i'm thinking... (which is always good)

Here's a new label for you.

Are Sunday church services suppose to include preaching? Is that "mandatory?" Does it say somewhere in the Bible that some guy (or gal) has to stand up and deliver a "sermon?" Or is it tradition? If it's tradition then is it a custom that needs to stay? Or can some churches adopt other methods of teaching and it be "ok"?

I've always been fascinated with "how people grow?" It's the title of a book that perhaps one day I will read. But how does an outsider come to the understanding of all the cliches and jargon bridges the gap between this outsider becoming an "insider?"

1pm PST

Were you up?

I sent out an email at 1pm PST and back flies three emails, from LA (ok, same timezone), from London (almost bedtime) and another from Australia (ready for work!). They "just received" my email.

Crazy.

Hong Kong, were you up?

Er... n/m it was 5am.

678

My brother and his high school prom date are getting married on June 7, 08.

...but not to each other.

Reality struck today.

No "S" sizes at the mall. A sharp reminder that I'm now living amongst skinny people. And get this: they're small but fierce. Watch 'em sharp elbows. Buyer beware.

Moving Notice.

We've downsized.

My current bedroom = Mom's old closet

Was mom's closet ginormous or is my room now teeny weeny?

Miss me?

'cause I missed you.

I hope the feelings mutual.

for the two of you who read...

Family trip to Hong Kong, Beijing, and Dad's Hometown...

Please note, I do have more than one shirt...

:)

Beijing Tour...
You can come over and see the pictures... here's just a few.

Stayed at some hotel with hotsprings... and fish who eat the dead skin off your feet. Yeah, that's right. Yum.


Not complete without the Great Wall...


Hometown in "BoGut" and "SakBa"

I started counting... the Chu family, starting from my dad's generation down (four generations currently exist), have about 150 members. About 100 in China. Here are a few...


My "nephew" cutting and peeling sugar cane for his auntie (me) and uncle (Brad).


Lunch after sugarcane...
The centerpiece of meat is "dessert"
Please don't ask what it is... animal activist will be after me.
As Brad said... "And God declared that all was clean..."


Hong Kong...
My dad takes the cousins out to a bar ;)


The tough men. Hmmph!


Me and the HK girl cousins


Dad and I with new shades--totally Honger.


And the highlight? This little guy. My cousin's son. The guy never cries.


This guy is playing in my suitcase... with my femine products.




Mom's too happy... she's itching to be a grandmother. Hah!

book facing.

I'm home now. Home. Is this home?

I think I'm past jetlag now... now it's just pure laziness. Yep. Shelaine is lazy. Get that.

Anyhow, I've discover the world of facebooking. Man, it's worse than MSN or any other IM I've been on before. Does that mean blogspot is a thing of the past?

YES!

Canucks won Game One!!
Yay!
I wanted to scream... but my house is asleep.

I half expected car horns bleeping outside...

but I forgot...

I'm in LA -- they don't watch hockey here :(

still here...

Finally! Pictures!
First week in LA... and I'm reminded that I'm really in Hollywood!
Who's this? Hint... look at chin!


Donald gets his Star...


My car... this was always meant to be driven by me... don't you think?


District Youth Camp... it's "winter-camp"...sunny and warm!


I spoke too soon. Snow the last day... but dude.. the 8 inches on the roads were melted and cleared in four hours! Many of the youths first time seeing snow fall.


Dream Center... an old converted hospital.


Venice Beach Outreach to homeless youth


Mobile Food Truck ministry... bagging cans and cans and cans...


Dream Center interns/volunteers.
A Swede, An Aussie, and an Canadian!


Adopt a Block, pre-meeting. Resembles a rally!


The "Thai Elvis..."


Praying for the city of El Monte


My new calling?


Mrs. Wong... I love this lady! My dancing granny...


The height of domestication... Apple Crumble.

One reason for weight gain. I love "nian gao" so I bought one. It comes out every Chinese New Year. The lady I live with tasted a bit and said, she's had better. So she bought another one. Then a few days later, she saw another company's "nian gao" and bought that one too... So we had three for two people. But she bought them for me because she doesn't even like the stuff! Nian gao is basically, brown sugar and flour. Yep. Sugar flour. 'nuff said.


Happy Chinese New Year... The year of the pig. I went down to Chinatown with some Dream Center folks--we're promoting Chinese culture there..! I don't think I've ever been to the one in Vancity, but here I am in LA, embracing my Chinese-ness!


Getting outta my Chinese-shell... visit to a primarily black church. It was interesting. I told someone the previous night the city I would be going to and he responded, is it a gospel church? I was like.. how does he know? Anyhow, prior to church, I went to Vons (American Safeway) and then I noticed something strange... Everyone was black!? I was in a black neighborhood! So off I go to church and really... I kinda stuck out. But it's all cool. Groovin with my fellow Brothers and Sisters in Christ.

bloody gifts

"It's in you to give"

"Give the gift of life"

For years I have heard these catchy slogans of the copywriters of Canadian Blood Services and other donor services. However, I have not been motivated enough to dial the 1-888 number. Great intentions, but sometimes, intentions are powerless, no matter how noble they may be.

This year we're doing it. Jewls and I have made the appointment for next week because we've been meaning to hang out for weeks. This was our idea of getting together to chill.

And they give you juice and cookies! :p

I figured, my parents fed me well growing up (you need to be over 110 lbs, no problemo!), I'm healthy, and not squeemish with blood so why not?

A great Christmas gift for three people. The lady on the other end of the phone ended the conversation with "You'll be saving three lives this Christmas."

Wow.

Three.

My gift giving and gift buying skills may suck, but perhaps this Christmas I can save a few lives.

And maybe you can too.

A simple phone call and one hour of your time can extend and save the life of three. The multiplication factors are astronomical! Imagine that a young child on their death bed receives your blood... granting him/her 70 years more life!? It's amazing really.

1-888-2-DONATE (1-888-236-6283)