Little Trip to NJ

I found this picture on the internet--Baltimore, it looked like when we picked up Katie.

Annie loved Brandi Carlile and begged to go another concert which was in NJ. I have decided to gave her birthday present--a ticket to see Brandi Carlile on February 5th. Actually it was her EARLY birthday present because her actual birthday is on March 13th.

Last week I got extremely nervous because of weather news said we will have a big snow storm coming up this weekend. Annie was confidence that there will not be any snow on that day we will drive up to NJ. I put so much faith in her by leaving on that day, 5th. Annie picked me up from school to leave for NJ. The school closed at noon because they are afraid the big snow storm has started. It started to snow but not thick enough to slick on the street yet. About half hour later, there were no snow until we arrived in NJ. I was relief that we had a safe trip to NJ.

We went to the concert and the place was different environment than two others concerts I went. The environment was on campus of a University. It was nice because I do not have to stand up for three hours. Whew. I was trying to pay attention to see if there was any improvement with my cochlear implants. There were some songs I liked and others I don't like very much. (boring songs such as repeat or lack of rhythm--but maybe it's just me)

I had a good time. We arrived at a hotel that we made a reserved because it will be very stupid of us if we leave NJ to go home which the concert ends at 11pm. AND it just started snowing on our way to the hotel. I think it was just perfect timing for us to get NJ and go to the hotel from the concert. We were ready to go bed, but I wanted to ask Annie about my listening experiences. I told Annie that I wasn't sure if it was better or not. I was able to hear the rhythm or bass, but I had difficult time to listen the voice or the details. I felt it was burry. Annie said it was same for her. After her comments, I was surprised that I was not only person who had the problem. Whew.

The next morning we found about a foot of snow on the ground and it was still snowing and fercious windy. We ended up had to stay in the hotel for another night. It was not safe to go on a trip on the thick snow roads. Oh boy!

We left last Sunday morning and the highways were nice and clear. It was plowed the highways very well until we hit one big highway in Balitmore beltway, 695. It was awful than we were on highway 95. There were three lanes but we only can use two instead. Annie wanted to pick her sister, Katie up so she can stay at our apartment for a night. Oh gosh, when we got off the highway, the roads were horrible! It looked like nobody plowed that road. (They did plow but not often enough to keep it clear while snowing..) I saw there were many people come out and tried to shovel the walk side, car, and other areas. It was chaos. We couldn't find a parking spot to park. Actually it was impossible to find one. Katie ended up had to jump in when we stop middle of the street. We got out safe. We arrived to our apartment and it was not TOO bad as Katie's area. Oh BOY!

I found out that my school and Annie's school were cancelled because of snow and icy. Guess what? Our schools cancelled AGAIN today. Possibly tomorrow because I just learned that we will get some more snow tonight and tomorrow.. Groans. Annie thinks the school will continue cancel the whole week. Funny, I don't mind at all because I have been working on Lesson Plans for my classes. Less stress for me when I start to teach. :D Oh yeah, we got over three feet of snow. Yup, it was a big snow storm for sure. People were freaked out about that. Funny part that two days before the big snow storm, people freaked out and ran to the store to buy three things: milk, salt, and shovel. Naturally those supplies ran out FASTER than a lion run for a gazelle. Some of us joked at that because didn't they have enough food in their home? Milk? You know what I mean.. I'm sure we can strive for a few days, eh?

Anyway, it's time for me to get up and start clean our apartment. Our apartment looked like it was hit by a tornado. Embarrassing..

Sound Quality

Last Tuesday morning, I went to see Steve, my audiology, for mapping. Steve gave me a hearing test then adjust mapping. I told him that I couldn't hear "SSS" or high frequency very well from last appointment he reduced high frequency. He fixed the problem and increased power for right C.I. while a little adjust on left C.I. I was hoping that the mapping will be good one because I will not see him until next six months which will be July.

Now today is Friday and are the mappings good? Funny--after left John Hopkins Hospital, I was thinking.. wow louder than we came in. Not much exciting yet because it always changes the next day after the mappings. The next day I noticed the sounds umm starting clear to me. Not very CLEAR but noticed there were more details in the sounds it made. I couldn't figure it out if the mappings are good or my listen skills has improved.

I remember two summers ago one deaf couples stop by our class to explain their cochlear implant experiences. I remember one man explained that it took him about a year get the picture clear. At first the picture was blur and couldn't figure what it was. Slowly the blur changes into a better quality of the picture. Finally after a year wearing cochlear implant, he can see the clear picture of US flag. His wife has one but it took her about a year and half to get the clear picture. It was very interesting to listen their experiences and how they made the process with their cochlear implants. (Both have only one cochlear implant.)

I couldn't understand fully how he felt about things became clear to him until now. I have noticed the sounds starting to get better quality. Still it's taking slow processing in my head to recognize the sounds from the environment around me. I'm hoping it will continue making the sounds clear. I started enjoy to listen the game effects, noticed movie people used emphasize words, uhh -- many things!

