let's shine some light on the asian art museum

Campaign for the "New Asian"???

If any of you visit the San Francisco Asian Art Museum, you'll notice as you walk into their front doors that the far right wall boasts an impressive plaque naming the donors to the campaign to build what I presume is the new Asian Art Museum, and NOT the new Asian, because, as I'd like to think, Asians have been defining and redefining ourselves for centuries -- as is every human being on this planet. I just felt it presumptuous and totally inappropriate for them to shorten the campaign name in this particular way. What is being suggested by the title, I wonder? What does it mean to intentionally choose to say the "new Asian" instead of the "new museum" or "the new Asian Art Museum" or even "the new Asian Museum" (which is not correct use of adjectives, but that's even preferable to what they currently have)...?

Sometimes, just to be a bit more interesting, I'd like to consider whether it is possible for us to campaign for the new Asian. How would that go? I wonder who could be the campaign manager? What will be our logo? Who will be our poster child? What the heck, which sponsors should we try to get on board? This might get interesting, folks. And, finally, what's the pitch?

Di dau ma khong nhin...?

Hom nay, moi doc duoc tin la hai chiec truc thang (news helicopters) cua dai truyen hinh Channel 5 News da co tai nan xay ra dang khi chieu report cua cuoc car chase. Ca 6 nguoi phong su vien da chet. Khi Bo cua minh nghe vay thi thot len "6 gia dinh gap chuyen buon." Minh khong hieu vi sao ma nhung nguoi phi cong (pilots?) khong de y hoac bi truc trac gi ma ho khong the dieu khien cai helicopter. Dau phai la thieu airspace ma phai bay gan nhau den noi de collide va explode? Bay gio thi gia dinh cua ho phai lam sao? Nhu the nao moi la hy sinh vi cong viec lam? Tai sao lai co tinh trang nhu vay o tren dat nay? Khong hieu duoc chut nao...

touching beans

At the farmers market, there was a stand that displayed a gigantic tub of beans with a sign that said "go ahead, you know you want to!" And it was true, anyone who sashayed by the stand was compelled to dig their hands deep into the pile of colorful beans, swishing around a bit to enjoy the texture. It was like being six all over again.

for fathers and sons

Hom Thu Sau vua qua, to bao SF Chronicle da viet ve mot cau chuyen that buon. Mot ong cha da bo quen dua con trai 11-thang o trong chiec xe sedan, va da dau o so lam suot ngay. Den khi ba vo goi dthoai hoi chong tai sao dua con khong co mat tai nha giu tre, ong ta moi chot nho va hoang hot khi kham pha dua con trai cua minh da chet o trong xe. Nhung chuyen nhu vay lam cho minh that dau long. Co nhieu nguoi nghe duoc tin nay thi len tieng oan trach ong cha, phe binh va mang ong ta la nguoi Cha vo tri den noi bo quen con cua minh. Minh thi nguoc lai. Minh chi co the cam thong cho khong nhung nguoi Me, nhung cung dau kho voi nguoi Cha, va ca gia dinh cua ho. Ke tu ngay t4 khi chuyen nay xay ra, gia dinh nay da bat dau mot giai doan moi. Mot la ho se gan bo hon, hoac la ho se bi tan ra. Mot viec that kinh khung nhu vay ma xay ra cho minh, lo rang minh co chieu noi duoc su dau don khong? Minh co the tro lai tu cai cho Dau Kho de tiep tuc cuoc song hang ngay? Co le minh se khong cang dam du, va co le khong ai cang dam du. Chi co the tiep tuc buoc toi tung giay phut ma thoi. Trong tinh than chia buon voi gia dinh nay, minh post tam hinh cua mot ngon den, de ghi nho rang trong bong toi la luc ta thay ro ret anh sang cua ngon den.

On the front page of Friday's San Francisco Chronicle was a story about the death of an 11-month-old baby whose father had forgotten him in the car after arriving at work. You can read the full story here. More shockingly, the article reports that nationwide, on average each year, there are about 3 dozen childen who die because they were forgotten and left remaining in cars. I can only imagine what the family must be feeling at this moment. For their grief, for their suffering, for the hope that they will carry onward, I light this e-candle.