It had me at "hello"

One of the things I brought back from Asia is lust for this bag! It's a Louis Vuitton Speedy 30 Classic. It had me at "hello,". . . okay, the bag didn't say "hello" but you know what I mean. LV brand bags are ubiquitous in Asia, atleast in Taiwan and Japan. Even the men sport these stylish LV accessories. What is also ubiquitous is the counterfeit (euphemistically called "replicas") LV bags in Asia.

I really really want one! It's the best bag ever, it would go with everything, from frompy summer sandles to an elegant winter coat. And of course it would never ever go out of style. So, you think with all those fashion sensible reasons on top of the fact that I just had the occasion of my graduation and a vow of never asking for another birthday present again until I'm 40, I should indulge myself with this bag? Yes, of course!!. . .except for the fact that this is a $600 bag (the real deal, mind you) safely tucked away on a shelf at Neiman Marcus just 10 minutes away from my aparment. Yes, it would be as simple as getting in my car and swiping my credit card. . . but, but, I realized I'm just not that person, yet, the no-guilt-all-pleasure girl that could indulge in a $600 bag. . .oh, but how I wish sometimes I was that person. . .already. Hmm, perhaps a "replica" then, that would run in the $200 range, but what a moral line I'd have to cross and there's images of dark alleys and shady guys . . . I guess I'll just wait 'til the day I can feel good about buying the real McCoy with all its full-priced glory. Perhaps that day will be when I find my first real job out of residency or when hubby finds his new job after his PhD or when we've finally shed our student staus or the day we no longer have student loans. . .or, or, maybe one day soon, I'll just succumb to my lust and buy this bag and never look back . . .

Good night, sweet beauty!

Graduation

Senior Awards Banquet. Paul, me, Omar, and Mel.

This is a good shot of my curly-do. *click to enlarge* I have a soft spot for curly hair ever since in early high-school days when I woke up at the crack of dawn to cajole my arrow straight- hair into curls with a curly iron before the school bus came to my door.

Day of graduation with Malini, my soon-to-be co-resident at Methodist.

With Mom after graduation on Saturday.
I learned that color green on the black gown is meant for physicians while a dark blue is the color for Ph.Ds, light pastel/baby blue is for education, and a royal purple is for J.D.s.

A Long Hiatus.

Pictures first, words later.

Hubby and I on the beach at Penghu island, off of Taiwan. Yes, my hair is that short now, except, it's curly, Shirley Temple-style (a.k.a. I went for the perm a few days later.)

My brother-in-law, David.

The whole family at Penghu.

Paul and I at Asakusa in Tokyo, this was where our hotel was. See my Smurf feet? Atleast the Birkenstocks kept me comfortable even if I was ultra-unfashionable in a very style-conscious Tokyo.

Our first night and first meal in Tokyo, tempura!

One of my favorite photos: hubby in jeans among a sea of black-suited Japs.

Yes, I've been gone for a long time. . .not just from blogging, but from the country. We returned recently from our 3 week trip to Japan and Taiwan which was just fantastic! I hesitated to blog for a long time after I returned, I just didn't have the desire anymore in the face of a zillion things to do in my mind. But I unexpectedly cut my finger while cooking so no dish-washing for me tonight! Sooo, while hubby's doing dish duty, here I am.

First off, I spend a few tiring days finishing up our moving process. Note to self: make MORE use of those brawny and very capable movers next time! I was definitely trying to do too much myself. Now, I'm in search of some furniture to fill out my bigger apartment. And sadly, the US post office managed to lose our three weeks of mail while we were gone! It was just too confusing for those postal people to arrange to hold our mail, change our address, and forward our mail all at the same time. I got a call from the hospital saying that the contract they are trying to send me got returned to them! Now I'm going postal trying to chase down our mail!! And yes, I'm also trying to schedule a LASIK surgery, wisdom teeth surgery, and cook, clean, shop, and play with the cat all at the same time. Speaking of Kitty, she was very well taken care of by Kimberly, our catsitter. She's had her bumpy moments with all the moving, beinig left alone, and a new apartment. We've transformed her into a full-time indoor-only cat. She needs frequent TLC and regular periods of active play and seems to be doing okay. Did I mention I graduated this past Saturday?

