Weblog Archive

.:From the beginning of time (08.06.01) to the end of November 2001:.

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11.30.01, Friday

There's a really nice full moon out tonight! I loooove the moon...I don't know why, but it's always nice to look at, especially when it's full. Don't worry, I'm not a werewolf or anything, heh heh...=) I believe there are two eclipes coming up mid-December...more details on that when I find out exactly when!

I spent the whole day today, from 7:30am till 5:30pm (with, heh heh, a one hour lunch break at La Cascada (the best carne asada I've ever had anywhere...!) working in my classroom. Grades didn't take that long, which was expected. However, redecorating the room took forever! I had to take down old things, repair things, find this and that, get this or that...at the current state, my room is a mess: paper mailboxes scattered all over desks, poster putty and staplers and tape all over the place, bulletin boards not done yet (and I may actually have to pull some things I put up today in order to redesign a few things), and well...it's just a mess. I have to go back tomorrow, 8am, to finish up the mess that I've made, heh heh. Shelton and Mark will be coming to help me tomorrow, so it should go much faster tomorrow, thank goodness! =) 

Okee dokee...off I go for now...!

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11.28.01, Wednesday

Ack! I took a hot bubble bath today...cuz it's been cold, I wanted to warm up...and I jumped into the bath only to realize that it was way too hot. Both my feet are slightly scalded. Ouch! [They are currently being comforted by my Coca Cola® Bear fuzzy slippers, heh heh...] But after the water cooled down, it was still a nice bath and rubber duckies (JCPenney, only $4.99 for two, the ones with cool sunglasses! You should get one too! ^_^) are fun to play with in bubble baths. You can spin them around, decorate them with bubbles, and send them on adventures in a soapy bathtub where they can boldly confront whirlpools and hurricanes! ^_^

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11.27.01, Tuesday

I wish I could jump onto a pile of autumn leaves like Snoopy...heh heh, it looks like fun! =)

Brrr!!! It's been chilly lately! The house has absolutely no insulation...arg...and the school district is conserving energy in light of the crisis, and so the classrooms are soooo cold! I can't control the temperature in my classroom. Unfortunately, all the classrooms are controlled by the district. They do have priorities though...first comes the handicapped children...then elementary schools, starting with lower grades first...then it goes to middle school. At least we get priority to the high schools! =Þ It's fall...though getting cooler a lot faster than I thought it would! 

Sad news...the 4.05% raise we were supposed to get...is no longer in effect...*sigh* What happened was, because of the September 11th incident, Governor Gray Davis has proposed budget cuts from Education in order to beef up security around the nation. Of course, security is very important, especially around this time, so it's understandable. Ah, perhaps another day...

Hmm...adding and on the verge of redesigning webpage...hee hee...starting out with background (better?), font, and ooo, a message box (even if it looks cheese-y now, I'm hoping that in time, it will improve! Any ideas?) I even added a book/movie list, hee hee, for fun...maybe I'll update that list every random now and then. Should I add a recipe section??? Mmmm...! Yum...I can store my recipe, as well as share them with anyone interested in good food! ^_^ NEwayz, it's still somewhat disorganizes...in process of construction still. I was thinking of really changing the format...but I dunno if I'll have enough time though, to keep on fancying this up...okay, back to school work (I've procrastinated long enough by playing here, heh heh...!). ^_^

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11.25.01, Sunday

Thursday
A blessed Thanksgiving indeed! ^_^ Filled with sleeping in, cleaning the house, getting trimester report card comments done, and getting and assembling my new bookcase! The bookcase took a LOT longer than I thought it would take...after the first take, it was lopsided...eh heh...so we had to take it apart and do it again. Anyways, it's nice and grand now, standing in one corner of my loft, occupied mostly with my treasured books of the Gummy Library and a collection of enlightening biology books from UCI. ^_^

Friday
Who will I go shopping with??? The dilemma was solved quickly...Mark wanted to go to Best Buy, Circuit City and CompUSA, so that he could hit all the free rebate deals for the after-Thanksgiving sales, and Shelton wanted to go shopping. So Mark dropped off Shelton and I at the mall, where we wandered the whole place for quite some time before Mark was ready to come back and pick us up. I got a pair of sweatpants and a knit jacket for only $10 each...woo hoo! ^_^ However, I did get jipped on a pair of socks...arg...oh well...I guess it evens out. >_< After getting my tire fixed (it had a nail in it) and going to Albertson's like a hundred times, I was home and able to help out a bit to prepare for the Thanksgiving dinner. 

The dinner was lovely! Such exquisite Thanksgiving food..."yeem-gok" turkey (chinese style turkey, heh heh), mashed potatoes and gravy, honey glazed baked ham, salad, chinese sticky rice, and all sorts of desserts and entrees completed the meal for about 20 of us. Mmmm...! We had invited many friends and families from church, and it was a fun evening...I actually got a 63-combo for DDR on Bumblebee! hee hee...never had I done that good before! Quite an accomplishment that is worthy enough to record here anyways. ^_^ I even expanded my mandarin vocabulary, with the help of many of the chinese moms there that night, and with Eym-Soon's karazy idea for us to sing a song in chinese for CCF praise one day! =)

Saturday
Saturday morning, because my mom didn't get to go shopping with us on Friday, took me shopping with her at the mall. There weren't as much people as I thought there would be...I didn't get anything, as I had already been there and didn't want to spend any more money...heh heh...In the late afternoon, it rained hard! I mean, it poured and showered like mad! It was nice to have rain though...the air seemed much more crisp and clear, and made the whole world seem smog free and clean. =) A bunch of us also went to hang out at David's place - the apt. rec room, where we had dinner (it was supposed to be a bbq dinner, but with the rain...), played some video games, and then played board games. Besides us three and David, present were also Christie and Mike, Eym-Soon and Li-Yin, and Kevin. The girls won in Pictionary (yay!) by a LONG shot, and so we were, ahem, generous and let one of the guy teams (Eym-Soon and Mike, and Kevin who had left earlier in the game) win on Cranium. ^_^ Though we got home around 11:30pm, Shelton and I still felt awake, so we read and did work stuff (like haphazardly decorating my mom's citrus-like cake...with useless plastic decorating tips! *sigh* I need to head to Pila's Pantry...I have a 15% off discount there for cake supplies! ^_^) until like almost 2am, then went to sleep. I think I can't sleep too early anymore, unless I'm sick or just really tired...cuz going to sleep too early...well...I can't...I end up just laying there, waiting to fall asleep...hee hee. =) 

Sunday
Edwin and I, along with Shelton and Mark, led worship this morning. Though our voices were shot (hmm...Christie had lost her voice too...was it something at David's??? heh heh...j/k!), it went well, and so...yay! Our audience (God), was hopefully delighted in our singing that came from our hearts. =) 

87 is here...he's walking around on my computer table. ^_^ He's (or she?) is the desert tortoise that Mark now owns, and he's only about a month and maybe a half old. So little and cute, and though he rarely shows any emotion, he is one very determined desert tortoise when it comes to getting somewhere and climbing things. ^_^

Fred just got back from home (up north) too, and so he came over tonight, for dinner and to hang out with us. ^_^ He brought over a bunch of Famicon games from home, but unfortunately, they didn't work with our adapter (the games were like old school...hee hee)...so no Buggy Popper and stuff like that for us, heh heh...But we did get to watch Old Master Q, the new version, and it was not bad! ^_^

Back to school tomorrow...! My next break...not till the 21st! Yikes! This week should be fun though...presentations for their Elements ADventure project! I'll be videotaping their commercials! ^_^ Heh heh...late...! =) 

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11.21.01, Wednesday

Happy Birthday Michael!!!

It was a planning day today, so all the kids were out by 12:45pm. =) Our department meeting was shortened, and so I got to pick up Linda and Michael earlier than I was planning to, and we were able to catch the 5 o' clock showing of Harry Potter! =) The movie was...eh...alright....there were a LOT of things taken out of the book, and though we understand that it had to be shortened to be made into a 2 hour movie, it wasn't the same. The girl that played Hermione though, was really good! She was perfect and acted just as the character should have! ^_^ After the movie, we went to the Old Spaghetti Factory (wow, I haven't been there in a while!) for Michael's bday dinner! I love OSF!!! They have that Creamy Pesto dressing, and this time, I got my favorite...the Spaghetti with Clam Sauce. It's soooo good...and of course, their complete meal is accompanied with a delightful blend of veggies for a salad, bread with the garlic butter, a drink, and of course, ice cream. We had ordered the Garlic Cheese Bread, which was soooo good...it was literally soaked in butter and garlic and soft in the middle...mmm...! ^_^ After that, I took them home, where we all talked for quite some time...I didn't get home till 11:30pm, wow. But it was a good day!

Li-Yin won't be able to go shopping with me on Friday...>_< And I was so looking forward to it! Who will I shop with now, if I even do go on Friday??? *sigh*

BUT...it's still a 4-day weekend...yay! No school tomorrow! ^_^

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11.19.01, Monday

Saturday
YF meeting at Wendy's...continuing on last meeting's message of being World Changers for Christ...how and what we as Christians fulfill God's "Destiny Task List" (Isaiah 61:1-3)! It was another good round of discussion and learning, and lots of insights from the youth again! ^_^ We missed a few of our regulars due to their hard work at church (so I gots tah send props out to them!!! ^_^) - Thomas was still at church (he had been there since 9am, at the start of the Church Cleanup!) working on re-tiling our baptismal pool...woah, huh??? And Vanessa was tired out from working at the Church Cleanup all day too! We had a lot of stuff to take care of that day...! ^_^

Sunday
After church, the College/Career group went to visit Rex! Rex has been recovering from a cornea transplant these past few weeks, and we've really missed him! ^_^ He is the funniest guy around, and still, even at his age, have that radio announcer voice. In fact, he narrated for a Christian film/movie that his friend Jack Chick (of those Chick Tracts!) made up, and even though the movie is not out yet, we all hope it will be soon...it'll be neat to watch it and hear his voice on there! He came to California in his youth, aspiring to be an actor...and he did some television and some stage work, which is pretty cool. His spirit is bright and his love for God is obvious and everywhere...he loves what God has given him and loves to share His love with those around him. It's awesome! ^_^

The Thanksgiving Buffet Dinner at "Happy Family" (Da Jia Le) restaurant in Rowland Heights was also that night. For about $10, we had all-you-can-eat food...mmm...!!! Most of the stuff was pretty good - their Mongolian Grill had reeeeally good noodles, the french vanilla frogurt was heavenly, and the siu mai was scruuuumptious! ^_^ There was seafood and sushi as well, although all I really had was some cooked-to-perfection salmon. They had delicious crysanthenum tea, scallops, and crisp asparagus sticks, as well as this shell thing that Mark really had an affinity for, heh heh. Some of the stuff wasn't that good though...I was pretty disappointed at their too-watery-mashed potatoes (it was poorly made instant mashed potatoes), blobby tapioca dessert, and really hard (to bite and to poke a chopstick through) pan fried dumplings and buns. Overall, I left pretty full...! ^_^

Today
I'm looking forward to this week! Only 2.5 days of teaching, with not much grading nor planning ahead for me. I've graded all the papers from school last week, and am only left this week with a few things from students who are making up assignments. Since we are currently working big time on a project in class, I don't have much to do in planning as well, as I've already planned out this week and all of next week's lessons (part of it will be presentations on the students' part). I will hit some grading next week, as that is when the summary reports are due for their projects. As much as I love teaching, I really can't not look forward to a weekend that will be full of relaxation and fun! ^_^

Wednesday after the Department meeting, I'm heading to watch Harry Potter! (btw, I still wanna see Monsters, Inc.!) I'm taking Michael and Linda, two of my youths (and dear friends!) from RCAC. Thursday will be spent cleaning the house, planning future lessons, and getting ingredients and food for Friday's dinner (I'm making mashed potatoes and gravy, and cornbread!). Maybe I'll even have time to do some reading and random hip-hop-ing, as I haven't done that in a while! =) Friday, I get to go shopping with Li-Yin, which will be fun. I guess I can start on Christmas shopping, as I really won't have time between when the second trimester starts at school and when I am finally on vacation (Dec. 21!). Then we are heading home, where I need to prepare for our Thanksgiving Dinner. A bunch of people will be over for a pretty huge Thanksgiving dinner...including some Malaysian friends from church, who don't have family in the USA, and my friend Yui (her family's in Japan) and her roommate Serah. 

Saturday, I'll get to hang out with some friends from high school, and then afterwards, the CCF wants to meet up to do something (I don't know what we've got planned yet, heh heh). Sunday is church, and we'll be leading the praise songs again...I know we'll be singing The Worship Song (aka You are Holy), a really neat song....and whatever Edwin, our fearless worship leader, chooses. It's only Monday, but I'm already ready for the later half of this week...woo hoo! ^_^

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11.16.01, Friday

Look what someone sent me in email!

1) Go to Start window and click on Run

2) Copy and paste this is in:     telnet towel.blinkenlights.nl

3) It's Star Wars!

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11.15.01, Thursday

"It is our choices, Harry, that show what we truly are, far more than our abilities."
~said Professor Dumbledore to Harry Potter, in J.K. Rowling's 
Harry Potter: The Chamber of Secrets

I just finished the second book...it's so good! I thought Harry Potter would be a cheesy kid's story...but now I know why everyone really likes it...it's really good! ^_^ The endings seem to always offer a surprising twist, and usually, you don't know whodunnit until right before it is revealed. Neato huh? The movie comes out tomorrow...go see it! ^_^

Professor Dumbledore's words are so true indeed. I see it in the kids that I teach...there can be ones that are so innately bright, but are too lazy to turn in work, or make the choice to do something else instead of work, and some are failing my class right now. I am writing out failure notices at the moment (well, I'm taking a break, heh heh), because they are due tomorrow. Did you know it's illegal to fail a student if you didn't mark that he/she was in danger of failing on the district progress report, or if you don't send a failure notice? You have to do at least one to fail a student. I just found out yesterday...in fact, I didn't even know about failure notices till just this week...good thing I found out I guess, so that I don't get in trouble, heh heh. =) But yeah...it doesn't matter how great you are at something, or what you can do...what matters is how you use your talents and abilities, and if you are using them in the best way possible. As Maxwell Smart always said in his nasal-y voice..."If only he used his powers for good, instead of evil..." ^_^

Tuesday night, I took my parents to dinner at Table for Two. Mmmm, it's sooo good! It's Thai Cuisine in a quaint, cute and comfy corner of Riverside. There was fried calamari for appetizer, lemongrass spicy soup for starters, and we had a spicy shrimp dish and a fish fillet with chili sauce as entrees. We didn't have enough room for dessert, though the menu looked really good for sweets. ^_^ A friend of mine, Noi, who used to go to my church, actually works there! So we got to see her and actually left the restaurant right when she got off work, so we got to chat a bit. =) 

Hopefully tomorrow, I can go out for Izzie's bday! =) I don't know if I can, as it will be pretty late...and out in LA...and I doubt my parents would let me...*sigh* 

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11.13.01, Tuesday

Happy Birthday Li-Yin! ^_^

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11.12.01, Monday

I had a GB meeting on Sunday that lasted till 4pm! Arg, longer than usual...but then again, we were up to a lot of things, especially for the coming year...heh heh, I am enjoying my experience on the Board, even though I am filling in as interim secretary for Joanne (maternity leave), which does involve a whole lot of work! Yikes...they are already considering me for Secretary for the next term already, and I'm not exactly sure of it just yet, heh heh...^_^ After coming home from the meeting, I saw another cool saying on that church marquee that I talked about in a previous entry:

"Beat the Christmas rush. Come on Sunday."

