Danny ChaiI think if you read these pages enough you see the same things over and over because they have really affected me and I always forget what I’ve written. But one thing that has been a big influence on me is Nietzche’s idea of will to power. This idea of embracing the now so totally that no matter what it’s like, you would want it to happen again infinitely. I probably didn’t make that clear, but the basic point is you embrace the now so much that you would want it to happen again in a same life forever, and there’s power in that.
Nietzche was pretty much a lunatic, and interestingly, most of the pictures on the front of his book where he looks all pensive were taken after he had gone clinically insane. But I love the idea of totally embracing the present, sucking the marrow out of life now type thing. I think it’s an idea in Christianity too, although I won’t develop that. But embracing the now.
Anyway, I encountered that idea freshman year, and since then, I’ve tried to really embrace everything I’m going through at the present, to just really enjoy things, not look to the past, or wait for the future, but really, totally live in the now. It’s such a good feeling. There are other ideas I have with this that I’ve talked about before, like why I’m not huge into pictures, because I think it can keep people in the past, and stuff like that. Oh there’s another thing. Another thing that really influenced me freshman year was this philosophy, I don’t know what it’s called, but it was in both ancient Chinese and Greek philosophy. In Chinese, it was… I think Chuang Tzu. I can’t remember. And the Greek one was outlined, I think, in the Enchiridion. I can’t remember the details, but the idea is that you have no power to change certain things, so just deal with it, and don’t get so depressed about it, but just take what you’ve given and do what you can. To me, that’s just so empowering. I mean, why bother getting worked up over something you can’t do anything about?
As usual, I haven’t explained that well but who cares. So that’s 2 big things for me, embrace the present, Carpe Diem, and only worry about things you can worry about. I think that’s why I’m usually in a good mood.
I forgot why I wrote this. I think it had something to do with 6th man tickets. You may not know, but for men’s basketball games, there is something called the 6th man club, where people pay a bit extra on their season tickets and in return get a T-shirt and the right to sit at this section right on the floor at every game. You really gotta go to this if you have the opportunity. Maybe that’s why I was writing about it. College sporting events are one thing you totally need to take advantage of while you can. It is just so much fun. It’s great. And it’s not the same when you’re out of college. Then it’s just the sports. But now it’s the sports, the spirit, the fraternity, and everything else.
So last season, we (another great thing about college sports is how we can use the terms “we” and “us” when talking about our teams and totally mean it, although our involvement with the success of the team is nil. It doesn’t matter. It’s still us.) went to the Final Four, so demand for 6th man tickets this year is crazy. I think before, you could go to the place a couple hours after they went on sale and still get some. Last year you had to go really early. This year, people started camping out weeks in advance.
I had the opportunity to join one of the groups camping out for tickets. It was a crazy atmosphere. People were just rowdy, tons of drinking, people had tents, sleeping bags, sofas, stereos, TVs, VCRs, Nintendos and Playstations. Insane. But it was great, because it was so alive. It’s fun to be crazy. I once slept out for San Jose Sharks playoff tickets in high school and that was fun too. Especially since we won that game (Game 4 against the Detroit Red Wings) and the series, even though we were a #8 seed. Awesome series. But anyway, I love experiences like this. It makes it fun being human.
But they eventually got rid of the tents because it was getting too crazy; you can read about it in the Daily. But it sucks, because before I was guaranteed a ticket, now I’m not. But it’s also the answer to a prayer, because there was no way I was gonna be able to handle 15 hours at Maples this week. So I’m thankful for that.
Another thing is my cousin, Julie is now at Stanford, at the Journalism school. She will have an article in tomorrow’s Daily, on the URO. Everyone read it. Another Chai at Stanford! That’s 4 Chais from my family that have come here – Moonki, Sunki, Julie, and me, all Chais. Another 3 on my mom’s side: Eugene and David Gregor, and Ann Cho. We are taking over this school, baby.