"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