thankful for
1) morning service at the campus town church.
convinced my church/college hoobae (younger friend)
to go to morning service and give me a ride.
the church used to rent a church building in campus but has now moved further away.
met my college church pastor and ate breakfast with him after service.
his vision for campus missions is burning as fiery as ever.
2) zingerman's.
had charlie's burgers for dinner yesterday,
then zingerman's reuben today.
loving it.
3) the career fair experience.
being in the other side of the booth was a valuable experience.
I didn't expect our booth to have such a long line of applicants.
I used to have trouble explaining what I do,
but after saying it for 5 hours,
it is no problem at all.
plus
I got a better grasp at how recruiters look at resumes at job fairs.
4) taxi.
was really tired after the plane trip back,
but I was able to get back home within 30 minutes after landing with a cab.
5) this whole trip.
I was just about to start thinking that
life was getting too routine.
it was just the outside-the-routine event that I needed.
Wednesday, January 30, 2013
Tuesday, January 29, 2013
maps
Google Maps used to have North Korea as a empty, grey field,
but they now have a map,
with street names, building outlines, and transportation stations.
it's not as detailed as, say, the South Korean map,
but it's amazing how much information is there
considering that they did not get to drive around the country taking pictures with their StreetView cars.
but they now have a map,
with street names, building outlines, and transportation stations.
it's not as detailed as, say, the South Korean map,
but it's amazing how much information is there
considering that they did not get to drive around the country taking pictures with their StreetView cars.
1/28
thankful for
1) homecoming opportunities.
got a call from human resources during work
asking if I can fly to Michigan tomorrow on a recruiting trip.
once I got approval from the team,
it was a resounding yes.
it's only a day trip,
but still,
thinking about going back to Ann Arbor is exciting.
2) basic lessons from the small things in life.
had to print something,
went to an office center.
use of computer: 25 cents a minute,
black print: 50 cents a page.
I suddenly got the feeling of
"hm, let's make this a race to see how fast I can print this"
mentality.
as soon as the computer session started,
got to the email page in 10 seconds and
the print page by 15.
keyboard shortcut to print,
then clicked OK button after OK button.
I then realized that I had pressed OK to print in color,
when the whole page was black and white.
color print: 1 dollar a page.
reminded me that it's better to be slow and careful than be fast and clumsy.
1) homecoming opportunities.
got a call from human resources during work
asking if I can fly to Michigan tomorrow on a recruiting trip.
once I got approval from the team,
it was a resounding yes.
it's only a day trip,
but still,
thinking about going back to Ann Arbor is exciting.
2) basic lessons from the small things in life.
had to print something,
went to an office center.
use of computer: 25 cents a minute,
black print: 50 cents a page.
I suddenly got the feeling of
"hm, let's make this a race to see how fast I can print this"
mentality.
as soon as the computer session started,
got to the email page in 10 seconds and
the print page by 15.
keyboard shortcut to print,
then clicked OK button after OK button.
I then realized that I had pressed OK to print in color,
when the whole page was black and white.
color print: 1 dollar a page.
reminded me that it's better to be slow and careful than be fast and clumsy.
Monday, January 28, 2013
1/27
thankful for
1) coffee.
man, I'm starting to think I'm getting too reliant on coffee,
but it does its job so well..
2) english service.
church has been holding english services once a month.
even with the pastor's heavy accent,
I'd have to say the Word is the Word.
great message about making choices in life--
with God, we should not fear.
1) coffee.
man, I'm starting to think I'm getting too reliant on coffee,
but it does its job so well..
2) english service.
church has been holding english services once a month.
even with the pastor's heavy accent,
I'd have to say the Word is the Word.
great message about making choices in life--
with God, we should not fear.
Sunday, January 27, 2013
Saturday, January 26, 2013
Friday, January 25, 2013
watsi
start-up companies come and go,
but I hope this continues on.
https://watsi.org/
they're a non-profit start-up that helps individuals in third-world countries get the funding needed for medical procedures that they need.
it's arguable that this is not something new--
putting pictures and information about specific individuals who are in need
has been used by charity organizations in the past,
and some have criticized it as a scheme to earn donations.
with that said,
what made me feel that this start-up is different
what made me feel that this start-up is different
is their approach to transparency--
they are willing and able to show that 100% of the donations do go to its intended purpose.
they currently have a public spreadsheet that shows the hospital/doctor/organization in charge of the individual's treatment
and a proof of transaction of funds once the donation is made.
having Y Combinator support puts more faith in their system,
and it will be nice to see more people coming up with fresh ways to use technology to help others.
