Little bit of this and that

Sunday back at Reality LA to enjoy another great sermon from the book of Job. I opted for the 9am service instead of the noon one. As with most services, there's a moment to greet others seated around you. That day, I met a nice couple from Dallas, Becca and Tim, who've been attending for 7 months since moving into the area. On my way back home, I got a text from Naomi saying she was on her way with her friend Keiko. Perfect timing. I hopped into the back of Keiko's jeep and we made our way to Glendale to watch Keiko's soccer team play their game. During the car ride, Nayo mentioned that I played soccer and Keiko tried recruiting me for their game next week because they'd be short female players and the league requires a minimum of 3 on the field. The last time I played soccer was on the island. Add in the fact that I have seriously tested my ankle in sports since messing it up skateboarding last year, and that makes me very hesitant to jump into an ankle-injury prone sport. I said I'd think about it and Keiko half-joked that she wanted to get me to commit before seeing them play. Fast forward a couple hours later and now I know she wasn't exactly joking. Let's just say their game-play isn't conducive to winning. It was still nice to be out in the sun and enjoy some sport, and of course catch up with my sister-in-law. After the game, we bid adieu as Nayo needed to catch her flight out of LA to Las Vegas for work.

Monday was a long 11+ hour day. Got home to an email from my Uncle Steve informing me that grandma's older sister passed away. To be honest, I have no idea who this person is. What confused me more was that my grandma's sister and her family also live in Vancouver. How do I not know this side of the family? How did I go 28 years completely oblivious to the fact that I had other relatives? I knew she had a sister in Michigan and we've met her and our cousins from there. They were at Gavin's wedding. Definitely a conversation to have with my parents because I feel duped. 

The next day, Uncle Steve sent a couple more emails. One was a picture of my grandma at 30 years old and the other contained scanned images of my grandparents immigration papers. My grandma was beautiful at 30, and she still is to this day. 

On the far right

It took a lot of work for my grandparents to come to Canada. My grandfather came over first and in order for my grandmother to immigrate, they had to go to expensive measures to do so. My mother was born in Hong Kong and was left in the care of her grandmother while my grandparents immigrated. By the time my mother came to Canada many years later, she had siblings whom she'd never met before. It's a interesting history. Sometimes, the Yip side takes all the lime light because Yip Sang was such a big figure in Vancouver history and his offspring marking milestones for Chinese-Canadian citizens. I love that "Yip" makes me more Canadian than most Caucasian-Canadians (you're reading the words of a 4th generation Canadian). But while I'm proud to be a Yip, the "legacy" that comes with the name, and that they paved the way for more Chinese immigrants, I'm proud to have an equally intriguing history on the Mah side. There's no denying that Chinese-Canadians from my grandparents' generation had to bust their ass to succeed and raise their families in a city that had yet to earn its friendly "cultural mosaic" title. Not to take away credit due to my Yip grandparents, but they had a giant family support system already in place and established in Vancouver, whereas my Mah grandparents had nothing in Vancouver except hope. While I get the pursuit of societal excellence from the Yip side (generations overflowing with professional degrees and intimidating salaries), I get my stubborn tenacity to own my path from the Mah side. One side factors into choosing medicine and the other factors into me relentlessly pursuing it despite rejections and personal hardships. Let me be clear though, my heritage merely factors into it, but God takes the credit for the complete package that is me. I love my family, but I know full well that I have led my life in a way that tangents off from the typical Yip or Mah and my faith is behind that tangent.

The dynamic at work has been going well. Given the tension endured in Ohio, I'm breathing easy in LA. The whole crew is getting along nicely. All the students, the staff, the whole package. The NP has taken a liking to me. I typically don't put up an uber professional front very long. It'll last a couple days and then I relax and start making the instinctive witty sarcastic remarks, which typically works well. She's jokingly told me to shut up a few times now, and when a superior says that to you while smiling and laughing, you know you're in the clear. The PA is a Kings fan and we talk hockey every day. His grandmother lives in Montreal and his family visited her when he was a kid. That was his first exposure to hockey and he's been playing the sport ever since. So it's nice to have a legitimate hockey fan to rub shoulders with in the States. They're extremely hard to come by.

