Posted 1:38 PM by Andy
It has been a couple months since I last wrote an entry. The layoff has been partly due to laziness and partly due to insufficient material worthy of highlighting. Nevertheless, here are the memorable events and experiences that occurred in the interim.

New Year’s Eve. I sported a rainbow-colored rayon shirt for a shindig at a party thrown by Greg W to comply with the retro T-shirt theme. Packed into a west LA apartment, the evening was mostly uneventful as we awaited the onset of 2004. I ushered in the new year by clinking champagne glasses with Annie and Nicole. (Tangent: Nicole’s language studies pinpoint intriguing career possibilities. The world of languages and words is fascinating. The National Spelling Bee Championships was riveting entertainment as kids decomposed obscure words into root and tail parts and puzzled over definitions and word origins. For example, based on the definition of “in sequence” and the pronunciation of “sairyahtim”, I correctly surmised the proper spelling of seriatim. Botticellian is easy when you know it refers to Botticelli, a Renaissance painter who specialized in female nudes. Granted, there are words I have never heard of and have no clue about, such as the championship word “cococurante.” Kids who have a prodigious memory and a gift for languages fare well in this contest.)

Miss Chinatown USA Pageant. I volunteered for the second time this year for the centerpiece of the Chinese New Year festivities in San Francisco. Since I was still unemployed, I had more time to devote to serving the ladies. As a group, the girls were cool. Of the fifteen girls who competed, half are local to the Bay area, with the rest from around the country. Here are my profiles and personal favorites of the ladies.

Queen, Shan C. Combination geek and beauty queen, this Tianjin-born and NYC-raised girl exudes sexiness and fun. She exhibits leadership qualities and a sense of elegance with good stage presence. Her karaoke skills propelled her to victory with a classic Chinese song during the talent segment.

Most Friendly, Beverly Y. This SF girl is the most approachable one out of the group in my opinion. From the day she walked in and introduced herself to the day I escorted her around through the Chinatown family associations, she has been very easy to talk to.

Sweetest, Meilinda H. We share similar interests in diplomacy. She is honing her craft at Princeton now. Bright, articulate, musically talented, and a Christian, this girl is versatile. She has a soothing voice that completely relaxes me when I converse with her. I will look for her on the international stage in the future.

Most Cerebral, Anting W. The Stanford law student advised me on grad schools as I opined on my various interests and scattered life goals. She also offered to give me counsel whenever I require legal assistance. I can engage with her on the level of macro-ideas and ping half-baked strategies at her for refinement. We also discussed micro-enterprise development as a social business model.

Most Sultry, Tina T. This Cal student looks good just sitting there. Couple her looks with intelligence and good listening skills, you have the makings of a good friend who can be a confidante and supporter during life’s trials. With a good family upbringing and humble outlook on life, I look for Tina to be a success in the Asian business world in the next decade.

Most Potential, Rina T. Miss Photogenic deserves her title with her megawatt smile accented by her youthful innocence. The first impression I had of her was inner strength. When she performed her ballet dance during the competition, I saw power in the confidence she displayed in her moves. During conversations with her, I sensed a very strong spirit within her. Charisma and sincerity will take this girl far.

Most Fun, Stacey Y. This girl is the most fun and funniest girl of the group, in my opinion. A tomboy in some respects, with her love of lion dancing and basketball, she has a self-deprecating sense of humor and an easy time connecting with people. She makes funny faces and is playful. Like I told her, I expect her to be the cutest future district attorney of SF.

Most Ambitious, Annie C. She is more difficult to get to know, maybe because she is accustomed to being in the limelight from previous titles. I will remember her as the Britney dancer who used her sex appeal to win Miss SF Chinatown. Her website already details her dreams of becoming a high-profile model and influencing policy through the media. She is off to a good start.

Most Talented, Crystal Y. This Vegas girl wowed the crowd with her virtuoso violin skills. An accomplished musician, I look for her to join an orchestra to pursue her passion.

Most Hidden Wild Child, Sharlene W. This girl is more reserved so given my social deficits in drawing people out, I didn’t really understand who she is. I’ll remember shopping with her and waiting for an hour while she tried on a white mini-skirt. Later, she rocked the stage after Mr. Chinatown in that aforementioned skirt and prompted me to revise my previous assessment of her demure nature. Based on her postings after the event, she is someone who remembers all the details of an experience and so serves as the collective memory of a group.

Besides getting to know the girls, I also enjoyed hanging out with the guys. I liked seeing the Christian guys in a different context like Eli, Thomas, Donny, Jon, and Dan a.k.a. Lucky a.k.a. Scooby. I realized some hobbies are universal like poker. I heard about power struggles threatening to disrupt the unity of the crew when I wasn’t around. I saw guys who are loyal to the cause of serving and protecting and others who are charmers along for the ride. I was incredulous at how most of them humiliated themselves at the Mr. Chinatown pageant to amuse the girls. I liked riding in the back of a patrol car with SFPD officers behind the barred shield, hopefully for the only time in my life. I enjoyed belting out love songs in Chinese restaurants for our own entertainment. I wished I had more moves to lead the girls during dancing at the Coronation ball. I appreciated Dara’s (2003 queen) acknowledgment of my help even though I had only spoken to her in passing. Overall, it’s a great experience for a single guy who is otherwise unoccupied.

WCC. After a hiatus last year, I attended this year’s World Christian Conference. Bob Sojgren, author of Unveiled At Last, spoke on Cat and Dog theology. Basically, the orientation of the church towards God can either be focused on self or God. We can approach the Alpha and Omega with our needs and wants and treat Him as a supplier of those desires or address Him as someone whose preeminent concern is with His own glory. This has ramifications for all of life because suffering makes perfect sense if the ultimate end brings greater glory to God. Stephen was stoned to death to glorify God. Paul was beaten, shipwrecked, imprisoned, and killed to glorify God. Job’s children died to glorify God. I gathered some information on Equip, a business consulting missions venture and may go to Africa some time if God permits. It was great reconnecting with some old friends and acquaintances.

Paper Chase. When I think about the plight of drug dealers and other assorted street hustlers, I identify with their pain. Their tactics may not be justifiable, but their motivation is based on pure economics, to feed themselves and their families. What does one do to generate cash flow and bring in the paper? “Sling another ounce, wish it was a kilo” is a very profound line in one of Tupac’s ditties. After interviewing with an Asian VC firm in San Jose, I came back to LA to continue my hunt. I have had three meetings with multiple people at LowerMyBills.com, an Internet company with a rate comparison service for consumers. They are profitable and growing at a rapid clip, having expanded from 30 to 130 in headcount in the last year. They should be close to a decision but I haven’t met with the COO who is purported to be very confrontational and abrasive. Some of the more unconventional questions I got from the CEO were “What was a ridiculous achievement you were a part of?” and “Name 10 words that describe yourself.” Like all of life, it’s an art to be able to trumpet yourself without sounding arrogant.

I’m looking forward to seeing Passion of the Christ tomorrow and prepared to be disturbed.