Is There FREE Wireless Here?

I am currently sitting in the Honolulu airport after a week-long cruise with my extended family. On the ship, internet access was $0.75 per minute.... and it was really, really slow. And like any good Chinese girl (especially one in the Chung family), I refused to pay that much.

Therefore, at every port, my brother and I lugged our laptops off the ship in search for free wireless internet. We found that it's best sitting in the middle of a shopping center/mall, where you often have several to choose from. Everytime I walked into a shopping mall, I was sure to ask someone, "Is there FREE wireless here?" Please note: Emphasis is on "FREE." It almost became a game for me to find the best free wireless connection at each port.

FYI, if you ever go island hopping in Hawaii via a cruise, here is where you can get free wireless internet access:

• Maui: Queen Ka'ahumanu Shopping Center (free trolley shuttle every 20 minutes from the port, but the driver is a bit annoying with the bad jokes.)
• Kona: Bad Ass Coffee Co. near Hooters (about 0.25 miles from the port so you can walk it.)
• Kauai: Harbor Mall (free trolley shuttle every 10-15 minutes from the port. Also within walking distance from the port.)
• Hilo: Sorry... can't help you with this one because we had to skip this port due to Hurricane Flossie.

Anyway, I think it's safe to say that I'm a little addicted to the internet.

(I will blog about the cruise when I find the time and motivation to write more.)

Wanted: Cardboard Boxes

While I was cleaning my house this past year, I considered cardboard boxes to be my enemy. Despite being labeled by Sharpie markers, items stored in cardboard boxes tend to go unseen and forgotten. Therefore, in the mass cleaning project, I threw away many cardboard boxes.

I guess I have very little foresight. As it turns out, I NEED cardboard boxes now. I don't need a whole lot of them, but I do need some large heavy-duty ones to move some items up to Vancouver. I went to Staples to buy some, but the Chinese side of me refuses to pay so much for "mere" cardboard boxes... it's ridiculous how much they're trying to charge for boxes. Therefore, if anyone has any large cardboard boxes in good condition, I could really use them.

Also, I was hoping to move up my computer printer. I must have thrown out the original box and styrofoam inserts, so I'm not sure how I can properly pack it up to be checked in on the plane. Does anyone have any good ideas?

Added on August 21, 2007:
I currently have far more cardboard boxes than I actually need. Thank you for all the kindness from everyone!

Learning Empathy

Empathy (noun): the ability to understand and share the feelings of others.

When I filled out my application form for the missions trip last year, I intentionally did not mark the "empathizing" box for the things I'm good at. I've never been very good at understanding others' feelings... often wanting to say, "Just get over it," when I think people are getting too emotional.

But God has been changing my heart. I cannot go into details (to protect the identity of the individual), but I was recently put into contact with a young woman who is dealing with a lot of grief and loss in her life. I believe God put us in each others' lives for a reason.

Although she may not know it, this young lady is teaching me about empathy and about looking beyond myself. She doesn't realize it, but she is very wise in her own way. I even found myself crying for her when I saw how sad she is. That's huge because I rarely even cry for myself.

I don't know if I'm helping her at all. I can only pray and hope that God is using me.

New Moving Date

I was just reminded today by Betty that I forgot to blog that my new moving date to Vancouver is August 28th, instead of August 26th. My mom will be going up with me and will stay with me for three days before she comes back home for our church retreat in San Diego.

Thanks, Betty, for reminding me to update my blog!

That's Why I Love My Church!

On Saturday, July 21st, Wing and I organized a fun run/walk at Whittier Narrows Recreation Area before the annual church picnic. It was rather last-minute, and we didn't expect many participants. I anticipated about 10 people. Wing said that we'd get at least 25 people. As it turned out, we had about 50 participants running and/or walking that morning. Out of those participants, our youngest was 11-months-old and the oldest was 78-years-old. We also had participants from all three language groups... Mandarin, English and Cantonese. Additionally, we had participants and helpers who aren't even regular attendees. This is why I love my church so much! We're a multi-language, multi-generational, all-inclusive church!

Despite a couple stressful moments due to logistics, I had such a great time. This was a rare moment for me to stand by the sidelines and be a cheerleader. It was so awesome seeing people who don't normally run complete 5+ miles in an hour. It was inspiring to see hard-core runners finish 7+ miles in an hour. It was encouraging to see some participants help carry things for the church picnic organizers even in the middle of the run/walk while they themselves were exhausted. It was heart-warming to see people use the time to fellowship, "catch up" on each others' lives and/or get to know new people. And the best part was seeing Pastor Henry sprint to the finish line when told that he only had 30 seconds to complete his final lap.

When I got home from the picnic and after a shower, I completely crashed on my bed. How could I be so tired when I didn't even run?!?!

But those who hope in the LORD
will renew their strength.
They will soar on wings like eagles;
they will run and not grow weary,
they will walk and not be faint.
Isaiah 40:30-31

Another Tragedy in Calgary

Just about a month ago, I was in Calgary attending the funeral of James Chan, a young brother from the South Calgary Chinese Evangelical Free Church (SCCEFC) who died from osteosarcoma. Now, this same church has suffered another loss.

Nathan Shair, a 22-year-old young man, from the English congregation was accidentally killed on Thursday, July 12th when the lever on a mechanical horse struck him in the head. You can read about the tragedy by looking at these two Calgary Herald articles on Friday, July 13, 2007 and Sunday, July 15, 2007. The second article is especially touching because it shares about Nate's "fiery spirit" for helping people.

I received emails from the two English pastors. They and the rest of the congregation are evidently in shock and are grieving the sudden loss. Nate's parents and two older sisters are mourning as well.

Please pray for SCCEFC, Nate's friends and Nate's family. I'm still at a loss for words about all this. My heart aches for the brothers and sisters at SCCEFC. This church has gone through so much. Please pray for their unity during this difficult time, and that they will will find solace and refuge in God.

"Blessed are those who mourn,
for they will be comforted." – Matthew 5:4

Updates

I haven't blogged in awhile and I just wanted to catch everyone up on what has been going on.

Calgary Trip: I went to Calgary in June to attend James Chan's funeral service. Although it was a sad occasion, I felt very blessed to be there. I learned a bit about this wonderful young man who loves God immensely and who tried to make people around him laugh as often as he could. I can't wait to meet him in heaven! Also, while I was in Calgary, I was able to hang out with friends like PAL, Isaac, Luke, Mandy and Ivan. And I even got to make new friends like Marj. Overall, it was a good trip and made me realize that God is doing great things all over the world.

Health: I took more blood tests last week, but the results are the same. I think it's time to see a specialist, like a hematologist or cardiologist. I'll ask my doctor next week.

Vancouver Trip: I just got back yesterday from a few days up in Vancouver. I met with an academic counselor at Regent College and registered for my Fall classes. Additionally, I was able to open a Canadian bank account, view my basement suite, meet my future landlord, check out Costco, and scope out my new neighborhood. Overall, it was a very productive trip. And I got to hang out with my cousins and their significant others, which was really fun.

Official Move: I finally booked my airfare to move up to Vancouver on August 26th. And I already have my first visitors, Danette and Richard, booked to come up in mid-September. Yippee! Unfortunately, though, my basement suite is pretty small, so don't think I'll be able to accommodate them. =(

That's it for now, but feel free to ask me additional questions through "comments" or email. Thanks for reading!