Being a Christian isn't a holiday thing, or something you can choose to don when the times call for it...it's an everyday thing (ooo, it's like that Everyday song we sang as our College/Career Praise Team when we led worship last time!). You can't just take it off when you don't feel like being what you know God would want you to be. Like my cross necklace - wearing it doesn't necessarily I'm a Christian. And if I were to say, not wear it one day and wear another necklace, it wouldn't mean I'm not a Christian. It's in who you are, not what you wear or show other people. Your relationship to God is the core and heart of your being, and it can't be covered up by visible things. 

Yesterday was also another crazy night with some of my homeboys from the College/Career group...Mark, Shelton, David, Fred and Kevin and I were planning to eat a good dinner at Rowland Heights, watch Monsters, Inc, and loiter around (probably, hee hee) last night. However, my mom didn't want us wandering around late, so we had to change our plans...it we spent a lot of time trying to figure out what to do that was okay with my mom and also within some of our budgets...going out so much (like every weekend...and just bowling on Friday too) can add up, even if it's not expensive stuff. We finally decided on dinner at Farmer Boy's, then headed over to Castle Park for the booth games, arcades and mini golf. ^_^ We ended with DDR (Hey, I'm improving...I can get C's now on it!) and Mah-Jong...the game ended around 2:30am, but Shelton, Mark and I (well, Mark went to sleep halfway through) watched the last series for Young and Dangerous (Hong Kong Triad movie series, hee hee)...I was disappointed - the last one lacked the quality, the emotional pull and action of the previous four...*sigh*...I fell asleep halfway through too, cuz it was all talk and no action. >_< We didn't finish the movie till 5am, and I pretty much went to sleep right after... 

Fred came over today and took Shelton and I to go grocery shopping at 99 and buy food for the shabu shabu (hot pot) that was planned for dinner...but while we were there, my mom said that by the time we'd get home she'd have been eating already...and then she proceeded on with the Asian parents diatribe, which left me feeling not too great...Fred and Shelton both cheered me up in their own ways (thank you so much! ^_^) so that I felt much better by the time we had dinner at Life Plaza. While we were there, it started raining...and not just any rain, it was pouring! Lots of wind and water, and actually really nice and soothing. =) I hope it rains some today...but then again, maybe not, as I don't have a car! 

These 3 day weekends...are they a bane or a blessing? Hee hee...more time to play and hang out with friends, and more time to sleep in fortunately...and I even have time to get a lot of schoolwork done...^_^ Though truthfully, not as MUCH as I wanted to cuz I spent more time playing...but still a good amount...hmmmm....???

Oh oh...I downloaded this song that I've really been wanting...Destiny's Child "Brown Eyes"...it is one of the sweetest songs...you should all get it!!! ^_^ Ah, one day God will decide to give me someone like that, hee hee...but until then, I will wait...Oh hey, I'd have it available to d/l here, but I don't know if I have enough space left with geocities to get it on here. Just go to Audiogalaxy and you d/l it there. Lyrics are in the Words section. ^_^

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11.10.01, Saturday

Last night, Mark, Shelton, Fred, David, Eym-Soon, Li-Yin and I went after dinner together to go Xtreme Bowling! It was fun! ^_^ Kinda for Li-Yin's birthday, but not quite so officially. ^_^ Let me start off to say though, that I really suck...I bowled a 50 the highest I think...*sigh* But then again,  this is only my third time (or second?) bowling, and the last time I went was like maybe 4 years or so ago...! Heh heh, but I still had fun, even if the strangest things happened to me...Like you know how in cartoons, when someone bowls the ball, only it goes the other way...??? I didn't know that the other side of the line that divides where you bowl and the lane was REALLY slippery, and one time half of my foot was on the other side so I slid and it pulled me into the lane where I landed on my butt and slid some...heh heh...But well, I had fun anyways. =)  Now I'm off to a three day weekend that is full of adventures...mostly adventures in grading papers and planning lessons, but if anything exciting happens, I'll fill you in. ^

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11.08.01, Thursday

The BTSA Conference was good today! ^_^ And in a way, it's nice to take a day off from school...my 4th period was really good for the guest teacher (wow huh?? I knew they had it in them! Hee hee...they're awesome!). However, my 6th period...*sigh* There was almost a fist fight in there, according to the guest teacher's report...! I'll have to deal with that tomorrow...dear me...

After the conference, running errands, and setting up my TSA and Mutual Funds, I went down to South Coast Plaza to give J.Crew a skirt that I had gotten on sale (for real cheap!) that was too big...and while I was wandering aimlessly in the mall, I ran into Mimi! Yay! So we went shopping together! There was this really big sale at GAP...not a huge sale, but it was really cheap...like stuff for $10 and under. I got a purse (and it's funny, I haven't really bought many for myself ever in my life, except for 2 I think) that was big enough to fill with anything I want, and not like expensive - it's the type where I could bring it to school and keep in my classroom, and not worry about it getting dirty cuz I think I could probably just toss it in the wash if I wanted to. ^_^ Woo hoo! We had dinner at Ruby's (Mmm...we tried the Butterfinger milkshake, which we've never tried before) and lingered around a bit before leaving. 

I got something really neat in my email today from Shelton...it was one of those forwarded emails, but actually a really good one:

Finally, The Truth on National TV Billy Graham's daughter was being interviewed on the Early Show and Jane Clayson asked her "How could God let something like this happen?"

And Anne Graham gave an extremely profound and insightful response.

She said "I believe that God is deeply saddened by this, just as we are, but for years we've been telling God to get out of our schools, to get out of our government, and to get out of our lives. And being the gentleman that he is, I believe that He has calmly backed out. How can we expect God to give us His blessing and His protection if we demand that He leave us alone?"

Then, Dr. Benjamin Spock said we shouldn't spank our children when they misbehave because their little personalities would be warped and we might damage their self-esteem (Dr. Spock's son committed suicide). And we said, an expert should know what he's talking about so we said OK.

Then, someone said teachers and principals better not discipline our children when they misbehave. And the school administrators said no faculty member in this school better touch a student when they misbehave because we don't want any bad publicity, and we surely don't want to be sued. (There's a big difference between disciplining and touching, beating, smacking, humiliating, kicking, etc.) And we said, OK.

Then some of our top elected officials said it doesn't matter what we do in private as long as we do our jobs. And agreeing with them, we said it doesn't matter to me what anyone, including the President, does in private as long as I have a job and the economy is good. And then someone said let's print magazines with pictures of nude women and call it wholesome, down-to-earth appreciation for the beauty of the female body. And we said, OK.

Dear God, Why didn't you save the little girl killed in her?

Sincerely,
Concerned Student...

Funny how simple it is for people to trash God and then wonder why the world's going to hell. Funny how we believe what the newspapers say, but question what the Bible says. Funny how everyone wants to go to heaven provided they do not have to believe, think, say, or do anything the Bible says. Funny how someone can say "I believe in God" but still follow Satan who, by the way, also believes" in God. Funny how we are quick to judge but not to be judged. Funny how you can send a thousand 'jokes' through e-mail and t hey spread like wildfire, but when you start sending messages regarding the Lord, people think twice about sharing. Funny how the lewd, crude, vulgar, and obscene pass freely through cyberspace, but the public discussion of God is suppressed in the school and workplace. Funny how someone can be so fired up for Christ on Sunday, but be an invisible Christian the rest of the week. 

Are you laughing?

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11.07.01, Wednesday

I'm actually reading Harry Potter...and you know what? It's pretty dang good! ^_^ So hey, I think I may actually want to see the movie, heh heh...I just might take up Michael's suggestion (more like begging) to pleeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeease take the youth to see the movie. =)

Can you tell I actually am able to spend some time on the computer lately...? Hee hee, I've been able to blog these past few days! Actually, I've been playing around with changing the background design for the webpage. Not nearly enough time to change the layout, but indeed enough to try out different backgrounds. I'm still shuffling random backgrounds...I don't know how I want to make it...! It's about time for a change...so here's a new one for now...because I found a bunch of cutsie stuff, it's all kinda cutsie right now, heh heh...I just use whatever I happen to find, and if I like it. ^_^ Though it probably won't be permanent - I think webpages were meant to be dynamic and change every now and then, don't you? ^_^ [Yes. Flowers that interrupt the flow of the text are not a change for the better.]

Everyday is an adventure...that's why it seems like there's always so much on my blogs...maybe I should make a Gummy Adventure section. j/k! =). [This would be workable. You need a digital camera, though. But don't be a jeffsu and put up the raw, full-size image from your 2.4 megapixel camera, thought. That's just obnoxious.] Because I have a lot of things to write, I have these huge ol' blogs...or maybe it's just cuz I think things longer...like see? All the stuff I'm typing right now  is coming straight from my head to the keyboard and onto this webpage. Do other people think like this? [Yes.] I'm sure they do, but often people write less. Like all this excess mumbo-jumbo...it really is just taking up a lot of space. =) [Yes.]

Hmm, who reads this webpage anyways??? Hee hee...just wondering...send me an email if you are still reading this thing of mine. =) [I'm still reading this sporadically, hence this email. You should install one of those web counter/stalker tools.] I don't really know why I type out these blogs...hmm...it's kinda like a journal though, and I like keeping diaries. [I have no idea what a blog is.] I used to keep one till I got too busy to keep it up, so in a way, this is like that. Only it's not so personal I guess...cuz it's public...but really personal things, I tell my friends through emails and phone calls or even silly text messages...! 

Which reminds me...one of my best buds Huy is out in med school in Chicago...It makes me wonder that if I had went to med school too, it'd be neat if we went to the same one, cuz we were just tyte like that. ^_^ It'd be really fun! And I don't doubt that I probably would have really had fun in med school - anatomy, neuroscience, biochemistry...such cool biology knowledge...! But it wasn't the life I felt I was called out for...and I'm glad that I'm a teacher (Ooo! We just got a 4.05% raise, retroactive to July 2001!!! Yippy Skippy!). But yeah, with close friends, I try to keep in touch despite the hustle and bustle of daily life. And I'm glad that they remember to call me up every now and then too...as sometimes (okay, a lot of the times), I'm the one that gets too busy to pick up the phone and call them, or just email. Thanks  to all my friends...you're all the most wonderful people! ^_^

Okay...no more stalling on the computer...back to work...>_<

*Eric's comments...heh heh...Hi Eric! ^_^

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11.06.01, Monday

I got a phone call from my OG homeboy Femdogg today! Wow! I haven't heard from him in a while...he's up in Sacramento cleaning the air for our nation...heh heh...Have you seen his rap in the words section of my webpage??? heh heh...^_^ He'll be coming down for Thanksgiving...it'd be nice to meet up with him, Kate, Melisa, Mermalade, and the rest of our old gang from back in da days when we used to steal Twinkies from liquor stores...j/k! ^_^

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11.04.01, Sunday

YF last night was really awesome...! We went down to Melody's and had a lovely spaghetti dinner there, and then headed off to Seattle's Best Coffee down the street for our Bible Study (plus hot chocolate and other delectable beverages and delicacies!). It was really neat...we were going over our "Destiny Task List" - because we are anointed by Him, we are chosen for special responsibilities...we went over this huge task list in Isaiah 61: 1-3. Our purpose is to make a difference, to be world changers, and so we really explored how - through our daily routines and lives, how it was handled in the Bible, real life experiences, application, and prayer. We had a really deep discussion and study, and it was so good that we only got to the second task...! Every single person there contributed and said something, which is really cool - when everyone says something, you can be pretty confident that they are really thinking about it. 

The first task was to preach the good news to the poor, and so we really looked at why it was so important to care for the needy and poor, and the huge differences between being spiritually poor and physically poor. In Amos, although the nations committed horrendous sins, such as destroying cities, taking whole communities as slaves, threshing mangled bodies to death, and even ripping open pregnant women in order to make their own country grow bigger, one of the first sins listed against Israel was their abuse of the poor. 

The second task was to bind up the brokenhearted. We explored the Hebrew word for brokenhearted, which translates literally as "shattered soul", and really talked about how the trials of life can really rip souls apart, especially for those that don't know they can turn to God for comfort rather than other things, like spending money, drugs, alcohol, things dangerous to their health, anger, depression, etc...As Christians, whether or not someone knows God or not, we need to bind up the brokenhearted and wounded souls by being bandages for their souls...to prevent, in medical terms, infection, which could lead to death. God is the doctor...and we are His nurses...^_^

It was really neat...God really spoke to our hearts, whether it be about us or people we know, and we shared about some concerns. Some things that, if you would like to pray, to remember in your prayers, are for:

1) Theo's friend Zack, who is making a pivotal decision as to if he should be Jewish and stick to it because of his culture, or if he should be a Christian...

and...

2) Harold's uncle has been diagnosed with a brain tumor, and the prognosis looks really bleak...and whatever happens, that God will give the family continuous comfort, solace, peace and guidance.

I had my first keyboard apprentice today...I taught Shelton how to play Fur Elise, heh heh! I wonder if he'll still remember it come this weekend???? Muah ha ha...Final test on Sunday!!! (j/k!)

