A look back at 2011

2011 - What is 2011? It's a prime number as well as an odd number.  It's a first of the 10's, I guess, or whatever you call this decade.  It marks the end of many eras (Space Shuttle, Steve Jobs, Oprah, War in Iraq) as well as the beginning of many more (Occupy, Middle Eastern Revolutions, Jim Harbaugh). 
But what was 2011 for me? Or.. in reality, what was 2011 like for my family?

Let's go through the bottom 3 of 2011 before we hit the top 10. In no particular order....

1. Sharks lose to Vancouver in Game 7 of Western Conference Final / Buster Posey goes down with season ending injury. -- I know... how can sports matter so much in your life? I don't know either... bite me.
2. Virus and bacteria and germs - oh my! - Croup, Multiple bouts of cold, Hand Foot Mouth, food allergies plagued Nui-nui and Bebe and ultimately our family.
3. Being a father / Being a husband / Being an employee / Being a son- there was a 2 month period where I completely failed at being any one of the four. And when that happened... I had no one to turn to for help or comfort.  No one.

Let's do the easier one... or the happier one... or the one where I actually blogged about.
In reverse order, as it should be, I guess

10. Got jobs??  - In this economy, we can't take anything for granted. Childcare, diapers, data plans, gas... they all cost money.  Not a day goes by where we're not thankful (though we do complain every now and then...tee hee!)
9. United Premier Membership. - >25,000 miles in one calendar year.  What does that mean? In 2012, free upgrades, early boarding, free baggage check, etc...
8.  Mother/Daughter Bond - During the 2 weeks MIL lived with us to during 坐月, Joyce was able to re-establish a mother/daughter relationship that is oh, so precious and priceless.
7. Family reunion in NY - Blogged about it here.  In essence, got to see members of my family I've never met and might never ever see again.
6. Promotion to Manager - Finally made that step from engineer to manager.  In a way, it caused a huge strain in our marriage and family... (see bottom #3 above) but it also helped me earn #9.  A new chapter being written.... and thus far, the first few pages have been respectable.
5.Wedding Bells - Two of my closest friend and my best friend got engaged and/or married this year. One word.... FINALLY!!!!
4. Fruits of the Loin - Two of our closest family friends were blessed with their little ones 1 week apart!  Eden Fellowship's population increased by almost 40% within two months!! 
3. Nui-stones - Simply too many to summarize in a couple of sentences.  But looking back at my 2011 blog, over 70% of the entries were dedicated to Nui-nui and her daily/weekly/monthly milestones.
2. WE ARE THE CHAMPIONS!!! - And to you who thinks I'm crazy for putting this #2, NEW YORK CAB DRIVER SALUTE TO YOU!!!!   56 years of futility and we finally get to raise the World Series Banner at AT&T.


and the #1 event of 2011 for me.............. it's actually quite easy when you think about it.  It's already been foreshadowed twice in the list above.  

1. Birth of My Son - 為梁家繼後香燈.  I know... it's old fashion.  I know... it's old society.  I know...!  But there still was that infinitesimal pressure of needing to have a male in our blood line.  No idea where that idea came from.  And not even saying it's right, proper or justified.  In any case, that day was best summarized in my Running Diary. Though, that's not why it's #1.  Any children is a true blessing from God.  I can only be thankful that I even have the honor of being a parent twice.



For all the good times and bad times... I still give praise and thanks to Jesus Christ, my Lord and Savior!

My Creed

This is My Creed.  I will add to it. I will stand by it.  But I'm not stubborn enough to refuse to change it. 

I believe...

...in one true God.
...in Jesus Christ, my Savior, the only begotten Son of God the Father.
...in the Holy Spirit, the third person of the Trinity, who still empowers us today.
...in love at first sight
...democrats and republicans are both right
 ...good coffee could be had with sugar/cream, but great coffee should be enjoyed black
...in the education system
...ten hugs and kisses can not ever repair the damage caused by yelling at your child once
...in public displays of affection
...that people can change
...the biggest short coming of any economic system (capitalism, socialism, etc...) is GREED
...3DTV will not sell
...in taking risks
...golf is a sport
...6" of extra leg space should not come with a price even though it's priceless
...the 2002 Giants would've won Game 6 had Dusty kept Ortiz in the game
...we are the only living beings in this universe
...you can't prove everything empirically
...we spend too much time and money arguing and debating instead of doing
...complacency and comfort is just as deadly to a soul as drugs and alcohol to a body
...marriage is ordained for a man and a woman
...ghosts and demons, as much as I believe in angels and spirits
...I have lot to add to this list...

And the torture subsides...

Was finally able to sleep last night.... went to bed at 11:30PM and woke up around 4:30AM to the voice of Nui-nui crying for Bah-bee. 

Long time no sleep.... how I miss thee.  But my throat, tongue and mouth still ohhhhh sooooo sore I can't eat too much before the pain is too overbearing. 

At the very least though... sleep means rest... means I'm less anxious and on edge.... means less screaming and yelling and angry looks at poor Nui-nui.

If I had one wish....

If I had one wish....what would it be???

Some might say "World Peace."  Prior to 2010, some may have said "let the Giants win the World Series."
Some of the more clever folks will say, "I wish for infinite amount of wishes."  Course...there are over a million movies who've done that premise where the person says something like "I wish this never happened....only to realize it wasn't REALLY a wish, just a figure of speech." 

One of my friend taught me an even more clever trick..."An infinite amount of wishes provided a snap my fingers every time."  That way.... I won't slip and say something like, "I wish you were dead!!!"

Well.... be careful what you wish for, cuz it must might come true.

After the holidays feastings... the huge amount of travel... the generous amount of portions I feed myself, I told Joyce that I wish I could go on a fast.  Of course.... fasting shouldn't be for personal gain.  Rather, it should be God ordained and for His purpose.  But He works in weird ways.

With this stinken (no pun intended) HFM disease, I've lost my appetite for 4 days now.  And when I'm hungry, the sores in my mouth, tongue and throat prevent me from wanting to eat.  Not only that... I've been wanting to reduce the amount I speak, cuz.... I know more than anyone, I talk waaaaaaaaay too much when not invited to speak.  With these canker sores, I'm limited to how much I can talk around the house!! 

Sigh.... such it is.

Apex'ed yet?

Gosh... and I thought the fever was bad.  Last night was...literally....to die for.

After a warm shower and some oatmeal body wash to reduce the itching, I applied some Calamine to my rashes.  Only....the warm shower apparently made the itch 100x worse!!  I tried everything to get rid of the itch.  I took a shot of benadryl.  No avail.  I doused myself with layers and layers of hydrocortisone.  Minutes of relief.  The pain wasn't close to subsiding.  I finally grabbed a couple of ice packs.... one to step on with both feet and one to grab with both hands.  That...finally...provided some relief.

And I hung onto that thing for dear life for the rest of the night. Had four ice packs going...switching it up every time they melted.  Then I took a shot of nyquil, hoping I can fall sleep.  Didn't work one bit.

Stayed up the entire night ITCHING.  Like the soles of my hand and feet have these ants and bugs crawling on it, gnawing and chewing on my tissue.  Again, the only form of relief was to hold onto an ice pack for dear life. 

Finally, at 4AM, I was able to close my eyes for an hour.  And when I woke up.... the itch went away.  But instead of itch....each and every spot that itched, is replaced with a soaring pain!!

Pimples are back!!

Ah... teenage awkwardness can best be ostentatiously described by: lowering of voice... gaining a foot in height.... and breaking out all over the place. And this morning, I was officially transported back to high school sophomore year when I looked into the mirror and little red spots were all over my face.

No no... they're not pimples.  They are, as a matter of fact, a weird form of hand-foot-mouth disease.  This disease is common in children <5, and when it happens, little red spots/bumps grow on your hand, feet and around your mouth.  Unfortunate for me and Nui-nui, we've been zapped with a more severe form of this.  She has bumps all over her legs and arms and arms.  I have it on my hand, feet and face.  And adults suffer more from this disease than kids do.  In fact, my hands and feet itched so much today, I couldn't even sleep!!


Stoopid me!! We first thought it was chickenpox.  And since I had chickenpox when I was small and have the immunity, I was taking close care of Rachel without any extra precautions.  Look at me now.  Pimple face.  Pepperoni-pizza. Strawberry patch.  You name it.  I'm it. 

Wonder who Agent Zero is.  Must be some kid from day care.

生意越來越難做

爸爸的信:

三藩市中國城的“會賓樓”已關閉﹐“金山酒樓”到本月底也關閉﹔“ 迎賓閣”也放盤出售﹐再加上“荔香村”關茶市﹐“其昌”關夜市﹐生意越來越難做啦。到哪裡飲茶好呢﹖只有“ 亞洲園”啦。

NFC WEST CHAMPS!!!!

First time in 9 years..... goodness, gracious.

Red and Gold.  Why do I still doubt??

Blood thicker than water

While on a business trip in the East Coast... I had a chance to rendevous with my cousin in Manhattan.  It was over an hour way from where I stayed in Conneticut.  But I figured it's worth the drive since it's afterall Manhattan.

