27...and it just keeps getting better

27 reasons why this year's b-day was even better than the last:
1) my b-day was on a sunday; a great day for having fun!
2) christine & doug graciously provided all of the food for my party
3) an impromptu happy birthday song by the high schoolers
4) sunday school class "discussion" went well...a total blessing from God
5) friends from different parts of my life converged and/or contacted me all on one day
6) the nakanos, ja-hye and steph created an incredible spread of my favorite foods
7) ja-hye's japchae
8) the famous aunty taka's chicken (aka korean chicken)
9) kalua pig
10) grilled steak & shrimp
11) singapore style noodles & baby bok choy
12) flourless chocolate cake (heavenly)
13) trifle (a fancy looking dessert christine made w/all my faves) - layers of fresh strawberries, pound cake & banana cream (yum!)
14) a kahlua cream, chocolate & yellow layer cake
15) playing with baby mia
16) the married (and well "trained") men did all of the dishes & clean up
17) my really great friends made the time to hang out w/me...
18) AND do what i want to do =o)
19) bowling!
20) friendly competition with a last frame, last roll winner (categories were highest single game, most improved & most number of "8"s)
21) a little goofing around, a little heckling, a little trash talking & a whole lot of laughs & smiles
22) cheap bowling ($0.78 per game & $1 shoes)
23) tribond fun...especially for the winning team...mine!
24) unexpected, totally unnecessary, and yet fun presents...some which really made me laugh!
25) a super cute b-day card from mia
26) i'm was amazed to see how God has grown old and new friendships
27) i felt totally loved...by God, students, friends & family!

note: i think everyone should "embrace" their birthdays & celebrate! it's much more fun than letting it slip by.

Like A Child

this summer i've had the opportunity to take a "walk" on the younger side of our church. yes, even younger than those in our youth ministry! i'm currently helping out with the "5th going on 6th" grade sunday school class for the summer and i was a helper for the "4th going on 5th" grade group at VBS this year (my first VBS experience ever).

my vbs kids...i'm the mummy on the left!


although, these students are not that much younger than the students i've worked with in the past, i still noticed some pretty significant differences. first, i gotta say the obvious, it sure is nice to be the tallest one in the group for a change! haha

but in addition to that, i've also noticed and been amazed at how the "younger" students are so easily AND happily "conditioned" by the structure and order they are surrounded with every day. having the slightest change or delay in the schedule at vbs caused students to start asking questions about being on schedule or falling behind. they really seem to like all of the structure and predictability...i wonder if i too was like them as a child...i'm not a huge fan of that stuff now.

another difference is that they still have that "sweet & innocent" aura about them. even though my "4th going on 5th" grade group were old enough to know and point out that each vbs site they visited was just "pretend", they would still play along in the make-believe world created for them AND even appreciate all of the props brought in to transform the room. with jr highers...yeah, i just don't see it working out that way.

it's also been interesting to see even the difference between the "5th going on 6th" and the "4th going on 5th". it's at this point where the "older" kids start wanting more...they want more say, more options, more distinction, more independence. they realize that they are at the verge of being part of the "older" group (jr high), and want to get there "now"! they act like your typical "upper classmen", not realizing that they will be the "low man on the totem pole" or the "young'uns" the next year...why do they insist on trying to rush into it?

anyways, it's been fun taking a glimpse into these younger classes, and though i'm a bit "shocked" by how God's word can be broken down into such simple messages that miss some bigger points, it's also been a nice reminder to know that our faith IS as simple as hearing, believing and following.

now, will i change my ministry focus and start working with younger children? i think NOT. i love serving the "older" kids in jr high and high school b/c it's at these stages that students start to question, to explore and to learn what it means to make their faith their own and not just something they were taught.

which brings me, finally (yes, i know this is a really long entry), to the song and title for this entry...

i love these lyrics from the jars of clay song b/c it reminds me of how i became a christian. "like a child" i became a Christian b/c i knew God's love for me was pure and unconditional, and knew i could believe and follow Him b/c of that love. but that was just the beginning. the AMAZING thing about being a christian is that it doesn't stop there. God does not want us to remain as "spiritual" children. He wants us AND helps us to grow in our faith and we continue to learn more and more about God thru our questions, trials and blessings. i'm blown away at how God has helped me to grow in my faith and has changed my life since trusting in Him, but i'm also glad to know that this isn't the end yet...He still has much more planned for me!

They say that love can heal the broken
They say that hope can make you see
They say that faith can find a Savior
If you would follow and believe
with faith like a child

More Rafting Pics

i finally found a place that would let me develop my pics and put them straight to cd without requiring me to make prints first. if you ever need to do this go to costco, and it's way cheaper than the other places even if you do get the prints.

here are more fun pics from my disposable water camera!

A "Fondue Worthy" Experience

tonight cassie and i took susan out to dinner for her b-day. our original restaurant choice was closed, so we decided to check out the melting pot. none of us had been there before, and we've always wanted to go. so we went...and it was quite a memorable experience!

here's why it was so memorable:
- it was susan's 26th b-day
- the cheese fondue (cheddar one) was absolutely yummy
- cooking the many different meats was "interesting" (i.e. very slow); you're supposed to cook it one by one by holding it in the boiling broth with your fondue fork, but towards the end we were getting tired and started dumping in food..."hot pot" style or "asian fondue" style
- b/c i'm a klutz, i burned cassie's arm when i tried to serve her some cooked meat
- the chocolate dessert fondue (bailey's chocolate sauce) was heavenly
- our entire dinner took over 3 hours long!!! we think we must have been doing something wrong cause it was such a long, but fun experience.

lastly, susan came up with the term "fondue worthy" b/c we all decided that taking a date to the melting pot is a good "test" for the relationship. you can rate your "potential" spouse as "fondue worthy" if you two make it thru the FULL melting pot experience.

what does the "fondue worthy" test prove?
1) you and your date can make decisions together (many food choices to make)
2) you and your date are able to share food "nicely" together (not like joey from friends)
3) you and your date are comfortable enough to sit and talk for a long time w/o distractions (other than the food), and hopefully your conversations aren't all food based
4) you and your date are NOT CHEAP when it comes to sharing a great experience together (i.e. this is NOT a cheap place to take a date unless you just get dessert)


.: cheese fondue :. .: seafood, meat, chicken, veggie fondue :. .: chocolate dessert fondue :.

.: scarred for life! :.

My First Rafting Trip

saturday was my very first whitewater river rafting trip. i've been wanting to go for over 3 years, but every summer i forgot about it until it was too late. but this year, i finally did it. i organized a group of 23 friends to go rafting with me, and it was an awesome day!

despite having to take a step down to an easier level (Class 1 and 2) river due to low waters on the Wenatchee, our trip on the Skagit river turned out to be lots of fun thanks to a great group of friends and raft guides. the day was filled with lots of water fights, bucket stealing, beautiful scenery, swimming around, jumping off of a rock into frigid water, trying out fun raft tricks, chatting with friends, a bbq dinner and hanging out with the "best looking" group of people in long john wetsuits!!!

next year we'll step it up to a class 3 or 4 river! maybe the wenatchee in late june or the tieton in august.




note: i'll post more pics after i get them developed from my personal camera.

Yes, I Would Like Some Cheese...with my "Whine"

*warning: the following is just me complaining about something that irks me, and it would totally not be that big of a deal if i didn't have such a guilty conscience or if i did the "right" thing all the time*

so there's one thing i've always hated about having birthday parties or about organizing big group activities...someone always gets left out. sometimes accidentally and sometimes intentionally for whatever reason or restriction.

sometimes the group activity/b-day party spans multiple groups of friends and someone gets accidentally forgotten about, or the word isn't passed around as well as it should have been. or sometimes, there's a limit to the number of people that can be invited and cuts have to be made. or sometimes, there's some "difficult" relationship between people, and someone or some people are left out b/c it's best not to have everyone's "good time" ruined by a few.

whatever the case may be, i hate it! often i'm the person organizing an activity, and i always end up feeling bad about someone that was left out even if it was by choice or by accident. i mean, i can't always invite everyone i know to everything i plan. i'm all for having group activities, but having gigantic group outings is crazy. not only are they more difficult to organize, but there's always going to be more people that can be invited.

so, when i sit down to send out an evite or write up an invite list, i just usually go with whoever pops into my mind. and, yes, usually it's the people that i've been hanging out with recently or talk to most often or maybe friends i haven't seen in awhile. i also try to remember to include all others that are close in association, but i have to draw the line somewhere.

anyways...yes, i know, i'm just trying to justify my guilty conscience for not being more inclusive and less exclusive. *boo* where's my cheese!

another realization: yes, i know, i'm going to have nightmares trying to create a wedding guest list when i get married. yikes!

