38. 黑木耳

Today I had hei1mu4er3 (黑木耳) as one of the dinner dishes. It was yummy.



It's the black stuff on the right. This photo is of my bian4dang1 for tomorrow's lunch. We had enough bian4dang1's for all of us! :)

My parents were teaching me about this hei1mu4er3, and so I said it sounds like sa1mu3er3 (撒母耳) - Chinese for Samuel, the Bible character.

Me: What was it called again?
Mom: It's called hei1mu4er3.
Me: Oh yea, it sounds like sa1mu3er3.
Mom: There's also bai2mu4er3. Both are very good.
Me: Oh yes, but sa1mu3er3 is best.
Mom: I lost to you okay? I lost to you! You won. You won! You beat everyone, okay?

37. Saturday Afternoon

[[Below is an entry I started writing on June 12. Just found some time today to finish it.]]
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I was wondering what time they usually start senior class. I went upstairs and saw some of the brothers and sisters finishing up their lunch. I sat down in an empty chair. My lunch of fried chicken, rice, and salad started to filter into my blood and take me into a partial food coma. Jacob, Isaac, Jessica Chu (Chen-to-be!) and Peter were talking, but I was too zoned out to hear anything.

“Albert, you look tired,” Jacob said. I smiled and tried to snap back into consciousness. I walked to the back of the room to check the schedule to see what time we usually started. Ah. 1:40-1:50pm is hymn-singing. It was 1:38pm. I went back to sit down. A few more minutes flew by, and it was well past 1:40pm.

“Are we even having class today?” asked Isaac. Some of the sisters had gone to Marian’s graduation, and we were the few left.

“We usually would have started by now,” said Jacob.

Jessica was playing with a pair of shades made of a sunglasses-shaped cutout of dark-colored film and two pieces of white hard paper for the ear parts.

“Those look like 3-D glasses,” said Isaac.

“Maybe we should watch a 3-D movie,” said Jacob. Jessica chuckled and wobbled the glasses around.

Trying to join the conversation, I asked, “Why do you have 3-D glasses?”

Jessica laughed. “Haha. They’re not 3-D glasses. I got my pupils dilated this morning, so everything’s really bright.” She leaned over to show me her dilated pupils. “See?” Yea, they were pretty dilated.

“You can’t just wear regular sunglasses?” I asked.

“Yea, but I didn’t bring any.”

Peter took some toilet paper, which was conveniently resting on the senior class table, and folded it into a nice square to blow his nose.

“Peter, every time I see you, you have allergies.” Isaac said.

“Yea, seriously. Every time!” Jacob affirmed passionately.

“Well, it’s not always this bad.” Peter replied.

Isaac disagreed. “But seriously, all year around, you’re like this--at least every time I see you. Maybe it’s only on Saturdays. You should take some Claritan.”

“No, you should take Zyrtec,” corrected Jessica.

“Oh yea, I mean… you should take some medication.”

Jacob looked over at me. “Albert, are you allergic to anything?”

“Hm… dust?” I replied. Peter scoffed.

“Oh! You should eat pu2tao2zi3,” Jessica exclaimed to Peter.

“Yea, I tried that before. I think they have pills,” replied Peter.

“Wait, like the kind in holy communion?” Jacob was confused.

“No, not grape juice. Grape seeds!” Jessica said.

“Ohh. I thought you said pu2tao2zi1.”

“What? I didn’t know you could eat those.” Now, Isaac was confused.

“Yea, it’s healthy,” Jessica replied.

“I always thought a tree would grow in your stomach if you ate the seeds.” Jacob was half-serious.

“Yea, remember that thing we saw with the actual people who had trees growing on them? Like tree people. Haha,” said Isaac. He was talking about something they saw on a show.

“Oh yea, I’ve seen that before.” I said.

“Oh, mhm,” Jessica remarked in affirmation that I probably did see it before.

“What? Where?” Isaac said in disbelief.

“On Youtube,” I said.

“Seeee,” said Jessica. She knew she was right.

Isaac continued: “Yea, it’s so gross. They were trying to cut it off. They had to cut off the wood that was growing so he could walk.”

“There were bugs growing in the wood too!” Jacob said.

Isaac shivered. “Ewww. Can you imagine that happening to you?”

“How do they even become like that?” I asked.

“The guys said, he had a cut on his knee when he was in the forest or something and then after that, he started to grow stuff on his skin,” replied Jessica. She always knows what she’s talking about.

