I have no idea why "Kiddy Pool" is the title, it just is. Maybe because as I am typing this, there's a bunch of first years sitting outside my room in the hallway talking about girls. I am almost embarrassed for them. They've been at school for three weeks and they're already talking about potentially dating some of the girls around here. I don't have any way to describe our freshmen other than to say that they are teenagers. It's amazing how shallow they can be.
Yes, that is not a very nice way to talk about some first year students, but these are the people that I have the least amount of patience for. Not trying to say that I'm smart, but listening to some of the things they say just make me think that there is nothing between their ears. I didn't find last year's first year students this way at all. So I'm not entirely sure why this group is so... kiddy-like, or childish I guess.
On a different note, we've had two and a half weeks of class into this fall semester! So far, I'm quite fond of all my classes. My friend described it really well the other day: the best classes are the ones where you feel like you're just going to church everyday instead of school. I can't agree more with that statement. I find that my favorite classes are the ones where I just go sit down, listen, and not feel stupid because of how intellectual some of the discussions are. It's awesome.
Now, they're talking about setting each other up on blind dates. "I'd pick a cutie for you."
There's one thing that's been impressed on my mind for the last month or so, and it's really gotten me thinking about certain things. Ever since the end of summer camp, I've been revisiting the whole experience in my mind; and when I do, another event that occurred several years back kind of parallels it.
The two events were both worship related, but the similarities that run through my mind are so incredibly similar that I've been trying to dissect it, but unable to do so. Maybe I'll write about them tomorrow, or a different time.
I really want to take a dive into the deep end of some of these guys' heads. Perhaps I'm being mean, but sometimes I think that there isn't a deep end.
Saturday, September 22, 2012
Saturday, September 15, 2012
Season of Life
It's a Saturday night, and I have no intentions on doing anything productive, so why not blog a little? And as I listen to Cher Lloyd's sweet new single, Oath, I'll just pretend that my opinion matters, and comment on a few things that have caught my eye!
The first thing that aches me the most is the NHL lockout that has now been in session for just over an hour. I am not taking the side of the owners nor the players. I think that both sides are being difficult and just complete idiots. I don't need to say anything about commissioner Bettmen, because we all know he's not the brightest bulb in the box; but he's basically locking out the league for trying to fix a problem that he tried to fix seven years ago. As for the players, they're just being selfish and greedy. The players are asking for a 57% share of the income. When you compare that number to the 48-50% that players in the NBA and MLB get, which by the way are much larger markets, it just seems a little outrageous. I would have no issue if the players' association and NHL are actually listening to each other and their offers, but they're making counter offers based on their own previous proposals. Who does that?! Just absolute ignorance! I went through this once in Grade 9, and I don't want to go through it again.
I have no idea when this issue will get resolved; so while I wait, I'm going to attempt to fill the large void inside of me through various ways which are currently unknown to me. If I were to make a rough estimate on when there will be NHL hockey again, my optimistic answer is mid to late November. But it's okay! According to Gary Bettman, the NHL has the greatest fans in the world - in other words, recovering from all the lost money will not be a problem because the fans are mere doormats.
A second topic of discussion came up today in a conversation that I had. My response is pretty simple and straight forward: no, two years of Bible college has not meant that I now have a girlfriend. It's quite simple, I haven't really been pursuing this aspect of my life. I would be lying if I said I never think about it, but I just don't think that I've cared enough to be actively chasing after "potential candidates" or however you want to coin that term. Having learned more about the topic of love has really allowed me to gain a better understanding of what it means for me to be lucky enough to have a girl that would love me and for me to love her.
Relationships last a life time because you choose to love people - it applies to more than just husband or wife, just people in general - so this "falling" in love seems kind of bogus to me. It might seem like you get hit with a sudden wave of affection for someone, but it's because you've unconsciously allowed yourself to be blown away by him or her. So with that in mind, I kind of get the sense that when I can stop being a wuss and get out there a little bit, it'll come. I don't believe that God has prepared one person, and one person only, for me (or you, for that matter), it comes with the same idea as choosing to love the people in your life, so I do think that there can be multiple possibilities for each person. However, I can say in good confidence though, that if you ask people who have been married for many years, they would choose the same spouse every time, even knowing that there was possibility that they could have ended up with someone else.
I should also note that people should not get all worked up about not being able to find a girl or a guy for them, because God wants for you to find the perfect person so much more than you could even imagine. So I don't think we should lose hope or have fear of being alone, and it shouldn't be something we worry about. Rather, we should be excited, because God is going to provide for you everyone you need in order to live life to the best of your ability.
Man, I never thought I'd write about my love life in this fashion. Haha.
