Dreams of Randomness

China Column: Missing Manners

2012-05-21T09:57:00.002-07:00

I know the title sounds negative before you even start reading. Yes, this is where I rant, where no government official can stop me! Most importantly, I want to provide some critical points for people to bide by for a peaceful and friendly community.

As you may or may not know, my travels have lead me to stay for quite some time in China. I passed through 8 provinces and stayed in 14 different cities. My flights added up to 16 routes, ferries, and buses. I dare not take any trains. My last overnight train from Paris to Venice left me puking all over the cabin. However, I am tempted to try a train ride, because I hear the views are wonderful and the costs are much lower.

My recent outing with my friends have me concerned for the future of China.

Principle #1: Don't Lie

At this outing, we rented 30 chairs for our BBQ party. Unfortunately two chairs went missing. We found one chair next to our picnic area with an unwanted guest. We asked if this chair is ours. She denied it, "We took it over from the previous group." In her group, there was only one chair, the one she's sitting on. The previous group didn't even have chairs. I was watching the previous group burn up their food, then drop it all over the ground. We kindly asked if she can show us her receipt which you need to return the chairs. She wouldn't budge, nor would she look at us. Her friends just turned away, probably feeling a bit shameful. She is a young adult, lying right through her teeth. It's very sad to develop such a bad habit. It's a just an old, greasy, dirty chair! No wonder people can do things as bad as sell chemical enhanced baby milk formula that killed many innocent babies.

Principle #2: Please Line Up

I'm beginning to get the grasp of the line up situation. Sure, there's rope shaping some lines, but people still don't care. I seem to always get picked on. I'm a somewhat small girl who gets her ID checked at bars. But they were all wrong. One thing I do is speak my mind, "Excuse me sir, I'm in front of you." Then I would quickly move back in front and sometimes give them the look. One bad case happened at Xian Horticulture Expo. It was a 3 hour line up. This lady keeps trying to pass us. My friend who looks even younger than me handled this perfectly, "Excuse me security guard, this lady just cut the line."

Principle #3: Be Patient

Just a warning, if you like your personal space, then major Chinese cities will not be your place. The bus isn't going anywhere, the driver will always let you in if you're standing there. But people just push through to be the first to get on. How are you suppose to get off the subway if people start pushing you inwards when they get on. What is with all this rush? I was in line to grab my food order, when a man try to cut infront of the girl infront of me. When that failed, he tried to cut infront of me, "Please don't touch me sir, that is very inappropriate." Chengdu is a slower city, so that maybe your escape.

The worst part is the honking around the city streets. Actually it's worse on rural roads and long distance freeways. Pedestrians will cross the street left, right, and center. When a car comes, it'll be honking half a block before it reaches the pedestrians. Honking is frequently heard during traffic jams. If the car is stuck in a traffic jam, what's the point of honking! Let's not talk about the crazy bus drivers. I think I have to leave the driving rant for a full article. I'm afraid to take the 10:30 pm bus because there's a crazy driver who runs red lights and honks nonstop. I almost flew off my seat when he brakes.

Principle #4: Learn Basic Hygiene

Woh, that was a close call. There was a time when I was trying to pass a man, I almost became the man's spitting target. Spitting is everywhere, from the young to the old. It is less frequent in big cities like Shanghai. Apparently, it's horrible in Harbin. The spit just freezes over. It's such a turn-off when you see young and attractive people spitting. I had a student who spit in class. He was only 14 years old. These habits come from parents and from grandparents.

Let's not forget about the toilets. By the way I'm eating an apple, now I've stopped. En route to Jiuzhaigou, the stalls have no doors, just dividers, and everything goes into a ditch. The cleaners let water run down from one end to the other. Water is probably scarce, therefore this design is environmentally friendly. When my roommate first saw this design, she took a photo, she was in awe. Good thing we were the first ones to use the ditch toilets. The water was still transparent. Don't expect any public washrooms to be clean. No matter how often the cleaning lady cleans, there is always a smell. You are better off running towards brand name malls and hotels. Just remember to avoid hotels at night, they become a hub for prostitutes, (as experienced by my male friend who got attacked by a mob of them).

Oh, watch your step, children's poo can be found on the grounds of restaurants and other facilities. In smaller cities, children wear pants with a slit, no diapers. When they need to go, they'll just poo indoors or outdoors. I'm sure you've lost your appetite by now.

Principle #5: Respect Priorities

Subway trains and buses usually have seats reserved for the elderly, disabled, mothers with young children, and pregnant women. However, this rule is not enforced. Many times you see youths on the seat while an elderly is standing near by. What happened to being respectful to the elderly? Every time the train or bus stops at a station, I always make an effort to look out for people who need to sit, whether I am on the priority seat or another seat. I hope others will learn to be less selfish and less self-centered. Don't get me wrong, there are occasional citizens who offer their seat to a pregnant women or an elderly. Another priority to respect is the elevator. After coming back from the airport with my heavy luggage, I waited for the forth elevator before I got on with the other family waiting, and they were pushing a baby stroller.

With every nation there are pros and cons. I manage to live here for almost a year. The lack of manners do bother me. But I've accepted it as their culture and I have to respect their differences. There is a good enough reason for me to still be here. People watching is rather enjoyable.

I Don't Want to Say Goodbye

2011-10-26T09:05:00.000-07:00

Why did the sun disappear?

As the rain slowly appeared,

I caught your eyes looking sad.

Is this the end of our love?

Parting in ways undreamed of,

a new beginning gone bad.

What's left in our ending?

Just many dreams left pending.

I don't want to say goodbye,

Even if our goals don't align.

I don't want to see you cry,

Even if it's for a short time.

Don't forget where we met,

Don't forget your own words,

Because I will never forget.

I will never forget.

How did the time slowly pass?

As we stand on broken glass,

our fate lies wavering.

Where did the promises go?

Our lives cease to flow,

only left us savoring.

What's left for us to savor?

A dream of many flavors.

I don't want to say goodbye,

Even if our homes don't align.

You don't want to see me cry,

Even if it's for our time.

Don't forget how we met,

Don't forget our laughter,

Because I will never forget.

I will never forget.

I will remember your smiles,

As the sadness disappeared,

Only the smiles remain forever.

