Mamma Mia!

That’s what I watched after eating lunch at home.  Carol wanted to watch the movie, so she invited the ladies from FBCC to join her.  I was “late” the the early time set to meet (1:15) but still joined Carol, Jamie, Charlene, and Jessie at AMC 24 First Colony before the previews started (at 1:30).  I didn’t know anything about the movie thus had no desire to watch it, but it really turned out to be quite fun.  It was a good girls night out, though Alex and Andrew Fong had wanted to watch it as well (Carol didn’t think the guys would want to since her husband Eric didn’t want to see it).  Additionally, apparently Jessie’s dad had seen the musical live in the past and had danced in the aisles to the ABBA music!  The music was definitely a hit with me, too, or maybe it was helped with Meryl Streep and the rest of the cast having the time of their lives.  They really seemed to have a blast making the movie. 

I thought I’d have some time to rest but I headed straight to FBCC to attend Carolyn Sun’s second “obligatory” reception, lol.  She and Jimmy Su married at EVFREE in Austin and had their reception there, but some of the ladies in the fellowship wanted to share in the joy and thus bugged and offered Mr. Sun that they’d do all the preparations for another reception held here in Houston.  Carolyn came down the aisle with her husband (after their honeymoon in Europe) in her wedding dress and sat in the front under a huge heart laced with fake pink flowers.  They played the video recording of the wedding, then they showed the slide show of both of them as they grew up, met, and hung out together.  Jimmy’s parents and grandparents came and sat on our left side, and the Carolyn’s parents sat on the right side.  Carolyn thanked her “church family” for helping her as she grew up, Jimmy’s dad was spontaneously asked to make a speech, then Mr. Sun gave a speech as well and asked Carolyn to bow to her Sunday school teachers, et al.  Afterwards we ate and Gloria Cheng’s dad took pictures as people went up to the couple to congratulate them. 

I ate first then when it seemed the crowds were no longer up at the front, I went up to wish the couple well, too.  I waited as Pastor Dick and his wife Carolyn chatted a bit with the couple.  I really was happy for Carolyn, knowing a hint of the deep struggles in her love life when she was younger.  I also shook Jimmy’s hand and said, “I’ve heard about you through Meson.”  Yeah, embarrassing.  No wonder Jimmy was like, “Meson?”  Good thing Christine and Stacy Chu saved me and asked to take pictures with the couple, so I took a picture for them.  Also, I forgot her name, but she said hello to me.  She’s a sophomore in college now, wow, studying chemical engineering.  She said that she would feel offended if she was studying what she loved, something else, and the other persons didn’t find the subject as “impressive.”  Haha, and I’m all trying to defend, saying that well, you don’t often hear many females going into chemical engineering.  I just needed to go back to my food….

Instead, Ben Miu’s mom was there, so I sat down and said hello for a bit.  She said she’s already been here for six weeks and next week she’s returning to Taiwan.  She was sitting next to her mother (Ben’s grandmother), who recently moved into an older-persons community (which Ben’s mom said she herself could even join since the age requirement is only like 55 or something like that).  Ben’s grandmother said it was okay, hehe.  Christine/Stacy/Jeremy’s parents came and said hello as well.  I finally sat back down between my mom on the right and my dad on the left and finished my food.  Sitting next to Mom was a lady who apparently used to room with Mom and Mom’s sister (my aunt) back before my aunt’s current house.  This was news to me, as I always thought of my aunt living in the house she lives in currently.  Then I went over and chatted a little with Christine.  She’s doing the paperwork at the Emergency Room, if I remember correctly.  She says her husband used to take blood, but then one person died on him and so he stopped doing that.  I acknowledged Jeremy Lau and his parents. 

As I left, Sam Kwan was coming in.  I didn’t say hi until the last minute as he passed me and he recognized me because my contact was frustrating me. I went to my car to retrieve some saline solution, but it was hot! temperature-wise.  Wow.  I put up with it until I got home, at which I took a two-hour nap (6:30 pm to 8 pm).  That of course wasn’t such a great idea.  I spent the next hours trying to feel better, and then around 11 pm I had the urge to revamp my room.  Well, my room’s the smallest in the house, but somehow whenever we have guests (i.e. my Dad’s sister, my aunt) they sleep in my room.  It has storage of my two aunts’ items, and my own (too much) things.  I moved two additional bookshelves into my room (for a grand total of three bookshelves), added the extra closet shelf (accordion-style when folded up), and now I am so much happier.  One tall shelf holds all my OT books and binders (which really helps my studying since previously I would move boxes down to retrieve a book, look for the information, then return it to the box and put the things atop the box again - much hassle).  A couple of the shelves on the two shorter bookshelves holds my personal books and binders, and the rest hold the other things so that I actually have floor space again.  I got rid of five boxes and have a much better idea of where items are.  The environment really helps with uncluttering of the soul.