The last thing I'm going to talk about is my money management. I've always been someone that doesn't spend often; but when I do, I blow a huge amount. Everything I do, I do it big. Right? Haha. Just kidding. (I figured that since I referenced the Dos Equis commercial, I might as well reference a song as well) Right now, I am under tremendous temptations to be spending approximately $1000, or more. Normally, I just shoot these temptations out of my mind because I look at my bank account and I realize that it's not even remotely possible for me to spend any kind of money on a semi-large purchase. But because my bank account, at this moment, has sustained an amount that is larger than what I'm accustomed to, in the back of my mind, I am trying to justify buying certain things that I may not really have a need for - at least not at this point in time. Another factor that comes into the picture for when I make purchases is the ability for someone to somehow ALWAYS make me feel guilty about the money I just spent.
I've learned, from my previous spending past, of the certain things that is okay for me to spend a lot on and others that I really shouldn't be spending much on. A prime example is a house: you want to buy one as soon as you can. The flip side to that, some may argue, is a car: most cars have terrible resale value, and generally aren't the greatest investments considering what they do. Therefore, outside of reliable, I wouldn't spend much more on a car. So with me, still learning how to be independent, I'm going to see very soon how much self control I'll have in spending unnecessary money. So at this point, I think the chances of me getting my loop pedal (which would stick with me for the rest of my life - or for as long as I'm playing music, which is basically my whole life) is much higher than the chances of me getting a new computer (only to be upgraded for a better machine in a few years). Only if I were crazy, which some might say that I am, would I buy both. In the case that I did buy both, that would amount to $1000 or more.
I have to apologize for not following all the presidential speeches and stuff, so I can't comment on any of those items. =D
Hope everyone enjoys the last several days of summer!
The first thing that aches me the most is the NHL lockout that has now been in session for just over an hour. I am not taking the side of the owners nor the players. I think that both sides are being difficult and just complete idiots. I don't need to say anything about commissioner Bettmen, because we all know he's not the brightest bulb in the box; but he's basically locking out the league for trying to fix a problem that he tried to fix seven years ago. As for the players, they're just being selfish and greedy. The players are asking for a 57% share of the income. When you compare that number to the 48-50% that players in the NBA and MLB get, which by the way are much larger markets, it just seems a little outrageous. I would have no issue if the players' association and NHL are actually listening to each other and their offers, but they're making counter offers based on their own previous proposals. Who does that?! Just absolute ignorance! I went through this once in Grade 9, and I don't want to go through it again.
I have no idea when this issue will get resolved; so while I wait, I'm going to attempt to fill the large void inside of me through various ways which are currently unknown to me. If I were to make a rough estimate on when there will be NHL hockey again, my optimistic answer is mid to late November. But it's okay! According to Gary Bettman, the NHL has the greatest fans in the world - in other words, recovering from all the lost money will not be a problem because the fans are mere doormats.
A second topic of discussion came up today in a conversation that I had. My response is pretty simple and straight forward: no, two years of Bible college has not meant that I now have a girlfriend. It's quite simple, I haven't really been pursuing this aspect of my life. I would be lying if I said I never think about it, but I just don't think that I've cared enough to be actively chasing after "potential candidates" or however you want to coin that term. Having learned more about the topic of love has really allowed me to gain a better understanding of what it means for me to be lucky enough to have a girl that would love me and for me to love her.
Relationships last a life time because you choose to love people - it applies to more than just husband or wife, just people in general - so this "falling" in love seems kind of bogus to me. It might seem like you get hit with a sudden wave of affection for someone, but it's because you've unconsciously allowed yourself to be blown away by him or her. So with that in mind, I kind of get the sense that when I can stop being a wuss and get out there a little bit, it'll come. I don't believe that God has prepared one person, and one person only, for me (or you, for that matter), it comes with the same idea as choosing to love the people in your life, so I do think that there can be multiple possibilities for each person. However, I can say in good confidence though, that if you ask people who have been married for many years, they would choose the same spouse every time, even knowing that there was possibility that they could have ended up with someone else.
I should also note that people should not get all worked up about not being able to find a girl or a guy for them, because God wants for you to find the perfect person so much more than you could even imagine. So I don't think we should lose hope or have fear of being alone, and it shouldn't be something we worry about. Rather, we should be excited, because God is going to provide for you everyone you need in order to live life to the best of your ability.
Man, I never thought I'd write about my love life in this fashion. Haha.
