random thoughts:

i have many men in my life. father, brother, brothers in christ, nephew (plus 1 more coming in October), boss, teachers/pastors, students, etc.

i have many women in my life too, yet it seems that only men seek my ear often, especially of late.

especially lately, my heart has been burdened to pray for the men in my life.

today, i connected with a brother in christ in korea (serving in the military) via skype. it's been awhile. and him telling me of his life, it puts everything in perspective.

god is good to me. he gives me clarity and comfort through all situations.

and thank God for my men in my life.

today was a good day. in fact, this past week was amazing.

as of last monday, i felt so overwhelmed by all the (work) responsibilities, i decided to take a break from chatting, facebooking, blogging, and e-mailing. it was a decision made with a glad heart, and i am thankful for god's hand in my discernment and that it was indeed a wise one.

i've been at my job 11 years now (in fact, the tuesday after the memorial day is my work anniversary) and with that comes not only stability and thankfulness, but also frustration and impatience. this week, in order to prepare for my june denver trip, i've been working..furiously. yes, i actually use that word, as i felt like an overworked engine, frequently having to water (in my human case, junk food) the overheated engine (= brain). had i continued with my daily chattings, facebookings and such, i would've been unable to concentrate so fully on the job. i'm known as the queen of multitasking (not a princess, but a QUEEN) and i just had to admit to myself, something had to give this week. i apologize to all my friends for having "ditched them" for full 5-6 days!

but what a blessing it was and i am still fueled by that blessing. today after jetting from the sunday school, i went to a lecture by ron choong titled "the triune god: the god who is one."

i didn't expect to hear the name aristotle in a talk about the triunity of god. but how appropriate it was to learn about the kατηγορίαι katēgoriai, gregory of nyssa and why monotheism/unitarianism and tritheism are different (and wrong). there's not an easy way to explain all this. i highly encourage you all to read up on this!

** picture is taken by my bro on a beach of my sis-in-law and nephew. beauty of god and his creation is so evident in this yet...

today, i braved the supersoaker and went to barney's to sample rogan for target @ barney's.

and i was about 6 hrs too late.

all the goodies were gone. i asked a saleswoman (FYI: barney's is really incredible when it comes to the sales staff. i've shopped in different departments - when i can afford certain items - over the years and i've always had friendliest waitstaff there. they're incredibly efficient and helpful!) who empathized with me. Said "yeah, people were lined up outside of the store this morning at 9 AM. i'm afraid all normal sizes are gone" - that meant mostly L or XLs were left. people were scrambling like there's no tomorrow (think of a very messy scrambled egg cooking on your pan and you'll understand the feeling). i quickly just grabbed whatever i could and then retreated into a corner ("can i get a dressing room?" "yes, let's find one...here it is!" - again, so freakishly friendly) and tried them all on - and i didn't like any, except a pair of really cool black - leopard-print - jeans. she said "all the really cute dresses were gone by 9:30 AM." darn it! freakish NY shoppers!!!!

anyway, i scored - $39.99 for the jeans. not too shabby, i must say!

i am thankful this week.

i am thankful for beautiful weather god's given us - even though it's cloudy & rainy today, it's beautiful. thank you for your all your creation.

i am thankful for the consistency of my job and its environs. thank you for providing for me always.

i am thankful for my church's projects and its servants. thank you for guiding us.

i am thankful for the struggles of this week - i am totally lost on what friendship is all about. i am lost trying to reconcile that of god's word and that of this world in terms of how one should act and react.

i am thankful for his comforting words in romans 12 and 1 corinthians 12.

i am thankful that i know that i will grow after struggles. one of my fav verses:

...but we also rejoice in our sufferings, because we know that suffering produces perseverance; perseverance, character; and character, hope. And hope does not disappoint us, because God has poured out his love into our hearts by the Holy Spirit, whom he has given us.

thank you for the hope.

