Saturday, August 31, 2002

THE PRESIDENCY
Only a few of you know this, but I have a great fascination with the office of the President of the United States. No, I don't have a thing for Bush or anything, I just love studying about presidents and I love hearing about the office that they hold. I think this comes from my junior year in high school where my U.S. History teacher Mr. Lebow made us memorize all the presidents, their parties, and the years they were elected. To this day, I can still name all the presidents in order and the year they were elected (I've forgotten most of the political parties they ran under).
Anyway, since then, I've tried to put myself in those same shoes. No, I'm not looking to end my PT career for the political arena. But I consider my role in Koinonia similar to being the president (with a very strong Congress and judicial system!). And with my upcoming marriage, I also see that as being the president of our relationship in a way since I will be the spiritual leader and the man of the household. Does this scare me? A bit, but I am ready and willing to accept the challenge of being president in these two arenas.

Friday, August 30, 2002

CONGRATULATIONS
Congratulations are definitely in order for my sister and her new fiance Gabe. I have to admit that I could not be more happy for the two of them. Gabe has definitely proven himself to be worthy of taking my sister's hand in marriage. And we are all thrilled for Sandra. Anyway, Gabe proposed to Sandra last week (more details to come). They will be coming home for the long weekend. We will be having a huge family BBQ this Sunday to introduce the two soon-to-be new additions to our family: Gabe and Karena.
This brings up two very good questions:
1) How do my parents feel about suddenly adding two new members to our family?
and
2) How do you spell fiance? Is it fiance or fiancee?

Thursday, August 29, 2002

IT'S A GOOD THING
I have to say that even though I hated going to Chinese School every Saturday morning for over 8 years, I have to admit that it was a good thing. And even though I often slept (and snored) while taking 5 quarters of Chinese at UCLA, it was well worth it. Why?
Today, I had three Chinese-only speaking patients. Although I felt badly for the student who was with me who couldn't understand a word we were saying to each other, it felt really good to be able to be to communicate with them. One of the patients even said, "It's so good to finally be able to talk to someone and have them understand me!" Doctors and nurses had me translating for them throughout the day. Sure, my mandarin isn't the greatest (i.e. I can't say things like "respiratory distress" or "hydrocephalus" or even "stroke," but being able to translate the basics for the doctors makes me feel like I'm the man.
Or should I say the ren!
=)

Wednesday, August 28, 2002

WORKING OUT WITH A FOOTBALL PLAYER
I've been working out for about a year and a half now with my co-worker Mark. And so far, everything has been going well because he pushes me a little, but he doesn't push me too hard. But all of that changed this week when our new co-worker London started joining us.
London looks just like Kobe Bryant, except he's shorter and more buff. The reason he's so buff? He played high school football at Banning (one of Southern California's best!) and played college ball at Utah State as a tight end/offensive line. So he's huge ... and has a crazy work-out regimen.
All you need to know is that we used to work out for about 45 minutes to an hour and about 2-3 times a week. Now, our workouts take an hour and a half (plus) and we work out about 4 times a week. Can I keep up with this crazy routine?
We'll see.

Tuesday, August 27, 2002

OUR LAST CHANCE AT BASEBALL
Since the players are going to strike on Friday, a group of us headed over to Dodger Stadium to catch the action in person one last time. According to Jason, he's going to boycott the game for the next ten years so we knew we had to go!
I have to admit that I love going to games with Gary, Michael, and Jason:
Gary, who thinks and acts like a true Montebelloian, always comes with good food to keep us from having to buy over-priced things. Last night, he brought grapes, Starburst, Cheez-it Snack Mix, and a bottle of water. Those things helped satisfy my munchies so much that all I bought was one Dodger dog. And Mike didn't even buy his almost obligatory nachos!
With Mike there, I always end up having the best conversations with him while the game is going on. Sometimes it's serious, sometimes light-hearted, but all the while very sincere. He understands that there are times in the game where we have to watch, and there are others where we can talk and just let the action play out in the background.
Jason provides comic relief like you'd never believe. The guy's mind is always working, thinking up the next wise crack to make us all laugh. Plus, now that he's married, he provides the "married man" perspective to all our conversations.
Yes, it is true that the Dodgers were within 1 pitch of winning and ended up losing in extra innings, but I felt this baseball guy's night out was good enough to last me the next 10 years.