1/24
thankful for
1) music performances.
watched a quartet play in Carnegie Hall,
not the main hall, but one of the recital halls.
they were Korean musicians
called the Novus Quartet.
it was visible they played with their hearts.
2) dinner with church hyung.
had an impromptu dinner meeting.
talked about programming, pretty much,
and that's always good.
Thursday, January 24, 2013
1/23
thankful for
1) scarf and gloves.
lifesavers on a day like today.
first time this winter I had to wear both at the same time.
cold enough to just want to go straight home after work.
2) that Daft Punk song.
keep getting the order wrong,
"harder stronger better faster"?
--just looked it up,
"harder better faster stronger"
anyways,
suddenly remembered it while working
and it did wonders to pump me up to do some work.
1) scarf and gloves.
lifesavers on a day like today.
first time this winter I had to wear both at the same time.
cold enough to just want to go straight home after work.
2) that Daft Punk song.
keep getting the order wrong,
"harder stronger better faster"?
--just looked it up,
"harder better faster stronger"
anyways,
suddenly remembered it while working
and it did wonders to pump me up to do some work.
Tuesday, January 22, 2013
1/22
thankful for
1) a coat to keep warm.
it got really cold today.
I have to admit my coat was not thick enough for the job,
but I'm thankful with what I have.
2) leftovers.
it was too cold to go grocery shopping,
but thankfully there were leftovers from yesterday's feast,
and it was as good as it was yesterday.
1) a coat to keep warm.
it got really cold today.
I have to admit my coat was not thick enough for the job,
but I'm thankful with what I have.
2) leftovers.
it was too cold to go grocery shopping,
but thankfully there were leftovers from yesterday's feast,
and it was as good as it was yesterday.
1/21
thankful for
1) day of rest.
body clock still knew it was a weekday
so I woke up at 8 am without the clock telling me.
I had to log in remotely to the company computer in the morning
just to make sure today was indeed a holiday.
2) one last college moment.
sitting in front of the TV playing Halo with the guys
before Ed left for the airport.
3) the holiday feast.
praise team people gathered and ate.
the people from the team prepared the food,
and it was delicious.
it was a great time to bond.
1) day of rest.
body clock still knew it was a weekday
so I woke up at 8 am without the clock telling me.
I had to log in remotely to the company computer in the morning
just to make sure today was indeed a holiday.
2) one last college moment.
sitting in front of the TV playing Halo with the guys
before Ed left for the airport.
3) the holiday feast.
praise team people gathered and ate.
the people from the team prepared the food,
and it was delicious.
it was a great time to bond.
Monday, January 21, 2013
1/20
thankful for
1) alertness during sermon.
my mind was more clear than usual during sermon.
things I have been hearing so far have been telling me to
meditate on the Bible more.
and I really should.
2) more time with friends.
Ed and Humphrey leaves tomorrow,
so we gathered once again.
the main topic seemed to be
about missing the college days.
1) alertness during sermon.
my mind was more clear than usual during sermon.
things I have been hearing so far have been telling me to
meditate on the Bible more.
and I really should.
2) more time with friends.
Ed and Humphrey leaves tomorrow,
so we gathered once again.
the main topic seemed to be
about missing the college days.
Sunday, January 20, 2013
1/19
thankful for
1) fast execution of plans.
was hoping to drop of my shirts to the cleaners before practice,
but I didn't wake up as early as I hoped.
still managed to wash, make myself breakfast/lunch+coffee, and drop off the shirts.
did have to eat in the counter.
2) words of experience from the hyungs.
ate late dinner after practice,
and the hyungs I ate with talked about
things they realize in life,
mostly in terms of faith
and relationship with God.
picked up a thing or two to strive for.
1) fast execution of plans.
was hoping to drop of my shirts to the cleaners before practice,
but I didn't wake up as early as I hoped.
still managed to wash, make myself breakfast/lunch+coffee, and drop off the shirts.
did have to eat in the counter.
