~:[CH11 - Day 29]:~ Next Gen

 
~:[CH11 - Day 29]:~ Next Gen

It was fun to wake up in the morning and watch Nala play today. It's amazing how time flies. She was able to score the first points of the games, got a few rebounds and assists plus was always hustling up and down the court playing defense. Regardless, just the fact that they can all be out there was a blessing. It's fun to see the next generation growing up. It was fun to see the interconnectedness that existed as I ran into alumni parents, current students and parents, friends and more. While the rest of the day was dedicated to grading position papers, at least I got a little time to enjoy something that I've missed. 

~:[CH11 - Day 26]:~ Cozy

 
~:[CH11 - Day 26]:~ Cozy

I was checking out a few photos of my friend's dog. She is such a cutie and her awkward sleeping poses are the best. It was a day where I also was cozy with my blanket scrolling through these photos and others during a relaxing end of the day after a tiring beginning. It was some much needed rest as my friends and I chatted and just relaxed for the remainder of the night. It's been a long few days, but sometimes those are nice especially when at the end of it all  you get to snuggle up and be all cozy. Doing nothing is often underrated and so I'll make it a point to do nothing more often.

~:[CH11 - Day 23]:~ Animate Your Story

 
~:[CH11 - Day 23]:~ Animate Your Story

There is an interesting feel when you look at a cartoon or animation. It tends to take you away from reality and feel like you're in another world. Since we were children, cartoons were a key element in our lives and even as adults, they also capture our imagination. On a day where work ruled the day, I drifted away from the reality that is position papers in order to enjoy some of this art and played around with a few filters. Our lives at times may seem routine and mundane, but in the same way these cartoons take us away, we can find a way to take control of our lives and our story and make it more interesting. Add in a quick adventure, meet a new friend or try something new. Our story isn't set in stone, rather, we can be the ones who animate our own lives and control the story which we want to be the center of our life. Instead of following the handbook, start with a clean slate and see where your imagination will take you.

~:[CH11 - Day 22]:~ On Point

 
~:[CH11 - Day 22]:~ On Point

We didn't have the students prep much for this conference as it fell near finals. For some it was making up conferences and others it was extra practice. Regardless, although it would have been nice to relax at home, I still enjoyed watching the students in a different environment. While many said they needed to prep more, they also said they enjoyed the day and you could definitely see it. While some wish they had done better, as they looked back, I know they appreciated the chance to work with these other delegates and some saw the growth they've made. As I heard many speak, I was always uplifted just to see them here on a day where they too could have been resting. While some got awards and some didn't, the reality is that they all gained something and it's more valuable than any award. We got back early and they all seemed in good spirits and that was the cherry on top of it all. I am definitely exhausted, but I can say that today was definitely on point, just like the delegates and their speeches.

~:[CH11 - Day 21]:~ Finding Our Own Style

 
~:[CH11 - Day 21]:~ Finding Our Own Style

After getting some work done in the morning, I caught a glimpse of Klimt and the beautiful interactive piece they created. While overall the exhibit was underwhelming, the interactive room was one that definitely caught the attention of most. What I thought would be a quick exit turned into a delay as I sat back and soaked in the music and beautifully created displays that surrounded me. As you may know, Klimt was an artist that rejected the styles of his time and created a place for contemporary artists to explore their crafts. One of his most famous phases, was the Golden Phase where he layered gold leaf on his pieces including one of his most famous works, The Kiss. As I last explored a Klimt exhibit in New  York, it was a nice revisit to his beautiful art that has a way to capture you. It made me think of us as individuals as sometimes our style doesn't fit what society wants from us and that's okay. His Gold Phase also reminded me that many of us are already pieces of art, but need just that one additional layer for us to shine and stand out from who we are. It's hard to say if Klimt's pieces of his Gold Phase would have been as impactful without the gold leaf, but what I am sure of is that we all have the potential to shine like the pieces of that era if we just figure out who we are what will make us shine. Often times we will not find what makes us shine in what others want us to do, rather we can often find it in the masterpiece that lies within us that we must discover. I hope life us allows us to find our own style so we can show off the masterpieces that we truly are.