“Ohh. It’s like his genes were changed…” I commented.

“1 in a million people are like that. So, there are like 6 people like that in the world,” said Isaac.

Jacob, the math-genius he is, corrected his brother, “Oh, you mean 1 in a billion?”

“Can you believe they have to go to the doctors every time they need to cut the wood? In the program, they were bleeding!” said Isaac.

“There was blood in their wood?” I asked.

“Oh. No, it’s the part where the wood meets the skin,” answered Jessica.

“Yea, where they mesh,” supplemented Isaac.

I thought about how that could even be possible. How does the wood and skin mesh? As the others continued to chat away, Jessica fumbled around with her benign pair of shades. She decided to put them on.

However, right after she put on her shades, something happened.

“Whoa! Why does everything look weird? Ow… Why does my neck feel so stiff!?” she frantically cried out.

“Jess, you’re… you’re a tree!... Wait… Ah! I can’t move my legs!!” Isaac screamed.

“Isaac, you’re a tree too! Why can’t I… huh? My arm is a… branch!” Jacob panicked.

I looked at myself and back at them. We were tree-people! Was I dreaming? What was going on? It was so surreal, like some sort of movie.

Then, I realized that this started happening when Jessica put on her shades, so I yelled to her. “Take off your glasses!”

“I can’t! I can’t move my arms!” She exclaimed.

Suddenly, a sweeping wind blew into the room, and the table, walls, piano, and white board disappeared. Everything became pitch black. I kept yelling “Take off your glasses!” but the wind was so loud that I could barely hear myself.

Then, a roaring voice louder than the violent wind spoke, “Cut it down! Cut it down! Why should it use up the soil?”

I could hear Isaac screaming a few feet away, “What is going on?!”

Then, I saw before us a dim light shining on a man. It suddenly became very quiet. This man was kneeling with a tree beside him. He replied to the voice, “Sir, please! Leave it alone for one more year, and I’ll dig around it and fertilize it. If it bears fruit next year, fine! If not, then cut it down.”

Then the loud roaring voice said, “Very well!”

The man disappeared, and we were swept about by the violent wind again. I could hear Jessica, Jacob, Isaac, and myself screaming, “Ahhhh!!”

Louder than before, the voice spoke, “Unless you repent and bear fruit, you too will all perish!”

Immediately, we were all back in our seats in the classroom, normal, panting, eyes opened, and trembling. Jessica was holding the pair of shades in front of her. Her jaws were dropped, and her hands were shaking. We looked at each other, not knowing what to make of what just happened.

What a Saturday afternoon...

36. Pop-up Flower Art

Last night was a busy night of dreaming.

I was in a big house or mansion. One of the rooms looked like the Assembly Room of Hillsborough Church. I was there looking for something in the closet. In the room were tables arranged for dining and all my cousins were there. They just finished eating. Then my grandma was there, and she asked me if the cousins could all eat at the dining hall at my school later, and that she'd pay for us. She was kind of quiet in asking me, and the others were looking at me to see how I would answer. I said yes. I think some people were seeing if I would let her treat us out because she's our elder. They were expecting me to say no plus something polite so that she would have to find some other opportunity. However, I could tell that she already thought it through, and she was pretty serious about it, so I didn't want to make it difficult.

Later, I walked out of that room and into the hallway. There was a lot of art work in the house - paintings and such on the walls. I forgot how I found out, but the mansion we were in was my grandma's house. Down the hall to my right were paintings of flowers with the pedals somewhat 3-D. My grandma told me that Shawn made those. I said, "Wow..." They were pretty good. I had no idea Shawn was doing this in his free time - nor that he gave them to grandma.


I forgot what happened in between, but later, the mansion was filled with people. I think it was a youth church event. We were all drawing and working on pieces of art. There were a lot of people. People were walking to and fro, and it was very festive.

Lots of things happened at the event, and here are a few things that I can remember:

At one point, I think Lisa C told me that we were going to move upstairs to work. So I took my paper and chair and pushed it up in the ceiling. The ceiling is the type where there are squares of foam boards, so one of the foam boards lifted up and my stuff went into the ceiling.

