SF Trip!

Headed up for a day of biking with Hansen, Kiran, and a ton of Harker people! It was an absolutely gorgeous day - not as windy as normal in the city, and about 15 degrees warmer.

Grabbed lunch at La Boulange, where we discovered how hard it is to get a picture of a large group of people in which everyone looks good (or is even paying attention haha).

Proceeded to bike around a LOT. Went along the Wharf for a bit, up Fort Mason to Crissy Fields... Admired the Golden Gate Bridge then biked along it. The bridge itself was rather windy and a bit chilly, but again, probably not even near how cold it would have been on a typical day.

Hansen took *tons* of pictures haha. Great guy to steal pictures from. =] But it was absolutely gorgeous. Just looking at the bay waters, the mountains, the clear blue sky and breathing in the fresh air (or gusts of wind haha)... It's stunning.

Headed back, grabbed some delicious gelato (green tea and strawberry honey lavender for me!), then dinner at Boudin. Hansen, Kiran, and Amanda ended up having to run off to catch Caltrain. Finished dinner with Evan, Peter, and Richard, then biked back to Embarcadero to head back to San Bruno and pack up to go home (where I am right now!).

Definitely darkened a few shades today. Biking for that long in the hilly city was definitely tiring, but totally worth it. I had a wonderful time.

There are quite literally too many great pictures from today (courtesy of Hansen!) for me to even try to upload a representative number haha. I'll post a couple, but go check Facebook for the full glory of Hansen's photography!

Headed off to grab lunch with Lisa, Gunjan, and Karishma tomorrow, then bringing Christie and her family to GrX and grabbing dinner afterwards! At least, that's the plan as of now. =]

***

Sidenote: It was also Pride Parade today (and tomorrow for that matter), and seeing all of these flamboyantly dressed people on BART was quite an experience. It was sort of, dare I say beautiful? in it's own way, but just gave me a lot to think about...

Summer Shutdown!

A week off! Time for some rest and reflection. =]

I will strive so that the only fear which rules me is that of the Lord.

Books

Bought myself a little something today. =]

I've always loved books. They've always been a source of escape and comfort, an outlet for imagination. I just love curling up with a good book and a blanket, a cup of tea... It's absolutely wonderful.

I was never one to buy books - I generally checked them out from the library, since I read pretty voraciously. I really do want to start a small library though. I have enough books to give myself a little reading corner in my house in the future, and that would be absolutely wonderful. Just a comfy chair by a window, with a full bookshelf.

Heavenly Father

Thank you for all that You've done in me. It's astonishing to think that just six months ago, I was lost and struck down by this world, helpless and hopeless. And in these six months, You have helped me grow so much. You have changed me in so many ways and challenged me in ways I would never have imagined. You have shown me Your love and Your grace. You have filled my life with wonder and joy.

Lord, thank you for Your mercy. Thank you for fellow brothers and sisters who have embraced me and pushed me in my journey. Thank you for working through me to help me towards who You made me to be. Lord, I am so inspired, so struck with awe, that others find inspiration in me, and I know that it has nothing to do with me, but all to do with You and Your work.

Thank you for never giving up on me God. For being faithful when I stray, for always pulling me back towards You and the Truth. I know I have sinned immensely, I have often grown complacent in my pursuit and gone through the motions. But Lord, I know that You are always with me, and that brings me joy and passion. And I pray that I never again lessen my pursuit for holiness Lord, and that I will always honor You with my thoughts and deeds. I pray that my life will be testimony towards Your greatness and Your love.

Heavenly Father, thank you. Thank you for opening my eyes. Thank you for giving me life.

A World Away

Absolutely exhausted today. Guess it's my own fault for staying up until like 3am, but I would do it again. Matt flew off to China this morning (he's actually probably still on the plane), so we had a last Skype session for a couple of months.

But yeah, resulted in me being rather unmotivated at work, though we still got a fair amount done. Pretty much worked on the paracyclophane synthesis and figured out why our CB[7] experiments were so messed up (!).

Taught Alan and Josh how to use Snapchat during lunch. Best. Idea. Ever.

Got my package from Matt. Tons of letters (most of which I have yet to read), a tenth avenue north album, a skirt/dress (technically skirt, but I'm short xP), and a special album of songs his whole family contributed towards. The last is definitely my favorite. It's beautiful.

Have a wonderful journey Matthew. I love you.

Chez Papa

I would just like to say that I had an amazing lunch today, and that is all.

Rest and Reflection

Today was... amazing. I was (and honestly still am) rather bummed that I wasn't able to go to the Radio Alice concert (Ed Sheeran and Sara Bareilles!!!) but in the end, I think it was worth it. Had an amazing time today, and while the concert would have been amazing, it started raining by the end of it as well.

Woke up in the morning, ate food, talked with my mom and aunt. That was really about it haha. Caught a BART back to San Bruno.

Rode with Daniel and Char to GrX and then worship practice. =] I really shouldn't have been so worried; Daniel wasn't kidding when he said he'd make it simple for me. Just chords (the note and the fifth mainly), and most of the songs were in E. It was tons of fun though, and definitely different. But the fact that the chords were simple made it easier for me to concentrate less on making sure I didn't mess up and more on actual worshiping.

Pastor Sean is in Michigan with his family, so Tim and Carol from YWAM SF came to preach today, and centered their sermon around four questions:
1) What is the Lord trying to teach me?
2) What changes does He want me to make?
3) What obstacles do I need to overcome?
4) What sin is in my life?
It was pretty thought-provoking and they had quite a few good quotes. I think I do prefer Pastor Sean a bit more, but it was wonderful nevertheless.

Got to Skype with Matt again! I've missed him terribly. He's off to China in two days (!) so I suppose I just need to make the most of these few days during which we'll have constant contact. I'll always be praying for you love. =]

Back to work tomorrow! Let's get this CB[7] to work...

