poyson ivy

"The sea's only gifts

2008-08-02T21:23:00.000-07:00

are harsh blows, and, occasionally, the chance to feel strong. Now, I don't know much about the sea, but I know that's the way it is here. And I also know how important it is in life not necessarily to be strong, but to feel strong, to measure yourself at least once. To find yourself at least once in the most ancient of human conditions, facing the blind, deaf stone alone with nothing to help you but your hands and your own head." -Into The Wild.

waking up early vs. sleeping in

2008-06-21T08:34:00.000-07:00

I love waking up early. My day just seems longer and more productive. And I'm not talking about waking up at 7am, I'm talking about 5am. 7am is early yet a bit too late for me. At 7am most people get up for work.. traffic starts to jam. At 5am the city's still asleep.. traffic is great and you get to enjoy the peaceful morning. I used to stay up late simply because I wanted to feel the quietness of the night. 5am can give you that peace and quiet, but a better, healthier one.

THE ADVANTAGES OF WAKING UP EARLY:
1) allows you to pursue a healthy lifestyle you've always wanted. This means you can still jog on the beach, inhale some fresh air, and enjoy the beautiful scenery before you head to work at 8am/9am. If you start work at 6am and end at 1pm/2pm, that's even better because you have the rest of your day doing whatever you want.

2) Waking up early gives you a fresh, brand new feeling, as if you've just been created . You're now a new person and you're going to start a new beginning. Therefore your day will be a great one. And we all know that positive thoughts get us going, so by having our day started nice, fresh and positive, the rest will follow in the similar pattern.

3) Once you're in such great mood, you start to accomplish more in the day. You have all the energy in the world and ready to take on any responsibilities you have that day at work. Your happy smile can be very contagious and you might get your coworkers and clients smiling all day long :) If you clients smile all day long, expect growth for your company :)

4) I believe that breakfast is the most important meal of the day. Waking up early allows you to have some healthy breakfast and hmm.. you'll live longer ;)

5) Our bodies change starting from the age of 25. Throughout my life I've always observed people and the way their bodies change. Many of us are too busy to take care of ourselves. We sleep late and complain how we got dark circles under our eyes, how our skin is aging and we have wrinkles. Sleeping early is the key to beauty, and also is the key to waking up early! By waking up early you can do the 4 things above and even more.

Some people love to stay up late because thats when everyone's asleep and they can enjoy the peace and quietness of the night. But it is the same if you wake up early in the morning. The only difference is that your day starts off better if you wake up early than if you sleep late.

THE DISADVANTAGES OF SLEEPING LATE:
- Well... opposite from the above. Expect a shorter day that seems A LOT longer, lethargic, depressing, and well.. "blah."

With all that said, waking up early isn't an easy thing to do. When I was little sleeping in was my favorite. I used to wonder how people can get up so early and I thought I would never be able to do that. The key here is simple: try to do as much as you can in a day, that includes working, cleaning, playing, whatever that get you physically exhausted for the first few days. You'll get tired and start sleeping early. Once you do that for a couple days, it'll automatically put you in that habit of sleeping early.

Enjoy your beautiful, healthy lifestyle!

Somebody told me

2008-06-05T19:25:00.001-07:00

that life is like a bus. You meet those who stay on the bus with you forever, and you also meet those who only stay for a short period of time. People get on and off the bus. The old ones go but the new ones will come.

It just sucks to say goodbye, but hopefully we will meet again at the next stop.

Shark kills a 66 year-old man

2008-04-25T20:35:00.000-07:00

in Solana Beach, San Diego this morning. :(

http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/24314355/

This is very sad!! Please be very careful out there!

Pho Recipe

2008-04-15T14:55:00.001-07:00

My friends are now addicted to Pho after having it for the first time in their lives. Some even ask me for the recipe. Here it is:

bon appetit :)

Should we

2008-04-14T23:55:00.001-07:00

always be grateful to those who help us?
yes. Yes. and YES! always!!!

I have a guardian?

2008-04-11T17:16:00.000-07:00

So there's this friend of mine... Well, I don't really know much about him. We spoke couple times and that was it.

But what's special about this friend?- Whenever my days are gloomy I receive his calls. Yea.. out of nowhere. He speaks all the positive, inspirational words and my days get better. Just like that. Maybe a coincidence? Whatever it is it's very cool!

The Next Jabbawockeez

2008-04-11T14:10:00.000-07:00

Who brings home bigger paycheck$?

2008-04-10T21:07:00.000-07:00

Fantasy gets paid a lot more than Reality.

