First Flight

I took my first plane flight this weekend. No, I'm not talking about the standard jumbo jet kind of flight. I'm talking about taking off in basically an aluminum soda can that barely fits 4 people. My uncle Jeff is part of a flying club and has his pilot's license, so when I was down in the Bay Area this past weekend for my grandma's 87th birthday, he took my cousin, my sister and me on a tour over the Bay Area. It was a great experience, sometimes a bit bumpy and scary, but overall just amazing. I'll let the photos speak for themselves :)

My uncle Jeff, cousin Greg, Adrienne and me in front of the Cessna 182.

Alcatraz Island.

Of course, the Golden Gate Bridge.

Downtown San Francisco.

Golden Gate Park is pretty big, isn't it?

Stanford campus from the northwest.

Overlooking the Main Quad.

From the southeast - you can see the new stadium in the top right.

From the south, notice the Dish at the bottom of the photo.

More California coastline.

I think this crazy neighborhood with a canal in it is Belvedere, with Tiburon next to it.

To think, these three pieces of metal were all that kept us propelled in the air :).

You can see a few more photos at: http://picasaweb.google.com/dcruzin/SFBayStanfordAerialShots.

I have more to upload later, too, but those were some of my favorites from the 400+ shots I took while in the air 1.5 hours. Now flying in one of those planes on a clear day with light wind is definitely something I want to do again. Hope you enjoyed these photos as much as I enjoted taking them!

Mt. Rainier

On Saturday I went to Mount Rainier National Park for the first time. It was pretty much a perfect day as far as weather - just a clear blue sky with just enough clouds to make things interesting. I went with Derek, Ayako and Ken and we hiked the Skyline loop in the Paradise area of the park. It was about a 5-6 mile trail, and we took our time to just take in the amazing views and get photos of all the nature and wildlife. I'm just gonna post a few photos for now, and soon I'll add a link to a whole album's worth of photos.

Okay, that's the best I could do for limiting the number of photos I post. Amazing views, huh? Stay tuned for more photos :)

starvin'

I know it's been awhile since my last post. I think I've resolved to make my posts more frequent but also shorter. I'm gonna try posting the all the photos on a separate page w/ captions, and just including a few in each post.

Anyway.... today I got a colonoscopy. Since Oliver had colon cancer, everyone in my family gets checked every 5 years or so. Good news - it was normal, so I definitely thank God for my health. The doctor even gave me a little printout with photos from inside my colon:

Pretty cool, huh? I had to censor out photo number 4, since, well, you know... just look at the diagram. The whole procedure wasn't bad at all since I was heavily drugged and basically unconscious the whole time. I actually don't remember changing back into my clothes from the hospital gown which is both scary and cool at the same time. I wasn't allowed to drive after the procedure, and they even told me not to go to work - so I didn't. I'm not one to break the doctor's orders now.

The worst part was the day before when I had to drink basically a gallon of this gel-like liquid which was supposed to clean out your bowels. It came in fun flavors that were supposed to improve the taste, but I'm not 100% sure if they made it better or worse. And then I wasn't allowed to eat anything for the whole day. It was only one day - and I could drink clear fluids like water and gatorade. Still, being around food and watching other people eat definitely was challenging. It really made me a lot more thankful for the fact that anytime I want to have to have something to eat, I can. And I can even eat good food now that I've escaped the mass produced dining hall food from college. It definitely let me reflect on other people in this country and around the world who can't necessarily say the same.

More than that though, this whole experience really took me back to when Oliver was sick. From the simple act of wearing a thin, cold hospital gown in a very air-conditioned hospital to being wheeled around on a bed with an IV in my arm, electrodes on my chest, oxygen in my nose and a pulsemeter on my finger - it all reminded me of Oliver. I'll admit - there were a few times when I almost lost it in the hospital. The nurse and doctor saw on my records that I had an older brother who had colon cancer at age 25. They asked me how he was, and I would simply reply that he passed away last year. I was barely in the hospital for 2 hours. I bet Oliver spent over 2000 hours in a hospital bed. I didn't eat for one whole day. Once his digestive system couldn't handle anything anymore, Oliver didn't eat for a month.