2) words of experience from the hyungs.
ate late dinner after practice,
and the hyungs I ate with talked about
things they realize in life,
mostly in terms of faith
and relationship with God.
picked up a thing or two to strive for.
Saturday, January 19, 2013
1/18
thankful for
1) breakfast with the 전도사님.
never ate with him before.
there were other people,
and I had to leave early for work,
but still, felt like finally having done
something that was long due.
2) future planning with friends.
just one of the conversations we had while hanging out.
we did talk about this sometimes during college,
and it was brought up again.
"dude, we should all live in the same neighborhood when we have kids"
"and we should have kids in the same year"
I wonder where everyone will end up when they're settled.
Friday, January 18, 2013
1/17
thankful for
1) relatively healthy teeth.
this is considering that I had been avoiding the dentist
for a long time.
had a checkup/cleaning,
and it seems I do have one cavity,
but nothing too serious.
the dentist in charge was good at what he does.
not in procedural skills,
as all dentists should be good in that part,
but in dealing with patients.
his manner of talking
made me comfortable--
if he had told me that I had cancer and only four months to live,
I would have taken it well and said "ah, I'll do what I can with four months"
2) visiting friends.
Ed's in town for the long weekend,
and the Michigan guys gathered once again.
second-hand smoking and all.
doesn't change.
Humphrey's coming tomorrow.
along with church, it's going to be a packed weekend.
1) relatively healthy teeth.
this is considering that I had been avoiding the dentist
for a long time.
had a checkup/cleaning,
and it seems I do have one cavity,
but nothing too serious.
the dentist in charge was good at what he does.
not in procedural skills,
as all dentists should be good in that part,
but in dealing with patients.
his manner of talking
made me comfortable--
if he had told me that I had cancer and only four months to live,
I would have taken it well and said "ah, I'll do what I can with four months"
2) visiting friends.
Ed's in town for the long weekend,
and the Michigan guys gathered once again.
second-hand smoking and all.
doesn't change.
Humphrey's coming tomorrow.
along with church, it's going to be a packed weekend.
Thursday, January 17, 2013
1/16
thankful for
1) Dad.
as far as I can remember,
he always had something to teach me/talk to me about during dinner.
whether it was about the history of Korea,
how some device/object was made/invented/came to be,
current/past social issues,
math..
he quenched my curiosities
and fostered my interest in learning.
not to mention how much he loves me.
happy birthday Dad,
I have a sure feeling that you gave up a lot for me,
but I got your back now.
2) motivation.
md of the team told me I've been good with communicating
during my rotation in the team.
let's keep it up.
1) Dad.
as far as I can remember,
he always had something to teach me/talk to me about during dinner.
whether it was about the history of Korea,
how some device/object was made/invented/came to be,
current/past social issues,
math..
he quenched my curiosities
and fostered my interest in learning.
not to mention how much he loves me.
happy birthday Dad,
I have a sure feeling that you gave up a lot for me,
but I got your back now.
2) motivation.
md of the team told me I've been good with communicating
during my rotation in the team.
let's keep it up.
Tuesday, January 15, 2013
1/15
thankful for
1) a big brother.
we fought a lot when we're young,
but I realize that if you weren't there,
I would have bothered my friends the same way.
then who knows,
I might not have had friends.
it was your decision to go to Korea
that I was able to come here
and be where I am right now.
back then,
I was naively thinking that
mom and dad can send both of us abroad
and wondered why you chose to go back.
happy birthday 형,
and congrats with graduation and the awesome job!
2) having done college club activities.
watched "Pitch Perfect",
a movie about collegiate a cappella.
taking out the corny "aca-" suffixed words they used
(and of course, everything was exaggerated to an extent),
a lot of the things they did were similar enough to what I went through
during my time with the GMen.
ICCAs were definitely not that super-hyped up when I was there though.
reminisced while watching.
1) a big brother.
we fought a lot when we're young,
but I realize that if you weren't there,
I would have bothered my friends the same way.
then who knows,
I might not have had friends.
it was your decision to go to Korea
that I was able to come here
and be where I am right now.
back then,
I was naively thinking that
mom and dad can send both of us abroad
and wondered why you chose to go back.
happy birthday 형,
and congrats with graduation and the awesome job!
