<center>2006.11.10</center> <a name="brisknovsun"><h3>brisk november sun</h3></a> <p>금요일 아침: 금요일예요. it's fri. that's good. i went to the sunnyvale skate park this morn 4 a decent sesh. i also skateboarded w/ sooni b4 that. i like morns like this. honestly, i got in like 2 hrs'f skateboarding this morn btwn those 2 aktivities, i guess. that makes me happy. however, wow... i <i>really</i> need a new pair'f skateboarding shoes! this morn, as i got in the car to head off to the sunnyvale skate park, i packed a 2nd pair'f shoes to wear into werk. really, my skateboarding shoes... in the past they were... well, sort'f ok to wear into werk. however, now that they're totally thrashed, yah... i shouldn't wear them to werk. i can c my sock thru the ollie hole! well, 2day's veterans day. let's appreciate the brave women n' men who've fought 4 our country. we <i>do</i> life in a great country, a country where a 31.yr ol' man can go skateboarding in the morn b4 werk. i really think i couldn't do that in ne other country. this is a great country! *sigh* <center><a href="http://click.linksynergy.com/fs-bin/click?id=hFit*7DqwsE&offerid=92500.10000032&type=3&subid=0" target="new">ccs board $hop</a><IMG border=0 width=1 height=1 src="http://ad.linksynergy.com/fs-bin/show?id=hFit*7DqwsE&bids=92500.10000032&type=3&subid=0" ><br> <a href="http://click.linksynergy.com/fs-bin/click?id=hFit*7DqwsE&offerid=80958.10000001&type=3&subid=0" target="new">militaryclothing.com</a><IMG border=0 width=1 height=1 src="http://ad.linksynergy.com/fs-bin/show?id=hFit*7DqwsE&bids=80958.10000001&type=3&subid=0" ><br> <a href="http://click.linksynergy.com/fs-bin/click?id=hFit*7DqwsE&offerid=32532.10000001&type=3&subid=0" target-""new">sephora.com</a><IMG border=0 width=1 height=1 src="http://ad.linksynergy.com/fs-bin/show?id=hFit*7DqwsE&bids=32532.10000001&type=3&subid=0" ></center> <p>neway, last nite, i went to taekwondo praktice n' then taught class afterwards. on tues, mark taught the white belts, n' i taught the yellow n' orange belts. on thurs, we switched roles: mark taught the yellow n' orange belts, n' i taught the white belts. we have 4 new white belts. oh yah, our 4mer student hana cam back from uc irvine to praktice w/ us 1 nite. that was kewl. i was very happy that the beautiful <a href="http://www.friendster.com/203953" target="new">kaela hwang</a> came to sparring praktice. she taped up her ankles well n' prakticed w/ me. i gotta say: u ppl prob'ly don't realise that she <i>does</i> kick really hard. seriously, u wouldn't expekt it; but yah, she kicks really hard. don't 4get: she's been doin' taekwondo 4 quite a while as well. well, after praktice n' after the adult beginners class, a <i>huge</i> grp'f us taekwondo prakticioners from <a href="http://www.ustaekwondo-academy.com/" target="new">us taekwondo academy</a> (http://www.ustaekwondo-academy.com/ - new url!) went to dinner @ 토방 tobang, a <font color="#770000">ko</font><font color="#000099">rean</font> restuarant @ the corner'f benton n' kiely. it's really funny... i learned yet 'nother lesson thru this 40 day "fast" from land animal meats n' "sugar": wow, it was <i>sooo</i> frustrating last nite, tryin' to get sumpthin' to eat. typi<font face="script" color="blue" size="+3">cal</font>ly, <font color="#770000">ko</font><font color="#000099">rean</font> restaurants <i>do</i> have plenty'f seafud; but since we were there late @ nite, we apparently couldn't order certain dishes cos the cook had already gone home n' they were mostly just serving cook @ the table bbqed meat. it was <i>sooo</i> frustrating! we kept asking 4 things off the menu, n' the server kept saying they didn't have it, n' i felt like the restuarant wasn't even nice 'bout it. up until last nite, i