Musings of Mindy

Adventures in Beijing, China!

It’s been so long since my last post, but now that I’m travelling again, I would love to share some of my adventures!

From 4/16-5/7, I’ll be travelling to various places in China with my father to sightsee and visit my family, especially my grandma, who is soon to be 90 years old!

Currently, I’m in Zhongshan of Guangzhou, China, staying with my cousin, her family, and my grandma. Because today is a rainy day, I finally have a chance to recount my adventures last week in Beijing, China - the capitol of China jam-packed with people and history!

4/17 - Day 1: Settling down and exploring the city on our own!

After arriving at the Beijing International Airport (from Hong Kong), we were picked up by someone from our tour group company, and taken to our hotel: Taishan Hotel, a brand new 5 star hotel.

We met a really nice family from Melbourne, Austrailia, and ended up touring Wangfujing (a trendy and popular tourist area) with them and grabbing dinner at a nearby restaurant - our  first of many Beijing-style Chinese food. Afterwards, we took the subway back to the hotel because it was extremely difficult to hail a taxi.

Food stands at Wangfujing:

Dinner with the family from Melbourne, Austrailia:

Wangfujing Scene:

4/18 - Day 2: First full tour day!

After a delicious breakfast buffet at the hotel, our tour guide took our group to many sites in Beijing:

The Temple of Heaven:

Built in 1420 by Emperor YongLe (Ming Dynasty) as a place to make offerings to heaven for good harvests. It is built with many aspects that honor Feng Shui, and in representation of heaven: circular shape represents heaven (heaven is round, earth is square - hence all imperial palaces and peasant homes were square), and it is mostly dark blue (the color of sky/heaven). One architectural feat is that there were NO NAILS used to build the temple, and it has been standing since it was first built.

A Silk Factory:

2 of China’s most famous items are silk and tea! Here, we were able to see silkworms, their cocoons, and how silk comes from the cocoon. Silk is very strong because of its long fibers, and it keeps out cold air and humidity. Also, a silk worm’s excretion has therapeutic properties: good for helping people who have trouble sleeping and good for the skin. In the old days, silk was only available to the emperor’s family - everyone else used cotton. 

Hutong and Rickshaw ride:

Hutong is a historic area preserved from the time of emperors, where peasants lived nearby the imperial palace. Compared to the grandeur of the palace and other imperial structures, this area is very grey and commonplace - colors were only for the emperor, and grey was for the peasants. 

Our tour group took a rickshaw ride through Hutong, and around the man-made Imperial Lake (per the emperor’s desires) nearby. During the imperial times, the disparity between rich and poor were extremely obvious. I can’t imagine living as a peasant in those times, because not only was life so meek and grey, but their wardrobe choices were drab and ranged between the grey to black spectrum, and their career choices and opportunities were also very limited.

I really enjoyed the first full day of travelling Beijing, although I must admit that I dislike the traffic congestion, lack of traffic courtesy, and pollution. But everything else was great and I loved our tour guide, Tina, and our tour group was awesome! I’ll provide more details on this in my next post, along with a continued snapshot of my week in Beijing!

Until next time,

Mindy

A beach without sand…

I’ve crossed the Panama Canal by boat… for the first time in my life! =) I am now a Navy-certified “Order of the Ditch” (crossed the Panama Canal on a ship) and “Shellback” (crossed the equator on a ship)!! There are seven wonders in the world, and I just experienced one of them! One down, six more to go! But these last few days underway from Costa Rica to Haiti en route the Panama Canal have definitely been busy but fun!

Friday (Aug 12) – “Strategic Pause” Day, where everyone gets to sleep in! But Kevin Lor and I decided to represent the UCSD Pre-Dental Society, and relieve the Navy enlisted from having to wake up early to take roll of everyone in their bunks, so while everyone got to sleep in, we woke up at normal time to hunt down our dental folks to make sure they were accounted for. =P Afterwards, the rest of the day was for resting and relaxing.

Saturday (Aug 13) - We had an all-ship “field day”, where everyone got down on their hands and knees to scrub different areas of the ship. Our dental group was responsible for our clinic, the area outside the clinic, and the adjacent staircase. My team was assigned to the staircase (no AC, by the way!), and it was some hard and hot work. Who knew that the ship could get so grimy after so many months out at sea? =P We worked really hard until dinner.

