If you haven't worn it in the past year, give it away.  You probably won't wear it if you haven't for a year.

...ahhhh.  It's too much stuff!  Life is already too much and on top of it, I have to pack and clean out the past 21 years of my life?  For example, what do I do with this really cool book mark I made when I was 5?  Or, with these clothes from 6th grade that I STILL fit?  I have an accumulation of perfectly good clothes that are so old they're coming back in style again, YET I still fit them.  I never grew...physically.  But hopefully I had some growth the past 4 years in other ways.  Hmmm...

Just to clarify...if possible...

http://whatis.techtarget.com/definition/0,,sid9_gci341236,00.html

Schrödinger's cat is a famous illustration of the principle in quantum theory of superposition,
proposed by Erwin Schrödinger in 1935. Schrödinger's cat serves to
demonstrate the apparent conflict between what quantum theory tells us
is true about the nature and behavior of matter on the microscopic
level and what we observe to be true about the nature and behavior of
matter on the macroscopic level.

Here's Schrödinger's (theoretical) experiment: We place a living cat
into a steel chamber, along with a device containing a vial of
hydrocyanic acid. There is, in the chamber, a very small amount of a
radioactive substance. If even a single atom of the substance decays
during the test period, a relay mechanism will trip a hammer, which
will, in turn, break the vial and kill the cat. The observer cannot
know whether or not an atom of the substance has decayed, and
consequently, cannot know whether the vial has been broken, the
hydrocyanic acid released, and the cat killed. Since we cannot know,
the cat is both dead and alive according to quantum
law, in a superposition of states. It is only when we break open the
box and learn the condition of the cat that the superposition is lost,
and the cat becomes one or the other (dead or alive). This situation is
sometimes called quantum indeterminacy or the observer's paradox:
the observation or measurement itself affects an outcome, so that it
can never be known what the outcome would have been if it were not
observed.

We know that superposition actually occurs at the subatomic level,
because there are observable effects of interference, in which a single
particle is demonstrated to be in multiple locations simultaneously.
What that fact implies about the nature of reality on the observable
level (cats, for example, as opposed to electrons) is one of the
stickiest areas of quantum physics. Schrödinger himself is rumored to
have said, later in life, that he wished he had never met that cat.

http://www.imagestation.com/album/pictures.html?id=2104964781
Bangkok, OLC English Camp, Grand Palace, Ayuttaya, Singapore, Chiang Mai, Phuket, Japan

Also...lots of pictures!  You may be in some...!

http://www.imagestation.com/members/stepheetz
Edge Banquet
EProm, Order of the Engineer
Shire Reunion
UROP Symposium
Junior GRX
Margie's Birthday
Karaoke at Elvis - Jess and Mike
Civan's 22nd at V2O

Phew!  We made it back!  Soooo much traveling.  I'm tired.  Surprisingly I slept from 12-7 last night.  I'm now waiting for it to be 9 a.m. so I can call Vi.  We're going to make yummy pancakes =).

Do I feel like a different person coming back home?  Hmm...in some weird way, yes.  How could I not?   I saw and experienced amazing things, different things, that I would never ever get to see or experience here in Orange County.  It's very odd, but after all of that traveling, I love Orange County even more.  I have this deep appreciation for what we have here...COMFORT.  Our lives are sooo comfortable here in OC.  I had never been so UNCOMFORTABLE for such a prolonged period of time before this trip, and now I come back home and everything is here - cleanliness, friends in close proximity, cars to drive anywhere, beaches, Mochi, air conditioned everything, Western style toilets, no open sewage, NICE weather, Bunny, showers that actually spray more than 3 drips at a time, comfy couch, variety of ethnic foods, NO MOSQUITOES, a fridge that can fit more than 2 water bottles, hot water coming out of the faucet, carpeted floors, homes where we don't have to march up 4 flights of stairs everyday, clean sidewalks, no bad smells, free toilet paper in public places....EVERYTHING.  Still in all, I really LOVE traveling.  I can't believe how lucky and blessed I am to be able to travel and see all these different places.  Many people we met in Thailand had never left Thailand before!  It's too expensive or they just don't have time.  I can't imagine living a life where I would not be able to travel or have time off to go explore or to simply rest.  That's how good we have it here.  I have a whole MONTH to do nothing.  How many people have that much time?  Hmm...I guess a lot of recent college grads, but besides that, everyone else is busy...always busy.  So many people are just trying to get by, trying to survive.  Like all those Thai people who work 16 hour days, selling chicken skewers 3 baht at a time to make a living.  I wonder how much those street vendors make... hmm.  We met this Thai boy in Phuket who worked 16 hour days 5 days per week, getting paid only 9,000 baht per month!  That comes out to be...~30 baht/hour = 75 cents/hour!!!  Omg...and he said he was trying to save up so he could go to the university.  You know how freaking long that would take?!  Anyway...I'm thinking of making a newsletter about my trip, but that would take a lot of work.  Hopefully it happens.

