074 sweet and salty

Dr. Dinh is in! Photo credits to Joanna Rao

After each adventure into academia, I always say to myself, "That went by so fast!". I will continue to utter this phrase with every life moment that passes by, waving its hand, directing me into whatever unknown awaits.

My pharmacy rotation experience is likened to walking through fire, but excellent in every way imaginable. I remember nights when I was a blubbering mess because of my self-inflicted idea of failure in disappointing my preceptors. But more often, I remember months when I joyfully looked forward to the next day of what I would learn and how I can grow. The past year taught me perseverance, time management, humility, teamwork and most importantly, how to love others.

These past nine months was a taste of the working world. I would describe it as salty and sweet. The grind of each day, whether it be 6AM to 8PM, 9AM to 5PM, or 12PM to 8PM, brought on the salty taste of hardwork that is often left unappreciated and unnoticed. Yet, the reward in helping a patient, praise in one's work, and human redemption was a sweetness that balanced the saltiness of each day.

The working world is drastically different from school and I found that being a Christian in the professional world takes on a slight variation of the flavor while I was in school. Here's what I brought to the table:

1) Spend time with God. In prayer. In the Word. On your commute to and from work. In the shower. While you're making food. I set an alarm early in the year on my phone labeled "Dad Time" to remind me to do devotions at 10PM every night. During the first few months of rotations, it was a glad reminder to take respite after a long day of work. As the months wore on and with different rotations, I fell into the habit setting a special time (not always at 10PM) aside to either do devotions, read the Word etc. The alarm is still set at the same time as a reminder for me that setting apart time with my Father is important. The time I spent in daily prayer and/or Word was critical in my attitude day to day.

I recall the story of Jesus visiting the sisters Mary and Martha. Martha was so busy preparing the house, she did not have anytime to spend with Jesus. On the other hand, Mary sat at Jesus' feet to listen to him. Martha was upset with Mary and implored Jesus to tell her sister to help her to which Jesus gently responded,

"Martha, Martha, you are anxious and troubled about many things, but one thing is necessary. Mary has chosen the good portion, which will not be taken away from her.”

This story in Luke 10 is an important reminder to place Christ as our number one priority despite the hectic life that consumes us with worldly things.

Keeping this lesson in mind and with much stumbling along the day, by the end of my rotations, I was not running on empty fumes but by God's grace and by the power of the Holy Spirit.

2) Work hard. In school, it was very easy to share the Gospel with others. At work, company policies and work etiquette often discourages the discussion of faith in the work environment. Opportunities to share the Gospel may seem more difficult to find without a discerning eye. While I waited patiently for those opportunities, God reminded me to live out the Gospel through strong work ethic. For me, living out my testimony pointed me to 2 Cor 5:17. I am in Christ and the old has gone and the new has come! For me, obedience to Christ looked like coming to work on time, turning projects on time, being proactive, helping others and not cutting corners. I was saved to do good works and I want to live it! People would notice and entrusted me with more responsibility professionally, and to my surprise, personally. And these are the moments to share what God has already done on the cross, and what a good work He has done indeed!

3) Love like Christ loves. I admit, this portion is tough to swallow. It is much easier to love the person who has been super joyful to have you counsel them on how to take their medication than the jaded patient who likes to perpetuate their bitterness onto others or the preceptor who enjoys lording their superiority at your own cost. Yet Christ calls us to love one another. Not to exalt ourselves, but Him!

"A new commandment I give to you, that you love one another: just as I have loved you, you also are to love one another. By this all people will know that you are my disciples, if you have love for one another.” (John 13:33-34)

Matt 5:46-48 takes it a step further to love those who don't love you back. Definitely an area I am still growing in.

4) Listen to others. As a pharmacist and pretty much most jobs, you're going to be interacting with co-workers, clients, customers, or patients daily. It's sometimes easy to pass off the next person you're serving as a statistic/profit in your daily queue to simply get things done. However, each person you are serving has a story and a soul. Listening goes a long way and tuning an attentive ear gives rise for opportunities to glorify Him!

5) Speak with kindness. Listening to others and speaking with kindness go hand-in-hand. I don't mean sucking up to your employer or being a push-over but I mean speaking with thoughtfulness and consideration. Saying "You suck and need improvement" and "I noticed you have been coming in late more often. How have you been doing lately? What can we do to avoid this from happening more often in the future?" can mean the same thing but one sounds much nicer than the other and is more likely to respond better. Open communication is key for any type of relationship. I'm not the best when it comes to speaking with kindness, and each day I pray for God to grace my mouth and mind with wisdom.

