Happy Birthday, dearest Lydia!
My sister, 12 years my junior, is turning a year older today!! Happy Birthday, dearest Lydia, we are so proud of you and your witty and genius intellectual commentary. You're the smartest most talented girl we know and nothing describes our relationship better than this:
We love you! Happy Birthday!!
It’s been too long
Wow has it been a long time since I last updated and blogged. It really speaks to just how busy it has been and how much has happened. We've also started carrying our cameras around a lot less and capturing less moments, which kind of sucks but at the same time, are able to actually just enjoy it more.
Since March, I've ramped up My Water Bloggle and took a job as an editor for an online magazine while still doing therapy and psych testing. Being on the computer writing notes all day and blogs and articles all night has left me with no desire to write even more than I have to. It's a shame because it's a great way to track how things have been.
Basically, Tiem and I went back to Bangkok to celebrate Songkran the nationwide water fight festival in April.
In May we got ready our one-bedroom apt to accomodate my entire family of 6 (including Tiem and I) and travelled to Vancouver to celebrate Alice's graduation from Undergrad! In June, my family including my two sisters hung out in SF and went to Chicago to attend my graduation. In July, my sisters stuck around so it was all food and entertainment. It was also a time of much reflection, job applications, and interviews for me. Then comes August, which was great because Josh and Ruthie came to visit SF so we ate tons and had a load of fun having amazing friends around. Oh and also I got a job. And it's not psych related.
I knew earlier on in this training year that I would be stepping away from psychology for an indefinite amount of time but it was also scary to consider what lies ahead, would anyone in the tech and media world take me, a heavily trained in psych person? Those were trying times. However, I had to be realistic about my expectations of where a psych career would get me a year from now after I'm done with a post-doc that I would be greatly underpaid for. And you know? The outlook was grim. I had to pivot, even if it means starting completely over. I just knew if I could get my foot through the door and really prove myself with the same fervor and work ethic that I would be able to make the transition seamless.
And here I am, the night of my last day in psychology, feeling oddly weird and unsure of what to do with myself. To say it's been an emotionally taxing journey is a drastic understatement so perhaps that's why suddenly I feel more exhausted than I have ever felt (Psych note: make note of that next time you suddenly feel exhausted. There's always an emotional component reigning over the physicality of the situation). But I am so so happy and grateful. Grateful to amazing friends that have helped open doors and grateful to the amazing family who have supported my every move, uncertainty, and journey. Most of all, grateful that Tiem was there all along, catching my tears as they fell and calming my nerves as they lose control from uncertainty. This is a leap that could not be delayed and I am so glad I did. For my own sanity, emotional health, and relationships.
So come next Monday, I start my new life fully with a team eager to make a change in a field new to my expertise. I will no longer be a peon to a field that totally undervalues the work and will be another colleague that works hard and gets stuff done. I like feelings of new adventures. You should try it some time. Take the leap...it'll feel awesome.
Priorities
This morning, Tiem woke up, said good morning, and proceeded to say "I hope Maru is alright". Love you too, honey.
And this picture showed up on BuzzFeed.com...looks like Tiem wasn't the only one worried about the youtube celebrity kitteh. Talk about priorities, people!
Somewhat unrelated to that...a note about recent events and the irony that we are living in in the western culture.
On Thursday night, Tiem and I arrived home from San Jose at around 11:30pm. By 12:30am when I checked my twitter, the news of the earthquake and tsunami had just broken and even before all the news outlets got wind of what had transpired, twitter was already buzzing. Following that, my mother called me at 6:30AM that morning, panicking, worried about our safety because a tsunami was headed our way. Then the whole day all I can hear are people complaining on the media about their precious yachts smashing against one another in the harbor due to a 3 ft tsunami. Really? Really. There is a nuclear meltdown and thousands dead on the other side of the world and you're complaining about a yacht? Someone order some sensitivity training for California.
This morning while reading through the sunday Times, I kept getting choked up with all the reports written about Japan. However, what I hated the most was when I would flip a page and BAM! BUY THIS HANDBAG! BAM! BUY THIS DIAMOND RING! It completely jolted me back from reality into a fantasy world of excess and lust. It disgusts me yet it was so in-my-face I couldn't avoid it save for stop reading.
When has consumerism taken over every last ounce of humanity? I guess I was holding on to the assumption of a better world and culture than the one that's shouting in my face.
Ad Hoc Fried Chicken
Notice I haven't posted in awhile, so here's a little something.
Delicious Mushroom Risotto with Farm Egg at Farmstead
Last week's President's Day, we went up to Napa with a few friends for a 9:30PM seating for Ad Hoc's famous fried chicken that only happens every other monday. 9:30PM seating, four family-style courses, in Yountville, on a Monday night.
