Another new housemate

I've got a new housemate. The previous one moved out because...yeah. Nguyet is pleasant and nice. She's 29, and she's studying to be a public school teacher. I may have scared her a bit about our beloved Prince Georges' County education system, opps. She's a devout Catholic and Cha Long (Father Long) has offered her a monastery life in his convent. She kindly declines the position (and yes I congratulate her). Well, I'm just gonna tell her right now that I'm not interested in a conversion. There's just too many "luminous mysteries". I'm not too fond of organized religion. Although I envy people who are religous. Eh! It's only been two days, and things are going well. I'm keeping my fingers crossed. That pic above is one of the depictions of what had happened so far between me and my new roommie. Let's hope I don't have to use the baseball that's still wrapped in my new glove, yes the baseball I got for my birthday. Stay tuned.

Since I've been gone

Road trip (more than 900 miles back-n-forth, you rock SG!) to Boston/Lyndeboro/Leominster this Turkey Day 2005 has to be the greatest Thanxgiving break ever. I was schooled a bit on the American culture, thanks to the Guertin clan. The hospitality was out of this world. I must admit, for the first time in a long while, I went to sleep on the cot full and satisfied. I am speechless at how a family has welcomed me into their home. Thank you. I'm also jealous at how well the family got along so well and bonded so naturally. I guess if my family had a few cold beers and a jug of white wine and ice every night, we would've talked naturally. I dunno, I guess we'll have to work on that next year.

Well, since I've been gone these things happened:

(1) Nick and Jessica finally fed up. According to a spoof report, the break up was major news in the White House.

It depicted President George W. Bush as complaining that the breakup was more bad news, on top of problems in Iraq, and facetiously quoted him as saying, "I can't take any more."

(2) Sad news. Mr. Miyagi, passed away while I was gone, on Turkey Day. He was 73. He died from a heart failure, not from injuries sustained in an epic karate battle with numerous armed foes. He died in the hospital, not in a dojo surrounded by the bodies of his freshly slain enemies or on a bloodied martial arts battlefield, but in a hospital. You will be missed, Mr. Miyagi.

(3) Since we're on the topic of passing, while I was away, a naked man leaped off a building to his death. He jumped out of an SUV totally naked, walked into an office skyscraper, took the elevator to the eighth floor and jumped. According to WaPo, a vigilant D.C. parking enforcers ticketed the man's car before anyone realized what had happened, ironic huh?

Environmental Impact Statement on Resident Canada Goose Management

If you live (or for recreation) in DC, along the Anacostia River (particularly the wetland areas on Kingman Island, Heritage Island and the Langston Golf course) you would undoubtedly notice the Canada geese, the resident Canada geese, the ones that won't migrate south for the winter and thus their populations almost exponentially increased over the last half-century. Nuisance is probably the right word to describe them. They salvage on the native wetland plant species to near extinction. I've worked with AWS to restore the wetland plant ecology by putting up hectares of fence exclosures to keep the geese from devouring the native wildrice and other wetland vegetation. We attempted to keep the population at a sustainable number by oiling the eggs (more on this at a later post). The effort is still on-going. The battle wages on between public hearings,the development of environmental impact statements and the humane society on how to deal with these Canada geese. Finally now the United States Fish and Wildlife Service has this new plan to control the Canadas.

The U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service today announced the release of a final Environmental Impact Statement (FEIS) that outlines various alternatives to reduce, manage, and control resident Canada goose populations and reduce related damages. Of the alternatives, the Service's proposed action will allow state wildlife agencies, landowners, and airports more flexibility in controlling resident Canada goose populations
[...]
Wildlife officials estimate there are more than 3.2 million Canada geese in the United States. The plan, designed to cull that number to about 2 million during the next decade, will provide states with the option of assuming control over goose-reduction methods.

The federal plan will allow some hunting without federal permits. Any volunteers? I must warn you, these resident Canadas are aggressive. From personal experience, I almost got beaked in the head.

Gobble gobble, I'm thankful for...

I'm thankful...

(1) For the mess to clean after a party because it means that I have been surrounded by friends.
(2) For my shadow that watches me work because it means I am out in the sunshine.
(3) For a floor that needs mopping, and windows that need cleaning because it means I have a home.
(4) For all the complaining I hear about the government because it means that we have freedom of speech.
(5) For the parking spot I find at the far end of the parking lot because it means I am capable of walking and that I have been blessed with transportation.
(6) For the noise I have to bear from my nieces and nephews and my barking dog Rocky because it means that I can hear.
(7) For the pile of laundry and ironing because it means I have clothes to wear.
(8) For weariness and aching muscles at the end of the day because it means I have been capable of working hard.
(9) For the alarm that goes off in the early morning hours because it means that I am alive.
(10) For the frequent family quarrels because it means that we are communicating to each other.

