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.
Thursday, November 18, 2010
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.
Monday, August 23, 2010
ultra food coma and update
i need to stop hanging out with friends on the weekend. this is because my time with friends inevitably turns into my time with large quantities of unhealthy (and delicious) food. if i just stayed home all the time, i would probably be skinny. and not in the middle of the worlds most intense food coma right now.
that being said, i'd rather be fat and happy than skinny and lonely. my life is filled with such complex dilemmas.
other happenings:
that being said, i'd rather be fat and happy than skinny and lonely. my life is filled with such complex dilemmas.
other happenings:
- as i'm writing this, the first wave of college students have started school again. now i can laugh while they study and write papers and rack up debt up to their ears. its only fair after being miserable this summer; having to wake up at 5:30 while everyone else stayed up late and woke up around 3 everyday. oh, how the tables have turned. enjoy your exams, suckas!
- the timothy retreat was an absolute blast. it's amazing to see just how much everyone has grown and matured within the last year. even though sometimes i wish they'd mature faster, it helps to realize they're just going through the same process that i so awkwardly struggled through just a short time ago. and i'm not exactly "mature" either, so what are you even complaining about, dude? (i constantly have to remind myself to not take myself too seriously, or else i end up making myself look foolish)
- on a related note, this coming fall, i will be charged with the task of teaching the rising 6th grade class. not an easy challenge, but one i will relish (i think). i asked my mom how to approach it and she said something very wise, "discipline without relationship incites rebellion." the kids have to know i care about them and love them, or else they won't respond to anything i tell them. what gives me the right to barge into their class and set up a list of rules for them to follow if they don't even know who i am? we'll see what happens.
- my dumb computer broke, so i'm going to the store to get one today. somewhere in tysons corner, there is a brand new macbook pro with my name on it. yes, i am going over to the dark side. i can't resist the multitouch track pad and the overall shininess. i'm afraid i am too easily enamored with style over substance (in many areas of my life) and i will pay way too much for it. but this has both, so it's a little better right? still extremely expensive.
Wednesday, August 11, 2010
inside my stomach....
...there is a war being fought between a medium #6 from wendy's, a cup of frozen yogurt (with toppings), and a platoon of mcdonald's chicken nuggets.
this won't end well.
(a visual interpretation)
this won't end well.
(a visual interpretation)
Saturday, August 7, 2010
IRON CHEF
I wish we did cool things like this when I was in timothy... (watch in HD)
The vid is pretty long, but amusing. Honestly, I was expecting inedible food from the kids, but they continue to surprise me. Each dish was pretty tasty, which is more than I can say about some of my cooking endeavors. Our team made the "Southwest chipotle bbq chicken burrito with coleslaw filling." What a mouthful, literally. Although it looked pretty plain, we ended up tying for first place (in the initial tabulation) only to lose by the judges final decision.
I was extremely proud of my group though. They were all good sports and all got their hands dirty while working as a team. I technically couldn't help, so I was just running around, getting things from the kitchen and telling them what to do. I felt like a stressed out mom.
A typical exchange in our corner of kitchen stadium went something like this...
me : "You! Grill the chicken!"
me: "You guys, cut the veggies!"
me: "Who took all the knives?!"
me: "HEY! Watch the chicken, its burning!!"
everyone else: (whimpering) "yes master"
As much as I was proud of the kids, I was also a little impressed with myself. I mean this in the humblest way, becase I've never cooked anything in my life other than popcorn and microwave pizza - most of the time, burnt popcorn and still cold microwave pizza. Maybe I should branch out now that I know I can at least make "Southwest chipotle bbq chicken burritos with coleslaw filling."
Anyone wanna take cooking lessons w/ me?
The vid is pretty long, but amusing. Honestly, I was expecting inedible food from the kids, but they continue to surprise me. Each dish was pretty tasty, which is more than I can say about some of my cooking endeavors. Our team made the "Southwest chipotle bbq chicken burrito with coleslaw filling." What a mouthful, literally. Although it looked pretty plain, we ended up tying for first place (in the initial tabulation) only to lose by the judges final decision.
I was extremely proud of my group though. They were all good sports and all got their hands dirty while working as a team. I technically couldn't help, so I was just running around, getting things from the kitchen and telling them what to do. I felt like a stressed out mom.
A typical exchange in our corner of kitchen stadium went something like this...
me : "You! Grill the chicken!"
me: "You guys, cut the veggies!"
me: "Who took all the knives?!"
me: "HEY! Watch the chicken, its burning!!"
everyone else: (whimpering) "yes master"
As much as I was proud of the kids, I was also a little impressed with myself. I mean this in the humblest way, becase I've never cooked anything in my life other than popcorn and microwave pizza - most of the time, burnt popcorn and still cold microwave pizza. Maybe I should branch out now that I know I can at least make "Southwest chipotle bbq chicken burritos with coleslaw filling."
Anyone wanna take cooking lessons w/ me?
Monday, August 2, 2010
eventful weekend
i turned 22 over the weekend. it feels the same as 21, which felt the same as 20, which felt the same as 19, etc. so, although my legal age is 22, my mental age is still hovering somewhere around 6. i still laugh when i hear the word, "fart."
the problem with growing older is that, at some point, people start expecting you to act your age. all of a sudden, it becomes unacceptable for a guy to still enjoy video games or watching cartoons. well, i'm not getting any younger, and spongebob still makes me laugh (and i will probably never tire of killing zombies). seems like my parents forgot to pass on the "growing up" gene. but i'm sure as the rigors of life continue to pile on, my sense of wonderment and carefree attitude will slowly give way to structure and boredom. :(
kinda random, but related, i have 2 cousins who were born on my exact birthday (july 31). its just that one was born 12 years later, and the other was born 20 years later. also, i share a birthday with harry potter. and it's not in november (ahem, jonathan).
today, i took one of the youth kids out to a h.s. parking lot to practice driving for the first time. i was a little nervous, but he handled it like a pro (just like me). only, i found out later that he doesn't actually have his permit yet... so, what we did was very illegal. sigh, you try to do something nice....
the problem with growing older is that, at some point, people start expecting you to act your age. all of a sudden, it becomes unacceptable for a guy to still enjoy video games or watching cartoons. well, i'm not getting any younger, and spongebob still makes me laugh (and i will probably never tire of killing zombies). seems like my parents forgot to pass on the "growing up" gene. but i'm sure as the rigors of life continue to pile on, my sense of wonderment and carefree attitude will slowly give way to structure and boredom. :(
kinda random, but related, i have 2 cousins who were born on my exact birthday (july 31). its just that one was born 12 years later, and the other was born 20 years later. also, i share a birthday with harry potter. and it's not in november (ahem, jonathan).
today, i took one of the youth kids out to a h.s. parking lot to practice driving for the first time. i was a little nervous, but he handled it like a pro (just like me). only, i found out later that he doesn't actually have his permit yet... so, what we did was very illegal. sigh, you try to do something nice....
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