I was upstairs later and I was looking for my stuff. I was looking for a flap in the floor. I was in a classroom and there were a lot of people working on their project. I had to squish through to the place I thought my stuff was. I lifted it up and got my stuff. Then I started working on my piece. I didn't know what to draw. I first darkened the top with my piece of paper with charcole (not charcoal). Then, I started drawing a dog with big ears (like a chihuahua with big ears). I was only working on the ears. Close up it didn't look too bad, but when I kept looking at what I had, I was not very happy. I was trying to draw the ears, and it was hard.

Later, I was asking Jessica how to draw it because she's good with dogs. She showed me a picture (or a sketch) of a pochacco doll, but it was a doggy with a pochacco face (The Sanrio character).

Later, I was talking with Lina and Pastor Hwang. I forgot what we were talking about, but we all had to go somewhere, so we agreed to have a short meeting later. I don't know where I was going, but I was going toward the back of the mansion. Grady was telling me about his drawing. He was wearing a toy armor that he made with the plastic sticks. I think he was drawing that. We all these plastic sticks to build and make stuff with - it was like those connect toy-lego things. Some people made them into guns and were playing around. It was also to help us have a visual model when we were drawing. I think I had one of the stick guns in my hand. We were walking fast as we talked. It was time to pray, and people in the room were kneeling down, so Grady knelt down and prayed. I kept walking back.

As I was walking, it started getting more crowded. The press was following us. I got to the corner of the room where there was a door leading into the hallway. It was crowded. I turned around and Pastor Hwang was behind me, and the press and video crew were asking him questions. He was trying to get to the door too as he was answering them. I think they kept asking me questions too. I had around 4 mics in my hands.

I saw Pastor Hwang and Jia An, and I remembered that we were going to have a meeting. But, I didn't think it would be any time soon because it's so crowded.

I got out into the hallway, and people were lining up and walking into the room across the hall (I think it was the chapel?). Some people were dressed nicely. I thought to myself that it might be a wedding.

Later, I was thinking about my drawing and how I can improve. I thought about drawing a doll-like dog with the stitches still there and the eyes could be human eyes. I was thinking that it might still be unoriginal because some dog dolls have realistic looking eyes already. I also thought about using a picture online as a model because people were using the plastic connecting sticks to model things.

Anyway, what a weird dream.

Lessons learned? When people are trying to do something, and you can tell they are serious, don't make it more difficult for them - help them out. Shawn has secretly been working on pop-up flower art. Ceilings with the square foam boards are convenient for getting things from floor to floor. Ask people who have a background/experience in a field related to what you're doing - they can give you good advice/help. When working in church, it's good to have people from three different generations working together. Don't jump into doing things too quickly because thinking things through first can save a lot of time. Good ideas are from God.

35. Truth and Reality

Have you ever confused reality with imagination? Have you ever gone so deep into a dream or thought or chain of logic that the pure fact and the stable reality become a blur?

Several times when I read the Bible I find something extremely edifying, and it's such a wonderful feeling. Recently, I had dreams where I'm reading the Bible, and I find something interesting, and I keep thinking and marveling about it. I get the "feeling" I get when I actually read something awesome in the Bible, but it's not real--I'm not actually reading something from the real Bible.

Sometimes, my mom gets mad because I say something or because something happens. She'll keep repeating what I said or what happened, but the more she thinks about it and the more she retells what happens, it seems what originally happened gets twisted and blurred. Details that did not occur suddenly become part of what enrages her even more. The more she thinks about it, the farther away from reality it becomes. The more she thinks about it, the more furious she gets.

Of course, I should not see this entry as a chance to complain about someone I love. Rather, it is to make a point.

During sermon interpretation, sometimes the message slightly deviates from what the speaker is actually saying - either on purpose or not. For example, if the speaker says, "I'm pretty sure every one of us has or has had a problem with living by faith and not by sight," we might get an interpretation like, "Some of us might have had a problem with living by faith and not by sight before." Not the same meaning, but close. And from the not so close interpretation, can come different reactions. A person who hears the former might think, "Yea, I guess I have... I will keep listening to see how I can improve," but a person who hears the latter might think, "Oh, some of us? I'm probably not in that minority. But I think I might know some people who are like that."

Another example: Say five of us agree to pray 15 minutes after lunch on Saturdays for missionary work in Africa. However, we actually end up doing it 1 or 2 times every month because we sometimes have to go to a meeting, talk with someone, or do other things. And not all five of us show up every time. Then, in a conversation about missionary work in Africa, I tell someone that the five of us pray 15 minutes after lunch on Saturdays. Is that accurate? Of course we try to do that, but in reality, we don't do it every Saturday. Acceptable accuracy would be that we "try" to pray 15 minutes every week. However, to say that we actually do, that would not be factual, right?

