quiescent (adj)
1. quiet, inactive, or dormant
2. marked by a state of tranquil repose
25 May 2012
Summer healing
Summer's started for me. I hereby declare my resolution. It will be a summer where I try to find healing for both new and old wounds:
- healing myself from insecurity
- healing my mind
- healing my relationships with old friends. I want this summer to be about releasing inhibitions and learning to enjoy life and gracefully make the most of it.
22 May 2012
Grassroots vegetarianism
See what I did there?
After reading the wikpedia article on Environmental vegetarianism, I wonder if I should seriously consider becoming a vegeterian.
The only thing is, vegetarianism feels impracticle in an urbanized society like Hong Kong. At least on my university campus, meals with meat are pretty much everywhere because it is cheap and conventional. The vegetarians (by culture or by religion) here have trouble finding variety in the foods that they eat, citing that they can't go 1 week without having to order the same meal option twice. Other impediments include the fact that I love eating fish.... and that I'm ethnically Filipino and Filipinos make really good adobo chicken, lumpia, and fried bangus (milkfish).*drooool*
Before jumping into anything cold turkey, one always has to do their research. Minimizing meat consumption is the best option at this point and highlighting the environmental/world impact of vegetarianism could get me past the tipping point. Of course there are valid other reasons like animal rights and ethics and personal health and such. But like many other people, I feel like PETA's attempts at veganizing the world are a bit annoying, too brash, and often hyperbolic. On the other hand, healthy living is probably the most enticing reason to become vegetarian but we've seen time and time again that people in developed countries unwittingly forfeit their personal health for immediate gratification and thus fail on vegetarian diets.
Truth be told, I've always been a bit reserved about vegetarianism. I felt that whenever someone altered their dietary choices outside of a cultural/religious, medical, or upbringing context, it was about self-glorifying statement-making and not about changing the world for the better. ("Look at me and how I'm showing compassion to animals"/"I'm doing this for my health." versus "I believe that doing this will in some way help alleviate our current world dilemmas").
Take Mark Zuckerberg, for example. After hearing about his recent marriage to his long-time MD-degree-endowed girlfriend, I took on the role of a typical Facebook stalker and I also found out another of his life events was that he became a vegetarian. 'True vegetarians' don't agree on whether or not it's okay that he would 'only eat animals that died by [his] own hands' but Zuckerberg states that it is more responsible and respectful of life and it would make you more thankful about what you ate. I personally think vegetarians who complain about the trueness of his vegetarianism are missing the point. Even if he's got his own lofty fanfare going on (which I frown upon), he's got a point about respecting nature and being responsible for your own actions. I just hope he doesn't miss the more critical aspect of his choice... does starting with the man in the mirror make the world a better place? And what can he do to make sure it does?
Just my one cent on the matter: Vegetarianism should be about a grassroots movement... by your one dietary choice, you could have a conversation with your friend and spread the word about whatever it is you believe in. For me, IF I became a vegetarian, it'd be about trying to make others more conscious about world sustainability, for the sake of humans & all of God's other creatures. In Zuckerberg's case, he should use his position in the public eye to take his "responsibility" argument a bit further: a worldwide reduction of meat consumption (and the resultant reduction of processed meat production) can help alleviate world hunger and at least slow down our rampant race towards environmental collapse.
Anyway, even more pressing: FINALS! (lol why do I always have more blog posts around exam period?)
After reading the wikpedia article on Environmental vegetarianism, I wonder if I should seriously consider becoming a vegeterian.
The only thing is, vegetarianism feels impracticle in an urbanized society like Hong Kong. At least on my university campus, meals with meat are pretty much everywhere because it is cheap and conventional. The vegetarians (by culture or by religion) here have trouble finding variety in the foods that they eat, citing that they can't go 1 week without having to order the same meal option twice. Other impediments include the fact that I love eating fish.... and that I'm ethnically Filipino and Filipinos make really good adobo chicken, lumpia, and fried bangus (milkfish).*drooool*
Before jumping into anything cold turkey, one always has to do their research. Minimizing meat consumption is the best option at this point and highlighting the environmental/world impact of vegetarianism could get me past the tipping point. Of course there are valid other reasons like animal rights and ethics and personal health and such. But like many other people, I feel like PETA's attempts at veganizing the world are a bit annoying, too brash, and often hyperbolic. On the other hand, healthy living is probably the most enticing reason to become vegetarian but we've seen time and time again that people in developed countries unwittingly forfeit their personal health for immediate gratification and thus fail on vegetarian diets.