Center stage

That’s what I watched after I got up this morning.  Jessie had mentioned the movie (”You had the heart but not the feet; I have the feet but not the heart”) during our discussion this past Wednesday regarding Lies Women Believe About Priorities.  Janet, Charlene, Jennifer Lin and Szutu, and Tina Huang were there as well.  It was in response to “How can we discern what responsibilities God is assigning us and what is merely on our own ‘to-do’ list?”  We can ask God where our heart is.  Also, what are your negotiables?  “What is it I must do or I shall die?”  How can we go to bed saying, “Today I finished the work God gave me to do?”  Ask Him in the morning before your day starts.  The past discussions weren’t that profitable for me since I never had read the chapter.  After a few comments (e.g. Hilary Clinton running to be the leader of the country), I finally brought up my concerns regarding the author’s writings and interpretations.  “In a way I can understand what she’s trying to say, if you give her the benefit of the doubt, but chapter after chapter I leave with a bad feeling that something isn’t right with what she’s saying, although I can’t pinpoint or explain why right now.  She doesn’t use much Scriptural backing, and a lot of what does come out safe from the book can be much better conveyed in other books, I’m sure.”  I’m like, is it just me, since no one had ever mentioned this from previous chapters that I would have brought up if I had been up-to-date.  Am I that far gone off the straight-and-narrow path?  What a relief to find that I wasn’t the only one.  Each started agreeing in their own way about which sections really bothered them, like scribbling ”What the heck?!” in the margins and how they are really polarized/blanket black/white generalizations.  Someone said that we just need to look at the overview and overlook the details and explanations.  I expressed perhaps needing to find another book.  Still, one said that it’s good that it makes us think about what we really believe and enforce the reasons that we stick with what we do.  However, I feel like we spend so much time trying to glean the wheat out of the chaff, we can barely even consider how to keep the wheat afterwards.

Anyway, afterwards I headed off to Hector’s Memorial Day celebration.  As the host, he provided fajitas and we watched Charlie and the Chocolate Factory with Johnny Depp on ABC Family (after the network presented a viewing of the original immediately before that).  BJ is so good natured, laughing at the ridiculousness of the movie.  I met Jerry, a UT friend’s of Hector’s, who grew up in Corpus Christi but now enjoys Houston (but of course Tokyo is his favorite - he used to travel quite a bit for his job before being settled here).  He ordered double of beef than chicken, and yet when I arrived there was only chicken left, that’s how popular beef is, haha.  Grace and Joe came later, and they took a picture of Steven on the floor making his stomach bulge to practically bigger than Jamie’s belly (she’s pregant)!  Some of them started playing Nertz since they didn’t want to watch the movie.

They headed to Tofu Village for dinner (as if that wasn’t enough food), but I met up with Vickie, Chris, and Linton at H Mart instead.  Inside, it has some Asian fast food establishments.  They ordered a pile of spicy and nonspicy fried chicken from Chicken & Joy (chicken en-joy hahaha).  They also randomly bought some milk/water concoction that reminds them of those mini Asian yogurts, and some “very light” Korean beer distributed from Los Angeles.  Linton asked me about Monday with Jonathan Eng, and then when I came back from the restroom, apparently they were asking Vickie if I had a romantic interest in him.  And the past year’s romantic…events.  These boys, psi, haha. 

When Jonathan met up with us after he ate dinner, we went to Memorial Mall to watch Indiana Jones and the Kingdom of the Crystal Skull.  Their treasure wasn’t gold, but knowledge.  Vickie loves these sort of movies, about adventure and mystery (like National Treasure).  I hadn’t seen Indiana for a very long time (I still remember that image after the bad guy drank the goblet and immediately turned into a skeleton and ash, and I was peeking over the sofa cushion I was holding over my eyes), but Linton pointed out that a broken box showed the Raiders ark, and the lady is the love interest from the first movie.  And everyone knows Mutt to be the guy from Transformers.  George Lucas and Steven Spielberg seemed give a different feel from the previous ones in the franchise.  It has some funny focuses on the groundhogs and baboons? as well as unlikely circumstances, such as surviving an atomic bomb.

