dash to the past

I remember it was a Wednesday, the first Wednesday of my life at my new boarding school in Taichung, about 8 hours away from home. I was thirteen. I didn't know how to do laundry, I didn't know how to cook, I didn't really know jack. I had much to learn... And learned I did when my white clothes came out blue from the laundry.

So on this Wednesday, I met my roommmate of four years the first time in my life. He grew up in a drug rehab center (his parents run it), and he kinda looked like a guy who just got out of rehab. He got settled into the room, and all of a sudden pulls out a one foot machete (in mandarin, 'watermelon knife') from his pillow.

Abe, our suitemate, walks in.

He laughs and says, 'remember last year how you were cut Greg to pieces with that thing and Joey had to hold you down? hahahah'

Man, I remember being so freaked out. I was thirteen, first time away from home for such a long time, first time to have to be independent, and what do ya know my roommate looks like a legit gangster, and might just hack me to pieces with that machete of his. Life is tough, yo. I slept with my wallet under my pillow that first night, thinking if I had to run I can quickly grab my wallet first. Hahaha. So naive.

Looking back it wasn't so bad. He turned out to be an excellent roommate, and we got along just fine and lived together for our four years of high school. Two years into our roommate-ship I found out he was my distant cousin. It was kinda weird.

btw, there is no moral to this story. Was kinda just remembering things.

Pascal's Wager

Endeavour then to convince yourself, not by increase of proofs of God, but by the abatement of your passions. You would like to attain faith, and do not know the way; you would like to cure yourself of unbelief, and ask the remedy for it. Learn of those who have been bound like you, and who now stake all their possessions. These are people who know the way which you would follow, and who are cured of an ill of which you would be cured. Follow the way by which they began; by acting as if they believed, bless yourself with holy water, have Masses said, and so on; by a simple and natural process this will make you believe, and will dull you—will quiet your proudly critical intellect...

Now, what harm will befall you in taking this side? You will be faithful, honest, humble, grateful, generous, a sincere friend, truthful. Certainly you will not have those poisonous pleasures, glory and luxury; but will you not have others? I will tell you that you will thereby gain in this life, and that, at each step you take on this road, you will see so great certainty of gain, so much nothingness in what you risk, that you will at last recognize that you have wagered for something certain and infinite, for which you have given nothing

- Blaise Pascal

laughter, the medicine

cheer up (link)