OMG! To my fellow classmates, please plan to use all 90 minutes to take the online
quiz. Luckily, I utilized the internet for help with vocabulary. I'm not sure what I will do with the in-class midterm and final.
Bonjour Thao! I feel like taking up French now because I've met a few more French speakers within the past couple months.
John, go to Xian. Your cold can take a backseat to your 4-day weekend! There's no privacy in this apartment. Your secrets
will be out all over the place for all to read. I did not get my free cone of ice cream today from B&J's. No one wanted to wait
in line with me right after lunch. The line increased in length as the afternoon wore on. By the time I left my office, the line
wrapped around the building. Yes, I gave up on free ice cream. I came home to my pint of Haagen Daz vanilla bean. Uma's
stalker is on trial in New York. Her parents sat in the courtroom on her behalf. Obama is pissed off at his "family" member.
He now wants to distance himself from Reverend Wright. It's a little bit too late. He should have done that when those video
clips leaked out to the general public a few months ago. Hillary wants to eliminate the gas tax this summer. Obama thinks
it's a bad idea because demand for gas will go up along with the gas price. I went crazy on the brownies and cookies at
our staff meeting. It's official...finally! I skipped the salad and went straight to the oily sandwiches, greasy potato chips, and rich treats. I am still stressed
from taking the online quiz. Thay Nam, please have mercy on us for the remaining quizzes, midterm, and final. We are not
as knowledgeable as your students from last semester.
April 29, 2008
I should pick up a new language. I've been meeting people who speak at least
three languages. I thought I was special because of my bilingual proficiency. Nowadays, it's a given to be bilingual. That is why
I've been working on Mandarin for quite some time. Like Alex said, there is interest but nothing serious. When someone
text message you, it's only polite to reply back acknowledging receipt of the message. It's almost like e-mail. I still don't
have text messaging on my phone so please continue to NOT text message me. Yes, you can call up your telecom provider
and request the blocking of text messages. The cashier at my local Duane Reade (DR) yelled at an old lady for bringing her dog into
the store. The old lady didn't know about the "no pet" policy. Trang, we can be best friends now because you know all about me.
Just work on translating your journal from German to American English. Yes, I have many shady dinners. I went crazy on
greeting cards today. It sucks that Hallmarks are rare here. I miss racking up points at Hallmark stores in Dallas
and receiving coupons in the mail. I have a total of 5 "membership" cards on my key chain. These stores allow you to
accumulate points for buying. When you get to a certain number of points, you get to redeem them for whatever. I use Duane Reade the most and have redeemed my points for $5 coupons on many occasions.
D'AG has the worst membership perks. You can only buy certain items at a discount if you reach a certain plateau of points.
You never get anything for free with D'AG. I'm not a big fan of that store. It's way overpriced! Morton Williams is my cup
of tea. Who cares about the kids on Gossip Girl. I just want to sleep and get at least 8 hours of uninterrupted rest.
April 28, 2008
The first street fair of Spring popped up on 3rd Ave. today. I ate grilled corn on the cob. I'm not
allowed to eat what I want in the presence of dieters. Apparently, it's an insult to dieters because I'm shoving "good" food in their
faces while they are stuck eating "healthy" food. I like how "Law and Order" does parodies of real life events. Stalkers are
roaming facebook profiles. It's the new myspace. How does one lose 5 lbs in one week? Eat boring food and you'll reach
your goal. The flame enters North Korea today with no protests. I don't think anyone is surprised. The next stop is another
socialist country, Vietnam. I'm sure the Vietnamese in HCM City will welcome the Olympic torch with Chinese flags waving
all over the place. When the flame gets to Hong Kong, we should see small protests here and there. I wonder how the
reception will be in Tibet. Would they disguise ethnic Hans as native Tibetans? Yes, the Jin is an officially recognized
minority group in China. I'm too lazy to walk all the way to Kimmel to get free tickets. There's a chance the box office will
run out of free tickets. I would have walked for nothing. I'll stay on 3rd Ave. and play it safe. I'm too scared to wear my
Beijing Olympics t-shirt in public. Hong got it for me when he visited China last year. I should try to find a t-shirt with
handcuffs as the Olympic rings. Obama, go ahead and debate with Hillary already. She has nothing better to do.
April 27, 2008
I can never get enough of che. I should have taken my mom to Pho Viet Huong when
she was here. They have all kinds of banh. She wanted banh xeo, banh cuon, banh beo, etc. PVH has all those banh plus
more "do an troi". Channels 11 and 9 no longer have sound. Sean Bell's killers walk away from the courtroom. They will turn
in their guns for desk jobs. There are no local stops between 125th St. and Grand Central this weekend. To my roommates,
thank you for the "heads up" when you guys left in the morning. Luckily, I left early for class and was not late. How can the
MTA disrupt the only service on the east side? I walked pass the lead singer from REM earlier in the afternoon. Xe Lua did
a great job accommodating the big party. Paul and Janice, thank you for organizing. Jacqueline, what more can I say? I am
eating the tarot root chips as I am typing this. They are quite addictive! I think I found my new favorite snack from Vua Kho
Bo. Spend at least $50 and you'll get $10 of Filene money. Filene's Basement sells shoes on the 6th floor. My foot blister has slowly subsided. It's back to studying again.
