tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-26866192012-02-05T07:42:06.549-08:00i am janet. hear me roar.hallo? anyone hear me? welcome to the thoughts of dorkyjanet. u'll realize how un-dorky she really is =)ms.leenoreply@blogger.comBlogger7171100tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2686619.post-38020507405537680642011-12-28T22:11:00.000-08:002011-12-28T23:36:42.410-08:00what the WHAT??? i have my dress!!!i said YES to the dress! my PLI girls, susan and claudia, came with me yesterday. and here comes the irony. here i am telling everyone that i don't think my dress exists in a bridal salon, and where do i end up getting a dress? at a freakin salon in beverly hills. we had a 2:00 at panache. walked in and WOW, it was the largest amount of dresses i had ever seen ms.leenoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2686619.post-35601999572148881732011-12-24T22:04:00.000-08:002011-12-28T22:11:08.469-08:00oh the obsession...at this point i am pretty much obsessed and completely engrossed in wedding dress shopping. i mean, really, i went THREE DAYS IN A ROW. had to spread out my friends so i don't drag the same people to a gazillion places, cuz that could get old quick. i am also browsing the internet for hours at a time looking at dresses, browsing used ones, etc. the ones that keep popping up in ms.leenoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2686619.post-19071931388421804452011-12-22T21:10:00.000-08:002011-12-28T23:37:18.554-08:00korean places, i shall conquer u.so all this time i've been avoiding korean places, even though some friends said they offered good deals (and usually offered rentals as an option). i'm just scared of pushy ajumas. i find myself often deferring to them. so, my fellow korean sarah and i agreed to brave two korean salons together today :) first stop was wilshire bridal. i had my game face on and ms.leenoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2686619.post-23784507583776282682011-12-21T21:44:00.000-08:002011-12-28T23:37:49.468-08:00oh, david's bridal. u never fail to disappoint. that's right, i said it.the first time i went to a david's bridal was when alex and i started talking about the idea of marriage. that was like 2 years ago. meisha came along with me, but the consultant treated me like i was just playing dress-up. whatever. the second time was also with meisha but we didn't have an appt. the lady was really rude andms.leenoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2686619.post-81130705464708267512011-12-20T20:28:00.000-08:002011-12-28T21:49:32.484-08:00day 1 of some serious dress shopping!!!my bridesmaids finally made it out together! yay! we hit up marylinn's in pasadena. i had to forewarn my girls that the yelp reviews for this salon weren't that stellar. most complaints were about their snootiness. i was prepared to be treated accordingly, just in case. however, we were pleasantly surprised! the consultant appointed to me was sooo wonderful ms.leenoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2686619.post-8869082668528252512011-12-19T18:49:00.000-08:002011-12-28T23:38:52.411-08:00first weekday of winter break!mini-reunion!!! had lunch for the first time at din tai fung. i've always wanted to eat there. the wait was long, but it didn't matter cuz i was catching up with my girls!! TEP reunion with jenny, trisha, alicia, and liz with her baby girl (she is so big)! i miss everyone, and it was so nice to see them all. it's another reminder of how quickly time passes. i haven'tms.leenoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2686619.post-82256570403647893362009-05-13T21:49:00.000-07:002009-06-07T07:53:52.743-07:00DRAFTED MAY 13, 2009how does nearly half a year go by already??after all this prep for our UTLA strike, it's called off as a judge rules it an injunction. $1,000 fines and risk of credential revocation. we're still picketing and protesting at beaudry, as well as engaging in mass civil disobedience. dare i get arrested again? (city attorney told me i couldn't anymore, but i think it's a lie). too ms.leenoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2686619.post-30829040425539153142009-01-10T17:14:00.000-08:002009-01-10T17:52:08.126-08:00years down the line and already 2009 is here... having started this blog during the early years of college, through grad school, and now into my 6th year of teaching... it's kind of crazy. i look back on early postings and become nostalgic at times. of course, i also feel embarrassed, silly, angry... just a trip that when i read what wrote at the time, i remember how i felt at that time.anyway, ms.leenoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2686619.post-37841803647659726962007-07-20T22:10:00.000-07:002007-07-20T22:16:03.003-07:00by this time next week i will be in south korea... O_Oso my right rear strut/shock is out on my highlander. SO MUCH MONEY! i took it into the carson toyota dealership and the guy helping me makes some comment about how his wife, she's asian - filipino - and she can't drive [insert laugh]. now u can only imagine what kind of face i was making... i really wanted to respond with "yeah my husband (ms.leenoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2686619.post-47014157281636017312007-05-16T23:41:00.000-07:002007-05-16T23:43:29.276-07:00yes, i'm still alive and i JUST found out i got into a program to go to Korea this summer!!! KEEP 2007.ms.leenoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2686619.post-1170306626785716892007-01-31T21:06:00.000-08:002007-01-31T21:10:26.803-08:00happy new year! when will i write about japan? later folks.my life is a whirlwind of fire and water with a dash of storms and droughts. how do stay sane? how do i stay strong as the backbone of a family, while trying to be a driving force at my work, yet feeling as if i myself can barely hold my own ground? i'm tired. here's something funny (probably only teachers will appreciate the humor, ms.leenoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2686619.post-1167545203703323962006-12-30T22:05:00.000-08:002006-12-30T22:06:43.720-08:00happy new year from tokyo, japan! missing everyone at home... this country is crazy (well, the big cities). lots to write about but no time.ms.leenoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2686619.post-1166068124594691422006-12-13T19:39:00.000-08:002006-12-13T19:48:44.613-08:00for the love of futbolthanks to a fellow futbolista for sharing this piece:and the evening camethe curtain of night fell upon themthe full moon crept in its placeand from the futbol fieldburst a yelping and a howlingout of mouths of Futbolistas,overjoyed,for a game well playedhow much soccer has become a part of my life... and what it represents for me... hard to express. but