Funny Moment

As previously stated, I am Chinese-American. But, I look more American than Chinese and only use Cantonese when ordering dim sum. With this said, let me tell you what happened on Thursday.

I ordered food from one of my favorite hole-in-the-wall-non dim sum-cheap-Chinese-food places. The place is family-owned and friendly. After paying the bill, the owner said "Happy New Year!" I responded with the same, but only in Cantonese. She looked up, and after second guessing herself, started smiling then chuckling. It wasn't a mean laugh, but one of more shock if anything else.

Well, needless to say that made my day. Very much amused, I drove off smelling the delicious aroma of chow mein and with a smile in my heart.

Chinese or Filipino?

I, a Chinese-American man, am married to a wonderful Filipino-American girl. After 3 lovely years of marriage, one must ask: "are we more Chinese or more Filipino?"

1. Food: we eat more Chinese food, period.
2. Church: we go to a white/hispanic church but on Friday it's a Chinese church.

(so far, that's 2 for Chinese)

3. Music: don't listen to either of which, but I have learned the tune of
"Nandito Ako" by Lea Salonga.
4. TV: don't watch either of which, but sometimes my wife would watch "Kababayan" on
Channel 18.

(now it's 2 for Chinese, 2 for Filipino)

5. Medicine: we both take "po chai" for stomach aiches. No Filipino "drugs" taken.
6. Grammar/Language: I have learned how to spell Philippines - it's not Filipines,
Phillipines, etc. - and Filipino - it's not Philipino, Fillippino, etc.
She can read/write/speak Tagalog. I can write "one", "two", and "three"
in Chinese. I think it's pretty obvious where this one sways.

(okay, it's 3 each)

7. Cooking: I cook Chinese stir fry and don't dare to try to cook adobo, pancit, or
any other Filipino dishes. She seldom cooks Filipino food but she uses a lot
of fish sauce, cilantro, ginger - so it's more Vietnamese if anything.
8. Clothing: I don't own any clothing that's Chinese and don't want to own any
Chinese clothing (or Filipino for that matter). My wife is the same.
9. Utensils: Chinese people use chopsticks. Filipinos use a fork AND a spoon AT
THE SAME TIME. I never eat the Filipino way. My wife used to eat the Filipino
way but I have "converted" her. =)

So, what is the point of this? There is no point at all! Just a bunch of interesting/not-so-interesting facts.

Bring Back "Christmas"

Old Navy, Gap and Banana Republic are owned by the same company. And all three boycott Christmas. Old Navy doesn't sell Christmas gifts. They sell "holiday" gifts. They don't close their stores on Christmas. They close on "holiday." They don't observe "Christmas morning," they observe "holiday morning." They don't wish customers a "Merry Christmas." They wish them a "happy holiday." Old Navy boycotts Christmas. Old Navy even makes a joke of Christmas by offering video greetings called "Happy Chrismukkah."

Sign this petition to tell them in a kind and polite way that as long as they boycott Christmas, you will boycott Old Navy. For more information on other stores like Old Navy, click here.

And, for those of you who find the term "Merry Christmas" offending, you might want to listen to this and you'll then find "Happy Thanksgiving" offending too. After listening to this, if you find both offending, then this world is way too politically correct.

Funny Video

On a lighter note, this is one of the most funniest videos I have ever seen. Enjoy!

The Value of Life

Michael Vick received a 23-months sentence to prison for his involvement with dog fighting. Even though this is a senseless crime, what does this tell you about the value of human life, more specifically human fetuses? Thousands of soon-to-be babies are being killed. If Michael Vick's significant other had an abortion, would they get any sort of punishment? Of course not, but is this right? Society puts the value of dogs over the value of human beings. Very sad!

What else is more valued than human life? Endangered species are very well-protected. Many people find that trees are to be treasured and would risk their lives for them. And let's not forget the terrorists who kill in behalf of their religion.

What is this world coming to? I'm glad that there is a "better place" (aka Heaven) and a perfect God who has the final say.

LA Lakers

Reaching Out

There are over 143,000,0000 orphans in the world today. In Cambodia 98% of girls in prostitution are the main providers for their families and in Vietnam 49% of girls in prostitution were victims of prior sexual abuse. Some 80% of sexually exploited children in Thailand were from dysfunctional families and 31% had been victims of sexual abuse.

