White Girls Can't Sing

I only watch 3 tv shows: Lost, Prison Break and American Idol. My evenings are often filled with fatherly duties and unexpected happenings, so thanks to my trusty ReplayTV and iPod, I can watch peacefully while I carpool, or at my desk during lunch.

This week I watched in horror as the guys sang. Out of the 12, only 3 guys were fairly good: Blake (beatbox), Phil (bald), and Chris (curly-fro). The others were unexciting, and some were downright painful to watch. Thanks to the ipod, I was able to skip through the performance and go straight to the judges.

The girls on the other hand, were quite good. The first singer Stephanie looked like a crossbreed between Fantasia and LaToya London. They're all pop and R&B singers, no country singers--man, I miss Kellie Pickler. There were at least 4 great performances, but unfortunately, only the minorities sang well. The white girls were terrible, really awful (except maybe Gina, who's not likable, and should not make the top 12, IMO). Fortunately for us, they'll be kicking off 2 at a time these next 3 weeks, so the pain is only temporary.

Last night Paul Kim (from San Jose) was the first to be eliminated. I don't think America is ready for an Asian idol anytime soon, let alone a barefoot Asian pool boy. Too bad, even though he butchered Careless Whispers, I thought he had a good voice. Fact is, his perceived fan base is nonexistent (Asian guys don't vote, and Asian girls only like white guys). The other unlucky ones were Rudy, Nicole and Amy--all forgettable. If you ever want to check on the voting status, check out this link for predictions: DialIdol.com. The software calls all the voting numbers and track the busy signals. It claims to be 87% accurate during the season, and 100% accurate picking the winner.

The season is still early, but so far I see no clear front runners. I think LaKisha is good, but we all remember what happened to Mandisa last year after Country Week. IMO, no one has the "whole package" of voice, charisma, and looks. In year's past we knew at Week #1 that Carrie Underwood and Katharine McPhee would make the finals. This year, not so. But either way, it's still great entertainment. 33 million viewers can't be wrong!

Year of the Pig

We've been celebrating this holiday my whole life and until now, I had no idea why we did the things we do. I found this great article explaining the Chinese customs. It was published 8 years ago, but the facts remain the same. Here are some excerpts:

Gung Hey Fat-Choy!: "Best Wishes for Great Wealth and Prosperity"

The foods themselves are selected mostly for their names as homonyms to prosperity, longevity, etc. Bak-choy sounds like the term for "great wealth," so a dish with bokchoy would be included. Oysters are called "Hao," which sounds like the word for "an auspicious occasion or event," and "Fu," as in tofu, sounds the same as "riches," so a tofu dish is always present.

Certain dishes are always included in the mix. Dumplings signify a long-lost wish for a happy family (and many male children). Dried oysters are for "all things good." Angel hair seaweed is for bringing prosperity, as is Yu Sheng Salad. Prawns are for liveliness and happiness. New Year or Pudding Cake is to ensure good luck with high hopes for the coming year.

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As anticipated on my earlier post, we all gathered at my mom's house for our Chinese New Year dinner. It was the first party there in three years. With a few grandchildren missing, so still had 22 in attendance. My mom made her usual sesame balls, neen go (pudding cake), and vegetarian dishes. And in honor of the Year of the Pig, we really did pig out! The sesame balls were the crowd favorite. The inside is mostly hollow with a sweet red bean paste filling. I like it best when it's piping hot fresh out of the deep fryer. It's super super greasy, but such a guilty pleasure. I compare it to bucket of fried chicken where you only eat the skin. Three hours later, I already felt a zit coming.

The evening ended with a round of mahjong where I was the big winner (oh yeah!). MJ is the universal language in our family. Everyone plays, even some grandchildren, breaking down generational and cultural barriers. MJ is game of observation where you put on your poker-face and figure out what your neighbor is doing. Professional players always bluff and play defense. We, on the other hand, play with extreme arrogance and disrespect. We go for the biggest hands, regardless of risks (or reason) and take everyone down with you. Unlike poker where you can fold and get out, with MJ, you're all stuck, like in the back seat of a lousy driver. I have a great group of friends I play with that I would characterize as sharks, meaning that to play with us, you better have thick skin or else you'll get hurt.

On a different note, the main bathroom was finally completed Friday night (sorry, no before picture, too gross). The contractor replaced everything except the window, toilet and bathtub. Total cost for this: $2100. He gave me a great deal (considering I already paid him $20K for everything else). Now I'm having him replace our large living room window and rebuild our backyard patio. Man, if I just blogged about my mom's remodel, I would have a year's worth of content!