it has become one ofms.leenoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2686619.post-1165548767371033082006-12-07T19:21:00.000-08:002006-12-07T19:32:47.390-08:00breed them while they're youngparent conference week. omar's mom, maria, and i are talking:maria: so last week when omar sat down for thanksgiving dinner he said 'why are we celebrating a fake holiday?' then he went on to explain how the indigenous actually had their thanks taken, etc. etc.me: no wayyy~!! [huge smile]maria: yeah and his auntie came by last weekend and said she had to buy [ms.leenoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2686619.post-1165473805752795102006-12-06T22:38:00.000-08:002006-12-06T22:43:25.770-08:00ha to corporations!the highlight of my day yesterday: got free stuff from costco! they forgot to ring up my case of vitamin water and the half gallon of naked juice (green machine, really yummy!). that's about $20 worth of goodies. yay!!Korean Resource Center fundraiser dinner plans are well on their way. had so many meetings trying to plan it. it happens this friday so i hope it all goes well. ms.leenoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2686619.post-1163491569829666252006-11-13T23:52:00.000-08:002006-11-14T00:11:54.996-08:00what's going on?!?!i don't want drama and i don't want ish to be crazy. ARGHGHH!!!happy birthday to grassroots organizer grandma kim! we had a bday celebration for her at andy's/dae-han's pad and watched an AMAZING film called "welcome to dongmakgol." a story of the korean people, from the people's point of view, in war. north and south have to find a way to come together. a beautifully-made filmms.leenoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2686619.post-1163143060011807332006-11-09T23:05:00.000-08:002006-11-09T23:17:40.030-08:00eaten alive!my kids really have a knack for tearing subs apart. my sub on friday just had a ball with my students. and the sub today was just a whole 'nuther level. i doubt she'll be returning to my class. yes, i have certain students whose respect you have to earn. otherwise, you're just another adult. it took me well over a month with larvontae alone, but we've established a relationship and ms.leenoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2686619.post-1162686165505072922006-11-04T16:13:00.000-08:002006-11-04T16:23:26.626-08:00itchy itchy makes me feel b----my bee sting has gotten to the point of itchiness. it really isn't any fun. in better news, i've been taking time more for myself. not that much more, just not loading every single day with some kind of meeting. it was thursday that i didn't have a meeting or function of some kind. it felt good! so i decided to go out that nite on dia de los muertos. self-help ms.leenoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2686619.post-1162443220937040402006-11-01T20:50:00.000-08:002006-11-01T20:53:40.953-08:00MEOWthanks to bobby for this very laughable link: http://208.116.9.205/10/graphics/pics/pictures_cats.jpgand if u haven't checked this out yet, it's a MUST:www.meatrix.comupdate:i need strength.ms.leenoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2686619.post-1162276946963094992006-10-30T22:39:00.000-08:002006-10-30T22:42:26.966-08:00yo yo, check it. my name is janet lee and i just got stung by a bee...i forgot to mention i got stung by a bee for the first time yesterday. it was hanging out in the sleeve of my jacket for a couple hours before it finally decided to let me know with a rude awakening that it was present. it must have snuck in when i had left my jacket on the grass field during soccer. my friend pulled over whilems.leenoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2686619.post-1162276756819792112006-10-30T22:28:00.000-08:002006-10-30T22:47:57.303-08:00default answerwhenever people ask me how i am, i always just respond with "tired." it's true. i'm just always freakin tired!! i pull myself in too many ways. i wonder if it's a coping mechanism of mine to just remain hella busy so i don't have to feel alone. my roomie is not often home, i'm single, i'm still working on calling up friends to hang out... but this busy-ness is negatively affecting ms.leenoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2686619.post-1161584399774271172006-10-22T23:07:00.000-07:002006-10-22T23:19:59.790-07:00GGGOOOOOAAAAAAALLLLLLLL~!!!!i really do love futbol. i look forward to every sunday and i can appreciate the beauty of a large grass field. it's especially satisfying to make goals, of course. but i think it definitely serves as my weekly stress reliever. i get to yell to my heart's content. =) well, i picked up a DVD of the sept. 28 rally. it's a montage of the various news reports on the ms.leenoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2686619.post-1161414742863556562006-10-21T00:11:00.000-07:002006-10-21T00:12:22.863-07:00am i living in the 80s?some uninformed writing: http://www.dailybruin.ucla.edu/news/articles.asp?id=38302ms.leenoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2686619.post-1161414676045279482006-10-21T00:00:00.000-07:002006-10-21T00:11:16.063-07:00too much takes a tollmy body is crying for help. i need to ease my schedule. this is crazy. i can't keep on like this. teach, attend meetings, more meetings, rally, facilitate meeting, phonebank, conference, futbol, training, march, teach, meeting, conference, meeting... it's ridiculous. sickness i guess is the only way to get the message through to me. what am i doing to myself?!?i realize ms.leenoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2686619.post-1159579853412469052006-09-29T18:01:00.000-07:002006-10-22T23:06:53.363-07:00jailhouse does NOT rockgot out around 9am this morning from jail. was held at 77th Street Police Station for... 11 hours. yesterday at 4:30 began the rally and march for hotel workers' rights, as well as immigrant workers' rights. the hotels in the LAX area are some of the worst in terms of violations of fair labor practices, not even allowing its workers to unionize. so, about 350 of us who werems.leenoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2686619.post-1159399228719049222006-09-27T16:10:00.000-07:002006-09-27T16:20:28.740-07:00ms.lee! ms.lee! ms.lee!ah~ the sounds of students. my kids from 1st grade are back with me. the first days of school felt not like the first days of school. it felt like they just came back to me after winter break. i know them so well, and they know me well. are their antics, their personalities, the things they (still) need to work on... i love my kids! it'll be a year full of stories! they're ms.leenoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2686619.post-1157424649627778122006-09-04T19:48:00.000-07:002006-09-04T19:50:49.643-07:00is that the school