Of all the chores I hate...

(Was suppose to be up in the Santa Cruz Mountains for our bi-annual retreat.  But there was a wild fire that prevented us from going up there.  Nothing near as bad as the Camp Fire up in Chico.  Man... may God's mercy be on all of us.)

Chore - from the 18th century middle English for the word "char" or "charre" which meant an 'odd job'.  We've evolved that word to our modern day vernacular to 'a routine task, unpleasant but necessary.'

There are countless chores in a house.  Whether you grew up doing chores to earn an allowance, or you finally had to embrace it in college... it slowly creeps up onto you.  It's like a plague... or like taxes.. its always there, it won't go away, and like the definition said, it ain't pleasant.  But you make the most of it... or you figure out a way around it.

I found a post I wrote about 6+ years ago... on folding laundry. And though it ranks pretty high up there... It doesn't come close to the one that stands out as the one I hate the most... Ironing.  I hate it.  I HATE IT!!  Nothing can be more pure but this pure HATRED that I have. HATE IT!!!

I just spent 1.5 hours ironing about 10 of my shirts.  1.5 hours!!!  90 minutes!!  (Wow...9 minutes per shirt.  I suck.)  Why do I have 10 shirts to iron... well... I guess it doesn't help that some shirts have laid there for weeks if not months.  Heh...

And my iron is from my college days.  I bet it's not even hot enough to make a good crease. Which is why it takes so long!! But I'm too cheap to go buy another one. Heh-heh...

And unlike folding laundry...or vacuuming... or to some extent doing the dishes... you can do a half-@$$ job and no one knows!!  You can't SEE it.  But with ironing.... it has be to perfect!  From the military, I guess, but men are judged by the sharpness of their shirts and pants.  If it ain't sharp enough to slice cheese.... it ain't sharp enough to please.  (I just made that up)  And it's hot... and steamy.  Like a pile of.... y'know... Heh-heh-heh....

I still remember when I was 4-5.... mom was ironing in the living room while big-bro and I played.  Mom stepped away for a moment and (WHY ON EARTH DID I DO THIS??) I put stuck my two thumbs straight into the hot steamy iron!!  OWWWW!!!!!  Maybe that's the source of my fear or aversion? Heh-heh-heh-heh...

Father Daughter Date Night

"Nice tie." said the cashier as I was getting a can of Red Bull from Safeway.
"I have a date tonight with my 9 year old," I said, acknowledging the "Super Dad" tie that NN made for me for Father's Day.
She said, "Best Dad Ever."  I smiled.... and left.

Tonight... NN and I went to watch "elf - The Musical" put on the San Jose Children Musics Theater's Rising Stars Ensemble. 

We were stuck in traffic longer than expected and had to miss dinner. =(  Got NN a bag of chips at a local bakery to hold her over until dinner...

The show itself was average.  It was the Rising Stars ensemble, so it wasn't CMT's best team.  But you can easily spot the talent out of the 40-50 children.  And those who are good... were stupendous.  I love [good] live performances...

There was one rendition that actually got me a little teary eyed - the song where the kid and mom stopped believing in Santa, but will start believing in him, if he can make one thing happen.  "If this is something you can do... then I will certainly believe in you...." That one things, was to be able to spend one full day with dad... =*(

Because we got tickets so late... we had literally the worst seat in the house.  Last row, all the way against the wall, equivalent to the last row, window seat on a plane.  And what made it more interesting was we were surrounded by people with special needs.  Your heart goes out to them... these aren't just kids... but adults my age.  What have they gone through over the years? Where are their parents? God bless the hearts of their counselors / teachers.

I wasn't particularly enamored with sitting around "these people."  Shame on me.  But as the show went on... it turns out that NN was very restless.  She couldn't see, so she ended up folding up the seat to gain an extra few inches.  The seat kept on falling and she made a lot of noise.  She'll get up.... walk around...  poke her head here and there.  Had we been surrounded by, shall we say, "normal people", they woulda hushed her.  But as it turns out... our new neighbors didn't really care.  Hrm...

Throughout the night... NN was obviously hungry.  But she didn't want me to worry.  Yet, she kept on asking, what time does Taco Bell close? What time does Taco Bell close? And that's how our date night ended.... through the drive through window of our local Taco Bell.  Something NN's be craving for..... 

Nicknames

Recently... been in a little contest with a buddy with giving each other nicknames.  Not really a contest if it's 1-sided....(HA!)....

My first encounter with a nickname, other than my own, was "D 叔." I grew up calling him that... and never thought twice what it meant.  It wasn't till years later... did I really his name is nothing like what we call him.  But in fact... "D" stands for "弟弟."  It's a term of endearment that all his older bros and sis called him.  And my dad taught us to continue that legacy...but as a sign of respect, add the word 叔.  My dad even famously said, "個名係我地專用嘅."

