Disneyland/SoPAC Nov 8-10

6:30a sunrise through the grapevine. We left Tracy at 2:00a!

Saturday, November 9th: Disneyland

Radiator Springs Racers in Cars Land at California Adventure

Midway Mania at Paradise Pier in California Adventure

Spinning teacups in Fantasyland

Sunday, November 10th: SoPAC 

photo from sopac.us

Kailua, Hawaii August 2013

August 4-16, 2013 Oahu, Hawaii

    For my 2 week clinical rotation I was assigned to go to Castle Medical Center in Kailua, Hawaii located on Oahu. I absolutely love Hawaii! I love the sun, the beaches, the rainforest...what's not to love about Hawaii. It's a beautiful place! But, for the first time ever, I would be coming to Hawaii in order to work. I wouldn't be coming alone though. Marisa flew in to Hawaii on Sunday and spent the entire week with me. Kris flew in on the following Friday and so I had my two most favorite people in Hawaii with me! 

Waikiki Sunset

Marisa came for 1st week

Kris flew in Friday night

Acute Care Internship at Castle Medical Center in Kailua

    This internship was my first very experience working in the acute care setting. And I'm very thankful that I was able to spend it here. Talk about a beautiful hospital with updated equipment, supportive nursing staff, and the most exceptional clinical instructor that I could ever ask for.  Even the short drive from our beach shack to the hospital was gorgeous. 

  

Aerial view of the hospital. Photo from castlemed.org

  My CI's name was Cheryl F. and she was a Chinese-Hawaiian gal who was soo petite I felt like I could put her in my pocket. She was very knowledgeable and she really helped develop my clinical reasoning and skills. She always had a smile on her face and answered all of my questions as well as challenged my thought process. 

We worked 8a-4p and also worked through the weekend (wednesday & thursdays off). It actually wasn't horrible to work weekends but it was definitely more quiet in the hospital. Typically, joint replacement surgeries occurred on Mondays and Fridays. So, on Monday and Tuesday we would care for the joint replacement patients and the patients in the nearby wards including Paulama and Laulima. Saturday and Sundays were our responsibility to care for the joint care patients. By Saturday, we had conducted initial evaluations on all patients and at 2:00p we did a group class. She said it was a good opportunity for the patients to connect and gain support. 

There were a couple things that the hospital did which I thought were pretty genius. All fall risk patients wore yellow socks. Rooms that had fall-risk patients had a picture of a leaf (i.e.Fall) on the outside of the door. Also, there were flowers on the wall every 20 feet so that when you walk the patients around the ward, you can gauge the distance. 

Our Acccomodations:  725 Wanaao Rd, Kailua, HI

I found this place through a vacation rental website. It has no bells and whistles and I honestly think that it is just a master bedroom of a house. But it had all of our essentials. We entered from the side gate of the house and through a sliding door, we come to our room. On the left you see a little breakfast table and kitchenette. On the right was a queen size bed and full closet. Staying here was the most feasible option considering I had to stay in Hawaii for at least 13 nights. 5 minute drive to the restaurants, 5 minute drive to the beach, 10 minute drive to the hospital. Ideal spot!

Paddleboarding at Ala Moana Beach Park

On my day off, Marisa and I rented paddle boards from Souled Out Surf using a Groupon we had purchased. Gorgeous paddle boards! We got a couple compliments and some thought we were local because these boards were just too nice to be rentals.  We were recommended to go to Ala Moana Beach Park to paddle board as these waters are the most calm. It was a beautiful day!

Haleiwa

On my next day off, Marisa and I road tripped to Haleiwa aka the North Shore, which we learned is pronounced to sound like "Halley Eva". There are plenty of private beaches on this side of the island and as we walked along the beach we encountered this amazing sea turtle. He was gigantic and just resting there on the beach. 

Lanikai Pillbox Hike

The Lanikai Pillbox Hike was a moderately difficult hike, and also very popular! The red dirt trail gave way to some steep terrain, but with each additional step up, the view became more and more beautiful. 

view from the Trails of the Lanikai Pillbox Hike

Aoha Stadium Swap Meet

Our very first visit to the Aloha Stadium Swap meet was filled with lots of great things to buy. We went 3 times! The first time I went with Marisa and I picked up beautiful bangles for only $2 each. I bargained for my purses which were originally $13 each, I said, "I'll give you $25 for 2!". It was only $1 less than the original price, but for me it was a triumph! The swap meet is definitely a great place for souvenirs. When Kris arrived to Hawaii I went a couple more times. We got fresh coconut each time and it was beyond delicious. The coconut water was very refreshing and when the coconut was cracked open, the coconut meat was soft and delicious. I also tried sugar cane for the first time. Kris knew how to eat them all!