Trust in Him

2011-10-22T09:00:00.001-07:00

Yangpu District, Shanghai, China
Saturday, October 22, 2011
This week has been filled with immense emotions from high's and low's. I don't exactly know where to begin. On Sunday, October 16, 2011, I started off the day at 7 am. Somehow 7:45 am rolled around and I was already late for my meeting with a friend at 8:00 am. It takes 15 minutes to walk to the subway station from my condo's complex. I finally met up with my friend at 8:15 am, and we walked to the church he attends. I recently went to Shanghai Community Fellowship church in Xuhui District. It's a pretty large church, two levels, a stage area, and lots of benches for sitting. It was a pretty church with plant vines crawling up the exterior. They had a beautiful worship choir consisting of a full scale band, back-up singers, and a lead singer. It was definitely very American, after all it was only a block away from the American embassy.
I wasn't expecting the Chinese church to have the same feeling as the American one. I went to a church in Chengdu. So when I came to my friend's church, it reminded me of the one in Chengdu. Many Chinese churches are located in rented spaces in your local neighbourhood. During the week, it'll be used for other businesses, but during Sunday, it'll be for worship and sermons. This church I went to is in an education institute for children. It is pretty small with ~50 attendees. This is really different from my home church of 500+ attendees. However, I had a nice warm feeling from a smaller church. I feel like I will understand my brothers and sisters more closely. I was a stranger to this place, new and lost in translation. However, I ended up having a desire to come back. Mandarin is my 4th language, and I'm beginning to feel more comfortable with it. Religious studies in a foreign language is quite difficult. However, I understood most of what the pastor was trying to reveal in G*d's gospel. He had a charismatic personality, a light and friendly tone. The attendees consist mainly of young adults to young married couples. The leaders were older and experienced in G*d's gospel.
We begin with hymns for worship. A fellow sister played the piano and a hostess lead the singing. I'm really bad with singing Chinese hymns. I don't know how to read the keys on the songbook. However, I do try my best! At the end, I am probably a beat off as I process the Chinese characters in my head, then try to sing it out loud. The sermon lasts for an hour. The topic was focused on "Do you know who I am." Our pastor had a funny story about his past experience with a sales deal he encountered. He was clearly being cheated, so he confronted the sales clerk, "Do you know who I am." The clerk was very afraid, thinking that people with power can easily hurt him. There is a bit of a power misuse in this country. People fear or need to please others with power. (I guess I have to be careful how I word my blogs too.) Of course, I'll pastor was talking about how he was G*d's child, and cheating others is unacceptable. I believe the whole sermon was trying to teach us that we are G*d's children, he loves us, but we must also fear Him. We need to find ourselves, and know who we really are. However, many people are lost, and they don't know. This is similar to a job interview. The interviewer will ask the candidate, "Why should we hire you?" or "What are your weaknesses and strengths?" To answer the questions, you must reflect upon yourself.
Monday rolls along. My friend in Chengdu recently got an interview with a large firm. I love to help people edit resumes and give people job hunting advice, especially after my recent experiences. (I have a blog post still in draft mode for how to prepare yourself for job hunting.) As we were talking on Skype and I was grilling my friend with questions, I received an email from my Edmonton friend, who also came to China to teach. The emailed read somewhere along these lines, "Please pray for our fellow brother who just lost his sister." This brother of ours is our student back at Zhaojue's English Summer Camp. He is only 16 years old. His older sister recently had experienced a series of unfortunate events. Many of the teachers sent her messages of encouragement. I sent her some messages and her replies sounded very depressing. My friend and I were in shock. We both worked as teachers at this camp with the youths. All of us felt really attached to the place and to the students. Hearing these news made us fill with much sorrow, it was unbearable. I started blaming myself for not being able to help. I sent her one last SMS, "Sorry, I was too late. It's not that you don't have a rainbow, it's that you must wait patiently to see it." The night ended with tears streaming down my eyes, as I slowly wept myself to sleep. I prayed as I slept, but I didn't understand why G*d has given us such a challenging and emotional situation. Why was he torching our student who managed to find G*d again? I know we all sinned, but this was too much. I have never felt death as closely.
Tuesday morning arrives. Sitting in front of my laptop, I numbly continued about with my work, waiting to hear back from the other teachers about what happened. We were all confused about what happened, it was just to sudden, with a lack of information. We wanted to talk to our student again, and send him our condolences. As I was talking to other teachers, I realized how much this trial meant. I thought of blaming G*d himself. I felt helpless and useless. But at the end, I trusted G*d has His plans, I must trust Him. Only with His power, can there be an answer. We can only pray. I felt a closeness with G*d during this period.
During the night, I received a call from my friend in Chengdu. She managed to get in touch with another teacher who was in contact with our student. To our surprise, the whole death incident was all a mistake. I don't exactly know what happened, but again I was shocked and in disbelief. I was so confused. Whatever happened I felt so happy to hear the news, now my tears were tears of happiness. Thank you G*d. Now I realized what He was really planning. This incident brought all the teachers closer together and closer to G*d. I realized how fragile life can really be, and how helpless you can be. But trust in Him, and he will give you an answer.

My Adventures as an English Teacher

2011-08-06T22:47:00.000-07:00

Saturday, August 6, 2011, China
Disclosure: Ok, my English written skills aren't perfect. When I taught the kids, I used proper English and correct verb tenses, but for now in this blog I'm going to write as quick as I can before the Internet goes down again.
It's been a long time since I've uploaded any new postings to my blog. Sorry for the long delay. Being in a somewhat remote area in China leads to occasional Internet problems. There has been a time during the summer camp event when the Internet went down for a week plus. It made some of the lesson preparation difficult, but we managed with what we had. My team and I were responsible for hosting Zhaojue's English Youth Camp. The children range from approximately 9 to 18 years of age. There were 11 members in the English team: 2 from Vancouver (our leader and I), 7 from Edmonton, 1 from Hong Kong, and 1 from California. We hosted 5 English levels and 6 extra-curricular activities. The English levels were separated into Level 1 for primary grades 3 and 4, Level 2 for primary grade 5, Level 3 for primary grade 6, Level 4 for junior high 1 and 2, and Level 5 for junior high 2 and 3. Cathy taught Level 1, Tina taught Level 2, Danika taught Level 3, I taught Level 4, and Bobby taught Level 5. As for the activities class, Wilson taught sports, Tse taught arts, Yang taught drama, Angel taught presentations, Annie taught music, and Daniel taught principles. It worked our perfectly with the given number of teachers. Each member had an important role and each had a chance to take responsibility over the class teachings and planning. We also had plenty of teacher assistants who are native Mandarin speakers to help us translate during the class. The purpose of the English camp was to let the students hear us speak native English. Even though 80% of us speak Mandarin, we try not to use it in class. We want to encourage the students to speak English. However, the lower levels had to use more Mandarin to explain the English material used in class. Many students have trouble listening to spoken English.
There was a 3-day schedule that we rotate for each level.
7:30 - 8:00 Breakfast
8:30 - 9:00 Morning Session
9:00 - 11:30 English Class
11:30 - 2:30 Lunch
2:30 - 3:45 Activity 1
3:45 - 5:00 Activity 2
5:00 - 5:30 Ending Session
Activity 1 and 2 rotate between sports, arts, drama, presentations, music, and principles. In three days, one level would of completed all six of these activities. The morning session is usually just taking attendance or a demonstration of the presentations that the class will be performing at the end of the camp. The ending session was not really planned out, Bobby just winged it for the first session. We based it on a topic found in "Don't Give Up Charlie Brown." The book contains inspiring quotes from famous people. The camp started two days late because the junior high students were still writing their school exams. They were still waiting for more students to register for classes. I think when we first arrived, only 50% of the capacity was filled (or some ridiculously low percentage). At the end, we had approximately 25 students in Level 1, 20 students in Level 2, 30 students in Level 3, 22 students in Level 4, and 15 in Level 5. More students wanted to register as the camp went by, but the school felt like it was too late, and Level 3 was over capacity.
For lesson planning, we had each person be responsible for coming up with the vocabulary list. Cathy and others will translate the vocabulary into Chinese characters. Each class consists of an hour of review from yesterday's vocabulary, reading out the vocabulary, and playing games that use the vocabulary. Level 4 and Level 5 will incorporate writing sentences and paragraphs that use the vocabulary in commonly used situations. Grammar was more heavily covered in those levels, too. The lesson plans were as follows:
Lesson 1: What is Your Name?
Topics: Common questions to ask the teacher, questions to ask when you meet someone, how to introduce yourself with basic information like name, age, birthplace, and nationality, different countries
Lesson 2: How do I Look?
Topics: Body parts, adjectives to describe how you look, colours, action verbs used to describe what you can do with your body.
Lesson 3: Who am I?
Topics: personality traits, Chinese zodiac animals, adjectives describing each zodiac animals' personality, Canadian animals
Lesson 4: I Love You!
Topics: family members, family tree, 3 types of love (friendship, family, and relationships), 5 different ways to show love (communication, quality time, acts of services, physical touch, and giving gifts).

