I’ve never watched the show completely before but I’ve seen it in passing when I channel surf. The studio set was really small. Audience member size is about fiftyish. The hosts Spencer Christian and Janelle Wang were witty and engaging. They spent time interacting with the audience before the show started which was really pleasant. The show is usually a live one but this episode will be the last episode they will air on TV. That day, taping consisted of 3 cooking segments, 2 talks with guest speakers, and 2 off-studio taped segments. In my opinion they have too many things jammed in the show that there’s no substance and meaty information to be gathered from each segment.

For one hour, I sat on the audience seat area, just watching, smiling, clapping as we have been told to. Unlike in my previous TV show experience, I wasn’t fed in this one even though they presented and cooked 2 recipes. There were no snacks, prizes to be won (like in Ellen), autographs to be signed, and no picture taking (only after when the taping ended)! The only “consolation” was their souvenir shop is selling items half-off. It was boring and disappointing. Oh well, next time I do this, I’ll try Ellen.

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The day started with lectures regarding terrorism, disaster psychology and search and rescue. I was most interested with the terrorism topic. Of course in the US it’s very much real. And terrorism wasn’t equated immediately to muslim faction but according to the lecture it could be anyone – from a religious sect, or a political group, and of any race. At 2009 alone, US had 12 terrorism attack.

Since I was looking forward to the field work, the lectures kind of bored me. They were really informative though. For our field work we get to do

cribbing, a little bit of first aid training, and a brief search and rescue. Of course these are all in an ideal situation – no sense of panic, no disaster, everything is scripted. So somehow I felt deflated doing those exercises because it’s all mock-up. The only exciting part I was able to do was put out a fire using a fire extinguisher. We used the water hydrant instead of the regular fire extinguisher type ABC.

We ended the day with the officers of CERT giving out certifications for the completion of course. All in all, CERT is a good training for disaster preparedness. Having that extra training can help alleviate panic and process quick thinking during a disaster. So I recommend people to take this course if it’s available in your community. Knowledge is always handy!

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Two years ago, I joined a hiking group in our community. We went to Big Basin Creek at Half Moon Bay. It was more than 10 miles hike. That experience ruined my love for hiking. It was long, the pace was hard, and I wasn’t wearing proper hiking shoes. My feet just died. So for the next year or so, I didn’t join any of their hiking trip. Then came my Yosemite trip which hiking was part of the itinerary. Even though the Mist Trail was 3 miles long, the elevation was so ridiculous! It was uphill all the way and I was left trailing behind my group for  good 45 minutes before I could catch up with them.

I decided that next time I went hiking, I have to research the trip properly before I dive into the activity. First, I went and bought me a pair of proper hiking shoes. It served me well in Yosemite. Second, I made sure the distance of the hike, elevation of the area, and the weather for that day before I join the trip. A week ago, I decided to join that same hiking group to a hiking trip at Nisene Marks Park at Aptos. According to the details of the trip, it was 6 miles long with slight elevation. Great! My kind of hike!

Hiking is a good exercise for me. I’ve recently noticed that I’m gaining weight and I’m having a problem losing them. I decided to take up tennis and hiking. I just need to have an outlet for health. Going on a hike also allows me to travel beyond my community. I don’t go out much so this is a good way of seeing places. I like the group that I hiked with. They were all above 40 years old and the hike leader Tom was probably 60y/o. Nonetheless, they were really good hikers. They kept a good pace and they seem not to be panting whereas I was ready to call it quits.

Hiking trails are picturesque. For my recent trip, it was  all redwood trees, redwood trees, and redwood trees. I would have loved to see animals but the only animal I saw was a banana slug. I brought my Vivitar camera with me to take pictures. I would not be surprised if the prints come out greenish! In addition to, that much close to trees reenergized my brain and body. I think I have breathed all the oxygen I needed for the next two weeks.  

