The other night I heard a high-pitched voice while sleeping. I mumbled to Dana, “why are you playing Bang Kieu’s songs in the wee hours?” About a minute later, the voice jumped an octave above Bang Kieu’s highest falsetto. I woke right the hell up and there was Cu Dao soaring out in a voice that I have never heard him cried before. I thought he was doing that “neu ngay nao tinh ta daaaaaaaaaaa phai” in Bang Kieu’s rendition of “Phut Cuoi,” although I don’t recall letting him listening to any of Bang Kieu’s recordings. I am still not sure where it was coming from, but I am so glad that he hasn’t pull that shtick again.

Our online venture, Simplexpression, has been neglected ever since we welcomed a new important member into our lives. Now that Dana has a bit of time, more pieces will be added soon. You now can follow us on Twitter to see the latest pieces. I also tightened up XHTML/CSS a bit for better performance and easier to update.

Big shout out to my man Tim for copping the Puppini Sisters necklace on the grand opening day. He gave it to his wife/college sweetheart on the moment they welcomed their lovely daughter into their world. Tim, thanks for making our product part of the special event of your life. I still have to learn a great deal from you on how to be an ideal husband.

This debut release marks the emancipation of Hoa Mi after twenty years on hiatus. Through the test of time, the nightingale’s soprano shows no sign of deterioration. She still sounds sensational and sentimental on classic songs like Ngo Thuy Mien’s “Ban Tinh Cuoi,” Lam Phuong’s “Mot Minh” and Trinh Cong Son’s “Ru Ta Ngam Ngui.” Unfortunately, Bao Chan’s lackluster arrangements aren’t doing her ageless voice the service. Even on his own tune, “Ben Em La Bien Rong,” he brings nothing but a smooth, snoring flavor that is perfect for airplane restaurants.

The nice thing about a grand-opening restaurant is that the people are very passionate. Hoa Vien Quan opened three weeks ago in Eden Center across from Hai Ky Mi Gia. From the server to the owner, they treated us with careful attention like finding a good spot for Cu Dao’s stroller and asking us if we liked the food.

We started off with the server’s recommendation: stuffed escargot (oc nhoi). Buried inside the meat, the escargot was hardly distinguishable from the plain stuffing. I had shaky beef with steamed rice (com bo luc lac) and it was not so bad although I prefer a simpler version with just beef and watercress dipped with salt, pepper and lemon instead of soy bean. My rice dish comes automatically with a bowl of soup, something I have to ask for at other places and even get charge for it. My mother-in-law had grilled pork with vermicelli (banh hoi thit nuong) and she liked it. Dana had Hoa Vien noodle soup (hu tieu Hoa Vien). The soup looked clear and tasted a bit plain, but she also liked it.

The common dishes don’t stand out, but they aren’t horrible either. So if I crave for a Vietnamese dish at one in the morning, I can still get it at Hoa Vien Quan since it opens from 9am-2am. The space is small, clean with simple decorations. The red and peach painting makes the place a bit “sen.” There was also a karaoke machine and it was a good thing that it didn’t turn on while we were eating.

Duke turns five months today. It’s unbelievable how fast time has zipped by. Bringing him home from the hospital seems like yesterday and the video of him crying as soon as he breathed air still plays clearly in my mind. Watching him laughing, turning, crawling and growing everyday is a bundle of joy. Every time I hold him in my arms, look at him, smile at him and get a smile back, I feel very fortunate to have him in my life. It’s truly a blessing. I love you, my Cu Dao!

These days I don’t have to stay up in the middle of the night anymore. Duke is sleeping better, but his mom is the reason I can get some sleep. She has been nursing him every two to three hours a night. Every time he cries, all I have to do is get up and move to the other side of bed. It’s time to switch breast.

Although she stays up and feeds him at night, she still gets up and goes to work. At work, she not only has to do her job, but also has to pump milk for him three times a day. Even though her job is more stressful than mine, she manages to pull 110% in production. (I can smell a bonus check coming.) Not sure how she does it, but I am very proud of her. It’s definitely a good thing to marry up.

While mooncake comes with all kind of flavors including lotus, red bean, durian, chocolate, ice cream, coffee and shark fins, I still prefer the Vietnamese combo style with sausage, roast pork, salted yolk, herbs and spices. After lunch at Present, Duke, Dana and I went to Eden Center to find a mooncake. We wanted to get just one to try out first before getting a whole box. After looking around a couple of places, we decided to buy one at Kim Phung bakery after the owner proudly bragged that he makes the best banh trung thu and even folks from California ordered his. I have to concur. Other than the egg yolk is a bit salty, the cake was delicious. It tasted just like the ones in Viet Nam I had years ago. Dana and I ate the whole piece late Saturday night. Although the price is a bit expensive ($7.35 a pop), I can’t wait to grab a few boxes for family and for me this weekend.

