Thoughts on Life & Late-Night Reflections/Ramblings

I’m still going off the runner’s high from playing basketball, but thought I’d spend the last bits of dawn before bed writing. There’s been a lot on my mind that I wanted to organize into less spontaneous flashes – writing always helps! Depending on how I feel, this may or may not be a longish post, so I’ll play it by ear…

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So the past few weeks, I’ve been injured (ankles), and it hasn’t been fun. I’ve grown up with injuries (almost daily in elementary school), but they’ve always been scrapes and bruises for the most part. I’d say college was the first time I felt the effects of my age, which is kind of sad because I’m not even old.

But still, being injured…is terrible. It feels like something is taken away from you and you’re not the same. It comes with a lot of drawbacks – the constant icing the first 48 hours, the early morning wake-ups from the pain, the swelling, the loss of mobility. I hate being injured, because when I’m injured, I’m broken.

What’s Up | 02/13/13

Hey all, it’s been quite some time since my last What’s Up post, and this will be my first since the start of spring semester. I’ll try to include some major highlights from Glen’s life, and maybe some thoughts.

I’d characterize this semester as a relatively “chill” semester, because I’m taking a lighter course load (13.5 units + DeCal) and I’ve finished recruiting. It’s been pretty awesome, but my schedule has definitely not been as free as I’d thought at the start of school.

How I Play Basketball

It’s nearing the end of summer, I’ve had a relaxing couple of days at SoCal, and there are a ton of things that I want to write about.

I’ll get around to it – these are some topics I had in mind: internship, summer, Twitter, business classes (Re: Ask Me Anything questions). In the meantime, I’ll share a short post on something I’ve been doing most of summer – hitting the gym and playing basketball.

How do I play basketball?

Aging

One of the facts of life is that people grow old. This didn’t really sink in for me until one summer ago, when I pulled a muscle playing basketball because I didn’t stretch beforehand.

The thing is, I never had to stretch beforehand.

After that incident, others followed. I injured my pinky finger, my back started to act up from a previous snowboarding injury, and I managed to hurt the left side of my body (shoulder, knees, hips) at varying points during the semester from several bike/scooter/longboard falls.

Glen’s Mid-Year Resolution

I was playing basketball today when I had a thought, a mini-epiphany of sorts. I know I’m not the most emotionally in-tune person. A lot of times when I could be more considerate or understanding, it just goes over my head. I’m not intentionally being inconsiderate or not caring, I just simply don’t pick up on it.

Personally, I have very simple needs, and when those needs are met (good food, good rest, doing what I love, being in the presence of loved ones), then I’m a happy camper. But on the flip side, I tend to forget that everyone is different personality-wise, and I need to be more aware of that.

So my mid-year resolution is to work on this aspect of myself. Nothing too drastic, just taking more time to think about others and how they’re feeling and responding, and reaching out more to people in general. No promises, but I think a good starting point is to pinpoint the issue and to start thinking more actively about it.

An important note to self: working on this doesn’t imply changing the core of who I am. At the end of the day, I’m still me, and if I try to be someone I’m not, it’ll hurt more than help. So again, small steps. Now that I have this written down, hopefully I’ll be more serious about trying to follow through.

ISTP working on the Fe at randomtidbitsofthought.wordpress.com.

Summer 2012 “Bucket List”

Studying for finals can get quite depressing, but fortunately, there’s the summer to look forward to! And with summer comes things to do, places to see, and experiences to be had. Here are some of the things I’m looking to do in the summer of 2012.

1. Riding my bicycle. I haven’t ridden in a couple months, and even though I’m having a blast longboarding, I just don’t feel whole, as ridiculous as that sounds. It’s getting to the point where I’m looking at people biking around campus and feeling jealous that I’m not – ha. Last summer, I biked close to six miles a day for work, and this summer, I want to add another dimension: exploring SF for maybe an hour or so after work. I love biking on city streets, taking in the sights and sounds, and it’s my hope that I learn more about the areas near and far from my workplace. Who knows, maybe I’ll starting bike vlogging again. That would be neat.

2. Playing basketball. Last summer, I played close to two hours of ball almost every week night. It was amazing. I’d never felt that good in my life, and I had so much fun and really improved in all aspects of my game. I’m looking to do something similar this summer.

3. Picking up drumming. I have an electronic drum set that’s been collecting dust for the past year or so, sadly. I really enjoyed playing it when I first got it, but I just haven’t really had the desire to continue playing, until now.

4. Continue going through AFI’s 100 Best Movies list. Self-explanatory – I love to watch movies, especially good and/or classic movies, so I’ll be crossing off a few more on this list.

5. Road trip. I’ve been thinking about this one for quite some time. I don’t know how feasible this is, especially since I’ll be working full time, but I’d like to make some road trips east over a couple weekends or so. I’ve always been interested in experiencing the other parts of America (especially non-coastal states), because I feel there is a vast disconnect between coastal and non-coastal states. I would ideally get a lot of driving done on awesome roads, see lots of interesting sights, and learn new things. Not sure if I want to go it alone or bring along some friends. Friends are always fun, but I think solo trips bring in a completely different experience, which could be good for me as well. I guess we’ll see!