Monday, August 26, 2002

THE BRIDAL EXPO
Karena and I went to a bridal expo yesterday at the Queen Mary in Long Beach. And let me tell you, it was so unorganized. First, the parking situation was out of control because there was also a Renaissance Faire going on just next to the Queen Mary. We ended having to park in Downtown Long Beach and catch a bus over to the Queen Mary.
And once we got there, we were sadly disappointed to not see any vendors for cakes. Since we already have a photographer and Karena pretty much knows what kind of gown and bridesmaid dresses she wants, all we were really looking for were cakes. And I, of course, came with my stomach ready to eat all different kinds of cakes. But there were none to be had.
The rest of the expo was pretty disappointing too. But we did have a pseudo-celebrity sighting there: Sean from Survivor:Marquesas. That was pretty cool since we were big fans of this last Survivor, we felt like we were seeing an old friend.
Anyway, at the end, they were raffling off a bunch of gifts, but the winners had to be present. Since a bunch of people had already left and they weren't checking out the IDs of the winners, I had a great idea. I leaned over and told Karena, "The next time they announce a Chinese name and nobody claims it, we should just yell, "Yeah!!! Right here!" and go claim the prize. It was a perfect plan ... too bad we were both too honest (and chicken) to actually do it.

Sunday, August 25, 2002

TODAY IS THE DAY
As I stand here, getting dressed for church, and the bridal expo Karena and I will be going to, and Charles and Lisa's house-warming party afterward, all I feel is total frustration and depression as I listen to the booming voice in my head that is screaming:

Let's get ready to rumble!

*sigh*

Saturday, August 24, 2002

TICK, TICK, TICK
This pains me, hurts me, and kills me to say it, but:

The bomb drops tomorrow. I know it. Others know it. But there's nothing we can do to stop it.

=(
BEING JERRY WEST ... WELL, SORT OF
Most of you know Jerry West to be one of the NBA's 50 greatest players of all time. He was so good that it is his silhouette that appears as the NBA's official logo. He was a great winner and a great Laker (those two go hand in hand). More recently, he served as the Lakers' great talent recruiter. He knew exactly who to draft and who get trade for. He drafted Magic Johnson, even though there were many doubts about him. He drafted James Worthy and traded for Byron Scott to establish the '80s showtime era. And he is the reason why Shaq, Kobe, Horry, Fox and the boys have been tearin' up the league these past three years.
But this drove him nuts.
You must be thinking, "What? That makes no sense?!?" Yup, he couldn't bear to watch Laker games anymore because he was such a worry-wart and a pessimist that he was afraid some failure might come in the midst of all the pressure for success. And eventually, the success drove him out of the business with the Lakers.
In some ways, I am like Jerry West. No, my baskeball skills are not all that and I wouldn't even consider myself amongst the 50 greatest of all times at anything I do, but I sympathize with his love for worrying. See, anytime I put on a function or "run the show," I am filled with worrisome thoughts.
Did I make enough punch for the party? What if it tastes bad? I hope I don't screw up this chord while I'm leading worship? How will this night of Koinonia go? Am I being too loud? Too soft?"
The list goes on and on.
Karena spoke very candidly with me about it yesterday. "You can't live like that. The world does NOT revolve around you. And if things go badly, what's the big deal? What does it say in Ecclesiastes?"
After thinking about what she said, I have decided two things: (1) She's right; and (2) It's smart of me to marry her.

Friday, August 23, 2002

A TALE OF TWO FAMILIES
I've said this from the get-go: It's very difficult (and I'd imagine nearly impossible) for the families of the bride and the groom to suddenly get to know each other well and become one family. See, when a guy and girl get married, it's not just them who get joined together, but their families as well. And this process is just made more difficult because the two sides are forced to get to know each other during a time when the topic of conversation is dominated by money, time, respect in terms of planning for the wedding. And this fact worried me greatly. Could the Shens and the Lees get to know each other well enough in time for everyone to feel comfortable and happy with us getting married? Would the Lees welcome me (and all my Shen traditions) into their family with open arms and vice versa?
Well, all my fears were laid aside this week. I spent this past Monday completely alone with Karena's mom and everything went great. We were able to converse and she was very sweet and genuine towards me. This made me feel much more comfortable around her and put my mind at ease. And just yesterday, she put all my fears to rest when she, out of her own free will, called my dad just to check on him (He had a nasty fall off a ladder last week). Now, that type of care and concern sounds an awful lot like true family to me.
And I couldn't be more happy and excited about it!