liked that restaurant. also, 1'f our new students, he's a <font color="#005500">tai</font><font color="#ff9900">wan</font>ese guy, a christian like us, but i think some ppl'd insist that his sociopoliti<font face="script" color="blue" size="+3">cal</font> views r really "liberal." i mean, i personally am very kewl w/ that even tho' i insist that i'm a "progressive" not a "liberal." neway, i'm sure lots'f conservatives call me a "liberal" 2. well, this guy doesn't eat meat <i>or</i> seafud cos he's takin' a stand 'gainst cruelty to animals. he sed he's not 'gainst eatin' animals, but he's 'gainst the poor treatment they get while they're being raised to <i>be</i> fud. even tho' he thinks things like free.range n' wild caught animals make good meat 4 fud, he's refraining from <i>all</i> meats to drive home the pt. neway, yah; he's a great example'f a good christian who has "liberal" politi<font face="script" color="blue" size="+3">cal</font> views, n' i laud him 4 that. neway... like, we were in a very similar boat in not being able to order much. in the end, the waitress agreed to bring out <font color="green">야채</font> 비빔밥 <font color="green">yachae</font> bibimbap (<font color="#006600">vegetarian</font> bibimbap) 4 him, but i know he as a "starving student" had qualms 'bout the $8.95 pri¢e, n' i <i>do</i> wish they would've cut him some slack on the pri¢e since they'd already put us in such a bad situation. in the end, kaela n' i ordered 가자미 구이 와 된장 찌개 gajami gui n' dwenjang jjigae. the 자미 구이 와 된장 찌개 gajami gui was overpri¢ed n' the dwenjang jjigae had this very <i>un</i>fresh crab in it. i wasn't pleased. i felt so frustrated w/ the restaurant. they weren't even very generous w/ the 반찬 banchan (small "side" dishes). every1 else was drinkin' 소주 <img src="journal/graphics/soju.jpg" alt="소주 soju">, so kaela insisted on ordering a bottle. our table drank the bottle, but then our <font color="#006600">vegetarian</font> friend notice don the label'f this 처음처럼 chuheum chuhruhm (meaning "like the 1st time") brand soju that it contains sugar n' high fructose corn syrup. d'oh! we stopped drinkin' it. *sigh* it's funny cos our friend n' us, none'f us eat land animals; but he doesn't eat seafud, n' we don't consume "sugar." we had different restriktions yet both a bit restrikting... as restriktions tend to restrikt. ha ha. *sigh* neway, last nite's experience w/ the "fast" really tested my patience. it showed me how much i need jesus's grace n' 4giveness, u know? that's the truth. i mean, in the process'f introspekting, i could beat down on myself 4 not living up to the standards'f jesus's life, but no! that's not the pt. the pt is that <i>none</i>'f us can <i>ever</i> be just like jesus. rather, we <i>must</i> rely on his grace n' 4giveness! <ul><li><font face="궁서,gungsuh" color="#225500">"모든 사람이 죄를 범하였으매 하나님의 영광에 이르지 못하더니 그리스도 예수 안에 있는 구속으로 말미암아 하나님의 은혜로 값 없이 의롭다 하심을 얻은 자 되었느니라" - 고마서 3장23~24절</font></li> <li><font face="comic sans ms" color="#225500">"all have sinned and fall short of the glory of god, and are justified freely by his grace through the redemption that came by christ jesus." - romans 3:23~24</font></li></ul> <p>friends, family: i gotta say, i really love having a connektion w/ god. it really excites me... seriously. i really feel emotional in that i really wish that all'f u could experience the joy i find in this. u know? like, man... life <i>really</i> makes sense when i'm connekted to god. u know that? u know... i guess all i can say is... really, if u ever wanna talk 'bout god; if u ever just have questions; let's talk. i don't have all ur answers; but i don't mind talkin'. i'm not necessarily even out to "defend" my faith or nething like. i just like to know ppl r <i>thinkin'</i> 'bout the big picture'f life n' the universe n' not just walkin' round like zombies. live 4 more! consider livin' 4 more. <p>[later] 저녁 이지만 아직도 직장에서: 2day, during my lunchbrk, i met up w/ kaela @ <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Martin_Yan" target="new">martin yan</a>'s new restaurant in mccarthy ranch. it's called <a href="http://www.redkwali.com" target="new"><font color="red">red kwali</font></a>. oh yah, kaela brought sooni w/ her to skool 2day n', of course, to lunch as well. 