"I"

This post is religious/spiritual. It is lent season and Good Friday is approaching as well as Easter. I had the opportunity to attend a retreat with a young group of Vietnamese Catholics in the East Bay a week ago, and it was a spiritual uplifting experience as I was able to grow stronger in faith, reconnect with God, and self reflect. There were important themes which played out during the retreat that were meaningful and valuable. Temptation is the main theme of the retreat and thus, is very fitting in society today.

I just read on the news about a shooting that occured in New York. 14 victims were found dead. Recently, 4 officers in Oakland were shot by a gunman, and a family murdered by their own husband/father. Two of these three cases was because of a lay off. In these troubling times of the economic crisis, it is tough for everyone. Companies think of sustainability and they downsize. Families are more ever in suruvival mode and cut back on spending. However, we are tempted to think of ourself and we use the word "I" more frequently.

There's no greater love than the love that our Father has given to us which is Jesus His son who died and gave up his life and the "I" in him to save us. There are those that are lonely, depressed, troubled, hungry, and struggling who need our help, company, and friendship. When a friend, stranger, neighbor who needs our help, let's extend and offer our hands to help them through dark times.

Every so often, we prioritize certain things that aren't real. Temptations of drug/alcholol addiction, pornography, video games, glutony, money and spending, and inactivity/sloth. We consume our lives and dwelve our body and mind into artifical things. Society, sadly enough, depicts these images sublimally through tv, magazines, poster boards, and it becomes engrained in our head to accept these things/actions to be cool and acceptable.

It takes courage and strong will to stand up against temptations. It may be hard to say no to friends because of fear of losing their friendship; however, there's nothing more important than self respect, dignity, and integrity.

The next time when you say "I want to do this because it benefits me or I want this item because everyone has it and I want it so I can be cool too..." Think of the things others don't have.

It's Simplelicious!
KM

Trip to So Cal Orange County

The purpose of the trip was primarily for me to look for a potential place to live if I were to move down to Orange County for work. This trip happened suddenly and spontaneously, which most often does not describe me when it comes to traveling since I plan my trips well in advance. However, this place that I found on craigslist was a perfect match and I wanted to check it out in person. I took the "xe do hoang" from San Jose to Westminster on Friday with a return trip on Sunday. Xe Do Hoang is a Vietnamese owned charter bus business that takes you from Sacramento, San Francisco, Oakland, San Jose to Los Angeles and Orange County for a very affordable price (www.xedohoang.com). This was my first experience with xe do hoang and I have to say it was a very pleasant experience except that I requested vegetarian food in advance because of lent but they had forgotten. This made me a little cranky, but it was ok, everything else was good such as the cleansiness of the bus and timeliness of the driving. Also, Paris by Night, Asia, and Van Son music entertainment dvds kept me well away from boredom.

Despite the age differences of the bus passengers, I felt a sense that there was a connection between the older and younger Vietnamese generations. I was thankful to be able to retain my Vietnamese language because it enabled me to communicate with the elder and understand them better. After being in an hour of traffic in the LA area, I finally got dropped off in Little Saigon and a friend and I went to eat dinner. Our option was limited to seafood and vegetarian for that day, but it was not difficult to find a place since Little Saigon has so much to offer. We settled for a Vegetarian place call "Com Chay" translated literally in English for Vegetarian Rice. I had a fried chow mein with imitation meat and it was very tasty.

I'm very impressed with Little Saigon because of its ability to attract customers and maintain business for so many years. It's a growing cultural and vibrant area and in a sense, I was proud to of the accomplishments of the Vietnamese community. Besides that, there are so many delicious food to choose from. Brodard, for example, which sells delicious nem nuong cuon (pork meat wrap) is always a bustling scene with people of different race and age coming to eat there frequently. We were lucky to have only waited 15 mins to be seated. There are 50% percent off pho places and many desert stores to choose from.

Orange County, overall, has a lot to offer. The traffic around Orange County is not horrific as it is in Riverside and Los Angeles County and people are generally friendly. Although, Bay Area is always the best in my opinion when it comes to diversity, ambiance, and ethnic food.

It's Simplelicious!
KM

The Forgotten Ones

We've been listening to the news about the economic crisis to the billion dollar stimulas plan, CEOs giving themselves millions in bonuses to Madoff's 150 year jail sentence and oh, we can't forget about Chris Brown assaulting Rihana to Rihana getting back with Brown. Lately, it has been the same story covered in the news.

How about the ones that are making a difference in his or her own community? You know the doctors without borders people who go to Africa to treat patients that are victims of hunger and rape. How about those that continue to fight for justice, peace, and human dignity. Or the single mothers or fathers that work hard to provide their children a decent life. This world is built on the foundation of goodness and media fails to depict this. News channels are like tv shows who compete to have the highest viewers, but this doesn't mean we want to see constant drama. There's so much that are unseen, unheard, and forgotten.