Like the Chinese Twelve Girls Band, Co La is a group made up of seven beautiful Vietnamese ladies who were academically trained in traditional instruments including the bamboo flute, zither, pipa and monochord. On its debut, Dau Cham Hoi, the band brings old instruments as well as modern electronics to Vietnamese popular tunes.

Nguyen Cuong’s “Dan Cam,” highlight of the album, gets a mesmerizing fusion between eastern traditional sounds and western rhythm. The tune kicks off with the northern folksy intro and then proceeded into an upbeat tempo courtesy of Roland TR-808. While the beat is bouncy, the traditional instruments play in unison and the powerful voice never led up. “Ngua O Hue” also stands out. Love the Hue accent and the sawing of the two-stringed dan nhi to make the horse’s neighing effect.

Van Cao’s “Suoi Mo” starts off with the sensational bamboo flute taking listeners into the dreamy state of mind. The sixteen-stringed zither (dan tranh) and the monochord (dan bau) are no less hypnotizing. Trinh Cong Son’s “Hoa Vang May Do” is just achingly beautiful when being revived with traditional instruments.

When being asked about the name Co La “Rare Grass,” a member explains that grass is everywhere, but this is not just the ordinary, wild grass. I wonder if it’s the I-can-roll-it-and-smoke-it type. It’s indeed a different kind.

So Duke, Dana and I hooked up with big brother Hai for lunch at Present Cuisine. Here goes another Asian restaurant with a waterfall fountain. Nevertheless, the sound of the trickling water and the garden-like design gives the restaurant a cool, relaxing vibe.

Looking at the extensive menu, I get a kick out of the fancy names even though I wouldn’t know what the heck they were if I didn’t look at the actual Vietnamese items. For instance, “Silken Shawl Imperial Autumn Roll” is “Cha Gio Re” or “Pig at the Seaside Vermicelli” is “Banh Canh Tom Cua Gio Heo” or “Rick Folks Golden Crepes” is “Banh Xeo.” Didn’t know that Banh Xeo is a rich folks dish until you look at the price: $10.95 for one. We make Banh Xeo all the time at home and we ain’t rich.

Brother Hai ordered Banh Xeo and it sounded pretty crispy when he bit it. He cleaned up the entire plate so it must be good. I have to invite brother Hai to my sister-in-law’s house next time. She makes some killer Banh Xeo. I had at least five with hot sake the other day and it was heaven.

I tried Cha Ca La Vong and it was pretty good. The fish had a tangy flavor and the shrimp paste was not so strong that non-Vietnamese could give it a try. Dana was not satisfied with her Pig at the Seaside Vermicelli though. She thought the broth had a weird sour taste to it. She hasn’t ran to the bathroom yet, so it’s ok.

Although the prices are a bit higher than most Vietnamese restaurants around the area (including Eden), I was impressed enough to come back to check out some more dishes.

As for the services, I was a bit disappointed with the accommodation. I didn’t have a problem that they don’t have baby changing station in the bathroom; however, they couldn’t even provide me a private area to change Duke. I had to go out to the car.

Following the current trend, Hong Ngoc released two albums at once to target different demographics. Vet Thuong Cuoi Cung, which featured classic tunes, is for the old heads. Qua Khu, which featured come-and-gone pop hits, is for the young fans.

On Vet Thuong Cuoi Cung, Hong Ngoc obviously tries to throw a bone for the old folks. She makes no investment in the productions and she covers each song in her sleep. The beats get drowsy; her voice gets drowsier. She simply puts Trinh Nam Son’s “Di Vang” out of its misery and into an afternoon nap. I hope that Lam Phuong won’t listen to her rendition of “Co Ua.” He might get another stroke.

The good thing about Vet Thuong Cuoi Cung is that the album makes Qua Khu more listenable. Although Hong Ngoc has such an old, smoky and husky voice, the best she could do is singing instant pop songs. On the title track, she means every word she sings: “Nhung than oi long nguoi thay doi / Anh ra di chi gi qua khu cua em / Qua khu ngay xua anh da chap nhan de den ben em.” Any lyrics with the words “anh ra di,” she nailed them. On “An Nan Muon Mang,” she cries like rain on the chorus: “Gio day anh da ra di / Anh quyet ra di / Bo mat em voi bao dam me muon phien / Em khoc nhu mua / Anh van quay di / Vi trai tim anh da qua suc nguoi oi.”

Qua Khu testifies that Hong Ngoc still holds her spot as a star in the pop market. Moving beyond that, however, is out of her reach and Vet Thuong Cuoi Cung is a proof.