Haley Stands-up

today, i'm a proud daddy. haley has been trying to stand up since she was at 7 months. but we tried not to let her stand to early in fears of her not being able to grow up tall.

today at 8 months and 11 days old, lookie what haley can do. she's holding herself up against our futon pillow.

she's able to stand for about 10-15 seconds, but at least it's a start.

man, when they say baby grows up fast.. they weren't kidding at all. everyday as i see my daughter grows, i also noticed more and more wrinkles around my eyes.

Brandon Heath - Wait and See

happy friday ya'll.

lately, when i'm feeling lost for words or mentally preoccupied with work related crap, i would always find comfort when i hear this on klove radio.

whether if you are a religious person or not, perhaps after hearing this song you may also find some comfort within your hearts.

i really love this song. the melody and the words fits so well. most of all, i can relate to this song, especially the part about not being good in school. i was never a brainiac or a book worm like my older brother. heck, even when i was going in college, my parents' worst fear was that i would never be able to graduate. but like the song says, "I don't know how but I made it through, it's one of those things you gotta do..."

FYI - you can always listen to live streaming song on www.klove.com or CLICK HERE to find your local klove radio station.

i hope you will enjoy and fall in love with this song; as much as i have.

cheers~



Brandon Heath - "Wait And See" lyrics

I was born in Tennessee, late July humidity doctors said I was lucky to be alive
I've Been troubled since the day that I got here, troubled to the day I disappear
That'll be the day that I finally get it right

There is hope, for me yet, because God won't forget, all the plans he's made for me
I have to wait and see, he's not finished with me yet, he's not finished with me yet

I never really was that good in school. Talked to much, broke the rules
My teachers thought I was a hopeless fool all right.
I don't know how but I made it through, it's one of those things you gotta do
I always had a knack for telling the truth.

There is hope, for me yet, because God won't forget, all the plans he's made for me
I have to wait and see, he's not finished with me yet, he's not finished with me yet

Still wonerin' why I'm here. Still wrestling with my fear
But oh... He's up to something,
And the farther out I go, I've seen enough to know that I'm not here for nothin'
He's up to somethin'

So here's my time to be a man, follow my heart as far as I can
No tellin' where I'm ending up tonight
I never slow down or so it seems, but singing my heart is one of my dreams
All I gotta do is hold on tight.

There is hope, for me yet, because God won't forget, all the plans he's made for me
I have to wait and see, he's not finished with me yet, he's not finished with me yet
He's not finished with me yet, He's not finished with me yet"

God teach me to trust you
Teach me to follow you
Teach me about you
God bless us
God lead us

Who's Daddy's crawling baby?

when ppl said time flies by fast, they weren't kidding. it seems like only yesterday that haley was born and already she's growing so fast.

- at 4 months, her bottom 2 teeth came out and learned to turn her body to the left side.

- at 5 months, her front two teeth came out and learned how to turn in circles while laying on her tummy; while being able to sit up straight with a slight wabble.

- at 6 months, her tooth next to the left front tooth came out and started to sit up while doing a split and learning to crawl.

- at 7 months, her tooth next to the left bottom tooth came out and started to try and stand up doing an upside down pyramid (for those of you that does yoga, you'll know what that means.)

- now at 8 months, she's able to crawl consistantly but at times, it seems like she just wanted to stand up instead.

time flies with a blink of an eye. or in my case, wrinkles around the eyes, white hair, and wrinkly skin. next thing you know, they'll probably be boys coming to my front door asking to take haley out on a date. yikes!

here's our princess...

