Yes. V is writing a post on BHASKETBAWL.

Unheard of, I know.

No. This is not about Jeremy Lin in case you already started oh-my-goshing. In reality, I am not writing about the game even. I cannot analyze it for the life of me. After watching a tutorial and a slow-mo video on the pick-and-roll, I confirmed that my brain just does not have much capacity for strategy, and so you are left with my usual um, "unique way" (to make it sound more glam) of analyzing the world around me, perhaps much more sensitive than what you would normally pick out from, in this case, the game of basketball. Watching basketball (and any professional sports for the matter) has taught me a few things - not exactly a recent discovery, but definitely accentuated in this all-sorts-of-bizarre NBA season, especially with Linsanity flying around.

I actually like the sport itself, although I never expressed it too much. I love the ball-handling, the pace, the plays (even though I cannot comprehend or appreciate them to their full extent)! But I intensely dislike players and fans with bad attitudes. I suppose it is more evident in basketball than in soccer because of close body contact, though I have seen some pretty foul plays and players in the world of fútbol. At the end of the day, I do not have a strong enough passion for the sport to negate or overlook the problematic attitudes that come with it. This factor has been a huge turn-off for my watching of professional sports. Character speaks a lot. Even if the player possesses unmatchable skills, an unparalleled attitude will drop em' to zero in my book (not to say that there isn't room to grow and change, which also ironically reveals how harsh fans or antifans can be with their comments on such players - also a dislike). On the flip side, players with good sportsmanship, players who demonstrate good team work and have respectful attitudes can make me appreciate the game ten folds, easy.

This problema does not solely make its way through the professionals, but also the fans. BOO-ing fans, in my opinion, are unarguably rude and immature regardless of their boo-ing target. Obviously, it is even worse if you are boo-ing your own team on your home court (as you can see I started this post way long ago when the Knicks fans were boo-ing Melo at MSG)! Maybe I take it too seriously, but isn't it just like any "relationship"? You walk alongside, you grow with, you speak truth in love to build up but do not seek to tear down (although some really do need a whoopin' get-your-act-right with their obnoxiously dirty plays). I definitely do not fully understand the artistry of the game, but if "band-wagoner fans" or even "loyal fans" for the matter are defined as such, then I would rather not be one.

Half way through my grumbling and annoyance towards boo-ing fans and attitude-rampaged players, without any attempts on my part (because what the heck! I wasn't even finished with my eye-rolling session yet), God directed my thoughts towards Him and reminded me about two things:

UNO Authenticity. Even if you have all the skills one could ever ask for on the court, what do those mount up to if you have no character? Similarly, I was reminded of the trues of 1 Cor 13: "If I speak with the tongues of men and of angels, but do not have love, I have become a noisy gong or a clanging cymbal. If I have the gift of prophecy, and know all mysteries and all knowledge; and if I have all faith, so as to remove mountains, but do not have love, I am nothing. And if I give all my possessions to feed the poor, and if I surrender my body to be burned, but do not have love, it profits me nothing...", then Paul goes on to explain what love is and should be. So even with all the talents and skill sets that God has so graciously given, it boils down to nothing if there is not love. I truly, truly believe that the only way to live out such authenticity is when a life is lived for an audience of One (Gal 1:10). It is something that shines from the inside out. Food for thought: so what if I am gifted as a leader? So what if I am a prominent figure in the church? So what if I render myself as one who loves the lost and has a deep compassion for the underprivileged? So what if I feel like a nobody and mask that with false humility? And in all of these "so-what's", if I lack the authenticity of Christ, am I not a sheer hypocrite? Not practicing what I preach is what it is! This is definitely a life-long lesson and undoubtedly a daily battle as the sinful nature seems to have perfected the skill in robbing God of the Glory He alone deserves. Thankfully though, we can have confidence that this desire for self-glorification and hypocritical living is not binding :) and in the midst of our day-to-day struggles, we can claim the promise of God: that He who began a good work in us will perfect it until the day of Christ Jesus (Phil 1:6)! Moving along the same train of thought, but on a different note, I was reminded to see others through the lens of God - sometimes very difficult for me as I can get QUITE WORKED UP by various kinds and levels of injustices - from injustices on the court all the way to global issues. And in the end, it comes down to a humbling realization that God. chose to save. even ME. of all people.

DOS Agape Love. For a genuinely loyal fan, I do not know if the level of support should waiver on account of the team's performance (that is probably where we get the notorious band-wagoners), but the reality is, a star can fall as quick as he rises. Praise the Lord that He does not act according to our performance like fans and media do... Imagine a God whose blessings and wrath rest upon our performance and how up to par we are against His standards. Good grief! BUT GOD, knowing the depths of our depravity, still loves us the same - so much that He sent Christ to die on our behalf... now THAT is really something. Eph 2:8-9.

Sorry for an abrupt end. Hope my spaghetti-brained train of thoughts did not confuse anybody, or even for my future-self. By now, I am sure you had already picked up on my gathering and processing of information into life-lessons type of habit. I hope it doesn't get too serious or weighty for you all. It is just one amazing and tangible (but sometimes a bit overwhelming) channel that God uses to disciple me after His own heart and to interweave Himself into my life beyond meals and devos. It is especially crazy for one who grew up not thinking too deeply about anything... so I definitely cannot take the credit for this massive influx of "epiphanies" as of late. They just kind of. Happen. Mind you that I only jot down approximately half, if not less, of what floats around in my mind... as if my posts weren't long enough already... ha.

In all seriousness, after a disheartening losing streak of 6, the Knicks are back up with 3 wins in a row! Let's go Knicks! FYI, having moved around so much, I have no regional loyalty whatsoever so do not get on my case for band-wagonning for a Nuu Yawk team when I am clearly not a NY resident, YET (i hope).

the "yet", I will save for another post. But to ease you (and to clear my name), NO I do not want to reside in NY because of the Knicks or Jlin (though those are velly awesome bonuses), and despite my love for them, NO I do not plan on paying $100 to watch a game at MSG in the nosebleed* section, especially when I can pay $100ish for a VIP SECTION in Wang Lee Hom's concert... come on now. I still got my priorities straight 8]


* I am SO noob that I only recently acquired this terminology in the context of sports (as in yesterday). To my own embarrassment and for your entertainment, I thought it made much more sense that the nosebleed section fall under "VIP" seats up front - you know, you get smacked by the ball, or crushed by a player flying in your way - which could potentially result in a bad nosebleed or a nose break for that matter. Wikipedia's definition of the nosebleed section appears to be much more academic and legit compared to my silly "logic" though...