bell?school starts tomorrow! AAAHHhHHHh~!! so frantic!....................i'm pretty much all moved into my new apartment in K-TOWN!!!! wwasssuuppp~! housewarming to come. =) but first, my kids to think about.ms.leenoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2686619.post-1156265718531632602006-08-22T09:35:00.000-07:002006-08-22T10:04:55.800-07:00everything is in english...!i indeed made it back safely. on thursday, made it to the bus station on time (after my class ended at 1pm) at 2pm to head to the capital. arrived at 6pm, got a taxi right away (they're all waiting there when then bus pulls in), negotiated a good price for it, my taxista got all lost trying to find my hostel. we talked the whole time and i don't know if he was trying ms.leenoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2686619.post-1155831124631550832006-08-17T09:09:00.000-07:002006-08-17T09:12:04.653-07:00hoy es mi ultimo dia! yo viajo para la capital esta tarde. voy a dormir en un hotel y tomar el avion mañana a las 8am. goodbye guatemala! i will soon return...i will update my travels when i am back home...ms.leenoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2686619.post-1155601908380583662006-08-14T17:09:00.000-07:002006-08-14T17:31:48.400-07:00the countdown begins...only a few days left! i realized what happened with my alarm clock on sat. i programmed it for mon-fri, and what i did was change the time to 5:30 but for weekdays only. good job. apparently i missed a very eventful day. the bus driver and another student almost drowned from an undercurrent and had to be rescued by lifeguards. the 9-yr-old daughter of one of the students ms.leenoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2686619.post-1155428797281894222006-08-12T16:58:00.000-07:002006-08-12T17:26:37.306-07:00it bugs!i think i'm in a buggy situation. i thought intially there were fleas, but nah. it must be bed bugs. i read in a local publication that it's probably bed bugs in the mattress. YAY. i have at least 30 bug bites all over my body, mostly on my torso and neck area. also i have one each on both my thumbs! oh and one on the top of my ear. so much fun. and before i even came here i got a ms.leenoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2686619.post-1155394431919865472006-08-12T07:44:00.000-07:002006-08-12T07:53:51.953-07:00*%&$*@#i missed the bus this morning for the school trip to the beach... janet very sad. and as i walked to school just now i saw someone taking a sh** on the street. i believe the person was homeless. now i don't know what to do with myself today. maybe i'll actually have to travel somewhere on my own! O_O heaven forbid.yesterday's graduation was wonderful and a great bundle of fun. =) i was ms.leenoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2686619.post-1155334489484288472006-08-11T15:10:00.000-07:002006-08-11T15:14:49.503-07:00scary nightsso being the "brave" woman that i am, i decided it'd be a fine idea to walk home alone very late at night. =P i hope trisha and liz are not reading this, don't strangle me. even worse, please don't say i told u so. so a few nights ago i was walking home and as i turned the last corner to get to my house, the dog at the corner house decides to growl at me. i ignore it and continue on, ms.leenoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2686619.post-1155081024753192822006-08-08T16:00:00.000-07:002006-08-08T17:03:10.696-07:00not feeling so goodnope, not cuz of the food, not cuz of the water... cuz of the bus. i have motionsickness. made the error of sitting in the very back of the bus AND read. i can´t read in a moving vehicle. but yes, now i feel very queezy. super. other people i know have gotten sick from the food and what not. me? no problems thus far, and i´ve been eating everything, including street food and ms.leenoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2686619.post-1154989835605273102006-08-07T15:22:00.000-07:002006-08-07T15:30:35.666-07:00back in xela, back to schoollake atitlán was a sight alright. my first time swimming in a lake! and my chicken bus experience definitely followed through in its reputation. visited a women´s cooperative and dropped all kinds of cash on buying their fair trade textiles. ate street tacos finally! and i´m still alive folks. started a new week today with a new teacher. watched a documentary this ms.leenoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2686619.post-1154734764686058032006-08-04T16:05:00.000-07:002006-08-04T16:42:07.316-07:00institutionalized -ismswent to a conference yesterday about racism in guatemala. it´s crazy! (for lack of better words i keep resorting to ¨crazy.¨ leave me alone, i have at least 100 new words in a different language occupying my brain.) there is a huge indigenous population here. i mean, u walk around and u see a lot of folks in traje típico, which is local/traditional mayan clothing. u also ms.leenoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2686619.post-1154637702174821652006-08-03T12:57:00.000-07:002006-08-03T13:41:42.330-07:00politicscuba. i asked my host family today if they had heard about fidel castro and the recent news. they were aware that he had some kind of stomach operation, but they didn´t know he relinquished power to his brother raul. my host mom spectulates that fidel has actually in fact died, but that they are not announcing it. she thinks this because she hasn´t seen any photos of him after surgery, inms.leenoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2686619.post-1154563644014758712006-08-02T16:30:00.000-07:002006-08-02T17:07:24.120-07:00i´m meeting people from all over the world. england, sweden, japan, all over the u.s. the guatemalans call people from the u.s. "estadounidense" which quite literally would be united states-er. the term "americano" is not used because in realidad both continents of north and south america is america, hence everyone is american. the hot springs was so relaxing! wow. there was a large pool with ms.leenoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2686619.post-1154543085082035532006-08-02T11:17:00.000-07:002006-08-02T11:24:45.183-07:00it is day 3 here in xela. i´ve had 3 days of spanish class one on one, and already so many things are much clearer in my head in terms of the language. i can´t wait to see what 2 more weeks will bring. yesterday i met up with my two friends liz and trisha in el parque central. we roamed the city, shopped, studied at a cafe, ate out at a mayan restaurant. i spent so much money (which in u.s. ms.leenoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2686619.post-1154384500213326042006-07-31T14:40:00.000-07:002006-07-31T15:34:30.073-07:00greetings from guatemala!ok i´m having a small issue with this keyboard. i´ll get