Late Saturday night, I get an email from dad. He just got a call from our relatives in Mainland China. Someone has just trespassed and violated our ancestors' gravesite. That in itself is a travesty, especially to our culture where we hold our ancesters to such high regards, to a point where it crosses respect to, dare I say, worship?
Anyhow... what really weighed on my heart is when my dad mentioned that they interrupted the feng-shui of our family line. Dad was in such distraught, he had to take the day off from work.
Really? Dad...? I guess.
Really? There's feng-shui out there that's supposedly shaping and changing my life? Hrm...
And really? Someone's interested in OUR graves? We're farmers...not King Tut!!
Monday, January 24, 2011
Sunday, January 16, 2011
Outreach Running Blog
Decided to keep a running blog (more or less) of an outreach event that a few of us embarked on. The premise is a Chinese radio station and a restaurant in San Mateo co-sponsored a wedding fair. And we capitalized on this opportunity to outreach to some young couples. Here's a short running blog of the actual events...
405PM - Found the place. Turns out to be old Joy Luck Place. Scoped out he place and it looks like a closed dinner party. With some vendors each owning a table. Not what I expected and no sight of any young couples yet.
415PM - Moved car to a closer loacation. Found a Le Boulanger to hang out at. Ordered a small Kona Coffee cuz I was dozing on the drive up...Coffee very weak~ but there's no Peet's in sight.
421PM - Still no Roy, Anderson or Galpal. Starting to get a bit scared. Sitting outside Le Boulanger waiting for them to show while catching up on Patriots/Jets game. J-E-T-S JETS! JETS! JETS!
423PM - Wondering how long it took to organize such and event? And starting to brainstorm if SJCAC can do one ourselves.
425PM - Roy calls. They're here. Now what? I guess as a leader I need to step up and come up with a game plan. But I much rather be a follower right now.
432PM - Too cold sitting outside so we move inside. Discussing our game plan. Last minute planning is definitely not the way to go.
453PM - Prayer time... Nor really sure what to do. Discussed tactics but still a bit lost. Declare God will lead us!
500PM - Go inside and immediately showered with flyers from an East Bay "wedding favor" company. Thinking - "Dang! where's our product?"
505PM - Stood for about 5 minutes obeserving. No one is approaching us and none of the vendors are opened. We didn't get kicked out yet...so that's a good sign.
510PM - Got tired of waiting. The employee there didn't know anything... so I asked for the manager or organizer of the event. Turns out the event is opened to the public even if you don't have a ticket, until dinner time. AWESOME!! That's our green light to stay.
512PM - Free wine tasting. Hrm.... a slight buzz will certainly make outreach easier! But opted agianst it...(this time).
515PM - Roy approaches our first target. God bless his courage!
517PM - He comes back and says, "They're interested and want to know more! They have a lot of questions!"
520PM - I take that cue and go talk to my first target. They politely listen to my schpiel and move on. It's all good. After the first rejection... my nerves are completely calm.
525PM - Anderson and Galpal are infiltrating and visiting the vendors. At the very least...it'll give them some ideas of what's to come.
530PM - run into the parents of my high school friend. Ah.... good times. Too bad it's not him getting married, it's his younger brother. Nonetheless, nice to know someone in a foreign place.
540PM - Not a lot of young couples walking in...but there are a lot of family and old couples. Standing around without much to do... we started thinking that one of the girls from the Wedding Favors place is a friend of a friend. She looks familiar.
545PM - I go up to her to introduce myself and she says I look familiar also!! But upon exchanging stories... there's no way we could've met in the past. Another case of "looks-like, almost-like, but not really." Turns out she's a Christian going to a church in San Francisco. And she dated one of my coworkers! Small world.
550PM - Now that she knows what we're here for...every time she comes across a young couple...she'll point them out to us. NICE!! An ally!
555PM - My new found friend and her business gets kicked out by the restaurant. I guess even though it's "Opened" it's not really "Opened." We see what happens and quickly split up ourselves.
