Breakfast at Tiffany's

1. What did you do in 2008 that you'd never done before? Move to New York City for grad school 2. Did you keep your New Year's resolutions, and will you make more for next year? I don't make new years resolutions 3. Did anyone close to you give birth? I don't think so, or at least I can't remember 4. Did anyone close to you die? No 5. What countries did you visit? None :( 6. What would you like to have in 2009 that you lacked in 2008? A more humble and thankful heart 7. What date(s) from 2008 will remain etched upon your memory, and why? Meeting Marshawn Lynch on my birthday/Superbowl weekend, my acceptance letter from NYU in the spring, falling in love with The Office and The Boondocks over the summer, moving into Brooklyn in the fall, my first winter snow in the city 8. What was your biggest achievement of the year? Getting into grad school 9. What was your biggest failure? Not being strong enough 10. Did you suffer illness or injury? T

hello from new york! at the moment, i'm in fresh meadows, queens, but my aunt and uncle will be helping me move to brooklyn heights this weekend. all of my boxes arrived from tucson before i did! that made me extra happy, because i said a prayer the night before my flight, asking God to make this transition as smooth as possible. my luggage was a pound under the maximum weight, and both of my carry-ons went through the security check without problems- my nail filer, tweezer, and liquid foundation were all sitting in one or the other. as soon as the plane landed, i called my aunt; and as soon as i grabbed my luggage from the baggage claim, she called to say they've arrived. we got home around 8pm, and dinner was sitting on the table ready for me. before i slept, i was emotional with gratitude for this whole nyu/nyc blessing, and i feel so much love from friends and family, despite my parents being so far away. saying goodbye was really hard, although i tried my best not to s

I normally consider myself more American, but tonight I have never felt more proud to be Chinese. Go Olympics! Closest to world peace we ever gonna get :)

the LA times: friday i flew into LAX on the fourth of july to two beaming faces- debbie and tien- who drove me to santa monica beach for a lunch picnic. they prepared sandwiches, salads, dip, fruit, dessert, and even wine. it was so much fun! also, growing up in a landlocked state, i'm ecstatic whenever i see the ocean. there were a lot of people there, but we managed to find a little spot for our towels. the sky was pretty overcast when we first arrived, but by the time we finished our meal, the clouds moved aside, allowing the sun to tan tien beautifully while burning me and debbie. for the record, i look like a craisin. the water, though very dirty, felt really good. i didn't go swimming in it, but i did let it splash my legs a few times before heading home. later, tien took me and deb to the fire station to meet some of the firemen whom she is friends with, and dropped off the dessert she had made for those poor guys who didn't get a day off on our nation's birth

King Kong was on TNT over the weekend. I tuned in and loved it just as much as I did when I watched it in the theater. I wanted to write an essay afterward! The relationship between Anne and the ape was so touching, and I enjoyed that they were parallel characters-- she not belonging in his world, he not belonging in hers; both lose the people they cherish, and both protect the other from danger; at many points in the plot, they were bound physically and emotionally to each other.  When they're together, they have that companionship they seek.

the weirdest thing happened at work this afternoon . everyday near closing time, i would check the schedule for tomorrow, pull out the appropriate charts, and print visit statements for each patient before heading home. that way, when i come into work the next morning, everything is all set and ready to go. when the patient comes in, i double-click on his or her name on the schedule, and their appointment box turns from white to blue. it's very nice to see all blue boxes from a long day's work, because that means everyone who was suppose to show up has come in. this morning went by smoothly, but around 2pm, the back door of our office slammed open loudly with a fierce gust of wind, filling the whole building with a noticeably chilling breeze. "how very odd," i thought, because that back door is extremely heavy, a thick, metal door where i have to use my entire body weight to push open every day. oh well, i didn't think much of the incident. after inspecting the

yippie! i finished my puzzle today! took long enough... 1000 pieces and most of them look the same. every time i couldn't find a piece, i would freak out, thinking perhaps i had accidently vacuumed it or threw it away with the wrapper. whew, good thing i was careful. wow it's looks so pretty. mosaics are difficult, but they are indeed beautiful when completed. bewitch that broom, mickey, u sorcerer's apprentice, u.

this past month has been a long and frustrating waiting game for me. i've been patiently checking the mail every morning in hopes of receiving news from schools. after the interview at rutgers, the only letters i've been getting are the kind that come in small envelopes. the first one was bearable; however, after a while, each rejection was a blow to my confidence. i knew getting into grad school was going to be competitive, but i wasn't prepared for the continual disappointment. so you can imagine my state of ecstasy when i opened the mailbox this afternoon and stared at the large envelope laying inside. in that moment, the only disappointment i felt was that it was 2:30 in the morning in malaysia, and my parents couldn't share my joy. God truly makes all things beautiful in his time. his time. not mine. why is it such a hard lesson for me to learn? new york city, here i come!

once every four years, my favorite month is one day longer :)

i got my first rejection letter in the mail. i should have known it was going to be bad news, because it came in a small envelope. it also brought back memories of college admissions, and how much i wanted to live in southern california. it's funny though, i cannot imagine myself there anymore, while life in the bay area turned out to be the best thing that ever happened. i wonder if history might repeat itself. if my own plans had not gone awry, i wouldn't have become who i am today, or have met those whom i love so dearly now. that "dear ms. wang, unfortunately" letter had changed my entire life, and i'm so thankful that i received it. yet now i'm faced with the same situation, and although i know i may be at the cusp of another great adventure, i'm really scared to accept it. three things that scare me the most are 1) the unknown, 2) failure, and 3) spiders. this right here- waiting for admissions- includes both fear one and two. i'm just glad tha

thank you to everyone who celebrated my birthday with me, called, texted, or messaged online! i had a great time :)

my mom left for malaysia a couple days ago. the house is quiet without her. she left around 4pm, and at first, we were all going to go the airport together with my aunt and uncle to drop her off, but she could tell my brother and i weren't comfortable saying goodbye to her. she made up some random excuse for me and him to stay home, and so we hugged her goodbye at our front door instead. when they drove off, i closed the door and laid in her bed. though i feel very childish to post this, i'll admit that i cried a little bit. the year just started, yet i won't be able to see her again until the fall. that night, i checked my email and noticed that mom had sent me something while waiting for her flight in LA. she said it was really hard saying bye to us and didn't want us to see her sad. i miss her. tucson wasn't so bad when she was around, and now that she's gone, i'm really lonely. to take my mind off things, i started on my new puzzle, ran a few miles, ti