Bible: James 1:12-18

Wow, we had a large crowd today!  Even Hector’s father and younger brother came.  I came in with Bea and Emily, who couldn’t believe it was me (hadn’t seen each other in awhile, especially with my new haircut).  We played an icebreaker from Jessie where we hold up our ten fingers.  We went around the circle, saying what we had never done (e.g. “I’ve never been to Taiwan”).  Then whoever HAS done it puts down one finger.  The goal is to be the last one with fingers still up.  It’s supposed to be a get-to-know-you game but of course by the end the goals shifts to survival, with them telling me (since the three of us came in late we were the last ones standing) to say “I’ve never peed standing up” in order to eliminate Hector’s brother.  Joe led the study today, about How to Win Over Temptation:

CONNECT:  What kind of goals motivate you to persevere?  To be established and stable before marriage, to get a degree, to be good at a skill and be accepted into a “club,” to pass.  It feels different to achieve it versus to have it handed to you.

GROW

• Trials from God are designed to cause growth.
  Temptations from the devil are designed to cause sin.
• Be realistic, responsible, ready, reFOCUSed, and reborn.
• Steps used to deceive us:  desire, deception, disobedience, then death.
• Resources:  fellowship and His Word.
• Some pitfalls we face are (1) denying our vulnerability to temptation and (2) failing to take responsibility for our own actions.  We blame others, downplaying sins as not a sin/gray area/unimportant/not serious, rationalize in the moment when our thoughts/focus is already out of whack/warped.  “Well, if I give in, then the temptation is gone!”  Some people even marry to circumvent the physical temptation but then they never learned to deal with it and the temptation is still there….
• I John 2:16 describes the process of temptation as the lust of the flesh (to do), the lust of the eyes (to have), and the pride of life (to be).  They’re all interrelated.  What are some everyday examples?  “reading the menu but not ordering”, window shopping, digital gadgets, laziness and sleep, gossip.
• What can we do against temptation?  Replace impure thoughts with Bible verses and what committing the sin could truly bring (the severity of the consequences).

SERVE:  According to Matthew 26:41 and Ephesians 6:10-18, what can you do to avoid falling into temptation?  Which of these admonitions do you think is most important for you to be mindful of as you serve God and others?  watch/alert and PRAY with the armor.  Bathroom break - to pray.  If we deny our vulnerability, how can we get help?  but even in marriage, if shared, then there are not just one but at least TWO who are praying to overcome! and where one or two gathers, God is in the midst of them.  So much Scripture that the only words out of our mouths are verses!  wow!

SHARE:  When has another believer’s way of life been a real encouragement to your faith?

Bible: James 1:1-6

Wednesday we had Ladies Group about Sin.  Meditate on Romans (e.g. 7, 8, 10, 12) and Galatians 2:20.  I wonder what it says about my heart that I’m more bugged by pet peeves than by sin?  People don’t have a sense of responsibility over themselves nowadays.  Why aren’t we made perfect immediately?  It’s interesting that someone commented that it appears that older people have a harder time accepting this than younger ones due to experiencing more of the fallenness.  We went around the room answering different questions, and mine was “What types of things do people do in an attempt to do penance for their sins?”  I was reminded what a friend shared with me: “If there’s no way I can make up for it between me and you, then at least I could turn it back on myself, through psychological or physical self-punishment.”  Thus there are those who punish themselves (Christians skipping Sunday services), others who try to make it up (Catholics starting to go to Sunday services by confessing to a Father), and those who will get something to symbolize/remind them not to do the sin again.  Thoughts?

I went to WaMu to set up an account with them (they’re so much better, with FREE online bill pay, etc.) so that I could start paying back my UTEP Perkins Loan.  For dinner I met up with Christina Tam at Japaneiro.  She told me how some of the teachers, since the principal decided to retire after about 9 years, serenaded him with “Wind Beneath My Wings” LOL.  Afterwards we took a walk around Sugar Land Town Center then headed off to Bible study.  By the end of the night, Branden, Jeffy, Howard Chiu, Jason Chow, Joe Chen, DeHorne, Janet Poon, Charlene Tanhehco, Elizabeth Wong (with her freshly cut hair), and Jamie Fong were there.  Jessie Tan and her boyfriend Alex brought shrimp chips and the Good Humor Ice Cream Variety Pack (drumsticks, ice cream sandwiches, and bars - interesting that it says “not a low fat food” but then the front says “50% less fat from regular ice cream”).  I ate the sundae cone and the sandwich, yum!  My cellphone fell out of my back pocket onto the sofa so Daniel Shen brought it back to my house.  Andrew Fong led the study, following Rick Warren’s guide on James:

How to Profit from your Problems

CONNECT:  Why are you here [at Bible study]?  To be encouraged, to be held accountable in weekly study of the Word, to better our “technique” in studying the Word, to grow - in community.

