14 years overdue....

Had lunch with a friend's wife's sister today.  I never actually met this person, but 14 years ago, I submitted her resume into my company's internship program and she got selected and was hired on full time.  A couple of months ago, our paths somehow reconnected.  So she asked if we can do lunch.   After lunch... I showed her my office.  And as she was about to leave.... she said she had a gift for me.

A pleasantly wrapped box, with a artistic bow and a card with "Henry" written in beautiful calligraphy.

(I don't know when's the last time I was this surprised.)

I open the gift and it's a beautiful stone, with the proverb, "A rolling stone gathers no moss."  The stone is seated in this artificial moss and it looks like something you buy from a airplane catalog.

She said, turn it over.  And on the back of the stone was inscribed the word, "tHANKs."
(at work... since 2005, i started going by my nickname "Hank" and I use ~tHANKs for my email signature)  She went out of her way to personalize it. And oh by the way.... the box, the artificial moss, the little branch.... those were all hand-made.

Then I opened up the card.  There was an Amazon gift card in there.  But what blew me away was her sincerity in thanking me for the simple gesture of submitting her resume 14 years ago.  It was her way of showing gratitude, which to her, was 14 years overdue.  To me... it was a simple gesture that's not even worth mentioning.  Ah wellz....

I think my top 10 for 2018 is filling up fast.....  and we've still got 5 months to go!!

Shopping DNA

For a new school year... 爺爺 gave NN and SW $100 to spend on anything.  Joyce and I usually pocket this money and spend it on supplies or stick it in their piggy bank.  Seeing how I have to watch the kids the last two days... I decided to take them on a shopping spree at Target.

Me: "NN, SW.  You guys can buy whatever you want with the 利是爺爺 gave you."

NN & SW, "What's our budget??"  (what's our budget??!?!? Where did you learn to talk like that???)

Me: "Around $50.  But you can go over too...."  (I'm holding back, obviously)

After about 5 minutes of observing.... the two are obviously excited but they don't know what to do!! They've never had the experience of buying whatever they wanted. 

Siu Wah:

SW walks up and down the aisles aimlessly and ended up getting a laser tag toy.  It costs $39.99.  Then he found a book.  He's happy.  He just wants to sit in the shopping cart and read.  DONE.  

Nui Nui:

She goes for the Lego's right away.  After 5 minutes... you can see her doing price comparison.  I see her grab box after box of Lego's and running to the scanner to scan the price.  I finally asked her what she's doing. 

To which she says, "I'm trying to find the cheapest one."  (I started tearing up... my little NN.... I've trained her over the years that we're poor.  To a point when I want her to spend, her natural inclination is to still save money).   So I tell her.... 

"Get what you want.  If it's over $50, that's OK."  

Finally she picks something around $25.  And she's happy... until.... 

"Bah-B.... if we don't spend all $50, can I buy more than 1 gift??"  (Oh.... she's a little conniving one.) 

"Yes, you may." 

She runs up and and down the aisle a few times, looking for another toy.  Then she comes back and asks. 

"Bah-B.... since Siu Wah didn't spend his $50, can we combine the money and buy one gift that we both like?" (Oh.... negotiating.  And using her political savviness.) 

"So you can buy something for mama??" (testing her) 

"No...for me and Siu Wah." (failed!!!!) 

"Maybe... let's see what you get." 

She goes up and down the aisles a few more times.  Still undecided.  Then she comes back and says, let's go to the art section.  We get to the art section and spend 5 minutes there, walking up and down the aisle.  Until finally... finally she begrudgingly selects something.  

And all this time.... Siu Wah is content with his first gift.  And is still reading his book.

Nice try lady....

Went to a Vietnamese salon to get my $7 haircut.  Got a different lady this time... halfway through the haircut, she tries to make small talk.  And then out of nowhere she says, "You have a lot of blackheads.  Want me to remove them for you??"

"No. (chuckling)." 

Nice try lady... but I don't really care about my looks, thank you.  BOOM!! 

我今晚竟然...

...打麻雀!?

I love Jesus....

Just spent an hour and a half with a brother...talking about how we can lead our church to serve Jesus more.  And at the end of our phone call... we simply prayed.  Prayed that we can love him more...and carry his cross and follow Him.

It's hard.... it's very hard!

May our prayers not fall to the wayside.

Another year...

Another year... and amazingly, every year I see the same bible passage.

“Naked I came from my mother’s womb, and naked I will depart.
The Lord gave and the Lord has taken away; may the name of the Lord be praised.”

Job 1:21

Time With Abba

Time With Abba or TWA... is something we learned at SJCAC.  Daily devotions in reading the bible in a year. 

It's a sensitive topic.... insofar as some people think it's more of an obligation than a means of reading the bible.  To some, they do it, cuz if they don't... it's a sin.  And to others... you HAVE to read the daily scriptures and highlight the words according to the rules.  And if you don't...if you highlight in a different color... if you want to read a different passage, it's rebelling against authority and not-submitting. 

This year... Joyce went on a different daily devotion plan.  She's going through the Chronological Bible.  Not only that... she listens to it in the morning while driving the kids to the car.  She's been doing this for almost the entire year.  And the most important thing... she makes the kids listen to it.  Then she asks them... "What did you hear?" and "What is God saying to you??" 

