Addison's journal

So much has happened lately, including a family trip to Yellowstone and a trip back to Taiwan.  But the most life changing thing that is about to happen is my graduation from grad school.  Gone are my school days and life as a student.  No more cramming for finals late into the night, no more lengthy lectures and seminars to sit through (might get some at work tho), and no more midnight snack runs to Monterey Park.  My new life as a working member of society demands order, discipline, and regularity.  Heh, but that doesn’t mean I can’t have some fun on the side.  =P

I will soon be going up to the Bay Area, that hilly country where all the tech firms dwell, and begin my existence as a peon of a large corporation.  If you’re up there, shoot me a line and we can hang out!  =)

p.s. pictures of my trips may (or may not) appear on facebook…

It’s finally a new year in the lunar calendar.  This new year weekend was pretty busy, especially with a Chinese New Year celebration program put on by the CSSA on Saturday.  The performance went well, and many people came to enjoy the different shows that were there, including puppets, little kids singing, traditional Chinese music (that’s us!), and lion dance.  The excitement was coupled with tiredness, since most of us had a long week.  But it was fun nonetheless.  =)

After having great dinners and a great time back home for Thanksgiving, I’m now back to school to face the looming deadlines of school work.  So it’s the end of the year once again, and everyone is busy with projects, papers, homework, studying, review sessions, and even job and school interviews.  While busy with my own projects, I had the opportunity of visiting Chicago the weekend before Thanksgiving for a job interview.

I left Thursday night from LAX on a 4-hour flight to MDW, and after riding the “El” for half an hour, I settled into a comfy hotel.  The interview the next day was challenging and exciting, with a lot of technical programming questions.  They even gave me a tour guide book at the end of the interview, which came in really handy.  I spent the weekend exploring the city of Chicago and its museums and parks, and I even visited The Moody Church on Sunday.  Despite the sub-freezing temperature, I really enjoyed the big city, tall buildings, diverse architecture, convenient public transportation, and the several friends I’ve met there.  I think I would enjoy living there if I work for that company.

Anyway, I’ll try to post some pictures up in Facebook sometime, but for now, must get back to whatever I was doing… that’s right, work…

So this summer has been full of things that happened.  First of all, I got a paid internship very unexpectedly for the entire summer, which I can only attribute to God’s gracious providence.  That has been keeping me busy so far.  I’ve also joined a discipleship group for the on-campus bible study I go to, and the amount of reading and assignments in that class has been more than I’m used to.  It’s a good challenge and will keep me disciplined to work hard and stay focused.

The major thing that happened within the past month was that about two weeks ago, my younger brother was diagnosed with a really big brain tumor.  That came as no small surprise, but it does explain many symptoms that he’s been having over the past few years.  So since then, my family and I have been busy taking care of him at the hospital, with him undergoing two major surgeries.  Praise the Lord that he has been ok through those risky operations, and he is recovering now at home.  Having a faithful and loving God to rely on gives us indescribable comfort and incomparable strength to endure this trial.  Now I more clearly see and firmly believe that our God is a sovereign and gracious God who hears the prayers of his children.

Now that summer is almost ending, I hope to use the remaining time more productively in reading and studying for leading a small group next school year.  That should keep me busy enough until school starts.

Wow, it’s been 2 weeks into summer already!  I guess finals week was a blur, and my mind is refusing to recall that unpleasant time.  But I’m really glad it’s summer, and now I’m back home with family.  Soon, I’ll return to LA and start my internship.  The full-time internship should keep me quite busy for the whole summer, as well as give me some good work experience for the future.

Two weekends ago I went to the Resolved Conference, and that was an amazing blessing.  The theme for the conference was Heaven and Hell, featuring many famous book-writers and pastors.  I’ve learned so much about what the Bible says about the glories of Heaven and the terrors of Hell.  Everyone’s headed to one or the other, which one are you going to?