Happy New Y2K9!

Friends and family (some I’ve had the pleasure of seeing more than often, others I hope to sooner than later),

Happy Y2K09!!! Wow oh wow has this whirlwind of 2008 come and gone in a flash!

As I may have already shared with you, I became a fan of running this year and completed my first marathon on June 1 in San Diego. Nearly six hours later, I was drenched with sweat, sun, and serenity knowing that I had the gumption to join 160 Elvi and 20,000 others to subject our bodies and souls to 26.2 miles of gritty determination. I continue to remain active with the ladies of Pacer’s beginner running group by dragging myself out of bed a few times a week in the early morn (sometimes at 5am!) around the streets of DC and old town Alexandria. Come run with me sometime! http://www.runpacers.com/Training_Program/womens_beginner.asp

At the marathon finish line with my friend Angela.

In August, I journeyed to Denver with hundreds of thousands of Democrats to celebrate the nomination of Barak Obama as the Democratic Presidential candidate. Hearing the Obamas, Clintons, Senator Kennedy, and other national leaders was not only incredibly inspiring, it served as a reminder of why I have dedicated my life to public service. I join the legions of supporters in America and individuals abroad who hold great expectations for a new era of leadership.

With friends at Invesco Field just after President-Elect Barak Obama’s acceptance speech. Steve, a good pal from UCLA and Georgetown, was elected this year to the San Francisco Community College Board. Yay!

I still volunteer with the organization for which I used to work, Asian & Pacific Islander American Vote (APIAVote). In 2008, APIAVote has accomplished unprecedented levels of field activity, research, media, and outreach. My parents and a few friends were able to attend the Presidential Town Hall at UC Irvine this spring where Hillary Clinton via satellite, Barak Obama via telephone, and John McCain via surrogate CA Assemblyman Van Tran spoke directly to thousands of Asian American and Pacific Islanders. APIAVote also hosted policy briefings and celebratory galas at the Democratic and Republican National Conventions, mobilized Asian American and Pacific Islander (AAPI) voters across the nation, and continues to fold AAPI’s into the civic arena through a series of conference calls about the Presidential and Congressional transition process. The next call will discuss strategies to get a job on Capitol Hill this Tuesday, January 6^th at 2:00pm EST. www.apiavote.org

Speaking of which, I have had the pleasure of serving on the House of Representative’s Committee on House Administration staff for 3 ½ years and counting. As an Elections Counsel for the Committee, I’ve been able to work with an incredible team to investigate the voting machines in Sarasota County, FL, pass sundry election reform legislation, and research methods to facilitate the administration of elections for our voters here and those living abroad. I eagerly anticipate what measures will be forwarded in the 111^th Congress as we now have an entirely different composition of the federal government. http://cha.house.gov

On the domestic front, I’ve finally bitten the bullet and purchased my first home! Well, it’s far from a home, but it’s mine (or will be once I close). The unit is a 588 square foot studio on the seventh of eight floors in a refurbished apartment building in Southwest DC near the marina where I learned to sail last summer. I do love the mixed-income neighborhood and planned development (rumors of parks, an updated farmers/fish market, and yummy restaurants in the [hopefully] not-too-distant future). Alas, complications to home-ownership include the fact that I signed the contract for my unit one month before the financial markets collapsed. Since Lehman Brothers owned the note on the building, the condo’s real estate developer has been trying to secure new investors to complete the construction and start delivering condos to expectant owners (like me!). Anyone have a cool $10 mil (or however much condo buildings cost now-a-days) they’re willing to invest in the JHu housing fund? www.potomacplacetower.com

View from 704, south side. Can you see the Washington Monument over to the right?