Lesson 5: What are Your Hobbies? Part 1: Sports and Arts
Topics: different types of sports, explain each sport's origin, area of popularity, and general rules of play, action verbs used to play sports, crafts and art supplies
Lesson 6: What are Your Hobbies? Part 2: Music
Topics: instruments, musical genres
Lesson 7: Let's Go Shopping Part 1: Clothes
Topics: clothing articles
Lesson 8: Let's Go Shopping Part 2
Topics: household items, furniture
Lesson 9: When I Grow Up, I Want To Be...
Topics: careers, dreams, why?, what qualities do you have for that career
Lesson 10: I'm Hungry!
Topics: Chinese and Western food, restaurants, ordering food from a menu, paying the bill
Lesson 11: Road Trip
Topics: traveling, directions, weather, time, numbers

Lesson 12: Let's Celebrate Christmas
Topics: Christmas story, activities during Christmas holidays
Lesson 13: Easter Holiday / Review
Topics: Easter story, review previous lessons
Each English teacher modified the plan to fit their needs. For example, I never had time for Lesson 8 or Lesson 13. I had to split my time between readings, writings, and grammar lessons. For lower levels, they mainly played games. My favourite game played with the kids was the shopping game. The students were really into the game. There were store clerks and customers. At the end, I even had a customer who ended up selling his products and earned $1 less than another store clerk. I made my students do a few conversations and perform them in front of the classroom. Mainly students aren't really use to the interactive element of the class, some were really shy, whereas some will be jumping up and down to answer questions. My students range from 12 - 16. It's quite difficult to teach the different levels. For the more advanced students, I'll make them write more sentences when we do the writing exercises. I spent a lot of individual time with each student correcting their sentences, grammar, and pronunciation.
For each ending session we chose one word that we tried to convey to the students. We believed these words will help develop the students personalities and help them grow to be respectable citizens. The session consists of either a skit, song, or puppet show. Then we'll get the teachers to spell out the word with their bodies. The host will then describe examples of why the word should be considered in the students' life. The words we selected were: hope, family, forgiveness, respect, confidence, patience, courage, joy, love, etc. (I can't remember!)
The second last day of the camp, our team hosted a sports day event based on the Amazing Race. It sure was difficult controlling all those screaming kids! We had many games:
- ping pong ball on chopsticks
- hackie sack
- obstacle course
- throw the rings
- newspaper game: everyone on the team need to fit on a small piece of newspaper
- dunk your head into flour to find an item
- laser strings obstacle course
- hop the ping pong ball over cups of water
The last day of camp was a presentation performed by each student. Level 1 and 2 performed a song. Level 3 - 5 performed a modified story of Joseph from the Bible. I spent the previous night making cards for my students. Johnny (my teacher assistant) had "so much fun" translating those English quotes into Chinese. We were all falling asleep, but we each wanted to give a gift to our students. Yang was folding beautiful roses, I never thought he'll know how to make them. Danika prepared a video with each student's dream. I slept at around 2, but others were up until well past 4 am. The gifts were all very personal and sweet.
The last day was very difficult. There were many tears, smiles, and hugs. Many students live in the school's dormitory. Some were orphans, so only their grandparents are left at their home. Some of their homes were far away in more remote areas of the country. My first batch of students left early after lunch, and I couldn't help but cry as I saw their backs disappear. One of my students kept frowning and crying, and I just didn't know what to do, but hold her tightly and sing to her. I feel so loved and so grateful to have them as my students. There were all kinds of emotions that day. The love and sadness was overflowing. Another one of my students showed me his softer side. I was so surprised. During class, I had to discipline him so many times, by making him wear bunny ears. But the last day, he brought his younger brother along to watch him perform. He was very protective and gentle to his brother, who is 8 years younger. He shyly gave me a gift and stayed by my side for the day's events. When I look at my students, I wish I could see them grow. Some students need so much help whether in life or in class. Some students are so intelligent. I want to see them grow up to be successful. I want all my kids to succeed in life and to find love, especially God's love. But I feel so helpless I can't see it all come together, so I keep praying for them. I came to this camp to show God's love, but instead God has given me the children's love. I am so blessed. Thank you.

Roads, Rain, and Rabbits

2011-07-11T22:34:00.001-07:00

Chengdu, Sunday, July 4, 2011
After we got to Hong Kong, we needed to transfer to our next flight out to Chengdu. Our boarding gate was 503, in a separate annex of the airport. A long walk and a bus ride took us there.
We waited there until it was time to board. On final call we still didn't see our team lead. He has not replied to my text message. When I asked the desk assistants, they said he hasn't even checked in and checking in has been closed. It looks like we will leave without our lead!
A quick flight to Chengdu took 2.5 hours. Customs was fast and efficient. We filled out our arrival form and showed them our passport with the Visa attached. They weren't mean and suspicious like when we pass through Canadian customs. Baggage claim was so fast, too! I guess the Chinese do work so much faster than the Western equivalents.
Now that we are in Chengdu, we don't know who is our bus driver. Our lead is suppose to get that information. After 15 minutes trying to contact a local team member, some one appeared with our MSI sign! What a relief!
All 9 of us piled our heavy luggage onto the mini bus in a very amazing factor. (Time to insert a photo here.) We had about 2 suitcases and a carry-on backpack each. We finally left the airport and adventured into the wild wild world of Chinese roads. Good thing it wasn't traffic hour. The driving consist of weaving in and out and driving so closely to adjacent cars. It looked like a mix match mesh of trucks, cars, bicycles, motor bikes, and people. Yes, people? I mean a guy was standing in the middle of all that confusion conducting traffic?
Anyhow, the driver missed our hotel, so we had to turn back around. We stayed at Green Digital Hotel. It was a small and simple hotel, old interiors but clean sleeping quarters. For 110 yuan per two double beds was a good deal.
Feeling really tired, I took a warm shower and napped. Chengdu welcomed us with thunderstorms! It doesn't happen often. We went out for dinner with the local teacher assistants. Some of the TAs were stuck on streets flooded meters high, cars couldn't drive through.
We asked the TA to not order too spicy of a dish. When the dishes came, they were all spicy to a certain degree. One of the manageable dishes was made from rabbit meat. I love rabbits, but I'm starving, so I'm sorry rabbits. They have soft and tender meat. The dishes were all tasty, but a bit painful for me. I'll probably grow a stronger tolerance for spicy food in the near future.

Goodbye Vancouver

2011-07-02T17:44:00.001-07:00

After a long 12 hours flight, I have now landed at Hong Kong airport. It is 6:30 am on Sunday July 3rd. I am missing home and beautiful Vancouver even before I boarded the flight. I usually don't miss much when I go on 2 to 4 weeks travel. But the thought of not being home for that long is strange to me.
I miss my comfy bed the most right now. Trying to sleep upright on the plane failed horribly. I couldn't fall asleep. The air circulation was really loud. My cold didn't really make it any easier. At least, I know I'll sleep like a log once I get to Chengdu.
I'm currently surrounded by fun and energetic team members. Youngest member is almost a decade younger than me. I can feel the energy rub onto me.
Looks like I have to go to my next transfer now. Signing off!

