I can't get enough of the T-crew... Sushi dinner with the gang. Again. Plus, some fun & games and photography play with light...

Pity can be powerful tool. As I was walking out of the clinic today with Myra, I mentioned how hungry and poor I felt. Instantly, she offered to treat me to dinner at an Ethiopian restaurant right next door to the clinic. It was such good food. How very nice of her to take care of me like that. I've got nice friends.

I've scrounged up enough change to buy myself a bubble tea now, so off I go...

Chapter 7: The Legend of Ho Chie Tsai Lives On...

excerpted from an AIM conversation with TAYL friend and Bay area native, Alice, who is in DC this summer. Alice is of course one of the sweetest people ever...

allyp0o: HO CHIE MAN YOU ARE FAMOUS!
allyp0o: everyone i met these past two weeks somehow knew you!
HoChie71: wha?
HoChie71: where are you now?
allyp0o: in dc
allyp0o: but elizabeth
allyp0o: from atlanta knew you
allyp0o: and teresa ....
allyp0o: jonathan ...
allyp0o: karen ....
allyp0o: and there was this guy tony from ohio who i think said he knew you
allyp0o: everyone was like dang who's this ho chie guy who knows everyone?!
HoChie71: it's commentary like that... which makes me legendary.
HoChie71: frightening.
allyp0o: its so TRUE THOUGH!
allyp0o: you were my counselor AND teresa and elizabeth's counselor (they're like soph in college!)

It's hard to be me.
Love the ego boost.
Thanks Alice!

Cindy and I joined Cin-yee and friends at the Thai Temple for lunch today. What a treasure that place is, with such good food for reasonable prices for a beautifully diverse Berkeley community. I need to go back there again.

I will make this girl smile normally one day. Cindy's twin laptop.

Carol and I joined some TAYL friends for lunch and coffee this afternoon. Afterwards, we visited ITASA/TAF friends, Mengting and Sandra, at their new apartment in SF and then went to dinner at a Malaysian Singaporean restaurant. I'm surrounded by some very cool Taiwanese Americans.

Carol and the Bay area skyline.

Cali group: Ai-Ling, Ho Chie, Anny, Cec, John, Yush.

East of Cali group: Mengting, Sandra, Andy, Carol, Ho Chie.

I must get my butt out of bed so that I can frolick in the sun.

After four years of living in Taiwan, my college friend Eleanor has now moved back to the Bay area. Apparently, she has been craving Taco Bell for quite some time, and even after eating crunchy hard tacos for the past two days, her hunger has persisted.

I, myself, have avoided fast food for about two years now simply because of the availability of excellent "cheap eats" all around the Bay area. But, tonight, with every inquiry as to where we should go, what type of food we should try, the answer was always "Taco Bell."

So, I eventually gave in. For dinner, I joined her for a third night of Taco Bell indulgence. Savory.

Tomorrow, I might have some In & Out burgers with Carol because we both have heard how good this particular fast food chain is. I feel my arteries hardening already. mmmm...

Anyone want to join me for some KFC?

/lv wink click flash. it's code for level 96 priestess.

I woke up to the sound of 100 goats in my backyard. It's like a zoo out there. Interesting.

I'm reading Jon's posts and looking at his Taiwan pics. It just blows my mind that there are that many TAFers in Taiwan at the same time. Damn.

Day off. Breakfast, lunch, and bubble tea with Linda. Sushi dinner with the T-crew. Can't get any better than that.

I get to keep Linda for one more day. Yesss!!

My day became so much more special when I was walking around, thought about Anny, and then heard her call my name out down the street. Then we went to get some bubble tea, and who walks by? Ai-Ling! My day is complete.

I had a tiring, but completely fulfilling weekend. Linda came into town today, and the whole group of us met up with Cindy in Oakland Chinatown for dim sum. I'm so excited that she will be joining the TAF junior counselor crew this year, but what was nicer was seeing how everyone else was so drawn to her, too. She has such a warm personality that is really easy to connect with - I love those kind of people. Later in the afternoon, my home and deck served as a venue for the big / little sib program of our residency program. Linda, Carol, and Nancy were so helpful in the mass chaos of food prep and guests. After the entire party, we just needed a place to settle and unwind. And that we did, at Cafe Strada. Lovely day.

Linda's rainbow of streaks! Cindy just rocks! So hip too!

TAF Love summer crew.

Chillin' at the big/li'l sib party.

More chillin'.

The girls, enjoying the food and weather.

Carol, Nance, Linda, and me at Cafe Strada.

I hung out with Nancy and Carol today. I haven't had this much fun in months. Carol and I met up first, and we went to little Timmy's first birthday party. There, I got to see Candice one last time before she left for the east coast. I also recognized Jenny, an old TAFer, and the world became small. Afterwards, Carol and I picked up Nancy, went to Kirala for sushi, and then went downtown to party with some of the T-crew. At the club, I bumped into college friend Rex visiting from New York, and the world became yet even smaller. Good times. And the weekend is only half over. Can't wait til tomorrow.

Brian, Timmy, Candice, me, and Karisa.

Thinking cake. Read it like an Asian person.

Eating cake. Me, Rochelle , Gherkin, and Jesse.

Enjoying cake. Nancy, me, and Carol.

I can't express in words how exciting this "summer" has been and is going to be. First and foremost, I'm surrounded by many wonderful friends and visitors. I've met several new and inspiring people, and I'm watching many leaders, old and new, blossom around me. At work, there is a new set of friendly interns starting up, which also signifies my advancement to the 3rd and final year of residency. Of course, there are also my Taiwanese American summer camps and community. I'm also planning on going back to a medical summer camp in the Sierra Nevadas with some great friends accompanying me this year. Several weekend plans and parties are taking shape, and social events are lining up in between.

Life is so fun right now.

BBQ party at the boss's house tonight! Mmmm...

And then T-crew gathering at Jen's later.

The weekend plans are taking shape, and exciting they are. On Saturday, I'm going to Karisa and Brian's place to celebrate little Timmy's 1 year old birthday party. Lester should be there as well. I'm also planning on hosting Carol and Nancy over this weekend. Then Linda comes into town on Sunday. Plus, my apartment becomes the site of our residency program's big/little sib party Sunday evening. I only wish Jessica and Tiffany could also make it up from LA to hang out with us.

TAF friends everywhere. I love it.

The overnight call was extremely quiet. Mili and I just watched movies last night at work. We're calling it "a sleepover at the hospital" - that's how hard we worked. Plus, we found time to chat alot. But, the poor girl had to listen to me rave about all the cool kids and counselors that I hung out with at camp this past weekend. Anyways, I love these post-camp highs. It's an excellent reminder to continue doing those things that one feels most passionately about.

Today was quite productive and chill. I met up with Kasumi for lunch in Chinatown and then coffee afterwards. I'm disappointed that I won't be able to join her and my college "little sisters" for Loan's wedding this coming weekend back in Illinois. I miss them all alot, too.

The new intern class is now in town, and tonight there was a dinner event at a local restaurant/bar to welcome them. It's just the beginning of a very social week.