There are always opportunities

20 days into the new year, I still can't wrap my head around it being 2012.  There were times during work where I would still put 2011 when I date projects.  But A new year, a new outlook into what's to come in the future and great opportunities to try new things, change old habits and always work to be better a you.    For me, I chose to pursue a few new things that I've always considered, but never took the time to make it happen.  This year, I plan to learn the guitar to a new level of playing *cough* Jack Johnson *cough*.   That's shooting fairly high but I would sure love to play like he does.  Another goal I want to achieve is to get into Photography.  I have always wanted to buy a DSLR camera and had always put it off, so this year I plan to get one ( Just got it Wednesday!) and shoot as a 'enthusiast'.  Third, I want to maintain working out and eating right.  That sounds like everybody's goal nowadays but it's those who continue to push and pursue, are the ones who will achieve results.

Some advice for this year, is if you really want something, go get it.  There's nothing or nobody that can hold you back except for yourself.  Go fearless into the night!

Let it Snow...

It was continuous rain and showers the week before... So Vien and I decide to partake in what the cool weather has given to us, SNOW!  You don't see this much here in Socal so this was our chance.  The Friday night before, we couldn't stop talking about the mountains and all the snow we were going to see in Big Bear!  So the following Saturday morning, we quickly pack on the clothes and prepare our snacks... we look at each other with big smiles, anticipating our first trip to the snow together as a married couple.  With all the fun and games we had up here, this will now continue to be a once a year adventure for us.  Maybe next year, we will cut our own Christmas tree and that will be a first!  3 days till Christmas!  Happy Holidays everyone.

Am thankful for...

Just want to wish all a Happy Thanksgiving and a happy Friday!  My family, Wife and friends are what keeps me going... I am truly blessed and thankful for the life that I have.  But I believe we are all fortunate if we just continue to love and be positive.  Stay warm this holiday season, enjoy the weekend and the countdown begins till Christmas!!  1 <3

So now enjoy these cupcakes Vien and I made, compliments of Family Fun Mag!

Dinner for 2...

 Night is cold, the rain is coming and going, usually unannounced but always a good reason to stay home and cook.  Tonight we decided to cook some crab cake stuffed salmon.  As a healthy eater, it's always a challenge to come up with something healthy yet taste good at the same time... Thankfully, these came out better than I thought!

Not wanting my salmon overcooked, I baked it for about 12 minutes at 400 degrees.  This kept insides of the salmon moist and slightly under cooked, but still evenly cooked the crab cake in the center.  With a side of blanched and shocked asparagus, this meal turned out to be a hit.

On turning 29...

Another year has passed by... so quickly that I still remember last year's birthday like it was a couple weeks ago.  But this year was special, no... not just because it's my last year in the twenties, which is also true but this is my first birthday as a married man.  No physical gift can compare to the blessing's I've received in the course of a year.  I found my true love, my soul mate and my best friend Vien.  People asked me how does it feel now that I am married and honestly, I can say nothing much has changed other than the fact that it's official and that I have my own family to look forward to.

I can now say that I am content with my life, it is everything I had ever hope and had worked for.  I am thankful that I was given such a blessed life.  I say, 'you do good, you get good.'  This I can vouch for since my life is good.

Where the magic happens..

Well at least where blogs are born... 

One Month after..

Today mark's our one month Anniversary from our wedding day!  Honestly, these past 4 weeks since our wedding, has flew by so fast that I still have goosebumps that it happened.  I remember very vividly, anticipating the big day, prepping everything the night before and making sure we had everything the week before.  But even though it was a lot of work, time and money spent planning the big day, I wouldn't take back anything.  I'm just still shocked at how perfectly the night turned out as it did... It's real hard to tell when you are the one getting married since the only thing running through my mind was making sure everything was under control and that we are on time with all the scheduled events.  It's funny because even till this day, our parents still reminisce about that day with their friends.

After all these years, we've remained close friends since 2001.  I am really fortunate to have the opportunity to spend the rest of my life with my best friend.  She is my everything and this is going to be one helluvah adventure.  Stay tuned...

Be fast in the Mornin'

Call me spoiled, or not... but I remember asking my wife a couple days ago, 'you know what sounds good one of these mornings... some choco chip pancakes'  ...'Don't worry, babe one of these mornings well make some', she said with a soft spoken voice and a gleam of hope in her eyes.  But as no surprise to you readers, the photo above says I got my request!  This past weekend she surprised me with not only a plate full of my favorite choco chip pancakes, but with a glass of blended carrot n orange juice, with banana pancakes, bacon and a side of eggs (yolk to the poke too).