Thursday, August 22, 2002

SITTING IN ON A READING OF A PLAY
Last night, I did something I never thought I'd do. I went with Karena and her co-workers to one of their patient's apartments to listen to him read his play. Now, we all admitted beforehand that we were all going merely out of obligation. But when all was said and done, I was definitely glad I went.
The play was a very personal look at the two years he has recently endured after waking up one morning to find his house engulfed in flames after an explosion. He suffered burns to 75-80% and has endured roughly 50 surgeries since then. But it's obviously he has overcome all the emotional baggage that an experience like that would bring because he was able to creatively write about his experiences for all of us to share. And amazingly enough, it was actually pretty hilarious. Afterward, I just sat there and watched him read his script. He was engulfed again. But this time, he was engulfed not by flames, but by the glorious feeling of a triumphant return from the deepest valley of his life. He, compelete with his full personality, heart, and feelings, was back.
And just just sat there ... amazed.

Wednesday, August 21, 2002

BEING "ON"
There are a few phrases I use to describe the state I'm in when I really feel good and am ready to do some real good work. For the last five years or so, I would also consider myself "on fire" during these times. That meant, I was ready getting things done, taking care of business, and doing it all very efficiently.
But lately, my new phrase is just "I'm on!" Like a light switch, I'm either on or off. But when I'm on, I'm really speaking fluently, doing all my work very thoroughly, and doing a good job too. It's an amazing feeling to "be on." You can tell when I'm on. That's when I say things that are intelligent, witty, and beneficial to the listener. When I'm "off" I'm just tired and I get quiet when I talk.
But now, I find that I have to pretty much be "on" all the time. I mean, whether I'm sitting there with Karena planning our wedding, or at work with patients, or in Koinonia, I pretty have to know what I'm talking about at all times. But that's no easy task. But I'm learning to just keep my light switch in the "on" position at all times.

Celebrity sighting: Stevie Wonder!!

Tuesday, August 20, 2002

SUMMER DRESS CODE
During the summer months, I've noticed more and more people at church starting to dress "down" a little more. People who would usually show up in nice shirts and pants or even slacks were showing up in shorts and hawaiian shirts. And that really got me into the summer mood. And before I knew it, I was doing the same.
But now that the weather is starting to get colder and more overcast, and it's becoming increasing harder and harder to get out of bed in the morning, I see fewer and fewer people dressing "down" again.
So I guess that is the sure sign that summer is unfortunately coming to a close.

Monday, August 19, 2002

HOW REFRESHING
I hope nobody takes this blog the wrong way.
But now that I'm Koinonia core chair and am a member of our English Ministerial Committee, I am no longer naive to all the inner workings of our church. Is this a bad thing? No, it's a great thing to be able to serve God through these committees and hopefully bring more people to a deeper relationship with Jesus Christ. But with this service, comes knowledge of the politics that occasionally comes into play and other things like that. It's not easy to deal with at times, but necessary.
So, I have to admit it was SO refreshing to drive to Valencia yesterday evening to witness my cousin Tammy get baptized. Yes, I had to drive an hour and yes, we initially felt uncomfortable being surrounded by white people, but it was so worth it to sit there with Karena, some other cousins, and Tammy's parents just to worship through song and celebrate together. And very quickly, our external differences didn't even seem to matter because I felt more like brothers and sisters.
They got baptized in this beautiful ampitheater that resembes a miniature Hollywood Bowl. There were beautiful trees everywhere and a brook/waterfall that runs all around it. In the back were three crosses as a reminder of why we were all there. In the front was a collection of rocks that forms yet another small waterfall/brook and the pool where they got baptized.
Again, I have to say it was so refreshing so see teenagers go up there to share their testimony and to be so "on fire" for God when answering directly why they wanted to get baptized: "Because it says so in the Bible and I want to obey it and follow God the rest of my life."
The feelings I had while watching this baptism were truly overwhelming.