I can't wait to get this thing over with. It's hovering over me like an over-protective parent. George Bush thinks he can conduct
a marching band. He is capable of doing one thing and one thing only...pretends he knows what he's talking about. The Holy
Basil allows parties of no more than 6 people. Harold and Kumar return to the big screen with more of the same ole
uncomfortable moments. If you sleep early, you'll wake up early. The same deal apples to sleeping late. Why are Korean
dramas so dramatic? Obama doesn't want to do another debate before the Indiana primary. The streets are empty at 11AM
on Sunday morning.
April 26, 2008
Yes, I'm always on time. I think I'm going to do what Tammy does all the time. Show up
30 minutes later than the "begin" time. It's just enough buffer time for the organizers to get ready. My lips turned purple from drinking
too much red wine. I ate the best spring rolls in the city. I didn't have to dip the rolls in fish sauce. It's really that good! I prefer the
banh trang over regular eggroll wraps. Hardcore Vietnamese spring rolls are made with banh trang. It's difficult to explain the difference
between banh trang and eggroll wraps. I know that banh trang tends to stick to your teeth. I met some new folks and caught up with
familiar faces. Nhu and Vuong, you guys rocked it! Sorry if we chatted during your performance. I have a crazy blister on my right foot.
I'm supposed to put a band-aid on it. You can't top shake and bake chicken. I took the year-old bag of beef jerky from the fridge.
I can't believe Ben's daughter is dead. Why can't he kill Whitmore? How did he get to the Sahara Desert? I am more lost than ever.
Jack finally learns the truth. Clara did not die in the blast. The crazy black smoke killed most of the soldiers. How did Ben release the
crazy black smoke? Poor Betty didn't have a perfect birthday in the park. She will drop Henry for Gio. Daniel's vicious girlfriend almost
kills Betty next week. Don't say "fierce!". That word is reserved for Christian. Someone needs to stop sleep talking. All I hear is attitude.
I'm going to jot down names of celebrities I've come into contact with. Granted, these encounters are not personal meetings. It's a
combination of seeing them perform, bumping into them in the streets, or actual handshakes where I pretend I'm their biggest fan.
Febreeze is my cologne. My diet for the next couple of weeks will be white rice with fried seafood. Thao, ca va? I keep teasing you about
your peace signs, but I think it's cute! It fits your big smile! Keep it up even if I roll my eyes when you do it. Joel, it's on for next weekend!
Let's see what this little secret place is all about. It's never too late to celebrate your birthday!
April 25, 2008
Why do they charge tax for bottled water? Food and milk are tax-free, but why
must we pay tax for regular drinking water? Baked goods and pizza are sold with tax included. Everything else has a sales
tax attached. I just realized it today when I bought bottled water from Duane Reade. Water is consumed by human beings so it
should be free of tax. I can't decline Cafetasia. The portions have gotten smaller. I ate Basil Udon with chicken, but it didn't
really fill me up. I bought two bananas afterwards for $1. Yes, bananas have increased in price too. I used to pay $0.25 for
one banana. Speaking of food, make sure to buy your rice now. The price may go up tomorrow. Wesley Snipes is sentenced to three
years in jail for tax evasion. Our tax rebate checks will come in the mail within two or three weeks. What should I buy with
my $300 check? I should use that money to buy a plane ticket to New Orleans. Obama's pastor makes his first public
appearance on Bill Moyers' show. He said people took his speech out of context. He should just go away and stay silent until
the November election is over with unless he wants Hillary or McCain to win. I dropped my camera on the floor. The apple IPOD
sock gave it a bit of cushion. The camera seems to be working fine for right now. For all you corn farmers out there, stop
selling your corn to ethanol oil producers! We need your corn for food production.
April 24, 2008
I went crazy on my mom's food. Yes, I'm talking about food again. Hillary won by 10
points ahead of Obama in Pennsylvania. However, Obama remains in the overall lead. I'm starting to get used to typing the accent marks. If you type them long
enough, you'll remember which keys to press to get the marks you want. I have not memorized the poem just yet. Someone
asked me where I got my suit. I told him I got it from H&M. He thought H&M only sells casual clothes. I told him to go to
the one on 5th Ave. and 51st for the big selection of "work" clothes. Ice cream in the middle of the day always puts a smile
on my face. Jimmy Carter bypassed Miss Rice's warning to speak with Hamas leaders. Are they agreeing to live side by
side with their Jewish neighbors? Can we really trust them? It's all up in the air. Madonna narrates and produces a movie about
the AIDS crisis in Africa. It will be screened at the Tribeca Film Festival. Addison, your aunt tells me you can't live without her.
You keep calling for her. What about your uncle? You don't care about lil ole me? I threw out the old ID card holder for
the new and improved "half slot". It allows for easy swiping without having to remove your card from the pouch. Yes, I'm
excited about something so small. How is the diet coming along? It's back to sleeping on the firm mattress. Three buses lined
up back to back on Lex and 79th. A bottleneck occurred on the west side causing a lot of eastsiders to wait. I was fortunate
to have one of the three buses waiting for me when I got out from underground. My commute could be a bit shorter. I'm not
as lucky as Ms. Trivedi. She doesn't even have a monthly metro card. I envy those folks. When I speak in French, I sound like
an Asian guy speaking French. The American accent doesn't kick in. Three French-speaking people told me this. When my
mom was in town for almost a week, my dreams were in Vietnamese and I even spoke in Vietnamese during my sleep. English
was the primary language during other instances. The Chinese in Australia waved big red flags all throughout the
torch relay route. I saw some yellow flags with three red stripes alongside Pro-Tibetan protesters. Go DEMOCRACY!