Tonight was College/Career Fellowship. Ooo, we learned a really cool new song...The Worship Song! Hee hee...such a simple simple title, and yet it's the coolest song...part of it, the guys and girls sing the same tune, but different words. Actually, that's the main part of the song, or so it seems cuz it makes up like 75% of it. I like! ^_^ Bobby cooked up some good food for dinner, including the most spiciest kim-chee with bacon, and hot & spicy sea cucumber curry soup. Too many good things to list...but of course, I won't forget that big tub of Neopolitan ice cream...aiya...(dang you Fred!)...The Bible Study was again, on dating and relationships. Mark's really doing a great job, and I've seen him grow a lot in terms of leading Bible study while mostly letting people make comments and lead each other during Fellowship. He's allowing for us to fulfill our roles as F.O.B.'s! (hee hee, if you don't know what a FOB is - and it ain't Fresh Off the Boat...! - see a previous entry). ^_^

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11.02.01, Friday

I got to see Giang today! ^_^ We got to go out for her birthday at Cafe Plaka, a Greek restaurant in FV. People there included Giang, Rosie, Mike (from the lab), Mimi, Isabel, Dolly, Noel, Phil, Mike (creos4), and Hernane. The place was so neat-the ceilings were painted this light blue with clouds, an the lighting fixture had grapes and vines all over the ceiling as well. The atmosphere was really spiffy...and the place was fun to be at too! There was a DJ  playing Greek jives, and the waiters would dance too. They even made us dance, hee hee. They pulled us up (and dang it, I was sitting RIGHT at the front!) and had us dance on the little stage with a group of other guests! Besides just dancing, the waiters also danced around shot glass and then would chug the whole glass of who knows what in one swipe...HMM...maybe that's why it took so long for us to order our food and get the food...hee hee. There was even a belly dancer, which, I think, got a little friendly with Hernane, heh heh.. ^_^ The guys got a little crazy and decided to stuff some money down her clothes...errr...maybe it was that gross black licorice smelling alcohol acting up...=Þ (j/k). [it was just the guys...heh heh...don't worry my friends...I still don't drink! heh heh...^_^]

Afterwards, we stood around the parking lot doing random nothingness. We were going to go to Lucy's dance thing at CSULB - her dance class was putting on a show and we could go dancing with them, heh heh, but it was too late. It was about 10:30pm then, and the dance ended at 11pm. Phil was going nuts with his new toy, a scanner...hmm...the day after, I saw a commercial for this scanner toy where you could make dinosaurs fight based on what you scan. Interesting...heh heh...Later, Dolly, Noel, Phil, Mike and Hernane went to go to a party, and the rest of us headed to the Family Fun Center where we got to the deal whre you can ride the Go-Karts all you want and play any arcades you wanted in the arcade section. ^_^ Dang, I was JUST barely tall enough to ride the go-karts...heh heh, I was a whole 3 inches and a half taller than the minimum height requirement. With the rate that kids are growing at nowadays, I hope that the minimum height requirements don't decide to grow as well...! The arcades was fun...I got my $10 worth for all-you-can-play-arcades...that included a new one I liked, Gunster Wars...basically, you're on the team of robots, blue or red, and you run around and shoot the robots from the other team. Kinda like Half Life...but with robots, it's more animated, and easier to control than a keyboard. Plus you get to take a picture of yourself right before the game starts, heh heh, so that your enemy can you see if the robot they are shooting is you, and vice versa. ^_^ It was a fun night, and I was glad to be able to see Giang, Dolly, Mimi and the rest again, as I haven't seen them all in a long while. Yay! ^_^

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11.01.01, Thursday

Worry: Interest Paid on Borrowed Loan

I saw that saying on a marquee at a church nearby today while I was driving home. Ain't that so true? And the funny thing was, I was thinking about that - worrying - this past weekend, especially during the 30 Hour Famine. I mean, not just worrying about not eating, or the meal coming up at 8pm, but worrying about all sorts of things:

Am I a good role model to the youth, kids at school, and those around me? Can I keep up with my daily devotions with such a busy life? How am I making time for God every day? How do I balance being so involved with the Youth, College and Career Fellowship, and the Governing Board, all at the same time? How do I handle stubborn students? Are my students going to remember anything I teach them at all? Am I being sensitive to their needs instead of just doing things my way? Will I ever find the one? (Jet Li? Heh heh) Who the heck likes me anyways? Am I too picky? Am I able to support my parents on a meager teacher's salary, when they retire? Will I ever move out? Am I too short? ^_^

And yet, God will take care of it all...really, He has done so much for me already, that I know without a doubt that he's continuously working in my life. Even when it seems like nothing is going on, even the waiting - that is part of His plan, and things will work accordingly to His own timeline, not mine. *sigh*  Waiting for answers ain't gonna get me too far...thus I should just do my best and let Him take the steering wheels...

On a lighter note...I get to see Giangy tomorrow! I haven't seen her in a while. We're going out for her birthday...yay! ^_^

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10.30.01, Tuesday

This weekend was mostly fun...! On Friday, I went to the CSTA Science Odyssey Conference in Palm Springs. I got like FOUR bags of freebies from the vendors, including candy, posters, science goods, pens and pencils, and toys (heh heh, like my little water man that looks something like a happy Wet Willy®, and squishy di...ah, number cubes. Of course, I also got some lots of interesting info from the workshops, which was neat. I even met the guy that invented the Jelly Belly jelly beans, and shook his hand! Oooo...speeeecial! ^_^ Before the 30 Hour Famine started at 2pm, we ate lunch at this really good Mexican restaurant, and I filled up on Chicken Enchilada Suiza...mmmm! After 2pm, I couldn't eat anything anymore...I was participating in the 30 Hour Famine for my church. The Youth and all of REACh was taking part in it to raise funds for overseas missions and countries that needed the money for spiritual growth, development, food, clothing and shelter-it was with WorldVision. I've never fasted (intentionally) before, and it was a good experience for us to really experience what it is like for others who don't have the option to fast and must do so. And it really goes beyond the physical need for food, but for everything, like the fact that we have choices and have enough, even if we are  not rich. We're all pretty lucky...

After Palm Springs, I picked up Nina in MoVal and dropped by Fred's dorm. By the time I got home it was like 7pm, which was just when everyone was to show up. Present for the Sleepover was Mark, Shelton, Nina, Vanessa, Kevin, David, Fred. Melody and Megan went home for Friday night (but came back the next day, then Melody also stayed over for Saturday night) and Keen-Yong was there for a bit on Friday Night. Li-Yin never got there - Eym-Soon and her were coming on the freeway, driving their friend's car, and the hood of the car popped up on the freeway and smashed the windshield! Thank goodness they are okay - Eym-Soon got some cuts on her hand, and Li-Yin said she felt like she got some small bits of glass on her lips. I'm so thankful that they are both okay and nothing worse happened...!

Friday night and Saturday night, there was essentially no sleep...heh heh, we were equipped all night with movies, dvd's, books, schoolwork, the PS2 and DDR. That, and Bible Study, pretty much covered it all. We pretty much survived on water, Gatorade, and some clear fruit juice. Saturday, we also held a bday surprise thing for Melody, in which we all presented her with a "cake" - it was a bunch of little jello cups that were filled with different colored liquids, and the center on had a candle in it that was frozen on a block of an ice cube so that it would stand up, heh heh...Silly strings and a giant Tigger balloon complemented that part of the day. ^_^ Later on, we headed to the 30 Hour Famine rally over at SGVAC, where there was worship, singing and a message. They had a light meal afterwards for us - pizza, chips, and the like...but dude, we were like, we wanna EAT! So the 10 of us, in three different cars, were lead all over L.A. by Fred's crazy directions and finally ended up at the Boat in Rowland Heights. Mmmm, they had SUCH good food...! Even if I was the last one to get my food...I think they forgot it or gave it away to someone else, cuz by the time I got my food, some people at our table was already done, and Kevin was already ordering seconds. Heh heh, but it was goooood Pad Thai...and I did get snippets of everyone else's food, like David's fried calamari, Fred's angel wings, Mark's Thai BBQ pork, and me and Shelton had the fried tofu as an appetizer. Mmm...I definitely would go there again! We then headed to Life Plaza for a bit, and then went home again to another sleepless (but fun!) night. I have improved in DDR - no longer am I scoring D's! I am now scoring C averages...What d'ya know, in about 20 years, I'll make B's and A's...^_^

Sunday, we all headed to church together in the morning, except that Mark and David left earlier to pick up Li-Yin. I had a GB meeting that Shelton said was only half an hour long...it ended up being 2 hours long! Ah, but it was a good meeting, and very productive. Afterwards, I finally had time to sit down and decide what the heck I was going to do with my classes...they were absolutely horrible for my guest teacher on Friday. Arg. After asking students to write down what happened and taking into account their point of view, I have decided (just this morning) that most of the referrals will still go. Some have been dismissed for good reasons, but I did let them have a say and really, pretty much decided on who gets what based on what students themselves said. They know my expectations for a guest teacher, so there were no excuses for some of their actions, such as lying to the guest teacher and saying it was okay for them to eat candy in class, or disrespecting the guest teacher when she expected them to do something. 

Oh yeah...check it out - a Chemistry song is posted in the words section...hee hee, deals with solubility! ^_^

Anyways...I'm off to another day at school...^_^ Time for action...heh heh, bye for now! ^_^

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10.21.01, Sunday

Last week went by really fast it seems! We finished Matter with the Test, and we finished up their Density and Volume Lab. Tomorrow, they'll be handing in their lab write-ups. ^_^ Yay...finally, student work that I can put up on the bulletin boards! I've had no real student work posted yet (their mailboxes don't exactly count) because everything, really, is kept in their journals! But I asked for them to type this lab write up for extra credit, use colors, and well, I'll be collecting the 20 point assignment at the beginning of class tomorrow. Then I can grade them and post them up...heh heh, and my principal had mentioned that I needed to put up student work too. He had walked in and did an informal assessment one day last week and mentioned that...not a BAD thing, since he also knew that they kept everything in their journals, but he also mentioned something that I hadn't done in a while. I used to wait for all my students, and I mean all, were quiet before I went on. But in the last two weeks, I seemed to have neglected that-like I would just kinda block out certain kids that I knew weren't paying attention anyways, and kinda ignore that they were doing something else. He mentioned that I should wait for them to pay attention too before moving on, and I was like...Oh yeah...! So I did that after that day, and it has worked wonderfully again. =) It's hard, cuz there's so many things in your mind when you're teaching-at any given time, you have to watch all 30 some kids and be sure they're paying attention, see which kids don't get it by looking at their faces, eyes, or gestures, and then of course, you have to watch the time and how much of the lesson you still have to get through, as well as if the materials are constantly engaging all students and accessible to all. Aiya. But I love it. =) 

Today was College/Career Fellowship...heh heh, another fun day! We had fellowship at our house, and my mom made SUCH good food...! I have no idea how I'm going to survive the 30 hour famine this Friday with my mom's cooking in the area...maybe I can ask her to eat out and bring nothing back...^_^ Anyways, Mark's lesson was on discipline...a pretty good lesson, and livened up with the imagination of our group, which included a karazy skit on Samson (Judges 14:1-20) and a new acronym...Focus Oriented Buddy...FOB (kinda like FBI, but different...heh heh). ^_^ Afterwards, we all took off to the eastside...Fred and David were heading home in their separate cars, and Mark, Shelton, Kevin and I were heading to Redlands to take Kevin home. It was something of a friendly, fun, ahem, competive, race on the streets and the freeway...heh heh...Kevin's apartment is neat. It's from the 1920's, and it's soooooo cute and cool. There are no corners in the house-the ceiling is all curved, and no popcorn ceilings! The style of the place is small but comfy and homey...I like it! I would like to live in something like that if I were to move out and be with just me or maybe with a roommate buddy, but then again, I guess the location would not be suitable for me, for work. 

Anyways...off I go...till next time...! 

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10.16.01, Tuesday

I got to head to Barnes & Noble on Saturday and finally use my $50 Gift Certificate! I got so many cool books!

Parasite Rex by Carl Zimmer
Artemis Fowl by Eoin Colfer
The Giver by Lois Lowry
Holes by Carl Sachar
China Men by Maxine Hong Kingston

All are good books! I've read two already, heh heh...ah...the wonderful world of books! ^_^ In conjunction with my gift certificate, I also used my 20% teacher discount there...heh heh, I got a whole $1.02 back! Yay! I let some of my kids read some of the books during silent reading and after the test yesterday (while others were still taking the test) and they love them!

On Sunday, I went to the GB Meeting, as is usual on the 2nd Sundays...but then we also had our Annual Planning Meeting, which is sometimes, ahem, affectionately called the "Marathon Meeting"....it lasted SEVEN HOURS! Dang...! I mean, we had some SunChips, Starbucks Frappuccinos, Krispy Kreme Donuts, Sara Lee Poundcake and Diamond Bakery Coffee Roll Cake, and the snacks were nice, but I wanted real food by 8:45pm. Even though it was long though, it was a really good meeting and we got a LOT of things accomplished. But I have a lot to do now...as acting secretary for Joanne (she just had a baby!), I have to type up a million things and phone call a bunch of people this week. Arg. But it's okay...all in a day's work...(j/k!)...! A'ight...latas for now-I gotta get to school to teach! And then later tonight, Buffy's on! ^_^ Hee hee...that's my plan for today!

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10.10.01, Wednesday

I got ZAPPED by my students today...hee hee...it's a new "game" where they write ZAP on you, and that means you have to say "I Love You!" every time anyone says your name. Just imagine how many times a teacher is called on by name in the classroom...oh my goodness...hee hee...half of my 4th period was ZAPPED, and some of them were zapped with a hug and kiss...so I got many "I Love You"'s and some hugs and kisses on my hand today. ^_^ My 4th period is so much better now, and I really feel I am able to control them a million times better than at the beginning of the year. Yeah, they're still a loud class, but not a bad-loud...it's a good-loud, where they're actively becoming engaged. During lunch, I was able to eat with Lucia, John and Louie and some 8th graders also eat in there...some of them came in and purposely said "Hi MS. LAU!", and so I played along with the zap game (it's fun!)...and one of my students, who didn't know I was zapped, took a double take when I said "I love you!" and was pretty red from blushing, hee hee, even after I told him I was zapped. The kids are all so much fun, and so cute to have in my class...yeah, there are bad days, but overall, like I said probably a zillion times before, it's all worth it. ^_^

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10.09.01, Tuesday

Heh heh...camping was fun...though all kinds of things happened up there in the San Bernardino forests! It took me about 40 minutes to get to Li-Yin's and pick her up (usually it takes like 15 minutes) after I got off school...and then we got lost up there...^_^ We ended up going to some other camp area that was still part of Silverwood Lake, but that it was just a different section of it. I was like, this SO does NOT look like what it was last year! I thought I had gone in through the back side of the campgrounds or something...but luckily, we ran into a lady walking her baby in a stroller (now how coincidental is that, to find someone walking her baby on a mountainside/forest road where there aren't homes, or so it seems, nearby?). She knew her way around there though, and so told us how to get to the right place.

On Saturday, at the picnic, the first thing I did was jump onto a hammock...it looked so neat and colorful (it was rainbow colored) and I thought it'd be fun...and Vanessa and David thought it'd be fun to push and swing me on the hammock. However, somebody didn't tie up one end of the hammock well enough, and suddenly it decided to come undone and crash me straight down onto the ground. OUCH! Yaeh, it hurt pretty bad...but I thought I'd be fine and continue with the festivities of the day, which included softball, frisbee, and any other random things that come with being next to the lake where there's a lot of people and fun things to do. By the end of a few hours though, I could definitely say I was hurtin'...I mean, moving my left leg and sitting down or something was mighty painful...enough to have my mom drive me back home. Before we left though, we got a doctor (a church member) to check me out and she said that I had fallen where my kidney was, and so besides getting an ice pack for 6 hours when I get home, she said to also check my urine for blood in case there was any damage to the kidneys. Luckily, my urine has been nice and yellow. ^_^

So most of Saturday was spent on my back on the floor with an ice pack...woo hoo, exciting, I know...I'm glad that Mark and Shelton and my mom accompanied me for a bit. I even got to watch a movie on Mark's VAIO...=) Sunday morning, I woke up and my sprained back (I believe it's sprained) was feeling MUCH better, although it was difficult to put pants and socks on, cuz it requires me using my back and leg muscles, hee hee. =) Still a little difficult, but not as bad anymore. =)  

Today after school, I got a pedicure! heh heh...I've never had one before...but my department head MADE me drop all my grading to go. I felt SO bad...I wanted to get all my grading done today for the journals, but she was like: "NO Gail! Drop all your things, don't you DARE pick up that box of journals or I'll smack you upside da head homegirl! Let's go get our toenails done!" Okay, not exactly those words, but close enough. =) Wow, pedicures are sooooo nice...I always thought they'd be gross, but they make your feet feel REALLY good. I mean, you get to put your feet in those Bubble Bliss machines, and they use this really neat softener thing, they buff up the calluses and stuff, and put oil and stuff one your feet before they paint neat things on them. Like right now, my feet feel SO utterly clean and pampered, heh heh. =) And it's a neat silvery blue shiny color with half a daisy (centered with a bead, hee hee) on each big toe. Having toenails painted make me feel older too...muah ha ha...though I guess if I chose a more older color, I would feel older, like dark maroon or whatever. I just chose random colors that I thought were neat, for fun. ^_^ Yeesh, I can talk alot about it, heh heh...