Temporary simple blog theme for now. Something went funky with my standard one, so I suppose I'll need to replace it later...

The Usual

Had worship practice this morning. Which basically entailed Daniel and Gary working out chords, Stasia singing, and me sitting there overwhelmed at what I just got myself into. Thankfully I'm actually just doing synth now, which shouldn't be too hard, considering it's just chords and 4/5 of the songs are in E major. And the 5th is in D. Oh well, we'll see.

Helped a guy get around on BART! Came to visit his aunt from India and just flew in this morning haha.

Grabbed lunch with Jess at a Thai place in Ulfert Center, picked up a few egg tarts (omnomnom). If not much else, my sis and I definitely share a love for good food. Also had her chop off some of my hair. She might have cut it a bit too short for my liking (and a bit too straight haha) but ah well, it'll be long again by summer's end...

Sam's being blocked by Michael. Woops.

Chilled at Tommy's with the crew, just like old times. =] And of course, what else but Publish or Perish? I'm so amazingly blessed to have been able to share my high school experience with these amazing people, and even more so to be able to keep in touch and get together throughout college (and beyond!). They're sincerely such wonderful people.

Every day I go through life absolutely blessed that God has put such amazing people in it.

Dead Raccoons

Those things are super freaky. Rode my bike past one and when I realized what it was and saw the face, I nearly crashed. Also proceeded to shudder and have a mental freakout all the way to my destination.

And how blessed am I that He always has the best plan for me?

Lack of Posts

Sorry for the lack of (lengthy) posts recently! I've been absolutely exhausted; not completely sure why, but I'm ready to sleep by 10pm. Totally going to bed soon...

Plus not too much super exciting has happened. Josh and I have been essentially taking a break from my project and performing some penny alchemy haha. Yeah... Have I mentioned how blessed I am to have such an awesome manager?

Anyways, we'll see how blog updates proceed from here. Might become more numerous, might not. Hope all of you are doing well! I'm chugging along, slowly but surely. =]

Someone needs to transform me into a decent singer in the next 3 days.

Strawberry Cake!

Lucy and I made some scrumptious strawberry cake from scratch today! Turned out pretty well! 

Do I get bonus points for presentation?

Back to Work!

Raided Costco. Omnomnom. Dried mangos (finally!), bagels, chicken breast, spring rolls, coconut water, lettuce/spinach, eggs, cheese, strawberries, bananas, watermelon, granola... Super happy! We also won't need to go grocery shopping again haha - this needs to be eaten before we leave for summer shutdown the week of July 4th...

Went bowling with Eric, Ross, Peter, Lisa, Jessie, Giulio, and Vincent! Super bad. Eric was a boss, seriously haha. But it was tons of fun, got to catch up with them. =] Also had a super graceful exit - went around the circle giving a hug to everyone, then climbed in my car, shut the door, and proceeded to catch my hair in the doorjamb. Mom didn't notice, started driving, friends freaked out. Welcome to my life haha.

Drove back, unpacked, headed to GrX. Sean talked about the end of Matthew 3 and the beginning of Matthew 4 - karma vs. shame, the ways in which we are tempted... It was pretty great, and just a wonderful time worshiping our Father in heaven.

Speaking of which,

Happy Father's Day to all you wonderful fathers out there!

Back to work tomorrow! Tons more NMR (and maybe finally some ITC), bring it!

Catching Up

Went to a Mock Trial party today! Missed these people so much! I don't even know half the team anymore, but just being in Mock Trial gives a sense of solidarity haha. So much food and Just Dance!!!

Mock Trial alum, yeahhh!

Got to see Brandon afterward! Went to watch Man of Steel, grabbed food, and chilled in Barnes and Noble. I've really missed this kid. From 3rd grade until now - we're growing up! Super proud of him - off to study pharm stuff at UoP! It was sincerely just great catching up and talking about random things and life. Can't believe he's moving to Irvine though... But hey, we've gotten through 10 years and tons of obstacles; we're not letting a few miles separate us!

Today was wonderful, full of friends and fun. Off to Costco to stock up on food tomorrow morning, then chilling with more awesome people in the afternoon!

Clarie's Off to Creighton!

Well, in two months. But she's no longer a high schooler! Time to join the big leagues. =P Okay, I can't really say that - she's only 3 months younger than I am haha.

Clarie, I can honestly, wholeheartedly say that you are my absolute best friend (and twin sister!). We've been through so much together, and I absolutely love how we'll spontaneously go out for Yogurtland or to the mall, or just to hang. (I mean, today was a pretty good example of that haha.) From Colorguard to random spirit days, having you fracture your pinkie, our anti-homecoming plans, Quickly's runs and marveling at the comfy-ness of guy clothing... We have countless memories together. So much of who I am today has been shaped by your part in my life. 

I still can't believe how blessed I am to be able to call you my best friend. I know I can get pretty annoying at times, especially since we tend to have mini-arguments pretty often (usually because I'm super stubborn), but you're always so understanding. You're insanely funny and absolutely crazy, and you have one of the kindest hearts I've seen. I love your randomness and our crazy antics (you're usually up to do something completely out there with me)! I know you're independent and hate to burden others, but don't keep it all to yourself! I want to be there for you, so do me a favor and tell me if something's wrong! I'm still super sorry I didn't make your graduation (I *really* wanted to take tons of pictures of you walking across that stage!), but you know what? I don't need to be at the ceremony to be proud of what you've accomplished and where you're going. I didn't need to see you get your diploma to know what you've accomplished, and where you're going.

You're an absolute inspiration to me. You've been through so much, and you've stayed so strong. I love who you are, and I love who you're going to be. I know you have a lot of worries about college, but like always, I'll be here if you ever need me for anything, and like always, you'll work everything out. =] Graduation's just another step in this wonderful journey, and while there will undoubtedly be rough patches - mud, mountains, marshland (yeah alliteration!) - I know you'll get through it. I'm so proud of you Clarie, I really am.

