Happy birthday to the November 2nd people in my life!


Here's a quick update on me and my life:

Work is going fine -- we had our annual fundraiser this past Friday and it was successful. I'm also underway at 5 of my school sites.

I have been continuing with yoga and meditation, including a meditation group.

I have been sticking to my "dessert-and-hence-refined-sugar-once-a-week" regime.

I love "Glee."

I am trying to catch up on all of my "Ugly Betty."

I have been writing.

The bff comes into town today!

My brother is doing well as a monk in Thailand! And my other brother is preparing for winter in Japan.

I just wattched, "Once" and have "Milk," "Serendipity," and "Under the Tuscan Sun" left on my queue.

Here's to a beautiful week! Cheers!

a very busy july!

between our summer camp, eureka, and my two outreach sites, i hardly had time for much else! but the drama of 52 female students ages 11 - 15 could not deter me from continuing to enjoy my life!

highlights from july:
* my brother tan thien coming home to visit for 1.5 weeks, leaving on july 4th.
* incubus at the hollywood bowl on july 13!
* oc fair for eureka
* celebrating rafa's birthday!
* asking a guy to dance
* dancing ballet folklorico with my students!
* harry potter and the half-blood prince - 2 times!
* kelly clarkson at the pacific ampitheatre! right behind the pit!
* my brother bob coming home for 1.5 weeks, leaving on august 4th.
* giving my card to a guy i'm interested in
* a summer night on the backyard deck with a bottle of wine, apples, chips, good music, and good friends helping me with lesson plans!

happy august! i look forward to vacation and less drama!

* "becoming jane"
* "the princess bride"

i know i have a bunch of movies loaned out to me, but i haven't been feeling them.

i must tell you that "becoming jane" left me crying! i was supposed to only watch 30 minutes of it last night because i started it at midnight. but, alas, i could not stop! i was wrapped up in the story so much so that when it was finally over and i was finally in bed to sleep (around 2am), i continued to cry: i felt so much sadness. in the morning, when i could no longer sleep though my brain was exhausted, i plowed through some of the scenes while getting ready for work with more tears shed. it reminded me of reading "the time traveler's wife." very moving.

other than that, here's to my super weekend of rest. i like rest. a lot. i like downtime. it keeps me almost sane and serves as a buffer for the work week.

i must have been tired because when i took a shower this evening and rinsed my hair, i forgot to apply shower. that's never happened to me before!

does anyone listen to ben harper? i popped his album "welcome to the cruel world" into my car CD player earlier this week. and was swept off my feet. most of the tracks feel like lullabies to me, songs that make me feel relaxed before falling into a deep slumber. i am <3ing "the three of us" and "forever."

rawr!

sometimes love comes around

welcome to my newest follower, mle! thank you for being the first!

update: making the most out of what's going on. being positive. keeping myself healthy. maintaining my important relationships. creating. doing yoga. taking walks. eating at home more.

learning to let go. interpreting dreams less as inner desires and more as key lessons to learn. forgiving. keeping my eyes on the future and staying present.

i miss my brothers. my bff. my rocks. my friends scattered all over the country and world.

hope everyone is well.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FF5Q1jr28PM

and knocks you down

sun diego fun

last weekend, i went down with some friends (thank you, Lisa, Hong, and Rafa for the trek) to join doni to do some more birthday celebrations! the day included lunch at studio diner; hanging around mission beach; grocery shopping; watching "the incredible hulk" featuring my soon-to-be husband edward norton jr.; dancing and hanging out at a bar/lounge with special guest stars kelsey, carmen, and rosita; and trying to avoid getting sick! :) yay! here are some of group photos (they aren't daily but they are photos)!

squeezing everyone into the bathroom

squeezing all 5 of us in again

get down on it, uyen!

ps: i'm still celebrating my birthday...today i was surprised with cupcakes by my tweens! :D

say it again for me, 'cause i love the way it feels

happy spring!

i am surrounded by flowers. cards. presents. but most importantly, love. and wonderful people.

26 will be good! i can feel it.

the group.

moca and erik.

they roll deep.

measure your life in love...

on saturday, i watched "coraline" in 3D with darling jeffrey! and it was very entertaining; i was enthralled. and i couldn't imagine it 2D. yay, for the effects making a big difference! i look forward to "9." we also had lovely linner and some delicious blizzards at DQ. mmm... thanks for hanging out! i hope you had fun! :)

afterwards, i caught the tail end of an art opening in artists' village. i was happy to hear the student performances, mostly because i really like the song they played ("missing you" by lukie d). after helping the clean-up crew and looking around at the outdoor booths, i went over to memphis with them. when we finished but my vino hadn't, i walked around with steph. i saw some pieces i really liked but they were pretty hefty for this youth worker's pocketbook... when i have more money... ;)

yesterday, i was doing a google search for my blog and happened upon a blog i shouldn't have read but did. i read the entire thing and it left me in tears and motivated me to jump on the task at hand: adding up my father's work expenses. although not exhilarating, i welcomed the opportunity to keep my mind busy.

i finished my first reading assignment ("saffron days in LA") and am on to book number two: "a mindful way through depression." it seems promising and very practical. thanks, tingle! :)






daily routine: through my window.

and your love will be warm nights with pockets of moonlight.

