Stories from the Malaysian Treehouse

Insanity

2007-04-05T14:22:00.000-05:00

No, I'm not going crazy, but I think I'm almost there. As many of you know already, I haven't been working since Josue left the insurance business. I've been patiently (or attempting to be patient) waiting on my papers from INS to come. Josue and I interviewed with an INS officer back in the middle of January, and the timeframe that we were told is 90 days from the day of interview to when I'd hear back again with good news. We're approaching the 90-day mark and still have yet to hear anything. I have no doubt that I will get it because our papers were well put-together and there hasn't been a rejection letter yet (INS officer said that if there was such a thing, it'd been in the mail a month and a half ago). But my anxiety is gradually kicking in and I'm already seeing the effects of it in my daily attitude. Poor Josue...I think he's really starting to think twice why he married me in the first place! :)

But as you read this now, say a quick prayer for me and for us. I've waiting SO LONG for the day to come when I can once again have a 'status' to my being here in the States. Dealing with immigration is not on my top 10 list of favourite things to do because I've dealt with them all of my life--both here in the States and back in Malaysia--and it's never been fun. And on top of that, I'm just a naturally anxious person and tend to worry A LOT. I've gotten better in many ways, but this INS thing is really starting to bring the worse out of me. Aish...just end me of my misery right now!!! Hopefully by my next post (and who knows when that is) I should have good news for you. Stay tuned! :)

Pictures from the Weekend

2007-03-12T10:30:00.000-06:00

With my man!!!

Cool and handsome men of TND

The Women of TND looking so pretty!

The couple from TND who hooked up
and got married!

Great group picture taken after sending
off the newly weds.

Wouldn't be complete if we didn't
take a silly picture...

The Weekend

2007-03-09T15:25:00.000-06:00

Just so I don't go missing for a long time again, I'm blogging down my upcoming weekend for all to know. :) Josue and I are really excited, because our cool friends Kevin and Kim are getting married tomorrow! They first met at one of our Tuesday Night Dinners, and the rest is history. So we've literally seen their entire love story unfold before our eyes from the beginning. We are even more honored to be in their wedding. Josue and the guys will be ushers, while the TND girls and I are going to be hostesses (actually one of them is a bridemaid).

We'll be partying the weekend away starting with the rehearsal and rehearsal dinner tonight. The guys are trying to put together a last-minute late-night bachelor's party for Kevin afterwards while the girls will go home to crash because we'll be having an early morning the next day. Tomorrow morning we have a breakfast dealy for all the bridemaids, hostesses, close family and friends together with the bride-to-be, of course. After which we'd all start getting ready because we have to be at church up in McKinney by 1 pm for pictures and such. Wedding starts at 3 pm and with the reception and cleaning up afterwards, we probably won't be done till later in the evening. Then Josue and I are hosting one of the bridesmaid for the night and we'll be taking her to the airport for her to fly home on Sunday morning. Whew! I'm getting tired just blogging all this up...

Hopefully I'll have some cool pictures from the weekend to show. It's going to be fun and exciting, I'm sure. Oh, and don't forget, for those of us living here in the US, to push your clocks forward by one hour late Saturday night! Too bad we'll all be losing one hour's worth of precious sleep, especially those of us who at that point had been partying all weekend long...

Until my next post, have a great weekend! :)

Resurrection

2007-03-03T15:42:00.000-06:00

Okay, I'm guilty as charged---for not updating my blog in months. Everybody has been sweet to not bug me about this for awhile, but while talking over the phone with my mom last night, she finally pulled the ultimatum on me. Apparently she's been one of the faithful few who checks in to see if I'm posted anything new. So if anything, I'm doing this for her. Sorry Mom! I'm going to try and be more consistent again. :) Let's see, how am I going to do this without having to write an entire novel about all that has been going on....To spare you the headache of reading too much, I'll just do this as a list:

*The hubby recently switched jobs; no more insurance--felt like it was time for a change. He currently works with a company in Irving that specifically recruits medical professionals and his division recruits traveling nurses. Seems to be loving it and he works with some of the coolest people (I've met most of them already).

*I'm about to get my green card from immigration! The formalities have all been taken care of, now I just need to wait, and wait, and wait some more....

*While waiting, I've done nothing but sit at home, babysitting occasionally and working with some sweet ladies from church and their cathering business (yes, a sweet deal since this is what I'd like to do in the future!). I'm kept somewhat busy and the bonus is that I have some extra 'pocket money'.

*This one I'm particularly proud of: I've lost weight! Well, I don't think I've lost a lot if you judge by the scale, it's more of the fact that I've gained more muscle mass and my body is toning up quite a bit. I've also dropped about 2 pant-sizes, yea!! I had been struggling with this for awhile, but the big turnaround occurred after my parents' visit last September and I decided that I needed to do something. How have I done this? Mainly I swim laps (about a mile each time) 3 to 4 times a week at the athletic club nearby, and oh, dance crazily at home. Yup, dancing. I'd turn up music from my I-Tunes and just dance away in the comfort of my own home. Obviously, I'm not a good dancer and that's why I'm doing this secretly in my house while Josue's gone at work. But it definitely brings out a good sweat everytime!

So there you have it, the highlights. Nothing too fancy, but definitely some life-changing ones! We are happy and feel truly blessed. Hope all is well with you. I have been keeping up with some of your blogs, so thanks for your updates and also for not giving me a hard time over the lack of mine. :)

This & That

2006-12-05T10:17:00.000-06:00

Here's my posting of some of our latest news with pictures. Enjoy!

Our tree! We behaved this year--putting it up a few days AFTER Thanksgiving.

(Remember last year?! Haha...)

A cute picture of Josue and his new 'girlfriends'. Our church's young adult
class did a huge babysitting/parents' night out gig last
Friday night. It was SO much fun.

Over the weekend I hung out with my aunt and her husband.
They came from Malaysia; my uncle is here for pilot training
at DFW. She is my mom's sister and she is the only one (from
my side of Malaysian relatives) who's met Josue personally and LOVES him. :)

Last night we hosted our young adults' Christmas party at our home.
It was a blast! The picture I'm holding was the 'white elephant' gift
that I fought for--a picture of my hubby's face courtesy of the Nielands'. :)

San Francisco--Part I

2006-11-26T21:02:00.000-06:00

These pictures serve as proves of my whirlwind trip to San Francisco and the surrounding bay area last week. Elizabeth and I rented a car when we arrived early Monday morning, and off we went! Felt like I had driven the entire state of California in a span of 2 days...nah, it wasn't that bad. In fact it was an extremely fun roadtrip; getting lost many a times while trying to figure out the Californian roadways and the system, discovering new places and towns, and enjoying the beautiful sceneries along the way. What a great experience!

The USS Pampalito at the Fisherman's Wharf

Freshly boiled craps sold by the street. Fresh and readily-available seafood everywhere!

Ghirardelli Square. Here's a hint: something SWEET!

The last time I had a drink from The Coffee Bean was in Malaysia. I was definitely excited about finding this shop and just had to make a stop.

San Francisco--Part II

2006-11-26T20:47:00.000-06:00

Houses on the hills in Sausalito

Bayside in Sausalito. It was a foggy day all over the bay area.

Medical school where Elizabeth interviewed at. The movie "Patch Adams" was filmed here.

Grapes that will be harvested later to make Chardonnay.

At Domain Chandon Winery in Napa.

Domain Chandon

Driving down the hill approaching the Golden Gate Bridge.

Across the bay overlooking the San Francisco skyline.

I'm driving across the Golden Gate for the 1st time in my life!!

San Francisco--Part III

2006-11-26T20:27:00.000-06:00

Driving across the bridge; you can faintly see the skyline

in the background.

Alcatraz Island

At the Marina with the Golden Gate behind us

Unique houses along the Marina

Part of Chinatown

Another part of Chinatown

Bank of America--in Chinese!

Another part of Chinatown

Leaving Chinatown--Liz did lots of shopping, ha!

Happy Thanksgiving!

2006-11-24T10:09:00.000-06:00

As you can see, Elizabeth cooked up a storm to feed 4 of us last night. Obviously I have no post-dinner pictures to show how bloated and full we all were! :) It's been very nice being away from Dallas for awhile and relaxing with the tiny side of my family, and feeling extremely thankful to God for this past year; for all the great (and even bad) things that we have experienced. Can't ask for anything more!

Happy Thanksgiving everyone, and Christmas--here we come!

A Quick Note

2006-11-22T21:32:00.000-06:00

Sorry for the long absence. Just returned from a whirlwind trip with my sis-in-law in San Francisco, which I'll blog more later and probably post more pictures. In the meantime, I'm tired since I flew in overnight and hardly got any sleep. Laters!

Woo Hoo!!!!

2006-11-05T20:46:00.000-06:00

Hey hey!!! The counter on my blog shows that this page has FINALLY hit and pass the 10,000 mark. Thank you to ALL readers who have helped make this memorable occasion possible. :)

*I hope to post something more meaningful later, I promise.

I Haven't Forgotten

2006-10-31T14:38:00.000-06:00

Happy Halloween everyone! It'll be a quiet one for us. No parties, no church events, just us. This is the first Halloween for us here at the house, so we're wondering if any kids from our neighborhood will show up at our doorstep for some trick-or-treating. It'll be exciting to find out for sure, and I've gotten some bags of goodies ready in case anyone comes knocking on our front door! :)

What are YOU doing tonight? Do share. Like to know who all has what costume this year.

In A Nutshell...

2006-10-29T18:16:00.000-06:00

Today is the first day in a long time that we've had a breather. It's truly been a Sabbath Day for us! And church was equally amazing this morning.

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I'm loving the fact that we have so much space to host and entertain in our new home. We've had numerous church and social gatherings here already. First guests in our home were Josue's brother Ernesto and his girlfriend over Fall Break weekend, and then a day after Jeremy flew in. This weekend we're looking forward to having Josue's mom over to celebrate her birthday here in the Big-D. Can't believe it's been more than a month that we've moved into our house!

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Our church's softball team made it to the city league's play-offs yesterday. Played against 2 very good teams but unfortunately didn't pull through enough. Otherwise had a fabulous time and we're quite contented with our overall 2nd place standing. Definitely looking forward to the upcoming season and perhaps will finally get to be champions!

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So we all pushed back our clocks by one hour today. Looking out the window now and it's completely dark outside--and it's only 6:15 pm. How depressing! :(

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And one of my latest addictions? Hello to Facebook and sayonara to MySpace (well, not completely but I hardly go there anymore)! So if you have a Facebook account, come find me and add me to your list.

Finally--More Pics of the House!

2006-10-24T21:07:00.000-05:00

Front view of our house

Backyard--finally got cleaned up over the weekend! And that's a badminton net.

Guestroom--messy now since Jeremy's staying in it

Our master bedroom

A view of the livingroom area

Another view of the livingroom

The boys just relaxing...

It's terribly messy in the office, sorry

Like that pirate ship on the wall with all those stuff toys in it?!

My packed kitchen

The dining area in the kitchen

There are still many details needed to cover around the house, like an area rug for the living room, curtains for all the windows, deco on walls etc. But for the most part, things are coming together and it's beginning to look more like home for us. As you can see, there is plenty of space and room around the house for entertaining and guests, so feel free to come visit us whenever--whether it just be for a meal, or even for a stay-over, you are always welcome! (Of course, first give us ample time notice) :)

The Joys of Softball

2006-10-13T10:35:00.000-05:00

We've been playing with our church's softball team in a local league (mixture of other churches, schools and organizations) for about 4 weeks now. It's been extremely challenging and fun because not only has our team improved tremendously in performance since we first formed our team a year ago, but we've been playing some great teams this season that have been giving us challenging competition and play. And we've been blessed with pretty much an injury-free season thus far.

However, I'm home today resting from a rather painful night. We played twice yesterday--with an hour in between for rest and potty break. And both times were against 2 different teams. For some strange reason it was like as if I had a bullseye target plastered on me that read "HIT ME! HIT ME". By the end of the night I had collected a fair amount of injuries: a bruised rib (this was the best one--got hit straight on the side when running onto 1st base), a bump on top of my head (from the softball that fell right on my head--again while I ran onto 1st base), a bruised shin and a sore knee (these 2 were combinations from a rough encounter I had with the catcher running onto 3rd base). Of course I wasn't the only one who got hurt. Rob got a lovely, multi-colored bruise on his thigh while trying to catch a fast ball while Josue got a nice injury as well. But somehow I feel was still the targeted one. Gotta love that.

*By the way, we lost the first game but won the other. Not bad.

Blah

2006-10-05T09:33:00.000-05:00

Something's up with my picture on my profile. It's coming out funky and I'm attempting to fix it. But Blogger is being silly right now. Sorry! I might solicit help later if I can't solve this problem...

Randomness For You

2006-10-04T10:11:00.000-05:00

Here's something random for you (this would be of great interest to Sarah, in particular). Leave me your answers in my comment box, or post them on your next blog. I'm interested to see what your thoughts are before I 'disclose' mine. Thanks to BST for this idea (Only one of the questions has been edited from the original)!