P.S. Thanks for all of the rides over the years. Once I get my license, *I'll* drive *you* around!

A super huge congratulations to the California High School Class of 2013!!!

Rough Days...

Work was pretty amazing today, apart from my nice biking skills on the way there. Getting an ice pack was surprisingly difficult - had to answer a ton of questions from the nurse and all, and show her my banged up legs (which was really difficult and sort of painful considering my jeans don't roll up much...). So after the ice pack cooled/warmed/whatever, I said screw it and got Josh to get me a double-bagged Ziploc of ice. Much more effective. =P

Ran lot of NMR today, like always. Data's starting to shape up! Hopefully I can do some ITC next week for some variety haha.

Rode home early - biking actually wasn't that bad! - around 4pm since Josh left around then and I wanted to catch graduation. Which, funnily/sadly, I still didn't.

Basically got to the apartment around 4:45-ish, took a shower, packed for home, etc, and left for the BART station around 5:30pm. Got to BART around 5:45pm, barely missed a train, so I left the station a little after 6:00pm. Got off at Balboa Park around 6:15pm with the intent of transferring to the Dublin/Pleasanton line... Sat there for about half an hour and no car came, so I gave up and got back on Pittsburgh/Bay Point. 
Reached 12th Street Mission and our train stopped. And stayed there for about half an hour. Apparently there was some police incident around 16th Street Mission. Still don't know what happened - hope everything's okay...
In any case, got to Dublin/Pleasanton around 7:45, realized my mom was at West Dublin (my fault, I normally go to that station and completely blanked this time around), so I didn't end up getting to the school until like 8:15pm. 

Total transportation time: 2 hours, 45 minutes

Basically, the ceremony had long concluded and everyone had left. =\ I was able to catch Natalie and Julie as they were leaving, and Hsiang actually circled back! Even just seeing a few people made it worth it.

And then I grabbed Yogurtland with Clarie! =]

So in all, not too bad of a day, though I was feeling super bummed (and still am a bit) about not making graduation. Actually started crying at the BART station waiting for my mom to pick me up haha...

***

On another note, my legs actually really hurt. I think I might have damaged a nerve in my left leg, since I can't feel a part of it. Hopefully it's better (read: hurts miserably) tomorrow, otherwise I might need to make a trip to the doctor's...

Looking forward to hanging out with people this weekend! Mock Trial party tomorrow a little after noon (pizza and Just Dance!) and might grab dinner or just chill with Brandon. Speaking of people named Brandon, should get together with Fro sometime in the city. =] And all of the quarter people are back! Hoping Tommy/Connor/Evan/I can have another hangout? We were tentatively saying Sunday, but we'll see. Then it's back to San Bruno!

I can't feel part of my leg. Woop.

That Fire Hydrant!

Biked straight into a fire hydrant on my way to work. Flipped over the handlebars. Well then.

At least it wasn't a construction fence haha.

Lucy and I were talking about biking safety, and basically the roads are completely safe. Cars? Not a problem. But that fire hydrant! In any case, went to the nurse to get ice and she asked me *tons* of questions - it was also awkward because she wanted to see my legs and my jeans wouldn't roll up any higher than like, mid-shin. I just wanted an ice pack! I told Josh it was his fault because he wasn't worried enough about my safety (Lucy's manager is constantly asking her if biking is safe haha.)

And for those of you who are worried, I'm completely fine. Legs are a bit bruised and I have a small cut on my right ankle, but it's basically like I tripped. God knew I was clumsy and gave me a relatively sturdy body. xD

The Wholehearted

Work went pretty well. Data's finally starting to come together and look like it could work! Yay! Josh is sincerely pretty much the best boss I could ask for. He's super supportive and always there if I need help, and tried his hardest to make sure I get stuff done but have fun at the same time. I'm superbly blessed to be paired with him for this internship. (Plus he got me this insane stereochem modeling kit - it's bigger than my orgo textbook!)

Had fried rice for dinner! =D

Went to the GrX Ladies' Social (sweets and sharing!). Met a lot more of the wonderful women of GrX - The Wholehearted =]. These ladies are honestly so inspiring. Quite a few young moms, a lot of single women working in the city. They're all so honest and dedicated and passionate and funny, and they find God in all that they do. I don't know them all that well, but I sincerely respect each one of them. I can't even say how wonderful it is to be able to call them my sisters. It's going to be hard to leave at the end of summer.

On a related note, lots of brownies left! Tons of people brought sweets to share, so we ended up with leftovers of almost everything haha. Cream puffs, cupcakes, chocolate-covered pretzels, banana cream pie and banana bread... Grabbed a few cream puffs and a cupcake for Lucy, and the rest of the brownies came back home. Josh and Co. get a surprise tomorrow!

What Scientists Do

I'm sincerely enjoying the working life. It's tiring and it can get tedious, but I get to spend the whole day essentially in lab. It's honestly just awesome. It reminds me a bit of COSMOS - I would say I'm having as much fun this summer as I did then, though in a drastically different way.

Not a small factor of how much I'm loving this summer is due to the people though. Lucy, Andrew, Blane, Josh, Paul, Sean, Alan... They're all super awesome and fun. =] I should really start a blog/note/whatever of "Quote from Josh" or "Life Lessons from Josh." He says the most outlandish things... Walking around with a mini video camera hidden somewhere on my person would make for the most amusing home videos too.

For example, Josh and Alan and I were raiding a conference for food this afternoon, and the two of them literally spent about 15 minutes picking through a bowl of salad with salad tongs, and just eating all of the cucumbers and tomatoes. It was the most hilarious thing. They all get super excited about food - I'm seriously going to walk in one day with like... pastries and dessert. Last day of work perhaps?

Josh Quote of the Day: "Like 90% of your computer is crapware."
Daily Life Lesson with Josh: "If you don't want to look creepy while standing on a street corner, just smoke a cigarette."

