mexican riviera

gimme somethin' to dooo

Omgee. We just got home from our cruise, and now the realization that I have 18 more days with absolutely nothing planned is sinking in like crazy. It sucks that I don't really know anyone or where anything is in LA. I've already finished 1.5 books, 4 sermons, I don't have gym membership here, my brother is ditching me a few days early to go back to school, my sister already flew back to Chicago, the weather is chilly (no outdoorsy activities), I really don't need to go shopping for more stuff, and...and.. I'm just feeling really bored and a bit sad. I was stressed having too much to do, and now I'm restless with having too little to do. Fantastic.

break!

Man, as many sleep-deprived nights as I had this past semester and as much as I enjoyed (most) of my classes, it was my worst academically. What a lovely feeling. Sigh.


Winter break plans:
- 7 day cruise with the fambam & friends down the west coast of Mexico
- read Prodigal God and Cost of Discipleship
- catch up on 2 seasons worth of The Office, 10 episodes of Gossip Girl, start watching 24 season 7
- hang out with my brother's new college friends, b/c I have few of my own in Cali :(
- refine my skills in Rock Band
- Netflix it up'
- try out some new recipes -- red velvet black&white cookies, yum?
- get back in shape, though I don't know how hard I'll want to run these hills
- write a business plan for Wild Manatee
- San Diego trip?
- snowboarding trip?
- practice Japanese with my grandparents
- sleep. a lot.
- pray. a lot.

"school stuffs"

It is now 5:19 AM and we are in the process of editing our 20+ page paper, worth 50% of our total grade. My group has been meeting over the past three weeks, for a good few hours every day these past 7 days to work on this, sometimes in 88-degree sauna-like rooms while getting high off of dry-erase markers that we liberally used on the board.

Research, brainstorm, analyze, repeat.

Today, we met from 1PM -- still going ... to finish this thing. So far, that is 16 hours and counting. We've been sending a "working draft" back and forth, hence my crazy orange labels for "school stuffs" that you can see in my gmail with all those attachments on the side. Even though it's so late (or early?), and all the lights are turned off on this floor except in this room, I am not too depressed! I might get a bit when I realize I am totally unprepared for my Japanese final later today. no sleep + no study = no good.

But man, such a blessing that I like my group -- none of us are finance majors, and we even have a gallatinite!! Our dynamics include chill meetings, inside jokes, snacks galore, and positive, can-do attitudes. We work as a team, and I am super grateful for that...

One of the best parts of our project is that we ended the super formal business paper by quoting our professor:

And remember Okun's Rule: "Never do anything that is not fun at least 80% of the time!"

get me outta' here....

never wanted to go home so badly in my life.

かわいい not

Credit to Jeannie for finding this site. Some of the other ones are madd cute, some are a bit inappropriate... this one's super cute though. hahaha

test your sense of pitch

J recently wrote a post (while procrastinating) about procrastinating through testing one's typing speed at www.typeracer.com, and after a few go's at it and semi-breezing through at 135WPM (I was #3! haha...) (and yes, I sound semi-conceited) I wanted to find a sight reading test for accuracy. I couldn't find one, so I settled on looking for one to test my perfect pitch.

I found this site, and although it's not a good measure to test how perfect my pitch is, it was pretty ... interesting, to say the least. http://www.nidcd.nih.gov/tunetest/dtt.asp

Essentially, the site plays 25 different well-known tunes, some accurate and some distorted, and you have to identify whether it is correct. As I was listening through them, I seriously cringed when I heard just one wrong note, let alone 10s of them throughout the test! I almost can't believe that people can't hear how wrong the note is, but that's just my superiority complex kicking in. I kind of want to know what score you guys get on it, both the typeracer and the tunes test, but if you think I'll judge you for low scores or whatever, then maybe you shouldn't tell me =P Either way though, these tests are great procrastination tools :)

But really. I want to know! Take and tell!

*Edit*

New one!!!! This one's FUN :D See how closely to the Hz you can tell pitches apart. http://tonometric.com/adaptivepitch/

Wait. This one is more fun. See how musical phrases can be translated into shapes and colors!!!
http://jakemandell.com/amvi/

well worth the wait

Black Friday is my favorite day of the year, hands down. The early mornings/late nights, the hustle and bustle of crazed shoppers, the unbelievable deals... I've been looking forward to this day for two years now, and boyyy this year sure made up for missing it last year (Shanghai doesn't celebrate Black Friday, haha).

Luckily, my brother found this "outlet" mall 30 mins away from our new house, so at 11:30PM, still suffering from food coma, we packed some leftover food, a few blankets (in case we wanted to sleep in the car) and headed out. Traffic wasn't too bad, and we made it into the mall by 12:05! It felt like there was a mass exodus happening as people filled the mall. Our first stop was Banana Republic, where the whole store was 50% off!! (Yay.) The line was nonexistent at first, then quickly grew to wrap around the store... And so the waiting began...

I'll spare you all the riveting details of our waiting in lines at places for hours upon hours, but I just wanted to share that we shopped for 7 straight hours at the mall, then went out to Circuit City, and finally came home by 9AM. I pretty much pulled an all-nighter shopping.

