~:[CH3 - Day 31]:~ Good Fortune

~:[CH3 - Day 31]:~ Good Fortune

To many, this weekend will be one of good fortune as the lunar new year is upon us. To those celebrating, I wish you a happy new year. For me, it was a celebration of the coming of a new month. I cannot believe that January is already over, but within that span, I have been lucky enough to do so much. Today, I got this fortune and I was sure glad to realize that I am able to use a lot of my strengths in my occupation. As I wrapped up organizing the 500+ document for NHSMUN and prepped for the game, I looked back upon the month and realized, I continued to live with no regrets, going after things and experiencing life. I may not have a lot of downtime to just sit and relax, but being on the go is well worth it, as you get to see so much of the world. Use your talents and see what the world will bring you, as while many opportunities come your way, you only make the most of them if you use your arsenal of skills, some which you may never knew you had. In 2014, I began using my "talent" of eating, to be more active on Yelp. Hopefully it doesn't annoy you, but you'll be hearing a lot more from me. By the way, we ended the night right with a win at Glenn. Time to celebrate, not just the victory, but also a new year with great prosperity, health, and love.

~:[CH3 - Day 30]:~ The BEST?

~:[CH3 - Day 30]:~ The BEST?

The day itself was quite a bore, as finals are easy for a teacher but also a little boring. Grading, recording and handling all the situations that come up. After a quick walk around our new track checking the markings, I went home to take a quick nap and relax after cooking up a quick lunch. I was glad I took that nap, as I felt good when I woke up, as I headed out to LA to eat at Bestia. I was a little worried since I didn't have a RSVP, but when I walked in, I was surprised that I would end up sitting down in less than ten minutes. I would have a hard time saying that this was the best place that I have eaten, but it also depends on what you are looking for.It has a very cool industrial vibe and a fairly interesting selection of food. Since most of it is made for sharing, my friend and I ended up ordering five dishes. While the roasted marrow bone was good especially with the spinach gnochetti, I would have to say I enjoyed the Cavatelli alla Norcina which was a ricotta dumpling with black truffles and pork sausage. Regardless, with good company and good food, things can't be much better. We even got some much needed drizzle which stopped when I got out of my car. Perfect!

~:[CH3 - Day 29]:~ Totally Fresh

~:[CH3 - Day 29]:~ Totally Fresh

Having a great Hawaiian meal is always a great way to jump start the day, as that it did. The day itself was pretty lackluster early but TapEx also helped to lift my spirits just as we were about to leave for our game. We played a pretty strong three quarters of basketball with the fourth just average, but still managed the victory tonight. I ended with a Senor Baja reward before heading to Garden Grove to make a drop off. I am tired, but still have some work to do. We can do this! Or I can do this!

~:[CH3 - Day 28]:~ Fancy Fancy

~:[CH3 - Day 28]:~ Fancy Fancy

Who would have thought I would eat a burger like this, but I did. Wagyu Beef, Unagi, Foie Gras, Poached Asian Pear, Miso Butter and a Yamamono Peach on the side added up to a great meal and a great end of the day. It was interesting to down this thing and with each bite, my taste buds were a bit confused on if I was actually eating a hamburger or not. The Truffle Parmesan fries didn't help much, as the flavors added up to one great meal. It made me think about trying out some new hamburger recipes which may be coming up soon! It was great catching up with a friend after planning last minute to do so. Love it when it works out, even if for just a little chat.

~:[CH3 - Day 27]:~ A Caricature of Today

~:[CH3 - Day 27]:~ A Caricature of Today

It was great to receive these two drawing from my grill the other day. It made me think of my transformation over the years and makes me wonder if I was just like the students I have in class today. I distinctly remember my one and only non-school activity absence my sophomore year as I woke up in a panic at 10am, knowing I missed Geometry and saddened by the fact that I wouldn't have perfect attendance. Nerdy? I liked to overachieve on my assignments, putting cover pages when not asked for, writing endless pages of position papers when no page length was set, and even spending as much time as the teacher gave us to finish up assignments so I wouldn't have too much work that night. However, I don't see as much of that as I saw with my friends and wonder if I was just looking at the people around me or if times have truly changed? Regardless, it's my goal to force students to take on the responsibility to find out what they missed instead of them waiting to be told, as they must realize, much as I have, that being absent is more work that working through that borderline-feeling day. I hope that they can see that in some cases you must follow a format, sometimes you create your own boundaries, and you always need to make sure you understand that what you put into what you do is what you're going to get out of it. As we head into finals, it's a transition from the old to the new fresh start, however, the sketch of tomorrow is still not clear, as is the sketch for today.

-[LIFE]- No More Apologizing - January 27, 2013

I picked up a book called How to be Interesting by Jessica Hagy and started reading it and found it to be quite interesting and also an important perspective to take on. I figured I could make it into series of blog posts called LIFE! Enjoy!

***

When I saw this for the first time in the book, I thought, wow, this is not good. However, at closer glance I realized what the author was trying to get at and it also made me think of branches that tie to this.

We live in a society where bullying has come to the forefront. All the cases and situations that have been caused by it really make you rethink how you treat others and how you want to change your ways. It's hard because we are so surrounded by a society that is often critical and often pushes people to try and become this ideal person, especially here in Los Angeles. People who do not fit this ideal form can easily be mistreated because of it.