Truth be told, I've always been a bit reserved about vegetarianism. I felt that whenever someone altered their dietary choices outside of a cultural/religious, medical, or upbringing context, it was about self-glorifying statement-making and not about changing the world for the better. ("Look at me and how I'm showing compassion to animals"/"I'm doing this for my health." versus "I believe that doing this will in some way help alleviate our current world dilemmas").
Take Mark Zuckerberg, for example. After hearing about his recent marriage to his long-time MD-degree-endowed girlfriend, I took on the role of a typical Facebook stalker and I also found out another of his life events was that he became a vegetarian. 'True vegetarians' don't agree on whether or not it's okay that he would 'only eat animals that died by [his] own hands' but Zuckerberg states that it is more responsible and respectful of life and it would make you more thankful about what you ate. I personally think vegetarians who complain about the trueness of his vegetarianism are missing the point. Even if he's got his own lofty fanfare going on (which I frown upon), he's got a point about respecting nature and being responsible for your own actions. I just hope he doesn't miss the more critical aspect of his choice... does starting with the man in the mirror make the world a better place? And what can he do to make sure it does?
Just my one cent on the matter: Vegetarianism should be about a grassroots movement... by your one dietary choice, you could have a conversation with your friend and spread the word about whatever it is you believe in. For me, IF I became a vegetarian, it'd be about trying to make others more conscious about world sustainability, for the sake of humans & all of God's other creatures. In Zuckerberg's case, he should use his position in the public eye to take his "responsibility" argument a bit further: a worldwide reduction of meat consumption (and the resultant reduction of processed meat production) can help alleviate world hunger and at least slow down our rampant race towards environmental collapse.
Anyway, even more pressing: FINALS! (lol why do I always have more blog posts around exam period?)
20 May 2012
"520"
It is the 5th month, on its 20th day. In Mandarin, they say that these numbers are very special in the 520 combination because the way you pronounce those numbers sound very much like how you would pronounce "I love you." (我爱你)
Add on the numbers 1314, and you modify it with "for a lifetime" or "forever." (一生一世)
I am simply loving the lyrics of this song. Every. Single. Word. I can relate to it so much...
我依然愛你 或許是 命中注定
多年之後 任何人都無法代替
那些時光是我這一輩子最美好的
那些回憶 教我如何忘記
I still love you, maybe it's fate
After many years, no one can replace you.
Those times together were the best times of my life
How can I forget all those memories?
You hear stories, y'know. A dear friend of mine is currently en route to a six-year relationship with his high school sweetheart, passing the five-year mark just this month. They were long distance for the duration of his undergraduate career. He, at Duke and she, at UCSD. They had their ups and downs but this year they graduated and he came back to start an awesome engineering job in Los Angeles. Come to think of it, they're not the only high school sweethearts I knew of that are still going strong!
This is the kind of story that give you so much faith in committing to love one another even from a distance. I mean, how does that even happen? How does life not get in between those 100-1,000 miles? Well, I suppose the correct way to think of it here is that life does get in the way, but it's how you choose to deal with obstacles and how you grow together that counts. It's like my friend once told me, you have to focus on the present and being happy in the present. The end goals you are waiting for are nice, but that will never replace what you have now so treasure it!
Being apart while being in love is tough but you can still be happy. & I would think that the gratification of being in the same city while being in love is worth the wait... Good things don't come easy, after all.
Add on the numbers 1314, and you modify it with "for a lifetime" or "forever." (一生一世)
I am simply loving the lyrics of this song. Every. Single. Word. I can relate to it so much...
我依然愛你 或許是 命中注定
多年之後 任何人都無法代替
那些時光是我這一輩子最美好的
那些回憶 教我如何忘記
I still love you, maybe it's fate
After many years, no one can replace you.
Those times together were the best times of my life
How can I forget all those memories?
You hear stories, y'know. A dear friend of mine is currently en route to a six-year relationship with his high school sweetheart, passing the five-year mark just this month. They were long distance for the duration of his undergraduate career. He, at Duke and she, at UCSD. They had their ups and downs but this year they graduated and he came back to start an awesome engineering job in Los Angeles. Come to think of it, they're not the only high school sweethearts I knew of that are still going strong!
This is the kind of story that give you so much faith in committing to love one another even from a distance. I mean, how does that even happen? How does life not get in between those 100-1,000 miles? Well, I suppose the correct way to think of it here is that life does get in the way, but it's how you choose to deal with obstacles and how you grow together that counts. It's like my friend once told me, you have to focus on the present and being happy in the present. The end goals you are waiting for are nice, but that will never replace what you have now so treasure it!
