ok, so the last part of my last post wasn't completely true. the sunday after i wrote it, i made my sixth graders make resolutions for the new year, so i jotted a couple down as well.
1. be more proactive - (i tend to keep my resolutions very broad so anything remotely resembling progress toward one is a positive thing). proactivity is something i lack unless i'm extremely motivated or galvanized by a task set before me. i'm too content to just, "let things be." after college ended, i've become more aware of the fact that nothing will probably ever be handed to me again. if i want something, i need to find a way to take it or make it happen. opportunities rarely just present themselves unless i do something first. i think this might be my hardest goal to accomplish, mainly because there's no way of really measuring it.
2. budget my money better - early on, when i first got my job, i made a mint.com account and set up a "budget" for my money. x amount of dollars allocated for food, shopping, gas etc. every month. what i didn't realize was that budgets are hard to keep. i ended up just increasing the amount of money allotted to each category every time i went over budget.
ex. "hm, this says i spent 40 dollars on fast food this month when i should have only spent 25.... i must have under allocated."
after a couple months of doing that, i said, "to heck with it. i'll just wing it" and i've been doing that for the past however many months. my finances aren't in complete shambles or anything, (i pay off my credit card in full every month, tithe, even manage to pay some of my student loan back here and there), but i've realized i am woefully lacking in the area of saving. any money i have left over after all the necessary expenses goes toward food/clothing/gizmos/musical instruments, basically things for my enjoyment and pleasure. i've set a goal of being able to put a down payment on a car by the end of the year, so i need to be saving money. if it keeps going like this, i will be money-less and car-less at year's end.
3. eat healthier/exercise more - pretty self explanatory, but important nonetheless. i've made the decision to eat "just a little bit healthier" for every meal i eat. whether it's substituting a salad for fries at wendy's or skipping out on rice and a tortilla at chipotle (extremely difficult) or just eating less than i usually do, something needs to change every time i eat. i kinda got started on this before the new year began so i hope i can keep it up.
4. build relationships - this one is kinda funny. i wrote it down with my timothy kids in mind, but my kids took it to mean "build relationships with girls." that's all they ever want to talk about. also kind of interesting is that j. birk actually preached about this very topic last thursday night at impact (the emphasis for this semester won't be so much on doing 1000 different activities, but building lasting/deep relationships with those around us). i didn't even realize i had written this down as my #4 until afterward, when i decided to write this blog. kind of neat.
as a result of this, i've decided to try to spend more time with my class. earlier this month, my old 8th grade class got together with our teacher (ms. rachel park) for a dinner. not everyone was there, but enough to make it seem like a reunion. you could tell even though we'd been separated by distance, we were still part of a family. i want that in the future for my kids.
---
so, i guess you could say i'm close to perfect, but not there yet.
Friday, January 7, 2011
Saturday, January 1, 2011
new year
i guess the new year is a good enough reason to update again.
i guess by most accounts, 2010 was a pretty crummy year. economic collapse, unending war/joblessness, various disasters (both natural and man-made), and a pervading sense of doom and gloom seemed to rule the news headlines. it's not that good things didn't happen, it's just that the problems seemed so much bigger. i don't know; maybe that's just how i tend to perceive these sorts of things.
of course, we tend to dwell on the past. it's natural. but fear not, my friends! God makes things new! (thanks p. jamie) i'm not usually one to wax philosophic or even religious in my posts, but this thought really hit me during the message this morning. what a refreshing (and relieving) idea. i'm locking this one up in my mind for 2011.
---
as far as family activities related to this day goes, not much has changed ever since i was a kid. church in the morning, dad's family during the day, mom's fam at night. sae-bae and dduck gook along the way. while not much changes, i'm glad some family traditions have stood the test of time.
one very important thing was different, however. since i'm now "a working man" (as my mom likes to say), i no longer get money for doing sae-bae. while i was just a little bummed about it (not really), it was good to bow to and honor my elders without the financial incentive. it's almost like not getting presents for christmas. you get to reflect on what's really important without any of the distractions. it was funny seeing some of the baby cousins learn the ropes though. bow, mumble something in korean, profit! a few were reluctant at first, but once they figured it out, the change in their attitude was like night and day.
i guess this is one of those "seasons of life" things. one period has ended (my poor un-self-sustaining era), and one has begun (not as poor, a little more self-sustaining). soon, i'll be filling those little bank envelopes with cash and wondering where all the time went. not until i have kids though. so hopefully, not too soon. :)
(for my non-asian readers who have no idea what i'm talking about, koreans get together with family on new year's day to pay respect to elders by bowing and saying something along the lines of "may you be blessed in the new year." it's tradition for the elders to give some cash in exchange. yeah, we're just a little bit materialistic. but we don't put as much of an emphasis on christmas, so i guess we're even.)
