February 11, 2013
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Happy New Year!!!
The Daily News1 Chuc Mung Nam Moi and Gung Hay Fat Choy, and a Happy New Year to everyone out there!
2 We had sizzling, cracking, and popping going on the entire weekend. I went to a nearby shopping center to run some materials for school and an entire group was outside this shopping center with drums, rhythms, and a beatiful snake dance that stopped everyone around.
3 I kept watching and smiling as I saw our small community coming out of their houses and enjoying the sunny day, and the great start to a new year. What impressed me was that it was not all Asian; people of all different races had cameras out, smiles on, and hope within.
4 After an entire week of horror stories coming at us from the media, it was nice to see that most people enjoy the cultural richness that defines our community.
5 I had been stuck indoors all day grading papers and planning lessons, and almost made an excuse to get out. Glad I did.
6 So a happy new year to everyone. I always go to this pho place near my school and have gotten to know the people there. The gal who runs the place is really wonderful, and I visited in late December. She hadn't seen me because of the Christmas break, and was smiling when I came in. I enjoyed my pho, and when I went to pay, she said, "Happy New Year!"
7 I said, "TWO new years! We're lucky!"
8 She laughed, and her eyes twinkled.
9 Hopefully it will be a good one.
10 I hope you have enjoyed the weekend. I sure did.
11 Moving on, Part the First: I slept through another Grammy Awards. I wish I were better with awards' shows, but frankly, they bore me.
12 I always think of how I'd love to give awards to guys with regular jobs,guys who work just as hard as all the celebs, but without the glitter and glam.
13 I'd love it if they had "Buttcrack-of-the Year Award" going to the best plumber in town.
14 I dunno.
15 Everybody does something well.
16 Award shows are no longer even about awards. They are about overdone performances, and a bunch of tech. It's all hype.
17 I'll hold back.
18 I was more entertained yesterday by regular people enjoying an almost impromtu Tet celebration outside of a small supermarket than I was by Hollywood people posing for an artificially overdone Grammy celebration.
19 Maybe I'm just getting old.
20 Award shows always seem contrived and overdone to me.
21 I couldn't care less.
22 The media.
23 I swear.
24 Always inventing make-believe worlds.
25 Yellow journalism gone wild.
26 God I've become crotchety.
27 I like to think that I have mellowed with age.
28 I just don't buy into all of the hype, and it is everywhere.
29 Moving on, Part the Second: I'm also a hypocrite, which I claim with a huge Cheshire smile.
30 I buy into sports, for example.
31 That's always a bunch of hype. But it's my kind of hype. Anything can happen, and it often does.
32 Iono.
33 To each his or her own, I imagine.
34 His or her.
35 Not trying to be sexist here, but it used to be just "his." It was designed that way just to keep things easier.
36 I get it, because everything has to be politically correct nowadays.
37 Do people really get that upset about anything grammatical?
38 Most people don't give a hoot about grammar, at least that's been my observation since the day I was born.
39 Moving on, Part the Thoid: The dog just awakened. I got to sleep early last night after having worked on school stuff all day, so it is just into the one a.m. and Phoebe is already snorting and shaking. I hear her in the slight distance.
40 She won't fully awaken until I am ready to conk out. The second I go into my first rapid eye movement she will bark. It's a guarantee.
41 I will get up with one eye open and the other closed, put on a robe, switch on a light, and open the sliding door to let her bark into the night.
42 She'll be getting revenge on all the firecrackers and celebraters I'm pretty sure.
43 She isn't up yet, mind you. Pets aren't that polite.
44 They wait until you are completely wiped out from the day, and then they get up.
45 How is that?
46 Moving on, Part the Fourth: Ah, meh.
47 Short week.
48 Trying to steer the ship and avoid icebergs.
49 Not easy.
50 I'm glad it's a new year. It's like I didn't really think about the other New Year at Christmas time, because I don't like that New Year for some reason. It's boozy and weird to me.
51 I somehow prefer this one. It fascinates me. It is powerful and ancient.
52 I'm grasping at this one for peace, prosperity and hope.
53 I need those things.
54 We all do.
55 Maybe it's that. Maybe it's that its focus is on simply living.
56 Have a peaceful, prosperous and hopeful day.
57 I have to turn in, after of course, some barking from my pup. She has peace, prosperity and hope every day.
58 See you again.
59 Peace.
~H~