Would you...

1. Buy grapes even if they were more than .99 a lb?

2. Vote for George Clooney for President?

3. Vote for Oprah for President?

4. Go to a U2 concert?

5. Play in the rain or run through sprinklers?

6. Buy a new... or used car?

7. If you had to choose, rather lose the ability to hear or see?

8. Try a spin class?

9. Rather eat escargot...or squirrel meat?

10. Rather jump off your house or jump out of a moving car?

We're In

2006-09-29T15:20:00.000-05:00

We have finally moved in, but not quite settled in. Last Saturday's move was a true blessing and testimony of how wonderful friends are. Woke up early Saturday morning to a darkened and cloudy sky. I had heard that there was the possibility of rain over that weekend, but knowing how inaccurate the weatherman here usually is, I didn't think twice about it until that morning when I saw the sky. I was worried about rain pouring on the movers and most of all our furniture and such. I said a quick prayer, basically asking the Lord to hold off for a few hours, and hoped for the best. Then people started showing up at our apartment doorstep a little after 8 am. I had barely returned with some donuts and o.j. and there they were. Long story short, our friends shifted into high gear right away and started moving everything we had. From loading to unloading, from old apartment to the new house, they went full speed ahead and just as the last batch of things were unloaded into the house, it started to rain. We couldn't have been more thankful for how smoothly everything turned out, and the great group of friends who showed up from all over to help us out. We feel honored and thankful for each one of you. We owe you big time!

Amidst the moving, however, I forgot to have a camera handy to take some pictures. So sorry, no pictures for the blog. I hope to post some of the house when we have most of our things unpacked and organized. Right now there are still clutters and boxes all around the house, and we have been trying to do bits and pieces each day after we come home from work. So we're hoping to settle in real soon!

Brief Update

2006-09-20T12:07:00.000-05:00

Still here everyone! What's going on with us? Well, Mom and Dad left last Thursday. *sniff sniff* Feels strange not being someone's 'child' anymore and having to get back to being an 'independent adult'. Josue and I were definitely spoilt by them in many ways the entire time they were around. Thanks so much, Mom and Dad! We miss you so much already....

And yes, we're finally moving! The walls have been painted, floors mostly cleaned, electricity and water running, cable & internet service and washer & dryer coming in Friday (crossing my fingers!) and a few last-minute details in between that we're currently working on. The move-in day is set for coming Saturday morning, and some of our bestest (that's not quite a word, but you know what I mean) friends in this world are giving up their morning snooze to help us begin this new adventure and stage in our married life. It feels rather unreal still, I can't believe that we're going to be in a house. No more apartments! We are truly blessed.

I hope to take some pictures from the moving day to post here later. Remember us, and pray that no one will get hurt from trying to move our crazy junk over. This is going to be our biggest move yet!

In case you hadn't known already...

2006-09-01T13:47:00.000-05:00

....we're moving into a house! No, we're not purchasing it, just renting for now. We're getting a great deal out of this and our landlords are members of our church who have been extremely wonderful and accommodating. Sorry for not sharing this news with some of you sooner, but we wanted to be sure that this was going to happen and that everything was finalized first. It's definitely been a summer project of looking and praying for the right house, and now we have it. So here are some pictures to proof that it's all real! Keep in mind that it's still being worked on. My parents and I have mainly been painting the walls of every room for almost 2 weeks straight and there are still some touching up here and there (thus explaining the white spots you'll see on the pictures). And also note that the colors have appeared much lighter on the pictures when in reality they are slightly darker. So here's the tour:

View of the living room as you enter the house.

View of the living room from inside.

View of the bathroom--yea, older houses seem to have tons of pink.

Our master bedroom still in working progress. The blue is actually navy blue.

The guestroom (and you can sort of see the backyard).

Hallway linking the guest bedroom and bathroom.

The den, i.e. Josue's whatever-he-wants-to-do room.

My mom busy working on the half-bathroom that's in the den. Not quite finished yet.

And as for the kitchen, well, that is a surprise. We're not quite done with it yet, and I'll wait to show it to you when it's all done. It's going to be fabulous, I think. Afterall, the kitchen is going to be MY DOMAIN! So there you have it, a sneek preview of our cute little house. As you can see, the floors immediate won me over right when I first walked in, and the plus is also that we have a nice size backyard with trees all over. Needless to say we're truly excited and can't wait for you to see the 'final product'. Until then...

Our Fun Weekend

2006-08-29T17:11:00.000-05:00

Just wanted to share some pictures from the weekend. We went to Belton with Zach and Melissa and had a ball with her cool parents. We saw horses, longhorns and people dressed up like the early pioneers in Georgetown, cool antique shops in Salado and played Wordigo at home with the Weaver's and the Nieland's--all for the very first time for most of us. Thanks to our great friends for a jolly good time!

My parents at Georgetown

A longhorn--check out those horns!

Downtown Georgetown

My dad riding a horse for the first time in his life!

Chillin' in Salado

"It's been 3 weeks and I'm ready to kill my son-in-law!"

(no, this is really a joke. They had just gotten rid of some dead trees in the Weaver's backyard.)

Hello, we're alive...

2006-08-22T18:12:00.000-05:00

Yes, we're still here, but as you can see, life couldn't be any sweeter at this point than with my parents here. I'm loving every minute of it. Laters!

Life is Nuts!

2006-08-04T09:54:00.000-05:00

The title pretty much sums up this past few weeks for our household. As many of you know by now, my beloved paternal grandfather passed away on Monday night (Malaysian time). He had been sick over the weekend with fluid retention in his lungs and a minor stroke in the process. He was kept in the intensive care unit hooked up to an oxygen tank and all sorts of other things. The doctors wanted to make sure. My parents rushed down to K.L. (short for Kuala Lumpur--capital city of Malaysia) to see him and they said he looked great considering the situation and he was in good spirits. They felt like he was stable and was sure that everything was going to be okay, so they went home that same night. That was on Saturday. Come Monday night was when they got the news that he had died. Needless to say, we were all slightly shocked over this, but at the same time sort of expected this to happen. And I believe he was ready to go too. It's one of those bizarre experiences that I will never understand until I'm old one day. BUT, we are happy that he has gone to be with his Lord and that his life is a wonderful testimony to all those still living. He was definitely a great man and loved by all. I will miss him.

Also, Josue has been gone. He's partying away with the kids from church on their trip to Schlitterbahn. You know, they call them 'adult chaperones', but I highly doubt he's 'chaperoning' since he's so much like a kid when he's around kids. Ha! That's why I love him so...Anyway, while he's been gone, I'm the new boss in the office. :) AND, I've had some down time to myself at home, and hanging out with some gals which I hardly ever do. Didn't realize how much I had missed out until I was hanging out last night with 2 friends from church B & K. We went to watch a friend play her softball match, and then wined and dined at I-Hop while chatting up a storm. In between, K had a faked-nail crisis, but all was good in the end and we had such a blast. I'm looking forward to more fun girly time tonight with some other friends whom I don't get to hang out often with.

Counting down to Tuesday night!!!! That's when my parents get in. We are ready. Also, we found out some dear friends of ours got engaged last Monday. It's a huge deal since we've literally seen them get together from the very beginning. They pretty much knew they were going to marry each other 2 weeks after they started dating, and that was about less than 6 months ago! Everything happened in a blink of an eye, but we are extremely happy for them. Congrats, K & K! We'll be counting down to that big day too.

Hello...

2006-07-22T18:13:00.000-05:00

Good grief, this is probably the longest I've gone without blogging. I apologize for my absence and I'm assuming that you have all missed me. (Just assuming) I've finally sort of caught up with everyone else's blog today, so I figured that I should at least post something new myself. My sweet hubby and I are well and alive. The business has been an up-and-down ride, but what business isn't? I'm learning to take each day at a time and not stress about the day after. Knowing myself, I don't usually handle stress really well, so this has been very challenging and eye-opening. Regardless, God is always good and He's never failed to provide, and for that, we're very thankful.

In about less than 3 weeks' time, my beloved parents from Malaysia will be here in Dallas. We've been getting ready physically and emotionally for their visit. I personally have been more anxious lately (and having a tough time falling asleep at night due to my racing thoughts), but it's probably really because I want them to get here NOW. It's been too long and I'm ready to see them!

Oh, and can someone tell me why in the world it's so stinking hot outside?! I know we're in Texas and this should be considered normal, but the entire country is also going through this unusual heatwave. And the weather people predicted rain this morning, but did it? NOPE! This heat is starting to be rather aggravating. There goes my summer aspiration to play more tennis...Anyway, we don't know how we would have survived another summer this year if we were still driving our poor Honda without A/C! Once again, thank YOU LORD for our new car.

I've spent most of today preparing a birthday cake for our young adults' birthday party tomorrow. I love cooking and can do it all day long, but baking is a threatening task for me and definitely not my forte in life. Needless to say, I didn't think it was going to be so complicating, at least judging by the recipe the first time. I hope it'll at least be presentable. :)

Until next time, hope all is well!

News Update

2006-07-08T08:10:00.000-05:00

I'm realising that I'm blogging less and less these days. Not sure if this is a good or bad thing still.

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Our work is going well, busy and constantly on the go. That's what occupies us on most days, but it's also nice to be able to just go home or take time off whenever we want to. One of the many joys of being self-employed and having your own business. :)

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We had a long 4th of July break. Spent it with my brother Aaron and sister-in-law Liz in Abilene. It was probably one of our best times there, just relaxing and catching up with family. Aaron set up a ghetto badminton court in their backyard with a cheap set of badminton gear from K-Mart. We made-do and had such a blast playing badminton the entire time we were there. We wore ourselves out and returned home with sore muscles. Needless to say, Josue is hooked on yet another new sport!

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Watched the 2nd sequel of the "Pirates of the Carribean" last night. Great effects and all, but not enough for me to want to brag about it. I'm still sitting on this one. Now, "Nacho Libre" is a whole different story....:)

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MySpace is now very addicting--thanks mainly to the kids from our church's youth group with whom I went to New Orleans. Anyone else?

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Summer must be the perfect season to get pregnant. Once again, people around us--our friends, are popping out kids like there's no tomorrow. A colleague at work is pregnant (and I get to witness her constant morning sickness daily, among other things), and yesterday found out that yet another close friend who recently got married is now pregnant too! And yes, people keep asking us about when we're going to have ours. Stop asking already! It's not going to happen anytime soon, or maybe never! I'm tired of repeating myself...

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In less than a month's time, my parents will be here. In a way, Josue and I are not ready for them to come (still need to save up and such). But emotionally, I'm SO ready for them. I've missed them terribly and it's definitely time for a reunion. I'm very excited and can't wait for many of you to meet them too(if you haven't already)!

Follow-up on My Summer Aspirations

2006-06-28T21:15:00.000-05:00

It's been more than a month since the post when I listed my summer aspirations. Figured it might be a good time to do some follow up on that and to see where I stand or how well I've personally been doing with the list. So here goes...

1. Consistently play more tennis despite the heat.
Haven't played much during the day since we're always at the office, but we do play in the evenings, just not as often as I'd like us to.

2. Lose 10 pounds as a result of that. (I'm unsure about this one, but what the heck, it's worth the try)
Unfortunately haven't seen much changes.

3. Help more people. (Don't know how, but I'm sure the need to help will come around)
I believe I've been doing pretty good at this one.

4. Have more random dates with my sweet hubby.
Yes.

5. Try out more recipes from the gazillion new cookbooks that I have.
Another yes to this one.

6. Go to the beach.
Nope.

7. Swim more.
Maybe.

8. Visit with friends around the metroplex area whom we don't regularly talk to or see.
Slowly but surely.

9. Staying tune to the World Cup.
Definitely a YES to this one!

10. Being what God wants me to be to the kids during our week-long mission trip to New Orleans. (This one is definitely not an option to back out on)
Came home last Friday from this trip and needless to say the Lord has used me (and the kids) in ways that I couldn't even imagine possible.

11. Catch up with "Lost" and watch all the previous episodes we've missed.
Haha..yeah right.

12. Move into a house.
Still working on this. First of all, need to find a house that we'd like to move into. No such luck yet.

13. Read a book or 2, particularly "The Chronicles of Narnia". (This is a huge deal, considering I'm not a reader)
Goodness, haven't even lifted up a book yet.

14. Try and figure out all these insurance stuff at work. (I'm struggling to keep up with all that Josue is doing plus my own responsibilities. Insurance is confusing anyway)
Yes, I can say that I'm definitely improving in this area. Everything is gradually making more sense!

15. Invite our fellow work colleagues and their significant others over for dinner.
Still not yet.

16. Work on my photo scrapbook.
Good grief, I need to find all my scrapbook supplies first, and oh, find the time as well.

17. Prepare for my parents' visit. (Already starting to do that, and am very excited!)
Still preparing, and counting down the days. In about 5 weeks!!