After a long and fun day, we had two seminars after dinner: one on malaria in Haiti, and one on Haiti itself, given by the director our parent department, the Department of Surgical Services. Captain Todd is an orthopedic surgeon that went to Haiti in 2010 with the USNS Comfort as a response to the Haiti earthquake. As he shared his experiences, photos and x-rays, it really moved us all and reminded us of the work that still lies ahead. While this will be our last country on this mission, this will be their first time seeing us, so we must give them our best. I was really touched by his presentation, and left the presentation with tears in my eyes and a heavy weight on my heart.

Sunday (Aug 14) – Went to Sunday worship service in the chapel! It was so wonderful to finally be able to attend a formal worship service. =) And, the worship songs we sang were the ones I’ve been meditating on… how awesome is that?! Afterwards, all of the NGOs got together to help set up for the STEEL BEACH PICNIC #1!! Yes, we had a beach party tropical themed on the flight deck of the ship, sans sand. We set up and served, and I put myself in charge of putting people in the party spirit by passing out leis and flowers to put in ladies’ hair ;)… FUN FUN FUN!

Monday (Aug 15) – We crossed the PANAMA CANAL! =D This was a six hour transit, but I missed a big chunk of it because we had patients in the dental clinic on board, and there were only 2 techs assisting 3 doctors.. so as one of the techs, I pretty much had to work all day. Even so, I didn’t miss the most important part of crossing the Panama Canal… watching us get through the last set of locks for the dam! These were the ones that separated the Pacific Ocean from the Atlantic/Caribbean Ocean. I have that on video!! =D This was definitely the experience of a lifetime to watch as we were pulled through the canal methodically with the engineered mechanism and two little trains that were anchored onto each side of our ship.

Tuesday (Aug 16) – I had a day off from work, so I spent all day taking care of errands and chores. Very productive! Then, we had Steel Beach Picnic #2!! Our very own Dr. Rudmann, commanding officer of the dental team, and his band – “Danish Butter” – performed the opening acts for the picnic. They played some awesome country music followed by the Continuing Promise 2011 band – stellar music all night long! We had a delicious barbecue dinner along with beautiful weather, and miles of long stretches of the Caribbean/Atlantic Ocean… a deep royal blue very different from the dark blue-green of the Pacific Ocean. Afterwards, we had a dance party right there on the flight deck as the sun was setting across the ocean. We did the Cuban Shuffle, the Macarena, the Cha-Cha Slide, and Soulja Boy dance. We then started the freestyle portion of the dance party with Don Omar’s Danza Kuduro. I love that song! =] It will always remind me of my summer in Latin America – learning how to dance, nights under the stars surrounded by sea, and all the friends and memories that I have stored in my mind and heart. =)

…

Honestly, I’m scared and nervous for Haiti, especially for my personal health, safety, and comfort… but I’m reminded of how awesomely BLESSED I am in comparison. While I shudder in discomfort thinking about the 125*F conditions our team will be working in, I can’t forget that they are forced to live in tents in these conditions, all day, every day. While I cringe at the mosquitoes carrying dengue fever or malaria, I should remember that I have quick access to malaria prophylaxis and prometherin insect spray (the military grade, SUPER STRONG, washable bug repellent for clothing). As I methodically brush and floss my teeth each night in our communal air conditioned bathrooms with clean and purified water, I should think of the Haitians just 20 minutes away from me that do not have clean water or the most updated toothbrush and toothpaste technology. As we care for our patients at the clinic site each day, may we remember that this might be the only healthcare encounter they will have had this year.

Pray for Haiti.

…

Alright, that’s most of the major things I’ve been up to! I’ll keep this blog updated as much as possible! We start working in Haiti in a couple of days!

Hugs and kisses,

Mindy “Order of the Ditch” Li

Pura Vida!! :D

Pura Vida: A greeting/saying in Costa Rica that represents  a “good life/pure life”, and it is used interchangeably with buenos dias and is very versatile.