Glorious.

so deceived

** Edit**
MAN. The deception never ends. I thought Redemption was 4 hours over a period of 2 days, but it turns out it's only 2 hours. And yesterday was it. Karashiiiiiiiii :(

I'm a HUGE fan of 24. I've followed all 6 seasons faithfully, so I was bummed that the 7th season was going to start after such a long wait -- January 11, 09; that's 19 months of waiting! I was talking to George about 24 about a month ago, and he asked me "did you see the new 24 trailer?! It's crazy! Jack's in Africa as a missionary, there's a female president, etc..." I immediately went to 24's site and watched the trailer, but was totally confused when the trailer had none of those things. It showed an alive Tony Almeida instead, which in of itself is pretty shocking anyway.

Then last night, people were talking about 24 and its 2-hour premiere tonight. I was yet again super confused, since I was sure it started in January... but I tuned in anyway, and as I was watching the 1st hour (by myself, so lonely....) I was getting super into it, like the old days. For some odd reason though, there were commercials advertising "24: Redemption" out on DVD starting Tuesday. I was like.. "how in the world can they offer a whole season of TV before it's all over...?!" So I googled "24: Redemption" and lo and behold, I got this from wiki:

24: Redemption (previously named 24: Exile) is a television movie, bridging the gap between the sixth and seventh seasons of the TV series 24. Set in the fictional nation Sangala, Jack Bauer finds himself caught up in a military coup while trying to find somewhere he can 'be at peace'. Meanwhile, in the United States, it is Inauguration Day, where President-elect Allison Taylor is being sworn in to office.

The movie aired on November 23, 2008 and an extended director's cut is scheduled to be released on DVD two days later.

OH. EM. GEE. THIS ISN'T SEASON 7 -- IT'S A TV MOVIE!!!! I FEEL SO DECEIVED!!!! I came into tonight expecting a whole season out of it, and now I just have 4 hours of bliss. How did I never know that Redemption was just a television movie?!?!?!?!? What the heck.

It's okay though. Jack Bauer is still my hero.

PS - Someone. Please. Watch 24 with me. It's not fun getting excited and scared all by myself.

stressed|desserts

So.... I was sick a few weeks ago with a cold, and this past week I've been feeling nauseous and lightheaded really randomly. I get my sleep (6-7 hours?), drink my water, eat my fruits & veggies, so I can't blame my bouts on malnutrition. Jooho (wow two entry-mentions in a row!) thinks that I have Leukemia, which really is no joke...

Jooho: i dont want to freak you out

but

this one person

Jooho: was sick

for a month

on and off

12:05 AM finally went to the hospital

and he found out that he had leukemia

which had weakened his immune system

youve been getting repeatedly sick for like a month now

That was about a week ago when I was blowing out blood (TMI, I know), and yesterday this is what he said:

Jooho: GO TO THE HOSPITAL

12:39 AM me: nooooooooooo

12:42 AM Jooho: sigh

fine

but if it turns out that you have leukemia

im gonna go over to the hospital

and then say "I TOLD YOU SO"

and leave

Jooho: without leaving any condolences

12:43 AM haha


Well. I didn't go to the hospital... but I really honestly don't think I have Leukemia. I think it's just stress. A lot of it. According to webmd, there are actually a lotttt of effects of prolonged stress on the human body, including:

• The immune system. Under stress, the body becomes more vulnerable to illnesses, from colds and minor infections to major diseases. If you have a chronic illness such as AIDS, stress can make the symptoms worse.
• Cardiovascular disease. Stress is linked to high blood pressure, abnormal heartbeat (arrhythmia), problems with blood clotting, and hardening of the arteries (atherosclerosis). It is also linked to coronary artery disease, heart attack, and heart failure.
• Muscle pain. People who are stressed often have neck, shoulder, and low back pain. This may be caused by constant tension in the muscle because of stress. Stress also affects rheumatoid arthritis.
• Stomach and intestinal problems. Stress may be a factor in gastroesophageal reflux disease (GERD), peptic ulcer disease, and irritable bowel syndrome.
• The lungs. Stress can make symptoms of asthma and chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) worse.
• Skin problems. Stress can make disorders such as acne or psoriasis worse.

Boooooo. Something's gotta change, b/c I'm sick of being stressed. I don't want to die of heart failure...

Anyway. The title might not make any sense yet, but now you know that 'stressed' spelled backwards is 'desserts'!! Ironic, because WM is giving me a lot of stress. Heh.

"Man tries to pay bill with spider drawing"

Jooho sent me this article, from here, and at first when I saw the title I was a bit like "why are you wasting my time with this?!" but then I was pleasantly surprised to find how hilarious this actually is. Apparently it's true too... Enjoy!!

Below is the complete email conversation that Adelaide man David Thorne claims he had with a utility company chasing payment of an overdue bill.

From: Jane Gilles
Date: Wednesday 8 Oct 2008 12.19pm
To: David Thorne
Subject: Overdue account

Dear David,
Our records indicate that your account is overdue by the amount of $233.95. If you have already made this payment please contact us within the next 7 days to confirm payment has been applied to your account and is no longer outstanding.

Yours sincerely, Jane Gilles

From: David Thorne
Date: Wednesday 8 Oct 2008 12.37pm
To: Jane Gilles
Subject: Re: Overdue account

Dear Jane,
I do not have any money so am sending you this drawing I did of a spider instead. I value the drawing at $233.95 so trust that this settles the matter.

Regards, David.

From: Jane Gilles
Date: Thursday 9 Oct 2008 10.07am
To: David Thorne
Subject: Overdue account

Dear David,
Thankyou for contacting us. Unfortunately we are unable to accept drawings as payment and your account remains in arrears of $233.95. Please contact us within the next 7 days to confirm payment has been applied to your account and is no longer outstanding.