The wind was *super* strong on the way back, so Lucy and I basically walked the entire way back. Including stopping for Quickly's, it took us like an hour and a half. So maybe close to an hour excluding the boba stop. xD

Made an Asian-style dinner! Well, not really, but basically rice and dishes haha. I did attempt the egg/tomato dish though - it was actually pretty good, though it didn't taste exactly like the one my mom makes. I'm super excited for lunch tomorrow - leftovers!

Made brownies for the GrX Ladies' Social tomorrow. =] Hopefully they're still as good as they are today haha. Worried that I wouldn't have time after work tomorrow to make them; ah well. Really looking forward to some fellowship and food, and getting to know everyone better!

***

Going home this weekend to see all my senior friends graduate! Super proud of them! I'll probably be all sentimental and make a post about this on Friday. Geez. One year ago, this was me. Wow.

Food Trucks!

After grabbing lunch at food trucks quite a few times, and going to Off the Grid, I sincerely have a newfound appreciation for them. They're legitimately like the best thing ever. We need more of these everywhere haha. But seriously, they have steamed buns, noodles, tacos, burgers, sandwiches... It's the best.

Had sushi for lunch today from We2Sushi!

NMR

All day long. Literally. 1 host (for now), 18 guests, 7 concentrations done in triplicate. Makes for a total of 378 NMR. It's really just the same procedure done repeatedly though. And if the guest doesn't bind, even at 100x or 1000x Kd, I obviously don't have to do the entire experiment. But NMRs pretty basic; it's all automated here. Awkward when you realize you're using all of the spinners though. Going to take a break and let my previous batch finish (42 spectra!) before doing the next. Works out well too, since p-toluidine and 1,2-phenylenediamine are running, and we have data from a different paper to compare too, though our CB[6] contains "acid of crystallization" which seems to be throwing the peaks off a bit.

In any case, lots of mixing solutions! Might have time for one more host-guest experiment before I head out for the day, though I'll need more buffer. Hope the D2O comes in soon...

This also makes me sort of excited for ITC, if only to get away from doing NMR (I'm positive it's going to get annoying after a while...).

Math is *not* my strength

Found out the calculations I did yesterday had a common factor that was tenfold off. Meaning the NMR I ran this morning was all crazy messed up because of the error. Woops. I honestly feel bad for Josh for having to deal with my myriad stupid mistakes all the time haha... At least this was easy to resolve and I found the error before I ran more...

Edit (10:07pm): More mistakes. Woops. I basically got as far as I thought I had gotten yesterday. Also  ridiculously tired, so no actual post today (cheating by tacking this on a previous post, as you can tell =P), and I'm going to bed ridiculously early. Night!

For God's Glory

I really do believe that God reached out to me today, and it was a wonderful experience. I was walking on Market Street to meet Ross, when I passed one of the city's many homeless. And normally I give what I can, but I don't think much of it. But today, my heart sincerely went out to him, and when he said "God bless," I honestly felt an outpouring of love for my brother in Christ.

I passed an unusually large amount of needy today; they're always around in the city, but I've never run into so many... And each time I passed one, I felt such pain at their pain, and earnestly wanted to help.  And I always have - I've always tried to give what I have, but today, I really felt like God was telling me to embrace my brothers and sisters.

And normally, the homeless in the city remain fairly unobtrusive, they sit on street corners with their signs and cups. But today, I heard their voices calling out in the streets, pleading for help. And I saw so many walk by without a second glance. Ross and I stopped by Starbucks, where I bought a hot chocolate and a pastry (I don't normally get food at Starbucks). And there was a reason for that - when we stepped outside and were waiting to cross the street, a man came up asking for help, and I was able to give him the pastry I had just gotten. I gave whoever I had passed whatever change I had, but once I got to twenty dollar bills, I felt a hesitation. Not so much that I didn't want to give them, but that there was a better way to do so.

We stopped at Westfield Mall and stopped to grab some food at Chipotle. Honestly, when Ross and I weren't talking, I kept thinking about how I could better help those I had passed. I debated buying Chipotle quesadillas or burritos, but it wasn't the most nutritious thing available. So afterwards, I stopped at Walgreen's and bought a few sandwiches, and passed them out to those I had missed. And the number I had gotten was absolutely perfect - the last one was handed to a man right outside the BART entrance.

And hearing so many of them saying things like "God bless"... It really lifted my heart. I've been so preoccupied with my work and staying in contact with my friends, with *my* life, that I hadn't thought about those less fortunate than me in a while. And seeing their thankful faces, some with tears in their eyes... I don't know why He chose today, but He did. God is wonderful, and He works in ways we do not understand. And yet the mystery of it all is beautiful.

And one last time, on the ride home, He spoke to me once again. A woman was walking through the train with her child, asking for change. I didn't have any food to give (well, I had Chipotle leftovers but it felt weird to give leftovers to someone, like saying they were only worth what other people had had first), but I did conveniently have more change from purchasing sandwiches which I was able to give her. And like the others, the thanks on her face warmed my heart. Praise God for His love and His plans for us.

And yet, through this all, there were sobering instances. Ross asked if I wanted him to take pictures of me handing out the sandwiches. It took me completely off guard, and I may have responded a bit harshly. It seemed so wrong to even ask - when he asked, the first thing that flashed through my mind was Matthew 6:3-4 "But when you give to the needy, do not let your left hand know what your right hand is doing, so that your giving may be in secret. Then your Father, who sees what is done in secret, will reward you." Yet at the same time, my giving wasn't in secret. After all, Ross was with me the entire time, witnessing my actions.

And another occurrence, on BART, when the lady passed through. She stopped slightly longer than usual, in front of a man, showing him her sign explaining her situation (she had lost her job and was raising two kids on her own), and I heard him say "I can't help you." And may God ensure that those words never pass my lips, that I *can't* help someone. I may not know how to help them, but I pray that I will always have a way to do so, even if it's not known to me.

