Fake

Hair soy sauce; Fake Apple stores; Fake eggs - Can we find anything that is real in China these days?

As a Chinese, my heart ache each time when I read these news. It ache even more whenever I hear a Chinese said, 'I am ashamed to be a Chinese!' What happen to this country with all the history, with all the wonderful old teachings like Confucius? With all the folk stories that teach us the fundamental qualities to be a good, useful and successful person?

I am no political commenter or sociologist to make real comment on what's going on, but the reason comes to mind after reading all these news is: Chinese has been poor for way too long. Everyone is desperate to become rich and have a better life. They can care less about what happen to others as long as they are out of the poor zone.

From all the fake stuff, even though they are horrifying (and disgusting), but they also demonstrate how smart and creative the Chinese really are. Only if these smart minds are put into the right places, then China can become a really strong country. Only if all the Chinese can start to live a better life, then they can go back to chase after the 'good qualities' of being human. Only if I live to see that day...

Outrageous Kid Parties

The other night when I mindlessly flip channels while I am pumping, I saw a new TLC show called: 'Outrageous Kid Parties'. Being a mom who just finished planning my 2 sons' birthday party, I am curious how outrageous the rich mom can get when it comes to 'giving our kids the best', aka, spoiling our kids.

After watching that show for a while till now I write about it, lots of detail about the show have been lost from my mind. But I recall something like, a mom planning on a party with merry-go-around plus roller coaster where the kid find out roller coaster is not possible and throw a fist; To a mom planning for a party with rock climber as the birthday gift; To a party where the birthday girl's ballet classmates auditioned to dance in the little girl's birthday party... I am like, what kind of world am I living in now?

This is no normal spoiling... Spending 10K+ on a little kid's birthday party (some cost 30K or more), WHY? He/She will probably forget about it a year later. Even if he/she remembers, what kind of message is sent to them? Mom and Dad are extremely rich and we are the king of the world where we can request and get whatever we desired, the sky is the limit?! I have no idea what those parents were thinking.

I, in the eyes of my friends, am a mom who spoil my kids. We live in a nice neighborhood where we were blessed with a large property, with a pool and a private play scape. We do have the luxury to stay in resort to enjoy some spontaneous trips to Sea World. But, I would never spend more than a grand for a kid party. I still believe in simple joy where fun should be when we share quality time with good friends. Fun should be occasional spur within reason while spur happens when you are the one who pay for it via money you've earn. If you look at kids, they can be happy to just play with a pile of wittered leaves in the backyard. All those outrageously expensive parties, in my opinion, are all for the parents rather than the kids...

Soul Surfer

Soul Surfer, the movie that inspired me to start this blog. My husband rented this movie because we came across a bunch of free blockbuster express rental code and have been watching free movies for quite some time. We were at a point to have watched all movies we are interested in, hence, we rent this one as at least the movie starred someone we knew (Helen Hunt, Carrie Underwood, etc)
Once we hit play, we realize what a jewel we have stumble across. First, let me give a little background on what this movie is about. (Taken directly from the movie website) -
SOUL SURFER is the inspiring true story of teen surfer Bethany Hamilton, who lost her arm
in a shark attack and courageously overcame all odds to become a champion again, through her
sheer determination and unwavering faith.

As I mentioned earlier, I have no idea what this movie is about. I thought it's just another movie about surfing. It would have pretty girls, pretty oceanic scenery and a decently inspiring story along the line of how a girl overcome some trouble to become good surfer, etc. I was joking with my husband on how they show the view from under the sea coming up to Bethany laying on the surf board during the night surf. I said, 'Ha, they shoot this scene like this making me feel like something's gonna happen!'. So I was shocked when 'something' REALLY HAPPENED - then a shark bite off Bethany's arm.

Then I thought to myself, gosh, no way this girl can surf anymore... So at the back of my mind, the rest of the movie would be able how she overcome a new life with only one arm, and focus on doing charity... It shocked me that later on, the movie move on to show how Bethany work hard to still compete in surfing. It's just a story line that I have not expected.

Even more unexpected is that this is a true story. It shocked me to see there really is a Bethany! Then it strike me, what I have been watching is a real life (well, I am guess at least mostly real), of a real person and her family.

Then it start dragging me into deeper thoughts. With some recent event at the church I am attending, where a graceful lovely little girl has just find out to have cancer, God's sovereignty has been on my mind a lot. Being a Christian for over 15 years, I have heard many times on how Christians response when bad things happen to good people: God has sovereignty over what happen to us. There might be suffering to one person but it's to bring out greater good for someone else or the world. We might not be able to see God's plan now but we need to believe he does have a plan and good intention. Yep, I heard all these, but if I am the mom of Bethany, what would I do? Would I treat it as graceful as Bethany's mom did? I am pretty sure I won't. And I simply couldn't. How could I? If I see my kid suffer as much, and her childhood dream/love of the life being ruin in one event, how could I not wonder why it happened? How could I not question God's fairness? How could I see any good out of the devastating event?

I know, after watching the whole movie, this sad event at the end does become a chance to turn her loss into a gift for others. But no one really can look back to our life like watching a movie, right? So I have no answer to why bad things happen to good people. I don't have answer to what would I do if bad things happen to me or my family, but I dare not think about it. After all, as an average person and an average mom, all I want is my family and my love ones to be safe and healthy. That's what matters...

First time blogging

Finally it's the day for me to start a blog. Being a Computer Science major, working in the IT field for over 10 years, blog is no stranger to me. But being a naturally laid back person without much interest to endlessly build and expand my career, the only blog I read are cooking blogs. :)

The driving force behind me starting my own blog now is because of a movie: Soul Surfer. After watching the movie, I feel the urge to introduce the movie to my friends; I didn't have a lots to share about the movie but somehow I feel the urge to write down when I thought. Then it pops up in my mind, why don't I just start a blog to jot down my 'scattered thoughts'?

So, this blog will not really be specifically focused on a topic. But you can also say, this blog is specifically focused on my thoughts, from movie to food, from TV shows to mom's life with 2 boys... If you happen to stomp across this space, you can find it all in here. After all, I just wish to have a space somewhere to jot down my thoughts and share with people who are interested to read on...