Happy New Year!

I suppose one of my new year resolutions should be to update xanga.   I have definitely been M.I.A for a long time.  It’s just that the last half of 2006 was filled with struggles and indefiniteness and I’m not one who likes to pour my heart out all over the Internet (that’s why I have good friends with unlimited nights and weekends cell phone plans).  To make a long story short, I graduated law school, and spent 2 months preparing for the CA bar exam.    After taking the CA bar exam in July I returned to Boston and moved out... it felt strange to leave the Law School and Boston behind... those three years were extremely rewarding and fulfilling but also so hard on the soul... as the girls put it, “it was the end of an era.”  However I miss Boston sometimes... I miss the quiet streets, the old brick homes, the perpetually dysfunctional Citgo sign, the sunset reflecting off the Charles river, the comradery of my law school peers and close proximity of my friends and the 88 Chinese supermarket. 

Oh, I digressed (sorry!).  I moved back to Walnut, CA and hung out with my family a lot.  It was not easy living at home again and I definitely realized how important my  independence was.  I temped at a LA law firm and meet some really funny and interesting people... but I missed challenging work, I missed a social life, I missed moving forward  ... so I contacted Baker Botts (the firm I did my summer internship at in NYC) and asked if they would take me back.  Surprisingly, they did (after some convincing on my part of course).  My mom was unhappy with my decision, but she slowly accepted it and now everything is okay (my mom is back to normal when I went back during the holidays... yay!).  Eva pretty much summed up my experience when she responded to my decision via email, writing “Holy cow!  =)  hehe kind of a crazy ride, huh Helen?”  I was thinking... no kidding girl! 

So I’m in NYC now... working at Baker Botts... living in a studio that costs WAY too much for rent (visit me please!)... but I’m very happy and really appreciative of this second chance.   I also get to see Woo 24/7 which is just the way I like it (although I’m not too sure she’s fond of it).  One bad thing is that I have to take the NY Bar exam in July but at least I never have to take the CA Bar exam again!

I guess going through all this crazy decision making process made me humble and grateful.  Maybe it is not possible to have everything we want all at one time... but we can try.  =)  In the words of my wise friend Stacy... “you have to fight for the things you want or you’ll just end up settling...”  so I’m fighting... we’ll see what happens.  xoxo

hi all!...   so a lot has happened in the past three weeks...  saying goodbye to good friends... graduation... nyc trip... and now back in boston studying for the cali bar exam. 

some pictures for illustration...

last moments with busl buddies in boston...

shirley and helen moments (can you believe that this crazy girl kept me sane?)

at the movies (gummy bear and popcorn)          there was crack in her pad-see-ew

brunch at "joe's"... yum! 

shirley's FAVORITE seat at Pappas (she's a seat whore.. and she knows it.. hehe)

the very same seats in the very same class room that we had professor ryckman's property class in... one word: FEAR

            view from the 12th floor lounge         Max WOO doing her thing in the crim clinic

NYC with the girls.... and dave.. hehe

lunch at Balthazar

why is no one watching "Stick It" at 3 PM on a weekday in New Jersey?

happy birthday shirley and dave! (dinner at Craftbar) 

(let's not forget the yummy dinner at PDH.. yum!)

awww yea... the 40/40 club

Last Dancing Moments with BU pals..... at Wonder Bar

Graduation Weekend!!! 

it was so nice to see everyone.  too bad it was raining cats and dogs all weekend.  thanks mom, dad, big bro warren, godmom, goddad... and my sweet, funny and kind friends...  for sharing this special moment with me.... i love you guys!

an tua nua.. night numero uno...

nina, eva and weyman came out... even though they were so tired.. (*muah)

the girls know how to get doowwwwwnnnnn.... awww yea...

makupengu and denny ("like the restaurant") belong together...

really.. they do...

by golly, she's still got it in her... it's all in the bootie...

is that JASON dancing!?!?!?

my two favorite cal bomb chicks (stacy and patty putt)... sigh... miss you guys!

the cal crew... (denny, mona, mark, paula, jason, stacy, me, pat).. xoxo

Mother's Day brunch at the 4 Seasons Hotel

i don't remember the last time i spent mother's day with my mom and godmom!  what a special occasion... we ate like no other (cuz, we're chinese... need to get our money's worth).. hehe 

(mom, dad, me, warren, godfather, godmother)

GRADUATION!

the lok family

my loving godparents...

me and big bro warren

the crew (SO HAPPY you guys were there!)