What kind of nicknames are there....? What makes up a nickname??

Some general guidelines, if you may...

1. Nicknames come naturally, it can't be forced
2. It carries a special meaning - Growing up.... I was given the name 鴨仔.  That hasn't really stuck.... but there was a children story, apparently, where a 狗哥哥 would protect an  鴨仔.   Those names went away aftetr a while... and 鴨仔 sorta made a comeback years later when I met Joyce. 
3. It's one of a kind - The obvious ones, but really hard to capture, are people's Chinese names.  More often than not.... only your parents or uncles/aunts call you by your Chinese name.  So I purposely stick my nose in and make that special connection.  (e.g. 素芝, 潔鈺).  The other night... when I was debating politics and religion with a friend, it got to a point where I felt we had a moment and I couldn't resist but call her 巧玲.  It took her by surprise... but we had a moment.  This goes for ours kids also. If you're a child of my friend... and I know your Chinese name... that's inevitably what I will call you.  That is, unless of course....#4.... 
4. It's personal -  like a term of endearment - I've gone through dozens and dozens for my wife and kids.  "BB"  and "豬豬" are the obvious ones.  For the kids.... we have "囡囡" and "小華." Half of our church don't even know 小華's real name is Joshua. And there are different combinations and permutations on those.  Instead of 梁溢曦 and 梁溢泰... I'd even call them 梁溢囡 and 梁溢華. And they'd answer
5. Some are reserved or 專用 - Like my kids call Chris, "Giants 叔叔" and Joyce "Giants 姨姨."  No one else will call them that.... that's exclusive for us.  Same thing for Roy.... not Roy叔叔, but Roy督督.  The first time I heard someone else try to use these terms, I gave them the stink eye!
6. It shows honor and respect - I'm not big on calling everyone and anyone Uncle and Auntie. So I make it a point to get their name mixed in there.  Like 潔鈺's dad is 江叔。  And Hody's mom is 卿姨。They're special to me... 
7. It's something that defines that person - One of the more famous one I came up with is PAL (Pastor Alan Lee).  Acronyms make great nicknames - or can be deviously horrible. Nyuk nyuk nyuk.... 
8. It's rarely self-invented.  It should be given by someone else - I gave myself the nickname 叉燒 for my volleyball skills.  It sorta stuck.... and people actually carried it on for a few years.  But that slowly died away after I stepped away from the court.
9. They're short (Unless you purposely make it long) - I almost always call Samantha, Sam. Rachel is Ray.  Veronica went from Vero to just V.  Anita is naturally Nita. But it goes the other way... like Mark is Marcus Aurelius. And Chris is Anderson... (that's an odd one, maybe it belongs in #4)
10. Nicknames shouldn't be insulting.... like "Cry-baby" or "Mama's Boy."  We're beyond that.

I, for one, love handing out nicknames or petnames or whatever you call it.  

So back to this contest between me and my bud..... I didn't realize how hard it is to properly give someone a nickname, especially if the natural ones are already taken!!  I've been able to come up with half a dozen gruesome, extravagant, somewhat insulting nicknames for her.  And she's held her own.... been able to come up with a few cuter than cute ones that flabbergasts me!  Last night... we finally (sorta kinda) cornered her into accepting one that we both agree upon. Though deep down... we both know I'm gonna keep coming up with new ones to irk her.  And we're still waiting to see what best fits me.

So yeah....a nickname.  Something simple... but yet... requires oh much creative juice.  You stop and think if it's really worth it.  And if you think too much, too long.... then you're overthinking and that's probably not a good nickname. (See Rule #1).

抑鈪拿鐵

噢! 我深愛的抑鈪拿鐵... 十個月喇。 足足十個月喇！ 

我出來迎接妳, 切切尋找妳, 終於找到妳....噢!💕💖

While under my care....

We recently lost 3 library books and now have to pay our fines.  But instead of simply paying for the book and the processing fee.... San Jose Public Library allows you to buy 3 books of your choice for the coming year's summer program.  They will take those 3 books you buy... and give them to someone in need of a book.  Cool program!!!

So I asked NN and SW... which 3 books will they buy. 

SW picked:
1) Spider-Man
2) Spider-Man
3) Zita the Space Girl....
because those are the books we lost. 
#Average

NN picked:
1) Geronimo Stilton
2) Thea Stilton
3) Who Was Jesus (Biography book)

because...
1) the first two are books I like
2) we get a chance to introduce Jesus to someone
#FlyingColors #TopOfTheClass
3) these three books are pretty cheap.  Daddy will be happy
#BOOM #NufSaid

At that moment in time... I believed I've done my part in imparting to my daughter our 家訓.
繼祖宗一脈相承， 刻謹克儉。 
教兒孫兩行正路， 愛神愛人。

Hamster Wheel Part III

This picture came to me, actually, last Saturday.  So theoretically, this is Hamster Wheel Part 1.5, not Part 3.  2nd week of Gospel Sunday merely confirmed this revelation.

