You can do it!!!

Guess again! The last one is hard, I'm telling you. Two words. South Asia. Oh, so close! Keep trying. I suppose the rule for this is...I won't post new until the last is guessed.

Come on! Don't give up.

S is for a country in...

South Asia. Try again!

This one is tricky. You may think it's one country, but it does not begin with an I. Guess again! If you have been to this place, what does this entrance take you? A museum? Theater? Jail?

Congrats to Anonymous for getting the last post!

N is for...

Many of you have visited this famous tourist sight. Much like Iguazu, these rushing waters share two countries. Name this attraction and its dual nationalities.

Congratulations to Bryan for getting the last entry!

S is for...

Here is an easier one. This city is most important for it's country's silk industry. It is nicknamed "Heaven on Earth" by its people and "The Venice of the East" by foreign travelers. It is one of the oldest cities where students attend embroidery school - both competitive and ranked Top 4. Where is this God sent place?

*If you get this one, where is Venice?

What is this structure called and what is this specific one built for?

Name the city and country!

S is for....?

What parts of the world interest you? I know most of you have been to at least two countries in your lifetime. (China, India, Philippines, Switzerland, Vietnam, Canada...) At my ripe age of... (oh, let's stay on topic here), I would like to now dedicate the next 26 blogs to the 26 countries I've visited in MY "short" lifespan.

Please add to any news, events, famous people/sites, political or arts interests to the comment!

Challenge: Before we begin with the 26-country research, would anyone like to take a shot at guessing where this lion is shooting water? Huh? I was in this country during my Summer 2007 travels.

Countries upon request!

Welcome Mini-Moo!

This sweet cat was rescued off Center Street in the midst of the traffic-filled chaos by my friendly neighbor (aka) Dr. Doolittle. Once he stepped inside, he began exploring into all the rooms and up and down the furniture. We assume he is still a young kitty cat and will soon grow twice its size. MEEE-OOW!

Much like the life of Veda Bee, this curious kitty cat will have a home. Dr. Doolittle will post signs around the neighborhood, but if nobody claims him (fingers crossed!), he will live in our building with plenty of space of choice to sleep, food, water, kitty litter, treats, toys and lots of love!

Tips on Adopting (Cats or Dogs):

-Make a visit to nearby shelters or check online for adoption shows. Some animal rescues bring all their cats/dogs to your local pet supply stores on Saturday or Sunday mornings.

-Make sure your family, your physical house and backyard is suitable for the size of your new furry friend.

-Make a list of things you need and need to know before adoption. (*Example below.)

-Search online for the furry face and e-mail for a visit!

-Ask Miss Gilbert or Mrs. Gifford for more suggestions. They volunteer at Furry Friends Rescue and often times foster dogs before they are adopted.

-Get involved in volunteering, donating (time or $), or fostering. Ask parents first before bringing home a large furry creature!

-If you or your family is not ready but you still love animals, you can always volunteer on weekends for your own interest OR add to your community service hours. They need all the help you can give them.

Enjoy!

*Miss Lou's Questions before Adopting the Infamous Veda Bee:

-Am I ready? Yes! I have no plans to travel or live abroad anytime soon and I would be willing to take her with me if plans change.

-Can I afford a pet? Yes! I take full financial responsibility for vaccinations, adoption fees, food, shelter, treats, toys, travel expenses, emergency medical treatments, flea meds....more treats.

-Who will take Veda if something happens to me? Miss Gilbert is Veda Bee's Godmother since she is an animal lover also. In the last two years, Veda has acquired three more Godparents - on both coasts! Lucky girl!

-How much exercise would you be willing to provide? Everyday! As part of my daily routine, Veda will get more exercise than her laziness is willing. (Sometime I have to drag her!) During the long winter months, Veda gets her exercise by chasing after her doggie food.

-How much space? Lots! Since my old place didn't have a backyard, I took Veda out each day to the dog parks and coastlines. But now she is lucky to have a big, big yard and a wild park just two blocks away!

-How much love are you going to give? LOTS! Neverending cuddles, kisses and pets...of course!