April 23, 2008
Talk to your kids early. They will pick up on words at a very young age. This is what
experts are saying. I can't remember the last time I ate a hamburger. I'll try not to talk about food. Hillary is leading in the polls
as we speak. She needs to win big. The Olympic torch makes its way to Malaysia and Indonesia with a couple small incidents
of Pro-Tibetan protests. The torch is now heading towards Australia, then onto Japan, the two Koreas, Vietnam, Hong Kong, and
all throughout mainland China. I wonder why Taiwan was left out of the torch relay. Cooper Union remains tuition-free. Those kids are lucky
as hell. All they need to do is show up for class and not work part time. The hotel adjacent to the
school is almost done. It looks like that famous building in Dubai. I walked ten blocks south to Houston to meet up with Jacqueline
and others for some study group fun. Spell out the words in a Vietnamese way. You'll be able to pronounce it. I am typing
on David's computer. The keyboard feels so much better than my 10 year old Gateway. I can't wait to eat some gia lua
from Tuyet Huong. Check out the article about President Sexton in last week's "New York" magazine. He is now the Emir of
Washington Square. Would students flock to the UAE to get an edumacation in a tightly controlled country? Israelis are
forbidden from entering the country. Get ready for moviegoers flocking all over downtown for the Tribeca
Film Festival. I saw Scott Speedman (Felicity's love interest) walk down the street as I waited for Ngoc in front of the
"Boeing Boeing" theater. My allergies finally subsided. I still have minor bouts of sneezing here and there, which are normal.
Just ask my office mates. They'll tell you my sneezing is as normal as American apple pie. The crawfish boil went well? Bahut Khub!
April 22, 2008
Who needs pepperoni when you can get a plain cheese pizza. I ate two slices for
lunch. Megan, you tempted me with your two slices from last week. I won't eat any more pizza until next month. It's something
I'll eat once a month. Tammy sold me on the nutritional facts of cheese pizza. Will Hillary stay in the game? Find out tomorrow
when we get results from the Pennsylvania primary. Do women really do that during pregnancy? Okay, so stethoscopes are
expensive and they are hard to come by. I tried. Luckily, Karen's dad came to the rescue. I'll try to minimize my outbursts.
I stayed at the office pretty late last night. It's one of many nights to come. I bought a cup of white rice to eat with
my mom's dried pork. I don't think it's dried. Dried meat would be like beef jerky. Maybe the pork I'm eating should be called
dehydrated pork. For all you Vietnamese out there, I'm talking about ruoc or for you "nam" guys, it's called thit bong. Losing
weight is a struggle for anyone. It starts with eating right and regular exercise. The trick is to kick the old habits and
start something new and fresh. Those sweet treats at a local bakery or staying up late instead of going to the gym can
become a bad routine. If you happen to fall off the wagon once, pick yourself back up and try again. Keep trying until you
get it right. Sandrine left NY to go back to Londres. She should return later this year or next. New York is truly international.
Where can you find people of different ethnicities and nationalities? Mainlanders defend the Olympics. They protest in front
of French interests in China. They are also calling for a boycott of French goods.
April 21, 2008
Happy Birthday, Carole! The Pope finally leaves America. People of all ages and faiths welcomed him with
open arms. He paid a visit to the former World Trade Center site to pay his respects. I was just at the Fulton St. stop to wait
for Miss Landrit. I spent some time at Century 21 as I waited for her. I can't deal with the construction. If you don't pay
attention to the construction alerts, you'll end up in Yonkers or all the way in Rockaway. Sandrine got what she wanted all
weekend. Bargaining and smart shopping helped a lot. It takes some time and a bit of patience. We're supposed to see
Catherine for the big rock. "Boeing Boeing" started out slow but picked up momentum when the friend showed up. The
German air hostess reminded me of the big girl from "3rd Rock From the Sun". The dancing at the end topped off a great
evening of laughter and idiotic kissing! Ngoc, thank you again for the invite. I came home in time to do my laundry. A girl
yelled at a guy for taking her clothes out of the washing machine. He yelled back and told her to come back on time instead
of having people wait on her. In the end, he won because she was wrong for not coming back to take her wet
clothes out. "Lost" returns this week with new episodes. I think those surgeons in Seattle will return as well. Clear your mind
of evil thoughts. I'm still addicted to "Law & Order: SVU". Warm spring weather came back for only two days. We are back to
highs in the 60's.
April 20, 2008
The Barking Dog gives you five strips of bacon instead of the usual two at other
restaurants. No wonder Jenny Craig stays in business. French people do live in Brooklyn. It's tough bargaining for good jewelry
in Chinatown. We haggle like any other goods. We wrote a poem in class. The poet talked about banh troi nuoc. We like to
say banh xoi nuoc. All that talk about food made me extremely hungry. We went all the way to Brooklyn for French food.