It's been over 13 months since his passing, and though I still have some low moments like I did today in the hospital, when I think about Oliver's story overall, I still can't help but smile. My experience today gave me a snapshot of what his life was like for almost 3 years. And yet he was able to persevere through it all. He stayed strong and had hope. And though he's no longer with us today, his hope lives on. He had hope in Jesus, who who had giant "needles" pierce his hands and feet when he died for us. I think when Oliver was facing all those needles, wires and treatments, he thought of the cross and knew that the pain is only temporary. One day without food followed by a few hours in the hospital has helped to remind me of what truly is important in this life.

Thanks Oliver.

Back in Japan

It's been a while since I've posted - and I have some catching up to do, but in the meantime I figured I might as well live in the moment. I'm currently sitting in a youth hostel in the Asakusa district of Tokyo, Japan. We flew in yesterday afternoon and had dinner with our students from last summer. That's why I'm here - along with a few other Stanford students, I was a host for the American Language and Culture program, part of VIA (Volunteers in Asia). We hosted about 75 college students from Taiwan and Japan during the month of August. We were kind of like RAs, helping organize activities and trips for them, and helping them with their English homework. As part of that volunteer program, each host gets to go on a trip back to Japan and Taiwan the next summer, and the program will pay for part of the trip. So that brings me back to Japan - the first time I've been here since August 2005 after my internship.

So far, things have been a bit nostalgic. It's cool to be here with Adam who was also here in 2005 when we worked in Tokyo. It is a bit different though, since I'm no longer a student, and also since we have tons of Japanese students here to help show us around. My Japanese is pretty bad though - but I guess that's what happens after 2 years..


Anyway, here are some pictures from the plane ride and dinner last night. I'll try to post a bit more frequently during this trip so my posts are super long..

Julie and Wei Wei on the plane.

I was sitting across the aisle from them. It was a long 10 hours...

We met the students at the giant lantern in Asakusa.

Taking the obligatory tourist shot.

And then proceeded to go eat okomiyaki (a kind of savory pancake omlette).

Adam eating with Manabu and Takayuki.

Okonomiyaki is basically one of my favorite Japanese foods.

I watch the master chef Saori mix the batter before she cooks it on the table.


A similar dish, called monzayaki - just a little bit more runny.

The guys got a little crazy with the sake - already.

Adam and I relive old memories of Pocari Sweat (kind of like gatorade) in the Konbini (convenience store)

We've got a pretty busy day planned today, so hopefully you'll see some more interesting photos soon. See more photos at: http://picasaweb.google.com/dcruzin/ALCJapanTrip.

Happy 29th Birthday Oliver!

Dear Oliver,

Happy Birthday! Can you believe how the Rockets pulled out a win against the Jazz last night? It was crazy. I love watching the Rockets, because it reminds me of how we used to go to games together growing up. I remember driving to the Summit with you and watching playoff games vs. the Suns and even getting to go to the NBA Finals together. I blame you for my sports addiction, by the way. I grew up always watching you cheer so hard for your teams, and I've always wanted to be more like you. While we didn't always get along - and I'm sure that I could be pretty annoying when I was little - I always felt safe when I went places with you. You would take me to the video arcade and teach me how to play video games. Of course, you were always somehow better than me. Whenever I needed advice about school or whether I should buy a new bike or something, I knew I could ask you. You loved teaching so much that you gave up pursuing a job with your Chemical Engineering degree and instead taught High School kids science. You followed your heart and gave me the courage to follow mine.

When you got sick, you refused to let the cancer beat you. You fought back with all you had and taught me to never lose hope. I learned about faith from you. Even as you saw yourself dying, your body withering away since you could no longer eat, you continued to praise God. We didn't quite understand why you got sick back then, and maybe we never truly will, but you accepted God's plan, whatever it was. I was stubborn and angry, thinking things weren't fair. But when you told me that you weren't sure if you would survive anymore, you didn't say it with despair. I'm sure it hurt you inside, even with all the physical pain you were going through, but you were certain that this would not be the end. I know I'll see you again one day. We're just here on earth as a temporary assignment. Though some may feel you only spent 28 years here on earth, we're all here for but a blink of an eye.

Thank you for the daily reminder that we should live each day as if it were our last. We should love one another openly and smile each day through our imperfections, our struggles and our pain. I love you and I miss you, but I am glad to call you my brother forever.

Love,

Darwin

The Oliver Cruz Memorial Site