Little does my department head know that after my toenails were completed, I ran on back to school and graded the journals and picked up another box of journals and brought them home to grade. I'm done too...I did them while watching Buffy. =) 

I just need to make a test now for Friday! Ooo...test day...!

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10.04.01, Thursday

It was Back-To-School night tonight! Woah!!! heh heh...but it was actually pretty fun meeting the parents...I had a great time. I got nervous at times, but I think it went okay. I think the parents liked me, heh heh...^_^

Tomorrow I'm going camping! Woo hoo! ^_^

Okay...must grade science journals...*sigh* I don't think I'll be collecting any journals tomorrow, like I had planned to...simply cuz I won't have time at all this weekend to do so! I'll be off camping and picnicking in the San Bernardino forest, and busy with college/career fellowship on Sunday! A'ight...latas for now...!

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10.03.01, Wednesday

Ah...my awesome AVID homebodies helped me out with that kid that was driving me nuts...heh heh (see two entries ago)...I talked to them about it during our conference period and Mr. Smith immediately pulled that boy out of class and him, me, Mrs. Wedeking and Mr. Romero all straightened him out. Mr. Smith can be MEAN, daaaaang...! Of course, I also called the mother, who is very very supportive, and she also straightened him out. We all agree on the same thing and have been telling the boy the same things too, such as his need to be a leader, to show respect, be responsible...etc...and since then, that boy has given me no problems whatsoever. In fact, he's been participating more in the classroom discussion and asking challenging questions that would help the class think more...woah, huh? What a little intimidation, parents, and some whoopin' (I reckon) can do...sometimes, I guess showing the student that I care and want him to succeed doesn't work or last on certain students. *sigh* But hey, if this works...it works I guess. 

So while my 4th period is getting better and better, my 3rd period is starting to act up. Why can't they all be wonderful at the same time??? Heh heh...it's okay...all in the day of the life of a teacher...^_^ In my 3rd period, one boy comes in upset that his watch was broken in an accident...and decides that because he is so upset that he has no need to take part in any of the classroom activities and discussion. I asked him repeatedly to take things out...and this boy, let's just say he really wants the attention...soon enough, he gets defiant enough for me to say, okay, let's call up your mom right now...in the middle of class. He's like, go ahead, call her! So I did, and we talked to his grandma on the phone afterwards. Yeesh. After, he just sits in his chair, but after I go around a bit and tell everyone that I want to see them all writing things down...and remind him in particular quietly...he took out his pencil and started to take notes, though still noticeably disgruntled and whiny. Aiya...there are some students like this one in my other classes too...(and in the same class as well)..that really just want attention and will do whatever it takes to get it, even if it's negative attention and they get in trouble. In a way, I feel sorry for them...but at the same time, I'm frustrated-I wish they could really see that that's not the way they get attention. I try to use these kids to help me out with things, like pass out papers, or get things for me...that way, their energy is expended in doing something useful. It usually works, but the thing is, I don't always have things for them to do...sometimes it's just a lecture day where they have to take notes. I know it's hard for 8th graders to take notes and sit still, heh heh...so I try different things...but every now and then, it just has to be a notes day. *sigh*  For the rest of the day, the kids were good, but there were certain ones that would just keep acting up in little ways...little ways that were really, big things, though not in themselves (if that made any sense). Anyways, let's just say that that day was a rotten day for me in 3rd period...not that the kids were bad, but just that I was frustrated and felt like I was not a good teacher, or a teacher who was just lost and had no control of what to do.  So in 4th period, when my students came in, they could tell I was upset and were so sweet as to ask me if I was okay...and some of them wrote me notes in my mailbox, saying that they really liked me and that whoever or whatever made me upset does not deserve in my classroom...and things like that. They were really sweet about it...! ^_^

However, I still love all these kids! I got a little vase with the sweetest, most loveliest roses from a student...her mom had written a card that said something along the lines of  "She comes home everyday talking about her teachers, but she always has something wonderful to say about you. Thank you for the love that you've put into your classroom...it shows..." Ain't that sweet??? Makes me feel all warm and fuzzy inside! ^_^

So yeah...teaching is great...and it's not without problems, but overall, I still feel that it's all worth it. =) I still feel this is my "destiny"...heh heh...that God somehow miraculously set me up to be a teacher (now that I look back on everything), though I didn't plan to be. Even though I planned for medical school, even though I hated speaking in front of people, even though I was a quiet and shy kid and never really liked science when I was in high school...even though I had and still do have a pretty soft-spoken voice and am definitely not physically intimidating...Heck, even in college, I didn't particularly want to speak in front of people. 

And yet God had it all planned...he equipped me with a lot of skills in teaching and working with kids and youth by starting me off with teaching Sunday School for kindergarteners and elementary kids when I was about 13...then VBS...then as a youth leader for the junior high and high schoolers...tutoring A.P. Biology in high schools in various public schools...even TAing a college bio class and being publicity officer and VP for FPA at UCI! He led me in the right direction-although I never particularly thought science was anything that I absolutely loved, he instilled in me the desire to be a doctor so I can help people...so I followed along and took science courses. The confidence I gained in college from being a leader in the different activities I took part of really helped contribute to me being brave enough to do what I do now. And it wasn't till maybe 2nd year and 3rd year that I really started to REALLY love biology and science...

Not until the last minute when I looked back on everything and my desire to "help others" did I realize that He had this awesome unbelievable plan for me. He made me see His truth by showing me that when I became too focused on my own truth (medical school), I was steering myself away from spending time with Him. Never had I thought I would be here...and I'm sure my old secondary school friends who don't know what I'm doing now would be pretty dang shocked to hear that I'm a teacher. I know that some good friends from HS are still amazed that I would dare speak in front of a whole class and have control of what goes on in a class of more than 30 students (heh heh...more like GOD has control of it...that he's gracious enough to give me managing abilities of some sort!). 

Wow huh?

And I'm sure this is only a glimpse of what He has planned. I wonder what else He has in store for the OG GummyG? ^_^

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09.30.01, Sunday

Another long weekend...but fun! ^_^ On Friday, I had that HIV Education thing that I went to for Science Education...it was actually really interesting! Why? Because there was a lot of bio in it! There was stuff from cell bio and things from biochem that the speaker talked about, and I was like, OOO!!! I KNOW THIS!!! ^_^ So it was fun to take notes on all this bio stuff...I think I am too much of a fanatic for biology things...do you think? ^_^

Friday night, I went to meet up with Olive in Irvine! I couldn't go to the rock-n-roll sushi place with them (ahem, like 25 others!) Saturday night, because I had a church fellowship party that I needed to go to then, so we hung out on Friday. I went to give her her bday/going away gift...she's going to Washington DC for an internship for several months. How awesome huh??? =) We wanted to go watch the screening for Serendipity over at UCI, but when we got there, there were no more seats available in HIB, so we couldn't get in. =( So we called up Shelley and Caroline and met up with them at Caroline's...where we spent a few hours playing with make-up and hair curling...hee hee...after that, we called up Giang and all of us headed over to Pierce Street Annex in Newport...it's this really ghetto white club, hee hee...They wanted to take me clubbing for the first time, so I went with them, and it was fun! =) Well, it was crowded, but really not as BAD as I thought it'd be...plus my friends rock - there was no drinking, no nothing bad, ya know? We just danced and had fun! =) It took a while for me to loosen up though...heh heh...at first, it seemed wierd, but then it was really just me and my friends. =) 

This one white guy there, he wanted to dance with me...I didn't really want to so I kept saying I didn't know how, but SHELLEY kept telling him to...anyways, he was asking other people about me after...heh heh...aiyaaaaa...I don't want to meet people in clubs!!! bleah! >_< However, his friend looked like Lance from NSYNC, except not as chubby. =) That's what my friends said. I wouldn't know...everyone seemed really tall to me, so really, I didn't see too many faces, heh heh. In fact, this one guy that had his arms up while dancing kept running into me and the back of my head would run into his armpit...gross!!! I moved quickly...hee hee...^_^

After, I went over to Giang's to pick up this really cute bday gift she made for me...a homework basket that she decorated with puffy paint...it's so cute! ^_^ Thanks Giangy! =) I had to go to the gas station afterwards, and this guy tried to pick me up there...he walked over to me and asked for my name and my number. I'm like, "Wha...???" I was like, nooo, I don't give out my number to people I don't know...and he kept trying to make conversation with me. All the while, he has this pack of Marlboro's out...ick...I'm like, umm okay, I'm gonna go...bye bye..!!! 

That was Friday night! Saturday was a fun day...I went to get the lens for my glasses in Rowland Heights...when I got home, we went to the Chinese Fellowship's Mid-Autumn Festival party. There was good food and fun, and as Youth, we planned together the stuff we'll be doing at the campout this coming weekend. We're gonna be leading some songs...and it's neat. We have TNT on violin and flute, and we're going to lead Be Thou My Vision and Shout to the Lord. And then a capella, we're going to lead two fun campfire ones...Make a Melody in My Heart, and Deep Deep (Do you love your Jesus?!?)! Lots of shouting expected...heh heh...

Today was church, and Karrie and Lauren were both back! We haven't seen them in a while, so it was cool. ^_^ I had so much papers to grade and lessons to plan for this week...I just finished most of it...that's why I'm typing this out now. =) And Mark, Shelton and I took off to Albertson's on our scooter, skateboard and feet to buy rock salt, eggs and gum in the middle of the night (okay, it wasn't THAT late...it was dark though, and we had a run in with some sprinklers...)...heh heh...they were stuff for out Freezing Point Depression Lab Finale tomorrow, minus the gum. ^_^ As for now...I'm going to finish up this week's lessons...

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09.27.01, Thursday

Happy Birthday Kate!!! ^_^
(24...! Woah!)

Wow, it's been one hecka week...and especially one plain crazy day. This week started off great. All of my students were awesome and just lovely. On Tuesday, I was out for a BTSA 7-12 Science Conference, and when I came back, I found that all of my classes were absolutely lovely, except for my 4th period. In 4th period, the teacher from next door had to come in and yell at my kids so that the sub could take roll! So when I came back, I commended all my kids except for Period 4. I was hoping actually that they'd get a really good report because they had been doing a lot better, and I had even praised them for it on Monday. But alas...so...the first thing I told them to do, in a very stern voice, was to take out a piece of paper and write down what happened yesterday in class while I was gone...and that not a word was to be spoken during that time. The class was pret-ty quiet...after I collected their letters, I asked the students what happened, why, read to them the sub report, and just plain lectured them out for their behavior. I still listened to their side of the story, of course, and took into account what they said happened in their letters and in speech so that I could see what their point of view was, and integrating it together, they really could still have been better. Their own writings said that yeah, they was WAY too much noise going on...that not many were actually working...and that in the end, there was a lot of copying going on, especially with the boys (and I have the very sociable boys in there...kinda like last year for my 4th period at SLMS, except that was 7th grade and so that was different, even if I did have big boys in there). And they also knew that I expected way better behavior from them. So in light of that, I told them many things, and that I expected them to be better on Friday when I'd be out again. I ended that day at school making a ton of phone calls...nice phone calls to those kids that probably often get bad phone calls home, but for these who were improving. I had a lot of happy, somewhat surprised parents on the phone last night who were surprised to hear me say that it was a pleasure to have them in my classroom. To tell you the truth though, it is...I do like having them in my classroom. They have personality, and yet, I can see that many of them are trying and really do want to do well. And I have them help out alot in the classroom whenever possible, and to give them responsibility into owning the learning that we are doing. Anyways... 

I woke up today feeling like it was already going to be a bad day...I was tired cuz I slept really late last night working on sub plans for tomorrow and today's lesson...and when I got to school, I just had no energy. I think it was cuz last night, I was already tired and just wanted to rest, but couldn't...but either way, today was all chaotic. First of all, today was supposed to be the Freezing Point Depression Lab (Ice Cream Lab), but it seemed like not everyone was bringing in all their materials. So in the morning, while talking to my department head, I got some more info for the FPD Lab-more of the science behind it. I was like OH! This is important stuff too...Hmm...but I hadn't taught it yet, so I was thinking that I could teach those concepts as a back-up lesson, to teach it before instead of after the lab. However, as school began, more and more materials showed up from the students (I had told them that if they want to do the lab, they would have to bring the materials, as I had no money!). First period didn't have eggs nor milk, and so we couldn't do the experiment. So I did the concepts as notes, impromptu. It went okay. 

And then 2nd and 3rd, we were able to gather enough materials to start...however, as they were doing the lab, I realized that we didn't have enough ice, and that we wouldn't be able to get the liquid mixture into a solid ice cream in time...and I didn't have rock salt with me to speed it up! I should have had rock salt on hand...but didn't because my old recipe that I had from HS didn't have it. I did it at home without it...it took a while, but it worked...but oh well...However, I should have been smarter...rock salt would help lower the temperature faster, and ice cream could be made much faster...! Arg!!! So 2nd and 3rd got liquid ice cream...they had fun and liked it anyways though...I had warned 3rd, but they wanted to do it anyways. 

And 4th period today, well, we didn't have the materials so I proceeded with the notes...but I don't know if it was just me or them, but dang, there were times when my  mind would just go blank and freeze up and I felt like I didn't know what else I could say. Part of it was cuz there were so many distractions in there that I couldn't concentrate. And in a way, that could have led students to have felt those pauses and to start talking...and so I felt that that class was pretty talkative, in a negative way. I should have just burned them, which means to assign detention and then BAM (!), Saturday School the ones that wouldn't stop. I didn't though, cuz part of it was me being caught midway in my lecture materials and being frustrated with their behavior. Dude, I guess depending on their behavior for my sub tomorrow, and their behavior in class next week, that will determine if I will start burning them. Heh heh, that term, "burn" sounds so scary...

So I told the class that I felt they were much too loud, etc...and held back several of the kids that were especially talkative. I talked to these kids, and was really angry and frustrated with them, as these were the bright kids. One kid was like, I know all this stuff, I took it in summer school...(ahem, so you tell me why he is taking this 8th grade class for the third time? Yeesh, obviously he couldn't pass it then, and I wonder why??)...and another was like, can't I just take a test and waive this class? And I told all of them that no, and even if there was a test, I could guarantee that there are many more things out there that they don't know yet...that there are a LOT of things out there that they will be learning, and that even if a test existed for middle school, they really wouldn't be able to pass it cuz they won't have learned it yet. The kid that said that, I didn't point it out, but he's said some really good things in class and shows a lot of thinking, but he also has a LOT of misconceptions that he's picked up, and there's still a long way for him to really get the science we will be doing this year. I was blunt and honest with them, because they disappointed me, and yet I knew that they must know that they can be so much better, and needed to know why. I was getting really frustrated and angry, and even got tears in my eyes cuz I was just so...so frustrated with these kids who can be doing so much better. They are supposed to be examples to the class...and some of them are GATE kids, who really need to be leaders and to lead the class in learning, not disrupting the class in learning by distracting them. I told them that even if they got the materials faster, that there were many around them that didn't and really wanted to listen and learn something...that by being distracting, they were actually leading others from learning and doing well. I told them that they are the ones that are going to go out into the world and make a difference...these kids are bright, and can choose to be a positive impact on the world...and they need to be serious and start taking a positive leadership role now. I didn't mention this, but really, by 8th grade, their personalities are pretty much set as to who and what kind of person they will be later on in life...if they choose a positive route, they can do really well...I don't want them to throw away what good chances they could have in their future. 

