It’s been awhile since I have shared any thoughts, but since it’s still summer and I just finished classes I figure why not reflect on what I have learned.
My history professor made us watch a documentary called Why We Fight (2006). From a normal American citizen with no knowledge of government-military relations, I recommend it if you have an hour and forty minutes to spare. My thoughts are based on and supported by it:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=SWyhOKbqdEQ (that’s right, youtube isn’t only for watching Justin Bieber’s flashy dance moves or the direction One Direction is headed in)
Yesterday, I played Ultimate at a local park with some high school friends for the first time in about a year. I was almost as rusty as how Mars appears today, but I found my ground and did okay and had a good time, until a mishap. A teammate of mine threw the disc into the endzone, and the receiver tracked it down well, too well. There was a kid on a bike on the sidewalk and everyone was shouting something along the lines of “OMGKIDKIDKID STOOP WATCHOUTLOOK UP!” and obviously you can guess what happened. So the kid gets hammered but luckily the grass provided a safety net. The receiver helps the kid up and makes sure he’s okay. And look who we see trodding along about 50 meters away (thank you Olympics for giving me a good sense of measurement). His father of course. At that point, the kid starts crying for attention (literally) and the father gets super pissed and over protective. He pretty much kicked us off the field.. “You’re done here, go home” he states. First of all, this hotshot thinks he’s the boss. With his non-prescription sunglasses donned on his noggin’, he thought he saw one of us “smile”. Charging up to us, he stammers, “Oh, tell me why you think this is funny?” And gets pretty close to us with blood coursing through his veins. Of course the receiver apologized and even helped the kid up and made sure he was okay (not a single scratch) but the dad had none of that. He pretty much camped out and made sure we did not resume play that evening while the kid was biking circles again.
That guy thinks he’s so good that he is actually not good. Here’s my analysis:
1. You can not kick someone out of a public park unless cops tell you to leave. This ain’t your house and we’re not on your lawn so put that shotgun down.
2. You can’t just yell at a group of innocent kids and not even accept their apology. We are not your kids.
3. You are not a good father if you let your kid run around unattended for such a long distance and think his biking skills will steer him out of trouble (he is a kid!).
4. You need better sunglasses (or just a better brain) if you think there are no dangers when being around flying objects. I know he had to see us playing since there were about 18 of us.
5. You can’t assume that a tired appearance = one that is mocking the situation. Ya are mouths are gaping open because we are replenishing our oxygen levels, not laughing at what happened to your son.
6. Money is not power. Just because you are rich (I am judging him based on the neighborhood, cocky personality, and alumni-fratty looks cause I can) doesn’t mean you can always have it your way.
The way he handled things really took me by surprise, he misrepresented himself out there. We know he was just trying to protect his son but he by no means did just that. He took away rights of college/high school kids having fun. If he thought it was dangerous at the park, he should be the one to leave since we were already playing and it was just his family.. that is like me telling loud people at a concert sitting next to me to buzz off because I can not hear and enjoy the music. This is not Burger King where you can have it your way. He provided us with a horrible image of a father. What will his son take out of that? “Oh my dad is so badass he kicked 18 people off the field!” Probably not since it seemed like he was five or so, but to us, the dude tried to make up for his lack of parenting by taking it out on us. It was an honest accident, and if we did not intend it to be, that “father” would really have gotten it handed to him and his family (he is so so lucky most of us are humble, respectful, peaceful, and nice, since parks nowadays can be very dangerous). All I know is that that is not the kind of father I would want to become. You can’t get anywhere in life by raging (unless its college), yelling, making a fuss out of nothing, blaming others for your own faults, and attempting taking charge of what’s beyond your capabilities (I am surprised his wife deals with that, unless he misrepresents himself in that relationship for the sake of his dignity). In the end, in this local shingding, no one died. No one got hurt. No one even got scarred. A year from now everyone will forget about this incident and life will move on. No big deal.
Unless you’ve been living in a cave, you would know that the Summer Olympics is going on right now. When I think about Olympics, I think about how it’s most intense competition on the planet by athletes all over the world. What other people may think about is how beautiful these athletes’ bodies are while applying intricate movement via the kinetic chain with utmost precision. What countries as a whole may think is how they are the best at what they do. What Michael Phelps thinks is that he has the most medals ever (fact). But what about what the government thinks? The government wants you to think about the Olympics as the unification of all nations, and it gets that message out pretty clearly. After all, the rings on the Olympic flag symbolizes the unification of all inhabitants of Africa, Asia, Americas, Australia, and Europe. Why do they want you to think this? It’s because of what happens behind the scenes, the events that happen off of the fancy HD LED 1080p 55 inch flat screen Samsung TV (or what have you) that is collecting dust in your living room. The Olympics is a great distraction to detach you from why nations go to war and engage in conflict.
Enter the United States military. Unless you are living under a rabbit hole for the past year (if you have found it), you know that US troops have been withdrawn from Iraq. Why did we engage in that nine year war anyway? War aims have seemed to fade away. Well the original invasion was due to the events of 9/11. We wanted to find out who was responsible for such terrorist acts. Was that all we wanted? Apparently not. At one point, the government actually worked well with Saddam Hussein as we saw a positive relationship with him based on oil, but then he made a move with another country and the government did not agree, so we got after him. The government demonized him to the public and he became one of the most wanted guys in the world. America wanted to secure peace in Iraq and free the peoples. What they were actually doing was trying to overpower the Iraqi government and be in control, while “terrorizing” innocent citizens in the process. What happens to all your hard earned money that you un-willingly fork over to our government? According to the Military-Industrial Complex, coined by Eisenhower, it mostly goes to defense spending, which the U.S spends more on than other nation. We want to be powerful for the wrong reasons sometimes. We used billions of dollars purchasing new tech, inventing new shiny weapons, and use them to threaten other nations. “Hey our rocket is bigger than yours haha no innuendo intended”. That will back them off. No that is not what happens. Media nowadays is very controlled and selective. Ever since the Vietnam War, reporters are no longer allowed to be caught in the heat of action. The US wanted to slip into Vietnam unnoticed but the media exposed their plans, and we had to retreat before our image was ruined. That is why we do not see live action footage of what happened in Iraq (publicly that is, the documentary shows some). The general public would not know what the bombs and planes were used for, but can only believe the news reports that roll in.
What really went on in Iraq? American government saw democracy as a good thing and believed everyone in the world should live by it. We believe in it so much that we force ourselves into other countries’ business and start trouble with them, to "fix what's broke". Other countries would have to comply because they know we have the power to blow them up to smithereens. What we do is station ourselves there to make sure democracy is happening. The US government bombed innocent civilians in Iraq and have the media report them vaguely as bombings in Iraq, innocents killed, as if it was set off by Iraqi government. We are the ones that always has to look good, and we have the power and resources to back that notion up. Before the war, Iraqi citizens hated Saddam and wanted him overruled, and they were happy that America came to intervene in hopes that things will change for the better. Sure they may be able to vote now, but there was a heavy price to pay. There are always sacrifices to be made for the future generation (see slavery) and Iraqi citizens suffered. They no longer wanted to be like America because America took lives away. Now they are supposedly starting that process as they had voting booths last time I checked (thank you sometimes misleading media).
Support our troops? 100%. Support our government’s decisions? That is questionable. Bush did not even know why we war with Iraq, and blamed it on his vice president (something along those lines... watch the documentary! I was sleepy so didn’t catch that part :p) I give credit to the ones who are sacrificing their lives for the country they love dearly, but some of those are unaware of why they are fighting. Some troops have no homes, some have no ways to support themselves, and others do it because they believe in a good cause. Those personal thoughts aside, you fight for America and what America wants you to believe in -freedom, no matter the cost. I mean, it worked for America right? Only because Great Britain was not tight about us leaving, and it worked “happily” for us. War with Iraq? “Hell ya I wanna kill some bad terrorists who bombed us because we invaded them first since they did not want to share their oil!” No oil = no military. Oil yields power and it is abundant in the Middle East which is why there is so much conflict with the area. We just want your damn oil! We pretty much pissed off some people to make them look bad when they target us. “Oh, little boy picks on the big boy with power? Now have a taste of our power...” Maybe that’s not exactly how it happened, but the idea is similar. Oh and sorry kids dad, you may have thought you seemed intimidating, but in my head I was laughing because he thought he was so tough and commanding. Perhaps he is an ex veteran who was also coerced by our government... hmmm..
