I called my old man last night and he happened to be doing some work at the temple he helped built when I was five. He handed the phone over to chi My Chau, the youngest monk who treated me like her little brother when I lived in the temple. We chatted and she brought back some of the fondest memories of my life. I ran from the school back to the temple without my books and bag because I was afraid of getting flu shot. She remembered the times she walked me to school and picked me up at the end of the day. She reminded me our favorite dish: “gasoline” fried rice. I once asked Su Co (the second highest monk) how she made such delicious fried rice and she told me she used gasoline. The joke stuck.

One of the biggest reasons I loved to stay at the temple was chi My Chau. We played together and she made me all kind of fun toys like kites, coconut-leaf animals, paper airplane and plastic lanterns. We lived a simple life. We woke up in the morning. We prayed with Su Co and Su Ba (the highest monk). We had meatless breakfast and I headed to school. After school we had lunch, we prayed and then I got to take a nap. After that I got up, played and watered the flowers. We had some time to study before dinner was served.

Chi My Chau, who is at least five years older than me, is one of the sweetest ladies I have met in my life. I don’t know exactly how she ended up at the temple and I don’t know much about her background. Unlike me she was either born to be a monk or she didn’t have a choice. She was sent to the temple and that is how she lives for the rest of her life. She got to go to school, but never got to experience the life outside the temple. Sometimes I think about her and keep wonder how she does it.

I still recall my last day at the temple. Chi My Chau was sad and mad at me for leaving. I could see the disappointment written all over her face. She seemed lonely. Until this day, I could never forget that expression. From that moment on, my life had changed forever.

I went back home and started first grade. At the time, I was obsessed with video games (Contra, Natra and Mario Brothers), billiards and Chinese TV series (Natra, Te Thien, Vo Tat Thien). I even stole money from my mom to feed my addiction. I can’t even imagine how messed up my life would have been if I didn’t come to America.

Migrated to the States was another life-changing experience for me. I was lonely and felt as if I was deaf and muted. I couldn’t make any friends and I couldn’t hang out with American kids. I got picked on and laughed at. At that point, I really missed the time I was living in the temple. I loved the calmness atmosphere and the times I spent with chi My Chau. I had thought of going back, but it was impossible at that time and my mind was already corrupted. There is no turning back, but I still hope one day I could go back to the temple and relive some of that peaceful experience.

Politic aside, Asia latest 55 Nam Nhin Lai had a few worth-watching performances. Lam Nhat Tien and Nguyen Hong Nhung kicked off the show with a Doan Chuan and Tu Linh’s medley (“Goi Gio Cho May Ngan Bay” and “La Thu”). Their strong vocals meshed well.

Another great match is Nguyen Khang and Diem Lien on Le Uyen Phuong’s “Vung Lay Cua Chung Ta.” The subtle keyboard licks gave the timeless ballad a bit of jazz flavor. Nguyen Khang also dominated the Phuong Hoang’s medley. His roughness made Doan Phi and Mai Thanh Son sounded like bitches.

Anh Minh was blazing in an uptempo rendition of Y Van’s “Dem Do Thi.” Too bad she only sang half of the song. Mai Le Huyen killed the first half. Ha Vy, Nini and Vina reunited with Van Phung’s “Trang Son Cuoc.” The track was hot; the girls were hotter, especially Nini. Her voice is alright, but she has killer ab and gorgeous face.

I was not too crazy about medleys, but there were some enjoyable ones such as Thanh Thuy on Truc Phuong’s, Ho Hoang Yen and Quoc Khanh on Vu Thanh An’s and Y Phuong and Anh Khoa on Nam Loc’s. I didn’t feel Trinh Cong Son’s medley through Thien Kim and Le Thu. They sounded boring. And the worse medley of all was from no other than Trish and Cardin. I felt so relieve when Cardin announced that he took a break from singing. The little dude should have stayed on hiatus.