~:[CH11 - Day 20]:~ From Sea to Snow

 
~:[CH11 - Day 20]:~ From Sea to Snow

One of the coolest things about living in SoCal is that you can be by the sea one moment and a few hours later, be walking in the snow. It's amazing to think that you can work and then before the day is over, taking a quick hike around a mountain and still make it home for dinner. While there are better resorts and places to ski, it doesn't take long to get to the closest resorts and today proved it. We lucked out with traffic and breezed through. Got a quick workout in (not me) and then headed up the mountain for a quick hike. At first we had no plan, but then we figured it all out and in the end, had a fun adventure. As while sometimes people say, there's nothing to do, sometimes you got to think outside the box and make things happen as there is so much to do between the sea and the snow all around us in this SoCal bubble. We don't have to go very far to enjoy this or star gazing in the desert, a day at the amusement park, good food, shopping, shows and more. If you're just lounging around, see if you can figure out if you can find the time to make a little adventure happen and you just might end up with a memory that will be everlasting in your mind. I am a bit sore and tired, but hey, my body has to do some work sometimes and today was that day.

~:[CH11 - Day 19]:~ Fantastic Flavors

 
~:[CH11 - Day 19]:~ Fantastic Flavors

Today had it's good and bad spots. My grading cam setup worked today, unlike yesterday and thus I was able to finish my grades quickly today. I was a little sad as two of my students are moving out of state after these finals, so the past two days, we took midyear class photographs to say goodbye, which was definitely sad. Still, I was able to get most of my work done and wrapped up for the semester and thus, picked up some delicious food from the Source at lunch and hung out for a bit with the kiddos. They got new toys so it was fun to watch them play with them before I got to work. The good was followed with the bad as I answered an angry and attacking email, where most of the claims were unfounded or already addressed. I answered it and changed my focus to preparing for my language class and that was that. In our days there will be both good and bad things, but in many cases, we can pick and choose what we put on our plate for the day. We take care of what we need to and set it aside and put our attention on the things we want to focus on. There are so many ways things can ruin our days, however, how can we let that spoil the fantastic flavors that life gives us. I am lucky that I have good friends, as I was able to vent and move on, keeping only what was good on my plate for the day. Life is hard enough, so let's not make it harder by piling up our plate with things we want to leave behind as it only clutters the space we saved for all the wonderful things in life. I hope that your days are filled with the best flavors life can offer you!

~:[CH11 - Day 18]:~ Who Will We Become?

 
~:[CH11 - Day 18]:~ Who Will We Become?

This picture is from two years and one week ago. I was roaming the streets in Aubervilliers supporting Jae and his group. By the time this trip was over, I would have seen them in four different countries. At this point in my life, it was no surprise to anyone that I was off in Europe for a bit, as I was a pseudo-nomad always off somewhere in the world. This was the peak and like many others, I crashed into the wall that seemingly took away two years of our lives. I knew who I was and where I was headed like many others and the pandemic knocked me off course a bit. I figured things out, but I know that so much has changed due to the past two years. I grew apart from some, grew closer to others and did some soul searching. I picked this image because just like my journey, others had the same. For some, it was an amazing two years and others the most challenging they will ever face. As we move forward, we do so without a loved one, with a new job or none at all, bills or profits from the volatile crypto and stock markets. For all of us, we are different people from who we were two years ago. The bad thing is, we've been knocked off track, the good thing? We now have an opportunity to wipe the slate clean and figure out who we will become with a cleared mind and hopefully a better sense of direction. Even if we were in the groove before, who knows if we were headed in a direction that was right for us. No matter what "successes" or "failures" await us however, there is one person we can all become, someone who loves, cares and supports those around them. I thing on average, I have sensed that these challenging times have left people more pessimistic, more angry and more on edge, and I hope that we can adjust ourselves just a bit before we take that next step forward in a direction where we can be more positive, hopeful, and supportive. The past few days I've been able to reflect a bit more and figured out some changes I hope to make and I hope that we all can do the same. As while in our lives mistakes will be made, hopefully we can become people who learn and grow to avoid some of the pitfalls that we've fallen victim too over these challenging times. We've arrived at the fork in the road that diverge into the woods ahead of us that Robert Frost wrote about and the question is where will we go, as that will help decide who we will become. My only hope is that we can stride confidently into the days ahead and with each step, get closer to the amazing person we want to become. It may be difficult to overcome the strain and anxiety of these challenging times, but before you know it, once again we can be roaming the streets of some unnamed city rocking out the tunes of the band we'd travel the world for. For each of us, this moment will be different, but for all of us, reaching this moment is possible. Who will you become? I hope today, we all can take that first step ...