{edit}

update:
sleeping felt so good last night! i finally understand why people with real jobs are so tired after work and have no energy to have a social life; this also explains why dating is so hard at this age!

so i have a friend who i've unofficially recognized as my life mentor and creative inspiration. and it has been a HUGE breath of fresh air having her in my life. i feel like my soul is starting to poke through the earth searching for light to nourish its growth. it has been so long since i've felt inspired in any aspect of my life! i guess i have been creatively stifled, a sort of black and white television set, but i hope that my uninspired phase is coming to an end. i hope i can find new mediums, renewed confidence, and a fresh spirit...

when i met my 3rd soulmate, my life began overflowing with joy and fulfillment. i was inspired down to my bones: exploring new mediums, learning new skills, and having a great coach to show me the ropes and walk alongside me on the journey. music was a strong third character coloring each experience and the world was new with amazement and mindfulness. finally, someone who understood my spirit and awakened parts of me i used to be or could become. it was like my life was in HD.

uyen's definition corner:

soulmate: noun. a person you meet who from the start, feels familiar and like you've known them before. you feel like they understand you without having to explain yourself. you feel like you are accepted so that you can be yourself around him/her. you feel unbounded and unlimited. you share similar worldviews, perspectives, reactions, or behaviors whether or not you've been raised similarly. you feel great joy in their presence. and it feels like you are connected to something greater in the world.

you're never gonna find your way

as i find myself interested in new people in my life, i recognize the fact that i need a clean slate. i need to be able to move forward without keeping one foot in the past. if i don't, it will be like i didn't learn anything this past year...

with the last person i was attracted to, i kept missing the signs and signals, the hidden meanings and nuances; i was too distracted with my hectic life. i also hadn't moved on from my previous relationship; when i finally had, it was because i realized my unhappiness was a by-product of my dissatisfaction and both of us were suffering. but my timing was off and, ultimately, i missed my chance.

i don't want that to happen again.

i'm not over him yet. the last year i've been traveling down the road of heartache and not until recently did i find the road of healing. but while laying in bed this morning, i realized that i couldn't keep holding on because what i've been holding has been hopes and fantasies, all fabricated and unreal. i finally made sense of the signs and hints of rejection from moooonths back. i've either been very stupid or very meek. whichever it's been, i'm happy that i wasn't proud.

i've never been able to figure him out. i had a difficult time decoding the signs of interest and i had a rough time with rejection. i guess sometimes you can meet someone who seems to be a perfect match, except for the part where he/she doesn't fit into your life.

so when my back foot finally breaks free, i will move forward without regret or hope.

halloween and october are done with and we're already a few days into november! time is flying by! i have to get started on my personal statement for my msw application for csulb and i am already trying to plan my birthday.

here is someone i found at santa ana's artist village this past saturday night for art walk: check him out. naco bought a matted picture of koi fish and got a magnet too.

i went to the "realizing a vision" conference for leadership and entrepreneurship for young women ages 14-18. we got free giveaways (including 4 pairs of affordable fashion shades and a book on success) and got to hear some famous/well-known speakers! it was very inspiring and coupled with "the secret," i am well on my way! take that, sadness! i'm kicking this depression funk to the curb! as one of my tweens said to me, i ain't getting any younger. i need to move forward and do what it takes to get to where i want to be.

anyone familiar with long beach? any cool spots for a social gathering? perhaps a cool bar? or restaurant? all information welcomed!

may you be happy and healthy.

i am starting to feel dissatisfaction in my soul again. it is characterized by moments of sadness that come without any clear catalyst. i cannot blame the changing of seasons because it is still warm in southern california (at least for the next day). i will not attribute it to my ankle, which rolled again last night. i am saddened by the news of "pushing daisies" but that is not it either.

no, it is something else. i hope that when i take action, life will fall into place once more.

i am so happy and so grateful to be taking care of myself.

i haven't had much to say lately, hence the lack of posts. let's see what i can drag up.

thien is home. it's the first time i've lived with him since 1996, before he left for college. it is quite interesting, though easy. with the five year cushion that we have, we get along, we enjoy each other's company. so we've been running errands together, studying at the library, sharing meals at home and out at restaurants; we even spend a little time together before going to bed either reading or being. it's fulfilling to have a brother in the house.