In the Cross Alone I Glory

Two posts STILL in the making. I have been quite busy as of late and definitely wish I had more time to put more of my thoughts into words for ya'll. But alas, responsibilities and deadlines take precedence and I am just here to drop a quick post before I slave away again. I haven't heard this song in a long time. We recently sang this during our young adult fellowship and Sunday church service. Found a Resolved worship session for the song. I guess the individual who recorded this was really captivated by the drummer... ha, although I have to say he is undeniably quite awesome.



SAVOUR IT (I know, I have a tendency to spell some words the British way still, like "labour")

In the cross alone I glory
Recognition laying down
Greatest treasures count as worthless
Standing next to Heaven's crowns
Standing next to Heaven's crowns

In the cross alone I glory
Ever reaching for the prize
Pressing on and laying hold of
That for which my savior died
That for which my savior died

[Chorus]
In the cross alone I glory
Nothing of my own to give
Only that which Christ has offered
For my soul that I may live
For my soul that I may live

In the cross alone I glory
Holding fast the word of life
Toiling not in vain but being
Poured out as a sacrifice
Poured out as a sacrifice

Never will I seek the glory
That was never meant for me
Always heavenward reflecting
All to Jesus to receive
All to Jesus to receive
All to Jesus to receive

[Chorus x2]

Pretty self explanatory lyrics. Biblical, humbling reminders. Straight-to-the-point-no-sugar-coating. If you are a believer, may it be an encouragement and sobering reminder to you. As a fellow sister in Christ, I urge you to "press on toward the goal for the prize of the upward call of God in Christ Jesus" (Phil 3:14) and to  live for an audience of One (Gal 1:10, Eph 6L:5-8) - lessons that have been repeatedly on my mind as of late. If you are not a believer, consider what you are living for at this point in your life. Consider the implications of prizing your earthly treasures and success in light of eternity. Talk to me, ask questions, talk to fellow Christian friends and coworkers you may have! I encourage you to learn and be open to what this seeming "foolishness" is all about!

I Seem to "Her" Back to See My Own

The real title of this post is: 我仿佛從“她”的背影看到我自己. The font just somehow looked way ugly in the title section, so I succumbed to an English title, which sounds so much lamer, all thanks to Google Translate! Definitely some good entertainment right there though.

This. is not my Taiwan & Hong Kong Trip Part II post. That post is still sitting quietly in my drafts folder waiting to make an appearance. Inspiration rolled in for about two incomplete and unconnected paragraphs, then I hit the infamous writer's block and haven't returned to it since. Surely, it will come around. You. Just. Wait. In the mean time, nothing too deep, or thought out (at least publicly on this post). Just something that left a deep impression on me...

在兩三個月的時間内，我隨便挑了幾集“我可能不會愛上你”來看。對！暢銷台灣的偶像劇，我居然那麽長的時間内才看了那麽幾集。的確是很好看，只是沒時間把它完完整整的看完。我承認我已偷看了結局編。劇中的男主角李大仁簡直是所有女生心目中的白馬王子 -- 溫柔體貼，默默的守護和支持，但又不會過份寵壞的那種，還懂得和夠膽子糾正女的錯誤。很 cliche 吧！我想，男性朋友們看了，或聼了女性朋友們讚不絕口，眼睛都不停的在打轉 (aka rolling their eyes)。好，說了那麽多廢話，重點來了！某一集裏，李大仁說了一句對我來講印象特別深刻的話：　

“我知道她很驕傲，那也是她夠努力，讓我覺得她與衆不同。但她同時也很自卑，因爲她發現她的與衆不同，在這個世界上，根本沒有人看得懂。所以，有時候你必須當她的鏡子。她必須有人提醒她她的弱點，也同時提醒她她有多好。”

呵呵，雖然我聼了這種“甜到入心入肺”的話搞不好會暈倒 (just being dramatic)，但未來的男朋友呀，很抱歉您不能用這句哦！因爲李大仁先生已經用了。您抄對白的話就顯出不夠誠意和創意！有時候，當男的也蠻難的是吧！Fair share guys, fair share　: )　雖然本人與女主角程又青性格和對於人與人之間的處理方式不大一樣，但奇怪的是我還是仿佛從她的背影看到我自己。Anyways, 就到此爲止。我不想在這邊暴露那麽多啦。醬(woo! using pop-culture vocabulary that does not exist in good Chinese writing) 會很奇怪。

童鞋們晚安。

Mishaps and Provision.

Hello 2012!

Perhaps you are expecting some sort of reflection on this past year or a goal-setting post for this new year, but sorry to disappoint because neither of those are making an appearance quite yet (if ever). I recently returned from a long-awaited, highly-anticipated, tediously and carefully planned two-week-long trip to Taiwan & Hong Kong - and. it. was. FREAKING. AWESOME!

In all honesty, this trip was straight up FUN TIMES. I can go on and on and on aaaand oooon about all the meticulous details of hilarious, embarrassing, and disgusting events, but I'll spare ya'll for the time being. After picking up a week-long full-time unpaid job of photo editing, I think I have done enough reminiscing to write something about this trip...

MISHAP #1: YING BURNS HERSELF AT LAX. There you have it, we haven't even left the U.S. border and Ying manages to burn her hand with scalding hot water, which she sneakily obtained for free, and we watch her hand get progressively redder.
GOD'S PROVISION #1: ICE. I had just bought tea from an airport cafe (the same one Ying took hot water from by the way) and they happened to have bottled drinks stored in ice buckets - free ice! Problem solved.

MISHAP #2: "LOST" LUGGAGE. We arrive at Taoyuan airport in Taiwan, only to find out that both of my suitcases and Ying's big suitcase were missing. After waiting in line for a long, long time, we learned that due to an error in the system, our suitcases were still sitting around in HK, where we had our transfer. The airline staff assured us that our luggage would be delivered to our Taipei location no later than 6pm that day.
GOD'S PROVISION #2: HANDS FREE IN UNKNOWN TERRITORY. We had to ride a bus from Taoyuan airport to Taipei Main Station, then apparently walk a block or two to City Inn, which is where we stayed in Taipei (highly recommend by the way). It is situated at a very convenient location actually, but dragging one big and one small suitcase each, along with a backpack in light rain, could be quite a hassle. But since our suitcases were stuck in HK (or maybe midway to TW), we didn't have to lug all of that around in the rain to get situated.

MISHAP #3: DESIGNATED ASIA PHONE LOCKED. My dad and I have been using this old school cell phone for our past Asia trips. This time, however, it managed to fail me and I was unable to unlock the phone with the password my dad had provided. Ying and I tried a gajillion combinations and it was just stuck at the lock screen. By now, we have already purchased our TW SIM card too. I even called my parents with our newly purchased SIM card on the sales associate's phone, but we did not progress with the phone business. Aside: the sales associate emphasized (just in case perhaps?) that we needed to be 20 years old to purchase a SIM card - yes yes, we are so past 20. I guess 20 is better than the 12 yr old guess.
GOD'S PROVISION #3: THE PUBLIC PHONE & YING'S CELLULAR. Thankfully, we were able to call Ralph with a public phone after purchasing our bus tickets to Taipei. By now, we should have arrived in Taipei, but didn't because we got held up by our luggage mishap and phone issue. While on the bus, Ying tried the SIM card on her cellular and voila! IT WORKED :) now, we have a phone to use, except...

