Posted 11:19 PM by Andy
Another two weeks have elapsed, so let’s start with another foray through the thoroughfares of my mind.

The Nobel Prize. History of the various prizes that was bequeathed from the fortunes of Alfred Nobel with ample doseage of the personalities that were involved in the literature, chemistry, physics, economics, and peace sweepstakes. Many selections were arbitrary and politically driven, with some people openly campaigning for the prize and others shunning its entanglements. Most award recipients are from the West, with the trend that it will become increasingly more difficult to find someone truly meritorious from year to year.

The Metaphysical Club. History of the philosophical forces that collided to produce American pragmatism. There is in-depth coverage of Oliver Wendell Holmes and William James and how their ideologies were shaped by the contemporary issues of a society still riven by the slavery wedge.

Monarch. The life and times of Elizabeth II, the sitting queen of England. An inquiry into the British monarchy with its devolution into a purely symbolic role versus a policy-making body. Many of the internal family struggles within the House of Windsor is noted as well as the media circus that constantly enveloped the last vestiges of royalty in the world.

Guns, Germs, and Steel. History of human societies presented in a sweeping arc from Eden to Polynesia. The author traces the development of civilization based on distinct factors like food production, disease proliferation, technology adoption, and the establishment of central government. His main point is that the environment significantly affects which human groups thrive and which ones wither. Geography is as important as personal characteristics in determining the success of a society. For example, Europe, with its larger islands and greater number of peninsulas, is harder to unite than China, with its relatively smoother coastline and smaller islands. Britain and Ireland, due to the size of their land masses, will claim and achieve independence far more readily than Taiwan.

Public Intellectuals. Study written by Judge Posner of the U.S. Court of Appeals on the public intellectual market, including its definition, actors, flaws, and suggested remedies. He defines public intellectuals as those people in the American society who have enough clout and name recognition to voice their opinions on issues of public interest, most often on topics where they have no expertise. Most of these people are academics, affiliated with a university or think tank. Their average age is 64 because by that age, they have a lifetime of scholarly work to buffer their reputations. The most famous one by number of Web references and media mentions is Kissinger, which is not surprising given his service as Secretary of State under Nixon. Second on the list is Daniel Moynihan, a former senator who joined the faculty at the Maxwell School in 2001. Posner’s main argument is that the opinions these otherwise erudite scholars proffer outside their domain are mostly wrong and politically tinged. There are no checks on their abuse of the public forums like book publishing and the lecture circuit because most citizens are either not knowledgeable or interested enough to notice. Posner treats the work of these people as a product with a market and plots supply and demand curves to determine the optimal amounts given a level of demand. He also ran some regression analyses to correlate the popularity of the intellectuals with factors like university affiliation, government service, ethnicity, and political affiliation. Jews stand out in this realm as do those with a record of government service. There is also some discussion of the Clinton impeachment since he was the assigned judge on that case with the familiar charges of obstruction of justice being weightier than personal moral conduct.

What Should I Do With My Life? A narrative compilation of people who have wrestled with the ultimate question written by Po Bronson, who chronicled the bond markets during the late eighties and the exploits of Silicon Valley a decade later. Fascinating look into the decisions that folks have made about career-life balance, prestige versus purpose, money versus happiness. Bronson weaves his own story as an economics graduate who tried numerous careers before finding his calling as a writer in between profiles of diverse people. There are vignettes of a unruly youngster hand-picked by the Dalai Lama to be the next Buddhist leader; an executive who swapped his office for a fish farm; a woman who has tried all the fast-track jobs there are (consulting, banking, patent law); a guy who systematically gains experience in 5-year stints in governance, international relations, and education. I wrote Bronson to probe him on the impact of faith on people’s decisions of life choices which I thought received minimal treatment in his book. I requested a meeting since he was in SF for a book tour. His publicist guards his schedule so I wasn’t able to secure a meeting. He invited me to a private party but it was after my return to LA. He also read aloud my message to his wife as an affirmation of his work. I was just trying to start a dialog.

Family and church powwows. I come from a large family with its attendant blessings and obligations. I enjoy unparalleled access to divergent points of view from my fifty-plus cousins and the extended clan spread across the globe. For the most part, the web of relationships yields positive benefits for me personally, like when I received a bomber jacket and a red envelope with spending money from uncles recently for my impending trip east. Other perks include good treatment at a local boba milk tea store and assorted gifts from family friends. Sometimes this means expectations that deviate from my own vision of destiny. What does this mean in real terms? When your uncle designs satellites for NASA, your mom selects electrical engineering and computer science as your field of study because of her brother’s model of success. When another uncle runs a plant for a major industrial manufacturing firm in Taiwan, conversations with other adults who know my family history about my schooling plans in international relations prompts the question, “Will you work for your uncle after you graduate?” Other family members have managed liquor stores, a denture business, and occupied ministry roles. This set of people provides an excellent pool for various research topics like genetic disposition versus environment in determining vocations, political preferences, and depth of faith. A typical scene during the holidays at my house is the extended clan in the living room belting out karaoke songs or regaling each other with tales over ethnic foods. Take it to the church, and the transition is almost seamless as I am welcomed into potlucks and other meetings by virtue of my inheritance.