---
resolutions? i don't have any. i'm perfect.
i guess by most accounts, 2010 was a pretty crummy year. economic collapse, unending war/joblessness, various disasters (both natural and man-made), and a pervading sense of doom and gloom seemed to rule the news headlines. it's not that good things didn't happen, it's just that the problems seemed so much bigger. i don't know; maybe that's just how i tend to perceive these sorts of things.
of course, we tend to dwell on the past. it's natural. but fear not, my friends! God makes things new! (thanks p. jamie) i'm not usually one to wax philosophic or even religious in my posts, but this thought really hit me during the message this morning. what a refreshing (and relieving) idea. i'm locking this one up in my mind for 2011.
---
as far as family activities related to this day goes, not much has changed ever since i was a kid. church in the morning, dad's family during the day, mom's fam at night. sae-bae and dduck gook along the way. while not much changes, i'm glad some family traditions have stood the test of time.
one very important thing was different, however. since i'm now "a working man" (as my mom likes to say), i no longer get money for doing sae-bae. while i was just a little bummed about it (not really), it was good to bow to and honor my elders without the financial incentive. it's almost like not getting presents for christmas. you get to reflect on what's really important without any of the distractions. it was funny seeing some of the baby cousins learn the ropes though. bow, mumble something in korean, profit! a few were reluctant at first, but once they figured it out, the change in their attitude was like night and day.
i guess this is one of those "seasons of life" things. one period has ended (my poor un-self-sustaining era), and one has begun (not as poor, a little more self-sustaining). soon, i'll be filling those little bank envelopes with cash and wondering where all the time went. not until i have kids though. so hopefully, not too soon. :)
(for my non-asian readers who have no idea what i'm talking about, koreans get together with family on new year's day to pay respect to elders by bowing and saying something along the lines of "may you be blessed in the new year." it's tradition for the elders to give some cash in exchange. yeah, we're just a little bit materialistic. but we don't put as much of an emphasis on christmas, so i guess we're even.)
---
resolutions? i don't have any. i'm perfect.
Thursday, December 16, 2010
sick days
I've missed work the past 3 days due to a cold. In those 3 days, I have...
-woken up past 10am and gone to sleep before 11pm every day. that's about 11 hrs of sleep a night. word.
-beaten at least 3 video games i'd started a while ago but never played to completion
-spent an inordinate amount of time reading blogs/random websites/youtube (my newest thing = food blogs)
-started reading 3 books
-attempted to play the guitar. having to stop every 15 seconds to wipe my nose put an end to that endeavor quickly. side note, being sick makes my voice all gravely and low so its kinda fun to sing. except being sick also makes me cough. pros and cons i guess.
-finished off every half-eaten bag of chips in our pantry (and one slightly suspect half eaten hershey's bar. totally worth it.)
-watched wayyyy too much sportscenter even though nothing ever changes. (it's like a drug. once that intro music starts, it's like a tractor beam for my eyes.)
-not changed out of my pajamas.
-had to schedule a doctor's appt b/c the federal gov't wants a note if you skip work for 3 days or more. wtf man. i thought i was done with school. now i'm gonna be that idiot who wastes the doctor's time (and $20 worth of my insurance copay) all for a stupid cold. i wish i could just go in and say "i need a note. i don't even wanna see the doctor."
-blown (literally) through 2 double sized rolls of charmin ultra. my trashcan is overflowing.
-been bored enough (and had enough time on my hands) to update this thing.
but i'm getting over it. i should be back to normal by tomorrow if not the next day. hooray work. :(
-woken up past 10am and gone to sleep before 11pm every day. that's about 11 hrs of sleep a night. word.
-beaten at least 3 video games i'd started a while ago but never played to completion
-spent an inordinate amount of time reading blogs/random websites/youtube (my newest thing = food blogs)
-started reading 3 books
-attempted to play the guitar. having to stop every 15 seconds to wipe my nose put an end to that endeavor quickly. side note, being sick makes my voice all gravely and low so its kinda fun to sing. except being sick also makes me cough. pros and cons i guess.