It doesn’t matter how many gold medals a country wins, and it doesn’t matter if you have a wonderful family and happy life. But you gotta keep your composure, be true to who you are. We are America, we are strong and successful. We may be good, but if we think of ourselves as too good then others may think otherwise. We are not the policemen of the world and we shouldn’t act like that either. Neither should the father of two with a high paying job and hot wife (no I did not get a good look at her, just giving examples). Represent who you are proudly and justly, and let people base you off of that. Many countries hate America with a passion because of what we do to them, just like how I dislike that father who went overboard with his actions. He may be a good man, just like America may be a good country (depends on where you stand), but I would not know because he acted like a total d-bag, albeit these two situations are similar, one is more grave than the other.
I love America don’t get me wrong. It is better off than many other countries out there, and there is total freedom. But after seeing what really happened in Iraq, I cringe. It hurts me seeing innocent bystanders being killed when they have done nothing wrong. I can’t trust what I hear in the media all the time, the stuff that matter anyways. Big whoop the Lakers got Dwight Howard, now tell me something that will affect my life. Oh wait, you can’t! According to the documentary, America is building stations (9?) in Iraq so we can ensure that democracy is imminent. We may have pulled out our troops, but we still have officials there. I don’t remember hearing that in the news, oh wait..I actually didn't.
I’m not a radical or a left wing nutjob or whatever the crazy thinking political people are called (Americans? hah just kidding). I am just a college kid sharing thoughts and experiences. If I had not watched the documentary, I would think America is always good, and always have good intentions. I mean, we are leading the medal count so far anyway, right? :p
With a grain of salt and $.02,
-KT
Friday, August 10, 2012
Monday, January 9, 2012
oh how fresh this feels
Long time no see!
It's been awhile hasn't it? I have not shared anything since last year, wow! I hope everyone had a fabulous winter holiday because I know mine could not have been any better. A new year means new goals and new resolutions. Perhaps I will share 7 things that I would like to work on so that I have some good luck for a change. Just kidding I do not believe in luck, I just use it as an expression. You wish me good luck on a test? You implied I did not study? (Don't worry I say the same) Anyway, here we go!
1. I will maintain a legitimate sleeping schedule.
I have failed so hard at this, especially during winter break, and I really felt how detrimental it can be to your daily life. I would fall into a deep slumber around 2-4am each night (or day), and would arise anew around 11am-1pm. There goes my day, my health, and my social life. I had to work around it and improved to sleeping around 12-1am and waking at 10-11am, 9am if I had to. How am I going to try to reverse this? I am taking a 6:55am weight training course on Monday/Wed/Fri and taking a History class 8am Tues/Thurs. I will set a goal bedtime of no later than 11pm. It will be a tough challenge that I am willing to tackle. I am actually somewhat of a morning person; I can get up and be wild if I want to, but the fact that everyone around me is almost always dead, I feel dead too. Mob mentality..
2. I will use time effectively
Well I realized I spend a lot of time doing nothing.. nothing productive at least. Facebook, myspace, google +, yahoo, facebook, you get the gist... Time wasters and stuff I should be gleaning over less. That also means little to no napping. I was not used to the early morning festivities, so I took a nice 2 hour nap after my weight lifting class. I hope that is the last time I do that. I am sure 15 hours a day can take me far if I use it wisely. It is like living life, don't waste it. This also means I will actually read my textbooks that I purchase because the bookshelf can only make it look so pretty. Maybe that should be another resolution in itself..
3. I will capture more snapshots
Recently I have been bawling over photography since I got a nice point and shoot for Christmas. (s95 yeah baby). Sometimes I don't capture life's greatest moments, and sometimes I don't need to, but sometimes they do slip into the back of my mind. I would like to create some sort of comprehensible photo story of some sorts. Maybe not a daily photo journal (maybe for next year), but routine shots that can chronograph my life (not a watch, cool huh?) Nothing too special, but I am interested in manual modes and experimenting with pictures after I buckle down the basics. I will place my trusty s95 into my left pant pocket and snap away at life's offerings. Camera phones are nice but that's kinda like using my toilet paper as tissue paper; it can do the job but it can not do it better than a dedicated device. It really doesn't matter how it is captured though, as long as the moment is captured.
4. I will laugh till the world ends
When the world ends, I want to die laughing. That will represent all I have lived for. I will continue to be the laughable crazy kid that everyone thinks is weird but really isn't (Actually I may have to take that last statement back as I do not judge myself). Life is a lot better when I am surrounded by happiness and you don't even need to ask how I know. I will keep it that way this year and spread the smile to many other subjects I may run into.
5. I will keep my enemies close, but my friends even closer
I just lied. I have no enemies. At least not on my behalf. I love everyone. Hate is bad, I don't know how to hate. It is something I wont ever learn how to do. I am starting to find out who my real friends are though, and it would be nice to keep in touch with them over the airwaves. I really hope that earth's magnetism doesn't shift so that we can still use cell phones and internet. Oh how much we depend on technology in this day and age. I wonder how the primates did it back in the day.
I try to rekindle some lost friendships, or be aware of people who don't like to be around me. I will surely avoid them to keep them happy. I will be alert to such circumstances and try my best to be friendly regardless of such situations of admonition. On the plus side, I believe I get along with most people I meet and I rarely run into a fluke. They are not worthy of my time if I am not worthy of theirs. I do not want to give off the impression that I interact with people only because I NEED to, but because I WANT to.
6. I will make a difference
I have missed out on many opportunities in the past. Being nice is a good start. Being informative also helps. Telling the kid at the bus stop that the bus stopped running (no pun intended) an hour ago would have gone a long way. Smiling back at that girl who smiled warmly at me would have made her day as much as it made mine. I will help people in any way possible if I am capable of it. Sometimes it feels good giving yourself up for a great cause. The world does not revolve around me, and I am afraid it doesn't revolve around you either. It revolves around the unison of beings.
7. I will get out of my comfort zone
You may not be able to teach an old dog new tricks, but you can expose that very same dog to something new. For example your house dog that has never stepped foot outside your house would be bedazzled at how vast and great the outside world is. I am trying to experiment and learn who I really am, day after day, year after year. You would think that after 20 years, I would know myself like the palm of my hand, but no, sadly I am far from that. I will do things to experience 110% of the life that God has given me. I will do things I normally would not do. I will be more outgoing and outreaching. This pretty much ties everything together, as I am tackling things I have not had experience in the past, so I am really pushing myself to new limits that I will just break the threshold of.
Well folks that is my list. I hope I remember my own guidelines and live up to them! Hopefully ya'll have set goals or resolutions to pursue. Take all of your memories and experiences of last year and put them in the back of your mind, good or bad. They no longer matter, it is what's ahead of you that matters and what will shape the year after this.
To a fresh new start and a fantastic semester/year/journey
-KT
It's been awhile hasn't it? I have not shared anything since last year, wow! I hope everyone had a fabulous winter holiday because I know mine could not have been any better. A new year means new goals and new resolutions. Perhaps I will share 7 things that I would like to work on so that I have some good luck for a change. Just kidding I do not believe in luck, I just use it as an expression. You wish me good luck on a test? You implied I did not study? (Don't worry I say the same) Anyway, here we go!