MISHAP #4: NO CELLPHONE CHARGER. Ying realized she did not bring her cellphone charger since she was not expecting to use it until we returned to the States...
GOD'S PROVISION #4: RALPH. He was not only our tour guide + faithful hangout-er in Taipei, he "just so happened" to have a matching SamSung cellphone charger :) 

you have probably caught on by now that we encountered many problems upon our arrival in Taipei. Think it tones down a bit hereon after.

MISHAP #5: HUA LIEN COPS. I, geniusly copied down the pai chu suo 派出所 number instead of the actual min su 民宿 number not knowing that "pai chu suo" meant police station. After barely making it onto our train to Hua Lien area (and with a loaded bladder), Ying called the "min su" to notify them to pick us up at Xin Cheng station in 2hrs... only to receive a pleasant little surprise, "this is the hualien cops"! Oops :) my bad! But now, we had no number to call, and Ying's cell phone was running out of battery.
GOD'S PROVISION #5: WIFI IN A GHETTO STATION. Thankfully, we had our i-touches with us and were able to connect via wifi to look up the correct min su number. In the end, we successfully got picked up and settled in our room with separate beds- the first and only time for those two weeks! Free upgrade!

MISHAP #6: NO MO' MONEY (ROUND1). I guess Ying and I were a bit too conservative in our money exchange at the airport when we had first arrived in Taiwan, so half way through our shopping spree (we really did not buy that much) at the wholesale district Wu Fen Pu, we averaged about 100NT each left in our wallets, which is about 3USD, with 1.5 more days to go in Taiwan!
GOD'S PROVISION #6: DONG QU MALL. We first hit up a nearby bank to check out the exchange rate. To our disappointment, we arrived right when they had closed the foreign exchange services for the day and were redirected to a mall in Dong Qu (just a stop or two away from Wu Fen Pu on the MRT). Ah, the mall did have an exchange service and the rate was decent too, so we were able to successfully exchange more money for, hopefully, the rest of our time in Taiwan. I must mention that I was not freaking out at all because my backup plan was, of course, my awesome friends who would not leave us to starve and die on the streets of Taipei :) ha.


MISHAP #7: NO MO' MONEY (ROUND2). Yes, as you probably guessed, there could only be one reason why i put round 1... because there is always a round 2 to follow! The next day, our last day in Taiwan, I decided I could not procrastinate on my tea-buying for the fam anymore. With the help of Ying's coins, I had just enough to buy two cans of tea leaves. Our record for this round? 10NT per person left! An equivalent of 30cents U.S. per person! Kind of risky and kind of gutsy, and maybe even unwise... I know.
GOD'S PROVISION #7: XIN GUANG SAN YUE MALL. After another failed attempt at a nearby bank, we visited another mall in the area, which also provided exchange services. Whew. Now we had sufficient funds to purchase our bus tickets to the airport! Cuttin' it close there, ey?

So there you have it. Quite adventurous already, isn't it? Undoubtedly, you can see God's hand in all of this, every step of the way. For that, I am grateful. I suppose I'll move on to some of the trip highlights and blessings before I eventually jot down ramblings from my... over-thinking in my next post. I apologize for my lengthy posts. 1) I accumulate an over abundance of content since I do not post very often, 2) I want to ensure that I understand my own thought process and remember certain memories when I revisit my posts in the future.

Until next time (the time gap will be much shorter as I have already started the next post)!

Global Christian

As promised, a shorter (never said short) but probably much more meaningful and weighty post to complete my train of thoughts from my previous entry "Stirrin' up a Big Commotion". You probably think I'm crazy: Wang Lee Hom song > Chinese music and media > Chinese American culture > "Prejudice" > Attitude > Global Christian, but in fact my thought process is pretty consistently crazy.

Here is a short example before I "delve" into my intended content for this post. Don't laugh at me haha. I can easily find myself whoopin' up rather serious themes, connections, and life-questions just by watching dramas. I remember watching City Hunter and feeling absolutely miserable from the deep, long-running hatred and plans of vengeance. At certain points, it was actually very heart-wrenching and difficult to get through (funny how I put myself through such misery, ey?) Here is a snippet of a journal entry I wrote in response to the series:

雖然聼起來可能很傻，但其實我是有很大的領悟。Heart-wrenching 的原因是看到痛恨與報仇是足以毀掉一個人的人生，以及傷害到身邊好多的人。真的是看到我痛心入肺，因爲要一輩子懷著憤怒和仇恨是件很痛苦，很孤獨的事情。(Trans: Even though it may sound very silly, I actually did in fact have a great realization. Heart-wrenching because I saw how hatred and vengeance are sufficient to destroy an individual, and able to hurt those around him/her. It was very difficult to watch, because to hold onto a grudge and to hate for a life time is very painful and lonely.) Perhaps I had never hated someone to the guts in my short-odd-year life-span, and never had some insane revenge planned, so forgiveness came a lot easier. However, to sound dramatic, watching City Hunter was pretty cruel on my emotions because the emotions in the drama were very real (and I assure you, it is not lovey-dovey fluff that is more commonly associated with Asian dramas, but more along the lines of politics, betrayal, murder of close friends and family, and being lied to your entire life by a supposed close family member). It caused me to question what I would do if I were ever faced with a situation with meddling emotions of hatred, revenge, love, and forgiveness. I hope I will 緊記神對我們的 (trans: remember God's) forgiveness, unconditional love, and grace 因爲我們的罪，在神的的眼裏，超越了別人對我們犯的錯 (trans: because our sin, in God's eyes, transcends others' wrong-doing towards us)。 So I hope that... should I ever encounter such internal conflict, I would remember this "silly" connection / epiphany. Since I wrote it down, 不能耍賴 - can't get out of it!

Honestly, as cheesy as it sounds, should I, or anyone for the matter, ever be in such a situation, I really pray that God would empower us to forgive and be joyful in Him because I really do not see a solution elsewhere, and definitely don't see any comfort in planning a life-long revenge. So much for watching dramas as a form of relaxation right? Okeys, I am done giving you a glimpse of my crazy thought process. And yes, if you are curious, I do think and write in English and Chinese depending on my mood. Anyway, moving on to the actual point for this entry...