-finished off every half-eaten bag of chips in our pantry (and one slightly suspect half eaten hershey's bar. totally worth it.)
-watched wayyyy too much sportscenter even though nothing ever changes. (it's like a drug. once that intro music starts, it's like a tractor beam for my eyes.)
-not changed out of my pajamas.
-had to schedule a doctor's appt b/c the federal gov't wants a note if you skip work for 3 days or more. wtf man. i thought i was done with school. now i'm gonna be that idiot who wastes the doctor's time (and $20 worth of my insurance copay) all for a stupid cold. i wish i could just go in and say "i need a note. i don't even wanna see the doctor."
-blown (literally) through 2 double sized rolls of charmin ultra. my trashcan is overflowing.
-been bored enough (and had enough time on my hands) to update this thing.
but i'm getting over it. i should be back to normal by tomorrow if not the next day. hooray work. :(
Thursday, December 2, 2010
all i want for christmas is....
1. slippers for wearing around the house so i don't have to put on socks (already checked off, i think)
2. wool socks for when i do have to wear socks (possibly checked off)
3. warm leather gloves
4. a pair of hop-along boots and a pistol that shoots
5. dolls that will talk and will go for a walk
6. starbucks' salted caramel hot chocolate (it's like caramel popcorn....but you drink it. yeahhhhhhhh)
7. this lil' guy (watch from 40secs on)
8. a commute that doesn't require me waking up 3 hours before i sit down at my desk. or...
9. tons and tons of snow (enough to cancel work from now until march)
2. wool socks for when i do have to wear socks (possibly checked off)
3. warm leather gloves
4. a pair of hop-along boots and a pistol that shoots
5. dolls that will talk and will go for a walk
6. starbucks' salted caramel hot chocolate (it's like caramel popcorn....but you drink it. yeahhhhhhhh)
7. this lil' guy (watch from 40secs on)
8. a commute that doesn't require me waking up 3 hours before i sit down at my desk. or...
9. tons and tons of snow (enough to cancel work from now until march)
Thursday, November 18, 2010
my mom loves me
when i told her i thought my big head might be a hindrance to getting a girlfriend, she says...
"...don't worry, pretty girls like ugly boys!"
thanks, mom. i love you too.
"...don't worry, pretty girls like ugly boys!"
thanks, mom. i love you too.
Thursday, November 4, 2010
about time i showed this blog some love
after a long hiatus, i've decided to update this thing once more (for real this time). i don't know why i've been so streaky with my updates. let's just overlook my negligence and move on together, shall we?
some things that have been happening:
i started teaching a 6th grade sunday school class (mentioned in this post). although i was a little hesitant at first, the kids are awesome (most of the time) and easy to teach. i think i dodged a bullet because none of them are outwardly rebellious in class and they all seem interested in contributing/making their observations and opinions heard. i think one of the difficult parts of youth ministry is getting kids to open up, especially once they hit high school. from my observations, it seems that sixth graders aren't as self-aware yet, so they don't mind talking at length about whatever comes to mind. to them, everthing is important and must be discussed at length NOW, even if it's woefully off topic. this has a negative side too, of course. i have to keep reminding them to respect each others' opinions and be quiet when others are talking. but i'll take too much talking over none at all.
while teaching has its perks (being a teacher means i get to make the rules), it's weird being in a position of (limited) power. i'm much more comfortable in situations where an organized structure is already set in place and all i have to do is fit in and play nice (being a student or an employee). the burden of leadership is one that i'm not completely familiar or comfortable with yet. sometimes, in class, i kind of zone out and wait for someone to say what we're doing next or give instructions. then i realize that everyone is staring at me. but, i'm getting better at it.