(paula, patty put, jason, me, makupengu, dr. stacy, denny)

my girl woo... we finally made it sweetie!

i love her... professor kate silbaugh...

you know it... we're stylin'

see you in cali girl... yay!

the sexy boys...

Graduation dinner at Radius

(wow.. good food... only took 4 hours.. hehe... a great way to end an eventful day)

              what is this?                    hehe.. cute... perpetual sunshine!

(i dig the bag... hot dog dog bag!!!)

An Tua Nua... night numero dos

(so i don't go all year... then i go to the joint two days in a row) (no pictures from here... bummer)

Monday, 5/14... everyone leaves.. *sniff

i got a special gift from my friends... thanks guys! 

OFF to NYC I go! 

two weeks in nyc... it wasn't all play... i start taking my bar review classes... attempted to study... but most of the time, i just relaxed, caught up with my nyc friends (stacy * julie * jeff * dave * charlene * rich, even bumped into simon!), ate (a lot), cleaned and cooked (i.e. i was stacy's honnie for two weeks)...

i have always wanted to walk across the brooklyn bridge, get pizza at the famous grimaldi's pizzaria and homemade ice cream from brooklyn... jeff was up for it.. so off we goooo

walking across the bridge with jeff... what a beautiful day! 

pizza action shots at Grimaldi's!

Yay for Brooklyn Ice Cream Factory! (Jeff, don't kill me for putting this picture on my xanga)

ice cream action shots! (see a pattern here?)

so pretty.... sigh...

(then i tried to go home.. got lost... walked around battery park for awhile until stacy, keith and gilbert rescued me)

yay for yama!

hehe.. dude... this fobby thing is outta control!

normal picture from the start of the night

yea.. don't know what happened later...

you know you want to call mr. dumpling man! (it was so good!)

so when you got nothing to do... i suggest that you buy fruit snacks (the ones in these mini "florida orange juice" containers)... chill in union square... at 10 PM...

another suggestion... head over to chinatown and get some shaved ice!

back in boston... probably no more pictures from this study-nerd for the next couple months... cali bar, ur going down!... errrr... i hope.

thanks stacy for letting me crash at your place and for hanging out with me... i miss you already... and thanks to all my friends who took time out of their busy work and study schedules to hang out.  i had such a great time... i (heart) nyc! xoxo

so today i found out that i finished my last law school requirement... my cert paper.  i can't believe that this is it for law school.  granted graduation is in a week but essentially, i am done.  i think i have changed a lot these past three years but i like to think that inside, i am the same ol' hellybelly (with a few more wrinkles on the outside)...

but law school has taught me that... health is number one, don't judge others but judge yourself, law "stuff" is actually quite interesting, true friends love you AND your flaws, some people are just plain mean but the kind ones make up for them, we may not love our jobs but sometimes we just have to suck it up and settle for a job we don't mind doing, life is so much sweeter if we learn to forgive, my mom so strong and loving, everyone has insecurities, some things are just none of my business, every girl needs a dancing crew, every girl needs a good group of girlfriends, my brother is amazing, canadians are super nice, being scared is being challenged, it's important to know when to stop, the bathrooms in china are dirty, i need to think before i talk, we can't have it all... all the time, we need to appreciate what we have, sometimes you need to experience something new to appreciate the old, sometimes you need to experience the bad to appreciate the good...  

and to take time to thank those who have love and support you...

simple lessons... eh?

xoxo

Law Prom

Saturday... March 25, 2006

hee hee... SBA tried to get a bit classier this year by calling it the "Gatsby Gala"... although that's a really cute name... i still call it the law prom... cuz that's really what it is (albeit with a bit more alcohol and it's okay to go stag)...  this was by far one of the funnest events this semester...  of course there was the fair share of interesting moments but tis is law school... but people made up... let things go... and just had a good time... there was a good showing of 3Ls and many kodak moments...

