Frisbee anyone?

Fris•bee [friz-bee]
Trademark. A brand of plastic concave disk, used for various catching games by sailing it between two or more players and thrown by making it spin as it is released with a flick of the wrist.[Origin: trademark resp. of frisbie, from the Frisbie Pie Company of Bridgeport, Connecticut; throwable metal pie tins such as those produced by the company are alleged to have been the inspiration for the plastic disk]

Who the heck plays sports at 4pm? Apparently i do.
Last Sunday I joined some of the Youth at my church in a game of Frisbee – Ultimate Frisbee (The ultimate makes it sound not so hippie)! Ultimate Frisbee rules are pretty straight forward: its like American football (which actually is not so straight forward), where you basically have to pass the Frisbee from one end of a field to a scoring end-zone over in your opponent’s side. Another rule in Ultimate is that you cannot run once you have the Frisbee in hand. The most you can do is pivot around on one foot. Finally, what could be the least fun part – but in a way the most appealing part of the sport (so girls can play, which in turn will get more guys to play) is that it is a non-contact sport. Sigh . . . .and I was so looking forward to get the wind knocked out of me mid-flight. . . . .

Anyway, so u basically understand this unique game, the rest of this blog is just plain and simple pictures! =) With some narration and needless lame comments stuck in here and there. . . .ENJOY!!!!!

So this is the start - its a good thing we learn fast . . . . . .

And here we go . . .  the first throw . . . . .

all eyes on the flying disc. . . .mesmerizing!

And with such high levels of concentration, even a contact sport ends up with a fair bit of contact. Enchanced here for your viewing pleasure. . . hahahahaha.

And then more pictures of collisions. . . . .

Luckily, we look out for each other. . . . . .

And that makes all the difference! =)

But hey, as long as everyone has fun. . . . .

Good night everyone!

The O’hare story

sig•nif•i•cance [sig-nif-i-kuhns] –noun
1. importance; consequence.
2. the quality of being significant or having a meaning.

I don’t know about you, but I have been asked many times, by the devout, the carnal and the average Joe /Joanne the same question: “what do you want in life?” Imeediately images of fancy houses, fancy cars, fancy women (hmmm perhaps i have said too much) flash past my eyes. It is indeed a tough question to answer. The funny thing is we want to answer this question in such a way that we show that we are ambitious, yet at the same time oh not so greedy.

As I was pondering the drive we all innately have to find significance, I chanced upon a story I heard long ago about the O’Hare airport in Chicago. The following story tells of the significane of a singular life in repentance, and the Divine redemption of a family name.

Millions pass through the terminals of the O’hare airport – one of the busiest airports in the world. But few know the history and the significance of the name O’hare. Here is the story as penned in wikipedia:

“Edward Henry Butch O’Hare was born in St. Louis, Missouri to Edward Joseph O’Hare and Selma O’Hare. Butch had two sisters, Patricia and Marilyn. When their parents divorced in 1927, Butch and his sisters stayed with their mother Selma in St. Louis while their father Edward moved to Chicago. Butch’s father had been a lawyer who had been working closely with Al Capone before turning against him and helping convict Al Capone for tax evasion.[3]Butch O’Hare graduated from the Western Military Academy (WMA) in 1932, and the following year went on to the United States Naval Academy at Annapolis, Maryland. Graduated and appointed an Ensign from 3 June 1937, he served two years on board the battleship USS New Mexico (BB-40), before reporting for flight training. In 1939 he started flight training at NAS Pensacola in Florida, learning the basics on Naval Aircraft Factory N3N-1 “Yellow Peril” and Stearman NS-1 biplane trainers, later on the advanced trainer SNJ. On the nimble Boeing F4B-4A he trained in aerobatics as well as aerial gunnery. He also flew the SBU Corsair and the TBD Devastator.[4]In November 1939, his father was shot, most likely by Al Capone’s gunmen. During Capone’s tax evasion trial in 1931 and 1932, O’Hare’s father provided incriminating evidence which helped finally put Capone away. There is speculation that this was done to ensure that Butch got into Annapolis, or to set a good example. Whatever the motivation, the elder O’Hare was shot down in his car, a week before Capone was released from incarceration.Lt. Commander Edward Henry “Butch” O’Hare (13 March 1914 – 26 November 1943) was a naval aviator of the United States Navy who on 20 February 1942 became the U.S. Navy’s first flying ace and Medal of Honor recipient in World War II.

Why would a man go head to head against the most ruthless and destructive crime lord of all time? It was a sure thing that turning against Al Capone would be suicidal. And to top it all of, Butch’s father was making all the money in the world.

And yet my dear friends something in him was not at peace, and he must have looked into his infant son’s eyes, and dreamt of two futures: one, where he will be known forever as the son of a crook and be himself labeled as a mere scoundrel; and another where he will live on to carry the name O’hare to a better and more honorable place. With his sacrifice, he would be able to redeem his life and perhaps even his family’s life.

