tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-26532152592549456322012-01-27T23:21:48.038-05:00Welcome to the mind of an introvertWhere I share thoughts, feelings, or ideas and realize I'm not alone after all.Tammy Chanhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17465725290219774460noreply@blogger.comBlogger2761100tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2653215259254945632.post-73845391156923921522012-01-24T23:37:00.001-05:002012-01-24T23:46:09.912-05:00This hymn is following me everywhere.You know, you pick a hymn to sing at your wedding and all of a sudden it's the hymn you're supposed to read in your prayer book for the week; it's the hymn the speaker mentions in one of her talks and that you sing twice at the women's conference you attend that weekend; and then it's the hymn you sing twice at a students' leaders' conference the weekend after that. It's a little freakish Tammy Chanhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17465725290219774460noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2653215259254945632.post-41315121487847799952012-01-23T22:13:00.002-05:002012-01-24T23:23:13.523-05:00From cake rant to cake respect.I must say, it is a rare occasion when I make a cake. I enjoy baking in general, but I usually fall into the cookies-and-brownies category rather than the cake or cupcake one. I think it's mainly because of the kind of persona I feel like they give off: with most cakes and cupcakes, it's all about the decorations - frosting, candy, colors, you name it. Not that I'm saying most cakes and Tammy Chanhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17465725290219774460noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2653215259254945632.post-37996411388577682002012-01-19T23:33:00.000-05:002012-01-19T23:33:16.335-05:00My one night of the blues.I have four godsisters and one godbrother, a godmother and a godfather.
Okay, they're not really my godfamily anymore because I'm over 18 and technically an adult and so if my parents suddenly died (which God has been pretty merciful about so far), I obviously wouldn't need to be handed over to anyone to be looked after. But I still consider them my family even though we don't talk or interact Tammy Chanhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17465725290219774460noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2653215259254945632.post-60349136075824992872012-01-11T13:05:00.003-05:002012-01-11T13:06:46.247-05:00New favorite Psalm.Fret not yourself because of evildoers;
be not envious of wrongdoers!
For they will soon fade like the grass
and withers like the green herb.
Trust in the Lord, and do good;
dwell in the land and befriend faithfulness.
Delight yourself in the Lord,
and he will give you the desires of your heart.
Commit your way to the Lord;
trust in him, and he will act.
He will bring forth your righteousness Tammy Chanhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17465725290219774460noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2653215259254945632.post-88831937173727340812012-01-09T23:08:00.000-05:002012-01-09T23:17:16.622-05:00Sedimentary thoughts.I surprised myself today. Packing my bags and living out of suitcases for three straight weeks is not usually my ideal kind of lifestyle. The first few days aren't so bad, but after a while I normally get tired of bustling from one place to another and am mentally ready to come home.
Strangely enough, I didn't feel like a nomad at all. Even with the hours of traveling by bus, by plane, by Tammy Chanhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17465725290219774460noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2653215259254945632.post-39479120749022989972011-12-21T10:53:00.001-05:002011-12-21T13:52:11.794-05:00Heart of Hospitality.I was in the middle of writing a different blog post for a few days now, but I came back to NYC and have been doing work in the room I share with my sister. I saw the copy of Henri J. M. Nouwen's Reaching Out: The Three Movements of Spiritual Life that I lent to her and when I cracked it open I was convicted again by the heart of what it means to practice hospitality. I had to share it here Tammy Chanhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17465725290219774460noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2653215259254945632.post-41108186563301885842011-12-13T19:03:00.001-05:002011-12-13T19:41:58.807-05:00Ceiling musings.This past Sunday was a lovely morning - I appreciated and enjoyed the perspective Pastor Kyle took on Joseph's story in his sermon, and over lunch had the privilege of hearing the story of what God has been doing in Mun Joo's life. She was someone new Sarah Min had met on the church bus that morning, and it was really nice talking with her.
I decided to have a very restful afternoon when I got Tammy Chanhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17465725290219774460noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2653215259254945632.post-13009983866516851062011-12-10T18:38:00.001-05:002011-12-11T21:49:54.718-05:00Latest food stories.
I posted a picture of these pumpkin scones on Facebook the day I first made them. I wanted something different for breakfast and decided to make these scones. I also made another batch for the E-board Nomination Committee as a "dessert" for our brunch. They tasted delicious with the locally made strawberry cranberry preserves I got from Apple Hills Farm. My mouth's watering just thinking Tammy Chanhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17465725290219774460noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2653215259254945632.post-4980160528328966332011-12-02T23:17:00.001-05:002011-12-05T21:23:00.085-05:00It's back.Have you seen those commercials or movies that show time freezing except for the main characters? You know, the whole people-stop-moving, wave-your-hand-in-front-of-someone's-eyes-to-see-if-they-blink thing? I wish that could happen to me. I'm pretty much selfishly asking the world to stop for me. But it's not so I could pull funny pranks or prevent bad things from happening, or even to Tammy Chanhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17465725290219774460noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2653215259254945632.post-31956243942001659122011-11-29T15:38:00.001-05:002011-11-30T12:46:22.807-05:00Live to be forgotten.I don't remember why "live to be forgotten" popped into my head the other day. But it reminded me of the interview I saw at Urbana 2009. Good stuff. I've been praying and meditating lately about what that really means and what it means to weigh the costs to tell a great story with my life for the sake and glory of the Lord.
I love that Urbana keeps the previous Urbana's videos up. After Tammy Chanhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17465725290219774460noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2653215259254945632.post-85935878300613908142011-11-18T11:14:00.001-05:002011-11-18T17:13:56.665-05:00Landing gear.Last night I came home and felt like my head was going to explode. Hauling home a brain at midnight brimming with information and emotions after falling asleep around 4am the night before wasn't exactly a walk in the park.
But opening the door to a tranquil apartment with serene Christmas lights lit and a gentle Sarah Min wrapped in a blanket offering to make me tea makes the unwinding processTammy Chanhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17465725290219774460noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2653215259254945632.post-83522477733383361432011-11-15T00:30:00.001-05:002011-11-15T00:44:07.109-05:00Needtobreathe therapy.I don't feel like baking will cut it this time.