Forget YOLO. Carpe Diem.

Lists and stuff at randomtidbitsofthought.wordpress.com.

More About Glen

No matter how “normal” your life may seem, there’s always fascinating aspects when you really look into it.

I was born in Monterey Park, California, the real Chinatown of Los Angeles. Monterey Park is basically where all immigrants from Asia live when they first arrive in SoCal. It’s part of San Gabriel Valley, and is filled with authentic Asian restaurants, humble houses, and park/rec centers.

My parents had come to the States for education and new opportunities. They both attended Cal State LA and worked full-time while taking care of baby Glen. We moved to West Covina soon after I was born, which is where I spent the next 18 years of my life.

My family and I lived in a condominium community called Summer Place Village, and my parents saved up money to send me to a private Christian school called South Hills Academy. I attended the school until high school, and I still have many fond memories of the people, the classes, and the teachers.

The teachers had a huge impact on my life, and since class sizes were small (typically 18-25 kids), I got to know everyone very well on a yearly basis. I did fairly well in my studies, and I was pretty active, playing basketball, kickball, dodgeball, you name it.

Church was a pretty big part of my life. My parents were quite devout, and I remember attending Sunday school and Friday night youth groups throughout my childhood and teenage years at a Chinese church called Home of Christians (there was an English-speaking group). Some of my best friends were people I grew up with at church.

High school was the first time I was introduced to the public school system, and it was a tough transition. Moving to a new house added to the chaos. I attended South Hills High School in West Covina, and I still remember the first time I saw the crowds of people during break – I thought they looked like ants. The sheer amount of people was terrifying.

What made things worse was that all my friends from middle school had gone to another high school, and I knew absolutely no one. You can imagine how strange and disconcerting things felt. Since I didn’t have any experience with choosing classes, I didn’t even get into some of the honors classes freshman year.

The only highlight of freshman year was making the frosh basketball team. That was my escape. School would suck, but when the bell rang at the end of every day, my pulse quickened as I looked forward to practicing with my teammates. It wasn’t easy, and our coach worked us hard, but it was one of the most rewarding experiences of my life. The people I got to know, the exercise I got, and the skills I developed really made a positive impact in my life.

My high school years got exponentially better. During sophomore year, I found a group of friends that I hung out with for the rest of high school (and even today). One of my proudest accomplishments that year was skipping directly into AP Biology, despite not taking Honors Bio the year before. I did some of my most intensive studying for that class, and the work paid off.

My years as an upperclassmen in high school were good years. I had made varsity swim the year before, so I had a blast at swim practices and swim meets. I was also pretty involved in clubs on campus, and I graduated high school with many great memories, a group of close friends, and a sense of accomplishment, with room to grow even more.

Whenever I look back to my earlier years, I always see a trend – how family and friends supported and motivated me to be the best I could be. Whether it was my parents being very understanding and very thankfully not the typical “Asian” parents, to my teachers who were able to open my mind to new ideas and concepts, to my friends who were always there for me, it’s the important people in my life who helped me reach my potential. And for that I am forever grateful.

So there you go, a quick glimpse into Glen’s past. There’s so much in between that I might share someday, but for now, this will suffice.

To be continued? at randomtidbitsofthought.wordpress.com.

What’s Up | 12/21/11

First post since finals, and does it feel good!

I’ve been home (good ol’ West Covina) since Saturday, after a smooth (and ticketless) 400-mile solo drive from Berk. Seriously, the emptiest I’ve seen the I-5 – was able to cruise control most of the way, stop at In N Out, and make the trip in 6 hours.

The next few days, I did a number of things, which I’ll list in no particular order:

1. Enjoyed legit, and I mean legit, dim sum

2. Drank Half & Half boba for the first time

3. Caught up on sleep

4. Played pick-up basketball games at the youth center

5. Watched some good movies (so far: Zoolander, Bill & Ted’s Excellent Adventure, Drive, Jackie Brown)

6. Hung out with high school friends

7. Spent time with family

8. Read books – finally putting that e-reader to good use

Break has been wonderful. The week right after finals is typically the best week of the semester. Nothing to worry about, and even if there were, you could afford some time to relax. I’m planning to take full advantage of this week.

I’ve noticed that I’m a lot less antsy this winter break compared to past college winter breaks. At least for the first couple of weeks in past years, I would feel trapped if I didn’t go out or do something with friends. Home felt confining, and I was used to being able to come and go at school. Not having a (drive-able) car probably added to this feeling of restlessness.

This time around, I’m perfectly at ease staying home and chilling. Not feeling so restless is a good change, and it’s definitely a lot less draining. Plus, I still hang out with friends and go out, so it’s a good balance. I also have my car this year, so that could be a factor. Still, I think it’s more of an age thing. I wonder if other juniors/seniors experience this, or if it’s just me?