Yours sincerely, Jane Gilles

From: David Thorne
Date: Thursday 9 Oct 2008 10.32am
To: Jane Gilles
Subject: Re: Overdue account

Dear Jane,
Can I have my drawing of a spider back then please.

Regards, David.

From: Jane Gilles
Date: Thursday 9 Oct 2008 11.42am
To: David Thorne
Subject: Re: Re: Overdue account

Dear David,
You emailed the drawing to me. Do you want me to email it back to you?

Yours sincerely, Jane Gilles

From: David Thorne
Date: Thursday 9 Oct 2008 11.56am
To: Jane Gilles
Subject: Re: Re: Re: Overdue account

Dear Jane,

Yes please.

Regards, David.

From: Jane Gilles
Date: Thursday 9 Oct 2008 12.14pm
To: David Thorne
Subject: Re: Re: Re: Re: Overdue account

Attached

From: David Thorne
Date: Friday 10 Oct 2008 09.22am
To: Jane Gilles
Subject: Whose spider is that?

Dear Jane, Are you sure this drawing of a spider is the one I sent you? This spider only has seven legs and I do not feel I would have made such an elementary mistake when I drew it.

Regards, David.

From: Jane Gilles
Date: Friday 10 Oct 2008 11.03am
To: David Thorne
Subject: Re: Whose spider is that?

Dear David, Yes it is the same drawing. I copied and pasted it from the email you sent me on the 8th. David your account is still overdue by the amount of $233.95. Please make this payment as soon as possible.

Yours sincerely, Jane Gilles

From: David Thorne
Date: Friday 10 Oct 2008 11.05am
To: Jane Gilles
Subject: Automated Out of Office Response

Thankyou for contacting me. I am currently away on leave, traveling through time and will be returning last week.

Regards, David.

From: David Thorne
Date: Friday 10 Oct 2008 11.08am
To: Jane Gilles
Subject: Re: Re: Whose spider is that?

Hello, I am back and have read through your emails and accept that despite missing a leg, that drawing of a spider may indeed be the one I sent you. I realise with hindsight that it is possible you rejected the drawing of a spider due to this obvious limb ommission but did not point it out in an effort to avoid hurting my feelings. As such, I am sending you a revised drawing with the correct number of legs as full payment for any amount outstanding. I trust this will bring the matter to a conclusion.

Regards, David.

From: Jane Gilles
Date: Monday 13 Oct 2008 2.51pm
To: David Thorne
Subject: Re: Re: Re: Whose spider is that?

Dear David, As I have stated, we do not accept drawings in lei of money for accounts outstanding. We accept cheque, bank cheque, money order or cash. Please make a payment this week to avoid incurring any additional fees.

Yours sincerely, Jane Gilles

From: David Thorne
Date: Monday 13 Oct 2008 3.17pm
To: Jane Gilles
Subject: Re: Re: Re: Re: Whose spider is that?

I understand and will definately make a payment this week if I remember. As you have not accepted my second drawing as payment, please return the drawing to me as soon as possible. It was silly of me to assume I could provide you with something of completely no value whatsoever, waste your time and then attach such a large amount to it.

Regards, David.

From: Jane Gilles
Date: Tuesday 14 Oct 2008 11.18am
To: David Thorne
Subject: Re: Re: Re: Re: Re: Whose spider is that?

Attached

I'm a WHAT cupcake?

There's this silly quiz I found on someone else's blog, so I decided to take it to see what kind of cupcake I would be. The questions and answer choices were really stupid, so I don't see the validity of this quiz.. but then again, how "valid" can a cupcake quiz be? Anyway... here we go.

The Dozen Cupcakes Quiz

Pancakes and Syrup Cupcake "you won't believe it: a pancake cupcake topped with maple buttercream, available with or without a piece of local bacon" You are very laid back and very traditional. You like to spend your free time lounging around in flannel pajamas, sipping hot coffee and reading by the fireplace. Nothing much perturbs you, and you settle household disputes through "family conferences" around the kitchen table. Family is important to you, and during the holidays, your house is always full of relatives!

Fun quizzes, surveys & blog quizzes by

5 stages of a cold

You know how there are 5 stages of grief? Here are my 5 stages of having a cold, gathered from firsthand experience in these miserable past few days...

Stage 1: Sore throat -- it starts off as an itching and may even grow to difficulty of swallowing, but if you feel this, better take your airborne now before it's too late!!

Stage 2: Runny nose -- stock up on tissues b/c you'll be blowin' through them in no time

Stage 3: Stuffy nose, coughs, and headaches -- put some lotion on that dry nose, and get accustomed to lookin' like rudolph the red-nosed reindeer. Doing homework probably isn't the best idea, either, since it'll take 100x as long to complete simple tasks. Try not to make too much of a ruckus' in class with those loud hearty coughs. hehe

Stage 4: Nausea -- I don't know why this has to happen. Completely unnecessary in my opinion. Alison recommends eating "jellow"... yes, "jellow"....

Stage 5: Halluciations -- I kid you not, when I was lying on my bed trying to get over stage 4, my body decided to send a message to my mind to tell me that it felt the bed shift (even though there's absolutely no reason for my bed to). Welcome, dear friends, to stage 5...

the best of the 22 reasons

For Catherin's surprise party, we had people sign a poster of "22 reasons why we love you." Here's the highlight of my day:

"Cos your muscles are bigger than mine. -Joe"

I legitly laughed hysterically for 5 minutes straight when I read that. Hahahahaaha....anyway,

HAPPY 22nd BIRTHDAY CATHERIN!!! :D

にせんきゅうのクラス

I'm slowly realizing more and more just how powerful yet how difficult showing the love of Christ can be... This is a love that is everything 1 Cor 13:4-8 describes. It is a love that doesn't hold on to past hurts, can melt away the hardest exteriors of stone-cold hearts, will trust even when all things point to defeat, has the power to unify even the most unlikely bunch, and most importantly for me now, always hopes and always perseveres.