I didn't realize she was doing this until our recent family road trip.  And oddly enough...the kids respond.  And they truly do listen to God.  Wow......Wow.... in a round about way... she's training our kids to do TWA.  Or to read/listen to the bible daily.

My wife.... I love her. 

Daily Cleansing

Ken and Hody came back from a retreat with 蔡元云.  One of the things they shared was... daily cleansing.  Every day... 蔡元云's son will take a stroll on the beach and account for his sins that day; then ask for forgiveness.  This gives him a clean slate when he goes to bed...wake up... and start the next day.

Every night... defeat and kill your old self that still lives in you.  So when you start your next day... you're starting from a winning position.

Think about it....

End of Summer Camp 2018

Little did I realize... Summer is actually a nightmare for parents.  Without regular school, what do you do with the kids? Insert.... Summer School, where all these high-priced programs pop out everywhere.  Every church hosts a VBS for a week.  Parents are desperately finding and registering their kids to go here and go there.  Makes me think back to when I was a kid... and what we did over the summers as we grew up.  Wow...

So today marks the end of Chinese Summer Camp for NN and SW.  They spent a total of 6 weeks at a Chinese School.  To Joyce and I... we just needed a place for them to be safe and have "some" fun.  We didn't expect them to learn anything or be fluent in Chinese.

Here's how their summer ended.... they were both able to recite:
弟子规，圣人训。首孝悌，次谨信。
泛爱众，而亲仁。有余力，则学文。
父母呼，应勿缓，父母命，行勿懒，
父母教，须敬听，父母责，须顺承。
冬则温，夏则凊，晨则省，昏则定。
出必告，反必面，居有常，业无变。
事虽小，勿擅为，苟擅为，子道亏。
物虽小，勿私藏，苟私藏，亲心伤。
亲所好，力为具 ，亲所恶，谨为去。
身有伤，贻亲忧，德有伤，贻亲羞。
亲爱我，孝何难，亲憎我，孝方贤。

They were able to sing a Mandarin song.

Nn became a translator for some of her classmates... not cuz she knew Mandarin well... but she knew enough.

SW went from knowing nothing... to being able to understand 75% of what the teacher is saying.

Lastly... all the teachers made it a point to tell me... NN is an amazing student and "好乖."  They don't say it out of being polite or manners... you can tell that they truly are amazed how wonderful my NN is.  

"NN.... you are the apple of my eye.  爸B loves you." 

Pretty Good Bay Area Restaurants

Recently I've discovered that the South Bay... really isn't a good place for eating.  Sure, sure.  People say we're diverse.  The people is great. The food is awesome.  But if a friend from outta town were to come here... I wouldn't know what restaurant is a "must."

So I reached out to some of my close, glutton friends.  Here's a list.  I personally haven't tried all of them, but here's a list nonetheless.  Not ranked in any order, whatsoever....

1.  Yummy Tofu and BBQ (best seafood pancake) https://yelp.to/qTKq/JdjqnqbdgP
2. Nick's Next Door - pricey American https://yelp.to/qTKq/rBEb8VkdgP
3. Dan Izakaya Sushi Bar https://yelp.to/qTKq/LCOK89tdgP
4. Lei Garden - not the BEST Dim Sum, but overall best bang for the buck and not a crazy wait time like that OTHER place.  https://yelp.to/qTKq/b25WRlDdgP
5. Must Be Thai https://yelp.to/qTKq/AukGMWQdgP
6. Los Gatos Cafe (Brunch) https://yelp.to/qTKq/0qTQbJ4dgP
7. New England Lobster Market and Eatery https://yelp.to/qTKq/lErWvPbegP
8. Thai Love You (very small place) https://yelp.to/qTKq/6DQzzDffgP
9. Amami Sushi (get the Omakase) https://www.yelp.com/biz/amami-shima-sushi-cupertino
10. B Patisserie (a bakery - get the kouign) https://yelp.to/qTKq/yIEzDt6cgP
11. Hog Island (get the seafood stew, chowder, and of course...oysters) https://www.yelp.com/biz/hog-island-oyster-co-san-francisco?osq=Hog+Island
12. Ramen Parlor https://www.yelp.com/biz/ramen-parlor-san-mateo
13. Original Joe's (there are 3 locations...) https://www.yelp.com/biz/original-joes-san-jose-9
14. Dish Dash https://www.yelp.com/biz/dishdash-sunnyvale?osq=dish+dash

I'm sure there are more... and this list is probably very shoddy.  But hey.... next time I need a place to go, I'm gonna start with this list.  BOOM!! 

"Oh my gosh, say...."

Went to a local Japanese restaurant.... and once again, Joyce ordered the Omakase -  a chef selected 12 piece nigiri that costs $36. 

I had it last time... it was nice.  It was good. It was................ fish. 

I couldn't really tell the difference.  Fish, to me, is fish.  And if I find something I like... I want to have my entire plate be that fish.  Not one fish I like... and eleven that's mediocre. 

