My dearest friend Laura is expecting her first baby on May 25. Since I had just been to a baby shower this past Saturday, I asked her who was going to throw her one.

"No one."

Nobody?

"Well, my sister doesn't like to organize parties. Plus, she's going through a lot right now, and she doesn't need all the stress."

No one?!?

"Well, I guess my mother-in-law will, but it would just be John's side of the family." (a bunch of middle-aged women with heavy Long Island accents)

No one?!?!

"I think I'll throw a baby shower myself."

WHAT?! You're going to throw your OWN baby shower?

"Maybe I'll ask John to do it."

This is crazy! Hey, if I do decide to go to Steve's wedding in April and if the timing works out, then I'll throw you a baby shower!!!!

You see...this is what happens when you have dear friends who live on the opposite coast. Her bridal shower was lame enough (from what she told me). I was horrified when I heard about it. I cannot let her have another lame shower, even if it's a different kind.

Somebody has to get the food together and organize the games and give away the prizes. If I was living close to New York, it would have naturally fallen to me anyway. Plus, I'm realizing most people my age have little or no experience with baby showers. I was shocked last Saturday when I found out that most people had never been to one. Crazy!

So maybe I am being too ambitious about throwing a baby shower on the other side of the country, but my dear friends don't have babies every day. And it's Laura's first! Besides, I like get-togethers. =)

How embarrassing! I just noticed the typo in my blogspot title! How come no one ever pointed it out to me?!?! Okay, now I am the unwieldy wumanjoo, not the unwiedly wumanjoo. eesh.

Hey, my blog now appears when you search for "wumanjoo" in Google. Woo-hoo! :P

oh, geez...I just got off the phone with my parents...called to wish them a happy anniversay...my dad got off the phone, so then it was just my mom. Every once in a while she'll ask me if I've met anyone...she's a Korean parent, so I guess she's supposed to ask...luckily my parents don't hassle me too much, not yet anyways.

She says she prays for me everyday, so I guess it's hard for her to understand why nothing has happened yet. She's telling me I must meet someone this year. I'm not sure why it has to be this year...and then she mentions that there is a young man who is in Russia with my parents. I guess my parents really like him a lot. The only problem is he doesn't speak English. eek! Big problem! Sorry, mom...

Do I tell her I'm thinking of going to Africa for the next two years? No, I don't think I want to get them more worried about something that is only a thought at this point. Yeah, I don't think they'll like the idea of me going overseas and coming back 30 years old and unmarried. So, then, what do I tell them? Do I tell them I just haven't found that 100% perfect boy yet? (Read today's first blog if you haven't.) Maybe I did walk past him but I confused the rumbling in my chest for indigestion and the dryness in my mouth as simple thirst. And even if I did walk past him, my story will probably end just like the short story did...opportunity passes...no guarantee for a second chance...

Oh, my...Derek, Susan...I happened to stumble upon a radio show with a reading of the short story below, but I was amused by the title of the episode. It's called Crush. Listen to the prologue. I know you two will love it.

Okay, now a more interesting topic...Lauren and I were listening to KPCC (intelligent talk for Southern California) on Saturday. We were completely enthralled by the story of Zora, a woman who trains her whole life to become a superhero. This American Life had an episode on Superpowers. Unfortunately, we didn't get a chance to listen to the whole Zora story, but we were definitely inspired.

Well, I've been mulling over things in my head these days...mostly about where my life is going...but I haven't felt ready to blog about any of it yet.

So...since I'm not writing much these days, I decided to post a link to a short story for you to read and comment on while I ponder my life.

Yesterday, Derek handed me his copy of The Elephant Vanishes by Haruki Murakami and told me to turn to the story "On seeing the 100% perfect girl one beautiful april morning". (Hey, Nick, did you finish Murakami's The Wind-Up Bird Chronicle?) Anyway, I figure there is a range of opinion about a story like this, and it would be interesting to hear what y'all have to say. Post your comment!

Oh, yeah...it's my parents' anniversary today! =)

I'm sitting here in my office trying to remember what I need to accomplish today. To my right, my steel travel mug filled with this morning's brew (kindly made by my roommate Susan before she walked out the door)...a flourescent lipstick mark..."Does the lipstick look that garish on my face??"