Much of what I learned while on rotations is a revamped dish from some lesson I learned while in school. Though I feel most of them originate from my favorite, humble pie. I definitely pushed this food analogy too far, but it's past the point of no return now.

Switching gears, right now I am studying for my NAPLEX, MPJE, and CPJE and in the meantime, looking for the elusive "job", and considering re-applying for residency depending on where my interests are in the next few months.

I wait in great anticipation with what God has already planned ahead, trusting in His sweet goodness and sovereignty.

073

This past Sunday was my 23rd birthday and next Monday will be one year since my baptism, my spiritual birthday. There has been so much reason to celebrate, not for my physical birth or even my public declaration of faith, but a celebration that this was the year where I learned what it mean to deny myself. I celebrate my death. I celebrate that Christ not only died for me, but He died as me.

I thought the price of obedience to God looked like a relationship born out of duty, humility, and letting go of worldly desires. It isn't even close. It is so much better - infinitely so!  Obedience to my Dad is trading in my petty wants and desires for His desires - which is by no means an easy feat - for ultimate joy.

If I could compare my own desires to a pocketful of sunshine - doing well in school, traveling to all 7 continents, being an awesome pharmacist, getting married, sleeping in til 9PM, eating anything I want and not suffering from imagined-GERD - then the joy of God is like the very sun itself multiplied by the number of stars in strength and magnitude. That is how weak my desires are compared to the desires of my Dad and what He wants for me. How could I refuse? I can't! Haha! There is so much more to be said but I was not gifted with words nor eloquence but I was given His joy for my obedience.

072

This Sunday I went to my first Christmas church service at Sugar Creek in Texas. Not saying I haven't attended a Christmas service before, but this year, Christmas fell on a Sunday. There was a lot of singing, praise was infused with classic Christmas songs, prose, special performances and the pastor gave the message. I don't even remember the pastor's name and am embarrassed to say I don't remember much of the message either but it was probably about the nativity scene.

A duet came on the stage and sang this song. The lyrics are about how Christ could have had the choice to enter the world with all pomp and circumstance - all of heaven's power at his fingertips! He could have descended upon us like a rushing wind, a furious storm, or a blazing fire but no, Christ came like a winter slow, quiet, soft and slow in the form of a baby. One of us. Grace came to us in the night, nestled in a manger. It's really beautiful when I think about it. A powerful, awe-inspiring being, God in the flesh, reduced to the form of a crying babe to be with us and to save us. Light finally came to scatter the shadows.

We ended the service by candlelight. There was probably close to 500 of us in that room each holding a small lit candle singing "Silent Night". The scene was very still and quiet like a winter snow. 

071 Friends I Can't Wait to Meet Revisited

It’s been about a year and half since I wrote this post about people I am looking forward to meet in my future. I am revisiting this list because not only have I met these friends I have added more.

Nomadic Herdsman: Ok, the likelihood I am going to run into one of these guys is low but after reading The Alchemist, who wouldn't want to meet a shepherd boy turned adventurer in search of his dreams? Can you imagine the stories and seeds of wisdom just frothing out like a root beer float? I'll meet you Santiago at the Pyramids.
-----> (Update 12.23.11) Ana Laura Gonzales; it took me awhile to realize this one but my Pequena is a living embodiment of Paulo Coelho’s Santiago. She has a Personal Legend and the universe is conspiring to help her achieve it!

Prophetic Artist: Amy Shain (07.30.10)

Wine Aficionado: Stephen Anthony Lee (05.31.10)

Knight: ---

Parkour Dude: ---

Recent additions:
 
Boy with the Bread: Aka Peeta Mellark from Suzanne Collin’s The Hunger Games Trilogy. I adore this character. He’s kind, witty, charming and self-sacrificing. And he can bake bread and paint! HE’S SO GENUINE! Even though he is a fictional character, somewhere in the world a personality like him exists. What a friend he would make!

A prince: I’ve always wanted to meet someone royal just to say I have!
-----> (Update 09.18.2011) Prince Henry Ankrah; my very own mentee! Who would have known? And such a godly man as well. Congratulations Mr. and Mrs. Henry and Chioma Ankrah!

