bigphatkat's Xanga

Saturday, August 13, 2005

Sat, 13 Aug 2005 14:27:18 GMT

I am so appreciative of the fact that I still get summers. I don't know how you working people go all year without a long break, but I definitely respect you. Not trying to rub it in, but I felt like it was still too short.

I definitely got to do a lot of fun things: visiting Japan for the first time and spending time with Julie and Corinna...revisiting Taiwan and eating like mad...going back home for a bit and loading up on more Chinese food....experiencing free St. Louis summer stuff...talking with old friends...moving to a new place and having kind friends to help with the move...riding a motorcycle! Don't tell my dad that last one- he'd seriously freak out.

Well summer is winding down, and school is starting up again. Don't you feel autumn in the air? Whatever! It's hotter than ever right now. And gas prices are too painful to go out and do anything. But my most exciting news is that I am teaching 3rd grade next year! I got my own class and am super pumped. If you ever see me in a cheesy romper with pictures of big apples or chalkboards that say "ABC," please just shoot me. Really. I don't expect it to happen, but being in the elementary setting can really warp your mind sometimes.

Oh and if anyone has any old children's books that you don't have any use for anymore, I'd love to take them off your hands!!! Really. And if you really like kids and want to come to my school this year to be a "special guest," or teach something, just let me know. No, this isn't my way of getting out of preparing lessons. :)

Saturday, June 25, 2005

Sat, 25 Jun 2005 00:23:52 GMT

Once again, I am relying on Corinna's fabulous web-blogging skills to relay the rest of our time spent in Taiwan. She posted some great pics so check out the link below!

*We are now in Kamogawa, Japan- an itty bitty town 2 hours from Tokyo. Julie's apt. is super clean and cute- just the way i like it. Let me just say that I love 100 yen shops!!! They are like Japanese versions of the dollar store, but the stuff is much cooler here!

Here's the link: http://www.xanga.com/home.aspx?user=corangey

Monday, June 20, 2005

Mon, 20 Jun 2005 06:34:04 GMT

www.xanga.com/corangey

I'm too lazy to update myself, but Corinna has done an awesome job summing up our time thus far in Taipei. Yes, it's really just eating and shopping. And that first picture is highly misleading...she failed to mention that we shared that lunch!

Tuesday, May 31, 2005

Tue, 31 May 2005 16:46:34 GMT

Only 30 more minutes until I am a free woman! After today, no more waking up early, being with kids all day long, and coming home exhausted! Well for 2.5 months! I am teaching summer school in July, but I'm not going to think about that right now :)

June14-22: Going to Taiwan to see relatives!...June 22-29: Will be in Chiba, Japan to see Julie!

All this done with the fabulous Miss Corinna (btw, I'm sorry I sounded disturbed when you called me last Friday!)

July: Bia visits!, summer school, moving to a new place in the West End! So excited!

August 2-9: Houston! Ahh, get to eat good Chinese food and play with mom and dad. My dad says we're gonna "foan" (which means "wild" in Mandarin)! So if you're in Houston at that time, I want to see you!

I have a good chance of getting my own classroom next year! I might be teaching 4th grade, but I really don't want to get my hopes up. I'm just happy to have a job right now b/c my district went through some financial craziness this year. I think all of the 4th graders will be taller or almost as tall as me.

I don't think I will do as much travelling next year b/c the new apt. is a bit pricier than the one i live in now...BUT I would love for any of you who care enough to read my xanga to come visit St. Louis! Except you xanga-stalkers who I have never met or talked to. Melissa, Mandy, and I are going to have lots of room in our new apt., and I love having visitors!

Until next time, "A center for ants?!? How can the children learn to read if they can't even fit inside the building?!" Haha, I love Zoolander.

Monday, April 04, 2005

Mon, 04 Apr 2005 18:58:19 GMT

Entry Title: Thank the Lord for spring breaks.

I have never been so glad to be a part of the teaching profession. Spring break was a long-anticipated, greatly received time of rest, play, and food. What a deadly combination.

