I MUST post my pet peeves or I'm going to drown in annoyance!

Pet Peeves in no order of importance because it all annoys me equally...

1. Braids or Blond Blond Blond hair on Asian women. Yes, highlights are cute and look awesome but Barbi blond is NOT natural on any Asian girl and just makes you look like you want to be white. No Asian girl looks hot with Barbi blond hair. Extra annoyance points if you wear blue/green/gray contacts. I am not even going to comment on how weird braids look on Asians.

2. Gym etiquette, please please please do not cover up your body odor with perfume/cologne. It makes me want to gag and while we're on the subject of gym etiquette no one wants to touch your pool of sweat you left on the machine. Please be kind and mop it up!

3. BreakSk8 from America's Best Dance Crew on MTV. The other crews can DANCE but who's heard of a dance crew that dances on skates? Isn't that so LATE 90's? LAME! Why haven't they been voted off yet? And who spells sk8 with an 8 anymore? That was soooooooooooo 6th grade!

4. Going to a concert and the entire audience sings with the singer on EVERY song so loud you don't hear the artist. People, I paid good money to hear my favorite artist sing LIVE not for you guys to sing off key. Also, moshing during songs is stupid. It's even more stupid when the song is a SLOW song.

* Author's Note: The BF said that I sound angry in this post. It's not anger but frustration since these pet peeve incidents happened over the last two days. That's a lot of annoying events in a small time frame. I'm going to go eat some cupcakes now.

Continued in pp.

Yesterday was a very rare occurrence where my girlfriends and I were able to have a nice dinner together and just hang out. For those of you who are still in college and can see your friends anytime take advantage of it. As you begin to get real jobs and move further and further apart you see less and less of them. Getting boba, coffee, dessert, dinner, movie, etc etc etc becomes a rare event.

Since we're getting to that age of late (gasp) 20s we're talking more and more about marriage. One friend said that she's worried about being with one person FOREVER. That one word scares her more then anything. For me, that word doesn't scare me, it's the word wedding. Ooohh, that was my stomach protesting so I better write faster. A wedding for me involves both sides of our family and blending in American, Cambodian, and Vietnamese traditions based on a budget we have to save and come up with. That includes a MILLION details and after being in my sister's drama filled had to kick a bridesmaid out of the party wedding and watching Bridezilla I am forever traumatized. The planning of the wedding is what scares me. I wish we could elope or have a small wedding but BOTH our parents would kill us, seriously. Being married to the BF, not that big of a problem. I know that he is the one for me and though our religious background are different (he's Catholic and I'm Buddhist) I cannot help but believe that whatever happens after, we will still be together because he completes me. Being with him forever doesn't scare me, it's not being with him that does. *Yes, I hear all of the aaaaaahhhhhhhhhhs.

I have this week from teaching off and now it's cloudy and cold. What happened to the sunny California weather? Yeah, I know, 60 - 65 isn't cold to anyone not in Cali but damn, I'm spoiled and I want my warm weather now.

Many people have been expressing that Valentine's Day is a commercial holiday and that they don't celebrate it because of it. Others even say that they're saving money so they're not exchanging presents. I've surveyed my friends on what to get the BF for Valentine's Day and half said they don't celebrate it and the other haven't responded. Yes, I know it's commercial but I  Valentine's Day. I say that loud and proud. I think, no I know, I went overboard on the gifts for the BF but he's a wonderful, excellent, can't ask for a better boyfriend. He's supported me in achieving all my dreams, helping me in every way, and have gone above and beyond what I would have asked anyone to do. He just makes me a better me. I know we should and do appreciate each other every day but on Valentine's Day, I really want to show him how important he is to me.

Now that I have a job I can spoil him. The worst part is the WAITING. No, I don't mean waiting for my present, but to give him his. I LOVE giving presents and especially can't wait for their reaction. It's especially hard waiting to give the BF his present because he's the most special to me and therefore I try the hardest to buy the best gifts for him because he deserves it the most. I did get accused of being a "very object oriented couple" but I don't care. When you grow up poor, working hard in the family business, and one of four kids, you don't get the nicest or newest ANYTHING. I always got hand me downs, shopped at Mervyns and Marshalls for clothes and always with my own money I saved. So, when my parents were able to buy something nice it was extra special to get something out of the ordinary. Maybe that's why I love giving presents and seeing their reactions. I remember how special it felt to get a new outfit picked out just for me by my parents. Or when my older brother bought me my very first Carebear. I love that special feeling and I always remember that feeling when I give presents. So, I wrapped the presents in a bag and it sits there mocking me. It says, OPEN OPEN OPEN. I begged the BF to open it now be he's holding on strong for Thursday. I don't think I can hold out that long.