Walking Sunshine: This friend is the sort of person who radiates warmth and light by merely standing in their presence. You feel strengthened by their light like sunrays and you know a conversation with them will leave you with a smile and feeling better.
-----> (Update 12.23.2011) an individual who was also right under my nose! Thank you Miss Hanna Sung for entering my life and reminding me of how much I am in love with my Jesus.

070

Little blogger, how have I neglected you!

I come with no comics, interning stories, or any sort of the ramblings that I usually write about but I come with the Doggelganger - a New Zealand pet adoption agency that matches your face with a dog you resemble most!

One day, one day, you will be mine Merlin. 

069

A couple of weeks ago, Dr. Al was going over his lecture on antidepressants. Sometimes when I am in class, the lecture passes by like how adults talk in Charlie Brown. I honestly try to stay engaged in lecture most of the time, but there are days when the lecture is especially boring.

Dr. Al has been one of my favorite professors in pharmacy school so far, next to Dr. Chan and Dr. Guo. He always makes me laugh and that day in lecture was no different. Let me introduce to you, melatonin, or how Dr. Al puts it, "The Hormone of Darkness".

Less than 10 days, and I will be done with my first year of pharmacy school. Aaaah yeeea!

068

Today I feel inadequate.

067

Today was my last day of community IPPE and it was so bittersweet. It is amazing how 160 hours have flown by so quickly yet so slowly at the same time. Even though it was my last day, Gregg wasn't even there. So I will have to drive back up to get my affidavit signed anyway. A Pacific alum named Chris was the RPh for the day. He had tattoos all over his arms and showed me pictures of his other tattoos on his chest too. If you could imagine what a pharmacist should look like, he definitely was not that.

Chris is quite the chatterbox as well. I am pretty sure he broke some sort of confidentiality while divulging his nephew's personal life to me who I so happen to know. When we weren't talking about pharmacy, our conversations dabbled in music, raising a family, religion, and Dr. Floriddia.

Even more impressive, I was able to have these conversations while filling AND making calls...LIKE A BOSS. I felt my last day was a good way to end my last days at the Laguna Blvd CVS. I will miss you Gregg, Gordon, Crystal, Carla, Ronish, and Cindy. You guys make an amazing pharmacy team and I have learned so much from all of you.

I will be heading into my geriatrics IPPE next semester which I am looking forward too but I know it will present its own unique challenges. My friend Daniel, who just finished his geriatrics IPPE, told me a depressing story on his last day. He was talking with one of the nurses and a patient comes in asking where his wife was. The nurse calmly replied, "Remember, she passed away?" He had forgotten that his wife has died just a few weeks before. That story just breaks my heart and I really hope I will have the strength to stay positive.

066 beautiful things

I heard this song during Easter service this year and I heard it again on the radio yesterday. As much as I try to imitate nature when I paint or draw things, it is never as close to the real deal. I can only aspire to be as great of an artist as the original Creator himself. He makes beautiful things out of dust. He makes beautiful things out of us.

065

Grace is the overflowing favor of God, and you can always count on it being available to draw upon when needed. "...in much patience, in tribulations, in needs, in distresses" - that is where our patience is tested (2 Corinthians 6:4). It is not a question of praying and asking God to help you, it is taking the grace of God now. We tend to make prayer the preparation for our service, yet it is never than in the Bible. Prayer is the practice of drawing on the grace of God. Don't say, "I will endure this until I can get away and pray." Pray now - and draw on the grace of God in your moment of need.

In all things, display in your life a drawing on the grace of God, which will show evidence to yourself and to other that you are a miracle of His. Let circumstances take you where they will, but keep drawing on the grace of God in whatever condition you may find yourself. One of the greatest proofs that you are drawing on the grace of God is that you can be totally humiliated before others without displaying even the slightest trace of anything but His grace.

Excerpt taken from my My Utmost For His Highest by Oswald Chambers, June 26.

It is amazing the amount of God's grace that has been poured into, over, and all around me all my life. And even more throughout college and pharmacy school. It really is true that his grace and provision will always be more than enough. Today, while I was in the office, I found out I received two scholarships toward my pharmacy education. The first thing I did when I found out was thank God and then I called my parents to let them know the good news. I am immensely grateful and as I sit here, all I can think about all the blessings that have taken the form of people, opportunities, gifts, and memories that God has filled my life with.

064

I am feeling much better now.

---

I'm in pharmacy school and I would like to think I have matured a little since my days as a wee freshman in college. But some things don't change.