The last thing I'm going to talk about is my money management. I've always been someone that doesn't spend often; but when I do, I blow a huge amount. Everything I do, I do it big. Right? Haha. Just kidding. (I figured that since I referenced the Dos Equis commercial, I might as well reference a song as well) Right now, I am under tremendous temptations to be spending approximately $1000, or more. Normally, I just shoot these temptations out of my mind because I look at my bank account and I realize that it's not even remotely possible for me to spend any kind of money on a semi-large purchase. But because my bank account, at this moment, has sustained an amount that is larger than what I'm accustomed to, in the back of my mind, I am trying to justify buying certain things that I may not really have a need for - at least not at this point in time. Another factor that comes into the picture for when I make purchases is the ability for someone to somehow ALWAYS make me feel guilty about the money I just spent.
I've learned, from my previous spending past, of the certain things that is okay for me to spend a lot on and others that I really shouldn't be spending much on. A prime example is a house: you want to buy one as soon as you can. The flip side to that, some may argue, is a car: most cars have terrible resale value, and generally aren't the greatest investments considering what they do. Therefore, outside of reliable, I wouldn't spend much more on a car. So with me, still learning how to be independent, I'm going to see very soon how much self control I'll have in spending unnecessary money. So at this point, I think the chances of me getting my loop pedal (which would stick with me for the rest of my life - or for as long as I'm playing music, which is basically my whole life) is much higher than the chances of me getting a new computer (only to be upgraded for a better machine in a few years). Only if I were crazy, which some might say that I am, would I buy both. In the case that I did buy both, that would amount to $1000 or more.
I have to apologize for not following all the presidential speeches and stuff, so I can't comment on any of those items. =D
Hope everyone enjoys the last several days of summer!
Monday, September 10, 2012
Not Dead, Yet
So I felt the need to write up my obligatory first week, first impressions type of deal. I still have yet to attend two of my five classes this course because they are only one-day-a-week-double-block courses. "Team leadership in multiple staffed ministries" and "Alliance history and thought" will be the two three hour classes I have tomorrow beginning at 2:30 and ending at 9:30. That's an insane time to be doing classes.
With that being said, after "looking" at the syllabi that I've received for my courses so far, only one word has been popping into my mind continually: overwhelming.
Although I am really excited about my courses (minus Greek), they all look like a lot of work (especially Greek). "Theology from the margins" is my favorite class so far, and I would say it's safe to assume that it will be my favorite class by the end of the term. The only unfortunate thing is the amount of reading that I have to do in all my classes. I guess I should also add on that, while I can still live with a ton of reading, what I don't like is having to write a review on the reading. I'm the type of person that, rather than just dissecting every detail the author writes about and criticizing it, I like to digest it over a long period of time, really sit on the content, and then draw my conclusions.
And while I do think the workload is heavy, I didn't think, for a second, that any of it was unmanageable (except Greek). I felt that if I got off my lazy ass and pushed myself hard enough to see a routine in my school work, I could get things done at a reasonable pace. There's always people talking about treating school like a 9-5 job, and having it work pretty well. I thought about trying to do that, but I think it'd end up like New Years resolutions for me: start it, but quit a week in.
Alright, "what's the deal with Greek" you ask? I'll tell you exactly what is up. First of all, I was quite choked when my friend told me he was considering dropping Greek, and ultimately doing so. Having already lost a couple class members from last year, it meant that our class total was down to four. I leaned heavily on my friend last year to get me through Greek, so not having him with me this time around is going to suck. Plus, since the class is so small, the school decided to squish us in and combine with a seminary class. And since our prof likes teaching seminary more so than undergrad, he treats his class more like a seminary class - this obviously means more work. I already have a tough time remember all the words and such, but the prof just kind of assumes you know things and he goes on with his lesson, taking about 50 million rabbit trails in a class.
Did I also mention that it's an 8:00am, three hour class?
Well, this Greek course, studying Hebrews, definitely seems way too much for me; I even considered switching and doing six credits in Hebrew to fulfill my requirements. At this point, I'm still unsure; but I'm going to have to make a choice really quickly here.
And in other news, I'm glad to be back. Even in an anti-social person like myself, I am finding the good things of being here (which is a really good sign), and I have to really push myself this year to focus more on schooling. This means I'm not going to try for the soccer team anymore. I had an informal talk with one of the leaders on our team, and he tried to get me to join; and as much as I want to, I really shouldn't.
So, yeah. Week one updated, just like that!
I love having my own room <3 p="p">
Hope everyone is doing well! =D
With that being said, after "looking" at the syllabi that I've received for my courses so far, only one word has been popping into my mind continually: overwhelming.