GROW

• “James, a servant of God and of the Lord Jesus Christ.”  James didn’t brag that he was the half-brother (son of Mary and Joseph) of Jesus but instead emphasized that he was a disciple same as everyone else.
• Problems: 
  (1) inevitable (it’s “when” not “if”), 
  (2) unpredictable (”face/fall into”, suddenly), and
  (3) variable (”many kinds”, in duration, in shades of colors), and (4) purposeful (”develops”, produces).
• Purposes: 
  (1) purifies my faith (”Women are like teabags. We don’t know our true strength until we are in hot water!” Eleanor Roosevelt),
  (2) fortifies my patience (endurance, staying power), and
  (3) sanctifies my character (mature, like Jesus) through the Word and through life circumstances.
• Handling: 
  (1) rejoice in (not “for”) the problems (not masochism, not divorce from reality, not martyr complex, I Thessalonians 5:16-18) because “we know“,
  (2) request/pray for wisdom to learn (otherwise God’s going to send us on another “desert lap”), and
  (3) relax (verse 6)
• Why does Jesus ask us to consider it pure joy when we face trials?  It’s inevitable, so you might as well make it a choice to be joyful in them rather than miserable in them.  Do not deny but seek joy in God, knowing He has a purpose/plan and is in control.  Trials is the first step in the process, pressing on towards maturity/completion/perfectism/prize.  Pure joy can’t be marred by circumstances.  I Peter 5:10-11 says we He will restore us and we will bring Him glory.
• In handling problems, which of the three is hardest for you?  Relaxing is hard because we are wired with a f(l)ight mechanism, our instinct is to do something about it.  Rejoicing is hard because circumstances are hard and it’s hard to see beyond that.  “It Is Well with My Soul“
• What does James tell us to do when we find ourselves in circumstances that don’t make sense?  If we don’t know what to do, we lack wisdom, so ask - for wisdom.  He will not punish us for asking.  We are not to be passive but to participate in His process.

SERVE

• Read II Corinthians 1:3-7.  How has difficulties in life prepared you in service to others?  Encourage another that s/he is not alone, not weird.  Maybe you’re going through something not for yourself only but also for another, someone who will be needing it even more.
• How has God comforted you?  And how has that been used to comfort another?  Even with a PVC, her surgery went well. 

SHARE with nonbelievers

• How can a life of problems open doors for evangelism?  They’re able to relate and know that Christians suffer problems the same as nonbelievers.  You can show them the other way of handling it, of using God’s wisdom.  The witness is in the approach, not “if” problems come. 
• In the five arenas (Family, Fun, Factory/Firm, Fellowship, and Friends), where can you start witnessing?

Project C.U.R.E.

“A humanitarian.”  Heh, that’s what Jon-Erik commented when I said that I was off to volunteer at the Beacon after just volunteering at Project C.U.R.E.  Jessie had planned for the FBCC Career Group to volunteer at Project C.U.R.E. (Commission on Urgent Relief and Equipment, not Project Cure or Project CURE) this morning.  It’s like Medical Bridges, but based in Colorado, not Houston.  I was supposed to drive over to Jamie’s house so that I could drive (since she had mentioned needing more drivers).  However, I overslept due to staying up too late last night.  Charlene called me, so I called her back and asked whether they still needed me to go down to Sierra Plantation.  They said just to meet them at the building.  We pulled up at the same time (wow, that’s how far south they are) LOL.  After that we ate at la Madeleine (I got a pork florentine with roasted potatoes and green beans at 1246 for $12.98).  Jessie got a large tomato-basil soup, Annie and Sam got a bowl of soup, and Joe got a cup of soup.  I say just get the large if you plan on getting the bowl because they seemed almost the same amount, just a little more. 

Project C.U.R.E. was really fascinating for me because I could be around all the medical supplies and not have to worry about killing someone by tripping over lines or something (like I felt on my acute physical dysfunction rotation at St. Luke’s).  While sorting  through all the bags of donations (or they would’ve been in the trash), I could identify some of the supplies (since Annie Dai works in business everything was new to hear but she’s one smart gal I’m sure she’ll learn it faster than me).  One of the ladies wearing glasses was from Hawaii, and she teared up just mentioning the injustice to women and how far her family’s come (she’s the first in her family to be able to go to college).  She told us to take advantage of what we’ve been given, like a job, etc.  “I sound like your mother, don’t I?” she remarked afterwards, smiling.  Another white lady was more laid-back, and she’d calmly let us know what went where.  I ended up sorting one bin because I didn’t realize that they had expiration dates on them (for the air bubbles in the liquid).

