ALONG THE DAO

References For Success 2nd Edit

2012-02-02T17:19:00.000-06:00

References For Success 2nd Edit Confidence
Reference. How we did it.

Place

Ran 20 miles, almost straight 3 hours (Austin, TX 2/16/09)
40 mile bike ride with brah
> Bike Houston to Austin MS150, Swim across Lake Austin
up and over 6'4" black guy
Climbed the Rio24 Scaffolding and the Austin antenna
> something equally crazy and daring
Found a cute apartment thru apt. broker and roommates to fill the room thru craigslist
> we can find a broker for mom's deli. we can.
Had a great month of consistent motivation
> can match it again
Created Vegan Meal Plan using university cafeteria template
Created Facebook meal entry

People

developed some friendships with walnut creek kids
spent time with rya and little boy at chardonnay
> develop a friendship w/ Robbie next door
leadership experience w/ vsa officers
> I can lead once again and work as a team even better w/ a strong unified purpose
intimate talk with luong at sachse
> I can create that space once again
working things out with katie jo differences
> We can continue to develop relationship solution skills
helped father move his garland shop
helped move mother's shop
helped mother 2 weeks at deli
shared a relationship with shristi for 2 years
kathryn finds us sexy
> we can attract the hot girls
basketball plays with ly and luong
> we can develop plays for kids

Passion

see refs4success photos/videos
made music video for vsa officers, inspirational bike video
> music video about austin life
put together 3-4 songs 4 a benefit concert at UTD, song for mary's/bee's wedding
> produce a rap song and music video
Took lots of austin photos on flickr
Acted in a highschool musical; everything goes
> perform street theatre
remodel shristi's room, art in massage room
daubrey, thislittlelight, alongthedao, nutharvest, myspace

Money

Scored Medical Assistance
> Sweet! score food stamps and medicaid!
got temp jobs w/ three employers
> can get hired on again
Earned $1,200 cash in one month thru massage
Started and maintained massage, fried rice, and moving business on craigslist
> I can do the same for a photo/video service

things I can do that are of no consequence

* dispose of a dead rat
* dispose of dog poop with my bare hands
* lick off the slimy booger of a toddler
* act/sing in a high school musical
* catch flies and release them unharmed back into the wild

keywords, confidence, yes!, references, success, confidence

2011-10-16T13:40:00.001-05:00

Acoustic Cover of Coldplay's "The Scientist" Enjoy!

2011-09-01T09:24:00.002-05:00

Acoustic Cover of Coldplay Scientist

My Cover of "Don't Go Away" by Oasis. Enjoy!

2011-08-28T15:02:00.001-05:00

Acro Skills

2011-08-18T16:59:00.003-05:00

Acro

To Improve
Therapeutics
You'll need to have experience with Basing and Flying...
Know whether you're a Tree or an Elf...
Have a cheery disposition and bright demeanor...
Be willing to work well with others...
Be able to hold handstand (1:00) at the wall...
Be able to hold headstand (1:00) in the middle of the room...
Sequences
folded leaf, straight shoulders, walnut, tabletop, straddlebat, theMelissa, pretzelL/R, reverseYogi, neck, shoulders, pachi, backbend, dancer, hammock, backfloat, straddlebat
Fancy Smancy
Straddle Throne * Pop * Front Bird * rotate * High Flying Whale
Cartwheel * Straddle Bat * Barrel Rolls * Vishnu's Couch * Floating Pachi
Bird on (Base's) Hands Front Bird to Side Star to High Flying Whale, Cross, Feet on Hands, Bird
Reverser Bird * Straddle Bat * Star
Reverse Bird * Bird * Hand to Hipbone Front Bird
Spider Roll!
Standing on feet

To Learn

Star, One (Base's) Foot Star, Free Star

Side Star to Side Star
Throne
Straddle Throne variations
Barrel Rolls
Vishnu's Couch (Note: another name for this is Vash as in Vashistasana)
Reverse Bird

acro skills yoga

2011-08-05T12:15:00.001-05:00

kinda beat today. lifted some heavy weights yesterday and am feeling it coupled with the heat. so the days are long but i try to remember the years are short so i take a deep breath and appreciate the day for what it is, a gift.

note to self. don't pick your nose. don't pick your nose especially after cutting jalepenos.

How to recover from mind workouts.

2011-05-10T22:51:00.003-05:00

How to recover from mind workouts.
brainfood: inspirational books, music, film, photos: all of the above.
spending time with inspirational friends?

Imagine

2011-04-09T15:29:00.002-05:00

what a life it's been so far. so many things i've learned and so many setbacks along the way, so many stumbles towards happiness. it's always been a two step, two steps forward, one step back and back again. little by little i hope and am certain i will achieve my dreams. what are my dreams? i don't know exactly, what i do know is that they these dreams will fulfill all my six human needs, and from there I will continue to grow and contribute, I don't know I believe somewhere, dormant, sleeping inside of me a beautiful spirit a sleeping giant, slumbering inside of me, a great person ready ato emerge when he's ready and a kind gentle giant, ready to rock and rip this world.
I see a vision, i used to reminisce, now i'm into futuring, i'm into imaging life as it will be, that i can imagine it will be better than it is. a place where babies are abundant and flowing with love and I'm significant in their lives,. Am i not already doing that now? I can talk to Marie ah, i see, perhaps she sees it as a limited action, well we'll see. it has to benefit me in some way for it to sustain. wow, this is really something amazing. I produce all these films and they help to raise funds. funds for what? what do you need funds for when you've got all of these volunteers doing the work for you. who doesn't love babies, but when it's time for real contribution, let's see where it goes from here.

let's imagine a beautiful future. a future whee there is love and connection all around me where i have a care team that rocks this joint and i feel strong in love, i feel that there is abundance, that there will be love for us all. That I have much to give, that I am strong, that I can give and give b/c I have conditioned myself to and fined the rewards so amazing.
I imagine a life where I am certain that my needs will be met a life that I know even though change lies ahead that I will be able to take on whatever comes my way. That I have a support system that keeps me strong, that keeps me grounded. A life where there is abundant variety, where there is much to do and surprises along the way. A life where I feel needed by others and significant in the lives of others and that I have a unique love to offer and that I believe that inside each of us there is a sleeping giant, read to awake and to contribute. The idea of human potential, the human potential movement.

I imagine a life where I continue to grow as a person, where my skills continue to grow and a place to contribute. thank you for this wonderful crazy beautiful life.

recovery

2011-04-06T22:52:00.001-05:00

each time I fall it always scares me that I'll never return and yet each time when I do eventually get back on the saddle I am reconfirmed, reassured, that this too shall pass.

slump

2011-03-27T10:15:00.002-05:00

I don't know why but i've been receiving messages to connect with my loneliness. As though i need to feel sad Things are going very well in my life i'm hopeful of the fture and yet I've been encouraged by several people to reconnect with my dad. But they don't know about what I've seen. They don't know how deep the hurt goes. I'm trying my best to turn a sadness into empowerment.

2011-03-25T11:29:00.003-05:00

Yo this is so awesome. I'm back dawg. I'm back! i can speak my mind! anytone can come and read all mty weird thoughts . this is so cool. People have no idea just how strange i am. this is sso fun. a place for my head. a place to express myslef freely. what a riot. I wonder if this iss acutally a good idea. i mean who i nthe world visits this timy little blog anyways?
so I guess we'll see
i'm always writing, always thihking. comone but I want to produce something for oepeple ot read. if they associate my writing as just a bunch if stupid stuff. then i don't know maybe they may not come for visit after all. well if they associate me y blog with being never updated then they won't visit either. i dunno. i guess this really is aformat to be myself and to wrtie drats. in the making. I have no idea. let's see where this goes. wait, you read my blog? that's insamne! that's crazy. perhaps i should not write all these carzy things. chuckles at self. Am i really that weird? I guess so man.

random, thoughts

Daily MotiPain

2011-02-21T16:40:00.005-06:00

Emotional and Physical pain we feel Daily if we choose to not take action
- lack of inspiration to prevent pain > imagine the pain we feel of consequences of not taking action
- overwhelming quantity of action before out & about > prepare meal night before
- computer eyes burnout
Emotional and Physical pain we feel Weekly if we choose to not take action
- overwhelming quantity of maintenance tasks > D.E.A.L.
- lack of progress, unworthiness > refs4success, specific goals adjust
Emotional and Physical pain we feel Monthly? if we choose to not take action
this is our approach
eyes closed, earls plugged , breath steady
think of consequences or just watch the video it's already done it should work almost every time

motipain, motivation, pains

Things I've Learned - Month of January

2011-02-08T09:49:00.008-06:00

We Will Be Provided For

I'm trying to make this a monthly entry. let's see. things that i have learned. first thing that comes to mind is the idea that often times we don't so much learn things as we do re-learn them. I find that mistakes made more than once really irritate me to make a change.
- The best way to learn is to teach
the idea that by listening and helping others we are actually in the process of hearing and helping ourselves out in the process. I have friends trying to figure out their lives and they remind me so much of myself and every time I take the time to be a friend and share with them what I've learned, I am only reiterating these lessons for myself
- the quality of our lives is in direct relation to the quality of our communication. the most important of which is what and how we communicate to ourselves, especially seeming negative events that happen to us. For example, I once owned a moped I bought to deliver pizzas for a local chain called Gumby's (the only place that would allow me to do so). After a week, it broke down in the middle of a run. I decided that that pizza still had to be delivered so I pushed-walked the moped the rest of the way, delivered the pizza and pushed-walked it all the way back to Gumby's.

I told the manager of my predicament and subsequently went into an emotional funk for a month or so. It would cost about the same to fix the scooter as it was to purchase a new one. It was the only idea I had at the time to provide for myself.

Looking back, I had communicated to myself that I was an idiot for buying that scooter and why try when Life only beats you down, along with "I'm no good" and that "Life is hard". In addition, I was couch-surfing a friend's place (actually, kitchen-surfing as there was no couch only 5x4 linoleum space in the kitchen to sleep) and knew that I had a limited amount of time before I overstayed my welcome. I felt so alone. I was devastated.

If this same scenario were to happen to me today I would first acknowledged that this was a definite possibility buying a used scooter. Secondly, i would go celebrate by buying myself a nice meal and getting a massage, anything to break me off from my depressing state. I would then lay down, close my eyes, and rest. After that I would muster the courage to face the day and go for a walk.

Then I would just try to do something I enjoyed just for pleasure's sake; play basketball, listen to music, read book (but stay away from the t.v. as that can be counterproductive). This, to remind myself that Life, in addition to being hard, can also be filled with simple pleasures, and that God will provide for me if I am willing to get back on my feet.

Once I got out of my mental bog (the idea that this too shall pass) then i believe that motivation starts with a thought. I think a lot that exists in the world once started from a single thought. I would have begun to think about what the breaking down of the scooter means. Perhaps it means that God wanted me to be safe and that the moped could have caused me an injury? Perhaps it meant that I was being tested. If anything it was a way for me to appreciate what i do have now At the time it totally sucked. Oh, it could be a lesson that I need to learn. That when it comes to providing for myself, it's dangerous to put all my eggs in one basket - or be weary of purchasing a used scooter if you don't know anything about fixing them. If I could, I would go back and whisper to myself, "I know if feels bleak at the moment, but I assure you, you will be provided for."

keywords: lessons

roommate relationship clarify

2011-01-29T17:45:00.018-06:00

what we want relationships: three kinds > intimate (spiritual), care partner, business
define what you don't want
qualities: self absorbed.
what we want: mutually sharing, caring, contributing, communicates well, makes us feel significant, common values,
create personal for craigslist for sharing/talking buddy
search for similar chat buddy ads

Ken

business relationship: wedding photography, labor moving,
personal - activity partner, project love. reflective personal coach. do you want to change? what do you want to change? how can we be a resource for one another? stress management
* wants a woman to love him, $300/mnth child support
+'s likes to share what he has, friendly, pretty funny guy, lots of energy

Chris

business: moving w/ ken
personal: volunteer partner,
+'s considerate, generous, kind, loves to share things, loves to connect, looks for the good in others

Daniel

business relationship: rent, massage barter,
personal - activity partner, conversational. personal coach, do you want to change,
+'s loves to share things, loves to connect, looks for the good in others

Brian

business relationship - bulk of rent,
personal - cycling, groceries, dining
+'s generous, he's never at home, driven (motivation by osmosis) Self - be more productive, focused, have more money, be better at relationship, eat healthier, have more female friends.
relationship clarify
what we do not want:
- to feel that we did not experience the highs in life associated with romantic love
- the feeling that I'm "missing out" on something
- don't want hurt misunderstanding unresolved hurts.
what we do want:
- authentic love: that you love me b/c you think i'm beautiful and you can't stand seeing me alone and yet i know you're okay but that you deserve more.
- i want to give to others
- i want muses's to inspire me
- focused on social change in a fun way.
- I want to hold and love a baby child.
- I want to feel needed
- I also want my freedom
- I want to be admired

relationships or forming them can equal hurt and i shed a tear today and did not know why and realized that I have not done well in my relationships and I can focus on what I can change, because that's the only thing that I can control is how i treat others so here are some of the mistakes I've made in the past and how I hope to remedy them.
1 I have felt disappointed and hurt by others my dad, katie jo, i don't know how i can change or prevent feeling hurt. so I've shied away from relationships. They hurt so much but that's no way to live. fear of disappointment or failure that's normal. I can't control if others will behave in ways that will hurt me all I can control is how I interpret others actions or make meaning of others actions. For example Katie Jo doesn't make the effort to reach out so I interpret that as she is self-absorbed and doesn't need me that she has someone new. I'll have to let it go. wow it's taken a long or been a long time coming. I'll choose to interpret that as she is young and has not yet understood or she is a fearful person or that's just how she treats her ex's. or it's too painful to put herself out there to be hurt. like she's been stung by me the time i did not respond to her so she vows to never email again. To put your heart out there and to have a love dissolve really is painful. We suppress it the best we can and I've learned to but it will surface sooner or later. it wasn't the worst of breakups but it was painful none the less.
2
3
4
5
6
7
8
9
0

Holiday Spirit

2010-12-26T12:51:00.002-06:00

I've spent several Christmases alone either by choice or by circumstance and it's not an ideal experience. This Christmas I got to witness people helping each other move out and move in, myself included. I felt much generosity and abundance of time and love to be shared between friends and complete strangers. It has been one of the best holidays yet. Perhaps I am doing something right as I am attracting a lot of good people in my life. 'Tis the season to give. May you notice the holiday spirit all around you.

