Four posts in one

Pacquiao v. Mayweather:

Talk about misplaced hype….I don’t know boxing, but I don’t think I’m alone in saying that Saturday’s night’s performance was very, very disappointing “We waited 5 years for that?” and “Mayweather knows how to avoid a punch” permeated Twitter. Boxing is also very ripe for disappointment and boredom, IMO. It’s one guy v. one guy, theres no changing dynamic or different players, once a strategy has been tried and failed it’s like pounding a square peg into a round hole...Pacquiao just had no alternative strategies for 12 rounds.The result seemed inevitable, almost trivial due to the lack of choices Pacquiao had available to him. The whole thing reminded me of a…….wait for it…...pyramid scheme. The promotoers made this fight seem like once-in-a-century, can’t miss, the biggest must-see in about 10 years, and the awful truth was that Mayweather boxes in a style that is repugnant to viewers (“counter-punching” is synonymous to eluding and getting out of the way and once in a while mixing in a punch here and there) and Pacquiao was well past his prime where he couldn’t do any damage once Mayweather locked in his strategy. It was a sad sight to see, and as my non-boxing fan friend put it, “well that’s the last time I’ll ever watch a boxing fight.” Boxing, like fax machines and non-smartphones, is a relic of the past, a dinosaur catering to only the most “classic” fans and replaced by more action-packed, more dynamic, more exciting new choices. And o yea, people don’t want to have to pay $100 to watch one fight, especially when they can watch a classic Spurs-Clippers basketball Game 7 right before it on national TV for free. (and the full fight will probably be available somewhere on the internet hours later).

Multitasking

Multitasking is very difficult. Doing 2 mind-challenging tasks is almost impossible; one of them must be somewhat mechanical or brainless, like driving or running. Otherwise you really don’t get the full quality of on of the experiences. I wish the human brain was more capable than that, but alas it’s necessary to focus on one thing at a time. Currently I’m writing this entry while watching Game of Thrones (possibly indicating my feeling towards that show as a mindless exercise), but I do tune back in during the “important parts.” Especially with something difficult like learning a new language or explaining a difficult concept in your native language, your full attention is required, it’s almost as if you have to turn off the “vision” portion of the brain because that one is always processing what you’re looking at and generating thoughts, even in traffic saying, “o watch out for that car coming on the left” or “ooo I need to get off in 2 exits after Muholland.” Often I’m listening to Japanese podcasts and my mind just glosses over important sections because I drift into thought about something else. I guess what I’m trying to say is, multitasking is overrated, working earnestly (nessin 熱心) and with one’s full attention (isshokenmei in Japanese)

Relationships-

The older I grow, the more I realize what’s the most important thing in life. I bore of sports; I see it as a distraction to more serious things that deserve my attention, like falling in love and starting a family. I guess it’s part of the process of “growing up.” As I turn 28 in less than a week, I’ve finally realized that the latter 2 things are more important than the first 2. 10 years after graduating high school, I’ve grown out of being a kid. It’s time to be an adult. Does that mean I have to get married before 30, like my parents want to be, and the goal that I’ve set for myself? (partially motivated by TV shows that I’ve walked that indicates the prevailing societal mood) No. First of all, it might not be up to me…..it takes a while to find someone you like, much less love, and it shouldn’t be rushed. I’m running out of a time anyway: just to go over the scenario for fun, I would turn 28 in a week, meet someone or start dating someone whom I already know, go through at least a month or 2 or 3 before making that person my girlfriend, then date for a few months before maybe living together for 6 more months or so 29, then get engaged and scout out places for the wedding which takes a year in advance to book and maybe squeeze it in early May/ late April of 2017? Not too realistic and way to formulaic; I’m a guy who loves to preserve time and squeeze things in, but that’s just pushing it, and no sense rushing one of the most important events in one’s life. Until then I’ll continue to see baby pictures and engagement announcements and wedding pictures of facebook friends without any jealousy at all.  

Painted Turtle-

In the mountains away from Los Angeles in a small town called Lake Elsinore, Camp Painted Turtle is a special camp  for special kids, and I love going. If I liked working a normal cap or normal kids, I like working at  special camp for special kids even more. It’s a great way to connect with people one would never meet in “real life,” children who have suffered throughout their entire childhood with doctors, medical conditions, and inability to fit in with other “normal” kids who look forward to going to camp because they can be themselves and have fun with people who understand their conditions or even have the conditions themselves. It’s also a great way to meet other people who care about the underprivileged and those with conditions, and I both go in and leave feeling great every time. More places like Painted Turtle should exist where money and prestige and fame are valued very little if at all, but compassion and companionship are accepted as the only currency.

Fantasize on,

Robert Yan