That afternoon, I find out it wasn't just him I was having dinner with.  But the entire family.  I was excited. Very excited.  I get to see my uncle and aunt again.  Not just any uncle... but my dad's younger brother.  A man I've seen three times in my life.  Once when I was 2-3.  I have no recollection, except my uncle's daughter picked on me.  Another time in 1992 at the Guangzhou Train Station.  We were back for my grandfather's funeral and he happened to be there for other business.  And one time when he and his wife came to visit us about 3 years ago.  This was the fourth time. 

He's not really my dad's brother.  He's actually the son of my dad's uncle -- or my grandfather's brother.  But in the Chinese culture... we overemphasize the closeness and proximity of the male bloodline.  The son of your father's brother... is also your brother.  Likewise, the daughter of your father's brother, is your sister.  Not so for the sister of your father.  Any offspring from your father's sister is simply a cousin. 

Aside from my uncle (my dad's brother), I saw my aunt (my dad's sister).  Never seen her in my life. And there was grandma.  My dad's aunt.  Or my grandfather's brother's wife.  She currently reigns as the eldest i the Leung family tree.  Everyone else has bit the dust.   I see these two people.  Two people who know nothing about me... and I know nothing about them.  Yet... we talk and chat like we've known each other all our lives. 

And the most important person I wanted to see and get to know.... my older sister.  I've always wanted to call someone 家姐 or 妹.  My sister... 3 years my elder.... saw me once when I was two.  She may have seen some pictures of me here or there.  And may have heard of me through my uncle.  But I had this irresistible urge to want a hug from my sister.  One that's of my own.... from my own.  She made a wisecrack that I shouldn't call her 家姐 cuz I'm much taller than her.  But throughout the rest of dinner... I purposely said that term over and over again cuz I loved hearing it.  And when we parted.... I gave her a farewell hug and said, "再見喇家姐." She returned a hug... and didn't say anything.  Somehow... I'm choosing to believe that she likes having me as a younger brother.

I drove over 2 hours of New York traffic just to have this 1.5 hour dinner with folks I barely even know.  But that 2 hours was probably the best investments I've ever made into my life. 

A shell of her former self...

Yesterday at the park... I was pretending to buy coffee and ice-cream from Nui-nui's imaginary store.  A new experience for me... but Nui-nui played along.  I gave her my orders... she took it, ran to the other side of the play structure, came back and I gave her some money.  We did that for two or three times. 

All of a sudden, I felt a sudden push on my back.  I thought it was some bully who wanted to push Nui-nui around.  Turns out, there was a line!! Lining up to "buy" stuff from Nui-nui!!  One by one... they took turns ordering food and milk and ice cream. 

I'd expect Nui-nui to simply stare at her 'customer' or turn and run away.  To my surprise, she took their orders one by one.  And as shy as my daughter is... she even mustered the words, "What do you want??" 

Wow... my daughter making friends at the playground!! That's how it's suppose to be. Some unassuming, no-hidden-agenda friendship making. 

If there's a will...there's a way...

Was talking to my buddy the other day about his dad leaving him something in their will.  What started out as a light, joking conversation turned into something serious and melancholic. 

First off... Joyce and I don't ever have to worry about fighting for inheritance, we think.  Our folks simply aren't rich enough to leave us anything.  Maybe if it was big.... like a family house... or land.... or some family heirloom.

But for families that have some riches to divvy up... I can see how this can be a touchy subject.  A house may seem like a piece of property or assest to one sibling, but it could mean years and years of memories to another sibling.  Can you really leave the house to both siblings 50/50? 

How about the fact that one sibling takes care of the aging parent day in and day out.  While the other sibling is out of the state or out of the country.  Does one sibling earn the right to have more inheritance than the other?

How about the traditional eldest in the family? Is there some stature or taboo that hovers self-proclaimed post-modernistic families?

My buddy even goes so far to say that he wouldn't care about what's left behind.  All he'd really care about is the fact the parents/grandparents are gone.  I countered by saying... that might be true for the first few weeks or even months. But as time goes by... that feeling will probably (not guaranteed) wear off.  And the focus will be on more materialistic things that are still here.  He admits that could be the case.  I don't think we walked away agreeing or disagreeing... it's just a touchy subject.

And another one leaves...

Found out today... yet another couple has left our church.  Why...?  What are we doing wrong? What is driving people away? And most importantly... why do I feel that same tug to go explore?

It's so encouraging to hear stories from other fellowships.  The things they do to expand God's kingdom.  The methods they employ to bring care for their members. The faithfulness in service that's demonstrated through their works.

If it truly is a cancer that's eating away at us... we better find it soon.  Cuz it's real.  And if we keep ignoring it... or if we keep playing along... pretty soon, the cancer could multiply and even mutate.

8-1

Niners are 8-1!?!??!?!?!  Not since 1997 had we gone 8-1!!!!!
Significance is such a foreign feeling.

Wins are still ugly and I still feel skeptical.... but the Niners just keep proving me (and the rest of the world) wrong!

SPOILER ALERT!!!

When was the word "SPOILER ALERT" invented? Probably soon after the invention of the internet... cuz I didn't start hearing that term till around the 90's. 

One of the biggest SPOILER ALERT that didn't necessarily happen to me, but still ticks me off, is hearing my buddy's experience with watching Sixth Sense starring Bruce Willis. (SPOILER ALERT!!) Halfway through the movie, according to him, his friend (or former friend) whispers "Oh Gosh! He's dead!" 
I guess he didn't really spoil it.... but in fact he did.  Same thing with any international sporting event (ie Olympics).  Same thing with primetime TV that's shown first in the East Coast.

But there's one ending that's definitely not spoiled.  As we were sharing in HG tonight... we are currently in a war.  The war that began since Genesis 3 when Adam bit into the Forbidden Fruit.  The war that's gone through centuries and centuries.  The war that continues today in the form of abortion, genocide, child prostitution, greed and more greed.  But the SPOILER ALERT is.... God will triumph. 

Isn't that an ending worth knowing?  We win!!  Well.... that depends on who you side with, I guess. 

And the truth hurts...

Took Nui-nui to see her pediatrician the other day... and after an hour's worth of diagnosis, we came to "any more questions for me?"  Joyce and I discussed the major tantrums that Nui-nui's been throwing and if she has any suggestions.  We inadvertently confess that the way we've been snapping Nui-nui out of those tantrums is to yell and scream.  And in the most non-attacking, yet most authoritative way, the doctor says, "I suggest you stop doing that." 

It's not like we don't know... and it's not like we want to...

But after that little pep talk / admonishment.... I suddenly have this new found strength to work with Nui-nui through her tantrums.  Hopefully this keeps up...

Looking back in Anger

Looking Back In Anger is a TVB Hong Kong Soap Opera that I loved watching when I was a kid... and I guess I still do now.  It was one of the first drama's I remember, where it starts out with the main character spends 90% of the drama flashing back on his life... with the remaining 10% being the climax and conclusion of the show.  Nowadays, it's been done so many times, it's considered old hat.  But after a tumultouous October... which feels like a lifetime... I have that urge to spin that coin, and when the coin lands, be zapped back into my cold icy home in San Jose typing away on my much neglected blog.

没料到我所失的, 竟已 是我的所有.

Halloween 2011

Last year Halloween... Anderson and the Gal Pal came over to watch Game 4 of the World Series (the Bumgardner game) and we ended up hiding half a dozen times from trick or treaters.

This year... church did a cool thing and planned a Family Prayer and Worship Night.  The setting was simple... just pizza, veggies and bottled water.  And the entire night was based mostly on educating, declaring and reclaiming what is ours. 

We didn't stay for the entire thing... cuz Nn was showing signs of lethargy.  Upon getting home... we're 10 feet from our driveway, we see hordes and hordes of TOTers still roaming the streets.  Darn!!  So we ended up crusing and circling for another 20 minutes to avoid them.

Next year.... I'm just gonna flat out open my house and hand out dental floss.  No more of this sneaking and hiding around!

I ain't a Lego maniac...

"Zack! Zack! He's a Lego-maniac!" --a famous commericial from back in the earl 90's.

I've never been a big fan of Lego's.  I'm impressed by some of the things that can be done with Lego's... (empire state building... darth vader.. etc...).  But I've always felt the end results of Lego's took a lot of imagination after the fact to resemble the real thing.  Plus, I was never good at building things or following instructions.  Goes to show why I dread buying any "Assembly Required" furniture from IKEA.

The biggest Lego purchase I made as a kid (and adult) for that matter... came when I was around 9-10.  With my birthday money, I went to Emporium and bought a Knight's Castle.  I distinctly remember having to choose between "King's Castle" and "The Black Knight's Castle."  The King's Castle was bigger... more grandiose... was more righteous (it was white...duh!) but it was more expensive.  The "Black Knight's Castle" was black... was smaller...and was cheaper.  With mom holding us accountable for a tight budget, I didn't have the negotiations skills to squeeze out the extra $10 from her. 

