One post in April...

So, I know it has been a while since I updated. Won't be completely updating everything that has happened but going to put something at least so I have something for April...

My work with MLB International in Taiwan was VERY exciting, albeit tiring (around 30 hours of sleep the entire week), and I think I made a good impression with some top people as well. My bosses were really nice as well and I got a bunch of free stuff as well, including an authentic, game-worn jersey of one of the players =P. Of course, it was someone no one knows, but I like it a lot because the player shares the same last name as I do (well, the same kanji, Choi)! This has renewed my hope that I actually will have a shot at working in the sports industry someday. Hopefully I will finally get to posting some of the few pictures I have as well. I can blab on and on about my experience but I will save you guys from the boredom =P (and I probably shouldn't be talking too much about the specifics on a public blog).

I also recently ran my first full marathon two weeks ago. I was already very nervous beforehand but had a true FML moment when I woke up the day before the marathon with a sore throat and fever. Tried to get better but still had a slight fever on race day. Thankfully, I was able to survive and I was really glad that I finished, though I didn’t make my target time (under 5 hours) and both of my legs were cramping up majorly the last fourth of the race. Considering that I was running while sick, I guess my time was acceptable in the end (5:08:42). It was a personally rewarding experience and I would recommend it to anyone interested! My knees were in pain for the next two days though, haha.

Other things, one of my friends was hit by a car coming up of a parking lot (knocked unconscious for a short while), so make sure you guys watch out! Time really flies and I am getting slightly worried about the progress of my research. Really need to pull myself together for the final stretch since my grant is coming to a close soon. Not sure about what I will be doing next year but I did get accepted in to IUC (Inter-University Center), a Japanese language school in Yokohama for their 10 month program. According to Yamashita (apparently an alum of that school as well) it is the best language school program (geared towards Americans, added by me). I figure it would be a good idea to try and become fluent in Japanese because I will probably forget a lot if I just go back to the US after this year. Of course, I’m not sure if I can go yet because the tuition is hella high and if I don’t get some scholarship money there is no way in the world that I can afford it (unless anyone has $40,000 just lying around somewhere?). Will know more about it in a month or so though.