 
My presents to the BF. I can't wait for him to open it. OPEN IT!

The new year has brought many new experiences and here is a recap of some of them.

1. Raymond Vasquez how I HATE you where ever, whoever you are. Because you "accidentally" put my phone number as yours I got to have 210-586-0050 call me 8, no 10 times a day everyday for a MONTH! That means that I get phone calls at 8 am on a Saturday and 10pm on Sunday! The worst part was when I picked up the phone I would have to wait for them to pick up because they used an electronic dialer. More then half the time I had to tell them that the number wasn't for Raymond Vasquez and to take this off their call list but it didn't work the first, second, nor third time. It took 4 tries and me threatening to call the Federal Trade Commission that they finally stopped call me.Whoever you are Raymond, you owe a lot of money to Chase Credit cards and they'll find you!

2. "No officer, I don't know how fast I was driving." were finally uttered by yours truly. In 2008, Sekura got her first ticket. Ouch! I was lost and late to an important meeting and was getting step by step directions from the BF via phone. I was just following traffic flow and driving along PCH (Pacific Coast Highway) when I saw the lights flashing. Oh CRAP I thought. I originally thought that I was getting pulled over for talking on the phone while driving but the officer kindly said no, "Not until July." So remember that, no talking on cell phones in July and onwards! He then proceeded to tell me that I was going 72 in a 55 mph zone. That's 17 miles over the speed limit. Yeah, that's double ouch. So, he was KIND enough to increase the speed limit to 65 so I would only be 7 mph over the limit. Why couldn't he be even NICER and NOT give me a ticket. It's like, here's your second place prize and you still lose. Humph!

So that's how my 2008 is shaping up. I hope it gets better.

Every Christmas my family and I drive the hour and a half to have Christmas Eve dinner with my extended family. Grandma, Grandpa, uncles and aunts, the whole family is gathered together to share a Chinese dinner. My favorite is the House Style Crab, hmmmmmmmmmm crab! However, seeing my grandparents have reminded me how old they are getting. This was the first Christmas that they weren't feeling well enough to attend the Christmas dinner. My sister that got married last year also was missing, spending her Christmas with her inlaws up north. It didn't feel the same without them. It's super hard for any of our family to get in one place because half of us own and run our own business which rarely leave us any free time to do anything. It's also hard that our family grew up far from the rest of the family and therefore we don't have the strongest bond as adults. I see cousins spending time with each other and being friends instead of just being family and I mourn that. My parents are wonderful people and they did what they had to do to prosper but we did loose something and that was the family bond of the extended family.

Our elders are 87, 86, and 88 years old and they are the ones that bring us together. Then my parents and their generation. What will happen when it's my generation's turn to take over traditions, like Christmas dinner? Will it be one of the many traditions that will fade in time? There are 4 siblings in my family, all of us range in ability to speak Cambodian, my older sister and baby brother are Twinkies (yellow on the outside and white on the inside) my oldest brother doesn't want to get married and have a family and then there leaves me. We're Cambodian American, my sister married a white guy and me a possible Viet guy. I'm just feeling so blue because the older generation is getting older and I see that big clock ticking. They are the ones know the reasons why we do some of things that we do. I mean, why the heck is Cambodian New Year in April? Or why do they make certain dishes only for Chinese New Year? Why is it again we burn fake money on both of these holidays? I think we still have time and that's what I'm grateful for this New Year.