Free Hug Day

2010-12-18T16:03:00.000-06:00

I am human. I need affection. Touch me. Kiss me. Hug me. The homeless man asks for spare change. So sorry sir. No spange here. I can offer a hug.

9/18/07

Volunteer Experiences Had and To Have

2010-10-20T16:29:00.006-05:00

Volunteer Experiences Had

Blackland Community: Johnson House
VSA Arts: Face Painting, Austin Assisted Living Center
Sunshine Garden: Clean Chicken Coop, Trim Hedges, Weeded
People's Community Clinic: Storytime
Volunteer Health Center: Registration assistance, Landscaping
DSACT: Goodie Bag Stuff, Lamination, Learning Program, Women's Race
Austin Involved: Keep Austin Kind, Dress For Success, Arts For Anthros, Abused Women's Apartment Prep
Single Volunteers of Austin: ARC Soup Kitchen
Sachse Saigons:
Walnut Creek: After School Reading, Camp Assistant
Master's Camp: Camp Counselor - Horseback, pool cleaning
Blue Dragon:
East Dallas Counseling: ESL Class, Office Help
Settlement Home

Volunteer Experiences to Have

People's Community Clinic: Film work, Massage Day
Fuze:
Trees For Pease:
Saheli:

Dad's Shop - Sachse, TX "Just a Carpenter's Son"

2010-10-18T15:55:00.000-05:00

Most people understand the meaning received giving help but do not give meaning to receiving help. My current "power" struggle with my dad entails who is helping who. To experience meaning in my workings with pops, I tell myself that I am helping him out, helping with "the load of family responsibility" as he so often whines about.

On the other hand, my father experiences meaning in his efforts with me by telling himself that he is helping me establish a career (in carpentry) so that I will have a future. We both have the idea that we are each sacrificing our own freedoms for the benefit of the other. Pops says he can find anyone to replace me, essentially. I don't believe that. I dunno, I guess he could, actually. I love him and have a healthy dosage of family obligation, that's why I am still here.

His favorite saying is, "If you don't follow my way, you will not amount to anything." Not those exact words, but it's basically what I hear. What he actually says is that he does not believe that I have the capabilities to compete in the marketplace. This statement used to hurt me. It still hurts, but moreso gives me fire to disprove him, now that I know more about what I want and what means anything to me. Sometimes, on lonely nights, I wonder if he's right, but not for long.

My dad is so insecure about O.P.P "other people's opinions", especially when it comes to inferiority of knowledge. Quote, "I'm 50 years "experienced". You think I don't know anything?" What is the hidden meaning behind this, pops?

When you work with family, naturally, personal business always mixes in with business business. For example, when we are on the road, traveling to worksites or making equipment purchases or for whatever reason, we always end up talking about family matters or pops is being didactic, teaching me about life and social awareness. His conspiracy is that people are out there to get us. Spend one day with my dad and you'll learn to either love him or hate him. He's an intense personality.

I find that people find meaning in their work by doing the best they can at whatever it is that they do. Charles Barkly, the ex-basketball pro used to say that. And so there is meaning today for me. Back to Wally the Welder(See Nov '04 entries), hey, if he finds meaning being an expert in welding, then that is terrific. Perhaps I can be in expert in meaning one day.

Funny how "let's give them something to talk about" plays on the radio for a father and son pair struggling to bridge the generational gap.

If you're a fan of CBS's "The Amazing Race", my dad makes Ron look like a boy scout.
3/18/05

2010-08-16T16:25:00.001-05:00

been blogging on facebook. please follow me there at www.facebook.com/alongthedao

2010-06-29T14:27:00.000-05:00

When one door of happiness closes, another opens, but often we look so long at the closed door that we do not see the one that has been opened for us.
Helen Keller

made some cereal

2010-05-10T09:15:00.002-05:00

then was worried i wouldn't have a clean spoon. it's that time of the week where the dish washer is getting loaded and i may very well be out of clean silverware. But lo and behold! there is a clean spoon! It's cereal time! This will be the highlight of my day.

8 things about me

2010-02-19T13:55:00.002-06:00

I am being offered $600 to have my wisdom teeth removed. I asked them which one was my sweet tooth, the one I get from my mom.

You know how Gorbachev the former Russian leader has that huge birthmark on his forehead? Well, in addition to the teardrop mole on my brow I have an equally impressive gorbachev on my left thigh.

I am the hairiest among the five men in my family. My darling sisters, bless their hearts, are pretty darn close.

My biggest fear is dying and believing that my life had not mattered.

I've always wanted to be adopted by different families. First it was a Black family because I wanted to see what it would be like to be so open and frank with one another. Then it was a Hispanic family to see what it would be like to have huge parties all the time. A different culture for every week of the month.

People tend to believe more in me than i sometimes do myself. And sometimes vice versa. And then, when the cosmos align, the image others have of me and that which I hold for myself match up. That about covers this particular thought.

I have extremely long toes on an averaged sized foot. Am not sure if that accounts for anything other than "springy" hops and the ability to use chopsticks if I were so inclined to develop that talent.

I'd love to be in a boy band, perhaps an all-asian 80's tribute band. I believe that would be a first. A wikipedia search confirms my intuition. The closest thing is an rock band called "Asia" formed in 1981 by four white dudes. Interesting. Gonna check out their tunes.

January Review

2010-02-01T14:37:00.007-06:00

Highlights

* went on a heavy metal fitness bicycle ride. i could not keep up, they were so so fast! but decided to continue at my own pace anyways. good for you, Dao! (pat on the back).

* figured out how to download and convert youtube videos! wow! i didn't know if i could do it!

* attended Thuan's Summit Elementary Teachers Talent show. The kids were so cute.

* putting our model plane together and succeeding that was really cool, very proud of you dao you found a way to do it, take your time you don't have to do it all at once, when the momentum is there then focus and go, take a break. flew plane for first time and almost hit a family walking their dog, be mindful of others, dao. it was really exciting getting our plane put together.

* got a job as a black jack dealer at the austin convention center.

Lessons Learned
> recall the lesson that it's not about winning but about constant and never-ending improvement (CAN-I)
> we all progress at different rates and at different ares in our lives and focus on the task at hand and what we can control.

our reasons rap

2010-01-04T09:07:00.008-06:00

put your dreams on the shelf
don't compare with others, yo baby you got to know thyself
I only have today, it's where i'm starting from
yesterday is in the past gotta focus right now on building my momentum
and i try to dig for what's inside
gotta keep my eyes on the big picture, the prize
to build our reason tree
must show some consistency
in me i must trust
slow as i might be, to have faith in the tortoise
push through the pain, keep on believing, you'll transcend through the pain, you're conceivin'
hurts so bad, wish it'd go away
i'm not a fad, yo, i'm here to stay
Searching for my reason, my reason to be
if not, yo man, I cease to be
Gotta continue, continue getting stronger
Gotta endure, gotta last longer
These are my reasons to be,
If I want to change the world, I got to start with me.
My hands are small, i know, this much is true
But my hands are my own, yo, man they must do
can't rise above it??
it starts with self love
reasons everything is predicated on this
when i feel like caving in, yo I must resist
gotta believe reasons are my breakthrough
goddamn will i let this cycle continue
set the pace that you go
set the pace for yourslef, the self you know
don't feel like i'm making progress
the more i strive the more I feel movement is less
gotta hold on strong
hope is here, jesus has helped me all along
rise above, awake! sleeping giant
when you tear me down i will be defiant
i'm my worse enemy
this cannot be the end of me
gotta stay
eat, love, and pray
live laugh love, give your best everyday
let the cards fall where they may
i only see one set of footsteps, i ask jesus where have you been all my life
jesus says he's been carrying me all this time
jesus died for our sins this much is true
all i ask in return is the best in you
don't give up
keep your eyes on the prize, don't let up
my mind is tired, i need to rest
it's at these times that i can push, give my best
jesus died on the cross
for our gain, his life he loss
inspire stay strong
help each other along
need a day to rest and just relax
mind body and soul do not tax
gotta continue to believe
gotta add the reasons to my reasons tree
dig deep in my heart
dig deep underground for a new start
strain my ears for a sound
for my spirit digging underground
my siren song
other's people's pain, makes me strong
what are my reasons todain?
what are my pleasure and pains?
Lotta daily pains
gotta maintain
when my situation seems dire
dig underground a mole in a whole, i must inspire
idea,
sincere
everyday
before i turn gray
i got too much time
gotta use it to bust some rhymes
i don't want all the money
it's just not me
i'm like no other
asisn hippie from an asian mother
tooth hurts like a mother fucker
why must i continue to suffer?
gotta believe in my mind
keep hope alive, who knows what i may find?
what do i for my life have to show
when i die this i must know

Domestic Violence and other social issues
child was beatin'
this cycle keeps repeatin'
this is how life is, hard as a rock
no sir, not on my clock
break the silence
stop the violence
change me as a man
no need to use violence, no need to raise a hand
why did you have to raise a hand
did it make you feel more in command?

the newspapers keep him warm
the vultures about lurking, swarm
being able to connect to your own soul
that's the deepest connection you know

tags: music, reasons, rap

Favorite Quotes

2009-12-28T16:38:00.005-06:00

My favorite quotes this week
“Each morning we are born again. What we do today is what matters most.” ~ Buddha
“ Much of the stress that people feel doesn’t come from having too much to do. It comes from not finishing what they’ve started.” David Allen, author of Getting Things Done
“ The things that matter most should never be at the mercy of the things that matter least.”
Goethe
" Imagine this instead: you get up early, jumping out of bed, excited to go to work."
Leo Babauta, Zenhabits.net
" It's only too late if you don't start now."
Read it somewhere in a book but forgot the author's name

Progress Log

2009-12-08T08:53:00.007-06:00

Place

What we want:
* a beautiful living environment with nice and positive roommates that share our values decorated very nice and looking thrift store stylish
* want to be mentally strong and skilled and always and constantly improving
* to be confident in our ability to get things done. To have created a valid, consistently approach.
What we Have:
* We have a lot more repeat activities for our Google calendar and tons of invites on Facebook for activities
> didn't know what to do on any given night
* We have a very cute, centrally located apartment with electricity, water, wifi, and two roommates fronting the bill, it's decorated pretty cute and always improving and we're looking to move into an even nicer living situation!
>living in a cold cold van

*We have a nice working steady approach with film and books and our wko program, slow but steady. Yes, we are making progress even on days when our feet is dragging.

*Our body feels moderately strong; playing ball like mad and running quite often.
* We have yet to go into a deep deep depression recovery period is not that bad!
> would get into funks for weeks at a time, we are slow as a motherfucker now but at least we are steadier.
*We have gotten skilled at minigoaling and option/qualities
* Learning better to not exert too much physically. Pace.
* Have rap beats and U2 to help us push through the pain
* We have nice stylish clothes that make us feel attractive, a cool hat, a nice jacket, and some cute shorts

Passion

What we want:
* To spend as 3/4 of our time doing things that move us into an emotional state while staying productive toward the things that are important to us.
What we Have:
* I have that list of songs I can sing and play

I can make a list of film projects I'd like to do

I've watched and read and seen lots and lots of art

We are able to put music to video
We are able to connect with others through writing
* Continuing to create more and more video work
* An abundant collection of books, audio, and film that will help us get through action.

People

Who we Want:
Inner (6)
Luong, Harold, Thay Pham, Anise
Middle (18)
Mother, Harold, Phillip, Tuan, Thuan, Cameron, Johanna, Ahmed, Anna Duyen, Bee, Shin, Katie J, Tommy, Anise, , Hailey, Kennedy, Wayne Wylie, Krzystof
Outer (54)
An Thu, Aubrey, Babe, Britney
Who We Have:
Inner (6) Shin, Scottie
Middle (18) Chris, Harold, Scottie, Anise, Thay Pham, Hailey, Kennedy, Wayne Wylie, Krzystof
Outer (54)
An Thu, Aubrey, Babe, Britney

we have many experiences with loving women
we have our friendship with Scott
We have beautiful memories made with so many people
* Did good to make ammends with tommy and salvaged a friendship
> would just avoid and let it drift away
Father understands we do not trust him
* We have more experiences of what we do not want in our relationships
* We have the experience of taking time to talk to tommy dang
* We have our sachse saigons facebook

Money

What we want:
*
What we Have:
*
We've cut our expenses down to 500/mnth
* used to be $800/mnth
* Got our massage responses back up again with daily advertisements
I don't worry so much about spending money
I can watch action films and listen to grooves music and dance, sway and work 2 days a week
We have the potential to earn income with one of our many talents
We have a natural ability to run our own business, comes naturally and we are very blessed

Progress Log

motivation, progress, reflections

Adventures in Public Transportation

2009-12-06T22:45:00.007-06:00

When I'm longing for personal proximity, one thing I do is hop on the city bus around rush hour and it's nice just to have a bunch of warm bodies near. Here are some of my observations from the past week:

11/10 12:54 PM
A sweet immigrant family from Burma or perhaps Nepal with an adorable bay girl sits next to me in the back of the bus, the best set in the house, in my opinion, with ample leg room and easy to enter/exit seats. The parents were both wearing super stylish Ghetto Nike Air shoes, the kind you might find the hip hop high school crowd sporting. The baby girl and her father are making faces at each other and enjoying themselves. The men from this area of the world age particularly well and, although he is most probably in his thirties, he looks not even nineteen. Both the baby girl and her father smile at me.
I love the innocence of it. They are fashion oblivious. I find that charming and can relate. It's nice they don't know yet that public transportation is a mecca for misfits and madmen and continue to smile and communicate non-verbally to me

6:49 PM
A possibly homeless older gentleman gets on and sits next to me. He has a case of Red Bull energy drinks for sale. 2 for $1. Any normal person would hesitate to ask where he got this case from. After saying "no thank you" I change my mind and purchase two; one for me and one for a random guy who I've seen on the bus earlier in the week who happened to be traveling and, for some reason, came upon $100 worth of international notes that he needed to trade in.
There are some very interesting characters on this bus. Everyone has a back story. Everyone is trying to go somewhere. This bus is packed full like a can of sardines. Please, by the grace of God, no one cut a fart. Still, today, I prefer this and find it more enjoyable than riding alone.

