Find the Beauty In Life

Oprah's Lifeclass Notes

2011-11-05T00:08:00.000-05:00

- Our thoughts are our energy that we put out to the world.
- Honor your parents.
- Does your eyes light up when important people in your life walk into the room? Validate them by not ignoring them. Get off the phone or the computer.
Be present. Do you see me. Do you hear me. See their eyes when talk to them.
- A note "I'm praying for you" for people going through difficulties.
- You Become What You Believe

Toddlers on-line

2011-10-11T00:46:00.002-05:00

Fun on the Web
http://hcplc.org/hcplc/justkids/

from a mom: online game for 2 years called "Howrse". It's a cyber game, where you own, train, compete, and breed horses. You earn cyber money to spend on your horse, can own a horse farm, and actually run a business with it. She's getting an early lesson in economics and business management. I'm not sure what all else I could "classify" what she's learning in this game, but we're having a blast doing it! www.howrse.com if anyone's interested.

Toddler's activities in Taipei

2011-04-17T09:08:00.039-05:00

cooking class at Royal Host from age 4
http://www.royalhost.com.tw/news.php?class_type=01&pid=341

遊戲愛樂園（新光三越A8).

小人國
桃園縣龍潭鄉高原村橫岡下60-2號
(03)471-7211
http://www.woc.com.tw/web/html/01about/01.aspfacebook OPEN魔法樂園在小人國

CAFE BALLET~*BaBy Kitchen*
https://www.facebook.com/pages/CAFE-BALLETBaBy-Kitchen/164854700221720
台北市松山區富錦街386號
(02)2747-2346
Mon - Fri: 11:00 am - 9:00 pm
Sat - Sun: 10:00 am - 9:00 pm
BABY KITCHEN 是一家為親子打造的咖啡館

Maternity pad, clothes, etc.
http://www.genniesclub.com/
Locations

Taipei Zoo

Children's Art Museum
Here's a mom's blog about the museum with photos.

信誼親子館 Indoor Play Zone
信誼 bookstore next door http://www.hsin-yi.org.tw/kidStore/

風車書版集團 http://www.windmill.com.tw
Gymboree Taiwan classes

Baby swimming class

Art Classes

Y17 親子館

My Gym indoor play area

Children's Bookstore
- ACME
- Taipei Book Conference
- 168 Books
- 168 Store front

Name Stickers by Taipei Main Station MRT underground shopping area by Z1 entrance

Ecoh Ecoh Xue Canteen - all vegetarian meals on Mondays

LE GOUT bread store
www.legout.com.tw台北市內湖區瑞光路188巷58號 02 26587316
a blog http://blog.yam.com/celine0905/article/30182283

to call U.S. from Taiwan dial 0191 + area code + phone number

Another mommy blog on places to take kids.

一直在收集能帶小孩去玩耍的地方

1歲以下的小孩要帶出門真的不容易

怕他無聊

也怕他吵到別人

更怕設施不全媽咪我手忙腳亂

所以我整理了一下

BB可以去的地方與課程

和大家分享一下囉~~~~

童心園
http://www.weplay.com.tw/ugC_Home.asp

健寶園
http://www.gymboree.com.tw/default.htm

童年空間
http://www.wretch.cc/blog/hsin130/11445679

米拉餐廳
http://www.wretch.cc/blog/hsin130/11472014

信誼親子館
http://www.hsin-yi.org.tw/kidsPark/

Y17
http://www.wretch.cc/blog/hsin130/11495265

桑富士游泳課
http://www.sunfish.com.tw/index.htm

故事屋
http://www.kidstoryhouse.com.tw/

哇哇故事屋
http://www.wowhouse.com.tw/index.html

蘇荷兒童美術館
http://www.artart.com.tw/

故事島兒童故事屋
http://kidsstoryroom.com/chinese/?page_id=15

關渡自然公園
http://www.gd-park.org.tw/edu_front/index.php?cno=0004

高雄 Kaohsiung
義大世界 E-Da World 義大遊樂世界 http://www.edathemepark.com.tw

南投 Nantou
清靜農場 QingJing Sheep Farm
http://www.cingjing.gov.tw

Bed & Breakfast http://www.dingdai.com.tw

http://www.cingjing.gov.tw/en/about/index.php

宜蘭 Yilan
臺灣傳統藝術總處籌備處傳統藝術中心 http://www.ncfta.gov.tw/ncfta_ce/main/index.aspx

布袋戲 http://www.uppacific.com.tw

Computer store in Taipei
Guang Hua Digital Plaza (光華數位新天地 or 光華商場)
MRT exit Zhongxiao Xinsheng (exit 1, go straight, turn right at the Barista coffee, go straight)
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Guang_Hua_Digital_Plaza

Color draw pad
http://shopping.windmill.com.tw/index.aspx

Little Art 天才巧克力幼兒塗鴉空間
【塗鴉課程】☆招生中！歡迎來電洽詢
【生日派對】☆幼兒生日派對, 主題派對歡迎預約!
【場地租借】☆可容納60人, 兒童派對, 藝文活動, 公司活動, 記者會等
預約報名請洽：(02)2731.3180
☆Little Art Class: age2-6
☆Children's Party Service: birthdays, theme parties
☆Event Rental: Up to 60pax., suitable for children's parties, art related functions, company events, press events, product launch. Please contact us for more details.
For inquiries, please contact (02)2731.3180 or littleart@tsaigallery.com

Mama Mia 親子館 Music & Movement台北館 Taipei : since 2006
部落格 http://tw.myblog.yahoo.com/mamamiakids/
Mama Mia 親子館為0-8歲寶貝&家長共享成長的園地.提供音樂, 英文故事,

Shutterfly Photobook - Jasmine's First Year

2010-12-18T20:55:00.000-05:00

Click here to view this photo book larger

zucchini quiche from Laura

2010-10-19T13:40:00.002-05:00

Preheat oven to 350

Mix together in a large bowl: (liquid first)
4 eggs slightly beaten
1/2 cup canola or vegetable oil
2 teaspoons garlic salt
2 teaspoons oregano (or basil, parsley, rosemary, thyme)
1/2 cup chopped onions
1 cup grated cheese (i used cheddar, but you can use other kinds)
1 cup Bisquick
3 cups thinly sliced zucchini

Pour evenly into a 9X13 greased pan (i use nonstick spray)

Cook for 30-35 minutes at 350. Then cook on low broil for 5-10 minutes depending on how brown you want it on top.

This Asparagus Zucchini Quiche looks good too!
http://jsprat.wordpress.com/2009/10/04/zucchini-asparagus-quiche-with-herbs/

Free Birthday Meals

2010-04-05T20:31:00.001-05:00

Free Birthday Meals! getta save this link. why didn't i think of it before. i guess we don't go out much anymore. but a great way to eat out for a good price.

Swimming Lessons for the Baby

2010-04-04T12:11:00.007-05:00

1) Blow Bubbles
Count 1, 2, 3, go. Show the baby these: inhale air, take a deep breath, hold your breath, lower mouth into water, and blow bubbles in the water.

2) Reach and Pull
Throw a floating ball out. Blend one of your knee and put the baby on your thigh. Hold each of baby's hands. Say "reach and pull" as you extend her arms back and forth. Move forward by hopping with the other leg. Once the baby gets to the ball, let the baby hold the ball before you take it and toss it out again.

3) Kick, kick, kick
Let the baby hug you. Hold her ankle. Stretch her legs and hold them together as close and comfortable as you can. Say kick, kick, kick and you move backward. Not a lot of splash. Not too much over the water nor under the water, just at the edge of the water.

4) Head dip
The baby is facing you. Hold and extend your arm as far as you can. Count 1, 2, 3, go. You inhale air, close mouth, dip her into the water, and pull her toward you. Say "kick, kick, kick" and "good job".

5) Float Backwards
Hold the baby lightly below the baby's arms. Turn the baby around and face up. Make sure the baby's ears are under the water.

6) Elbow, elbow, knee, knee (climb out of the pool)

Stage 1: While both of you are in the pool, go to the wall and assist the baby to climb out of the pool. Say elbow, elbow, knee, knee.

Stage 2: Sit at the edge with the baby. Say "what happens when you drop into the water?" Tap the baby's hand on the floor. Say "you climb on the wall". then dip the baby into the water by the wall (you're still holding on to the baby). Turn the baby around. Take the baby to the wall. Assist the baby to climb up the wall with elbow, elbow, knee, knee.

some tips on making lettuce last longer

2010-03-16T18:28:00.000-05:00

1. Wash and dry lettuce thoroughly and then keep in a sealed bag (or double bag) with a paper towel inside to absorb any excess moisture, expressing as much air out of the bag as you can manage.

2. Do not cut the leaves of the lettuce until you are ready to use it. Where possible always tear
off the leaves as they are needed.

3. Slightly wilted greens can be refreshed for a few minutes in ice water.

By following these simple hints you can prolong the life of a lettuce up to 3 weeks.

Bright from the Start

2009-10-31T21:23:00.008-05:00

Bright from the Start, by Jill Stamm, Ph.D.

i borrowed this book from the library, wished i read this earlier. wished there's a parenting class and this book should be in the required list of reading! here are the highlights and notes:

should i really read to my baby? is all tv bad or only some tv? can teaching a baby sign language really boost iq? how should be caregiver be stimulating my baby? does classical music help?

- beware of the product that promise to stimulate development, brainy toys with lights and sounds. from the researchers - what babies and toddlers really need is simple and doesn't cost that much money
- consistent loving care
- how often child hears stories
- face to face time, singing and talking to your baby instead of laptop, cell phone or tv

- who cares for a child and how knowledgeable that person is create groundwork for later classroom learning abilities (the child care taker should know the info in this book)
- what happens before preschool is critical - a ready brain is healthy, active, nurtured and capable of learning

- what your baby needs are easy as ABC: Attention, Bonding, and Communication
- ATTENTION - use the brain's energy to pay attention. face to face interactions or certain kinds of play. certain technologies limit valuable live interactions.
- BONDING - touch, develop security
- COMMUNICATION - talk and read

- increase social opportunities, personality noticeably emerges
- opportunities to play and interact with other people influence a child's cognitive growth in both receptive and expressive language development

- never, never, never give up on a child. malleable brain development can be in response to repeated effort and experience

you can help wire a healthy brain with ABC: Attention, Bonding, and Communication
- spending one-on-one time loving your child
- playing with your child
- responding quickly and predictably to your child
- touching and cuddling with your child
- providing routines that establishes patterns of caring response
- talking to your child
- reading and singing to your child

- brain synapese are connecting most rapidly the first 2 years of life (language, colors, sounds, smells, textures, temperature, cause & effect, face, etc). by 6 years old (1st grade), there's explosion of neuronal activities. in late childhood and adolescence (14 years old), pruning takes place on rarely used and not formed circuits to focus on the niche. the more frequent connections are used, the further strengthened and more efficient. go from different routes of small roads to major highway. which connections are formed and which connections are retained shaped by one's early experiences. As a parent, influence the "roads" that are laid down and taken place in your child's brain.

Bottomline: before 6 years old and early childhood education are so important to lay down the synapes. teach them all different things, and reinforce the thoughts you want them to become. the foundation is so critical to brain's organization.

- early brain synapes are resistant to change: if a child has a strong emotional start, she's likely to be resilient and able to cope with stress later in life. the very best kind for learning flourish in a predictable environment with * interesting experiences * assure a strong sense of security * lovingly hold and touch child frequently * interesting things to look at and hear. on the other hand, if the child is in a chaotic, non-supportive environment, effects is resistant to change as well...

- let go of the regrets and focus on the future. it's never too late regardless of the age. "i did what i knew. and when i knew better, i did better." it's the overall pattern of love, security, and stimulation that you provide determine whether your child will thrive. "your choices... shape their chances" the most important thing a parent can provide is a loving, stable relationship that leads to frequent, meaningful and responsive interactions with their baby.

toddler are visual, hearing sounds of new languages. the part of brain in charge of planning, abstract reasoning, prioritize and understand consequences of a behavior are not formed, therefore toddler don't understand why they shouldn't touch a hot stove and some teenagers maynot make good decisions. you do grow older and wiser.

- when a child has been neglected, they'll constantly monitor their environment for things that might harm them. they sacrifice the ability to learn new information, and focus on satisfy basic human needs for food, comfort, and companionship.

- Attention - paying attention -> Alert, Shift (change what you're doing), maintain (focus on one things while ignore other stimuli, thoughts, and emotions. children who were able to refrain from eating a marshmallow while examiner was out of the room (some kids developed strategies to distract themselves, like singing, walking around, or closing their eyes) are more likely to be self-confident, popular with peers, able to cope with frustration, and successful in school. the ability to control impulses at a young age (waiting) tends to predict a pattern of future behavior.

- set a non-tech face to face time with baby. playing, eating, reading.

- a child see you spend time in front of the computer and want to do the same and imitate. pretend toys are okay, just provide a wide variety of play experiences - indoor, outdoor, natural material as well as toys with lights and sounds. naturally stimulating environment is essential. learn to match pairs of socks requires child to keep the sock she's searching for in mind while ignoring the other similar socks and other things going on is better than spend in front of a flashing child product.

- attention tricks: - use variety range of voice volume. sometimes whisper is effective. contrast in intensity also work for colors. - different sizes - new items - things that doesn't go there (ie socks on dad's head is funny) - emotion drives attention and attention drives memory. when you're nervous, worried, depressed, afraid, agitated, or upset, it's difficult to focus on learning. * our emotional state affects our ability to pay attention. * learning are optimal when you're able to relax and yet alert. playful baby has been fed, changed, and napped. - personalize, kids love to see or hear their own name. child is interested in the story if you change the main character to her name.

- change the focus from what my child cannot do, to what i can do to influence my child's ability to reach the developmental milestone.

- infant: when awake, face to face time singing and talking. eye contact and eye movement. baby imitate you. point and label objects. high contrast colors (red, yellow, black and white). use mobile.

- baby: face to face time when talking. change/rotate toys. say "watch" to observe an action to start cue her to pay attention, then use quiet voice to encourage baby's attention. 1 variable at one time (ie group by color - different colors, same size and shape).

- toddler: eye level eye contact, roll a ball to encourage visual tracking and eye-hand coordination, point objects, ask about items in the book, enunciate new word clearly, when toddler is alert use those time for deliberate interactions (i.e. read), rotate toys for novelty, say "watch" to observe action, use quiet voice to gain attention, 2 variable at one time (i.e. group by color, different size or shapes), use massage to refocus, use red/green light to foster inhibitory control.

- if you bottle feed, switch side like you're breastfeeding. a well formed corpus callosum allows for better integration of the information processed in both the left and right hemispheres. and lock eyes with baby, eye gaze. softly talk or whisper to the baby. stroke baby's hand, arm, body, etc. for that connection and bonding.

- monkey see, monkey do. baby naturally mirror you. i.e. you wave good bye, the baby learns to imitate. ie. you point a board book and read, the child may imitate.

- eye contact is important - social skills, communication, and behavior.

- better language scores: label objects, point as you read, notice sounds you hear.

- play is a child's work. play is the way the children learn.

i'll continue later...

What are 14 Super Foods?

2009-08-02T22:28:00.002-05:00

SuperFoods Rx: Fourteen Foods That Will Change Your Life

Beans
Blueberries
Broccoli
Oats
Oranges
Pumpkin
Salmon
Soy
Spinach
Tea
Tomatoes
Turkey
Walnuts
Yogurt

Will You Be There

2009-07-08T14:23:00.003-05:00

In Our Darkest Hour
In My Deepest Despair
Will You Still Care?
Will You Be There?
In My Trials
And My Tribulations
Through Our Doubts
And Frustrations
In My Violence
In My Turbulence
Through My Fear
And My Confessions
In My Anguish And My Pain
Through My Joy And My Sorrow
In The Promise Of Another Tomorrow
I'll Never Let You Part
For You're Always In My Heart.

~ Michael Jackson

Educational TV = Good!

2009-05-18T08:54:00.006-05:00

I read that TV is bad for the baby because they need the human interactions. Well, I've been with my child 24/7 for almost two years now and I found that educational TV is actually very good for my kid and for my sanity. We do book reading throughout the day and my child receives lots of human interactions. When we do watch TV, we have an overhead projector so it's better for her eyes, or we use flatscreen or a dvd player. She is learning her alphabets from watching The Letter Factory by the Leap Frogs and she learned how to sign what she needs by watching the Baby Signing Time borrowed from the library.
Before, my child did not like to sit in the car seat and it was a torture to get her buckled into the seat. Now she loves to sit there. Without her shows by her high chair, my child played with food, made a mess and did not eat much, but now her mess is not as bad and she eats lots of food that her poop is gigantic. She's learning words and songs. Sometimes if I need to cook dinner, the show may keep her entertained for a little bit, then she wants to come play with me which is dangerous by the stove. Overall, I think educational TV (sensor the messages on the shows) has lots of benefits if the TV screen is not damaging to their eyes.

Happy 1st Mother's Day!

2009-05-10T16:49:00.007-05:00

Happy first Mother's Day!
I tried to give Jasmine a hug and she tried to suck on me instead. LOL

Singing & Dancing

We picked up a lot of skills since then. Singing, dancing. we learned through trials and errors what works for us and what works for her. different tricks we learned from other parents, from reading and from our instincts.

Even though we can't sing a tune (Simon from American Idol will probably say so), we had to learn to sing nursery songs for Jasmine. She seems to calm down better when there are songs. We didn't know that many songs, so we kept singing ABC song. So we borrowed nursery songs CD from the public library. We played for her in the car and it seemed to work. We also placed a smiley face toy with lights that she loves. Between the nursery songs, smiley toy, and toy bar, she's not as fussy in the car, but she still doesn't like the car seat.

We also had to dance for her when she's on the swing to entertain her when she's fussy.

Baby Spa Treatments

We gave her spa treatments. She got manicure and pedicure. we got the baby nail clipper and had to cut her nails carefully so not to cut her little fingers. She sure is pampered :)

Still looking good?

I noticed I'm starting to look like one of the mom with messy hair and bag under eyes. I used to look at least decent when I go out. boohoohoo :( Now I get zits all over my face and no time to put on facial creams and SPF lotions. I'll be lucky if I have time to take a shower, brush my teeth, brush my hair, slap some facial cream on. Quick shower IS good during water shortage. I didn't understand how it can be until now I'm it. I'm taking care of Jasmine from morning to night, breastfeeding her non stop, I can't be out of her sight. I guess I'll be so lucky to walk around and have my nipple tuck in :)

One has to be mentally and physically ready to have a baby. Someone told us we picked a good time. we had traveled, had some fun. we're okay financially. we're more mature. our marriage has been through rough times. (having a baby is stressful to a marriage. humor really helped. like any marriage, communicate the expectations. know our priorities. stay focus). Physically, it's exhausting to take care of this little person. feeding, soothing the cries, at the end of the day, I just pass out on the sofa. How life have changed after the baby, but I would do it again to have Jasmine...

Travel with a Baby

2009-04-30T08:29:00.013-05:00

Baby Jasmine would not sit still and wanted to touch every unsanitized things. Get lots of tricks in your bag -- favorite small toys she hasn't play for a while, snacks, baby signing time DVD (borrowed from the library) although the headphone was a little too big for her head :) change of shirt for all in case spillage. Family with kids can usually go to the faster security line. Bring birth certificate with you and passport if you're leaving the country. since we didn't have to pay for the baby seat for the domestic flight, I reserved window seat (nursing privacy) and my husband got the aisle seat (not many people want the middle seat). Once we got the last row, even more privacy next to the window and closer to the bathroom; more jet noise, but it was convenient when it was time to change poopy diaper. check seatguru.com for the best airplane seats. have a fun trip!