It seriously has been SO LONG since I’ve blogged. Just about a whole entire country has passed by… we’re leaving Costa Rica in 2 days and will set sail for Haiti. Here are some highlights:

COSTA RICA LIBERTY (4 days of vacation!):

• Double Tree Hotel Resort … ALL INCLUSIVE! I had way too much fun, food, and drinks here.  There was…
  •  a delicious buffet that was open for extended meal hours
  • three huge resort pools with tiki-hut bars in the middle of the pool (you had to swim right up to the bar and sit on a bar stool and order)
  •  the beach was about 10 steps away from my room and we had a room with a great view
  • FINE DINING (free with our hotel reservations)
  •  pool-side lounging and tanning!
  • A dance club - 2 of the nights they had a live band playing latin music.. I got to put to practice all the salsa, meringue, etc. that I’ve been learning! =)
  • And, saving the best for last, a SOFT and COMFY queen sized bed with a spacious shower. :) .. The simplicities of life make all the difference.

• ZIP-LINING!!!!!!!!!!! Yes, I, Mindy Li, lived life on the edge by zipping through the forest dangling from a thin (but strong) cable held on by a harness. :D
  • I actually slipped right before the first platform.. And gouged and bruised up my right shins. =( It still hurts about two weeks later.. =(

• I saw and touched CROCODILES!
  • They are such lazy creatures! Unless the tour guide fed them a slab of meat, they just lazed around in the swampy parts of the river and played dead. But, it was exhilarating to see them scramble for food and devour it!

• Sightseeing Costa Rica, spending time with my new friends, and resting and relaxing was the cherry on top of my tiny vacation! :)

Costa Rica - humanitarian mission-work

• 2 clinic  sites.. Casiano de Madrid School, and Barrancas Gymnasium
  • Hard work in the heat, and we saw 80-120 patients each day in dental alone, and as an entire medical operation, we see about 1,000 patients  at the clinic sites.. This doesn’t include the surgery patients we see aboard the ship.
  • I met some awesome Costa Ricans here! =) Our translators were medical, dental, and pharmacy students that were my age!

• Meeting Navy “Royalty”… Rear Admiral Elizabeth S. Niemyer, the head of the Navy Nurse Corps (and rumored to possibly the next Surgeon General of the U.S. Navy) http://www.navy.mil/navydata/bios/navybio.asp?bioID=496
  • It was quite an honor to get to meet her and talk to her =)… and in Navy tradition, being presented with a coin is quite an honor.. And guess what? After meeting her and sharing with her about our organization (UCSD Pre-Dental SocietyNGO) and my experiences so far, she presented me with her coin!!! Too cool.
    • Sidenote: part of Navy tradition is that when you’re at a bar with other Navy people, you bring out your best/highest ranking coin, and the person with the higher ranking coin will have drinks bought for him/her… so I can now challenge a Navy person at a bar to buy me a drink. =P

• Being stretched and growing in general and as a team leader. I’m thankful knowing that I’ve been equipped and that God is walking me through it all, but I’ve definitely faced many challenges and ups and downs.

There’s so much more to share, but I’ll leave that all for now. I’ll try to upload more photos on facebook. In reflection of this mission so far, I am so blessed and grateful for the people that I have met. I’m so inspired and refreshed by all that they have taught me and the memories we’ve  shared. =) I have new friends from all over the world… especially my beloved Brazilian, Dutch, and Canadian friends. Also, I’ve been privileged to work alongside and have on our UCSD team some very awesome dentists/endodontists/oral surgeons/ CEREC specialists and dental students and volunteers. Seriously.. UCSD dream team. :]

We set sail in 2 days, and we’ve overcome so many tough days so far.. But Haiti is next, and I hear that it will be the worst country we’ve been in so far. Pray for us all..

• For our health and our endurance in providing care and healing to others
• For the patients that we’ll be seeing
• For a legacy of good will and peace achieved through the language of healthcare
• And for Haiti….

Without Communication to the Outside World…

I cannot stop counting my lucky stars for INTERNET and PHONE capabilities that I have taken for granted so far in my life. In the middle of our mission in El Salvador, there was a satellite communication malfunction, and we had no internet or phone access. So for about a week or so, we were all stranded on the ship and to and from the clinic sites without communication home. :[ On the positive side, I had an awesome time getting to know people, watching movies, reading, working out, dancing Salsa, Meringue and Bachata (sp?), and a slew of other things. =) Oh the things we miss out on when we’re glued to the tube/ internet and conjoined to our smartphones! =P

We’ve just arrived in Costa Rica! WHOOOT WHOOT! I. AM. SO. EXCITED. We have 4 days of liberty (we get to get off the ship and ENJOY Costa Rica)… so a few of my friends and I are renting a hotel room and have plans to go zip lining, crocodile watching, and plenty other FUN things to do! Yay!! =D Because liberty is such a big thing, there will be A LOT of us Americans roaming Costa Rica. =P On August 2nd, we’ll get back to work on shore… and these few days off will seem like a distant paradise.