Thrice, you rock. Thanks for the great time yesterday.

i was searching on my gmail account to see if i had any old links pasted in e-mails or chats to give to someone at my church re: some cool church websites as a model for ours.

then i came across and e-mail i wrote to a friend on january 9, 2006:

<<my daily communication with God for the last 4-5 months have been sporatic cries of "why is this happening to this church? please help us." (FOR CONTEXT: i was at a church that was dying) for the last month, i have hardly spoken to Him. i feel so dry & tired. i need SUPPORT. i need bible study, i need fellowship with believers, i need small group, i need the church that will be able to supply it ALL for me, however greedy i am! while i'm tired & sad, i am also on the verge of excitement that i'll find a new church and that it'll be an exciting time for me, a dormant SeaPea to really once again learn & be of help to a church and of course, most of all, to myself. >>

it got me sooooo happy that God heard my cries! :)

i have many friends in their 20's who are single. i have almost none in the 30's.

i thought about how i felt in my early 20's:

• i wanted bf really badly. that's all i wanted. i'd play cool, but the bottom line was, i wanted a bf.
• i really wanted to look good for the opposite sex. i worked hard for it: worked out, watched my diet, made sure i was all "in" and "cute" in terms of latest fashion, gadgets, etc.
• i used to take baths - just for no reason and prolly cuz i had so much time to waste.
• i wanted to be rich and impress people.
• i knew of christ - but i wasn't his.

now, i'm semi-mature in my 30's, here's my advice to all my young friends:

• it's okay to want a bf or a gf. just don't try to make an idol out of that (i know you can't help it, but pray for discernment...and with help controlling your hormones!). and just because you're a devout christian does not immune you from sexual urges - so be aware. awareness is a key to understanding temptations.
• beauty is so fleeting - and the standard of beauty changes constantly. have your own standard of beauty. how does s/he look to you when they're out drinking and partying? how does s/he look to you when they're worshipping and be glorified in god?
• it's okay to be want to become rich. just don't try to focus on that goal solely and god will provide - so you won't be destitute etc. ambition is an admirable thing, i think, because that comes with discipline. if you have the discipline to be ambitious, you have the discipline to follow christ
• have friends who are older than you (perhaps not wiser than you, as they're still learning too) and try to listen and follow their advice. it's not in vain that they give their voices to you

i had a grown woman, in her 50's, who friended to me in my freshman year of school and she still is, perhaps not as close as before. but she invited me to her house, had me interact with her family, and she gave me some practical advice, but since she wasn't a christian, she didn't guide me with christ's words. but even that was such a blessing to me, a 17/18 year old girl in a city who didn't know anybody. so with fondness i remember of her kindness as i try to open my life to my young friends.

wouldn't it be great if we always listened to the wise and the older? by the time we usually realize this, we're in our 50's, 60's. we human beings are too proud, too self-sufficient. i hope my young friends will take advantage of their fellow (but older) brothers and sisters at church to ask questions and to ask advice. that's what a real community's for.

i am finally able to sit down one night and write about my 2 trips to other churches in the last couple of weeks.

first, surprisingly i found a church in utrecht, netherlands. yes, i was in that lovely small town of canals and such and good ol' google netherlands found me an english speaking church that just happened to be an anglican one!

it's called the Holy Trinity Utrecht Anglican Church. i went on April 6th, the day i was leaving the netherlands. it wasn't hard to find - thanks to good ol' google map on my blackberry (yes, it's quite international!).

i had high hopes for this church. but it completely failed.

i just wanted to worship and be in God's presence. but what do i get? i get the following:

• some hymns (okay, an okay start)


• a prayer of penitence:
  Jesus Christ, risen Master and triumphant Lord, we come to you in sorrow for our sins, and confess to you our weakness and unbelief. We have lived by our own strength, and not by the power of your resurrection. In your mercy, forgive us. Lord, hear us and help us. We have lived by the light of our own eyes, as faithless and not believing. In your mercy, forgive us. Lord, hear us and help us. We have lived for this world alone, and doubted our home in heaven. In your mercy, forgive us. Lord, hear us and help us. May the God of love and power forgive you and free you from your sins, heal and strengthen you by his Spirit, and raise you to new life in Christ our Lord. Amen.


• we listened to some reading from Acts 2


• and then came on the program called "the Talk.
  it should actually be called "an interactive 3 min conversation." suddenly, one of the musicians rose - who was wearing the collar - and started to converse with us in the pews! and he pointed to the stained glasses telling us to observe what has happened during Easter and asked questions. and that was it.
  
