About Me

“The name is Pak. Ricky Pak. Pak is a cool last name to have. It literally means white in Chinese. And if you like it, I could make it yours, too.”

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I’ve just graduated (in May 2008 ) with a B.Sc. in Cognitive Systems (which is pretty much just Cognitive Psychology with a little twist, really) at UBC, but if I was honest there were times when I wished that I studied 20th century History and Music instead. With that said, I thoroughly enjoyed my five years in university because I was involved with a campus ministry called Campus for Christ (formerly Campus Crusade for Christ), where I learned the importance and internalized the meaning of big words like “mission” and “vision”, but most of all the “Message of the Cross”.

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I believe that – as John Piper puts it – the chief end of man is to glorify God by enjoying Him forever. This is what I seek to do. Easier said than done? Yeah, but not if your heart is really sold for Jesus.

One related activity I like to do is cross-referencing Bible verses. Nothing feels better than questioning a teaching by the apostle Paul or Jesus Christ Himself and then finding the answer simply in another book or chapter of the Bible without referring to any external sources.

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I love football. Or soccer. It is truly the Beautiful Game that goes some ways in reflecting the glory of the creator of the heavens and earth. I hope that Vancouver will soon get a proper stadium and a place in the MLS.

My first time seeing the ‘Caps in the summer of 2006

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I also love discovering good music and films from the past that help me to understand why today’s sounds and visuals are the way they are.

Some of my favourite films include Scorsese’s “Taxi Driver” (1976), Miyazaki’s “千と千尋の神隠し” (2001), Coppola’s “The Godfather” (1972), Leone’s “Once Upon a Time in America” (1984), and Tarantino’s “Pulp Fiction” (1994).

Some of my favourite bands and musicians include U2, Radiohead, Death Cab for Cutie, John Mayer, Sufjan Stevens, Bright Eyes, Ben Folds Five, The Smashing Pumpkins, Oscar Peterson and Jimmy Smith.

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I am a first generation Hong Konger immigrant (came to Canada when I was 11), but I try hard to hide the fact that I am one. I grew up in Richmond, B.C. as more or less a satellite kid but grew to love God and people because of the family and friends who loved me. Now I am waiting for the day when I can be a loving husband to a wonderful wife and father to many kids.

A very rare family portrait

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This blog is for me to write down any random thing that comes to mind. Usually they come to mind when I am in transit. At times they come to mind when I am worshipping God. Yet at other times they come to mind when I want a wife.

Blogging is just another way of having conversations about things that matter to me. But of course, I prefer conversing with friends until 2, 3am in the middle of the night, when our minds really wake up.

Here’s a sample from my previous Xanga blog:

The theological framework behind “Finding a wife”

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Thanks for coming and feel free to comment on my posts. I like it a lot when you do that!