Today was a good day. The sky was blue, the sun was out, and people were out in t-shirts. I went to a morning capoeira class while Matt swam at the pool across the street, and we met back up around 11. On our way back to the car, we found something that changed our whole day.

We saw our dream home. I just found the listing online and was able to see interior shots, but until then, Matt and I determined it was our dream house simply by peeking through windows and wandering around outside the house. I’m a sucker for large porches, Craftsman style, and detailed windows - and this one had it all. For Matt, the decorated two-car garage had him drooling.

The house had it all. During the summer months, the Queen Anne Farmers Market is held in the parking lot RIGHT next to the house. On the other side of the parking lot is the community center where I take capoeira. Across from the center is the community pool. One street over is Queen Anne Avenue which has a ton of cute shops and restaurants. The house seriously had it all.

We left a voicemail message for the realtor, but in the meantime, we had lunch and then decided to walk around the neighborhood. As we walked, we talked more seriously about moving. Every time we’re in walking neighborhoods, we really enjoy it. We’re the type of people who like to take walks, be outside, and look at other homes and gardens. (I just realized that makes us sound like an old couple…) We also like being within walking distance to shops and restaurants. When we lived in the Central District, we weren’t super close to a lot of things, but what we were close to (Ezell’s and a few Ethiopian restaurants), we took advantage of and walked to a few times. We even walked to downtown a few times, although I wouldn’t necessarily say downtown is “within walking distance” from our old place.

I don’t need or want an obscenely large house, and have always favored smaller, cozier places. But we’re also the type of people who want to get our money’s worth when we buy something. So that usually means being more willing to live further away from walking neighborhoods so that we could get more house for our money. Everyone knows that when you buy a house near shops and restaurants, you’re essentially paying for location. It’s hard for us to justify doing so because we’re not paying for something that is “ours.” Yet, we’re always still longing for a neighborhood where we could walk out and grab a bite within 10 minutes.

So would we really be up for downsizing and being even more mindful of our spendings so that we could live somewhere that we truly enjoyed? What should we be ready to sacrifice? And, more importantly, what are we WILLING to sacrifice?

There are many pluses about the Queen Anne area: My capoeira class would be within walking distance, and Matt could also play basketball at the community center or swim at the pool. We could easily hop on Highway 99 to get to work or other parts of the city. And traffic never seemed horrific going to and from the area.

And then I started to think about the downsides to moving to that area. We sort of feel like we’re part of a community down on the south end. Sometimes when we go out, we run into people we have met from previous churches, our current church, or our neighbors. We both volunteer with programs that are within 15 minutes of our home. Friends in our small group all live within 15 minutes of us.

As I thought about these things and sort of people-watched during lunch, I realized another thing that I would miss: diversity. Everyone in the restaurant, and everyone walking past the restaurant, was white. Now, I have friends of all races, and I don’t discriminate when it comes to getting to know people - but I just feel more comfortable in a multicultural environment. I don’t feel UNcomfortable in a non-multicultural environment (which is basically the case everyday at work, as I’m the only non-white person on my team - and the only one under 40), but I just feel MOST comfortable when there are other races present. (And I don’t mean JUST Asians. Heck, even being in an all-Asian environment makes me feel uncomfortable at times.) I don’t want our kid to be “that Asian kid” in their class or their baseball league. And most likely, our kid would be “the Asian kid” because to most non-Asians, it doesn’t matter if you’re Japanese, Chinese, Korean, Vietnamese, etc. All look same, right? (Then again, I’d want our kids breakdancing or playing capoeira, so the whole race thing might not even be an issue…)

From there, my mind got stuck on the race issue. As diverse as our country (at least certain states) are, it’s sad but true that higher income areas still are dominantly Caucasian, while lower income areas are more culturally diverse. Take our area, for example. Our small dead-end street alone has Filipinos, African-Americans, Laotions, Chinese, and Caucasians. Nearby is the Rainier Valley which is chock full of immigrants from East Asia and East Africa. You’ll probably never see any of them living up in the Queen Anne area.