I got to all of them but one...and they felt guilty that I was crying cuz I was so mad and disappointed...arg, I didn't want to do that in front of them, but it just really pissed me off that they weren't letting themselves do better, yet THINK that they DO know everything. It comes with being 13 though...to think that you know everything...cuz hey, I went through it too...but dang it, they need to know that they don't know everything, whether or not they want to hear it, and that they can make a difference if they choose to do so. 

The one that I don't think I got to...ARG, he drives me nuts! He's totally into flirting with the girls, talks constantly in class (and dude, hee hee, he's not that great looking...and he's not exactly GATE, even if he was the one that mentioned about GATE students earlier today...dude, really, he's not even close to it cuz he just won't pay attention and put forth his energies into learning. He hasn't learned to priortize just yet...whereas the students that are GATE in the lecture I gave, which was 3 of the 4 that are identified in that class, they understood exactly what I was talking about. GATE doesn't mean "smarter"...really, GATE means someone who is willing to take leadership roles, proactive and not afraid of leading the class either in questions or discussions, one who will take challenges or challenge ideas...and if a student is not GATE identified, it doesn't mean that the student is any less smarter because that class is especially filled with bright minds and not all of them are identified...if anything, hard work and effort make up a huge part of how well a student does in class, no matter if the student is GATE, ELD, low skilled, or anything at all. In fact, the ones that turn in the best work are my ELD kids cuz they want to do well and put in a great deal of effort to turn in their best work, even if their spelling and grammar aren't perfect. But okay...I can go on and on on this...^_^)...Calling home doesn't exactly help...his parents don't stomp down on him when he's not doing too well. I mean, dang, his grandma works in the office, and she SAYS she'll (literally) rip his neck off, but I hear from others that she often just gives in to him. He's so dang spoiled! This boy, he told Danielle Sovine (also a new teacher like me-she's my friend, heh heh, and she's a lot tougher than I am with the kids...well, I guess I ain't too tough...though I try to be, hee hee) that new teachers, like her (and ME, and he named a few others...which just pissed her and me off, though I stayed out of it cuz the conversation was not with me) can't control a classroom, so it's not his fault that he can't learn cuz he's not in an environment in which he can learn. AHEM??? No normal 8th grader says that. If anything, he got that from his mother. His mother, I've talked to on the phone...and yeah, it sounds like it would be from her. She's supportive, but she also gives in to whatever her son says. 

And about not being able to control our classrooms...heck no, I'm doing better and better every day, and it's going well, and I've even seen a lot of improvement in my own self during this past month (wow, can you believe it? I've taught for a month already!). As I get to know the kids better, it really does help a lot. 

All of the ones I held back today, I asked them to write me a letter telling me what they thought about what I said...and this boy, he writes something stupid like this: 

"Hello my name is ***** and I live in Riverside I have a mom and 3 sister and my sister make me very mad all the time. And I have a Grandmama that I Love so much she was always there for me when I was little"

Okay, first of all...grammar sucks. But yeah, disregarding that...that letter was totally irrelevant to anything at all! All the other letters pretty much said things like (these are some exerpts...spelling and grammar according to authors):

"I am so sorry for what I did...I won't do it agin I will be a leader and do my beest in class I will help others"

"Ms. Lau, I'm sorry for disrupting the class. I wrote you a letter earlier saying that I will behave more properly, and I'm not showing that as of right now...I didn't realize what I was doing to jeapordize other people's learning abilities. I will respect them fron now on."

"I am so sorry for wasting your teaching time. I know that I can do better and I will."

"I am sorry...I will take this class serious and not mess around. Sorry."

"I will try harder to keep myself occupied so I won't talk or disrupt others. It's not faire for them and I know it. I'm sorry"

Now do you see any difference between his letter and the rest of the others? Gosh dang it, and when I asked him about it, he said, "You didn't specify what to write, you just said to write you a letter", all the while playing dumb. Oh my goodness, I'm sure that he is not that stupid. But then again, he did rip out two pages out of the brand new science textbook...when noone else in any of my classes nor anyone else in my th period did it when the sub said to take out pages 157-160. Everyone else took it out of the Study Workbook. Hmm. See what I have to deal with? Aiya...yow mou GOW chou ah??? 

That's only half of today. After school, I met with the parents of a student I have that gets picked on a lot by the other students. Today in class, while choosing new lab groups, I noticed that noone wanted him in their group...so I put him in a group with other boys that were very nice and gentle. In this group however, there was one boy that I saw as a potential for problems, but he had been doing really good this past week. I didn't want to put this boy in a group of a bunch of other girls, cuz he may feel left out, and I didn't want to put him in a group where there were boys that would be mean to him. This, I thought, was my best option, as there were 3 other boys in the group that were very gentle and nice. Well, while I was passing out materials for the lab, I suddenly hear and realize that something happened...I check it out and the boy's glasses are on the floor and one of the lenses had fallen off! It was cuz that one boy that was in that lab group that was a potential for problems hit him-not with a fist, but with an open hand. Either way, I was pretty angry that someone would do something to this boy...he's been picked on enough and he has to deal with it all the time. Just when I find out what happen and was going to get the other boy out, this boy starts rushing over to the other boy pretty mad...to knock the daylights out of him. I don't blame him! But I couldn't let something like that happen in class so I grabbed him as he headed over there and pulled him outside. I sent both boys outside and talked to them both...particularly angry at the boy causing the problem. Another student came out to give the glasses to the first boy...and I let him escort him to the office while I dealt with the one that hit the first boy before sending him to the office too.

This dear boy is very sweet and very smart, but for some reason, kids pick on him. Middle School students can be really mean, hurtful and insensitve sometimes. So his dad comes in all mad...very understandable, as his son was picked on a lot last year and nothing was really done about it. I'd be mad too. It ended really well, and the conference ended with the boy and his parents and everyone smiling. But it was about an hour long conference...!

This weekend is the Mid-Autumn Moon Festival...maybe it's the moon that's bringing about all this craziness. >_< I like the moon though...I hope there's a nice full moon..it's so pretty! =) The only thing is, Saturday night, Giang, Dolly, Shelley and I (and some others) wanted to go to this rock-n-roll sushi place for Olive's bday/going away party...it would also be a joint bday thing for other friends too (there are two others, including Greg)...but I cannot go...I have to take care of youth things on Saturday night. Our church is celebrating the Mid-Autumn Moon Festival taht night. Tomorrow though, I might go up to LA with some friends to another sushi place for another bday...heh heh, and I don't even really like sushi...so it's surprising that there are all these sushi things going on. ^_^ 

Okay...this was extra long, I know...I just had to vent a bit, heh heh...^_^

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09.24.01, Monday

Happy Birthday Jason!!! ^_^
(heh heh...now forever will it be known to all...)

On Thursday night, we went to pick up Shelton's parents over in RH, and we ate a delicious dinner at the Sam Woo's Seafood Restaurant there. Mmm...Sam Woo's is always good! ^_^ Friday day was just a kickback day in which we all had dinner together, along with my cousins (Anthony, Andrew and Simon) and uncle. Saturday...oh wow, Saturday was a long day...in the morning, we went to UCI and took Auntie and Uncle Yuen around in something of a tour, and visited Shelton's dorm room again. We got to go to the Farmer's Market, and got some nuts and fruits ($1/pound!). Then we went off to RH again and had lunch at the Garden Cafe. Mmm...soooo good there, always...I even tried Horlick for the first time, and (well, I've had it once before I think...except that I didn't remember it!) it was pretty yummy. We went around the area and when we got home, Mark, Shelton and I took off to Eym-Soon and Li-Yin's place in San Bernardino. They invited us to go there and hang out with them, and play some tennis and bball. So us all, including Keen-Yong and David, were there and we played games till past sunset, and then went back to the apt for dinner. Mmm, Eym-Soon can cook!!! ^_^ We had Li-Yin show off some of her cool Chinese Guitar skills (she's good!), and Eym-Soon with his asian flute (he's won medals!). We got to play a bunch of random games till midnight, including the Bang-Bang-Click-Click-Bang game (I don't know the name of it), the Number game, "Chang Ni Gun Wou Zou I Zoan", Mafia, the Blinking game, that chinese Chicken game, and a bunch of others. It was so silly, but just fun anyways. ^_^

Sunday was spent at church, and then, grading the journals from my students...and when I finished that, I got to treat myself to watch GTO. I think I've borrowed this set for almost two months now...hee hee...I've just been slow in watching it...but now that I have a translator...^_^

The school scene has been just as good. Last week, I had a student come in for detention, and while we were talking, it was apparent that he was really interested in chemistry and has tried little experiments at home. And he knows that he talks a lot (that's why he had detention, heh heh), but made it a goal to do better, and he has dramatically! He still chats a bit, but he uses a LOT of his energies into paying attention and taking part of the class discussions-using his talkative abilities for the good, heh heh. It's so cool-and he also told me that he really likes the class and can tell that it will be a great year where there will be a lot of fun and a lot of learning going on...ain't that grand to know? And a few other students also mentioned and told me that I was their favorite teacher, or that my science class is their favorite. =) It's just awesome...I so love teaching...I can't say it enough...I absolutely love it!!!! =) 

And today, I went in early in the morning and moved all the chairs arounds...no more groups, it was just too much for these social kids, hee hee...I changed it to pretty much rows. I despise rows...but I had no choice...and you know what? It's a LOT better...even the kids in the class that talks a lot said so-they admitted that yeah, they like group work, but this was better and allowed for the class to be quieter. And so today was even more better! ^_^ Tomorrow, I have a BTSA conference, and so I won't be in class. I told the kids and they were like, Awwww. In a way, their disappointment was nice to hear, cuz it showed that they did like me. ^_^ It was cute too last week-I went in to another class to drop off some things to another teacher, and the kids were like, "It's Ms. Lau! Hi!" and the teacher had to shush them...hee hee...I will definitely miss them tomorrow! I don't like being out...I feel like there's so much I want to get done. I'll be out Friday too, for another conference. They really need to schedule these conferences further apart...!

Since I talked about a song in my last entry, I might as well do another one now...Do you know what song is really nice? That Ginuwine song, Differences. Only I don't know how they came about with that title...there isn't the word "differences" in the song, I don't think...I didn't know the title of that for sooo long-I had heard it once the beginning of this summer and had asked people and noone knew what I talking about...hee hee...now they play it alot on the radio...just tells ya that the gummychild knows what's good, heh heh...j/k! ^_^

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09.19.01, Wednesday

Wow, it's already Wednesday! This week has gone by fast...! My weekend was fun! Besides Saturday, on Sunday, I went to church, and we had a prayer meeting during Sunday School for the recent events in NY and DC. After church, our College/Career Fellowship had dinner at Sarah's lovely house. Mmm, those Costco meatballs are pretty dang good! ^_^ After that, we shared our thoughts, feelings and reactions to last Tueday's events, and then headed off to watch Nick play in his ice hockey match down at Icetown. It was fun! I didn't think ice hockey would be that exciting, but it's pretty neat, especially when you know one of the players. =) We were rooting for him and probably embarassing him, heh heh...^_^ Hmm, those hockey sticks are pretty big too...taller than me...! 

Our group has gotten really big - on Sunday night, there was (besides me) Mark, Shelton, Cheryl, Keen-Yong, Christie, Mike, Gilbert, Eym-Soon, Li-Yin, David, and of course, Sarah. =) Add in Fred, Ed and Kevin, and that would be our pretty much completed group for now...pretty big huh? Considering that college group started really as just Nick, Sarah, Mark and I. 

Yesterday, I turned the tables on my 4th period...I told them that my voice was half shot, so that I would not be raising my voice yesterday. In fact, if they got out of hand, I would resort to the silent countdown with my hands, and would expect all their attention to be focused on what I needed to say or tell them. If not, I would simply write notes on the board and expect them to understand every word, and therefore, take a quiz tomorrow and do successfully on it if they understood it all. I told this to all my classes, but it was only 4th period that ended up with the quiz. So I just kept writing notes on the board and the students were whining: "You're going too fast! Slow down!" or "What does that mean?", or "This isn't fair!". After I went through two pages of notes (and WOW, it was pretty quiet, heh heh...) I let them write it all and then talked to them about it. I told them that yes, I heard their comments...and yeah, it was disrespectful for me to teach them like that, and it totally was not fair for them to be expected to learn and know everything like that. Now HMMMMM...how did they think that I felt when I was trying to teach them? 

They understood. And the quiz today was tough for them. I did it on purpose too...not to be mean, but see, if they let me speak yesterday, then they WOULD have done good on it...but since they did not, I knew that they would have a difficult time with the quiz...and I knew that without me explaining the notes from yesterday that it would be a difficult quiz for them. 

And so they were much better afterwards...^_^

It's a bright class, with lots of GATE kids in there...but you know, GATE kids are the ones that tend to be more, ahem, "sociable" (nice way of saying someone just talks way too much! heh heh), and are used to being told that they ARE all that and they can do whatever they want, basically. But see, grades is something of concern for them, so I hit them where it hurts...not to be mean, again, but to make a point. And really, I'm not counting the quiz against those that ARE good in the class actually, and told the class that I will see how their behavior goes on for the rest of the week before deciding if their grade on the quiz will be counted or not. So even though I shouldn't, I'm still giving them a chance...=)

Ooo, I got a song I was looking for from my homeboy Shelton! He has a massive file or two (or five thousand...) of mp3's. ^_^ It's sung by Kelly Chen, titled "Lover's Concerto"...lyrics are under the Words section. I wonder if I can upload the mp3 file...heh heh...(I mean, I know I can, but how much webspace is geocities giving me? THAT'S the question...or else I'd upload a ton of things! ^_^)

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09.15.01, Saturday

Woooo, what a day! I was up at 3:15am...my brother and I got ready and left the house in the dark at 4am in search of breakfast...the food at the gas station didn't appeal to our hungry tummies, and so we went to beloved Jack-In-The-Box, which we thought was open 24 hours (Isn't it advertised that their Drive-Thru is open 24 hours??? or not?), but it was not! So we drove around for half and hour and ended up going to a 7-11 ordering hot dogs...hash browns or something would have been nicer, but these hot dogs weren't that bad, even if it was for breakfast....then we were off on the 15 North!

Where were we heading, might you ask, so early in the morning? VEGAS!!! Heh heh! ^_^

No no...not to play or eat (next time? hee hee...)! But to kidnap a specific individual...none other than the former owner of Gok Fa Cha Eugene. ^_^ Actually, we went to pick up Shelton because we were helping move to UCI today! He starts at UCI (bio major, of course! ^_^) next week...how exciting! On the way there, my brother and I switched off driving, and guess what I saw while driving? A shooting star!!! Wow, I've never seen one before...this one was REALLY bright and I was lucky to see it-I saw it just at the top part of the windshield-it was really beautiful, and it went away as quickly as I saw it...(My brother didn't see it, heh heh...he wasn't paying attention to the view really.) I always thought shooting stars would be small and way up high in the sky...but not this one! I don't mind...it was "my" shooting star...^_^

All day long, it was nothing but eat and drive...heh heh, at Vegas (we got there in 3 hours...pretty good huh?), we had breakfast with my Auntie and Shelton at IHOP...that was of course about 4 hours after our biggie hot dogs...