Ad Hoc's menu for the night
First course: Chopped Romaine and Escarole Salad
Second course: Buttermilk fried chicken
Add on: Ham Biscuits with gravy and honey
Third course: Pantaleo cheese with brioche toast and huckleberry jam
Fourth course: Homemade ice cream sundae
Needless to say, we were le'tired.
We had a blast, ate delicious food with amazing old and new friends, and shared a long round of laughter. It was a good day.
Great friends
An open email to Printrunner.com for ignorant marketing post
This is an email I sent to Printrunner.com after receiving their usual marketing emails this morning:
"Dear PrintRunner,
I recently received this promotional email from you along with a link to an article with this paragraph attached:
"Have you seen that TV sitcom called "Outsourced?" It revolves around the antics of customer service reps who deliver customer service very poorly, whether they intend to or not. You may or may not like the show, but chances are pretty good you can relate to the unseen, unheard, unlucky person at the other end of the characters' phones – the customer who needs help but isn't speaking to a knowledgeable person."This paragraph was one sentence away from being outright racistly offensive because it was clearly written by someone who did not watch the show and only assumed the worst of a CSR because they are Indian, therefore, "not a knowledgeable person." The show demonstrates great customer service with CSRs that are knowledgeable and most of the show circles around antics BETWEEN the coworkers more so than the interactions with customers. It shows PrintRunner's marketing ignorance and lack of respect for cultural knowledge and prejudicial assumptions. I am truly disappointed by the choice of words from you all because I USE printrunner and like your product. At the same time, I have had unknowledgeable CSR interaction with your own services, but I did not assume that I was "unseen, unheard, or unlucky", I gave the newbie the benefit of the doubt.
Please be more aware of what you post on your website and be more conscientious and informed before you begin making very rude assumptions."
The biases in this country need to be called out on. This is ridiculous.
Sensationalizing negativity
On reality TV shows, it's become common knowledge that those that cause the most drama, headaches, agony, and frustration in others are the ones keeping, at least until the juices run out. On the news, it's so much easier to report on the "blood libel" that a certain madwoman spouts than to report the hundreds dying in Oceania or the life shattering earthquakes in Pakistan or even the millions of brave warriors doing their jobs and civil duties for the sake of our safety. Because it's sensationalizing, attention drawing, and just plain entertaining.
What has this country come to? It seems that people love to first criticize and then ask questions later. Criticize and then listen later. "Oh oops, that's not what you meant? Why I guess I should retract my overreaction or shut up and let the tides past." Oh the entitlement culture this country breeds is deplorable and disgusting.
Whatever happened to civility and just general concern over our posterity? It seems so common now that the new budgets are out that once funds need to be cut, the schools are the first ones to go. In the most recent Sunday Times, there was a very clear article stipulating that while other countries are excelling, American children are severely lagging in education. This is your future, country. Instead of trying to cut down on unnecessary spending, universities are cutting programs, courses, and instructors while funneling in money to hire people to raise more money. Tell me again...how is that supposed to exemplify "higher learning"?
It's a shitshow out there and boy does our generation have front row seats.
10 upgrades of 2010 that changed my life
I made a list last year and really allowed me to reflect on the past year and all the things that have happened. Happy 2011 everyone!
2010 in review: July – September
July
Shortly after driving into SF, I headed back home to spend some extended time with the family while Tiembo's family visited SF. Not only that, Tiem also accomplished a grueling 5-week start-up incubator founders lab with Women 2.0, which he dedicated every evening after work for 5 whole weeks to learning about Start-ups and starting one!
I went home and looked at the aftermath of Bangkok Burning.
While it was really sad, it was also extremely uplifting to see the collaboration and love in Thai people busy rebuilding their city and their country. Just like how they responded to the tsunami. Amazing.
August
August was a huge month for us! It started out with our anniversary, where we took advantage of AMAZING weather in Napa and spent the weekend acquainting ourselves to the wine country.
Followed by a surprise awesome visit from my sister in SF!!
Followed by watching our friends get married in Austin, TX!
September
September is a little mellow with me starting work and Tiem being busy with his. Therefore, we didn't get much of a chance to take pictures. The key thing about September was the long running disappointment that is the UT Longhorns football.
2010 in review: April – June
April
We witnessed awesome friends get married in SF. In a few short days that one weekend in SF, we found an apartment, Tiem interviewed and got a job, and we had many laughs seeing old friends.
Congratulations to Stephen and Grace!
All through March and part of April I gave up meat for lent. That was one interesting challenge and definitely made me reflect on many things life related. Point? i'm never going to be a successful vegetarian. This is the first meal I had post-lent:
Bacon never tasted better.
Wedding in Dallas - Congratulations, Joyce and Timmy!
May
Tiem's new job started in SF on May 3rd. We moved out of our Chicago apartment that we had been in for over 2 years end of April.