18. Get graduation presents for my brother (graduated 2 weeks ago) and my sis-in-law (will graduate in August).
Not yet, but we are seeing them this weekend in Abilene, so might be a good opportunity then.

19. Get a haircut, hopefully a new hairstyle this time. (Any recommendations or suggestions, girls?)
This I've already accomplished and I LOVE my totally new look. Have been receiving great compliments on it too, so I know it is definitely worth it!

20. Ride the DART bus.
Almost did, but not quite yet.

More Pics From Last Week

2006-06-27T16:40:00.000-05:00

Alison and Me

VBS down in the projects

My fave pic--this little boy just fell asleep in Bryson's arms

Getting into a game of "Steal the Bacon" (or something like that)

Tia (she was entertaining), Sara and Shirley

Good to be Back

2006-06-24T08:42:00.000-05:00

What an awesome week! It'll be impossible to blog about everything that has happened, so I'll just highlight certain things that we did. Everything that we got to do pushed the kids (and some of us adults) out of their comfort zones, and needless to say the outcome of all that turned out to be rather positive. For the duration that we were there, we stayed in a huge house with almost 60 people in it and partnered with an Episcopal church from Dallas. Among some of the things we experienced were worshipping in an ancient Episcopal church (both Sunday morning and Wednesday evening), gutted out homes on 3 occassions (one of which was heavily infested with all kinds of bugs and mold), picked up trash (some complete with maggots and such), worked at a VBS for kids down in the projects, handed out supplies at the lower 9th Ward, walked around neighborhoods talking to people and 'collecting' their stories and experiences of Hurricane Katrina etc.

We went there to bless and to encourage, but it turned out to be the other way round. Despite all the destruction and pain that still exist there, we encountered people who remained hopeful and joyful through their hardships, with smiles on their faces that were contagious. Most have never returned to New Orleans after the storm and much of the Lower 9th Ward is deserted, but those who came back are rebuilding and are confident that they will get back on their feet. Their faith is an amazing testimony to many! But there is still so much to be done, and it's sad to say that people in the rest of the country are gradually forgetting that there is still a huge need for help there.

I've been changed this week, and so have the kids. Words alone are not enough to explain because everything seemed unreal and unimaginable at first. But our eyes have been exposed to the reality and the pain. It's almost been a year since the storm came through, and New Orleans is still not okay. Certain parts of the city still look like warzones, and many people have nothing left. They still need help from the 'outside world'. They still need to know that there is hope.

*I'm posting pictures in 2 parts. Don't have many pictures from the times when we worked because I was too preoccupied and didn't have my camera on hand.*

Lower 9th Ward

The house was swept away and landed on this truck

Reflection time by the levee in Algiers' Point

Mt. Olivet Episcopal Church--where we worshipped

The girls HAD to go to Bourbon Street

Swamp Tour

Part of our Skillman team

After numerous days of working in the sun, look how tan they got!

Beignet at Cafe du Monde!

Home Alone

2006-06-15T08:50:00.000-05:00

No, not me, but Josue will be, starting Saturday. :( Same time last year, I was on a mission trip with the youth group from Skillman in New Orleans. Well, it's that time again and I've been asked to go. I really wasn't planning on going this year, but the Lord kept tugging at me through various instances in the past couple of months. The kids really did it for me though. They wouldn't stop asking me to go. Wow, boldness on their part, I say. How in the world were they able to handle me last year and would want me back on their trip this year is beyond me but definitely the Lord's devine intervention. So yup, I'll be driving one of the three 18-passenger vans that we're going in this year, and together with the kids, conquering a whole new world, literally, eversince New Orleans got struck hard by Katrina last August.

I honestly have no clue what to expect. I don't have any expectations, frankly. I'm anxious to see how N.O. is like these days. I'm hearing that it's different now, and that there is still lots to be done to rebuild this city. Guess that's why we're going--to help rebuild. A small effort, but Lord willing, will be worth more than we can ever imagine. Keep all of us in prayers. I'm sure I'll have more to report upon return, and pictures to show. It's going to be an awesome week!

In the meantime, if you want to hang out or keep Josue company, please give him a ring. Poor thing wouldn't know what to do with himself for a whole week! Haha, just kidding. I'm sure he'll be fine. However, it will be sad to leave my hubby for this time though. :(

Futbol!!!!!!!!

2006-06-10T11:18:00.000-05:00

Hooray, let the World Cup begin!! This what the Villarreal household will be following up with virtually everyday until July. We are truly excited that this has finally begun and I can watch more than just the Mavericks play (although their being in the final championship is a VERY good thing). I don't have any specific teams that I'm routing for, well, except for England (who won their first match this morning with David Beckham scoring their one and only goal!), and for Mexico because of Josue. :)

Other than football, we are well and alive, just busy with work, the usual blah blah blah. I know I haven't blogged for a long time, and it bothers me that I have not. But no worries, there will be more to come soon. In the meantime, cheers to a great World Cup!!

The Winning Team

2006-05-27T21:23:00.000-05:00

All smiles for the team who ranked 3rd overall by the end of this season. Not too bad considering we were at the bottom last season. Great coach, great bunch of players, great spirit and great times. Looking forward to the fall, guys and gals!

*I recommend you to visit this link for more exciting pictures of all of us in action during our play-off games on Thursday, thanks to Zach's super-cool new camera!

Summer Aspirations

2006-05-24T19:42:00.000-05:00

As summer is just around the corner, I'm starting to think of all the different things I aspire to accomplish within the next 3 or 4 months. It's not like I have been sitting around all day thinking up a list, so I'm going to try my shot here. Mind you, these are things I ASPIRE to do, many of which might not even be done. So no need to hold me accountable to everything. It just takes the unnecessary pressure off me.

Anyway, here goes:

1. Consistently play more tennis despite the heat.
2. Lose 10 pounds as a result of that. (I'm unsure about this one, but what the heck, it's worth the try)
3. Help more people. (Don't know how, but I'm sure the need to help will come around)
4. Have more random dates with my sweet hubby.
5. Try out more recipes from the gazillion new cookbooks that I have.
6. Go to the beach.
7. Swim more.
8. Visit with friends around the metroplex area whom we don't regularly talk to or see.
9. Staying tune to the World Cup.
10. Being what God wants me to be to the kids during our week-long mission trip to New Orleans. (This one is definitely not an option to back out on)
11. Catch up with "Lost" and watch all the previous episodes we've missed.
12. Move into a house.
13. Read a book or 2, particularly "The Chronicles of Narnia". (This is a huge deal, considering I'm not a reader)
14. Try and figure out all these insurance stuff at work. (I'm struggling to keep up with all that Josue is doing plus my own responsibilities. Insurance is confusing anyway)
15. Invite our fellow work colleagues and their significant others over for dinner.
16. Work on my photo scrapbook.
17. Prepare for my parents' visit. (Already starting to do that, and am very excited!)
18. Get graduation presents for my brother (graduated 2 weeks ago) and my sis-in-law (will graduate in August).
19. Get a haircut, hopefully a new hairstyle this time. (Any recommendations or suggestions, girls?)
20. Ride the DART bus.

I'm sure I'll have more to add to this list. For now, I'll keep it to 20. Remind me to look back at this list at the end of the summer. It'll be interesting to see which all I'd have accomplished by then. :)

What are you aspiring to do this summer? Do share.

Here's To Proof It!

2006-05-18T22:54:00.000-05:00

Check our baby out!

The inside--great condition despite it being a used car.

Another sweet view of the car...

....and the very clean engine!

*Thanks to Zach for these great pictures!

Our New Baby!

2006-05-16T21:50:00.000-05:00

Yup, you got that right, we have a new baby--our new car!! It's not brand new, but it's still a somewhat new car to us and it's in excellent condition. It's a 2001 Acura 3.2.TL and we got it from a used-car dealership with whom we have a good business relationship with on a regular basis. They really helped us out and gave us the hook-ups. And after much financial and mental preparation, researching, some test-driving and prayers, we got out with this lovely dark green babe. It's complete with the usual functions like A/C, automatic windows and power locks, good-condition tan leather seats, sun roof, heated side mirrors and seat warmers too! We absolutely love it! Nothing like the feeling of buying your first car on your own. It's such an accomplishment for us and we feel very thankful!

Zach took some pictures of the car this evening with his brand new digital camera, so I'll wait to post pictures of it later. Josue is also busy hooking up new stereo systems and subs in the car (his fave thing to do). It will eventually be rocking with some good heavy sounds in it. In the meantime, let us know if you'd like go for a ride around town. We'd love to take you out in our new car! :)

Golf? What's That?

2006-05-13T20:27:00.000-05:00

This is Vijay Singh. Without putting in much words, many of you already know who he is as I blog this. Apart from Tiger Woods, he is currently one of the best golfers in the PGA Tour in the world.

Now I'm no golfer, nor do I have the slightest interest in this so-called 'sport' (no offense to you golf fans), but I did have the privilege of seeing him in action today. He and I even exchanged eye-contact as he walked past me (while I stood right behind the 'security line' that separated him from common men, i.e. me) right after he putted and moved on to the next hole. It was quite a cool moment. I can add Mr. Singh to my list of celebrity-sightings in my lifetime and say that I was THIS CLOSE to him.

Thanks to our friends from church who have all the connections in the world, we got special tickets to the Byron Nelson Championship that is part of the PGA Tour which landed in Irving this weekend. We went in for free, parked within walking distance of the golf course for free and after spending almost half of the day there, also got a nice tan for free. It was overall a very fun outing. However, despite the opportunity to see many top-notch golfers in action today (just shy of Tiger Woods), I still have to say that golf is just not my thing. Sorry!

Cinco de Mayo

2006-05-06T15:51:00.000-05:00

Happy Belated Cinco de Mayo everyone! We had a fiesta last night with 16 of our friends who gladly came over, squeezed in our small apartment and had a grand 'ol time together. The night was complete with Latin music playing in the background, everyone dressed in something with the colors of green, white or red, chips and salsa, grilled fajita (meat, chicken and ribs) and the 'fixin's', drinks and wine, dessert, chit-chatting and lots of funny stories to tell. Needless to say, we had a blast. It's always a joy and blessing to entertain our friends at our home and to share in great company and friendship through food and fellowship. I'm sure there will be more to come of such parties and gatherings!

After the party last night, I got to spend an hour over the phone with my parents, mainly talking to my mom. The excitement continues to kick in as August starts rolling around. That's when my parents plan to come here to visit us. I havent' seen them since Dec. 2004 and I cannot wait to be with them again. I know many of you reading this might also have the opportunity to meet them then for the first time (in case you haven't met them already), and somehow that is exciting for me too. I've been talking and bragging so much about them that it will truly be a special moment when people finally meet this wonderful couple and get to know them for themselves.

Arena Football

2006-05-02T11:59:00.000-05:00

One part of the group who went to the arena football game.

We were sitted up in the 300's--'nose bleed' section.

Second part of the group who went.

The great view from where we sat (before the game started).

Halfway through the game, we were told that we could

'upgrade' and move down to seats down in the 100's.
Here are the guys in their new seats.

A much closer view.

The girls having fun!

I honestly didn't expect the arena football game to be so much fun, but I thoroughly enjoyed myself, and the company that we had was great. Not only were our tickets free, but we were able to upgrade to better and closer seats to the field halfway through the game. And by the end of the night, each of us left with a free medium pizza from Papa John's! Thanks to Kevin, we all had an enjoyable and fun evening together.

Just A Little Bit

2006-04-28T14:25:00.000-05:00

We were rained out last week, so didn't have a softball game. But we played yesterday against St Luke Espicopal, and we won again. The score was 17 to 6, or somewhere along that line. Needless to say, we're estatic and feel like we're unbeatable! :)

Sorry this is all I'm blogging. Like most of you would care about softball to begin with, but hey, this is exciting news for us. Anyway, I sold my laptop, so I don't have have easy access to the internet most of the day unless I borrow Josue's when we're home together. We're supposed to get one the beginning of next month, so hopefully I'll blog more then. We'll see.

My brother and his wife were with us all last weekend, and after they left, Jeremy came into town for his vacation. It's been nice having people in and out of our home, but it's also nice to catch up on some quiet time for ourselves these days. It was so nice to hang out and have dinner with Kyna and Scott and their 2 adorable boys last evening before the softball game. We miss you guys! And tonight, we're hanging out with a group of people at the American Airlines Arena watching the Dallas Desperados play arena football (I'll find out what that is tonight). Should be tons of fun! Until next time...

Still Alive

2006-04-16T21:10:00.000-05:00

Happy Easter everyone! It's been a lovely day overall; the weather was perfect, church service was particularly special (had 2 baptisms), good company all around, restful times and most of all, I've been personally reminded, yet again, of my journey of faith with Christ, the risen Savior. Of course, I have to remember about my commitment to God daily, and not just on Easter Sunday. But I'm glad to be reminded that I believe in a power greater than I, and greater than everything else in this universe--contrary to what these guys say (I'm picking on them because apparently they had put up flyers around our church building this morning before everyone got to church. Guess they went around Dallas doing this. If they can even comprehend what they're missing out...).

