(Almost) month without internet. Here's a recap of what has happened:



Becoming well-acquainted with my coworkers



$1 scoop Baskin Robbins with friends



Good friends 21st birthday :)



Sweet surprises from friends



Trying new looks



Seeing favorites graduate



Apartment shopping with roommate



And finally settling into our new apartment, come visit!

Hello, October.

09.09.11

Mugshot of Sam Lin. Actually if you look carefully one part of his beard is almost gone and he still had to work on the other side. Sam and I just hung out today after work--talking, errands, eating. It was really interesting listening to Sam's testimony and see where he is now from the beginning. You know he was in my orientation group when he was an incoming freshmen? Now a worship leader in IV!

Left for Pasadena tonight with JMa and JJ.




09.08.11

BLACKOUT! Hahahahaha I was so excited when this happened. For some reason I like when big things like this happen (like the fires except it was really devastating for some people so it's not appropriate for me to be excited about them..). Patients weren't able to make it to their therapy session so we closed the clinic early and fought our way back home through the traffic. I had a good night though hanging out with Chinoy and Richard.

The picture above is of S who was the first patient I had ever worked with...on my own! I was so excited that day because she was super nice about me being new and laughed along with me as we worked through her exercises. She is a sweeeeet lady and I'm sad to see her go but it's good that she's gotten better over time :)




09.07.11

Wednesdays are such long days. I wanted class to be done with early but the professor kept going off on tangents. At least I had a good lab partner today so we didn't have to re-do our experiment like 5 times. This is the picture of my drive back home, a time for me to reflect upon my day.

09.07.11

Esther and her apartment graciously let Steph and me stay at their place for the next two weeks until we're able to move into our place. Last night it was raining and this morning (though the picture isn't that great) the sky was very colorful and pretty.

Today I was reminded to live life with open hands.




09.06.11

Today is Labor Day and that means BBQ with friends and family. The potluck was super successful (thanks to Donna Sohn) and it was fun getting everyone together playing games, eating, watching a movie, and hanging out. I'm so grateful for the time we spent together! We missed some of our friends but all in all it was a good way to end the weekend.

09.05.11

I don't have any pictures from this day! I went to church and later Sam and Lawrence came down from norcal. I haven't seen these guys since school ended and both of them went on missions trips. It's cool to see how God used them during their trips and most of all I loved hearing about their experience there.

Tonight I thought a lot about how things change. It's a weird place I find myself during transitional periods (high school to college, college to post-grad life). I dwell on the fact that friendships change and it's hard for me to accept. It's just not the same anymore but I've learned to be okay with it. Things change all the time. But I found comfort in knowing that no matter how many people come in and out of my life, my relationship with God is secure. It's not always the most reassuring truth because of course there are days that I long for the comfort of friends but despite how I feel that day, Truth is Truth. Whether I feel it or not, whether I choose to believe it or not, it's the Truth. At the end of the day, it's me and God.

Currently reading through some old journal entries. Amazing how fast college flew by. I'm reading through an entry from the end of my first year in college. I wrote a little blurb to significant people from school (expect an email from me ahaha) and I'm so happy that the last four years unfolded the way that it did :)

09.03.11

Started the morning off at Yellow Vase for breakfast with Michelle, Donna, and Kai. It's been three weeks since the three of us got together so it was nice to talk over food. We went to the mall to shop and then parted ways. I watched Limitless with Josh at home (Bradley Cooper is good looking haha) and ate a homecooked meal. Currently watching a korean gameshow with my parents, which was one of my favorite things to do in high school. I remember in high school I knew more about korean entertainment than my fob friends. It was one of my guilty pleasures hahahahaha




09.02.11

Homeward bound for the long weekend! Hana and I made a stop in Irvine to eat at Papaya's Thai Bistro. The food there was aaaalright and then we waited in line at 85 degrees for some baked goods. I'm not a huge fan of this place but my mom loves the buttery breads so of course we had to get her some. Made it back to Torrance and ended the night watching TV with the family.

09.01.11

For some reason my picture isn't loading. It's just of Steph eating pizza because that's the last thing I did today before coming back home. People are starting to come back to SD as they prepare for another year of school. I can't wait to move into our new place with Jeannette and Steph!

