Blogger Meetup

Do you have a blog or want to start one up?! Do you LOVE coffee like me? Come meet with us at Java Joes. Wednesday. 7 pm. I'll be late, but I'll see you there. Go Go Go! ;)

Home Sweet Home

My cousin, Mitch, posted this pic on his myspace page. Its a pic of my exit off the 10 E freeway back home in So Cali. and today . . . it made me miss home=(

10 Lies of A Dental Hygienist

1. I’m not the brutal one ;)
2. Relax. You won’t even know I’m here.
3. Some patients fall asleep in my chair.
4. This new flavor of fluoride tastes much better. (fluoride makes me gag)
5. I’ll have you out of here in no time.
6. I’m not obsessive compulsive!
7. Flossing gets easier with practice. (yeah right)
8. If it hurts, hold up your left hand and I’ll stop. (No I won’t, you better not move!)
9. That wasn’t so bad was it? (heh)
10. I haven’t lost a patient yet.

Okay, maybe only my RDH friends will truly understand these “sayings”. I laugh because most of these I say throughout the day. I must be lying all day. But no seriously! If you live in Saipan and you need a thorough teeth cleaning . . . book an appointment with me at SDA Dental clinic!!!! Just ask Steve. He can vouch for me=)

Give a Hoot! Don't Pollute!

Betty, our youngest BC team member=) So cute!

Ok, this is my last post of the night and I'm going to bed. This morning I was suppose to go running with some friends at seven but I ended up waking up late=( Anyways, I decided to be productive and helped with a roadside cleanup with Beautify CNMI. I blogged earlier that Women's Ministry will lead out the SDA Church on monthly beach and roadside cleanups with Team BC. Anywho, today we cleaned up the intersection of Aiport Road and Tun Kioshi Road. Disgusting finds today-three poopy diapers. Great job Team BC.

In Transit . . . Stuck In An Airport

I just recently met with a new friend I have made while paddling on Tuesday night. Her name is Darlene and she is going to be my dive buddy for a trip to Palau that we are planning this March. I met up with her at a great eatery called A Taste of India. Though the curry turns the bands on my braces a bright yellow (grrrr), the food is simply amazing and I love how the owner, Joji, pours my Masala Tea.

We had lunch and chatted for about two hours about diving in Palau, our life in Saipan, and why we came to Saipan. I have noticed that everyone in Saipan has an interesting story about why they came here and why they decided to stay longer than they had planned. I also think that Saipan has the ability to heal and restore a person.

Saturday I was invited by a patient of mine, “Keiko”, to watch a play entitled In Transit . . . stuck in an airport. It was put on by the Voices of the Marianas. This new group was formed to bring original theater to Saipan. Director Barbara Sher said, “It’s a story about all our different lives, regardless or our cultures, and how we deal with them. In Transit is a theater production that grew organically to become a tale about the similarities in diversity.”

There were about seventeen short skits. The stories that were being told ranged from what life is like to be a Filipina Migrant Worker in Saipan and her struggles about being away from her family in the philippines just to make money for them to survive, A local Chamorro dealing and frustrated with immigrants working and living in the CNMI, A Vegetarian in Saipan becoming aware of the many tasty fish, Someone experiencing a midlife crisis in Saipan, A pregnant woman trying to run away from her problems by driving endlessly around the island, A Chinese immigrant trying to decide if life would really be better back home in China or in Saipan. She tries to decide whether to stay or leave . . . All the stories helped me see what life is like in someone else’s shoes. I think it really opened my eyes about how much we can learn from each other. I just really enjoyed it. I found out that you could actually be a part of this theater production. If you want to write something and perform it all you have to do is audition for a part. I think Grant and Sean are thinking of doing it and I think they would be awesome to watch.

After the play, a group of us headed out to Shin Shen Restaurant in Garapan for some Sushi! Great food and company to top off the night.

Name Us!

Guess what. We have formed a small singing group and will be performing for church and hopefully at other events. We’re trying to come up with a name. Any suggestions would be most appreciated=) Stay tuned!

Blueberry Muffins and Jesus

Phew! Saturday was a busy day for me. One of the other responsibilities I have at church is helping to lead out with the Youth Sabbath School. I have to admit that I hesitated taking this position. Don’t get me wrong I love to teach. But so far all the teaching I have done is about good oral hygiene, preventing cavities, and gum disease. My first thought was “I don’t know enough”. I think I most feared not knowing how to answer some of the questions that they might ask. Dumb thought, eh? But again, God puts me out of my safety zone and challenges me.

