Monday, October 06, 2008

  • Blessings Become Greater When We Share Them...

    Everyday I'm reminded how much God blesses us, yet I go on complaining about every little thing. However, I must praise God for allowing me to see his glorious plan about pregnancies. I've already wrote extensively about our infertility problems. It was so difficult at the time, but when we shared our struggles, so many people have opened up to us and shared their struggles with it also. I remember when we were merely consoling each other trying to be encouraging and edifying. There was a great sense of mutual compassion and understanding as these feelings could not be easily comprehensible for those who had children so easily.

    When Harrison was born, we were so happy, but there was always this sense of guilt and anxiety. It came from the fact that now we were no longer in the babyless club. We were on the other side. As we were enjoying the joys of parenthood, we couldn't help but think of those who were still on that side. We wanted them to share what we were feeling. Well, recently, we've been hearing more and more news of new pregnancies and births of those who were on that side. And believe me, we felt just as happy as when we found out about our own pregnancies and experienced the birth of our son. I guess when God blesses us he really allows us enjoy three, ten, or even hundred fold when we share it with others. As we watch Harrison grow, we can't help but feel that his birth meant more than us starting a family. It opened the door for so many people to not lose hope and believe in God's faithfulness. By no means, was his birth itself so special. It's just that the journey it took us getting to that point allowed us to trust God and not take uncontrollable matters into our own hands.

    Susan and I are so blessed and happy by these news of births and pregnancies. We still do think of and pray for those who are unable to have babies. I don't know what God's plan is for you, but I do know that His plan is wonderful and perfect. I know that we could never fathom the depths of his love nor height of his wisdom.

    harrison

     

Monday, September 29, 2008

  • 777???

    Is this a sign that the end of the world is near or something?

    But the mall is so dead right now...it's eerie.

    I wonder if anyone jumped from the high rises today...I hope not.

     

    My hope is built on nothing less
    Than Jesus’ blood and righteousness.
    I dare not trust the sweetest frame,
    But wholly trust in Jesus’ Name.

    On Christ the solid Rock I stand,
    All other ground is sinking sand;
    All other ground is sinking sand.

     

Friday, September 05, 2008

  • LPGA Needs Help...

    Apparently, the heat from sponsors and many Asian-American organization was too much for LPGA to bear. They announced that the language policy will be changed, so that it would not be punitive. I think LPGA needs help. They don't know what they are doing. I'm sure they can increase their profitability if they simply follow what they do in other professional sports.

    1. Change the unis - I say go skimpy. Bikini would be the best option. What was the single most popular sporting even during the Olympics? Women's Beach Volleyball. I'm not kidding. It always draws the highest rating. While the ladies play in the bikinis, they'll not only attract more viewers, but they will get a nice tan.

    2. Allow HGHs and steroids for a couple of years and then ban it after the ladies start challenging PGA players for longest drives contests - This is a no brainer. Chicks dig long balls. So do guys. We want to see 350 yard drives and 250 yard iron shots from the rough. We want more power. That's so American.

    3. Allow more fan participation. I'm thinking Lambeau Leap here. Can you imagine how excited the fans would get if Natalie Gulbis or Paula Creamer jumped into their arms after making the birdie putt. The butt pats would be optional.

    4. Trash Talking, Show Boating, and even Cat Fighting should be not only encouraged but taught by the league. Mic'd them up, so we can hear Anika cursing out Michelle Wie and Lorena Ochoa taunting after she destroys the field. The best moment would be sudden death playoff being decided by mud wresling event at the 19th hole.

    5. Pro-Am event should include not only golf but nice romantic dinner afterward with players. Isn't that what these old, dirty, corporate farts want? Spending some quality time with the players. Of course, for Korean players, they'll be treated to a nice smoky grilling at the table Korean BBQ.

    6. Change the caddies - We don't want to see old, unattractive guys carrying the bag. I think muscular hunks in tight shorts and tank top will definitely increase the female viewership as well.

    7. Let the men play too. This sounds crazy, but if a woman can play in the men's tour, then why not? However, there should be certain requirements. Men must put up entry fee of at least half of the 1st place prize money. If he doesn't beat all the other women, then he loses the entry fee. Can you imagine how fun it would be to see a guy not only lose to women but lose his money, too?

    8. Make it an Olympic event. Then the Chinese governement will invest heavily into the sport, and we'll have millions of Chinese women playing the sport. That way Korean ladies won't be singled out as non-English speaking players on the tour.

    9. Decorate the courses better. Who wants to see all green greens. We want some femine colors--pink, yellow, purple, etc. It would definitely make HD viewing experience more intense.