~:[CH11 - Day 17]:~ Be You; Be Original

 
~:[CH11 - Day 17]:~ Be You; Be Original

Yes, that is a pineapple in my ramen. One of my students has a pineapple backpack and for some reason, I couldn't get that out of my mind. As I pondered a new recipe to make using Sapporo Ichiban, I thought, why not go back to my roots and make something Hawaiian. I already did a loco moco ramen, so I decide to go the sweeter route. I thought of a teriyaki burger and the addition of a pineapple and though, why couldn't we infuse that same flavor into the broth of ramen. Hence, we have the pineapple teriyaki ramen. Fresh pineapples balanced with black garlic soy sauce to keep a fine balance. Sugar and pineapple juice with the brother of Sapporo Ichiban's shio flavor ramen. It was strangely good and topped with teriyaki chicken, the flavors just kind of meshed together. The debate over whether pineapple belongs on pizza will end with the debate on whether it belongs in ramen, but really, I thought about how this applies to life. We often are told that, this just doesn't work. Why not? Why can't we match different colors or patterns, why can't we do something our way or take the longer, scenic route? We are always told hold to conform and what not to do, but why can't we just be ourselves and be original? Sure, if you want to conform, that is also your choice, but if someone wants to go out and do something different, let them and support them. If you look through history, it's those who were told, "that will never work," that ultimately pushed us forward into a world where the impossible became possible. Even if it doesn't end up as something that is innovative and drives us forward, why can't we accept people for just being who they want to be, themselves. Let's all push towards having the confidence to be ourselves. 

~:[CH11 - Day 16]:~ The Mistakes We Make

 
~:[CH11 - Day 16]:~ The Mistakes We Make

Whenever I cook, I worry that I may mess up. Today, I worried that I may overcook the tonkatsu I made. Overcooked, too salty or simply just not good, I always wonder if I made a mistake and I wait until someone confirms it. It can be me or sometimes it's the people around me, brave enough to take the first bite. Luckily today, the food came out alright. Why did I bring this up? As I scrolled online, I saw a line of comments blasting someone I knew. This age of social media has led to many being outed for being insincere, inappropriate or worse and what follows is a line of insults and cancellations. I understand the weight of words the individual said and that people are responsible for impact their words have, but I also, growing up as a Christian, understood the ideas of forgiveness, as in life, we are prone to make mistakes. Yes, in the process of our mistakes, people will get hurt and we must own up to our mistakes and atone for them, however, in response, I also feel that we (as those impacted by those words) must take a step back and see if our response is the most appropriate when a mistake is made, either by ourselves or those around us. In this day and age, people are inclined to attack anybody and everybody who utters something that they are offended by. In many cases, that person did make a mistake, but we've also become a society that is unforgiving and forgetful. In this particular case, I understand why people were upset, but also wonder how quickly they forgot all that this individual did to help others as well. To me, at times, why they did have reason to be upset, they also forgot the fact that in their own lives, they themselves had also messed up, even in the moment of responding with similar harsh words that are sometimes even worse that the initial incident itself. No, this is not a condemnation, an accusation or anything similar, but just an opportunity to remind us all (including myself) that before we react, that we take a second and think about our response so we don't blow the situation out of proportion or cause ourselves to get sucked in as well. It is our choice to decide what we think and to cut out those who we do not want in our lives, but is it our right to also drag them down in the process even more so than their own actions did to us? Is it our right to call out those who decide to react differently than ourselves? I thought for awhile how I would react in this situation as I know the gravity of the words uttered, but I also wanted to be understanding. Had I burned my food tonight or added too much seasoning, I would have been happy to hear about it, as it was a mistake I made; however, I would hope that they would be understanding and trust that down the road I'll learn from my mistake. Much like I would had I done this to my food, that individual acknowledged their mistake and I only hope that people will be understanding or if not, at least not add to the mistakes that were already made. Speak up when you are wronged, but also be willing to be understanding, as we all make mistakes and I know that when we make these mistakes, we hope that those around us will show some understanding and forgiveness especially when we are truly and genuinely sorry. As I write this, I realize all the room I have to grow and all that I still have to learn, but we are all a work in progress and correcting ourselves along the way is a part of our lives. I hope that instead of using a mistake to make somebody crumble down completely, we use it as an opportunity to reach out to someone to help them rebuild their foundation in hopes that the same mistake will not be made again. Be courageous enough to call someone out, but let's also be compassionate enough to not tear them down. 

~:[CH11 - Day 15]:~ Comfort Food

 
~:[CH11 - Day 15]:~ Comfort Food

It's always been a sentimental dish for me. Bringing me back to my childhood, any type of fried rice dish made me think back. My friends and I would wake up to the smell of fried rice. For today, I used pork belly, mixed with gochujang and doenjang plus a few other spices. It was spot on. The past few years, I've tried variations of fried rice and no matter what I try, it always seems to be nostalgic. As I tried a dish today after a delicious rice dish last night, it brought back the wonderful flavors I tasted last night and all the memories of the days gone by. Who knows if this will last for the rest of my life, but somehow for everybody, there is that one dish that will always take you back. What's that dish for you?

