Tiburon, San Jose Municipal Rose Garden, Mission Peak, Hardly Strictly Bluegrass

I never realized how much work goes into maintaining a blog, and I have to commend all those bloggers out there. When I first started my blog, I had lots of free time, but lately, I haven't had as much time as I'd like to keep up with it. In addition to the usual work and gym, I've been putting more of my efforts into spending time with my family, and friends. It sure doesn't help that I have a cold now, so perhaps it's fate's way of telling me to slow down. Who knows?

Last week I had my first of many upcoming doctor appointments. I met with my Radiation Oncologist, and she was very pleased with my progress. She commented on my weight loss and muscle gain, and said that "I looked fantastic and I should continue to do what I'm currently doing." Since I rely on my right leg to compensate for my weaker left leg, the one suggestion she had was for me to incorporate yoga into my routine to help with my strength and balance. If anyone can recommend of any yoga studios, I'd be really grateful.

It's been a very long and tough journey to get to where I am right now. A year ago I was unable to walk a block without getting winded, but now I can do a 14 mile hike. My secret is having a strong support system; people that believe in me and encourage me to continue when I don't think it's possible.

There's one memory that really stands out when I completely lost hope and wanted to give up, but kept on going because of my support system. Surprisingly, it wasn't while I was at the hospital, but 2 months after I had finished chemo. It was December 2012, and Andrew was relocating to California, and we were doing a road trip from Houston, Texas. We had stopped by the Grand Canyon, and it happened to be the first snow of the season. Both of us were not prepared for the snow. We had no waterproof clothes or shoes, let alone snow gear, but we were feeling adventurous and determined to hike through the 6 inches of snow.

Going into the Canyon via the Bright Angel Trail was breathtaking. After 1.5 miles into it, Andrew suggested that we head back. Part of me felt that I had the strength to do more, but I realized that Andrew had a better grasp of the environment. If there's a time where I'm glad that I listened to him, it was definitely then.

Heading back to the rim of the Canyon was absolutely miserable. My clothes and shoes were completely soaked, my heels were blistered, and I was so cold and tired. Every time I looked up, it didn't seem like we were getting any closer. I started crying, and telling Andrew that it was impossible, and that I couldn't go on. In retrospect, I probably was being a bit melodramatic considering it was only 1.5 miles back. In any case, he told me not to concentrate on the end goal, but rather on the next step. Even though I told him I couldn't take another step, I did. After a few thousand steps (and lots of whining and complaining), I had finally reached the top of the Canyon. Did I mention that Andrew has the patience of a saint?

I felt like a million bucks after reaching the top!

I'm glad that Andrew believed in me when I didn't believe in myself, and motivated me to go on when I didn't think I could or else I could have ended up a frozen popsicle! It's important to surround yourself with positive people that will be there to support you in life, but also challenge you to become a better version of yourself.

I hope you enjoy the pictures. More to come soon!

San Francisco City Hall

San Francisco City Hall boasts magnificent Beaux-Arts buildings. The front of city hall
covers morethan 495,000 ft2 (46,000 m2), and its dome stands 307.5 ft (93.7 m) tall.

Girls just want to have fun!

Tiburon, Marin County, CA

Tiburon was originally named "Punta de Tiburon" 

(Shark Point) by Spanish explorers in 1775. 

Cuties!

Anchors aweigh.

San Jose Municipal Rose Garden

Architect John McLaren (designer of the Golden Gate Park), developed the San Jose Municipal
Rose Garden in the early 1930s. The world class garden contains approximately 4,000 rosebushes. 

Before this picture was taken, my clumsy self tripped and fell into the rosebush. Oops! 

Kim looking classy.

Mission Peak, Fremont CA (5.6 miles; 3 hours; 2200 ft elevation gain)

Car selfie!

Annie hiding in the shade. What a disappointment!

Both of us finally made it to the top. 

Mission Peak (and Annie) stands at the highest point of 2,517 ft. 

Sibling bonding time. 

The cows may graze all the way up to the summit. 

Be careful where you step.

I'm sure having to carry heavy paragliding equipment up was worth the view.

Hardly Strictly Bluegrass (HSB) Festival 2013, Golden Gate Park, San Francisco

HSB is an annual free and non-commerical music festival subsidized by venture capitalist Warren

Hellman. More than 750,000 people attended the three-day event showcasing almost 100 musical acts.