6:53 PM
When you're wealthy and act abnormal, people compliment, "Ah, he's so eccentric." When you ride the city bus and talk to yourself, you're just plain crazy. The homeless have homeless lingo. No where else would you overhear a conversation along the lines of, "Where are you staying tonight?" "What did you score for dinner?" I find it endearing that the homeless form instant bonds through their common everyday struggles.

11/11 6:24 PM At McDonald's
So cute. A whole family of 6 immigrant girls with their aunt or possibly their mother. They range in age from 3 all the way to 10. The youngest braves a game of peek-a-boo with me. Cute little hands and adoring spanish eyes that remind me of the U2 song, "In a little while". My guess is that they're not used to seeing Asian people.They remind me of fond snowy days in Dallas when my parents would save up all month and take the whole family out to Mickey D's. My mother (bless her heart) made all of our meals at home, so it was a huge ordeal to go out for a Big Mac. We would get dressed in our Sunday best and were the image of success. Back in Viet Nam, a meal at McDonald's is indication that you have "made it" in America.

weekly highlights

2009-11-03T20:35:00.004-06:00

B. Highlights from My Week
* I sped through a red light even though I saw a patrol car perched on the other side of the road. I don't know what it is about skirting my life and the law that attracts me. Could I be a criminal in the making?
* I'm by myself and the band is playing and I really want to dance. "C'mon, Dao, just go. You can do it." "I don't know, it's kind of weird, a guy dancing by himself". "And I suppose it would be easier if you were a girl?" "okay, now." "okay, now." Go!
* I detest grocery shopping. Really, it's not one of my favorite activities. Shopping in general, I would say. That's why when I go to the store it's dim sum shopping for me. Like how at dim sum restaurants they cart out all these great looking goodies, I go around and peak at what other people are buying and go "hmm...na...hmm...that's looks interesting...oh! I've got to have that box of cheez-its"
* I was just thinking how much I love leftovers. You go through your fridge thinking, man, what is there to eat? Oh yea! that pizza from last week!
A. People I've met
* there's a tattooed hard-looking dude who organizes the basketball games where I play pick-up. His name is Julian and he looks like he's not unfamiliar with the texas penal system. I can't quite figure him out. He has a perpetual scowl like a lot of the guys that play pick up ball but he also always says hello when I come by. I think inside everyone is a softie.
* I've been hanging out with a friend named shin. He's a miniature japanese guy with a bruce lee cut who smokes cigars. I don't know what it is but I've always enjoyed spending time with people from different countries. It's kind of like traveling or hanging out at a youth hostel. There's a feeling of adventure about it all.
C. Lessons I've learned
* life is like bicycling a series of hills and valleys. You make the most of the momentum when it's easy riding/coasting and use that time to prepare for the inevitable climbs/hills. So, for example, if you're motivated to go on a diet, don't go gung-ho and run a marathon, use that motivation to set up an environment that is conducive to success. Go enlist in a gym membership, stack your fridge with healthy foods, call up a buddy and enlist him/her to go on the diet with you. You will find that time setting up the environment when you're motivated (coasting downhill) will create less work or reluctance when you're not (climbing uphill).
* patience cannot be an excuse for complacency
* it's not winning that matters but the motivation to continue improving
D. Random Thoughts
* I think half of the excitement in life is the build up, we should build up everything we do. Like how they hype boxing matches or football games. We can do that everynight before we go to bed, looking forward to our day tomorrow, really make a big deal of it and sure enough I think we wake up feeling more energized.

Keep the Window Cracked

2009-10-01T10:38:00.008-05:00

1. People I've met:
* a woman plops on the seat in front of me and the first thing she does is complains why the bus is 10 minutes late. I don't care for complainers so I put on my headphones, avoid eye contact, and focus my eyes on a book. A few minutes pass and she asks me if she can use my cell phone. I pretend that I don't hear her and continue reading my book. She tenacious however and pokes her hand in my face to get my attention. I look up reluctantly.
" Do you have a phone?"
Me: "Yea."
" May I use it to make a phone call?"
Despite not having a good impression of her I figure it wouldn't hurt. She then proceeds to jabber for a good fifteen minutes and I give up reading my book. I can't wait to get off this bus. Then magic happens. She strikes up a conversation with a blind girl next to her, complimenting her on her pretty hair. At the next stop she helps a handicapped guy get off the buss and I think to myself, that's nice of her, she's probably a friendly person after all. I am reminded of the truism: there's always good in everyone, you just have to keep your eyes open.
* one of my favorite things to do in public is eavesdrop on people's conversations. I'm nosy.
* I ask my friend Scotty a hypothetical question: could he love someone who cheats on him and he replies, "if you really really love them, then you have no choice. it's unconditional." I guess he has a point.
2. Highlights from past week:
* I had a dream a little boy was so proud that he had such a great big brother and I wanted to be that big brother.
* a sign at an elementary school has a big red apple and a smiling green worm and says "bite into life"
* I received a call from a number I didn't recognize. I answered and a lady on the line said " Jonathan is in the nurse's office not feeling good."
I replied, "I'm sorry to hear that Jonathan is not feeling well but you have the wrong number." It reminded me of the time I got a busted lip on my first day of middle school courtesy of an accidental headbutt.
* I took a bike ride all the way to south austin past ben white and it felt like I was in a completely different city. There's always something magical about the air around you when you find yourself in a new environment. Even the trees looked different to me.
* I treated myself to a massage. Hadn't had one in over two years. It's just what I needed and I highly recommend it.
* Spent Wednesday at the Farmer's Market. I'm suppose to feel like an outsider since I'm the only guy without a family or even a girlfriend but that doesn't stop me. To see happy families and chubby little kids makes me pretty happy. A baby boy even crawled up close to take a look at my notebook. I'd like to have a family of my own someday but for now it will have to be a vicarious affair.
* I've been watching romance movies lately. It's funny because even as a teenager I would have a stack of romance novels in my drawer. My dad even found one once and I was not embarrassed. So what? Why can't a boy be into raunchy literature? My favorite romance movies are made by Cameron Crowe: Jerry Maguire and Vanilla Sky.
3. Antihighlights
* For some reason a guy cleaning his car caught my attention as I was riding my bike. It turned out to be a mistake as he was bending over to vacuum and I caught an eyefull of buttcrack. Please, kind sir, pull up your pants. Then I thought to myself, no one asked me to look. The bright side was that I didn't run into a curb or the stop sign.
4. Random thoughts
* what in the world is antipasta? is it a) a dish that does not have pasta b) an adjective describing one who is against holding on to the past. If it's a) then I think that's pretty stupid. How about some antifriedchicken.
* is it an oxymoron when the first thing that fighters do after they win a fight is to thank jesus?
Quotes I've enjoyed:
* you can be poor by yourself you don't need any help
* tough times don't last, tough people do

What We Have in Common

2009-09-03T09:29:00.005-05:00

I will attempt a new 21 day challenge. my room mate is trying to quit smoking and I'm going to try and quit lazy (being, that is). So much like a working out, I will try to sit down and do some things that I generally do not care for (cooking, cleaning, etc) first thing when I wake (okay, after my morning coffee which is usually a book and/or something yummy to eat, b/c getting up in the morning is hard as it is)

After reading a self growth book called the Flip Side by a guy named Flip Flippen (I unsure if that's his birth name) it speaks about 8 things that hold people back, all of those I have and one that sticks out like a sore thumb: lack of drive. On top of that, Flip says that by the time a person turns thirty, it's downhill from there, that our patterns become ingrained, unlikely to change. That gives me approximately half a year. I better get going.

when I was 14 my dad made me shovel dirt for our family garden. Now, when you're 14, you don't like being told what to do, especially if it does not promise fun. It would be a week before I could dig all that needed to be dug. I was discouraged. Digging up dirt was not my idea of a good time. Interestingly, on the second day, I began to like it and even take pride in the work. I began to focus less on how hot and dirty the job was, and focus on the thought that my dad had asked me of all my siblings. I felt strong and proud. The next day, I could care less about pride and being strong. This sucks, I thought. Somehow I was able to complete the project and I sometimes look back on that experience fondly; a reference in what can be when we control what we focus on.

When I was itty bitty in Vietnam I would skip school and go to the pond by my house to catch frogs. One day I found my dad skipping work and going fishing himself, both not ready, i guess, to face up to the "real world". I prefer to see it as father and son both enjoying the jubilation of not doing what is expected of us. I don't remember if I was reprimanded nor do I remember if I understood the concept of blackmail or hypocrisy.

A barefoot man ran down a busy intersection of Lamar screaming "Holly! Holly!" My first guestimation of the situation was that his disgruntled lover had ran off from an argument. He had such a look of absolute devotion and desperation at the same time. It turns out Holly is his dog who took off after a bird or who knows what.

My life today is far from what I imagined it to be as a senior in high school; far from ideal but the process of living, learning, and growing (despite it's moments of discomfort and despair) is something that I am, if not happy with, at least open to.

Quotes I've enjoyed this week:
love, joy, happiness are often not found but created.
When I see an adult on a bicycle I do not despair for the the future of the human race - H.G. Wells

Random thoughts I've had:
* Caucasians have bread. Latinos, tortillas. Asians have rice paper. All edible. all delicious.
* When you come from poverty it is more of a challenge to learn to give.
* Here in Austin, the school for the deaf is a lot better kept than the school for the blind. I wonder if that is because of politics/funding or the fact that the blind students could care less what the grounds look like.
*There's a roll of scotch tape that i've been using sparingly for the last 2 years. It's almost out and I feel a pang of heartache. I'm gonna miss you, scotch tape. You've been good to me.

A Special Request

2009-08-23T19:28:00.001-05:00

Slow
Dance

This
is a poem
written by a teenager with cancer.

She wants to
see how many
people get her poem.

It is quite the poem
Please pass it
on.

This
poem was written by a terminally ill young girl in a
New York Hospital ..
It was sent
by

a medical doctor -
Make sure to read what is in the closing statement
AFTER THE
POEM.

SLOW DANCE

Have you ever
watched
kids
On a merry-go-round?

Or listened to
the
rain

Slapping on the ground?

Ever followed a

butterfly's erratic flight?

Or gazed at the sun into the
fading
night?

You better slow down.

Don't
dance so
fast.

Time is short.

The music
won't
last.

Do you run through each day

On
the
fly?

When you ask How are you?

Do you hear
the
reply?

When the day is done

Do you lie
in your
bed

With the next hundred chores

Running through
your head?

You'd better
slow down

Don't dance so
fast.

Time is
short.

The music won't
last.

Ever told your
child,

We'll do it
tomorrow?

And in your
haste,

Not see
his

sorrow?

Ever lost
touch,

Let a good
friendship die

Cause you
never had time

To call
and say,'Hi'

You'd
better slow down.

Don't dance
so fast.

Time
is short.

The music won't
last.

When you run
so fast to get somewhere

You
miss half the fun of getting
there.

When you worry and hurry
through your
day,

It is like an unopened
gift....

Thrown
away.

Life is not a
race.

Do take it
slower

Hear the
music

Before the song is
over.

------------
--------

FORWARDED
E-MAILS ARE TRACKED TO OBTAIN THE TOTAL
COUNT..

Dear All:
PLEASE pass this mail on to everyone you know -
even to those you don't
know! It is the request20of a special girl who will soon
leave this world
due to cancer.

This young girl has 6 months left
to live,
and as her dying wish, she wanted to send a letter telling everyone to

live their life to the fullest, since she never will.

She'll
never make it to prom, graduate from high school,
or get married and have a
family of her own.

By you sending
this to as many people as
possible, you can give her and her family a
little hope, because with every name
that this is sent to, The American
Cancer Society will donate 3 cents per name
to her treatment and recovery
plan. One guy sent this to 500 people! So I know
that we can at least send
it to 5 or 6. It's
not even your money, just
your
time!

PLEASE PASS ON AS A LAST REQUEST.
Dr.

Dennis Shields, Professor
Department of Developmental and
Molecular
Biology
1300
Morris Park
Avenue
Bronx , New York
10461

Love at First Sound

2009-08-16T23:40:00.002-05:00

the following is based on true events. Some of the events and characters are composites or totally fictionalized for reading pleasure

The exterior of the department of public safety building near my apartment is designed like a huge concrete grid. I wonder what the authorities there would think of me climbing it, so I tried it out today being that they are closed and in near the top I find a little fairy. The fairy grants me three wishes. I'm ecstatic. My lucky day.

I read today that happiness is only real when shared.

A little boy lost his mother at the store today and crying his heart out. It was adorable seeing him pine for his mother. I can't remember pining for my mother like that in years. It makes me wonder what it's like being a mother knowing that your brood will one day "outgrow" your love. I think I'll call my mother tomorrow and say hello to her.

A lady gives me change at the checkout and i go to count it. i don't trust her? Then I realize she gave me TOO much money. Do I give it back? Do I keep it? I figure corporate America won't be missing a few dollars and decide instead to walk next door to the Chinese restaurant where, in the back, some Hispanic cooks are taking a smoke break.
"This is for you". I off the overage i received at the store to him. He looks at me quizzically, cautious at first, weighs his options and decides to accept the gift from the crazy Asian with the pink backpack and bicycle basket. I smile and say "Feliz Navidad." The fact that it's August is not lost on me.

how do we trust the the oncoming traffic won't come head on to us? Went on a nice morning ride and had these thoughts floating through my mind. I guess we just do. Otherwise we would never get anywhere would we?

the one good thing about some friendships is it's seamlessness, if you can't get your needs once place you can find it in another friend. Although I appreciate this quality, I also yearn for relationships that require a higher standard.