2) having done college club activities.
watched "Pitch Perfect",
a movie about collegiate a cappella.
taking out the corny "aca-" suffixed words they used
(and of course, everything was exaggerated to an extent),
a lot of the things they did were similar enough to what I went through
during my time with the GMen.
ICCAs were definitely not that super-hyped up when I was there though.
reminisced while watching.
1/14
thankful for
1) reaching my daily work goal.
told myself I'm going to finish a certain task,
but got quite stuck sometime in the beginning.
the actual heavy-lifting was done,
and the remaining work was just a front-end visual change,
but the specific design request given was
not normal.
it was like going through a maze,
and as I ventured deeper and deeper into a solution,
I was starting to worry it might reach a dead end.
(I was extending objects
and overriding methods from swing libraries to try to find a solution)
consulted with my manager towards the end of the day
and together reached a simpler solution.
did get out of work late,
but the goal was reached,
therefore satisfied.
2) "Argo"
movies are starting to take the place of food thankfuls.
a movie about the Iran hostage crisis in 1980,
the plot is about the US government's plan to repatriate
6 US embassy workers who were able to
avoid capture during the Iranian revolution.
the "best bad plan" was to disguise the people
as a film location search crew.
it wasn't too much action,
but the suspense was very well-executed.
towards the end I was on my toes
saying "comeoncomeoncomeon"
1) reaching my daily work goal.
told myself I'm going to finish a certain task,
but got quite stuck sometime in the beginning.
the actual heavy-lifting was done,
and the remaining work was just a front-end visual change,
but the specific design request given was
not normal.
it was like going through a maze,
and as I ventured deeper and deeper into a solution,
I was starting to worry it might reach a dead end.
(I was extending objects
and overriding methods from swing libraries to try to find a solution)
consulted with my manager towards the end of the day
and together reached a simpler solution.
did get out of work late,
but the goal was reached,
therefore satisfied.
2) "Argo"
movies are starting to take the place of food thankfuls.
a movie about the Iran hostage crisis in 1980,
the plot is about the US government's plan to repatriate
6 US embassy workers who were able to
avoid capture during the Iranian revolution.
the "best bad plan" was to disguise the people
as a film location search crew.
it wasn't too much action,
but the suspense was very well-executed.
towards the end I was on my toes
saying "comeoncomeoncomeon"
Monday, January 14, 2013
1/13
thankful for
1) full recovery.
woke up,
and it was like a new body.
6 years of living away from home
really made the body make quick recoveries.
2) having something laugh about.
watched "무한도전" since I heard it was about
them performing in Times Square with Psy for New Years.
I couldn't stop laughing when they were talking with MC Hammer.
유재석 calling MC Hammer his "cousin" ("you're my cousin")
and 노홍철 calling himself MC Hammer's "dog" ("I'm your dog")
can interpret to something different than the literal meaning,
also,
when MC Hammer called 유재석 "the yellow guy",
of course it was in context of his music video outfit,
but yeah, by itself it can mean other things.
I don't know if these were intended,
but I was laughing hard.
3) having time for a nap.
came back home early enough to consider taking a nap.
I don't think I had that option for a while.
Sunday, January 13, 2013
1/12
thankful for
1) that "gotta do this" mentality.
woke up feeling weak.
not that muscle-aching feeling,
but more towards the bone.
I have admit,
heading out to practice was miserable.
but I signed up for this.
2) feeling your body feeling better.
maybe it was the dinner forced down myself,
or that pathetic attempt at lying down on folding chairs,
or maybe somebody prayed.
by the end of practice,
I was actually feeling much better.
3) "The Dark Knight"
the second of the trilogy.
I watched it while reading the script,
and goodness,
missed so many things when I watched it when it came out.
a brilliant movie.
the Joker's view on anarchy is frightening
yet reminded me that it is more than possible
that people with such minds exist.
1) that "gotta do this" mentality.
woke up feeling weak.
not that muscle-aching feeling,
but more towards the bone.
I have admit,
heading out to practice was miserable.
but I signed up for this.
2) feeling your body feeling better.
maybe it was the dinner forced down myself,
or that pathetic attempt at lying down on folding chairs,
or maybe somebody prayed.
by the end of practice,
I was actually feeling much better.
