Someone told me that watching a baseball game is like watching grass grow! As mentioned in my profile, my favorite sports are hockey (NHL) and football (NFL). Since almost everyone in St. Louis loves baseball and the town is known as "Cardinal Nation", I thought I should learn a few things to understand the game of baseball. I know to cheer when a player hits a home run or when a player successfully steals the base. The knowledge comes in handy at business meetings when I could talk about last night's game just like one of the boys!
Right now the talk of the town is the battle between the St. Louis Cardinals v. the New York Mets to win the National League Championship Series. The team that won this Series will square off against the Detroit Tigers for the World Series. Exactly 22 years ago, October 14, 1984, the Tigers made their first appearance in the World Series. The last time the Cardinals won the World Series was in 1982 and the New York Mets won the title in 1986.
I thought it would be fun to compare the two Cities based on my personal information. So here are a few interesting things about my connections between St. Louis, Missouri (STL) and Queens, New York (QNY) -
STL - I have lived here almost 12 years (since 1994)
QNY - I lived in Elmhurst about 5 years (1981-1986)
STL - I took a photo standing next to Mayor Francis Slay, Mayor of City of St. Louis.
QNY - My sister, V, has a picture of her and Mayor Michael Bloomberg, Mayor of New York City.
STL - I could visit Anheuser-Busch world headquarters every weekend and get free taste of beer.
QNY - I could always get a seat on the #7 train from Flushing station or Grand Central Station.
STL - Public transportation called MetroLink carries 15.7 million passengers in 2005.
QNY - A total of 1,449,000,000 people ride the Subway each year.
STL - I walked across the Eads Bridge last month. The Bridge was built in 1874 and spanning the Mississippi River.
QNY - I walked across the Brooklyn Bridge in 1988. The Bridge was built in 1883 and spans across the East River.
STL - The Gateway Arch stands at 630 feet. A tram took me all the way to the top of the Arch. My most recent trip to the top of the arch was last year when my Mom, my brother L, his wife and my favorite nephew J came to visit.
QNY - The Lady Liberty stands at 305 feet. The last time I walked up to the crown was in 1988.
STL - I graduated from Saint Louis University in 1999. I was awarded scholarship and did not have any outstanding loans when I graduated.
QNY - I earned my Bachelor's degree from Hunter College and an Associate's degree from LaGuardia Community College while working full time. I paid for all the tuitions and did not have any student loans when I finally graduated in 1988.
STL - I am a homeowner. It is a modest ranch style house. We paid off the mortgage a few years ago.
QNY - I rented a small room in a house in Woodhaven for $300 a month. I had to share a bathroom with two other renters.
Looking at the above comparison, I have come to the conclusion that I should cheer for the St. Louis Cardinals based on the fact that I have lived in St. Louis longer than the time I spent in Queens. However, I will need to re-evaluate my support once we know which team will square off against the Detroit Tigers.
One thing for sure, no matter how long I live in St. Louis, my favorite hockey team will always be the Detroit Red Wings. For now, take me out to the ballgame so I could yell "Go Cards"!
SUMMER TIME
Monday, October 16, 2006
DEAL OR NO DEAL
I enjoy watching the game show called Deal or No Deal. The show consists of one contestant each round, Mr. Howie Mandel is the host and 26 lovely young ladies carry 26 sealed briefcases. The young ladies are in beautiful dresses that are always very flattering to every right measurements of their bodies. The styles of some of the dresses are very suggestive such as plunging neckline and about 10 inches above the knees. A few look more like nightwear than to be seen on national broadcasting. The briefcases contain amounts from 1 penny to 1 million dollars. No one knows what amounts are in the briefcases.
At the beginning of the show, the contestant picks one briefcase he/she believes containing one million dollars. In comparison to real life, it is like marriage. Most of us choose someone to marry because we love the person and believe that he/she is the right partner who we would spend our entire life together in rich and in poor, through good and bad times, until death do us part.
Next, the contestant begins to randomly select six briefcases. As each briefcase is opened, the contestant and their support group of 3 people who are family members or close friends, and the audience (I am included) either celebrate if the amount is small (on the left side of the column) or become discouraged if the amount is in the six-figures (the amounts on the right side of the column are $100,000 or higher).
One contestant was so unlucky that the first briefcase he picked contained the 1 million dollars. After all six briefcases are open, the unseen banker would offer an amount to the contestant. At this early stage, the contestant usually turned down the offer by answering "No Deal" or just slam the cover over the red blinking button because the amount is very low.
In real life it would be like dating. You never know the person would like you enough to go on a second date or you can't stand the person that you could not wait for the date to end. Or the job offer that you turned down because after you were introduced to the manager, you know you could not work with him/her.
Next the contestant will open 5 more cases. If the large amounts are in place, then the offer will go up. Mr. Mandel will ask the contestant "Deal or No Deal". If the answer is "No Deal" then, the contestant will open 3 more cases. A higher offer is made if the 3 opened cases contain small amounts.
In real life, this is when we made major decisions such as accepting job transfer that require moving to another state or to go back to school. The last three years, I have been a regular customer of Stoner Dry Cleaner. I always try to have singles and exact change when I pick up my clothes. Last week I was informed that the owner sold the business and would be going back to school to obtain his degree in electrical engineering. I was assured that the services will be the same high level. I told Mr. Stoner that I admire his will for higher education and wish him luck in his future.
The show usually ends with the contestant either accept the offer when he/she, at the encouragement of the family and the audience, feels that the amount is high enough. Some people will leave with a few hundred dollars while others willing to take a risk and could be lucky to walk away with half a million dollars. I have not seen anyone won a million dollars yet.
Like the people in the audience, I become involved and got very nervous when the contestant picked a briefcase that contained large amount. The contestants are very emotional, crying, dancing, jumping, running around the stage, rushing to hug their family members or hugging the host, "Howie".
The show in some ways is the way our lives unfolding in the daily tasks and in the decisions we make. The briefcases represent the awards we receive or the unexpected problems in the choices we selected. When we accept or reject an offer, whether a date, a job or friendship, we say "Deal or No Deal" without knowing what will happen next.
We base our decisions on our experiences or the knowledge what could be. Sometimes we have regrets and wish we could turn back the clock or given another chance. In the end, we each select one briefcase, until we open all the other briefcases, we will not know what we have. If my family did not take the risk to escape Viet Nam by boat, we would not be living in America. We have to learn to make our own decisions to say Deal or No Deal.
Saturday, October 14, 2006
BLOOD MONEY
Disclaimer: The following story is about my personal ordeal. The information is not intended to be used as suggestions or recommendations of investment or any legal interpretations. Please consult your financial advisors or accounting professionals before making decisions to invest.
I broke my left foot on Sunday, December 22, 2003. I forgot the fancy name of the bone that was broken. I do remember how it happened. I was walking out of the bookstore near my home. Somehow my shoe got caught in an opening of a broken moulding that was supposed to hold the carpet to the floor. As my body moved forward, my left foot was held back and I could hear the popping sound of the bone being broken. I could not walk and had to hop to my car with my healthy right foot.
I broke my left foot on Sunday, December 22, 2003. I forgot the fancy name of the bone that was broken. I do remember how it happened. I was walking out of the bookstore near my home. Somehow my shoe got caught in an opening of a broken moulding that was supposed to hold the carpet to the floor. As my body moved forward, my left foot was held back and I could hear the popping sound of the bone being broken. I could not walk and had to hop to my car with my healthy right foot.
I had to use crutches for a week before I was able to walk using an orthopedic walker. January 16, 2004, during my visit with the orthopedist to check how the bone was healing, I was told because of the restriction on the movement of my leg, I had developed deep-vein thrombosis (DVT), DVT is a fancy medical term for blood clots in deep veins.
I was kept at St. John Hospital overnight for observations and was given injections into the lower abdominal every six hours. The doctor explained to me that the blood clots could break off and travel through the body to block artery in my lung and that could be fatal.
The following weeks, I had to go to a lab for blood test first every other day, then once a week and then once a month. I was on Coumadin (medication for blood thinner) for six months. The blood tests were reported to my physician to adjust the level of Coumadin. If the dosage was too high, I could be bleeding internally or bleed to death from a minor injury.
After the first few blood tests, I noticed that the waiting room was always full. I began reading about the company and found out that there would be more labs open not only in St. Louis but nationwide. The company planned to begin distribution of the new diabetes kits for home usage. The kits were approved by FDA early that year. I purchased 50 shares at $61 per share. A year later, the shares went up to $92. Six months later, the company announced a stock split that resulted in the doubling of my investment to 100 shares. The stocks have been steady at $60 or more per share.
Looking back I realized I could have been dead if the blood clots were not discovered in time. The enduring of not able to walk normally for six months was not very pleasant. The only thing good came out of my broken left foot was strong returns on my investment. And that was my blood money.
Wednesday, October 11, 2006
MONEY DOWN THE DRAIN
Last month we had our first unpleasant experience with sewer back up that resulted in minor overflow in our basement.
It was around 8:30 p.m. on a Tuesday evening and we just finished our dinner. I did not have a business or community function to attend that evening and was looking forward to getting a few things done at home. I was in the kitchen when I heard a loud crashing noise coming from the basement followed by my husband's cursing. I rushed down the stairs to find my husband trying to get up from the floor that was flooded with sewer backup. C told me he was alright. I asked him to move his arms and legs to make sure he did not break any bones. Together we picked up the items that C knocked off the shelves trying to break his fall when he stepped on the wet area rug near the opening of the pipe.
C tried to fix the problem with a few tools he had. An hour later, we decided that we needed professional help. We looked up in the Yellow Pages and called Rooter Rescue because the advertisement stated that "60 Minute Service". Later we learned that "60 Minute Service" could be interpreted as the company would let you know within 60 minutes from the initial phone call whether an emergency specialist could be available or not. Then it would be another 60 minutes before a Rooter Rescue truck showed up in your driveway.
The Rooter Rescue technician named "Aaron" finally came to our house at 10:30 p.m. My husband took the RR person down the basement where the overflow took place. He quickly provided an estimate and explained that the flat rate is $250 and it would take about 1 hour to fix the problem. The labor rate for additional hour would be $40 plus other cost if more equipments were needed. We did not have any other options but to ask the RR person to begin his work. The RR person went to his truck, unloaded his heavy duty water-propelled "cobra" saw and carefully carried it down the stairs. He also showed my husband through his motorized video camera that tree roots had poked through a weak spot and created a partial blockage in our sewer pipes. For the next 45 minutes, from the living room upstair, I could hear the "cobra" at work cutting away the intruding roots.
The total cost turned out to be about $400 and Rescue Rooter accepted credit cards. We put it on our Discover Card so at least we would get some cash back! Finally at 2:00 a.m., the work was completed. We spent the next hour cleaning up the basement because the smell was unbearable. We took showers after that and went to bed at 3:30 a.m. The next day we both went to work.
A week later, we saw the headline in the local news, "Thirsty roots wriggling into sewer lines cause big mess". What a coincidence! We thought it only happened to us. According to the newspaper article, basement backups caused by blocked mains have grown to 775 in 2005 compared to 310 in the previous year. The report further explained that dry conditions in St. Louis had caused the roots to go deep into the ground looking for damp soil. Once the roots found voids or cracks in the sewer pipes, then it was "nutrient sink" for the roots to do the natural thing - grow!