God, it's so hard to persevere with this kind of love... please renew my hope and my faith that You alone have the power to bring change.

quarterfinalist

WM is a quarterfinalist, baby! WHOO, one step closer... but still many more steps to go.

The next round consists of pitching our idea to to a panel of venture capitalists and entrepreneurs, (next week!) and a final venture summary (due Dec 1st). We find out Dec 9th if we are a semi-finalist candidate, and after submitting a first draft of our full business plan on Feb 20th, we will find out on Feb 25th if we are an official semi-finalist... Many more revisions of the business plan later, finalists are announced on April 17th and then the final pitch-off for the $75,000 is on May 1st...

H'oh crap. I'm nervous. Please pray for us...

*sad face*

Is this what brokenness feels like?

help me believe....

Therefore we do not lose heart. Though outwardly we are wasting away, yet inwardly we are being renewed day by day. For our light and momentary troubles are achieving for us an eternal glory that far outweighs them all. So we fix our eyes not on what is seen, but on what is unseen. For what is seen is temporary, but what is unseen is eternal.

2 Corinthians 4:16-18

wild manatee

submitted. it's out of our hands now.

...just one life to live?

Tonight, Catherin and I had a long-awaited reunion hangout and dinner with our roommates from freshman/sophomore year. It's pretty shocking how quickly two years can fly by -- I almost feel like those memories that were brought up were from a different life. These girls were some of the first friends I made when I entered as a freshman, being my neighbors and all, and through the crazy Toys 'R Us + Chuck 'E Cheese outings, Bruno's pastries, movie marathons, secret santa parties, and outlet mall shopathons, we've accumulated quite the collection of inside jokes and embarrassing pictures. While Brittney was flipping through the pictures we took our freshman/sophomore year, I could barely even recognize myself in those pictures. It wasn't that my physical appearance looked that different; I simply couldn't remember who or how I was back then. What was I passionate about? Who did I consider my closest friends? Where did I envision my life going?

On the train ride back into Manhattan from Brooklyn, I looked at them and said "I expect to be receiving wedding invitations from all of you!" Man, that's such a scary statement. Since we'll be graduating this year and either moving back to our respective hometowns or staying in the city, our lives will rarely intersect in the future. The next time we meet after we graduate, who knows where each of us will be, or more importantly, who each of us will be. The memories of our college days will have been so faded in our minds that even pictures won't be enough to restore those moments.

This is something I have really been struggling with ever since senior year started. Life simply goes too fast, and I just can't keep up. Shoot, I'm only 21 but I feel like the pace of life grows at an exponential rate after you turn 20. Weddings, graduation, moving around, people coming in and out... The people and circumstances that surround me are constantly shifting, and I myself am transforming at the very same time.

I feel a giant disconnect in my past and my present, in the circles I am in now and were in back then, and I don't know how to reconcile that just yet.

throwdown!

Derrick sent me an article about the Food Network doing a special piece on the Dessert Truck, and I rsvp'ed to be an audience member for the taping. Unfortunately, I had a bunch of work that I needed to get done so I didn't end up going when it started, but as I was sitting in UHall not studying Japanese, too many people were telling me about the filming so I was just like "screw it, I'm gonna go check it out." I ran out without telling anyone where I was going, and minutes later Mallory called and was like "NANCY WHERE ARE YOU??" A little hurt that I didn't tell her (oops!), she quickly sprinted over and together with K-dub we squealed over Bobby Flay.

The area was pretty crowded, but we managed to squeeze our way and try some of BFlay's bread pudding (kinda strange flavors and textures involved). The best part was that Mallory and I got pulled to be front and center (because we look like kids, no joke), right in front of Bobby Flay, as they shot the last scene for the show. Hahahaaha, awesomeness.

So if you watch the show come November, you'll see the two of us :D One day, maybe Bobby Flay will do a throwdown against the Wild Manatee and whatever it is we become famous for =P Hahaha

fall.ing

'09

Is anything too hard, too wonderful for the LORD?

mazui

This is just going to be a really random list of my ramblings...

- I got a B on my Japanese test :( I am ... really really sad. As we learn more vocab and grammar, I find myself unable to keep up and feeling really inadequate and stupid in class (which meets every single day, mind you)... It's not even that I can't learn it -- I just don't have the time to devote to it like I should.

- Time... It's not that there isn't even enough time to do stuff because I manage to get it done (even if it is up to the last minute) but more importantly, I just get drained in fitting so much stuff into my life. I handle it, but barely scraping by. God's grace is sufficient for me every single day, and I tell myself that, but my flesh is oh so weak when my spirit is still willing... I don't know though, my spirit's been taking a pretty bad beating and I'm just tired....

- Life goes by way too fast. Engagements, talk of careers, writing a business plan, watching the weeks slip by before my very eyes... goodness gracious, this is scary.

- I stepped in dog poop today. The owner didn't feel a need to warn me that her dog had JUST pooped in front of where I was stepping... I was looking around for a restaurant, and after I stepped in it (which was pretty squishy), she was like "oh and she just stepped in it..." (why did she say "she" when she could've addressed me directly as "you"?!) Hmph.