1. I will maintain a legitimate sleeping schedule.
I have failed so hard at this, especially during winter break, and I really felt how detrimental it can be to your daily life. I would fall into a deep slumber around 2-4am each night (or day), and would arise anew around 11am-1pm. There goes my day, my health, and my social life. I had to work around it and improved to sleeping around 12-1am and waking at 10-11am, 9am if I had to. How am I going to try to reverse this? I am taking a 6:55am weight training course on Monday/Wed/Fri and taking a History class 8am Tues/Thurs. I will set a goal bedtime of no later than 11pm. It will be a tough challenge that I am willing to tackle. I am actually somewhat of a morning person; I can get up and be wild if I want to, but the fact that everyone around me is almost always dead, I feel dead too. Mob mentality..
2. I will use time effectively
Well I realized I spend a lot of time doing nothing.. nothing productive at least. Facebook, myspace, google +, yahoo, facebook, you get the gist... Time wasters and stuff I should be gleaning over less. That also means little to no napping. I was not used to the early morning festivities, so I took a nice 2 hour nap after my weight lifting class. I hope that is the last time I do that. I am sure 15 hours a day can take me far if I use it wisely. It is like living life, don't waste it. This also means I will actually read my textbooks that I purchase because the bookshelf can only make it look so pretty. Maybe that should be another resolution in itself..
3. I will capture more snapshots
Recently I have been bawling over photography since I got a nice point and shoot for Christmas. (s95 yeah baby). Sometimes I don't capture life's greatest moments, and sometimes I don't need to, but sometimes they do slip into the back of my mind. I would like to create some sort of comprehensible photo story of some sorts. Maybe not a daily photo journal (maybe for next year), but routine shots that can chronograph my life (not a watch, cool huh?) Nothing too special, but I am interested in manual modes and experimenting with pictures after I buckle down the basics. I will place my trusty s95 into my left pant pocket and snap away at life's offerings. Camera phones are nice but that's kinda like using my toilet paper as tissue paper; it can do the job but it can not do it better than a dedicated device. It really doesn't matter how it is captured though, as long as the moment is captured.
4. I will laugh till the world ends
When the world ends, I want to die laughing. That will represent all I have lived for. I will continue to be the laughable crazy kid that everyone thinks is weird but really isn't (Actually I may have to take that last statement back as I do not judge myself). Life is a lot better when I am surrounded by happiness and you don't even need to ask how I know. I will keep it that way this year and spread the smile to many other subjects I may run into.
5. I will keep my enemies close, but my friends even closer
I just lied. I have no enemies. At least not on my behalf. I love everyone. Hate is bad, I don't know how to hate. It is something I wont ever learn how to do. I am starting to find out who my real friends are though, and it would be nice to keep in touch with them over the airwaves. I really hope that earth's magnetism doesn't shift so that we can still use cell phones and internet. Oh how much we depend on technology in this day and age. I wonder how the primates did it back in the day.
I try to rekindle some lost friendships, or be aware of people who don't like to be around me. I will surely avoid them to keep them happy. I will be alert to such circumstances and try my best to be friendly regardless of such situations of admonition. On the plus side, I believe I get along with most people I meet and I rarely run into a fluke. They are not worthy of my time if I am not worthy of theirs. I do not want to give off the impression that I interact with people only because I NEED to, but because I WANT to.
6. I will make a difference
I have missed out on many opportunities in the past. Being nice is a good start. Being informative also helps. Telling the kid at the bus stop that the bus stopped running (no pun intended) an hour ago would have gone a long way. Smiling back at that girl who smiled warmly at me would have made her day as much as it made mine. I will help people in any way possible if I am capable of it. Sometimes it feels good giving yourself up for a great cause. The world does not revolve around me, and I am afraid it doesn't revolve around you either. It revolves around the unison of beings.
7. I will get out of my comfort zone
You may not be able to teach an old dog new tricks, but you can expose that very same dog to something new. For example your house dog that has never stepped foot outside your house would be bedazzled at how vast and great the outside world is. I am trying to experiment and learn who I really am, day after day, year after year. You would think that after 20 years, I would know myself like the palm of my hand, but no, sadly I am far from that. I will do things to experience 110% of the life that God has given me. I will do things I normally would not do. I will be more outgoing and outreaching. This pretty much ties everything together, as I am tackling things I have not had experience in the past, so I am really pushing myself to new limits that I will just break the threshold of.
Well folks that is my list. I hope I remember my own guidelines and live up to them! Hopefully ya'll have set goals or resolutions to pursue. Take all of your memories and experiences of last year and put them in the back of your mind, good or bad. They no longer matter, it is what's ahead of you that matters and what will shape the year after this.
To a fresh new start and a fantastic semester/year/journey
-KT
Friday, December 23, 2011
how to be kind
Being kind.
Being kind is a way of living that keeps giving long after the kind thoughts, words, and actions have taken place. Kindness is a force without force, and it goes well beyond manners to the very heart of how people respect and treat one another.
Being kind is a vital way of making our own lives, and the lives of others, meaningful. Being kind allows us to communicate better with others, to be more self-compassionate, and to be a positive force in other people’s lives. Kindness has its true source deep within you, and while some people are innately kind, it’s something that everyone can cultivate by choice.
http://www.wikihow.com/Be-Kind
Wikipedia is so smart...
Tuesday, November 29, 2011
i am a black cat that walks under ladders to shatter mirrors into 13 perfectly cut pieces
Hellooo
To start things off on a positive note, Thanksgiving was awesome. I got to stuff my face, rest my head, and have great times with old friends. It's good to relive those youthful moments even though we're all growing older. I bought a single sweater which was my weakest Black Friday shopping ever. But what was surprising was that this year, people spent the most on BF ever, topping $11.4 billion. Sad thing is, I did not even see things worth buying! Either that or I learned how to save money by not spending it (pfft).
Baylor beat Tech, even though they took out RG3 with a concussion (and Ganaway who later came back, beast mode, ripping up anything in his way [it must have been all the food he ate over Thanksgiving]). Nice team play by the Bears, I like it, and I am certain we can handle Texas by their horns.
If you love good news then you should stop reading here and enjoy the rest of your beautiful day. I will let you take a break and gather some popcorn and soda pop.
Okay well Welcome back. You had your chance!
People say to live life to the fullest, or to life everyday like it's your last. But how do you live your life to the fullest if it is not as full as it can potentially be? How can you live it like it's your last if it ain't your last day to live? You can't repeatedly top off your life meter towards the "full" side, that takes tremendous effort, and you do not know what it feels like to live the last day of your life. Try filling up your gas tank to the fullest.. Good luck with that bro, cause it is a continuous function that will eventually have to dip beyond its highest point. Oh, and if this was my last day on earth, I would just take a nap, because nothing else matters after you are gone. History tells me that George Washington is United States first president. Cool story bro, tell me another. That's how life is, we just make a mark in time, and try our best to impact or make a change in this world. Some do it hungryly, others do it humbly, while some don't do anything at all. For me though, I am just doing the best I can. Period. I know that is subjective and vague, because who can calculate it's effort and efficiency? Certainly not my Physics professor, nor can you Google that my friend. There is no formula for life, just freedom to live it (here at least).
Let's just say this semester, life has hit me hard... repetitively, just like... well I would rather not say. It wants me to quit auto-piloting and to take charge of it myself. I have been getting by on a day to day basis for the longest time, living only one dimension of it (wait there are three!!?). I thought life was good, and good it was, up until it decided to be not so good to me. BAM, a new dimension, life sucks sometimes too. There was a stark contrast in my first uneventful mishap, because I was so happy. I was cheering my team spirit out as Baylor was beating Missouri at our homecoming game. I had a wonderful day -- it was picture perfect. I was so happy, it was the best and worst day of my life at that point (in awhile). Reality hit me hard though when I lost my wallet at the game though, aka my identity. It felt so weird, I had to cancel everything. Now I know how it is like to be erased from life (in a sense, not literally). And it was a pain to recollect everything I lost... but I am glad that issue got taken care of completely and was not too big of a hassle. I continued living life with my head held high. That is a tease of what was yet to happen.