As followers of Jesus Christ, we are oftentimes encouraged to be global Christians. What do you think that even means? Missions? Awareness and advocacy for social justice? Knowing about the world? To a certain extent, I think all of these facets play an important role in shaping what a global Christian could or should be involved in. However, what I have slowly come to realize in the past few years (which was also surprisingly rekindled by WLH's song "Open Fire") is that the attitude level is what is fundamental to being a global Christian. Although it may sound like a well-duh, I find myself falling-short of it all the time. Not to over generalize, but in my minimal exposure, it is also a weakness I've noticed in the Chinese-American Christian community, especially when it comes to China. Just to qualify, I too have experienced the following at one point or another. The unintentional and sometimes unaware "prejudice" that we ABCs project is definitely a problematic attitude to have as Christians. We cannot go on a short-term missions trip to China, claim how much we love the people there and how much the spiritual darkness breaks our hearts, all the while continue in our ignorance, lack of intentionality, and "prejudice" against the very same group of people immediately outside of the confines of our mission trip. This could range anywhere from your next stop to Taiwan or Hong Kong for vacation, to the comforts of your own backyard in America. If you are curious as to what I mean by "prejudice", perhaps you can skim through my previous entry for a glimpse of a more superficial kind of prejudice?! I've also witnessed the other extreme. As disciples of Christ, we also should not go on a short-term missions trip to anywhere BUT China just because it seems less cool or far too common. Are the Chinese people not equally as lost as those who are in Africa and Latin America? Can one really justify a rejection to go to China for missions simply because of "I have no interest in China" - what does that even mean? I do not know if such a claim shows any kind of understanding of the weightiness of the subject matter, or an understanding that God even extended His plan of Salvation to us, Gentiles. This is not to say that one must like every culture in the world or all aspects of a single culture (or be like me and be quite fond over some Chinese music and artists heh), but I don't think we should find contempt in our preferences. I do not know how I would feel if I find out the individual ministering and speaking about God's love to me actually goes around poking fun at my people, culture, and language with a high-and-mighty attitude outside of the confines of our relationship. Then is that truly a relationship, or am I merely a target, a project, or a step to elevate the individual to a higher pedestal??? Simply said, it is very easy for others to identify whether we are being genuine in our interaction with them or being superficial and hypocritical. In the Christian context, consider this: are you promoting the American church traditions and culture, or the Gospel? I think there is a reason why Christianity is often times known as a "western religion".

Recently, I attended a conference on China. I was privileged to get a glimpse of the hearts of a handful of people: Chinese shepherds ministering to their own people in China; Caucasians and Chinese alike involved in local Chinese ministries (ie: international students) and overseas ministry in China (ie: returnee follow-up, establishing strategic educational institutions). It was very moving and encouraging to see the non-Chinese pour out so much love and care for our people. At the same time, it was very humbling for me to not find in myself nearly as much passion as they have for the Chinese. In terms of the conference, I still have much to digest and process, and definitely much to say about it, but the bottom line is this: God brought me a step further along in having a genuine global Christian attitude. Not perfect, but one step forward. Having seen with my very own eyes the tears shed by our Chinese brothers (pastors / pastors-to-be), these people become so real that you really cannot go about your day thinking "well, I'm just not very interested in the Chinese, I'll go to (insert country name) instead", and making a decision solely based on that. Of course, this is not purposed to neglect other peoples all the while overly promoting China. But I just wanted to bring up a point about the attitude that I feel is oft-overlooked or brushed aside and dismissed as something less serious than it could potentially be.

Locally, there are a plethora of opportunities for us to practice being global Christians, and I really do believe that it starts here. When God calls us to love our neighbors as ourselves, I do not think it is exclusive to mission overseas, and definitely not loving others with a superior attitude. It is important to walk alongside those we minister to instead of imposing our preferences. One thing that stood out to me a lot in Perspectives is contextualization. We are not bringing traditional American church culture to others. We are bringing the Gospel. Just because something works well here doesn't mean it is equally effective and applicable elsewhere or in another culture. Can you see the parallel between contextualization and the attitude a global Christian should have? Both address the issue of holding and imposing western-superiority. It is also important for any missionary to hold an attitude of humility - to be willing to learn about the other culture, their worldview, etc. It takes time and effort to learn and understand these things, and undoubtedly lots of humility because it is easy for us to think that our way is the best without considering the context in which an individual was brought up. Here are a few relatively good, informative reads on local opportunities and how applying the global Christian attitude here can be very powerful and strategic:

- "Cold Welcome for International Students", WorldView Conversation Blog
- "Immigrants Reshaping the U.S.", IMB
- "World Lives in U.S. Urban Centers EthneCITY Participants Discover", IMB
- "Mission, Evangelism, Contextualization, and the Arts", Lausanne World Pulse


I'll pull a shameless plug, International Students Inc. is one way in which you can get involved locally! This type of ministry is actually quite new to me and I am still in the learning process but though it has been an extremely slow process, I have been enjoying my time as a friendship partner with my new Thai friend :) if you would like to get in on the action, let me know!

I admit that this subject matter is something very close to my heart and something that frustrates me and aggravates me a lot. I really hope this post did not come off as extremely critical or ungracious. I stand corrected if it did. My train of thoughts is also oftentimes unorganized (forgive my "girl-spaghetti-brain"). Again, this is not to say that I have not experienced these same thoughts and emotions before. In fact, God had to, on many occasions, instill various lessons and people in my life to correct my hypocritical and prideful attitude, and He continues to do so. You would think that I would have learned this lesson long ago considering I spent most of my childhood in Hong Kong and Shanghai, but nope. It took years to reach this point and even now, I can not say I have perfectly reached this genuine global Christian attitude. Not even close - which is also frustrating in and of itself when I see and know it to be a certain way, yet think and feel otherwise in my heart. Ah, the oh-too-familiar war between flesh and Spirit. 

When there is conviction, an internal change that causes an attitude change, then the things we accomplish become genuine service to the Lord and not tasks ready to be marked off from a checklist or acts ready to be praised by men. A lifelong process of learning it is. Sanctification really does not come easy, but ultimately very rewarding.

Hanok (Traditional Korean House) - Sanggojae

The "continuation entry" is still a work in progress. I have been drafting it for a while now but it is not fully thought out to my satisfaction quite yet, so I will entertain you with my gush over this beautiful traditional Korean style house, the Hanok (side observation: "han" - Korean in mando; "o(a)k" - house in canto).
Guess how I was first exposed to this architectural beauty? Why yes! From watching a Korean drama, namely "Personal Preference". The house was known as "Sanggojae" in the series and I loved it! Perhaps it was the integration of design, architecture, creativity, and a freaking charming Lee Min Ho that attracted me to this particular drama. According to my sources (a.k.a wikipedia and others in which I will list throughout my entry for your own educational purposes), "Korean architecture lends consideration to the positioning of the house in relation to its surroundings, with thought given to the land and seasons". Not only is it environmentally friendly, it also utilizes one of my favorites: floor-based heating system (Ondol)! They had those in Shanghai too and were very comfy since my feet are perpetually cold in the winter :) I haven't done extensive research into all of this but I hope to when I have some more time because I want to know all the WHY'S FOR THE STRUCTURE! Apparently, this "yellow-soil house" was discovered to have various health benefits as well!