Laure gave us excellent service, plus the free glasses of wine. Is Passover like Easter for us? Obama and Clinton will go head
to head this coming Tuesday. One of them should drop out already. It's time to focus on going against the other party. McCain
does not have a chance. "Please mind the gap!". It's the British version of "Stand clear of the closing doors please". The French
does not care about their passengers. Batman sang and some mugger stopped him. Anh Vinh and Chi Ngoc, it's all about Team
Bac! "Christian" from Project Runway made an appearance on SNL...fierce! No one in Marrero wanted to talk to me. They
were too busy getting ready for dinner. Carolyn, did you get ticket info on the US Open? You look up the info and get back to me.
Jacqueline, stop procrastinating and do your HW! I don't want to hear about your busy week. We are all busy. Michelle, did
you beat up any girls at LIU?
April 19, 2008
This message is directed at Mr. Shum! If you want me to come along, let me
know when and where. I'll be there if you give me the info. I didn't get much sleep last night. The coughing picked back up
again. I popped a Mucinex in my mouth. It helped a bit, but not too much. After running around throughout the day, we
went for shots across the street. Nita, do not sip your shots! Shots are made for immediate gulps. Debby and Megan, you
guys missed out on good sangria. I envied your outside seating though. They put us indoors because the outside courtyard
was filled to capacity. I met up with Sandrine at Kmart only to find marked up jewelry on sale. We sat facing the street
at Cafetasia. One of the streetwalkers was Tammy. She and her men ate at the communal table. Management gave us a
free dessert. Maybe the waitress made a mistake. I did not see any papal traffic jams. The Waldorf Astoria does not have
a doormen at its front entrance. An earthquake shakes up the midwest. Why do we even care about St. Patrick's Cathedral?
Chang, do what you think is right for you. I am very jealous that you guys will eat Anh Hoang's boiled crawfish. The sun is
shining bright for the Pope. Those Catholics must have prayed for perfect weather. Get the turkey club at St. Mark's Market.
It's the best deal. I went crazy on a big bag of baked Doritos. Harvey doesn't bark like the dogs downstairs.
April 18, 2008
Happy Birthday, Joel! Sheeesh, three birthdays in a row for three different people.
Another one is coming up on Monday. Carole, are you going to call me? The new British Prime Minister makes his way across the pond, but he doesn't really
get a big welcome. He meets with the three presidential candidates before meeting with Bush. The torch is now in New Delhi
with tight security of course. Items on my to-do list for the week remain outstanding. Carole, give me a buzz if you want
to party it up in Manhattan. Yet, another birthday to celebrate! Joel, is your birthday today? I'm not sure if it's today or
yesterday. I'm sure you had a blast in Vegas. To my detectives, Mr. Nguyen will appear one day. I'll let you know that it's
him so you can release some steam. When you cough, don't use your hands to cover your mouth. Instead, use your arm
to block the cough. We use our hands for many things such as shaking someone's hands, pick up food to eat, touch someone,
touch our own eyes, dig in our noses, and various other activities. You would not want mucous all over your hands to
contaminate others. I read a Metro article written by Streeter j. Seidell about how the subway trains operate. It's posted below in case you missed
it...funny stuff!
Congratulations! You’re on your way to becoming a New York City Subway driver. An exciting life of public service lies ahead, but first you must learn to operate your train in a safe, professional manner. Since we at the MTA strive to deliver a uniform experience to our riders, we encourage you to learn and put into use the steps and instruction in the manual.
1. ACCELERATING AND BRAKING: When leaving a station, it is best to jam forward the drive shaft for a split second and then pull it back immediately. This is how we alert our riders that the train is leaving the station: with a violent, sudden jerk forward.
When approaching a station it is best to apply the standard MTA-approved braking technique: While counting to 20 in your head, forcefully apply the brakes for the following numbers: 3, 4, 11, 14, 15, 16, 20. We find that this braking method is a much better experience for the rider than a slow, steady deceleration. This way, any sleeping rider will surely be awoken by the time the train has come to a stop.
2. DOOR OPERATION: Running the subway doors is of paramount importance to not only your passengers on the train, but to your passengers waiting to board. When the train has come to full stop, wait 25 to 45 seconds before initiating door opening. This way, passengers will have plenty of time to gather their belongings and form organized mobs at each door.
When closing doors: First, make sure there is at least one person rushing down the stairs to catch the train. This will indicate you’ve been idling at the station long enough. Be sure to close the doors before he or she gets inside. In the event that one of the doors is being held open, calmly implore your passengers to release the doors by saying the following into the intercom system: “If you don’t let go of the doors, we’re not going anywhere, people!”
3. INTERCOM ETIQUETTE: In some cases, it is necessary to shout loudly into the intercom system. However, as a default, you should talk quietly so as not to frighten the passengers. Also, it is imperative that you speak as quickly as possible. This is New York City. Commuters don’t have the time to listen to schedule changes or police announcements at a leisurely pace.
4. EMERGENCY PROTOCOL: Often, it is necessary to stop the train between stations. It is important to wait at least seven minutes before telling your passengers why, if at all. And remember, if you’re going to be stuck for seven seconds or seven hours, tell your passengers, “We’ll be moving shortly.”