At the Banjo Stage, Steve Martin & Steep Canyon Rangers featuring Edie Brickell. 

It was a nice and sunny day.

Look who we ran into? Francie and Caroline!

The random Irish guys were very entertaining. They definitely had a few too many.

"When is that darn thing gonna set?!"

Relay for Life, San Francisco Zoo, Lands End, Angel Island, Ghirardelli Square

Summer is over. Fall has officially begun. For this being my first summer where I'm healthy enough to have fun and travel since my diagnosis in February 2011, I have to say, it exceeded my expectations. It was great having new adventures with wonderful friends and loving family. The beautiful sunny California weather was definitely the cherry on top! 

Having my health taken away from me, and having to face death will have an everlasting effect on my life. I don't deny that there are still lots of emotional sadness, fear, anger and guilt that I have to resolve, but at the same token, there's a sense of liberation. 

Firstly, I stopped going through the motions of life, and started living. Oftentimes, I would postpone plans to visit friends and go traveling. Something seem to always come up; whether it was school, work, or lack of money. I've come to realize that these obstacles will always be a part of life, and I have to take responsibility and stop making excuses for not being able to live the life I want to live. If I want something, I have to make it happen. No one else can do it for me. 

Secondly, I worry less about living up to people's expectations. Pleasing people is very exhausting work, and in the end, it wasn't satisfying for me at all. I spent too much time doing things that I didn't want to do because I didn't have the courage to say no. The only person I can be is myself, and hopefully it'll be enough. 

Third, I've become more conscious about how I spend my time. I try not to waste the time I have arguing and fighting with my loved ones. Nothing is ever that important, and it's better to take a step back, realize what's happening, and give the people I love the benefit of the doubt. Everyone deserves a chance to be heard, and it's best to keep an open mind and listen.

Lastly, I've accepted that suffering and pain are a part of life. I realize that it's really pointless in spending time worrying about things that are out of my control, and fearing for the worst, because bad things will happen, and nothing that I do will ever prepare me for it. The only thing I can do is to deal with it when it does come. 

Live in the present. Enjoy life!

Oakland Relay For Life (In Memory of Dr. Charles A. Koller)

Our team, Rising Stars, raised $10,828 and we were the top fundraising team at the event!

The money raised is used for research and to support those battling cancer.

The Rising Stars campsite offered free fruit and veggies.

It ended up being a being a big hit with all the walkers!

Our team walked for 24 hours with a combined total of 130,600 steps (61.6 miles).

Our team purchased about 90 luminarias in memory and in honor of our team's

and our sponsors' friends and family. They were lit around the course all 

night long to remind us of the people we were walking for.   

San Francisco Zoo

Lemurs are native to the the African island of Madagascar, and some tiny neighboring islands. 

They have power scent glands which they use to communicate and mark their territories. 

During the mating season, male lemurs battle for dominance by trying to outstink each other!

Lemurs having fun sunbathing. Aren't they so cute? 

The Varecia variegata species do sure do look like skunks though.

I'm a butterfly!

Giraffes browse treetops with its 6-foot neck, and plucks leaves with its 18-inch tongue. 

Our crazy curly hair.

    

Patas monkeys are the fastest primate species. Their body shape is similar to that of a 

greyhound, with long limbs, narrow body, and prominent rib cage. The dominant adult 

male of the group acts as a lookout. It looks like he's really enjoying his job!

I couldn't end the day without a visit to the petting zoo.

Lands End

Shoji modeling at San Francisco's westernmost point, Lands End.

It's where all of land ends and the great Pacific Ocean begins.

In 1894, Adoph Suturo developed the amazing Sutro Baths. The swimming facility 

had the capacity of 10,000 people, and offered 20,000 bathing suits, and 

40,000 towels for rent. The Pacific Ocean high tides could fill the 1.7 

million gallons of water required for all the pools in just one hour. 

Due to the Great Depression, reduced public transportation, and new public health codes, the 

Baths became less popular. The concrete ruins are all that remains of the grand Sutro Baths.

Someone decided to have a photo shoot in Sutro Baths. This probably 

wasn't the smartest idea as the water looked very unsanitary!

The beautiful Pacific Ocean.

Angel Island State Park

For nearly 100 years, from the Civil War to the Cold War, the federal 

government used Angel Island's strategic location for military 

bases, a quarantine station, and an immigration station. 

From 1910 to 1940, the United States Immigration Station (USIS), nicknamed "the Guardian 

of the Western Gate," processed nearly a million immigrants from more than 80 countries.

