Dao woke up and didn’t see May in the car; therefore, he asked, “May dau roi [Where is May]?” May and Linh had left two hours ago after spending a weekend with us. He looked a bit disappointed. I tried to cheer him up by taking him into the mall after a two-hour nap in the car. We went into the men’s room to change him and wash his face. He stayed still and cooperated. I took him to the playground in the mall, but he didn’t want to go in. I didn’t know because the playground was packed or he was still dramatized by the accident at the playground earlier this morning.

He was having a good time climbing up and sliding down with May until I tossed him the ball so he could roll it down the slide. I was standing on the ground in front of the slides so he threw the ball back to me. As I turned away to pick up the ball, he took a few steps back and fell off the other side with his head first to the ground after hitting into the metal bar. His head has two swollen spots and his forehead has a few bruises. He was standing about six feet above the ground. Dana and I ran toward him and picked him up. He was in tears. I felt extremely horrible and stupid. All the these time, I watched his every step as he was climbing up the metal bars, and yet I let him fell.

He seems to be ok. He’s interacting, eating and took a long nap. When I asked him about the incident, he told me, “Dao fell down on the mulch.” Though I was laughing, but inside the pain and the anguish for being such an idiotic parent will never leave me. The day he felt off the crib and today will never be forgotten. The good thing is that Dao seems to be a very tough kid. I keep asking him if he still feels the pain and his reply has been, “het dau roi [no more pain].”

On the bright side, we had such a great time with Linh and May. So glad that they could come up and stayed with us over the weekend. At this time, Dao and May have developed into their individualities. They are completely opposite from each other, yet one thing still remain the same: Dao is still attached to May. He called her name. He invited her to play. He enjoys her company. They had a good time playing in water. Dao introduced May to “Curious George” and May introduced Dao to “Pocoyo.”

As far as behavior, May is way ahead of Dao. She listens and she does not act up. She speaks with manner and she doesn’t cry when getting her teeth brushed. Linh is a fantastic mom. She is training May well. May is such a sweetheart. I love to hear her talk. Linh puts it eloquently: “She makes poetry when she talks.” May already can count in both English and Vietnamese and knows the alphabet. As for Dao, this is how he counts in Vietnamese: “Mot, hai, ba, sau, bay, tam.” In English, “five, four, six, seven, eight.” He must be counting music notes or something.

Linh and May were the first friends that stayed over the weekend with us. We are thrilled and they are welcomed back anytime. By this time, we are completely comfortable with each other. Too bad, they’ll move so far way. I hope that we can still get together at least once or twice a year.

I was also glad to meet Chi Cap. Have been a fan of her blog for a while and she is as cool as she is on the blog. Also met O Kien, but didn’t get a chance to interact.

Ha Pham who is new to me has a very nice vocal range. She can reach her contralto or flight with her soprano with ease, but listeners can’t hear that on her new album, Tinh Thu, until they get to the last two tracks. Although her rendition of Trinh Cong Son’s “Diem Xua” is very poignant, she only uses her low tone. Even on the semi-classical arrangement of Nguyen Anh 9’s “Co Don” that provides the space for her to grab the high notes, she chooses to go for a more soothing delivery.

The breakthrough moment is when she skip a whole octave on Phu Quang’s “Thuong Lam Toc Dai Oi.” She trades back and forth between her mezzo-soprano and soprano effortlessly, particularly in these two lines: “Em van am tham di ve dau de ta thuong lam / Yem rach con ngan duoc gio, tinh em dang do, yem nao che.” Her take on Duong Thu’s “Goi Anh” is astounding. The tune starts out soft then progresses into a powerhouse opera, which is not all that stunning if you’re familiar with the tune or if you have heard of Thanh Lam’s version. What makes the track brilliant is to hear how Ha Pham build her crescendo to the climax. Her soprano on operatic singing is quite compelling.

Because she saves the big surprise for last, you feel like the album is just getting started. If the album were to kick off with “Goi Anh,” the experience would have been a disappointment. Mad props to Tran Manh Hung, Hoai Sa and Vo Thien Thanh for the savory orchestration and arrangement.