April 17, 2008
Happy Birthday, Sandrine! I'm too lazy to go to google translator for the French
equivalent of "happy birthday". It's pretty convenient that you're in town for a conference and to celebrate your bday. Like
Linda and I mentioned to you over the weekend, don't forget about us little folks when you become famous and powerful.
Speaking of which, the Waldorf Astoria is ridiculous...talk about a lot of waste and idiotic perks. Emily, we'll just take a short
break and things should pick back up later in the summer. I am only a phone call or e-mail away. Obama and Hillary talk it out
in Philadelphia, PA. The cough somewhat subsided. I'm returning back to normal. I ate a very good turkey sandwich
from St. Mark's Market thanks to Ms. Wilt. I now know where to go for maple honey turkey. Tammy and I picked up some
good coupons a couple days ago. They will come in handy next week. Let's get this dream ticket done and over with. Jim,
I still can't believe you. How can you not agree with Brad and me? Vietnamese names can go both ways. Remember to do your
homework. It may be time consuming so start early.
April 16, 2008
Happy Birthday, Chang-a-lang! The room is mine for the next week. Miss Precious left to go back to NOLA. Mom said
it was cold. How can it be cold down there? It's already April. It should be steaming hot. I'm contemplating on whether to see
the pope ride uptown or spend my time doing something more productive. If it was John Paul II, I am there on the first row
because I camped out the night before for that perfect spot. Jacqueline is cooking up a storm while the Vi's prepare for their
first official performance. I failed to complete a portion of my homework. The web-based system is very easy to maneuver.
My white shirts are turning un-white as we speak. The dry cleaners may be mixing my white shirts with colors. Let's give them
a couple more cycles. If they continue going down the wrong path, I will switch cleaners. I hate waiting around. Themy, I
found you. I hope all is well on your end. Sua, good to hear you are getting a refund in the end. Don't procrastinate any more.
I'm sure you have learned your lesson. Also, don't forget to look at your pay stubs to ensure all deductions are appropriate.
I sound like your mama. I'll take a step back and let you handle it. I was forbidden Z-pack because I don't have enough
symptoms for antibiotics. If the coughing persists for four more days, I am eligible for the drugs. That's a load of crap. Get
your $5 foot-long subways before the sale ends!
April 15, 2008
The runny nose and sneezing died down to give way to chronic coughing. Can someone
prescribe me Z-pack? Delta and Northwest will merge to form the largest airline in the world. AA will no longer be at the top
of the airline industry. I am thinking of switching from AA to Delta. AA no longer offers direct flights to MSY.
However, Delta has plenty of direct flights to choose from. I only have 3,000 miles with AA. I don't mind losing those points so I can attach myself
to Delta like a crazy barnacle. Speaking of which, I remember whale watching in California as a kid. Every year during
the winter time, we would go on field trips off the coast of California to see whales. It was exciting to get
a glimpse of the whale's tail. On my first whale watching expedition, I became very seasick. I stayed on the highest deck of the boat with
all the other sick kids. During the following years, I never became sick. Till this day, I am never seasick. I still can't
swim though. Obama played basketball with Bryant Gumbel. Do we really care what Obama has to say about basketball?
Hillary does shots and shoots firearms in Pennsylvania country. It's such a publicity stunt! The former Mormon governor
vouched for McCain this morning on CNN. He is setting himself up to be McCain's VP running mate. The Pope lands in
DC today while protesters await his arrival. The recent poll conducted by American bishops reveal that over 80% of
American catholics are content with the Pope. We all know that's a big lie. No one really likes this pope. He is way too
conservative for us. Get an independent authority to conduct the poll and you should get unbiased results. I was one of 6
in attendance at last night's discussion on the Vietnamese writing. Tammy, you almost jinxed it. If it weren't for the guy
who sat behind you, you would've been on point! Crazy stalkers are out there, especially in the early morning. Ladies and
gentlemen, beware of slow moving vehicles creeping behind you. Hail a cab to get off of the streets. I ate half of a pizza and
some cinnamon sticks last night thanks to Chang. Have fun in NOLA for your bday! Tell Addison I said hello. Yes, Melanie,
you are at the top of your game. Don't let your fellow classmates know it though. They might sabotage you in the end! Pheezy,
I collect royalties every time you quote me. Please make your check payable to TwanWinn. Thanks!
April 14, 2008
Check out this guy's Vietnamese. It's ridiculously good! Notice how he throws in
short words and sounds at the end of almost every sentence. Those "noises" are very common in our language and are not
taught in the classroom. He must have picked up the language out in the streets of Lancaster, PA.
April 13, 2008
I apologize for all the sneezing. It was non-stop from the bus ride on Madison Ave.
to my train ride home on the 6. Luckily, Ngoc provided me with Vietnam-made Kleenex with dinosaurs. Khoi gave me what's
left of her designer tissues after I sucked up her stash of Kleenex. Our new teacher wants us to learn. I like that. He gave us
a passage to read. I was able to sound out 90% of the words. When I registered with the website, I felt as though I'm taking
an online course. It's pretty cool having to click on the syllabus, homework, class discussion, etc. I feel like I'm back in
real school again. Instead of getting 50% off sushi, we ate at a Brazilian place near school. I was no longer a pedestrian
passing by. I became a paying customer. The grilled corn on the cob reminds me of the weekly summer street festivals.