Some memorable moments of our trip:

1. Walking tours of Tokyo with Robert and Lieu.

2. Finding what must have been the only cherry tree with blossoms left in Tokyo! We had just missed the cherry blossoms season.

3. Waking up at 5am to visit the Tsukiji Fish Market and having the best sushi ever for breakfast.

4. People-watching: the very beautiful and stylish Japanese girls/women. You won't catch even one without their high heels and LV handbags. As for me, I wore my Birkenstocks everywhere, and yes, I looked like I had Smurf feet.

5. Meeting my mother-in-law. I didn't know what to expect, hubby hasn't seen her for 15 years. Well, she was super! She cooked lobsters and crabs for us, made fresh fruit juices in the mornings, took me to get my hair cut and styled, and just all in all endeared herself to me. And when I came back, she sent me some Korean mini-series DVDs that I've come to love in Taiwan. It's not that the things she did for me that were meaningful, but it was her thoughtfulness that touched me. I have never met her before, but she opened up to me and loved me right away. . .here was me, not able to call her "ma" and not pushing myself even a bit, I was waiting, waiting to see if I could or would love her. . .

6. Visiting Penghu island with the whole family: a day at sea, getting sunburned because not one of us managed to remember sunscreen, eating sashimi on the boat, sleeping in hammocks after lunch, and devouring a whole bushel of oysters at night.

Okay, there were "bad" memories, too. I was ruthlessly bitten by mosquitos one night at a relative's condo. The next day, one of my arm was covered with red bumps that drew me much sympathetic attention which unfortunately didn't help with the itchinig. The unpredictable showers in Taiwan. More than once, I was in the middle of a shower when the hot water decided to cease coming. This was one of the reasons I decided to cut my long hair to a bob. Finally, the terrible motion sickness I experienced while coming down the winding roads from Alishan. I think I vowed to myself many many times that I am never leaving America again. However, perhaps like giving birth, the memories later are much sweeter than any "pain" I endured at the time.

Things Coming Together

A little update on my life. Ever since coming back from Philly, time has been flying and many changes have taken place.

First, I caught a ride with Adrian and Lee back to Arkansas over Easter’s weekend to see my parents. Can you believe that we actually arrived in town with snow falling! It was weird Easter weather! I spend a few blissful days at home while my mom cooked for me. We ate so much fresh Chinese leek in everything, dumplings, pancakes, stir-fry that it was almost like a bovine diet! But it was so yummy. I had a totally laid-back time, it was great. During the trip, I also knitted 90% of my first scarf! Pictures to come later.

As soon as I came back, I got off my butt and started apartment hunting. I was totally engrossed, I felt more preoccupied than busy those days, if that makes sense. Like, going-to-bed-after-3am and on-the-computer-for-hours type of preoccupation. Hubby attributes it to my obsessive personality. I do tend to get preoccupied/obsessive about one thing for a week or so. Finally, we decided to rent a condo that I saw on Craigslist. We just met the owners and signed the contract last night. The area is not perfect but we were assured by multiple neighbors that it’s safe. We are going to be living right smack in downtown Dallas, afterall! It is the perfect location for Paul and I, though. Also, I was very drawn to the fact that the condo is huge (almost twice the size of our apt now) and was completely updated with new carpet and appliances! Two things I loathe in life: inheriting someone else's used carpet in apartments and sleeping on used pillows in hotels. Finally, the price was a big leap for us but I just can’t bring myself to moving into another cramped apartment so it’s worth every penny as they say. Now, we actually have a guest bedroom/study room. I should finally have enough room for all my ever growing clothes and shoes. And if I want a Christmas tree this year, I can, and the closet space to store it if we decide on a fake tree.

I like the idea of renting a condo from private owners. I did that for the first two years of medical school. The landlord-renter relationship is so much more personal. LA, as I’ll call Mrs.Owner, actually gave me a 3-ring binder with her “rules”, the lease contract, the HOA regulations, and copies of all the appliance instructions/manuals. She had very specific instructions/recommendations on how the tiled floor should be cleaned, the right scrubber to use on the stovetop, and the frequency of cleaning of the carpet. She even gave me dish covers for the microwave and samples of all the cleaning products she recommends. I liked her thoroughness and organization. Perhaps it reminds me of myself? Paul just thinks she’s anal.

