Snapshots

umm, all the sweets I can't have right now

2010-02-25T11:06:00.004-05:00

a big slice of chocolate cake
a powdered donut
oatmeal raisin cookies
sweet sesame filled rice balls
a moist blueberry muffin
shortbread cookies with buttercream frosting
chinese-style bread with red bean fillings
bubble tea

I enjoyed

2010-02-23T10:48:00.002-05:00

Sau's visit. She brought a lot of food. We did a lot of catch-up. And we watched two movies together. I love this girl!

a long, hearty phone conversation with Bhramara. We exchanged updates in our lives and talked about faith. I am grateful that this friendship is going strong under God's blessing.

baby gifts from my lifegroup girls. The package came as a surprise. I loved every single item.

my favorite psalm

2010-02-19T15:08:00.002-05:00

Psalm 51
For the director of music. A psalm of David. When the prophet Nathan came to him after David had committed adultery with Bathsheba.

1 Have mercy on me, O God,
according to your unfailing love;
according to your great compassion
blot out my transgressions.
2 Wash away all my iniquity
and cleanse me from my sin.

3 For I know my transgressions,
and my sin is always before me.

4 Against you, you only, have I sinned
and done what is evil in your sight,
so that you are proved right when you speak
and justified when you judge.

5 Surely I was sinful at birth,
sinful from the time my mother conceived me.

6 Surely you desire truth in the inner parts [a] ;
you teach [b] me wisdom in the inmost place.

7 Cleanse me with hyssop, and I will be clean;
wash me, and I will be whiter than snow.

8 Let me hear joy and gladness;
let the bones you have crushed rejoice.

9 Hide your face from my sins
and blot out all my iniquity.

10 Create in me a pure heart, O God,
and renew a steadfast spirit within me.

11 Do not cast me from your presence
or take your Holy Spirit from me.

12 Restore to me the joy of your salvation
and grant me a willing spirit, to sustain me.

13 Then I will teach transgressors your ways,
and sinners will turn back to you.

14 Save me from bloodguilt, O God,
the God who saves me,
and my tongue will sing of your righteousness.

15 O Lord, open my lips,
and my mouth will declare your praise.

16 You do not delight in sacrifice, or I would bring it;
you do not take pleasure in burnt offerings.

17 The sacrifices of God are [c] a broken spirit;
a broken and contrite heart,
O God, you will not despise.

18 In your good pleasure make Zion prosper;
build up the walls of Jerusalem.

19 Then there will be righteous sacrifices,
whole burnt offerings to delight you;
then bulls will be offered on your altar.

***********************************
I love it mostly because worshiping God is still a daily struggle for me. I still make wrong choices and act disobedient all the time. I long for the day when my worship and praises for him just comes effortlessly. It takes more practice, I think.

funny

2010-02-18T14:25:00.004-05:00

It is funny how the baby reacts to the food I take in now. He kicked and punched with excitement when I was having spicy fish soup a few weeks ago. And just now the sourness of the clementine I ate gave him a series of hiccups. :)

a historical moment

2010-01-27T08:31:00.002-05:00

Two Chinese women in the Australia Open semifinal! Woohoo!

Too bad Nadal was forced to withdraw due to his knee injury. :(

For the first time I will be watching more women's games than men's.

the laughters are few, so they are more precious

2010-01-06T12:35:00.002-05:00

I was in the bathroom.

My mom: "what are you washing? Let me wash it for you." (since my mobility is restricted.)

Me: "my face!"

:D

in spite of all the crazy things

2010-01-06T12:18:00.002-05:00

Psalm 13
1 How long, O LORD ? Will you forget me forever?
How long will you hide your face from me?

2 How long must I wrestle with my thoughts
and every day have sorrow in my heart?
How long will my enemy triumph over me?

3 Look on me and answer, O LORD my God.
Give light to my eyes, or I will sleep in death;

4 my enemy will say, "I have overcome him,"
and my foes will rejoice when I fall.

5 But I trust in your unfailing love;
my heart rejoices in your salvation.

6 I will sing to the LORD,
for he has been good to me.

***********************************

These verses properly reflect what has been on my mind most of time these days.

In spite of all the things that are happening, I am very grateful for:
1. my husband's devotion and support;
2. my boss' support and understanding;
3. our friends' encouragement and offer of help;
4. God's unfailing love.

fresh out of my new breadmaker :)

2009-12-22T20:28:00.000-05:00

count the blessings

2009-12-20T21:33:00.004-05:00

There are a few not-so-light things on my mind, but I am confidant that I have been receiving quite a few blessings recently, in addition to the ones I take for granted most of the time.

My husband got his FSA certificate a week ago, which is probably the most valuable paper you can get if you are an actuary. I prayed for him the night before he gave his presentation. And God answered it. My husband had not done public speaking before, and his English is not so great. But he told me that on his way to the stage there was this strange calmness and confidance in him. And everything went really well.

One of my paper got accepted by the best journal in fluid mechanics. During my Ph.D. I never dreamt of this day that I would get anything published in that journal. Yet it is happening. I seriously don't think I deserve it.

My baby kicks me everyday now, which is so reassuring. Maybe the day will come soon when I complain about it. But now I am enjoying his every mysterious movement. I call it mysterious, because I have no idea what his position is. :)

I am also grateful for many other things. My husband and my mom get along well. The winter has been warm. God has given me a life of abundance. I am picking up my appetite. I have been making different kinds of food and most of them were success. We have a group of friends here as well. Holidays don't feel bad any more.

a good day

2009-12-11T19:25:00.002-05:00

Rachel, Ciara and I had a really good 2-hour accountability group in the early afternoon. We talked about our relationships with others and with God. I was able to share some of my recent struggles with them.

After I went back to school, Brian and I met for a bit and talked about prayers. He made a few comments that were helpful to resolve my concerns on my prayer life. And it was good to see him again before the holidays.

