All Hallow's Eve

Twenty-eight years ago tonight, an 11-year old doing her best John Wayne ambled across Spartan City -- the cluster of old barracks that comprised student family housing at San Jose State University until the late 80s -- dressed in tight Levi jeans with the cuffs rolled up, a maroon shirt with tassels, matching brown leather vest with tassels, and a coon fur cap.

"I'm Danielle Boone!" she would announce, after chorusing "Trick or Treat!" with the other kids, as her sister-chaperone -- dressed similarly in a larger-sized version of her outfit except without the cap -- gave her a gentle shove to make sure that she got a share of the candied handout.  She carried her loot in a blue felt sack that her Mum sewed together, now bulging with candy corn that she didn't find tasty but had pretty colors; soft bubble gum, the kind with a riddle on the wrapper; a couple of apples; and an assortment of Hershey's miniatures.

That was my first Halloween in the U.S. -- my first Halloween ever -- and mental snapshots from that night linger with me more vividly than ones that followed.  That indelible memory still makes me eager to receive strangers at my door each October 31st, dressed as a monk on this particular night with a Frankenstein-themed bucket filled with mini Kit Kats and Reeses Pieces, our favorite chocolates that we'll look forward to savoring in the coming weeks.

Halloween night will always be special to this Danielle Boone.

Bumper Cars

As I awaited my turn at the traffic light this morning, the freeze frames through my rearview mirror looked like this:

#1 - Fast approaching car, driven by a scrunchy-faced man, squinting intently against the glaring sun.

#2 - While approaching car maintains its speed, frowning driver's face is replaced with wide-eyes and the slow-motion mouthing of "OH S%$T."

#3 - Grimaces by all parties involved and... CONTACT.   

Snapshots of the continuing scene outside the cars:

#4 - The other driver and me, peering at each other's bumpers -- and the exchange of each other's green and grey paint. 

#5 - Me photographing the offending driver's license (w/iPhone).

#6 - Me recording him reciting his phone number (w/iPhone).

#7 - Drivers politely bidding each other farewell, with promise of follow up if any soreness or alignment issues ensue.

The smoothest and friendliest car accident I've ever had! 

Plumbing Musings

Thanks to the plumbers who came padding through our house in booties over their steel-toed shoes in the last 2 days, I am now dangerously competent in the language of snakes, blow bags, P-traps, and cleanouts.  When the culprit of the washer drain line clog was discovered, a hush fell across the room, followed by murmurs of "What the...?"  (Okay, so the audience was just one guy and me.)  How this giant bolt-looking object got in there remains a mystery.  Now comes the almost equally arduous (and costly) task of closing up the big hole.  Aah, the joys of homeownership!

Hot-lanta: Warm in other ways

The last time I was in Atlanta was for my guy's cousin's wedding.  On 7/7/07, to be exact.  This time, it was for environmental justice-related work, the same reason that first brought me there in 2000.  Besides the meaningful nature of the work and the cherished time spent with family, I was struck by one thing:  The kindness of the people I encountered, unexpected in some cases...

• Take the foul-mouthed trio who sat behind me from SFO to ATL.  "F"-this, "nigga"-that; language that normally wouldn't make me flinch, except in the presence of little ones.  There were at least five munchkins in the immediate area.  As we gathered our belongings upon arrival -- and during what seemed to be the height of the f-bombing -- I was pleasantly surprised when, while reaching for my bag in the overhead compartment, a dreadlocked member of the group interrupted himself to ask, "Miss, can I help you with that?"  You had me at "Miss".  As he effortlessly lifted my bag out of the bin, his two homies were helping an elderly couple bring down theirs. 

• Take the odd pair who helped my ride find me in the maze of Clark Atlanta University by patiently taking turns giving him directions over my phone.  A small Shanghainese post-doc, who eagerly approached me upon spotting a fellow Asian (a rare sight in those parts); and a brawny security guard, who alternated between politely greeting co-eds entering the campus and sternly demanding of a rowdy bunch, "Show me your student IDs."

• Take the intimidating 300-pound tough guy in the low-riding Cadillac that blasted a bass rhythm strong enough to cause a brief heart arrythmia, who didn't hesitate to turn down the din and give us detailed instructions when asked how to access the freeway.

Brutal summer humidity aside, I left Atlanta feeling welcome to return.

