Happy New Year!

Last night we had a get together with some friends to celebrate New Year's Eve Eve....
It was a blast. It was a night filled with good food (mine...hehehe), good people, good conversations, and good times playing wii!
I pray that God makes this coming year a fruitful one for Patrick and me, and that we continue to grow as individuals and as a couple.
Gotta go back to work in a couple of days!
Happy New Year to everyone!

Saturday already?! AHHHH!

Okay so it's the last few days of my vakay and I'm a little sad about it....
But I have had some lovely culinary experiences this week (which I'm all about)...
Sushi, dim sum, bbq, family gatherings....yum!
Last night we had dinner with friends Sheryll and Dave, who just became engaged. Yay! We ate at Joe's Shanghai in Flushing, and the last time I remember eating there was in college! Well we had the soup dumplings of course and they were awesome. Wish I took some pics of us downing those bad boys...they were yummy! Good food, good conversation, good company, good laughs making fun of people, good times...
Weird thing happened while we were waiting for a table though....
We were standing outside the restaurant and this young couple was sitting right inside the restaurant. The woman looked at me and stared at me, like she recognized me. I gotta say my memory is pretty bad, so I didn't recognize her. Well anyway she just keeps staring at me and I don't know what to do because it's not like she smiles or waves to me or comes out and says something. It was just bizarre. Queens, I must say is a very small world. Unfortunately, I have met lots of people and talked to them and if I haven't seen someone in a few years, I kind of erase their faces from my memory. I still can't figure out if I know the girl, and it's almost 24 hours later. Oh well.

Update...tomorrow it's Friday and time hasn't stopped!!!!

Does anyone know how to stop time?

Wow, it's crazy to think that tomorrow is already Thursday. I wish all other weeks passed so quickly....for now, I'm just savoring the moments of my vacation and hoping the next 6 days won't pass too fast. I know they will.
No time for blogging....gotta go enjoy some Wii moments now!

Spreading the love...shining His light...

Merry Christmas to everyone!
As many of you know, Patrick and I are teachers, and are just beginning our holiday vacation from work, and we're going to enjoy every minute of it! At my old job, I actually had to work during this coming week and now I'm excited cause Patrick and I are on the exact same schedule work wise. We enjoy our time together!
This past week, I decided to do something nice for the staff at my new workplace. I started working there last January so this is my first Christmas working there. I have to admit that when I started working there it was a bit of culture shock. People at work weren't exactly mean but they weren't friendly. This was such a change from my old work, where everyone at least said hello to each other in the hall. It took some getting used to, but now people at least acknowledge my presence...baby steps....
Anyway, I decided to give everyone a few chocolates wrapped in tissue paper with a ribbon and I put them in each person's mailbox. I have to admit I didn't know many of the people whose mailboxes I was filling, but as I put the tiny packages in early Wednesday morning, some of them were clocking in. Everyone looked like they were in a rush coming in, all huffy and stuff. As they went to their box, I saw them slow down, then smile, then thank me (they assumed it was me since I was the one putting them in! lol). They were all so appreciative. I even got several thank you cards! All for a few pieces of chocolate! Some people wrote "it was just what I needed" or "it was so nice of you to think of me." It was nice to get such appreciation, but it made me wonder how much "niceness" was spread throughout the school in general, if a small gesture such as this was getting such a response! My answer came when I got a card yesterday from a teacher/service provider in the school. She wrote that it was so nice of me to think of all the staff, and that in all the years she's worked in the school, she doesn't remember anyone doing something so nice. I would think that would make me feel like I was on top of the world, but it didn't. I almost felt sad for them, because this is something that is second nature for me, and didn't require too much effort, just time. I thought of all 80 (!) people that received those chocolates and that maybe I made their day, or year, or experience of working at the school a little happier. THAT made me feel good, and maybe that will inspire others there to be a little kinder. I will try praying more for those people now individually...Spreading God's love can come in the form of spreading the Gospel, a prayer, sharing a hug or smile, or even a few chocolates! Here's hoping you can share your love with someone (or 80 someones!) today!

What does the Lord require of you but to do justly, to love mercy, and to walk humbly with your God? --Micah 6:8

Bake them cookies, grandma!

Okay, so I'm nowhere near a grandma, but I just finished baking about 8 dozen cookies to bring for people at church tomorrow. It's sort of my way of spreading christmas joy by giving people a little goody bag filled with a few of my chocolate chip cookies. I'm tired, but I feel good about the accomplishment. I really love Christmas!

The baked cookies mmmm....




Patrick..uh...packing the cookies?



The lovely packages...





Wii is just sooo interesting!


The Chung Tree!

Wheeeeee!

So my week has been pretty sweet, mostly because Patrick surprised me with an early Christmas gift, the Wii. Damn this thing is lots of fun! We've been getting our money's worth with just the games that the console comes with, but more than that, it's a freakin workout, man! Everyday I wake up with sore arms, legs and back. Oy!
Took the day off Monday, after coming home from Virginia, where my cousin's engagement party took place Saturday night. It was nice seeing everyone again, and catching up with la familia. It's weird when I see my cousins and think back on our childhood together. We basically grew up together and it's surreal being grown ups now, doing grown up things.
Work has been just eh. My asssistant and I are not exactly friends if you catch my drift. I need to pray for more understanding and wisdom... it's quite difficult though...
I think I'm coming down with a cold. Everyday I go to work and my voice sounds like it's about to go. My kids are like, "Mrs. Chung, is your talking thing going away again soon?" I lost my voice once already this year. "Mrs. Chung, do we have to be quiet again?" They're too funny!
Next Friday cannot come soon enough. Big time needed holiday vacation! I can't wait to play wii sun up to sun down, and hang out with people I never get to see! Then maybe think about work! hahahaha!
Okay gotta go and play wii now! I bowled a six pack last night...that means six strikes in a row! Woo hoo!

Cookie Exchange 2007

I've wanted to do a cookie exchange for a while now, and especially since we bought our house 4 years ago. But somehow, the holiday season came and went, and I never did it. This year I was determined to have one. I told people in the summer about it. As Halloween approached, some ladies at church began discussing holding one. I immediately offered my house up for one. Well, fast forward a month, and my cookie exchange took place on Saturday. It really was a lot of fun!

I have to say it was a lot of work, but it was worth it. 12 ladies ended up coming, and although many of them didn't know each other, they all came with a common purpose...COOKIES!

As a host, I didn't get to "enjoy" the party, but my enjoyment came in the faces of all my guests, who laughed a lot that afternoon!

I can't wait till next year's cookie exchange!