I Like Karen's Blog!

Hi Karen,
Did you read my blog about "Reading..." ?  If you did, you'd know why I LIKE YOUR BLOG!!  Your self title says that you a 

Care Bear Karen!

This title alone tells me a lot about you.  It makes me want to read your blogs.  That you are caring person, right? What does a bear do best?  (besides sleeping all winter and eat honey)...They give really, really big hugs! ;)  Right off the bat, I can sort of imagine the tone of voice that you'd have when writing your blog.  I was right, when I read your blog, you sounded like a very calm, loving and caring person, just as the title says you are.  ;) 

 

RELIGION HAS NO NAME

I DONT MEAN TO TEASE/MAKE FUN OF THOSE WHOSE RELIGIOUS BELIEF SHAPE THEIR LIFE.  THIS ONLY PERTAINS TO A FEW INDIVIDUALS (THAT I'VE ENCOUNTERED) WHOSE RELIGIOUS BELIEFS HINDERS THEIR ABILITIES TO BE OPEN MINDED....

I was taught that if I didn't go to church every Sunday, I'd go to hell, so I went ... Turning point was when I went to college.......
.........Living on my own, with my friends, away from my parents, I started to see and  recognized diversity.  I stopped practicing Catholicism blindedly...that is...going to church on Sundays to avoid hell, believing that GOD's only name is JESUS; convinced that people who practice other religions are wrong....I left all of that behind me.  I started to get to know other religions, such as Budhism, Hoa Hao, etc...I discovered that the common theme among ALL RELIGION is  TO LOVE OTHERS AS YOU LOVE YOURSELF.  From this, I take a little bit from each religion that I learn and incorporate them into my life.  I went to Budhist temples and pay respect to Budhist, I also continued to go to Church to worship and and attend mass.  This time around, I went to church because I wanted to be there, not because I was scared to go to hell.  My parents thought that I was "lost" and needed to be "saved".   I DIDN'T MIND BEING "LOST".  Only when I am lost that I will be found.  If I acted as if I was saved already and not lost,  NO ONE WILL FIND ME AND TRY TO SAVE ME.


It amuses me when someone claim that his/her life is COMPLETE because he/she FOUND GOD.  As if he/she can sit back, relax, enjoy the company of God and watch others rot in hell because they didn't find GOD.  Trust me, if GOD ever made HIS/HER presence (God is not necessarily a male, remember?), you woudn't know!!! It's only the beginning my dear, keep working at it.   GOD can be quiet and sneaky like a thief, or loud and scary like a storm,  and takes many form, he is buddhist, Jesus, Alah.  He is also that punk who stole your bike when you were a kid, the bully at school who called you fat, the teacher who didn't like you that much, the homeless around the corner, the ex-boyfriend that dumped you, the police who  gave you a ticket for speeding....GOD IS EVERYWHERE, EVERYONE, EVERYTHING, AND NOTHING AT ALL.  So when you put down others simply because they don't believe the same God as you do, or they don't believe in God at all, you are putting down the very own God that you claim to worship.

"MY religion, YOUR religion"....There is no such thing! Religion is not owned, mortgaged, or brought.  It's not physical!  Have you seen your religion with your own eyes?  Is it pink? red? blue? fat? skinny? shiny? stink? long? short? does it make a great pet? Is it on sale?  How is it compared to your neighbor's religion.  "My religion makes me a better person, it teaches me...yadiyadiya...." It doesn't it teach you anything, if anything, it scares you more than it teaches.  Are you being a good person because you want to be good? Or are you scared of being punished by your religion, by your God? 

GOD, whatever HIS/HER name may be, do not need mortals like us to advertise HIS/HER name.  HE/SHE will not decline in value due to lack of marketability.  That is why I am not too happy with those who advertise their God's name for the sake of bring others into their "Religion".  Religion is not what teaches us right from wrong.  Pure life experiences teach us right from wrong.  Religion is kind of like an immune system, it produces antibodies against other antigens by causing fever and other inflammatory effects when they come in contact with other antigens.  The only ways that antibodies will not cause fever and inflammatory effects is if you expose yourself to other religions (antigens) so that your body will be neutral, respectful, indifference, when other religions (antigens) are around.

Given the chance to give my child only one quality....

....I'd choose WISDOM so that he can handle the his life circumstances, treat people, and consider the things and events that takes place around him with a deep understanding how people nature interacts.  I would like for my child to use his wisdom, or insights to create, maintain, and promote balance and happiness in his relationships.  This way, he doesn't act or react to things/people prematurely.  Wisdom will enable my child to not be shallow and judge others with.  Wisdom will ensure that my child will develop respectful manners and have regards for others BECAUSE he acknowledges the different characteristics of others.  He will be able to use reasons based on his knowledge to determine his actions.  If he is full of wisdom, he will live his life with hopes, happiness, and appreciate people and things for the way they are.