I was in charge of teaching the Youth Sabbath School their lesson for Sabbath morning. Now because I am a big procrastinator, I stayed up late Friday night reading the material and planning for the lesson. I planned to talk about Enoch and His Walk with God. How intimately He knew and walked with God. God loved him so much that He took Enoch away and he never experienced death.

Before the youth came I made a lame attempt to bake fresh blueberry muffins with the help of Harran, my cute Korean neighbor. Everything went okay except that a friend called and I got distracted. Needless to say the muffins were
toast=( So I just ended up just bringing donuts and fresh orange juice to Sabbath School.

When the youth came we had a quick breakfast, prayed, and began our discussion. For the most part, I think the lesson went well. I was just happy that everyone contributed their thoughts to the discussion. It was good to hear about who God is to them and how God has worked in their lives. At the end of the lesson I realized something. I shouldn’t have worried about whether I was qualified enough to teach or that I didn’t have enough biblical knowledge to teach. I realized that God uses each of us at whatever stage we are at with our walk with Him.

Blogger Meet

Java Joes. Wednesday. 7 pm. I want to meet you! Log off and enjoy a cup of joe with me
. . . and other fellow bloggers to share tips and ideas about blogging.

"If you have an apple, and I have an apple, and we exchange the apples, then you and I will still each have one apple. But if you have an idea, and I have an idea, and we exchange these ideas, then each of us will have two ideas."
George Bernard Shaw

Sail Away

My coworkers, Sophie and Atsuko, and I boarded the Lady Jade Boat for a sunset dinner cruise tonight. It was actually a cruise minus the sunset. But thats okay because I got to see something that I haven't seen in awhile-a rainbow! Even though the weather wasn't perfect I still had a great time. Yes, it is beautiful here in Saipan even when there are clouds in the sky and it drizzles. The water here is a brilliant blue. Its a color that I haven't ever seen before. We sailed and stopped near Madagaha Island and had dinner onboard. I've broken my vegetarian diet and am now eating chicken. Surprised Mng. J??! There is an entertainer onboard named Jerry who sings and dances with you. On deck we shaked our grove thing to the YMCA and to Ricky Martin's Livin' La Vida Loca. Good times.

Bing! The MIcrowave Prayer.

Grant is leading out in prayer sessions on Wednesday nights. During prayer sessions we are studying different prayers in the Bible. We are hoping to learn how to pray better and to be connected to God on a deeper level. Ever feel like your stuck in a rut? Sometimes when I say my prayers at night before I go to bed I catch myself saying the same thing and in the same order. The "microwave prayer" as Grant calls it. Before my prayers would go like this "God thank you for helping me make it through the day, help me to a have good nights rest, forgive my sins, oh and can you be with . . . " I think its because I'm really tired at night and I just want to go to bed. Regardless the prayer is still sad, eh?

Today we studied the Believers prayer in Act 4:23-30. Peter and the other disciples pray for courage and boldness to witness and God answers them. We broke down the prayer and learned that how to pray better. There are three parts to a prayer. The three P's: Praise, Problem, and Power. The first part of a prayer is praise and glorifying God. No problem is big enough for God to fix. He made the heavens and earth. When I think of how grand and amazing that is, it makes me realize that my problems are really small compared to what God can do. The second part of praying is presenting your problem to God. God loves it when you give your problems and worries to Him. Letting go and giving Him ultimate control is what He wants. By doing so you'll be able to experience more than you could have ever imagined. The third part of prayer is power. Asking God for the strength and power for whatever it is you need.

I really believe there is power in prayer and that God will answer you. Sometimes maybe not in the way that you want or when you want, but He answers in His own very way, in His own perfect timing. Just my thoughts . . .

Have I Told You Lately

That I love it here!?





Date night with the other Missionaries. We ate at a great eatery called Capricciosa. Its the closest thing to Olive Garden out here. Afterwards we painted the town red. Thanks Grant for pics=)

On Procrastination

A couple of hundred years ago Benjamin Franklin shared with the world the secret of his success. He said, “Never leave that till tomorrow which you can do today.” This is the man who discovered electricity for goodness sake . . . you think more of us would listen to what he had to say. I have to admit that procrastination is a weakness of mine. I don’t know why I put things off. It could be fear of failing, fear of rejection, fear of making the wrong decision, or it could just be sheer laziness. I’ve heard all the Chinese proverbs and sayings . . . He who hesitates is lost. Wasted times. Carpe Diem. You’d think I’d take these sayings to heart. But still sometimes things are left unsaid and undone. I just have to keep remembering that tomorrow may never come and the window of opportunity to take care of things may be lost . . .