There's plenty to clean, but it only adds to the frustration.
Not really in the mood to journal.
It's too late at night to pick up Theoden, whom I've missed a lot lately.
This calls for my good ol' buddies, Needtobreathe.
Tammy Chanhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17465725290219774460noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2653215259254945632.post-43545920114213170942011-11-10T15:37:00.001-05:002011-11-11T23:56:06.297-05:00The only way to describe this entire week:
Oh, the craziness.Tammy Chanhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17465725290219774460noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2653215259254945632.post-9562299972657716302011-11-08T16:04:00.001-05:002011-11-09T09:48:18.010-05:00Today, like many days.It's not my birthday. It's not Christmas. It's not the weekend. I haven't been physically or emotionally hurt. No one sent me any random cards, letters or packages in the mail. No one gave me flowers. No one treated me to a meal. I'm pretty sure someone has prayed for me today even if they didn't tell me they did. Even if no one did, it wouldn't matter. I'm not fishing for compliments. Tammy Chanhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17465725290219774460noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2653215259254945632.post-32447551242556524562011-11-03T17:00:00.000-04:002011-11-03T17:00:39.228-04:00Just a couple of extra treats I made recently.
These are also some things I've made that I haven't posted yet.
I believe these were take two of these kinds of pancakes. They're actually whole wheat apple cinnamon fair-trade coffee-flavored chocolate chunk pancakes. What a mouthful (haha)! These were the pancakes I made from scratch for Michelle and Nathan when they came to Binghamton a few weeks ago.
Apple cinnamon fair-trade Tammy Chanhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17465725290219774460noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2653215259254945632.post-26074854430016801702011-11-03T09:04:00.003-04:002011-11-03T17:03:13.402-04:00A ratatouille double date.
I used to be that girl that thought double dates were gushy and cheesy. It was probably because I had never been in a relationship before and was half envious that people could even have double dates (doubly rubbing in my face that I was not in one), with the other half of me over-imagining what double dates were like, giving them more weight than the reality needed to have.
When Nathan and I Tammy Chanhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17465725290219774460noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2653215259254945632.post-2997295066765616042011-10-27T10:35:00.001-04:002011-10-27T10:59:22.975-04:00Welcome to the mind of an extrovert-wannabe?I don't know if you've noticed, but I've changed a lot. Maybe you haven't known me for that long (or maybe not at all...STALKER! Yeah that's right, I'm calling you out) or maybe it's so subtle that you'd have to really think about it in order to see it, but I'm pretty sure my worldviews, mentalities, foundations, narratives, behaviors and attitudes have all significantly transformed in one way Tammy Chanhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17465725290219774460noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2653215259254945632.post-60613729211293353262011-10-19T23:00:00.001-04:002011-10-19T23:01:10.917-04:00Eggplant Parmesan, the vegetarian solution.
I invited a few friends over for dinner one night during Rosh Hashanah. And as I usually try to do, I asked if anyone had any allergies, cravings, or special requests as I started putting together a menu.
Kit said she was a vegetarian, so at first I tried thinking about what separate vegetable dishes I could make. But then I wondered if there were some easy vegetarian dishes that everyone Tammy Chanhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17465725290219774460noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2653215259254945632.post-79063475101589715042011-10-16T22:29:00.001-04:002011-10-19T14:23:05.340-04:00The spiritual reality of ultimate hospitality.Therefore remember that at one time you Gentiles in the flesh, called "the uncircumcision" by what is called the circumcision, which is made in the flesh by hands - remember that you were at that time separated from Christ, alienated from the commonwealth of Israel and strangers to the covenants of promise, having no hope and without God in the world.
But now in Christ Jesus you who once were Tammy Chanhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17465725290219774460noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2653215259254945632.post-71936518970086018322011-10-03T17:13:00.001-04:002011-10-03T17:13:38.056-04:00?-day blog projectWouldn't it be cool if I wrote everyday for a chunk of days?
I was thinking of starting a blog project for a limited number of days to help me write more consistently (on a daily basis pretty much). At first I was thinking a 30-day project, but I think that might be too much for a first project. So it could be more of a 7-day project, 14-day project, or 5-day project. It depends on what the Tammy Chanhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17465725290219774460noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2653215259254945632.post-62771890612586781772011-10-03T09:50:00.001-04:002011-10-05T08:13:43.428-04:00The hospitality paradox.If you take a look at some of my old notebooks, you may come across some lists of people's names. Don't freak out if you ever see your name there on one of those lists. I promise I'm not stalking you or anything. Besides, if I met you during college, it's less likely that your name would be on one of those lists.
I love makings lists (I extravert J pretty strongly, so of course I would), but Tammy Chanhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17465725290219774460noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2653215259254945632.post-37492497134239351142011-09-15T22:46:00.001-04:002011-09-16T06:47:43.742-04:00Graham cracker frenzy.
Okay, do you see these cookies? They were my first attempt at making a cookie called, "Everything but the kitchen sink." They're called that because, well, you can put a whole lot of stuff in them and it doesn't really matter what it is.
The problem that occurred, though, is that I think I over-mixed the butter and sugar so that the cookies came out super flat. And they were so flat that ITammy Chanhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17465725290219774460noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2653215259254945632.post-43650330510134935812011-09-14T21:42:00.003-04:002011-09-14T21:42:56.308-04:00Quiz: how many rings does Tammy wear on her hands?
Answer: Currently, one. Before today? Three.
I wore one on the ring finger of my left hand, as well as one on the pointer finger and ring finger of my right hand. My ring fingers suddenly started giving me a rash. Both of them.
The one on my left hand was from Arizona - supposedly it was hand-made by a Navajo Native American friend in Arizona. I've been wearing that ring for about Tammy Chanhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17465725290219774460noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2653215259254945632.post-82948321794961114952011-09-13T22:35:00.003-04:002011-09-13T22:36:40.108-04:00Snickerdoodles and S'more granola bars.
Snickerdoodles
These cookies can be such a great conversation starter: why are they called snickerdoodles? Where did that name come from? Why are they so darn delicious?