Significance: The greatest mystery of the human spirit is that it defies mathematics. The value of a cleared name and the value of redemption have no relevance in the realm of dollars, cents. We are all innately created to have a drive to find meaning in our lives. A drive to see that somehow our miniscule efforts will one day win us a place in the great eternal hall, where mere mortals bound in flawed history are thrusted into the perfected presence of greatness and heroics, where His Glory ever shines and age and rust cannot ravage.

I am Jared, and I want my life to be significant. I hope yours will be too. I believe if we all do our part in His plan, we will find significance, but true significance can only be measured by the Hand of the Almighty, in the annals of Eternity.

Good night.

Link to the O’hare story:

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Edward_J._O’Hare

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Edward_O’Hare

Canton surprise!

Over the weekend jiunnli and i were wandering around Sunway pyramid – trying to answer a very typical Malaysian problem: Where to eat dinner. When i was over in the US, decisions like these were pretty simple. Seeing as how transport was something i had to do without, and most of my eateries were within walking distance – my hunger pangs were often satiated by one of the following choices: Macdonalds, Brand X pizza, Burger King or Maybe even Taco Bell. GASP. . . if you even call those choices!

Anyway, deviations aside, we came to this little spot on the 2nd floor ( i think) right above the skating ring.
Jiunnli and i had eaten at the Indian place next to it. And well because we were hungry – we went in – with no recommendation whatsoever! GASP 2X!

Here’s what the sign looks like. . . . .

So far so good, tables were nicely spread, and hired help hovered all over the place. The waiter showed us to our table, and waited behind my seat – in case his presence may make me less inclined to order more food. . . . (go figure). Creepy breathing aside. . . .we were ok. The price seemed right and of course we were hungry. So we went ahead and ordered – Tilapia deep fried in thai sauce, Khai Lan with oyster sauce and scallops steamed with garlic. for our dessert we tried their honeydew melon and sago. Dessert however is always eaten together with the meal – i mean who waits for dessert nowadays anyway? =) Oh yeah! i also ordered hot and sour soup – but the waiter goofed and forgot to bring it out. I only realised at the end of the meal – at which point i was bloated. Lucky for u waiter-man!

The food came pretty fast – and had good presentation. My seat was actually facing the tilapia aquarium – and i saw them scoop out one of the fishies right after our waiter went away with our order. He went to a better place; of that i am sure (the fish , not the waiter.)

The scallops came in these flattened SHELL logo er – shells. . . I wonder if they wash and reuse them? I bet you they do. . . .

Here is our fish, with its majestic ’caught in mid air as it breaks the water face’ stance. Did they actually deep fry this fella whilst he was posied this way? Mystery. . . .

The fish was jsut superb, with a glistening texture and cooked jsut right – the flesh slightly seared but not burned out, and the fishy smell not apparent. this by far was the signature dish at our table.

The khailan (genetically altered to be identical – each and every stalk) was good as well, without the over-powering taste of oyster sauce, yet good enough to mask the slightly annoying after taste inherent in all khailan.
I’m glad i ordered the bowl of melon sago. awesomeness! and though normally something i would write off as a sissy dessert, i shamelessly gulped down a huge part of this bowl. Sorry jiunnli for almost not sharing. =)
So all in all we were plesantly pleased at the meal, and the price was good to boot. Next time in Sunway, i will defintely try this place out again.
Defintely better than the fiasco we had at Madam Kwan’s. . . . . gosh RM13 for Char Koay Teow. . . that dog won’t hunt!!!!
Incidentally, my engineering instincts which would not let me enjoy a meal without even doing a little research, googled up canton bay (who knows, their wantons may be hand made in hong kong at some wanton sweat shop), and found another site with the review. Seems like they have another branch in Indonesia. And the review was done pretty long ago. So well if anyone knows of any other canton bays. . . .

Anyway, this is the first in a series of food reviews. Yes, since my other bloggy buddies are so high on reviews, i decide to succumb to peer pressure and follow suite with my own host of silly willy reviews. So there! I compromised!

The end? (probably not. . .)

Good night!

I did not have my umbrella today.

um·brel·la      [uhm-brel-uh]
1.                [noun] a light, small, portable, usually circular cover for protection from rain or sun, consisting of a fabric held on a collapsible frame of thin ribs radiating from the top of a carrying stick or handle.
2.                [adjective] having the quality or function of covering or applying simultaneously to a number of similar items, elements, or groups  

Today a friend approached me with a dilemma he was facing, and a difficult decision he had to make. Another friend was also bringing up a decision he had made, but was wondering whether he had made the correct decision, or whether or not his decision would bear fruit. Over dinner we discussed possibilities and outcomes, and tried to gauge the best course of action.

Dinner btw, was at KAYU nasi kandar. A first time for me – I have never had dinner – or any meal for that matter – at KAYU before. So yeah, its good like everyone says, and it is also expensive. Anyway, at the end of all our discussion, we upped and walked out to our cars, when we realized that apparently we had failed to take heed of the torrential downpour that was going on outside. 

I did not have my umbrella. 

Which brings me to my point: MAN is a foolish creature. We walk around so sure of the control we have over the world around us – when even some falling water droplets could tear all our plans asunder.  

