Shaved Ice 

My sister and I at Taiwan 

The other side of the world

ni hao from the other side of the world,
i've safely made it to home in taiwan :o)
it was a long trip but it sure is nice to be able to be at home with my parents and sister.
i am still adjusting to the timezone, lifestyle, culture, language and such, prayer will be appreciated :o)

it had been great so far, had an opportunity to sat down and pray with my family yesterday, something we haven't done at a family in a while because i was always MIA when they get together with my sister.

today will be fun - well the first day that i will have other human contact then my family, and it's going to be challenging (i think) - to get to know other people, to make friends and to talk and share my faith and such. Last time i was here, i was very very shy, hopefully today will be a little different !

oh anyways - the view from my room is awesome, especially at like 6 oclock in the morning - since taiwan had long abolished daylight savings time (it is too confusing) , day usually dawned around 5:30 in the morning (actually that's like Oregon with day light savings ... haha) - so from my window at the 14th floor, i can see the sun shining down on the city - that is absolutely gorgeous !

anyways -
that's my post for now - i'll take some pics of view and post'em up here -

take care y'all.

love and peace.

macster

this just came out a couple days ago,
check it out.

go KJ.

d-mac
(can't stop dancing to hip hop music.)

D-O-N-E

the semester came to an end at 5/9/2006 - 5:30 pm.
i am a free man.
whooop!

stuff to do before i leave town
- pack my stuff up (and store it in storage)
- pack for my trip
- pay my bills
- talk to prof about research
- find a sublease
- have fun as usual !

Sunrise , sunrise

it's been a while since i saw sun ray's in my own room,
i had them during my summers in Oregon where sun will rise and its rays will shine on my face to wake me up from my sleep ... today the same thing happened to my room in Texas - i guess after the thunderstorm last night, the sun decided to wake early and shine brightly, that was totally awesome. i am just starting my round of exams today, i thought i had a plan to study everything according to my time table, but i guess that doesn't really work out all the time - i am almost ready for today's test, but not tomorrow's ... i guess i am in a little bit of time crunch but hopefully i can pull it thru :o)
anyways - i'll be done by tuesday - and then the life after school (for 3 months) will began, what kind of journey awaits me ? it's still too early to tell, but i know next 3 months will be interesting, testing and hopefully enduring.

ah, how i miss the nature, mountains , waterfalls and beaches.
ah, how i miss the music, especially the smooth jazz that puts me into a happy mode ...
but, thank God for the day and a nice breeze in the middle of May,
especially in texas.

peace out,
daniel

i guess i am not supposed to write this but i will ...

it's finals week, finally !
the semester really flew outta my hand like a baseball - once its gone, its gone - and it will break that window .. jk
i guess i decided to post something in the middle of finals week because i am not supposed to -
i've been posted on my xanga for my dead days junk - but i decided to switch back to blogger because i like blogger better -
last couple of days had been wonderful ! - see my post in http://www.xanga.com/anfieldboyz
i think i am getting some studying done - not all - i hope to get at least my AI done tonight so i can start on other stuff like the OS final that i am sweating over -
anyways - last couple of weeks had been fun (and lots of ups and downs .. and whole lot of in between - mood wise ..)
i did get to go to Ring Dance last weekend, and that was fantastic :o)
just a thought - sometimes i wish that Ring Dance never ends - so the life can really be that dreamy (ya know - dances and such) ... but i know the dance did end, life just keeps on moving - sometimes i wish that church service will never ends - like um - sunday everyday to keep the spiritual momentum going - but it does (the corporate part anyways ...) ... so life goes on ...

i love finals week - because the library is packed and everybody is studying -
now A&M does look like Harvard or MIT (during finals only !) ...

ha.

funny.

well - if you are still reading this - shoot me back with something -
and i'll keep on posting.

oh btw i'll be in taiwan/m'sia for the summer - i'll def. keep everyone posted.

peace out.

macster.

Andy Hunter

Shadow proves there's sunshine

i love Switchfoot - their songs prove to be inspiring - the Nothing is Sound LP might seemed darker and rock harder than their other CDs, but i love it, i love the reality of it.
I've just read thru a book by Billy Graham on his last crusade in the NYC, i like how he is so relevant to our generation although he's pretty old, i love the examples that he drew from different sources, from MTV to BillBoard to Madonna, yet he stayed true to the message of Christ, reminding people the Gospel in the midst of this dark world. I didn't know that one of the most requested song / popular song is "Satisfaction" , "i can't get no satisfaction" is what they sang, and yet that is so true, i can't get no satisfaction, at my job , at my school, or my relationships with others. Sometimes i feel empty, just because my circumstances is down, or when i am very insecure - thinking what would other people think of me, or what would the next girl that i meet will have the first impression about me - sometimes i don't really care, i can be straight to your face and let you know the truth and be myself -

sometimes when i am down i just turned up my speakers and blasted away in my car with Avril jammin' out loud that makes the situation even worse - sometimes i can jammed with Andy Hunter's Techno music to just get me into my mood -
i guess i relied on outside influences too much sometimes - always hoping that the right song will come on the radio that kicks me into certain mode - like "Jesus takes the wheel" by Carrie Underwood or "Jesus walks" by Kanye or "Breakaway" by Kelly that lauches me into working coding mode - seems like i know there's one constant point in my life - which is Christ, yet sometimes i rely so little on it - i was so frustrated yesterday that i called my buddy up - and trust me i was emotional and crazy - he asked me to calm down - go pray - then call - don't just call him next time if i am in the drama king mode - haha - there's quite a bit of truth in that - i know the importance of community and accountability as Christians - yet another important thing - solitude with Christ and going to Him because He's the constant point of our lives is important too - that strikes accord in my heart again.