Anyway, in the mean time, please enjoy these aesthetically ever-so-pleasing photos, which I found from another Sanggojae-lover, who most likely took from another Hanok fan:

Bukchon Hanok Village with Lee Min Ho chillin' there

Sanggojae front door

Upon entering: WIDE OPEN SPACE - very relaxing LOVE IT! and I love the landscaping here.

As you walk down that path, you see this. Two words: 舒適

Close up of this awesome semi-outdoor seating area

Open space on the side yard

Living room area: love the wood and the doors!

Such cute decor. Drool.

For an eater like me, gotta have a noice, spacious kitchen!

The larger bedroom in the Sanggojae. I love the mix of traditional architecture and modern furniture! Not to mention the drafting table: charming.

IKEA-esque anyone?

Dangerous in California, but I love the colors!

The other smaller room on the opposite side

Cute decorations! So dainty it would probably only work in a drama setting. Otherwise, I would be cleaning for days without end.

And to conclude with an awesomely cute side area right outside the kitchen! what a great view on both ends!

Supposedly, there is also a basement feature in a Hanok, which played a huge part in the series. Anyhow, isn't the traditional architecture and modern ambiance an excellent combination? The colors, the styles, the decorations, the furniture, the simplicity of it, are all so, so, SO captivating! And cozy. The openness of the courtyard is especially appealing to me. Too bad it would only attract massive amounts of spiderwebs if we had such a facility in our current home. I'll dream on for a little while I guess. I know very little about architecture but have always been extremely drawn to it. In my opinion, it has a good balance between creativity and "實在感 (sense of reality?). In art history, one of my favorite topics of study was architecture: the Medieval Cathedrals, Roman Colosseum, nail-less Chinese architecture etc. I remember in Hong Kong when I was a wee little lad, my family and I checked out a very Japanese-styled flat (haven't heard that in a while huh) and even considered moving into it! It was a TINY place but well designed to maximize storage and mobile areas. It even had the traditional sliding doors and tatami! In the end, we decided not to but as a young girl, I was very attracted to the flat.

I wish I could have aligned the photos in a nicer manner instead of one straight, looong column, but that didn't work out too well and I must get to sleep for work. I admire those who can accomplish 36 hours worth of stuff in a 24 hour day. Definitely not enough time in a day at this point! Ahknow, ahknow. All the more-advanced-in-their-years will claim otherwise.

So there you go, an example of a beautified Hanok. I hope to visit Bukchon Hanok Village some day if I ever have an opportunity to visit Seoul! I would definitely want to give Hanok Living Experience Centers a try. In traveling, I would very much like to experience the local culture, food, and general atmosphere as much as I can. According to a page on the Korean government travel website (I think), one of the major facilities, Jeonju Hanok Village, is "where you can experience both traditional culture and hanok; Haehoe Village, a representative traditional village in Andong where traditional heritage is well preserved; Jirye Art Village; Suaedang; Imcheonggak; and Rakkojae in Seoul" - very enticing it is!

I shall leave you with an awesome Panoramic view of the interior of a traditional Korean house in Namsangol Hanok Village. A cool site, by the way.

PEACE. OUT.  YA'LL.

"Stirrin' up a Big Commotion"

Like every other opening line for all my blog posts: It has been a gajillion years since I've blogged and I have been inspired to resurrect this thang! As always, much has happened since my last post and while I may not verbalize it all the time, there is in fact a lot that goes through my mind. Various thoughts, insights, emotions, make their occasional appearance in my absolutely cute journal (proud purchase with a gift-card, so really, free on my part: win-win), but most thoughts are actually internalized and circulated during my LONG commute to and from work - why yes, by God's Grace, I have been working full-time at the International Rescue Committee as an assistant case worker. That is another miraculous story in and of itself testifying to God's provision, timing, and faithfulness. We'll save that for next time.

And now you must be wondering what this "big commotion" is all about. Well, let me just say, probably to none of your surprise, I am quoting directly from WLH 王力宏's new single 火力全開 (huo li quan kai: open fire) - I'm sure some of you have decided to stop reading just about, now - which apparently is so "controversial" it stirred up a whole mess of talks, debates, angry Youtube commentators and loyal fans to his defense. Obviously, to dedicate an entire blog post to one song, I have no less to comment on this piece. While most of you, I'm sure, are not the least interested in WLH, or Chinese music for the matter, this song opened a can of worms that I've kept to myself for a while. So let's just say that while "analyzing" this piece, I am also using WLH's song as a springboard to express some of my own somewhat hidden emotions and thoughts. Perhaps you'd get a glimpse of how I perceive the world. If you decide to continue forth... BRACE YOURSELF. I am expecting something massive, considering this post is almost a compilation of days-worth of careful thinking. How unfortunate that I find it difficult to write long literary analysis, whereas this? pfftt. "EASY JUBB"! Here we go.

Actually, maybe you should listen to the song first:



Just to start off, I can understand how 火力全開 can potentially be "controversial", or how WLH can come off as a "cultural brat", as some You Tubers like to say. In fact, he can come off as having excessive Chinese pride, consequently, undermining western artists and culture. Logically speaking, I can see that, especially when I saw this: "勝利不必等待 因為 MUSIC- MAN 的 到來" (victory does not need to wait, because Music Man has come) - that, I do not condone. Experientially though,  I think otherwise. Though both supporting and opposing parties like to claim their "objectivity" in the manner, there is absolutely no way to be unbiased and "objective" when it comes down to it. I will openly admit my bias towards WLH. Why? His music, his character, and his overarching concepts speak to me. My personal experiences fuel a response that would never allow for me to fully comment objectively, whatever that's supposed to mean. I try not to blindly follow, and I do not always agree with everything this guy does, but more often than not, he uniquely and very tangibly affirms and gives courage to some of my thoughts on my own identity having grown up in a different environment than perhaps 90% of my friends (aside from the more-than-obvious objective truth that my identity is found in Christ). For those who find interest elsewhere or are strongly opposed to him, you likewise may have something or someone else who speaks to you more than what WLH has to offer. Simply put, accept the fact that you are equally biased. One You Tube user comes to mind as we speak (I know, I know, I actually took the time to read through a good many pages of comments). She, I'm assuming based on the channel name, engaged in on going debates in regards to how horrendous this piece is, and how rude WLH is. It was intriguing how much offense she took from the piece and was literally machine-gunning down other users' comments. So I decided to check out her You Tube channel, lo and behold, to my GREAT surprise, a Lady Gaga fan. So that explains it all. Lady Gaga was listed as her favorite artist. All her uploaded videos were that of Lady Gaga. Simple! Her preference. Perhaps that is why she is so enraged, because WLH probably unintentionally offended her "favorite" with "你說 Lady 卡卡 我說 何必 怕他" (roughly translated as "you say Lady Gaga, I say why should I be afraid of her), except I still cannot understand how saying that would come off as offensive. Perhaps Lady Gaga's music speaks to her. Who knows? Maybe I'm just making too many assumptions of her. Maybe I will wake up to her gunning-down my post. Ha. But I would like to think that my blog is far from the vicinity of the public eye. Eh. I'm sure many had similar assumptions. Little did they know that those assumptions would lead to their demise - ching chong ling long anyone? ha. Anyways. I digress. Appreciating Lady Gaga? That is something I personally will never be able to understand. Why? I have my own convictions that would not allow for it. Beat wise, I do like a few of her songs - Just Dance, Telephone, Poker Face, and I admit her voice is decent and she's got some piano skills, but aside from all of that, Lady Gaga in no way or form speaks to me and I can never identify with her work, and least of all, how she portrays herself. In fact, I fear for dear life for the next generation if she is the so called "western icon" or "goddess". I don't discount her hard work and talent, but she is just not someone I can or am willing to identify with. Anyways, all this to say that we are all quite biased and it seems so silly to be enraged by others' opinions...  in regards to one song. Worse, is seeing both sides firing at each other with ignorant and disrespectful comments. With that being said, I guess I can now finally present my biased opinion about this new single: a response shaped by my personal experiences, culminated and summarized through this piece - OK, culminated? i probably exaggerated a bit.

