My 2012 Prospective
As we approached the end of another year, I became more introspective and evaluated what I accomplished in the past year. It was a challenging and rewarding year in terms of my work and career. As my manager said, it would probably be my toughest job in my life but a job that would propel my skills-set to a level that will prepare me for future opportunities. I truly felt like I pushed the limits of all areas of my experience and beyond: from technical to social media to project management to IT to management and more. Have you seen that Bradley Cooper movie ‘Limitless’? Well that’s how I felt about how my mind changed in the past year where I just absorbed and applied as fast as I could. I was exposed to a variety of highly talented, intelligent, and hard working individuals and I learned from each and every one of them.
My job was my focus as it demanded a lot of time and mental power, and I just strive on stress. Once I become very focussed on doing a task I have my blinders on and power through. But with my blinders on, I let other aspects of my life become secondary and I saw the effects of it. I try not to dwell on regrets and instead I try to move forward…and live my life in a way so when I look back I won’t have regrets.
The new year will be a new start of doing more and being more.
Stay Connected: Friends and family is your foundation and makes you feel beautiful. They are there to grab your hand as you try to overcome a hill and there to hold you when you feel like falling. Even when you feel a moment of loneliness, they are there within reach to provide companionship. When I think of my friends and family, I smile and when you smile you are even more beautiful.
Be Curious: The world is our largest classroom. There is always something to learn and to bring you new perspectives about life, work, and love. I think learning opens our eyes to new opportunities and experiences. Be curious about the person sitting next to you on the bus because they may have an amazing story to share. Take a course that you never thought about taking because it may reveal a talent you never knew you had. Walk a different path to work as you may find a new adventure. And with being curious and learning, remember to share your curiousity as you may make a new friend.
Take risks: Along with being curious, there’s also a bit of risk taking and being outside of your comfort zone. I’ve jumped into the deep end many times in my career and life but somehow I’ve managed to stay afloat. I’ve stayed afloat because of my foundation of friends and family. Funny that I’m using swimming as my metaphor as I’m a bad swimmer in real life lol. Even with the risks I’ve taken, they’ve been calculated risks so even when I jump I don’t drown. Sometimes it’s the unknown that teaches you the most valuable lesson about yourself: that you can do and be anything. And if a risk fails, see it as a learning experience for the next risk.
Be confident: Fake it until you make it…and then back it up. I’ve been aghast with why certain people have been allowed to do their jobs because they don’t have the chops for it…and why highly competent people have been looked over. It comes down on how you present yourself. Maybe it’s because of my upbringing and culture as I’m polite and apologetic. This may come across as not being assertive so I’ve promised myself to do more ’stating’ than ‘apologizing’. You are you and only you in this world so be proud of that. Be proud of your uniqueness, individuality, and what you can bring to the world. Even if you don’t feel that inner strength sometimes, remember to smile, stand straight, pull your shoulders back, and walk with purpose. People like being around positive people so when you exude that confidence, people and opportunities will come to you in surprising ways.
Be passionate: I love what I do. I love technology, web, social media, design, and art. And I hope I continue to do what I do and learn more for many more years to come. With this passion, even in times of stress, I’ve pushed myself and excelled…and enjoyed it all (with the occasion griping :) I think passion gives you focus, confidence, and enjoyment in what you do which all fuels the path to success. When you show and talk with passion about what you do, you will have an avid audience: a riveted audience who wants to hear from you, learn from you, and be around you. And from this audience, you might form bonds with people who share the same passion and provide opportunities to form wonderful friendships.
Be thankful: Be appreciative of the family, friends, coworkers, and acquaintances who are part of your life and shape you. Don’t take for granted the life that you have, the opportunities that have come across your path, and the people around you. It only takes a second to say ‘thank you’. A simple thanks that the person has made a positive contribution to your life.
So one big THANK YOU to all my family and friends, supporters of this little blog, and followers of my Facebook & Twitter ramblings. Hope you all have a successful wonderful 2012.