As a Christian, we are called to reach out to the orphans in some way or another. Here is how you can do it.

Concert Connection

TWO OR MORE
Tonight at 6pm, my church is hosting this band and tickets are FREE. They have a latin pop up-tempo flavor that's really groovy. You can listen to their songs at their website or their MySpace site. Their music makes your head bop and hips shake. Sorry for the late notice.

FERNANDO ORTEGA
Another concert ($10/ticket) is on 12/14/07 at Bethany in West Covina. Fernando Ortega is also a latino but his music is of a different style. The way that Mr. Ortega sings and worships is amazing! In this blog, I have to refer him as "Mr. Ortega" because he deserves my respect. His music is more of hymns and inspirations, which instead of making your body groove, it makes you get on your knees and pray.

Adoption

My wife and I have talked and prayed about international adoption. We have decided that we will likely adopt and it will be from a baby in Thailand.

FAQ
Q: Why Adoption? Are you not able to have kids?
A: It's a calling from the Lord. We are able to have kids, but when there are so many kids available out there that need a home, why have one?

Q: Are there any other reasons as to why you want to adopt? And, why Thailand?
A: Other than the fact that the Bible talks about caring for orphans, we think of it as a great pleasure to raise a child in a loving, Christian home. Especially taking a child from a predominently Buddhist, third world country and showing him/her the love of God. Also, Thailand is notorious for child prostitution and slavery, so we'd love to take a child out of that environment.

Q: When will you start the adoption application process?
A: If the Lord wills, sometime next year. It will take ~21 months from the time we apply to get the child. It will cost about $9,000 + travel costs to adopt. But, it's all worth it!

Q: Do you want a boy a girl? Any other preferences?
A: We're open to any gender. We would like a healthy baby. We're pretty open. If the baby has a sibling, though, we'd like to adopt the sibling too.

Q: You two are still young, will you ever have kids of your own?
A: There is a possibility. But, not at this time.

Today, we attended an adoption information meeting sponsored by Holt International. There were 4 other married couples at the meeting, all over the age of 40. It's so neat being around others who want to adopt. Seeing their heart wanting to reach out to kids is indeed touching. I wish that more and more couples out there will consider adoption, or at the very least sponsoring a World Vision child.

Dogwood's

There is this place that my wife and I go to buy our fruits and vegetables. It's called Dogwood's and it's located on Foothill Blvd in Monrovia. Their prices on produce are really cheap! For example, their Asian pears are 89 cents per pound and their apples are 79 cents per pound. Nobody beats their prices. Not even the Hispanic markets down the street.

Now, if you are looking for a market that sells meat, canned food, Asian stuff, paper towels,... then you'll need to supplement your shopping with a 99 Ranch Market and a Sam's Club (which is what I do). Dogwood's is a specialty market, kinda like Trader Joe's but more focused on produce.

One of our favorite "dates" is going shopping together and asking things like: "is 49 cents per pound a good price for oranges? or "babe, do we need any more green onion?" Both of are are definite bargain hunters.

Sound Asleep

I average about 8 1/4 hours of sleep per night. I know that this is A LOT but this is how my body functions. If I get anything less than 8 hours, I feel sleepy and my eyes either start to redden or shut. If I get too much sleep in any given night, the following night I have trouble sleeping because I have overslept. I have to have the perfect amount.

Weird? You may say. Well, all I got to say is that I am weird. Last week, my co-worker noticed that my keyboard is sloped downward instead of the typical upward or leveled slope. She said, "that's weird!" Funny thing is that the office manager passed by and told me that my keyboard is ergonimically positioned.

A side note: I am tired of listening on TV to Brittany Spears news!

Angels & Lakers Comments

My Los Angeles Angels got swept by the Boston Red Sox. After a few days of reflection, I can say that this year has been a good year for my team. Granted they need another good power hitter. But, they do have solid pitching and defense. Next year will be a better year.

Will the Los Angeles Lakers be better this year with Derek Fisher and Chris Mihm back? If they would have only not traded away Caron Butler for Kwame Brown, they'd have a starting 5 of: Mihm, Odom, Butler, Kobe, and Fisher. Wow! Now, the Lakers are stuck with 3 centers.