LTC (Leadership Training for Christ) was this past weekend. The kids, their parents and volunteers have been working hard preparing for this event since January, and their hardwork finally paid off from Friday's and Saturday's events. I helped out with leading the elementary chorus as well as being an overnight chaperone for the teenage girls at the hotel on Friday night. Needless to say, I'm currently trying to recuperate and regain the ounces of energy that were drained out of me particularly from the weekend. But it was great, and I wouldn't have traded the time for anything else.

Things should calm down some in the Villarreal household. Hopefully blogging will come slightly more often too, but who can tell? Never know what happens consistently around here. We're fine though. Our next upcoming softball game is on Thursday, so who knows I might have something to blog about after then. :)

Softball Season

2006-04-07T11:32:00.000-05:00

"Skillman Skillz"--that was our church's softball team which we formed and played in last year's Dallas church softball league. Needless to say, we had quite a sorry season and we desperately needed more than just 'skillz' to pull us through.

However, yesterday was history in the making. The team this year, which is made up mostly of former teammates plus some new ones, won our first softball game of the season! The score was 11-10, and it was quite the close fight all throughout between both teams, but Skillman pulled through at the very end. It was a sweet victory, and it certainly felt good winning fair and square. We felt more confident as a team this time around and knew exactly what to expect. The Spirit was with us!

Our next game is on Thursday, April 20th. We hope to excel like how we did last night. And hopefully with this first win, we'll even start having a fan club or something to cheer us by the stands each time we play. :)

That's it for now. Sorry I haven't blogged in a long time. Life is hectic and busy, but Josue and I are surviving and doing just fine. However, I am keeping up with everybody else's blogs, so keep bringing those updates. I have definitely been enjoying reading blogs rather than writing them myself.

Go in peace!

No Words, Just Pictures

2006-03-29T21:55:00.000-06:00

Hmm......

The birthday boy at work.

Yup, he's a quarter-of-a-century-old!

Thug

Laptops galore

And this was how Josue and the guys celebrated his birthday. :)

Happy 25th Birthday, Babe!!

Pictures From The Week

2006-03-21T11:18:00.000-06:00

Persian New Year's dinner with my brother Aaron and

sis-in-law Elizabeth. It was yummy!

2006-03-21T11:13:00.000-06:00

The birthday boy

The Villarreal brothers (from left): Hector, Josue, Ernesto

2006-03-21T10:56:00.001-06:00

Our adorable little niece, Miranda. Check out that forehead! :)

Another irresistably cute look of Miranda.

Update

2006-03-17T17:26:00.000-06:00

Sorry it's been more than a week since I last posted. A lot going on around here. Busy with the insurance business as usual, but in between that we've been having family around. My brother and his wife came to visit Sunday and stayed through Wednesday. We celebrated the Persian New Year (my sis-in-law is half Iranian) with a huge Persian feast, went shopping, ate out, and just had a blast together. Today, Josue's youngest brother Ernesto and his girlfriend arrived in from Abilene. Tomorrow we're expecting my mother-in-law from Brownsville and older brother Hector and his family from Mexico. Crazy weekend!

- - - - - - - - - - -

Watched the movie "The Constant Gardener" last night with our friends Bryan and Tracy. Brilliantly made and no wonder it was nominated for the Oscars. It portrayed parts of Africa in all of its beauty and wonders, and also of its ugliness and reality. Highly recommended.

- - - - - - - - - - -

Have been baking all day in preparation of tomorrow's family reunion/birthday bash for Josue and Ernesto. Always heard of the term 'the cake collapsing', but today I think I finally understand it. I might have to go out to get a store-bought cake at the last minute tomorrow. :(

- - - - - - - - - - -

I tore one of my contact lenses last week. So I'm back to glasses all this week, and frankly it's been irritating. I'm not used to having something on my face constantly, and I feel restricted. Oh well, just have to wait for my new ones to come in--all the way from Malaysia where my original prescriptions are!

- - - - - - - - - - -

We're starting back with the churches' softball league this spring. The team had its first practice last night, and we start playing in April. Hopefully we won't lose so bad this season!

'Til my next blog entry, have a great weekend everyone!

1st Blog Birthday

2006-03-08T21:51:00.000-06:00

One year! I've been blogging for one whole year. I didn't think I'd last this long, although I'm blogging lesser and lesser these days. That's a good thing for me.

Click here to read my first and rather awkward entry. I don't think my blogging skills have improved much since...

My Super Dad

2006-03-06T13:10:00.000-06:00

3 weeks ago, my parents went on their long-awaited trip to Hong Kong and Mainland China. 2 days after they got there, my dad ran the Standard Chartered Hong Kong Marathon; not the half, but the entire full marathon (42.195 km/26.218 miles). 58 years old and still going strong, he completed the run in 3 hours 54 minutes. He even beat many of his fellow running mates (those from Malaysia who ran with him in Hong Kong), and they were much younger than him. Yup, that's my super dad on the right in the picture.

I've yet to meet anyone who runs like him--especially at his age. He's been running all his life, and that's one of his greatest achievements (among others, of course). Unfortunately, my brother and I never inherited that gift from him. Thankfully he never expected us to. :)

My dad has run many marathons before, mostly half-marathons (and the 1 or 2 triathlons in between!). This was one of the few full-marathons he has ever done, and it's been his best yet. It just seems like the older he gets, the faster he becomes! I'm extremely proud of him, even if he wasn't running so well. The fact that he's still active and running at his age is highly impressive to me. Way to go, Dad! You're the champ!

FOUR

2006-02-27T14:44:00.000-06:00

4 jobs I've had in my life:
1. Librarian (junior high)
2. Baby-sitter (high school)
3. Nursery-school teacher (post high-school and pre-college)
4. Resident assistant (college)

4 movies i would watch over and over:
1. Star Wars (all of the series)
2. Lord of the Rings (all of the series)
3. Three Amigos
4. Rush Hour 2

4 places I have lived:
1. Melaka, Malaysia
2. Ipoh, Malaysia
3. Abilene, Texas
4. Dallas, Texas

4 TV shows I like to watch:
1. Will and Grace
2. Lost
3. Everyday Italian
4. Oprah

4 places I have been on vacation:
1. Melbourne, Australia
2. Bangkok, Thailand
3. San Francisco, California
4. Chicago, Illinois

4 websites I visit daily:
1. Gmail
2. Yahoo Mail
3. Blogspot (my friends' blogs)
4. Google

4 places I would rather be right now:
1. With my parents back home in Ipoh, Malaysia
2. Outside playing tennis instead of working here at the office. (yup, I'm blogging while I'm working)
3. With my brother and sis-in-law in Abilene.
4. Jet-skiing on a clear, blue sea. Sigh....

Winter Wonderland

2006-02-20T16:12:00.000-06:00

Zach, Melissa, Tim, Adam, Renee, Chuck, Josue and I braved one of the coldest day of the season last afternoon to watch the international soccer match between World Cup Teams US and Guatemala. What an experience! The game itself was rather sad because Guatemala got way-laid BAD, but we definitely got a kick out of trying to stay warm at the stadium. We put on jackets, gloves, scarves, headcover thingies, hoodies, double-layer of socks in our shoes, blankets....anything imaginable to keep us cozy together, just short of having a campfire. Here are some fun pictures:

Ooh...nice and warm in the van...

...and now out in the COLD!

The Ugly Truth About Me

2006-02-20T15:13:00.000-06:00

Josue and I have been busy preparing for Becca's visit. She has never seen us since we got married and has never visited us at our apartment. It is really important to us that she has the absolute perfect and comfortable stay. So we have basically been 'reinventing' the guestroom (for like the 100th time), trying to make it more cozy especially in time for Becca's arrival. We even bought 2 beautiful antique-like dressers from IKEA to add on to the room (actually one of them might end up being in our room after Becca leaves). Anyway, while we were going through this makeover process, Josue thought it would be a nice gesture to move the TV from our bedroom into the guestroom for Becca. Mind you, he's really wanting to impress Becca, and I really appreciate him wanting to be a good host and all.

But hold up, he was talking about THE TV--the 'ol faithful from our bedroom, the one that I watch almost every night while I snuggle nicely in bed. It was my reaction to this request that surprised not only Josue, but even myself. I'm usually very good about not getting attached to physical things. For the most part, I'm low-maintanence and I'm not possessive about many things. With the issue of the TV though, I found myself putting up a tantrum like of a 5 year-old and her precious Barbie doll. Adulthood went straight out the window. I pouted, cried, stomped around and whined for as long as it took all weekend for Josue to finally drop the idea yesterday. It was ugly and surprisingly rather pathetic on my part, but more importantly my hubby thought it was the funniest and cutest thing ever. Yeah, I'm so sure.

The Villarreal's Update

2006-02-18T17:41:00.000-06:00

Sorry, it's definitely been awhile. Ever since our return from Chicago, we've hardly had any time to do anything other than catching up with work. And for once in a long time, we spent all day today doing laundry, cleaning and vacumming the apartment and shopping for much-needed groceries. It's been nice to be able to stay home as well; having a break from work and from all the running around, and of course staying nice and warm in the comfort of our home (it's 26 degrees here in Dallas today!).

Speaking of cold, Chicago was COLD, but it being 8 degrees today, I'm SO glad that we were there 2 weekends ago, and not this one. :) You can check out our pictures here (we took probably more than 100 pictures but I won't bore you with all of them) and they pretty much show that we had a blast there. In fact, I love it so much there that I think I want us to live there at some point of our lives.

My bestfriend Becca is coming to visit on Wednesday. I haven't seen her since the wedding more than a year ago. I'm SO excited. We're hoping that she'll be able to move here in May.

Adios for now!

What Am I Defined As?

2006-02-17T12:44:00.000-06:00

Debbie --
[noun]:

An alien

'How" will you be defined in the dictionary?' at QuizGalaxy.com

Hmm...there is relatively some truth in this...

Greetings from Chicago!

2006-02-07T15:32:00.000-06:00

Hello everybody! This will be a quick posting, but I wanted to share just a few snapshots of our trip to Chicago. We've been having such a blast here, just taking in many of the sights, sounds and taste of this beautiful city, and of course, hanging out with some friends along the way. I will blog more about our trip later, but in the meantime, here are some pictures. Enjoy!

Jeremy and the must-have Chicago deep dish pizza

One of many funny shots...

John Hancock Tower

At the Millenium Park

Lunch at the Hard Rock Cafe

Happy Early Birthday Tim!

2006-02-01T10:14:00.000-06:00

Last night while we hosted Tuesday Night Dinner, we surprised Tim with an early birthday celebration. Yea, Tim's a quarter of a century old! His actual birthday is this weekend, so we hope that his special day will be filled with tons of fun and love. :)

Last but not least, I want to mention that Tim is THE Man. He's sacrificing part of his Saturday morning (instead of sleeping in) and his birthday to take Josue and me to the airport. We owe you big time, dear friend!

Happy Chinese New Year!

2006-01-29T20:24:00.000-06:00

Today the Chinese community all around the world celebrates the Chinese New Year, and the celebration will go on for 15 days. This is to commemorate the beginning of a new lunar calendar year, and to also mark the beginning of spring, therefore also known as the Spring Festival. It is the year 4703 in the Chinese year, and it also known as the Year of the Dog!

Chinese New Year is also a time for families to get together for a reunion, just like what Western families would do during Thanksgiving and Christmas. It's very special and festive. However, for the past 7 CNYs (including today's), I've been away from my family and home. And I hadn't really had the opportunity to celebrate with any Chinese families around here in order to continue the tradition. But now that I'm married, I've felt an even greater urge to continue this tradition and to include Josue into this special part of my culture and identity. So this time around, I invited close family friends of ours, the Laws, to join us in a CNY dinner. It wasn't fancy and very casual (the traditional dinner is very elaborate with massive amounts of food), but it meant tons to me that they were with us. Kyna and I grew up together while her parents were missionaries in Malaysia, so she knows and understands some Chinese traditions like the Chinese New Year. Heck, she's practically Chinese! Thanks so much for coming, you guys. It was tons of fun and indeed a very special evening.

Guess What I Did Yesterday??

2006-01-21T17:30:00.000-06:00

I had never done anything like this before, but someone suggested I do it and moreover it was exciting to think of the outcome. So I gave it my best shot. It required much attention and dedication--specifically between the times of 10 am and 4 pm yesterday. And believe me, I was absolutely determined to succeed because I really wanted it. What the heck did I do??

I called Harpo Studios to get tickets to the Oprah Show in Chicago!!

Needless to say, it was HARD. Millions of times of just dialing, hanging up and dialing--over and over again. Practically put my life on hold yesterday just for this mess. And no, I failed to get any tickets. I didn't even get the chance to get through! But I'm probably going to try again coming Monday. We shall see!

