My Birthday at Mom's

Since everyone was so busy, my parents celebrated my birthday about 2 days later. My sister took us all out to a nice Japanese dinner.

The photo shows really well that everyone in my family had something better to do.

Day of Reckoning

I turned 41 today, unlike the night before I turned 40 where I could not sleep but think about the past 40 years, I did not think about the past too much but rather the future. I slept late again due to work and woke up early due to work.

For the past few weeks I did feel like I am progressing a depression. Fo rthe past year I dwelled on my past and I guess the past weeks I am anticipating? weary? of what lies ahead for me.

Conclusively I have lost myself. I lost my directions, my creativity (not that I had much), my being around myself. Goals are made but not fought for and inspiration ran dry as days turn bright and dark in an unrelenting vicious cycle that overshadow me. A deep rut eating inside out, mind of mine are in a state of stalemate. There are things I want to do but can't find the inspiration to get even a little finger to move. All this is really bothering me. Really need to find a way out.

New Find

I found these blog sites by accident. Take a look, they are worth while.

http://www.emilychesley.com/let_an/china.htm

http://foreignerinformosa.typepad.com/the_foreigner_in_formosa/

For Ada who is in China now, these sites maybe censored so you have to wait till youcome back.

OooLong

Got a doggie at the Oakland animal shelter last week. The previous owner named him Snuffy but the sheleter volunteers changed it to Tex. I want to call him OooLong. So for now, he will have 2 names, Tex and OooLong.

OooLong is a mutt, a mix of some Laika Bear dog and I think Pit bull and some cattle dog. His tail sometimes curls up like an Akita though. He is very friendly and gets very excited. I will have to take him to Obidence schools soon..

He is wearing an E-Collar becasue we just got him neutered,( cutting off his you know what) We don't want him to lick hi LP until it heals. 

Thanksgiving at Jason's

My brother Jason cutting up the turkey

Yes, the great American tradition of gratefulness and giving thanks. It is the we suppose to give thanks and be grateful of things day. Besides the usual grateful things like having wonderful parents, family, bestest of friends and such, I am most grateful that I can still pay my bills.

Yester was the day, we all went to Jaosn's house for the turkey feast. Jennifer made a 24 pounder and it was quite good. Must be the 4th year or so we have been doing this at their house. My mom usually made chicken as subsitute for turkey until my sister Su-Tsen started ordering turkey from places.

The holiday season is usually when we all give ourselves excuses to eat, eat and eat. We will be feasting until after new years. Like Christmas, Halloween and Easter, St. Valentine's Day, I believe Thanksgiving has also become a commercial holiday. Before you know it other country will start to have Thanksgiving Days so the y can have after Thanksgiving Day Sale. Can't believe people actually go wait in line 4am to shop at Walmart this morning. Jason's friend Marv is doing it. But, i must say, it is probably wise to do just one day of shopping for everyone at one place during heavy discounted sales. Walmart has everyting for everyone and affordable too. Can't beat that.

Too bad, Thanksgiving Day.. how can I say it... it is : "The we give thanks to the Native Americans for saving the lives of the Pilgrims, the White men, during the cold winter then the killing the Native Americans and taking their land" Day. At least we should thank them or else we would not be living here in this great nation and enjoying the freedom as I am by writing this nonsense now.

 

Bing's Surprise 10/28/05

Just got this from Ada at Accucraft. It was the day beofre Bin'g birthday and we had a surprise cake for him at his office. Ada, Karen, David, Nicky, Claudia, Cliff and I were all ready and waiting for him to show up at the kitchen area. Instead he showed up before we were ready and surprised us all. He came int he kitchen and I was holding the camera high up in the air andsnapped the photo when I turned around and he was in there already.

We all chipped in and got him a watch winder. I came up with the gift idea but Ada thought it was because I am the gadget man. Bing said: "It is just what I wanted"

I'm too old for this shXX!

Since Saturday I have been in production for a series of Japanese TV program called something like: The fantastic News of the World. It is a program that tells interesting news stories from around the world with re-creations. We were shooting the "Finger in the Chili", the Wendy's hamburger chain's nightmare where a lady, Ayala, supposedly have found a finger inside her chili while she was eating it. We will be shooting other stories. I will update you guys on them soon. The product will last until Friday. I hope I can make it home alive these nights.

The past few days we had about 30 extras playing police officers, detectives, the lady and her husband (perpetrators) and customers...... Big production with a small 2 person crew and 2 production assistants. The coordinator Yuki was good, she got everything all together, not bad.