Right About Now

It's been a month and 2 days since I returned from Ensenada, Mexico, where 14 of us from Sunset Church worked alongside a local Missionary family, the Camachos, to run a week-long camp. The day camp served about 100 children from two colonias, rustic communities on the outskirts of town that lack paved roads, drinking water, and electricity. Snapshots from a day:

6:30 AM

Right about now... The roosters in the farm next door are starting to call us awake, followed by a chorus of barking dogs and squealing pigs. It's not long before those of us on the "ladies' floor" are stretching out from our sleeping bags and squinting at the sunlight streaming in.

7:30 AM

Right about now... I'm piling into a van with five others, bound for Bodega Aurrera (like a Walmart) to buy supplies for tortas (sandwiches) that we made daily for the kids' lunches. By the end of the week, we got really good at ordering "ciento cincuenta pan (150 bread), jamon (ham), y quesos (cheese), por favor!"

9:30 AM

Right about now... We're cleaning up after a tasty breakfast of cereal, torta, or pastries with our teammates. I'm on bus duty today, so I climb into the old black-and-white striped school bus to pick up kids and, most importantly, make sure they don't fall out the back door with the broken hinge.

10:00 AM

Right about now... We're at the colonia! Several of us are assembling tortas in the humble home of a sweet woman with an easy smile, bemused by our weak attempts to engage her in Spanish. The others are outside in the mounting heat, playing jump rope and soccer in a cloud of dust.

12:00 PM

Right about now... It's lunchtime! The tortas look so tantalizing, dripping with melted cheese due to the 100+ degree heat. Tiny hands reach eagerly for jalapenos and drinks. Some of the kids tuck their sandwiches under their shirts and ask for another -- what I thought was an act of mischief, until I learned that for many of them, it's their only meal of the day.

2:00 PM

Right about now... The kids are climbing onto the school bus to head to the park, many still happily clinging on to the crafts that they had just made. With big smiles on their faces, they drag us around the playground, occasionally stopping for a hug, to kiss us on the cheek, or ask us to chocola (give a high-five and fist bump).

4:00 PM

Right about now... We're calling out across the park, "Ninos! Al autobus!" -- "Children! To the bus!" Time to go home. After triple checking the headcount and lots of hugs and chocolas, the rickety school bus pulls away from the curb as we wave and run after it.

Right about now... and so often since our return, my thoughts drift to those children and our blessed time with them. Hasta luego, ninos. Until we meet again. Que Dios los bendiga. May God bless you.

Airtime Musings

First Leg: SFO-PHX

As this A320 levels out and the lead flight attendant grants us permission to use "approved portable electronic devices", most of us are fist-rubbing our eyes like toddlers and relishing a good cat stretch in our seats. Funny how, for many, the period between lift-off and cruising altitude means... naptime.

I'm getting good vibes from this crowd. Starting with the warm greeting at the doorway, then observing how eagerly folks responded to pleas for divided families to be reunited in seats that were closer together. It didn't matter that the seat shuffling caused some who were originally in aisle or window seats to be squeezed into less spacious middles - as long as junior or little missy were within mama and papa's reach.

The pilot announces that Phoenix is already in the 90s...at 10 am. Hace mucho calor! As I tuck into my second breakfast (a chocolate croissant), the cheerful Filipino couple to my left bust open a take-out box of pancit, a tantalizing noodle dish. I inhale deeply to steal a taste, then flip open my book, wink at Bookmark Aragorn, and settle in for the ride.

Second Leg: PHX-ABQ

The window shades must be taking a beating, but they rock. They're all pulled down to keep the cabin cool, and amazingly, despite the 110 degrees outside, conditions in this CRJ200 puddle jumper are rather comfy. Everyone seems to be moving in slow motion and limiting interactions while boarding the aircraft, as if to minimize heat generation.

As pilot Charlie revs the engine at the runway start line, solo flight attendant Chris attempts to recite the entire safety spiel with no pauses, possibly setting the record for the fastest demo with the fewest breaths in the history of safety spieling.

Maybe I should take another nap. To conserve energy.