27 Is Just A Number

2006-01-19T10:14:00.000-06:00

The kickoff to my 27th year has been fab! My birthday was celebrated 3 times, which is probably the most I've ever had. The first was on Monday night during Life Group. We were at the home of the Whatley's and after our time together we celebrated 3 birthdays: 2 from December and mine for the month January. That was really fun. Then on Tuesday when Tim hosted Tuesday Night Dinner at his apartment (with an out-of-this-world, fantastic gourmet dinner), the ACU gang celebrated with me--complete with a cake, the birthday song and fun party stuff.

Yesterday was THE day. Josue went off to the office as usual early in the morning, and shortly after my parents called me from Malaysia. We talked for a short while, but it was a lovely start to my day. Josue came home a little after lunch time, a lot earlier than usual since he wanted to spend the rest of the afternoon with me. Needless to say, I was glad to have him home. (He's been working a lot lately at the office and doesn't come home till late.) By the way, Jeremy also called me and sang the entire birthday song for me over the phone!! That was sweet. Anyway, we went to play tennis some, came home, showered and later he took me out to dinner. We went to have Thai food at our new favourite place, Bangkok City. I had no clue what was lying ahead for the rest of the evening. After dinner, we dropped by Best Buy (he was trying to kill time) and then we came back to the apartment. I walked in, and "SURPRISE!!"...there were people in my apartment!! Familiar faces from church and such. Wow, I was shocked and blown away. It was an awesome feeling. I think my last surprise birthday party was during my freshmen year at ACU, so it's been awhile since!

My surprised reaction

They got me my most fave cake: a cheesecake!!

Yea for so many candles!!

The group got me a cool gift too (from our wedding registry)

Needless to say, in 3 days I had 3 celebrations, 3 cakes (Monday's german chocolate cake, Tuesday's chocolate cake with chocolate icing, and Wednesday's cheesecake) and 3 times the love!! And most of the people who came to my surprise party last night had already celebrated with me once before, either on Monday or Tuesday (come to think of it, Zach did it 3 times straight)! The fact that they did this twice or three times over makes me feel absolutely special and loved. I couldn't have asked for more. A special shoutout goes to: Zach, Melissa, Tim, Laura, Adam, Candice, Rob, Melanie, Morgan, Robert, Alys, Summer, Renee, and of course, to my sweet and amazing hubby Josue who put last night's terrific bash together. Thank you all for making my birthday extra special with your presence and your well-wishes. You're my 'family away from family' and I feel truly blessed to have you in my life. I love you all!

Yet Another Countdown

2006-01-14T16:50:00.000-06:00

I'm so excited, I'm so anxious, I can't wait anymore. Exactly 3 weeks from today, my cool hubby and I will be flying up to Chicago for a 5-day vacation. Why the trip? There are many reasons as to why we're taking this trip at a random time of the year, but there are mainly 2:

Reason 1: Our "honeymoon" back in December 2004 lasted only 3 days in San Francisco before we had to rush back for my brother's wedding in Abilene. The trip was lovely but it was also a rush at the same time. I don't think it really counted as a "honeymoon". :)

Reason 2: Jeremy keeps asking all of us here in Dallas to go visit him in Chicago. Looks like we will afterall.

Of course, we also hear that Chicago is a beautiful city. We want to see that for ourselves. So this begins yet another countdown (not forgetting my birthday countdown too!). How exciting!

Counting Down

2006-01-11T22:05:00.000-06:00

Exactly one week from now, I'll be celebrating my 27th birthday. Woo hoo!! I don't feel 27, heck, I haven't felt 26 all last year. Guess I have one more week to start feeling like it, huh?

Speaking of birthdays, our good buddy Jeremy just celebrated his 25th on Sunday. Instead of being surprised on his birthday, he in turn surprised his close friends by flying into Dallas from Chicago and showing up at the Cheesecake Factory with us there. That was fun. Happy birthday, Juice!

My New Bestfriend

2006-01-09T23:02:00.000-06:00

SuperMom Sarah asked if we were feeling better. The answer is yes and no. We've felt a lot better since returning from our trip to Brownsville, though not completely recovered, I believe. Just when I thought things were going back to normal, I fell terribly ill again yesterday. I woke up sneezing and having the runniest (is that a word?) nose ever. I had to miss church and a baby shower in the afternoon in which I was supposed to be one of the hostesses! Yikes. And then today...well, I've felt like I've gotten most of my energy back again. Don't ask me how this whole illness works. I'm confused myself.

I'm promoting Nyquil as one of the best put-you-to-sleep-when-really-sick medicine. It's the only thing that works for me so far, and I can rely on it when I absolutely need to sleep through the night uninterupted. It's almost addictive!

Texas is THE Champion!

2006-01-05T11:21:00.000-06:00

You know I'm not the greatest American football fan, neither do I ever fully understand the game. But I willingly chose to watch the Rose Bowl with my hubby at home last night. Texas was in the finals and they had to win! Sure enough, they not only gave a great performance, but they also snatched the title.

Thanks to Vince Young and the Longhorns. Go Texas!

*This is the first time I've ever blogged about American football, and it'll probably be my last. No offence to any football fans. =)

Getting Back to Normal

2006-01-02T21:02:00.000-06:00

Happy 2006 everyone! We're finally back in town. Exhausted physically and emotionally, but at the same time very much thankful for the trip overall. Will blog more later. For now--cleaning, unpacking, laundry...and yeah, we're sick too. :(

Greetings from Brownsville

2005-12-26T22:02:00.000-06:00

Merry Christmas everyone! Hope and pray all is safe and well with you. As most of you know, we're here with Josue's family in Brownsville. We arrived in last Friday after a LONG drive from Dallas, and will continue to stay through until New Year's Day. This will be the longest period of time we've ever spent here, especially for Josue ever since he graduated from college. Without getting into much details (and since most of you already know of what's going on anyway), let's just say that our time here has been much like a rollar-coaster ride, physically and emotionally. We've only been here for 4 days, but it already feels like it's been forever! There are no words to describe how we feel right now, just mostly tired, I guess. We ask for your thoughts and prayers.

Season Greetings!

2005-12-21T13:44:00.000-06:00

Here's wishing all our friends and loveones a

Merry Christmas ("Feliz Navidad" and

"Selamat Hari Natal", our native languages

respectively), safe travels and a very

Happy 2006!!

'Tis The Season

2005-12-17T22:23:00.000-06:00

I promise I'm still alive. The blogging world has been the farthest in my thoughts lately. December is an exciting month, but it's also the most hectic. Surely you can all relate with this. And for some strange reason, I'm feeling the hecticness more this year as a married person than I've ever had previously as a single. So many commitments, activities, parties, Christmas preparations etc. I'm about to pull my hair out, but yet I'm loving all this busyness!

For everyone of you going through this same kind of hecticness and also about to pull your hair out, just hang in there! Know that Christmas is just 'round the corner and that this will all be over before too long. I think it's all part of the fun and liveliness of the season anyway, so we should be thankful. :) If anything, call me and we can pull our hairs out together, and then hopefully get them cut and fixed up by Christmas Day!

I've Been Spoilt

2005-12-07T08:24:00.000-06:00

It's been such an incredible weekend. I've had such a blast celebrating our 1st wedding anniversary with my sweet hubby. After church on Sunday, we had a quiet lunch at home eating homemade tamales (they were SO good), watched the Dallas Cowboys play on TV and then Josue brought me out shopping.

That evening was kind of special too, in my opinion. We were only going to have our 'official' anniversary dinner on Monday, so that Sunday evening was spent going to the store to get much-needed groceries instead. That's usually one of my favourite things to do with Josue. So it meant a lot to me that we both went to Super Wal-Mart together. :)

Monday evening came along and the evening was spectecular as well. Josue surprised me with a dozen of beautiful roses and brought me to Maguire's M Grill & Tap. It was our first experience being there, so we were open to whatever that came our way. The environment wasn't as 'romantic' as we thought it would be, but the overall service was very good and we enjoyed the dishes we ordered tremendously. (I would recommend this place to you.)

I guess the only thing missing from this weekend was supposedly the 1st anniversary 'tradition'--eating the wedding cake frozen from the wedding day a year ago. To us, that just sounds rather gross to begin with. Moreover, we don't have the cake with us. It's back in Brownsville with my mother-in-law. Frankly, we don't feel too bad missing out on this. It was still a wonderful weekend, regardless!

Happy First Anniversary!!

2005-12-04T17:36:00.000-06:00

Exactly one year ago, I married my bestfriend, my 'partner-in-crime', my soulmate, my love. Most of that day is all a blur to me now (and everything prior to it), but I remember how excited and anxious we were that day and how we were surrounded by the love and support of our families and closest friends. It was everything we could both imagine. Can't believe one year has flown by, and we've both had such a blast being married to each other. Babe, I've had such an amazing year with you. I love you more and more each day and I feel truly blessed. May we have many more wonderful years together. (Okay, that was enough of my share of sappy moments, hehe...)

Thanksgiving In A Nut Shell

2005-11-29T11:36:00.000-06:00

Thanksgiving was a good time for us to get away. It had been awhile since we had actually left Dallas to go elsewhere for a short 'vacation'. But the idea of going to Abilene for that vacation wasn't what I would call an ideal one. What were we thinking? It was all about our family and friends--the only reason why we would ever return to Abilene in the first place. Don't get me wrong though, we had a blast. And I hadn't seen my brother since August, so it was great to spend some time with him and his wife.

We were there 5 days, yeah, 5 whole days--the longest time we've ever spent in Abilene since graduation. Josue thought ahead and brought his PlayStation and set it up at the house where Aaron and Elizabeth are currently house-sitting. That pretty much took care of things for the boys. Elizabeth had been planning the Thanksgiving meal for the last 2 weeks, and by the time we got there, had pretty much made many of the dishes and froze them. All that was left were a few more dishes and the turkey. By the way she had cooked, you would think she was feeding the entire neighbourhood. Nope, it was for only 6 of us (the other extra people were Ernesto, Josue's brother, and Lotefa, Ernesto's girlfriend). Needless to say, the meal was absolutely magnificent and probably the most I've ever eaten in a long time. We were spoilt rotten that day, and of course the few days after as well.

We didn't get up at an unearthly hour to stand in line at the stores on Black Friday, but we went a little later and managed to get hold of some special deals. I've noticed that everytime I'm in Abilene, I end up shopping, and not just window-shopping but actually buying things. I never shop at malls here in Dallas. Somehow it's just a lot easier to do so in a smaller town like Abilene. :)

Now we're home and gradually getting back into the groove of things again. December is already looking hectic for us, with Josue's work, church activities, parties and eventually the long trip we'll be making back to Brownsville to be with Josue's family for Christmas and the New Year. Around this time last year, we were frantically getting ready for our wedding. And I don't remember most of it. It's definitely feeling a lot less stressful this time around.

The Day After

2005-11-25T19:24:00.000-06:00

After this magnificant meal last night (prepared by my lovely

sis-in-law Elizabeth seated far left), I don't think I can

eat for another week or so.

Hope everyone had a great Thanksgiving!

Christmas Before Thanksgiving?

2005-11-21T17:10:00.000-06:00

Check out our Christmas tree! Some of you have made fun of us for that because Thanksgiving hasn't even come around yet and we've had the tree up since Oct. 31st! Josue and I wanted to start off our own little 'tradition' by breaking the tradition, so we went for it. In fact, we've already finished most of our Christmas shopping for our families, so the presents under the tree aren't fake, empty decorative boxes at all. I love having the tree up. It really feels like Christmas in our apartment, it's great!

We'll be going to Abilene EARLY Wednesday morning (we leave at around 4:30 am) and spending Thanksgiving with my brother Aaron and my sis-in-law Elizabeth. Haven't seen them since August, so I can't wait. Happy Turkey Day, happy eating and safe travels to all!

10 Reasons Why Deb Thinks She's Boyish...

2005-11-18T23:00:00.000-06:00

1. I hardly believe in using make-up. I've owned the same make-up for about 2 years or so! It's lasted me that long because I rarely use them.
2. I'm not a big fan of chick flicks. I very much prefer action-packed movies.
3. Most kinds of PDAs (public display of affection) make me want to puke. Just get a room, will ya?!
4. My average time to shower and get dressed is about 10 minutes. That should be pretty good, right?
5. Malls are boring, for the most part.
6. I dress up only for special occasions, like weddings etc.
7. I own about a total of 7 skirts.
8. I have triple that number in shorts, pants and jeans.
9. Heels are a curse to my feet. Sneakers are a lot cooler and comfortable.
10. Many of the friends I've had through the years (even back in Malaysia) have been guys, a few being some of my bestfriends ever.

- - - -
Of course, there are still things that discloses the fact that I'm very much female with typical female characteristics , like it doesn't take a whole lot to make me cry, or the fact that I enjoy shopping at Ross, or that I absolutely love cooking or anything culinary. And above all, I did get married! In the meantime though, this boyishness might take a little while longer to go away...