I'm Going to JEMS Warm Beach

yesterday, i decided to be a small group leader for jems warm beach this summer. i was undecided earlier b/c of several reasons.

first, i was a bit put off by the price of the jems camp. it keeps going up every year, and i think it's outrageous and unfair to those who can't afford such an expensive camp. it's over twice the cost of the cbc camps and it only has one extra day!

second, i didn't want to commit to being a leader b/c i know i should be looking for a job, and didn't know if i would be able to take off for the retreat. and i also knew that i couldn't keep putting off my job search b/c of an upcoming "thing".

third, i was selfishly thinking that if none of the cbc students go then it might not make sense for me to go.

BUT, slowly over the past week, God changed my heart about these things. i realized that:

1. i need to have faith that God will provide the funds and will bring the people He wants to the camp

2. the job thing isn't really an issue since it's close enough that i can ask to start after the retreat. plus if He wants me at the retreat, He'll work out the details. (i'm also being really optimistic to think i'll even get a job that quickly)

3. even if none of the cbc students go, or more specifically, if none of the girls go, i should not be so close-minded to only serve the ones from my church b/c God has blessed me with the heart to work with students and this is another opportunity

so, that's it. i'm going to jems warm beach! and tonight i learned at the first prayer meeting that i will be serving alongside two new small group leaders that were in previous small groups that i led. one girl was in the very first retreat small group i ever lead, and the other was in a co-hi small group a couple of years ago. wow! God IS Amazing! *sigh* and i feel so old!

What's Cooking? Vol. 5

last night i got my second korean cooking lesson from ja-hye. steph and i went over to her place to learn how to make bibimbap. it was a success! it was really yummy, but i don't know if i will make it again. at least not unless i have a lot of time to make something for a potluck, or if i'm cooking dinner with a lot of people.

basically, you have to make all these little side dishes of veggies individually, and then put it all together for bibimbap. a lot of work, but fun if you're making it with people. next korean cooking lesson will be japchae!

Heat Wave

suffering succotash! it has been HOT these past couple of days. i'm never a fan of hot weather, but when the first thing everyone says when they come into a room is "man is it hot!", you know it's a HOT day!

i'm so glad that my friend called me today to say that we should go out for dinner instead of cooking. i was pretty sure i was going to have a meltdown if i had to fry some chicken on a day like today. instead, i got to go eat some yummy sushi at a little place in queen anne called shiki. it was very good, but sadly it had regular sushi prices. but that's ok, eating sushi in a/c with a great friend makes it all worth it.

after that we headed on over to cbc for the new cup cafe. i have to say that i was a bit wary about going tonight with my friend. i didn't know what the night was going to be like, and...well, to be honest, i was lacking faith and being real critical about it. i was afraid and worried that the night was going to be too "preachy" or that my friend would feel uncomfortable, but God was Faithful...like always!

God provided great friends that made my friend feel comfortable and she had a great night chatting and relaxing. the message of the night was a little on the "preachy" side, but it didn't turn her away like i thought it would. and i was even amazed that she actually wanted to stay and hang out after it was done. *sigh* why do i always lack faith in these things!

i just began reading Daniel as part of my 2:7 reading, and the thing that struck me in the first 2 chapters was how the author kept emphasizing God's role in all things.: the Lord delivered :: God had caused :: God gave :: He changes :: He gives :: He reveals :: He knows :: He has made :.

i realized the reason i worried so much about tonight is b/c i wasn't seeing it as God was in control, but rather i focused on the "program" and "people" as being the controlling factor. *boo* will i ever learn?!

Whee!

today was a busy day in my unemployed life. it started out with a new babysitting "gig" in issaquah. it's the first time sitting for them and for an older child...a 2 year old! things are much different when you watch a 2 year old versus a 5 month year old. way more tiring and you quickly find out that you have no say in what you play. haha, i was just grateful that this little girl at least liked to "play" sleep time...my favorite!

i also finally began the 2:7 bible study group tonight! there's 11 of us total in the group, and it's taken us about a month to finally get going. i was excited to finally start tonight, but i was a little nervous about how it would go. while it's fun to do a study with friends, it's also a little weird having to lead/facilitate a group of friends. it went pretty good though, i think, despite 2 missing people. God brought together a really great and unique group. my prayer is that each of us will come away with a stronger foundation in spiritual disciplines and that we'll hold each other accountable to the finish!

i also got to go on my first motorcycle ride tonight!! for a couple of years now, i've been bugging nick about taking me for a ride, and i finally got to go! yippee! it was a lot of fun, but a little scary at times. we just took a little ride around my neighborhood, but he did get the bike up to 60 mph going down greenwood. that was a rush! but don't worry, you won't see me buying a bike anytime soon. thanks, nick!

What's Cooking? Vol. 4

so i finally tried out the butter mochi recipe, and it turned out tasting and looking a little better than my old recipe, but it was way too buttery! i didn't use any more butter than before, only one block, but for some reason it looked like each piece was just soaked in it. needless to say, the way it looked deters people from eating a lot of it. i'll need to try a different recipe or something...i'm determined to figure out how to make it right!

i also finally made mochiko chicken. it came out great! very yummy. now, i remember why everyone likes it so much. i had forgotten b/c i hadn't had it for several years. good stuff!

funny comment & observation:
after the first piece of chicken was done, i had some friends try it. they all liked it and one of them said, "now you can get married!". we all laughed. but it actually got me thinking, maybe this time off was God's plan for me to learn some "domestic" skills in preparation for marriage. i mean, since being unemployed, i've learned how to change diapers, feed a baby, unclog a sink and cook a number of new dishes. hmmm...very interesting....

Free Latte For Reading!

yes, all of us who enjoyed our local library's summer reading programs when we were younger can now enjoy it again! reward included too! check it out: Summer Reading for Adults

Youth Leaders Retreat 2004

i have to admit, this year i was not that excited about our youth leaders retreat. i usually look forward to this retreat b/c it's a chance to get away to a cool place with the brothers & sisters i serve with all year long, and it's also a chance to have some time to relax and reflect on the past year.

this year, started off with some disappointments for me...we were supposed to go to a house on whidbey island (i've never been to any of the islands before), but that fell thru. and then more than half of the leaders couldn't make it (rare to have such a low turn out). also, i was concerned because of the uncertainty of what we were going to do at the retreat b/c we have a new youth pastor that has not been with our ministry for very long.

but God extended his grace! and despite my concerns about the retreat, the weekend turned out to be pretty fun. and it was helpful in beginning good communication and relationships with our new youth pastor. i appreciated our youth pastor's honesty and willingness to listen to our needs/expectations/concerns. and i was also encouraged to hear that he really wants to make getting to know us and how he can support us as a top priority by meeting with us individually and regularly. i'm excited to see the commitment he has in supporting the youth leaders.

other things that made this weekend fun:
- went to the bite of seattle before heading down to p-town
- hiked up multonomah falls
- cooked a homemade korean dinner together (duk bok ki, kal bi, korean pancake, kim chee, veggie dishes)
- visited a church called mosaic in p-town (not affiliated with the cali church)
- went to the nordstrom anniversary sale (no sales tax!)
- i got everyone to play my "movie game" (played for 4 hrs on our way back to seattle)

our trip back was a bit long due to traffic, but we were still able to make it back in time to see taido at a potluck dinner that was held for him. it was great to hang out and see him again, and it was an awesome way to end to a fantastic weekend.

side note: i went to the bite of seattle earlier on friday and did the "alley" meal ticket. basically, you pay $8 and then get a sampler dish from a set of high-end seattle restaurants (about 8 dishes). i think it's the best deal at the bite! check it out next year!

   
   

A Rare Morning Meeting

ok, this is my 4th entry of the day, but i felt like i needed to write this one down b/c it was a good meeting (and to show that i'm not just "playing" all the time). this morning i met with pastor marty. i think this was the first time i've ever had a scheduled meeting with a non-youth pastor.

i think this partly has to do with an old habit i have of never really making an effort to talk to my prof or teacher unless i really had to, and though my pastor is not anything like my teachers, i still have this kinda "keep my distance" feeling. i think it's mostly b/c i feel like i don't want to bother them or they have so many other things going on or other people with bigger things going on. but, yeah, i guess that's not a good thing that i feel like that.

but, anyways, i was pleasantly surprised (and truthfully a little curious) when marty asked to meet with me to "catch up". so we met and i had a great time talking to him about a whole wide array of topics from my job situation, to youth ministry, to cbc, to the new pastor and other things. it was a very comfortable meeting and i'm glad we got to do it.

i also appreciated his concern and his encouragement, and i hope i can learn to be more open and honest with my pastors and not afraid to approach them. i also hope to put into practice a lesson i learned from this experience which i think will help me be a better leader with the students i serve and the people i serve with.

i learned that sometimes we think we are "approachable" b/c we're nice and polite and talk with everyone we meet, and so we don't do anything and wait for people to come to us about the deeper things on their minds. but sometimes, we need to go to them b/c even if we are "approachable" the other person might not work "that way" and will only engage with us if we go to them first.