Then Bhramara informed me over G-chat all the cheering news of the people we both know. We also shared briefly what we had been up to.

Overall, it has been a non-productive but spiritually good day.

the extra pound in me

2009-12-04T16:56:00.004-05:00

Today marks the day that the baby weighs about a pound, well, theoretically. So no more ounces.

I am surprised by how fast the time seems to pass. Don't remind me of the time when I couldn't even take water in. Yeah, short memory is the main reason why women have more than one kids.

I am also surprised by how I feel ready for the baby to come. At least for right now.

I think the thing I expect the most is the love I would experience. It would help me understand more the love God has for me.

anxious anxious

2009-12-01T09:48:00.002-05:00

I stayed awake half of the time last night due to anxiety. I am still feeling overwhelmed by all the things I need to deal with.

Can't wait to see the girls tonight.

I am back!

2009-11-30T10:53:00.003-05:00

There are so many things to do. I am not sure how much I can accomplish in two weeks, but it never hurts to try.

perspectives

2009-11-17T08:49:00.004-05:00

I was really pissed off last night when I went to bed. One of my colleagues made me look bad in his email to me and my boss, despite all the hard work I had done for the paper. I was lying there thinking of the words I could say to fight back. Then my sense gradually came back to me. Why I am valuing what he said so much? Or why am I valuing how my boss sees me so much? Why can't I focus on the blessings that have been given to me? Where am I putting God when I am with anger? Which way is the direction to honor God? Of course, I still tossed and turned for a while before I had a good sleep.

The good news is that both reviews came back rather positive. However, I started to think "hey, it's not impossible. Maybe I could do something for my career after all". Sometimes focusing on my work can make me feel alive and refreshed. This is a scary thought, considering my current situation. And I know for sure that if I keep doing that I would be so stressed out and it would not be worth it. I have to ask myself "what are the things that are the most important in my life? ", and trust that God would provide even though I am out of job and he knows what is best for me. I need to let go my desire of taking control.

a couple of updates

2009-11-03T15:31:00.006-05:00

1. We bought a new car and sold our passat.

our new Pilot

2. We moved into another apartment last weekend.

the view from our bedroom window

3. My mom is here with us. I haven't been feeling well, so she came back to US to take care of me.

so long, my dear passat

2009-10-21T14:25:00.002-04:00

Those were great four years. I will miss you!

the dog that eats basically everything

2009-10-13T10:43:00.004-04:00

Based on my experiments, she eats fruits (fresh or dried), cooked vegetables, candies, rice, noodles, and cereals, along with all the other things dogs love.

since no one else updates their blog

2009-10-02T14:17:00.004-04:00

I had a good birthday. Although my birthday lunch wasn't so impressive since all the places I wanted to go were closed, dinner with my friends was really fun. I was flooded by love.

This week we had three group meetings, which is way too much. Fortunately I didn't have to do much besides sitting there listening. My poor colleague had to rewrite his slides after every meeting.

My first paper with me as the first author got accepted! I am very very very happy about it. It is probably nothing for other people, but I seriously didn't think it would ever happen. I really appreciate the professors I got to work with. They are all very smart, and kind to me (well, most of the time).

Sau's parents have been here with us this week They are such nice people. And they instantly welcomed me into their family, just like what Sau does all the time. Having Sau as my roommate/friend is one of the best things that has ever happened to me.

I have so much shopping to do in the following couple of months, including buying some really big stuff, like a car, and a TV. Yep, it can be quite exciting.

Happy Birthday to myself!

2009-09-27T21:09:00.000-04:00

yay!!!

Go Nadal!!!

2009-09-03T16:06:00.000-04:00

misc

2009-08-11T16:38:00.002-04:00

My parents and I are in AA this week. Starting next week, the condo management office will work on our roof and consequently (why?) our gas will be cut off. So I will probably stay at Jinli's for a couple of days so that I could be properly showered.

Finally one of our tomatos turned red. We picked it before the groundhog gets it who has already eaten two. My dad captured the whole crime act with his camera.

My parents have been wondering about the deers. Yesterday evening they finally saw a few pretty ones in our complex. Yay!

I feel the work stuff is beyond my capacity, so I am trying to take it easy.

so stressed

2009-08-06T10:16:00.002-04:00

I don't know why I am so stressed. I feel my body is collapsing part by part. My neck was weird. And then my stomach hurt. Now my heart is complaining. Today I just want to sit in the couch doing nothing except staring at the pond out of our window.

Yet there is so much to do. But it's probably better for everyone that I take a day off.

recommend a post

2009-08-04T12:56:00.003-04:00

http://stufffchristianslike.blogspot.com/2009/08/594-confessing-sin-to-someone-who-has.html

Both the post and the comments are fun to read and quite enlightening.

***************************

It's time for me to do a little update too.

We had a great weekend. On Saturday we drove to Indianapolis, had lunch at the sushi buffet place, and walked around the lovely downtown area. My impression is that people there must love to remember the wars. They have built several structures for all kinds of wars. We also played a lot of cards at home, which was super fun.

Work is still busy. It doesn't feel like there is a end to it although we are trying to catch some deadline. Can't wait to take a week off.

My parents are in town this week. They were bonding with Mo pretty quickly, so that's good. I plan to take them to zingerman's sometime.

maybe i should go back to this because it's easier this way

2009-07-28T10:05:00.003-04:00

I love the onion bagel with cream cheese that I just ate. Hmm, so good.

Usually I don't like the cloudy weather before the rain, but it fits me today.

I am thankful that I could focus on my work for a certain amount of time everyday.