With the impending move, I’ve begun the quest to find a church in the DC area. However, that effort has been impeded a bit by various bouts of travel (both for work and pleasure). After the general election in November, I spent three weeks in California’s 4^th Congressional District to monitor the close vote count in Sacramento. Before that, I was gallivanting about VA (hiking in Fountainhead and Claytor Lake, bridesmaiding in Bluemont, wine tasting and touring about Monticello/Charlottesville, VA Beach for a birthday and wedding), MD (sailing in Annapolis, super bangra dance party wedding and overall rummy-ness), WV (white water rafting on the Gauley River), LA (New Orleans Jazz Fest - dancing with thousands of Stevie Wonder fans in the rain and sloshing about the mud - loved the decadent food and open container law to permit pina colada cruisin), IL (visiting friends in Chi-town), CA (cruisin in convertibles, weddings, babies, family, friends), NY (friends and baby Maddie in the city!), NV (Dem National Debate btwn Clinton, Obama, and Edwards - or more notably where I met Andre Agassi and Steffi Graf), PA (my first ½ marathon in Philly...three months after the San Diego marathon), Toronto (family, food, and fun) and trips to CT and HK with mom (thanks for the great b-day bash!). With Tom and Jennifer (fellow lawyers at House Admin where I work), we attended conferences, briefings, meetings, site visits, and field hearings at a number of locations this year (Austin, Dallas, Denver, Omaha, Kennesaw, Jackson Hole, Philadelphia, and St. Louis). Yikes. That’s a lot of mileage, and I don’t even think these lists are comprehensive!

In DC, I frequently enjoyed door-knocking and phone banking (for various campaigns), concerting (Gipsy Kings, NKOTB (yes, I paid top dollar to relive 1988 all over again), and Lawrence Liu), happy hour/receptioning, Alvin Ailey revelationing, HR 57 jazzing in the sculpture garden, Strike bowling, strolling in the U.S. Botanical garden, learning how to cook (fave, Laotian cooking lessons -thanks CK!), occasional WMD soccer-ing, rummy nighting, cheering on Christina & Ron at Amazing Race parties, Bob's hot potting, screen on the greening, bike riding (bought my first hybrid in an attempt to train for a triathalon sprint this coming summer), pot lucking, TV nighting, facebooking (omgoodness, FB, how I love thee!), free screenings (I pay for movies, too, ha ha - esp Dark Knight in IMAX and Slumdog Millionaire - both must sees!), housewarmings (though not yet my own), Sunday night deep house dancing at ESL, dim sum yumming, catching various sporting events (hockey, basketball, baseball in the new Nats stadium, football, soccer), and, of course, dining about town with fellow foodies. Oh my goodness, I'm exhausted just thinking about the fun I've had!

Appreciating God's majestic creation at Cascades waterfall near Blacksburg, VA

Oh, and my family is doing well. Mom has spent the past few months visiting her mother in Hong Kong. Dad is at home tending to life admin. Specifically, in mid-November when the wildfires spread up through Diamond Bar Canyon, my dad had to prepare for swift evacuation by packing up the car with our family’s essential documents and belongings. Patrick, who’s now in his third year of medical school at Loma Linda, was nearby to grab some old photos of the family. Thankfully, the fire never reached our street. Phew.

Old school photo of the fam at shabu shabu dinner in the early 80s. I’m on the far left. =P

Between running, travel, professional pursuits, and buying a condo, I’ve got to say I’ve been amazingly blessed with new challenges and exposure to a life full of promise. God’s helped me overcome numerous obstacles – typically with a smile on my face and peace in my heart. At the same time, I know the critical support and encouragement of family and friends have played a part in lifting me above and beyond crisis and tests of faith. Thanks so much for your thoughts and prayers (and reading to the end of this horribly long post!).

After I cut two 14 inch pony tails for Pantene Beautiful Lengths’ cancer patient participants.

Peace to you and yours in the coming year. I can’t wait to see what 2009 has in store for all of us!

Janelle

Hebrews 12: 1-2

Therefore, since we are surrounded by such a great cloud of witnesses, let us throw off everything that hinders and the sin that so easily entangles, and let us run with perseverance the race marked out for us. Let us fix our eyes on Jesus, the author and perfecter of our faith, who for the joy set before him endured the cross, scorning its shame, and sat down at the right hand of the throne of God.