Three people whose life has improved ( a little bit) since they've met me...

               Yesterday, after lunch with my son, I bought a meal to go so that we could eat it for dinner.  As I stepped out of the restaurant, a homeless man approached us and said "anything will help".  Instead of reaching into my wallet for change, I told my son to give him our dinner.  My son "E" hesitated a little bit, but I told him that the old man is hungry and that he needs food.  He then happily handed the homeless man with our dinner.  The old man's eyes lit up.  He was happy, I felt content, and my son couldn't stop talking about it on the way home.  So yeah, that's one life I've touched, and possibly "improved" a little.
                    This morning, I went to Ross to buy some boots for the winter.  A pair of black boots caught my eyes.  As I reached my hand out to grab the boots, a little girl also went for the same pair.  I was taller than she was, so I grabbed them first.  She went running to her mom saying something in Spanish.  She was probably telling on me.  Hahaha...I started to feel a little competitive.  It kinda felt like Black Friday's shopping where everyone's fighting for the same discounted item.  I admit it:  I could care less if that little girl cried 'cause she didn't get her boots.  As I was trying on my boots, she did cry!!!  I thought "$$$%%^$%$ little girl, get over it...look for another pair, they wouldn't fit you anyways.  Spoiled little brat...$%$$%$%".   Yeah..you guessed it, in the end, I put boots back pretending as if I didn't want them so she could get them instead.  Only because she was crying a river.  By giving up the boots for the girl, I think I helped improved the little girl's mom's day because her mom felt relieved when she got the shoes.  You welcome!!
                       I'm not a picky eater.  My husband is a picky eater.  When we first met, he'd rather stay hungry instead of eating anything random.  As for me, if it's edible, I'd eat it and call it a meal.  Whenever we attended a party, if he doesn't like the food, he'd stay hungry.  After living with me for a while, he started to explore different foods and appreciated the different cooking styles.  Now, he's much easier to cater to.  I KNOW his life has improved because of this.  He DOESN'T think that I should take all the credit for it, but he will one day ;)  Thanks to me he doesn't have to stay hungry at parties! ;)

What does death teach us about life?

Death reminds us that life is precious, but temporary.  Death also teaches us that life is an unending cycle of beginnings and ends intertwining with one another.  At the very point of life right before it is terminated, death has already taken over.  While before life starts, death has already begun. 
Death is a gift to man that the Gods are not fortunate enough to take part in.  I think that it is boring and pointless to live one's life knowing that death will never come.  I think that if the Gods can wish for one, they'd wish for mortality, so that at the end of their life, they can experience death, and possibly become something new again.  The reason why death is "scary" and hard to accept is because it is the only thing in our life that we cannot control, postpone, or predict.  What we are not certain of, we are afraid of because we cannot control it.  Again, because death is certain, yet uncertain at the same time is what makes life worth living, worth striving, and worth experiencing more than ever.  Many of us find it difficult to accept that fact that EACH and EVERYONE of us WILL DIE one day, some before others.  But how many of us really want to LIVE FOREVER?  How boring is life if there is no ending to it?  It's like studying for an exam that will never come, or reading a book that never ends...Sooner or later, we will find such tasks meaningless because there is no end point.  Will we still have the same motivations to go about our days, sustain our strengths and boost our weaknesses if we know that our life will never end?  Probably not.

If I could take home an animal from the zoo.......

I'd probably take home a baby monkey.  I think that they are hilarious.  Monkeys are the most clever and fun animals to be around.  I'd teach him tricks all day.  I'd mimic his behaviors and study his reactions to see if he find himself entertained that someone mimics him.  The reason why I'd pick a monkey to bring home with me is because when I was younger, I used to walk home from school with some other children in the neighborhood.  We'd usually stopped by this one lady's house to feed her monkey before heading home.  As children, we didn't know how to properly handle monkey, so we teased the monkey a lot before actually feeding him the bananas.  One day, when we stopped by after school to visit the monkey, the owner said that they monkey died because of some viral infection.  I cried so much on the way home.  I was so sad because I didn't get to see him again.  From that time on, I've always been fascinated with monkey.  I'd love to watch the animals featured on the Discovery Channel, especially when they show monkeys.  Until this day, I still miss that monkey and if I could, I'd own one.  Oh yeah, I have a monkey stuff animal that I love because he looks soooooo cute ;) I even have a name for him....Sorry, can't release his name ;) (smile)

Can Money Buy Happiness?

