Just Wang It

You Are How You Eat

2010-07-22T04:54:00.000-07:00

It's 5:00am and I woke up craving a giant bowl of pho. Is this what they call jet lag?

Just got back to the States last night. As much fun as traveling is, nothing can compare to the feeling of coming home to a cushy Queen size bed, a home-cooked meal, and lovely weather. I love California! (Although I hear we lucked out on a major heat wave last week.)

The past two weeks have been a blurry blur of thrilling adventures, insightful cultural experiences, and of course, gluttony. Although Japan and South Korea are neighboring countries, their cultures are so completely different. Japan, a country of minimalism, refined cuisine, and overwhelming politeness is countered by the feeling of abundance, mixed-mashed meals, and aggressiveness experienced in Korea. As an Asian American with Taiwanese, Chinese, and American cultural backgrounds, Korea sparks more sense of familiarity and home. But this definitely doesn't go to say that there's nothing to be appreciated about both cultures.

You know that saying "You are what you eat?" Well, I think in terms of culture, it's applicable to say "You are HOW you eat." A meal in Japan is very reflective of its people -- small, thorough, individual, and kind (to your stomach). Japan is the perfect example of the Goldilocks and the Three Bears story. Not too much, not too little, but just right. I really appreciated this practice of minimalism and "just right-ness" in Japan. (The U.S. could learn a thing or two from the Japanese.) The little garnishes that go on top of your ramen, the chef's instruction of soy sauce or no soy sauce with your sushi, the way your food is presented and arranged -- all very thoughtful and refined, just like its people.

Raw horse meat -- yum!

Even Yoshinoya is served on real dishware!

Korean cuisine, on the other hand, is plentiful, spicy, and strong -- just like its people. The flavors are "loud" and expressive, and meals commonly involve mixing a bunch of ingredients together to create one final delicious product. In comparison to Japan, I think eating is more of a social event/leisure activity in Korea, suggesting a sense of rowdy groupness. You can see this in the way they share communal "ban chan" and the fact that meals commonly involve a group of people gathered around one main entree (ie: Korean barbecue, shabu shabu, ddak kalbi, jim ddak, etc.) In Japan, restaurants are the size of my bedroom, consisting of 12-15 bar stools surrounding a kitchen/cooking area. It is not uncommon to see people dining alone and practicing a quick eat-and-go approach. (Sometimes there aren't even chairs!) In Korea, however, restaurants can be three stories high and diners take their sweet time eating, conversing, drinking, and eating more. If there's anyone who knows how to sit back, relax, and enjoy a great meal, it's the Koreans.

Okay, I just realized I am analyzing Japanese and Korean cultures using a food-based theme. What does this say about me? =/ I'm going to stop here before this puddle of drool in front of me gets any bigger.

Oh and, contrary to what this post might suggest, Hayoung and I did more than just EAT in Asia. Promise! Pictures and videos soon on Facebook.

PS: Did you know... Tokyo has 24 recorded instances of people either killed or receiving serious skull fractures while greeting each other with a bow. Wow.

Ohayo Gozaimasu

2010-07-07T14:00:00.000-07:00

Greetings from 4,900 feet up in the air!

At the moment, I am squeezed in a tight 15-inch-wide Economy seat on a Boeing 747 aircraft. On my right is a young Japanese girl who has not once got up to pee, and on my left a young Korean girl who has got up to pee one too many times. I think her name is Hayoung and I think she has a bladder problem.

Just under three hours left on our flight before we land at Narita International Airport in Tokyo, Japan! I still cannot believe this is happening. I was telling Hayoung how I feel like if I close my eyes right now to sleep, I'll probably wake up in my bed at home and this will all have been a dream. I think I'll believe it when we land in Tokyo and everyone is really short and no one speaks English.

Anyway, just a quick update from above the Pacific. If I stay in this typing position any longer, my deltoid muscles will begin to cramp and my elbows will bruise from these damn rock hard armrests. Why not plush?

Eveology 101 (Part 4 of 5)

2010-06-25T13:26:00.000-07:00

So before I start with Part 4 of this series, I must say that doing this has been really fun and rewarding. Not only have I been able to share random ass crap about myself with probably more readers than I'm comfortable with, but I also feel a little more connected with the people around me. It's been really cool having people message me saying "OMG I have a sweaty hand disorder too" or "Dude, I hate water chestnuts too for the same exact reasons!" But I think my most amazing discovery has got to be my hair-growing-faster-on-the-right-side-of-the-body twin, Anna! I suddenly don't feel so alone, lol. But yes, 25 facts are definitely fun. I think I might just extend it to 50. ... was that a groan of excitement or pain?

16) I secretly like the smell of farts -- but only my own! It smells especially pleasant after I drink milk. And I'm only shamelessly admitting this because I found out that a staggering amount of people like to smell their own farts too. So don't even start with the eww's and ugh's.. you know you Dutch Oven yourself when you're lying in bed!

I wonder what this one smells like.

17) I am an INFJ (Introverted iNtuituve Feeling Judgement) type, according to the Myers-Briggs personality test. INFJs are termed as "Counselors" and make up only 1% of the population! (Learn more about me here.) Some things that I really like about my type: "Their great talent for language-both written and spoken-is usually directed toward communicating with people in a personalized way" and "highly intuitive and can recognize another's emotions or intentions - good or evil - even before that person is aware of them." Basically I'm unique, an amazing writer, and I'm psychic. HAHA jk. But in all seriousness, I think the Myers-Briggs test is one of the most accurate and insightful personality tests ever created. I feel like instead of "Hi. What's your major?" people should be asking, "Hi. What's your Myers-Briggs personality type?" Thanks to Amy Wooj Lee, I'm currently going through a phase where I'm curious about everyone's typology and how they relate to me. So if you have time for 72 simple yes-no questions, please take the test and let me know what you score! :) You'll probably learn something about yourself too!

18) One of my biggest pet peeves is FEET and DIRTY FEET. I hate feet, especially the sight/thought of two different pairs of feet touching each other. I have this thing where I absolutely cannot get into my bed unless my feet are clean. Even if I'm dead tired with droopy eyelids, I physically cannot fall asleep until my feet are washed. And I know this is going to make me sound like a nut, but one of the parts I hate most about the Pirates of the Caribbean ride at Disneyland is when the boat goes under an overhang with a pirate sitting up top. If you look up, his feet are SO DIRTY and I always imagine his feet crumbs falling onto my head. But on a somewhat contradictory note, one FEETure of my body that I am most proud of is... yep, my feet HAHA. Despite having extremely large feet (I'm tall!), I like that my toes are straight and how they decline in a nice straight line. Each toe is just the perfect increment shorter than its preceding toe. :) Good job, feet!

Sigh.. and those sheets are so beautifully white!

19) For small group hangouts, I am most comfortable in group sizes of 3. I feel like 3 is the magic number for an intimate and effective catch-up session. Amy Wooj Lee thinks I'm very weird for liking groups of 3, and says that most people try to avoid this extremely ODD situation. -pause for laughter- I feel like one-on-ones are awkward because you have to keep the other person entertained at all times, and groups of four or more get too chatty and topics are never finished completely because people get excited and cut each other off mid-sente-- I don't know, what do you think?

20) In the latter years of elementary school, I rarely ate the cafeteria food. My mom would spoil me and bring me delicious fast food almost every single day. It got so trendy that some of my other friends' moms would start bringing food for their kids too. Eventually, all the moms (who were also friends with each other) would work out a schedule of who was bringing the kids lunch on which days. Before we knew it, we were having McDonald's one day, Long John Silver's the next, and even Boston Market kid's meals the next! So while all the less fortunate kids were picking at there soggy chicken sandwiches and discolored "Rowland burgers" -- seriously, what the eff was in that? -- the cool fat kids were munching away on gourmet meals complete with burger, fries, and a Coke. Thinking back on this now, I have three thoughts: 1) I had/have an awesome mother. 2) It's a miracle that I didn't develop childhood diabesity. 3) This explains a lot about fat high school Evelyn's origins.

PS: I am really curious to know who the two non-wipers were from the previous poll. Seriously?

Heart in Seoul

2010-06-20T02:04:00.000-07:00

Ah, summer.

The season of freedom, leisure, and adventure. That time of year when it finally feels like there are enough hours in a day. That time of year when couples frolic and hangout from night 'til morn just because they can. The season of beach going, sunbathing, world traveling, mad dieting, and skimpy clothes wearing. A perfect time for adventure-driven romance, hand holding, star gazing, and picnic having. Monday, June 21 will mark the first day of such a season. Monday, June 21 will also mark the first day I am Steve-less.

So I've always wanted that picture-perfect summer romance. You know.. the one where you go places, do things, eat stuff, take photos -- things that you would usually do -- except with a boy. Wearing sunglasses. And lots of sunshine in the background. But I guess it's just not in the cards for the boyfriend and I. Last year, an untimely mix of summer school sessions, OAT studying, a Chicago trip, and a Kyrgyzstan medical mission kept us decently occupied and separated. This year, what seemed at first to be a completely free and uninhibited summer ended up taking a sharp turn when Steve suddenly found out he scored a research internship in Korea!

So while the selfish brat in me is saying, "NO DON'T GO, I want to hold your hand and wear sunglasses while frolicking in the sun," the calm, cool, collected girlfriend couldn't be happier and more ecstatic for him. :) I'm sure that so much is in store for him in Korea, and that this whole experience will be nothing short of amazing. I guess I'll just have to suck it up for now... until I find myself a substitute summer fling -- kidding! So proud of you, beb! Be safe and take good care of yourself! And please don't forget your Engrish. <3

On the plus side, we will probably be able to schedule in some hand holding across the Pacific, when Hayoung and I go to Korea next month. Funny how that worked out. Can't wait!

PS: In 2009, 76% of Korean women ages 20-39 had undergone plastic surgery. Does this mean that only one-fourth of young women in Korea are naturally beautiful? HAHA jk. ... wait, but does it? lol.

Eveology 101 (Part 3 of 5)

2010-06-06T04:10:00.000-07:00

Part 3. Getting sick of me yet?