Lunch with EY. I met up with her finally after we missed each other at various points, swapping spots in NorCal and SoCal. She shared her future plans after graduating in 2 ½ years which included opposing ideas like elementary school teacher and patent attorney. I encouraged her to relax since time and youth are on her side.

Vegas. We nixed a trip to Europe because the tour operators raised the prices at the eleventh hour so we opted for a trip to a fantasy realm with faux European monuments. I went with my parents and met up with church friends there on Christmas day. I ran into AF in the food court of the MGM Grand hotel with his new companion. Within three minutes he had completely buttered up my folks and me. That’s why I like to keep him as a friend.  That night I attended a Jay Chou concert. He’s an emerging pop star and is idolized across Asia and apparently by the fob population here. I swayed to the music with my glow-sticks in rhythm to his beats. He mixed hard rap with soothing ballads. There was good variety in his act with various dances and a piano-playing segment. He dressed up as a ball player during one song and tossed the ball into the crowd. The next day we visited a family friend who used to deal cards for MGM and whose husband caters to high-rollers. They tried to convince my parents to relocate to Vegas without much success. Late that night I started memorizing the blackjack tables. After 2 ½ hours I was ready to test my luck. Armed with a $38 stake, I lost that amount in about 15 minutes at the $5 tables. It started out well enough with an easy double-down and a natural blackjack early on. But then I was dealt a string of 15s and 16s, which are the worst cards you can get according to the statistical odds. I also made a crucial error when I doubled down on an 8. Yes, it was an idiotic move but I recalled the opposite move to the correct one in this exceptional case. Later I realized my bankroll was way too small to ride out any string of bad cards. Oh well, I view it as an exercise in memory recall. It’s also interesting to note different people’s attitudes towards gambling. My mom’s: “You can never win against the casinos. That’s how they win.” JH’s: “I play for fun, but what if you see your pastor doing it?” My own philosophy: it’s a game, treat it as such unless you devote yourself to it as a profession. I would stick to the biblical maxim for this and many other borderline pursuits, “Everything is permissible, but not everything is beneficial.”

Bay Area tour. Every day I hung out with a different group of people in an attempt to see as many friends a possible during my 9-day pass. Sunday. Dinner with NW, JC, and J. NW set this up so I can meet a fellow Orangeman. I confirmed previous impressions of how dreary and cold the environment will be in Syracuse. The latter part of the conversation revolved around the J’s engagement and wedding plans. I listened attentively to file it away for future reference. Monday. Lunch with FW and AW. I caught up with these college friends and chatted about our aspirations. FW shared about his hopes of becoming a chaplain in the armed services. AW shared his dreams of ministering in former Soviet Union and central Asia. Tuesday. Lunch with PD. I caught up on news with our mutual friends from Hope EFC. I visited WL and G at the hospital with their new-born son. I held the baby gingerly, nestling him against my chest, afraid to move for fear of dropping him. Names were tossed about and Ethan seemed to be the consensus winner. Dinner with a group from Hope EFC at Yoshida-Ya on Union Street. I rolled into BN’s new house in San Mateo close to 11 p.m. right into a deep sharing session. Everyone there in the room shared about lessons from 2002, then we prayed for God’s hand on our lives and magnification of His glory in 2003. We sang a few worship songs to usher in the New Year. BN offered his place as an alternative lodging for me in my travels through the Bay, a comforting option to have in the peninsula.