Joe, you went way over your request limit! The wait staff probably didn't mind. Phuong and his band rocked the house
once again. The red room looked like a scene from a hip hop video. Sandrine made it across the pond. I cant do dinner at
10PM. That's way too late. I went home after the show as I sneezed my way back
to the UES. Kim Thao, you now know what I'm talking about when it comes to UES. Thao, I sent you "the song" so you can
continue dancing at home. We need radio in Manhattan!
April 12, 2008
Check out www.veromi.net. The website will list where you have lived and names of people
who may be related to you. It's very disturbing! It's not a joke. Check it out. On another note, customer service hours are open from
9AM to 10PM M-F. Service includes google mapping, google search, and recommendations of cheap eateries. It's a toss up between Paula
Deen and the Barefoot Contessa. The Asian female reporter on CW11 reminds me of the Asian female reporter on "The Family Guy".
When is the 2nd Avenue line coming? Someone at New York Presbyterian Medical Center (down the street) has been stealing personal
information from at least 40,000 patients in the past two years. The finding came from the hospital's internal auditors. Go auditors!
I'm addicted to the documentaries on PBS, especially NOVA, Frontline, NOW, and Wide Angle. Websites continue to deny 10075 as
a legitimate zip code even after one year of its existence. How rude! I can't stop sneezing. The trees are turning green
and flowers are blooming. It's that time of year again where my pocket-size Kleenex comes in handy. I spent over an hour
trying to find something over $0.20 at H&M. For this weekend only, you get $10 off for any purchase over $50. I found two
items that totaled $49.80...not enough to get the $10 off. I finally found a black long-sleeve t-shirt for $12. I went to a new
barber today. The last guy who cut my hair closes on Saturdays. I can't wait until tomorrow. The new guy charged the same
price as the old guy. He kept asking me how short I wanted my hair. I didn't know what to tell him. I kept saying I want
something short on the sides and back and not so short on the top. He then asked how short. Again, I didn't know what to say.
I told him to start cutting my hair with a scissor. I will then tell him if the length is fine. Thirty minutes later, I came
out of his shop as a happy camper. He told me he will remember my hair when I return in a month or so. We won't have to
discuss how short I want my hair.
April 11, 2008
I spent all day at MSG getting a refresher on IT auditing. You can't imagine what
people have done on their work computers. Whatever you do at work on the company computer, rest assure that your boss
will see every little transaction that passes through your PC. Apparently, there are two Kmarts in New York. I stumbled
upon the "new" one at Penn Station. I've seen Kmart shopping bags with "34th Street" on them, but never really paid much
attention. I thought Kmart once operated out of 34th street, but eventually closed down due to mom and pops protesting.
I was quite productive after 5PM today. I washed two loads of laundry, went to the bank to get quarters, picked up my
dry cleaning, bought some bananas from the fruit stand, clean the restroom, swept the floor, and dumped out the apartment's
trash. I accomplished those tasks within two hours. I can now catch up on e-mails and sleep early tonight. The past two
nights did not do me any justice. I think my two roommates will be out late tonight. The cheesy couple on the new desperate
housewives talk too much about opera and consistently talk about themselves and how lucky they are to be with each other.
They can't be apart from one another for five minutes. They are truly inseparable. Duane Reade has Pringles on sale for $0.99
per cannister. I went to the aisle where they keep the Pringles only to see an empty shelf. Bargains like this don't come
often and you must react quickly. Regular price is $1.99. McCain bought a $20 slice of pizza in Brooklyn. That's what I call
bribing for votes.
April 10, 2008
We couldn't stay until the end of the show. The acts performing on stage did not
do justice to the American people. America does not have talent! It took a group of British TV producers to make us
realize that. Mr. Knight Rider, Mrs. Obsorne, the British guy who won Celebrity Apprentice, and Mr. Springer were the
celebrities on hand to tease us with their somewhat celebrity status. The guy who warmed up the crowd kept me on the edge
of my seat. Everyone laughed at his constant jabbering and politically-incorrect jokes. Yes, we say line here in the states.
Everyone else calls it the queue. Little droplets of rain awaited us as we left the theater. The C train came immediately, but the M79 took forever. Never eat ramen noodles right before you go to sleep.
You'll stay awake even if you're tired. The high-in-sodium noodles kept me awake even as my body wanted to go to sleep.
I just finished an sausage egg McMuffin. I'm ready for another one. Jackie, when are you making che again? The pope is
coming to town. He arrives on Passover and will travel up 5th Ave. from St. Patrick's Cathedral in midtown to 72nd St.
People will line the streets to receive his "blessing". Hillary gets mucho deniro from Elton John's fans. Ms. Rice may be
McCain's running mate. Why would anyone want to vote for another Republican? Have we not learned our lesson during the
past eight years? McCain is just as bad as that guy in the oval office right now. Congratulations to Tammy and Vi for
getting DVL up and running. I can't wait to see your first performance at the mayor's mansion and many more to follow.
Hemal, what's up with all those forwarded messages? I want a personal message from you and only you! Loan, I'm afraid
to wear that yoga t-shirt you got me. It may seem too vulgar for my elderly neighbors. That reminds me of Pearl. Poor Pearl
didn't want a glass of wine. Instead, she asked for a signed t-shirt. Did she stick around long enough to get that autographed
shirt? Today is definitely SPRING!