Epilogue

Here's the scene that welcomed me at my destination: As I stepped off the plane, three law enforcement officers -- two wearing Bernalillo County Sheriff Department patches and one aviation cop -- greeted me with warm smiles... before approaching the man behind me, showing him a mugshot of himself, and slapping handcuffs on him. The young guy in an oversized white t-shirt looked indifferent as he was quietly escorted away. Nothing was said. No fanfare... except in my own racing mind.

I'm Baaaack...

For now. After a >4-month hiatus. Greetings!

Weeks 8-11 in Review

Hitting "pause"... to catch my breath ... after a whirlwind action-packed month.

Squeaks's Top 5:

1. Quote from Oscar night - "You're my mast through the storms of life." Christian Bale to his wife during his acceptance speech for Best Supporting Actor. Re-gifting this one for my guy, who's especially living up to these words lately.
2. Food experiences - Curry Up Now truck in the Financial District; El Metate in the Mission.
3. Transitions - Found a buyer for our place (sans Open House) and became buyers of another, all in 1 week. The race to close escrow is ON.
4. Transitions (part 2) - Retired my Ericsson candy bar and got my first SmartPhone. Dude, this thing is rocking my world.
5. Wisdom - "It's not the load that breaks you down. It's how you carry it." Lena Horne (1917-2010), featured in an Oscar Tribute.

Hawai'i Free Press Top 5:

1. Dopers, anti-Superferry activists duke it out for control of Maui Democratic Party (2/27/2011).
2. More than 150 dogs seized from puppy farm (3/1/2011)
3. Panos on geothermal: Can Hawaii catch up with Philippines and Iceland? (3/6/2011).
4. Hawaii Red Cross helping local victims, taking donations for Japan (3/13/2011).
5. Scientists predict Japan's tsunami trash to hit Hawaii shores in 18 months (3/19/2011).

Hitting "Play" ... and on to the next.

Cell Phone Lot

Nestled amidst . Other manned buggies . Engines at rest . Mostly

Patient chauffeurs . Sip from coffee mugs . Poke at iPads . Or snooze

Incoming call . Jars serenity . Disturb the peace . "I'm here"

Prius wakes up . With a hushed whisper . Jeep rumbles, groans . To life

So long, lot mates . Soon it'll be my turn . Summoned to leave . The pack

Week 7 in Review

Squeaks's Top 5:

1. Priceless time with old friends. Spent a couple of hours each, catching up with two faraway friends whom I've known since Middle School. Friends who were there... by my side, chorusing "trick-or-treat!" when I was Danielle Boone; at my birthday party when I first put on make-up; at the next table in the cafeteria when I was asked out on my first date. How far we've come, ladies.
2. Me gusta espanol. Two good Spanish practice sessions con la vecina y los amigas de la iglesia.* Update on #4 of "2011 To Do's": Esta llendo bien.**
3. Promising Open Houses. Keeping our cool to temper possible disappointments,... while the excitement mounts...!
4. Tasty aged meat. Birthday festivities for my guy continued with a friend's invitation to dinner at Alfred's, the oldest steakhouse in SF. Either we lucked out or the unimpressed Yelp reviewers have a different palate, but all three of us swooned over every dish we ordered, from the fried calamari, to the hearty split pea soup, to the thin crispy fries, to the juicy steaks themselves. My martini (Priscilla) and the chocolatey desserts were also hits.

5. "Free" Lucky cookware! Traded in my 70 Lucky Supermarket rewards stickers for a 10.2" Thomas Professional frying pan worth $50. Amazed by the Use & Care Instructions in 22 languages, incl. the very unfamiliar "Svenska", "Suomi", "Eesti Keel", and others with characters un-typeable on this keyboard.

Al Jazeera English's Top 5:

1. Gaddafi's hold on Libya weakens.
2. Egypt gears up to evacuate citizens.
3. Iranian navy ships enter Suez canal.
4. Quake rocks New Zealand city.
5. Cyclone Atu batters Vanuatu islands.

_______

*...with the neighbor and friends from church.

**So far so good.

Photo credit: Squeaks.

Week 6 in Review (feat. Vegas weekend)

Week 6 of Gregorian Year 2011 -- or Week 1.5 of Lunar Year 4709 for you LNY revelers -- started out as a lazy stroll,... then picked up speed over a tasty mid-week Peruvian dinner at Limon with long unseen friends,... and culminated in a race towards our weekend getaway to sin city, Las Vegas -- which brings us to...

