destine [des-tin]
to appoint or ordain beforehand, as by divine decree; foreordain; predetermine; bound for a certain destination
Synonyms include: bound for, forthcoming, inevitable

Sometimes you get to know a couple and see nothing but doom in their future (Yikes, but let's be honest). And then there are times you meet a couple and say, "Wow, I wish I had that." Eversince I met Ate Cyn and Gary my sophomore year at UCI, there was never a doubt in my mind that their wedding day would take place some time in the near future and I am so happy that so many of us were able to share it with them.

CONGRATULATIONS ATE CYN & GARY!!!

Happy Birthday to my penpal, Toni!

(Do you love how I still call you that? Hahaha!)

I will finally get to meet you this year! I can't believe it! Sa wakas!

Happy Birthday to my cousin, PJ!!!

pre- [pree]
prefix meaning "before," "prior to," etc.

A wedding these days, as huge an event as it is in and of itself, is certainly not the only celebration that recognizes the imminent union. There are numerous "pre-parties" that occur long before the bride and groom say, "I do," long before that first dance as husband and wife, long before the final check has been written to every vendor on the list. Yes, there are other parties before THE PARTY; and they differ in every aspect except for the celebrant(s).

THE WEDDING/BRIDAL SHOWER

A shower is the casual gathering of relatives and friends in celebration of the engaged couple. The soon-to-be bride and groom are essentially "showered" with gifts and good wishes. It's a way for wedding guests to be pre-acquainted and a way to spend some time and have fun with the couple in a not-so-hectic setting.

Iya and Chris' wedding shower was set in Italy; red and white gingham tablecloths covered round tables topped with baskets of Martinelli's Sparkling cider, candy-coated almonds (an Italian traditional giveaway), grapevines and breadsticks. The ambiance was sealed by famous Italians singing from Joe and Riann's Ipods.
We feasted on pasta, chicken marsala, and gelato. We played games, won prizes, talked, laughed and rejoiced in honor of Iya and Chris' upcoming wedding.

It was truly a family affair, not only with the couple's relatives, but with their friends (and their friends' parents!) with whom Chris and Iya have grown to call their own. My parents have known Rochelle's parents since we were 5, and have known Iya's parents since we were 12. Having seen us through so many milestones in life, they all beamed at the thought of witnessing another.

THE BACHELORETTE PARTY

Last weekend I spent, not 24, but 21 hours in Las Vegas to celebrate Terry's last few weeks as a single gal. I've known Terry since high school, we were college roommates, and except for the distance that separates us physically, not much has changed. She is still the funloving, kooky girl who used to cook us korean barbeque for dinner and the very same one who had stacks and stacks of navy blue sweatshirts in her closet.

The goal that weekend was not only to give Terry a good time, but to "whore it up" while we were at it. Hahaha! After day of swimming, we played games in the hotel room (we stayed at the Mirage), watched Ter amp up her lingerie collection, got dressed and then headed to the Grand Luxe Cafe at the Venetian for dinner.

Then it was off to Tao for a seemingly endless night of drinking and dancing. That IS what bachelorette parties are known for after all.

Our bottle service not only provided us with a tabletop of drinks and fruit, but allowed us our very own spot to hang out and chill. I can't remember exactly WHAT kind of alcohol we had and WHAT types of juices we had to work with, but I do remember that some random guy tried to feed Chary one of those strawberries. Hahaha!

Cile, with her habit of taking off her shoes when we party, had to go to the bathroom and was in such a hurry to put on some shoes, that she failed to wear a matching pair! HAHAHAHA!!! When she and I got to the bathroom, I looked down and seriously laughed my booty off.

When hands are in the air, you KNOW people are having a good time. Plus, check out the expression on Gwennie's face! HAHAHA!

Here's Cile...done got caught. HAHAHAHAHAHA!!

23 hot chicks partying in Sin City to celebrate the last days of a fellow female... dangerous but oh so necessary...

So what've we learned here, kids? Wedding Shower: Come one, come all. Bachelorette Party: Ladies leave your man (and your family) at home. After these small gatherings take place, come the mother of all...

Quote of the day...

"It’s impossible for me to continue this charade of being an adult. I refuse. It’s not who I am and I’m sick and tired of pretending."

~ Jovi Candelaria

Thanks Joves! Aaaaaaaaand scene.

jury [joor-ee]
such a group selected according to law and sworn to inquire into or determine the facts concerning a cause or an accusation submitted to them and to render a verdict to a court.
Synonyms include: board, judges, peers, tribunal

I called in last friday to see if I had jury duty this Monday..."You do NOT have to appear in tomorrow," said the recorded message. Whew...dodged one. I called in again on Monday to see if I had to come in on Tuesday and I got the same message. "Sweet!" I thought! This is a good sign! But sadly, all good things must come to an end.