11) I think I have a disorder involving overactive sweat glands because my hands and feet perspire more than the average person. I can even make my hands sweat on cue -- cool talent, huh? Unfortunately, the waterworks can't always be controlled. My hands and feet tend to get really sweaty when I'm in an unpredictable social environment. Examples of controlled/predictable environments: car rides, movie theaters, dinners, lectures. Examples of uncontrolled/unpredictable environments: gathering of people playing board games, meeting new people, bars, indoor parties. My brother used to taunt me that I would never find a guy who would be willing to hold my hand. Luckily, in college I met a boy named Jerry Fang who shared my unfortunate disorder. His is so bad that he uses prescription hand creme, lol. But at least now I know there's a fix! :)

12) I come from a family of eaters. There isn't anything that we don't eat. The only thing I can think of off the top of my head that I don't eat is water chestnuts. I don't know why, but I hate that stuff. It's not even a taste problem. I think I just get mad at water chestnuts for always tricking me. They're good at impersonating potato and chicken, and whenever I bite into one, the texture totally takes me by surprise and I have to spit it out. Tricksy water chestnuts.

So innocent looking.

13) I used to be super shy when I was little. When I was in Kindergarten, I had a pants-wetting problem because I was too shy to even ask my teacher if I could use the restroom. I would pee in my pants literally every. single. day. It wasn't until Parent-Teacher Conferences that my teacher got to talk to my parents about my problem. I guess she was really PEEved. (Haha okay sorry, I had to.) My parents had to explain to me that it was okay to ask to use the restroom during class. In my defense, my Kindergarten teacher was really intimidating! Mrs. Watts -- Blandford kids, back me up here.

At least I was at a pee-appropriate age.

14) I commute to Beverly Hills four times a week to tutor a high school junior. (They pay well.) This means I drive in traffic all the fuh-reaking time. To keep myself entertained on the road, I like to experiment with drivers behind me. You know when you're stuck bumper-to-bumper, there's always still some leeway between you and the car in front of you, right? Well, I like to roll forward a few feet and then immediately look into the rearview to see how many cars behind me also roll forward puahaha. I know it's silly, but surprisingly, I'd say about 8 out of 10 times the car directly behind you will roll with you. Doesn't matter if you're on local streets or freeway. I guess people are just really eager to get places.

15) The only place that I can dance and sing completely freely and without inhibition is in my car. Although, my friend Ruth did catch me once at the Colima and Fullerton intersection. She called me and said, "I think I just drove past you on Colima. Were you dancing and singing to yourself?" Damn, I was so embarrassed. Now I wait until I get on to the freeway.

PS: Your turn! To balance out the overload of trivial Evelyn facts, tell me a fact/story about YOU that I don't already know. Anything! :)

Eveology 101 (Part 2 of 5)

2010-05-28T03:01:00.001-07:00

Here's Part 2. I promise I'll work on conciseness next time. :|

6) When we were little, our moms took me, my brother Eric, and our close friends Ervin and Karen to an open audition for some kind of Starburst or Pizza Hut commercial. It was held at Pacific Palms Resort and I remember the casting director guy making us roar and growling "Lion King" ferociously on stage. According to my brother, we got a callback and were even offered to audition for a part on Saved By the Bell because they were looking for Asians (aka: ethnic diversity). Apparently our moms didn't believe strongly enough in our acting careers to cough up the money for an agent. Thanks, Mom. I could've been something big ya know!

Some of my best childhood memories were with the Wus. I miss you guys!

7) Hair on the right side of my body grows significantly faster and in greater quantity than hair on the left side of my body. This goes for my ENTIRE body -- eyebrows, mustache, legs, nose, arms, etc. And yes, if you must know, even THERE... in the armpits. Wait, what were YOU thinking! Okay but seriously, if this happens to you too, please let me know! I am in search of another to share this phenomenon with.

8) My middle school, Alvarado Intermediate (alma mater of OctoMom -- yes, we only breed the best), was the epitome of social cliques and stereotypes. The playground was known as "Loner Land" and the quad was sectioned off into areas designated as Mexican Table, Asian Table, Samoan Table, Skater Table, etc. The by-invitation-only O.G. Table, an elite social group of AZN (pronounced AYE-ZEE-EN) thugs and wannabes, was where I proudly spent my middle school days. Yah that's right, I was COOL. Okay fine, just kidding.. the only reason I got to step foot into that exclusive territory was because I was bestfriends with a REAL cool girl who was "invited." (Thanks Alice Lee.. the view from up top the social ladder was amazing.) Anyway, I tell this story because as terrible as it was that the O.G. social clique was where I was first exposed to innocence-shattering experiences (ie: drugs, sex, gangs, theft, violence, etc.), it was also what saved my life in the 8th grade. One day in Computer class, Alice and I ran our mouths too far with this Samoan girl. (It was just some playful teasing!) She later told on us to her other Samoan friend who was literally like three times our size! During nutrition, big Samoan friend came looking for us and we literally had to run and hide to avoid her. We eventually took refuge at the O.G. Table and our group "leader" had to talk to her to stop her from crushing us. So as ridiculous and stupid as I think O.G. was, I'm also secretly grateful that I still have all my bones intact.

Hands-around-the-waist-while-sitting was a popular pose for couples.

(Jess and Heather, please don't kill me.)

9) Some people did drama, others did sports. I was the band nerd who was really involved in competitive indoor drumline during my high school years. In what was supposed to be a grand and promising senior year, the band director fired our beloved drum instructor and assigned a less-than-competent replacement. After we got over the tears and heartbreak, a bunch of us quit the high school drumline and auditioned for a new, up-and-coming, professional group that our old instructor was helping to start. I am proud to say that I was part of the founding group for Pulse Percussion Ensemble 2004-2005, the underdogs who would later take the gold medal in this year's WGI Championships (most competitive event in the drumline world) and was also asked to perform in the live finale of a little ol' show called American's Best Dance Crew. Maybe you've heard of it? :)

10) Although I'm currently pursuing Optometry, I have secret dreams of being a comedy screenwriter, a voice actor, or Kathy Griffin's personal assistant.

PS: Your turn! To balance out the overload of trivial Evelyn facts, tell me a fact/story about YOU that I don't already know. Anything! :)

Eveology 101 (Part 1 of 5)

2010-05-24T01:53:00.001-07:00

A recent conversation with Steve about our childhood experiences made me realize that though it felt like I knew everything about my boyfriend of 15 months, we've actually never really wandered into the topic of our youth and upbringing. It struck me that people are so caught up in the "now" that it's not very often they get a chance to share stories from their youth, which is unfortunate because I think childhood experiences are extremely precious and make for great storytelling. This inspired me to want to share more facts/stories about myself with more people. In other words, I think I'm awesome and I think you should get to know me.

Awhile ago, there was a Facebook trend of posting 25 random facts about yourself and then tagging others to do the same. I got tagged numerous times and was tempted to do it, but knew that if I started, each fact would end up becoming a story in itself and pretty soon I'd have an autobiography -- blame the raconteur in me. I don't doubt that this would still happen, so I think I'll resolve the issue by posting just 5 facts/stories (not necessarily childhood-related) in a series of 5 entries. Yes that's right, cue the suspense! :) Anyway, here it goes:

1) I have this weird habit of looking at and memorizing license plates.. but only the letters. If I've had the pleasure of riding in your car enough times, chances are I know at least 2 of the 3 letters of your license plate number. Janice DTU, Steph COT, Hayoung DLB, Steve RPY (prius) and CCH (kia), Alex RMD, Andrew CDH, Linda TRJ, Tiff Lew PKR etc. Test me! I can try my best.

2) In elementary school, all the 4th grade classes had to participate in a Multicultural Potluck Day. Each student had to bring an ethnic dish representing their culture. Not fully understanding the instructions, I told my mom we just had to bring food. With the event being just days away from my birthday, my mom thought it'd be clever to bring a birthday cake to celebrate with my classmates. On the day of the event, a gigantic full sheet birthday cake saying "Happy Birthday Evelyn!" was extremely conspicuous among the homemade dumplings, taquitos, and egg rolls. To make matters worse, everyone had to make a label for their dish, with each label containing their name and a drawing of their country's flag. Super confused and embarrassed, I scribbled my name and hastily drew a picture of the American flag. Way to betray my culture.

3) In 3rd grade, we would have story time every Friday afternoon. Mrs. Mardis would sit in her big rocking chair while we laid sprawled on the floor, listening to her read. On one particular Friday, the book of choice was a horror story. For fun, Mrs. Mardis turned off all the lights and read to us in the dim room. When she got to a really scary and suspenseful part, a boy in our class jokingly screamed and hid his head under Mrs. Mardis' dress! The entire class, including the teacher, went hysterical. At that moment, I knew I had my very first boy crush. Five years later, in 8th grade, said class clown would ask me to "get with him" -- you know, the cool juvenile term for "dating." Three months later, he would break up with me via AIM Chat. I still remember his bold navy blue font on a bright royal blue background. Eugene Park, if you ever read this, I forgive you and I still have the stuffed Morning Glory pig you gifted to me during our first movie date to Pokemon: The First Movie.

4) When I shower, I like to wet the side wall with water and stick all the hair I lose while showering onto the wall. After I'm done, I take toilet paper and simply collect all the hair in a few circular motions. I do this cause I hate the thought of hair going down the drain and clogging the pipes. The bad thing is that once in a blue moon I'll forget and people who share a shower with me will freak out when they see my nasty bundle of hair on the wall (sorry Aimee Yoon). But I did find at least one other person who does this -- Amy WJ Lee! :) And while on the topic of my showering quirks, I mentally designate areas on my bath towel for certain areas of my body. For example, the ends are for feet only, and the middle edge is for face only. To ensure this, I fold my towel and grab my towel from the rack in the same exact way every single time.

5) I did not get accepted into UCLA the "normal" way. In fact, I was rejected and had already submitted my SIR and housing application to UCI. In mid-April of my senior year, a friend of mine who was currently attending UCLA suggested the crazy idea of auditioning for UCLA's Marching Band through a music appeal. On a whim, I contacted the director and hastily put together an audition tape in two weeks. In late May, just weeks before my high school graduation, I received an acceptance letter to UCLA. And just like that, everything changed. To this day, I consider getting into UCLA one of my craziest and most life-changing blessings. If you know anything about high school Evelyn, you'd understand why I didn't deserve this "second chance"... at all, haha. I still have my acceptance letter framed and propped on my desk. :) God is good.

PS: Your turn! To balance out the overload of trivial Evelyn facts, tell me a fact/story about YOU that I don't already know. Anything! :)

Sound of Settling

2010-05-12T01:14:00.000-07:00

Some people are scared of spiders. Others are deathly afraid of heights. I think I recently discovered something that I'm truly afraid of -- settling.