Airline and Fares

For Southwest Airline, child over 14 days and under 2 years of age, not occupying a seat, may be carried free when traveling with an adult. airport staff will ensure compliance with this regulation, so be sure to bring a copy of your baby's birth certificate for age verification.
boarding pass is not needed, but obtain a Boarding Verification Document to board the aircraft at the Ticket Counter or departure gate on the day of travel. If the plane is not full, you can use the car seat and occupy a seat for free. If the plane is full, you'll have to check in the car seat at the gate that count as one of your baggage allowed. If you don't want to risk it and want to reserve a seat, you can call them and request an infant fare and see if it's cheaper than your fare. Google: children ticket airline X, to see the rules applied to your airline. For international flights, depends on the airline, lap babies may cost 10% of the adult fare and infants in seat cost 75% of the fare. once they hit 2, it's considered full fare.

Pick a Seat

Use http://www.seatguru.com to check if the seat is good by mouse over the seat.

Did you know only certain car seats are FAA approved? but most of the new ones are approved child safety seat.

Ears Popping!
Be sure to feed the baby during take off and landing to relieve ear pressure.

Pack Light!
Packing list for baby on board the plane

More of Baby Jetsetter's tips!

Still have to go through the Security.
TSA Info - traveling with children
From TSA - we will not ask you to do anything that will separate you from your child or children.

Medications, baby formula and food, breast milk, and juice are allowed in reasonable quantities exceeding three ounces and are not required to be in the zip-top bag. Declare these items for inspection at the checkpoint. Click here to learn more about 3-1-1

All items including formula, breast milk, and juice will be inspected, however, you or your infant or toddler will not be asked to test or taste breast milk, formula, or juice. Our Security Officers may test liquid exemptions (exempt items more than 3 ounces) for explosives.

IKEA is finally coming to Tampa! Yay!

2009-04-28T14:40:00.000-05:00

Grand opening - May 6, 2009 at 9:00 am
http://ikea-usa.com/tampa

IKEA Tampa blog

Long Longevity

2009-04-19T03:58:00.005-05:00

After watching several news and shows, seems like the secrets to long longevity like Okinawa folks are
- nutrient-rich, low-calorie diet.
- low in fat.
- low sugar.
- high grains.
- lots of green vege and sweet potatoes.
- eat only 80% full.
- body movement from work or exercise.
- supportive network of family and friends. happy life =)

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Okinawa_diet

fat soluble vitamins stay in the body, can lead to toxicity

2009-04-19T03:47:00.019-05:00

Take vitamins with care and watch daily recommended dosage.

Please watch the amount of fat soluble vitamins (A, D, E & K) with care. it is stored in the body and can lead to toxicity. not to exceed 100% of daily recommended dosage, and depends on what you eat in your diet.

Following is from my pharmacist friend:
"Regarding your question about vitamins, I don't think it matters on what brand of vitamins that you take. It is more important on the amount and which vitamins. I always tell my patients that just because it is vitamins or herbals (natural), it is not always safe. Not all excess vitamins are been eliminate in the urine, some vitamins are fat soluble and it stays in the body thus it can lead to toxicity. If you have any question, ask the pharmacists near you. They can help you pick the right vitamins for you. By the way, do take extra 1000mg of Calcium for your bone. "

Babies need some sun exposure for Vitamin D.

The amount of vitamin D in human milk is small: 20-136 IU/liter in mothers who are not vitamin D deficient. However, the vitamin D in human milk is in a form that is very easily used by the baby and therefore adequate for most infants, when combined with a small amount of sun exposure.

From kellymom.com: Infants (0-12 months) should not exceed 1,000 IU per day.

Anyone aged 1-50 years should not exceed 2,000 IU per day.

Some say breastfeeding babies need extra vitamin D, some say it's not true... another example of conflicting and confusing breastfeeding info.

The American Academy of Pediatrics said:

Why is it necessary to give vitamin D supplements to my breastfeeding baby? Doesn’t human milk have all the essential nutrients for babies?
human milk does not contain enough vitamin D to prevent rickets. Sunlight is the usual source of vitamin D production in the skin. You should give the drops once a day, every day. But, if you forget one day, it is all right. The vitamin D is stored in the baby and there will be enough in the baby’s body to prevent rickets.

a lactation counselor said to me that this study was conducted on a group of women who do not have healthy diet. Looks like at long as baby and me go out at least 24 min/day or about 3 hours/week to get sunlight exposure needed to achieve adequate vitamin D status, then we're good. FDA increased vitamin D dosage to 1,000 IUs Daily, since it helps with calcium absorption.

I wasn't sure if the prenatal vitamins, DHA supplements, Viactiv calcium + vit D & K, baby's polyvisol vitamins, and the food I eat are too much. My family physician said depends on my diet that day. If I meet the daily nutrition intake, I can adjust the dosage as needed.

I like my friend's advise, just follow your instinct no matter what anyone else says, and you'll be fine.

Breastmilk provides healthier baby.

Speaking of breastfeeding, this video really helps when I was having latching problem in the beginning.

i found my breastfeeding class really helpful. like hold your boob like a sandwich LOL :) but the nurses at the hospital were really helpful and they had lactation counselors to come and help whenever i ask for them. get as much brown part in baby's mouth as possible. sometimes i had to push the baby's head in. as soon as the mouth is open up.

Start breastfeeding as soon as the baby is out of your womb (and chest to chest skin contact!), because the breast milk will start producing the more baby sucks at your nipple. and the baby is more efficient at sucking than the breastpump. You're not supposed to get a lot in the beginning and that's okay. it's packed with good stuff. If the baby needs to be in NICU, use or borrow hospital's breast pump, because if you don't do it within 2 days, your milk supply will stop and it's really hard to restart!! I wish they tell patients that in the hospital, because a lot of new moms don't know and think they don't have enough of milk. drink warm soup to help the blood circulate around your chest. and keep hydrated - ask your family to always give you something to drink when you breastfeed.

I heard it's possible to restart lactating with medication, but it'll be another challenge on top of all others you have to do. Breastfeeding is not easy and it helps to have support and guidance. I got advise from my local La Leche League lead (I attended LLL meeting prior to birth and it helped to establish a group prior to delivery). Don't be afraid to ask LLL leaders and various lactation counselors for help. breastfeeding was not as easy as it seemed and it helps to have support and guidance.
La Leche (donation accepted) 24 hrs helpline 877-452-5324

my local community family support center offers lactation counselors for free. Latching may hurt a little in the beginning, but you and the baby are trying to find the nursing position that works for both of you. try all different holding positions. New moms, don't give up and don't let anyone tell you your milk is not enough or good, because it will be plenty the more baby sucks and the healthier you eat. The bonding and the nutrients for healthy baby are worth it. I just love holding Jasmine and have her eyes looking at me and her little hands on me. oh get a pacifier ready in the hospital too. and cute outfit for the photo :)

However, if you can't breastfeed for whatever reason, don't worry, my neighbor a devoted mom had to formula feed her children, but they grew up tall and healthy.

Please be kind to pregnant women when traveling

2009-04-09T12:14:00.006-05:00

After reading Heather's dooce blog (I wonder how many more hits do I need to get $40k of ads income... LOL) when she was traveling via air and seven months pregnant, reminded me when I went on a business trip for a week and I was about 6 months pregnant (or week 25). I had a big belly then. Although I only had a carry on and a laptop bag, but I was dragging my feet. I asked if the airline stewardess would help me lift up the carry on in the compartment, she replied, no, it's not my job, it's someone else, and I injuried my wrist (yet she did not find that someone else). And in the return trip, another airline stewardess looked at me and turned around before I can ask her. What happened to the customer service?? It's like night and day when flying airlines from other countries. I wish it's the other way around. The airline executives must have squeezed all the benefits out of their employees. In turns, I worry about the air travel safety. The pilot, Chesley "Sully" Sullenberger, who performed the miracle landing on Hudson river after the bird strike testified on Capital Hill and indicated that professional airline pilots' pay and benefits were cut severly and jeopardize the quality of future airline pilots who sign up. Short sighted executives drive up the stock price to earn their million dollar bonus is another problem in our financial business system similar to the financial meltdown.

2 months update

2009-04-06T08:14:00.014-05:00

Moms need to support each other more

Moms set expectations too high - the guest speaker on Oprah says, "mothers need to know that if they can't do it all—or if they don't want to—that doesn't make them failures. We need honesty. We need to support each other more."

Marriage after baby

Having a baby is a joyful occasion, but the tension of baby crying and the increase stress can be hard on marriage. this article says the more you had, the more you feel like you lost. i guess that's the silver lining. i found it was easy to get frustrated and yell at each other when baby is crying. as we find tricks to keep baby happy through trials and errors, we figured out each other roles and responsibilities, along with laughing therapy by watching comedy shows like 3 and half men or friends to keep the humor going. we also have date nights at home, rent movies and reconnect with each other. then we can relax and go back to pamper each other like king and queen. we can experience the joy of parenthood and the smiley giggle baby.

New Moms Group

After spending hours searching through the Internet for new mom support, I found talking with new moms are more therapeutic! it's more effective and more rewarding *talking* with various new moms. we can empathize with each other and share tips, and just develop friendship and allow baby to learn social skills. You can find a New Mom's group at the hospital, in your neighborhood/community, Baby & Me class at the local family support center sponsored by the county, or the public library programs.

From other moms, I learned

- how to remove baby poop stains: you can remove poop stains using Dreft stain remover spray. I found it at the baby section in Walmart. don't let the fabric dry or it'll be more difficult to remove the stain.

- use breast milk to clear up eye infections. Apparently there are well-documented clinical results.

- play classical music and multilingual: when babies are born, their brains take in the sounds of all languages. as they grow, their brains pay attention to only the sounds of languages they hear most often. If your child hears the languages regularly, his/her brain will be able to learn to speak with the accent of a native speaker. i heard multilingual babies take longer to start talking but will catch up eventually. it also helps to start reading books early on.

- body after delivery - we still can't fit in our old clothes (even though i lost the pregnancy weight very quicky. baby Jasmine is helping me lose weight by nursing all the time). i have a belly and bigger bust. it took 9 months to have big belly, it's going to take time to have a tone tummy. Mederma cream is good to reduce stretch marks. Motherhood Maternity is still my favorite store in the mall with nursing clothes and comfortable elastic shorts. and their fitting room is breastfeeding welcome. since i'm breastfeeding, i'm still eating for two, hungry all the time, drink lots of simply orange/apple juice, need to keep replenish my fluid to prevent constipation, and need to continue taking pre-natal vitamins and Viactiv for calcium supplement.

You can have big boobies if you're breastfeeding :) but it leaks all the time. Just place in Lansinoh nursing pad. I found a bra that I like with buttons in the middle so the fabric is not in the way of feeding. you should try out the bra in person since your bust size is so different now. I heard Target also has nursing tanks. I found a nursing sleep bra very comfortable. it maybe out of stock at certain Target, so select the product and click on "find it at a Target store" to check the inventory closest to you.

- free "Will & Trust Kit" from Suze Orman
enter gift code = peoplefirst

- Homemade Baby Food. Making your own baby food when baby is ready to eat.

- Baby massage helps with gassy and colic baby and help baby sleep better. I L U technique. you can use cold pressed oil like grapeseed oil natural ingredient if you want to stay away from products with chemicals.

- Reading and talking to you baby. I notice Jasmine would look at my lip and see how the sounds are formed. On another note, study found that children whose parent often talked to them about people's feelings, beliefs, wants and intentions developed better social understanding.

Jasmine & Us

2009-03-26T10:22:00.002-05:00

March 10, 2009 - After weeks of wrestling with the newborn, we the new parents, finally had a chance to look decent and took some pictures with baby Jasmine past weekend. We learned how to differentiate her cries (hunger or uncomfortable) to better know how to sooth her. We also discovered swing and rocking motions. She started to smile this week :)

Infant & Toddler CPR

2009-03-09T13:58:00.000-05:00

What to do is a baby is choking
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8akd_ooWcnM&feature=related

Infant CPR - Choking Part 1
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=f5FFBSh366E&feature=related
Infant CPR - Choking Part 2
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=uHOpwlFWU8Q&feature=related
Infant CPR - Choking Part 3
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qFT-BWDEYWM&feature=related

Toddler CPR - Choking Part 1
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kOWwyJEFiPo&feature=channel_page
Toddler CPR - Choking Part 2
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Z0JRh5RHklY&feature=related

Our Birth Story - baby Jasmine

2009-02-04T16:24:00.058-05:00

During majority of my pregnancy, I had normal one. Yeah, I got the aches and pains, regular pregnancy discomforts, but overall it was normal... until the very end.....

I started to get rashes on my tummy, then it spread to my legs and arms. It itched like crazy!!! After research on the Internet, we found it's a rare pregnancy rash called PUPPP. The doctor recommended Benadryl, but it only worked for a day. I even tried lots of benadryl cream and hydrocortisone cream with aloe, but none of them worked.

I was getting desperate. My doula recommended dandelion root herb. My doctor didn't think herb is a good idea. But none of the doctors' recommendation worked! My good hubby did more research on the Internet and found that dandelion root worked for many pregnant women. Even still, we waited out, but it was getting to the point where I scratch myself that it started to bleed. So we tried the dandelion root herb and in a few days the rashes and itches became less. What a relieve! My obgyn said at the weekly checkup, oh seems like it's getting better, we just smiled. Seems like the doctors don't know how to cure this condition, since there isn't much funding to research this rare condition.

More info on PUPPP:
http://pregnancy.about.com/b/2010/01/08/puppps-in-pregnancy.htm
http://www.tcinternet.net/users/kritzerburke/naomi/PUPPP.htm http://www.cynicalmom.com/2005/11/no_puppps_with_.html http://www.bbc.co.uk/dna/h2g2/A2829297
Many sufferers have reported complete elimination of the rash by taking dandelion root herbs - either as tea or in capsule form. Dandelion root is a herbal remedy that acts by cleansing the liver and ridding the body of bile acids (often the very cause of the itch). Sufferers have taken up to six capsules per day (three in the morning and three in the evening) and reported how the lesions have completely disappeared within five to seven days. Please note, dandelion contains a high level of vitamin A and high levels of this may be harmful to your growing baby, particularly in the first trimester of pregnancy.

I made sure this natural herb is organic. For ones who think I'm not being a good mother for taking the dandelion root, you wouldn't want to wish this condition on your worst enemy! It was a torture. I wouldn't have take it if it wasn't causing me to go insane. pediatrician said our baby is in the 95 percentile and healthy with apgar score of 8/9 out of 10, so i'm not worried.

I would think the prescription drugs that the doctors gave me are more serious. In the "complete book of breastfeeding" by Dr. Eiger and Sally Olds, there's a section on drugs during childbirth. Many women use epidurals, pain killers, and antibiotics after c-section. the book stated that you have to weigh the relative risks and benefits of pain relief. If you're in so much pain during childbirth that you're worn out and overstressed, your ability to nurse will be affected. keeping down the amount you take minimizes the risk. the book also stated that whenever possible, it's better to continue breastfeeding than to wean your baby prematurely because you are taking a drug that might harm your baby. early weaning deprives the baby of the benefits of breastfeeding. also to take the medicine immediately after a feeding and to delay the next feeding as long as you can so that the medicine will have as much time as possible to work its way through your system before the baby's next nursing. meanwhile, watch your baby closely for any unusual symptoms - fever, sleepiness, vomiting, unusual crying, loss of appetite, diarrhea, rash, irritability, etc. Call the pediatrician if you notice these signs.

The zits I had for a year also started to disappear too. Then I realized I've been having liver problem since a year ago, probably due to stress. I sought dermatologist's recommendation before regarding my zits and they were going to give me more med, which could make it worse! Good thing I didn't take their med since I was planning to have a baby.

I also found the Sarna lotion really help relieve the itch temporary. at least to keep me sane for the moment.

That whole PUPPP experience was really stressful and my body was tired. But my mom came and it was really nice to have her here since I couldn't do much in my condition.

Then on Sat. end of week 38, I had heavy bleeding when I went to the bathroom, and part of it was mucus like. I guess it was the mucus plug coming off. It didn't bleed as much afterwards, just a little, and the contractions were not consistent, so the doctor wasn't worried. Apparently it doesn't mean the labor start right away when the mucus plug is loose and it can take days or week. So I would bleed a little and more mucus came off, more braxton hicks contractions (it feels like a bad cramps and period). I could feel that I'm dilating and effacing.

Few days later at the doctors weekly appointment on Wed. week 39, I was 1.5 cm dilated, 75% effaced, -1 station. it's good to hear I'm making progress after all these efforts. The doctor thought I could deliver by end of the week, but we made an appointment for next week just in case.

The expected due date on Sunday (week 39) came and went, we tried to be as patient as we can, realized the baby comes whenever she's ready. we tried to walk around the neighborhood and stores (went to Costco and Baby R Us), thumb sucking, and nipple stimulation, to speed up the delivery. but it was a wait and see game.

At the doctors weekly appointment on Wed. week 40, I was 3 cm dilated, 90% effaced, -1 station. The doctor thinks it can be any day now. The baby's heart beat was good. My tummy was big, but it was big throughout the whole process.

Then the cold snap came in Florida and it was really cold (by Florida's standard and many crops and plants were damaged), I got a light fever. It didn't go pass 100 degrees, but it was a fever nonetheless and it didn't help with my condition. I took Tylenol, it was on the approved list for pregnant women, regularly to reduce the fever. Good thing I didn't have a fever anymore when it was time to go to the hospital.

More and more braxton hicks contractions on Thurs and Friday of week 40, nothing consistent, but still painful. hubby would give me back massage and counter pressure to help with the back ache. I did a lot of pelvic rock, hands and knees to try to get the baby in the right position for labor. I was trying to do all the things we learned at the birthing classes.

After midnight, Saturday morning, the contractions were starting to get regular. hubby draw a picture of lotus flower to help me visualize and meditate to relax and be less painful. then during the day, we thought we were going to the hospital soon. Loaded our luggages and baby seat. but the contractions were all over the place, nothing consistent. we reported progress with our doula. no hospital yet. I had contractions throughout Sat. night, my hubby was trying to keep track of them. I did some pelvic rocks, lounges, watched Seinfeld, took a shower to relax. we managed to get a few hours of sleep.

on Sunday, week 40 (lunar new year eve), it's now a week after the expected due date, I continued to have contraction throughout. In the wee early morning, my body was shaking. I could feel the pressure on my pelvic. Hubby took my temperature, it was high, but not over 100, so I took a tylenol. I had a lot of back pain and hubby was giving me counter pressures. I continued to do pelvic rocks and lounges. I got sharp pains in the afternoon on Sunday. Phone calls and e-mails were coming in to see if the baby is here yet. but I was trying to focus on the breathing and the contractions. We checked in with doula, no hospital yet, the contractions were not close enough. I continued to get some red mucus plug here and there, and i thought my body was making progress, slowly.

