Hom T2, da co mot tran bao bien that du ton da dap vao vung Ba Ria - Vung Tau. 4 nguoi da chet va hon 200+ nguoi da bi ton thuong. Hang ngan nguoi da bi nha cua pha sap, phai song o duoi anh mat troi. Dieu ma lam toi buon nhat la mac du co mot "natural disaster" du ton nhu la cuoc bao nay, minh chang co thay su giup do cuu the nao tu chinh phu.
TD co noi rang o VN, nhung hoi tu thien nhu la Red Cross hoac la nhung HT cung kg co co hoi de giup do nhung nan nhan cua bao. Khi muon tro giup bang tien, thi ho phai xuyen qua 4 ban nghanh, va ho cung kg co the quyet dinh tro giup nhung nguoi nao hoac noi nao. Ho kg co the tu quyet dinh nhung phai cho doi su quyet dinh cua cac ban nghanh. Con nua, chua chac la khi ho nhan duoc tien quyen gop thi ho se dua tron het so tien cho nhung nan nhan.
Nhung, neu noi cho cung, thi chi co 4 nguoi chet ma thoi. Nha cua bi sap. Cua tiem thi bi lat lup nha. Tai san bi mat het. Co hai me con o Ben Tre chi con lai 1 bo do quan ao de ban qua ngay thoi. Khong con gi nua...
On Monday, southern Vietnam was hit by tropical storm Durian, destroying thousands of homes and killing almost 50 people in the southern provinces, Bia Ria - Vung Tau. The sad thing about this situation is that I read on Vietnamese news website that the U.S. have contributed $100,000 USD in the cleanup efforts. I cannot imagine that we are only able to contribute that little. God forbid that we are only "willing" to contribute this much. Flashes of Katrina. Flashes of the tsunami. Flashes, flashes, flashes...
December 7, 2006
Off the menu...
As I was compiling my list of "Things I've Eaten", it occurred to me that my sister may be right when she said I'm most likely going to scare away all my friends and co-workers if they see what I've been digesting all these years. So, in deference to my vegetarian friends (any vegans out there that I don't know about?), I've been thinking hard about ways to offer up a list of vegetarian-tame dishes for the milder palates . In doing so, I may possibly redeem myself and regain a modicum of respect -- however little that is!
Then again, isn't it much more interesting to live on the wild side, to venture into unknown culinary territories? I've eaten shark fin and fish eyes and deer (doesn't sound as fancy as "veal" does it?), and yet, that's not considered weird or strange b/c eating shark meat and veal isn't uncommon in western-style cuisines.
However, just b/c I named a couple of items on a blog doesn't make them exotic or strange. Plenty of folks eat those things -- I just happen to be living in a society whose dominant cultures don't often delve into such "delicacies." Or, they do, but I'm completely ignorant of it happening.
Then again, isn't it much more interesting to live on the wild side, to venture into unknown culinary territories? I've eaten shark fin and fish eyes and deer (doesn't sound as fancy as "veal" does it?), and yet, that's not considered weird or strange b/c eating shark meat and veal isn't uncommon in western-style cuisines.
However, just b/c I named a couple of items on a blog doesn't make them exotic or strange. Plenty of folks eat those things -- I just happen to be living in a society whose dominant cultures don't often delve into such "delicacies." Or, they do, but I'm completely ignorant of it happening.
On the menu...
7) Snails. Not the garden variety.
8) Blood. Pork blood.
9) Balut. "Balut is a half-boiled, ready to hatch duck egg... The inside of the egg resembles a coiled lizard." -from Balut in the Philippines
10) Beehives and bee larvae and honey (ok, my sister makes me say pieces of beehives)
That should be it my friends. Soon I'll compile a list of veggies/herbs/fruits of "exotic" (once again, problematic term) nature for you folks to contemplate...
December 6, 2006
3 for 1: No Sale!
The Board of Regents of UC Berkeley just voted unanimously to approve the plans to build a brand new structure near the Stadium. It will cost $120 million and will include, among other things, a 4-story underground parking facility -- which will be located very near the Hayward faultline. In order to build this new structure, they will have to tear down a grove of oak trees -- about 3 dozen of them. They propose planting 3 baby oaks (saplings?) elsewhere to replace each grown oak. The city of Berkeley and a neighborhood group plans to file a lawsuit against the university.
