January 6 - 28: Birds, Eaton Canyon, Charlotte and Val's birthday, Speed dating, Grandma's scarf

From Birds

January 6: I was driving to Huntington Beach to visit my uncle Al; it's a weekly ritual. And I noticed all these birds on the street lights. But what's weird is how they're all on one side of the street. (The picture doesn't really do the scene justice.) Why is that? What's wrong with the other side of the street? I was wondering if it's the angle of the lights (some are going up and some are going down, relative to the sunset), but it could be almost anything. It's a mystery! =)

January 14: Some of my Bible-study group (a.k.a. small group, community group) went on a hike to Eaton Canyon. The only other time I'd been was in 2006, when I was a guide for the Caltech "Finding Nemo" stack. (It's way at the end of that post.) The picture on the left was taken where, in 2006, we had buried dental tools and had the undergrads use a metal detector to find them. (We needed the tools to make an exchange for Nemo from the dentist, played by Chris Wetzel.) It was interesting to visit the same place in a totally different way.

From Eaton Canyon

My first time to Eaton Canyon, we didn't go all the way to the waterfall. So this was a pleasant surprise at the end.

From Charlotte and Val's birthday

January 16: On the left is my cousin Kristen (partly hidden) and her husband Mike; they're holding baby Charlotte, who just turned one. On the right is Mike's family; they're trying to attract Charlotte's attention to take a photo. I just found this scene to be very funny, in a sweet way.

From Speed dating

January 24: I went speed dating. And not just any speed dating, but Christian Asian speed dating. My friend Win Kang told me about it, and we both wanted to stretch our comfort zones a little.

The photo is from the venue (a sushi bar), afterward. If you're not familiar with speed dating, here's the Wikipedia link. In this case, there were 20 guys and 19 girls, and I got to talk with each girl for 5'. At the end, for each girl I secretly circled "Yes" or "No" on a piece of paper. If we both said "Yes," then we would later receive each other's email address. Oh, and the cost was $25. (Food and drink not included, but not required.)

The event was run by Click2Asia, which helps Asians meet other Asians. I didn't realize how much some Asians really prefer only Asians (or, say, some Koreans prefer only Koreans). I guess it has a lot to do with how we grew up. (I grew up here, as did my parents, so I'm mostly just American, if anything.)

At this point, I'm sure you've got a lot of questions about how the speed dating went. Actually, both Win and I thought it was a really worthwhile experience, even in terms of that night alone. In longer terms, well, it just happened. And if there's one thing I feel I've learned over the past 5 years, it's not to get ahead of myself. =)

Moving on: For Christmas, Grandma knit me a scarf. Sort of. Here's a photo of me wearing it.

My friend Marshall said it looks like I'm wearing a sweater underneath and it's sticking out. I have to admit that I was a little self-conscious about wearing it, since it's not really a scarf. It's really a Grandma Invention. =)

From Grandma's scarf

See, it's actually two rings, knit together in the front. Why, you ask? Grandma explained that it's because the back of my neck has more exposed skin than the front. So, I need something that is twice as wide in the back as in the front. And this was her solution.

As strange as it may seem, Grandma's gift was pretty good. She knit it herself, of course. But she also noticed that I wear my hair a lot shorter lately. I get cold easily, and I lost my scarf last winter. It's also not as tight as a scarf, so I can even wear it to bed without fear of choking myself. The color's a little funny: My sister thought it was pink, but Grandma said it was tan. I suppose I'll always remember my sister and I trying not to crack up about that at night.

So I've been wearing Grandma's–um, scarf-collar–a lot lately. (I'm wearing it now!) It really does keep the back of my neck warm. And Grandma probably knew that she imputed significant impunity with it, so I can wear it fearlessly in public: Anyone making fun of my 93-year-old Grandma's hand-knit Christmas present, whether they know it or not, would probably bring upon themselves significant bad karma, or worse.

But no, I didn't wear it to speed dating.

December 10 - January 1: CostCo, Foot massages, Christmas in Sac, Gray Lodge, Stockton In-N-Out, Young iPad, New Year's

I made a Christmas card again this year. The only other one I've made was in 2008. If you want to see either, just email me and I'll send you the PDF version. If you want a real/physical version, I will also send you that, but you've got to *really* want it. =)

In writing my Christmas card, I was reminded that it can provide only one angle of my life. Similarly, this blog will never tell everything. More importantly, this blog rarely provides a balanced view of my life. But I'm okay with that.

