The Weekend before midterms

Jamie and I flew up to visit Liz in her lovely hometown of Walnut Creek. The three of us have been trying to meet for so long. Finally after 2 years, our lives sort of came together.

Norcal sucks. Lets be honest with ourselves. But I've grown a tolerance, actually a love for the Bay Area (Source of love: My annual dboat trips there and the awesome SF people I've met in college). And now my norcal appreciation extends to Walnut Creek, a suburb east of Berkeley with a great downtown. I also love the open space that runs throughout the city, lots of hiking trails and natural preserves.

Basically Liz's family, The Kings, used Liz's 21st birthday as a means to host a garden party and fundraise money for a local charity. Interesting huh. I met Liz's extended family, her best friends from home, and reunited with old faces. I'll be talking about this weekend for days I'm sure, so I won't blog too much about the details here. I took a few pictures with Liz's camera though.

The first batch of pictures is of us in the city's Downtown.
We had yummy breakfast crepes, did some good shopping, and sweated balls because it was so hot. But it was a beautiful day nonetheless. I bought a really good caramel macchiato at one point and thought I was in heaven.











































































































Liz's mom prepared 32 different horsdeurves. I took pictures of the food by Liz's request, not because I'm crazy. But I wanted to show you some of the stuff I ate. I asked for the recipes. I will attempt to recreate a few soon.
































It was formal but not really. I thought I was going to feel uncomfortable but I survived. Me and Jamie just had a good time relaxing, being away from the busy-ness of LA, and spending time with each other because we rarely do. Hopefully Lizzie returns to school in the fall.

So that was my weekend.
I also visited Andrew. Had some of his umma's frozen korean food. Thanks for the hospitality even though you chose the Spurs over taking me to the city.

Some things I learned from the weekend.

So.
1.
Just because someone is happy and cheerful all the time doesn't mean they've had an easy past. They're happy because they've chosen to be optimists. Optimism is a strategy more than a state of mind. If you believe the future will be good, you'll persist through tough times whether you're naturally cheerful of not. And I think it takes replacing emotion with motion.

2.
No matter how much you love the peace and quiet of your hometown, appreciate where you get stuck. Like LA. Liz has NORCAL pride to the max, but she also sees LA as a place of opportunity. I think I complain about LA a lot, but I mean, its what you make of it, the jobs, internships, resources, sports, institutions, everything .... theres more to to LA than complaining about people who are different from you and traffic you can't avoid.

3. One that is most obvious.
White people do not understand racist jokes.

4. On marriage.
Liz's mom told me that she was married for 10 years before having kids. She said "If you're going to build a happy home, experience happiness first." So basically I can apply that to everything, "Don't get ahead of yourself".

5. Lentils are good for you.



"Follow us for the funky behavior
Make a note on the rhythm we gave ya"

Atonement (2007)

Robbie Turner: Dearest Cecilia, the story can resume. The one I had been planning on that evening walk.

I can become again the man who once crossed the surrey park at dusk, in my best suit, swaggering on the promise of life.

The story can resume.

Making the most of the time I have

Why is everyone obsessing over Spring Quarter. Please do not hype it up. "Let it be".

My Spring Break was well spent. I worked. I spent time with my mom. I spent time with my dad. I spent time with my friends. I volunteered. I made new brothers/sisters at church. I slept before 11:30 every night. I woke up before 8am every morning.

It was full, and therefore a blessing.

First day of a new quarter at UCLA.
1. Lecture
2. Bought a new phone charger in Westwood because I missplaced mine at retreat. It cost me 35 bucks. In the words of Joohan Lee... "Fail."
3. Lunch.
4. My roommates and I, all four of us, got ROCKED at a Revival. We are starting the quarter off with a bang and some bustle. Plus a reality check. Ask me about it okay?
5. Gil Mok in Ktown for noodles + galbi.

"Its ONLY 7pm??"
"I love when time goes by slow when you want it to."
- Monique Kim

6. Then we went to 3rd Street Promenade for Coffee + Michaels. I needed to buy a scrapbook.
7. Drake Prayer
8. Small group

I managed to finish my day by 11:57pm.
Thats a series of 8 events and not a minute was lost to idleness.

Wake up each morning giving glory, and end each day in thanksgiving. Thats the motto I have created for myself. If I do not force this perspective into habit, I will surely drive myself nuts. I am a woman. Being a woman is a self-conscious battle sometimes. If you're not a woman, consider yourself lucky. Though, I cringe at the thought of being born a man. Sometimes being a complete mess is the only thing that makes me feel alive.

We all think we are entitled to things.
We always choose what we think we deserve.
To you, us, and I, I say, check yo self!


Aside.
http://stuffwhitepeoplelike.wordpress.com/
Everyone else in the world already knew of this site. For the 1 or 2 like me... CLICK that shiz.
My favorite: "Outdoor performance clothes"