Freebie Friday

Today I found a few freebies online that I would like to share with you. I'm not sure I'll be able to find freebies every Friday, but if I do, I'll gladly pass them along. Enjoy:

Free Pancakes at IHOP on Tuesday, February 20.
OK, you're getting 4 days advance notice on this one. A maple-drenched shortstack may be just the perfect solution to wash away all that Chinese New Year vegetarian aftertaste. They will ask for a donation to the Children's Miracle Network, so depending on your cheapness generosity, you may not come out ahead, but you should feel good about helping a worthy cause.

Free 411 Calling
If you're still paying when you dial 411 then you need to add this phone number to your cell phone: 1-800-FREE-411. Usually companies will charge you up to $1.25 just for using 411 to find a phone number. With 1-800-FREE-411 you don’t pay a dime. How is it free? Well there is a 15 second ad before you get an operator, that’s it.

Free Oasis Mouthwash Sample
If you suffer from dry mouth Oasis mouthwash can provide relief. Many people get dry mouth when taking many over the counter or prescription drugs which can cause some discomfort. While supplies last, no coupon is necessary.

Free Massive Magazine subscription
For the first 10,000 people who sign up. Massive Magazine is geared towards massive multiplayer online games. This includes hugely popular games like World of Warcraft and Ultima Online. Great for you childless guys.

Free PC Magazine subscription
For all you peecee users. Actually, this magazine covers the Mac quite a bit with unbiased glowing reviews. If your stack of literature is getting old in your bathroom, this will be a nice addition. You will have to answer a lengthy questionnaire, so get ready to click and click and click.

Why Blog?

I've wanted to blog ever since I read my friend's blog about his China trip several years ago to adopt his baby girl. It was like peering into their private thoughts and immediately sharing in their daily struggles and triumphs. I would pray for them and look forward to the next day's entry to see if the prayer was answered. Their blog kept us close to them even though they were alone on the other side of the globe.

I recently ran across the article below. It talks about the many benefits of keeping a journal. Great reasons to justify my madness.

10 Reasons to Keep a Journal

Here are my top 5 reasons:

1. Improve Your Health
2. Reduce Stress
3. Stronger Relationships
4. Personal Growth
   
5. Better Focus

I must admit, as I'm battling a cold this week, working on the blog has surprisingly helped me focus more. As for the stress, I do feel a sense of relief after every blog. I mean, how burdensome would it be to go on in life without sharing how I overcame my toilet problems! Capturing our life stories takes effort. These stories may seem trivial and forgettable now, but one day when I'm laid up in a rest home, these will be mine to cherish.

I've gotten lots of feedback from many of you (thank you, keep them coming), so our relationships are improving also. Through this blog, I've reconnected with many of you (and learned of your own toilet stories!). Hopefully you'll find my blog entertaining and time well spent. If not, at the very least, this can force you to take a 2-minute break from work.

If you ever considered blogging or private journaling, I would encourage you to explore it. It's hard to explain the therapeutic benefits of self-expression, but it's definitely there. Think you have no time? Perhaps you need to slow down and take a mental inventory of your busy life. It's good for your mind and good for your health. And don't forget to take your naps too! Happy Blogging.

Valentine's Day

Upon doing my research on planning this annual ritual I came across this great article about Valentine's Day. It's about what women expect on this special day and how not to disappoint. It's very well written and a fun read:

How to avoid sleeping on the couch

If you're stressing over this, and the florist is crowded, remember Costco has flowers for cheap. A dozen roses (in various colors) cost $13.99. A deluxe mixed bouquet is $14.99 and an arrangement in a vase is $35.99. Go early (like at lunch) because if they run out when you go after work, you'll really be stressed!

If you have some creativity, you can make your own card. All you need is too find a nice photo and have access to a color printer. It doesn't have to be great, as long as you showed thought and effort in doing it. She'll appreciate whatever cheesy ideas you may have. And if you're not the super romantic type (uptight, unexpressive, Asian male, like me), make it a card from the family. You'll still get all the credit, and your kids won't feel left out. Like the article said, effort, will score lots of points. Funny, in the past I did make her some CD with 80's music...

If you're super busy with meetings all day, you can (at the very least) send your honey a FREE instant electronic card to show that you're thinking of her. She'll think, "What a nice surprise. I'm sure this took at least 1o minutes of thought." Here is a link you can use:

Top Ten Free E-Card Sites

Hopefully you'll go home tonight with anticipation and not trepidation. If you think your man needs some encouragement, feel free to point them here. Or I can always send them a note on your behalf. Happy Valentine's Day.

