Spice Girls in San Jose -- The Amazin Eurazn

Friday, December 31, 2004

Happy New Year 2005!!!


As 2005 approaches in just under 3 hours, I sit here at my computer reflecting back on things that happened to me this year that made an impact on me. (More than I had originally thought!

TOP 10 THINGS I'LL REMEMBER FROM 2004

1. New Years Eve 2003 in Las Vegas

Spending New Year's Eve 2003 on the streets of Las Vegas with Robert, Marty and Timmy. Something I had never done before and felt I just had to try once. Marvelling at fireworks launching from the top of hotels at midnight. Having a good ol time in Sin City that weekend.


2. My Pet Cockatiel Elvis

Elvis, a female pearly yellow cockatiel who was a beloved member of my family for almost 11 years, passed on January 27, 2004. I remember how heartbroken I and my family were, and a month or two later we were able to begin to let her go, to always remember her for the joy she brought me and my family.

3. My Birthday Celebration in August

As I always go over the top when it comes to harahh-ing the anniversary of my natality, I can never forget the two days I spent celebrating my 32nd birthday. The actual day with my family, going out and about, and then culiminating 4 days later with Volare, my huge Italian-themed birthday party!


4. Meeting New Friends

This was indeed the year of the "penpal." It's been almost a decade since I met in person on American shores a friend I had made overseas. Jason F and Alan L -- both were from Singapore, and happened to be embarking through SF en route home. I'm thankful for them taking the time out to visit me. And then meeting a friend of over a year from LA -- Seymour -- for the first time on one of my LA trips, going shopping, fish-egg eating, and dancing the nite away. And meeting new friends like Stephen, Ben and Siu, who are down-to-earth and cool.

5. Mom Getting an Award

My mom received an award from API Pride for being loving and supportive parent of a Asian Pacific Islander. I felt it important for people out there to know how much my parents support their son. More importantly, it was a way for me to say "Thank You" for all the times my mom and dad endured and struggled with their trials of accepting me.

6. Leaving my Community Group After All this Time

Every year I kept saying it, that I would quit my community group. Having been Social Chair for about 7 years and feeling stuck with the position because not only was I good at it but no one else wanted to take the job. I was able to pass on the torch to a successor in June and, for all my years of giving to the API community of the South Bay, finally start to focus on giving back to myself.

7. The Crash Heard Around the World

And then there was the day in September where I put myself in the emergency room from a game of dodgeball. On the first play of the game, rushing to get the ball and slamming my nose into the forehead of a girl on the opposite team. Lesson learned: avoid the 'rhino technique' when playing the game.

8. My Two Trips to LA
I had sooo much fun on my two Fall weekend road trips to L.A. with James ("Chanel"), Stephen ("Shanehneh") and Ben ("Bengkok"). Staying in Hollywood, going clubbing, watching Ethan Mao, pretendin to be stars, and cruising around and about!


9. Buying my First Home

Something I've only dreamed of and never knew when would happen! Afraid of being pushed out of the Valley, over 9 months of patience and optimism paid off in a sudden yipe of happiness one sunny, brisk October morning. I finally bought my first home ever, with my family. A 3-bedroom, 3.5 townhome on a hill in South San Jose!

10. Spending Time with My Best Buddy

Spending time doing things with my best buddy Timmy, who finally returned to So Cal as he had earnestly hoped and strived for the last two years. All the fun things we always do together, places we go, and things we laugh and learn about along the way. Life is an adventure with you, T.


OTHER THINGS I'LL REMEMBER FROM 2004

1. Gay marriages being officiated here in SF for but a brief moment in time in February.

2. The pain of the victims and the families of the tsunamis that killed 150,000 people in South Asia the day after Christmas. Remembering how the world finally came together again as "one big family" to help each other in time of need.

3. The passing of President Reagan in June, and how I'll always remember him as the man who helped open the door to peace with the former Soviet Union and made this world a safer place to live in.


TOP TEN LISTENS OF 2004
(My favorite songs of 2004 which I listened to the most this year...)


As 2005 approaches in just under 3 hours, I sit here at my computer reflecting back on things that happened to me this year that made an impact on me. (More than I had originally thought!