Sunday, August 18, 2002

A CAR'S KARMA
I'm beginning to think more and more that certain cars have a certain personality that leads to a specific karma or even a destiny for them. What am I talking about? I'm talking about certain cars that always get caught for speeding or get into accidents, etc. Here are a list of my family's cars with their respective karma problems:
My dad's white Saturn SL-1: When I drove this car during my college years, I got parking tickets like you nobody's business. Sure, a lot of it had to do with living in Westwood, the parking ticket capital of the world. But I even ended up getting two parking tickets within the course of two hours there. And apparently, now that my dad is driving the car, it's still happening. My dad got a parking ticket in the mail yesterday for parking in a marked area at the Ontario airport, even though he never got out of the car. Sounds like karma to me!
My sister's green Geo Prism: I guess I brought the downfall of that car when I was driving it home at night in the pouring ran on the 605 and spun out, making one-and-a-half spins around the freeway and ending up scratching the entire rear bumper on the center divider. Plus, there was also the time when I was driving it and became the first car in a 5 car accident where the three middle cars were totalled. Since then, my sister has driven it and gotten into at least two more accidents that I know of. That car has got a love for getting into accidents.
My mom's Dodge Stratus, My brother's Toyota Camry, and my Nissan Maxima: Luckily, none of these cars, so far, have shown any penchant for speeding tickets, parking tickets, or accidents. Let's hope that karma stays!

Saturday, August 17, 2002

BASEBALL STRIKE? FANS TO STRIKE BACK
I don't think these baseball owners and players realize just how stupid they are looking right now. Or maybe they don't care. A strike date of August 30 has been set and it looks like all the hard work the Dodgers and Angels have done to set themselves up to play in the playoffs will all go for naught. There probably will not be any playoffs this year, no World Series, no baseball on the first anniversary of Sept. 11.
And why? Because they are a bunch of greedy people who can't decide how to split all the millions and millions of dollars that are coming to them. Bill Plaschke of the L.A. Times said it best when he said: "[The players] will abandon a game in which the average player makes $2.4 million per year for sweating an average of 2.4 hours per day."
Can you imagine what any of us would do if we got a job that paid us anywhere near $2.4 million per year? I know one thing is for sure, I'd never go on strike!
But if they strike, that's it! I'm boycotting baseball ... and I'm not coming back.
SAY NO TO UVAS ... OR AT LEAST WHAT'S ON THEM
While buying grapes Thursday night at the Vons by my apartment, I suddenly realized that I should have gotten myself a cart or at least one of those baskets. But I figured, I was strong enough and resourceful enough to carry 4 bags of grapes and two juices in my arms. So, I picked them all up and nestled them between my arms and my body and headed to the checkout stand. After I had put them all down on the conveyor belt, I suddenly saw two thin, black insect legs come up from the underside of the bag. Then, two more. And before I knew it, a HUGE black widow spider was there.
I freaked out and flung the bag to the floor by the checkout magazines. That thing could have killed me! I was freaked out so I payed as fast as I could and ran to my car. Once I got home, I checked all the bags of grapes for other spiders. In retrospect, I guess I should have told someone at Vons about the spider.
So, if you hear of about someone who died at the Vons on National because of a spider bite, you know who to blame.

Thursday, August 15, 2002

LOTTO ROLLOVER
There is so much peer pressure associated with playing California's Super Lotto. This could not be more true than on the hospital floor that I work on at UCLA. A bunch of us put in $5 for yesterday's Super Lotto jackpot and ended up getting the mega number a few times and ended up with $11.
'm not a big Lotto man because I've seen people pump money into that thing for years without ever getting even a small payoff. But I just couldn't bear to live with myself if the rest of the staff won huge money and I was left there with my poor, measly, sad salary. So, I put in the $5.
Anyway, we decided to roll over that $11 and eveyone put in another $5 for a total of $101 for this Saturday's huge jackpot. Will we win? I hope so.