-interlude-

Oh yeah! On our way home, we were being somewhat ganged up on by some maroon car gang...heh heh...there were many of them, against our one white Camry...soon we were joined by a few white allies, but they weren't that tough and fell out of the game...*sigh* ^_^ 

-continue-

...when we got home, my mom had fried rice noodles ready for us...so we ate that...after resting, we took Shelton to UCI and moved him in his dorm...housing still has his Driver's License, as they took off without giving it back to him! Hopefully he'll get it back...he should...or we could sue! heh heh, j/k! =) Anyways, us three went on back home and there was dinner...there was pan fried stuffed tofu, so of course, no matter how my stomach felt, I couldn't resist those...! ^_^ After doing the dishes, I took my shower and finally have time to work on grades for my students, GB things, and update my webpage. =) 

It's too bad I didn't have a camera out with me...the desert in the early EARLY morning is really lovely, especially right before the sun comes out: when the horizon is this shade of purple-burgundy, and you can see the whole full moon that only has a tiny bottom sliver that is lighted...and the brightest star to the high right of it...the whole scene is like a still moment in time, in which the hills and desert vegetation is painted perfectly without any mistakes, the colors are subtle but eye-catching...anyways, it's just an awesome picture...

A'ight homies...I got work to do...peace out...!

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09.14.01, Friday

The whole terrorist incident is still pretty overwhelming...even though things are starting to go back normal, like planes are starting to fly again and stuff, what happened in NY and DC won't be forgotten. Front pages of newspapers are still plastered with pictures and articles about the attack, and in honesty, I'm not tired of hearing about it yet. It was just so wrong...and I wish I could do something to help...even if it was just wearing red, white and blue today to show my support. I did try to give blood before but they wouldn't let me...I wasn't heavy enough, heh heh...so it looks like I'll have to start gaining some weight so I can donate blood. ^_^ Today at school, we had a moment of silence at 12 noon...

Last night, I was reading intently about the events of the attack...and then suddenly, I hear this low rumbling getting louder and louder near my house-I was freaked out and started shaking! It wasn't like I was running around like a chicken with its head cut off, but I was just suddenly shaking and scared. As it turns out, it was just Mark playing Starcraft...the subwoofer was on just a little too high...It's not like I'm paranoid about being attacked, but to suddenly hear that low rumbling...that was scary...

People sometimes wonder, why the heck would anyone want to attack the USA??? Well my dear...there are LOTS of reasons...I know the US has done good for other countries, but it has also done things that are not so good, or ignore those that could have used its help. If anything, with our world power, I'm sure we could have done more...and maybe we will in the future. However, what matters to me right now is that it's not the reason why that matters-it's just simply what happened that matters. That innocent lives were taken in a way that just shouldn't have been...And in retrospect, this was just a one day event for us...for other countries, they lose friends and families every day...so now we kinda know what they go through... 

On Wednesday, another student brought two parakeets, Snow White and Prince, as a class pet for the day. Kids are really getting excited about bringing pets to class for a day or so, which is neat. =) (btw...the rats went home on Tuesday.) Next week, a student wants to bring a hamster, and there is potential for a snake...heh heh...

I'm really enjoying teaching...I know, I say that all the time, and really, I do! There's not much news to say other than that and the usual-there are always some students that may be just too loud or stuff, and 13 is a complicated age to be, heh heh, but I deal with it and it seems to be going okay after I talk with the student and parent sometimes. I've gotten to know the rest of the staff much better, and like them alot. ^_^ What's funny is that many of them knew and had Ralm as their teacher at Ramona-wow huh??? Danielle Sovine, Luis Romero, Lucy Wedeking, all have had him as a teacher in high school...and John Smith knows of him too. These four are my buddies, as well as Frau Heidi Bowman, my always-calm-BTSA support provider George Hague, and Cherie Uyeyama, my homegirl in science. ^_^ Tunde Akenremi, Eddie Rumsey, and Sharon Hester, as well Maria Moya, Loella Philips (who gave me candy today!), Wade Coe and Monique Conway, are awesome as they can be. And of course, I can't forget the rest of the science department-Dr. Vincent Pittruzello, Carol Williams, and Sharon Hofer. Actually, Ms. Hofer is my neighbor and today after school, she opened our connecting door and yelled at some of the kids that were in my room after school...they were a little TOO loud...hee hee, and it was partly my fault...I let them be because I didn't realize she was in her room and let them have an all out (but careful) squishy ball war...woops...Anyways, there are a lot of them to mention, but they're all pretty dang cool, especially the custodians-Joeann, Juan, Tony, David, Carmen...they do their job and are SO good at everything they do! ^_^

This week, we did a Bubble Gum Lab...heh heh...basically, to get the students to be really familiar with using the triple beam balance. Oh my goodness,I didn't realize that at this age, they still dont' know how to take averages of things and find the percentage of things...some do, but many don't, and so the data part of the lab was a total confusion to many of them because they didn't know how to do that stuff. I thought they would, because at SLMS, they did...but they didn't here-next time, I'll double check with the math dept...We'll be starting on Matter and the like next week...I might do a demo maybe...that would be fun. ^_^

It's been one hectic week...I hope the weekend goes smoothly. I know it's gonna be busy though-I'm off to Vegas to pick up a friend (no playing! Just pick up and go!), and me and my bro are leaving early tomorrow morning...like REAL early...and then after I get back, I am bringing the RCAC Youth to the Harvest Rally at LACAC! Woosh...and this weekend is the Route 66 festival thing, only I don't have the time to really go, cuz Sunday is church and College/Career Fellowship...but I'm happy with the things I have to do, it's all good stuff. =) And to top that off, I'll be somewhat rearranging the loft tonight...my brother decided to move all his things into his room, and so I get the whole loft to myself! Yay! Too bad I don't have money to buy cool things like a beanbag or rug, heh heh....^_^

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09.11.01, Tuesday

Dang...the bombing at the World Trade Center, Pentagon, and the whole plane things...it's insane, and really scary that some person felt it was perfectly fine to prove his  might or whatever by hurting people. It's just so crazy...and it really hits home that it happened here on U.S. soil. I mean, the last time I remember something of this magnitude was the Gulf War, when I was in junior high (I thought of this cuz I'm teaching junior high now! heh heh) and that didn't have as big as an impact on me, partly because it was so far away, and war was expected then. What happened today was totally unexpected and out of the blue...for no justifiable reason, lives were lost and people were hurt. 

I had friends in those areas too! Ramenboy lives out there and he was just a mile from the WTC and saw the whole thing...my neighbor Uncle Stephen is also out there in NY, but luckily, he was about 7 miles from it. My church friend Ivan is out in Alexandria, which is close to the Pentagon, and fortunately, he is alright too. I'm glad my friends are okay, but I still wonder about all those that were out there that got hurt or was killed...so I may not have known them...but like Ramenboy said, they were like normal people going to work-probably complaining about their job, turning on their computers, checking email, opening Excel...wondering what they were going to eat for lunch, or anticipating going out with friends or loved ones after work...things that we do...I mean, they were just doing normal things, and then...

I'm sure everyone's heard of the whole crazy event of the day....I'm just recording my own thoughts for myself, heh heh...but don't mind sharing them with you...=)

And really, right now, noone knows for sure who did it...and if and when we do find out, what happens then? war? more craziness? Noone also knows if anything else will happen, which is a scary thought. Okay, so nothing will probably happen in Riverside...but dude, who knows, right? And even if it's not the IE, there's still lots of other places where we all have friends and families, and really, whether we know them or not, lives that are out there that don't deserve to be ended in such a way. 

All the flags were at half mast today, including Sierra MS...my kids today also felt the impact of the events, and I think it's a lot cuz of the fact that it happened here in the U.S....they're not uninterested, but really wanting to know what happened and why, and what is going to happen. Yup...I don't doubt that tomorrow will be a very different day, even if we are living almost on the other side of the continent...because of technology and communication across the globe, NY and Washington DC don't seem quite to far away as it used to, huh?

We need to remember them in our prayers tonight, as well as remembering to pray for their families and all those affected by this event.

All kinds of tragedies seem to be going on lately. I found out recently that one student that I worked closely with last year, he was razor scootering and went out into traffic...he was hit...and at first, they didn't think he was going to make it. Now, it's said that he's stable, but in critical condition. It was last Thursday, the day before school started in the Irvine Unified School District. Another student that is his friend, and that I also worked very closely with, was with him, and saw the whole thing. He's going through a lot...and is talking to the counselor (who is really good at her job!) a lot...both are very sweet boys that I spent a LOT of time helping them with improving their grades and talking to them about school, home and social things. I hope they are both doing much better, and have been praying for them as well...

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09.10.01, Monday

WOW!!! I came to school today to find that my classes have been sooooo fixed! Ooo, THANK YOU KATARINA for all your hard work!!! =) Without you, my class sizes wouldn't be what they are now. My big class, 4th period, is now only 32 students big...cool huh??? And my 2nd period now has 24, which is still a great number. The cool thing is, the students that got moved out of my 4th period are moved to other classes that are on schedule and doing well, and the students in the other classes are being pretty helpful with getting the new students up to date on what they're doing. And my 4th period is MUCH easier to handle now that there's only 32 in there. Since 4th period was so behind, I simply cancelled the rest of our "Sliding or Rolling" lab on water today, and just talked to them about some science stuff-and the neat thing is, when I'm teaching and talking the classroom is dead quiet-I had their attention and they were sooo hooked on the Mickey Mouse molecule (water) and other science things that were part of the lab, or not (they asked a few other questions and so I answered them). It was cool, cuz they've NEVER been that quiet, heh heh. =)

Another cool thing...our class now has class pets! One of my students brought in three rats - Patches, Gilbert, and Andrew - and the kids love them...until they poop! Then the kids freak out. Aiya, it's just an act of nature! But oh well...we got to take them out of the cage and pass them around the class for some time, and they enjoyed it. ^_^

We're going to start on the Bubble Gum Lab tomorrow...woo hoo! I just need to get up early, buy 60 pieces of Bubblicious from Albertson's, and get to school early enough to make a million copies and cut them down in size...heh heh, I don't mind actually, it's kinda fun, and I love it. =) 

Oh yeah! We had an assembly this morning...oh my goodness, being short doesn't help when students are looking all over the quad for their zero period teacher...heh heh...it took a while for them to find me, and when they did, they pretty much told me what I was supposed to do. That's another cool thing about 8th graders - they know the ropes already, and know exactly what to do...kinda like Friday's fire drill, hee hee (read below). =) 

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09.07.01, Friday

We had a fire drill today at school! Heh heh...I had no idea what I was doing! Well, cuz I've never done one before. ^_^ Pretty much, I started leading my students the wrong way, and they were like, "Ms. Lau, you're gonna get us lost! Come back here, we're supposed to go here...!" Hee hee, it's cool though, and I trust that in a real emergency, these kids would be pretty responsible and know what to do on their own, and where we would meet up. They pretty much guided me on where I should go. And then once, I stopped to let more students pass me by, so I can see if everyone was there...when I did that, the students in the front suddenly were like, "OH MY GOODNESS, WHERE'S MS. LAU???" Hee hee...when they found me, they were like, "There she is!!!" Ah, so I'm a little short...^_^ The kids are sweet though, I love them all!!! ^_^

Ooo, I had so much fun tonight! =) Besides another awesome fantastic day at school, some of my super fantabulous friends took me out to celebrate my bday! =) TCTM and Susie picked me up and off we went to Claim Jumper's at Brea Mall for dinner. We met up with Phung (affectionately, Phungus...heh heh...) there...her bday was in August too (Happy Birthday Phungus!)! =) After a huge and delicious dinner, we went to the Block and met up with Dolly, Noel, Mark (yes, Mark, not Rex!), Juan, and George. ^_^ We headed to Dave and Buster's for a few hours, and together, accumulated 2,350 tickets! Hee hee...Juan almost got 2,000 more later on too! heh heh! Let's just say that basketball and those games that you use tokens for are the best ones to win tickets...! ^_^ With all the tickets, we got two monkeys, a shot glass, two bubble gum kids characters, a blue M&M, and a bendable Kermit the Frog. Oh yeah-John showed up later at D&B's too, and he did get Kermit at the end of the day! =) Thank you everyone for showing up and for pitching in with all the fun! =) And Thanks Tim, for the whole birthday bash-for the presents, the ride, the food, the games, and time...and oh yeah, for that chinese song that is now stuck in my head...you are too cool! ^_^

BTW...yeah...it was L-O-A-R-A...Heh heh...^_^

So just again...thank you Timmy, Susie, Phung, John, Dolly (I haven't seen you in soooo long! Yay! We have to let the monkeys we got today meet up again sometime soon!), Mark, Juan, Noel, and George for being there! ^_^

Okay...I guess I should take my shower and go to sleep now...hee hee...it's like 2:15am! ^_^

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09.05.01, Wednesday

Last night, I got to hang out with my buddy Stephen! I went to high school with him, and he's a good friend of mine. I haven't seen him in YEARS! He works for Intel out in Arizona now, bossing people around (j/k)...wow, top quality stuff huh? ^_^ Anyways, it was really nice to catch up on things and talk about all kinds of things-it's so weird, to know that we went to high school together, and now it's FIVE years later! Five years since we were all in high school, wondering where we would be in 5 years...ironic huh? And of course, our HS reunion is like a 10 year one, so I guess we have another 5 years to go...where will we all be then?

Dang, time flies...like now, it's weird to know that people were born in the 90's...Dude, I was born in 1978, so it DID feel strange to be checking my students's records and to see that they were born around 1987! But I still don't really feel old though...so...whatever...^_^

My 4th period class is awesome! Even though we are still a super full class, things are much better...yesterday, we all agreed to start fresh and start all over again, since we did get off to a somewhat bad start. They liked it that I was willing to give them another chance and start all over again, and I liked it too. There are still discipline problems, cuz the class is just so huge, it's impossible, but they are not bad kids. In fact, the one kid that I was concerned a bit about, I heard that he actually really likes me! =) My Vice Principal told me so today! Today in class, that boy (let's call him A) threw something at another boy (B) and made him angry, so that B yelled and cussed in my class...my rule is, ANY cussing whatsoever warrants an immediate office referral...and I made that clear last week. Well, even though I liked B, I had to send him to the office-I can't go back on any rules I've made because it's so important to remain consistent all the time...! 

So I sent him off...and A-he was one that I gave detention to last week, who was at first mad at me until he realized what I told his parents (I said good things)-he came up to me and felt bad that he got the other boy sent to the office, and wanted to go to the office himself to explain what happened. He didn't feel it was fair for B to get in trouble for what A did It was very noble and chivalrous of him...of course, it still doesn't erase the fact that he was throwing things in class...

He tried to explain it to the VP, but she focused on his actions that caused the whole thing and says she just might call up his parents, which this boy fears because his parents make him do extra chores around the house (these parents sound like pretty good parents to me, as their discipline policy seems to work well!)...my VP is tough, but she IS good-she's just awesome at her job, and I wish I could be tough like her. It's consistent, yes, but also tough-I'm consistent, but I can't help but smile and try to look at the good things and point those out to the kids, even if they mess up. I need to learn from her, heh heh...

