Counting down the days...

As the days, hours, minutes, seconds tick by... we slowly bid 2017 farewell.  But not before the whole family gets hit with the flu.  Since the stomach virus a couple of weeks ago, our family has been sick for one thing after another.   This week, it couldn't escape us. 

When life gives you lemon, make lemonade.  Though we've been home during the entire shutdown, we've completely made the most out of everything.

• We finished three 500 piece puzzles... on our way to completing the fourth one.
• I bought SW Lego-Star Wars on the Wii... supposedly so I can have some father/son time going through mindless missions.  Turns out Mom/SW are enjoying it more than me.
• We've eaten very light...cuz none of us have much of an appetite.
• Nn and I have read a couple of books together. 
• Nn finished her Christmas Lego set (600+ pieces!!)
• We played with some of their Christmas presents, like making slime...just to see it get all over their clothes
• We finally got basic cable TV, so Bah-B can watch some sports on TV....
• We're completely entrenched in Puzzle Fighter on the iOS

Great family bonding time.... Thank you Jesus!!! 

Mission is in my DNA

My Christian denomination since 2005 is C&MA - Christian and Missionary Alliance.   Without even realizing it, I was raised to be mission minded my entire life. 

Wednesday night was Fr. Mario Rosso's Memorial Service.  Fr. Mario (aka 朱神父) was my spiritual overseer for almost 18 years.

I thought I knew this man... but on the night of his memorial service, did I come to realize what he's done as a servant of Jesus.  Born in Italy... he left to be a missionary in China in 1938 at the ripe age of 14.  Before World War II.... he already had a heart for the missions, a heart for China.  Starting at age 14, he went to China to learn Chinese, Cantonese, Shanghainese.  Not just to speak, but to read and write.  And not just write... but write elegantly.  

As a Catholic missionary, he survived World War II.  He survived the rise of Communism, the expulsion of organized religion, and survived the trials and tribulations of being a white man in a yellow country.  

"An egg" is how he characterizes himself.  White on the outside, yellow on the inside.  Conversely, I call myself a banana... yellow on the outside, white on the inside.  

One of my most vivid memory of 朱神父, unfortunately, was when he came into the sacristy and scolded me for not being solemn enough as an altar boy.  He was so pissed... he said if I didn't change my ways, "Don't come and serve on Sundays."   I never acted up ever again....  

His Resurrection Mass was beautiful.  The first reading was from Isaiah 61:1-3.... the passage for a missionary... as the priest would describe it.  Responsorial Psalm was Psalm 23.... very fitting.  And the 2nd reading was from Philippians 1:3-11.... as it was Paul's letter to the Philippians, it was also a letter from 朱神父 to all of us.  The choir was amazing... for the most part.  And even the altar boys (or altar servers) evoked a smile on my face with their tiniest little motions of bowing and turning.  

朱神父 never had much in his life.  But he legacy he leaves behind... is more than most people can ever imagine.  Rest In Peace.... you are in a much better place now.  

Food poisoning never felt so bad.... Part 3

In the end... it's only fitting I make this a Trilogy and end with Episode 3.

I never once doubted whether or not I'll go out.  I packed a bunch of plastic bags for the road and was gonna bring a pair of boxers / jeans in case I had an accident.  No way I was gonna miss Episode 8 on the account of some stupid stomach virus.  Only things that was stopping me were the family being too sick for me to leave (thankfully everyone was semi-recovered) and 2 hours of freakin traffic driving up to SF!!!

OMG.................. picked up Anderson around 5:20....and we didn't make it up there till 7:20.  Luckily the movie starts at 7:40PM.  And unlike previous episodes, we got pre-selected seats.  So no waiting in line to fight for crappy seats.

Phew...... and alas..... after I make one last pit-stop at a public bathroom (just to be safe).  After I get nice and comfy in my reclined seat with leg rest (overrated).  Here it was.....

The lights dimmed.



"Lucas Films"


"A long time ago, in a galaxy far, far away...."



And then.................BOOM......  STAR WARS logo with John Williams music. At that moment, everything was perfect.  For 2.5 hours all sickness went away.  Until.............. SPOILER ALERT.....
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we realized the movie sucked... and I really wanted to puke.

Food poisoning never felt so bad.... Part 2

It got me.... I couldn't escape.  I was so confident too! 

I woke up... felt like I had a hangover.  Must be indigestion or an empty stomach.  But by 10AM, I knew I needed to go home.  About 5 minutes from home... I couldn't make it.  I had to turn off on the freeway... find a private street and hurled about 20 oz of breakfast and last night's dinner into a bush.  Ahhhhhhh much better.

Then I got home.... and the chills started coming.  Then the runs.  Wow.... I never knew I had that much "stuff" inside me.  From 2PM to 10PM.... I kept on sitting on the throne.  And within 1 night.... I lost 7 lbs. 

My colon is so clean now, I can go in for a colonoscopy. 

And inspite of it all... I'm still driving out to SF for Episode 8 baby!!!!!  We'll see what happens!!!

Food Poisoning never felt so bad....

Ohhhhh food poisoning hit our family hard today.

At around 2:30PM, we get a call from school saying SW threw up - twice.  As I'm driving and talking to Joyce, we wonder if it's something we ate.  Right away... we think it's the leftover pasta we gave them for lunch.  But nn and Joyce also ate it and were fine.  I didn't eat lunch today cuz I was too busy....

I picked up SW.... he was wearing leftover/lost and found clothes.  His clothes were a mess.  His face was green.  We got in the car and on the way home, he threw up in the car again. 

About an hour after we got home.... NN starts complaining of a tummy ache.  Then she starts  throwing up.  On the phone, Joyce says she wants to throw up.  Oh geez... that's it.  Leftovers.  That's gotta be it. 

If I didn't learn my lesson last time when I got sick.  I learned my lesson now.  No more.  And even as my kids were yacking their brains out... I'm here thinking, well... maybe 2 days leftover.  I'll draw the limit at 2 days.  Horrible, I am.

Then the thought occurred to me... maybe it's the dinner we had last night!! So I called the Yu's... and lo and behold, they also got sick and have been throwing up.  Joyce wants to go back one more day to the Eden Christmas party.  A couple of people were sick.... but the majority were fine.  It had to have been Sunday Night dinner.

Why wasn't I sick?? Am I that much stronger?? Is it because I sterilize myself with plenty of alcohol? (heh.. heh.. heh..).  As we're talking, we start realizing that there was one dish I did not eat, and SW ate a lot of.  Which is probably why he's the most ill of everyone else. 

Ohhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhh...... it's 2AM in the morning.  Just cleaned up the pillow case, SW's clothes, and the bedsheets.  He was sleeping in his own "stuff" for the past couple of hours and didn't even know it.  Their room stinks like a garbage dump.  And I'm wondering.... I'm doing all this cleaning without gloves.  SH*T!!!  (literally and figuratively). Hopefully I don't catch this bug!!!!

I lost my phone....

What would you do if you lose your phone??  What goes through your mind?? My contacts... my pictures...?  Makes me wonder if I should put stuff on the Cloud.

Happened to me last night.  I was losing my mind!! I searched high and low.  I could've sworn I had it with me.  I remember putting it on my kitchen table.... but it was no where to be found.  No where.  I convinced myself that I dropped it.  That's the only explanation.  I goofed.  Darn nit.

As we're putting the kids to bed.... Joyce's phone rings.  It was from MY PHONE!!!  Someone has it!!! But how did they unlock it to call????  Who was it.....?? WHO FOUND MY PHONE!??!  WHO STOLE MY PHONE?!?!?!

Turns out.... it was OML.  She accidentally packed it away in her bag.  OML.......................................

(Who is OML??  Oi Mo Laaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaa)

Prayer Meeting

No pouting... No asking... No tears. 

Tonight... the little koala bear came to Prayer Meeting with me!! WOOHOO!!!  There was Kids Prayer Club (KPC) and he had a wonderful time!!

Ironically... my little princess decided to stay home tonight.  Shucks... I guess last month's Joint Prayer Meeting scared her and bored her too much.  Maaaaaaaaann..... until next time!  My SW will end up encouraging NN.

Breaking Bread with a Stranger

I broke bread today with a complete stranger.  Literally.

In the past 6 months, I've noticed a lot of cars parked outside our house and on our street.  They park for about 20 minutes and leave... but the traffic has certainly gone up.  Turns out, that 6 months ago, a Persian bread shop opened up at the little mall down the street.  It's so busy there, that there isn't enough parking in the lot.  Day in and day out, I see people walking with sheets of bread in their hands.

Today... I couldn't help it.  I saw a man park outside my house while I was playing in the front yard.  20 minutes later, he returned with 2 sheets of bread (about 2' x 4') and I asked him what he bought.  And what do I say if I want to try it.