I'm not sure if anyone actually knows the answers to those questions. It's part of its mystique. But they're pretty significant to me because when I made my first batch I believe they were the first kinds of sugar Tammy Chanhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17465725290219774460noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2653215259254945632.post-6147423993081408902011-09-12T22:11:00.002-04:002011-09-12T22:41:29.351-04:00Simplicity.It started with a simple question addressed to me: How have things changed for you since graduating college?
The next thing I know, I'm suddenly pouring my heart out to a friend during this innocent gchat conversation about how I feel like New York City gives off a lot of misguiding perceptions and tries to live up to them.
It's like living in NYC has glazed over my eyes
and since going Tammy Chanhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17465725290219774460noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2653215259254945632.post-88671763844379431722011-09-05T00:18:00.003-04:002011-09-05T16:31:17.579-04:00Last of my summer food endeavors.
As summer has drawn to a close (not officially, but you know), my journey as someone practicing her survival skills of learning how to "fish" has not.
Grilling chicken on my mom's George Foreman grill
George Foreman grills always remind me of Ali, my apartment housemate from when I stayed in Binghamton for the summer of 2009. She loves her George Foreman grill. We'd make dinner together Tammy Chanhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17465725290219774460noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2653215259254945632.post-11017256199971819512011-09-04T23:17:00.000-04:002011-09-08T21:53:24.743-04:00Molting - what a gross word for a profound stage of life.Spending the week in Binghamton was like a breath of fresh air. Surprisingly, it wasn't the kind of breath of fresh air that comes from adjusting to a new environment or getting into a new rhythm of life or the invigoration of meeting new people or spending time with old friends. Maybe it was a little part of it - there's always a sense of excitement or thrill with new beginnings and the Tammy Chanhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17465725290219774460noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2653215259254945632.post-78042142582928433142011-08-29T01:59:00.003-04:002011-08-31T09:06:51.813-04:00The Lord will build you a house.At the beginning of the summer, I shared my deep yearning to be able to "set down some roots" and call some place home both physically and emotionally. Now it's the end of the summer, and though the desire is still there, a kind of peace has drifted its way into my heart even though my physical transitions have gotten a little crazier.
Now I've never been one to do an awesome or proper exegesisTammy Chanhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17465725290219774460noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2653215259254945632.post-30727016676007068732011-08-26T13:37:00.005-04:002011-08-28T15:03:55.074-04:00Hello, Theoden.I picked up Theoden, my guitar, today after not touching him for the past...maybe three weeks? It's been a long time.
I've missed him.
It felt good, but I realize that I miss singing for an audience, even with the nerves and the mistakes. I need more performance practice. I tend to get so caught up in focusing on trying to hit the right notes or memorizing words (which I'm really terrible Tammy Chanhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17465725290219774460noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2653215259254945632.post-63387046660422980352011-08-22T23:35:00.002-04:002011-08-22T23:36:45.699-04:00Getting unstuck.I seriously started about six or seven blog posts in the last two weeks and haven't had the time or desire to finish any of them. As I was trying to think of what to write for this one, I felt like all of them are intertwined and related, so I'm going to attempt to cohesively string these thoughts together. But if it doesn't make sense, I apologize.
I must say, though, that I'm quite relievedTammy Chanhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17465725290219774460noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2653215259254945632.post-43413220430567341062011-08-01T16:06:00.002-04:002011-08-02T23:26:16.664-04:00More summer food endeavors.There are some food pics I haven't posted from earlier this summer, and since I recently baked a successful chocolate cake, thought I'd update with these:
Earlier this summer I made these pumpkin cookies and brought some when I went on a picnic adventure with Will, Kat and Nathan. I also gave some to Thomas for his birthday that we went to celebrate later that day. People always say baking Tammy Chanhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17465725290219774460noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2653215259254945632.post-10479486209314912332011-07-18T19:18:00.006-04:002011-07-24T17:23:00.559-04:00Native paths to foreign places.We often say we take two steps forward and one step back
But really it seems like in life we only move forward
And look back over our shoulder
More times than we need to.
Stepping out of an old friend's house today
Made me appreciate the freedom to walk home,
To walk anywhere.
Growing up we never really needed to drive somewhere
To reach a familiar face
Or drop by the home of someone who'd take Tammy Chanhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17465725290219774460noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2653215259254945632.post-49181784234241335192011-07-17T21:09:00.003-04:002011-07-17T21:10:48.326-04:00I'm not depressed, I promise.But I've been listening to Ella Fitzgerald a lot lately, and I really like her voice and her songs.
And ever since my voice teacher had me practice singing "Gravity" by Sara Bareilles, I've watched a number of her YouTube videos and found a deeper respect for her talent. She's craaaaaazy good, and I love the spunk and attitude she has in her songs.
I mean, come on, what artist do you know Tammy Chanhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17465725290219774460noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2653215259254945632.post-54977790131618501862011-07-12T16:17:00.004-04:002011-07-15T08:56:27.406-04:00Rollin' out the sushi Chan-style.Jehoshaphat (until writing this post I realize I didn't actually know how to spell Jehoshaphat properly off the top of my head) was an interesting king. My family and I are reading through the Bible (in three years, not one...yeah, I know, it's a long time. Us Chans gotta set our own pace, though - and we've successfully been making it through our second year!), and we're currently reading Tammy Chanhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17465725290219774460noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2653215259254945632.post-32923508153649158072011-07-07T14:24:00.003-04:002011-07-12T16:21:07.507-04:00Driving with my dad.Well, folks, I have officially driven on the highway.
It was a bit traumatizing. But hey, I survived and made it back to write this post. That counts for something, right?
Don't worry, I'll get back on the horse. Just...not for a little while. In the meantime, I'll stick with the narrow streets of Queens :]Tammy Chanhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17465725290219774460noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2653215259254945632.post-3346051522359553132011-07-03T23:35:00.006-04:002011-07-10T17:44:41.361-04:00Eating habits.Something I learned from my Nutrition class (my teacher was awesome and the class was so interesting and practical!) was that one step in eating healthier is taking a look at our eating habits and environments. One of our paper assignments made me think a lot about how my eating habits change when was on campus, when I was at home, and when I eat out.