I went to California (north and south) and visited some of the ladies of the Land O Sugar. I saw Teresa in San Fran and the Karen's in L.A. What fun we had bounding from one restaurant to the next. Ho said one afternoon before the day was even thru, "What's the eating schedule like tomorrow?" just to figure out the meals for the remainder of the day! It was a glorious time.

Some highlights of the trip:

-Wine-tasting in the beautiful Napa Valley (well more like wine-dumping b/c I still haven't learned to appreciate the taste of wine)

-Getting complimentary desserts after a busboy spilled water on T's pants! Thanks for taking one for the team bud.

-Winding up at a fun club after being rejected from a party - a friend was not in "dress code" (Woo-hoo!...go white tennis shoes!)

-Seeing a mixed-beach Corgi, Beagle, and Pitbull puppies at random places in L.A. Yay for cute dogs!

-In-N-Out and Diddy Reese (it's basically FREE!)

-Manhattan Beach: seeing Sheryl, meeting boyfriends, and homemade Italian food

-Discovering Canadian comedian Russell Peters. Funniest man alive.

Thanks for the great times girls!

It's actually good to be back at work, education the young minds of our future and updating xanga.

Monday, February 07, 2005

Mon, 07 Feb 2005 03:19:41 GMT

I've been reminded once again that it is about time to update...shanks, Piggy.

Okay so what exciting things have happened in my life recently...I'll do a top 10 list (in no particular order):

#10: Brian Chung and Han came to visit in the same weekend. St. Louis was SO lucky (yes, I'm a loser)! I love those guys. Hanging out brought back some good times from freshmen year. We were all such freaks.

#9: CNYF was awesome this year! I thought the casting couldn't have been better. Dude, and Miss Melissa!...can we say, seductive??

#8: Life as a first-year teacher has been the so much fun. The kids are always full or surprises, and I am always learning something new. Unfortunately the last 30 minutes of my day are chaos because 3 of the 6 kids in my math group have "task completion" problems (ADD!). I feel like pulling my hair out sometimes...

#7: Trader Joe's is the best thing that's happened to St. Louis since...I'm not sure what.

#6: Going home to see family and friends was so great. My parents pampered me like crazy. I didn't ever have to pour myself a drink or cut a piece of fruit. And I got to see great friends- a much overdue reunion with everyone.

#5: I'm excited about travelling some this year. I'll be in DC in a couple weeks, most likely in California for spring break, and maybe Asia this summer!

#4: Puppies! I have puppy-fever. I saw the cutest dog ever at the Chesterfield mall...but it was 800 bucks! Crazy. I'm hoping to get a dog next year...we'll see

#3: The Journey is such a blessing...I am always so convicted by the teachings, and my community group is a great encouragement.

#2: The paper-lantern hanging above my bed fell on my head in the middle of the night yesterday. So scary.

#1: And the number one exciting thing going on...God continues to teach and challenge me with trials and blessings.

Goodnight.

Tuesday, November 30, 2004

Tue, 30 Nov 2004 22:50:18 GMT

Thanksgiving break was too much fun. Jennifer came in to surprise Alice and me for our bdays and stayed all week, and Yang Dah Chen came up too. It was a week of staying up late, eating way too much, and just deep talks (okay just laughing a lot over the Edna doll from the Incredibles). It's good to see old friends! I miss my "best" friends! We did some casino time at Ameristar. Ahh what a beautiful place. I lost my money quickly, but it was still fun playing blackjack with a twist (21 and 3 baby).

I saw Bum's (my old staff worker) kids this week too. Tyler is so much fun. He laughs uncontrollably at almost anything- makes me feel like a comedian. The only way I can describe seeing Maya is to compare it to that feeling you get when you stick money into a vending machine and TWO snacks fall out instead of one. It's that kind of luck. She brings so much joy. We should just take her around to all the nursing homes and hospitals and make people smile. I want a baby now!

Praise God for friendships both past and present and the power to do anything with His people.

