Category: Life

• Shared Misery: A Step Towards Friendship

  What’s the saying: “Misery Loves Company?” Maybe this is a better saying: “Misery Builds Friendship. My excruciatingly long flight back to Malaysia had an unexpected turn last evening. As the massive A380 aircraft landed in Kuala Lumpur, it stopped on the tarmac for quite a long time. Then the captain came on to say we…

  sassevn

  July 25, 2016

  Life

  Emirates, flying, friendship, Malaysian air, society

• Home

  I recently took an unscheduled trip “home” to the USA. The quotation marks are needed because my concept of home and what it means has been drastically altered by twenty-plus years living overseas. And if you think my concept of home is messed-up, you should talk to my kids! But that’s a different post. Home…

  sassevn

  July 23, 2016

  Life

  country life, going home, home, nostalgia, TCK

• Jet Lag

  I’m on a whirlwind 2-week excursion in the U.S. before I head back to my lovely Penang. It never ceases to amaze me how long it still takes to travel the world in the 21st century. Where are the Star Trek transporters? Come on, scientists! Us arts people write you good entertainment so it will…

  sassevn

  July 10, 2016

  Life

  dubai, jet lag, traveling

• My Life is Marked by Lychee Season

  It strikes me every year. And I’m always surprised at how fast it comes and how it doesn’t feel like another year has passed. Without warning, one day, I see this. Lychees are in season once a year, starting in mid-May and running through early June. They are grown in sub-tropical climates. I became accustomed…

  sassevn

  May 28, 2016

  Life, Penang

  asian fruit, lychee, praise of lychee, Vietnam

• Penang: A Great Video of My Home

  I’ve lived in Penang for 10 years now. This great new video from Image Farm Productions encapsulates so many of its great qualities. Enjoy!

  sassevn

  May 22, 2016

  Life, Penang

  accolades for penang, malaysia, Penang, penang awards

• Is the Digital World Making Kids Feel Entitled?

  As a teacher who often talks about creative writing, intellectual property, and other issues which try to support the view that artists be paid (and hopefully well) for their endeavors, I regularly run across attitudes from students concerning digital media which are concerning. Just this week I had a student that complained about how expensive…

  sassevn

  May 10, 2016

  Life, social critique

  bootleg music, digital media entitlement, illegal downloads, respecting creative artists, youth and digital musical

• Respect Creative Artists (And check out this cool new song)

  One of my favorite bands, House of Heroes, has a new album coming out this July. I just found out about it this week and I’ve had their pre-release lyric video on repeat for the last three days. Here it is: I’ve been hooked on House of Heroes since I discovered their amazing album “The…

  sassevn

  May 7, 2016

  Current Events, Life

  colors run house of heroes, creativity, house of heroes, music critic, new release, new releases

• Maybe It’s the Podium That Makes People Say Stupid Things

  For the past nine months, we’ve seen plenty of politicians say stupid things. Trump is probably leading the pack in the jaw-dropping odd, weird, or just plain stupid department. But he’s not alone. I’ve also found myself shaking my head at Hillary Clinton, Bernie Sanders, Ben Carson, and others (used in an all-inclusive sense.) But…

  sassevn

  April 1, 2016

  Current Events, Life

  drama games, politics, theatre arts, Trump

• Why couldn’t I think of that?

  I have always been a huge Rich Mullins fan. Of course he died in a car crash in 1997, and it’s hard for me to comprehend how 19 years have past since his passing. I guess it was St. Patrick’s Day that got me thinking of him again. It’s not hard when one of my…

  sassevn

  March 19, 2016

  Indie Author, Life

  ireland, rich mullins, the color green, writing

• Another Example of Symbolism Over Substance

  I’ve lived in Asian for most of the last twenty years in both Vietnam and Malaysia. And while their cultures and histories are varied to say the least, there are some common themes which are obvious to me in many ways. One of these cultural themes which I have experienced on countless occasions in both…

  sassevn

  March 17, 2016

  Life

  driver’s test, malaysia, symbolism, symbolism over substance, value orientations, Vietnam