Thoughts

PALOMINO
After losing two friendly bets to Karena, I wound up owing her two dinners ... or was it three? Anyway, I decided that we'd go out to a nice place in Westwood called Palomino Euro-Bistro. We had some good food!!! Herb calamari for an appetizer, smoked salmon penne for me, Italian spicy sausage and wild mushroom stromboli for Karena. This is a really good place. I highly recommend it. We had a great time talking about all kinds of things.
But it's always weird when we're done because I like to use my Discover card (it's all about the 1% cash back, baby!!!), but nice places usually don't take Discover. And I hate being told, "Oh, sorry. We don't accept this credit card." I always end up feeling so embarassed. So to save myself, I usually just give them my Visa without saying anything. But I'm always thinking in the back of my mind, "Would if I could've given them my Discover card?" The great Chinese mind is always at work.

PALOMINO
After losing two friendly bets to Karena, I wound up owing her two dinners ... or was it three? Anyway, I decided that we'd go out to a nice place in Westwood called Palomino Euro-Bistro. We had some good food!!! Herb calamari for an appetizer, smoked salmon penne for me, Italian spicy sausage and wild mushroom stromboli for Karena. This is a really good place. I highly recommend it. We had a great time talking about all kinds of things.
But it's always weird when we're done because I like to use my Discover card (it's all about the 1% cash back, baby!!!), but nice places usually don't take Discover. And I hate being told, "Oh, sorry. We don't accept this credit card." I always end up feeling so embarassed. So to save myself, I usually just give them my Visa without saying anything. But I'm always thinking in the back of my mind, "Would if I could've given them my Discover card?" The great Chinese mind is always at work.

LATE NIGHT OUT, EARLY MORNING AT WORK
Because one of my old PT school classmates (Chris) was in town for the weekend, a lot of us decided to get together for dinner and more yesterday. Actually, Chris stayed at my aparment and we had a good time watching the NBA playoffs and catching up with each other. I always find it interesting to see how two guys interact after not seeing each other in a long time. First, the proverbial guy hand shake and a half hug. Very manly. Then, there's the necessary "have to be watching sports" so we don't actually have to look at each other to talk. And of course, we need to be eating something.
Anyway, we went to En Sushi on Santa Monica and were treated to some really good sushi and japanese food. As for me, I feasted on the yellow tail and got my staple - teriyaki chicken. Most people give me heat for getting the teriyaki because they think you can get it for $2 at Toyko Bowl or Yoshinoya. But I like it so I always get it ... no matter what anybody else says.
Afterward, we went to Q's and hung out and had a few drinks. It ended up being quite a late night and I had to be at work at 7:30 so I came home and went right to bed. And amazingly, I woke up with no trouble. Maybe it's 'cause I knew that the earlier I got to work and got started, the earlier I could finish and catch the end of the Lakers finishing off the Portland Trailblazers!!!

MOVIE REVIEWS
Before I get into the movie reviews, I've been asked by my cousin Joyce why I only came up with rap names for the guys. The reason is mainly that it is much more difficult to come up with rap names for girls because there aren't as many of them. All the girls are going to have to be named after some variation of Da Brat or Lil' Kim or something. But I'll think about it and maybe expand it to all musicians. In the meantime, here's a name that I thought she should have gone with a long time ago:
Amy Lo: A. Lo (as in J. Lo or Jennifer Lopez)

The Peacemaker: B. Here a little secret that some of you might not know: I don't know what it is about them, but I love watching movies with George Clooney and Nicole Kidman in them. So to have a movie with both of them in it should guarantee an A+ rating, right? No way. Although I thought it was good that both decided to branch out into the action adventure genre, this movie wasn't very good.
Zoolander: B+. The problem with Ben Stiller movies is that there is a lot of stupid jokes inter-mingled within the truly funny ones. I loved the break-dancing moves and Ben Stiller's faces were hilarious. But even the returning team of Stiller and Owen Wilson couldn't guarantee another "Meet the Parents."
A Civil Action: B. This movie gets a "B" for boring. It was long and drawn out and only at times held my attention. John Travolta should just stick to doing disco moves or changing faces with his enemy.