In the late afternoon, it was more of the same. contractions, pelvic rock, ate something and drink to replenish my fluid. It was intense at times. then I must have hit the natural alignment plateau, because the pain was less and I can talk and smile a little bit. My doula called to check on me, she said to call her if the contractions are closer together. Then, right after the phone call, the contractions started to get really really strong, and I was on hands and knees doing pelvic rock and yelling out I want epidural!! hubby quickly called our doula and she was on her way. apparently she was waiting for me to get to this point when i ask for drugs. i wanted the intense pain to go away, so i started a warm bath. my water hadn't broken yet. the water really helped with the pain, i wanted to deliver in the water. but it's not allowed at the hospital.

the doula came quickly but the bath was feeling so good that my contraction stopped. she said that they usually don't start the bath this early. so we went to take a walk around the neighborhood slowly to get the contractions back. i walked for about every 10-20 steps, then I got the contraction pains. I lend my body against hubby and rock my pelvis. neighbors were looking at us with concern. it was getting dark, so we headed back home, had some dinner at 7 pm, and called my OB office. I tested positive for the Group B Strep, they needed time to inject dosage, so more reason to start going to the hospital now. Dr. M was on called that night. with 3-4 minutes of contractions apart, he sent us to the hospital.

We had 2 medium sized suitecased packed already, one for items we need during the labor, the other is for items we need during recovery. We went through the check list and packed up whatever we still needed. We got Gatorade ice chips, and hubby got lots of drinks ready in the cooler. My mom and doula followed us to the hospital. I had a big pad on my seat just in case my water break. i heard amniotic fluid doesn't smell too good in the car :) Luckily UCH is only 10 minutes away, down the street. My contraction was coming so I face backward, got on my knees on the seat and lean on the head rest to continue my deep breathing and telling myself to relax.

When we got to the hospital on Sunday night, they sent me up to get my health insurance info (it helps if you pre-register before hand) and to the triage to check on my condition first. I took doula with me, while hubby and mom waited in the lobby. i got undressed and put on the hospital gown. the nurse took my urine sample, asked some questions, checked my cervix, reviewed my birth plan, admitted me in to a delivery room, and sent up my hubby and mom. All the nurses and staffs at UCH were just excellent. The pm nurse Claudette was so sweet and attentive. even though she was supportive of our birthing plan, she had to check with Dr. M if I can drink fluid throughout.

Regarding the birth plan, we made sure we reviewed it with all of the OB doctors in the practice before hand and got their okay since we didn't know who will be on call when the baby comes. One of the thing I requested in the birth plan was allow to drink fluid, and Dr. M didn't object about this before, but on that day, he told the nurse he had trouble with it before during a surgery. Well, I was allowed ice chips, and nurse allowed me to have gatorade ice chips as well, so I can't help the form changes and ice melted. So hubby gave me straw to drink to keep me hydrated. Actually, when I got to the hospital, when the nurse put in the heplock IV in back of my hand, she couldn't find my veins because I was so dehydrated during the contractions. the needle hurts like hell on back of my hand. I was trying to meditate and relax so it won't hurt as much. I thought I was drinking enough, but I guess not (they don't put IV inside the elbow area where they usually draw the blood so that when it comes time to push, it won't be in the way.)

Next few hours were a blur. I recalled doula telling me I'm doing a great job, and letting me know when the contraction is coming down, which was just music to my ears. She knew all the right thing to say and gave me support throughout the night. I liked the room dim and quiet, so I can focus on my breathing. Doula recommended during the contractions, I squat down to open up my pelvis. At the end of each contraction, my hubby gave me some water to drink to keep me hydrated. We were working as a team. i was breathing a lot through the labor and got very thirsty. it was a repeated cycle - contraction coming, breathe, pain, oh screamed, prayed, squatted, contraction peaked, came down, got some ice chips or fluid through straws. when i was not squatting, i would lean on piles of pillows. every time when i moved, the fetal monitor can't stay still in a place and doula helped by finding the baby's heart beat again. we wished someone would invent a better monitor. I got so tired I actually slept through some big contractions. strangely i wasn't in pain when i was sleeping. it was such a good pain reliever.

I got up couple of times to go to the bathroom, and my hubby wheeled the IV stand. I got the room with a bath tub and water jets, but the bathroom didn't look too clean and i wasn't sure if the jet was sanitized and the tub was a regular rectangle tube, not the big comfortable one, so i never used their bath tub to keep me comfortable.

I had the hospital robe on and I was bleeding here and there. They gave me a big pad to wear and a sexy netted underwear where they can cut through quickly if needed. other than drinks, we bought some snacks like cookies for nurses and support people to keep their energy going. i think sun chips would have been a good choice as well. they had the birthing ball at the hospital, but I was feeling pressure down there and didn't want to sit on the ball.

Dr. M came to check on me a few times. I wasn't making progress, but we asked for more time. It's either he's a jerk or he had a bad night. He was very condescending, even the nurse and doula thought so, but I just ignored him. We knew from talking with him before that he's going to be trouble, good thing he's not my regular OB doctor. By early Monday dawn, I still wasn't making progress, so he offered pitocin or break the bag of water. We decided to break the water, and the warm water was just gushing out of me. It felt interesting, like I never felt before, but the water had meconium which was a concern.

The sun was coming up. we could see the sunshine coming through the windows. It was Monday morning. I contracted some more, but it was time to change the shift. Yeah, no more Dr. M. I was trying to look sad. I didn't have a good impression of the male OB doctors anymore after these experience. They just don't know what women are going through and they just followed the text book answers, or react to their previous bad experiences.

Monday morning Jan. 26th, the nurse shift also changed. I didn't realize my sense of smell was really intense. The new nurse had some perfume on and was bothering me so much while I was trying to focus on my contractions. Apparently, the heightened sense of smell is another sign of labor.

Dr. S came in later, my regular OB doctor. she said that I waited for her. I guess we all did. the baby waited until the first day of lunar new year of Ox. Ox like my hubby. Dr. S checked my cervix, still no progress, but she gave us some time. By then, I was contracting for so long and so tired, in so much pain, I was looking like a mad woman and pulling my hair. I kept thinking about the epidural, but we had a goal of natural delivery for the benefit of the baby. it was so difficult. after such a long labor, contracting for a few days!!! 60+ hours of contractions. the baby was still at -1 station and 6 cm dilated, and not making progress. I'm not even at the transition stage, which is supposed to be the hardest part!!! I was tired mentally and physically after such a long time. I'm not sure if it's because I was too tired and my uterus was exhausted from working for a few days, my contraction started to slow down to every 5-8 minutes again. I thought of a very good friend's advise that I didn't have to be a super woman, and I broke down, said this is just inhumane, cried, sobbed, and asked the nurse for the epidural. My hubby actually sobbed with me seeing that I was in so much pain, for so long. The nurse got the anaesthesiologist and he came quickly. I was afraid that I'll move during the contraction, doula was helping me hold still. i wanted to know when the anaesthesiologist is going to start and to time it when my contraction ends. as i was talking, the anaesthesiologist said he's done. the anaesthesiologist was very good and quick. I didn't feel anything really. I didn't even know he was working on me and next thing I know he was done. I asked for the lightest dosage to start with and i was in heaven...

They injected pitocin to speed things up since the water had meconium, and the baby could be in distress. i slept through the contractions and didn't really feel anything. Dr. S came to check on me again and I still wasn't making progress!! still at -1 station and only 6 cm dilated. on the contrary, the baby's heart beat kept going down to a really dangerous level that they had to stop the pitocin. Dr. S recommended that I get a c-section! just what we wanted to avoid! She gave us 10 mins to think about it. Luckily the am shift nurse Valerie was very good at explaining. She showed us the my stats and explained the facts. I didn't want an emergency c-section and I knew that this was the only way out after few days working at this! So I agreed. My hubby was in disbelieve what was happening, but he agreed as well.

The whole c-section process was very quick and all of the staffs were very professional and very attentive. I was very impressed with UCH. My hubby put on the surgery gown and got his camera to capture the moments. We had the cord bank kit as well. They checked three times to make sure the anaesthetic worked before they start. I was feeling good and we chatted with the anaesthetic nurse to distract our minds. She gave us the progress and made sure I was doing okay. Dr. P was also there to assist which was good. I knew I was in good hands. Next thing I heard the doctors grunted trying to get something big out and telling Wesley to get his camera ready. The doctors yelled out that it was a big baby and she was facing up (instead of facing my spine for better delivery). Apparently, she was a big baby (almost 10 lbs) that she just couldn't move down. I guess the pelvic rock didn't really help with this one. the doctor thought she was about 8 lbs, but it was a guess and didn't realize she's almost 10 lbs. I wished they could've done an ultrasound to determine the size of the baby first. it was a BIG baby. even though I was trying not to eat too much, either I was eating too healthy or the baby absorbed the nutrition very well. the whole c-section process was only one hour and i had the epidural for only about two hours.

looking back, i think overall, even though it was as traumatic as my body can take, I think we made the right decisions. my friend's advise was in my mind that I didn't have to be a super woman, we knew many people who had c-section and they were okay, and i didn't want the doctor to have to perform an emergency c-section and jeopardize our lives. later during the recovery, couple of nurses told me that they had a big baby and got tore up pretty bad down there and I didn't want that! both baby and I are doing as well as can be expected. i'm slowly recuperating from the cuts, and it's getting better every day and thank goodness my mom was here to help! i'm truly truly blessed to have all the supports that I received throughout this whole experience.

OB doctor let hubby took pictures of our newborn in the surgery room. As soon as she was born, she cried and had tears. She came out at 40th week, full term baby. As soon as I saw her, I was in tears too. Happy ones. I heard the doctors went through a checklist to make sure they didn't leave any instruments inside of me. Good practice! Check out Oprah's 8 Ways to Avoid Medical Mistakes - Dr. Oz's Smart Patient Checklist!

We moved up to the recovery room from the delivery room. the nurse bathed the baby. and we started the journey to learn how to be a first time parent. i was in bed most of the time recuperating, and Wesley had the guest bed, but we didn't sleep much during the first few days to take care of the new born. Hubby was so helpful throughout. He learned from the nurse how to change the diapers. i read in the Baby 411 book to bring baby wipes. The hospital does provide dry wipe (but you have to wet first) and diapers (Pampers Swaddlers are the best. The blue line shows that the baby peed and we had to keep track of when the baby pooped, peed, and ate how much). We learned so much from the nurses. the experienced helpful nurses were the best. We were trying to figure out why was the baby crying, how to hold the baby, how to feed the baby, etc. It's not the same when you get a live baby versus practice on a doll.

I learned that I had to take advantage of the nurse button while we're in the hospital, when we had no idea why the baby is still crying or to ask for the lactation counselors whenever we needed help. I had to remember to ask for the pain killer med every four hours. they won't give them to me unless i ask.

Because the baby was so big, the colostrum wasn't enough to fill her tummy. we were afraid that she'll get confused with the different sucking motion between nipple and bottle like some books advise. but she kept crying for food, so we fed her Enfamil Lipil and she was content. Later talking with my sister in law, that's the best formula to use since it's closest to breast milk. We found our baby was still able to breastfeed and supplement with formula until more milk arrives. She was so big that the hospital hat didn't fit her, Wesley had to go back home and bring some bigger sized cloth to fit her.

The hospital food was just okay (at UCH, call ext. 51294 to request for special meals). i couldn't eat on the day after c-section, i can only take liquid until i pass gas. i was so dehydrated, so i drank the juice at the hospital, but it was still too much and I threw up. the bucket they used to bath your baby is yours to keep and it came in handy.

after walking around slooowly around the hallway and passing gas, i was able to eat soft food, but the hospital didn't give me much soft food to eat! so my hubby ate most of my dinner. i had some mash potatoe and banana. well good thing i wasn't hungry then. the next day, i was getting hungry and the nurse allowed me to start eating, yeah! and good thing my mom bought in some yummy food to keep our energy going.

the hospital had good medical staff, but it was no Marriott. the shower was kind of yucky and no light in the shower. good thing i packed flip flop, hair blow dryer, tooth brush, tooth paste, hair brush, hair piece to tie up hair, change cloth for hubby, small blanket for the hubby during bedtime (hospital provided sheets and pillows for us, and blanket for me), light jacket, baby clothes and swaddle, baby car seat (installed), bath towels, shampoo for me, straws, cell phone charger, digital camera, pen & notepad to keep track of things, boppy pillow which was very helpful during feeding. UCH has wireless internet connection, so it was nice to have a laptop with us.

I had a bandage on my suture. Dr. Y, another male doctor was going to tear it off, but I said no, it'll hurt. I'll do it later. The nurse eventually wanted me to remove it so that it can get some air and heal better. The nurse gave me the tip that when I shower, rub some soap and water, it'll remove easier and won't hurt as much. I couldn't see over my tummy, so hubby had to help me with that one. Another example that male doctor never experience something like this and has no idea what woman are going through and how to comfort the patient, just the text book answers.

Before we leave the hospital on Thursday, they had to remove the staples. I was kind of scared, but the nurse said it was no worse than getting needle shots. I made sure I took some pain killer. the nurse was very gentle and it wasn't bad at all.

The hardest part of c-section recovery were breastfeeding, taking care of baby, and still handling the pain from the cuts and uterus contracting back. The doctor recommended that I rest a lot and not do much. Thank goodness I had hubby and mom around. My mom offered to take care of the baby at night so we can get a good night sleep, oh my god! it made such a difference!! Talk about lack of sleep, the first day back home, hubby went to CVS to fill the prescription for my pain killer med, and due to lack of sleep, he ran a red light! thank goodness nothing happened.

After the PUPPP experience, you think I can escape the itchiness. The PUPPP itchiness went away, however, I had allergic reaction to the med or the pain killer that I was taking. I was either suffering from the pain or the itchiness, and it was driving me crazy. My legs and arms must look horrible, plus the stretch marks on my tummy. My body really took the bruise and the beating. Dr. recommended to stop the prescribed pain killer and antibiotic med all together. So back to Sarna lotion and trying to detox my body. The first two weeks were the hardest, but it got easier day by day. Don't give up on the breastfeed, keep at it. Plum juice is supposed to help regulate digestion. and drink plenty of fluid especially when you breastfeed.

I was also suffering from worrying that I'm not providing the baby enough breast milk. it just didn't come fast enough to feed her hungry stomach. and trying to get the latch thing going... all the expectations and trying to do what's right at the same time recoup from c-section were just overwhelming.

I'm feeling better day by day and Jasmine is such a good baby. She's very healthy and well developed at 95 percentile. She can already move her arms with good coordination and try to hold the bottle to her mouth. She can really eat! we can't feed her fast enough and when she's hungry, she gets really, really mad. She already outgrow many of the clothes. Her pediatrician said she's big now, but that doesn't mean she'll stay like that when she grows up.

The whole experience was still surreal and I couldn't believe it. The most most essential thing is the safe delivery of the baby and well being of the mother. We knew from start that labor delivery can be so unpredictable and to be flexible with whatever comes your way. No one predicted that we have a 10 lbs turkey :) you can prepare by educating yourself so that you can make the right decisions. it is also essential for the mom to get as much rest as possible. good food and plenty of fluid.

looking back, we wished we have more photos of her and us when she was just borned. we were in recovery and getting adjusted to her that we didn't have an ounce of energy left. so be sure to ask your visitors and family to take lots of photos for you from your camera!!!

now i experienced this, to all the moms out there, to my mom, her mom, and moms before that, you're amazing for bring a person to the world. and thanks daddys and family support. we couldn't do it without the team. It is indeed a miracle how a life formed inside of me. i looked at every inch of her body, her little toes, little fingers, chubby cheeks, eyes, little nose, full head of hair, cute mouth. mommy and daddy are going to spend rest of our lives with you. It is simply amazing. We created a human being...

Here is Wesley's story from his perspective:

We just had our baby girl, Jasmine, Monday, Jan. 26, 2009. Below is our birthing story.

Mary was 3 cm on Wed. Her labor started on Friday but stopped in the middle of the night. It started up again on Sat. and became 5-8 minutes apart around 8 pm on Sat.

By Sunday 3 pm, she was consistently at around 4-5 minutes apart so we walked around, squat, and labor 4-5 more hours at home. We checked into the hospital at around 9 pm when her contractions were 3-4 mins apart. When we checked in, she was 6 cm with the baby at -1 station. She continued to have contractions throughout the night and we continued to walk and squat until Mon. morning and the contractions were getting to 2-3 minutes apart. The doctor checked and she was still 6 cm and the baby was still -1 station. We were offered pitocin or breaking of the membrane to speed up the labor so we chose the latter.

The membrane was broken at 3 am and it has meconium so the doctor was a little concerned. He asked what we'd like to do and we decided to continue with her labor. By 9 am, her contraction has already been 2-3 minutes apart and very intense for about couple hrs. The doctor checked her again at 9 am and she was still 6 cm and -1 station.

By this time she was completely exhausted and her uterus was probably exhausted as well since it started to go back to 5-8 mins per contraction again. At this point, the doctor recommended that we take epidural and pitocin to help with the contraction. We decided and agree that we should try it.

She got the epidural and pitocin and when the nurse increased the pitocin dosage, the baby's heart rate started to drop so they have to stop adminstering the pitocin. We tried pitocin again in an hr and the baby's heart rate dropped again.

At this point, the doctor thinks that the baby may be stucked and recommended C-section. I was thinking "oh no", this is what we were warned in Bradley class and here it is happening to us. Mary and I were very upset but we decided to go ahead with C-section since she's been in hard labor for about 60 hrs and there's no progress at all. At the end we were both glad that we went with C-Section. It turns out that baby was nearly 10 lbs so no matter how much contraction Mary had, the baby just won't move down.

The birthing experience didn't turn our the way we wanted but we're still blessed with a healthy baby and mom and that is the most important thing.

P.S. new parents, as soon as you're feeling well, document your birthing story while it's still fresh in your mind, because after few months later, you'll forget and it's probably nature's intention to erase the pain so you'll want another child :) People want to know what caused your situation/problem, what did you decide how did you decide, what techniques helped you, and what was the outcome.

after listening to other's birthing story, seems like the best supportive place to have birth is at a birthing center assuming your birth is a normal birth. however, if something happen or the birth won't progress and you have to go to the hospital through emergency, seems like the doctors and staff on call can be spotty. my obgyn group said they won't take me if i come in emergency, they don't want to fix other medical profession's mistake and increase their chance of malpractice. also, it seems that a lot of doctors recommend things that's convenient for them, not what's the best for their patients. maximize earning, minimize time spent per patient. we see doctors would use scare tactics, bully, or just simply perform it without asking your consent. so it's important to find a good doctor that will do and recommend things that are good for the patient, not because it's easier for the doctor. ask around, bradley method teacher and la leche league. we asked doctors hard questions, but they answer what we want to hear, and when it's critical time, their intention is something else. we went over our birthing plan each time we meet with obgyn group, they're okay with it, but when it's time, the story changes. seems like the doctor want you to deliver on their shift so they can get paid instead of the next shift. also, it's best to get the anaesthesiologist as late as you can. seems like many moms didn't have a good experience like I did and had bad side effects. a mom got the epidural but it weared off when it's time to push.

P.S.S. Expecting parents, we were so glad that we took the Bradley method birthing class. the class meets 12 times, but at the end, we were so much more prepared, not as afraid of the unknown and the birthing process. we know the steps, the signs, and how to make better informed decisions. The class not only inform you of the birthing process and teach you relaxation methods, but also to teach the spouse how to be a coach and be invovled throughout the process. my husband said all the guys in the Bradley method class must be good guys, because to be that invovled and attend the classes take committment :) Melissa Taylor our Bradley method instructor was so supportive throughout the whole process. she's amazing. We're so glad to know her and be part of her class! looking back, the cost of the class is minimum compared to the sonogram and the doctors fee. i would recommend it to anyone who want an informed birth!