Food is so available and accessible when Tammy Chanhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17465725290219774460noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2653215259254945632.post-11444921357690697362011-06-27T00:21:00.009-04:002011-07-14T09:21:01.318-04:00Phan for a day.Who knew that a trip down to Philadelphia for a Phillies game would provoke some blog-worthy thoughts?Actually, it's not very unusual and, well, seems rather normal or expected for me to get a little introspective on a 2-3 hour road trip going down to Philly and a traffic-ridden ride heading back to NYC. So I don't know why I'm surprised. But I am.My dad, Pam, and I headed down at 7am this Tammy Chanhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17465725290219774460noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2653215259254945632.post-83248479901638476362011-06-24T21:14:00.000-04:002011-06-24T21:14:58.448-04:00Blank pages.Not much has been going on lately. I've been uninspired to write...anything. Songs, stories, blog posts, journal entries.Things are not much fun when this happens.I need a spark, a boost, a shove...something :\Tammy Chanhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17465725290219774460noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2653215259254945632.post-74795600885973131052011-06-16T21:09:00.005-04:002011-06-16T23:13:42.261-04:00Tribute to Mrs. Hamilton.I was recently tagged on Facebook in my 4th grade class photo. Thankfully, it's one of class pictures I actually like and ironically, I was tagged in it by the girl I used to have a sort of rivalry with. I'm not really sure how it started, but I remember she used to say mean things to me and I would sometimes cry because I knew it wasn't right to say anything mean back, so I got really Tammy Chanhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17465725290219774460noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2653215259254945632.post-65284578406955430812011-06-09T22:56:00.005-04:002011-06-09T23:08:45.410-04:00Summer endeavors.Remember my chicken salad post? Well, ever since then I've been documenting the food I've been making this summer, whether it's dinner or baked goods or snacks. I've been wanting to post them up on this blog, but I was in the middle of working on my previous post and got stuck so many times that I haven't had the chance.So, here's what I've made so far. Most of these I made for the first time.Tammy Chanhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17465725290219774460noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2653215259254945632.post-64137857246159061892011-06-09T21:30:00.000-04:002011-06-09T21:30:39.678-04:00I'm rich.It's amazing how I rarely go shopping - and when I do, I try to have some self-control - and yet I look at my closet and my dresser drawers, and they're overstuffed with clothes. What baffles me even more is that I could name a whole bunch of different kinds of clothing that I could claim I "need" and then go out and buy them.I was thinking about it because I was thinking about how if I'm havingTammy Chanhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17465725290219774460noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2653215259254945632.post-25330251572391437832011-06-02T11:31:00.030-04:002011-06-03T22:52:20.455-04:00Groundstrokes with Optimism.I've been wondering about my natural sense of optimism these past couple of days. And as these things usually go in the mind of this introvert, it looks a lot like a tennis match. I have these little debates with myself because to me my optimism makes sense - holding on to my hope in Christ is what got me through heartaches and brokenness - but part of me sometimes gets caught in a wave of Tammy Chanhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17465725290219774460noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2653215259254945632.post-17734273121846824232011-05-30T21:08:00.004-04:002011-05-30T21:18:05.421-04:00Chicken Salad ftw.I'm no Thomas, but I can see why it's fun to try and take pictures of the food I make.It's nice seeing how much my mom cares about me by preparing me for when I move out of the house at the end of the summer. She's accepting the reality without clinging to me because she acknowledges that she is a momma bird that needs to let her baby fly. There's no irrational denial, no passivity or Tammy Chanhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17465725290219774460noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2653215259254945632.post-23558676453212396792011-05-30T10:30:00.004-04:002011-12-12T14:11:49.759-05:00The Staten Island Ferry is FREE, people.
If my life was represented in newspaper form, the headline would go something like this:
The Staten Island Ferry is FREE!
Tammy spends entire day taking an adventure out to Staten Island without making a dent in her wallet.
Apparently everyone knew I went down to Staten Island on Saturday, and almost no one knew the Staten Island Ferry was free.
Tammy Chanhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17465725290219774460noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2653215259254945632.post-44959867842609678572011-05-28T00:34:00.002-04:002011-12-12T14:11:28.788-05:00Don't expect anything profound from this post.
I got to hold baby Emma today! I regret not getting a picture with her. She's the 1-year-old of our College and Career Fellowship's Advisor, Scott. I was so excited to see her because I haven't held a little one in so long (more excited to see her than my peers whom I haven't seen/talked to in a while). I've talked with elementary schoolers and babysat toddlers within the past year or two,Tammy Chanhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17465725290219774460noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2653215259254945632.post-64568875367216020112011-05-27T00:17:00.003-04:002011-12-12T14:10:57.737-05:00Setting down roots.
Have I mentioned how tired I am of moving?
Maybe I was super slow at packing my stuff and am now super slow at unpacking my stuff because I know everything is all temporary. A few months in the Chan household? Temporary. One more year in Binghamton? Temporary. It's all too long not to unpack at all and too short to fully settle in and call it home.
Tammy Chanhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17465725290219774460noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2653215259254945632.post-78197210320711788072011-05-25T12:21:00.003-04:002011-12-12T14:10:13.139-05:00Reminder: get a flashlight and a bunch of candles for my new apartment.
Sitting in the pitch dark at 9:30 at night without any electricity gives you a space to think or motivates you to do some things you haven't done for a while. And it makes you sleepy a little earlier than usual.
During our little black out while my mom desperately turned on a portable radio to try and find out who won Dancing with the Stars, I decided to read through some of Tammy Chanhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17465725290219774460noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2653215259254945632.post-70146972579674054512011-05-23T10:39:00.011-04:002011-12-12T14:09:04.971-05:00"Unto the breach"Whenever the thought of going through my graduation ceremonies came to mind, I had the attitude of dragging my feet. I didn't really care about the pomp and circumstance, and I would think about how much I would rather be at Basileia as an induction into the InterVarsity staff world and witness first-hand how God would move and change my chapter.