Best Things I Ever Ate and Sipped in 2011
2011 was another year of fun culinary and drinking adventures. There’s been the good, the bad, and just plain ’should never be served again’. I like to be positive so here’s my look back at some of my random awesome eating and sipping moments of 2011.
In no particular order…
Best place that epitomizes food cart culture, bbq, and cute chill folks: Austin (where I attended Gourmet Fury’s grand wedding)
Best network to get your 15 seconds of fame: The Food Network - Yep you may briefly see my mug on tv a couple of times in Spring 2012
Best place to get a good gourmet caffeine high in under 5 minutes: Revolver Coffee
Best food truck to get your 5 servings of fruits and vegetables a day in a cup: The Juice Truck
Best rooftop patio to check out during the summer: Ki Modern Japanese and Bar
Best place to get big plates of food and deep fried chicken: Phnom Penh
Best place to get a home cooked meal: everyone else’s home (course still love my mom’s cooking!)
Best piece of meat: Suika’s Beef Shortrib and Meat & Bread Co’s porchetta sandwich
Best places to sip, share secrets and be sloshed: L’Abattoir, Pourhouse, Diamond, and Uva Wine Bar
There’s of course plenty of other wonderful dishes & dining experiences that I’ve had and shared with friends. And maybe in 2012 I’ll share new ones with you?
Happy New Year everyone!
Homemade Facials and Face Masks
Hey there’s food on your face! And you might want to keep there it there for a few more minutes ;-)
One of my New Year’s Resolutions is to improve my skincare routine especially since the cold winter weather also wreaks havoc on the skin and makes it more dry. As I get older, I’ve become more self conscious about my skin and ensuring that I prolong my ‘Asian youth’ for a few more years. I’ve also become wary of the unknown chemicals from lotions and soaps that get into my system. So for the last few months, I’ve been researching and focusing on using natural and homemade alternatives for my skincare.
It’s actually a pretty gross routine at the same time haha. During the weekends, after the gym and still sweaty, I’d get home and immediately apply one of the masks. So I’d be eating my breakfast while watching tv still sweaty with my messy mask. Of course I’ll clean up in about 20 minutes :) For best results, use a mask 2-3 times a week.
Here’s what I’ve used so far and found effective:
Coconut Oil – a jar of this stuff can last you half a year or more. I scoop out a big teaspoon and rub it between my hands to melt it. I massage a bit of it all over my face and the rest I apply to my hair. Leave it on for at least 10-15 minutes (or like me…leave it on until you finish your bowl of cereal haha) and then wash off. The oil nourishes the hair so it helps repair damaged dry hair. It leaves your mane all shiny and healthy looking. The coconut oil also helps moisturize the skin and reduces scar marks. An alternative is to use olive or grapeseed oil.
Oatmeal - this is a great natural gentle exfoliant. Use about 1-2 tablespoon of natural plain instant oatmeal and add enough warm water until the oatmeal is completely moist. Then gently massage it around your face and it shouldn’t feel scratchy since the oatmeal has moistened from the water. Leave the oatmeal on for 10-15 minutes and wash off. Your skin should feel refreshed and softer
Yogurt – important to get the plain non-fat or greek yogurt type. Yogurt has alpha hydroxy in it (the common buzz word you hear in cleansers and such) so it’s a very gentle type of cleanser plus acid peel in one. Just massage a thin layer all over your face and leave it on for at least 20 minutes or longer and wash off. The yogurt mask is suppose to help prevent dry skin, fine lines, and wrinkles.
Honey – best to use the raw or organic type of honey. This mask helps clear acne, remove red dry marks and balances out your face’s oiliness. Just need to spread a thin layer all over your face and wait for about 10-15 then wash off.
If you want to do an ‘all in one’, best combo is to mix the oatmeal, yogurt, and honey together. There’s tons of other natural foods that’s good for your skin too. Most importantly is first do test spot on your skin with the ingredient to make sure you’re not allergic to it. When I was young, I had a very bad experience with trying to do an avocado mask (who knew??!!?).
Have fun and and it’s all a pretty good excuse to be messy and play with your food ;)