Wednesday, August 14, 2002

GETTING OLDER
I have to admit that I am a little excited about getting older. I know that means there will be new challenges for me and that life probably will be more complicated. But I think I'm ready for the trials that lie ahead.
What I am NOT ready for is for my parents and other family members to get older. I just can't bear to think that one day my dad's health will fail him or that my mom will one day fall and hurt herself.
But I guess that's why I give both my parents such a hard time about eating right, exercising, and doing whatever they can NOW so they can enjoy their golden years. And isn't it weird that after all these years of them telling me what to do, I now get to do the same to them. How ironic.
But I do hope that they listen, for their sake ... and mine.

Tuesday, August 13, 2002

PEDESTRIAN ETIQUETTE
One reason why it takes me so long to get home after work is because of all the pedestrian traffic in Westwood. I mean, it usually takes me about 10 minutes just to get out of that area! And while I'm waiting for people to walk through the crosswalk so I can make my turn, I often find myself thinking about two things:
1. I think it's California law that you're not technically supposed to make your turn until all pedestrians are completely off the crosswalk. That means, even though they're past the area you're going to be turning into, you still can't go until they're on the sidewalk. Now, how ridiculous is that? If everyone in California did that, we'd still be trying to get home right now!
2. My dad used to always tell me that when a car is waiting for me to walk through a crosswalk, I should always walk quickly. That way, the car doesn't have to wait too long. He always hated it when people would purposely walk slowly just so you had to look at him and wait ... and wait ... and wait. It's as if he were saying, "Everyone look at me. I'm so cool I can stop traffic. And I'm going to take my time because I'm the man." My dad made sure I never came off that way to other people. So, if you ever watch me walk through a crosswalk, I'm usually doing it pretty quickly.

Monday, August 12, 2002

CALLING IN SICK
After a busy weekend complete with bridesmaid dress shopping, planting 70 plants, two large family dinners, and a get-together at Jesse's to celebrate his birthday, I was feeling pretty tired. That, plus the combination of my ongoing headaches and now a sore throat, led me to call in sick for the first time ever.
But it was not an easy decision. After all, I am a guy who had perfect attendance all through intermediate school and high school. And in college, I think I missed a total of about 5 classes during the four years I was at UCLA and only 1 class during PT school (to go to the 2000 Lakers victory parade) . So, it's really not like me to call in sick or not show up. In fact, I feel that's one of my greatest areas of strength. If you need or expect me to be there, I'll be there.
But I really just feel all around crappy today so I think I made the right decision. And what have done with my day so far? Well, I watched some TV, vaccuumed (I have no idea how to really spell that word) my apartment and threw out a bunch of stuff, and will probably take a nap after writing this.
Hopefully I'll feel better tomorrow and get back on track.

Sunday, August 11, 2002

SERVICE PROJECT AND LEADERSHIP
I have to admit that the idea of leadership and being a leader is always something is on my mind. I have this ongoing thought that I am more of a hard worker, a do-er, and a follower than a leader. It's always been hard for me to come up with a plan or a vision for how something should go. But it's very easy for me to take a plan and refine it and carry it out.
For example, my cousin Jonathan is well on his way to becoming an Eagle Scout. One of the things he has to do was completely be in charge of arranging a service project for the community. So we gathered about 15 of his friends (and some of their fathers) to help plant 40 plants into a nearby elementary school. He worked it out with the school's principal that w would need Saturday and Sunday to completet he work. With help from his mother and sister, he got Krispy Kreme to donate breakfast, Costco to sell pizzas 50% off, a nearby nursery to donate the plants, and got his friends to donate their time and their gardening tools.
When I showed up at 9 am yesterday, I was surprised at what I saw. These guys had begun working at 7am (can you believe that?) and were nearly halfway done with the project. But what was even more impressive was the way Jonathan was able to lead these group of guys and see the vision of what this school was going to look like when we were done.
"Make sure you dig holes that are even!!!"
"Hey, I need you two to move these plants over there!!!"
"Can you guys work first before messing around?"

Was Jonathan being a little tough? At times. But he was awesome. I saw a lot of good leadership skills in him ... maybe even more than in me. His leading was so good that we not only planted the 40 plants, but we also planted abouty 35 more for a grand total of 75 trees planted ... and still finished a day ahead of schedule. Amazing.
I just hope and pray that I can help lead Koinonia with that same passion, vision, and God willing, that same result.