Phrase of the day: "It's all about the experience." :)

Verse of the day: "He who did not spare His own Son, but gave Him up for us all - how will He not also, along with Him, graciously give us all things? ~Romans 8:32

Monday, November 01, 2004

Mon, 01 Nov 2004 03:56:10 GMT

Woo-hoo! Yay for Clayton neighbors who give out full-size candy bars!!!Everyone should go trick-or-treating when they are 22!

Saturday, October 30, 2004

Sat, 30 Oct 2004 17:14:40 GMT

Wow it took me awhile to figure out how to update- I couldn't find the "new weblog entry."

Anyway I am sitting here on a beautiful beautiful Saturday afternoon wondering why I'm inside and not out. Maybe b/c I had to get up at 6 freakin 30 to go to a teacher workshop, and now all I want to do is take a nap (and update). I guess the workshop was good. I got to see some friends and learn some new things.

I learned something else yesterday. Throwing a pie in someone's face is really satisfying. Really satisfying. I don't know what it is, but I was super pumped up after smashing the whipped cream, ketchup, coffee grinds, chocolate syrup, peas, corn, and cherry filling PIE in Bum Kim's face. But I wasn't so happy when my former staff worker retaliated. He held the used pie in his hands all night just waiting until the very end to do it! Thanks to Kyle who lent me a t-shirt to use as a smock, so I didn't get too messy.

On Wednesday night I got an awful headache while watching the baseball game. I took some medicine and almost immediately felt like I wanted to throw up. I was at someone else's house, so I decided to go home. On the way back, it was too unbearable, so I stopped at a Schnuck's and puked right there in the parking lot *GROSS* It was really disgusting. A nice man did pull up and ask me if I was alright, so I gave him the okay sign with my fingers...really I was just more embarrassed. I'm not telling this story to earn pity points...looking back I do think it's kinda funny/odd. I'm also wondering if this happens to anyone else. As in gets headaches/feels nauseous - not throws up in inappropriate places. Needless to say I took a sick day the next morning and slept ALL day. A much needed day of rest that God had been preparing all along.

Yay for finally talking to Julie on the phone! And it has been awesome seeing so many visitiors- Corinna, Jan, Joey. :) I'm looking forward to all the others coming this year!

Saturday, October 09, 2004

Sat, 09 Oct 2004 03:14:23 GMT

Thank you "Jennafi" for pushing me to update xanga. It's just like me to start something like this and not really follow through with it...I'll do my best.

So tonight the 2nd presidential debate happened in St. Louis at WASHU!!! It was very exciting. They had tons of different events going on, streets were blocked off, and everything was just heightened as I'm sure everyone experienced on campus. It was just cool to think about all these "celebrities" being just down the street at the AC. It was the first time I felt a little proud to be from WashU sadly enough. And we kept watching to see if we could spot Miss Alice in the audience but no such luck. I found out that Kevin gets upset when people in the room nod in agreement with things said on TV! I was hoping the debate would help me make a decision about my vote, but it really didn't. Enough said about that.

Life is so strange. God has been teaching me so much about change lately and how He wants to penetrate into all aspects of my life. I can't compartmentalize Him because He is just too good and too big for that. I've been learning about being uncomfortable as well as more confrontational. Oddly enough I am actually enjoying practicing confrontation! I would have never said this awhile ago.

I went to a women's forum last week at the Journey and Pastor Darrin's wife talked about what it means to have healthy relationships with women in the body. It was so enlightening. I learned so much that you would think you should just know, but I also realized that so much of this assummed thinking was never really explicitly taught to me. We were never really taught how to make friends with other girls and how to do it in an edifying and healthy way. I know tons of girls who just get along better with boys (myself being one of them sometimes), and I personally think there is something wrong with that. There's just so much competition and judgment involved in female relationships that causes a whole lot of drama. I realize that I have been blessed with really great female friends though, and God is continuing to teach me how to be sisters to these girlfriends.

My artsci email is no longer effective. Please use just plain @wustl. It's a permanent forwarding address.