Quote of the Week

In life no matter what you're trying to accomplish, it's very important to have people that stand by you, and support your dreams. They'll be there to bask in your happiness when you achieve a goal, or to pick you up when you didn't quite make it.

Sid Ashford

Back to America

I've been back for a few weeks. My body and sleep schedules are finally adjusted after that 28 hour trip back. And now I'm trying to put my life in order: handle family business, make money, write secondaries, do projects, and keep in touch with people. All these things have been draining but necessary. I started getting up at the crack of dawn just so I could do half of what needs to be done, but I've gotten organized and set up a calendar to make a little easier. Now, all I have to do is fill it and remember to refer to it. 

Although I've only been away from Singapore for less than a month it seems like so long ago. It seems like a different life. I feel a tinge of regret about not recording more of my thoughts and feelings about my experience as they happened. But life it about living, not necessarily about recording every detail. I'll have to content myself with how being in Singapore made me feel. Fortunately, I really enjoyed Singapore and hanging out with all the people I've come to know and love. 

Now that I'm home. I'm hanging out with my family and planning community outreach projects so I'm started to become more excited about my life here. My nephews are a trip. I've been hanging out with them as well. Babies are a lot of work. I mean A LOT. Being home had shifted my biological clock back. Despite all the cuteness and fun, I am so not ready for a family. Learning this now has been good for me. 

Anywho, I have to get back to the calendar and to-do list. PEACE 

Winding Down

As the month of June comes to a close, I prepare to wrap up my work in Singapore and my time in Asia. I've taken my MCAT and my primary application for medical school is ready to be submitted.

So now with 47 days left, I have more time to travel, day dream, read, meet new people, and agonize. So I've managed to do a little bit of all that this first week.

I've signed on to help plan a few yummie get-togethers. I've agreed to lead worship for my cell. I'm reading A Long Way Gone, I've managed to jump off of my friends guest house balcony into the pool twice trusting that others would help me swim out of the water (I can't really swim. I also made a friend in the process). I've had great conversations over delicious home cooked meal with new friends (those are the best kind). I've had tough conversations with old friends (these are the hardest kind). I've planned a trip to India.

And I've worried over my MCAT and medical school options. But seeing as I have no idea what my score is and knowing that for me medicine in not an ambition but a calling, I'm no longer concerned with all that foolishness. Instead, I spend time day dreaming about going to Haiti, the non-profit work that I'll be doing when I get home, my mom's affection, hanging out with all the babies, and mentoring aspiring doctors in Haiti at medical school that has not been built.

Reminiscing

Okay so I'm supposed to be studying for the MCAT right now. In fact, I was supposed to be studying for the MCAT all day except...well except that I got side tracked.... I called my cousin as a mini break. I wanted to catch up on our plans to initiate a literacy driven non-profit organization back home. (P.S. I'll be based at home starting this August, while I apply to medical school and help my cousin get our non-profit ambitious off the ground. Hey what can I say I've been stung by the change-the-world-one-person-at-at time bug and so has my cousin)

So we are all systems go. Some changes are underway but all for the best. So what started as a quick how-are-you-how's-it-going turned into a brainstorming and curriculum writing session. Ahhh...I always end a conversation with my cousin Dayana feeling GREEEAAT (said in the Tony the Tiger voice)! She is about business, which I appreciate to the umpteenth. I can't wait to get home and get to work on making these things happen. Look out for updates about our projects...coming this August.

Anywho...I'm supposed to be studying but I have to tell you about my birthday. It was a week or maybe two weeks ago (I can't remember these weeks are ally blurring together, especially since all I've done is study and take practice test...my poor brain) So I had the most amazing birthday week thus far! Isn't that awesome, I hope I can say this every birthday for the rest of my life. It would be nice to have great birthday's every year. People kept on buying me the best chocolates cakes they could get their hands on, great surprises, and fabulous presents (3 fabulous dresses, a Salvatore Ferragamo fragrance, goody bags full of chocolate, and a teddy bear with chocolates).

I get so much love from my spiritual family and my friends in Singapore. I'm not a person to miss people...but I don't know I'm really going to miss the amazing moments I've had in Singapore like Sunday morning prayer and worship sessions with my cell group.... Aditi’s hugs...Sally's laughter...Jay's cooking...Andrew's fabulosity...conversation's with Nikki...ice cream and sleepovers with Zarina...Esther and Cheryl's sms...feeding mini-me and the list goes on and on...