The group’s next hike would be at Point Reyes which was 13 miles. I’m going to sit that one out. After the 7-mile hike my feet were tired, my muscles were sore and if not for my weekly tennis workout, I wouldn’t have been able to move properly for the next three days. Even though there’s only a short uphill trail,  my legs were screaming. However thanks to my group who weren’t as fast as younger people, I was able to catch up with them.

Hopefully my endurance will continue to grow and I can participate in longer hikes. But for now, I’d rather have fun hiking.

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In the Bay Area, 4th of July festivities are celebrated in different cities. Redwood City is famous for it’s Independence Day parade. Not only do they have parades but also carnival rides, booths, and family fun activities. Only this year that Redwood City didn’t have its fireworks because of city budget reasons. San Francisco offers live bands in different areas of the city. This year at Pier 39, they had live bands and the fireworks there. I would love to watch the fireworks in San Francisco but it was reputed to be crowded and unruly so I skipped that. San Jose has this big concert and fireworks, Mountain View is the same. So if you’re in the area and want to participate in the celebration, just google the city’s event information.

As for my celebration I went to the one at Leo J Ryan Park at Foster City. I prepared the picnic and my mom and I arrived in the site past 6pm. Fireworks show was at 930pm. So why did we came early? In this kind of event, the city usually closed down the streets to the event area. Last time, I was disappointed that I wasn’t able to see the Redwood City fireworks up close because we weren’t able to enter the viewing area because the roads were closed already. So it’s really important to go in early. I don’t know if the venue was too big or there weren’t just many attendees but the place wasn’t really super crowded considering this city has the only fireworks across many cities.

We were able to secure a spot in front of the amphitheater where a band, Skynnyn Lynnrd was set to perform. We had our chinese food picnic (gyoza and fired rice), ipod touch, and for my mom her phone with bejeweled game. For the next 3 and half hours we were just enjoying the band playing. I also had to insert the thing about bathrooms. The venue had portable toilets all over the areas but boy was the line too long (like zigzagging long). So better use the bathroom before you go to this kind of event. Foster City had the celebration going on for the whole day. They had dog parades, family parades, booths, diffrerent music bands playing throughout the day. I was only after the fireworks so we came later.

At exactly 930pm (I really love American time), the fireworks started. We had a nice view from where we’re sitting. We were up close that looking up cause me stiff neck. The fireworks weren’t spectacular unlike previous ones I’ve seen but I had fun watching it and it’s fireworks. I just love fireworks!

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THE REGISTERED DENTAL ASSISTANT (RDA) LAW & ETHICS EXAMINATION HAS BEEN TEMPORARILY SUSPENDED

Recently the Dental Board of California (DBC) learned that the integrity of the Registered Dental Assistant (RDA) Law and Ethics written examination, which is one of several statutory requirements that needs to be successfully completed to obtain California registered dental assistant licensure, has been compromised. Exam administration at all test sites has been temporarily suspended until the DBC can investigate the breach and develop a new written examination…

As DBC is aware that this will affect licensure for many candidates, we are focusing our efforts to remediate the situation as soon as possible. Although currently DBC does not have an expected date for the new exam, DBC’s Web site will be used as an outreach modality to keep all stakeholders informed. Please visit DBC’s Web site for updates.

We will work diligently to minimize the delay in licensure and wish you success in achieving licensure in the State of California.

Actually this has been posted for 2 months already. I don’t know if my exam was part of the leakage but without receiving the test result for the Law and Ethics exam yet, I think it is. I called up DBC a lot of times and I’ve been passed around to one voicemail after another. One particular counselor named Laura, was helpful to pass me to her manager. But there has been no response from the manager. Laura couldn’t give me an update of my license and it seems they are so tight-lipped about the RDA licensing.

So tough luck for all of us who took the exam and for the future applicants because this will cause serious delay. Up to now I’ve been waiting and waiting and waiting. The Dental Board definitely needs to step up their game because it’s unfair for us applicants and it doesn’t hurt to post updated information in the web to keep us from wondering what has happened to our application.

