TOTA TURNS 4

Exactly 4 years ago, August 4, 2006, TOTA was born in the beautiful downtown Bath Beach (Bensonhurst) Brooklyn, the Great State of New York. Special thanks to Qaptain Qwerty, to the Lone Gunman, aka Sal, to the two loyal followers, unknown faithful readers and other visitors - your support is much appreciated; let's celebrate this important milestone of TOTA's 4th Birthday/Anniversary.

I read in a book about the Navajo that “The number four is very significant and is found throughout Navajo culture and religion. There are four directions, four seasons, four original clans, and four colors associated with the four sacred mountains. Most ceremonies consist of four songs or multiple of four songs.” (From our recent road trip to New Mexico and Arizona, I became interested and have been reading about the Yavapai, the Navajo, the Apache, the Hopi, and the Pueblo.)

I like to post TOTA's First Entry on Friday, August 4, 2006, just like parents looking at baby photos and see how their child has grown.
"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." Thank you, Qaptain Qwerty, for your help from the beginning and continued support.

However, the Chinese, in both Mandarin and Cantonese dialects, do not care for number four because they believe the word for the number four sounds like the word for death. They avoid number 4 like some people avoid number 13.

Although I am Vietnamese-born of Chinese ethnic, having been in America more than 30 years, I chose to believe and prefer the Navajo’s positive meanings associated with the number four.

Please join me in the celebration of TOTA turning 4. I will keep blogging and I hope you will keep reading.