3) "The Dark Knight"
the second of the trilogy.
I watched it while reading the script,
and goodness,
missed so many things when I watched it when it came out.
a brilliant movie.
the Joker's view on anarchy is frightening
yet reminded me that it is more than possible
that people with such minds exist.
Saturday, January 12, 2013
I'm sorry I didn't stop by to tell you
http://www.michigandaily.com/news/engineering-lecturer-dies-53-cancer
my first engineering professor.
for a whole semester,
his lectures were filled with case studies,
class activities, and projects
that honestly,
didn't seem to add up at that time.
"just random general engineering stuff" was my interpretation of the class--
I mean, the class was called "introduction to engineering."
and the activities were ridiculously hard to do--
I don't think we were able to successfully finish any of them.
it was only until the last lecture that he explained it to us.
the theme of this class was
that failure happens.
we learned about it in the case studies,
and we felt it first-hand during our projects.
failures in our field can not only be costly,
but can endanger the lives of many.
he made us understand that from the start
and prepared us to face it when it comes.
despite having a class size in the hundreds,
he knew all our names.
when I couldn't go home for Thanksgiving
and had nowhere to eat because all the restaurants and cafeterias were closed,
he invited me and others in the same situation to his home
for his family's Thanksgiving dinner.
when I became a peer mentor for that same class,
he instilled in us his passion to teach.
I was meaning to stop by your office to thank you before I left school for graduation,
but for some reason I thought that I should wait until I accomplished something outside of school,
tell you how I applied the things we learned in real life.
then I did visit school once,
but then I was slightly embarrassed that I was not working in a true engineering career.
I thought I'd have time.
when you quoted "scientists discover the world that exists; engineers create the world that never was,"
you assured me that engineering is the path I should take.
you made me realize that engineering is not just a skill to learn
but a discipline--a way of life.
thank you.
Friday, January 11, 2013
1/10
thankful for
1) health.
as this article will show,
currently there is an unusually big outbreak of the flu.
realizing this made me start worrying for a second,
thoughts of germ-a-phobia making a brief entrance,
but thought the right mindset would be to be thankful that I'm well.
2) interesting outcomes in technology.
Watson is the name of an artificial intelligence created by IBM
that was able to beat humans in Jeopardy.
when I read an article about how Watson,
after learning the urban dictionary (dictionary of slangs),
started swearing casually,
the thought of it made me laugh and be amazed at the same time.
3) the feeling that I'm not bound to work.
today was one of those days
where, around the time to leave work,
I was thinking,
"no one's going to stop me from leaving,
but I'll just work a little more, just because"
1) health.
as this article will show,
currently there is an unusually big outbreak of the flu.
realizing this made me start worrying for a second,
thoughts of germ-a-phobia making a brief entrance,
but thought the right mindset would be to be thankful that I'm well.
2) interesting outcomes in technology.
Watson is the name of an artificial intelligence created by IBM
that was able to beat humans in Jeopardy.
when I read an article about how Watson,
after learning the urban dictionary (dictionary of slangs),
started swearing casually,
the thought of it made me laugh and be amazed at the same time.
3) the feeling that I'm not bound to work.
today was one of those days
where, around the time to leave work,
I was thinking,
"no one's going to stop me from leaving,
but I'll just work a little more, just because"
Thursday, January 10, 2013
1/9
thankful for
1) knowing my work.
it feels good when your manager responds
"ah, I get what you're doing now--cool."
after I was able to explain to him my fix to a problem.
2) cooking.
cooked something new,
aglio e olio.
still having trouble pronouncing it.
I've never tried it before,
but it must taste like whatever I made,
because it was good.
was pretty proud of myself.
3) feeling something after watching a movie.
wasn't going to watch a movie,
but I was looking through some files
and found a couple of movies that were given to me
to watch during the flight back to New York.
ended up not watching any,
so thought I'd watch one anyway.
Between Calm and Passion
seems to be the working English title.
I've heard about the plot,
which significantly helped me understand
what was happening in the earlier parts of the movie.
I honestly began watching not expecting much
(read: really wasn't in the mood for watching a movie)
but as I reached the end,
I felt something.
my head keeps calling it "a sad relief"--
a slap and then a hug right after.
