Last Blog Post

Hey everyone-

I know I was writing these posts pretty consistently for a time, and I think it was a way to help put myself out there further. I stand by what I've written, and am grateful for what this blog has done for me. I encourage you all to find that voice, by whatever means, because as I've learned- everyone has got something to say, as long as someone else will listen.

I leave you with this poem:

Liz was wrong-
it is hard to master.
The first time, he cried.
Yet it is our resiliency, our yesterday
that gives impetus for more.
Unsubstantiated fabrications of the potential-
food for thought, and the heart.
Take two: tears.
He thinks Ms. Bishop was sad,
alone, surrounded by everyone,
a notion familiar to many.
This time,
he opened his mouth,
empty, with a deathly silence.
Traversing onto a blank canvas,
without her.
Just a deep breath, and a soft smile.

On buying a car

I BOUGHT A CAR!!!

I'm super excited about it- 2010 Toyota Corolla LE- dark grey, with very little mileage on it, and it drives really well! So awesome!

Just a quick note: nice things ain't cheap lol

On the gym

So I just bought a two-year gym membership to 24 hour fitness because there's one right across the street from work and I really don't wanna gain any weight during busy season. A bunch of guys on the team are also members, so we're gonna have late-night gym sessions starting next week. I think it'll be good for me, especially having other people consistently working out, keeping me accountable to go with them. Also, it would be difficult to find time on my own to work out during the next few months as we work super long hours (not complaining, just saying). And the fact that I wanna get my money's worth will force me to go more often haha. I actually signed up today and worked out in San Mateo- feels good!! Maybe I'll even lose some weight, who knows!

If anyone is interested, Costco is selling two-year memberships to 24 for $319.99 ($13.33 a month- not bad...)

On dumb questions

The other day, my mom introduced me to someone she works with...

Mom: (To her colleague) Oh, this is my son, Scott.
Colleague: (To me) Nice to meet you, Scott. So you're her son?
Me: Yes.
Colleague: (To me) She's your mom?
Me: (Awkward pause) Yes.

...uhh...

On who we are

I guess after all is said and done, our hope is that we are better today than we were yesterday, and that we're better tomorrow than we were today...

On family reunions

Last night we had our Chin family reunion, which is my grandma's family on my dad's side. She has four sisters and two brothers, and almost all of them have kids, who also have kids. Needless to say, there are a lot of people at these things haha.

Family reunions are always interesting because I would guess that most aren't really sure what to expect. The hope is that everyone would be happy to see each other, being that a decent amount of time has passed since the last time the family got together, but on the other hand, it's very possible for it to be weird, because, well a decent amount of time has passed since the last time the family got together.

Fortunately for us, especially my grandma (who basically planned the whole thing), it was a lot of fun. It had probably been a couple years since we'd seen everyone, but things just seemed to fall into place. It was awesome catching up with everyone, and you can't really go wrong with awesome food and new card games.

I guess it has to do with collective effort- if everyone tries to have fun and reconnect with each other, it's going to make the night a fun one.

I hope all of you had a nice holiday!

On the grinch

My reasoning for this post's title is solely because of the fact that only a grinch would write something such as the following on Christmas. Unfortunately, this has been something on my mind for quite some time, and it wasn't until now until I really had time to write this...

I really hope that growing up doesn't involve forgetting our joyful exuberance, losing our zest for life, and ultimately becoming so numbingly apathetic towards everything that we stop giving a fuck.

I know this may sound super pessimistic or emo (and pardon my language), and I've received some feedback on my blog that basically confirms this, but I feel like me trying to be an enthusiastic and compassionate person is becoming increasingly more difficult. I'm so emotionally tired, trying to fight people who don't seem to care about anything other than themselves, and it's really hard for me to continue to do so without being affected.

Some people say we should just worry about ourselves, and keep out of things that don't involve us. However, many would agree that selflessness (vs selfishness) is the answer. I would say I'm somewhere in between, but like I previously said, I'm getting worn down as I try to hold my ground.

Maybe I'm getting all worked up about nothing, and maybe it's immature to think this way or to get upset about something like this. I don't know, it's just something that really bothers me...

On perfect moments (pt. 2)

I wrote a post a little over a week ago about perfect moments, in which I asked for responses, and it turns out that I didn't get any. It's totally cool- I half expected as much.

Maybe because it's so hard to define what those perfect moments are. It's possible that we can't necessarily articulate them, and they sometimes just happen. I just hope that by reading that post, it made you guys think- that's one of the main reasons I write in this blog.

My hope for all of you is that at some point in your lives, you get to experience that perfect moment, and it'll be one of those things where you'll just know, and it'll be amazing.

I hope everyone is enjoying their time off, and that you all have a wonderful holiday!

On more Christmas songs

Here are some more of my favorites... they're really good...

Hark the Herald Angels Sing/Angels We Have Heard on High- Straight No Chaser (accapella)

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=O2PedMcs8fA

Silent Night- The Temptations
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=yQ-lmFljC_A&feature=fvst

The First Noel- Kenny G
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Zhe9bwb_Od0

On Christmas songs

Being that it's the middle of December, I would assume that most of us are currently listening to a bunch of Christmas songs. Here are a few of my favorites that I would encourage you to check out if you haven't already... I guarantee they're awesome :)

12 Days of Christmas- Straight No Chaser (accapella)

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2Fe11OlMiz8&ob=av2e

The Christmas Can-Can- Straight No Chaser (accapella)

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7E-47VmFopE

This is Christmas- Luther Vandross

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZooeCired0s

On perfect moments

So I've never explicitly asked for a response to my blog posts before, but I guess there's a first time for everything. Most of the time while I'm commuting to work on BART, I find myself listening to my favorite playlists on my iPod mini, and yes, I have an iPod mini- have had it for about eight years now (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4Kfox1-ZS60).

