reflections v3.0
6) Who is the most unique/creative person you know? Is this a different person from last year?

i would have to say brenda on this one. i'm really glad i got to know her better during this year, even though, i'd have to say, we wouldn't be friends if it wasn't for me. jk. but yeah, she has some sort of obsession with PAINT and she likes to draw all these funny pictures and stuff like that when she's bored. if you ask me, i think she needs a you-know-what, but hey, nobody asked me. so thank you brenda for the pictures that you have drawn me -- they really brightened my day =)


7) Who is the most inspirational person you know? Why?

for this one, i'd have to say all of the POP leaders. you know, it takes a LOT of patience and a LOT of faith to be a POP leader -- that's one thing i've really taken to heart this year. thank you for being out there every single day, even when you knew hardly anyone else would show up. AACM would be nothing without prayer, so thank you for everything.

pictured here is just one of those special people.


8) Who is the person that is the most extreme/different from you?

i've given this one a lot of thought, and i would have to say johanna yu. first of all, she'a girl, and i'm a boy. that's pretty extremely different, wouldn't you say? i guess you could say that we're both kids at heart, but i think we're different types of kids. she would be the little 4-year-old who asks 20,000 questions a day and says some funny, weird, kiddy stuff. i would be the obnoxious 10-year-old who's always trying to pull pranks and resist being serious.


9) What is one thing you regret doing/not doing this year?

over the course of the year, i've realized one thing: i really SUCK at being intentional in my friendships. i suck at keeping friendships, i suck at building friendships, i just suck. God's blessed me with a lot of great people, but i'd say if it was my own doing, i wouldn't have any friends at all.

one thing i really regret doing is not getting to know the seniors better. it's just a scary thing when it finally hits you that they're going away. FOREVER. just kidding, but not really? there's a long list of seniors i wish i got to know better, including panda, karen, judy, mark austin, jon wang, and alvin. i guess it's a gradual learning process, you know, finding out what it means to really have God-centered friendships, which is why i'm reading this book called "the pursuit of God in the company of friends" by richard lamb. anyone else interested in reading it with me?


10) If you could change one thing about your sophomore year, what would it be?

HAHA. i would change a lot of things. maybe everything. i wish i could start all over, i really do. i would start and finish strong with my small group. i would have avoided hurting some people. i would have thought more clearly about some stuff. i would have done everything different.

unfortunately, i've realized, to my dismay, that there's no rewind button on life. i don't even have access to the remote control, so all i can do is learn from my mistakes and try to do the best i can from here on out.

11) If you could have stopped time momentarily at some time during the year, when would that have been and why?

playing on got'em coach during IM basketball season was really fun. there's just something about playing sports in the midst of friends that's just..awesome. i really think that this is one area where AACM can really place more emphasis in. intramural sports is the perfect way to invite people in to join our community and really have good fellowship with them. hm, just 1 of the 234289098 ideas in my head about how to improve the fellowship.


12) If you could have fast forwarded through a short time during the year, when would that have been and why?

God really broke me this year. and for all of you out there who think i have a big head, yes, God humbled me. he's taught me to rely on him instead of relying on myself. heh, little did i know how much i thought i was in control. but you know, i couldn't have asked for more. i think we've all heard that pride is the source of all sin, and i mean, i've always prayed for God to really humble me, and i guess i got what i prayed for. hey, prayer really works.

so no, i don't want to fast forward through anything. God is good all the time. all the time God is good.

13) If you could have given yourself advice before the year began, what would you have told yourself to do/not to do?

trust in God. that's it. no matter what you're going through, thick or thin, trust in God. trust that He will provide. trust that He will pull you through. trust that He is always there for you. just trust in Him.

14) Name a risk you have taken (if any), and discuss its outcome.

i think the biggest risk i've taken this year is leading a small group, and i've already talked about that in previous questions. if you want to know more, let me know, and i'd be more than happy to share with you.

15) What are some main things you feel God has been teaching you?

God has been teaching me to have patience and to have some self-discipline. He will work everything out, but in the meantime, i just have to have faith. i don't need to worry about what other people are thinking/feeling. i need to worry about myself and the man God wants me to be. everything else will fall into place, sooner or later, all in His perfect timing. i just need to learn to give it all up to Him..easier said than done, trust me.