April 9, 2008
I hate people who walk out of a bus's front entrance as opposed to getting off in the back.
The front is reserved for two groups of people: those getting on the bus and those requiring assistance to walk. If you don't
fit in one of those two groups, go to the back of the bus like everyone else. You are already lazy by riding the bus instead of
walking on your own two feet to cross two blocks. How about walking to the back of the bus to make room for those who really need to be in the front. Okay, I had
to get that off my chest. It's been bugging me all day. Are there any registered parishioners in the city? According to Tricia,
one can obtain a pass to see the papal mass in a couple weeks at Yankee Stadium. I ate at a yummy sushi place just off
of Gramercy Park. The scanner at my office can scan color images. I never knew it could do that. Silence will always get your
enemy to go crazy. They will go out of their way to communicate with you or to figure out what you're thinking. Go San
Francisco! I've been taking daily allergy medicine for almost 10 years now. I started with Claritin, Allegra, and now Zyrtec. I haven't
gone for more than one day without an allergy pill. I'm thinking of taking myself off of Zyrtec. I'm not sure if I should risk
getting those annoying and irritating allergy symptoms as I ween myself. Birth control pills cause breast
cancer? I have been summoned to serve on a jury later in May. The last time I served as a potential
juror was in Jefferson Parish, LA. The prosecutors disqualified me because I didn't believe in capital punishment. When I lived in Dallas, they called me up to appear in court. I excused myself from
jury duty because I was in school. I have no more excuses this time around. Let's hope it's the Spitzer case!
April 8, 2008
It was non-stop from morning to night. I ate lunch at my desk. Instead of eating
the usual honey mustard grilled chicken snack wraps, I asked for the deep-fried chicken snack wraps with BBQ chipotle.
The chipotle sauce added a much needed kick to the snack wraps. Protesters in London and Paris disrupted the Olympic
torch relay. Someone in Paris tried to take the torch from one of the runners. Officials in Paris extinguished
the flame and brought the torch onto a bus for safety transport. On Wednesday of this week, the torch will make its way to
San Francisco where plenty of pro-Tibetan activists will be on hand to disrupt the relay. There are already anti-Chinese banners on
the Golden Gate bridge. I wanted to share the grapevine candy from Vua Kho Bo with others, but there's barely any left for myself.
Did you know that cockroaches can survive for weeks with their heads cut off? They eventually die of hunger. Beyonce and
Mr. Beyonce married over the weekend. They celebrated in Tribeca. Khoi, those requirements are way too strict. What am I
to do without my cellphone? Elicia, congratulations on being at the top of our class! It sucks that you won't continue with the
next class. Maybe you can return to help with teaching. If I talk about random things on here, don't think too much about it.
If it doesn't apply to you, move onto the next sentence. Don't try to decipher what I'm talking about. If you get it, then that's
great. Otherwise, just disregard my random thoughts and appreciate the humor (if you get it). David, I need you to plan
my next trip. You can create a nice itinerary with pictures and graphics. Don't be too tough on Sa. She's a fellow comrade
from UTD.
April 7, 2008
As everyone mentioned at dinner, I will talk about the model/actress who sat next to me. She
can pass for a Persian or Lebanese. I had no idea the mother-to-be "worked it" in Dubai. I'll link you up soon. I can only say nice things about the fella to her right. Rafael, make sure to crop Paul out of the
picture. I want to see the before and after shots. Jesse, what's up bro? To the couple looking for an apartment, good luck finding a place
below 42nd St. Craigslist is the way to go for roommate shopping and apartment hunting. Be sure to look at your credit card receipt
before signing. What we should have done was to also look at the itemized bill. It's difficult to account for a large party. We had a
CPA and CIA at the table. However, he didn't step up to go through the receipt's inventory. We left way too early for Filene's Basement.
The place did not open until 11AM on Sundays. I tried looking for riders at the shoes store downstairs, but did not find any I liked.
Yes, they had my sizes! I am back at work. Have a great week and don't let the little things get to you. Life is too short. Having
high expectations will only lead to a big disappointment. If someone doesn't pick up the phone after 50 attempts, just give up. The
ball is no longer in your court. It left the basketball court and is slowly dribbling away.
April 6, 2008
Happy Birthday, Addison! Enjoy those polo shirts and shorts! Tell your mom to use up the
remaining $20. Next time, you should open your birthday card instead of having your mom do it. Dim Sum carts were hard to come by.
We shared the table with strangers. What do these dim sum restaurants serve during the week? Mom thought we were going to another
Chinatown, but there was a miscommunication. I expected a better movie. It was okay. The lead actress won some award in her home
country for the performance. She wasn't spectacular. I wonder why she won. Miss Vuong, thank you for the grapefruit candy. I'll probably
finish them within a couple days. You'll enjoy gio lua from Tuyet Huong (New Orleans). Anh Binh, what's up? There are way too many Anh va Chi's nowadays.
If I don't pick up your phone calls, why would I even pick up calls from a restricted number? It's ridiculous. Thank God I got rid of my
text messaging option. Give it up already. Carolyn, sorry we played phone tag today. I'll catch up with you next week. Happy Birthday,
Rafael! I use home keys to type. Do you?