INTERNET DOWN
I can tell by my guestbook that my list of rap names has created quite a stir! My favorite is still Ja-Reuel and Dew-Pac.
Anyway, as of a few days ago, my internet access has been down and will be down until May 1. The reason? I'm still WAY too Chinese to get a pay internet service like AOL or Earthlink or something like that. Instead, I have been holding on dearly to my 10-free hours per month Netzero. And since I still download music from time to time, I use up my 10 hours pretty quickly. Now, usually when I run out a week or so before the month ends, I end up using my free Bluelight service (yes, the Bluelight that's associated with K-mart). But lately, the Bluelight has only let me get into certain websites like my blogger site and Jason's webpage. But that's about it! No email, no fantasy baseball, no checking my guestbook. Maybe the internet access has gone downhill since K-mart went bankrupt. Whatever the case is, I've been forced to stay late after work everyday to check my email and guestbook and fantasy sports. And let me tell you, that isn't fun! Especially since that means I end up not working out. And my knee really still needs it desperately!
Of course, this mess could be resolved if I just forked over the $10-$20 a month and got myself some unlimited internet access service. But the Chinese part inside of me just won't let me do it.

RAP NAMES
Most of you know that I like rap music and some of the crazy names they have for themselves. But what most of you don't know is that I spend a lot of time thinking of rap names for CEFC people (well, mostly just the guys for now) based on real rap names. Here are some of them:
Aaron Wai: Dr. A (as in Dr. Dre)
Brandon Chow: Master B (as in Master P)
Charles Chen: Chuck D (Public Enemy)
Dennis Tan: Wu Tang Tan (as in Wu Tang Clan)
Dewey Hall: Dew-Pac (as in 2Pac)
Enoch Chung: 2Noch (as in 2Pac)
Frank Chow: Lil' Chow Wow (as in Lil' Bow Wow)
Gary Yee:Warren G
Jason Chan: LL Cool J
Ko Kobayashi: MystiKo (as in Mystikal) or SisKo (as in Sisqo)
Larry Lee: LL Cool J
Luong Quang: I couldn't think of one, but I think LQ is good enough.
Melvin Mar: Eminem (as in M and M)
Michael Cham:MC (as in his initials)
Nathan Sturtevant: Nate Dogg
Reuel Chan: Ja-Reuel (as in Ja Rule)
Rick Zuniga: DJ Rick (as in DJ Quik)
Simon Wai: LL Cool Wai (as in LL Cool J)
Tyrone Chan: Wu Tang Chan (as in Wu Tang Clan)
Victor Shen: The Notorious VIC (as in the Notorious BIG)

BATHROOM STORIES
Since Jason and Luong have both written recent entries about the bathroom, I felt the need to contribute too.
One of my best (well, actually worst) memories about the bathroom was having to use a port-a-potty while I was at the Barnum and Bailey circus. There was a very long line and I had to go so badly that I was jumping up and down and twisting my legs to and fro. And I was so excited when it was finally my turn to go in that I almost peed in my pants ... literally. But as I ten year old, I found it really difficult to climb up the two steps it took to get to the raised port-a-potty. Now, I have no idea why they made you climb those stairs to get to them, but they did. Anyway, I had such a hard time going up that without thinking, I put my hand down on the step to help hoist myself up ... only to realize afterward that I put my hand in a big puddle of pee (and who knows what else!). It was so gross, but I didn't care because I had to go so badly.
My second story happened just last night. And it's not so much a story as it is a scientific fact. I had asparagus for dinner last night. And if you don't know, asparagus makes your pee smell really, really bad. But I kind of like it because of how cool it is. Even though I know that it does this, I still end up forgetting that I had eaten it earlier in the evening. Only a few hours later as I am going into the bathroom do I think, "Hey, what's that smell? Oh yeah, I had asparagus!" It gets me every time.

TWO OBSERVATIONS
I spent my Saturday morning at church to have a meeting about the Health of the English Ministry at CEFC. Basically, we had leaders of various ages and fellowship groups gather together to discuss how we are doing and areas we can improve. As I was sitting there, I couldn't help but look around the room and see all the people who helped build this church and keep it alive. People like Dr. Samuel Lo, Henry Chiu, Dr. Paul Lee, Wing Yee, Genevieve Ho, David Ho, Marvin Fong, Dewey Hall, David Han ... and the list goes on and on. These people have been, and continue to be, EXTREMELY committed to serving God at CEFC and to help others grow in their faith. I tried not to forget about that as I walked around church today.
The second observations I noticed while singing worship songs today during service is that guys and girls clap differently. Girls typically clap with more enthusiam and use more shoulder movement. They swing their arms forward and backward to clap. Men are much more subtle in their clapping. They use little to no shoulder swing and instead rely just on their hands or their elbows to generate the clapping motion. Are women more enthusiastic during worship? Are men concerned about "looking cool?" Who knows? And seriously, who cares? I don't have the answers, I just make the observations.