However, it's time to move away from that. No one is perfect, no matter what all the ads in commercials tell you. We all have our quirks, things that we wish we could change, things that maybe we could live without, but the reality is, we can't change it much, so why go out of our way to change something that we can embrace. Sometimes our opinions differ from others and sometimes we are just different. Regardless of the situation, it's not a time to apologize for that just because we don't fit the norm. Don't be afraid to be yourself, even if it means that you move away from conformity. Be proud of who you are and all the things you were born with as they are all a blessing, you just may not see why right now.

It's great to see that people's "differences" are being publicly accepted. At the Grammy Awards, they had a celebration of 34 unions of marriage, between two people who loved each other. Each person there, whether a "traditional" marriage or not, has been mistreated in some way whether because of race, gender, sexuality, looks, the way they act, or for a slew of other reasons, but each stood together in union recognizing that they all had something in common, the were deeply in love with that one person who stood directly across from them. For that, they owe no apology.

The quote also got me thinking about something unrelated to what the author was trying to portray, don't simply apologize, but show that you really are sorry for what you did. There will be situations where you make mistakes and will have to apologize, however, an apology is simply words and does nothing to solve the problem or issues you placed yourself. Act and show that you are sorry by not repeating the same mistake, by making it up to someone, or simply by being sincere. While I am not encouraging you to being over apologetic which can have the opposite effect, I am saying that you need to make a true effort to demonstrate that you are sorry for your actions. If you keep making the same mistakes, it's not an apology that is in order, but a change of some sort greater than the apology.

~:[CH3 - Day 26]:~ North of the Border

~:[CH3 - Day 26]:~ North of the Border

I ate a burrito but was still just north of the border as I didn't quite head down to Mexico for this one. However, I was glad that I ended up ordering this dish, as it had a good balance of flavors. The pork belly was nice and tender and the potatoes cooked through! The tomatillo was a perfect balance to the rest of the burrito and it went well with the posole - a great pairing! Spending a half day in San Diego was pretty nice especially because the weather was nice earlier in the day. The drive down was spectacular and I enjoyed the view even though I didn't stop on the way down. I also was able to get a lot of work done too so it wasn't a complete recreation/adventure day. Nonetheless, it was enjoyable and a good one before we start out finals week. Here goes nothing!

~:[CH3 - Day 25]:~ Chugging Along

~:[CH3 - Day 25]:~ Chugging Along

The day started with a good late wake up after catching up on sleep, finishing my taxes and filing them, and catching the Clippers game. However, it ended with a Peruvian dinner, Disneyland and Tastea. it was a nice day where late planning end up in more of a spontaneously planned day of a spontaneously planned weekend. I had things canceled which led to things added and things rearranged. Regardless of the circumstances, the important thing is that everything turned out fine and now I can sleep well after completing a lot of the work I needed to. Always remember that things don't always work out as planned, so be ready to change tings on a moments notice and just go with the flow. Complaining gets you nowhere, but action will keep you chugging along.

~:[CH3 - Day 24]:~ These Little Devils

~:[CH3 - Day 24]:~ These Little Devils

I read the reviews about these wonderful creatures and a smirk showed up on my face. I wanted to take the challenge. Were the reviews a bunch of trolls trying to bring down a product or would these sugarless devils really lead to the equivalent of the Fourth of July in my intestines? Well, me being myself, I decided to put in my order and test out my hypothesis. "My stomach will not be impacted by these little devils." Sure enough, I took on the challenge and tested it out. A few nights ago, I scarfed down about 25 of these guys, seeing as someone reported having issues after eating 25. What came next, I will not give you specifics about, but it may be something you avoid in the future. Bloating, gas, and other associated problems followed for five hours after and that was only because I forced myself to sleep. The next morning, the problems still existed and it only took 25 of these guys to take care of business. Two days later, I feel as light as I have had in awhile, but am not sure that I want to have to suffer through that discomfort again. I would not say it was painful, but simply five hours of discomfort that I prefer not to experience again, EVER. Some reported eating 1/4 of the large bag, which is 5lb. That would amount to about 1.25lbs, which is one entire bag (that I had) plus a little more. Had I eaten that in one sitting, I could only imagine what devastation would be ensue. 

On a good note, the day itself was a successful one as I was able to get through all my grading, nearly finish my taxes, and saw us play a solid game against La Mirada in front of one of our most incredible crowds ever. While we couldn't know down our shots, it was definitely a well played game in all other aspects. What's even better? We ended the night with the coaches as Lucille's. A great day especially considering I avoided the little devils, well, all but one.

Did I mention that I have concluded that the reviews on Amazon are probably fairly accurate (especially before 2014), as the experience is like none other you will encounter in your life. My hypothesis was wrong, but only because they are little devils.

~:[CH3 - Day 23]:~ Preppin'

~:[CH3 - Day 23]:~ Preppin'

In just over two weeks, I will be heading to DC for the Georgetown MUN Conference and tonight was our last prep night for the conference. It is always a lot more relaxing of a grill than for Nationals, however, it still challenges them to be prepared. After a good session, I was able to have a catch up meal at BCD, which was so delicious and was a great end to a wonderful day. The day saw a good lesson in the classroom, some more NGO presentations in econ, and a good old fashion strength workout in track. The best news??? Tomorrow is Friday!

