it's my first week of work at the pregnant girls' services at mother's choice...

things have been rather tame so far.  just a lot of orientation of all the different services and departments, and getting to know people and the pregnant girls.  i also have to work very hard at improving my cantonese, especially my sex talk.  since virtually all my clients will be local chinese girls, i think it'd be a good idea to start being able to chit chat in chinese... not to mention how to explain the processes of abortion or adoption.  i haven't had a need to speak chinese in more than 9 months (incidentally, the same amount of time it takes a fertilized egg to mature into a full-fledged human being...), so i feel especially out of touch right now.

random fact: did you know that the chinese character for "crisis" includes the words "danger" and "opportunity"....

now about abortion... if i ever needed any more convincing that it's murder, i only need to go to this website.  warning: the pictures under the resources page are not for the faint of heart, or those who like to live in a perfect pink bubblegum world.  they are extremely graffic.  i haven't given this subject much thought since uni, but because my job involves counseling on it, i had to take a look.  after a few seconds, i couldn't hold back my tears as the reality hit me straight in the guts.  i'm sure that website will offend somebody (as i'm sure it has with lots of americans where the site is based), but i welcome any and all discussion.

i think what is going to drive me in my work this year is not so much what is done to these precious babies, as horrific as that is, but the reasons that drive girls to make such a decision.  often, it's not that they are cruel and heartless, but because they feel like it's their only option, or that they are forced to go to such lengths.  i guess that's what i'm here for.

*new home*
it's done (almost). i'm now officially not an occupant of 'the haven' anymore... i already miss it!! my move was near disaster, thanks to my highly sensitive sinuses and a very impatient mover... but it could have been worse if it wasn't for brooke, jacinta, jeremy and shane helping me out.

i have to go back today to pick up the rest of my stuff, and to clean out the room for cece. i left it in the biggest mess.. haha i'm sure she wasn't pleased when she came home last night!

so friends, especially those in canada, please note my new mailing address for the next year:

c/o mother's choice
3/F, montgomery block
42b kennedy road
hong kong

it's going to be so different living here. the other 4 girls living here seem very very... different. my first indication? i came back at 11pm last night and the house was dead. were they all out? no. they were all ASLEEP. i think i woke one of them up while i was attempting to quietly rearrange the furniture and move my belongings... oops. this is one of the many adjustments i'm going to have to make for the next year. my new home is completely secluded, and does not have a direct road leading to it, nor does it have any public transportation nearby that runs late. the building is hidden off the main road, and i have to either walk up or down a lot of stairs just to get onto a real road. even if i take a taxi home (which i'm going to have to do alot) i still have to walk 5 minutes. *sigh* other changes i'm not looking forward to:

no more $2 tram rides home,
no more fresh fruit outside my door,
no more 7-11 in my building,
no more victoria park!!,
no more late night shopping in causeway bay,
no more staying at derek's til late,
no more derek staying til late,
no more nice clean bathroom,
no more privacy,
no more lazy sunday afternoon hangouts with friends at home,
no more........

shoot.