Ramens were your dinners, you pulled up many allnighters for 4 years or even more, you took tons of energy drinks just to keep yourself awake to study for exams, those damned difficult math equations, those extra office hours you put into, that much money you invested in one of the top UCs, those loans that seem to stay with you forever... all of that got you to an average earning of $30K/year for your first year out of college. You're so new. You just got ripped off. According to research, on average a 25 year-old earns about 40K-60K/year in 2007. Too little for all that hard work in 4 long years. With such volatile economy situation, when gas prices almost hit $4, when the dollar depreciates, $40K is barely enough for a 25 year old when he/she has to pay loans, grocery, rents, etc. Of course not all 25 year- olds earn from $40K-$60K/year. It sure does depend on one's profession, but on an average that's what a 25 year old earns.

Now let's get in touch with "Fantasy." Beyonce, Brad Pitt, Angie, all the big names got paid so much their money can cover the next^(to the power of 'next') generations. I think they deserve it because they entertain us. Their songs speak our feelings, their acts bring us laughters, dramas, hopes, etc. All of this have become necessities in our lives. Without art life would be so boring and dead. Human beings would get no motivation to achieve better goals. So I believe that they deserve to bring home such big paychecks for all the hard work they put in.

Ok so that's fantasy. What about "Reality?" What about the 9-5 people who earn so little and can barely provide themselves and their loved ones a happy home. They work hard too. How come our president earns only $400,000/year while Brad Pitt takes home millions. To keep this country running sure is tougher than making a movie. But that's how the world operates. I am in no way comparing "Reality" to "Fantasy." I just think that Reality should be paid for at least a little bit better than what it's been paid. At least make it feel like all that 4 years is worth something. Some people work for 10 years as an accountant and still earning $45K/year. A business woman once said: "I don't care if you have 4 or 5 master degrees, if you don't have experience you're worth nothing." Crap... our education has no value, maybe we all should've been working the minute we were born! Ok, not the minute we were born, but you got the gist. I believe that one's salary should go up as they age. That means that your salary should go up every single year. If your employers can't increase your salary every single year but every 3 or 4 years, it better be a good one instead of just $.50 or $1.00 more, or the bonus should be like a gold mine.

But with such depressing economy companies can't pay more for their employees. Some can't even hire more employees. Some even have to fire them! So it is what it is. We can't blame anybody. We just gotta try our hardest to get to the top, like Mr. Donald Trump himself. Working for somebody else will get us nowhere except being what they often call "somebody's b*tch."

Having said that, anyone who wants to feel like the richest person in the world should just do what they're passionate about. Whether you make millions or just $40K-$60K/year, you'll still feel like the richest 'cuz you've fulfiled your soul with passion.

Sua Ong Chua

2008-03-15T22:54:00.000-07:00

Below is a picture of a Sua Ong Chua bottle:

I see this advertisement everywhere in my community. They talk about how effective this product is. They even have our celebrities to promote it. Here are what Sua Ong Chua can do for you:

1) Healthier skin, cure wrinkled skin, even freckles.
2) Cures sleeping disorder
3) Helps your hair grow fuller/thicker
4) Lowers your cholesterol level
5) Lowers your blood pressure
6) Helps your Chronic Fatigue Syndrome
7) Helps your body to become more flexible
8) Releases your stress
9) Healthier heart
10) Cures Anxiety
11) Cures Allergies
12) Cures Cancers
13) Reduces Headaches
14) Prevents aging
15) Helps to gain weight (ok. i guess thats' for me?)
16) Birth defects
17) Cures bladder infection
18) Cures diabetes
19) Works like viagra
and more...

"Cái tên “Sữa Ong Chúa” hay bị hiểu lầm bởi vì con ong chúa là một loài côn trùng không có vú. Mà không có vú thì làm sao mà có sữa. Mà cho dù có vú đi nữa thì một con ong chúa làm sao có thể sản xuất ra nhiều sữa như vậy. Thật ra, thay vì gọi “Sữa Ong Chúa”, chúng ta nên gọi là “Sữa Nuôi Ong Chúa” hoặc “Thức Ăn Nuôi Ong Chúa” mới đúng. Thức ăn đặc biệt này được sản xuất từ trong cơ thể các con ong thợ để nuôi ong chúa và tất cả các ong con mới nở từ trứng:"

Exact Translation: The name "Su Ong Chua" (Milk of the Queen Bee) is often being mistakened because Ong Chua doesn't have breast (in other words, no boobies). Without breasts, how can Ong Chua give milk (sua)? And even if Ong Chua has breasts, Ong Chua still can't produce that much milk all by itself. We should call it "Sua Nuoi Ong Chua" (Milk that nurtures the Queen Bee), or "Thuc An Nuoi Ong Chua," (Food which nurtures the Queen Bee) instead of "Sua Ong Chua." The reason is because this "food" is produced from the working bees to nurture the body of Ong Chua and the babies.