Nope!  That's why my goals and achievements are not tied to the amount of money that I have, or that I desire to have.  Not only that money cannot buy happiness, it can take away someone's happiness and leave that person with nothing, except money, but what is that money worth if it's simply just a whole bunch of bills. 
Yes, there are times when I see celebrities living in their big mansion, wear designer clothes, and living their lavish life because they have a lot of money, but it does not mean that they are happy.   I'd rather live a modest life with a companion who I can share meager and simple meals with, rather than having a lot of money and live in a big mansion all by myself.  I often sorry for materialistic people who mask their loneliness with sparkling jewelry and expensive cars.  As a child growing up, I lived in a thatched house, eat only two times a day with no snacks in between.  I played in the sand, climbed trees, chased the goose, and fish by the river as a way to entertain ourselves because we didn't have any toys.  Looking back, those were the happiest times of my life.  And money didn't even play a part in creating beautiful, happy memories...So again, no, money cannot buy happiness ;)

What motivates me to read in English?

I haven't really thought about what motivates me to read in English because often times when I read, I simply read for enjoyment without thinking too hard about "why".  Come to think of it, maybe at first glance,it was the TITLE that caught my attentions.  When I open the book, if the font size and style is dull, too small, too big, or too fancy, I will not continue reading that book...I'd prefer fonts that are neutral, not too fancy.  The first chapter of the book is really important because it can either invite me to read further, or it can be a turn off for me.  If I like the first chapter of the book, I will continue reading the rest of the book regardless of how long it may take.  If the first chapter, or the first few paragraphs are unimpressive, I will put the book down and not give it another try (even for school text book, I'd find alternative ways to obtain the informations).  I'd usually read my books the second time around if I liked it a lot the first time.  The second time is to "get to know" the book at a deeper, critical level....
I just realized something...Reading a book is like being on a BLIND DATE.  His PHYSICAL APPEARANCE is like the TITLE.  If like am attracted to his physical appearance, I'd start the CONVERSATION with him, which is like reading the FIRST CHAPTER.  Five minutes into the conversation with a blind date is like reading the first chapter of a book.  If I like the way he carries the conversation, I'd continue the rest of the date (reading rest of book).  If I like him after the first date is over (finishing the whole book), I'd most likely go on a second date (read the book again, and again,.....;)
Sometimes people hold on to a book that they have read countless of times, and every times they read it again, they are still fascinated by it...I guess it's kind of like ending up marrying the person that I went on the blind date with ;) 

Good things about being bilingual...

There are many perks about being bilingual (or trilingual).  One of them is being able to meet (and greet) more people and create conversations simply because I speak more than one languages.  Another benefit of being able to speak/write in another language besides English is that it makes me more competitive and appealing to my potential employers.  I can enhance my critical thinking and writing skills because I can analyze and respond to a peace of writing in a broader and complex ways.  I can travel to non-English speaking countries and teach English to others because I can understand them in the native language that we share.  I can also help fill out forms, interpret, and translate English for the elders to do not understand English.  When I travel back to my country, I can speak my native language so that I will not feel like a foreigner for being gone for so long. 
I like the fact that I am bilingual, well, I understand and read some French too, so maybe that counts as "trilingual".  It makes me feel very special being able to absorb the cultures and the arts that come with the language too.  I truly believe that in order to learn about one's culture, you must learn about one's language.  That's why I feel that since I speak more than one languages, I carry within me more than one cultures. 

Food is Fun

Some of my fondest childhood memories are from eating foods that my mother and sister cooked when we were in Vietnam.  We were poor, so we didn't buy a lot of our foods from the market.  Living in the country side, we raised our own animals for meat, trees for fruits, and herbs and vegetables.  We used to always eat as a family.  Lunch and dinner was always at the same time of the day when my father comes home from work in the rice fields.  We knew how to tell time without having a clock in the house ;)  We looked at the position of the sun in the sky and that was our clock.  Talk about solar energy ;)    I am quite adventurous when it comes to trying new foods.  I remembered my father always brought home something for my mother to cook for dinner.  It may sounds scary but these are the times I will always treasure and remember my father by.  Sometimes he brought home lizards, snakes, frogs....whatever he could catch while in the farms.  My sister and I always tried to guess what he'd bring home that day.  My mother had her ways of mixing her special herbs to make these "scary" recipe into delicious dinner.  While eating dinner together, my dad always had incredible, heroic stories of how he spotted, chased, and tackled the big lizards out of his hidings and bring it home to us...My sisters and I used to listen with our mouth wide open and asked my father if we could come along one day.  He never let us go to the farms with him though.  Growing up as a poor little girl in Vietnam was the times when I tasted the best foods in my life!