Anyway, I’m looking forward to the rest of break. I’m going on a family trip this weekend, and there’s also a church retreat coming up that I attend annually. Will be spending more time with family and friends, enjoying lots of good food (who’d have thought Chinese food would be missed so dearly?), and resting up.

Oh, and I’m making it my goal to prep for the summer internship recruiting that I’ll be doing next semester, as well as reading more books and watching more movies. Possibly more food blog posts, too, if I’m feeling up to it.

Adventures await!

Carpe diem at randomtidbitsofthought.wordpress.com.

Summer 2011: In Retrospect

Wow, what an official-sounding title. Actually, just wanted to share my thoughts on the past summer, because I’m tired of telling people the same thing over and over again.

Well, maybe not. Why? Because I had one of the most enjoyable, relaxing summers that I’ve ever experienced. I just think it’s always good to put thoughts into words and share some parts of it with you guys.

This past summer, I stayed at Berkeley and interned in San Francisco. I worked full time (8 hours a day, 40 hours a week), so I didn’t take any summer classes. I basically worked the entire day, and chilled at Berk in the evening.

The company I interned for was called OpenDNS. I won’t go into the nitty-gritty details of what they do, but they basically provided web security, infrastructure, and content filtering in an easy-to-set-up package, for both home users and businesses and schools.

I was the marketing intern, and instead of typical consumer-side marketing we all picture when we say marketing, I worked under my manager on business-to-business marketing.

To give you an idea of what it was like, this sort of marketing involved a lot of search engine optimization (tweaking key words and other parts of our website so we’d show higher in Google search results), starting Google AdWords campaigns (those text link ads you see on the side bar), and checking up on Google Analytics (which gives you site stat info, such as visits, popular pages, etc.).

It was definitely an eye-opening experience, and I can see this sort of online marketing as the marketing of the future – you’re actually able to see the direct results of your marketing efforts, which is impossible with traditional advertisements (think TV ads).

So a lot of interesting and relevant stuff. But what set my internship experience apart was the work environment. It was nothing like I’d experienced before. I got to see the inner workings of a successful company, sit in on the meetings, figure out the structure, and even joke around with the CEO.

Since OpenDNS was a tech firm, they placed a special emphasis on worker happiness. The kitchen was almost always fully-stocked with food and drinks, the people were friendly, and you didn’t have to clock in or out. Yet in this laid-back environment, everyone still got their work done, which impressed me and proved that there are different ways to managing a successful company.

The best part of working in San Francisco was exploring the city. I worked near the AT&T Park, so I got really familiar with the South of Market (SOMA) neighborhood of SF. My manager was a big foodie, so we went out to try new (and delicious places) for lunch pretty frequently. Plus, I met up with friends who worked in the area for lunch. The possibilities were endless.

Since I didn’t have summer school, I was able to relax after work. I’d typically eat dinner at Berkeley, take an hour-long nap after dinner, play two hours of basketball at the RSF, then do some work/update my blog/surf the Internet.

This summer was also one of the most active summers I’ve had since high school. Although I bused to work, I still brought my bike since my workplace was a mile-and-a-half away from the bus station in SF. So I ended up biking a total of 5 miles a day, in addition to the two hours of basketball I played almost every night.

I also got to meet new friends, whom I met mostly through busing to work, campus fellowship groups, or playing basketball. Mostly through basketball though, since I played around the same time every night, when the same people would be playing, too.

All in all, this past summer was one of the most interesting, fun, and relaxing summers that I’ve had. It really allowed me to recharge, and I was able to learn and experience new things as well. I realize I may never experience a summer like this one again, which makes me treasure this one that much more. But I’m still very optimistic about the future, and I’m looking forward to whatever is in store for me in the coming summers!

It’s summer, summer, gotta get down at randomtidbitsofthought.wordpress.com.

Random Tidbit | On Competition

I love competition. Thrive on it. But I think the key difference to how I approach competition compared to some others is that I most enjoy competing against myself. I think a good illustration of this can be seen in how I play basketball.

When I play basketball, I’m always giving  100%, not because I want to win, but because I want to play my best. The winning is just an added bonus.

I tend to lose track of the score during games. When I think of it, I could care less about the score. I measure how well a game went by how well I felt my team played as a whole, and how I contributed to the team.

Losing a well-fought game, where everyone on my team was giving his all and playing together, brings me more satisfaction than winning a crappily-played game.

I secretly enjoy being on a supposedly inferior team (short people, newbies, etc.) because it’s an added challenge. I tend to play even better when the odds are “stacked” against me. Plus, winning as underdogs just feels good. Especially if the opposing team was cocky going into the game.

I don’t like calling fouls. I hate court drama and whiners. I just want to play the game, and bickering does nothing to make the game better or more fun.

When I tie my approach to playing basketball back to my life, I can see that I enjoy the process of getting to the final goal. As long as I believe in the goal that I’m trying to achieve, I will go at it with absolute dedication and efficiency. Achieving the end goal is just the icing on the cake.

Play some ball at randomtidbitsofthought.wordpress.com.