Wonderemployment

When I started this endeavor of doing two acts of service each week, I challenged myself to do two things because knew I had my weekly mentoring obligation, which already counts as one. Finding the second thing to do has been harder because I don't want to have to spend time each week doing research, yet I can't commit too strictly to anything because my work schedule needs to stay flexible. I'm happy to report I've found a great match now! I'm volunteering (almost) every Friday at the San Mateo Senior Center , preparing and serving lunches. I've been there three times now and love it. It's stimulating without being taxing, which is exactly what I need for my day off from work. I arrive at 10:30, help wrap utensil rolls, wipe down the tables, put out the place settings, arrange the condiments, and fill the water and coffee carafes. A caterer delivers the food, we plate it, and then serve it to the seniors who have purchased a lunch ticket for the day....

There have been some great conversations going on this month  about ambition and drive  on A Practical Wedding (yes, technically a wedding blog, but actually, so much more). It's been so interesting to read the perspectives of a spectrum of smart women, some who are hungry for it , some who aren't , and some who are just plain  burnt out . This burnout thread particularly got to me. As I talked about in my first blog post , in high school I always imagined being a really successful career woman, the kind that would wear great suits and save the world through consensus-building. Now I just get tired at even the thought of being a "successful career woman". What happened to that fire? Am I really burnt out at the ripe young age of 27? How terrible is it that I just don't care anymore? APW is one of the few places on the internet where I can stand to read the comments section. In fact, sometimes the comments are more insightful than the content. One of the c omme...

So far on my blog I've been focusing more on the "wonder" part of my life, with nothing about the employment side of the equation. I've realized that when you don't have a one-word job title, like lawyer, accountant, or teacher, it's hard for people to understand or remember what you "do". It's okay, I get it because I'm the same way! But I'd like to take the time to explain more because my work does mean a lot to me. I am currently working as the problem gambling project coordinator at a small non-profit in Chinatown. I help educate health providers, students, and the general community about problem gambling, including how to gamble responsibly, how to recognize when gambling becomes a problem, and how addictions work in general. Many people I talk to have never heard of problem gambling. (They call it "problem gambling" when you have symptoms of gambling addiction, but not enough to have a DSM-V diagnosis of pathological gam...

A little Monday afternoon jaunt to Half Moon Bay. I am so thankful for the time and freedom to take these spontaneous excursions with the one person who always says "yes" to my "let's go!".

  This is the soundtrack for today's post. (If you do not use Spotify, you can also click here to go to YouTube ). It's a little known fact, but I really enjoy country music. Currently, I am in love with Miranda Lambert and all her great song-stories about growing up, finding your path, and being your own person. This song, "Mama, I'm Alright", always makes me think of my own mama (minus the references to Texas and the Bible). Mama I'm okay out here I've seen how hard the world can be My step is sure and I know my name I'm strong just like you prayed I'd be I'm strong just like you prayed I'd be When my mom and I were in Vietnam this last time, we were having a fun seafood dinner by the ocean with my aunts and cousins. As we were waiting for the bill, one of my aunts stared into the dark water and said to my mom, “remember when we jumped into the sea, not knowing if we would ever be back?” My mom and aunt then laughed about it...

So have you ever considered a career in public service?   I asked this question to students over and over this past Thursday, when I joined the executive director of City Hall Fellows at a non-profit career fair at Stanford. We had an exhibitor table there, hoping to get students to consider CHF as one of their post-graduation options. Here was my 30-second speech so I can fill you in as well: City Hall Fellows is a fellowship program designed to help you understand how local government operates. You're placed in a full time job with City and County of San Francisco for one year. This is coupled with an educational component as well. Each week, you have a half-day seminar, where you meet with local leaders, tour different city operations, and learn more in-depth about specific communities. Most students were politely interested, took a brochure, and walked away. A few talked to me more since I was wearing a sticker that said "CHF Alum". They asked about my exper...