Eleven days into the New Year, I figure it's about time to write the annual Look Back post. I actually started thinking about this before the turn of the year. And every time I try to sit down and put ink to the paper, I successfully find an excuse to not write. Now I know why. 2014.... really wasn't that eventful. But as tradition would have it... I will oblige.
Where to begin? How about no where near home?
10) ISIS (and terrorism) - When you're in the moment... ISIS strikes fear, anger, confusion into everyone. Beheading reporters, innocent massacres, coffee shop takeovers... Terrorism is real. It's not just in Syria or Jordan or France. It could happen in our very own neighborhoods.
9) Ebola - Hard not to make mention of this when Ebola Fighters were awarded the "Person of the Year" award from TIME magazine. The closest I came to Ebola... was two days after news came out that a nurse from Africa, with seemingly no symptoms, flew on regular American domestic planes. Only to later be diagnosed with Ebola. I had a cross country flight that week (on United, not Frontier) and Joyce made me bring disinfectant wipes and hand sanitizers onto the plane. Felt so weird wiping down the plane while everyone was boarding.
8) LOST - One of my favorite TV shows of all time about a plane crashing landing on a mysterious island and disappearing off the face of the earth. Flash forward (pun intended) 5 years... and Malaysian Airline Flight 370 blasted headlines. From hijacking, to re-routing, to insane pilots, to... mysterious island with unknown powers???
(moving from world news to personal news)
7) Disneyland - You know it's a slow year when Disneyland is a top 10 highlight. Well.. this is the first time the four of us went. And we're cheap...or frugal enough... to bring a rice cooker with us. One night, we had Costco chicken. Another night, we found a Ranch 99 and bought a Roast Duck. Most memorable part of the trip...aside from the whole trip..? How about running a 103 degree fever, but still taking Nui-nui to see the fireworks, cuz I promised her I would. (Previous post found here)
6) Pastor Ed - I didn't know him well. But I will never forget him. I still remember how I was annoyed by his way of reading the bible passages during Sunday Service (always faster or slower, never on the same pace). I still remember him apologizing to me when I first encountered the Holy Spirit, and he didn't do more to counsel me. I still remember his fatherly guidance at Hong Kong PCS. I still remember how he gave me free reins to introduce Stations of the Cross to a protestant church's Good Friday service. I still remember his smile...his laff... his energy... his love for Jesus. I didn't need to know him well... cuz come to think of it.... I knew what I needed to know. RIP my brother. I'll see you up there.
5) Translating - Already blogged about it here. Standing up by the pulpit... preaching God's word. In Chinese no less. This event was so significant... I even got my 1 blog reader to comment on my blog. Now THAT'S significant!!
4) Promotion - Made L5 Manager this year. After the whole debacle last year... my boss really came through. I once told Joyce... if I make L5, I'm done. I don't need to climb up anymore. But in my mid 30's... and I'm already an L5? C'mon.... I've gotta push for L6.
3) We ARE the Champions - 3 times in 5 years that the Giants are World Champions. Everyone's dream (or nightmare) of it going to Game 7. And guess what?? I didn't even watch the game (blogged here). DYNASTY???? In this day and age?? HECK YEAH!! Most importantly... this came in a year where the Sharks lose to the Kings after being up 3-0. This came in a year when the Warriors made to Round 2.... only to lose to the hated LA Clippers. It came in a year when the Niners lost to the hated Seahawks due to an eff-ed up referee call that put me into F-YOU mode for a good 6 months. And oh btw... the F-YOU mode brings us to event #2.
2) Season Tickets - Never in my wildest dream, would I ever imagine being a season ticket holder. Everything was set up perfectly. We had a winning coach, a new stadium, a championship caliber team, a place to hang out with by BFF and I was gonna make money off of this!!! Well guess what.... the coach is now gone. The stadium is a complete failure. The team is old, decrepit and broken. My BFF and ticket partner doesn't even want to go anymore. And I can't even give these tickets away!! But that moment.... that very moment when I walked up the stairs with my son and my dad to see Levi's Stadium, that you can NEVER take away from me.
So what could possibly take the top prize of being the #1 event of 2014.......? How about.......
1) Leung's Whole Food Diet - Back in May, we blogged about Eating Healthy, and avoiding processed food. It all started one weekend, when Joyce says, let's try to eat brown rice. We do it for Saturday and Sunday, out of fun... and we've never turned back. It seems like centuries ago... yet, I can still hear it in my ears, SW complaining, "好痕啊." Poor little kid.... battling eczema and scratching himself till he bleed. My heart still aches thinking about the suffering he went through. My heart aches even more... thinking how Joyce struggled every night to keep him from scratching.... only to come home after a long days work, to see SW bleeding again cuz he scratched uncontrollably during his nap. This post isn't about eating healthy. This post isn't about SW being healed from his disease. This post... is for me to forever remember that I have a Proverbs 31 wife. And that 才德的女子很多，惟獨你超過一切。
And that..... was 2014. Next time I write something like this, we'll be halfway through the friggin decade!! WOW!!
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