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My love for the sport had me begging my dad to enroll me in a tennis sports clinic. Every summer there’s this program from a particular brand (Milo) which offers summer training for all types of sports. So I registered and bought my tennis racquet. Watching a lot of tennis games, I basically knew the play rules. I just wanted to get down to the skill part. But that summer clinic was a disappointment. The coach didn’t show us anything but had us dribbling the tennis balls with our rackets, running around the court and basically learning nothing about tennis skills.

When I came to the US, I was excited to see that our community offers tennis lessons at a very affordable price. Now that I have saved up some money, I am able to enroll in one of the tennis courses they offer. And summer is the best time to learn the sport since it wouldn’t be too cold outside. The community tennis lessons have 3 levels: novice, low-intermediate, and high-intermediate. I have registered in the novice course. Armed with my tennis racket and spanking new tennis shoes, I was excited to begin my lessons.

This time I have learned a lot. There were 8 of us in the class. Except for me and another girl, all of them were couples. I could say that I’m the poorest or second to the poorest student there. I don’t learn quickly enough unlike the other members and I commit the same mistakes again and again. And sometimes I have problem with my eyes because I will complete miss hitting the ball. But I have enjoyed learning the skills needed to play tennis. At first I have had trouble locking my wrists. I thought that this sport will be hazardous for my professional career as a dentist. However as I hit the balls more frequently, I developed a stronger arm. I’m still flabby in other parts though, lol.

Every session the coach taught us different skills: forehand, backhand, serve, lobby, etc. I’m proud to say that I can serve – only 1 out of ten though the ball will get in the service box. Hehe. I’m so happy that I know how to play! According to the USTA standing, I have a 2-2.5 skill level.  Next week will be the last week for our class. I have decided not to continue to the next course level. My problem is not that I’m not learning fast but I’m just not practicing enough to improve my skills. Recently I have looked up tennis social meet-up groups in my area and hopefully I can start practicing what I’ve learned  and losing that flab soon!

Wimbledon here I come!

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I went to see the highly acclaimed Broadway show, “Wicked” last Sunday with my mom and aunts. My aunt tipped us about this lottery ticket at Orpheum theater. On certain days, Orpheum theater raffles off 25USD ticket (which normally costs 70-150) to see their shows. We were happy that we won those tickets. But my happiness was shortlived when I saw our seating arrangement. We were seated at the very far side of the orchestra near the wall and 3 rows from the stage. I had a stiff neck watching the show.

The discomfort and my sudden allergy attack (I was embarrassed to be sneezing loudly frequently during the show) somewhat watered down the pleasure of watching the show. Despite those circumstances, I saw why Wicked was such a big Broadway success.

Wicked tells of the history of the wicked witch of the west, Elphaba and the good witch of Oz, Glinda. Elphaba from the day she was born was shunned and abhorred by many people because of her unattractive asparagus green skin.

She was ugly and rejected by her father, her classmates and she had no friends. Her sole purpose was to take care of her invalid sister, who later would become the wicked witch of the East. Glinda, was the antithesis of Elphaba and adored by many because of her beauty and charming personality. At school Glinda and Elphaba were forced to be roommates. Glinda eventually saw the kindness in Elphaba and decided to make her popular and they became best friends. When the great wizard of Oz summoned Elphaba, Elphaba brought Glinda along with her. Instead of being impressed, Elphaba was stunned that the wizard of Oz was just a mere man with no powers and he was the cause why a lot of the animals in Oz were turning into mute. Elphaba took the ancient book of sorcery and escaped from the wizard. The wizard, in order to protect his reputation, declared Elphaba a fugitive and the cause of wicked chaos going around Oz. The people turned against Elphaba and declared her the wicked witch. Only Glinda knew the truth but because she wanted to maintain her good reputation as the good witch, she didn’t speak out. From there on the show linked up the story of Dorothy, the cowardly lion, the tin man and the wicked witch of the east.