That night... ended up watching big bro assemble the whole thing by himself.  I just watched.  I don't remember if he convinced me that was a good idea so that he can have all the fun.  Or was it the manager in me directing the contractor to do my work.  Nonetheless.... we built that darn thing.  It was amazing!! Horses...knights... swords.... a swinging drawbridge.  But the next day... we disassembled the castle which instantly became humpty dumpty -- we could never put it back together again.

Flash forward 20 some odd years and yesterday, Nn wanted to buy a Lego set.  I was skeptical because the box said "Ages 7+."  Joyce was saying our daughter is playing toys beyond her age.  I think every parent thinks that about their kids.  My gut feeling was to get her some Duplo (Lego's for kids), with cute animals and characters.  When we ask Nn to choose, of course she chooses the more expensive Lego set.  I examine the box... and MAN!!!!... Lego sets sure got complicated.  And there are pieces the size of boogers (literally, not figuratively) that can get lost a the slightest breeze of a sneeze. 

And last night... guess what happened? Joyce and I assembled the Lego set and in the midst of it all... Nn was losing pieces left and right.  Kids will be kids... I kind of expected that to happen.  But the coup de grace is... after putting the set together, there are things I can't even begin to imagine what it is.  With what looks to me like a cross-over between and ostrich and a jetski.... Joyce thinks it's actually a dog.  WTH!?!?!?

"Hank! Hank! He's ain't a Lego-maniac!" --circa 2011

Pick your battles... Win, and I still lose

It's 320AM in California.  I'm wide awake. 

For the past hour, I was battling with nn.  Around 2AM this morning, she started crying and screaming.  It woke up the entire house and furthermore, she was spiraling into an uncontrollable cyclone of emotions.  The more I tried to calm her down... the louder and wilder she got.  Kicking... crying.... screaming.  Albeit.... she's 2.  But then again.... she's 2. 

"This has gone on long enough." I thought to myself.  So of all the nights... this was the night I wanted to break her.  Lay down my final expectations.  If you don't want to sleep.... you want to cry and scream and holler at the wee hours of the morning... if you can't control your emotions... then so be it.

For the next 50 minutes, I made her stand.  Stand.  No timeout.  No sit in a corner.  Plain old STAND.

She tried crawling back into bed... I told her "No, not until you stop crying."    She got louder.... I didn't back down.  She had to stand.  She went to her usual kick and scream on the floor.  I pulled her back up and said if you don't sleep, you stand!  She screamed for mom.  I said mom needs to sleep... just like everyone else including the sun. Nn pulled out every trick in her tiny 2 year old book.  And I stood pat.... she had to stand.

50 minutes.  That's almost an hour.  We wasted an hour just letting her emotions drain away.  Boy!! She's full of energy.  After 50 minutes.... she was still going beserk without any signs of tiring. 

Where did we go wrong as parents? Why did it have to come to this? She's 2.  Did we set our expectations too high? Am I too strict? Or should I believe that this is a phase...she'll grow out of it.

Whether she crawls into bed or not.... whether she fully comprehended the magnitude of her disobedience... whether or not I did the right thing by forcing her to NOT sleep... in the end, I still lose. 

唉!

天啊!  美心二十元熱食券過左期! 我隻燒鴨啊!! 冇左喇!!

Not quite perfect.... but who is?

Jackie Evancho, an 11-year old soprano prodigy has an angelic voice. But when performing the Broadway masterpiece and one my all time person favorites, "All I Ask of You..." it just doesn't even come close to Sarah Brightman.  Regardless of how well of a singer she is... she's still too young and raw to add "soul" into the song.  How can an 11 year old possibly be capable of knowing what it feels like to fall in love? 

Wins and Woes of Potty Training

Potty Training...or potty learning as some post modernists like to call it... brings highs and lows much like the iambic pentameter prose of a neoclassic poet.

One diaper a day - that just drives my cost waaaaaaaaaaaaay down.  WIN!!!!  But as Sheryl Crowe said so infamously... "every high...every low."  And it sure gets lower than low sometimes. 

Most notably... when Nui-nui screams "Poo-poo!! Poo-poo!"  You carry her....race her to the bathroom... pull down her pants and panties and out rolls a tennis ball sized, brown play-doh!!  Do you laugh? Do you frown?

How about the time my car breaks down in Millbrae after a nice 2 hour dinner.  I an hour for AAA to come.  They spend an hour trying to jump start my car and then end up towing it.  Another hour to tow the car back into San Jose.  All this time.... Nui-nui opens up the floodgates and there was nothing I could do.

It's highly discouraged to yell at the kid....cuz afterall, they're a kid.  But then again... without giving some sort of reprimand, how would they know right from wrong? 

Such it is....

6 year anniversary

2005 - "I do..."

2006 - Backpack in Europe
2007 - 兩個都病左. Called in sick and stayed at home.
2008 - forgot lu...
2009 - Nui-nui 3 month old birthday - dinner at Maggiano's
2010 - weekend getaway at Sacramento
2011 - Dropped the kids off with Eden Fellowship and off to LB Steakhouse at Santana Row. 

Service was very good! Steak was above average at best.  But the conversation during dinner... that was the best part of the night.  We talked about child-raising (surprise, surprise)... shared our 5 year plan... (vacation, remodeling, promotion) and lastly... shared the most exciting, most memorable, most unforgettable moment of the past 5 years.

And with tears in my eyes as I am typing these words.... the most memorable moment has got to be the night we found out God blessed us with Nui-nui.  (But 11/1/2010 - Giants win the World Series comes in a close second!)

Many more years to come....

哥哥的信

"今天公司宣布了雅虎 Superstar 得獎明單。我僥倖被選中榮獲這個公司的最高榮譽。

有耕耘，有收獲 -- 這獎項我受之無愧。"

So proud of him...

Lonely

Been slammed with an immense wave of loneliness lately. Hard to articulate.  Harder to mitigate. How I long to have someone who understands when I don't even understand myself.  Maybe it's stress from work.  Maybe it's the pressure of raising a family in the midst of a recession.  Maybe it's a sudden stagnation in my spiritual life.  Maybe it's a little bit of everything. Maybe it's a lot of nothing.

Prudent in Spending

Insurance is one of those things in life that you never want to buy... never want to use... but you're glad you have it when you need it.  Last year... after Bebe was born, we upgraded our AAA membership from Standard to Elite.  Aside from other perks... the biggest usage was the towing capacity goes from 10 miles to 100 miles.  And boy did it come in handy last night.

Our car broke down in Millbrae - for no apparent reason.  I called AAA to jump start it...thinking I may have left the door ajar and the little dome light drained by battery.  They came after 40 minutes and couldn't jump start the car.  So I had the guy tow our little Civic (which is suppose to reliable, right?) to our house!  That's a good 30-35 minutes away. 

We even had to put Nui-nui's car seat in the front of the truck with us.  Geez louise...  Thank goondess everything went as smooth as it did. 

Comparative Shopping - Part Deux

Bought a cantelope for $1 each at Maxim Supermarket the other day.  Today... cantelopes at my local supermarket chain was $4 each. 

Comparative Shopping

Is it really worth it to do comparative shopping? I'm never one to drive across town for the sake of saving a few bucks.  But today... we saved almost $200 because we held fast and did a little more research. 

In the morning, we went to a mattress superstore.  The quoted us a price that was already $100 off the marked price cuz "they helped us out."  We left to another superstore... who had the exact same price, but wouldn't even try to lower it.  So we went home for nap time... and on our drive home, we found a different mattress that was a lot cheaper!  Calling the first store... the salesman told us they'll not only match the price, the mattress we found is one grade up from what he showed us in the morning.

In the end...we saved more than $150 on a mattress that's better in quality.  Which begs the question.... how much are these mattress superstores marking up their prices for a profit.

Comparative shopping... still not a big fan. 

The Pain is Back

After a two year hiatus... the tendonitis is back. 

One in twenty men get this pain - mainly attributed to overstress of the tendon from lifting, carrying and overburdening.  This time, it's occurring two days after I began weight training again.  Curls and lifts are just as much to blame as fruits of my loin.

Oh well...back to wearing a cast and answering, "No, not carpel tunnel.  It's tendonitis." 

生日快樂

今日是我農曆生日, 世上除了爸爸以外, 沒有人會記得或知道.
鏡子裡的先生, 生日快樂. 又大一歲了.

Where have the blogs gone?

Went through my bookmarks today and found a folder called "Blogs."  So I slowly went through each and every blog / xanga only to find a broken links, deserted sites and abandoned lives once traversed by hundreds if not thousands. 

Still remember the days when I had to beg for an invitation to LiveJournal.  Then I migrated to Blogger only to find it in battle with xanga.  There was a time when Xanga sucked away everyone I knew away from blogger - mainly because it allowed people to know when you last updated your posts.  So many people used the excuse "more features" or "ease of use" for the migration.  I think they just wanted the attention.  Especially when they would update their xanga with "I just updated my blog! Go check it out!" 