- I need to stop spending money. I think in this past week alone (starting like ... Sunday) I've spent more than $100. Ridiculous. I don't even have a job either, so I'm using my parents' money... Baaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaahhhhh

- Baked prosciutto is so money.

- This morning's QT... Ps 23:3. He restores my soul....

i'll have the ... special

11:43 AM Mike:11:45 AM you going to byol?

me: yeah

11:46 AM can't decide what to get for lunch

what're you getting?

Mike: i have no idea yet

what am i in the mood for

me: you are in the mood for .....

11:47 AM Mike: mmm.... i do love my "..."

11:48 AM me: me tooooooooooo

Mike: you should open a restaurant

called "..."

theyll go there when theyre indecisive

11:49 AM and the staple dessert can be "confused"

me: HAHAHAAHA

"it's a good show!"

One of my classmates just cheerfully asked my really renowned entrepreneur professor if he watches Jimmy Neutron because he reminds her of Neutron's dad and she wanted to tell him a joke...

... seriously? I am terribly embarrassed for her. And for the Stern student body .... -_-"

mds yop

this is a gchat conversation with Mallory regarding her heartburn....:

1:09 AM Mallory: i have heartburn nancy.

me: stop lying

but if you do

go buy some medicine

Mallory: i'm not

me: otherwise it'll hurt like crazy when you sleep

Mallory: my heart really hurhts

i think its the burger.

1:11 AM me: hmmm

how long?

drink some water

and green tea

1:12 AM but get some mds yop

1:13 AM *meds yo

wow

i can't type

oops

Mallory: wow

i was looking up mds yop

thinking it is a heartburn medicine.

me: HAHAAHAHAH

SORRY

Mallory: .....

1:14 AM yea i didnt get medicine in the google search.

zoop

time flies like an arrow, and fruit flies like ______



...



a banana!


Does anyone else notice that September takes forever to get through, but once October hits, the rest of the year just seems to fly by? :( Each day is so long, but each next week is so short... Slow down, October, slow down!!

baahh

AHHHH

Why am I so selfish & prideful?!?!??! I disgust myself sometimes >_< *** EDIT *** Thanks Jen...

Colossians 3

Rules for Holy Living

1Since, then, you have been raised with Christ, set your hearts on things above, where Christ is seated at the right hand of God. 2Set your minds on things above, not on earthly things. 3For you died, and your life is now hidden with Christ in God. 4When Christ, who is your life, appears, then you also will appear with him in glory.

5Put to death, therefore, whatever belongs to your earthly nature: sexual immorality, impurity, lust, evil desires and greed, which is idolatry. 6Because of these, the wrath of God is coming. 7You used to walk in these ways, in the life you once lived. 8But now you must rid yourselves of all such things as these: anger, rage, malice, slander, and filthy language from your lips. 9Do not lie to each other, since you have taken off your old self with its practices 10and have put on the new self, which is being renewed in knowledge in the image of its Creator. 11Here there is no Greek or Jew, circumcised or uncircumcised, barbarian, Scythian, slave or free, but Christ is all, and is in all.

12Therefore, as God's chosen people, holy and dearly loved, clothe yourselves with compassion, kindness, humility, gentleness and patience. 13Bear with each other and forgive whatever grievances you may have against one another. Forgive as the Lord forgave you. 14And over all these virtues put on love, which binds them all together in perfect unity.

15Let the peace of Christ rule in your hearts, since as members of one body you were called to peace. And be thankful. 16Let the word of Christ dwell in you richly as you teach and admonish one another with all wisdom, and as you sing psalms, hymns and spiritual songs with gratitude in your hearts to God. 17And whatever you do, whether in word or deed, do it all in the name of the Lord Jesus, giving thanks to God the Father through him.

mebeam!

I discovered the wonderful world of mebeam.com yesterday! Giant group video chat with my sg members talking about our t-shirt design and trying to shield our eyes away from PK's roommate.... what a way to procrastinate studying for my Japanese exam today. We couldn't figure out how the mic/sound worked till way later, so until then we were just on google group chat.. hahaha. Here's a snippet of our conversation, but for your sakes I'll leave out the details on what actually went down...

Garth: what is going on in paul kims window
me: omg....................Garth: this is headed downhill
Gabe: i'm so glad i don't have a webcam right now

testimonies

I echo Paul Kim. Let's share our testimonies and really bless each other... Why hold back telling about the work that God is doing in our lives?

the faildrug

"Airborne airborne airborne..." I heard great reviews and have taken it in hopes of battling an impending cold, but does it really work? Thanks Jeannie for showing me that it really doesn't... http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Airborne_(dietary_supplement)


Some highlights:

- There are few scientific studies supporting Airborne's effectiveness. The study often referenced in favor of Airborne was sponsored by the Knight-McDowell Labs, manufacturers of Airborne. "GNG Pharmaceutical Services Inc.", claims to have conducted this study with 120 people, and reported that 47% of Airborne recipients showed little or no cold or flu symptoms, whereas only 23% of the recipients of a placebo pill showed equal results. However, in February of 2006, ABC News discovered that GNG Pharmaceutical Services has no official clinic, scientists, or even doctors. In fact the company comprises only two men, who started the company just to perform this study. Because of the bad publicity that this controversy has brought forth, Knight-McDowell Labs has removed all references to the study from their packaging and web site.