-How will you potty train and discipline? With lots of treats and strict routine. As long as you set initial ground rules and follow them, your pet should eventually follow. Refer to obedience training books, videos and classes...and always ask the previous foster parent for extra help. One of the greatest things about online rescue, is that you can choose a pet that has already been trained!

Good luck!

DM on Stage!

Last night, I had this crazy dream. I was sitting in front of my computer, trying desperately to decode a bunch of silly numbers and letters while the fast-paced Time Bomb ticked along with my pounding heart. The minutes and seconds remaining dwindled fast and like every terrible nightmare, my task had to complete in order to save the world from drowning teenagers! I tried and tried to figure out what the numbers were supposed to mean, but no such luck. Aaah! In my dream, I just sat in front of the computer, panicking and pulling my hair out. What is all this?! How do I stop the clock?!

Did the Absent-Minded Female Heroine save the day? Not sure since she woke up in sheer relief that the weight of the young adult world was no longer her responsibility. (So why were my shoulders still feeling heavy?) Ouch! Very strange indeed. WHAT was in my dinner last night? Geez... (Word of advice: As tempting as it sounds, please stay clear away from marinated tofu cutlets and Fuji apples before bedtime. How about a pint of ice cream instead?)

Before I ramble on, let me introduce Today's Special x-401 Guest. Here's introducing another Superhero in the making...... starring ...... dimming lights ...... flashing spotlight .... drum roll please...

* * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * DM! * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * *

DM is inspiring the world in a unique and clever way. He is designing his very own sculptures with paper. Go Origami!

Check out DM's Origami Gallery!

Thanks for sharing ! We wish you best of luck in building Miss Lou & Veda Bee a new house! I mean, building your next fabulous creation. Who needs fancy store bought materials when you've got recycled paper and your clever fingers? Careful of cuts and callouses.
Can you guess how many pieces of pink paper were cut and folded to create this spiky flower design? What color paper did DM use to make this pink spiky thing? (No, it's not a trick question.) Most importantly, how does it all stay together without glue? Help!

Is this magic or an optical illusion? Is this his hand, or a figment of your imagination? If it really is his hand, is it really DM's or a hired hand model?

Is this edible version made out of banana skins and Twinkies? And is it REALLY yellow and white? Ask these mind-boggling questions to the Origami King himself, but first...check out his gallery and order your very own masterpiece! Or watch his YouTube video and try it out yourself. Can you build the designs above? Other kinds?

Thanks DM and hope you return as our guest very soon!

Happy Post 4th Weekend, Kiddies!

Good morning and happy Post 4th of July Weekend!

Where did you end up going?

On the Esplanade in Boston, my friends and I found an empty spot on the grassy spot not far from the Hatch Shell and parked ourselves on blankets, pulled out our many unhealthy snacks (yes, even me!) and listened to the music blaring out of Sound Tower #4. Can you find us on the Charles River Map? (Don't ask how many there were, but boy, were they loud! But fab choice of music indeed.) We played cards and ate until our tummies felt sick. People brought their tents, tarps, guitars, children and well-behaved doggies. (No, Veda prefers to be away from crazy crowds.) Others hit beach balls while some even took naps. (Not a great combo - beach balls and naps. Yes, some fights broke out! Call the Boston PD! What's the #?!) The sky was clear blue with scattered clouds to hide the sun during moments of intense heat. It was fabulous with no thunderstorms or rain, hooray!

At eight o'clock after the National Anthem, the Boston Pops performed with Neil Diamond. But I'm sure your favorite part would've been the Supersonic Jets blasting across the sky - when they near blown out my eardrums. Vaaaaa-rooooomroaaar! Scary...but what a sight! Fast and furious.

Neil Diamond sang his infamous "Sweet Caroline" to the audience of 500 million and repeated his trademark song after commercial break while dancing his old legend body away. There's just something to be said about thousands of different kinds of people of all ages singing along one song. Talk about unity! What songs did you play during your picnic-party-noise-polluting BBQ?