Dinner at Via Matta

Great restaurant!  Fun Waiter... Yummy Dessert

Pre-Prom Drinks at Whiskey Park

Apparantly this is the "it" place and since it was right next to the hotel, we swung by for some pre-prom drinks.  Another plus... the UCLA game was on...

namrata and meeee

eva, namrata, nina, shirley

there's sarah... hi cutie!

Law Prom at the Park Plaza Hotel

Nina exclaimed.. "This is really like prom!"... so true...

(clockwise from top left).. Nina, Me, Shirley, Jessie, Sarah, Eva, Davida, Namrata

Head to Toe Shot: Nina, Me, Namrata, Sophia, Shirley, Eva, Sarah

Josie, Erica, Me

choi with his ladies (me, shirley, julia, kelly)

Nina, Eva, Shirley, Meenah, Me

Gabe (hairy chest eh?) and Shirley

Matt and Namrata

Ed, Dave and Layke

Kissy Kissy

Victor and Dave

GROWL..

Do be do doooo

WHA?  (i LOVE this picture! hehehe).. what is Victor doing?

Awww... cute... Mashi and Eva

Going back to the '80s... Shirley is doing the "Sprinkler"... hee hee

"darling... that fur is divine..."

what's so funny hunny?

aww... busl girlies forever... and we have great taste in shoes...

SPRING BREAK 2006... the last time... *sniffles

4 chic-a-dees + bahamas = one heck of a good time

the chic-a-dees: shirley woo, nina adatia, eva kwan and moi

the hotel: comfort suites... with full use of all atlantis facilities (yay!)

the weather: sunny with a breeze (sometimes too breezzzzzyyyy but way better than beantown!)

yes... i do....

so this may be my last spring break ever.  i really didn't utilize my spring breaks during undergrad.  the whole islandy, spring-breaky thing seems to be more of an east coast phenomenon.  maybe it's because it's so darn cold in the north east that everyone is dying to get away during spring break.  nevertheless, this trip was the spring break experience that i never had in college.  people were really drunk and crazy... i have to admit, i'm too old for the spring break party scene but knowing us girls, if there is hip hop and sex on the beach (the DRINK.. ehhhm)... it's a guaranteed good time.  =)

oh.. but some of the kids here were nuts... sigh.. seriously... were we that crazy during undergrad?  i hope to goodness not!  there were some really funny people though... esp the young boys (and i mean young!!! 18 year old young!!!.. hats off to mama woo!).  they need some serious picking up on girls 101 tutorial.  first, going up to some girl and freakin her from behind is NEVER a good come on act, esp if you start shoving her to the other side of the room... and once you ask one girl to dance and she says no, do not turn around and ask her friend (who is standing next to her btw) if she wants to dance... keep your shirts ON... don't lie (we know ur not 21!)...  don't step on the girl's sandcastle (yes, that really DID happen)... and don't be intimidated by a bunch of law student girls, we don't bite.  grrrrrr... hee hee

without futher ado... pictures pictures!

DAY ONE

on the way to the hotel... YAY!!!

Atlantis Resort.. it's like a self sufficient village... with sharks, fishies and water rides and its own beach.

eva, me, nina, shirley

some glass sculpture thing we always pass by 

the atlantis chair... we're tiny

it was cold... cuz it was late.. overcast and windy...

nina and eva were troopers.. trying to soak up some.. uhhh.. sun?

shirley looking quite cute in her matching outfit

screw it... i'm cold and tired

dinner at NOBU and dancing at Dragon (the Atlantis club thing)

interesting... food was awesome at Nobu but the service was a little poor.  maybe they are just too laid back in the bahamas... very casual... hmmmm....

pre-dinner cocktails

kwan + lok = kwok

woo + adatia= wootia

where oh where is the food?  oh.. here it is..