The show was truly remarkable. I thought it could use a little more funny and witty dialogues to be more entertaining though. The theater production was fantastic – the costumes were very elaborate, the stage props and backdrop were colorful and artistic in design, the music was outstanding. The actors were really world-class. They had beautiful voices that captivated and commanded attention. I liked Glinda the most because she had witty lines and very funny acting – she acted like a dumb blonde but not in a bad way. Eden Espinosa who played Elphaba truly deserved a standing ovation for her superb portrayal of the wicked witch and her very strong singing voice. I loved her rendition of “Defying Gravity” the most and the part when she just raised her voice as she was lifted up to the stage. I also liked how they explained Dorothy’s arrival in Oz and how the Tin Man and Cowardly lion came about.

It’s been advertised that this show would be running its last leg. So for those who hadn’t watch it yet, I suggest you do before you miss a truly spectacular show.

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RAFT stands for  Resource Area for Teaching:

RAFT’s vision is that all teachers inspire their students with the joy and discovery of learning. RAFT wants educators to transform the classroom environment into 21st century learning environments through the use of RAFT’s content, materials and ideas. RAFT’s innovative process for converting commonly discarded business materials into "hands-on" classroom activities supports teachers and preserves the environment. These hundreds of packaged classroom kits are created around important concepts in science, math, reading, and art.

RAFT also serves as a professional organization for teachers, offering workshops and opportunities for mentoring and professional development. RAFT provides teachers access to all of this at a low cost.

All around the state of California, there’s a widespread teachers getting laid off, school budget cuts, closing of some schools because of lack of funding. RAFT helps the education system by helping teachers afford instructional materials to bring up a well-educated students.

When I went inside the RAFT office, I expected to get filthy because I thought the volunteer work involved “transforming garbage into teaching materials”. But I didn’t expect an Arts and Craft treasure trove. Their idea of “garbage” is not literally trash but company donated surplus materials. For example they have boxes of cupcake party kit which were donated because it seemed that those kits were found “dirty” because of unsanitary practice in the factory. They seemed clean to me but because it didn’t pass the regulations, they couldn’t sell it hence they donated it to be used as arts and crafts by teachers.

What truly amazed me were the teachers who are so dedicated in their job shelling out from their own pockets to give their kids the best education. Heck if my art class and art teacher had this very creative teaching materials, I could be a creative genius. So I say kudos to the teachers and RAFT.

To learn more about RAFT, click here.

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I expected “serious” golf to be just like miniature golf. But boy was I wrong. My dad bought a golf club set (or almost a set) for 20USD from a rummage sale. He always bring 2 iron and 1 driver. For those clueless in golf (like me), there are 3 kinds of golf club: iron, driver, and putter.

In the driving range, first we warmed up for a few seconds. We do our stretches using the golf club with focus on the upper body. After, my dad instructed me on the proper posture for hitting the ball. Feet apart, knees slightly bent, shoulders straight, left arm straight gripping the club, right arm loosely bent and gripping the club, and club at 60 degrees angle from the body.

I was so focused on the proper posture that for the most part of my driving, I was feeling awkward and stiff. Like how can I swing the club if my left arm should always be straight? How can I straighten my shoulder and prevent myself from stooping down when my club is too low and short to reach the ball? I fear that sometimes I may release the club while swinging because my hands are just gripping it insecurely. Needless to say I only hit past 50 yards once. Some balls flew 2 feet away from me.

The next golf practice I went to, I was reluctant to play. Surprisingly though when I started to play, I became more loose and comfortable with my posture. I practice hitting without the ball first. Then when I hit the golf balls, I was ecstatic to see it going further many times. I think it was 4 times when I was able to hit the ball past 50 yards. That’s a big improvement! I practiced mostly with the iron club however when I tried the driver, I enjoyed the lightness of the club which makes it easier for me to swing.