Guilty No More

I just HAD to share this article posted today in the New York Times and the Houston Chronicle. I printed it out and placed copies in our break room and in my boss' inbox. I emailed it to my union rep for future contract negotiations and I'm sharing this with you.

Here are some excerpts:

In a study of more than 23,000 Greek men and women ages 20 to 86, researchers found that napping at least three times a week for a half-hour was associated with a significantly decreased risk of death from heart disease. After controlling for factors like smoking, body mass index, physical activity and diet, the researchers found that people who regularly took a siesta had a 37 percent lower coronary death rate than those who never napped. The effect was even greater in working men.

Napping fewer than three times a week was also associated with reduced risk, but the effect was not statistically significant. When the researchers restricted the analysis to working men who napped regularly, they found a 50 percent reduction...

I'm big on napping. But I rarely ever get to do so. If traffic is good going home, I can sneak a 30 minute nap before dinner. When I carpool, I try to nap, but the stop and go traffic makes my head bob back and forth. At work I occassionally doze off, but I wouldn't call it napping because it's only in 5 minute spurts (and my lousy phone keeps ringing!). Today I actually passed out before lunch due to my sick child at home keeping me up the night before. Fortunately I have friends at my fingertips (via IM) to keep me awake--thanks Mary!

I often feel guilty for napping because I think of all the lost productivity and the chores still awaiting me. But now that it's proven to be preventative medicine, I may need to reassess my daily routines. I can't think of a better way to cut down the risks of heart disease. Now if I can only find a way to cut down on the junk food...

Homecoming

This weekend I helped my mom with clean up and reorganization from her kitchen remodel. Many of you have been to my house in Oakland. We moved there in 1969 and have NEVER remodeled. Sure we replaced the roof several times, and repainted. But the interior has never seen a face lift other than the replacement of broken appliances (and the addition of those stylish burglar bars to further remind you that you're in Oakland).

Being immigrants with poor English skills, my parents never were able to generate much income. They were reduced to jobs in restaurants and sweat shops, making far less than minimum wage. Knowing that home-ownership was a must, they purchased our house on Harding Way for $23,000. All the siblings worked to help pay the bills and other expenses. There was zero budget for any luxury items and we never took a family vacation, but at least we had a home that was ours.

Though money was tight, the one thing my parents would splurge on was food. My dad was a great cook, specializing in duck, pork, crab, and apple and custard pies. My mom specialized in sesame balls (gin dui), egg rolls, jung, law-bok go, and other dim sum delicacies. The kitchen was their workshop. It was dark, cramp, and falling apart, but they didn't complain. Their only challenge was making enough to feed 20 people. We've had countless dinners celebrating all the holidays, birthdays and MJ parties which I fondly remember. Sure it was crowded, but when we're all piled together, there's an undeniable sense of closeness and family unity that's very comforting.

The dinners ended in 2004 when my dad had his stroke. He passed away in 2005 and to this day we have not gathered there for any celebrations. My mom still loves to host, but her house is now even more run-down and not kid-friendly to our expanding family of 25. Nowadays, the only time we visit is when we are summoned for home repair or yard work. Sadly because of this, some of us have avoided the house entirely.

This past year we've been fixing the house a little at a time. First the windows, then the roof, then the pipes. A month ago my I hired a contractor to remodel the kitchen. With so many other things falling apart, he's now remodeling half the house, replacing floors, doors, and both bathrooms. There's still plenty to do such as landscaping and painting, but for now, at least the inside is a bit more inviting.

It's a great feeling to finally reward my mom with a new functional kitchen with simple conveniences like a divided sink, a window that opens, and drawers that don't fall out. The joy of having counters and floors that actually look clean when you wipe them, and bathrooms free of mildew. Most of the work is done and the rest is scheduled to be finished this week. My mom is excited to host again and has already invited everyone over for Chinese New Year on Sunday. To her, it will be like open house. To me, it will be like Homecoming.

Peeping Mom

Yesterday I discovered something really cool! Did you ever want to monitor your home or office when you're not there? Do you have pets running around unsupervised, or suspect coworkers stealing your candy after hours, or wonder how good your kids REALLY are at home? Well let me show you how to set up an easy surveillance system that you can use from anywhere with an internet connection.