Saturday, August 10, 2002

JOKE OF THE DAY
A co-worker sent this one to me the other day. It's actually on another email account that I can't access right now so I'll have to do this from memory. Here goes:
A frog walks into a bank because he needs a loan to buy a house. He is directed to the bank's loan officer, Patricia Whack.
"Good morning, Ms. Whack," the frog says. "My name is Kermit Jagger and I need a loan to buy a house."
"How much do you need?" asked Ms. Whack.
"About $30,000" the frog said.
"Well, then you're going to need to leave something as collateral!" the bank loan officer replied.
Kermit Jagger dug deep into his pockets and said, "All I have is this little plastic pink elephant to give you. But my father is Mick Jagger and he's rich!"
Disgusted at his comment, Patricia unwillingly went to her boss to ask if Kermit's loan would be approved. She handed him the elephant and asked, "Do you even know what this is?"
And the boss replied ...


(are you ready?)


(are you sure?)


"It's a knick knack, Patti Whack. Give the frog a loan. His old man is a Rolling Stone!"

Friday, August 09, 2002

THOUGHTS ON MY UPCOMING WEDDING
Okay, I really wasn't going to share this story, but I changed my mind. I'm putting this out there so you guys keep me accountable.
Most of you know I'm pretty laid back and would rather just sit back and watch some TV versus doing something strenuous. Sound lazy? Yeah, I guess.
But a few weeks ago, Karena was over at my apartment and she was very excited to discuss our upcoming wedding. All she wanted to do was discuss so0me of the churches she had been looking at and talk about some possibilities for banquet places. I mean, after all, this is our wedding, and nobody should want to talk about it more than us, right?
Well, at the same time, I was flipping through the channels and landed on Adam Sandler's beloved cult classic "Happy Gilmore." And it was on my favorite scene too where he fights Bob Barker of "The Price is Right" by saying, "The price is WRONG, Bob!!!" And for some reason, all I wanted to do was watch that scene and a few snipets of the movie. But Karena still wanted to talk about the wedding.
Afterward, I felt really bad. And after seeing Debbie and Jason and Tim and Amy get married these past few weekends, I have to admit that the idea of me getting married is starting to sink in. And I am getting VERY excited.
Besides, I want to be a great husband to Karena because she I love her and she deserves it.
But a good husband can still enjoy a little Happy Gilmore now and again, right?

Thursday, August 08, 2002

HIGH SPEED CHASES
There was a high speed chase on TV the other day, and that got me thinking about new ads I've seen around town. These ads usually appear on buses that are done by the CHP and are designed to prevent high speed chases. "Got 6 months and $10,000?" or "Flashing lights means STOP!"
How sad a society do we live in where we have to make ads telling people that when the cop wants to pull you over, you better pull over? It just got me thinking that there are some crazy people in this world who are just searching for their 15 minutes of fame. Little do they know that these things are so fleeting.
But even though that is true, I have to admit that I still can't help myself but watch those chases from beginning to end. =)

Wednesday, August 07, 2002

DID YOU SEE ME?
Were you watching? Did you see me? I was on TV yesterday. Well, only sort of. As you probably already know, there is a huge media blitz at UCLA because of the successful surgery that separated those two twins. It was some amazing stuff they did, and they were holding a news conference just outside our department when I walked out. I happened to walk by about 20 cameras. Some of the doctors on TV are ones I directly work with on the neuro floor. Anyway, you may or may not have seen my head in the background. If you missed it, I'm about to head out again past them so be sure to check it out today!

Tuesday, August 06, 2002

SO LONG, CHICK
I'm not sure why this happened, but I became very emotional when I heard about the passing of Chick Hearn yesterday. Maybe it was because I was wearing my Nike "Basketball" shirt. Maybe it was because I happened to be driving by Staples Center when I heard. But, I started crying the minute I heard the news.
He was the man who helped me become a Laker fan. He was the man who bridged the gap between my father's Lakers and my Lakers and now to the Lakers of today. I invited him into my living room so many times over the course of so many seasons that it will be weird to no longer hear him calling yet another Laker championship.
It's true I have never met the guy. In fact, I have only seen him in person a few times. But I feel like I lost a friend today. Chick, you will be sorely missed. But I know you are in His good hands.

