Irish luck

Aw, the Rockets lost to the Celtics tonight, breaking our 22-game winning streak (so the streak is flanked on both sides by the Celtics).

After work, Tiffany Lin picked me up.  I had planned to walk to the restaurant early (for tonight) and then take the bus home, but she was really concerned for me (waiting aimlessly at the restaurant, then taking the bus at night) so this was the plan that ensued.  She had just finished exercising so when we got to her apartment she took a shower.  She said that one time she messed up her lower limb from the stairs, and another time it was already messed up so she needed a friend to help her up the stairs all the time. 

Her room was interesting because she has no desk!  She said that she gave the bigger room to her roommate, and also because she doesn’t study at home so she doesn’t need a desk in her room.  On her bed was her baby blanket, the same exact one that I have at home!  She asked to make sure, but it also had a zipper on the edge (so he could be zipped into a mini sleeping back).  Yeup.  It’s the yellow one with the bears on it.  She has a photo album with random photographs and recipes.  She also has a recipe group from a school, where there were contributions from everyone.  I liked to peruse her book titles.  She has this gigantic Rice Univeristy graduation diploma framed on the wall.  She says it was ridiculously priced due to the material (sheepskin?) and size. 

When she came out, we chatted.  She asked if I wanted to watch TV, which I didn’t.  She says she rarely watches TV because she doesn’t want to get sucked into a series and she just isn’t home when a show is broadcasting.  She shared about her past, which I was interested since I don’t know anything about her (and was piqued when she was Grace..Ou’s bridesmaid and she sent a picture of snow from Maryland).  She got into Rice’s go-directly-into-med-school-without-the-MCAT program so she didn’t have to stress about that.  She was commenting how anyone could know what they want to do when they grow up, that she was simply fortunate enough to have guessed it right.  She says she misses the sports from the East Coast, like lacrosse. 

Then it was time to meet at Wilson’s.  We briefly chatted with Andrew, David, and Robert Hwang, whose car we four piled into (not Andrew or Wilson).  Alison showed up at Wilson’s just as we were carpooling to Van Loc.  Going around the table, it was Tiffany, Cynthia, Nathan Kim, Andrew, James Hsia, Wilson, Alison, David Zhao, and Robert.  Aw, Alison is by herself with the guys.  Later, Liang wedged in between Tiffany and me (they ordered for her).  Since I had ended up next to Robert, I finally got to see the “normal” side of him.  He was born in Houston but moved to Oklahoma when he was one year old.  He became a teacher and accepted a job as a high school orchestra teacher (through connections since there’s not many openings for that).  Well, his parents moved back to Houston since his younger brother’s here for medical school, which helped him meet BASIC.  He decided to move here as well since his family was here and he had experienced this community.  The only drawback was leaving where he grew up as well as his nice job.  He is currently an elementary school music teacher (he prefers his old job, that’s what he really likes).

We ate quickly and paid because they had to get to the Toyota Center to watch the game.  My fortune cookie said: “Your winsome smile will be your sure protection.”  It better be.  I waited in the restaurant’s oustide-but-covered/walled room (chairs were stacked up).  When my parents picked me up, I let Tiffany know I was safe.  I came home, read the comics, then tried to figure out next Wednesday’s schedule.