I made a simple, healthy, and veggielicious dish for dinner last night. Check out my Su Su Xao Tom Kho, looks great huh? I am surprised myself. Of course, I could not do it without my mom’s instructions. So here is a quick recipe for your own pleasure.

Before you do anything, pop in a Vietnamese CD to get into the mood. Traditional music is the obvious choice and Quang Linh, Nhu Quynh, or Truong Vu is preferable. It’s all about the mood, baby!

Slice the skin off the chayote squash. Split it in half. Take out the white part inside. Slice the squash into thin pieces then rinse thoroughly with salt water to get rid off the sticky stuff. I rinsed it three times.

Chop green onion into small pieces. Take the scallions (white part of the onion near the root) and fried them with a bit of oil. Pour in dried shrimp, swirl a bit then pour in the chayote squash. Sprinkle a bit of sugar and salt. No MSG is necessary since the chayote squash already has a natural sweet taste to it. Stir well for five minutes. Voila!

Simple huh? Make sure you choose a firm, unblemished, and light green chayote squash for the sweet and crunchy taste. Dried shrimps can be purchased in any Asian grocery store. The ones I used are made by my mom, so the quality is superior. Her dried shrimps are the elegant replacement of peanuts for drinking. I can listen to music, drink, and pop her dried shrimps in my mouth all day.

“Giot Suong Tren Mi Mat” weaved into my dream last night. I could not see clearly, but definitely heard the music because when I woke up at 2:09 in the morning, when Hong Nhung screamed near the ending, my stereo was still playing. I forgot to put it to sleep. I have heard countless versions of “Giot Suong Tren Mi Mat,” but Hong Nhung’s interpretation swept me off my feet. She accomplished the high notes perfectly and, at the same time, rided beautifully with the dynamic arrangement. The voice and the beat left a deep sound in my dream.

Here is Patrick Gallagher’s translation of Thanh Tung’s “Giot Suong Tren Mi Mat.”

Dew Drops On My Lids

How could I know
Each time the sun rose
The sun dropped its tears
On my ma and my pa

Now I am grown
Buds bloom in my heart
Dew drops on my lids
So that’s love, tears of first love

With my first words
I yelled out at life
My moods like the wind
So some things don’t change

Just now I see
Some years have piled on
Tear drops all dried up
Still life seems, life seems so hard

When I smile and think sad thoughts
Why don’t I cry, make light my dark mind?
Because sometimes, looking at life
Joy shines in my eyes and my tears shine on my lips

Please let my cry
Soft sounds from my voice
My tears in a flood
Would drain my sad mood

Each time I’ve won
A smile in my heart
Dew drops on my lids
That’s sun drops, tears from the sun
Dew drops in my lids
That’s sun drops, tears from the sun

“Saigon 1952” – which is Van Cao’s “Thien Thai” – is the song that brought me to Hong Nhung. When I first heard it while watching The Quiet American, her dramatic vocals along with the intensity of Craig Armstrong’s musical score strike me. The experience was breathtaking and I could not wait to find out who the performer was. Once the name Hong Nhung came up and got my hand on Thuo Bong La Nguoi, the rest is history. Recently, Pat sent me a version of “Thien Thai” recorded by a Vietnamese arranger. The experience is less dramatic, but the vocal is no less significant. Speaking of Pat, make sure to bookmark this page and enjoy the songs he has translated.

When two guys get together on a trip, what else are on their minds? Even if two gay men get together, they would find two more gay men to screw. Alexander Payne’s Sideways takes viewers on a road trip to visit California wineries with two best friends Miles (Paul Giamattie) and Jack (Thomas Haden Church). Before Jack is getting married, his mission is getting himself and his buddy some booties. Jack knows his lines with the ladies and Miles knows his wines inside out. Isn’t that a perfect combination?

Beside the tight chemistry between Giamattie and Church, the scripting is “tighter than a nun’s asshole!” – as Miles describes a new pinot noir. His descriptive lines through tasting wines make him sounds like a great critic. The best lines are when he explains to Maya (Virginia Madsen) the delicacy of pinot noir grape, which reflects him personality. In response, Madsen gives an emotional and most convincing answer for why she loves wine – the liveliness of it that is.

Sideways has its a laughable scenes as well as serious moments. The pacing of the film is just right and the story is compelling. Alexander Payne once again perfecting his character creation by casting the perfect roles for his film. Paul Giamatti is flawless as Miles in this film just like Jack Nicholson as Schmidt in Payne’s earlier film About Schmidt. Virginia Madsen and Thomas Haden Church are no less impressive in their roles.

“Thousands are still getting discovered each day / how dare you compare a life to a week’s pay?” Jin responses to the “Tsunami Song” and the racist radio jocks. He’s damn right. Mad respect and support for Jin. He is the voice of our people and he responses intelligently as a battle rapper. Keep doing your things, man. We’re right behind you.

Also big up to HipHopMusic.com for fighting the battle. Miss Info, keep your head up, ma! For those who haven’t pick up Jin’s The Rest is History, now is the time. Here is my take on the album.

Inspired by Patrick Gallagher’s “English Words for Vietnamese Songs,” I attempt to translate Trinh Cong Son’s “Toi Dang Lang Nghe (I’m Listening),” a vivid performance by Cam Van on Xin Cho Toi. Although Trinh’s words in this song are simple, the poetic lyrics create beautiful images; therefore, I stay closely to the original context as well as try to fit in the same musical syllables. So listen to the song, follow along, and enjoy!