Around ten-thirty in the evening after the sky grew dark, the crowd inched toward the Cambridge side of the water to view the strategically-designed, ever beautiful crackling sky. The Sound Towers played a well-thought out arrangement of popular songs to add to the already crowd-pleasing excitement. (Yes, that is Grease you hear blaring in the background.) What other songs do you recognize as the fireworks flash and pop? What other songs would go with works?

In hopes all your fantastic celebrations were filled with good eats, music and NOISE!

Always,
Miss Lou

Happy 4th Weekend!

So much to see and so little time! Thanks for all your e-mails! I loved hearing about all your summer adventures, classes and downtime.

Keep writing, kids!

Now before this becomes an official food blog, let's see what is in store for all the kiddies around your area on this special Independence Day weekend. Will you be hiking and picnicking with the fam? BBQ-ing in the backyard with your 100 million Asian relatives? YouTubing the flight of the monarch and matching it with your favorite tunes? (Ashank? You know what I'm saying...) Or will you be venturing out to the Great Big City to see the works explode on fire?

On this side of the world, the fireworks and crackers have been setting off each night. In the same area each night - yup, right outside of my window. Loud and clear, and scaring the pee pee poo poo out of poor Veda. She shivers like a cat and hides under the croak of my arms. (Ribbit!) Some watch dog she is, but I find it rather endearing and enjoy the cute cuddle.

Here are some of the greatest things to do on this sunny 4th weekend:

1. Blow up a rafts, buy lots of cold drinks and crunchy snacks. Drift down the American River with friends and family. Don't forget the life vests and sunblock!

2. Hike up on feets with a picnic basket of treats to Coyote Hills or Mount Diablo to watch the sun go down and the fireworks fly up. Leave your iPods at home!

3. Fire up the BBQ and grill the corn, burgers and buns. Yums!

4. Alameda will host their annual parade with theme: Clean & Green!

5. Cupertino will host a pancake breakfast to set off their AM parade.

6. And if you're wiling to make the small drive to Santa Cruz county, you can celebrate with parades and events in Watsonville, Boulder Creek and Aptos (this last parade features Great Pyrenes dogs in their parade!)

7. How about a parade with live music and fireworks? The 11th Annual Hometown parade will take place in Antioch at 7pm. Firework show will begin at 9:30pm. Free Admission!

8. If you enjoy music, Vallejo Symphony Orchestra will perform in Vallejo with an after party from 2:30-6:30.

9. Or how about just some quality time to catch up with your fun ones?

Miss you all!

Fiddle Heads & Dilly Beans

Bet you can't guess what these curly suckers are! Yup, you guessed it! The Almighty Fiddleheads!

On our weekend adventure to Cabot, Vermont, my friend's family served these amazing greens called fiddleheads. Not quite sure if they're written as a compound word, but I must say, they were deee-licious! (That is, if you're into veggies like me. Roar!)

Fiddleheads seems to be a wild, forest grown vegetable - a cross between an artichoke, an asparagus and bean. Pick before it uncurls, and you've got yourself a tasty treat. It tastes buttery and nutty. Some say that fiddleheads are everywhere, but I have yet to find one growing in my backyard. The Amazing Fiddly Fiddleheads only existed in rare areas during a short period of the year. Thanks to the Daniels' Family, they gathered and picked the very last of the freshest bunch.

Veda Bee and me will not give up our search in the Greater Boston area - rubber boots...check! Flashlight (check!), basket (check!), treats and Wild Plants for Dummies - check, check! (Wait says we need three bags of treats? VEDA! Dah dah!)

But what about the Great Dilly Beans, you ask? Well, they were delicious as well, but I liked the fiddleheads better. Beans, beans...good for the heart. The more you eat, the more you...well, you know. Let's just say that beans are beans especially if they are pickled. A bit tangy and one can't consume too much without having to shovel a large pile of lasagne or glass of water to quench the tang of your tongue. So enjoy the Great Dilly Bean one small delicate bite at a time!

What are your favorite vegetables? (Miss Lou: Artichokes, fiddleheads, kale, ice cream, pea sprouts, brussel sprouts)

What are your least favorite? (Miss Lou: green bell peppers, alfa alfa sprouts)

Which ones do you wish would just go extinct like the dinosaurs? (Miss Lou: Okra - bleh!)