used to it in time...BUT YAY! I MADE IT! here i am!!! how´d i get here? funny u should ask.sat. night i departed at 11:15pm. arrived in guatemala city at 6am (4am PCT). a friend who is already in guatemala arranged for my pick-up from the airport to my final destination of quetzaltenango, aka xela (¨x¨is pronounced ms.leenoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2686619.post-1154206597753979142006-07-29T13:50:00.000-07:002006-07-29T13:56:37.763-07:00the writing project is over. but it's not the end. i feel like i just got started in all this writing business and fortifying some tight friendships with colleagues. yay!i leave for guatemala today. am i ready? not really. am i excited? yes, but nervous as well. i realized this will be my first time traveling to another country alone. but since i feel like i have a pretty solid traveling ms.leenoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2686619.post-1153951904695988512006-07-26T15:10:00.000-07:002006-07-26T15:11:44.713-07:00funny @$$The Pastor's Ass The pastor entered his donkey in a race and it won. The pastor was so pleased with the donkey that he entered it in the race again, and it won again. The local paper read: PASTOR'S ASS OUT FRONT The Bishop was so upset with this kind opublicity that he ordered the pastor not to enter the donkey in another race. The next day, the local paper headline read: BISHOP ms.leenoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2686619.post-1153892148337547042006-07-25T22:23:00.000-07:002006-07-25T22:35:48.486-07:00thrice pokedgot immunizations today in prep for my trip to guatemala. tetanus, hepatitis A, and typhoid fever. whee~ so much $my ucla writing project is coming to an end. i have no idea where that month went. my last day of teaching for upward bound is also tomorrow. my last day of korean drumming is thursday, since i won't be here next month. i had my last soccer game, well until i return, this ms.leenoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2686619.post-1153806372908680582006-07-24T22:45:00.000-07:002006-07-24T22:46:12.923-07:00nice to see that a national education organization is actually taking a stance!PLEASE DISTRIBUTE WIDELY! On Sunday, at its biannual convention in Boston, the American Federation of Teachers declared that it opposes the war in Iraq, calls upon the US for withdrawal of troops and military bases in "a rapid and timely manner," and directs the AFT to urge its local and state affiliates to work ms.leenoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2686619.post-1152957179533304872006-07-15T02:18:00.000-07:002006-07-15T02:52:59.596-07:00my blogs are not that interesting. i just talk about what i do. if my blogs were more amusing or if i pondered weird shit, then i would say they're more interesting...i will now take this opportunity to wish myself a happy birthday. =) dinner at a chic caribbean restaurant with yummy sangria, and then out to a chocolate bar, at a rather small venue that plays reggae, hip hop, neosoul, rare ms.leenoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2686619.post-1152594473069003452006-07-10T21:49:00.000-07:002006-07-10T22:11:48.046-07:00summer is well under way! i see i have at least one loyal reader left. ucla writing project is an amazing experience! the opportunity to be in a roomful of very competent fellow teachers with sound pedagogy and practices, and sharing all our ideas, and having amazing guest speakers... is just, wow. on friday i got to meet linda christensen of rethinking schools magazine. i'm nearly on the verge ms.leenoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2686619.post-1151048706706660172006-06-23T00:07:00.000-07:002006-06-23T00:46:25.860-07:00what do i wanna say? well, it's funny how people's true colors come out. after having been silenced for some time, i finally speak out and the boy gets all upset. he brought upon his own downfall. i didn't have to do it for him. i don't know what kinda craziness is happening in my life, but man. last day of school was bittersweet. i cried when one of the parents got up to say something about me, ms.leenoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2686619.post-1149302101567577402006-06-02T19:26:00.000-07:002006-06-02T19:35:01.580-07:00i got the screw out, dave!! went to the local tire place just down the street from my school. got hte screw our for $12, which is half of what the dealership was trying to charge me. that screw was pretty long. i think if i let it stay there a little longer, the tire woulda been gone. i drove down to SD, all over SD, and back knowing the screw was there the whole time.it's nice feeling like i ms.leenoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2686619.post-1148943182646237972006-05-29T15:42:00.000-07:002006-05-29T15:53:02.696-07:00i can't even keep up with my own self. can't hang with my ups and downs. some of my days are find and filled with lots of love and friends, while other days i feel like i'm kinda forcing myself to lift up my spirits. i definitely need the help of others when i get days like that. lotsa things going on simultaneously which account for such insanity. i want things to be sorted out quicker, but i ms.leenoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2686619.post-1147934314404514142006-05-17T23:31:00.000-07:002006-05-17T23:46:54.860-07:00i guess when something drastic happens in your life, it's good to have something else to occupy your mind. but freakin a... don't wanna go overboard with it. now i need to try to find a third thing to get me to not think so much about the second thing. i'm so vague this is fun. =) i have no patience for time!!! and yet for other things i want time to slow down... aiya!i'm going to guatemala this ms.leenoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2686619.post-1147671917891360342006-05-14T22:37:00.000-07:002006-05-15T00:21:27.456-07:00well going to a big party on my own, where i don't know many people, was new. i'm glad i did it. i'm getting bolder! last nite i went to a pretty cool block party with some good peoples. funny thing is that it ended up with police coming over. we didn't end the party but had to tone it down, not that it was crazy anyway. kinda funny, bunch of older 20-somethings to 30s having a regular party. ms.leenoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2686619.post-1147499004050740472006-05-12T22:36:00.000-07:002006-05-12T22:43:24.050-07:00going to things alone might be something i'll have to get used to... already went to 3 events alone. i know it'll make me stronger! yes? sure, why not. i feel i'm also starting to connect with the korean organizing community. drumming has really help to catalyze that. maybe this is the time for me to start steering myself forward. this