Capoeira

Will, my co-worker, recruited me to his Capoeira class. He is very good at it. The technique is really different. It’s like dance karate but it really works your body. Damn, I was hurting like a bitch. I am such a weak ass motherfucker. All I do these days is eat, sleep, and glue to this fucking computer. This piece of shit is eating me alive but I can’t do a fucking thing about it. I have been thinking of changing a career but can’t do a damn motherfucking thing but web design. I am just fucking screwed.

Paid in Full

According to VNExpress, My Tam makes 20 millions VND (approx. $1300 USD) per night for her performance while the monthly income for an average Vietnamese worker is 1 million (approx. $70 USD). Damn, that chic got everything: young, gifted and loaded. The next time I see her walking around Sai Gon, I’m gonna rob her. Yeah! You heard me, My Tam. Better duck and hide when I come back to Viet Nam. I am just playing girl. Still love your voice very much. You deserve all that money for your hard work. Don’t mind me, I am just a hater.

Illist Illustrations

Although Celia Calle web site design is not too impressive, her artworks are simply amazing. The illustrations are aesthetically powerful and the works of art speak for themselves.

College Loans

Kicking out 6 grants for AES (American Education Services). 5 more grants to go and 10 more for my mom, I’ll be debt free. Damn I can’t hardly wait. Mom was skeptical when I asked her to loan me the money. She was like, “How come your cousin doesn’t have to pay anything for her college?” I replied, “My cousin doesn’t go to a private school, ma.” La Salle cost me 25 grants a year and I only owe 30 Gs altogether. I still think it was a great deal.

Noding My Fuckin’ Head to OutKast’s B.O.B

“Don’t pull the thang out, unless you plan to bang. Bombs Over Baghdad!
Don’t even bang unless you plan to hit somethin’. Bombs Over Baghdad!
Power music, electric revival. Power music, electric revival.”

That song got a fly ass beat. If you want some dope ass hip hop flavor, get OutKast Greatest Hits. Hits like Rosa Parks, The Whole World, B.O.B, Elevators, and Spottieottiedopaliscious, you’ll guarantee to drop a few pounds.

I was also listening to How To Rob An Industry Nigga by 50 Cents. That song cracked me up. He talked shit about everybody. What y’all think about The Jump Off video? The beat is off the hook. God damn, Lil’Kim looks slutty but sexy as hell.

Arranged Marriage

Vassar was showing Monsoon Wedding today. I have a mix feeling about this film. The story line is great in a way that eventually you will get to know all the characters. I absolutely love the use of rich colors throughout the film. I admire the dances and Indian techno. Indian wedding is much more fun than Chinese and Vietnamese. Marigolds (Bong Van Tho) play a big part in Indian traditions. I am wondering what the significant meaning behind it. In Vietnamese, Bong Van Tho (marigolds) mean lifelong flowers. They play a big part in the Vietnamese too but I have never seen them being used for weddings. The bad part about this movie is the slow paste. The worse part is the lip-syncs, they don’t match up at all. It gets really annoying.

Anyways, I am not going into details about the movie but one of the theme is about arranged marriage. It actually works. Arranged marriages tend to be more stable than regular marriages. It’s really hard to married someone you don’t know but the love eventually grow. Your relationship will eventually build up and you’ll learn to appreciate each other. In contrast, unarranged relationships usually go down the drain. The first three months are the best part of the relationship. After that, it starts to drift away. You start to get bored. You no longer appreciate your partner. You just don’t care anymore. A year or two goes by, you can’t take it anymore and want a divorce. Ok enough of this crap.

No one can sing this song better than Don Ho (I am talking about the Vietnamese Don Ho, not the Hawaiian Don Ho). It is one of his best performance because he puts so much soul and feeling into it. Specially the bridge part.

Anh den voi em, voi tat ca tam hon.
Em den voi anh, voi tat ca trai tim.
Ta den voi nhau, muon mang cho don dau.
Mot lan cho mai nho thuong dai lau.

I came to you with all of my soul.
You came to me with all of your heart.
But it’s too late, for love meant to be.
For love to stay with me always.

Thanks Keish!

So I spent the whole day reformatted my Mac. It has been working nicely so far. Thanks Keisha so much for helping me out. You’re so smart and patient. I am pretty new to the Mac world so I am just learning as I go along.

Movies I Want to Watch

Nominated for Best Documentary Feature at the Academy Award, Gail Dolgin and Vicente Franco’s Daughter From Danang seems like a good film to enjoy. Justin Lin’s Better Luck Tomorrow looks interesting as well.

Film vs. Computer Science

One of the greatest benefit of working for Vassar is free schooling so I might as well take an advantage of it. Vassar do not offered graduate schools so I am looking into getting another major. I am currently debating between film and computer science. It seems like they have a great program on film and I love movies but realistically what am I going to do with it? Therefore, I am leaning more towards computer science and I think it will benefit me greatly with what I am doing now. It’s about time I am dragging my lazy ass back to school. Well, not yet but at least I am thinking about it.

Congratulations! Miss Massachusetts

Enjoyed Miss USA 2003. It was a must needed break from cnn for a little bit. I thought Miss Texas was flawless from head to toe and her answer was great. She spoke out what she believes. Furthermore, nothing can top a pretty woman with a love for sushi. It’s just a perfect combination.

