| 08.10.02: Yes, She's Still Here (Again) 12:26 PM Hola to anyone who still faithfully comes here. So, if you noticed and started at http://www.meltsang.com, you would have noticed a new look. Yep, it's the start of a new web design for my page. I'm slowly working on it (slowly, as in could be any where from one month to one year before things are rolling...), so keep coming back for more updates. 05 21 2k2: She's Still Here 11:49 PM just changed the poll to prove i'm still alive and well. i'm thinking melteahouse needs major renonavtions, but i don't have the time to do it. even if i did have time, i think i'd feel guilty for spending free time working on a personal webpage...i should go make some real friends =b. 04 29 2k2: Coming To An End... 12:56 AM the school year, that is, not mel tea house. but, eugene sucked me into the whole xanga world of online journals so all my thoughts, profound or not, will now reside at: www.xanga.com/elevation99. but here's still the place for updates around mel tea house. a new glimpse for now. 04 08 2k2: Still Here 1:15 AM Yes I'm still alive. And while you're asking what happened in the world of Melissa during the month of March, I'm still asking where March itself went. So much has happened, yet at the same time I barely remember it all. To sum it up--at ease in all situations, be it fun or frustrating. Next year's housing has been settled (Grad Center once again to my dismay, but at least I'll be living with four other lovely girls). I was blessed to get an assistantship in Providence for the summer so I'll be sticking around for a few extra months. Spring Break in Paris was quite the trip, and as I look at my pictures for the twentieth time while studying orgo, I'm appreciating all that we saw in France more and more. Hopefully some of those pics will make it to melteahouse soon, but seeing my schedule until the end of the school year it's unlikely it'll happen. But, you can always come visit and look at the pictures =). This weekend was good though. I've completed concentration forms, saw Wu-Tang at Lupo's, and got a good portion of meat =b. Aight, I know this does no justice for MIA for over a month, but it'll have to do for now. No promises, but hopefully more will come soon. In the meantime, you can always drop me a note in the guestbook or better yet, e-mail or call. Or even better, bring me cookies. Or even BETTER...j/k. Just say hi sometime =). 02 20 2k2: All Gain, no Pain? 12:05 AM Long weekend is coming to an end....sigh. I felt the urge, if not need, to get away from Providence this weekend and was even a little perturbed that plans didn't fall through, but in hindsight I'm glad I stayed. I got to catch up and hang out with people I haven't spent much time with this year. There was Alumni Banquet which Eugene and Grace did a "wonderful" (as Grace would say) job MC-ing...and even at the banquet I learned a lot from the graduates of Brown who have moved on to the real world. Some of us even made it to Boston and got boba, groceries, and chinese food. In the end, although I was initially upset I had to stay in Providence, it ended up being a good thing and other than the bits of melodrama here and there, I enjoyed the weekend. And y'know...maybe that's how life is all the time. That even though there's moments of gains and losses, I was thinking about how God is the one in control of everything, and even if He takes something away from me or won't give me what I want, it's only because He knows what's best. Therefore, I'm actually always gaining in everything that happens to me. Maybe it's not all gain, no pain because I still experience pain...the phrase should probably be all gain no loss...but that doesn't rhyme. You know what I mean. So even though it's been a somewhat rocky year this year, I'm learning to just delight in God. He is good. 01 28 2k2: Bittersweet Life 12:06 AM We're three days into the spring semester and things are going surprisingly well....probably because I'm only three days into the semester. I wasn't ready to come back to Providence, but I'm adjusting and trying to find some sort of stability in this world where I'm so dependent on my day-planner. Anyway, by the time I returned to school last week, I had done some thinking...ok, maybe some mad thinking...but it was good. I left last semester on a sour note with a broken heart. I had hurt people, people had hurt me, I made several unwise decisions, and life was a struggle. A cloud had fallen on me, but the rain brought new life. A life of love. I