Do you ever wonder if the life you're currently living is the "right" one? I'm the type of person who, if asked to buy bread from the grocery store, can easily spend 15 minutes just in the bread aisle deducing which option is the BEST option. "Hmm, meets daily fiber recommendations. But WOW, this one has double the daily fiber! But this one has 7 grains.. wait what, no way.. 12 grains?! But this one's on sale!" And it doesn't stop there. Once the bread type is finally decided on, the search for the latest expiration date begins. Interestingly, I feel like this quirk of mine carries over into pretty much all areas of my life. I have this tendency -- no, scratch that -- NEED to explore ALL possible options before I commit myself to just one.

Seriously.. can you blame me?

Think about the last time you asked me to hangout with you. Did I enthusiastically scream, "OH EM GEE LIKE FOR SURE!" Probably not. Chances are I said something like, "Hmm yah okay maybe. I'll let you know by (insert some randomly chosen time of the future)." It's never because I don't want to. Truth is, it's because I need (yes, need) time to explore all possible happenings that hold even so much as 0.1% chance of conflicting with our outing. I need to know if that is the BEST option.. for me, for you, for the world.

I think that's what scares me about life. Life comes in all sorts of fiber doses and grains and prices. But the thing is, you can't organize it on a metal rack, look at it for 15 minutes, and then walk away knowing you chose the BEST one. What's even scarier is that if later on you feel that your choice was NOT the best one, you'll never know exactly what it was that you missed out on in the first place. You can't simply sigh and say, "Darn, should've chosen the sourdough." So maybe my fear isn't so much the idea of "settling" with one option, but rather the idea of not knowing ALL options. I suppose this is our selfish human nature exemplified; we always want the best.

With the safety and familiarity of my undergraduate years now far behind me, I think I'm starting to feel anxious and unsettled about my future. With optometry school just around the corner and important mid-20's life decisions looming in the distance, I can already feel the pressures of decision-making growing on my shoulders. I also can't help but reevaluate the decisions that I've already made. Is SCCO the "right" school? Is optometry the "right" career? What if I'm meant to be a Disney Channel star? Or a Victoria's Secret lingerie model? Ha, I laughed too.

I think I'll get myself one of those Magic 8 Balls. Hopefully there won't be too many options at the toy store.

PS: Speaking of decision-making, Hayoung and I made a pretty epic decision today -- we booked our summer vacation to Japan and Korea! Please pray for a safe and enlightening trip. :)

I Am Liz Lemon

2010-05-08T01:59:00.001-07:00

20 Things I Have In Common With Liz Lemon

1) We both have black plastic-rimmed glasses.

2) We're both known for our terrific sense of fashion (plaid, gender-neutral clothing)

3) We're both food addicts and may resort to violence when food is stolen.

4) We both have brothers.

5) We both date guys who call us "Dummy."

6) We're both born in November.

7) We both have terrible posture when we walk.

8) We both dance terribly.

9) We both love Top Chef.

10) We're both geeks who think we're cool.

11) We're both pushovers and have trouble saying no.

12) We both make up silly lyrics to the Juno song while strumming it on the guitar.

13) We both have bangs that are parted to the same side.

14) We both have a "good side," and insist to be filmed/photographed on that side.

15) We both love doing Oprah impressions.

16) We were both once roommates with ditzy TV stars (Jenny Maroney = Janice Jann)

17) She's a comedy screenwriter, a profession that I secretly wish I had the guts to pursue.

18) She lost her virginity at 25. I'll let you know in 3 years if this officially makes the list.

19) Her last name is Lemon. I like lemon-flavored water.

... Okay, so maybe that last one doesn't count. But as for #20, I'll let this excerpt do the talking.

Couldn't have said it better myself, Lemon.

PS: My favorite Lemon quotes are "That's the worst!" and "I want to go to there..."

Leave It To Bieber

2010-04-18T01:28:00.000-07:00

I live in Rowland Heights. I tutor 40 miles away in Beverly Hills four times a week. This means I drive in traffic. A lot. This means I listen to the radio. A lot. So much so that there are days when I will hear the same song come up on the radio more than ten times. (Damn you, Ke$ha and B.o.B.). Most of the time I sing along mindlessly, not even understanding the lyrics coming out of my mouth, driving in a hypnotic trance and staring cross-eyed at the license plate in front of me -- commuters, you know what I'm talking about. Recently I started paying more attention to lyrics and I must say.. WHAT THE HECK HAPPENED TO LOVE SONGS?! I could've sworn that, once upon a time, endearing lyrics flooded the radio waves. Once upon a time, male artists wrote songs about how much they loved being in relationships and how much they hurt when they weren't in one. Once upon a time, male artists actually wrote songs about cherishing the girl and respecting the girl.

Once upon a time there was Babyface......

Every time I close my eyes

I thank the Lord that I've got you

And you've got me too

And every time I think of it

I pinch myself cause I don't believe it's true

That someone like you loves me too

..... and 98 Degrees............

You are my everything

Nothing your love won't bring

My life is yours alone

The only love I've ever known

Your spirit pulls me through

When nothing else will do

Every night I pray

On bended knee

That you will always be

My Everything

..... and, dare I say, 'N SYNC...........

In all of creation

All things great and small

You are the one that surpasses them all

More precious than

Any diamond or pearl

They broke the mold

When you came in this world

Now, we have sweet romantic Ludacris......

Listen, now I'm only gonna break your heart

And shatter and spatter it all into itty bitty pieces

Whether or not you get it all together

Then it's finder's keepers and loser's weepers

See I'm not trying to lead you on, no I'm only trying to keep it real

You might say this is Ludacris, but Taio Cruz tell her how you feel!

I'm only gonna break break your, break break your heart [x4 freaking times!]

..... and one of my favorite, the chivalrous ol' New Boyz............

Aye girl what up

No I'm not gon make a scene

But you can't tie me down like a pair of shoe strings

Yah you cute, so what

But let's get it through your head

Yah we make love, sex, weed all in your bed

It's the best thing I love about you

But things don't change

When I'm not faithful

You be feelin' all pain

Now you stuck like a stain and I can't believe that

Baby girl one hundred, I ain't tryn-a do that

Got too many girls and I ain't letting go

Cause my life is great

And you ain't nothing but a hoe

Yea you come to my show and you very supportive

Just showed me a camera and my show recorded

It was nice

I'm surprised that you still standin' here

As you know I'm a man

And I have no fears

Imma start from the top

Girl this ain't no lovin'

I'm a New Boy, girl so

She ain't gon' tie me down

It's no wonder there's a 'Bieber fever' pandemic going on! Leave it to a 16-year-old Canadian kid to keep the tradition of REAL love songs alive. Thanks, Justin.

PS: How ironic that Ludacris talks about shattering hearts in one song and then gushes over his childhood crush on the playground in Bieber's song puahaha.

A Most Unnatural Act

2010-03-07T02:18:00.000-08:00

Back in September 2009, I traveled to Bishkek, Kyrgyzstan for a 10-day medical mission. A few months ago, Roman Kim, a peer who I befriended back in Bishkek randomly messaged me and raved to me about this spectacular book he was currently reading -- Philip Yancey's What's So Amazing About Grace? I had heard about this book. It seems to be a popular read that I hear many people recommending. I never really gave it much thought though. I stereotyped it as one of those "forgiveness books" that lecture you on why you suck and will go to hell if you don't forgive, cause then God won't forgive you. blahblahblah. But boy was I wrong! I'm about two-thirds of the way through now -- thanks for the loan Jenn! -- and I must say this Yancey guy is pretty addicting. He has this amazing way of humanizing things and presenting his concepts in such a neutral way, a way that inspires you to re-evaluate yourself and the way you do things. Not because someone or something told you to, but because you desire to. Perhaps what I find most attractive about this reading is Yancey's open-mindedness to a broad range of viewpoints. He likes to provide Viewpoints A, B, and C, and then present Viewpoint D as an alternative, all the while using words like "I believe" and not "You should." I also like that it's not completely necessary to know all his biblical allusions in order to understand what he's trying to say (although I'm sure it helps), which is appreciated by someone like me who has done minimal Bible studying. Some things I found interesting..

"Tony Campolo sometimes asks students at secular universities what they know about Jesus. Can they recall anything Jesus said? By clear consensus they reply, "Love your enemies." More than any other teaching of Christ, that one stands out to an unbeliever. Such an attitude is unnatural, perhaps downright suicidal. It's hard enough to forgive your rotten brothers, as Joseph did, but your enemies? The gang of thugs down the block? Iraqis? The drug dealers poisoning our nation?
Most ethicists would agree instead with the philosopher Immanuel Kant, who argued that a person should be forgiven only if he deserves it. But the very word forgive contains the word "give" (just as the word pardon contains donum, or gift). Like grace, forgiveness has about it the maddening quality of being undeserved, unmerited, unfair."

"A phrase used by both Peter and Paul has become one of my favorite images from the New Testament. We are to administer, or 'dispense,' God's grace, say the two apostles. The image brings to mind one of the old-fashioned 'atomizers' women used before the perfection of spray technology. Squeeze a rubber bulb, and droplets of perfume come shooting out of the fine holes at the other end. A few drops suffice for a whole body; a few pumps change the atmosphere in a room. That is how grace should work, I think. It does not convert the entire world or an entire society, but it does enrich the atmosphere."

Not to mention this guy has so many crazy stories to tell, haha.

PS: I am in a book reading mood. Any suggestions? Any genre is open to consideration. In fact, a recent conversation about Louis Sachar is making me want to go to the Children's section of the local library to borrow Sideways Stories From Wayside School.

Today Was A Fairytale

2010-02-15T03:56:00.000-08:00

February 14, 2010 was a big day this year not only because it was the arbitrarily commercialized Valentine's Day, or because it was Lunar New Year, or because Arizona was admitted as the 48th state 88 years ago (okay I totally googled that), but because it was also a celebration of my one-year old relationship with Mr. Steve Chung. SteveN -- Steve's romantic and more attractive alter ego who only makes appearances for special occasions -- planned a night of adventures and surprises that actually moved me to tears (thrice) and left me giddy like a little girl. That's right, three times. Ain't no shame. Suck on that, Chung.

