chinatown

I am alive and well. The last few weeks have been without a doubt very harrowing and stressful, and yet tremendously positive and great. We finally MOVED out of the crap hole we called an apartment in Allston. Now we are living in slightly ghetto Chinatown, but it's CHINATOWN. I am IN THE CITY. When I write my address, it isn't Allston or Brighton or some lame neighborhood, it's BOSTON. Tbe movies are 2-3 blocks away, I am a 10 minute walk from work, Downtown Crossing is a stroll away, and Asian food galore surrounding me, including the fabulous C-mart just steps away. Really, this apartment has made me feel incredibly better about Boston and life. Even though I am stressing with the whole settling in and making the place into a home, it's worth it because the apartment just makes me happy. If you're my friend and in Boston, you should definitely stay with me. :-) Especially once we get furniture on Thursday! I'd update more, but sleep beckons. Oh yeah, mornings are not rushed at all, because work is just over yonder. I can get up, putz around, make breakfast and lunch, and then head out for a leisure walk to work (or T ride... it is incredibly hot right now). Hope everyone else in life is as happy as can be.

katrina

Now listen up: New Orleans is NOT back to normal. People who have had their lives ruined by Katrina and Rita are NOT back on their feet. It's been 9 months and for some reason, the world seems to think things are peachy keen and life isn't THAT bad. News flash, everyone, things are still bad and peoples' lives are still a mess. Some of my family is still trying to get their lives together, still struggling, still living in housing provided by FEMA (which is running out any day now from what I last heard), still trying to figure out what the next step it. Three of my cousins have decided to take a risk and go to Iraq and work for some contracting company, just so they can get the $80,000 towards a better life. One cousins has a wife, three grown children, and one child entering the 5th grade next year. One cousin has a wife and a 3 year daughter. Another cousin, Lee and Lisa's older brother, has a fiance and a life to begin. And yet they all put it on the line to go to Iraq, because they weren't making ends meet at home in a fast enough time period. Life is still hard and they are still struggling. EVERYONE is still struggling. Don't fall into that ignorance is bliss routine and think they don't need help. I don't pray often, but I pray for a non-eventful hurricane season and for some sort of financial means to come through for my family. About 50% of my family who used to live in New Orleans moved back, so... I constantly worry. So pray... or donate... or whatever you want. Just show a little help towards those less fortunate. You may have moved on from Katrina and Rita to some bigger, more current tragedy, but they haven't and they are losing government aide fast. So, be generous and do what you can, not just for my family, but all the families.