Researchers found the following vitamins in Sua Ong Chua: A, C, D, E, K, B1, B2, B3, B5 (Pantothenic Acid), B7 (Biotin), B9 (Folic Acid) and B12, Calcium, Chromium, Copper, Maganese, Magnesium, Potassium, Zinc, etc.

It sounds like a good product and that's some great Bee information they give us. I've only heard positive comments about this product. However, everytime I see their commercial I can't help but wonder about the true greatness of this product. Why is everyone so obssesed with it? One product that can cure almost everything. Is it too good to be true? If it is truely that great, then shouldn't it be all over the world by now...

Does Balsamic Vinegar contain lead?

2008-03-14T19:44:00.000-07:00

I'm a huge fan of olive oil + balsamic vinegar + breads. After having some last night at Hidden it wasn't enough, so I went to the supermarket to get myself some more. I was thinking: "This time I can have it at home any time I want. yummmm..." And I almost drooled :)~

But as I was choosing among many different bottles of balsamic vinegar, I noticed the Proposition 65 label on some of the bottles: "This product contains lead, a chemical known to the State of California to cause birth defects or other reproductive harm."

Balsamic vinegar is made from the grapes which have high sugar content, known as "must" (or mosto in italian). The lead gets into the grapes from soil since lead is a natural element that comes from earth . Some say that balsamic vinegar contains a very low amount of lead that even if you have the whole bottle it still wouldn't affect you. Some say the opposite thing. I'm only wondering about two things:

1) If lead gets into the grapes from soil, that means it'd get into many other fruits besides just grapes (??)
2) If there is lead in balsamic vinegar, then why some bottles have the Proposition 65 label on them and some don't? Shouldn't the gov label every bottle regardless the amount of lead? because after all... different amount affects each person differently. For instance, it takes me 1 shot to glow (yes i'm proud of my asian glow lol), 2 shots to see #9 upside down, and about 3 shots to have a good night sleep, while it takes others many shots before they can get drunk. Ok, bad example, but you got the gist.

Anywho, I'm so sad to learn that there's lead in balsamic vinegar. I love balsamic vinegar!

Wouldn't it be cool if we

2008-02-26T23:44:00.000-08:00

can invent some kind of device that can translate the snoring sound into some beautiful relaxing music?

Research shows that 20% of the population has snoring problem. The reason one snores is because their tonsils, uvula, and palate tissues flap against each other, or when an obstruction blocks his/her nasal airway. Research also shows that snoring tends to increase in volume if the snorer sleeps on his/her back.

I don't really care if you snore 365 days/year 24hrs/day (if that's ever possible) as long as you're not sleeping next to me :P. I'm, of course, not going to hate you for what you don't do on purpose. That'd be too irrational, woudln't it. However, there are many people who can't handle the snoring sound like myself. Whenever I camp with people, I only pray that they don't snore. But praying never really worked and I often woke up looking all tired because I barely got any sleep over the night. So today I suddenly thought of the possibility of spending the rest of my life with someone who snores 365 days/ year. I think I can only go as far as 3 days, but if it's 365 days/year of hearing the same kind of rhythm then i rather sleep alone for the rest of my life :)

Luckily, there are more than 300 devices being produced around the world to help cure snoring problem. Still, i'm not guarantee if they can cure this problem completely because my cousin still snores so much even after many treatments.

SOoooooo... stay tune, cuz Nhat and I are going to invent that cool device that can translate your snoring sound into beautiful, soothing music, like... mozart, bach, and beethoven :) When you sleep at night, the world is filled with music. Isn't that wonderful

The Academy Awards 08

2008-02-24T22:16:00.000-08:00

Winners:

LEADING ACTOR: Daniel Day- Lewis (THERE WILL BE BLOOD)
LEADING ACTRESS: Marion Cotillard (LA VIE EN ROSE)

SUPPORTING ACTOR: Javier Bardem (NO COUNTRY FOR OLD MEN)
SUPPORTING ACTRESS: Tilda Swinton (MICHAEL CLAYTON)

Although I LOVE LOVE LOVE George Clooney, Im actually happy that Daniel Day- Lewis wins. Javier Bardem totally freaks me out in 'No Country for Old Men." He does an excellent job in this movie so he definitely deserves this award.

ANIMATED FEATURE: Ratatouille (I wanted "Persepolis" to win!)
ART DIRECTION: Sweeney Tood The Demon Barbaer of Fleet Street
CINEMATOGRAPHY: There will be Blood
COSTUME DESIGN: Elizabeth: The Golden Age
DIRECTING: No Country for Old Men
DOCUMENTARY FEATURE: Taxi to the Dark Side
DOCUMENTARY SHORT: Freeheld
FILM EDITING: The Bourne Ultimatum
FOREIGN LANGUAGE: The Counterfeiters
MAKEUP: La vie en Rose
ORIGINAL SCORE: Atonement
ORIGINAL SONG: "Falling Slowly"
BEST PICTURE: No Country for Old Men
SHORT FILM- ANIMATED: Peter & The Wolf
SHORT FILM- LIVE ACTION: Le Mozart Des Pickpockets
SOUND EDITING: The Bourne Ultimatum
SOUND MIXING: The Bourne Ultimatum
VISUAL EFFECTS: The Golden Compass
SCREENPLAY- ADAPTED: No Country for Old Men
SCREENPLAY- ORIGINAL: Juno

I'm happy with the results. I hope you all enjoyed the Oscars.