First of all, he said, "You're so lucky... you live so close here."  We got to talking about the bread and as it turns out, the Sangak bread is a delicatessen of the Persian culture.  He describes it as "divine" and "heavenly."  He broke a piece off of both types of bread for me to try.  It's good... .but it's not great.

One thing led to another... one topic led to another.  Then he introduced himself as an Iranian, with an Assyrian background (yes, the Assyrians that conquered Israel), and is a devout Christian.  He went on and on about how the Assyrians were the first missionaries to China.  In fact, he reads the Aramaic bible (the original text) and says there are monuments in China that are inscribed with Aramaic words from the missionaries.  His goal is to trace his roots back to his ancestors, who for many generations, were missionaries.

I didn't get a word in there... didnt get to say that the apostle Paul was directed away from Asia and off towards Rome.  Didn't get to share that I'm also a Christian.  Didn't get to say anything about Robert Morrison or the Ching Dynasty or Falun Kung.  That'll be for another day -- when I see another stranger that walks by and breaks bread with me.

Prayer Meeting

A new high.

I was pulling up my jeans and putting on my belt when... I felt a koala bear wrap himself around my leg. 

"你真係要去?"

"係阿."

And he started crying and walks out of my room.  Walking after him... I saw drops of tears on our hardwood floor...

Sigh..... and what's worse.  I get to PM on time - 7:29PM sharp.  Sit around for 20 minutes waiting for people to show up.  It starts late.  Ends late.  I get home.  And the kids are asleep already.  I miss putting them to bed.

Something is NOT right here. 

薪火相傳

Earlier this evening, I officially handed my duties of Eden Shepherd / Coordinator to Royce.
It was anti-climatic.  Uneventful.  And not as I had envisioned.   But alas.... my 8 year term is over.

Looking back in time.... I still remember emailing PAL that I wanted to start a Young Couple's prayer group back in 2008/2009, before Nn was even born.

I still have that email... where 29 days (not even 1 month) after Nn was born, PAL asked me to set up breakfast with the 4 other couples.  Slowly and surely... Joyce and I felt it was time to move away from Joseph Fellowship into a Young Couple fellowship.  We officially got permission to and was added to Heart of Christ Fellowship.  We were even on their email alias!!

Was digging through my emails.  I found that on January 15, 2010, I emailed Pansy telling her that Joyce/myself/Nn will be attending fellowship since she was preparing dinner.  I also have the email from Stella saying it's wonderful we're moving to HoC together!!

Then came that fateful day on January 16th - the annual SJCAC Vision and Prayer Summit.  That morning... I arrived a little early. PAL pulled me aside and said, "I want to start a new Young Couple Fellowship.  And you're the coordinator."  I don't think I was given a chance to decide.  It was an assignment.  I still have that same email to Pansy saying, "Sorry... we will not be coming tonight afterall."  To which she replied.....

"Henry and Joyce... I was thinking and praying for you while I was preparing for dinner.  I remember the testimony you shared about conceiving Nn.  Freely you have received and freely you must give.  May you bring blessings to those in your new fellowship." 

Thus started this new fellowship.  From coming up with the name.. to our Vision.. to our Mission Statement.   We had our struggles.  The first year was fine.  Then we all got pregnant around the same time.... and baby talk took over.  Of the original four families, one family decided to not have children.  And they felt left out....to a point where they left our church.  So we went from 4 families to 3.

Over the years... we had bouts and bouts of flus and colds, where we cancelled more than we met.  Regardless of the challenge, we always came up with a CNY program.  And never once, did I think of folding the fellowship.  Slowly and surely, we started having new families join.  To my disappointment, the new families were essentially from our Young Adult fellowship "graduating" to be a Young Couple.  How I long to have new life, new believers, new members.  That never happened.

And so.... 8 years.  A US President, at most, serves only 2 terms (8 years).  So it was time to move on.  I felt like I could so much more.  The kids are getting older and the parents are much freer. But alas... it was time.  It was time for new ideas.  A new direction.  A new vision.

I had 2 families in mind to pass the baton.  But it wasn't ME choosing my successor... it was the Lord.  And as He would have it... the baton fell on Roy and Joyce's lap.   On the night I had to pass the baton.... it wasn't even at all emotional.  The most emotional part came two weeks earlier when I told my Core Group that our service was coming to an end.  To which I summarized it by saying, "能和大家一起事奉是我的榮幸和驕傲!"

At that moment in time... I suddenly realized... that by giving up my title as Shepherd, I no longer had the official authority to look after the sheep.  And I suddenly felt that I was much more separated and alienated from them.  But alas... all good (or bad) things must come to an end.  And it's time to turn a new page....And I am 100% confident, that Royce will write an exciting new page for us!!

More Random Observations

In a 5 day training session... despite the fact the recommended attire is Business Casual.  Day one, everyone comes in slacks.  Day 2, it downgrades to khaki's. Day 3 and 4...everyone's in jeans now. 

Random Observation

I'm in training this week... at a hotel with people from different companies from all over the country.  The training company booked a conference room at a hotel.  The room has 3 tables.  Halfway through the first day of training... I noticed that all the minorities (Asian, Black, Mexican, Filipino) somehow sat at the same table. The other two tables were Caucasian males.  

I think I made a similar observation at another training session.... where the minorities / women somehow sat together.

Interesting psychological experiment..... 

The Power of a Post-It

A couple of weeks ago.... I was signing Nn's Daily Planner, where the teacher wants us to initial it, to ensure parents are aware of her daily assignments.  One night, I decided to add a little post-in note to her planner saying, "Jesus loves you.  And Bah-B loves you too."  Just a simple message... hoping to bring a smile to my little princesses face.

Well.... as luck would have it... a week later, SW found out about the note and kept asking where his note was.  I didn't write one for him, so I kept saying, "You haven't found it yet."  He looked EVERWHERE for it... until one morning, when I was packing his lunch, I left a note for him.

He found the note during lunch and he was so excited.

The past two days..... both kids have started leaving me notes.  SW told me he hid a note in my room.... to which I couldn't find.  And this morning, I found a post-It on m closet with the words, "Jesus loves you.  And so do I. XOXO -Nui nui".

How wonderful...and powerful... a simple Post-It note can be.

Men are from Mars, Women are from Venus...

Today… a sister gave a testimony of her on-going battle with terminal cancer. It was already emotional and spirit-filled, until the end, when she specifically called out her husband and said, “XXXX, I truly believe that God will prepare for you someone who can cook for you.”  

I tried keeping the tears back the entire time, but that’s when the waterworks turned on.  I couldn’t hold it back anymore.   

After service, a brother mentioned he had another kind of waterworks.  That instead of tears of sadness or empathy… he was sweating bullets wondering why she would say such a thing.  C’mon bro…… this woman loves her husband SOOOOOO much, that as she’s this close to returning to heaven, at her most desperate and perhaps lonely times, she’s still thinking of her husband’s future.  How romantic and unselfish is that????  Maybe half the room got it… half the room didn’t.  

An amazing, supernatural memory...

For the past year...year and a half... I've been telling the kids a bedtime story that I made up.  The characters are "Josh-chel" and "Ra-shua."  Obviously, a play on their names.  The stories are mostly made up... with inspiration from Star Wars, Marvel Universe, DC Comics, 金庸, and other stories/movies I've seen over the years.  The kids don't know any better... so they think it's all original.   If not for copy right reasons, I literally can publish a children story and it might actually be pretty good!! 

In an earlier post, I mentioned there are times I'm so tired of telling this story, I find ways to stall.  And of course, there are nights where I'm just too tired and I say, "It's too late, we'll continue tomorrow." 

On and off.... the story has definitely evolved.  To a point where I don't even remember how the story got to where it is.  But last night... the kids amazingly recited the story, down to every last frightful detail, from it's inception.  Details that I don't even remember coming up with, let alone say. 

I'm so impressed...and touched... that they take this father/son/daughter time so seriously.  That among all the Netflix videos, all the books they read, all the movies they watch... they cherish my half-assed story telling. 

Here's the flip side to the coin.  If they remember these "happy" thoughts... what do you think are the chances they remember the "unhappy" thoughts?  Really makes you think twice about how to raise this next generation. 

Prayer Meeting

Had the most difficult time going to Prayer Meeting tonight....

Me: 爸B去祈禱會啦.

SW: 點解成日都要去啊？

NN: 今晚可唔可以唔去啊？

I really struggled.... it's so hard.  So so hard.....

Overdue Library Books

For the second time in one week, I have overdue library books. Now I owe San Jose $1.50. So pissed... I don’t care if it’s $15 or $0.15... I hate “breaking the law” and get fined!! 