~:[CH11 - Day 14]:~ Beautiful Days

 
~:[CH11 - Day 14]:~ Beautiful Days

It wasn't a beautiful day out, but then it was. It wasn't clear and much of the view wasn't visible, however, it was still beautiful out. After work, I ventured out and ended up hiking up this trail to soak in the beautiful views. It wasn't in the plan, but luckily I brought some shoes, although I wasn't quite dressed for what we ended up doing. I wasn't sure if we'd make it, but we made it up just in time, although we hit a bit of darkness heading back down. It's been a crazy start to 2022, but it was nice to get out where there were few others and just soak in all around. As we finished up by finding the exact set of food we all were craving, we laughed and enjoyed the evening we had together. Some days, there's not thing specific that makes it great and even when things aren't perfect, sometimes it can be just as beautiful. As in reality, few things in life are perfect by definition, yet it doesn't mean it can't be perfect. My pants were dusty and I was sweating, after walking all that way with a turtleneck sweater, but if time were to turn back, I wouldn't have it any other way. Life has a way of diverting us and while it may not seem as if it'll work out, when you accept the road that's in front of you, sometimes you'll discover some of the most beautiful of days.

~:[CH11 - Day 13]:~ We'll Be Zooming Again

 
~:[CH11 - Day 13]:~ We'll Be Zooming Again

No, I do not want to be back here stuck in this box. Sure, I still take language classes via Zoom as my tutor is in Korea, however, to have a class session here is not something I had hoped for. Regardless, the conditions pushed our meeting tonight to an online platform, as nearly 50 logged in and we ran our two hour training session via Zoom. No, I do not want to be Zooming again, but I know that with due time, we'll get through this and zoom past these challenging moments. Regardless, it was nice to reconnect with students I haven't seen much since they left my class, however, it would have been nicer to spend some time together in person. We took the safer route tonight and hope that with time things will slowly progress. Yes, I am sad sitting in this box and just hope that this is the last time this is the choice for a meeting that doesn't have to be online. 

~:[CH11 - Day 12]:~ When the Cheese Molds

 
~:[CH11 - Day 12]:~ When the Cheese Molds

I knew I was cooking dinner tonight, but I hadn't checked everything. The chicken broth was low, the chicken breast went bad, and the cheese was moldy. Sometimes in life, we find that the things we use daily can't be used for some reason or another. We still have our tasks to do, so we can either just give up or figure out another to make it all work. Luckily, I had some Kraft parmesan cheese and while it was not preferred, it worked. Every problem we face has some type of solution. For some, we may find an array of answers and for others, the complexity of solving it often will lead us to giving up. Let's do our best to persevere and figure out what we can substitute to make what we are working on lead to a solution. When I discovered that the cheese had molded, I figured out a new plan and ended up with creamy tomato pasta fusilli with a side of zuppa toscana soup. As while it may throw us off, I am confident we can all find a way when life throws a problem. I hope we all face up to it and solve it. 

~:[CH11 - Day 11]:~ Keeping the Faith

 
~:[CH11 - Day 11]:~ Keeping the Faith

It's not easy to keep the faith. I witnessed one of the worst offensive halves I have ever seen in an NBA game. Granted, the Clippers are definitely down a lot of players, however, there is no excuse to only do what they did in the first half. It was easy to feel hopeless. Their defense, however, was pretty strong and so they were hanging around despite not being able to put the ball in the basket. Their defense picked up as I specially remember Eric Bledsoe hustling for a steal and before I knew it, we hit a shot to take the lead. Yes, I said it, the lead. The Clippers were down 25,  yet overcame that deficit to win by two. Their best players were ones who came off the bench previously or sometimes not at all and in all these instances, it has been nice to see guys step up. Who knows what lies on the road ahead, but seeing the fight and the will of this team tonight was inspirational. I thought back to all the big games they came back in and I've been lucky enough to witness many of them. Through them all, we had to just keep believing and while many times the comebacks fell short, those few times they succeeded, we were left with an indescribable feeling. Keep the faith as you never know just when that breakthrough moment is waiting. 

