excited!

i got the job in ottawa!
I'll be using SAS to do stats analysis finding risk factors for diabetes and other chronic illnesses.. Perhaps write a paper?

I was kind of dreading this job interview just because i didn't want to go home. I feel like with waterloo coop, you're always coming and going and i actually haven't been at home for more than a month in the past year (now it'll be year and a half). On top of that, with the KCF exec thing I'm trying to get an 8 month position in waterloo meaning i won't have been home regularly for 3 years in a row. Even worse, I really wanted to stay because of all the changes and huge things that are going on in church and softball...

But strangely enough, I'm excited.

I looked up housing finding out that my great aunt lives in ottawa (free housing!)
My mom said that since my aunt isn't exactly close to my workplace i could have the car (HEE)
i looked up watpubs and there's a ton of ppl in ottawa!
ottawa's pretty cool.. tons of events!
and most of all, i have an awesome job that i think and hope i will love!

off to washington

My gameplan:

Friday - drive down (8 hours) and have dinner at cousin's
Saturday - drive with cousins/aunt to Virginia to huge outlet mall (WHOOOOOO)
Sunday - tour washington DC on a bus with mom
Monday - morning: utilize awesome gym / pool at the hotel, read
night: fancy dinner paid for by mom's company, night tour bus
Tuesday - morning: NIH Library - world's largest biomedical library
night: watch movie with mom, maybe have some room service

I was kind of dreading this trip just because I find it awkward to be in the same room alone with one parent (today i had a silent lunch with my dad) and I think 8 hours driving in a car will be just as awkward.. maybe even worse (but thank god for cds).

But now, I'm kind of looking forward to it. I'm looking forward to getting to know my mom more between women and hopefully I'll get to open up to her and learn more about her and she'll learn more about me.

One thing i know.... company paid trips are dabong

study break number...... uh..

Current Location: BMH Fishbowl
Current Activity: studying with phil for 330 midterm.. today at 11:30AM
Current Time: 3:30AM
Current Mood: very happy


This week's events.

visiting my grandpa who is very sick but still insists on cleaning the apartment without help. sigh so stubborn.


found a ton of my uncle's athlete of the year awards and tournament trophies including a couple MVPs. dayum... i wish the athletic genes had transferred to me... i think they were all given to my figure skating cousin.

in addition.. lost volleyball today in the playoff game.. sigh


sashimi at wasabi all you can eat sushi.. MMM white tuna.. SO GOOD.. but threw up every time i ate for 2 days after... not pleasant..


waiting with sarah at the hospital yesterday after her basketball knee injury. we told her to be sad so they would triage her faster but no -_- she was laughing...


not so happy now that she has to hobble all over campus... and the fact i put an "I heart AHS" balloon on her bag did not make her happy


jocelyn loves AHS though!


i'm very overwhelmed but very chill at the same time. i don't know if it's because i'm numbed by the term or i'm actually stress managing, but i don't really care.. just taking one thing at a time :)


kcf exec... to be in it or not to be in it... 20 hours a week? that's quite a bit of time....

a few hours later

this is why i love my parents.

Hi, Audrey,

Life is tough?

But you can be tougher.

I understand you may have million things in your mind.

But, just take a minute,

go to a quiet place,

sit down,

empty your mind,

and think about how much mom and dad love you.

Recharge yourself and move on.

Do you want to talk? Call me or send me an email.

Love you.

Abba.



i want to go home so bad, right now.

Anticipation

Tada! Welcome to my one hundredth post!

I haven't been blogging for a while because i was trying to think of the greatest thing to blog about. I couldn't find anything until just now.