It's good to be back!  I can try to start speaking normal English again (instead of Engrish....haha)

Me:      Chandara, how do you say English in Japanese?
Chandara:      Engrish!

Bangkok: Teaching.  6 very long weeks.  Daily Grind.  Tiredness.  Funny kids.  Non-stop prepping.  BKK pollution.  MRT lady.  FOOD.  Newsong! (homey church services = loved it)  Cool people.  Lovely Thai people.  Street vendors.  Endless mosquito bites.  I will miss everyone...

Grand Palace: VERY HOT.  and... VERY HOT.  I should've gotten in free because I look Thai.

Ayuttaya: HOT.  lots of temples/ruins.  Mortal Kombat scenes.  Got to speak Spanish with people from northern Spain!

OLC English Camp, Saraburi:  So fun!  Thai people are so lovely.  Warm and friendly.  MASSIVE waterfall...haha, not really.  Hilarious skits.

Shopping, movies, city outings, people: cheap, cheap, cheap.  Paragon theater is the best, fun to stand up for the King.  Too much stuff to look at.  Stops you from getting anywhere quickly.

Singapore>  Clean.  Sentosa = artificial but still fun.  Fake rocks.  Bloody rocks (from my foot).  Night Safari (Tiger...roar!!!).  Too much shopping.

Chiang Mai, white water rafting> white water rafting on the Mae Taeng River = major highlight of the trip!  bowel movement.  Sitting by the pool for 5 hours.  Sleeping for 12 hours.  Weekend bazaar.

Phuket> Rain.  CRAZY adventures.  Thai boys.  Sea Canoeing.  James Bond Island.  Beach.  Swimming.  NOC Team!  Savoey (twice).  Coconuts.  Mai Tai's in pineapples.  Singapore Sling = gross! TV-Star Movie Channel. 

Japan> can't wait!

Goodbye Thailand...

=*(

Hello Japan

=)

Then Home!

=D

Tummy aches, fever, body aches, extreme bowel movement.

Yeah, I had a very bad day yesterday.  I had one very bad experience, too.  It's very embarrassing.  I cannot mention it.

One day left of teaching!

Chiang Mai: awesome white water rafting.  Check out pictures.  Class 4 rapids - 1 meter drop i almost fell out, but did not.  the other boat completely flipped.  The mountains were beautiful, esp. all the green foliage.

Meeting new people: Best part about traveling is meeting new/different people.  On our Chiang Mai trip we met some Americans who now live in Thailand, China, or are traveling the world.  One was the white water rafting company owner who has now been here 10 years, first came to get some tatoos done, now married to a Thai woman, has a very cute whasian kid, speaks Thai fluently of course.  Another teaches in China, makes kayaking videos, did some political consulting before.  One more is traveling the world, went to Iraq to work at an internet cafe, still traveling to figure out what he wants to do with his life.  Met some Brits whose English was so not understandable.  It's english so you think we'd be okay, but noo, very hard to understand.  Met 3 different groups, who happened to all meet in Chiang Mai and have been traveling together since.

I gained weight, definitely.  My cheeks blew up.  But since I've been sick I feel like I've been crapping it all out plus some more.

I miss my family and friends.  I miss Mochi.  I miss Bunny, too.  But I still can't wait to see Phuket and Japan!  Yipeee!

Hope everyone back home is doing well.

Singapore is not like Irvine.  Whoever said that Singapore was just a bigger city-version of Irvine is wrong.  Though I didn't get to explore too much of Singapore, it was still fun.  Sentosa Island was still fun even though it is completely man-made (the islands in the lagoon had rocks exposing the steel bars inside haha).  I cut my foot on those fake rocks, though, and left my mark of blood on one of them YUMMY.  I have to admit, Yes, there's way too much shopping.  The Night Safari was way cool (very artificial/man-made again).  My favorite animal was the Binturong (Bearcat).  They were funny, just slumping over the tree branches, letting their arms hang down.

I love the beach.  I think I want to go at least 4 times a week when I get back home.  Anyone down?  Please don't tell me you have to work.

Teaching is getting more comfortable.  I like how I can talk with the students and it's cool to see students interested in what we're talking about or figure out what the answer is or improve in their reading skills!  It's actually quite a rewarding experience when you feel you connect with them.  All the kids are really good and nice which makes it easier.  We heard some horror stories about some horrifying students that Elite had over the past year and they'd have to kick them out of the program.  Eeek!  I don't know how I'd deal. 