Slowly and surely... people enjoyed the ease of 140 character updates...or Facebook status updates over coherent thoughts and ideas.  And as less and less people paid attention (or cared)... people were attracted to the next means to gain attention.  Nothing wrong with that... merely an obeservation.

Since 2005, I remained loyal.  Mostly because my blog wasn't written for anyone in particular.  It's a place for me to vent... a place for me to verbalize... a place for me to capture my thoughts for that moment in time.  

Insecurity

One of the biggest insecurity of men...husbands and fathers in particular... is the ability to protect and provide for your family.  Today... I experienced that first hand. 

At our church nursery... Joyce was chatting with some other moms when Nui-nui saw one of the boys in there open up a Rice Kripies treat.  Her eyes were bigger than a vinyl record and credit to that boy... he chomped on that rice krispie like it was his first meal in days.  I did all I could to distract my daughter... but almost magnetically... her eyes will be drawn back to that treat.  I hungrily searched our diaper bag for anything... anything resembling a snack...a treat... sustenance.  Nothing.  Failure. Utter and total disappointment.  With a last resort... we asked the nursery for a cup of stale, tasteless...HEALTHY!!!... Cheerios. 

Nui-nui reluctantly took it.  She stared at the cup of round lifesafers.  They seemed to be tasteless... un-crispy... and nothing at all like that rectangular piece of sugar rush that the boy has now inhaled. 

Nui-nui will surely experience more of these as she grows up.  Heck... every time someone speeds by my Civic with a 3-series or a Lotus... I go through it too!  But as a father... as a provider... as a typical, old fashion male.... I am the one that feels like a failure for not being able to make my daughter happy.

I don't even want to think of the day when I'll have to resort to force to protect my loved ones... it won't be pretty in all accounts.

Regrets

Every now and then... I'll go into a "What-if" trance and imagine different right turn vs left turn scenarios.  Though I'm a firm believer that everything happens for a reason... one of the biggest regrets I have in my life is not joining the Navy. 

I have the utmost respect for people of the service.  Those cheesy commericials of service men and women coming home to family always gets me.  I can't help but silently salute those in uniform when I bump into them at the airport.  Stories of folks travelling the seven seas and seeing the world floors me every time. The discipline of naval academy can probably be topped only by the Marines.  And who did the Command-in-Chief call to disarm bin Laden....? The Navy Seals. 

Will this be a case where I'll want my children to live out my dream?

修身、齊家、治國、平天下

爸爸的信～

漢高祖劉邦統一天下後﹐有人向他請教“治國﹑安邦﹑平天下”的方法。他回答說﹕文的方面﹐我有張良﹔武的方面﹐我有韓信。我只要鴐駑了他們﹐我就能管治好國家。經歷過磨煉﹐你們成熟了。努力吧﹗孩子們。

人生觀

牢騷太盛防腸斷，風物長宜放眼量。

莫道昆明池水淺，觀魚勝過富春江

大學畢業, 爸爸贈予. 時隔十年, 還在學習.

Bad father... horrible father...

Today... I officially forgot my own son's birthday.  Had to go back to Facebook to check when I posted his first pic.  I claim overtiredness.  Joyce wasn't very forgiving...

Dealin' with Death

Do you remember you first encounter with death?  Was it a close relative? A grandparent perhaps.  Or your pet goldfish.  Or maybe even the death of Jesus Christ?

We've been reading Nui-nui a Children's Bible for about a year now.  But recently.... Nui-nui has been enamored with the death of Goliath.  This story is so famous... that 9 out of 10 Christian Story Books will have some version of this story.  And every time we get to 'that page' with 'that image' of Goliath lying down... Nui-nui will instinctively point to him. 

As a parent, how do you introduce death to a 2 year old? Do you lie? Do you embellish? Or how about doing what I did....  "David took care of Goliath....and he's down."  No lie... no harm... no foul. 

How long can I keep this up?

Letting kids watch TV?

We're one of those parents... those parents who are adament about not letting our kid (singular) watch TV. For many reasons. The easy ones to explain are TV only shows garbage these days. There's the theory that kids under 2 shouldn't watch TV cuz the motion actually hurts their frontal lobes. I personally think that parents who let their kids watch TV are too lazy (or busy) and need a means to keep them occupied.

So Nui-nui has been fairly protected from TV and the likes. With the few exceptions of the Giants World Series run, the Niners and Sharks...and occasional Elmo Youtube videos, we've been consistent with
our principles. Recently.. we purchased a set of Children Worship DVD's and Nui-nui's been enamored. And now I find myself stuck in my own accusations.

I do want to emerse her in praise and worship at a young age... but how often have I put on the DVD... just so I can check my email or go start dinner?

Parenting is full of compromise and decision making. Did I take the high road or the easy road in the name of raising a "Christian family?"

What is Happy?

I once heard...people who go around and say "I'm happy" aren't really happy.  Truly happy people don't need to say they're happy.. their mere existence oozes happiness.  Hence the question..."What is Happy?" 

I have this friend who grew up wanting to go to the Maldives island.  And she eventually did.   Now... she gets to accomplish another dream and go on an African Safari. 

To me... that is being happy.  As the song goes... "Because happy is what happens...when all of your dreaaaaaaaaaaaaaams come truuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuue."

My Girl - Part IV

Was shopping at the Pruneyard the other day with Nui-nui....and we happen to walk past Trudy's, a famous evening gown store that sells wedding gowns.  Nui-nui's eyes lit up when we walked by some of the mannequinns.  She couldn't stop pointing at the dress and saying "Pretty!" or "Princess!" 

My first time going wedding gown shopping with my baby.... a preview of what's to come?

Another playground bully

Ran into another bully today at the park.

And this time, the boy's dad and I were standing no more than 3 feet away from our kids.  The first time, he started throwing those little pieces of bark at Nui-nui.  He then walked around and pointed his finger on Nui-nui's cheeks. 

Perspective A: He was being friendly and those were signs of platonic engagement
Perspective B: He was being hostile and was showing signs of dominance

Like last time, I didn't want to deal with this.... so we went of to play something else.  Moments later... the little twerp came trotting over; he removes his hat... and flings it at Nui-nui.  I had enough... I simply said, "Ok...we're outta here."  Grabbed Nui-nui and left.

The little runt's dad apologized and said, "we're out of here too." 

Next time this happens.... I won't be so kind.  Nui-nui needs to learn that her dad will defend her and she will find protection with me. 

My Girl - Part III

Normally when a child hurts themselves....trip-n-fall, run-into-wall, smoosh-a-finger... they'll run to the person they can find comfort in.  In my case.... Nui-nui always runs to me. =D

Ahhh.... Be proud in victory.  Be humble in defeat.

Measuring up....

I always thought it was an old-wives tale that a height of a person can be determined by their length when they're 2 years old.  It was an old wives tale because I believed in all the other old-wives tale.  Playing basketball or swimming helps you grow taller.  Running a lot or playing soccer will make you shorter. Lifting weights or drinking coffee too early stunts your growth.

Turns out...those are all lies.  Our pediatrician told us that as unscientific as it may sound... two times a girl's length at 18 months and a two times boy's length at 2 years old really is the height they'll grow into. 

So how tall will Nui-nui be....? Well...let's just say she won't be taller than daddy when he walks her down the aisle.  There goes my dream of having a star volleyball player.  Well...she might still qualify to be a setter or defensive specialist.

My Girl - Part II

昨日在西貢, 外公帶囡囡去魚江.  見到一條反肚魚....

Grandpa goes, "瞓緊."
Nui-nui says, "No, 死左."

好的一天

昨晚Home Group 有"媽咪"煮飯. 唔駛我煮同洗碗. 舒服!

星期六一早外母突然拜訪. 一家去飲茶食點心. 痛快!

之後老婆喂仔, 我自己可以揸部 Miata 出去兜風. 爽!

My Girl

Joyce is sharing her sausage and mushroom omelette with Nui-nui this morning.  In summary:

"Chern-chern."  Joyce gives her some sausage.  Nui-nui smiles.
"Don don."  Joyce gives her some eggs.  Nui-nui smiles.
"Moooore." Joyce gives her some mushrooms.  Nui-nui frowns and says, "No.  No gu gu."   

Undoubtedly...she's my daughter.  My girl...........

Playground Bully

Poor Nui nui ran into a proverbial playground bully yesterday. She was climbing up a playground structure when a boy standing there points at her and mumbles something in Mandarin. I quickly tell Nui-nui to say "Hi" and veer off another direction. But the boy chases us down and this time tries to push Nui-Nui away. Deep down, I guess I want to slap that little jerk. But instead, I grab Nui-nui's hand and leave for another structure.
Nui-nui is having a good time on the slides, and here comes that little monster again. He speeds pass Nui-Nui, almost tackling her. I immediately tell Nui-Nui to get out of the way. Then off the boy goes and terrorizes other kids.. Even a baby sitting on a dolphin.

I give his mom a cold stare and walk away.  How sad... my little angel is already exposed to the terrors of the world. And of all places... a children's playground.