From CostCo

December 10: Uncle John and Auntie Val were going to CostCo, so I tagged along. I learned that one can use the CostCo pharmacy without being a member. They give flu shots and other vaccines.

And I saw this list at CostCo: It ranks the CostCo cashiers by items per minute (”27.27”), members processed per hour ("65.15"), and scanning accuracy ("95.55"). It reminded me of that 2006 movie, "Employee of the Month," with Dane Cook and Jessica Simpson. What struck me is that the list has values to the second decimal place. I.e., "27.27" instead of "27.3" or, simply, "27."

From Foot Massages

I think the San Gabriel Valley has offered relatively inexpensive massages for several years. I even had a foot massage a few years ago, but I had no proof that they were always that inexpensive. Now I do!

Right in front, it says, "Foot Massage: $15/hr." (A body massage is $25/hr.) That's pretty reasonable, isn't it?

One thing I remember from my massage a few years ago: I laughed a lot. =)

For Christmas, I drove up to Sacramento. As usual, I posted on craigslist rideshare to see if anyone else wanted a ride. But this time, I also planned to visit Auntie Muriel and Uncle Ron in Fresno. We were going to have lunch to celebrate Muriel's birthday and their 35-plus-ish anniversary. (They're on the same day. Uncle Ron's very clever, isn't he? =)

So, Muriel, Ron, myself and my two rideshare companions all hung out at Sizzlers. Two of my social circles intersecting. I'm glad everyone had a good time.

This is my grandma's room in Sacramento. (It used to be my parents' room, but my mom gave it up for Grandma.) I liked how the light came in.

Mary brought three friends from Bethel for Christmas Eve. The three friends (right) were all flying out on Christmas morning to go to a prayer conference in Kansas City.

On Christmas, Sunday, we went to the cemetery, as usual. Dad died 17 years ago. And one of Grandma's daughters died this year.

The large pine tree on the right is leaning a lot.

Christmas at First Chinese Baptist Church in Sacramento, the church I grew up in. In many churches, the worship music is done by a live band. I feel it's like an unwritten rule. But here, they play a tape of someone else playing the music. I love that. It's more pure, more inclusive. More courageous.

Christmas at the Hom home. I love this photo … because it has a happy ending. Here we are, in the middle of our Advent service: Mom looks sad or mad, Mary looks bored, and Grandma is, well, Grandma.

It's really just an example of how the wrong snapshot can be soooo misleading. (Like a first or second impression.) We really had a great Advent service. Really … =)

This year for our Advent service, we started by lighting all four candles. Then, we each read our favorite Bible passage, talked briefly about it, and chose a song to sing.

After our Advent service, we opened presents. Look at Grandma's stash!

Doesn't this photo look happier than the earlier one? Mom's happy, Mary's happily about to take a nap, and Grandma's still Grandma.

From Christmas in Sac

For Christmas, I asked Mary what she wanted. She said she wanted me to pick something good to do. (So the gift was both the choosing of something special and the doing of it. Ah, my sister cleverly turned things around on me!)

I chose for us to have lunch together at Panera Bread. It's the first time I can remember us really talking since, well, ever.

And now, we turn to a story that I know my mom and sis have been waiting for me to tell. The "Gray Lodge" story.

The Gray Lodge Wildlife Area is a bird sanctuary about an hour's drive north of Sacramento. We had been there years ago, and Mom wanted to go back as her Christmas present. So we set aside a day, got up at 6:30 am, and went.

When we arrived, we were basically the only ones there. So far, so good.

There is a path from the parking lot to the bird-watching area. It's a mile or two long. Fortunately, we brought the wheelchair for Grandma.

But Grandma didn't want to use the wheelchair yet. She wanted to walk on her own and stretch her legs. No problem: Grandma held onto the back of the wheelchair and pushed it with her. She was pretty slow, so Mary and Mom went on ahead, and I said I'd keep track of Grandma.