What happened to those “Warming” emails they use to send??

15 year anniversary

Just celebrated my 15 year anniversary working at my current company.  Wow..... 15 years is not a short amount of time.  Rarely do you see people working at a tech company for that long.

On top of that.... my VP came by today.  He told me that at the Quarter Business Review (with the Exec VP and the other VPs), my picture was flashed on the screen.  How many people achieve a 15 year milestone at my company... but my VP chose to flash my picture up there.... if only for a split second.

On top of that.... Yesterday, I called two Directors.  And they picked up their phones and said, "Hey Hank.. how's it going?!?" Like we are peers.  I remember back when I was a salary grade 2-3.... I didn't even dare look at my Director.  And here I am.... calling Directors up and they know who I am. 

15 years of legacy......  of relationship building.... and I'm thinking of leaving?!?!??! What am I thinking?????????????????????// 

萬事皆互相效力

Skipped Sunday Service today to observe Kids’ Church and noticed one of our dear sister is there the entire time watching over a child with aspergers....or hyper activity.  This sister is NOT the child’s mom. After some chit chat, it turns out this small group takes turn watching this kid... while they miss the adult service. This gives the parents a chance to attend service as a married couple.  How long has this been going on? Dunno. Did anyone tell them or ask them?  I’m guessing this small group volunteered. It’s a simple act of love and kindness.

I was so touched by this simple act of selflessness. I wanna run to the top of hill and shout out to everyone what a wonderful deed this is! And hope others can be encouraged like I was....

Prayer Meeting

Very happy tonight... three Edenites showed up at Prayer Meeting.

Why is it so hard? Why are Elysse and Elliot the only children there? What is happening to our passion (or obedience) for prayer? Am I too old fashion...and think that prayer needs to happen corporately... at a church??

"Deck the halls..."

Officially 3 months until Christmas arrives... and already, we're listening to the Christmas Carol CD.  3 full months of this.... Tis the season???  Already???

Money in your Pockets - Pt 3 (Penny Wise Dollar Foolish)

A new series on this blog called "Money in your Pockets" where I give financial advice.  Not because I'm qualified, nor I'm an expert, nor am I correct in my assumptions. Just random thoughts I heard people share or ideas I came up with...

About 4 years ago... we bought NN a bed which we thought would last her until she moves out for college.  We searched high and low... and found a deal that fit our wallets.  She has 10 years before leaving for college... and we've just forked over another several hundred bucks for a mattress.  This time, we paid for the premium.

When it comes to things like beds, sofas, fridge.... spend a little more, and get a little more.  Otherwise, you'll be spending a whole lot more to get a whole lot less.  

Crazy Love...

Weeks of planning culminated this week with the launch of a new Sunday School this past Sunday.

I've been inspired and encouraged by the other folks in CS that have started and maintained Sunday School in their demographics.  C&C, Faith, the elderly..... It would be sinful and blasphemous if we did not, at least attempt, to hop on the bandwagon.

The weeks of half-assed planning finally came together.  Teacher after teacher dropped out... I was left holding the keys to the kingdom, so to speak.  Sam came in and asked, "You're teaching Sunday School??"  To which I responded, "I dare not teach you guys... I'm merely facilitating."   And thankfully so.... cuz other than a pastor or elder... who can possibly teach this bunch?

The weeks of creating a "Children's Curriculum" in parallel with Adult Sunday School. The final stages of planning... leading up to a chaotic, yet rhythmic functional bunch.  And the outcome, as I stepped into the Children's classrom.... smiles and laughter.

What is it are we trying to do here????  It all boils down to one simple fact..... to LOVE JESUS.

The adult Sunday school class, on average, have come to know Christ for over 15 years.  15 years!!!!  And as divine intervention takes place... we walk across Francis Chan's "Crazy Love."

My personal goal of this quarter's Sunday School isn't that they take home any knowledge.... it isn't that they feel "holy" about themselves for spending an extra hour in church.   What I hope that everyone will gain is....

1)  that the can love Jesus... like they loved Him when they first accepted Him
2) that they realize.... it's not what church can offer THEM... but what they can offer the CHURCH

And simply attending Sunday School and encouraging their friends to attend...is already more than they realize they've accomplished.

Oh btw.... on this day of launching Crazy Love.... I celebrate my 12 year Wedding Anniversary of being crazily in love with the love of my life.  Dang.... I love her so much.  I wish I can say, do, tell her MORE of how much I love her.

Brood of Vipers

Mission Conference speaker asked us, "If Jesus comes back tomorrow, will He stop by and visit our church?  No... Jesus will go to where the sinners and sick... and neglected are."

My thoughts:

Jesus will surely come to our church.  Not only did Jesus spend time with sinners and the needy.. he certainly spent time reprimanding the Scribes, the Pharisees, the church leaders.  Those who grew up in a church... who knows the scripture well... who are outwardly Christians.  Hurtfully, I think we're the modern day hypocrites... we're the modern day brood of vipers.  

"Will Jesus stop by and visit our church?"  Yes.... but for the wrong reasons.

Money in your Pockets - Part II (Free is not always good)

A new series on this blog called "Money in your Pockets" where I give financial advice.  Not because I'm qualified, nor I'm an expert, nor am I correct in my assumptions. Just random thoughts I heard people share or ideas I came up with...

The best things in life are free... except when it costs something.
A particular wholesale warehouse has a very good service where they offer lifetime warranty on tires... but only if you schedule periodic rotation and balance.  The service is free... which is great!! Except... I've been sitting here at the warehouse for the past two hours.  Why?? Cuz the service is not just free for me... but free for all other members.  Pay the $25 and get it done in 10 minutes at a local tire shop.  

New car

Bought our third car as a married couple.  Once again, we stayed with what we know best, a Honda.

I really wanted a Subaru Outback.  It's sleek, it's nice, it's safe, it's what you see EVERYWHERE you go.  Which means, the whole world is buying it.  So it's gotta be nice.

But in the end, it came down to principles and my cheapness.  I walked out of a dealer this morning... to get a bunch of texts and phone calls.  But ended up spending $5000 less on a barebone CR-V vs an Outback that's almost fully loaded.

For the first time... I drove a new car off the driveway.  Only to find out, when I got home, there is a broken bracket on the floor of the trunk.  Ugh.....

Going through buyer's remorse right now.

When a vacation, is not a vacation...

After a week of being on the East Coast... it's so nice to be home, even if I'm coming home to 100+ degree weather. We were dreading, almost regretting booking this trip.

The top 5 and bottom 5 of this trip.

5 reasons I will never go back to NYC:

1. Traffic - we rented a car to drive from NYC to DC and back.  Traffic was sooooo frustrating.  It really makes Bay Area traffic look like a walk in the park.
2. That one Lyft driver - for the most part, Uber and Lyft did their job.  But that one driver who took us to the airport on our way home.  He stopped for gas. He charged us for that time.  He never drove more than 55 mph.  Even the big rigs were passing us.  He really milked his $92.  
3. Momofuku - supposedly one of the best restaurants in DC.  After much anticipation... I can only describe the experience as OVERRATED.  Sorry.
4. Packing - there's an art and science to packing your bags.  Some people have it, some people don't.  I'll leave it at that.
5. B of A - we waited over 2 hours to get my name taken off of big bro's joint account.  And it nearly didn't happen cuz of a bunch of imbeciles

I try not to get bogged down by the negatives... here's some positives:

1. Seeing the Statue of Liberty with my family and dad.... last time I went on a vacation with dad was almost 10 years ago.  This was something special.  What made it more special.... dad went to Sunday Service with us.  Amazing....
2. Family time.  Had a good 2 hours with big bro one night... chatting over a bear and whiskey. While we were waiting at B of A... found out the kids were getting along very well with Eason.  And I had some great one on one time with Clark.  Priceless...
3. The DC tour - Each of us had our moments.  NN loved the First Ladies Exhibit at the American History Museum.  SW stood in front of the National Boy Scout Memorial in his Cub Scout uniform and did a salute.  And as much as I revere the Supreme Court.  As much as I'm astonished by the US Capitol.  As much as I adore the Lincoln Memorial.  And as much as I opposed of the resident in the White House... being inside 1600 Pennsylvania Ave truly takes on a whole new meaning.  Touching... 
4. A hot date with an old friend - while the kids took a nice nap after two days of walking and jet lag... I was able to catch up with a dear friend of mine and had tea and scone.  Cherishing... 
5. Family time.  This one makes it on the list twice.  This trip wasn't a vacation... it was all about being with family.  We had a family dinner on Saturday night (the night we landed).  And one on Sunday night, where our cousins drove 2 hours to meet up with us.  Both nights... we talked, laughed, broke bread.... and fulfilled dad's dream of being all together, at the same time, same place, no hidden agendas... but to enjoy one another's company. 