3, 2, 1, ACTION

Paris Baguette

today, we went to a neat little place called: paris baguette. it's located in a korean shopping plaza around the corner of lawrence expressway and el camino real.

it's a bread shop where they have all sorts of different kinds of pastries and bread to choose from. if you are not planning on counting your carbs (carbohydrates) then this is the place to be! this place is so different from all the other pastry or bread shops i've been in. this place is popping all the time. i really mean that!

this is the second time we came here because the first time here, we fell in love with the pastries and bread that we ate them all before we thought of taking photos for the review. haha. ;)

trust me.. you can't blame me on that, because when you try it.. you will know why we forgot to take the photos! so this time, i remembered to take some photos.

enjoy~

a shot of interior decor... very scenic~



here's a little statue of the Eiffel Tower.. surprise that no one has tried to walk off with it. i think it's cute decor to add to the shop.



now for the reviews on the pastries. prepare to open you mind because as you sink you mouth into these pastries, you mind will be blown away by the symphony that's being conducted on your palate. the rich creamy, moist yet crunchy textures on the pastries will get you hooked like you're on crack! time to GET INTO MY BELLY~

here is my favorite - blueberry pastry. i'm a sucker for blueberry in general, but this is the bomb! it may look simple, but the texture is crunchy and when mixed with the blueberry and the powdered sugar on top within your mouth, it produces such a creamy sweet taste that will have your taste bud hitting the climax.

blueberry pastry - $1.30
i give this 5 lickity fingers out of 5



i didn't get a chance to try this, my mom in law picked it and she said it was good and not too sweet, but just perfect harmony.

raspberry pastry - $1.80



now comes my most favorite one. usually i get them with blueberry fruit filling; yes i know.. i'm a blueberry addict! but this time, they only had raspberry fruit filling, which was still very good. this is called the "berlin choux donut". it's not your ordinary donut, but instead it's a sandwich type filled with fresh whip cream and fruit filling. man... this donut blows all the dunkin donuts or Krispy Kreme out of the water! most of all, the price is very reasonable for the overall taste, texture and the yummy, yummy comfort feeling you get from it. whether if you are feeling blue or super stoked and happy, this will send you overboard to that cream of the top ecstasy.

berlin choux donut (w/ raspberry fruit filling + fresh whip cream) - $2.00

here's a clean look of what's sandwiched inside... whip cream with raspberry fruit filling inside.. i'm getting hungry again just writing this!!!

finally, here's what you would be staring at once you take a bite into it. at that moment, you will catch yourself wondering, "how is this even possible to have all this word can't describe feeling from a donut!" that's right.. it's not an ordinary donut.. it's a MAGICAL donut.........

so, just remember, whether if you are feeling down that day or just need a pick me upper place for comfort food, look no further. a cup of their latte with a couple of these pastries, it will melt away all that's bothering you.

cheers~

DISCLAIMER: i am not and will not be liable for any additional weight you put on after reading my reviews and actually going there and stuff yourself full with these tasty little treats. eating too many of these pastries will make you sick, both physically and mentally; but at the same time, will get you hooked to come back for more. if you find yourself sitting there not being able to eat any more, give me a call and i'll help you kill off those berlin choux donut one at a time... hehe ;)

Chloe ate my lunch...

ya'll heard that correctly... chloe ate my lunch. this was the first time either. but being the weiner dog that she is, with such a long body and bubbley personality, she couldn't help herself to reach for my bento box prepared by my honey bunny.

in the previous attempts, she's been successful; whereas i was not in catching her red handed. but this time.. haha.. i got proof!

just when i was repling to my work email, chloe pretended to sleep on the futon with her head turn away from my bento box. the minute i started to type on the keyboard, she moved in quietly and swiftly towards my bento box.

what you will see next is the actual image of chloe stealing my food! bad doggie~



so did i punish her? of course not. she's just doing what any doxie would do, EAT! besides, who can punish a puppy face like this. notice how she already have that "sorry daddy, i'm wrong" type of look?



the next day during lunch.. i still at the same bento box. but i microwaved it much longer than the usual time. i let it ran for 4.5 mins just to nuke and kill all the germs. needless to say, i had a great lunch that day. besides the fact that my wife made me a wonderful bento box, what cheered me up the most was thinking and laughing about how chloe tried to eat my bento box. haha.