16) What trials have you been through this year?

there were many times in the year when i just felt totally burnt-out. whether it was school, ministry, or friends, it's been difficult at times to balance everything out. feeling burnt out is one of the worst feelings in the world. at times, i felt like nobody else cared about anything else that was going on, and even though i knew it wasn't true, i couldn't help but feel that way because i was so tired of having everything put on my shoulders. or so it seemed, at least. haha too bad next year isn't going to get any easier. sigh.

17) What big changes took place in your life?

i'm pregnant! just kidding. sorry i don't know why i put that. i don't know how i've really changed since i don't really have an objective view on my own life. everything changes so slowly, and by the end of the year, i feel like i'm the exact same as when the year started, even though i know that can't be true. sorry, for this one, i'm gonna have to say "i don't know." actually, never mind. how about a "you tell me."

18) How have your thoughts/opinions changed (if at all) regarding religion, the people around you, and life in general?

faith is an ongoing process. it's not just a one-time decision -- you should never get to a point in your spiritual life where you just think to yourself, "hey, i'm happy with where i am, i think i'll stay here." it's a journey.

God places people in my life for different seasons and different reasons. sometimes the people are there to stay, sometimes they're not. it's just a fact of life. i'm grateful for all the people who've stepped into my life this year and truly helped me to grow closer to Him.

life isn't fair. it could be all gravy one minute and all crap the next. it's not up to you to decide what happens in life, but it IS up to you to decide how you react to it. being optimistic is important, but most of the time, being realistic is more of a must. give your life to God and follow him daily, for He really does know what's best for you.

19) In whose dorm room/apartment was it the coolest to hang out?

i'd have to say jester west 151 for this one. there's just something about that group of guys that just makes you keep coming back for more. i don't know what it is, but i'd have to say that judging from what i've seen, they are a glimpse of what i wish the entire AACM community looked like. take that however you want to.


20) What was the coolest outing that you went on (i.e. birthday parties, concerts, adventures, meals, dances)?

i'd have to say phil's birthday bash was pretty spectacular. we owned him pretty good. for those of you who don't know the story, ask me.


alright that's it for now. be back in a week after recweek.

service announcement
we interrupt this "end of sophomore year reflections" blog series with an important announcement (and because peter is reformatting my computer, i don't have access to any pictures). i'd like to say thank you to everyone who muttered a quick prayer for me concerning my finals, or to just all those people who were done with finals and didn't point and laugh at my miserable condition.

today i found out i got a 4.0 this past semester, which gives me a 4.0 for my sophomore year :) hoorah!!

reflections v2.0
let the insanity continue.

4) and 5) Name one male (female) who greatly impacted your life in a positive way (then one who impacted you in a negative way), and describe why.

i can't pick one. sorry. i got at least 6 (not a comprehensive list, these are the people i probably spent the most time with, so please don't hate me if your name isn't on here. there are MANY people who had a positive impact on my life in some way or another. chances are, you're also one of them).

peter wang, my roommate. sure, his unceasing love for gaming and spending hours in front of his computer drove me crazy from time to time, but looking back, i can't imagine rooming with anybody else. i have seen God move him in new areas this year, most notably, in his love and hope for a drag ministry. God is going to do great things through him -- i just know it. he is also probably the person who makes me laugh the most.


xiao yu. i had the privilege of living across the hall from this guy, and next year, i get to live with him in 151. i don't know what it is about him, but sometimes when i'm feeling really stressed or worn out, just opening the door and seeing him in front of his computer look up at me can just lift my spirits. i don't know, it's a strange phenomenon. and he's like a big stuffed animal. i can't even count the number of times i walked into his room and just started hugging him or poking him. he also has a lot of wisdom in that brain of his. AND he's an EE major. what are the odds?


titus lam. throughout the year, he's always been there for me. i remember this one time at aacm large group, i was going through some rough stuff, and this one song just really hit me hard, and i quietly exited the room and walked outside. i was just sitting there on the sidewalk praying in tears, when all of a sudden titus sits down next to me. that guy is such a good listener -- i must have rambled for about 20 minutes about every topic imaginable, but he just sat there with his hand on my shoulder. i definitely will never forget that night.