You guys don't even understand. I get so much love in Singapore...God has truly blessed me. I even get more love from home. I feel like family (especially my mom, Anna, Gabe, and Juliette) and friends (yes I'm talking about you Teni, Trish, and Suzanne) are always calling me to tell me how much they love me or just to catch up. I hear from them like every week or two. I'm going to feel like postpartum or something if I don't get this much love when I get back to the States...hmm maybe I'll go to medical school here...then I can have it all forever and always!!!

Which reminds me, I need to study for the MCAT otherwise I won't be going to medical school at all...so peace

Be blessed, live long, and prosper!

Hymns can minister!

One of my churchmates shared a song that she used for an audition. It was awesome and really ministered to my spirit. Apparently there is a whole book full of wonderful songs like this. I need to get in touch with this genre...enjoy!

Thank you Lord for the Trials that Come My Way

Thank you, Lord,
for the trials that come my way.
In that way I can grow each day
as I let you lead,
And thank you, Lord,
for the patience those trials bring.
In that process of growing,
I can learn to care.

But it goes against the way
I am to put my human nature down
and let the Spirit take control of all I do.

'Cause when those trials come,
my human nature shouts the thing to do;
and God's soft prompting
can be easily ignored.


I thank you, Lord,
with each trial I feel inside,
that you're there to help,
lead and guide me away from wrong.
'Cause you promised, Lord,
that with every testing,
that your way of escaping is easier to bear.

But it goes against the way
I am to put my human nature down
and let the Spirit take control of all I do.

'Cause when those trials come,
my human nature shouts the thing to do;
and God's soft prompting
can be easily ignored.


I thank you, Lord,
for the victory that growing brings.
In surrender of everything
life is so worth while.
And I thank you, Lord,
that when everything's put in place,
out in front I can see your face,
and it's there you belong.

H1N1 Precautions

As everybody knows SARS hit the Asian public at a time when they were unprepared and unaware. It was a deadly virus. In the beginning no one knew how to approach it,  so countries scrambled to deal with the epidemic. They learned from their mistakes and set up appropriate safety measures in the event than an outbreak or, worse yet, a pandemic made its way back to Asia.

So you can imagine what happened when the news of an H1N1 outbreak was reported: Asia responded post haste. I mean... two days after I heard about the outbreak in Mexico, my temperature was being monitored everywhere I went in Singapore from the Civilization Museum to work. Television commercials were advising people to check their temperatures regularly and my pastor called the congragation to be socially responsible by checking their temperatures and to behave accordingly. Contingency plans and biosafety departments were being mobilized to ensure that in the event of an infection there would be no mass spread.

Fortunately, the virus has proven to be less virulent than the seasonal flu and Asia has managed to minimize the spread. Although some peoples' toes have been stepped on in the process, I think that public health officials across the continent did their best given what they had to work with. In fact, as far as I know, there are still no confirmed cases of H1N1 in Singapore and the spread of the infection in other Asian nations has been kept to a minimum.

I will admit that I was a little weirded out when I was first scanned at the museum. I mean I was like what? This kind of feels like the man is monitoring us. Technically speaking...he was! The man was prepared to yank anyone with a high fever out of the line and take them to the hospital for test. But its times like these that make you happy that the man is at work...its better to be safe than sorry!

I knew that Singapore was a well organized country, but recent events have only increased my respect for the nation's efficiency. I am confident that if a more dangerous infection were to find its way to Singapore the nation would be prepared to tackle the problem and minimize the risk to the public and the world.

Photo Shoot

I had my very first photo shoot last weekend . It was cool, but I was tired by the end. It was a long day of posing and photography. I give professional models and photographers their props its not as easy at it seems...I mean it was easier than other stuff I've done, but it wasn't as easy as I thought looking fabulous and being photographed would be.

I actually really liked the pictures. I was afraid that I was not going to like how I looked in them. But I looked good...it doesn't hurt that each photographer had a great camera and an artistic eye. I know that I don't have all the pictures yet...and they have not been edited, but I HAVE to post a few of the ones that I have. Because I feel fabulous!

An old friend used to say how much he wanted to spend a day being followed around and photographed. I would always respond with a flippant comment like "get over yourself big head". I still think he has a big head, but maybe it's okay to basque in a bit of lime light every now and again.


Don't fret more pictures are coming soon. I'll post them on facebook or open some picture sharing account. Until next time...