For now, my golf practice is suspended since my dad is away on a vacation. I really don’t mind playing or not playing. It’s a fun sport though once you start hitting the ball to a far distance. Though one thing for sure, I’m not the next Tiger Woods sans scandal.

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Anyway I scheduled my exam online through psiexams.com. First I check for my records and I entered my control number which is given by the boards. Initially I didn’t have eligibility for the Law and Ethics exam because I think I forgot to mail the Boards my copies of Dental Practice Act and Infection Control certificates. So I diligently called DBC to rectify this problem and they were able to give my eligibility record for Law and Ethics 4 weeks before I take my RDA written exam. I then scheduled Law and Ethics a day before the RDA written exam.

There were no testing centers less than 20 miles from where I live so I chose the nearest venues which are Santa Clara for Law and Ethics exam, and San Francisco for the RDA exam. Fees are 23 and 43 respectively. It is compulsory to arrive 30 minutes before the scheduled exam time because registration can take a while especially if there are lot of people taking the exam. Basically you can’t carry anything with you even a jacket without a pocket. The testing site is warm so jacket or long-sleeved shirts are not needed. They’ll provide you scratch paper, pencil and ear plugs, none of which I used. Leave your bags in the car, just bring your keys and ID. The proctor will provide you a big brown envelope to store your keys and other stuffs which you bring inside to the testing room because they don’t have lockers.

Law and Ethics Exam

I didn’t have a game plan on how to study for the Law and Ethics exam until I decided to research it over the Internet on tips for this exam. It’s a good thing I did that because the exam comprises a lot of stuff. Even though it’s only 1 hour and 60 questions, a thorough knowledge of the law and ethics as implemented and regulated by the Boards is needed.

So where will the questions be coming from? In the PSI handbook, there is an outline for the exam. I looked for the information on the citations provided in different sources:

1. the Business and Penal Code,

2. California Code of Regulations,

3. Penal Code 11166,

4. American Dental Association code of ethics,

5. California Dental Association code of ethics, and

6. Dental Assisting National Boards

I printed all the citations and read through them twice and made notes. This served me well because the exam was very objective in questions and not much into situational problems. I finished in under 30 minutes having reviewed all the questions and my answers twice. I thought I would get my results immediately but when I came to the front, the receptionist told me that the board will mail me my results. The board is actually reviewing the exam so it’ll take 30 days before I get my results. Hopefully I pass.

CA Dental Assisting Exam

The next day I went to Candlestick Point, San Francisco to take my CA Dental Assisting exam. This exam has 155 questions and 3 hours in duration. My exam started at 1030am and as usual I went in the center 30 minutes ahead of time to do the registration first.

I didn’t have any reference books to study for this exam except the review/exam books I borrowed from our city’s public library. And those sample questions in the books are really hard making me worry that the exam will be more difficult than I thought. I just prayed that I will wing it.

As it turned out, it was easier than I anticipated. I couldn’t remember the exam questions because I think they flew from head as soon as I stepped out of the building. I got my exam result immediately after I hit the end button in the computer. Although the test duration was 3 hours, I finished in under 1.5 hours that’s with reviewing all the questions and my answers twice. I don’t want to stay late because my dad who drove was getting hungry. Hahahaha.

God is so good! The exam was easy. Lots of questions about infection control especially on hazardous materials, sterilization, disinfection, waterlines; restorative procedures such as base, sealants, cement; smattering questions on medical emergency eg seizure, candidiasis, smokeless tobacco, endo procedure on paper points, periodontal dressing, ortho wire, ortho molar band remover, tooth and caries identification, nitrous oxide, coronal polishing, etc. There’s no questions on dental office management.

After the exam, the proctor gave me my copy of my test result and informed me that the board will give me my license in 30 days since I’ve already submitted my fingerprinting summon papers at the time when I mailed my RDA exam application forms.

Hopefully the license issue process will be smooth sailing and I can get my license within a month. I’ll keep you posted.

God bless to all those who are going to take the exams. I hope you pass!

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