Last week I went into the pharmacy for the first time since midterms started and as I was doing the usual dispensing, consulting, and doing my intern thang, I pull out a label for Cialis. Awhile back, I wrote an entry on this prescription drug and I mentioned to Gregg how the first question he told me to research pertained to this drug. Not content to leave the conversation as it was, he told me to look up its duration of action and how often a patient can use this drug on my handy-dandy smartphone that I bought recently. After much scrambling, I managed to find the literature and report to him my answer.

As I was putting away baskets, he tells me, "You need to face reality".

Me: "...huh?"

Gregg: "Some people do it everyday".

Me:
Fortunately, I haven't had the opportunity to consult a patient on Cialis yet but I imagine I wouldn't be able to keep a straight face. I'm not trying to laugh at the poor guy's flaccidness or anything, I just don't think I have reached that level of maturity yet.

I then proceeded to have the most awkward conversation with my preceptor about drinking, clubbing, and sex. He also told me how I would be a bitter person by the time I reach his age as a pharmacist. I told him, "My spirit will never be crushed!" And then Gregg, being the ball of sunshine he is, tells me, "10 years from now, I am going to come to your pharmacy and poop on your counter and leave it there. Let's see if you'll be happy then"

Gregg, I will bag your poop and gladly consult you how to properly dispose of it.

063

I feel abandoned and despite my best efforts to get out of this feeling, ironically, abandonment won't leave me.

Hebrews 13:5

New International Version (NIV)

⁵ Keep your lives free from the love of money and be content with what you have, because God has said,

“Never will I leave you;
never will I forsake you.”

062

The pharmacy was quite pleasant last Thursday and I had a very enjoyable and productive day. Gregg's task for me that day was to go through all the OTC aisles and write down every product I would recommend for certain disease states. It nearly took the entire day and I was overwhelmed by the sheer number of OTC and homeopathic remedies available. But it was definitely good to go through these products and now I can recommend ANY OTC! BUAHAHAH. I just need to go over the consultations and review their active ingredients...boo.

Back at school, I am taking an independent elective course that our group has lovingly called P.R.O.V.E: Pacific Rx Outreach Video Education (or something like that, we honestly just wanted a cool sounding acronym and everything else fell into place). The premise of the elective is to create patient education videos on drugs for certain disease states in a way that makes medical jargon make sense and show how your pharmacist is an awesome resource! Most importantly, we want to make these videos accessible to our patients who may not have the best health literacy so we plan on translating them in a variety of languages and focusing the videos on certain ethnic populations by incorporating familiar cultural aspects into our projects. ANYWAY, our first disease state we're tackling is diabetes and my job is the illustrator and finding information on glucose meters and test strips. So now this is where I tie in all the stuff I have been researching into the pharmacy setting...

The highlight of my most recent visit to the pharmacy was when I had finally reached the pharmacy counter to look up the diabetic meters and test strips. One of the techs was helping a customer in finding a lancet but instead, she was holding a glucose meter. She saw me, gave me a look of desperation, and left me there holding the glucose meter, my notebook, and a blank stare from the customer. In my head I was thinking, "Now is the the time to P.R.O.V.E my knowledge of diabetic devices!!!" Sure enough I explained to the patient what she was looking for and pointed her to the correct product. I felt like I was spewing rainbows because I was so glad to put my knowledge to use.

Bottom line: It feels good to help people.

061

Back in the pharmacy after a much needed and well-deserved break. To my surprise, I had a very good day because Gregg wasn’t there to ridicule and squash my self-esteem. In fact, it was very much the opposite today. Since Gregg is on vacation, a floater RPh came in to cover. He introduced himself as Gamal and instinctively I asked if he was Arabic and sure enough he is AND he added that he’s Egyptian! I think my eyes lighted up right there and then. Of course I shared with him how I went to Egypt the summer before and what I did there. Any free moment I had, I would drop as much Arabic I could member and Gamal would just laugh, I am pretty sure he was thinking, “who does this Asian girl think she is speaking my language?” I would like to think his incredulousness quickly turned into admiration because he even commented how good my accent was. Aaaw yeeyeaaah.

My ego inflated even more as the day progressed especially after this conversation.

RPh: On the phone talking to someone, “Yes, thank you Gameel” Hangs up the phone and turns to me, “Do you know what that means?”

Me: Gameel? Yah, it means beautiful.

RPh: I bet you got called that a lot while you were in Egypt.

I just laughed and this picture ran through my mind.