Oh before I go...: I LOVE George Clooney! That man is CHARMING, an amazing actor, handsome, funny, friendly, etc. He's got all the great qualities! Sarah Larson is one lucky girl :)

It's been

2008-02-18T22:51:00.000-08:00

a couple of weeks now since Health Ledger's death and i'm still not able to sleep well. I keep thinking about him and I'm not even sure why. He was so young and talented... I can't stop looking at the main image on http://www.heathtribute.com. Those eyes are so sad they make me wanna cry...

Anywho, lately i've been addicted to www.moola.com. Everyone should join. It's fun and you can make money off of it too. Just make sure you don't turn it into your career :)

Updating.. and hopefully

2008-02-12T23:38:00.000-08:00

I'll find some motivation to keep this blog alive. My thoughts run thousand miles/hour 18 hrs/day plus maybe some time during the remaining 6hrs/day of sleep (yea people think in their sleep right? cuz I think I do sometimes), but because I rather keep things inside I often stopped myself from writing them in this blog. I'll try to write more often though. Nhat said that if i put, for example my goals, in writing i'm more likely to accomplish them. True.

But will see if Nhat's right in thise case. lol. Will I keep my blog going...

stay tune!

Wildfires in Socal

2007-10-22T12:34:00.000-07:00

Yesterday morning a friend and I were about to head out to malibu to jog on the beach. We didn't know there was wildfire going on 'til I spoke to a friend who lives in Malibu. I've watched the news ever since and I still can't turn away from the tv. I'm worried about my friends in Malibu and friends in OC who had to evacuate. My heart goes out to all these beloved friends, every one out there who has lost their homes, the firefighters, and everyone involved. Also to the man who opened the gate to free the horses: that has touched my heart! Goodluck to everyone!

Craziness! ...

Update....

2007-07-02T00:01:00.000-07:00

i should start writing on this thing more often. I've been so busy i haven't had the time to. Plus.. i didn't get a new laptop yet 'cuz i still coudln't find anything i like :(

SB

2007-06-16T12:26:00.000-07:00

I don't like bugs. They scare me. My elementary teacher used to tell us a story about how a little ant can kill a big elephant by biting the elephant's feet and by eating his brain. The purpose of this story is to teach us that we should never underestimate the weak and never look down on them for any reason. But goodness eversince i heard that story i got so afraid that someday some random ant will crawl in my ears and somehow eat my brain :( haha

I guess this is the reason Im never the camping type of girl. But the camping trip on memorial day weekend totally changed my perspective. NO! I still hate bugs! lol but i enjoy camping more. Thanks to my friends for the fun trip :)

Here are some pictures i took

Managing your money

2007-06-09T18:31:00.000-07:00

Think you're good with managing your own money? Think again.

Ok.. There is no such thing such as free lunch (unless you have a cool friend like www.vinhboy.com who would offer me help but never asks for anything in return. hehe) It does cost you $$ to hire a financial advisor. Some of you thinks it's stupid pay someone to manage your money when you can do it yourself.

Well, I know it's tough to admit that you need a financial advisor, but think again. Ask yourself these questions: How much time do I have? Am I lazy? Am I a procrastinator? If you answer yes to these questions, you need a financial advisor, my dear!

Most of us think we can make great profits because we hear about the stock market somewhere on the news. but that 'little' knowledge won't help. trust me .. because if it did i'd be rich by now. It is important that you not only know the stock market well but also the stocks' characteristics. Why? because you never know what other stragedies life's gonna bring to this world. A financial advisor can see the future (yea kinda scary) better than we do because she has better knowledge.. and knowledge comes from hard working, lotz of time spending to do research (the kind of time that we don't have because we're too busy making money elsewhere), etc. I'm not saying that she'll be 100% right all the time, but a good financial advisor does have a better idea than we do.

Have you thought of putting your money in your retirement yet? Don't know whether ira fits you better or roth ira fits you better? What about 529 plan, etc.? It is important to plan ahead.

But of course I hope you choose a good financial advisor, not just someone who carries a Financial Advisor tittle on his forehead and lounges around all day long. Just an example, a financial advisor who advices you to put money in your retirement plan sounds like a better one than the those who would first try to sell you an annuity. Yea that'd give them some good money.