For now Rescue Rooter guaranteed the service will last for six months. From this experience, we learned that the City offers an assistance program called "Sewer Lateral Repair Program". The funding came from an establishment of a $28 annual fee collected with the State Real Estate property tax. Because of the large number of sewer lateral repairs done in the first few years, the fund was exhauted. Since 2002, a cap of $3,000 per home was instituted. I inquired with others at my workplace and learned that the total cost to replace our clay pipes with PVC plastic pipes could be up to 10K or even 15K. $3,000 would not be enough to cover the excavation and repair, replace of the failed section of sewer lateral which could include patching of the driveways, sidewalks, curbs and hauling away pavement materials that were removed to make way for the repair.
This sewer problem sure smells bad and another ways that our hard-earned money gone down the drain.
It was around 8:30 p.m. on a Tuesday evening and we just finished our dinner. I did not have a business or community function to attend that evening and was looking forward to getting a few things done at home. I was in the kitchen when I heard a loud crashing noise coming from the basement followed by my husband's cursing. I rushed down the stairs to find my husband trying to get up from the floor that was flooded with sewer backup. C told me he was alright. I asked him to move his arms and legs to make sure he did not break any bones. Together we picked up the items that C knocked off the shelves trying to break his fall when he stepped on the wet area rug near the opening of the pipe.
C tried to fix the problem with a few tools he had. An hour later, we decided that we needed professional help. We looked up in the Yellow Pages and called Rooter Rescue because the advertisement stated that "60 Minute Service". Later we learned that "60 Minute Service" could be interpreted as the company would let you know within 60 minutes from the initial phone call whether an emergency specialist could be available or not. Then it would be another 60 minutes before a Rooter Rescue truck showed up in your driveway.
The Rooter Rescue technician named "Aaron" finally came to our house at 10:30 p.m. My husband took the RR person down the basement where the overflow took place. He quickly provided an estimate and explained that the flat rate is $250 and it would take about 1 hour to fix the problem. The labor rate for additional hour would be $40 plus other cost if more equipments were needed. We did not have any other options but to ask the RR person to begin his work. The RR person went to his truck, unloaded his heavy duty water-propelled "cobra" saw and carefully carried it down the stairs. He also showed my husband through his motorized video camera that tree roots had poked through a weak spot and created a partial blockage in our sewer pipes. For the next 45 minutes, from the living room upstair, I could hear the "cobra" at work cutting away the intruding roots.
The total cost turned out to be about $400 and Rescue Rooter accepted credit cards. We put it on our Discover Card so at least we would get some cash back! Finally at 2:00 a.m., the work was completed. We spent the next hour cleaning up the basement because the smell was unbearable. We took showers after that and went to bed at 3:30 a.m. The next day we both went to work.
A week later, we saw the headline in the local news, "Thirsty roots wriggling into sewer lines cause big mess". What a coincidence! We thought it only happened to us. According to the newspaper article, basement backups caused by blocked mains have grown to 775 in 2005 compared to 310 in the previous year. The report further explained that dry conditions in St. Louis had caused the roots to go deep into the ground looking for damp soil. Once the roots found voids or cracks in the sewer pipes, then it was "nutrient sink" for the roots to do the natural thing - grow!
For now Rescue Rooter guaranteed the service will last for six months. From this experience, we learned that the City offers an assistance program called "Sewer Lateral Repair Program". The funding came from an establishment of a $28 annual fee collected with the State Real Estate property tax. Because of the large number of sewer lateral repairs done in the first few years, the fund was exhauted. Since 2002, a cap of $3,000 per home was instituted. I inquired with others at my workplace and learned that the total cost to replace our clay pipes with PVC plastic pipes could be up to 10K or even 15K. $3,000 would not be enough to cover the excavation and repair, replace of the failed section of sewer lateral which could include patching of the driveways, sidewalks, curbs and hauling away pavement materials that were removed to make way for the repair.
This sewer problem sure smells bad and another ways that our hard-earned money gone down the drain.
Tuesday, October 10, 2006
THE FOOLS
There were two incidents happened this past weekend that Mr. T could have featured in his new reality television show for TV Land, I Pity the Fool, scheduled to premiere Wednesday, October 11, 2006.
Mr. T is an actor who is well-known for his roles as Sgt. Bosco "B.A." Baracus in the 1980s television series The A-Team and as a boxer playing opposite of Rocky in the 1982 film. His trademark is the distinctive Mohawk hairstyle he adopted because the style is of an African Mandinka warrior.
This past weekend, my workplace conducted a weekend retreat with the Board of Directors at a conference center at Lake of the Ozarks. We requested a full breakfast buffet since the meetings started at 7:00 a.m. We asked the banquet staff to remove the food at 9:00 a.m. but leave the coffee and refreshment until the meetings were over at 11:30 a.m. On Friday morning, the staff promptly removed the breakfast at 9:00 a.m. As instructed, the coffee pots remained in the room but there were no coffee mugs. It took about 15 minutes before the hotel staff brought back the cups as well as the creamer and sugar for the coffee.
The next day, the breakfast buffet was ready at 7:00 a.m. but there were no plates, utensils nor napkins. Again, we had to notify the hotel staff and it took another 15 minutes before plates, utensils were provided. When I registered my disappointment with the Conference Manager, she apologized for the mixed-up claiming that the person who was assigned to take care of our group did not come to work on Friday and was late on Saturday. I was not satisfied with her reason. Whoever was responsible for the setting should know that the guests needed plates and utensils to eat their breakfast and cups to drink coffee. How else would the guests drink the coffee or eat scramble eggs?
The second incident was at a shopping outlet. Believe it or not, I don't care much for shopping. I don't spend a lot of my vacation time at a mall. My husband and I had an hour to spend together before his (golf) scheduled tee time. After breakfast, we stopped by a shopping outlet. C went into a tool shop and I just started walking around. A woman in a wheelchair struggled to open the door of an American Eagle outlet. These doors were not automatic and definitely not handicapped accessible. Two young people, male and female, stood nearby chatting and laughing. I rushed over and opened the door for the woman. How could the young people not seeing the woman in the wheelchair needed help?
Common courtesies are the foundation of a civilized society. What happened to good manners? Don't people use to words Please, Thank You, and Excuse Me, anymore? Are we all turning into Fools?
Mr. T is an actor who is well-known for his roles as Sgt. Bosco "B.A." Baracus in the 1980s television series The A-Team and as a boxer playing opposite of Rocky in the 1982 film. His trademark is the distinctive Mohawk hairstyle he adopted because the style is of an African Mandinka warrior.
This past weekend, my workplace conducted a weekend retreat with the Board of Directors at a conference center at Lake of the Ozarks. We requested a full breakfast buffet since the meetings started at 7:00 a.m. We asked the banquet staff to remove the food at 9:00 a.m. but leave the coffee and refreshment until the meetings were over at 11:30 a.m. On Friday morning, the staff promptly removed the breakfast at 9:00 a.m. As instructed, the coffee pots remained in the room but there were no coffee mugs. It took about 15 minutes before the hotel staff brought back the cups as well as the creamer and sugar for the coffee.
The next day, the breakfast buffet was ready at 7:00 a.m. but there were no plates, utensils nor napkins. Again, we had to notify the hotel staff and it took another 15 minutes before plates, utensils were provided. When I registered my disappointment with the Conference Manager, she apologized for the mixed-up claiming that the person who was assigned to take care of our group did not come to work on Friday and was late on Saturday. I was not satisfied with her reason. Whoever was responsible for the setting should know that the guests needed plates and utensils to eat their breakfast and cups to drink coffee. How else would the guests drink the coffee or eat scramble eggs?
The second incident was at a shopping outlet. Believe it or not, I don't care much for shopping. I don't spend a lot of my vacation time at a mall. My husband and I had an hour to spend together before his (golf) scheduled tee time. After breakfast, we stopped by a shopping outlet. C went into a tool shop and I just started walking around. A woman in a wheelchair struggled to open the door of an American Eagle outlet. These doors were not automatic and definitely not handicapped accessible. Two young people, male and female, stood nearby chatting and laughing. I rushed over and opened the door for the woman. How could the young people not seeing the woman in the wheelchair needed help?
Common courtesies are the foundation of a civilized society. What happened to good manners? Don't people use to words Please, Thank You, and Excuse Me, anymore? Are we all turning into Fools?
Saturday, October 07, 2006
IN THE NEWS THIS WEEK
What can a person buy with $125 million? How about a property with pricey marble and 24-karat gold fixtures decorate bathrooms? The famous seller is Mr. Donald Trump. There is no need to give description of who Mr. Trump is. Someone told me that Mr. Trump does not have or carry his business cards. His reason is that if the person does not already know who Mr. Trump is, then that person is not important.
If you think $125 million is too much, then there are other properties for less. An estate in Bridgehampton, New York is only $75 million and a house in Lake Tahoe, Nevada listed at a flat $100 million. Until I win the lottery, I will be happy with my humble ranch home in St. Louis. I definitely will avoid watching the show, "Lifestyles of the Riches and the Famous".
Back to reality, St. Louis Lambert Airport is planning to provide a wireless fidelity network or Wi-Fi to its passengers. Wi-Fi networks are short range radio waves to connect laptop computers and other wireless devices to the Internet. Lambert Airport is a late comer to wireless Internet compared to West Coast airports which began the trend in 2000. Personally I am excited about the news even though I don't travel much and I don't plan to bring my laptop when flying. Last weekend I brought along my recently purchased laptop to a work-related weekend at Lake of the Ozarks. I enjoyed using the hotel complimentary Internet connection. What a luxury to be able to pull up documents and find out the latest news! I could also envision the passengers while waiting for their flights, scrolling through messages on the Blackberry, checking bank statements, watching movies, shopping on-line, downloading music, and family members sitting next to each other talking on separate cell phones as if they were strangers. This is a very sad reality.
Enough about being poor and this sad hi-tech world, let's celebrate a special holiday, The Moon Festival. The day of the Festival often falls in September, though this year it comes on Friday, October 6th. The Moon Festival - also known as the Mid-Autumn Festival - is a favorite holiday in China and Viet Nam as well as many other Asian countries. The festival is celebrated on the 15th day of eighth month of the lunar calendar. On this night, families gather together to enjoy the moon's beauty and to find fulfillment in the closeness of being with other family members. I remembered as a child in Viet Nam, I was given pretty lanterns that were made of shining paper. The lanterns were made with bamboo frame, designed in the shapes of dragons, rabbits or flowers, covered with decorated bright paper and a lit candle inside.
I missed seeing the beautiful gift boxes contained the round moon cakes. My favorite fillings are sweet bean and tasty egg paste. I always ate the center egg first and then try putting the half eaten slice back into the tin for someone else. Other fillings including sweet combination of fruits and nuts, date paste and lotus paste. I also loved the story about the beautiful moon lady who could only see her lover once a year during the festival.
In the corner of my life in St. Louis, Missouri, these are some of the stories in the news this week.