What's Cooking? Vol. 3

tonight i made the ritz cracker chicken dish. it actually turned out really good...at least i thought so. the only thing is that it is SO bad for me. it's got butter, ritz crackers and cheese on it. so fattening!. i can't be eating like this all the time or else i'll need to work out every day of the week!

what's next? tomorrow i'm going to the bite of seattle and i'm going to try out the new butter mochi recipe.

note: hmm, this is turning out to be like ryan and siska's blog...it is kinda fun writing about food!

Old School Games

today i splurged and gave in to nostalgia (must be b/c i'm closing in on another b-day and i'm starting to feel "old-er" again). i went to target and bought 2 toys. i would've bought 3, but i thought that would be excessive.

the first was a joystick that you plug into any television and it allows you to play the old school arcade games: pac man, galaxian, dig dug, rally-x and bosconian. i used to love playing pac man and dig dug at showbiz! yay, so much fun (tho the joystick is not as good as the arcade machines).

the second toy was a travel size simon game. it's the one with the 4 buttons and you have to repeat the pattern that's played. we (my roommies, helen & tiana) had so much fun playing this game as a four person game. i haven't laughed so hard in a long time...i was crying thru the entire game cause i was laughing so much! fun!

   
   

No Fair Weather Fan Here!

i'm writing this in response to a kenny's blog entry.

ok, so it is officially after the all-star break, and i'll finally admit that the season is over for the m's. BUT, that does NOT mean that the m's suck. i really like the changes they are starting to make. i think that it shows that they are on the right track to building a good team for next year.

i liked the garcia trade and i'm really glad they finally made a decision about aurilia and olerud. and these young guys they are bringing up are pretty fun to watch, and they are not turning out to be duds either! and i think with the rest of this season left, it will give the younger pitchers time to figure things out in the majors and be ready for next year.

so, the m's just caught a bad year, but take my word...they'll be back in it next year! they'll make the trades needed during the off season...or earlier! count on it! gotta have faith, kenny!

What's Cooking? Vol. 2

today i had the urge to finally try my hand at cooking crab. i absolutely love crab, and ever since trying old bay in maryland, i find myself salivating while thinking about it. i did have the opportunity to eat some yummy crab legs in vegas with my family, but sadly the restaurant did not have any old bay on hand. so today, i set out to buy some frozen crab legs for my very first time.

and the result...it was de-lish! ok, granted all i had to do was steam it for 5 minutes b/c i bought pre-cooked frozen crab legs, but it was very satisfying to eat. sadly, the old bay did not taste quite as good as i remembered...too much kick, it overpowered the ono crab taste. but overall, i'm very pleased with my attempt at "cooking" crab.

next up: this ritz cracker chicken recipe i got from my aunty, mochiko chicken and a new butter mochi recipe! i've got the cooking "itch"!

Viva Las Vegas!

i just came back from my trip to vegas with my family, and i have to say, i LOVE going to vegas with my family. i know, it's kinda weird, but for me and my family it's always a fun time. it's the one place where my family (mom, dad, sis, aunty, grandma) can get together and do something together (outside of watching movies). our favorite thing to do is to find a table where we can all play at b/c it's much more fun playing together than with strangers.

also, despite it being "sin city", i've been truly blessed by the many opportunities God has given me to spend more time with my family there and getting to know them in a more "social" setting away from home. i think it's nice to be able to see my family outside of "home" b/c everyone's away from their normal grind. and now that we're all "older", we're able to talk at more of an "equal" level. it's also very special b/c i get to spend time hanging out with my grandma. it's fun learning from her how to play cards, and i enjoy showing her how much she means to me by watching out for her and spending lots of time with her.

but don't get me wrong, it IS las vegas and it does sadden me to see how money driven we can be in the pursuit of happiness. in fact, i always need to be in constant prayer so that i don't fall into that mindset.

"i have hidden your word in my heart that i might not sin against you" psalm 119:11

i find this verse especially true in vegas where it seems so easy to follow the world's way. during this trip, i was studying ecclesiastes and in the chapters i read it talked about how the author discovered that true joy comes from knowing God, and it is He that gives us the gift to enjoy the things in our lives and we can not earn or achieve it on our own. it was a great reminder and prayer for me, and the book also reminded me to praise God for the "good" and the "bad" b/c i know His ways are far greater than mine. isn't His word and timing awesome!


outside the paris hotel

Bowling Fun!

we (steph, stone, kenny and i) went bowling today. why was today's bowling more fun than other bowling outings?

here are the reasons:
- today was a weekday so it was less crowded and less smoky
- it was during the middle of the day while other people were at work (sorry working people)
- there was a coupon that let us bowl for 92 cents a game
- we got to bowl at leisure b/c we weren't in a rush to go anywhere
- it wasn't difficult to find a light ball to use
- b/c bowling with friends that love bowling is FUN!

yes, i know i've been "playing" a lot lately, so tomorrow i will try to get some "work" done. i really need to since i'm leaving for a trip on thursday. yikes!

random note: today the new amazing race starts! yippee! i also really miss my broadband connection.

A Lost Love

today i got to finally explore the new seattle central library. i also signed up for my very first library card in washington. the first book i want to borrow is a book i read back in 7th grade. i spent an hour searching for it b/c i couldn't remember the author or title, and the only thing i knew was that it had to do with dragons. but i finally found it, now i just have to go and get it.

the book is part of a trilogy written by jane yolen and is called Dragon's Blood. i can't wait to read it again. going to the library and finding this book has really brought back some great summer memories of reading tons of books for my local library's reading program.

today reminded me of my past love of reading. i remembered the time when i was able to lose myself in a book and when i would constantly carry it around with me looking for opportunities to read a few more pages and when it would not be uncommon for me to finish a book in a day or two instead of a month or two. i want to get back to that lost love before school textbooks and required reading became so overwhelming and put me to sleep.

side note: tonight i found out that i was granted david's extra invitation to get gmail (thanks dave!). i signed up immediately and was able to get "kristiek" as my username. i'm excited to test it out. so far, i've found out that i love their spell checker function. the design is more practical and friendlier for users like me who don't like to use capital letters, who use abbrev. and slang often and who needs some serious help with spelling so that i'm not completely embarrassed at my lack of spelling knowledge.

Fourth of July in Burien

my first 4th of july in washington in many years consisted of: burien, a great group of friends, lots of grilling (shrimp, chicken, steak, bratwurst), other yummy potluck dishes, strawberry log cake and ice cream pie, apples to apples, a unique fireworks watching experience and galaxy quest. it was definitely a fun time! wish i had pictures to capture the moment, but i was not in a picture taking mood.

the fireworks display was the one mystery of the day. i wasn't sure what to expect b/c we had a great view, but no nearby set fireworks scheduled. what we ended up with was a far away view of some staged fireworks and a ton of random/illegal fireworks shot off by houses all along the coast of the puget sound. it was a unique experience and sight.

I'm A Burien Hermit

yes, it's only my 3rd night house-sitting and i've already become a full-fledged burien hermit. i don't know what's wrong with me. i even timed it today on my scheduled "excursion" back to the greenwood house (i had to grab more clothes and bake a cake), a one way trip only takes about 35-40 minutes. and yet, i find myself constantly weighing my options when faced with the thought of venturing out of burien.

i ALMOST left tonight to go see a rainiers game, only to find out (right before i got on the hwy) that my friends changed their minds b/c of a sellout crowd. whew, what a relief! i didn't need to leave my comfy little town. there's just something about being by myself that i guess i do cherish from time to time.

don't get me wrong, i think i'm a fairly sociable person and have never had a desire to live by myself (b/c i like the thought of having people around), but i guess i do see time by myself as a rare thing and something i should treasure when given the opportunity. plus, it helps that i'm thoroughly enjoying the "accommodations". everyday i've taken to: sitting on the deck, reading and enjoying the sun and view, at night i've cooked some shrimp and a steak on the fancy grill, and had a relaxful evening watching my west wing episodes on the VERY nice tv. now you see why i've become a burien hermit?

  

note: i met with my friends this morning to discuss the completion of our purpose driven life study. although we didn't get to talk much about the later chapters, we all agreed that the things we read required much more thought and time. we agreed to meet in a month to check in on each other. my goal in a month is to be better at recording what God is teaching me and to think and pray about where God is leading me the next year with basic.