-[LIFE]- Declare Your Affections - January 23, 2014

I picked up a book called How to be Interesting by Jessica Hagy and started reading it and found it to be quite interesting and also an important perspective to take on. I figured I could make it into series of blog posts called LIFE! Enjoy!

***

When I read this statement, I thought to myself, this is something I must do going forward. Hagy goes on to stay that "interesting people are characters in interesting love stories" and so I thought, I must not be interesting enough. Of course she also goes on to say that you must be "brave to be emotionally vulnerable," so maybe I'm just not brave enough.

Growing up, I was in mighty tangled web when it came to relationships. I listened to people that I shouldn't have, I did not trust myself enough to make that risk and leave myself vulnerable, I had bad timing, and made a few bad decisions.My hesitancy led to missed opportunities and my inability to take risks left those who meant the world to me, slip through my hands like a grain of sand. I often wondered, what kept me from saying exactly what was on my mind. I know that deep wounds from the past did not help much, but it wasn't simply that that kept me from being brave enough to allowing myself to become emotional vulnerable.

Time stood still as I got lost in this page, thinking back to the past, that is now just that, the past. However, time stood still again, as I thought about what could be going forward. Am I going to be able to put myself out there and not miss anymore opportunities no matter how vulnerable it makes me? Can I truly and honestly make a declaration to someone when the time is right and will I even realize when that time is?

It is weird how I feel that I've been through so much in this area, yet still feel like a novice. Maybe that's just what I am, a beginner. Regardless, no matter what I've experienced and where I feel that I am, I think that I finally realize that it's time. Not to declare my affections this very day, but it's time to be ready to step out on that limb and not let opportunities pass me by.

I once thought that it would be so much easier if people had thought bubbles above their head that you could read so you knew what they were thinking or you could hear it like the movie What Women Want. However, that's now how we were made and how life is suppose to be. Life is an adventure and it's our opportunity to discover what is out there for us - the memories, the experiences, the friends, the family members, the benchmarks, and those very special moments with someone special. However, it all starts when you're able to declare those affections.

Many of my friends have left themselves vulnerable with some having great success stories and others experience the challenges of relationships. However, most of them would agree that it help guide them to where they are, knowing that if you never declare your affections, you'll really never know what could have been. I can sit here and wonder what could have been with her, but I'd just be living in the past and not finding out what can happen with this woman who is standing right in front of me. Maybe today is the day that my interesting love story begins, if not, at least I'm headed down the path of becoming interesting, one declaration at a time.

~:[CH3 - Day 22]:~ Falling into Place

~:[CH3 - Day 22]:~ Falling into Place

Sometimes things just fall into place. While we had a terrible second quarter after a good opening quarter, we slowly battled back in order to take back the lead. After a few questionable plays, we ended up with the ball with 2.5 seconds and a tied game, 59-59. The game winner went down in a game that we felt doomed from the first half. Our team kept fighting and chipping away and it paid off. It was a great way to end a fairly exhausting but good day with more presentations and a good stop at TapEx and New Peking! I also came home to test the Haribo Amazon review claims. Update will come tomorrow! I will sleep well tonight after this, well, if the gummy bears let me. 

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rqlUvEOWrDs&list=UUBXHvHQGXvtnLd_0phrK6BQ&feature=c4-overview 

~:[CH3 - Day 21]:~ Royal Treatment

~:[CH3 - Day 21]:~ Royal Treatment

The classroom environment is always a lot more fun when it's interactive. Today, was one of those days. With NGO proposals in Economics and the Enlightenment Forum in World, it ended up being quite the fun, yet exhausting day. Our NGO projects have our students ask for funding for a project ranging up to $10 million as they compete against each other for the funding. So far, all the projects have targeted different areas, but with similar ideas, clean & potable water. I picked up the Enlightenment Forum when learning under the genius guidance of one Diane Middleton. I adapted the forum to fit the class and the time we have and it has turned into a fun and exciting project every year! While we finished our "dress up" day, we still get to continue the discussion tomorrow with one of the "actors" fitting his role perfectly as King Louis XIV, as he responded to a student who said that we are all human and make mistakes. I asked him, have you ever made a mistake King Louis? He responded with, "of course not ..." (Sue, I might just send this one your way.) In any case, with practice after school and a few more errands, it was an exhausting day, but I can sense that the piles of papers are shrinking as we head towards finals.

~:[CH3 - Day 20]:~ Whipping Something Up

~:[CH3 - Day 20]:~ Whipping Something Up

Whenever I make pork chops, it reminds me of the Brady Bunch episode, "Pork chops and apple sauce." However, I did not eat mine with apple sauce. It was a spontaneous decision to cook dinner tonight but after meeting up with a friend, I went over to Trader Joe's and thought, why don't I just make dinner tonight. It worked out as it came out as I hoped! The day itself was filled with grading and getting things prepped for Tuesday. I still have a bit more work to do, but should be good for the week, which will be full of presentation and simulation. Yahoo!