It's nice to be home.  It's nice to have the technology to turn on our AC once the plane landed, so we come home to a cool house.  It's nice to return to SJCAC and worship with our family.  There's no place like home... 

Tale as old as time... song as old as rhyme...

Beauty and the Beast....

It's easily... bar-none... my favorite Disney animated feature.  Ranked higher than any Pixar films, even....

Watched the Live Action version of Beauty and the Beast this week and................#$@*&^!%&!

One of the worst movies EVER!!!!!!!!!!!!

Lip-syncing, horrible acting, lousy camera-work, incomprehensible screenplay.... YES... the script is based exactly on the cartoon... but the live-action bombs.  Keep it as a cartoon!!  Two people can't fall in love in two days.  Emma Watson is speaking with a British accent........... in France!!!  The "animated" servants was horridly disgusting.  And none of the songs were catchy...

Ugh.... glad I didn't rush to the theaters to watch it.  And now I regret even watching it.

Iger, please don't ruin anymore of my childhood classics... please.

Money in your Pockets - Pt 1

A new series on this blog called "Money in your Pockets" where I give financial advice.  Not because I'm qualified, nor I'm an expert, nor am I correct in my assumptions. Just random thoughts I heard people share or ideas I came up with...

Some people say the best way to save money is to skip that daily Starbucks guilty pleasure.  Seriously???? $5/day ($25 a week / $100 a month / $500 $1200 a year) won't save you jack!  So if you feel like ordering a Venti Iced Skinny Hazelnut Macchiato, Sugar-Free Syrup, Extra Shot, Light Ice, No Whip...with a drizzle of caramel then you're entitled to it! 

My daughter

每晚，兩個乖乖都要我講故仔先肯瞓。 有時我都會搵藉口skip一兩次。

前晚我諗到個天衣無縫嘅計仔，故事兩個主各要解開一條數學題，才能過關。

試題是來自「射鵰」的尋找一燈那一段。郭靖黃蓉在尋找一燈大師求醫時，偶遇神算子瑛姑。 瑛姑為了救周伯通苦綀奇門遁甲之術。但苦讀多年仍未能解答這條問題。 而小諸葛黃蓉不費吹灰之力就可以將一至九、打橫、打直、打斜，係九方格都可以加成15 。

我家的不是小諸葛，是小囡囡。 她用了短短十分鐘就計得出。 

原本我想放自己一兩晚假，唔使講故仔。點知....

It's tough....

Ask me what my favorite bible verse is.... and 9 out of 10 times, I will say 1 Cor 10:13:

And God is faithful; he will not let you be tempted beyond what you can bear. But when you are tempted,he will also provide a way out so that you can endure it.

We have some family and family friends who are raising kids that have development issues.  Their kids are loud, obnoxious, insolent, down-right spoiled.....!!  I try not to... but I look at them and my first instinct is to judge the parents.

My second thoughts are.... I probably can not do any better as a parent.  I'm not a good parent... I was blessed with greatkids.  It's the great parents (the GREAT ones) that God has chosen to raise the children with special needs.

God bless those parents.  Lord knows they need all the grace and mercy.

P.S. - I love my kids.....

Like Christmas morning...

In Chinese School today, the kids each got a spinster toy - the $2 toy that was a craze about 4 months ago. Almost every kid in school had it... and being the cheap, frugal parents we are, the kids didn't even bother asking us to buy it for them, cuz they knew we'd say "No."

But when I picked them up... boy were they happy. All they wanted to do was go home and play with it... aka spin it on their finger. SW even went down to say, "This is my favorite toy! I've always wanted this."

Gotta ask myself.... why don't I spend that $2 to make them happy? Why make them go through this long wait... where they MIGHT get a gift they've always wanted?? What kind of parent am I?

VBS

Served in multiple VBS's over the years.  This was the first year we sent the kids to a VBS at a local church.  Was actually really touched at the closing ceremony, seeing the happy faces on all the children and the amount of volunteers that made this happen.  They learned so many bible verses, so many songs and had so much fun doing it. All glory to God!

New Car

It's been almost 6 weeks since my accident... and almost a month since my car was considered totaled. And I still haven't found a replacement car yet.

Oh the toils and agony of buying a new car.  The rub of all this is... summer is when the 2018 cars come out, so I'm stuck in purgatory waiting for the new cars to roll of the conveyor belt, while I'm paying out of my own pocket for a fricken rental!!   To top it all off.... I'm actually beginning to like this rental and want to call it my own. Go figure.

Cleansing

So after hearing a random podcast where the host mentions he goes on a periodic 5 day cleansing diet, I decided to do one too!  Couple that with my upcoming NY Trip where I'll be gorging myself with anything but healthy food... I better set up my body now.

The first thing they say about cleansing is to quit caffeine.  Ohhhhhhhhhhh..... that first day was atrocious.  I was literally shaking and feeling every pore of my arms opening and closing, gasping for air.

I did some research and decided to go on a "Juice and Fruit diet."  The next several days... I continued on the juice and fruit diet.  One night... I had steamed fish and veggies.  But most other nights, they were apples, berries and juice. I threw in some raw almonds and cashews.  Oh... and bottles after bottles of Naked Juice.  ($7.99 at Lucky's.  $7.00 at Target.  $5.89 at Costco!!!)

By golly... other than the first day, the caffeine withdrawal wasn't bad at all.  The hunger pangs and grumbling were overcome with juice and water.  Got a couple of runs and swims in over the 5 day diet... and lo and behold... I lost 3 lbs, broke my addiction (or habit) of coffee, and now I've inspired a couple people around me to do the same.

WIN!!

Faith Hope Love

For Summer School... Joyce enrolled both kids into a Mandarin Summer Camp.  I didn't do any research and have no idea what this camp does.  But c'mon.... SW didn't know English but he picked it up so quickly and efficiently.  How hard can it be??

First day... I go and pick them up.  The two of them ran towards me.  And said, "Bah-B.  好悶呀。 聽唔明佢講乜."   And the more they told me... the more doubt I had that this place is good for the kids.  How do they expect non-speakers to learn? By just sitting there??  You can't absorb a new language by sitting there and listening... you need to teach!!

Monday night... I had a long discussion with Joyce.  Maybe this isn't the right fit.  This is a Mandarin Summer School.  It isn't a summer school that teaches Mandarin.  She convinced me to give it a try, at least for a week.

The second day... when I picked them up... the kids were a bit happier.  There were some games today.  I stayed after and grilled the teacher.   After talking to her... she really settled me down.  There a couple of youth in there that translated.  She specifically said they don't teach pinyin or writing because it's meaningless for them in such a short period of time.  And kids will pick it up through conversation.

The part that took it over the top... was during my conversation with the teacher... SW actually responded and chimed in.  OMG.... he understood some of it.  And he can speak it well.

Day after day... the kids come back happier and happier.  They're looking forward to Chinese School.  Today... the teacher showed me a video recording of them reciting a poem on stage... in Mandarin!!  To my untrained ears, I thought SW had the better pronunciation.  But the teacher applauded NN for having the right inflection and also the proper attitude to strive to learn.

So proud of my kids.... they'll do just fine.  It's their dad who worries too much...

Holding a grudge

Back to back weekends... hung out with dad and his sisters.  And 5% of the conversation is about how their back hurts, their leg aches and how tough it is getting old.  20% of the time is reliving and rehearing the same stories.  The other 75% is about the grudge they've been holding (and continue to hold) with our extended family.

Ohhhhh myyy goodness.............  the stories from generations past.  I hope that stopped with the previous generation.  From here on out... our grudge starts and ends on the baseball diamond, the hard wood or on the gridiron.  And nothing more.  

Prayer Meeting

The other night at Prayer Meeting, all the adults prayed for the children.  On our way home, Nui-nui told us that God told her that He wants her to be a missionary in China.  And as part of her research.. she wants me to borrow the Mulan DVD from the library so she can do some research.

Siu-wah?? He says he wants to be a Jedi Master.  Hmmm.....

That moment all parents dread...

You always want people to walk up to you and compliment on how well your child is behaving.

But you dread the moment that someone walks up to complain about your little angel.

This happened on Saturday... when we were at Barnes and Noble, our favorite "library" where we hang out and rarely buy anything.  The kids love it cuz the books are more complete than a regular public library... and the place is just nice to hea.

On this day... SW comes running with a little jack-in-the-box toy... something we use to play with when he was much younger.  I guess the toy evoked happy memories for him.  While he was showing us his new found treasure, a parent walks up to us and said, "He snatched that from my daughter."