Squeaks's Vegas Top 5:

1. Seeing the Jabbawockeez! More awesome than expected. My face is still sore from grinning so much. When's the next hip hop class?
2. Roadtrip to Hoover Dam. Far cooler than the website, especially with a ka-boom!-flappa-flappa (or blown bus tire, in non-Batman lingo) en route and engineering buds who were pretty pumped up about the tour.
3. Casino time: Slipping $1 into a 2-cent slot machine, then leaving with $28.88 and a swagger 10 minutes later. Peering over my guy's shoulder at the roulette table and whispering "lucky numbers"... that were all bad, but he still emerged with winnings. *whew*
4. Quotes by... (a) Bell Trans shuttle driver: "If you're drunk or feeling sick to your stomach, let me know. Respect yourself and respect me. Enjoy the ride." (b) TV ad for defense attorney: "Charged for the crime but don't want to do the time? You know who to call!"
5. And last but definitely not least,... Priceless time with friends. *aw shucks*

And as we tried in vain to avert our eyes from the gyrating table dancers,...

Las Vegas Sun's Top 5 (headlines):

1. Owner of unfinished Wyndham hotel files for bankruptcy.
2. Giunchigliani releases first video in Las Vegas mayoral race.
3. Missing Las Vegas man found dead Friday night in desert.
4. Drivers behave when they're being watched.
5. Sean Kingston celebrates the big 2-1 at Tryst.

_______

Photo credit: Google image

BART Musings (take 2)

Our Pastor's account of his recent inaugural MUNI ride in San Francisco reminded me of how much I enjoy taking public transit -- in Chicago, San Francisco, France,...anywhere, really. Great for people-watching and rubbing shoulders (literally, at times) with an interesting cross-section of society. Here are snapshots from this morning's train ride, a reprise of my earlier musings on BART:

Eastbound (morning commute)

The New Yorker . People . San Francisco Chronicle

Until.org poster . "Until A Cure Foundation" for HIV/AIDS awareness

Smart phone . laptop . iPad . those distinctive white earbuds

Kenneth Cole . Anne Klein . Aerosoles . Rockport

Briefcases . rolling laptop bags . backpacks slung over suited shoulders

"We'll be holding here momentarily due to police activity at Civic Center."

Hoop earrings . pink scarf . unusually big hands...for a woman

Westbound (3 hours later)

Sing Tao Daily . La Raza . San Francisco Bay Guardian

GreaterThan.org poster . The "Greater Than AIDS" movement

Discman . 2nd generation iPod . those distinctive white earbuds

Unlaced suede boots . Chucks . flip flops revealing french manicure and toe rings

Timbuk2 messenger bag . Billabong pack

Hoodies . Raiders sweats . Giants raincoat

Fedora . beanie . menacing barbell in the lobe

Never a dull moment.

Week 5 in Review

Squeaks's Top 5:

1. Spanish practice over pupusas and platanos con crema at El Zocalo, an El Salvadoran restaurant in SSF. Especially grateful for our waiter Roberto who patiently (and amusedly) engaged us in Spanish. Muy amable!
2. "The guy who invented the [toilet] flapper should be put in jail." - commentary from handyman Bob Antonelli on how traditional toilets waste so much water. He and his right-hand man, Jesus, spent most of a day touching up our past D.I.Y. projects to help us prep our home for sale. Five-star service!
3. Rang in the Lunar New Year -- the Year of the White Metal Rabbit in Chinese Astrology -- with a hot pot family dinner, complete with a bubbling cauldron of soup, vermicelli, sliced pork, shrimp, meat and fish balls, and an assortment of vegetables. A heart- and tummy-warming feast.

4. Explored and got to know the neighborhood a bit better via a circuitous 4-mile jaunt to post flyers for upcoming Clinic By The Bay health workshops. Encountered friendly neighbors en route, tending their vegetable gardens in this unseasonably warm weather.
5. Birthday Boy weekend, featuring authentic Chicago-style Lou Manalti's sausage pizza, freeze-dried and flown in from the source!

The San Francisco Chronicle's Top 5 (local news):

1. SF Bay Area frolics in record-setting heat.
2. Six hats in ring for SF mayor's race.
3. Protesters march in San Francisco to support Egypt.
4. Task Force finds little support for injection center for drug users.
5. Two arrested for shooting at police in Oakland.