At the bus stop today as I was waiting for a ride, I happened upon a visually impaired couple. Normally it's an older couple but today a pair in their early twenties made their way across Lamar and 51st, one of the busier street intersections in Austin. My heart always melts when I see couples with physical challenges of any kind. I'm sure they have their own quirks and engage in their fare share of disagreements, but it's the earnestness that gets me. There's something especially sweet about two people who love each other who have no idea what the other looks like. There's something noble about that. I too will aspire to love at first sound.

quotes I've enjoyed this week:
"love like you've never lost before"
"i posses a troublesome superabundance of that sort of time which is not money"

Connecting with Others

2009-08-05T23:02:00.002-05:00

I sometimes find it challenging to connect with others. I think it's likely that I can use some work on my listening skills. With this in mind, I have found it easier to pay attention to someone with my eyes closed. I put on my shades and close my eyes. it's a little weird, I know, but the person doesn't know I have my eyes closed. It's fun to really listen to another person and "hear" what they are saying.

I don't know why today when the at the farmer's market I was approached to do a survey or fill out a questionnaire or be asked to donate a kidney; I'm not sure, because before I heard her pitch I was avoiding eye contact and said "no thank you" before she even did her spill. Then I asked myself, well, that was not necessary of me. I could have just given her a few seconds of my time and then either choose to continue listening or say no thank you. I didn't even give her a chance and I did not feel good about that. I think I'll try to stay open to things before making a judgment. I'm sure she was just doing her job and perhaps even had something worthwhile to share.

I sometimes feel conflicted. The things that I enjoy the most, don't have much inherent meaning or are nonproductive (books, film, sports). I'm on a quest to create ways to use the things I enjoy as tools to contribute to the people I care about. What do you love? :)

Secret Places

2009-08-02T11:44:00.003-05:00

i 'm not one who normally is able to find pleasure sunbathing but it's nice to dry off in the heat after a dip in the pool. I used to hate the Texas heat. Now it's not so bad.

I realize how AWESOME it is to eat with real silverware after having used plastic cutlery for weeks. My new roommate brought his silverware and now I appreciate eating cereal with a big fat silver spoon.

"friends may move away so far that you may never meet again. But they are a part of you forever"

3am. woke up from some unsettling sleep. realize i used to write more candidly. it's a good quality and i let it slip away out of fear of being judged. But on the other side of fear is growth.

I found a secret place in austin off of dessau and braker bicycling there when I was a freshman in college; behind some corn fields. It resembled a crop circle. They've done some development and I don't think it's there anymore. I also have fond memories while solo traveling and having found cliffs to climb in Pike National Forest in colorado springs. places we go to be with our thoughts. I fell in love with the idea of secret places when I first read Bridge to Terabithia by Katherine Paterson as a child. do you have a magic place?

Tunnel Vision

2009-07-22T22:18:00.002-05:00

I realize i have some poor relationship skills that i could do better to improve them. I think I'm sometimes afraid to self examine. It's much easier (not to mention more comfortable) to live in self delusion but i think to be true to oneself is important work.

i had a dream about a truck (a blue green ford ranger to be exact) that had flattened tires and i went to fix it. The truck belonged to a man that didn't really need it and let it fall to pieces. I put gas in the truck and had a mechanic inspect it. Turns out all it needs is a set of new tires! Just when I thought this perfect truck (not too big, not too small) was mine to keep, the owner returned and said otherwise. I was disappointed but in spite I claimed that I didn't need it anyway (which was a lie).

The man's wife invited me up for dinner along with their kids (as a concession I suppose) but I declined stating that I would rather lay down by the lake and take a nap instead (again, out of spite). I woke up feeling shameful of how i behaved in my dream. Am I so defensive in real life? I asked myself. How can I learn to trust better.

woke up from another dream where i was jogging at a really fast clip and feeling really good and woke up wanting to go running. how nice it would be to wake up everyday feeling this inspired.

I wonder if i can recapture my inquisitive nature, a quality i had as a younger person.

i went to climb a tree today and so when i'm bored i like to do it sightless. Using just "feel" i climbed my way on up. when i finally did open my eyes i was amazed at just how far and high I had come. It's interesting how far you can go when you don't focus on falling (my eyes were closed I wasn't thinking about how far i would fall) and just focus on where you want to go.

The Passion Test

2009-07-08T21:54:00.003-05:00

reading a great book called the passion test by Janet Attwood. the basic premise is if you feel lethargic about your life, there's hope. Everyone has a passion, our job is to discover it. Some wonderful quotes from this read so far:

" There are two great days in a person's life -
the day we are born
and the day we discover why."

"We are at our very best, and we are happiest,
when we are fully engaged in work we enjoy,
on the journey toward the goal we've established for ourselves.
It gives meaning to our time off and comfort to our sleep,
It makes everything else in life so wonderful, so worthwhile."

Good Apples

2009-06-14T21:55:00.000-05:00

Just clipped my nails a few days ago and they've already grown back. Is it? me or do nails grow faster in the summer? Is this also true of hair?

On Thursday I had one of those moments in the week where I felt absolutely fine - like everything in my life is exactly how it should be. This feeling very seldom but when it does come I really appreciate it. A large portion of my twenties has been a battle with a negative emotional pattern. I discovered a film that speaks of this challenge

Questions to ponder...
Would you rather each an organically grown apple but picked by a booger picking farmer or an conventional one?

Airport Writing

2009-05-31T09:47:00.003-05:00

i'm at the airport. i biked there. there's not too many people who bicycle to the airport. I guess that's b/c normally when you go to the airport you have luggage to carry. Well today I'm traveling light. Not traveling to Hawaii per say, I'm here to people watch and get inspired to write and travel. So i'm armchair traveling. watching people as they come and go. it's something i try to do every now and then.

I still have my bicycle gloves and helmet on and to brainstorm writing pieces I'll talk into a voice recorder. So you can imagine the quizzicle look the homeland security guard has as he's making his rounds. they do this over and over i guess to make terrorists uneasy. as if a terrorists hasn't already prepared himself with all that needs to be done way before he arrives at the airport. He's looking for suspicious behavior. should i act normal and try to fit into this sunday morning crowd?

i don't really enjoy cooking. what i really enjoy is eating. the thing is i don't really like the process of cooking. i like eating more. i'll make a heap full of beans and rice for the whole week. but it's bland and gets boring. i don't like repeated processes. if i can avoid it, i will. i'll go out to eat so i'll have some variety, but it gets expensive. have any ideas? i'm more interesting to to cook for others. so maybe i'll invite friends over for a potluck.

i've been blessed in the past with women who could cook: my mother, partners, girlfriends. After we break up, however, can we cook for each other still? dang! i miss that.

crab is about the most inefficient kind of food you can eat. for a self proclaimed lazy person, i will stay away from crustacazoids?

Web Article: Global Rich List

2009-05-11T21:09:00.003-05:00

Everyone wants to live a joyful life. But how can we achieve it? How can we live a joyful life despite the not-so-good things that occasionally happen in our life?

An important key, I believe, is being a grateful person. If you are grateful, you will see the world differently. You will see that there are always good things behind everything that happen. You will realize that your life is wonderful, and you will be joyful.

To help you be a grateful person, here are 10 simple tips you can do:

Realize how rich you are
Often we think that we need more and more money. This, probably, is one of the main reasons that makes us difficult to be grateful. But do you realize how rich you are now? Just go to Global Rich List, enter your annual income, and see the result. Chance is, you are richer than billions of other people. In fact, you most likely sit in the top tier of the world’s richness ranking.
Realize what a healthy and prosperous life you have
Life expectancy in most of the human history is only 20-35 years. And most of those years were spent in diseases, poverty, and misery. Only in the last century had human life expectancy increased significantly to the current average of 67 years.
Not only that, your standard of living today is much, much higher than almost all people in the history of the world. For example, even kings in the past could not match your convenience in traveling today!
It is estimated that there are 106 billions people who have ever been born on earth, with 6 billions are living today. Combined with your answer in point 1, I would say that you are healthier and more prosperous than 99% other people in the human history! You are in the top 1% of the healthiest and most prosperous people ever born.
Realize what a blessing it is to live in peace
No matter how rich and healthy you are, life will be full of fear and misery in the time of war. Can you imagine being in the midst of a city bombarded with bombs? Can you imagine being on the spot in Rwandan holocaust? It’s a nightmare. Living in peace is a great blessing which by itself deserves your sincerest gratitude.
Open your eyes to see the good things in your life
We tend to see the bad things that happen in our life but overlook the good things. What a pity. Open your eyes and be observant of those good things. Even small things matter. If someone calls you a friend, that’s something you should be grateful for. If a child smiles to you, that should remind you that hope is always here in this world.
Maintain a “good things” journal
Take one step further and write the good things that happen in your life in a journal, especially those which impress you. When life looks dark and it’s difficult for you to be grateful, open and read your journal. You will soon realize the wonderful life you have and you will get new strength to overcome your problems.
Understand that there are positive things behind all the bad things that happen
This might be difficult for some people, but I firmly believe it. At the very least, bad things give you valuable lessons you should be grateful for. When you have this mindset, it’s not difficult to see the good things you could get out of something bad. This way you will always have reasons to be grateful.
Have a special session of gratitude
Understanding that you should be grateful won’t help much if you don’t put it into practice. Allocate special time for your “session of gratitude” even if it’s only 5-10 minutes a day. Think about the good things that happen in your days and express your gratitude.
Meet positive people
You will be like the people you gather with. It’s hard for you to be grateful if the people you meet all the days are negative people. Surround yourself with positive people who themselves are grateful people, and it will be much easier and natural for you to be a grateful person.
Focus on giving
You will be grateful if your mind focuses on what you have rather than what you don’t have. By giving, your mind will focus on what you have rather than what you don’t have (you can’t give something you don’t have, can you?). Most people focus on receiving which makes their mind focus on what they don’t have. No wonder it’s difficult for them to be grateful.
Decide to be a grateful person
The above nine tips can help you become a grateful person, but eventually it’s up to you to decide whether or not you want to be one. If you decide to be a grateful person, then be it. The same thing happens otherwise. No matter what happens to you, it is still you who decide how you will respond. So make the decision to be a grateful person.

I'm the 773,071,647 richest person on earth!

Discover how rich you are! >>

Running Errands

2009-02-08T19:00:00.001-06:00

Runner Trains for Marathon by Running Errands

by Trevor Reichman on 02. 8.09

Cars & Transportation

Buzz up!

Dao Nguyen, who lives in Houston, is training for a marathon. But instead of running around in circles in Memorial Park, Houstons’s most popular running circuit, he has decided to run all of his errands instead...by foot...by running. This way, he is maximizing his time and caloric expenditure at the same time... to the tune of only 100 calories per mile, compared to the roughly 3000 calories a car needs to 'run' errands. Cars typically use about 30 times more energy to transport a person compared to that person traveling that same mile with their own feet, highly inefficient in comparison.

Read further for an interview with Dao Nguyen...

I met Dao from a rideshare ad that I placed on Craigslist. He is a repeat passenger, as we have both had to make the same trek between Austin and Houston a few times recently. Dao doesn’t own a car, a rarity in Houston, TX. He does have a bicycle for more involved errands.

He also limits his possessions to 50 at a time, but that is another story.

Here is my interview with Dao:

TH: What inspired you to train for a marathon?

DAO: I have had lots and lots of projects that I have started and have not completed. I decided that this was due to a lack of discipline. I figured that if I trained and ran a full marathon, that I could train my mind to "keep pressing on...to keep pressing forward" despite pain and that this would translate to other goals I have for myself that are not physical/health goals...say for instance, to start a photography business. Yes, it first takes a dream, but to make that dream happen it's not all fun and games, so again, my belief was that if I could run a marathon, that would give me a reference point, an accomplishment to find confidence.

TH: What gave you the idea to combine running with doing your errands?

DAO: Purpose combined with fun gives me meaning in life.

TH: Are you able to find enough errands to do to reach your training goals?

DAO: As of right now I would say I run between 5-7 miles everyday with a pack. I'd like to think that this translates to about 10-12 regular weightless miles I have yet to work out errand distances to coincide with training.

TH: Do you find that your training is hindered by obstacles such as traffic, insufficient pedestrian infrastructure, etc?

DAO: No it's even MORE fun. I love bumpy sidewalks, narrow sidewalks, sidewalks under construction, taped off work areas (I leap over them), curbs, red lights, children (often smiling), etc. It all adds to the pleasure of running.

TH: How do you carry your items (groceries, etc) while you are running?

DAO: For lighter items, a running pack, like one of those polyester ones they pass out free at banks or college recruitments. It's the lightest pack i can find. For full grocery runs, I am presently using a travel backpack made by swiss gear, it feels very snug. But it's a bit heavy so I am on the lookout for another pack with an equally snug fit but lighter. In running errands, yes, it's all about weight.

TH: Do you ever feel indecent being in sweaty running shorts while at the grocery store, bank, etc?

DAO: Yes, I went to get my hair cut and the barber commented, "You ran here?!" My entire forehead was dripping. Well, i gave him a big tip. He was cool. I'd like to think that it's inspiring and that when people see a lunatic with an orange or pink running pack down Westheimer more than once, they will ask the question, "What is up with this guy? Why is he always running? And always with a bright colored pack?" I just smile. In moments like these I like being me and in this space I feel very happy and in tune with the adventure of being alive.

TH: Did you make this decision for environmental reasons, or for practical reasons, being that you don't own a car? That being asked, is your decision to be car-free an environmental decision, or a practical one or both?

DAO: It's funny you ask. because my brother has a car I can borrow, but I like the exercise and honestly running errands is my coffee. I don't like how coffee makes me feel. I like a natural heart rate boost, so running is the only thing I know to increase my heart rate. And again, it's productive, so I like it. It fits me.

One Step At a Time

2008-12-14T18:42:00.001-06:00

My brother and I wanted to do the unthinkable today. Hey Dao! let's go run a half marathon! I'd never before and actually felt a bit reluctant, I had a small blister on my left foot from trying out a new running shoe. My trusty gray pumas still work better. Tow hours, battery acid, legs, and chest palpitations later we arrived back where we started and I lept to sap the stop sign. We had covered 14 miles and I was giddy with disbelief. It's nice when you can still surprise yourself.

I was sore and yet ecstatic and pulled a "brandi chastain" - tore off my jacket, shirt, shoes, socks, sunglasses. I celebrated by screaming unintelligible sounds at nothing in particular. My brother laughed.

Ken says everyone he loves is leaving him. His kids and former spouse are possibly going back to Mexico. I'm headed up to Dallas to share some precious moments with them. My baby sister moved up to New Jersey for a new life. I wish her wisdom and happiness. And I am slowly transition to Austin for love myself.