So to celebrate Tiem's last night in Chicago, we went to Moto and hand a mind-blasting last meal.
That's the edible menu.
In May, Thailand experienced a very bad political turmoil that basically shut down the capital, Bangkok. I arrived the day before they declared an all out battle and left the day after things had settled a bit. Scary that my beloved city was up in flames:
But I was also happy that I was at home with my family when it all went down.
Tiembo had settled into his new job nicely. Poor guy armed with a blow up mattress, a fork, and a cat, lived like a squatter in our empty new apartment for 2 weeks in May before the furniture decided to arrive. I couldn't join him yet because I had an impending Dissertation Defense in June that locked me away in Chicago until then.
Shortly after being back from Bangkok, I took some time to visit my best friend in Philly...and decided to never return to that ghetto town. Boy was it ghetto.
Salutations from the only non-ghetto spot in the city of brotherly love (and chronic anger at everything and everyone).
June
Spending time apart from each other was hard this couple of months even though we dated long distance all 3 years. It was a lot of adjustment to a new lifestyle in a new city for Tiembo, and adjustment for me not being near him. However, we owe all our thanks to Tiem's awesometastic high school friends that were in the city keeping him company as he settled in. can't seem to find pics of empty apartment 
The Chicago Blackhawks won the Stanley Cup!!!
I successfully defended my dissertation and Tiembo was so sweet he sent me a bouquet!
Tiembo was really settling into his new job but had to officially move me out of Chicago so we took a roadtrip across America!
We wrapped up our Midwest Adventures by shooting our very last wedding for 847media...on the UMich campus in Ann Arbor. Beautiful setting, beautiful people, beautiful friends.
Congratulations, Riv and Dave!
We hit up the Jackson home in Gary, IN; Chicago, IL; Spam Museum in Austin, MN; Mount Rushmore in SD; Yellowstone and Old Faithful in WY; Salt Lake City, Utah; and finally home!
2010 in review: January – March
I did a year in review on a whim last year and really enjoyed looking back on everything we had experienced, so I thought it'd be fun to share our 2010 because there were some really major changes!
January
The year started a little hectic and I pretty much held my breath through the entire month...and beyond. With a little break to spend Christmas in Dallas, I pretty much spend the entire month of January living out of a small rolling suitcase with 2 changes of clothes and a suit, learning how to live on different people's couches and getting very very good at airport security efficiency.
This was me on the Amtrak going from Penn Station to Boston at 5:30am to head to one of my many Internship interview destinations. A big shoutout to my awesome SIL Elise S. (NYC), great relatives Uncle Victor L and Co. (New Jersey), lovely relative Esther W. (Boston), kickass uncle and aunt-in-law Raleigh and Kim C. (San Antonio), and fantastic high school buddy Nick D. (San Francisco) for opening up their houses for me on short notices and being amazing hosts. Without you guys I would not have been able to accomplish what I did and keep my sanity. Thank you thank you thank you.
My first home-cooked meal of 2010 occurred on January 17th. Most of all, I owe all that I was able to do to the most supportive, understanding, and loving husband - Tiembo. He not only kept me company in spirit, he was also left to fend for himself in Chicago for practically a whole month while playing Carol's Travel Agent on call. Not only so, he took time out to break out of my traveling monotony by greeting me in Boston even just for 2 days so we could watch UT lose the Championship game to Bama. Thank you, dearest.
This year we also got to know a hecka load (oh California what have you done to my colloquialism library) of cool ass people from Tiembo's work. This is delicious pizza from Piece, a pizza and microbrew joint in Wicker Park, Chicago. After pizza and beer, we bar hopped with a bunch of Tiembo's coworkers and it was one of the most awesome bar hops we've ever done.
Amidst all that traveling, heaven forbid I forget the looming 100% dissertation draft deadline at the end of January. Without much time to rest, I got cracking, dual wielding that literary behemoth - behold my dissertation working station for the next week, 24/7. Tiembo was super patient once again and I could not have completed it without his unending support and optimism.
February
OLYMPICS!!! Alice played kickass host to us as we spent a good week in February just taking in everything that the Olympics in Vancouver had to offer! We went to a hockey game, attended Colbert Nation's Olympics taping, ate some awesome food, and went Quatchie hunting!
Tiembo also turned 30!! For the big 3-0, we headed down to DFW and celebrated amongst loving family and friends who put so much effort into coming to the party and reminisce together about all of Tiem's antics. Happy 30th TIEMBO!
March
Early March, I found out that we were headed for San Francisco and everything else was a blur. We were super excited to be headed to a new city with great friends and food. Bidding farewell commenced early.
My Water Bloggle also went live! After bringing in several bottles to class, a classmate said in passing, "you have so many bottles you should blog about it!" So I did.
Job and Apartment hunting ensued.