But prior to our night of lovey-dovey romance, the siblings and I of course had to pay a visit and our respects to our greatest great-grandmother (see also: collecting red envelopes filled with cash). Just kidding. I find it amazing that my family is now made up of four generations. As the youngest of three with a father who is also the youngest of three, I barely got to know all of my grandparents, much less even meet or hear about my GREAT-grandparents. But Brandon here is one lucky fella to have been held by his great-grandmother! And to be gifted with a red envelope.. which probably went straight into Daddy Wang's wallet.

Brandon is a rich little man!

Grandma and Brandon seem to be staring at the same things.

Grandkids plus a great-grandkid.

After endless picture-taking and a brief recognition of Chinese Lunar New Year traditions, I had to steal away to meet Steve for our romantic evening! Little did I know, I would be greeted instead by suave-looking Steven, with bouquet of fresh lilies (my favorite!) in hand. Red roses for Valentine's Day are like, so overdone.

Who are you and what did you do with my boyfriend?!

We wined and dined at Lomeli's, a quaint Italian Restaurant in Brea that holds a special place in Steve's heart from his old high school days. For a small price, you can get a 3-course meal with complimentary glass of wine, carrot stick appetizers, and garlic bread! Steven obviously knew I'm a girl who loves me my food, lol. No dainty prom-sized portions for me, thank you! Good choice, beb. :)

Oh Lomeli's, you filled me up good.

You want some of this?

After Lomeli's, we ventured to The Block at Orange where one of the activities that Steven had planned for us was to watch Valentine's Day. Steve hates romantic comedies and will kick and scream to try to get out of one. Steven, on the other hand, would graciously get tickets for two. Needless to say, I was touched by the gesture haha. But he ended up lucking out and, at my choosing, we instead strolled around The Block, hand-in-hand and telling each other how beautiful we think we are. Just kidding. Then... we proceeded to get it on.

Get our GAME on, of course! Sick pervs. But yes, Steven did get some major game that night during Dave & Buster's happy hour. Not only did he beat me at $20+ worth of games (yes, every single one of them), but he also got a free drink from a MALE bartender (diet coke, but still) and had a random drunk guy named Reid tell him that he looked "sharp." Not sure if I should feel proud or concerned about this HAHA. But that's my boy! Stay away, ladies... and gents?

I died so early that I even had time to snap this photo.

I have so few pictures from D&B's cause I was too busy engaging in competitive dueling, but it was definitely a great time. Gamed-out and with prized D&B boxers in hand, we left The Block and headed to Steven's house to REALLY get it on! ... with Mario Party on Nintendo DS, duh! Oh geez.

You'd think he'd at least let me win at DS after kicking my butt all night. NOPE.

French champagne courtesy of Mr. Steven Chung.

And then ended the night with a champagne toast to love, us, and us in love. HAHA okay, that was super gross and cheesy, but it was just too catchy not to write. 'Twas a good day. Thank you, Steve(n)!

Happy Valentine's Day and Happy One Year. <3

Now back to reality with regular ol' Steve.

Sigh.

PS: "We love because He first loved us." -- 1 John 4:19

Dear Brandon

2010-01-12T02:34:00.000-08:00

Dear Brandon,

This entry is for you to read back on when you're old enough to read. As I type this, you are 2 and 1/2 days old and still living in Presbyterian Intercommunity Hospital with Mommy and Daddy. You were born on a Saturday afternoon via a Caesarean section on Mommy's tummy. Your official birth time is January 9, 2010 at 1:38pm. You were 6 pounds 7 ounces and 100% beautiful. You were quite eager to come into this world, you know. We weren't expecting you for another day, but you really wanted out! Here is the story of your birth day from Auntie Evelyn's point of view.

The day of your birth was a big day for Auntie Evelyn. You see, she was 22 at the time and applying for optometry school. That day, Auntie had a very important interview with SCCO, the #1 school that she wanted to go to. You were purposely scheduled to arrive the day after because Auntie Evelyn wanted to make sure she'd be there for your arrival! But no, you were feeling particularly stubborn and rebellious that day -- you must get that from Daddy. On the morning of Auntie's interview, Mommy got some tummy aches while Daddy was away at work. I told Mommy that she better keep you inside for at least 6 more hours because I would be away at my interview and I didn't want to miss your birth! Mommy promised, but eventually her tummy aches starting getting a lot worse, so Uncle Eric had to take Mommy to the hospital to check to see if you were okay. On their way out the door, they were very calm and said, "It's probably a false alarm. We'll probably be back in an hour."

Just as I was leaving for my interview, Uncle Eric called us and told Grandpa Philip and I that you were scheduled to arrive in just two hours! I was very sad that I would be missing your arrival. :( But looking back now, I realized that you were a blessing in disguise! You see, I was very nervous for my interview that day, Brandon. VERY nervous. I didn't even sleep very well the night before because I couldn't stop worrying about it! But right when Uncle Eric told us you'd be arriving soon, all I could think about was seeing you and meeting you for the very first time later that day; thinking about you suddenly made all my worries and nerves disappear. So thank you, Brandon. It was very considerate of you to help me out like that! :)

After my 5-hour interview session at the optometry school, I drove very fast to the hospital to finally meet you. Everyone was telling me that you were a beautiful baby, but I had to see you for myself! When I finally saw you, you took my breath away. Really. God must have spent quite some time on you because you were truly the most beautiful thing I had ever laid my eyes on. I wondered to myself if babies were allowed to be this beautiful. You had the most perfect features I had ever seen on a baby -- soft pink lips, a small round speckled nose, a perfectly symmetrical face, adorable almond-shaped eyes, and even dimples when you smiled! You were only a few hours old, but you still greeted all your guests with open eyes. Such manners at your age!

You have only been with us for less than 3 days now and already we are so proud of you! "We just met you and we love you!" That is a popular line from a Disney movie called "Up," by the way. I wonder if we will have watched that together already by the time you read this. I wonder a lot of things about you actually. But for now, I am enjoying watching you sleep every day and the funny faces that you make. We can't wait for you to come home, Brandon! Welcome to the family. <3

In Mommy's arms. You are 5 hours old here.

Uncle Steve and I got you your very first balloon. You didn't really like it.

Uncle Eric snapped this photo. You were quite photogenic at 2 days old!

PS: Auntie Evelyn ended up getting into that optometry school she interviewed for thanks to you -- you are her lucky charm! Hopefully she is now a practicing optometrist as you read this, and not living somewhere out on the street.

Overdue Thanks

2009-11-29T01:41:00.000-08:00

This is long overdue, but with Thanksgiving not too far out of sight, I guess there couldn't be a more appropriate time.

So when I was preparing for my medical mission to Kyrgyzstan back in September, I shamelessly held one of those Facebook fundraising events where you create an "event" and invite everyone on your list to attend. Then you write a tear-jerking, enduring story about how you're deeply passionate about some overseas humanitarian mission and how the only thing burdening you is the toll it will take on your wallet. Then you shamelessly ask everyone you know -- and don't know -- to make a donation or say a prayer to support your cause. Then you wrap it up with some kind of blurb about how you're so grateful and how this will change your life and blah blah blah.

Then.... what happens after that.. I could not have predicted. I only just recently deposited the checks that were mailed to me. I don't know why it took me so long. I think I was overwhelmed by the donations.. not so much the numbers but maybe more so the kindness and love that was shown to me through this simple "fundraiser" and overall experience. I was moved to think that people so willingly and selflessly gave up their money to support my cause. Looking back, I admit that the last-minute trip did put me in a bit of a financial panic, and at the moment I was looking to make money and make money quick. But now, I realize that God would never call you to a situation where He would not provide for you. Ultimately, the money was not for me anyway but for Him.

I don't know why this came to my attention this week, but I'm glad it did during this Thanksgiving holiday. To all the donors who happen to read this blog, THANK YOU. Your generosities have not gone unnoticed and it definitely added to my list of things to be thankful for this holiday season. And I'm also sorry it took me so long to deposit the checks. Please don't be mad if you noticed a sudden unexpected decrease in your bank account or had insufficient funds when you tried to complete a transaction. :)

Happy Thanksgiving!

PS: Thanksgiving is my favorite holiday.

Don't Trouble Trouble Until Trouble Troubles You

2009-10-20T15:40:00.000-07:00

One of the things I would miss most when I was living out in Westwood was -- no, not Banana Bay, not the home-cooked meals, not the boba tea drinks made with actual tea -- but playing the piano. And even when I did come home for my short one-day visits on the weekends, time was so limited that I just couldn't manage to get my fingers onto those shiny black and white keys. Now that I'm home with unlimited access to my piano, I've been playing everyday! Sometimes I'll even have these impulsive moments where I'm in the middle of studying nucleophilic substitution reactions on carbonyls and I'll suddenly drop everything to go downstairs and play just because I feel like it. It's as if that little wooden chair won't stop calling my name.

Last summer, I fell in love with a song called "Maybe" by Yiruma -- credits to Jonathan Weng for introducing me to this song and therefore the amazingness that is Yiruma! I loved this song so much that I took on the challenge of learning it myself. My computer wasn't synced with my home printer at that time, so I remember I'd sit at the piano for hours, laptop by my side, reading the sheet music off the computer screen, lol. Eventually I played it so much that I began to memorize it unintentionally -- muscle memory is an interesting phenomenon no? But as lovely as the song is, some other folks in the house probably heard it one too many times. My brother would tease me before I even sat down to play, "Oh my gosh, don't play it. You're going to play that song again aren't you?" to which I would respond "MAYBE..." -- duh doon doon ch! (<-- drumset fill, in case you didn't get that.)

So in response to popular demand for a new song, I recently began learning another one of Yiruma's songs called "It's Your Day." There's a part in this song that I absolutely love, around the 1:00 mark and again at 2:20 and later again at 2:50 in a lower octave. Not only does it sound great, but the syncopated rhythm is a ton of fun to play as well. It's like once you start, you get this adrenaline rush and you can't stop, lol. Anyway, I deviate. I had a point to this entry I promise.

This part of the song took me forever to learn (which isn't saying much cause I'm not a great pianist to begin with). The way the left-hand notes line up with the right-hand notes seemed nearly impossible to decipher. I can play it decently well now and sometimes I'll sit down at the piano just to play these four measures over and over again. However, I realized that something happens when I do this. Whenever I play this part in context with the rest of the song, I let muscle memory take over and can almost always play it perfectly. But when I focus on JUST this part and play it over and over again, it starts to get worse with each repetition and ultimately just ends in frustration. It's as if my hands know the song better than my brain does and the more I think about it, the more self-destructive it gets. It's like my hands are saying, "Brain, chill out! I know what I'm doing!"

