Just dropped by Zorkafor’s SandVeg for a quick fix. Dana and I went there once before for lunch even though we didn’t know what the place was serving. After tried its char-broiled beef, it has becomes my favorite. The meat is fresh and its self-serve vegetable toppings, which include some exotic pickles, make the sandveg delicious. Although it’s quite messy to eat (especially when you put almost every toppings on the pocket), it’s quite a unique experience. I wanted to try a Falafel this time, but it ran out.

On Somethin’ Else, Cannonball Adderley somehow managed to snatch up his leader Miles Davis as a sideman. The title track kicks off with a call and response between two gifted musicians. By feeding off each other’s vibe, Davis and Adderley were having a great musical conversation. With Art Blakey, Hank Jones and Sam Jones holding down the rhythm section, Davis and Adderley gives “Autumn Leaves” an ultimate beauty. Davis is a master of selection (only plays notes that are meaningful) and his muted trumpet is both hunting and chilling. Adderley’s intricate phrasing on the alto sax, however, provides a rich contrast to Davis’s minimal approach. This record is simply somethin’ else.

I took the Metro to Dana (my wife) workplace and went to Galae restaurant with her and her sister. They both work at USPTO so the place is near by. The Galae’s decoration is quite attractive. The menu is designed in a wooden box and the chopsticks were placed in a bamboo. The little details enhance the experience.

We started off with Pla Muek Tod (fried squids). The squids were a bit too small. The mango salad was decent. I wish it were hot. The seafood Panang was way too sweet and creamy. It didn’t quite suit my taste. The beef drunken noodle was probably the best out of the meal. The beef was tender and the noodle was not so sticky.

Not a bad place to have a nice lunch. Took quick nap on the train. Felt revived to get back to work, but needed a gallon of water.

Cardin Nguyen is one hardworking kid in showbiz. He writes his own lyrics, produces his own tracks and sings his own tunes, but he can’t obscure the fact that he doesn’t have what it takes to make even just a passable record. Va Hom Nay… Now I Know, his new release, is a proof. His rhymes are elementary; his beats come straight out of the club factory; and his singing is still mediocre. Even Auto-Tune couldn’t help correct his wimpy pitch.

On “Sell Out,” a sacrilege sample of Cheryl Lynn’s “Got To Be Real,” Cardin addresses those who talk behind his back. He mumbles some shit about daring someone to write a song and throw it back at him. He also accuses somebody of a copycat who can’t even translate some lyrics. He tries to talk in a tough voice, but you can tell, dude can’t even break grapes in a food fight.

His soft side comes out on Truc Ho’s “Va Hom Nay” and the Chinese-inflected “Mai Yeu Nguoi Thoi” with Chosen who drops some kindergarten rhymes about some chick who had done him wrong, even though he tatted her name on his arm. As if the slow version isn’t dull enough, he cuts another lounge session that is perfect for, well, lounging. And if you isn’t fallen asleep by then, the “Outro Lullaby,” which he sings for his child when it’s time to turn out the lights, will make sure you do.

To be fair, Cardin deserves the props for making his own music. Just give him about twenty more albums and he might get somewhere. We’ll see.

After work we both starving and craving for some seafood, so we decided to skip cooking and go to a Chinese seafood buffet. Our friends recommended Blue Pearl, which located close by Springfield mall, over our favorite Green Olive, so we wanted to check it out.

First impression of the setting is much nicer than the ghetto style at Green Olive. The food selection is somewhat similar, but not at good. The main drawback is that the hot food aren’t kept hot and the cold food aren’t kept cold. So everything is pretty much warm, but the major disappointment is that the seafood isn’t as fresh as Green Olive’s.

I was disappointed that Blue Pearl didn’t have grill shrimp like Green Olives. I also really miss the ice cold, big, fresh, raw oysters at Green Olive. So we’ll stick to the ghetto buffet not only for the food, but also for the closeness to our apartment.

Over a small strumming guitar, Khanh Loan croons, “Bat dau lai thoi ban cua toi oi / Dung khoc them cho nguoi da xa roi / Muon phien nhieu cang lam doi u toi / Hay lau kho di giot nuoc mat tren moi.” With her high, slightly scratchy voice, she delivers the title track on her second album, Bat Dau Lai Thoi, like a songbird trying to heal her own wound. Breakup is excruciating and she determines to start over. She wrote the song and invited Jimmy Nguyen for the duet. His role is to share her pain and to comfort her.

By the time she gets to “Tro Cut Bac Trong Tinh Yeu,” another track under her own pen, she has completely erased him off her memory: “Gio toi xoa vet dau / Gio toi xoa het u sau / Gio toi xoa moi tinh dau do dang.” Yes, he is gone and she makes sure he knows so on “Thoi.” Over a club mix, she declares, “Thoi anh dung khoc nua lam gi. Ky niem sau an tinh cu xa xua.” It’s not the most innovative mix, but it helps break up the emotional tracks that run throughout the album.

Although she could ride up-tempo beats, her dark, soulful voice is more suitable on slow, heart-rending tunes. Hoai An’s “Khong The Xa Hon” is perfect for her voice. She soars out the hook with power and carries out the words like she needs to get them off her chest. Bat Dau Lai Thoi is not a bad pop record at all.

It’s about time Giant Food replaces its ancient, horrendous logo with a new one. When I first got to Virginia, I couldn’t tell Giant was a grocery store by looking at its current logo.

“Excuse me Mr. Attitude, why you got an attitude?” Young Jeezy rhymes in his new joint “Welcome Back.” It’s a pretty hot track.

Simple, one-page portfolio of William Smith. Nice use of brown.

Friday I went to the DMV to get a new license. (I think my wife lost it when we bought some drugs.) The man behind the counter was so friendly that we had a bit of a causal conversation. He asked me where I work and followed up with the most frequented asked question, “Are you a professor?” I replied, “No, just a web designer.” To my surprised he complemented, “Web design is not a just. It’s big.” He really made my day. Visiting a DMV not so bad at all.

Saturday we spend the entire day with my family and celebrated Samantha’s ninth birthday. She is such big girl now with a big appetite. Watching her eat is a joy. She could clean up a regular bowl of Pho and an avocado shake with no problem. Our typical weekends have mostly spent with our families, and we alternate between New Jersey and Pennsylvania. I can’t even look at our credit card’s monthly bill just for eating out and gas for the weekends.

Sunday we drove back to Virginia for house hunting and only one out of eight looked decent. I am getting tired of looking at houses, but also feeling bad for our agent for putting up with us. If we want to see fifteen houses, she would take us to fifteen houses. She just had a knee surgery and couldn’t take us, but still making sure that her husband is taking us. Real estate is quite a job.