TOP 10 THINGS I'LL REMEMBER FROM 2004

1. New Years Eve 2003 in Las Vegas

Spending New Year's Eve 2003 on the streets of Las Vegas with Robert, Marty and Timmy. Something I had never done before and felt I just had to try once. Marvelling at fireworks launching from the top of hotels at midnight. Having a good ol time in Sin City that weekend.


2. My Pet Cockatiel Elvis

Elvis, a female pearly yellow cockatiel who was a beloved member of my family for almost 11 years, passed on January 27, 2004. I remember how heartbroken I and my family were, and a month or two later we were able to begin to let her go, to always remember her for the joy she brought me and my family.

3. My Birthday Celebration in August

As I always go over the top when it comes to harahh-ing the anniversary of my natality, I can never forget the two days I spent celebrating my 32nd birthday. The actual day with my family, going out and about, and then culiminating 4 days later with Volare, my huge Italian-themed birthday party!


4. Meeting New Friends

This was indeed the year of the "penpal." It's been almost a decade since I met in person on American shores a friend I had made overseas. Jason F and Alan L -- both were from Singapore, and happened to be embarking through SF en route home. I'm thankful for them taking the time out to visit me. And then meeting a friend of over a year from LA -- Seymour -- for the first time on one of my LA trips, going shopping, fish-egg eating, and dancing the nite away. And meeting new friends like Stephen, Ben and Siu, who are down-to-earth and cool.

5. Mom Getting an Award

My mom received an award from API Pride for being loving and supportive parent of a Asian Pacific Islander. I felt it important for people out there to know how much my parents support their son. More importantly, it was a way for me to say "Thank You" for all the times my mom and dad endured and struggled with their trials of accepting me.

6. Leaving my Community Group After All this Time

Every year I kept saying it, that I would quit my community group. Having been Social Chair for about 7 years and feeling stuck with the position because not only was I good at it but no one else wanted to take the job. I was able to pass on the torch to a successor in June and, for all my years of giving to the API community of the South Bay, finally start to focus on giving back to myself.

7. The Crash Heard Around the World

And then there was the day in September where I put myself in the emergency room from a game of dodgeball. On the first play of the game, rushing to get the ball and slamming my nose into the forehead of a girl on the opposite team. Lesson learned: avoid the 'rhino technique' when playing the game.

8. My Two Trips to LA
I had sooo much fun on my two Fall weekend road trips to L.A. with James ("Chanel"), Stephen ("Shanehneh") and Ben ("Bengkok"). Staying in Hollywood, going clubbing, watching Ethan Mao, pretendin to be stars, and cruising around and about!


9. Buying my First Home

Something I've only dreamed of and never knew when would happen! Afraid of being pushed out of the Valley, over 9 months of patience and optimism paid off in a sudden yipe of happiness one sunny, brisk October morning. I finally bought my first home ever, with my family. A 3-bedroom, 3.5 townhome on a hill in South San Jose!

10. Spending Time with My Best Buddy

Spending time doing things with my best buddy Timmy, who finally returned to So Cal as he had earnestly hoped and strived for the last two years. All the fun things we always do together, places we go, and things we laugh and learn about along the way. Life is an adventure with you, T.


OTHER THINGS I'LL REMEMBER FROM 2004

1. Gay marriages being officiated here in SF for but a brief moment in time in February.

2. The pain of the victims and the families of the tsunamis that killed 150,000 people in South Asia the day after Christmas. Remembering how the world finally came together again as "one big family" to help each other in time of need.

3. The passing of President Reagan in June, and how I'll always remember him as the man who helped open the door to peace with the former Soviet Union and made this world a safer place to live in.


TOP TEN LISTENS OF 2004
(My favorite songs of 2004 which I listened to the most this year...)