Baby Announcement - Jasmine Wong

2009-02-02T01:54:00.009-05:00

Dear family and friends,

We would like to announce the arrival of our baby girl, Jasmine LeAnn Wong.

Meaning: Gift from God, God's Gift

黃理安 (nickname 安安)

January 26, 2009 at 1:21 p.m.

Weight 9 pounds 15.3 ounces.

Length 21.5 inches.
Head 14 inches, Chest 14.5 inches, Abdomen 14 inches.

Apgar score 8/9.

University Community Hospital, Tampa, FL

Baby Jasmine's first youtube video!

America's Song

2009-01-21T19:11:00.003-05:00

"America's Song" performed by Will.i.am, Faith Hill, David Foster, Mary J. Blige, Seal and Bono.

What's Great About America...

A Letter from a Father to His Daughters

2009-01-19T22:16:00.002-05:00

From the Parade Magazine.

'What I Want for You — and Every Child in America'
By President-elect Barack Obama
Publication Date: 01/14/2009

PARADE asked the President-elect, who is also a devoted family man, to get personal and tell us what he wants for his children. Here, he shares his letter to them.

Dear Malia and Sasha, I know that you've both had a lot of fun these last two years on the campaign trail, going to picnics and parades and state fairs, eating all sorts of junk food your mother and I probably shouldn't have let you have. But I also know that it hasn't always been easy for you and Mom, and that as excited as you both are about that new puppy, it doesn't make up for all the time we've been apart. I know how much I've missed these past two years, and today I want to tell you a little more about why I decided to take our family on this journey.

When I was a young man, I thought life was all about me-about how I'd make my way in the world, become successful, and get the things I want. But then the two of you came into my world with all your curiosity and mischief and those smiles that never fail to fill my heart and light up my day. And suddenly, all my big plans for myself didn't seem so important anymore. I soon found that the greatest joy in my life was the joy I saw in yours. And I realized that my own life wouldn't count for much unless I was able to ensure that you had every opportunity for happiness and fulfillment in yours. In the end, girls, that's why I ran for President: because of what I want for you and for every child in this nation.

I want all our children to go to schools worthy of their potential-schools that challenge them, inspire them, and instill in them a sense of wonder about the world around them. I want them to have the chance to go to college-even if their parents aren't rich. And I want them to get good jobs: jobs that pay well and give them benefits like health care, jobs that let them spend time with their own kids and retire with dignity.

I want us to push the boundaries of discovery so that you'll live to see new technologies and inventions that improve our lives and make our planet cleaner and safer. And I want us to push our own human boundaries to reach beyond the divides of race and region, gender and religion that keep us from seeing the best in each other.

Sometimes we have to send our young men and women into war and other dangerous situations to protect our country-but when we do, I want to make sure that it is only for a very good reason, that we try our best to settle our differences with others peacefully, and that we do everything possible to keep our servicemen and women safe. And I want every child to understand that the blessings these brave Americans fight for are not free-that with the great privilege of being a citizen of this nation comes great responsibility.

That was the lesson your grandmother tried to teach me when I was your age, reading me the opening lines of the Declaration of Independence and telling me about the men and women who marched for equality because they believed those words put to paper two centuries ago should mean something.

She helped me understand that America is great not because it is perfect but because it can always be made better-and that the unfinished work of perfecting our union falls to each of us. It's a charge we pass on to our children, coming closer with each new generation to what we know America should be.

I hope both of you will take up that work, righting the wrongs that you see and working to give others the chances you've had. Not just because you have an obligation to give something back to this country that has given our family so much-although you do have that obligation. But because you have an obligation to yourself. Because it is only when you hitch your wagon to something larger than yourself that you will realize your true potential.

These are the things I want for you-to grow up in a world with no limits on your dreams and no achievements beyond your reach, and to grow into compassionate, committed women who will help build that world. And I want every child to have the same chances to learn and dream and grow and thrive that you girls have. That's why I've taken our family on this great adventure.

I am so proud of both of you. I love you more than you can ever know. And I am grateful every day for your patience, poise, grace, and humor as we prepare to start our new life together in the White House.

Love, Dad

Financial planning with a baby

2009-01-05T00:38:00.008-05:00

Started saving for college

With the rate college tuition are going, prepaid college plan might be a good idea since mutual funds are not earning as fast as the cost of the tuition. Florida Prepaid College Plan

Open a 529 college savings plan - allows the college savings to grow tax-free. When you take money out to pay for college (including room and board), no taxes on earnings.

529 plans offer unsurpassed income tax breaks. Although your contributions are not deductible on your federal tax return, your investment grows tax-deferred, and distributions to pay for the beneficiary's college costs come out federally tax-free. The tax-free treatment was made permanent with the Pension Protection Act of 2006.

As your kid getting ready for college within 5 years, be sure to watch the market and move the investment to a no risk portfolio. When you need the money, you need take the risk out and make sure the portfolio doesn't decrease.

Pregnancy week 35

2008-12-20T12:55:00.027-05:00

Jan van Eyck (1432)

Present Day

Ok, I was being silly :) heehee. Did you find the resemblance between the two pictures?

Just one month left to go, I think we pretty much have all of the baby stuff set up. Here's a snap shot of the baby room. Notice a pink tennis racket on the wall? :)

We also set up the baby mobile. We got this one because it has friendly smiley characters. Also, it has branches where I can hang high contrast pictures. In this e-book, The New First Three Years of Life, it says that babies pay more attention to bold contrasting colors. There are websites that show you how to make your own mobile.

We also got a travel system that has baby seat and stroller. Wesley was wheeling it around to test out the ease of mobility. We did some research on-line, read the users reviews, checked out Graco website, and went to the Baby R Us store to test out the product. We tested to see if it's easy to fold and use, We choose this one because it has the newest safety features and it has a 180 degree rotating canopy shade for sunny Florida. We also felt the fabric and liked the cushion on this one and the stain resist colors.

It's getting harder to move around and I'm starting to get braxton hicks contractions. Before we can't go anywhere with the baby and before our annual membership pass expires, we went to the Ringling Museum at Sarasota to check out the Egyptian - To Live Forever special exhibit. (I think the museum is free on Mondays but call ahead to confirm). This is as close as we can get to Egypt. They did a really good job setting up the exhibits like you're walking into the dark secret room. The sarcophagus from ~ 1,000 B.C. are so mystical. It's amazing the Great Pyramid of Giza was built around 2,560 B.C. while the Acropolis of Athens was built around 500 B.C. and the Great Wall was built around 200 B.C. A staff at the museum made a joke that I'm going to be a mummy. Get it? :)

I came across an article about this painting at the museum. I noticed Mary was breastfeeding baby Jesus (not bottle feeding in the public). During my birth class, seems like some people think public breastfeeding is a taboo, even though mothers are discret about it. It's legal and there are many benefits to breastfeeding instead of bottle feeding. Please be nice if you see a mother decide to do so.

Paolo Veronese, The Rest on the Flight to Egypt, circa 1580

The grounds of the museum are so beautiful and we were very lucky to catch a beautiful sunset...

Suze Orman's advice during this economic tough time

2008-12-09T13:44:00.003-05:00

Check out Suze Orman interview and The Suze Orman Show on CNBC.

Her advice during this economic tough time:

You know you need to build an emergency savings fund that can cover six to eight months of living expenses; so you and your family will be okay if you are laid off.
You know you need to get serious-finally-about tackling your credit card debt, because you understand how a high unpaid balance can mean big trouble in 2009.
You know you need to invest more for retirement to have any shot at living comfortably later in life.
You know you need to sit down with your child and discuss how much you can honestly afford to cover for college

If you honestly know all that, you will not spend money on holiday shopping that should instead be used to build financial security. I want better for you and your family. Focus on what you know you have to do to build security and you will give your family the most wonderful gift of all.

Pregnancy week 34

2008-12-08T16:46:00.016-05:00

6 weeks left to go! :o

Merry Christmas and Happy New Year to all! :)

Are we ready for the baby? No! :) Ready or not, the baby is on its way! :)

We didn't know such a little newborn baby need so many things! There are crib (and things that go with it, mattress, sheets, bumper), mobile, car seat - stroller - travel system, nursing glider rocker, swing, bouncer, bassinet, monitor, 1-sec thermometer, bath tub, bib, burp cloth, diaper (disposal and/or cloth), diaper bag, diaper changing table, diaper wipes, creams, play yards, play mat, baby monitor, sling, BPA free bottles, bottle warmer if you use formula supplementing breastfeeding, breast pump, a small refrigerator for baby bottles (especially useful if you have two floors), boppy pillow, nursing bra, various sizes of baby clothes, swaddle wrap (or Wesley calls them baby straight jacket), toys, books, classical music, jumperoo walker, dresser, high chair, digital camera and video to capture the memories, etc... At the end of the day, it really comes down to if the baby is loved and cared for (getting fed and diapers changed).

We are very blessed that we got many slightly used items from family and friends. Kids outgrow things so fast! We found local baby consignment stores are good place to find things. Local Craigslist is another good source. Baby R Us website has pretty good users product reviews to research if the product is good or not. Be sure to check if there are any recall on the items. Baby's safety first!

One World - U2

2008-12-06T03:00:00.000-05:00

Jupiter, Venus and Moon

2008-12-02T08:57:00.003-05:00

When the sun goes down, look for the three brightest objects in the sky - Jupiter, Venus and Moon. They come closest, a phenomenon that will not be visible again till 2012.

The two brightest planets in the solar system and the moon were seen just two degrees apart and will be visible all through the night.

Pregnancy Week 31

2008-11-17T15:00:00.065-05:00

We took a newborn care and breastfeeding class. It was very helpful for first time parent and we learned many things.

- Don't use baby powder! It has talc ingredient (good for preventing little ants) that can cause cancer and pneumonia. The powder can cause asthma. Use ointments or cream instead.

- Baby is used to be close to you and hear your heart beat during pregnancy, so sometimes the baby wants to be held all the time but you need to do some work. Baby sling is very useful.

- During bath, it's very important to stay with the baby all the time. Baby can move in split seconds.

- Don't buy used "open-system" breast pump because pathogens like Human immunodeficiency virus (HIV), hepatitis, cytomegalovirus (CMV) and others can be found in the breast milk of infected women and there is no way to guarantee the pump can be cleaned and disinfected. "closed system" are okay giving that you replace all the tubes.

Breast pump is good for woman who needs to go back to work and still wants to provide breast milk for her baby, or to store extra milk in the bottle. If it's possible, breast feed directly is preferred, baby's sucking increase the supply and baby is better at sucking than the machine. 20-40 mins per side until the baby get the hind-milk after several minutes of nursing. It has the highest concentration of fat.

After delivery, it's important to have skin to skin contact between mom and baby. Don't feel rushed by the nurses, the baby will find his/her way to your breast. Check out this video:
http://www.youtube.com/user/breastfeedingbabies?blend=1

Good video on latching:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Zln0LTkejIs&feature=channel_page

- Ameda purely yours breast pump works very well. I called both Medela and Ameda regarding how to sanitize the bottles and parts. Both of them did NOT test it in microwave, but rather recommend to start with cold water and bring it to boil the first time using it. Then the future uses, wash with hot water and let it air dry. Handsfree technique.

- Breast milk has nutrition that formula can't reproduce. Breast milk helps your baby be healthier and have higher IQ. It's possible for woman to produce breast milk with help of lactation drug, natural herbs (Gaia), good healthy diet, rest and replenish fluid. Breast feed exclusively for the first six months, and that nursing should continue after the introduction of solids for at least 12 months, and longer if mother and baby wish. Cabbage can reduce the milk supply or help with engorgement.

DAY 4 TO WEEK 6 — SETTING YOUR MILK SUPPLY
http://www.ameda.com/breastfeeding/stages/day4.aspx

Good tip from our Bradley method instructor:
Milk is a supply and demand thing. The more the baby nurses, the more prolactin your body will make. The more prolactin your body makes, the more milk you will make. Frequency is important. A woman who nurses 12 times a day for 11.6 minutes each time will have more milk than a woman who nurses 7 times a day for 20 minutes each time. (They both are nursing 140 minutes in a 24 hour period.)

- Use correct latch and holding techniques to breastfeed so it doesn't hurt. Find your local La Leche League group. It's a wonderful mothers support group that share good helpful tips on variety of topics.

~ Even though you're recuperating, the FIRST FEW days are critical to get the demand going. If you can, feed every 2-3 hours, at least 15 minutes per breast. Feed until the baby un-latch. If the baby and you are not in sync yet, at least pump to get the demand up. Expect some nipple tenderness.
~ Nurse as soon as possible after birth. Don't give up, keep trying! It'll get easier as you recuperate and as you figure out baby's needs. More milk will come as the baby breastfeed more often.
~ The first few days, you'll produce colostrum (thin milk, rich in proteins and antibodies) that are good for the baby even though the amount is not much. Later, you'll produce more milk for the baby as she sucks more. After the second week is when I see a larger flow.
~ There is nothing more important that you need to be doing right now. Everything else can wait.
~ Mom and baby tummy to tummy, or football hold.
~ Use pillows to support mom's arm and back.
~ Lean back on the seat instead of hunch over and get a back ache.
~ Baby cues that she's hungry: stick out tongue, Oooh mouth, sucking, hand in mouth, etc.
~ Getting the mouth to open - hand express few drops for the taste, touch the baby's lower lip and chin with your nipple.
~ When baby's mouth is open wide, bring the baby in closer to you, with one hand doing the sandwich hold on the breast. Your nipple will be in the top half of the baby's mouth.
~ Correctly positioned, the baby's chin is against the breast, the lips make a seal at the breast, and the nose is close to the breast. There is more of the darker areola showing near the nose than the chin.
~ press or massage breast to get more flow going.
~ Nurse baby whenever she's hungry. Baby may go through occasional growth spurts (around 2 weeks, 6 weeks, 3 months).
~ After the baby is full and after you burp her, try to keep her at about a 45 degree angle for 10-20 minutes so that the milk won't come out. When the babies are laid flat, the milk can escape from the stomach, come back up the throat.
~ Mom's diet - eat healthy as you do during pregnancy, no specific food you need to avoid. and drink plenty of fluid. Caffeine some does pass through breastmilk though. If baby seems excessively fussy, mom can try removing cow's milk from the diet.
~ Do not hestitate to contact La Leche League leader or a lactation counselor if you have any concern! The sooner you fix the problem, the sooner your breast milk can satisfy your baby.
~ Introduce solid foods 6 months or later. Avoid allergey trigger foods. Do not give new infant honey, peanut, egg, or items that can trigger allergy.

- This natural herb can help increase milk production. http://www.gaiaherbs.com/product.php?id=63 This website has good info as well. http://www.kellymom.com/herbal/index.html

- Do not use a microwave to heat formula or breastmilk. Use warm water or bottle warmer.

- Do not prop up a bottle in baby's mouth or place in bed with a bottle in baby's mouth - it can suffocate the baby and the baby can't breath.

- Always wash hands before picking up the baby, or an alcohol-based hand sanitizer.

- To reduce the risk of illness or fever, avoid taking your baby out in public (such as to stores or church) for at least the first two months of life.

- Before the baby arrives, stock up on your favorite frozen food and get the house ready. Because when the baby comes, you won't have time to cook. You'll be in recovery and busy taking care of the baby. Be sure to continue to eat healthy and drink plenty of fluid so you have the energy to take care of your baby.

- Nurture your baby by holding, cuddling, rocking, talking and singing. Spend time playing with and talking to your baby when he/she is awake. It is never too early to read to your baby.

Birth to 6 months books with black and white illustrations are excellent because of their eye development. Books with round corners and photographs of baby faces with no or very few words are excellent as well:

~ Baby Dance by Ann Taylor

~ Black on White; White on Black; What is That? by Tana Hoban

~ How a Baby Grows by Nola Buck

~ Hush Little Baby by Shari Halpern

~ Me and My Bear or other books by Margaret Miller

~ Peek-a-Boo; Smile by Roberta Grobel Intrater

Useful guides:

- Breastfeeding Guide (PDF)

- New Parent Guide to the First 10 Days (PDF)

- Newborn Sleep Guide 0-3 Months (PDF)

- Infant Sleep Guide 3-6 Months (PDF)

- Baby Sleep Guide 6-18 Months (PDF)

- Toddler Sleep Guide 18+ Months (PDF)

- Developmental Feeding Guide (PDF)

- Guide to Inroducing Solid Foods (PDF)

- Transitioning to Toddlerhood (PDF)

- Child Safety Guide (PDF)

- Potty Training Your Child

- Books that were helpful for us - pregnancy, birth and beyond

~ What to expect when you're expecting. by Heidi Murkoff and Sharon Mazel (this was like our bible)

~ The BabyCenter Essential Guide to Pregnancy and Birth. by Linda J. Murray, Leah Hennen, Jim Scott, and BabyCenter Editorial Team

~ The Baby Book: Everything You Need to Know About Your Baby from Birth to Age Two by William Sears et al.

~ Mayo Clinic Guide to a Healthy Pregnancy by Mayo Clinic

~ What's Going on in There? : How the Brain and Mind Develop in the First Five Years of Life by Lise Eliot

~ Your Child's Growing Mind: Brain Development and Learning From Birth to Adolescence by Jane Healy

~ Baby 411 by Denise Fields and Ari Brown. This book is very useful! The baby is not even a month old yet and we already had to look up to see if the eye goop and poop are normal, before we run to the pediatrician.

- Another resource with pregnancy & birth info: http://www.mothering.com/articles/pregnancy_birth/pregnancy_birth_main.html

Be flexible, because anything can happen during the delivery. This website has some helpful tips if you had c-section. Also, drink plenty of fluid, especially if you're breastfeeding. http://www.babycenter.com/0_postpartum-constipation_11707.bc

- Once the baby's teeth have begun to come in, it's important to clean baby's teeth with a soft-bristled brush after eating to prevent tooth decay. baby bottle tooth decay (BBTD), a major cause of dental cavities in infants that can also cause serious damage to permanent teeth later on. it most commonly occurs among babies who are put to bed with a bottle. once the baby fallen asleep, wipe the gums and teeth with a piece of gauze or a damp cloth after feedings and before bedtime. to stimulate healthy gums and good oral hygiene, it is a good idea to wipe the gums at least once a day, beginning at birth, even before any teeth have erupted in the child's mouth. once the baby has several teeth, start using water and a soft bristled, child sized toothbrush for daily cleaning. fluoridated toothpaste is not recommended until after age two.

More helpful info

Baby Center - Great information about babies’ development from pre-conception to age 8. You can subscribe to get a weekly email with information on your baby's development. After your baby is born the emails describe behaviors your baby may be showing and gives suggestions for activities to do with your baby.

Bathroom every 1-2 hours. Frequent urination during pregnancy and heartburn are because bladder and stomach got squeezed to make room for the growing baby. Tums help with heartburn. The lungs are also squeezed, so pregnant woman sounds like they're having trouble breathing.

For comfort, try not to drink too much water before bed, but drink plenty during the day. It's important to replenish fluid and water into your body. Water forms the amniotic fluid and you need water to flush out waste. The more water you drink during pregnancy, the less water your body will retain. Hence, the less likely you'll have pudgy fingers and swelling feet.

As the pregnancy progresses and the baby settles lower in the pelvis, there are increasing pressure on the pelvic vessels and nerves, this result in swelling in the feet and sometimes sharp shooting pains down the legs and into the vagina, these are normal. To relieve the pressure lie down or recline with your feet up as often as possible.

