BB Realm

A lean, mean tennis machine!

2010-08-11T16:50:00.006-05:00

After a week off from tennis, Valerie was quite excited to start practicing tennis again. Of course, she has to do it in style, which includes wearing everything from a colorful headband to a heart necklace to sparkly shoes. Who knows, maybe she'll be a better player because of them :)

Valerie wants to go see Cinderella's Castle

2010-03-27T09:21:00.002-05:00

Iron Man 2

2010-01-18T10:44:00.004-06:00

I can't wait!

God's Pharmacy

2009-10-09T16:24:00.004-05:00

The above certainly gives me more motivation to eat a well balanced diet. I’ve been mainly a meat eater ever since I was a little kid, and it’s slowly catching up to me. I’m a host to a variety of health conditions: nearsightedness, allergies, skin problems, acid reflux, sensitive stomach issues, migraines, backaches, and frequent sore throats. Of course, being a health care professional, the foods above are not intended to prevent, treat, or cure any disease.

TV Lineup

2009-09-10T15:42:00.003-05:00

9/21 Heroes - Can this show reclaim its former glory?
9/25 Smallville - I’m loyal to the end, 9th season and counting!
10/2 Stargate Universe - My dreams come true! Hope this is good.
10/9 Sanctuary - A so-so sci-fi show that I watch when there’s nothing else.
11/3 V - I have little recollection of this series from 1984...

Cardio Workout Attempt #100

2009-08-08T15:53:00.002-05:00

Back in the old days, I preferred playing full court basketball games as a form of aerobic exercise, but these days, it’s too physical for me to play with elbows flying around everywhere. Since then, I’ve tried other types of aerobic activities, but I haven’t found one that I could stick with until now (I hope).

Running was my second choice for a good cardio workout, but it was just too hard on my knees and feet. Next, I tried bicycling, but I didn’t like the fact that my arms weren’t doing anything. Later, I gave the elliptical bike a try, and while I was getting a workout for both my upper and lower body, I didn’t enjoy standing up as much as I did sitting down from bicycling . I know, it’s kinda lame, but I do enough standing at work. Well, I’m onto using a rowing machine now, and so far so good. I get a decent workout on both my legs and arms, I’m able to attain my target heart rate, and I also get to sit down!

Aquarium Wonder

2009-07-22T11:37:00.002-05:00

from Jon Rawlinson on Vimeo.

Table tennis champion in the making?

2009-05-28T16:15:00.009-05:00

In the sport of table tennis, China dominates the world rankings. Of the top 10 players in the world, more than half are from China. There’s no secret to their success. A player’s training starts at a pretty young age and requires deliberate practice and hard work that is demanding and painful. A child with potential will get pulled out of school to practice 8 hours a day, 6 days a week. It’s no wonder that US table tennis players can't even come close in skill level, given that the best US player is not even ranked in the top 100 (but we do have the best swimmer in the world). In the following video, the form, power, and footwork of this little girl is just unbelievable! I bet she plays more table tennis in a single day than I do in a whole week :-O

Tennis 101

2009-04-18T08:39:00.008-05:00

Today will be the first day that Valerie will step on the court for tennis lessons. Her interest in the sport is not too strong, so I figured putting her in an atmosphere with other toddlers learning tennis may help peak her interest. Let's see if the old saying "monkey see, monkey do" holds true in this case. So far, mommey loves shopping, Valerie loves shopping. Aunt Kat likes art, Valerie likes coloring. So, daddy enjoys tennis, Val enjoys tennis? Hahaha, only time will tell.

Valerie at 3 years old

2009-03-23T11:12:00.012-05:00

Valerie is growing up so fast! She's been potty trained and just moved up to the 3 year old Preschool class. She's attending 3 full days. She seems to be adjusting well and happy to be joining her friends in the room. She also got very good assessment grades from her teachers for all her developmental milestones from 19 to 36 months. Valerie has come a long way and still has some trouble separating from mommy and daddy.

Hot Pot Menu

2009-02-03T10:38:00.007-06:00

I have to say the hot pot that I prepared this past weekend was much better than expected. Normally, Sherry goes with a chicken broth soup base while my mom uses just regular water. This time, I went with the Lee Kum Kee Satay Soup Base for Hot Pot that I found from the asian grocery store, and as a result, the food turned out really flavorful!

In the past, I found it cumbersome to use chopsticks, ladles, and even the small metal strainers to pick up food from the hot pot. This time, I decided to go with a long slotted spoon, which turned out to be actually quite efficient. It is now my utensil of choice to use for hot pot.

Without further ado...

fish fillet (a staple of hot pot imho)
fried fish cake (something new that Sherry discovered)
fish balls (rubbery taste as some would say, but tolerable)
oysters (distinct taste which I like)
tofu (a needed balance)
nappa (our new favorite vege for satay hot pot)

dipping sauce mixture: ½ teaspoon chili garlic sauce, 1 tablespoon hoisin sauce, ½ tablespoon soy sauce

My mom makes a pretty good dipping sauce, which I’m in the process of figuring out how to make...

Q & A

2008-12-07T10:10:00.001-06:00

Valerie is really growing up as she is communicating like a mini-adult and learning more words. She’ll give consistent answers whenever Sherry and I ask her the same questions over and over. It’s really wonderful to see her develop and see the kind of person that she’ll become.