I've also been enjoying getting to know my housemates, Aliethea and her son Eddie. Eddie's been studying hard all month in preparation for his Julliard audition at the end of the month. Lots of Shakespeare being spoken in this house, with each line repeated over and over with different emphases and intonations. Aliethea on the other hand is working to get the rest of the funding for her next indie movie. Her last one in 2007 screened at the Cannes Film Festival and she seems very passionate about this latest one. While we were eating dinner one night, she told me that she's using me as an example of work ethic for Eddie. If it does any good, go for it. They also have a husky, Loki. Must be a popular name for dogs. Unfortunately, he's nothing like the American bulldog Loki I loved in Miami. This Loki was a shelter dog who came from an abusive owner which makes him incredibly skittish. If you move too suddenly around him, he bolts. You don't even have to move towards him. Just movement he isn't expecting scares him off. It's been a fun challenge to earn his trust. Less fun to get his hair off my clothes. 

A rare moment of Loki feeling secure enough to sleep at my feet

I've managed to keep things pretty frugal while living here. It's a huge money saver to not have to rent a car, be able to cook most of my meals, and also have cheap food stands or restaurants nearby. I tend to be money conscious when spending on myself, but my latest purchase, while a tad pricey, is something I'm all for. I bought a set of scrubs from FIGS. FIGS is like the TOMS of scrubs. For every set of scrubs sold, they donate a set to a healthcare provider serving in a 3rd world country. Check out their website here. They're based out of LA. Scrubs tend to be a bit scratchy and chaff after a long day of work, unless you pay the big bucks for nicer brands. Much like my TOMS are the most comfortable shoes I've ever owned, FIGS are the softest, most comfortable scrubs I've ever worn. They're softer than my pjs and they're philanthropic to boot. Given that you're essentially paying for two sets of scrubs, but keeping one for yourself, the price is reasonable. So to all my med friends out there, I recommend choosing FIGS if you're looking for a new scrubs.

I've been having this tradition with Jackie Stewart where we discuss the latest episode of Parenthood. We discovered we both loved this show years ago when I was leading our small group. So I typically showed up at her house before small group and while getting drinks and whatnot ready, we'd talk about Parenthood. Now that I'm out of town, we message each other our thoughts. With this being the last season of Parenthood and this coming Thursday being the finale, we've been crying a lot more than the show usually makes us. Such a good show and we'll both be teary messes when we watch the finale. I'm sure I'll be crying as I message her. If you haven't watched it yet, I highly recommend starting from the beginning. It's well written and well acted. 

Today was a study day. Admittedly it's tough to stay indoors on a day when you could be outside enjoying the sun, but Step 2 CK is less than a month away and the discipline has to be there. Thankfully, I head home in a week to some formidable weather and I won't have a problem staying inside. 'Til then, I'll try my best to appreciate the weather here

Walking to the library

La cite des anges

It's probably prudent for me to give you a more in depth description of LA and my endocrinology elective since I skimmed it last week. LA is a busy city with different areas/boroughs much like NYC and Vancouver. I live in Los Feliz and work is in the southwest corner of downtown, just a 5 minute walk away from Staples Center where the LA Kings play. My Nucks don't visit in the time that I'm here, so I haven't decided if I'll take in a game or not. To go to work, I walk 15 minutes to the Vermont/Sunset subway station, take the Red line down to 7th St and transfer to the Blue or Expo line to take it one stop to Pico (in front of Staples Center) and walk less than 5 minutes to the office. 

LA's a bit of a mix of New York and Miami in my mind. It's less crowded than New York but people are looking to make it here as much as they strive to in NYC. It's like Miami in terms of the warmth and sun (minus the humidity), but also in terms of the materialism. I'm in a very hipster area, but despite the health fads, everyone has a car (eco friendly and not so friendly). They don't need them, but they have to have them. It's ridiculous. There's too many cars, ergo the perpetual smog. The transit system isn't as vast as NYC, but I still think it'd be better than sitting in hours of traffic on highways that have 6 lanes for each direction. I'm the only student in the rotation taking transit and my commute is shorter than half of them. What holds LA above NYC and Miami and I think this may be true for all West coast states, they're nicer. There are manners, politeness, and easy smiles here. The Hispanic population here is also more inclusive. There's still hints of exclusivity here and there, particularly with the roadside food vendors, but other than that, you feel less like an asshole for not speaking Spanish.