Birth of My 2nd Child - Running Diary

In Leung Family Tradition (tradition of one), I decided to keep a running blog of the birth of our 2nd child.  (Birth of My 1st Child - Running Diary) Once again, there's no way I could've summarized the events in a paragraph or two.  And it wouldn't be fair to Bebe if Nui-nui has one and he doesn't.

Saturday - April 30 (the unofficial due date)
930PM -  We're watching "The King's Speech."  Joyce unassumingly gets on the sofa and starts flipping through the book "What to Expect When You're Expecting." I don't know about her... but I'm expecting to finish this movie tonight so I can return it tomorrow and not have to incur a late fee.

1000PM About the 5th time she's been to the bathroom in the past half hour.  Thinks she just lost her mucous plug. (If you don't know what that is... don't ask.  Just wait till it's your turn).

1010PM Decide to take a shower since contractions are not 5 minutes apart.  We call and wake up Mother-in-Law (MIL) to have her start coming down from SF.

1011PM Just in case we can't wait... we text Angela to have her be ready to come over

1045PM Too late. Contractions are now 3 minutes apart.  People say the 2nd one comes quick!!  Call Angela to have her come over now!! We call the on-call doctor - just like last time. Why does it have to be another midnight run to the hospital...why?!?!?!

1112PM Waiting for a nurse to wheel us upstairs. Shoulda walked ourselves. 

1115PM We get to Labor and Delivery and start checking in.  Immediately recognize the nurse who helped delivered Nui-nui.  She said we look familiar - I think she's just seen too many Chinese.

1120PM Started examine process. Tried to be charming with nurse she wouldn't gimme the tine of the day.  Couldn't even get her to smile.  Either my charm has worn off throughout the years... or she's just tired.  Yeah... the latter.  Still at three cm? "That's it?!"

Sunday - May 1st (unofficially one day overdue)
1205AM Finally checked in and realized we are staying the night.  Contractions have naturally slowed down.  Naturally.  I could be home on my own bed but instead... good ol' Medival Torturing Device (aka Pull-out Futon). We meet again.

So I have this theory... just like all the leaders of the free world got together and contrived that women pants should have no pockets, thereby making them buy purses and handbags... I think the wives of the leaders got together and created this chair/bed.  I think my theory can stand on it's own.

1220AM Nothing to do but sleep now.  It's not like I can help the baby come out... tho I've heard of some theories that are not my own.  I opt not to share here - you can use your own imagination.

430AM Joyce finally gets epidrual. It works within minutes.  First words to come out from her mouth... "I love it." and finally falls asleep.  Greatest invention for men.... remote control.  Great invention for women...

700AM Nurse suggests we think about using medicine to induce but Joyce rathers not having any medicinal assistance if it's not truly needed.  So we continue to wait....and wait...and wait. 

730AM Joyce doing fine.  I decide to go home and check on Nui nui.  Open the garage door and see Nui nui smiling and eating her cereal.  She greets me with a "Hi Ba Bi!"  Realized that yesterday was last day we'll get to spend with Nui-nui alone.  Life as we know it...will never be the same. Sigh.... two of the best years of my life.  I love my daughter so much.

930AM Nurse breaks water bag finds out Bebe pooped inside. Warns us that a NICU doctor and nurse will be here for the delivery in case things go awry.  Awry?! Nurse tries to down play the situation.  The same thing happened to my friend's son.  His baby inhaled poop on the way out and he ended up in the NICU for a week to suck out the poop from his lungs.  Makes me worried naturally - but I choose not to share this with Joyce.  No point in worrying her.

1045AM Finish watching Kings Speech. Not bad!  Love Geoffrey Rush - he's now one of my favorite actors.

1100AM Nurse comes in agian - says we're "doing fine" again.  Getting a few texts from people DURING worship. Hrm....

1105AM Again... nothing to do but quickly wait.  And alas...we find GIANTS game on TV. WOOHOO!!! Rock and roll!!

1PM  - Joyce is starting to feel some discomfort... want some more medication in the epidural.  Afraid it might hurt during pushing.  Did the anastesiologist not do it right?

200PM - The folks next door just had a baby.  They're very loud. in a good way.

300PM - Sharks win! Up 2-0.  Nurse walks in and says, "Ok, Sharks game is over. We're ready to work now."

315PM - Nurse finally persuades Joyce into getting patocin. Says labor has taken longer than expected.  I have a
feeling they're hiding something from us.

430PM - We meet the doctor for the first time.  Hrm.... a bit early for the doctor to show up.  Last time, our doctor came when we started pushing. By now, Joyce is running a slight fever and Bebe's heart rate is outside the "normal" range.  Need to get him out soon. 

440PM - They finally told us BB is angled the wrong way.  They need Joyce to be on hands and knees to try to get Bebe to rotate.  Sigh... nothing is ever trouble free. 

510PM - Joyce is sweating a cold sweat by now.  Epidural isn't working quite well.  She's feeling the contractions - very much unlike when Rachel was born.  Nurse says it's time to push. 

515PM - No help from the nurse this time.  The nurse just says - "Ok puuuuush"  and assumes we know what we're doing.  I don't even know if I'm suppose to coach Joyce and count to 10 for her.  This is happening too fast. 

520PM - The room is suddenly full of people.  The delivery doctor.  Couple of nurses.  Folks from the NICU. 
And I didn't even get my camera ready yet.  Thank goodness for the iPhone.

525PM - Joyce's lips are turning white. Why is she in so much pain...?
"You're doing great Joyce!"
"Keep pushing, honey."
"2..3..4..5..6..7..8..9..10... BREATHE!"
She barely whispers, "I can't do this..."
 "C'mon Joyce!! C'mon!"
"We're almost there."
"We see the head.  C'mon Joyce!! Push!"

535PM - And after 18 hours of labor.... with one final, push, the head does a corkscrew and spins out from the womb.  Joshua is born.  And the action really begins....

•  Doctor unwraps the umbilical cord from his neck!
• They quickly let me cut the cord.
• Doctor tries to suck everything out from nostrils and mouth.
• Off he went... over to the NICU table.  Didn't even get to make a detour for mommy to look at.
• Baby is out.. now trying to get the placenta out. (Yup...normally, TV shows don't talk about this, huh?)
• I can run over to look at our son... but I choose to stay with Joyce. This was not a normal pregnancy... I need to be with my wife right to give her the one thing I can give her... my support.

545PM - NICU departs - which is a good sign.  They got all the merconium (poop) out.  I let out a "Praise God" and the ladies exchange a mysterious look with one another. Makes me wonder if the situation was more dire than they led us to believe.

7PM - Grandma brings Rachel to see her little brother.  She naturally reaches out for mom, "Ma-ma!"  We let her jump into bed with mom...and for the first time, older sister gets to hold little brother in her hands. 

730PM - Everybody came!! Elder J and Cat. Then the rest of the gang.  I guess everyone was expecting to come after lunch.  Turned out they came after dinner.  So wonderful to have enveryone here at the same time, so they can all leave at the same time. Sorry to be rude, but I think they undersand, we need to rest.

9:00PM Transferred to Maternity Ward and the nurse tells us Bin Laden is dead.

10:00PM We decide to be those typical parents and send our second child to the nursery.  Rachel stayed with us and we got no rest.  This time, we're smarter.  And after 18 hours of labor and 5 hours of becoming newly crowned parents.... Joyce finally crashes.

10:01PM - Forgot to return "King's Speech." Will incur a stinken late fee.

秋天的童話

時隔十幾年了. 今日返看經典劇"秋天的童話." 最令我驚愕是發現我很多口頭蟬和俚語都是來自這部電影. 最令我失望之處竟然是童話的結局.


小時候, 已看過很多次.  但今次不同的, 我與周潤發飾演的船頭尺的年齡相約, 人生方面有新的領域與見解.  其實戲完結在互開禮物的情節便為最佳, 但童話的完美結局反而令到故事滿有瑕疵.

童話雖是童話, 故事雖是故事... 但童話故事是會發生在現實生活上.
滿心祝福 CY 同 JL能找到 "table for two..."

葉問, 詠春, 與中華

In an extra-ordinary night, I was able to watch a Hong Kong movie - Ip Man (一代宗師, 葉問). 葉問's story is based in the 1930's - around the time Japan invaded and occupied China.  And tho the movie itself was unimpressive and left a lot to be desired... the historical signifcance served as the main plot and main character of the film. 

As far as I can remember, I was educated about the horrids and reality of war through stories from dad or from TV shows.  Movies try to serve it justice...but it never does.  Whether it's Schindler's List, Saving Private Ryan, Fist of Fury, any Chuck Norris flick.... they all bring a piece of what China had to go through during those decades of international occupation. 

And as the credits started rolling... two distinct feeling were clearly evoked.  Best summarized by the scene in Jurassic Park where a cup of water starts shaking with concentric circles... only to be followed by the T-Rex. 

The first of the two feeling is fear.... not fear of war per se... cuz in reality we're living in a time of domestic tranquilty.  But a fear of the second feeling...a far more powerful feeling... that is the feeling of hate.