Football (NOT American 'Football') Fever

2005-11-15T15:46:00.000-06:00

A group of us (a picture of us here having lunch at Steak 'N Shake)

went to watch the MLS Finals at the Pizza Hut Stadium

up in Frisco last Sunday afternoon. Most of us went wearing international

jerseys of our own, which of course was such a crowd pleaser. The game

was between New England and Los Angeles.

This was close to where we sat. We had the best seats ever!

New England and Los Angeles playing it hard.

*Note: Thanks to Jeremy for these awesome pictures, taken with his brand new (and very nice) digital camera.*

Sisterhood of the Malaysian Pants

2005-11-12T20:40:00.000-06:00

I didn't grow up with sisters of my own. Some days I wonder how life for me would be like if I had one. Despite the fact that I don't have any blood sisters, I'm blessed to have other 'sisters' who are just like family; girls whom I've known for years since childhood. Kyna, Sarah and I have known each other for a long time since our younger years in Malaysia, and through time have quite consistently kept in touch despite parting and going different ways. Ironically, time eventually brought us back together again to the Dallas/FW area with our own families who now also share our mutual friendships. Looking forward to our next shindig, girls!! :)

Deb, Sarah and her youngest daughter Trinity.

Deb, Kyna and Baby Trinity

More Pictures

2005-11-02T21:14:00.000-06:00

Okay, I've posted the rest of the Halloween party pictures on my Yahoo site. Just click the following and enjoy: http://pg.photos.yahoo.com/ph/malay_debster/my_photos .

And The Winner Is...

2005-11-01T22:18:00.000-06:00

Sorry, but unfortunately nobody wins the prize. I decided to go with my own idea instead. I went as the Asian-version Mia Hamm--the famous woman soccer player from the last US Olympic national team, except that this time it was the English team. I didn't spend a single penny, which was the best part. I already owned the English soccer jersey, the shorts, and the socks and guards were Josue's. Meanwhile I also borrowed the cleats and ball from Adam. Don't I look like a pro? Anyway, I wanted to post this blog up tonight but don't have time to put up the rest of the pictures on My Yahoo yet, so more to come later!

Little Bit of This & That

2005-10-29T17:02:00.000-05:00

It's been a rather crazy week. Jeremy dropped into town again on Monday and stayed through the week. Always fun to have him around. :)

- - - -

Josue and I have been playing tennis on a regular basis for quite awhile now. Lately some of our closest friends started picking up the game too and we've been playing together almost everyday for at least 2 hours each time. The ache in my body is wonderful feeling!

- - - -

Believe it or not, we started putting up our Christmas tree this morning. We're going non-traditional, and besides, we just couldn't wait to put our very first tree up! Call us crazy.

- - - -

I finally know what I'll be going as to our Life Group Halloween Party coming Monday. Details and pictures to come. I wonder if someone will be getting a prize...

- - - -

Came to find out that one of my bestfriends is about to quit her job in Washington and she hopes to move to Dallas in the next few months. I couldn't be more excited about this!

- - - -

And finally, yes, the Houston Astros lost. Because of Josue and Jeremy, I feel like I have to care some how. :)

P/S: Enjoy the extra hour of sleep tomorrow. It's going to be SO precious.

DESPERATE!!

2005-10-25T22:08:00.000-05:00

Okay, I'm having to dress up for Halloween when we attend our Life Group party on Monday night. None of those scary or gothic kinds, please. But I desperately need ideas, so I'm open to anything that you might throw at me. Be original and creative. I don't see myself going to the party store and buying any of those ready-made chessy costumes that everyone else wears.

So the one whose costume idea I decide to use might end up getting a prize from me...maybe. :)

Where Has Everything Gone?

2005-10-24T11:01:00.000-05:00

Don't ask me how this past weekend was for us. It went by so quickly and it was so hectic that I don't remember much of it. All I know was that Josue's youngest brother Ernesto came to visit us for fall break from ACU. And for the first time, he brought his fairly new girlfriend Lotefa over to visit with us. We had a good time getting to know her. She seems to compliment him very well.

Anyway, one of the fun things we did this weekend was to go up the Reunion Tower downtown Dallas (the tower with the huge golf-ball-like dome thingie). It's usually one of the must-do when a tourist comes to Dallas because you can get such a fantastic view of the city from many stories up. There is also a restaurant and a lounge up there where patrons get to wine and dine while the area goes into a full rotation every hour. We went up to the Dome Lounge for appetizers and drinks (minors are still allowed in prior to 11pm) and got a fantastic 360-degrees night view of the city. It was beautiful up there. Josue felt a little nauseous (he's afraid of heights) but other than that did very well. See, we even have a picture to prove it!

Of course, this was just one of many other activities with we did with the 'kids' this past weekend. But like I said, I don't remember most of them now. I think I need another few more days to recuperate. :)

I Need Help

2005-10-19T10:33:00.000-05:00

I'm tired of feeling tired. What's my deal? I'm having trouble falling asleep, and this has been a problem for the last month or so. I've been trying to keep myself in a routine: waking up early and going to bed early, but doesn't work when my brain insists on being so wired at night. I try falling asleep while watching TV, but I think that's been doing more harm than good because I end up being glued to it while watching something really interesting.

It's truly annoying how wired my mind gets. I'm a pondering person and I think a lot, sometimes overanalyzing. But must I do it even while I'm trying to sleep? It's like my body has no control over my mind and it keeps going and going. I kick and scream, I protest, I do whatever I can to stop, but it has a mind of its own and it's driving me insane. The worse thing is when a song keeps playing in my head over and over again; a particular song that I might have listen to that day and somehow got stuck in my head for the rest of the day. It gets freaker when the song even plays repeatedly in my dreams when I finally fall asleep. I know this because this happened to me last night, and it wasn't the first time either. With all these craziness going on, I wake up in the morning feeling more exhausted than I was yesterday. Insomniac, perhaps? Or am I truly going insane? Either way, I need help, and if you have any suggestion for me to be able to fall asleep or to sleep better in general, bring it on.

(On a random note, I'm thrilled that this entry marks my 100th post!! Hey, I have to be excited about something, right?)

Getting Back Into The Groove

2005-10-16T22:02:00.000-05:00

We celebrated my Indonesian friend Vella's birthday tonight at

Penang, my absolute favorite Malaysian restaurant in Frisco (making

this visit the 2nd time we've eaten there this weekend alone). I've known

most of these people for quite awhile since our time together at ACU,

but only recently found out that they were based in the Dallas/Fort Worth

area. I'm so excited to be in touch with them again because I've truly

been missing out on hanging out with friends of 'my own kind', if you

get my drift. :) And no, I'm not being discriminating towards my

American friends or anything of that sort, but as all of you know,

I don't hang out with Asian people on a regular basis. So it's a nice

'feeling' when I get to do so occasionally. Thanks for a fun evening, guys, and

thanks to my sweet hubby for being such a good sport and being the

'minority' tonight...haha....

Pictures from the Week

2005-10-15T22:56:00.000-05:00

Some of us from the team intensely watching the softball match

that was going on before our turn to play on Thursday night.

Coach Z getting ready to pitch...

One of our girls Renee getting ready to bat...

Went out to shake hands with our opponents after

the match. See our cool personalized shirts?

Ending our season (yeah, it was our last game on Thursday)

with a closing prayer led by our opponents.

It was quite an experience.

We threw a wedding celebration shindig for our ACU buddies

Heather & Emily and their significant others on Tuesday. Check out the

homemade cake--Josue did the icing part and it turned

out pretty good!

Stephen (Emily's fiance) was particularly excited about

getting his chip and dip dish set from the gang.

Heather & Alex with their first wedding present from us!

Road Block

2005-10-11T09:56:00.000-05:00

I promise I'm fine. I just haven't had much to say, or perhaps too much to say. And I think there's more to life than just blogging, of course. Life is busy for us, the usual, but nonetheless wonderful. We have so much to be thankful for. Things aren't always peachy (otherwise we wouldn't be normal) but we're definitely more blessed than many others. So much going on around the world, and unfortunately there are usually the bad things: terrible earthquake in Pakistan, India and Afghanistan, mudslides in Guatemala and some parts of Mexico due to Hurricane Stan, and of course the continual recovery for those affected by Hurricanes Katrina and Rita. Not forgetting the war in Iraq. Quite depressing and heart-wrenching, I'd say!

With that aside, our household is slightly less-dramatic than the rest of the world, and we like it that way. Keeps us sane when we are bombarded by these kinds of news daily. We've had our fair share of football games (on TV, that is), ice-hockey game (this we saw in person), reunion with friends, dinner appointments, movies, church-related activities etc. Oh yes, and we still do work. And I'm doing the 'girly' thing most of the day today. I'll be cooking, baking and prepping for when we celebrate this evening with 2 good friends who are getting married in December and they're bringing their significant others to join us and some other friends for a shindig.

So I promise, I'll definitely have more to blog later. It's just the occasional road block, or blog block, I guess.

Tough Nut

2005-10-07T10:04:00.000-05:00

We lost yet another softball game yesterday. When we started off in the beginning, losing was bearable. But after 4 games and a streak of losing later, it's really becoming annoying, at least for me. I know I've done mistakes that have cost the team, but come on, there are other players on the team whom I know can make up for that but yet aren't performing up to their standards. Actually I do have to give ourselves credit last night because I think we played a lot harder and better than previously, but we were 'jinxed' in some way or another. And yours truly got hit by the ball, AGAIN, this time behind my leg. I'm just thankful that it wasn't as bad as the other lady from the opposing team who got hit directly on her back while she was running from 2nd to 3rd base. It wasn't a pleasant sight and she was obviously in pain, but she continued playing afterwards.

Yeah, yeah, this is a church league and we play for the purpose of having fun and having fellowship together with fellow Christians. But I'd be lying if I said that I was playing purely for fun. Despite the fact that half the time I'm in limbo about the game and just do whatever the coaches tell me to do, there's still that competitive blood within me that can't be surpressed. It annoys me when we lose, and I hate myself even more when I make silly mistakes.

I swam all throughout my school years. As you know, swimming is very much a individual sport, unless you swim in a relay event. But most of the time, you're on your own and you swim to get the best timing possible. I'm used to that. That's how I was brought up. But I rarely compete in a multi-player team sport. (Except those times when I competed in intramural waterball back at ACU and one time almost drowned a Delta Theta opponent twice my size because of my "wanting to kick Delta Theta's butt" attitude.) So perhaps this is what I'm learning from this softball experience. It's not just about winning (although most of the time I still think it is), but it's also about team-effort, encouraging one another to do their best and understanding that each individual is a crucial element to the team as a whole.

Now let's just hope I can go back out there into the field next week and have an overall better attitude....

Birthdays and Such

2005-10-04T12:11:00.000-05:00

I like birthday surprises, and not just the ones that are for me. :) The planning, the cake-baking, the anticipation, the secrecy and conspiracy...we're talking about some pretty intense stuff here. Just last night we threw a surprise birthday party for a close friend from church, "B". Originally this surprise was also for another girl whose birthday also falls this week, but she was unable to turn up afterall. We were going to surprise the girls after our usual Monday nights Life Group meeting. B and her husband are on rotation all this month to be hosts for Life Group, so throwing this party in her own home without her suspecting anything was a little tricky. But her husband was very helpful all throughout the process and gave us a spare key to their house so we could sneak in the cake and present in the afternoon before she returned home from school. We found out later that it turned out to be a close call because while we were sneaking into their house, B had called her husband saying that she was let out of class early and that she was on her way home. He freaked out because he knew we were there. It worked out alright because Josue and I were in and out of the house in no time. And she was utterly surprised in the evening when we finally brought the cake and candles out. She had no clue until we explained how we pulled everything together.

The last surprise party we attended was also a blast. Super Mom Kyna wanted to surprise her hubby with a graduation celebration (he got his Masters from ACU this summer) while he wanted to surprise her with a birthday party--both on the same day (the time was an issue at first but it worked out eventually)!!!. And since they had emailed pretty much the same group of friends from both sides, we all showed up at one time and they realized that they had surprised one another at the same time. It was a classic scene, they really thought they were doing this for each other and had absolutely no clue about the other's intentions. It was hilarious. Thanks for those great memories, guys! :)

All In One

2005-09-30T22:38:00.000-05:00

We had company this week (hint*he was just here with us last week!). We worked a little less and played a little more. Today we finally sort of got back to our normal lives.

- - - -

Our church lost another softball match yesterday. We think this time it was a totally unfair game (and not just because we didn't play well), but who are we to say anything about it?

- - - -

I'm in the process of helping plan a surprise birthday party coming Monday for 2 friends. For some reason, I'm REALLY excited about putting this together. Haven't done anything like this in forever.

