work has been on my mind a lot lately, maybe b/c there's been a lot of changes regarding it over the past month or so. my project at ms ended and i had some bench time... time where i wasn't on a project, but was kind of "on call" until i was assigned a new one. i realize many of my friends and family don't really understand my line of work b/c it's constantly changing, there's always uncertainty, there's sometimes a lot of flexibility and well it's just hard to comprehend. but i was reminded a few weeks ago when i was talking to a friend about how and why i ended up in the job i'm in.
when i finished college, i was a young believer and i was blessed to have multiple job offers due to the booming economy. one offer was at the company i did my internship during my last year of college, another was at a large and stable company and i also had a couple of offers from 2 of the big "five" consulting companies. i remember talking through my options with many of my family and friends, but my final decision came down to which job would lead me to grow more in my faith, and that made my choice easy! b/c to me that would be the job that would make me have to depend on Him more often and more fully, and that's how i entered the consulting world.
Thursday, March 31, 2011
Tuesday, March 29, 2011
Turkey - Food and Fun
since my last flashback post of turkey was more about how the trip impacted me, i thought it would also be good to have a post on what i did and what i ate while i was over there. anyone who knows me knows that one of the best parts of traveling is the eating and my friend definitely helped me to try all the local foods! the best summary would be to view my FB photo album of turkey, but if you want a written summary here it is:
Izmir
went bowling, had dinner and games at a friend's house, road the ferry across the bay, saw the konak tower (famous Izmir landmark), went to Kameralti (Izmir's mini grand bazaar), had the best cup of Turkish coffee at a cafe in Kameralti, spent a day visiting Ephesus, went to Sirince (quaint countryside village), had an amazing Turkish breakfast at a hilltop restaurant that overlooked all of Izmir
Istanbul
stayed with a family on the Asia side of Istanbul and caught the ferry over to the Europe side every morning (great way to start the day on the ferry with a cup of chai), saw the Sultan Ahmet Cami (Blue Mosque), went to the Yerebatan Sarnıcı (ancient underground cistern and aqueducts), Kapalı Çarsı (Grand Bazaar), Mısır Kapalı (Spice Market), the Aya Sofya, ate a grilled fish sandwich near the water at the Galata bridge, walked thru Istiklal Caddesi (Independence Ave), got a personal escort to a hard to find and AMAZING restaurant called Ciya, drank hot cups of Sahlep while walking around at night (love this stuff!)
Left to Right, Top to Bottom:
Izmir
went bowling, had dinner and games at a friend's house, road the ferry across the bay, saw the konak tower (famous Izmir landmark), went to Kameralti (Izmir's mini grand bazaar), had the best cup of Turkish coffee at a cafe in Kameralti, spent a day visiting Ephesus, went to Sirince (quaint countryside village), had an amazing Turkish breakfast at a hilltop restaurant that overlooked all of Izmir
Istanbul
stayed with a family on the Asia side of Istanbul and caught the ferry over to the Europe side every morning (great way to start the day on the ferry with a cup of chai), saw the Sultan Ahmet Cami (Blue Mosque), went to the Yerebatan Sarnıcı (ancient underground cistern and aqueducts), Kapalı Çarsı (Grand Bazaar), Mısır Kapalı (Spice Market), the Aya Sofya, ate a grilled fish sandwich near the water at the Galata bridge, walked thru Istiklal Caddesi (Independence Ave), got a personal escort to a hard to find and AMAZING restaurant called Ciya, drank hot cups of Sahlep while walking around at night (love this stuff!)
Food in Turkey!
