Prayer works

Today a prayer of mine was answered: I got a car. Well, a car was loaned to me for the time I'll be here in Palo Alto. Nevertheless, I have a car. Last Wednesday, I was hanging out with a good friend of mine and she was telling me about how she's been praying more and seeing the fruits of those prayers. So I told her I was looking for a car now that I'm back but totally not willing to buy one just yet and that I was hoping for a real miracle in that God would hook me up with some wheels. So she said that she'd pray that I'd get a car before tomorrow (Monday, Sept 22).

This morning I went to church at Lord's Grace Christian Church, the church that I grew up in, and saw a lot of old friends. I was reminded that LGCC is a real home to me. It's a great place. After service I was chatting with an old friend and she asked how I was getting around and I told her that I didn't have any wheels. At which point, she offered to let me borrow her family's extra car. I was like, "Yeah! I'd love to!" So I'm all set for the next four weeks.

Ever since I told my friend about my car need I've been wondering if the Lord'd hook it up for me. 'Wondering if He'd gimme a car or not. But I had a feeling He'd bring me something and He did and the Lord continues to show that He cares for his children. So praise the Lord!

Tomorrow, I start work at the City of Palo Alto and am returning to my old position. It's like I took a 2.5 year sabbatical from planning to work in a church and have returned. It'll be strange to return to the job that I was so unhappy in. Thankfully, it's only for four weeks. However, I am looking forward to being with some of my old co-workers. It'll be good to hang out with them again. And plus, I'll make some much needed money for school.

I'd really to love to hear any comments or questions that you may have from reading my weblog. Or even just leaving a little note that you've been here. I'm wondering if anyone actually reads this thing. But no pressure.

Peace be with you.

Now in Palo Alto

You know, leading this nomadic life isn't so bad. In the last two weeks I've been in Hong Kong, Los Angeles, San Diego, Mexico, and now Palo Alto. I gotta say that it's been a fun and very productive time since I've landed.

In the week following the wedding I've been able to hit the beach (Santa Monica beach), work on getting my old job back for four weeks (I start next Monday), see my siblings and my nieces (oh, they're adorable!), and travel Mexico (for the first time).

I must say my favorite meal in Mexico was when we were visiting La Bufadora (it's located on a small peninsula about 45 minutes south of Ensenada) and we had carne asada tacos for USD$1.00 each and then two bags of churros for $2.00 each. Oh, it was so good!

It was funny walking from the parking lot down to the site as we had to go through a street lined with different small shops. It was something like mainland China except the merchandise was way different. Instead of Chinese hats they had sombreroes, tacos instead of dim sum, and the colors and textiles, they're so different. A lot of silk in China but it's sturdy cotton in Mexico. I didn't even feel like I was in another country when I was in Mexico as I didn't even have to go through a border check like the rest of the world. I didn't need to stand before some passport control person as they slid my passport through a computer. Instead, I was sitting in a car and all I had to do was show my drivers license and say I'm a U.S. citizen and that was that. How odd. It doesn't even seem like an international border, at least not like the ones I've been through in the past.

My second day back in Palo Alto I got to see tons of family. It was way cool. 'Saw cousins from both sides of the family. Walked our cousin's dog, played in the park with the kiddies. It's so cool being around family again and being so close to them in distance. In fact, I'm going to go out and have lunch with one of those same cousins today. I am super blessed to have such a rock'n family.

I'll be starting up at the City of Palo Alto at my old job for the next month. I called them up before I arrived in the states asking if they could use any summer help and it turns out they do. So I'll be at my old job for four weeks and then I'll head down to LA for school. It's funny that I'm immediately going back to my old job after being gone for 2.5 years. It'll be like I never left. I'm really happy that some of my old co-workers are still there to hang out with. They're a real great bunch of people. So since I'll be working I won't be able to do all the traveling I was talking about before, which is a big bummer but I realize that I'm going to need some serious money for school.

Okay, I'm off to kick it with the fam!

Keith and I eating yummy tacos. (La Bufadora, Ensenada, Mexico) 

Nanna, Allison, Randa, Keith (La Bufadora, Ensenada, Mexico) 

We took Allison's (on right) Oldsmobile 

Photo by Kaitlyn Lo (my neice) 

My brother Garrett and his second little one, Serena. (Photo by Kaitlyn Lo) 

Hit the links

After a long enough wait since my last round of golf (four months ago) I was finally able to hit the links. It was pretty fun. I went down to Mission Bay Golf Course, an executive length 9-hole golf course, and was able to walk onto the first tee within fifteen minutes of my arrival. It was nice to be out on the course again after a few months of not playing. I ended up paired with a guy who had visited Hong Kong during SARS, his nephew, and a Canadian living and working here in San Diego. I got a real kick out of reminiscing about Hong Kong and places like Stanley, the exciting ride in between Stanley and Central on the double decker bus, and all the great food you can get in HK. Had a good conversation with the Canadian guy about different perspectives Americans and Canadians have of the world. It was really good meeting someone from Canada. I feel like I'm still in HK what with meeting Canadians. I'd never met so many Canadians before I had moved to HK and I never thought that I'd have to move abroad to meet our neighbors to the north.