In the distance, you can see Mary (left, black) and Mom (right, covered with a striped blanket). It was like the separation of the Fellowship in "Lord of the Rings."

When I said Grandma was pretty slow, I meant it. I didn't mind, but I couldn't help walking a little farther ahead, turning around to check on her. That was sort of a good thing, because it let me take this photo.

On the right, behind the tree, you can see my car. That's how far we had gone, while Mary and Mom were already way out of eyesight. Note also that there is a nice paved road for Grandma and her wheelchair. Also note that there are parts–let's call them ditches–just a few feet from the side of the road.

A close-up of Grandma. Since Grandma wasn't using the wheelchair, I put a blanket and a friend's tripod in it. Grandma didn't seem to mind pushing them.

Grandma has an insatiable curiosity. When in a new environment, she's always looking this way and that. Of course, that contributes to our slow progress.

So … Grandma's pushing the wheelchair. I'm walking about fifteen feet ahead of her. Mary and Mom are nowhere to be seen.

Then I hear Grandma shout, "Oh no!" I whirl around just in time to see our bright pink wheelchair roll off the side of the road and into a ditch. But the ditch … is really a pond.

Apparently Grandma wanted to get a closer look at something in the pond. So she wheeled the wheelchair off the paved road, but the ground was slightly sloped. The wheelchair either escaped Grandma's grasp, or she let it go, planning to walk the rest of the way on her own.

Regardless, there's our wheelchair, down an embankment and in the pond that's part of the bird sanctuary. The blanket and my friend's tripod are also in the water. And it's just me and Grandma.

For a second, I consider just leaving everything there. We could wait for someone to come by and help us … or maybe just run away? But, oh yeah, Mary and Mom are still here. And I think the wheelchair is slowly sinking deeper.

So, I slide down the embankment and into the pond. I grab the tripod and throw it onto dry ground. Same for the blanket. But the wheelchair is heavy, and bulky. It's stuck in some weeds and branches. And now, I'm starting to sink deeper.

At some point, I say a little prayer. And I realize I need a source of strength, so I can pivot and yank the wheelchair free. Then I saw it: A tree root! I grab the root and use that for leverage for myself, wrenching the wheelchair free and heaving it onto dry land.

Now, I have to get out. I try using the same root to pull myself up the embankment, but it snaps! I almost fall in deeper, but I grab the root at a point higher up, and I climb to safety.

In the aftermath, I made Grandma stand close to the pond to capture this photo. It's hard to tell, but from the wheelchair's ground to the water is several feet. You can see where the wheelchair and I were in the pond: It's where the moss on the surface is dispersed, near the gray metal pole.

I'm not sure if you can tell, but Grandma is laughing.

From Gray Lodge

Grandma and I went back to the car, and I tried to clean things up and dry my shoes and socks. I figured Mary and Mom would find us eventually.

Of course, when Mary did come back, she started laughing.

As no one got hurt, I guess it was kind of funny. (Thank you, God and trees!)

From Stockton In-N-Out

A few days after Christmas, it was time to drive back to LA. We stopped in Stockton at an In-N-Out, around 10 am. It's the first time I've ever seen an In-N-Out completely empty. It was a bit surreal.

One of my Craigslist ridesharers was a woman named Becky. Becky needed to get to LA that day, because the next morning she was going on a road trip from LA to New Orleans "with a friend." It turns out that the road trip was actually a 7-car caravan, driving 36 hours straight to relocate 40 pit bulls! Becky's a volunteer at a dog rescue; it's featured in a show on Animal Planet: "Pit Bulls and Parolees." Go, Becky!

From Young iPad

At Panera, I saw this little kid watching an iPad. Check that: He's really a baby, turning 2 in February, and he was using the iPad. I saw him swipe left to get to the app he wanted, open the app, and select the video he wanted to see (Veggie Tales). Then the kid sat back in his booster chair, obviously satisfied with his accomplishments. it was incredibly evocative of a man leaning back in his couch after successfully finding the football game he was looking for.

Then the iPad wireless prompt came up, blocking the middle of the baby's screen. I saw him hit the Home button to try to get rid of it. That didn't work, but it showed a savvy understanding of how the iPad works. (For example, he didn't try to wipe away the prompt or hit the iPad.) Then, the baby leaned over and calmly but insistently tugged his dad's arm, to get him to fix it. (The baby didn't scream, cry or throw a fit.)