For all those who don't get enough greens for your genes, you best be making up for the vitamins, minerals and chlorphyll elsewhere, or BEWARE!

Miss you all & be good to the body!

Miss Dr. Healthy Heart

Dim Sum for Everyone!

It's Sunday! And the perfect day for a family dim sum hang out. Where will you go? Fremont? San Jose? Sunnyvale? Oakland or San Francisco Chinatown? What is your favorite dish?

Dim Sum is literally translated to mean "a pinch or dab of heart" and the light dishes are served with Chinese tea. The meal is consumed in the morning until noon (or two o'clock for some places.) It's like the equivalent of a Chinese-style brunch. The dishes are stacked in bamboo bowls. Shrimp dumplings, pork dumplings, rice noodles, onion pancakes, chicken feet, fruit, sweet or salty buns are some of the many examples for dim sum.

My fondest memory is meeting all my relatives in Oakland Chinatown for a Sunday dim sum. My dad would order a few main dishes, pour the tea and us kids would point to all our favorites. I loved the rice noodles with shrimp and all the vegetable dishes (go figure!). My dad loved the duck and oily pork. My mom would gnaw on the oxtail soup bones and my brother would eat anything. Though I was a picky eater, I still inhaled those chicken legs and spit out the bones all all once. Man, it's been a long many years since I've done that! And to be honest, I don't really miss it.

I love to go to Sunday dim sum on occasion, but not often since the food isn't necessary all that healthy. But just like ice cream parlors, fast food and all-you-can-eat buffets, it's the fun of eating and the happy family get-togethers...

Hope you're enjoying this beautiful, hot Sunday - dim sum or not day.

Boston Marathon

Is this not one of the coolest athletes ever? On that gloriously gray April day, thousands of participants braved the challenging 26.2-mile stretch. There was a little rain, but it was almost perfect weather for a nice long run across the city of Boston.

I took this photo at the last five miles because it simply brought tears to my eyes. It reminded me that anything is possible with hard work, dedication and lots of passion - just like our athletes: Bryan, Kat C, Osi, Samuel, Andrew, Felix, Jake and all you others playing tennis, wall ball and basketball.

If you're ever feeling down, know that there are so many people working extra hard to get to where they want to be. Know that can, no matter what. You can and you will.

Miss Lou is always so proud of each and every one of you as you embark on a new journey.

Enjoy and send me photos to post!

Michael Jackson is DEAD...

Shocking, sad, predictable, or are you mad at the media for not protecting this once child star from all the craziness and fame?

Michael Jackson dies at 50. Last night, "The King of Pop" was rushed to the hospital after five decades of hard work, fame, lawsuits, possible drug addictions, too many plastic surgeries gone wrong and lastly, failed rescue from a collapsing cardiac arrest.

The Los Angeles hospitals tried to perform CPR, but Pop Star was not able to recover from the heart attack. Some say it was too much pill-popping, his delicate health, or trying too hard to get back in shape for his upcoming concerts. Some just say it's time. Most people are sad and mourning his too early death.

Fifty years of irreplaceable child talent now gone.

In honor of his death, I have added a few of his most memorable...and a few other perspectives.

-Time: His past, present and future
-Young Michael Jackson, a true performer
-More on Michael oh, wait...that's not...
-The New Michael? Or Beatles?
-Mini Michael
-A Different Kind of Mini Michael

We'll miss you, kid genius!

Go Bry! Future Gold Medal Champ!

Congrats Future Olympian!

Bryan might attend the North American Challenge Cup race in Los Angeles, California. As his fellow number ONE fans, we cheer him on! However, if Bryan doesn't make it, he will be going to Hawaii for a Western Zones race. Either way, it doesn't sound too shabby for a young, hard working swimmer.

After all these races in August, Bryan will be off for some down time away from the chlorinated waters to visit relatives in China.

We're proud of you, Bry and will be cheering for you the whole way!

Keep us updated!