My Testimony

2011-06-29T14:57:00.001-07:00

I recently got baptized at Willingdon Church on June 5, 2011. It was an early morning, 8:30 am to be exact. As my friends and I sat there in the back room, we can hear the worship music play and my heart pounding with excitement and nervousness. Apparently, I was so forgetful that day, I didn't bring a towel. I'm glad my friend brought her extremely large beach towel with her. I was the second to go out the stage and step into the large tub of water. The water was nice and warm (and still clean), my clothes got soaked immediately. It went by so quickly as I listened to myself recite my testimony previously recorded and now playing to an audience of many. I wasn't nervous anymore as I saw some friends in the audience. I listened to Pastor Mark speak, then it happened so quickly! Now completely soaked head to toe, I stepped out of the pool as a reborn Christian!

I'll like to share with you my testimony:

I was exposed to God in my early years of university. I went to my friend's Church event. However, I chose to ignore Him and continued on with my education and career. I spent those years with career as my number one priority, neglecting family and friends. I love what I did even if it included long hours, stress, and challenges. When issues arose in the industry, I watched familiar faces leave one by one, affecting their lives and their family's lives. It was demoralizing. I realized all my hard work can disappear in an instance. I begun to lose my purpose in life. I switched to a new job, hoping to find a new purpose. I also looked towards my passion for travel. During my vacation in Europe, I opened my heart and mind to worldly problems. When a beggar came up to me for money, I looked straight into the eyes of a blind child. It made me realize my selfish and sinful self. There was a void in my heart. Coming home felt lost and troubling. I have wondered constantly what will happen to that child.

Shortly after, my friend kept asking me to join a church event called "Coastal Regeneration." I have used work and exhaustion as my excuse to not attend. However, my friend has been persistent and sincere. I went for one event and it forever changed me. I have been touched by God. From there on, I had many questions and curiosity to what I have been hearing and feeling. With support through fellow Christian friends, I attended Willingdon Church. I started attending services and taking the Discovery Classes at the church. I met a wonderful leader and many others who were lost like me.

With every opportunity, I want to share the Gospel of Jesus Christ with everyone that I meet. Pastor John's sermon on 1 Corinthians Chapter 13 taught me about love. "If I have all faith, so as to remove mountains, but have not love, I am nothing." I want to listen, follow, and serve my God. I want to live my life as His testimony.

What Makes A Good Teacher?

2011-06-20T22:01:00.000-07:00

When I was in Grade 4, my teacher always smiled and brought the sunshine into our classroom. Miss M. was kind and friendly, caring and respectable. When I had troubles learning math, she will host extra time for those who need help. She even wrote us letters when she left the school to pursue other endeavors. After years of schooling, I will always remember how she inspired her students to be the best they can be. Now, that's who I considered to be a good teacher.

Be Responsible

Every decision and every action you take can lead to results that you may not expect. If you make any mistake, admit it, repent, and aim to correct it.

Be A Role Model

Monkey see, monkey do. Young minds look to older figures for inspiration on how to act and how to talk.

Be Personal

A teacher may be the power figure in the class, leading students to feel intimidated to approach the teacher for help.
Balance your teaching style from disciplined studies to fun activities.
Open up your heart and mind, sharing personal stories with the students can help them feel closer to you.
Be a friend and mentor to the students.

Be Patient

Each student has different learning abilities. Take time to figure each one out, and try to reach out to them.
Never rush an answer. Always remember to ask, "Do you have any questions?" or "Do you understand?"

Be Yourself

If you are not comfortable, it'll show on your face, voice, or body language. Students can sense your instability.
Relax and breathe. Remember to sleep well before class, so you don't look tired,

Be Prepared

Plan your lessons well, and leave room for flexibility.
Know what you are talking about.
Don't lie and don't be fake. If you don't know the answer, let the students know that you'll find an answer for them in the next class.
Adapt your future plans to the students as you get to know them.

Remember to smile and enjoy your time with your students! Some students may be frustrating or difficult, they may not listen to you or respect you, but don't let them ruin the day for other students and yourself. If you show you care and you do your best each class, eventually the students will learn from you. You will inspire them!

Everything Counts

2011-05-06T23:21:00.000-07:00

If you gotta start somewhere why not here

If you gotta start sometime why not now

If we gotta start somewhere I say here

If we gotta start sometime I say now

Through the fog there is hope in the distance

From cathedrals to third world missions

Love will fall to the earth like a crashing wave

Tonight's the night

For the sinners and the saints

Two worlds collide in a beautiful display

It's all love tonight

When we step across the line

We can sail across the sea

To a city with one king

A city on our knees

Quoted from: tobyMac, "City On Our Knees"

Inspiration comes from everywhere. A song, a book, a show, a dream... all such signs come from God. Everything have been moving so quickly, so many signs, so many inspirational events coming my way. I am so grateful for the strength God has given me. Last week, I attended the youth service at Willingdon Church. Many young teens were getting baptized. The faith they have shown inspired me and gave me strength.

Similar to the lyrics in tobyMac's song, I must start somewhere and that day is tonight. I have just completed my testimony. I'm dying to post it, but that'll spoil the fun before I attend my baptism, especially if you're coming!

June 5th will be the day.

Nucks 'n Nails

2011-04-16T22:50:00.000-07:00

It's almost the end of April, what does that mean? I guess taxes are due. After procrastinating, I ended up not doing my taxes, but painted my nails. Canucks Playoff hype is in my head 24-7, so I thought I'll add to the craze. It's my first time painting pictures on my nails. Normally, I don't paint my nails, so the results were a bit uneven and wobbly. It sure was difficult painting with your opposite hand! But it sure was fun!

Sally Hansen HD 4070-02 Blu $6.49 Zellers
Wet n Wild fastdry 225C Sage in the City $2.99
Sally Hansen Hard as Nails Xtreme wear 4860-21 White On $3.49

It's Our Time!

2011-04-10T00:13:00.000-07:00

Here we go... finally it's our year! I managed to score some playoff tickets for Round 1 Game 5 (aka. Home Game 3). I'm so excited! The good part about these tickets is that they come from a reliable source. I can refund them back to my seller if Canucks end up sweeping the series. Now, I secretly wish they don't until I get to see them for Game 5. We'll play nice and let the opposition have one win. What's even better about these tickets is the fact that it costs $150/ticket (still within my allocated budget)! My wallet doesn't need to bleed. I got Section 322, Row 12, not bad for that price, offensive side blue line, where Canucks shoot twice from here.

I initially tried buying tickets off Ticketmaster on April 2. I skipped my morning class to sit in front of a computer. And what did I get? Nothing, to end up with something better. I guess there's always a plan to solve your everyday problems.

Now preparing for the playoffs, I ended up buying some playoff gear. One for me, one for my friend (for her birthday gift), and one for my sister. My sister is in New York City. Too bad the Rangers made it, which makes it difficult for her to wear Canucks gear while the Rangers are still alive in the playoffs. I predict the Rangers won't be going pass the first round considering they'll be playing Washington Capitals. My bet is on Canucks vs. Capitals for the Stanley Cup Finals, with Canucks prevailing at the end to win the Cup! Go Canucks Go!

Canucks Playoff Scarf $9.99

Canucks Playoff Shirt $19.99

Canucks Round 1 Game 5 $150/ticket

Canucks Playoff Towel $9.99
or spend $10 at Save-on-Foods Pharmacy

Canucks Tattoos $2.99 at a sports store in Metropolis,
$3.99 at Brentwood Mall's dollar store

Canucks Stickers, Brentwood Mall's dollar store

Canucks Flag, $17.99 for high quality or
$14.99 for low quality at Canadian Tire

The Last Time & The First Time

2011-03-15T00:06:00.000-07:00

The Last Time

It's not like I've been that busy that I couldn't blog. My postings were ready to go, but my photos were not. Sadly, my computer is dying, and I don't know what's wrong, (coming from a techie). Apparently, hardware isn't my forte. I have a feeling it's my graphics card, considering each time I try to edit my photos on Adobe Photoshop or Gimp, my computer will freeze. Watching videos or playing Flash content on the Web, also freezes my computer. So, this posting will be the last time I blog on this 3 years old computer.