House-sitting in Burien

i'll be house-sitting in burien for the next week. yes, i know, burien is out in "boonie land", but i think it's kinda cool. i'm kinda thinking of it as my own little personal retreat.

this house has a great view of the puget sound with nice comfy recliner chairs to just sit and enjoy the view. or, if i want, there are also lawn chairs on a little deck so i can enjoy the sun AND view! and after i've enjoyed admiring God's creation, i can head downstairs to catch up on my west wing episodes on a 54 inch tv! Sweet! the only downside to staying here is that the computer is still on a dial-up connection. this will surely make me appreciate my broadband connection when i go back home.

hopefully, being away from my room/house and all of its distractions, i'll be able to finish updating my resume and spend more time praying and thinking about which direction to go in next. only time will tell...

Day Trip to Canada

yesterday steph and i trekked it up to canada for two purposes: food and getting my hair done. i'm happy to report that we accomplished our mission! and we got to hang out with chris, jenni and dave too!

for lunch we had dim sum at sun sui wah in richmond. i've been there 3 times now and have never been disappointed. they always have different types of dim sum dishes i've never tried before. ono-licious!

then i went to get my hair straightened at beyond the fringe, the hair salon i went to last september. i asked for the same person again b/c i don't trust many people with my hair. the whole process took 6 hours!!! i kept telling myself, "it's just like flying to hawaii, that's all". i'm also happy to report that i'm pleased with the results and i finished reading my book too!

after that, we went to dinner at asa sushi (2178 West 41st Ave). the place was awesome! they made some great sushi rolls and it was really cheap! we ordered like 12 sushi rolls for 5 people and it only came out to be around $12 Canadian and that's including tax and tip. and we were stuffed too! i learned that vancouver has a ton of cheap sushi places...i LOVE it!

b/c we were stuffed we decided to go walk by the "beach" (kitsilano, i think). yeah, i didn't know there were beaches in vancouver but i was pleasantly surprised. the beach was what i expected (dirty looking), but it had a great park area with a really nice view of downtown and the sunset. after that steph and i headed back. great day, great food, great friends, great fun!

  

Spiderman 2 & Some Summer Reading

yup yup! i got to see a sneak preview of Spiderman 2 tonight. (note: the kiss freeloaders program rocks! everyone should join it!) the movie itself was pretty good...a bunch of cheesy lines (intentionally) and lots of emotional character moments...the action was just alright though. i must clairfy, though, that i'm not a comic book fanatic like some of my friends...so i don't know how this movie rates in the world of superhero/comic book type of movies. in fact, i would like to talk to some of these friends after they watch the movie to ask them some questions that came up after seeing it.

my summer reading list:
- i read some of the 2:7 book, Growing Strong in God's Family, b/c i wanted to get a better feel of what the first few weeks were going to be like. i'm really excited b/c i'm getting a group of friends together to do the study with me this summer. it'll be fun to do a bible study with a mixed group of friends...i haven't done that in awhile.

- i'm also currently reading and studying the book of ecclesiastes while reading a book called, Is This All There is to Life? by Ray Stedman. i first read this book right when i began working at accenture and i remember it being good and applicable to the "working world", but i don't remember much else from it. now i'm reading it for the second time, and i'm finding it again very applicable to my current "non-work" situation. it's also helping me to understand ecclesiastes which was really confusing me!

- i'm also currently reading angels & demons the prequel to the da vinci code book. this book, like the da vinci book, is a very easy and fast paced read. i think this book is even better than the da vinci code book in terms of a mystery thriller. i'm also biased b/c it has to deal with a scientist that was trying to prove God existed vs the whole Jesus/Mary/Holy Grail storyline. i hope to finish reading it tomorrow as i sit for 5 hours...yes, FIVE hours...while i get my hair straightened again. yippee...trip to canada...and good food!

- i also finished reading the purpose driven life book today. i'm glad i gave this book another shot b/c it was actually a good book, and i enjoyed it even more b/c i read it with close friends. we'll be meeting this week to have our last discussion on it. after that, i need to write about things God has taught me thru the reading and other things i still need to ponder on. i haven't been journaling on this enough and i'm afraid i'm going to start forgetting.

so that was my current reading list for the day. haha, for a "non-reader" like me i'm kinda impressed by my active reading list! oh the wonders of having time to read!

BASIC Break

tonight was the final BASIC coffee house of the 2003-2004 school year, and the last BASIC meeting before taking a short summer break. i always have mixed feelings at the end of the school year, and this year was no exception.

my mixed bag of feelings:
- sad: obviously it's always a little sad ending the school year b/c you realize the graduating students are officially done and the year seemed to pass by so quickly. it was such a blessing to be able to serve with the senior student leaders this year.

- tired: although the year seemed to fly by, i also realize that "mentally" how a few weeks off are looking really good as i realize it will be good to have some time to rest without having to think about the upcoming activity/meeting.

- amazed: i'm always amazed at how many different ways God was at work in the students and how many different students, new and old, i was able have the pleasure of being a part of their lives and being able to witness God working in them. i'm at awe at how certain students have changed and grown (in many ways) from the beginning of the school year to now.

- thankful: today during the 3rd service worship set and again when the leaders got together to pray before the coffee house began, i was filled with such a warm feeling of gratitude for the awesome pleasure of witnessing and being blessed by God's faithfulness. even in those times when my faith lacked, He was faithful...He is ALWAYS faithful. and looking back on this year at BASIC was no different.

- excited: as i saw the students who came early to help setup for the coffee house i couldn't help but be excited about next year's student leader group. we hope to have many student leaders next year, and i'm excited to have the opportunity to serve with them and see how God will use them and grow them.

- anxious: as most people know, i'm a person that likes change or at least i always try to embrace it. with our new youth pastor and an opportunity for me to take on more leadership, i'm anxious and curious to see what God has planned for the next year school year. i'm hoping there will be change, but i'm also hoping the change will not be too painful, as change often is. but overall, i can't wait to see what's going to happen next, and i know that i need to keep reminding myself that i also need to be patient cause change doesn't always happen when i want it to and it often times happens when i don't expect it to.

- satisfied: last summer before the school year began, God gave cassie and i a message and a desire to "finish strong". the message had to do with ending the school year with as much energy, enthusiasm and effort as we began the year with b/c many times the year starts off strong and peters out to the end. but this year, i think we did pretty good at trying to accomplish this goal. this goal was definitely a reminder and motivator for me throughout the year to be more conscious of my "dip" in effort and excitement.

i hope to have sometime during this short break to be able to write more about the many events, memories and reflections i've been thinking about from this past school year. i'm not good at journaling, but i need to try to do this "year" summary to at least help my aging memory.

note: the coffee house itself went pretty well...i think. i want to talk to some of the students to get their feedback on it since it's the first one i remember doing with a q&a panel. the q&a panel discussed some pre-collected questions and themes. the topics were: dating, homosexuality & God in suffering. the panel members were great and shared really honestly...thx keone, jeff, david, chris, anna & maxine!

A Baby Baptism

i went to my friend's baby's baptism yesterday. it was my first time witnessing a catholic baptism or any catholic ceremony (at least that i can remember), and i found it to be very educational and enlightening. the priest that conducted the ceremony explained a lot of things, probably b/c he was warned that some of the friends attending were not catholic, and i thought he did a really great job.

things i learned and/or things that stood out to me:
- i don't know if all catholic priests are like this one, but i noticed he mentioned "personal relationship with Jesus Christ" several times which surprised me b/c i always thought that the catholic church didn't put much emphasis on the relationship with Jesus.

- i was impressed that he clearly stated that the baptism was NOT a declaration of the baby's faith, but more of the parents' and god-parents' faith. and that the baby would later need to make her own personal decision about her faith.

- the priest also went on to explain about the praying to the saints. he said that the saints were great people of faith in history that were now with God in heaven, and just like we would ask our friends to pray for us, we can also ask the saints to intercess on our behalf. this was very eye-opening to me and helped me to see the "saint" thing differently. i never knew much about why the catholic church put so much emphasis on saints, but this was one view that helped me to understand a little more. granted, i still think why not just ask Jesus, the son of God, to intercess with the Father for you.

after the ceremony, i thought about how this ceremony compared to a christian baby dedication service i also just recently attended, and i was pleasantly surprised that they were very similar. i still believe that a person should be baptized as a "personal" decision rather than a parents' decision, but overall i was encouraged to see my friend and her husband take this step in pledging to raise their child by God's word and will. i hope and pray for more opportunities to talk to her about the events of the day.

Slow Drain vs Me ==> I Won!

yes! i did it! i finally won the battle i was having with our bathroom sink for the past week, and i learned several things in the process.

things i learned about sinks with a slow drainage problem:
- to prevent clogged pipes, we should use this home remedy once a month in our drains: 1/4 cup baking soda followed by 1/4 cup vinegar followed by a pot of boiling water. this will prevent future wars...thx cassie
- drano sucks, liquid plumber foam snake pipe works like magic!!!
- the internet has everything one needs to know...i couldn't figure out how to remove the sink plug so i looked up our sink's brand online and found an instructional video on how to install the sink. i found out how to unscrew the lever mechanism under the sink to set the plug free and get it out of my way! this was key in winning the battle.
- never admit defeat!

wow, i can't believe how "handy" i'm becoming...first learning to cook baby bok choy, and now fixing clogged sinks! see, being unemployed has its advantages!

random note:
today i also bought a new cd burner for only $20, and it's almost 7x faster than my old one! i just burned a full cd in less than 3 minutes! i also purchased a wireless mouse...now i don't need to leave my bed to fast forward thru commercials when watching tv shows i recorded! i'm so happy! technology rocks!

