Episode 51 Christmas Series Two: Are You Joining Us For Breakfast? Karaoke? Dinner?
I have written a series of six blogs related to the happenings in Christmas 2017. This is the second one.
This piece is dedicated to a good friend, Li, and his girlfriend, who actively and tirelessly organize activities for the Chinese community in Seattle. You are sharing your love to each other to warm and light up the community. Thank you!
I have a friend in Seattle. His name is Li.
From this experience, I realized every person makes a difference to this world in different ways. I may make a difference by helping people telling better stories. They make a difference by giving others warmth and strength, by letting them know that there are people who care to bother, that they have people to fall onto.
This piece is dedicated to a good friend, Li, and his girlfriend, who actively and tirelessly organize activities for the Chinese community in Seattle. You are sharing your love to each other to warm and light up the community. Thank you!
***
I have a friend in Seattle. His name is Li.
We are not super close (yet), maybe a bit more than colleague.
Li and his beautiful and sweet girlfriend are good people, and, very social. They love to organize drinks, dinner, all kinds of fun activities for the Chinese community in Seattle.
I have been to a few.
Usually, I need to try very hard to enjoy “just for fun”, unless I am under alcohol… I tend to seek meaning before and when doing things, maybe too much. Going to parties and talking about general, daily, random things, are not my favorite things.
But sometimes life can be hard. For example, during Christmas.
I have been busy helping MBA applicants from China in their application, and writing my second book. It was until the afternoon of Christmas Eve, I realized wait, I am not supposed to spend tonight alone don't I? Then what should I do? I was "too productive" and totally forget to plan.
I was a bit scared about the idea of spending the entire night by myself. So the "Donut project" above was what I ended up spending the night :)
Apart from that, I found from a group chat that Li was organizing a breakfast on Christmas Day. I asked him if I can join last minute. He is kind enough and said, "Yes of course!"
I didn't expect much. I knew it's going to be one of those parties. I went to the breakfast with ten Chinese friends. I don't know them well, and many of them are new friends. Nothing too exciting happened, but it meets my expectation. Li asked me if I want to join them for karaoke later. I said, ok. I knew it's going to be one of those parties, again. I was just trying hard to not spend Christmas alone.
After that I came home, and continue reading people's bschool application essays, thinking about how to help them standout from their own stories.
Many Chinese students are not good at telling stories of themselves, showing how good and how unique they are, and why they deserve the opportunity. Ego was never empathized in our education when we grew up. At least from my own experience.
Later that afternoon, I made a phone call to one applicant. It lasted much longer than I expected, one and a half hours. We talked about the seed she planted during her childhood, the seemingly insignificant things that she couldn't forget. And I shared how these small things may have impacted her life trajectory.
After the phone call, I was a bit tired, and I realized that I was already two hours late for the karaoke. The applicant was so grateful to my help, and asked how I become a good story teller. I sent her the link to my blog. I told her keep up the good work, and I have to go. I didn't expect her to read my blogs in detail, if at all, because most people don't care enough. Plus she is in China, and need VPN to even access the site!
I hang up. Worried that they are already done and I don't need to bother going.
At this moment, I received a message from Li. "Are you coming to Karaoke?"
I was very happily surprised that he still remembered that I said I will go! He said, "Come. We will be here until you come."
I put on makeup and warm clothes. Called Uber.
The karaoke itself is fine. It is one of those parties and meets my expectation. Except for one thing.
I told Li and his girlfriend, that what they have been doing, organizing activities, can mean a lot to some people in some situations. I shared with them why Christmas is hard for me. And how appreciative I am to his "keep bothering calling me to hangout even if I am not particularly passionate."
They were very touched. Seriously and jokingly said they will keep bothering me and calling me to hangout.
Li and his beautiful and sweet girlfriend are good people, and, very social. They love to organize drinks, dinner, all kinds of fun activities for the Chinese community in Seattle.
I have been to a few.
Usually, I need to try very hard to enjoy “just for fun”, unless I am under alcohol… I tend to seek meaning before and when doing things, maybe too much. Going to parties and talking about general, daily, random things, are not my favorite things.
But sometimes life can be hard. For example, during Christmas.
I have been busy helping MBA applicants from China in their application, and writing my second book. It was until the afternoon of Christmas Eve, I realized wait, I am not supposed to spend tonight alone don't I? Then what should I do? I was "too productive" and totally forget to plan.
I was a bit scared about the idea of spending the entire night by myself. So the "Donut project" above was what I ended up spending the night :)
Apart from that, I found from a group chat that Li was organizing a breakfast on Christmas Day. I asked him if I can join last minute. He is kind enough and said, "Yes of course!"
I didn't expect much. I knew it's going to be one of those parties. I went to the breakfast with ten Chinese friends. I don't know them well, and many of them are new friends. Nothing too exciting happened, but it meets my expectation. Li asked me if I want to join them for karaoke later. I said, ok. I knew it's going to be one of those parties, again. I was just trying hard to not spend Christmas alone.
After that I came home, and continue reading people's bschool application essays, thinking about how to help them standout from their own stories.
Many Chinese students are not good at telling stories of themselves, showing how good and how unique they are, and why they deserve the opportunity. Ego was never empathized in our education when we grew up. At least from my own experience.
Later that afternoon, I made a phone call to one applicant. It lasted much longer than I expected, one and a half hours. We talked about the seed she planted during her childhood, the seemingly insignificant things that she couldn't forget. And I shared how these small things may have impacted her life trajectory.
After the phone call, I was a bit tired, and I realized that I was already two hours late for the karaoke. The applicant was so grateful to my help, and asked how I become a good story teller. I sent her the link to my blog. I told her keep up the good work, and I have to go. I didn't expect her to read my blogs in detail, if at all, because most people don't care enough. Plus she is in China, and need VPN to even access the site!
I hang up. Worried that they are already done and I don't need to bother going.
At this moment, I received a message from Li. "Are you coming to Karaoke?"
I was very happily surprised that he still remembered that I said I will go! He said, "Come. We will be here until you come."
I put on makeup and warm clothes. Called Uber.
The karaoke itself is fine. It is one of those parties and meets my expectation. Except for one thing.
I told Li and his girlfriend, that what they have been doing, organizing activities, can mean a lot to some people in some situations. I shared with them why Christmas is hard for me. And how appreciative I am to his "keep bothering calling me to hangout even if I am not particularly passionate."
They were very touched. Seriously and jokingly said they will keep bothering me and calling me to hangout.
From this experience, I realized every person makes a difference to this world in different ways. I may make a difference by helping people telling better stories. They make a difference by giving others warmth and strength, by letting them know that there are people who care to bother, that they have people to fall onto.
Comments
Post a Comment