If you think $125 million is too much, then there are other properties for less. An estate in Bridgehampton, New York is only $75 million and a house in Lake Tahoe, Nevada listed at a flat $100 million. Until I win the lottery, I will be happy with my humble ranch home in St. Louis. I definitely will avoid watching the show, "Lifestyles of the Riches and the Famous".
Back to reality, St. Louis Lambert Airport is planning to provide a wireless fidelity network or Wi-Fi to its passengers. Wi-Fi networks are short range radio waves to connect laptop computers and other wireless devices to the Internet. Lambert Airport is a late comer to wireless Internet compared to West Coast airports which began the trend in 2000. Personally I am excited about the news even though I don't travel much and I don't plan to bring my laptop when flying. Last weekend I brought along my recently purchased laptop to a work-related weekend at Lake of the Ozarks. I enjoyed using the hotel complimentary Internet connection. What a luxury to be able to pull up documents and find out the latest news! I could also envision the passengers while waiting for their flights, scrolling through messages on the Blackberry, checking bank statements, watching movies, shopping on-line, downloading music, and family members sitting next to each other talking on separate cell phones as if they were strangers. This is a very sad reality.
Enough about being poor and this sad hi-tech world, let's celebrate a special holiday, The Moon Festival. The day of the Festival often falls in September, though this year it comes on Friday, October 6th. The Moon Festival - also known as the Mid-Autumn Festival - is a favorite holiday in China and Viet Nam as well as many other Asian countries. The festival is celebrated on the 15th day of eighth month of the lunar calendar. On this night, families gather together to enjoy the moon's beauty and to find fulfillment in the closeness of being with other family members. I remembered as a child in Viet Nam, I was given pretty lanterns that were made of shining paper. The lanterns were made with bamboo frame, designed in the shapes of dragons, rabbits or flowers, covered with decorated bright paper and a lit candle inside.
I missed seeing the beautiful gift boxes contained the round moon cakes. My favorite fillings are sweet bean and tasty egg paste. I always ate the center egg first and then try putting the half eaten slice back into the tin for someone else. Other fillings including sweet combination of fruits and nuts, date paste and lotus paste. I also loved the story about the beautiful moon lady who could only see her lover once a year during the festival.
In the corner of my life in St. Louis, Missouri, these are some of the stories in the news this week.
Monday, October 02, 2006
ROOTS
It was a pleasant surprise when I found out about my Chinese roots in the book entitled, "China: Its Most Scenic Place - A Photographic Journey through 50 of Its Most Unspoiled Villages and Towns."
My husband and I would like to visit China and Viet Nam. Our plans was delayed a few years ago when the SARS epidemic took place. Last year we again delayed the trip because of the Bird Flu. We both would like to see the Great Wall and my husband would like to visit Viet Nam to see the village where I was born.
The book mentioned that more than 1,000 years ago, near the end of the Tang Dynasty, a group of Hakka people, also known as the Jews of China, built an earth towers, a ring-shapped, self-contained housing complex, resembling a circular fortress. The towers were so well-built that they protected the Hakka people from Japanese pirates while other provinces became much easier targets.
I learned from my brother L that my ancestors, the Hakka people, are nomads from Kwangtung. Nomads are members of a wandering tribe. This is so fitting that my ancestors left China in the early 1920's. After the communist took over South Viet Nam, my family were among the boat people in late 1970's risking our lives in the open seas in search for freedom and liberty.
It is also a perfect fitting that the nickname for my sister V is wandering feet. It explains why I am well-adjusted when moving from New York to Michigan to St. Louis without much trouble adepting to the new environment. It is in our roots that we found evidence that we are the people of wander. Our strength and our determination sustain us through our early years struggling to survive in America.
I only have one regret that my late father did not have an opportunity to visit China. Even though he was born and grew up in Viet Nam, he always considered himself as Chinese. He tried teaching us Hakka at home and made every efforts to send us to Chinese schools so that we learned to read, write and speak Chinese. I remembered the notebooks my father deligently wrote sentences with pronunciation of Hakka and their meanings in Vietnamese. The notebooks become the unofficial textbooks passing from me to my younger sister and then to my youngers brothers.
I still remember the words my father spoke to us, "Don't forget your roots." I hope to learn more about my Hakka ancestry and to visit China in the near future.
My husband and I would like to visit China and Viet Nam. Our plans was delayed a few years ago when the SARS epidemic took place. Last year we again delayed the trip because of the Bird Flu. We both would like to see the Great Wall and my husband would like to visit Viet Nam to see the village where I was born.
The book mentioned that more than 1,000 years ago, near the end of the Tang Dynasty, a group of Hakka people, also known as the Jews of China, built an earth towers, a ring-shapped, self-contained housing complex, resembling a circular fortress. The towers were so well-built that they protected the Hakka people from Japanese pirates while other provinces became much easier targets.
I learned from my brother L that my ancestors, the Hakka people, are nomads from Kwangtung. Nomads are members of a wandering tribe. This is so fitting that my ancestors left China in the early 1920's. After the communist took over South Viet Nam, my family were among the boat people in late 1970's risking our lives in the open seas in search for freedom and liberty.
It is also a perfect fitting that the nickname for my sister V is wandering feet. It explains why I am well-adjusted when moving from New York to Michigan to St. Louis without much trouble adepting to the new environment. It is in our roots that we found evidence that we are the people of wander. Our strength and our determination sustain us through our early years struggling to survive in America.
I only have one regret that my late father did not have an opportunity to visit China. Even though he was born and grew up in Viet Nam, he always considered himself as Chinese. He tried teaching us Hakka at home and made every efforts to send us to Chinese schools so that we learned to read, write and speak Chinese. I remembered the notebooks my father deligently wrote sentences with pronunciation of Hakka and their meanings in Vietnamese. The notebooks become the unofficial textbooks passing from me to my younger sister and then to my youngers brothers.
I still remember the words my father spoke to us, "Don't forget your roots." I hope to learn more about my Hakka ancestry and to visit China in the near future.
Sunday, September 24, 2006
ALL IN A DAY'S WORK
"You must have a lot of free time", an acquaitance said to me during a luncheon meeting. She made the comment after I shared with her how I made the efforts to learn about the community when I first move to St. Louis. I explained that I picked up all the free community newspapers even the Seniors News. I believe that it is the best way to learn about issues that are not covered by mainstream media yet important to residents living in the community. I also mentioned that when I see an article or a business person receiving an award, I would send a note to the person as a way to begin or maintain the relationships.
No, I don't have a lot of free time. I just know how to effectively organize my time and set priority. I take care of things that are important and need to be done right away. I learn not to try to do all ten things if I only have fifteen minutes. I also learn to let the house get meshy for a few days. I set aside time to hand write notes and send by traditional mail (regular postal service). I still send my husband "love notes" to his office after 17 years of marriage.
I don't talk much about my work and community involvement to my mother and siblings. Because my husband and I do not have children and I make it known that I don't care for cooking, people always assume that I have a lot of free time. "Are you busy?", someone asked me last week when she called to ask a question related to residential construction. Sometimes I would give an answer such as, "I get paid for doing nothing at work." or "I am waiting for my nails to dry."
My work involved managing the office and membership activities for the Association. Phone calls to the executive director would get routed to me when he is not available. Setting committee meetings, Board meetings, and weekly account payables occupy my daily calendars. Organize golf tournaments ranging from 100 to 270 golfers and an anniversary party on the Eads Bridge for 400 guests are just a few projects that are part of my workload. At the Eads Bridge celebration, the Mayor of City of St. Louis presented the proclamation and there were many state representatives and senators attending.
This week I am working on putting together a bi-monthly newsletter, finalizing the details for a weekend retreat for the current and past Board members and their spouses. The retreat involves a Friday night dinner for 45 people and a Saturday night dinner for 30. Friday and Saturday mornings, with breakfast buffets, will be discussions about the future of the Association. The afternoons will be golf since it is part of networking and team building. The retreat will be at Lake of the Ozarks and I hope to relax and enjoy the fall scenery.
Upcoming events will be the annual Christmas Party and 40th Anniversary Gala for an estimate of 300 guests. In between these major projects are planning education seminars for the members and follow up correspondence.
In addition to regular office hours, I also attend Board and membership meetings that usually end around 9:00 p.m. There are weeks when my evenings are committed to Board of Aldermen meeting on Monday, membership meeting on Wednesday, training for Stephen Ministry with my parish on Thursday and weekends are reserved for football (college games on Saturday and NFL on Sunday). During commercials, I do housework, clean up my home office and catching up on reading the newspapers.
Whether attending meetings or being in the office, I consider the activities are part of a day's work. The most important thing is that there is a purpose and that I find fullfilment in how I spend my time.
No, I don't have a lot of free time. I just know how to effectively organize my time and set priority. I take care of things that are important and need to be done right away. I learn not to try to do all ten things if I only have fifteen minutes. I also learn to let the house get meshy for a few days. I set aside time to hand write notes and send by traditional mail (regular postal service). I still send my husband "love notes" to his office after 17 years of marriage.
I don't talk much about my work and community involvement to my mother and siblings. Because my husband and I do not have children and I make it known that I don't care for cooking, people always assume that I have a lot of free time. "Are you busy?", someone asked me last week when she called to ask a question related to residential construction. Sometimes I would give an answer such as, "I get paid for doing nothing at work." or "I am waiting for my nails to dry."
My work involved managing the office and membership activities for the Association. Phone calls to the executive director would get routed to me when he is not available. Setting committee meetings, Board meetings, and weekly account payables occupy my daily calendars. Organize golf tournaments ranging from 100 to 270 golfers and an anniversary party on the Eads Bridge for 400 guests are just a few projects that are part of my workload. At the Eads Bridge celebration, the Mayor of City of St. Louis presented the proclamation and there were many state representatives and senators attending.
This week I am working on putting together a bi-monthly newsletter, finalizing the details for a weekend retreat for the current and past Board members and their spouses. The retreat involves a Friday night dinner for 45 people and a Saturday night dinner for 30. Friday and Saturday mornings, with breakfast buffets, will be discussions about the future of the Association. The afternoons will be golf since it is part of networking and team building. The retreat will be at Lake of the Ozarks and I hope to relax and enjoy the fall scenery.
Upcoming events will be the annual Christmas Party and 40th Anniversary Gala for an estimate of 300 guests. In between these major projects are planning education seminars for the members and follow up correspondence.
In addition to regular office hours, I also attend Board and membership meetings that usually end around 9:00 p.m. There are weeks when my evenings are committed to Board of Aldermen meeting on Monday, membership meeting on Wednesday, training for Stephen Ministry with my parish on Thursday and weekends are reserved for football (college games on Saturday and NFL on Sunday). During commercials, I do housework, clean up my home office and catching up on reading the newspapers.
Whether attending meetings or being in the office, I consider the activities are part of a day's work. The most important thing is that there is a purpose and that I find fullfilment in how I spend my time.