Left to Right, Top to Bottom:
- kunefe (ku-neh-fey) - cheese coated with really fine, little rice noodles that is then deep fried, and then covered with a honey-like sauce with pistachios spinkled on top
- cay (chai) - strong tea served in small glasses like this and need to add 1-2 sugar cubes b/c of how strong it is
- van kahvaltisi (vahn kah-vahl-tah-suh) - turkish breakfast consisting of assortment of cheeses, tomato, cucumber, olives, honey, sour cherry jam and bread
- sac kavurma (sa-ch kah-vuhr-mah) - roasted pieces of lamb w/veggies on a sizzling large iron plate
- sevket-i bostan (shi-ev-keh-ti boh-s-tahn) - local plant root cooked with lamb meat and a special sauce
- many types of baklava
- eggplant & lamb pide (pee-deh) with yogurt
- Köfte (Kohf-tey) - turkish meatballs and Piyaz salad - white bean salad
- dessert plate at Çiya (Chi-ya) - candied eggplant, tomato, olives, walnut, pumpkin, orange and others (I can't remember)
- assorted local dishes at Çiya (Chi-ya) (from closest, clockwise): 1) flax seed with a local root in a lemony sauce, 2) apricot, plum, nuts with meat in a sweet sauce (my fave), 3) bulgar pilaf, 4) garlic shoots and meat in a minty cream sauce, 5) ckickpea and meatballs in a tomato-lentil type sauce
- like a quesidilla with spinach and feta inside baked on a hot iron half dome
- iskender (is-ken-dair) - cubed bread on the bottom with doner meat on top with tomato sauce and drizzled with butter and a dallop of yogurt on the side
- meze (may-zey) plate at Çiya - cold appetizers, usually olive oil type dishes, some dishes had a nice kick to it too
- Mantiı (mahn-tah) - Turkish style ravioli with ground meat inside and covered with a tomato, butter and garlic sauce and yogurt
- lahmacun (lah-ma-jun) - flat bread with minced meat on it with sauce and spices
Wednesday, March 16, 2011
Turkey...not just a normal vacation
this is my first flashback post, so i'm going to go back and write about my trip to Turkey which started off 2010 for me. sadly i can't seem to remember what happened in 2009...again a reminder why i need to blog more!
i traveled to turkey on 12/29/2009 and kicked off the new year there! i spent 5 days in izmir and about 5 days in istanbul. i decided to go to turkey b/c a really close friend of mine had moved there a year before to pursue God's calling as an m worker. i was really intrigued by turkey b/c i knew so little about the country and the people/culture there, but had slowly learned more as my friend would share about her time there. i was also curious about the life of an m worker and wanted to see/meet/experience a little bit of what it's like living over there. so while this was a vacation trip for me, i would have to say that it unexpectedly became a lot more than that for me.
i traveled to turkey on 12/29/2009 and kicked off the new year there! i spent 5 days in izmir and about 5 days in istanbul. i decided to go to turkey b/c a really close friend of mine had moved there a year before to pursue God's calling as an m worker. i was really intrigued by turkey b/c i knew so little about the country and the people/culture there, but had slowly learned more as my friend would share about her time there. i was also curious about the life of an m worker and wanted to see/meet/experience a little bit of what it's like living over there. so while this was a vacation trip for me, i would have to say that it unexpectedly became a lot more than that for me.
Saturday, March 12, 2011
viva las vegas (again)
vegas...many people refer to this place as sin city and would not envision this as a family vacation spot, but to me vegas is where my family spends the most amount of time together so it has a different type of feeling to it.
growing up I would always hear the adults talk about their Vegas stories at all the family parties. it seemed like every family would go there at least once a year...THAT was the norm...at least in hawaii. after moving to the mainland for college, I found out that Vegas wasn't a commonplace destination for all families, in fact it was common for me to get a crazy look when I said I went there every year! when I tell them my fam would meet there for thanksgiving every year I would at least get an understanding nod b/c at least our family was together for the holiday. little did they know that my family actually meets there 2-3 times per year!