And as a bonus, my favorite quote of the week (while catching up on HULU shows)...

Peter: Walter, are you all right?

Walter: If "all right" means despondent, then yes.

(Fringe, Season 3, Episode 10, Firefly)

Week 4 in Review

Squeaks's Top 5:

1. Kicked off weekly Spanish practice with mi amiga, CR (coolest neighbor ever), with a couple of dramatic telenovela-inspired Destinos lessons and challenging vocab games. Cool sentence we created for this week's la Familia (family) theme: Mi cuñado es el otro hijo de mi suegro. (My brother-in-law is the other son of my father-in-law.)

2. Invigorating stroll to Pacifica pier with the folks on a sunny winter day. Rainbows straddling crashing waves; risk-taking fishermen violating the "no overhead casting" rule (duck!); crabbers measuring their scrambling catch with calipers, making sure to throw back the females -- as a little boy told me, "we can keep the boys but not the girls".
3. Dissonant -- but nonetheless awesome -- jam session with fellow learner guitarists. Once we get the hang of "down-down-up...up-down-up", we've got a girl praise band in the making.
4. Enriching first study of Tim Keller's Gospel in Life with our Friday night group. Psyched.
5. Good times..."experiencing" South America through AT's animated travel stories, and celebrating with new friends at PW's bridal shower.

The New York Times's Top 5:

1. President Barack Obama's State of the Union address.
2. Rest in peace, Mr. Jack LaLanne.
3. Suicide bombing in Domodeovo Airport in Moscow.
4. Murder of David Kato, the most outspoken gay rights activist in Uganda.
5. The Egyptian revolution.

Note to Self:

Green tea after 6PM and pre-bedtime Kerouac (reading Dharma Bums) induces restless sleep filled with random scenes like

• A boat chase culminating with a death-defying leap to take down a would-be assassin
• Crawling under train seats and calling out to my missing shoe
• Dancing on a Santa Barbara beach next to a glowing conch shell emitting sitar music
• Precariously riding a heavily-laden -- and lugubrious -- donkey sidesaddle on a narrow ledge in the Himalayas

Exhausted.

AMDA in Haiti

Ever heard of AMDA? Me neither,...until tonight on NHK World on KTSF-26, my new favorite multilingual over-the-air channel, courtesy of our "bunny ears" antenna.

AMDA is the Association of Medical Doctors of Asia, and they're doing awesome work in Haiti, among other places. The news report featured Japanese AMDA doctor Naoki Yao, a specialist in prosthetic limbs who has been working with Haitians who lost their arms and/or legs in the January 2010 earthquake. Apparently over 4,000 survivors of that earthquake are amputees.

The group arrived on scene within 2 days after the disaster and have been hard at work ever since, with...

• Providing emergency relief to earthquake and then cholera victims.
• Making artificial limbs -- 42, to be exact, as of the end of 2010.
• Helping young folks with trauma rehab through a "soccer and cultural exchange programme."

AMDA = Heroes.

_______

Photo credit: AMDA

Week 3 in Review

Squeaks's Top 5:

1. Saving >2 gallons of water each day, thanks to enviro-tip by friends. Before showering, run the initial cold water into a bucket while waiting for pipes to warm up - then use the extra water to fill the toilet tank. Let's see how this affects our water bill...
2. "By the power of Grayskull,...it was awesome" to stumble upon He Man, Orco, and Battlecat on the Qubo channel, which mysteriously showed up among our otherwise 4-channel digital cable stations. Aah, life's little pleasures.
3. Joined an early celebration of the Gaelic festival of Imbolc -- the halfway mark between the winter solstice and spring equinox -- with "music, poetry, and lore" with a friend's group, Triskela Harp Trio. Left with an ethereal feeling and an urge to plant a tree.
4. Met with our realtor about putting our home back on the market...again. Coming soon!
5. Brazilian fare at Cybelle's Pizza! Our Portuguese-speaking Taiwanese-Brazilian friend introduced us to Brazillian chicken, steak, and fish dishes with sides of nutty (and powdery) yucca/agave, and a salad potpourri of pumpkin, potato, and greens at this pizza joint. Esta refeicao foi deliciosa.