Q: What is your favorite color?
A: Red

Q: What is your favorite animal?
A: Polar bear

Q: What is your favorite food?
A: Milk

Q: Who is your best friend?
A: Mommy

Q: What do you want to do today?
A: Color and read books

Q: What do you want for Christmas?
A: Books and clothes

Q: What do you want to be when you grow up?
A: Nurse (I’ll still try to train her into a tennis prodigy, haha!)

Happy Holidays

2008-11-25T06:20:00.009-06:00

Thanksgiving is around the corner. I'm excited this holiday season, because I'm Off on Thanksgiving and Christmas !! Getting ready for holidays is hectic-the shopping, decorating, cooking and sending out Christmas cards. I'm looking forward celebrating this joyful time of the year with my family and good food!!!

Happy Halloween

2008-10-31T10:26:00.008-05:00

Happy Halloween! I'm surprised that Valerie is the only one in her class dressed up for Halloween. It's a beautiful day and no one dressed up? Valerie must feel awkward being the only kid with the costume on.

Milk Consumption

2008-10-25T18:22:00.008-05:00

Valerie is not lactose intolerant. We stopped using the Lactaid after a week because it didn't help much and switched her back to the organic milk. The reason her stomach stuck out was due to her daily milk intake. Recently, Valerie likes drinking milk from a regular plastic cup instead of her straw cup, and she is drinking less milk, around 16 to 20 ounces. She drank a lot and so much faster with the straw cup.

Children over 12 months of age need only 16 to 20 ounces of milk a day recommended by pediatricians. We're aware of that but she loves milk. She was drinking about 36 ounces per day. She became full from the milk and didn't eat much of her solid food. I hid all her straw cups, so she doesn't ask for them and now she likes using the plastic cup. After she lost all the fluids, she seems lighter to me and her pants seem a little loose. Now, her tummy is normal and she eats more solid food:)

Poor service at Potbelly

2008-10-23T16:30:00.002-05:00

Family and I decided to try the new Potbelly that opened up in our area a few weeks ago. When we got there, the server didn’t glance up or even acknowledge us. After waiting a while, we decided to move down the line thinking another employee would help us, but the sandwich maker told us to move back to order. Before we could get back to where we originally waited, which was only about 8 feet away, the server had taken orders from 2 customers who were behind us in a blink of an eye!

Needless to say, I was disappointed with the service. After asking the sandwich maker if they had a card so I could leave negative feedback, the manager came over to ask what was wrong. After explaining the situation, she didn’t charge us anything for the food to our surprise.

Over the years, I’ve developed a track record for leaving negative feedback due to poor service. So far, I’ve left negative feedback at Supercuts, Lowe’s, Blockbuster, and at a theater. I don’t know what it is, but sometimes I wonder if it’s because I’m jinxed, and other times I wonder if it’s because of discrimination.

Valerie is Almost Potty Trained

2008-10-04T22:14:00.015-05:00

Valerie is almost completely potty trained. She did it! She would say " Mommy, go potty" every time she needs to pee-Voluntary request. Cecil initiated the process by hiding all the diapers. I got her to use the potty by depriving her the things she loves such as holding her or extra milk. I also put her on the potty 30 to 40 minutes after she had milk or water and I wouldn't hold her till she peed in the potty. Bribing doesn't work on her. It's true, your child wants your love more than anything. She wears underwear during the day but still uses diaper at night. And she always pooped after I changed her diaper before bedtime. Next step is to get her to poop in the potty.

Vacation

2008-10-03T11:30:00.004-05:00

I just purchased the tickets for 3 of us to visit Ray in Texas in November. I'm looking forward to my 3 weeks off. Cecil and I decided that we don't buy birthday and Christmas gift for each other and just take a trip at the end of the year. We try to go somewhere every year and do something special on our anniversary.

A Day in my Life of Fatherhood

2008-09-25T16:38:00.007-05:00

Being a dad has brought me great joy, but it isn’t without its challenges. There is no one correct way to raise a child. Instead, everyone has their own unique style and methods. In the following video, you’ll see Valerie struggling and crying from trying to take her shirt off. Any good parent will help their child in need or trouble, but in this case, what do I do if Val doesn’t want my help? I apologize in advance if the video appears cruel but Val is quite independent, and pretty stubborn.

Drawing from what I know and my own childhood experiences, I feel having balance is very important in a child’s life. Sometimes, it’s just not that simple as you’ll see in this next video where Val and I are at odds in finding a balance between spoiling her with everything and depriving her of everything.

Haha, you may have noticed from the videos that my daughter likes to be naked. I just hope it’s a phase and not a sign of anything bad in the future…

Lactose intolerance

2008-09-21T16:45:00.014-05:00

Valerie may be lactose intolerant. We mentioned that her tummy was big to her pediatrician when she was 6 months old. The doctor said it's normal, baby's tummy sticks out till they're 18th months old. So, we didn't think too much of it because she was tolerating her formula and the whole milk with no signs of diarrhea. Until, 2 weeks ago, Uncle Dave mentioned that Valerie's tummy seemed big. Thank You, Dave :)

I brought her to the doctor's office this week and mentioned that her tummy is still big to her pediatrician. The doctor felt her tummy and said "She's probably lactose intolerant." I switched her milk to Lactaid, and her tummy seems smaller. She's doing much better with the Lactaid milk and her tummy seems normal now.