My dad prepared plenty of food for me for this entire week.

an update, and some more

2009-07-27T23:04:00.004-04:00

I had a great weekend. Although there was a lot of driving, I felt heavily blessed for the weather, our safety and all the fun we had. The forecast said raining all weekend, but it stopped after we got to traverse city. And Saturday was all blue sky and cool breeze. My parents and my husband enjoyed very much the stunning view of the dunes and the beautiful beach at grand haven. We are planning another trip back to the beach.

I got to have dinner with Xin this evening. She is doing great at her job, and she truly deserves it. I have also been working hard on my papers, which kind of makes me think it might not be totally impossible for me to pursue academia. However, I am already having a hard time finding the balance between my life and my work. I can't imagine how stressed I would be if I were her.

*************************

Maybe God uses difficult choices to help us see what is more important to us. From time to time I whine to God "take me away" when I feel so sick and tired of this world. However, that's probably not the way it should be. God is not my backup plan.

*************************
Work could be comforting because you usually get the fruit of what you put in. On the other hand, relationships are more risky. Sometimes we screw up badly, yet we are given a second chance. Sometimes we pick up a great relationship easily along the road. Sometimes we work hard on it, but there is nothing to harvest. Fortunately it's all part of his plan.

so to summarize

2009-07-20T13:44:00.003-04:00

I had a good weekend.
---I got to spend time with my family.
---We had friends over for dinner.
---We played cards everyday.
---I had a lot of food.
---My husband bought me a lovely purse.

And I am looking forward to a long weekend by the beach!

I need you

2009-07-14T13:47:00.003-04:00

God, I need you for the wisdom to know what is good and the strength to make the right choice.

I need you to take over every time when I am about to choose

...my pride over being humble.

...fighting back over showing grace.

...irritation over patience.

...guilt over peace.

...my pleasure over you.

recommend a blog (Thanks Brian for sharing)

2009-07-14T11:02:00.003-04:00

This is great:

http://stufffchristianslike.blogspot.com/2009/06/562-making-god-almost-all-powerful.html

oh, and this one.

http://stufffchristianslike.blogspot.com/2009/07/579-forgiving-people-who-didnt.html

Mirror Mirror

2009-07-13T14:28:00.004-04:00

As some of you might recognize this title, I did watch a couple of House espisodes this weekend. In this specific episode, this patient mimicked and emotionally empathized with whoever played the dominant role around him.

I have found that I often possess the same syndrome. I let my emotions heavily affected by people I care about, and consequently lose sight of what God has in store for me.

There is probably nothing wrong to have this syndrome. What is wrong is that I mistake some human beings instead of God to be the dominant role. When they expose their imperfection inevitably, I am doomed to be dragged down with them.

The solution is right there in the light, which is letting God take control of my life, but it is a constant struggle to carry it through.

ay, parents!

2009-07-09T13:42:00.003-04:00

It's awesome to have them here. Too bad I have to leave them with my husband next week.

In some way I am treating them like kids. They are curious about things and want to explore the places, but they don't have a cell phone with them, so I get worried.

This morning I dropped them off at Busch's and left my phone with them. When I called them around noon, they just got off the bus and apparently walked toward the wrong direction. After 15 mins, I called them again to see if they got home finally. They didn't answer the phone. Then I made a quick trip back home to check on them.

I imagine it would be so much harder for me to let go my child if I ever have one. There is really nothing much I can do. I can only trust in God for the protection I need for all my loved ones.

God has been good to me

2009-07-08T10:28:00.002-04:00

I am very thankful for my parents' safe trip and all the trips I have been taking.

He has given me the strength to do the work I don't want to do.

He has been watching over my relationships.

He is the comfort to my heart when I feel down, irritated, angry, or sad.

He is the only steady force in my life.

alright

2009-06-30T22:54:00.002-04:00

2009-06-30T11:03:00.002-04:00

I haven't been feeling like sharing my life here recently. Or maybe I just don't have that much to say.

irritated

2009-06-29T14:37:00.000-04:00

thank you

2009-06-26T10:58:00.002-04:00

My friends, thank you for your comments on my blog, for having lunch/dinner with me, for chatting with me on gchat, for taking a walk with me, for your emails, and above all for helping me see that you love and care about me.

books

2009-06-25T15:34:00.002-04:00

I have been into fiction since I read the twilight. I just finished "my sister's keeper", and I will read "brave new world" before "the time traveler's wife" gets delivered to my door.

I am back!

2009-06-23T11:35:00.004-04:00

It's nice to be back in Ann Arbor and hang out with my friends. Now my typical week only gives two nights to myself, so my schedule is a little bit busy this week since there is lots of catching up to do.

Brian and I met yesterday afternoon in his office and chatted a bit. Jinli, Sau and I went to Red Robin for dinner. The burger was so so good.

Ciara and I are having lunch today. Then this evening I am going to help Jinli pick a new car at the dealer's.

My research group are probably going out for lunch tomorrow. After work I need to go to costco to run some errands.

Hopefully Brian and I will get to have lunch together on Thursday or Friday.

Thursday night is my d-group. And I will drive to FW on Friday afternoon. Rui and her husband are coming up to FW to visit us this weekend.

Phew!

:)

2009-06-19T23:23:00.003-04:00

Today we hiked in the mountain, walked on the beach, and had a nice dinner by the lake. I am very thankful.

awesome!

2009-06-17T19:27:00.002-04:00

This conference place is spectacular! It is surrounded by mountains. The room is very nice. The weather this week is gorgeous.

woohoo!

i am fine

2009-06-16T16:32:00.002-04:00

I am feeling fine now, except that my stomach is still a little upset.

I am still in Indiana now, but we will drive back to AA tonight. We fly to Reno the first thing tomorrow morning, and then fly back on Sunday.