How important is it to insist on factual accuracy? Are there hidden motives when we do not give an accurate picture of things? When we respond in a way as to give others a wrong impression of reality, is that deception? We know that every careless word we say will be judged (Mt 12:36). Our minds twist things up, our imagination distorts reality. However, one thing will never change: the words of God. The words of God are truth. The words of God are absolute. Let us aim to live by this truth and be perfect.

34. Expanse of the Sky

And God said, "Let there be an expanse between the waters to separate water from water." So God made the expanse and separated the water under the expanse from the water above it. And it was so. God called the expanse "sky" (Genesis 1:6-8a).

What is this "expanse," or "firmament" (NKJV, KJV) called "sky," or "heaven"? It certainly is not the heaven that God created in Genesis 1:1. That existed when the earth was still formless. This "sky" was created on the second day. It is specifically called an expanse between the water on the earth and the water above the earth. Is this water above the earth the water that rained down in Noah's time? Is it just clouds? Or is it another body of water that encapsulates the universe?

In Genesis 1:14, God created "lights in the expanse of the sky to separate the day from night." The lights, here referring to sun and moon, are IN the expanse. The stars are also set "in the expanse of the sky" (Genesis 1:17). We know clearly that the sun, moon, and stars are not between the clouds and the oceans. If there were to be a body of water surrounding the earth in Noah's time before the flood, the sun and moon would still be outside of it. Does this verse just mean that the light given off by the sun and stars shines into the expanse of the sky? Or is there something obvious I'm not seeing? Or is there something more profound going on?

33. A Loving Father

"For though you might have ten thousand instructors in Christ, yet you do not have many fathers; for in Christ Jesus I have begotten you through the gospel. Therefore I urge you, imitate me." (1 Cor 4:15-16)

One message from RETS that I really like is how as RE teachers, we should be fathers who love their children. There may be many instructors in the RE system, who teach class and then leave like part-time professors. However, we must not just be instructors. We must be fathers who love the students as their own children. This love is like the love of a good shepherd who is willing to give his life for the sheep. This love is a love of sacrifice. Therefore, let us not be hired hands. Let us not be mere instructors. Let us ask God for the heart of a father that we may truly love our children in Christ. We must set the example of love for the students - an example for them to imitate and follow.

32. RETS Happenings

Not really happenings. More like quotes by D. Liang.

D. Liang was giving a message about how our criteria for marriage should only be based on feeling (if you have feelings toward this person), same faith, and independence (mental, physical, and spiritual). He was saying that people often create artificial criteria like how people look. However, beauty eventually fades like a flower.

DL: After they have 2 or 3 children, they all look the same.

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About Holy Spirit and good conduct. Can you identify that someone has received the HS by their good conduct (fruit)? The answer is no. The evidence is speaking in tongues. One is example is Cornelius who did good works but didn't receive the HS yet. Another is... Confucius?

DL: Of course Confucius did not have the Holy Spirit. He did not even hear of Jesus Christ.

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There was a two-part class on "sexual purity before serving". We have to be clean vessels so that God can use us.

DL: If I gave you a gold cup and a plastic cup, which one would you use?
Student: Which ever one is clean.
DL: Yes. What if the cup had poopoo in it? What is important is if it is clean.

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We were talking about the ideal age of marriage. DL said 22 is okay (right after graduating).

DL: What age is ideal? I got married at the age of 33 - Jesus' crucifixion.

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DL was talking about how we should move courtship closer to marriage, and consequently, the engagement commencement closer to the wedding day.

DL: After courtship and commencement, you can get married the next day. Right? Double blessing.

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He was talking about how we have to spend time to counsel students.

DL: Counseling is not like McDonalds - a few minutes and it's finished. No such kind of thing.

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He once read in Reader's Digest that fathers usually spend 3-5 minutes each day with their children. The first minute is to ask the children to report what they did. The second minute is for the father to criticize them like how they didn't clean well enough or how they need to improve in HW. The third is to give commands.

DL: The fourth is to dismiss - "Everybody watch TV." ... No wonder so many problems.

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About sexual purity and how we should never be in the same room alone with the opposite gender unless it's family, and how we should go to public places during courtship.

DL: Go somewhere like McDonalds. It's impossible to commit to fornication at McDonalds.