KOINONIA/EMMANUEL JOINT MEETING
Last night, I had one of the funnest (is that a word?) Friday night at church in a long time ... and maybe ever. It started off right with worship that I led with Suzanne, Tiffany, and Kathy. It was a good time because we spent some time sharing while practicing and I felt we really had a time of true worship. Afterward, we broke up into four teams comprised of a mix of people from both fellowships. We played "5 Questions", everybody's favorite get-to-know-you game (well, okay, at least it's my favorite get-to-know-you game.) And even though my group (consisting of Wing, Keito, Jacob, Kathy, Katrina, and Melanie) didn't ask the most thought-provoking questions, we ended up talking and really learning more about each other.
Then, we played a grown-up type of SBO where we were each given a color (we were the Red Ruff Riders) and played games of True/False, Finish the Song Lyric (always a favorite of mine), CEFC Trivia, and Charades. By far, the best part of the evening was Aaron having to sing Britney Spears' "I'm not a girl ... Not yet a woman" and Andrew Feng following it up by having to finish India.Arie's song by singing "I'm not the average girl from your video ... Because I am a queen!"
Last night was a good first-step toward building bridges and breaking down barriers between us and the college students who will be in our shoes soon. Hopefully, we can keep meeting like this and develop deeper, more meaningful relationships with them.

BIRTHDAY WISHES
I forgot to mention that last Monday was my brother's birthday. Happy Birthday Raymond!
And tonight, I am having dinner with Karena and her family to celebrate her dad's birthday.

BOBA
Now that I'm back at work, I have resumed my previous way of thinking about the weekends. They are definite getaways from the hectic work week. Everything about CEFC, Monterey Park, and the people I see when I'm there makes me feel more relaxed. And one of those things, of course, is boba. Since starting my job at UCLA over a year ago, I've gone a few times to the Boba World that's in Westwood just to get a refreshing boba to help me mellow out and relax after a stressful day at work.
Today was such a day. I went with four other co-workers and we had a good time. First, we walked through a doctor's parking lot and I was shocked to see all the amazing cars that were parked there: all kinds of Mercedes Benz, BMW, Lexus, Jaguar, Audi, etc. In fact, the cheapest car there was probably an Infiniti or some SUVs. But anyway, back to the boba. It was nice to unwind and to hang out with my co-workers away from work, especially since I haven't really seen them in two months. And there is a great sense of togetherness now because for one reason or another, a lot (and I stress the words "a lot) of people are quitting. In the two months that I was away, four people turned in their resignations. How crazy is that? But the boba sure hit the spot and gave me that feeling of home. And sometimes, that's all I need to help me finish the rest of the work week out strong.

I'VE BEEN PEGGED
One thing I love about Pastor Clive's Sunday School class is how the topic usually leads to some tangent. Now, that's usually a bad thing, right? But in his class, it always ends up pertaining to something extremely relevant to real life. We end up talking about what struggles we really have and maybe more importantly, why we have them. It's a little psychology mixed in with a little theology.
I'm still thinking and dwelling on one thing he mentioned last Sunday. And the reason why it has stuck with me is because he basically described my personality. We were talking about being too busy and not having enough time for God. In order to be a true disciple, we must not only follow Him but obey Him. And the only way to know how to do that is by spending time with Him. But we all have our excuses - being busy probably being number one.
But why are we so busy? Is it because being busy and taking on maybe more than we can handle lends itself to us feeling needed. And feeling needed leads us to feel better about ourselves and improve our self-esteem? But shouldn't our own self-worth come from who we are and who God has made us and is continuing to make us to be? And if we TRULY believe that, then shouldn't we have great self-esteem and not need to rely on feeling needed by others? And wouldn't that allow us to say "no" to things we may not be as gifted in and focusing instead on areas where we do have spiritual gifts? And wouldn't that in turn make us less busy and give us time for things that truly matter?
Whoa! That totally, 100% describes me. At that point, I literally felt like God was speaking directly to me through Pastor Clive.
So now the question is: What am I going to do about it?