The perk of my first day of jury duty on Wednesday was having Joe up on the 11th floor suffering through the long day of sheer nothingness with me. We texted back and forth, called each other a couple of times and we even had some bento boxes for lunch together. How random is it to get called into jury duty on the same day as a friend? Probably as random as having a co-worker serve too! One of our managers at work, Tim, was in the same jury waiting room as Joe. Crazy coincidence!

Jurors sitting in the waiting room are typically dismissed between 4:00-5:00 pm. At 3:30, the room I was waiting in was sparse. There was barely anyone in there so I figured we were home free. DOH! I SPOKE TOO SOON. They called in a panel at 3 freakin' 30 and I was one of them.

I am one of 35 potential jurors who were called in for a criminal case that, as you all know, I am not allowed to speak of until I am no longer assigned to it. Of the 35, 3 have been re-assigned to civil cases and 13 have been dismissed. That leaves 19 of us who, tomorrow, the judge and two attorneys will finish questioning in order to choose a group of people who will listen to testimonies given by witnesses and look at the evidence provided, and be able to determine, WITHOUT A REASONABLE DOUBT, the fate of the defendant.

I know people would rather be doing anything other than serve as a juror, but based on what I've experienced so far (the wrench it shoves into the well-oiled machine that is my daily life aside), jury duty will probably teach you more about your nation's government than school ever could. It's all those rights and amendments we studied but never really took time to see its relevance in our lives. Sometimes you need to give in to civic duty to get even just a glimpse.

i just spent 10 minutes past my lunch showing co-workers vimeo stuff. hahaha!!!

magic [maj-ik]
the art of producing a desired effect or result through the use of incantation or various other techniques that presumably assure human control of supernatural agencies or the forces of nature; any extraordinary or mystical influence, charm, power, etc
Synonyms include: allurement, divination, enchantment

How hardcore is hardcore? Buying movie tickets 2-3 weeks before the premiere and then lining up 5 hours before a midnight showing. I'd say that's considered mighty hardcore.

On Tuesday night, a bunch of us sat in one of 16 lines at the AMC 16 in Burbank, awaiting the 5th installment of J.K. Rowling's beloved series about the boy who lived: Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix.

We set up our banig, managed to monopolize a bench, watched movies, chit-chatted, etc from about 7:30-11:00 pm. The area surrounding the movie theater was filled with kids on summer vacation, who braved the long wait in line with their rightfully tired parents who sat on folding chairs, blankets and sleeping bags; teenagers sat comfortably against the walls, faces buried in Harry Potter books or consumed in excited, shrill conversations with their peers.

People dressed in their favorite character's garb also paced the area. They wore Hogwarts hooded robes, scarfs reflecting house colors, even the Sorting Hat made it to someone's head.

The movie was wow! Sadly, there were a lot of parts in Book 5 that needed to be omitted, and understandably so since it's over 900 pages long. However, the film itself got to the meat of Harry's purpose, his growth, and the difference that he and his friends can make in each other's lives, in each other's world. You don't need to be a child to enjoy the magic. You don't need to be a witch or a wizard to understand the heart of every character. Whether you're muggle or magic-born, you just have to believe in the possibility of all things mysterious. That's the key into J.K. Rowling's imagination.

Happy Birthday, DJ Deeck!!!

Happy Birthday, Fernand!!!

perspective [per-spek-tiv]
the state of one's ideas, the facts known to one, etc., in having a meaningful interrelationship
Synoyms include: angle, aspect, slant, standpoint

It truly baffles me sometimes how I am completely in control of my life one minute and then utterly lost and agitated the next. I haven’t felt like myself this last month, especially the last few weeks. Neck, shoulder and back pain have possessed this body of mine, I’ve had the same tension headache for almost a week, I’m irritable, impatient, and during the worst part of it, lazy and apathetic. I could probably make a list of every grievance that has caused this emergence of my most unpleasant alter ego, but I know actions like that only lead to wallowing in circumstances that probably won’t matter to me 6 months from now.

I’ve been trying desperately not to complain about everything and become this dark cloud that (pardon the cliché) rains on everyone’s sunny day. But sometimes I ask God for just a moment to be human, to be angry with life and release the negativity that I know FAITH is supposed to suppress. Basically I pray for a moment to cry like a baby. This morning, on the 95 minute drive to work, sitting by myself in the car where I can’t annoy anyone, I got what I asked for. I felt like a child throwing a tantrum as my mom and dad stood by until I was done. “Go ahead,” the Lord said, “let it out and get it over with.” And I did.