5 Things

Hummm . . . 5 Things You Probably Don't Know about me:

1. I went to Interior Design School at The Fashion Institute of Design and Merchadising in Los Angeles. When I first got out of highschool I was trying to avoid the usual route a filipina goes - nursing school. I loved art and design. I compiled my work for my portfolio and was accepted to design school. A career in the Interior Design field did not last
very long given that I lacked the competitive edge back then in order to make it big in the design industry. Its more of a hobby for me.

2. When I eat french fries I dip them in a mixture of mustard, ketchup, and pepper. I don't know what it is about the mix but I cannot eat fries without it!

3. I got "kicked out" of the Cathedrals Notre Dame and the Sacre Coeur in Europe during our euro backpacking trip. I'm a photo junkie! There are signs posted all over the cathedrals that says no pictures allowed in certain areas of the church. I couldn't help but sneak a picture here and there. So during my last shot I was escorted out of the church=( My friends were kneeling and in the middle of saying a prayer when the deacon escorted them out as well! Needless to say, i got all three of us kicked out twice in one day. Sorry Angie and Mng J but the pics turned out beautifully=)

4. I mostly see out of my left eye.

5. I star gaze and am hoping to see the northern lights someday.


Next I'm going to tag Grant, Walt, Angelo, Sean, Ken and Crystal, Steve and hope they will respond=)

Women's Ministry: Music For The Heart and Soul

"For where two or three are gathered together in my name, there am I in the midst of them." Matthew 18:20 KJV

During our first meeting, Women’s Ministry voted to visit with patients at CHC hospital once a month. We had our first outing this past Saturday. First off I wanted to thank everyone who gave up a couple of hours of their Sabbath to come out and bring these patients good cheer. Thank you also to Grant for playing the guitar for us while WM sang.

I think there is something about music that can touch places in your heart that you never knew existed. It has the power to change you, to inspire you, and to heal you.

We visited about 10 patients in their room singing and praying for them. About 90% of Saipan is Catholic so I wasn’t really sure how patients would respond to the Seventh-day Adventist Church being there. Overall the response was amazing and I really feel that God was with us when we ministered to these patients. I think there is something about hospitals that breakdown the barriers we hold against eachother and God. Hospitals remind me of sin and suffering and how there is still a great need to reach out to those in need of comfort, in need of encouragement, and in need of hope.

Seeing patients who could barely move gave me flashbacks of when my dad was in the hospital when he suffered his stroke. It’s a feeling of helplessness and uncertainty. I think that being with families and sharing the message of Jesus gives them hope and comfort. It is an amazing feeling that no matter what our differences are in religion, we can still come together and pray for one another.

Reboot!!

I mostly attend all church, choir, women's ministry, school, and clinic functions. This week was a bit tiresome for me so I opted to skip out on one beach vespers. And at church today, I got a million questions from everyone where I was=( My answer: I simply needed time for myself to breathe and reboot. I think I got alittle overwhelmed with all the things I need to get done this year along with trying to decide if I should stay another year. Funny thing, I went down to the Fish and Wildlife Division yesterday to report an incident and I saw this sign: "God put me here to accomplish a certain number of things and I am behind! I'm never going to die!" I just sat there cracking up and the employees were just looking at me like I was crazy! Time alone to do nothing keeps me sane . . . And so I'm off again to CHC Hospital with Women's Ministry to sing and pray with patients. Happy Sabbath!

10 Pivot Questions

These 10 questions originally came from a French series, "Bouillon de Culture" hosted by Bernard Pivot. It is probably more familiar to many as the question James Lipton asks at the end of "Inside the Actor's Studio."
It's amazing what the simple answers to these questions reveal about a person's thoughts, feelings and beliefs.

01. What is your favorite word?
Tranquil
02. What is your least favorite word?
No
03. What turns you on creatively, spiritually or emotionally?
Nature
04. What turns you off?
Tardiness and Laziness
05. What is your favorite curse word?
?
06. What sound or noise do you love?
Fireworks and sharp instruments while cleaning my patients’ teeth=)
07. What sound or noise do you hate?
Mean words spoken.
08. What profession other than your own would you like to attempt?
Architect
09. What profession would you not like to do?
Plummer . . . President
10. If Heaven exists, what would you like to hear God say when you arrive at the Pearly Gates?
Mission accomplished.

