Life & Death

The strain of the current economic crisis on the lives of Americans is becoming more real by the day. Today, my dad informed me of this story, involving a couple who committed suicide after murdering their own children, the fallout of being laid off from their jobs. I can't even begin to express the tragedy here. I can't imagine how despondent one must be to take the lives of their own children... I wish someone could have shown them the compassion that would have given them a glimmer of hope before they reached the end of their rope.

These selfish acts all but juxtapose a story that my professor told us in class today about a baby that her friends adopted. He was prematurely born of a single woman who, after becoming pregnant, was diagnosed with stage III stomach cancer. She declined treatment in order to protect the fetus growing inside her, and eight months into the term, the doctors prematurely induced labor and she passed away several days later. To me, this bittersweet story epitomizes a mother's love for her unborn child. In a situation where some women might have chosen an abortion so that they could safely receive chemotherapy, this woman sacrificed her own life for that of a boy she would never have the chance to know. How beautifully Christ-like.

Love of mine, someday you will die

but i'll be close behind
and follow you into the dark

no blinding lights or tunnels to gates of white • just our hands clasped so tight • waiting for the hint of a spark • if heaven & hell decide that they both are satisfied • illuminate the "no"s on their vacancy signs • if there's no one beside you when your soul embarks • then i'll follow you into the dark •

best death cab song of all time.

Tuesday, January 20th

At noon EST today, Barack Hussein Obama became this nation's 44th president. I hope he continues to be everything he currently stands for, and does his honest-to-God best to fulfill his promise for change. It's a new era.

Retreating to the wilderness

This weekend past was a two-day extravaganza, the spiritual awakening of our souls at Loch Leven, a conference center situated comfortably in the middle of nowhere, away from the hum of automobiles, television shows, and even cellular phone reception. It was my first church retreat ever, and it wasn't the tear-filled, overly emotional, fall-to-your-knees-before-the-Lord display of histrionics that I had feared. Instead, it was a very real time, mostly of fellowship and getting to know better the sweet sisters and brothers I have at GSPC.

In this secluded wonderland capturing the quintessence of the awe of God's creation, our college pastor delivered three skillfully prepared sermons linked to a single powerful message that I hope remains embedded in our minds and hearts for years to come. Accompanying these sermons were valuable times of worship, prayer, and creative community building activities. In the time allotted for unorganized bonding, we enjoyed the singing talents of certain brothers, venturous hiking in the woods, and the grandest exhibition of the Naked Game, probably the best game I've played yet! How can one not venerate His splendor when sitting beside a bubbling creek in the chilly mountain air, beneath the starry skies? Praise God for a blessed time of fellowship in His presence, a tiring but necessary weekend!

Feliz Cumpleaños, Irene!

A most dear friend bid farewell to the world of twenty-two yesterday, and turned the ripe old age of twenty-three! Thanks be to Helen, we have a plethora of photos to document the events!

Irene's birthday was jump-started on Saturday with the quaintest of picnics at a nearby park, among picturesque autumn leaves strewn about the grassy lawn. The adorable meal was to be followed with an afternoon of horseback riding, but unbeknownst to Patty, Helen, and myself, we had picnicked ourselves far past the closing hour of the equestrian center! We stood in the mid-afternoon chill, pondering ideas for the continued celebration. Then, to fulfill Irene's whim, we waltzed over to the bowling alley and enjoyed an hour of far-below-par bowling. "Dedicated bowls" spiced up the event, with multiple dedications to Brian, Irene's boytoy.


The festivities resumed on Sunday night, when our family group met at my house to drive over and surprise Irene with a decadent tiramisu cake, but the event took a fortuitous turn when Irene called minutes prior and asked me to play hostess in her home for a while, as she was caught in traffic. I chauffeured the girls over to Irene's, where we laughed in the dark of her living room until she arrived, utterly taken aback by the scene of cake, candles, and giggling girls in the dark. SURPRISE, darling! ♥

Wednesday, the official Day, was marked by a post-workday night out at the oh-so-chic Twisted Vine, where we sampled très fancy fine wines and beers, and relished what I believe was baked brie. 'Twas a girls' night out, indeed! Soundtrack for the night? Estelle, Britney Spears, and lots & lots of laughter!



Happy Birthday, Irene! (:

Aloha, two thousand nine!

Matty & I kicked off the new year with a visit to the Waikiki Aquarium to gaze gleefully at the brightly hued tropical fish. The biggest hits in my book were the fish from a Disney favorite, Finding Nemo. I found myself in the company of fellow young children, noses pressed against the glass, exclaiming joyfully at every movement of the clown fish, the blue tang, and the Moorish idol.



With his parents, we took a drive up to the Dole Plantation, where his adorable mother sent us into the pineapple maze, within the walls of which lay hidden eight check points that journeyers must visit before exiting the premises. A marquee outside showed that the record holder completed the maze in merely eight minutes. I'm proud to say that Matty and I conquered the maze in an impressive hour and a half. ;D

I assure you we dared not even think of leaving until we rewarded our accomplishment with a world-famous Dole Whip, which tastes so much better in Hawaii than it does at Disneyland!






The weekend came again swiftly, and we donned our Saturday finest in preparation for a night on the town in Waikiki. A rich and decadent dinner was enjoyed at the beachside Cheesecake Factory before we headed to the Outrigger Hotel to watch Society of Seven. Although we were the youngest of the crowd that night, we thoroughly enjoyed the show, which was an amalgam of singing, musical performance, and comedy wrapped around American favorites by the Beatles, the Rat Pack, and Broadway show tunes.

Subjected to one of the horrors of sitting right by the performers, I was reluctantly pulled onstage to dance with the cast during a performance of Disney's "Beauty and the Beast." Matthew snapped a few photos and even managed to capture an embarrassing video of my waltzing with the "Beast"! It made for good laughs for the rest of the evening. After the show, we strolled along the touristy streets of Waikiki to King's Village before heading home for the night.

Picnic a la Magic Island
One of the joys of being on vacation is having an open schedule, unhampered by the hum buggery of school and work. Matty and I took full advantage of this, spending long days at the beach soaking up the sun, venturing on scenic hikes, and reading in his living room whilst basking in the sunlight that streamed in through his window. On more than one occasion, we made a sport of picnicking at our favorite Oahu spots with scrumptious food from local eateries of choice. On one such day, we borrowed his dad's tripod in attempt to recreate a picture that Justin took for us two summers ago, but ended up having a little too much fun with the camera. You'll soon see what I mean...




Monday, January 5th
held quite an adventure for us at Makapu'u, detailed in another entry, and we celebrated our new found appreciation for life on our last full day together with a two-person romantic day trip at the...

Ko'Olina Lagoons!
This resort, nestled on the leeward shore of Oahu, is definitely a treasure, bearing four lagoons with a perfect view of the Hawaiian sunset. We found ourselves a generous stretch of sand at the second lagoon, and sunbathed in perfect company while awaiting the last sunset we'd see before returning to cold and bleak California. Here, we once again had fun with the camera, which by now is a Hawaiian souvenir in itself with all the sand and salt it has gathered over the three weeks. A picture is worth a thousand words, so prepare your eyes for some serious reading!


If you made your way through this entire entry with all its mushy gushy glory, you're a great friend! I'll leave you with the very last sunset of our trip. Aloha!