**Thanx to NT for the encouraging e-mails** I'm heading up north for a few days with the greatest people on the east side of the coast. Best. Thanksgiving. Ever. In advance. Enjoy your Thanksgiving in DC. New Hampshire, 'live free or die', here I come!

Darwin is here in DC, no it's in NYC!

Just in, Charles Darwin is visiting

Washington DC

New York City from Nov. 19 to May 29. Take the time to drop by the America Museum of Natural History. Darwin and his work, in depth, will be featured. There will be live Galapagos tortoises, iguanas and frogs!

The Smithsonian museums are partially funded by the public, so expect some protestors from the intelligent design group. I'm sure you have been following the evolution debates and court battles. Gosh! have an open mind, you sensitive religous (ugh) people. At any rate, the exhibit should be very interesting. Go check it out! It's

free.

There will be a small fee. Bring a friend (wink!)

UPDATE: I'm sorry, the exhibit is actually in NYC, in the American Museum of Natural History, the one in DC is called National Museum of Natural History, sorry folks.

Visitior Info: Darwin opens at the American Museum of Natural History on November 19, 2005 and remains on view in New York until May 29, 2006.

The Museum is located at 79th Street and Central Park West.
For more information, please call (212) 769-5100

Killing Time

I blame on the fact that I’ve been paying bills, rents, unneccessary responsibilities and STILL looking for a “real” job. Ay yah! Courtesy of (or stealing from) Ahistoricality.

Possessing a rare combination of wisdom and humility, while serenely dominating your environment you selflessly use your powers to care for others.

"Even the smallest person can change the course of the future."

To which race of Middle Earth do you belong?
brought to you by Quizilla

G'day, you're Bruce! You think like a philosopher,
especially after you've had a few cold
ones...Australia RULES!

What Monty Python Sketch Character are you?
brought to you by Quizilla

The point to these "silly entertaining" surveys is NOT to take the survey again. First choice that comes to your mind should be taken account. I wanted to be Pippin, but it wasn't a choice. Bruce is an awesome character, love the hat.

**Thank you all who came to the shindig Saturday night. What a blast! SG rocks!! Whoever poured liquor in the fish tank for his/her twisted scientific experiment, shame on you!! The Goldie Clan almost died, you jerk! I meant that in the nicest way. We should hang out some more, aarrg! Also, the little birdie told me that my former bf is getting married. Congratulations! The end.**

Ghetto Mall

I am wicked pissed. For over a month, i've been looking forward to Harry Potter. All I want to do is get drunk and go see Harry Potter...yes in that order. Trinh Diesel was kind enough to fulfill my one birthday wish on her birthday nonetheless. We get tickets at the ghetto mall, i think things are starting to go my way, make it through over half a power hr, even better. the ghetto mall cop of all people rips my ticket and admits me to the movie, things can't go wrong. but then the movie starts.

the biggest problem is they underestimated the power of gary oldman. sure he's not a huge star, but a very solid and gifted actor(you may have seen him as the guy getting kicked off the plane in airforce one when harrison ford famously yelled "get off my plane", maybe you saw him the 5th element, or batman begins as officer gordon). even more popular than gary oldman is what i like to call the rat eating convict(aka sirius black and title character of the 3rd movie) who was somehow entirely cut from the 4th movie.

it's pretty hard to mess up a book with murder, betrayal and love triangles, but somehow it happened. the only bright spot in the movie was fiennes from red dragon, he was a great voldemort for about 4 minutes out of the 160 minutes i endured.

bottom line, don't go see harry potter, see reese witherspoon and joaquin. also if you are even slightly interested in answering the pg cop ad, don't cause you might end up stationed at the ghetto mall ripping harry potter tickets.

24 candles...and beer all around

I don't wanna grow up!

Your Birthdate: November 18

You are a cohesive force - able to bring many people together for a common cause. You tend to excel in work situations, but you also facilitate a lot of social gatherings too. Beyond being a good leader, you are good at inspiring others. You also keep your powerful emotions in check - you know when to emote and when to repress. Your strength: Emotional maturity beyond your years Your weakness: Wearing yourself down with too many responsibilities Your power color: Crimson red Your power symbol: Snowflake Your power month: September

What Does Your Birth Date Mean?