• declaration of faith:
  We believe in God the Father, from whom every family in heaven and on earth is named. We believe in God the Son, who lives in our hearts through faith, and fills us with his love. We believe in God the Holy Spirit, who strengthens us with power from on high. We believe in one God; Father, Son and Holy Spirit. Amen.

(btw, i'm getting all these from the church of england website)

• anyhoo, then communion, from which EVERYBODY drank from the wine cup! i dipped mine. shudder.


• THEN!!!! it said in the program "the president pronounces the Blessings." and i was like huh? well, they literally said "Happy birthday Annie! Happy birhday Jonnie!" etc. - except they SANG the HAPPY BIRTHDAY SONG!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! THAT WAS SO NOT RIGHT! i was flabbergasted. SO STRANGE!
  

then...the benediction. just so so strange. if i ever go back to utrecht for some biz, i'm not going back there. i just left there literally scratching my head and not at all in commune with God! hmph.

a couple of weeks ago, a thousands miles away from utrecht, i attended a PCUSA church in Franklin, TN, because i was visiting my old church's pastor's family who had relocated to there. it's called the crossroads ministry and it's relatively young. thank the lord that they didn't sing happy birthday. what the heck!??! i still can't get over it. anyway, it was a nice service and all (but no communion :(...) but...the point of this blog is to say...

I REALLY MISSED MY CHURCH! even though i was back this past weekend, i couldn't attend the service due to my commitment to the sunday school. and i'll be missing it again this coming weekend because i'm going to visit my fav (and only) nephew's 2nd birthday. here's the latest photo.


GOD BLESS!

i was looking at this link and then this...

am i crazy? this is NUTS! (see the bold text below)

Voting
One of the most important privileges of democracy in the United States of America is the right to participate in choosing elected officials through voting. As a Permanent Resident you can only vote in local and state elections that do not require you to be a US citizen. It is very important that you do not vote in national, state or local elections that require a voter to be a US citizen when you are not a US citizen. There are criminal penalties for voting when you are not a US citizen and it is a requirement for voting. You can be removed (deported) from the US if you vote in elections limited to US citizens.

what the heck?? so if i made a mistake of voting and then they're like HOW DARE YOU VOTE, YOU'RE NOT EVEN A CITIZEN, YOU OFFEND US, NOW YOU MUST LEAVE!!!!

greetings from franklin, TN where all i've been doing a) talking and b) eating. today's lunch hi-lite: cracker barrel's Chicken BLT ("Your choice of our own chicken tenderloin grilled or fried along with thick sliced bacon and two slices of melting Colby cheese.") - of course, mine was w/o the cheese nor tomato. YUM!!!!! i never thought fried chicken & strips of bacon would go so well. and then afterwards, we toured the "downtown" nashville...i say "downtown" because it's even smaller than astoria, queens....yess'um, it shure is...
BBQ tomorrow, so stay tuned!
P.S. today's touristic hi-lite: posing with elvis

good bye dutch fries on the street!

and hello BBQ & other fatties in Franklin, TN!

greetings from amsterdam, where it's been sunny, grey, rainy, hot and cold - all at once at all times. it's light until about 9 PM at night (i guess because it's pretty up there) and it's just a city to be lost in, a city to enjoy everything in smaller scales.

my cold has finally escaped me, thanks to some 500 mgs of antibiotics. and of course, no jet lag due to...NO JET LAG! sure i was a bit tired yesterday but i was fine after a hot shower and delicious pancakes.

i went on the canal cruise, and ate a delicious meal and went to bed at the normal time.

today was a busy day: i woke up naturally to a great dutch b'fast provided by the hotel and headed out to Rijksmuseum and then right next to it, the venerable Van Gogh museum where i saw a stunning painting which i've never seen before. i can't even describe the color correctly. i just wanted to be embraced by this painting. have a look:

it's called the Almond Blossom and this was a present to celebrate his brother & sister-in-law's newborn. it moved me.