Air it out...

There comes a time in life...when a tragedy occurs that simply leaves you dumbfounded, awestruck, devasted...to a point where you don't even know how to feel or react.  

• Case in point.... Two 747's crashing into the World Trade Center.  You look in disbelief...you're wondering what just happened, and you're just glued to a TV finding clues on how you should be feeling.
• Case in point... You walk back to your car to find the window broken.  Your stereo is gone.  Your $100 Banana Republic coat is gone.  All that's left are shards of broken glass, a feeling of violation and question marks hovering over you.
• Case in point... Buster Posey gets pummeled and in the midst of that, he breaks and ankle and tears a few ligaments.  It was a clean play or a great play in terms of pure baseball.  But we're left not knowing how to feel. 

The next morning... I couldn't even turn on the radio.  All the talk radio stations (that I listen to) were replaying the Posey play. I needed an outlet.  So I turned to good ol' FM music stations.  All garbage.  And they took away the Classical Station.  Ended up just turning off the radio and drove in silence.

That night...had a cathartic experience where a couple of buddies aired out our emotions on Facebook.   Trying to think of another situation similar to this, where it's just a spirit crushing loss of the heart and soul of the team
 Garrison Hearst "breaking" his ankle in the '98 Playoffs?
Montana getting knocked out by the Giants in the 1990 Playoff?
Game 6 in the year that never happened?
Jose Cruz Jr. and his Gold Glove OOPS!! and JT sliding into Pudge?

In the end... I think I came up with the best analaogy (I think).... when Daniel Larusso enters the All Valley Karate Tournament, exceeds all expectations and makes it to the finals against Johnny.  Has the upper hand when Kreese tells Johnny to "Sweep the leg."  Daniel collapses like a house of cards... only to have a Japanese guy (Ishikawa?) give him a rub down.... and he comes back and Crane Kicks his way into the Championship.

After that... it felt much better.

世风日下, 道德倫亡

昨天在大華99買魚，發生了一件不可思議的事... 有人偷了我部shopping cart！
我把車停在旁邊買魚，然後好小心放包即食麵入去, 霸住部車, 以防萬一。當我轉身時，我部車不單人間蒸發，那小偷還好禮貌地將那包即食麵放回櫃上！我左望右望, 已找不到小偷了.

公義何在？道德何在？

人善人欺天不欺! 我要申冤!

Light Rock, Less Talk

After an 11 hour day... on my drive home, the only thing I was in a mood for was some Light Rock, Less Talk, KOIT 96.5.  Hrm.... old faithful, I guess.

A time to be born and a time to die

Not more than a week after the birth of my son...I attend the memorial of a friend's son.  He was around 16 years young.

The last memorial service I attended was about 10 years ago.  But that was for an elderly man.. someone who's lived life to his fullest. He fathered 4 children and was grandfather to many more... one whom became my wife.  This time, it was a kid.

There was a short slide show montage showing some of his pictures.  Not a lot of pictures...but there was one thing constant in all of them... his smile. 

His aunt gave a eulogy.  It ended with smiles.  The pastor used Psalm 23 to deliver the message.  It ended with hope.  His father came out in closing. It ended with gratitude. 

One can easily ask... why.  Why at such a young age when the world is his oyster? Is it fair? Is it premature? Those questions are left for contemplating... no one talks about these things.  Weird, huh?

To be a husband...to be a father...

Dear fathers... I know you always look forward to those annual events. Valentine's Day.  Birthday. Wedding Anniversary.  Dating Anniversary. Christmas.   And then now...there's Mother's Day!

Not that I'm complaining, oh no... just stating the fact. 

Return of the Bathroom Jabbers - Fish out of the water

Months of hard work in potty training.. Nui-nui is finally starting to tell us when she needs to go pee pee.  And with Joyce being unable to bend down to help... Nui-nui defaults to having to use....oh yes.... the men's room.  (Ewwwwww....)

First of all.... yes.  Men's room are digusting. Even men will tend to avoid using the men's room if possible.  I'll save that for another post. 

Nui-nui is 22 months.  She's young and naive, but she's not stupid.  Immediately after seeing the men's stall... it cuts off one's desire to empty out.  So poor dad has to go through the entire ritual of sanitizing the entire toilet. 

After a few minutes of begging.... she finally pees.  As she slides off the toilet seat onto the floor, I suddenly realize that it's an automatic flush toilet.  She instinctively starts walking away, but poor me, I'm still crouching by the toilet and as the water flushes... SPLASH!.... right onto my face. 

I'll leave this part short.... cuz it really is too hard to verbalize.  I've done my part in changing Nui-nui's diapers with her lying down.  But to this day, I still have no clue how a girl wipes.  I grab a big wad of TP and go through the motions.  She doesn't know any better...right?

Then there's the inevitable putting back ON the diaper.  Nui-nui is barely two feet tall, which means I have to crouch down.  After crouching down for a few minutes to coax her to pee.... and now having to struggle to put the diaper back on.... my legs get tired.  And as gravity takes over.... my knee slowly collapses and I go from a crouch, to one knee down. And within seconds.... my knee feels moist.  Goodness......  I forget it's the men's room.

Ahhh....fatherhood.  It's not just the fish that's out of the water....

The Chinese Theater

Caught the last part of a KCSM documentary on Chinese American filmmakers and it ended with a 2 minute montage of the Chinese theaters in San Francisco Chinatown.

The Chinese theater is definitely a lost art... a lost piece of culture. 

I still remember growing up in San Francisco that had 5 Chinese Theaters.  My earliest, earliest memory of watching a Chinese movie was watching a black and white movie of the Monkey King at 華星 on Jackson Street.  And kung-fu films which has gone from a comedic parody to a cultural phenomenon. 

There were the glass display cases that had a dozen pictures of the each film.  I can still see myself waiting for dad to buy the tickets while big brother and I studied those pictures, trying to guess what the movie was about.  But the pictures meant absolutely nothing.  Then we go in... and about 4 hours later, we come out and amazingly what was foreign before seems to have been completely re-decorated.  Those pictures now tell exactly what the movie is about. The scene before and the scene after.

There was Golden Pagoda Theater (金都).  .  It was on my way to school so I would purposely stop by and observe the glass cases if I had time.  It was my favorite among the 5 because Golden Pagoda, unlike World (世界) and Great Star(大明星), had a bigger display case that displayed multiple movies.  It was watching the movie...without having to pay.

There were those special days when dad would pick us up from Sts. Peter and Paul and take us to dinner.  We knew those were the special days because we knew that after an early dinner, we were going to watch a movie.  And more importantly, it meant not having to go to Chinese School.  Of course...the next day, dad would have two envelopes on the kitchen table ready for us to take to school -- those were our "excuse letters."  I always wondered what dad wrote in those letters -- and I'm always down-trodden that I can never ever come close to writing one of those letters.

Special, maybe to San Francisco Chinese Theaters, they were always double features.  The new release  was coupled with an older, semi-popular film.  Two instances stand out.  The first one was watching the long awaited 八星報喜, but only to find the accompanying feature more enjoyable.  That accompanying feature - 精裝追女仔.  And there was the other time when 阿修羅 was paired with 奇績.  Two white guys came in there to watch a Jackie Chan movie. When 奇績 was over...they clapped, got up and were about to leave. But they saw that no one else was leaving... so they sat down and was going to watch it again.  Only to find there was the feature was coming up.

Partially melancholic too... because it stirred up memories of those awkward years in my life when I didn't have any friends.  Those times when I went to watch movies by myself.  I can't blame anyone. I was too poor to hang out with English school friends.  Too much of a goody two shoes to hang out with Chinese School friends.  And too much of a little brother to hang out with big brother and his friends.  I've come a long way since... I guess.

Then around the mid 90's, slowly, one by one they closed down.  First the Golden Pagoda.  Then Great Star.  Then World Theater.  I've actually been in Great Star theater twice since it closed.  Both times to watch Cantonese Opera with my mom. 

One can say the theaters are haunted...cuz indeed, there are nothing but the ghosts of the past in these auditoriums of cinema.  But in reality...all is lost.  A piece of my culture...a piece of my childhood... a piece of me.  Gone.... and there's absolute nothing but an empty building today.  And I guess an occasion public television documentary.

Till death do us part...

Been getting a lot of marketing phone calls on my cell. I know it's marketing because I looked up that number online. Today... I caved and actually answered the phone.

Marketer: May I speak with Maria XXXXX.
Me: uh... She's passed on.
Marketer: (awkward silence) Is there a spouse I may speak with?
Me: There isn't one.
Marketer: (more silence) I understand.
Me: Thank you for understanding.
**click**

There's no place like home.. or cell..

Home Group / Cell Group - "The home/cell group is a form of church organization that is used in some Christian churches. Cell groups are generally intended to teach the Bible and personalize Christian fellowship" --Wikipedia

We began our life in a Home Group setting back in 2004.  In roughly 2007, we went from home group members to home group leaders.  And for the past several years, we've serving alongside our parents whether it's cooking, leading a study, mentoring, discipling or the basic, but laborious, administrative duties. 