today, i downloaded my master of social work application for CalState Long Beach. i am trying to prepare all the information for my references before i settle down to write that personal statement, which will be one arduous effort. let's see how much i want to be in social work!

doni was up in orange county for the past 4 days. we had the chance to shop till dropped on saturday; she was getting her halloween costume ready and apparently learning how to be a girl in 24 hours. and then we ate at curry house with my parents that night. that was some good menchi katsu. mmm. also, i went to dinner with her and some former high school friends. it was nice catching up with everyone, though "heroes" was throwing everyone off!

speaking of television, in addition to "ugly betty," i am now also hooked on "chuck" and "pushing daisies." they are all part comedy/part something else. it makes for feel-good programming, which i am a big fan of these days! even though i am only part-time right now at work, i do not like going out too much. i like curling up at home on my down time.

the single thing is working out for me quite well right now. it's not so much that i hate guys (in fact i am trying to stop myself from saying my infamous tagline). i am merely trying to take care of myself and keep myself healthy. and if i had someone else who i was attached to right now beside my family, i would not be sleeping enough or eating right. thus, this time is truly for me.

i have also been trying to finish reading the books that i start. i have been doing well. i have finished more books this year than in the previous two years combined. i hope it teaches me something about commitment and follow-through.

tata for now!

i just made it through my first 3 days at my new job at girls incorporated. this is the first time that i have worked in 9 months so it has been a bit of an interesting transition. i am trying to remember how to relate with youth, particularly an all female group, in addition to getting used to a structured day, meeting new people, and learning new rules and ways. i am actually super rusty; it has been difficult to communicate what i need to get across, figure out what i need to do, and motivate the students. i hope i can get it together soon.

but on the positive side, i have my own e-mail address and there are business cards being printed for me, though the business cards seem a bit much for me. we also spent this afternoon at adventure playground where we sailed down water slides and rolled around in mud. yes, mud! when we returned, my fellow cohort was surprised for her birthday and then there was a surprise bridal shower for another co-worker. lots to celebrate!

and the other day while driving to work, a butterfly came out from underneath the car in front and flew around my car. i hope that is a sign! :)

crazy busy!

good times were had since july 20th till july 29th. including a 2nd interview. spending quality time with chi 3! spending quality time with em and company. spending quality time with the brothers and company. ending with quality time with mitzi at a concert. here are some highlights!



at cha with my fave june 27th cancers!














my hot date!
















we like bus shots! on our way to pageant of the masters.
















in front of pirates!
















getting ready to go out!
















me, em, and june!
















i finally got me some indian food!
















backseat antics!
















crazies at luka's. courtest of antmang.
















our own at&t ad. courtesy of antmang.
















angry shot. courtesy of antmang.

i decided i wanted to choose and commit to social work. and just do it. and i told bob that and he told me it would be hard because i give a lot of myself. i didn't really consider that, and if i would have, i wouldn't have seen it as a problem. but i guess it will be. and it'll probably lead to a lot of headaches and knots in my shoulders. and me learning where my boundaries are. but i think it'll be okay; it'll have to be. unless i decide to become a web developer or something. [shrugs]

i just watched "the nanny diaries" and it was a feel good movie. except how come in real life, the harvard hottie boys don't chase down the jersey girls? where are the good ones? jess, you have to get on the first phase of your wedding planning! ;) and while you're at it, can you download skype so we can talk without pesky limited phone minutes? :D

i wish i could say that i was over it. clean and free. but i'm not and probably won't ever be. but i will get better at living without it. i will get better at keeping it to myself if i remember it. i have to. practice makes permanent, right?

tomorrow i'll start at square one. see if i can whip out a sentence. in the meantime, i sleep so that my mind can play out everything i don't allow it to.

i just survived one of the busiest weeks i've had in a while! here are highlights, details, and tidbits.

don't walk around town in flat sandals.

buddy, the dog, followed me around the ivy house! i felt so loved!

i went camping for the second time in my life in tahoe at the fallen leaf lake campsite with ting-boz, mochi balls, and d.ditty.

waterfalls make you feel so small!

s'mores are the BEST!!!

pine cones and pine needles make for good bursts of flames in your fire.

i was so happy to wash my hand with soap and running water at the end of day one!

fenton's black and tan sundae is delicious!

i got to catch up with zee and kei.

i picked up jess from the airport thursday night to begin the graduation weekend after convincing my spanish professor to cancel our final exam and dinner with the familia!

brunch at the cottage on friday was yum and fun! with mitz, jess, cassie, and lisa.

taking a break from long ceremonies is helpful!

polaroids make every special occasion more fun!

i got the best hug of the year on friday!

another graduation followed by pirates of the caribbean 3. in addition to "pride and prejudice" and part of "ratatouille."