With my confidence reaching o infinity and beyond, I decided to be more assertive today. Whenever the tech would call for a consultation, I would just walk on over to the consultation window and do my intern thang. I was making calls like crazy while printing and filling. I was a multi-tasking machine. I had a new experience today too! AN ANGRY CUSTOMER! A customer called in today to see if we had an item in in stock. Unfortunately, I could not find his full list of prescription under the name he was providing me. I told him I would call him back because I was taking awhile (CVS computers are very slow). Even after searching and asking for help, I couldn’t find his prescription in the system. I called him back asking if he had called at a different pharmacy. With a huge exasperated sigh, he said “I’LL BE OVER IN TWO MINUTES”. At first I felt like an ant embracing its untimely demise under a large shoe but then I told myself, “NO, ANTOINETTE. YOU ARE DA BOMB TODAY!” Sure enough, in about 10 minutes, the customer came into the store and the tech calls my name, “Antoinette, you are being requested” I strut over (more like politely shuffle to the register) and offer my assistance to the customer. To make a long story short, he went by a different name in the system, the misunderstanding was resolved and we became best friends forever. He got his meds that he needed and he did not yell at me at all! The power of effective communication!

060 milk challenge

Over the course of my college career, I have noticed that I have become bloated and unpleasant whenever I consume milk products. And when I do, about an hour later I am running to the bathroom atop the porcelain queen in super saiyan mode. You could say that I have built up a mild case of lactose intolerance. I drank milk all the time when I was younger and it baffles me why it is such a problem now. If the enzymes required to break down lactose existed before, I am pretty sure they lie dormant somewhere in my body. A genetics book could explain this phenomenon but I'd rather experiment. This past week I have been chugging down milk in order to induce the enzyme lactase to reform in my body. It hasn't been so bad because I gradually drank milk in small quantities this past semester. This one time I ordered a small mocha, forgetting that they put milk in it, and within the hour, I ran out of the lecture to the bathroom. The funny thing is, my professor was talking about lactose intolerance at that point. I made sure to draw an illustration next to my notes for memories' sake.

Raging diarrhea is not fun. BUT, this past week has not been so bad. Not one day of diarrhea, just a few burps here and there. I think this experiment may be a success.

059 Ana Laura

The picture to the right is of my pequeña, Ana Laura, taken from her Facebook. She is currently studying abroad in Argentina.

When I first met her, I thought to myself, "We have nothing in common - I don't know how this is going to work out". It also didn't help that her boyfriend (at the time) painted a tainted image of me because we shared a class together and claimed that I was sooooo "bossy". Whatever. I would hear of complaints that this girl would never make it to her tour times, events, etc. As her Grande, I felt partially responsible for the lack of commitment to the job and told myself that I would talk to her about quitting. But I changed my mind because I felt I wasn't close enough to really have the right to say these things to her and I am very glad I didn't.

A chicken pot pie, broken gifts, many "MVIB's", and three years later, this lady and I share something very unique that I would never have imagined.

Despite her small stature, Ana Laura is a force to be reckoned with. Strong, intelligent, beautiful, dramatic, and a dreamer are some of the words that can describe her. I may not always agree with some of her life decisions but it always seems to turn out for the better and in the process, she has grown into a more mature woman that I could ever aspire to be. I wrote her a letter in one of my journals while I was in Egypt that I wanted to post up on this blog, but I can't seem to find it. In the letter, I wrote to her saying how I was so proud of her and that everything she has gone through is a beautiful struggle that is a testament to her character and growth.

Ana Laura is one of those people who you can't forget. And if you do, you're missing out on one of the greatest adventures of all.

058

About a week ago, I spent an afternoon at my friend's ranch. One of the many highlights of the day was jumping off some rocks into a cool pool of water that coursed its way through their family's land. The experience was something out of a book, like A Separate Peace, but without anyone dying. It was so surreal.

After returning to campus, even though I was physically at school, my mind was still back in Oakdale, where I had just spent a great day with my friends. My mind was replaying the day's events of walking through a herd of cows, jumping into freezing water, flying kites, and simply enjoying nature. It's sad for me to say that I once thought places like this did not exist anymore and I could only read about it in books. I don't mean to say that there is not enough nature around for me to enjoy. What I mean is that this day was a very intimate experience shared among a group of 18 friends and only us, no tourists, no outsiders, simply friends.

At times where I was walking by myself, I would think, "God, this place is beautiful. You made this. Thanks".