Massage

2008-09-19T14:56:00.005-05:00

One of my friends is telling me to get either a Swedish or Deep Tissue Massage. She says it's very relaxing and enjoyable. I don't have back pain or tense muscles. I'll give it a try. I'll treat myself to a massage.

Day-Care Update

2008-09-15T19:59:00.006-05:00

Today is the first day that Valerie didn't cry when I dropped her off at school. The teacher is telling me that she's doing great and very talkative in class. I'm happy that my baby is finally warming up to her teachers!!!

Potty Training:So Hard

2008-09-05T10:15:00.009-05:00

We have been trying to get Valerie to use the potty, but she refuses to use it. She does seem interested in the potty chair. She'll say "Mommy, I need to go potty." She would pull down her diaper and sit on the potty but she won't use it, when she really gotta go. She's 2 & 1/2 years old and we're ready to ditch her diapers for good. After many unsuccessful potty training attempts, we just gave up. Potty training is a big deal and it's going to be a long battle. Perhaps, we have to be more patience.

Cooking

2008-09-02T06:50:00.020-05:00

I have not been cooking much after Valerie was born. It's a lot of work to work full-time, take care of her and juggle everything else around the house. Cooking is the only thing I don't do on a regular basis. Take-out or fast foods are not healthy as home- cooked meals. However, I have been cooking more after Valerie started going to school. It's healthier and it's less expensive. I still have to find more recipes.

Day-Care

2008-08-25T11:00:00.004-05:00

Valerie's been going to day-care, 3 full-day a week for 4 months. Every time I drop her off, she cries and she wants to go home with mommy. I try to accentuate the positives like making new friends, playing in the playground and learning new things. The teacher says she's fine all day, and she seems happy when I pick her up. She is still adjusting and she's still kinda of shy and timid around people that she doesn't know.

Why?

2008-08-21T22:19:00.015-05:00

Recently, Valerie's been asking us WHY about everything. When she gets older, I know she will be asking me where do babies come from? I will not tell her something stupid like a girl can get pregnant from kissing a boy. When she's old enough, I'll get the body book out and tell her the facts. I think as parent, it's important to equip the child with knowledge, because I can't be there for her all the time and I hope she'll make the right decisions for herself.

Didn't get 1st place but I'm making progress!

2008-07-19T16:56:00.000-05:00

Power Level 1064

2008-06-19T18:38:00.001-05:00

Just as there are power levels in Dragonball Z measuring an adult at 10, Vegeta at 8000 (during the Vegeta Saga), and Super Saiyan Goku at 1500000, there are ratings for table tennis players, which are determined from playing in tournaments. After playing in some tournaments and practicing several times a week for almost a year, I have a measly rating of 1064 Beginners have a rating ranging from 100 to 1000, intermediate players from 1100 to 1700, advanced players from 1800 to 2300, and world class players 2600 and up.

I still have a long way to go, but the good news is I think I’ve made an important breakthrough in my development. I’ve started to watch the ball more closely to improve my returns, and I can say spin is king in table tennis. If I can see the logo on the ball, that means there is not much spin on the ball, but if I can’t see the logo on the ball or if it’s very blurry, then there is a lot of spin on the ball.

As a final note, I find it a little embarrassing but resourceful at the same time that the USA Table Tennis organization records the results of all tournament play. If you like, go to: http://www.usatt.org/history/rating/history/ and punch in my last name to see all the game scores for all the matches I’ve played, which include losing to a 70 year old senior citizen and a 14 year girl!

Valerie is going to school

2008-05-14T12:29:00.003-05:00

Valerie is growing up. She started going to school this Monday. She's enrolled in the 5 half-day program, which is the core of the program. We drop her off at 9 am and pick her up at 1pm. She is excited to go to school every morning but wants us to stay with her. Surprising, she didn't cry on the first day, but she cried yesterday and today. I called the center after 20 minutes to check on her, she stopped crying after 5 minutes after I left. I like the facility. It's very clean, the staff is good and it's only 5 minutes away. I get a daily report on what she eat , number of potty time/diaper change and what she does at school. With Valerie being in school for 4 hours, for the first time in 2 years that we actually have more free time, me- time and couple-time. Overall, I’m happy that Valerie is interacting with the other kids, learning and having fun. And, we still get to spend time with Valerie because it’s only half-day. It’s worth the money.

Val likes dog

2008-04-17T17:57:00.003-05:00

I took Valerie to the park today. She was having fun playing and one of our neighbors stopped by with her little boy and her dog. Valerie started playing with the puppy and wanted to take the puppy home with her. She was crying and wanted the dog to go home with her. We took her to a pet store after lunch. She liked the white terrier, so we asked to see the puppy. Valerie was so happy to play with the dog and again she wanted to take the puppy home with us. Honestly, we don't know how to take care of a dog, it's a lot of responsibilities and too much work right now. Valerie's fondness for dogs is possibly because she was born in the year of the dog. We might consider getting a dog for her when she gets older.

Guilty Pleasure

2008-02-13T17:38:00.001-06:00

Mmmmmm, So delicious......