Sometimes I would SCREAM in the middle of the night because of sudden leg cramp. It hurts like hell. Maybe it's my first glimpse on what pain is like. haahaa. The breathing and meditation technique helps, and Wesley giving me massage ;) Baby is sucking calcium out of me. Baby's head is getting bigger to accommodate growing brain — which is busy developing billions of neurons. Every day, about 200 milligrams of calcium is deposited in baby's skeleton, which is now hardening. With this rapid growth, it's no surprise that baby's nutritional needs reach their peak during this trimester.

Kegel exercises
Kegel exercises — tightening and holding the muscles around your vagina and urethra — can help prevent urinary incontinence now and after pregnancy. By strengthening the pelvic floor muscles, which support the bladder, Kegel exercises can help counteract the pressure of an enlarged uterus during pregnancy. Kegels also improve circulation to your rectal and vaginal area, helping to keep hemorrhoids at bay and speeding healing after an episiotomy or tear during childbirth. As few as 30 Kegels a day can prevent urinary incontinence, according to Carolyn Sampselle, a professor of nursing at the University of Michigan. Get detailed instructions on how to do them.

Stretch marks

I heard from a couple of moms that applying creams do help reduce stretch marks. Apply it day and night! A few moms didn't apply it during the second birth and the stretch marks didn't go away compared with the first birth.

I got Palmer's cocoa butter with "vitamin E" at Walmart. Sometimes, I found Eucerin Aquaphor healing ointment reduce the itchiness better. I read that Bio-oil works very well. I also tried e-ointment with vitamin E and aloe vera from GNC. Unfortunately, my stretch marks were still pretty bad after applying those, I did have a big baby.

After delivery, someone mentioned to me following method works for her (I'll try anything! other than plastic surgery). Palmer's Firming Butter with saran wrap treatment apply few times a day, and Mederma apply on other times. Mederma is pretty pricy $29.99 for a 1.76 oz (50g), but seems like it works as stated by another mom, "I used Mederma on my newly formed purplish stretch marks. I used the product 3-4 times a day for 3 months and my stretch marks diminished 90%. Say what every you want about the product but I would recommend it to anyone."

Funnies :)

I read in babycenter.com weekly e-mail what Moms confess: "What I wish I'd known about pregnancy, birth, and beyond"

- "That pregnancy is really ten months!" — Anonymous - 41 weeks

- "About the constipation and flatulence. My husband was convinced that someone kidnapped his real wife." — Anonymous

- "That when you get further into your pregnancy be careful about sneezing and laughing too hard or you might find yourself needing another pair of underwear." — Carrie

800 volunteer doctors, 2670 patients, 12 hours waiting in lines, 3 days, costs $26K, treatments worth $1.7M

2008-11-09T05:19:00.015-05:00

Pain hurts - "Hundreds of uninsured and underinsured Americans flock to Wise County, Va., every year to seek treatment at a makeshift field hospital operated by the Remote Area Medical Volunteer Corps. For three days in this isolated corner of Appalachia, a small army of health-care professionals offers medical attention to patients who are not likely to see another doctor or dentist all year. The annual clinic saves lives and alleviates suffering, but in the face of a growing national health-care crisis, it may not be enough."

What a wonderful piece done by the Washington Post. It's stories like this that win the argument why we need health care reform in our country. Regardless of the race or the neighborhood, there are people that need extra hands when the situation is tough. Companies with high profit margins do not need help. Companies on NASDAQ have the incentive to show increasing profit and maximizing returns, but not at the expense of people's live. Clinics and hospitals do need funding in order to stay open. It's a balancing act, but we need more competition, not monopoly. "The number of underinsured Americans has risen 60 percent since 2003, according to the Commonwealth Fund." Hopefully the next President can alleviate the health care problem while improving the quality of our medical system. And no... United States do NOT have the best medical system in the world. At least not now.

Precious Little Treasure (PLT) - pregnancy week 27

2008-09-19T11:50:00.084-05:00

小寶貝

10/22/2008 - Hi Baby!! First image of the baby from 4D ultrasound at week 27 - chubby cheeks and little nose on the left side of the picture. It's like a Picasso painting, you have to use your imagination like Wesley said :)

At every OB check up, they always pull out a regular old measuring tape and size up my tummy as if to make some clothing alterations. After reading a baby magazine, the doctor is checking for the height of fundus (the top of my uterus) to see if we're growing at a good rate.

Nutrition

Healthy baby starts in the womb! Prenatal health can affect a person's risk of heart disease many decades later. People with low birth weights are at increased risk of developing heart disease as adults.

Above is my snapshot at the doctor's office for a regular check up. My belly gets bigger every time I look at it. I read in books and brochures that it's important to eat healthy during pregnancy in order to have a healthy baby. I thought I was a healthy eater. Even though I'm taking prenatal vitamins daily, but after routine blood work, appears that I'm anemic and I'll need to take iron supplement, which I heard is common in the pregnant women. I got Feosol carbonyl iron, from Walmart and it doesn't cause stomach upset. Note - iron and calcium tablets/milk should NOT be taken together, because the iron absorption can be reduced. While vitamin C related food helps with iron absoprtion. I was hoping to increase my iron intake through my natural diet, such as tofu, leaf vegetables, chickpeas, hummus. But after tracking my food intake through online food journal, I realized it's hard to eat the food I like daily and still have enough amount of nutrition. You can also download an excel pregnancy diet template. So it's probably a good idea to take daily vitamins even when one is not pregnant. I know vitamins usually is like swallowing pills, but Centrum just came out with chewable favor kind.

In order to make sure I have the nutrition that the baby needs, tracking daily food consumption is helpful. I also need to increase my protein intake to at least 80-100 mg/day. That means 2 eggs per day, milk, nuts, peanuts. Here's the tip on how to peel a hard boiled egg. They would tell you the weight you should gain during pregnancy, however, appears that it's more important to have a healthy baby and eat healthy, than go on a diet while you're pregnant.

Vitamin C is important to prevent premature birth and to strengthen the membranes (walls) of the sac that holds the growing fetus and the amniotic fluid.

Alzheimer's linked To aluminum - use stainless steel pots.

Lead can cause miscarriage. Run cold tap water for 1 min. before drinking it. NEVER DRINK HOT TAP WATER! so we ingest as little lead as possible. To reduce the lead in your drinking water: 1) flush pipes before drinking by running the water until it gets as cold as possible; and 2) use only cold water for consumption. Never use hot water from the tap. For example, don't run hot water to save time when you want to boil water for pasta. Hot water from the tap has the most lead. When you need hot water, take cold tap water and heat it. To reduce waste, shower or bathe first, which starts the flushing process for your home. Then run the tap you're going to use for drinking water for a minute and fill a pitcher for the day.

Too much caffeine during pregnancy may increase the risk of miscarriage and affect the development of the baby. This means not only coffee and tea, but also... chocolate :(

Definately no alcohol or smoking!

Birthing Class

Can't believe we only have 10 weeks (~3 months) to go... can't wait to meet the baby in person. After attending the birth classes and knowing more about the birthing experience, the pain, epidural, the pain killer, the side effects, we changed our mind and wanted to give back the baby :) no... we were just scared. We're not sure how much pain I can take, if the pelvis stretch exercises, breathing, and massage will work. I guess it's the unknown and the risks that make it challenging for first time parent.

We took a birthing class over two half-day during weekends. It covered everything but we still feel like we're not ready yet. with all the complications with the drugs, so many unknowns... what if epidural won't work. we don't know my pain tolerance, how the baby will turn. decision we'll have to make. realizing induction/pitocin will require epidural. complications may lead to c-section. doctor may want episiotomy (e...pee...si...oto...me... what is that?! Oh! that sounds kind of painful...) What if doctors and nurses are only doing things to make it easier for them and go home earlier, instead of what's best for us. we wanted to explore more about natural birth, so we're taking a 11 weeks Bradley method birthing class. even if natural birth won't work out, at least we're getting more prepared mentally. we watched several birthing videos, read birthing stories, and practiced relaxation techniques, meditation, and pelvis exercises. we'll see how it goes when it finally happens :)

9/30/2008 - Before daddy went to work, he whispered to you that he loves you very much. Did you hear him?

9/14/2008 - Daddy felt you kick in my belly for the first time. You're very active. It's neat to feel the little kick and punch everyday. We signed up for the birthing class and started to set up the baby room.

Wesley was glad my happy hormones kicked in and the first trimester is over. He has been asking when is my happy hormones kick in?! Our goal is to get the house ready before the baby comes. However, Wesley ordered some tech gadgets, like karaoke machine, Wii balance board, PlayStation 3 (Karaoke Revolution: American Idol Encore is a lot of fun. Simon really likes Wesley's voice!), Acer mini laptop, and Homedics massage cushion. I said okay, these are your Christmas presents and that's it! We have to save money for the baby. He said, well... the baby has to make sacrifices too! Oh my lord... (He was joking of course!)

8/30/2008 - My ankles swollen during the long trip to Taipei, Formosa, but we had a great time! Wesley found the maternity stores district and we bought a maternity support belt (TH03 model). It really helped when we were out walking a lot doing touristy stuff.

Wesley was trying to suck in his stomach, but no hope for Mary after eating yummy food non-stop during the trip :)

Taroko National Park, Formosa Taiwan

Our good friend, Angela Lin, planned a wonderful weekend trip for us. Hualien, Formosa Taiwan was truly beautiful!

9/21/2008 - Since we have the annual pass to the Universal Studio Orlando, we went to Orlando to have some fun before I can't move anymore or the little one comes. We also went to Colonial Dr. to eat some authentic Vietnamese food and to do some outlet shopping. Not realizing even the stationary rides do not accept pregnant woman! (like Terminator 3D) We ended up going to two shows where we planned to just sit there and be entertained. Just in time for the spirit of Halloween, we went to the Universal Horror Make-Up Show and the Beetlejuice's Graveyard Revue. In the horror show, the hostess (also pregnant) asked for a volunteer. Young kids eagerly raised their hands and yelled pick me, pick me! I always try to get Wesley to raise his hand since he's so shy :) Unknowingly, the hostess had her eyes on me! She asked me to go on the stage!! I was about to faint! I have never been picked to go on the stage in front of all these audiences and I was so nervous! But everyone clapped their hands, so I went up. The hostess asked if I like to watch movies, I said, yeah except horror movies!!! I had to hold some dead limbs, cut my arm (I was actually smiling during that!), and spook by a werewolf. Even though I was still shaking the whole day, but it made my day since this stuff never happened to us before! Wesley thought the show and the hostess were funnier than the last time we went. So that's my five seconds of fame and try out for Hollywood! :)

Tribute to innocent victims and heroes

2008-09-11T18:40:00.007-05:00

Sept. 11th is one of few days in life you remember exactly where you were and what you were doing when you heard the news that morning. It's like so when we first heard when Princess Diana died. People said they remember when they first heard when President Kennedy was shot. These defining moments are shocking and sad. Seems like it was just yesterday when people were glued to the news to find out what is going on in our country on Sept. 11, 2001 and the phone calls trying to go through to make sure our love ones are okay. At the time, I was in Pennsylvania and Wesley was in the Washington DC area. Not so safe zones that morning. It felt like a national healing or bonding experience when friends and colleagues talked about who they know that were effected by Sept. 11th. It's amazing that seems like everyone knows someone who knows someone who was directly effected. Seven degrees of separation. That means despite of our different point of views, background, or gender, we're closely linked to each other in our country. Let's pray for our troops overseas fighting the terrorists with the strength to achieve their goals and to come home safely.

We're expecting... a girl!

2008-08-20T20:39:00.031-05:00

8/20/2008 - With much anticipation, we had the first fetal sonogram in 2-D. We saw that baby waved "her" hand across her face. A little person growing inside. It's very exciting. And it's very exciting that everyone is excited for us :) The baby was very active and the technician was trying to capture the views. The doctor said all of the tests and blood works came out normal which is good. The baby's heart beat is normal. We're on track. The expected due date is around Jan. 18, 2009. Now we have to start thinking about the baby's name. We know many people had girls last few years, luckily we won't have to buy clothes for a while :) We're signing up for the birthing and baby classes. We're researching about the cord blood bank because of all the wonderful medical break through with the new technologies. My belly continues to have aches and pains. The doctor said the pain is normal as long as I rest a little bit and it goes away and there's no bleeding. The baby is growing out, the muscles are pulling, and my organs are getting squeezed. My friend thinks I'm in trouble because I'm not even in my third trimester yet and I'm already complaining :) hahaa. We saw some samples of 4-D ultrasound on youtube and this technology is very exciting. We're getting ready to trip across the globe. Let's see how we do...

8/17/2008 - I get cramps and short sharp pains around my tummy every other day or so, or when I do too much activities. So I would have to lie down and rest a little bit. Then the following day, I would notice my stomach gets bigger and bigger to the point my belly button pops out and my belly accidentally bumps into the counter :)

Once, we were window shopping, Wesley saw the reflection on the glass and said whow, is that my stomach?! Oh thank goodness, it's yours.... Thanks honey!

My hormone level is so high, I have tears over the stupidest thing. If it's any consolation, it's great to have bigger boobs and not to have period for the time being :) Other than the discomfort, my sleeping pattern has changed. I used to sleep soundly through the night. Now I wake up really early to go to the bathroom (actually I have to go to bathroom all the time now.) Then I try to get myself to go back to sleep. I think my body is getting used to wake up early to feed the baby. Luckily I work from home part time so I can take small naps if needed. I'm amazed how women can do it when they're working full time. Someone told me she just has to take lunch naps in her car. Carrying and raising a child is so much work, a supportive community is really important. Even though many of our family and friends are a long distance away, their good wishes mean much to us.

Wesley would try to hear the baby's heart beat and put his hand on my belly. Wesley would also give me helpful tips that he learned from reading What to Expect when you're expecting book. We went to swim a couple of times in our junior Olympic size community pool for me to stay in shape. It's fun. We're been watching Beijing Summer Olympic and it was very exciting to watch Michael Phelps break the records. Wes also enjoyed watching beach volleyball, indoor volleyball, table tennis, badminton and tennis.

I've been craving good Asian food, soy sauce based. Good thing we have the Taipei trip coming up. I thought we just planned it and it's coming up already. The doctor said the best time to travel while we can is during the second trimester. Getting ready for the trip and trying to figure out what clothes I can still fit in to pack for the trip, we realized I don't have many summer maternity clothes so we went to the outlet shopping. Wes is so sweet, he helped me pick out pretty clothes from the racks for me to try on. I think he just loves to go shopping :) another thing that changed in our life is that we don't buy too many things for ourselves anymore in order to save money for the diapers and college tuition.

We saw Father of the Bride, Part II movie on the cable. We enjoyed watching how others react to the whole pregnancy experience. The movie was funny. I think Steve Martin (the husband at age 50) said to his wife close to menopause, 'what! you're pregnant! Whom may I ask is the father??' :)

My body temperature has been high and my tummy feels like it's on fire. To keep cool, I eat more fruits than I ever did, especially chilled naval oranges. I just love it. Watermelon, nectarine, grapes, and cherries are also delicious. I also drink a lot of cold orange juice, chocolate milk, and soy bean drink. Wes has been cooking yummy food and help with whatever we need to do around the house. I was worried that we're not ready and there are still many things we have to do.

Luckily Tina & Pi and Cristina & Kent gave us a lot of baby stuff that they don't use anymore. Yen/Phil, Anora/Weiching and Alan/Xue also have some stuff for us as well. So all we need is just diapers! Having a baby is expensive and it adds up. Time flies so quickly and we're half way through the pregnancy! We're going into the 18th week. The fetal sonogram is coming up (right before the first hurricane that is supposed to come through our way) and we have to get the baby room set up. Even though it has been a unique and interesting life experience so far, it's amazing to think that there's a little head and little body growing inside of my belly. It's scary, exciting, and in awe at the same time.

7/23/2008 - We're going into the 14th week. I have a baby bump and I can't fit in my shorts that do not have elastic! Luckily Yen gave me her maternity cloth so I don't have to buy too many. We saw OBGYN Dr. Bray today. She explained that the pain or cramp I've been feeling is normal (round ligament pain). There are muscles that are trying to move my uterus up so the baby can grow out. That's good to know there's nothing to be concerned about. The blood work came back all good. I found out my blood type is B+ and Wes thinks his is O.

We heard the baby's heart beat for the first time and it was exciting! (check out the 10 sec youtube video). Just the other day, it just hit me that I'm going to be a mommy! The OB sonogram fetal anatomy is not until 18th week, we're looking forward to that. Then we can start thinking seriously about baby names. Wes asked if it's a boy, if we can name the baby Roger, after his favorite tennis player now, Roger Federer. I asked, what happens if the baby is a girl?? He said we can call her Rogee!

6/4/2008 - For the first time, we saw a little 7th week baby and the heart beat on the monitor at the doctor's office (see baby's first picture below, little pea inside the uterus). This confirms the pregnancy. This is the first time I felt like there's a baby inside of me and growing. I already gained 10 lbs since my last doctor's visit. I guess I should control my cravings, but I thought there's a purpose for the craving when you're pregnant ;) I’m so glad to see the baby in my uterus. I was worried if the baby will grow okay. the doctor gave us prenatal vitamins and whole bunch of literature and info. I've been sleeping a lot lately and taking naps here and there. No morning sickness thank goodness. Now we have the confirmation, I'll skype dad and mom was soon as they're on! The first thing Wes wants to do is to get a little baby tennis racket!

5/18/2008 - I've been sleeping a lot. Took really long naps which is unusal. Even though my stomach has been cramping, but my period is not here yet, so I did a pregnancy test and it came back positive for the first time! I did another one just to make sure and it was positive again. I asked Wes if he's ready to be a dad. We were both smiling. Wes said I had the pregnancy glow. It was a sigh of relieve, because I was thinking to go to a fertility doctor if it wasn't happening anytime soon. I was starting to get nervous. I'm going to be 34 in a few days! Can't believe I'm at that age already. I thought I'm still 30. Wes wants to confirm it first, maybe not to jinx it. As someone who worries all the time, I hope the baby is going to be okay. I have to take my prenatal vitamins and make doctors appointment. We're still going to the disney cruise next month. And we're thinking to go to Taipei early Sept. (2nd trimester) before I can't travel for a while. I want to spend some time with grand mom, and dad and mom should be back in Taiwan by then.

Mother Earth

2008-06-30T23:25:00.003-05:00

The World is Yours

If You Seek It.

If you always do what you've always done,

you'll always get what you've always got.

Duty, Honor and Courage

2008-05-30T16:08:00.003-05:00

One of my favorite series is CARRIER on PBS. It's about the lives of men and women on the USS Nimitz. If you like the movie, Top Gun, episode 5 is really cool with F-18s. I knew military service men and women and their family sacrificed a lot, but this reality show/documentary brings it in perspective. It also shows their values, team work, and patriotism. Regardless of what you think about the Iraq war.

I worked with the Service men and women. I also worked in the private sector, but there's nothing like working in a team, all working toward a common goal for our country. Duty, honor and courage are what they live by. You can still watch the complete episodes on-line.

Sexist is okay and racist is not?

2008-05-30T15:41:00.002-05:00

Regardless if you agree with Hillary's position or NOT! I'm surprised there aren't too many people upset by the sexist comments out there. How come our society is not outraged with 'iron my shirt' Hillary comments? On the other hand, if someone says to Obama, 'polish my shoes,' how would the media react? So it's not okay to be outright racist, but it's okay to be sexist? Whatever excuses some people gave to make it okay to say these things to label woman who goes after what they're fighting for. What if your daughter or grand daughter wants to be the future President? What is women's worth in the family and in our society?