I guess the way this all started is b/c of my grandparents. after they retired they started going almost every other month. I honestly was never concerned that they had a gambling problem b/c they were very practical people...setting aside a set amount of money to play with and turning in early when they weren't doing well. i think they just enjoyed going on vacation and playing the games which I think is where I get my love for games and sports of all kinds. it's the thrill of winning coupled with the humbling of losing that I love. as for the money side of it, well to me, that's just the cost of doing it in Vegas and for spending time with my family. it's the same reason I'll pay crazy airfares to go home every Christmas... money is nothing if I can't spend time with the people I love.
after my grandpa passed away, my mom decided that she would go with my grandma so that she could still go to Vegas. obviously my mom couldn't go 6 times a year since she still worked, so they compromised and now they go 3 times a year. the rest of my fam (sis, dad and aunty) decided it was a good a time as any to get together so now we all meet up there (almost) every time they go. my other grandma also comes with them now so it really is a reunion of sorts.
while I wish at times my family wasn't SO into vegas and we could go elsewhere together (and we still do), I am grateful that we can at least enjoy doing something together. i recognize it is a little strange to some people, but in my opinion sitting on a table playing let it ride together beats being at home with everyone doing their own thing.
so that's why I say "viva las vegas!"
note: I know this post was a little repetitive to my earlier one, but I wrote it before I remembered I wrote a similar one 7 years ago. but I guess this just shows how its kept its significance in my life.
growing up I would always hear the adults talk about their Vegas stories at all the family parties. it seemed like every family would go there at least once a year...THAT was the norm...at least in hawaii. after moving to the mainland for college, I found out that Vegas wasn't a commonplace destination for all families, in fact it was common for me to get a crazy look when I said I went there every year! when I tell them my fam would meet there for thanksgiving every year I would at least get an understanding nod b/c at least our family was together for the holiday. little did they know that my family actually meets there 2-3 times per year!
I guess the way this all started is b/c of my grandparents. after they retired they started going almost every other month. I honestly was never concerned that they had a gambling problem b/c they were very practical people...setting aside a set amount of money to play with and turning in early when they weren't doing well. i think they just enjoyed going on vacation and playing the games which I think is where I get my love for games and sports of all kinds. it's the thrill of winning coupled with the humbling of losing that I love. as for the money side of it, well to me, that's just the cost of doing it in Vegas and for spending time with my family. it's the same reason I'll pay crazy airfares to go home every Christmas... money is nothing if I can't spend time with the people I love.
after my grandpa passed away, my mom decided that she would go with my grandma so that she could still go to Vegas. obviously my mom couldn't go 6 times a year since she still worked, so they compromised and now they go 3 times a year. the rest of my fam (sis, dad and aunty) decided it was a good a time as any to get together so now we all meet up there (almost) every time they go. my other grandma also comes with them now so it really is a reunion of sorts.
while I wish at times my family wasn't SO into vegas and we could go elsewhere together (and we still do), I am grateful that we can at least enjoy doing something together. i recognize it is a little strange to some people, but in my opinion sitting on a table playing let it ride together beats being at home with everyone doing their own thing.
so that's why I say "viva las vegas!"
note: I know this post was a little repetitive to my earlier one, but I wrote it before I remembered I wrote a similar one 7 years ago. but I guess this just shows how its kept its significance in my life.
Wednesday, March 09, 2011
flashback
everyday i'm reminded that even though i'm "young at heart", my memory is definitely not as good as it used to be. it's got me a little worried (maybe i've been watching too much grey's anatomy this season...if you know what i mean you must be a fan too!), but it also has me thinking that i should really make blogging a higher priority even though it does take some time for me to do.
i first started blogging b/c i saw it as a way i could share my life and hopefully, indirectly, bless others (esp the youth i was serving at the time) by sharing what God's been teaching me, showing me or walking with me through. that's still my hope, but a new reason for me to blog is simply to help me remember major events, ideas, thought processes so that i may hopefully learn from them and also remember God's faithfulness, provision and direction in my life.
so with that said...i'm making it my goal to blog more regularly this year! i was also inspired by a project a friend did last year, but i think that's way too ambitious for me right now....gotta take baby steps. i will definitely have some flashback posts, though, so that i can try to capture some of the events that happened over the past year or so that is missing from this blog (i know there's more than a year missing, but i think a year is about as far back as i can remember). hope you enjoy flashing back with me!