Anyways, during their conversation, he did say that he did like me as a teacher, and the VP told me after when I asked her about how it went with the two. Wow huh??? I didn't know if A really did like me as a teacher or not, because even though we agreed to start fresh for this week, I still did give him detention on the first day, and called his parents (no matter what I said, he still did get in trouble from his parents because he was being unrespectful). I mean, I know that the class knows that I'm nice, even if I did send kids out (actually, sending a few out today made a bigger difference in the class-they were much better!) when they are troublesome or a distraction, and they even asked yesterday: are we the worst class you've ever had? (btw, I told them no! That they did great yesterday-which they did-and that it was just cuz there are way too many people in the class). I'm still waiting for the class size to go down...it's down to 40 now...still a lot though! 

One student gave me a picture he drew today, and another picked a rose for me on her way to school! ^_^ And another STILL wants to set me up with someone-this tutor friend of his that is 24 and actually tutors on campus, and is even a Christian (they know I'm Christian), and of course, that got him and his friends that are in the class teasing me after school-they'd whisper to me: "He's not rebounding!", "He's buff!" and "He's Christian!"....stuff like that...yeeeeesh...8th graders...! (hee hee, j/k!) ^_^

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09.03.01, Monday

Ooo, I got some pictures scanned today! So if you are on 56k...it may be a bit...They're big, but I'm too lazy to fix it right now, heh heh...

Here's one from the REACh Beach Rally last month...I was buried by my youth and their posse...and Eric decided that he'd take a nap there...

...and here are some from my birthday last weekend:
           ~Group picture at the party...
           ~Chillin' wit' da White Ghosts Crew of RCAC...
           ~Me with SugarHi and Lil' Sis...

Hmm...maybe I should do a photo gallery thing huh? Naaaaah...I won't put up TOO many pictures! Heh heh...^_^

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09.02.01, Sunday

Wow, it's been an eventful weekend...and I'm glad it's not over yet! Hooray for 3 day weekends...! ^_^

The two that didn't come in to serve detention on Thursday came on Friday (I give them a two day time period to make up a detention) and they were actually pretty good in class on Friday. ^_^ But still...I sure hope the class size goes down a bit...it's a tough class to have, with so many kids in there!

My 6th period class is so funny...they were asking me ALL these questions and so I finally decided to answer whatever they pretty much wanted, except for how long I've been teaching (if they ask me that, I say it's confidential...and then every now and then, I do mention "my students from last year"...hey, it was student teaching...hee hee...but they really were still my students, cuz I taught them for a good number of months!). I decided to tell them my age...they're not going to stop asking, so I figure, why not? And when I told them, they were like, woah, that's young!!! Then one goes, "Hey, my brother is 20! Wanna meet him? He's cute!"...and then another goes..."MY brother is 24! You should meet HIM!" Hee hee...they're all so hilarious! ^_^ I love all my kids, from zero period to 1st, 2nd, 3rd...even the 4th period ones, heh heh...and 5th and 6th! I'm pretty sure the 4th period ones don't think I'm quite so nice as all the other students do in all the other classes, but I hope that things will work out better as students shift to new schedules.

On Saturday night, we went down to MoVal to my cousin's place. Our former pastor, Pastor Lau and his wife, and Erica, were there! They were down here for the weekend, so they came to visit us and we had a huge get-together dinner party for them. It was neat to see them...they didn't even recognize me anymore! But it was still neat, and I had a fun time hanging out with the little little kids (Cory can sure punch with those boxing gloves! and Bianca gave me stickers!), the youth (Harold got really slap-happy with our game...hee hee...but it's a type of game that just induces slap-happiness...!), adults, and everyone else there. 

Then today, there was College/Career fellowship at the Chiu's...a giant delicious bbq'd meal which also was a dinner for Catherine, as she's heading off to UCSD in two weeks! We just barely got back not too long ago...(it's like 1am!)...mmm, there was good stuff to eat indeed...Albertson's super fresh French Bread...absolutely heavenly! ^_^ 

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08.30.01

Today was the first day of school!!! Or actual instruction, I mean...woah! What a day! Overall, it was absolutely great, and I've already heard rumors that the kids really like me. ^_^ There is one catch though...I've already assigned detention!!! Can you believe it? *gasp* Heh heh...but it was cool. You're like what??? Well, what I mean is...my 4th period class, at the moment, is overpacked...there's like 42 kids in there! As this and next week goes on, it'll soon dissipate (it's illegal for me to have more than 35 or 36, according to state law...thank goodness!). But with 42 students...it's just insane! And especially since it's the class period before lunch-they're antsy! I gave enough warnings to the kids that were really talking, and soon enough, RIGHT after I talked about respect, they were talking talking talking...so I gave out detention to those that were consistently talking and not heeding my warnings...and then later on, when I asked the class to be quiet, ABSOLUTELY quiet for an activity, some weren't...so BAM, detention! ^_^ 

I'm not detention happy. It's just important, especially on the first day, to show that I am consistent and will stick with what I say...or else they'll run all over me. 4th period is not BAD...they're a really bright group of kids! But half of them are REALLY social and well, they have to learn the rules of the classroom, especially since I emphasized respect in everything possible. What was cool was, after school, the kids showed up and I had them help me put up the chairs and asked them if they thought it was fair that I assign them detention. And the cool thing was, they said yes-that they realized what they were doing, and so it was fair. Cool huh??? Maybe it was cuz I had talked to all my students about fairness, and that whatever happens in terms of discipline and grades is really their choice, not mine. So it was neat. Only 2 kids did not show up...and so they are getting a phone call home and I'll be having a talk with them tomorrow at lunch. 

Even though I assigned some detentions on the first day before lunch, I still heard things after lunch that I was a really nice and cool teacher...ain't that neat? I tried to not be too nice though, but at the same time, I think that if I show that hey, I'm consistent and stick with my rules no matter what, then it's okay to be me. And in emphasizing that it's their choice to either pay attention or not, to respect or not, to work hard or not...it helps to show them that their actions have consequences, and that they can control their actions.

Well...I got through the first day! I was really nervous about it, but I will be much better from now on...it's just getting to find out who my students are, etc...Right now, I only have 19 students in my 2nd period class-you have NO idea HOW neat that is, to have such a small class. My 6th period, there's like 25 or so, which is also a good number. I wish all my classes were that small...of course, it's impossible, heh heh. But I do have another class of 36 and it's going perfectly well too. I think 36 is my max, so I'm glad there's a law for it. ^_^

All of the kids seem really great, eager to learn and wanting to do well in school. They were all very excited to hear that they are starting with an A+, heh heh...and again, it's their choice if they want to keep a good grade, or let it drop by not doing their best on assignments. It's a new year, with new ambitions...and in a way, it's strange to know that I alone hold their science education...so I can't mess up! 

What a day...! ^_^

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08.29.01

I am DONE!! With my final paper...thank goodness...I'm sooo happy to be done, it's taken me sooooo long!!! This is a glorious victory indeed! ^_^

I know...I haven't written much in the past few days...it's cuz I've been busy at school, and when I come home, I'm either planning or prepping or working on that dang-ed paper, heh heh. Ooo, I made some cool posters yesterday...one of which says:

"The first key to wisdom is assiduous and frequent questioning." 
~Peter Abelard

My big thing for my class is RESPECT and ASK QUESTIONS! =) So this one was on asking questions...the other was simply about respecting their learning, but it looked cool too. ^_^ My room is finally all done and fully decorated and done done done...it looks SO very different from a few days ago. I moved some more furniture and added a ton of things. I'm so excited...these past few days of school has been a lot of meetings, prepping, meetings, planning, meetings...did I mention meetings??? Heh heh...but it's all good...The administration is totally supportive. It's cool. I love it! My principal is, as all principals are, political like, but at the same time, he's so awesome-he came in to wish me luck for tomorrow (first day with students!) and always checks up on me to be sure I have all the things I need to be ready for class. And all the staff-teachers, custodians, librarians, aides...they're all so awesome! I absolutely love it at this school and district (the district is awesome! Where did they find all these cool people at???)...I can't explain it, but it's really open, friendly, warm, supportive...not a bit fake at all, as I've experienced some schools to be. 

Hee hee...my principal and department head liked my syllabus! Ain't that cool? Hee hee...they even showed it off to others and the newer science teacher. Wow, I feel special! ^_^

I met my first student today too! Today was Spirit Day, when the students would come pick up their schedules, etc...and while I was sitting in class trying to work on that final paper, she came in with her dad and introduced herself as being my student starting tomorrow...wow!!! I don't even remember her name, but they were very nice, and the dad was very supportive. In fact, he said he really liked my enthusiasm for science, etc...it was just awesome. ^_^ After that, I went to help out with Spirit Day things. 

I can't wait till tomorrow!!! ^_^ Wish me luck my friends! ^_^

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08.26.01

There was a surprise bday party for me last night! Wow huh? Thanks everyone!!! ^_^ Actually...I kinda found out the morning of...During the week, if my mom ever mentioned anything about a dinner thing or whatever, my bro would cover it up-he'd say that, "Oh yeah, Auntie Martha and her family (good friends of ours who live down the street) are coming over for dinner for your bday on Saturday." I'm like, oh okay, np...I knew college/career had something planned because at Sarah's place on Sunday, they were passing around this note that they just wouldn't let me see (and I DID try to find out! hee hee...), but I didn't know what. My bro said afterwards that it was obvious that they had a surprise party for me on Sunday at church....so I was like OHHH, SUNDAY, heh heh...but nope, it was yesterday, SATURDAY! He covered up pretty well till yesterday morning...cuz he wasn't there! My mom mentioned something about someone else from church coming over for dinner, and "I was like, what? They're coming too??? I thought Auntie Martha and them..." and she was like, no no, Martha's not coming over tonight! Anyways...I pieced it together...heh heh...but I was still really cool! =) 

There were mostly people from the College/Career group...let's see...My parents and bro, TNT and their parents (my cousins!), Christie, Eym-Soon, Li-Yin, David, Cecilia, Josephine, Kevin, Mu Bai (I love that name!), Tian Tai Tai, Cheryl, Mrs. Lee, Gilbert, Keen-Yong, Fang-Ling, Fred, Anthony, and Andrew. 

I was so spoiled! ^_^ There was this really good bbq dinner, and my friends were there, and I got presents (and some money too!)! Wow, a LOT of stuff! I mean, when you get older, you tend to get less and less things for your birthday, right? But nope, not this year...heh heh. It was neat though-every single one of the gifts were really awesome! And just the fact that everyone made the effort to show up was a gift in itself! ^_^ There was also a psycho game of basketball in which we declared no lines...since we were playing at the cul-de-sac, you can only imagine that we were running around all over the place! After, there was CS and Starcraft going on upstairs, and PS2 and mah-jong downstairs...heh heh...there were lots to do!

So yup...wow...I'm 23 tomorrow, heh heh...I used to think it was really old, but when I think about it, it's not that old. I used to feel that way about 21 too, hee hee. But 23 is just as good-not old, but not too young...supposedly an independent person (ha ha...like my parents would ever give me independence...??? *sigh*) and just barely starting out on a career...not bad. But every year, I do that anyways-I realize that it's not really that old...heh heh...wait till I'm 50...^_^

Oh yeah...! I played Starcraft Friday night with Mark and Fred...we had a very mini LAN party...oh my goodness...it's addicting!!! Us three as Terrans finally won over 5 Protosses...after 3 hours...! Heh heh! 

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08.24.01

**Aiyaaaaaaaaa** I can't believe that I start school Monday!!! Well...I don't meet my students till next Thursday, but everything is official on Monday, so...*gasp* Can you believe it? Me? A real teacher??? Wow! =) It's just so incredibly hectic right now...I am SO trying to work on my final paper, but it's tough...cuz my mind is already focused on the coming school year...! All of my time is spent on getting the class ready, getting materials and lesson plans made...teachers do a LOT of work that students really don't understand! I mean, I never thought about how much they actually did till now, when I am a teacher! My syllabus is done...cool huh? Wanna read it? The pictures don't come up, but you can read the text here.  I still need to watch this movie Keen-Yong gave me before school starts...it's called Great Teacher Onizuka, and it's supposed to be inspiring-it's about a teacher, heh heh, who makes a difference. Teachers always make a difference cuz we rock! =) 

My lovely friend Effie sent me something funny...heh heh...I like the second one better...and I CAN laugh at them cuz I AM asian! ^_^

English as a Secondary Language:

 There was this Russian guy, this Spanish guy and this Asian guy all in the same ESL class. The teacher told them to make a sentence using the word 'hostess' for homework.

 So the next day the Russian guy goes "Oh I have a good sentence. The hostess was very courteous." And the teacher said "Wow that was really good!"

 The Spanish guy goes, "Oh I have a better sentence. My mother is a good hostess when others come over." Then the teacher said, "Wow that was really good!"

 Finally the Asian guy goes, "I have the best sentence. When my mother answers the phone, she says hostess?"

 *ANOTHER!!!!!!!!*

 The Construction Company:

 There was this Spanish guy, this Asian guy and this Russian guy all working for the same construction company. At the beginning of the day the boss comes out and says to the Spanish guy, "You're in charge of the cement."  

Then he said to the Russian guy, "You're in charge of the dirt."

 Then he said to the Asian guy, "You're in charge of the supplies."

 Then he said, "I'm gonna be back at the end of the day to check on your work. It better be good or you're fired."

 So they all go off to go get their work done.

At the end of the day, the boss comes back to check on their work. He looks at the big pile of cement and goes, "Good work," to the Spanish guy.

 Then he looks at the big pile of dirt and says, "Good work," to the Russian guy.

 Then he couldn't find the Asian guy so he asks, "Where the heck is the Asian guy??"

 All of a sudden, the Asian guy jumps out from behind the big pile of dirt and yells, " SUPPLIES!"

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08.22.01

MclarenFL82's Ode to Organic Chemistry

MclarenFL82: i never knew how much life could suck until the shortened term ochem came to mind.  
MclarenFL82: then i felt an emptiness inside, the loss of my brain and self confidence thanks to my ochem midterms and grades

MclarenFL82: they say that you should get up after every punch life throws at you because the best is yet to come  
MclarenFL82: well ochem just keeps slappin' you down one time after another till your face turns red!  

GuMMyChild: rap with ochem, heh heh......bustin' out benzene rings...kickin' it wit' dehydration...and yo, we all up fo' diels alder...

MclarenFL82: ochem stands for  
MclarenFL82: organic craftiness  
MclarenFL82: harnessed to embarass me  
MclarenFL82: O C H E M

MclarenFL82: i'm gonna use ochem to take down ochem  
MclarenFL82: i'm gonna make something that's explosive  
MclarenFL82: haha...  
MclarenFL82: that'll teach them to teach me ochem!  
MclarenFL82: i...hate...this...class  
MclarenFL82: (whine)

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08.21.01

Mmm...I had Japanese Cold Noodles last night...for the first time! It's good stuff!!! Heh heh...! ^_^

I was at my classroom again today! Wow! I got a LOT done today...and it's all thanks to Jenn!!! She helped me out with all the bulletin boards and posters, all of which would have been impossible for me to do alone, heh heh...just imagine a 5'-1.5" chinese girl trying to set a bulletin board that was three times longer than she was tall...! Heh heh, but it's cool-my room is bright and cheerier now that it no longer is plain. I just have a few more posters to hang. I even have an inspirational line that Jenn found in one of my quote books, and we got to play with the cool die-cut letter machine, heh heh...