Yesterday Dao and his buddy Aidan had a small party to say goodbye to their teachers and their little growing-giraffe friends. It has been a great year for Dao. The teachers were so wonderful, especially Ms. Ester, Ms. Tam and Ms. Tiffany. Dao won’t get to speak Vietnamese with Ms. Tam anymore. This morning when I dropped him off, Ms. Tam said to him in Vietnamese, “Only two more days until you get to the upper class. You’ll have to be courage (dung cam len).” I hope that he would still get to see her often to practice his Vietnamese. As of now, his Vietnamese is stronger than his English and we would like to keep it that way.

When Dana and I dropped by yesterday, Dao switched to Vietnamese when he talked to us. Aidan’s mother was there as well so Ms. Ester introduced us to their new class, which called Ladybug (not sure why). The playground was right outside of the classroom so the two were running around up and down the slides having a good time. Maybe that’s the reason it called Ladybug. At this age, they don’t stand still. They were hopping around like two ladybugs.

Aidan is a couple months younger than Dao and he already has a little three-month brother. We still not know if Dao will have a little brother or sister yet. I am trying to tell him about his new sibling, but he doesn’t seem to register yet. We have been warned about jealousy between the siblings, but I think Dao will be good being an older brother. Yesterday, Aidan leaned over the stroller and gave his baby brother a kiss. It looked very assuring that Dao will also be a great big brother.

Anh Tuyet has a superb soprano and she could hit a G6 with ease, but her alto is even more hypnotic. When she reaches a G3, her voice gets slightly raspy. In a double-disc Anh Tuyet Hat Trinh Cong Son, some of her mesmerizing interpretation of Trinh’s compositions are the jazz-inflected arrangements in the low register.

Using her alto tone, Anh Tuyet intoxicates “Phuc Am Buon” with a bluesy rendition. The saxman has done a marvelous job of accompanying behind her rather than in front of her. Likewise, the subtle sax phrases on “Xin Mat Troi Ngu Yen” enhance the vocals. The comping piano and heartfelt alto remind me of Khanh Ly’s pre-1975 records, particularly “Dau Chan Dia Dang.” The blues fits well with “Vet Lan Tram” and Anh Tuyet’s low tone is so damn soulful that I wish she stays in that range.

In “Hay Khoc Di Em,” she switches back to her soaring soprano, which is a bit above the comfort level. The semi-classical guitar work on “Nhu Canh Vac Bay” is pretty nice, but again her high pitch is a bit too much to bear. The good thing is that only a few tracks get the soprano treatment. “Xin Tra No Nguoi,” “Diem Xua,” “Uot Mi” and Tinh Xa” are sung in low range with simple arrangements. The results are intimate and personal. Trinh’s aficionado would be pleased with this double set. Anh Tuyet has done Trinh’s music the justice in both vocal delivery and music arrangement.

Let’s make it official. I am now a huge fan of Quang Dung. His new release, Tinh Bong Choc La Khong, moved me. Sure, he covered heart-breaking ballads throughout his career, but never as convincing as he does on this album. Each tune shows that the divorce has taken a deep impact on his life.

The key success of Tinh Bong Choc La Khong is its target audience. Quang Dung sings these eleven tracks to nobody but Jennifer Pham, his ex-wife. Right off the opening track, Pham Duy’s “Yeu La Chet Trong Long,” Quang Dung croons like a bird with a broken wing. He means every word when he phrases, “Du toi khong muon tin la het / Tinh yeu nhu la theo mua chet.” Damn, that is some painful shit.

In Tram Tu Thieng’s “Hoi Tiec,” Quang Dung sings and swallows his tears at the same time. He’s already showing his regrets about the split up. Quang Dung’s rendition of Dieu Huong’s “Noi Buon Con Lai,” puts Quoc Khanh’s fake drama to shame with his effortlessness. One can hear his sadness and honesty without being screamed at.

In “Cho Nguoi,” “Tram Nho Ngan Thuong” and “Nhu Giac Chim Bao,” Quang Dung delivers Lam Phuong’s songs with a strong connection, like he could feel what Lam Phuong had gone through with his divorce. Quang Dung’s song choices, including Dieu Huong’s title track and Do Le’s “Tinh Phu,” are so spot on that he has singlehandedly crafted a broken-marriage anthem. If your husband or wife has just left your ass, this album is for you. I am going to buy me an extra copy and lock it in a vault just in case I might need it later on. Hey, you never know.