Annie got out of shower and dressed. I was in my bed and playing a game on my iPhone. I told Annie I can hear when she turned the shower on and got in. I can hear her walk away or under the water in the shower. Also I can hear when she was washing her hair or body whatever because where the water hits. The water made different when you're under or blah. Oh I don't have to explain in details.. BUT Annie was surprised how much I can hear and said..wow, that mapping must be very GOOD!

That surprised me--I think the mapping IS GOOD! I'm hoping that I will continue growing and able to get better before the next appointment this July. I really wanted to pull my dB up. Right now I'm on 35-40 dB. (Steve have been reduced LOT because of my left tingly problem.. Good news, I haven't had a tingly since last appointment.) Steve said my mind is still learning and hoping it will changes. One thing was interesting when Steve said having biliteral will take longer to process than unbil. INTERESTING! I should keep my mind about that!

New Experiences

Yes, that's me teaching the class. (3rd grade)

Today I had a chance to teach 3rd grade deaf kids for 70 minutes at deaf school. GOSH! For two whole weeks, the class has squashed me badly. Umm I think I have exaggerated on that part, grins. I'm safe to say the class had grilled me to a well-done burger, not a burned burger.

I was anxious about teaching the kids for a whole week before today. I couldn't bear the horrible images in my head. All of those images were filled of being failure nor out of control with kids. I had to make lesson plans (individual lesson for one content such as math, science, language art, etc), SRP (prepared lessons for two weeks or depends on themes how long to teach that topic), and other things. I hate to do SRP. Groans.

Top of all, I'm extreme SCARED to teach the special needs kids in middle school starting in two weeks for my internship. My internship will last ten weeks. I'm swallowing my own spits for a "gulp" as knowing the day is coming up so quickly as a cheetah chasing a gazelle. Gosh. Why am I comparing with everything?! What's heck wrong with me? I think I'm experiencing nervous breakdown at that moment.

Breathing in and out. If you haven't hear from me in ten weeks, then you'll know why. Obviously I might be burden by the ocean----way deeper than the color of blue (or cyan). I think I better stop blah blah over being scared. Okay, when I was teaching the kids and it surprised me greatly.

You must wondered why I said it has surprised me. Um, I was surprised how much I enjoyed being teaching the kids. It has opened my eyes and knew I made the right decision by choosing this career. Lately I was battling with myself that I really do not want to teach kids because of lot of work, meetings, papers work, etc. I know it sounds lame but I'm afraid that I was not good enough for this.

Oh boy! I guess I can make it work. Eh, that means I need to improve many areas such as my English, creative how to teach, or how to find the resources to use for the lesson. My English is poorly and it made more difficult for me to be vulnerable to show my weakness of English. Cured to myself!

One of my classmates made my day bright by telling me that I HAVE to teach elementary because of my teaching skills. Another classmate mentioned that she noticed the kids draw me than two others students teaching. My "team" classmate said that I'll be a good mother, eh. So I guess they liked how I did with my "borrowed" kids this morning. That's what I had for this morning--I taught 3rd grade for 70 minutes. (Well, not really...whole 70 minutes because I have a team to teach and we takes a turn to teach the lesson.) Anyway, I did it, liked it, and happy that I had wonderful new experiences.

iPhone Application

Annie scolded me for being lazy that I didn't blog about my experience from last night. Well, I'm going to tell you what happened but do not get too excited.

Last night I was playing with my iPhone game application. I noticed one application Annie put on my iPhone and I haven't seen it before. It was a music application that can make a listing depend on the mood what I want to listen. I was playing with it and see how it works. I thought it would be neat if I could listen the music while I play the game on my iPhone. Nice!

After I fixed the mood setting on the program and started to play the game. I think second or third song made me stop the game. I was puzzled and tried to focus the music. I wasn't sure myself but something familiar about this song. At that moment, I was haste because I was not sure if I was right about the song. I checked the music what it called.. True ENOUGH! I was right and it was "For Good" from Wicked! I laughed at myself that I got it right by listening the song!

"For Good"

I had to share with Annie and she asked me how I knew it was. I was not sure how I identify but somehow almost end of the music, the witch sang "for good" that reminds me of theater when I went last November. Amazed! But it's only tiny step and it's not a ball rolling down the hill yet.

Merry Christmas!

Christmas Cookies

Yesterday Annie and I made three different KINDS of cookies. We wanted to give five people--two for Visiting Teachers, one for our wonderful neighbor who helped us shovel the snow that blocked our garage, one for one couples who are due having twins today (the husband helped sweep off the snow on my car last Sunday), and last one is for Annie's little sister, Katie. Oh it was so much FUN making THREE different kinds of cookies. That made me want to do it again for next year. FUN FUN FUN! The tough part is to give the cookies to them because I was too SHY! Sheese, I was grateful that Annie was with me and she can take over the conversation and I just stand and smile. That's my job. Oh yeah, add to my job--wave.