I told Matt that I would probably feel a teensy bit guilty if we moved to an area like Queen Anne, but I couldn’t explain why. I would almost feel like a sell-out, although we’re definitely not low-income, and there is no reason why I should feel like a sell-out. I guess there’s a sort of comfort level for me in an environment where people are living more with frugality either by choice or by necessity - and I don’t know how I would feel living in a neighborhood where people hire dog walkers or bring their kids to local restaurants to trade Pokemon cards (yes, this took place where we had lunch). When you live in a place where people are more well-off, the focus becomes more on having the “right” baby stroller, the “right” look, having your kids in the “right” league or school, or always having a Starbucks cup in hand.

But then I thought - well, why COULDN’T we live in a neighborhood like this if we could afford it? We could still enjoy the aspects of the area that we already enjoy without being tempted by the social and material pressures that turn people into yuppies. If we have kids, we’d bring them to the Rainier Beach community center to take classes, so how would that be different from taking them to the Queen Anne community center? Why should I feel guilty if we did move into a place like this? There is nothing WRONG with it.

Anyway, after lunch, we walked around and ended up stopping into a few open houses. We loved the cozy homes with so much character (and smaller, more manageable yards). We still hadn’t heard back from the realtor of our dream home, so at one of the open houses, we asked the realtor there if she knew anything about our dream house. She pulled out a listing of all the available homes in the area, and found the one we were referring to. She rattled off a few details, “Four bedrooms, three baths, Craftsman home…$1.2 million…” Right after she listed the price, she gave me a quick glance, probably knowing that it was definitely not what we expected to hear. In fact, it was double what Matt had estimated. It was like someone put a plate of desserts in front of me and then pulled it away, telling me that I could never eat desserts again. Ever.

Later that day, Matt said, “Well, that’s why it’s a dream house - because we could never afford it.” To be able to live there, both of our entire paychecks would need to go toward mortgage, and we wouldn’t have money for food, gas, or anything else. It was disappointing, but it at least gave us a good discussion about our thoughts on where we live, where we’d like to live, and what sort of things we value in a neighborhood.

In the meantime, we’re thankful for our home. We really are. And after hanging out with some guys through our church’s homeless ministry today, and knowing that at least 1 million people in Haiti now are homeless, I could definitely say and mean that I truly am thankful.

I have a fat binder full of old writing exercises and my first blog, which was started on November 26, 2001. Wow, I was a stronger person back then. I still am oddly obsessed with six-pack abs (unfortunately not my own). I also realized that it was back then - new year’s day of 2002 - when I told myself that every time I caught myself saying, “I’ve always wanted to…” then I would make a point to do whatever I wanted to do so that I would no longer look back one day and say, “What if I had done this…” or “I wish I had done that…” It’s still something I try my best to live by.

It’s fascinating to read everything I wrote. Not because I think I’m a great writer, but because there was so much going on - externally and internally. And even now, I remember a lot of the emotions I felt as I was writing those blog entries.

Anyway, I’ve come across a few quotes that I incorporated into my entries, and wanted to share them with you…

“Never apologize for showing feeling. When you do, you apologize for truth.” (Benjamin Disraeli)

“No matter how often defeated, you are born to victory. The reward of a thing well done is to have done it.” (Ralph Waldo Emerson)

Work has been CRAZY today. As one of the designated emergency response writers, I’ve been working on putting together fundraising documents about Haiti. Not just one document - we need a 2-pager that has a Christian slant, one with a secular slant, one with major donor dollar handles, one with mid-level donor dollar handles, a Christian bulletin, and talking points so reps can sound more knowledgeable about the disaster.

Of course, everyone is working on their piece of the puzzle, so completion of one’s work tends to rely on other people. For example, I need dollar handles (”X amount of dollars can provide X amount of blankets to X number of children.”), but the person who will give them to me is waiting for the OK from someone else. I need to give someone a Christian version of a document for a church, but I need approval from someone who does “Christian messaging review,” who also is writing guidelines for overall messaging about Haiti (meaning, which phrases we should use or which to avoid). It truly is a team effort.

It’s amazing to see the outpouring of responses, though. Overnight, donors gave $135,000, and we started receiving phone calls from people just minutes after the quake occurred. Individuals, churches, and corporations are responding like crazy, and although the situation is incredibly tragic, it’s encouraging to see the response. Keep praying, folks!