anyways - all those ramblings - just to make one point -
"spend time with Christ - go to Him in prayer and listen to Him"
that's the point.

peace.
Daniel

Vision

They are free
yet they are slaves
of the hurting and dirty and dying.
What is the vision?
The vision is holiness that hurts the eyes.
It makes children laugh and adults angry.
It gave up the game of minimum integrity long ago to reach for the stars.
It scorns the good and strains for the best.
It is dangerously pure.
Light flickers from every secret motive,every private conversation.
It loves people away from their suicide leaps,their Satan games.
…And this vision will be.
It will come to pass;
it will come easily;it will come soon.
How do I know?
Because this is the longing of creation itself,
the groaning of the Spirit,the very dream of God.
—Pete Greig, excerpted from The Vision

Rainy day in Texas

It's a rainy day in Texas,
it's rainy and cold,
much the the Pacific northwest,
i love sitting in the coffee shop during a day like this,
talking with my best friend over a cup of warm coffee,
i missed days like that,
where it's just too cold to do anything else,
thus i am going to enjoy today,
it's a perfect day for the winter (spring is not here yet!),
it's a perfect day for deep thoughts and reflection,
it's a perfect day ... to let the weather be depressed but not me,
it's a rainy day in Texas.

Love for Enemies

Matthew 5
43"You have heard that it was said, 'Love your neighbor^[a] and hate your enemy.' 44But I tell you: Love your enemies^[b] and pray for those who persecute you, 45that you may be sons of your Father in heaven. He causes his sun to rise on the evil and the good, and sends rain on the righteous and the unrighteous.

Verse

Proverbs 21:21 (New International Version)

21 He who pursues righteousness and love
finds life, prosperity ^[a] and honor.

Normal

sometimes i just want to be normal,
normal life normal school normal day,
sometimes i just want to hop on Highway 6 and go home,
spend time with my dad and cook with my mom in the kitchen,
or go outside and play catch with my sister,
sometimes i just want to be normal,
go on dates like everyone else,
and marry the girl of my dream,
sometimes i just want to be normal,
normal like free,
jump into the pool or shout at the beach,
and be who i want to be,
sometimes i just want to be normal,
but then normal would imply being abnormal,
i guess life is not normal as it seems,
as the American dream that make sense to you and me,
like Switchfoot singing meant to live,
are we living as life is a gift,
or a burden that would better off not bear at all,
i guess i am not normal as it seems,
i'll fly home to greet my folk,
still spend time with my dad on the street back home,
cooking with my mom on the 15th floor,
overlook the city with my sister,
maybe there's where i belong,
maybe i don't belong anywhere,
this is my life,
a gift from God that is too great to deny,
to bring Him glory and honor and praise,
to live the way i was made,
as Chris Tomlin sings,
and the curtain rises,
we'll bloom tomorrow,
just like those roses.

City lights and Dreamy nites ...

City lights and Dreamy nites,
how far can we go before we fall down on our face,
recognizing our own failures and weakness,
knowing that we can't have it all,
or have it at all,
what are you waiting for?

Playlist -
Coldplay - Til Kingdom Come, Fix you
U2 - Sometimes you can't make it on your own
Keane - Bend and Break

Cold Night

it's another cold night down in Texas,
sandwiched between the sunny days and rainy days,
just like the emotions,
loneliness was what i felt,
for hours after much of soul searching,
joyfulness and happiness is what i found,
for hours after endless hanging out with my favourite friends,
it seems like season comes and season goes,
what i can treasure most is now,
with friends that i love most,
these are the days,
these are the ways be lived,
like Kanye rappin',
nothing ever promise tomorrow,
except the sun will rise,
and the rain will fall on everyone,
and God's mercy is raining down on us,
again,
and again,
thus let's live it ...
to the fullest.

Daniel.

Get fixed

Fix You - Coldplay
When you try your best but you don't succeed
When you get what you want but not what you need
When you feel so tired but you can't sleep
Stuck in reverse

And the tears come streaming down your face
When you lose something you can't replace
when you love some one but it goes to waste
could it be worse?

Lights will guide you home
And ignite your bones
And I will try to fix you

And high up above or down below
When you're too in love to let it go
But if you never try you'll never know
Just what you're worth

Lights will guide you home
And ignite your bones
And I will try to fix you

Tears stream down your face
When you lose something you cannot replace
Tears stream down your face
And I

Tears stream down your face
I promise you I will learn from my mistakes
Tears stream down your face
And I

Lights will guide you home
And ignite your bones
And I will try to fix you.

Boston !!  

NYC

New York City is definitely a different place ...
so American and yet so un-American ...
it has to be the most unique city so far (than the ones that i've been to in this year)
it's definitely different from the south,
it's larger than Dallas and Houston
it's hippier than Portland or Seattle,
busier that Los Angeles or Atlanta,
and more diverse than anywhere from Seattle to Denver ...

woah.
more thoughts to come.
and pics too.

welcome to the city.

Dan the Mack

tired.

staring at the computer screen,
trying to come out with a circuit that works,
made me feels like a loser,
my amplifier does not work,
then i look at my life,
if i can't even design the least of the creation,
how can i forge out a plan for my life?