Now I think I got everything under control again. I have my ID back and I am officially Kevin Truong once again and I can prove it with a flash (of my wallet that is). I was biking to an 8 AM class one day, (about 3 weeks ago) and I was dismounting from my bike. Well, I do this move sometimes, I bike and hop up the bars that hold your tires in place, then hop off my bike. I guess I had poor judgment that morning (oh yeah, sober semester btw so I was NOT under the influence) and the next thing I know is that I am on my back, and my left foot is in intense pain (a lot worse than fighting in tents, believe me). I had never broken bones before so I didn't know how that feels like. I quickly got up as if nothing happened and hear some popping and crackling, as if I had popped my knuckles, but instead, I had popped my metatarsal! Kids, please do not try that at home. I thought it was the same feeling, but I had to limp to class.. so up the stairs I limped. 20 minutes later, I was limping down stairs since the pain was too over bearing and I could not concentrate on the lecture. Then I hopped back onto my bike and biked to the clinic, who could not service me until perhaps 5 hours later. No big deal, this big life saver named Scott saved my big life. He found me crutches, and well that is all I shall say to save his reputation. He is mine and ... ok I am stopping there on that subject matter. So I see the doc and get an Xray and found out that I officially broke my metatarsal. If you eat chicken wings, it is like breaking the wing in half, then trying to put it back together as if it were a 2 piece jigsaw puzzle. That is how defined the break in the xray was. My second appointment went like this, Doc: Hello Kevin come right in. Let me see your foot. [looks at foot, touches it, squeezes it, holds it] ok come back in 2 weeks. Me: No cast doc? Doc: Be a man (well he basically said it wont help). Hopefully I will get some protection from him during my appointment tomorrow! So from 3 weeks ago I have been getting around on crutches, and another dimension of life opened up. I cant live it alone. I need friends, family, and faith. I knew I needed them in my life, but didn't know how helpful they really would be, and how they would always lend a helping hand (strangers too). They are reliable and are always there to help. I thought I could live crippled alone, to prove a pointless point which is what I think led me to the next mishap. At this point, I was living life with both my head and my left foot held high.
So today was my last appointment with stufu alumni for the semester. I had to go by myself for rare reasons, and I had to borrow a friends car, which he gladly lent to me. I was going with my still broken foot, determined and excited all at the same time, to meet up with these great folks in Houston. I drove to/from houston/waco over dozens of times with NO problems, and did it 3 times with my broken foot, no issues, so I felt confident that this trip would work out fine. It's 5 o'clock in the morning, conversation got boring (with myself) so I turned on the music. I sang. If a tree falls in an empty forest and if no one is around, does it make a sound? Nope! So I thought to myself, no one will ever hear me sing. I took advantage of that. Now, if you drive at 70 mph and hit a deer, does that make a sound? I will let you figure that one out, but I can tell you that it makes a huge dent, a dent bigger than my body (my body is big). It was dark, I was on cruise control, singing some chill songs that I had synced with Spotify the previous night.. man I was so ready, but I was not so ready for this deer to pop up in my face. It happened in a blink of an eye, like a camera flash. You can't avoid it. I blinked once, saw the look on its petrified face, and that's all I ever saw of it. If you don't look at the flash and you turn your head away, the picture will look very ugly. I am glad I did not turn my head away (or swerve the car) or else I could have flipped into the ditch.... which is very ugly as well. I could have broken my other foot for crying out loud (well at that point no one would have heard me) or broken something bigger. I hop out the car, and hop in front of what was left of the car, and hoped for the best.. but the whole front was pretty much beat up and the right headlight was completely gone. Luck had reserved me a sparing ounce of itself, and I was able to drive back up until about 3 miles from Waco. That is when the engine blew up. JUST kidding. That is when I was smart enough to stop so that the engine would NOT blow up.. since all of the coolant had leaked out. I called the wonderful director of stufu and she guided me back to campus. Luckily I was able to go to class which I have an exam for on Thursday...... at least I salvaged something out of this. My friend was ... well I know he is angry but I also know that he knows it is an accident. Why would I go kill deer with his car? I would borrow a shotgun for that! But I do know that my fresh wallet is now going to have a hole burning out of it. The price I pay for these mistakes... sometimes I wish I paid with life experience, which I guess I ran out of funds of! I had just gone through a tough situation just to land in another tough situation... but it is okay, I know next time not to push the limits. I was breaking every rule out there... So at this point, I am living with my head, leg, and hobo sign held high. Just kidding.. . (I just needed a transition that's all)
Well this semester is quickly winding down, and so am I. I am tired, down, but not out. I can honestly say now, that life is not too good, but it is still manageable. I rather live through the hard times and experience those times rather than living the one dimensional life that I was accustomed to. I want the whole experience. It is like watching a 3-D movie with out 3-D glasses (well you get no dimensions from that right?) I am just being exposed to new things at a rapid rate. It is like my transition from high school to college, or learning about new cultures. Unique experiences, life changing, impacting. Life is the most challenging it has ever been for me, and all I know is that it is giving me a wake up call, a wake up call my alarm clock can not quite give me (or my momma).
I am thankful for all of my friends. I cant thank yall enough. I learned a lot from yall, and from myself as well. There isn't too much to say, as actions speak louder than words, and words can only go so far. Just wait till you see my smile next time I see you. Until then!
-KT
To start things off on a positive note, Thanksgiving was awesome. I got to stuff my face, rest my head, and have great times with old friends. It's good to relive those youthful moments even though we're all growing older. I bought a single sweater which was my weakest Black Friday shopping ever. But what was surprising was that this year, people spent the most on BF ever, topping $11.4 billion. Sad thing is, I did not even see things worth buying! Either that or I learned how to save money by not spending it (pfft).
Baylor beat Tech, even though they took out RG3 with a concussion (and Ganaway who later came back, beast mode, ripping up anything in his way [it must have been all the food he ate over Thanksgiving]). Nice team play by the Bears, I like it, and I am certain we can handle Texas by their horns.
If you love good news then you should stop reading here and enjoy the rest of your beautiful day. I will let you take a break and gather some popcorn and soda pop.
Okay well Welcome back. You had your chance!
People say to live life to the fullest, or to life everyday like it's your last. But how do you live your life to the fullest if it is not as full as it can potentially be? How can you live it like it's your last if it ain't your last day to live? You can't repeatedly top off your life meter towards the "full" side, that takes tremendous effort, and you do not know what it feels like to live the last day of your life. Try filling up your gas tank to the fullest.. Good luck with that bro, cause it is a continuous function that will eventually have to dip beyond its highest point. Oh, and if this was my last day on earth, I would just take a nap, because nothing else matters after you are gone. History tells me that George Washington is United States first president. Cool story bro, tell me another. That's how life is, we just make a mark in time, and try our best to impact or make a change in this world. Some do it hungryly, others do it humbly, while some don't do anything at all. For me though, I am just doing the best I can. Period. I know that is subjective and vague, because who can calculate it's effort and efficiency? Certainly not my Physics professor, nor can you Google that my friend. There is no formula for life, just freedom to live it (here at least).
Let's just say this semester, life has hit me hard... repetitively, just like... well I would rather not say. It wants me to quit auto-piloting and to take charge of it myself. I have been getting by on a day to day basis for the longest time, living only one dimension of it (wait there are three!!?). I thought life was good, and good it was, up until it decided to be not so good to me. BAM, a new dimension, life sucks sometimes too. There was a stark contrast in my first uneventful mishap, because I was so happy. I was cheering my team spirit out as Baylor was beating Missouri at our homecoming game. I had a wonderful day -- it was picture perfect. I was so happy, it was the best and worst day of my life at that point (in awhile). Reality hit me hard though when I lost my wallet at the game though, aka my identity. It felt so weird, I had to cancel everything. Now I know how it is like to be erased from life (in a sense, not literally). And it was a pain to recollect everything I lost... but I am glad that issue got taken care of completely and was not too big of a hassle. I continued living life with my head held high. That is a tease of what was yet to happen.
