So... much... snow...

Hello, friends!

When we moved to Omaha, we knew that some things were going to be different than when we lived in CoMO. We knew that the city was going to be bigger so it was going to take a little longer to get around. We knew that it was going to be colder during the winter since we were further north. We knew that there would be some adjustments to make.

No one told me about the snow...

Y'all, it just stays! It comes, and it stays! I don't know how much it's snowed in the past few weeks but I do know that it won't go away! We had one day at the beginning of the month when there was rain and the temperatures were warm enough for all the January snow to melt. Then do you know what happened? It snowed! Then it snowed again! Then it snowed a third time! And we just finished another 6 inches of snow. All those inches are just piling on top of each other, making our back yard about a foot and a half taller. Our new snow shovel is already showing signs of wear. Y'all, it won't... stop... snowing.

Back in CoMO, winter weather was different. It'd snow and there would be ice, for sure but the temperatures would always make their way back up above freezing so nothing stayed on the ground for more than a few days. You'd have the inconvenience of snow but you could usually just drive over it without having to shovel your driveway because you knew it'd be gone soon. There was the occasional "snow-pocalypse" when we got a huge dump of it, but even those never lasted for very long, relatively speaking.

Look, I'm not saying I want to move back. I'm not saying that Omaha is terrible or that this whole thing is unacceptable. I'm not saying that the plows haven't been doing a great job or that we aren't going to make it work. I'm just saying there's a whole lot of it and I wouldn't mind seeing my driveway in its entirety sometime soon.

Have an excellent day!

~Adam

Black History Month

Hello, friends!

We are 2 weeks in but I wanted to wish everyone a Happy Black History month! In the midst of crazy weather, another potential government shutdown, the Super Bowl, Valentine's Day, and the start of a new semester for us folk who work on that schedule, Black History Month can get lost in the shuffle. It's a shame because as I've gotten older, I've seen how important remembering history is to our present. I've also developed a deeper understanding and appreciation for Black History and for my Black brothers and sisters.

I don't remember studying much about Black History Month when I was growing up. Maybe we did celebrate it and maybe we didn't. If we did, I don't remember anything from it. I don't know how much of that is because I don't remember much of anything from my early schooling and how much of it is because I didn't have any Black friends growing up so it was more of an abstract concept. My neighborhood didn't have many Black families in it and I can probably count on two hands the Black classmates I'd had up through high school. 

That definitely changed when I got to college. When I joined ACF at WashU (Go Bears!), ACF was one of 3 InterVarsity chapters, the other two being a Multi-ethnic chapter and another being Harambee, the Black Campus Ministry (BCM). It was through InterVarsity that I seriously made my first Black friends. I spent a lot of time hanging out with Ashley, T-MO, Rae Rae, and Jad and learned a lot about the experience of being Black in America, mostly through osmosis as opposed to intentional conversations. It was a formative time for in more ways than one. 

Once I joined staff with InterVarsity, the implicit became very much explicit. I was having a lot more conversations with staff friends like Ashley (the one and the same), Chioma, and Tony. I made a lot of mistakes and learned a lot. I tried planting a BCM chapter on two different occasions and learned made even more mistakes and learned even more. It has been a humbling and enlightening experience. It's given me a fuller understanding of my own ethnic identity and a greater appreciation for the beauty of God's design. 

Don't hear me wrong. I'm not sharing my story so that I can put myself on a pedestal as an "enlightened" person when it comes to issues race and justice. I'm also not saying that personal relationships are the fix to all of the US's problems when it comes to issues of race and justice. There are real, systemic changes that need to happen if we want to see true equity in the country. I share my story and my journey because it's what I know and it's my way of celebrating Black History Month. I am a better person, a better follower of Jesus, a better staff, and a better leader because of the influence and friendship of folk in the Black community. I would be a lesser person without these relationships and I would be missing out on so much of God's goodness. It hasn't always been easy but it absolutely has been worth it. 

For my non-Black friends, for Black History Month, ask yourself these questions: what do I THINK I know about the Black community? How can I find out if what I think I know is actually right? (NOTE: The answer to this question is NOT to find your one Black friend and make them explain everything to you. You can Google stuff...). Am I willing to explore, grieve, lament, and repent? Do I need to stretch my community to include a more diverse set of viewpoints? 

As for my Black friends, please, enjoy yourselves this month and know that you have been a huge blessing to me. Thanks for bearing with me. =0). 

Have an excellent day!

~Adam 

Happy New Year!!!

Hello, friends!

Did you know that Tuesday was the Lunar New Year? If you didn't, well, now you know! You can find some more information here.

My relationship with the Lunar New Year is an interesting one. It's one of those holidays that I acknowledged growing up but it didn't have a whole lot of significance for me until much later in life.

There is one exception though. I'm born in January 1985, which makes me technically a Rat but until I had that realization, I identified as an Ox. In 1997, which was also the year of the Ox, I decided that I didn't need to go to school because it was "my year." I made my own holiday. Was it right? Probably not. Did it mean anything to me? Certainly not. Would I do it again? Absolutely. =0).

Other than that one year though, the only thing that really mattered to me was that Papa John (my dad, not the pizza guy) made a soup out of brown sugar, ginger, and balls made of glutenous rice flour. I have no idea of its cultural significance but I know that it is delicious.

When I got to college (Go Bears!) LNYF was a big thing at WashU (Go Bears!) but because I didn't care much about the Lunar New Year growing up, I didn't partake in the festivities with the same fervor as many of my friends.

But then I moved to CoMO. And when I moved to CoMO, I was suddenly lacking in Asian American peer community. I was also trying to create a home for Asian American students at Mizzou so I needed to steep myself more in some of those traditions. Suddenly, my appreciation for the Lunar New Year festivities grew, and it's grown ever since. Marrying Megan and being involved in international student ministry has also helped.

Celebrating this year was a lot of fun. We had some friends over and we had a dumpling making party while watching a great documentary about Chinese history (read: Disney's Mulan). Of course, I made my dad's dessert soup and everyone left full.

It's funny how culture and cultural pride develops and evolves over time. As I've moved further and further away from critical masses of Asian American community (Southern California to St. Louis to CoMO, to now Omaha), I've found myself gravitating more towards the Chinese side of my identity. I've started learning Mandarin. I'm trying to affirm Ezra and Thaliea's Chinese identity more. It's an interesting journey. I doubt that I'll ever forsake my "American culture" side but I can see myself becoming more and more discontented with some of the ways that American Culture functions.

God doesn't make mistakes. He made me Chinese American for a purpose. I'm fully Chinese and fully American. Figuring out what that means exactly has been fun, if not also delicious. =0).

Have an excellent day!

~Adam