Saturday, September 23, 2006
CONFESSIONS OF A RUNWAY MODEL
No, I am not a runway model. I never was. I thought the title would be catchy because of the recent news about the banning of chopstick skinny models in Spain. Other countries including the United States plan to follow the lead. This issue has been around for a long time. We all know that the fashion industry set an impossible standards for average women who want to look good in the same clothing worn by the models.
In 1992 I received an award from Federal Express. The company sent a markup artist, a professional photographer and a representative to take my photo for the company's magazine cover. The photographer mentioned that a modeling agency in Grand Rapids, Michigan was looking for an Asian model and he suggested I send a photo to the agency. I did and the following week I accepted my first modeling assignment.
It was nothing glamorous. I had extra makeup, different hair style and a few different outfits for a local department store. I was paid $150 for two hours of standing still and trying to look pretty. Other assignments following were a training video for Amway Corporation and another employee orientation video for Upjohn Phamarceutical Company.
All of the modeling assignments did not require a beautiful face and a body with all the right measurements. My husband always tells me that I am beautiful. I know that I am average looking and with the right amount of cosmetics and a little of dress up, I could be considered attractive. I am aware of men looking my way at social events and have received a few flattering compliments. For a middle age married woman, I tried not to wrap up in the physical aspects. I am not like some women who are gullible when other compliment that they are sexy or that they look so young.
Of course I could never be a runway model. I am only 5'3" and considered overweight. With a round face and a flat nose, I don't meet the standard requirement of exotic pretty face. What I don't care for is when someone calls me "shorty". I know other people, men and women, who are much shorter than me. When attending functions in the Asian American community, with my high heels, I could tower over many men. Of course, when standing next to my brother L, I am always short compared to his 6' frame.
At a recent event, a business associate touched the top of my head and said that I was so cute. I firmly told her that was very rude of her and that her behavior was inappropriate. I also told her that I was offended and did not wish for the incident to happen again. She apologized and repeated that her action was prompted by the fact that I was so cute. I firmly countered that her action was offensive to me.
As the saying goes, "Beauty is in the eye of the beholder". Whether a person is skinny or well-built, short or tall, attractive or average looking, it is most important that we accept ourselves the way we are and not allow society, fashion magazines, television commercials or another person decides how we should look or feel about ourselves.
So here is my confession, I never was a runway model, I would never be a runway model. I am happy with being healthy, able to see, talk, hear and function without needing assistance from anyone. And this afternon I will pamper myself with two scoups of ice cream. It is my Life, and I will enjoy it. Go ahead, You should enjoy Your Life too.
In 1992 I received an award from Federal Express. The company sent a markup artist, a professional photographer and a representative to take my photo for the company's magazine cover. The photographer mentioned that a modeling agency in Grand Rapids, Michigan was looking for an Asian model and he suggested I send a photo to the agency. I did and the following week I accepted my first modeling assignment.
It was nothing glamorous. I had extra makeup, different hair style and a few different outfits for a local department store. I was paid $150 for two hours of standing still and trying to look pretty. Other assignments following were a training video for Amway Corporation and another employee orientation video for Upjohn Phamarceutical Company.
All of the modeling assignments did not require a beautiful face and a body with all the right measurements. My husband always tells me that I am beautiful. I know that I am average looking and with the right amount of cosmetics and a little of dress up, I could be considered attractive. I am aware of men looking my way at social events and have received a few flattering compliments. For a middle age married woman, I tried not to wrap up in the physical aspects. I am not like some women who are gullible when other compliment that they are sexy or that they look so young.
Of course I could never be a runway model. I am only 5'3" and considered overweight. With a round face and a flat nose, I don't meet the standard requirement of exotic pretty face. What I don't care for is when someone calls me "shorty". I know other people, men and women, who are much shorter than me. When attending functions in the Asian American community, with my high heels, I could tower over many men. Of course, when standing next to my brother L, I am always short compared to his 6' frame.
At a recent event, a business associate touched the top of my head and said that I was so cute. I firmly told her that was very rude of her and that her behavior was inappropriate. I also told her that I was offended and did not wish for the incident to happen again. She apologized and repeated that her action was prompted by the fact that I was so cute. I firmly countered that her action was offensive to me.
As the saying goes, "Beauty is in the eye of the beholder". Whether a person is skinny or well-built, short or tall, attractive or average looking, it is most important that we accept ourselves the way we are and not allow society, fashion magazines, television commercials or another person decides how we should look or feel about ourselves.
So here is my confession, I never was a runway model, I would never be a runway model. I am happy with being healthy, able to see, talk, hear and function without needing assistance from anyone. And this afternon I will pamper myself with two scoups of ice cream. It is my Life, and I will enjoy it. Go ahead, You should enjoy Your Life too.
DON'T LOSE YOUR MARBLE
I read from a self-help book that if you want to be productive, you must spend your time wisely. The author suggested that you put 52 marbles in a jar. 52 marbles represent 52 weeks in a year of your life. At the end of each week you take out a marble and recount how you spend your time during that week. Was it another 60-hour plus work week? Did you spend quality time with your family? Did you do something you enjoy? Or was it a typical 7 days full of rushing around trying to keep up with many demands?
The author stated that as the marbles begin to disappear from the jar, the empty space symbolize your life either you have live your life to the fullest or the days and weeks have been wasted.
When Mr. Steve Irwin, the famous Crocodile Hunter, passed away a few weeks ago, most of the comments I heard was that he died doing what he enjoyed as a person who loved animals and nature. I don't think the statements were any comforting to his family. I am sure Mr. Irwin wanted to see his children grow up and he himself grew old with his wife. I watched a few of Mr. Irwin's documentaries and enjoyed his Australian accent and energetic manners. His presentations were full of excitement and daring which enticed the audience to feel as if they could jump right in and wrestle the crocodile with him. I know one thing for sure that Mr. Irwin lived his life to the fullest.
I do not have a jar with marbles. At the begining of the year, I write down projects I hope to accomplish and review them quarterly and at the end the year. There are items that I could proudly say "Mission Accomplished" and other projects that are forever on-going but not sure when would be done such as losing 20 lbs or speaking Spanish fluently.
I read an article in the New Scientist Magazine entitled, "How to live to 100 and enjoy it". The list of suggestions include things that I already know such as watch what you eat, get physical and mental exercises, smile and laugh often, be social and explore new experiences. The list also mentioned about where you live combined with race and income could determine your longevity.
The study further reported that life expectancy is 70 years for people who live in St. Louis, Missouri. I am 45 years old and if I live to be 70 years old, I will have 1300 weeks = 1300 marbles in the jar of my life. I will try to spend my life wisely. I will try not to worry too much about things that are beyond my control. In my job, I will do my best to handle the workload that I am responsible for. But I will not allow my job to define my life. I will take control of how I treat others and will accept nothing less than a respectful and professional working environment.
I will be truthful to my passion of learning, being active in my community, helping others and growing in my Christian faith. I will stay connected and letting my family know that they are very important to me. I will take time to enjoy my life by doing something simple such as staying at the library, at the museum, at the botanical garden as long as I wish to and not rushing to the next errands.
Whether I live to be 70 or 100 years old, I will enjoy each minute of my life and not overly concern whether I am productive or not based on some self-help books. I will not allow society to define whether I am successful or wealthy based on the accumulations of earthly materials. I will base my life on the love I receive from my family and my relationships with others. I will remember to smell the roses. And I will make sure I don't lose my marbles!
The author stated that as the marbles begin to disappear from the jar, the empty space symbolize your life either you have live your life to the fullest or the days and weeks have been wasted.
When Mr. Steve Irwin, the famous Crocodile Hunter, passed away a few weeks ago, most of the comments I heard was that he died doing what he enjoyed as a person who loved animals and nature. I don't think the statements were any comforting to his family. I am sure Mr. Irwin wanted to see his children grow up and he himself grew old with his wife. I watched a few of Mr. Irwin's documentaries and enjoyed his Australian accent and energetic manners. His presentations were full of excitement and daring which enticed the audience to feel as if they could jump right in and wrestle the crocodile with him. I know one thing for sure that Mr. Irwin lived his life to the fullest.
I do not have a jar with marbles. At the begining of the year, I write down projects I hope to accomplish and review them quarterly and at the end the year. There are items that I could proudly say "Mission Accomplished" and other projects that are forever on-going but not sure when would be done such as losing 20 lbs or speaking Spanish fluently.
I read an article in the New Scientist Magazine entitled, "How to live to 100 and enjoy it". The list of suggestions include things that I already know such as watch what you eat, get physical and mental exercises, smile and laugh often, be social and explore new experiences. The list also mentioned about where you live combined with race and income could determine your longevity.
The study further reported that life expectancy is 70 years for people who live in St. Louis, Missouri. I am 45 years old and if I live to be 70 years old, I will have 1300 weeks = 1300 marbles in the jar of my life. I will try to spend my life wisely. I will try not to worry too much about things that are beyond my control. In my job, I will do my best to handle the workload that I am responsible for. But I will not allow my job to define my life. I will take control of how I treat others and will accept nothing less than a respectful and professional working environment.
I will be truthful to my passion of learning, being active in my community, helping others and growing in my Christian faith. I will stay connected and letting my family know that they are very important to me. I will take time to enjoy my life by doing something simple such as staying at the library, at the museum, at the botanical garden as long as I wish to and not rushing to the next errands.
Whether I live to be 70 or 100 years old, I will enjoy each minute of my life and not overly concern whether I am productive or not based on some self-help books. I will not allow society to define whether I am successful or wealthy based on the accumulations of earthly materials. I will base my life on the love I receive from my family and my relationships with others. I will remember to smell the roses. And I will make sure I don't lose my marbles!
Tuesday, September 19, 2006
MI CASA SU CASA
I have been serving as a member of the City's Comprehensive Plan Steering Committee. I am one of the sixteen volunteers selected. We have been meeting once a month on the third Monday since May 2006. We discussed various topics of future planning, redevelopment, business retention, possible changes in residential and commercial zoning and we spoke of the two dirty words, "Property taxes". Where I live we do not have City residential property taxes. We only pay State property taxes. The City has been able to provide excellent public services using revenues generated from sales taxes since the City used to be shopping destinations. With the recent major commercial development called "The Valley" in a city nearby and the shopping malls conveniently located near major highways, people no longer willing to put up with traffic along the main street in the City. It is not the question of if, it is the question of when the City needs to establish residential property taxes to sustain its level of services.
Last night we discussed the Future Land Use Categories which include proposals of lifestyle centers, town squares and mixed use developments with detailed architectural, urban design and landscape plans. One of the areas that is considered for re-development is cluster of apartments that were built in the 1960's. I don't know anyone who lives there. For this area, these apartments are not attractive and considered "substandard conditions". There are other apartments in the City that are in similar situation. The reason developers did not yet replace these apartments with half a million dollars town houses because it is a potential political hot button if the City does not provide affordable housing.
My husband and I live in a modest ranch style house we purchased about 12 years ago. On the main floor, there are three bedrooms, two bathrooms, a living room, a family room with fireplace, a small dining room and a small kitchen. I don't mind the small kitchen since I don't cook. We have a comfortable basement where my husband set up his office, large area for a dry bar, pool table, comfortable sitting area, good size of storage space and laundry area. We hope to put in a half bath in the future so we don't have run up to the main floor when nature calls.
