So, I was reading the news today and I found out that the country of Vietnam is no longer accepting applications to adopt. Although we are not adopting from Vietnam, the fact is that many needy, abandoned children will now be denied a loving home. Not only is Vietnam prohibiting adoptions, but other countries (i.e. China) have now made it increasingly more difficult for couples to adopt.
Adoption, in my opinion, ideally should be an easy, affordable, quick process. It is a process by which both the child and the parents both benefit.
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On a side note, also in the news are those "racey" photos of Miley Cyrus. The pictures are NO BIG DEAL. A little bit of her back is exposed and the media blows it waaaaay out of proportion. I'm not a Miley fan but I do care about her reputation and influence.
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Another side note: Reverend Jeremiah Wright. The words he speaks definitely is not right. After what he said today, how can anybody vote for Obama?
Monday, April 28, 2008
Monday, March 31, 2008
My Grandfather, Frank Hong
If you ever wanted some history on my family background, 
or are keen about Chinese-American history, then you'll be excited to read in the Minnesota Monthly about my grandfather, Frank Hong, who I just discovered was born in San Francisco (all along I thought he was born in China). Hmm... this would make me not 3rd generation, but 3.5 generations (my mom's side - Hong - I am 4th generation and my dad's side - Chow - I am 3rd generation).
Synopsis of the article:
"A prominent leader of the Minneapolis branch of the Hip Sing association during the 1925 raids was the dapper, well-spoken Frank Hong. According to his son Walter, Frank Hong was a charismatic, westernized Chinese American. He organized support in the Midwest for the Chinese revolutionary leader Sun Yat-sen and was among the first wave of Chinese to cut off the queue and adopt Western dress. “It was not unusual,” his son remembers, “that as soon as Frank started to express an opinion, all went silent.”Frank Hong was born in San Francisco in 1887. His father was a laborer in a cannery. When Hong was 6 years old, his parents made the return trip to China, leaving young Frank with an uncle. He never saw them again."
"Because Frank Hong had achieved the coveted status of “merchant” under the Exclusion Act, he could travel back to China and re-enter the United States. Technically, Hong should have been considered a citizen, as he had been born on U.S. soil. But immigration officials were reluctant to grant citizenship to Chinese Americans. In Hong’s case, it would have been next to impossible to prove that he had been born in San Francisco. As a merchant, however, he could legally plan a trip to China to find a wife, and shortly after he moved to Minneapolis, Hong took steps to do so."
"“The desire of Mr. Hong to have his citizenship established is based almost entirely upon sentiment,” it continues. “He has lived all of his life in the United States, his children were all born in Minneapolis and are being educated as Americans. He is a prosperous businessman, identified financially and personally with this community. Whether he is adjudicated a citizen or not means nothing whatever to him from a financial point of view. But, he desires to have the record established that he is a citizen of the United States and not a wayfarer in a foreign land.”His appeal was successful. On January 14, 1931, Frank Hong became an American citizen."
As you can see by the picture of my grandfather, he does not look very Chinese. It makes me wonder, was he 100% Chinese? Why do I and other of my Hong relatives look mixed? My Chow relatives look a lot more Chinese (albeit some of them have a dark Hawaiian tan - my grandparents immigrated there in the 1880's).
If you notice, his face structure is fairly similar to mine. He has low cheek bones. He has round eyes like me (we also both have bags under our eyes). His hair looks kind of wavy (mine is too when it's grown out). We're not Chinese-looking... we have a Eurasian thing going on.
I never met my grandfather but I would have liked to. He seems like an intelligent man that has many stories to share.
or are keen about Chinese-American history, then you'll be excited to read in the Minnesota Monthly about my grandfather, Frank Hong, who I just discovered was born in San Francisco (all along I thought he was born in China). Hmm... this would make me not 3rd generation, but 3.5 generations (my mom's side - Hong - I am 4th generation and my dad's side - Chow - I am 3rd generation).Synopsis of the article:
"A prominent leader of the Minneapolis branch of the Hip Sing association during the 1925 raids was the dapper, well-spoken Frank Hong. According to his son Walter, Frank Hong was a charismatic, westernized Chinese American. He organized support in the Midwest for the Chinese revolutionary leader Sun Yat-sen and was among the first wave of Chinese to cut off the queue and adopt Western dress. “It was not unusual,” his son remembers, “that as soon as Frank started to express an opinion, all went silent.”Frank Hong was born in San Francisco in 1887. His father was a laborer in a cannery. When Hong was 6 years old, his parents made the return trip to China, leaving young Frank with an uncle. He never saw them again."
