From my blog from two days ago... 

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So to include exercise and healthy habits into my life, I have decided to bike to work. This also helps in conserving little bit of gasoline as the prices are soaring still these days. When using Google Maps, it estimated my route to be about 5 miles each way.

Well, this wouldn’t be possible without a bike. Much thanks goes to Chung for lending me his awesome bike (rebuilt in the good ol’ Chung fashion) with new tires, brakes and chain! Both wheels can be removed. So after some purchases at local Academy store, I was set. I intentionally left bit earlier than normal to avoid my biggest nemesis: heat. I left at 7:30 am and it took me about 40 minutes to get to work. While that may sound slow, I do have a bag with me with a change of clothes.

Also thanks goes to Daniel for his tip on getting gloves ’cause otherwise, it would’ve been both my butt AND palms that hurt. My buttocks are still sore but I hope that they will be fine after a week or so. I will be leaving in about 15 minutes (5:30 pm local CST) to avoid heat. I’m starting at twice a week. In less than a month, I hope to increase it to 3 times a week.

The downside is that I can’t fit lunch into my messenger bag. I do have lunch bag but not sure if it would survive the bumpy ups and downs for 5 miles. Any tips from pros?! Anyhow, this was only possible since my work place has shower facility! Yeah, Boeing! Here’s to safe ride back! Please, if you see bikers on the road (not motorcycles!), be kind and don’t honk and give us some freakin’ space!!

Ok… I just got back… and I have to say… Houston is NOT biker-friendly!!  I know Houston drivers in general are rough, let alone towards bikers.  So at any given major intersections, I get off my bike and cross as a walker.  HOWEVER, after pressing the button to walk across, I waited for not one, not two, but THREE cycles of traffic lights and the sucker wouldn’t change for a human to cross!!  Listen, Texas DoT or whoever owns these lights… FIX your d*** traffic lights!!  Where’s my freakin’ tax dollar going to, anyway?!!

Shoot... don't wanna mess up your plot but let me point out that it does bring up and rotate around the infamous Korean massacre from 1980.  It was called "Kwangju Massacre".  Since the Korean general Chun Doo-hwan took over the government via power and coup d'état, Koreans took it upon themselves to protest against the power.  This happened in the city of Kwangju.

I am more than furious about this ... watching the movie reminded me of it... now, of late, I have been hearing how they miss both loser "presidents"... Park Chung-hee and Chun Doo-hwan did some nasty and terrible stuff and if I ever hear again how they miss some of these worst humans ever, I'm gonna explode!!  If you are willing to exchange food for people's lives, you are .... erg.  Forget it.

Though schedule seemed to conflict, I was able to make it to CCSC this past Saturday to volunteer.  CCSC stands for Christian Community Service Center, and our Pathways Church has been volunteering every second Saturday of the month. 

As I chewed on my turkey sandwich, I was trying to think of what to share, I realized that this past Saturday was very special for me.  It was my first time to serve as an interviewer!!  :O  You see, CCSC has a building near our church where they open up to help out those who are in need of financial, food, and clothing help.  Families, who may have been stricken with some kind of tough situation, like losing a job, and needed some food to get by, or help with paying rent or bills come to seek help here.

It's a great place.  I've been serving here mainly in pantry and administration side of things for past year, but never had the opportunity (or even dreamed of) to serve as an interviewer!  So needless to say, I was very surprised when Ruth, the head honcho Korean-American lady that runs the place on that Saturday, asked me to interview!!  I panicked!  What if I miss questions, what if I forget to include something... what if I... but most importantly, what if I ask or say something stupid to offend these people who are in need!  The last thing they need is to be offended by my saying something totally insensitive!  :(

I watched another interviewer in action for a while and then Ruth asked me to interview this one man who needs to leave soon for an interview!  So trying not to look too nervous, I asked him to come in.  Shook hands and introduced myself.  Told him I was a total newbie at this and apologized in advance of my mistakes and any other shortcomings.  This man had things going... his occupation was an accountant but lost job due to illness and was always looking for contract work inbetween.  He told me himself that he gets very sensitive and proud.  This told me that he probably didn't want to be here, if at all possible.  And his record showed just that.  His visits were sporadic, and due to an illness that I can't mention, things were going rough for him.

This is when I told myself to look beyond the appearance and the voice of this man.  This man is in need of help, I told myself.  He doesn't need me to criticize him on his personal skills, but for me to just be kind and courteous and get him through the paper work so he can grab some food for himself and leave in time for his interview.  Prior to this experience, it was hard to really get a face-to-face time with these people in need, and thus made feel more and more segregated... and left me feeling... different from them.  This interview process totally changed that.  

I wanted to make God proud of me, just as any human tends to try to get his/her parents proud of him/her.  So I put my opinions aside and just helped.  I hope to be able to serve as an interviewer more often... a bit selfish on my part... so that I can connect with these people in need better... and closer.  It was a good day.