**WARNING: Deep heartfelt epiphany ahead.

That's when I realized that I do this a lot in my personal life. (I know, deep right?) Especially as of late, I feel like I've been re-evaluating a lot of things and putting excessive thought into things unnecessarily, only to cause more harm than help. Not to say that I should avoid certain matters, but why fix a chair that ain't broke? Sometimes I just think too much for my own good. That's why I am a horrible test taker. If I tried hard enough, I could probably convince myself to believe that 1 + 1 = 3. But anyway, more muscle memory and less thought. I think this will be my new mantra for now.

PS: Speaking of test taking, I would have been taking my OAT this Friday if I hadn't impulsively gone to Kyrgyzstan and rescheduled my exam. November 17 is the new doomsday. Eek!

Jon Gosselin Must Die

2009-10-10T01:51:00.000-07:00

**DISCLAIMER: Title is an attempt at a witty reference to the John Tucker movie. I would never wish death on anyone.**

As much as I love watching the kids on the Jon and Kate Plus 8 show, the couple's ongoing divorce battle is driving me crazy! I try not to follow it, but one news article always leads to the next and before I know it, I'm fully caught up on every he-said-she-said moment and out of YouTube videos to watch! (Thank you TMZ.) I don't usually have very much to say about celebrity -- if you even want to call them that -- feuds, but the most recent issues regarding Jon's response to the change in show title and his alleged "stealing" of the $230,000 from the couple's bank account is really getting me heated. HE IS SO PATHETIC I WANT TO SCREAM. After watching his interview on Good Morning America, I actually felt sorry for misjudging him and almost went anti-Kate. But then he pulls a stunt like this and I am back to remembering why he is such a douche.

Here is the skinny: TLC changes name of show to "Kate Plus 8" and gives Jon a limited role. Jon suddenly has "epiphany" (<-- his own word) and no longer wants his kids to be filmed, despite having just filmed an episode with them two days before the name change. Jon hires attorney Mark Heller who once also represented Lindsay Lohan. This guy was found guilty of 18 of 38 charges of misconduct during his time as a lawyer -- "misrepresentation, deceit, abusive treatment of clients, and fee gouging" -- and was suspended from practice for 5 years. Instead of presenting his case to legal authorities, Jon and his lawyer go on Larry King Live and The Insider to vent publicly. Jon also allegedly removes $230,000 of the $231,000 from him and Kate's joint account.

... I hate to break it do you Jon, but you kind of have a lot of things working against you here.

And epiphany, my ass! Call it what you will, but I think Jon is just angry that the show fired him and doesn't know how to react. It seems like he is just doing whatever he can to retaliate. Show fires Jon. Jon says, "No, I am firing you." Kate makes Jon mad. Jon steals family income. Makes complete sense, right? I can totally imagine him singing "nee ner nee ner nee ner" in his head thinking he's outsmarting everyone, when really he's just coming off as really childish. It's really hard to take a man seriously when he can't even spell his own name correctly (not to mention the word "penalty").

PS: I can't believe I just wrote a blog response to a celebrity feud.

Dads Say the Darnest Things

2009-09-30T18:16:00.001-07:00

While going through my inbox and deleting old emails, I stumbled upon this email that my dad wrote to me while I was in Kyrgyzstan. This is the first time in my life I had to communicate with my parents via the Internet, so it was really interesting to see my dad step up to the challenges of technology and the English language (which I must admit was pretty impressive). This email made me laugh too hard for me to delete, so I'm going to post it here as a keepsake. Enjoy.

Hi Evelyn,

I and mom are so happy to receive your email again knowing everything is going fine with you, right now it's 11pm on 9/12 Saturday, I think you are 12 or 13 hours ahead of us. We took Eric to the airport this afternoon, he is still flying above the pacific at this time and should be arriving Tokyo in about three hours from now, wishing him to have a wonderful vacation. Mom,me and Eddie we ate "pho" tonight, they have a promotion, everything is $4.99,. that's a good price. Since you and Eric are not home I will be "on strike" for cooking next week, sounds good to me?

Your friends sent letters(card) to you , one from Joan Kim in walnut, the other one from Los Angeles (6311 Monterey Rd., L. A. CA 90042) with no name, you may email them if you think they are important.

Ok, it already took me half hour to write this email(less than you thought ha-ha!), I will stop here talk to you later.

Love,

Dad

PS: Interestingly, I can't remember the last time I heard my dad say "I love you," yet he signed off every single email he sent me with "Love," haha. Maybe I should send more emails..

A Story About Roman

2009-09-18T02:23:00.000-07:00

I'm sitting in Moscow airport again waiting for our transfer flight back to Los Angeles! Our layover time is 5.5 hours and so far I've managed to keep myself entertained for 4 hours by reading up on news back in the States. (WTF KANYE?!) I have lots more I want to say about my time in Kyrgyzstan, but at the moment, a more urgent task is at hand.

So last night I accepted a desperate Facebook friend request from said Roman Kim mentioned two entries ago (Korean-Russian kid who helped me find my suitcase), and it did not occur to me that he would stalk me and read my blog (which was actually quite embarrassing). It appears that Roman has developed quite a large head from all the nice words of praise and compliments I wrote about him, so I think I need to knock him off his high horse now. This is a story about Roman.

Roman is a good looking kid.

He was born socially inept and has trouble making real friends, so he spends his free time stalking people on Facebook and checking out old war veterans.

As part of his social awkwardness, Roman likes to randomly break into strange accents in hopes of entertaining those around him. This, however, just makes people extremely uncomfortable and really embarrassed.

Roman is the worst praise leader. He plays guitar terribly and has a horrendous singing voice. (Not really, I just wanted to share what praise sounds like in Russian, haha.)

I hope that God will humble Roman and pop his big head someday.

The end.

Okay, I realize that dedicating an entire blog post to Roman is more hurting than helping the cause. And obviously I'm kidding about everything. :) This is just my indirect way of showing my appreciation for the amazing hospitality that everyone provided us with in Kyrgyzstan. I was deeply touched and humbled by the church members' compassion and dedication. Humans are not capable of such magnitude of kindness -- it was truly a witnessing of God working in people's hearts.

ROMAN, please let everyone know that we are now safely back in the States and how thankful we are to all the church members! The hospitality we experienced while in Kyrgyzstan was nothing short of amazing. I miss you guys, especially the youngsters. Tell everyone I said hi. :) Will be praying for you guys and your church! See ya when you come to California! ;)

PS: Does kavas need to be refrigerated? lol.

Kyrgyzstan Medical Mission: Days 2-4

2009-09-14T07:03:00.000-07:00

Just finished dinner and I have some free time before I need to get ready for bed. The past couple of days have been so tiring but so rewarding at the same time. A typical day goes like this:

6:00am -- wake up

7:00am -- group meets for daily devotional

8:30am -- breakfast

10:00am -- clinics open

1:00pm -- lunch

2:00pm -- back to work

6:00pm -- dinner

By the time it hits 7pm, I'm dead tired and really anxious to go to bed. And when I do, I completely knock out the moment I close my eyes. Last night, I laid down in my bed while waiting to use the sink to brush my teeth, and the next thing I knew, it was 5am and I needed to pee, lol. I fell asleep in my clothes and with contacts in my eyes and everything, haha. Sleep is good.

As for the actual working, basically there's me and another guy Stephen working the "eye clinic." Stephen is a licensed optician, not an optometrist -- meaning he specializes in correcting vision and not treating eye disease. We've worked out a system such that I see patients for reading (far-sighted) problems while he sees patients for distance problems. It's a lot more hands-on than I thought and it was a little intimidating at first cause I didn't want to give someone an incorrect prescription. But after seeing hundreds of patients, it's actually very simple and basically a trial-and-error process. I can almost predict people's reading prescriptions now just by watching their eyes as they read a book, lol. But even though it's simple, it's also very time-consuming. Each of us have our personal translator and conversations take double the time because Kyrgyz has to be translated to English, and then back the other way. But I actually really enjoy listening to Kyrgyz and I also really like the way Kyrgyz people pronounce English, so all is good. :)

I wanted to post a video I took of Stephen seeing a patient for reading glasses, but it's so long and will probably take forever to upload. So instead, here's another video I took of Thomas, our dentist, extracting some teeth. Warning: not for the faint of heart!

Working here is nothing like working in my brother's optometry clinic back at home. The Kyrgyz people are so appreciative for their glasses. Sometimes we only have really ugly and out-of-date glasses that fit a patient's prescription and they're absolutely fine with it. I was completely weirded out the first day when people would walk away, ugly crooked glasses in hand, with a big smile on their face. Back in LA, it's all about Juicy Couture this and Vera Wang that, not to mention color and size specifications. And don't even get me started on sunglasses. We have some used sunglasses that are probably straight out of the 1960's and people here absolutely love them, haha. Stephen said sunglasses are usually a big hit on these mission trips.

This whole experience has been nothing short of life-changing. Even though my hair straightener doesn't work (I know, it's killing me) and I have to squat on the floor until my thighs burn to use the toilet, I am so happy to be here. I think this experience has reaffirmed my decision to pursue optometry. Of all the services we provide here, I think correcting vision is the most rewarding and satisfying. Not to say that issuing out medication and having teeth pulled out are not beneficial to the patients, but I think there is something about correcting someone's vision that is truly a blessed gift. Vitamins and antibiotics will run out in due time, but glasses can help a person for years, maybe even for the rest of their life.

But anyway, the reason why I'm up later than usual today is because I slept pretty much the whole afternoon. I barely worked today because I was having some stomach problems. :( I don't know what's wrong, but I felt a lot better after I threw up. I think I am being punished for gluttony, lol. The food they serve us is absolutely delicious and plentiful. I think I've been eating better here than I do at home, haha. Hopefully tomorrow is a better day.

I was using my laptop in the sanctuary yesterday, and one by one all these kids started circling me looking very intrigued by my computer. At one point, I had five kids fighting to take a picture of themselves.

PS: Kids here watch Disney Channel too! But it's basically just three or four episodes each of Hannah Montana, Jonas, and Phineas and Ferb being played over and over again, lol.