"Because Frank Hong had achieved the coveted status of “merchant” under the Exclusion Act, he could travel back to China and re-enter the United States. Technically, Hong should have been considered a citizen, as he had been born on U.S. soil. But immigration officials were reluctant to grant citizenship to Chinese Americans. In Hong’s case, it would have been next to impossible to prove that he had been born in San Francisco. As a merchant, however, he could legally plan a trip to China to find a wife, and shortly after he moved to Minneapolis, Hong took steps to do so."
"“The desire of Mr. Hong to have his citizenship established is based almost entirely upon sentiment,” it continues. “He has lived all of his life in the United States, his children were all born in Minneapolis and are being educated as Americans. He is a prosperous businessman, identified financially and personally with this community. Whether he is adjudicated a citizen or not means nothing whatever to him from a financial point of view. But, he desires to have the record established that he is a citizen of the United States and not a wayfarer in a foreign land.”His appeal was successful. On January 14, 1931, Frank Hong became an American citizen."
As you can see by the picture of my grandfather, he does not look very Chinese. It makes me wonder, was he 100% Chinese? Why do I and other of my Hong relatives look mixed? My Chow relatives look a lot more Chinese (albeit some of them have a dark Hawaiian tan - my grandparents immigrated there in the 1880's).
If you notice, his face structure is fairly similar to mine. He has low cheek bones. He has round eyes like me (we also both have bags under our eyes). His hair looks kind of wavy (mine is too when it's grown out). We're not Chinese-looking... we have a Eurasian thing going on.
I never met my grandfather but I would have liked to. He seems like an intelligent man that has many stories to share.
Thursday, March 27, 2008
Tips on Pumping Gas
I don't know if this is true but I received this from one of my relatives:
Fill in the early morning when the ground temperature is still cold. Storage tanks are buried below ground, the colder the ground the more dense the gasoline. Gasoline expands as it gets warmer, so when buying in the afternoon or evening....your gallon is not exactly a gallon.
When filling up do not squeeze the nozzle trigger to the fast mode. You should be pumping in the low speed, thereby minimizing the vapors that are created while you are pumping. Hoses at the pump have a vapor return. In the fast rate, some of the liquid going into your tank becomes vapor. These vapors are sucked up and back into the underground storage tank so you're getting less worth for your money.
One important tip is to fill up when your gas tank is HALF FULL or HALF EMPTY. The more gas in your tank the less air occupying its empty space so it minimizes the evaporation. Gasoline evaporates faster than you can imagine.
Another reminder, when you stop to buy gas, if there is a gasoline truck pumping into the storage tanks DO NOT fill up. The dirt that normally settles on the bottom of the storage tank is being stirred up and you could pick up some.
Fill in the early morning when the ground temperature is still cold. Storage tanks are buried below ground, the colder the ground the more dense the gasoline. Gasoline expands as it gets warmer, so when buying in the afternoon or evening....your gallon is not exactly a gallon.
When filling up do not squeeze the nozzle trigger to the fast mode. You should be pumping in the low speed, thereby minimizing the vapors that are created while you are pumping. Hoses at the pump have a vapor return. In the fast rate, some of the liquid going into your tank becomes vapor. These vapors are sucked up and back into the underground storage tank so you're getting less worth for your money.
One important tip is to fill up when your gas tank is HALF FULL or HALF EMPTY. The more gas in your tank the less air occupying its empty space so it minimizes the evaporation. Gasoline evaporates faster than you can imagine.
Another reminder, when you stop to buy gas, if there is a gasoline truck pumping into the storage tanks DO NOT fill up. The dirt that normally settles on the bottom of the storage tank is being stirred up and you could pick up some.
Friday, February 22, 2008
How Old Are You?
Last week, during AWANA I asked a few of my Kindergarten students, “How old are you?” They quickly responded with “5” while holding five fingers with their right hand. I then exclaimed “wow, I am 5 years old too!” Unfortunately, they did not believe me even for the slightest, itsy bitsy second. With their adorable, puzzled faces, they smiled, looked at me, and chuckled. While my fingers rubbing my chin I then inquired, “How old do you think I am?”
“I know, you are 100 years old!”, one of them shouted. In a moment’s notice, I just aged 69 years.
“I know, you are 100 years old!”, one of them shouted. In a moment’s notice, I just aged 69 years.
Wednesday, February 6, 2008
Ice Cream
The past week or so, it's been colder than normal. On Monday night, it was not only cold but windy. So, where did we end up going to get something to eat?
Yes, Albertsons... because "it's your store". And, what did we buy? Yes, ice cream because we screamed for ice cream.
Of all of my evil desires, ice cream ranks #1. The evilness of cookies, chips, candy do not compare to the desire for ice cream. Not rain, sleek, snow (although we don't have any here), etc can keep me from the soft, tasty, scrumptious taste of wonderful ice cream.
Thanks be to God for Albersons' buy one get one free Breyers ice cream sale!