i first started blogging b/c i saw it as a way i could share my life and hopefully, indirectly, bless others (esp the youth i was serving at the time) by sharing what God's been teaching me, showing me or walking with me through. that's still my hope, but a new reason for me to blog is simply to help me remember major events, ideas, thought processes so that i may hopefully learn from them and also remember God's faithfulness, provision and direction in my life.
so with that said...i'm making it my goal to blog more regularly this year! i was also inspired by a project a friend did last year, but i think that's way too ambitious for me right now....gotta take baby steps. i will definitely have some flashback posts, though, so that i can try to capture some of the events that happened over the past year or so that is missing from this blog (i know there's more than a year missing, but i think a year is about as far back as i can remember). hope you enjoy flashing back with me!
Monday, March 07, 2011
Best Church History Class Ever!
i knew that title would grab you! haha, or make you skip over this post entirely, but if you read my previous post on the class i took back in October then maybe you've been waiting for me to update this blog so that you too could hear the best church history lecture ever (cliff notes style)! :)
sorry it took me so long to update, i kept forgetting to look to see if they posted it online. here's a link to the lighthouse podcast and message page. look under the category "2010 MFC Class Presentations" and you can download the powerpoint slides for the class called "Uniting Piety and Mercy" by Dr. Doug Strong. You then need to use some podcast software like iTunes to download the recording of the class. Here's the url for the podcast: http://www.lighthouse2001.org/podcast.cfm Oh yeah and the podcast is in 2 parts so make sure you get both parts.
the entire class series was great stuff...feel free to listen to all of it!
sorry it took me so long to update, i kept forgetting to look to see if they posted it online. here's a link to the lighthouse podcast and message page. look under the category "2010 MFC Class Presentations" and you can download the powerpoint slides for the class called "Uniting Piety and Mercy" by Dr. Doug Strong. You then need to use some podcast software like iTunes to download the recording of the class. Here's the url for the podcast: http://www.lighthouse2001.org/podcast.cfm Oh yeah and the podcast is in 2 parts so make sure you get both parts.
the entire class series was great stuff...feel free to listen to all of it!
Sunday, March 06, 2011
a blog upgrade
ok i just realized that this blog has been up for 8 years!!! wow, that's crazy to think about! i bet back then no one would have thought blogging would have taken off like it has over the past few years. and to think...this blog was on the cutting edge when it started. some may say that just shows how "old" i am, but i like to think it shows how "cool" and "wise" i am since i adopted it early :)
anyways, i decided since this blog is 8 years old, it's time for a face lift! there have been many improvements and changes since i started it and it's time for it to get upgraded. not sure if this template is the one i'm going to stick with, but it did seem to reflect the city and place i love and live in. hope you enjoy the upgrade!
anyways, i decided since this blog is 8 years old, it's time for a face lift! there have been many improvements and changes since i started it and it's time for it to get upgraded. not sure if this template is the one i'm going to stick with, but it did seem to reflect the city and place i love and live in. hope you enjoy the upgrade!
Saturday, March 05, 2011
My "Weekend" Trip to Singapore
i know it sounds a little crazy...and yes, it was a little crazy, but i do not regret one bit of my decision to go to singapore for the weekend. it was one of those decisions that you just had to make and not think about how impractical it sounded.
my sister has emailed me numerous times over the past couple of years whenever she's going to be traveling to a fun city for work and wanted me to know just in case i wanted to join her. i LOVE to travel, but for one reason or another every time it just wasn't a good time for me to leave. but when she emailed me this january that she was going to be going to be in turkey and singapore in february for work, i just knew i had to make it happen!
my sister has emailed me numerous times over the past couple of years whenever she's going to be traveling to a fun city for work and wanted me to know just in case i wanted to join her. i LOVE to travel, but for one reason or another every time it just wasn't a good time for me to leave. but when she emailed me this january that she was going to be going to be in turkey and singapore in february for work, i just knew i had to make it happen!
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