Kyrgyzstan Medical Mission: Day 1

2009-09-12T08:47:00.001-07:00

I never sleep with my hair wet. But today I am, in Kyrgyzstan! For some reason, both of the power converters that I brought with me are deciding not to work. One of them just doesn't work, and the other one won't physically fit because there's a stupid plastic border surrounding the outlet. Now everyone is sleeping so I can't blow dry my hair anyway. I am scared to find out what my hair will look like in the morning.

It's only 10:00pm right now but I am completely drained from head to toe. Upon arriving in Manas International Airport, two obstacles awaited us. First, someone accidentally took one of my suitcases thinking it was theirs. We knew someone had swapped it mistakenly cause there was one suitcase left on the conveyer belt, probably belonging to the person who took mine. I was seriously about to cry because they took the one with all my personal belongings (ie: clothes, toiletries, appliance chargers, shoes, etc.). To make matters worse, none of the employees spoke English! This was when I realized how far away I was from home. I don't think I've ever been in a situation where the person I'm talking to does not understand ONE WORD of English. You could imagine the frustration as both parties kept speaking in their own language, while frantically using body language and and hand gestures, to try to make the other party understand. After awhile, you come to the realization that the volume of your voice and the number of times you repeat something have no effect, lol. Fortunately, among the church members here who came to pick us up (about 15 of them came with flowers to greet us at 6:00am), there was a boy my age who came to my rescue! His name was Roman and he served as my interpreter. Roman is Korean-Russian -- 100% Korean but born in Russia. He looks totally Korean, but does not speak the language. He speaks Russian, Kyrgyz, and English. This really blew my mind, haha. Later I would find out that this is pretty much the norm here in Kyrgyzstan. Totally weird. But anyway, he helped me communicate with the airport people and we were able to get some information about the lady who took my suitcase. We tried calling her, but obviously she hadn't arrived home yet cause she had just left from the airport. It wouldn't be until later in the day around 430pm that we would finally confirm she had my suitcase. The moment I found out, I screamed and hugged the lady who informed me, haha. And to make a long story very short, Roman and his dad drove me all the way back to the airport (about a 45-minute drive) to pick up the old lady's suitcase and then to the old lady's apartment to exchange our bags. It was the most random thing and it took forever, but I was just so so so happy to get my luggage back.

I think God was really teaching me a lesson through all of this. When I was packing for Kyrgyzstan, I was so concerned about the material items I should bring. "Should I wear this? Should I bring that? I need my blow dryer. I can't live without my hair straightener." And for 10 hours of my day, God completely stripped me of all of these material items. It wasn't until all of these things were taken away from me that I realized how pathetic and dependent I am on my material belongings. It helped me realize that God doesn't care about what you look like or what tangible items you have or don't have when you serve. All you need to have is the right heart. Secondly, through this unfortunate incident, God revealed the grace and generosity of the people here in Kyrgyzstan. I felt sooo bad for having to make Roman and his dad drive me around everywhere, but they were so anxious and willing to help. Roman and I even had a chance to bond throughout this whole ordeal. It was nice to talk to someone my age since my mission team is like 40-60 years old. I asked him a bunch of questions about Kyrgyzstan and he asked me a bunch of questions about Los Angeles. Apparently, Kyrgyz teenagers use Facebook too, hahaha.

So that was just the first obstacle, lol. While I was trying to figure out my whole suitcase situation at the airport, the rest of the team members were having a tough time with security. When they ran our luggage through the machines, they saw all the medicine and equipment that we were bringing in and thought it looked fishy. The guards told everyone to open all the suitcases and take out all the medical stuff. It looked really bad when all the medicine, eyewear, and supplies were stashed together in one gigantic heap. It looked like we were trying to smuggle in illegal items, lol. But yah, the guards were giving us a hard time and saying that they would need to confiscate everything. They were not violent or aggressive though, just very cynical. We offered to pay them off with $100 USD, but they demanded an unreasonable amount of $500 USD. After about an hour, Pastor Kang from the church here got in touch with a congressman from Kyrgyzstan and the congressman told the airport to let it go. Apparently Pastor Kang is very reputable here in Kyrgyzstan and has good relations with the country. Amazing.

You'd think that this would be a day's worth of interesting events, eh? But no. Silly me thought that because we were weary from all the traveling and hadn't slept nor eaten well in the past 24 hours and were all suffering from jet lag, we'd go straight to bed to rest up. But no. We ate a 20-minute breakfast that the church members prepared for us (freaking delicious btw) and went straight to work. Yah, we set up and opened clinic today after having no sleep at all. It was so ridiculously draining. I have so much I want to say about the experience I had today working with the Kyrgyz people, but I am having trouble just trying to keep my eyes open. I feel like this is all a weird dream. Am I really in Kyrgyzstan?

More later.

PS: A decent salary in Kyrgyzstan is 200 Soms per month, which is equal to about $5 USD. A pair of glasses costs about $400 USD.

привет From Moscow!

2009-09-10T09:16:00.000-07:00

... apparently that's how you write "hi" in Russian.. pronounced "pri-VET."

Surprisingly, Moscow airport has free wireless internet! So I'll take advantage of this opportunity to do some blogging.

We got off to a really slow start yesterday. Check-in was a pain in the ass because a bunch of suitcases were over the weight limit due to all the medicine, supplies, and equipment. We had to rearrange a bunch of stuff to try to even out all the weight. Luckily, the lady at the check-in counter was nice and let us slide.. a lot, haha. On top of that dilemma, one of our team members overslept and was running super late. By the grace of God, she made it just in time and we all boarded the plane without any further problems. She was an important member of the team not only because she's a nurse, but more importantly because she was carrying all our food and snacks, lol. Unfortunately, the security guard at Moscow made us throw away the gochu jjang and ten jjang (sp?) that we brought all the way from LA. Why they gotta hate on the gochu jjang!

I think this was the longest flight I've ever been on. I don't remember flights to Thailand, Taiwan, and China being this long. And it's not even over yet. We are in Moscow, Russia right now waiting for our transfer flight to Kyrgyzstan, which isn't for another 2 hours or so. That flight will be another 4.5 hours, totaling almost 17 hours of travel time in the sky! Cuh-razy. My butt is super flat right now and my calves super bloated from all the sitting. It also feels kind of musty in this airport because there appears to be very minimal air conditioning. And the restrooms are gross and smelly. I know... WAH WAH WAH, complain complain complain. That's what happens when you are a spoiled brat from Southern California, haha.

Upon arriving in Russia, I realized I don't know ONE WORD of Russian! I've never even heard Russian or even seen Russian words. This is quite the learning experience. Russian characters look like Greek characters.. is there some sort of historical link between Russia and Greece I am not aware of? As for the people, I must say that Russians are kind of cold, haha. I don't know if it's because I'm Asian, but they don't even look at me when they talk and they aren't very courteous (ie: no smiling, don't help with luggage, not letting you walk in front, etc.). But I must say, Russian woman are pretty. They are all so tall and slender and mysterious looking.

Anyway, that's all for now. I really need to get up and walk. My coccyx bone is crying out in pain. More later, hopefully.

PS: Uma Thurman appears to be a big hit in Europe. Her face and perfume ads are all over this airport.

Kyrgy - WUH?!

2009-09-08T15:41:00.000-07:00

It seems I have a reputation for embarking on last-minute, spontaneous trips. In December 2007, I decided literally just hours before my plane flight to take a trip up to San Jose to play with friends. This past August 2009, I made a sudden decision to go to Chicago to keep company my pregnant sister-in-law. Now tomorrow, I am flying cross-globe to Kyrgyzstan to participate in a 10-day medical mission with people I hardly know. I know what you're thinking.. where the heck is Kyrgyzstan?! That was my initial response too, haha. Thanks to Google Maps, I learned that Kyrgyzstan is on the Northwest border of China just south of Kazakhstan (home of Borat) and north of Afghanistan. I am completely shocked at myself for deciding to do this mission. I mean, I know I'm known to be a person of spontaneity and randomness, but I must admit that even this is a little out of my character. So why am I doing this?!

Honestly, I don't know. For some reason, I feel a very strong calling to this mission. When I first heard about it, I was really excited to go, but also very doubtful because I knew I had so many other priorities on my list (ie: optometry school applications, OAT prep, class at community college). When I finally found out I got into my Microbiology class at Mt. SAC, I emailed Pastor Dongsoo (the pastor/surgeon who is leading this mission) that I for sure was not going to be able to go. I went to class for a week, purchased a parking permit, bought my books, and one day as I was beginning to write my first lab report, I asked myself, "Wait a second.. why the hell not?!" After much thought and reasoning, I realized that while there were still many chances to take this class, and while OAT exams can be rescheduled (if worse comes to worst), an opportunity like this does not come around everyday. And just like that, I dropped my class and booked a roundtrip plane ticket to Kyrgyzstan.

Okay, I'm making it sound a little more spontaneous than it really was. It actually took me a few days to decide whether or not to drop my class. And luckily, I didn't even have to pay the actual airfare, which was about $1600, because my brother had a grip load of Northwest Airline miles. Not to say that this trip isn't costing me anything though, because I still have to pay my brother back $1000 for his miles + $500 trip fee + $100 for a visa. Being the unemployed post-college graduate that I am, you can imagine the toll that this is taking on my bank account. With that said, I decided to start one of those annoying Facebook events -- you know, the ones entitled something like "Send Timothy to Africa!" -- to hopefully raise some funds for this trip. If you feel like you have even a dollar you can offer, please visit this Facebook page for more info. Thank you in advance for your support. <3

But if your bank account is depleting as rapidly as mine is these days, the best gift you can possibly give me is prayer. With this being my first mission trip, I don't know what to expect and I am actually really nervous. Please pray for the following:

1) Readiness -- My decision to go on this trip was so last-minute that I am finding it really hard to feel prepared. Please pray for me to be both physically and mentally at ease throughout my trip. A 10-day mission like this is really going to put a time crunch on my OAT preparation, so please pray that I will be at ease about my studies, and that I will rely on God's watch and not my own. And though this is primarily a medical mission and not an evangelical mission, I hope that I can also be spiritually ready to serve.

2) Safety -- Kyrgyzstan is known to be a relatively peaceful country, but even so, please pray for safety while we are in an unfamiliar and foreign land. Kyrgyzstan is predominantly a Muslim country and laws were passed this past January to be more restrictive against missionaries. Please pray that the Kyrgyz people will not be hostile, and that they will see us friends and not as enemies.

