Last year was full of weddings. Lots of friends and family members got married and I'm right around the age when my parent's got married and had me as well. I was averaging about a wedding a month. Growing up I always thought that I would have been married at this time. I also made a promise to myself as a kid that I would have a million dollars in the bank by the time I was 30. I guess plans never go exactly the way you want them to.I don't really like weddings much, it means talking to a lot of acquaintances and family members I don't really know and much less banter with. Most often, they just ask me why I haven't married yet and had kids. I just usually shrug my shoulders and smile. The one upside to going to so many weddings is that I had the privilege of escorting this beautiful lady.
I've always had some trepidation about turning 30. I thought that I would have done something completely different with my life. But this year, I've realized that I've chosen the right path and that I'm surrounded by great, supportive friends, and a loving family.I'm lucky to have people I can turn to whenever a problem big or small arises. I've also come to terms that I'll never be rich beyond my wildest dreams, but that I'll always be full of experiences that I would never have sitting behind the screen on a computer. I started pursuing art almost 7 years ago now and I can't complain about how things have turned out to this point.
I've always had some trepidation about turning 30, but now I know that it is merely a starting point for bigger things to come.
I saved a life this year. There was a hummingbird trapped inside my studio during the morning and he couldn't find his way out of the building. Hummingbirds need to constantly feed in order to sustain the crazy amount of energy they spend zipping around everywhere. By midday he was on his last legs and fell out of the air and plopped onto a couch in the communal space. He was still breathing, but his eyes were closed and just plain tuckered out.I went to the cafeteria, grabbed a few sugar packets and dissolved them in water. I held a coffee stirrer to his tongue and he was at least still conscious enough to lap up some of the sugar water. I kept it up for about 20 minutes and he seemed to be able to recompose himself. He stood up ruffled his wings, and carried off like nothing had happened.
This year has been terrific for my coaching career. I coached my first Junior Olympics for the 16 and under C team for Stanford this past summer. (Yeah, they were the bottom of the barrel group at Stanford) Although they did not make it into qualifiers, I gained a lot of new techniques, insight, and coaching knowledge from the experience. More importantly, I was able to translate that experience into wins for my Mills Vikings water polo team.After going 13-1 last season, tying for first place in the Ocean division, Mills was able to move up to the Bay division this season with the top dawgs in the Peninsula. We went 3-3 in regular season play, putting us in third place and a walk on spot for CCS playoffs. It was the first time in Mills history to make CCS, allowing the 2014 Varsity squad to make it into the Hall of Fame. It was an unbelievable season full of ups and downs and an experience that I'll treasure forever.
I quit the Stanford club and am now the full time head coach of the Burlingame Aquatic Club Barracudas. It's been a long haul to go from a perfect losing season to being able to coach my own club team. Next goal: collegiate level.
As a kid, I thought traveling back to Taiwan was such a drag. I didn't realize how lucky I was to be able to spend time in my native country. To be close to my family and culture. And how glad I am that my mom dragged me back all those summers.I'm hoping to spend more time there as I get older and hopefully even move back for a few months to spend some more time with my parents.
I've come to realize how lucky I am to have the parents I do, even though they can drive me entirely insane at times. I was a hell of a lot to deal with as a child and if I do ever have kids, I know that I'll have to deal with the karma.I'm very excited and happy to announce that I have two shows coming up!
Here's my show statement:
"I grew up living two lives. I wanted to break stereotypes but ended up just fitting the mold. I had to be the nerd and the athlete. I had to speak better Mandarin and English than anyone else. My Asian friends said I was too whitewashed. My white friends said I was too Asian. I had to be a filial son. I had to be the cool kid. I had to constantly shuffle back and forth, always putting on my mask. I was constantly on the move, shuttling across the Pacific Ocean between two lives, all the people and places different and the same all at once.
My mom once told me, “You will know how valuable these experiences are when you are older.”
Nothing was ever enough. I never took advice. I thought as a young man that I had everything figured out. I tried and tried to keep up the act, to be everything that everyone else wanted. I wanted to assimilate while holding true to my cultural roots. I wanted to badly to live up to everyone’s standards but my own. I’ve made enough mistakes to fill two lifetimes. And all that this gave me was an emptiness that I could not put my finger to. I was angry, and lonely, and unfulfilled but I did not know why.
My dad once told me, “You should get a girlfriend; you’re too wild when you’re single.”
I’ve done all this running around and I’m right back to where I started. My story is the exact opposite of the damsel in distress. It’s me who needs to be saved."
It's quite an honor to have been chose for this group show and I hope that it translates into bigger and better opportunities in the future.
I hope to see your beautiful faces there.
