have a good lunch

as i was dropping my students off at lunch today, one of my girls looked up at me and said, "have a good lunch, ms. leung." the way she said it was so sweet, and her smile was so genuine...made me really wanna pick her up and give her a hug.

those six words completely made my day. i'd been having a cranky morning, and a lot of my other students were really out of it, but this one little girl had the ability to turn it all around. all with one little gesture of kindness.

makes you really think about how one simple gesture or even a greeting to someone can make such an impact on their outlook of life.

as a teacher, you tend to learn more from your kids than they do from you, no matter how well you teach them. i think the future generation of america will be okay after all :)

a blur of a year

i don't think i ever realize how lucky i am.

i just got home from my THIRD vacation of the year. first cancun (march), then hawaii (april), now florida this past week, and then i have a FOURTH (and final) vacation during christmas break to taiwan for a week.

many people are always asking me where i have the money for all of it. to be very honest, i don't have money at all - just the little that i was making this past year, but i guess i believe a little too much in treating myself right.

i think it was this that made this past year such an awesome year for me. after graduating from nyu, i anticipated life sucking post-college years, what with having to live at home and all that, but it worked out better than i thought. as much as i had fun and went out during my undergrad years, i did SO much more this past year. perhaps it was cos i didn't have to worry about school for the first time in 18 years. or maybe my mantra of "work hard, play hard" just turned into play all the time, but either way, i've been so blessed with what i've been given, not just material goods, but with the people in my life as well.

now i'm embarking on working full time as well as taking grad school classes full time...not sure how that will play out, but i'm hopeful that each year will be bigger and better than its predecessor :)

awesomeness

why hawaii is amazing:

- 80 degree weather with a light breeze is the perfect temperature
- wearing close to nothing everywhere is okay, even when you're at a restaurant
- homemade sushi + sashimi made by my uncle
- beautiful beaches and clear blue water
- an $800/night 2-bedroom suite @ the hilton hawaiian village for close to nothing

and so many more. oh man...this is the life :D

golden globes

i wish i was a celebrity so that i can wear pretty dresses all the time.


that's such a girly thing for me to say....-_-

underground thoughts

wrote this on the train ride home about a week ago on my phone. no better time to post than now, i guess.



December. The holiday season usually brings lots of joy to everyone. For most, it is a time for giving and thanks and for Christians, it's that and so much more. It signifies the birth of our Savior, so many years ago.

Spirits are extremely high at this time of year, but these times can also bring bouts of sadness and loneliness. For those who are celebrating without the loved ones they are used to seeing, for the single/unmarried who want someone to share this joyous time with. Even those who are constantly surrounded with loved ones can feel a sense of loneliness at this time of year.

Unfortunately, I'm no exception to the case. I've fought my fair share of loneliness and empty feelings. However, being a child of God, I know that this is a temporary feeling. When I snap back to reality and remember that God can fill my life better than anyone or anything, that feeling goes away and I am filled once again. It's a sad realization that many of our closest friends and family do not share this same revelation. Instead, their bout with emptiness and loneliness tends to linger. And this is partly our fault. Isn't it our job as His children to spread His word so that He may in turn fill the empty voids that many people try to fill with people and wordly things?

Do yourself a favor and share the Gospel with a loved one this holiday season. It's a secret that's not meant to be kept - by all means, go share it with as many as you can :)


On a different note, I've been noticing more and more recently that I have been so blessed. I am completely undeserving of the friendships and relationships that I am so lucky to have. More importantly, I am completely undeserving of God's love, and yet He loves me anyway. And
this is despite my flaws and mistakes.

We're all really blessed, in many different ways. Take the time to go and bless others :)

Happy holidays ! =D

crackberry

oh man.
i didn't realize how much i relied on google applications until i got a blackberry.
goodness.

it's addicting.


...sigh.

i can teach now!!

just found out i passed my 2 certification exams for teaching - the LAST and the multi-subject CST.

beware - hopefully coming soon to a school near you :)

who would've thought (thunk?) i'd really become a teacher...

=P