I hope you all have a great week!

sick

2009-06-14T10:52:00.002-04:00

I had a little bit fever plus a big headache, and my stomache was really upset. It is not THE flu though. Probably the result of stress + cold.

sort of a mess

2009-06-12T23:49:00.007-04:00

Recently I have been troubled and confused by a friendship. There was a lot of miscommunication. What I said was interpreted in a different way from my original point, even after I spent certain length of time on explaining myself. In the meantime, I probably got the wrong message as well. We both felt frustrated and hurt. And most likely there are deeper issues involved for both of us. Anyway, it was a total mess.

The good thing is that we both love God and desire to love each other like Christ loved us, even though we are not able to do it right now. I need to humble myself and leave it to God. The more I try to fix it, the more messy it will probably be. I hope it would be long-lasting friendship that builds us up. However, it is not my call.

insecurity is poison to relationships

2009-06-11T11:18:00.002-04:00

Prescription: find our true identities through God's eyes

Yup.

:D

2009-06-10T14:40:00.001-04:00

Q: Doctor, I've heard that cardiovascular exercise can prolong life. Is this true?
A: Your heart is only good for so many beats, and that's it... don't waste them on exercise. Everything wears out eventually. Speeding up your heart will not make you live longer; that's like saying you can extend the life of your car by driving it faster. Want to live longer? Take a nap.

Q: Should I cut down on meat and eat more fruits and vegetables?
A: You must grasp logistical efficiencies. What does a cow eat? Hay and corn. And what are these? Vegetables. So a steak is nothing more than an efficient mechanism of delivering vegetables to your system. Need grain? Eat chicken. Beef is also a good source of field grass (green leafy vegetable). And a pork chop can give you 100% of your recommended daily allowance of vegetable products.

Q: Should I reduce my alcohol intake?
A: No, not at all. Wine is made from fruit. Brandy is distilled wine, that means they take the water out of the fruity bit so you get even more of the goodness that way. Beer is also made out of grain. So have a cup now and then!

Q: How can I calculate my body/fat ratio?
A: Well, if you have a body and you have fat, your ratio is one to one. If you have two bodies, your ratio is two to one, etc.

Q: What are some of the advantages of participating in a regular exercise program?
A: Can't think of a single one, sorry. My philosophy is: No Pain...Good!

Q: Aren't fried foods bad for you?
A: YOU'RE NOT LISTENING!!! ...... Foods are fried these days in vegetable oil. In fact, they're permeated in it. How could getting more vegetables be bad for you?

Q: Will sit-ups help prevent me from getting a little soft around the middle?
A: Definitely not! When you exercise a muscle, it gets bigger. You should only be doing sit-ups if you want a bigger stomach.

Q: Is chocolate bad for me?
A: Are you crazy? HELLO Cocoa beans ! Another vegetable!!! It's the best feel-good food around!

Q: Is swimming good for your figure?
A: If swimming is good for your figure, explain whales to me..

Q: Is getting in-shape important for my lifestyle?
A: Hey! 'Round' is a shape!

Well, I hope this has cleared up any misconceptions you may have had about food and diets. And remember: 'Life should NOT be a journey to the grave with the intention of arriving safely in an attractive and well preserved body, but rather to skid in sideways - Chardonnay in one hand - chocolate in the other - body thoroughly used up, totally worn out and screaming 'WOO HOO, What a Ride'

AND.....

For those of you who watch what you eat, here's the final word on nutrition and health. It's a relief to know the truth after all those conflicting nutritional studies.

1. The Japanese eat very little fatand suffer fewer heart attacks than Americans.

2. The Mexicans eat a lot of fatand suffer fewer heart attacks than Americans..

3. The Chinese drink very little red wine and suffer fewer heart attacks than Americans.

4. The Italians drink a lot of red wineand suffer fewer heart attacks than Americans.

5. The Germans drink a lot of beers and eat lots of sausages and fats and suffer fewer heart attacks than Americans.

CONCLUSION

Eat and drink what you like.Speaking English is apparently what kills you.

woohoo

2009-06-09T13:25:00.003-04:00

My boss is out of town. And he will be gone for 40 days, which will be a serious test on my self-discipline. The good (?) thing is that I have some deadlines that will keep me going.

Jen and I had lunch at Yotsuba today. I enjoyed the food and the company. Thanks, Jen!

I have been having struggles with some of my relationships. On one hand, I am frustrated by the fact that I seem to have relational frictions all the time. On the other hand, God probably sees it as the most effective way of molding my characters. So I will just have to deal with it.

Btw, if you have time, read this beautiful post:

http://audreycaroline.blogspot.com/2009/06/her-here.html

good things that happened last weekend

2009-06-08T14:16:00.003-04:00

1. Brian and Dem got married on Saturday. It was a happy wedding. I am grateful that I got to be part of it.

2. We had a safe trip. There was a little bit traffic on our way back, but overall it was a smooth trip. Bhramara and I spent some quality time together.

3. Although it was cold up north, I didn't get sick.

4. Tommy and I were able to chat a bit during the reception. (Keep on blogging, Tommy!)

5. Jinli made me dinner on Sunday evening. It was good to have some home-made Chinese food again.

this week

2009-06-04T11:07:00.003-04:00

Overall I have had a productive week, mostly due to the fact that my boss has been working down here in the lab with us, for some mysterious reason.

Jinli and I went to see "up" last night. It was good, but sad. I don't think the ending was a happy ending either. :(

Brian and I had lunch yesterday. I told him that I felt like I had been watching him grow up. And now he is getting married, in two days! It kind of makes me feel old. :)

5 more months to go

2009-05-31T23:02:00.002-04:00

I hope there would be some closure to what I have done. I need to make it happen so that I can leave this place with peace.

I think I have had enough Michigan winters.

updates

2009-05-28T10:56:00.002-04:00

My memorial day weekend was pretty good. I cooked and ate quite a bit, watched the new "terminator", which was not as bad as the reviews said, went to Indianapolis, and did a little bit house-hunting. There was this awesome Japanese seafood buffet place in Indianapolis we really liked. I will take you there if you come down to visit us. :)

This week has been just fine. Sau and I went to Howell outlet mall yesterday after work. It was fun. I found some stuff I needed at a good price, such as kitchen scissors, and sandals.