still don't know why or how it all happened, but I do know I experienced God's love so much more than if all this hadn't happened. So, this semester, while I thank God for the great blessings already, even if my heart gets broken, gets stomped on, gets crushed, gets torn, I'll pick up the pieces of my shattered heart and give it to my Father. He'll mend my heart. And my heart will only grow in His love and that love will only permeate to the people that surround me and all that I do. In this you greatly rejoice, though now for a little while you may have had to suffer grief in all kinds of trials. These have come so that your faith--of greater worth than gold, which perishes even though refined by fire--may be proved genuine and may result in praise, glory, and honor when Jesus Christ is revealed. 1 Peter 1:6,7 True that. I experienced it myself. 01 18 2k2: Dear Diary 5:51 PM New glimpse: entries from my journal. 01 15 2k2: Up and Running 7;45 PM Pictures galore! New pictures in every section--school, variety, and family, so there's bound to be something new that you should recognize and enjoy. That's the end of my pictures for a while...we'll just have to take more when school starts again. 01 12 2k2: O Howly Night! 1:23 AM What a memorable first NBA game experience for me! (Yea, it's a long tale, but it's a feel-good tale...at least it was for me and Bettina!) A few days ago I discover the Timberwolves (my favorite team because it's my home b-ball team) are going to play the Lakers (my 2nd favorite team because I like Kobe Bryant to an extreme degree =b), so I immediately go on a hunt for tickets. By 5:00 PM tonight Bettina and I are still ticketless but we really want to see KG, AP, Szczerbiak, (and Kobe) so we decide to head downtown anyway, wishing for some luck with the scalpers. After battling bumper-to-bumper traffic, we drive within eye-sight of the Target Center but the scene looks hopeless--people blocks away are already holding "I need tickets" signs. We inch our way to the Target Center and by 6:40 I manage to find a parking spot near the arena: there's a trail of cars behind us, but Bettina helps me as I parallel park the mini-van--in one try. Immediately after we hop out of the car a guy offers to sell us a pair of tickets-$80 each. I like the T-Wolves and Bryant, but not that much. Another guy offers 50 bucks a ticket--I want them, but Bettina only has $40 on-hand. Our last resort is the box office to see if some seats have been released. I see an open window, but some random guy runs and budges in front of me, forcing me to wait in line. I'm a little ticked, but we wait. Out of the crowd, a man in his 40's taps me on the shoulder to ask me if I'm with the guy at the window. I barely glance at him and say no. He says, "Oh." Then he looks at Bettina and says, "Are you two girls together?" and we both look at the man and say yes. Holding some tickets, he says, "Here's two tickets." I whip out my wallet and Bettina asks him how much he wants, but he says, "Oh no, here's two extra tickets you can have. I wanted to give them to someone young. Enjoy the game." Bettina and I are ecstatic as we hold tickets to one of the Wolves' most entertaining games of the year. We barely get a chance to say thanks to the man but as he walks away I see him look at us and smile, happy to see us so happy. Sure the seats are upper-level ones, but they're still courtside and I'm still able to howl and cheer on the Wolves (and internally admire Kobe's looks and skills). I don't even feel guilty buying a $3.50 Pepsi. To top it off, the Timberwolves beat the Lakers (by a lot!). Oh what a night. 01 10 2k2: mos(t) def one of the best 12:48 AM 3pics....get it? like 2pac--my fave and you know it! Yea, a whole three new pictures up...scanning pictures are lame-o. I should buy a digital camera. The Mos Def concert rocked. 