You say it's your birthday
It's my birthday too--yeah
They say it's your birthday
We're gonna have a good time
I'm glad it's your birthday
Happy birthday to you.
-The Beatles, "Birthday,"

On this day in 1985, Washington Redskins quarterback Joe Theisman breaks his leg, ending his career...not a cool way to break a leg. Also, this day in history, South Vietnamese conduct largest air assault to date, courtesy of the History Channel. And of course, Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire is released, today! wicked! I've also put up a wishlist. (Yes, I am shameless!)

Holocaust Cantata

Last night, ES and I went to a concert...you know I love live music, the kind that gives the phrase "break a leg" and "this is it, there's no turning back" (or at least I say them before presenting anything). I find live performances a much more enjoyable taste, although the cost can be prohibitive. Which is why I jumped to the chance that this event was free. The Library of Congress, as part of the Veterans History Project, presented the Master Chorale of Washington's Holocaust Cantata, to mark the 60th anniversary of the end of World War II. We found that it was interesting that the songs and writings were by prisoners in Nazi concentration camps, among whom were American Jewish soldiers. There were selected readings from the collections of the Veterans History Project and a video clip that was quite graphical. The lady next to us was moved by the presentation that her quiet sniffing and whimpering was a bit of a bothersome to me, no offense. The sound of the cello makes me want to start playing the violin again (if the thief would return my instrument! arrg, feel my angst!) Aight, make sure you let me know if you find any free concerts out there.

Alas, another of ma poem

Yes, I'm having too much fun with words. The photo on the right is by the painter, Nguyen Thi Tam, from the National Fine Arts College of Saigon. It's one of the depictions of "home". Notice the fragility and strength of the wooden bridges. I was fearless as a child, dashing through the bridge to the other side as if someone was chasing me.

Hãy Mở Con Mắt Lên

Lá cây rụng hết rồi
Mây đen đã đến đây
Cây cỏ ngùng mọc cao
Ta cùng mau mở mắt lên.

Giữa hai trai gái đủ nhau
Cuột tình nầy mình không thể chia xẽ
Cũng còn có nghĩa chứ anh?
Bạn ỏ, cùng mau mở mắt lên.

Để em trong tim anh nhé?
Cái hun trong miện em đây sợ lấm
Nhưng mình dẩn cầu thời đó
Anh ỏ, hãy mau mở mắt lên.

Gió bảo đã đến rồi
Khủng bố gỏ cửa nhà em
Cây dừa ngừng cho trái
Ngủời ỏ, mau mở mắt lên.

Remembrances

My friend JH’s grandmother has passed away. I had sent my condolences to her family, but the reflection on loss would still be hard. Three years ago, my beloved Ngoại had left us and ventured into the other realm. I miss her so much. The first six years of my life, Ngoại cared for me, among my other rascal cousins. A Mahayana Buddhist, Ngoại would take me to the temple to dust the floor and sweep the yard. I often just sat at the corner of the temple and watch Ngoại and the monks recite sutras with their meditation beads. I do miss her.
What I meant to say, JH, is that loss is tough, but it’s an essential component of the human lives, even though we tend to try to deflect, defer, or block out (which I still do). It takes tremendous energy to constantly be blocking out reality. I found these five remembrances from the Zen Buddhist, Thich Nhat Hanh, a bit comforting in dealing with my grandmother’s loss.

The Buddha's Five Remembrances

(1) I am of the nature to grow old. There is no way to escape growing old.

(2) I am of the nature to have ill health. There is no way to escape ill health.

(3) I am of the nature to die. There is no way to escape death.

(4) All that is dear to me and everyone I love are of the nature to change. There is no way to escape being separated from them.

(5) My actions are my only true belongings. I cannot escape the consequences of my actions. My actions are the ground upon which I stand.

The blunt language of this text is the tool that helps free up the energy and bring more awareness of the present moment. I’m sorry for the sad news, and I hope that you’ll take care. There’s no easy way to deal with the grief. Cherish the memory and share it with your family and friends.

Avian flu paranoia

There seems to be a lot of bird flu reports. So why haven’t I post anything about it? Because (1) it’s been talked about relentlessly (2) I can’t find a decent photo to go with the topic [until now] and (3) live conversations are much better than mono-blogging ones, but I must give some links for you worrying folks out there foreseeing the near apocalypse. That pic above is the Influenza A virus, the virus that causes Avian flu, by the way. It is hard to say if these are new occurrences or the general climate is now more permissive to admitting a problem. But it is not just birds. Scientists announced that they have sequenced the virus that caused the 1918 flu pandemic, in which tens of millions of people around the world died. Bird flu has been spreading in bird populations across Asia.