We Are The Reason

In 2001, my friend Gregg taught me the song, "We Are The Reason", written by Keith Green. The lyrics hit hard and the melody is catchy. It's such an inspirational piece and the video is truly touching as well. Enjoy!



It's sung by a guy named Gary Valenciano, a well-known Filipino musician. For lyrics and chords to the song, click here.

Pondering...

What's exciting to think about is that the housing market is slowing down. Therefore, home prices will eventually fall. Whoopee!

My wife and I are already blessed to own a quaint townhome but it would be nice to own something bigger and nicer. We love the city of South Pasadena. It's centrally located, it's quiet, it has good restaurants nearby, etc. But, to afford it, prices would have to SIGNIFICANTLY drop.

Wherever we go, it's all in God's plan.

Car Service Scam

Last Saturday, I took my car to Sierra Honda in Monrovia for routine maintenance. They recommended to clean my car's fuel injection for another $120. A little suspicious, I took my car into Pep Boy's for a 2nd opinion. Pep Boy's told me that it doesn't need fuel injection cleaning till I reach 50,000 miles (I'm currently at ~17,400 miles).

This morning, I took my car into Perfect Auto for a 3rd opinion. They popped open my hood and showed me the fuel injection. It was clean! They said that it normally doesn't need done till 30,000 miles.

I then proceeded back to Sierra Honda and informed them of all of this. They told me that they recommend this for every Honda for every 15,000 miles. They even told me to ask other dealers.

I came home and called Honda in El Monte and West Covina. They told me it needs to be done every 45,000 miles.

Bottom line: Sierra Honda in Monrovia are such scammers! Don't go there.

Random Presidential Comments

In looking at all of the top Republican and Democratic presidential candidates, nobody has my vote so far. A lot of them have lower values than me, which is a big turn off. And, I'm not sure how many of them actually believe how big of a threat Iran and their terrorist regime is.

A lot of Evangelicals are starting to join the Fred Thompson camp (his picture is to the left). I know that this does not have much to do with anything, but when was the last time a bald president has been elected? I guess I shouldn't be posting this because starting a few years ago, my hairline has been receeding.

I think it's time to elect an Asian-American president. Too many of us face a glass ceiling. Where is William Hung when you need him?

No More Donuts

On Monday, I had the worst stomache problem in my life. It all started with my cravings for donuts. Apple-filled bear claws to be specific. Oh, they are the bomb! But, by eating them I laid a few bombs... and them some. Either: (a) the baker didn't wash his/her hands or (b) the food was contaminated. I ended up going to see the doctor. 24 hours later, some chicken noodle soup, and LOTS of rest, I was then fully recovered.

No more donuts. Well, at least no more from the corner bakery down the street. I guess I will start eating at Bearded Papa's or other Asian bakeries from now on.

Choose To Be Happy

This is the title of today's Focus on the Family broadcast where Dr. James Dobson interviewed Barbara Johnson. "Barbara is no stranger to sorrow. Her husband suffered a crippling, blinding injury. One of her sons died in Vietnam, another was killed by a drunk driver and a third became involved in the homosexual lifestyle. How did Barbara cope? The bestselling author learned that, although we can't control our circumstances, we can control our attitude. "As Christians, we have an endless hope, not a hopeless end." - Barbara Johnson"

While listening to this inspirational broadcast, I was touched by Barbara's commitment and faith to the Lord. Despite her tough circumstances, she found the peace that God can only provide.

Burglarized

Last week, one of my neighbors was burglarized. She left a crack open in her garage door and the thief crawled in. And this was in the middle of the day! Nonetheless, this has gotten us and all of our neighbors startled and in preparedness mode.

This is scary stuff. Even though we live in a ghetto city, burglaries can happen anywhere. Several months ago, there was a rash of break-ins in the big homes of Arcadia.

Do any of you or anyone you know have a home security system? If so, which brand and what type of product is it? And, of course, do you like it?

Sometimes Good Things Do Happen

After work, I called Islands for takeout. I ordered a Hula burger, a Toucan chicken sandwich, and fries. I got there and they said "sorry, we do not show your order. We do not know what happened." I was a bit frustrated but remained calm. After waiting for about a minute, the waitress offered me a free drink. "Cool", I thought. Then after 5 minutes, the waitress brought me a free giftcard for $15. Wow, this is so cool. I love Islands now! It rocks!

