Each day went something like this: wake up, look out private balcony, eat, go ashore, wander/tan/eat/shop/tour, return to ship, eat, watch NBA playoff game, eat, watch stage show, eat, hot tub, eat, sleep.

A few pictures:

San Diego:




Catalina Island:




Ensenada:






Highway 1:


The Bay:








And finally, words to live by:

Because I am leaving for my trip tomorrow, my family decided to celebrate Mother's Day a day early by having dinner at Bob Chinn's Crabhouse. On our way home, my mom got a phone call from Ms. Moon, who asked if my parents wanted to have dinner. My mom explained that we'd just eaten, and Ms. Moon said that she still wanted to stop by.

A few weeks ago, my mom asked me to find an online application for her friend, Ms. Moon. When I printed it out, I saw that it was for elderly subsidized housing.

I heard the doorbell ring and I heard my mom answer it. By the time I got downstairs, I only caught a glimpse of Ms. Moon giving my mom a bag and explaining how there was a frame for my graduation picture although it was from TJ Maxx so there wasn't a box but it was nice crystal and there was a Bible too. She took one quick breath and gave me a hearty "Congratulations!" before she headed back out, ignoring my mom's entreaties to stay for a while. My mom put on some slippers and joined her in her idling car.

I looked in the bag and found a frame, meticulously wrapped in tissue paper, a King James Version of the Bible, and a card.

My mom came back in a few minutes later and looked at me and looked at Ms. Moon's gifts and started to tell me about her friend.

They'd first met soon after my family had immigrated here. They were both working long hours in a cramped sewing factory, finding some comfort in seeing a familiar Korean face in this strange land. Ms. Moon was a high school teacher in Korea, but moved here with hopes of dreams and dreams of hopes. She married, but divorced soon after, without children. She's been living alone since then, and although she has a sister in the area, the sister and her Joy Luck Club husband seem to cause her more stress than anything. She runs a dry cleaners, but business hasn't been good recently, so she is planning on selling it. She currently lives in the back of her store, so she is hoping to find housing that she can afford with her Social Security money.

My mom then said that Ms. Moon is an honest, faithful friend, and that everyone should have someone like that. And she said how difficult and lonely it must be on a day like Mother's Day.

Ms. Moon told my mom that she went to go buy a Bible for me so that I would have something to encourage me when residency wears me down. They told her that there's a hard version and an easy version, and she told them that I should have the hard version because I'm smart. Well, I may not be smart, but it is beautiful to read, like poetry.

But in a way, it pales in comparison to this:

자성이 졸업을 축하 합니다
우린
긴긴 세윌 만큼 이니 이 만큼더 따뜻하게
진실하게 서로 이해하고 서로 보듬어
가면서 살자구나
어려운일이 생겨도 용서해 주며
내일도 오늘만큼이나 좋은날 되기를 바라며
비밀을 함께 나누고
함께 속삭이며
별이 빛나는 밤 하늘을 함께 보면서...

Graduation is tomorrow. Joycelyn Elders is giving the commencement address. I can't think of a more appropriate speaker for UIC. Take that how you will.

I've been considering going back to Bethel Pres. Myung's been pushing for a return, and I've talked to both my current pastor (who was not particularly happy) and my potential future pastor about it. I'm not sure. I haven't really connected with my current church after almost 2 years, but my old church still has some of the same issues that were there when I left.

All of this is starting to feel a little weird. I can see a little bit of each side making a play for a stable soon-to-be working professional. It may only be a small part of their motivation, and it may be an undeniable reality in the business of church, but it's what I like the least.

Well, I'll think about it some more during my Cali-Mexico cruise next week. Maybe when I come back, I'll be flying the yellow flag of cholera.