Wednesday. I walked into a dim-sum lunch with AL, his mom, and two of their family friends his mom’s age. As we started sampling the offerings, AL informed me that Uncle Henry, present company, received a new grandson yesterday. What are the odds? I ventured to ask, “Is your son Wilson?” After establishing his identity, I said proudly, “I held your grandson yesterday.” Uncle Henry looked at me with a bewildered expression and uttered, “I haven’t even held him yet!” I sat back and relished the strange coincidences of the network effect. In the afternoon I played ball for 4 hours with LK, J, JW, and EK. I won the first, lost the second in a 15-13 war (normal game is to 11), then got trounced against some Mexicans, and played evenly against some Cantonese guys. I don’t have the legs anymore to run on every rebound. Dinner with LK, J, and J followed by bowling at Sea Bowl in Pacifica. Relaxing night, with the realization that female ballers are few and far between. Thursday. Lumps Ice Cream Social. I rolled to Ghiradelli Square with AL, then a bunch of people showed up to our surprise and delight. I talked to SW for the first time when she is an adult since I had taught her in Sunday school in my high school days. I told her how she used to be unruly as a pre-teen contrary to her current sweet nature. I noticed how JI, a visitor who is currently a 1L at Michigan, is an eloquent speaker when she defended affirmative action. I met J, MC, and JS, all connected to Stanford or PL. Friday. Dinner with GL. We discussed recent books we have read, mostly on spiritual issues and its bearing on our personal walk. We also discussed ball and critiqued mutual friends’ games. Real World game night. I played a couple rounds of Celebrity, then watched MC leg-wrestle MF and others. This was the first time I felt disembodied during my trip, where I was more of an observer than a participant when I realized I don’t know these people and there will inevitably be a disconnect between my west coast friends and me after I move to the east coast.

Saturday. Attended CH and JT’s wedding in San Jose. I know C from college and have followed his evolution from a programmer to a hip-hop dancer. Since the couple is not actively religious, they held the wedding at a multi-faith spirituality center. The ceremony was only 15 minutes long without a sermon and worship sets. Dinner at Ming’s in Palo Alto included a Chinese banquet and popping/freestyle performances by the man of the hour C and his friends. A couple girls started breaking on the dance floor too. The random encounter of the night was with DL. I sat behind him in the sanctuary and kept staring at him because he had an uncanny resemblance to my bro PL, down to the swirl at the back of his head. During the reception he was the emcee and his speech patterns were dead on the same as PL’s. I introduced myself and indeed he turned out to be PL’s older brother. He knew CH from Lynbrook High School. The only other people I know at the event was D and MS, who came with their daughter S. Afterwards I stopped by East Palo Alto to exchange Christmas gifts with my sister and bro-in-law.

Sunday. City Church service. Saw FW, CU during intermission before 2nd service. The message was about David’s response to God’s punishment for his adultery with Bathsheba in taking his son’s life. David prayed and pleaded with God when his son was alive, then he worshipped when his son was dead. His behavior was counterintuitive but emblematic of a man in tune with God and his own sinfulness. Had lunch with A and HL, AP, and B & L. We discussed grad school debt burdens and its effect on career choices. Ball at Menlo Park. Saw BL for five minutes. Played two games, losing the first by missing a short jumper and winning the second with a rebound basket. Stopped by Sunset’s late service and went to dinner with some folks there. Chatted with WC, AK and JH at the table. Monday. Ball at National Semiconductor with DW, GS, JC, BL, and 15 other guys. Won the first two, lost the next one when the defense switched to a zone, I hit 3 shots but couldn’t carry the team. Late night dessert with SW at Baker’s Square in Union City. Caught up on her future plans in hotel management, talked about family and mutual friends. Tuesday. The drive down was smooth. The first half of the trip the road was enshrouded in a heavy layer of fog that prevented me from seeing more than 100 feet ahead of my car. What a perfect metaphor for walking by faith.

Overall it was a great trip. As I rolled back into Mountain View just before midnight on Monday, I had spent almost $200 (my trip budget), my trip odometer ticked to 1000 miles, and I had managed to see most of my friends. Near misses include LN, who I missed by half an hour when I left SF too quickly on Monday, AO, who I talked to for 15 seconds, and AT, who cancelled because it was too rushed. Thanks to WA and AL for giving me all-access passes to their pads. To borrow Mastercard’s slogan: there are some things money can’t buy. Here are my top trip moments: taunting MC and earning a good-natured shove on the court, trading real-time commentary with DW on the court (I told him “You have to take over a game to be franchise,”) seeing KL’s ticket stub for the Cal-Stanford basketball game mistakenly printed as “King Lamb”, seeing JH with a big smile running to greet me at SCBC. Priceless.

Hopes for Syracuse. Everything thing will be new in 4 days. I’m trading sunny California for snowy upstate New York. I’ll be living with IB in a double suite. I really look forward to taking classes that I’m interested in with diverse but like-minded people. Tentative class schedule is microeconomics survey, quantitative political analysis, public finance for developing countries, and international negotiation. I hope to take a class with Moynihan but also want to engage with my fellow students who promise to tutor me in the pragmatic aspects of diplomacy and politics. Let the games begin.

Next time: Moving to Syracuse, campus, classes, new friends.