I subconsciously tried to drag out my stay Tammy Chanhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17465725290219774460noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2653215259254945632.post-37704325808331572662011-05-19T11:35:00.001-04:002011-05-19T12:35:40.044-04:00Growing up.I don't know how to do it.They should make a manual for these things.Tammy Chanhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17465725290219774460noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2653215259254945632.post-40626976298531607722011-05-18T11:10:00.006-04:002011-12-12T12:42:22.530-05:00Lingering.
Senioritis has officially passed because I've been done with school since last Thursday, but I haven't really had too many other thoughts lately. I'm not really sure why. Maybe it hasn't really sunk in that I'm done with college.
I have a feeling it'll sink in more next fall, when I return and don't have any classes to attend or homework assignments to finish, or papers to write or tests Tammy Chanhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17465725290219774460noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2653215259254945632.post-47257062313689774252011-05-09T08:36:00.005-04:002011-12-12T12:41:15.049-05:00Senioritis?I have felt pretty odd after coming back from our second spring break. Pretty surreal, I guess. With all the end-of-the-year hustle and bustle, the more surreal aspect is the end-of-the-college-life feel.
It also makes me think about all the things I wish I could have done or done better. Normally I'd be like, "That's okay, I'll work on that better next year," but now I can't really do Tammy Chanhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17465725290219774460noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2653215259254945632.post-79869490009668249792011-05-02T19:12:00.007-04:002011-12-12T12:40:30.871-05:00Hard conversation.
Sometimes I don't like crying because people think they know what I'm crying about when really, they have no idea. And I'm not in a place where I can tell them what I'm actually crying about.
I don't even really know how to describe it here. I was just talking to a friend I care deeply about today, and our discussion raised so much sadness in me about so many things so quickly that crying Tammy Chanhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17465725290219774460noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2653215259254945632.post-66880960591723420892011-04-27T16:09:00.005-04:002011-12-12T12:39:40.261-05:00Easter, shmeaster, says my church.Sadly, Easter Sunday at my church back home is like going to my church on any other Sunday except that there's a couple of potted white lilies sitting in front of the pulpit.
Even the baptisms we had seemed to be understated.
That's just not right. I get it, we're Asian. But seriously? Even with our Asian gifts I think our particular service is a bit lame. We're supposed to be Tammy Chanhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17465725290219774460noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2653215259254945632.post-26103722212162096292011-04-22T10:18:00.001-04:002011-12-12T12:39:07.388-05:00Sometimes. Not all the time.Sometimes the hardest part about loving someone is taking the initiative.Tammy Chanhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17465725290219774460noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2653215259254945632.post-75587826258865011802011-04-20T11:02:00.002-04:002011-12-12T12:38:40.180-05:00Cherry on top.I wanted to write a post two days ago but I was still trying to figure out what it was that I wanted to say, how I could identify what was going on in my head, and how I could share that here.
On Monday I had lunch with an old friend from high school (wow, I can't believe I'm old enough to actually say that I had an old friend). We get together occasionally when I'm on break and come home. Tammy Chanhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17465725290219774460noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2653215259254945632.post-32237617212686959352011-04-12T13:03:00.002-04:002011-12-12T12:37:49.237-05:00Psalm 23The LORD is my shepherd; I shall not want.
He makes me lie down in green pastures.
He leads me beside still waters.
He restores my soul.
He leads me in paths of righteousness for his name's sake.
Even though I walk through the valley of the shadow of death,
I will fear no evil,
for you are with me;
your rod and your staff,
they comfort me.
You prepare a table before me
in the Tammy Chanhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17465725290219774460noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2653215259254945632.post-83759627620126727582011-04-12T00:23:00.006-04:002011-12-12T12:37:31.600-05:00Mish-mash of thoughts from the past week.You're love never fails.
"Seek first the kingdom of God and all these things will be added unto you."
I love Libby.
What a crazy weekend.
Just give it time, it's gonna get better. Now is not forever at all.
I took about 10 steps outside my building without shoes on April 5th and my feet were dying - I can't even begin to imagine what those kids go through every single day.
I'm employed.
Tammy Chanhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17465725290219774460noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2653215259254945632.post-84008266488799661462011-04-07T13:49:00.002-04:002011-12-12T12:36:51.820-05:00Character[kar-ik-ter] -noun
(taken from dictionary.com)
1. the aggregate of features or traits that form the individual nature of some person or thing.
2. moral or ethical quality
3. qualities of honesty, courage, or the like; integrity
4. reputation
5. status or capacity
You can't see the depth of someone's character if you've got one eye closed.
Tammy Chanhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17465725290219774460noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2653215259254945632.post-58093844963004984072011-04-04T22:41:00.004-04:002011-12-12T12:36:35.443-05:00New song in progress!I'm really excited about it.
People have been asking me how I approach writing songs - particularly if I write the music or the lyrics first. Of course, I've been so tainted so that whenever I hear the phrase "music and lyrics" I think of Drew Barrymore and Hugh Grant duking it out about which one of those elements was more important in their romantic comedy, "Music & Lyrics." You might Tammy Chanhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17465725290219774460noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2653215259254945632.post-52009935181558133972011-04-04T17:48:00.001-04:002011-12-12T12:35:53.621-05:00Stuck in my head.The line, "How refreshing to know You don't need me, how amazing to find that You want me" plays over and over in my head.
Casting Crowns, In Me
Tammy Chanhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17465725290219774460noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2653215259254945632.post-45508376049963923102011-04-02T11:35:00.004-04:002011-12-12T12:35:31.559-05:00I want to lead a small group.This is not something I just realized today. Ever since freshman year I've always had a small desire in the back of my mind to lead a small group. I'd imagine what I would do differently in the small groups I've participated in, and I'd imagine what I'd want to see happen and what God could do through my small group.
Some people have suggested to me or have wondered why I haven't led a small Tammy Chanhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17465725290219774460noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2653215259254945632.post-37409485632565013942011-03-30T01:20:00.011-04:002011-12-12T00:27:41.301-05:00A little voice.Although Jon Walton gave us Mary Poplin's Finding Calcutta to read and challenged us to read the first chapter, I found myself still compelled to continue reading the book I started reading just before NYCUP: Paul Tokunaga's, Invitation to Lead: Guidance for Emerging Asian American Leaders. I'll share more about this in another post.
