Fantasy Graduation

In the midst of all the graduations going on, I couldn't help but reflect on my own.  So, yes I will admit that I fantasized about my graduation ceremony.

A little dramatic, but I feel like it's a bit comedic.  I imagined myself draped with all the honor cords available to students, confidently walking up to the podium.  At the podium, announce into the mike that I am dedicating this diploma to my father.  We would then embrace in a long hug after the ceremony.

Here's how it actually went:
I was discharged from the hospital 2 days before the main graduation ceremony.  Knowing I would be too weak to really enjoy the main ceremony, I invited  family and a few close friends to my Phi Beta Kappa initiation ceremony because it was smaller and more intimate.  After having had no physical exercise for two weeks, I hobbled around and was very sensitive to air quality (basically if I saw someone smoking, I would hobble as fast as I could away and put a hand over my mouth).  Sitting down hurt, walking hurt.  Standing still was the only position in which  I felt comfortable.  Not knowing what was going on and faking a smile, I proceeded to go through the ceremony and even managed to give a small parting speech at the mike.  But just being there was draining.  Friends who were being inducted with me asked me how I was doing and offered encouragement.  However, I wasn't very good in my responses or even accepting encouragement.  I wanted it to seem as though I was perfectly alright and in excellent condition.  The hard thing was that a lot of people who had come for me didn't know about my condition (friends of my parents). So I had to endure a lot of hard hugs and strange glances from them when I winced from physical touch.  Even when we went to dinner I didn't have the energy to enjoy it, and just wanted to go home and rest.

Even the next day at the main ceremony I had no idea what was going on.  I barely managed to find my graduation gown with nothing on it, and struggled to enjoy the moment.  Afterwards, in the pictures I forced myself to smile, but again, was just drained and wanted to go home.

Man, definitely not the graduation ceremony I had imagined.

Despite it all, I am grateful that it went exactly the way it did.  To God be the glory.

Studying habits in my childhood

For the past few years I've had quite a few parents approach me to teach them on the art of studying.  I guess some people assume a particular way of being raised will foster excellence in academia.

So, I will share the secret of my youth.

I never studied.  I don't even remember ever doing homework until 7th grade.  Throughout most days in my youth I would come home, drop my backpack off on the couch, then run off with my friends to the park.  We would play at the park until the early evening, then head home.  I would come home, eat dinner, read a novel (usually the Ramona or Redwall series), practice 5 minutes of cello, listen to my parents talk, go to bed, memorize basketball player statistics for 20 minutes (Michael Jordan's highest season ppg average was 37.1), then go to bed.  Wake up in the early morning to play some video games in bed, eat breakfast, then head to school for another day of fun.  Now, there are a few key things that I must mention.  I had no internet, no cable television, no pressure from parents, and no extracurricular commitments other than Awana.    I lived in a safe neighborhood, had lots of neighbors my age, had a great library near by, and was given a lot of independence.

I will admit that things changed drastically in middle school due to unforeseen events, but that is the subject of another blog post.

Commonly said, but sincerely meant...I have the best dad.

I love my dad.  I've written a few blog posts about him already, but he is the most sincere and genuine man I personally know.  Yes, he has many faults that are easily noticeable, but he is also quick to admit his imperfections.

He has always been my biggest cheerleader and more importantly, a friend I could always depend on.  Admittedly, before studying the Korean language and progressing in my language ability we had little to say to each other.  Instead, it was all through actions.  He would come home from a long day of work and play basketball with me every day.  He would take me to basketball practice and watch me play every week.  He watched me every taekwondo class and watched me progress from a white belt to a black belt.  Since he went to work very early, he would call me to wake me up for school.  He even watched me play the video game Harvest Moon for hours whenever he could.  If I liked a snack or food, he would make sure I could have it in abundance.  If I ever said I liked something, he would make time to learn about it and want to share the news with me.  If I ever asked him to do something or mentioned I wanted something, the request would be taken care of right away.  He's a man of action, and when he's talkative, of many words too haha.  I've seen and been with him in the hardest of times for both of us, and we've become all the more closer because of it.  He chose to stick by me; I am forever grateful.  Almost everything I think of family, fatherhood, friends, and life is somehow tied to my father.  Man, God has been so gracious.

I will always treasure our weekday evening basketball battles, our rides together in his favorite pick-up truck, his advice sessions while picking fruit in the backyard, slow hikes up the local mountain-side, our daily meal of tri-tip, radishes, lettuce, and a coke for almost a year, my breakdown after the 7th grade awards ceremony and subsequent redemption....and so many more memories that need to be left unsaid or else I will start crying.

I sincerely hope that one day my children will  think of me as I think of my father.

What a City!

These days I've been driving quite a bit around Los Angeles.  On a day to day level, I'll be passing through downtown and east LA to get to Marina del Rey/Westchester.  Then I'll head to Los Feliz and maybe sneak in a short hike at Griffith.  After studying at starbucks if I forego Griffith, I'll head to Glendale for jiu jitsu.  And then to finish it off I'll be driving through the mountains back home.  Although many parts of LA are missed on this daily schedule, it does expose me enough to be able to appreciate the melting pot that is our city. 

I have lived in Los Angeles for all my life, minus 10 months.  Growing up in a one of Los Angeles' many suburban communities, I grew up in a small town environment on the border of one of the largest cities/counties in the world (by population).  When considering colleges to attend, I ultimately decided on UCLA for a few simple reasons.  1) Allowed me to be close to my family, 2) Great dorm food (I'm serious), 3) Beautiful campus.  Despite having had lived in Los Angeles for 18 years of my life and thinking I knew Los Angeles, I soon discovered that the longer I live here, the less I know about the city.  LA never ceases to surprise me.

I love Los Angeles.  Travelling and living in other countries throughout college exposed me to great foreign cultures and cities; however, at the end of the day...I miss LA.  

Perfect Snapshot:

A few weeks ago Staples Center in Downtown Los Angeles hosted playoff games, not day by day, but hour by hour!  We had 3 teams in the playoffs, all playing on the same weekend, and all with home games.  The Los Angeles Lakers, Los Angeles Clippers, and Los Angeles Kings.  NOWHERE else is that going to happen.  

We have beautiful beaches, great hiking trails, desserts and snow covered mountains nearby, amazing universities, an eclectic mix of cultures (and that means FOOD!), an endless supply of activities, events, and venues to check out, and yeah.  If you want to go to an island, then head on over to Catalina for some great cuba diving and golf!  Basically, if you're bored in LA...it's your fault for not going outside.  

We have the best jiu jitsu practioners, a plethora of running clubs and random groups, pickup basketball games going on all the time, beautiful people, ...ok I'm going to stop listing all the great things going on here.  

Yes, you only need to take one trip down Skid Row to see that Los Angeles isn't perfect.  The public transportation isn't the most efficient.  Traffic sucks.  Some communities are not safe to visit.  Materialism and idols are worshiped everywhere.  Definitely a reminder that we ain't in heaven.

Little Tokyo, Glendale, Burbank, Hollywood, Westwood, Beverly Hills, Santa Monica, Downtown, Koreatown, East LA, Pasadena, Eagle Rock, Culver City, Venice....man...what a city!