The Onion's Top 5 (headlines):

1. Study: Family History of Alcoholism Raises Risk of One-Man Show
2. U.S. Renews Contract with Spotted Ground Squirrels Through 2015
3. Man Waiting Until Parents Die Before Doing A Single Thing That Makes Him Happy
4. Report: Smart Car Terrible For Doughnuts
5. New Congressional Intern Disillusioned...in Record 6 Minutes, 41 Seconds

Have a great week!

Day 8: L'AFRIQUE!

(Intro note: This post falls under the "better late than never" category. Thank you, Toastmasters, for the kick in the butt to keep the story going.)

After a long Day 7 that left us drifting into humid sleep in Algeciras, we awoke to exciting thoughts of crossing the Strait of Gibralter by ferry...to Africa! I had yearned for an Amazing Race-like moment at some point in our trip, and I finally got my wish. Our leisurely stroll down to the Port of Algeciras quickly become a mad dash from the ticket counter, up escalators, through a couple of checkpoints, and down three long hallways to a ferry that was due to leave in 5 minutes. The scheduled departure time came,... and went..., and we soon realized our first cultural lesson of the day when the ferry set out to sea a 1/2 hour later. JUST CHILL.

During our 1.5 hours on the water, announcements in Arabic, French, Spanish, and English -- all by the same woman -- reminded us to have our passports stamped by the Moroccan police onboard before arrival. Our encounter with the officers was mostly cordial, except for the odd questioning about whether my husband and I were siblings due to having the same last name; and where my American-born Korean beau was really from..."no, really."

When we arrived at the Port of Tangier in Morocco, we immediately knew that we had been transported into another world. Animated conversations, mostly in Arabic with a smattering of French, surrounded us, along with dusty streets and stone buildings in the shadow of the towering mosque nearby. We hailed a "petit taxi", the smaller -- and cheaper -- of the two types of taxis that zip through downtown Moroccan streets. "Bonjour Monsieur. Parlez-vous francais?" (Do you speak French?) -- I asked through the window of the red Datsun. "Oui," came the drawled reply. We then haggled a 20-dirham ride down to 10 dirhams (or US$1.20) and were soon speeding to the Tangier train station, dodging donkey-drawn carts along the way.

"Snapshots" of images at the station and subsequent train ride:

• The pleasant Moroccan (who bore a strikingly dreamy resemblance to Terrence Howard) who advised us to tip the woman sitting outside the restroom 1 dirham before going in.
• The "helpful" porter who showed us to our train seats, then kept his palm outstretched until my guy dropped enough coins into it.
• The abundance of trash and fighting wild dogs along the train tracks.
• Beautiful rolling hills in the distance, occasionally dotted with sheep, donkeys, and cows escorted by a young shepherd.

Three hours later, we climbed down the train in Kenitra, dusty and fatigued. And that was just the first day of our Moroccan adventure.

Week 2 in Review

Squeaks's Top 5:

1. A look back with fellow volunteers at our year-end stint at four colonias in Ensenada, Mexico. Missing those carne asada and adobada tacos from El Poblano...
2. Thanks, Blood Centers of the Pacific, for my "1-gallon donor" pin...and then poking and prodding me for another >300 mL. Couldn't fill the pint-sized bag this time (blasted tiny veins!), but assured that they could use what they got.
3. Four thumbs up (borrowed my guy's two) for "The King's Speech," which we enjoyed even more with Mum who remembers listening to King George VI on the radio as a child in Singapore. It may not have fared as well as hoped at the Golden Globes tonight, but at least (dreamy) Colin Firth represented.
4. Relnsp Bldg 101 update - Good times with cool neighbors (mmm...lamb tagine), close family (Skype date with overseas aunts; Happy Birthday, big sis!), and church community (take the 1-minute testimony challenge). So very grateful!
5. New restaurant picks of the week: The Vault (brunch), Green Chile Kitchen (New Mexican), Lilly's/Da Pitt BBQ (take out).