It's Simplelicious!
KM

Happy New Year!

I know I'm a little late on this but Happy New Year! It's 2009 and the year of the ox, and I know this will be a great year. I partially believe in fate but I also believe that a person has control over his or her destiny. All that astrology, taro reading, and bunch of mumbo jumbo, start taking control of your life.

My two cents:
Health is being stress-free and active.
Success is hard work, perserverance, and faith.
Luck is determined by your attitude.
Happiness is shaped by one's perception.

It's Simplelicious!
KM

First Funeral Singing Assignment

I can only remember the last funeral service that I've been to and it was at my grandpa's funeral when I was seven years old. Today, I was invited by a family who I sang for at a wedding in June. This invitation was because a friend who went to Cal with me suggested to her family that I sing again at the service/mass. I was excited but more honored to be part of special and private event.

I used to associate funerals with the words of death, sorrow, and pain. However, as I grew older and somewhat understood the meaning of death, I've come to a realization that life is a story, and the person writing the story is the author. The author controls how the story begins, ends, and everything in between.

I believe that death is not the end as it continues in the life afterward with our heavenly Father.
Through this singing experience, I was able to self reflect on my own life. I have many goals and have always set goals for myself. I've never been perfect as I have faltered and continue to be tested with temptations. Life is too short to be occupying myself with artificial things and drama. Though life is a rocky one, I do have a vision in which it is to use my talents, time, and gifts God has given to me to share with others to the best of my ability.

It is important to grieve, but it's also important to celebrate the life in which a person had lived. Each of us has a different story to tell, a biography that distinguishes us from the other, and it's what you write that gets told at the funeral service. Thus, the most important question to ask oneself is "How do I want to be remembered?"

Is a One-Day Sale REALLY a Sale?

So this year, I decided to invest some time in researching before shopping on Black Friday. Since the economy is down, discounts and sales can either be great or tricky.

Clothes & Mall
I went to the mall on Wednesday, the day before Thanksgiving, to have a sense of what items are being sold in stores and jot down the prices. I also asked the salesperson working on the floor for the sales item on Black Friday. Old Navy was cool about telling me the deals since their Black Friday sale had been publicly announced through ads. The coolest part is that the guy told me to buy the items now and come back on Friday to price adjust them. So I did. I was able to secure the items I wanted in my size. Other stores were either secretive or not knowledgable. A Gap salesperson told me "the sweater will be on sale, but I can't tell you which one." Turns out their sweaters were 2 for 1 and they weren't all that great. Gap has really disappointed me over the years with their production line. Some other stores were tricky because items that were sold on Black Friday were for same exact price on Wednesday.

Thus, I find it quite funny how people are tricked about coming to the mall on Black Friday thinking they would get great discounts. However, they could have gone on Wednesday, avoided the traffic, and purchased at discounted rates.

Advices: 1) Wait if you can on clothes because they will be cheaper towards Christmas and after Christmas. 2) Dont be hesitant about asking sales people what are on sale. 3) Make sure that you aren't paying the same price or more than the pre-sale price (stores can be tricky)

Electronics
The only electronics I needed to buy this year was a flat television screen for my parents as a Christmas gift. We settled for a 37" Vizio at Costco. I was at Costco comparing prices for televisions and the first thing I did was ask a sales person on the floor. I was pretty lucky because the guy knew everything about the deals. He advised me to buy the 37" Vizio television for 599.99 now and price adjust it with a coupon for $100 off on Friday. $499.99 for a 37" is an awesome deal right now, plus 2 year warranty on top of that. Prices for flat screen tvs may be going down more, but we were content with the buy.

Drugstores Sale:
Walgreens, Long Drugs, Rite Aid, CVS just to name a few. All in all, there are plenty of them out there, but I chose to go to one that had the best deals.

Home Items:
Target and Walmart are the places to go. I saw a mixer for $25 those things go for hundreds if you are into baking. I saw a wooden jewlery armoire for $35. Some board games on sale. They didn't have cranium or taboo though.

Final Advice: Get what you need and compare prices.

It's Simplelicious!
KM

Happy Thanksgiving!

It's that time of year when we give thanks to our family, friends, and the many blessings we have in our life. It's also that time of year when families come together to feast on turkey, mash potatoe, cranberry sauce, and pie. Today reminds us to not only be thankful for family and material things, but to also be selfless - to give thanks by giving. We could give by spending time with family, give by sharing our treasures with the poor, and give by lending an ear to a friend who may struggling through life. Everyday should be Thanksgiving, Christmas, Valentine's Day, Mother's Day, and Father's Day. Keep that spirit of love and compassion alive and you'll be amazed how it will transform your life.

IT'S SIMPLELICIOUS!

God Bless,
KM