• Group picture:  http://prayriefayrie.files.wordpress.com/2008/05/04-19-08cure-24.jpg - wow, larger than it looked since we were all spread out
• Charity report:  http://charityreports.bbb.org/public/Report.aspx?CharityID=332&bureauID=9999 - doesn’t meet all requirements :-o

Then I planned on going directly to the Beacon but got lost and figured I might as well return to the southwest since I was headed in that direction anyway.  I took a few-minute nap outside Hannah’s house then Linton tapped on my car window and he drove Hannah and me to pick up Chris to go to the Beacon.  I think this is Chris’s first time.  I wanted to see his new apartment, but we just got to see the lobby (spring/lime green theme) and the public kitchen room (with free internet) instead. 

Brian Thao-Huane was in town, and he came with Craig.  Jesslyn came, too!  She helped Brian find some church clothes for one of the later ladies who came in to take a shower.  Brian Lee was there, as usual.  Linton and Chris were grabbed to clean and disinfect and water/mop the kitchen (hefty labor, dudes).  Hannah stood at the coffee condiments stand…not very exciting, but Jesslyn was cool and went over to talk with her.  This shift was different because it’s from 3 to 5 pm, after most of the people have gone.  Phoebe, BTH, and I helped with cleaning the tables, throwing away trash, using the broom, and putting up and setting out the chairs and tables.  Phoebe of course went and talked with one of the unkempt ladies sitting near a pillar–you’ll have to ask Phoebe about the lady’s life.  One of the guys asked me to take a picture of him, such a ham!  He was very courteous, drinking his coffee and reading the newspaper, guarding his belongings.  He used the phone (I think he uses the Beacon as his, contact information, you know).  He said he had just set up an email account with the Beacon a week or two ago but forgot the address so I couldn’t email the picture to him.  I find most of the people I meet who come to these shelters, I guess they have to keep joking and smiling otherwise their soul will be cut down and won’t be able to continue.  One table was surrounded with them playing dominoes.  It’s interesting how this population just loves dominoes. 

Afterwards we ate at…after some internet searching:  Distrit 7 Grill (what’s most prominent is the sign that reads “Zesty food.  Zesty life”).  I got a Turkey Meatloaf Lasagna for $8, lol, because of it’s name.  Not bad.   It was Hannah, Phoebe, Linton, BTH, and Craig.  Boy, I’m way too tired to go to Jeff’s birthday party.

Lifting the veil

Jessie Tan was planning to watch Lifting the Veil/Afghanistan Unveiled tonight at 1900 at the MFAH for $7.  She invited our FBCC Career Ladies Group.  I off-handedly invited a few friends of mine, who responded positively unanimously.  Thus this past Wednesday after work I walked from Ben Taub to the Museum of Fine Arts/Houston and purchased five student tickets (totaling $30).  Good thing, because it turned out to be sold out (people had to sit in the stairstep aisles!).  After work today I walked to McDonald’s in BTGH’s main building’s basement, used up Rick’s gift card for $5 for “Employee of the Month” (of March in the OT Department) and a few extra cents (chicken nuggets, a parfait, and orange juice) and ate dinner in Hermann Park. 

At the museum, I saved two seats on either side of me near the center, sprawling my belongings.  I tried to read, but I was getting antsy because seats were filling up quickly (crowd outside trying to get in although the viewing was sold out) and I couldn’t call out due to no reception.  I really hoped they wouldn’t be late.  People were asking if the seats were taken, saying ”This shouldn’t be allowed” in a frustrated/disdaining tone.  Even the row behind me, which was originally reserved, were filled up when they removed the reserved sign.  I noticed that Phoebe had called me but I still wasn’t able to use my phone (turns out she called right outside the theater, waiting for me - how they didn’t see me with four empty seats around me is beyond any of us). 

Finally, I saw Linton so I waved/called out.  What I was understanding was for me to join them (there was an extra seat), but in my mind I was wondering why they didn’t want to join me because I had the better seats (they were on the lower right side).  I wanted to go down there and ask personally, but I didn’t want to leave my things behind.  I was wondering why they didn’t send one person up to talk with me.  At last, Elliot took the initiative and came up and explained the situation (they had bumped into Bobby and his companion LaShic Patterson).  Well, since I had saved the seats for so long and braved so many scowls, I declared that I was staying put but that they could stay where they were.  An older white lady with bad makeup asked, again, if the seats were taken.  I was in the process of gathering my backpack and lunchbox to move over, about to say not anymore, but Elliot affirmed that the seats were taken.  So they did end up taking the seats to watch the film.

Afterwards there was a Q&A period with the journalist in person!  Anyone could tell Sharmeen Obaid-Chinoy was very knowledgeable and passionate about not only the film but everything surrounding the backdrop.  She shared the story of how money donated wasn’t used efficiently (they bought chickens and had them transported from so far away that they were dead on arrival), and was very detailed and forthright in her answers.  She is from Pakistan but Afghanistan has captured her heart.  She’s married, but we never hear anything about him or her children.