The BBC's Top 5:

1. Flooding in Brazil, "the worst natural disaster in at least 40 years," has killed >600 people in the mountainous area near Rio de Janeiro. Steady rainfall is expected to continue into next week.
2. Former President Jean-Claude "Baby Doc" Duvalier returns from exile in France to his homeland, claiming intentions to "help the people of Haiti" -- as the country enters its second year of recovery from ruins following the massive earthquake.
3. Scientists are exploring the Marianas Trench, the deepest part of the ocean, to "enhance our understanding of how the deep trenches contribute to carbon cycling in the world's oceans." (Big grins in nerd-dom.)
4. "Tensions remain high in Tunisia," which has been in a state of emergency since ousted President Zine al-Abidine Ben Ali "fled amid widespread anti-government protests."
5. U.S. Congresswoman Gabrielle Giffords, shot in the head last weekend in Arizona by alleged gunman Jared Loughner, has been upgraded from "critical" to "serious" condition after being successfully taken off a ventilator. (Go girl!)

A new week (with new opportunities) ahead. Ready,... set,... GO.

Week 1 in Review

Welcome to the first of a weekly series featuring recent high- and low-lights in Squeaks's small world and elsewhere around the globe (according to news and other sources picked at random). Here goes...

Squeaks's Top 5:

1. My blood test results reveal gross Vitamin D deficiency. Prescribed mega-doses for the next 3 months. This Smeagol needs to get out more. Literally.
2. Update on home guitar lessons: Getting the hang of G2, C2, D, A, and E chords; and the intro to Tom Petty's Free Fallin'. Uh huh. That's right.
3. Back-to-back episodes of Criminal Minds and/or Without A Trace on ION... Until the unsubs and their gruesome deeds creep into my dreams, this new pre-bedtime routine is kinda nice.
4. New volunteer orientation at Clinic by the Bay, a non-profit providing free healthcare to the working uninsured in my own community. Can't wait to get started!
5. Birth of our friends' baby boy, Benjamin!

The Economist's Top 5:

1. Republicans take control of the House of Representatives, marking "Congress's likely descent into bickering and stalemate..."
2. Tensions rise in Cote d'Ivoire, "where Laurent Gbagbo is still refusing to step down after losing his bid for re-election at the end of November."
3. Queensland, Australia, is underwater, "but Prime Minister Julia Gillard has more on her mind than the billions of dollars in damage to mines, farms and cities in the boom state."
4. Boris Nemtsov, former Russian deputy prime minister under Boris Yeltsin -- and a leader of the liberal opposition party -- is arrested, "charged with disobeying the police and swearing, despite video-footage that showed him asking the police to 'calm down'."
5. Suicide bomb kills at least 21 Egyptians, mostly Coptic Christians, but bloggers say it has "nothing to do with a crisis in Muslim-Christian relations, but rather with how all citizens suffer under ubiquitous corruption and oppression."

Umm... Some good news, please? OH! Star Wars Miniland is coming to Legoland California in March 2011.

2011 "To Do"s

Hello, this side of the sun! It's been awhile -- 365 days, thereabouts -- and we've reached another opportunity to pause and look back,... then forward,... before continuing our journey. As a fan of checklists and to add a variation on the "R" word (given my less than stellar performance on past "R"s), voila my top 5 "to do"s for 2011:

1. Daily Walk - Physical and spiritual exercise. Join the leaders of our church in going through the entire Bible this year, but with a twist. Instead of reading the New Living Translation version like the others, "experience" it -- following the same schedule -- with The Bible Experience audiobook. While on my daily walk (literally). I'm not a fast reader, so this should help me keep up.
2. Relnsp Bldg 101 - Opt to call people -- and, whenever possible, visit -- instead of relying on e-mail communiqué. In the midst of our tech-driven society, cherish the value of the more personal touch in fostering my friendships and connections with family.
3. Creative Bucket List - Don't neglect the other side of your brain, you big nerd! Make time to keep the creativity alive. As a lefty, you're supposed to have more of it. Make progress with that creative bucket list this year (e.g., songwriting, improv, poetry slam, short film,... ).
4. Hola, Nei Hou - Become basically conversant in Spanish and Cantonese. Why these two in particular? Most practical for the Bay Area, especially in underserved communities.

5. "Do or do not. There is no 'try'." - Yoda is so wise. Stop putting off acting on ambitious thoughts and ideas for fear of not doing them perfectly. Instead of being paralyzed by wanting to do it "just right", JUST DO IT.

Okay, time for that Daily Walk. Covering Genesis through Chapter 9 today, to catch up with the others.

Happy New Year, everyone! Wishing you all the best with your lists.