Releasing Your Inner Slut

Ladies! Some fashion tips for y’all. Read it, practice it, and kick it the slutty style.

Gay Sex

Well, my computer was not returned until 4:00pm. It’s still a piece of crap. I am going to spend the whole day tomorrow back up my works and reformat the hard drive. It’s going to be as pleasure as having a gay sex (pain in the fucking ass) but I gotta do what I gotta do. Hopefully this will solve the problem. Anyway, did you watched the Oscar last night? Steve Martin was hilarious. He was such a great host. After Michael Moore trashed president Bush in his speech, Martin said: “It was so sweet backstage. The Teamsters are helping Michael Moore into the trunk of his limo.” That was pretty funny. I was disappointed that The Quiet American wasn’t even nominated. It’s such a great film. Oscar sucks!

Pissed Off

Another morning without my computer. I called up the guy from CIS this morning, he said my computer won’t be done until noon. What the fuck? Last Friday, he told me it would be ready by Monday morning. My computer has been out since last Thursday and the only thing he is working on is running a diagnostic test. Took him 2 and a half mother fucking days just to do that. Ain’t that a bitch?

Happy Birthday, Yen!

My cousin Yen turns 25 today. She’s a month and a day older than me. I can’t believe time just flied us by. It seems like yesterday that we were riding bikes together. On Saturday, we had a family gathering and celebrated her birthday at the same time. Like always, we had bangin’ ass Vietnamese foods. First, we had “lau,” one of my all time favorite dish. Not sure if there is an English name for it but it’s basically “cook as you eat.” There were shrimps, meatballs(raw), oysters, beef, mushrooms, cabbages, all type of Vietnamese vegetables. They were all fresh and uncooked so you have to do is dip them in a boiling seasoned water (soup) located in the middle of the table on top of the gas stove. Take them out when it cooked, dip them in Sate (hotsauce) and soy sauce, and put them in your mouth. My Gosh, they are heaven, especially with a bottle of Heineken. After that we had steamed salmons with vegetables. Rolled them up with spring rolls and dip into man nem (the real fish sauce that only the real Vietnamese can handled). Then we had bo kho (Vietnamese beef stew with french baguette). I am not gonna go on with desserts and all the sweet stuffs. Damn my stomach was about to exploded.

After stuffed all that foods, we sat together to chit chat about my cousin Minh wedding which is coming this december. He’s currently a MIS professor and his fiance is a maternity doctor. What a perfect match huh? I am so happy for them. He asked me to put together a small site for him so that our family all over the world could access it. I told him I will be glad to do it. So check back later for this special project.

Hot Off Da Street

Got a brand new Sony DVD player for $30 and a used Sony car stereo head unit for 75 bucks. My car is bumping now baby. No, I do not show off my car and I am not into all that supped up shit to get attentions. I just can’t drive without a system in my car. Base kicking loud music helps me get through long hours driving.

Superman

The bonus music video from Eminem’s 8 Miles DVD is so wack. The porno stars are nasty as fuck.

No Motivation

Being sick is miserable. On top of that, the war is depressing. Not motivated to do anything.

It’s a Fucked Up Week

I am fucked up. My G4 is fucked up. The world is fucked up. It’s all fucked up now. I am out this motherfucker, turn the fucking lights out.

Direct Connection With Users

If you have been following the debates on Macromedia Redesign, here is an interesting reading on Designing in Public.

Flash and Photography

Lately, I have seen many online photography portfolios used Flash effective to showcase and navigate the photos. While Dirk Lambrechts photos are slick and sexy, Erik Refner photos are very dramatic, especially the Cambodian section. The experiences on both sites are definitely enjoyable; however, it would be a pain for dial-up users to get around the sites.

Mot Chut Qua Cho Que Huong (Some Presents for the Motherland)

This song affected me deeply, especially at this movement when the war is about to break out. Ngoc Lan did an amazing performance on the song. I tried to translate the lyrics to my best knowledge and understanding of it.

I send my older brother some cigarettes,
so he can burn his life on his fingers.
Send my mother some needles,
so she can stitch for me my miserable heart and liver.
Send my older sister some cloths,
so she can make a wedding dress or a funeral outfit.
Send my younger brother some candies,
so he can have some sweet because life is bitter.
Send my dad a white shirt,
so he can wear it in the battlefield to dry his corpse.
Send Viet Nam our last tears,
Hoping for peace one day in our motherland.

See Men Shredded, Then Say You Don’t Back War

Gluesome, sick, and disturbing crimes against humanity. The world is coming to an end.

Bloody Brilliant

The Quiet American (Nguoi My Tram Lang) is a bloody brilliant work of art that deals with relationship and politic. The bombing scenes are terrified. Innocent lives are wasted. This is the first time I see Michael Caine performance and he surely inspired me. Brendan Frase and Do Thi Hai Yen (marvellously sexy) performances are incredible as well. Glad the film treats Vietnamese beauty seriously and doesn’t take Vietnamese women as a joke. The soundtrack is very dramatic. I love that intense Vietnamese song in the beginning. This film definitely deserves some recognitions from the Academy Awards.