1. Extraordinary -- Liz Phair
2. The Reason -- Hoobastank
3. One, Two Step -- Ciara (featuring Missy Elliot)
4. Meant to Live -- Switchfoot
5. Reach Out for the Sunrise -- Duran Duran
6. Sunshine -- L`il Flip
7. Yeah! -- Usher
8. Drop It -- Snoop Doggy Dog
9. New Workout Plan -- Kanye West
10. One Hundred Years -- Five for Fighting


FAVORITE PHRASE OF 2004
"Ladies and gentlemen, allow ma'hself to introduce mahself!" ;)

Monday, December 27, 2004

A Wet Monday


If yesterday was any sign at all, today the rain came down all day...from the moment I went into my office until the moment I came out...tested my company umbrella..works great! Always wanted a parachute on a stick!:P

The death toll from the 9.0 earthquake in SE Asia continues to rise with no stop (now at 23,000+). It staggers my mind (shaking head)...all those poor people lost and their families and friends left behind...Lord please Bless Them all...

Went shopping for Gamecube games at Best Buy today..looks like they didn't have as good of a selection as Fry's. And those games that were popular were apparently sold out over Christmas.:P

Posted pictures from my Christmas Day in my December 25th blog below. Check em out!

Nite!

Sunday, December 26, 2004

Day after Christmas


Will have photos from Christmas posted tomorrow!

The weather went from sunny and cool on a serene Christmas Day to dreary, cloudy, windy and cold today, the day after Christmas. It's a sign that Winter is ready to take over the seasonal timeclock.

Went to lunch with mom for pho today (hot noodle soup is quite good on a cold day). Spent the rest of the day at home chillen, organizing stuff around my room. Decided not to blow my budget by dashing to the malls for those tempting sales the day after Christmas, hehe..Overall pretty quiet and easy for my last day off from work. Sigh, is vacation over already?

My heart pained about hearing of the 9.0 earthquake today in Indonesia, which generated 20-foot tsunami waves which killed over 14,000 people across 7 nations including Sri Lanka, India, Malaysia, and Thailand. It's so sad. The waves came virtually with no warning. People who enjoyed Christmas and their lives here one day, gone the next.


As a tribute to 2004, this week I'll be reviewing the highlights of my personal life this past year in each day's blog to include Lee's Top 10 places visited in 2004, top ten songs of the year, goals he achieved and didn't, goals for 2005, etc. So be sure to stop by again and feel free to leave a comment or two!:o)

Saturday, December 25, 2004

Merry Christmas!!!



Me n my hag Kat!




Kat's dad Butch
and Lee do the fob thang..lol..:)



Kat n her mom,
my bro and me...

Merry Christmas, everyone!Last night my family and I went over to the home of my bro's girlfriend's parents in Union City for a Christmas Eve celebration Filipino style. That meant, again, lotsa people, lotta food, lotta aunties trying to stuff me like a Christmas toy, and lotta warmth. We ate, chatted, and did a Secret Santa thang where I got Clay Aiken's new Christmas CD! Woohoo!

Lee gets U2's new CDEven my pet bird Whistler gets a gift!Dad gets a cock calendar.Mom is so cuute...
Woke up around 9am after staying up into the wee hours of the morning finishing up my gift wrapping. (I suppose it's my fault for again waiting til the last minute to finish shopping!) We ate a pancake breakfast around 11am and then opened gifts a little after 12 noon. This year, for the first time in I can't remember how many years, I got no new clothes! Very unbelievable for me such that even friends were astonished! Added to that, this year the kid got loose in me cuz I got Digimon and Teen Titan toys, and board games! Lol...The rest of my family also enjoyed their gifts. My parents especially, who got a new DVD player, a crockpot, and two tickets to see Dr. Phil live on stage in March of 2005. My bro and his gf came over later tonight for Christmas dinner at my place and, from them, I got Clay Aiken's new book and a Nintendo game cube! Afterward, Shane and I went head-to-head in Mortal Kombat Deception on his X-box!

It's been a very pleasant Christmas Day for me this year. Though a little shorter on the gifts and though I've been fighting an aching stomach flu the last 2 days, this year the Day wasn't short on the gift of love of family and friends.

Merry Christmas to all, to all a good and peaceful night...

