it's been 4 years since i moved away from home and went to college. now i'm graduated and i'm seeing other folks packing up for their first year of college. i know i'm not old, but i suddenly feel like a geezer. shara [from my church] is leaving wednesday morning for providence, rhode island for art school, so we had a suprise going away party for her/birthday surprise party for her and her brother. i am feeling all wistful for that whole "going off to college" feeling and all the fun and excitement that came with it. now i'm all bummed that in a month, as everyone else heads back to classes, i won't be hanging out at the hub or on campus anymore. it's official...i'm sad to be out of college. they were right; enjoy college while you can. of course, nobody ever really believes that, and it is only when you're done with school that the realization of it's truth smacks you across the forehead. lame.

but here's a happy thought for me to cling to, i do not have to work tomorrow and therefore, will enjoy my first saturday off in eons! i will go to ikea and resist the temptation to spend money of things i don't need - it will be a test of my will power and discipline. [it won't count as a weakness if i purchase something i really do need] :D and then on sunday, i get to go to a wedding where i will see may [i attended her wedding last summer in LA and i've not seen her since]. so exciting!

i think that ever since i got a digital camera, that i've actually taken less pictures. it would seem like digital camera ownership would increase the amount of photos taken due to the sheer convenience, but for me, this is not so. eh. moving on...some photos from warm beach 2003 here.

and last week, ryan ko's 26th birthday was celebrated at his very own condo. these kids took to hanging out in the loft, aka dave's room.

if you're wondering who these people are, then folllow along (L to R): dave, jen, noah, noami, and abe. you may have not recognized abe because he's smiling... he doesn't usually smile that big.

and here's one of the birfday (as garrett chan would say) boy himself (in case you're wondering, he's pointing at the name of his gift, "thrustmaster" he seemed rather taken with this gift.


and from ray choi's "moving to portland for seminary" dinner at claimjumpers, the obligatory and inevitable group photo:


and last, what i like to call the pièce de résistance (for this, i'm sure both garrett and garett will kill me later):
. you'll have to ask them what they were about. my suspicion is that they were just goofing around and i was too quick for them. haha...too bad for them. this wll definitely end up in somebody's wedding slide show - it's way too funny not to.

enjoy!

i was at work today, like everyday (not to sound bleak), and a patient comes in and has his exam and he happens to be friends with the dr. he comes out and looks at me and we have the following piece of conversation:

him: "have i met you before?"
me: "umm...maybe" [given that he's asian and is familiar due to the asian christian circle]
him: "oh i know, i've seen you in the cohi video."
me: [inner monologue says "NOOOOOOOO!!!" - with anguish] i really say: "oh... yea... heh...heh..."

i think that mr. ahn and mr. chan owe me...big time. it's funny when people you know bring it up, and even people you don't know as well. but, when virtual strangers recognize you from the cohi video, then i think it's just weird and embarrassing. for real, if chong gets famous one day in hollywood or wherever in film, i'm calling in a phatty favor. :) same goes to garrett.

today, i was reminded of a time in high school. back then my school friends classified me as a "smart kid" in advanced classes and etc (but not as smart as the "ultra smarty-little social skills kids"). anywho, my church/youth group friends had no idea. one day, at lunch after church we were sitting around and our friend ken (who's like the epitome of business man who schmoozes with the best of them) asks me, "so what classes are you taking this year?" i think that at this time, he was already in college or something. anyway, i list my classes, which consisted of a bunch of AP/advanced classes, and he says, "huh...wow...i thought you were like wendy." now, wendy is my cousin who is also a smart girl and who happened to be sitting next to him. i think she smacked him. or maybe she was just like "what is that supposed to mean?" i can't remember and it matters not. the point is, i find that often times, i am perceived as...shall we say, "ditzy." and that's fine, as i'm sure i have speech and behavioral patterns to support such a conclusion. i have made my peace with it - i'm book smart...not always "common sense" smart/street smart.

the above was prompted by a friend's joking comment that i can come across as "ditzy." but i say, hey, whatever...that's cool. it's ok to be me. (the actual poster says, "it's ok to be you" and is located at a red robin's near you. find it if you need some affirmation.)

i'm back from being MIA. since i started working, i've not been online as much as when i was still in school. of course, if my work had broadband access rather than dial-up, it might be a different story.

in the little over two months that i have been away, nothing much has happened...nothing major anyway. i still do not have a "real job" and instead, i work a "survival job." but this is ok with me, but perhaps hard for my parents, seeing as how they've paid for 4 years of higher education. i suspect that they'd prefer to see a more significant return on their investment.

while i've been away, i joined 24 hour fitness and started exercising regularly. i have heard that people who work out and exercise regularly often feel more energetic and happy because of the endorphins being produced. i have not felt this endorphin-driven euphoria and thus, i feel cheated. i have been told that i need to give it a few more weeks. we shall see.