flash point

One more class until the final. Feeling a little stressed. Being tested, being challenged, being judged. It’s a feeling you don’t like, but at the same time, it’s a feeling that makes you stronger. This is a feeling that never gets old. I think everyone needs it. After you reach a point in your life, life becomes predictable. You have your job, your family, your house, your payments, your kids, your entertainment. You need a jolt once and a while, to shake you out of your regular surroundings, and to help you appreciate your leisure time. I am highly anticipating my December holidays.

Friday nights have become a rest night. It used to be a night to chill out with a bunch of friends, but now it’s more of a relax-at-home, catch-up-on-television, and play-video-games night. Are you experiencing the same type of Fridays?

On Saturday, I woke up at my regular time, and I was able to enjoy two bowls of cereal for breakfast. For some reason, I was wired. I couldn’t sit still at lunchtime. I watched House and Dave Chappelle’s last stand-up video. House was a good episode, but it’s definitely not the best of the season. Chappelle was funny, and I’m thankful because there seems to be a drought of good stand-up comedians. We went shopping at night and watched Flash Point starring Donnie Yen and Louis Koo. The fighting was interesting because it was primarily mixed martial arts. I think this was the best fighting movie I’ve seen in ten years. The fights had a gritty vibe, and the moves were realistic. I enjoyed these fight scenes more than all of the other Donnie Yen films combined (SPL, Dragon Tiger Gate, Wing Chun, Hero.)

The Sunday message taught that fearing God means that you do not fear anything else. If you fear things of this world, you do not fear God.

We had lunch at Pho Hong on Fraser Street. The soup and the noodles were great. The service is slow because they are so busy. I’d go back when I’m craving a warm bowl of noodles. 4*

I had coffee with Crystal and Adrian. Crystal’s back from Japan! And she’s glad that she’s not stuck in Japan as an English teacher for life. Once you are an English teacher for several years, it’s tough to return to your home country because of your lack of work experience. It’s tough because you’ve built a strong social network in Japan, with romantic relationships and possibly your own family. The spouse and kids aren’t accustomed to living in your home country, so you choose to live in Japan for your family. FOR THE REST OF YOUR LIFE. It sounds like a conspiracy to increase the multicultural population in Japan, by trapping foreigners through marriage. Especially in the smaller towns, where they send the majority of teachers. Hmm… sending educated people into the towns, starting families, helping the local economy and community, trapping them by obligation. A strategic immigration policy.

Beware when they send you for a long term project to Northern Canada. They may want you to stay. FOREVER.

The flash point is the temperature at which liquids generate vapours that can ignite. The liquid changes states so that it can ignite. Taken in a human sense, this can be good or bad. Under heat and pressure, we change so that we can ignite and become something better. We may also change for the worst. All you know is that you can't be who you are now. The flash point is your opportunity to become who you were meant to be.

When is your next flash point?

remember the sacrifice

Ratatouille is a fantastic movie, and goes above and beyond the regular themes that animated movies typically provide. It’s my vote for best animated movie of 2007.

I went to Ajisen Ramen at Parker Place. Don’t bother looking for it inside the mall, you enter the restaurant from the outside. Their noodles are crisp. The soup is flavorful, thanks in plenty to the butter with which they infuse the base. I wouldn’t go too often because of the price (or the estimated fat content), but it’s definitely a good place to go if you’re in the neighbourhood. It’s a 5* in my book.

We went dancing on Saturday night. It felt good to be back on the dance floor. The mix of music was great. It’s so important to have different beats on any given night. We need variety to make the night seem more than one-dimensional.

Jennie’s parents were fantastic enough to cook us dinner on Sunday. There’s nothing quite like eating a homecooked meal and watching Chinese variety shows on Fairchild.

I finished reading Harry Potter and the Deathly Hollows today. It took me four hours today to get to the final page, and I’m glad I did it. I think JK Rowling wrapped everything together nicely. Thanks Jennie, for suggesting that I read the book!

Remembrance Day. I’d like to thank all of our soldiers, past and present, for the service they have given our country. It’s because of your efforts that I can sit at home on a Monday afternoon, read a thick novel, and talk about it on my website. It’s because of you, I can have dinner with my family tonight, and celebrate a birthday. It’s because of your sacrifice that we can live in a great country like Canada.

boo!

It's been a busy few weeks, and I didn't have a chance to reflect. Here's a rundown of October and early November.

October 27, visit to the library. I love visits to the library. You never know what book you'll pick up. We watched 28 Weeks Later, the sequel to 28 Days Later. I wanted to watch a horror/suspense movie to suit the Halloween mood.

October 28, service was good, the message was about God's discipline, and how he only disciplines those whom he loves. After lunch, I met with Tim and Evelyn to start brainstorming the Christmas event for Burnaby Baptist Fellowship.

October 31, Halloween! I created my Pugsley Addams costume, because several others and I were the Addams Family. The winner of the best costume contest went as Dog the Bounty Hunter, and the runner-up was a hunchbacked and ponchoed ghoul. I walked over to SFU for an Insurance Council of British Columbia meeting

November 1, after writing my CIP midterm, we went for hotpot in Richmond, to celebrate Corina's birthday. The food was good, and I definitely would have liked more meat. We followed dinner with bubble tea, where I got a grape ice cream sherbet. That sounds like a cold drink, doesn't it? It arrived warm, and the ice cream hadn't melted, so there were scoops of ice cream left in the cup. Not very well blended. The conversation was fun, as people talked about old Chinese singers and their classic songs.

November 2, I met with Tim and Evelyn to brainstorm further for the Christmas program. This day was also eventful because it was the first time I watched Yugioh in German.

November 3, I caught up on my reading of Harry Potter, and House, Scrubs and the Office. We watched the Vagina Monologues, which was a fairly good show, given that it was basically one lady sitting on a stool for 90 minutes.

November 4, The message talked about how competitiveness within a family can make a family weaker. We had lunch with Rachel and Rob at Sasaya. It was Marisa’s birthday, and we went to eat all-you-can-eat sushi. I had the best chopped scallop cone ever.

November 5, I went to the HipHop class, and was disappointed because we didn’t get the teacher that we expected. On top of that, we lost 15 minutes of the class. Hopefully the next lesson will have better teaching, and last the whole hour.

November 6, I finished my assignment for this week, and talked on the phone with Jennie.

We're a month away from the office Christmas party. Already? Time flies so quickly nowadays. Soon it will be Christmas break. Will it feel more like Christmas this year than last? I remember last year Christmas came and went with hardly a moment's notice. Let's hope it's time well spent with family and friends.