what a day~

Bun Bo Hue An Nam Restaurant

during saturday, we decided to try a vietnamese restaurant called: Bun Bo Hue An Nam in san jose, located on story road. it is a place where you can get vietnamese style spicy beef noodle soup that is very different than you regular pho. a lot of ppl recommend it as being one of the best, but i'll be the final judge on that.

generally i would go to Pho Nguyen located off of calaveras in milpitas nearby my work place to get my bun bo hue craving fixed. anyway, the place was jam packed even though we got there at 1:30pm; yet there was still a line.

gesh... this place must be the delish, otherwise why would these ppl be waiting in line for no reason. the good thing is, the turnover rate is fairly quick, so the wait was no more than 10 mins. it isn't the most baby friendly restaurant, but they did put us in the back private room where there was plenty of space.

if you have a baby, leave your strollers in the car and just bring in the car seat. the isles between the tables is fairly tight, so if you us one of those fancy Quinny, Bugaboo, Stokke or even those big ass Graco stroller, you'll be lucky if you can even make it through the first isle.

take my advise.. leave the strollers in the car, you'll thank me later.

one of the reason why this place is so hot is besides the fact that many ppl come here, mostly young people, is because the bun bo hue has a special ingredient called: OX PENIS!

yup! that's correct ya'll.. OX PENIS! hey guys... it suppose to help you man up on you know where. but it's over-rated though. most of ppl that came here and wrote a review on this place either was too chicken to try it or couldn't even find it in the soup. so, i tried it, it tasted like tendon. it was a bit gamey and chewy, but other than that, it was ok. just make sure when you are chowing down not to think where of how many puntang that has been in and you'll be fine. as for who gave me that idea... you can take a guess. haha

here's the front of the restaurant.. nothing fancy here..

the bun bo hue much pricer than most of other places. the broth is tasty, but not a whole lot of noodle; even for a large bowl. plus the meat, which has both pork and beef, along with pig blood jello, was ok, but the flavor didn't penetrate in all the way. after you finish eating, you will feel like you are ready for another bowl. maybe that's their trick to get you hooked.

but ppl beware, if you are not capable of spicy, order something else. i've seen ppl sweat like pigs while they are eating this. for me, the normal broth is ok, so i had to add more satay to make it pop more. their spicy flavor is not the type that BAM! hits you right in the mouth, rather it's one of those that grow and crawl on your palates after several bites later.

here's the large bowl of bun bo hue with all the veggies on the side for $8.95.

i give this dish: 3 lickity fingers out of 5

ah... here's the mysterious OX PENIS. in case if you are wondering what to look for when you order it. look no further, because i've pointed it out just for your chewing pleasure.. haha

finally to wash the spicy meal down, we've ordered a sugar cane w/ orange juice drink. for $2.99, it's the bomb!

i give this drink: 5 lickity fingers out of 5

so all in all, it was a good meal, but an expensive one. two large bowls plus 1 drink with tax and tip came out to $23. then two hours later... we were hungry again.

would we go back again? perhaps. but with the economy the way it is, i think we can get more bang for our buck elsewhere.

A Little Place: Saratoga

there's a city not too far from where i live called saratoga. it's a place filled with rich people in their million dollar houses. but this post isn't about the rich and the famous, rather it's about a little place in the downtown area of saratoga.

it's not a very big downtown compared to san jose. in fact it's fairly small and comprised of 2 major streets and little boutique shoppes around each side of the street. but what i like about this little town is that depending on the time you go there, there's always different type of flowers being planted or blooming.

i'm not much of a flower guru, i just love taking photos of them...





this is a small water fountain that's pretty aged and is located before an entrance to another portion of the shoppes.



after passing by the fountain, you'll come across "Vienna Woods Delicatessen Restaurant". it's a german deli place that's got great reviews and affordable pricing. maybe we'll go check it out next time and do a food review on it. ;)

Carmel Trip - Part 3

after the beach, we decided to walk around the various little shops there. u can definitely feel the economy has taken it's toll on visitors, as most are pretty much just window shopping. likewise, we were doing the same.