Now I think I got everything under control again. I have my ID back and I am officially Kevin Truong once again and I can prove it with a flash (of my wallet that is). I was biking to an 8 AM class one day, (about 3 weeks ago) and I was dismounting from my bike. Well, I do this move sometimes, I bike and hop up the bars that hold your tires in place, then hop off my bike. I guess I had poor judgment that morning (oh yeah, sober semester btw so I was NOT under the influence) and the next thing I know is that I am on my back, and my left foot is in intense pain (a lot worse than fighting in tents, believe me). I had never broken bones before so I didn't know how that feels like. I quickly got up as if nothing happened and hear some popping and crackling, as if I had popped my knuckles, but instead, I had popped my metatarsal! Kids, please do not try that at home. I thought it was the same feeling, but I had to limp to class.. so up the stairs I limped. 20 minutes later, I was limping down stairs since the pain was too over bearing and I could not concentrate on the lecture. Then I hopped back onto my bike and biked to the clinic, who could not service me until perhaps 5 hours later. No big deal, this big life saver named Scott saved my big life. He found me crutches, and well that is all I shall say to save his reputation. He is mine and ... ok I am stopping there on that subject matter. So I see the doc and get an Xray and found out that I officially broke my metatarsal. If you eat chicken wings, it is like breaking the wing in half, then trying to put it back together as if it were a 2 piece jigsaw puzzle. That is how defined the break in the xray was. My second appointment went like this, Doc: Hello Kevin come right in. Let me see your foot. [looks at foot, touches it, squeezes it, holds it] ok come back in 2 weeks. Me: No cast doc? Doc: Be a man (well he basically said it wont help). Hopefully I will get some protection from him during my appointment tomorrow! So from 3 weeks ago I have been getting around on crutches, and another dimension of life opened up. I cant live it alone. I need friends, family, and faith. I knew I needed them in my life, but didn't know how helpful they really would be, and how they would always lend a helping hand (strangers too). They are reliable and are always there to help. I thought I could live crippled alone, to prove a pointless point which is what I think led me to the next mishap. At this point, I was living life with both my head and my left foot held high.
So today was my last appointment with stufu alumni for the semester. I had to go by myself for rare reasons, and I had to borrow a friends car, which he gladly lent to me. I was going with my still broken foot, determined and excited all at the same time, to meet up with these great folks in Houston. I drove to/from houston/waco over dozens of times with NO problems, and did it 3 times with my broken foot, no issues, so I felt confident that this trip would work out fine. It's 5 o'clock in the morning, conversation got boring (with myself) so I turned on the music. I sang. If a tree falls in an empty forest and if no one is around, does it make a sound? Nope! So I thought to myself, no one will ever hear me sing. I took advantage of that. Now, if you drive at 70 mph and hit a deer, does that make a sound? I will let you figure that one out, but I can tell you that it makes a huge dent, a dent bigger than my body (my body is big). It was dark, I was on cruise control, singing some chill songs that I had synced with Spotify the previous night.. man I was so ready, but I was not so ready for this deer to pop up in my face. It happened in a blink of an eye, like a camera flash. You can't avoid it. I blinked once, saw the look on its petrified face, and that's all I ever saw of it. If you don't look at the flash and you turn your head away, the picture will look very ugly. I am glad I did not turn my head away (or swerve the car) or else I could have flipped into the ditch.... which is very ugly as well. I could have broken my other foot for crying out loud (well at that point no one would have heard me) or broken something bigger. I hop out the car, and hop in front of what was left of the car, and hoped for the best.. but the whole front was pretty much beat up and the right headlight was completely gone. Luck had reserved me a sparing ounce of itself, and I was able to drive back up until about 3 miles from Waco. That is when the engine blew up. JUST kidding. That is when I was smart enough to stop so that the engine would NOT blow up.. since all of the coolant had leaked out. I called the wonderful director of stufu and she guided me back to campus. Luckily I was able to go to class which I have an exam for on Thursday...... at least I salvaged something out of this. My friend was ... well I know he is angry but I also know that he knows it is an accident. Why would I go kill deer with his car? I would borrow a shotgun for that! But I do know that my fresh wallet is now going to have a hole burning out of it. The price I pay for these mistakes... sometimes I wish I paid with life experience, which I guess I ran out of funds of! I had just gone through a tough situation just to land in another tough situation... but it is okay, I know next time not to push the limits. I was breaking every rule out there... So at this point, I am living with my head, leg, and hobo sign held high. Just kidding.. . (I just needed a transition that's all)
Well this semester is quickly winding down, and so am I. I am tired, down, but not out. I can honestly say now, that life is not too good, but it is still manageable. I rather live through the hard times and experience those times rather than living the one dimensional life that I was accustomed to. I want the whole experience. It is like watching a 3-D movie with out 3-D glasses (well you get no dimensions from that right?) I am just being exposed to new things at a rapid rate. It is like my transition from high school to college, or learning about new cultures. Unique experiences, life changing, impacting. Life is the most challenging it has ever been for me, and all I know is that it is giving me a wake up call, a wake up call my alarm clock can not quite give me (or my momma).
I am thankful for all of my friends. I cant thank yall enough. I learned a lot from yall, and from myself as well. There isn't too much to say, as actions speak louder than words, and words can only go so far. Just wait till you see my smile next time I see you. Until then!
-KT
Thursday, November 10, 2011
updates! 11/10
Hi guys! Long time no see! Well anyways I have been busy with life.. very busy. Here is what I have been up to:
-Visiting Houston and meeting with Baylor alum (I will go into detail later if I remember) to raise scholarships for other students, and making phone calls to fill appointments
-carving pumpkins
-watching "The Birds" by Alfred Hitchcock
-biking in the largest collegiate homecoming parade and watching the golden boys beat Missouri tigers
-stepping out and chipping paint and doing yard work
-latin dance, lots of it. latin dance socials
-regular church attendance (when possible)
-racing beds and listening to good music concerts (Phil Wickham baby!)
-working out a lot (and taking a week break)
-some social events
-(apparently sweater knitting soon)
-failing at golf
-selling baked goods at bake sale
-owning at flag football
-taking care of children playing in inflatable bounce house (so fun)
-staying sober
-and well I think I broke or fractured my foot
to be continued with more details... I think I am going to knit sweaters in a few .
-Visiting Houston and meeting with Baylor alum (I will go into detail later if I remember) to raise scholarships for other students, and making phone calls to fill appointments
-carving pumpkins
-watching "The Birds" by Alfred Hitchcock
-biking in the largest collegiate homecoming parade and watching the golden boys beat Missouri tigers
-stepping out and chipping paint and doing yard work
-latin dance, lots of it. latin dance socials
-regular church attendance (when possible)
-racing beds and listening to good music concerts (Phil Wickham baby!)
-working out a lot (and taking a week break)
-some social events
-(apparently sweater knitting soon)
-failing at golf
-selling baked goods at bake sale
-owning at flag football
-taking care of children playing in inflatable bounce house (so fun)
-staying sober
-and well I think I broke or fractured my foot
to be continued with more details... I think I am going to knit sweaters in a few .
Sunday, October 16, 2011
fall break
Hurray for fall break being here! And boo for it leaving soon.. Here's what I have been up to.