I realized right now, I am so happy and it's quite an awesome time for me:
within the next couple hours, it'll be:

• a new year
• valentine's day
• 1 day away from me being legal globally
• ladie's 3000 m speed skating
• freestyle skiing men's moguls

having my birthday and a significant other-less valentines day to spend with family, friends, and awesome food is much more of a blessing than I thought it would be. Today's family dinner had:

• 갈비찜
• sushi (WHITE TUNAAAA)
• shrimp
• crab
• 미억국

sorry dolly... no time to take photos.. but it was VERY good.


cake from my aunt (i love korean cakes)

My small group was awesome and cooked an amazing dinner and a beautiful cake as shown below. Not to mention their awesome words of encouragement and blessing made me want to cry - but i couldnt =P


my cake - see the heart? hehe


with candles.. apparently i have the mentality of an 8 year old


i hate too much...


soooo good... but the pieces kept falling off hehe


you guys made so much haha FATTING ME UP

Not to mention that the 21st winter olympics is during my 21st birthday, I am loving it so far including:

• korea taking the gold from ohno in men's 1500m short track
• korean women dominating in the short track relay semis
• korean women dominating in the short track 500m qualifiers
  
• canada killing slovakia 18-0 in women's hockey
• canadian pride
• true sportsmanship ie. finishing the mogul course with awesome aerials even when it's over for you
  

and despite:

• boring opening ceremonies
• engineering fails
• a korean short track-er taking out his own team mate and preventing a medal sweep
• jennifer heil being beat by kearney (who did do quite awesome)

this year is going to be a good year.

How are you

I blogged on a similar topic a while ago, but I just wanted to share how it happened again, today. This weekend was my grandpa’s 80^th birthday. I was super excited since it is quite the event. We would get to see my cousins from the states that we rarely get to see and we would be having a huge party all in celebration of my harabojee (grandpa). I had my gift all prepared and I was ready to give him lots of hugs.

I know it’s selfish of me to think that just because I didn’t have a good time, doesn’t mean he didn’t. I mean it is his birthday and I guess to have your friends and family all in one place equals a pretty great party. I think I was hoping that I would get to talk to him a lot more, though, and this kind of saddened me that I didn’t get to do just that. Instead, I was ushered by my aunts and uncles being showed off like a possession with the following comments:

“oh she’s in university going and she’s going to go to med school”

Really? I pretty much know I don’t think I’m going that path anymore

“oh she’s really smart”

Really? Do you know my marks?

“This is her second co-op term working at a hospital and helping people”

I don’t work with patients and I don’t really work at a hospital right now…

“The next event is going to be your wedding right?

1. I don’t have a boyfriend

2. Wow, really? There’s no events for the next 7-8 years?

3. Who says I’ll get married first?

I know a lot of this “showcasing” is part of the Korean culture but sometimes it really bugs me. I guess later on, I might want to show off my kids too or the kids of my brother, but still – I wish my family would get to know me first before showing off my “trophies.” I don’t’ want to be known for those kinds of things – I want to be known for the things about me that you can only know if you get to know me.

Sidenote, here are some photos from the event:

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Leaving Niagara with a flat tire, waiting for CAA until 1:30 in the cold, and getting home at 3:30 did not help and by the end of the night I was just drained. I woke up to the reminder that I was pastoral prayer and then left the house shaken because my mom was having one of her angry mood spells triggered by my brother’s failure in displaying any sense of urgence to be at church on time.

If you’ve skimmed until now, here’s where to listen

It’s funny how God can talk to you directly through other people. First was Pastor Joe. As soon as I went up on stage to help set up for praise, he goes “Audrey are you okay? Either you’re super drained, or you’re a little grumpy, or you’re both.” I was like wow… either you’re super perceptive because I came up on stage laughing, or that’s God.

Second was Alice. I’ve been super blessed by her this year and her open relationship with me. I don’t even remember what she said, but I remember her asking me “how are you”. Those three simple words are words that we always say but never really are interested in the answer. But coming from someone who I’m that close with and after someone had just unveiled my “happy mask”, I really felt true community. I spoke with Alice at the back before worship and she had said that she didn’t think I would be here so she had prepared pastoral prayer. Praise God! because I was dreading that if I did go up there, I would bawl and not even be able to finish.

1 Corinthians says that God will not give you something that you cannot bear/handle.

It’s true.

Today, I experienced God’s grace and how close He wants to be that He will say the exact words that I need at the exact time that I need it.