reflections::conclusion
40) What advice would you give to incoming freshmen and incoming sophomores?

FRESHMEN: you're freshmen. act like it. if you were a loser in high school, here's your clean slate. pick whatever identity you want to call your own and just run with it. nobody will know the difference, except for maybe a few other freshmen, but who cares about them anyways. meet people. find your niche. have some fun. it's your freshmen year!

SOPHOMORES: you're not freshmen anymore. this is when you're supposed to start acting like it, but don't. stay young at heart, but just take on new responsibilities and see where they take you. invest in genuine friendships. find your true group of friends, but don't ignore everyone else. spend time with upperclassmen, especially seniors. you're not going to get the same attention as you did freshmen year, but that doesn't mean you accept that and jump into that black hole known as the "sophomore slump." there's really no such thing unless you really want there to be. don't spend time reminiscing about freshmen year, that's what you during summer.

41) What expectations did you have coming into sophomore year, and how have those been met?

i expected to be challenged spiritually, and it's been a rollercoaster of a year. i've tasted the highest of highs and also sunk to the lowest of lows, but through it all, i've learned a whole bunch. small group was a big challenge in itself. in many ways, i think i failed this year. but then again, my standard is perfection. i can't help but look back on the year and think of all the what-ifs, but i guess i'll just have to try to learn from my mistakes.

42) What expectations do you have for your junior year?

i expect to be stretched like sillyputty. flexibility is definitely going to be a big issue, so we'll see where my limit is. i expect to be a better small group leader. i'm going all-in, from the very first hand. schoolwork should be tougher too, which means that i need to learn to manage my time even better. i expect to work hard AND play hard. i've learned that college is too short to waste it just working your butt off. you gotta have fun -- it's a must.

43) How will your junior year differ from the past two years?

class unity is going to be somewhat weakened with people moving out all over the place, but it should be a good change. maybe just maybe fewer late night craziness, but then again, probably not. hm, i'm not really sure how it's going to be different -- i guess i'll find out soon enough.

44) If you could pick one girl/guy to marry now, and one guy/girl to be your best man/maid of honor, who would you pick?

if you haven't heard already, brenda and i are gonna get married in a little less than 5 years from now. apparently that will give me enough time to "mature" (???) or something crazy like that. we're even gonna hook up her younger sister with my younger brother. hm..how would that work.. would we have to get married on the same day so it wouldn't be weird? cuz wouldn't they be family or something nasty like that after we got married? problematic..must think this one through.


best man? peter wang.


45) On a scale from 1-10, how would you rate your classes?

crap i can't even remember what classes i took in the fall =( how sad is that?

well i got a 4.0 for the year, so my judgment may be a little skewed, but i'd say my classes were somewhat enjoyable this year. i learned some stuff that i got to use in jon wang's nerdy "trivia game" at recweek. that's what it's all about, learning stuff that you don't just forget the minute after you take the final. i learned how to speak mandarin too, that's pretty tight. i'll be generous, i'll rate my classes with a 8.493.

46) On a scale from 1-10, how would you rate your dorm/apartment/roommate?

jester west was a great improvement over jester east. it's always nice getting a nice change of scenery. instead of seeing the stadium, this year i got a nice view of the nice, green patio. it felt like less of a jail cell since i had more people around me that i knew, like xiao, eric, david, scott, and simon. and of course, the best part is that jester west is freakin' convenient. i could go a whole semester without leaving the building if i really wanted to. the only minus would be that awful smell that overpowers the halls whenever peter farts. just kidding. you know, the smell that gets soaked up into the carpet whenever they "wash" it? yeah, that one. ph, and the other minus, our freakin' room itself. crap man, it got disgusting at the end of the year. i was counting down the seconds til i got to jet outta there. spoiled crawfish, burnt cheese, molding potatos, leftover watermelon, and dirty laundry all mixed up into one gagging stench. sick. so, jester west, i give you a 3.329.

ah, my roommate, zheng wang.

PROS: he stays in his own corner of the room about 99% of the time, so if i really wanted to, i could extend my living area to cover the entire room other than his chair.

CONS: he has this bad habit of eating apples. sure, not so bad, right? not until he gets down to where there's just the core left, and then he just leaves it somewhere in the room. i don't know what he's thinking. like, he'll just leave it out somewhere like on the TV or something and it'll just sit there until it turns black and i finally dispose of it weeks later. it's as if he's playing that old "pokemon snap" game on N64 and he's trying to attract some pikachus with all the apple cores he's leaving around all over the place. sometimes i wish he just had a girlfriend so he could spend all the time he spends on the computer with her. actually wait, that wouldn't be healthy at all. i guess i'll just find him a hobby over the summer. maybe something fun like doing the dishes or folding my laundry.

at the same time, i can't imagine living with anyone else, so zheng wang's raw score: 10


47) On a scale from 1-10, how would you rate the food you ate?

i don't think i'll ever get over my habit of late-night feasts. there's nothing better than going to bed on a full stomach, let me tell ya. that's the main reason i ran out of all my bevobucks by october; there's just some things you can't do without, and for me, eating right before bed is at the top of the list. UT has a lot of great food, ie hoa hoa, chipotle, pho, pluckers, and yes, i'll even admit that at some points during these long summers i find myself missing jcl and j2. what. don't look at me like you don't know what i'm talking about. what, you wouldn't take a jcl philly cheesesteak if i offered you one right now? yeah, that's right. shut up.

food = 9.193


48) On a scale from 1-10, how would you rate your sophomore year overall?

the ups were great and the downs were terrible, but hey, that's life. i've learned a lot this year about God, my friends, and myself. it's been a fun year, no doubt. full of laughs and tears, incidents we'll never forget, and memories we'll cherish forever. if i've learned anything, it's that it's just plain foolish to look back on the past and wonder "what if." you gotta learn from it and trust that God had a purpose in everything that went down, whether it was what you expected or not. this year, like all the other ones preceding it, is a solid 10. glory to God for another great year.