- - - -

Still very much home-sick. Did you know it's 9,610 miles (or 15,465 kilometers) from here to my hometown Ipoh, Malaysia (almost 2 days of traveling)? And that a 2-way airplane ticket home cost between $2,000 to $3,000? Yikes.

- - - -

My sweet husband almost got run down in the parking lot of our apartment complex last week. Some psycho-maniac wasn't paying attention to his driving, and thankfully swerved at the last minute. But he didn't even stop to apologize! Jerk.

- - - -

I want to watch the new movie "Flight Plan". Jodie Foster, in my opinion, is one of the best actresses around.

- - - -

We just renewed our lease this morning. Looks like we'll be living in this same apartment for another year. Time has really flown by this year, and can't believe we've been married almost 10 months! Despite the crazy things that go around here, I cannot complain. We are blessed with more than we truly deserve.

A Sleeping Phenomenon

2005-09-27T23:05:00.000-05:00

One of the scariest moments for me that I've discovered lately is when I find myself 'paralyzed' in my sleep. You know what I'm talking about?! It usually happens either during my most realistic dreams or when I feel I'm not really in a deep sleep. Either way I feel I'm semi-conscious. Something dramatic usually happens in my dream which then causes me to want to move a certain part of my body in a certain way, as a form of reaction to that situation. But then I discover that I can't move. My mind says to move, but my body can't react in any way whatsoever. And let me tell you, that is a scary feeling because it feels so real. A conscious mind in a paralyzed body.

Apparently this is known to be as sleep paralyzation. A few days ago I heard something over the radio when the oh-so-famous Dr. Phil was asked about this strange phenomenon. He said that when one experiences this, it's usually because he/she is experiencing anxiety or feeling guilty about something. Hmm...anxiety perhaps. But I don't know about the feeling guilty part. I haven't killed anyone, or stolen anything, or done anything major of that sort. Whatever this is, I don't enjoy it one bit at all.

Anyone experiencing this too?

Curse of the Phone

2005-09-24T10:21:00.000-05:00

I don't know about you guys, but I'm not a phone-person. Notice how I hardly (actually never) call you just to chat? I have no particular reason as to why I don't, I just don't. Thankfully, many of my friends don't hold this against me (at least not that I currently know of!). The funny thing is most of my best buddies are so far away, you'd think I'd spend time keeping in touch with them by making the effort to dial my cellphone and call. Nope, certainly not in my case. And yes, occasionally I'd think about it and feel bad, but that's the extent of that. The only people that I'd take the time talking over the phone these days are my parents.

I believe this has always been a part of my nature and thus, affect the way I make friends, or actually the KIND of friends I make. Many of them are 'low maintenance', meaning they don't constantly rely on me to keep in contact with them, but rather willingly accept the occasional greeting, which is mostly by email these days, or by text messaging. And when we do meet up in person, we can just pick up from where we last left. Nothing too complicating, just good 'ol friendship. And I like that a lot.

So to those of you who wish you'd get an occasional phone call from me, I apologize for being a terrible friend, but please don't count on me to do so. =)

Let's Take A Moment...

2005-09-22T16:05:00.000-05:00

I just want to take a little time away to honor a young family. Tons of people are hurting right now because of Hurricane Katrina and very soon from the upcoming Hurricane Rita. And this post is by no means taking away the importance of those current situations. But I would like to stop for a moment and acknowledge, again, the hurt of another family closer to home, at least to Josue's and mine.

I wrote on my blog awhile back about Baby Ira Hays, the son of my friend Joe Hays who was born with a Diaphragmatic Hernia in April. It's September and Ira is still in the NICU in New York. Who knows when he'll get to go home with his parents and bigger sister, Sophia, and who knows how long he'll have to struggle with this condition. Only God knows, and thankfully His hands continue to protect this precious little baby.

I just wanted us to not forget about the Hays family. Their struggle has been an inspiration to many because of their remarkable strength and faith through this long ordeal. I can only imagine their pain. And they still need our thoughts, prayers and support. In fact, some friends of theirs have started a donation for Ira by distributing green wristbands to raise money for his hospital expenses. There is also a video of Ira posted on the Hays' family blog for all to see. It's a definite tear-jerker, but nonetheless a beautiful picture to behold.

Our hearts continue to go out to Joe, Laura, Sophia and baby Ira.

Blog for the Sake of Blogging

2005-09-20T10:15:00.000-05:00

I haven't blogged forever because I haven't felt the urge to. In many ways I feel like how SuperMom Kyna has been feeling, in a 'funk'. I guess I'll do what I can today...

- - - -

I've been sick for the past week and am only just now starting to feel more like my old self. When I'm sick, man, I'm REALLY sick. It's miserable. For a week, I couldn't breathe well. For a week, my sleeping pattern went hay-wire. For a week, I could barely talk. Ugh!

- - - -

I'm finding out that sometimes making friends is a really hard thing to do. It's too much work, in my opinion. =(

- - - -

Haven't been back to Malaysia in 3 years. I think it's finally catching up to me emotionally.

- - - -

Jeremy's back in town visiting. It's going to be a fun week. =)

That's all for now. More to come later.

The Big Seven

2005-09-13T09:53:00.000-05:00

7 Things I want to do before I die:
1. Sky-dive.
2. Bungee-jump.
3. Travel to most parts of the world.
4. Pay off our debts (will there ever be a light at the end of this tunnel?).
5. Support my parents.
6. Start off a catering business.
7. Drive a Corvette (of course owning one would be nice too!).

7 Things I can do:
1. Drive on both sides of the road; on either side of the car; either stick or automatic.
2. Complain.
3. Start paying off our debts.
4. Eat at the Penang Malaysian Restaurant for breakfast, lunch and dinner.
5. Defend myself physically if the need arises. (*hint hint* don't pick a fight with me)
6. Cry whenever I have to say goodbye to my parents.
7. Cook for 20 people in one setting.

7 Things I cannot do:
1. Not stress.
2. Think simply. (I copied this from Rachel and I couldn't agree more with her)
3. Claim that I understand how painful child-bearing is.
4. Watch any scary movie with my eyes open all the way through.
5. Sew.
6. Pretend I like someone when I really can't stand him/her.
7. Stop procrastinating.

7 Things that attract me to the opposite sex: (in this case my husband!)
1. His voice.
2. His great sense of humour.
3. His love for my cooking. =)
4. His ability to fix things, i.e. the handyman of the household.
5. His big heart for people.
6. His neverending support, love and respect for his family (and mine too!).
7. He likes to get out and do things, i.e. not a couch-potato.

7 Things I say most often:
1. Aiya!!!
2. What the heck?!
3. That's so cool.
4. Good grief.
5. Babe?
6. Shoot!
7. Lah...(this is truly my Malaysian side coming out whenever I say this)

7 Things that I loathe:
1. People being fake with me, or being nice to me because they "have to".
2. Ignorance, especially when it comes to culture.
3. Stupidity; when people act dumb and silly and think they're funny. Kids-okay, adults-come on!
4. Incompetent drivers who shouldn't be allowed on the road in the first place.
5. Not being treated my age and not being taken seriously; I'm a lot older than I look, and perhaps if I was given a chance to speak, I just might have something worthwhile to say...
6. Vanity. Moderation is the key word, not obsession.
7. Money and the corruptions it can lead to.

7 Things I love:
1. God (He encompasses all elements, so He could be considered a 'thing' too?).
2. Jasmine rice.
3. My deep and strong relationship with my parents.
4. Massages.
5. Entertaining and cooking for people.
6. Seeing different cultures getting along.
7. Well-blended and passionate acapella singing.

Heart of Gold

2005-09-09T12:21:00.000-05:00

Numerous kinds of stories pour through media daily about the hurricane. My personal favourites are the ones about random acts of kindness, and strangers helping other strangers in need. That's what humanity is all about, and it brings me much encouragement and inspiration.

I came across one particular story yesterday via the local news station that I feel the urge to blog about, one which you might have already heard of. Authorities are currently trying to evacuate the last of the hurricane victims in New Orleans, those who have refused to leave, those who thought they could continue to 'ride it out'. This has been a tough job on the authorities because they have to persuade these people to leave, if not, they have to force them to get out.

One particular man who didn't leave actually ended up being a blessing to the police and rescuers. This man kept his used tire shop open to help replace tires of the police cars and other rescue vehicles because one constant problem they kept experiencing was having punctured tires from driving on roads filled with debris and such. Since the policemen didn't have money to pay him, he just had them sign a book for I.O.Us and will have them settle the bill later on. They tried to offer him gas in return (which is currently such a huge commodity), but he refused to take anything. His mission was to continue helping them so that in return they could do their jobs. He also had 2 other guys working with him, and he was paying their salaries out of his own pocket. He said his pocket was "deep enough".

I call him the man with the heart of gold. His generosity and kindness speak loudly through his actions. He clearly didn't have much left after the storm, except for his hole-in-the-wall tire shop. And even that, he didn't expect to be paid or given anything. All he wanted to do was to help those who were there to help others. It is hearing about people like him during this tough time that makes me shed a tear of joy or two, and that inspires me to be a servant to others. It is like Jesus coming to life all over again.

*On a side note, the softball game last night was so much fun even though we lost. But no worries, we still have time to catch up because we are a team with much potential. =) I played despite my sickness, and in the process also got hit by the ball twice: once directly on my right big toe, and the other on my left wrist. I'll get over them.*

Summer Cold

2005-09-08T10:12:00.000-05:00

Yeah, I've been hit by the cold bug. I'm currently sitting in my bed with my laptop and doing absolutely nothing but resting and blowing my nose (well, except blogging for now). Without getting into disgusting details, I'm sure you know how bad a bad cold can be. I hadn't been sick in awhile, so this hit me rather unexpectedly yesterday and has been hitting me rather hard ever since.

And the disappointing part of this all is the fact that I'm supposed to be playing my first softball game with my team against Central Lutheran Church this evening! I feel the pressure to get well-rested and at least be peachy enough to go out into the field. My team is relying on me, and I can't let them down! (yeah right, they'll probably be just as good without me making mistakes there, hehe...). So say a quick prayer for me (and our team) and for a miracle to happen this evening. =)

Nothing But Them

2005-09-05T09:38:00.000-05:00

This past weekend has been unlike any other for us. About a week ago, we were talking back and forth about what we were wanting to do over Labor Day weekend, whether we were wanting to leave town or to just stay around and chill. We ended up deciding to stay, and to see how the weekend unfolded.

Needless to say, this weekend wasn't completely about us and certainly didn't turn out how we thought it would. On Saturday afternoon, we had the privilege to go into the Reunion Arena at downtown Dallas and to be involved with KIDS CORP., a program set up for the children of the evacuees currently being sheltered there. We worked with kids ranging between the ages of 1 and 12, and just basically spent time playing with them and watching over them in designated play areas that were set up in the arena. It was so much fun interacting with them, and most of them were very happy and contented to be able to just play without having to worry about anything else. However, there were also a number of kids who proved to be more than a handful. Eventually a group of child therapists showed up to work with them in small groups, because these kids obviously had much more on their plate than what we could all see on the surface. Very sad to see, but this was just a small glimpse of the reality of it all.

Then yesterday afternoon, 2 friends from church, Josue and I went to the Christmas Warehouse of the Salvation Army. While there, the guys moved boxes and other items to be taken to the Texas Stadium and other distribution centers as part of the relief effort. In the meantime, Bethany and I sorted out men's, women's and children's socks, t-shirts and underwear. Later, we also joined another group of women putting together toiletry bags that were to be distributed to the evacuees. The warehouse was extremely hot and stuffy with no A/C, but the spirits of the volunteers remained high all throughout. It seemed like a non-stop effort and the donations and volunteer help kept pouring in throughout the afternoon. I also had the chance to meet and work with some really cool people. And we were all there together for the same purpose and with the same hearts.

Yeah, we hadn't imagine the weekend to turn out this way. But we sure wouldn't have it any other.

Tag, I'm It..Again!!

2005-09-02T10:02:00.000-05:00

Ok, I've been tagged again, this time by the Prophecy himself. Here goes...

First Memory: I think this would have to be the memories of my house. From the time I was born until about 3 or 4 (if memory still serves me correctly), our family lived on the top floor of a flat (or apartment, whichever you want to call it) by the beach in Malacca, Malaysia, where I was born. I have somewhat of a memory of my room, but I clearly remember the small sand pit that my dad put together on the balcony and how Aaron and I spent countless of hours playing there. Come to think of it, I must have not been too afraid of heights then since I was constantly on the balcony. Good times. (The picture was also taken on that same balcony.)