603PM - At Starbucks. Decide to call it quits for the day. Sharing in a time of feedback and debriefing.
Overall... this was a wonderful experience. I feel so energized after this event!! Wish I could do more for God's kingdom... but as for now... I can only dream.
Mood: buzzed, despite no alchy
405PM - Found the place. Turns out to be old Joy Luck Place. Scoped out he place and it looks like a closed dinner party. With some vendors each owning a table. Not what I expected and no sight of any young couples yet.
415PM - Moved car to a closer loacation. Found a Le Boulanger to hang out at. Ordered a small Kona Coffee cuz I was dozing on the drive up...Coffee very weak~ but there's no Peet's in sight.
421PM - Still no Roy, Anderson or Galpal. Starting to get a bit scared. Sitting outside Le Boulanger waiting for them to show while catching up on Patriots/Jets game. J-E-T-S JETS! JETS! JETS!
423PM - Wondering how long it took to organize such and event? And starting to brainstorm if SJCAC can do one ourselves.
425PM - Roy calls. They're here. Now what? I guess as a leader I need to step up and come up with a game plan. But I much rather be a follower right now.
432PM - Too cold sitting outside so we move inside. Discussing our game plan. Last minute planning is definitely not the way to go.
453PM - Prayer time... Nor really sure what to do. Discussed tactics but still a bit lost. Declare God will lead us!
500PM - Go inside and immediately showered with flyers from an East Bay "wedding favor" company. Thinking - "Dang! where's our product?"
505PM - Stood for about 5 minutes obeserving. No one is approaching us and none of the vendors are opened. We didn't get kicked out yet...so that's a good sign.
510PM - Got tired of waiting. The employee there didn't know anything... so I asked for the manager or organizer of the event. Turns out the event is opened to the public even if you don't have a ticket, until dinner time. AWESOME!! That's our green light to stay.
512PM - Free wine tasting. Hrm.... a slight buzz will certainly make outreach easier! But opted agianst it...(this time).
515PM - Roy approaches our first target. God bless his courage!
517PM - He comes back and says, "They're interested and want to know more! They have a lot of questions!"
520PM - I take that cue and go talk to my first target. They politely listen to my schpiel and move on. It's all good. After the first rejection... my nerves are completely calm.
525PM - Anderson and Galpal are infiltrating and visiting the vendors. At the very least...it'll give them some ideas of what's to come.
530PM - run into the parents of my high school friend. Ah.... good times. Too bad it's not him getting married, it's his younger brother. Nonetheless, nice to know someone in a foreign place.
540PM - Not a lot of young couples walking in...but there are a lot of family and old couples. Standing around without much to do... we started thinking that one of the girls from the Wedding Favors place is a friend of a friend. She looks familiar.
545PM - I go up to her to introduce myself and she says I look familiar also!! But upon exchanging stories... there's no way we could've met in the past. Another case of "looks-like, almost-like, but not really." Turns out she's a Christian going to a church in San Francisco. And she dated one of my coworkers! Small world.
550PM - Now that she knows what we're here for...every time she comes across a young couple...she'll point them out to us. NICE!! An ally!
555PM - My new found friend and her business gets kicked out by the restaurant. I guess even though it's "Opened" it's not really "Opened." We see what happens and quickly split up ourselves.
603PM - At Starbucks. Decide to call it quits for the day. Sharing in a time of feedback and debriefing.
Overall... this was a wonderful experience. I feel so energized after this event!! Wish I could do more for God's kingdom... but as for now... I can only dream.