- the adult tablet contains 1 g of vitamin C, and the directions for use advise taking 1 tablet at the first sign of a cold and repeating the dose every 3 hours as necessary. Vitamin C in doses higher than 1 g increases oxalate and urate excretion and may cause kidney stones


Get this:

On March 4, 2008, Airborne Health Inc. agreed to pay $23.3 million to settle a class-action lawsuit brought against the company for false advertising. Customers with proof of purchase will be refunded for any Airborne they have ever bought. Those without proof of purchases will be reimbursed for up to six packages.

The deadline was September 15th. Gaaaah

tsukareta

I'm getting rather tired of being tired. But I'm not stressed. Just tired. And pretty tired of it.

beginning of the end

After the crazy news of Merrill's takeover and the bankruptcy of Lehman yesterday, Wasserman sent out an email today regarding our full-time job search and how to approach this process with even more seriousness and flexibility. At the end of the email was this:

"Keep your energy level up and do not get discouraged. If you are feeling discouraged, talk with a friend or family member, a Wasserman staff member, or another professional with whom you feel comfortable. If you are feeling especially upset, you should reach out to the Wellness Exchange at 212-443-9999."

Wow.

Man, God could totally use this financial crisis to wake people up to see how much more there is to life than banking, money, careers, ladders... Maybe my classmates will actually pursue their passions now that it's harder to settle into a comfortable corporate cubicle! Haha, I should be listening to myself....

crisis

defined as: "a crucial stage or turning point in the course of something"

Although 'crisis' has a negative connotation, I wouldn't necessarily say I'm in a bad place right now... it's good to be waiting upon the Lord, for I know He will answer.

wakarimasen

The line that exists between mere words and action is more of a gaping hole... When is a risk worth taking if you have absolutely no clue what the rewards/sacrifices will be?

LOL

During my International Business Management class today, we went around and shared what we wanted to do after we graduated. This one Korean kid's answer to that question was "something that makes me happy," to which my big, old, jolly Indian professor responded "how about kimchee?"

PUAHAHAHAHAHA

---

Find rest, O my soul, in God alone

Happy 21 to me!

Thanks all for a wonderrrrful 21st Birthday!!! My phone and gmail were going off the hook with texts, calls, fb wall posts, and I was super humbled in all the ways people served and showed me love through helping me cook, taking me out, giving me gifts, writing cards, playing in Prospect Park, just spending the day with me :) I thank God for each and every one of you and for the friendships that He's given us.

Highlights:

Say hello to my brand-spanking new 5-quart, 325 watt KitchenAid Artisan stand mixer -- you guys really know the way to a baker's heart ;)



Prospect Park!! Thanks Mikey, Alison, and David for bearing with me running around like a headless chicken in the kitchen (kinda rhymes) and for cooking up a delicious feast. Thanks to everyone who made it allllllllll the way out to Brooklyn and got lost in the Park, for playing in the intense sun, and for mingling and chilling with me and with each other.




Birdland -- Thanks to Patty, Michelle, and Janet for sharing 50 years of Bossa Nova with me in this classy venue. Absolute best way to end my 21st, exactly 1 year after we all first met each other in Shanghai!

new house!!

Whooo new house :D Allow me to give you a brief tour...

I live in Diamond Bar, a southeastern suburb of LA whose residents are primarily wealthy Chinese families... some Koreans, too. As you enter through the metal gates, you drive up a few very steep hills and then you reach out house which sits at the end of a long circle. Voila, my house! 5-bedrooms, 4.5 bathrooms, 3 car garages ... that balcony is right outside of my room :)



Enter through the front doors, pass a fountain on the left...


...and you'll see our (now empty) living room. Our baby grand will probably go here, along with some couches and stuff. On the right is the dining room, then through that doorway is the ...


..living room with giant TV and not one-- but TWO kitchens. One regular (with TWO ovens) and one "chinese"-style kitchen (it's more like a small room with a powerful stove, huge vent, and sink, perfect for cooking greasy stuff).


Downstairs is also a bedroom+bathroom for my grandparents, and there's a door that opens up to the...


...backyard! Full with swingset, pavillion, and grill.


Upstairs we have a rec room (see below), 4 bedrooms, 3 bathrooms, a laundry room, closets, and place where we put the computer/fax machine.


My parents' bedroom is sick. Just look at their bed!


This is the rest of their bedroom that leads into the bathroom. There isn't a door that separates them, which I think is a bit strange...


Master bathroom windows to a GREAT view of the city, giant bathtub, two sinks, toilet (with its own room/door, thankfully), shower area with TWO showerheads, and the biggest walk-in closet I've ever seen. It's an L shape and the size of my bedroom at school.

Nighttime view! :D Behind the fence is the city of Diamond Bar.

Puffball

Oh my goodness. I don't think my hair has been this short since... ever. I opted to get my hair cut in LA instead of spending $40+ at Sei Tomoko in New York, and what I got was ... disastrous. Okay, maybe not that bad -- semi-salvageable, I suppose. For some reason, I think all Chinese/Taiwanese people like to cut LOTS of layers, and that's what happened. Layers just make the haircut look like a mullet!! I don't know why they think it looks good! Anyway, I asked my mom (who cut my+bro's hair growing up) to even out the layers so I look less fobby, and I guess in order to do that, my hair had to be cut to the length of where the layers first start. *sigh* If I concentrate hard enough, maybe I can unleash hidden powers to make my hair grow faster overnight like when Harry Potter did so in the first book... maybe? :(

*EDIT* picture....

iNecessary?