Careers, Jobs and Work...Oh My!

*sigh* every night this week i've spent some time going thru web sites trying to get an idea of kind of job i want to do next. i keep reading job description after job description, but nothing really grabs my attention. i've even tried to expand my search to include other areas outside of IT, but still NADA.

what direction does God want me to go in? does He even care which way i go? i'm beginning to come to the conclusion that God doesn't really care where i work, but just that i work. over the past 6 months or so, i've been thinking and discussing with others about ideas of what a "career" and a "job" really mean in God's eyes. some believe that a "career" is not a necessary goal while others believe that we should only spend our time doing jobs that are "worthwhile".

i kinda see work as "a means to an end". now don't get me wrong, definitely where ever i work i hope to magnify God's presence and i would never want to work anywhere with shady ethics or morals, but other than that, i see it primarily as a way to gather resources (i.e. money) to help in furthering God's kingdom. and while i know that we are called to minister and serve everyone around us, including in the workplace, i feel that God has called me to a special ministry that doesn't take place in the workplace. and so any "job" that will allow me to continue to serve Him in this ministry as best i can is a good job to have...right?

but i don't know, on the other hand, we DO spend so much of our day and week at work it makes me wonder if maybe there's something better or more fulfilling out there. maybe i should look at more jobs in the non-profit world or jobs working with youth... or maybe i should just get another job doing what i "know"...i really did enjoy the consulting "work", it was just the unstable work schedule, long hours and expectations to "climb the ladder" that i didn't enjoy. what to do, what to do?

well, technically i said i was going to start my job search in july. i guess i'll just push this aside until then! yeah...procrastination...that's the answer to everything!

What's Cooking?

today was all about food. everyone who knows me knows that i rarely cook or even bake...except for special occasions. and tonight my friend & i decided to cook dinner for our friend's birthday. so i decided to make somen salad, baby bok choy and a strawberry log cake. luckily for all, everything actually turned out great! and the miso salmon dish and poke my friends made were super too!

it was my very first time making baby bok choy. yes, i know it's not that difficult just some oil, garlic and oyster sauce (just learned that today...thx cassie) but yet, i've never made any kind of vegetable dish EVER! but for some strange reason...probably since i became part "chinese"...i absolutely love baby bok choy! and it was yummy!

it was also only my second time making the strawberry log cake. it's a real fancy looking, super dessert, but a bit trickier than your typical cake in a box mix. but i got thru all the directions without any mistakes. yay! kudos to alison for the recipe!

although my cooking/baking experience tonight was fairly positive, i have to say i don't know how "normal" people do it. i think it's just crazy to work a full day and then cook a meal for a family after. parents who do that are amazing!



on a side note:
i got the poi & kalua pig bowl from the aloha plate stand at the uwajimaya food court and was once again disappointed by that place. the poi was disgusting!

for a good laugh & break, check this out!

Creative Japanese?

Here's a short video sent to me by Ryan Ko. Thanks Ryan! I can always use a good laugh. Enjoy!

Back From DC

i'm back from my week long trip to washington dc! it was a fun trip and much needed to temporarily satisfy my "travel itch". even my 2.5 hour delay getting there and some super hot and humid/muggy conditions did not deter me from having a great time hanging out with melinda, cassie and may and seeing all of the amazing historical sites and memorials that our nation's capitol has to offer. and believe me, i saw it ALL!!!

visited:
- annapolis (maryland's capitol)
- smithsonian museums (air & space, natural history, archives)
- holocaust and international spy museums
- georgetown
- national cathedral & white house (outside only)
- capitol and senate buildings
- library of congress
- union station
- FDR, lincoln, korean war, vietnam war, WWII memorials
- arlington cemetery (kennedy graves, tomb of the unknown soldier, robert lee's house, challenger and colombia memorials)

highlights:
- discovering Old Bay seasoning which is "ono-licious" on crab *drool* gotta get some!
- trying to eat ice cream in a cone as fast as we can and loosing the "battle" on a super hot day (i.e. not able to lick fast enough and having it melt all over the place)
- getting the capitol tour "hook up" from melinda's sister who works for senator inouye's office
- visiting the holocaust (intense) and international spy (fun) museums
- getting to go to the air & space museum (my favorite smithsonian museum) every day!! (our hotel was only a block away from it...future reference: the holiday inn "capitol" is the best place to stay at in DC b/c it is centrally located)
- hanging out with melinda, billy (melinda's fiance), cassie and may
- riding the metro all over the place! i love all cities with fast & convenient mass transit systems
- being blown away by all of the history contained and preserved within DC!
- NO CICADAS! i didn't come across a single one except for the display at the natural history museum and some weird kid who had a ziploc bag full of them. praise God!

some pics:
:: national cathedral :: dinner with friends :: lincoln memorial::
           



this is a statue in the capitol containing 3 famous woman in US history with a place holder for the first female president. i was shocked by this amazing fact!

Whew, I Need A Vacation!

yes, i made it thru this past week. who knew being unemployed could be so busy? well, i finally finished the senior grad gift project i started awhile ago...i basically had to work like 8 hours a day on them this entire week in which i definitely exhibited signs of carpal tunnel syndrome. the good news, is that with lots of help, we almost got them all done on time (except for one that came really, really close). i must have been crazy to have thought that it would be an easy project. i'll post the steps on how to make these special gifts at a later date.

i also finished my last BASIC lesson of the the school year. the topic was on "giving". i actually started thinking about the lesson a lot earlier than i usually do, but in the end i was still scrambling to finish it on saturday. my problem was that i had a lot of ideas, but realized that my ideas had to do more with stewardship and less on giving. this made me rethink my approach/lesson which led to my lesson being long and not very creative. but i think i at least made the points i felt God had been teaching me recently, i just don't think i did it in the best format possible. hmmm...

whew...now on to my vacation to washington dc! i have to say that i am NOT looking forward to the cicadas (freak-ish bugs...i HATE bugs) and hot & humid weather (about 85 degree weather with 87% humidity! ewww!), but i AM looking forward to catching up with melinda and hanging out with cassie and may! ok, gotta go...i need to finish packing!

My Sweat Shop

yep, still at work on the "project". i even got some fresh recruits tonight to help in my sweat shop. thanks ryan and siska! your guys' help definitely made the goal more attainable! ok, back to the sweat shop...got my other helper coming over tomorrow...hopefully we can crank out the remaining gifts!

I'm A Procrastinator

ok, yes, the reason i haven't posted in the past couple of days is because i'm a BIG TIME procrastinator. despite being unemployed and having a "so-called" ton of time, i will be extremely busy this week because i procrastinate. i've been MIA on my blog for the past 2 days b/c i've been trying to finish the senior grad "project" i started over a month ago, and i even recruited help from mary and we only have about half of them done!

on top of that, i need to start preparing for the basic lesson i'm giving this saturday. and yes, i usually procrastinate on that too. i hate the stress i put on myself on friday and saturday before the lesson. BUT, i've learned that this is who i am, and even though i hate it and always vow to try to start earlier...it'll never happen. i've been a procrastinator for as long is i can remember and this is who i am.

note: i need to write about the PDL mtg, and i did take some time out tonight to go see the UW gospel choir concert which was really fun! anna, maxine, chantal and chuckie were great!

"Natural City" & SIFF

i saw my last SIFF movie of this year tonight. this time it was a korean movie called "Natural City". if you're into sci-fi, action movies with a lot of blood and a pretty good storyline, you'll probably like this movie a lot! it also got great ratings from the group of friends i went with. i'm not real big into sci-fi movies, but i thought the story was engaging, and the fight scenes were fun. i did not like the creepy doctor guy tho. *shudder* weird characters like him give me nightmares...but then again yoda and ET gave me nightmares too. so go figure...

this ends my first real full season at SIFF (i've been to a couple of other SIFF movies in the past, but those were more "chance" viewings), and i have to say that i enjoyed it a ton! but i guess it's always good when you are able to avoid all of the depressing and intensely sad movies that i've heard so much about. i can't wait until next year! thanks cassie, david ko, stone and shiv for your help in making this year's experience great!