More information:

• Directed by Hugh Thomson, 2006 , Color, 50 Minutes.  Cosponsored by the World Affairs Council of Houston. Special thanks to Kirsten Davis.
• http://sharmeenobaidfilms.com/afganistanunveiled.html
• In 2001, Beneath the Veil revealed the plight of women living under the Taliban in Afghanistan, uncovering evidence of women being denied employment, education, and freedom. In this follow-up, journalist Sharmeen Obaid-Chinoy returns to Afghanistan to find out how life has changed. Her journey starts in the bustling city of Kabul; then takes her to Herat, on the Iranian border, where the suicide rate for women is shockingly high; and on to the remote rural areas in the north where Afghan life is at its most basic.
• http://www.marigoldfund.org 

Afterwards we went to A&W for some food.  Hannah, Phoebe, and I were in one car, Linton and Elliot were in another, and then Bobby and LaShic were in the third one.  They were closing up the “here” but we could still order “to go” so we used their restroom then ordered through the drive through.  Us girls climbed into Linton’s car; Bobby rolled down his window.  We all discussed the movie.  No one admitted to crying.  I couldn’t get over how the girls were in first grade (well, that’s me counting the age) and sold by their parents to pay for their entertainment debts.  One husband murdered his wife because she was so outspoken and was more known than he was.  It was interesting that Obaid-Chinoy is a Muslim and she was outraged by how the Taliban was warping the Koran (or Qur’an or however you spell it).  I wonder how these males grow up viewing females, especially their family (mother, sister, daughters).  Bobby, all dressed up, drove LaShic back.  Then Linton dropped me off at my car at the Westwood Park and Ride before dropping Elliot off and heading home.  Yeah…don’t expect any thoughtful epiphanies and revelations from my blog.  I just write this to remind myself of my life.

BTPC: Week 9

Monday, March 31, 2008.  Rick’s gone for Dr. Barber’s bachelor party.  He was really hoping Sammy would come, but predicted correctly that he’d back out.  So the three other people know each other for a long time, and Rick only knows Dr. Barber.  Elderine is sick, and definitely Janet is as well.  I had two new patients, but Sally informed us that one of them had a shoelace around her neck and the 1:1 didn’t seem too concerned.  We had an Asian Indian guy, which is unusual.  This guy finally left; he looked happy.  After lunch, Elderine supervised as I admininstered a safety evaluation to a Spanish speaker (with the help of a translator).  The rest of the day was paperwork: picking up five printed brochures (thanks, Christi!), write-ups.  I left at 5 pm and called Phoebe (Linton, Hannah, and her played scrabble Saturday night).  Then I worked on my activity analysis until 11:30 pm.

Tuesday, April 1, 2008.  It was an…exciting self-care group this morning.  One of our longer-term patients was very cute, complimenting Elderine on her apparent weight loss.  She also apologized for putting her hand in the vaseline (we usually dispense into a cup using a craft/popsicle stick since it’s public usage).  She sort of emulated a new patient who was manic and I called for help.  She didn’t hit me, but she charged into the room, actually nonintentionally flinging the pen hanging from my neck across the room.  Victor had to take her out.  He later said that if Rick was there, he’d just let her be (since I didn’t want her there since she wasn’t evaluated yet).  Elderine explained the implications it would’ve had if someone did indeed get hurt, and she wasn’t evaluated.  I realize that each therapist has a different approach and judgment regarding safety awareness and responses.  I’ll go by the rules.  I played Rummy with a patient until task group started, which she attended.  I met with a patient for reality orientation, and he actually filled out the two worksheets.  I was more impressed by what he knew (I thought he really didn’t know anything); he knew about Obama and Hilary Clinton.  I picked up seven brochures from downstairs (thanks, Jessica!).  I finally called the translator to help me evaluate a Spanish-speaking-but-can-understand/listen-English patient.  And I might as well do a quick re-evaluation with another Spanish-speaking patient (she’s lonely because no one really speaks Spanish :’( boo).  I had a talk with the psych tech Michael Castro while waiting for a patient to come out of the shower.  Get Fuzzy had a funny combo going:  Simon and Garfield :-D

Wednesday, April 2, 2008.  Rick is back, with lots to do.  He demonstrated administering the KELS (which I read three Mondays ago) with one of our patients.  After lunch I did two evaluations I had deferred from before.  We had a family meeting from 2:30 to 3:30 pm.  The new patient was still quite manic and was intrusive with the family so I played Pitty Pat with her (she sort of taught me - didn’t seem all that fun to me).  Someone had a foul odor from her mouth so I asked her to brush her teeth, which she did well.  I wonder why she has halitosis, then.  At night, FBCC had our Ladies Group.  Our view of God (unconditional love) will direct our lives (each have different boundaries, gifts, and powers).  How we live reflects more of what we really believe than what we say we believe (we deceive ourselves).  Interesting conversations ensued afterwards:  wanting to pop breasts (like Fergie jiggled hers), eating Cocoa-Dusted Almonds by Harrods when Jessie’s coworker went to London, checking out tickets from StubHub (recommended by Carolyn Lee).