Today I stopped by the Jazzman's Cafe like I normally do, Tammy Chanhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17465725290219774460noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2653215259254945632.post-70686863333227207122011-03-28T20:14:00.009-04:002011-12-12T00:26:58.613-05:00'Not much' became 'much more'Right after we had our NYCUP orientation session and first dinner with the Bowery Mission family the day we arrived at the Bowery Mission, we headed down to the chapel for our first service experience.
Just five or ten minutes after the service was supposed to start, Becca calls me out of my seat, walks me and a few other NYCUP people to the back, and proceeds to tell us that we are being askedTammy Chanhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17465725290219774460noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2653215259254945632.post-35133265941834497972011-03-28T11:01:00.007-04:002011-03-28T11:27:15.053-04:00St. Francis of Assisi's prayer in songEvery time we recited St. Francis of Assisi's prayer, I thought of this song by Jenny & Tyler, called, "Faint Not": The problem's not a gun, not a color, not a hundred dollar bill We think the struggle can be won with simple thoughts like 'come together be good willed' The gap between the rich and poor is spreading out all the more or so they say We ignore the claims O my soul faint not, no FaintTammy Chanhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17465725290219774460noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2653215259254945632.post-31186697904579608962011-03-28T08:25:00.014-04:002011-12-12T00:26:19.162-05:00Consider the liliesTherefore I tell you, do not be anxious about your life, what you will eat or what you will drink, nor about your body, what you will put on. Is not life more than food, and the body more than clothing? Look at the birds in the air: they neither sow nor reap nor gather into barns, and yet your heavenly Father feeds them. Are you not of more value than they? And which of you by being anxious can Tammy Chanhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17465725290219774460noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2653215259254945632.post-46166150970222067572011-03-28T01:41:00.008-04:002011-12-12T00:25:24.998-05:00Psalm 37:3-7Trust in the LORD, and do good;
dwell in the land and befriend faithfulness.
Delight yourself in the LORD,
and he will give you the desires of your heart.
Commit your way to the LORD;
trust in him, and he will act.
He will bring forth your righteousness as the light,
and your justice as the noonday.
Be still before the LORD and wait patiently for him;
fret not yourself over the one whoTammy Chanhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17465725290219774460noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2653215259254945632.post-83824027008278303542011-03-27T15:06:00.008-04:002011-12-12T00:25:03.051-05:00Prayer of St. Francis of AssisiLord, make me an instrument of your peace,
Where there is hatred, let me sow love;
where there is injury, pardon;
where there is doubt, faith;
where there is despair, hope;
where there is darkness, light;
where there is sadness, joy;
O Divine Master, grant that I may not so much seek to be consoled as to console;
to be understood as to understand;
to be loved as to love.
For it is in Tammy Chanhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17465725290219774460noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2653215259254945632.post-35314462278332925102011-03-26T19:10:00.003-04:002011-12-12T00:24:16.720-05:00Dangerous MenIt was a complete privilege to serve alongside men whose lives were so evidently transformed by God. Most of the staff of the Bowery Mission family had gone through the 6-month recovery program at the Bowery and were offered jobs upon completion.
I say it was a privilege because it was so clear in the way they worked, the way they spoke to us, and the way they served that God had done some Tammy Chanhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17465725290219774460noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2653215259254945632.post-44507651028260992572011-03-25T21:12:00.008-04:002011-12-12T00:22:18.390-05:00Coming home from NYCUPI got home and planned on taking an hour-long nap, which is extremely absurd if you know me, a dedicated 20-minute-power-napper, but considering I had only gotten an approximate 25 total hours of sleep this week, I figured it would be necessary.
I almost felt like Rip Van Winkle waking up 2 1/2 hours later. That's a record for me.
Anyway, I traveled home on the subway and bus with KTai and Tammy Chanhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17465725290219774460noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2653215259254945632.post-90857154269575785142011-03-19T08:52:00.003-04:002011-12-12T00:21:02.800-05:00Humble attitude."Being humble is not a matter of pretending to be worthless, but is a form of realism, not only regarding the real badness of one's sins and stupidities and the real depth of one's dependence on God's grace, but also regarding the real range of one's abilities. Humble believers know what they can and cannot do. They note both their gifts and their limitations, and so are able to avoid both the Tammy Chanhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17465725290219774460noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2653215259254945632.post-22602735487631402942011-03-14T09:02:00.012-04:002011-12-12T00:20:21.613-05:00A bit of wanting.More than anything else, I desire to glorify God with my life through my actions, words, thoughts and decisions.
But at the same time it's not always clear as to how I can do that. Read the first chapter of James Bryant Smith's "The Good and Beautiful God" where he talks about how we are driven by our narratives:
We cannot change simply by saying, “I want to change.” We have to examine what we Tammy Chanhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17465725290219774460noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2653215259254945632.post-28622608087248442732011-03-07T12:05:00.005-05:002011-12-12T00:19:35.924-05:00Alias (Part Four)So after that huge word vomit about my unhealthily busy high school life in Alias (Part Three) what am I really trying to say?
I'm not someone with a lot of wisdom, nor am I an expert on these aliases/fronts we put up with people. But after high school, I knew I didn't want get onto that conveyor belt again. Of course, it took me a while to figure out that I had to work on my knee-jerk reactionsTammy Chanhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17465725290219774460noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2653215259254945632.post-29038362841737403962011-03-02T08:59:00.005-05:002011-12-12T00:18:27.918-05:00I'll have a "Why" sandwich, but hold the "Because."I thought it was interesting how yesterday Ethan, someone in my small group, mentioned Gideon during our Bible study of 1 Samuel. My Bible reading for today included the calling of Gideon. And I thought it was very interesting to read:
Summarized context (Judges 6:6): And Israel was brought very low because of Midian. And the people of Israel cried out for help to the Lord.
Judges 6:11-16
Now Tammy Chanhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17465725290219774460noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2653215259254945632.post-10823427939357791492011-02-23T01:35:00.002-05:002011-12-12T00:17:39.450-05:00Alias (Part Three)Read Alias (Part Two) and then read this post. This is a long post, I must warn you, but to me it's a necessary one, so if you don't feel like reading, I won't be offended (not that I even know who you are that's reading this - I guess I can't be offended if I don't know)
Protecting yourself by pretending to be someone you're not can get extremely exhausting.