~:[CH11 - Day 10]:~ Dreaming of Beyond

~:[CH11 - Day 10]:~ Dreaming of Beyond

My friend sent me a picture from Japan. It made me a bit sad as I was wishing that I could visit. It's been so long since I've been able to wander around with my friends and a few people that I was suppose to collaborate with in 2020, while I still chat with them, it's harder to stay connected. Regardless, the dream still exists of being beyond and being able to visit again one day and even more importantly, be able to spend time with my friends once again. As we deal with the craziness on our own campus, it seems that time is not in the near future, however, there always is that hope and dream that beyond these tough days, there are brighter ones ahead. I only hope that they will come soon, as my longing has been getting stronger as more and more days go by. 

 

~:[CH11 - Day 9]:~ Luck of the Tai

 ~:[CH11 - Day 9]:~ Luck of the Tai

There was a little delay on eating our tai fish this year. We've actually had it since the new year, but waited to grill it up until today. The tai fish (red sea bream) is associated with the word medetai and was a very precious seafood and has a history as being seen as a good luck food. On a day where I worked through the day and caught up on grading, I felt a bit of relaxation and simply lucky to be able to have time to breathe and catch up on things that I had to put aside. I probably could have been a little more productive, but also reserved some me time and that is important to not sacrifice sometimes and I felt lucky to have the ability to set aside this kind of time. While luck is not always important in helping to have things to work for us, it couldn't hurt. I hope that 2022 can bring us the luck that we hope for, as the past few have been quite the challenge. May we have the luck of the tai on our side. Akemashite omedetou gozaimasu.

~:[CH11 - Day 8]:~ On Fire

 
~:[CH11 - Day 8]:~ On Fire

Is the fire out within us? As I watched the flame go, I wondered if the sputtering flame was like our lives. At times, the flame engulfed the food and at other times, it sputtered. I noticed that at certain parts, it flamed up more and made me parallel something like this to our passion in our lives. As we face these difficult times, how do we keep the flame of passion within us burning? Do we have to target certain areas or is there a way we can get that surge of passion wherever we aim? Getting a chance to step out for a bit after a week of worked filled ours in my chair felt nice, but it also was a time of reflection as my mind wandered into this deeper area of thought within us that many of us have faced. As we question so many things in our lives and we go through our ups and downs, let's aim to keep that passion burning within us so that we don't lose the flame so important in our lives. It's easy for difficult times to extinguish that passion, but we must figure out a way to get that flame to hit those spots that will help our passion burn in full force once again. 

~:[CH11 - Day 7]:~ Post Deadline

 
~:[CH11 - Day 7]:~ Post Deadline

After reaching my deadline with a few hours to spare, I smiled. Going back to Thanksgiving, I have been working on and off to finish everything up since then. During the break, I took three days away from everything, but for the most part, I had my eyes glued to my laptop, designing, sorting, editing and planning. It wasn't the way I wanted to spend my break, but it was necessary to meet the deadline, especially when there were a few snags along the way. I've always been someone who tried to plan ahead and luckily, that routine helped me get everything done in time. All I wanted to do today was nothing. I didn't want to think much, I wanted to rest, and wanted to find something that I wanted to do. Of course there was the wrap up of distributing things people didn't pick up as well as this and that, however, it was a day where I just sat back and gave myself the mental break I needed. I rarely eat fast food nowadays, however, today, I stopped by Del Taco, after doing a quick errand, I got home, put on my headphones and turned away from my to-do list and focused on my "not-to-do" list. It always feels great when you meet that deadline, but even better to rest after that deadline. Tonight I shall rest and sleep early, as it's time to go to sleep without a major deadline on my mind. 

~:[CH11 - Day 6]:~ Weathering the Storm

 
~:[CH11 - Day 6]:~ Weathering the Storm 

Our theme this year for cross country was Weathering the Storm and our start to 2022 seems like it's something we need to continue to do. It was hard to watch last year's class miss out on so much and was glad that this year's class had more normalcy. As I watched the final draft of the video, I was happy as to how much we were able to do over the course of these restricted times. While we do not know what the future will hold, more than anything, we can always use the support of each other to make it through. I think one of the keys is balance, allowing yourself to do what you want to do, but also balancing it with what you need to do. Finding that balance is definitely key, especially when you are working with other people. While it wasn't always perfect, that balance is what kept our season afloat. We can already expect that we will hit rough patch, not only related to COVID, but also in our own lives and it's easy to isolate yourself and let life storm over your life, overwhelming you in all aspects. However, if you truly want to take a stride forward, surround yourself with those who will come with the shelter you need and walk stride-for-stride with you and you, be ready to help them as well. Our days will never always be blue skies and sunshine, but at least when we find ourselves in the storms of life, we'll be able to find someone to keep us moving until we find those blue skies once again.