Sunburn & Other Blessings

doh! guess what 80 degree weather in seattle means...sunburn! i thought i was good b/c i only let myself stay outside in the sun for an hour, but i guess not. i didn't even feel burned at all until i took a shower. something about warm water and sunburn...when i got out of the shower, my arms and legs were glowing red! and to top it off, i didn't do the even tanning thing, so only the tops of my arms and legs that were facing the sun got burnt. i'm going to have a pretty funny looking tan line running down my arms and legs!

oh well, i guess it's just one of the "downsides" to being happily unemployed...or actually i guess it's really a blessing since i wouldn't have gotten burned if i hadn't been blessed with the opportunity to enjoy the sun and some reading! this made me think of other "blessings" i've discovered to being unemployed.

other blessings ("downsides"...depending on perspective):
- you take on extremely time consuming and labor intensive senior grad gift projects b/c you think you have so much time on your hands now
- you have to wait 20 min for friends to show up for an early dinner b/c you forget how hard it can be to leave work on time
- you get to finally watch tv shows that you hear people talk about all the time, and then get addicted to them and end up watching more tv than you really want to
- you find yourself getting "addicted" to things like online games and blogging which you wouldn't usually get so attached to, but you suddenly are b/c you can stay up real late and sleep in every day

ok, so i came up with this list as a bit of a joke, but it is sadly true too. i know God has blessed me with this rare time off, but i also know that i'm not being the best steward of the time He has given me. i need to spend more time seeking God's direction for my life, and less time filling up the hours in my day. but what i've learned is that whether we are at work most of our waking hours or not at work at all, it doesn't make it any easier to seek God's leading or to hear His voice. i guess this only comes with being more disciplined in how i spend my time...there are no "easy" roads to following Jesus. good lesson and reminder for me.

"My Grandpa"

i went to see another SIFF film today with cassie and david. it was a Japanese movie titled "My Grandpa". i thought the movie was pretty good, except that it was a little slow moving. but i think that's just b/c it wasn't an american film or maybe it's b/c i'm just used to watching action or thriller type movies.

what i liked about the movie:
- it's fun to see how much japanese i remember...or don't remember
- it was set in japan which reminded me of my trip there this past february....that trip was the best vacation ever and i totally fell in love with japan and want to go back!
- it was about the relationship between a grandfather and granddaughter, and it brought back some warm memories of my grandpa that passed away a year and a half ago. the mannerisms of the grandpa in the movie were similar to my grandpa, and it made me remember the fun times i had with him growing up.

*sigh* i miss my grandpa! we often don't realize how big a part someone played in our life until they are gone, and we are overwhelmed by all of the memories we have of them. for instance, my grandpa is the person who made me fall in love with both baseball and bowling...and basically all sports. we spent lots of time when i was younger playing catch, watching baseball (football, tennis) on tv, and going to the bowling alley to watch him bowl.


me and my grandpa & grandma

When Are You Going To Canada?

after CG group tonight, i was asked again..."so when are you going to canada?" this seems to be a very common question these days. maybe it's cause my hair looks like it needs to be straightened again or maybe everyone is just anxious to go on a little vacation w/me haha either way, this question always leads me to start thinking about my schedule and when a trip up to vancouver could potentially happen.

and sadly, each time, i end up with no real answer. yes, i am still unemployed and should have all the time one would need, and yet i can't find the time to take a couple days to go away. isn't that sad? what is my time being filled with? i have been happily unemployed for a little over 2 months now, and i have never been bored AT ALL! i guess i just have a knack for filling up my time with a number of little/big projects and activities. plus, between coordinating schedules with friends and not wanting to miss out on any basic or prime time activities finding some time on a weekend to go anywhere is proving to be very difficult.

i am, however, very excited b/c last week i decided to tag along with cassie to washington dc! she has to go for work, and i've been trying to find a time to go and visit melinda. i can't wait to go! i haven't been to dc in awhile, but from what i remember...i loved it! the smithsonian, the monuments, the history, the metro...i'm so looking forward to this trip! oh yeah, and in case you're wondering how i could fit this in my schedule...the trip is only taking place during weekdays and not over a weekend...or maybe it's b/c i've got this "travel itch", and anytime it's been about 2-3 months without any air travel i get real "antsy". and when that happens, anything goes!

Steps-O-Fun Results

the morning after doing the "Steps-o-Fun", my calves are the part of me that hurts the most. and i think my butt hurts too, but the soreness in my calves overshadow any other part of me. so i guess the steps worked..."no pain, no gain" right?

here's how you too can enjoy these "Steps-o-Fun":
Get onto Lake City Way Northbound
Turn RIGHT on 125th
Turn LEFT on 37th
Turn RIGHT on 135th
Go to the end of the road and park on the side
The steps are tucked away behind the end of road barrier

Steps-O-Fun!

ok, so i have this friend who kept bugging me all the time to do these "steps" with her. she said she found them off of lake city way and that she just loves going to do them b/c it's a good workout for your butt and legs. but everytime she would ask me, i'd be busy or it'd be too hot.... or maybe i was just too lazy.

but today, i finally did the steps with her! and man...those steps were INSANE! when we arrived there she asked me how many times was i gonna try to go up and down. she suggested doing 3-5 roundtrips and i was like "ok, sure...i guess you're the expert". so we start at the top of these cement stairs...there are two flights and then a long pathway...so i think...ok...what's the catch...then at the end of the pathway...you see many many more flights down. yikes!

so we walk down and when i get to the bottom i start thinking...there are a lot of steps and they're pretty steep. so we start walking up...yes, "walking". halfway up, i find myself breathing pretty hard and when i get to the top i'm totally out of breath. oh man! but i continued at my own pace...only walking...and did 4 roundtrips...and i was wasted! my legs felt so unstable and wobbly, and it each time i neared the top i felt like my lungs were going to explode!

after her workout, she told me...just wait until tomorrow! you'll really feel it then! *i can't wait* driving home was already more difficult b/c everytime i got to a red light i would have to hold the brake pedal down, and my leg would literally start shaking from exhaustion. i had to eventually start using my hand brake at stop lights so that i could rest my leg. i am SOOOO going to pay for this tomorrow! my butt and legs better appreciate this!

oh yeah, and for those of you who want to check out these "fun" steps out...i'll find the address so that you can join in on the F-U-N!

Purpose Driven Life - Part 1

i finally got to meet up with my new small group to discuss the first two weeks of the "purpose drive life" book i started reading. i was asked by my friends if i would join them in reading this book because their church was going to start going thru it, and they wanted to get a small group together to discuss it. i decided to join them b/c i have to admit that i never made it thru the whole book when cbc went thru it. i started the book with cbc, but due to my travel schedule for work and lack of time i only made it thru the first week and a half.

now that i'm unemployed and also trying to figure out "what's next" in my life, i figured it might be God's timing for me to go thru this book now. and i'm happy to report that after 2 weeks, i'm still keeping up with the reading...but i don't read it daily like you're supposed to. but at least i'm keeping up! gotta start somewhere.

so we met tonight for the first time and basically just went thru chapter by chapter and shared what things God was showing and teaching us. this might not have been such a good approach, but it we got thru it since our small group is just 3 people. i think that going thru this with a small group is a really great idea b/c eventhough the reading makes me think...sharing with others and hearing what they are going thru helps everyone to think more critically about the different topics...and it helps us to "process" the reading better.

we had some good discussions about our upbringing and different ethnicities and how that impacts who we are today, but also how God planned all of it to create us to be unique children of God. i was especially impacted by day 9 - "what makes God smile" b/c God was showing me that obedience alone does not bring God pleasure if it is not accompanied by the "right" attitude. often times, i do end up "obeying" what God is calling me to do, but i do it with a really bad attitude. this is not what God desires and it probably makes him just as sad as when i don't follow Him. i realized that i really need to make sure that i check that my "attitude" and "actions" match.