3) Team Unity -- Perhaps the most daunting part of this mission is that I don't know any of the 7-8 members that are going. I have met them only once, and I couldn't possibly be more of a black sheep in this group. Everyone is Korean, I am Chinese-American. Everyone speaks Korean as their first language, I can say "pah jee puh suh" ("take off your pants") in Korean. Everyone goes to Grace Korean Church, I have only just heard of Grace Korean Church. The age range of the other members is about 40-60, I am 21. If you know me, you'll know that I love awkward situations. But this is just a whole other dimension of awkward, haha. Please pray that I can overcome all these barriers and connect with my team. Please pray that we can work together efficiently toward a common goal and take good care of each other.

4) Growth -- I don't doubt that this will be an eye-opening experience for me. I've never done anything like this before in my life, but I am sure I will walk away from this so blessed and rewarded. Please pray that I have an open mind during this trip and that I can absorb all the learning opportunities and experiences this trip has to offer. And of course, please pray for spiritual growth, something that I really need right now.

5) Kyrgyzstan -- Please pray that the people of Kyrgyzstan will be receptive to our services! We have suitcases chock-full of medicine, vitamins, and eyewear that we are so excited to administer to the Kyrgyz people. Pray that they will be appreciative for these supplies and that their lives can be enhanced by our offerings. Can you imagine the face of a child when he realizes that this weird contraption he puts on his face can make his blurry vision crispy and clear? These are the little things that I am looking most forward to. :)

Thank you in advance for your support! It really really really means a lot to me.

PS: I don't know if I'll have Internet access there, but I will try my best to keep a day-to-day journal on a Word document and then post my entries once I get back!

Flaunting I'm an Auntie

2009-09-01T00:01:00.000-07:00

I've been back from Chicago for more than two weeks now and I still haven't mentioned why I was there in the first place. To make a long story very very short, my sister-in-law Sarah is pregnant! Today will make 21 weeks and 2 days. :) Sarah attends the Booth School of Business at the University of Chicago, and unfortunately, she was stranded there this summer taking classes so that she'll be able to take Winter quarter off to deliver the baby in January -- woot another Winter baby in the family! So I basically went to Chicago for 3.5 weeks to help her out and keep her company.

I learned a lot about pregnancy these past four weeks. In addition to the physical changes a woman goes through, I feel like your entire mental well-being can really be tampered with when you're pregnant, haha. For someone like me who is already a natural worry wart, pregnancy would probably turn me into a paranoid FREAK. When walking in the streets of downtown Chicago, I would make sure that Sarah's feet cleared every step, bump, and crevice. When grocery shopping, I insisted on carrying the milk, water, and cantaloupe. When Sarah took a shower, I would bathe with her for fear she would slip on the wet tiles. Okay just kidding about that last one, but I probably would have done so if she allowed it.

Whenever my mom feels under appreciated, she always says, "Goodness, the things I do for you guys.. you just wait until you have a kid of your own." I can totally imagine myself being that paranoid mother who doesn't allow her child to walk with chopsticks in his hands.. or that mother who yells at her child for playing with paperclips near the electrical outlet. Having a kid really can just completely consume you. But I also feel that having a child is one of the most selfless things a person can do in his/her lifetime... but more her than his, haha. No offense boys, but I really do think that females are by far the stronger sex. In a conversation I had with Steve, I jokingly said that God obviously blessed woman with the responsibility of childbearing because He knew she would be strong enough to handle it. In response, he said, "No, I think God just loved man more and didn't want him to suffer."

Too bad God didn't give men a more compassionate heart.

Just kidding. But anyway, everyone's really excited about the baby and I seriously can't wait to be an aunt! If there's anything I'm worried about, it's that I will begin to mistaken this child as my own -- they don't call me a crib robber for nothing! puahaha jkjk. Oh and, in case you were wondering... IT'S A BOY! During our last ultrasound session, the nurse officially entered "XY" into the system, haha. Here is his first 4-D portrait:

DNA tests suggest that Gollum might be the father.

Proud mother with first born Alan and baby boy's picture collection.

Everybody Loves Anthony

2009-08-19T00:17:00.000-07:00

Today, I met an Italian man in Chicago. We hit it off great the moment we met. He was cute, funny, warm, and kind. He knew just how to make me laugh with his sarcastic humor and his skeptical remarks. He opened doors for me and made the "after you" gesture everytime the elevator came. He showed me around his school and I offered him a lift to the city. He even gave me a warm hug, called me "babe," and kissed me on the hand when we said our goodbyes.

His name was Anthony. Anthony Barone. And he was the 70-something-year-old information desk clerk at the Illinois College of Optometry.

Sarah and I visited ICO today, and as much as I'd like to reflect on what I thought about the school, I think Anthony left the stronger impression. When we walked in, his first words to us were, "Alright girls, hurry up, whaddaya want?" in a tone that couldn't have been more nonchalant. At first I was offended and thought he was one of those lonely, bitter old men who hated their jobs and preyed on happy people. Upon talking to him, however, he turned out to be the kind of elderly person who just pretends to be all cold and brash on the outside for fun, but is actually warm and kindhearted on the inside. You know the type.

Anthony really hooked us up around the school. I don't even know if Campus Tour Guide is part of his job description, but he definitely took to the part. He showed us the gym, the classrooms, the clinic, and even the newly renovated practice rooms where students simulate playing doctor on each other. Everywhere we went, Anthony greeted each passerbyer (be it student, faculty, doctor, or security guard) by their first name, and would receive an excited "What's up Anthony!" or "Anthony, my man!" in return. You could tell that he was the "cool information desk clerk" around campus that everybody loved.

During the tour, Anthony mentioned that he was meeting a friend for dinner at the Cheesecake Factory on the Magnificent Mile. Seeing as how he was old, hard of hearing, and blind in one eye, we figured he was probably taking public transportation instead of driving. So to show our gratitude for everything he did for us, we offered him a ride to downtown. His response: "You sure, girls? Alright, lemme call Zekky to let 'im know I'm on my way.. in case he thinks I died or sumtin." And then off we went.

Cruisin' the streets with homeboy Barone.

Growing up, my mom always told me never to take rides from a stranger. But what about giving rides? On the way to downtown, we learned that Anthony was born and raised in Chicago, lives near Midway Airport, has family in Sherman Oaks, has an uncle who used to own a drugstore in Chinatown, and would like to visit Rome someday. In my mind, I had already nicknamed him "Grandpa Tony," only to be taken by surprise when he mentioned he wasn't married. This broke my heart. He had no one to call him "Grandpa".. no one to call him "Dad." Lonely maybe, but definitely not bitter. I know I'm a sucker for old people, but I can't help it. They make me so happy yet so sad at the same time. When I'm old and crippled and deteriorating, I hope I can still find it in my heart to be as warm and loving as Anthony.. and not one of those bitchy old ladies who yell at you for stepping on their petunias. Anthony is definitely on my list of people I'll never forget.

In addition to Anthony, the other highlight of my day was this:

Calamari frittas and Malnati salad.

The "Deluxe" deep dish pizza.

Chicago deep dish pizza! Finally. My month-long craving for pizza was finally satisfied. I didn't want to go to any of the super famous, overrated, has-over-an-hour-wait restaurants though, so I did my research and found Lou Malnati's. Bottom line: delicious, delicious, delicious! Not to mention, easy parking, fast seating, and great portions. Sarah and I really spoiled ourselves tonight. We ordered calamari frittas, the Malnati salad (a must try!), and two individual sized deep dish pizzas with buttered crusts. Sarah's been to Pizzeria Uno and Gino's East, and she said Lou Malnati's tops them both. I highly recommend this restaurant for anyone who's looking for some deep dish in Chicago. I'm drooling just looking at my pictures!

PS: I finally scheduled my OAT test date today. There's no avoiding it. October 23, here I come.

2009-08-14T23:29:00.000-07:00

happy six months! muahahaha. (:

Chica in Chicago

2009-08-11T22:37:00.000-07:00

Yesterday, while waiting in University of Chicago's hospital clinic, I overheard a conversation that a nurse was having with a patient while she was checking out. The end of their conversation went something like this:

Nurse: Well, you have a great rest of the summer!
Patient: Thank you. You too! Any plans before the summer is over?
Nurse: Hm, I was thinking about going out of the state.. do some traveling. But my kids were like, "Momma! Why go anywhere else when there's so much to do right here in Chicago?!

In my head, I was thinking, "What a great point." My second thought was, "What a great intro to a new blog entry."

I feel like I've done quite a lot in Chicago already, but considering just how much this city has to offer, I'm probably barely just getting my feet wet. I've been to Chicago 2-3 times before now (we have family here), but I've never realized what a great city this is! Here are some pictures and stories from my trip here so far.

One of my first meals in Chicago was... nope, not a deep dish pizza.. not a Chicago-style hot dog.. not a juicy Italian beef sandwich, but a good ol' all-you-can-eat hot pot meal in Chinatown! (Might I mention that this restaurant is also Zagat rated every single year.) For $16.99, you can stuff yourself silly with almost any item you can imagine having in Chinese style hot pot. And in addition to the usual Sa Cha sauce for dip, they also give you fresh minced garlic, green onions, and sesame paste. This might sound amazing, but let's also keep in mind that what goes in must come out. You can imagine the painful aftermath that transpired.

I don't think I'm doing too well in the Food category, seeing as how I still haven't had any of Chicago's famous deep dish pizzas or loaded hot dogs. But I do think I am fairing well in the Sights and Places category. I have a bunch of photos from downtown Chicago and Millenium Park because 1) Sarah has class here three times a week so we're in the area quite often. 2) All the sights and attractions and events seem to take place in this area. And 3) it's just so dang beautiful!

Sarah's business school -- UOC's downtown branch

The Crown Fountain, designed by Jaume Plensa. It's so much fun watching the kids splash around in the water. Those screens display LED projections of over 1,000 Chicago residents' faces, and it spits out water every 10 minutes, which seriously makes the kids go nuts, lol.

The beautiful Jay Pritzker Pavilion, designed by Frank Gehry. During the summer, there are free concerts here every night and yoga, tai chi, and pilates during the day! Thousands of people picnic here, hangout, and listen to live music while watching the sun set on the downtown landscape.. isn't it great?

The Cloud Gate, designed by Anish Kapoor. You can take a bunch of artistic pictures using the reflection of the skyscrapers on the sculpture -- and it looks great in different colors too! Can you find me in the last picture? :)

Some more random but cool looking architectural pieces in Millenium Park.