The First Time

Is it the first time that the Canucks reached 100+ points so soon? I don't know, but I know they're the first at this time to reach 100+ points. Congrats Canucks! You make us proud! Tonight's game against Minnesota Wilds was a beauty. So much confidence and speed gushing out from each player. Too bad we couldn't keep a shutout, but a little opposition scoring helps wake up the Canucks.

The Main Topic

What I really wanted to blog about was just my wonderful experience at Canucks vs. Columbus Blue Jackets on March 1, 2011. My coworkers had some last minute tickets, so I ended up picking them up. I ran home after work to pick up my camera and my jersey, then set out for Roger's Arena. I haven't gone to a game since December 28 against the Flyers, which saw the Canucks win by 6 to 2. I was quite disappointed with the Flyers, I thought they will put up a stronger fight, not like I'm complaining about seeing 6 easy goals.

Back to the CBJ game, I have to say, it wasn't Canucks' strongest game. The Blue Jackets kept pressuring the Canucks, you can tell the Blue Jackets really wanted to win. It sure was tense and stressful. Good for Raymond for scoring a goal (plus shootout), maybe the fans and media can finally get off his back. It's also Maxim Lapierre's first game with the Canucks, and his first shift ended with a penalty. I'm just glad the Canucks managed to win in a shootout. It is such a scary feeling when you know the next Canucks must score or it'll be sudden death... The crowd was loud and everyone was on the edge. It'll probably be the closest it gets to Playoffs atmosphere for me. (No luck in finding any "cheap" Playoff tickets!)

Lapierre's First Shift

Trevor Linden Night

#21 Mason Raymond Scores

2010 Olympics Ice Hockey Gold Medal Exhibit: Luongo's Mask and Stick

2010 Olympics Women's Ice Hockey: Hayley Wickenheiser's equipment

The "Lucky Loonie" in the center of the ice rink

Parting ways: Henrik Sedin to Ryan Kesler, "You're not Daniel"

Tense: shootout moments

Ok, time to calm down

Mason Raymond scores in shootout

Alex Burrows scores in shootout

Raffi Torres scores in shootout to win the game, somewhere in the middle of this pile

Luongo gives away his stick

Luongo waves the flag during 2010 Olympics Ice Hockey Gold Medal

I'm not going to analyze the game, as that's what Pass it to Bulis blog does and does with style.

How Would You Spend $35?

2011-02-23T22:59:00.000-08:00

I have Thirty-Five dollars.

How Do I Spend Thee? Let me count the ways.
I spend thee on a set of Canucks pins,
Mismatched with a dress from the sale bins,
Spending on items that last only days.

A savior plate of scallops at Goldfish
Leads to a range of tasty palate trips,
Barely leaves enough for tax and tips,
Craving for more as I finish one dish.

As I watch my child grow through time and age,

I spend thee freely, to nourish a seed.
I spend thee purely, as I desire change.
I spend thee with the passion towards need.

Through God's words, I find love in a new page,
With a new purpose found through faithful creed.

(based on Elizabeth Barrett Browning's poem, "Sonnet from the Portuguese: Number 43: How Do I Love Thee.")

In the recent year, I questioned my worth and purpose in life. Without knowing, I have taken my life for granted. I was given more than I can ask for. However I am always asking for more, wanting more, craving more, while others barely live through the day with minimal food and shelter. With just a $1 per day, how do you live? I don't know. I found my child through Bridges of Hope, a charity I came across through a church event. Alice is her name, she is 10 years old. She comes from Burkina Faso in Africa. Her country has half their population surviving on less than $1 per day.

I can only do so much, but I hope I can help her and her family survive. One less child on the streets and in the schools can lead to miracles. I believe in miracles. The charity I selected is started by a child who grew up through similar situations. But with sponsorship, he came to Canada. I trust his organization will make the right decisions with our donations. Only God will know. I shall pray and hope that more people will find their hearts in worthy causes.

If you buy one less fancy meal, one less gadget, one less piece of clothing, you can save a life. How much can we sacrifice for others?

Canucks' Meet and Greet with Keith Ballard

2011-02-21T22:27:00.000-08:00

Meet and Greet was quick and efficient, you don't really get to talk much with the athlete. Photo, sigh, bye bye! I finished my drawing in time for Canucks' Fan Club Meet and Greet with Keith Ballard.

Subject: Keith Ballard, #4
Time: 3 hours
Date: Feb 20, 2011

Final version: Keith Ballard
based on this image

Oh look! I got it signed too! Ballard said it was really good. But of course, he is just being nice, or maybe he didn't have time to notice the mistakes. Notice what I fixed? Yep, the shoulder and back proportions.

Draft: Keith Ballard

Here's a photo of Ballard that he also signed, (as we get one signed item per person).

signed Keith Ballard photo

I can't post my group photo with Keith, I like staying anonymous! It was a nice group photo, only my friends can find it on Facebook. However, I did modify the photo with my friend and I removed. I added the signs we were holding to frame the photo. I like how he was such a good sport to play around with our signage. It rather cracked him up. Maybe he was surprised how some fans will go all out for a signing.

Like little high school girls, we left with a fun experience, new memories, and signed loot! I hope I get another chance to go to these meet and greets.

Canucks Fan Art of Alex Burrows

2011-02-11T23:59:00.000-08:00

I finally decided to finish off my long overdue sketch of Alex Burrows. I think I started the drawing back in December 2010, but it just wasn't looking right. In the new year, I finally gave it one more go, and well, the results are as you see. I tried! Next up, Keith Ballard... I'm going to a Canucks Fan Club Meet and Greet with Keith Ballard near the end of February, so I better have something to show.

Subject: Alexandre Burrows, #14
Time: 12 hours, through a spread of 2 months
Date: Feb. 5, 2010

I like to listen to music while I draw. I had just downloaded Bruno Mars latest album, "Doo-Wops & Hooligans." While I'm in the creative realm, I decided to switch the lyrics of Bruno Mars' "Just the Way You Are" into some Canucks and hockey content.

Original: Just The Way You Are

Modified

Oh, her eyes, her eyes, make the stars look like they're not shining
Her hair, her hair, falls perfectly without her trying
She's so beautiful, and I tell her every day

Yeah, I know, I know, when I compliment her she won't believe me
And it's so, it's so, sad to think that she don't see what I see
But every time she asks me do I look ok, I say

When I see your face, there's not a thing that I would change
Cause you're amazing, just the way you are
And when you smile, the whole world stops and stares for a while
Because girl you're amazing, just the way you are(yeah)

Oh, your skills, your skills, make Blackhawks look like they're not shining
Your shots, your shots, fall perfectly in the goalie nets
You're so beautiful, and we tell you everyday

Yeah, we know, we know, when you win or lose, you won't be satisfied
It's so, it's so, cool to think you will be Stanley Cup winners
But everytime you asks us, do you play ok, we say

When we see your game, there's not a thing that we would change
Cause you're amazing, just the way you are
And when you play, the whole world stops and stares for a while
Cause you're amazing, just the way you are (yeah)

Now, I'm just acting like a crazy fan...

