Jan 23
I sketched today.
icon1 Linda | icon2 art, love, memory | icon4 01 23rd, 2010| icon33 Comments »


Drawn without training, a no 2. pencil and Crayola colored penciles.

I’d like to formally explore drawing “rules” and techniques one day. You can tell I’m very untrained. Proportions are off. Look at her boots. Sigh, so many things to explore in this life and not enough time.

My dad drew. I remember as a child, I snooped through his letters and paperwork, wishing I knew how to read Vietnamese. I wanted to read the letters he used to write to my maternal grandfather. I liked the stationary and running my fingers over the ridges of imprinted words. (I also like running my fingers over the ridges of completed jigsaw puzzles.) While snooping one day, I found some drawings he drew while in a reeducation camp in Vietnam. They were drawn on pieces of cardboard and they were BEAUTIFUL. I think that’s painfully romantic. Drawing pictures of your wife while imprisioned. I can imagine him admiring his drawings with deep longing every night before bed. I should write myself a reminder to ask him if he’s tucked these drawings anywhere…

Dec 31

In comparison to 2008, 2009 was awful! The one thing I can think of that 2009 had over 2008 was that I read more than double the books I read in 2008. I’m anticipating the fresh feel of a new year that is 2010. In the meantime, here’s a review of how my year has gone with heavier emphasis on my blessings verses my misfortunes.

Note: All links open in a new window.

January 2009


Celebrating New Year’s with the boyfriend

February 2009


Alan and I at the Killer’s Concert

March 2009


Rodeo, Austin, TX

April 2009


Selina’s Birthday

May


Celebrating Sae’s law school graduation

June 2009


Cindy and me at Grand Lux Cafe in Houston

July


Brandi and me on Fourth of July

August

  • The first two weeks of August, I tried to squeeze in as much time as I can with Alan because he was about to leave for Korea for up to 4.5 months.
  • Starting, August 16, I started counting days Alan was gone.
  • Kim came to visit the weekend of the 22nd and we saw Wicked.
  • I saw 500 Days of Summer three times this month, in theatre, of course. This is the first movie I’ve done that.
  • Jon visited from NYC.
  • I got a part-time, part-time (yes you read that right) job, thanks to Brittany dropping a good word for me.


Alan’s last night out with friends before going to Korea.

September

October

November


Having hot chocolate at Ren Fest.

December


After party in the car.

I’m a blessed girl. Instinctively, I’d tell you my 2009 was pretty awful but when I write it all out like this and focused on the good rather than the bad, I can see now I’m still quite lucky. Farewell, 2009.

Tell me how your year went. Or better yet, if you have a year in review entry, I’d love to read yours.

Dec 29

I’m a bad Vietnamese girl and do not know how to read or write in Vietnamese. I was telling my mom about how I was talking to Kym (who is a literate Viet), about how Anthony Bourdain seems so carefree and in love with life. What really captured what I was trying to say is this Vietnamese phrase that directly translates to “in love with life” (but it means so much more than just that). I was having a hard time communicating to her the phrase so I tried to phonetically sound it out for her. However, it didn’t quite land. Here’s the snippet of our conversation.

Kym: what vietnamese phrase?
me: um
i cant spell it but it directly translates to “in love with life”?
Kym: oh man. i don’t know
me: ew duh
Kym: i’ll have to ask my parents now
me: like “love world”
Kym: i want to know
me: love life
Kym: OHHHH
HAHAHAHAHAHA
me: its suppose to mean like a personality trait. someone. who is enamoured with life/full of life, dreamy
Kym: i think it might be yêu dời.
EW DUH I LOVE IT

I shamefully told my mom about this conversation. She was so embarrassed by her daughter, she gave me a mini lesson right then and there. She demonstrated what all the little accents and squigglies do to pronunciation. A common assumption is that all Asian languages are comprised of funky characters instead of script, but Vietnamese is actually all script, save the accents and “squigglies.”

I totally would have taken a class in college but UT didn’t offer the classes til after I graduated!

Dec 26

This is a photo of my parents when my mom was pregnant with me at age 31. Pretty momma!

Dec 25

Dec 18

Yesterday. I was being trained at my new job in the biology building on campus. It kind of feels weird to be in that building as a staff member and not as a student. Mid-training, I hear a loud, hearty, and lingering laugh from one of the ladies I’ll be working with a lot. She excused the interruption and explained that we haven’t had a Botany Department in over ten years and yet they just received a package addressed to the Chair of Botany Department. Here’s a paraphrase of the note she read to us.