after such moving exhibitions, i walked to this hilarious & small exhibition. i will have to post pictures soon, but suffice to say that i was enjoying this museum pretty by myself, except 4 accompanying cats. ha ha!

then i went to the flower market by the canals - so many tulips! flowers! :)

then i walked to the Rembrandt's house/museum. what a great house! did you know that in the 17th century, people used to sleep in box beds...which are about 3/4 length of an average person today. so you may think: were they that short? yes and no: while they were shorter back then, they also thought sleeping fully horizontal meant blood vessels popping in their heads so they reclined while sleeping - how uncomfortable!!!!! i'm glad i'm not in the 17th century right now, i'll tell you that much.

and then i went to the BIBLE MUSEUM in this european sin city. pretty unbelievable knowing that this is a city that's so so open to so many sinful things, yet here it is, an international BIBLE museum. how funny! it was quite informative - heavily on Old Testament. i forgot that the netherlands had a very important reformed movement.

and finally to my last museum outtings...the anne frank house. i highly recommend this tour to anybody going over to europe for any reason. this place moved me beyond words and i was teary the entire time i was there, while i was climbing the stairs she climbed, looking at the pictures she looked (on her walls), reading what she wrote in the journals, etc. it simply amazes me again the ugliness and deranged beliefs by the nazis.

that concludes my busy but relaxing day - interrupted by frequent cafe stoppings.

to be continued as i travel to Utrecht tomorrow!

the first sign of aging isn't your body parts trying to fight gravity - it's the hands. the skin on the hands is first to go and i'm suddenly experiencing very very dry hands. most of you know that i'm a bit freakish about protecting my hands, be it wearing different rubber gloves (of a certain kind) when doing dishes, cleaning, or wearing different colored cashmere or leather gloves almost 9 months of the year, i'm a bit particular. i never ever put nail polishes on my fingernails nor do i get a manicure to take care of my nails. just has to be protective of the wind, temperature, etc.

so i'm sadden to report that nightly hand creaming isn't very effective when your skin on hands is drying up naturally. my skin is a bit chapped - poor hands.

any good solutions? aside from hoppin on a time machine to get youthful hands?

in a sad attempt to deflect the responsibility of packing, i've reorganized my closet...and to realize that i have too many t-shirts. i'm not a t-shirt kinda gal. i'm giving them all to salvation army except my Roots, Juilliard, Star Trek, Yankees, CBGB, RCMP, Linkin Park....okay so not that many are to be given away. BUT NO MORE T-SHIRTS!!!!!! okay, except for a THRICE shirt...

i'm a bit obsessed with ENCHANTED right now and this morning, i can't get this song outta my head. have a looksee on youtube. but here's the lyrics:

(A Capella, Giselle)
How does she know you love her?
How does she know she's yours?
(Marlon Saunders - Calypso Singer)
How does she know that you love her?
(Giselle)
How do you show her you love her?
(Together)
How does she know that you really really truly love her?
How does she know that you love her?
How do you show *her* you love her?
How does she know that you really really truly love her?
(Giselle)
It's not enough to take the one you love granted
You must remind her or she'll be inclined to say
"How do I know he loves me?
How do I know he's mine?"

Well does he leave a little note to tell you you are on his mind?
Send you yellow flowers when the sky is Grey?
He'll find a new way to show you a little bit every day
That's how you know
That's how you know he's your love

(Calypso Singer)
You got to show her you need her
Don't treat her like a mind reader
Each little something to lead her to believe you love her

(Giselle)
Everybody wants to live happily ever after
Everybody wants to know their true love is true
How do you know he loves you?
How do you know he's yours?