Fun activities

2008-05-21T12:36:00.004-05:00

Annual Tampa Dragon Boat Festival

The Simpsons at Universal Studio Orlando - Duh! Where's Bart and Maggie?

Be financial savvy with Suze Orman

2008-05-08T14:55:00.008-05:00

Suze Orman

"When it comes to your money, no one will ever care for it, need it, or respect it more than you" "never work with someone who operates on commission. It can raise a conflict of interest when he gets paid only if he buys or sells actively in your name"
Money will never define who you are. You always define your money. Don't fall into the trap of buying fancy items and temptations. None of that matters. What matters is how you feel about yourself. When you do make money, save it for the future. rather than spend it. Don't spend it and waste it. Never, ever get into credit card debt. Have a life you'll enjoy, instead of running away from.
A woman who owns the power to control her destiny must be able to ask for what she wants
"People first, then money, then things"

Airfest 2008

2008-05-05T10:59:00.007-05:00

We saw the Canadian Forces Snowbirds Air Demostration Team. Here are some clips.
The aircraft used by the Snowbirds is the CT-114 Tutor jet.

Lagback Cross

Big Arrow

May everything go perfectly for you

2008-04-23T14:27:00.002-05:00

"When we learn to accept and respect each other, and embrace both our differences and similarities, then we shall achieve the perfect society."

Venerable Master Hsing Yun

Meditation Timer

Healthy citizen is a productive citizen

2008-04-20T15:10:00.006-05:00

As health care reform is on one of the presidential election agenda, PBS's Frontline conducted an interesting study on other free rich democracy health care systems around the world, and found what works and what doesn't work. Check it out.

It's quite scary that in our country one can become homeless or bankrupt from health care costs if one becomes seriously ill. Will universal health care system diminish current health care system? Will the system cost more? Is basic health care a right to every citizen as the human rights or freedom of speech rights? or it's something that ones should provide for themselves regardless if they can afford it or not?

Good health care along with homeland security, education, jobs, training for unemployed, and retain good talents are important to keep our country strong and prosperous.

Amazing card tricks!

2008-04-20T14:14:00.002-05:00

The best trick is at the end!

Aware of Your Thoughts

2008-04-05T00:54:00.006-05:00

Sigh, I feel like I'm always on a mission to be a better person, a better human being. Sometimes I do better than other days, and some occasions it takes work and patience. Through Oprah's A New Earth free on-line classes with author Eckhart Tolle, I'm starting to be more aware and be conscious of my ego and how it influences my thinking, speech, and actions. The classes are free and available on-line at anytime with a click. Some of the concepts are so deep, I like to not only listen to the class, but also read the transcript so I can try to understand and take in the message. Like Eckhart said, the concepts are good only when you're ready to listen. Some may think it's against their religion, but to me, it's more of a spiritual journey to be a better human being, and I'm willing to learn from good teachers.

If you have 6 months to live, what would you do?

2008-04-04T22:15:00.015-05:00

Randy Pausch, a professor from my alum, Carnegie Mellon, with terminal cancer, gave his last lecture and interviewed by Diane Sawyer (clip available on-line). As a good professor, he was teaching important lessons on… life. He was also on Oprah, Parade, and USA Today. It’s just courageous to see how he dealt with the toughest challenge of his life. These are some of his messages:

- We cannot change the cards we're dealt with, just how we played the hands.
- Never lose the childhood wonder.
- Loyalty is a two way street.
- Be good at something it makes you valuable.
- It's important to have specific dreams.
- Dream big.
- Dream without fear.
- I have never found anger to make the situation better.
- Your critics are the ones who tell you they still love you and care.
- Brick walls are there for a reason. They let us prove how badly we want things.

- If you live your life the right way, the karma will take care of itself.

- When you're screwing up and nobody says anything to you anymore, that means they've given up on you. You may not want to hear it, but your critics are often the ones telling you they still love you and care about you, and want to make you better.

- "When it comes to men who are romantically interested in you, it's really simple. Just ignore everything they say and only pay attention to what they do."

He has a blog and a book published. Through there, I watched another speech giving by another terminal cancer patient. When one has limited time on earth, it makes people realize what’s more important in life and bring clarity to life.

- How do you go from where you are to where you want to go?
- You get to have dreams and goals.
- Keep your dreams alive despite of problems.
- Don't ever give up. Mind, heart and soul.
- Work hard to achieve your goals.
- Know the importance of family and support.
- Enjoy precious moments of life. Laugh. Think. Cry. Live.

Randy will be missed.

The Pearl of Wisdom

2008-02-18T21:45:00.003-05:00

The Pearl of Wisdom
Ven. Jian Hu

Bodhidharma was the 28th Zen Patriarch in India and the first Zen Patriarch that came to China. Before he became a monk, he was a prince, the youngest of three brothers. His father was a king in southern India and was a very devoted Buddhist. One day, the king invited the 27th Zen Patriarch, Prajnatara, to the palace and offered him a very large, precious jewel. Prajnatara accepted the jewel but took this opportunity to test the kings' three princes.

He asked them, "Your father has given me this very precious jewel. It's the biggest I have ever seen. Is there anything in the world more precious than this jewel?" The eldest prince said, "Master, this is the most valuable thing in our palace. My father has given you the best thing he has. I don't think there is anything more valuable than this. Only a person of your sanctity and enlightenment is worthy of such a precious gift." The second prince answered in essentially the same way.

But the third prince, Bodhidharma, said, "Master, this jewel is very precious indeed. But this is not the most precious thing in the world because this jewel does not know that it is a jewel." What does it take to know that this is a jewel? What knows this is a jewel is your mind. What gives the jewel its value? We do, don't we? Does the jewel have any value in itself? Does a diamond have any value in itself? To a bird, is a diamond worth anything? It's less useful than a little worm. The bird would rather have a little worm than a diamond. To scientists, a diamond is just compressed carbon.

So who gives the diamond or jewel its value? Our desires. We all like it, we all want it, and therefore it is valuable. It's like the property in the Bay Area, which is very expensive because everyone wants to live here; otherwise, it's worth nothing, like some desert areas in California or Nevada. So we, our mind, create the value. So what's more valuable than any possession, more valuable than any material thing, more valuable than the most expensive jewel? It's your mind, isn't it? The jewel does not know that it's a jewel. It takes the mind to know that. Do you have a mind? Do you have perception? Do you have cognition and thinking? You already have the most valuable thing in the world, don't you? What are you doing with it? If you use it well, then you would be the happiest person in the world. If you don't use it well, you would be the most miserable person in the world.

So we already posses the most valuable thing in the world. It doesn't come from anyone. You don't have to work for it. It cannot be stolen from you. Anything you own can be stolen and taken away from you. This mind can't be taken away from you . Have confidence in yourself. But you need to know how to use it. You have to uncover its power, its value.

Excerpt from "Heart Sutra" Lecture by Ven. Jian Hu on April 28, 2002.

To Define Is To Limit. In our lives we make definitions such as "two plus two is four," "this clear liquid is water." These are concepts, abstractions, not reality. Reality is so immediate, so "here," yet it is so far away from us because we are always conceptualizing and analyzing, dividing the world into categories, and giving them names. Each time you name something, you are artificially constraining a part of reality.

For example, you can define "water," but when it becomes ice, you have to give it another name. So, when you think of "water", you don't perceive the whole reality of water. Water, steam, and ice are all a part of one reality. We also learned that water is made up of hydrogen and oxygen (H 2O), so hydrogen and oxygen are also a part of the reality of water. It's not that we should not define things or analyze them. But we should see that, while names and concepts are useful devices to help us understand the world and to help us communicate, they can also restrict our perception of reality.

Take the example of a diamond. We think of it as something beautiful and precious; we associate certain qualities with it. However, to a bird, a diamond is useless. An insect or a small tree branch is more valuable than the diamond. These different perspectives are also a part of the reality of "diamond." When we look at things in only one particular way, we limit ourselves; we become narrow minded. We get into conflicts because each person sees things from a different perspective.

We may say that in Buddhism, misunderstanding, or ignorance of reality, is the original sin. It is what makes us suffer. That is why wisdom is most important in Buddhism. As we practice and understand the teachings of the Buddha, we begin to see reality as it is, the whole reality, without bias.

DIY Travel: Tokyo and Beijing

2007-08-31T13:01:00.009-05:00

Tokyo, Japan

Rainbow Bridge and Tokyo Tower

Asakusa Kaminarimon

Tokyo is a mix of a modern city with traditional values. Our first impression of Japan is that they are very polite and organized. They bow their head when they thank you, and the ANA flight attendants are very considerate and friendly. It's a really long journey to travel across to the other side of the earth. Here are some tips to help make the flight more comfortable.

Transportation
Tokyo's highway system seems to be organized and well labeled. They drive on the other side of the street like Britain, so look LEFT when you cross the street! From the Airport, you can catch taxi, JR train or airport shuttle. Some taxi drivers do not understand English, so it's helpful to print a copy of the hotel's name and address in Japanese. The subways are owned by different companies, so the costs are different and they're not interchangeable. However, you can usually get from one place to another within the same system. Tokyo's main subway is called Tokyo Metro. They have an One-Day Open Ticket for 710 Yen, but we didn't use it since we didn't have to go to that many destinations in one day to be worth individual fare.

Currency exchange
Chase credit card charges you 3% transaction fee, or you can exchange currency. Be sure to call your credit card company ahead of time to let them know you're travelling overseas so not to flag your account for suspicious charges.

Tips
In general, tipping is NOT required in Asia. Tips are usually included in hotel and restaurant bills; otherwise, tipping is not expected, but I'm sure appreciated.

Lost in Translation
Google has a good translation tool. Unlike Europe, many of the signs do not have English translation, but if you can read kanji, it'll help. We were able to travel on our own in Tokyo since it's a modern city. Similar to other travel experiences, we got a little lost, but eventually we made it to our travel destination. If you need help with the direction, usually young Japanese can speak some English.

Hotel
After research, we like Villa Fontaine Shiodome the best! or Toyoko Inn. It's NEW and you don't have to break your bank to stay in the Tokyo city. It's by Shiodome (pronounced She-Oh-Doh-May) subway, newest part of the town, or Shimbashi subway. Villa Fontaine is right next to Conrad Tokyo, which is a larger landmark if you're catching the airport shuttle/limo. The hotel was just built in 2004, so it's pretty new and modern. The room is small, but so is everywhere in Japan. They have special rates or promotions in the Japanese section of their website, but you can use the google translator and make a reservation on-line. you can find a clean and nice room with free breakfast and free Internet in the room (just bring your laptop and RJ45 cable). In Asia, the pillow and bed are harder than the soft ones I'm used to in the States.

Places to Go
In the Ginza district with lots of shops, Sony Building Showrooms open daily 11:00 to 19:00. Admission Free. Also, in the Ginza district there's an Apple store.

In the Akihabara district (electronics and animations), the Tokyo Anime Center was interesting and free. We didn't get any electronics since the price and the selections seem to be better in the States. Free tour if you need it.

Shinjuki has a lot of people on the street and lots of lights at night. By Shinjuku, you can have views of Tokyo completely free on the 45th floor of the Tokyo Metropolitan Government Center. The North Observatory is open daily from 9:30 AM to 11:00 PM. Tour office - 1st floor 9:30 AM to 6 PM daily. There are many building there and it was kind of confusing to get there. when we got closer to the area, we followed people to the entrance, looks like the lower level of a parking garage.

Via the Yurikamome line, we went to the National Museum of Emerging Science and Innovation. It was very interesting. We saw the walking ASIMO robot on the Discovery channel.

Also on the Yurikamome line, Ariake stop, is the Panasonic Center, where they showcase their latest products, which was really cool for gadget lovers. They have the world's largest plasma HDTV (103V, as of July 14, 2006), we wanted to get one!

On that line, they also have other cool buildings, the Fuji TV Building on the Daiba stop and the Telecom Center.

A good place to eat and shop after touring is the Venus Fort - Palette Town on the Aomi stop. Also, there's a Toyota/Lexus Showcase center for free where you can sit in the cars like the car show which is really cool.

The Sensoji Temple was a nice destination. After walking through the modern city with tall buildings and technologies, it was nice to visit a place of culture and something old. Notice when the local people arrive, they waft the burning incense toward their body as an act of purification and to seek health and wellness.

By the Ueno subway stop, there are many good museums such as Tokyo National Museum with many worthy exhibits.

At the end of the trip, in order to get to the Narita airport, we took the Airport Limo at the Conrad Hotel stop next to our hotel. It costs a little more, but we don't have to lug our luggage around the subway and find our way. It was a long drive as we say goodbye to the city. We definitely want to come back again and visit!

Beijing

When we first arrived the airport, all we saw was people, people everywhere. Apparently the easiest way of transportation was via taxi. The line to catch taxi was fairly long, but it moved quickly. It seemed chaotic with cars and people everywhere, but looks like they try to implement some kind of system to streamline the process. The city is large. There are five beltways that loop around with cross highway so you can go from inner ring to outer ring. The pollution was very bad, it was very muggy and you can't see the blue sky. Apparently, they're furiously trying to get ready for 2008 Summer Olympic.

Forbidden City, the imperial palace, is in the city, so you don't have to travel too far. It's right across from the Tienanmen Square. Forbidden City (built 1420) was as impressive as the Versailles (from 1682, King Louis XIV lived there). It was just fascinating to see where emperor and empress lived through the dynasties, where they held their official functions, and what it was like 600 years ago. The place has so much history, I wish I know the stories better. Empress Dowager Cixi and Empress Dowager Ci'an lived there.

I could spend the whole day in there. The audio tour that comes with the admission is pretty good. The area is so large and everything is within the wall. Seems like every placement has a meaning. The number or the placement of each structure symbolize good luck, harmony, and grandeur of the emperor. The words they name the palaces are so mystical, such as Earthly Tranquility, Heavenly Purity, and Supreme Harmony.

This civilization was organized. There were many rituals and ceremonies they had to follow. Events were meticulously documented. Each building has its purpose - military, official greeting, official affairs, imperial wedding, garden, residential. Forbidden City is where the emperor rule the land. The architecture alignment from the center axis, the art works, the calligraphy, and the military weapons suggest various stages of the civilization. They were very spiritual, everything had to be harmony with heaven and earth.

About 30 mins walking distance from the Forbidden City, there's a modern mall, The Malls at Oriental Plaza. Hyatt is near by there. There are many modern buildings. I heard Holiday Inn Lido is another good place to stay. By Lidu, I love the Pure Lotus Vegetarian restaurant and the Oriental Taipan massage (with complimentary drinks and snacks) after a long flight. CNN has a review of the place and a traveler has a pretty accurate description of the experience. I found woman masseuse is better than man. Woman's hands are softer and gentle, but they massage as hard. If you need to charge batteries/laptop/cell phone, be sure to bring a really good electricity adapter, and beware of the voltage even though the shape looks like it's the same. We fried our battery charger.

One of the seven wonders of the world is the Great Wall of China (built since the 5th century BC). World's longest human-made structure, stretching over approximately 6,400 km (4,000 miles). To prevent the barbarians from attacking the country, it's really out there by the mountains , so the drive seemed really far, maybe 1.5-2 hrs away. Beware of the fake great wall (believe it or not), which is closer. You have to go a little farther to get to the real one. It goes miles and miles and loop around the mountains. Badaling section is the closest to Beijing and the most popular one. It has a cable car to take you to the higher point. beware the toilet is not too clean there. get your souvenirs down at the base level. you'll need to bargain with the vendors. but as you walk to the next vendor, the price comes down. they pretty much sells the same stuff. there's a museum and movie at the busy part of the base level.

We've been wanting to visit Great Wall at least once in our life time, but once we got on the Great Wall, it was a lot of walking and very hilly on the mountains. There were a lot of people and it was hot. We took lots of pictures and then left. I guess it's one of those places, you just want to say I've been here.

I heard the tomb of Qin_Shi_Huang, of the Qin Dynasty (221 BC – 206 BC), is interesting, where there are Terracotta Army. There are many historic places to visit that'll have to be another trip.

If you're looking for a decent meal before your flight, the Celestial Restaurant is good. It's all the way at the end of the airport before you go through the visa/security line. It's at the quiet end and there are no sales ladies trying to bring in the business. they have good Chinese meal before your flight.

Washington Post Online has an interesting series to how the economic transformation has changed family and lives in China through the eyes of women, elderly, and migrant workers.

Home of Our Founding Father - Mount Vernon

2007-08-21T21:42:00.000-05:00

You heard of Statue of Liberty, Niagara Falls, and Grand Canyon. However, one of the top travel destinations should include Mount Vernon, home of our founding father George Washington.

The new Ford Orientation Center and Reynolds Education Center filled with exciting film clips that really give you a glimpse of what it was like to start a nation and the struggles the founding fathers went through to be independent and free from tyranny. and how George Washington developed his moral characters and gentleman virtue when he was young.

The first impression and the most beautiful sight was the open grass fields that lead to the grand colonial architecturally designed house. The view of the Potomac River was magnificent. The grounds and the gardens were a delight to walk through in a sunny day. It was just a privilege to be able to walk through the enchanted dining room where our founding father entertained famous people (Thomas Jefferson, James Madison and John Adams) during his time 200 years ago.

Washington's farewell address warned us against bitter partisanship in domestic politics and called for men to move beyond partisanship and serve the common good. He called for an America wholly free of foreign attachments, saying the United States must concentrate only on American interests... if only we really listen to his advise.

If you want to learn more about George Washington, this book, His Excellency: George Washington, by Joseph J. Ellis is pretty good.

Mount Vernon is a place you would like to visit over again and an afternoon is just not enough.

I am powerful

2007-08-21T21:19:00.000-05:00

I saw this care.org sign in the Dulles Airport thought the message is very powerful because it's the least expected. A minority woman from an underdeveloped world stating that she is powerful.

Find Happiness

2007-07-11T10:57:00.000-05:00

In the Declaration of Independence from our founding fathers:

We hold these truths to be self-evident, that all men are created equal, that they are endowed by their Creator with certain unalienable Rights, that among these are Life, Liberty and the pursuit of Happiness.

As we see in the modern days, "extra pleasure of owning these grander homes is muted... added debt to buy the house may make us more anxious; and we may regret sacrificing some leisure. Money can't buy happiness. We ultimately get satisfaction from our relations with family and friends, the love we give or receive, the meaning we find in work, service, religion or hobbies. Happiness depends heavily on individual character and national culture. Some people will complain no matter how great their fortune; others will smile through the worst of times. "

May you find your happiness in life.

Free Things to Do in Washington, D.C.

2007-07-03T23:56:00.000-05:00

So many fun things to do, so little time! and not all of them cost that much money. There are many free things to do in Washington, D.C. There are many cultural events. Take advange of them while you can. Kennedy Center has free millennium stage performances every day. you can also get a beautiful view on the roof.

They have lectures and tours at the museums. Many of them are funded by your tax dollars, so take advange of them. If you're more of an outdoor kind of person, there are also many outdoor activities as well. There's something for everyone, so check out the list! Live your life. Enjoy!