Fascinating.

For New Year's Eve … I slept 14 hours.

For New Year's Day, my friend Chiyo invited me to her relatives' place. Chiyo is an older friend from church: She and her sister are the last survivors of six siblings. Chiyo is Japanese, and I think New Year's is a big holiday for the Japanese. They had an incredible feast. It was like a multi-course buffet. You'd eat at the buffet. Then an hour later, a dozen more guests would arrive and bring along another buffet.

But I photographed only one dish: Mochi-wrapped strawberries. One of the relatives' signature dishes; apparently it takes a trick/secret to make.

From New Year's, Chiyo's

I took a bite out of one, just so you could get a better idea. The sacrifices I make for you guys .... =)

November 14 - November 29: Al & John, Big tires, Piano Al, Boston Market, Sac Thanksgiving, Sac to LA, Roaster Family

You know those fast-food coupons you get in the mail? They really work.

I've been visiting my Uncle Al on and off for weeks, and he's never asked me for anything. But one day, he calls upstairs: "Hey, you still there?" I rush down, thinking it's an emergency. Instead, Uncle Al points at an Arby's coupon and says, "Hey, let's go here!"

Uncle Al loves food. He's also 100 pounds overweight and at high risk for a stroke, heart attack, etc. But what are you going to say when it's the first thing your 87-year-old uncle has asked for in weeks?

From Al & John

Uncle John happened to drop by right before we left, so the three of us had a rare lunch together. You can tell that Uncle Al was really looking forward to his Arby's sandwich, can't you? =)

I was driving from point A to B in LA, and I saw a semi truck with a load that I had to take a photo of. A semi truck has really big tires, right?

From Big tires

Look at the tires here! Imagine one of those upright, next to the semi's tires. On the freeway.

What monstrosity must these belong to? I shudder to imagine it.

On another day, Auntie Helen and I were visiting Uncle Al. She wanted to play the piano, so we tried a few songs, but we had both forgotten our training. Auntie Helen asked Uncle Al if he wanted to play, but he was demure. I had never seen him play since his stroke.

From Piano Al

Later that night, after Auntie Helen left, I was in my room upstairs. And I heard the piano below! I quickly crept to this vantage point, took this photo, and watched my uncle in awe. He wasn't a virtuoso or anything, but it warmed my heart to see him at least trying to play. I felt like I was in a feel-good Hollywood movie.

I later found out that Uncle Al didn't think anyone else was home. Maybe he's too shy to play around others? If so, does that mean that us being around could be hindering him in some ways?

Thanksgiving … it seems so far away now, but at the time I remember it was a rough period for me. Thankfully, God had friends, family, and even complete strangers lined up to help.

On Thanksgiving Day, I was going to drive up to Fresno alone. However, a guy answered my craigslist rideshare ad at the last minute. His name was Ken, and he's a performer at Knott's Berry Farm, not far from my house. We had a great time talking about girls, relationships, and life in general.

In Fresno, my Uncle Ron and Auntie Muriel decided to have Thanksgiving at Boston Market. I loved the idea. The only thing better would have been Thanksgiving at In-N-Out. (I'm serious!)

From Boston Market

Here we are at our Thanksgiving table. There was no tablecloth or fancy silverware. But I think the time and energy we saved let us focus on what's really important: each other. I was really glad that the three of us could be honest and talk about matters of consequence.

Afterward, I drove on to Sacramento. My sister wouldn't be home until Saturday, so we'd have Thanksgiving again then. This gave me time to hang out with old friends.

One of my closest friends is Glenn. Glenn's mom loves cats. Thankfully, I also like cats.

Isn't that an interesting look on the cat's face? It's like the Mona Lisa of cats.

Glenn and I played some board games with our other friends: Rob, Mitch, and Steve. Steve's aunt graciously invited us over for turkey soup, a fitting meal for the day after Thanksgiving.

Saturday morning, I woke to strange sounds from a neighbors yard. I went outside, and the Shibatas had quite the festival going in their driveway. They were making their own mochi!

They also had really good sake. =)

My sister was a little late flying home, so Grandma, Mom, and I had another simple Thanksgiving meal.