What's confusing about LA is that the "draw" is incredibly anti-climactic. Hollywood is filthy. When Chelsea and I drove through, I felt like I needed to take a shower. To know that they close down these streets for big premieres and award shows surprises me because it's a dump. It does not compare with Times Square in NYC. The Walk of Fame is literally a sidewalk with names in stars on the ground (not always reading in the same direction which makes the mild OCD in me furious). That sidewalk is in front of sex shops, strip clubs, souvenir shops, trashy bars, abandoned theatres, run down businesses, and make-shift homeless tents. Grauman's Chinese Theatre is underwhelming. Driving through Beverly Hills was also disappointing. I get it, rich people live here and all their houses are painted in neutral bland colours, and those are the fancy hotels where various celebrities have stayed, overdosed, and died. So what? I don't understand how this is enticing 40+ million tourists every year. The further west you go (aka the further from the heart of LA), the better it gets. UCLA is a beautiful campus and Venice was a nice area to walk around with the ocean nearby. But for the most part, LA isn't a city you explore by walking. You get to know it by driving and stopping to eat or drink, which isn't my kind of place. NYC was great because you could explore by walking and taking a subway anywhere you wanted. LA just doesn't work that well logistically. Chelsea describes it as a sprawl. I think she's spot on.

Los Feliz is a nice area that I enjoy walking around. There's been some great places to grab food from nearby. To the northwest, there's a little Thai place in the same complex as my laundromat. Just a short walk from there's the library and a donut shop run by Asian women. A 5 minute walk away from there is House of Pies which lives up to its name. Got myself a slice of chocolate banana cream pie and it was wonderful. Not on par with True Confection's, but it's $2 cheaper which accounts for the difference in quality. Towards the southeast is a great pizza joint which is in the same complex as an awesome Indian place. To the southwest, I've got a taco shack that serves up cheap tacos and a variety of homemade salsas. Food wise, I have an embarrassment of riches all within a 10 minute walk.

Much like NYC, LA's a hub for big name churches. The first Sunday I was here, I went to Reality LA (Tim Chaddick's church) which is a church plant of Reality Santa Barbara. They gather in Hollywood in a large high school. I got there a bit late and it was packed and dim. Very concert-esque feel which typically turns me off. The saving grace is that the music is awesome (insanely talented musicians) and the worship band is back lit, meaning you don't see their faces. They're shadows. So while it removes the leadership aspect of worship, it also removes the performance aspect too. There aren't any cameras that zoom up on a singer's face as they squeeze their eyes tight and sing with seeming searing sincerity. Tim is a very gifted speaker and he started the year by kicking off a series on Job. He stays in the Word and doesn't go for sensationalism or cheap jokes. He has a bit more charisma and youth than Tim Keller (from Redeemer Presbyterian in NYC), but they both give equal attention to studying the Bible and they spend a good hour on it too. I like that. 

This past Sunday, I went to Mosaic (Erwin McManus' church) which from what I understand doesn't have satellite campuses, at least not anymore. They're also in Hollywood. Mosaic got its name in part to incorporating elements of performance art like acting, dancing, and painting other than just music. The congregation reflects this focus as most of them are in the arts. Their weekly calendar includes Comedy Hour and Acting Classes. Given these things, it would be natural to expect a very performance heavy service and that's what I got, but just through music. It was a bit uncomfortable to have singers walk around the stage singing to different sections of the congregation encouraging them to clap as if they were their own hype men. They're talented, but it felt like they were playing to an audience. Erwin didn't speak this Sunday. Another pastor gave the message and he was entertaining, which is what it seems the congregation responds to best. Now I love Erwin as a messenger of God. He's written some of my favourite books. "Chasing Daylight" remains one of the most influential books in my life. I just think I'm at that point in my life where I need less sensational fluff and more substance in a service. I'm happy both "megachurches" exist in the same area because Mosaic is reaching a demographic effectively that Reality isn't and vice versa. I think I'll be sticking with Reality for the rest of my stay. 

One thing I learned in 2014 is that there will always be a place for me to gather with other Christians and be encouraged and challenged. In every city I have stayed in, I have had a church and not just that but a plethora to choose from. Further to that, there are people all around the States who are passionate about God and furthering His kingdom. I've been really inspired by the people I come across at the churches I visit. Their heart for the community they're in, their heart for local and international missions. I am seeing faith lived out in a way that at times I wasn't seeing back home. I've never felt the need to have confirmation from God that ND wasn't the be all and end all of churches, or wanted proof that it was flawed, but He gave me so many examples of churches and people who are doing things well and in turn teach me how to live better. I've gathered with Baptists, Presbyterians, Pentecostals, Methodists, non-demoninationals, and even Catholics (though that was for a personal research project) and there are aspects to each that I appreciate. Despite the differences in each, they still agree on fundamental things like salvation through Jesus Christ and the sovereignty of the Bible, and all are equally capable of teaching me something. In fact, as long as I remain an active participant in my faith, I can continue to learn and grow. Conditions don't need to be perfect, but it certainly helps when a congregation is attuned to the heart of God.