Tinh Bong Choc La Khong, in my personal opinion, is Quang Dung’s best work to date and Jennifer is the one to thank. She deserves all the credits. In fact, the album cover should say something like, “Album concept inspired by Jennifer Pham.” If I were her right now, I would take him back after listening to this album. Who wouldn’t? Unless you’re a heartless bitch.

Besides Miles Davis, Clifford Brown is my other favorite jazz trumpeter. Unlike Miles’s work, which I have an extensive collection, I only own three Brownie’s albums, but I keep revisiting them again and again. His crisp, melodic phrasing and big, bright tone mesmerize me every time. Unfortunately Brownie didn’t make much recordings because he was killed in a car accident when he was only twenty-five.

Also unlike Miles, whose music and life had been documented in great lengths, Brownie only has one major biography. Nick Catalano’s Clifford Brown: The Life and Art of the Legendary Jazz Trumpeter is a short, but well-researched text on the jazz trumpet giant. From his childhood development to his beautiful personality to his virtuosity, readers can see how Brownie became one of the most influential trumpeters in the world of jazz. Catalano’s analysis of the Brown-Roach-Rollins collaboration is a must read.

Why Responsive Web Design? Ethan Marcotte explains:

As the past few years have shown us, we simply can’t compete with the pace of technology. Are we really going to create a custom experience for every new browser or device that appears?

The alternative is to make web site responses to the users’ device using three core ingredients:

1. A flexible, grid-based layout,
2. Flexible images and media, and
3. Media queries, a module from the CSS3 specification.

With clear illustrations and concise explanations, the three chapters covering the techniques alone can prepare readers to start making responsive web sites, but the equally delightful part of the book is to hear Marcotte’s views on “Becoming Responsive,” responses to the critics and insights on “mobile first” approach. An immediate-read for web designers.

Out of the three Clifford Brown’s albums I possess, I revisit quite often his live recordings with Art Blakey and Max Roach for energetic hard bop drives. The Jazz ‘Round Midnight collection, on the other hand, is for after-hour relaxation. Whether accompanying a vocalist or soloing with an orchestra, Brownie’s clear, rich tone brings out the beauty of ballad. His heart-rending rendition of “Willow Weep for Me, “Smoke Gets In Your Eyes” and “(I don’t stand a) Ghost of a Chance” makes this set suitable for easy but soulful listening.

Responsive Web Design by Ethan Marcotte: I haven’t read this book yet and can’t wait to get my hands on it. I also predict that I’ll re-read this book more than once.

The History of Jazz by Ted Gioia: I read the first edition back in 2005. I have been wanting to re-read it, but keep pushing it off. The second edition just came out so it is a good time for a revisit.

The Elements of Typographic Style by Robert Bringhurst: I read this book 2 times already, but still wanting to return to it every one or two years.

Designing Type by Karen Cheng: This book has so much technical details on typography that a second and third read is required.

JavaScript: The Definitive Guide by David Flanagan: Read this book on my vacation, but a second read is necessary.

DOM Scripting: Web Design with JavaScript and the Document Object Model by Jeremy Keith, Jeffrey Sambells: Like The Definitive Guide, this book definitely needs a revisit.

Ordering Disorder by Khoi Vinh: Although this book is a quick read, the thinking behind the grid needs to be read again carefully.

Cu Dao and his mama are now inseparable. If she’s not in sight, he would ask for her even if she has to go to the bathroom. On Monday, she was in the kitchen cooking and he was in the living room, which was about three feet from her, and yet he still asked, “Daddy, mmmmmommy dau roi?” [Where is mommy?]. He has been stuttering just for the heck of it. I pointed to him where his mommy was, but he kept on asking repeatedly as some sort of a game. So I played along. I asked him, “Cccccccu Dao dau roi?” [Where is Cu Dao?]. He pointed to his private part and said “Ccccccu Dao day ne.” [Here’s my penis]. That was not what I meant, but technically he was right.