Years ago, I worked in your department
and thoroughly enjoyed my job and the
people I worked with. Upon leaving my job,
I stole a stapler. I am now trying to
live more honestly and wanted to right
this wrong. Enclosed is a brand new
stapler.

I really am tickled that he carried this stapler on his conscience for over ten years. I’m also touched that he took the time and paid the 8 dollar shipping to right it. It got me thinking of some wrongs I could right from my distant past.

The first wrong that came to mind is stealing candy from my parents. I should buy my mom and dad a whole bunch of banana flavored Now and Laters. My parents used to sell these to mostly children for 10 cents a little pack of 4 Now and Laters (pictured above). I stole a few of the banana ones sometimes several times a day and I’d bring them to school and share them with my friends and my crush and first puppy love, Austin Bates. I started doing this in the first grade and didn’t stop til maybe middle school. Maybe I’ll be able to find a bunch of banana ones before Christmas and this could be part of their Christmas gifts.

What’s one wrong you want to atone for and how would you do it?

Nov 25

Tomorrow is Thanksgiving. Before I head home to Houston, I’m going to squeeze in a third Gratitude list.

If you missed the first two here they are:

- 10 Things I’m Currently Thankful for
- 10 More Things I’m Currently Thankful for


Another 10 More Things I’m Currently Thankful for

  1. A full time job! As I mentioned once or twice before, I landed a job and will be working at my Alma Mater. I start next Tuesday.

    I went to the lab to talk about the job offer last week and as I was hanging out I saw one of my old professors. It’s kind of a funny thing to see professors after you graduate and be inundated with academic memories. Some not so good ones! I had to suppress an urge to shrink away. Anyway, I digress. I gots a full time gig after not having a full time gig since June.

  2. Reunions over Thanksgiving! I have a handful of friends I haven’t seen in months and I get to see some of them in Houston this weekend for Thanksgiving. Although, it’s going to be challenging to time budget between friends and family in just 3 days, I think it’s not too shabby of a problem to have.
  3. My car.


    My first baby.


    My baby Civic

    I bought my car summer of 2007 after getting in a car accident. Ever try to imagine your life without your car? I wouldn’t be able to get to work (my current part time position is 45 minutes away by car.) I wouldn’t be able to drive to Houston to visit. No fun trips to restaurants, etc. Austin isn’t a pedestrian city. My car makes it possible for me to play, work, and explore. Yay car!

    I’m also grateful I didn’t play around and paid off my 5 year car loan in 1.5 years. This made the last 5 months of unemployment easier without having an extra 200 dollars a month to expense for a car payment.

  4. My Washer/Dryer. I remember the days of hauling my laundry to the laundromat and setting aside hours at a time to get laundry done. I’ve filled up COUNTLESS journal pages people watching as I think it’s extra interesting to see what people wash. Heehee. I haven’t had to use a laundromat for years now. I had a roommate 2007 with a washer/dryer. In 2008, Miss Jamie let Alan and I borrow her washer and dryer and we helped her “store” it. When I moved to my own place last year, I thought I’d forgo fun purchases and spend almost a thousand on a set. It was money well spent. There’s freedom in owning your own washer dryer.
  5. Trip to San Fran and Boston! I’m incredibly lucky to be able to travel a little bit this year considering my stint with unemployment.

    I took a trip to San Fran with Alan right before putting in my notice at my previous full time position. It was kind of a celebration of a new beginning for me and was also the first trip Alan and I took together. San Fran is one of my favorite cities now. I was also extremely blessed to have such a loving BFF/FFB who gifted me her flight miles to go see her in Boston. I hadn’t seen her in Boston for a few years and it was good timing for us. I can’t wait to go back to see her new house! :)

    I’m always thankful for any kind of travel I’m able to swing.

  6. Those who read what I write. I’m thankful for my regular readers (mostly friends and boyfriend). I’m thankful for the comments you take the time to write and just over all taking the time to read my humble little blog. I’m thankful for the mentions you make when we chat, for the followers, and the subscribers. I’m thankful for you!
  7. Yesterday, Today, Tomorrow. I’m thankful for great memories and hard lessons from my past. I’m thankful for the photos and the journals that help me not to forget.

    I’m thankful for today and being alive. I’m thankful for the possibilities that lie in the future and my capacity to dream and plan.