Conceptually, 火力全開, I think, embodies everything WLH has been developing and promoting in his creative career- the "chinked out" style. It may be the most explicit one yet. A full combination of the Chinese and English languages, "familiar American musical styles", Chinese instrumentals, topped with a futuristic, modern/old school martial arts music video, whereas his previous "chinked-out" pieces have been slightly more subtle in their east-west blend. If anything, he just stepped up his game! For the better or for the worse, beauty is in the eye of the beholder.

火力全開 is presented through a war analogy perhaps to illustrate a cultural clash,  movement, evolution maybe,  or even the creation of something new. I don't think it necessarily equates to the Chinese taking over the West's music industry and being king of the world, but I do think it puts into perspective the problem with an oft-too romanticized and glorified West, and the struggles and desires for equal recognition and appreciation for innovative work from a Chinese American artist. The invisible uphold and bias towards American music inevitably play the role of an unnecessary oppressor to, in this case, Chinese music gaining international recognition. And it may even come directly from the locals over there in Taiwan. Why do you think there is such a big movement among the You Tube stars these days? It has always been, unfortunately, quite. a. journey. for Asians to make it big in the American music industry, showbiz, and whatnot. They are doing covers of American songs. They are writing songs with musical styles that do not necessarily diverge greatly from the American norm. Yet, why is their audience still predominantly Asian?! I can't be sure, but I think and hope that they are in some way or form revolutionizing this. strange. happening. Imagine how much harder it would be if the musical style were completely different and the lyrics sung in a different language? I do think there is much room for improvement in the Chinese music industry. Many other cultures do have innovative musical styles, breakthroughs, and presentations that the Chinese seem to be lacking in sometimes, and I hope that it would in turn challenge Chinese artists to pursue something greater than the c-pop norm while other countries continue to do the same for their music. Is Wang Leehom not taking on that very challenge, even if it may cost popularity and album sales? Is Khalil Fong not doing the same by bringing in heavily jazz and blues influenced music into the Chinese music industry? I'm pretty sure that is not plagiarism and definitely not too "American sounding", as some commentators ridiculed in regards to 火力全開, but rather an opportunity to highlight the interconnectedness of the world we live in - OK, you probably think that I am 101% for this new song, but in fact I am not. Oh, but not quite against it either. Just bear with me.

I always loved the concept and visual of a bridge. I feel like one on so many levels, which I will not elaborate here lest you die reading this already massive post. Because musicians like WLH and KFong embody this supposed cultural bridge in which I am familiar with, I can easily identify and find comfort in their work. Yes. In this case, interconnectedness between the American and Chinese languages and cultures. Honestly, there are some melodies and beats that can potentially interchange between the English and Chinese languages, but for your average ABC, somehow the appeal is less when the song is sung in Chinese, right? Or there is an automatic assumption of a Cpop stereotype that stops one from even taking the step to listen to the song. Don't get me wrong, I am not judging you if you find no interest in Chinese music. I think it is more on the attitude level that I find problematic. Being in a multi-ethnic office setting, and surprisingly a minority, I decided to burn a sample WLH CD for my two coworkers: white Texas boy "A" and American-born Armenian girl "L". I appreciate the fact that "L" even listened through the CD and commented on how she loved the parts with Chinese instrumental. As for "A" and his peculiar taste in music, I was not at all offended when I realized that he probably did not get through the CD. Why? Because he, as a person, is open to and appreciative towards other cultures and languages, non-judgmental towards those who are different from him, and one who had the nerves to pick up Farsi on his own. So really, I find it not offensive at all. He knows old school Chinese music that my gramma doesn't even listen to and watches more Stevan Chau movies than I have ever watched in my life time.

Seriously, we're in the 21st century and everything is about globalization. Even Master's in Social Work programs (disconnect? sorry, that is one of my options I plan on pursuing in the future) are focusing more and more on social work on the international level. Living in this day and age, I dare say it would be ignorant to remain in an American bubble with off-the-hook American pride. What I mean by that is a pride that fuels contempt for other cultures, sometimes in very subtle ways, as in "let ME the American HELP YOU so you can model your ways after MINE and also be GREAT". We all like to think that we aren't like that. I would like to think I'm not like that. But even though I convinced myself that I am passionate about other cultures and languages, I was and still am guilty of that pride. And how did that come about? Let me bring you back to parts of my past...

I always tell my friends I progressively became more Asian... explicitly Asian... as the years have gone by. In high school, even a bit in middle school, I felt that the Asian side of me was a bit repressed. There was always a negative ring to being called fobby and I did not like it. at all. Oh the days when fitting in seemed to have taken priority over everything else. I once heard a friend claim that she is the coolest fob one will ever know. I thought she was cool already. Why did she have to label herself as a cool fob?! Clearly in some of my social circles, F.O.B. was NOT the way to go, even if it were not explicitly said that way. Ironically, this came mostly from Asian Americans too. Not too pleasant, ey? So, as a young immature individual at the time, why would I have wanted to be associated with anything but the norm?  Even though people may say otherwise, I still think calling someone a fob is mildly derogatory. Actually, let me clarify that. Most of the time, it is all in good fun when people joke around about it. However, it can come off as offensive if the person saying it holds an attitude characterized by pride and a lack of openness and acceptance towards other cultures. Unfortunately, my own experiences in my Asian-American circles conclude that there is a major lack of mms... i guess raw openness and appreciation towards Asian cultures, one without an America-the-great type of attitude. In this case specifically, it would be a lack of openness toward and appreciation for Chinese music, media etc. (and I am just using Chinese most of the time for obvious reasons: blog post inspiration and my own experiences - so, sorry for the narrow discussion). There seems to be no such "prejudice" when it comes to food, or Latin America, or Africa because somehow food and all things non-Chinese just somehow seem cooler. Is that not so?

