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JamesKLee
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Name: The James
Country: United States
State: Texas
Birthday: 10/7/1984
Gender: Male
Interests: The TRUTH(someday God will reveal it to me) Basketball. Trombone. MUSIC. Breathtakingly beautiful female species.
Expertise: Eating. Sleeping. Chillin..... someday it will be trombone
Occupation: Student
Industry: Art
Message: message meEmail: email me
Website: visit my website
Member Since:
4/24/2003
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| Hello guys, its saturday night and it is quite the night...as it has
been very SILENT...which to my taste is beautiful. Yes, it looks to be
another busy year filled with teaching, training, studying, and
practicing. It's gonan be stressful but this is how I live my life so
dammit.
Although UH fails at many things, it is very hard to
find fault with the insitution in terms of pure academics. I have to
admit, in terms of schoalstic quality, UH does prevail. Within months
of my arrival on this campus I have discovered a few things about
myself that would not have been possible if I werent in sucha thriving
cultural mecca such as UH. I have decided that I would like to learn as
many langauges as I can and also have added a study of English to my
collegiate life. Who woulda ever thought. I am, however, discovering
and also not blaming myself for how poorly I cared about english in
high school...high school english is so limited to curriculum and an
effort to promote such depth and perception for literature really is
discouraged in high school...as in, the depth and perspective needed
literally is discouraged from happenign in high school due to strict
policies and guidelines for teachers. But back t o the topic, although
my transfer to UH has been stressful and also has added a few
unexpected semesters to my graduation, Im glad I made the change. Here
I am able to truely be who I am...I throw the discus, study music, and
explore interests that have been budding inside of me ...i do feel UH
ha saunique ability to surface any hiding ambitions such as in my case,
literature and language...now I have to find the time to study them. I
have to say, UH has arather fine enlgish department and top-notch
faculty.
And to my random blurb of the heart. I am one who
becomes very passionate about anything at anytime I feel obligated to
give an ode to music. I study and live within the most powerful force
on this earth...no doubt about it in my mind. It connects humans, it
shows us worlds that we could not comprehend otherwise, and it breaks
any barrier of communication. Very recently I have tried to rejuvinate
the youthfulness of my appreciation of music. Unfortunately, for the
past few years I dont feel liek I have enveloped myself into music
nearly as much as I had in hgih school...I mean, i have an impressive
knowledge of the repertoire and I have studied these genres but i dont
think I have maintained the youthful innocence and love of listening
that I did when I bought my frist cd of beethoven classic collection. I
blame LARGELY to music history courses that turn music into some sort
of scholastic pursuit and seem to pull listeners away from having such
innocent love. I remember buying my first cd, I was in 6th grade...my
mom went to the clothign store...I didnt want to go...so I asked to go
to the cd store just down the road...so with a five in my hand and an
odd hope of finding a cd that onl costed five dollars I purchased a
collection of Beethoven classic on one cd... and the cd costed 1
dollar... i remember hearing Beethoven's Egmont Overture for the first
time. I heard it every night for the remainder of my 6th grade year.
Same situation with my first ever tromboen cd. There was no attempt to
analyze or criticize for the sake of scholarly status...there was only
love...and it spoke to me...as If God had reached down and given me
this gift. It was youthjful, it was innocent,. Before that point,
people had urged me to listent o classical because it was what 'smart
people' do...or, "people who listen to classical music and
classy"...and as an 11 year old kid who rode BMX all day,..all I had to
say was..."who gives a shit"...and then I took up the trombone...and it
sparked curiosity in me...and I bought hte cd and loved it. My pursuit
for this type of music wasnt a result of what "I should do in order to get or feel or earn that."
It was me, on a random day, with five bucks, goign to then Blockbuster
Music to buy a cd and listen to it...and my heart flew into the heavens
that day. Im seeking a renaissance within myself to relive this
day...to before I pursue dmusic scholatically...before my love was to
be graded and examined... i seek to bring back the day when I lied on
the floor with headphones connected to my less than ideal stereo system
and just awaited for what was going to be heard...I want to live again.
On
one of my music history examinations I was asked why do I think a
certain piece by Mozart has remained popular to this day...and I
blurted such generic non-sense out such as form and rhtymn and
harmony...and quote "there, there you are...an artificial account of
how Mozart's music has touched many...there it is...so I can gain
credit for this absurd exam that is taking me away from practicing for
my jury". And my professors response was "well, James how do you expect
have any understanding?" and my asnwer was..." I think I understand it
perfectly...just as percectly as anoyone else who hears it,...and makes
a true self-realization of how the music affects them". Music history
is important, but it must not stretch so far in such a way that
promotes a conformity to the understanding of music,....love of music
is unique and carries its own beauties within every individual. Thats
what music is...thre is only one way to listen...and that is with love...what you see as the truth, is the truth...as long as it is with love.
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| So yeah, a lot has happened since my last update...most of which has been chronicled in jameskwonlee.blogspot.com
I threw my way onto UH's all time top 5 discus throws and earned a full-scholarship for track on the UH team. Feels good to actually EARN it...I came from nowhere, proved myself...and now I dont pay for school. This will enable me to move into an apartment...which costs...but it beats living at home and commuting 40 minutes. So the scholarship transfers our expensies from tuition to rent! hahahah
Track has been good. I thank God for bringing me back to the sport and making it clear that he wants me to specialize in two fields: track and music. He has blessed me immensely. I know he wants me to be at UH as I see how campus ministires withint eh church have expanded throughout Texas universities. Now God must grant me the time to go out and serve! (I dont have much) Trainign full-time, pracitcing trombone full-time, and being a full-time student has been very rough to say the absolute least. Music is considered to be the most time/energy consuming major (for those who actually pursue it to be good) and life as a student athelte is strenous at best. But, God gives me strength and will continue to do so...I passed off 36 hrs of class last yr! Im proud of myself.