Las Vegas Stats

2007-11-03T12:13:00.001-05:00

# of cute baby compliments: Many, which got me thinking is Val still gonna be cute when she gets older? Just take a look at Macauley Culkin.

# of other infants & toddlers I saw in Vegas: Enough, so that Sherry & I didn't feel too uncomfortable.

# of dollars won from gambling: 257, I almost lost it all but I got lucky from slapping it all down a couple times and winning.

# of hours it took to get to Vegas: 8.5, the most arduous part of the trip for me, due to all the sitting my butt had to do without a nice cushion.

# of swear words used within an earshot of Valerie: 5, I don't like it, but what can you do when you live in a country with freedom of speech.

# of meals per day: 2.5, we stuffed ourselves eating buffets, so we didn't need 3 full meals a day, except for Val.

# of times Sherry went to Starbucks to get her fix: 2, I even find it highly addicting, but thank goodness, I'm extremely lactose intolerant.

# of times Valerie got trampled over: Once, not unexpected because Valerie either wanted only Sherry to hold her or she wanted to walk by herself. I'm gonna give her stroller training from now on (in addition to tennis).

# of scantily clad women I saw: None, I only have eyes for my wife!

Valerie's 20th month milestone

2007-11-01T07:52:00.002-05:00

Things Valerie can do at 20th months old-in no particular order

1. Feed herself using a fork & spoon
2. Brush her teeth
3. Know the alphabet up to letter F (tried to record a video but she moves too much)
4. Use 50+ words
5. Turn on TV
6. Turn on & off light when asked
7. Point to body parts when asked
8. Take off her jacket & shoes
9. Go up and down the stairs without help
10. Identify pictures by naming

Pumpkin Patch

2007-10-28T16:22:00.001-05:00

We went to Goebbert’s Farm in South Barrington today with our friends. We had a very good time because there’s a lot to do at the farm. It’s got the petting zoo, pony ride, corn maze, indoor restaurants and ect. I would definitely go back next year. The pictures are posted in Valerie’s Photos. I’m super tired, I’ve been up for more than 24 hours. I'm going to sleep. I’m just Happy it’s my last night of work for the week.

A Preference For Mommy

2007-06-13T23:25:00.002-05:00

Valerie won't let anybody else do anything for her when I'm around even daddy. It's somewhat flattering to know that my daughter loves spending time with me, and I'm grateful for her attention, but she seems too dependent on me. My hubby is saying I'm holding her too much, I give in to her demands too easily and I don't discipline her. She definately behave differently when she's under daddy's care, she's well behaved and less clingy when daddy is taking care of her. I talked to other parents, they say it's a transitional stage. I want to provide enough love, comfort, security and support but don't want to over do it. Recently, I incorporate playdates and a daily walk in the neighborhood, she likes to play with other childrens and seem less dependent on me. I know she won't learn to let go overnight. Being good parents is the toughest job in the world, it takes a lot of work to raise good, healthy and happy kids but very rewarding.

Latest Tennis News

2007-04-29T17:49:00.002-05:00

Former Miss Universe 2005 Natalie Glebova will marry tennis player Paradorn Srichaphan. Don't they make a lovely couple? In record-breaking news, Rafael Nadal records his 72nd consecutive victory on clay court. Man, does Roger Federer even have a prayer of beating him in the French Open? One can only hope, one can only hope...

Comics Galore

2007-03-28T19:42:00.001-05:00

I couldn't believe Marvel would make this kind of product available, but they did with Spider-Man, Fantastic Four, X-Men, Avengers, and now the Incredible Hulk all available on DVD-ROM, each containing over 500 issues of comics spanning over 40 years! That's a total of over 2500 comics to read, and at a rate of one comic per day, it would take me more than 6 years to finish reading them all. I'm not that big a Marvel fan, but when each DVD-ROM costs less than $50, the price translates to around 10 cents per issue, and that's a deal that no comic enthusiast today can pass up. The only drawback is you need a really large monitor, at least a 22", or else you may end up getting headaches trying to read them on a smaller screen. Now if only DC would put some of their stuff on DVD-ROM....

Guess who's birthday it is today?

2007-02-21T10:32:00.002-06:00

Happy Chinese New Year!

2007-02-18T08:01:00.000-06:00

Thank you for the lai see, Mommy & Daddy! Love, Val

Password consolidation

2007-02-10T14:43:00.000-06:00

With the advent of the internet, I started with a couple passwords that were easy to remember, but now that number has grown to over 9, and I’m starting to lose track. For work alone, I have 3 different passwords, and it doesn’t help that the computer system requires me to change one of them every few months, and to make matters worse, new passwords must be different from the last 4 passwords.

With password requirements like numbers embedded in the middle, certain minimum or maximum lengths, and even a capital letter required somewhere, it’s no wonder I can’t remember them all, without referring to my cheat sheet. Well, just recently I decided to consolidate all my passwords to one that’s 8 letters/numbers in length with 2 numbers embedded somewhere, such as 00, which will allow me to rotate passwords as needed by increasing an embedded number by 1, while keeping all the letters the same. Hopefully, with this new system, I can cut down most of my passwords to just a few now, and still deter most hackers.