Boy, I am so tired though. The director from Japan was not too terribly efficient. We would set up a shot and then set up another angel but then come back to the 1st angle again where we would have to re-set everything again. This went on and on. The first night I did not come home until 4am and I started at 6am. Sunday was the same thing, I did not make it home again until 4am. I am too old for this. I am so tired already. Good thing I was able to come back early enough tonight to blog this. Tomorrow is another early morning till late nighter. Better sleep soon.

I still have so many unfinished things I need to do for me and my business and this is taking all my time. Sigh!

Finally

I finally have time to blog again. Yeah!!!

Many of my friend’s first response to me blogging was: you have time to blog? They are right, I don’t have too much time to blog, but, like Julia said, it is more or less a way for me to release my stress and it should be good for me. I feel good about it too.

I should reveal though, I do most of my blogging while I’m sitting on the toilet at home, my second office. Relax, it is not what you are thinking; I’m typing this out on the kitchen table tonight at the same time enjoying a scoop of Safeway Select chocolate ice cream with black cherries, yum, yum. I actually like Safeway Select brand ice cream more than Dreyers or Breyers. No silver spoons here.

Michelle and Frank’s wedding reception at the Cliff House 10/29/05
Michelle and Frank’s wedding reception turned out to be very enjoyable. Many of Sing Tao’s employees were there since Michelle and Frank are working there. This was the first time I entered Cliff House in many, many years. The newly remodeled Cliff House looks pretty good I must say. Nicely done.

Friends played lots of games and pranks on the newly weds, one being Frank wearing a diaper while Michelle feeding him with a baby bottle and changing his diapers. They finished it off by making Frank carry Michelle on his back and going table to table asking for donations for a college fund. They made off like bandits with $511. Not bad for the fundraising. Wonder how much they made with all the cash gifts from friends.

Amy trying to stuff money into Michelle's bra while Tim can't believe how lucky he was to witness it and doing a play-by-play description to the audience. All for fun guys.

Zhu Sheng, aka May, caught the bouquet and I caught the garter belt. I was just standing there and the garter flew towards me so I just reached out and grabbed it. Of course being at the center of the crowd helped but it was not my intention; I stood where I was sitting. Lucky I guess. Zhu Sheng was so happy that she caught the bouquet and thinking that she will be the next getting married. I told her I caught a garter belt 3 years ago and nothing happened. She was so disappointed. By the way, where did I put the garter belt, not that I want to look at it again.

I was just standing there minding my own business

May (Zhu Sheng), Michelle, Frank and I

2005 Halloween
This year’s Halloween I made it back home early enough to pass out candies to Trick or Treaters. A group of 2 kids and 1 adult came. They were my very first Trick or Treaters that came in the 3 years I have been living here; they happened to be the only ones also.

Frank and Francesca dressed like a skeleton and a witch. I joined them and Junko to the Shreik-o-Rama at the middle school. First thing the kids got was 2 handfuls of candies. I’m thinking the candy industry and the American Dental Association must be advocating Halloween. Just like Christmas, St. Valentines Day, and Easter, Halloween had become commercialized.Francesca the witch and Frank the skeleton

The haunted house was interesting. Kids from the middle school and high school played different characters from Harry Potter acted out little skits in different room. Good job even though we can’t hear anything at all due to all the noise coming from all the rooms at one time. I did not see anything that resembled anything from Shreik at this Shreik-O-Rama.

Brandon was Spiderman this year while Caitlin was a Renaissance Princess and Carli dressed like a Cheetah. No photos, Jason only shot video; he will dress them up again and take a photo for me. Nio the Cowboy, Howdy par'ner!

My Godson, Nio, was in a little cowboy’s outfit that NoNo made. Last year he was a bear I think. Very cute but I mentioned to NoNo that the pistol was the wrong kind.He was carrying an automatic while a real cowboy would carry a revolver.Just pointing it out.I don’t think she appreciated though.It is all for fun, even my comment was.

I have to admit, I have not been a good god-father to Nio.I have not b een visiting or giving him care and gifts as often as I would like or should.I am not making excuses but I have to blame on time.Time now is my number one hated enemy, nothing else.I need more time for everything I do.I have lots of plans and ideas but all require time.I believe with time, I maybe able to thoroughly think out my ideas and implement them properly rather than fighting fire like I am doing everyday.Sorry Nio, I apologize to you first, hope you will understand.

Carli understands me. She tries to pat my back to comfort me but for now, she can't reach. Uncle understand you Carli, it's ok!