Canucks Fan Club Private Practice

2011-02-08T00:36:00.000-08:00

On Sunday, I woke up early to go to a Canucks' Fan Club Private Practice event. Early mornings really ain't my strength. By the time I picked up my friend and arrived at the event, there was already a long line up. Good thing parking wasn't hard to find. I came prepared with prior knowledge...

In early January, I went to the Canucks store to exchange a gift I got from my friend. I was lucky that someone just left the 1 hour free parking zone in front of the store. At that time I noticed there was parking on Pacific Boulevard and Expo Boulevard. I was amazed that there was still such a thing as free parking in Vancouver. The street parking was parked full, but if you go further away from the stadium, there is usually a few spots. Then came Saturday, the day before the practice, I went to International Village for the Chinese New Year's celebration. So I thought I'll try my luck parking by the Canucks store. Again, I was lucky to find a spot. But one hour isn't enough. So maybe I should park at Pacific Boulevard? Well, I think I jinxed the street, there were newly added parking meters on the street! Great, the last free parking in Vancouver is now gone. I walked over to the meters to check out how much it'll cost, from my surprise, there was a "Not in Service" sign and the screen read "Free Parking." Apparently, the meters aren't fully functional yet. But people don't know, so there was barely anyone parking on the street.

On Sunday, I easily found a spot on that street, and we rushed over to the line up. It was already at Gate 6, when the entrance to the event is at Gate 10. Doors are suppose to open at 10:30, we were there at 10:25... bad idea. Oh well, I'm not that crazy of a fan. By the time it hit 11:05, everyone was impatient because the practice starts at 11 am. The organizers finally decided to stop checking bags or whatever they were doing that slowed down the traffic. We got in at about 11:15. Only the back and far corner sections were left, so sad... The event filled up almost half of the lower bowl seats. They didn't open up the sections by Canucks' benches and tunnel, nor the first ~4 rows of each section.

The event itself is just like any practice that you'll see during the live streaming found on their website. But of course, you're there in person! I wish we were closer so we can actually tell who was who. There are small numbers on their helmets, so it was difficult to tell who skated by. Sedins with their red hair and Cody's junior hockey mask made them the easiest to recognize. The crowd was pretty quiet. Except the one cheer that a few hardcore fans prepared. They had some nifty signs and decked out in Canucks gear. But some senior host went up to them afterwards to tell them something. What a party pooper! Loosen up! No flash photography allowed too. The crowd was quiet as ever. I thought fans are suppose to be rowdy?

Anyhow, prizes came at the end. You enter your name to try to win those autographed sticks, t-shirts, caps, and pucks. Unfortunately, we didn't win. There was also a meet and greet with Mikael Samuelsson that we didn't win either. I felt sad that I didn't get any autographs. I came prepared with my t-shirts and photos for signing. At the end, we noticed that Mason Raymond skated back from the tunnel to the glass in front of our section. He was holding his stick over the glass and was pointing at the girl in the row who was cheering earlier in the practice. The security guard took it and gave it to the girl. I thought that made my day! It was a very sweet gesture and I think she really deserved it. God knows how early she came to line up for this event! Overall, we really enjoyed the event, it was light on fandom, but fun just to watch Canucks practice random stuff. It was a very memorable event! (especially the Mason part... just standing there waiting... I even forgot to take a photo!)

Alex Burrows and one of the Sedins

Dan Hamhuis

Kevin Bieksa

Burrows, Sedin, Kesler

Cody Hodgson and Aaron Volpatti

Luongo, Kesler, Samuelsson

Back on Top

2011-02-02T19:18:00.000-08:00

Now that I'm back on top of my blogging commitments, I decided to start off with a Canucks Back on Top image. I took screenshots from the day Canucks first hit the top of the league on January 2nd to a small drop off after an OT lost on January 18th against Colorado Avalanche, and then back to the top after February 1st against Dallas Stars. (I missed a lot of days in the image. Can you tell which ones they are?)

I know, I know, It's been over a month since I last blogged. Coming back from the Christmas break is just as busy as ever. January wasn't about the dinners and parties, but it was about my friend's wedding plans and a horrible cold. Whenever I had time, I was sleeping or I was out wedding dress shopping with my friend. I also had a work deadline to achieve, that's when I forgot to take screenshots, after coming home from a few days of overtime. I love my workplace, overtime is literally only a few days. I remember days when I pulled overtime until 10 pm to midnight for months, working weekends too. I wonder if those days will ever return. My current project is a very ambitious game with new technology. I hope I don't jinx myself!

Today is a short post, but an incentive for me to get back on track with weekly posts. Here are some photos of Canucks jersey pins that I picked up. Love them!

From left to right:

1970 - 1978: Original Stick / Stick-in-Rink
1978 - 1985: Flying V
1985 - 1997: Flying Skate
1997 - 2007: West Coast Express
2007 - Present: Current Primary Jersey

Canucks Top the Year

2011-01-02T22:28:00.000-08:00

2010 ends with a New Year's Eve win by the Canucks. Now, a New Year begins with Canucks winning their game tonight. Canucks reign top of the National Hockey League with 53 points in 37 games. What a great year it is turning out to be! Another game will be played tomorrow, but I have no fear, because even if they lose, they will win in the long run. Yes, you know what I'm talking about. One can only hope, but I believe, as shall we all! If only I had Canucks tickets for Jan 8, Saturday's game against Detroit Red Wings.

To celebrate, I finally decided to eat the Canucks bear cookie I made. mmmm, that sure was a good cookie! I love shortbread cookies, especially Walkers brand, crunchy when you bite into it, then you let the butter softly melt. I can't believe I held off for that long. So much for my New Year's resolution of keeping fit and healthy.

Before ==> After

Talking about holding off, when I first did my Sedin fanart, I told myself to draw the rest of the Canucks. Even though I had a week off work for the holidays, I had no success. I only have one new piece of art, and it took me over a week to decide if I should post it. I'm definitely not happy with my progress. Oh, looks like another New Year's Resolution. How do I get better? Well, isn't it obvious, to draw more?!

Subject: Ryan Kesler, #17
Time: about 2 hours, then 1 week of fixing it
Date: Dec 23, 2010

Final Pencil Sketch

Photoshop Auto Tone and Contrast

First Attempt: something not right about the eyes!!! ugh, I was about to give up!

My current work in progress is Alex Burrows, but I totally gave up. I just can't get his eyes, too. I start work tomorrow, time to refocus my attention.

Happy New Year!

My Blog's Statistics 4 Months Later

2010-12-21T21:19:00.000-08:00

My first post was on August 21st. A simple welcome message isn't really considered much of a post. Four months later with 20 posts on my blog, I decided to share my stats.

Number of Posts

August = 5
September = 4
October = 6
November = 4
December = 1

Number of Pageviews

August = 200
September = 321
October = 360
November = 129
December = 141

Hits / Country

Canada = 919
US = 128
France = 28
Japan = 17

Referring Sites

Facebook = 225
MSN = 16
Google.ca = 15

I Love Canucks! We are ALL Canucks!

2010-12-18T00:21:00.000-08:00

Ok, I'm not the most loyal fan, but maybe I can be. Hockey is the game in Canada and locally in Vancouver, BC, where I live. Every week or most likely every day you encounter some form of hockey talk or Canucks advertisement. As I work in games, you tend to be surrounded by die hard hockey fans. Many of my coworkers will spend their lunch playing EA NHL video game. Ever since 2006 when I started working in the gaming industry, my ex-coworkers play EA NHL during their lunch period too. In 2009, I transferred over to work on a rendering engine for EA NHL. Sure enough, everyday, it was hockey matches during lunch. Oh, I even played. Boy, do I suck! I picked up the game to practice at home, but finding the time and interest was another problem.