Day-Care for Val

2007-01-26T11:56:00.000-06:00

Working full-time and taking care of Valerie full-time without day-care/nanny, We are going to enroll her in a part-time day- care later this year. The quality of care at the day-care is not as good as mom and dad's. We don't mind taking care her ourselves, but she needs social interaction. We can also have more time for ourselves to unwind. I'm also thinking switching back to day-time if day-care works out for us.

Booster Seat

2007-01-14T14:56:00.000-06:00

Valerie is going to be 11 months old next week, and she's getting too big for the car seat. I tried looking for a booster forward facing car seat at Babies”R”Us online, because it has a wide selection. I want to look for a safe and comfortable booster seat for Valerie but all of the booster seats that listed on Baby R US online are ugly and the designs are not my taste. I'll stop by the store soon, maybe they have one that I like.

Fantastic Four: Rise of the Silver Surfer

2006-12-27T17:29:00.000-06:00

Woah, just saw the new trailer for the new upcoming Fantastic Four movie and it looks incredible with the Silver Surfer in it. It looks like they’re really raising it a few notches by bringing him in. The Silver Surfer is an extremely powerful being imbued with cosmic powers, which I believe makes him even more powerful than Superman. It’s heavily debated in the comic world who is more powerful between the two, but as big a Superman fan as I am, I would still have to side with the Surfer. Really, he doesn’t need to eat or breath and is capable of hyperspeed travel (faster than light), which Superman is not capable of. Haha, the Fantastic Four is a joke compared to the Silver Surfer.

Here’s the link to the trailer: http://www.apple.com/trailers/fox/fantasticfourriseofthesilversurfer/

-Cecil

P.S. I think a Super Saiyan Level 3 Goku of Dragonball Z fame would wipe the floor with both the Surfer and Superman.

Valerie speaks!

2006-12-21T21:14:00.000-06:00

For the longest time, Valerie has been saying na-na, but we couldn't figure out if she was trying to say ma-ma or da-da. For a lot of parents, it's a contest to see whether their babies can say ma-ma or da-da first, but for us, when the moment finally arrived, it didn't matter at all. We were just happy to be lucky enough to capture it on video (thanks to Sherry's quick thinking and acting!)

Baby Food

2006-08-03T18:14:00.000-05:00

We started feeding Valerie baby food, it's usually recommended to star at 6 month. Val is little over 5 month and we think she's ready for solid food. It is very messy in the beginning but today she doing a lot better. she can swallow faster now. We started out with banana, but she didn't like it, then we switched to sweet potatoe. she likes the sweet potatoes and keep arching her head for more food. she can finish the whole jar every feeding. we only feeding her the baby food once a day. It's a lot of fun to watch a baby learn to eat. Val enjoys her baby food and we recorded it.

Dream job: Stay at home mom

2006-06-29T11:02:00.000-05:00

Many women are giving up their career and salary to stay home to care for their children. I personally can't be a stay at home mom, as much as I enjoy taking care of Valerie. I wanted to become a young active mom, and be able to juggle my work and also take care of my daughter. Being an overnight pharmacist allow me to do both, stay home half of the time and work half of the time. Since Cecil has the opposite schedule, one of us is always home with the baby that she is in good hand and get the best care. It's not easy, and it's a lot of work being parents. We don't get to spend as much time with eachother as we used to. We try to eat breakfast, lunch, dinner, and take a morning nap together. For now, we are doing good. Cecil is a wonderful dad and Valerie is a good baby. She sleeps through the night, so mommy and daddy can get a restful night of sleep. now, I put her to sleep before I go to work and she's up when I get home in the morning. I'll see when Val gets older and start crying for mommy, then I might consider going down to part-time.

The Cage

2006-06-22T12:25:00.001-05:00

The cage, or you can call it a playpen, is up and ready. Even though Valerie can't crawl yet, I'm already concerned that when she becomes mobile, she may wind up hurting herself somewhere in the house. Now I have a place to put her where she can play safely, which also means more time for me to sleep. Am I a great parent or what :-)

New Superman Trailer!

2006-05-02T17:46:00.001-05:00

(Quicktime 7 required to view)

Daredevil Valerie

2006-04-26T13:37:00.000-05:00

This happened a couple weeks ago on my watch and baby Valerie sure gave me quite a scare! I woke up in the middle of the night and left her sleeping on the mattress and when I came back an hour later, I found her lying on the floor face down! Thank goodness she was sleeping soundly and wasn't seriously hurt because the mattress was only less than a foot off the ground. I know she turns sideways at times from kicking her legs while crying constantly but I didn't hear her cry at all when I was in the other bedroom. I have to say that I've been really dumbfounded by how she was able to pull off this stunt.

The pic below is a recreation of an actual event using a fictional character:

Movie Season

2006-04-12T14:45:00.000-05:00

5/5/06: Mission: Impossible 3
5/18/06: The Da Vinci Code
5/26/06: X-Men: The Last Stand
6/30/06: Superman Returns

A lot of movies are coming out in the next few months and I can't wait. It's been a while since I've seen a good flick so I hope the ones I'm interested in seeing don't dissapoint. So which one am I most excited about seeing? Definitely Superman Returns. This movie has gone through as many script changes as director and lead actor changes. At one point, Nicholas Cage, Brendan Fraser, and Keanu Reeves were up for the role of playing the Man of Steel, but thank goodness, it didn't happen. I think picking an unknown like Brandon Routh is the way to go. With Bryan Singer onboard as director (he left X-Men 3 to do Superman), Superman Returns should rock if his X-Men movies were any indication of how good this one will be.