I haven't gone back to the working mode yet, but I have to. There are tons of stuff to finish and several deadlines to meet. So yay!

the strainer list

2009-05-26T09:57:00.005-04:00

This one is for Ciara. She posted one entry about the strainer list and asked me to make my list as well. The following is what I have got so far.

I hope I never...
1. wake up to find that all my hair has fallen off my head.
2. wake up to find that I am walking naked on the street.
3. can't locate the keypad of a phone when I need to make an emergency call.
4. can't fully close the door while some wild animal is approaching me.

I think they are running out of titles for movies

2009-05-22T10:05:00.002-04:00

Just check out the ones in theatre or coming soon:

Ghosts of Girlfriends Past
Ghosts of the Heartland
The Girlfriend Experience

counting

2009-05-20T11:19:00.002-04:00

I dare not say I am working hard, but I am definitely working harder and will continue this way until Friday.

God keeps on amazing me by how he works in my life. Something that was unpleasant to me in the moment was actually good for me, and what he gave me was what I had been asking for. My heart is at peace.

We will continue our house-hunting this weekend. And we will watch the "terminator" with a couple of friends. A trip to Indianapolis is also in our plan. Some clothes shopping would be nice. And maybe I will get to see an old friend of mine.

ooooh a home?

2009-05-18T10:56:00.005-04:00

Last Saturday we went to see a realtor recommended by a friend. He is nice and talkative, not very logical though. Anyway, he set up a few houses to show us on Sunday morning.

The weather was beautiful, which made every house look lovely. I liked the first one, which is really cute with a glass room outside the living area and a large deck area with an awesome pond view. The interior decoration is neat. And the whole neighborhood looked decent. The drawbacks were that the living area is too small, and all the bedrooms are upstairs.

Then we looked at two other houses. They all have their good and bad sides. To be honest, growing up in apts, any of those houses is good enough for me. :) Since we are not quite sure whether or not we will be able to stay in US for a long time, the key is that whatever we buy need to have a good resale position.

Why not keep on renting? You might ask. Well, now it is relatively good time to buy a house. And most houses there are affordable. So even under the worst circumstance, we won't be financially desperate. Besides, it's so much fun in the beginning! :)

so far so good

2009-05-13T11:08:00.005-04:00

It is Wednesday already! I am not sure whether it's a good thing or not. :)

Some work issues are weighing on my mind. I need to be more self-disciplined and just get down to them. Other than that, things have been going fine this week.

We had an awesome lifegroup on Monday.

My husband seems to be having peace with his current job.

I got to meet Brian yesterday and chatted a bit.

Sau, her Brian, and I played some tennis at abount 9:30pm last night. That was fun!

I am all set with where to spend my professor's extra money by the end of this financial year.

We have plenty of food at home and Sau plans to make more.

I was wandering away, but God is working on my heart.

There are also a few things to look forward to in the next few days. Lunch with Rachel and Joy. My d-group. Dem's party. Home-made food. Star Trek. Furniture shopping. Possibly farmer's market on early Saturday morning.

upgrade

2009-05-12T15:33:00.006-04:00

iphone?

2009-05-11T16:24:00.002-04:00

Our cell phone contract is up, so I plan to get new phones, and possibly a new plan for me and my husband. The rumor says that there will be a new iphone out sometime this summer. I have been waiting for that to happen, but I am still debating about whether getting an iphone is such a good idea. I know it's cool, but most of the time I will just use it as an ordinary cell phone.

Hmm...

what I have been up to

2009-05-07T14:02:00.010-04:00

I am addicted to this website, where you can earn "money" by parking cars, harvesting plants, raising animals, etc. And then you can buy apartments and decorate the rooms.

I am still on the entry level, so here is what I have got so far.

my bedroom. Dogs are expensive, so I bought a cat. :)

my living room. I can't afford any electronics yet.

I went almost broke after I bought the toilet. So, yeah, you won't be able to wash your hands in my bathroom, unless you are willing to take a shower.

There is nothing in my kitchen yet. I need one more week of work to afford a refrigerator.

Some people can be really creative at decorating their rooms. I think I have an alright taste, but I am not the creative type. So my rooms will be practical, comfort and cute, I think. :)

Yay!

2009-05-07T10:43:00.002-04:00

My parents' visa application got approved this morning. The process was extremely smooth. Now the next question is: what can they bring from China for me?

2009-05-04T10:47:00.003-04:00

I haven't been in a blogging mood lately. There are so many things to do, and I am always going somewhere. I didn't even have time to watch "House".

I need more quiet time for myself.

so much to be grateful for

2009-04-27T13:25:00.003-04:00

God made the whole moving deal extremely smooth.

Bhramara and I were able to have d-groups on the phone in despite of where we were.

Sau made me very tasty chicken pasta and marinated zuccinni last night. And I had the leftovers for lunch today.

Our 2-bed 2-bath apt in FW is spacious, neat, convenient, and costs less than half of what we paid in NY for a nasty one-bed apt.

I have had so much good food over the past 10 days.

We got to hang out with some old friends.

We went to his old church last Sunday.

FW: our new apt

2009-04-25T14:34:00.006-04:00

from the master bedroom window

part of our living room

the kitchen area

the beautiful dining table set I assembled yesterday afternoon

NY: Bronx Botanical Garden

2009-04-25T14:13:00.006-04:00

the conservatory

some sort of tulip

cherry blossom

Bronx river, bridge, yellow wild flowers

a small water fall

a brief update

2009-04-23T22:05:00.002-04:00

I flew to NY on Friday afternoon. My husband picked me up and then we met up an old friend/roommate of mine and had dinner together. I hadn't seen her for 4~5 years, but it didn't feel that way.