Being apart while being in love is tough but you can still be happy. & I would think that the gratification of being in the same city while being in love is worth the wait... Good things don't come easy, after all.
15 May 2012
Reflections on D3 day: Girl gamers
Am I crazy or did being a girl gamer become hip and cool over the last few years? It's a strange phenomenon. One of my theories is that its because boys are becoming more vocal about how much they appreciate girl gamers... they wish they had a gamer girlfriend this, they wish that girl would let them play their games that. Perhaps it gives boys excuses to continue their escapism without feeling the guilt of recklessly abandoning real-life obligations.
In days of old, girl gamers were usually closet gamers. And on that note, it may be a valid point to conclude that the negative stereotypes of an extreme boy gamer (a bit overweight, acne-prone, lack of social skills) probably had an analogous extreme girl gamer image, only that they were so rare, nobody really paid any mind.
On the other hand, you would find the casual gamers who varied in appearance, social prowess, and general life achievements. This is because although other forms of gaming were around for a while, "gaming" became a means of social growth and interaction with the rapid development of the internet. And this new medium of social interaction is where being "hip" and "cool" comes in.
While there's nothing wrong with the new and diverse images of casual gamers, there are definitely many things wrong with the current direction of the girl gamer image--mostly because it has only one image so far: she's sexy. It seems to me that there's this crude idea that girl gamers should be hot and sexy as well as down to earth, be able to hold their own in a raid, and be willing to make their guy a sandwich while they're at it. Well, sorry to tell you: that quadruple standard isn't realistic. How is it possible to maintain a perfect body figure, bring home the bread, be a homemaker, AND develop an impressive gamer's skills set? Even if you don't feel like you're setting up these standards, trust me, that's the message you're sending... Imagine if that quadruple standard was applied to guys.
MMORPGs were once a world where nobody would have to know what you looked like. It was a place where you could escape and forget about who you were for an hour or two (maybe more). Like all things, such a break from the real world could be healthy in moderation. But the new girl gamer image sends the wrong kind of message to girls who get into gaming and nullifies any sense of healthy "escape" they'd gain from the game. In a realistic situation, a girl could game initially for social purposes, come back to the real world and realize they aren't this hot, sexy girl that the girl gamer image proposes, get depressed, then throw themselves back into the game.
Also, by being a girl, your identity isn't "one of the guild"; instead it's the girl in the guild. Sure, girl gamers have an advantage of getting free stuff from guys... but doesn't that just reinforce the social context girls experience in real life? Sure you can use your gender/sexuality to exploit others or get what you want, etc, but that doesn't do a lot for self-esteem. It reinforces that your gender and/or sexuality are/is the only thing you can use to be successful in this new day and age. It says nothing of your skills. It says nothing of your virtues. Take this as cynicism towards the sexification of the "women and video games" industry.
This can take a different direction soon enough. While gaming is becoming more and more accepted (thanks to social media), more girls will join in. Existing girl gamers will become more vocal as it has become a world appreciative of their pioneer into the gamer demographic. As it gains more momentum, I suppose we'll be able to put to rest the image of an oversexualized girl gamer. But in this mysoginistic world, I don't think we will ever be rid of it completely. Not any time soon.
In days of old, girl gamers were usually closet gamers. And on that note, it may be a valid point to conclude that the negative stereotypes of an extreme boy gamer (a bit overweight, acne-prone, lack of social skills) probably had an analogous extreme girl gamer image, only that they were so rare, nobody really paid any mind.
On the other hand, you would find the casual gamers who varied in appearance, social prowess, and general life achievements. This is because although other forms of gaming were around for a while, "gaming" became a means of social growth and interaction with the rapid development of the internet. And this new medium of social interaction is where being "hip" and "cool" comes in.
While there's nothing wrong with the new and diverse images of casual gamers, there are definitely many things wrong with the current direction of the girl gamer image--mostly because it has only one image so far: she's sexy. It seems to me that there's this crude idea that girl gamers should be hot and sexy as well as down to earth, be able to hold their own in a raid, and be willing to make their guy a sandwich while they're at it. Well, sorry to tell you: that quadruple standard isn't realistic. How is it possible to maintain a perfect body figure, bring home the bread, be a homemaker, AND develop an impressive gamer's skills set? Even if you don't feel like you're setting up these standards, trust me, that's the message you're sending... Imagine if that quadruple standard was applied to guys.