Although I am really excited about my courses (minus Greek), they all look like a lot of work (especially Greek). "Theology from the margins" is my favorite class so far, and I would say it's safe to assume that it will be my favorite class by the end of the term. The only unfortunate thing is the amount of reading that I have to do in all my classes. I guess I should also add on that, while I can still live with a ton of reading, what I don't like is having to write a review on the reading. I'm the type of person that, rather than just dissecting every detail the author writes about and criticizing it, I like to digest it over a long period of time, really sit on the content, and then draw my conclusions.
And while I do think the workload is heavy, I didn't think, for a second, that any of it was unmanageable (except Greek). I felt that if I got off my lazy ass and pushed myself hard enough to see a routine in my school work, I could get things done at a reasonable pace. There's always people talking about treating school like a 9-5 job, and having it work pretty well. I thought about trying to do that, but I think it'd end up like New Years resolutions for me: start it, but quit a week in.
Alright, "what's the deal with Greek" you ask? I'll tell you exactly what is up. First of all, I was quite choked when my friend told me he was considering dropping Greek, and ultimately doing so. Having already lost a couple class members from last year, it meant that our class total was down to four. I leaned heavily on my friend last year to get me through Greek, so not having him with me this time around is going to suck. Plus, since the class is so small, the school decided to squish us in and combine with a seminary class. And since our prof likes teaching seminary more so than undergrad, he treats his class more like a seminary class - this obviously means more work. I already have a tough time remember all the words and such, but the prof just kind of assumes you know things and he goes on with his lesson, taking about 50 million rabbit trails in a class.
Did I also mention that it's an 8:00am, three hour class?
Well, this Greek course, studying Hebrews, definitely seems way too much for me; I even considered switching and doing six credits in Hebrew to fulfill my requirements. At this point, I'm still unsure; but I'm going to have to make a choice really quickly here.
And in other news, I'm glad to be back. Even in an anti-social person like myself, I am finding the good things of being here (which is a really good sign), and I have to really push myself this year to focus more on schooling. This means I'm not going to try for the soccer team anymore. I had an informal talk with one of the leaders on our team, and he tried to get me to join; and as much as I want to, I really shouldn't.
So, yeah. Week one updated, just like that!
I love having my own room <3 p="p">
Hope everyone is doing well! =D
Monday, September 3, 2012
Breakout
After what seemed like a pretty hectic few days, I have made my way back into Calgary. In case anyone cared, I'll give a quick update on my education status - partly because it'll help serve as a good reminder to myself.
On Wednesday, I'll be starting my third year at Ambrose. It will be my fourth year of post-secondary, and my fifth year out of high school. It's crazy how once you leave the grade school system that anyone can literally fly every which way in their education and still end up in extremely similar situations in the work force.
I know that my second year was a pretty bad year - "bad" is probably an understatement - so I have been spending the last couple nights to try to refresh myself in a way that I can enter this third year as I did my first year. It was a freshness that I forgot about, that I forgot existed, and it was so important because it was vital to me as a person in helping me succeed in things that I did. And while I'll be cheesy and say that I still have scars leftover from last year, I am approaching this third year much like I did my first year. With some luck, I'll be able to have a pretty good year.
In other exciting news, I was half nervous about my new roommate when I got to school today. To my surprise, I was told that my roommate isn't coming. So guess what that means?! I get my own room (for this semester, at the least)! I am so incredibly stoked. Truthfully, I probably prefer a roommate, because then that would force me to get to know someone; but I'm not going to complain if I have everything to myself for a change. And thus, I'll be decorating my room over the next couple days to make everything as comfortable as it needs to be. If anyone is in Calgary, feel free to help. Haha.
And so that's that. I have a bit of a runny nose and cough, so I'll go to bed now in hopes that I'll feel better by the time school starts.
Good luck to everyone starting something new this September!
On Wednesday, I'll be starting my third year at Ambrose. It will be my fourth year of post-secondary, and my fifth year out of high school. It's crazy how once you leave the grade school system that anyone can literally fly every which way in their education and still end up in extremely similar situations in the work force.
I know that my second year was a pretty bad year - "bad" is probably an understatement - so I have been spending the last couple nights to try to refresh myself in a way that I can enter this third year as I did my first year. It was a freshness that I forgot about, that I forgot existed, and it was so important because it was vital to me as a person in helping me succeed in things that I did. And while I'll be cheesy and say that I still have scars leftover from last year, I am approaching this third year much like I did my first year. With some luck, I'll be able to have a pretty good year.
In other exciting news, I was half nervous about my new roommate when I got to school today. To my surprise, I was told that my roommate isn't coming. So guess what that means?! I get my own room (for this semester, at the least)! I am so incredibly stoked. Truthfully, I probably prefer a roommate, because then that would force me to get to know someone; but I'm not going to complain if I have everything to myself for a change. And thus, I'll be decorating my room over the next couple days to make everything as comfortable as it needs to be. If anyone is in Calgary, feel free to help. Haha.
