For myself, to keep myself going....

Fri, 10.1: Chemistry exam #2

Sat, 10.2: GCC Mini-O's

Sat/Sun, 10.2/3: Physics midterm, Behavioral neuroscience exam

Fri, 10.8: Fall Break begins!

Wed-Fri, 10.13-15: Visit Michelle in RI :)

Mon, 10.18: Classes resume... - sigh -

Passion 2011 Live Link

Passion 2011 Live Link. September 27. 8:30PM EDT. Your computer.

Thousands of people just like you across the globe will connect via the Internet for a night of worship and prayer for your generation. Led by Louie Giglio and the Passion Band, along with Charlie Hall, the Link is NOT something for you to watch, but something for you to participate in as we unite and get excited about what’s in store for Passion 2011.

The Link is free, and you can be a part from wherever you are. All you need to participate is an Internet connection (A high speed connection will help.) So organize your crew (you can link in with friends or with your entire campus ministry) or just join us from the comfort of your dorm or apartment.

Whatever works best for you, it’s going to be powerful and a night you won’t want to miss.

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So excited! Might only be able to catch the first 30 minutes though... ><;

Happy 125th Birthday Bryn Mawr!

Yesterday's NYT article on BMC

Crazy photos of the storm in NYC: http://www.nytimes.com/slideshow/2010/09/16/nyregion/20100917_READER_STORM.html?src=tptw

So many fallen trees.... My home in NYC is right across from Alley Pond Park forest and in front of a huge tree.... Thank God the storm didn't affect my neighborhood that much.

Francis Chan - The new middle road - RightNow Conference

Hence begins the weird waking/sleeping hours.... ("Napped" from 12-4 and "studying" since then.) Must admit, I kind of missed this. I'll probably regret this tomorrow, but as of now, I'm kind of enjoying this. There's something about this time of night...the peacefulness.... When everything around you is silent and you're reminded of the essence of life itself, without all the distractions. Reminder of life...of the moments in the past...of God....

Anyways, I should get back to studying chemistry. Was thinking about the post-bac's in my PLI session tonight. These people went through their years of undergrad, some went to work a bit afterwards, and now are back in school so that they can go through more school (med school). No offense to the post-bac's, I really respect that they're willing to go back to school so that they could go to med school. But if I have to go to a post-bac pre-med program because I decide later that I'm serious about being pre-med, then I'm going to really regret all the years I didn't use my time now seriously. In short, education... I need to stop taking it for granted and take it more seriously.

Class hasn't even started for this week yet and I'm already behind. Wtheck?! I really need to stay on top of my work more and be more disciplined. I'm getting really frustrated with myself....

3:15AM already and I still need to work on preparing for chem lab tomorrow. And then a lot of make-up work that I'll probably do tomorrow....

Realizations After Staring at the Computer Screen for Five Minutes

I was looking at the youtube window of the "Just a Dream" Remix by Jason Chen and Joseph Vincent [see previous posts]. There was something about it that made me happy. (And no, it was not the guys.) I was wondering if I wanted to tweet the post to further support them; was it tweet-worthy? Well, yes, I thought. It's a good song and they're great singers. But then I realized there was another reason I wanted to share it. It was because they were Asian artists. But my thoughts didn't just stop there; it wasn't just because they were Asian artists.

Last night I was looking at Jason Chen's youtube profile and I saw that he was in UCLA studying business and planning to be an auditor. And looking through his videos I joked with Lisa how he was such the stereotypical Asian, with trophies lining the cabinets of his house in the background and how he could play multiple musical instruments. Lisa commented how his house looked very nice and I was thinking, figures...Asian parents and financial stability. My thoughts wandered farther to how we're all just trying to reach that American dream as well. One of a financially-secure job so we can get that nice house and support our families. However, is that American dream also one that ties us down and holds us back from our dreams?

I realized, in some way, maybe I feel connected to these people because we're all doing and struggling with the same thing. Are we torn between obligation and desire?

I don't know Jason Chen, so I can't say for sure that what I'm about to say about him and his parents are true. But when I look at Jason the image I get of him is that of a talented Asian singer who's passionate about music, and going into business to be financially stable so his parents will be happy. Again, maybe that's not his actual situation. But maybe that's the way my mind is interpreting it.

Recently I've been wondering about how much of what I do is out of passion and how much of what I do is out of obligation. Even if Jason Chen's situation is not how I picture it, I still know many other people, especially in the Asian population, that struggle with what they want to do with their life and what their parents want them to do with their life. Their dreams and desires conflict with the morals and values instilled in them by their parents. For example, I hear stories of pastors who went through law school or med school and got their degrees only to make their parents happy because then the son/daughter would have "something to fall back on," and their parents could say "my son/daughter is a lawyer/doctor" (even though he or she is actually working in a church). Then there's also all the other stories of talented (Asian) singers, artists, writers, etc. out there who are not studying their passions, but business, medicine, or something else instead. Have we accepted these alternate studies to be our lesser passions? Are we all in denial of our "true selves" (is there even such a thing)? Or maybe it is more wise to be practical in our thinking. Yet how come some part of me rejoices when I see some Asian artist pursuing their dreams against their parents' wishes?

So many questions.... Guess I should figure out what I want to do first....

A Call to Reconciliation

Read this in the NYT from yesterday...

