Connecting with Others

I sometimes find it challenging to connect with others. I think it's likely that I can use some work on my listening skills. With this in mind, I have found it easier to pay attention to someone with my eyes closed. I put on my shades and close my eyes. it's a little weird, I know, but the person doesn't know I have my eyes closed. It's fun to really listen to another person and "hear" what they are saying.


I don't know why today when the at the farmer's market I was approached to do a survey or fill out a questionnaire or be asked to donate a kidney; I'm not sure, because before I heard her pitch I was avoiding eye contact and said "no thank you" before she even did her spill. Then I asked myself, well, that was not necessary of me. I could have just given her a few seconds of my time and then either choose to continue listening or say no thank you. I didn't even give her a chance and I did not feel good about that. I think I'll try to stay open to things before making a judgment. I'm sure she was just doing her job and perhaps even had something worthwhile to share.

I sometimes feel conflicted. The things that I enjoy the most, don't have much inherent meaning or are nonproductive (books, film, sports). I'm on a quest to create ways to use the things I enjoy as tools to contribute to the people I care about. What do you love? :)

Renaissance Man

My Brother, Ken, is a renaissance man. He is an artist, an athlete, a father, an all-around interesting character and I am proud to know him as a brother.

Hurricane Bonding

We got our electricity back on last evening and although it's been a fun challenge to go without for a week, we're very glad it's back on. The first couple of nights you look for some way to past the time especially at night when it's pitch dark. My neighbors formed a drum circle led by Desmond who is from Ghana, Africa and two sisters from Galveston. I volunteered my interpretive dancing.

We had a barbecue going and we all shared the grill (the only way to have a hot meal if you didn't own a gas stove). My neighbor Joel, a self-proclaimed redneck from 'Mizzurah' was so kind to lend me a little ice chest for the veggies that would have gone bad in my fridge.

One day at the Hilton Hotel (the one I adopted as my second home) my sister and I met a little girl who was looking despondent. We asked her if she wanted to play dominoes with us and ended up stacking them into domino buildings instead. We found out her name is Stephanie and that her dad works as the head chef at the hotel. She was so adorable and we wouldn't have met her if we hadn't gone there. We wouldn't have gone there if the electricity hadn't gone out. I sometimes ask myself if people come into our lives for a specific purpose and end up "we make up our own reasons, our own meanings."

No one was hurt from the trees falling here. But I am going to miss them much.

Gustavo's Taco Shack

There's a taco shack by the library i frequent that's great. It's run by a couple of hispanic guys in a mobile unit, you know the big white box-like van with the crazy sounding horn except thy're staionary by a mini-mart. I gaterh they have some type of arrangement with the store owners. I don't know their names but if I did one would be called Gustavo and his sidekick "Pedro".

Today, Gustavo's 12-year old daughter is tending the cash register. What a cutie. I order three tacos in spanish, "dos de carne asada y uno de pollo...para aqui". She asks me where I come from and I jokingly replied, "the library". "No, where are you originally from?" I giggled and said, "I know, I was only kidding. I am from Viet Nam". "Oh, cool" she says, "I have a friend from Vietnam and I can speak a little vietnamese." She says, "Ban que khong?" which is an endearing way to say "how are you". I am smitten. The tacos are always terrific and I enjoy them by the small outdoor patio they have set up and wonder how I can help them with their lives here. Everyone is working to survive and be happy. I hope that little girl and her family get everything they want out of the American Dream.

Kids and Kittens in Portland

For The Love of The Game

Sibling Reunion

We haven't been together even once in the past three years so it was a much needed get together for the Nguyen Siblings in Sachse, TX.

Ricebowl - Filipino Flag Football

Break Yoself

Joining Hill Country Outdoors, a social group here in Austin has helped me to make friends and keep things interesting. Here we play a precarious game of dodgeball on ice. The skinny asian guy with glasses is a friend, Tommy, who (three days later) flew to Oslo, Norway to fulfill a dream of sushi cheffing abroad.

Lunar Eclispe Bike Night

What happens when 100 cyclists take over the streets..

Lewis as the instigator

Austin Photos