It's a girl

2006-03-01T19:21:00.000-06:00

Our bundle of joy has finally arrived

Introducing:

Valerie Lai-Yook Y.
February 21, 2006
4:57 PM
6 lb 6 oz
19 Inches

Proud parents - Cecil & Sherry

Pics will be posted soon!

Overnight

2005-09-10T21:55:00.001-05:00

I just got done with 3 overnight shifts, all I can say is that I didn't like them. It's hard on the body, trying to adjust to normal sleeping patterns, staying awake after 5pm,trying to sleep during the day and headache after the overnights. It doesn't matter if you work at slower 24 HR store, trust me, there's always something to do especially when you are by yourself, and people will come in to get their RXs fill from the ER at wee hours.

Good News!

2005-07-28T23:04:00.000-05:00

Cecil and I are getting married in October. We'll send out the invitations soon!

Also, I passed the MPJE and NAPLEX, yeah! Sherry Tsang, Pharm.D., RPH (!) I can't wait to fill my first Rx ha ha..j/k

Work Stoppage!

2005-07-05T16:51:00.000-05:00

It's official! It has finally happened and it's set for Wednesday, July 6, 2005 starting at 10:00PM. It's one day before the supposedly "final" meeting at the bargaining table between the union and the company. I have to say that I'm a little disappointed that it wasn't earlier because I had to work the whole holiday weekend. Oh well, it's not a bad date considering the union will have significant leverage in the negotiations and we'll also at least know if the company will agree by Friday. Keeping my fingers crossed... -Cecil

Add-on: Ah, I just realized too that payday is on Wednesdays. Any work stoppage prior to that day would mean the company can withhold our paychecks from us. Ingenious.

Tennis racquet search

2005-05-16T16:48:00.000-05:00

I've been a loyal user of Wilson Hammer tennis racquets for many years now, but with all the new tennis technologies offered by Wilson's competitors lately, I'm tempted to switch. Frankly, I'm not that enticed by Wilson's current line of racquets. Maybe it's because their latest line of racquets (nCode) doesn't have the same ring as their old ones (Hammer/Hyper Hammer). Here's a rundown of my options:

-Wilson nCoded racquets – stronger, more stable, and more powerful than ordinary racquets
-Prince O3 racquets – larger sweetspot, faster swing speed, better maneuverability, and greater stability
-Head Flexpoint racquets – power with ultimate control
-Head Liquidmetal racquets – more comfort, total sweetspot construction, and power and energy built into the racquet head

That last phrase, "power and energy built into the racquet head," made me chuckle, and if it's anything like the T-1000 model, I'll take it.

Star Wars Countdown

2005-04-19T16:30:00.003-05:00

I can’t wait. It seemed like an eternity but it’s only gonna be another month before the release of Episode 3: Revenge of the Sith. I’m pretty excited about seeing the conclusion of the Clone Wars and seeing the transformation of Anakin Skywalker to Darth Vader. I just hope this movie doesn't disappoint.

On a side note, I’m also looking forward to seeing these other upcoming films:
The Hitchhiker’s Guide to the Galaxy (April 29)
Batman Begins (June 17)
War of the Worlds (June 29)
Fantastic Four (July 8)

Last day of school

2005-04-09T00:50:00.000-05:00

Today is the last day of school for me. I'm finally done with rotations. It feels good to be done with school, no more going to classes,no more getting up at 6am,no more presentations and no more studying. Of course, the real world isn't stress free either. overall, I learned a lot, especially practical clinical experiences.

Before rotations, I thought I wanted to do retail,working at Walgreens is not a bad idea to me. Now I'm done with school, I'm not so sure if I wanted to do retail anymore. In the ideal world, retail pharmacy isn't so bad if there's no insurance problems, no drive-thru, doctors know how to write Rxs, and more help, so pharmacists have more time to consult the patients and provide adequate drug information. I like pharmacy, but retail is not my ideal practice setting. At some point, I wanted to do a residency. on the other hand, I don't want to stay in school anymore. I don't want to give up 2 years of my life and a huge pay cut.

The next step is getting licensed then work. At this point of my life, I want to make some money, so I can start my life. so, the plan for me is to work for Walgreens for a few years, because I took their student scholarship. I know there's no perfect job,and you just have to make the most out of it. who knows, I might change my mind. Too bad, Cecil doesn't make enough for me to stay home ha ha...

Top 10: Asian Martial Arts Movies

2005-02-09T13:32:00.003-06:00

To read more about the following movies, go to: http://askmen.com/toys/top_10_100/101d_top_10_list.html

10. Snake in the Eagle's Shadow (1978)
9. Shaolin Master Killer (1978)
8. Seven Samurai (1954)
7. Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon (2000)
6. The Shaolin Temple (1979)
5. Fist of Legend (1994)
4. Police Story (1985)
3. Drunken Master (1978)
2. Enter the Dragon (1973)
1. The Chinese Connection (1972)

I don't really have an opinion on the rankings of these movies since I haven't seen all of them, but I do know I would rank Enter the Dragon above The Chinese Connection. So how many of these have I seen? Only 4/10. Shame on me... and I consider myself a martial arts enthusiast.