My current LG phone is a good 4 years old, and even though I've taken great care of it and it's served me well, it's at the end of its life... I need a new phone, and looking around the AT&T store, there really aren't too many great options. The LG Shine only holds 250 contacts (I'm at 243 right now...), and the other ones are 'meh'. I coveted Sara's Blackberry Pearl 2110 when I saw her typing away at it, but since the introduction of the new 3G, I've been slowly leaning towards conforming and getting an iPhone. I was meaning to get an iPod touch for my birthday anyway, but since the iPhone acts as an iPod as well, why not shoot two birds with one stone by getting an iPhone?

So, when I called my mom earlier today and asked her whether or not I would be allowed to get the iPhone, she challenged my arguments of "having the internet is so convenient! I need a new phone and was going to get a new mp3 player anyway. I can still be on the family plan..." and asked me simply "do you absolutely need it? Sure, having the internet at my fingertips, cool applications like a guitar tuner, unlimited text, a new sleek phone, and 8GB of music space would be really awesome... but surely I could deal with my shuffle and a newer but more modest phone... Even though it sounds like my mom doesn't want me to get it because the extra $30/month cost adds up, she'll let me if I truly believe I need it. I have a few days to think about it....

What should I do?!

Silly inventions

I can't believe people actually thought of inventing these things... Full article here.

1) Cups & Cookies - It can hold 2-3 of your favorite cookies, and there are cups made for both right and left-handed people.


2) Transparent Toaster - Helps you keep toast from burning by allowing you to see it browning.

3) Toilet Seat Lifter - Hold your foot down on the pedal for as long as you need to pee. I guess it's kind of cool that it's hands-free .. more sanitary that way.



4) Light-Up Car Slippers - For those of you who get up in the middle of the night and need help getting to the bathroom without tripping over something, slip your feet into a pair of these and the LED lights will help guide your way.



5) T-Shirt for the language-challenged- Donde esta el bano? Lose the risk of butchering a language while you're abroad and just point to your tshirt! Hahahaha....

Sugar Up & Over-dose

I was talking to Catherin today about how much I like the new Starbucks Chocolate-Banana Vivanno smoothie and how it's actually not too bad for you: 270 calories, 6g fiber, 21g protein, and only 28g sugar for a 16 oz size. It's pretty tasty too, since you can tell that the banana is actually a real one, unlike the stupid frozen ones Jamba Juice uses....

I wanted to compare how these stats stood in comparison to Jamba's drinks, so I looked up the nutritional info for the two drinks that I got a few Mondays ago.

Caribbean Passion, Original Size:
420 Calories
4g fiber
87g sugar

Pomegranite Paradise, Original Size:
340 Calories
2g fiber
76g sugar

OH. EM. FREAKING. GEE.

I consumed 161g of sugar in ONE DAY from freaking Jamba Juice alone!!!!! 4 g = 1 teaspoon, 12 teaspoon = 1/4 cup... so really, I ate up 1/2 cup of sugar from those drinks.

I was probably sweating sugar out that week... *shudders*

289 times...at least

In the Bible, God is referred as "Sovereign LORD" 289 times.

LORD, (actually 'Yahweh'), is so holy of a name that the writers of the Bible didn't dare write it down but instead opted to use "LORD." 'Yahweh' is God's proper name, just as my proper name is "Nancy Wu." Given the significance of names in the Bible, it is especially important when we discover that Yahweh, God's name, means "I AM." God just is. . . He doesn't depend on anything else to exist; He just is, He has, and He will be.

Now, dictionary.com defines sovereign as "supreme power and authority," but I feel like Doctor Steve's description from AMI has more oomph and oooooh to it: Sovereign means that nothing can happen without first passing through God's hands.

So now, here we have an all-powerful, all-loving God who IS and at the same time controls all things in our lives and in this world. Take this statement to be absolutely and infallibly true, and apply it to our lives. This is huge! Like, really mind-blowingly huge! Every little part of my life has been in God's control this entire time, and it will continue to be for the rest of my life. It's even more assuring because I know that God acts in a way that is all-loving for me, giving me exactly what He knows is best for me.

So why am I writing this post at 1:45 in the morning? Today, I found out a lot of stuff that is going on with my family, and I guess I just wanted to process it all ...

With the recent earthquake in LA (no major damage, thankfully), a really serious car accident in the family (please, please pray!!), and just all the kinks that come with transitioning and living far apart and in new environments, I have to cling onto the promise that God is sovereign. He is absolutely in control of my life, of my aunt's life, of my family's lives. . . When Jesus says "do not let your hearts be troubled. Trust in God; trust also in me." (John 14:1), I can let my heart rest at peace with all the chaos going on because I believe in a God who is trustworthy and sovereign over everything. I have that promise, not just 289 times repeated to me on paper, but infinitely fulfilled for me here on earth and into eternity.

Read this!

Excerpt from Chapter 14 of Revolution in World Missions, by K.P. Yohannan:

Asia makes up the vast majority of 3.8 billion hidden peoples who are being missed by traditional missionary efforts and mass media evangelism. They are most lost of the lost -- trapped in utter spiritual darkness.


I am not trying to minimize the social and material needs of the Asian nations, but it is important to reemphasize that Asia's basic problem is a spiritual one. When the Western media focuses almost entirely on our problems of hunger, for example showing all these pictures of starving children on TV, it is difficult for Americans not to get the false impression that hunger is the biggest problem.


But what causes the hunger? Asian Christians knows these horrible conditions are only symptoms of the real problem -- spiritual bondage to satanic philosophies. They key factor -- and the most neglected -- in understanding India's hunger problem is the Hindi belief system and its effect on food production. Most people know of the "sacred cows" that roam free, eating tons of grain while nearby people starve. But a lesser-known and more sinister culprit is another animal protected by religious belief -- the rat.