Oh, the profound ponderings...

I seem to be restless today. After a week in Boston, a day in Mexico, and a weekend of nothingness, I am bored again. I am reminded of a conversation I had with Rebecca back in Boston. You see, the last time she had seen me was while I was still freshly grieving the loss of my friend Andy in the tragedy of September 11. (I realize that I still think of Andy, it seems, at least once a day...) In Boston I was noticeably doing better, and I am. Yet in my more "stable" emotional state (if that's possible), it became clear to Rebecca that I was, well, bored. I had expressed certain things, but she said she noticed that I lacked a certain passion...she could sense it had once been there, but it had at some point dissipated. No argument there. I've been trying to figure out where it went. It's strange...I hear the same things that once moved and inspired me to action, and now while it may tug at my heart, I am no longer inspired to do very much. Of course, I still want to live my life to make a difference in the world, but these days...*sigh* I tell myself I just need to take a break for a little while to figure things out. I'm trying not to beat myself over the head for not being able to "stick it out" because I realize that there is nothing wrong with being true to who you are and who you were made to be. I seem to be the type to focus on something for a while and then move on. Who knows? Maybe I'll be in Africa next year or in India the next. Maybe I'll be in California doing something entirely different. Maybe I'll be back in school, maybe on the East Coast. Maybe, maybe, maybe...My life is full of "maybe's"...Two months ago (12/18/01 blog) I declared "Song of the Open Road" my motto poem for the year. Well, I'm certainly ready to see where the open road leads next.

My week-long trip to Boston was over, and, yes, I was ready to go home. I was, however, less ready to wake up at 4:30 in the morning to try and standby on a 7:30 flight. This was the flight I had to catch if I was going to join Susan, Lauren, Jean, and Sam on a little road trip to Rosarito, Mexico. The fact that I was able to pull myself from sleep at such an awful hour must mean I either really love my roommates or I really hate being alone. In truth, it was probably a combination of both.

So they picked me up...blasting the car horn and greeting me with wide smiles...me with half-closed eyes and a grumpy acknowledgement of their arrival...I knew I would be prone to complaining for a while..."We got you boba! And food!" That was nice of them...but only if food could recharge your body with adequate sleep...

A couple of hours later, we crossed the border...Jean being the last to realize this a good 20 or so minutes after the fact. (Jean can only focus on one thing at a time, and she had been busy watching the end of a movie on Sam's computer.) The clouds hung low in the sky, the vast Pacific to our right...we passed hundreds of small run-down structures....stores, businesses, but mostly homes...plenty of English written on signs and buildings...no doubt to lure the American tourist.

Our accomodations were also made for the American...in other words, it was really nice! I was surprised...I guess I was ready to be in average or even less-than-average accomodations. Sam has a timeshare and offered to pay for it himself. (That was awfully nice of him!) One of our main reasons for going to Rosarito was to eat lobster, and eat lobster we did! Our evening was made complete when a mariachi trio sang "Besame Mucho" for us.

We headed back to the States the next morning, making one stop at a taco stand before crossing the border. Several people were weaving their way through the line-up of cars, selling various items or seeking charity. As we crossed the border, I couldn't help but think of how the American could easily visit Mexico with all its poverty and be virtually untouched by it. I guess it seemed rather strange to me.

Our next stop was San Diego where we spent the next several hours of our day before heading home in the late evening, leaving Sam behind to attend his conference. (We didn't leave him alone. He was with his friend Steve, who had graciously treated us to dinner.)

After dropping off the minivan and greeting Sam's parents, we were finally home. The last two days were full days; our Mexico/San Diego adventure had come to an end.

Okay, let's write about something more "upbeat"...On Saturday I finally got together with my friend Helen and her husband Kenny. After playing phone tag for a couple of days, it was nice to finally connect. We didn't do much...had lunch at a Mexican type of restaurant...went to their cute little apartment in an old brownstone building...walked around the city admiring the architecture...went to the observation level of the Prudential building...oh, and we went to see if we could find a color to dye Helen's hair. We never found a color Helen was comfortable with, and so she chickened out in the end. (We'll do it in March!) Kenny wants me to rub off on her so she'll be more adventurous. heehee...