Dragon

do be doo...

DAY TWO

chllin' at the Beach de la Atlantis

missing eva...

there she is... with her burnt buns..

Dinner at Cafe Johnny Canoe's...

Kalik.. the beer of the Bahamas
 

Senor Frog's

interesting... very much the spring break party place that is in movies and MTV... the academy awards were on so we spent a good 45 min watching the last part of the show on the tvs around the bar.  people prolly thought we were losers... hee hee

yes... when we entered.. they gave each of us these cups... i was like "uh oh".. so this is "that" type of place eh?  but we filled them up!

nina, me ,eva

woo was on a roll.. she finished hers and then some!

a couple hours later.. and she's hugging the .. eh.. thing

DAY THREE

the girlies... chillin' in downtown nassau

beautiful.. sigh.. miss the bahamas

At Cabbage Beach..

bumped into JJ and crew!

nina shaping the bootie

tada!  two booties and two legs

why is shirley so relaxed?

big john... (yes, that is how he introduced himself)... massaging woo's feet... this was his good side... he approved the photo

my purdy sand castle.. it has a moat and a drawbridge and everything!  hee hee *snort

Dinner.. Indian Food at Gaylord's

finally got a shot of the food BEFORE we ate it all

Waterloo night numero uno...

interesting night... nina's poor knees... all of the busl bahama spring breakers were there... good music... wet t-shirt contest (sorry boys... no pictures of that cuz i stayed on the dance floor... way too old to partake in that)

DAY FOUR

all those dolla dolla bills from pole dancing the night before...

Catamaran.... Snorkeling...

should be in a sailing ad eh?

having some fun with  nina's knees

i sleep a lot

getting ready to snorkel

eva and shirley (i swear)

fishies

Dinner at an Italian Restaurant

(took us awhile to get there... via Conch Fritters.. then Fish Fry.. then crazy taxi guy... finally.. food!)

so were were just eating.. then a group of spring breakers came along and demanded that we take a picture of them... click.. there ya go...

Then we headed off to Fluid...

so ghettttttooo! hee hee... We came back to our hotel at 12:30... bumped into JJ.. who convinced us to go out with him and his buddies to Waterloo (again).. they were such a fun and sweet group... so out we go again... a great last night i must say... THANKS JJ!

Waterloo night number dos...

so we get to waterloo... got some drinks.. and JJ's crew looks at us and asked if BU can represent on the dance floor... the girls looked at each other.. and all thought.. "you have nooo idea..."  i think we held our own...  *wink

eva.. nina.. me

nina.. eva... shirley

JJ's the pimp (he paid me to type that)...

always getting into trouble

hee hee... cutie petutie eva...

john and eva.. dancing up a storm

hee hee... man... those fingers have a mind of their own

leaving waterloo... all the taxis there are taxi vans.. so we just all piled into a van and headed off...

what a sweetheart!  john went around to take off everyone's club bracelet.. and i dunno why i followed him and took pictures...

shhh.. leave them alone.. they're having a moment...

what's going on here?

busl.. yay!

peace outties

DAY FIVE

shirley is gonna come back to the bahamas and set up a law practice, then she's gonna hire all of us.. and we will all live in the bahamas.. have great tans... go jet skiing after work... and drink kaliks (well not shirley.. she prefers the yard long frozen strawberry daquaris)

we were seriously depressed on our plane ride back... hee hee... as we tucked our flip flops back in our luggage, tied up our sneakers and put on our winter coats ... we literally shed some tears (okay, we didn't.. but it was a really sad moment)...

i think beantown knew our pain and we were welcomed with a couple days of sunny and 60 + degree weather. (thank you beannie!)  but alas, it was too good to be true and it is cloudy and cold today.

but we are left with a lot of wonderful memories... and will soon be planning our very first busl reunion (hee hee.. even though we haven't even graduated yet!)... maybe in hawaii?

xoxo... thank you girls for a wonderful time!