Love and hugs,
Lee

Wednesday, December 22, 2004

On a Short Winter Break


I'm Back!
So here I am, on Christmas vacation. With the exception of a couple hours of dropping into work today, I've been out of the office officially as of Tuesday evening and don't have to return til next Monday. Finally, a chance for me to shut down for more than just a 3-day weekend, something I've not done in 3 years of constant corporate toil. I'm sincerely hoping to take advantage of my extended break to re-examine my current priorities in life when it comes to my job, my career, and my personal pursuits. I'm finding myself wanting to explore my creative inner self more vice a verse all the time I've spent working each day.

Meanwhile, I just started (yes, started) my Christmas shopping on Monday so I think part of my time off will be stolen by an incessant fight at the shopping centers to get my gifts by Christmas Eve. Fortunately I don't have as many people to shop for this year so I should finish on time (but the challenge of picking the right gift for each person still daunts me).

Digivolution Again

A part of my self-exploration has been getting back into "Digimon" the past several days. A cartoon simiilar to Pokemon which I was obsessed with back in 2001. Recently I saw an episode on TV and since then have been reliving the series online through video clips. It's so kewl...

I think I'm also evolving cuz I don't really know where I'm going in my life right now with regard to friends. My best friend this past week moved from SJ back to Southern California. I've felt a little saddened, especially with the Christmas holiday. At the same time, been feeling that life is going to be kinda different without my closest friend. We did so many things together, went to so many places, and my friend knows me well too. Yet I support him because I want him to accomplish what he wants to do -- what a real friend would do for a real friend. So that's more important to me in the long run that I must set aside my own personal feelings. But it's also that I'm still rediscovering who my real friends are..those who take the time to share their lives with me and vice versa...

So, fortunately this holiday season, I'm not feeling as blue as last year but still a little...

Parties, parties, parties

I've been to so many parties lately -- 6 parties within a four-week span. I think that's a record for me! Half of 'em were birthdays, and the other half Christmas parties. Last Friday (12/16), I had a small holiday gathering at my south San Jose apartment for my closest friends. We had a potluck dinner, complete with traditional Christmas faire -- Asian style! We also played some cards and talked around and had a smaller-than-expected 3-gift Secret Santa gift exchange.

On Saturday, 12/17, I went to a going-away partee for my best friend. At his friend's place in SJ, ate pizza and played Twister and Trivial Pursuit DVD. Sunday (12/18) my community group held its annual Christmas holiday party at the clubhouse at my apartment complex. Always attended by 50+ people and festive, especially this year feeling like an elegantly warm party in a country-club style ambience.

Other Miscellaneous News

  • My boss gave me an umbrella for Christmas on Tuesday, a gift from my company. Guess they're expecting a wet winter! The umbrella is quite long (3.5 ft) and guarantees to hold up to 60 mph winds! Bring on the gale force winds I say and let's test it!
  • On the way home home from Christmas shopping today, got a Tacoma Washington radio station on the AM dial in the car! Always weird that radio signals can sometimes go so far!
  • One of my hopes for the new year is for more respect from people. Lately again I've been getting that feelin that I go way out of my way for others in general, that sometimes I'm too nice. Happens at both work and in my personal circles. And people expect me to do stuff and I don't get respect or courtesy in return.

I have to list my top 10 songs of the year here next week, as well as my goals and my top happenings this past year!

Thursday, December 09, 2004

Lunch on the Boss


Today my boss Dennis treated my whole department to lunch at Faz's in Sunnyvale. This is the 2nd year in a row where he's done that for us around the Christmas holiday, I believe as a generous token of appreciation for all our tireless toiling throughout the year. We again combined the lunch with my colleagues from another team so there was like over 20 of us at one table. Food was good as usual. I satisfactorily enjoyed chancing my palate with the fettucine marco polo, a linguine pasta in a light curry cream sauce with big shrimp and fresh tomatoes and spinach. It was pretty good, though it felt like it needed something more. However, the mud pie was jus scrumptious, with delicious chocolate ice cream, chocolate sauce, ground espresso bits, and a chocolate graham cracker crust. While at lunch I had a chance to talk more personal, non-work stuff for once with my close coworkers like Robin and John, as well as through jokes across the table and take photos for everyone with my digital camera.

