Really went at it with the GC this morning. Again... a bunch of finger pointing. A bunch of not taking ownership and responsibility. I told Joyce right away... it's a losing battle... even if we win, we still lose. I also told her, in this instance, we are 99% at fault. But I still grabbed onto that 1% and argued. I had to go fight that battle anyways. And boy did I fight. The GC and I were at each other's faces. It took so much constraint on both of our parts to not get into a real scuffle.
I truly thank the Lord for granting me that trial... and I was tested and able to restrain myself towards the end. That level of patience was not part of me, say, 3-4 years ago.
And after going at it with him for an hour... after losing our voices from yelling... we drove away with a hearty handshake. "Hug it out."
Saturday, October 24, 2015
Sunday, October 18, 2015
40 Year Anniversary.... 10 years for us....
My church family just celebrated its 40 year anniversary. From a little gymnasium... to one of the first Chinese Churches in the South Bay... to the place I've called "home" for the past 10 years.... SJCAC has certainly left it's mark in the history of the Silicon Valley.
The other night at fellowship... I asked every member to share their most memorable memory of SJCAC. Surprisingly.... many of them shared the experience of serving college students. I too, have a vivid memory of serving them. Taking them shopping at Gilroy on Black Friday. Never... ever doing that again!!
Some of the new church member shared how powerful our church prays. One person shared how church is truly a family... insomuch as seeing the Pastors... is like seeing her own father. And bringing her children to them... is like bringing her children to their grandparents.
After 40 years of establishment.... and after 10 whole years of being at this church... tonight... .FINALLY.... Joyce leads her first bible study. And boy was she amazing. She led from the heart. She led with biblical authority. She led with clear and concise messages. When it comes to bible study or leading a study... some people have it... many do not. My wife definitely does. That spiritual gift must get harnessed. So many people can benefit from it.... so many.
The other night at fellowship... I asked every member to share their most memorable memory of SJCAC. Surprisingly.... many of them shared the experience of serving college students. I too, have a vivid memory of serving them. Taking them shopping at Gilroy on Black Friday. Never... ever doing that again!!
Some of the new church member shared how powerful our church prays. One person shared how church is truly a family... insomuch as seeing the Pastors... is like seeing her own father. And bringing her children to them... is like bringing her children to their grandparents.
After 40 years of establishment.... and after 10 whole years of being at this church... tonight... .FINALLY.... Joyce leads her first bible study. And boy was she amazing. She led from the heart. She led with biblical authority. She led with clear and concise messages. When it comes to bible study or leading a study... some people have it... many do not. My wife definitely does. That spiritual gift must get harnessed. So many people can benefit from it.... so many.
Saturday, October 17, 2015
Cheater
Nn is really into chapter books these days. But she can't wait for the build up and climax....she jumps right to the end to find out the ending.
Today was 破天荒 where she skipped ahead two books to see if the two characters in the story gets married. They didn't. She was disappointed. She didn't want to read that series anymore.