I wholeheartedly agree. There are so many issues at stake here: the danger of sitting right on top of a faultline; the parking and traffic congestion that will increase 100% after such a monstrosity is built; the killing of an entire ecosystem, to be replaced by a bunch of little saplings; the money spent to build a sports stadium (!)...
Does this makes any sense to anyone? There are a few things I don't understand:
1) who in their right mind would choose to uproot a bunch of grown oak trees, thinking that a bunch of little ones planted in 2006 will do the same work achieved by an ecosystem
2) who in their right mind would choose a faultline as the ideal place to build an underground (geez, peoples!) facility to park cars -- I don't know which is scarier, the fact that the UG thing can crush you from bottom up or from top down. Ughh.
3) who in their right mind would want to allocate that much more money to enhance sports facilities when so much can be done to create better arts and literature programs
I, for one, would have loved to join the treesitters. At least they were able to speak out and stand up (climb up!) in solidarity with the Green effort. No, I do not want the 3 for 1 deal. Not this time.
James Kim: in memoriam
You may have already heard/read the news that authorities discovered the body of James Kim earlier today. James Kim, an editor at CNET, and his family were in Oregon for Thanksgiving and were returning to the Bay Area when their station wagon got stuck in the snow (what happened, I wonder?). On Saturday, December 2nd, JK left his wife, Katy, and two daughters (Penelope, 4, and Sabine, 7 months) to search for help. He never returned. His wife and daughters were found by rescue workers on Monday, and there were plans to increase the efforts to find Kim. It's been 11 days since the family was stranded.
His family are in good condition, but they are probably devastated. I cannot imagine what it must have felt like for him to leave his family, knowing that chances are he would never see them again. That moment when he decides to step out of the car and into the snow -- dressed in nothing but street gear -- to search in unfamiliar terrain for a way out for this family. I cannot imagine how his wife must have felt as she nursed her two daughters for all those days and nights in the freezing weather.
His body was found in a place in the canyon not far from the family car; they were separated by a schism. Authorities think perhaps he might have been returning to his family or perhaps he was disoriented. The irony, too, that they were returning from a Thanksgiving gathering with their family in Oregon. The incredible sadness the entire Kim family must be feeling at this moment. News articles have added that the family does not want to be contacted yet. Deep mourning for such a loss.
Readers have commented that what Kim did was what a father would do, what a husband would do, what a hero would do. I don't know whether I would want my father to make that kind of sacrifice. The sheer implausibility of finding help in that kind of space is enough for me to want him to stay. No, I would not want my father or my husband or my brother to be that hero...
I am touched by the efforts of the people who search for the Kim family. They found the family after such a long time, but the girls are ok -- thank God. I am touched by the friends and co-workers who have gathered in support of the family. It is true community in action.
Though I do not know the Kim family, I wish them enough friends and love and support to endure the grief. B/c it shall come to pass...
Please send them a note of encouragement.
His family are in good condition, but they are probably devastated. I cannot imagine what it must have felt like for him to leave his family, knowing that chances are he would never see them again. That moment when he decides to step out of the car and into the snow -- dressed in nothing but street gear -- to search in unfamiliar terrain for a way out for this family. I cannot imagine how his wife must have felt as she nursed her two daughters for all those days and nights in the freezing weather.
His body was found in a place in the canyon not far from the family car; they were separated by a schism. Authorities think perhaps he might have been returning to his family or perhaps he was disoriented. The irony, too, that they were returning from a Thanksgiving gathering with their family in Oregon. The incredible sadness the entire Kim family must be feeling at this moment. News articles have added that the family does not want to be contacted yet. Deep mourning for such a loss.
Readers have commented that what Kim did was what a father would do, what a husband would do, what a hero would do. I don't know whether I would want my father to make that kind of sacrifice. The sheer implausibility of finding help in that kind of space is enough for me to want him to stay. No, I would not want my father or my husband or my brother to be that hero...
I am touched by the efforts of the people who search for the Kim family. They found the family after such a long time, but the girls are ok -- thank God. I am touched by the friends and co-workers who have gathered in support of the family. It is true community in action.
Though I do not know the Kim family, I wish them enough friends and love and support to endure the grief. B/c it shall come to pass...
Please send them a note of encouragement.
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