Mood: buzzed, despite no alchy
Thursday, January 13, 2011
愛神愛人，神國大者
我輩禱告研經，所為何事？背起十架、十一奉獻固然乃是本份，但這只是神國小者。教會內所以簡稱我一聲『梁僕人』，實因敬我愛神愛人、奮不顧身的擴張神國。 然我才力有限，不能將福音傳到地極，實在愧當『僕人』兩字。你聰明智慧過我十倍，將來成就定然遠勝於我，這是不消說的。只盼你心頭牢牢記著『愛神愛人，神國大者』這八個字，日後名揚天下，成為父神喜悅的好僕人。 ~瀚舜
Thursday, January 06, 2011
為國為民，俠之大者
我輩練功學武，所為何事？行俠仗義、濟人困厄固然乃是本份，但這只是 俠之小者。江湖上所以尊稱我一聲『郭大俠』，實因敬我為國為民、奮不顧身的助守襄陽。 然我才力有限，不能為民解困，實在愧當『大俠』兩字。你聰明智慧過我十倍，將來成就定然遠勝於我，這是不消說的。只盼你心頭牢牢記著『為國為民，俠之大者』這八個字，日後 名揚天下，成為受萬民敬仰的真正大俠。 ~郭靖
Friday, December 31, 2010
2010 Year in Review
The final day of the first decade of the second millenium... last year, I did a Decade in Review, top 10 and bottom 10. This year, I think I'll just do a Top 10 of 10. Without further ado... in reverse order.
10. Introduction to TORTURE - Nui-nui's first baseball game and it happens to be Game 4 of the NLCS. As epic as a playoff baseball game can be. To summarize the final play.... "Fly ball (ROOOOOOAR!) Huff tags, runs... slides (ROOOOOOAR!)"
9. LOST - Never have Joyce and I been so captivated by a TV series that we would bust out our VCR and record shows!
8. My name is Sailor Hank!! - VBS always gives me the chance to be a celebrity for a month - even though the fans are not older than 10. But the special moment from this year was Joyce breaking through her normal self and joining me on-stage as Olive Oil to my Sailor Hank.
7. Step by Step - My goal to run a half-marathon by 30 was off by a bit... but nonetheless, a lifetime milestone, nay... 13.1 milestone was reached. And in the end... it was just another run in park.
6. 我們愛, 讓自己不一樣, 讓世界不一樣 - Friday night, we send Heart of Christ an email telling them we'll be joining them. Saturday morning, we find out we've been selected to start a new Young Couples' Fellowship. Oops!
5. The Lord giveth and the Lord taketh away - Ironically... two of our closest friends announced to us they were pregnant on two different nights that the Giants lose in the postseason! Thereby, cushioning my anger and sadness. PTL!!
4. When two become one... - Not a day goes by that we don't argue how we would re-do our wedding if we had a chance. I want a luau. She wants to have it in a hotel. But the thing we can't not agree on (sorry for the double negative) is spending the rest of our lives together. 5 years down... a lifetime to go. And on this date.. I proudly restate my vows....
3. There's a 1st for everything - There were a lot of firsts for Nui-nui this year. This culminates them all. First step, first sentence, first timeout... but none more memorable than having a friggin' BBQ on the hottest day of the year in a house that does NOT have air conditioning!! HA! Nonetheless, the Teddy Bear party was successful and both Joyce and I survived that day in one piece.
2. I can die in peace - Where were you on the night of November 1, 2010? I will never forget.... one of my great fear of dying without seeing a Giants World Series is finally put to rest. Brian Wilson....Fear the Beard...throwing the high fastball - strike three. And all those years of agony...all the ghosts that have built up... all the sorrow that have been ignored... relinquished once and for all. (Do I really pick the Giants winning the WS over my daughter's 1st bday...? HECK YEAH!!!!)
1. The announcement heard around the world - On an unassuming morning in August... Joyce wakes me up. I annoyingly tell her it's her turn to feed Nui-nui breakfast. And her response was... "老公, I'm pregnant."
And those are my 2010 best.... moments in time.....
10. Introduction to TORTURE - Nui-nui's first baseball game and it happens to be Game 4 of the NLCS. As epic as a playoff baseball game can be. To summarize the final play.... "Fly ball (ROOOOOOAR!) Huff tags, runs... slides (ROOOOOOAR!)"