My heart sank.  My boy??? My angel did what?!?!?

The mom was very polite and courteous.  She wasn't out to get revenge or anything.  Her daughter on the other hand, was in shock and obviously very sad.  I quickly made SW apologize... which he did.  And the mom said, "It's ok."  She looked at her daughter... and said, "You're ok.  Let's go."

My son... my angel... my little treasure.  I'm still reeling from shock.

Adieu

After 9 great years... finally bid farewell to our wonderful Honda Civic.  It was about 200 miles short of hitting 150,000.   We took great care of the car and was confident in its performance.  I really wanted to pass it onto dad since we were due to upgrade to a bigger car anyways.  But alas...  nothing happens exactly as planned.  It was a big poignant when I said my last goodbyes.

8 year anniversary

On the 8 year anniversary of my nn....gotta repost the running blog of "Birth of my Child."

http://gothenry.blogspot.com/2009/07/birth-of-my-child-running-diary.html?m=1

There's no way I could've summarized the birth of my child in a paragraph or two. Since I had a laptop with me (and a lot of spare time), here's my first ever Running Diary of the events that transcribed leading up to the birth of my child...

June 16, 2009

8:15PM - Joyce started having contractions about 24 hours ago. We're considering heading over to the Lee's for the Joseph College / YA Meeting. We even drove up to their front door. But their driveway and adjacent spaces were full. Joyce wasn't up for walking. so we went to Tops Cafe for dinner instead.

10:35PM - We call the on-call doctor. She suggests we go to the hospital. Frankly, we thought it was still too early.

11:00PM - Arrived at Labor and Delivery and checked in. We're very confident they'll send us home since contractions are still pretty far apart (7-10 min). Doesn't everyone get sent home at least once? It's amazingly quiet here. I thought June will be high-season. 

11:30PM - Just got confirmation we're staying the night! Turns out Joyce is dilated at 3-4 cm already!! I still have no clue what that means - but it sounds like she's making progress.

June 17, 2009

12:30AM - Officially admitted to Good Samaritan. I've always wondered is Good Sam a Christian Hospital? Or are they publically declaring - "We are not Christians or Jews, we are Samaritans who don't follow your religion but we'll take care of you anyways!"

2:30AM - Our RN, Nurse #1, says we have about 3 hours of waiting until the next milestone. She pulls out my comfy bed (something short of a Futon) for me and wants us to get some rest. 

2:35AM - I hear what I think are sirens - this is a hospital afterall. But the siren sound doesn't go away! Goodness - it's a woman screaming!! Her voice is coming through the air vents. There's a woman - giving birth without an epidural!! Her screams are loud, crisp and painful!! Every 2 minutes!! And they last a full minute!! "Ahhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhh" We ask for ear plugs. It doesn't help. Why don't they sound proof these walls?!?!?!

3:00AM - Can't stand it anymore. I rather go home for a shower since Joyce isn't near ready yet and that lady isn't near done screaming. 

5:30AM - Nurse #1 says Joyce is around 6-7cm. Joyce hasn't slept a wink in over 24 hours due to the contractions. She asks for some medication but those only numb her for an hour. I wonder if I can take some medication too so I can get some shut-eye. Doubt it.

7:00AM - Changing of the shifts - new nurse - Nurse #2 comes in. Changing nurses is like getting a new teacher when you're in elementary school. Going from one grade to another, you've spent all year with your favorite teacher! No other teacher in the world can be as great as your previous teacher. Only you find out that your previous teacher... really wasn't that great.

7:26AM - Joyce had enough. She needs some sleep and rest so the anesthesiologist comes into adminster the epidural. He looks eerily like my old lead back at work. Nah... couldn't be. Anyhoo, I seriously thought Joyce could've done this without an epidural. She's such a trooper! 

7:53AM - Nurse #2 checking on Joyce again - dilated to 6+. I've once had my eyes dilated. Is this the same thing?

7:55AM - Water broke - finally. That's good - cuz we didn't want it to mess up our bed or inside our car. 

8:15AM - Our OB Dr. Z stops by to say "Hi" on her way to work. How nice! Says we'll have this baby by lunchtime!! 

8:30AM - I make a quick run to Starbucks and go home to send a prayer request email and get our phone chargers. If the baby's coming at noon, we better have our phones ready to text like mad!!

9:00AM - Come back to see Joyce sleeping. Phew... didn't miss any excitement. Always the fear of "going to do something" and missing the birth of your child. Not this time... not yet.

9:30AM - Selai Chan calls to wish us well. 

11:30AM - I'm hungry. Run downstairs to the cafeteria and quickly decide to skip out to Carl's Jr. instead. Come back with a Wester Bacon Cheeseburger and Crisscut Fries. Didn't need to get a soda cuz Good Sam has a pantry full of goodies. (Yay Good Sam!)

12:30PM - Since this morning, Pitocin dosage went from 2 milliUnits / min to 5 to 7 to 9 to 8 to 7. We're trying to increase the frequency of the contractions. We've now hit the 36 hour mark. The contractions are too sporadic. When will this end?

12:45PM - Just got done reading the story from Geoff. Great short story about a father and his newborn daughter. I'm getting sleepy from waiting. Gonna take a 5 minute power nap.

1:10PM - Nurse #2 comes in and checks on Joyce again. She's at 9.5. In another half hour, we'll start pushing. WOW... this is really happening! 

2:45PM - Officially started pushing. We didn't attend any of the Labor / Breathing Class so we get a 15 second crash course on how to do this. "Three quick breaths, deep inhale and PUSHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHH (count to 10), exhale, deep inhale, PUUUUUUUUUUUUUUSSSSSSSSSSSSH (count to 10), exhale, deep inhale, PUUUUUUUUUSSSSSSSSSSSH (count to 10), exhale. Repeat."

3:00PM - Shift change again. Nurse #2 leaves and here comes Nurse #3. Too bad, cuz I really liked Nurse #2. And she wanted to see us through this delivery. (Still pushing, btw)

3:35PM - HOLY TOLEDO I see the top of head!! GEEZ!!!! Y'know... this isn't as bad as most people make it. I'm not going to faint! This is easy peesy - japanesey!

3:50PM - Nurse #3 says she's going to call Dr. Z. Huh?!? Does that mean.... we're almost there?????? I'm breaking out a huge sweat just coaching Joyce to breathe. Can't even imagine what she's going through. 

4:05PM - Dr. Z finally shows up. Sure sign that this wasn't going to be a C-section finally secured itself. Dang...the doc is so calm and cool. Another day in the office for her. Life changing experience for us.

4:30PM - Dr. Z: "Okay, your husband's been a great coach so far. This time, I want you to listen to me. When I say push, you're going to push longer than before. We're going to get her out this time. " And with that... out came the rest of the head.... one more push and out came out the rest of the body. She's.... gray! And then within seconds, she turns pink! Looks just like me. It's amazing! Everything from here on out was a blur... thank goodness for cameras.

4:35PM - It's decided. "Rachel" Final Four Choices: Rachel, Victoria, Abigail, Kaitlyn. Yeah... "Rachel" it is.

6:00PM - Our first visitor, Rachel's 大伯父. Comes marching in with a pair of pink mylar balloons. How sweet. Would've preferred a box of 燒鴨飯 to be honest.

7:15PM - The Louie's show up with the traditional ginger fried rice. HA! Rachel's spiritual grandparents and spiritual uncle!! 

8:15PM - Get transferred from Labor & Delivery to Mom & Children. Right before we take off, Rachel decides she's hungry and mom has to feed her while being wheeled off. Talk about timing.

9:15PM - Rachel gets her first bath / diaper change. WOW... what kind of poop is that?!? It's black and tar-like!! Sorta like what I make after a night out at a Giants game with hot dogs, beer and garlic fries. Hmmmm.....

10:05PM - Finally some rest on the same POS chair. All in a day's work. Now the fun really begins... 

End of Running Diary

Headaches still lurking

Been officially 7 days since the accident... the concussion.  And the headaches are still here.  It's traveling.  Yesterday, it was right behind my ear!!  All day... I was grimacing and tearing up cuz of the sharp pain.  I was wondering... did a spider crawl into my ear canal and start laying eggs?  Will this ever go away??????

I didn't dare watch...

Game 5... Warriors found redemption.  And as the final 3 seconds ticked away (Durant was actually traveling), it was a roar of celebration... it was a sigh of relief.

The entire night... I didn't dare watch.  I hid in the room and followed on my ESPN app and Twitter.  Don't think I could've been able to watch real time.  Towards the beginning of the 3rd quarter.. I turned on the radio for a few minutes... and the Cavs started to make a run.  So I turned it off.  Superstitious??? Naaaaaaa..... but why take the chance?

