Rant of the Exiles

I judge fat people.  I assume they’re lazy and weak-willed. I want to bring attention to their obesity in case they weren’t yet aware. I’m tempted to lecture them about obesity’s effect on our health care system. I want to remind fat people of the statistics - I’m especially critical of fat people who frequent fast food restaurants. I want to ask “Are you sure you want to be here? Do you really want to super-size that?” America is a free country but I will absolutely judge the diet of fat people. I also don’t want to sit next to a fat person on the plane. I recall a news story about Samoan airlines charging customers not by seat but by pound. I remember thinking how novel and practical an idea that was. Being of Asian descent is also a disadvantage in accepting larger people. Relative to white people , I am a small, skinny Asian dude and my body type is normative for Asians. I am genetically predisposed against gaining weigh...

Fresh off the Boat (the book not the show): A prophet in exile rants against injustice. I'm not gonna lie - I'm jealous of Eddie Huang. I'm not jealous he has a prime time TV show inspired by his life. I'm not jealous of his award-winning  restaurant. I'm not jealous of his popularity, or that he's written a book, or his sharp sense of fashion. I'm jealous of his courage with words. Because Eddie Huang is a prophet. A prophet speaks truth without compromise. Isaiah was commanded to speak to a persistently unfeeling people. A prophet is not afraid to call out the establishment on issues of social injustice. Amos proclaimed judgment on "those who trample the heads of the poor" . A prophet employs symbolism to make his point. Ezekiel cut his beard off with a sword and set it on fire as a witness against Israel. A prophet is offensive and persecuted for his views. John the Baptist got his head chopped off for calling Herod ou...

Re-enacting the Jonestown Massacre Last week, my family and I spent seven days with seven young adults from our church doing a program called Subversive Life. I stole the idea from a pastor friend who did something similar. During the day, people either went to work or helped out with a week-long youth program. In the evenings, we cooked together and then had some kind of activity.  We stayed at my parents' house while they were of town and we had a blast. We cooked together, had group devotional times, went contra dancing, attended an open mic together (along with a spontaneous jam session outside afterwards), solicited prayer requests from people at Oakridge Mall, volunteered at Cityteam, hosted a Board Game Night at church, attended an art showcase, played lots of Just Dance 4 and hung out together in community.  It was an awesome yet exhausting time.  One goal of Subversive Life was to subvert individualism. So much of my life is spent on my own, ...

Imagine this scene. A husband wants to celebrate his wedding anniversary by having a romantic, candle-lit dinner with his wife. He makes reservations weeks in advance at an exclusive eatery known as much for its ambiance as its cuisine. Can you guess what type of restaurant he picked?  The top three possibilities? Italian, French, and Japanese. European cuisine is sexy personified. Italian food leads this list. The spaghetti scene from the Lady and the Tramp is unforgettable. And nothing is more romantic than Venice. When you have like 5000 different kinds of pasta and each one has a sexy name, you know you're doing well.       And French fare is a close second. The French know food and they know romance. Think Paris. Think originator of the renown Michelin Guide. Think sidewalk cafes, baguettes, wine, cheese, and candles.  And don't get me started on Japanese food. They massage their cows to make the beef more tender. Sushi is not...

I've been in the Chinese church for a long time. It's not easy at times. I often wrestle with feelings of contempt towards Chinese culture. Like many immigrant churches, we have lunch together after worship service on Sundays. It is a loud, disorganized, chaotic affair. Both children and elderly push and shove their way to the front of the line for pizza. It could be the scene in some developing country. As an Americanized Asian, I survey the traditional Chinese dining experience with disdain and revulsion. Why do Chinese people have to eat and talk so loud? How come dining ambiance doesn't matter more? Today was a little bit of a breakthrough. The sisters group of our church, composed mostly of first-generation stay-home moms, invited me to join them for their hot pot lunch. I used to hate hot pot. But recently, its been making a personal comeback. I always thought it was revolting to deal with raw food. And even more disgusting to have to fish around for it with ever...