I’m Listening

Quiet of nights, I’m listening
Quiet of days, I’m listening
Quiet of lives, I’m listening
I’m listening
A lonely heart, as nights passed by
Quiet of folks, I’m listening
Quiet of mines

Quiet rivers, I’m listening
Quiet hilltops, I’m listening
Quiet breathings, I’m listening
I’m listening, quiet breathings
After the storms
Quiet faces, hear many wounds
On palm of hand

I’m listening, quiet of loves
A love has passed, I’m listening
When flowers dried, quiet of buds
I’m listening, I’m listening
I’m listening, my quiet life

White rice, a cucumber, and Mam Chung are all that I need to get by the snowy and icy winter. It’s a simple but wonderful meal. Make sure the cucumber is fresh and crunching. No need to slice it, just bite it with a cube of Mam Chung at a time. Mam Chung has a savory taste, but use it with a light hand. It’s a bit salty, and that is why the cucumber is there to balance the flavor. Want to spice the meal up a little? Take a bite on one of those green peppers. Those are the real deal; however, make sure you don’t kiss your partner after eating Mam Chung or he or she will gag.

“Another Trinh Cong Son’s album?” was my first thought when I picked up Cam Van’s Xin Cho Toi. I glanced at the back cover, half of the tracks are Trinh’s standards, including “Tinh Nho,” “Ha Trang,” “Ru Doi Di Nhe,” and “Rung Xua Da Khep,” which have been covered countless times by other singers. I copped the album anyway since I heard so much about Cam Van but hardly pay attention to her work. This album may be a good start.

As soon as the album kicks off with “Tinh Nho,” Cam Van’s superb voice grabs me. Her dynamic delivery combines with her powerful vocals give shape and texture to Trinh’s music. She has a unique approach to Trinh’s work and the arranger (Bao Phuc) recognizes it; therefore, he allows her voice to drive the musical arrangements. While she easily reaches deep into Trinh’s lyrics on “Hanh Huong Tren Doi Cao,” the sax follows right behind her to provide the listeners a journey on the high plateau. Likewise, the instruments on “Phuc Am Buon” are subtle enough to let her vocals take charge. As a result, the performance shows the strength of Trinh’s words through her vocals and the aesthetic details through the musical composition.

On the title track “Xin Cho Toi,” Cam Van delivers the melancholy of Trinh’s expression while the arrangements added a sense of despondency to the work. Placing this title track at the end of the album is a clever technique. The energy makes me yearning for more. The whole album has that slow but vibrant sound except “Ta Da Thay Gi Trong Dem Nay,” which is a mid-tempo song. The vocals and the lyrics are listenable, but the marching band tune turns me off.

Xin Cho Toi is a carefully crafted album with remarkable vocal performance and skillful orchestration. It is an album not to be missed by those who love Trinh’s music. It won’t replace Khanh Ly’s records or Hong Nhung’s album, but it gives a different experience to the incredible work of Trinh Cong Son through Cam Van’s distinctive interpretation.

Making fun of the Tsunami victims is the most despicable thing to do, yet only in America where we would do such thing. I am sure we would not be so pleased if someone in another country makes fun of our September 11 crisis. Learn to respect others if we want some respect. Fortunately, only a few fools at Hot 97 who think the “Tsunami Song” is funny while the rest of us don’t.

What the heck is wrong with these radio stations making racist jokes? Two weeks ago, Power 99, used to be my favorite hip-hop radio in Philly, called an Indian woman “dirty-rat eater” and threatened to “choke the f out of [her].” It’s not her fault that big corporations move to India. That sucker should have taken his anguish out on the company instead.

Like my man Elton John says, “It’s sad, so sad / It’s a [fucked up] situation / And it’s getting more and more absurd.” I just happen to listen to this song while writing this post, but it fits well with the contents.

In my recent review of Cam’ron’s Purple Haze, I ask listeners to not pay attention to the content but focus only on the aesthetic qualities. Why? A few of his lines below demonstrate the reason:

“Your budget on my neck, your spouse on my dick” from “Get ‘Em Girls”

“You’re a dickhead, not dildo” from “More Gangsta Music”

“Put your meat on my stick like a shish-ka-bob” from “Hey Ladies”

“Pluck ya ace take ya girl fuck her face / She’s dealin’ with Killa so you love her taste / She swallowin’ Killa cause she love the taste.” From “Down and Out”

“And you know I’m in the buildin’ mister / with the Olsen twins, or the Hilton sisters / And I haul ’em in to the Hiltons, mister / I milked them, I killed them, you quilt them.” From “Girls”

Cam’ron is not the only misogynist jerk in the game. Even one of the best lyricist MCs does it too. Here are some of Nas’s lines from Street’s Disciple:

“I had bad chicks that blow cum bubbles like bubblegum.” From “Nazareth Savage”

“I squeeze nipples like pimples to get the puss.” From “Nazareth Savage”

“She’ll scream as I pushed in her freezin’ cold pool / When she piss she gon’ bleed in the whole stool / That’s how much I wanna bang and touch her pretty thing.” From “You Know My Style”

“Chelsea used to tell me choke her while I stroke her / Stuck a Heineken bottle up in the ass, a real joker.” From “Remember The Times”

Chris Rock loves rap but hates to defend rap. The lines above are impossible to defend rap as a form of art. I love rap too but I go for the aesthetic experience, not the misogynism.