    10. Finally, Americans need to play better. In 2008, only 4 of 25 events were won by American players. Lorena Ochoa, a Mexican player, Annika Sorenstam (Swede), Carrie Webb (Austrailian), and Korean ladies have dominated LPGA. Of course, it was more difficult to single out Annika, Lorena, and Karrie as tour killers as they all spoke English. However, if they had a marketable star like Tiger, the sport would be doing so much better. That's why Michelle Wie's disappointing performance is so frustrating. She is American with Korean heritage. If she dominated the sport right now, LPGA would be thriving. Michelle Wie could still do it, but she needs to get her act together in a hurry. As she continues to struggle, her novelty appeal of youth and power will continue to diminish, and she'll be just another LPGA player.

    DISCLAIMER: Much of what I wrote was done with sarcasm and is supposed to be funny.  If you find it offensive, I suggest that you take a chill pill and go watch British comedy.

    BTW, I don't know what caused me to write this. I think losing my mind because I'm so tired.

     

Monday, August 04, 2008

  • Monday Is the Worst...

    I don't like Mondays. I never have. Bad things always seem to happen on Mondays. My motto on Mondays these days is "If I don't have to yell or scream, it's a good day."

    Mondays are harder now that I work even more on weekends than I do on weekdays. Because our store is at a food court in shopping mall, we are twice as busy on weekends as we are on weekdays. So it's not a surprise when I am in the worst mood on Monday when I am most tired.

    I believe in taking care of customers. I really do. I don't want to treat them as someone to whom I'm trying to sell a product. I believe that restaurant sells experience, not just food. That means that the whole dining experience from ordering, paying, and to eating must all be a pleasant experience. I instruct my employees to treat them with respect and courtesy at all time. For example, we have a set guideline as to how much food to give as we put the food in the plate right in front of them as they do at Panda. I tell my employees to always give more food if a customer asks for more without charging more for it. I believe in making customers happy with both the quality of the food and the quantity.

    However, one thing I can't stand is a rude customer who thinks that they own you just because they are the paying customers. I've had an Asian lady toss a bill at me as she was paying. I've had an old Caucasian man demand a refund when his ramen soup took 10 minutes to come out when we specifically told him that it would take 8 to 10 minutes to cook. I've had a African-American lady demand a refund of a purchase because she didn't like the food after she tasted the samples AND a half of her plate. In all those occasions, I kept a smile on my face as I gave into their requests. But today, I think I really couldn't put up with it anymore. A hispanic lady came and bought a bowl of fried rice, which is not even on the menu. We charge $1.50 for extra steamed rice for those who actually purchase a plate. That's fine. We do have hidden a la carte menu, such as meat only dish, side dish only, and etc. So as I was ringing her up, the total came to $1.63. As she was paying, she wanted $0.50 worth of kimchi. I told her that we don't sell it like that. We charge $0.75 for extra sides if they are buying a plate, and $1.50 for side dish a la carte. I asked her if she would like to purchase kimchi as an a la carte item. She then said that she saw me give kimchi for free to a Korean person, so she should get for free. As I wrote earlier in the post, I sometimes give extra food to those who buy multiple plates, such as free drinks, extra sides, or even dumplings. I told her I can't give her extra sides because her order doesn't come with any side, and I can't just ring up $0.50 for kimchi because our Point of Sales computer doesn't have an input system for $0.37 worth of kimchi. Basically, she wanted to pay $2 and get fried rice and kimchi which normally cost $3.50 plus tax, which we do have in our system. Then she got mad at me and said, "Well, if that's the way you want to run your business, that's fine." As I tried to give her the change and receipt. She told me to keep it and walked away clearly angry.

    Now, looking back, I could have clearly given her a couple of pieces of kimchi and satisfied her without losing a bundle of money. In fact, if today was any other day of the week, I probably would have done so. But I'm so tired and cranky on Mondays that I couldn't bring myself to do it. I was nice to her the whole time, but I didn't feel like going that extra mile today. Just didn't have it in me. I'm not upset at her so much as I'm upset that I should feel so bad for doing nothing wrong. Yes, I could have done more or differently, but I don't feel like I need to bend over backward for her, especially when she played a race card trying to get what she wanted. If she had asked her nicely again without accusing me of being a racist, the outcome would have been different. Then again, if this didn't happened, I wouldn't have written this xanga entry. Hahaha, so I guess I should thank her as writing a xanga entry always makes me think more straight and allows me to vent.

    It's time to go back to work! Only 5 more hours before this Monday is over.

     

Thursday, July 31, 2008

  • Before July Passes...

    I should post at least one entry, so here it goes.

    We opened our business, Hibiscus Grill - Korean BBQ, on May 23, and I've been working 14 hours, 7 days a week for the last 8 weeks or so. Friends visiting and letting me take a break here and there have been truly a blessing to me.

    timfamily

    Tim, Irene, and Moonsook

    irene

    Irene "Yoohwa" is 2 weeks older than Harrison, but she's much bigger.

    Two fathers

    Happy fathers...

    group

    Group picture with Tim's family and Peter's family...

     

  • Visit yrnehkim's Xanga Site
    • Name: Henry
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    • State: California
    • Metro: San Diego
    • Gender: Male
    • Member Since: 1/4/2006
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