1) knowing my work.
it feels good when your manager responds
"ah, I get what you're doing now--cool."
after I was able to explain to him my fix to a problem.
2) cooking.
cooked something new,
aglio e olio.
still having trouble pronouncing it.
I've never tried it before,
but it must taste like whatever I made,
because it was good.
was pretty proud of myself.
3) feeling something after watching a movie.
wasn't going to watch a movie,
but I was looking through some files
and found a couple of movies that were given to me
to watch during the flight back to New York.
ended up not watching any,
so thought I'd watch one anyway.
Between Calm and Passion
seems to be the working English title.
I've heard about the plot,
which significantly helped me understand
what was happening in the earlier parts of the movie.
I honestly began watching not expecting much
(read: really wasn't in the mood for watching a movie)
but as I reached the end,
I felt something.
my head keeps calling it "a sad relief"--
a slap and then a hug right after.
Wednesday, January 9, 2013
1/8
thankful for
1) good year-end review.
had the one-on-one talk with the manager before he left,
but today I got the formal report.
let's keep doing my best.
2) friendly barbers.
went to the barber shop I went to last time.
I think I said they might be Jewish,
but now I'm pretty sure they're not.
they speak Russian,
and I noticed today that they have a table with
bottles of vodka in one corner of the shop.
nice.
shop is call "on the mark",
Mark being one of the barbers,
and I never had him to cut my hair until today.
although he never cut my hair,
he remembered me,
"like last time?"
kept mentioning how I have a dense layer of hair,
joking around
and making body motions implying that his arms are falling off.
good atmosphere in that sense.
3) that wine I got yesterday.
it's actually tasting better now,
I guess I'm used to it.
1) good year-end review.
had the one-on-one talk with the manager before he left,
but today I got the formal report.
let's keep doing my best.
2) friendly barbers.
went to the barber shop I went to last time.
I think I said they might be Jewish,
but now I'm pretty sure they're not.
they speak Russian,
and I noticed today that they have a table with
bottles of vodka in one corner of the shop.
nice.
shop is call "on the mark",
Mark being one of the barbers,
and I never had him to cut my hair until today.
although he never cut my hair,
he remembered me,
"like last time?"
kept mentioning how I have a dense layer of hair,
joking around
and making body motions implying that his arms are falling off.
good atmosphere in that sense.
3) that wine I got yesterday.
it's actually tasting better now,
I guess I'm used to it.
Tuesday, January 8, 2013
1/7
thankful for
1) delivery of package I forgot about.
it's like getting a present,
only it was me who ordered it and forgot.
Michigan zipper hoodie, yay!
2) small talks.
people came by my office towards the end of the day
and started talking to me,
first a team member from my previous rotation
then my Michigan buddy.
former team member talked about the Caribbeans,
having gone there last week.
St. Martin--
for some reason I want to go there.
3) wine.
haven't bought/drank wine
since November.
manager suggested trying a
particular wine before leaving,
so I decided to see if the shop had it.
I did find it,
but different year.
a bordeaux,
drier than the ones I've normally had tried.
let's see if I get used to it.
1) delivery of package I forgot about.
it's like getting a present,
only it was me who ordered it and forgot.
Michigan zipper hoodie, yay!
2) small talks.
people came by my office towards the end of the day
and started talking to me,
first a team member from my previous rotation
then my Michigan buddy.
former team member talked about the Caribbeans,
having gone there last week.
St. Martin--
for some reason I want to go there.
3) wine.
haven't bought/drank wine
since November.
manager suggested trying a
particular wine before leaving,
so I decided to see if the shop had it.
I did find it,
but different year.
a bordeaux,
drier than the ones I've normally had tried.
let's see if I get used to it.
Monday, January 7, 2013
1/6
thankful for
1) singing praise.
kept my guitar in a hyung's car after saturday practice,
but he wasn't able to come to church in time due to circumstances.
I kept my place and sang.
guitar/bass/keyboard are all positioned outside of stage,
so no one would notice.
it was great to sing praise
without worrying about which note to hit.
2) a great friend.
he's going on vacation for a couple of months.
we've been such close friends that people are asking me
what I'm going to do without him.