Just pulled these pics from new year’s eve off my camera. Not bad for using just my little LG Vu.

I’m totally caught up in Nan Lawson’s drawings (introduced today at Oh, Hello Friend). I don’t usually just post about *stuff* but I couldn’t help myself this time. (Plus, posting about it gains me one extra chance to win a gift certificate for Nan’s goodies. Whoo-hoo!)

I’m totally brainstorming about a custom drawing of Matt and me - maybe to surprise him for our 5-year  anniversary in May. Of course, I will be wearing lots of green, holding a book and maybe a boba…or gardening tools? Or dessert? Ooh, knitting needles!! Or something to do with Harry Potter?? Ack, too many ideas!! Matt will have crazy hair peeping out of his John Deere or U of H hat, and something that has to do with In-N-Out or cars. That would be funny if we had multiple versions where my image changed, while Matt’s stayed the same. It would be so representative of our personalities. He is always saying that I like too many things - which is probably true - but it only seems that way because he only likes a few things. There *are* things I don’t like…like oranges, avocados, Las Vegas, the color blue…

Don’t worry - Matt never reads my blog, so I don’t have to worry about spoiling the surprise. :) If you have any fun ideas for our images, let me know!

People wonder why we still have a landline, and Matt’s reason is that we need it as long as we have our alarm service (we have a few more months on our contract). My reason is that it is the easiest and most reliable way of calling people - unless there’s a blackout, which is rare. I’m all for keeping the landline and getting rid of my cell phone, but I’m too paranoid about something happening to me on the road.

Take today, for example. I’m telecommuting and need to make some long-distance phone calls. For the longest time, I had been refilling a very affordable calling card and using it whenever I needed to make long-distance phone calls. However, a year ago, Matt told me not to refill it anymore because now we had MAGIC JACK, a very inexpensive way of making phone calls. All you need is a phone line and a computer.But today when I tried to use it, I found out that our service had expired, which means no phone calls there. I can’t even remember the last time I used it.

What about my cell phone, you ask? After all, we all pay way too much for cell phones, which only set expectations that everyone should be reachable anytime, anywhere. Cell phones also mean that drivers are now more irresponsible and unaware. See a slow driver? More often than not, he or she is on a cell phone. I want to shake my fist at them as I go by. In public, everyone gets to listen to your lame phone conversation because you’re talking a lot louder than normal.

But back to my situation. My cell phone gets weak reception in the house, so I barely use there anyway - or much else for that matter. I’m just not a phone person unless I have to call someone with a quick question.  So now I just have to send out e-mails and hope for the best.

So mah gwai faun!!

Every time I go back to Sacramento, there are a few people I always make a point to see. One of them is my cousin, Eden, and her family, who I’ve mentioned before in my blog. Eden’s mom, my Auntie Mimmy, is my mom’s youngest sister, and she’s probably the aunt that I’m closest to and keep in touch with the most. Catching up usually means going to In N Out with Auntie Mimmy, Andi (Eden’s sister), and Eden, and then getting Rite Aid ice cream. They know the drill now every time I call them to meet up.

Ever since Eden was born, I heard comments about how similar we were. When she was a baby, she looked a lot like how I looked at her age. As she got older, she grew to love green and could laugh about bathroom humor without getting grossed out. A friend of mine who used to teach the girls piano said that I must have been spending too much time with Eden, but let’s set the record straight - I did not encourage her to talk about farts and poop. (Really, Auntie Mimmy, it wasn’t me!) She’s artistic, a creative writer, and loves to read.

Even though we now live two states apart, I still enjoy our occasional chats over Googlechat, her e-mails sprinkled with bright green text, and my visits back to Sac. And now that Matt has a PS3, we can connect with her online to play games. (I got chewed out last Christmas by Eden and another cousin when Matt told them that I wouldn’t “let” him get a PS3.) It always amazes me how much maturity and depth comes out of her mouth. Sometimes it’s hard for me to remember that she’s 20 years younger than I am, because I don’t expect to have these conversations with a 10-year-old. But she’s also fun and spunky, like every kid should be.

