I also got to watch game two of the Lakers v. Celtics Finals Championship Series. The first two games were horribly officiated. Ridiculous calls were made on both sides, and it’s hard to tell what the reason for it was. Conspiracy theorists will blather about how the NBA as a business profits more from longer series since there is so much advertising money at stake. There is probably some truth to that, but I think it would be something of a miracle to produce any kind of evidence to support that, or any other related notion. Regardless, I have enjoyed watching the games, frustrating though they may be at times.

I also recently had an interesting discussion with somebody, and by “discussion”, I mean internet post. The premise was: “God loves violence…Why else would there be so much of it?”

My response was:

“The basic premise of this goes back to question, “If God was a loving God, why would He allow suffering in the world?” I mean, you could really apply this to anything, right? God loves Coke. God loves drugs. God loves porn. God loves murder. God does not love these things, and so, the mere existence of a thing does not solely merit God’s love. This, of course, presumes the existence of God, so that is not in question.

At the heart of this question is why do these things exist? And the question before that is, do you believe in free will? I believe in free will, as well as God, and therefore I believe that many things exist in this world because mankind has chosen to do them. Violence is one of them. It is easy. It is powerful. At times, it is effective. To subdue someone with violence is far easier than to subdue someone with love because the body is so much more easily broken then the soul is. We as humans have a knack for wanting results regardless of cost.

It is an act of the greatest love that God allows us the option to love or not to love. What would love be unless the possibility to hate existed? We would have to call it something else altogether.

As for acts of nature, death is a part of life. It only stands to reason that some acts of nature birth life, and others death.

In the end, God loves us so much that he allows us the ability to make mistakes, and mistakes we have made.”

Looking back at the response, I believe it communicates what I had intended, even if the wording is a bit clumsy at times. Perhaps I will write a book one day…

Tags: violence, God, Lakers vs Celtics, basketball

These past couple of weeks I’ve been in a weird mood – neither happy nor sad. I think the best way to describe it is “blah.” I was in a “blah” mood, probably approaching depression, but not quite there yet. Anyway, I was working at an event with my fellow balloon twister, “Balloonloodle”. As we were making balloons for this particular event, we came across a child who was in a wheelchair.

I can’t remember what she was suffering from, but she looked pretty frail. Both “Balloonloodle” and I made her something special, nothing too complicated, but a bit more advanced than the basic balloon sculptures. I made her a big butterfly and handed it to her.

The smile on her face really touched my heart. Something as simple as a balloon butterfly can make someone really happy. The joy on her face was so touching. This really reiterates how one person can change another person’s outlook. It just goes to show the truth of the old adage, “when you are open to give, you are also open to receive.” Not only was I able to touch her heart, but in return, she also touched mine.

Tags: smile, balloon animals, therapy, twisting

I noticed that my “farm raised salmon” has had “color added.”

This really peaked my interest in farmed fish. After all, I thought farming fish would produce healthy, sustainable food for us. Check out CNN’s article on the matter: Farmed or wild fish: Which is healthier?

Tags: farmed fish, wild fish, cooking, healthy food, seafood, cooking fish

What if we knew with 100% certainty that we would all be going somewhere, even if it was just right back to earth and being reincarnated as something or someone else?

What if your report card was judged by the quality of people who attended your funeral?

What if you were judged by the things they said about you after you were gone?

These questions may sound a little far fetched and I’m sure, for some folks out there, I’ve just gone completely off the “deep end,” but if you read those questions over again and then take a few minutes to reflect on your own life, you might just find that there are a few things lacking in your existence.

Perhaps if you knew what these things were, you might act differently with your family, your co-workers – and perhaps even the homeless person who asks you for spare change on your way to work every morning.

Or maybe you might take a good hard look at your life and ask yourself “What am I doing here!,” “Am I happy?”

And when I say happy, I mean TRULY happy. Are you doing the things you always wanted to do, the things you said you’d do when you “grew up?” Or did life run you over like a steam-roller with all its responsibilities and credit cards – not to mention those taxes?

Do you ever feel that sometimes you’re just “chasing the dragon’s tail?” Or do you picture yourself like a hamster going in circles around a wheel?

I don’t really have any direction or focus for writing this piece. I just started to wonder… What is it all about and am I doing the things that I love to do? Am I making a difference? What will people say about the things that I’ve done when I’m gone? Will they even remember my name?

Perhaps I’m having a mid-life crisis. I doubt it; I don’t feel the urge to go out and buy a sports car – not yet anyway! : -)

Tags: life, happy life, after death, mid-life crisis

People who have read my previous blog posts probably know how much I love dance, which is why I enjoy watching Dancing with the Stars. What I found really touching was watching Niecy Nash and Louis van Amstel’s touching tribute to relationships on this week’s Dancing episode. Their waltz told the story of an interracial couple in the ’60s. However, those who are aware of current events (i.e. those listed above) can definitely relate to an issue America is currently facing today – and that is Gay Rights.

For those who are somewhat familiar with American history, 1960s was the big Civil Rights movement. By bringing such awareness to a mass community of TV watchers and internet browsers (myself included), could it help change society’s views on equal rights?