I told my friend earlier at some point in the conversation that  whatever the situation would turn out to be, I wanted to know that in every situation, God had my back. I wanted to know that He would be there with me. I have recalled times when I took stupid paths – not due to disobedience –  which ended up okay in the end. And also other times when I took paths which seemed to me like the surest road, and still ended up one buck short. Why? I don’t know, but one thing I do know. God can turn bad decisions / a bad past / a bad situation good.

Conversely, trudging it out pompously on our own can also make even the simplest of decisions; the surest of roads turn out disastrous. So logically, having the confidence in Him through a righteous walk is the path I want to take. Cause that way, whatever I do, I know my life is in His hands. I have the assurance that whatever befalls me, He has allowed it, He is in control, I have His favor, and in the end, it will all work out for the good of ‘those who love Him’. 

The rain falls on both the good and the evil. The classic parable in the Bible speaks of two houses – one built on sand and one built on the rock. The houses are generic – and so are the weather conditions they face. The rain and storm will come. Whether or not the rain will fall is not an issue. It will. And it is not the houses who decide the outcome, but rather the foundation they are built upon.  

Matthew 7:24″Therefore everyone who hears these words of mine and puts them into practice is like a wise man who built his house on the rock. 25The rain came down, the streams rose, and the winds blew and beat against that house; yet it did not fall, because it had its foundation on the rock. 26But everyone who hears these words of mine and does not put them into practice is like a foolish man who built his house on sand. 27The rain came down, the streams rose, and the winds blew and beat against that house, and it fell with a great crash.” 

Again, sometimes I live as if I never knew rain was going to fall one day. Ironically today was such a day. Sometimes we are indoors, sometimes we are outside. And having our umbrella determines whether or not we are soaked. Please do note that the umbrella itself does not stop the rain, but it does serve to keep us dry for the most part. And just like keeping our communion with God, we also can keep our umbrellas with us. Should we decide to constantly ‘walk’ without our umbrellas in the outdoors, a soaking is inevitable. 

So what did I learn today? I learned that in reality, I know nothing of the future and have no control over my environment. What I do have control over is my reaction and the simple decision of turning to and walking close to the One who does have control. So as for me I will make it my business to walk obediently and live right. Far from this state I agree, but at least it’s a start. 

I hope this means something to you. 

Good night.    

Jared and his Sand Castles.

con·tent ²   adj.
1.              Desiring no more than what one has; satisfied.
2.              Ready to accept or acquiesce; willing:

Last week at CG, we were looking at the last part of Philippians (Chapter 4 vs. 10 – 13), and we came across this part where Paul spoke about the many contrasting states he has been through: poverty, wealth, hunger and satiation. We were discussing what it meant to be content, and then it occurred to me – Paul was not saying that we need to learn to make do with little – or that the possession of plenty was a bad thing in itself. Rather, the crux of it was that we were to realize that the state we are in is immaterial. Thus to really be content in life – we should be wiling to let go and accept the change to our externals and count nothing as truly our own and our right.

Over the past few weeks I have been battling and tossing and turning to issues with my own contentment. Things have taken a less than desirable turn in terms of my career. One thought led to another, and pretty soon I was very much questioning where I would be financially in the next 3 – 5 years, and how many of my dreams I would be able to achieve.

The population at large now commits two major sins – we want independence and we want comfort. We strive hard to earn money and get promoted not for money’s sake, but for the independence and comfort that money can potentially bring us. We want to be independent financially so we have no need to account for anything – so called – when we spend our time and money. And maybe if we cannot be all that independent, we want to be comfortable and have access to the material luxuries. And yet, the desire for these two things in our immediate future bring us much sorrow and heartache in our immediate now. I guess our core problem is we want to exert our so-called right to live comfortably.

From these struggles I have come to accept that comfort is not my right, and independence is not my destination. If I have comfort I am thankful – and if I don’t it should not be a big deal. If I do not have the independence I want I draw it from Him and in fact surrender more so that I am free of the lure of that state. The world lauds the people who have the ability to chose comfort and exercise independence. But really in the end we are called to be different.

I have learned not to complicate my life and instead learn to savor it for the simplicities that I am allowed.I have learned that waiting is a part of life and that really the seasons that are seemingly barren can actually yield the most fruit.

We can so easily get sucked into that preoccupation with ourselves and I think that in the long run does damage to not only ourselves but those around us. As for me, I guess that the only reason I could answer that question in CG a with this perspective is because the path the question will inadvertantly bring you to is freshly trodden.

 We often see children building sand castles by the beach – complete with towers, turrets, moats and barricades. Building them is really quite fun. And yet I also recall that watching them being washed away by the sea was also just as fun. I think something I must always remember in my life is this; sand castles are pretty to look at, and if we ever get the chance to we should build them. Yet I must constantly also remember that my silicate citadel of pristine beauty will be washed away. And instead of mourning the inevitable – I should be thankful that I had the chance to build it anyway. I thank God then for every sand castle He has allowed me to build, and I also rejoice when it is taken away, cause I can build another one with Him.

Good night.