Oh! While we were under way, our dental department met with the entire “mother” department, the DSS (Department of Surgical Services) - we usually meet as a whole body after each country. And during these meetings, there are awards given to certain people in recognition for their contributions in that country. So when they were announcing the awards, I was barely paying attention because I was busy doing the “pee-pee” dance (-__-), and the next thing I know I hear my name! I was awarded the Outstanding Civilian award for El Salvador - only one is awarded per country for all non-military/civilian personnel =O. That was entirely unexpected, and I was definitely caught off guard. One of these days I’ll post a picture of the award, and the blurb of why I got the award. SO. UNEXPECTED. >.< But I’m really proud of my team and the work they’ve all been doing, and the spirit that they have. They’ve nick-named me “Tiger Mom”… and ironically, I’m the 3rd youngest of our group in this mission. Regardless, I love them all and they make my experience more fun and memorable.  =]

All right! There are SO MANY updates to share, but I’ll have to save it for another day! I have to rush down to berthing to pack for my 4 day vacation! =]

Some highlights in El Salvador:

• “Marriage agreement” and marriage counseling (maybe I’ll share this story next time I post… ;P)
• El Salvadoran boyfriend(s).. To add to my list of Central American boyfriends (-__-)
• Pupusas! Very delicious and El Salvador’s finest.
• Awesome dental restoration cases caught on camera :]
• Opening Ceremony!
• Clinic sites at: Poli dePortivo, Institution de Acajutla, and Barra de Santiago
• Beach-side clinic @ Barra de Santiago!!
• Working with El Salvadoran dentists and translators!
• Practicing my (limited) Spanish
• “Give a Kid a Backpack” trip to a local school: teaching kids proper brushing among other health promotions, singing and dancing with the kids, and distributing donated backpacks and other supplies to the students. (my friend, Kari Williams, is the sole representative of her organization, so props to her for conducting these donations and trips!)
• Checking out a Catholic lay service (Mass was cancelled because the priest didn’t show)
• exploring the differences between Catholicism and Protestant Christianity
• Meeting brothers and sisters in Christ that really encourage me and watch out for me :], and experiencing God’s love in new and unimagined ways :D

Blowing kisses back to my loved ones in the U.S.,

Mindy :D

Land, Ho!

Ahoy from El Salvador! =) Today is our first day here, and we are setting up shop at two of our clinic sites. I’m excited for what is to come in this country!!

For the past 3 days, I’ve had ample time to R&R. It was much needed and well deserved (I hope!). But some cool things I did were… going to a Zumba class, and learning a little bit of Salsa, Meringue, and this other dance that I can’t remember the name of. :D SO. MUCH. FUN! The Zumba class was booty-kicking, and yes, I was definitely sore the next day. We also had some presentations and lectures on special medical/dental/etc. cases in Guatemala, and those were very interesting for the nerd in me. Also, during one of the days, I actually slept through breakfast and lunch - only getting up when we had our dental team muster, and when all of us in officer berthing were called up by the XO (Executive Officer, one of the head cheeses) because we got in trouble for having unkempt berthing areas. =/ So we were all punished with the task of cleaning out our racks, floors, restrooms, showers, taking out the trash, putting away all our personal items, and also making our beds (I was already doing this!!)… before we got any dinner. Haha… the Navy is strict! But a clean living space is a must. =]

I’ve also enjoyed a few quiet evenings on the observation deck outside the ship. Two nights ago, there was some powerful and awe-inspiring lightning that really lit up the dark sky. It was surreal because I didn’t hear thunder, and it was powerful enough that I could see it, but far away enough that I was at a safe distance. Last night, the sky was completely dark because the moon was hidden behind clouds, and there were only faint impressions of light gleaming through the clouds - it was slightly spooky. I can’t wait to see starry skies!

So, that’s all the updates for now. To wrap up the last country, I’ve included some pictures of me in “action”, working with some patients on proper tooth-brushing… enjoy!

In the precense of beauty..

I SAW A SEA TURTLE AND DOLPHINS!!!