Then I got to work and watched Cile’s video of our cancelled flight in Switzerland. We had every reason in the world to complain that afternoon – a cancelled 1-hour flight replaced by a 3-hour train ride, unable to find our luggage, hunger and fatigue taking over and, oh yeah, we were in a foreign country. But all we did was laugh at our serendipitous circumstances. Not one grumble of misfortune, not a word of worry, not a second of panic. Suddenly I realize…that’s what it’s all about. All this superfluous crap that feels like punishment sometimes – they’re just opportunities for us to make sense of life through the endless channels we have at our disposal: a funny story to tell people, a journal entry that turns into a book idea, an unforgettable photo, a quick but revealing sketch, footage for the wonder that is vimeo, a memory that will never fail to make you laugh out loud. That’s the heart of it…


The Heart of Life
by: John Mayer

I hate to see you cry
Laying there in that position
There's things you need to hear
So turn off your tears and listen

Pain throws you heart to the ground
Love turns the whole thing around
No, it won't all go the way, it should
But I know the heart of life is good

You know it's nothing new
Bad news never had good timing
But then the circle of your firends
Will defend the silver lining

Pain throws your heart to the ground
Love turns the whole thing around
No, it won't all go the way, it should
But I know the heart of life is good

Pain throws your heart to the ground
Love turns the whole thing around
Fear is a friend who's misunderstood
But I know the heart of life is good

I know it's good...

I have a crapload to blog about (aside from the 80 summer birthday greetings!), but I HAVE to put this picture in before I post anything else! Here's Pat & Kay at our company picnic. The theme was county fair. hahahaha!!!!

Oh those cows. WHAT THE HELL!

Happy Birthday

to one of my favorite pairs of twins!!

TERRY

and

CHARY!!!!

YAY!! SEE YOU GIRLS SOON!!!

(Thanks for sharing these pics, Cile!!)

From this cute little baby who used to run amok in her walker (I'm talkin' speed-racing and shrieking through narrow hallways and in and out of rooms )...

...to this teenager who has become the bane of my existence...
Just kidding, leetle seester! You know I love you!
HAPPY, HAPPY 17TH (yack!) BIRTHDAY, TIN!!!
(Can you wish yourself to turn back into a baby and then stay that way forever? THANKS! YOU'RE AWESOME!)

Happy Birthday, Nonna!!

Happy Birthday, Ann!

(Our Pimp Pharmacist. hahaha!)

(Aaaw, Ann and her mommy)

Happy Birthday, Andrew!!!

I CAN SEE THE TOP OF MY DESK!!!!!!!!!!!

Happy, Happy Birthday

to the #1 Celebrity Magnet,

Gweeeeeeen!!

Happy, Happy Birthday

to my cousin,

Mars!!

(Tay loves you! haha!)

trauma [traw-muh]

an experience that produces psychological injury or pain; the psychological injury so caused Synonyms include: damage, injury, anguish, impact

My parents, my sister and I are going to Hawaii in August and Cile, the master travel planner that she is, has been helping me plan out an itinerary for our 4 days in paradise. Since it's their first time in Hawaii, I thought taking them around O'ahu would be a great start. This will be my third trip to this island, but please, no complaints here.

Anyhow, yesterday, Cile emailed me:

"here's where you are in hawaii. on the top right. you're like right next to our tiki grill restaurant and the beach area where the kiddos almost drowned."

Hahaha! On our 3rd or 4th day in Hawaii back in 2004, some of us decided to spend the evening at the beach. I didn't feel much like swimming so I sat on the shore while everyone waded in a little lagoon. "This should be safe," everyone figured, because they were protected by the barrier that surrounded them. But as they approached the wall closest to the rest of the ocean, the current got stronger and without realizing it, the lagoon floor got lower and lower. Next thing you know, Rochelle got sucked through this opening in the lagoon and the current shot her through into the ocean. Meanwhile, all the non-swimmers were fighting to stay afloat, with the swimmers working hard trying to keep themselves and their friends from drowning. People were panicking, Rochelle wondered how the hell she'd get back, then an angel appeared in the form of a young man standing on the wall. He saw Rochelle struggling in the water and LITERALLY pulled her up. The current subsided and everyone was safe. What was I doing in the meantime?...Ummmm.....writing in my journal? OPS!....GLAD YOU'RE ALL SAFE, GUYS!!!

Got an email from my mom just now:

Hi Leng,

Please dont forget, using cell phone while driving is prohibited by law effective today.

Take care.

mom

I know she's serious, and I refrain from talking on the phone when she's in the car with me cuz I know it freaks her out. It just made me laugh that she emailed me at work to tell me that. haha!

Actually, Iya told me that it's not effective until July 1, 2008.

here: http://www.dmv.ca.gov/about/leg/leginfo_dl.htm

But my mom just told me that her co-worker's boyfriend got pulled over today. Hmmm...

HAPPY, HAPPY BIRTHDAY, JHOETTE!

(Can't wait until you get home. Take care!