Dedication to Uncle James Hong

ComicCon 2007




Big Trouble Little China




Blade Runner red carpet interview 2007 (scroll to 1:30 minutes)

My Anniversary

Our 3-year wedding anniversary is coming up on Wednesday of next week. I told that to my cousin last night and he said "3 years, where did time go?" I said, "I know, it flew by so fast!"

Anyhow, here are my top 10 reasons why marriage is so great:
10. I do not have to use my mack daddy moves on other girls who will then in turn give me weird looks (like I left my brain somewhere else).
9. I get to use my mack daddy moves on my wife, who will then in turn give me a look of: "oh boy, here he goes again." =)
8. I really don't have any mack daddy moves, so there's no pressure to obtain them.
7. Which to expand on #8, this saves me time and money. No eHarmony for me!
6. I now have somebody to teach me how to wash clothes (I know, isn't this sad?).
5. I have a companion to watch "America's Got Talent", "Big Brother 8", and "Last Comic Standing".
4. I start singing a random song and then all of the sudden I have a kareoke partner.
3. No more fighting over the TV remote control, we now have Picture-In-Picture. Hooray for technology!
2. We get to use the carpool lane.
1. I love my wife with all of my heart and I devote myself to her! She is the best, absolutely irreplaceable!

Motorolla KRZR

We bought the Motorolla KRZR a few months ago and love it! It is thin both in thickness and width. It plays MP3's. It has a 2.0 megapixel camera. It records video and sound. The battery life is great. It even looks sleek. And, best of all, now that we have the software, we can now send files (i.e. songs, videos, graphics, etc) from the phone to our computer and visa versa! Woo hoo!

My have times changed. I remembered that back in high school I told myself that I would never buy a cell phone. Then, in college, all my phone could basically do is make phone calls and set an alarm.

Memoirs of the Green Book

The Bible that I was given way back in 1990 from my mom's friend has now been retired. Some of you may have seen me carrying this small, green book. It was my companion, my friend. After 17 years, the binding has finally given way. It caused the pages to rip and the cover to separate. On a happier note, my wife bought me a new dark grey/red Bible. I hope that this one lasts at least another 17 years. Printed pages fade away but God's Word lasts forever!

To change topics, I now have a Facebook account. My wife has Friendster, but we both like Facebook a lot more. Just face it, one day you will join and connect with me, your friend.

WWYD

Yesterday, I heard on the radio that around 20 South Koreans are kidnapped by the Taliban in Afghanistan. Two have been already killed. Most of the South Koreans are women. All are Christians who are there as aid workers. The Taliban wants the prisoners captured by the U.S. freed. What would you do (WWYD)? Negotiate with the terrorists? Attack?

The Emerging Church

Today, Pastor Xavier Ries spoke about the dangers of The Emerging Church. This extremist movement is characterized by, among other things, its lack of viewing The Bible as a literal document. Also, it rejects Christ's second coming. Furthermore, it encourages mysticism and having other forms of worship (i.e. incense) and prayer (i.e. chants). What's more scary is that some of the pastors somewhat connected to this include Pastor Rick Warren (Saddleback Church) and Pastor Erwin McManus (Mosaic Church). Just Google it! Not to say that these are evil men, but just be careful and do your homework. Don't let their good works overshadow the truth of what they stand for.

God in the Midst of Trials

This morning Pastor Xavier Ries at Calvary Chapel of Pasadena preached on book of Acts. While Pastor X's messages usually consist of spitting out fact after fact (he calls it inductive), they are always very informative and applicable. No doubt, his messages are heavy like a solid Bible study, but sometimes that is what more of today's churches need during a sermon, not just fluffy words and simple catch phrases.

Everyone goes through trials and hard times. Christians are no exception. After Jesus' death, his apostles were spreading the Word of God (Acts 5). In doing so, the high priests were jealous and wanted the apostles executed. Afterwards, the apostles' lives at that time were spared. Pastor X pointed out that the apostles weren't crying or complaining about the whole ordeal. In fact, in Acts 5:41, "the apostles left the Sanhedrin, rejoicing because they had been counted worthy of suffering disgrace for the Name."