phillip lee. sometimes his use of money kinda gets to me, but i'd have to say that he is the most generous friend i have. he really knows how to take care of his friends and make them feel loved. he has a huge heart for people, and he does everything with passion. he's one person i know i can rely on to carry me around campus if i break an ankle or beat the crap out of somebody if someone messes with me. okay, maybe not the latter, cuz that's wrong, but i think you get the idea.


andrew koller, my co-leader. it's been awesome getting to know this guy better this year. we've found out that in many ways, we are actually frighteningly similar, but i mean, there's no such thing as too much of a good thing, right? right. i'd say we both got off to a pretty slow start with our small group, but throughout the year, we both kinda picked up off each other and really got things rolling. i look forward to yet another year with this guy next year.


last, but not least, meson woo. you wouldn't know it by looking at him, but this guy actually brings a lot of good stuff to the table. i don't know how many times i've muttered the words "sigh, meson.." but yet another year in his small group has helped me to discover what exactly grace could possibly see in him. just kidding. grace, don't hurt me =(


there it is, folks. now you can decide which of these answers belonged to question 4) or 5).

Sophomore Year Reflections I
how time flies, whaddya know, it's summer again. college has a bad habit of just flying by me, so in an effort to retain what little memory my feeble mind has left of this past year, i've decided to complete the (in)famous END OF YEAR surveys on timmy chui's aim profile.

as we all know, we as college students have very short attention spans. i'm pretty sure this applies to both the reader, you, and the writer, me. so as you can see, this is only part I of the series. i suppose each post will go for as long as i'm awake and not bored. so if you don't care about my life, then go away, and let me write in my journal in peace, so that i can look back on these posts 5 years down the line and laugh and cry by myself in a corner. sigh. how time flies.

1) What is your most memorable moment (something positive, then something negative)?

i've sat here for 10 minutes trying to narrow all my options down. this is turning out to be harder than i thought.

i suppose the most positive memorable moment out of the entire year must have been the birthday thing that got thrown for me. i knew something was planned, but you guys seriously blew me away. i realized how incredibly blessed i really am, and the whole experience amost made me forget how old i was turning. the big 2-0. man, what a night. you guys rock my world.


negative moment? i think it's safe to say that living in my dorm room was pretty nasty. no, i take that back. it was crazy nasty. the dripping faucet, mixed in with the crawfish/potato/watermelon smell. yuck. gross.

2) What was your most exciting moment?

at the beginning of the year, i was so excited about leading a small group. what a good group of guys. throughout the year, i would have to say that small group sometimes became my only motivation to do anything -- somehow i just stopped caring too much about other stuff. i guess on a personal note to my guys, if any of them happen to read this, i could care less if you don't remember anything from the bible study, since i know most of you grew up in church. i hope you got to know both me and koller and the rest of the guys on a personal level, to a point where you would feel comfortable coming to any of us for help or encouragement. if not, then i failed. but don't tell me. because i'll be sad.

anyways, i'm sorry we didn't finish out the year as strong as we had hoped, but koller and i promise to take you guys out to either kyoto's or sullivan's at the beginning of next school year (is it too early to talk about that already?). our treat. thanks for an awesome year. and ivan, you better run and hide, because i'm gonna shave your legs at recweek.

3) What were your happiest and saddest moments?

on my last one-on-one of the year (sorry i didn't meet up with you guys enough), i got to sit down with ray and just talk about stuff. ray's a cool kid. it was during our conversation that i just realized how much God's been working this year, right under my nose. just seeing how much ray had learned and grown spiritually during the year amazed me. he went from pretty much not knowing anything about the gospel to a guy who had become passionate in pursuing God, through prayer, quiet times, and even reading the bible. this realization, by itself, made my whole year worth it. God is good, amen?

i'd have to say that my saddest moment was senior farewell. it was fun doing the whole musical thing for them, but i'll be darned if they didn't deserve so much more. i think it was finally then that it just hit me. man, these people aren't gonna be here next year. that's so weird, isn't it? i know everybody hates saying goodbye, but i guess i'm glad that it could end on a high note.


okay i think that's enough for one sitting. more to come later.