THE HIGHS AND LOWS OF GOING BACK TO WORK
Here are the highlights (or lowlights, as the case may be) of my first day back at work after seven weeks off:
1. UCLA's Occupational Health is so thorough in clearing me for return to work that the nurse sits me down, asks if I'm okay, and signs the paperwork to clear me. Oh yeah, and this is after I waited a whole hour just to see the nurse.
2. We have a Sunshine Committee comprised of two people every month that supposed to make a sign, get some food, buy the cards for any special events going on for that month: holidays, birthdays, weddings, babies being born, etc. This month, two guys are in charge so there was nothing for me when I strolled into work. "Umm, I think there are some leftover bagels in the fridge if you want one." was the best I got.
3. Not to be overly sappy here, but the outpouring of love from everyone from fellow PTs to other stuff including nurses, social workers, even janitors was amazing! I have never gotten so many hugs before in one day. But then again, never have I had to answer so many times the same question: "How is your knee?" But it was well worth it.
4. I was feeling a little uncomfortable and out of sync with my first patient. But I fell right into the groove once I went in to see my second patient of the day and she started yelling at me for no reason. Ahh, home sweet home!
5. I get word from one of the Social Workers that I had won an award while I was away and that she would personally deliver my certificate to the department this week. "But you missed a helluva luncheon!" she added. Great, thanks a lot.
6. Everyone kept telling me to take it easy and to not push yourself too hard. And for the majority of the day, I had done just that because I didn't have any extremely difficult patients that would require maximum assistance ... until, of course, my very last patient. She had to go you know what really bad and needed help to transfer to the commode. When I walked in, four nurses were there and couldn't manage to help her. So it was me to the rescue. And I did it ... no sweat. Well, okay, a lot of sweat, but my knee didn't give in and for that, I was VERY thankful.

IT'S TIME FOR BASEBALL
Last night, I was lucky enough to sit 10 rows behind home plate for the Angels vs. A's game. And better yet, I was able to go with Karena, my dad, and her dad. For a while now, I've been hoping our two families could start doing some things together such as our dads going to a baseball game with us or all of us going out for a meal. So far, I've accomplished one out of two. But I have to admit that there was great pressure on me to make everything smooth. And if you guys know anything about me, when I try too hard to make things run smoothly, they usually end up blowing up in my face.
Things turned bad early when I mistakenly took the off-ramp and got onto the 91 freeway instead of staying on the 5. But it all worked out and the rest of the evening went well - including my dad being a very good conversationalist. Both dads had a chance to talk about the old San Francisco sports teams from the '70s and '80s (from Joe Montana to Will Clark to Willie McCovey). Karena and I split a HUGE plate of grande nachos with ground beef, sour cream, and lots of cheese for only $6. And we came near many foul balls, but I didn't end up with one. We even got to talking with the people sitting in front of us (one of my favorite things to do at a ball game). And the best part was even Karena, who hates baseball, had a good time!
But too bad, in the midst of all this good, the Angels still managed to lose 7-2.

THE SEVEN WEEK LAY-OFF
Well, it's finally official. I went to see my orthopedic surgeon and he has cleared me to return to work Monday morning. That means my extended lay-off has finally come to an end after seven weeks.
And now that it's over, I'm starting to feel anxious and a little stressed again. Now, don't get me wrong, I've definitely enjoyed my time off. I feel that I've made good use of my time - rehabing my knee, learning more about investing, reading books and magazines, hanging out with people, going to sporting events (including tonight's Angels/A's game), watching movies, etc. But now that was when I didn't know how long I'd be out of work. Now that I know, I'm pressing a little bit. I now wish I had a little more time to finish the investing book I'm reading, watch a few more movies, etc. But I guess you can't have your cake and eat it too.
I'm very thankful for the time off, but it's time to get back to normal life ... and to start earning a paycheck again!