Every so often, I’ll hear stories from my family about time that they spent with my cousins. I know that Eden could be feisty and outspoken, but I also know that she deeply cares for people she loves, and has a sentimental, sensitive side. I’ve received green apple gum, a green necklace, and green post-it notepads from both Andi and Eden in the past, because they thought of me and how much I liked green.

My mom told me about a day when she and Eden went to a children’s event at the plant nursery. Eden commented about how my mom must be sad that Na and I no longer lived at home. But if she ever wanted company, Eden said, my mom could call her. Also, my aunt recently shared that Eden went snorkeling with my uncle in Hawaii, even though she was nervous and didn’t really like it - but she knew that my uncle really wanted to go. It’s rare enough to find 20- and 30-somethings who think that much outside themselves, but to find a 11-year-old who is in tune like that is rare.

It makes me a little sad to know that I won’t get to be that much of a part of Eden’s (and all my other little cousins’) lives as they grow up. But I am thankful that we can keep in touch. She’s definitely a special girl, and I look forward to watching her continue to grow.

1. One goal you’re striving for…To find a new talent

2. Where do you see yourself in 10 years? I see myself graduating from UC Berkeley and maybe becoming an interior designer :)

3. When you have free time, what is your favorite thing to do and why? I love to draw or read a book I’m in the middle of.

4. What’s one of the strangest things that you and your friends have done? The strangest thing…was probably with my friends Justine and Francine at BigSpoonYogurt while I was outside the two collapsed in laughter on the bathroom hallway floor for no apparent reason.

5. You’re stranded on a desert island and you have two books, two music albums, and two movies with you. Which are they? Books: 1. Watership Down 2. Journal; Music albums: 1. Owl City-Ocean Eyes 2. Coldplay; Movies: 1. Lost Season 1 :) 2. Avatar

6. What is a trait that you’d like to have as an adult (it could be something you have now, or don’t have)? And what is a trait that you hope you DON’T have as an adult? I’d like to really have a brave trait, but not a monotonous trait.

7. One word you’d use to describe yourself: Nerdy

8. One word others would use to describe you: Sentimental

9. Do you like being the “little sister,” and why or why not? Yes, because my big sister can give me a heads-up for future schools and growing up.

10. Which parent are you most like, and why? I’m probably like my dad because we can read novels in under a week and dream of traveling the world.

11. Name a book or movie character that you most identify with and why? I’m probably most like Mariel from Mariel of Redwall. She’s feisty, loves adventure, and hates dresses.

12. What is one thing you always have to have with you and why? JESUS CHRIST!!! without him, I’d be dead.

13. If you could live anywhere else in the world, where would it be and why? I would love to live in Maine. I’ve heard that its open country and fields and exactly how I want the world to be!

14. The thought that usually pops into your head when you first wake up is…“Uughh…school…”

With Eden (right) and Andi in 2000 (?); Matching tank tops; Eden at IHOP in March 2008

“You are always writing, writing in your notebook. You need to experience. Really experience.” I’m getting every word - “always writing…need to experience,” when the irony dawns on me. I stop writing and look up. I mumble something lame about old habits dying hard. (The Geography of Bliss, E. Weiner)

A few months ago when my friend, Susan, visited during her road trip from San Diego, we had a discussion about keeping a blog. As a photographer, Susan does a great job of sharing what’s going on in her life - not just with her photography business, but also moments that are special to her. I asked her if taking pictures (and the responsibility of posting them) ever got in the way of just experiencing life and enjoying the moment.

The reason I asked was because sometimes I find myself experiencing something and then thinking about what a great blog post it would make. I even find myself coming up with phrases with which to describe the scenario. I know it’s partly because I love writing and sharing experiences with others, but I began to wonder about the whole idea of blogging. I read about one blogger who put herself in new, sometimes awkward, situations simply to have something interesting to blog about. I guess you could describe it as living to blog.