It takes a lot of work to keep up Tammy Chanhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17465725290219774460noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2653215259254945632.post-54592707828821943142011-02-21T01:00:00.010-05:002011-12-12T00:16:06.388-05:00From deflated to excited.It's days like these when I need to remind myself at the end of the day that the world does not rest on my shoulders.
I feel like I've been having a semi-deflating week, with the frustrations of knowing things could be better than they are. I know that I can be an agent of change with my own attitude, but it's hard when everyone else around you feels deflated, too. And it's not one of those, "OhTammy Chanhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17465725290219774460noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2653215259254945632.post-10771605153138100592011-02-15T09:08:00.003-05:002011-12-12T00:15:16.201-05:00From James Bryan Smith's "The Good and Beautiful Life: Putting on the Character of Christ"Chapter Four: Learning to Live without Anger
Visceral and meditative anger are fueled by two ingredients, unmet expectations and fear, that, when united, ignite into a strong emotion. Unmet expectations are occasions for anger. [Fear] is good old-fashioned insecurity. The initial unmet expectation has moved to a level of threat. It is only when we are threatened in some way that we get angry. Tammy Chanhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17465725290219774460noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2653215259254945632.post-78433454304015322852011-02-14T09:15:00.008-05:002011-12-12T00:14:48.891-05:00We have gone astray and desperately want to be found.My heart has been heavy these past few weeks with this burden for my fellowship. My heart breaks when people share with me their frustrations, their brokenness, and their desperation. My heart breaks when I see people making similar mistakes to the ones I've made in the past. My heart breaks for my roommate and my floormates because I want them to know and experience the hope and joy I have in Tammy Chanhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17465725290219774460noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2653215259254945632.post-64264331064048550792011-02-11T08:57:00.002-05:002011-12-12T00:12:49.053-05:00Paul says it better than me.Therefore, since we have been justified by faith, we have peace with God through our Lord Jesus Christ. Through him we have also obtained access by faith into this grace in which we stand, and we rejoice in hope of the glory of God. More than that, we rejoice in our sufferings, knowing that suffering produces endurance, and endurance produces character, and character produces hope, and hope Tammy Chanhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17465725290219774460noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2653215259254945632.post-91462078471357442011-02-09T09:21:00.002-05:002011-12-12T00:12:28.870-05:00From Sarah Arthur's "The One Year Daily Grind" Devotional for February 9th:It's easy for churches to think of their group struggles as some sort of spiritual liability, as if God will only work through us if we've got it all together.
If only, if only...
But the Secret of Weakness is not primarily about what God is trying to teach us in the midst of our struggles but how God wants to bless others in the midst of our struggles.
People seek out the church, not Tammy Chanhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17465725290219774460noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2653215259254945632.post-85799949296537596992011-02-09T08:53:00.001-05:002011-12-12T00:12:03.537-05:00"Prayer isrebelling against the status quo."Tammy Chanhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17465725290219774460noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2653215259254945632.post-5231491382298692372011-01-29T09:56:00.013-05:002011-12-12T00:11:26.150-05:00Alias (Part Two)Besides the awesome spy action of heroine secret CIA double agent Sydney Bristow, you can't talk about her without talking about her wardrobe changes. It's a huge part of the show - heck, it's why it's called Alias, for goodness sake. Sydney Bristow can assume any identity she needs to accomplish her mission, and she doesn't only pull it off...she pulls it off well. The irony, though, is that Tammy Chanhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17465725290219774460noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2653215259254945632.post-64621389497419931422011-01-26T19:50:00.002-05:002011-12-12T00:10:45.294-05:00You know what feels terrible?When you feel completely drained and you haven't really done anything to justify it.Tammy Chanhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17465725290219774460noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2653215259254945632.post-830590270651934712011-01-26T17:04:00.006-05:002011-12-12T00:10:28.176-05:00Alias (Part One)There are a lot of reasons why I love the tv show Alias. The series ended several years ago, but it lasted a good (or mostly good - spy shows can sometimes go a little too far overboard into cheesy or unrealistic...you know) five seasons before going off the air.
Pam and I have been watching through the series every time I come home for break from school, and last Saturday we were able to have aTammy Chanhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17465725290219774460noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2653215259254945632.post-1310684853919751832011-01-25T23:37:00.004-05:002011-12-12T00:09:26.148-05:00Spring semester funk.It happens every spring semester.
I get into this weird funky feeling.
And it's different every year.
I haven't posted in a while but I'd been meaning to write a post about Alias, the tv show. And there was something that came up recently that made me want to post it even more. But for some reason I haven't cranked that one out.
In the meantime, I wanted to just put something on here about how Tammy Chanhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17465725290219774460noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2653215259254945632.post-41790414086138735532011-01-18T22:43:00.013-05:002011-12-12T00:08:22.510-05:00This may sound nerdy.But I don't really care.
It's interesting how my reaction to going into Barnes & Noble with a gift card could be so dramatically different from me entering our Queens Public Library with a library card.
It rained almost all day today. But I was excited to go to the library and was determined to not let the rain stop me. It was the kind of steady, all day kind of rain people write songs aboutTammy Chanhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17465725290219774460noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2653215259254945632.post-33217373534779830222011-01-14T18:00:00.013-05:002011-12-12T00:07:12.425-05:00It's like watching a tv show.It's January 15th and my family had our belated Christmas dinner today. We were supposed to get together on the day after Christmas, but that was one of the snowpocalypse days, so we had decided to save ourselves from getting stuck in New Jersey for another day when our chances of getting snowed in were much slimmer. And since there are a lot of us and we all have busy schedules, we ended up Tammy Chanhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17465725290219774460noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2653215259254945632.post-61894923654022148752011-01-14T14:42:00.009-05:002011-12-12T00:05:41.285-05:00Glass shattering.It really does shock me sometimes to hear how people - especially people close to me - view me. Because honestly, more often than not, I have no idea. It's fascinating, too, how the subject will come up or just even how it comes out.