--
recently, i was challenged by a friend to try to go one week without being sarcastic/self-deprecating. it's kind of a weird challenge, but one i brought upon myself after one too many of my comments online may have verged on "mean" territory. so, of course i had to agree. it seemed easy at the time, but let's just say i failed spectacularly. the very next (again, online) conversation i had with someone had me stumbling over my words like a fool. i must have pressed the backspace button more than any other key. in fact, to be honest, by the end of the week i had pretty much forgotten about the challenge and was back to my old ways.
i never realized how much i rely on sarcasm and self-deprecating humor in my day to day conversations. in my mind, it keeps things light and easy going. i hate confrontation/awkwardness so i use occasionally self-deprecating humor (inwardly focused sarcasm?) to defuse potentially awkward situations. also, when i'm comfortable around people, i tend to tease them; most of the time using sarcasm. it may be a guy thing. we rag on each other a lot. sarcasm just helps accomplish that goal, i guess. it's almost never biting or mean spirited (indeed, most of it is very well-intentioned), but man, do i use it a lot. and i can see how it might not be as tolerated among members of the opposite sex.
to be fair, sarcastic comments have a way of losing some of their meaning in translation (esp. online), but i guess that's all the more reason to scale back my usage. i'm sure there is some scientific explanation for why some people are more sarcastic than others. it probably has something to do with it being a coping tool used by some to deal with some psychological deficiency/insecurity blah blah blah. for whatever reason, its a part of my personality. i don't think i'll ever be completely rid of it (nor would i necessarily want to), but i am focusing on being a little more cognizant of what i say and who i say it to. being a little nicer never hurt anyone, right?
--
here, have a picture.
some things that have been happening:
i started teaching a 6th grade sunday school class (mentioned in this post). although i was a little hesitant at first, the kids are awesome (most of the time) and easy to teach. i think i dodged a bullet because none of them are outwardly rebellious in class and they all seem interested in contributing/making their observations and opinions heard. i think one of the difficult parts of youth ministry is getting kids to open up, especially once they hit high school. from my observations, it seems that sixth graders aren't as self-aware yet, so they don't mind talking at length about whatever comes to mind. to them, everthing is important and must be discussed at length NOW, even if it's woefully off topic. this has a negative side too, of course. i have to keep reminding them to respect each others' opinions and be quiet when others are talking. but i'll take too much talking over none at all.
while teaching has its perks (being a teacher means i get to make the rules), it's weird being in a position of (limited) power. i'm much more comfortable in situations where an organized structure is already set in place and all i have to do is fit in and play nice (being a student or an employee). the burden of leadership is one that i'm not completely familiar or comfortable with yet. sometimes, in class, i kind of zone out and wait for someone to say what we're doing next or give instructions. then i realize that everyone is staring at me. but, i'm getting better at it.
--
recently, i was challenged by a friend to try to go one week without being sarcastic/self-deprecating. it's kind of a weird challenge, but one i brought upon myself after one too many of my comments online may have verged on "mean" territory. so, of course i had to agree. it seemed easy at the time, but let's just say i failed spectacularly. the very next (again, online) conversation i had with someone had me stumbling over my words like a fool. i must have pressed the backspace button more than any other key. in fact, to be honest, by the end of the week i had pretty much forgotten about the challenge and was back to my old ways.
i never realized how much i rely on sarcasm and self-deprecating humor in my day to day conversations. in my mind, it keeps things light and easy going. i hate confrontation/awkwardness so i use occasionally self-deprecating humor (inwardly focused sarcasm?) to defuse potentially awkward situations. also, when i'm comfortable around people, i tend to tease them; most of the time using sarcasm. it may be a guy thing. we rag on each other a lot. sarcasm just helps accomplish that goal, i guess. it's almost never biting or mean spirited (indeed, most of it is very well-intentioned), but man, do i use it a lot. and i can see how it might not be as tolerated among members of the opposite sex.
to be fair, sarcastic comments have a way of losing some of their meaning in translation (esp. online), but i guess that's all the more reason to scale back my usage. i'm sure there is some scientific explanation for why some people are more sarcastic than others. it probably has something to do with it being a coping tool used by some to deal with some psychological deficiency/insecurity blah blah blah. for whatever reason, its a part of my personality. i don't think i'll ever be completely rid of it (nor would i necessarily want to), but i am focusing on being a little more cognizant of what i say and who i say it to. being a little nicer never hurt anyone, right?
--
here, have a picture.
my class
Saturday, October 30, 2010
Fall Festival 2010
some pics.
fruit ninja. or healthy terrorist?
Reina the penguin
trash boy. seriously.
hannah montana.
my cousin's kid, chloe. she was unhappy with having to wear the hood.
caleb the viking.
bumblebee twins.
those stripes are were individually taped on by hannah kang's mom.
i don't know if i'll ever love my kids that much.
this was the most normal pose he'd let me take a picture of him with.
more cousins' kids.
constipated dorothy and hitler sheriff.
maybe more pics tomorrow if i decide to go to md campus' fall festival.
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