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A Call to Reconciliation

We are blessed to be part of a particular community called the Collegiate Church of New York with almost four hundred years of continuous ministry in this city. We gather not only as individuals, but as communities through which we can impact the world around us. We are drawn together by Jesus' calling to love one another, and we share a common vocation of pursuing peace with all people (John 13.34 and Hebrews 12.14). It is from this basis that we, as a community of believers, offer the following comments on the controversy that has been generated by the proposal to develop a Muslim Community Center in lower Manhattan.

We live in the midst of God's marvelous mosaic. New York City and its environs is a place of cultural diversity and religious pluralism. The positive and inclusive nature of the Christian faith compels us to respect all people, listen to diverse viewpoints, and work in partnership with those who seek peace and the good of our community. While we pursue the path to truth and life through Jesus Christ, our Christian tradition and our American heritage promote the freedom of all people to seek their own religious paths and to worship however and wherever they wish.

We also recognize that there are deep wounds that still remain from the terrorist attack on our city on September 11, 2001. We honor the courage of first responders and advocate for appropriate health care benefits to address their ongoing medical issues. We grieve with those who suffered losses of loved ones on that day, and we acknowledge that the space formerly occupied by the twin towers holds a sacred place in the hearts of all Americans.

As we watch the fury over the community center intensify, we are also grieved by the mischaracterization of people and positions. A prime example is the way the Muslim leaders involved in this initiative have had their intent, beliefs, and character maligned. We are saddened to see our Muslim neighbors, friends, and colleagues so misrepresented. They are part of the rich heritage and religious tapestry of New York City, and they have done much to contribute to its well-being. Islam, like Christianity, is a large and diverse faith, and one cannot use one experience or expression of Islam to stereotype all Muslims, nor can all be indicted for the acts of a few. We also deplore the portrayal of Christianity as anti-Muslim through the desecration of their sacred text. Our faith calls us to respect others and to strive to represent them fairly. Doing so does not eliminate the space to disagree; it speaks to how we represent ourselves and others with integrity in the midst of disagreement.

The polarizing nature of the debate has left us listening solely for whether people are "for" or "against" the community center. The voices in the middle are being crowded out by extreme positions on both sides. In order to cultivate room to learn from one another and to create greater understanding among all concerned, we believe any engagement of this issue must be based on the following:

First, we call for civil dialogue where the rights of all people are respected. We recognize that the current controversy, in many ways, represents a conversation that we as a people never had after September 11. Moving forward, we pledge ourselves to be engaged in settings and venues where interfaith dialogue and cooperation is fostered throughout the city and beyond. We call upon all those who would exploit this situation for their own personal agendas through demagoguery and the demonization of others to cease their rhetoric and extend their ears and their hearts to all.

Second, we commit ourselves and encourage others to learn more about Islam. If the current controversy has shown anything, it is the great misunderstanding about the faith of Muslims.

Third, we commit ourselves and encourage others to learn the facts surrounding the proposed community center. No reasoned discussion can occur unless we have a common understanding of what is being proposed.

Fourth, we commit ourselves and encourage others to build relationships of trust between those carrying divergent positions in this controversy. A lack of trust prevents us from listening and learning from one another, and there will be no successful resolution without some measure of trust between those involved.

Because of who we are and who we are called to be, we celebrate a vision of cultural diversity and religious tolerance, a setting where we can learn about one another, participate across lines of race, faith, culture, and socioeconomic condition to be faithful to our calling in this city. Therefore we are committed to work with the organizers of Park51 and all concerned parties as a reconciling agent so that there is a new way for residents of this city and all Americans to move forward into a new future in which civil dialogue leads to healing and understanding.

Rev. Michael S. Bos, West End Collegiate Church
Rev. Dr. Michael S. Brown, Marble Collegiate Church
Rev. Robert Chase, Intersections International
Rev. Dr. Jacqueline Lewis, Middle Collegiate Church
Rev. Charles D. Morris, Fort Washington Collegiate Church

September 10, 2010

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After 9/11 happened, it was amazing to see the unity and outpouring of love and compassion from New Yorkers, as well as the rest of the country and world. Yes, 9/11 was definitely a tragedy. But it is also a tragedy now how disgraceful we're being in honoring those who we lost by becoming this unloving city over this mosque debate and all the enmity towards Muslims. It pains me now to see how we've lost all that love and compassion.

- From a fellow NYC-er

From the first FNL message of the year (from last night)...

Will you like the person you'll be when you graduate?

Because if not, the only person you'll have to blame is yourself.

Make the most of your time.

Always a good reminder.

Just a Dream Remix/Cover (Nelly) - Jason Chen & Joseph Vincent

I don't think the large amount of joy I get from taking out my comforter is normal, haha. Oh, sleep... how I miss you....

Sam Tsui - Don't Want An Ending

Miss you....

Awesome way to procrastinate: http://www.thewildernessdowntown.com/ (An interactive film by Chris Milk)

To-Do

because Da Jie wanted me to post this...

• nap
• dinner
• pelt freshwomen with water balloons
• chemistry hw
• good night, sweet dreams to fellow mawrters

Life @ BMC... Parade Night 2010!

Note to Self

1. Stop planning

2. Stop worrying

3. Stop complaining

4. Stop making excuses

5. Be disciplined

6. Learn to say no

7. Sleep earlier

8. Just do it

Katy Perry Kesha California Gurls vs East Coast Girls / Your Love Is My ...

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Ooo, just found out about them from JP (while listening to their cover for Bruno Mars' "Just the Way You Are"). Thought this one was especially interesting though haha. I used to say how the east coast/NYC had a better song because "Empire State of Mind" is about dreams and determination while "California Girls" is just about girls, but this is an interesting spin on things as well. =)