Music & the Art of Race Meditation

All athletes take moments of downtime to focus, go over race strategies, stretch, hydrate & meditate. This young athlete pops in his iPod and listens to his favorite tunes in preparation to win it all...What is Bryan's favorite tunes before a race? Can you guess which race he was preparing for? What were his results? Does he ever sing those tunes when he streams through the clear water?

Wait to find out!

Go Champ!

Guess who is swimming?

Hey!

No

cheating!

Guess

before

scrolling!

Nope! It's not Bryan...

...he doesn't have this much facial hair yet. Before that happens, Bryan is already well on his way to becoming the next Michael Phelps. Mr. Phelps looks pretty satisfied in this shot.

All photos have been a courtesy of Frank S. Thanks Bryan's Dad!

Amazing photos!

Rain, rain...go away!

Sun-starved Veda Bee is tired of the rain. It's been raining none stop for almost two weeks! Since she hates the cold and getting wet, Veda has been hiding under down comforters and barking at the sky. You can't blame her, right? It's JUNE, for goodness sake. It's supposed to be summer!

Drizzle, drizzle, drizzle...but at least this is Miss Lou's favorite kind of weather. Gray, grey skies, thick bloated clouds and wet sidewalks make her smile and appreciate life. This kind of weather is perfect for a long run along the Charles River, hot chocolate with lots of cinnamon, reading on the couch with a great book (Check out "Hunger Games!") and of course, writing writing writing!

What would you do on a rainy day? Listen and download your favorite tunes? If so, make a request and I will add it to our list of 401 Favorites on the side bar! (Thanks Jordan and Claire for your requests!) Or do you prefer reading? If so, start a list of 401 Reading Favorites and your request is on demand. It's amazing what dogs can learn to do when they are bored to death.

Any thing else you recommend?

I'm off for my longest run of the season - 11 miles! Wish me luck that I don't fall flat on my face!

Miss you all and comment soon!

Fremont Gossip Girls (Asian-Style)

If I could write the Asian version of the middle grade Beacon Street Girls, or the young adult Gossip Girl Series, I would most definitely have faces to put on the cover. Phani, Amanda, Kat, Char and Alyssa are far more sweet and caring, but what personality they all have!

I hope all of you are enjoying your summer and tell me your plans!

Zzz...Alyssa, wake up...and comment below!

Miss you all!

Happy Father's Day!

Hi Kids!

I hope all your dads and fathers and babas and blah blahs are having a great time with you. You didn't make him take you out to eat and then force the poor guy to pay, did you? Shame, shame! But I guess you'll make it up later when you become rich or famous or successful or have a job and a salary to pay for a boba tea or movie or something.

My dad is sadly more than 3000 miles away, but I did manage to still surprise the old guy. Since my dad goes to Peet's coffee EVERY morning for coffee and croissants, this plan was easy. I warned my mom to make sure to let him order. This is how it went at the coffee shop...(or at least what he told me after the fact).

Dad: Two medium coffees, an almond croissant. Oh yes, and an apple turnover for my wife, please.

Coffee Barrista Guy: Here you go, Mr. Chinese Harry Potter.

Dad: Thank you. How much will it be? The usual?

Coffee Barrista Guy: No, no. It's FREE today.

Dad, speechless: Whaaat? What is this?

Coffee Guy: Your daughter already paid for it. Happy Father's Day! And here's a $20 gift card for your next visit!

Mr. Chinese Harry Potter, (a.k.a my dad): What? But she is all the way on the other side of the...huh?

C.B.G: Hahaha...Enjoy!

So yes, I called the really accommodating assistant manager (named James) and he let me prepay over the phone with my card. What a nice guy! If you're ever needing an extra jolt,...okay, maybe if you're craving a whipped cream and hot chocolate...you know where to go!

According to the US Census Bureau, there are 64.3 million fathers in the US; 1.8 million of those are custodial single fathers. There are millions more fathers who don't live with their children every day but are actively involved in their lives. All of these dads deserve our love, honor and respect for all they do.

Happy Father's Day to all those hard working papas, babas, da das and blah blahs...you rock!

Enjoy!