Somehow, I decided to follow Canucks more religiously this season. I guess I use to be a fair weather fan, following them when they got into the 1994 Stanley Cup finals and idolizing Trevor Linden. Years pass, I lost faith. But I vow not to do that again. I am committed to my home team, as much as I should commit to whatever I put my mind into. Believing is the first step in understanding the potential the team can be. Every team needs their home to support them. As fans, we need to believe in them, to cushion their fall and to give them that extra push. Now, hold on, so they don't lose balance again!

Here's my typical weekday now:

Wake up.
Check my phone's calendar: sweet, Game Day or bummer, no game today.
Eat breakfast.
Read my Canucks Facebook and Twitter feeds.
Enter new ballots to NHL's All Star Voting: Sedin, Sedin, Kesler, Luongo, Hamhuis, Edler.
Go to work.
Lunch time: check Canucks website for new videos and new social network feeds. Enter into more Canucks ticket giveaways from BCAA or HTTN.
Go home and eat dinner.
Game Day: watch the game when it's on, then watch the post game interviews.
Non Game Day: read latest NHL scores and keep up on the latest standings.
Do some studying or researching for work and my other interests.
Pray that Canucks win their next game.
Sleep.

I don't talk hockey, I don't play the sport, but I know what I see with my eyes. I know Canucks are good, and the potential is just gushing out. They may lose, but they may win, we never know. All we need to know is that they need the fans to be with them always. Pressure can be a killer, but support can be the winner. So let us support them, and see what miracles arise!

Here is my first attempt of me idolizing the Canucks. Please forgive me for all the flaws. It's been a long time since I did full pencil sketches. This one was a quick sketch, then I decided to run through with a darker pencil for shading. I got tired, and I couldn't finish the folds on the jersey.

Subject: Henrik Sedin, #33
Time: 1 hour
Date: Dec 15, 2010

Pencil Sketch with shading

Photoshop Auto Tone

Pencil Sketch initial draft with no shading

To My Loyal Fans

2010-11-30T23:22:00.000-08:00

Yes, I'm happy to call my readers my fans. I've been quite inconsistent on my postings this month. I don't know if December will make it any better or any worse. It is definitely not easy keeping a committed schedule. It really reminds me of a posting that lists my three important commitments to work on. Did I already fail? I guess a small slip up can happen. But it sure shows how difficult it is to commit. I suspect playing Final Fantasy 14 can be a cause of this lost of focus.

I have many articles I want to write. I'm working on a few related to job searching and my experience during my job search. Recently many of my friends have lots their jobs due to the economic situation in the gaming industry. I do hope to get those articles written soon. I also have more travel, food, and game articles to write. Hopefully, by the time I get to it all, it won't be outdated. Please send me feedback, comments, or requests: miyudreams AT gmail.com

Time for me to do some grammar reviewing. If you haven't noticed, I think I have been switching back and forth between tenses. With some effort, someday my blog will hit a new milestone! I can only dream, eventually the impossible will begin to merge with reality.

Roming For Good Food

2010-11-30T22:58:00.000-08:00

The Italians sure know how to eat. I still have dreams about the heavenly aromas and the sensational tastes I have stumbled upon in Rome. Gelato everyday is such a treat! Unfortunately, 2 nights in Rome mean only two dinners.

Ristorante Del Pallaro
Largo Del Pallaro 15

Del Pallaro is a family owned restaurant supervised by a very sweet old Mama of the house. She stands out alrighty, you will not miss her in her apron and cap, running from kitchen to table. She stopped by our table when she saw our Frommer's Rome travel guide sitting on our table. Yes, we are obviously tourists, and she obviously knew that she's mentioned in the book. She said something in Italian, laughed, then walked off. I'm sure she's proud of her restaurant. For 25 Euros per person (x 1.35 = $33.75 CAD), we were served a fine feast!

The waiter sat us down on some rather uncomfortable patio chairs. A few minutes later, he came by with a rather large pitcher of red wine and a large bottled water. What did we get ourselves into? First of all, I only drink one glass of wine, and secondly, we usually order the small bottled water. I was already 90% full after indulging on the antipastos. I knew I shouldn't have ate the bread, but it was so good with the prosciutto.

Look at the prosciutto up close, is that marbled meat fat? Good, I wore a loose fitting dress.

Antipastos:

Green Olives
Lentils
Artichoke Hearts
Fried Risotto Balls
Prosciutto
Bread

Pasta was served next, then a pork entrée dish. (I forgot to take a photo of the meat dish; I must of been too focused on eating the food.) I love the chewy pasta, lightly coated with a white and red sauce, flavored from chunks of cured ham. The meat was mediocre because I just couldn't taste anymore. However, I sure tasted the dessert, an apple and apricot sponge cake tart. It was warm and it melted in our mouth. If only I could speak Italian, then I can ask them what the dishes were called and what ingredients were in them. Next time, I will be more prepared, and yes, there will be a next time!

Trattoria Colline Emiliane
Via degli Avignonesi 22
06 481 75 38
12:45 - 2:45 pm, 7:30 - 10:45 pm Tue - Sat, 12:45 - 2:45 pm Sun

Colline Emiliane is a one star Michelin restaurant. We reserved a table here from a 2008 travel guide. At the time of book's writing, it was just a family owned restaurant frequented by many locals. It's not an easy restaurant to find. My sister and I initially got off the Spanish Steps train stop to view the sights. We walked to the Trevi Fountain, then started our GPS to look for this restaurant. Ok, walk straight along a main road, then right turn into an empty and dark street 5 minutes later. Hmm, GPS says turn left onto an even darker street, which we thought was incorrect. It was a narrow dark street with a scaffold by some old buildings. Looking closely we noticed some light from a door, so walking towards the light we found our restaurant. Phew! We didn't get mugged on that very dark street.

It was 9 pm and people were still waiting for a table. They didn't end up honoring our reservation. I suspect it was because many tables were about to leave. We waited about 15 minutes before sitting down. It was a marvel looking at the truffles in the display cabinet by the door. The kitchen staff will come out once in a while to grab some fresh ingredients. We weren't that hungry, so we ordered a plate of prosciutto soaked in red wine, cooked spinach, tortellini, and the famous veal dish. I'm not a food critic, so I'm not doing justice in explaining just how delicious the prosciutto was. The texture, the smell of red wine, and the cured ham taste was a wonderful blend. Next up the pasta, again lightly coated in white wine cream sauce. Very chewy, very fresh! Splendid! I also took a photo of another pasta dish that they accidentally brought to our table, then took it back. (But I wanted to eat it!)

Now on to the main course, a slow cooked veal that literally flaked off when you begin to cut it. It is the best veal I ever had. Nothing in Vancouver compares to the "real" Italian food in Rome. Too bad we had to skip dessert, but we just couldn't leave our plates unfinished. Italian food is quite heavy, so come hungry.

Both these restaurants were selected from Frommer's Rome guide book. Frommer's never failed for me when choosing restaurants based on their review. I'm only disappointed for not trying the popular gelato shop or the pizza parlors advertised in the book. However, when I return to Rome, it will be for 3 meals a day! I shall start dieting now.

The Sinner's Prayer

2010-11-28T21:42:00.000-08:00

When I was first asked if I completed my Sinner's Prayer, I didn't know what it was about. However, with my teacher's guidance, here are the points to acknowledge as you do your prayer:

1. Worth of Man
Image, Life, and Purpose
Genesis 27: So God created man in his own image, in the image of God he created him; male and female he created them.