~:[CH3 - Day 19]:~ Simple yet Sweet

~:[CH3 - Day 19]:~ Simple yet Sweet

I didn't have too much on the agenda. I had a good amount of work to do in the morning and into the afternoon, welcomed someone back and shared stories with someone who had been gone for quite awhile, had a meeting starting to build for the future, and just had an evening to grade and relax. It may not have sounded like much, but simple days, sometimes can be the bests ones. The thai style pasta I scarfed down was a great example of my day, minimal ingredients, but quite the delectable treat. I know I don't have many of these days, but when I do, I will enjoy them.Training starts tomorrow, so I better enjoy it while I can :)

~:[CH3 - Day 18]:~ On a Mission

~:[CH3 - Day 18]:~ On a Mission

It was tough to wake up earlier on a Saturday than you did the whole week after a week with three games and a grill plus a massive amount of grading to do. However, I did and made it a day at the 31st Annual Mission Viejo Conference. I actually went to this conference in my high school days and it's always strange to be back as an advisor. However, seeing conferences such as a "Mafia" committee, Futuristic SC and even the Historical US Senate make me worry about the future of MUN. MUN should be just that, modeling the United Nations and a few organizations tied to that such as regional organizations and the like. I may be old school, but those types of committees miss the point and try to expand it to make it more "interesting." It didn't help when committees have ploys to make it seems like they're doing work and have witnesses such as "whales" in committee. MUN has a special place in life and it destroys me inside when its purpose is tarnished and I have little response to a student who asks why so many people are joking around (at any conference with similar problems, not referring just to Mission). Sure I have students who don't do what they are suppose to be doing, but I also have a good percentage who work their tails off in hopes that they can have the true MUN experience. Hopefully, others in the MUN community will help me in speaking up against these issues so we can protect this wonderful learning experience.

~:[CH3 - Day 17]:~ Visitor

~:[CH3 - Day 17]:~ Visitor

We have said from the start that these two students sound alike, act alike and resemble each other. One day where he came by to pick something up, I was finally able to snap this photo and the class agreed of the similarities between the two. It was a fun way to end the school day today, which was filled with Yoshinoya, Tapex, and more deliciousness including a post-game meal at Red Robin where I had the smoke & pepper burger topped with an egg! Our game itself was not what we had hoped for, but the meal after was okay enough to help me spend some more time with the coaches. All in all, it was a good day, just trying to not think that tomorrow, I have to wake up earlier than I normally do. MUN Conference! Good night!

-[LIFE]- Embrace Your Weirdness - January 17, 2014

I picked up a book called How to be Interesting by Jessica Hagy and started reading it and found it to be quite interesting and also an important perspective to take on. I figured I could make it into series of blog posts called LIFE! Enjoy!

***

For everyone who knows me, you've probably labeled me weird. However, growing up, my response was always, maybe I am normal and the rest of you are all weird. C. JoyBell C. might just agree with me as she said "They [the generic people] live inside a box and they think people who don't fit into their box are weird. But I'll tell you what, generic people are the weird people." While I don't want to offend anyone, that's the way that I approached it, I was just being me and it was the other people who were different.

Jim Morrison asked, "Where's your will to be weird" and Dr. Seuss said "I am weird, you are weird. Everyone in the world is weird. One day two people come together in mutual weirdness and fall in love." Well, while I have not found the love part of Dr. Seuss' quote, I have enjoyed simply being allowed to be me.

Each of us has something about us that sometimes we see as a negative, but who knows, that quirk just might be the thing that makes you extraordinary. Many times people hide those things because they wonder what people will think and in my mind, the only thing weird about it, is that you are going to try and hide it.

People tend to judge each other and make assumptions based on what they see or hear, I am not innocent of doing this as well. However, if I let this stop me from being who I am, then they won. They control exactly who I am and we end up conforming, losing ourselves in the process.

I will sing a phrase from a song in the middle of a lecture, make a strange sound, make a fun music video and more, not fearing how others will judge, but waiting to see how others will embrace my weirdness. Sure, there will be some who will tear you down, but you'll find that while some will do so, you'll climb to greater heights than ever before if you just be yourself. Many of the great discoveries, ideas and concepts were discovered by people who went against the "norm" and may have been seen as "weird" or "different" but are now seen as the greatest minds of our time.

Dare to be different as while others may judge, they're just "a whole category of people who miss out by not allowing themselves to be weird enough." (Alain de Botton) Don't miss out on all the greatness that lies in your weirdness. Embrace it, as greatness lies within you if you are not afraid to let it all out and only then, will that weirdness become normal.

~:[CH3 - Day 16]:~ Power ...

~:[CH3 - Day 16]:~ Power ...

I took a power nap and now I am trying to power through these position papers. One of the hardest things about teaching is grading, but grading about 750 pages of position papers over a two weeks span is pretty challenging on top of the normal. However, I will survive! I actually was able to make a lot of progress tonight, as I had a number of great papers that made it a breeze to grade. The day itself allowed me a bit more time, as the ash in the air led to a canceled track practice. We could have gone indoors but at this point, we can afford to cancel. I made good progress during the day as well, so at the end of the day (right now), I am feeling pretty good. Tomorrow is a big day - lots of work and a big game, so hopefully I can continue powering through.