Golf definitely doesn't give me that same feeling of escape like it used before I moved to HK. It's just a game now that I can enjoy and not be obsessed over anymore. I'll still continue to play it but it won't consume me like it used to. But I am looking forward to heading back up north any playing at Palo Alto Municipal Golf Course, the course that I always played while living at home.

Elevator Observations
I think it's only been in Hong Kong that the "Door Close" button in elevators (lifts) works but here in the U.S. they must be decoration because when I start hitting them the door doesn't move at all. Seriously, I think all U.S. elevators are like that. It's mildy irritating. I think the most worn out door close button I've ever seen in my life is the YMCA TST door close lift button. I think the paint around all of those buttons in all of those lifts have been worn clean off. It's impressive. I think it's a funny indicator of the busyness of Hong Kong life.

Now in San Diego

I've made it to San Diego and am with my siblings now. It's been good stuff. It's been great (and somewhat new) having home cooked meals again. After 2.5 years of eating rice boxes in Hong Kong it's odd for me to not go out and eat either by myself, with friends, with my cousins, or bringing food back to my home. Here, I actually sit down with my family (siblings and nieces) and we enjoy a meal together. It's really cool. Since I've arrived I've found myself oooo'ing and ahhh'ing over strange things like In 'n Out, Carl's Jr, Denny's, and other fast food restaurants. It's like I've never seen this stuff before. I'm really rediscovering so much of America.

It's also strange being immobile. One really does need their own car in California to get around otherwise you're stranded wherever you live. The most I've driven since I've returned is a whole five minutes worth. It felt like I'd never left the wheel. I find myself wishing for a mini-bus that I could walk to in five minutes, take it to wherever I need to go and then hop off but sadly, that's a dream here. It's been odd riding around in the cars of friends and knowing everyone else who sits in the car as opposed to public transportation where you'll know no one. And I think that's one of the sociological things that I like about public transit: one is forced to see the realities of other peoples' lives because they're in such close contact. It reminds me that there are strangers around me with their own lives, dilemmas, stories, joys, and sorrows that live around me. (Not that I miss it when the guy across the aisle sneezes towards the ground and covers my feet in his mucus.)

I'll be hanging out here in SD until Friday. Saturday and Sunday I'll be in Mexico with some friends. I'm really looking forward to that as I've never really vacationed in Mexico. Now that I've been through mainland China I feel like I can travel anywhere, well, almost anywhere. Next week I'll be back in Palo Alto where I'll see my dad and more of the Chan Clan (my mom's side of the family), friends, and attend two weddings. After that, I hope to be on the road again visiting more friends throughout the states. We'll see if I actually have enough money to travel.

Keith, me, and Raelene. We led an IV small group together while at university from '97-'98. (Elvin & Emily's Wedding Reception, Long Beach CA) 

The B.Lo has landed

I've finallly arrived in LA after about 4 months of planning. I can't really believe I'm back in America and that I won't be returning back to Hong Kong and to the people that I've come to love so dearly, friends and family alike. I really miss them.

My studies do not start until the 26th of September but I'm back here in CA for Elvin & Emily's wedding, good friends from my university fellowship. I remember before I left for Hong Kong that I made a personal commitment to myself and that was to attend their wedding should they ever get married. So it's really great to actually follow through on this commitment.

After this weekend I think I'll head down to San Diego to hang out with my bro and sister. That should be cool. Jennifer will be coming off of Los Angeles Urban Project and I'll be transitioning back here from Hong Kong. Whew, are we both going to want to talk a lot.

I've got a whole lot to do here before I start school. I'm still waiting on Fuller to get back to me on how much financial aid I'll be getting from them, I'll need to find my own housing since I've been told I'm too far down the waitlist to get a place for this September, figure out how I'm going to get around i.e. buy a car or not, and a host of other things. It's pretty overwhelming. But I guess I just gotta do what I need to do. I have to remember that the Lord is with me.

The LORD watches over you—
the LORD is your shade at your right hand;
the sun will not harm you by day,
nor the moon by night.
The LORD will keep you from all harm—
he will watch over your life;
the LORD will watch over your coming and going
both now and forevermore.
-Psalm 121.5-8