Personal experience: I posted multiple WLH videos, and even ENGLISH interviews on Facebook, only to receive something along the lines of "oh you EFF OH BE :P" from one who has never even given the artist or my experiences a chance. Perhaps I find it offensive because I connect that type of joking-contempt as a direct disregard for my personal experiences. I would not have felt so strongly if the comment were along the lines of "Oh you WLH fan girl". However, I never addressed this issue because it is my bad for not explaining to that particular individual why I find it offensive. Come to think of it, I am curious to know as to what IS so fobby about listening to WLH anyway? Because he is singing in Chinese? If I were to play his English covers without showing his face, I assure you nobardy would make the fobby connection. If it is a heavily hip-hop R&B based song sung in Chinese, is that still considered fobby even though the musical style is more on the American side? So is the Chinese language the fobby aspect? Or the fact that he is interested in producing Chinese music that makes him by association, fobby? If he were to converse with someone in English and not hint at his interest in the Chinese language, culture, and music, would he then still be considered fobby? You would probably just see him equivalent to any other ABC, no? So does listening to a piece by a straight up China/HK/TW born artist make me EXTRA fobby then? What a strange phenomenon. Anyway, what if I listened to a ton of Spanish songs, or Euro-pop, or Brazilian music or something? I can almost guarantee that it would seem much cooler than listening to Chinese music, and I can almost guarantee that there would be no labels attached. You never hear people say things like "oh wow, you are SO Mexican", or "hahaha you're so European". Strange, isn't it.

Most "fobs" end up succumbing to this label and attempt to repossess the word, as you can see in the case of the "cool fob". I did not like it at all, but I too came to accept it, and even joined in on the bandwagon in using it. Up to this day, the remnants of my giving-in is still evident in my speech. I still blurt out things like: I do not like fobby hair. That is such a fobby shirt. I love fobby stationary... At the end of the day, no one is to blame for my choice of actions, except for myself. I cannot tell you how much I wish I had thought for myself at the time. I wish "fobby" wasn't my first association when I spoke or heard Chinese in public (what was I even thinking? How cool is it to know more than one language? and to know one of the most prominent languages of this day and age!) I wish upon hearing "you are SO LUCKY to be an ABC. I want to be one!" I didn't choose to let that get into my head, but it kind of did. I always wonder where I would be now had I not experience that invisible label. I did not care much about such a label when it came to my college days, but that is also when I started swinging into the other extreme. I believe my second or third year of college was characterized by greater outbursts of "YEAH. HONG KONG! CHINESE MUSIC! CHINESE LANGUAGE! SHANGHAI! TAIWAN!" whatever, you get the idea. And now, I am finally beginning to realize that this current public embrace of my "past", is almost a form of retaliation. I honestly don't think I would have swung in this Asian-lovin' extreme if those sentiments were not hidden for so long. Sentiments can lead to accentuated action when done in retaliation. Ironically, this response actually led me to greater appreciation for the Chinese culture, history, and language. I cannot say the same if I were living in Hong Kong or Shanghai... then I just might have a longing for American culture. Again, whatever is lacking, if you will. Any element missing makes me INCOMPLETE. Oops, tangent. So for a good few years of my life, I did not allow a fair share of... well, expression, from the Asian side of me. As a result, I harbored an internal competition between the American and Chinese cultures and languages. When I finally came to my senses, I naturally spoke out for the underrepresented and fought for what is lacking. "This fight for equality" makes perfect sense then, right? A competition, yes, but not for the sole purpose of winning, but rather for an equal opportunity. Hence, "打倒帝國主義" (down with uh imperialism?! don't know the translation, but essentially the concept of an empire). I always wonder how my perspective would be different if I gave both parts of me a fair chance. I'm sure I'd still have a preference, but by no means an extreme over another, like now. Perhaps it is no different in WLH's choice of expression through this piece, knowing that Chinese music never really had its place in the Western world and that many of the Asian youth (OR MEDIA) nowadays put all-things-American on a pedestal. Could it be that Chinese music is underrepresented internationally and even sometimes among its own people - even worse, then heck yeah, fight for equality! Shrugs. Just a guess. Although I may not be the biggest fan of the musicality of this piece, it somehow does comfortably reflect my personal experiences, as explained earlier. As an amateur artist myself (not musician), I know that there are some ideas that require very explicit or even corny presentation to get a point across. Subtlety sometimes just does not cut it, and I think 火力全開 mirrors exactly that. It seems clear enough for me to understand the assumed statement WLH is trying to make. Unfortunately the boldness of such a move can often times come off as a bit cheesy, or could potentially cross a line that may cause more controversy than one may want - quite evident in this case...

As an American born Chinese himself who loves and is heavily influenced by American artists like Stevie Wonder, Elton John, Leonard Bernstein, MJ, to name a few of the contemporaries, it seems unlikely for him to completely discount American influence or to not appreciate the American side of him even though he is so gung-ho on promoting everything Chinese. Have you not seen the international make up of his concert touring bands the past few years, and how he has had a range of musical exchange with people all over the world, including American artists? If anything, I take 火力全開 more as a form of desired openness and dialogue between the two cultures and languages in this increasingly interconnected world (solely my interpretation). Perhaps this seeming declaration of war instates an overlooked presence. In my case, I realized that there is. no. dialogue. when an individual can not even see past F.O.B. ya know what ah mean? They will NOT even get to the music, which is what... music should be about, not some preconception based on the general geographical location. How will people hear the music for what it is if all they hear is FOB or assume that all music coming from HK, TW, and China is C-pop, and that anything that remotely sounds American equates to plagiarism or a lack of innovation on their part? I guess that provokes me to talk about it THAT much more and subtly causes me to post up THAT many more related videos and links. Unfortunately, doing so also backfires and people just think I am really Asian and a crazy fan girl :)

Here is an example. Have you heard of 王若琳's (Joanna Wang) 有你的快樂 (you ni de kuai le)?
What is your preconception on this artist and song? Perhaps squeaky girl vocals? That actually ran through my mind before I listened to her, because that is the general stereotype I hold for Asian female singers in the current pop music industry unfortunately... ): Ahknow, I am quite hypocritical. Working on that.