I Love Monkeys!

today i went to the woodland park zoo with a bunch of cbc peeps (got in free too...thanks bao!). fun times exploring the various animal exhibits and trying to "speak" to the animals. this was only my second time to this zoo, and the first time didn't really count since it was back when i was at uw and we (crazy hawaii friends) only stayed for a short while since we went in the freezing cold of winter!

after spending nearly 4 hours walking all over the zoo, i would have to say that the monkeys were my favorite!! all types of monkeys/gorillas/orangutans...they're just so fun to watch and they just make me laugh by the things they do and their silly faces and funny noises.

best monkey types:
- smallest monkeys in the world that scratched and sniffed each others butts
- big ol' king louie orangutan sitting in his hammock
- "poser" orangutan that just loved posing for our pics
- mama and baby gorilla that we got to see nursing

other animals i enjoyed:
- the bats were cool b/c we got to see them up close...fuzzy little things that would be cute if they didn't have those freakishly large wings.
- the armadillos were fun because they walked/ran really funny and they kept going round in circles
- big black malaysian bear was funny and cute cause it looked like a humongous black dog with floppy ears


king louie & "poser" orangutan & black "dog-like" bear

Long Day Ending in Hip Hop

whew! what a super long day...my day started with mia's baby dedication ceremony, to brunch @ the nakano's, to 3rd service, to catching a matinee of Shrek 2, to trying to catch up on some reading, to a hip hop show!

some comments:
- heard a great message today at rainier avenue church about being "intergenerational" (Don't break the chain! & Do break the cycle! Psalm 78:1-8)
- Shrek 2 was just "ok"; not as funny as i had hoped and probably could have waited for it to go to video

today ended with me going with cassie to this hip hop show at the asian resource center. this is the second time i've gone with cassie to one of these events put on by wing luke asian museum, and it was kinda the same as the first but still fun! there were some djs, some break dancing, some spoken word, kiwi (bay area mc) performed, and blue scholars (local hip hop group; won best album this year from the seattle weekly).

now i wouldn't say i'm a big hip hop fan, but i do enjoy going to these shows b/c it's fun seeing and experiencing a part of this subculture (and hanging out with cassie). i also do enjoy the music and most of the spoken word and mc lyrics...when i can understand them..haha but i would have to say the best part of both shows was blue scholars. i'm not sure if it's the lyrics i like or the beat or just the vibe off of the crowd or maybe just cause the mc is cassie's friend....but they were the best part of both shows i've been too. oh yeah, and i finally bought their cd...they only had a few left from their first cd run! check them out!

Going Public!

ok..i'm finally going to do it...i'm going to release my blog into the world! or at least make it "known" to those that know me. it's kinda weird..i've had this blog for a year and a half and not a single soul has read it...at least not to my knowledge...tho it would be extremely hard to find if i didn't tell anyone about it. but i guess...what's the point of having a blog if it's not "known". and therefore, i've decided to "go public". ok...way too many "quotes" going on...it's late...i gotta go to bed...

ok...this blog will be made "known" tomorrow! yeah!

"Wonderous Oblivion" & The Amazing Race

Today was a GREAT day! Started off with going to a SIFF film with my roommate (i got the tix free by using my freeloader points...i love freeloaders). The movie actually turned out to be really awesome despite cassie and shiv telling me that it might be a sad movie cause many SIFF films are sad and depressing movies. and i'm happy to say that it was a very good AND happy movie...so happy that i almost cried twice from happiness. oh yeah, the movie was called "wonderous oblivion" and was about a boy, and his obsession with cricket and his friendship with a family that was not liked because of their race. go see it..it's a feel good movie with some good moral like story.

after the movie i finished collecting the items needed for THE AMAZING RACE! cassie and i have been totally looking forward to this BASIC activity all year! and it was finally here! and i have to say it lived up to the expectations. it was a really fun night driving all over the ID and seattle area. i think we had a good mix of challenges, clues and fun! God also provided just the right number of students, drivers, helpers AND He also prevented the rain from putting a damper on the night. SOOOO AMAZING how it NEVER rains on a BASIC activity...PRAISE GOD! He really knows how to have FUN!

some funny things that happened during the race:
- dennis and team getting "lost" by going the wrong way and ending up in west seattle
- simon and team learning what you need to microwave for 8 seconds
- seeing students run all over chinatown and dodging cars
- seeing my team going round and round on all the playground things
- chung and team racing to chinatown again only to realize that they needed to go back to the lid
- my team...somehow...finishing first AGAIN! (i didn't cheat!...really!! but my team did go from last place all the way to first place...anything can happen in the amazing race!)


my first place team


then afterwards, some of the students came to hang out at cassie's house and eat ice cream and talk...it was good...some funny and interesting conversations...good times!

k...that's it for now...oh yeah, and Fantasia did win American Idol...my 100 votes did count!

hmm...still not used to this daily posting thing...

ok, so i watched the american idol final tonight and all i gotta say is "Fantasia BETTER Win!" or else i'm boycotting american idol next year! i even tried voting, but all the lines are busy. this year the fox people are opening up 3 lines per contestant and are letting people vote for 4 hours! crazyness! i got thru 7 times for Fantasia. But it's just too busy.

i also watched my very first 24 hour episode tonight...it was the season finale. i thought i should give it a try cause so many people are so dedicated to the show. i had to see what it was all about. i don't know if i would say i'm "hooked"....it was good...but i'll see what happens when the new season starts.

i also decided not to go to the MI concert tonight..well, i didn't even hear about it until about 5p today...but i had already decided to work on my "project" for the seniors...plus i have to wake up super early tomorrow morning. i get to babysit mia again...yay!

ok...this post is super boring...so i'm going to stop...maybe as i do this more it'll get better? or not.

Ok, it's been a REALLY, REALLY, REALLY long time since I last posted. But after reading a whole bunch of other people's blogs and xanga sites it sadly made me want to post something to mine.

What's been going on with me lately? Pretty much nothing... that is except for quitting my job and now being happily unemployed! I can't really explain exactly how I feel about being unemployed...but it's kinda like a never ending vacation and summer break...feeling like I should maybe be doing something productive (mostly out of habit), adding to society and GDP and all that...and then feeling like I deserve this break and know that I don't really have to do anything for awhile...and that i eventually will go back to work but there's no reason to think about that now.

ahh...life is good...but i can't really express this too much to other people since it'll either make them jealous and want to quit their job or it'll make them think that i'm just a lazy slob. either way they would be right, but we don't need them to know that. :)

ok..now let's see if this posting thing still works...

i know...it's been awhile...but here's my adventure today...

i got the magic straight perm (aka japanese ion perm) today!!!

if you haven't heard about this before, it's this straightening process that supposedly works better than anything created before...it's been done in asia for years, but it just started becoming legal and popular in the US over the past couple of years. anyways, i've been wanting to try it out cause i hear so much about it, but it's really expensive and i didn't know of anywhere that did it. but last week i found out that a friend got it done in vancouver and so i decided to finally try it!!(actually my hairstylist here in seattle just starting doing it, but she's doing her first one this month and also quoted me at $300)

so me and a couple friends (to provide me support) drove up to vancouver today to get it done at this place my friend got it done at. we get there and the people tell me that they didn't think it will work on my hair cause i have "black people's hair". so we leave and i think maybe i shouldn't get it done, then went and got a second opinion at a nearby place (looked super trendy) and they said "sure no problem, of course it will work". but they seemed way too eager. then i went for a third opinion at another place and this one was a winner...the person seemed sincere when i asked if it would work on my hair and they seemed really friendly.

so...after 5 hours (yes, 5 hours) of sitting in a chair reading magazines and having all kinds of stuff done to my hair (smelly goo, 3 hair washes, steaming, blowdrying, flat ironing two times)...and after spending $250 (canadian)...ta dah! it's actually pretty amazing and i'm very pleasantly surprised with the results and think it might actually last past my first hair wash (though i'm not gonna set my expectations very high) but first i need to wait at least 3 days before i can wash my hair for the first time, i can't even tie my hair back or put it up at all during this time either...gonna really have to get used to this hair down thing.

so yeah, i got it done...i'm happy with the results so far, but i got one more test the hair wash. and yeah, i do sound negative about it all, but if you had my hair and went thru the many trials of straighteners and relaxers and seen the lack of results from all of these products...you'd be skeptical too.

ok...i'll be back after the first hair wash to report back.

another year has gone by, but this time i actually celebrated this year's passing! i don't know when it was that it hit me, but i decided this year that..."dang it, 26 is NOT that old....and I'm going to celebrate this birthday and every birthday to come cause once i hit 30...it's all down hill from there!" ha ha, yeah, i know...pretty short-sighted, but either way...this year's birthday definitely ranked in the top 3 in my short (or long) life.

i celebrated this year by arranging a bowling and bbq party. if you know me, you know i love bowling....the thing is, not that many of my friends share my love of bowling....but that's where the birthday part comes in. i literally used my birthday this year to weild powers that only come once a year =o) because of my birthday i can make my friends do things they normally wouldn't do...like all come out to bowl a couple of games with me and to all come and hang out together despite the different "groups" that were there. it was a super fun night...i had a lot of fun...hopefully my friends did too.

so, do i feel any older? no, not really...i think that over the past few months, i've decided that although i am getting to that stage where work is work and this seems to be the pattern for the next 30 years.....i can still see myself as fairly young...or young at heart at least, and i think that age after 23 really becomes relative. it's not measured on number of years, but rather how much you have accomplished or experienced and how old you actually act. i don't like to focus on age so much because i don't think it's a true measure of how "old" someone really is.

on to other things....i'm really looking forward to labor day weekend. i'll be travelling to ar-kansas for a retreat that alison is putting togther. i hear it's like a whole different country over there and best of all i get to experience it with some great friends...and i get to see the chino family again! yay! i seriously can't wait....only 2 and half more weeks...

whew, these weekends are catching up to me. this last one was just so jammed pack with stuff....but i'm not complaining! i loved it all...just a bit pooped going into this potentially really long, hard week at work.