I guess it'll be a time to understand how great a friend he is.
the vacuum will be felt.
3) participating in the Christmas service.
the participants of the play had a (late) after-party.
they ate (I joined after that),
and we spent time talking
and watching a recording of our play.
we also bade farewell to the hyung
who directed the play,
since he will be leaving for Korea in a few days.
he shared his prayer requests,
and we sent him off with a group prayer.
1) singing praise.
kept my guitar in a hyung's car after saturday practice,
but he wasn't able to come to church in time due to circumstances.
I kept my place and sang.
guitar/bass/keyboard are all positioned outside of stage,
so no one would notice.
it was great to sing praise
without worrying about which note to hit.
2) a great friend.
he's going on vacation for a couple of months.
we've been such close friends that people are asking me
what I'm going to do without him.
I guess it'll be a time to understand how great a friend he is.
the vacuum will be felt.
3) participating in the Christmas service.
the participants of the play had a (late) after-party.
they ate (I joined after that),
and we spent time talking
and watching a recording of our play.
we also bade farewell to the hyung
who directed the play,
since he will be leaving for Korea in a few days.
he shared his prayer requests,
and we sent him off with a group prayer.
Sunday, January 6, 2013
1/5
thankful for
1) free contact lens solutions.
picked up my contact lens prescription,
and they gave me a bag full of contact lens solution.
and it was the brand I use.
yay.
2) not feeling rushed to go to a place.
left home early to go to practice,
sunny day,
no need to think about getting there late.
that feeling of
"should I grab a cup of coffee before going in?"
3) a great leader.
the praise team leader talks to us after practice,
and his honest talks to us
are like the words of a father.
1) free contact lens solutions.
picked up my contact lens prescription,
and they gave me a bag full of contact lens solution.
and it was the brand I use.
yay.
2) not feeling rushed to go to a place.
left home early to go to practice,
sunny day,
no need to think about getting there late.
that feeling of
"should I grab a cup of coffee before going in?"
3) a great leader.
the praise team leader talks to us after practice,
and his honest talks to us
are like the words of a father.
Saturday, January 5, 2013
1/4
thankful for
1) french cuisine.
team went to a french restaurant during lunch
for my manager's long absence to san francisco.
the place we went to had just a prix fixe menu,
and it was an interesting experience.
most notable was the appetizer,
which were baskets of fruits and vegetables
and a racks of sausages that the whole table shared
along with bread, mustard, and pate.
2) nespresso.
the kitchens in some of the floors of the office
have a nespresso machine.
we do have to bring our own pods,
and some people on the team do.
the coffee from the machine is pretty good.
much better than the normal k-cup coffee.
3) a pint with the manager.
manager was late to get off work,
but I waited around to wish him a good time in san francisco,
being that this will be the last time I will physically see him while in this rotation.
once he was done,
went to a bar and drank a pint of beer while talking.
life, faith, sports, and work.
gave me some career advice while at it.
1) french cuisine.
team went to a french restaurant during lunch
for my manager's long absence to san francisco.
the place we went to had just a prix fixe menu,
and it was an interesting experience.
most notable was the appetizer,
which were baskets of fruits and vegetables
and a racks of sausages that the whole table shared
along with bread, mustard, and pate.
2) nespresso.
the kitchens in some of the floors of the office
have a nespresso machine.
we do have to bring our own pods,
and some people on the team do.
the coffee from the machine is pretty good.
much better than the normal k-cup coffee.
3) a pint with the manager.
manager was late to get off work,
but I waited around to wish him a good time in san francisco,
being that this will be the last time I will physically see him while in this rotation.
once he was done,
went to a bar and drank a pint of beer while talking.
life, faith, sports, and work.
gave me some career advice while at it.
Friday, January 4, 2013
1/3
thankful for
1) Korean co-worker at work.
there were three Korean hyungs who came into the company with me when I joined,
and I meet one of them for lunch every now and then.
today was one of the days,
and he is taking all of his vacation days off for this year starting today
to get married.
really happy for him.
2) conversation.
while we did engage in small talk every now and then,
the VP who works beside me and I had never really spoke in a long conversation
despite having sat next to each other for the last 5 months.
I guess that fascinated him,
as he mentioned that and began talking to me.
talked about random things,
but it was a good conversation.