Well does he take you out dancing just so he can hold you close?
Dedicate a song with words meant just for you?
He'll find *someway* to tell you with the little things he'll do
That's how you know
That's how you know he's your love
He's your love

That's how you know he loves you
That's how you know it's true

Because he'll wear your favorite color just so he can match your eyes
Plan a private picnic by the fire's glow
His heart will be yours forever
Something everyday will show
That's how you know (x5)
That's how you know he's your love
That's how you know
That's how you know he's your love

i don't get overwhelmed easily but lately, i've been feeling really really overwhelmed to...catch up on my reading list.

currently on my "library":

• Macbeth (i'm going to see the production on B'way in April)
• This is Your Brain on Music (nuff said)
• Duchess of Langeis by Balzac (cuz i feel like reading something french every time it rains...and it's been raining a lot)
• Musicophilia by Oliver Sacks (i've been "reading" this for like 3 months now...sigh...)
• Precision Heart Rate Training (i'm curious about this)
• Wagner Nights by Joseph Horowitz (it's interesting how the Opera culture affected the NYC area, etc. etc.)

now, the problem with the above list is that i HATE reading non-fiction. aside from shakespeare & balzac up there, it's all interesting but....i just don't like non-storylines.

i have a true book ADD. any feedback on what i should ditch/later or any tricks to "managing" multi-book-obsessions?

apropos of my previous post, i think i covet...way too much.

recaping of the seven deadly sins:

• lust: i look at and all
• gluttony: i think about what i'm going to eat even as i'm eating a meal
• greed: once i have something, i want more
• sloth: ...i'm blogging...during office hours
• wrath: i don't forgive even though i was forgiven
• envy: grass is always greener on the other side
• pride: i think that i don't need anybody
  

... i think i commit all seven daily...maybe even every second!

oy vey.

from today's CNN.COM

ROME, Italy (AP) -- A Vatican official has listed drugs, pollution and genetic manipulations as well as social and economic injustices as new areas of sinful behavior.
Monsignor Gianfranco Girotti said in an interview published on Sunday by the Vatican's daily newspaper, L'Osservatore Romano, that known sins increasingly manifest themselves as behavior that damages society as a whole.
Girotti, who heads the Apostolic Penitentiary, a Vatican body that issues decisions on matters of conscience and grants absolutions told the paper that whilst sin used to concern the individual mostly, today it had a mainly a social resonance, due to the phenomenon of globalization.
Catholic teaching distinguishes between lesser, so-called venial sins, and mortal sins.
When asked to list the new areas of sinful behavior, Girotti denounced "certain violations of the fundamental rights of human nature through experiments, genetic manipulations."
He also mentioned drugs, which weaken the mind and obscure intelligence; pollution; as well as the widening social and economic differences between the rich and the poor that "cause an unbearable social injustice."
Girotti said the Catholic Church continued to be concerned by other sinful acts, including abortion and pedophilia.
He said Church authorities had reacted with rigorous measures to child abuse scandals within the clergy, but he also claimed that the issue had been excessively emphasized by the media.
His comments came at the end of a week-long Vatican conference on confession.
A recent survey said that 60 percent of Italian Catholics do not go to confession.
Traditionally the Catholic church has had a list of seven deadly sins, that of lust, gluttony, greed, sloth, wrath, envy, and pride established by Pope Gregory the Great in the 6th century.
The terms entered the popular vocabulary after the publication of Dante's "Divine Comedy."
The deadly sins are in contrast with venial sins - relatively minor sins that can be forgiven.
A person that commits a mortal sin risks burning in hell unless absolved through confession and penitence.
Now the Vatican says it is time to modernize the list to fit a global world.
On hearing the Girotti's suggestion, some priests thought it was a good idea.
Father Antonio Pelayo, a Spanish priest and Vatican expert noted that it is time for both sinners and confessors to get over their obsession with sex and think about other ways humans hurt each other in the world in which they live.
"There are many other sins that are perhaps much more grave that don't have anything to do with sex - that have to do with life, that have to do with the environment, that have to do with justice," he told AP Television.
Father Greg Apparcel, a local priest said that the Pope may have been talking About this aspect of sin as a response to the recent "Italian confession" survey.
Apparcel also hinted that the announcement may have a wider agenda ahead of the Holy Father's trip to the United States and his speech to the United Nations.
"There is some sound going around that perhaps he is going to speak about ecology and environment, and if he does, this is kind of preparation for that," he said.

Find this article at: http://www.cnn.com/2008/LIVING/wayoflife/03/10/vatican.updates.sins.ap/index.html

i saw this sticker in the subway yesterday.

