03.30.2016 - Stay Grounded

I’m sitting on the train in Tokyo and the message to myself I’ve been trying to put into words finally hit me: “stay grounded”.

Traveling and meeting people from other countries always tends to inspire me to move somewhere and start a new life - however simple. Talking to my friends from China, Australia, Japan, and even New York these past two weeks have really piqued my travel bug. In the last few days alone, I’ve considered moving to Tokyo, New York, Sydney and Shanghai..

I’ve considered being an international student, a financial advisor, a tattoo artist, a journalist.

But at the same time, I was feeling lonely yesterday in a big city where everyone was going along with their jobs and their lives and I was just wandering through. It isn’t always a bad thing to be in a community or around people you knew growing up. It’s not bad to have some things be same old, same old sometimes. I daydream about places to live, but I need to remember that none of that means anything until I decide “what” it is I need to do with my life. What is the thing I can’t not do?

Stay grounded.

I need just that. I have to realize that all those things can come after I’ve finally established my career path and myself professionally. Instead of letting myself daydream and wander, I have to focus on my current goal at hand.

The LSAT. Law school. Working in Congress or a district attorney’s office. Fighting everyday for something I believe in, trying to change a flawed system of a country that I love.

I can’t let myself get distracted with where I will live for the rest of my life until I have figured out what I want to do in those places.

I was researching jobs that could transfer across international borders the other day and came up with this list:
1. English Teacher :)
2. Finance
3. Law (to an extent)

Remote jobs:
1. Writer
2. Photographer
3. Designer
4. Artist

Jobs that require travel:
1. Executive in multinational company

It seems that everything points to me going through law school and whatever my path takes me afterward. Even if I started in finance, went through an engineering phase, and am now in education, I still want to make a difference in politics and policy and for that, I need to go to law school. I want to go. There is no straightforward path for careers, and going through three different careers already in my short work history has taught me that.

The thing is, it’s totally okay. Even though I tell myself that often, I still have trouble believing it and finding the resolve to see it through.

I will take this test. Kill it.
I will find a job in the field I’m interested in. Kill it.
I will go to law school. Kill it.
International Politics and Policy. Kill it.

Then life will take me around all these wonderful places in the world.

As long as I stay focused.

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Notes to myself

* LSAT
* T SFSU 6-8pm
* T/W CorePower 830-930pm
* 3rd
* Job hunting

4 Reasons People Think It Is Okay To Be Racist Towards Asians | Thought Catalog →

03.28.2016

Good read, but unfortunately things I already witness on a daily basis.

America has a pretty hypocritical idea of diversity that excludes many groups of people from our ‘melting pot’. I do agree that the plight of the blacks and #blacklivesmatter deserves all the attention it’s getting (and more) but let’s not forget the injustices the rest of the minorities face in America.

And because I’m in Japan right now, even more interesting is the way that Japan deals with foreigners. Foreigners - especially blonde and blue eyed - are either treated as celebrities here… Or face blatant racism and discrimination when applying for jobs, trying to get apartments, or just out in the street when Japanese people drop hate for no reason at all. At one point, there was a running joke of a white guy on Japanese TV who didn’t understand kanji and screamed “why Japanese people?!” Most of Japan’s families and kids proceeded to yell the same thing at foreigners afterward. And these are the families and kids we share communities with.

So is direct racism worse than micro aggressions? I’m not so sure, because at least in the first instance it’s more obvious when there are injustices and people can protest or retaliate, knowing then and there that it is wrong. The honesty is something you can fight because it is acknowledged.

Many more people had a more difficult time speaking up and publicly calling out the jokes at the Oscars. Is it because they weren’t blatant enough about how racist the jokes were? Or has it been ingrained into society that the narrative is only black and white? I think it’s a culmination of both, but also that micro aggressions aren’t acknowledged to be a problem because it isn’t as outrageous as the rest of the messed up things that happen in America.

But I believe that racism, whether micro aggressions or macro aggressions, should be addressed at all levels. Educate when necessary and don’t let even the little things slide because they end up becoming bigger problems when you let people think it’s okay to discriminate on any level.

Yes, the world has become more sensitive and tiptoeing around being PC. But I don’t think that’s necessarily a bad thing. If something has to be given up for everyone to feel comfortable with themselves and not be offended, I’m willing to put more time into my thoughts and words. It’s a small price to pay for a more accepting tomorrow.

At the same time, however, it shouldn’t just be up to each racial group to fight for themselves. I think all minorities need to stick up for each other and a better America. So maybe not electing Trump would be a good first step? Just a thought. (No, but actually don’t let him get elected.)

I also always find it interesting when people are of mixed race. I know some that feel the pressures of each race two fold, or ones that take advantage of the pros of each separate race and playing to the half of them that is more convenient. Maybe it’s this group of people that really have a chance at starting a conversation about their other halves. Instead of trying to assimilate into American society and capitalize at being ‘white’, they could take the opportunity to inform about their racial narrative. They can be the bridge to fill the gaps between the barrier called race. We can all be a little more proud of where our ethnic histories lie and educating those around us to be more accepting of each others’ identities.

In a world where many strive to be more 'white’, let’s take a step back and realize the importance of just being ourselves. It isn’t a crime to not conform to society. Change it, but loving yourself first.