FOLLOW-UP FROM MY PREVIOUS POST: I am now sleeping on time. Getting to bed around 10:30pm is much better than 3:00am.
Yes, Albertsons... because "it's your store". And, what did we buy? Yes, ice cream because we screamed for ice cream.
Of all of my evil desires, ice cream ranks #1. The evilness of cookies, chips, candy do not compare to the desire for ice cream. Not rain, sleek, snow (although we don't have any here), etc can keep me from the soft, tasty, scrumptious taste of wonderful ice cream.
Thanks be to God for Albersons' buy one get one free Breyers ice cream sale!
FOLLOW-UP FROM MY PREVIOUS POST: I am now sleeping on time. Getting to bed around 10:30pm is much better than 3:00am.
Sunday, January 27, 2008
Sleeeeeeeeeeeep
Well, it's now 3:22am on a Sunday morning and for some odd reason I am wide awake. To kill time, I am blogging.
Possible reasons for my inability to sleep:
- 3 hours ago, we watched "The Invasion" starring Nicole Kidman. It was scary! Not as scary as some movies I've seen but it definitely is eerie.
- Heavy, constant downpour of rain hammering down on our roof
- 6 hours ago, we were playing the board game "Apples to Apples" with my wife's siblings. The game is tons of laughter and fun.
- Had LOTS of sleep the night before. When this happens, it's hard to fall asleep the next night.
Good night. Sleep tight. And don't let the bed bugs bite.
Wednesday, January 23, 2008
Phil Wickham
Phil Wickham is playing at Calvary Chapel of Pasadena on Sunday, February 17th at 6:00pm for FREE. He is a pretty well-known alternative/contemporary Christian artist. I saw his brother, Evan, open a Fernando Ortega concert in West Covina and he is pretty good too.
Mark this event on your calendar. It is a can't-miss opportunity. Pastor Xavier Ries will even deliver a short message afterwards.
Saturday, January 19, 2008
Feminine?
After 3+ years of marriage, one must ask me: "Chowdown, are you now more in touch with your more feminine side?"
Being single, most guys don't really care all that about hair style, body image, clothes (fashion), fragrance, etc. I, for one, could have cared less about matching my shoes with my shirt and my socks with my pants. Now being married, my wife has taught me all of these things and more...
Granted, I don't subscribe to "Glamour" magazine (nor will I ever do so), but I now do have somewhat of a sense of style. You will never find me on the cover of GQ (nor do I really care) but I can pick out a nice shirt (sometimes) and wear it fairly well (looking at a mirror in a darkened room).
Also, I bought my first bottle of cologne (Polo Sport) when I was engaged. Before, I just used my natural sweet-smelling body odor as my scent. To my wife delight, she kindly persuaded me that I need help. Just this past Christmas, she bought me my 2nd bottle of cologne (and for some reason this bottle is much larger... hmmm).
Being single, most guys don't really care all that about hair style, body image, clothes (fashion), fragrance, etc. I, for one, could have cared less about matching my shoes with my shirt and my socks with my pants. Now being married, my wife has taught me all of these things and more...
Granted, I don't subscribe to "Glamour" magazine (nor will I ever do so), but I now do have somewhat of a sense of style. You will never find me on the cover of GQ (nor do I really care) but I can pick out a nice shirt (sometimes) and wear it fairly well (looking at a mirror in a darkened room).
Also, I bought my first bottle of cologne (Polo Sport) when I was engaged. Before, I just used my natural sweet-smelling body odor as my scent. To my wife delight, she kindly persuaded me that I need help. Just this past Christmas, she bought me my 2nd bottle of cologne (and for some reason this bottle is much larger... hmmm).
Sunday, January 6, 2008
Presidential Race
Before I begin, this is my first blog for the new year. I can't believe it's 2008 already. This means that I've known my wife for 6 years, which has just flown by.
It's interesting reading and listening to news about the 2008 Presidential race. Having a candidate who is pro-life and against same-sex marriage ranks at the top of my list of must-haves. This boils the race, in my opinion, down to being between Mitt Romney and Mike Huckabee.
I cannot vote for a Mormon. I have nothing against Romney as a person, but I do not believe in the many things that Mormons stand for. Plus, in looking at the Bible and at the O.T. kings that ruled over God's people, God really wanted them to love and serve Him. It would be really difficult to have a president lead our nation under the true and living God.
Although Huckabee lacks in experience (and possibly knowledge) in certain areas, he seems grounded in the faith and a strong leader. He may not be the most qualified candidate but I believe that God uses are weaknesses and can turn them into strengths.
My vote is for Huckabee.
Will you be a Huck-a-maniac (as like a Hulk-a-maniac)? Ok, I have digressed to talking about the WWE, formerly known as the WWF.
Sunday, December 30, 2007
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.
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.
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