Herbalism, Christianity and Islam started with a lie from Moses

Religion = War Evolution = Life

Our evolution started from waves solidified into hydrogen atoms

_________________________________

@)$(^)@($*?///?????

i enjoyed a concert last night with my friends at baryshnikov arts center, of hearing the casals quartet playing some kurtag & beethoven. i wasn't so hot on their beethoven but all in all, a good outing and a good time afterwards at a diner.

once my piano teacher at school told me that what you hear in your head needs to be translated into what you play, meaning what you think you hear in your head needs to be interpreted to what you produce on the piano. oh how many hours were spent trying to coax out what my head thought of a certain phrasing into reality! but it's true, that's what one must do. if you don't hear it in your head, of how it should be shaped, how it should be played, then you really have no guidance. if you're an artist and there's no internal "standard" (if you will), well, then you can't be an artist.

i was thinking of that last night as i was listening to the beethoven quartet. it's like that with one's spiritual journey, i guess. what you know in your head (knowledge) needs to be translated into your every day behavior and actions. otherwise, it's of no use to know it. and that's the hard part and that's where hours of "practicing" will have to happen.

it's a daunting thought but it's what it is!

today was my sojourn to the the Rockaways - and i'll say this - it was far, but oh so worth it!

i'll share with you of my journey in detail as i recommend the same trip for all.


first of all, it was a gorgeous day for a mini-trip!!!! okay here we go:

3:18 PM - i boarded the 4 train from 86th street-Lex stop (i was teaching before that). i was all ready with some pastries and a bottle of water. prior to my trip, i was given all sorts of advice: DON"T GO THERE! IT"S DANGEROUS! IT"S FAR! so, w/o the recommended mace, flashlight and other gadgets, i went ahead

3:36 PM - i caught the A train at Fulton Street/Brooklyn-Nassau station...but...


i had to get off at High St/Brooklyn Bridge stop (1st stop in Brooklyn) because i realized that i need the A train for "Far Rockaway," not "Ozone Park"

3:44 PM - i finally caught the right one and settled in for a long trip. i noticed that the train was full of all ethnicities, but i was the only of the EASTERN origin.

i started to listen to D. Martyn Lloyd-Jones' sermon on Ignorance, Prejudice based on 1 Tim chapter 1 (Paul was prejudiced and blinded by ignorance, and MLJ used that example in comparison to the non-believers of this time. "They don't see the fact, defensive in their unbelief" etc.)

i noticed a crazy looking man (isn't there always at least ONE in your subway car?) reading a Hilary Duff fan magazine (yes, that's what the cover said). he was around in his 60's. yes, i'm not kidding

4:05 PM - just passed the Grant Avenue stop and then train went above ground!

4: 07 PM - just passed the 80th Street stop and first thing i see? A HUGE & VAST CEMETERY. found out it's a jewish cemetery (no link available for those who are truly morbid, and morbidly curious, yours truly included)

4:15 PM - houses near the Jamaica Bay Wildlife Refuge are big with boats - some are in bad shape but can you believe that i went through a "wildlife refuge" - within 10 miles of manhattan??

anyway, i was riding on the train parallel to the cross bay veterans memorial bridge (for cars) - it seems like a long one - probably a lovely drive during the summer

4:23 PM - arrival at Broad Channel station and started to wait for the S train to take me to Rockaway Park Beach 116 St stop. if it was during the summer, i could've taken a seasonal A train to that stop, all the way from the city, but because it's not, that A line only goes to the other side of the Rockaways (north) - which i was told to stay away from.

now do you see the seagull in the next picture? yes, i actually saw a seagull flying around the subway station...that meant i was near nature! perhaps if one lives near Coney Island you'll see something like this...MTA & seagull existing peacefully together...

4:29 PM - the S train (which is only 4 cars long) sped through the jamaica bay area. here are some pictures

after Beach 90 St stop, i started to see the Manhattan skyline so so clearly! it was actually so gorgeous! and it looked so tiny...and my thought was "and we all live there?? that's just crazy!!!"