TALK RADIO
The last time I listened to AM radio for an extended period of time was back when I was six years old. Raymond and I used to always listen to the Mighty 690. It was a radio station very similar to KIIS-FM.
But now, it seems that AM radio has made a strong comeback since I've been home during the day. I usually start the morning off by listening to Dennis Prager, at the urging of Michael. He brings up some interesting topics including the Middle East, Easter and the importance of Passover, divorce, etc. And it's very interesting to hear not only his perspective, but the callers' view on these issues that face us today. It really has made me take a more serious look at the world we live in.
But just in case I get too serious, I switch over to sports radio and listen to Jim Rome. Now, Jason, Mike, and Raymond have been telling me I should have started listening to him years ago, but I just wasn't into it ... until now. He has this really dry, harsh sense of humor that is growing on me. And the whole idea of the show and how he makes fun of callers somehow became very addicting to me.
And finally, at the request of my mom, I spend the afternoons listening to Suze Orman. She is a financial advisor who is really knowledgeable about everything related to money including stocks, bonds, mutual funds, IRAs, life insurance, mortgages, bank accounts, etc. It's been very educational for me to hear about the things she recommends (term life insurance, investing in stocks, contributing the max amount into your 401(k), etc.).
AM radio: you gotta love it!

AN INTERESTING NIGHT
While driving home from my apartment last night, I suddenly caught eye of a car with square headlights in my rear view mirror. Now, usually that means "COP!" But after watching him for a few minutes longer, I concluded that it wasn't a Highway Patrol and I just kept going about my merry way (read: I was driving a little bit fast). Suddenly, the lights came on and boom, I was busted! But luckily, I got off with just a warning since everyone else was going pretty fast too.
But I was wrong to think the drama for the evening was over because as soon as I got into Montebello, I realized that the entire city was blacked out. There were no street lights, no traffic lights, no electricity whatsoever. The Montebello police were stationed at every intersection lighting flares to provide at least some light to combat the dense fog that had already began rolling in. And since my garage door opener obviously didn't work, I had to practically break into my own house ... all without waking my parents and not letting them think I was some thief. It was NOT easy! But I was proud of myself for being clever enough to use what little light my cell phone could generate to light my way. I also took my contact lenses off in the dark too (no easy task!). And as I crawled into bed, I suddenly realized that I was now wide awake in response to all that had just gone on. So, I thought I'd sit up and do some reading or watch TV. Nope, can't do either one of those. I suddenly felt like Laura Ingals from Little House on the Prarie, who had to basically sleep when it got dark and wake up when the sun came out again. What a horrible life! I will never take electricity for granted again.

MORE MOVIE REVIEWS
Well, it looks like this will be the end of the movie reviews for a while since the plan is for me to return to work on Monday. So enjoy them while you can:
40 Days and 40 Nights: C. Even though this is supposed to be a "guy movie," I think it was just a little too raunchy for me. But I have to admit that it did have its funny moments. But would I recommend this movie? No way.
Spy Game: B. You have to take my review of this movie with a grain of salt because I had to watch it in three installments because of various reasons so I didn't get the full feel of the movie. And this a movie I really wished I had seen all at once just to really feel the intensity. Robert Redford and Brad Pitt do a great job of acting and the script is very clever, but I just thought it was a little confusing.
Dragonfly: B-. Now I know why Kevin Costner is considered a "has-been." His acting is not good at all in this movie, even though the idea is somewhat interesting. The scary parts aren't all that scary and the end becomes a little far-fetched.
Lord of the Rings and Ocean's Eleven: I re-watched both of these movies too and have to still give them A's. "Great movie making" and "very clever" are two phrases I would use to describe them both.

LET'S GET PHYSICAL
Since I wasn't able to exercise at all after my injury, I have gained some weight. So it was with great expectation that I get the chance to start working out again. I went to PT yesterday morning and basically had my 5'3" young woman PT call me a "wuss" because my right leg muscles had gotten so weak. That motivated me to work a little harder to get myself back into working order so hopefully I will be back to work by Monday of next week. (yeah!) Afterward, I drove to UCLA to work out with Mark. It was great to be back after a 6 week lay-off. Afterward, my arms and legs felt sufficiently tired and very sore when I woke up today. And just to push it a little more, I drove to Karena's work to have her work on my knee a little bit more. But it was a good trade-off because I also worked on her neck and back a little.
But today, I feel like I've been beat up. And yet, I still have to get back on that stationary bike and pedal away ...

