Thursday, February 27, 2003
Driving Miss Daisy
Steve, I’ve seen my share of some real driving in my day. Real crazy driving that is.
In the days of my youth, when gasoline was affordable, my friend Grant and I liked to go cruising often. Now, in the north end of Richmond Hill, there is no shortage of people whom are up for a race. One time--I think we were in his pick up that time; him driving, me riding shotgun--we found a car full of punks at a stop light and we looked over to size them down. W/ a rev of our engine and a reply from theirs, we knew a test of speed was on.
Turned out, their car wasn’t a match for us as we pulled away pretty easily, but not wanting to end the race so soon, Grant slowed down and allowed them to keep up. We lead them off the main roads onto the side roads were we could get some clear track. We eventually got tired of them as they kept lagging behind, so we decided to ditch them but we soon found out that they were not as easy to shake off as we assumed. So us being the geniuses that we were, decided to head for a point down this one road where there was a hairpin turn at a bottom of a steep hill, figuring we’d lose them there.
There are stretches of road in these parts that are flat but there are also stretches that go over some rolling hills. We had been driving down the flat, paved parts but the road leading up to the hairpin turn was over some of these rolling hills (hence the steep hill that was before the turn). The road when straight so Grant just simply floored it. I watched as the needle wrapped around the dial (which went up to only either 180 or was it 200) until the speedometer showed us going only, oh about 20-30 clicks. Then suddenly we heard a whrrring sound coming from the truck, and we were like “woah, what’s that noise? I hope somethings not wrong w/ the car”. And then after a few secs--yes, it actually took some time it seemed (enough for us to wonder about the noise) before a soft WHUMP! and then we realized that we had been airborne and that the wheels being off the ground was what caused the whrrring noise. So of course, having found this new stunt, Grant proceeded to gun it over the rest of the hills until it came time to slow down in order to navigate the hairpin turn. By this time, those guys were far behind. We went thru the turn and then took it easy as we drove down the rest of the street (it wasn’t so nicely paved anymore), heading back towards the main roads. No sooner had we gotten back onto the main road when we noticed, those guys were still behind us! They were a few cars behind us at the stop light and they were trying to get us to stop and pull over. Not particularly wanting to get acquainted w/ these kids, and especially after we tried to lose them on that deadly turn plus the fact that the were 4 of them and only 2 of us, and most of all b/c they didn’t look that genuinely friendly, we ducked into some subdivision streets where we zipped around and lost them for good.
Looking back, I gotta say, we did some pretty dangerous driving back then. Not the smartest stuff--pretty darn foolish, but oh boy was it a helluva blast!
Wednesday, February 26, 2003
Gran Turismo
I didn't go to the Auto Show this year. So ends a string of like 3 or 4 consecutive years of Auto Show going. Should have been less. Going to it has become more of a ritual. There aren’t any interesting new cars anymore. We get crap on this continent. I’m just waiting for the powers that be at Subaru to come to their senses and fix the look on the Impreza. The front end is better, now fix up the back to like it was before.
I don’t know how Lyds can stand stop and go traffic. It drives me bonkers. Give me an open highway and forget books on tape. Pop in a Hip CD or something.
One of these days I'll get myself a car. I don’t care how. I don’t care if I have to steal one--I am going to get a car. And then I’m going to drive it. I’m gonna top off the tank and proceed to drive on out of the city. Windows cranked down, music cranked up. All day and all night I’ll keep driving. The only stops I’ll make are to fill up the tank in the car and to empty mine. I’ll keep driving until I get to an ocean. Then I’m gonna drive onto the beach, right up to the edge of the water. I’ll take off my shoes, walk on out into the water, walk out as far as I can and then I’ll swim. And I’ll swim and I’ll just keep on swimming. Straight out. As far as I can go, I’ll keep swimming.
