Embracing the Suck

I recently got asked by one of my Scouts for some advice as they start the latter end of their high schooling. I knew exactly what I was going to say because I had been there myself and it's something I've been thinking about for the past couple of weeks. The advice I gave him isn't directly related to school, but can be interpreted for anything you are currently doing that isn't giving you much joy.

What I told him was that, life is like going on a hike or a camp. The fun parts are really fun and the bad bits really do suck. What you have to remind yourself with is that, the sucky bits are always gonna be sucky, and that it is only once you embrace it that do you really start enjoying it. 

This is one of the big lessons that going hiking over a period of days can really teach people. When you are walking, you have blisters on your feet, you're carrying a pack that 1/5th of your body weight, and you are physically and mentally exhausted. Once you embrace all of this and just accept it, it can be what water is to a fish, and also remember, you aren't the only one experiencing the suck.

Once you have embraced the suck, then you can go ahead and have as much fun as you let yourself have.

- Q.

Freeing Myself

I was watching a Netflix TV show over the weekend called Chef's Table. The first show of season three follows a Buddhist Monk by the name of Jeong Kwan. She is one of the chefs in her monastery, and someone who seems to cook really good Temple Food (I think).

Aside from all of the food porn we see in the episode, there were some other things that she said that really hit me (Some of you may now that I have never been a tremendously religious person, but I like to consider myself a very spiritual person - whatever the fuck that means). One of the things she says in this episode is:

“You must be able to freely move in and out of your mind. This is being free.”

— Jeong Kwan

How I interpreted this was something like... You are only free, when you are free from yourself. For me, these are words that I try to remember most days in my life, when I get frustrated, when something hasn't gone my way, when people are against me, or when something undesirable happens. I normally ask myself to understand why it has happened (I believe that being able to understand and appreciate another persons point of view, even if you don't agree, or understanding how someone has come to a particular conclusion, is a trait of someone with great character), to then accept that it has happened, and to embrace the present. This is how I find bliss in every moment.

Be free.

- Q.

Thy and Thong's Engagement

I had the pleasure of taking some photos at my friends (yes plural, two friends got engaged to each other) engagement over the weekend. Phi and I had gotten a call the night before asking if I could help him carry some 'presents' (there's a special Vietnamese word I am not going to translate, dowry? idk) to the brides house. He is a close friend, so we both agreed. The following morning Thong picked me up, along with his family who had traveled from Melbourne. Phi was running late so had to meet us at Thy's house.

When we arrived at Thy's house (Phi had reached there slightly earlier, and people were giving him strange looks he tells me) we were requested to carry a suckling pig behind Thong and alongside his relatives. I was not able to take photos of this period (was carrying a pig/let?), but we were then asked to hand off our offerings(?) to members of Thy's family. 

Some speeches were said by Thong's step father and Thy's father, which involved introducing members of their family and some other things I did not completely understand, but it was nice. At the end of Thy's father's speech, Thy came out (Thong hadn't seen her before this).

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After this happened, there was a sequence of pouring tea for elder members of both their respective families, saying hello to different members of the families, and taking photos with everyone.

After all of this, it was then off to Liberty Place in Bankstown for some food and to meet everyone else. I decided to go with Phi on the way there.

Once we were there we were greeted by the rest of our Scout cohort, and got up to some general shenanigans, taking some funny photos and catching up like usual.

Most of this session just involved eating lots of foods, trying to catch nuts and grapes in our mouths, and just having a general good time with our friends.

Thy and Thong did eventually get around and had a photo with each table, and also did a little speech thanking everyone.

I hope you guys have a wonderful year ahead organising and planning your wedding. I hope it all goes according to plan, and if it doesn't that you find the resolve to persevere. All the best Thy and Thong!

- Q