On Friday I watched a movie by myself for the... maybe second time ever. I saw Valentine's Day because I was very bored and had nothing better to do and wanted to see it a long long time ago in a relationship far far away (in my head). It was a pretty funny movie and a bad one too. The actors were all famous and some were just bad! Taylor Swift can sing like an country star but can not act like one! But her role was a high school drill team dancer so I think she just acted like she did on purpose. Then I went to Chinatown with my family and had dinner at a Vietnamese restaurant called Bodards.. Holy cow that placed sucked so bad. It used to be good, but that was several years ago. Never again will I step into that place, and if I do go there with friends, I'll be just sitting there drinking water. Oh, I had pho on Thursday night, and my belly was the happiest it has been since... summertime. I got these candy's called white rabbit, and they are the best. It is like a tootsie roll, but its white and creamy. I should have gotten more bags but I only bought one.. Oh well saves me from getting fat! Just kidding I am not fat anymore I am just fit. Uh I am back at 158 pounds but I am hopin' it is mostly muscle since I been hitting the gym close to almost every day this semester. That is about a 6 pound gain! Scary. What ever, it is end fat talk week I think, some tri delt thing I think, and that starts tomorrow so I will not say that I, or anyone I know, is fat. I read my magazines (Mens Health and Smart Money, I barely understand what the heck smart money is talking about but I read it anyways). I did not know European economy is going down the drain. Now I do. If I were rich, I would invest in European stocks because according to sm, it is profitable and you will gain. If you are rich, invest in a vineyard because that will be a good investment for the near future. Too bad I ain't rich (more on that later).
Today is Saturday. Wow what a short break. Actually it is 12:08am so it is Sunday. Super wow. I woke up and watched the Baylor vs Aggie game. I will just say this, the Aggies will hope they were playing teams like us next year. SEC will throw them down hard. We had a good chance, but we messed up. It coulda been a good game but we choked. We wanted to be nice to the aggies and let them have their last win for a long time... haha. Anyway after that I just slept like un oso gordito. Oopsies. I mean, osito! I then washed my car (I was so pissed because my dad left it OUTSIDE while I told him to put it INSIDE the garage.. ughh. If you don't let me bring my car, at least take care of it for me. They don't even know that it is bad to not drive the car for extended period of time. And the sun ate the paint and probably the interior, in due time.) Well I then was itching to drive so we drove up to my cousins house. The kids were here tonight (Minh and Mai) and boy where they givin me a big workout! I was giving them horse rides, piggy back rides, fighting them, being a bad guy, being a super hero, a prince, a king, a princess, and a tamer. I was sweating by the end of the night but it was very fun. I hope they stay like that for a while longer! They are so fun to play with. I suggest if you have any nieces or nephews, savor their young childhood days! They will grow up right before your eyes, right under your nose.
So I finished packing my winter clothes (and my dress shirts aww yeah), and I wanted to start cleaning my room. It is very messy, but I made okay progress. I think I might have a guest later this month (my stufu partner actually) but not exactly sure, but just in case I do I cleaned a bit of the house. Then I was digging around and I found my stash of cash. I was like oh yeah I might wanna bring some back to Baylor. I open the box, and lo and behold. I had insufficient funds. What? I was shocked! So pretty much I believe I have been slighted. I smell a rat. Over half the cash was no longer there.. and this ain't the first time this has happened either. I am not surprised though. I know my brother took it. He is a thief. I would NEVER let my finances dwindle as low as I have found them, it is just impossible. Very impossible. I would have to be drunk and have like 10 girlfriends to have the amount I have now. I dunno what to do, but last time he did it, I found out cause my mom and I were in a huge fight. I accused her of stealing my cash and she was like WHAT! It was ERIC THEN! I dunno. He wont ever change it seems. We kinda lost hope in him but he is just living his own life the way he wants to. But you know what? I don't give a ... crap. I think I will just tell my mom and see what she has to say about this, but I think im re allocating my funds to where I trust them most.. aka with me. I shouldn't leave valuables at home.. and I do not believe in bank accounts. I am super Asian in that sense I guess. I don't like sticking it on my card cause if I lose that then I will be broke as a broken piece of branch, useless. Just kidding, money ain't everything to me which is why I am not going stupid crazy, like I am not gonna get him back or anything, I will just pray he would change. It's all I can do. Plus I am a college kid and don't need to spend that much money so I should be fine in the long run.. I just can not do any impulse buying as much anymore. Oh well. Lesson learned huh? Double slap in the face that will allow me to face real life later on when it really matters. I just know from now on out, I'll keep my possessios
Ok well that is what I did for my break. I took a break from schoolwork, but I will crank out my working fingers later today. I have a great week coming up, no exams! And a lot of events. I hope they keep me happy! Well actually I am naturally already happy so it will be no problem.
I just killed a mosquito, so I had to delay this entry, but alas I have run out of things to say for the night. What a break it has been so far, but I think I needed it even though it was just an extra day off. Till next time kids!
-KT
On Friday I watched a movie by myself for the... maybe second time ever. I saw Valentine's Day because I was very bored and had nothing better to do and wanted to see it a long long time ago in a relationship far far away (in my head). It was a pretty funny movie and a bad one too. The actors were all famous and some were just bad! Taylor Swift can sing like an country star but can not act like one! But her role was a high school drill team dancer so I think she just acted like she did on purpose. Then I went to Chinatown with my family and had dinner at a Vietnamese restaurant called Bodards.. Holy cow that placed sucked so bad. It used to be good, but that was several years ago. Never again will I step into that place, and if I do go there with friends, I'll be just sitting there drinking water. Oh, I had pho on Thursday night, and my belly was the happiest it has been since... summertime. I got these candy's called white rabbit, and they are the best. It is like a tootsie roll, but its white and creamy. I should have gotten more bags but I only bought one.. Oh well saves me from getting fat! Just kidding I am not fat anymore I am just fit. Uh I am back at 158 pounds but I am hopin' it is mostly muscle since I been hitting the gym close to almost every day this semester. That is about a 6 pound gain! Scary. What ever, it is end fat talk week I think, some tri delt thing I think, and that starts tomorrow so I will not say that I, or anyone I know, is fat. I read my magazines (Mens Health and Smart Money, I barely understand what the heck smart money is talking about but I read it anyways). I did not know European economy is going down the drain. Now I do. If I were rich, I would invest in European stocks because according to sm, it is profitable and you will gain. If you are rich, invest in a vineyard because that will be a good investment for the near future. Too bad I ain't rich (more on that later).
Today is Saturday. Wow what a short break. Actually it is 12:08am so it is Sunday. Super wow. I woke up and watched the Baylor vs Aggie game. I will just say this, the Aggies will hope they were playing teams like us next year. SEC will throw them down hard. We had a good chance, but we messed up. It coulda been a good game but we choked. We wanted to be nice to the aggies and let them have their last win for a long time... haha. Anyway after that I just slept like un oso gordito. Oopsies. I mean, osito! I then washed my car (I was so pissed because my dad left it OUTSIDE while I told him to put it INSIDE the garage.. ughh. If you don't let me bring my car, at least take care of it for me. They don't even know that it is bad to not drive the car for extended period of time. And the sun ate the paint and probably the interior, in due time.) Well I then was itching to drive so we drove up to my cousins house. The kids were here tonight (Minh and Mai) and boy where they givin me a big workout! I was giving them horse rides, piggy back rides, fighting them, being a bad guy, being a super hero, a prince, a king, a princess, and a tamer. I was sweating by the end of the night but it was very fun. I hope they stay like that for a while longer! They are so fun to play with. I suggest if you have any nieces or nephews, savor their young childhood days! They will grow up right before your eyes, right under your nose.