4:37 PM - arrival in Rockaway Park Beach 116 St stop!

okay, so even counting the conductor, i was the 3rd and the last person coming off the train. i guess not many people come this way.

after coming out of the small subway stop, it looked like i was on 116th Street, which looked like a happening place. i spotted a Dunkin Donuts and a firehouse among many chinese restaurants and other mom & pops stores (i am being sarcastic...)

population-wise, it was all white - very strange, as my ride TO was pretty black. i felt like i was transported to some other era. everybody was all so friendly.

since i'm a right-y, i looked to my right. sure enough, a friendly store sign, that you know that you'll be okay. i'm talking about DUANE READE - OPEN 24 HOURS. so naturally, i walked towards that. that and also i saw the water, towards manhattan. it happened to be a park:

it's called the Tribute Park - for the fallen 9/11 heros - how fitting as it overlooks the Manhattan skyline.

then i walked back towards the station, asked how i can get to Fort Tilden, which they had no idea what i was talking about. i asked about the Park and they said, oh go over there. good thing it's pretty condensed (concise?) there, because i actually knew what they meant. i took Q22 (i was getting confused because i had just taken the A train through brooklyn, but then i realized, i crossed the borough line and now i'm back in queens) down the Rockaway Beach Blvd to Jacob Riis Park, which is near where i wanted to go.

to my utter but happy surprise, the houses on the Rockaway Beach Blvd were gorgeous, pristine and victorian. HUGE and well-kept, the streets reminded me of the houses in San Diego

passed 2 large synagogues. and i was the only passenger in the new bus - i felt like he was my driver! sure enough, he started to chat with me, and i found a ton of stuff! that:

• this peninsula (NOT an island!) used to be part of Long Island (not part of Queens) and had a different name!
• breezy point is the area name for the military base which is now defunct but for some reason people still live "inside of the base" (and i saw too)
• that those houses i just saw are true victorian houses, renovated (therefore huge), usually handed down by generation to generation, millions of dollars!!
• that in order to get to fort tilden (the place i wanted to go - read that article i linked under fort tilden above), one must walk (or bike)
• and beyond fort tilden is ANOTHER residential area, which you can only get by driving and very exclusive and that there's a mini shuttle bus that leaves right in front of the train station for $1 to whisk people there (now i'm curious)
• that there used to be a ferry service between the Rockaways and South Street Seaport
• when i asked about summer beach goers, whether if it'll be really crowded, he said, not really. not many people know about to come here

he was wondering if i were a journalist because i was taking photos of everything and writing down what he was saying! ha ha. he was flattered that someone from "the city" would come visit just for the sake of it. he said it's a great little neighborhood. and he was maybe in his 30's, a nice dude. friendliest MTA bus driver yet!

then i got off the breezy point final stop on the bus and he pointed to the STATE beach (jacob riis park), which looked pretty close so i started to walk...

it was about 10-15 min walk TO the beach, but it was so worth it! it was very isolated for me to walk there...but this is what i wrote in my journal later:

Beach was so tranquil and deserted. It was as if civilization didn't catch up to it. Seagulls lazing around, only moving as crashing waves came in - big cruise liners sitting majestically in the ocean, Atlantic Ocean! and to have sand beneath my shoes/feet in the middle of winter, while blistering wind slapping me in the face was exhilarating. I picked up 2 broken shells off of the beach and I felt so loved and treasured by my creator. Dusk was setting into the sand dunes and as I walked for another 10-15 min back to the bus, i felt a mix of apprehension of being so completely isolated and feeling so one with the nature.

earlier on, i had spotted a diner right near the train station, named (somewhat appropriately, i think) Last Stop Gourmet Shop. i went in, totally empty of course, but oh so friendly, and i ordered a beef gyro, without tomato. they gave me a magnet that was in a shape of a train with their name on it. ha!

coming back was a breeze, now that i've experienced it so far. i listened to D. Martyn Lloyd-Jones' Power of Persecution (on Acts - first days of early church planting - and how churches these days should think, etc.)

overall, i highly recommend this trip. it's a lovely little getaway and it was really peaceful to be somewhere so far yet so close. A trains were pretty zippy too and i was surprised that so many people in the Rockaways were asking "how are you" to me. a true small town sign.

if any of you would like to see the pictures i took, please let me know. it was fun! and relaxing :)