08.31.11

So when I took my job at work one of my responsibilities was to water the plants. Every Monday I put a tablespoon of fertilizer into the water that I give the plants. And the plant above is a picture of the thriving plants at our clinic...NOT! I promise it's been getting enough sunlight and water and yet it STILL looks like this. I've given up on that plant. I'm just not meant to take care of these plants. I don't have the magical touch like my brother does.




08.30.11

Yummmmmmmmmm! Golden Spoon sent me a coupon for a free small yogurt because it was my birthday so I got my regular--a small half peanut butter cup half vanilla with m&ms. I couldn't finish it because there was too much of it! I was so happy :)

08.29.11

I know what it is to be in need, and I know what it is to have plenty. I have learned the secret of being content in any and every situation, whether well fed or hungry, whether living in plenty or in want. I can do everything through him who gives me strength.

Philippians 4:12-13

08.28.11

Sundays are always good. At church we're on a series about legacy and today was particularly convicting because it talked about our own life's legacy. At the end of our life what will we have said we accomplished? What will matter? The way Pastor Eric put it together was much more eloquent and if you know me and my memory then you'll understand that I just butchered a beautiful message.

I'm also curious about Sabbath so I talked to Esther and Grace Oh today about it. They reminded me that Sabbath is a time to commit to God to remember Him and trust that He has control of our lives. That struck me because I realized that to give up Sundays to God seemed like a big sacrifice. But as I continue to learn what it means to trust Him I, too, want to learn how to take Sabbath as a time to spend with Him and remember Him and all that He does in my life.

08.27.11

Happy Birthday Andrew Mark Bryant!

Today was a busy day but I enjoyed the company, the nice weather, and the good food. Started off the morning attempting to make omeletes but it ended up being an egg scramble, studied at Turquoise Cafe, hung out at Esther's place, and Karl Strauss for dinner to celebrate Andrew's birthday!

You are a special friend, Andrew and I'm glad that 3 years ago we were placed on the same team. God knew that we would have a special connection and that we would grow as people. You are a hilarious and loving guy! I just tried looking up "how to use the word 'quotidian'" on google instead I hope you're just laughing thinking about how I pronounced that word :)

08.26.11

Steph and I are making a huge mess in the kitchen right now attempting to make hazelnut chocolate chip cookies yummmm :) It's Friday! I love weekends. LOVE WEEKENDS. Besides the fact that I have to study for my midterm this upcoming week (yeah I've only had 2 classes so far and I have a midterm, crazy semester system) I'm looking forward to spending time with friends, relaxing, and sleeping in (kinda). Esther came over today for dinner which is always fun. Esther, I'm always encouraged by you and I, too, wanna be secure in Him no matter what the situation. Steph and I ate lunch at Nozomis, swam, and went to the mall. First time we got to hang out this week. Yeah, we live together but with our busy lives it's hard to hang out!

Hellooooo weeeeekend!

08.25.11

Today friends from home came down! So my friends have this thing called the Circuit where they basically just eat. We first went to Churros El Tigre which is a little stand in National City-ish area where they make fresh churros. Next we split because we were short on time, Phil's was gonna close, and Phil's and Tacos El Gordo were in opposite directions. So we went to tacos and ordered and the other car drove to Phil's and brought the food over to my place. We just had a feast or tacos, tostadas, fries, and ribs at 10 at night hahahhaa. Thanks for coming and playing, see you soooon!



08.24.11

Unfortunately this day was not that great of a day. Here's the story: I like to take naps in my car during my lunch breaks on days that I'm very tired. I decided to do that with the radio on (which I do often). But 20 minutes into my nap, my music stopped. I woke up and wondered if someone came and turned off my radio. I started pressing different buttons in my car only to find that my light switch was on "highbeam" and my car battery died -_- I got a ride to school, had my lab, ended at 9 and had JJ pick me up from school to take to back to my work so we can jumpstart my car. Of course neither of us knew how to do it and my car sparked twice when we tried so I ended up calling Triple A. What an adventure, but hey, my car works now and I'm driving fine. Lesson to learn is to make sure your switch is not on highbeam during broad daylight.