  8. Friends.

    It would take me all day to name them all by name but I’m thankful for them all. I come from a small isolated family. We hardly have any extended family. My friends are my extended family. They want the best for me and are my cheerleaders in life. I’m forever thankful.

  9. Living in Austin. Did you know this year we hold the accolade of least stressful city in the US? I love living in Austin. I love how pretty it is with the lakes and hills. I love the events hosted by us. I love our downtown area. It’s a wonderful, fun, smart, and young city.
  10. Books

    I cannot wait to own my own place and have my library set up! Books and bookstores are foolproof sources of comfort for me. I grew up around a lot of books so they conjure up a feeling of youthful awe. I also grew up seeing my dad with a book EVERY NIGHT, and every moment he had free and anything that reminds me of my dad also releases a lot of dopamine in my noggin. All the positive memory associations aside, books nourish me. They’ve molded my philosophies in life, provided understanding, clarity, education, inspiration… the list goes on. I love books. I’m thankful I’m in a country that limits censorship and that my parents raise me to value and appreciate the written word.

Nov 18

Last week, in the spirit of my 2nd favorite holiday, I shared 10 things I was currently thankful for. Here I am a week later and thought I’d share ten more and then I’ll do it one more time NEXT week, which is aptly one day before Thanksgiving.

  1. My mom.

    She’s been really excited about me coming home for Thanksgiving since I haven’t seen her since July. She’s calling me daily asking me what is it I want her to cook when I come home and what dishes I want to bring back to Austin. She likes to fill up coolers of food I can freeze and have when I want. She spoils me!

  2. Google. I’m so connected through Google I bet you I could just have a Grateful Google List. First and foremost, Gmail. Gmail not only keeps me connected through Gchat, AIM, and email. It is also the best notebook ever. I don’t know how many times Mary Ellen and I dispute about whether we talked about something or other and the Gmail search has never failed us in mediating. When I’m applying to jobs and cannot remember which positions is which, I Gmail search. When I want to find out the date of an event or even gossip details, I GMAIL SEARCH! GMAIL SEARCH IS AWESOME.
  3. Fine, I’m breaking up Google into GMAIL and all other Google applications. I have 5 different calendars under Google’s Calendar application. I have a social calendar, a “grown up/yucky” calendar, a health calendar, a cooking calendar (so I can keep track of when I made what), and a birthday calendar. All color coded. My social calendar text messages me my plans a day in advance. I also have a growing list of documents in Google Documents that range from old school work, to resumes, and to shared documents with friends. I have a private blog with Google’s Blogger. I have an Adsense and Analytics account through Google. I just recently signed up for Google Friendconnect (see sidebar and follow me!). I’m enamoured with Google.

    P.S. Orlando just so sweetly invited me to Google Wave. I haven’t quite figured Wave out yet.

  4. Dad’s journals.


    A cellphone picture of a old picture. That is my dad, my mom, my half sister, half brothers, and some of his friends on the boat they used to escape Vietnam.

    A few years ago I bought my dad a leather bound journal so that he could put into writing the story of his life. He finally finished one and is starting another one. When I go home for Thanksgiving, I cannot wait to borrow the first filled journal to begin to transcribe. I had no idea my dad has such a knack for telling a great story. His life is so amazing to me. Fighting in a war, being on the losing side of a war, being detained in a reeducation camp, escaping a communist country, possibilities of pirates. It’s a hell of a story. All the crazy drama aside, there is romance and humor. He writes of his first experience of Kentucky Fried Chicken and his crazy passionate love for my mom. Sigh. I cannot wait to borrow the first volume.

  5. Health. I’m thankful for my health, my family’s health, my friends’ health, Alan’s health. I’m happy to have everyone alive and well.
  6. My camera. Have you read my blog? You can get by just scrolling and looking at pictures. Haha. That’s what Alan does anyway. I am very thankful for my camera. So it goes without saying, I’m also very thankful for my photos. I need to get on printing them out. I have about a year and a half worth of photos to print.
  7. My part time job. Goodness, it’s taking me a lot longer than I expected to find a job. This also is why one of the reasons why I said I was thankful for Brittany in my first list, she was the one who referred me to this job. I’m happy I have at least this job. It slows down the dwindling of my savings by covering my rent. Whew.
  8. Lunch date with Bing and Deesh yesterday.