2pac's still the best, but he can't have a concert (or so we think). Anyway, it was good stuff...and I'm not just saying that cuz I'm a hip-hop fan...mos def's got skills. Plus, the concert was at First Avenue ...claustrophobic possibly, but with more people, more fun! Anyway, the birthday was a chill one...no longer a teen, but not 21...a worthless age. Just kidding. Thanks for the greetings and well wishes everyone. But I was thinking...birthdays are such an interesting concept. I mean, who decided it was going to be a day of celebration on one's birthday? For me, I never did anything to deserve the presents and nice greetings on January 8. If anything, I think my parents should be the one getting the presents...they're the ones that raised me, fed me when I was hungry, put up with my awful violin skills the first three years of playing. So thanks mom and dad =)...one day when you two visit my site you'll see how much I appreciate you. On that note, we can all say thanks Mr. and Mrs. Cha for taking care of Eugene, who's celebrating his 20th on Sunday--and happy birthday to geno too =). Hmm, maybe I should stop writing to people who will never read my page and start writing to y'all that care enough you'll actually......read.......up.....to......here. =) Keep coming back for more fun! 01 05 2k2: Lame but Changed 1:30 AM A new poll. Go vote and take pride in your hand! 01 04 2k2: More Smiles... 6:26 PM Some more pictures from last semester...check 'em out in the school three section. Not much happening in the 763 'hood ha!...but I just want to wish my fellow January b-day buddies a happy birthday....even though I bet none of you birthday peeps will actually read my stream of ramblings here, I'm still thinking of you guys! To GSh0k, the diva queen who rung in her 20th yesterday, to my cousin Josie, also my fellow green milk tea boba drinker (and the taro snow was good too if only it weren't so cold that day!), who's celebrating her day today, and to Sam, the featured Asian boy on the cover of Carleton College's catalog hahaha, living 20 years of life tomorrow....hope you three had happy birthdays! To the rest of you...don't worry, you've got the rest of '02 to be mentioned here too--just stay tuned =b. 01 02 2k2: Smile! 9:54 PM New pictures are up..only five or so from this past summer...I know, sorries, they're overdue. And apologizes for the not-so-good quality as well. I would've rescanned the pictures to get a better resolution, but I'm too lazy at this point. But keep smiling because more pictures are bound to appear here! 01 02 2k2: Happy New Year? 12: 16 AM Will it be a happy one this year? I wish the best for you and me! I'm back home in MN....chilling in LA was a good change of scenery even if a lot of it was experienced through the car window as we sat in traffic...if only the city weren't so apathetic about football, I think I'd actually enjoy living there you foolios. But I had fun hanging out with family, Providence peeps, and even my Minnesota homies drinking cup after cup after cup of boba and overstuffing myself with yummy food. Thanks for all the rides peoples. I'll make it up to y'all...if you come visit me I'll drive you around too! Well, here's to the night...and the rest of 2k2...much love and God bless~ PS--Thanks Jason for featuring melteahouse as your site of da week! melteahouse is honored =) If I had a site of da week guboogi would be there but I'll put in a plug for you now...everyone go check out the world of 'boogi ! This user-friendly yet hip site was inspiration for the creation of my own place here. Almost as enjoyable as a plateful of snickerdoodles =b. 12 24 2k1: Take a Peek 9:10 PM A new glimpse 12 22 2k1: Let It Snow 11:47 PM It finally snowed! I arrived home Wednesday night to dry, yellow grass, unfrozen lakes, and no snow....very un-Minnesota. Today it came. Not much, but it's still snowing and everything's white the way I like it. And now I'm just enjoying some down-time wrapped in blankets and sipping hot cocoa. There's something about the familiarity of home that makes it so comforting--something I needed after this semester. Anyway, I've talked enough about semester III. It's time to close that chapter. Done. Only uphill from here on forth! I caught Ocean's 11 with Amy a few nights ago. Not an outstanding movie (especially after just watching Amelie, which EVERYONE has to see!), but Brad Pitt was hot yo! Seriously, I've never been a fan of Pitt or even thought of him as anything more than good-looking, but in Ocean's, he and Clooney have this suaveness and coolness that makes them all the more appealing. Last night a group of us went ice-skating at the Washington Ave. Depot. In Providence, I felt like I was a decent skater, but once I stepped on the ice here, people were zooming past me one-by-one...even the seven-year-olds. Crazy hockey players...I forgot how fast they skate. Well, I'll be chilling in LA for a bit, but I promise, new pictures at mel tea house when I get back...I PROMISE!! (who always says that?! haha) No, I promise. I've got time now, so they'll be up in January. In the meantime, you can always drop me a line in the guestbook. Merry Christmas and Happy Holidays! Previous Updates |