Anyway, sometimes, and this shouldn't come as a surprise to you all, my mind starts to wander. Tonight, for whatever reason, I started thinking about perfect moments- you know, when time seems to stand still, and there's nowhere else we'd rather be. They're those types of moments we'll never forget- they're simply perfect.

So let's try this and see what happens.

I want you guys to send me responses with what you consider to be the perfect moment. I'm really curious to see how other people interpret this concept. What I'll do, is hopefully get some responses soon, and then this next weekend, I'll write another post with what I receive (anonymously of course), and possibly add a few of my own. It can be a moment that has happened to you, or one you hope to experience some day, and can be as specific or general as you'd like. Either email (scott.wun@gmail.com), text (650-533-8765), or facebook message me. Everyone game?

"My life isn't perfect, but it does have perfect moments."

On jealousy and the truth

"If she ended up with someone else, would you be jealous?"- B

...in case we're unsure about how we truly feel...

On the "Rest of My Life"

Rest of My Life- Blessid Union of Souls

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=33Kyx2ULZZs

"I know you're heard the excuses before
So I won't waste your time and I'll keep this short
I've bound my emotions 'cause I can't afford to be wrong

I know we've talked about being good friends
So we've been real careful of the signals we've sent
But all of your glances they came and the went to my head

And I'm not a man to throw words to the wind
When I said 'I love you' that's what I meant
And I plan to show you if it takes me the rest of my life
The rest of my life
The rest of my life

I don't want to rush this cause my greatest fear
is taking for granted what's taken us years
To build from the ground up with all of the tears that we cried

We've taken our time and for this I'm so glad
Now we can be sure that this moment will last
We've traveled a road of mistakes in our past to get here

And I'm not about to throw words to the wind
When I said 'I love you' that's what I meant
And I'm going to show you if it takes me the rest of my life
The rest of my life
The rest of my life

And I'm not a man to throw words to the wind
When I said "I love you" well, that's what I meant
And I plan to show you if it takes me the rest of my life
The rest of my life
The rest of my life"

On story writing

Life can be unfortunate in that we sometimes find ourselves living in someone else's story. I guess we just have to do our best to write our own ending.

On "The Lights"

"The lights, shining in the dark sky, were as beautiful as the moment surrounding them. Unfortunately, the reality was as muddled as their reflection in the water below. The music swelled, but was quickly blown away by the piercing wind. And that's when he knew he did not know."

On "The Star Spangled Banner"

Maybe it's because I'm into tradition and stuff like that, but I absolutely hate it, HATE IT, when people mess with the national anthem. I'll be honest, it's not even close to being the most interesting or exciting song in the world, but nevertheless, you gotta respect it.

1. When you're at an event where this song is being played or performed, take off your hat if you're wearing one, and listen to it. Don't talk- singing is cool, but hang up the phone, and just listen.

2. DON'T FORGET THE WORDS *cough* *cough* Christina Aguilera

3. If you're ever performing The Star Spangled Banner, don't try to make it artistic- this isn't the time to try to make a name for yourself. Please, it's a song that needs to be sung/played/performed as written. Don't hold "freeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeee" for ten minutes- that's tacky, and it can get really old really fast. Don't make the song last any longer than it needs to be, and please stay on key.

I know it's kinda weird that someone can get so riled up about this, but I've heard way too many people try to do way too much with this song, and it pisses me off every time.

On being vulnerable

A man stepped out to the edge, trembling in fear. Knowing full well the danger that could potentially ensue, he put himself out there, because he thought she deserved to know. He proceeded with mild caution and extreme hope. It didn't make sense to him, but that didn't matter anymore because of what she had said, and how real it appeared. The man took one more step and then went for broke; he jumped right in, and in an instant, it was out of his hands...

...and believe me, he didn't regret it.

There are going to be many times in our lives in which we're given the opportunity to be vulnerable. It can be incredibly scary, but in the end, what can we really accomplish by always holding ourselves back? Eventually, we all must develop that faith in ourselves, so we can have faith in each other as well.

On letting go

It's ironic how hard it can be to let go of something you never really had in the first place.

Sometimes our perceptions of what we want (or what could be) cloud our judgments about the reality facing us. That's when things begin to get complicated.

On apathy

Sometimes, I feel that life can be so much easier for those who are apathetic towards it. However, I feel that it can be less rewarding for them as well.

On caring

This post was inspired by a great conversation with an even greater friend.

It is so incredibly important for us to remember that we should never, ever feel bad about caring for those who mean the most to us. Though we may hold conflicting views or values regarding certain aspects of life, and silently pass judgment amongst one another, our just intentions should not be forgotten. At the end of the day, we're just looking out for each other.

Sometimes we see a friend in trouble, struggling through tough times. They may act out, or attempt to hold it all in, but in either case, they're unconsciously crying out for help. Many times we act, in the hopes of helping them through their trying situations, and unfortunately, we may do or say the wrong thing.

Regardless, we must not regret taking action if our intentions were selfless. We may get pushed away, and conflict can ensue. However, sometimes we need to sacrifice doing what is easy for doing what is right.

It's only because we care, and there is absolutely nothing wrong with that.