Vietnam had 400 dead ducks in southern Bac Lieu province, where almost 40% of its estimated 1.1 million fowl were vaccinated in recent months. The government claims to have vaccinated 56 million out of a targeted 156 million poultry already. Vaccination is controversial because there is some concern that while it prevents the animals from getting sick, it may not prevent them from becoming infected and shedding virus and their immune status prevents easy identification of infection. Vietnam has killed an estimated 50 million birds since the resurgence of the virus in 2003. Malaysia, China, Russia: Indonesia, and Thailand, too, is reporting a new death, its 13th. Then there is India, where the government declares no bird flu at all in south Asia or India in particular. Yeah, right. Romania and Turkey announced the discovery of bird die-offs, consistent with a bird flu.

So that's what's happening. Whether it all means that the apocalypse is imminent is a question that I dont' know the answer. The question is: what do y'all want to do about it? For many of you, and of course for me, the answer is "nothing." Preparation is expensive (prohibitively so for many people) and, besides, it's a pain in the buttocks. However, it's worth a look and a read to be informed. I recommend navigating over to Effect Measure There is a section on pandemic preparedness for those of you who must know. Also, I find the blogger Phantom Scribbler to have much informative details on this topic. If you have stocked Tamiflu in combat with the avian flu, think again. And now, a photo link that will make you cry. Stay healthy!

A.z.n Glow

The Asian glow. The Vietnamese Scarlet. The Red Face Victim.

After one sip of a drink, I start to get flushed. Though not as bad as my friend Tsz-ying (G), housemate TN and my big bro TT. Their eyes will get bloodshot, and their face will turn a disturbing shade of red. My G’burg genetic professor Dr. KH would sometimes turn purple, so I’ve heard, yeah. My friends would judge on how drunk we are by how red we get. It’s an allergy, but a mild one. I mean that it’s perfectly normal, natural. It's really not that attractive. Sometimes I will get wasted off of one drink (I’m definitely financially stable in that department), and sometimes I can handle up to 7, but even that is pushing it for me. Why does this happen, you may ask? Well, apparently some Asians lack the enzyme that properly metabolizes alcohol. It often results from a genetic change in an enzyme called alcohol dehydrogenase, which is one of a number of molecules that break down alcohol in the liver. Body weight does come in context too, but the face color scheme is an instant recognition. The actual scientific reasoning can be found here and here.

Many Asians have a slower than average aldehyde dehydrogenase to get rid of acetaldehyde. It’s as if I was working at a factory where I had to package 24 crayons in a box. Since I count slowly (don’t ask), it would take me longer get a box ready than Rosie the Riveter at the assembly line to my right, and I would have a bunch of crayons piling up in front of me. In alcohol catabolism, the slow enzyme results in a buildup of acetaldehyde which in turns makes some Asians radiate that warm, fuzzy glow of alcohol-induced joy.
Before everybody who turns red gets alarmed, acetaldehyde is toxic, but the amounts in the body after consuming a couple of drinks is still low. The effects are generally limited to flushed face and nausea. As can be demonstrated by looking at the demographics of almost any party, Asians can consume alcohol just fine. In fact, many Asians who suffer from the slow enzyme are also blessed with a fast metabolism, which lowers the time alcohol affects the body. Genes are funny like that….

It's true, some Asians are affected more than others, sometimes not at all. That's me, the glow victim. My other Asian friend, NQ, sneezes and gets watery eyes. My brother, He-Who-Must-Not-Be-Named, drinks like no tomorrow because he has no effect to the azn glow. I sometimes won’t drink around people I don’t know. Besides being a desi driver, the glow is not attractive.

Lullaby poem

Đố Ai

Đố ai biết lúa ấy là mấy cây
Biết song kia mấy khúc biết mây kia mấy tuần
Đố ai qhét sạch lá rừng
Để em khuyên gió, gió đừng rung cây
Đố tầm ăn mấy ruộng dâu
Đủ tỏ mà sết áo rụ mào ngầy xủa
Đố Trời mà đợi lấy bệ dâu
Để chi mà biết mấy ngập trời Đại Dủỏng
Đố cây mấy tuổi tuần dừa
Nữa đêm trăng trủớc đứng chờ ngoài kia
Đố ai lấy đủợc tim tôi
Để em trả hết cho trời nên thỏ.

-anonymous–

Em hát bài thỏ nầy cho cháu Ryan nghe và ngủ. Ngoại thủừng hát bãn này cho em nghe khi em còn bé.