So, I’ve also hired professional movers, another ordeal that got me preoccupied. We know we wanted an easy and smooth move but finding the right movers was anything but easy! Short of hiring illegal help on street corners, I decided to look into profession moving companies. I found out that there are a number of mover scams out there. They will actually hold your stuff hostage and then demand extra money! So, I did what was suggested, I called area real estate agents to ask for recommendations and came upon Firehouse Movers. The company was started by a local fireman and employs brawny firemen as movers. Another tip: check out the Better Business Bureau for complaints and check their state DOA number for authenticity.

Then, I went about to find a cat sitter for Kitty. This is another service you obviously need really trustworthy people as they will be coming into your home and taking care of your pet. Luckily, I e-mailed Joyce, who’s the cat rescue lady that took in Blacky the lovable stray, and she recommended someone. I also managed to sell our washer and dryer (unfortunately the condo has no connections) last week. Luckily, I didn’t have to rely on strangers from Craigslist as I sold it to a student at my school.

Okay, so now, I’m faced with the task of packing up boxes AND planning our trip this week. We didn’t even have our hotel in Tokyo booked until today. It turned out to be a good thing, actually, since I was able to book our hotel very close to Robert and Lieu’s place after finding out we’ll be in Tokyo together.

So, today’s agenda is to buy suitcases, and all the necessity things for the trip. Then, it’s pack, pack, pack!

Mel and Omar's Wedding

Paul and I attended my school friends, Mel and Omar's wedding this weekend. Mel and Omar are a great couple. I have fond memories of celebrating birthdays, having get-togethers and pot-luck dinners and more recently, double dating with them. They are so down-to-earth and cheerful people, a couple of cool personalities and warm spirits. It was also great seeing a handful of classmates and friends that I haven't seen in many months.

Me with Mel and Omar (future pediatrician and family medicine doctor, in that order). They had Mariachi band in the background, so festive!

Robert and Lieu at the wedding, also future pediatrician and family doctor, respectively.

By the stroke of chance or perhaps something more divine, we found out that we are going to be in Tokyo at the same time as Robert and Lieu!! They are a couple of friends of mine from school and they are spending a couple of weeks traveling through Japan. We are arriving at Narita airport on the same day just 1 hour apart on different flights! Truth be told, I have been rather concerned about our mini 3-day trip in Tokyo ever since I found out that David (Paul's older bro) is not going to be there. We would have cancelled the stay in Tokyo if it weren't for the expensive ticket change fee. The whole point of going to Japan was to visit David and be under his wings while he orchestrated and guided our adventure in a foreign land. But duty calls, he has to be out of the country for work during our trip! So Japan became much more of an adventure than I bargained for! I started having visions of us getting lost amist the massive subway system in Tokyo. . .how do I exchange $$ to yen? What is the best way to get from Narita to Tokyo? What places should we visit?! Where are good places to eat without clearing out our wallet or risk poisoning by ill-prepared puffer fish ?? What can I say, I'm a worrier by nature. I had much research and planning to do. But then I found out Robert and Lieu are going to be there, too! We've vowed to stick together, for better or worse, in times of getting lost, in times of trying sushi. . .plus, we can take couples' pictures for each other!

My Birthday Present

Look at this cute mini thing: Canon Powershot!! Just in time for my birthday! Hubby and I decided to purchase this because our bigger Canon is just too cumbersome for travel. We wanted something that I can easily slip in and out of my purse, and of course for "spy shots" in restaurants or crowds.

My portable travel companion next to Tic Tac for size.

Our Anniversary

We celebrated our 2nd wedding anniversary in a simple and low-key way tonight. I cooked us dinner and hubby bought me roses. I think this is pretty good for a week night, I don't need a big date or fancy gifts.

Clockwise from top left: stir-fried asparaus, boiled spinach in peanutty garlic sauce, mussels with butter and garlic, and scallops.

Roses, apricot-colored this time. I wore my new tank tee, which I couldn't resist for $2 at Wal-Mart, coincidentally matches the roses! It was meant to be like hubby and I.