The Incredibles

2004-11-17T15:18:00.000-06:00

I am a huge fan of the superhero genre as a result of my cravings for action, that is, over-the-top action that is not normally found in realistic-type movies. Movies such as Spiderman 2 and X-Men 2 as well as Smallville have come a long way in their special effects compared to similar movies/shows of the past to make the action look cool and impressive.

The Incredibles is a superhero animation by Pixar Studios, the same company that produced Finding Nemo which currently has a domestic gross of over $300 millions dollars and if The Incredibles stays strong at the box office in the coming weeks, it may reach that figure as well.

The Incredibles is about a superhero family forced to live a normal way of life as a result of all the frivolous lawsuits claiming that their superpowers did more harm than good. Mr. Incredible, the main character of the movie, still wants to use his superhuman abilities to help people but he is unable to until one day, a mysterious benefactor contacts him and requests his services.

The film is definitely well-made and entertaining, even to adults IMHO. The storyline, action, and humor kept me interested throughout the whole film. My main complaint is that the superhuman feats in animation form appeared somewhat ordinary when compared to similar action sequences in non-animation scenes and I just wasn't that impressed. For instance, I was much more impressed by the action scenes in Smallville when Clark uses his superspeed to do something while everything around him stops moving. Overall, I highly recommend this film and I give it an A-.

Looking forward to moving out

2004-11-11T10:18:00.000-06:00

If all goes well, I should be moving into my new place in the next couple weeks. Here are 5 reasons why I'm looking forward to moving out:

1. I can sleep during the day without being waken up by noises around the house.
2. I can regulate the thermostat to attain normal room temperature so I no longer have to freeze in the winter or boil in the summer.
3. I don't have to worry anymore about sudden water temperature changes in the shower when someone flushes the toilet or uses the sink.
4. I no longer have to stare at a week's worth of leftovers in the refrigerator that my family has a habit of accumulating.
5. I can walk around in my babysuit whenever I want :-)

Deep down though, I'll miss living with my family.

Rx laugh

2004-10-15T20:49:00.002-05:00

A young man goes into a drug store to buy condoms. The pharmacist says the condoms come in packs of 3, 9 or 12 and asks which the young man wants. "Well," he said, "I've been seeing this girl for a while and she's really hot. I want the condoms because I think tonight's "the" night. We're having dinner with her parents, and then we're going out. And I've got a feeling I'm gonna get lucky after that. Once she's had me, she'll want me all the time, so you'd better give me the 12 pack." The young man makes his purchase and leaves. Later that evening, he sits down to dinner with his girlfriend and her parents. He asks if he might give the blessing, and they agree. He begins the prayer, but continues praying for several minutes. The girl leans over and says, "You never told me that you were such a religious person." He leans over to her and says, "You never told me that your father is a pharmacist."

Another Pharmacist Joke
A man walks into a pharmacy, buys a condom, then walks out of the store laughing hysterically. The pharmacist thinks this is weird, but, hey, there's no law preventing weird people from buying condoms. Who knows, maybe it's a good thing. The next day, the same man comes back to the store, purchases yet another condom, and once again he leaves the store laughing wildly. This piques the interest of the pharmacist. "What's could be so funny about buying a condom, anyway?" So he tells his clerk "If this guy ever comes back, I want you to follow him to see where he goes." Sure enough, the next day the same man is back, he buys the condom, and again starts cracking up with laughter, then leaves. The pharmacist tells his clerk, go follow the guy. About an hour later, the clerk comes back to the store. "Did you follow him? Where did he go?" asks the pharmacist. The clerk replies "Your house."

No perfect world

2004-10-12T18:09:00.000-05:00

Before I started my psychiatric rotation, I've always thought there is existence of perfect situations and perfect world. I still believe, but not everyone is so lucky. After getting to know these patients, I'm thankful to be alive and healthy. It's so depressing and stressful to work in that kind of environment,it makes me wanting to go home every week. well, I don't work there,I'm just there to learn.

An impossibility

2004-10-04T14:14:00.000-05:00

How can this be possible? Are my eyes playing tricks on me? Are the laws of mathematics being defied here? Count the squares and see for yourself...

Funny but not funny

2004-09-21T23:59:00.000-05:00

In the pharmacy, my manager likes to print out stats to indicate how we're doing. She printed out the phone stats for one day and they were not very good at all. The numbers were down the tube and we had missed nearly a hundred calls that day. The phone must be picked up before the 3rd ring or else it counts as a missed call.

So I asked one of the techs if it was really busy that day and she said it was nothing unusual except that the RPH floater was worthless and he was the main reason for the poor stats. She explained that as it got busier and busier, he went slower and slower (the key is to work faster without sacrificing accuracy). She said that he made no attempts to answer the phone as they were ringing off the hooks. He also left the pharmacy numerous times for extended periods. One time, a tech caught him using his cell phone in the bathroom and another time, he was gone so long that the other pharmacist had to leave the pharmacy to look for him.

And when she told me this last thing, I started practically cracking up. He came back to the pharmacy without his smock. That's kinda odd... so the techs asked him what happened to it and he didn't really know. Later, one of the female techs found it... guess where it was? In the women's restroom. Hahaha....