Our two car garage is filled with my husband's tools and only enough room to accomodate his Thunderbird. My 2002 Mazda parks in the driveway and the 1996 Ford truck parks on the street. We have a good size backyard and a small front yard.
There are many new subdivisions in the City with houses that are sold for over $600K. The homes are approximately 10K square foot and they are built on small lot of land. I would rather have a small house on a large piece of land and not having to look out my windows seeing my next door neighbor in her housecoat.
There are other proposals for new residential developments in single family homes subdivisions. I thought of the people who live in these old neighborhoods. Little that they know that in 5 or 10 years or less, developers will knock on their door with a letter asking them to sell their house. Sure, the developers will pay up to 150% of the market values for their house. But where would these 60-70 years old people go to find decent home in the price range that they could afford since most of them are retired people with limited income.
I became involved in the City because I want to be an informed and educated citizen. Many times laws are being written and legislations being passed without any objections from the people until it is too late. I am not trying to stop the City from implementing a sound policy for future development but I hope we will consider the human factors when consider approving any plannings that would effects the people in the community. After all, a man's house is his castle. Let's hope that developers will keep their hands off mi poor but humble casa.
Last night we discussed the Future Land Use Categories which include proposals of lifestyle centers, town squares and mixed use developments with detailed architectural, urban design and landscape plans. One of the areas that is considered for re-development is cluster of apartments that were built in the 1960's. I don't know anyone who lives there. For this area, these apartments are not attractive and considered "substandard conditions". There are other apartments in the City that are in similar situation. The reason developers did not yet replace these apartments with half a million dollars town houses because it is a potential political hot button if the City does not provide affordable housing.
My husband and I live in a modest ranch style house we purchased about 12 years ago. On the main floor, there are three bedrooms, two bathrooms, a living room, a family room with fireplace, a small dining room and a small kitchen. I don't mind the small kitchen since I don't cook. We have a comfortable basement where my husband set up his office, large area for a dry bar, pool table, comfortable sitting area, good size of storage space and laundry area. We hope to put in a half bath in the future so we don't have run up to the main floor when nature calls.
Our two car garage is filled with my husband's tools and only enough room to accomodate his Thunderbird. My 2002 Mazda parks in the driveway and the 1996 Ford truck parks on the street. We have a good size backyard and a small front yard.
There are many new subdivisions in the City with houses that are sold for over $600K. The homes are approximately 10K square foot and they are built on small lot of land. I would rather have a small house on a large piece of land and not having to look out my windows seeing my next door neighbor in her housecoat.
There are other proposals for new residential developments in single family homes subdivisions. I thought of the people who live in these old neighborhoods. Little that they know that in 5 or 10 years or less, developers will knock on their door with a letter asking them to sell their house. Sure, the developers will pay up to 150% of the market values for their house. But where would these 60-70 years old people go to find decent home in the price range that they could afford since most of them are retired people with limited income.
I became involved in the City because I want to be an informed and educated citizen. Many times laws are being written and legislations being passed without any objections from the people until it is too late. I am not trying to stop the City from implementing a sound policy for future development but I hope we will consider the human factors when consider approving any plannings that would effects the people in the community. After all, a man's house is his castle. Let's hope that developers will keep their hands off mi poor but humble casa.
Wednesday, September 13, 2006
THE SUPERHIGHWAY OF WORLD WIDE WEB
I finally purchased a laptop after almost a year since I asked my brother L for his advise. L shared with me his love of Mac computer and I learned that he hates everything Microsoft (sorry Mr. Bill Gates, not everyone loves your wonderful products). I have no opinion of the Mac because I only used a few times when working at various temporary jobs. I only learned enough to handle office correspondence. I am comfortable with Microsoft products and PC because that is what I used in all my full time office positions.
Most of the time I am being stereotyped as having the knowledge and the intelligence when it comes to computer. I guess I am not one of the Asian Americans who excel in computer, math, science, music or achieve perfect scores on SAT test. I know enough to use the machine or search for information on the web. I learned a few things along the way to trouble shooting some simple matters. Reading my brother's blog when he described his work or entries about computer, I could not understand a thing he wrote.
As I tried to set up my laptop to various components L advised me to have - docking station, wireless mouse and keyboard, I became frustrated because of the installations. I wish I could just open the package, connect the AC power adapter to the AC power jack and connect the USB cable to the docking station and the other end to a USB port to my computer. I even purchased a chillmat since I did not want my laptop to overheat. Hopefully the battery will not be recalled or causes trouble like Dell or Mac laptops. I learned that there is always a thing called "Installing the Device Drivers". I learned installations for the docking station, the wireless keyboard and house and the printer. I also learned that the cable for the Lexmark Z42 is not compatible to the port on my laptop. I had to spend almost $45 for a cable in order to use a printer that costs only $60 on sale!
There is a big question of how I should environmentally discard my old monitor. I checked websites of locations in St. Louis that recycle computers and electronic items. All the locations will charge either $15 for each monitor or 20 cents per lbs. I don't know how much the monitor weigh. There is no pick up service. The closest location is about half an hour drive from where I live or my office. (My office is about 15 minutes from my home.)
I remember a few years ago, a charity organizations set up in my church's parking lot for people to drop-off old computers. I did not have anything to discard then. I will try to find the best way to discard my old computer without incurring expenses. I know my brother L would want me to be environmental friendly person. I recently purchased a Shake Lite at $10 each. You simply shake back and forth the flashlight to generate light. The flashlight does not depend on batteries. It contains a magnet and produces its own power when being skaken back and forth.
Did I mention that I also signed up with Charter Communications for high speed internet service? It is so much better than the dial up we used to have. I just hope I don't get run over trying to get on the superhighway of the World Wide Web.
Most of the time I am being stereotyped as having the knowledge and the intelligence when it comes to computer. I guess I am not one of the Asian Americans who excel in computer, math, science, music or achieve perfect scores on SAT test. I know enough to use the machine or search for information on the web. I learned a few things along the way to trouble shooting some simple matters. Reading my brother's blog when he described his work or entries about computer, I could not understand a thing he wrote.
As I tried to set up my laptop to various components L advised me to have - docking station, wireless mouse and keyboard, I became frustrated because of the installations. I wish I could just open the package, connect the AC power adapter to the AC power jack and connect the USB cable to the docking station and the other end to a USB port to my computer. I even purchased a chillmat since I did not want my laptop to overheat. Hopefully the battery will not be recalled or causes trouble like Dell or Mac laptops. I learned that there is always a thing called "Installing the Device Drivers". I learned installations for the docking station, the wireless keyboard and house and the printer. I also learned that the cable for the Lexmark Z42 is not compatible to the port on my laptop. I had to spend almost $45 for a cable in order to use a printer that costs only $60 on sale!
There is a big question of how I should environmentally discard my old monitor. I checked websites of locations in St. Louis that recycle computers and electronic items. All the locations will charge either $15 for each monitor or 20 cents per lbs. I don't know how much the monitor weigh. There is no pick up service. The closest location is about half an hour drive from where I live or my office. (My office is about 15 minutes from my home.)
I remember a few years ago, a charity organizations set up in my church's parking lot for people to drop-off old computers. I did not have anything to discard then. I will try to find the best way to discard my old computer without incurring expenses. I know my brother L would want me to be environmental friendly person. I recently purchased a Shake Lite at $10 each. You simply shake back and forth the flashlight to generate light. The flashlight does not depend on batteries. It contains a magnet and produces its own power when being skaken back and forth.
Did I mention that I also signed up with Charter Communications for high speed internet service? It is so much better than the dial up we used to have. I just hope I don't get run over trying to get on the superhighway of the World Wide Web.
Monday, September 04, 2006
WATCH THE CLOSING DOORS
"There was little debate and no one showed up to protest", Mr. Jeffery Whitteaker, Mayor of City of Valley Park, Missouri said. The City Ordinance No. 1708, An Ordinance Relating to Illegal Immigration Within The City of Valley Park, Missouri, passed unanimously by the Board of Aldermen on the 17th day of July 2006.
The Ordinance began with "WHEREAS, the Board of Aldermen of the City of Valley Park finds that illegal immigration leads to higher crime rates, contributes to overcrowded classrooms and failing schools, and destroy our neighborhoods and diminishes our overall quality of life; and". You could read the rest of the ordinance on www.valleyparkmo.org.
I find it interesting that in the Valley Park News Update report written by Mayor Whitteaker that "The high level of security and exceptional quality of life in Valley Park are reflected by the low crime statistics provided by the St. Louis County Policy Department." What about the higher crime rates caused by illegal immigrants? Did St. Louis County Policy Department overlook all the crimes committed by illegal immigrants? Low crime rate and Quality of life in Valley Park is still exceptional as of June 2006. Did high crime rates and the neighborhoods were destroyed by illegal immigrants 17 days later?
According to the article in the St. Louis Post-Dispatch (Friday, August 4, 2006), the mayor who drives a truck for a local excavation company heard about the ordinance on the radio and thought it was a good idea. Yet, Mr. Whitteaker couldn't point to specific evidence about all the terrible things illegal immigrants have done to his beloved city. Valley Park, a city with population of 6,500 have received media attention and the mayor have been busy with appearance and interviews resulted from the passing of the ordinance.
"I knew it would be a big story," said Mr. Joseph Turner, a 29-year old activist with a proposal to target illegal immigrants. Mr. Turner, "a proud nationalist" said "I believe this country is superior and I believe our culture is superior to all others." I agree that America is the most blessed country in the world and I am grateful living in this great country. I am, however, not sure which culture or whose culture Mr. Turner is referring to?
These arguments have the same tone similar to the resentment in the late 19th century when the Chinese "coolie" were accused of taking railroad building jobs from Americans. The same sentiments have enticed communities to point at an old recliner or broken toilet seats in the front yard as illegal immigrants problems. Did anyone compared crowded apartments to mobile home neighborhood with a fancy name such as Magnolia Estates?
I believe we must have a sound policy on illegal immigration. I support controlling the borders and national procedures to manage illegal immigration. I am not an expert nor knowledgeable on this subject. I am a natural U.S. Citizen. My family arrived as political refugees and we immediately recognized as legal residents. As an Asian American, I was told that the law only target illegal Hispanic immigrants and that should not concern me. This kind of thinking reminded me of a comment made by a great uncle, "I don't care if the neighbor's house is on fire, as long as it is not my house."
I will continue to follow up on this story and plan to attend Valley Park Board of Aldermen meeting. I want to meet the people who passed the ordinance and to understand the importance of this law in the City of Valley Park. In the meantime, I will watch the closing doors and make sure the doors won't hit me since lessons from the past have proven that doors could swing both ways.
The Ordinance began with "WHEREAS, the Board of Aldermen of the City of Valley Park finds that illegal immigration leads to higher crime rates, contributes to overcrowded classrooms and failing schools, and destroy our neighborhoods and diminishes our overall quality of life; and". You could read the rest of the ordinance on www.valleyparkmo.org.