And so that's that. I have a bit of a runny nose and cough, so I'll go to bed now in hopes that I'll feel better by the time school starts.
Good luck to everyone starting something new this September!
Saturday, September 1, 2012
The Prospect of Vancouver
I'm going to totally sound like a douche, but it must be said.
It's past midnight, and we're going home tomorrow. I dread long drives, especially when they take the entire day. I even wonder if the reason I don't ever want to leave Vancouver is because I hate sitting in the car for so long. Regardless, after a slight tug-of-war, we've decided to stick to the plan and go home tomorrow. This will give me one day at home to prepare for another year in Calgary.
Where did the summer go? Honestly.
Every time our family goes to Vancouver, we're asked when we'll be moving down. Of course, the question never really gets answered. My siblings and I have always given the impression that we want to move to Vancouver. At the time we're asked to move down, it's always going to end up being that we want to - seriously, we just had an awesome time, who'd say no? And whether that desire to migrate lasts or not, I think it's important to look at the whole picture.
Whenever we go on vacation to Vancouver, our rather large family will always be getting together - almost daily - in order to accommodate us. We always get the impression that the daily life is always like this: all the cousins, aunts, and uncles, will pick someone's house to have dinner and just do cool things all day. Reality is, if we're not in town, they probably go about their own business and do their own things. There really isn't a whole lot of getting together. Which is why, we're all so high on ourselves when we're gathered, we want the whole family to be in once place. And while I do want our family to be easily accessible, it's not always going to look as sparkly as it does when we're visiting.
So, I do feel that when we eventually cave and move down, there's going to be a time where the party dies down; and there's going to be a period of confusion, and eventually disappointment at why the families don't hang out as much. Realistically, these extreme highs are simply unsustainable right now. And while it's important that we do have these times of joy, we should hold out until we get to heaven to go all out. Because, then, we'll know for sure that it'll last and we'll never get disappointed in having to leave or wondering why there's a period of time where we're just doing our own thing rather than getting together.
I've thought really hard on whether or not I would actually want to live in Vancouver right now. My answer is no. Other than my family, I really don't have any connections down here aside from a couple friends. It would be tough for me, especially since I haven't graduated and work full time yet.
But forgetting everything I've said, I've had an amazing two weeks in Vancouver; and I hope that I feel refreshed enough to be ready for school!
Happy birthday, mom!
It's past midnight, and we're going home tomorrow. I dread long drives, especially when they take the entire day. I even wonder if the reason I don't ever want to leave Vancouver is because I hate sitting in the car for so long. Regardless, after a slight tug-of-war, we've decided to stick to the plan and go home tomorrow. This will give me one day at home to prepare for another year in Calgary.
Where did the summer go? Honestly.
Every time our family goes to Vancouver, we're asked when we'll be moving down. Of course, the question never really gets answered. My siblings and I have always given the impression that we want to move to Vancouver. At the time we're asked to move down, it's always going to end up being that we want to - seriously, we just had an awesome time, who'd say no? And whether that desire to migrate lasts or not, I think it's important to look at the whole picture.
Whenever we go on vacation to Vancouver, our rather large family will always be getting together - almost daily - in order to accommodate us. We always get the impression that the daily life is always like this: all the cousins, aunts, and uncles, will pick someone's house to have dinner and just do cool things all day. Reality is, if we're not in town, they probably go about their own business and do their own things. There really isn't a whole lot of getting together. Which is why, we're all so high on ourselves when we're gathered, we want the whole family to be in once place. And while I do want our family to be easily accessible, it's not always going to look as sparkly as it does when we're visiting.
So, I do feel that when we eventually cave and move down, there's going to be a time where the party dies down; and there's going to be a period of confusion, and eventually disappointment at why the families don't hang out as much. Realistically, these extreme highs are simply unsustainable right now. And while it's important that we do have these times of joy, we should hold out until we get to heaven to go all out. Because, then, we'll know for sure that it'll last and we'll never get disappointed in having to leave or wondering why there's a period of time where we're just doing our own thing rather than getting together.
I've thought really hard on whether or not I would actually want to live in Vancouver right now. My answer is no. Other than my family, I really don't have any connections down here aside from a couple friends. It would be tough for me, especially since I haven't graduated and work full time yet.
But forgetting everything I've said, I've had an amazing two weeks in Vancouver; and I hope that I feel refreshed enough to be ready for school!
Happy birthday, mom!
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