summary:
friday - went to see the tempest (shakespeare play) where one of my high school girls had a big role. i thought it was really well done and being that i've never heard of the tempest before...i learned a little something too. plus, i got to hang out with cassie!

sat - woke up at the break of dawn (4:30 AM!!!) to meet some CBCers so we could carpool down to a wedding in portland. it was sooo early and we got there with plenty of time to spare. the wedding was nice...funny how with each wedding i go to i think about my own wedding more and more. now i've got the date, the flowers and parts of the ceremony planned out in my head...still waiting on the groom tho =o) had to leave the wedding early to make it back for a pre-rally that night...the rally was small, but it was good to see some of the students again. we (some students and some leaders) ended up hanging out at cassie's place afterwards. it was a fun and relaxful night...played some games and got to see some people get really into charades!

sunday - woke up early...AGAIN! this time to sing for first service, but at least it gave me my first chance to check out the new youth worship service. it was good to see that the students really seemed to enjoy the service more and seemed to be paying attention for once. going to the first service also gave me a rare opportunity to go out for some dim sum.....mmmm...so good. but all things must come to an end and it was back to work for me...at least for most of the afternoon....but let's not think about it. then i was off to a going away party for melinda. saw a lot of old friends...had some laughs...some tears...some good memories. *sigh* so many people keep moving away....(hi-d left too on sat)....so sad...but i know that their moving on to new and exciting things and i know that this time of change will be a good opportunity to make some new friends...new beginnings...

yay! just had a great weekend...my terms great, that is....meaning lots of "friend" times. man, i even almost forgot i had to work on saturday. so, despite the horrible news i found out on friday about having to work on saturday...the weekend started out with a going away party for hi-d. it was a fun time...lots of people...good food...good company. on saturday...headed into work for 7 hours and even though i had to miss out on the going to the bite of seattle with my friend...the day passed quickly. that night i got to have dinner with one of my high school friends and she came with me to the coffeehouse my church was putting on. it was a fun and mellow event...got to see friends i hadn't seen in awhile and got to hang out in a new setting with my hs friend. she enjoyed it too...that's cool. then sunday was the best day...went to church...good message...got my car fixed up a bit by abe (what an awesome friend)...hung out with cassie and abe for a quick lunch....then headed with cassie to josh and val's wedding. the place was sooooo sweet! the bestest view in washington, a super nice place, ceremony and reception. it was fun to see friends and other church member's there too! the night even ended with some dancing...i guess i kinda do like dancing at weddings...provided of course that there are people willing to dance. after awhile of people standing around we finally all got onto the dance floor! it was fun and pretty cool to see some friends dance for the first time. ha ha...good times! but all weekends come to their end..and it's back to work again. hope next weekend is another blast...got another full weekend ahead of me!

just read this on another blog....super funny! man, ok...i gotta get to bed...way too late for me.
---------------------------------------------------

We've all been there but don't like to admit it.

We've all kicked back in our cubicles and suddenly felt something brewing down below.

As much as we try to convince ourselves otherwise, the WORK POOP is inevitable. For those who hate pooping at work, following is the Survival Guide for taking a dump at work.

CROP DUSTING
When farting, you walk really fast around the office so the smell is not in your area and everyone else gets a whiff but doesn't know where it came from. Be careful when you do this. Do not stop until the full fart has been expelled. Walk an extra 30 feet to make sure the smell has left your pants.

FLY BY
The act of scouting out a bathroom before pooping. Walk in and check for other poopers. If there are others in the bathroom, leave and come back again. Be careful not to become a FREQUENT FLYER. People may become suspicious if they catch you constantly going into the bathroom.

ESCAPEE
A fart that slips out while taking a leak at the urinal or forcing a poop in a stall. This is usually accompanied by a sudden wave of embarrassment. If you release an escapee, do not acknowledge it. Pretend it did not happen. If you are standing next to the farter in the urinal, pretend you did not hear it. No one likes an escapee. It is uncomfortable for all involved. Making a joke or laughing makes both parties feel uneasy.

JAILBREAK
When forcing a poop, several farts slip out at a machine gun pace. This is usually a side effect of diarrhea or a hangover. If this should happen, do not panic. Remain in the stall until everyone has left the bathroom to spare everyone the awkwardness of what just occurred.

COURTESY FLUSH
The act of flushing the toilet the instant the poop hits the water. This reduces the amount of air time the poop has to stink up the bathroom. This can help you avoid being caught doing the WALK OF SHAME.

WALK OF SHAME
Walking from the stall, to the sink, to the door after you have just stunk up the bathroom. This can be a very uncomfortable moment if someone walks in and busts you. As with farts, it is best to pretend that the smell does not exist. Can be avoided with the use of the COURTESY FLUSH.

OUT OF THE CLOSET POOPER
A colleague who poops at work and is damn proud of it. You will often see an Out Of The Closet Pooper enter the bathroom with a newspaper or magazine under their arm. Always look around the office for the Out Of The Closet Pooper before entering the bathroom.

THE POOPING FRIENDS NETWORK (P.F.N)
A group of co-workers who band together to ensure emergency pooping goes off without incident. This group can help you to monitor the whereabouts of Out Of The Closet Poopers, and identify SAFE HAVENS.

SAFE HAVENS
A seldom used bathroom somewhere in the building where you can least expect visitors. Try floors that are predominantly of the opposite sex. This will reduce the odds of a pooper of your sex entering the bathroom.

TURD BURGLAR
Someone who does not realize that you are in the stall and tries to force the door open. This is one of the most shocking and vulnerable moments that can occur when taking a poop at work. If this occurs, remain in the stall until the Turd Burglar leaves. This way you will avoid all uncomfortable eye contact.

CAMO-COUGHA
Phony cough that alerts all new entrants into the bathroom that you are in a stall. This can be used to cover-up a WATERMELON, or to alert potential Turd Burglars. Very effective when used in conjunction with an ASTAIRE.

ASTAIRE
A subtle toe-tap that is used to alert potential Turd Burglars that you are occupying a stall. This will remove all doubt that the stall is occupied. If you hear an Astaire, leave the bathroom immediately so the pooper can poop in peace.

WATERMELON
A poop that creates a loud splash when hitting the toilet water. This is also an embarrassing incident. If you feel a Watermelon coming on, create a diversion. See CAMO-COUGH.

HAVANAOMELET
A case of diarrhea that creates a series of loud splashes in the toilet water. Often accompanied by an Escapee. Try using a Camo-Cough with an Astaire.

UNCLE TED
A bathroom user who seems to linger around forever. Could spend extended lengths of time in front of the mirror or sitting on the pot.. An Uncle Ted makes it difficult to relax while on the crapper, as you should always wait to poop when the bathroom is empty. This benefits you as well as the other bathroom attendees.

boooo! still at work at 1am!!! and i'm still fighting this lame cold...bah! plus i gotta still get in at a reasonable time tomorrow to prep for the demo i'm giving. sheesh, i just know that i better be able to leave early tomorrow so that i can make it to the dinner with jo and her fam.

on a better note, i got an encouraging bible reference today...i just wish i had the passion and diligence to be more in the Word.

isaiah 48:17
this is what the Lord says -- your Redeemer, the Holy One of Israel: I am
the Lord your God, who teaches you what is best for you, who directs you in
the way you should go.

man, i miss nights like tonight. jo is back in town visiting with her fam...we went to the m's game (which i still can't believe they lost) with the whole gang...and then some. then a few of us hung out at the house...catching up with jo and other classmate happenings...and then a long game of apples to apples. some fun times and memories we've had here at the house. *sigh* makes me really remember and appreciate how there are just some special friends that are really the "glue" of the group. when they leave things just never seem quite the same. but it's great how they can bring people together again.

the next couple of days will be fun hanging out with jo and her fam...good times. =o)

sheesh! summer's here and every part of me just wants to relax and do nothing. i hardly even go online anymore which is the reason i haven't posted anything to my blog in awhile. the weather has been super nice, but i think the thing that makes me want to just relax and do nothing is because i'm still working long hours. plus, i just had a bunch of vacation so i shouldn't really be complaining, but STILL...it sucks that i can't enjoy the summer weather cause of work. but at least the work load is starting to lighten...for now.

i'm always looking forward to the weekends...just getting to relax and do whatever i want. even basic and prime time are taking a break this month so it'll be nice to have some down time to myself or catching up with friends i haven't seen in awhile...or friends that will be leaving seattle soon. so sad. so many great friends are leaving...i try to just be happy for them, but when i really think about it i get pretty sad. but life is all about change and at least i know that these friends will always be great friends...despite the distance. i mean, you know... there are just a special type of friend that you know no matter how far away or how little you keep in touch, when you do see each other again, it'll still be good times....just with a little older and a little wiser friends =o)