'twas a brisk but sunny day to eat outside. we ordered sambal shrimp w/ okra n' some kind'f <font color="#006600">vegetarian</font> nasi goreng. i'd had nasi goreng b4, but never 'member what it is when i read menus. i guess it's like a malaysian or singaporean paella. also, kaela n' i had some really delicious southeast asian hot coffee n' tea drinks (cos 'twas so cold outside). i had some kind'f malaysian "white" coffee, n' kaela had some kind'f red tea. after lunch, we drove 'cross the street to buy some <a href="http://www.piperlime.com" target="new">shoes</a> @ dsw (designer shoe warehouse) w/ kaela's $25 certificate, which had aktually expired, but which they accepted (woohoo). i bought my new skate shoes! <tt>:-)</tt> instead'f shellin' out like $60 on nice nike sb or emerica shoes, i bought a moderately pri¢ed pair'f <font color="#885500">brown</font> vans 4 $44.95. i'm satisfied w/ 'em, i think. i'll need to try'em out. they're a bit more fashionable than my ol' <font color="#555555">grey</font> world industries shoes. i noticed that 'least <i>this</i> dsw aktually has a decent selektion'f bargain bin skate shoes. they had several models'f vans n' several world industries n' several vision (vision street wear). i didn't know world industries still made shoes. i thought they'd merged with adio. then 'gain... these shoes might not be <i>that</i> new! ha ha ha. *sigh* otherwise, maybe world industries along with vision street wear now just make low end shoes. vans; to me, that's a name i can trust. un4tunately, yah, all these shoes r ¢heaply made in ¢hina. *sigh* i <i>hate</i> supporting $weat$hop labour praktices! grrr! <tt>>:-(</tt> n' i hate supporting the e¢onomy'f a gov't that refuses to honour <font color="#005500">tai</font><font color="#ff9900">wan</font> identity as an independent, autonomous nation. oh well; i've yet to find a pr'f skate shoes made in italy or 'least <font color="red">am</font><font color="#555555">eri</font><font color="blue">ka</font>. aktually, i was wonderin' if the nike sb shoes might be made somewhere other than ¢hina cos - despite nike's bad, bad reputation in the past - they're s'pposedly tryin' to clean up their labour praktices. i hope so. <p>i must've mentioned them in the past, but u should check out this band called <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Superchick" target="new">superchick</a>. <p>since i've been werkin' 2day, it's easy 4 me to 4get that it's veterans day. however, i've cn lots'f kids everywhere 2day, so that reminded me. this morn, the sunnyvale skate park was much more crowded than on the usual weekday morn. btw, i had a pretty good morn sesh @ the sunnyvale skate park. i managed to do backside 50.50 axle stalls w/ <i>some</i> level'f consistency @ times. i bounced btwn ridin' "vert" n' "street." i tried to cover 'lot'f ground 2day (variety'f terrain): i rode the small bowl, the "medium" bowl, the triple ollie pad thingy, various curbs... [just a li'l bit later] oh wait, 'tis 'spposed to rain this wknd. in fakt, weather.com predikted t.storms 2nite here. maybe i won't get to test out my new skate shoes 2morrow. neway, 2morrow's the bay area snow show. many tahoe resorts s'pposedly open next wknd. <tt>:-)</tt><br><br><br>