I find it interesting that in the Valley Park News Update report written by Mayor Whitteaker that "The high level of security and exceptional quality of life in Valley Park are reflected by the low crime statistics provided by the St. Louis County Policy Department." What about the higher crime rates caused by illegal immigrants? Did St. Louis County Policy Department overlook all the crimes committed by illegal immigrants? Low crime rate and Quality of life in Valley Park is still exceptional as of June 2006. Did high crime rates and the neighborhoods were destroyed by illegal immigrants 17 days later?
According to the article in the St. Louis Post-Dispatch (Friday, August 4, 2006), the mayor who drives a truck for a local excavation company heard about the ordinance on the radio and thought it was a good idea. Yet, Mr. Whitteaker couldn't point to specific evidence about all the terrible things illegal immigrants have done to his beloved city. Valley Park, a city with population of 6,500 have received media attention and the mayor have been busy with appearance and interviews resulted from the passing of the ordinance.
"I knew it would be a big story," said Mr. Joseph Turner, a 29-year old activist with a proposal to target illegal immigrants. Mr. Turner, "a proud nationalist" said "I believe this country is superior and I believe our culture is superior to all others." I agree that America is the most blessed country in the world and I am grateful living in this great country. I am, however, not sure which culture or whose culture Mr. Turner is referring to?
These arguments have the same tone similar to the resentment in the late 19th century when the Chinese "coolie" were accused of taking railroad building jobs from Americans. The same sentiments have enticed communities to point at an old recliner or broken toilet seats in the front yard as illegal immigrants problems. Did anyone compared crowded apartments to mobile home neighborhood with a fancy name such as Magnolia Estates?
I believe we must have a sound policy on illegal immigration. I support controlling the borders and national procedures to manage illegal immigration. I am not an expert nor knowledgeable on this subject. I am a natural U.S. Citizen. My family arrived as political refugees and we immediately recognized as legal residents. As an Asian American, I was told that the law only target illegal Hispanic immigrants and that should not concern me. This kind of thinking reminded me of a comment made by a great uncle, "I don't care if the neighbor's house is on fire, as long as it is not my house."
I will continue to follow up on this story and plan to attend Valley Park Board of Aldermen meeting. I want to meet the people who passed the ordinance and to understand the importance of this law in the City of Valley Park. In the meantime, I will watch the closing doors and make sure the doors won't hit me since lessons from the past have proven that doors could swing both ways.
Saturday, September 02, 2006
THE LAND OF PLENTY
"FREE order of 10 oven baked Brownie Squares with purchase of any Large pizza", the advertisement from Domino's Pizza stated. The ads also mentioned the availability of Fudge Brownie Dipping Sauce. I don't have anything against Domino's Pizza or any pizza companies. I enjoy eating pizza and brownies. Most of the time I prefer thin crust pizza with mushroom, green pepper and Italian sausage. My husband selects jalapeno, pepperroni and hamburger for his toppings.
What I don't understand is do we, the already overweight consumers, need to be tempted by the 10 brownies added to the large pizza and all the extra toppings? How about places such as American Buffets, Chinese Buffets, Ponderosa, offering all you can eat for $10.99? It is not enough that we have become a fast food society, now we have become the land of plenty cholesterol.
During a recent physical check up, I was informed by my family physician, Doc M. that my total choleserol level at 231 and LDL cholesterol level at 146 are borderline high risk. Since my HDL cholesterol level at 63 which is ideal, Doc M did not prescribe any medication. He did warn me to monitor my diet, lose weigh (the Body Mass Index (BMI) informed me I need to lose about 25 lbs), exercise and take on more physical activities.
Note: LDL is low-density lipoprotein = the bad cholesterol; the optimal level should be below 100. HDL is high-density lipoprotein = the good cholesterol; the ideal level should be 60 or more.
It is ironic to think that when my family lived in the refugee camp in 1979 after we left Viet Nam by boat, we did not have enough food to eat. Twenty six years later I have to try to control my intake of food because we have too much food. When we first arrived in a small island in Indonesia after surviving the horrid storm during our five days journey at sea, we were so weak from not eating for almost two days. The next few weeks, our daily meals consisted of a bowl of rice and a few pieces of fish or small portion of vegetable. When UNICEF and CARE finally came to the camp, we received ration of rice, a few canned meat, plenty of canned sardines, sugar and lot of ready to eat noddles.
My husband and I joked about how "beautiful" we looked in our wedding photos. We were both slim when we first got married in 1989. I used to be able to use a bandana as a belt and tie the loop twice. Now I would need two bandanas to keep my pants in place. My husband has gained a lot of weigh the last few years. C is consider obese and a high risk when it comes to bad cholesterol. He was on medication and have not been successful in losing weigh or starting any exercise program.
My nephew, J, is only 6 years old and he is already 30 lbs overweight. J has a very good appetite. Like most of us, J enjoys eating sweet and constanly telling Granma L that he is hungry. During my recent visit to NYC, I witnessed the tantrum J displayed when he demanded a second ice cream sandwich. My sister V and I tried reasoning and reminded J that he just had a slice of pizza in addition to the first ice cream sandwich. J calmed down after he realized that his crying and screaming would not produce any more food.
Walk into any grocery stores, any corner shops like Walgreen or Taget, and you could see evidence of Ameirca being the land of plenty. Even gas stations have become a place of temptation with displays of candy, snacks and frozen meals. Half of the television commercials target viewers' hunger with juicy steaks, jumbo shrimp, chicken covered with sautee mushroom, or fish entree (supposed to be healthy) swimming in heavy cream sauce. What about the half a pound burger by Hardee's that only a manly man would appreciate?
What I don't understand is do we, the already overweight consumers, need to be tempted by the 10 brownies added to the large pizza and all the extra toppings? How about places such as American Buffets, Chinese Buffets, Ponderosa, offering all you can eat for $10.99? It is not enough that we have become a fast food society, now we have become the land of plenty cholesterol.
During a recent physical check up, I was informed by my family physician, Doc M. that my total choleserol level at 231 and LDL cholesterol level at 146 are borderline high risk. Since my HDL cholesterol level at 63 which is ideal, Doc M did not prescribe any medication. He did warn me to monitor my diet, lose weigh (the Body Mass Index (BMI) informed me I need to lose about 25 lbs), exercise and take on more physical activities.
Note: LDL is low-density lipoprotein = the bad cholesterol; the optimal level should be below 100. HDL is high-density lipoprotein = the good cholesterol; the ideal level should be 60 or more.
It is ironic to think that when my family lived in the refugee camp in 1979 after we left Viet Nam by boat, we did not have enough food to eat. Twenty six years later I have to try to control my intake of food because we have too much food. When we first arrived in a small island in Indonesia after surviving the horrid storm during our five days journey at sea, we were so weak from not eating for almost two days. The next few weeks, our daily meals consisted of a bowl of rice and a few pieces of fish or small portion of vegetable. When UNICEF and CARE finally came to the camp, we received ration of rice, a few canned meat, plenty of canned sardines, sugar and lot of ready to eat noddles.
My husband and I joked about how "beautiful" we looked in our wedding photos. We were both slim when we first got married in 1989. I used to be able to use a bandana as a belt and tie the loop twice. Now I would need two bandanas to keep my pants in place. My husband has gained a lot of weigh the last few years. C is consider obese and a high risk when it comes to bad cholesterol. He was on medication and have not been successful in losing weigh or starting any exercise program.
My nephew, J, is only 6 years old and he is already 30 lbs overweight. J has a very good appetite. Like most of us, J enjoys eating sweet and constanly telling Granma L that he is hungry. During my recent visit to NYC, I witnessed the tantrum J displayed when he demanded a second ice cream sandwich. My sister V and I tried reasoning and reminded J that he just had a slice of pizza in addition to the first ice cream sandwich. J calmed down after he realized that his crying and screaming would not produce any more food.
Walk into any grocery stores, any corner shops like Walgreen or Taget, and you could see evidence of Ameirca being the land of plenty. Even gas stations have become a place of temptation with displays of candy, snacks and frozen meals. Half of the television commercials target viewers' hunger with juicy steaks, jumbo shrimp, chicken covered with sautee mushroom, or fish entree (supposed to be healthy) swimming in heavy cream sauce. What about the half a pound burger by Hardee's that only a manly man would appreciate?
I believe we need to take responsibility for our eating habits. The food industry, especially fast good restaurants, will continue to temp us with clever advertisements and attractive commerials. But don't blame McDonald for making you fat. They don't drag you or switch your arms and force you to take your kids there. The grocery stores in my area are taking note that the customers are working people and even though we don't have time to cook, we would like to eat healthy food. Dierberg's Supermarket offers a wide range of freshly ready-to-eat dinners in small portions. There are many choices such as cutting back on snacks, eat less and choose a vegetable dish once in a while instead of the 12 ounce Kansas City steak.
I am not sure where I am going with this. It is only making me very hungry. Now where did I put that coupon for 10 brownies and a large pizza?
Monday, August 28, 2006
CRUISE CONTROL
"Cruise-Paramount split" the report about Paramount ended the 14-year business relationship with Mr. Tom Cruise, one of Hollywood's most bankable movie stars, took up the entire front page of the business section in St. Louis Post-Dispatch. CNN reported the story as Breaking News and the discussion about this break-up dominated the evening news.
I have enjoyed movies starring Mr. Cruise and thought he was a good actor and a decent person. I don't have any opinion about his personal life or his support of Scientology. To me he is only an entertainer and not someone I need to know beyond the characters in the movies. While I don't hold anything against Mr. Cruise, I could not understand why the story about his personal life or business deals should be considered "breaking news" or worthy to be on the front page.
Our service men and women are risking their lives defending freedom, serving America and the rest of the world. The fighting in Lebanon and Israel is sadden for those of us who could not understand why countries don't resolve their problems without killing each other. People of New Orleans are still recovering from Hurricane Katrina, working hard rebuilding their lives and their great city. Around the world, there is so much suffering, yet this business relationship is worthy more of attention. I guess if I was an employee of Mr. Cruise, I would probably have a different opinion.
I have changed jobs a few times and the announcement never became breaking news. Come to think of it, when an employee leaves a current job, he/she should give two weeks notice so the employer could have time to find a replacement. If an employee does not give 2-week notice, it would be considered unacceptable and he/she would never receive a decent recommendation or the supervisor would not be willing to serve as a reference. When I left my job in Michigan, knowing that we would be moving to Missouri, I informed my employer far in advance. I notified my boss and provided him with 6 weeks notice. I helped trained my replacement and gave her my home phone number in St. Louis. I maintained a good relationship with my former boss to this day.
However, when the company decides to terminate an employee or the entire department being eliminated, there would be no advanced notice. There would not be 2-week notice or any kind of assistance. And if there is any offering, the options would not be so attractive. My brother, T, recently loss his job working at the Internal Revenue Services (IRS). He was offered to move to Boston or Philadelphia but he chose to stay in New York. I am sure not everyone could just pack-up their belongings and moved out of their comfortable environment.
Come to think of it, nothing could be more dramatic than what our family and thousands of Vietnamese people did. With the clothes on our back, we crambled into little boats, no real naval equipment, yet we crossed the ocean and survived. When someone asked me how bad a situation at work is, I always respond, "I survived the communist, the boat ride, made it in New York, this is just a piece of cake". So, for those fans out there, don't worry about Mr. Cruise being unemployed. I am sure it would only be a few million dollars, a dent in his fortune.