So as you might know, Chicago is home to tons of museums and attractions -- the Field Museum, the Museum of Science and Industry, the Art Institute, Adler Planetarium, Shedd Aquarium, etc. A few days ago, Sarah and I found out that all the Chicago Public Libraries issue out "Museum Passports," which is basically a card you can checkout for seven days for each of the attractions, and it permits you up to four general admissions for free! A great deal, considering a family of four can save about $100 if they go to the aquarium. However, due to high demand and low supply, getting your hands on one of these babies is no easy feat. Our usual routine: call 4-5 local libraries, ask them if they have any available, power walk to the car, speed over to the library to snatch it! Two times we've literally bolted out the door, raced to the library, only to find out that someone had just checked out our desired Passport five minutes before we got there. Not cool. But despite the failed attempts, so far we've been able to get one for the Field Museum and the Adler Planeterium (not yet attended). And some of these places also have free days! I love how you can have fun in Chicago without busting your wallet! :)

John Hancock Observatory

Art Institute of Chicago -- way more than just art!

The Field Museum with Sarah and my cousin, Claire. Behind us is Sue, the largest and most complete T-Rex to date!

Lollapalooza -- annual music festival. Didn't attend, but drove past it everyday. Poor attendees had to endure the blistering 100 degree heat all weekend!

Sarah and I took a stroll along the shore of Michigan Lake, which is literally a 5-minute walk from her apartment. I saw real fireflies for the first time! And while lying down, this heart-shaped cloud floated above us. Steve/Eddie.. where are you guys when we need you? lol jk.

Oudoor Movie Festival at Grant Park! This was absolutely amazing. Every Tuesday, more than 9,000 people attend free screenings of old movies. We packed a picnic and attended tonight's screening of Psycho. Perfect opportunity to watch the meteor shower too!

Okay, I'm pooped. I forgot how time-consuming and tedious it is to do picture posts. Screw the travel blog, haha jkjk. More to come! Some things I still want to do: Adler Planetarium, Shedd Aquarium, bike along Michigan Lake, eat stuffed pizza, eat some weiners, visit Illinois College of Optometry, go fishing, attend a concert at Ravinia, and maybe, just maybe, do some OAT studying. :)

PS: It seems almost mandatory to own a portable lawn/camping chair in Chicago.

PPS: Some people asked how to post comments on blogger if you don't have Gmail. I'm still new to this so I'm not sure if I fixed it, but I think you can now post as Anonymous if you don't have an account -- just don't forget to type in the word that confirms you are not a robot. :) Thanks for asking!

"I Just Want to Be Normal" ... or Do I?

2009-08-07T23:24:00.000-07:00

So apparently making a resume can help you realize what a big loser you are.

In preparation for requesting a letter of recommendation from one of my professors, I began making a resume last night. It wasn't until this moment that I realized, "Wow, I have nothing to offer." Sure, I'm a UCLA graduate with a B.S. in Physiological Science and a decent GPA, but how many other people can say the exact same thing? What about the sections entitled "Honors" and "Professional Experience" and "Achievements and Awards?" I was using a pre-made Microsoft Word resume template, which is basically a sample that someone else previously made to help you create your own resume, and as I began deleting valuable pre-typed words/phrases such as "Dean's Honors" and "summa cum laude" and "helped found overseas pediatrics clinic," I began to feel more and more pathetic. Even a Microsoft Word template can show me up.. to the point where "AMC Box Office Cashier" and "Care Extenders Internship" just didn't sound as awesome anymore.

Although I love my undergraduate experience and wouldn't change it for anything in the world, I can't help but wonder what the heck I did with all my time. I admire those people who can say they studied abroad, or founded a club, or led a political movement. All of a sudden, I feel boring and average and insignificant and... normal, which somehow then translates to insufficient. When did normal become insufficient? Or am I just being an overachieving Asian? But I guess I'm not the only Asian being Asian..

Janice: how do you write a tutoring resume?

do you even write a tutoring resume?

me: did they requset one?

that's so funny.. i'm writing a blog entry on resumes right now lol

2:10 AM Janice: hahaha

2:11 AM dude i totally dont think my resume is high enough for this job

me: uhhh

2:12 AM you're an UCLA graduate

Janice: i shouldn't put it huh?

me: shouldn't put what??

2:13 AM Janice: the gPA

i think im just gonna put ucla grad, comm major

and if they ask

i'll verbally tell them

hahaha

and i'll be like.. BUT i got a 4.2 in high school

2:14 AM me: HAHA

they'll never know your ucla gpa!

just lie

unless they ask for official paperwork

... do they?

Don't judge! I was only trying to help a friend. I would never lie about my GPA. But Janice on the other hand...

Janice: oohhh

yea true

but LIE??

no!!

ahhahaa

im not going to lie!

... would also never lie. :) Gotcha!

But anyway, I better get back to working on my resume... right after I travel the world, cure cancer, and liberate North Korea.

PS: I found out today that bears eat humans.

Hello Windy City

2009-07-31T00:41:00.000-07:00

So apparently, in addition to everything I wrote in my previous post, I will also be using this new blog as a travel journal for the next three weeks. Where am I, you ask?!

Well, if the title hasn't given it away already.. I'm in CHICAGO! Kind of a last-minute trip I'd have to say. My sister-in-law, Sarah, goes to school here at the University of Chicago Booth School of Business, which I just learned today is a pretty reputable school. Top 5, in fact.. right up there with Harvard, Stanford, and MIT. -end proud brag- But yah, so basically Sarah has the place to herself for the summer, and I'll be here until August 22 while she takes summer classes. As for why I'm here, I think I'll talk about this in a later post.

For now, I just want to say that traveling is fun. I don't think you realize how much of a bubble you live in until you move around and experience new places and new people. Granted, I'm not in some far away foreign country where people eat their pets and the underground mafia tries to scam you by selling you fake rubies, only to have you find yourself riding on the back of the motorcycle of the "Tourist Police" and demanding that you get your money back (shout out to Janice lol). But I am in Chicago, where the buildings are old yet beautiful and the Asians are scarce. I know, it's so sad that this strikes me as significant, but this is what I mean by leaving the bubble! I realized today during a phone conversation with Steve that I have undesired prejudices towards people. We were talking about how the demographics here are so different compared to LA, and while on the topic of the abundance of blacks, I casually said, "Yah, you know how black people usually have that scary look? Well, they're actually very nice here." Right after I said this, I was thinking "WTF" in my head. I was disgusted by how naturally this came out of my mouth. Why is it that we, particularly Asians, are raised to be so fearful of black people? Ugh. But I guess this just sheds light on the uncomfortable truth that racism and prejudice inevitably does exist, regardless of whether or not it is out of malicious intent.

But anyway, went on a bit of a tangent there. (I tend to do that.) As I was saying.. traveling is fun, lol. I think a change in scenery and a temporary parting with familiarities can be good from time to time. As for actually physically traveling.. not so fun, haha. In summary: 6:10am flight + transferring flights in phoenix + sitting in middle seat for three hours + lugging suitcases onto subways and buses + getting lost = EXHAUSTION. However, throughout all of this, I realized how friendly people can be. Whether it was offering to help with luggage or giving directions or simply just starting up a conversation, it was the little things that helped make the journey enjoyable. People are nice! (<--Naive statement of the year.)

Uh oh, it is now 5:00am Central time. The time difference is not favorable to me. As Steph said:

stephlyu: going more east does not help your sleep pattern haha
stephlyu: haha you need to go west
stephlyu: to hawaii or something
stephlyu: only way for you to fit in
stephlyu: with society

To prove her wrong, I am going to sleep now. Goodnight.

PS: On my plane flight today, I learned two very interesting facts. 1) Darth Vader is the #1 most commonly misquoted character of all time. The famous line we all know as "Luke, I am your father" is in actuality supposed to be "No, I am your father." 2) On a standard QWERTY keyboard, the left hand alone can type more than 3000 words, while the right hand can only type a measly 300. Food for thought.

Writer's Blog

2009-07-29T01:31:00.000-07:00

Wow. A new blog. I don't know why, but I feel nervous writing my first entry. It took me fifteen minutes just to "put pen to paper." Maybe it's the new scenery around my text box. Maybe I'm reluctant to leave LiveJournal and Xanga, where a good chunk of my life is documented. Maybe I feel self-conscious writing now because it's been more than a year since I've transcribed my thoughts. Or maybe I'm just tired at 2:00am and don't know what to write. Whatever the reason, I am excited to be starting this blog! It just seems like such an appropriate time to start writing. With my undergraduate college years freshly behind me, I feel so eager to just throw myself out there. College has proved to be such an amazing four years of growth and character development, that I am interested now to see what my thoughts are about the world. Already in my 1.5 months back at home, I've had so many moments in which I suddenly realize I now have a thought or opinion about something that I previously never cared to think twice about. Hopefully I'll be able to share some of these self-discoveries in this blog as they come to me.

Some other reasons why I felt compelled to start writing again:
1) Janice Jann -- no, that is not a pseudonym. Janice is my good friend and an even gooder writer. We date all the way back to 1996 when we first met in the third grade at Blandford Elementary School. (Later we would be come to take on a nerd-and-bully relationship in the fourth grade, and let's just say she was not the bully.) But anyway, I recently stumbled across her blog, which I didn't know she was keeping updated! I spent an entire day (no joke) catching up on all her life happenings since 2008. The more I read, the more I was inspired to write. What can I say.. she's just a good-with-words kind of gal. Check out the Media Maid if you have some time. No pressure, Janice.
2) I began writing my personal statement for Optometry school a couple days ago, and I realized how much difficulty I was having putting thoughts into words. So part of the reason why I'm starting this blog is to practice writing. I'm hoping this will help me convey my thoughts better in an essay that has an extremely broad prompt and a more-than-enough 4500 word limit. It'd also be a plus if writing in this blog helps me discover things about myself that I can somehow incorporate into my personal statement.
3) I always considered writing to be my best form of communication. Although it's difficult, I feel like written word always conveys my thoughts and feelings most accurately. Oral communication never works out well for me because my mind thinks way too fast for my mouth (hence why I often prefer texting and online messaging over telephoning). I just can't speak at the rate that I think, haha. Kind of a weird disability if you think about it.

But anyway, I guess this brings an end to my first blog entry. Hopefully there will be more to come. Wish me happy writing!

PS: If you are someone I know and happen to have a blog yourself, let me know because I would love to stalk you and follow your blog! :)