    Deesh and Me, Halloween 2007

    I was on campus yesterday for a Psych research study that involved alcohol. Deesh was going to help make sure I made it home safe in case I was randomized into the alcohol group. Aww. So I met these two boys up at school for lunch. It was nice to be back on campus with Deesh. Deesh was a classmate in A LOT of my classes during college. I’m on campus often enough to use the gym with Nisreen but this was the first time I was on campus with Deesh since I graduated. Brought back a surge of memories of my younger self. I remember being worried we wouldn’t be friends after we graduated, but lookit! We’re still friends and I graduated 4 years ago.

  9. Online Streaming and DVR. I remember one of the reasons Jessica, Brandi, and I started our weekly “Joy Luck Club” dinner club four years ago, was to be able to socialize and yet also catch our favorite show at the time, Grey’s Anatomy. This is before DVR and online streaming. I remember scheduling my life around Grey’s Anatomy. Now! Now, thanks to ABC.com and lovely DVR, we are not held hostage by our shows. I also remember working during business hours and never being able to catch my lovely, Oprah. The last couple of years I was able to catch her thanks to DVR. Ah :) such joy.
  10. My Five Senses. My neighbor is blind and often times our apartment leaves fliers or notifications on his door and it just piles up. I remember he had a package notice left by the apartment and I left an awkward message at the office explaining that neighbor has left his notices on his door because he’s blind. I had another neighbor last year who was deaf and used to have me call their pizza orders in for them. I’m thankful for these neighbors because they remind me that I’m so blessed to have my five senses. I can eat and blog about the tasty foods I eat. I can hear the phone ring and the door knock and see my loved ones and treasure my photos. How lucky are we to have our senses?

    11. Your turn! What are you thankful for these days?

Nov 5

Photo Credit: Thomas Chen

As a daughter, sister, friend, girlfriend, I always aspire to offer emotional support to my people. To be there for my loved ones when life throws them lemons. Divorce. Illnesses. Layoffs. I’ll be the ear, the shoulder, the eyes, whatever it is they need that is within my power. These things happen to the best of us. I’ve been blessed to have a great support system that has and will continue to do the same for me. However, what about the things we have more control over? Like our decisions?

More often now that we’re all growing up, we’re faced with bigger decisions with bigger consequences. Should we buy a house on our income and savings? Is it the right time to get married? Should I quit my job during a recession? Should I go to law school? Are we ready for a baby? Big giant decisions here and everyone and their mommas has an opinion on how you should decide your life. Hell, I’ve had some pretty strong reactions to some of the decisions my friends were contemplating and making. I’ve vehemently prayed and hoped they’d go one way over the other. In the end though, I remind myself that it’s their lives, their decisions. Once the decisions are made, as long as there’s no reckless endangerment or criminal behavior, I put on my optimistic pants and hope for the best. This is regardless of whether or not their decisions align with how I feel they should decide their life. Sometimes my loved ones give me anxiety pain because I’m so worried about what they might do and what possible havoc might follow but I brace myself with them. This is the kind of support I aim to provide. Of course there are limits, but this is generally my intent.

It disappoints and puzzles me that this intent isn’t always reciprocated or even practiced. Some people actually feel justified cutting off relationships because the person in question is “making stupid decisions.” Again, I understand there are limits. Aside from issues such as alcoholism, unprotected hook ups, driving while under the influence, being in an abusive relationship, and breaking laws, sure these are atrocious crimes and endanger the general public. Don’t support these decisions. Don’t be there. Kick at them. They probably deserve it. In other matters though? Careers, relationships, some financial, etc., why not live and let live. That’s my motto. Who are you anyway to judge?


What do you think? Are you there for your friends when they do “stupid” things?

Jun 7
My brother the LEGO dork.
icon1 Linda | icon2 art, love | icon4 06 7th, 2009| icon34 Comments »

I like dorks. I have a lot of dorky people in my life. For instance, my brother is a classic dork. Science major. Plays a lot of video games. But his real claim to dorkiness is his knack for LEGO art. I stole some pictures off his facebook. I’m leaving you with the DORKIEST LEGO creation at the end. One of these creations is kind of graphic for LEGOs. You’ve been warned.

Tree

Tree

feast
FEAST! Yum yum.

blood!
Really. That’s LEGO blood.

The KING of dorky LEGO creations that inspired this post is this coffee table organizer.

Coffee table organizer
You have a place for two remotes, 1 cell phone, 1 drink, post its, 2 video game controls, and a pen holder! He is a very organized individual.

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