Youtube

The first time I landed in Chongqing, I wanted to film everything! Food, school, and anything that I could think of. I don't know why I haven't. Part of it is lazy or just my personal feelings of being embarrassed because people always stare at non-Asians and that I'll be talking to holding a camera.

So. I've decided to film and post at least two videos per week on youtube about Chinese stuff, my life, and anything I'd like to talk about.

Here is a link to my youtube page if you'd care to listen to me instead of read what my fingers have given you to read: My Youtube

I want a BigMac just right now!

It is 4:39am in the never sleeping city of Bangkok. We just got off the 8 hour bus we took from the island, Koh Tao. We are staying at Lek's house but we don't want to wake them this early so we went to the only "safe" place to go to at 5am... wait for it, McDonalds. I feel ashamed going in, being a zombie, and waiting until 5am when breakfast starts but I don't really have another choice. This McDonalds is located at the center of the foreign backpackers bar and club street. What would one expect? Lots of drunk people. That is what. I went to the toilet and a drunk guy paid for my entry (sometimes in Asia you have to pay for the toilet). I guess he was feeling good. I return and these two guys come in and not long after them talking very loud do I figure out their goals in life. I'll use more appropriate language but basically.. Bang girls. These guys are loud and when leaving knock over a chair. An employee yells at them and they yell back, "hey man, this is McDonalds." It upsets me to see people like this but in a sadistic way also makes me feel good because I'm happy I'm 19 and have a better head on my shoulders. Oh ignorance is noisy!

On a side note, it's almost 5am and I'm happy to be able to eat something. I have the hunger! Before we were able to take the bus we had to take a series of public transportations to get off the island. We took a taxi from the hotel to the pier where we met a couple. The man Charles, from France and his girlfriend Terra from Michigan. Nice people. Charles is studying business in Seoul and Terra travels Asia for fabrics and gems and sells them for high prices in the USA. We had lunch, rode the boat together, and then departed at the pier while they waited for a train to Malaysia and we waited for the bus to Bangkok. Charles to me is the typical Frenchman. He's fashionable, a bit rude, loves sweets and adventure. Most French guys I've met are more or less like this. Terra is a free spirit. She feels for the Tibetan people's sufferings and says she takes things from all religions and lives her life and bases her actions on Karma. She got her iPhone stolen in bangkok and to my surprise actually said, "I don't know what I did for this to happen to me!" but not in the normal why I'm mad way but the why did karma punch me in the face. I'm a good person right?

Meeting people so different you start to see how they turned into who they are now based on the little intrinsic details they tell you. People observing to me is very interesting. I like to think I understand people but I don't. It's more of an activity I enjoy telling myself I'm good at.

Look a the time! 4:58am! Time for my McBreakfast. Sawasdeekrap!

Happy Pains

The feeling that is being pumped into me is happiness. Why you ask? I'm heading back home from vacation to the major city of Bangkok after being on an island. After being on this island for a week and a half, I am starting to feel trapped. It hasn't a claustrophobic feeling of trapped but a feeling like I'm not going anywhere. I'm happy to be heading back to a big city and then in a few days going back home to China.

The the bugs and birds make their noises and the waves pound on the shore, I also feel happy. These are great sounds. I am happy to hear them now but sad for it to be my last day on the beach.

I'll share a picture of this beach when I get back home.
(EDIT I'm not home yet but I got a chance to upload this pic via facebook).

Today we will take a 3 hour ferry back to the mainland and then venture back to Bangkok on a night bus. I need to prepare myself for the feeling of being stuck again. I dislike public bus trips. They are hot, uncomfortable, and noisy. I pray this one will be smooth.

On a side note, two days ago I was unluckily diagnosed with an earache brought on by swimming and I slipped on the rocks last night which caused my lower back to ache. My only wish is that I'll feel better but thinking of returning home after a 17 day vacation makes me smile. Would it you?

On the backside of that first sidenote, the beach makes me miss my family. All of my memories of the beach involve at least one of my family members. But I am happy to be here and I try to tell myself that one day they will be able to enjoy it too! Positive thinking, I must have.

19 years old and still learning! Who knew?

My friend Hugo and I were discussig the Bible whilst sitting on the hotel bed and arguing and having fun. I learned some new things about the Bible from him. Now that isn't surprising because we can always learn new things about our wonderful God but what he said in a sense made my faith stronger. He told me that he thinks the Bible is a good book. He even used to be a Christian. He told me that he thinks revelations is absurd and shouldn't be in the Bible. I mean, it makes sense to why someone would think that.

After talking for a while, he told me that revelations wasn't the only absurd thing in the Bible but in Genesis when God wrestled with Jacob as a man. I honestly was flabbergasted. I didn't remember that part. I reread it as it did seem weird.

Genesis 32:24, "So Jacob was left alone, and a man wrestled with him till daybreak."

After some thinking I email my dad about it and he told me what this is believed to mean which made me feel enlighten. If you'd like to look this up yourself, look up William C. Williams' words on Theophany.

This blog post should be in no way your completed readings for this verse. Go read the entire 32:22 until it eds chapter 32 and then read what Williams and may others have said. It makes more sense. My dad explained it in a way of Jesus' form or the man of God's being taking on man's likeness to do acts towards men. Very interesting. I literally didn't know. Thanks Hugo!

Comeback! Matthew Soren!

I've decided to rename this blog! It was supposed (and is) to be about me and life but I've forgotten to write down most of my everyday happenings. So, now I and going for change. This weeks Glee's episode was comeback and I want to think like that for as long as my brain will allow me to remember. So I am coming back as Matthew Soren! For it is the name my mother yells when I'm I'm trouble. :) now saying that name makes me smile.

So for you, I am Matthew Soren! (but dont think you can tell me to clean my room).