What would this ChowDown have done? Knowing how weak I am sometimes, I probably would have been terrified. I genuinely hope that this would NOT be the case. But I know that God can give anything (exceedingly) to those who call on His name. Lord, please use me as your servant, your child, and your follower. Help me and everyone reading this post to have godly courage and boldness knowing that You "have the whole world in Your hands."

Show Some Love

My wife is so terrific! I came home tonight with a nice home-cooked meal on the stove. She stir-fried: (1) a tasty noodle dish with grilled chicken, and (2) succulent mussels with Chinese veggies in a wine/ginger sauce. I have been shown some love!

I wonder what's for dinner tomorrow night. =)

Big Daddy Vlady

I know I'm late but I have to write a post about this. Go Big Daddy Vlady! Vladimir Guerrero won the home run derby!

Baldness

If you are a girl and your significant other is going bald, or if you are a guy and are going bald, what should the guy do:

1. comb his hair forward
2. balding is beautiful, leave it alone
3. shave his head
4. shave his head and use a magic marker to simulate hair
5. wear a wig
6. wear an Angels cap
7. cosmetic surgery (hair implants)

If my hairline receded so far that I couldn't look at myself in the mirror, I'd opt for #4. =)

Chinese Tea Ceremony II

Andrew's tea ceremony and wedding were a hit! Although it was about 90 degrees on Saturday, everyone enjoyed themselves to celebrate Andrew's momentous day.

So, for those of you who don't know what happens during a tea ceremony, here are the details:

1. Groom had to first sing some songs and dance before entering the house. We were standing outside for over 15 minutes waiting for Andrew to sing some love songs. We brought two large baskets of fruit and a whole pig for the bride.


2. We ate. Had lots of dim sum and regular Chinese food.


3. All of the elders drank tea with the wedding couple in exchange for red envelopes.

The ceremony was cool too. It was my first time being a Scripture Reader and to light the candles. One awkward moment was when one of my candles didn't light up. Boy, were my arms shaking and heart pounding. Thankfully, James came over and saved the day!

Chinese Tea Ceremony

As most of you know, I do not consider myself Chinese. I am a Chinese American. With that being said, this Saturday I am attending my friend's (Andrew) wedding and they have asked me to partake in their Chinese Tea Ceremony. I have NEVER attended a tea ceremony but I know that the following is true:

1. There will not be any boba.
2. You will not see a bunch of high school aged smokers "hanging out" (like what you see at Lollicup).
3. It'll be a splendid affair unlike the Boston Tea Party!
4. I don't have to bring my own (Lipton) tea bags.
5. Mr. T will not be there (okay, this is down right corny).

Congratulations Andrew and welcome to the world of marriage!

Dating Non-Christians

Pastor Ken is the head pastor at Evergreen LA and in his blog entitled, "Is Dating the Same as Being Equally Yoked?", he wrote the following to validate the topic of dating non-Christians:

"I think it's wrong to talk/teach as if non-Christians are out to drag Christians away from their faith in Christ. I think the onus really is on the Christians, not the Non-Christians. If you can be pulled away from your Christian faith, then I question how much it meant to you."

"Another point: to be intellectually honest about this subject, more professed Christian couples are getting divorced these days than Non couples."

"Would I ever condone our daughter dating Non-Christians? We'd certainly be steering her towards dating Christians... "

I know that I wrote about this subject earlier this year, but to me when Christians, especially pastors, do not follow the Word of God, it's frustrating and downright sad. Regarding the 1st paragraph, Satan is always on the attack and will use people (boyfriends/girlfriends) to pull you from your faith. You can never be too careful. This is why it's important to have a boyfriend/girlfriend/spouse to be a believer, not to mention a Biblically-sound one, so that he/she can encourage you and help you fight and resist the Evil One. Regarding the 2nd paragraph, this divorce rate is a disturbing fact, but it doesn't condone dating non-Christians. It merely states that Christian couples are very much succeptable to divorce and should be on their guard. Christian couples must strengthen their relationship with God, who will then in turn strengthen their marriage. Regarding the 3rd paragraph, the correct answer should be "I will always love her for the person God has created her to be and will teach her that she should ONLY pursue Godly relationships in her dating life."

