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Fare Thee Well
Nothing ever just ends. Every ending is the beginning of another middle.
This is the last time I will blog from my desk in Hang Seng Hall 423, United College, at the Chinese University of Hong Kong.
A. CelCel and U. Cha Seew are coming to get me right now. They graciously volunteered this afternoon to help drive all my junks to my grandma's. Then, they're taking my grandmother and me out to a Japanese restaurant they have already reserved. They have been so so so nice to me.
I will be living at my grandma's until the 17th, running last-minute errands [there are a lot]. Meaning this will be the last time I have Internet access until I go home.
Home. I cannot believe I am going home. It's been one year. One of the most amazing years in my life, by far.
I am feeling about a million and a half things right now... after saying goodbye to Jenny, I sat on the floor in the air-conditioned MMW Building, telling Jesus how I feel. That quickly turned into a teary session, returning thanks to the Giver of ALL Good Things. He has been soooooo good to me.
This year has been UNbelievable. I have grown so much, I am changed, I am renewed... how can it be "ending" already. And no one but our sovereign God could have orchestrated everything so perfectly and elaborately for me.
Every single one of my fears of going abroad has been answered in the most loving way possible. He truly is our Strength and Might. I was afraid of Spanish-only classes (I almost got all As), my host family not liking me (nullified), not connecting with my HK roommate (Jenny has become my sister), not being able to hack it away from home for one year... why is He always so faithful to Himself and to me when I am not. Duh, cuz He's God and I am not.
These thoughts encouraged me greatly. To look forward, to start afresh as I complete my term overseas and step off that plane into uncertainty. I was just as scared as I was one year ago, peering into a precipice of unknowns... and of course, I can see how wonderfully the Lord has carried me through it. He is the same yesterday, today, and forever.
5 more days.
What awaits for me at home? Who knows. It doesn't matter so much to me anymore anyway.
I am joyfully YOURS, Lord.
Zai4 jian4 [later],
Janette
And so it begins.
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Studio Pictures!
Everybody who's taken studio pictures has told me it's a LONGGGGGGGGGGG, BORINGGGGGGGGG, LABORIOUSLY EXHAUSTING experience.
I had quite the opposite experience!!!! :D
The five hours felt like five minutes... I suspect it's either that I love the camera or that the studio was exceptional. I think it's both, actually.
Here's my story.
I went to this ritzy wedding studio in Kowloon Tong named Wonderful Arts Wedding Services, highly recommended by my godparents. I fell in love with the place and what they can do with ordinary-looking people in front of very ordinary-looking backdrops in my consultation with them. They do amazing work - y'all will see when I get my pictures back. (:
They were soooo professional, from the consultation to make-up to the studio itself... omg it was a HUGE studio with millions of indoor/outdoor "scenes", separate rooms for dressing/make-up/hair/etc. I was in total princess status. Just to try on their clothes, you get a personal attendant and you get to stand on one of those wedding dress raised-platform things with huge lights and mirrors around you. SO COOL.  I will never get another opp to do this until I get married hehe, God-willing.
Anyway, got there early for my appointment today. I was sooo tired from all the festivities the night before with Karenie/Jenny. Once my photo session started, I came ALIVE. Crazies. I still feel ALIVEEE.
Once it struck 9:45am, I was whisked away for make-up and hair. My girl was boMB. She got very good reviews from me. Very naturale-looking and she was SO gentle/fast!!!!! She also chatted with me as she worked, I liked that. She worked wonders on my face [and hair]. I got her twice. :]
My photographer/assistant then met and ushered me to our first site. I got two very young and FUNNNNNNNNNNN guys omg, I seriously got THE best pair in the house. They made my whole experience sOOOO awesome. They chatted it up with me, kidding around, snapping when I was genuinely smiling and laughing or talking... I LOVED that. Raw emotion. We were like old pals. Man, it's what Scott Robert talks about... the importance of connecting with your photographer!!!
Seriously, it was soo cool. Like my photographer/assistant stopped shooting sO many times so we could talk/finish our conversations. We were alwayssss laughing. :D They took their time, and even said they got a lot more shots than they were supposed to haha I also got to do some fun poses and suggest my own opinions!
It was also glamorous. The photographer doing his thing, posing me, making me laugh/smile, yelling at people to close doors for him, to get him another roll of film... the assistant fixing my hair/clothes, calling hair/make-up to touch me up, holding up the foil light shields... me joking back at them, trying to master smiling without teeth in some shots or trying to master looking natural in some REALLY physiologically-unnatural poses ahha Anyway, my photographer/assistant were amazing in making me feel comfortable and relaxed behind the camera.
They even let me have an extra change of clothes! YAY, I was really excited about that because that extra change of clothes was into a Berkeley shirt. :D So now I can use that as a grad photo!
They had really cool "scenessss", like on a motorbike, in this classy-looking antique car, a carousel or an urban-looking cafe/diner!!
And just as abruptly as it started/durated [no breaks, I had a sip of water the entire day], it ended. :[
My assistant walked me back to the dressing room, awww :((( where I found my starving, dying, bored godmother [poor her].
We verified our proof selection session [next week], and that was a wrap!!!
VERY impressed and pleased. 
Hope they come out well!!!!!!
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tehehehe
Before I left for Thailand, my mom told me to be careful and not get caught in any SALAMI [tsunamis].
When I told my Dad, he wrote:
Yes.
Mom thinks everything is edible. She thought the name of US Secretary of State
is Rice Cooker… :o}
aaaaaaaaaaaahahahaha Oh Mums.
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Look For Me In The Daily Cal!!! (((:
A reporter contacted me via facebook b/c she's doing a piece on seniors graduating abroad.
I think I made for a pretty interesting story. :]
She phone interviewed me this morning.
The article will hit the paper Thursday, May 10th. :D
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Back from Thailand
Woman doing yoga on Patong Beach at sunset.
Phuket [poo-KEHT] has got to be one of the most BEAUTIFUL places on earth. Depressed to be back, actually.
Man, after 5 days of bliss, it is quite difficult coming back to fast-paced HK life where everyone is running to the next thing, no one smiles, everyone is wearing so many clothes, everyone is super pale... but at the same time, I don't want to leave HK. :( :( Only 9 more days.
At this time, I would be getting my nightly [right before bed] choice of massage type in Thailand, so spoiled.
Much to come, but for now... this was the best trip I have ever taken in my LIFE. It was my dream vacation and moreeeeeee.
Haypee on our boat to the Phi Phi Islands.
I not only snorkeled with all these tropical fish in coral reefs, I river-rafted 9 km through a rainforest's rapids, swam in a waterfall, rode on an elephant's NECK, got peed on by a Thai baby, almost drowned/died in the ocean, got cut up on all these rocks, and had a baby gibbon run into my arms and snuggle up against me.
lol The first things Jenny said when she saw me was: "OMG Your HAIR!!!! [it's all braided/beaded]" and "You're so BLACK!!!!!!!!!"
ahahahaha
//EDIT: 3:30am I realized tonight just how deep Jenny and my friendship runs. - shocked -
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