I have enjoyed movies starring Mr. Cruise and thought he was a good actor and a decent person. I don't have any opinion about his personal life or his support of Scientology. To me he is only an entertainer and not someone I need to know beyond the characters in the movies. While I don't hold anything against Mr. Cruise, I could not understand why the story about his personal life or business deals should be considered "breaking news" or worthy to be on the front page.
Our service men and women are risking their lives defending freedom, serving America and the rest of the world. The fighting in Lebanon and Israel is sadden for those of us who could not understand why countries don't resolve their problems without killing each other. People of New Orleans are still recovering from Hurricane Katrina, working hard rebuilding their lives and their great city. Around the world, there is so much suffering, yet this business relationship is worthy more of attention. I guess if I was an employee of Mr. Cruise, I would probably have a different opinion.
I have changed jobs a few times and the announcement never became breaking news. Come to think of it, when an employee leaves a current job, he/she should give two weeks notice so the employer could have time to find a replacement. If an employee does not give 2-week notice, it would be considered unacceptable and he/she would never receive a decent recommendation or the supervisor would not be willing to serve as a reference. When I left my job in Michigan, knowing that we would be moving to Missouri, I informed my employer far in advance. I notified my boss and provided him with 6 weeks notice. I helped trained my replacement and gave her my home phone number in St. Louis. I maintained a good relationship with my former boss to this day.
However, when the company decides to terminate an employee or the entire department being eliminated, there would be no advanced notice. There would not be 2-week notice or any kind of assistance. And if there is any offering, the options would not be so attractive. My brother, T, recently loss his job working at the Internal Revenue Services (IRS). He was offered to move to Boston or Philadelphia but he chose to stay in New York. I am sure not everyone could just pack-up their belongings and moved out of their comfortable environment.
Come to think of it, nothing could be more dramatic than what our family and thousands of Vietnamese people did. With the clothes on our back, we crambled into little boats, no real naval equipment, yet we crossed the ocean and survived. When someone asked me how bad a situation at work is, I always respond, "I survived the communist, the boat ride, made it in New York, this is just a piece of cake". So, for those fans out there, don't worry about Mr. Cruise being unemployed. I am sure it would only be a few million dollars, a dent in his fortune.
Sunday, August 20, 2006
THE GOOD OLD DAYS
I enjoyed The Andy Griffith Show. It is a black & white television show in 1960's. I don't care for the later shows after Don Knotts (Bernie Fife) left and it is in colors. I love the stories, the characters and the lessons behind each episodes.
The setting was in a small town called Mayberry, somewhere in North Carolina, in the United States. Yet, for a Vietnamese American, I appreciate and could really relate to the stories. From the loving relationship between Andy Taylor and his son, Opie. How Andy raised Opie as a single father because his wife died (I am not sure if the show ever explained what happened). To Aunt Bea who took care of Andy and Opie. One of the early episodes was about how Opie learned to love Aunt Bea after he initially rejected her.
To the caring ways Andy and his deputy, Bernie Fife, who happened to be Andy 's cousin, treated each other. They protected each other, tried to save each other's face and made peace after many conflicts. The many girlfriends Andy had, or when Bernie tried to set up blind dates or forced Andy to meet some of the wildest characters such as the Fun Girls.
I love Mayberry - The Andy Griffith Show because it represented a simpler life where people treated each other with respect and decency. Even the town drunk, Otis, was treated with kindness and gentleness. Floyd the barber, Gomer the gas station attendant, Guber (Gomer's cousin) and so many other town people living in harmony and trust. Children don't have to face so many dangers and parents were able to trust other adults to keep an eye on the kids in the neighborhoods.
However, the character I enjoy the most is Ernest T. He was from the mountain, a wild person, illiterate, uncivilized and not yet evolved into a full modern citizen. Ernest T. threw rocks at windows to get people attention when he came into town. One episode where Ernest T. wanted to get an education to court a village girl. Andy tried to help Ernest T. learning georgraphy. Andy explained the boundry of the United States being Canada in the North, Mexico in the South, Atlantic Ocean in the East and Pacific Ocean in the West. Ernest T commented, "I hope they don't change the boundaries when I take the test." I love it, because that is how I feel when unexpected situations threw at me at work or in life. We all learn the rules and what to do or what not to do, but there are times when the rules are changed or people who are in power changed the rules while the rest of us just have to start learning new rules all over each time in order to survive.
Oh, how I wish we could go back to the good old days.
The setting was in a small town called Mayberry, somewhere in North Carolina, in the United States. Yet, for a Vietnamese American, I appreciate and could really relate to the stories. From the loving relationship between Andy Taylor and his son, Opie. How Andy raised Opie as a single father because his wife died (I am not sure if the show ever explained what happened). To Aunt Bea who took care of Andy and Opie. One of the early episodes was about how Opie learned to love Aunt Bea after he initially rejected her.
To the caring ways Andy and his deputy, Bernie Fife, who happened to be Andy 's cousin, treated each other. They protected each other, tried to save each other's face and made peace after many conflicts. The many girlfriends Andy had, or when Bernie tried to set up blind dates or forced Andy to meet some of the wildest characters such as the Fun Girls.
I love Mayberry - The Andy Griffith Show because it represented a simpler life where people treated each other with respect and decency. Even the town drunk, Otis, was treated with kindness and gentleness. Floyd the barber, Gomer the gas station attendant, Guber (Gomer's cousin) and so many other town people living in harmony and trust. Children don't have to face so many dangers and parents were able to trust other adults to keep an eye on the kids in the neighborhoods.
However, the character I enjoy the most is Ernest T. He was from the mountain, a wild person, illiterate, uncivilized and not yet evolved into a full modern citizen. Ernest T. threw rocks at windows to get people attention when he came into town. One episode where Ernest T. wanted to get an education to court a village girl. Andy tried to help Ernest T. learning georgraphy. Andy explained the boundry of the United States being Canada in the North, Mexico in the South, Atlantic Ocean in the East and Pacific Ocean in the West. Ernest T commented, "I hope they don't change the boundaries when I take the test." I love it, because that is how I feel when unexpected situations threw at me at work or in life. We all learn the rules and what to do or what not to do, but there are times when the rules are changed or people who are in power changed the rules while the rest of us just have to start learning new rules all over each time in order to survive.
Oh, how I wish we could go back to the good old days.
Saturday, August 19, 2006
ONE LIFE TO LIVE
I never watched the popular television daytime soap opera called One Life to Live. I do believe that the title is exactly just that ONE LIFE TO LIVE.
I saw a writing that if you want to evaluate your life or what you have done with your life, try writing an orbituary or a eulogy about what contributions you have made to the world. Some of us are famous, most of us just live a simple life, unknown and the world never recognize or celebrate our accomplishments.
During a recent visit to NYC, I spent a lot of time sitting alone on the bed where my Dad slept and spent most of his time resting because of the effects from chemotherapy treatments. I also stood by the door looking in and crying because I wanted so bad to see him sitting at the desk reading Chinese newspapers. More than 5 years since my Dad passed away, I still feel the pains and at time getting emotional when someone talking about their Dad or a scene from a movie showing the loving relationship of a father and his child.
My Dad was not a famous person. He was not wealthy nor was he a powerful politician. He was a good man who was a good husband and a good father. To me and my siblings, my Dad is the greatest person and he accomplished so much because of all the loving and nurturing he had provided to us.
I have always been active in the community and I volunteer with my parish. I try to help people who are in need and donate generously to many charity organizations. There are times when I question my life whether I am making contributions to society or just taking up space. I doubt my accomplishments and whether my life is meaningful or whether I am successful based on the definition in television commercials. As a Vietnamese regufee and a naturalized US citizen, I question whether I have achieved the American Dream as defined by the media and others in society.
At the risk of pretenting to be a preacher, I guess we each have one life to live. How we live our life and what we do with the time and talents we are given by God the Almighty will be different. At the end of the day, it will be what others say about us and what we did to help make the world a better place.
I like to think that I am a decent person and in my limited skills and talents, I am a good citizen in my community. In my Christian faith, I am an instrument to do God's work by helping others. Whether I will be on the cover of TIME magazine as Person of the Year or receiving the Presidential Award, I am always proud to be my Father's daughter. I am proud of my accomplishments and how I live my life.
I saw a writing that if you want to evaluate your life or what you have done with your life, try writing an orbituary or a eulogy about what contributions you have made to the world. Some of us are famous, most of us just live a simple life, unknown and the world never recognize or celebrate our accomplishments.
During a recent visit to NYC, I spent a lot of time sitting alone on the bed where my Dad slept and spent most of his time resting because of the effects from chemotherapy treatments. I also stood by the door looking in and crying because I wanted so bad to see him sitting at the desk reading Chinese newspapers. More than 5 years since my Dad passed away, I still feel the pains and at time getting emotional when someone talking about their Dad or a scene from a movie showing the loving relationship of a father and his child.
My Dad was not a famous person. He was not wealthy nor was he a powerful politician. He was a good man who was a good husband and a good father. To me and my siblings, my Dad is the greatest person and he accomplished so much because of all the loving and nurturing he had provided to us.
I have always been active in the community and I volunteer with my parish. I try to help people who are in need and donate generously to many charity organizations. There are times when I question my life whether I am making contributions to society or just taking up space. I doubt my accomplishments and whether my life is meaningful or whether I am successful based on the definition in television commercials. As a Vietnamese regufee and a naturalized US citizen, I question whether I have achieved the American Dream as defined by the media and others in society.
At the risk of pretenting to be a preacher, I guess we each have one life to live. How we live our life and what we do with the time and talents we are given by God the Almighty will be different. At the end of the day, it will be what others say about us and what we did to help make the world a better place.
I like to think that I am a decent person and in my limited skills and talents, I am a good citizen in my community. In my Christian faith, I am an instrument to do God's work by helping others. Whether I will be on the cover of TIME magazine as Person of the Year or receiving the Presidential Award, I am always proud to be my Father's daughter. I am proud of my accomplishments and how I live my life.
TOO CLOSE FOR COMFORT
I normally am a friendly person. I talk to strangers, especially at sport events. I would talk to strangers about the Detroit Red Wings or about the New England Patriots. I would compliment someone about their purse (ladies) or about a nice baseball hat (men), especially a nice Notre Dame (ND) shirt.
My pet peeve is when strangers stand so close to me during checkout lines at the stores or fastfood ordering process. That really ruins my day. The person would stand so close that I had to move. The person would say to me, "You are OK". Like I need his permission not to move away. There were a few times I would turn and say to the person, "Pushing me won't make the line go faster", or I would use the shopping cart as buffer zone.
I draw the line and will say something when it comes to the lines at the bank. I would calmly say to the person, "Would you mind leaving some room between us?" I don't want anyone looking over my shoulder while I sign my check, writing a deposit or counting my money.
It is just common sense and yet some people are just so ignorant about this etiquette. "Don't stand too close to me", as the song goes. Maybe I should carry a ruler and keep it out as a measure of distance or an orange cone so no one would be breathing down my neck.