~:[CH3 - Day 15]:~ Doubling Up + a Cherry

~:[CH3 - Day 15]:~ Doubling Up + a Cherry

They don't look to excited, but their expressions are a lot different than they were about ten minutes prior where one athlete hit a go-ahead shot, we got a steal, and then hit two more free throws to take a three point victory in DOUBLE OVERTIME at one place we always have tough games, Norwalk. It pushed our teams to 3-0, but we have a lot of things to work on before Friday's match up. I ended up grabbing a quick bite at Sweetee Thai realizing that the Clippers ten point lead evaporated to two, which turned into a 17 point deficit. I still raced home to catch the end of the game and got excited as I heard the cheers from the TV through the door. As I looked, the Clippers caught up and were only down four, when Redick hit a three. Adding two more free throws, the game became eerily similar to our game, as the last attempt by Dallas fell short. The cherry on top? The Ducks won 9-1 and have started SUPER strong this season surging to the top of the point standings. I started the day a bit fired up, as I was a bit aggravated by a few things and knew the day would be a testing one. However, it settled down, my lunch from Falafel Shack helped my troubles melt away, which was topped off by a milk tea before the game. It was definitely a day to remember and it will be a tough day to match.

~:[CH3 - Day 14]:~ Things are Heating Up

~:[CH3 - Day 14]:~ Things are Heating Up

We held our MUN grill session for Nationals tonight and it was fairly successful. While we still have lots of room for improvement, the team did a fairly good job and showed a vast amount of improvement across the board. It always is pretty warm in the room when we have grills, but today was especially warm. My phone showed 84F after school during track and field practice and my stomachache did not help much. It wasn't bad but just enough to make it more uncomfortable. I continued my barrage of grading, as tests, papers, and position papers were read from morning until night. A few more weeks of this and I get a little break from it all. Yes!

-[LIFE]- Keep Moving - January 14, 2014

I picked up a book called How to be Interesting by Jessica Hagy and started reading it and found it to be quite interesting and also an important perspective to take on. I figured I could make it into series of blog posts called LIFE! Enjoy!

***

Keep Moving

Life gives us many opportunities to stop and give up. It will trip us up, leave us in front of obstacles we see as insurmountable, and even allow us dig our own grave. However, the biggest mistake we can make is to stop moving forward.

It's really easy to give up, whether it's on a dream such as losing weight, such as getting the job, or simply adding more adventure into your life. However, when we stop trying, we give ourselves ZERO opportunity to find success. Failure is painful. I learned it from many experiences of falling short of my goal. However, if you keep moving, you'll find that failure helps you progress to finding success. In the movie Catch Me If You Can, Frank Abagnale, Sr. gives an analogy of two mice who fell in a bucket of cream. He said that the firsts mouse gave up and quickly drowned while the second one struggled so hard that he eventually churned the cream into butter and survived. By moving forward and not giving up, the mouse survived despite the predicament it was in.

However, this point is not just about reaching goals. It's also above moving towards things that will make you a better person ... moving towards things that are positive and can make you happy, things that can add more spice and adventure into your life, things that will allow you to be you no matter how strange or weird it may be, or moving towards the next phase or chapter of your life.

Standing still or even worse, moving backwards, can leave us in a state where we regret not taking an opportunity, it leads to laziness, or even deep and utter depression. While moving forward will have it's pitfalls, it is something that gives us a greater chance to open up doors and for us to see all that lies in front of us.

Some of you may disagree and are happy with what you are doing. My goal is not to change you. However, if you have found yourself looking for something new in your life and looking for that new path, take one step forward and keep moving forward. You may hit a pothole or two, but ultimately, there will be many opportunities to move yourself to a very active lifestyle where you'll learn a lot about yourself through new adventures, new friends, new failures, new obstacles, and of course a new sense of who you are!

Keep moving forward, except for when forbidden by law :)

~:[CH3 - Day 13]:~ 3's Company

~:[CH3 - Day 13]:~ 3's Company

I triple knotted my tie on this day, forming it into the trinity knot which has become even more popular as of late. I thought it was a pretty cool way to do it and with this tie, turned out pretty nice. I don't often post selfies on my blog, even though I take so many of them, but focus on the tie and not the radiant and beautiful face (haha, I was jk). Today was a rough day, as I arrived home at about 1:45am from the airport and quickly got my things together and straight to bed. I was able to grab my things together and realized how bad my day would start off to be. My keys were buried in my bag, I discovered I left my hard drive and card reader in NYC, I was running late, and when I turned onto 183rd when I thought it was all clear, I ended up cutting of a car, not to the point that there would be an accident, but enough especially since I knew the driver. I thought to myself, this is going to be a bad day. Well, I dug out my keys, the hotel found my hard drive, and I got some QT at TapEx with my old IA, which seemed to slowly ease the pain of my first day back. Even more so when we played our game. We played an excellent game with a very well-balanced attack and all we worked on this year came together. We ended up with a 76-46 victory over a 12-3 Artesia squad. It was a great win, but we still have much work to do.

~:[CH3 - Day 12]:~ 'Mazingly Miserable

~:[CH3 - Day 12]:~ 'Mazingly Miserable

When I finally arrived home just past 1:30am, I felt miserable. Exhausted from an uncomfortable delayed and delayed again flight, it was not a happy and cheery arrival home, especially when I was reminded that I would have to be at work in about five hours. However, when I think back to my final hours in New York surrounded by all of its amazingness, I just thought, it was all worth it. I hate the commute back home but it was made easier with my conversations with new new Germany friend. He told me about all his stories of travel and all the beautiful women he met along the way. Earlier in the day, I was lucky enough to catch up with William and Abigail as we went to one of my favorite spots, Sapporo. I know it's not the most popular, but I do enjoy it and it was also fairly close to where I stayed. It was great to share stories about the classroom and it made me miss our fourth period prep with everyone even though I was not always there to share in the fun with all of them. Regardless, it was a great way to end my trip in NYC, even though, later on, I would experience the wonderful world of airport delays combined with middle seat misery.