Yeah I know you may think, so what... it's another breakfast.  But this is special to me because breakfast is my favorite meal of the day, the delicious aroma of just cooked breakfast, the fact that we can cook together then sit and enjoy our first meal of our Saturday is just priceless.  I plan on continuing this tradition of home cooked breakfast on the weekends...  not to mention, good practice to when we plan to start a family sometime in the future. ;)

Scrappin' and loungin'

Ahh yes today is Friday, the night is young, the air is cool and perfect snuggle weather.  After dinner, Vien and I glanced over at each other, by the look in our eyes we knew we wanted to stay in tonight.  We figured we'd spend some 'us' time, quality lounge around the house time, a movie or two tonight and maybe scrapbook somethin'.  When we scrap, typically we do a page each of a particular weekend or holiday.  For example, in a typical 12x12 album, I would design the left page and Vien would design the right page.  By doing it this way, we showcase how we envisioned the weekend or that particular holiday by how we decorate it or by which pictures we choose to print and use.  The last time I remember scrapbooking was back in May 2010 when we went to Santa Barbara for our first time, to see 30 seconds to Mars concert @ the Bowl.  Yeah ages ago!

But now with all our wedding planning behind us, we now finally have the time to do what we want to do and be able to plan a whole weekends dedicated to us.  And now normal everyday life sets in, but only difference now is we are officially a married couple!  Just the ring to it, still gives me chills and I still can't believe that we made it.  In a good way of course!  But I know, we will continue to do the same things we normally would do, such as hanging out with  with family and friends, looking for new places to visit, taking hundreds of pictures, and our favorite past time, dining at new restaurants on Sunday mornings.  It's now been 4 weeks since we've been married and so far its been a blessing.  I look forward to our new family, and where the future may take us.  As a reference to Maui, on the Road to Hana, we had a saying...'its not about just finishing your journey, but its about all the stops along the way, enjoying each and every milestone along the way towards the finish... is what the journey is truly all about'

Hello November...!

Pulling down the fake spider webs, throwing out the semi wilted pumpkins from the night before... We say good by to the month of October.  Halloween has just ended, we fold away our costumes that we plan to never use again, but what does remain are all the candies and chocolates afterwards.  Some of us, like myself continue to bring the left over sweets to work, snack throughout the day and just figure, hey might as well, it's there!

But now rolls in my favorite time of the year, Fall!  The weather is consistently cool, the trees transform into a nice shade of orange and red, the rain sprinkles in from time to time, my birthday is this month, and of course the intimate Thanksgiving dinner with my family.  The leftover food is another great thing about it!  You can have yourself some ham, turkey, stuffing, mash potato and gravy and the list goes on. But other than just the food...to me, Thanksgiving is about spending quality time with my family, talking stories, poking fun, making jokes, and the joy to watch everyone having the time of their lives, being with one another makes it all worth it.

Kung Pao and Brocolli cheddar rice

Tonight, I decided to prep dinner before Vien came home... I tore open a bag of Broccoli Cheddar rice, cooked it in boiling pot of water and added a tbsp of butter.  To compliment the rice I warmed up some leftover Kung Pao chicken we had ate from the night before.  Vien warmed up some spinach artichoke dip for our side item.  

1 bag of broccoli rice

2 cups of boiling water

1 tbsp of butter (optional)

Simmer for 7 minutes 

2  minutes to cool then serve  

The finished product of our dinner for Wednesday night.  Vien said it tasted like a soft macaroni rice but she enjoyed it!  This also marks my first blog about food so stay tuned for what I have in store next time.  Enjoy your dinner as Vien and I have and have a good night.

Trick or Treat?....

...If you want my answer to my title, hands down, the treat!!!  Euphoria travels from my taste buds to my brain... There is no other sensation that one can compare, to the way that candy makes me feel.  An addictive, yet bad habit to have as a kid, yet rewarding when taken in moderation!  Oh yeah, before I forget, Happy Halloween!  A spooky holiday that can be enjoyed by both kids and adults.  We love candy too... and we would gladly join in the festivities of walking door to door and collecting candy.  As a family tradition, well something we started maybe 2 years ago in 2009... We plan a Halloween party in conjunction with my sister n law michelle's birthday.  We choose a place to have it, typically my parents house in Corona then we all come dressed up, but the fun part of it all, is that we don't know what anybody is wearing till we show up!  Laughs are shared, compliments are given, costume roles are played out, and tons and tons of picture taking.