Today was our first day underway, and we’re sailing for El Salvador… and after some PT (gym) time, I stepped outside to stretch for a bit.. and paused at the beauty of seeing the VAST expanses of the Pacific Ocean. As far as my eyes could see, it was stretches of deep blue water eventually blending in with the light blue sky and milky white clouds. Breath-taking. :] But the beauty didn’t stop there; within 5 minutes, I saw a medium-sized sea turtle swimming along, trying to fight against the wave! It was so adorable.. And every time it made slight progress, the next wave would come along and take it 3/4’s way back from where it swam from. Next thing I know, I see two pairs of DOLPHINS swimming along against the waves, making much more progress than the sea turtle (of course). But it was the most heartwarming and endearing thing to see.. there were two mother-child pairs! Isn’t this world such a splendidly beautiful place? God is such a magnificent creator. Seriously, the synthetic beauty that the media tries to sell to us is a hoax and feeble attempt to mimic the beauty that God created in this world. =)

Anyways, I’m adapting really well to the rocking ship, and no signs of sea sickness just yet. The only funny incident was when I was getting coffee this morning, and all of a sudden I started tilting back and forth and I got VERY confused. I didn’t know at the time that we were underway, but I realized soon after. Also, for most of us folks with land-legs only, we look like we’re doing the drunk walk. :P

We have a few days off from work, since we’re at sea.. so I’m super thankful for the time to rest and recharge for the next country. I learned how to sharpen dental instruments today!! Our group’s dental hygienist, Jacqueline Juhl, was sharpening all our instruments from Guatemala’s clinic sites, and was kind enough to take me under her wing and teach me how to do it. It felt like I was in the stone age, running metal instruments on sharpening stone. But, it was pretty interesting, and helped me practice my “fulcrum” hand skills while sharpening. I got pretty dizzy after a while though, because staring at a finite point while the ship is rocking isn’t the most comforting feeling. =P

Alright, time to sign out and explore the ship some more. One of my friends challenged me to find my way completely around the outside of the ship.. and apparently its harder because I’ll have to climb up ladders and go through nooks. Oh well, challenge accepted! :D

Enjoy your week, everyone!

Sweat in my eyes..

It’s been such a crazy past few days! Good news :] .. I’m feeling back to normal! Being sick was no fun. But within the last few days, I’ve had one day off for rest on the ship, and then 2 days at our other Guatemalan clinic site, Santa Isabel. This site was just as hot as the other two, and today was peak hotness, where there was sweat running into my eyes. I had to do the one-eyed dentistry method! :P But today was our last clinic day, and tomorrow is the clinic tear-down and pack-up. Next, stop… El Salvador!

From what our commanding dental officer, Dr. Rudmann, tells us.. we’ve been doing great work in Guatemala. Today, our last clinic day, we saw 82+ patients! In addition to working in the operatory, I got to do some OHI (oral health instruction) to the patients waiting to be treated. Because I can’t speak Spanish, I decided to change it up a bit and instruct each patient one-on-one, by having them show me how to brush, and then using the broken Spanish I know to modifly/correct their brushing with the BASS Technique. It was fun but grueling work under the sun! The best part was giving them high-fives and their goody-set of a tooth brush and toothpaste. Proper tooth brushing technique isn’t rocket science, but by giving them that bit of knowledge, our dental team can leave a legacy of good oral care. =)

As for the fun stuff, I’m getting pretty good at haggling… even though I have “AMERICAN” stamped across my face and body. Usually, I’ll just give them a low-blow (but VERY reasonable) price for a souvenir… and I’ve scored a few things so far. SWEET! But there was this one cool mask made out of volcanic rock (believe me, it looks cooler and prettier than it sounds) that I wanted to get. But the man I was haggling with was firm. =/ We’ll see how it goes tomorrow, when my friend and I try to run a two-fer deal with the salesman.

OH! Ship life is pretty fun! Waking up at 5am is still pretty hard, but do-able. We have set meal times, and have a lot of different things going on. There’s a camera/photo-taking class when we’re underway in a couple of days! And we have 3 gyms, and different activities on the ship. Also, one of the volunteer dentists from our UCSD Pre-Dental Society, Dr. Jan Westberry, is a forensic dentist and gave a lecture today to a large group of people on the ship. It was seriously riveting, and we saw some grotesque pictures.