And finally, there are still so many needy, and there always will be. I once made a trip to San Francisco with food to give out, and I pray that I can find the time to do so again. To load up my backpack with water bottles and sandwiches, and to hand them out to those less fortunate. And yes, it will take time, and money, and effort, but being able to help, saying "God bless" and seeing the thanks in their eyes. Every second and every penny will be worth it.

"The King will reply, 'Truly I tell you, whatever you did for one of the least of these brothers and sisters of mine, you did for me.'"

Matthew 25:40

***

Now for a quick recap of today!

Spent the morning gathering tons of chemicals for my project from various stockrooms. Anilines everywhere! They don't smell too nice though - I had to take a break midway just because I felt a bit off. And these labels... Carcinogenic, mutagenic, reacts with air, store under nitrogen, causes liver damage... Oh dear.

Grabbed lunch at the Gateway food truck with Lucy! Twas The Chairman today, so we got gua bao!  ♥ 

Did a *ton* of calculations in the afternoon: how many mg/mL the stock solution should contain for each guest (18 of them at the moment), based off a tentative Kd for p-toluidine, how much the concentrated stock should contain and how much the diluted should be... So many numbers.

Biked home, ran to catch BART up to SF! Chilled with Ross - we completely failed at finding a cafe which was still open and not ridiculously expensive, but I know He had a plan for that to happen. We had a pretty nice talk over Chipotle - hoping that we can grab dinner again in the future. =]

Came back to the apartment around 9 and I'm just chilling now! Eat some food, read a bit, sleep. Life is good and God is great.

Food Galore!

Had a pretty amazing day up in SF with Lucy and some of her friends from Harker (Katie and Michelle). We wandered around Chinatown for a bit, then grabbed dim sum! Yay!

Window-shopped in the area for a bit, strolled through some pretty cute little shops - tons of really cute things. Needle-felted animals, matching pillowcases, and so many stuffed animals! Went up to COIT Tower too - the view was amazing. The hike up was a bit tiring, and going down was slightly frightening, but it was totally worth it.

Went to Fisherman's Wharf afterward and just visited some souvenir shops. Got myself a tiger hat! Repping Princeton! (So yes, it clashes with my dress and all, but whatever. xD)

Went to Mission and bought a few pastries at this little bakery called Tartine - still haven't had my fruit torte. I was a bit afraid of running late for prayer at GrX (ended up getting there quite a bit early), so I bought it, and Lucy brought it back for me.

The sermon was really good - Pastor Sean talked about the heart that wins. Basically a lot about routine vs. commitment, prioritizing things in life, self-control/self-mastery, and as always, about His grace and love.

I really do love the community at GrX. I felt a bit awkward the first week there, mostly because I honestly did not know a single person and they talked a lot about the women's retreat, which I had no clue about. A little bit of it was also because my parents were there though - I wasn't sure how to interact with people, and I think fewer people came up and introduced themselves because we were just sort of sitting together and talking. Of course, that's a lot of my own fault, if not all my fault, and it's a rather horrible thing to think that my parents would keep me from interacting with my brothers and sisters. If anything, their presence should be bolstering me to show them God's grace and love and the Truth.

In any case, I met quite a few more people today, though I doubt I remember all of their names... There are quite a few people who live in the San Bruno area though, so I most likely can get a ride to/from church every week. Char (a member of the leadership team) was super nice and actually created an email list of everyone who lives in my area so I can just ask for rides as need be. I already feel at home here. =]

Got back (courtesy of Scott!) and proceeded to whip up a pretty awesome dinner with Lucy! Attempted to make zen dan (not sure what it is in English - honestly not even really sure that hanyupinyin is correct). It wasn't too bad - it tasted just like it, but it was *way* overcooked. In any case, we're doing pretty well on our own for two girls who can't cook... =P

Back to my second week at Amgen tomorrow! Super excited but also nervous still. Work is rather tiring haha. But I presumably get to start my project sometime this week! Yay!

Off Work!

No work today! Still went to Amgen though haha. Had to pick up the phone charger I so smartly left behind yesterday. =] I have it now though! Yay!

Lucy and I went grocery shopping - bought tons more food. Waffles, granola bars, muffins, avocado, tomatoes, lettuce, honey, frozen pizza... So much food! Honestly, we bond so much over our love of food haha. I'm incredibly blessed to have such a wonderful roommate.

It was a bit late by the time we got back, so we just made sandwiches (+ applesauce and strawberries!). Decided not to head into the city, since it was running late. Plus Jess was busy tonight so we had to postpone our dinner too. Ah well. Spent the afternoon setting up remote access for my work computer and just listening to music, watching random videos, reading articles/news, and generally just relaxing. I felt ridiculously unproductive, but it was sort of nice.

Grabbed an amazing dinner with Lucy at Jack's! (So many food outings with her haha. I honestly love this girl.) California mac and baklava. Eep super happy! =]

Came home and got to Skype with this absolutely wonderful, amazing, and adorable guy. ♥ (I love you, please don't hate me for posting this haha.)

In just this past week, I've found so much for which to thank Him. He has brought so many incredible people into my life. He has been building me in my faith and strengthening me in love. I can see His work clearly in my life, in the positions in which he's placed me, in the people to whom he has introduced me. To think I had worried so much about how I would get along with my roommate, how much would be expected from me at work, of feeling lost and helpless because of my lack of experience. Of losing my faith and settling back into my life "before" God, of being apart from Matt. In all of these He has answered me, and blessed me.

"Therefore I tell you, whatever you ask for in prayer, believe that you have received it, and it will be yours."

Mark 11:24

GrX

I felt a bit awkward asking for a ride to GrX (just calling this guy I had only met briefly once and asking for a ride), but Arnold was super nice about it, and completely willing to help! I don't know where he lives, but I'm sure San Bruno is out of his way, if not a super long drive... But I actually figured out that I'd likely be in the city tomorrow (today didn't work out) so I can meet him at the BART station at 16th and Mission, which isn't too far from the church. I can always work out rides if need be in the future, or find my way as well, once I figure out where the church is in relation to the BART stop.