Thursday, April 3, 2008.  During rounds, I stayed a bit to hear Dr. Barber ask the medical students some questions.  Did you know?  Those diagnosed with schizophrenia die two decades before the general population secondary to suicide and other self-harm (e.g. neglect of self-care).  We had ice cream floats and cake at 11 this morning for Doctors’ Appreciation Day.  Afterwards we had a family meeting with a mother and sister, and I felt really bad for them because you can tell they care deeply for the patient but that they were frazzled and didn’t know what else to do.  We don’t quite know either, but we did know that this is not yet his baseline.  All I could give them was a NAMI Family-to-Family information, to maybe help with their emotions with dealing with all this relapse, and maybe get some financial assistance.  After lunch I performed a KELS with supervision from Rick.  After work I went to Hobby Lobby to buy some supplies for doing my activity analysis.  I also went next door to Sports Authority to buy a beach ball (to test if using a dry-erase marker will wipe off).  

Friday, April 4, 2008.  I reported on the KELS in rounds as instructed by Rick (since we OT usually don’t participate in rounds on Fridays) then left.  At first I thought Team B had 4 new evaluations, but that would total 11, so just 3.  After lunch, I found out that actually the third one was Team C since the doctor written down was Dr. Coverdale.  Thus instead I performed the KELS on one of the patients.  His records came over from HCPC and I wanted to go through it but really I didn’t have the time; Sonja said it might help me with writing up the KELS, though.  Since I had so many evaluations, Rick was nice and did bingo in the afternoon so I would have more time to write up my paperwork.  I left at 4:45.  Inch called as I was on the bus home.  He asked me if I was available Saturday.  He said that Sarah’s leaning towards staying in Houston, for multiple reasons: her family is in Houston, changing her major from Biblical counseling to Christian Education with a Counseling Certificate to cover/learn more, etc.  I wonder what my hand/finger size is.  I read Siwei’s new blog, and went to this website:  yujawang.com.  She’s a pretty, girly, talented, young pianist :-)

This is it

Saturday, March 29, 2008.  Sally works today.  I dropped dad off at Home Depot then picked up Phoebe and Becka at the Lins’s house.  Hannah had Houston READ (website’s not really working lately) training that morning so she came by herself around noon.  Our Beacon shift is from 11 am to 2 pm.  Other people who came today were Linton, Brian Lee, Chi-Chi, Greg from Access, and six Rice students that Peter Ou invited.  Hannah helped with the laundry, and as expected (this is her first time) she was very impressed with the efficiency.  (They didn’t pass out clothes today, like I did last time, which was my first time.)  Becka and I volunteered to help with the salad, not knowing (or at least not me, but probably her as well since this is her first time) we’d have the hardest lunch lady jobs.  It’s the hardest because while the entrees just need to be scooped (which I’m guessing can be difficult as well since you need strength to scoop), we had to assemble ours on the spot (and you know how they can be picky).  It was basically nonstop for the full three hours.  Becka handled the fruit salad but helped me out when there was a stream of garden salad requests (lettuce, tomato, cucumber, and dressing).  I abandoned the utensils and just used my latex-gloved hand to put the lettuce in the bowl, but later on one of the staff whispered in my ear that I had to use the tongs, so I returned to that method.  I didn’t ask about this method, but sometimes I would just use the bowl and scoop the lettuce that way.  Turns out Thousand Island is the most popular, with a close second from Ranch (one guy asked me to pour it on literally everything on his tray), with Italian dressing being the third pick (and it’s also probably the healthiest, because it’s the clearest).  We were sometimes good-naturedly hit on, and one woman commented on my “Cindy Crawford beauty” mole. 