Monday, February 24, 2003
whinings of a commuter
what is it about monday nights? last monday night was when the record time to get home from work was extended from 2 h to 2.5 h. i completely missed my voice lesson. it's those darn snowstorms. driving in rush hour traffic doesn't bother me anymore. it's sort of a relaxing crawl home while i listen to the soothing voice of the narrator of whatever book i'm currently listening to, and sometimes fighting the urge not to doze off. my newfound skill is being able to drive in rush hour for great distances without having to step on the brakes.
distance travelled to work each day (one way): 50 km
avg time it takes to get to work in regular traffic: 30 min
avg time it takes to get to work in rush hour traffic: 60 min
the most recent record longest time it has taken to get home in rush hour traffic: 2.5 h
time it took to get home from work tonight: 1 h 45 min
facts heard on the radio about commuters:
- since 1995, the number of driving commuters on the road has increased by 1 million
- 8% of torontonians commute more than 30 km to work each day (that's me!!)
miscellaneous thoughts:
- the majority of the ppl on the road are driving by themselves. if more ppl carpooled there'd be a lot less cars on the road and a lot less pollution!
- gas was 75.1 today!!!!!! when i've already spent more than $150 on gas this month, that's important!!
- i commute 7 days a wk. O_o to wvc during the wkdays, to jaka's on sat, and to church on sunday!
ok, i'm off to take a power nap b4 my voice lesson tonight!
Sunday, February 23, 2003
It's Beginning To Look A Lot Like Christmas
Well, it looks like that snow I ordered has arrived. Now if only I can make it past my driveway to go and enjoy it...
Hello, McFly?
I've been wanting to watch Back To The Future 2 for some time now and yesterday, when I turn on the TV, what do I see? That's right, Back To The Future 2... the closing credits. Ah, crap. Bad karma I guess. Residue from bad luck on Friday when everywhere I went to was unexpectedly closed or out of order. So... anyone wanna watch the trilogy w/ me?
Friday, February 21, 2003
happy birthday, cath!! (yesterday)
brrrrrrr.... it's freeezing in the office!! it's soo much warmer in the washroom. i should bring my chair and go work in there!! :P for those of u who don't know, i'm now working at world vision canada (wvc) on a practicum. i'm with the nutrition team, picking up all the things that the other nutritionists don't have time for. things like putting together a summary on the health and nutrition issues relating to GMOs, planning an iron deficiency anemia conference and various other projects here and there. it's a really great environment to work in. i love the devo and prayer times we have in the mornings and chapel every wed. it really helps to put our work into perspective and a reminder that we have the privilege of doing God's work in a hurting world. i have some good news!!! i didn't know b4 how much i would be getting for working here, but i found out how much this morning. it's not a whole lot, but it's something!! hurray!! my mega gas costs will be covered!! naomi, the team leader, also asked if i would be interested in staying on at wvc after my practicum is done at the end of april. woweee!! :D of course i will!!!! i was looking forward to a month and a half of holidays and freedom b4 leaving for europe in june, but this is a chance i'm not passing up!
as i was thinking about the good news all day, i was reflecting on how well God has taken care of me my entire life. things have seemed to come pretty easily. even though i don't feel i've gone out of my way to try really hard to succeed and get somewhere in life. i always did well in highschool, came to uoft and did reasonably well, got jobs doing research most summers which was usually unmistakably providential, went to nairobi on a missions trip after graduation, got into the only grad program i applied to that accepted a very limited number of applicants, and now about to graduate from my masters program with a position at wvc for just under 2 months and exciting travel plans for the summer! what more could i ask for? (i know what :P) i can't miss God's hand in my life! :) and that's a very encouraging thought for the uncertainties that come after returning from travelling in the summer - things like my licensing exam and getting an internship for the following yr. there's no need to worry. no wonder i'm such a type b! haha. thanx, God! :)
ok, lots more to write but i must go. richard's having a mole party tonight! i'm joining them for dinner at jack astor's - looking forward to it. i haven't talked to a lot of the bunch going for quite awhile. have a good fri night! :)
Thursday, February 20, 2003
Filler
I was going to post this yesterday but Blogger wasn't cooperating.
David Bowie said it best. "I'm afraid of Americans... I'm afraid I can't help it."
And while I eagerly await more environmentally friendly fuel sources, the thought of hydrogen engines also scare me.
I wanna go to a White Stripes concert. I have no idea if or when they're coming to these parts in the near future, tho.
I wish we had a snow storm like they did in the States.
Monday, February 17, 2003
Sweeps
The Columbia space shuttle crashed. Joe Millionaire is going to marry the Bachelorette. Michael Jackson is a freak. Simpsons 300th episode. North Korea is building the bomb. Osama is terrorizing the US. The US is going to attack Iraq.
