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)

be a citizen.

A little bit of social action.

It won't change the world, but it might bring a smile to a child's face.

Take part in the Samaritan's Purse--Operation Christmas Child. You've got about 10 more days to engage in a bit of humanitarianism. All it takes is a trip to the dollar store + 7 bucks shipping and you're set to go.

Several years ago, I told a high school friend about this and she thought it was one of the neatest ideas around. Despite being a religious organization, my friends aren't Christians yet every year this one frirend organizes our high school group to fill two shoeboxes, while she herself fills about five. Our goal is to make our "kids" the envy of all the other kids(!)... or they might be the one that is beaten up for all the spankin' good toys... oops. Anyhow, we ensure that their box is brimming with goodies... the least we can do.

While in India last year, something caught my eye. The pastors li'l girl was playing with some toys contained in a little box...


Two things struck me.

• It really does get to the people who need it. For this li'l girl, it was the only these were the only "kid-toys" in the house... unless of course you count rope, bottles and other knicknacks that become "toys" in the two-thirds world.
• I was in the part of the world where these boxes are delivered! Amongst the poor of the poor.
  

I was told that the Samaritan Purse vehicle came by the grass hut church and delivered the alotted Christmas boxes to that village--two. Two boxes to a village church with more than ten times that amount of children...


So I encourage you this day... to take a trip to your dollar store and to Safeway (that's the drop off center and also the place to grab shoeboxes if you need).

Participate in simple social action and become a contributing citizen of our great nation of Canada.

The children of the world thank you.

new addiction

I got sucked in. Conned to join. Lured to...

I signed up for a fantasy hockey league.

Ugh!

Never did before, but in my current disillusionment with the 'nucks I'm revolting and starting my own team!

I scored the draft in that I'm drafting first. Did all my "prep work" and ordered my picks, so hopefully we'll stay healthy through the season.

The draft starts in 2.5 hours. I'll be glued to the computer.

Signing off for now.

christians are like...

a pile of manure.

Yep. That's what my prof with a doctorate said on the first day of class.

Like manure, Christians bunched together in a mound isn't maximizing its purpose, but if you spread it around, it fertilizes the ground!

I recalled this as I drove through cow-dung-smelling Langley today...

before i croak...

A 25 year old girl's incomplete list of ten things she wants to do before that day...

1. skydive $234+$95 for video...
2. jeep it thru the safari's in Africa, visit the villages in Peru, ride a sheep in NZ, photograph the cathedrals in Europe, sleep in an igloo in the North and roadtrip from NFL to BC taking travel applicants now--who wants to come with me?
3. take a university course for free after 65 yay free learning!
4. preach in Chinese yup. learn all those big words...
5. write a book definitely a shelaine-esque book
6. own a home to decorate anybody care to buy me one? or else i'll be taking over my brother's home... right?
7. be the creative geniuses behind a documentary no aspirations for hollywood here!
8. start a company/business/or organization nothing corporate, no worries
9. have famous friends... that means YOU need to become famous, k?
10. all that "life stage" stuff blah blah... get married, have kids, watch the grand-kids, have wheelchair races down the hallway of Villa Cathay Care Home... i can take you all down!

Anyone wanna help me?

Uh... as for número diez, don't help. Hah!

heady theories

I've got a headache.

No, it's not from wrestling the ins and outs of theology.

But I've been getting some massive headaches the last little while. I've got a long history with 'em though. In grade 12 I use to get 'em everyday and be "forced" to sleep after school. Or I'd go into the car during church and lay there clutching this head of mine.

Back then it was stress or something like that.

What is it now?

Here are some of my theories:

Hair. Too much of it. I think I need a haircut to reduce the weight on my head! Darn, it didn't help.

Caffeine. Tea and not enough water? I don't drink water thus, I can't eliminate the tea from my body. Ugh.

Dropped. I was dropped on the head a few too many times as a child.

Mouthy-ness. As a kid, I was often decked by my elders for saying the "wrong" thing at the inappropriate times. Ok ok, that wasn't just when I was a kid...

not so wild

I was suppose to be sleeping under the stars tonight...

but Jenn and I got rejected. We made through three rounds of interviews, but not the final cut.

For what? To be on a reality tv-show called Wild At Heart, filmed by the Knowledge Network. It's showcasing people doing adventures in BC Parks. Roughing it for five days...like real no washroom, no outhouses, type camping, and then going for an outdoor adventure. Our episode would have been rock-climbing!

Well, it was a neat experience anyhow. Filling out an application, being called by the screening lady, sending in a photo, thinking we didn't make it through... but being called five months later by the producer lady, going for a face-to-face interview--drinking some nice tea, then getting a rejection email.

Well, maybe next time.

So which television show wants my lovely face?

summer is ova...

Summer is winding down... The big question is did I complete my "summer to-do list?" [See June's archives]

Here's a run-down...

10 summer things to do...

1. skim-boarding
I like to say I did. Well, I tried once. Didn't do very well, but at least I tried it. Jane? I need some help... preferably before my knees can't bend ;)
2. have a real non Chinese-style picnic
I DID! Hung out with some Gladstoners and chilled and ate at the park...
3. get one shade darker...
I'd like to think I got two shades darker... I kinda miss my pastey skin... I think I've got a perma-tan from Sri Lanka last year. Cos it's still there! I musta roasted eh?
4. travel somewhere to stay overnight at least once
Yep. Portland, Whistler, Manning Park, chez Lo's
5. camping [yes i'll brave the elements and rough it; be a real hick]
YEEES. Got rained out, but tried one night!
6. afternoon tea-ing
Yep! Went to Secret Garden... where I threw up on the side of the road...
7. make a friend [like meet a new friend, not create a friend...haha?]
I'd like to think I made a few friends actually. Yah me!
8. read one non-course book [hey, that's quite the task for me k? I'm not an academic.. =)]
I've started some Coupland books... started.
9. strum strum
Started, gained some momentum... then dropped it like a hot potatoe! Gotta pick that up again...
10. put on contacts
Yay! After 3 years and bottles of expired solution, I got 'em in just in time for the wedding!

Well there it is. I think I did pretty well. It's been a different kind of summer. Lots of chillaxing; nothing very productive but I still feel good about it.

But that season's come to an end and it's time to refocus. I'm stoked for fall and what may land.

I'm back.

Not the same, however, more ME than ever.

Thank God for seasons.

Is this where the MTV generation is going?

Social change meets gaming.

So I read an article recently that spoke of this kid... a 49 year old, who just created a videogame about being homeless, supposedly teaching kids to about social issues.

I went to the website and played the game. I'm not sure...

Another example of the commodification of a real need?

Are we too "scared" to get the real experience of walking the streets of East Hastings, handing out food and actually, get this, interact with the homeless?

There was actually a conference designed to help tackle/discuss the issue too: Games for Change Conference.

It's a nice attempt but...

Ai... Don't get me started...

comfort foods (Chinese-style)

What's your comfort foods?

Everytime I come home from a trip, mum makes me "gai lan" or what it is sometimes called "chinese broccoli." I'm not sure how it's called that, because it doesn't have flower heads like the "english broccoli!"

Anyhow... that's my fav veggie. Yum.

And then, there's congee (rice porridge--no really, it really is good)... I usually get that soon after too.

Why do I get these "specific" foods?

Because when I come home from being out-of-town... usually...
1) I didn't eat enough veggies and,
2) I'm nearing sick! Yep, my "hot and cold" gets out of whack...

Everytime I return, I have a sore throat of a sort! Blech!