49) Name a song to describe your sophomore year experience.

Majesty (Here I Am)
- Delirious
Here I am humbled by your Majesty
Covered by your grace so free
Here I am, knowing I'm a sinful man
Covered by the blood of the Lamb

Now I've found the greatest love of all is mine
Since you laid down your life
The greatest sacrifice

Majesty, Majesty
Your grace has found me just as I am
Empty handed, but alive in your hands
Majesty, Majesty
Forever I am changed by your love
In the presence of your Majesty

Here I am humbled by the love that you give
Forgiven so that I can forgive
Here I stand, knowing that I'm your desire
Sanctified by glory and fire

Now I've found the greatest love of all is mine
Since you laid down your life
The greatest sacrifice

this song always hits the spot for me. it is a constant reminder of how much God has done for me, and how easily i still forget.

50) Choose a motto for your sophomore year.

life is simple -- no need to complicate things; just enjoy it.


and THAT, folks, is my sophomore year in a nutshell. exhale.

God is God
- Steven Curtis Chapman
And the pain falls like a curtain
On the things I once called certain
And I have to say the words I fear the most
I just don’t know

And the questions without answers
Come and paralyze the dancer
So I stand here on the stage afraid to move
Afraid to fall, oh, but fall I must
On this truth that my life has been formed from the dust

God is God and I am not
I can only see a part of the picture He’s painting
God is God and I am man
So I’ll never understand it all
For only God is God

And the sky begins to thunder
And I’m filled with awe and wonder
‘Til the only burning question that remains
Is who am I

Can I form a single mountain
Take the stars in hand and count them
Can I even take a breath without God giving it to me
He is first and last before all that has been
Beyond all that will pass

Oh, how great are the riches of His wisdom and knowledge
How unsearchable for to Him and through Him and from Him are all things

So let us worship before the throne
Of the One who is worthy of worship alone

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God, I don't know Your plans for anyone. Although I constantly question "why" this or that happens, I will never question your majesty. I only trust that there truly is a reason behind everything that happens, a reasoning that is more complex and amazing than I can ever even begin to comprehend. May this faith be enough to quench my yearning for these answers that only You know. Fill me with the words to say or the actions to take to be a source of encouragement to those who are suffering. Breathe peace, Father.

reflections v5.0
36) How have you changed since freshmen year?

i think i'm a bit more disciplined since freshmen year. the thought of late-night adventures don't really excite me to the bone anymore since i value sleep more now. i'm a year older, and maybe it's just in my mind, but my body sure feels like it too. my knees seem to ache whenever i play ball back to back days or if i don't get enough sleep. i think i've become more of a leader as well. i've learned to not wait around for someone to take initiative. if something needs to be done, i try to step up. i also think my faith is now much more..well, let's just say "realistic" for lack of a better word. i don't just take to heart what i've heard all my life anymore. when it comes to questions concerning my faith, i've learned that it really is okay to struggle with them. i believe that's the best way -- to figure out the answers to your own questions instead of just ignoring them and listening to what other people have to say.

37) Who is your favorite freshman?

ah jeez. this question really is impossible. i've been lucky to have the opportunity to get to know a lot of the freshmen this past year, some more than others, of course, but many of them have had a positive impact on my life. i love their childlike hearts and the way you all have such a heart for the AACM community. i can only pray that i only get to know them even better next year.


38) Who is your favorite upperclassman?

BRENDA LIN is the coolest girl i know. people are just sort of drawn to her, or so it seems. although i found her constant girl crushes kind of strange at times, i'm still glad she's a part of my life.


well, i've already mentioned MESON WOO and ANDREW KOLLER in an earlier question..


..so i guess that brings me to NICK LIAO. this guy has so much wisdom inside that single-dimple head of his, but i'm glad i got to know him a bit better this year. i know i really suck at being intentional in my friendships, but i really hope i can stay in touch with this guy.


of course there's TIMMY CHUI. i've known this guy since forever, way back when we were both in the same chinese school class at HCC. through the years, we've gone through countless hopeless teachers, torturing them to the point of putting us in corners to try to tame us, but we would not be tamed. hopefully we can sorta revive "funboys" this next year.


last, but not least, mr. JASON WANG. i've balled with him many times the past two years, and i really wish i coulda gotten to know him better somehow. he's a real funny guy and he really cares about other people. i can see it in just the little stuff he does, like at greg, when he knows someone still wants to play, he'll give up his spot on a team so that someone else can run. it doesn't matter if he's played 0 games or 50, he puts other people in front of himself, or at least that's what i've seen. in his own words, i hope we're friends "for a long while."


39) How have your groups of friends changed since freshmen year?

let's just say i've learned a thing or two about friendships since freshmen year. this past year i think i've finally started to see that it's really impossible to be best friends with everybody. you can try, but most likely you'll just stretch yourself so thin that you won't even have the luxury of even a couple genuine friendships. my group of friends has solidified since freshmen year. i still try to hang out with different groups, but i know that when it comes to personal stuff, there's only a few people that i should be talking to. sure, it's good to be vulnerable with people, and i've never had a problem with that, but i've learned that you should only share some of that stuff with people who you'd trust your life with, not just people you consider friends or "good people."

stay tuned for the final edition of my SOPHOMORE YEAR REFLECTIONS. yipee-kai-yay.