Only two more weeks, feels like so little time left.  On the plane ride back from Singapore I kept thinking about what I was coming back to at home.  The thought kept running through my head that I was coming back to only one more month (actually a little less than a month) of life as I've always known it...kinda.  It's not like nothing's happened to me in the last 21 years to make my life that mundane that I could clump it all together as "my life in the Bubble - Irvine."  I usually get offended when people generalize, saying that all people in the Bubble/Irvine don't know anything about life outside of Irvine.  Yes, it's true for a lot of people in Irvine, but Yes it's true for A LOT of people in general.  Some people have never left their town/city/state/country.  Lots of people here in Thailand have never left Thailand.  I'm sure there's lots of people who have never even left Bangkok.  Okay, so Bangkok's not the same and it's a big city.  But anyway, if you take a look at the lives of a lot of people in Orange County, California, or a lot of other cities in the U.S., you'll find that lots of people don't leave their comfort zone.  Lots of people don't stray too far from their home.  Some people have never tasted SUSHI before.  That's a complete crime in and of itself.  If I could eat only one kind of food everyday for the rest of my life, it'd have to be sushi.  Chinese food comes in pretty close, but I think sushi wins.  Yum.  I had sushi from the conveyor belt in Singapore.  Loved it =P  Getting back to the subject...I definitely would have to object to the statement that everyone in Irvine is in their own little bubble.  I don't think it's just Irvine, I think it's pretty much everyone of us...the bubble of our own lives and getting so wrapped up in just ourselves.  I hope I never grow old and stop taking delight in the little things.  Living in a city is fun because there's always something different going on (except for the shoes that are on sale for 100 baht.  I think they change the shoe line up every 4 weeks.)  So...I figured out that I need some sort of constant stimulation since I get bored of things easily or lose interest so I always need something new to do or someone new to meet because that's just how I am. <-- run on.  I think my reading comprehension is getting a little better since I'm freaking teaching it, but I still consider myself a slow reader, or at least a lot slower than what I'd like to be.  We talk at the rate of 100-150 wpm, I don't know how much faster I read.  I should time myself when I time the kids next time.  I was reading this speed reading book, which isn't that great, but interesting still.  It says that you should be able to focus only on the center of the column and read the whole column (newspaper width) without shifting your eyes.  The movement of your eyes and the stops slows your reading down.  Instead of stopping at each word or phrase, we should keep moving fluidly downward , with our eyes shifting at most once (left to right).  It's really hard to do.  I've been trying to get better but it takes a lot of effort, a lot of practice that most people are not willing to put in.  Continuing with this humungo paragraph, a friend of mine gave me $40 to use in Thailand, not on myself, but on others.  That is an INCREDIBLE amount of money here.  Lunch is 25 baht (=25/40 dollars) so about 60 cents for lunch.  I can buy 40/0.60 = 67 lunches for that amount of money!  If I bought lunches for every person on the street with all the money it would take forever, especially since we are usually in a rush wherever we are going.  It's weird, you just can't stop when you're walking down the street.  You'll just get run over and pushed around too much.  Or maybe it's because I'm so small hmm.  Anyway, a lot of friends are going through some really rough times and it makes me sad how I don't even know what to do or say, or the fact that I can't even be there for them.  =( . 

Something interesting I read today, in Acts it says that Judas kills himself or something, right?  So how do they pick a new apostle?  They pray that the Lord will let the right apostle be chosen, then they cast lots!  haha.  Is this what we should do with our lives too?  Just flip a coin or something?  The apostles did it, so why shouldn't we?  So the next big decision I have, I'm just going to roll a die and see what it shows.  Oh, of course I'll pray first.  haha.

Lifehouse - Storm: This song is way old.  Still a good one.

We are about halfway through our teaching experiences.  It's only be 2.5 weeks, but that also means there's 2.5 weeks left.  Mad props to teachers.  Teaching is a LOT of work, especially when you are practically making up the curriculum the night before the lesson.  It's crazy.  You can't fake it like you can being a student.  You have to do all the work you assign students but actually put the effort in to understand it all.  The whole art of being a teacher is: how not to look stupid in front of the class.  How to look like you know what you're talking about.  After all, these parents are paying around $1700 USD to put their kids through these rigorous 6 week programs just to take this ridiculous test called the SAT.  I will never put my kids through one of these programs.  They have no summer!  They had a total of 8 weeks of summer break about, 6 weeks is this program (8:30-2) and they have to memorize 50 words a day plus do my excruciatingly painful homework that I assign them (and the writing stuff, too).  That is no way to live life.  Kids should be out having fun while they can, before they have to go to work.  I am a firm believer in this, though I can't vocalize this opinion...because I'm the freaking teacher!  I'm never going to be a teacher...

Ayuttaya was cool because all the ruins looked like Mortal Kombat scenes.  MOORRTTALLL KOMBAATTT! DUN DUN DUN-DUN DUN DUN....We were so lost coming back and we arrived at Mo Chit 2.  Some Thai people saw that we looked lost and tried to charge us 200 baht to get to the BTS station.  OMg are you kidding me?  We're not freaking stupid!  Oh well..anyway we got back safely.

Other fun things about Bangkok:

The BTS stops, read them aloud: MO CHIT ON NUT THONG LO PHLOEN CHIT RACHATDAMRI .  (sounds like: more s*** on nut, thong low, plen'(ty) s***, raw s*** on me)  haha

MRT: To Bang Sue --> .  haha