The next day.... I ran to Dick's Sporting Goods to pick up some championship gear.  Not for me... but for dad.  In 2015... I went late and all the limited edition, good stuff were gone.  I felt so bad.  This time... I made sure I had my selection.  When I called dad...and asked him what color he wanted... I was amazed that he said, "Can you get me #35?" 

Astounded!!  Dad never asks for anything.  He always pushes gift aside.  But this time, he made a special request for Durant.  When half the Bay Area was breathing a sigh of relief... Dad was one of those roaring in celebration. 

A moment in time....

Law of average says it's bound to happen to you.... no matter how safe you drive.

My last major accident was in 2000. 17 years later came the next one... and thankfully the kids weren't in the back seat. Thankfully. 

It all happened so fast. I stopped . But the guy behind me didnt stop in time... he didn't leave enough space. I vaguely remember stopping, trying to glance at my rear view mirror, and before I knew it... "BOOM!"  Everything inside the car went flying.... coffee mug, garage door opener, coins....

I got hit so hard... I ended up hitting the car in front of me!  The lady came out and first thing I noticed was... her tummy. Oh no.... pray that she's not pregnant!! I almost asked her... and luckily, she said her husband is home with the baby. Phew.... no baby in th me car, no baby in the tummy and no embarrassing moment for me. All three of us made it out ok... though we were all shaken up. 

I got to work to call insurance and I was already feeling the aches, pains.... and worst yet... I was seeing spots out of my eyes. The headache worsensed.... and I was feeling nauseous. So this is what a concussion feels like. Man oh man....

That night... after all was taken care of, I felt the urge to text and pray for everyone. They both responded cordially.  But man... you can be the most defensive driver out there, but when the time comes, it comes. 

SPOILED!!!

Sometimes... I find myself really not liking kids.


Stayed afterschool today to play with them since it was the last day of school... was playing soccer with some of the boys.  This one boy in particular just won't listen and kept using his hands.


When I started talking to him... he'll just turn around... and walk away, completely ignoring you.


If that was my kid... or my student... I'd unleash the Wrath of Hank on him on the spot! So disrespectful... no manners.  The worst thing is... his mom was right there!! Didn't do a thing.


Parenting... I can't judge and make accusations.  But I can blog about it privately.... UGH!!!

沒料到我所失的 竟已是我的所有

As I was packing up my stuff... readying to move to a new position in a different building.. I started to feel this rush of sadness. 6 years, I gave my blood and sweat for this program. And now... all I had was 8 empty boxes and an office full of memories.  No fanfare. No goodbye party.  No frame or shadowbox. 

I actually declined several attempts to throw me a party.  I'm not that type.  But to think... two of my previous peers not only had a party... they had the VP show up... they got a nice shadow box.  Did I really wear away my welcome that much where I didn't even deserve a handshake from the VP?

After packing up the last box... and only having one person stop by, look at me me, shake his head (it was his way of saying "Good luck!")... I closed the door to my office with my Giants umbrella, and left the office I called home for the past 6 years.

Suddenly had this huge empathetic moment of where 關羽 was exiled from 曹操's camp... after all the battles and wars he won.  The only thing he had while riding his 赤兔馬 and gripping his 青龍偃月刀 was his honor.  He still held his head high.

And with that... I hold my head high as I start a new chapter in my career as a Senior Manager.  Never thought I'd climb this far up in a big company like mine.  But as he continues to lead... I will continue to follow.  

It's still nice to hear....

I'm not big on compliments.  More often than not... when people say nice things about me, I think it's out of courtesy.  Or I feel that it's part of my duty to act a certain way. 


This weekend... my MIL sent me a text after the Mother's Day dinner that made me puff up my chest just a little bit.  "Thanks for holding the mother's day party.  I'm so happy and impressed that you are a great father and husband.  Thanks for everything." 


I really could care less about what they think of how I treat their daughter or their grandkids... cuz again, I stand on solid ground on who I am.  But still... it's still nice to hear.


However... despite what MIL said, it simply doesn't rank up there with what my FIL said to me the day I asked him for his blessing before proposing to Joyce.  "我都好放心將曉瑜交比你."
So simple... so direct... yet so authoritative.   

塞翁失馬焉知非福

After a phone screen... after 3 on-sites.... I finally got this email today:

Hi Henry,

Thanks so much for your interest in XXXXXX and this position alike. I did receive feedback from the team. Overall, the team is looking for additional relevancy for this specific role. 

I will continue to keep you in mind for future roles as well. Thanks again for your interest in XXXXXX and this role alike.

I was so bummed when I got the email.  I had such high hopes.  Not that I was going to take the job, necessarily.  But after going through so many rounds, and feeling like I killed it every round, this came as a shocker.  It's humbling... it's shell-shocking... it's a reality check.

Makes me think... if I can't even get this opportunity, when will there be a better opportunity?? Do I believe in His providence???  Or does He really want me to stay put at where I am?? 

Something smells funny...

Rarely do we use the oven, but when we decided to turn it on last night, we smelled something funny.  So stupidly... I stick my nose up by the oven door and open it up to take a closer look.  Praise God for His protection.  Within 2 seconds of opening the door, I see a fireball puff out from the oven.  I quickly close my eyes and snap back!! 

But I can feel my hair on fire.  And my eye lashes are cinched. 

Had it been 1 second.  Or had it been a bigger fire-puff.... I'd be in the hospital with 2nd degree burns! 

WTH.... this is a newly remodeled home!! ARGH!!!! 

I will not compromise... except when....

Here I am... the parochial choir boy that says I won't ever compromise and will choose Jesus every day. 

The other day at Legoland... SW wanted to go on this ride.  But the minimum requirement is he has to be 6 years old.  Well... he's about 2 weeks away from being 6.  And as we were in line... the worker actually asked each of the kids how old they were.  Seeing how they were doing that... I told SW to say, "i'm 6."  Even though he's officially still 5 years old.

I taught my son to lie.  Wow....

Yup... we're THAT family...

Ever go through life and encounter that one special family? The one that's just different? Special? Weird??  Well... we're THAT family.

This past week... SW's Kindergarten class said they wanted to have an Easter Egg Hunt.  After a couple days of debating... Joyce and I decided to excuse SW from that activity.  We emailed his teacher.  And we sat down with SW to have "the talk" with him.  His face... was priceless.  He wasn't one to hide his feelings - he was obviously upset and disappointed.  But in the end... he picked Jesus.  (AMEN!!)

His teacher pulled us aside to have talks with us... and it's absolutely NOTHING against her.  We love her.  Adore her.  But there are things we just shouldn't make compromise against.  I even asked her, "Do you know the actual history behind Easter celebration?" She said the right thing... that a lot of modern day Easter originates from paganism.  I hope she does her own research and make her own decision.

The other day.... Joyce was staying after school to let the kids play.  One of the parent came over and said, "Oh...we don't do Easter Bunny.  It's just egg hunting for fun."  The conversation didn't last very long.

On the day of the Easter Egg Hunt at school... I was concerned that SW will be very sad.  Turns out... that he was asked to go to the school admin's office.  And it turns out... NN's teacher heard about it and sent her to the office to be with SW.  The 2nd graders were going to hide the eggs for the kindergarteners to go find.

During these times... I think about Halloween.  I think about Chinese New Year.  I think about visiting the gravesite of our ancestors.  And as much as I struggle... I think of Sandy's testimony and the prayer she taught her daughters.

"I will not compromise.  I will stand in the gap.  And I will choose Jesus, every day of my life."

So powerful.... yet so hard to do.

Lost in New York

Monday afternoon.... I get a call from Mom.  She says she's lost in New York. 

For whatever reason... she was riding a train and got kicked off cuz she didn't have enough fair.  And in the worst case scenario, she only had 10% of battery life left on her phone.  There's no Wi-Fi.  She's waited at that train station for 2 hours without any cars stopping.  And she barely speaks English!! 

In all honesty... she's a grown woman, who's lived in the US for 30+ years.  She'll figure something out.  So I wasn't entirely worried... .but I was still worried.

Finally got a hold of big bro... and told him the situation.  His first reaction was...tell mom to stay put.  He'll go look for her.  Of course... mom did not stay put.  Of course... her phone died and I couldn't reach her.  And of course.... big bro ended up driving aimlessly for hours looking for a short, Asian lady in the state of New York. 

What do you do? Call the police? Panic? Pray?


The kicker here is... once she got to Flushing... she tried calling from a pay phone to let us know the latest status.  Some kind stranger saw her... and wanted to lend her their phone.  But mom was too paranoid and didn't want to give out my phone number, so she ended up not calling me or big bro.  Which left us in the dark for another hour or two. 