So I finished packing my winter clothes (and my dress shirts aww yeah), and I wanted to start cleaning my room. It is very messy, but I made okay progress. I think I might have a guest later this month (my stufu partner actually) but not exactly sure, but just in case I do I cleaned a bit of the house. Then I was digging around and I found my stash of cash. I was like oh yeah I might wanna bring some back to Baylor. I open the box, and lo and behold. I had insufficient funds. What? I was shocked! So pretty much I believe I have been slighted. I smell a rat. Over half the cash was no longer there.. and this ain't the first time this has happened either. I am not surprised though. I know my brother took it. He is a thief. I would NEVER let my finances dwindle as low as I have found them, it is just impossible. Very impossible. I would have to be drunk and have like 10 girlfriends to have the amount I have now. I dunno what to do, but last time he did it, I found out cause my mom and I were in a huge fight. I accused her of stealing my cash and she was like WHAT! It was ERIC THEN! I dunno. He wont ever change it seems. We kinda lost hope in him but he is just living his own life the way he wants to. But you know what? I don't give a ... crap. I think I will just tell my mom and see what she has to say about this, but I think im re allocating my funds to where I trust them most.. aka with me. I shouldn't leave valuables at home.. and I do not believe in bank accounts. I am super Asian in that sense I guess. I don't like sticking it on my card cause if I lose that then I will be broke as a broken piece of branch, useless. Just kidding, money ain't everything to me which is why I am not going stupid crazy, like I am not gonna get him back or anything, I will just pray he would change. It's all I can do. Plus I am a college kid and don't need to spend that much money so I should be fine in the long run.. I just can not do any impulse buying as much anymore. Oh well. Lesson learned huh? Double slap in the face that will allow me to face real life later on when it really matters. I just know from now on out, I'll keep my possessios
Ok well that is what I did for my break. I took a break from schoolwork, but I will crank out my working fingers later today. I have a great week coming up, no exams! And a lot of events. I hope they keep me happy! Well actually I am naturally already happy so it will be no problem.
I just killed a mosquito, so I had to delay this entry, but alas I have run out of things to say for the night. What a break it has been so far, but I think I needed it even though it was just an extra day off. Till next time kids!
-KT
Sunday, October 9, 2011
no sleep
Time flies and it is flying very fast, faster than the flies that were flying around in my kitchen about 4 weeks ago (I killed them easily as they dropped like flies). This past week was pretty good, it was probably my most exam-free week (though there was a ton of homework for Monday) with a grand total of zero. I had a superb weekend and here's why.
Monday comes around and I turn in all my homework in time to play in my very first flag football game! We played against RUF (Reformation someting....) and we beat them 12-0. The win was a well deserved one, but I had to suffer a 4 knee blows to my leg (and I got tripped as well, and kicked), on the same spot! I could not bike or walk stairs for the next two days. I am a man though, and did not cry, pout, furrow my eyebrows, or any of that silly business. I held up my head and lifted my chin and puffed out my chest, and walked away from the game a proud winner with my team at hand. I found out today that I am a great defensive lineman and put good pressure on the opposing quarterback (this is casual play).
Tuesday is here. This is the Freshman Follies day! The freshman got extremely dirty, sliding through canned peaches, spaghetti, marshmallow goop, maple syrup, cheeto puffs balls, flour, cereal, and all sorts of yummy things. As for the stufu members, we got at each other hard. I had a flour weapon-like object and started hitting people with it. I got the Baylor traitor who must not be named and tidied him all up. The co-president Lacy had a goal in mind -- to stay clean throughout the entire event. She was all the way on the other side of fountain mall, but the insane rugby player Suk chased her down and held her in place as we coated her with some tasty treats. She was not so happy after that. We cleaned up (it was fast surprisingly) and I ran through the BSB fountains for the first time ever! It was terribly cold and I could have caught a cold but I was not cold enough so I am glad I did not get a cold or else I would have been knocked out cold! I also biked through the fountain and the pressure increased, I thought I was a magician. The entire event was fun and I am glad I did not get too dirty.
I went to salsa performance practice after showering, and I had trouble with the hook turn (I did not attend Latin dance due to football conflicts) so I will hopefully get that down sometime. I doubt I will perform though. We only have 2 non officer males in the performance group though..... I hope they can find more guys!
Wednesdayy!!! I don't think anything happened here.. carry on to Thursday..
It is our second football game! We played BYX (Brothers Under Christ). I am still semi limping if I want to, but I manned it out and played strong. (Wow my tenses do not match up but who cares, I didn't!) I got a safety and a sack, and almost an interception and 2 tips. Wow amazing huh? I was so proud of our win, the defense really showed up Baylor's defense (jk, respect BU football). My partner lineman Patrick got a nice sack as well! We win the game, 9-6. Boy were those brothers pissed. I could see fumes fuming out of their furious furrowing frowns. It was a close game though, anyone's game.
"It's Friday, Friday, erbody git down on Fridayyyy"- Rebecca Black.
I went to see Phil Wickham with Bethany! That was pretty much an experience that I cant even start to describe in words. It was simply amazing. Then Brooks college had some dance that requires attendees to wear something that started with a B. I was a boy and Bethany was a Bethany, so we were admitted in. We only went cause we saw Tessa dressed as a box but we end up getting crunk. Just kidding. I was proud to see Bethany getting out of her comfort bubble as she performed the stanky leg. Unforgettable moment right then. I met some more Brooks people and what a bunch they are! haha. Later that night I go watch Korean dramas with the Taekwondo kids! They thought I went out to party... sigh when will they grow up?? There was a huge one that went down but I am glad I stayed up to watch dramas instead. I slept around 3am that night.
Saturday rolls around! I stuff my face at A1 buffet because I know I will be going to the football game vs Iowa State. We were horrible first quarter, but we really came back around second half, and 4th quarter. Iowa State has very rude players, most notably number 7 George, and number 97 who got injured later. We all got scared when Kendall Wright got injured, but we were all amazed that he came back in a few minutes later! He is such a beast. Later that night, we (other tkd people) watch korean drama's again and I had soooooooo much sugar and would NOT stop running my mouth. For that entire hour, I was silent for no less than 2 minutes at a time. It was Jordan's fault for giving me all those sugary snacks. We had to go down to the lobby at 2am since they kick out the guys (girls dorm) so we just talked for a little bit... until it started to pour hard. We were forced to camp in the lobby and we talked the night/morning away. None of us slept and I have not slept since last last night at 3am (I think we were awake because our talk was about something very serious). That was officially my first all nighter ever. I felt okay though... my body adapted to it. I just hope my health will stay okay. I think it will because I kept eating pop tarts and sugar puffs. I found a ride home (we left when it sprinkled but then it started pouring all of a sudden, so thankfully we left at the right time) and ate breakfast. I went to church with some of the coolest and nicest Brooks girls ever, and I had a good time there (albeit I was tired, I did not fall asleep and I did catch most of what the sermon was about). My alarm rang (I use my phones bible because I can't read that small print bible in the dark well) in the middle of the sermon and I was pretty alarmed at the chaos I caused. It was all good though I do not think anyone focused on it.
I quickly did homework and finished some of it. Then after finishing one subject, I took a nice 2 hour nap, and woke up after it! I thought I would sleep through my alarm but I did not. I got ready to go to the stufu dinner, which was a formal, banquet like style. That was awesome, we learned a lot about etiquette. I broke a ton of rules, but it is okay since it was my first time. Here are some rules that you might wanna know:
-enter the chair from the left, exit from the left.
-do not take off suit jacket, keep it on
-offer food to the person on the left, and then pass it to the right.
-do not talk about weird things.
-when completed with food, put utensils in the middle of the plate
-if someone is shy, make them participate in conversation by engaging in a question
-if you do not want coffee, simply turn your coffee cup over.
-it is okay to not eat food if you do not like it.
-do not share or swap food, eat what you are served. do not take left overs home....
rules i broke:
-cut your tomatoes and cucumbers and green beans. I ate them whole..
-I exited my chair from the right side (because no one was in the seat to my right... she was sick!)
-our table talked about where men stand in the bathroom urinals.............