Ring-a-Ding-Ding!

Mini UCSB Reunion. What a small world running into Alvin at Angel Island!

Ghirardelli Square

Domingo Ghirardelli immigrated from his homeland of Italy to the United States during the 

California Gold Rush. In 1852, he created the Ghirardelli Chocolate Company, and its 

trademark lights continue to welcome ships passing through Golden Gate today.

Getting ready to devour the Expresso Escape. It had two scoops of espresso chip 

ice cream, freshly homemade dark chocolate hot fudge, whipped cream, and 

an Intense Dark Twilight Delight 72% chocolate. It was sinfully delicious!

Alameda County Fair, Fillmore Jazz Festival, San Diego Comic Con

That time has come and gone again. I'm very happy to report that for my 4 month CT scan there was no evidence of metastatic disease! Everything has remained stable since April 24, 2012 and I know that things are looking up when my oncologist says "Your CT scan looks great."

However, there's the other part of me that still worries about the future. I thought the anxiety would lessen the further out I am, but it never really goes away. There's always the "what ifs" and that's something that will always be a part of my life. I realize that there's nothing that I can do to stop these feelings and thoughts, but I do try hard to be aware that it's out of my control, and to let things unfold as they will. It's much easier said than done though.

I've also noticed that I've had unrealistic expectations of spending time with the people I love. I suppose it's because I was suppose to die, but since I didn't Death will always be knocking on my door (If anyone has seen Final Destination, you'll know what I mean). I'm convinced that I'm going to die young anyways, so I might as well spend every single moment with the people I love. By no means is this healthy, and I do owe it to my friends and family to live as healthy as "reasonably" possible. My friend Shoji suggested that I should recognize that people are legitimately busy with their lives and that I shouldn't be disappointed, but rather try to adapt accordingly. That sounds like good advice to me.

This month was full of self discovery, and with the help of my friends, family, and Andrew, I'm growing to become a better person each and every day. Spend (reasonable) time with your loved ones, and have a wonderful August!

Alameda County Fair

The llama wanted to be part of the action. What a creeper!

Girl power. 

Don't get tricked into playing the carnival games. 

We lost $20 trying to win a Despicable Me Minion Plush toy. 

Selfie!

Fillmore Jazz Festival

The Fillmore Jazz Festival is the Largest Free Jazz Festival on the 

West Coast with more than 100,000 attendees. 

Having a blast listening to the Jazz Artist in Residence, Kim Nalley.

Andrew and me dancing to some Latin Jazz. I'd consider it a success 

considering Andrew had a broken hand and both of us having 2 left feet.

We couldn't end the day without a selfie. 

San Diego Comic-Con

It's estimated that Comic-Con brings in over $163 million per year for 

the city of San Diego. Those geeks sure know to have fun!

The biggest room at the San Diego Convention Center is Hall H, with a capacity 

of 6,500 people. Most get into line on the night before, and even with a 

12 hour head start, it's not guaranteed that you'll make it inside. 

15,000 people tried to get into the infamous Hall H that weekend, and we were 

one of the lucky few that made it to the Game of Thrones Panel and Q&A Session. 

I love you Robb Stark!

I was a big fan of Charmed when I was growing up, so I was elated 

when I had the chance to meet Alyssa Milano during the signing of 

her new comic, Hacktivist. She's even prettier in person. 

I was randomly walking, and all of a sudden everyone was rushing to get line for a ticket. Naturally, I

decided to join in too, not knowing what it was for. Apparently, the ticket was to purchase Hasbro

Comic-Con exclusive merchandise, so I decided on the Deadpool Corps Taco Truck for Phong. Win!

At first I thought this guy was dressed as a poorly Conan the Barbarian. 

My brother pointed out that he was He-Man. I felt like such a poser.

The Comic Book Legal Defense Fund (CBLDF) created live art, and paid homage 

to the cartoonists, authors, and characters who've created the great banned books 

of our time. What a beautiful illustration for Catcher in the Rye, by J.D. Salinger. 

Cosmos: A Space Time Odyssey was one of my highlights of Comic-Con. Astrophysicist Neil 

deGrasse Tyson, Writer/Executive Producer Ann Druyan, and Producer/Director Brannon 

Braga conveyed their passion for the continued exploration of the universe. I was especially 

moved hearing Ann Druyan, and her love of science. What an inspiration.