First I wanted to show off those cookies that we made..

Stained Glass Cookies

Chocolate Crinkles

Chocolate-Dipped Melting Moments

(Seriously, it did melted in your mouth! It surprised me!)

We dropped most of the cookies and two of our visiting teachers were not home. Basically three were not home. One answered (the couples who having a twins soon). It was time to drop off for Katie. We saved the last because she live in Baltimore. We tried to find the address, well, we wanted to surprised her. I thought she would like that.

Annie printed the direction how to arrive Katie's new apartment. She moved several months ago. We were so bad that we haven't visit her new apartment. I guess it's time to visit her. We were so excited to see Katie. We followed the direction until we passed her old apartment. I somehow remembered that Katie or Annie told me that Katie lives really close to John Hopkins Hospital which is not close where we were at that time. Annie thought so.

We continued driving and both of us decided to check our GPS on Iphone and I saw that we passed Katie's old apartment. GROANS! We printed the direction for Katie's OLD apartment! Of course, we flipped and can't make a decision what to do without ruin our surprise for Katie. Annie ended up text Katie to ask for her current address.

Lucky she answered and gave us her current address. Grins, we had wasted our precious 45 minutes! We found her little apartment and hoped that she would be home. Our smile dropped when realized Katie wasn't home. Our hearts dropped as well. We had to leave the cookies with a little crappy note to let her know how much we love her.

That reminds me of my mission. My companion and I often faced that "not home" things. We often felt our smiles and hearts dropped when nobody was home or forgot our appointments. But of course, it bought us other wonderful experiences not just "not home".

Back to Katie, I'm grateful that she will joining us for Christmas holiday. She will come and stay with us on Christmas Eve until Christmas. I have made some plans for us to do on Christmas Eve and of course on Christmas Day. Katie and Annie mocked me and said it's "Fifemas". Eh! I can't help but I told Annie what she wanted to do for Christmas and she said, "I don't know.." I tried to use psychology magic to suck things out of Annie's wish what she wants to do for Christmas.. Nothing works, I failed so I had to take over and made a plan for us to have fun, not just sitting on the couch and hoping the snow falling. Girls, it won't happen.. Sorry, girls.

So I realized I have been blah blah blah than the cookies.. Eh, Merry Christmas.. I hope you have a GREATTTTTT Christmas with your families and friends.. LOVE YOU!

White Holiday!

We had a small BIG winter storm yesterday and it was harmless when it was snowing ALL DAY.

Annie and I came down to shovel our little driveway so both of us will not get stuck to get out this Monday. One of our nice neighbor helped us and let us borrow his shovel. Anyway, My car was clean but not really because we have been shoveling and it was still snowing. I was curious how much we get in two or three hours later. I came back and measure it. Wow, three and half inches. The snow gets less and less. It didn't look like this in the afternoon. That picture I took was night time. Oh I found that odd when I saw there were several cars, their windshield wipers, were sticking up from the window. I wonder why...so I decided to do the same. Annie and I suspected that they did this to avoid icy and damage the windshield wipers. Clever, but I'm not sure how clever it would be. I wanted to take a picture of that but I forgot on that night. I was going to take a picture this morning since my church was cancelled. But one of members live in this area came to us and asked if he can shovel and clean my car. Darn. I missed the opportunity to take a picture of sticking up from the window. Oh well, if we get some more snow, then I'll make sure I remember to take a picture..

I went sort of backyard of the apartment and to measure the "real" snow. We were surprised it reached 17 inches of snow! You see it almost reached my knee caps (I was using boots). Some area has less and other area has more snow. It was fun measuring the snow. Haha, you can see that I was having fun doing this.

See, 17 inches!

Well, I was done with measuring the snow and tried to walk but I slipped! Annie caught the picture that I fell. You see, it was still snowing!

Of course, I had to laugh at myself for the fell.

I heard we might get some more snow this weekend.. Possibly we will have a White Christmas. Oh come snow! Let it snow on Christmas Day!

Touching

Annie had a surgery two Fridays ago. She felt crazy for being stuck in apartment for so long. I tried to take her out a bit such as go to mall, taking her to doctor appointment, etc. Sometimes it was too much for her. Sometimes she almost killed herself by overdo. Oh boy, anyway, yesterday I told Annie that she can do whatever she wants to do. She wanted to see a movie called, "The Blind Side" because it offers closed caption also because I liked the actress, Sandra Bullock. She invited Katie, her sister, come along with us.

We saw the movie and we all loved it. The movie was very touching. At end of the movie, it surprised us all when we learned that recently Michael Oher joined Ravens (football team) which was in our area, Baltimore! I guess I can say.. Go RAVENS! Eh? I do not know how much I would go for it.. Haha. Anyway, my point is that you should see this movie. :D