I, on the other hand, ordered a tonkatsu.  You can't go wrong with tonkatsu.  It's fried pork.  C'mon.  $13.  BOOM!!!   Tonkatsu wins.

Looking back at 2007....

So I just noticed.... that this year (2018), I've written more blog entries through July, than in the previous two years.  I wonder why?!?!?  And in my searching... I come across a post I made in 2007, the year where I made 140 blog entires?!?!   One of the more interesting on was my reflection of 2002, 2003 and 2004 using the following format.  Which I will do, for 2018.   This only works if you write what first comes to mind.

I am: getting old

I think: I can achieve greater things, but time is passing by too fast
I know: I can achieve greater things, if I can travel back in time
I want: SW to grow taller
I have: a beautiful family
I wish: I can travel back in time
I hate: that guy in the White House
I miss: the days when we drive out to Giants games... come back late... and head to work the next day
I fear: that I will never achieve my own ambitions
I hear: worship music from my kids' room
I wonder: if I will ever leave my current company
I regret: not getting that ONE question right during that ONE interview
I love: my wife
I ache: in my back and legs after a weekend of working in the yard
I care: too much about my church
I always: find fault in others, but never in myself
I am not: the person you think I am
I dance: and strained a muscle
I sing: 80's cantopop... and I love it
I cry: when I read my old blog posts
I do not always: do TWA
I fight: the wrong battles
I write: my blogs... not because people read them, but because I read them
I win: when another person accepts Jesus as their personal savior
I lose: when I make that sound to my wife "Tsk!"
I confuse: my kids when I can go from Happy Dad to Angry Dad in a split second
I listen: to God's voice....
I can usually be found: with my phone in my hand
I need: to sever this addiction I have with my phone
I am happy about: the independence of my current job
I should: start working out again and lose this beer belly

Short Term Mission

There's been several short term missions lately at my church.... Vietnam, Mexicali, San Francisco!! (my hood).

I've never been... nor do I envision myself going on a STM anytime soon.  But here I am... at the end of summer, and I just finished my own personal local 5 week STM - serving in Children Sunday School.

The 5 weeks came and went.  And I can say... I'm still alive and not actively hating it.  But it did come with a cost.  I missed out 5 weeks of family lunches.  I gave up other ministries to work on this one, since I made a promise.  I did lose personal time planning out the lessons.  And ohhh yes... I had to deal with those kids.  Those brats. Those twerps that need a little discipline from Teacher Henry.

I blogged about this already... but during this STM, I was able to witness Teacher Amy - a true pillar of SJCAC.  30 years, non-stop, she's taught Children Sunday School.  Rumor has it... she's about to call it quits.  I don't know if there'll be another Teacher Amy.  Her love... her passion... her dedication.  Unparalleled.

During this STM.... I found out that some of the brats and twerps that were disobedient and rude... actually has some developmental issues.  ADHD, Autism, Aspergers.... the list goes on and on... (and I just realized they all start with "A").  These kids... they don't know what they're doing.  My heart goes out to their parents.

During this STM... I realized how well behaved and rooted my two kids are.  The last week, Joyce had a sister's group and couldn't take them to lunch.  So they ended up with me.  And you can see a notable difference in their demeanor, their behavior, the way they will actually sing outloud and dance with you.  I won't say they have a bigger heart for Jesus because....

During this STM... I had a chance to introduce the Holy Spirit to the children.  They've probably heard of Him before.  And at the end of my story telling, when I asked "Who wants to receive the Holy Spirit?"  They all raised their hands.  (AMEN!)

During this STM... I saw with my own two eyes, the power of prayer.  SW got sick, got a tummy ache, during today's Sunday School.  I took the opportunity to pray for him... along side with all the kids.  In the name of Jesus... we blessed him.  Not once, not twice, but thrice.  And on the third time, I asked two boys that were his age to come pray for SW.  Simple prayers. Nothing long... nothing eloquent.  But it needn't be.  These kids..... these brats.... they're prayer warriors and prophets.

During this STM... I was blessed to be able to serve with C-lai Chan and C-lai Tsang. Two of my most favorite people in the world.  Even for that short 45 minutes - 1 hour.  Love my sisters....

During this STM... I made a bunch of mistakes.  Including the science experiment gone wrong... including going off the wrong direction as my fellow teachers.  As well as over-relying on technology to be my crutch.

During this STM... I once again established the fact that OBEDIENCE trumps PASSION. I don't have a passion to serve in Children Ministry. But I will be obedient to my Father when He calls me.  And when I do... He will bless me in ways I can not imagine.

During this STM... I almost, just ALMOST, think that Children Ministry ain't so bad.  I can do this.

After this STM... I snap out of it and realize.  HECK NO!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

BOOM!!

"Chirp-Chirp"

Last night... there was a cricket outside my bedroom.  It's chirping got so loud and annoying, at 11:30PM at night, I rolled out of bed, found a can of bug-killer to annihilate that sucker!!!

After spraying half a can at every direction... It was silence. 

I walk back in my room, about to go to bed when I hear.... "Chirp-chirp"  "Chirp-chirp."

AHHHHHHHHHHHHHHH!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!