DIY - Canoeing in the Wild

2007-05-20T07:38:00.000-05:00

We have been to white water rafting and kayaking before, but this is nothing like it! We took a self guided 3 hrs canoe trip downstream of the Hillsborough River. The scenery was beautiful. We saw wild animals right in front of us. We saw roseatte spoonbill, black crowned heron, great blue heron, great white heron, anhinga, and black vultures eating a dead wild hog. We went by a field of water lilies and Wesley saw a 15 inches catfish. Nice place to go fishing.

We had to learn to canoe between the tree logs and to communicate the steer movement between the front and the back of the boat. It was adventurous. Pay attention and know where is the pick up point so you won't get lost. This was way better than the water ride at the theme parks.

Paddler Wesley and the great blue heron on the tree trunk
white ibis looking for food This was our canoe. Arrived safely and sat comfortably in the seat rest
The month of May is the peak of alligator mating season. We could hear their calling, but we didn't see any alligator on this trip. It sounds like this - Alligators2 and Alligators3.

In the fall/winter, there are even more birds as they migrate south, and in the spring as they migrate back north. It's just like the National Geographic Channel live in front of you.

DIY Travel - San Francisco, Tahoe, Yosemite

2007-05-01T23:13:00.000-05:00

San Francisco

San Francisco has so much to offer. There are many outdoor things to do, events and fab restaurants. There are many great places to hike with fabulous views, such as hikes by the Cliff House, Land's End, China Beach - coastal trail

While you're in San Francisco, you getta try the meditation class. It's a very spiritual thing to do. The abbot talked about the three poisons of the mind - anger, greed and ignorance. Meditation seeks mindful awareness of the body and seeks balance, internal peace and harmony. Realize that all actions have consequences or karma. Work diligently to become patient, generous, compassion, tolerant, and have peaceful mind - which is nirvana.

San Francisco also has so many yummy Asian food. Oh my god, so many choices and so good.

* JapanTown in San Francisco - Suzu Noodle's vegetarian Ramen is sooooo good. Also try the Mochi shop and the crepe store. You getta love how Japanese restaurants show imitated food sample in the window so you can see what you're getting :) Picture is worth a thousand words. Don't forget to go to the Japanese dollar store upstairs!

* Japantown San Jose

* Cha-ya vegetarian Japanese cuisine - avocado roll is our favorite. Cha-ya noodle is my favorite.

* Korea Tofu House at Cupertino or Todam Tofu House at San Bruno. Tofu soup is served in a clay pot which keeps the tofu soup hot for a long time, with a choice of rice. Korean food comes with many plates of appetizers so you won't go hungry for long.In the 99 Ranch plaza, Fantasia is one of the original boba tea in the area and it's still our favorite. The tea is fresh, not too sweet, and lightly fragrant. The boba is chewy. Our second favorite bubble tea is Quickly. Try their Jasmin milk bubble tea.

* Vegetarian House in San Jose. Their noodle soup is good.

* Sogo Tofu organic soy for fresh soy bean drink and dou hua.

* Shanghai Dumpling Shop for brunch. They have sweet or savory soy bean milk, rice roll, and of course Shanghai steamed dumplings.

* Sheng Kee Bakery and Marina plaza

These are few of my observations of the San Francisco metropolitan area:
* There are many Internet and high tech companies there (Apple, Yahoo, Google, Oracle, HP, Sun Microsystems), but when you drive by, all you see is just their buildings. The net worth is in the intellectual capital and the ideas. Start working on your pitch to the venture capitalists. Several universities there brings in young talents and research & development. The traffic can be bad, but it's just like any other metropolitan area. The housing and gas price are higher, but just live in a smaller place. Good food and great outdoor activities make up for it. Zen meditation center is easily accessible.
* There's a little earthquake here and there. You're aware of the danger, but you try not to worry too much about it.

Be prepared for disasters, have a plan, and know what to do after an earthquake. * Keep shoes and a working flashlight next to each bed. * Know how to turn off the gas, water, and electricity to your home. * Install smoke alarms and fire extinguishers. * Store water and food supplies.

* Californians are big on environmental and recycle. After you visit the thousand years old sequoia trees and the clear Lake Tahoe, you realized the importance of saving our environment through every little things we do.

Lake Tahoe

South Lake Tahoe, CA is about 4 hours away from San Francisco. Rent or bring your GPS. The Sierra Nevada Mountain is just beautiful, and the lake is so clear.

This is the view from where we stayed in Stateline, Nevada, Harrah's Lake Tahoe. Harveys Lake Tahoe is actually closer to the lake, but both has higher floors so you can request a lake view. You can also dine on the 18th floor with this view at the Forest Buffet. Breakfast is from 8-11AM for $11. Dinner starts at 5pm. Go when it opens so you can get the good table with a view. Wes likes their sirloin steak. I like their small fruit and chocolate mousse desert.

This is the view from the Lakeside Beach, end of the Stateline Ave. Fresh mountain air and pristine lake with a snow cap mountain view, like the Alps of Europe. I didn't know such beautiful place exist here.

Forget about the commericalized Starbucks, Alpen Sierra Coffee has really good caramel coffee, free wireless Internet, and comfortable sittings.

Pony Express used to come through Lake Tahoe during 1860's to delivery mails. We have come a long way to deliver e-mails in split seconds.

Yosemite National Park

Make your reservation in the Yosemite Valley, such as the Curry Village, as soon as you can. Preferred rooms are booked up early. You can cancel it seven days before departure if you book it through DNC. When you step out of the room, you're right in the middle of the park by Yosemite village valley floor. The view is just absolutely gorgeous. It costs more to stay on the valley floor, but it'll save you time to travel into the park through difficult mountain roads. It usually takes about two hours to drive into the park. When you vacation, time is money.

Accommodations in Yosemite at Curry Village include 18 standard motel rooms, 100 cabins with private baths, three Specialty Cabins with baths, 80 cabins with central bath houses and 427 canvas tent cabins. TripAdvisor reviewers had some bad reviews of the public shower house, but it shouldn't be a suprise if you camped before. There's a good group of candid traveler photos. We stayed at Curry Village's Standard Motel Room/Stoneman Cottage since that was the only option left with private bathroom. For your comfort, book the room with a private bath. The room is very very basic, towels, sheets, blanket and pillows are provided. Bring your own hair dryer. They'll ask you to remove all food out of your car for the night since you're in the bear country. We saw bear #46 in the woods by the creek in the afternoon. Curry Village Dining offers reasonable food. The Greek pizza special is good. You can watch sports games with beers in the dining area. Check out the Visitor Center to see an award winning movie about Yosemite. There's also a museum that shows the age of tree rings and the Indian culture. You can also find a well stocked grocery store and a Bank of America ATM. You can rent a bike at the Yosemite Lodge or the Curry Village to bike around the valley. Get gas before you enter the park. Free shuttles are available in the park to take you to spots.

Lower Yosemite Falls (easy) - waterfall runs in the spring and early summer from the melted snow.

During the summer, Mist Trail, Vernal Falls (3 hours, 3 miles roundtrip) and Nevada Falls are fun. Or you can drive to the Glacier Point for a panorama view.

If you're in good shape and not afraid of height, try the Half Dome (May-Oct). The whole trip is 17 miles, 12 hours, so start your day early, pack drinks and food, and prepare to spend the night in the valley. Check out sunrise, sunset and new moon schedule, so you can plan your hikes.

Walk between giants

Mariposa Grove is the park's largest stand of giant sequoias, with about 500 trees. Mariposa Grove of Giant Sequoias is about 1.2 hour drive from the yosemite valley. Hike about 1 mile (if the access road is open) to the Bachelor and Three Graces, Grizzly Giant (estimated 2,700 years old) and California Tunnel Tree. Expect to spend 4-5 hours if you want to complete the loop.

Fearless.... in Love, Work, and Life

2007-05-01T22:54:00.000-05:00

The blog, the Huffington Post, started by Arianna Huffington has several interesting take aways.
- Facing that fear. Be fearless. Build fearless muscles. Don't be afraid of failure. Do what you want to do. Don't settle.
- No critical voices. Take control of your obnoxious roommate in your head.
- Use humor.
- Angle flies because they take themselves lightly.
- Women learn to accept our body.
- Surround yourself with people who believe you. Build tribe of friends and family who love you unconditionally.
- Not comparing yourself to others.
- Have more gratitude. Appreciate what God gives you.

Life Lessons Quotes

2007-04-18T13:24:00.000-05:00

I've learned that deciding whom you marry is the most important decision you'll ever make. - age 95

I've learned that you shouldn't expect life's very best if you're not giving it your very best. - age 51

I've learned that if you depend on others to make you happy, you'll be endlessly disappointed. - age 60

I've learned that you can never have too many friends. - age 16

I've learned that if you wait until all conditions are perfect before you act, you'll never act. - age 64

I've learned that if you care, it shows. - age 50

I've learned that if love isn't taught in the home, it's difficult to learn it anywhere else. - age 51

Knock on Wood Joke

2007-04-05T15:03:00.000-05:00

Three sisters ages 72, 74, and 76 live in a house together.

One night the 76 year old draws a bath. She puts her foot in and pauses. She yells down the stairs "was I getting in or out of the bath?"

The 74 year old yells back "I don't know. I'll come up and see." She starts up the stairs and pauses. Then she yells "was I going up the stairs or down?"

The 72 year old is sitting at the kitchen table having tea listening to her sisters. She shakes her head and says "I sure hope I never get that forgetful." She knocks on wood for good measure.

She then yells "I'll come up and help both of you as soon as I see who's at the door".

Sophisticated Farmers

2007-04-01T09:05:00.001-05:00

Between the big cities, Tampa and Orlando, in Plant City, FL, there are wild roosters pecking by the side of the road, Angus cattle farms, and strawberry fields with workers. In the mist of this traditional farm community, there are innovations and cultural activities taking place.

Through an ad, we found a hydro farm where you can pick your own strawberry. We went to check it out and found that it's a really innovative method to grow organic fruits, herbs, and vegetables without pesticide. When the plants are stacked up, you can grow 15 acres worth of strawberries in a half acre farm. It's easier to manage, cleaner, and you just just have to feed them three times a day through a pipe system. This organic lifestyle seems doable in my own backyard. Try organic strawberry without pesticide.

Just down the street, follow the billboard and the signs, there's Keel & Curley Winery in Plant City. It reminds us of the Napa Valley. There's a tasting room, wine tour, and beautiful backyard to enjoy the wine and the beautiful weather. They have an unique blend of wine with fruits, and we love dessert wines. If you have a chance to meet Chase, the winemaker, he'll tell you the fascinating story of how they started and their trials and tribulations.

A day in the farm reminds me of how life used to be without video games and tv. Just sit there quietly, listening to the wind rustling through the leaves, birds chirping, and watching how the sun shines on the earth.

Find your local hydroponic farm here.

Set goals in life

2007-03-30T23:50:00.000-05:00

“The big secret in life is that there is no big secret. Whatever your goal, you can get there if you're willing to work,” Oprah Winfrey.

High Tech Gadgets found in Japan

2007-03-29T17:04:00.000-05:00

Actually... this is an awkward topic :p In our last trip to Japan, we found this high tech toilet (bidet, hygiene seat) in the spa bathroom. We tried it, separately, and it was a nice surprise. It's a rear wash. It was refreshing and clean feeling. After a little research, it's supposed to make you healthier too. It's amazing what you find in other part of the earth!

Almost like Heaven...

2007-03-28T19:18:00.000-05:00

As we're in the tax season, some of our hard earned money go to pay for the public library system. If you haven't check it out recently, you may have a really nice library in your community. Everyone should have a library card. You can read all kinds of newspapers, magazines, and books. You can borrow audio books so you can listen to them during your long commute to work or travel. You can borrow latest movies on DVD. If you have any subjects you would like to learn, you can probably find a new book on the subject. If you don't have a computer at home, you can use it in the library. Now and days, you can do almost everything on the Internet, and you can have information over load. On the other hand, library offers credible and valuable source of information. Knowledge is power, and it depends on what you do with it. Forget about Barnes and Nobles, Boarders, and Blockbuster. The nice thing about library is that you don't have to pay to check out materials, unless it's over due. All these wealth of material like Wesley said, it's... almost like heaven!

Gasparilla Party in Tampa

2007-01-28T12:20:00.000-05:00

Gasparilla Mardi Gras Party!

Pirate ships and Mardi Gras beads!

Restaurants in Washington D.C. area

2007-01-20T19:09:00.005-05:00

Top 10 Chinese Restaurants from WTOP news:

A&J Restaurant -- 1319 Rockville Pike, Rockville.
Foong Lin -- 7710 Norfolk Avenue, Bethesda.
Grace's Fortune -- 15500 Annapolis Rd., Bowie.
House of Dynasty 7550 Telegraph Rd., Alexandria.
Hunan Delight -- 18220 Village Center Drive, Olney.
Jasmine's Chinese Restaurant -- 110 South St. Market Station, Leesburg.
Mark's Duck House -- 6184 Arlington Blvd., Falls Church.
Meiwah -- 1200 New Hampshire Ave. NW, Washington, D.C.
Peking Gourmet Inn -- 6029 Leesburg Pike, Falls Church. (Among the favorites is Peking Gourmet Inn on Leesburg Pike in Falls Church, a restaurant known to be frequented by former President George H.W. Bush and his son, former President George W. Bush. The "Bush menu" often included the restaurant's signature Peking Duck. )
P.F. Chang's -- multiple locations

Our favorite Thai restaurants are:

- Sawatdee 2250 Clarendon Boulevard, at Courthouse Road, Courthouse Plaza (703)243-8181 Court House Metro.Open 11.30am-10pm Mon-Thur; 11.30am-10.45pm Fri; noon-10.45pm Sat;4.30-10pm Sun.

- Thai Pilin 8385 Leesburg Pike (pass Tysons Corner Mall)Vienna, VA(703) 556-9191 lunch price is a better deal. Close Sunday.

- Thai Square Restaurant (703) 685-7040 3217 Columbia Pike, Arlington, VA

Chinese:

Chopstix at Rockville - Taiwanese breakfast starts at 11 AM on the weekend. 4 N Washington St. Rockville, MD 20850 (301) 762-8810

Chopstix at Gaithersburg - family style meals. Also breakfast on the weekend. 820 Muddy Branch RdGaithersburg, MD 20878(301) 330-8886

Peking Village - good authentic food
2962 Gallows Rd. Falls Church, VA 22042 (703)698-9220

Good Fortune Restaurant
2646 University Blvd W. Wheaton, MD 20902 (301)929-8818 M-Th 11:30a-1a Fri 11:30a-2a Sat 11-2a Sun 11-1a

Weekend Dim Sum at Oriental East Restaurant, 1290 East West Highway, Silver Spring, MD 20910 301-608-0030

Yuan Fu Vegetarian (301) 762-5938 798 Rockville Pike, Rockville, MD Sun-Thu 11-10p, Fri-Sat 11-10:30p

Sunflower Restaurant 2531 chain bridge road, vienna VA 22181 (703) 319-3888 11:30a-10p Sun 12a-10p Micro Center Computer Store is down the street.

A&J Restaurant 1319-C Rockville Pike, Rockville, MD 301-251-7878, or 4316-B Markham St. Annandale, VA 703-813-8181

Eden Center (a little run down, but authentic Vietnamese food)
- Huong Viet Restaurant, 6785 Wilson Blvd, Falls Church,VA 22044, (703) 538-7110, bubble tea is good here too. Fri-Sat 10-11p, Sun-Thur 10-10p
- Bubble tea at Kim Phung Bakery (703) 534-4525
- Thanh Son Tofu - fresh dou-hua, tofu, and soy bean drink, made daily. 6793 Wilson Blvd, Falls Church, VA 22044 (703) 534-1202

CAKE - Stella Bakery 11510 D Rockville Pike, Rockville, MD (301) 231-9026 Tu-Fri 8-7, Sat 9-6, Sun 9-5, close Mon. Call ahead during summer, they usually take the whole Aug. off! Grand Marnier, chocolate mousse cake are the best in the U.S.!

Buffet
Todai - Sushi, Japanese noodle, salad, hot food, barbeque, fruits, cake. about $16/lunch

Grocery stores:
- Maxim 460 Hungerford Dr. Rockville, MD (301) 279-0110
- Kam Sam Supermarket, 300 N. Washington St., Rockville, MD 301.315.9558
- H Mart - Grand Mart Grocery, 5900 Centreville Crest Ln., Centreville, VA 703.266.2220

Other recommendations

Reviews

Guidance in Life

2007-01-08T13:25:00.000-05:00

In times of difficulties and discord, I turn to Joel Osteen. I grow up as Buddhist and raised to be a good person and productive member of our society. Then one day, I saw Joel Osteen on TV. I was just listening to his advice, motivation and guidance in life, and it really helped me through difficult things. I try to be more patient, understanding, compassionate, and look at the big picture and relationships in life. This doesn’t mean that I’m a perfect human being, but I’m working hard toward it. I believed in spiritual guidance that good gods want to help you live a happier life, regardless of which god, so God and Buddha can substitute for each other. I guess now I’m a Christian Buddhist J If you’re interested, check out his free broadcast on-line or TV. Thought I share this with you in case you’re looking for more ways to live happier! Have a happy life together!

U.S. Policy on Asia

2007-01-08T00:56:00.000-05:00

My new found respect for Senator Kay Bailey Hutchison (R-TX), Senator Jesse Helms (R-NC), and Senator Daniel Akaka (D-HI).

Here's a little history about the political unstability in Asia that can influence global economy...

Other Famous American from Taiwan

2007-01-04T22:34:00.000-05:00

New York Yankees baseball team's starting pitcher, Chien-Ming Wang

Jerry Yang, co-founder of Yahoo!

Other businesses run or co-founded by Taiwanese Americans include Yahoo!, Viewsonic, Nautica, Nvidia, Garmin, Newegg.com, and YouTube.

Elaine Chao, U.S. Secretary of Labor

Founder of Garmin is from Taiwan

2007-01-03T13:35:00.000-05:00

One of the most popular technology gifts this year is Garmin GPS. After looking at the company, the co-founder, Dr. Min Kao, is from Taiwan! Here's an interesting story of how they got started.

2006 Year In Review

2007-01-02T10:11:00.001-05:00

Happiest of New Year to you!

Peace, joy and love to you and your family!

2006 Year In Review

- Wesley is working for Bailey Family Foundation, an organization that gives out college scholarships.
- Mary is working for LMI, a not-for-profit consulting firm.
- Sold our VA house finally!
- Moved to Tampa, Florida where Wesley can play a lot of tennis matches :)

Travel
- Trip to Hawaii, Taipei, Las Vegas-Grand Canyon-Sedona-Scottsdale, and NYC.
- Attempt to watch the space shuttle launch at the Kennedy Space Center.
- Busch Garden, Discovery Cove, Sea World, and Universal Studio.

Births - 4 girls and 2 boys, but not from us! :)
Our friend Jennifer & Ming had Jessica (Jan), Rachel & Chris had Christina (Sept), Angela & Leo had Julianne (Aug), Cristina & Marcel had Mark (Dec), Jin-Ee and Chuong had Andrew (Dec), Sue & Alan had Tiffany (Dec).

Wedding
Our friends Nguyen & Trang got engaged. Karen Maley got married. Cousin Jessica got married. College friend Yoko is engaged to a lucky guy :)

We look forward to hearing from you throughout the year!

Movie of the Week: Invincible

2007-01-01T21:16:00.000-05:00

If you're looking for a good inspirational movie, check out Invincible with Mark Wahlberg. This movie also shows me football can be like going to battle with your team mates. Be tough, play rough. Friendships are formed. Tactics are played.