we were hoping to pick up some baby clothes for haley, but man oh man.. those boutiques are so expensive. i can understand if it's handcrafted and made in USA, but gesh~ a baby clothes like a brief summer time dress cost anywhere from $88~$120? what's worse is it's made in china? WTF? needless to say, we don't have that kind of dough to spend for 1 dress or even pants for that matter. but i rather think of it that we're much smarter not to buy something that is overpriced when i know it probably only cost less than US$5 including shipping to make that in china.

anyhoo, we went to one of our favorite shops called "part unknown". why it's called that, i have no clue. last time i was in there and bought a shoe was 2 yrs ago. the brand is called BORN and man, it's very comfy. yes, it's also made in china, but it's handcrafted. retail price for those run from $75 to $115 at department store. but i got it for under $47.

this time, there was another shoe there on clearence, 40% off on top of the original mark down price. it's the BORN BAIN shoe, pictured below. total price paid is $48 including tax. it's super comfy and most of all very, very lightweight. i really love it.

before i forget... i have to add this photo of a drift wood that i shot at the beach. it's very interesting to me, especially with all the footprints around. feels like the drift wood has travelled to many place and now finally being able to get some rest while the world continues to walk around it.



so, as cherie window shopped around, i started to look for interesting things to shoot. trust me, pushing a stroller around with haley strapped to my chest and chloe in the bottom of the stroller is not an easy task. ;)

i don't know if it's age that's catching up to me or what, but recently i found myself wanting to take more photos of flowers and trees, etc. i have no clue what this flower's name is, but it's just too beautiful to pass up. it was located around the corner of a shoe store unnoticed.

click to see it in bigger size. the details on the petals are just beautiful!



here's one photo i took from outside of this children boutique i mentioned. i just adored the little cows. they are so cute!

can you say... moooooooo~~~~

Vespa baby~

i remember when i was a kid growing up in taiwan, i use to see a lot of people riding around in vespa. since then, i have noticed that vespa are still around even after 25yrs later.
especially since gas prices has been pretty high before, many people have switched to riding instead of driving.

as much as i like to ride a vespa around town, my wife would be worried sick if something should happen to me. after all, i'm very important in my family. they (cherie, haley & chloe) all think of me as their personal ATM. haha ;) they are definitely my sweet burden and i love them dearly~

here's cherie posing on customized itali styled vespa... isn't she lovely?

here's me posing on the same vespa... yup.. i've gained a lot of weight~

Carmel Trip - Part 2

after our fulfilling lunch at katy's place, we really needed to walk around to burn off some calories. so, first stop is directly to the carmel city beach. a place where the sand is powder white and dogs run free.

in fact, it is at that beach that our chloe feel the happiest being free to run around. most of all, it's a place where she will actually listen to the word "come".

that day, the weather turn pretty quick and temp started to drop. while looking for a parking place in such a crowded parking lot, we found a car that's about to leave. it was a big family and the dad was taking care of their kids to get them dried up before leaving. so as we waited, we got honked at, cursed at, and even got dirty looks since they said we were blocking traffic.

it's carmel for crying out loud, no need to rush. it's a place where people come to relax and chill, but i guess there was too many visitors there that day. one white dork even walked up to my car with his pitbull and said would you move your f*ing car, you are blocking the traffic. i guess it's because i'm asian that's why he started to curse. guess not everyone is PF Chang friendly.. haha ;)

but it is at times like these that i'm glad i don't own a gun or still live in texas. cuz otherwise i might have busted a cap in his ass in self defense. ok ok.. maybe i would just bust a cap in his ass just for the fun of it, since his rude low class abercrombie & finch wannabe with wacked up hairstyle is just asking for it. had he asked nicely, i wouldn't have been that upset. anyway, that's that.

so as we walked on the beach to woo-saaa, the weather changed quickly to cloudy and chilly. it became very foggy. but, we still wanted chloe to run free and most of all take more photos to capture that day.

family photo... just missing chloe. she was having fun running around...