3) places to pray in the middle of the city.
stopped by St. Patrick's Cathedral after work.
as I always say,
not because the location is important,
but it really is a quiet and calm place in the middle of all the cars, pedestrians, and lights.
1) Korean co-worker at work.
there were three Korean hyungs who came into the company with me when I joined,
and I meet one of them for lunch every now and then.
today was one of the days,
and he is taking all of his vacation days off for this year starting today
to get married.
really happy for him.
2) conversation.
while we did engage in small talk every now and then,
the VP who works beside me and I had never really spoke in a long conversation
despite having sat next to each other for the last 5 months.
I guess that fascinated him,
as he mentioned that and began talking to me.
talked about random things,
but it was a good conversation.
3) places to pray in the middle of the city.
stopped by St. Patrick's Cathedral after work.
as I always say,
not because the location is important,
but it really is a quiet and calm place in the middle of all the cars, pedestrians, and lights.
Thursday, January 3, 2013
1/2
thankful for
1) work.
all the rest meant no random bouts of sleepiness,
which meant good concentration.
considering it was the first day of work,
I got some work done.
2) a good manager.
it's feels good when you can be comfortable with your manager,
joking around and all.
but this is the last week I get to be in the same office with him,
as he is going to be in SF until the end of my rotation.
a lot of phone conferences ahead.
3) "Lincoln".
a movie about passing an amendment.
just words.
lobbyists talking congressmen of opposing parties into voting in favor of it,
scenes of debating in the house of representatives.
no action and only little glimpses of the civil war.
but don't get me wrong--
it was really fun to watch.
I would watch c-span if the congressmen today
trash-talked and burned each other like they did in the movie.
and it really substantiated what Lincoln must have gone through
to abolish slavery.
although it is just a movie with the events recreated with assumptions,
it does remind the audience that
abolishing slavery was not a breeze for Lincoln.
finally,
the depiction of his calmness in every situation
was admirable.
1) work.
all the rest meant no random bouts of sleepiness,
which meant good concentration.
considering it was the first day of work,
I got some work done.
2) a good manager.
it's feels good when you can be comfortable with your manager,
joking around and all.
but this is the last week I get to be in the same office with him,
as he is going to be in SF until the end of my rotation.
a lot of phone conferences ahead.
3) "Lincoln".
a movie about passing an amendment.
just words.
lobbyists talking congressmen of opposing parties into voting in favor of it,
scenes of debating in the house of representatives.
no action and only little glimpses of the civil war.
but don't get me wrong--
it was really fun to watch.
I would watch c-span if the congressmen today
trash-talked and burned each other like they did in the movie.
and it really substantiated what Lincoln must have gone through
to abolish slavery.
although it is just a movie with the events recreated with assumptions,
it does remind the audience that
abolishing slavery was not a breeze for Lincoln.
finally,
the depiction of his calmness in every situation
was admirable.
Wednesday, January 2, 2013
1/1
thankful for
1) one more Michigan game.
bowl game versus South Carolina.
unfortunately, we lost,
but it was close enough to say
"I guess it's alright,
and the next season looks promising"
2) vacation.
it was a great week of no work.
had a very enjoyable time.
now back to work and normalcy tomorrow.
3) a new year.
feels no different physically from 2012,
but mentally,
it does feel like I'm at least getting a new set of papers to draw on.
1) one more Michigan game.
bowl game versus South Carolina.
unfortunately, we lost,
but it was close enough to say
"I guess it's alright,
and the next season looks promising"
2) vacation.
it was a great week of no work.
had a very enjoyable time.
now back to work and normalcy tomorrow.
3) a new year.
feels no different physically from 2012,
but mentally,
it does feel like I'm at least getting a new set of papers to draw on.
Tuesday, January 1, 2013
12/31
last day of 2012.
thankful for
1) lunch and talk with friends.
talked about how 2012 was for them
and how 2013 will be.
semi-serious,
and I will pray for them,
2) 24-hour PATH trains.
the trains to New Jersey had been stopping at 10PM for a while
due to Sandy,
but it restored regular service for the New Year.
it felt good to take the train back home.
3) warm room.
entering your room after a long exposure to the cold outside
just feels like heaven.
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