I definitely miss the LOVELY San Diego and San Francisco. People-wise and weather wise! If only I could carry both of those with me here in Central America! I hope and pray for the best for things back at home. :) Keep me in your prayers, please! It definitely has been a struggle trying to adjust to the varying conditions and the heat. The ship is nice and air-conditioned, but where I sleep is very chilly, and outside in the port and in the clinic sites… it’s VERY hot. =/ I have very minor heat rashes on my hands and I get dehydrated/headachy pretty easily as the day wears on. Also, pray for strength and endurance (in all aspects) as I’m only just about to finish 1 of 4 countries.

Thanks for stopping by and reading my long posts! Like the picture of the ship I’m on!?! ;D

Take care! =)

Guatemala la la! =)

Wow, this is my first blog in a LONG while.. but since I’m “SIQ” today (sick in quarters) I’ll have time to make a posting.

So, June 30/July 1, Amanda drove me to LAX, and I boarded the plane headed to Guatemala, to catch the US Navy’s USNS Comfort hospital ship, for the Continuing Promise 2011 humanitarian mission. I embarked the ship July 1st, and will be living on this ship for the next 2 months, while traveling out each day by boat or helicopter to various mission sites at Guatemala, El Salvador, Costa Rica, and Haiti. COOL, huh? Well, currently we are in Puerto San Jose, Guatemala, and are working at 3 clinic sites. I’ve been to Los Angeles (haha! we’ve joked that we’re headed home back to LAX each time we head out to this site), Los Morenas, and Santa Isabel. After one day’s adjusting to the ship, I hit the ground running and have been working (and playing) non-stop.

My day begins around 5am, when my (stupid) alarm clock rings and i have to jump out of bed (the middle bunk, out of a three-level bunk!) and brush up and “muster” (basically, where they take roll call). Then after I check in for the boat that I’ll be getting on to go to the clinic site, I run upstairs to the mess hall to grab a quick breakfast to eat on my way there. For the day, we each get some water that we can put in our camelbak, and an MRE (military lunch packs). Then we get on a boat that takes us to shore, and then we get in vans that drive us to the clinic sites. Let me tell you, the clinic sites are HOT. =( Swelteringly hot! I sweat through my clothes, and sweat drips off my face every minute! But it really is so rewarding to be working with the dentists to see patients.

They are all so friendly and thankful! I’ve encountered many sweet kids! One girl came up to me and grabbed my hair and stroked it, saying it was pretty! haha.. it was slightly awkward and endearing. I don’t think they see Chinese people often, because I always get stared at or asked where i’m from. =P Apparently, I have a Guatemalan boyfriend (not really.. no thanks)! hahah.. he’s a dentist in the Guatemalan army, and he was working with us in the clinics. He’s 22 apparently, and he was asking one of the hygienists about me, and where I was from, etc. haha! Then, at one point, he came up and started wiping off the sweat on my face (awkward!) and would fan the dentist and me while we were working. haha! And, at the end of the day during clinic, he came up to me and say that he really liked me in his broken English. -___- yikes! But yea, the hygienist told him that I was from Japan, and that he could visit me there.. HAHA! Whoo! crisis averted.

But anyways, the dental team is AWESOME. They welcomed me in with open arms, and it feels very family-like. We have fun, and do good work.. so it’s awesome to be a part of it! There are dentists and dental techs from all over the world: Brazil, Netherlands, Scotland, Canada, Peru, Costa Rica, US Air Force, US Coast Guard, U.S., etc! Pretty crazy, huh? But it really is such a pleasure to work with such a diverse team! =) I’m learning lots, and sweating lots.. but this mission will be one to remember.

Also, as for the reason why I’m “SIQ” (sick in quarters).. I had a fever yesterday, that got up to 102* at 10pm, so after going to “Sick Bay” (the doctors for mission personnel) I was told to take acetaminophen and get rest. So I slept in today, and didn’t go out to the clinic site.. and am feeling much better now.. though a little nauseous and I can’t really keep any food in. I should be fine soon though! :) Please keep me in your prayers! Thanks!

Well, that is all for now! I’ll keep this blog updated whenever I can.. the internet here is pretty SLOW.. and I don’t have much time in between going out to clinics, meetings, eating, and sleeping! I get to bed before 11pm everyday! (not by choice.. more like by necessity!)

Take care, everyone! =)