Btw, Happy 22 birthday JeriMarie Pasiliao :)



08.23.11

Vivian and her boyfriend took me out to Tadashi for my 22nd birthday. It was my first time there and we did the all you can eat and man, was it good! I ordered uni, yellow tail, tuna, salmon, red snapper, dragon roll. The list goes on but basically I ate til my stomach was about to burst. The ajushi there even gave us free green tea ice cream at the end because we told him it was my birthday. Mind you, I don't like green tea ice cream but I hate it happily anyway because the man was so nice.

08.22.11

Happy Birthday Tesia! :)

Although my birthday weekend is over, the festivities continued with dinner by Grace! We went out to eat Thai food but it's always good to see her and talk and just let everything out. Thanks for dinner! Hung out with Brian, Richard, and Victor at TGIF. Though I'm not proud of the conversation we had (whose idea was it anyway?!?) haha it was fun.



08.21.11

I'm 22! Went to church in the morning and hung out with friends at Yarn and Wilson Park. I love being home with my friends. Steph and I stopped in OC to meet up with the girl for a SD reunion at Cafe Java Bru. Even though it was short I enjoyed our time together (and you too, Jun hahahaha). Couldn't have asked for a better weekend!

It's weird, birthdays are becoming less and less of a deal. More than anything it's a time for me to reflect on how blessed. To look back on my 22 years of life and see how God's handprints are all over it. Everything from heartbreak to new friendships, career path to renewed relationships. The Gospel offers me so much life and I'm always reminded of Him through the people that He has graciously surrounded me with. Sure community isn't everything but so much is revealed through them. I'm humbled by the lifestyles that my friends live and I'm always challenged by their life journeys. I'm convicted by their passion and drive and also their desire for Him. Their life is far from perfect but I am encouraged by them. Love you friends :) And I sincerely thank Him for the new life that He has graciously blessed me with.



08.20.11

Started the morning off by having breakfast at the Mission with Jae, Alvin, & Steph. It was yummy and lots of fun hanging out with old friends. Steph and I began our trip to LA. We made a stop at 85 degrees for some baked goods to take back to my home. Dinner with the family :) We stopped doing big celebrations where we got out and eat and instead celebrate at home with good food, family, and wine. Hahaha okay fine I didn't drink any but my mom did.

Afterwards Steph and I went out to Dave and Busters with friends from Torrance. It was soooo nice getting together with everyone and playing. I don't have any pictures from that night but it meant a lot to me that we spent time together so thanks for coming out again! And thanks for celebrating my birthday with me.




08.19.11

Start of my birthday weekend :)

Went bowling for $1 with some friends! And also had a surprise BBQ put together by the one & only Steph Tran. Friends gathered together at our apartment and we had a potluck and swim party. Friends from OC & LA & Norcal got together, couldn't have asked for better. Thanks again! I don't have pictures because JJ has them but I'm sure they'll be uploaded soon, right JJ? Haha

08.18.11

I'm a day late but HAPPY 21ST BIRTHDAY TO JENN CHEN! I'm so glad we were able to videochat today and I'm so happy that I will get to see you in about two weeks(ish). It's been a blessing getting to know you and I'm soooo wonderful growing with you the past 3 years. I love you with all my heart and am always amazed at how God brought us together. I thank you always :)



08.17.11

Cooked dinner with Patty and Richard. I thought the food wasn't that great (my bad) but Richard and Patty were good sports and enjoyed the food. Afterwards hung out at Patty's place with Esther. Funnnnnn with friendssssss :)

08.16.11

Welcome home Annie Woo from Malawi and happy 21st birthday!

People are starting to come back home and it's exciting to see what is in store for the new year.



08.15.11

John O'Connor's 21st birthday! Happy birthday to you! I hope you had a wonderful time with your family and friends :)



08.14.11

Sunday! Church where we finished VBS and helped out in the kindergarten class while Andy spoke for the first time! For dinner, I met my bffls and we ate at Creme de la Crepe to celebrate my 22nd birthday. It was sooo nice to be with them. The last time we were all together was over a month ago! Laughing, telling stories, eating :) It was all good. I love you guys so much, thanks for dinner and for our God-centered friendships.

