2005: Trials, triumphs, and highlights

A little late, but it's good practice to reflect. So here it is in approximate chronological order..

1. Ringing in 2005 @ Max Bell w/ Wpg crew
2. Meeting Cyn (& subsequent adventures)
3. Newsboys w/ Kent & Giselle
4. Shinny w/ Hau on 78th Ave.
5. Visiting Jay & Amy in NYC
6. Tony Campolo @ Missionfest
7. Acceptance to UCC Med
8. RCMP memorial service
9. Hiking the Rockies w/ Yusen (pic)
10. Easter dinner w/ Grams
11. Seeing our family rally around Grams after her stroke
12. Finishing MPH course work @ UA
13. Adieu 161 Kingslake
14. Visiting Hfx and staying w/ Wongs
15. DYCLC reunion @ The Great Wall
16. Camping w/ the boys @ Crystal Crescent (pic)
17. Beijing w/ Yusen, Laura, Mary (pic)
18. Returning to Shanxi
19. Fun times @ Yuci Old City
20. Endless fun @ Yuci Cultural Centre
21. 8am breakfasts w/ KIA
22. Seeing ah-Bang believe in the power of Christ
23. Xian w/ KIA & Guo couple (pic)
24. Monday nights @ Velasquez's
25. Wednesday mornings @ Strands
26. Talking baptism w/ MJ
27. Completing MPH internship
28. Visiting HK
    
29. Macau w/ U3 family (pic)
    
30. Returning to Cdn soil and seeing the Rockies again (pic)
31. Visiting Vcr (& Abby) and staying w/ the Tsang clan
    
32. Grams recognizing me w/ my coloured hair
33. Getting booked on Van Horne
34. Bondi cottage w/ fam
35. Beating Hamilton at Scrabble (pic)
36. Air show w/ Jer & Dad
37. Splurging on Matilda
38. Visiting Hfx in Sept
39. Stopping over in Nfld (first time on the isle!)
    
40. Starting Med 1 @ UCC
41. My 1st Irish Ulti tourney (Cork Open)
42. Graduating from UA (in absentia)
43. Visits to Dublin
44. Becoming 1/10th a doctor
45. Chilln' w/ Jer & Mich over the holidays
46. Praying for the Kwongs
47. Baptism service @ SCBC

"But whatever was to my profit, I consider a loss compared to the surpassing greatness of knowing Christ Jesus my Lord" - Phlp 3:7-8


Hiking the Rockies w/ Yusen..


Crystal Crescent.. (me, Stephen, Mark, Cliff)


BJ.. (me, Mary, Laura, Yusen)


Xian.. (L-R: Kristin, Ginger, Pan-pan, me, Alex)


Macau.. (me, A3, Cindy, U3)


Mt. Seymour in BC..


Hamilton is a force to be reckoned w/ on the Scrabble board, so his (gracious) loss to me was a significant event. I hit him early and hit him hard with "STRANDED", but then he fought back, hustling me with "XU", took the lead and kept it, until I sneaked off at the very last moment with "_CONE".

go VOTE

In response to Margaret and Bryan's posts, I couldn't agree more w/ Mr. Slauenwhite. Canadians (both the people and Elections Canada) indeed spend a lot of time, effort, and tax dollars on ensuring a democratic voting process. Here's what I went through to cast my vote: When I was home for the holidays, I had to print out, fill out, and send in a registration form to Ottawa (along with having to go get a photocopy of my driver's license and send in as well). Two days ago (Monday), I received my mail-in ballot (here in Ireland) to fill out and send back to Ottawa. It came with THREE additional envelopes inside for me to send back to ensure confidentiality in my vote. I then had to go online to see who the candidates are in my riding. When I realized I only had a week to get the ballot back to Ottawa, I called the embassy in Dublin to see if it'd be faster if I sent it to them. Of course, as all Irish offices do, the embassy was closed for their 2 hour lunch break. In the end, I decided to go ahead to the post office and see how much it'd cost to rush the envelope back by the 23rd. And when I was going through all the trouble of stuffing one envelope in the other, and then bolting to the post office to get the ballot sent off and make it back to class on time, I was wondering if all my efforts (and postage) were really worth my one vote. But after reflecting on what Slauenwhite wrote, my troubles certainly pale in comparison to what some people have to go through in order to even obtain the right to cast a vote that counts. So all you slackers out there - go vote! Enjoy our freedom, and "be joyful always". Go Canada.

Hood Sledding

..or was it Sleddn' in da 'Hood? Nope - not enough homeys in Sask. We're actually talking car hoods here. After a massive snow dump, my cousins rip off the hoods from big 'ol cars, flip them over, and use them as sleds. Their dad throws them a tow rope from his truck, and down the streets and ov'r the fields they go "laughing all the way". The eldest kid, Nelson, has perfected navigating the mailboxes and telephone poles so he works in little jumps out from the ditch. If you ever wondered what the COOOOooool kids in Saskatchewan do for fun.. now you know! (awaiting pictures from their next ride-by)

Xpresspost

Back on the island now from Christmas in TO.

Here's a tribute to my fav gift I got this year. It was sent to me from Fort Qu'appelle, Sask (45 min drive east of Regina). It was sent on a Tuesday and arrived Thursday - still fresh and soft. Kudos to Canada Post. So what is it? Well.. each year my cousins have a mad Christmas bake off to produce enough cookies to send 12 santas into diabetic comas. And for the very last cookie, they pile on all the remaining icing and toppings to make a killer sweet one. I spent last Christmas with them but did not make the trip out west this year, so they Xpresspost the cookie to me wrapped in plastic, packaged in newspaper, and boxed in a Callaway carton. I had to open it before Christmas though cuz I wanted to experience the knockout sweetness while it was still fresh. ..and fresh she was! Thanks Lagasses and here's to wishin' you a hood-sledding-filled winter!!




What's hood-sledding you ask? Stay tuned.