Awwwwwww
Monday, October 12, 2015
沉默是金
人生不如意十常八九。但係過去嗰啲壓力真係令我透不過氣。我已經有成一個月冇一晚瞓天光。公司嘅壓力，新屋的裝修，有好多事都不如意，家庭有紛爭，子女又不孝。冇充足嘅睡眠就令到我脾氣暴躁。
好可惜當脾氣暴躁時，我就會用子女來發洩。佢哋兩個近一兩個月要承受嘅惱怒是一般正常人不應該成受的，何訪係小孩。
有一晚當我放工回家時，小華走過離，獻一首歌比我聽。呢首歌嘅歌詞竟然令到我果晚可以一覺訓天光。我同個仔講呢首歌係爺爺好鍾意嘅一首歌，而今日呢首歌將我從污泥拔起來。
(許)夜風凜凜 獨回望舊事前塵
是以往的我充滿怒憤
誣告與指責 積壓著滿肚氣不憤
對謠言反應甚為著緊
(張)受了教訓 得了書經的指引
現已看得透不再自困
但覺有分數 不再像以往那般笨
抹淚痕輕快笑著行
(合)冥冥中都早注定你富或貧
是錯永不對真永是真
任你怎說安守我本份
始終相信沉默是金
(許)是非有公理 慎言莫冒犯別人
(張)遇上冷風雨休太認真
(許)自信滿心裡 休理會諷刺與質問
(合)笑罵由人 灑脫地做人
(張)受了教訓 得了書經的指引
現已看得透不再自困
(許)但覺有分數 不再像以往那般笨
抹淚痕輕快笑著行
(合)冥冥中都早注定你富或貧
是錯永不對真永是真
是以往的我充滿怒憤
誣告與指責 積壓著滿肚氣不憤
對謠言反應甚為著緊
(張)受了教訓 得了書經的指引
現已看得透不再自困
但覺有分數 不再像以往那般笨
抹淚痕輕快笑著行
(合)冥冥中都早注定你富或貧
是錯永不對真永是真
任你怎說安守我本份
始終相信沉默是金
(許)是非有公理 慎言莫冒犯別人
(張)遇上冷風雨休太認真
(許)自信滿心裡 休理會諷刺與質問
(合)笑罵由人 灑脫地做人
(張)受了教訓 得了書經的指引
現已看得透不再自困
(許)但覺有分數 不再像以往那般笨
抹淚痕輕快笑著行
(合)冥冥中都早注定你富或貧
是錯永不對真永是真
任你怎說安守我本份
始終相信沉默是金
(張)是非有公理 慎言莫冒犯別人
(許)遇上冷風雨休太認真
(張)自信滿心裡 休理會諷刺與質問
(合)笑罵由人 灑脫地做人
少年人 灑脫地做人
繼續行 灑脫地做人
始終相信沉默是金
(張)是非有公理 慎言莫冒犯別人
(許)遇上冷風雨休太認真
(張)自信滿心裡 休理會諷刺與質問
(合)笑罵由人 灑脫地做人
少年人 灑脫地做人
繼續行 灑脫地做人
Sunday, October 11, 2015
Impressed!!
SW broke all my expectations tonight....
As always...we were putting them down for bed. We told them their stories. Said our prayers. And mahmee even added a special story tonight.
That's when it happened. And I really should have kept exact time and even recorded the events.
But for 30 minutes straight, NON-STOP, SW told story after story. Like 101 Arabian Nights... he wouldn't stop!!
He went from the Three Little Pigs to the story of Christmas.... then he jumped to the Passion and Death of Jesus... then he sent to Joshua and Jericho... followed by (of course) David and Goliath. That was just a warm up!! He then went onto 10 different versions of the Avengers. Followed by the Fantastic Four.... then back to the Avengers... leading up to a mysterious character.... the all-powerful... SPIDER-MAN!!!! When he started slowing down... he immediately jumped to Rescue Bots!! Followed by....none other than... Curious George!!!
Story after story... adventure after adventure.
It was past 30 minutes since I started counting... .so it must've been at least 35-40 minutes... I had to tell him to stop. As much as I wanted to really see how long he could go.... it was well past his bed time.
But at the end of all that... I walk out of his room a proud parent. He told all those stories.... in Chinese.
As always...we were putting them down for bed. We told them their stories. Said our prayers. And mahmee even added a special story tonight.
That's when it happened. And I really should have kept exact time and even recorded the events.
But for 30 minutes straight, NON-STOP, SW told story after story. Like 101 Arabian Nights... he wouldn't stop!!
He went from the Three Little Pigs to the story of Christmas.... then he jumped to the Passion and Death of Jesus... then he sent to Joshua and Jericho... followed by (of course) David and Goliath. That was just a warm up!! He then went onto 10 different versions of the Avengers. Followed by the Fantastic Four.... then back to the Avengers... leading up to a mysterious character.... the all-powerful... SPIDER-MAN!!!! When he started slowing down... he immediately jumped to Rescue Bots!! Followed by....none other than... Curious George!!!
Story after story... adventure after adventure.