On Saturday we went to Bronx Botanical Garden. It was beautiful there. Lots of cherry blossoms. I will post some pictures later. The next few days we were basically packing and eating. It wasn't bad at all.

We took off at 10am on Wednesday morning, stopped a few times for gas, food, etc., and arrived at Ann Arbor around 8:30pm. Then we drove from Ann Arbor to Fort Wayne today. Signed the lease. Bought a lot of stuff. Did tons of organizing. Now I am exhausted.

Overall I am thankful that the whole trip has been very smooth. God has been protecting our safety and pouring blessings into our lives.

the most common symptoms in House

2009-04-16T21:22:00.004-04:00

I have been addicted to watching "House". My impression is that these symptoms show up quite frequently.

1. seisure
2. respiratory distress or arrest
3. vomitting blood
4. skin rash
5. heart failure
6. liver or kidney failure
7. delusion
8. numbness

Common diagnosis are
1. CT
2. MRI
3. lumbar puncture
4. medical history
5. search the patient's home illeagally
6. whole body scan
7. laboratory diagnosis

Causes might be
1. tumor, or sometimes cancer
2. infection
3. virus

Btw, it`s never Lupus!!!

Once upon a time

2009-04-13T14:51:00.001-04:00

I had a kitten just like this one, for one night.

Happy Easter!

2009-04-12T10:35:00.002-04:00

I am thankful that

--- Jinli walked mo for me this afternoon. And she brought me food too.
--- my cells are alive.
--- I was able to make the visa interview appointment for my parents. This time I didn't have any problem with the calling card. And the date and time is perfect. God rocks!

I love chocolate raspberry tart

2009-04-10T21:57:00.001-04:00

keep on counting my blessings

2009-04-09T10:52:00.005-04:00

On Tuesday night I tried to make the visa appointment for my parents. Strangely there was only one day available which was too close for them to be ready. I was a little bit frustrated, because I just checked online and it showed that there were open slots on much more desirable dates.

I had no idea of what's going on, so I decided to wait a few more days.

Then last night my mom told me that some information was wrong in one of her application forms. She was given a new passport when she renewed it a couple of years ago. So I used her old passport number while filling out the form.

So I would have been more frustrated now if I did make that appointment for them using the wrong passport number. I would need to do everything all over again and waste more money.

It struck me how God takes care of me even on this kind of trivial things. He doesn't want to put me through unnecessary trials. Most of the time it is hard for us to see our blessings. Sometimes we just assume things happen. The truth is that there is no coincidence. Or as Albert Einstein said, "Coincidence is God's way of remaining anonymous".

a good day

2009-04-08T13:47:00.002-04:00

Things went well at our group meeting. My boss was happy with everyone, or he was just in a good mood. Either way is good. He even told me that I could stay in Indiana with my husband when I don't have experiments, without me asking for it. I am so so grateful.

the weekend

2009-04-06T10:47:00.006-04:00

On Friday Jinli and I went to Madra Masala for dinner. I really like their curry lam dish. And then we walked around for a bit.

Ciara and I had brunch at flim flam on Saturday. We hadn't had a chance to talk to each other for weeks. It was great to catch up with her and enjoy a tasty omelette with both ham and bacon in it. Then Jinli, Bhramara and I went to Howell. The weather was nice, so it's perfect for shopping at an outlet mall. We all did a good job to stimulate the economy.

On Sunday I got up early to greet at our church. And I loved being a greeter. Smiling was pretty natural to me. I guess it makes me happy seeing people coming to the services. Then Sau and I had lunch at Asian Legend. After that, I worked in the office for a little bit.

In the evening, I finally had the time and energy to make the raspberry tart. It was a success. Also, I ate some delicious fish taco Sau made.

All in all, a lot of food + quality time with friends = a great weekend.

2009-04-03T10:23:00.003-04:00

It's Friday! My breakfast was a slice of the lemon pound cake Sau made last night. Yummy!

Today I don't plan to do much. Continue my simulation, mail out the document for my parents, and maybe work a bit in the lab.

I liked the d-group last night. And I am so thankful that Bhramara will stay here for at least one more year.

Everything is still up in the air. Good thing is that I know I am being taken care of.

2009-03-31T14:31:00.004-04:00

Brian and I had lunch together. I shared with him the things on my plate, plus the awesome story I heard at the conversation group. He was very understanding and encouraging. It was nice.

It turned out that the acceptance notice of my abstract for a conference was sent to my professor instead of me. So I will get to spend some summer time by Lake Tahoe after all. Yay!

The last couple of weeks has been difficult for me. But I feel that God has been with me to provide strength and peace. Also, he has been using my friends to lift me up. I don't know how to live without him.

2009-03-30T22:44:00.001-04:00

I am grateful that

--- my lifegroup was supportive of my decision
--- I could take the afternoon off to get some rest
--- I worked in the lab a bit in the morning

2009-03-29T13:02:00.006-04:00

I am grateful for

3/28, Saturday

--- having dinner with Sau, Renuka and Zeta
--- having time to work on my parents' visa application
--- the warm weather

3/29, Sunday

--- Mincheol and Xiaofeng, whom I brought to church, having enjoyed the service
--- no rain or snow in the morning
--- the 1-hr phone conversation with Bhramara

2009-03-27T16:12:00.002-04:00

Today is one of those bad-but-not-that-terrible days. I am thankful that my husband was very understanding and encouraging. Besides, there is something to look forward to: having dinner with Dr. T!