GUACAMOLE? BLEH!
After church yesterday, I went to have lunch at Dorado's with Karena, Tyrone, Victoria, and Jacob. We had a good time chomping away on our food, drinking our horchatas and orange bangs ... when I suddenly realized that I forgot to tell the people "no guacamole" in my carne asada wrap. Karena and I both looked closely inside and concluded that it didn't look like there was any inside so I just downed the whole thing because I was so hungry.
Oh yeah, just in case you didn't know, I'm allergic to guacamole because I get this crazy stomach ache and end up throwing up ... violently. Anyway, afterward, Karena and I had planned on going to Old Town to do some shopping when suddenly ... the stomach ache came. "Uh, Karena. I have some bad news. There was guacamole in the wrap." Being the stubborn guy that I am, we continued to do our shopping as my stomach began to feel worse.
When I got home, I ate some citrus flavored Tums (by the way, they tasted very good and I highly recommend them the next time your stomach is hurting). But they didn't help. In fact, nothing did until ... yup, you guessed it, I threw it all up!
I should've just had some jello.

DECISIONS
Sometimes we agonize for days, weeks, months over a tough decision. And we usually expect great difficulty with having to carry out the decision we have made.
Yesterday, I saw how one man was stuck in a tough situation, but did not choose the easy way out or the most popular. I also saw another man who had one major life-changing decision to make and simply, almost spontaneously, said "yes" in his head and responded swiftly to his decision.
For me, I believe if I draw near to God, I will better understand His will for my life and for the lives of others. And it is with that in mind, along with His guidance, that I can make rational, sound judgments regarding my life. I tend to be the type of guy who wavers back and forth after making decisions (some astrologists say it's because I'm a Gemini).
But of this I am certain: Decisions exist to reveal our reliance and dependence on God. If we continually seek His will, He will deliver us.

GUESTS
Two of my brother's friends arrived late Wednesday night and are staying in the two rooms upstairs where the pool table is. I'm fine with that except that means they end up using the bathroom I use. And there's one thing I've become more particular about as I've grown older and that's sharing a bathroom with guests. I figure they probably want a bathroom they can call their own and so do I. So because they'll be here until Saturday, I've decided to use the downstairs bathroom until then so I can have it all to myself. (I know I'm weird). Besides, I have the exact same contact lense case as one of them and already took the wrong one by mistake this morning, leaving two very blind people to try to figure it all out. Having me move all my stuff downstairs just gets rid of all the confusion.
My mom and I took the two of them out to lunch today to have hot soy bean milk with the chinese doughnut. You know what I'm talking about right? Anyway, we went to some place inside the Shao May's complex on Garfield and Garvey. While I was walking to the restaurant, I kid probably about 12 years old in his old school '80s too short shorts and rice-bowl hair cut comes up to me and says, "Excuse me. Can you buy me a cigarette?" I look at him with a really disapproving face and harshly say, "No!" before walking away. Then, I really started to get worked out and wanted to turn around to say, "You should be ashamed of yourself. Those things will kill you and the people around you!" ... but I didn't. I was too chicken. Sometimes, this world just makes me feel so sad.

On a much, much lighter note, happy birthday to Jason!

NEW GLASSES
Since my insurance also comes with vision insurance (VSP), I've been meaning to go get a new pair of glasse for a while now. I like the ones I have now, but the frames cut into the side of my face, leaving an indent long after I've taken my glasses off. It's always embarassing to put my contacts on first thing in the morning and show up to work with this huge horizontal line across the right side of my face just because I wore my glasses when I woke up. I bet I look real professional!
So, I set up an appointment for 5:00 yesterday and was really excited. But wouldn't you know it? At 4:30 I suddenly became really tired (probably from doing a whole lot of nothing) and fell asleep with my contacts on. Now, that made me mad for two reasons. One, I knew I couldn't go to my eye exam with my contacts on. And two, I HATE, HATE, HATE falling asleep with my contacts on. There is nothing more gross when you wake up and your contacts are all dried out and dirty. Gross! Anyway, I woke up at 5:00 and shot up like I was shot out of a cannon. "I'm late, I'm late" as I rushed (and you all know I can't rush nowadays because I'm slower than a snail) to rip my contacts out of my eyes, throw on my glasses, and head to my eye appointment. On my way out, I noticed my hair was sticking up but there was no time for that.
Now, I don't know about you, but I always have a hard time distinguishing which one is better during an eye exam. The doc always says, "One or two? Three or four?" And I'm always having to ask them to repeat. So embarassing! But it all worked out and I was happy with my choice of frames: these really, light-weight silver titanium Tommy Hilfiger frames. Sweet!