I am very proud to be Vietnamese. In fact, I am so damn proud that I forced myself to sit through the five-hour Paris By Night 99: Toi La Nguoi Viet Nam on a Sunday afternoon and bored out of my mind. By the second lineup, Y Lan took on Tuan Khanh’s “Nhat Nhoa,” the show turned insipid.

Musically, there were a bunch of uninspiring, refurbishing fillers including Vu Tuan Duc’s medley (performed by Ky Phuong Uyen and Luu Bich), Duc Huy’s medley (performed by Luong Tung Quang and Mai Tien Dung), Khanh Ly’s yet another version of Trinh Cong Son’s “Uot Mi” and Thanh An’s wimpiest rendition of Ngoc Son’s “Tinh Cha” yet.

Duong Trieu Vu couldn’t bring life to Pham Duy’s “Ky Niem” even though the production had done its best to beef up the imageries from the lyrics. He lacked the experience to make the tune believable. In contrast, Ngoc Ha managed to give a nostalgic performance of Tu Huy’s “Que Huong Tuoi Tho Toi,” the only track that stood out from the show. Dieu Huong’s new tune, “Xin Dung Quay Lai,” was predictable. Mr. Trizzy Phuong Trinh made it even more obvious how the chords were structured. The ballad started off soft but progressed into a Celine Dion’s belting-out climax.

Even the theme of the show was not inspiring. Asia had been highlighting successful Vietnamese-Americans for years. It’s about time Thuy Nga gave props to the “King of Nail” for all the ads he bought from the production. Not only Thuy Nga ripped off the concept, but it also used Trinh Hoi to do the same damn things he did when he was at Asia. The different is that his role at Thuy Nga is more like an assistant MC.

Cu Dao birthday party turned out well. He was too excited so he didn’t want to eat or sleep. He picked a pair of scissors and a bottle of pills at the same time. My guess is that he’ll cut you up and prescribe you some medication. So he’ll end up being a doctor. I hope.

Last night, he coughed his lung out and threw up too. He caught another virus so we couldn’t send him back to daycare. Grandma was suppose to go back to New Jersey after Cu Dao’s birthday, but she extended her staying to look after him until he recovered. Duke is very attach to grandma. Every time we try to put him to bed, he would crawl over to grandma’s room and knock on the door. If she opens the door, he would immediate hold on to her leg and jump onto her lap.

Seeing him sick makes me depress even more. I am feeling a bit under the weather today as well. Can’t wait to go home and rest and the little guy.

Yes, that’s how old I am today, I think. Time swings faster than Fats Waller on stride. For the past 31 years, I have always looked back and see what I had done. This year, I am proud to say that I made the biggest accomplishment so far. Waking up every morning next to two of the most precious people of my life keeps me going. Seeing them holding on to each other sleeping brighten up my day. At this point of my life, that is all that it takes to make me satisfied. And that’s how I live a happy life each day.

For some darn reasons I kept thinking yesterday was Thursday. When one of Cu Dao’s teachers called to check on him, I told her that Duke most likely going to stay home for the rest of the week since I thought it was already Thursday and we’ll send him back next Monday. His teachers are wonderful and caring. They called me each day to find out how the little guy is doing. Cu Dao still has some running nose and mild fever. His birthday is this weekend anyway so we don’t want to take another risk of him returning to daycare and get sick again.

Cu Dao has yet to walk on his own. He would push his music station or the little stool around the house. Sometimes he would walk with his hands touching the wall. Nowadays he crawls with his feet instead of knees. He looks so funny with his butt all up in the air. Cu Dao enjoys clubbing music these days. His favorites are Thanh Thao’s Remix 2010, Ung Hoang Phuc’s Greatest His (remix) and Hoang Thuy Linh’s Vol. 1. Yesterday, he rocked his body while nursing when I played Hoang Thuy Linh’s album. He was so cute.

I am still very excited about his birthday and still can’t believe how fast time had gone.