According to those who believe in reincarnation, the rat must be protected as a likely recipient for a reincarnated soul on its way up the ladder of spiritual evolution to Nirvana. Though many reject this and seek to poison rats, large-scale efforts of extermination have been thwarted by religious outcry. As one of India's statesmen has said, "India's problems will never cease until her religion changes."


Rats eat or spoil 20 percent of India's food grain every year. A recent survey in the wheat-growing district of Hapur in north India revealed an average of ten rats per house.

Of the 1982 harvest of cereals in India, including maize, wheat, rice, millet and so on -- a total of 134 million metric tons -- the 20% loss from rats amounted to 26.8 million metric tons. The picture becomes more comprehensible by imagining a train of boxcars cars carrying that amount of grain. With each car holding about 82% metric tons, the train would contain 327,000 cars and stretch for 3,097 miles. The annual food grain loss in India would fill a train longer than the distance between NY and LA.



The devastating effects of the rat in India should make it an object of scorn. Instead, because of the spiritual blindness of the people, the rat is protected and in some places, like a temple thirty miles south of Bikaner in north India, even worshipped.

Clearly, the agony we see in the faces of those starving children and beggars is actually caused by centuries of religious slavery. In my own beloved home of India, thousands of lives and billions of dollars go into social programs, education and medical and relief efforts every year...



The real culprit is not a person, lack of natural resources of a system of government. It is spiritual darkness. It thwarts every effort to make progress. It dooms our people to misery to both in this world and in the world to come. The single most important social reform that can be brought to Asia is the Gospel of Jesus Christ. Over 300 million of my people have never heard the name of Jesus Christ. They need the hope and truth that only the Lord Jesus can provide.

Then Jesus declared, "I am the bread of life. He who comes to me will never go hungry, and he who believes in me will never be thirsty....I am the bread of life. Your forefathers ate the manna in the desert, yet they died. But here is the bread that comes down from heaven, which a man may eat and not die. I am the living bread that came down from heaven. If anyone eats of this bread, he will live forever. This bread is my flesh, which I will give for the life of the world."

John 6:35, 48-51

Priority #1 isn't more food programs or charities -- the world needs Jesus.

Eat and eat till you're replete

When I visited the French Culinary Institute a few weeks ago, they gave me a grand tour of the entire school, including their 5-star restaurant where their students cook up fantastic meals for the public. They invited me in for a meal for 2 (on them), and I happily obliged and promised them I would make a reservation soon. So this past Wednesday, Mallory (a huge foodie) and I had the privilege to dine and feast at L'ecole for free!

We went in expecting a good meal, but what we received was mind-boggling VIP treatment! There were so many moments when Mal and I just stared at each other in disbelief. We were placed in the corner window seat, treated with complimentary chilled Fiji water, and even though we had already chosen our 5 courses, they brought out additional dishes "on the house" for us to try!!! Oh, the joys of being "special guests of the school." ^_^

Their baguettes are considered the "best in the city," and Mal and I tried not to fill ourselves up with this amazing bread... Thankfully, they brought out a complimentary beef tartar for us to eat before our appetizers came out. Raw meat never tasted so good.

1st course: Appetizers
Gnocchi Parisienne with Fresh Peas, Grape Tomatoes and Parmesan Reggiano
Five-spice Marinated Duck Breast with Pickled Cherries and Goat Cheese (YUM to the max!!!!)

They also brought out an extra appetizer just for fun: Shrimp, Tomato and Basil Pizza (the shrimp were ginormous and super fresh!)

2nd course: Fish
Fillet of Bass with Creamed Corn, Fava Beans and Grilled Squid in a Spiced Lobster Broth
Sautéed Diver Sea Scallops with Oyster Mushrooms and Sweet Curried Carrot Sauce (the scallops were the biggest scallops I've ever seen in my life -- 2-3 inch diameter!)




3rd course: Meat
Beef Tenderloin with Pomme Fondant, Cremini Mushrooms and Red Wine Reduction
Leg of Lamb with Sweet and Sour Black Pepper Sauce, Potato Gratin and Baby Bok Choy



And..they brought out an extra vegetarian dish as well! Carrot ginger soup and a sandwich...




4th course: Digestive Salad
Arugula, Peach Sorbet, and Ricotta Cheese


5th course: Dessert + Coffee

All of the desserts looked pretty good, and I was indecisive about which one I wanted. I asked Mal, "Hm. If I say that I can't decide between two, do you think they'll just bring out both for me?" I gave it a go, and when the waitress heard my dilemma, she said "Why don't we just bring out both for you." O M G. We were both like O_O "SERIOUSLY?!" To make matters even crazier, she asked us if we wanted their "really good" coffee or cappuccino, "on the house, of course." We both ordered a latte, decaf. Yum.

Chocolate-Almond Cake with Lemon Cream
Fruit Soup with Vanilla-ginger Ice Cream (the ginger hits you afterwards!! =D )
Apple and Cherry Pie with Cherry Sorbet (Don't be fooled by the humble name. It's actually a "deconstructed pie". The apple was wrapped around this cream filling and you eat it together with their cherries and granola "streusel topping" -- BEST dish of the night)



All in all, we were both ridiculously satiated with food and we felt gluttonous for eating 14 dishes between the two of us. Hahaha... Thank you, French Culinary, for a wonderful meal and mind-blowingly awesome experience!