Monday, August 05, 2002

THE NAME GAME
Working at the hospital is like being in college again, in terms of playing the name game, that is. In college, I would always see a bunch of people I would only consider acquaintances. You know the type. These are the people you would be happy to say hello to, but you probably don't even know their last name or anything else about them. And this name game only gets worse when you go to a big school like UCLA because you often times don't seem them very often and you have to remember their names on the spot. I remember one time, I ran into this girl I hadn't seen since last school year. She said, "Hi Victor!" and I said, "Hey. How's it going?" While we exchanged pleasantries, I kept thinking in my head, "What's her name? What is her name?!?" Finally, she boldly says, "You don't remember my name, do you?" I was mortified. It wasn't until about 2 minutes later, after we were done talking and were walking our separate ways, that I remembered. So, I turned around to shout, "It's JENNNNNNNNNNIFFFFFEEER!!! I remember now!" Sometimes, I can be so dumb.
And when the roles are reversed and people can't remember my name right away, I end up getting called "Vincent" 9 out of 10 times. This has caused me to get a little irritated at being called that name. This phenomenon probably happens about once to twice a week at the hospital when I see other staff that I don't normally see very often. So, if you want to really rub me the wrong way, just start calling me "Vincent." But I'm warning you now, Vincent has sort-of become my alter-ego ... and he's not very nice.

Sunday, August 04, 2002

TIM AND AMY'S WEDDING
I have to admit that I came into their wedding with a little bit of attitude. Don't get me wrong, I was ecstatic to see them getting married. But I was very disappointed in the implementation of set up and clean up for their reception and banquet. But, I have to say that after putting in all that work, it was all worth it. Why? Because that's what Tim and Amy have done for so many of us and for others.
They had one of the most beautiful ceremonies I have ever seen. There was a whole lot of "good crying" going on. And that was very moving for me to see as I have similar emotions about being engaged to Karena. Their reception went on without a hitch, although there were definitely many people who helped make that happen. And their reception was in the beautiful confines of the Long Beach Hyatt that overlooks the Queen Mary. It was beautiful ... and the prime rib was delicious. But having so many Chinese people (and older ones at that) caused the dance floor to almost go unnoticed. But there was some unbelieveable comedy (you'll have to ask me about this one in person) and overall, everyone had a good time celebrating.
But, as always, after one very good day comes a day of work. So here I was, dragging my behind to work bright and early this morning, but still thinking good thoughts about the night before.

Saturday, August 03, 2002

THE ONLY THING TO FEAR IS FEAR ITSELF
I had dinner with Dewey last night and openly shared about my fears and struggles over being Koinonia core chair. And I shared something similar in our small group time as well. I think now that my "job" is starting, I have more responsibilities placed on me and that's bringing out all my insecurities about myself. I'm pretty scared to screw this up because I value Koinonia so much and I think there's definite pressure I'm putting on myself to see that people within Koi grow closer to God and to each other. But then again, I knew I would have to tackle these issues head on when I decided to do this, so this should come as no surprise. In fact, I thought this would help develop and hone my leadership skills -- important, indispensible qualities I must have as a soon-to-be husband.
But I am so glad He's placed some really good people around me. Dewey was very reassuring and supportive. And Reuel was quick to point out I'm more afraid of the title than the actual task because these are things I had already been doing. And I had never felt comfort almost literally pour over me as much as I did when Reuel, Steven, and Victoria prayed for me.
FDR was right, maybe the only thing to fear is fear itself. And I should just go out there and get the job done.

Thursday, August 01, 2002

EATING LUNCH
I've been working for almost two years now, and I would say for about 95% of those days, I have brought a sandwich for lunch. Sure, there are those few days I brought leftovers or forgot my lunch and had to get Taco Bell (hey, where else can you get two tacos for about a buck?). But for the most part, I've spent my time slapping lucheon meat and lettuce between two pieces of bread. Nothing fancy, but just something to get the job done. I would say my sandwiches are more quantity over quality.
But that just reminds me of the best sanwich I have ever had. No, it was not from any gourmet restaurant or anything like that. Instead, it was when Mike and Jason came to visit me out at UCLA back in the summer of '97. They bought the best bread, all kinds of luncheon meat, pickles, relish, mayo, and a bunch of other stuff. Plus, we added pepper, salt, and special sauce. It was so good. That was both quality and quantity!
You can't beat that.

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