. Perfect weather, safe area, clean beach, plenty of shade, availability of shops, peaceful... yet, aside from the tourists, there were hardly any people there! In the US, a place like that would be jam packed!
-Delicious, inexpensive food is available here 24/7; it's amazing that more HK residents aren't fat! Sooooo much better than our crappy fast food places.
-I love how their public transportation/metro actually works! It's safe, fast, efficient, and makes sense!
-Night life here rocks (well, it seems like it would): bars and clubs in Lan Kwai Fong are literally next door to each other... and there's so much more you can do too... you can walk to nearby shops for food, DVDs, etc. to hang out or just read... and it all feels very well-lit and safe! Unlike ghetto San Francisco...

Impressions of Macau
-In a word: boring. Only spent 1 day here, and I'm thankful for that... any longer and I'd probably jump into the ocean out of pure boredom. Or stuff myself to death on Portugese Egg Tarts! Yum. =P
-It seems like a quiet town... interesting mix of European architecture (cobblestones et al) and Asian residents/shops. Doesn't seem to be anything to do here but eat and visit a few landmarks. The food doesn't seem all that special, either. =/

Posted by stevelee at 12:13 AM | Comments (4)

November 06, 2004

New Beginnings

Ahhh, it's been a while since I had the chance to sit down and write an entry. =)

If two words (besides busy) could describe my life these past few months, they would be "purpose-driven" and "growth." On that note, it's interesting to see that a number of people I know have been reading Purpose-Driven Life recently. (If you guys are interested in delving deeper and finding more material to reflect/discuss, I also recommend checking out the Purpose-Driven Life journal)

God has just blessed me so much recently, and I truly am thankful for all the lessons I've learned -- both through the good and hard times. I find that the more I surrender myself to His will, the more I recognize God's hand in my journey, and the greater my desire to serve Him faithfully.

First of all, I got a new job. =) I'm really excited about the opportunity -- the people seem cool, the company is the market leader and doing extremely well, and I'll be developing with some cool, cutting edge technology... and have a great opportunity to learn and grow with the company. =)

But beyond the job itself, I stand (well, sit ;)) in awe of God's timing and providence. Over the past few years, I've stressed and felt depressed by burdens such as financial debt, and feelings of being behind my peers. Many times, I felt like taking my own life... because it seemed so bad. And even when I got this job, I got so caught up in salary negotiation and such that I lost sight of the blessing. Yet, I realize now that God's been telling me to just trust and seek Him first... and that all else will be taken care of. Eventually, I stopped worrying about making all these comparisons and desires... and now, in virtually one fell swoop, all of that is taken care of!

The timing of everything couldn't be any better either. =) I leave for Asia tomorrow morning, and it feels damn good to have everything settled before leaving!

Saying good-bye to the folks at my former employer wasn't as hard as I feared it might be. A bunch of us went to Hukilau the night before for some food and drinks to celebrate a bunch of us getting new jobs... it was cool to hang outside of work, and seemed like everyone had fun. =) Thankfully, on my last day, we celebrated the birthday of one of the executive directors, so we had a lot of alcohol in the office, which made the last few hours more festive. =) In between rounds of Guiness and champagne, I had a chance to say my good-byes and even strike up conversations with people whom I would like to stay in touch with. I'll miss the bunch of people I worked with. =)

Going back to the theme of growth and purpose-driven life... I've renewed my committment to sanctify myself. There were certain vices which controlled my life... and so I finally threw all that trash out and am ready to begin with a clean slate. By that symbolic/real act, I no longer have any skeletons hiding in my closet. I know I engaged in certain actions in the past hurtful to God, and can never take that back -- nor will I try to deny my past, but living a life for God doesn't mean that I am faultless... it means I recognize and confess my mistakes, and truly desire to change for the better. For God.

Don't worry... I'm not going to turn all prudish or something. Haha. I'll still be the same trashtruth-talking guy who loves laughing (at other's expense? ;)) and having fun. =) I just have a greater appreciation of who I am, who I serve, and the lines I will not cross.

Posted by stevelee at 04:40 PM | Comments (1)

November 02, 2004

Pardon the dust...

Ahhh, new web server, new layout, new news... so much to update, so little time to do it all! =)

I'm still in the process of setting up my site and such, so stay tuned!

I promise an exciting update (well, if you care about my personal life... haha) before I leave for Asia.

Posted by stevelee at 08:32 PM | Comments (1)