2009-03-25T10:20:00.003-04:00

I am grateful that

--- the secretary appreciated my thank-you gift.
--- God is keeping my spirit up.
--- Meijer has awesome country-style pork ribs.

a great day

2009-03-24T11:17:00.007-04:00

I am grateful that

--- a secretary in our department is a notary and she generously put her work aside to notarize all of my documents for me;
--- I finally figured out what the bug in my simulation was. I had been struggling with it for over a week.
--- the guy working at the post office was kind enough to let me change my mailing option even after the previous transaction was finalized.
--- Karen found the slice from last Sunday for me. It was very humbling.
--- I heard one of the most amazing true stories at my conversation group.

2009-03-23T22:56:00.002-04:00

I am grateful that

--- Bhramara emailed and called me to lift up my spirit. Thanks friend!
--- my professor took time to help me with the problem in my simulation
--- I came up with more than 12 stories with the help of my lifegroup

crazy

2009-03-23T14:04:00.001-04:00

Three plane crashes? What's going on?!

2009-03-22T21:21:00.001-04:00

I am grateful for

--- taking it easy today
--- taking a walk with Jinli and mo after dinner
--- all kinds of food at home

2009-03-21T21:45:00.004-04:00

I am grateful for

3/21, Saturday
--- the delicious and nutritious brunch Bhramara and Diana made
--- having hotpot with Jinli, Xin, and Yong
--- the long walk with friends and mo after dinner

3/20, Friday
--- my husband's call during lunch time
--- finding some tasty snacks
--- having fun at Karen's b-day party

3/19, Thursday
--- getting home early
--- the weather
--- a quiet evening

2009-03-18T20:50:00.003-04:00

I am grateful that

--- things might not be that bad.
--- Sau shares some of my culture so that she could easily understand my situation.
--- Bhramara called.
--- I got to talk to Jia a bit in the afternoon.

2009-03-17T22:52:00.002-04:00

I am feeling pretty broken right now. Our father in heaven, thank you for choosing me to be yours so that I can take comfort in you at times like this.

I am also grateful for bumping into my friend Xin and having lunch with her, for having Sau as my roommate, and for having a friend like Bhramara.

2009-03-16T22:48:00.002-04:00

I am grateful for
--- this beautiful day
--- lots of fun at our lifegroup's special game night
--- walking mo in this nice community. And she was being good today.

2009-03-15T20:50:00.005-04:00

I am grateful that
--- Bhramara gave Joy and me ride to the church and we got to hang out a bit.
--- the weather was perfect.
--- I finished the application letters, and Bhramara generously offered her help to proof read them.
--- Sau, Jinli and I walked Mo in the evening and saw many big, beautiful houses on our way. And then we had dinner together. My strawberry trifle was a success.

It has been a very good weekend.

2009-03-14T21:33:00.002-04:00

The weather was perfect. Rachel, Matt and I met up at a japanese restaurant at novi for lunch today. The food there never disappointed me.

Then we went to 12 oaks. Joy joined us a little bit later. We bought stuff here and there. After that we all went to costco. Too bad Joy didn't find the item she wanted.

Overall it has been a wonderful day.

2009-03-13T21:05:00.004-04:00

Today has been a bit slower than I hoped. The weather was really nice though. I came home early to walk Mo with Sau. It is always pleasant and comforting to chat with her. I am really grateful for that.

Brian and I had lunch today. It was nice to catch up with him, even just to talk about the little things. I would say that our friendship now is worth all the conflicts and fights we have had over the years. We both worked hard for it. But honestly I don't want to go through those with another friend again. :)

Originally Sau and I planned to see Yoyo ma tonight, but I cancelled on her because I have some work to do. I had dinner with her and Brian P. instead at an Indian restaurant. My curry lamb dish was really really good. I was very happy with my food.

2009-03-12T15:18:00.003-04:00

It is a little bit chilly, but it is good to have the sun out. Yesterday was totally wasted, and today I haven't done much yet. I am glad though that I have figured out what I want to add to my current experimental system within our budget.

It will be a busy weekend ahead. I have a deadline on Sunday, while I plan to hang out with some friends on Friday night and do some shopping with some other friends on Saturday. I guess I will have to work harder tonight and tomorrow.

I am reading 4~5 books in parallel, which is not a good idea. For the past week I have been indulged in the twilight saga. It was fun for a while. Now I want to get back to the good old Philip Yancey.

Some of my friends have been good at keeping me in touch by emails and calls. Also, Trudi and I picked up our online scrabble game. At home my roommate is awesome as usual. All these helped me fight my insecurity about relationships.

God is good.

2009-03-11T20:41:00.002-04:00

I am grateful that

--- my husband got back to NY safely
--- I was able to have a slow day
--- the fruit smoothie from costco is tasty

2009-03-10T10:28:00.005-04:00

I probably need to go back to daily posting. It is hard to keep track of things weekly.

************************************
I am grately for

3/2, Monday
--- getting some writing done
--- my blue parking permit, which allows me to do a lot of things during my lunch break
--- Philip Yancey's writing

3/3, Tuesday
--- Joy's encouragement
--- Brian's email
--- hanging out with Jinli

3/4, Wednesday
--- getting into bed early
--- warm weather
--- Bhramara's call

3/5, Thursday
--- having lunch with Brian
--- watching the office
--- getting quite a bit work done

3/6, Friday
--- my husband flying here safely
--- enjoying reading "twilight"
--- a relaxing day in general

3/7, Saturday
--- hanging out with my husband
--- Sau having had a good trip
--- Xin's hotpot party

3/8, Sunday
--- going to church with my husband
--- more reading
--- taking a walk after dinner

3/9, Monday
--- warm and sunny weather. By saying warm, I meant above 32F.
--- my husband appreciating my cooking
--- Brooke Fraser's voice, talent and faith

3/10, Tuesday
--- the decaf latte from sweetwaters
--- a sort of date night with my husband
--- my professor being happy with my work

still anxious

2009-03-09T17:00:00.002-04:00

I am still anxious for no good reasons. Last week was actually a pretty good week. But I have been having some mild headache and bad dreams. Sometimes it is difficult to breathe. And my mind is so stuffed that I feel dizzy.