January 11, 2014 ~ When You're in Love

Dr. Seuss once said that "You know you're in love when you don't want to fall asleep because your reality is finally better than your dreams."

Many people dream of many different things. To love, to succeed, to be happy and much, much, more, but what happens when all of these dreams become your reality? I've walked about twenty miles aimlessly and felt it. My senses consumed by the lights, the music, the horns, the smells, the pace ... a few blocks down the serenity of a park, the calm lake, the melting snow, all surrounded by tall buildings and yet again, the horns of taxi drivers ... down the stairs you find an intricate maze of lines that connect the city like the veins pump blood through the human body, keeping life in this being known as New York City. Around the corner there is the entertainment, where romanticism ideas come to life on stage, the food that is diverse as the people living on its land, the stores that sell anything you could imagine, and the people, each with their own story. For some this story is a sad one about the harsh realities of the cities, for others, it is the difficult life of trying to survive, for some it's about the adventure of a new life in a new city, while for a few others, it is all they know. As  I sat in Times Square on a brisk evening where the drizzle had left a glistening layer of water on the ground, the temperature perfect in the 50s, and an average crowd wandering the streets, I could not help but be mesmerized by a city that has time after time, kept me from sleeping. Well why not, it's the city that never sleeps and I will forever be awake when I am here. Sure, I have not been exposed to the summer months and have enjoyed the winter mixed with spring, but there is not doubt that I love this place.

Over time, it may lose its appeal, something may happen that makes me change my mind and I will finally find some time to sleep. However, that day is not today. One day, a woman will finally do the same to me for good and I surely will be happier than I am at this moment, but until then, New York City, you're the apple of my eye.

This my friends, is my abbreviated version of my love letter to a city.

~:[CH3 - Day 11]:~ Simply Appetizing

~:[CH3 - Day 11]:~ Simply Appetizing

I came out here to be able to spend some time to meet people, to eat good food, and to just be able to soak in the city that I so dearly love. I've accomplished most of what I wanted to during the weekend. I didn't need to sightsee, so I just walked. I walked through Central Park, around 5th Avenue to St. Patrick's Cathedral, hit the Upper West Side, ate in Hell's Kitchen and ended up in the Theatre District and stopped by Times Square to take one last look. It was a little more challenging with a drizzle, but I still enjoyed it. I had a great lunch at Fig & Olive starting with the truffle mushroom croquette which was filled with a parmesan and truffle oil aioli with a delicious thyme chicken and an arugula salad. I could have done without the amarena cherry crostini but I still enjoyed it, especially because it was small. I then headed to Levain Bakery to make my normal large purchase of humungous cookies. They're super sweet but super good. I don't eat cookies, but I can't resist eating a piece of these. The original restaurant I picked for dinner was packed so I walked up the street to Wondee Siam, a suggestion from my friend and it was a good one! The food portion was just right and was DELICIOUS! I ended up back at Wicked (it's complicated why), but I still enjoyed it, especially because we were front and dead center. Sadly, I had to go to the restroom right when it started but made it to intermission! Afterward, I went to the halal cart for the last time on this trip and the guy hooked it up! So much for my last one for the next six weeks! I sat in Times Square and just soaked in the lights one last time before heading back and just relaxing. Such a long day, but another great one. If it wasn't for humid summers, I would totally move here. Anyway, half a day to go, I'm ready! 

~:[CH3 - Day 10]:~ Installation

~:[CH3 - Day 10]:~ Installation

I was here to do some work wiring an installation, but the picture is not it. However, I was able to get into MoMA for free, as I walked by forgetting it was free Friday sponsored by Uniqlo. I walked by at the right time and ended up waiting just a bit when the line stretched all the way around to the corner of 6th and down around 54th. Ironically, I had went to Uniqlo not long before that. I enjoyed the exhibits in the museum and made me miss my days of working with art. I've realized that without the time that I used to spend, I got sloppy with my work and not paid attention to detail. I know that from 2014 going forward, I need to take care of my equipment and do better work. I was also enjoying it, as there were a number of video and film exhibits including the one in the main hall, which had more screens than showed her. It was good resting place, but also was a very interesting piece and more appropriate than the last one I saw here. I enjoyed Chinatown, SoHo, Washington Square, St. Marks, Rockefeller, Times Square, Chelsea, Greenwich Village, and a few other places en route to an extremely full day coming from the airport. I ran into a close friend from the past (completely unplanned) while heading to eat lunch, I was able to scarf down a delicious halal meal, and made a few new friends including one from Korea. I ended my night relaxing watching the Clippers game which was on ESPN, which was great, but wandered a bit more after halftime when the game was pretty much over. It was a full day and a great one. What is scary is tomorrow is suppose to be busier! 

~:[CH3 - Day 9]:~ Something Old and Something New

~:[CH3 - Day 9]:~ Something Old and Something New

I cheated. This picture is from Friday instead of Thursday, but hey, it was almost one long day to me anyway, as I had to sleep on the plane. Regardless, my actual post aside from talking about the food will be about Thursday. It was a rough day trying to get everything done before I headed out. I planned practice and an MUN workshop on the same day as my flight, so I was stressed out a bit. I was able to get all the basketball video stuff done before leaving so they would have it for the rally and the game. MUN workshop went well and I was proud to see a number of my students on our Nationals team improve greatly! I am excited to see them in New York. Now about the food ... Japadog was a place I ran across last year when walking through St. Marks. Think Japanese food in a hot dog bun. I got the tonkatsu dog and a gyoza dog, both which were delicious! More about New York tonight, but for now, I am going to relax and take a quick Clipper game half time break!