The sex tape killed Hoang Thuy Linh’s acting career, but gave birth to a young pop star. With the debut release, Hoang Thuy Linh returns to the limelight after the “Vang Anh scandal” broke out near the end of 2007. When the album dropped last month, I didn’t pay much attention because I didn’t think Hoang Thuy Linh could sing. After listening to the album again yesterday, I still think she can’t sing. She has a cute voice, but her range is very limited. Yet, the album works so well thanks to the producers who know how to build the arrangements around her vocals.

Hoang Thuy Linh Vol. 1 kicks off with a club-friendly “Nhip Dap Giac Mo” written by the Luu Thien Huong. The bouncy beat allows Hoang Thuy Linh to ride along with confidence. The end result is pretty damn catchy. Dong Nhi’s “Nghe Nay Chang Trai” is another hypnotic up-tempo number with Auto-Tune enhancement, which is rare because most Vietnamese pop singers use Auto-Tune as a clutch to make themselves sound like alien.

Hoang Thuy Linh also knows not to dramatize slow songs. On the R&B slow jam “Cam On Vi Yeu Em,” another Luu Thien Huong’s piece, she makes the hook sounds convincing as if she thanks her lover for sticking with her after that sex scandal. The album closer, “Ngay Hanh Phuc,” confirms that Hoang Thuy Linh has left the past behind: “Quen di bao nhieu au lo ngay hom qua / Quen di nhung song gio lam cho ta met nhoai.”

What holds the album together is the crisp, solid beats throughout. The lyrics aren’t over-the-top cheesy like most of the the trendy songs these days. This is definitely the step in the right direction for Hoang Thuy Linh. Keep moving forward, kiddo.

Tuan was very excited to return to his birthplace for the first time. He left the little town called Vinh Long in Viet Nam ten years ago when he was ten years old. Because of the language barrier and lack of friends in the United States, Tuan always yearned to his childhood memories and the good times he had before he left Viet Nam. Many times he wanted to go back, but he decided to hold off until he finishes his college degree. Right after his graduation, he booked his flight as a reward of all the years he had focused on studying.

Tuan had heard all great things about Viet Nam from the people around him. From the lavishing living to the authentic food to the lovely ladies, almost everyone that went back to Viet Nam had a great time. He was anxious to experience it for himself. As soon as he set his foot on the ground of Viet Nam, he could already sense the closeness and the vibe of “homeland” that he had missed all those years living in Connecticut.

His family came to the airport to welcome him back him. Everyone seemed to know him, but he could only recognize a few faces. He went back to the house he used to live in and it didn’t feel as big as when he was a child. Everything appeared to shrink after he left. Since it was his first trip back, he spent most of his time with his relatives. They cooked him home-style meals everyday including his favorites sour soup (canh chua) and caramelized fish in the claypot (ca kho to). He spent his morning chilling out at the coffee shop with his cousins and tried out different street foods.

Tuan liked the laid-back lifestyle even though he preferred the busy schedule in the States. He got to taste the food. He got to spent time with folks. What he was still missing was the loving ladies the men back in the States had always bragged about when they went to bia om, which is a place where man could have one beer in one hand and a lady in the other.

One day, Vu and Toan, husbands of two of Tuan’s cousins, decided to give him a special treat. They took him to bia om. He was thrilled, but also confused with any thoughts ran through his mind: “Why are these two taking me? Is it normal for a married man to go to bia om in Viet Nam? Am I betraying my cousins?” Tuan didn’t want to show that he was not a man so he went with the flow.

As they arrived, the girls at the front desk greeted Vu and Toan as if they were regular customers. One of the girls took them to a room to wait. Ten minutes later, three ladies in their mid 30s entered wearing traditional long dresses (ao dai). Although the light was dimmed, Tuan could see the girls’ under garment through their silky long dresses. Since the fellows already had dinner earlier, they ordered Heineken and some fruits like green mangos, grapefruits and pineapples.

The ladies poured out the beer and flirted a bit. Tuan sat still and didn’t say a word. Vu was the quiet type as well so he just kicked back. Toan, on the other hand, was the aggressive one. He pulled the girl next to him and kissed her while reached out to grab her tits. The girl laughed and screamed, “You fucking bastard.” She tried to pull away, but also played along.