I don’t think I’ve gone quite that far, and as I’ve thought about it more, I think I’m still on the safe side with my blogging habits. I think I feel the need to blog because I have stuff I want to share with others (especially since our family and many friends are not local), and I just love to document experiences - whether through the blog, my own personal paper journal, or through photos. I wrote in my journal the entire time we were in Hong Kong, and because of that, I haven’t felt the urge to “report” on our HK trip on here. The need to document the trip has already been satisfied.

On the flipside, I think there is a benefit to feeling this way. When I come up with phrases to describe scenarios, it makes me more aware of all the details. Today as Matt and I rode bikes along the Burke-Gilman trail, I made a point to take in the Christmas decorations on each house, the squawking birds filling up the branches above us, and the mountain range across the lake. Or when I take pictures, sometimes it does get in the way of enjoying the moment because I want to try to capture the perfect moment or the ideal lighting. But in doing so, I become more aware of the details that otherwise might get overlooked.

This year, I will strive to be more aware of the details…to slow down…to take more time for myself, for my personal projects, whatever they may be. A co-worker passed along a great phrase that has been running through my head since she shared it: Do less, savor more. When I try to do too much, life becomes about thinking ahead and preparing myself for what is to come, rather than enjoying the moment and savoring the details. She also said that people go through seasons - one season may be more outward focused, and the next season may be more inward focused - and there is absolutely nothing wrong with that.

That’s what I want this year to be about, and hopefully, it will become a habit that continues in the years to come.

I’d like to say that all I need to help me celebrate the true meaning of Christmas is a reminder of Christ’s birth. After all, He’s the reason for Christmas, right? But as we spent our first Christmas in Seattle, and celebrated it in a way that was completely different from what I was used to, I realized that the holidays feel most like Christmas when we’re around family.

Usually, we’re either in Sac or in LA - and our week or so back in town is filled with family and friends. The holidays are a flurry of activity, gatherings, food, and people. Take away the flurry of activity, most of the gatherings, and a lot of people - and you’re left with our Christmas in Seattle.

I must say - it was very relaxing. Our only scheduled activity was Christmas dinner with at our house. That meant preparing some dishes, but nothing too crazy. On Christmas eve, we stayed home, prepared pieces of the gingerbread houses, and watched a movie. God’s Christmas gift to Seattle was a blue sky, sun, and a clear view of Mt. Rainier, which made it a perfect day to walk around Seward Park. We also checked out Seahurst Park in Burien for the first time the day after Christmas.

I anticipated getting sad about being away from family for Christmas, but it wasn’t as difficult as I expected. On Christmas eve, I opened up my e-mail to find photos of my family with the gifts we gave them. That made me a little sad that we didn’t get to watch them open everything. We Skyped with both families on Christmas day and got to hear about all of their plans. And the next day, I received an e-mail from my cousin, Kara, who sent me a short video of our youngest cousin, Grace. The last time I saw Grace was two years ago, and when kids are so young, they change so quickly. After watching the video, I was sad again about how I wasn’t around to watch my youngest cousins grow up - and I said to Matt afterward that we are definitely spending Christmas in Sac next year. I don’t want to spend three Christmases away from my family.

So despite those moments of sadness, the rest of the Christmas weekend was great. For dinner, we invited over Keba and Aaron Greene (whose families are on the East Coast), Bobbie (a friend/old co-worker from LA who just moved here, and whose parents are in Montana), Sherry (a friend from capoeira whose family is in China), Akiko (Sherry’s friend, whose family is in Japan), and Gavin (a friend from capoeira whose family is just minutes away, but came by anyway). Most of the people didn’t really know each other, but it was still a warm, friendly atmosphere.

Many people spend Christmas away from family but don’t have others to spend the holidays with. I’m really thankful that we have friends who graciously extended invitations for us to join their families - and thankful for the friends we ended up inviting over when we decided to host our own dinner. When I think about the past three and a half years that we’ve lived here, I think about all the great people we have met. I feel cheesy every time I express my gratitude for them, but it really is true that the friends here make our (somewhat) new lives in Seattle enjoyable.

Another difference about the holiday season was that Matt and I actually did something for new year’s eve, where we normally would opt to stay home and veg. Matt and I decided to watch the fireworks at the Space Needle. We’ve seen the fireworks from afar (and I mean REALLY afar) and on TV, but were always deterred by crowds and cold weather. But we figured - what the heck - let’s do it this year.