Ultimately... she made it back home.  Turns out she boarded a train that went the opposite direction of the ticket she bought.  Turns out she was walking distance to the subway which could've ultimately led her home.  Turns out she walked over an hour (mom pace) to get to Flushing Chinatown to find her way home.

But man...if someone is lost in New York.  How do you go about locating that person??? 

Who's Your Daddy?!?

Tonight's Prayer Meeting was simple... "Lord, teach me how to pray."  No agenda.  No prayer points.  Simply enjoy the presence of our Abba Father.

We started with the Lord's Prayer... "我 們 在 天 上 的 父."  And while meditating, I saw an image of myself playing.  And my dad sitting on the couch behind me, reading his newspaper.  God is revealing to me that He is always there.... He could be doing other things, cuz He's a busy person. But while I'm doing my own thing and He's doing his... He's still watching over me.

We then spent almost an hour worshiping Him... interceding for one another... and towards the end... we asked for the Holy Spirit. 

We read, " 你 們 雖 然 不 好 ， 尚 且 知 道 拿 好 東 西 給 兒 女 ， 何 況 你 們 在 天 上 的 父 ， 豈 不 更 把 好 東 西 給 求 他 的 人 麼 ？" 
The same image popped in my head.  Only this time... my dad asked me to sit on his lap.  So I put down my toys, sat on his lap while he's reading the newspaper.  And then I asked my dad for the favorite part of the newspaper..... the Sports Section.  And my dad gave it to me, knowing that I was going to ask for it.   

Went into Prayer Meeting tonight full of angst and stress.  Walked out of Prayer Meeting filled with peace and joy. 

Perfectly good jeans... or not

Today... Joyce told me to get rid of my jeans.  She's had it.  She can't stand it anymore.

I've had these jeans for years... it's hard to find a pair of jeans that fit you, that don't shrink or get loose wash after wash... and is decent enough for work, church or casual wear.  Well... it turns out.... the jeans in general are in good condition, but the zipper is causing me problems. 

Apparently, the past few months, the zipper has gotten to a point where it creases together and creates a bump -- making it look like... uhm.... I'm having a normal, male physiological reaction.  Hmm....  not to say it hasn't happened in a public place for whatever reason... but according to Joyce... it's happening too often, to a point where someone (don't know who's even looking) will misunderstand the situation. 

Perfectly good jeans... now I have to donate them cuz it creates a bump where it shouldn't.  Great.... now I have to go shopping.  Ugh....

The Secret Garden

When I was in fifth grade.. my teacher Sr. Celine made us buy and read a lot of books.  I hated reading. Just didn't have the attention span or discipline to sit and read.  One of my least favorite... or most hated books... The Secret Garden by Frances Hodgson Burnett.  300+ pages of boredom.  When it come time to write a book report... I read my friends' book reports and used that to write my own.  

Flash forward 20+ years... Nn is in 2nd grade and she plows through that book.  She makes me sit down and read her the final two chapters so we can "enjoy" the book together.  As a full grown adult with a college degree.... I still find the book hard to read.  The diction extremely advanced.  And the story is stronger than Nyquil.  

How is Nn doing this at such a young age?!?

We're the minority - Part 2

OMG.... volunteered at SW's class today.

Was teaching the boys some new terms like "trustworthy" and "thrifty" and "loyal."  When I got to the word "brave", I asked them "Who is brave?!?"

"Donald Trump!?!"  (WTH!?!)

"How's he brave?" I asked.

"If there's a war, he will lead our country!"  (#smh... that's what are kids are growing up learning?!?)

I sooooo wanted to set them straight.  But alas... it wasn't my classroom.  And in reality, another parent was there.  I didn't want him to tattle on me. =)

We're the minority

Driving through the Central Valley on our way to Yosemite the past week, we see sooooo many Pro-Trump signs.  It's amazing.  I guess in the grand scheme of things... the Bay Area is the minority with the way we see politics.  Even in a "blue" state such as California.
 

"You're not demanding?!"

For the 2nd time in about 3 weeks... some close friends said Joyce and I are overly demanding parents with extremely high expectations. My jaw dropped.... twice.

One of the two people making those claims have their kids in school, art class, gymnastics, swimming, piano... so on and so forth.  The other has their kids in tennis, scouts, violin....

The few things I do make a demand on...
1) act with manners - greet others, especially your parents, elders and teachers
2) speak in Chinese
3) simple table manners

People..... people.... people....

Emergency Room

Made another visit to the Emergency Room tonight...and this time, it was Siu Wah's turn.

We've been trying to figure out and overcome SW's food allergies.  We've always suspected him having nuts and dairy allergies.  Last month, we gave him some almonds and that's become his new favorite snack. Tonight, we introduced him to cashews.  And boy did we pay for that act.....

At 6:30PM he ate his 1 and only 1 cashew.  He immediately complained about a sore throat.  Not knowing if he was acting or not, we gave him some Benadryl.

Two hours later, after dinner and playing... he complained of a tummy ache.  Then when he was walking to the bathroom...he started vomiting, and vomiting, and vomiting some more. 

We then put him in a warm bath...and that ignited him breaking out in hives.  At one point, he rolled his eyes and looked like he was passing out.  Scared the living day lights out of us. 

So I took him to urgent care at 830PM (they close at 9PM).  Within second upon arrival... the receptionist called for "triage." The other receptionist ran to get a nurse.  I guess food allergies can't be dealt with lightly.

Praise God.... SW's reaction doesn't swell up his throat or tongue.  So he was able to breathe (and play with his iPhone).  Within minutes of being admitted to Urgent Care, they immediately sent us to the Emergency Room at the big hospital.

SW ended up being quite med'ed up.  And he got an epi shot on his thigh.... some mom was ready to do at any moment if SW's condition worsened.

Ah wel.... I guess we found out for sure one snack he IS allergic to.

Not Oroville.... San Jose

Ohhhhhhhhhhh myyyyyyyy gawwwwwwd......

San Jose is officially flooding. 

A neighborhood, about 0.5 mile from my church is now underwater.  The banks in the nearby creek broke...and water is up to the height of cars, chest high for adults. 

The entire neighborhood is flooded.  Not just water... but sewage and cleaning supplies.  No warning.  No sandbags.  Nothing. 

One minute, you're home for winter break.  Next minute, you're standing on top of any car you can find, hoping and praying for someone to rescue you. 

Last week, the whole world was watching and praying for families living by the Oroville Dam who were evacuated in fear of flooding.

One week later.... without warning, thousands of people lose their home and all their belongings.  Where's the justice in all this?!?!?

Loss of Hope in Mankind

Spent the long weekend down at SLO.... and this time, man.... I came back with a horrible taste in my mouth.  Do we really have hope in our future???

Was at the SLO children museum.  There was one particular exhibit that a bunch of kids wanted to play with, my kids included.  The three kids (of a certain ethnicity) were there and they had no intention of sharing.  Despite my hinting and clearing of the throat... the oldest of the three girls (maybe she was 10??) continued to hog that exhibit.  After about 5 minutes... the other two girls finally forced her out.  Then the 2nd girl (maybe she was 8) spent another 5 minutes on there.  Leaving the last girl (4 or 5) to beg the girl to be done.  My two kids stood patiently waiting.

When the 2nd girl left... the little girl finally got on.  And maaaaaaaaaan.  She stayed on that thing for a good 7-10 minutes!!!  Again... I told my kids to be patient. 

Finally... FINALLY... an adult saw me and came over to ask the kid to leave.  Begging, prodding, forcing... the little kid threw fit after fit.  Until finally, she pouted and cried when she left.  And that adult wasn't even her parent.

Where were the parents??? What's wrong with these kids???

Immediately, after my kids got on... I instituted a system for lines.  Both my kids and the family friend took turns.  Played a bit, and got off.  So everyone got to play for a minute or so. 

Ohhhh it gets worse.  Then this little boy comes rushing through.  Cuts the line and says it's his turn.  I was pissed.... and told him to get in line.  He even had the courage to say, "I was here first." What was he... sick!? demented?!  Without yelling at him... I finally got him to understand that "He was next."  One more minute and I would've lost my cool and yelled at him...then yell at his parents for not teaching their kids common courtesy.

What is it with kids these days!?!? Damn parents!!

CNY2017

Of all the things that happened leading up to this event... Of all the things that happened tonight....  the one image that will haunt me forever, is when Karen was carrying a helpless Elena, looking for her lost son.  The hopelessness... the despair... the anguish.  Nothing can describe that feeling.  My heart skips a beat if I turn around and NN or SW aren't where I expected.  But for 20 minutes!?!?!?!??!?!