I'm so burned out from work...i can't wait until Christmas vacation.:D

Clay Aiken on TV


Watched the Clay Aiken Christmas special on TV tonight. Was a good holiday show, set in a house-looking studio adorned with wreaths, candles, frosted windows, lights, and a train that kept running around the bottom of a Christmas tree. Clay, clad in a lime green sweater, dark striped shirt beneath, urban jeans and a brown blazer, sang remarkably well as always. No doubt he sang songs from his new Christmas album and I liked many of them, both renditions of traditional Christmas songs as well as some new ones of his one. He was also joined at times by friends Yolanda Adams and Barry Manilow (I'm amazed at how youthful this guy is personality-wise; he's like a big kid!). Anyways, I never get tired of hearing Clay's beatiful pop and sometimes crooning voice.:)

Tonight one of my friends mentioned to me that some people had said some things about me which apparently were negative and not even the truth. Obviously those individuals don't even know me, and it's unfortunate that people say things about other people and they don't even know them. I know myself well enough and love the good person I am, and have a huge number of friends to back me up as solid references, thankfully, at home, in my friend circles, and even at work!:) And I have only things to say about others IF I know them well enough (even then I don't go round badmouthing others = bad karma.:)).

Tuesday, December 07, 2004

Busy Week Again!


I really do wish I updated my blog more often, so bare with me as I recap!

Last Thursday I met with one of my clients for my freelance web design. I'm busy working on a new prototype for his association's website at www.waferfab.org. I think my customer is impressed with my work from what I hear, and that makes me feel good (cuz often I can be my own harshest critic).

Afterward, I drove to SF to meet up with my friend Alan, who was in town on his way home to Singapore. He had been visiting Boston for a few days to check out dentistry schools there and, on his way back home, decided to pay me and SF a visit. I've known Alan for at least a year (we met online) and have become good friends since. So it was quite cool to meet him in person for the first time and put his personality and coutenance into an in-my-face context. I took him to some food at the Baghdad Cafe where we got to catch up on some old times and his trip to Boston.

Friday night was Stephen's 25th birthday. We celebrated by taking him out to dinner at Chic's Seafood Restaurant at Fisherman's Wharf in SF. The food was okay, though I expected a little more attention to detail for the $28 full dinner at such a refined restaurant. For example, my silverware was not clean and also the spinach salad was sour and gritty (i.e. the spinach wasn't washed thoroughly enough). After dinner we all went clubbing at The Cafe. I picked up my friend Alan from his hotel and brought him to the club and introduced him to my friends. We all had fun and was it jammed packed that night! I even bumped into my friend Evan there.

Saturday I dropped Alan off at SFO for his return flight to Singapore. Then I headed to work for a few hours. At night I stayed at home and worked some more on my freelance project for waferfab.org.

Sunday my best friend Timothy and I had lunch with my parents and then I showed him my home-to-be in South San Jose. He really liked the floorplan but, as there was no model for it, probably enjoyed touring through the other model homes in the builder community.:) Later T and I did some light shopping at Oakridge Mall. Sunday night returned to SF yet again for a birthday dinner for Todd. He, Steve, Darrin and I ate at Eric's in Noe Valley. Though it sounded like some sort of deli, Eric's served quite a nice variety of tasty dishes, including Eric's Fiery Prawns -- an interesting spicy shrimp dish with a salsa-like sauce. AFterward we ll went to Starbucks for coffee and we had some deep discussion about each of our lives, how happy we were, and where we wanted to go.

Monday was work as usual. Lunch with Evan (whom I had seen on the previous Friday) at BJ's in Cupertino. Good food, stellar service, especially since Evan found a hair in his salad and made no fuss about it. But our kind waittress did and told the manager, who came out and practically begged us to accept their apologies and if we wanted anything (on his knees!). We both said there was no problem. I wish more restaurants were diligent and considerate like that BJ's!

Tonight my Amazing Race 6 team placed ahead of Seymour's team again for a 2nd week. Yay! I want my iPod, Sey!:) But I was worried at first cuz my team started out in first and then made a big dumb error in the first task that dropped them to last place in the pack of 8! Fortunately, they came in 4th this leg of the trip, which also was a non-elimination round.