My endocrinology rotation is an outpatient clinic which has an endocrinologist, a nurse practitioner (NP), and a physician's assistant (PA). There are 4 med students and 2 PA students. The 3 other med students are all in 4th year and just finishing their last few residency interviews this month before submitting their rank list to the match (you'll learn about it near the end of the year - let's not get ahead of ourselves). Undeniably, the endocrinologist knows the most and he is the head honcho. Our NP and PA are around the same age (mid-30s), have the same amount of experience, and are basically the same in my mind. We have a large practice with an Office Manager, two receptionists, 2 medical assistants, and 4 medical clerks. Despite all these people, the practice is very disorganized and somewhat disgruntled. Things could be better. The students see that and we've only been here 2 weeks. No doubt the staff knows this too which probably leads to the disgruntledness. We have a 20% no-show average, which is astronomical. It's largely due to the fact that we don't confirm appointments. So what happens is that they'll book two people for the same time slot for the endocrinologist and one of the NP and PA, meaning for each given appointment time, 2/3 "physicians" will have two patients booked. Makes me wonder what the Office Manager's job is.

I'm seeing lots of endo cases. It's not all diabetes which is a huge answer to prayer. I was afraid I'd have 4 weeks of diabetes, but thankfully, I've had a good mix of pituitary, thyroid, parathyroid, adrenal, and pancreatic disorders. The days typically last 10 hours and the early wake-up time has been killing my average hours of sleep. Remember when I thought 10 hours was the goal, 9 was nice, 8 was ok, 7 was toeing the line, and 6 and under was just awful? Yeah, now 7 is the goal, 6 is acceptable, 5 and under makes me shake my fists at offices that open at 7am. If I run my own practice, we won't open any earlier than 8. Mondays will start at 9:30 because it would benefit all of us if we started off the week with a good night's rest. And we will confirm all appointments. Good Lord will we ever. No way I'm tolerating a 20% no-show rate.

Today, Alexis (of Rachel and Alexis from my semester) drove down from Bakersfield to see me. I thought we'd just have lunch together and she'd see other friends in the area, but turned out she set aside the whole day to hang out with me which was really touching. We went to Alcove Cafe & Bakery which is just a couple minutes away from the library. It's like Jethro's but larger, more expensive, and a tad classier. She treated me to brunch which again was so sweet of her (and it wasn't a cheap either). We took our time enjoying our meal and catching up with each other. Then we headed to The Getty which is free FYI. It has a bunch of exhibits and some amazing views. We spent the whole day there and had a great time. We ended our day with a good long hug, which is a perfect way to cap off an awesome day. 

Christmas Cuddles and Sunny Skies

The break flew by. It was the shortest break I've had since starting med school with less than two weeks to work with. While I love the Christmas break, it's been the least restful break for me for the last three years. I enjoy how I spend my time, but I feel fried by the time I leave.

I arrived in Vancouver late Saturday Dec 20th. So Sunday was my first full day and, as most Sundays are in December breaks, it was a Delta/Deutsch day. Managed a nap and pillow talk with Bai and later a couch cuddle session and catnap with Mac. Private conversations with those two are always refreshing. Profound statements and good questions. Must be a Deutsch thing. Court was out most of the day. We got our hugs and made sure to schedule time for each other later on in the break including the traditional New Year's Eve sleepover.