This past weekend, we dared to invite ourselves to Elder J and C's house for fellowship.  And for the first time in a very long time...we felt "taken care of."  For one night... along with the other Edenites, we had someone cook for us.  We had someone lead us in a study and sharing.  We received  impartation and blessings. 

Ahhh....to be home.  A wonderful night it was.

A little advice from little ol' me...

Had a mini-career panel this morning... and as the words came out of my mouth, it finally struck me that I've been with my company for 9 years already.  9 flippin' years. Eons for most other folks in my field.  Along the way... I've picked up a few tidbits.

1) Never turn down a breath mint. - I guess this is not a career advice... but life in general.
2) Keep your resume updated. - You never know when you'll need it.  But better yet... you never know when someone needs it.  Better even yet... you need to know what's on it.  Sharpen up your resume... make sure you know your skills and fill those deficits.
3) Lastly (for today...) = networking.  Personally... I hate networking. Find it absolutely draining.  Find it absolutely anti-me.  I'm an introvert.  I like being an introvert. I hate talking to people.  I avoid it as much as I can.  But as the old saying goes... "A man in the pond or lake... the body is not up to you." 

Networking.  Two months ago... we had an engagement where I literally sat next to my own VP during dinner.  Was pretty much forced to talk to her that night.  And guess what...two months later... my career panel as in front of her. "I know you!!" the VP said.  Wonder where this will lead me.

Networking.  At the same engagement, there was another VP that sat at another table.  He was in the audience when I gave my speech and two months later... he remembered my name, dug up my bio... and called me for an "opportunity."

Networking.  It's what we did when we were 10.  We found a bunch of friends we barely knew...who all bought different Nintendo games and we ended up swapping them so that everyone gets to "flip" a different game. 

See how the last one... as pure as it can be... has the hidden message of selfishness, greediness and even narcissim?   But regardless of how I personally view Networking.... it sure as heck works.  And I've fallen into the arena of being a networkee.

Sometimes... I look in the mirror and I don't even know who I am anymore.........................

re: Sometimes you just can't win

Yes - the Giants lost 3 out of 4 to those hated Dodgers.  But this post is an apologetic post more than anything. 

A few weeks ago... I complained that the rate of TP usage has gone up just as Nui-nui's diaper usage has gone down.  So I indirectly accused the little one.

Today, it dawned on me that the REAL culprit isn't innocent little Nui-nui.... but in fact, Nui-nui's little brother, pressing on mommy's bladder all the time! 

Sorry kiddo... life is full of injustice.  And it all begins at home. =)

R.I.P. old friend...

RIP my old friend...

光陰似箭

老婆開始放產假... 距離Bebe誕生只有一個月.
BeBe逾產期三十日倒數....正式開始!!!!

Return of the Potty Mouth

First it was "sit."
Then it was "fork."
Now it's....FROG!!!!!

~sigh....

Spiritual Peers

It's so important to have spiritual peers in your walk with Christ.

The other night... a brother came up and said, "Have you done anything recently related to witchcraft or wizardry?"  Of course... this brother has walked with me for many years and there's a certain level of trust that's been established.

Immediately, I say no... cuz I haven't sacrificed any chickens... or casted any spells or omens... or flew on a broom as of late.  But what he said weighed heavy on my heart.  God reveals everything for a reason.

Later that night... I suddenly remembered reading / singing a Disney story book to Nui-nui.... how the Fairy God Mother transformed Cinderella from a peasant to a princess.  Oh my.... not only did I "practice" witchcraft... I "casted a spell" on my daughter.

With a contrite heart... I said a prayer of reconciliation to my Lord and Savior and quickly threw that book into the recycling bin in my den.  But moments later... I felt a conviction that I should rid that book out of our house.  So I threw it away... (I know... Nazism right?) 

And all this... cuz a brother unknowingly delivered a message.  Have you received a message today...and have you delivered it?

Come back soon for a post on "Disney, Witchcraft and Christianity."

Poppin' the question....

One of the toughest question a man has to ask is none other than...THE question. 

More often than not... we know the answer to the question.  And not quite as often... the person we're asking is half-expecting the question anyways.  Yet, it's not just the question... it's the situation, the location, the timing, the position...and of course, the accompanying hardware.

Here are some insights/advice accumulated throughout the years: (some of these are mine... most of these are from others)
-don't memorize a speech, the other person won't hear a thing when realizing what you're doing
-don't get the real deal...get a fake one in case the answer isn't what you expect
-don't do it at a restaurant cuz it's not private
-don't do it at a ballpark /jumbo tron cuz it's old hat
-pick the most romantic restaurant because she'll want everyone to see how lucky she is
-there's nothing more romantic than doing it in front of 40,000 people
-tie it to the dog's collar if she's an animal lover
-don't tell the reporter what you're gonna do after the interview cuz he'll ruin the surprise
-don't tie it to a dog...cuz the dog might run away
-get the father's blessing (not permission) cuz unknowingly... and ultimately... she's daddy's little girl and daddy is always her first prince charming
-2 months salary
-3 months salary
-one knee, not two.  two knees are for much later when you're begging for forgiveness
-pray
-make sure you have a way out... in case her answer is not what you expected... and you're in the middle of a half-time show at a basketball game dressed up as the mascot
-left hand, fourth finger if you're American
-right hand, fourth finger if you're European
-middle finger, either hand if you drive in LA
-prepare 2 speeches... be prepare to forget the Speech A and go with Speech B
-write a song.... but only if your last name is McCartney, Lennon, Harrison or Starr. And I guess Clapton.
-if you're doing it while sky diving, make sure you tie a strong knot on a strong string with a GPS locator
-flowers are a good touch, but not necessary
-lots and lots of flowers.  chicks dig floral
-don't try too hard to make it memorable/romantic... the event itself is memorable and romantic
-IKEA is actually very memorable/romantic
-you get one chance to say it....so don't stutter!
-keep it simple cuz your heart rate will be 1000 bps!
-other than her....you know her best.  you'll know what she wants.
-and if you're wrong... tough!  she's getting the hardware! tell her to suck it up!
 
And ultimately... there's no right or wrong.  It's just a question, right....? What's the worst that can happen?
 
 
(Inspired by Michael Scott -- You will be missed!)

What to do... What not to do...

Nui-nui's curiosity has moved into 4th gear as of late especially on the dining table.  She'll want to eat whatever we eat... drink whatever we drink.  This morning, I was enjoying my cup of morning coffee when,  Nui-nui, as usual, wanted a drink!

What to do...
   ...let her take a sip... as she'll taste coffee, realize it tastes horrible and never want to drink again.

What not to do...
   ...let her take a sip... as she'll taste coffee, realize it tastes horrible and never want to drink again - but have her FLYING OFF THE WALLS DUE TO THE CAFFEINE!!!!!!

Lesson Learned... 
   ...it's okay to have fun... it's okay to experiment... it's okay to explore.  But be ready to accept the consequence and reap the fruit that you sow!

..excerpt from my soon to be published book.. "We All Make Mistakes... the Do's and Don'ts of Child Raising" by H. H. Leung

Croup

Nui-nui started coughing unceasingly on Friday.  When the coughing turned into wheezing...we didn't hestiate to take her into the doctors.  The on-call physician immediately diagnosed her with "croup."  It's a viral infection that causes laryngitis in adults and cold/flu like symptoms in children.  Not fun to have to put Nui-nui on steroids to help with her breathing. 

The cool part is... instead of "croup", I got nui-nui to say "poop." 

So when I ask her... "What do you have Nui-nui?"
She'll smile and say... "Poop!"

With Bah-bee training her sense of humor... she's gonna grow up juuuuuuuuuuuuuuuust fine. 

Sometimes you just can't win...

Incredibly pleased that potty training (or potty learning as Montessori calls it) is going oh so well!  The amount of diapers we're using have exponentially gone down.  But strangely enough... as the diaper expense goes down... the rate at which we're using toilet paper is climbing!  Sometimes... you just can't win. 

What to do...what not to do...

Last night... Nui-nui spilled some milk on the living room floor right next to her pretty pink chair.  She innocently sits on the chair like a choir-girl and drinks her milk.  Mommy and Daddy come out and sees the puddle of milk.

What not to do...
         ...don't yell at her or give her an irate look for spilling milk.  She knows she did something wrong.  That's why she's quietly sitting there drinking the milk.  Why make her feel any worse?

What to do...
         ...go over and gently ask if she spilled the milk.  Nui-nui nods.  Then tell her to be more careful next time. Give her a kiss and wipe up the mess together.

Lesson Learned...
          Let her know from a young age that she can trust us if she makes a mistake.  She'll come to us and together we can make things better.  If we enforce fear in her when she's 20 months... what's gonna happen when she turns 20? 


..excerpt from my soon to be published book.. "We All Make Mistakes... the Do's and Don'ts of Child Raising" by H. H. Leung

The problem is... there are no problems.