For example, a recent conversation led to one that described me as one of the characters below:
If you watch One Tree Hill, and you know my childhood friends, it'llTammy Chanhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17465725290219774460noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2653215259254945632.post-82438428754561951982011-01-11T21:16:00.006-05:002011-12-12T00:04:14.585-05:00Right from the start.She has been to me what it means to be home.Tammy Chanhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17465725290219774460noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2653215259254945632.post-88627780638344664222011-01-07T12:00:00.012-05:002011-01-07T12:37:19.822-05:00Balloon thoughts.You know how I like visual analogies? Well, I would use these pictures to demonstrate what I think about how I think about anything. I would list out all of my pros and cons for you, but I really shouldn't spend the time to do it. So I leave you with these instead.Tammy Chanhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17465725290219774460noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2653215259254945632.post-17249777832171509992011-01-04T17:54:00.010-05:002011-12-12T00:03:41.153-05:00Isn't baking such a great form of therapy for me?I went to the dentist today.
First, let's say, "Good job, Tammy, for going to the dentist for your regular cleaning at the appropriate 6-month mark." However if you know me, you know I have a hard time trying not to hate my teeth or visiting the dentist. This instance didn't really make it any easier. Also if you know me, ever since the traumatizing dentist events of the summer, I've Tammy Chanhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17465725290219774460noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2653215259254945632.post-88367439462624367352011-01-03T22:58:00.004-05:002011-12-12T00:02:41.119-05:00Kids are my favorite teachers. (cont'd)I definitely could've written a lot more in my previous post. I decided to spare you all and write more in a separate post, so that my ideas could kind of build off of one another and so you could try to follow my line of thinking.
So I go on and on about this posture of learning, not because I've got it all down and place myself in this posture all the time, but because realizing this helps me Tammy Chanhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17465725290219774460noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2653215259254945632.post-32237296270820611492011-01-02T23:21:00.017-05:002011-12-12T00:01:15.720-05:00Kids are my favorite teachers.I haven't posted anything in a week. Half of that reason was because I was out a lot this week and didn't have time or was too tired, and the other half of that reason is because I just had too much to say about too many things, and some just didn't seem appropriate for my blog. I can't tell you everything about my life, you know.
There were a lot of things I wanted to write for this blog, but ITammy Chanhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17465725290219774460noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2653215259254945632.post-79410596208073025142010-12-26T12:10:00.009-05:002011-12-12T00:00:10.742-05:00Dear Anne of Green Gables,Even though sometimes I laugh at your melancholy, overdramatic moments, I totally understand you.
Like those times you did something stupid like accidentally dye your hair green, or smashed a slate over Gilbert Blythe's head, or accidentally made Diana Barry drunk and you fell into the "depths of despair" - I was right there with you. Maybe I haven't had the audacity to walk the top of a Tammy Chanhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17465725290219774460noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2653215259254945632.post-66916215028205874292010-12-24T09:24:00.017-05:002011-12-11T23:59:34.367-05:00Notes from New Life Fellowship Church.That's the church I went to last Sunday with Pam. Apparently it's the church Greg Jao goes to, because Pam bumped into him the Sunday before and she got to hold his baby throughout the whole worship service. We didn't bump into him this past Sunday. Sad :[
The pastor giving the message that day was Pastor Rich Villodas, and he said that the church was moving through a series but for that day Tammy Chanhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17465725290219774460noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2653215259254945632.post-30014621068499076292010-12-22T18:01:00.006-05:002011-10-12T15:11:48.285-04:00Hospitality say what?It's fun and exciting to learn more about the gift of hospitality. It's fascinating to realize that there's something much deeper and richer to hospitality than just the joy of planning events or filling people's stomachs to make people feel comfortable and happy. And discovering more of what it is and what it could look like makes it exciting :]
I was thinking about the role of the host and Tammy Chanhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17465725290219774460noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2653215259254945632.post-33006157113431094542010-12-22T00:07:00.003-05:002011-12-11T23:58:32.331-05:00A wave of shamealways washes over me when I recognize that it's easier for me to love a stranger than some of my own family members.Tammy Chanhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17465725290219774460noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2653215259254945632.post-6976805110950904432010-12-21T14:57:00.004-05:002011-12-11T23:58:06.510-05:00Commence IV Staff Application ProcessSo I open the document, thinking, Okay, this shouldn't be too bad. It should be long, but with some good pacing and time to think, it should be just fine.
I skipped over to the question that asked me about my hobbies, and then decided to go through the application and answer the "easier" questions and come back to the ones that would require a bit more thought.
I'm so intimidated right now.
TheTammy Chanhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17465725290219774460noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2653215259254945632.post-9835876562945907022010-12-20T12:43:00.010-05:002011-12-11T23:57:30.781-05:00It's beginning to look a lot like
...Thanksgiving.
I don't know if you remember, but in one of my posts about Thanksgiving break, I recognized suddenly that there was a lot more to unpack from my mind than I realized I needed. It kind of feels the same way now.
It's like I've been walking in slow motion through a blur of fast-paced events, and it's only now beginning to clear up and settle down...and not really at the same Tammy Chanhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17465725290219774460noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2653215259254945632.post-87919186879480318642010-12-20T11:11:00.010-05:002011-12-11T23:56:42.166-05:00Music & lyricsWarning: an extra unnecessarily long post - one of the ramifications of not blogging for a while.
There are a number of things I've been thinking about lately that kind of fall under this theme of music and lyrics because these thoughts kind of intertwine with one another in some shape or form.
In case you don't really know me, I like to sing...a lot. I sing almost everywhere/anywhere Tammy Chanhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17465725290219774460noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2653215259254945632.post-61299031222975517512010-12-16T02:11:00.006-05:002011-12-11T23:55:46.850-05:00Buried love.
I have accumulated sore ankles, mysterious cuts, and bruises scattered along my legs.To me, ice skating is worth every single one.Ice skating always awakens in me this deep longing to learn how to figure skate. It's this old love that I keep forgetting that I'd want to answer when people ask those ice breaker questions like, "If you could learn anything in the world, what would it be?" or, "IfTammy Chanhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17465725290219774460noreply@blogger.com0