Since Halloween fell on a Monday this year, tonight my wife and I just plan to hand out candy, check out the cute costumes of all the kids in the neighborhood, and watch scary movies while we hang out by the front door.  Can't wait till Vien comes home, so we can light up the very scary pumpkins we carved last night ;) and listen to the kids ooh and ahh at it as they approach the front door.  Okay, only a few hours now till the sun sets and the kids start rolling out.  Happy Halloween from our family to yours, and have a safe night!

2 Months Flash Forward

I really do need a daily alarm to notify me that it's time to blog!  But here is a quick overview of 2 months that needs documenting...

-Booked videographer for wedding (Mission Visual)
-Received my Spotify invite
-Carbon Canyon park with my Fiancee and sister Hoang
-Orange County fair to watch Neon Trees
-Did our gift registry at Williams Sonoma
-Huntington Beach Bonfire day with family
-Food tasting at the Villa our venue
-Took Fiancee to Pieology for the first time
-Picked up the 23 bottles of Hennesy for the wedding
-Read 'Sh*t My Dad Says"
-Mailed out all 160 invitations
-Had groomsmen tux fitting at Men's Wearhouse
-Laguna beach day with Fiancee, ate at Zinc and Casey's Cupcakes
-Replaced ink in Epson printer from printing invitations
-Been receiving RSVPs all of August
-Pechanga with family for Russell peters Green Card Tour
-Took Fiancee to 5 Guys Burgers for first time
-Had our Engagement shoots at UCLA
-Got my first fitted suit with Mom and Dad in Garden Grove (Viens Parents)
-Had Vien's vietnamese dress fitting
-Few Kogi food truck runs in Pomona with Fiancee
-Hung out with old High School Friend Tommy and ate kbbq
-Visited Photographer Mikal Lok to check out new designs for wedding book
-Trip to Stockton with family for Valerie & Ky's wedding
-Downloaded Plant's vs Zombies on Fiancee's iPod
-Bought a Juiceman and started juicing because of documentary fat sick and nearly dead
-Vegas trip with the boy's for my bachelor's party
-DMV for my license renewal
-Ate at Freebirds for the first time
-Took Fiancee to CPK for our usual pizza and lettuce wraps

And that about wraps up my time away from the blog.  Hope you enjoyed the flash forward to today.

~Signing off.... Jay

-warrior mode-

Less than 3 months to go and it's time to turn it up a few notches... Time to get suited up and rock this joint!

- time left in this world -

Be thankful for the life you have, no matter good or bad... it can easily be all yours, but can also be easily taken away from you.  Tread carefully, and love those who mean something to you.

Do everything you can, make memories of everything you do, document life's greatest moments.  Ironic that I can't even maintain this blog but I constantly do remind myself that life needs to be recorded because all we keep is the memory of the things you've done...

CHEERS to life!

Happy 4thh...

Other than having an official holiday off from work, there is more meaning to having a day to celebrate our independence day.  One is the fact that current soldiers and veterans will and have fought for our country and without them, today would probably not be possible.  The thought of fireworks on this very day, reminds me to be thankful for the freedom I have and a choice to live life according to me... We are all given a chance to be somebody successful and live a nice peaceful life, either with a wife, kids or just even a pet.  What i'm trying to say is, our life is meant to be lived as extreme as we want it, or as quiet as a tumbleweed in the wind... The control we have over our lives is so amazing yet so precious since our time on this earth is short.

I just want to say thank you to all the Americans who served and continue to serve our country a big salute, for without you... this life wouldn't have been possible.  Happy 4th of July everyone, please light a firework in tribute to the hard working men and women who made life for us all, possible.

-constantly on my mind 2-

On a good note, I do have a pretty good life.  I have a decent job after college, great family, and the best fiancee that anyone could have or ever dream of.  Only problem, I tend to mess things up.  She has given me so many chances at having the best relationship possible but here I come messing up the family picture.  I don't know why I do the stupid crap that I do.  I mean, I am totally committed to her and really do want this to work that it's making me act so tense and nervous when we start to talk about issues.  Maybe just a flop when under pressure or just start to think so much that I want to say all the right things when in fact it should all be spoken from my heart.  I promise that it is genuine but find it so so difficult for me to express those feelings that I have deep down in my heart.  I want to be the best I can for my fiancee because all we are going to have is each other later in the future.  With kids, a house and bills to pay, we better for damn sure have a plan because there is literally no turning back from that.