Joining them for the weekly prayer meeting tomorrow, which will be interesting - I've never been to one before, so I'm wondering what it's like. This week has been such a blessing; there have been a few rough patches, quite a bit of worry and doubt, but He has seen me through it all. PTL for the many wonderful, amazing people he has introduced me to this past week. PTL for hearing my prayers and calming my fears.

"Ask and it will be given to you; seek and you will find; knock and the door will be opened to you. For everyone who asks receives; the one who seeks finds; and to the one who knocks, the door will be opened." 

Luke 11:9-10

Karis and Nathan ♥

Guess who got engaged?! Karis and Nathan are so absolutely adorable, and I couldn't be happier for them. =] I remember when Nathan welcomed me to his dorm along with tons of other PEF people after fellowship my second time there to watch The IT Crowd (which was absolutely hilarious). And I can't imagine a bubblier, happier person than Karis - she talked to me the entire way to the movie fest and she's just so naturally energetic and joyful.

They're such amazing people who live for Him. I wish them the absolute best. ♥

Off the Grid

Had some general site safety training today. Got the emergency extension number hammered into my head - 42911. I remember it as the meaning of life followed by the emergency number, since you need it to save your life in an emergency haha. Also learned that in order to be safe in an emergency, sin. Or more accurately, S(afety) I(solate) N(otify).

Did a crapton of serial dilutions and NMR today haha. But it was fun, we talked a lot about medchem in general, college, built stuff with modeling kits... Josh also insisted on buying me a wireless mouse, and a modeling kit. Not sure if he ordered them, but I'm sort of excited. Building things with a modeling kit was absolutely amazing - Josh has a legit stereochemistry one, so it was super awesome. Made cucurbit[6]uril, which looks super awesome. I got insanely happy and excited and Sean called me a "toddler chemist" and told me it was because his toddler got super excited about normal things, like going on a train. Ah well. I guess I'm just enthusiastic about things. =]

Went to a taco truck for lunch! And hung out with Josh, Alan, and Sean at some unoccupied Amgen facilities. They have this thing where they get Cokes (the glass bottle ones) and put the empty bottles by a trash can to see how often they empty them.

Alan invited the interns up to the city tonight, so Lucy, Andrew, Blane, Liz and I met him there, as well as Joanne, a scientist in the Metabolic Disorders department. Headed to Off the Grid, which is basically a *huge* collection of food trucks accompanied by like, a bar and a lounge area, with a live band. It was legitimately awesome, and the food was *amazing.* We lost track of one another, but Lucy and I got bulgogi steak wraps from Bok Sam, which was basically bulgogi, rice, and beans sprouts in a sesame rice paper wrap. Had some coconut juice, and got ♥Love (creme brulee)! Chocolate base, topped with roasted mini marshmallows, golden grahams, double chocolate sauce and salted caramel. Absolutely delicious. I was super happy about that too.

We were walking down the hill after, and it was pretty dark - passed by a guy on the side of the road, and apparently Blane didn't see him, since he completely jumped and ran/hopped a few feet when the guy moved. Lucy and I laughed for about five minutes (Alan then proceeded to laugh at our laughing). We walked by the bay for a bit, which was gorgeous, look at the stars and the city lights. Headed up to Ghirardelli square - on the way there, I snapchatted Matt and Alan made tons of fun about me. Apparently my screen and thus my face on my screen were huge haha. But we walked around a bit more, hung out in the square, and headed back.

Today was just an amazing day haha. One downside though - left my phone charger at work, and my phone is officially out of battery, so I won't be available via text/call for a bit.

Going to see if I can pick up the charger tomorrow, do some grocery shopping with Lucy, maybe head up to the city again for some touristy things, and grabbing dinner with Jess! Super excited. This weekend is going to be fun. =]

Perfect for a Heroin Addict

Biking from work is actually really awesome. I get to feel like I'm getting exercise! My legs are actually rather sore though haha.

Finally finished LMS! Or the assigned stuff at least. I have some Site Training or whatnot tomorrow, and I might need some supplementary stuff (Lab Ergonomics?), but for now, I'm done! Yay! Had training for NMR and got my account set up too! Super exciting. =] Everything's automated haha. I'm going to be so lost when I have to do this by hand...

Had a meeting with an assay biologist about measuring Kd values. Apparently I now get to learn ITC and how to use the machine! It's going to be super fun haha. It was actually pretty amusing - I was in the meeting with Alan and Josh (sitting in between them), and Mei-Chu (the biologist) when she asks who would be running the assays, and Alan and Josh both just silently pointed at me. Feeling the responsibility here. =P

Wandered around for the longest time during lunch looking for a microwave. Awkward haha. Found one eventually though! Had my lunch, and just sort of chilled for the rest of my break (honestly I'm not sure if the "mandatory one-hour lunch break" thing is really a thing here, but Josh seems to take a solid hour, and I'm pretty useless without him right now anyways...).

Made a lot more buffer. And a lot more p-toluidine/CB[6] solutions of varying concentrations. And took a lot of NMR. It's not super interesting, but it's wonderful to be working in lab. =] Josh and I both suck at math though. So many dimensional analysis errors... And finding equations for this stuff is a bit of a hassle too. Ah well. We're going to figure this out, and it's going to be *awesome*!

As for the title, Josh and I visited the storeroom for syringe needles since I've been going through them like crazy, and the storeroom has a *lot* of needles.
Me: "Jeez this place would be horrible for someone afraid of needles..."
Josh: "Yeah, but not for a heroin addict!"
Yup. Meet my manager guys. =]

Anyways, super excited to get this project up and running! I'm really enjoying my time here, I still can't believe how amazingly blessed I've been.

When in Doubt, Don't Touch!