That day was the best way to start off my spring break. I don't know if I'll ever have the opportunity to go back but I sure would like to come back.

Credits to Yvonne Mai for the photograph. BOY'S CLUB! :o)

057 sodium challenge

As an aspiring pharmacist, I plan to lead a healthy lifestyle incorporating exercise, healthy food, and limiting bad habits. I feel it is important to practice what I preach. When I tell my future patients "Have you thought about quitting smoking?" "Don't forget to exercise," "It is important to eat/drink less sugar/caffeine," etc, I best be doing the same.

One of the interns that I work with at CVS asked me if I have heard of the sodium challenge. I told her "No." and asked her to explain to me what it is. In one of her pharmacy classes, the professor explained to the class that as a health practitioner, we tell our patients to lead healthy lifestyles along with their medication. We recommend life style changes such as exercising more, limiting caffeine, fatty foods, and sodium intake. It's easier said than done.

According to the Mayo Clinic, a healthy adult should consume no more than 2.3 g of sodium. The less the better. My friend's professor challenged the class to consume no more than 2 g of sodium every day for one week. When my friend described this challenge I thought in my head, "PIECE OF sodium-free CAKE!" So I went ahead and did the challenge and finished last Monday. I haven't had the opportunity to write about this experience until now though.

OH. MY. GOODNESS. The first few days were extremely challenging because it seemed about everything in my pantry had about a block of salt in it. I remember feeling faint and famished for the first few days because I didn't know what I could eat! But as I did a little more research into the sorts of food I should be eating and with the help of calorie count, the week got progressively easier. Less salt does not mean less food.

Overall, it was a very challenging week for me but I am glad I was able to experience what some people have to be concerned about everyday of their lives within that one week. I feel for you my future renal-failure patients and I hope that when I am consulting you in the future, I will be able to empathize with you. You're not in it alone. We never are. And if you don't have ideas for low-sodium meals, I'll be able to help you. :o) Live long and prosper.

056

As of today, I have completed 76 hours of my IPPEs. I can't believe I have been interning for that long. Gregg still manages to make me feel like an imbecile but I had a good day at the pharmacy.

Answering patient questions and making recommendations are my favorite things to do in the pharmacy. Today, a mom and her son came in asking for a recommendation about itch cream. Apparently, the son had an awful rash in the crease of his arm from scratching it so often. The son refused to see a doctor and had been using neosporin to help with the itching but to no avail, the rash had gotten progressively worse. My initial thought was, "Why the hell are you using neosporin for a rash?" I directed them to the anti-itch cream and made some recommendations but made it a point to go see his doctor. Then he asked me if we carried witch hazel, which is normally used as an astringent for oozing rashes. He apparently heard from some magazine that it's good to treat baggy eyes. I stared at this self-conscious high school boy and then I stared at his prominent eye bags. I don't remember Bandy teaching us anything about baggy eyes but I recommended him to gently rub a soft toothbrush around his under-eyes to stimulate blood flow around his eyes to reduce the appearance of the bags and then I politely pointed him towards the direction of the cosmetics aisle to look for a concealer if he was really that concerned. Oh boys will be boys...

I also know what a yeast infection looks like now. After reconstituting an erythromycin cream for a patient, I asked Gregg to help me make those fancy swirls in the cream to make it look "pharmaceutically elegant" as he likes to put it and he bluntly tells me, "No matter what you do to that cream, it's still going to look like a yeast infection". I think I barfed in my mouth a little. I replied back, "I don't know what a yeast infection looks like." He responds by telling me that I'm a good girl and to be wary when I meet a dirty boy, lawlz. After looking at the cream, in my opinion, a yeast infection looks like cottage cheese.

055 egypt

Photograph from the article "Mubarak Toppled" on The Economist

It is a significant day in history for the country of Egypt. Today marks the end of a thirty year reign of former Egyptian president Hosni Mubarak. Who knew that a group of passionate youths yearning for change and the power of the internet would ignite such political unrest. I feel that this revolution is a great testament for those who underestimate those who seek great change. I feel that as people, we always strive to come back to harmony. Just like when we hunger, we yearn to be full because we knew that we once were satisfied. Hunger points to the fact that food exists. Likewise, Egypt's political revolution is an indication of a time that once was good and all was right. I can only pray and hope that this change will lead to radical new leadership that will lead the nation to greater heights, especially for the Copts. Rabena maak.