retreat was great.

It was filled with Puertorican food

fenceman sitings

Beach

shanigans at the chapel

Me hiding and me getting found out but not caring and finally a good picture

There were icons in the chapel as well. Icons are to be read, you don't paint icons your write them as they hold a message to be shared when you meditate upon it.

This icon says there is room at Gods table for all

this is St. Michael triumphing over evil- we are to fight the injustice in our world

the first icon is Jesus with companion- we are the companion and He walks beside us as we go through life, and the 2nd is Mary inviting us to come closer and know Jesus more.

Good friends :)

this was on my door

this was being sold in napa. strange..

of course this weekend was wonderful because i spent it with

this one

ah if only we could have retreats more often.

ya know, for the first time in 22 years my spiritual life is starting to make some sense.I have a fellowship of people who are invested in one anothers lives, am able to be in the company of people who engage with the bible, think for themselves and are real with one another.

We were talking about the virgin mary and what that means "virgin" in the non-sexual sense. It means to be open, she was open to what it is that God wanted for her life. She made room for him, and it's a call for us to be open with our lives, as our lives are but sacrafices to Him. This weekend challenged me to make sure i have made room in my heart for Jesus. Not have it as an afterthought, or if I have time left over. Everthing should flow from Him.

Christianity is not an extracurricular activity.

We did an exercise where we had a circle that says Jesus and then spokes around it- kind of like the wheel of life, and on each of the spokes we put parts of our lives- like study, family, relationships etc and were asked to journal about each of those areas and if they were bringing us closer to God or farther away and what area needed special prayer and discernment. It was good.

It is midterm season

but last night was halloween. I went to Kris apartment for a movie party- we saw Vertigo and Silence of the Lambs

Last halloween I was a genie. This halloween I was nothing, but i went into Adronicos- the grocery store, to get some hummus and a guy went up to me and asked if I was a dressed as hotchick for halloween. I think it was a pick up line- i suspect it wont work. Earlier this week someone in AAA- Asian American Association said tome "hey! Asian! go to the AAA halloween party!" it's funny being called out like that. Jewish Student Union continues to refuse my appeals. They think i'm not actually Jewish that A) I am adopted of  B) I married a jewish guy.I can't seem to convince them I am as much chosen people as they are. oh wells. Let's be honest- if I look anything its filipino.

Anyway we had wine, cheese, dark chocolate, and bread at the party.

Is that bougie? maybe. Sometimes you just don't want snickers and hot wings ya know?

Here is a picture of the grow your own butterfly i grew- 600% bigger than it was before i put it in water.

of course we took pictures.
Our first halloween.

We are going to make an offerenda today

to honor those who have passed from this earth onto the next.

I have a walnut face in the last picture because kris had his basketball shorts

pulled up to his ribcage. My dad does that sometime to make me laugh

and it always works. I am finding many commonalities between my father and Kris

both like cars and eating bread. I bought some challah. I can no longer buy loafs of bread

from safeway-now i have to go to breadworkshop and pick up a freshbaked one.,

I am certain breadworkshop is a commune as the cashier and bakers yesterday

were named Mary, Joseph, Adam, and Eve. Coincidence? Unlikely

do you know how cool it is to have someone care about you the same way you care about them

and to actually show it in words and actions? I'd say it's a near miracle. Sometimes we like someone

because they like us not because we actually like them, but when both people like eachother

regardless of the actions of the other as a determinant- it's pretty amazing. Of course, when you do like

someone for who they are, you are more inclined to treat them well and vice versa so it feeds back on itself

in a continuous feedback loop of satisfaction.

Well back to work. Grad ap for berk due on the 30th! Then I gotta get behind the wheel again. I am making a xanga promise. By Christmas 2011 I will be on photo greeting cards driving my car. I will get over this fear of driving. I think it started because i fell out of a bumper car when i was younger and hurt myself. But no more. I hear all these songs about driving on the open road with the wind going through your hair and Kris talks about driving on the mazda speedway sometime, so it must be fun. My brother says stupid people drive and since i'm not stupid, I should be able to drive. I wish we still had our suburu legacy- that woud be a good car to drive in. More than likely, i'll be going to some drivingschool either asafeway driving school in SF or some vietnamese one. both will probably entail yelling in foreign languages- but that's ok. Upward! Forward! Onward! UFO! :)