Biked to/from work today! No busing! It's actually not that bad, and it gives a lot more freedom than busing does. Plus it saves $4 a day! =P

Finally got the intern picture from the first day of work! It's a pretty good picture honestly. =]

(Left to right, top) Blane, Sid, Andrew 

(Bottom) Me (!), Lucy, Liz.

*Almost* done with all of this random online training. I have got to say though, this Sexual Harassment one is both severely annoying and highly amusing. "If in doubt, don't touch." Seriously. All of these scenarios: pats on the back, hair-stroking, massages... I don't even know. Still have a bit to finish up tomorrow morning (blahhh).

Josh is honestly awesome haha. We went out to dinner with Paul (a guy who works in the same lab as Josh, who has a really freaking cool accent), Andrew, and Alan (Andrew's advisor). Got to go to a little pho place in South SF! There was a guy in a banana suit sitting at a table behind us, and the whole time Josh and Paul kept referencing the banana guy. I don't even know.

Spent the afternoon in lab, just learning the ropes - how to check inventory, where stuff is in lab. Got to use syringes for the first time haha. Made a buffer, ran a few NMRs. Wasn't too hard but I still managed to screw things up. The first buffer I made, an acetate one of sodium acetate and deuterated acetic acid, I very smartly used water as a solvent. That is, instead of deuterium oxide. Twas awkward. But it was super nice being in lab actually doing something, even if it wasn't much. Just measuring and mixing stuff in a lab coat, gloves, and glasses makes me unreasonably happy. =]

Snapped a picture of a picture of Prof Reider (its still insane how everyone knows him! I knew he was a big name, but still surreal that I took a class from such a well-known guy), which is by Stair 2, on the second floor of building 2. (Lots of 2s haha.)

That enthusiasm. He hasn't changed.

Rode back with Lucy, and sort of just sweltered from the ride until Andrew and Blane dropped by for dinner! Went out to a place called "El Patio Mexicano" (yeah haha). It was pretty good though - really reasonable prices and the food was yummy. Though the quesadilla was too big so I brought the leftovers back. Seriously, so many leftovers. I need to not go out tomorrow and just eat the stuff I have in the fridge haha. Dropped by Target and bought orange juice, partly to make smoothies and partly because I needed to buy something so I could get cash back (can't seem to find a BoA ATM anywhere close, which is odd).

Excited for tomorrow! Finishing up the "don't touch" training, having an NMR training session, meeting with someone along with Josh to figure out how to calculate Kd from NMR spectra, and hopefully do some wet chemistry on my project! It might be a bit optimistic - I'll probably still be replicating results from a paper, but that's still pretty awesome.

Amgen. Honestly, I'm still amazed.

Free to Discover

Quick summary: Biked/bused to work, had 3 hours of EHS training, grabbed lunch with everyone, did online training until around 3/330 when my computer died, sent it in to be fixed, chilled in lab with Josh until around 5, biked/bused back, cooked/ate dinner with Lucy, grabbed some items at Target, showered and blogging!

***

Second day of work today! Didn't do much - it was mostly training... I'm both ridiculously excited and scared for actual labwork haha. It's going to be so amazing and I feel like I'm going to learn so much, but at the same time, I'm really worried about all of the independence I have and the responsibility.

Seriously, I'm 18 years old and just finished my freshman year in college. I have no prior research experience or publications, awards, related recommendations to my name. I'm almost tempted to ask Josh why he chose me, but I feel like that would be improper.

Josh is honestly awesome though. He's such a chill guy. There's pretty much no pressure to get things done perfectly - he's completely understanding that I'm new at all of this and doesn't expect that I'll immediately comprehend everything or be able to do it on my own. At the same time, I almost wish he would just tell me what to do and shove me in the lab. He basically told me to come to work and leave whenever I wanted. I do suppose I need to finish my training first, but hearing about the other interns in lab already makes me a bit worried. It's only the second day! Haha, granted Lucy hasn't been in lab yet either, so it might just be an experience thing. I'm ridiculously blessed to have Josh as my manager though. He's a really funny guy and just makes you feel at ease.

He told me an amazing story about his very first day in a research lab, his sophomore year of college. Apparently the professor essentially told him he was sharing a hood with a guy named Rick, and that was all the instruction he got. He asked Rick what to do, and got a piece of paper with a reaction in return. Though he should make a lot of whatever it was he was making, so he prepped everything in a 3 liter container, shoved it in the fume hood, closed the sash, and left for the night. He came back the next day with the fume hood completely demolished, everything inside incinerated, the walls and ceilings black with soot/smoke, and safety officers cleaning up his reaction, which was now all over the lab. Basically, sometime during the night, his 3 liter reaction exploded.

In any case, I figure I (hopefully) won't mess up that badly, right? (We would have *major* problems if we did...)

Lucy and I made dinner! Penne pasta with marinara sauce, sausage, and assorted greens. Plus some beef her mom had prepared and strawberries! Not too bad for our first try haha.

I've being doing a lot of thinking recently. About love, selfishness, understanding. I've grown so much this year, but I have miles, light-years yet to go. I have so much to learn and more importantly, so much to apply. I'm completely overwhelmed by my inadequacy and His grace and blessings.

I have so many flaws and faults. My impatience, my envy, my seemingly contradictory problems of sloth and excessive planning... Not carrying through with personal plans/goals... Being complacent.

I am worth nothing. But yet I am given His love. If only I could love others in a way which reflects His wonderful love - accept, forgive, and embrace them as He did me. It's something I'll forever have to work on. I can only pray that with His help, each day I'll be a little closer to being able to do so.

***

On another note, while a lot of my reflection is done on my blog, a lot of it is done just in my head now too. Please forgive me if my blog posts seem a bit lackluster or halfhearted. I just generally want to get to reading the Word and Tim Keller's books. I realize this is a great part of my growth as well though, and in my effort to be transparent, it is something that I shouldn't put to the side. I suppose I just have to get better at managing my time. Thanks for understanding. =]

Compete Intensely and Win

First day of work complete! Nothing too exciting - we had quite a few hours of orientation. Went over a brief history, some general safety stuff, amenities on campus, the Amgen values (one of which is the title of this post haha) and the like. Got a nice tour of the facilities. I'm really insanely excited to be working here. I still can't believe it - I've been amazingly blessed.

