I need some sort of distraction. The week has been one day too long already.

Duyen and Reshma's party. Susan & Cherie.

Kristen, Mai, Lily, & Fatima. 3 out of 4 say pink is in.

With Kyra. With my Sib family, Thomas & Hung.

It feels like a beautiful day for celebrating the upcoming Lunar New Year with my Taiwanese American community. I love how these events revolve around food.

With Ray, Joanna, & Brendan.

Alice returns for the weekend! Dinner/dessert with T-crew.

The work week has been long, tiring, and a teensie-weensie bit stressful. Dinner with fellow residents tonight was relaxing, but now I'm ready to just crawl into bed and end the week. My brain needs a rest. My body needs a massage.

For dinner, I ate a whole brick of straight-up tofu by myself. I am definitely Asian.

I made some brownies tonight, and I've been craving chocolates lately. The dark silky kind... Mmmm...

I was randomly browsing CNN news, and to my great surprise, I discovered a picture and article referencing one of our young TAFers, Sue Anna. I can't express how fulfilling it is to see our youngest TAF kids make a difference in the world. I feel like a proud parent!

The poem. (Apparently inspired by a TAF JH skit...)

Kinda tired. Tad bit hungry.

I've been called "boring" and "a dork" within a span of 5 minutes. Yea, I'm going to try to read a little deeper into those statements... I'm trying to feel the love...

Fatima and I enjoyed Gregoire's gourmet sandwiches for a casual outdoor lunch today. Then, in the evening, Marlene and I went to a catered gourmet dinner sponsored by the medical summer camp we both volunteer for. It's making my usual canned food meals much less appealing, I must say.

This week, I find myself speaking much more passionately about life, work, people, and the future. I'm sure it's a direct result of inspiration derived from meaningful conversation from this past week.

I need to be this good everyday. In fact, we all should.

Too tired to post.

I love it when events exceed expectations, when reality dispels assumptions, and when we are reminded that people and friends are such treasured gifts. These moments are the simple pleasures of life that we live for.

It's so quiet now that the weekend retreat has concluded. I miss everyone dearly. Nothing beats having such devoted TAF people working together with one goal in mind. If the rest of my life could only be so productive.

Heather is the last one left. I almost don't want to let go.

Hello Kitty! Drink bubble tea!

Steam train ride!

Smile! Walk along the Bay Bridge.

Dinner at J-town.

Discussion.

And dinner.

Discussion and planning... Sleep is not a priority...

Work and Play.

Heading out for lunch at the Asian Ghetto.

Post-lunch discussion over bubble tea.

Retreat participants (minus Brendan).

Karen and Margaret lead discussion.

Built from the ground up.

TAF friends and visitors have been trickling in all day... The most enthusiastic meeting of the minds begins...

I'm so tired. My brain is mush.

*edit*
I don't know why our society or health system even accepts the kind of torturous hours that we work... Coincidentally, a CNN article and a New York Times article on the subject today.

Anyways, it's going to be a damn fine weekend. Must stay awake...

A break from the rain, and a beautiful crescent moonset.

TAF friends begin to trickle in...

The first.

It's the calm before the storm. Many TAF friends will be headed into town one by one, starting tomorrow. Let the excitement begin.

Sophia and Cindy's house-warming party was definitely a good time. I'm a little tired now.

Suzan and her teas.

Envisioning, organizing, scheming, planning... my mind has been working overtime lately... Yea, I should have the world's problems solved by next week.

How wonderful that I was coincidentally reunited with a long-lost college friend, Ellen, who is working at my hospital now! She remembered my spiky hair days and recalled that I was a good dancer. How embarrassing. I think I started to blush. Ho Chie does not blush.

HoChie71: *hugs* gnite
knitmeheart: *kisses*
HoChie71: aww thanks. excellent return on my investment.
HoChie71: ;-)
knitmeheart: haha i'm glad you like :-)

Suzan and I enjoyed a spontaneous dinner (and an excellent one at that) at June and Amin's place this evening. Our guest of honor was Candice, who is currently on winter break from PT school at Columbia. After strolling down to the College Ave markets to pick up our dinner "ingredients," Betsy joined us for a very heart-warming laughter-filled evening. I'm reminded how much I love the friends I have, whether old or relatively new, even if it has been awhile since we've enjoyed each others' company. Good friends and good times. Life should always be this good.

Suzan, Candice, Ho Chie, Betsy, June, and Amin. See Bird?

June, Amin, and Bird are well-travelled. Yes, it's Bird's very own passport.

Kayleen has been visiting Berkeley for a few days now, and we finally got a chance to meet up for lunch and bubble tea. There's something very fulfilling about seeing another TAFer outside of the Midwest.

Long-lost friend from Chicago, Suzan, is visiting me for awhile. It's nice not to be lost for so long.

I've eaten nothing of substance today. I might just wither away soon.

When you work straight through the holidays on an irregular shift schedule, there is no sense of time or closure to the week. Last night, I was so tired that I fell asleep early. No celebration. No fireworks. Just some much needed rest, though not enough apparently. My day at work felt like any other. Except, that I kept forgetting what day and date it was. How silly.