MMORPGs were once a world where nobody would have to know what you looked like. It was a place where you could escape and forget about who you were for an hour or two (maybe more). Like all things, such a break from the real world could be healthy in moderation. But the new girl gamer image sends the wrong kind of message to girls who get into gaming and nullifies any sense of healthy "escape" they'd gain from the game. In a realistic situation, a girl could game initially for social purposes, come back to the real world and realize they aren't this hot, sexy girl that the girl gamer image proposes, get depressed, then throw themselves back into the game.
Also, by being a girl, your identity isn't "one of the guild"; instead it's the girl in the guild. Sure, girl gamers have an advantage of getting free stuff from guys... but doesn't that just reinforce the social context girls experience in real life? Sure you can use your gender/sexuality to exploit others or get what you want, etc, but that doesn't do a lot for self-esteem. It reinforces that your gender and/or sexuality are/is the only thing you can use to be successful in this new day and age. It says nothing of your skills. It says nothing of your virtues. Take this as cynicism towards the sexification of the "women and video games" industry.
This can take a different direction soon enough. While gaming is becoming more and more accepted (thanks to social media), more girls will join in. Existing girl gamers will become more vocal as it has become a world appreciative of their pioneer into the gamer demographic. As it gains more momentum, I suppose we'll be able to put to rest the image of an oversexualized girl gamer. But in this mysoginistic world, I don't think we will ever be rid of it completely. Not any time soon.
13 May 2012
Reflections on Mother's Day: Courage
Courage is rightly esteemed the first of human qualities... because it is the quality which guarantees all others.
If I'd have to describe my mom in one word, it'd be "courageous."
I love that my mom has the courage to believe in God and keep her faith. She finds her strength in God--she's grounded, special, loving, caring, and honest. She has the courage to persevere and do what's right for her family. She has the courage to face all the struggles our family is going through.
My mother is headstrong and persistent. She doesn't give up on anything. My mom taught me many things but the single and greatest quality she taught me was courage. And she did that by simply living.
If she could teach me courage, then perhaps the one thing I want to pass on in this world... the highest achievement of my life... would be to also live a life that inspires courage.
The courage to...
- go after your dreams
- maintain a healthy lifestyle
- overcome adversities
- take chances
- do something different
- love
- and love from a distance
Happy Mother's Day!
11 May 2012
Choice encounters and old friends
“We can never judge the lives of others, because each person knows only their own pain and renunciation. It's one thing to feel that you are on the right path, but it's another to think that yours is the only path.”I think it's a blessing to know what you want from life and to have the courage to chase after it. That's why I think you should never discourage a young student from being headstrong or persistent. You should always tell them to look for their passion and think, really think, about the things that motivate you. As cliche as it is, you have to look deep inside yourself and discover your personal destiny.
Today, I had a "choice encounter" with an old friend. We used to have this informal club in high school where if we were awake at 4AM on AIM, we would have spontaneous and meaningful conversations about life.
I sent him an email and asked if he was planning on visiting HK any time soon since we had talked about it before and I was going to be here for the summer. Somehow each time we talk, it's always a meaningful conversation. We exchange brief life updates on where we're going, what we've done, what our current goals are, and after that moment in time, we continue on our way.
I like this kind of friendship. I never feel like we're at odds with each other even if we only talk to each other every couple of months. It makes me believe that in this world, each and every one of us is on their own personal journey--and its a synergy and a comradeship that develops between the people you meet along the way that inspire you to keep chasing after what you want.
We talked briefly about an intuitive knowing of where we'll be in the next few years. I said I'd be in Chicago in the next 1-2 years. It slipped out even though I am usually cautious about being overly confident. We'll see. Life will drop me off in a good place in two years. It may not be exactly what I imagined, but maybe it will be exactly what I need.
10 May 2012
Archrivals
I can go conflict-free with most people and resolve problems quickly... However, in the context of social interactions, I've noticed that...
..there are people who you just don't mesh well with. You're extremely hydrophilic and they're extremely hydrophilic... and, well, that's just the way it goes. You're driven to natural repulsion due to a heterogeneous combination of background, culture, ideal, preference, etc. You just don't like each other and you couldn't change yourself even if you wanted to compromise.
Oddly enough, this type of relationship does not have to be the bane of our social lives. People "who you just don't get along with" don't necessarily have to be considered enemies. Nor do you need to avoid interaction altogether. These people are blessings in disguise. If you have the right perspective, they teach you how to embrace true respect for others. Sort of like an arch-rival-type situation. They're rivals, yet you respect them. And it helps you grow.