...more pictures from our trip

Aliolani Palace

Strolling the streets of Waikiki on Kris' first night in Oahu

Celebrating Marisa's 24th birthday at Oeno Winemaking in Kailua

Kris took a tour of U.S.S. Arizona

Soaking up sun in Lanikai

Ala Moana Beach Park

Rhaksha Bhandan August 2013

Celebrating our 1 year Anniversary

I can't believe that 1 year has passed already! It was a pretty eventful year as I started physical therapy school at University of Pacific and Kris started a new job working for DTZ as an electrician. Our first year was a definitely atypical for newlyweds as 1 month after our wedding I moved 1 hour away from home to live closer to school. Kris and I agreed that commuting over an hour everyday to and from school would be difficult on my studies. So! I drive to my condo on monday mornings and drive back home friday evenings. We knew that this time in our lives in which I lived away from home would be short and quick to pass. Look at us now!  We just celebrated our 1st year anniversary on a dining cruise with Hornblower cruises sailing the San Francisco Bay in July 2013. Cruising the bay was a first time experience for the both of us and a memorable way to spend our anniversary together. 

We received a signed card from the Hornblower Executive team. It was a very nice gesture.

1st course: Watermelon salad

Enjoyed our first course with a glass of champagne.

Despite the summer season, it was very cold and windy when we went above deck.

2nd course: Ceviche

A Story of How We Met & Pictures From Our Wedding

    When Kris and I initially met we were 22 and 19 years of age working part-time positions at Hollywood Videos and Starbucks. It was very unexpected for our two paths to cross as our cultural backgrounds were very different. I am a Christian Chinese-American and Kris is a Hindu Indo-Fijian. We met through Kris' cousin who was a regular Starbucks customer of mine and Kris would come to Starbucks during his breaks to hang out with his cousin. They were also in a car club together called Illu510n and the car club would meet nearly every night at Starbucks.
   In the chilly month of December, we started dating. Honestly, we both thought it was going to be a casual fling. But we clicked so well! When we first started dating we went to car meets together, saw countless movies. Eventually, we started traveling together. We drove down to San Diego a number of times to visit my best friend, went to Rugby Sevens tournaments, flew to Arizona.
 Originally our backgrounds never conflicted even with our relationship becoming more and more serious. I'm very open minded and Kris and I loved watching Bollywood movies together and listening to Hindi music. He was exposing me a lot to his culture. Kris even began to teach me Hindi! We had numerous conversations about religious views too and we decided that our two different religious views could be harmonious! This was a key component for our relationship to work. For us, it was seamless!
  Now of course you must be asking, well what did your parents think?!  Both our fathers had passed away when we were young teenagers. My mother was born here and the only preference that she had in a boyfriend was that he was good man: respectful, kind and hardworking. Race or religion, she never mentioned anything. On the other hand, Kris' mother was born and raised in Fiji and she had a more traditional mindset. She had a very strong preference for an Indian girl. I of course, was not that. So originally she wasn't fond of our relationship. But, after she made a trip to Fiji she spoke to her brothers and sisters about me and they opened up her eyes and her heart to accept me as a possible future daughter-in-law. They told her that a great daughter-in-law could be found in a girl like me. She realized that an Indian girl didn't guarantee her an ideal daughter-in-law or wife for her son. Sure, I wasn't born and bred to be a superb Indian daughter-in-law and wife. But I was willing to learn, and she knew it. I was willing to learn how to be a great hostess, how to cook family meals, how to pray, how to speak, how to be respectful (in their image) and my favorite part, how to dress at Indian parties. But most importantly, she was willing to teach. When she came back from that trip she was a whole new woman to me!
   After dating for about 4 years, Kris proposed to me while on a hot air balloon traveling over the Napa Valley! And on July 14th, 2012, we had a traditional Hindu wedding. I was very fortunate and blessed that my best friend's family "adopted" me into their family and gave me away as an Indian "not-so Indian" bride.

The Bharat entering the hall.

Although I am Chinese, I was very fortunate that my best friend's family gave me away as a bride. 

My mother participated in the ceremonies as well! She was under the guidance of my sponsored mother. 

Rajaham (Sacrifice to the Sacred Fire):

During this ceremony the bride places both her hands into the groom's and her brother then places rice into her hands. In our ceremony, Rajal placed popcorn into our hands. Together we offered the popcorn as a sacrifice into the fire. 

Mangalphera (Walk Around The Fire):

During this part of the ceremony we make four Mangalpheras around the fire in a clockwise direction representing four goals in life: Dharma, religious and moral duties; Artha, prosperity; Kama, earthly pleasures; Moksha, spirtual salvation and liberation. The bride leads the Pheras first, signifying her determination to stand first beside her husband in all happiness and sorrow.