Although this blog has nothing to do with yoga, it does address the issue of creating wellness, not just for an individual but also for a community. Though I am not speaking on behalf of YogaHub, I really take their saying to heart, “creating change on a global scale” – and I would like to help create that change.

Tags: civil rights movement, dancing with a star, give a damn campaign, Gay Rights, Cyndi Lauper

I always find it interesting how many Chinese holidays there are in the year. Most of them I have never heard of, but this one (Qingming) is of particular importance to me. The purpose of the festival is to honor your ancestors – “Grave Sweeping Day,” it is sometimes called. As I have read on Wikipedia, Qingming rites are usually celebrated amongst the farmers and have very traditional rituals devoted to the ancestors.

While I was growing up, I always thought of these festivals as “traditional” rather than “religious.” However, based on the events of the past couple of years, I’m starting to wonder if these festivals are rooted in something that is more spiritual and religious rather than just tradition. The festival normally consists of burning food preparation, burning incense, and paper money.

As far as festivals are concerned, it is a great opportunity for me to spend time with the family (which I hold of high importance and value). It’s nice to be all together again.

Tags: qingming festival, religious, grave sweeping day, Chinese holidays, honer ancestors

Ah, those days are no longer. Things are changing, my insides are changing, and I’m not quite sure if I like it. I’m not sure if I want to embrace the fact that: I can’t eat a pint of ice cream in one sitting anymore, I am not as flexible as I used to be, and my fast food days are over. Don’t get me wrong, I do believe in exercising and eating healthy, but sometimes I just want a burger and french fries!

My mind says “yes, I can!” However my body is saying, “no, you can’t” or “you can have that, but I (the body) will suffer for it.”

Of course, this mentality doesn’t always apply to things that are in the “bad for me” area. I find that this mentality creeps in when I am exercising too, especially when doing cardio. The mentality that you can push yourself just a little bit further, or run that extra mile. Like I said, mentally I say “yes,” but again, the body says “no.”

This brings to mind the quote by Heraclitus, “the only thing constant is change.” Well, if I could have a conversation with Heraclitus, I would say, “change sucks!” Then he would probably laugh at me for my delusional way of thinking!

Tags: body changes, body changing, getting older, exercising, adjustment, mentality, heraclitus

There are some items that I couldn’t part with. Little knick knacks of toys, hand sewn clothing and other articles of clothing that have too much importance; too many memories that are too precious to be thrown away. For example: the handmade book my brother made while he was in elementary school, my father’s old stamp book collection, an old book my grandmother gave me as a child, my sister’s sticker collection that she had when she was a child, and a box of toys my mom used to play with as a child. Sometimes I wonder if they knew that I had kept these things…things that might have been trivial to them but not to me.

Of course, there were things that were thrown out as well. There were two boxes of books and old VHS tapes that were donated to our local library. A box of old electronic equipment that was put up for recycling (there are places where people take old electronic equipment and disassemble them for recycling), and more than four boxes of old college notes, papers, and projects that were recycled.

I find it interesting the little things that I do to start off a new year. Apparently, cleaning was one of them. I felt that by removing the old clutter from my room, I could have a much more organized way of living and life.

Now, if only I can clean up my brain the same way!

Tags: cleaning up, start off a new year, memories, stamp book collection, recycling

My Christmas was spent not with an over-abundance of gifts and physical things, but with great food and conversation. For the first time this year, my family members (mom, brother, and sister) made our gifts or bought small items that were filled with love. With the help of my close friend, we were able to stuff my small gifts into a balloon (without the use of a machine!) for a memorable gift.

I was able to stuff some socks into a balloon for my mom, and green tea and Chapstick for my sister (my brother didn’t get a balloon but he did get a home cooked meal!) Along with the “stuffed balloon” came a bouquet of balloon flowers.

Suze Orman writes, “The things that matter most in this world are those that carry no price tag, for they can neither be bought nor sold at any price.” I totally agree with this. The smiles on their faces was more than any gift could buy. Furthermore, my aunt liked the idea so much that I also made her a bouquet of flowers out of balloons, which brought another big smile to her face – a wonderful thing to see since she had just lost her husband a couple of weeks prior to the holidays.

It’s truly amazing what smiles can do for everyone.

Tags: smile, happy family, the best gift, balloons, big smiles, loving family

As I have recently returned from a visit with the old family, I am reminded of many things. Most importantly, as I alluded to earlier, time does fly. I see my family probably 5-15 days out of the 365-day year.  Sometimes I fleetingly think that that is way too much, but more often I know that it is simply just not enough. Relationships are hard work, particularly when there are one-year gaps between personal visits.  Nevertheless, that does not make the endeavour any less meaningful, or desirable. I enjoy my time with my family, and it would suit me fine to find more ways to spend time together.

As I reflect on the last year, I am reminded of something that I try to teach my kids in my youth group. Never presume someone, including yourself, to be a simple sum of their past experiences. For in doing so, the passion to become more than who you have been and the ability to see others for more than what they been will be diminished by mistakes long since gone.

Happy Year of the Tiger!

Tags: year of tiger, new year of 2010, spending time with family, reflection