I like the idea of real life archrivalries. Usually not as epic as fictional ones but drawing analogies is always fun. :D
In other news... UROP official enrollment! Cosmetic hydrogel characterization. Habitat for Humanity trip in rural China after finals. Phuket, Thailand trip in June. Yeah!
Good things round the bend but finals are still in the way.
Stay hungry. Stay humble.
..there are people who you just don't mesh well with. You're extremely hydrophilic and they're extremely hydrophilic... and, well, that's just the way it goes. You're driven to natural repulsion due to a heterogeneous combination of background, culture, ideal, preference, etc. You just don't like each other and you couldn't change yourself even if you wanted to compromise.
Oddly enough, this type of relationship does not have to be the bane of our social lives. People "who you just don't get along with" don't necessarily have to be considered enemies. Nor do you need to avoid interaction altogether. These people are blessings in disguise. If you have the right perspective, they teach you how to embrace true respect for others. Sort of like an arch-rival-type situation. They're rivals, yet you respect them. And it helps you grow.
I like the idea of real life archrivalries. Usually not as epic as fictional ones but drawing analogies is always fun. :D
In other news... UROP official enrollment! Cosmetic hydrogel characterization. Habitat for Humanity trip in rural China after finals. Phuket, Thailand trip in June. Yeah!
Good things round the bend but finals are still in the way.
Stay hungry. Stay humble.
08 May 2012
Navigation: Summer Plans
What a day today! So you know those days where you feel like everything's going right for you? This was one of those days (except for an annoying group project but eh, let's not dwell on that, shall we?).
I'm excited to finalize my plans for the summer to do a research project on hyrogels in my professor's lab. I will be learning how to characterize crosslinking densities and other skills related to hydrogels.
Before finalizing the plans, I had gotten into a slump, wondering what I've been doing with my life, thinking I'm going nowhere and believing my dreams are further than I think. I was having one of those weeks where I felt like nothing was going right for me. But that just shows that emotional slumps are just matters of emotions and that they are not always a reflection of reality. Even if I was feeling really positive, I must absolutely be wary of complacency.
No matter what, I've got to keep dreaming. I've got to keep forging my own path. And stop fearing the future and keep trusting in God.
Today, I also found out that the high school I attended (Oxford Academy) is ranked the number 1 public school in California as well as number 7 in the nation. That was a nice throwback moment when I found out. It made me proud of where I came from. But at the same time I have to remember: where you come from isn't necessarily an indicator of where you are and where you will be going. Only you are in control of that based on the decisions you make now and your attitude.
Plenty of other stuff happened today but I'll just end it there. Time to get back to work!
I'm high on inspiration right now. >__<
I'm excited to finalize my plans for the summer to do a research project on hyrogels in my professor's lab. I will be learning how to characterize crosslinking densities and other skills related to hydrogels.
Before finalizing the plans, I had gotten into a slump, wondering what I've been doing with my life, thinking I'm going nowhere and believing my dreams are further than I think. I was having one of those weeks where I felt like nothing was going right for me. But that just shows that emotional slumps are just matters of emotions and that they are not always a reflection of reality. Even if I was feeling really positive, I must absolutely be wary of complacency.
No matter what, I've got to keep dreaming. I've got to keep forging my own path. And stop fearing the future and keep trusting in God.
“If you wait to do everything until you're sure it's right, you'll probably never do much of anything.” -- Win Borden
Today, I also found out that the high school I attended (Oxford Academy) is ranked the number 1 public school in California as well as number 7 in the nation. That was a nice throwback moment when I found out. It made me proud of where I came from. But at the same time I have to remember: where you come from isn't necessarily an indicator of where you are and where you will be going. Only you are in control of that based on the decisions you make now and your attitude.
I also FINALLY bought tickets to go back home in August! Granted I'll only be in the US for 3 weeks, but I don't mind, seeing as I nabbed a USD$635 round trip ticket. I've marked the calendars for August 28th - September 16th! I'll probably be giving a recruitment talk for HKUST to one or two high schools, too. :D
“More than anything else, I believe it's our decisions, not the conditions of our lives, that determine our destiny.” -- Anthony Robbins
Plenty of other stuff happened today but I'll just end it there. Time to get back to work!
I'm high on inspiration right now. >__<
Yes I can see it! Can just about make it:It's the light across the ocean.It must be a lighthouse calling my ship home.It's there to show me where I'm going.
Take me to home~
03 May 2012
Solutions
You know you're a science nerd when you're in an argument and you use "rate-limiting step" "reactants" and "overall reaction" to describe the problem...
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