We didn’t start the fire. It was always burning since the world's been turning...
Daredevil: The Movie W/O Entertainment Value
If you're thinking of seeing Daredevil, you might want to think again. It's a pretty blah movie and does nothing to entertain the audience or to capture their interest. It merely introduces the characters and then has them fight w/o any story or point. You’re not watching anything entertaining here. Just a bunch of going thru of the motions w/ only bits of corniness to break the mundane. Action scenes were boring. CG was crap (but at least it wasn’t overpowering). The movie doesn’t make much sense. I wouldn’t recommend seeing it even if you want to see it just b/c it’s a comic book movie and you want to see comic book movies.
Thursday, February 13, 2003
buddy, u have got to stop falling asleep on me!! it's becoming a habit!! :P ... am i really that boring? heehee.
Wednesday, February 12, 2003
email takes so much effort. i wish i could just pick up the phone and call u. there's too much to say.
happy birthday, andrew!! (yesterday)
happy birthday, dan!! (today)
i haven't written any "thought" blogs or even update blogs in awhile. i think i stopped doing update blogs cuz it's so boring to hear just a list of things that i've been doing. and i haven't written thought blogs cuz i realized that i don't like telling ppl publicly what i think while i'm forming a thought... at least not til it's reached a conclusion and come full circle. but if u ask me in person i'll tell u what i've been thinking about. i dunno, werd. u know how u asked me b4, angee, if there were any thoughts that i never told anyone and i said no? well, i think i take that back. hm. :)
anyhoo, i've been thinking about death a lot lately. hm. i'll write about that when i have time.
last night matt and i were talking about living life intentionally... making conscious decisions or not... about how to spend ur time, and money, and live ur life. i think that's one of the things i'm most afraid of - living life as it comes, without truly thinking about why u are doing or not doing something. and so u end up not making the most of ur life, letting it slip thru ur fingers. along with that comes not being able to be used by God to the full extent that he could use u, if only u took the time to stop and reflect on ur life, re-evaluate and listen to the holy spirit pushing u in another direction. hm. i can't say that i have been living life intentionally. but i'd like to start.
has anyone ever tried "rice dream" b4? i bought a box yesterday cuz i wanted to try it. it can be a milk substitute... for all those lactose intolerant ppl - only the fortified kind though! :) it tastes like... something familiar. either i've had it b4, or it reminds me of infant formula. lol. not that i've had formula recently! but it does taste distinctly familiar. huh. "rice dream" reminds me of vanilla sky. for some reason. dream sequences....
Sunday, February 09, 2003
a passage i read while doing devos tonight:
if they have escaped the corruption of the world by knowing our lord and savior jesus christ and are again entangled in it and overcome, they are worse off at the end than they were at the beginning. it would have been better for them not to have known the way of righteousness, than to have known it and then to turn their backs on the sacred command that was passed on to them.
2 peter 2:19,20
heehee! i love babies! :)
polkaroo
my brother came home this wkd. or so i heard. all i saw of him was his mitts and boots at the front door this morning when i was leaving for work. how sad.
i love sleep
all i wish is to sleep in for just one day. one day would be real nice. nice sleep. sleep is good.... zzzz....
Friday, February 07, 2003
2 lobsters, 1 crab, 1 vegetarian dish, a couple bowls of soup, 1 bowl of rice, 2 cold ovaltines and 2.5 hours later..... sat 2 very satisfied girls in a seafood restaurant. [sigh of content]. with sore mouths, prune fingers... and one with itchy skin, and the other with a cut on her left finger. yummm.... i'm still dreaming about it. :D
Wednesday, February 05, 2003
what if jesus asked you for a pair of shoes?
what if jesus asked you for a cup of clean water?
what if jesus asked you to fill His empty stomach?
He is asking.