It was past 30 minutes since I started counting... .so it must've been at least 35-40 minutes... I had to tell him to stop. As much as I wanted to really see how long he could go.... it was well past his bed time.
But at the end of all that... I walk out of his room a proud parent. He told all those stories.... in Chinese.
Saturday, October 03, 2015
Remodel - Day 89
A scholar and a gentleman.... and some sort've reptilian animal.
That's how we can best describe our GC.
He's smart. He's a business man. He knows how to run a business and keep things going. I can see he's in the GC business not for himself, but to train his son to take over. And to keep his crew employed. But at times, contracting is still a dog-eat-dog world. People will rake you over the coals if you're not careful... and even if you're careful.... you're gonna pay a lot of "tuition" cuz you simply don't know enough.
Came to another standstill on Friday. Really went at it with the GC over some recessed lights. He thinks we should pay for 8. I think I should pay for 2. We went back and forth... back and forth. He was legitimately correct... mostly. And I wasn't perfect either. But I was under orders by the boss *ahem* to negotiate. It started out as a cordial conversation... and I knew I was going to be on the losing end anyways. But then I caught him one lie after another.... and then I unleashed my inner-animal. I wasn't going to let him getaway with highway robbery!! He was gonna have to earn that $800!!!
His voice and demeanor changed... whether he knows that "Crap... he caught me!" or I think it's more like, "He's the customer... I can't argue with him."
We hung up... I lost the negotiation.
On Saturday, we met up. And tension was still high. Joyce, this time, played the peacekeeper. And I was on the GC's case for every little thing.
H: "When are you gonna fix it?"
GC: "ASAP."
H: "What does that mean? You mean today?"
H: "How do you know the wiring is correct?"
GC: "Cuz he built it to the plans."
H: "How do you know he followed the plans and didn't make a mistake? Were you here to check him?"
GC: "I don't know... I guess I can check"
(and upon checking... the electrician was wrong).
We picked the GC apart... pointed out all these details... that I'm sure he would catch if he was here full time. But alas.... he is one man and can't pay enough attention.
Joyce and I both knew he was keeping in his temper... he was being very cordial and diplomatic. To that... I applaud him. But don't try to pull a quick one over us. It's rude... it's conniving... and it's down-right dog eat dog....
That's how we can best describe our GC.
He's smart. He's a business man. He knows how to run a business and keep things going. I can see he's in the GC business not for himself, but to train his son to take over. And to keep his crew employed. But at times, contracting is still a dog-eat-dog world. People will rake you over the coals if you're not careful... and even if you're careful.... you're gonna pay a lot of "tuition" cuz you simply don't know enough.
Came to another standstill on Friday. Really went at it with the GC over some recessed lights. He thinks we should pay for 8. I think I should pay for 2. We went back and forth... back and forth. He was legitimately correct... mostly. And I wasn't perfect either. But I was under orders by the boss *ahem* to negotiate. It started out as a cordial conversation... and I knew I was going to be on the losing end anyways. But then I caught him one lie after another.... and then I unleashed my inner-animal. I wasn't going to let him getaway with highway robbery!! He was gonna have to earn that $800!!!
His voice and demeanor changed... whether he knows that "Crap... he caught me!" or I think it's more like, "He's the customer... I can't argue with him."
We hung up... I lost the negotiation.
On Saturday, we met up. And tension was still high. Joyce, this time, played the peacekeeper. And I was on the GC's case for every little thing.
H: "When are you gonna fix it?"
GC: "ASAP."
H: "What does that mean? You mean today?"
H: "How do you know the wiring is correct?"
GC: "Cuz he built it to the plans."
H: "How do you know he followed the plans and didn't make a mistake? Were you here to check him?"
GC: "I don't know... I guess I can check"
(and upon checking... the electrician was wrong).
We picked the GC apart... pointed out all these details... that I'm sure he would catch if he was here full time. But alas.... he is one man and can't pay enough attention.
Joyce and I both knew he was keeping in his temper... he was being very cordial and diplomatic. To that... I applaud him. But don't try to pull a quick one over us. It's rude... it's conniving... and it's down-right dog eat dog....
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