We got downtown around 7 and found an amazing parking spot just two minutes (walking) from the Needle. If we needed to, we could even watch the fireworks from our car. We shared a pizza and salad at Zeek’s, walked about 30 minutes to see if we could redeem a coupon for a free nutella crepe (only to find the store was closed) and ended up at Dahlia Lounge for dessert. During our walk, we passed by the Moore Theater, where the marquee read, “CAKE, Dec. 31, 8 p.m.” !!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! Matt said, “Surprise - this is why we’re downtown tonight!” I knew he was joking (and he was), but I would have screamed if he took out two tickets. *sigh* I hoped someone would crack a side door open so I could hear them sing “Frank Sinatra”…

Years ago, Trish and I saw Cake for free in a park in downtown Sacramento. They had only sung one or two songs before we left to go to youth group at church. What fools we were!! The evening also brought back memories of past new year’s eves…planning dinners with Trish for our friends (and charging them), eating at Cheesecake Factory atop Macy’s in Union Square with Dorc and Trish and then nearly being trampled as we tried to catch the MUNI back to my place, playing Wii for the first time at Suzanne’s and Sichan’s apartment, and my first new year’s eve in LA where Matt and his family were in Michigan so I went to Kevin’s party with Melanie and Jason - and then I went home and rang in the new year watching “Sex and the City” episodes on DVD. Another year, Trish, Dorc and I were sprawled on the ground in the entry way of my parents’ house, struggling to stay awake until midnight. As the years have passed, new year’s eve has become less of an event - and more of a challenge to stay up until midnight.

Napping in the car until midnight seemed tempting last night, but we managed to walk around for several hours before we snagged spots on the lawn underneath the Space Needle. The whole night had been somewhat dry, but about 30 minutes before midnight, the rain began to fall. Sherry met up with us after her samba performance down in Tacoma, and she sat there under the rain, hair and makeup getting wet. The minutes seemed to crawl by, as I was getting colder and wetter.

But just when it seemed unbearable, people began cheering - and the countdown began before I could even realize what was going on. Fireworks began spouting off the base of the Needle, and everyone cheered for the new year. The show lasted about seven minutes - much shorter than what I was expecting. Matt and I expected a really huge show, with fireworks raining down over our heads (like the one we saw in Montana!). But what we saw were smaller fireworks being shot off the Needle - which was still beautiful and amazing to watch, but it just wasn’t as spectacular as I imagined it would be. Sherry said she had watched the show about six years ago, and she remembered the fireworks towering over her head - but I guess with the financial crisis affecting nearly everyone, maybe it also impacted the budget for the fireworks show??

It was a fun (and cold) experience - one that I don’t need to relive next year. I’m definitely cool with just holing up in our house in front of the fireplace, warm in my sweatpants, watching a movie. In any case, happy new year everyone!! Here’s to a wonderful 2010!!!

(Check out our pics from Christmas through new year’s eve.)

Last day of my “31 days of psalms” - whoo-hoo! It’s a lot easier keeping my own personal journal of my Psalms readings, as opposed to writing out my thoughts here. I’ve been trying to eliminate Christian jargon from my vocabulary when talking about Psalms - and it’s a lot harder than I expected. Anyway, here are my thoughts from the 16 verses I’ve read over the past two days…

I have more insight than all my teachers,
for I meditate on your statutes.

I have more understanding than the elders,
for I obey your precepts. (Psalm 119:99-100)

These verses remind us that being “spiritual” does not mean simply having an extensive knowledge of God’s teachings. The poet talks about knowing more than his teachers and elders because he MEDITATES and OBEYS God’s teachings - those words indicate that he does more than just memorize words for the sake of recitation and memorization. He internalizes the words, mulls them over, soaks in them, and then - most importantly - lives them out. *That* is what God wants.

Happy new year’s eve everyone! May you ring in 2010 with a relaxing, fun, memorable, and safe evening! Assuming the rain doesn’t pour down, Matt and I are heading downtown to watch the fireworks at the Space Needle. Crowds, cold weather, maybe some rain - oh what fun!