First Kiss: My first kiss was sort of 'stolen' away from me. I think I was 16. In high school I got involved in another school's drama production, and this school was an all-boys school. I had previously done "The King and I" there, so the same director called me back for "Sleeping Beauty" as the lead role. Yeah, that in itself was terrifying. I hated love scenes and I knew there was going to be tons of it. ANYWAY, naive little Debbie thought she could get away from the kiss scene where 'the prince' wakes up 'the beauty'. And I think I had told my leading man to kiss me on my cheeks by my mouth. He could've easily faked it and the crowd wouldn't have been able to tell anyway. Needless to say, that didn't happen and the smart little punk kissed me on my lips instead, and it was a long one too!!! I clearly wasn't prepared for that, I was in shock and my body was trembling. Then I became mad at him. But I had to act along until after the show. Everybody in the cast apparently knew about his 'plan' and that this guy had a crush on me this whole time. Unfortunately I didn't like him back. Yeah, I was naive and clueless. Will never forget it.

First Concert: Back in Malaysia when I was in high school, there was a group called K.R.U. and they were a Malay rap group, yes, RAP. I had never been a big fan of the Malaysian pop scene (still am not) but K.R.U. was HUGE and they were actually very good. They kept up pretty well with the fundamentals of hip hop and rap just like the ones in America, except their lyrics were in Malay instead of English. Theirs was the first and only concert I had ever been to in Malaysia. I had a blast.

First love: Remember the "Sleeping Beauty" play I mentioned earlier? During the time of production (which was for about 4 or 5 months), I had developed a good friendship with a guy. He was the tallest Malaysian friend I ever had (6 foot 2 inches, and that's rare for a Malaysian!), and he was one year my senior. He was cute, adventurous, smart and outgoing. We clicked instantly and became good pals. But it wasn't until after the production was over before he asked me out. We dated for about a year and a half. We broke up when he went off to college but continued to keep in touch from then onwards.

First Thing You Think In The Morning: I really don't know. I'm usually so out of it after I wake up to the point that nothing else around me matters. Just ask Josue.

First Book You Remember Loving: It was called "Puss in Boots", part of many Ladybird series of books. I don't know if you can find it today.

First Pet: I never had one myself. My dad was the one who bred all those Bull Terriers in our backyard. I lost count of the number of the dogs that actually came through my dad's care.

First Question You'll Ask In Heaven (if that's allowed): Lord, can I see your face?

First Place You Think of When You Hear The Word Vacation: An island called Penang back home in Malaysia. It's amazing in every way: the endless miles of white sandy beaches, the fun resorts, delicious local food, the fruits, the people, the shopping etc. Yet another reason why I miss home so badly.

First Bestfriend: A Chinese girl named Ming Yee from kindergarten.

Last Time You Dressed Up: When I REALLY dressed up? Truthfully, it would have to be my wedding day last December 4th.

Last Thing You Ate: Cajun Chicken Pasta from Chilli's. Yum...and it comes with a piece of fresh and warm garlic bread.

Last CD Bought: "Turnaround" from Westlife. They're a band from Ireland and they have been a big hit mostly around Europe and Asia. It's amazing enough that I found their CD here in the United States.

Last Time You Cried: Yesterday when I was watching a news coverage on hurricane Katrina. I shed a tear or two, so does that really count as crying?

Last Time You Told Someone You Loved Them: When Josue left this morning for his appointments with some car dealerships.

Last Really Fun Thing You Did: Softball last night. I'm telling you, I'm really starting to love and appreciate the sport! =)

Last Thing You Watched on TV: Seinfield last night, but fell sleep halfway through it.

Last Halloween Costume: Oh goodness, I don't know. I have never been a Halloween person. Besides, I didn't grow up with it since it doesn't even exists back home.

Last Concert Attended: Jars of Clay back in Welcome Week 2002 at ACU. That was also my first concert I had ever attended here in the United States. AND, the first concert that Josue and I ever attended together, and we weren't even dating at that time.

Here's who I'm going to tag next:

Super Mom Kyna

Super Mom Sarah

Husband of Super Mom Kyna

The Juice

My Husband

Katrina

2005-09-01T10:12:00.000-05:00

These past few days have been an interesting period at our household. As you all know by now, the big news is Hurricane Katrina and the devastation she has caused on New Orleans, Gulfport, Biloxi and other surrounding areas. It sort of hit close to home for us because of one of our best friends, Jeremy. (I'm sure he won't mind me blogging about all this.) His parents live in Covington, LA, which is situated on the North Shore, outside of New Orleans. Coincidently, Jeremy flew into town to pay us a visit on Sunday night. So we were all together when everything unfolded Monday morning. We had our TV constantly switched on to CNN and our laptops ready to get onto the internet to find out about anything we could find. Jeremy's mom evacuated and went to stay with her relatives in Miss. His dad, however, stayed behind in New Orleans and dared the hurricane to take pictures for the newspaper. Yeah, we thought, CRAZY, but being a professional photographer that was what he had to do. So we were worried.

For 3 days Jeremy had no contact whatsoever with his parents or even the relative whom his mom was staying with, for obvious reasons. He tried every way he could think of, but to no avail. We carried on normally with life, going out and doing fun activities (as we always do whenever Jeremy's in town), but I know in the back of each of our minds, we were constantly thinking about his parents. We had to presume that his mom was alright since she was in a much safer place when the hurricane came through. And the only way we knew that his dad was also okay was by merely seeing the pictures that he had taken being posted on the newspaper online.

Anyway, Jeremy finally got to talk to his mom last night. She was doing alright and was preparing to go back to their home in Covington today, to see what the damages are. Then this morning, we read something from his dad when he left a comment on Jeremy's blog, telling everyone that he's well, but is experiencing firsthand the awful aftermath of Katrina over there. I was personally relieved to know that Mr. Jackson is doing fine. I bet this was also a nice 'send off' for Jeremy as he departed Dallas this morning. He has been amazingly calm through this whole process. I know I personally would have drove myself insane just worrying if my parents were in the same situation.

Apart from all that, I still have many lingering thoughts and raw emotions--many of which similar to how I felt during the great Tsunami in Southeast Asia a few months ago. And a little while ago I thought I would blog about them, and about the various discussions Jeremy, Josue and I have had these past few days about Katrina. Perhaps this might not be such a good idea. We are each experiencing different emotions as we observe all the happenings, and of course, we are entitled to our own opinions, but considering the current situation and the environment in which it stands, I feel I personally should be more respectful especially of those directly affected by this tragedy.

I have things I want to say. I am both angry and sad, and my heart aches with all those who have to deal with the hurt, pain and loss for many months (or years) to come. New Orleans will never be the same again--not as wonderful as how I remember it to be from my previous 3 trips there. For now though, it's best to keep praying for God to bring comfort and relief to the victims, and to be ready to help monetarily or physically.

And praise God that the Jacksons are just fine. =)

48th Birthday

2005-08-31T08:46:00.000-05:00

August 31st is the day my home country Malaysia celebrates its independence day every year. And the country is into its 48th year this time. The celebration is usually very festive-like and the main event goes on in Kuala Lumpur, the capital city at a place sort of like the Time Square in New York City. It's nothing like the 4th of July here, but still very colorful and very patriotic, mutually celebrated by people of all the different races and ethnicities alike. When I grew up at home, I never thought much about August 31st, but since I left home, I've felt a bigger sense of national pride. I appreciate my home country more and I am proud of where I come from and what I represent.

So "Selamat Hari Merdeka" everyone!

*this means happy indepedence day in Malay*

The Aftermath of Thursdays

2005-08-26T09:37:00.000-05:00

I'm feeling some painful sensation of muscles in my back that I didn't even know existed before. My right arm feels like it's about to dislocate out of the shoulder joint. And the muscles in that arm are screaming 'bloody murder'. On top of all that whenever I walk, my legs feel like they're failing me. Yes, my body is protesting today, but to me, this feels good and liberating!

In case you hadn't caught on to where I'm heading with all this (plus the obvious picture above), I'm playing softball with my church. We're joining a tournament organized by the Dallas Church Softball Association and our first co-ed game is on September 8th. We've been practicing since last Thursday and will have one more next week before we actually play.

Before all this I had no prior knowledge about softball/baseball. I've played catch, but that's about all the experiences I've had. Oh yeah, and maybe once or twice of an actual game back at ACU. But none of this were enough to build a lasting impression in my mind about the game. Watching either one on TV is also a big blur to me. And good luck trying to explain how either game works. I'll just give you a blank stare. That is my history with softball/baseball. (Notice how I'm also somewhat tying both sports as one? I think they're the same, with just a tiny bit of difference. Am I wrong to assume that?)

But after these past 2 Thursdays of practice and much tips and advice from the pros (particularly thanks to Zach Nieland, Rob Singleton and Rick Stevens), I'm actually getting it this time, and I believe it will become a more permanent imprint in my mind since I'm really starting to get how the game works. I've been improving on my batting, catching and running the bases, the tough part is trying to figure out what everyone else is doing and being observant about what's going on around me. The dynamics and rules of the game is still rather confusing to me, but I think I'm starting to understand the basics, thanks to yesterday's drill. I was placed at 2nd base and at the rate the guys were going (yeah, they split up the group and I was the only girl in my group!) I had to make myself learn pretty quick. Overwhelming, but it sure felt good knowing what was going on! I'm not that clueless anymore, and I'm actually starting to appreciate the sport more.

Go softball and go Skillman!

One Year Ago

2005-08-24T10:54:00.000-05:00

This is the "I Am The One" award. The name was tacky, but the honor was priceless. I was the "Employee of The Month" at the front desk of the Renaissance Dallas Hotel exactly a year ago. The way you got this was by nominations from fellow colleagues and supervisors, and the fulfilment of other job requirements. Apart from this plaque, I got a special designated parking spot of my own (didn't matter since I never went to work with a car) and a $100 gift certificate to the hotel's top-notch steakhouse called T-Bones. I took Josue and our dear friend Tim there, so they can tell you how excellent the dinner was. We actually ran up the tab to more than $100 and we were ready to take care of the difference, but the hotel went ahead and took care of the rest for us!

Do I ever miss my job? Yes, for the following reasons:

~The opportunity to work with some of the greatest and smartest people in the hotel business.
~The diversity: I worked with people from all over the world. It was awesome!
~The close interaction I had with my guests and the ability to make friends with those business people who stayed every week at the hotel.
~My colleagues, some of whom I was particularly close to.
~The employee discounts that my family, friends and I got to enjoy while staying at other Marriott properties.
~I was constantly kept busy and required to multi-task all the time.

But then again as I ponder over this more, I have even more reasons to NOT miss my job:
~Having to be at work by 6:30 am every morning and then the occasional evening shift where I'd have to work till 11 pm.
~Having to work on weekends. If I wanted a weekend off, I'd have to put in a special request that might or might not be taken into consideration. Yeah, we had a weekend rotation, but it never went through properly.
~Missing out on church on Sundays and other church-related activities.
~Missing out on hanging out with my friends on Fridays nights since I'd have to go to bed early.
~My sweet hubby would have to take me to work EVERY SINGLE TIME, be it morning or evening shifts.
~The ugly uniforms that I had to wear. No, I do like uniforms, but not the ones we had. Ugh!
~Having to deal with demanding guests, especially businessmen (and women) and those obnoxious NFL football players (I'm not saying specifically WHO).
~Having to work with some incompetent and immature people who thought they were 'all that'. And for some strange reason, management wouldn't get rid of them. I never understood that.
~Josue and I never had much quality time together. He always had me as the 'leftover' because by the time I returned home I'd be so emotionally exhausted.

Based on this last list, perhaps I don't miss my job that much afterall. I wouldn't trade my experiences at the hotel for any other in the world, but I've been moving on since, and just letting God lead me to my next path. It was great while it lasted, I guess. =)

Tag, I'm It!

2005-08-23T13:02:00.000-05:00

I'm back! My blogging vacation was nice, and now I've stuff to actually blog about because I've had plenty of time to think about what I want to blog. While I was gone, I was tagged by Supermom Kyna, about the top 10 jobs I'd hate to work, or wouldn't be able to do. So here's the countdown:

10. Swimming pool cleaner (I see them everyday here at my apartment and they never look like they're having fun)

9. Doctor (I'd get too attached to the patients emotionally)

8. Cashier

7. Carpet cleaner (I already have a hard time just vacumming my own carpet)

6. Construction worker (I'd pass out due to heat-exhaustion during the summer and freeze to death in the winter, oh, and probably injure myself one way or another. Kudos to those who are though, it's really hard work.)

5. Accountant

4. Court judge

3. Telemarketer

2. Sales person

and the number one job I'd hate to do is:

1. Pigeon-poop cleaner (I actually saw this on the Discovery Channel and man, it's really GROSS)

Technically, I'm supposed to tag 5 other people. I know most of my friends wouldn't be too interested in doing this. But if I happen to be wrong and you would like to get tagged after reading this, then let me know by leaving me a comment and I'll get you!

Am I Still Here?!

2005-08-17T17:41:00.000-05:00

This is merely a quick update. I'm personally taking a blogging vacation. There are tons of stuff going on in and out of our household this week and possibly much to blog about. But I'm taking a break because I honestly don't feel like blogging about them all. Sorry to disappoint! I promise I'll be back again soon. In the meantime, I've still been enjoying reading your blogs and keeping up with your lives. Keep 'em coming!!