9. LOST - Never have Joyce and I been so captivated by a TV series that we would bust out our VCR and record shows!
8. My name is Sailor Hank!! - VBS always gives me the chance to be a celebrity for a month - even though the fans are not older than 10. But the special moment from this year was Joyce breaking through her normal self and joining me on-stage as Olive Oil to my Sailor Hank.
7. Step by Step - My goal to run a half-marathon by 30 was off by a bit... but nonetheless, a lifetime milestone, nay... 13.1 milestone was reached. And in the end... it was just another run in park.
6. 我們愛, 讓自己不一樣, 讓世界不一樣 - Friday night, we send Heart of Christ an email telling them we'll be joining them. Saturday morning, we find out we've been selected to start a new Young Couples' Fellowship. Oops!
5. The Lord giveth and the Lord taketh away - Ironically... two of our closest friends announced to us they were pregnant on two different nights that the Giants lose in the postseason! Thereby, cushioning my anger and sadness. PTL!!
4. When two become one... - Not a day goes by that we don't argue how we would re-do our wedding if we had a chance. I want a luau. She wants to have it in a hotel. But the thing we can't not agree on (sorry for the double negative) is spending the rest of our lives together. 5 years down... a lifetime to go. And on this date.. I proudly restate my vows....
"In the name of God, I, Henry, take you, Joyce, to be my wife,
to have and to hold from this day forward,
for better or worse, for richer or poorer,
in sickness and in health, to love and to cherish,
until we are parted by death.
This is my solemn vow."
3. There's a 1st for everything - There were a lot of firsts for Nui-nui this year. This culminates them all. First step, first sentence, first timeout... but none more memorable than having a friggin' BBQ on the hottest day of the year in a house that does NOT have air conditioning!! HA! Nonetheless, the Teddy Bear party was successful and both Joyce and I survived that day in one piece.
2. I can die in peace - Where were you on the night of November 1, 2010? I will never forget.... one of my great fear of dying without seeing a Giants World Series is finally put to rest. Brian Wilson....Fear the Beard...throwing the high fastball - strike three. And all those years of agony...all the ghosts that have built up... all the sorrow that have been ignored... relinquished once and for all. (Do I really pick the Giants winning the WS over my daughter's 1st bday...? HECK YEAH!!!!)
1. The announcement heard around the world - On an unassuming morning in August... Joyce wakes me up. I annoyingly tell her it's her turn to feed Nui-nui breakfast. And her response was... "老公, I'm pregnant."
And those are my 2010 best.... moments in time.....
Monday, December 27, 2010
Potty mouth
Do you remember who taught you your first cuss word? I remember my brother first taught me the word "stupid" and I never looked back.
But that's probably more the exception than the norm. My dear Nui-nui's vocabulary has been expanding... expanding indeed.
When she sees us getting ready for dinner, she'll automatically pull out her chair and start saying "Sit! Sit!" Only...instead of the "Essss..." sound of the letter "S", she's making a "Shhhh..." sound And the cool thing is, she doesn't just say it before meals. She says it everywhere.
Oh... and then another one we discovered. She's learning her utensil names. Y'know... spoon, knife and fork. But her tongue isn't developed to roll out the "R" sound... so instead of "fork..." it sounds more like, uhm... "fok." And yet...it's not really "fok"... but it's how she makes it rhyme with the word "luck" that's the kicker!!
Should really stick a bar of soap in her mouth if she wasn't so cute!
Mood: forken sitty
But that's probably more the exception than the norm. My dear Nui-nui's vocabulary has been expanding... expanding indeed.
When she sees us getting ready for dinner, she'll automatically pull out her chair and start saying "Sit! Sit!" Only...instead of the "Essss..." sound of the letter "S", she's making a "Shhhh..." sound And the cool thing is, she doesn't just say it before meals. She says it everywhere.
Oh... and then another one we discovered. She's learning her utensil names. Y'know... spoon, knife and fork. But her tongue isn't developed to roll out the "R" sound... so instead of "fork..." it sounds more like, uhm... "fok." And yet...it's not really "fok"... but it's how she makes it rhyme with the word "luck" that's the kicker!!