Pixel portrait of us

2004-09-06T23:02:00.000-05:00

Using the Portrait Illustration Maker link from kenfoon.com, here's how our pixel portrait came out:

Here's another one I really like when my honey had short hair (she's so cute!):

It's a little time consuming but it's fun once you get into it.

Olympic Ping-Pong

2004-08-23T18:40:00.000-05:00

I missed it. After reading about the intense final match between China's Wang vs. Korea's Ryu, I want to see it. It was a showcase of spin vs. power. It was a close match, but in the end power prevailed. Not surprisingly, the match was a big thing over in Asia and was broadcasted during primetime, but guess what time it was shown in the U.S? At 7am today when everyone was asleep! Man, I should have Tivo'd it >:-<

yummy...

2004-08-16T00:03:00.000-05:00

I like to have soup with dinner, especially in the winter. I found this recipe in one of our Chinese cook books for corn soup. I made it last week and it actually turned out pretty good. The whole cooking process take less than an hour and it's very simple to cook. Here's the recipe~Sherry

Ingredients:6 servings
1 slice of chicken breast chopped fine
2 cans of chicken broth
1 egg white
1 tablespoon of dry sherry
1 tablespoon of cornstarch
1 can of creamed corn
3/4 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon white or black pepper and adjust according to taste
1 egg,beaten
2 tablespoon corn starched dissolved in 2 tablespoon water
green onions,chopped
chopped ham(optional)

How to make:
1.combine chopped chicken breast,egg white,wine and cornstarch. set aside
2.combine chicken broth,creamed corn,salt and black pepper. bring to boil,adding chicken mixture,stir to break up chicken and cook for 1-2 minutes
3. add beaten egg in low heat and stir slowly in one direction. then thicken with cornstarch and water mixture.
4. add green onions and ham if desired

Lethal Combination

2004-08-10T15:35:00.000-05:00

I thought my head was gonna explode. Fully aware of my beef allergy diagnosis but not entirely convinced of it, I had teriyaki beef for lunch with my honey, a LOT of teriyaki beef. Within 30 minutes, my head started hurting and I thought it was from the MSG in the beef. Progressively, my headache became one of the worst I ever experienced that it couldn't have been just the MSG causing it. Thinking back, I remembered one of my coworkers telling me that when she had the worst headache ever, the doctor from the emergency room told her she was experiencing an allergic reaction, most likely to some seeds in the Indian food she had eaten earlier. Great, this must be what I'm experiencing due to the beef. I discussed with my honey about getting some ipecac syrup from the pharmacy but it may be too late by the time we get it. Well, we thought of an alternative and needless to say, it worked like a charm. I'm all better now :-)

My Results

2004-08-05T00:48:00.000-05:00

Courtesy of inside my noggin, I guess I'm pretty normal per the results of the personality disorder test:

Disorder	Rating
Paranoid:	Low
Schizoid:	Low
Schizotypal:	Low
Antisocial:	Low
Borderline:	Low
Histrionic:	Moderate
Narcissistic:	Low
Avoidant:	Low
Dependent:	Low
Obsessive-Compulsive:	Low
-- Personality Disorder Test - Take It! --

-Cecil aka "Fierce Tiger"

simple things in Life!

2004-07-18T11:26:00.000-05:00

The happiness of life is made of little things-a smile,a hug,a moment of shared laughter,love, gratitude and appreciation. I'm happy when I'm with you, because there is no one like you. I'm happy when I'm home because there is no place like home!

All Work, No Play

2004-07-08T13:01:00.001-05:00

Yesterday, my honey and I went to dinner with one of my friends from pharmacy school, whom I haven't seen in over half a year, to chat, laugh, and enjoy the good old times. We also tried inviting another classmate to come along, but she couldn't make it because she was busy working. I really wished she could have made it since it's been at least a year since we all last hung out. Sometimes I wonder why she works all the time (7 days a week). Is is because she's a workaholic or is it because she likes the money? To me, life is at its best when it's well balanced between work and play. I just hope she has no regrets in the end. Towards the end of the evening, I asked my friend when he thinks all of us can hang out next, and he said "probably in 10 years." A moment later, we both laughed knowing that he's probably right.

ID rotation

2004-07-01T23:01:00.001-05:00

I'm currently on my Infectious Disease rotation. I thought it would be interesting to learn more about "bugs & Drugs" but it's not so fun after all! The first week was nice, I only had to show up for 3 days. My preceptor was intimidating at the beginning. I had to give him credit for it cuz he's really good at what he's doing and very knowledgeable, but I hate it when he ugh.. me when I don't have an answer for him and he'll have me look it up the next day. now, I know what he expects and he starts to back off a little. so far it's going okay and it's getting better!

I'm spending at least 12 hours a day for this rotation- 7 hrs at the hospital,2 hrs commuting,and 3 hrs reading the articles assigned each day on the different types of Infections. since my preceptor has high expectation,I'm also worried about being prepared for the next day, to be quizzed. If you ask any pharmacy student that's probably the avg. hr of work for a clinical rotation. yeah, I'm stressed, just 3 more weeks. I'll make it and I'll take his job ha ha...

Thanx honey for looking up-Mucormycosis for me, you're a big help!