The whole church was sent out looking for him....  and all along... he was playing hide and seek behind a shelf.  That darn kid.....  And the moment I saw them reunited... How can I not shed a tear???

CNY2017..... will always be remembered for when Elena lost and then found her son.  Hallelujah... God is good.

Walk their streets, breathe their air, see their sights...

Second time we went on our Neighborhood Outreach / Prayer Walk on Saturday. Last time, we ended up finding a location where this organization was handing out sleeping bags and clothes.  So were able to go meet, speak and pray with new friends.

This time was completely different!!  We tried to piggy-back with the same organization as last time and meet with some of the neighborhood friends. Turns out there was a police raid of the camp grounds there.  And contrary to our plans... the organization went a completely different route.  Keno and I ended up driving aimlessly for an hour, trying to catch up with them. 

Right when we were about to give up... we had one last hope to go back to where we went the first time.  We courageously went beyond our comfort zone... and decided to walk down to the creek.  To our surprise, under the bridge, we found several camps of "indigenous" people.  Not homeless.... the city government doesn't like to use that word.

These camps.... they're amazing.  They have sleeping bags, a campfire, cooking utensils, vegetables, lots of collectibles, blankets.  Some of them even had phones.  They were really self-sustaining.  When we approached them... they didn't shoo us away.  Keno and I were respectful and asked if we can come closer.  They truly welcomed the milk and cookies we brought... and they longed for more.  They longed for some warm clothes... blankets and "real food." 

Those images.  Those images of their homes and tents.... I still see it every time I close my eyes. 

Like Karen said... we shouldn't drive around to find these camp grounds.  We need to walk their streets, breathe their air, see their sights.  And try to understand first hand, what they go through on a first-person basis.  On Saturday, we took one step closer to crossing that cultural boundary.  Many... many more steps to go.

Losing never tasted sweeter...

Friday was the annual Spelling Bee at Heritage Academy.  To both of our surprise... both SW and NN entered.  NN hates losing.. so she hates competition.  SW...well... he just doesn't know what's going on.  Upon arriving to pick them up after school... NN tells me that no one in her class got out... and there will be another round next Friday with 3rd grade words.  And then she blurted out that "But SW came in 2nd!!"

Whoaaaaaaaaaa..... our son came in 2nd???? My first thought was... did only two people enter the contest?!?!? 

I was so proud of my son.  It was hardly believable for SW... who barely knew any English when he started in September.  Major props goes to his Kindergarten teacher.

A friend of ours took a video of the final moments of the Spelling Bee.  And the final word that he mispelled...? "Was."  It's not phonetic word, it's a sight word.  If you spelled it phonetically, it would be "W-U-Z."  You can tell he was lost.  He started sounding it out and spelling it....

"W"

(silence... 2 -3 seconds go by)

"H"

(an audible gasp from the audience....)

(more silence....)

"E-R"

"Sorry...." His teacher says. 

And calmly SW steps down from the stage, clapping cheerfully for his friend, as his happy-go-lucky self. 


Watching that video at night... and hearing him spell "her" made me realize that the past two days, Joyce has been going over 5-6 words every night with him.  Just to make sure he knows how a Spelling Bee works.  And time and time again, she kept drilling him with the word "her" because he kept spelling it "H-R."  And at the time of desperation... he went back to what he was trained to do the most.  Sigh.... makes me wonder, if we really did spend time coaching him... would he have won????  Monday Morning Quarterbacking...

But alas... Losing never tasted sweeter...

18 years...

Celebrated our 18 year Dating Anniversary.  Wow... 18 years.

Picked the kids up from school and went to a Hallmark Gift Shop to pick something up.  The store is closing... so I got this for 50% off!!

After a steak dinner, we had our "Family Time."  Everyone took turn sharing something happy from the day.  When it was my turn, I said, "I'm very happy today... because 18 years ago... someone said Yes to being my girlfriend." 

Then one thing turned to another... and we dug up the very first gift I gave Joyce.  I won this at Circus Circus when I went skiing with the guys.  Still have it....  鹿先生.

The right way and the wrong way...

Nn once again disobeyed us last night. 

My punishment... copy verses from the bible. 
Joyce's punishment... go to bed early (7:30PM on a Friday night). 

We ended up going with #2. 

I guess for every situation, there's her way of doing things and the right way of doing things.  Hrmph!!

A look back at 2016...

Alas... the tradition continues.  It's actually kinda fun looking back at the past 12 years - especially at the end of 2009 when a did a full decade recap. Here are the top moments of 2016, in reverse order if you may.

Honorable mentions:
-leading worship on Christmas Day
-officially started job hunting only to find it quite humbling I can't find one

10) Cancun - Nui-nui always says this is her second time going to Cancun. The first time was when she was in mommy's tummy and we went for our baby moon. 6 full days of alcohol and gluttony, came back home to de-tox.

9) The Mark of Death - 2016 marked the departure of my 大伯 and 三嬸.  It saw the departure of Roy's dad, C-hing's mom, Tall Ken's dad, Ben's grandma, Tim or Sue's grandparent.  It saw Joyce's step dad battle liver cancer.  A new found friend's mom battle and triumphed over breast cancer. So many of my childhood icons also died... Muhammad Ali, Carrie Fischer (Princess Leia), David Bowie, Prince, George Michael to name a few.

8) Election 2016 - The entire buildup since 2015... I was sure Hillary would win.  I wanted to volunteer for her campaign. I took both SW and NN to the voting booths with me, so they can say "We were there" for this historical moment.  And a historical moment it was..... that night..... when the color of the US just would NOT turn blue.  By 8PM, when the California polls closed....and Hillary still hasn't won.... America knew.  We all knew. 

7) Family Altar - It's been a passion of mine to establish a family altar at home.  And through two separate, unrelated events (21 Day Prayer Journey and Advent), I think I was able to do it!!  The kids actually expect to have "Family Time" now.  I still remember making that declaration during Intercession one morning. How faithful God is in answering my prayers!!

6)  魚蛋米 - Christmas Day when visiting dad, he said he's been eating 魚蛋米 every day since attending Thanksgiving Retreat.  Did he lose weight?? Nope.  Then I sat down by the couch... and saw a bag of chocolate and 3 jars of nuts.  He says, "I only eat those while watching TV."  No wonder he didn't lose weight!! But more importantly... dad attended a church event with us.  He read the bible.  Copied down bible verses.  And I even heard him worship along with everyone.  I still get choked up thinking about it.

5) Nui-nui needs glasses - in the back of our minds, we've always had this fear.  Just cuz both Joyce and I need glasses.  And in this day and age of tablets and smartphones... how can kids NOT need glasses.  Still remember that fateful day when we found out she couldn't read a giant billboard about 50 feet away.  The gut wrenching feeling of failing at parenting.  I hate to be vain and say it... but now my daughter isn't "perfect" anymore.

4) Siu-Wah attends Kindergarten - after 5 years of staying at home with Han-Yi... Siu Wah finally graduated from home life and moved into the real world, with real kids, with real rules, with real English.  We never once thought he would cry... he didn't.  I never once thought he would struggle... he didn't.  But we certainly never would have thought he'll become the school pet - and all the kids in school would look after him like they do.  The biggest compliment we get, "We're amazed at his tenacity in playing 4 squares with the big kids."  My boy... is growing up right in front of our eyes.

3) Warriors - it wasn't suppose to happen this way.  It was Father's Day.  We were up 3-1.  We beat them last year.  We beat them earlier in the season.  And we were the better team.  I bought a bunch of warriors clothes for big bro, Ah-So, and Eason.  I even had dinner and a beer with dad as we watched those final seconds tick away... and Kyrie "F**kin" Irving drove that dagger into the midst of all our hearts... thus turning it from one of the best, to one of the worst father's day ever. 


2) Nine months in the making - For the same time it takes to have a baby, we finally got "done" with remodeling and moved home.  Ohhhhh... the aches and pain of the whole process.  The newfound ability to hate someone.  The disgust of knowing that wickedness can be so real.  But alas... able to come home.

1) Clark Chai-Tian Leung - How fitting that the top moment of 2016 actually doesn't belong to me.  But big bro.... who after 40 years of wandering in the wilderness... finds his promised land!  A land flowing with milk and honey.  Amazingly enough, that land is in Beijing.  He reaches new heights in his career.  He finally settles down and gets married.  And in that timespan.... he became a father... and me an uncle. These things only happen on TVB shows.  Not in real life.  Not to people I know.   But alas... it did.

And that wraps up 2016.  Here's a look back at the past 12 years.



2015
2014
2013
2012
2011
2010
2009
2008 - can't find it
2007 - can't find it
2006 - can't find it
2005
2004