For lunch we went to This Is It.  It was cleaner than the last place we visited (The Breakfast Klub).  They also had two fish tanks: the one close to the restroom is saltwater while the one with the turtles is freshwater (reminds me of Andrew Eng and I don’t know which environment is harder to maintain, I think he had said saltwater because of the salt concentration?).  Phoebe and I shared a combo, and good thing.  Becka and Hannah shared a combo, too.  Peter and Linton of course got their own plates.  Haha, Linton likes this place (probably due to quantity).  I do think The Breakfast Klub is slightly overpriced due to the hype they build up (I felt they were a bit arrogant, if we had contested).  During the meal, Phoebe shared that she had talked with the staff.  Though it’s only been a year since the Beacon opened, there was a lot of planning behind it.  The main guy at first worked with the church staff as a consultant since he used to work at CiCi’s (thus knows how to stretch a dollar), and as a hotel manager (thus the laundry system).  When it was concluded, the church staff asked this church member to join their committee (paid of course), so he agreed.  Amazing how God works; reminds me of “you have come to [this] position for such a time as this” (Esther 4:14 - hey I’m not a Bible scholar in the least, so I may have totally taken that out of context). 

How would you rate the job you have right now?  Linton says he’d rate it a 4-6 on a 10 scale.  Someone mentioned that the better scale would be a 7 scale because 10 is too many and there’s not a significant difference between the hash marks.  Haha, so he calculated what his 10-scale answer would be on the 7 scale.  Hannah asked me how I would rate occupational therapy.  I couldn’t really give her a real answer (or maybe I gave a better answer?) and she was understanding.  I think all settings of occupational therapy are amazing, especially working with children (I feel if you get that job you would have the most variety of exposure, especially working at Ben Taub), whereas in physical dysfunction you’ll probably have more depth than breadth (e.g. my CI at St. Luke’s really liked neuro, and Shanae ended up getting a job at TIRR in I think Brain Injury).  With my personality, I probably have to go with depth because breadth would probably overwhelm me.  I think what would work for me is to get my handle on something, and then as I learn more and more about it, and research more on my own when I’ve leveled out, I can get better at my little part of the world.  I never really had much of a “vision” either.  That’s just my thinking right now.  But there’s nothing that pops out for me, so vareity and breadth is also attractive….

Everyone left afterwards.  I went to R.E.I. around 4 pm because I saw it from the road (off Westheimer) and figured I’d check it out.  Jessie Tan had mentioned she got a sweet deal on a sleeping bag (that’s awesomely soft, insulated, and easy to pack into a small bag), but the sale was over when I went over and checked.  Michael’s was nearby so I went inside and browsed (bad idea - my time killer).  I finally bought from the clearance rack, about $10 worth of dollar and half-dollar items:  glow sticks, candle tins, big bubble-blower, rolls of yarn, photo mat so I can trace, two decks of magic cards (for Wilson, haha), and brushes for my activity analysis.  I finally arrived home at 6:30, read the comics, ate dinner, played the piano, then went to bed at 8:30.  They went on a night on the town for Kenneth See’s going-away party (since he’s going to California), but that’s not my thing.

Sunday, March 30, 2008.  I left the house pretty early this Sunday, around noon.  I was trying to find free wi-fi hotspot havens (houston.about.com/od/diningoutgoingout/f/wifi.htm) but all the ones I checked out turned out to be nonexistent (Doochie E-Cafe, Cakeland Cafe on Wilcrest, and of course I can’t be in the Holiday Inn parking lot using their internet, which seemed secure anyway).  I gave up and decided to drive to football but keep my eye out for any signs.  United Sisters Restaurant caught my eye, but when I opened the door there were a lot of African-American men watching a game on the television, and I didn’t want to feel like I’m getting on their territory or suspicious (plus my bravery sort of left me) and no one noticed I was at the door so I changed my mind.  I was really hungry so I walked to the Subway on Bellaire instead (it’s not part of the strip, but in the middle of the parking lot).  It’s a one-man show (only one guy is there serving and taking the money).  They didn’t have Seafood Sensation, or Tuna (which is alright with me, since they probably have the most calories), or ____.  I asked him what they DID have, and then he started saying that the previous shift before him didn’t prepare anything for him, so in the morning he was only able to cut the cheese, etc.  He seemed pretty frustrated, I wasn’t picky this afternoon so I wasn’t miff, but the lady behind me was a bit surprised that it was THAT narrow of a selection (she wasn’t demanding or anything).  I think she frequents here more than I do (well, this is my first time haha).  I finally asked for Meatball, which they finally had.  I then worked on school stuff from 2:30-5:30 pm at the Schlotzsky’s next to Randall’s a few minutes away from Willow Park.  I know, I kind of stumbled upon it, so I would’ve bought something to eat there plus use their facility (and their wi-fi, which is for customers only).  I watched them play football from 6 until they left at 7:30.  Tiffany said they were eating someplace close to where she lives, which is far from here, so I said I’ll go home to eat instead.  I went home and did so, talking with Vickie on the phone for an hour about Guatemala.  I washed my clothes, showered, chatted online with Nathan Wang and Jonathan, then went to bed at 11 pm.