Going to Church, Learning Martial Arts, Playing Games, and Watching Cartoons

Just another day in academic paradise.

Over the last week, I've been working on assignments from my classes, and they are going well, but the real story this time lies outside the classroom. I've been getting involved with several different campus organizations, and I've found some that I think I'll really enjoy over this and future years.

First off - Jo Mai Anime - the Japanese Anime (cartoon) club. We meet on Tuesday nights for several hours and just watch some different selections of Japanese cartoon programs. Also, we get involved with large anime conventions in the area, like Oni-Con, which is coming up in October, right before my birthday. Having come from two years as president of the anime club at my high school, this one was a natural fit.

Next - Fast Warp - the gaming club. Another group that meets simply to enjoy themselves playing any and all types of games - board games, video games, role playing games, the works. They also work closely with the planning committee for OwlCon, Rice's yearly gaming convention. Amazingly, although I've only been to one meeting (there's only been one so far this year), I was elected secretary of the club. I ran for the office because I have some experience with administering websites and clerical work, and I had no opposition in the race. Funnily enough, neither did any of the other elected positions - oh well. Should be an exciting time.

Third - Aikido club - a club that teaches the theory and practice of the Japanese martial art, Aikido. Aikido is not about using strength to best an attacker, but rather to redirect momentum and energy exerted by the opponent and redirect it back at them. It is a complicated skill, and it will take a long time to learn correctly, but I believe (hope?) that I'm up for the challenge.

Last, but certainly not least, I've become a member of South Main Baptist Church, the church that I've been attending for the last few weeks since my arrival in Houston. Each week, at the end of the sermon, the pastor invites any people who would like to become a member of the church or would like to accept Jesus as their savior to come up to the front of the sanctuary. This is not to embarrass them, but just to introduce them to the congregation and welcome them into the church family. Afterwards, I would guess a good 90% of the congregation came up and shook hands with me. It was an amazing experience and really made me feel welcome. God's looking out for me, and He's really helped to make this an amazing experience.

I'm finally caught up on my reading for the day, and now I actually have a few hours to kill (nap) before I'm off to Jo Mai Anime tonight. Yay!