~:[CH3 - Day 8]:~ Piles of Papers

~:[CH3 - Day 8]:~ Piles of Papers

I was working hard grading papers when a new stack of papers arrived. Every year, I am greeted with a stack of papers that are not even from my class! They are from MUN students (juniors) who I do not have in class but am preparing for the NHSMUN Conference in New York. The process of grading has begun and I will be surrounded by piles of papers for the next few weeks. Wish me luck!

~:[CH3 - Day 7]:~ Back in the Habit

~:[CH3 - Day 7]:~ Back in the Habit

Today was my first FULL day back which included practice and it was an exhausting one. Midway through, I felt like taking a nap, but I still made it and I got a lot of work done today. Not only did I have a full day, I also had a Nationals meeting and collected more than I could carry. In fact, I collected so much, I might be grading until next new year :P ... regardless, it was great getting back in the habit and getting to see everyone. Some alumni came back to visit so it was nice to catch up and see how they were doing. Thanks for coming by and yes, I can survive this week!

~:[CH3 - Day 6]:~ On the Court

~:[CH3 - Day 6]:~ On the Court

It was back to the court at the Staple Center as we got invited back to play at the Staple Center. After going to first period, I headed out, got a few things done, and made it back in time for the bus. I didn't get as much sleep as I hoped last night, so a full day would have been a disaster. At the game, we didn't play the best of games, but the experience of playing there is unmatched, as you get to walk the court the players play on and sit on the seats the Clippers sit on. We were in there playing for four hours with our varsity, junior varsity and freshman teams playing. We also got to stick around for the game afterwards, which was fun. We were split up, but had much better seats. We ended up with a very loud and rambunctious group and got on the big screen a few times, as well as the players. On top of it all, the Clippers won big with DeAndre collecting 13pts-17reb-8blks! What a night!

~:[CH3 - Day 5]:~ Tilting the Right Direction

~:[CH3 - Day 5]:~ Tilting the Right Direction

It was a tough day in the sports world, as my beloved Green Bay Packers fell in a nail biter to the 49ers. However, I knew it would be tough for the defense, the way they have been playing then losing Clay Matthews. It definitely was a depressing blow topped off by the fact that I lost my fantasy match up 7-2. However, those are microscopic issues that were easily countered by a great evening with some of my basketball coaching friends. We did our normal Christmas get-together and did a white elephant for the first time, since we pretty much have had our shots at each other with the secret Santa. Regardless, it was a great time and even got a W by the Ducks to brighten the sports end of my day. Tomorrow will be hard to wake up in the morning, especially considering I am working into the night, however, I am excited to go back. Call me crazy, but I love going to work. See some of you tomorrow!

~:[CH3 - Day 4]:~ Snacking the Day Away

~:[CH3 - Day 4]:~ Snacking the Day Away

Every since I was a little kid, I loved to eat Japanese snacks. There is something about them that makes you want to keep eating them. While I had never tried these before, there is an array of treats that keep me snacking all day long until I can finally garnish enough energy to say STOP! Regardless, today was my last day of leftovers for the new year. We almost made it seven days without cooking anything new, but five is not so bad! I got a lot of work done today, but of course, there is always more you want to accomplish in a given time period. Hopefully, I can get everything else done tomorrow, as it's my last before I head back to work. I feel prepared and ready to go back to work, but we'll let my body decide that when I return. I actually get an easy first day since we have a basketball game to go to on Monday. Anyway, while I got a lot of work done today, I need to make it a point to go out tomorrow. 

~:[CH3 - Day 3]:~ SOS ... Someone Save Me!

~:[CH3 - Day 3]:~ SOS ... Someone Save Me!

It's been a painful 2014. Nothing has really gone wrong, but I have been hassled with trying to figure out how to stop my e-mail from spamming everyone. I am trying to figure out the source, as I do not believe I clicked on any links that led to this fiasco. I've changed my password, cleaned my computer, checked for bots and malware, etc. and still these notices come rolling in. It also is a bad combination when you are trying to sort through Internet Assignments that were due today. If you have a suggestion of what else I can do, please let me know. On a brighter note, by this time next week, I will be in New York doing some work and enjoying the city. Who will be around that wants to meet up??? Most of my schedule is solid, but I do have a few stretches that I need to fill up and hopefully can find some QT with some old friends!

~:[CH3 - Day 2]:~ These Crazy Friends

~:[CH3 - Day 2]:~ These Crazy Friends

Today was a day of catching up. Catching up on work, catching up with others, and just catching up on all the adventures I missed on the first. From Sweetee Thai to Micasa to TapEx to Korean BBQ, the day was field with good moments for my stomach, some bad moments for my stomach and some great times with friends. I actually haven't seen Janie and John in a little while so it was nice to grab some food with them and catch up. As you can tell, it was a good time as we ate the night away. While I am still struggling to fix my e-mail issue, it was nice to get out of the house and venture out for the first time of the new year. I got some work done, got some play in, and filled my stomach. Now all I need to do is a little bit of training for next year's race!