Definition of ZING

Got into an odd discussion of the word ZING and it's usage.

Internet has it as:

1. Energy, enthusiasm, or liveliness (n)
2. Move swiftly (v)
3. Statement used to acknowledge a zinger - an unkind joke or tease.
4. Irony punctuation mark, ⸮
5. A special feeling and status described in the Hotel Transylvania universe
6. The new term for owned, said after saying something witty to someone in an insulting manner.

Here's a new one - 

• zing (v) - cleverly insulting a friend in a fun and humorous way. 
• zing (interjection) - the sound someone makes after someone has been cleverly insulted in a fun and humorous way

Hamster Wheel Part II

Second week of Gospel Sunday.  Again... I was first to arrive.  Again.... I was last to leave.

But today was different.  Maybe it's because people needed the 1st week to warm up and get into the groove of things.  I'm still physically drained.  But my spirit is exploding.

Starting last night at 10PM....when I had the honor of making subtitles for the video testimony... the tears of joy already started flowing.  One by one, their testimonies echoed the provision and grace of God.  PAL was especially fired up.  His sermon was cut VERY short.  But he preached like Peter on the day of Pentecost (ok... maybe that's a little too much).  When PAL made the altar call.... people didn't just raise their hands... but their hands SHOT UP.  Almost all the newcomers today responded to the altar call.   And God reminded me, "That is why you run your hamster wheel."

Some people sow... some people till the soil... some people water... some people harvest.  And then there are some who run in their hamster wheel.  I'll keep doing what God wants me to do...wherever He puts me.  Praise God for meeting us face to face today.

I'm drowning.... we're drowning...

The kids are in 4th and 2nd grade, respectively.. and we finally enroll them in a somewhat steady Chinese School.  I would've very much rather we started in Kinder/1st and built up from there... but now, we have 2-4 years of catching up!!!  

I can't complain... Joyce finally acknowledged my ONE supplemental class I want the kids to join.  But there comes with a price.

The past week, I've been having to tutor the kids on the basics of basics.  And the worst thing... I don't even know it myself!  I'm googling the official sound/tone/pin-yin, hoping I don't teach them the wrong thing.  

This Chinese School is so demanding!! Homework almost every night.... and for the first time... the FIRST TIME..... I had to miss Prayer Meeting cuz there's just too much going on at home.  

Is this worthed??? Tell me it is.... please.  

My Brother's Birthday

NN has been learning to write paragraphs... here's one she recently wrote. It's amazing how much detail she remembers. Though some of the events are wrong. Brought me to tears...

My Brother’s Birthday

I remember about seven years ago when my brother was born. On May 1 ,  2011 I woke up to see I was sleeping on my parents’ enormous black king sized bed with floral designed covers. Next to me was my grandma sleeping peacefully, I had a strong urge to wake her up and ask for some breakfast. When I finally wake her up she asks me to wait for her to sleep  a few more minutes first. After a few minutes my grandma slowly sits up and yawns, she walks towards the black rectangular dinner table and pulls a cereal box out of the cabinet,then she pulls out some ceramic bowls out and we start eating. A few minutes after eating breakfast daddy bursts into the kitchen and shouts “ The baby is born! The baby is born!” , jumping with giddy he escorts us towards his small gray car. As we head towards the hospital in the car , my daddy tells us that the baby is a boy! When the drive ended I carefully stepped out of the car onto the hospital parking lot. I held my daddy’s hand and I slowly entered the hospital and I walk into my mommy’s room to see that someone else was already there! “Do you want some water?” He kindly asks, I shyly shake my head. I slowly walk towards my mommy’s bed side, I smell cream and baby powder wafting through the air. I ask my mommy if I could hold my new baby brother “ Yes you may.” answered mommy. After I held my baby brother for a long time, I went home happily. My brother is growing up ,but I will never forget the day my brother was born.

Hamster Wheel

Today was tough.... we had our bi-annual Gospel Sunday.  And for some reason...  I worked extra hard today.  Part of it is my failure to properly delegate.  Part of it is I take full ownership of everything.  I ended up being one of the first person at church and one of the last to leave.  Why??? Why work so hard???  Especially during Pastor Alan's altar call..... only 2 ppl raised their hands.  And if my memory serves me right... they've raised their hands before!!! 

Why????  It's like running in a hamster wheel..... doing a whole lot.  Working up a full sweat.... but remaining at the very same spot.