is my time to grow. i don't need to be in the shadows of ms.leenoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2686619.post-1147233093233103822006-05-09T20:36:00.000-07:002006-05-12T22:36:06.766-07:00i've maintained this blog for 6 years now... i looked back on some entries way back in the day, and i'm actually learning from myself. observe from what i wrote in dec. of '02:"there are many other things in life when we find ourselves wishing that things were the way they used to be. the quote that i live by cannot hold truer than in this case. experience is definitely the hardest teacher of allms.leenoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2686619.post-1147065332540981682006-05-07T20:45:00.000-07:002006-05-07T22:15:32.643-07:00my sickness turned out to be bronchitis... again! i get it every other year or so. =pi'm in a much better place than i was a month ago. friends help so much! i love my friends. it was good to see the old boys from SD last weekend. i went to bed when the sun was coming up! haven't done that since college days. i miss la jolla bonfires. i like contained fire. =) and smores. mmm... thanks guys for ms.leenoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2686619.post-1145249240836698562006-04-16T21:23:00.000-07:002006-04-16T21:48:20.386-07:00some people have advised me to start up blogging again. i've only stopped for about 4 months. there are years of memories on this blogger. crazy. maybe i should read back on them and remember how i used to be. i haven't been well. i haven't been myself. i konw myself to be a stronger, independent, driven person. i feel like i don't know that person anymore. i want the sadness to go away. it's ms.leenoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2686619.post-1135399027438679062005-12-23T20:04:00.000-08:002005-12-23T20:37:07.513-08:00i'm amazed at how NOT kidding i was. who reads this anymore? i don't even post on it anymore. let's see.. any interesting happenings i can blog about within the last month? yes, plenty. what stands out? let's see...went to a wedding! a very small, quaint, simple wedding. =) right before that was my very first bachelorette party ever. it consisted of dinner at a caribbean restaurant, and salsa ms.leenoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2686619.post-1132911513472338092005-11-25T01:23:00.000-08:002005-11-25T01:38:33.503-08:00wow, i really am averaging one post a month. anyway, thank u to everyone who voted NO on the propositions this month. =) teachers can rest easy now, although the attacks have yet to cease, not with the fartheads we have in office. anyway, ucsd apsa high school conference went well! very smooth, i must say. i brought down my younger cousin who's in 11th grade for the day. also presented two ms.leenoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2686619.post-1129252304263618312005-10-13T18:03:00.000-07:002005-10-13T18:11:44.270-07:00i guess i'm averaging about one blog entry per month. =/ i thought my life was busy last year, i think i'm reaching my limit. i'm doing too much. my body is telling me to slow down. there isn't a single day when i don't have plans for something. i have a meeting everyday. in addition to the other adjunct duties i mentioned, i decided to join MORE groups, as crazy as i am. am part of CEJ (ms.leenoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2686619.post-1126169403795359472005-09-08T01:35:00.000-07:002005-09-08T01:50:03.803-07:00i completely forgot about my blog for about a month now. aug. 10 was my last entry...and quite a bit has happened since then. let's see... returned from mexico 7 days afterwards. it was so sweet cuz benji flew in from singapore that same day, just about an hour difference in arrival time, so we met up at the airport. awwww... =)the day after i got back i had to go to a Title I conference at the ms.leenoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2686619.post-1123698224115383222005-08-10T11:09:00.000-07:002005-08-10T11:23:44.126-07:00greetings from jalisco, mexico! i´ve been in a small town called acatic for over 2 weeks now... life is so different here. the whole town knows there´s a korean in town, i do a lot of cleaning and washing and visiting folks, i´ve been doing laundry by hand, made tortillas, helped make tamales, milked cows, made bricks.. what else? our visit to puerto vallarta last week was interesting. very ms.leenoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2686619.post-1121388985043100522005-07-14T17:43:00.000-07:002005-07-14T17:56:25.053-07:00sooo.. change of game plan. nevermind a bday present to myself, i alreay got one. it even contains gold! O_O i got myself... a $1,000 root canal!!! got my tooth drilled and filed away, even down to the bone because it got that deep, with all the nerves and nerve tissues extracted, and a spankin new gold and porcelain crown. did i mention two fillings? people, let this be a lesson to you all. ms.leenoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2686619.post-1121134386820033312005-07-11T19:06:00.000-07:002005-07-11T19:13:06.826-07:00i know what i want to buy myself for my birthday... a 35mm SLR camera. =) i wanna start taking nicer pictures. i did a little bit of research, not extensive, and one that i found for a decent price that's amateur-friendly is the minolta maxxum70 something something. see i can't even remember the entire name. anyway, i think that's what i'll get. actually, it's just dreaming at this point. i don'tms.leenoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2686619.post-1120804981647835692005-07-07T23:29:00.000-07:002005-07-07T23:43:01.656-07:00will i REALLy, EVER go back and read my past blog entries. i HAVE done it on occasion here and there, and it reminds me of a lot of things i've forgotten about. anyway, today i feel like writing about my dental experience. after not having gone to the dentist's for 2 years, i (well, not ME, but the dr.) discovered i had two small cavities, formed between the teeth. just goes to show me how ms.leenoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2686619.post-1120584231478090062005-07-05T10:16:00.000-07:002005-07-06T16:42:47.200-07:00'tis july.. and that means my birthday is fast approaching. i remember when one of my friends celebrated his quarter century, and i thought he was old for entering his mid-20s. well, it's my turn now. i can no longer say i'm in my early-20s. that's kind of a scary thought. =/ anyway, i'm having my birthday bash along with some other july babies (laurence, ernest, wil) at a restaurant-turned-club,ms.leenoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2686619.post-1120025480561003442005-06-28T22:09:00.000-07:002005-06-28T23:14:11.426-07:00with great thanx to my brother, my last day of