The pink stuff weirdo

That weirdo is me. Oh Pepto-Bismol, how well thee saved my life during my college years. The heartburn, the food poisoning, Pepto Bismol is the answer! Drink that pink beverage, it tastes so good! It became my addiction for a while, until one day in Orgo (Organic Chemistry) lab, I titrated a pink substance that looked like the pink stuff, kinda like strawberry milkshake...Well, that was the end of my substance abuse. There is now a Children's Pepto-Bismol. You know, this time it's for my 2-year-old nephew who pipes down his third piece of eggroll and his tummy decides to do a somersault. I'd be a bad auntie to let him suffer. The tough part is how am I gonna resist that pink stuff. Hey, everybody is somebody else's weirdo.

Ant city flash game

I am a peaceful person, but I can't resist playing this game from Ant City, twice so far. It is highly incorrect. I repeat, highly incorrect.

Snaps, Crackles and Pops, the 3-body collision

Ouch! It's definitely a different feeling when watching a live football game in comparison to watching on TV. Gosh, that must've really hurt. Half of the gametime, I was like, 'where are the orthopaedic doctors?' Go out there and rescue them from the ground! I mean, I've never been driven into the turf by a linebacker while holding a football (hence the three-body-collision), but I bet it hurts. I'm sorry if I had threatened to tackle you, EK, I take it back now. Ouch!

There were only a few injuries during the game, nothing serious but if you were there you could almost hear the snaps and 'ahhhhh' from the ball players. If they didn't wear those gears, I bet someone would've died right there in front of me. Also, if you were there rooting for the Ravens, you'd be disappointed. Ravens made no TDs. Head coach Billick ruled that the team will only take field goal scores. What a wuss. It was a sure win for the Bengals by half-time. Ay yah! However, the experience was nice. I could't ask for a better weather. Thanx to JH and the AmeriCorpVISTA volunteers for the company.

In other news, the Redskins made my Sunday complete. Take that BW from GWU. My team beat your team, neh-neh-neh-neh-neh. Thank goodness TO was not there. Eh! we won. Kudos to Washington head coach Joe Gibbs. Take us to the Super Bowl!

Saturday night comtemplator

I just joined hi5, a connecting people site, upon requests from some friends. Well, through all the connectedness, I stumbled on my ex-bf's profile. WTH? of all the places. Eh, no biggie. There's a good reason why it didn't work out. (Com'on, I can't be compatible with a person who believes in child labor) Anywho, I don't want to publicly admit it, I've bascially been single for a little over 3 years (and loving it -- see the irony?). No matter what you tell yourself, you don't just go out to have a good time with your friends, you go out to meet someone. That's why people, once they get in a relationship, find themselves saying "hmm, I never go out anymore." No need to. The best relationships just kind of happen I think, blink!. So why waste time and money on something with the hope and intention of meeting "someone" when I can just let fate step in and destiny intervene?Even cupids get this a lot:

I get mixed messages.
Play the game. Don't play games.
Call him. Don't call him.
Make the first move. Don't look desperate.
Be honest and upfront. Don't scare him off.
Approach him. Make him approach you.
It will happen when you least expect it. You have to make it happen.
Lower your standards. Keep your standards high.

Ugh! This post could get me in a tangle later on, but that's later on. I'm going to sleep now. Need to save some energy for tomorrow's game at Baltimore's M&T Bank Stadium. Go Ravens! kaw kaw!

Hump day, Wednesday

I'm sneaking out of my work duty to blog. There are no customers, so it's alright. My first Halloween in Lanham, Md was a disappointment. I bought a few bags of chocolates for the treat-o-treaters and all the goodies were gone in the first hour. My yard Halloween decorations were gone too -- stolen! Tsk, tsk. I carved and sweat over those pumpkins and ghouls and some kid just casuallly took them away. I guess I should thank him for hauling away my Halloween stuffs.

I was too excited to meet the neighboring kids that I let each one of them decides how many candy they deserves. Of course, all little boys and girls, good or bad, presumes that they should have a handful or two of sweets. Silly me for giving them the choice. I planned to watch a movie with my housemate, but she had other plans. I was too scared to watch "Saw" alone, so I returned the movie and watch Fox's Prision Break. Michael Scofield is so hot! I get lost in his eyes.

On Samuel Alito, Dubya's Supreme Court nomination...Here's the blunder on Daily Kos and here. I've done very little reading on this nomination, but from what I've heard on NPR, Alito will dramatically pull the Court toward Conservative views. Big surprise, right? Bitch Ph.D has a great post explaining the threat that Alito represents. So write to your senator to fight this nomination.