thanhhoya's Xanga

Free Food

Thu, 15 Feb 2007 21:57:17 GMT

Like a lot of corporate offices in the country, my office has a common eating area on one of the floors. Various meetings are held throughout the day which are catered with food and drinks. The food is provided for breakfast in the morning and for lunch at mid-day. Once the food is served, there are usually leftovers from the meetings. The leftovers are placed in the common eating area and is free to whomever.

I try to take advantage of this great benefit whenever I can. I've been working at my office more lately and I have caught on that leftover lunch food from meetings is placed in the common eating area around 2:20-2:30 pm (around 10:30-10:45 am for breakfast). Therefore, I conveniently take a break during this time to see what's on the menu. It's been pretty consistent lately, so it's a bit odd when there is no leftover catered food. My coworkers and I try to IM each other as soon as we know there's food because it goes pretty quickly. Breakfast items usually include bagels, pastries, croissants, fruit and sometimes quiche and breakfast sandwiches. For lunch, it's usually sandwiches, salads, pasta, chips, fruit and cookies/brownies.

Everything tastes better when it's free!

I've realized that people will eat just about anything if it's free. I should bring in some leftovers from home that I don't plan on eating, and I'm sure somebody will eat it. I guess it's human nature. The food goes so fast!

Who says there's no such thing as a free lunch?

Christmas Classics

Mon, 11 Dec 2006 23:12:01 GMT

This is my favorite time of the year! I enjoy celebrating the birth of Jesus, taking time off from work, spending time with family and friends, getting good deals and of course, singing along to cheesy Christmas songs. Here are three of my favorites (by decade):

Mary's Boy Child by Boney M (1978)

Last Christmas by Wham! (1984)

Hey Santa by Carnie and Wendy Wilson (1993)

Merry Christmas, everyone!

Pho Realz

Thu, 05 Oct 2006 05:00:35 GMT

I'm usually the token Vietnamese guy at work and amongst friends (although I'm technically half Chinese). I enjoy playing this role and I find some of the questions that people ask me quite amusing and funny. Whether it's someone new or someone that I know, the questions usually involve my name or pho, the delicious Vietnamese beef noodle soup.

Mmmmm...

Here are some samples:

1) I knew this guy named, Danny Nguyen, in LA. Are you related to him?
2) I had pho last week. Do you eat pho a lot?
3) I usually order a large #4. Which one do you get?
4) Do you know how to make pho?
5) What's your favorite pho place?

I'll admit...I play the pho card a lot because I think it's funny. I'll tell people that my sweat is actually pho broth. It's only because I'm quite proud of my heritage.

Yeah that's right

Answers: 1) No, 93% of Vietnamese are Nguyens 2) Actually, I haven't had pho in a couple months...shameful! But I love it! 3) Large #1 or the one with all kinds of stuff in it 4) Never made it myself...defer to Mom 5) Pho Sate off Rte 50

Dat's Incredible

Thu, 14 Sep 2006 06:38:11 GMT

The NFL season kicked off last week and there is plenty of excitement in the air. People are following their favorite teams and talking smack in their fantasy football leagues. I always love it, but this year my enthusiasm is a bit tempered. You see, my boy, Dat Nguyen, the first Vietnamese-American player in the NFL, is no longer playing after 7 years in the league. He played one of the toughest positions at middle linebacker and was noted for his hard-hitting style and instincts. Dat retired from the Dallas Cowboys after suffering knee and neck injuries last year which prevented him from playing up to his high standards. As a Washington Redskins fan, it's blasphemy to root for a Cowboy, so when the Skins played the Cowboys, I always wanted Dat to have a huge game but the Redskins to come out on top.

Who needs a neck anyways?

"He's done a great job," Cowboys Head Coach, Bill Parcells said. "He has been a very dependable guy. Obviously one of our team captains. I haven't been here for all of his career, but if the first part was anything like the first couple of years with me, then he's to be commended for what he's accomplished."

I've followed Dat's career since his college days at Texas A&M, where he was an All-American and won the Lombardi Award as the nation's top linebacker and the Bednarik Award as the top collegiate defensive player his senior year. Always considered undersized to play football (although 5'11" 238 lbs is not tiny), Dat proved his critics wrong and had a solid NFL career. His 172 tackles in 2001 was the second highest single-season total in Cowboys history, and he led the team in tackles in 3 of his final seasons where he played all 16 games. Not bad for a guy who was born in a refugee camp when his parents fled Vietnam after the fall of Saigon in 1975. I've started reading his autobiography and it's great to know that he is a strong Christian as well. So here is a Vietnamese guy with my last name and a had similar upbringing who overcame the odds to be a successful NFL player and great Christian witness. How can I not be inspired?

I wish Dat could have played longer in the NFL but I'm glad he was able to have the career that he did and was a solid role model for kids. Some lil boy is sitting in a rice paddy in Vietnam dreaming of being the next Dat Nguyen. Or perhaps that boy is really sitting in a cubicle in Virginia. That would be awesome to meet him one day to discuss our lives and his football experiences. His bowl(s) of pho will definitely be on me!

