I am now rockin’ with the spankin’ new G5. The migrating process is not as bad as I thought but I am pretty much starting fresh and clean to get the most out of it. I was working till 10:00pm last night trying to reinstall softwares and retrieve my prerferences. The hard part is over and now I can’t wait to my hands on that Tiger.

I was accepted to Vassar as a Special Student. I’ll probably be the only old fool in class. I am thinking of taking an English course to improve my writing.

I can’t wait until XHTML 2.0 released. The working draft looks fantastic. Take a look at the Major Differences with XHTML 1.0. It is coming closer to XML. The hr (horizontal rule) is coming back with a new name (separator). That makes sense. The new nl for navigation list. You can now apply href into your li which will minimized your codes tremendously. Many more changes in XHTML 2.0 to improve accessibility so keep your eyes out.

Hmmm! I love Mam Kho like I love women even though the smell is not as great as women. Actually I never find anything wrong with the scent but many can’t stand it. As you can see from the photo, our dinner was split in halves. Our half is the Mam Kho’s lovers and the other half is the Mam Kho’s haters. Hey! It’s all good for the haters, it is just more Mam Kho for me. I can’t say, “You’re not Vietnamese if you can’t eat Mam Kho.” That would also offend my family but damn you’re missing out on one of the best food on earth. Just look at the big plate of vegetables and that creamy fish sauce. Don’t you just want to dip it and eat it? Mam Kho is our uncle 8’s specialty. The man can cook.

My apology to Trinh Nam Son, the author of “Ve Day Em”, for the incorrect credits on his work. The opening of “Ve Day Em” Flash movie should have read, “Music & Lyrics: Trinh Nam Son” instead of just “Lyrics: Trinh Nam Son.” As a web designer, I totally understand and respect atists’ sweats and tears; therefore, I have editted the opening to comply with the correct information. Meanwhile, I also remastered the sound for better quality. If you have saved the previous version to play on your desktop or to use on another site, please re-download the latest version for proper credits and better sound quality.

As for the talented singer and writer Trinh Nam Son, you had worked extremely hard to create such a beautiful and timeless song and thank you for allowing me to display “Ve Day Em” to the world. It is one of the piece that I have received positive responses beyond the Vietnamese community. It is also responsible for the launching of iLoveNgocLan.com.

The weekend is here so let me treat you a bowl of homemade Pho by my brother-in-law. What is so special about homemade Pho? Look at all the meats. You don’t get cow’s tails at the restaurant. Best of all, it is extremly hot. My brother-in-law even heats up the bowl before he puts in the noodle.

Pho is a typical dish for family weekend gathering in the US. So welcome to VisualGUI’s crib, have some Pho, chit chat, have another bowl of Pho, play Tien Len (card game), have some more Pho and get some exercise.

Many thanks to my man TNS for his precious collections of Ngoc Lan’s performance on Trinh’s music. She had definitely expressed his lyrics to the fullest with her amazing vocals.

If you enjoy Trinh’s music, Trinh Cong Son Online is a must visit. Although the site is poorly designed, there are tons of MP3s to download. Be patience, the server is extremely slow.

If you enjoy listenning online with high quality sound, drop by Dam Sang radio and tune into the live request.

Chops’s new mix joint with G Unit, By Hook or By Crook has some mighty fly beats. Give it a free spin.

2pac’s Resurrection soundtrack is str8 ballin’. The album is a compilation of some unheard as well as old school joints. Holler If Ya Hear Me is still hardcore, rough, rugged, and raw. Same Song, Panther Power, and Rebel of the Underground proves Pac’s lyrical skill was already amazing back then.

Tim’s refinement in progress is looking great. Congratulations on the wedding.

Banh Hoi Tom Hum not just sounds fancy but tastes delicious as well. When my mom prepares this dish, I thought it was kind of strange. Of course, I had Banh Hoi with Heo Quay (Roast Pig) or Chao Tom (Barbecued Shrimp Paste on Sugar Can) but I never had steamed vermicelli with lobsters before.

During our vacation at my sister, we bought $250 worth of fresh lobsters. My mom boiled the lobsters not with regular water but two bottles of Heineken. I was like, “Ma, what are you doing? Wasting my Heinekens like that.” I smiled and went on, “You should have told me, I would have get you a 40 Olde E or something.” Well, the end result is just amazing how Heinekens can add that unique fragrant to the lobster. With the help of Nuoc Mam Ot (Mixed Fish Sauce), herbs and vegetables, my mom’s Banh Hoi Tom Hum is just to die for.

Whenever I watch a film on Viet Nam war, the focus is never on the communist. They always hide in the shadow and I never get to understand their point of views. With Nguoi Dep Tay Do, I get to see their strategies and operations. I don’t care much about political issues, I just enjoy the acting and the undeniable beauty of Viet Trinh.

The story takes place in the 40s during the controlling of the French. The film revolves around Bach Cuc (Viet Trinh). A beautiful lady who gives up her love and sacrifices her life for her country. As an early age, Bach Cuc was married into a rich family that was arranged by her grandmother. Bach Cuc was mistreated by her in law family and abused by her husband. These horrific scenes will make your tears drop. Later, a member of the Viet Minh (communist) protected her and took her out of misery situation; therefore, she decided to join the Viet Minh. Because of her striking beauty and fluency in French, she was assigned to work undercover where she met an interpreter Hoang Thai (Don Duong who also casted in We Were Soldiers along with Mel Gibson). Together they gathered inside information from the French and provided to the Viet Minh to help setting up attacks.

Along with the cast, both Viet Trinh and Don Duong give convincing performances but the work of Le Cung Bac (director), Tram Huong (screenwriter), and Nguyen Ho (writer) cannot go unnoticed, especially the clever references to the war. Nguoi Dep Tay Do is a communist film but if you can get pass the political point of view, it is quite a moving motion picture.

This is a new fantastic flavor of Goi Cuon by my mama. The typical Goi Cuon contains pork and shrimp but my mama takes it to the next level with deer meat. With the combination of fresh vegetables and the soft, juicy meat, this version of Goi Cuon is off the hook. Her dipping is quite different too. The ingredients include mixed fish sauce, Hoisin sauce, applesauce, a bit of peanut butter and hot peppers. The result is delicious. I had like 15 rolls and still hunger for more.

By the way, you can get a sneak peak at my mom in the photo. She has the hair nest on. When it comes to food, my mom doesn’t mess around. She has to have all of her ingridients. She washes the meat and the vegetables like 20 times. So when eating her food, 200% clean is guaranteed. This is the reason her foods take so long to prepare and it is also why I can’t take her to any restaurants. She would never be satisfied unless she cooks the food.

A new theme design for iLoveNgocLan.com.

Whenever my mom finished frying something (in this case, she fried calamari with caramel sauce), I have to have my Com Tron Chao. It’s simply the left over grease and juice from the pan mix with white rice. It might sounds silly but it’s bangin’. You think Fried Rice is good? Wait to you try the real deal. Con Tron Chao not only tastes great but it also helps clean up the pan at the same time. It’s like killing two birds with one stone. The best part about Com Tron Chao is that you can’t really make it from scratch and you can’t get it in any restaurant. It’s purely homemade.