Needless to say, I'm glad that I no longer attend this church.

Kevin Garnett

My 3rd and final blog of today: KG for Odom, Bynum, Kwame, and the #19 pick. '07 - '08 starting line-up:
SG: Kobe
PG: Farmar or a free agent
SF: Walton
PF: KG
C: Mihm

Balls of Fury

Coming soon on 8-31-07 to a theatre near you is "Balls of Fury". Now why am I writing about this for the 2nd time this year? Because, my uncle, James Hong, is in this movie. Click here and you will see him (he is the first person on the left-hand side). Cool, huh? ... Well, the preview may look kind of corny but it made me chuckle a few times. In September, I will support my uncle!

Free Jamba Juice

Click here for a buy 1 get 1 free coupon for a free smoothie. Expires on Independence Day so use it while supplies last.

Trade Kobe?

If the Lakers can get fair market value, I think we should trade Kobe. Since the Clippers wanted him so badly, let's get Elton Brand and Corey Maggette. Since Dallas wants him, let's get Josh Howard and Dirk Nowitzki. Since Indiana stunk last year, let's get Jermaine O'Neal and Mike Dunleavy. I think the Lakers should be composed of players who actually want to play for the team. NBA players are making millions of dollars so they shouldn't have anything to complain about. Just goes to show us that money is not the answer to everything. The love of it often times makes things worst.

Say Cheese!

About 2 months ago I was complaining that my teeth look so yellow. Years of drinking tea and coffee does wonders to my molars. My former co-worker told me to use Crest Whitener and, lo and behold, it works! I wouldn't say that my teeth are as white as snow, but it sure looks a whole lot better than before. Now, with confidence I can smile again!

"It never takes a second chance to make a good impression." Oh wait, I'm married. =) hee hee

Paris Behind Bars

I logged onto Yahoo and saw "Paris back to jail?" Armida was telling me earlier today that Paris Hilton probably offered them $$$ to get out, which would not surprise me. Paris Hilton, Lindsey Lohan, Brittany Spears,... I'm glad that I am not a celebrity!

Cool Music Videos

Praise God for giving Asians such great vocal and instrumental talent. These songs on You Tube rock:

• Listen to Our Hearts
• More Than Words
• House of the Lord
• Power of Your Love

My dreams of being a boy band have been shattered. =) Actually, what's cool is that the last 2 songs are from a Christian boy band. Hopefully, they'll influence the lives of many. I hope so cuz they're gooooooood!

New Job

My new job is going well. It's much less stressful and slower-paced. I'm learning new things. It's even located near a Lighthouse Christian Bookstore - how cool is this!

Armida and I went shopping for new clothes. Working at Trader Joe's, I never had to buy dress pants. I bought my first dress pants in like 5 years. Yes, 5 years. This is NOT a typo. It's pretty cool cuz it's one of those modern ones with the pinstripes. Yes, this ChowDown now wears pinstripes. Just call me, ChowDownPimpin'. =) ha ha

What is a ChowDown?

I entitled my website "The Life of a ChowDown". What does "ChowDown" mean?

• The ignorant answer = I have no clue
• The dictionary answer = "Chow" means food. "Down" means towards the bottom. (Towards the bottom of the food chain???)
• The simple but yet made-up answer = Well, you see, many moons ago when I was a mere 5 years old I had to be a Chow. A "Chow" meant eating junk food, wetting my bed, playing outside, and pretending to fall asleep when my parents checked in at me at night. A "Chow" also meant learning calculus, bio-physics, and the concepts of predestination and free-will while eating my Co-Co Puffs and playing with my Legos. A tall feat to accomplish! If I didn't meet these goals, then I would be sent "Down" to the naughty chair. This "Chow" didn't want to be "Down" there. The naughty chair was custom built for me but had no place in my life. So the life of a "ChowDown" means that I (a "Chow") must avoid being "Down" on the naughty chair.
• The true answer = "Chow" is my origins and "Down" means that I am "down with Jesus" as my Savior.

Got it?

My New Site

Welcome to my new website. I've decided to switch sites cuz blogspot is easier to read/handle than geocities. You can still visit my old site by logging onto www.geocities.com/brandonmchow