Had a strong conviction the other day that the biggest problem with church nowadays (and particular my church) is that everyone there is too "perfect." Church oughta be filled with prostitutes... single moms or single dads... criminals out on parole... recovering drug addicts... etc...

If anyone of the aforementioned people were to walk into our church...they would immediately turn around and leave cuz they will feel exactly what society wants them to feel... like outcasts. It's no wonder why people like visiting our church, but choose not to stay.

All in a day's work...

Got a request from the VP of Engineering to take a trip out to Philly right away.  I can never sleep on the first night of East Coast trip anyways... so I flew red-eye. 

Originally I was set to fly back Sunday morning.  But we finished our work by 3PM.. so we quickly made arrangements to fly out of Philly at 6PM.  Landed at SFO at 9:15PM PST.

In summary...
Depart SFO - 10PM PST
Land PHL - 5AM EST
Depart PHL - 6PM EST
Land SFO - 9PM PST

All in a day's work...

Famous dinners

Not since this dinner... has any dinner generated this much buzz.

President Obama had dinner with a bunch of Tech/Business honchos last night...

Here's the guest list...

• John Doerr, Partner, Kleiner Perkins Caufield & Byers
• Carol Bartz, President and CEO, Yahoo Inc.
• John Chambers, Chairman and CEO, Cisco Systems Inc.
• Marissa Mayer, Google VP
• Dick Costolo, CEO, Twitter Inc.
• Larry Ellison, Co-Founder and CEO, Oracle Corp.
• Reed Hastings, CEO, Netflix Inc.
• John Hennessy, President, Stanford University
• Steve Jobs, Chairman and CEO, Apple Inc.
• Art Levinson, Chairman and former CEO, Genentech Inc.
• Eric Schmidt, Chairman and CEO, Google Inc.
• Steve Westly, Managing Partner and Founder, The Westly Group
• Mark Zuckerberg, Founder and CEO, Facebook Inc.

Who's missing from this list....? Intel? HP? IBM? Hank?

Forgetting my roots...

Recent events have transpired at Day Care that's led us to start looking for alternatives.  You never want to be the frog at the bottom of the well. 

And as we're touring all the typical daycares... I'm astounded by how picky I've become. 
The place can't be too small.  Nui-nui has to run around. 
The teacher can't have a heavy accent.  Nui-nui needs to learn straight English. 
The gender balance of the kids need to be 50/50.  Nui-nui needs both boy and girl friends.
The place needs to be clean.  If I'm paying $1400/mo, it better be a palace!
The place should have a balance of races. Nui-nui shouldn't only have Chinese / Indian friends.

Since when did I become an elitest? Am I that much above everyone else that I can point out everyone's mistakes?  Didn't I grow up in those environments? Did I turn out that bad? 

After a few weeks of researching... we realize that the current Day Care place is actually pretty good... all things considered.

Happy Nui Year!!

So Nui-nui recently reached another nui-stone, or stones, I should say.

She can now count to "10" in English. And can almost count to "10" in Chinese... leaving out a number here or there.   Big deal... name one kid who can't do that once they're in pre-school.  But this is MY daughter.... and if I say she rocks...she rocks! 

More excitingly... she added another word to her vocabulary! The word... "good." 
The other day... I made her some noodles and when she sampled it... she looked at me, smiled and said, "good!"  Then that night... I made her some soup.  I put it in her little cup.  She took a sip, smiled and said, "good!"   And on the 7th day... her father rested.

Thank you Dunder Mifflin

Nui nui has a cold for some reason... And the whole family suffers. Thank goodness for Hulu and the semi-watchable episodes of The Office. Ricky Gervais cameo! Please don't replace Carrell with him... I don't understand his accent.

Sooooo sleepy.... I guess this is training for Bebe...

As we forgive those who trespass against us...

Late Saturday night, I get an email from dad.  He just got a call from our relatives in Mainland China.  Someone has just trespassed and violated our ancestors' gravesite.  That in itself is a travesty, especially to our culture where we hold our ancesters to such high regards, to a point where it crosses respect to, dare I say, worship? 

Anyhow... what really weighed on my heart is when my dad mentioned that they interrupted the feng-shui of our family line.  Dad was in such distraught, he had to take the day off from work. 

Really? Dad...?  I guess.
Really? There's feng-shui out there that's supposedly shaping and changing my life? Hrm...
And really? Someone's interested in OUR graves? We're farmers...not King Tut!!

Outreach Running Blog

Decided to keep a running blog (more or less) of an outreach event that a few of us embarked on.  The premise is a Chinese radio station and a restaurant in San Mateo co-sponsored a wedding fair.  And we capitalized on this opportunity to outreach to some young couples.  Here's a short running blog of the actual events...

405PM -  Found the place. Turns out to be old Joy Luck Place. Scoped out he place and it looks like a closed dinner party. With some vendors each owning a table.  Not what I expected and no sight of any young couples yet.
415PM - Moved car to a closer loacation. Found a Le Boulanger to hang out at. Ordered a small Kona Coffee cuz I was dozing on the drive up...Coffee very weak~ but there's no Peet's in sight. 
421PM - Still no Roy, Anderson or Galpal. Starting to get a bit scared.  Sitting outside Le Boulanger waiting for them to show while catching up on Patriots/Jets game.  J-E-T-S JETS! JETS! JETS!
423PM - Wondering how long it took to organize such and event? And starting to brainstorm if SJCAC can do one ourselves.
425PM - Roy calls. They're here. Now what? I guess as a leader I need to step up and come up with a game plan.  But I much rather be a follower right now. 
432PM - Too cold sitting outside so we move inside. Discussing our game plan.  Last minute planning is definitely not the way to go. 
453PM - Prayer time... Nor really sure what to do. Discussed tactics but still a bit lost. Declare God will lead us! 
500PM - Go inside and immediately showered with flyers from an East Bay "wedding favor" company.  Thinking - "Dang! where's our product?"
505PM - Stood for about 5 minutes obeserving.  No one is approaching us and none of the vendors are opened.  We didn't get kicked out yet...so that's a good sign.
510PM - Got tired of waiting. The employee there didn't know anything... so I asked for the manager or organizer of the event.  Turns out the event is opened to the public even if you don't have a ticket, until dinner time.  AWESOME!! That's our green light to stay.
512PM - Free wine tasting.  Hrm.... a slight buzz will certainly make outreach easier!  But opted agianst it...(this time).
515PM - Roy approaches our first target.  God bless his courage! 
517PM - He comes back and says, "They're interested and want to know more! They have a lot of questions!" 
520PM - I take that cue and go talk to my first target.  They politely listen to my schpiel and move on.  It's all good.  After the first rejection... my nerves are completely calm.
525PM - Anderson and Galpal are infiltrating and visiting the vendors.  At the very least...it'll give them some ideas of what's to come.
530PM - run into the parents of my high school friend.  Ah.... good times.  Too bad it's not him getting married, it's his younger brother.  Nonetheless, nice to know someone in a foreign place. 
540PM - Not a lot of young couples walking in...but there are a lot of family and old couples.  Standing around without much to do... we started thinking that one of the girls from the Wedding Favors place is a friend of a friend.  She looks familiar. 
545PM - I go up to her to introduce myself and she says I look familiar also!!  But upon exchanging stories... there's no way we could've met in the past.  Another case of "looks-like, almost-like, but not really."  Turns out she's a Christian going to a church in San Francisco.  And she dated one of my coworkers!  Small world.
550PM - Now that she knows what we're here for...every time she comes across a young couple...she'll point them out to us.  NICE!!  An ally!
555PM - My new found friend and her business gets kicked out by the restaurant.  I guess even though it's "Opened" it's not really "Opened."  We see what happens and quickly split up ourselves.
603PM - At Starbucks.  Decide to call it quits for the day.  Sharing in a time of feedback and debriefing. 

Overall... this was a wonderful experience.  I feel so energized after this event!!  Wish I could do more for God's kingdom... but as for now... I can only dream.

Mood: buzzed, despite no alchy

愛神愛人，神國大者

我輩禱告研經，所為何事？背起十架、十一奉獻固然乃是本份，但這只是神國小者。教會內所以簡稱我一聲『梁僕人』，實因敬我愛神愛人、奮不顧身的擴張神國。 然我才力有限，不能將福音傳到地極，實在愧當『僕人』兩字。你聰明智慧過我十倍，將來成就定然遠勝於我，這是不消說的。只盼你心頭牢牢記著『愛神愛人，神國大者』這八個字，日後名揚天下，成為父神喜悅的好僕人。 ~瀚舜

為國為民，俠之大者

我輩練功學武，所為何事？行俠仗義、濟人困厄固然乃是本份，但這只是 俠之小者。江湖上所以尊稱我一聲『郭大俠』，實因敬我為國為民、奮不顧身的助守襄陽。 然我才力有限，不能為民解困，實在愧當『大俠』兩字。你聰明智慧過我十倍，將來成就定然遠勝於我，這是不消說的。只盼你心頭牢牢記著『為國為民，俠之大者』這八個字，日後 名揚天下，成為受萬民敬仰的真正大俠。 ~郭靖