Was it a surprise? Did you expect this gorgeous Ella Fitzgerald-esque voice? Did you even come close to expecting such a jazz-heavy piece? But that would have never gotten to you had you not been open-minded about it, right? Chinese girl ≠ Typical Cpop ≠ no bueno! Of course, that is not always the case, but the good and bad exist in all music, right?



Oh, did I mention that she is an ABC too? In fact she is much more fluent in English than Chinese and probably culturally much more American than Chinese. Had one not known that, the natural assumption upon hearing her Chinese songs would be to associate them with "fob music". Even though fobby is often times associated on a more cultural level, assuming another person's "fobby status" on the basis of language fluency seems common too, and quite foolish. I wonder if musicians like Christina Aguilera would be as famous if she only sang in Espanol. She has pretty good vocals, but language still seems to play an important role in contemporary music. All this to say that even the choice in language brings about assumptions.

Alright. I think I beat... whatever point I was making... to... and I don't know how to finish this sentence - insert sheepish smile -

Back to 火力全開. To be honest, I am no music buff. I cannot for the life of me explain the technicalities of chord progression, the number of identical measures / bars of music for it to be considered plagiarism, or anything of the sort. I am personally not even an avid fan of auto tune or anything heavily digitized for the matter (unfortunately, those songs are always so dang catchy). So, as much of a die-hard fan girl that I am, 火力全開 is not a favorite solely based on my non-preference for auto tune, and it did remind me too much of the mainstream American music that I actually avoid listening to. BUT, but, I will say this: I do not agree that the desire to promote Chinese music and to make it great on an international level requires a removal from Western influence. Sorry if I do not sound cohesive. I read various comments that led me to write about this specifically. Take pop for example, it is generally a shared genre throughout the world, but can be easily and uniquely identified as a certain culture's pop music - kpop, cpop, europop, etc. Hip Hop, R&B, rap, jazz, you name it, are also all infiltrating into THE WORLD and I do not find it problematic that artists use those as influences. Yes, 火力全開 heavily resembles American tunes, but it is refreshing in the contemporary pop world and unique to  the Chinese music industry not only because of the martial arts based music video and rather thought-provoking content, but also because of the incorporation of the Chinese bass drum. Such incorporation is ingenious, smooth, and gives much more depth to a heavily digitized song, which I often find lacking in the party, money, sex, and fame themed mainstream American songs. This song may have gone overboard with the American influence, unlike some of his more classic "chinked-out" pieces such as 心中的日月(xin zhong de ri yue), 蓋世英雄 (gai shi ying xiong), 花田錯 (hua tian cuo), and 伯牙絕弦 (bo ya jue xian?), where the Chinese elements were more prominent. In reality though, nothing has changed significantly in WLH's overarching concept. He didn't quite deviate from his "Chinked-out" style, as it has always been an embodiment of the mixing of East and West - "a school of hip hop that incorporates traditional Chinese elements and sounds", so the man himself describes. I wonder if it would be of less concern to the public if the song were similar to oh who knows... some African, Indian, Middle Eastern, South Central American song...

Perhaps this illustration will help you understand my position. It is IMPOSSIBLE for one to tell me to be completely American or completely Chinese. This sub-culture, new culture, whatever you want to call it, of an American born Chinese who has lived overseas for most of her childhood and even attended a local school during her time in HK, can neither rid the American nor the Chinese influence. Those experiences have shaped who I am today and it would be absurd for anyone to ask me to choose one over the other. Likewise, the Chinked-out genre, while utilizing American influences, incorporates heavily Chinese-rooted elements, from instruments, to art forms, to beats. Would you consider that type of song straight up American hip hop, R&B, or "American auto tune"? I can't (ha! what a joke. I guess to some, auto tune is a uniquely "Western" element - silly people). Would you consider that type of song straight up Chinese pop? No... doesn't quite sound like that either. So is this new? Different? It seems like such simple logic to understand. With that being said, I won't deny that 火力全開 could have been executed a bit differently to avoid becoming, unfortunately, a shadow of American music, but I do not think it is wrong to promote Chinese music that has Western influence and still claim it to be uniquely Chinese because... it is! You don't see that anywhere else. It is precisely the Chinese elements that uniquely identify this type of pop/hip hop/ R&B as "chinked out". Similarly, I do not find his incorporation of an English verse a problem in trying to promote Chinese music, even after saying "別向她們磕頭" (don't bow down to them). In fact, I loved "imma sing this next verse in Chinese" - It gives me a... ermm... probably prideful satisfaction. Not bowing down and succumbing to "them" (I believe referring to the general realm of Western music, symbolized by Lady Gaga here in his song), doesn't necessitate a cutoff from American influences, but rather, a riddance of this invisible pedestal that so oftentimes becomes a hindrance to great potential from the Asian world on an international level. If it weren't obvious enough, let me tell you that this is one of the rare occasions, if not the first time, that WLH dedicated an entire verse in English for a Chinese-based song. It may seem contradictory for one to incorporate a verse in English all the while claiming music as an international language and how it can transcend cultural and language barriers. True, but perhaps missing the point. Could it be that his desire for Chinese music to "level up" (I don't even play games and I know this nerdy term!) to an international level is a greater incorporation of languages and musical influence anchored with specific Chinese elements? Additionally, I do think that him being an ABC well versed in both English and Chinese, as well as Eastern and Western musical forms, spices things up a bit. While promoting Chinese music, it is not confined to your typical Chinese genre, and instead encourages a dialogue with others - exactly my thang.

Apologies for the abrupt end but wow, that was foreal looong as heck. It wasn't as "easy jubb" as I had thought. In fact, I actually might have started this post well over a month ago. The more I wrote, the more I had to consider, and the more I found myself quite hypocritical and not making sense, or even contradicting myself. Ha! Not to mention writer's block and the busy schedule of life. Anyhow, while expressing some of my opinions, I also learned what I had to work on. Win-win situation then I suppose. You might have not noticed, but many of the Chinese artists I enjoy listening to and am more fan girl over, are actually ABC's. I cannot say I am fully immersed in the love for Chinese music. I actually feel the struggle between what I am attempting to promote and what I am so avidly against. Ironic, ey? So forgive my biased opinions and hypocritical complaints. I hope in the end that it was still somewhat thought provoking.

This is neither a professional musical analysis, nor some sociology or anthropology research paper, so I can only engage my discussion as far as. well. this. Since I am an ABC and the two most familiar cultures to me are obviously the American and Chinese cultures, I can only write with this perspective at this point. To conclude...

Well, I don't have a conclusion because all these thoughts led me to think of something rather important: what it means to be a GLOBAL CHRISTIAN. Originally, I planned on writing about that in this post since it was one, humungous, connected thought process, but I don't even think I can read through this already ginormous, DTrain-esque running post, let alone another looong paragraph on a weighty subject matter.

Stay tuned. I promise it'll be shorter next time.