FACTS AND MY THOUGHTS
Fact: I went to the Dodgers pre-season game against the Indians Saturday with Karena, Ricky, and Karena's sister. And yesterday, I watched the season-opener where the Dodgers lost 9-2.
My Thoughts: I'm used to relaxing at a ball game where I talk to the guys while keeping my eyes on the action of the field. But with Karena there, I actually had to take my eyes off the field and look at her when I talked. Hmmm, that'll take some getting used to. And as for the Dodgers chances this season? Well, it may have been just one bad game, but I think they're sunk.
Fact: Jason and Debbie plan to get married this July.
My Thoughts: I'm not sure exactly what it is, but I'm so excited about their wedding. I've seen too many people make the mistake of taking the plunge too early or before a good foundation in their relationship is set. Its no wonder 50% of marriages end up in divorce these days. But these two close friends of mine were wise and definitely did it right.
Fact: I went to physical therapy on Monday for my knee.
My Thoughts: It's weird to be a PT and yet be the patient. I kept thinking in my head, "Aren't you going to do this?" "Shouldn't you look at that? "I'd definitely consider this." Well, as it turns out, I think I'm in much better shape with Karena working on me and me working on myself. No offense to my PT though.
Fact: I began reading a book called "Investing for Dummies."
My Thoughts: After only getting through half of the first chapter so far, I realize that the "dummies" part really applies to me. So much to learn ... so little time.

MOVIE REVIEWS
Coming home for a few weeks from Hong Kong, my uncle brought with him a bunch of movies so the list of movie reviews will be a bit longer today.
Transformers: The Movie: A-. I was so glad Luong let me borrow this because I hadn't seen this movie since I was in the 5th grade. Yes, it still is sad to see Optimus Prime die, but man was it still a good movie! Maybe the cheasy '80s rock music had something to do with it too!
There's Something About Mary: B+. It had its raunchy points which I didn't like, but there's something about Ben Stiller doing that "I'm a normal guy who just has all kinds of bad stuff happen to me" routine that keeps people laughing. Definitely check out the outtakes on the DVD. Funny!
Glory: A+. The first A+ I have given since I started doing movie reviews. Wow! Matthew Broderick may have been an interesting choice of casting, but he does an above average job. And Denzel and Morgan Freeman do an outstanding job of acting. And the story is very encouraging and gives a good glimpse about the triumphs and horrors of the Civil War. This is a must-see.
A Beautiful Mind: A-. It dragged in a few places, but I really think Ron Howard was deserving of the Best Director Oscar because of the way you see the schizophrenia play out. And Russel Crowe, although I'm not a big fan of him when he's off-camera (he was a little too weird about making sure that poem was heard by all), is an amazing actor.
Insomnia: B. Jason let me borrow this DVD about a cop who is driven down a downward spiral because of guilt. It stars the other professor from Good Will Hunting and Jas tells me an American version is in the works. This movie is creepy and suspenseful, but maybe just a little too creepy for my taste.
Behind Enemy Lines: A-. I really liked this movie even though Owen Wilson is NOT believeable as an action hero. But Gene Hackman always does a good job at these sorts of movies and I was on the edge of my seat the whole time.
Bandits: B. For me, this movie didn't get good until the end. It definitely had its funny moments, but overall, I thought it dragged, but I was impressed with the creativity of the movie.
(More movies to come next time!)

EASTER SERVICE
Some of the highlights of this service were the filled-to-capacity church, a huge choir consisting of members from 5 different choirs, and a worship time that had people singing, clapping, and raising their hands to the heavens. Others include the return of Luong Baby to CEFC and seeing Larry Lee get baptized. Both were very exciting for me personally. One low-lights was this constant high-pitched whistling sound that came out of the speakers multiple times throughout the service that was very distracting. It reminded me of how my dad potty-trained me by whistling this one high-pitched note. That was my signal to pee. Well, after sitting in that service and hearing that sound coming from the speakers, I suddenly felt the urge to go. but I was sitting in the middle of the first row at the balcony, which has very little room for people to be going in and out. So, I forced myself to stay in my seat and hold it until afterward. Good thing the sound stopped before I peed in my pants!