Combos

Wed, 09 Aug 2006 16:17:04 GMT

I was looking for some quick eats last week and came upon one of those Kentucky Fried Chicken and Taco Bell combination places. What a great idea! You can enjoy some greasy fried chicken along with a banged up burrito. As an added bonus, you can pile on some Taco Bell Fire sauce onto your Popcorn Chicken.

So what other combinations should be considered? Here are some that come to mind:

1) Popeye's and Pizza Hut - I'll have some spicy fried chicken with my Meat Lover's pizza.
2) Chick-fil-A and Arby's - It only makes sense that these niche market restaurants combine. Roast beef and chicken sandwiches...curly fries and waffle fries...yes, please!
3) Wendy's and Nathan's - This sounds like a really hot couple, esp. after you smother your Nathan's hot dog with Wendy's chili.
4) Krispy Kreme and Ben & Jerry's - I give this a slight nod over the Dunkin' Donuts and Baskin-Robbins combo.
5) Pho 75 and Lighthouse - Two great soups at one place! Give me some extra tripe in my soon dubu jigae, please.

Speaking of Combos, those are the most underrated snacks in the history of the snacking world, esp. the Pizza flavored cheese filled pretzels. I mean, who hasn't eaten the outside pretzel and then saved the cheese part until the end? Sooo good.

720

Wed, 19 Jul 2006 15:34:59 GMT

Our church has open gym twice a month where a bunch of us play basketball. Apparently, there was a video camera that caught me busting out one of my signature moves.

Tai Shan

Fri, 14 Jul 2006 05:32:12 GMT

This past Sunday, 7/9, was the 1st birthday for the National Zoo's main attraction, Tai Shan, the adorable baby panda. People of all ages and backgrounds just love this little guy! I've been to the National Zoo a couple times over the last few months and each time, that lil joker is sleeping in a tree. Regardless, it's interesting to be amongst all the panda lovers who just can't get enough of him. Merchandise sales at the zoo have doubled in the first half of this year from the first half of 2005. I'm tempted to go up to some random Asian person there and say, "your generous gift has really helped improve U.S.-Chinese relations...thank you so much!"

A fruitsicle only worthy for Tai Shan

If I could be any animal, I think I'd want to be a giant panda, esp. a baby one, like Tai Shan. He is spoiled and can do whatever he wants. Basically, he just sleeps, eats and plays all day. Tai Shan doesn't need to worry about the housing market, his career development or saving for retirement. Life is simple for him. Anything he does, people just eat it up! He scratches himself, goes to the bathroom, knocks stuff over...nobody cares, the crowd just goes crazy! Times are good for TS!

"Woah, he just did nothing. Yaaay...we love you Tai Shan!!"

Tai Shan should be a candidate for Vice President in 2008...that's a guaranteed victory. How could you NOT vote for this cute lil furball? And he would be the VP, so it's not like he needs to really do anything. Or why not make Tai Shan the CEO of a publicly traded company? I mean, there's no way that he could be accused of corporate fraud. He's too adorable! This lil guy definitely has some career opportunities...if he ever gets tired of doing nothing all day. Hooray for Tai Shan!

Tai Shan: "I'm too cute to commit white collar crime!"

Cute Kid

Wed, 21 Jun 2006 03:03:51 GMT

I'm taking a page out of my boy's book and posting a picture of me and my super cute lil nephew-in-law, Brandon, at his 1st birthday party. We're not related by blood but you can see that we are practically twins! I mean...look at those forearms!

Bowling

Fri, 09 Jun 2006 11:12:29 GMT

I went bowling last night and set a personal record. I'm not talking about a high score or consecutive strikes, but it was an endurance record. I bowled 15 games!! My previous record was 14 which I set with my buddy in high school. We were dumb back in the day so it cost us like $50+ each. So I went to Bowl America last night which has unlimited bowling from 9 pm to closing for just $9.99! They have this special every Sunday to Thursday. Needless to say, my arm was worn out at the end, but I was able to manage a 125 average with a high of 172. Fifteen games for $9.99 - that comes out to $0.67 a game. Like a good lil Asian boy...got my money's worth.

Afterwards, I asked the lady at the counter to print out the summary of my scores. They have this old school dot matrix printer which took forever to print and she comes back with a 15-page printout. That's something.

Pick-Up Lines

Tue, 06 Jun 2006 05:27:11 GMT

I was reading a list of pick-up lines and identified some that I'd say are GUARANTEED to work:

- Do you have a bandaid? Because I just scrapped my knee falling for you.

- (With hands on shoulders) Oh, those are shoulder blades, I thought they were wings.

- Help, something's wrong with my eyes - I just can't take them off you.

- (Look at her shirt label) When she asks, "What are you doing?" You respond: "Yep! Made in heaven!"

- Excuse me, but I think I dropped something...MY JAW!!

- If you were a tear in my eye I would not cry for fear of losing you.

- Is there an airport nearby or is that just my heart taking off?

- You must be Jamaican, because Jamaican me crazy.

- Baby, if you were words on a page, you'd be what they call FINE PRINT!

- I'm here now. What were your other two wishes?

- Hey baby, you got a jersey? (A jersey?...What for?) Because I need your name and number.

- Can I take your picture? (Why?) Because I want Santa to know exactly what I want for Christmas.

HAHA...that's something.