"You miss 100% of the shots you don't take." ~ Wayne Gretzky

I got my laptop today too! Woo hoo...it's a Gateway (the whole school uses Gateway)...I'm slowly installing in all my goods...It's still workable, but Windows 95??? Arg...I'm not used to it anymore, it seems soooo archaic! And only a 4 gig HD?!? Heh heh...I am on the brink of being tempted to take on Best Buy's deal for a really good laptop that I've had my eye on...heh heh...I mean, after all, if I'll be using this laptop for a long time, why not just get my own and really cuztomize it to what I'd want it to be...which is definitely more than 4 GB...^_^  But hey, the laptop is not that bad, and it's free...heh heh...

I still can't believe I'll be officially teaching by next week...I see my students next Thursday...woah, huh??? I mean, little Gummy is now starting her career for reals...and I know I still feel like a kid and wanna play most of the time...but ya know what? I really do feel this is what God has "commissioned" me to do...that somehow, He had this planned all along, even when I was planning and heading to med school...to teach and educate these kids, and to touch the lives of these little (not so little, heh heh) people that are going to go out there and make a difference in the world. These kids are way brighter than most adults know...you just have to tap into their intelligence and have them want to use it! I know it's gonna be tough, and I won't be without hard times...but I know I'm gonna love it and I'm gonna make a difference in someone's life somehow. Anytime I got discouraged, I would remember the many kids from my student teaching at South Lake (you all ROCK!!! heh heh! I've missed all of you...thanks for keeping in touch! ^_^) and know that I've made a difference in many of their lives in just those 6 months, and have watched them grow so much...what will a year do for these new kids? ^_^

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08.20.01

I went off to College/Career Fellowship last night...WOW!!! Let me give a huuuuge tribute and mad props to Sarah's house...it's THE coolest place I've ever seen, and it's soooo totally a place that I would so love to live in later on one day! First of all, it's somewhat hidden from the street because they have these orange groves everywhere (they sell to Sunkist!). The driveway is this big U shaped thing in the front, with nicely trimmed grass, trees, flowers, the works. There is this huge front porch and back porch, and the house is painted this perfect shade of yellow with white trim. They have this herb garden, a dollhouse sort of thing big enough to fit a person in, and also apple trees, pear trees, and another type of unknown fruit tree that Eym-Soon and Li-Yin and I couldn't figure out what it was. The HOUSE inside is soooo vintage, it rocks! The first thing I smelled when I walked in were the fresh baked chocolate chip cookies...mmmm....There's a brick type oven and stove set, and the inside of the house is made of wood, so there were even fire sprinklers on the ceilings. It's hard to describe, but it's like those old style really cute houses that people can charge tourists for and say, yeah, President so-and-so used to live here...Oh! Did i mention even that the brick fireplace even has two big chairs next to it, like what you'd totally imagine for a high class but vintage type home? And the BATHROOM...! And even though there were spider webs outside, it was almost like it was SUPPOSED to be there, and I didn't really even mind them (and if you know me, you know I despise spiders!!!) Okay, I can go on and on, but I won't, heh heh... let's just say it totally rocks...! ^_^

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08.18.01

I am done with my classes for this summer!!! Woo hoo! I just have a final paper to work on, but that's completely it!!! Yay! Now I can start really concentrating on the coming school year!

I got the keys to my classroom this week, and I was able to go into my room yesterday to start setting up!!! It was so neat...I mean, wow, my own classroom!!! Thanks to my bro, Gilbert, Fred, and Christie for helping me out with moving furniture around and getting things done for this first day! Even if Christie DID steal my keys and cause a one hour intermission full of anxiety...j/k! ^_^ No doubt I'll be there all next week still! Afterwards, Fred, Mark and I picked up Edwin T (ET) and headed off to Rowland Heights to hang around and just "be asian", heh heh...mmm...strawberry boba!!! We, plus Edwin ("Eddie", heh heh), went to eat this MASSIVE dinner at Claim Jumper's...Oh my goodness, there was just SO much food, it was insane! Mark got the Ore Cart...which was STACKED with piles and piles of yummy food, and Fred's Prime Rib was like a whole 2 inches or so thick! It was just karazy! Heh heh...! Their giant eclair that was the size of two footballs looked good, but maybe next time, hee hee. Then we went to 99 and bought some red bean and green bean popsicles for my mom...afterwards, we went to watch Rush Hour 2, hee hee. We've all watched it before, but Mark hadn't, and so we went for him...by 1 a.m., the popsicles were gone...woops...^.^

Tonight, my college/career group is heading out to Xtreme Cosmic Bowling...should be lots of fun...! In the meantime, I'm getting all my school things ready-I went shopping with money that I don't have yet (I still don't get how they expect us to pay for school supplies before we even get out first paycheck at the end of September...heh heh...) to get school supplies. But oooo, I had the best shopping spree at Pic 'n Save! I got those little plastic basket/container things that I looked for everywhere...they're like $3.99 everywhere, even at the teacher supply stores (those places aren't any cheaper, bleah!!!) for like 49 cents each...I got 10 of them, heh heh! 

Pic 'n Save fo' life, yo! ^_^

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08.16.01

HAVE YOU SEEN ME?

Alas...we have a missing turtle...if anyone has seen a cute desert turtoise that loves daisies and responds to the name Gok Fa Cha Eugene, coming from the Las Vegas area, let me know and I'll drop the distressed owner Shelton a line...heh heh...(sorry, no picture of it yet...but it's about 'yea big' (width of bball?) and looks like a desert turtoise...^_^

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08.15.01

Mmm...I had SUCH a good dinner last night...there was this really tasty marinaded chicken wing dish with peppers, garlic and ginger...just slightly spicy...and this one hard boiled flavored egg thing (I'm not too much into hard boiled eggs, but this was like super flavorful...it was soooo good!)...a gingery shrimp dish and some veggies...heh heh...props to da chef! ^_^

Our College/Youth Fellowship webpage now has a forum for the devotionals!  It's sooo neat! Go check it out under the link on the left...(now one of these days, I'll set up mine, heh heh).

AstroJedi627: As you can see, our lives, like our dreams, are a kaleidoscope of ever-shifting scenes, like a movie or a medley of movies.  We must have the Braveheart of a Gladiator, and like a Crouching Tiger, be ready to pounce on the Mission Impossible set before us.  We must know the Rules of Engagement, Cast Away our fears of Phantom Menaces, and develop almost a Sixth Sense for the needs of this Lost World, in order to make a Deep Impact.  Anyways, Back to the Future…

Want more??? Check out AstroJed's supa' cool website...

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08.13.01

This morning, I went to a safety meeting at the district office...first of all, it was a little boring...I mean, it was stuff I knew from when I was doing research anyways! BUT the part that made the meeting kinda bad was, well...first of all, the speaker was late! In fact, he forgot he was supposed to be there...when he did show up, he was nice and seemed really cool, except that he breezed through everything so quickly that even though it was familiar stuff to me, I'm sure it's not for others and only half the people there really know what to do in case of a HazMat incidence...heh heh...

However, I did make a discovery of myself...I've changed a bit in the past year! Not in the sense of who I am-I'm still really the same person. But in terms of public speaking and taking leadership roles in front of people other than church. Like before the speaker showed up, we had to watch this video while waiting. So when the video was turned on, the people who worked there left us alone with the video. The volume was too low...and for like a minute or two, me and these other adults just sat there. I was like, what?!? So I got up and turned up the volume for everyone...a year ago, I may have just sat there and not done anything...but wow, see, I'm a bit proactive now! I guess it's a good thing for a teacher. =) I'm getting more comfortable doingsuch things in public now. I know...it's just the volume...but hey, it almost seems like a huge step when nobody else was doing anything. ^_^

After that, I went down to Borders in Anaheim Hills to get two books for my cousin...the books are totally sold out in the Riverside area, simply cuz everyone has the same summer reading??? But hey...I get 20% off from any bookstore cuz I'm a teacher...cool...I got a book of quotes for my classroom, and it was on sale...so I got it for like $2.99...plus 20% off (which is only a few cents, but hey! it's a discount either way!)...I'll stock up next time I head to a bookstore, heh heh...^_^

Ahhh...but that wasn't the end of of my day...afterwards, I went to help my homegirl Sally with some moving! She and her roommates are moving to a HOUSE-and wow is it nice!!! There's even a little treehouse thing (not on a tree though) in the back, heh heh. It's neato! So me, Sally, Clara, and a bunch of others were running around carrying boxes and furnitures and stuffed animals in this insane Riverside heat...what an adventure...! ^_^

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08.12.01

It's been a really eventful weekend! Let's see...where do I start??? Oh! I saw Rush Hour 2 yesterday! It was an awesome movie-ALMOST makes me really like Jackie Chan, heh heh...but we all know Jet Li Rocks! It's just too bad they downplay Jet Li's mad skills in the American movies. =Þ Afterwards, I was lucky enough to be taken to a Juice-It-Up for a Just Peachy smoothie...mmm...one of my favorites! (*Thanks-you know who you are, heh heh ^_^)

Today, I went to church, and the Governing Board meeting in the afternoon. Wow, it was longer this time (or it felt like it)...2 hours! But it was a really good meeting...I'm glad I got to be on the GB-I learned a lot, and it's a great experience. After, I went to Best Buy and bought some RAM for my GummyCube...they had a really good deal! Hee hee, I'm not a big Best Buy fan, but hey, $20 for 128MB of RAM ain't bad...now my computer is happier-it's been getting a LOT of attention this past week. ^_^

All I need now is a mousepad (I'm getting a USB zip soon)...maybe a neat gel one...cuz my old mousepad was several years old, and just last week, I decided to throw it out...little bits of it was sticking my table...bleah!

We've really been growing at church...I mean, wow, there's like five of us in the career group...which barely started a month ago! A month ago, it was just me...heh heh...so now it's a college/career group. I'm so in limbo...I mean, I'm really with Youth, as I'm the Youth Leader (and I love it, by the way...even if my authority is sometimes undermined by a select few...heh heh, j/k...it's all good, as it's just when we're playing around...!), but am in the College group...and I guess you could say I'm not really in the College group anymore, as I graduated, but I do have strong ties to the College group people, cuz they've become REALLY good friends of mine in this past year...but now there is this sudden new Career group, and I really like them all and we're all getting to know each other well...but at the same time, I have important ties to youth/college too. *sigh* It's all part of growing up I guess...and at least this time, there IS a fellowship that is made up of people my actual age, and I'm not the oldest one anymore even! =)

I remember Ed from GB saying that this was gonna be a big year for us...he had this feeling...and he's right, it's been an amazing year in terms of growth and development at church, and even in my youth, it's just been incredible! Praise God...He works in mysterious and all kinds of ways! ^_^ Hee hee, we even have a webpage for the college and youth...it's been up for several months...wanna see it? Check out the link on the left for the college/youth webpage!

Oh yeah!!! This is the best time to see the Perseid Meteor Showers!!! My buddy Mike says so. Heh heh. You hafta be willing to get up early, like at 4am, but meteor showers are always worth it-it's cool to see them moving through the sky, and of course, any astronomy is boffo! Want more info? Check it out HERE.

Peace out...!

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08.10.01 (again!)

P.S.: Oh oh! Dolly, this is for you! ^_^

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08.10.01

Ooo...my computer is reformatted to Windows 2000! Yay! However...because it's AOL incompatible, I can't go online...! What's the use of a computer if I can't go online??? Heh heh...j/k, I still love my computer. =) But I do feel restricted in what I can do. I'm temporarily using my dad's computer while I set up my computer and try to find a way to get online.

You know what would be cool? To set up a forum! =) That way, you can all talk to each other or to me and just leave messages. And to eliminate the problem that I have with my Juno email if my computer ever crashes again, you can "email" me on my forum, and click a private button if you don't want others to read it. Kinda like the guestbook I guess, but an official forum would mean you can write more than once in it. I guess in the meanwhile, you can email me ideas for a title for the forum, or leave me ideas in the guestbook...the guestbook as a "temporary forum", heh heh...

Oh yeah...I found my parking pass, hiding on the floor by the passenger seat...! ^_^

I got to hang out with my friends Dolly and Shelley yesterday! I haven't seen them in a while. It was neat! I even caught a bug with my bare hands(you're all like thinking, WHAT?), heh heh...=)We hung out at Dolly's new apt and ate dinner there, which was composed of Dolly's mom's yummy vietnamese food and tofu. Mmm...I so love tofu, any style! Except I've never had the guts to venture forth and try stinky tofu...>_<

Hey, what do you all think of the new background? Keep it or diss it? Let me know in the guestbook, heh heh...

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08.09.01

Oh my goodness!!! Yesterday was the most wacky day possible...! A'ight, lemme tell you...I spent all day working on my final portfolio and revising my final research paper. Of course, I had printer problems, but that was okay, cuz I could always print in the Ed. Dept for free! =)  Three hours before heading to class, I take a look at my schedule, and it says FINAL for my Ed 203 class...I'm like.."WHA...?!?"

Ack! I had a final and I didn't know it! I've been working on finishing all my classes early, so I've been working on final things already...and so it was really 9th week for me when it was only 8th week for others, but then at the same time, my Ed 203 class is on this weird schedule where yesterday WAS 10th week...and then I was concentrating on my final research paper as well as my portfolio...plus this week, I've been working on orientation and things of that sort for this coming school year for my teaching and I wasn't at the Monday class this week...so anyways...needless to say, I studied like mad for those last few hours...*sigh* Thanks to my awesome friends in the MAT program with me, they helped me out with a good review (woo hoo!). I hope I did okay. 

Heh heh, when I get to UCI, I couldn't find my parking pass...arg, I didn't want a ticket on my gummymobile! It was just in my car, so I wonder where it is...but it doesn't really matter anyways, cuz I've been using a pass that had expired last December...eh heh....

But that's not it!!! MORE happened yesterday! I come home to find out that my bro went to use my computer and it CRASHED! It absolutely crashed...! The horror!!! If you're like me, then  you'll understand me when I say that it felt like half of my soul was ripped from me...I stood helplessly by while my computer went through the 2 hour surface scan (no bad files found)...and since I couldn't email, work on this webpage, write my papers, or do anything, I went to sleep...heh heh. My bro, fantastic as he is, reformated and fixed everything for me...yay! If it wasn't for him, I think I'd have absolutely died! =Þ It's like 6:50 am...this was the first thing I did when I woke up-to check on my computer (and my bird!)! =)

Anyways...whenever the scanner is up, I'll put up SLMS pics and get things set up...I'm working on an archive for pics, as well as poems or drawings and all those neat things that you all share with me, and an archive for all your responses on my AIM away message (hey, if you left messages yesterday, I didn't get them cuz when I got home...my computer was semi-dead...). After all, hey, you all deserve to be recognized somehow for your thoughts, right??? =) I'm also working on an archive for these messages cuz one of these days, I'm gonna run out of space here, heh heh.

And at the request of Eric, I uncentered a few things, but I'm keeping the picture on here for now! =) *LARP* Still working on the overall layout though, heh heh...

Okay, I am off to do my devotional...it's a lovely morning-just a teeny bit grayish/foggy/dewy...perfect..! ^_^

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08.06.01

Hey look! It's me and my lovely parakeet! ^_^

I'm not sure what to put here...

...other than a bunch of neat, gummy stylin' randomness that would keep you interested and make you want to come to this webpage again and again just to see w'sup wit' da gummychild, heh heh...

I'm also messing with the colors on the webpage...black is traditional and nice...but it's so bland!! At the same time, I can't make it all weird with fifty different colors...what's a gummychild to do?? hee hee!

sing with me! (^.^)/~         

la la la...la la la...la di da!!!