The run taught me some things. Expect challenges. the road is not always easy and smooth, However, if you press on, there is beauty unimaginable waiting for you on the other side. In my case, on the run a magical creek bed that I had not know existed. My brother and I lost each other somewhere along mile 3 and found each other again around mile 9. I was so happy to see him and he gave me a much needed physical and emotional boost. It's true, there is strength to be found with the right people. I had promised myself not to give up and the promise propelled me through, that and gummy bears...yes we eat while we run for quick energy.

There are certain legs of the run where you get a second wind. Life has a way of changing one's perspective, one's experience of it. When you get close to the end, there is definitely a second boost. Im almost there! we say to ourselves. Just put one foot in front of the other...

2008-11-18T07:41:00.003-06:00

Spent a week in Los Angeles urban camping with my brother for his 32nd birthday. Here are my favorite shots from my brief visit. Credit to Sheryl Crow, "If it Makes You Happy."

Los Angeles from dao nguyen on Vimeo.

Where Are The Keys?

2008-11-04T09:00:00.005-06:00

In Transit from Dallas To Houston

I spent the weekend at my parents. It's always a mixed feeling experience; leisure of seeing my other, siblings, and nephew, and pain because my dad can make critical comments about the slightest things. The worst this visit being a n outburst about my brother having shaved off his hair. It did not help when later the same day I lost the car keys to make things more complicated my mother's shop keys were attached and I ran over a nail and got a flat tire.

I've had more overwhelming circumstances in my solo travels . What make this particular test more daunting them others however is that I feel I have my dad breathing down my neck the whole time. Oh, I did not mention that I also misplaced both of my mp3 players while working on my dad's ranch.

In times of stress s like this I try my best to pull from it something positive, perhaps a less, I ask myself "what can I use from this, " or learn from this. Oftentimes it I remind myself that it's all relative; some guy in starving in Somalia, this is nothing.

While searching for my missing things I was searching for a connector, a common theme of this had to mean something. I feel experiences are wastes otherwise. One of the reasons I keep this blog is to remind myself of the lessons I've learned in life. I'm a drop out so it's even more important to prove to myself that I can do well in life despite having made that decision. Losing my keys doesn't help with that campaign.

My sister in law offered to take me back to my mom's deli, the last place I remember seeing the keys, and a miracle happened. Evidently, I had dropped them along with my card keys right in front of the deli door. I was ecstatic and thanked my lucky stars. Later that evening my nephew found my music players and I felt like the luckiest guy. Having retrieved these missing items I thought to myself, what else have I misplaced in my life and is there still hope of retrieving this things also? I though of my relationships with certain friends and family members. I've been gone for so long, can I pick up where I left off? Are some things lost forever? beyond replacement and repair? I'd love to hear what you think.

"Maybe redemption has stories to tell
Maybe forgiveness is right where you fell"
- Dare You To Move from the band Switchfoot

Renaissance Man

2008-11-01T13:43:00.000-05:00

My Brother, Ken, is a renaissance man. He is an artist, an athlete, a father, an all-around interesting character and I am proud to know him as a brother.

8 Tremendously Important Ways That Gratitude Can Change Your Life by Leo Babuata of Zenhabits.net

2008-10-28T10:21:00.002-05:00

8 Tremendously Important Ways That Gratitude Can Change Your Life

by Leo Babuata of zenhabits.net
“If the only prayer you said in your whole life was, “thank you,” that would suffice.” - Meister Eckhart

It’s amazing how one simple, easy, positive action can change so much in a person’s life.

One of the things that has had the biggest effect on my life is the realization of the power of gratitude. Simply giving thanks.

It has affected everything. It has made me a more positive person. A more productive person. A better achiever. A better husband and father and son and brother (at least, I like to think so). A happier person. I’m not perfect, but gratitude has made me better.

Can it change your life as well? I can guarantee it. You might not get the exact same benefits as I have, but there’s no doubt in my mind that the simple act of gratitude on a regular basis will change anyone’s life, positively and immediately. How many other changes can claim to be that quick, that easy, and that profound?

Let’s take a look at some of the ways you can incorporate gratitude into your life, and how it will change your life. These are just some examples, based on my experience and the experiences of others I’ve talked with, and not all will apply to your life. But pick and choose the ones you think will work for you.

1. Have a morning gratitude session. Take one minute in the morning (make it a daily ritual) to think of the people who have done something nice for you, to think of all the things in your life you’re grateful for. You won’t get to everything in one minute, but it’s enough. And it will instantly make your day better, and help you start your day off right. Can you think of a better use of one minute?

2. When you’re having a hard day … make a gratitude list. We all have those bad days sometimes. We are stressed out from work. We get yelled at by someone. We lose a loved one. We hurt a loved one. We lose a contract or do poorly on a project. One of the things that can make a bad day much better is making a list of all the things you’re thankful for. There are always things to be thankful for — loved ones, health, having a job, having a roof over your head and clothes on your back, life itself.

3. Instead of getting mad at someone, show gratitude. That’s a major switching of attitudes — actually a complete flip. And so this isn’t always easy to do. But I can promise you that it’s a great thing to do. If you get mad at your co-worker, for example, because of something he or she did … bite your tongue and don’t react in anger. Instead, take some deep breaths, calm down, and try to think of reasons you’re grateful for that person. Has that person done anything nice for you? Has that person ever done a good job? Find something, anything, even if it’s difficult. Focus on those things that make you grateful. It will slowly change your mood. And if you get in a good enough mood, show your gratitude to that person. It will improve your mood, your relationship, and help make things better. After showing gratitude, you can ask for a favor — can he please refrain from shredding your important documents in the future? And in the context of your gratitude, such a favor isn’t such a hard thing for the co-worker to grant.

4. Instead of criticising your significant other, show gratitude. This is basically the same as the above tactic, but I wanted to point out how gratitude can transform a marriage or relationship. If you constantly criticize your spouse, your marriage will slowly deteriorate — I promise you. It’s important to be able to talk out problems, but no one likes to be criticized all the time. Instead, when you find yourself feeling the urge to criticize, stop and take a deep breath. Calm down, and think about all the reasons you’re grateful for your spouse. Then share that gratitude, as soon as possible. Your relationship will become stronger. Your spouse will learn from your example — especially if you do this all the time. Your love will grow, and all will be right in the world.

5. Instead of complaining about your kids, be grateful for them. Many parents (myself included) get frustrated with their children. They are too slow to do things, they have a bad attitude, they can’t clean up after themselves, and they pick their nose too much. Unfortunately, sometimes parents will communicate that frustration to their children too often, and the kids will begin to feel bad about themselves. Many parents have done this, and while it’s not perfect, it’s a part of parenthood. But there’s a better way: follow the method above of calming down when you’re frustrated, and thinking of reasons you’re grateful to your child. Share these reasons with your child. And then take the opportunity to teach them, instead of criticizing them.

6. When you face a major challenge, be grateful for it. Many people will see something difficult as a bad thing. If something goes wrong, it’s a reason to complain, it’s a time of self-pity. That won’t get you anywhere. Instead, learn to be grateful for the challenge — it’s an opportunity to grow, to learn, to get better at something. This will transform you from a complainer into a positive person who only continues to improve. People will like you better and you’ll improve your career. Not too shabby.

7. When you suffer a tragedy, be grateful for the life you still have. I’ve recently lost an aunt, and my children recently lost a grandmother. These tragedies can be crippling if you let them overcome you. And while I’m not saying you shouldn’t grieve — of course you should — you can also take away something even greater from these tragedies: gratitude for the life you still have. Appreciation for the fleeting beauty of life itself. Love for the people who are still in your life. Take this opportunity to show appreciation to these people, and to enjoy life while you can.

8. Instead of looking at what you don’t have, look at what you do have. Have you ever looked around you and bemoaned how little you have? How the place you live isn’t your dream house, or the car you drive isn’t as nice as you’d like, or your peers have cooler gadgets or better jobs? If so, that’s an opportunity to be grateful for what you already have. It’s easy to forget that there are billions of people worse off than you — who don’t have much in the way of shelter or clothes, who don’t own a car and never will, who don’t own a gadget or even know what one is, who don’t have a job at all or only have very menial, miserable jobs in sweatshop conditions. Compare your life to these people’s lives, and be grateful for the life you have. And realize that it’s already more than enough, that happiness is not a destination — it’s already here.

“Everyday, think as you wake up, today I am fortunate to be alive, I have a precious human life, I am not going to waste it. I am going to use all my energies to develop myself, to expand my heart out to others; to achieve enlightenment for the benefit of all beings. I am going to have kind thoughts towards others, I am not going to get angry or think badly about others. I am going to benefit others as much as I can.” - Dalai Lama

Random Thoughts From Past Weeks

2008-10-18T21:34:00.008-05:00

Listening to Countin Crows' "Perfect Blue Buildings" over and over tonight and thinking of friends new and old and thinking of the different challenges we all face. Some of us have kids. Other's still, like myself, are searching for the elusive place called 'home.'

After a two week layoff, my brother Ken is finally running with me again. He had been recovering from a rib injury that I inflicted on him accidentally during a roughhousing session. We ran for an hour despite the rain and I felt strong and focused. The maxim is true, two heads are better than one, strength in numbers. I got to visit my adorable nephew Pablo whom we affectionately call "Pablito", little Pablo. These two people in my life also happen to be father and son.

Urban Camping

2008-10-02T16:55:00.000-05:00

I needed something to sleep on of course having $20 dollars to my name cuts off a lot of options. My attitude was I'll find a way. Homelessness is real. I was at the beach, beautiful! but needed a cot to sleep on. The Clay Hostel using my experience sleeping in the UT Theater department which I discovered by sleeping in the music lounge at Richland College it was too hot to do so in the car. An evolution of public camping.

It all started at UT. I was depending on friends and girlfriends but knew I couldn't forever depend on them. My college girlfriend told me that I could no longer stay. Looking back I can see how difficult that must have been for her. God bless her sweet soul. So many things left unsaid between past lovers. I needed a place to sleep. I was hangin' out at Jester Dorm because they have showers and found out that their were study rooms that students would use in the wee hours. I noticed that some students would take naps there sometimes "crashing" on the sofas. S I imitated, pulled a couple sofa section couches together left some books out as if I were a student still and pulled out. I would wake the next morning very early (the janitors came around 6 AM) and start my day again. It wasn't comfortable but hey! I wasn't out on the scary streets either.

I've come a long way. Most people think that sharing a room with my brother is tight quarters. I say it's all relative. My sleeping quarters have included and not limited to: theater back stages, band rooms, audition rooms, bathroom in apartment gym, boiler rooms (2), rooftops of hostels, rooftop of college campus, 24-hour study rooms, a dodge van, honda accord, toyota cressida, mitshubishi pickup, back of a van, countless hostel couches , couch-surfs, Walmarts and gas station parking lots. It gets either freezing cold or ridiculously hot. My brother, Ken, has done similar. Two hippies finding our way home.

Lost Family Fotos

2008-09-21T20:07:00.007-05:00

Hurricane Bonding

2008-09-19T21:20:00.002-05:00

We got our electricity back on last evening and although it's been a fun challenge to go without for a week, we're very glad it's back on. The first couple of nights you look for some way to past the time especially at night when it's pitch dark. My neighbors formed a drum circle led by Desmond who is from Ghana, Africa and two sisters from Galveston. I volunteered my interpretive dancing.

We had a barbecue going and we all shared the grill (the only way to have a hot meal if you didn't own a gas stove). My neighbor Joel, a self-proclaimed redneck from 'Mizzurah' was so kind to lend me a little ice chest for the veggies that would have gone bad in my fridge.

One day at the Hilton Hotel (the one I adopted as my second home) my sister and I met a little girl who was looking despondent. We asked her if she wanted to play dominoes with us and ended up stacking them into domino buildings instead. We found out her name is Stephanie and that her dad works as the head chef at the hotel. She was so adorable and we wouldn't have met her if we hadn't gone there. We wouldn't have gone there if the electricity hadn't gone out. I sometimes ask myself if people come into our lives for a specific purpose and end up "we make up our own reasons, our own meanings."

No one was hurt from the trees falling here. But I am going to miss them much.

Hurricane Ike Photos

2008-09-17T18:16:00.000-05:00

It's Has To Be the Hair

2008-09-12T21:32:00.002-05:00

I got my hair permed yesterday, and I must admit, I look hawt! LOL.

These are my five siblings at a raceoff last year in Dallas. I have to defend my title on Oct. 11 and am training for that. Well, have a great weekend, I will try to capture some footage of this Hurricane.

Third Times the Charm

2008-09-08T00:40:00.005-05:00

I've moved back to Texas and am living with my big brother in an apartment near the Galleria mall. It's not my ideal environment. Too much concrete and cars. Although we share a car, we try to get around as much as possible by bike. We have lot's of fun here and I am blessed to have such a wonderful sibling in my life. Portland was great but I longed for the familiarity of family too much while I was there so I didn't make the most of it. Well, we live and we learn :) Don't you agree? This is my third time living in Houston and I think it will fair much better than the first two.

The video is my brother, Ken, who is rollerblading while I ride his bicycle and film him. He's quite a character and I'm almost sure you would enjoy his company. He's 4 years older than me but doesn't look it and definitely doesn't act it. I love him. The streets of houston are not friendly, but we sometimes give each other piggy back rides on the bicycle and think of it as bringing joy and individuality to the urban landscape.

Portland Photos

2008-08-26T08:14:00.001-05:00

people first, then place

2008-08-22T12:37:00.001-05:00

it took two times for me to realize, great weather means nothing if I'm depressed and holed up in my room all day. social environment is very important. Why to San Fran and Denver running away from pain. I want to stop that behavioral pattern. Running away from the weather. But also, the negativity I felt the last few days before I left are not positive.

Gustavo's Taco Shack

2008-08-07T12:41:00.003-05:00

There's a taco shack by the library i frequent that's great. It's run by a couple of hispanic guys in a mobile unit, you know the big white box-like van with the crazy sounding horn except thy're staionary by a mini-mart. I gaterh they have some type of arrangement with the store owners. I don't know their names but if I did one would be called Gustavo and his sidekick "Pedro".