~30 h famine 2003, promotional video
Tuesday, February 04, 2003
to moisturize or not to moisturize?
ok, i have a problem. let me count my woes.
i'm growing scales.
when i was a little kid i never moisturized. then one day i looked down at my legs after showering and noticed... [gasp]... scales!! so i started putting on cream every night after my shower and eventually the super dry skin went away. my legs even became smooth and silky! oooo.... but... putting nivea on one's legs every night/morning after showering is a tiresome task and often i'd go for periods without moisturizing at all cuz i was either too lazy or tired or in a rush or any combination of the three.
someone once told me that the more u use lubriderm or another like product, the more ur skin depends on it for moisture so the drier ur skin gets if u don't use it. so... the dilemma. how do u get ur skin back to natural soft, silky smoothness without growing scales (i.e. going cold turkey with the lotion)? or is it even possible? will my skin be addicted to moisturizer for the rest of its life?
beauty queens, i need ur help!
live was i ere i saw evil.
~barbara kingsolver, the poisonwood bible
Monday, February 03, 2003
Early Spring Coming
There was an Israeli astronaut aboard Columbia. It blew up over Palestine, Texas. Coincidence? Hmm... For you conspiracy theorists, the debris fell over Mt. Pleasant, Texas. Mt. Pleasant being a cemetary here in Toronto. And then there's Columbia, Louisiana, the neighbouring state in which tiles also fell.
Yesterday we prayed for the astronauts. Today we bought pieces of the shuttle off ebay. Wave your flags America.
Houston.....um, yeah
Happy New Year, Again
Sunday, February 02, 2003
happy birthday, steve!!!
what a goof! :P but only the best kind! ;)
Saturday, February 01, 2003
i just watched 3 h of dawson's creek. [sigh] i hate bittersweet endings. i am such a sucker for these shows. i like how they can manipulate my feelings. lol.
it never ceases to amaze me when God does his magic and i end up getting A's when i think i deserve more like a B-.
[yawn] it's amazing how good an 8 h sleep feels. :) time for some blogging!
part of a greater plan
a lot of times, we as christians, are focused on finding out God's will for our lives and what he has planned for us to do in this lifetime. what great things do u want us to do for u, God? other times, we're too busy in the routine and rush of everything to sit down and think and pray about where God is leading us, how he wants to use us. in EG, it talks about seeing urself as part of a greater plan, God's plan - rather than one solitary person doing something for God. in the last few wks, working at world vision and also going to ccf, i have seen God's great hand working in both of those places and i have been reminded of how, when we take a step back to look at the bigger picture, there is no mistaking our insignificance and ability to make changes and do good in this world. rather, it is God in his infinite power who moves. and all we can do is be a part of it, letting him use us.
at world vision canada, i've heard of the amazing programs and work that is being done in the developing world through this organization and the results and improvements in the lives of millions of men, women and children that have benefited from their work. wvc believes in transformational development - for both the donors and receipients of its programs in canada and overseas, that through interaction with the lord, working thru wvc, the lives of the ppl whom we come into touch with will be changed. this organization is based on prayer. everything happens because of prayer. God is going both behind and before the work of this organization. his mark is unmistakable.
last wk at ccf, i was listening to the announcements and thinking about the ccf programs and activities in the last few months. this yr has definitely been very different from past yrs in terms of programs. the committee has worked hard to make it relevant to us as students and the campus around us where we have been called to be a light for christ. we've had discussions on the possibility of the usa vs. iraq war, the hunger situation in toronto, a look at diff world religions and how they compare to christianity - things that are relevant to us as students and ppl living in this world - now. next wed they'll be cooking a hot meal at isc and sharing it, for free, with students who come - anyone. a chance to meet new ppl and talk and get to know them, no strings attached, no threat of forcing the bible down their throats. simply a chance to get to know more ppl in the student community and share food with them. this has been a change for the better, no longer stuck in the rut of bible studies once a month, games, praise nights, coffee houses. not that any of those things are bad, but they're so... typical. i have appreciated how every single program that has been planned this yr has a definite purpose that ties back to the theme of "homelessness". and sitting there, reflecting on all of this, i couldn't help but see God in the middle of it. using the committee and ccf members to do his work on this campus. reaching students and showing them his love, equipping christians to love them. at that point, i once again realized - i'm not necessary. God doesn't need me. he can use other ppl who are more willing. his work won't stop because i don't choose to participate. and i was humbled by that fact. but how true that is.... it is a privilege to be used by God to do his work. he doesn't need us, he can use others who are willing if we are unwilling. or unaware, too busy to notice what he is doing around us. it's up to us to be aware and search out what God is doing in the ppl and happenings around us. and then to join him.
