shaping up ...

huff .... huff ... huff ....
gasp ... gasp ....... gasp
cough, cough, cough, cough ...
that's the sound of me recovering from a half-kilometre dash to catch the number 71 express bus at about 7:40 a.m.
i was looking for a nearby fire station because my lungs felt like they needed to be extinguished.
i'm quite shocked at how out-of-breath i was, considering i am going to the gym more frequently than before. mind you, building up cardio takes a long time.

something to crow about

Happy Chinese New Year!
Or as the animal of the year would say, cock-a-doodle-doo!

Yes, it's the year of the rooster (or chicken).

Yes, my family ate chicken for dinner (amongst other yummy foodstuffs). We eat chicken most nights it seems. Anyhow, it was a nice dinner (although I ate later than the rest of the family).
Every dish has significance. Usually I can't remember their meanings. Suddenly, I feel very malnourished in terms of culture. Even though my parents and chinese school teachers taught me these rituals and festivals, it doesn't stick in my memory too well.

Christal, the elder of my two cousins, was saying she felt like she was having an identity crises in terms of her heritage. Was she Canadian? or Chinese? Most Canadian-born Chinese feel pulled by this dilemma of wanting to fit in with their Canadian friends, but also wanting to honour their parents and culture.

Meanwhile, my younger cousin, Jo (short for Johanna) is preparing a traditional fan dance for some talent night or something of that nature. And recently, she wrote a paper about chinese gangs. She was studying the norms and values of this particular group. It's encouraging to see the younger generation take such interest in their heritage.

the heart of the matter

this evening was small group and andrew and lisa's house.

we're studying "Waking the Dead" by John Eldredge. good book, so far.

this week, we studied the "heart of the matter." having passion, putting one's heart into life and work is an ideal. but is it realistic?

passion can come and go. however, i think, combined with commitment, putting heart into something is worth it -- especially working with like-minded people who share a common vision and values.

working in the newspaper biz was all about competition (against the local radio station) and heart. every day, you tackle whatever is out there ... whether it's a fuzzy feature about a kid who won some contest, or a hard news story about a sudden blaze that left dozens of people homeless.

the amazing thing, sometimes, is that the paper's role in communicating the need of a person or group can spark a response in the community. a red cross representative began asking her parent organization how she could help with these displaced residents.

having heart gives courage to face any type of situation.

where did all the heart go?