Sin and Death
Romans 3:23: for all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God
Romans 6:23: For the wages of sin is death, but the gift of God is eternal life in Christ Jesus our Lord.

2. Work of God
Saviour
Salvation
The Gap: visualize two cliffs where man stands on one cliff and God on the other. Fill the gap between the cliff with the cross. A path now leads man over to God's side.

3. Wonder of Salvation
Past
2 Corinthians 5:17: Therefore, if anyone is in Christ, he is a new creation; the old has gone, the new has come!

Present
John 10:10: The thief comes only to steal and kill and destroy; I have come that they may have life, and have it to the full.

Future
John 3:36: Whoever believes in the Son has eternal life, but whoever rejects the Son will not see life, for God's wrath remains on him.

4. Will of Man
Realize
1 John 1:8: If we claim to be without sin, we deceive ourselves and the truth is not in us.

Repent
1 John 1:9: If we confess out sins, he is faithful and just and will forgive us our sins and purify us from all unrighteousness.

Receive
John 1:12: Ye to all who received him, to those who believed in his name, he gave the right to become children of God.

Relinquish Self (surrender)
Matthew 16:24: Then Jesus said to his disciples, "If anyone would come after me, he must deny himself and take up his cross and follow me."

Assurance
Romans 10:9: That if you confess with your mouth, "Jesus is Lord," and believe in your heart that God raised him from the dead, you will be saved.

Ephesians 1:13-14: And you also were included in Christ when you heard the word of truth, the gospel of your salvation. Having believed, you were marked in him with a seal, the promised Holy Spirit, who is a deposit guaranteeing our inheritance until the redemption of those who are God's possession - to the praise of his glory.

It's not always easy to understand God, but I find some of these videos at my church will help answer some questions. http://www.willingdon.org/questions/

I like one of the quotes from the video answering the question "What is a Christian":

If you want to be my follower, you must resolutely abandon your own way of life, and you must throw yourself unreservedly into my hands. You have to trust me. My lifestyle choices, not your own for your way of life. You have to accept my ethics, my direction for your life. And if you do that, I'll come to live with you. You will be mine, and I will be yours. If anyone does that, they become a Christian.

Today I Am Reborn

2010-11-13T20:43:00.000-08:00

I never thought I'll be the religious type, but today I've finally realized my faith whole heartily. It has been many years since I first seriously opened up my heart and mind to hear others talk about God. But this year, it was different. This year I've decided to test out my faith in God. I attended Church for the first time. I participated in Church events and listened to Church seminars. I went to discovery classes held by the Church. However, I had doubts in my own heart.

Am I ready?
How many times have a sinned?
Will my friends and family support me?
What would people think?
Am I worthy of God's love?
Can I commit?
Do I believe?

But these fears and doubts have been lifted when I confessed my sins and accepted God to sit on the throne of my heart. I did my Sinner's Prayer out loud with a mentor who's been guiding me throughout this journey. Now, God himself will guide me. I can proudly say that I am a Christian starting today.

Packing for Travels

2010-10-22T19:38:00.000-07:00

Every time I travel, I end up making the same list over and over again. I might as well streamline the process. I'm a safe traveler who tends to bring every necessity with her just in case the impossible happens. For shorter weekend trips, you probably don't need to bring too much. If you go to a developed city, then it'll be easy to find what you need when you need it. Prices are usually more expensive in small towns, so bring your own stuff.

Here are my suggested essentials:

First Aid Kit & Medicine
Bandages
Antibiotic Ointment for cuts (ie: Polysporin)
Q-Tips
Cotton Balls
Mosquito/Bug Bite Ointment
Advil (for headaches and hangovers)
Sinus and Allergy Medicine
Diarrhea Prevention Medicine
Antibiotics (Ciprofloxacin)
Pepcid AC (for heartburn, stomach acid problems)
No Jet Lag Medicine (I don't know which ones work.)
Vomit Prevention / Motion Sickness medicine or wristband
Eye Drops (for allergies, dry or tired eyes)
Rain Poncho
Portable Space Blanket
Emergency Heat/Cold Packs

Hygiene
Toothbrush
Tooth Paste
Face Cloth
Nail Clipper and/or Nail Filer
Tweezers
Scissors
Bath Towel (get the ultra portable and quick dry ones)
Shower Cap
Shower Gel/Soap
Shampoo/Conditioner
Dental Floss
Facial Products
Hair Products (mousse, gel, cream and/or spray)
Hair Comb
Blow Dryer for International Dual Voltage
Shaving Products (razors and cream)
Electricity Adapters and Converters
Indoor Slippers / Flip Flops (not every hotel floor is clean)

On The Road
GPS loaded with city maps
Maps (just in case GPS satellite signal fails, which it did in Venice)
Compass (to work along side a paper map)
Water Bottle
Water Purification Tablets or other purification systems
Hand Sanitizer (X3 Mini Spray is my favourite)

Night Time
Flashlight
Eye Mask for sleeping
Ear Plugs
Personal Alarm / Pepper Spray

Entertainment
Camera (charger, extra batteries, and memory cards)
Cellphone
Portable Music Player and Earphones (IPod)
Portable Gaming System (Nintendo DS, Playstation PSP, IPhone)
Netbook
E-Book Reader (Kindle, Nook, Kobo)
All Cables associated with electronic devices for charging or uploading.

Additional Products
Compression Bags (to save safe in your bag by compressing your clothes)
Water Heater Rod (to boil water for coffee or tea, most hotels have mugs)
Hair Straightener with International Dual Voltage
Eye Contact Lenses
Paper and Pens
Business Cards / Contact Cards
Luggage Tags
Luggage Locks
Chain Locks (to wrap around poles when leaving luggages on a train compartment)
Gum, Mints, and/or Toothpicks
Small Sewing Pack
Vitamins
Bug Spray Repellent
Ziplock Bags (for dirty clothes, packing food, keep things dry in your bag, separating foreign currency when moving between countries)

Documents
Passport
Driver's Licence
VISA Permit
Travel & Health Insurances
Credit Cards contact numbers
Traveler's cheque contact numbers
Travel Guides
Language Phrase Books (or add apps to your cellphone)

Clothes & Accessories
Walking Shoes
Fancy Shoes
Sandals
Swimsuit
Hat
Sunglasses
Umbrella
Small Day Pack (for hikes or long walks)
Purse (a sturdy purse, slash proof, or cross shoulder for travels in cities with many pick pocketers)

Packing clothes really depends on how long you're going, where you're going, what you're planning to do, and what is the weather. For weekend stagette trip, I end up packing more clothes than I do for 2 weeks sight seeing trip in a foreign country. Traveling on road trips gives me more room to bring extra food in my car. In general, my travels consist of an exercise/hiking activity, museums, fancy restaurant and shows. Therefore, I need to pack exercise/gym clothes, casual clothes (like jeans and tees), and a dress. Having three types of outfits sure take up room in my luggage, as I need the matching shoes and accessories to go with it!

A lightweight luggage with 4 sturdy wheels will make your life easier. You really don't want to let go of your luggage, so you'll end up carrying it up stairs or rolling it through cobblestone roads. I suggest Samsonite or Hey's 4 wheelers, but they don't come cheap. I once found an extremely light luggage at Samsonite in Seattle's Premium Outlets, but it was $200+ and that's already on sale!

I hope this lists helps you in your preparations. One of my favourite travel stores is Wanderlust. It has every possible travel product that you can't think about. I got my list refreshed by visiting the store. My favourite find is an ultra cute hair straightener with dual voltage. Travel products can also be found at luggage stores and department stores or for cheaper prices online.