the school semester is in full swing now and the challenges every week just get more and more. This past week was a good indication of the kind of stress level i'll be exposed with for the rest of the semester or for the entire time until i graduate even....again, i remind myself that i'm training for something greater...i guess it's true that when you're older you also get wiser...i see in my young classmates the kind of student i was when i was their age attending college. I took almost everything for granted. if there's one thing i learn from this journey, it's going after your dreams..and oh maybe one more thing: running takes a backseat for now and it feels ok.

The summer break is ending so soon and im excited to begin a new experience this fall semester come monday! im officially back to school full-time during the day and work at most nights....the last two semesters have been sort of a trial period for me to see if i liked being back to school and so i've only taken two classes at most before this....so far, i LIKED it! The challenges to keep the grades competitive among other nursing aspirants have been many but keeping my eyes on the prize has not wavered...if anything, it has intensified!

im going to have to stick to a new routine come monday 6/7.....my job at the Honolulu Advertiser is officially ending...it's been 10 wonderful years.it's funny how things work out...have been contemplating ending my employment at the newspaper a year ago when i decided to go back to school, but im glad i waited until this moment when the company is closing its operations in Honolulu...will treasure my memories with the girls, the donuts from foodland every sunday morning, numerous potlucks, and the calling in sick on marathon day! Aloha 'oe THA!

leaving taipei this morning..its been a grrreat experience....people were friendly and spoke some english..great transportation/train/subway/taxi...tried'em all....i wouldnt mind coming back here again especially to the geopark where queens head rock formation is famous for...camera battery died--the highlight of the tour!....but happy to be going home....stoked that i have a confirmed seat too! what a treat!

first meal in taipei

highlight was the salted duck egg!

1.the plane ride on cathay from narita aiport to taipe intl.

2.my spacious bed w/ down pillows!

3.my awesome bathroom!

time to go OUTSIDE!

my favorite part of my hotel in taipei!

im now the proud owner of this vintage-looking chair i found dumped
on the side of road ready for the monthly bulk pick up....i must have
passed by it at least 3 days before getting the courage to load it up in the
back seat of my volvo....and at night when i thought no one was looking! it's
vinyl i think but with a fresh coat of white spray paint it will look like i just
bought it from Ikea or from that extremely expensive store--design within
reach! the best things in life are indeed free!..speaking of which...my free trip
to Taipei is fast approaching!!!.....

today's finals marked the last day of the semester for me. the feeling of complete 'relief' can be compared to the same one i feel everytime i finish a honolulu marathon...but all the hard work and sacrifice of not running as much this semester paid off...earning A's from two subjects that intimidated me most was a sweet and pleasant surprise. i wish i had this much determination and passion about something the first time around...i wish i knew then what i know now....

running with a purpose...perhaps that is why i've been unmotivated lately--lacking purpose and almost feel like hanging up my running shoes in the closet....until i heard a story on K-love radio station about a woman who just ran the Boston marathon the weekend before last and i was inspired again....dont even know the whole details about her but coming out from injury last year, she finished this years prestigious run in under 3 hours while raising funds to help some charity she believed in. Tonight's run was motivated by her story and to celebrate after a major microbiology exam today!

the end of the semester is less than a month away and im gonna have to resume my daily running when it is over :( . I dont suppose im using school as an excuse not to run....it's true i've hit a bump on the road--not running as much or as fast and doing more walking than jogging...but as long as school is running smoothly, then im ok for now even though i might gain a few lbs by the end of the semester!

I could blame the cold and flu symptoms i got after the aloha run on presidents day....or the stress of doing well in school, but i cant seem to get the rythm back of doing my daily runs since that race......im saddened that running now comes next to doing school work.....and i feel a sense of envy seeing others doing it day in and day out. So, last night, after class, i laced up my shoes and hit the familiar route hoping to see some familiar faces along the way.....not only did it take me longer to get home, but it felt pushed to do so. blame my age then...

A day to remember

like everyone else in hawaii and the world, i am keeping a close watch on this tsunami that's suppose to hit hawaii any moment now.......

i was awakend by the sound of the emergency sound system at 6am saturday morning. radio and tv news were broadcasting tsunami warnings here due to the earthquake in chile the night before...

after making coffee, i remember that my car was almost empty on gas and decided to drive to the mauka gas station (a 5-min drive) only to find that most of mililani mauka residents already beat me to it...a long line had already formed. i started in line at 7am and exactly 8am when i finally drove away from the gas station.

nothing extra-ordinary is happening at this point...hoping it stays this way! that it's all but a big drill!

well im always amazed how i get out of the impossible, stressful situations i get in everytime i travel standby...and it seems to me, with all the years traveling standby on united, every single scenario seems to be getting worse.....and this last trip from vegas was no exception. I knew even before i left that flying out of vegas would be risky to say the least, so i made sure i had a confirmed ticket on us airways (coz it was cheaper) for the short haul from vegas to sfo and then i would standby home from sfo (going into vegas wasnt too bad). Even w/ my confirmed ticket, problem would arise--without anybody's fault coz it was weather delay into sfo---low clouds or something according to the agent....fine....2hrs later, plane finally took off....knowing fully that i'd miss my scheduled connection on ua when i arrived. altho there were 2 other flits to oahu yesterday--both were full of confirmed passgrs who also arrived late due to the same problems i had...so i knew those honolulu flts would be packed w/ standby revenue people (no chance for people like me)....Next option was to fly to maui or kona...next flt to maui was leaving at 405pm and i was still standing at the ticket counter (outside security checkpoint in sfo!) at 335pm talking to a fellow agent to try to move my trip to maui instead..after checking me into that flite (by now it's 340pm) she said to run like hell because if i didnt make this one, there would be a very good chance overniting at the airport with the rest of the standby employees. I didnt train for marathons for nothing! i RAN! all those trainings came in handy! exactly 4pm i reached the gate podium and seeing the gate bridge still open and 3 agts talkin among each other, i handed one of them my pass and said 'am i too late?' 'No-you're good...we're actually waiting for 33 connecting passengers from a plane that just landed now..here you go' and she hands me a boarding pass that read 4A!!! getting on was big deal enough but first class? i couldnt believe my luck....of course, it was more than luck! God is FAITHFUL every time!
Oh, and hawaiian air put me in their first class seat too from maui to honolulu---at that point i didnt really care if i sat in the very back because i was already on local soil but God was being generous again...just showing off HIS love for me!

not sure what i did to deserve the title of this year's employee of the year in my department at the newspaper but i did! my boss broke the news this morning as soon as i came in and as always, a dinner is set for the formal recognition on sunday 2/21. The last time i attended one of these formal dinners was the year i got hired (2000). Altho it comes with a pretty darn good dinner at the Honolulu Country Club, i didnt plan on attending again this year; in fact, i am already scheduled for a much needed vacation that same week....