I had wonderful dates with Jen (who gave me my biggest laugh in a long time - I'm still giggling), Katelyn, and Yan to catch-up on life, and meals and humerous catch-up sessions with Alison and Grandma. For having a career working with words, my dear cousin doesn't always pick the right ones when updating Grandma on her love life. I also got to see the Krause clan including my dear Erin. Because I keep in touch more with Dad than Erin, we had already planned out our date before Erin got in touch with me. She understands that we have a unique relationship and she respects it so long as she gets alone time with me too. Watching the Nucks game with Dad was a blast. Even though we email each other multiple times throughout the week to talk hockey, it's so much more satisfying to talk in person. Alyse and I organized a jam session with the Deutsch and Dyck girls and it was a solid time of making music, catching up, and praying for each other. I had the privilege of being a youth leader to all of them. Ask any youth leader and they'll tell you there's always something that catches your eye for the youth you home in on. I could talk about each girl's moment for me, but it'd take up 5 post's worth of text and there's a level of sacredness to them. The point is that with all these sacred moments that I hold in my heart, it was such a blessing to have all these young women gathered in the same place and see and hear how God has worked in their lives. When you're a leader, you're thankful for them simply being at youth group and for God providing you the resources of time, money, a car, and some skills to pour into them. When you're a retired leader, you're thankful that something good stuck and it may have nothing to do with you, but you're just happy that they're in a good place. I tell ya guys, people are always worth pursuing. 

Christmas day was pretty standard. Winston is certainly part of the family and every one loves him, but I'm a bit torn. I like his laid back nature, but there are times when I get really frustrated with how lazy he is. He's basically a cat in a dog's body. Doesn't play, doesn't fetch, doesn't get excited about anything. Just wants to cuddle. And hey, I'll be the first to admit I like cuddling, but I like being active and silly too and this dog does not. Mixed feelings about this "nephew" of mine. The grandparents are gaga over him as is the great-grandmother who carried him around like a baby Boxing Day to introduce him to the extended family. So it's great that he's being lavished with love, but it'd be better if he could show some enthusiasm. I was gifted with the gold standard iTunes gift cards which has allowed me to purchase the new Joshua Radin album and load up on a bunch of Page CXVI (great suggestion girls!). Christmas dinner was at Tara & Chris' and a few days later, we had our traditional Cousins' Night which was epic as per usual. Rockband 'til past 2am with most of the songs being Green Day which I'm all for.

New Year's Eve was a Deen and Kirsten day. Poor Jeff was home sick and bed ridden, meaning Deen was free all day. After looking at all their wedding pics, we walked along the beach 'til it took us to Granville Island where we moseyed, grabbed a bite to eat, then some beer from the brewery before walking back to their place. We bid adieu to Jeff and headed to Delta to Ryan and Sarah Wilson's. We took the scenic route stopping at houses beautifully decorated. The scenic route turned into seeking out other such houses in the neighbourhood. Eventually we re-routed our course and arrived at our intended destination. The whole day and evening felt very nostalgic as we reunited with old friends and yet it felt so nice to have conversations about kids and marriage. While those aren't things I'm able to relate to, I love knowing that this group can speak candidly with each other and encourage each other in their marriages and parenthood. With Deen being the newlywed, I was happy she was my date so that she could experience a gathering like this which unfortunately, she and Jeff haven't experienced with their married friends in Vancouver yet.  I must say that the Wilsons are one of my favourite couples. Ryan and I go way back in terms of playing music together for various gigs and for church. Sarah has never lost her cool factor from being a youth leader to me and now firm friend. She's also the best host at putting out a good spread. Their honest talk and endless support has always been a comfort. Throw in the fact that they are the epitome of open arms and open minds, and it's gravy. I wouldn't hesitate to bring any friend to their place. A stranger is always warmly welcomed in their house. 

At ~1:30am, things started winding down, though we probably could have talked for another hour, so Deen and I said our goodbyes and drove the 3 minute commute to a dead Dettling abode (where the Deutschs and other families gathered to ring in the year). No cars parked out front. No lights on. Not a creature stirring. Dead. That group does not know how to do New Year's Eve justice. We quickly drove to the Deutsch house where all the doors were locked (which means everyone's in bed). As Deen and I were brainstorming options in the car, Bai opened the front door. I quickly grabbed the house key, drove Deen home, and an hour later I was quietly entering the dark house. Bai set an alarm to make sure I made it back and to greet me at the door(such a sweetheart). By the time I crawled into Court's bed, it was past 3am. I startled her awake as I entered her room, but she's forgiving and went back to sleep soon after removing the body pillow that had been holding my spot in bed. 

Courtenay is now an excellent sleeper. I say "now" because she wasn't always great at sharing a bed. But damn, despite it being a shortened sleep, my FitBit tells me New Years Eve night was extremely sleep efficient. The last few years, Court's the first to get up and lets me keep sleeping. Every time that happens, when I wake up, I walk up the stairs to the kitchen and there she'll greet me with a long warm hug that mothers give their half-awake children. In the past, at least for all the naps, I'd be the one quietly escaping the bed and sometimes I'd actually have to leave and tell one of the girls to tell Court I'm sorry she had to wake up alone without a goodbye. It happened frequently enough for me to legitimately feel bad about it. She's merciful and gracious in all things with me, especially sleep. One of the many reasons I love her.