It was Chinese New Year's on Saturday so I offered to make them some traditional Korean rice cake soup in celebration. Afterwards, we went to listen to some live jazz...I ended up ordering a "tasting flight" of red wine. The tasting flight consists of small half glasses of four different wines with bread and cheese. They also give you a piece of paper with the names of the wines, a short description, and a room for you to write your own notes. The four wines were: 1. Dragon Temprinillo, Spain (red berries, cedar, touch of spice) 2. Cave de Tain Hermitage, France (dry berries, spicey finish) 3. Robert Mondavi Pinot Noir, California (light cherry fruits, touch of earth) 4. Kendall-Jackson Syrah, California (rich red berries, hint of black pepper). The winner in my opinion was the fourth...and it's from California! It had the most complex and fullest flavor. I enjoyed the second wine initially...it was definitely the strongest tasting...but I don't think I could drink a lot of it just by itself. It would definitely have to be accompanied by a meal. (I seem to like fuller flavored wine with some kind of spice or black pepper.) The first wine was the lightest in color, body, and flavor. The third wine was the freshest tasting. I could smell the earth! But I guess I don't enjoy light or fresh-tasting wine as much...

Okay, enough about wines. I haven't eaten lunch yet! Time to eat.

When pastors speak about "multiethnicity" from the pulpit, it doesn't usually bother me. But sometimes, like yesterday, it does...

I have never believed that people should be judged by the color of their skin or by the ethnic background. But I have also never believed in "blurring the color lines" and not appreciating the uniqueness of each person and ethnicity. Diversity should be celebrated, not obliterated. I'm not saying that's exactly what this pastor was saying, but I couldn't help feeling like his emotional plea sorta left you feeling like that's where the Church needed to go....to this uniform sameness. Another thing that kind of bugged me was that he never really talked about reaching out. He never said anything to his church congregation about going outside of their comfort zone and reaching out to minister to people different than them. He simply talked about how their church was established with the purpose of being multiethnic, reaffirming the diversity already there. My honest response was "so what?"...so what if the church you attend is "multiethnic"...is there a purpose in being multiethnic? If not, then there's no point.

I know I'm probably being harsh. I only attended this church once. Plus, I was pretty cranky since I hadn't really eaten all day so it might have contributed to my critical nature at the time of the sermon...And it's not that my church is perfect either...far from it...but at least I've never felt this negative towards any sermon on multiethnicity.

Oh, and of course, another BIG thing for me...the pastor absolutely never mentioned anything about global diversity. It's like his world is limited to Boston. In my opinion, a truly multiethnic church with a purpose should be reaching out to different peoples globally.

So, anyway, I guess something got to me yesterday. Everyone else seemed to think his message was powerful and solid. Maybe it's just me! In any case, there's something beautiful about diverse unity (which is much different from "forced" uniformity). I don't believe God is "color blind"...His justice, compassion, mercy, love, forgiveness, etc. is "color blind", but God Himself delights in the richness of his vast creation. So...all this stuff has gotten me thinking...wondering how I should respond.

Yesterday during some free time, I had the chance to walk around Harvard University. The collegiate atmosphere, the historic brick buildings, the intellectuals walking around campus...It made me want to attend grad school at Harvard. And not for any particular reason, but just because.

Afterwards, Rebecca and I spent some time at the Harvard Bookstore. Big mistake! They were having a sale on "remainder" items (I assume many of these items were for classes at Harvard)...50%-70% off! I ended up buying seven books!!! There's something about books and music...it's hard for me NOT to spend money, especially since these books were SO cheap. I bought an assortment...and not necessarily ones I had heard about. I like to read from different authors to learn from their style of writing.

Anyway, we've completed two presentations now. They've both gone well. Oh, and last night I met a freshman from Hong Kong. It turns out that her Sunday School teacher back home is a classmate of mine from college! Small world.

Today I'll be spending the day with Helen and Kenny. It's a free day for me. Yay!

“Tonight we’re all staying at someone’s house. You and I will share a room.”

But I didn't realize Rebecca and I would be staying in a house full of young men. Five young men live here, and Rebecca and I are staying in the room of one person who is away. (Yes, this is a total bachelor’s pad in many ways. The nice thing is that they're totally networked. Woo-hoo!)

