thanksgiving 2007

My thanksgiving break started leaving for San Jose 5am on Wednesday morning. Our prolific morning after our landing included Isaac purchasing a new phone "Voyager", visiting the new & expanded Whole Foods Market, and taking a nap. Then we headed out to Sf for a fun day riding bikes at the Golden Gate Park, dinner at Ruth Chris, and $20 1 hr massages next to my dad's lab.

Thanksgiving day included a rigorious 2 hr hike in the prospect mtns., cooking and eating our big feast, and gambling & losing money in the korean traditional game "Yout."

We came back to Loma Linda on Friday morning. My husband was gracious to continue my past traditions of obtaining a x-mas tree the day after Thanksgiving. We didn't have time to decorate it because we were invited to our 2nd Thanksgiving dinner at Chastain's home. We stuffed our faces with good food and headed for bed at 6pm because I had symptoms of the flu.

11-18-07 was Soojin & Darren's Wedding. Their wedding was one of the most glamorous weddings I have ever participated in. The beautiful couple got married at the beautiful 1st Congregation Church of Los Angeles and had their reception at the San Gabriel Hilton. Here are some pics of her & her dad and her & Darren.

san diego weekend

saturday: homeless feeding in san diego downtown, dinner at el torito =( and nintendo wi at the hotel: humphrey's half moon

sunday: breakfast at red sands inn, boating around san diego bay in the rain, lunch at pizza nova, dessert at extraordinary desserts

Homeless feeding was a lot of fun. Once we had our sacks of goodies packed, we had 5 cars driving around downtown, till we found blocks of people sleeping on the streets. As we handed out our sacks the people were so grateful especially for the bottled water. My heart was moved even though I didn't know their individual stories. I felt the cold air and the dirtiness around, but their cheerful hearts uplifted my night.

This year at humphrey's half moon inn, I was not upgraded to a suite that overlooks the bay like the picture. That was my room last year. This year I had something better: a husband. lol.

Extraordinary desserts is a heaven for those who have a sweet tooth. Entering its extraordinary glass door, you find all sorts of beautiful desserts decorated with elaborate cream and fresh flowers. The architecture in its simple, modern and eastern influence stands out. From the simple white square plates to the warehouse ceiling, everything is simple. Back to the desserts: they are most excellent desserts. I had the torte misu which was very good consistency of the cake and the right amount of rum. Really worth visiting if you are treating yourself to a special weekend. I am definitely going back even though I don't know enjoy sweets too much. * Also, they have good paninis!

therapy

after a long day of work, my feet swell up, my necks hurts, my wrists ache, my hands get shaky, and my mind is koo-koo. i am still in the transition of getting use to the real world: work. not that sitting on my butt all day is hard, but i tend to clench when i work which really messes my body up by the end of the day.
furthermore, i feel even worse on the days if there is any mental stress from my co-workers or patients. its not fun when a 11 year old starts to cry when i have only applied topical anthesetic with a q-tip. its not fun when someone complains how long they have waited to see me when i have been jumping around from chair to chair breaking the heels of my shoes.
the past couple of months, i collapsed right on my sofa and in front of the tv. however, somethings needed to change. i have been going to the drayson gym with my husband to walk/jog outside. it is so refreshing and energizing by the end of it that i feel like a different person. after the exercise, my life is relieved with all the negative energy that has clogged up inside. i can't believe how therpeutic exercise can be when i'm stressed. so if you are sitting and reading my blog, you should probably get up and at least take a walk around your house.

are you green?

Due to the increased public awareness encouraged by celebrities, there is a "green trend" going on. Al Gore's documentary on global warming has turned the heads of the average American. Even the rich and the glamorous are driving hybrids or electric cars. Also these cars are awarded to use the carpool lane and to save $ on gas. The lastest magazines are encouraging readers to conserve practical and simple ways at home, work and travel.

Environmentalism... Not the most comfortable word to chew on. We all define the word that makes it convenient to our lifestyle. Yesterday, Sabbath school introduced what this word means to Adventists. We love the outdoors: hiking, Adventist campgrounds, etc. Most of us don't litter and we try to recycle. Sometimes we have a beach cleaning for our sabbath activity. Is that all the stewardship we hold of this Earth? How many of us fight to conserve national parks and marshes from becoming targets of a track home community? Do you even really care if the some random bird is endangered? Is it wrong to not respect my front yard landscaping? What do you pick and choose to preserve?

Furthermore, this comment in Sabbath School impacted me:
"does the way we treat creation show how we feel about the Creator?" I know for me, preserving the environment sounds like a really good idea, but an idea I put in the back of my head where it can be ignored. I don't know exactly how I am suppose to be more involved as a "good Christian." At the end of the discussion, Isaac brought up a really good point that God created this Earth for man and woman. He gave us a gift of life to enjoy. He would be sad to see if we rejected the gift and did not use it. However, there is a difference from use and abuse. I am eager to see how this discussion will flourish next week and inspire me to treat Mother Earth.