school was a success. all kinds of things were going wrong beginning the night before friday. i won't go into it, but i actually started to feel very stressed out. the next day, more things were just not falling into place. technical difficulties with my slide show for the kids and their parents, anddd... just a whole lotta other shit was going on ms.leenoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2686619.post-1120025574168242142005-06-27T23:12:00.000-07:002005-06-28T23:12:54.170-07:00hAPPY HAPPY BIRTHDAY TO MY BROTHER, FRED!!! =) he is a very youthful 26 today! and i'm right behind him....ms.leenoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2686619.post-1119333210795211532005-06-20T22:53:00.000-07:002005-06-20T22:53:30.803-07:00last week of school... do report cards, close cumulative records, fill out final year-end attendance records, fill out countless award certificates, take down everything from the walls, pack up my entire room to move classrooms... it doesn't end. how is any sane individual to do all this in less than a week? all of this has to be done BEFORE friday. and in addition o what the school requires of ms.leenoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2686619.post-1118988082303164592005-06-16T22:33:00.000-07:002005-06-16T23:01:22.326-07:00i'm a little bit frightened... on sunday morning i felt the quake. then today's quake near the end of the school day literally got me scared shitless. unfortunately for being a teacher of young ones, i had to pretend to appear totally calm and together so that they wouldn't freak out. i was just talking to a few of my students while the rest of the class was writing, when i began to feel the ms.leenoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2686619.post-1118035841314567612005-06-06T06:03:00.000-07:002005-06-05T22:30:41.326-07:00Survivor in the ClassroomHave you heard about the next planned SURVIVOR show?Three businessmen and three businesswomen will bedropped in a public school classroom for 6 weeks. Each business person will be provided with a copy ofhis/her school district's curriculum, 5 classes of 28students each, 25 desks, and 22 textbooks. Each classwill have five learning-disabled children, three withADHD, ms.leenoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2686619.post-1118029460820288382005-06-05T20:30:00.000-07:002005-06-05T20:44:20.826-07:00well it's been a while since i've blogged. lotsa things happening. most importantly, the close of the school year is fast approaching. i get sadder and sadder in realizing how close that time is. i will really miss this year's class so much. but at the same time, i'm excited to get my last year's class back! =) ANDDD... as sad as it may be that my kids are leaving me this year, they will be back ms.leenoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2686619.post-1116912800577981872005-05-23T22:25:00.000-07:002005-05-23T22:33:20.600-07:00standardized testing season is OVERRR! thank goodness. my poor kids. but they've been so good about the week-long tests. seriously, who tests 6-year-olds like that for 6 days straight? it just isn't right. at least many of them did extremely well. walking around and seeing their answers, i could see a lot of em did well. i'll have to wait til next year til they're in second grade. wheee... such ms.leenoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2686619.post-1113757021182754152005-04-17T09:56:00.000-07:002005-04-17T10:04:07.870-07:001. A kindergarten pupil told his teacher he'd found a cat, but it was dead. "How do you know that the cat was dead?" she asked her pupil. "Because I pissed in its ear and it didn't move," answered the child innocently. "You did WHAT?" the teacher exclaimed in surprise. "You know," explained the boy, "I leaned over and went 'Pssst!' and it didn't move." 2. A small boy is sent to bed by his fatherms.leenoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2686619.post-1113536584017684832005-04-14T20:01:00.000-07:002005-04-14T20:43:04.016-07:00i don't deserve to be sick. i've been taking care of myself! i take my vitamins (almost) everyday, even my calcium now and then, my echinecea, and even glucosamine! why did i get sick? i felt so shitty this week, and i'm just now starting to feel better. apparently something is going around because walking into my classroom sounds like an infirmary. the time with my students is slowly coming to ams.leenoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2686619.post-1113090622047136312005-04-09T16:44:00.000-07:002005-04-09T16:50:22.046-07:00re-diagnosis of my eye: not cancerous. BUT, slight chance that as i grow older it may thicken or enlarge, in which case i should give the opthomologist another visit. in the meantime, nothing serious. i feel so much better. =)now that i've proven to myself that i am better about taking care of my health, i should continue the streak and get my back looked at and finally treated somehow, someway..ms.leenoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2686619.post-1113090844885470522005-04-06T23:44:00.000-07:002005-04-10T19:09:16.203-07:00happy 2-year anniversary to me and benji! =) happily together and going strong, i took him out for a NICE dinner to a sushi bar for "omakase", which is the chef's specialties. u'r left completely in the hands of the chef's recommendations. well, of course u can tell him things u don't like to eat. but wow, i ate some really expensive sushi that i've only heard about or seen pictures of... like ms.leenoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2686619.post-1112425372250848472005-04-01T22:51:00.000-08:002005-04-01T23:02:52.250-08:00after yesterday's visit to the opthamologist, i felt confused. he said that he couldn't find anything wrong with my eyes, that they were 100% healthy. that's a complete opposite diagnosis of what the first doctor said. so what am i supposed to make of it?? as far as he was concerned, there was nothing wrong with me. so, i left confused, wondering what the first doctor could have possibly seen in ms.leenoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2686619.post-1112167516048127322005-03-30T06:10:00.000-08:002005-03-29T23:25:16.050-08:00scary stuff that i need to let off my chest... i find out tomorrow (or at least, i start the process of finding out) if something a doctor found in me is cancerous. i've been waiting a LONG ASS TIME, for months on end, but the FUCKED UP HMO system made it wayyy more complicated than it should have been. i even had a mini-breakdown from the frustration of even trying to be SEEN by a specialist. i ms.leenoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2686619.post-1112167105297058712005-03-29T22:50:00.000-08:002005-03-29T23:18:25.300-08:00who invented taxes? arghghh! i