Musically, UH has been fine...SMU is generally a better musci school for orcehstral performers but UH will do...at this poitn its not up to the school to decide whether or not I work my ass off to become a player...its me. Two years at a great orchestral trainign school liek SMU gavce me plenty of what I need to know about being successfull...its just amatter of practicing my ass off now...I intend to take midmajor to major auditions within the next 2-3 yrs.
I have just been invited to spend 3 days on the ranch of Tom Tellez, retired UH track and field coach. He is a legend within UH and a Hall of Fame coach with USA track and Field. He coached many olympians the most notable being Carl Lewis, 9x olympic gold medalist. Hes coached 4 of the top 5 UH throwers in history (the otehr being me) and has served as coach to many other throwers in the olympics. It'll just be me and him on hsi ranch...training and just being together out int he country. It's quite an honor to have this opportunity, Hopefully my schedule will be able to fit in this mini-camp at his ranch...I am honored nonetheless.
Well, theres a little briefing of my life this year...until next time
-JL
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l-r: Lucas, Coach, Me, Jacob, Jon
I just wanted to put this picutre up cus I think it is a damn good picture. Here are the 2005-2006 UH throwers.
This tells the story of our year....yeh, there have been bumps and
still lingering problems...but these guys have been incredibly supportive
of me and each other. I'm disgusted, however, and Jacob's ability
to maintain a 6 pack while eating 3 chesseburgers a day.
GO COOGS
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| I wrote this elswhere but decided to publish it her eas well because I feel obligated to share ..
"American Girls Are Where It's At"
Amerian girls are where it's at fellas...that's just my take. But lets get to the
real intention of my rant.
An older cousin of mine whom I love dearly
called me today to wish our family a merry Christmas. Everytime she calls
however, she inquires about my romantic life and insists that I consider what
she has to say. It always comes up, "James, meet you a Korean girl and get
married...you should stay away from interracial marriage". Now, there is a part
of me that is very forgiving of this; she along with many others who have grown
up in traditional Korean households abroad or domestic have this ingrained into
their life...it is what they see as the truth. However, as she furthur
eloborated I became not so angered but more like disturbed at what brings her
and others opposed to interracial marriage to their conviction- same colors stay
with same colors...that is ultimately the verdict.
Then arose questions
to me, "Well James, you should be more concerned about your parents when they
see a mixed grand child and not a full-flooded Korean". That statement just
seems liek it screams out pure ignorance and a complete fear of evolution of
thought and humankind. It's a fear...that's what it is. Another arguement of
people possessing such fear is that barriers of communication and culture may
never be amended with the marriage of two different nationalities...But let's
not ignore-the grounds on which many countries such as Korea stand on have been
constituted by blends of nationalities. Lets just go ahead and use Korea...there
is no doubt of the eraly Chinese influence on the building of Korea. My last
name is Lee...Chinese origin. How are Koreans so unwilling to integrate if the
foundations of their own existence depended on it?! Very puzzling. Again, its a
fear...and a fear clouds our logic.
Now...i say American girls are where
it's at simply because...yeh, it is where it's at. To be honest, when I look
into the future, I see an American woman as my wife waking up next to me and
being half nekked with a bangin' body. Now, this is not to say that I will only
marry an Ameircan chick...but this is jsut my reality...this is who I am...thats
what I envision. Yeah, maybe there is a possibility i will marry a korean chick
but its probably less than a 1 out of a million chance. Thats my reality...how
am I supposed to all the sudden swallow ideals of a non-progressive fear? Now, I
know "their" (they being the ignorant") realities consists of same Nationality
marriage only...but lets be honest,.,..historically..who's right? The great
Martin Luther King Jr. said that people must overcome their fear to make any
true understanding...btw, this is why I totally disagree with people being
non-progressive...even Republicans should be progressive.
The truth
is...I am an American. I am just as American as the white boy who eats crackers
and dresses up as a cowboy for halloween. I am an American with American
ideals...maybe the reason why I dont feel attraction to other Americans with
Korean roots is because Americans with Korean roots insist on maintaining
themselves as a seperate peoples...how detrimental this is...to America...to
humanity. Now, there is no objection from me if a Korean dude wants to marrya
korean chick...but no one will be able to persuade me that interracial marriage
is not right. What is not right is to comprimise love for the sake of
conformity.
Now as you have read, this post is not a fanfare for the
American girl...but they are pretty hot...
Rather, I would like to tell
you friends that fear of color must be erased for us to make any progress...the
important word being FEAR. This concerns me a great deal because this problem
lies within all races. Think about the logic of "staying within your own
color"....why is that important? Think about it...why is that even a
concern?....FEAR. Thats it...thats just it. This is the same FEAR that refused
to let go of the idea that colonial negroes where not equal people...this is the
same fear that oblgiated Cortez to wipe out any south american natives he
saw.
"Stay with your color", "How will your babies look like?", "Imagine
the cultural differences"....looks liek fear to me...and no valid reasons as to
why one must consider these when searching for a life partner.
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| hi guys, ive been kinda writing on another format of blgging
mania...eblogger-i think thats what its called. I just like it better
for some reason...it has a strong network of professionals in variou
fields who also blog their thought!
http://jameskwonlee.blogspot.com/
I've been putting down some personal updates and training updates as well.
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