My pet peeve is when strangers stand so close to me during checkout lines at the stores or fastfood ordering process. That really ruins my day. The person would stand so close that I had to move. The person would say to me, "You are OK". Like I need his permission not to move away. There were a few times I would turn and say to the person, "Pushing me won't make the line go faster", or I would use the shopping cart as buffer zone.
I draw the line and will say something when it comes to the lines at the bank. I would calmly say to the person, "Would you mind leaving some room between us?" I don't want anyone looking over my shoulder while I sign my check, writing a deposit or counting my money.
It is just common sense and yet some people are just so ignorant about this etiquette. "Don't stand too close to me", as the song goes. Maybe I should carry a ruler and keep it out as a measure of distance or an orange cone so no one would be breathing down my neck.
YOU CAN'T TAKE IT WITH YOU
"I want to be buried in my T-bird", my husband, C said. The T-bird is like a baby in our family since last August. C loves the car because it is what he has been searching for the longest time.
It is a 2004 Ford Thunderbird with the right color, burgundy. C saved his money for 2 years, waiting for the right moment. He searched the internet but both times when he found the car of his dream, the sellers told him that the dream cars were already sold. The first seller was in Colorado and C called immediately after he saw the posting in the Auto Trader website. The seller told C that someone also called about five minutes ago and they agreed to the terms, no haggle or price negotiating. The second seller was in Buffalo, New York. Again the seller told C that someone already called and was on his way to pick up the dream car.
The third seller was from Chicago, Illinois. C called me at work around 11:00 a.m. on Tuesday (August 2005) and told me that he found the dream car and the seller agreed to sell the car to C if he could get to Chicago the next day with a certified check. I said without hesitation knowing that C has been waiting for this opportunity. I told him that I would go to the bank and transfer the money. I could hear C excitement and relieve that I did not question his decision.
The next day, C drove to Chicago (5 hours from St. Louis) in a rental car with a certified check over $20K. I was nervous and concerned that someone might stalk him. My imagination went wild that he would stop for lunch, someone killed him, took the check and I would be out of a husband and of course our savings. Just kidding. I don't care about the money, seriously.
C picked up the T-bird and drove carefully home. He had the biggest smile on his face, bigger than the one I saw at our wedding 16 years ago. Our first weekend driving around in the T-bird. Since then every time when we go somewhere, strangers, people we don't know (mostly men) would stop and admire the T-bird. Men would talk to C as if they were long lost brothers. I usually go into the restaurant, order the drinks and patiently wait for C to finish his discussions.
I am not a car person. I have learned a few things from C about Mustangs and other minor things about car. C loves the movie "Bullit" starring Steve McQueen in the famous car chase. I pretended to know the year and compliment the design just to tease C. I love to say, "That is a 1957 fastback" or "Let's look under the hood" because it was just a lucky guess.
I think we all have things we passionate about or items that we are proud to possess. I am somewhat a materialist but I try not to let my life be defined by a big fancy house or an expensive sport car. Whatever makes a person happy is important. Since whatever it is, you can't take it with you when it is your time to leave the earth.
It is a 2004 Ford Thunderbird with the right color, burgundy. C saved his money for 2 years, waiting for the right moment. He searched the internet but both times when he found the car of his dream, the sellers told him that the dream cars were already sold. The first seller was in Colorado and C called immediately after he saw the posting in the Auto Trader website. The seller told C that someone also called about five minutes ago and they agreed to the terms, no haggle or price negotiating. The second seller was in Buffalo, New York. Again the seller told C that someone already called and was on his way to pick up the dream car.
The third seller was from Chicago, Illinois. C called me at work around 11:00 a.m. on Tuesday (August 2005) and told me that he found the dream car and the seller agreed to sell the car to C if he could get to Chicago the next day with a certified check. I said without hesitation knowing that C has been waiting for this opportunity. I told him that I would go to the bank and transfer the money. I could hear C excitement and relieve that I did not question his decision.
The next day, C drove to Chicago (5 hours from St. Louis) in a rental car with a certified check over $20K. I was nervous and concerned that someone might stalk him. My imagination went wild that he would stop for lunch, someone killed him, took the check and I would be out of a husband and of course our savings. Just kidding. I don't care about the money, seriously.
C picked up the T-bird and drove carefully home. He had the biggest smile on his face, bigger than the one I saw at our wedding 16 years ago. Our first weekend driving around in the T-bird. Since then every time when we go somewhere, strangers, people we don't know (mostly men) would stop and admire the T-bird. Men would talk to C as if they were long lost brothers. I usually go into the restaurant, order the drinks and patiently wait for C to finish his discussions.
I am not a car person. I have learned a few things from C about Mustangs and other minor things about car. C loves the movie "Bullit" starring Steve McQueen in the famous car chase. I pretended to know the year and compliment the design just to tease C. I love to say, "That is a 1957 fastback" or "Let's look under the hood" because it was just a lucky guess.
I think we all have things we passionate about or items that we are proud to possess. I am somewhat a materialist but I try not to let my life be defined by a big fancy house or an expensive sport car. Whatever makes a person happy is important. Since whatever it is, you can't take it with you when it is your time to leave the earth.
HOME SWEET HOME
"Welcome Home", my younger sister, V. said when she called after I arrived in New York City (NYC) during a recent trip "home". We talked about our plans to get together for dinner to celebrate her birthday. It would be the first birthday dinner as a family for over 10 years. Since I moved away in 1988, I don't remember if we ever got together as a family to celebrate birthdays or any kind of anniversary.
"When are you coming home?", my mother often asks when she wants to know when I would be visiting New York. If I told her I would be visiting within 3-6 months, she would begin planning the menu and go into details of the dishes she would be cooking to show off her cooking to my husband, C who is more than happy to flatter her for her skills. If I told her I did not know when I would be coming "home", she would be unhappy and said something like, "If you lived nearby I would bring you some food.".
I lived in NYC from 1980 to 1988, moved to a small town in Michigan & lived there for about 5 years and have been living in St. Louis, Missouri for the past 12 years. The move from NYC to the little town by the lake after I married C. was a cultural shock. I had to learn to drive in the snow and ice and all kind of winter weather including white out. I also learned to enjoy a few weeks of summer when we were able to walk along the boardwalk and admired fancy boats docking by the pier. I learned to enjoy simple pleasure such as eating corn dogs on a stick and ice cream after a walk that was supposed to be an exercise.
I don't know where "Home" really is and what is the definition of "Home". There is a saying, "A house is a home when there is love". Our family left Viet Nam in 1979 and lived in the refugee camp for 7 months. We started a new life in NYC in 1980. I am the only one who moved out of NYC to Michigan and now to St. Louis. My sister, V, travels all over the world. We gave her a nickname, "Wondering Feet" because she takes at least 3-4 trips every year, most of the trips are oversea. V visited almost if not all the countries in Europe. In fact, V. is on a 2-week cruise to Finland and Russia at this time. My two brothers, T and L, don't travel often and never moved out of NYC.
I have a few close good friends from college, M, S, and A, and they all lived in NYC. Well, S moved to New Jersey about 15 years ago. M works for the same company since we graduated from college in 1983. S and A changed jobs 2-3 times but pretty much in the same industry. I am the only one moving away to the Midwest and changed jobs about 10 times and also jumped from one industry to another.
So, what is "home"? I guess "home" is where a person is comfortable, feeling that they are loved and needed. Home is where you know someone is waiting or concerns if you are not in the house when you are supposed to. Home is where you are able to drink coffee, read the newspaper in your underwear with messy hair and no one would call the police to report indecency. Home is where you could cry, laugh, share a few words with your family members and not worry about being judged.
Living in NYC and then the small town in Michigan, I like St. Louis because it is just about right. Not too hectic like NYC but not too sufficating like MI. St. Louis offers some metropolitan activities (the Fox theater, Science Center, the Zoo) and for sports fanatic like myself, hockey (the Blues), football (the Rams) and baseball (the Cardinals). After 12 years, I begin to feel comfortable that I may pick a high school and pretend that I went there so when someone asks me "Where did you go to high school?" I would be ready with an answer that would make me really feel at home in St. Louis.
"When are you coming home?", my mother often asks when she wants to know when I would be visiting New York. If I told her I would be visiting within 3-6 months, she would begin planning the menu and go into details of the dishes she would be cooking to show off her cooking to my husband, C who is more than happy to flatter her for her skills. If I told her I did not know when I would be coming "home", she would be unhappy and said something like, "If you lived nearby I would bring you some food.".
I lived in NYC from 1980 to 1988, moved to a small town in Michigan & lived there for about 5 years and have been living in St. Louis, Missouri for the past 12 years. The move from NYC to the little town by the lake after I married C. was a cultural shock. I had to learn to drive in the snow and ice and all kind of winter weather including white out. I also learned to enjoy a few weeks of summer when we were able to walk along the boardwalk and admired fancy boats docking by the pier. I learned to enjoy simple pleasure such as eating corn dogs on a stick and ice cream after a walk that was supposed to be an exercise.
I don't know where "Home" really is and what is the definition of "Home". There is a saying, "A house is a home when there is love". Our family left Viet Nam in 1979 and lived in the refugee camp for 7 months. We started a new life in NYC in 1980. I am the only one who moved out of NYC to Michigan and now to St. Louis. My sister, V, travels all over the world. We gave her a nickname, "Wondering Feet" because she takes at least 3-4 trips every year, most of the trips are oversea. V visited almost if not all the countries in Europe. In fact, V. is on a 2-week cruise to Finland and Russia at this time. My two brothers, T and L, don't travel often and never moved out of NYC.
I have a few close good friends from college, M, S, and A, and they all lived in NYC. Well, S moved to New Jersey about 15 years ago. M works for the same company since we graduated from college in 1983. S and A changed jobs 2-3 times but pretty much in the same industry. I am the only one moving away to the Midwest and changed jobs about 10 times and also jumped from one industry to another.
So, what is "home"? I guess "home" is where a person is comfortable, feeling that they are loved and needed. Home is where you know someone is waiting or concerns if you are not in the house when you are supposed to. Home is where you are able to drink coffee, read the newspaper in your underwear with messy hair and no one would call the police to report indecency. Home is where you could cry, laugh, share a few words with your family members and not worry about being judged.
Living in NYC and then the small town in Michigan, I like St. Louis because it is just about right. Not too hectic like NYC but not too sufficating like MI. St. Louis offers some metropolitan activities (the Fox theater, Science Center, the Zoo) and for sports fanatic like myself, hockey (the Blues), football (the Rams) and baseball (the Cardinals). After 12 years, I begin to feel comfortable that I may pick a high school and pretend that I went there so when someone asks me "Where did you go to high school?" I would be ready with an answer that would make me really feel at home in St. Louis.
Friday, August 04, 2006
My First Entry Into Blogosphere
Hello, world! It was a dark and stormy night... THANKS to my little brother, L. I finally created my very own blog. Not much to write yet. I am visiting my family in New York, enjoying my little nephew J. , spending time with my Mom. It is too warm for my thinking - I will write more when I have a chance to put on my writer hat.
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