08.13.11

That's a picture of a few of the volunteers! Today was the end of VBS and it was a really really great way to end the day. We sang more songs, ate more treats, and played more games. We learned about the cross and how wild God is about us. The kids had fun and so did we. We ended the night by having dinner at Grand China buffet and now I'm at home with my dad and brother watching TV. I love home!



08.12.11

Today was the start of VBS! I remember VBS was the highlight of my summer when I was younger so I was excited for it to all start even though I didn't know what was going on. The kids are so so adorable and their dancing and singing is even better. Praising God together, seeing the older kids help the younger ones, seeing the unification within the church was all so beautiful. Had such a good first day!

Also, home sweet home. That's my dog, Maxie :)



08.11.11

Shared a wonderful dinner at Souplantation with Andrew, Jessica, Tony, and Steph. Stufffffffffed :)



08.10.11

Today I relaxed at home. Actually, I went over to hang out at Richard's place and we seriously sat around like boys watching tv, oh, and talking. It was nice talking to a friend, opening up, and understanding each other on a better level. It's amazing how far people have come and how much they have to share about themselves.

San Diego's nice :)

08.09.11

Happy Birthday Richard Wang! We had dinner together at Phil's BBQ.
Glad that we're friends and hope that your 22nd year is full of trust and love for Him! :)



08.08.11

Silly friends being silly.

Today after work I went grocery shopping with Kao and Richard. We all ended up getting cereal hahaha. It's sad because I realized that boys don't prioritize food the way girls do. Like, even if I'm not hungry but it's time to eat..I'll eat.

We went back to their place and we watched TV and ate. That's Chinoy and Richard being goofy haha



08.07.11

I love working in nursery! Today I spent a lot of time with Elliot who is always hard to win over. It took some time for him to open up and play with me but 15 minutes into church we were best buds :)

Hung out with Grace today which is always good. I don't know how she manages to meet with everyone but talking over milk tea is always fun!

08.06.11

Today was a fun-filled day! Woke up early and went bike-riding with John. We were going towards PB and it was nice because it's downhill but the way back up was KILLER. I was trailing behind a lot but made it through, slow and steady. I like when the wind is in my face when I go biking. It's refreshing. Kind of like when the wind pushes against your hand when you put it out the window or when you snowboard down a mountain and the cool breeze (when it's too cold it's painful) is against your face. Afterwards we all went to the beach and it was a super nice day! The water was freezing but after hanging out for a while it was bearable. Patty invited us over for dinner at her place so we went and ate dinner (made some deviled eggs) which was yummy. We played a game of sequence and went to watch Harry Potter (for the second time for me). I should have known better than to re-watch a film or watch a film that started late because inevitably, I fell asleep. Don't get me wrong though, I really loved the last Harry Potter movie but I just couldn't help it. Hahaha and that ended my Saturday :)



08.05.11

Friday! It's one of my favorite days now haha. I have a half day at work so I tried to go apartment hunting but MAN! it's hard to find a place affordable for three girls. It was such a nice day out so my coworkers and I went to the beach (for...half an hour) before going to dinner to send off one of the girls who used to work at Physio. We ate at Masuo's and we took a nice group picture together but I don't have it. Afterwards I went over to Victor/Richard/Brian's place. We biked and got golden spoon (again) and rented Due Date (which I slept through).




08.04.11

I didn't take a picture today so I'm just going to post a picture I have of my brother and me when we were in SF last September. I know, it's cheating but hey it's a picture. This week has been really crazy at work, plus I came home to an empty house because Steph left for norcal for the weekend! I debated going home but I'm going home for the next two weeks. Today I just rested after work and went over to JJ & John's house to talk and hang out. Then I returned to dark, empty house.

I don't know if you know this about me but I'm scared of the dark and I'm scared of being in the house alone at night. When I was younger my brother and I would run out of our rooms after we turned the lights off because we were scared of being in the dark. Our lamp was on the opposite side of our door and so it was necessary to run across the room to make it back to the lit hallway/living room. I remember we'd talk to each other loudly as we went to turn the lights off to make sure the other person was there waiting for us. Haha, none of this is probably funny to you unless you're Josh hahahahha. Remember, Josh? Just something I thought of while I returned home to the dark, empty house.