Shipwreck Dive

The second dive spot that we dove was Shipwreck. Before we dove I was complaining to Mayoki that I don't look sexy in my wetsuit because its a bit big. When we were underwater she wrote on her writing tablet "don't worry your still sexy!" I was cracking up underwater. It was a great dive ;) Thanks again Mayoki and Angelo for the pics!

Diving with Angelo

Angelo and I took a dive boat out with Mayoki last Sunday and dove Dimple. So far it is one of my favorite dive spots! We dove about 60 feet and saw some amazing things! Thanks Mayoki and Angelo for pics=)

Barracudas!

Nudibranch ( sea slug)

Pyramid Butterfly Fish

Kiss This

(sigh) This is how my day started out . . . How did your day go?!




Another fine example of a typical patient that I see everyday with heavy betal nut stain. The stain is actually heavier in the back of the teeth than in the front. It took me a good hour and a half to clean the fronts of the teeth. I had to reschedule him to come back for stain removal of the back side and for four quadrants of rootplaning. There was just too much to handle in one sitting and I felt like my hand was going to fall off. You see, this is why I have to play so hard out here!=) I am working hard out here! I'm not just on a year vacation :P~

On a happier note, I had a patient this afternoon that found me through my blog=) He found out I was U.S. trained and booked an appointment with specifially me=) While he was laying in my chair I recognized him from his online blog. He shall remain nameless only because I don't want to break patient confidentiality. Saipan is way too small.

Freedom 5K Run

This year was the first time the CNMI observed Martin Luther King as a holiday. We were suppose to get the day off however the front desk accidentally scheduled a full day of work=( I ended up working a regular shift from 8-5pm. But fortunately I got off alittle early to make it the the Freedom 5K run that the Saipan SDA School was sponsoring. The school is trying to raise money for our eighth graders to take a trip out to Singapore. The other Sm's (student missionaries) were there along with some hardcore marathon runners. I was just doing the race for fun.

We started off at Garapan fishing base and ran along beach road to AJ's restaurant which is about a three mile run. It was a great run especially with the sun setting ahead of us. I finally downloaded some music into the nano ipod that my brother and sister bought me for Christmas=) Incubus really helped me keep going during the run. Anyway, you'll be happy to know that I placed third for the women's division and won a t-shirt! Also, I won a free pass to the Hyatt's spa! Its funny because I NEVER EVER win any raffle prizes. I was crossing my fingers before they called my name out loud!

Holidays usually come and go . . . and sometimes I don't really fully appreciate what they are all about. MLK day was a day to remember the big civil rights march. I think we are so lucky to have people like Martin Luther King to fight for our freedom and our rights. Life is unfair and hurtful sometimes. Especially when people judge you by your religion, your skin color . . . I guess everyone is entitled to their own opinion. I guess you just have to practice being tolerant and patient. I had a great day today.

Btw, sorry no pics for awhile. I accidentally dropped my camara in water=( Grrrrrrrr, don't ask me how . . . I just did. So I guess it gives me a new excuse to by a new camara.

Tsunami!!!

Another Tsunami warning was issued for the CNMI at 6:39 pm tonight. I was at choir practice at church when we recieved word. The police stopped by our church at 5:30 pm and told us to leave . . . but we were in the middle of choir practice and told him we were going to leave at about 6pm because we new it was coming at 6:30pm! He looked at us like we were crazy! I did not feel like evacuating because I just knew it was going to be a 3" wave . . . So I wanted to go bowling! I'm alive! Saipan survived!

On My Mind

I've got Solomon's prayer on my mind. I used to think that God was punishing me when things were going wrong in my life. Have you ever felt that way? This week I learned I was wrong along. Grant lead prayer session this week and we studied Solomon's Prayer in 2 Chronicles 6:22-27. These verses helped change my perspective on God. I believe God allows certain things to happen in order to discipline or teach us something. I think that when He disciplines us it is out of love. Perhaps He allows certain things to happen to keep us from drifting from Him. Perhaps He allows things to happen to keep us on the path that He has made for us. I just love how He is a God of love and not a punisher. Just thoughts . . .


These are pictures from my dive on Friday after work at Lao Lao Beach with Atsuko and Mayuki. We saw a spotted eagle Ray at Lao Lao Beach! I've heard its rare to see one there. I'm so lucky! Happy Sabbath =)