I will need to be a man about decisions in my life and will need to stop acting so childish and take everything more serious.  I know I am capable of big things I just stop myself from being great, I convince myself that I can't do everything that I want and then it comes to a halt.  I start something but in the end, I never finish what I should.  I was truly humbled last night, the truth of the type of person I am was really displayed.  I got a good look at myself from outside, looking in.  It is not such a pretty sight... I look really broken, not ready and just a total mess.  It must be a pain in the neck to be with someone like me.  I don't give enough credit to the person that I am with and with my selfish personality and who cares attitude, it definitely breaks down the other person in my relationship.  I always wish and say I want to be the best man and be one to be remembered as a great guy who lived a wonderful life and be recognized and missed.  I think to myself, who is going to miss me, what great deeds have I done for anyone but myself.  I am selfish and self centered, I react so negative to comments from my parents and always act like i'm right and they are wrong.  Such a dark and lonely person resides in that body of mine and it shows.  Why can't I be happy for anyone other than myself... What has made me into this poor excuse of a person they call Jay.  I can't even hold a decent conversation with someone without thinking that when is this conversation done?  bad bad, it's not how I want to be as a person... I just want to be clear minded and be someone everyone can say good things about.

-constantly on my mind-

There is just so much going on in this mind of mine and its both bad and somewhat good.  A place to just vent and express how I feel since it is so difficult for me to express in words and in person... I hate the fact that I stutter when I really want my feelings expressed.  I don't know why my mind thinks this way, sometimes I feel so uneducated that I can't properly speak my mind and what it all means in there.  I do need some help and am willing to seek that once I find the right resources.  I also notice I may be anti social or something because its hard for me to keep a constant communication on facebook and my lack of conversation makes me feel that I am not connected to this world.  Without that, I try to compensate and do other activities like read my book, watch tv, work out, watch netflix but in my mind I know I am still disconnected from the world because I can't keep up with conversations and topics constantly populating facebook.

I can't think straight these and inside I stress out so much I just want to cry.  I feel so stupid because I haven't done anything in my life to show self worth.  Each year passes by and I look back and notice that I haven't accomplished anything huge as far as career wise.  Why do I have to be the shy person that I am that I can't even keep a solid mind towards a particular goal, not being able to express myself fully on what's going on my mind without thinking that I am being judged on how I speak and present myself.  I need a humbling experience to waken these senses and get me off the whole mindset of no you can't do anything...

Why am I the person that I am?  Why do I control this individual on earth and what is Gods purpose for me?  I think a lot about the strangest things and question why I have the flaws and particular high points about me.  Sometimes I feel like an underachiever and that life doesn't care who the hell I am and is just slipping away.  I know there is a lot of positives in my life but for some reason, I focus many of the negative things about me and let it affect my life and its entirety.  I admit, I do need help but why me... why is this thing called life so hard for me to be one in society that can be smarter than the next guy, be good and be recognized for it, be tall, be liked and not looked down on because I am a minority, be light skinned, look like just a kid and not be highly looked upon.  Everyone has their battles and I am just a weak link in society for not doing my part in being a better more loved person

~Time waits for nobody~

So many things to learn in this life, so many accomplishments left unaccomplished, so many people to satisfy, so many places where you could be right now, many people to meet and landmarks to visit.  With life being short, and time ticking away, we need to do start considering a list of things to start doing!  Can't be lazy, can't be putting things off, can't be ignoring that life is moving even if you like it or not.  Time wait's for nobody so get with the current and plan something... No matter what you do, don't ever call it boring, or waste of time... it's something productive to somebody and the memories is what will make it worth while.  Remember, after this life,  memories are the only things we will take with us so get lost in it and start creating some!

-Inspirational-

As the coming of mid year rolls around in a few days, it's time to look back and reflect on what we have accomplished.  For most of us, and for myself... this year is truly flying by and quick!  I'll give you a quick example of one particular moment that made this such a fast year.  Last year on June 4, 2010 I asked Vien, now my Fiancee to be my girlfriend. I provided a promise ring to represent my unity and infinite love to her, then proposed to her in Laguna Beach on November 6, 2010 and now planning for an exciting wedding coming this October 8, 2011.  Its crazy to think that the two of us are going to be married people, husband and wife then who know's whats going to happen in 2012... furthering our education, going on trips, and perhaps kids??

These years just seem to fly by so fast because I am with the one I love and the fun we have when we spend it together.  When I look back in my life, I know I had to learn a lot about relationships and now that timing and fate has permitted me to meet my soul mate, I can truly enjoy life to the fullest.  I constantly look forward to what is going to happen in life for us, and the journey that we will venture into together.  But all we know and care about is that we love each other and we have great family who love and get a long with each other, and that love that we are so cute together.