Today, Gustavo's 12-year old daughter is tending the cash register. What a cutie. I order three tacos in spanish, "dos de carne asada y uno de pollo...para aqui". She asks me where I come from and I jokingly replied, "the library". "No, where are you originally from?" I giggled and said, "I know, I was only kidding. I am from Viet Nam". "Oh, cool" she says, "I have a friend from Vietnam and I can speak a little vietnamese." She says, "Ban que khong?" which is an endearing way to say "how are you". I am smitten. The tacos are always terrific and I enjoy them by the small outdoor patio they have set up and wonder how I can help them with their lives here. Everyone is working to survive and be happy. I hope that little girl and her family get everything they want out of the American Dream.

Longing to Belonging

2008-07-02T01:33:00.005-05:00

I've been longing for a feeling of belonging. I am sitting at an Asian supermarket here in Portland at one of the tables they set out for someone to eat at if they bought something from the store and want to enjoy it here. I haven't bought anything from the store yet but i have pretty much learned to freeload any and everything i can in life.

I am writing out of a feeling of disassociation, in terms of the need to belong to someone or some group. My roommate has a hawt girlfriend and they are always laughing and enjoying each other...awww, how sweet...barf! I don't want to see that! Sometimes I hear them giggle behind closed doors and that's when i imagine myself barging in and throwing hot water on them. I dunno if that would take the pain of not belonging to someone away. Would I enjoy it? probably.

So what is it like for a person to uproot himself and be in a place he is not from? Who does he belong to? I guess you could say I still belong to my family, mother father sisters and brothers. More frequent visitation would instill a stronger sense of belonging. I found a subculture of cyclists here in Portland. It basically resembles an audience at a sex pistols or any other punk 80's band concert. I feel a sense of belonging with them.

Went dumpster diving yesterday. Couldn't find any food. My friend, Ryan had done it the day previous and scored 5 bags of sweet rolls. Not 2 or 3, but five. The only thing i got for my troubles was an accidental poke in the finger by a hypodermic needle who knows where it's been (joking).

Sometimes when i go to a new city I always try to find the Asian part of town and go to a Pho restaurant. Always helps to remind me of my mom and home cooking. I remember being in Denver and frequenting the one and only Vietnamese buffet that I have ever encountered. I wonder why they don't do it more often. It was pretty good. You could make bowls and bowls of prepare-it-yourself Pho and bun bo hue. Not bad I would say.

Those are the small gems I enjoy being away from friends and family. But it's also important to not feel like I don't belong. I try to mitigate this pain by writing to friends, text messaging, instant messaging, etc. There is a lonely looking lady eating all by herself across the store from me I can spot her from where I am. Then what appears to be an acquaintance of hers approaches and makes small talk, even pats her on the shoulder and they exchange pleasantries and these gestures make me feel warm inside.

The Vietnamese are so cute with their public displays of affection. Rarely is there hugging or kissing. It's smiles and love taps on the shoulder. Cute. Note to self: try to involve yourself in more love tapping. *ahem*

Kids and Kittens in Portland

2008-06-24T01:51:00.000-05:00

Life Experiement: Giving Up T.V.

2008-06-18T01:45:00.004-05:00

I notice that whenever I am super stressed upset or whatever, I invariably go for the remote. That's right, good ole tv; nothing like it to numb the pain away.

Where did I pick up this as my preferred coping mechanism? Not sure, but what I am sure about is that I am giving up television for the next thrity days, that includes television, cable, film, an dall forms on online televisin. An experiement to see if I am gothe quality of my life increases without television of any kind.

My theory is that I will be much more productive. This sounds obvious, but for 5 or so years now I have been in a cycle of strive, strive, strive, hit a wall, get frustrated, seek comfort in fthe form of television. Get numb. Mispend my youth, feel badly. Get back on the saddle. Repeat.

Well I will try to put a kink in that cycle by giving up t.v. My hope is when I hit my next wall, which is inevitable, I will rely on reading and writing as coping mechanisms over television. This will prove to make a positive change. There so much good television to watch, but I hear that there's also a lot of life to live also.

What We're Looking For May Be Closer To Home

2008-06-01T00:16:00.002-05:00

I want write story about all my searching and looking for something through my solo travels when my dad's acceptance was what I really longed for the whole time.

Greetings From Portland

2008-05-17T08:52:00.002-05:00

Goodbye To You, Austin

2008-04-15T08:15:00.003-05:00

Sweet moments from my half year here in Austin. Wish me luck in Portland. Why Portland? Why not.

For The Love of The Game

2008-03-24T01:49:00.000-05:00

Greetings from Austin, TX

2008-03-17T09:50:00.001-05:00

Live What You Love

2008-03-08T15:16:00.007-06:00

I read a great book once when I was depressed, a self-help book, naturally, entitled "Live What You Love" by a married couple named the Blanchards. They are one of my heroes and I, too, want to "Live what I Love." My problem is I love to create but sometimes I get sick of it as well and want to do something else. I've found that the best thing is discipline and also variety.

It is important to keep on going on even when you don't feel like it. Right now my discipline muscles are not well developed. I can only do what I don't want to do and keep my focus on such activities for no more than 30 minutes currently twice a day. So basically, I am a slacker. I "work" about an hour a day and the rest of the time I am doing whatever the hell it is I want. My goal for the end of March is to be able to "work" 45 minutes everyday, twice a day. I'm on target to reach that. Hey, you gotta start small, eh?

Once my discipline matches my dreams I will really go places. So for now, I'm still daydreaming about the following:
----------------------------------------------------
I find that passion and girls and work are all inter-related. Case in point. There are a lot of jobs and girls out there. Each with there perks and minuses. For example one girl could be super pretty but with a short temper. Another could be a whole lot of fun but old enough to be my grandmother. So for the time being we take bits and pieces of what we can and live off that. The goal or my dream I guess is to have the one woman or the one career that fulfills all of my needs.

That would really be something wouldn't it? And to create a life that are all those qualities. It seems all so egocentric. Me, me, me. I wish I could have the things that bring me joy so that I can offer joy back. The ideal would be to do something that brings me joy that also brings others joy. Ah, so idealistic. Is there such a thing? I don't know any other way.
------------------------------------------------
On the surface I'm funny and always try to make people feel something evoke an emotion I guess, but in private I'm very worried and anxious, desperately, at times trying to figure out how to live my life. When I'm in flow state it's wonderful. I really do enjoy being alive. Oftentimes, however, it seems like a struggle. I wish I could just follow a daily formula. something that proves to work time and time again without fail. Does such a formula exist?

I say that creating is my miracle drug. Sometimes I get burnt out though. For example, I'm working on this blog and reach a point where I feel, okay, that's enough. I don't really want to do anymore. I'd just like to lay down and close my eyes and dream sweet dreams.

Oftentimes this is because some other need has not been met. I'm hungry or feeling neglected. for example, Aubrey is suppose to call me. It's already 4PM and it looks unlikely that she will follow through with what she said. She's probably on the defensive and will write an apology later.

I'll tell you what has worked. On my daylog it reads setting specific goals. My specific goal right now is to crank 7 more minutes of writing. 2nd on things that have worked is the daily adjust. Okay, so here we go. to keep our habits is key yes I agree and creative activity seems to work but at times we don't want to be creative and just want to relax. shall i force myself to create? I'll nap. Napping always seems to give me a boost. listening and grooving to music is only ephemeral and not intrinsic. having a performance day, yes, that is very key. to set specific goals with a deadline that is part of being specific. make it attainable and measurable.

They are playing football as we speak. Damn, the dog farted. something tonight?

Miracle Drug

2008-03-06T15:51:00.009-06:00

For me, the act of creating (whether it be making music, pictures, or film) can often yield the best high. Here, I went blog crazy. Click on the images to enjoy.

Austin-Berkeley Mosaic

2008-03-05T18:49:00.001-06:00

Sibling Reunion

2008-03-02T13:10:00.002-06:00

We haven't been together even once in the past three years so it was a much needed get together for the Nguyen Siblings in Sachse, TX.

Ricebowl - Filipino Flag Football

2008-02-24T01:38:00.000-06:00

Break Yoself

2008-02-17T13:13:00.002-06:00

Joining Hill Country Outdoors, a social group here in Austin has helped me to make friends and keep things interesting. Here we play a precarious game of dodgeball on ice. The skinny asian guy with glasses is a friend, Tommy, who (three days later) flew to Oslo, Norway to fulfill a dream of sushi cheffing abroad.

2008-01-24T10:10:00.002-06:00

Don’t Like Meditation? Try Gratitude Training. (Plus: Follow-up to “Testing Friends” Firestorm)

Filling the Void

Thich Nhat Hanh, the Buddhist monk and zen teacher once nominated for the Nobel Peace Prize by Martin Luther King, Jr., has a knack for making the esoteric understandable.

In discussing what some call “present state awareness”–experiencing and savoring the present—he offers a simple parable:

Let’s say that you want to eat a peach for dessert one evening, but you decide to only allow yourself this luxury after washing the dishes. If, while washing the dishes, all you think of is eating the peach, what will you be thinking of when you eat the peach?

The clogged inbox, that difficult conversation you’ve been putting off, tomorrow’s to-do list?

The peach is eaten but not enjoyed, and so on we continue through life, victims of a progressively lopsided culture that values achievement over appreciation. But let’s get specific.

If we define “achievement” as obtaining things we desire (whether raises, relationships, cars, pets, or otherwise) that have the potential to give us pleasure, let’s define “appreciation” as our ability to get pleasure out of those things. To focus on the former to the exclusion of the latter is like valuing cooking over eating.

How then, do we develop the skill of appreciation, which is tied so closely to present state awareness?

There are a few unorthodox tools that we’ve explored already for state awareness, like the 21-day no-complaint experiment, but the most common mainstream prescription is meditation.

The problem with meditation is that it too often gets mixed with mysticism and judgment (attempting to forcefully exclude certain thoughts and emotions). Who really wants to visualize a candle flame for 30 minutes? It can work, but it doesn’t work for most.

Here’s where we enter the 60-second solution: gratitude training. From Cornell to the University of Michigan, scientists are looking at the far-reaching effects of practicing gratitude just like exercise.

Here is one example from Dr. Robert Emmons of the University of California at Davis and Dr. Michael McCollough of Southern Methodist University in Dallas, Texas:

“The first group kept a diary of the events that occurred during the day… the second group recorded their unpleasant experiences, [and] the last group made a daily list of things for which they were grateful.

The results of the study indicated that daily gratitude exercises resulted in higher reported levels of alertness, enthusiasm, determination, optimism and energy. Additionally, the gratitude group experienced less depression and stress, was more likely to help others, exercised more regularly and made more progress toward personal goals. According to the findings, people who feel grateful are also more likely to feel loved.

McCollough and Emmons also noted that gratitude encouraged a positive cycle of reciprocal kindness among people since one act of gratitude encourages another… McCullough suggests that anyone can increase their sense of well-being and create positive social effects just from counting their blessings.”

In practical terms, here is one example of how you can test the effects of gratitude training in less than 10 minutes over the next week:

From Thanksgiving to next Thursday, November 29th, ask yourself the following question each morning, immediately upon waking up and before getting out of bed:

What am I truly grateful for in my life?

Aim for five answers, and if you have trouble at first, ask yourself alternative probing questions such as:

What relationships do I have that others don’t?
What do I take for granted?
What freedoms, unique abilities, and options do I have that others don’t?
What advantages have I been given in life?
Which allies and supporters have helped me to get to where I am?

Thanksgiving shouldn’t just come once a year. Use it as a system restart and a chance to put your appreciation back on track with your achievement.

Don’t forget the peach… and Happy Thanksgiving!

Staying Motivated

2008-01-18T19:33:00.002-06:00

Staying Motivated

by Kevin Cornell

Published in: Creativity, Graphic Design |
Discuss this article »

Whether your chosen medium is pictures or language, food or formulas, everyone has the capacity to be creative in their work. But we can often lose our motivation to create, making it difficult to stay focused and excited on a project. So how does one keep their creative well from drying up?

Maintaining your motivation to create is actually a long-term endeavor. Starting out can be tough, but with discipline and consistency you will eventually reach a point where staying motivated only requires minimal daily maintenance—a simple matter of learning to make the right choices at the right time.

Of course, everyone is different, and each person will have their own unique formula to propel themselves into a creative frenzy. So while this article offers some possible solutions, it is up to you to make the right choices to keep yourself motivated. Maintaining motivation requires paying attention to your behavior, listening to your instincts, and learning how to encourage, bargain, and even trick yourself into being creative.

Phase I: starting out

As I’ve mentioned, starting from scratch is the hardest part, and rewards don’t come quick. But if you want to reach a point where all you need to do is give your motivation occasional maintenance, you have to start somewhere.

Here’s a few tips to help you when you’re starting out:

Set goals

It’s a lot easier to stay motivated when you feel like you’ve accomplished something, but how can you know when you succeed if you never set a goal? Give yourself something to achieve.

Stack the deck

Keeping interested and motivated is directly related to those successfully met goals. Set yourself up for more success than failure by being realistic in your goal setting. Small, bite-sized tasks at first. As you get more and more successes under your belt, make your goals more ambitious.

Build a creative den

Whether it’s your desk area, a dark cave, a hotel room, or a home office, you need a place specifically set aside to be creative in. Once you’ve decided on that place, use it like the dickens. Each creative success you have in that location will train your mind to be creative within its boundaries. When I set foot inside my office, something clicks on in my brain, and I’m ready to work. Sure, it took about six months to turn into a den—but trust me, it’s time and effort well spent.

Retreat, but don’t surrender

Never give up on projects or problems. Put them aside for a while, but always come back to solve them (even if it’s only developing a theory for solving them). Solving these problems will build your confidence, your knowledge, and (hopefully) your portfolio.

Find your cycle

Just as your body has optimal times for sleeping and eating, there’s also an optimal time when your body is at its most creative (and, unfortunately, least creative). For me, that super-creative time is in the morning. I know many other people find that they’re most creative late at night. Find out when you’re at your creative best, and start using that time to your advantage; save your least creative time to do the mundane administrative aspects of your job.

The right tools

Being creative is difficult enough; don’t make it harder for yourself by using inferior (or just plain wrong) tools. Explore your options and find the tools that allow you to create what you want to create, and get the best ones you can afford.