08.03.11

On Monday one of our patients, who was progressing well, came in with a lot of pain. She cried while she told us how frustrated she was. It was really sad to see her that way so on her way out I gave her a little sticky with a verse that my friend once shared with me during a hard time:

Philippians 4:6
Do not be anxious about anything, but in prayer and petition, with thanksgiving, present your requests to God.

Today she called me over in the middle of her therapy session, grabbed my hand, and said, "Thank you. You have no idea how much that helped me. That is my go-to verse and it always gets me through the hard times" as her eyes became watery.

Later that day I met with Jenn Chin for golden spoon YUM! I haven't been there for a while so it was nice to get my regular mini half peanut butter cup half vanilla (today I added m&ms). We just picked up from where we left off. Haha talked about boys, God, work, family, etc. 2 hours flew by! I'm glad we got to hang out Jenn! :)

08.02.11

Days at work only get better! It was busy but I'm at a good place here I'm comfortable with myself and my job, wahoo! I had dinner with JJ, Daniel, and Jenn at an Ethiopian restaurant in City Heights. It was my first time and I'm sad to say that I was disappointed by our food! What was good, is that honey wine in the picture above. YUM! Other than that, it's always fun hanging out with the three of them :)



08.01.11

It's August! & Monday..

(photo here)

07.31.11

Woke up to go to Farmer's Market again! This time in Hillcrest, which I can pretty much say is my favorite one. It has lots and lots of samples and lots and lots of stands. I tried lots of fruit and ate a Kabob from the Middle Eastern food tent and Steph got some horchata which was yummy too. We went to church and Steph & I extended our date from the previous day by going to the movies to watch Stupid, Crazy Love which was GOOOD! I really really enjoyed the film and highly recommend it. And now I'm typing away as Steph is cooking up some eggplant turkey dish which I can't wait to eat, YUM!



07.30.11

Steph and I had a date day! We started out the morning by going to City Heights Farmer's market because I thought there would be lots of different kinds of ethnic food (City Heights is home to many people from around the world; prime location for people who are removed from their home countries and labeled as refugees) but we were a bit disappointed at the small selection. But we made the most out of it by buying some produce and eating pupusas, which were yummy! We went to the zoo (thanks to Amelia for the free tickets) and enjoyed the day walking around the HUGE park looking at, identifying, and taking pictures of animals. Our favorite was the turtle tank...I'm not sure why but we spent a good 10 minutes there. There were so many animals to look at, Steph and I were talking about how it's more crazy to believe that the world came into existence without a Creator. We met with the Kapur family and spent some time with them walking around and seeing some shows. We were so exhausted by the end of the day!

We ended our night by going to the jacuzzi with Elsie, dinner at The Neighborhood, and gelato at Gelatobus stop. We went home happy and satisfied :)



07.29.11

TGIF! It was one of the therapist's last day so we had some snacks and pizza yum! Highlight of my day was having dinner with Daniel, Jenn, & JJ at Punjabi Tandoor. Not only was the food good but we spent a good 2.5 hours talking about our days as orientation leaders, laughing at funny stories, and planning the next time we're going to hang out :)

07.28.11

Another day! Work is actually becoming more fun and I enjoy my coworkers. BUT! One therapist is leaving tomorrow, an aide is leaving in a couple of weeks, and another aide is leaving mid September -_-

Esther and JJ came over for dinner! And now I'm ready for the weekend! :)

07.27.11

I have a social life again! After a long day of work I went to Esther and Patty's place where they fed me some delicious food. I ate waaaaay too much but was very satisfied. Thanks, friends! We just talked and hung out and more friends came over. And I visited Mia, Grace and Jocelyn right next door. Look, it's Patty, Daniel, and Sarah! :)

Thought of the day: I never knew that I would struggle loving someone this much. Loving a person is a test of my pride, heart posture, patience, and ability to let go. But it makes you think, dang, God's love is huge. If only I could share and express that in a comprehensible way to those around me.