Simple but good.

From Sac Thanksgiving

The next day, we went to church. First Chinese Baptist Church of Sacramento, my church growing up.

Worship songs there are very simple: 2-3 people singing in front, and an overhead projector. But the small congregation is faithful and has a love for God.

Yeah, that was the theme of my Thanksgiving: Simple, but good.

On the other hand, driving back to LA was a bit of an adventure, but also really great. I was going to drive back alone, but another guy answered my Craigslist rideshare ad the night before. I'll call him S. S and I agreed to meet the next morning at a Starbucks near the freeway.

When I got to the Starbucks, S texted me that he was running late. I had time to think, and I noticed a "traveling kid" just sitting on the curb. He wasn't showing a sign, but otherwise he looked like a hitchhiker. Long story short, he was a 22-year-old guy who went by the name Tennessee, just wanted to go south "to warmer weather," and he didn't have any money to chip in for gas. He only had $4, to buy dog food for the little dog he carried with him (chihuahua-pitbull mix). But when S arrived, he said he was cool with it, so I picked up my first hitchhiker!

Turns out S was also 22 years old: An aspiring actor/stuntman/action hero. As far as I could tell, a decent-looking guy in great shape. (He was scheduled to do a workout video after we got to LA.) And then Tennessee, who had been bumming around the country for 5 years, growing his hair out, smoking a lot of marijuana. But they both had a lot of stories about girls. Anyway, everyone had a fun, safe, educational trip to LA, and we talked all the way. (No mom, I didn't smoke any pot.)

When we got to LA, things turned really funny. I dropped off S and Tennessee at an LA Fitness in Studio City, since S lives nearby and Tennessee could catch a bus to Venice Beach (of course). But after Tennessee left, I noticed that S was hanging around, calling people. I thought he could just walk home, but he had a lot of bags, and I guess he was hoping to find someone to give him a lift the rest of the way. He didn't want to trouble me since he said he lived a bit up in the nearby hills.

I said we'd come this far, I might as well take you all the way home. So we drive to this road I'd heard of but never been on: Mulholland Drive. (A movie was named after it.) It's a pretty ritzy area with a lot of windy roads. Finally, we get to S's place: 2607 Nichols Canyon.

It's a $4-million mansion!!!

Okay, maybe it's not a mansion. It's a villa. But it's so nice that it has its own website. Turns out S's aunt owns the villa and is trying to sell it, and he was just house sitting. But S let me take a peek.

I took only one photo, and it's of the closet in the master suite. Apparently Jason Bateman's family came to look at the villa, but his wife said this closet was too small. Girls.

You can look at the villa's website to see more of it, but I'll give two more points: It has its own tennis court (in the Hollywood *Hills*), and Matthew McConaughey used to live in the house nearby.

The website exists to help sell the house, so if you know anyone looking in the just-under-$4-million price range, please have them take a look!

Craigslist rideshare: A perennial hitchhiker with a dog and only $4, and a guy living next door to … Tim Allen. (Yes, him too.) Good times.

From Sac to LA

S lives near the Hollywood Bowl overlook, so I stopped there on the way home. I'd never been to the Hollywood Bowl, much less the overlook, but it's a nice view! (And I'm sure it's packed on date nights.)

From Roaster Family

On my way home from the great adventure, I stopped by Roaster Family Coffee, in Alhambra. (There's one in Arcadia, too.) Friends in my Bible study sometimes hang out there. They have great coffee at reasonable prices. And the owner, James, seems very friendly and down-to-earth. Here, James is making siphon coffee.

They even roast their own beans.

October 29 - November 14: Xenoblade Chronicles, EBCLA Fall Festival, cookies, Uncle Al, Bling tile, CPR, letters to Dad

From Xenoblade

Last time, I said I was playing a video game called "Xenoblade Chronicles." It's an adventure game for the Nintendo Wii, and it can take over 100 hours to finish. Also, the game hasn't been released in the U.S., so I had to import it from the U.K. Despite this (or because of this?), I was really looking forward to playing the game. I even went so far as to ask God if it was okay to spend 100 hours on a video game, and I felt he said yes.