Follow your progress

Seeing just how far you’ve come can be an excellent motivational tool. If you don’t stop every so often to see where you were a couple months ago, and where you are now, do it—you might surprise yourself with how much you’ve gotten done, or how much you’ve creatively grown. Or perhaps you’ll feel you didn’t get enough done, and it will strengthen your resolve to work harder. Whatever the case, it’s worth it to check every once in a while.

Phase II: maintenance

Applying the tips from above, you’ll hopefully reach a point where you’re consistently motivated. Yet even when you’ve reached this plateau, you will occasionally hit points where that fervor wanes. It’s in those instances when you’ll need to try something new or different, set obstacles, or even take a step backwards in order to get your motivation back.

Here’s some things to try when you feel like you’ve hit a rut:

Don’t set any goals

In the early stages of an idea, or if you’ve stumbled upon a creative endeavor you wish to experiment with, setting goals may destroy some of the spontaneity that makes experimentation so fulfilling. Let things play out naturally, and when you’re ready you’ll know if it’s time to duct tape that idea to a timeline.

Make the goals unrealistic

I believe in certain instances that biting off more than I could chew worked out to my advantage. It helped me focus on the project, and push myself farther than I would normally. Unfortunately, you run the risk of failing to complete those goals, or completing them and completely burning out.

Get out of the house

While a creative den can often get the juices flowing, sometimes it helps to go somewhere different to work. It may not be as familiar and comfortable as your creative den, but it can provide different stimuli that can positively influence your ideas, and eventually your work.

Study your peers

It can be helpful to see what others in your industry are doing. It may provide inspiration, and at the very least will give you an idea of what the standards are for excellence in your particular industry (which can help you figure out what to expect of yourself).

Ignore your peers

While it has its benefits, studying your peers too much can often cause you to focus only on their achievements, and lose focus on your own goals. What’s worse, it can often cause you to doubt your own work if it’s too different from the industry standard. When in fact you might be working on something just so different and fresh that it’s what the industry needs. Have a care, and don’t lose focus on your own work.

Seek external stimulation

We’re absolutely surrounded by the creative output of both human beings and nature. Taking a closer look at everything around you can spark new ideas, and give you insight into how to solve some of your own creative problems. Whether it’s a museum, the center of town, or the biggest damn waterfall you’ve ever seen, there might be something out there to push you back into a creative mode.

Seek internal stimulation

While surrounding yourself with stimuli can be helpful, it’s often just as helpful to remove all external stimuli, and let your brain stimulate itself. For example, I often go running to help give me ideas. Not because I like running, but because it’s possibly the most boring activity in the world. It’s often easier for me to mull over creative problems when there’s nothing for my brain to do.

Keep a sketchbook or notebook

I can’t emphasize this one enough. Ideas—good or bad—need to be recorded. No one can remember them all. Writing down an idea for long-term storage might just free up some room in your brain to tackle new problems. What’s more, you now have a library of ideas to lend a hand when a deadline is looming and you’re not feeling your most creative.

Work through it

While it may seem counterintuitive to force yourself to be creative, often it can work out for the best. It might feel difficult and clumsy at the start, but as you gain momentum you’ll almost always find your motivation has returned. And if it hasn’t, then take comfort in this—sometimes you may feel the work you’re producing is the most horrid abomination the world has seen, you may be producing good work after all. You’re just in the wrong state of mind to tell. Get through things as best as you can—you won’t know whether it’s good or bad until later on.

Give yourself obstacles

Set a time limit, refuse to use a certain tool, make yourself take a more difficult direction—often these obstacles lead to some pretty exciting results.

Remove unnecessary obstacles

We sometimes set unnecessary limits on a project, which hinder our ability to solve the most important problem. If you feel you’re too restricted while trying to solve a creative problem, it can often help to reevaluate the restrictions, and see if some of the unimportant ones can’t be stripped away.

Get on your horse

So there you go. Hopefully, some of these suggestions can help you get on the right path to long-term motivation, or help you jumpstart your slightly-waning creative enthusiasm. As I mentioned above, these are by no means the only solutions. Only you can decide what direction is appropriate when. But with a little luck, experimentation, patience, and persistence, you’ll find the right regimen for keeping your motivation and creativity ever flowing.

Illustration by Kevin Cornell

Learn More

Related Topics: Creativity, Graphic Design

Discuss

Was it good for you, too? Join the discussion »

About the Author

Kevin Cornell is an illustrator/designer from Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. He spends the majority of his days maintaining his website, and drafting treaties for imaginary conflicts. It is rumored he is allergic to cashews, but that is largely unconfirmed. Kevin is the staff illustrator to A List Apart.

Feeling Down? 7 Ways to Pick Yourself Back Up!

2007-11-30T09:53:00.001-06:00

Feeling Down? 7 Ways to Pick Yourself Back Up!

From time to time, we all get a little down, maybe even a little depressed. Maybe we are feeling overwhelmed, or feel bad because we’re not doing well with our goals. There are many reasons for feeling down, and I’m not qualified to discuss all of them, their implications, or clinical treatment. What I can talk about are some things that have worked for me.

Feeling a little depressed can interfere with achieving our goals. We know we should be doing something, but we just don’t feel like doing anything. This can last for a long time if you don’t head it off as soon as possible and take action. Here are some of the things that work best for me:

Make a list. Sometimes we are depressed simply because we are overwhelmed with all the things we have to do that we haven’t gotten around to doing. You might be into GTD, but sometimes every GTDer falls behind with his system, and sometimes you just don’t have the energy to do so. So all the “stuff” that’s in our head can overwhelm us. Start simply by picking up a piece of paper and a pen, and making a list of the most pressing things you have to do. Sometimes it’s work stuff, sometimes it’s stuff around the house that’s bothering us, sometimes it’s goal tasks, or a combination of these and more. Simply making a list can be a big relief — you’re getting things under control. You can see, right in front of you, what you need to do, and that alone can pick up your mood.
Take action. You’ve made a list, and you still feel overwhelmed? Well, get started on the first thing you need to do. Is it a big task? Break it down and just do the smallest task, something just to get you started. Once you get started, once you get into action, you’ll feel better. Trust me. You might still feel overwhelmed, but at least you’re doing something. And once you start doing something, you’ve got momentum, and that feels much better than lying around feeling sorry for yourself.
Exercise. I know, you might not be in the mood for exercise. But just do it! Taking a walk, going for a run, going to the gym, whatever it is you do for exercise — get out and do it now! You don’t need to do a real hard workout, but the simple act of exercise can lift your mood immediately. Just do it!
Shower and groom yourself. Laying around in your underwear, smelling bad, is not going to do you any good. Simply showering, and feeling clean, can do wonders for your mood. Brush your teeth, comb your hair, shave, do whatever it is that you need to do to feel clean and good about yourself. Instant pick me up!
Get out of the house and do something. Sometimes, if you stay home lying around, feeling depressed, just getting out (after showering and grooming) will change your mood. Staying home all the time can really get you down, and you may not realize this until you go out and do something. Preferably something on your list (see No. 1).
Play some lively music. I like Brown Eyed Girl, the Kinks, the Ramones, or an upbeat Beatles tune, but you might have your own brand of feel-good music. Whatever it is, crank it up, and let yourself move to the beat. It may just be what the doctor ordered.
Talk about it. Got a significant other, best friend, family member, co-worker you can talk to? Bend their ear. That’s what they’re their for. If you don’t, there are hotlines, or professionals, you can talk to. And then there’s always online forums. These are great places to find someone to talk to. Getting things off your chest makes a big difference, and can be a huge lift. It can also help you work out the reasons you’re feeling down.

Lunar Eclispe Bike Night

2007-11-25T23:00:00.000-06:00

What happens when 100 cyclists take over the streets..

Lewis as the instigator

30-day Challenge

2007-11-02T15:42:00.002-05:00

30-day Challenge

On a larger time scale, I feel like I'm doing circles the whole of my 20's. I'm a flake and leave most things unfinished. I've wanted to change this about myself and tried a 30-day challenge last New Year's in San Francisco/Berkeley but failed to stick to it. I'm trying it again, this time with some helpful web applications and that failed attempt as a reference point. If you're a dreamer like me but find yourself not accomplishing your dreams because of lost of interest of lack of self discipline. Try out a 30-day challenge. See if it does anything for you. Good Luck!

Austin Photos

2007-11-01T08:30:00.000-05:00

Finding Your Passion

2007-10-30T11:00:00.001-05:00

Debra Davenport, for Yahoo! HotJobs — 5 weeks ago
Worth doing!

Ever wish you were one of those fortunate people who knew ~~- at the age of 6 -~~ exactly what they wanted to be when they grew up? If you find yourself as an adult still searching for your passion, don’t despair. Many people ~~- too many to count -~~ share your career conundrum.
The key is not wasting any more precious time in a career that doesn’t fit and finding the livelihood that’s a natural extension of the real you. Here’s how:

Retrace your steps. Often, career passions are formed in childhood. What did you enjoy as a child? What were your hobbies and interests? What games did you play? What were your early career fantasies?

Identify what really matters. Your values are the map to your perfect career. Identify those that are most important to you. Time freedom, perhaps? Creativity? Travel? Working alone? Being your own boss? Make a list of everything you deeply value and want in your career.

Get deep. Are you seeking to make a difference or contribute to society through your work? Is there a spiritual component to your career? How do see yourself effecting positive change?

Explore. Many people feel stuck because they simply don’t know what exists in terms of career possibilities. Research careers on the Internet, network, ask questions, read voraciously, and jot down every idea.

Try it on for size. Internships and apprenticeships are great ways to try on careers. Use vacation time to “shadow” someone whose job interests you. Volunteer or get temporary jobs in the fields that interest you.

Listen to your heart. What do you enjoy doing so much that you’d do it for free? What activities give you the most joy? Cooking? Singing? Writing? Inventing? You really can make a career out of the things you love—that’s what finding your passion is all about.

Get tested. Seek out a certified career counselor and request a comprehensive career assessment. There are many validated assessments available. At the minimum, you should complete a personality profile (such as the Myers Briggs Type Indicator), a career interests assessment, and a work values assessment.

Peel away the layers. Working in an unfulfilling career can cause you to make adaptations to your behaviors and belief systems which can impact confidence and self-esteem—two things you need in order to make smart decisions for yourself. Strip away the false and/or negative belief systems (“I can’t do that.” “I’m not smart enough.” “You have to have a lot of experience to do that.”) and get to your truth. That’s where your passion lies.
Remember: Skills can be learned, but your passion is a part of who you are. The reality is you can do whatever you want to do and set your mind to do. The old adage, “Do what you love, the money will follow” is actually very good advice. It may take some work to reveal what you’re truly meant to do but, if loving your career is important to you, your efforts will be a valuable investment in your future happiness.

The One and Yoni

2007-10-05T23:19:00.000-05:00

Get to Know the One and Yoni

Yoni is:

- a mother and child all in one

- wanting to cook do anything take care, other times, crying, constant reassurance

- messiest gay person

Operation Bed Hop

2007-10-05T23:09:00.000-05:00

Can't afford a place of my own but also don't want to sleep out in the streets. My only option is to depend on the good graces of friends and couchsurf but I don't want to infringe; my solution, rotational rooming; stay at a friend's place one day out of the week. Let's see how long this will last before they figure out the scam.

Mon, Thu @ Tommy's W, Sun @ Lewis & Yoni's Tues @ Thuan's

Sat @ Chris's

Berkeley Photos

2007-08-01T09:07:00.010-05:00

MegaConvenience Store along with Indian food, Blimpie, and Coffee Shop

People bike a lot in Berkeley

Food not Bombs

The Finger Tree: One of many Berkeley Berzerkly sightings

My Stalker Experience

2007-07-28T16:09:00.002-05:00

Been back in Berkeley. Doing massage therapy and pet sitting. The dog I'm sitting is a puppy and that means he has attachment issues. He'll follow me anywhere; up the stairs, down the stairs, when I'm strying to go 1, and worse yet, when I'm trying to wipe after 2.

The only way I can get some R&R (rest and repose?) is if I climb a ladder to the roof and then climb into the upstairs window. He'll wait for hours for me to come down from the ladder. You would think I could just keep him in the backyard but he has a doggie door. Besides my way is much more fun; although potentially life threatening.

Profile: Accordianist extraordinnaire

2007-06-29T16:10:00.001-05:00

Meet Kyle.

- super fun, reative, accordianist extraordinnaire

- we went dancin' in the castro (gay district) was a blast and free!
- kyle reminds us that you don't have to spend money to have fun.
- kyle and I pick up random men to hug. Look how giddy we are about finding a willing stranger.
- Kyle is a beer slut. 1 free beer = kiss, 2 free beers = phone number exchange. 3 beers = fill in the blank.
- kyle is particularly handy to have around. His skill set includes playing nerd instruments, breakfast cereal sales, and digging backdoor tunnels to china.
- say hello to him at myspace.com/kylescotch

San Francisco Photos

2007-06-01T09:13:00.000-05:00

Berkeley > Garland

2007-05-20T08:05:00.001-05:00

Been back here in Garland helping mom at Deli. Today is two weeks. Came with intention of helping her until help arrives. Doing well to that intention. Figured if i'm reading books and watching movies might as well do it in Dallas helping mother. Spent some nice time at alamo park near ma's deli under a grove of trees on a park bench. Checking shitload of great films from the library!

Been helping ma open early by making soi, two greens and one purple, with mung and coco and salt/sugar mix. Doing well to get things done by escaping thru music, audiobooks, and film. Almost got involved in an live-in pet sitter situation. Sold one gun for Lu! felt amazing, like I was closer to my dream of being a traveling salesman!

Looking at my options of returning to Berkeley and when or other options for the summer, Flagstaff? Stay in Garland? Went out with siblings back to Mesquite and saw growth, change, sameness. Had wingstop and shared intimacies with Aunt Van from Viet Nam over the shoulder conversation.

Flagstaff, AZ Photos

2007-04-01T11:41:00.001-05:00

Had a bad day/week

2007-01-06T07:53:00.003-06:00

“Sometimes you put walls up not to keep people out, but to see who cares enough to break them down.”