April 5, 2008
We got some really good deals yesterday. The Chinese have a thing about their
first customers. If you are the first customer of the day, you must buy whatever because your actions will define the
merchant's business for the entire day. If you walk in immediately when the store opens, be sure to buy something or the store
owner will yell at you for giving them bad luck. Be sure to check out "The Missing Woman". The show will introduce you to
the many Vietnamese art forms, including cai luong. It was sort of weird seeing cai luong in an American theatrical setting.
Overall, I am glad the actors stayed behind and spent time with us. Too bad I couldn't stay until the very end. Someone
else cried for my presence. No one carried cupcakes so I picked up donuts and cookies instead. The a/c was on low speed.
That explained why I kept sweating. I don't like to sweat. Obama's popularity has dipped. Clinton is picking up momentum
again. The Clintons made beaucoup money in 2000. Ngoc, I can't wait to chow down some Cajun food. There's a conspiracy
to brainwash the younger generations. The government supports these programs to "educate" the youth and to bring about
reconciliation between the former government and the current regime. I think it's working. The youth will continue to embrace
anything cultural-related and will not denounce the current regime. Are there political undertones to these programs? I'm off
for dim sum today. I hate repeating myself, but don't be a cry baby!
April 4, 2008
Talk amongst yourselves.
April 3, 2008
I didn't get much sleep last night. Because of Rafael's birthday, I have to skip
on comp tickets to a show. Ngoc, please continue to keep me in the loop. We now have an informal group of
theater buddies. The best time in New York to stroll around town is either Spring or Fall. I prefer Fall because it tends to be
a lot more dry than Spring. April showers come almost every day. Will I make it out to the Hamptons this year? Yeah right...
as if! I never like the beach and I hate staying outdoors, especially when it's hot. My mom asked me yesterday if I will
ever move back home. I told her no because it's just too hot. I get moody when the mercury gets to its boiling point. You
don't want to get on my bad side. Well, I'm actually pretty nice. I like to think so. Can we get this Pennsylvania race over with?
If she loses in Pennsylvania, she should really quit. The democrats should unite and have a dream ticket. She will obviously
be the VP candidate. I don't think she'll be happy with that scenario. Joel, good to know that you're still alive and responding
to messages. How did that cheesecake come out? I'm supposed to get some riders or sliders. I keep forgetting the name
of those slip-ons. It's time for new casual shoes. My "bowling" ones have holes in them. Every time it rains, I try not to wear
the bowling shoes. The other brown ones are breaking apart as well. I hate walking on those wet sidewalks in front of
Chinatown's seafood stores. Don't you just feel icky walking on all that mess? Yeah, your soles will eventually dry out, but the nasty
smell of fish scales will permeate through my socks. Find yourself a hose and wash those shoes down. Hoses are difficult
to find here.
April 2, 2008
I'm tired of all these stories about Addison. He is irking my last nerves. He stepped
up and told another boy to sit down. He needs to chill out. The ride to LGA took exactly one hour. On 125th St, 10 buses
lined up back to back to pick up passengers. That lady at Paris Sandwich does not like me. She only talks to me when someone
else is there. She's only being nice because she wants to marry off her son. The Nguyens are like any other American family.
The issues are not unique to one family. Countless others experience the same drama. The best "express" on the east side
is from 86th to 125th. Did anyone try out Google's April Fool's joke? I went over board with desserts. Even if you are away from it all, you are still affected. You don't ask for it. It just
comes and you deal with it. It's expected to be proactive instead of sitting on the sidelines. This time it should be good for all parties.
Hopefully, the steam will subside after a few days or weeks. I dodged those rain pellets again. That's all I have for today.
April 1, 2008
Happy April Fool's Day! Every day there's a reason to celebrate. If not groundhog's
day, it's some president's birthday. Is today's entry the real deal or is it a joke? Addison went off to school today for the
first time. He is enrolled in Pre-K, just a few days before his actual 4th birthday. He frowned, shed a few tears, and held onto Grandma's
finger and wouldn't let go. He ate one french fry and pushed the plate away at lunch time. He didn't sleep in the afternoon.
When his mom and grandma picked him up, he ran straight to them and gave them a big hug. He almost cried again earlier
in the evening when Grandma told him he would go to school tomorrow and the days after. I'm glad Harvey knows who I am
even if I won't play with him. I need to limit what I say, especially if it's work-related. The office has eyes! Megan, will you
continue to keep up once you're on maternity leave? Maybe I'll talk more about the office while you are away. I dodged
rain pellets today by staying in the office instead of roaming the streets for food. The everything bagel makes my breath
and hands smell like garlic all day long. Handsoap coudn't even remove the strong odor. Loan, I received your t-shirt and
card. Is it Jenny's new business? The card was really thoughtful. I read through it, even what was already written on the card
by Hallmark. You are right on the money. I accept the card and t-shirt in place of my lost keys. On a serious note, I appreciate
your words and wisdom. Please tell the kids I said hi and to come visit their uncle soon before he relocates elsewhere, perhaps
Vietnam or Canada. If any of you get a crazy e-mail
from me today, it's probably a joke OR NOT! Be careful because everyone is a prankster today!