Biking/busing was interesting. Didn't get hit! Haha, yay accomplishments! I *did* fail at putting my bike on the bike rack of the bus though haha. Took me *forever* to figure out how to do it... It worked out though. Going to see if there's a way to bike the entire way (bus fare is expensive!) but if not, this hybrid transport system works pretty well.

There are four other interns currently in addition to Lucy and me. Blane, Andrew, and Liz are all rising seniors, and Sid is a fourth year grad student. So yeah, Lucy and I are the young ones haha. I guess that was to be expected. We're also the locals - Blane and Andrew are from Michigan, Liz from North Dakota, and Sid from Pennsylvania. We're all living in the same apartment complex too, which is pretty sweet. There are apparently two more interns joining us later, so I'll meet them when they come!

Josh (Dr. Taygerly) is super chill. We're going to get along haha. I asked him what I should call him, and he said, "Whatever you want. I'll probably only respond to Josh though." Pretty awesome guy. Gave me some papers to read, described the project. Apparently I pretty much get free reign on what exactly I want to focus on, which is completely awesome but also super frightening... I'll be bugging him a lot for help - I'm super nervous. I have absolutely *no* experience, but this is what the internship is for right?

Chilled when I got back, and grabbed dinner at BJ's with Lucy. Had my first pizookie! Super happy haha. I've decided that when I have nothing to do, I'm just going to head to the mall and shop/read in Barnes and Noble. I'm ridiculously excited.

In any case, this is going to be one freaking awesome summer.

853 Commodore Drive, Apt #435

Officially living in my apartment now! I should go to sleep soon (first day of work tomorrow!) so this will be short (and sweet?).

Stocked up on food at Costco this morning and lugged a ton of stuff over this afternoon. =] Cereal, muffins, sausage, ravioli, Chobani, apple chips, strawberries, grapes, applesauce... Yum.

Went to GrX for the first time and met some wonderful people. It really is a great place and I believe I'll learn a lot and grow a lot in the community there. I'm really looking forward to worship every Sunday.

I still can't believe how wonderfully blessed I have been, with such a great opportunity, such an amazing and supportive family and group of friends, such a wonderful community which so eagerly welcomes me, such a cheerful and friendly apartment-mate...

In all things I can see God's work, and I am so earnestly thankful for His love and grace.

Welcome to Independence!

"Moved in" to my apartment in San Bruno, if you can call dropping off a suitcase of clothes moving in. Yay for its being fully furnished! It's a pretty awesome place - two bedrooms, two bath, a living room and a kitchen, plus a washing machine and dryer in the apartment! There's a shopping mall a few minutes' walk away, and a BART station pretty close too. I'm pretty in love with this place already haha (and I should be, rent's normally $3400 a month, thank God for paid company housing).

***

Woke up pretty late today, like 10:30am haha. Got up periodically, but just felt so exhausted I couldn't drag myself out of bed. It was a little awful, but at least I got lots of sleep?

Took a shower, then sunbathed outside for a bit. Read some Tim Keller (finished Counterfeit Gods... just wow), ate some food. It was pretty nice, though it got way too hot after a while.

The remainder of the day was spent in San Bruno, moving in and shopping. Grabbed pho with my parents for dinner! Drew a pretty little Princeton shield out of soy paste and Sriracha. =P

Moving in permanently tomorrow - going to grab a few groceries at Costco in the morning, then heading over to San Bruno in the afternoon. Going to GrX for weekly worship for the first time - a bit nervous but very excited. =] Life is good.

Busy Days

Even with all of my unproductivity, I managed to be out of the house for the vast majority of today...

Woke up around 8am, lounged around for a bit and ate breakfast, chilled. Headed out with my Mom to do some minor school supplies shopping, which turned into clothes shopping, and then food shopping... Still no dried mangos at Costco. Sadness.

Visited Cal High again for the sole purpose of seeing Mr. White! Can't go without seeing him - he's honestly my favorite teacher. Such an awesome guy. And after taking MOL at Princeton, I've gained so much more respect for how well he's prepared us, not only for the AP test, but for college classes. So many of the labs we did, I had done already in AP Bio.

With a face like that, how can you not love him? =P

Had a dental appointment. No cavities! Yay! Probably getting my wisdom teeth out this summer, which will be a bummer... Probably during the week of July 4th, since that's honestly the only time I'll have to recuperate haha... Ah well, what must be done will be done.

Went out shopping for a little while longer. So. Many. Dresses. I honestly have no idea when I'm going to wear all of these, but they're cute! Haha... We'll see I suppose.

Grabbed Chipotle for lunch and got my free birthday pastry from Panera! And a few of the books I put on hold came in the library today, which was awesome. I really need to start a Tim Keller book collection. They're just so absolutely amazing...

Hung out with Lisa for about two hours - twas pretty awesome. Talked a lot about college, and about religion since BC is a Catholic school [what it's like going to a religious school, being religious at a non-religious school, etc] and about our friends and boyfriends. It was great catching up even if the time flew by...

Clarie swung by again. Showed her all of my dresses and got the Clarie Stamp of Approval. =P Got dinner at Little Madfish (I've missed that place!) and Yogurtland (which I've missed even more!). Chilled at Target for a while - looked for senior banquet/graduation dresses for her but didn't find much. I got a nice bracelet though, and a pretty cute Batman T-shirt (from the boys' section haha). It's a bit big though, so I'm going to see if they have a smaller size at the Dublin Target or whatnot.

It's been a busy day. Off to read for a bit, then sleep. Moving into the San Bruno apartment tomorrow!