“Oh, wow! Look at their collection of wines!” I think to myself as we walk into the dining area. I look through it to see if they have anything interesting. Later, I snoop around the kitchen. “Hey, they have quite a number of spices!” I say out loud. (But not quite as many as me.) “I assume someone cooks around here.” I say this as I turn around and notice a stack of gourmet cookbooks. Nice…

Rebecca was already fast asleep when I decided to wash up and go to bed. “Where’s the bathroom?” I think to myself. I can’t ask Rebecca because she’s already asleep. Hmmmm…well, I guess I’ll have to ask one of the guys. I walk out of my room (in my sleeping attire) and knock on a door to ask. Jimmy answers, “At the end of the hall there’s a half bath. If you want to take a shower, you’ll have to use the one downstairs.” (Hmmm…maybe I'll take a shower during the day when most of these guys are gone…) “Okay, thanks!” I quickly walk to the end of the hallway. There is someone on the computer with his back to me. As I walk past, he turns and says, “Hello, I don’t think I’ve met you yet. My name is James.” I introduce myself in response, wondering if I sound a bit awkward; I’m not accustomed to introducing myself while I’m in my sleeping attire. Oh, well. I go in to use their bathroom. I couldn’t help wondering if James could hear me as I was making use of their facilities. “Ah, well,” I think to myself, “At least it looks like this is going to be an interesting week.”

It’s about 3 o’clock in the afternoon (CA time) on Wednesday. As I write this, I am sitting on an airplane heading for Boston. Admittedly, I don’t like to travel alone, but I can still enjoy some of the quiet moments on the plane. I just finished reading a couple of chapters from the book of Job, polishing off some wafers and a cup of coffee.

Currently, we’re flying over Chicago. The snow-covered landscape below reminds me it’s winter. (Something I forget in California!) I hope I’ll be warm enough in Boston.

“Denver Man” (as I have nicknamed him) will be coming to visit Susan next week. He wanted to take her to Mexico and invited us roomies to tag along. Believe it or not, I’ve never been South of the border. In order for me to go with them, I’ll have to stand-by for an earlier flight back home. My original flight departs in the early afternoon, but now I’m going to try to catch a 7:30 a.m. flight!!!! Yikes!!! Is that crazy or what?? And, honestly, it’s not so much because I want to go to Mexico. It’s the thought of coming home to an empty house that I can’t stand.

My schedule is pretty packed in Boston, but I’ll do my best to blog when I can!

I just read through the response forms from people who went through the one-day mission simulation we had at church on Saturday. Reading through their responses made all the work totally worth it. People were touched, convicted, and impacted by the experience. I had realized that fact on Saturday while I was debriefing people who went through the experience. One college student nearly had me in tears as she was sharing what was on her heart. I was glad to see that people who were already considering mission work were now taking things more seriously. And people who were supporting mission work better understood the importance of financial and prayer support. And for people who had little exposure, it took them outside of their comfort zone.

In fact, the whole weekend went well. Not bad for our first missions weekend ever! Friday night's praise and worship was really moving, and the turn out for our summer short-term orientation was pretty astonishing. The room was packed out! I must say, I'm very grateful to God because there were times in the recent past that I didn't know if this whole "missions" thing would really become a part of our church. People always tend to either be scared off by the thought of mission work or they're just plain ignorant of what's going on. Anyway...

My roommates and I took the day off yesterday since we all had a long weekend. At first we were planning to chill somewhere and do some reading, but then Lauren and Susan decided they wanted to go to the hair salon. Lauren for a "magic perm" and Susan for highlights. I was kinda bummed b/c I didn't know what I was going to do for four hours. (Yes, that's right...it takes four hours for this magic perm.) Luckily, Daniel was able to meet up for lunch. (My hero!) After lunch, I spent the next two and a half hours flipping through magazines and playing "Bubblet" on my Palm. (An obnoxiously addictive game!)

My friend Deborah emailed me about singing "How Beautiful" at her wedding next month. I'm also supposed to be her bridesmaid (4x now!). When will people realize that I can't sing? Especially at weddings! Too nerve-wracking! I'll be accompanied by violin. I hope I don't screw this one up! haha!

Oh, well...I leave for Boston tomorrow. I assume I'll have things to write about from this trip! :P