First you will need a USB webcam. Besides the Apple iSight, I would recommend a Logitech Quickcam Pro. The pro models works on both Mac and PC and has a built in microphone. Other requirements will be a broadband connection (on both ends) and a somewhat decent computer (Mac OSX 10.3+, WIndows XP).

Second, go to Skype and download the free software. You'll need two separate Skype accounts. Using one account, setup the home version of Skype to auto-answer calls and automatically fire up the webcam (see screenshots - yes, that's the view from my office). Then to check in, just use the second Skype account to call the first, and the webcam video will pop up. The program must be active and the computer cannot be asleep. If you're afraid of screen burn in, you can always just turn off your monitor, but leave the CPU running.

Last night I checked into my office (first picture) and noticed they left the lights on. When I got to my office this morning I tried unsuccessfully to call home, because the home computer was asleep--arghh! As soon as Chrissy got on, I called in and startled her. Note for all you women: the resolution isn't great, so don't fret about having your makeup or hair done. You'll look like the same pixelated glob either way. To me, the quality was "good enough" and the sound was surprisingly clear without much delay.

In order to video chat, you'll need a webcam on both ends, which I highly recommend for maximum experience --Wouldn't it be great for your kids to actually SEE your angry face when you bust them for jumping on the furniture?! But one webcam is all you need if you're only checking to see if Scruffy trashed your living room, or if the mailman is still at your house, or if your husband is still working.

For those of you shopping for a new laptop, I would highly recommend the Apple Macbook. Like the iMac, it has a built in camera, so immediately you'll have a second camera to chat with your family when you travel. Starting at $799 refurb. from the Apple Store-(sells out quick so check back often.)

So how does Skype differ from iChat? They both offer IM and video chatting and conferencing, but only Skype offers auto-answer and auto launching of the webcam, which is key for surveillance.

Skype is also great to make phone calls (to actual phone numbers, not computers). It's roughly 3 cents/minute to most places around the globe. So perhaps your cell phone has roaming charges, or you're like me, where I have zero cell signal from my house, you can use Skype to save on landline charges. Computer to computer calls and conferences are always free. With your Skype sign up, you'll get 24 minutes free to test--just enough time to call grandma in China to wish her a Happy New Year!

Sleepy Monday

Barely 10 a.m. and I'm already falling asleep again. I guess I'm still recovering from the busy weekend.

Yesterday Goff spoke at CIBC. Talked about heroic love--love for all people, not just the ones you know. Speaking of love, I invited a few of ya'll to come (Jim, Will, Pat, Matt), but none of you showed up! Yo, where's your love?? Regardless, we had a nice sushi lunch with Dave's family. I was able to enjoy my lunch because I sent Dustin off with a friend. (Rule #1, you cannot enjoy a meal when your kids outnumber you.) After lunch we ran into Clayton and Avalon, 2 more XCI (forgot to pull out my camera, but they look the same) and hung out a while near the fountain.

Got home in time to watch the Super Bowl, but for some reason I thought it started at 5 so I missed the first half. But we did get to see Prince perform. I used to be a big fan in high school but haven't been interested in anything from him since. Fortunately, 3 of the 4 songs performed were popular ones from Purple Rain. He still looked and sounded pretty good. I saw him recently at the Golden Globes and he looked horrible with ratty hair. I was able to finish the game (although disappointed that the Bears couldn't score) and have a nice quiet dinner (because of Rule #1).

After dinner, went down the street to pick up Dustin from Machella's. I helped them install and paint some wall mouldings that was left incomplete from their project 9 years ago. They entertain and feed my kids, I help them with home repair. I think it's a good trade. Another productive Sunday.

Update on the Toto: This past week, everyone has been instructed to poop in the Toto. We even allowed the boys to eat less veggies too. So far so good. The flush is fast, like gone in 2 seconds. Awesome!

CIBC 101

This month of February, CIBC will turn 101 years old. I've been attending since 1972 so my personal history with the church runs rather deep. Back in 2002 I created a 29-minute video displaying the past, present and future ministries of CIBC. It served as a reminder of previous sacrifices and a fundraiser for our building expansion project on 9th Street. Since then it's been updated/altered several times for groundbreaking and to show construction progress. This condensed 8-minute version was shown at the Centennial celebration last February. Then it was updated again for the 2006 Thanksgiving Dinner at where else? Centennial Hall.

Many of you have not seen it so I would like to share it with you. In my estimation, I spent over 300 hours working on this entire project over the last 5 years. It definitely was a labor of love and I never got sick of it. I hope you enjoy it.

It's a fairly large file so give it a few minutes to load.