Talking to a friend today she regaled me tales of an incident that happened yesterday with her and T. Now, T's a hot chickie and she's very pretty. She gets hit on pretty much everywhere, well, except when she's with her boyfriend the cop. So imagine you're sitting in the car watching your friend T walk to the ATM. Then there's a guy walking slightly behind her and he's SO checking her out. So checking her out to the point that he's pointing to T and mouthing to his friend in the car that she's HOT. He never really approached her but just HAD to point her out to his friend sitting in a car 50 yards away. Come ON! Now, that's what I call a HALF STEP. I'm reminded by the common saying, "Step Up!" Either take it all the way or don't. I expect a guy to either go for it or not, but it drives me crazy when they do this half step crap. It's a cop out that never gets you anywhere. You didn't go for the girl so she's NOT going to date you. You didn't just glance and do nothing but instead made this weird choice to make grand gestures that no one but you and your friend would appreciate at the expense of another. Man, it's annoying. If it ever happened to me, trust me, I would say something.

Gym Observations
1. Camel toe and too short shorts is a look that is NEVER going to be attractive. It's especially sad when the girl is actually skinny and in good shape but shorts make you look really really bad.

2. I don't know what's worse: Smelly guys with B.O. or Smelly guys with B.O. and cologne. Wait, I know, it's smelly guys with B.O.

I know that Halloween has come and gone but I did want to show off my first jack-o-lantern ever.  Being a child of parents who didn't even know what Halloween was, (We give out candy?) I never got a chance to go carve a pumpkin.

 

Happy Be-lated Halloween!!!

I've lived on my own since I was 18 and it's been 8 years (I just realized it's been 8 years ) since I've lived with my parents. I go home as often as I can but it's hard. As you get older your life gets busier and busier and weekends are always packed jam full of errands and obligations. However, I made the trip home to bask in my parents love and my grandma's cooking. Ohhhh, I love Grandma. She makes me the best Cambodian food ever! And, she's so thoughtful. Who else makes sure there's your favorite breakfast on the table when you wake up? Or peals all the crap off 5 pomegranates because she knows it's your favorite?  Or makes it a point to wave until she can't see you anymore when you leave? Grandma that's who!

There's just one thing I worry about when I go home. She has a lot of food items that shouldn't be brought over, i.e. contraband! Like dried seafood that she cured herself. When I was a wee Sekura, my stomach was iron cast and I could eat anything without consequence. Now that Sekura is a lot older, I wonder of my ability to eat these exotic foods without consequence. It's a crap shoot but I'll eat it because Grandma made it. Wish me luck!

Upcoming events: Halloween in West Hollywood! 5 Asians ladies as the cast of the Wizard of Oz. Guess who's the Wicked Witch? It's much more fun to be bad then good.

September came in and blew right on by...

• I started my first teaching gig and am having SOOOOOO much fun! I created an experiment that had caramel and green apples as the materials. Guess who got to eat caramel apples in the guise of teaching and got PAID for it? Yup, that's me!
• Birthdays flew by and our very brave friend turned 27! Crazy, I was with this girl when she turned 21! Social security here we come.
• Clubbing to celebrate said birthday was an adventure. We felt so old getting ready and lamented our ages but once in the club our bodies took over and we were once again getting down!
• Being hit on by a recent grad is NOT a compliment. Keep moving kid, you're WAY to young for me.
• We met another wanna be half white/Chinese guy, yeah right! We've been fool twice already, not gonna happen a third time.
• I just read my old post from last year and I've gotten very UNFUNNY and I'm sick again. Same cold different kids who gave me their germs. Thanks kids!

October event highlights...

• Finding a new dessert place to eat called, Mochilato, a mochii and gelato place combined! And it serves shaved ice too! Sooooooooooooooooo yummy!
• It's going to be my 4 year anniversary with the boyfriend this Thursday! When did this happen? I already got my present and it is AWESOME! Trust me on this. I got him computer parts, so I rock too.
• Another very brave friend is turning 27 and doesn't look a day over 24! And still very cute too!
• I get to play tour guide at my old college, yeah me. I've got Spirit!
• Halloween ADULT style! New theme for five girls going clubbing. Any ideas? It's gonna be fun!

Yes, it's really true. Teachers REALLY have more homework then the kids. It's been a SUPER busy month teaching. Lots of fun and the kids are so cute and sweet. As promised, here are the after pictures of the class. Yes, it REALLY took me a month to get the classroom organized, and it's still not done.

NOW, it looks like this! Thanks to all my friends who gave up a weekend and then some to help me put my first classroom together. Ok, I'm off to do more school stuff. It really NEVER ends.