New Year's Day has been the last day I have the with Deutschs for the last three years. I somehow always underestimate how long it takes to say goodbye to that beautiful bunch.  Bai and Mac were a 2-for-1 deal this year, and Pop's still the standard 3 sec hug with back-pat finish, but Mom and Court, I could spend all day in their arms. They have very distinct hugs and I fit differently in their arms. I'm such a sucker that there's no way I would divulge more details because I don't want to jinx anything. I'll just say that they're the most consistently enjoyable long hugs I've ever had. 

It was a busy break, but full of great moments and purposeful times. And now I am in LA where the sun shows its face and shares its warmth everyday, the smog reminds you how much pollution sucks, and the tap water makes you thankful you call Vancouver home. I live in East Hollywood/Los Feliz with a indie screenwriter/producer/actress and her actor son. Yes, I've IMDB'd them. Our small half-bungalow is just a couple minutes walk away from Prospect Studios where if I wore my scrubs and steth and snuck onto set, I could be an extra in Grey's Anatomy where they'd be none the wiser. Definitely a lot of show biz folk in our neighbourhood and the Hollywood sign has already lost its luster to me. I suppose if you see it everyday, you just don't give a rip about it. I'm actually starting to wonder why it's even there. It'd be prettier if it was just a green hill. 

As for the Endo elective, well, Monday I worked from 7am-6pm with barely a lunch break, and by "lunch" I mean I ate my almonds and carrots at my makeshift desk as I frantically typed up SOAP notes so I could see the next patient in line. There are 4 med students (3 Rossies and 1 AUC) and 2 PA students in this rotation. We all get along, but we were shell shocked by Monday. They threw us into the deep end and we drowned. The supervising physicians left hours before we did. Basically after they had seen all the patients, they went home and because we can't access the EMR from home, we had to stay to finish the notes. It was rough. Thankfully, Monday was the worst of it and the 5:30am wake-up is becoming routine. 

It's about a 40 min commute (20 walking, 20 on the subway) to work for me. I like the exercise I get in contrast to the minimal walking I got in Ohio. It reminded me of New York. The subway stations here are much cleaner than NYC, but the commuters are equally as "unique". And my goodness, those Scientologists are relentless. They're dressed like theatre ushers with their white collar shirts and vests and black pants. They stand on street corners waiting to proposition you with the opportunity to discover your strengths and weaknesses so you can figure out how to be better and more successful. I gave them my time just a few hours into my time in LA while I was exploring the transit system. They seemed so smug. I told them that I was actually really happy in life when they asked if I was dissatisfied with any aspects in my life. In disbelief, they asked what my job was and I said I was in med school and enjoy it. Then they moved to relationships and I said I was so satisfied with my relationships because when you cherish them like I do due to extended time away, you learn to be incredibly thankful and beyond satisfied with them. Then they asked about my health, and my thyroid's been under control for over a year now and quite frankly, I feel I'm healthier than I've ever been (have you seen my six-pack?). Then they were like "Surely there must be something you could improve upon"
"Oh absolutely. I'm not perfect, but that's where God helps me out."
"Ahhh, ok, have a good day then."
Done and done.

Today, Chelsea (from RCF) drove down from Bakersfield and we spent the entire day together. We went to the Griffith observatory, drove through Hollywood and Beverly Hills, then picked up her sister, Hannah, at UCLA for lunch in Santa Monica. We returned to campus and walked around, then we bid adieu to Hannah and headed to Venice Beach where we grabbed some warm beverages and ended up hanging out at a TOMs store. It was such an odd and just wonderful place. I'd never been in an official TOMs store before, but there was a cafe there and in front the sunglasses display, then in the back porch, there was a little tent with the shoes along with a seating area. Very nice. It had pretty much started to rain at that point in the day. We decided to head to the beach either way, just to walk out to the pier and back. Then we headed downtown to meet Anthony (from RCF as well) for dinner and dessert. It was a full day and so wonderful. Chels and I had a great time together re-connecting and enjoying each other. Hopefully we'll see each other again before I leave.

TOMs store "backyard"

Royce Hall at UCLA. Hannah said there are over 100 purposeful architectural asymmetries