It's a true story about how a man went through a really tough times during the 70's and his wife left him. But despite the risk of failure, he took the chance to pursue his dream and his passion with his talent. He had a group of family and friends who believed in him and supported him. If you have a dream, give everything you got. It's kind of like the Rocky Balboa. You may fall down, but you get up. Be generous, kind, tough, play rough, play with heart and passion!

Happy New Year of 2007!!!

2006-12-31T23:18:00.000-05:00

360 degree view of new year at Taipei 101. or click on the new year drop down for other cities around the world.

Click, hold mouse button down and drag in any direction-Zoom in SHIFT-out CTRL - QuickTime Needed. It's kind of cool, like you're looking up into the sky yourself!

Happiest of New Year to you! Peace, joy and love to you and your family!

You're Live on National TV!

2006-12-26T14:29:00.000-05:00

On Christmas Day, we went to Universal Studio's Islands of Adventure. In the park, they were taping NBC iVillage Live, a live TV broadcasting show. In the beginning, we were just there to get the free lunch voucher, but it turned out to be an awesome experience! We saw how a TV show is produced and had our 5 seconds of fame with back of our heads on a live national broadcast :)

All of the hosts were very personable. Wesley got to sit next to the nice blonde host as she prepared for her talk. You've got to experience a live show once in your life, it's a lot of fun! They just ask you to clap and create a lot of excitment and energy.

We used the voucher and ate at the Hard Rock Cafe, Orlando. They have really good veggie burgers and they have a lot of cool real memorabilia from the rock stars. Visit the Elvis room on the second floor. Very cool!

Beautiful Shades of Purple

2006-11-22T00:57:00.000-05:00

Safari sunrise
Matt Duffy
Alta Loma, CA

Important things in life...

2006-11-18T16:20:00.001-05:00

Important things in life...
- birthdate
- grow up to be the person you want to be
- family
- friends
- falling in love
- engagement
- wedding
- birth of children
- birth of grandchildren
so on and so forth...

Middle class squeeze

2006-11-02T13:30:00.000-05:00

The Bible belt voted for Bush thinking he'll do what's right for our country. In 1998, we had a budget surplus of $70 billion. Now, we have $8.4 "trillion" deficit. Bush may have good intentions, but his team doesn't make the right decisions overall for our country. Katrina made us a laughing stock of the world. We're supposed to be rich and powerful, instead of like a third world country. Bush needs to take better care of the middle class and the poor, instead of his rich friends (they don't need help, do they?) For example, Michael D. Brown, the head of FEMA from 2003 to 2005.

Human civilization went from the agriculture revolution, to the industrial revolution, and now to the digital revolution. In this new knowledge economy and in this new globalize market, education is the leverage we have in order to compete against other country. But our school system and family economic pressures are not up to par with our American dream. Since 2000, it's harder to send our kids through college, with decreased assistance and increased tuition. Education is a way to break the cycle of poverty. Lower class may have a way out, if you sign up to join the military, they will pay for your tuition.

God bless our troops and our intelligence agents. And God bless their family. We haven’t another tragedy like 9.11 yet, but I don’t feel safer in the world today. And seems like there are more Islamic extremist around the world who hate us even more.

Bottom line, Bin Laden hasn't been caught for what he did to us in 9.11, and the costs of living (housing, education, transportation) increase significantly while overall wage stagnant. Middle and lower income class are living a high pressured and stressful life (horrible traffic and long commute), and they are just trying to do the best for their family day by day. America, we need to go back to the basics -- protect our homeland, and improve education so we can better compete in this new service and knowledge economy.

DIY Travel: Los Angeles

2006-10-29T15:03:00.000-05:00

Whenever we're in LA, we love to stop by Ranch 99 plaza. You can find authentic Taiwanese food and bubble tea near by the area.

Hacienda Heights
1625 Azusa Ave.Hacienda Heights, CA 91745
(626) 839-2899
Hours: 9:00 AM - 9:30 PM(7 days)

Rowland Heights Store
1015 S. Nogales Street, Rowland Heights, CA 91748
(626) 964-5888
Hours: 9:00 AM - 10:00 PM(7 days)

You can also visit new Chinatown or Little Tokyo.

Din Tai Fung dumplings reviews.

Once you satisfy your tummy, walk through Hollywood Boulevard. Look down at the stars beneath your feet and find your favorite celebrity in the Hollywood Walk of Fame. Go to Grauman's Chinese Theatre court, looked at the stars' footprints in cement. We saw Ryan Seacrest, host of American Idol, giving Hollywood tours and posing photo ops with his fans. Needless to say, we were starstruck!

If you can get the tickets in advance, go see Jay Leno in person at the Tonight Show.

It's also fun driving through the Beverly Hills, look at the mansions, and see if you can spot any stars.

UCLA (University of California, Los Angeles) is also near by. Go Bruins.

DIY Travel - Wild West Tour: Las Vegas - Sedona - Pheonix

2006-10-28T23:57:00.002-05:00

We rent a van, went on a road trip, and drove across the wild west! Walked the path of Dean Martin and John Wayne at Las Vegas, Grand Canyon, Sedona and Pheonix.

Las Vegas, Nevada

Welcome to Fabulous Las Vegas Nevada

As soon as you step out of the plane into LAS airport, there's no airport like it! You can hear the ca-ching sounds and see the big JumboTrons all over the wall as you find your luggage. Lights! Glamour! Actions!

On the Strip (Las Vegas Blvd South), we loved walking through Bellagio

Magic shows - Lance Burton, David Copperfield, Xtreme Magic Starring Dirk Arthur

Las Vegas Outlet Shopping - get the coupon book at the info desk if you're a AAA member. My parents love this outlet.

Long Life Vege Restaurant was delicious!

Veggie Delight had the most authentic food, it's like eating home food. We liked their noodle soup and seasoned tofu & seaweed. There's a bread store around the corner that's pretty good too. There are many Asian stuff in that area.

All you can eat buffet at Souper Salad was a good deal

South Coast Hotel's room was by far the best with flat screen TV and beautifully decorated. The hotel looks brand new. Luxury stay for decent price. It's not on the strip, but it's not outrageous priced either. They have a nice pool with Bose speakers to hang out and relax in the sun. They have a big parking garage on the side. It's not far from the strip, it’s south of the strip, but if you have a GPS, it's easier to know where to turn. You'll pass the outlet and walmart grocery store is near by. Traffic on the Strip is not too bad if you don't drive at night during the peak time. Parking is not a problem. All of the casino allow you to park for free, so you can spend some money there.

There are many Walmart supercenter to stock up on drinks

Hoover Dam

Grand Canyon, Arizona - South Rim

Grand Canyon is one of the 7 natural wonders of the world.

Admission is good for a week, and you can come in and out.

Canyon View Information Plaza by Mather Point has nice facilities and souvenir store

Rooms in the park fill up fast, so book it as soon as you can. Nothing like the views by the rims. Maswik Lodge is not by the rim, but it's clean and quiet. We liked the cafeteria there the most. We also enjoyed interacting with the international exchange co-ops students.

Their free shuttle bus is convenient, but slow. It's the only way to get to the Hermits Rest Route. Drive your own car if you're trying to catch the sunrise so you won't miss it by the seconds.

Walk around the rim to look at the Grand Canyon in all different angles. You can spot the Colorado River, mull trails, and birds. Prepare to take lots of pictures.

Grand Canyon looks different during sunrise or sunset. The colors magnified. During certain days, you can catch sunrise and moonset at the same time.

If you want to take a break from walking, check out the National Geographic's IMAX theatre, located just outside of the park.

We went there during Labor Day week, to miss the summer vacation crowds and before school tours show up. The weather was chilly especially for the sunrise, so bring warm jackets.

Sedona, Arizona

Sedona has amazing landscapes.

Matterhorn Lodge was comfy and has a nice view.

Tlaquepaque shopping center is nice to walk around for artworks, crafts and jewery.
Because of the beautiful scenaries, Sedona and Pheonix used to be the movie capital with John Wayne's cowboy and wild west movies, which are my dad's favorite. It was neat, he happened to catch one of tv while we were there!

Scottsdale, Pheonix

For good food, go to Pei Wei Asian Diners.

Scottsdale Resort & Conference Center was super nice. Be sure to ask for the room facing the golf course for beautiful views. We walked around their promenade to casitas, and had a nice swim in the pool at night. It was super relaxing, a nice way to end the trip.

View on Immigration

2006-10-25T18:33:00.000-05:00

On 25 Oct. 2006, I saw this headline on CNN.com, "Dobbs: Middle class victims of illegal immigration." Rather, I think it's the lower class that is the victim of illegal immigrants.

I saw illegal immigrants standing on the streets looking for jobs and working for less than minimum wage. Middle class are crunched for cash and always looking for deals at Walmart. Unless you want to pay a lot to build your house or to buy your vegetables, I think most American benefit from this pool of hard working labor.

I don't think they're taking jobs away from American. They're doing jobs nobody wants to do. Let's not forget, we're living in a competitive globalized world and capitalist society. We should change our policy and law to adjust to the reality and implement a working visa program for them. If we have a work program, foreign workers can apply for it; and if they don't have criminal background, they should be allow to travel through boarder safely. Young women are risky their safety and lives in order to find a job in America. If they work in America for more than a decade and became Americanized, they're hard working and law abiding citizen, they can apply for citizenship. If they don't have anyone to vouch for them, or if they're dangerous to our society, then we don't want them on our streets.

Do-it-yourself (DIY) Travel: New York City tour

2006-10-21T23:02:00.002-05:00

Central Park

Nintendo store by Rockefeller Center where you can see the new Wii.

Walking in NYC

Naked Cowgirl in Time Square.

only in America... you gotta love it!

... and the cowboy

Chinatown

Drive
Don't leave home without an EZ-Pass, if you're driving to NYC. It reduces wait time at toll significantly.

Hotel
Stay at Fairfield Inn East Rutherford Meadowlands, NJ with Marriott (join club and use the points to stay for free) so you don't have to drive into downtown and get stressed out. Hampton Inn is also nearby. We requested a room facing the meadows (versus facing the street), it was quiet and we had a good sleep. Free Internet and free breakfast with coffee, juice, bagels, milk, cereal, yogart, banana, CNN, newspaper, etc. Sofa and carpet need to be replaced though. If you use GPS, be sure to plug in this address instead, else GPS will take you to a marina out of no where. 10 Murrayhill Parkway, East Rutherford, NJ 07073. Here's the hotel review.

Transportation to NYC

There's a bus stop right in the front of the hotel. Bus 163/164 Local! will take you to Time Square via Port Authority in just 15-20 min. depending on the wait time in Lincoln Tunnel. It costs $3.10 per person, one way. Hotel is at East Rutherfod (Paterson Ave. at Hackensack St.) and you get off at New York Port Authority bus Terminal. The bus was very puntual and notice the gate and time frame where you catch your bus back to the hotel. Be sure to ask the hotel check in desk for the bus schedule and subway map.

Subway
Once you're in the Port Authority, you can buy 1 day unlimited pass is $7 in newstand stores. Use care when entering the station through turnstyle, because you can only go into station once like every 15 mins. (to prevent multi-people from using just one pass). Once you figure out how to ride subway, it's fairly easy. One color might have various names/numbers, just depends on the final destination, but if you're just in Manhattan, names/numbers might not matter as long as you know if you're going in uptown, or downtown entrance. Streets are in grids. Horizontals are Streets. Vericals are Avenues. It may help to have a compass to you know which way is N / E / W / S. Common rules in major city applies -- don't walk alone at night, go where there are people around, casually notice your surroundings, watch out for thief who target your bag or wallet, and be casual and bend in like one of New Yorkers.

Be sure to wear comfy shoes and prepare to walk a lot.

It might look seem far to walk two or three blocks, but it's actually not too bad, if you're in good shape.

It's useful to have cell phone charged or a meeting place determined, since it's easy to get lost in the crowds.

Time Square
If it's a nice day, you can walk from Port Authority to Time Square on the street level. Time Square has a Toy R Us store, which is fun to visit. Go to basement for the game room and the magic tricks.
Virgin music store is still there. To find out about the origin of this store, read Virigin's founder entrepreneur Richard Branson's fasinating book.
Nakes Cowboys, Cowgirl, and various drummer and entertainers are in various street corners. Leave some change in your pocket makes it easier if you want to tip them, so you don't have to take out your whole wallet.

Watch out for crazy taxi drivers and pedistrian lights to cross the street. With all the stores and things to look at, it's easy not to pay attention where is safe to take the next step.

5th Ave.
To save your energy, take the subway to 5th Ave. and 59 St. by Central Park. If you've seen trees, ponds, and grass, it might be more fasinating to walk on 5th Ave instead. Walk toward south, you'll see Apple store, Trump Tower where Apprentice was filmed, and Tiffany (bathrooms at upstair are really nice) - Breakfast at Tiffany's movie was filmed there. After a few blocks, you can get to Radio City, and Rockefeller Center to see the lights and people skating. walk by NBC Today's studio. Nintendo store is also by there, where you can see the new Wii.

As an American, if you have never visited Statue of Liberty, it's well worth it. Seeing and feeling what she symbolize, my experice was compariable to seeing 4th of July firework in Washington D.C. Also, you're not only taking a boat ride, but to experience how original immigrants feel like when they first arrive New York.

If you have time, you can catch a broadway shows. if you like ABBA music, Mamma Mia is really fun.

"Sex in the City" fans
If you're a "Sex in the City" fan, a show about four smart, pretty and fun girl friends looking for love, career success and life in NYC, you can find their spots in Manhattan. Carrie's apartment is at Upper East Side (245 east 73rd street, New York). The show grabs viewers, because the show is smart. It shows the depth of relationships in life. It's about young professional women looking for love and making choices about their lives. And it's fun to watch their life in NYC.

Thoughts
NYC is a densely populated place, so its easy to see the haves and have nots. It made me believe even more about the oppotunity to receive good education, and to work hard, because at the end of the day, it'll make a difference. Even if you have the dough, you still need the smarts to know what to do with it to keep it. If you have just enough, question is how do you maximize it to make your life most enjoyable. Live long and prosper as Spock says.

China Town
Take the subway down to Canal Street - China Town. Walk toward East to Mott Street for some authentic food. They have bubble tea, bakery, peking ducks, fruit/vege stands, restaurants and purses.
Restaurant Read revews on line. Buddha Bodai's snow pea tips was pretty good.
Don't buy any of the DVD from the street vendors, horrible quality and not worth the cost. However, if you look like tourist who like to shop, you might get invited to the secret back room where they sell look alike hip juicy purses. So to sum up, it was the ultimate NYC experience in one day.

Advice from Carly Fiorina - Maryland MBA

2006-10-16T13:02:00.000-05:00

My advice is to give everything you've got to the job you have and recognize opportunity when it knocks. Don't be afraid to go after it.

Throughout my career, I have never spent time thinking about the next job. I've spent time doing the current job to the best of my ability. I did that when I was a secretary, and I did that when I was a CEO.

Choosing people is the most important choice a manager or leader makes. I put wrong people in wrong jobs, or left them in jobs for too long.

•The workplace is not gender blind, but women get further by focusing on possibilities, not limitations.
•Quarterly reports are a look through the rearview mirror. Focus on leading indicators such as customer-satisfaction trends.
•You can't make everyone happy. Leaders motivate people to do things they resist.
•Focus on the job, not the next promotion. When opportunity knocks, go for it.

About Fiorina
•Born Cara Carleton Sneed in Austin. Attended high schools in Ghana, England, North Carolina and California, because her father, a law professor and later a judge, moved a lot.
•B.A. in medieval history and philosophy, Stanford, 1976; MBA, University of Maryland, 1980; Master's in management, MIT Sloan School of Management, 1989.
•Married, two stepdaughters.
•Secretary at real estate investment brokerage company, 1976-77.
•Worked 20 years at AT&T and Lucent Technologies. CEO at HP 1999-2005. Fortune magazine's most powerful woman in business six years in a row, 1998-2003. Remains in top 10.

(Source: USA Today, October 16, 2006)

Travel

2006-09-10T22:36:00.000-05:00

"Travel always transforms us - whether we like it or not - in subtle ways or in permanent ones. It gives us new perspectives, new ideas about ourselves and the world we live in."
Travel + Leisure Sept. 2006

I’m proud to be an American

2006-07-14T16:28:00.000-05:00

God Bless the U.S.A.
By Lee Greenwood

If tomorrow all the things were gone I’d worked for all my life,
And I had to start again with just my children and my wife.
I’d thank my lucky stars to be living here today,
‘Cause the flag still stands for freedom and they can’t take that away.

And I’m proud to be an American where at least I know I’m free.
And I won’t forget the men who died, who gave that right to me.
And I’d gladly stand up next to you and defend her still today.
‘Cause there ain’t no doubt I love this land God bless the U.S.A.

From the lakes of Minnesota, to the hills of Tennessee,
across the plains of Texas, from sea to shining sea,
From Detroit down to Houston and New York to LA,
Well, there’s pride in every American heart,
and it’s time to stand and say:

I’m proud to be an American where at least I know I’m free.
And I won’t forget the men who died, who gave that right to me.
And I’d gladly stand up next to you and defend her still today.
‘Cause there ain’t no doubt I love this land God bless the U.S.A.

Pretty Photos

2006-06-16T21:33:00.000-05:00

taipei moment in space took your breath away

Taipei 101 at night

from this photo club
1-2-3 Taiwan/一二三到臺灣, 臺灣有個阿里山

by Fishtail a great artist!

How to fight bullies in court

2006-05-30T13:43:00.000-05:00

Interesting blog. Bob Parsons' advice to you is simply this: Never let anyone push you around. First, try to defuse the situation. If you can’t do that, stand up and defend yourself.

Web surfing top ranked sites

2006-05-30T13:38:00.000-05:00

Top 100 Ranked Sites by # of feeds that reference

Inspirational Junkies

2006-05-18T15:54:00.000-05:00

For the inspirational junkies out there, check out The Daily Motivator website http://www.greatday.com/ you can also make this your default home page!

Tampa, Florida

2006-04-04T21:37:00.000-05:00

Tampa, FL

Palm Trees!

Nice place if you like lots of sun shines and palm trees.

watch out for alligator!

Busch Gardens

DIY Travel: Taipei 101 - God of Heaven - Year of Dog

2006-03-01T02:33:00.001-05:00

Taipei 101 in Forumosa Taiwan-- World's Tallest Building, 1,679-foot-tall

& World's fastest elevators, ground floor to 89th floor in 39 seconds!

Here is a good brief video about Taipei 101. the observatory to the top is interesting. There are several good restaurants in the Taipei 101 Mall. Within walking distance of Taipei 101, there are Warner Village and department stores like Mitsukoshi. many good yummy food everywhere.

the National Palace Museum is an interesting place to visit with many culture things to look at. even though it's a little bit out of the city, but it's worth it. check out this short video. If you're looking for something closer, the National Concert Hall in the Chiang Kai-shek Memorial Hall may have concerts or events. there's a cafe and gift shop. the grounds are beautifully maintained like a park.

Taipei City Guide

Wiki Forumosa

Taipei Lantern Festival - Year of Dog

Celebrate birth of God of Heaven during the lunar new year. Actually, they look kind of ghostly with dark red face and long black beard, maybe to scare of the evil spirits!

Pizza Pub at Lai Lai with our friends Angela, Leo, Jonathan & Lin family. The wood-fired oven pizza is fabulous and their live entertainment takes requests.