The Weather, Feeling Blue, and My Skin

How do you mark the beginning of summer? For me, it's when I get into my car and realize I have to turn on the AC and my nose starts to perspire while I wait for the cold air to permeate. This happened yesterday in the balmy weather of 85 degrees. By evening, however, a powerful tree-shaking, hail-pelleting storm came in. This morning, I woke up to a cool weather of just 59 degrees! I guess summer is not yet here afterall.

Hail, size of mothballs, as seen in my "backyard." Okay, we don't have a backyard as we live in an apartmtent. . .this reminds me, I have to check on our cars for hail damage!

Another thing I woke up with this morning is the dreadful remembrance of yet another wrong diagnosis and mishap I made on the CS/PE exam. My day pretty much spiraled down before it had a chance to start while I was still in bed. I think there's a good chance I failed! Hubby reassured me I didn't, his exact colorful words were, " don't worry, I bet on the cat's life that you didn't!" Poor Kitty, I'm glad her life doesn't really depend on my success, but I'm thankful for hubby's optimism. He is the more optimistic of us two. So I'm struggling to get out of bed and start on my long list of to-dos. I wish I could just hibernate until June when the mailman delivers the news! I know, I know, I have already made up my mind NOT to worry until the actual score comes in. But this is so much easier said than done. Statistically speaking, the vast majority of students pass, but I don't find security in statistics anymore. First off, I know my own weak areas, and secondly, I have morphea! What's morphea? It's a localized skin condition that affects 25 people per million per year in the US, and I have it!

Yes, I am a very unique and dare I say "special" person. My best friend, Shoreh, a fellow doctor, says I'm a medical miracle and should be photographed and published in a journal. Well, my dermatologist wasn't as enthusiastic as her. I got my second skin biopsy in a matter of months and morphea was confirmed as the diagnosis. It is also known as localized scleroderma, which is just a patch of skin on my trunk that's different than normal skin. It's darker and harder than normal skin. It doesn't hurt or itch, the cause is unknown, it's not inherited, it's benign and there's no treatment. It's like it just showed up one day and it decided to be part of my skin. Well, I'm grateful that it's not a full-fledged autoimmune disorder or cancer. Still, it bewilders me that it's so weird and rare! My skin seems to be frought with problems: I had terrible acne that required a heavily regulated and teratogenic medication (Accutane) to treat, I have a little red bumpy thing on my chest known as a keloid, and now morphea! No more diagnoses, please! The skin is the biggest organ system, though. BTW, my dermatologist was the best, the kind of doctor you want to see if you have to see doctors, he graduated from my school, in fact!:)

Okay, I'm determined to get myself out of this dump, even if I have to pray continuously. I'm going to return some books to the school library and I'm going to run by the yarn store now.

To Philly and Back

I was literally in Philly for like 24 hours. I did have plenty of time at the airport before heading back to DFW. So I did the one thing people should do when they visit Philly, eat a famous Philly Cheesesteak Sandwich! Does one from an airport counter count? Maybe I’m just not that much of a chopped- beef- on- bun person or maybe it’s the airport location, but I was not impressed with the sandwich! After I got on the plane, I liked the mini pretzels with cranapple juice better for a meal.

Here are some things I’m grateful for the trip:

No flight delays on the way there
Did not get sick
Hotel was super comfortable and clean
Felt relatively rested

Then there’s the exam (COMLEX PE or CS). . . I hated it so much! I was nervous and felt like I left out very important questions and steps. I just pray and pray and plead that I passed!! However, after having hours to think and re-live the whole day at the airport and then on the plane home, I’ve resigned to the fact if I failed and need to retake it, then so be it. It’s out of my hands now so I’m not going to torture myself with “did I pass?”, “what if I failed?” for the next three months until I find out my score. Hubby had dutifully practiced with me and I went through a couple of review books, so I did what I can do.

Besides, I have a whole list of to-dos this month. . .

Dentist appointment
Buying wedding presents
Look for apartment
Find suitable luggage for Asia trip
Plan our 3-days stay in Japan
Start on a knitting project
Get in shape and pass the Army fitness test

. . .so you see, I have no time to worry over spilled milk. . .until when I find out I've actually spilled the milk.

Another outfit.

Okay, here's another outfit I put together from disparate pieces in my closet. I love spring clothes, I can feel free to layer, add a cardigan here, and a scarf there. . .