-I almost asked Missy if she wanted to share desserts
All in all though, it was fun and we had lots of laughs as always. Stufu is growing on me and it is becoming more like a family. We learned a lot about it's history (presented by Mr. Harlan, an original founder of stufu, 42 years ago). It started in 1969, with 13 committee members and 50 students. Statistically speaking, most applicants come from junior girls, least amount of applicants come from senior boys. About 300 people applied this year. Here is a "secret" rule, only about 5 applicants from a sorority/fraternity are admitted. They had issues in the past where a certain sorority (cough tri delt perhaps cough) had almost all the spots for females... This year there are 5. Ironically, there are only 5 Asians as well... I wonder what their ruling on that is! (Kidding, I think Asians are too busy studying and not bold enough to reach out and help other students etc.). In the end we all got some spiffy pins as party favors and walked away full and happy. The food was great and service was on the spot. Fine dining indeed.
All in all it was a great week, and an incredibly awesome filled weekend. Couldn't ask for anything more!
I am looking forward to another great week (even though I have physics...), and fall break! I can't wait to go home, I haven't been back since school started. I shall bring up winter clothing and such!
Okay that's it! I need sleep, pronto! I hope you all have a great week! Thanks for reading if you actually read this far haha. You are awesome if you do, and pat yourself on your back. That's from me. Until next time!
-KT
Monday comes around and I turn in all my homework in time to play in my very first flag football game! We played against RUF (Reformation someting....) and we beat them 12-0. The win was a well deserved one, but I had to suffer a 4 knee blows to my leg (and I got tripped as well, and kicked), on the same spot! I could not bike or walk stairs for the next two days. I am a man though, and did not cry, pout, furrow my eyebrows, or any of that silly business. I held up my head and lifted my chin and puffed out my chest, and walked away from the game a proud winner with my team at hand. I found out today that I am a great defensive lineman and put good pressure on the opposing quarterback (this is casual play).
Tuesday is here. This is the Freshman Follies day! The freshman got extremely dirty, sliding through canned peaches, spaghetti, marshmallow goop, maple syrup, cheeto puffs balls, flour, cereal, and all sorts of yummy things. As for the stufu members, we got at each other hard. I had a flour weapon-like object and started hitting people with it. I got the Baylor traitor who must not be named and tidied him all up. The co-president Lacy had a goal in mind -- to stay clean throughout the entire event. She was all the way on the other side of fountain mall, but the insane rugby player Suk chased her down and held her in place as we coated her with some tasty treats. She was not so happy after that. We cleaned up (it was fast surprisingly) and I ran through the BSB fountains for the first time ever! It was terribly cold and I could have caught a cold but I was not cold enough so I am glad I did not get a cold or else I would have been knocked out cold! I also biked through the fountain and the pressure increased, I thought I was a magician. The entire event was fun and I am glad I did not get too dirty.
I went to salsa performance practice after showering, and I had trouble with the hook turn (I did not attend Latin dance due to football conflicts) so I will hopefully get that down sometime. I doubt I will perform though. We only have 2 non officer males in the performance group though..... I hope they can find more guys!
Wednesdayy!!! I don't think anything happened here.. carry on to Thursday..
It is our second football game! We played BYX (Brothers Under Christ). I am still semi limping if I want to, but I manned it out and played strong. (Wow my tenses do not match up but who cares, I didn't!) I got a safety and a sack, and almost an interception and 2 tips. Wow amazing huh? I was so proud of our win, the defense really showed up Baylor's defense (jk, respect BU football). My partner lineman Patrick got a nice sack as well! We win the game, 9-6. Boy were those brothers pissed. I could see fumes fuming out of their furious furrowing frowns. It was a close game though, anyone's game.
"It's Friday, Friday, erbody git down on Fridayyyy"- Rebecca Black.
I went to see Phil Wickham with Bethany! That was pretty much an experience that I cant even start to describe in words. It was simply amazing. Then Brooks college had some dance that requires attendees to wear something that started with a B. I was a boy and Bethany was a Bethany, so we were admitted in. We only went cause we saw Tessa dressed as a box but we end up getting crunk. Just kidding. I was proud to see Bethany getting out of her comfort bubble as she performed the stanky leg. Unforgettable moment right then. I met some more Brooks people and what a bunch they are! haha. Later that night I go watch Korean dramas with the Taekwondo kids! They thought I went out to party... sigh when will they grow up?? There was a huge one that went down but I am glad I stayed up to watch dramas instead. I slept around 3am that night.
Saturday rolls around! I stuff my face at A1 buffet because I know I will be going to the football game vs Iowa State. We were horrible first quarter, but we really came back around second half, and 4th quarter. Iowa State has very rude players, most notably number 7 George, and number 97 who got injured later. We all got scared when Kendall Wright got injured, but we were all amazed that he came back in a few minutes later! He is such a beast. Later that night, we (other tkd people) watch korean drama's again and I had soooooooo much sugar and would NOT stop running my mouth. For that entire hour, I was silent for no less than 2 minutes at a time. It was Jordan's fault for giving me all those sugary snacks. We had to go down to the lobby at 2am since they kick out the guys (girls dorm) so we just talked for a little bit... until it started to pour hard. We were forced to camp in the lobby and we talked the night/morning away. None of us slept and I have not slept since last last night at 3am (I think we were awake because our talk was about something very serious). That was officially my first all nighter ever. I felt okay though... my body adapted to it. I just hope my health will stay okay. I think it will because I kept eating pop tarts and sugar puffs. I found a ride home (we left when it sprinkled but then it started pouring all of a sudden, so thankfully we left at the right time) and ate breakfast. I went to church with some of the coolest and nicest Brooks girls ever, and I had a good time there (albeit I was tired, I did not fall asleep and I did catch most of what the sermon was about). My alarm rang (I use my phones bible because I can't read that small print bible in the dark well) in the middle of the sermon and I was pretty alarmed at the chaos I caused. It was all good though I do not think anyone focused on it.
I quickly did homework and finished some of it. Then after finishing one subject, I took a nice 2 hour nap, and woke up after it! I thought I would sleep through my alarm but I did not. I got ready to go to the stufu dinner, which was a formal, banquet like style. That was awesome, we learned a lot about etiquette. I broke a ton of rules, but it is okay since it was my first time. Here are some rules that you might wanna know:
-enter the chair from the left, exit from the left.
-do not take off suit jacket, keep it on
-offer food to the person on the left, and then pass it to the right.
-do not talk about weird things.
-when completed with food, put utensils in the middle of the plate
-if someone is shy, make them participate in conversation by engaging in a question
-if you do not want coffee, simply turn your coffee cup over.
-it is okay to not eat food if you do not like it.
-do not share or swap food, eat what you are served. do not take left overs home....
rules i broke:
-cut your tomatoes and cucumbers and green beans. I ate them whole..
-I exited my chair from the right side (because no one was in the seat to my right... she was sick!)
-our table talked about where men stand in the bathroom urinals.............
-I almost asked Missy if she wanted to share desserts
All in all though, it was fun and we had lots of laughs as always. Stufu is growing on me and it is becoming more like a family. We learned a lot about it's history (presented by Mr. Harlan, an original founder of stufu, 42 years ago). It started in 1969, with 13 committee members and 50 students. Statistically speaking, most applicants come from junior girls, least amount of applicants come from senior boys. About 300 people applied this year. Here is a "secret" rule, only about 5 applicants from a sorority/fraternity are admitted. They had issues in the past where a certain sorority (cough tri delt perhaps cough) had almost all the spots for females... This year there are 5. Ironically, there are only 5 Asians as well... I wonder what their ruling on that is! (Kidding, I think Asians are too busy studying and not bold enough to reach out and help other students etc.). In the end we all got some spiffy pins as party favors and walked away full and happy. The food was great and service was on the spot. Fine dining indeed.
All in all it was a great week, and an incredibly awesome filled weekend. Couldn't ask for anything more!
I am looking forward to another great week (even though I have physics...), and fall break! I can't wait to go home, I haven't been back since school started. I shall bring up winter clothing and such!
Okay that's it! I need sleep, pronto! I hope you all have a great week! Thanks for reading if you actually read this far haha. You are awesome if you do, and pat yourself on your back. That's from me. Until next time!
-KT
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