i scared phat's cat out of the room for the rest of the evening!

i went to the strawberry festival with lisa.

ate at the curry house with lisa and the fam.

hung out at downtown disney afterwards with lisa and ting boz and linh.

now i am recooperating and adjusting to the quiet.

just a heads up, i am out of text messaging till May 23rd! so please call my phone or drop me an email.

other than that, i watched a midnight showing of "prince caspian" and it was fantastic! probably because i had no expectations at all and it kept me on the edge of my seat for most of the 2 hours and 20 minutes! yikes!!! :D but i couldn't get it out of my head when i tried to sleep so my fitful dreams were filled with the kings and queens of old. haha.

i leave for northern california sometime after my dance final on saturday. we're going to spend a day in tahoe camping and then hang for a bit before heading back down to southern california.

did i tell you how much i dislike heat waves? : /

i hope keiks has fun in maui for the wedding!

i hope mits is as proud as we all are of her when she walks on monday!

i'll see my sua family soon!

i know that bigger things are happening in the world right now: 22,000 people found dead in Myanmar after a deadly cyclone, at least 10,000 dead in the aftermath of a 7.8 earthquake in China...the list goes on!

but something burns inside of me tonight, a deep desire to reach out to you and make you feel exactly what i am feeling. somehow opening up and finding the right words. that will evoke the precise sentiments beating in my chest.

yet, a huge wall restricts me: a fear of being honest. i remember the last time i tried to express myself and how it backfired on me. and i ran far and away, hiding under my covers from the humiliation that would not leave me alone. and i vowed not to expose myself again.

that's the tricky thing though. creating and writing are subject to criticism and misinterpretation, and although i have written for a huge part of my life, i have hardly let my writing be judged; i hardly had an audience. so maybe i'll dedicate myself to working on "tender scrawls" so i can reach my 2009 deadline and finally open myself and my writing up. it'll be good for my ego. hopefully, i'll learn to take criticism.

so i bid you adieu, as i attempt one last time tonight to "study" for bio.

what was the feeling that i so desperately wanted you to feel?

tonight, i am sad.

can you feel it?

what a nice way to end mother's week! i spent the day with mama wong! and it was loads of fun! including brunch at souplantation, exercise, slurpees, naps, shopping, and sushi! on saturday, i had dinner with my parentals and came back home to paint mama nguyen's toenails and fingernails!

i have my last bio exam tomorrow. sorta trying to study. it's not going well. but it does get my green blood pumping again. thus, i am listening to episode 148 of "more hip than hippie."

my ankle is hurting again: i guess dancing, more dancing, and walking doesn't help it. but all that activity definitely helped my body feel better!

i'm trying to figure out which song i will tackle next.

here's an excerpt from my textbook "human biology" by sylvia s. mader:

"Today, data collected around the world show a steady rise in the concentration of the various greenhouse gases [carbon dioxide, methane, etc]. These data are used to generate computer models that predict the Earth may warm to temperatures never before experienced by living things. The global climate has already warmed about 0.6[degrees]C [or 1.08 degrees F] since the industrial revolution. Computer models are unable to consider all possible variables, but the Earth's temperature may rise 1.5[degrees]C [or 2.7 degrees F] to 4.5[degrees]C [or 8.1 degrees F] by 2060 if greenhouse emissions continue at current rates."

Carbon dioxide in the atmosphere has increased from 280 parts per million (ppm) in 1850 to 350 ppm in 2006 due to the burning of fossil fuels (oil, natural gas, and coal). This means that every time we drive a car, ride in an airplane, use energy/electricity from a coal-burning power plant, we are pumping the gas into the atmosphere. And though carbon dioxide is a naturally occurring gas, the amounts that we have pumped into the atmosphere are not. And as the video I posted earlier stated, it's not the Earth we have to worry about (because it can take care of itself); it's the livelihood of all the species living on Earth including humans.

NEWS: Cell phones stay with their owner for about 18-24 months, which leads to about 125 million discarded cell phones a year in the US. Cell phones are quickly catching up with computers as the biggest category of e-wastes. What can you do? Check out Call2Recycle when you have a cell phone you have to get rid of and they will tell you where you can drop off your phone for recycling.

FUN: Weekly green horoscopes

Think globally. Act locally.

i went to the health center at school today! got an opinion about my ankle. i have a few more weeks before i start to do some exercises. but aleve and a warm compress are going to help me for the time being! how cool! free visits!

other than that, not much going on. i'm just numb. or on cruise control again. trying to stay focused (classes, health, family, friends, etc.) and positive! i really wish i could be active! but i gotta make sure this ankle gets as good as possible. dumb tendons and ligaments! get some blood!

watch "teenage love affair"!

Going Green Corner

ways to reuse your dryer sheets!

and if you don't know what to get for your mother this year...