When I told my sister, she didn't seem to approve. My sister has like 3 godly degrees, so it can be intimidating sometime. But I started to play "Xenoblade Chronicles" nonetheless. Thankfully, I felt my decision was correct after watching the opening cinematic: we learn of a world in which people are called not Humans, but rather, Homs!

Isn't that cool? I'm in the middle of this grand adventure, trying to save the universe. And everywhere it's like, "Homs don't give up!" "We have to fight for the other Homs!" "We trust our fate in you Homs." "Homs unite!"

October 29: My church had its "Fall Festival." It's supposed to be fun and food for the kids, both at church and in the neighborhood.

This year's theme was "The Wild West." They used cardboard boxes to give the food area a rustic feel. Cool, huh?

From EBCLA Fall Festival

My sedaqah group did the "Little Red Schoolhouse," which was a coloring and face-painting booth. We had enough people, so I worked at the "Dino Bean Bag Toss." It's the booth on the right.

From Cookies

November 8: At Albertson's, they were already putting up Christmas stuff. I remember these butter cookies from my childhood. I loved those cookies. Or perhaps I just loved anything sweet. Nowadays, I actually prefer to stay away from sugar, especially when it's a whole tin I can eat in one night....

November 9: I've been visiting my Uncle Al a lot the past few months. We exercise by going for walks in the park. This time, he said he wanted to walk at the mall.

I caught this picture of the mall Xmas tree half-decorated. Uncle Al is in the lower-right.

We walked all the way from one end of the mall to the other. But I think Uncle Al didn't realize that. He was really tired at the end, but I guess I tricked him into walking twice as far, and he definitely needs more exercise.

Uncle Al, you did a good job that day!

Uncle Al made me more stew that night. I guess he helped me break out of my gluten-free diet, which is okay. (I'm still trying to eat very little flour/bread.)

From Uncle Al

This tree is in Uncle Al's backyard. I was struck by how it appears to be reaching for the sun. It's like frozen, green water.

From Bling tile

November 11: At Home Depot, I ran across this display for tile. What's funny is the name of the company, in the upper-right. It's "Bling: Exquisite Mosaics." When I think of exquisite things, mosaics, and fancy script, I just don't think of "bling." =)

November 12: My Auntie Valerie wanted me to take a CPR course, and she gave me an offer I couldn't refuse: she'd pay for it. (Actually, Auntie Val is really good at asking for things in such a way that I can't refuse. My grandma is also good at that.)

From CPR

I always wanted to take a CPR course, but I guess I never made it a priority. The course I took was CPR plus first aid. I learned CPR for adults, children, and infants, plus how to use an AED (the defrillibrator). For the first-aid part, I learned how to stop bleeding of all sorts, how to make a tourniquet, and how to use an epi pen. Everything seemed surprisingly useful and understandable. I used to have a first-aid kit in my car, but I didn't have the confidence or knowledge to use it. Now I do. The whole course was about $80, but if it helps me help just one person in pain, I'll consider it well worth it.

November 14: For an unknown reason, Uncle Al had some old letters addressed to my dad. 40-year-old letters. Since we lost my dad 17 years ago, on November 5, the letters were a nice chance to think about him.

One of my dad's friends, Richard Yamauchi, wrote several letters to my dad while serving in the Vietnam War. My dad avoided the draft because he was in med school. Did you know he was a lawyer before that? I wonder if my dad would still have become a doctor if there hadn't been a draft. I'll have to wait until later to ask him....

This is a 40-year-old postcard from Japan.

I have only a few letters, and several of the addresses are in LA. I was thinking of trying to find the writers and visiting them; it sounds like a good experience. Does anyone know who this postcard is from?

I always thought my dad was a fan of public schools, since he went to UC Berkeley and UC Davis. But he also went to Hastings. And, he applied to USC and Loma Linda for med school! Dad was rejected from Loma Linda; I guess being a lawyer wasn't good enough to get in. But he was accepted at USC. I guess I need to stop looking down at the private schools.

From Letters to Dad

Along with the letters were 30 prints of this picture of my dad. He looks very young, but if this is from the time of the letters, he was 28 or 29, just about to start med school.

I gave a copy to my cousin Gayle, and she said, "Oh, is this when you were in high school?" =)

If you want one of the prints, just let me know.