Should really stick a bar of soap in her mouth if she wasn't so cute!
Mood: forken sitty
Monday, December 20, 2010
more Nui-stones
The full sentences keep coming... Today in the car, on our way home... we ask Nui-nui a question and her answer is "Yes and no."
Now where did she learn that??? I knew my daughter will grow up to be a politician!!!
Mood: awestruck
Now where did she learn that??? I knew my daughter will grow up to be a politician!!!
Mood: awestruck
Friday, December 17, 2010
Nui-stones at 18 months
Nui-nui turns 18 months today. Happy Birthday Nui-nui!!!!
Most notable recent Nui-stones....
Most notable recent Nui-stones....
- At her 18h month checkup - turns out she gained 3 lbs and 3 inches since her last visit at 15 months. She went from 20th percentile in weight to 50th percentile. She went from 30th percentile in height to 75th percentile. Naturally...I ask the pediatrician if we need to be concern about obesity.
- Can drink soup/milk from a bowl.... like a real Chinese. YEAH!!!!!
- Officially lost her first shoe. $20 down the drain...and she only wore it once. Sigh...
- Potty training moving on very well. Absolutely amazing how much slower we're using diapers lately.
- Spoke her first sentence... but jaw droppingly her first sentence is "I don't want to." And this isn't just once or twice... it's recurring. As a father, I give myself a grade of C+. I don't get an F cuz at least 1) she can speak and 2) I'll want her to say that when she's 17-18. HA!
- Gave Nui-nui her first timeout. =(
- Eats four bowls of Cheerios in the morning
- Almost has enough hair now...where we can almost use a brush to almost comb her hair...
- Kisses mommy's tummy every night before sleeping... Awwww....
Wednesday, December 15, 2010
A kind gesture...
As we were walking out of Lucky's... we walk pass a man trying to win a prize in those machines full of stuffed animals. No more than 5 steps after we pass him... he says, "Excuse me... this is for her." He hands Nui-nui a little frog that he won and says, "I don't keep them... I just win them. Merry Christmas."
And a Merry Christmas to you too Mr. Nameless Man.
What a kind gesture...
Mood: thankful
And a Merry Christmas to you too Mr. Nameless Man.
What a kind gesture...
Mood: thankful
Tuesday, December 14, 2010
In anticipation...
Remember the days when you first got a pager... and you'll page or read a page from someone that said nothing more than "823" or "111487 12 11 001179"
Remember the days when you first got email... and you'll drop everything you're doing whenever a new mail came in?
That's the kind of parallel I draw whenever I come home...and I run to the door to see if an Amazon box is lying outside my front door!! Ohhhhhhh...the anticipation!!
Mood: giddy
Remember the days when you first got email... and you'll drop everything you're doing whenever a new mail came in?
That's the kind of parallel I draw whenever I come home...and I run to the door to see if an Amazon box is lying outside my front door!! Ohhhhhhh...the anticipation!!
Mood: giddy
Sunday, December 12, 2010
A "dump"
First of all... I admit that I'm a cutting edge technology moron. So last night, when I was talking to a buddy about twitter...ibooks...kindle...yahoo!news and such... throughout the conversation... over and over again, we used the frame of reference "a dump" to put into perspective the amount of time needed to do something.
-A few tweets 140 characters long - perfect for "a dump."
-Can I manage my smartphone's memory while taking "a dump?"
-The new MMQB article's gonna last you "2-3 dumps."
-Man! Had too much protein last night... I can get a few more chapters in with my "dump."
Mood: inventive
-A few tweets 140 characters long - perfect for "a dump."
-Can I manage my smartphone's memory while taking "a dump?"
-The new MMQB article's gonna last you "2-3 dumps."
-Man! Had too much protein last night... I can get a few more chapters in with my "dump."
Mood: inventive
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