You could save a life

Janet Liang is 23. She's Chinese, and she needs a bone marrow transplant. She doesn't have much time left. 

Registration is quick and easy. I did it in a matter of minutes. Even if you can't help Janet, you might be a match for somebody else. After you register, within a week you should get a call confirming your interest. Then they'll send you a swab kit where you just swab the inside of your mouth. Easy peasy and it doesn't hurt! Send it back, and you'll be contacted if you are match for anybody in the network. 

Canadian Friends: Head on over to http://www.onematch.ca/ to join and become a donor

American Friends: Register online through Team Janet: http://join.bethematch.org/TeamJanet

Friends specifically in SoCal & NoCal: There are several drives taking place in the next few days, please take the time to find out your nearest location and head on over to register*:
http://www.asianmarrow.org/index.php/donor/list-of-drives (SoCal)
http://www.aadp.org/drive (NoCal)

*Registration is super quick and easy. Only requires a cheek swab + filling out a couple of forms.*

Janet's Website: http://www.helpingjanet.com/
Her blog: http://janetliang.wordpress.com/
Her FB page: https://www.facebook.com/helpingjanet


Update: In September 2012, Janet passed away after a three-year battle with leukemia. Her Facebook page posted the following:

Janet has served as an inspiration to all those who knew her. Her big heart and big smile was something that we all cherished. And although she never fulfilled her dream of being a teacher, she has taught us all one very important lesson: love. Despite battling leukemia for 3 years, she has always found it within her to make her situation more than about herself. Her campaign to raise awareness and advocate for bone marrow donors was for the love of her fellow human. She has certainly taught all of us to love one another, and live each day as if it were our last. After bravely fighting cancer for three years, she has finally found her peace.

Hello, 2012. I've been waiting for you.

It has been a few months since I've blogged. It's not for lack of time, but rather a lack of motivation.

But now, it's a new year, a chance for fresh starts. I have big plans for this year. I'm optimistic. I finished school, though I'm not certified yet because I have yet to meet the minimum speed requirements. My goal is to get the diploma within six months. It's on my bucket list after all. But at least I can say I'm done paying my college tuition! OSAP is next. On the professional front, I was recently offered the opportunity to work at the court reporting firm that I've been eyeing for the last two years! I'm starting to feel like my hard work is starting to pay off. Slowly, but surely. I know I have a looooong way to go. But it's nice to see some actual progress.

On the personal front, I've had to do a lot of soul searching lately. I'm not entirely convinced that I'm happy and I've been trying to figure out how to fill the void. I feel like life has gotten routine, almost boring. But then again, after a year of skydiving and outdoor adventures, anything else would seem boring =P I have a full season of snowboarding ahead of me, with dragon boat to look forward to in the spring. I'm trying to work out on a more regular basis, as I'm doing the Spartan Race this summer, and I'm determined to train for it, as opposed to my lackluster attempt last summer for the Warrior Dash. I'm hoping that these goals (I prefer to avoid the ever-so-popular "resolutions") can be achieved by taking baby steps and sharing the journey with others. Spartan Race, dragon boating, even snowboarding, they all involve other people. We push each other. My running mates will push me to train for the race, dragon boat is a team sport, and I'm constantly being encouraged by my friends to push myself harder when I board -- harder, faster, deeper, stronger (not just a dboat cheer!). I'm aiming for a grab with my board as early as this weekend.

I tried to cross "donating blood" off my bucket list last month, but after walking into a donor clinic without an appointment, I was turned away because they were fully booked. Lesson learned: book an appointment. So I did. I returned this week to give it another shot (no pun intended?) Unfortunately, this time, after some preliminary tests, I was told that my hemoglobin levels were too low to donate *sad face* With a level of 124, I was in the lower but still healthy range, but they needed at least 125 (I only missed by one!) to ensure that my body could afford to lose blood. That being said, I'm still determined to donate blood. I'm allowed to try again in 56 days, so I'll be eating lots of red meat and fibre and protein until then!

Another bucket list item I've been putting off until the new year: Project 365. Granted, I could have started at any time, but starting it at the beginning of a new year seemed appropriate. Follow it here: lisaproject365.tumblr.com

"...I hope you will have a wonderful year, that you'll dream dangerously and outrageously, that you'll make something that didn't exist before you made it, that you will be loved and that you will be liked, and that you will have people to love and to like in return. And, most importantly (because I think there should be more kindness and more wisdom in the world right now), that you will, when you need to be, be wise, and that you will always be kind."  --Neil Gaiman