My sister, Jessica has been a great friend in my life. I am grateful for the one time she saved me from a deep depression when I was in San Francisco 1/06/07 Journal entry:
weird fucking day. very emotional sad. depressed not keen to future then talk with jessica, a travel companion yeah! So important in life to have a good companion. needed to breathe went to walk Presidio park. nice. very tall trees. realized i need to travel again. why travel. done the loneliness thing. done the boredom thing now i know what i don't want from experience of pain. i want partnership a sharing of hugs. Got out of the depression by talking to Jessica.

San Francisco, CA Mission Branch Library "Dreams"

2006-10-10T13:46:00.001-05:00

Tuesday, October 10, 2006

San Francisco, CA Mission Branch Library "Dreams"
They say you should be careful what you wish for. Not today, I get to dream. I dream of far away places. I dream of being with someone who loves me deeply. I dream of hang-gliding, riding motorcycles in Vietnam, taking a romantic train ride through Russia, playing a guitar, making meals for friends, making small contributions along the way. I dream of having lots and lots of money, just swimming in it, like scrooge mcDuck, without the scrooge, or the webbed feet.
Life is good for me now, I have lots to be grateful for. 70-degree days, nice friends that surrond me, living as free as a gander of geese. Still I yearn for something. In the immediate future, my roommates will be moving into a collective and I have decided to look into my options. Something bothers me, I can't quite put my finger on it. I guess I'm a little afraid that if I decide to stay here in SF that I might bore of it soon and yearn for far away places. The truth is I yearn to be abroad. Somewhere really foreign. No other US city will do this time. This traveler wants a taste of what's out, out, way out there. Well, for the time being, I will continue to explore my various hobbies in hopes to turn them into passions.

San Francisco Photos 2

2006-08-01T09:19:00.000-05:00

To the beach on a day off

Hippie wannabe rides sf public transit

Urban Animals Don't Wear Shoes

2006-03-29T15:57:00.004-06:00

~~~Houston Hostel. Houston, TX. Review days 10-14 and 2 Week Review~~~

~1~ About a week into my time here in Houston I was driving home from a massage, tired, hungry and wanting to get home to call it a night. I was but two blocks from the hostel when I witnessed, what I believed to be, a UFO, except these where not flying saucers with gliding neon-green monsters. They were humanoids, decked in full rollerblading gear (helmet, pads, and one with a hockey goaltending stick) flying down the streets in a huge pack - very alien to me.
Unidentified sightings will give me a jolt more than expresso and I acted immediately, turning right instead of left, and following; tailgaiting (or tailblading, rather) them with my car, just admiring the lunacy of it all (it was well past 10 PM). Who were these nuts? More importantly, how could I join? I didn't want to be rude and scream out these questions from the safety of my car so I ditched it at the nearest street curb and ran after them on foot trying to catch up with the slowest of the group, a beautiful, 30'ish, woman with very long flowing blond hair, who I later find out is Kimber, one of the pack leaders (apparently, tail-enders are the most gallant of the group, he/she being the first to get run over in the unfortunate case a driver goes crazed at the sight of 30 and 40 year olds enjoying, in what most "adults" think, a pubescent activity).

I find out info from Kimber and decide to meet with them the following week. The following Thurs. (yesterday) I did meet up with them at an inconspicuous tavern (Big Easy's) and set off on my big adventure, a course totaling 10 miles of Houston asphalt. The team was the nicest bunch you could find, especially Harold who helped me immensely even showing me how to tandem-blade, something I have never seen done. I was thrilled, ecstatic, focused on how good I would feel at the end of 10 miles! Instead, I made it to the Walgreens down the street, and was already flirting with the idea of heading back. It was REALLY hard, these middle aged guys were animals!

After 6 miles, and lots of self-denial, I made it to the heart of downtown, happy, but in much pain, especially from the blister in my right foot (which, at the time, felt like a balloon, but after inspection the day after, turned out barely noticeable -- what a wuss!). I decided to bail out and take the train home, the only problem was that I did not bring any money with me and not even my telephone, thinking I might lose either along my trek. I didn't want to impose on Harold, my super-awesome-nice guy of a roller mentor, so I decided to wing it instead. The worst thing would be to walk bare-footed home 3 miles.

So there I was at the station weighing my options:
A) Call my sister -- oops no phone
B) Freeride the train -- potential fine: $70
C) Walk home -- potential mugging: this is the seedy part of Houston
I decided to spange (ask for spare change) instead (despite hating to impose on others). I found my first "target" a very approachable looking 20-something black girl. She was reticent but after I told her my sob story and tried to flash a winning smile, she couldn't help but give in. I asked for her name - Britni, and I realize there and then, it is the same Britni who responded to my personal on Craigslist! Holycowsonofabillygoat! Just then the train arrived and she took off, disappearing from my life...forever.

But forget romance, I was focused on getting a ride home. A thuggish-looking bunch of Latino guys approached the station, and there I was, decked fully, still, in roller-blade gear (helmet and all, minus the hockey stick) approaching these guys (now I realize how rediculous I must have looked). Somehow I was blessed that day and they gave me spange to by a ticket home. I thanked them by giving one of them my rollerblades. It just felt right, and besides, Urban Animals don't wear shoes.

Pictures from Houston Hostel

2006-03-05T23:05:00.000-06:00

.

.

.

.

.

.

.

Model Minority

2006-03-03T16:11:00.003-06:00

Got pulled over for having too dark a tint on my windows and a "suspicious amount personal belongings". Not shi*, sherlock. I'm living out of my car at the time trying to make an adventure of my mundane days. He gives me a ticket, impounds my car.
~~~Policeman's exact words~~~ "Man, I've never met a Vietnamese so fuc*ed up." "Thank you for the, er, compliment, officer."

Time For a Change

2006-02-05T13:42:00.000-06:00

Sunday, February 05, 2006

Two things I will miss from Austin, TX.

I woke up to a beautiful onion of a booty today.

Too bad it belonged to this guy.

Urban Ninjas

2006-02-02T21:46:00.000-06:00

Thursday, February 02, 2006

Austin International Hostel .::New Friends::.
In my earnest desire to prevent my nagging boredom, I went collecting trash from the lake. My ADD prevented me from keeping it interesting until my two new friends Marc and Nathan came out of the hostel and joined me. We made up a challenge to see who could collect the piece of trash furthest from the shore putting us in a situation to fall into the lake. In my attempt to be the winner, I almost found myself in the lake, That's when mark volunteered to hold me arm outstretched to keep me from falling into the lake, and then Nathan jumped in to keep Marc from falling in.

We also went to Cici's pizza, or what I like to call Le Cici's. The order of competition there was of course to see who could eat the most pizza's the loser would have to do public pushups amongst strangers. I finished off 10 slices and a salad, Nathan, 14, and Mark did a measley 6 slices. Now Marc is a 6'5" dread-locked, gangly, black guy, so the image is funny. We had a good time walking to and trying to avoid being run over by the traffic on Riverside.

Austin Charms

2006-02-01T21:44:00.000-06:00

Wednesday, February 01, 2006

Austin, TX Austin International Hostel

The hostel is located along Lakeshore by Austin's Town Lake so there's an abundance of wild lake animals, one of the more popular being the male swan (anyone know or care what's the correct term for the male swan?). Well one of these guys came all the way up to the porch of the hostel to greet a new friend I've made, David. David was too busy taking it's picture when he was sucker-punched in the scrotum; okay, so I made that up but it would have made for a good picture.

On my way back to Thuan's place I dropped by Mcdonald's for a bite to eat and felt a familiar longing to hit the road again; to see new sites. Perhaps sometime soon. In the meantime, I'll try to appreciate the little charms Austin continues to impress upon me

Hostelling International - Austin, TX "Reasons"

2006-01-27T10:19:00.006-06:00

I need money, or so I think. There are some things that I love that require money and I need to be reminded of these things. I want to travel as I have today to the Hostel International here and good ol Austin, TX. I love meeting new people and such. The things that require money are the need of a car. It would make things just so much more convenient. And money to buy groceries so that I can cook good, hearty meals for my new friends and myself. And gasoline money so that I can continue traveling.

It would be sweet to win like a year's supply of groceries or like a year's supply of gasoline or like win a new car, all SWEEEEET fortunes that will likely not happen so work it shall be until I stumble on that meal ticket.

Went hostelling yesterday and enjoyed it very much in my opinion. Met a real interesting fella named David, the consummate freelancer. I wanna be a consumate something, and a freelancer sounds very sexy, adventurous, and...er consumate. I think I would like to continue hostelling until I find an even better lifestyle. Hostelling is great because you are always surrounded by people. And if you want your privacy, you can always go back to your room, like a dormatory for grown-ups, but a little better because you have a community kitchen to use.

Secondly, the ebb and flow of newcomers always keeps things interesting. You can meet awesome girls! But I noticed only one yesterday :( Haha, yea! it's like a dating service without being so blatant! I mean, imagine waking up and having neighbors to talk to!!! Awesome, I just love that, there is something magical about it all.

Thirdly, hostelling especially helps with my motivation. To be surrounded by people, I am rarely bored. There is always an invitation here and a new idea there. What I need now is to save up money for two things to make my hostelling experience much more convenient: .::1::. a laptop with wireless capability and .::2::. a better working car.

Hostelling International Lounge - Austin, TX

Fellow Bunkmate who cycled from San Marcos

View Larger Map

.

.

.

.

Hill Country Eccentrics

2006-01-05T23:16:00.000-06:00

.........

..........

........

Romance as a Theme

2005-11-19T15:38:00.000-06:00

November 19, 2006 - Sunday
8:43 A.M. Business School Lab Austin--TX

I begin my day today with romance as my inspiration. What is it about romance that makes many yearn for it. What if they produced a pill that you could pop in or a martini you could drink out that could produce a replica feeling of your first love; wouldn't that be just grand? With women, it seems that my romances have come and gone. I appreciate them for what they are, these short-lived flights of fancy, but times have shown me to not make more than what is..in reality...only a moment.

But hey! There are definitely other sources for romance. Novels, movies, music; all three speak of meetings, courtships, and loves so thrilling they have the ability to affect romantic feelings in us. I think I just might write a love song for someone today and, perhaps, a break-up song right after. Can't have the sweet without the sour? Ergo, concordingly, visa vise...I don't have a damn clue what I am saying. I just thought that it would make me sound cool. Ergo, I am cool...aren't I?

Something from my college days has struck me. I remember having once created moods for my days by indiscriminately giving them themes. Like today - romance. Romance affects me. How am curious...How can I approach my day with a rush of romance, an inkling of infatuation, and a lot of lust? Comment and eProp me if you have any suggestions, i.e. books, cd's, videos, experiences. Until then, comrades! Vaya Bien.

I Love Ping Pong

2005-10-09T13:39:00.000-05:00

Austin, TX Thuan's Place

Ping Pong. That's all I have to say; it's a leisure activity for me now. Thuan bought a professional $20 ping pong paddle hoping he would beat me. I'll tell you this, technology doesn't work on me my friend.

The weather is my best friend thus far. Why can't it be like this everyday? I want to take advantage while I can before I'm only left with remnants of memories.

I have an itch now. Time to scratch it.

Music Reason and Emotion

2005-08-25T12:24:00.000-05:00

August 25, 2005 - Friday

Wheatsville Co-op -- Austin, TX

I am asked to show how I feel. How interesting is all I cansay. Austin is unique, that is a definite. I do belong here, yet I am bombarded. I am happy to have moved back here] with information, I am no longer bored, if anything, overwhelmed. There are so many ways of approaching life here, in Austin, I begin to lose my perspective. Initially, I came down here to pursue music, that was my approach, my final destination, performing cover music at coffee shops and open-mics, which, I no doubt will achieve, If I choose, that excited me coming down from Dallas.

It still does, [Oh, god pretty girls everywhere here in Austin, & my type, too! I think. Has what is important changed any? Slightly. The emotional 2 the extreme experience is now not only pure emotional stimulation (fun) but also purpose; a reason for the work. Reason just became more important than the emotional experience. For strong reason will bring strong emotions! Thus our answer to why we do not have emotional success...no reason to feel excited.

In The Scene of ThinGs

2005-07-17T00:45:00.001-05:00

PainTer Hall -- AusTin, TX
12:45 A.M.

I ought to be sleeping but find it necessary to jot down my thoughts and feelings. Tonight, I had a chance to "jam" with a complete stranger and fellow "blues" musician. I ran into Louis coming from work at Madam Mam's, a Thai outfit on campus. He drove me to the lake, (dude, that sounds both gay and scary) which I felt uneasy about initially but relaxed as time passed and I got to know him a litter better.

Tuns out, he's crunk on the guitar, phenomenal, making me feel a variety of emotions. First, it was beautiful to be by the lake under the willows with the water strumming along softly along with the rhythms of his guitar (i think i fell in love...oh, brother) Listening to Louis makes me think about my goals with music and if I could stick these three months pursuing it. Learning guitar reminds me of the past when I was just beginning to get to know Shristi. It was a cold feet submersion. a kind of "don't look, just jump" approach. In the mornings I play Incubus' "Whatever Tomorrow Brings..." everyday. Yea...*self-nodding

Making Music

2005-07-13T15:32:00.001-05:00

July 13, 2005 - Thursday

Music In RouTe -- Amarillo, TX Making Music

It's been a good week since I've made an entry. Seems funny how we tend to write when we have something to share. This weekend I spent in Amarillo, TX. A friend of mine got married. It was an overall pleasant experience. In the context of pursuing music, I was asked by the bride to play/perform Elvis Presley's, "Only fools rush in". I gladly agreed and even volunteered a cousin of hers to do it "duet" with me. For you musically illiterate, that does not mean what you think it means.

All it means is that two people get to make music together...I'll stroke my guitar, grunt some lyrics, and she would hit the high notes. Well, from the audience's feedback, I got limited success, but success, nevertheless! I got several compliments from my friends; made me feel good. Some people even laughed at my corney jokes! sweet! I was pretty excited to hear their applause in the beginning when I got on the stage. Kind of encouraging. However, when I finished, I did not recieve the same enthusiastic response. Kind 'of discouraging.

Being the ever-self-critical artist, I kept thinking after the performance that I messed up here and there. I had a good time on stage and so did my "music-mate". She was soooooooo cute. Dang!