hate paperwork. it's report card season now too. i just spent hours in front of all my record keeping stuff and my laptop typing in grades. what a waste. all my parents know how their kids are doing. i talk to them regularly and send them informal progress reports periodically. in fact, who invented paper?!? i hate paperwork. i also went through a year's worth of ms.leenoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2686619.post-1111911837204728022005-03-27T00:14:00.009-08:002005-03-27T00:35:42.436-08:00my spring break is almost over. i was able to get a lot of errands done, worked in my classroom a little (shhh), and took students to the california science museum. it was the first time i actually maxed out my passenger capacity of 7! oh wait, 6 passengers + 1 driver. so yes, people capacity of 7! gotta put my car to good use. took my cousins out for bowling, watched some movies, went shopping, ms.leenoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2686619.post-1111606027876928452005-03-22T23:16:00.000-08:002005-03-29T23:19:24.180-08:00a day in the life of someone serving jury duty during their spring break:yes, it is my spring break. i was summoned for jury duty almost a year ago. they kept wanting me to come in during weeks that i was teaching. there is no way i'm getting sub for that. so i kept postponing it, but i have to serve within a year's time of my original summons otherwise they could charge up to $1,500. so i ms.leenoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2686619.post-1110742547896382902005-03-13T11:28:00.000-08:002005-03-13T11:35:47.896-08:00well, life as a teacher is moving right along. i just presented at a teacher conference this weekend, and it went well! i presented the work of my students and talked about my class and whatnot. the teachers who attended were pleased and asked lotsa questions. my principal and vp both sat in on our session, too. they had nice things to say as well. my plan is alllll working out... what do i mean ms.leenoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2686619.post-1109575102428124002005-02-27T23:09:00.000-08:002005-02-27T23:18:22.430-08:00APSA undergrad-alumni sports day! =) had a great deal of fun in the sun (i might be slightly burnt) kickin it with APSA folks. benji, laurence, james, and myself drove down to SD today for a day full of basketball, dodgeball, and soccer. we didn't do too hot 2 years ago in any of the games. this year though, alumni showed up in force and had a close game against the undergrads in basketball, but ms.leenoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2686619.post-1109437185703819692005-02-26T08:53:00.000-08:002005-02-26T09:36:19.770-08:00why they still refer to fortune cookies as such boggles me. my "fortune" last nite: "DON'T USE DRUGS."my family has to move out of their duplex, because the place got bought out by a new owner. i think the plan is to have us out so they can remodel and rent it out for more. *shrug* such is the capitalistic world we live in. now we need to try to find a new place to live, but cheap rent is hard toms.leenoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2686619.post-1108934369821456482005-02-20T13:02:00.000-08:002005-02-20T13:24:49.453-08:00gotta love mexican parties. last nite i went to one of my student's birthday parties at his house. as usual, it was outdoors with lotsa tables and chairs. they got the music up loud, spongebob everything (tablecloths, napkins, cake, the pinata, balloons), and PLENTY of food. dad is a construction worker and he built a cement pit bbq grill in the ground. and they have a deep fryer, and a brick ms.leenoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2686619.post-1108325840085611402005-02-13T12:09:00.000-08:002005-02-13T12:17:20.086-08:00the chinatown parade was well enjoyed by myself and my 5 students that i took with me. =) they already learned a lot about the way the chinese celebrate lunar new year, so they recognized the lion dancers, dragon dancers, buddha, and leisees (red envelopes). they enjoyed chinese food and got to go home with some souvenirs (they wanted silly spray string and the firecracker poppers). i tried to ms.leenoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2686619.post-1107920790564518592005-02-08T19:42:00.000-08:002005-02-08T19:50:31.063-08:00happy lunar new year! se-heh-bok ma-nee bah-duh-se-yo! (korean)
gung hay fat choy! (cantonese)
tomorrow will be the year 4703, the year of the Rooster, according to the lunar calendar. koreans will celebrate Sol Nal, vietnamese will celebrate Tet, and of course the chinese will be doing their well-known things. i'm sad as i say goodbye to my year... the year of the monkey will not come around ms.leenoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2686619.post-1106806291869004642005-01-26T21:48:00.000-08:002005-01-26T22:11:31.870-08:00my dad told me a second time over the phone that he loves me! =) awww~
so i finally decided to make use of my medical insurance and got glasses. kinda funky, makes me look really different, but i do like it. =) i'm kinda scared about my right eye, though. the optometrist found a bump/growth on my iris. he couldn't see behind it in any of the examinating mechanisms, so i have to get an ultrasoundms.leenoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2686619.post-1106806324498994942005-01-25T21:03:00.000-08:002005-01-26T22:12:04.500-08:00oh yes. in wanting my students to understand why we had last monday off, we did a brief study (1 week) on MLK, jr. and wrote letters to him. one of my students wrote one of the most moving things at the end of her letter: "I hope you are safe and free at last. Love, Jocelyne". O_O coming from a first grader!! my kids kick ass. =) and a lot of them remembered little details, like that he walked ms.leenoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2686619.post-1106804521014862562005-01-24T21:38:00.000-08:002005-01-26T21:48:36.013-08:00talk about bad taste. in some serious lack of judgment, Hot 97 radio station decided to make up and put out a song of their own called "The Tsunami Song" (be forewarned, it's fucked up shit):
----------------------
There was a time when the sun was shining bright
So I went down to the beach to catch me a tan
Then the next thing I knew, a wave twenty feet high
Came and washed your country ms.leenoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2686619.post-1106103192554745552005-01-18T18:42:00.000-08:002005-01-18T18:53:12.553-08:00people need to stop getting engaged and married around me. just found out one of my UCLA cohort buddies got engaged over the break, at the eiffel tower no less! and then there are my old SD buddies jason and ann who are getting married this may. O_O craziness. who's next...