-[LIFE]- Looking in the Mirror - January 2, 2014

I picked up a book called How to be Interesting by Jessica Hagy and started reading it and found it to be quite interesting and also an important perspective to take on. I figured I could make it into series of blog posts called LIFE! Enjoy!

***

"You are beautiful. Your beauty, just like your capacity for life, happiness, and success, is immeasurable." - Steve Maraboli

While today's quote is not from Hagy's book, I felt that it would be a great post to start off the new year in -[LIFE]-. Each year, many people set new goals because they are not happy with what they see when they look into the mirror. However, our beauty cannot be measured by stepping on a scale or seeing what size pants we can fit into, as most of our beauty is contained within in. While staying healthy is definitely an important goal, never forget the beauty that most people will see when they really get to know you is what's inside. We all want to be satisfied with what we see in the mirror, however, when we "fix" what we see, will we ultimately be happy?

Some will say yes, while others will still feel that emptiness and feel unsatisfied when they look in the mirror. However, the mirror will never reveal all the beauty you possess and even if you can see it, it is immeasurable. There is no way to measure our beauty, so why even try? Just do you best to help others, to love others, to smile and make this world the most beautiful of places, one less mirror at a time. Instead of filling the gyms trying to make yourself look the way you want to, fill your heart with as much love as possible and share it with all around. As only then will you realize that you were bursting with beauty, you just didn't look deep enough to know that it was there.

Thank you to all of my friends and family who have been the most beautiful of people I have ever know. My ability to love, to help and to care from others stems from the examples you have set for me. As while I am not where I need to be, each of you has helped me get a step closer of where I hope to be one day.

~:[CH3 - Day 1]:~ New Beginnings???

~:[CH3 - Day 1]:~ New Beginnings???

The new year is one that many use for as new beginnings, but as I have heard many utter, it shouldn't have to wait until the new year to do so. Sure, it's fine to re-evaluate your goals each year and see how you've progress and change, but having the same resolutions over and over or ones that never get completed, creates a cycle that will never cease to exist. There are those who have success in their resolutions and I applaud you for that, but I'm hoping that all the changes and goals I can make for myself will not just benefit me this year, but for life. As usual, the new year started with a nice lazy day eating leftovers, watching television, and just cleaning up and recovering before it really starts to get busy. I have been so lucky to enjoy such a privileged life and hope that I can help others find similar experiences in this coming year and beyond. I hope that all of you have a wonderful year with amazing times with friends and family full of smiles and cheer! Happy New Year to all and to all a good night :)

2013 - A Year in Review

I cracked open a fortune cookie and on the fortune it said, "Now is the best time for you to be spontaneous. Serendipity." I didn't think much about it at the time, but that fortune basically sums up my year. A year of spontaneity, something that I learned to be much better at, combined with my normal love of planning became a grandiose year that I will never forget. I traveled to over ten countries, collected at least 60,000 miles, and visited over a dozen states. Will it be topped and can 2014 be better? Who knows, but why worry as I know there will be many opportunities to create amazing memories and great times with those who I hold dear!

 I saw friends tie the knot ...

I found a lost little one at the beach ...

I ate some delicious food in LA, SD, SF, Vegas, Seoul etc ...

I made some even more interesting food ...

I passed on a few bad habits ...

I got a cool care package from Priscilla Ahn ...

 I posed as a robot in a music video ... http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3NWpJ5KhmDs

 

... and of course made my own ... 

we got some new steeples ...

... and a new track ...

 

won our first sweepstakes award at an invitational ...

plus swept all four divisions of league ...

made a stop in Fresno for the state meet ...

 and even played on the floor of the Staples Center ...

I sponsored the building of a pool ...

I became a cartoon with Clara C ...

... and spent a little more time with her ...

I enjoyed the snow in the NYC for Nationals ...

I enjoyed the sun in SD as we won best costume at Ragnar Relay (200mi --> HB to SD) ...

I bowled with the Clippers including head-to-head against DeAndre Jordan ...

I captured a few great moments of these rising stars ...

went to Davis for the first time ...

  

enjoyed great moments in DC at the Georgetown Conference ...

   battled at the Alamo in San Antonio ...

 toured the beautiful Nike Campus in Oregon with Annie ...

 

 took home a consolation championships in SD ...

 recognized in the UN building at Nationals in New York ...

 

 floated by the Statue of Liberty ...

caught up with an old friend ...

soared to new heights ...

spent some QT with this girl ...

and some more with this TWO-TD-IN-ONE-GAME guy ...

looked around for all the places that I could go ...

ventured to Las Vegas with my dad ...

stopped off in SF for some Bacon ...

to Seattle to visit my friend Tori ...

fulfilled a dream by visiting Lambeau Field ...

hung out with an Aussie friend in the Swiss Alps ...

... and with a few more in Venice ...

with the boys in Paris ...

ventured to Seoul out of the blue ...

visited Starbucks on three continents and in eight states including the original ...

celebrated the holidays with my family ...

met my idol, Kofi Annan, the former Secretary-General of the UN ...

smiled a bit ...

dreamed a bit ...

played around a bit ...

 

and most importantly, loved a lot.

And there was much, much more.

Now that was a wonderful and spontaneous 2013.

Who is ready to join me on my adventures in 2014?

I'm ready 2014, give me the best that you've got!