Death to my favorite...

Last year, to my happy surprise, I discovered a Quiznos Sub near my home home in San Gabriel. Knowing how RARE it is to find a Quiznos Sub in that neighborhood, I would visit there every Sunday and order myself a peppercorn steak sub. And because I am such a regular there the owner actually know what I am going to order everytime I am there, and we would even chit chat a little about life and other stuffs as I wait for my tasty sub.

Well, today, as I made my way to it, looking forward to my peppercorn steak sub, to my surprise. The place closed down!

What a bummer. I guess my effort to keep the place afloat did not work....sigh*

Quote of wisdom

"If you let go of what you are, you may become what you may be"

--Lao Tsu


I heard this on the radio today, though it is very abstract, it instantly has a profound impact on my outlook on things.

Mid Autumn moon festival

Today is the traditional Chinese “Mid Autumn Moon Festival” It is regarded as the 2nd most important holiday in Chinese Culture behind the Lunar New Years. To me, however, Autumn moon festival is actually my favorite holiday, even more so than Chinese New Years.

The thing you are suppose to do for the Mid Autumn moon festival, according to Chinese tradition, is to have Grapefruits, Moon Cakes, and Tea and sit outside on a clear night to watch the moon and compose poetry. So much for modernity, not many people do that anymore. But I’ve always had this romantic feeling that this will be a tradition I start again, for me and my family.

One of my favorite memories of my childhood was a particular “Mid Autumn Moon Festival” about 22 years ago. I remember that year, all of my family were together, and we spent a very peaceful and quiet night on a clear early autumn night on the roof of out house in GuanHsi. I remember, my mom, dad (who had just returned home from Guam that year), and three sisters were all very excited for that particular day not only because it was a first time in a long time that the family members were together, but also because we had planned a family gathering on the roof to watch the moon for a while. I remember we had tea, grapefruits and lots of moon cakes, though no poetry, but the moon was still very bright and calm that night.

I hope, this tradition will be passed on to the future Chen generations for years to come, and I think, I’ll start writing poetries too (need to get my Chinese level back to what it was before).

I am currently reading...

"Blood and Oil" by Michael Klare.

I came across this book, which is part of the 4 book "American Empire Project" series a few month ago as I browsed thru the rarely visted section of my favorite book store. and I must say this is a great read:

Since the tragic events of September 11 and the commencement of the "war on terror," the relationship between U.S. policy in the Middle East and the oceans of crude oil that lie beneath the region's soil has come under close scrutiny. In Blood and Oil, international security expert Michael T. Klare traces oil's impact on foreign affairs from World War II to the present, arguing that America's oil-influenced military actions will only increase in the coming years. By 2020, the United States will need to import twice as much fuel per year as it did in 1990, and since most of this oil will come from chronically unstable, strongly anti-American regions -- the Gulf, the Caspian Sea, and Africa -- recurrent involvement in violent conflcit is sure to follow.
With clarity and urgency, Blood and Oil delineates the United States' predicament: America's wells are drying up even as its demand increases, while anti-American fervor is building in the world's oil-rich nations. It is time, Klare cautions, to change our energy policies, before we spend the next decades paying for oil with blood.

By no mean am I trying to recommend this book to influence political or social views of my fellow readers, I am, as I have been for the past several years, merely an observer. And this book, and the others in the series, do provide interesting perspective about our world in general. In a very clear and concise way.

Highly recommended. Or if my readers out there are ever interested (highly doubtful), I will give you my 1/2 hour summary when I see you you guys next, either in our tea time, happy hour, or dinner.

New Blog template

With so many recent self realization and discoveries, I think it is only appropriate to do something new. and this includes changing my blog template. For some reason, this one draws my attention the most. Hope my fellow readers would like it =)

Reading

I almost forgot how much I used to read, and enjoyed reading. I used to read so much as a child that I would not eat or sleep until I finish every new book that my mom and dad bought me. And I would tone everyone around me out until I am done with the book too (as seen in the picture above). These past few days, as I spent more time with my folks and rediscovered things I had forgotten about my childhood, I am also rediscovering the joy of reading.

So last night, after walking with my parents after dinner, I picked up a book, loaded my ipod with relaxing jazz and classical music, and just read.

I think I am going to make this a more regular habit from now on.

My Saturday morning

Yes. This is what I've been doing on Saturdays lately. Shopping with my mom :(

Today, we are in Costcos, particularly in the VITAMINS aisle.

see my mom below -->

she is getting pretty good nevigating around Costco, but as usual, she is comparing EVERY single spec and price on what seemingly to be ALL the vitamin in Costco (I think she's gonna to buy them all too). Sigh*

But I do enjoy these things a bit more now. like our early morning walk today, and Costco shopping trip. I view this a a training on how to be a better son (we talk alot about life today), and also a pre-training on how to be a better family man when it is my time to start a family of my own.

s

Nuevo Tango

Recently, I am facinated by Nuevo Tango style of music (the artist shown above is one of the best known artist in Nuevo Tango, Astor Piazzolla). And my friend, after hearing some of the tunes I play for her when she was over for dinner the other night also fell in love with this music form (and the fusion version of it with the likes of Gotan Project, or the collaberation with Yo Yo Ma etc.).
Anyway, to me, this music form is very soothing and relaxing. Great to just chill in the living room with reading a book or just do nothing.
I think when we have time in the next couple of month, we are going to start exloring saloons or bars with this musical form. Hope we can find one in LA/OC area.