this past weekend was the first time i took my car to the mountains. ah yes, where an SUV belongs. although, when i stoppedms.leenoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2686619.post-1105583837624556542005-01-12T18:32:00.001-08:002005-01-12T18:37:17.623-08:00my dad told me for the first time last nite, over the phone, that he loves me. it was really funny how he said it, using elongated words and a joking sorta tone. he said it cuz my mom told him to tell me that she loves me, and then he asked if she said that often to me, and i said yeah. and he was pleasantly surprised, and said that his parents never said it to him so he doesn't know how to say ms.leenoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2686619.post-1105074332152439412005-01-06T20:52:00.000-08:002005-01-06T21:06:39.446-08:00greetings from philly! today, i had my very first genuine philly cheese steak. only, of course, around here they just call it a cheese steak. that always throws me off. i forgot that here in philly, there would be no reason to call it a philadelphia cheese steak, cuz obviously i'm here. same thing happened to me in france, when i was searching the menu for french onion soup. hello, janet.... it'sms.leenoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2686619.post-1104721062936699292005-01-02T18:33:00.000-08:002005-01-02T18:57:42.936-08:00family road trip to canada... i sensed it would be a very interesting experience. lotsa family stuff came up during this trip, which i suppose was bound to happen being that the 4 of us would be together 24 hours straight for 7 days. not always a perfect equation, but good times nonetheless! we enjoyed great views and scenic drives, good sightseeing, long drives, and very cold weather. i think myms.leenoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2686619.post-1104129162709216702004-12-26T22:26:00.000-08:002004-12-26T22:33:01.963-08:00greetings from port angeles, washington! man, of the 4 times i've driven up to canada, this being my 4th, this is the longest it's ever taken me. almost two whole days later, we're only on the northeastern tip of washington. we didn't even stop anywhere to sightsee. we just leave late, and this time around we got really held back because of the snow. had to stop to put on and off the tire chains ms.leenoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2686619.post-1103582701904805392004-12-20T14:24:00.000-08:002004-12-20T14:45:01.906-08:00winter break.... *breathe* finally. time to just relax and breathe. it's hard to believe it's already nearing the end of december. my second year will be over in no time, at this rate. first, gotta get better. my health is an issue yet again, but i did lots of sleeping in already. =) i couldn't even drive home friday after school. my mom and my brother, who showed up on the last day for our ms.leenoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2686619.post-1102315959150261782004-12-05T22:49:00.000-08:002004-12-05T22:52:39.150-08:00one of our classroom pet hermit crabs died this past week. it was the first time that we experienced a death together. i was so horrified when i discovered that Equity died. i don't know how or why she died. in any case, we went together to the back of the school to the Peace Garden and found a spot to bury her in the ground. my kids were very dignified and mature as we took care of everything. ims.leenoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2686619.post-1101704194729871162004-11-28T20:38:00.000-08:002004-11-28T21:00:43.526-08:00"black friday" it's called, the day after thankstaking. well, i tried to give it a go. was at the mall for about an hour. MAN, people get MEAN and RUDE during holiday shopping! i didn't like being there, just wanted to check out what was so special about that day. wasn't on a mission or anything, just nonchalantly walking around seeing if i might run into some good deals. well, found a couple. ms.leenoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2686619.post-1101433966415647242004-11-25T16:37:00.000-08:002004-11-25T17:52:46.416-08:00"ms. stephanie," aka steph aguon, has been coming into my class to volunteer every friday. i think that's so dope! and i just hand her things to teach. hehe. well she's gonna be a teacher next year anyway, so she might as well get the practice. she actually had her full day of teaching just last week! muahaha... because my roommate is off-track, i asked him to sub for me last friday while i had ms.leenoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2686619.post-1100219238936922422004-11-11T16:20:00.000-08:002004-11-11T16:27:18.936-08:00in the faculty lunch lounge yesterday:
some woman sub: can i ask u a question?
me: sure
her: how is it that asians are so thin?
me: (i don't have a change to answer yet because she adds...)
her: is it the diet?
me: (still can't answer because she asks...)
her: is it the garlic?
me: (now i'm thinking... #1, she asked the WRONG girl. #2 i'm trying to bite my tongue because she was really nice but,ms.leenoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2686619.post-1099375686345774832004-11-01T22:06:00.000-08:002004-11-01T22:08:06.346-08:00VOTE TOMORROW. america needs your vote. i think i will do absentee voting from now on. it's so much more convenient. =) god save us should bush steal (literally) the election again...ms.leenoreply@blogger.com0