A vacation away from Ann Arbor would be helpful.

anxious

2009-03-05T11:14:00.002-05:00

I might be having some anxiety issues. I woke up in the middle of the night fighting against all kinds of thoughts, which made me feel extremely tired today.

My only comfort was from Psalm 4:8.

"I will lie down and sleep in peace,
for you alone, O LORD,
make me dwell in safety."

random thoughts about relationships

2009-03-04T16:44:00.005-05:00

To me, what is the most rewarding and beautiful thing in a relationship is to see the character maturity and spiritual growth in the other party, and realize how I am turning into a better person myself.

In the mean time, it would be very frustrating if there is no sign of any sort of character evolving in that person. Possibly I would find myself not so likable either around that person. At certain point I probably have to call it quit and stop regarding it as a relationship worth nurturing any more. It does not mean I would stop caring for that person, but she or he would not be someone I would count on or want to spend much of my time with.

out of touch

2009-03-02T10:00:00.002-05:00

I have been feeling out of touch from the rest of the world. How weird. All I am giving up for this month is only a few little things.

2009-03-01T13:26:00.006-05:00

I have found that it is easier to write about things I enjoy other than the things I am grateful. The difference is that sometimes what I enjoy is not necessarily good for me, such as online shopping. So from now on I will stick with things that are good, even though I have been having a hard time to find them in the past week.

***************************
I am grateful for

2/23, Monday
--- the sunshine, sunshine!
--- Trudi calling me to catch up
--- all the girls in my lifegroup

2/24, Tuesday
--- the tasty coffee
--- nice weather
--- having dinner with Jen, Jinli, Rachel and Sau

2/25, Wednesday
--- having someone to talk to when I needed to
--- getting some work done
--- having peace over things

2/26, Thursday
--- the warm weather
--- the noodle soup
--- a quiet evening

2/27, Friday
--- having dinner with Sau, Brian and their friends at Casey's
--- finding some bowls I like at Ikea
--- the wisdom God gave me to handle the conflicts with my husband in a mature way

2/28, Saturday
--- Rui calling me to chat casually in the morning
--- having lunch and hanging out with Bhramara. Three hours felt like nothing.
--- staying warm at home in a cold night

3/1, Sunday
--- sleeping in
--- the tasty tofu Sau made. Seriously, it is really really good!
--- Sau making us the crab meat pasta for dinner, and soup, and dessert! I know, I am a lucky roommate.

houses

2009-02-28T16:58:00.001-05:00

Tudor style house is like the boy I have a crush on but not necessarily marry to. :)

dream vacation

2009-02-25T13:52:00.004-05:00

Today is so warm that it is perfect for some day-dreaming.

So my vacation would be in a small European town by the sea. People are friendly there. The weather is warm and sunny. There has to be a coffee shop with tasty lattes, and a few restaurants with outdoor seats. I can find all sorts of goodies at the local farmer's market. In the afternoon I would take a nap. After dinner I will walk by the shore and watch the color of the sky change. The town has so few people that everyone would be able to call my name in a week or 2.

This is what I have got for now.

Ann Arbor is becoming more interesting

2009-02-24T13:42:00.008-05:00

Brian and I were on our way to lunch. Strangely there were so many people at commons. Since this week is spring break, we both thought it's weird. Soon we realized that they were shooting a movie. Brian even remembered that Hillary Swank was the leading actress.

Then on our way back, while we were talking, two ladies walked past us from the other direction. One of them was Hilary Swank! Brian didn't really noticed that, but I pointed her out to him. She is very skinny, and looks much more girlie than her characters.

Even though I am not a big fan of her, it was still pretty exciting. After all she has won the oscar twice. Now I am hoping that I would bump into Hugh Jackman, or Christian Bale, or Edward Norton on the street, and casually say to them like "hey, Hugh, looking good!" :D

Oscar night

2009-02-22T22:12:00.005-05:00

Currently my favorite actress is Anne Hathaway. She is so pretty and so talented. Btw, highly recommend "becoming Jane" and "Rachel getting married".

My favorite actors are Hugh Jackman, Christian Bale, and Edward Norton.

I have no problem with "slumdog millionaire" getting many awards, but "the dark knight" deserves much more!

Did anyone watch Mickey Rourke's interview with barbara walters? It was almost as sad as the movie.

a week in review, well, almost

2009-02-22T14:14:00.005-05:00

I am thankful for

2/17/09, Tuesday
--- getting into bed early
--- abundant food at home
--- enjoying catching up with "the bachelor"
--- Mo being super excited when I got home
--- enjoying the rest of the chocolate cake

2/18/09, Wednesday
--- my husband having a better day
--- the terrific fudge brownie from busch's
--- having time to cook & do laundry
--- playing online scrabble with Trudi
--- all my senses (this usually happens after I read a few paragraphs of Paul Brand's book)

2/19/09, Thursday
--- having dinner with my friends at asian legend
--- my husband quoting Paul's words to comfort me
--- getting off work early

2/20/09, Friday
--- getting a lot of food from costco. Yay, biscoti!
--- finishing the review in time
--- Jen helping me proof-read the review
--- tasty seafood congee I made
--- going to bed early
--- chatting with Xin on the phone

2/21/09, Saturday
--- having a relaxing morning (probably the best one I had had this year). Sau made me omelette and coffee. We had breakfast and chatted for a while. It was good.
--- walking mo with Sau
--- having dinner with Sau and Brian
--- not having to do anything or go anywhere on a snow day

2/22/09, Sunday
--- going to church and sitting behind two cute babies
--- so much food ready to eat in my fridge
--- the delicious coffee mix Sau introduced to me

--- getting to watch the oscar tonight (go, Hugh Jackman!)