My ideal world

My ideal world is none other than the world I am living in right now....Being where I am in my life, though not perfect, and still struggling with every bit and pieces of energy that I have to accomplish my goals, I feel that I am blessed to be a daughter to my parents, a mother to my son, and a life partner to my hubby...With all the chaos that's taking place around me, being able to wake up every morning to go to school and learn what I am passionate about, being able to go to bed with my baby in my arms every night...being able to hear the laughter of my friends and families around me is my ideal world.  As a child growing up, I've always been an optimistic individual no matter what life may bring.  I don't have a lot of money, in fact, I don't even have money ;)  I don't drive a new car, I don't live in a big home, I have to work for a living, but what I love about being able to wake up in the morning knowing that I still have my health, my hopes, and my inspirations are indications that my world is ideal ;)

One job I would never want to do

The one job that I would never want to do is being a taxicab driver in New York City.  I feel sorry for them.  I wonder why they do it.  I detest the city, cannot stand the congested highways, city roads, streets full of automobile, carbon dioxide, smoke, bikes, pedestrians, dogs, cats, tourist...all in one narrow street.  Everytime I watch a scene from the streets of New York City, all I see is yellow!  Yellow taxicabs honking the heck out of each other trying to make it to the next block.  I think that if I ever have to be a taxicab driver in New York, I'd kick the people out of my taxi if they ask me to give them a ride to some restaurant two blocks away.  If you live in New York City, why can't you walk?  It takes less time walking to your next destinations than to hop in a taxi cab.  Wouldn't you think?  I like driving leisurely to the country side for a roadtrip, but driving in the city is considered a crime to me, would never do it even if I was paid a lot of money....

If I have one week to do whatever I want...all expenses paid....

If I have one week to do whatever I want, all expenses paid, I would travel to the secluded countryside of Vietnam.  I would fly first-class (of course!).  I would take my whole family to Vietnam to visit my grandmother.  I would live in a thatched house next to a river with my family.  My family and I would enjoy our whole week away from the stress of life in the United States.  I would sleep under the stars listening to my grandmother telling stories of her experiences growing up during the Vietnam War.  I would wake up to the sounds of the cockerel early in the morning and the sweet scents of wheat germs all around me .  I would taste the honey drops of the sweet early morning mist of the country side.  I would enjoy breakfast consisted simply of white rice porridge and salted fish with my family.  I would listen to the sounds of children laughing by the river as they express their excitements of catching a catfish for lunch.  I would ride my bike along the river, let my hair flow through the winds and simply just be a child.  I would join others who work in the rice fields and have lunch with them under the shades (no air conditioning needed).  I eat sweet and sour soup everyday made by my grandmother. 

Writing is like a........

Writing is like a piece of art work where the writer is the artist creating a beautiful piece of art using words.  The words are carefully selected by the writer is comparable to that of the colors on the color palette that the painter uses to mix his desired color for his picture.  Sometimes when the writer experiences difficulties coming up with proper words to describe an object or person, he/she tries different methods to brainstorm his/her thoughts.  Just as when the painter is experiencing difficulties drawing/painting a portrait of a beautiful sunset, or a beautiful woman, he/she tries to mix different colors together before deciding on the perfect hue to his/her piece of art.  Writing is indeed creating art.  When a piece of writing has the potential to "wow" its reader, the reader can often times escape the dimensions of his/her reality and "become one" with the beautiful, seductive piece of art.

List B: If I won a million dollar but had to give it all away...........

If I won a million dollars but had to give it all away, I would give it to my mother because she would give it all back to me!  I then would insist that she takes it right back just for the sake of saying: "No mom, take it, I HAD TO give it all away to someone".  She, being the kind of mother who would give to her children than take, would say: "Yeah, now the money is mine so I can give it to anyone I please, so take it!"  Aha!  Now the money is back in my account :) 
Seriously,  if I really have to give it all away, I wouldn't give it to just one person.  I'd first give some to the my credit card company so they can erase my debt (cause I owe them a huge sum of money).  I then would give a small portion to the mortgage company after I purchase a home, maybe two, one to live in and one to rent out.  I then would take a small chunk of that million $$ and give it away to the farm owner after he sells me his farm.  I will surely distribute the money among my sisters after I purchase a home for my parents to live next to me.  I will put away the remaining half to my son so that he will start his business when he gets older, or use it for his college tuition.