As for Tuan, he just sat back and drank his beer. The girl sat next to Tuan could sense that he is not a local customer. To his surprise, the first thing she asked him was his age, as if he was not old enough to be at the place. He told her that he was thirty-five, which was thirteen years older than his actual age. When he asked her and her response was thirty-seven. She looked damn fine for her age, Tuan thought to himself. By that time, Vu was also already getting into the groove with his partner. Every man was now for himself.

Tuan just kept on drinking to calm his nervousness, but the cold beer didn’t help. He had to excuse himself to the restroom to release all that water inside his system. When he returned from the restroom, the girl was standing outside waiting for him. She said to him, “You didn’t look comfortable in there. Do you want to just take a walk?” He agreed and they stepped outside. The night was hot and humid. She handed him a cold, wet towel to wipe his face and neck.

“What’s your name?” He asked as they walked down the empty road.
“Lan,” she responded. “Yours?”

The conversation started mundane, but got more personal as Tuan opened himself up, as if he had been wanted to tell someone about his experience, but no one paid attention. He told her about his isolation in the States and how he became taciturn because of the language barrier. He didn’t know why he was telling her about his grief, but he sure felt great. Lan didn’t say much. She only listened.

An hour went by, the returned to the room. Toan immediately asked, “Where had you two been?”

Tuan winked at Lan and responded, “We were doing our things in the bush.” He went on, “You have to pay her extra for that, cuz.”

Toan laughed, “No problem. As long as you feel good.”

Tuan went back to the hotel that night, but he couldn’t put himself to sleep. Although it was just an hour conversation, he couldn’t get her out of his mind. He tossed and turned and couldn’t help imagine what would his life like with Lan, someone who shares nothing with him.

The next day, he went back to the place to ask for Lan. The girl at the front desk told him that Lan doesn’t work for another hour. He decided to sit at the coffee shop nearby to wait. Lan showed up an hour later on the motorbike. Tuan rushed over, grabbed her wrist and said, “I couldn’t stop thinking about you. Would you spend sometime with me?” Lan was shocked as if the guy she met yesterday had gone mad. In a way, she was kind of glad since she also had a feeling for him.

Just like that, they left everything behind and took off together to Vung Tau beach. They let the waves pushed their worries away. They spent days tasting different foods and nights made passionate love. At times they just fucked like there was no tomorrow. Lan’s naked beauty attracted Tuan. She looked much younger without makeup. She had a slim figure, a bit too thin for his taste. Her breasts were nice and round with unusual large nipples. He loved sucking on those nipples and loved her soft moans and groans, especially when she slid down his pole.

Tuan felt like he was living in a fantasy world, but reality stuck every time he cummed. Privately she made him feel good, but he would be too ashamed to introducer her to friends and family. His parents will be disappointed in him once they found out about her profession. What will his friends think? One time, Tuan was having a bit too much drink and he told his friend, “I would never go back to Viet Nam to marry a girl. Only fucking losers do that.” He could hear the same words coming from his friends, “You married a fucking bia-om chick.”

Tuan had a dilemma. He could give a fuck what everyone else said and follows his heart or find someone else like a doctor or an engineer who could make the people around him proud of him. The choice was his to make.

Cu Dao is turning one in a couple of days, but he has yet to be able to get back to sleep on his own. For the past few nights, he woke up and just screamed his lung out. Nothing we could do to stop him. Maybe being sick has to do with it. Saturday night, he screamed so hard that he almost threw up again. After about an hour of trying to get him back to sleep, I was already wide awake at 4 in the morning. I told Dana, we failed. We failed to let him go to sleep on his own. Now we just have to live with it. Last night was not so bad though.

Yesterday afternoon, we caught up with Avatar in 3D before the film goes off the theater. I thought it would be just the three of us, but the seats were almost filled up. I have to admit, Avatar was a visual-stimulating experience complemented with a solid story, something James Cameron has managed to pull off once again.