Lan's blog

Coming up on one year

Mom's 71st Birthday

CoAndVe2

I miss my mom.

Trying something new:

http://hoobears.wordpress.com/

A new form of procrastination!

Deal Blvd?

Have you guys heard of Deal Blvd? Because I have been running all over town looking for this dress in a Small.

 

 

43806a

 

By the way, there is an awesome sale going on at BCBG. All sale items are an additional 20% off. I went nuts.

Mom's eulogy, by my brother

Huong Thi Phan (1938-2009)

Any conversation about my Mom will inevitably segue into the same kind of story. The story will start with “The first time I ever met her, she gave me...” and end with any number of gifts, ranging from cookies fresh from the oven to a squash the size of a small child. It didn't matter who you were, it didn't matter where you came from, and it didn't even matter if she remembered your name. My Mom welcomed everyone the same way – with an open smile, a friendly greeting, and a surprisingly large parting gift.

She was so generous, she never thought of anything as being her own. The fruits and vegetables from her garden, small odds and ends she picked up throughout her day, and even her free time, which carried no value to her unless they could be given away—as a volunteer at the Red Cross and St. Anthony’s Padua Dining Room or as a room parent at Mt. Carmel.

It took me years to understand the magnitude of what my Mom gave me and my sister. She spent her entire life working to make our lives better. Every hour she worked, every penny she saved, everything she did, she did for us. The thought of spending money on herself never crossed her mind; if it did, she quickly pushed it aside and concentrated on making sure we were happy. I can't count how often she would buy us toys, or books, or candy, but I can't for the life of me remember a single time she splurged on something she wanted.

There was a downside to her self-effacing generosity – it was incredibly hard to buy birthday and Mother's Day presents for her, because she never told us what she wanted for herself. Year after year, we'd ask her what she wanted, and she'd reply “Whatever makes you happy makes me happy.” For the longest time, I thought that was a canned response, but now that I think about it, she was probably telling the truth.

That was how she lived. Mom didn't find much appeal in wealth, or luxury, or personal achievement. She found all the happiness she ever wanted in every smile on the face of a friend. She found satisfaction in every good day my sister and I had at the schools she worked so hard to send us to. She found joy in every “thank you” and “I love you.” She shared in the joy of everyone around her, and thanks to her selfless nature, she never found any shortage of happiness in the world.

In the end, her greatest gift to her children, as well as the many people whose lives she touched, was her example. She gave without complaint. She gave without any expectation of a reward. She gave without a second thought. Charity was built into her very being, and all of our lives have been enriched because of it.

If we can take just a fraction of the kindness she showed us and share it with our friends, our neighbors, and our families, then they will all be truly blessed. And somewhere out there, my Mom will smile, knowing that she brought a little more happiness into their lives.

---

Lagging

I need to get to school to study for finals...and I have a final presentation tomorrow but I am so unmotivated! I am pretty much going to fail my finance final but I think everyone else is too...so...

Found a great travel website via Thrillist. Was able to find and book my flight to SoCal for $219 RT via American Airlines this morning!

Prague to Krakow

Finally got a decent night of sleep last night--8 hours and i don't think i even rolled over!

woke up around 9am, chatted on my friend's laptop for a bit, cleaned up around the house, took a shower, and packed up.

headed down to the train station for a 7-hour ride to krakow. my train anxiety was unfounded. it was easy, people were nice, and no real dangers. i even met a hostel-owner on the train.

when i got to the krakow train station, i got money from the atm and bought my train ticket to bratislava on thursday. i opted against taking the night train because...well...i don't feel comfortable taking a night train on my own. so 7am thursday morning, i have have a 6-hour ride to bratislava with one transfer and 24-hours to spend in bratislava before making my way to vienna.

leaving the train station, there was a huge tented area where locals were watching the croatia-poland match...thankfully croatia won but i am sad i missed my usual soccer action for the night. i tried to buy a ticket but they wanted exact change, which i was not able to get from the atm, of course. so...i hopped onto my train without paying and luckily nobody noticed. got off at my stop, asked a local to help me read the map and orient myself, and found my way.

i lucked out. in my 4-bed room at the hostel, i'm the only inhabitant for the night. yesssss!!!!

I'm back!

I'm very tan...after Costa Rica and Belize, I took a few extra days to visit the Grand Canyon, ride a helicopter, and see Zumanity (naked Cirque du Soleil). Tomorrow I'm back at work. It will be hard to: wear shoes, not take naps, and wear a bra.

Summer Reading

I spent a long time at Border's this morning trying to figure out what I would be reading on vacation. This is always a tricky task because there are many things to consider: 1) It can't be too heavy because I don't want to lug it around everywhere 2) It has to be long enough to last because I HATE being without reading material on vacation. Thus, no junky trades from the airport...those only last a plane ride. So, for Costa Rica and Belize next week, I'll probably take the following:

The History of Love: A Novel

Under the Banner of Heaven: A Story of Violent Faith

The Idiot (Modern Library Classics)

I can abandon the books when I'm done reading them. We aren't moving around THAT much so I can afford to carry more books than usual. For my six-week European trip:

The Brothers Karamazov

Foucault's Pendulum

That should for sure last me at least 2-3 weeks. I'll probably have my friend bring me something when he arrives two weeks later...we'll see. Both books are pretty long.

I'd considered bringing the unabridged version of the Count of Monte Cristo (one of my favorite books ever)...but its too heavy to lug around and my copy isn't one I want to leave behind anywhere.

New toy!

J owed me some money for bills and stuff. So..two whiskeys into our Friday afternoon he paid me back with a silver 80 gb iPod Classic. My second generation 20 gb iPod will soon go to its new home at my cousins' restaurant, Zadin, in the Castro.

I was super tired after running a 20k trail race Saturday morning, so I spent the afternoon in bed...napping...and reorganizing all of my iTunes. I made sure all my music was in the appropriate categories, downloaded as many album covers as I could, loaded some pictures onto it...the iPod has evolved nicely over the last four years. And...I've got 60gb more space AND its lighter. This will be great on my upcoming vacations. I just need to get a protective case for it. Any ideas?

My European itinerary as it currently stands:

Land in Prague, Czech Republic on June 12 > Salzburg, Austria > Vienna, Austria > Bratislava, Slovenia > Budapest, Hungary > Croatia (2 weeks) > Montenegro > Greece (10 days) ...come home July 23. I'm going to be VERY dark by the time I get back.

Gonna get my base coat in Costa Rica & Belize (leaving in 3 weeks! YAY!)

Currently listening to:

Oracular Spectacular

Mind tricks

The previous Saturday, I had a conference call with my girlfriends to plan our 30th birthday trip to Belize. To get in the mood, I put on my bikini top before dialing in.

This past Saturday, I was laying in the sun with my Lonely Planet Guide to Eastern Europe. Reading about Croatia's beaches put me in the mood for a bikini (plus it was ridiculously warm this weekend). I left it on when I went to a friend's housewarming.

Well, today I have to head back to court. To distract me from the drudgery of court all day, I have my bikini top on once again. I'll be reading about the Greek isles until (rather, if) I am called for questioning. I need to pick up some more bikinis today.

It is another BEAUTIFUL day in SF. I can't wait for my vacations.