02/25/01: Who to Marry, Farewell Address

Hi,

Have you seen any good Chinese movies lately? This past weekend some
friends and I watched this movie from Taiwan called "Yi Yi" (A One and a
Two). Film critics loved this movie, and I really like it as well. I have
to warn you that it's long (3 hours). It's about how a family in Taiwan
deals with many trials and challenges. I found that the characters in the
film to be interesting and complex. Watching these characters lead such
empty and conflicted lives filled me with sadness and a desire to do a
better job witnessing to people. You can read more about the movie at:

http://movies.yahoo.com/shop?d=hv&cf=info&id=1804383219
http://www.nytimes.com/2000/10/04/arts/04YIYI.html

If you are here in LA, you are invited to come to the APEX (Asian
Professional Exchange) Cooking event this coming Saturday, 3/3, starting at
12 noon. It will be held at my place in Sherman Oaks. We will be making
dumplings. The cost is $3 for members, $5 for non-members. Josephine
Cheung is the organizer, and she has asked for RSVPs by 2/28, so she knows
how much food to buy. So, if you have not RSVPed to her, you can RSVP to
me by Tuesday, 2/27.

The only response to last week's question is "Michelle Yeoh & Robert De
Niro".

This week's thought provoking question is: "If you could dance any one
dance perfectly, which dance would you choose?"

Jennifer Chin and Valerie Cheung forwarded the humor and inspirational
pieces, respectively.

Enjoy!

-Josh.
______________________________________________

HOW DO YOU DECIDE WHO TO MARRY?

You got to find somebody who likes the same stuff. Like, if you like
sports, she should like it that you like sports, and she should keep the
chips and dip coming.
Alan, age 10
************

No person really decides before they grow up who they're going to marry.
God decides it all way before, and you get to find out later who you're
stuck with. Kirsten, age 10
*************

WHAT IS THE RIGHT AGE TO GET MARRIED?
Twenty-three is the best age because you know the person FOREVER by then.
Camille, age 10
************

HOW CAN A STRANGER TELL IF TWO PEOPLE ARE MARRIED?
You might have to guess, based on whether they seem to be yelling at the
same kids. Derrick, age 8
************

WHAT DO YOU THINK YOUR MOM AND DAD HAVE IN COMMON?
Both don't want any more kids. Lori, age 8
***********

WHAT DO MOST PEOPLE DO ON A DATE?
Dates are for having fun, and people should use them to get to know each
other. Even boys have something to say if you listen long enough. Lynnette,
age 8
*************
On the first date, they just tell each other lies, and that usually gets
them interested enough to go for a second date. Martin, age 10
*************
WHAT WOULD YOU DO ON A FIRST DATE THAT WAS TURNING SOUR?
I'd run home and play dead. The next day I would call all the newspapers
and make sure they wrote about me in all the dead columns. Craig, age 9
*************

WHEN IS IT OKAY TO KISS SOMEONE?
When they're rich. Pam, age 7
*************
The law says you have to be eighteen, so I wouldn't want to mess with that.
Curt, age 6
*************
The rule goes like this: If you kiss someone, then you should marry them
and have kids with them. It's the right thing to do. Howard, age 8
**************
IS IT BETTER TO BE SINGLE OR MARRIED?
It's better for girls to be single but not for boys. Boys need someone to
clean up after them. Anita, age 9
**************
HOW WOULD THE WORLD BE DIFFERENT IF PEOPLE DIDN'T GET MARRIED?
There sure would be a lot of kids to explain, wouldn't there? Kelvin, age
9
*************

HOW WOULD YOU MAKE A MARRIAGE WORK?
Tell your wife that she looks pretty even if she looks like a truck. Ricky,
age 10
_________________________________

Gabriel García Márquez' Farewell Address

Gabriel García Márquez is a Colombian-born writer of astonishing skill,
thought by many to be one of the world's greatest living authors. A
resident of Mexico City, he is considered one of the pioneers of the Latin
American "boom," and was awarded the Nobel Prize in Literature in 1982. To
read his work is to enter a world that is both enchanting in its beauty and
haunting in its dreamy familiarity. The world of Gabo's fiction is a
magical realm where the strange and exotic can suddenly become comfortably
familiar, and the whole concept of an objective reality is put in question.
Here, the borders between life and death swirl together in a gentle and
mysterious twilight, and -- if we allow it to possess us -- love can strike
flaming miracles from the ashes of our soul.
----------------------------------------------------------------------

Gabriel Garcia Marquez has retired from public life due to cancer of the
lymph nodes- it is getting worse and he sent his farewell letter to friends
and family to say goodbye. Here it is:

If for an instant God were to forget that I am a rag doll and gifted me
with a piece of life, possibly I wouldn't say all that I think, but would
rather think all that I say. I would value things, not for their worth but
for what they mean. I would sleep little, dream more, understanding for
each minute we close our eyes we lose sixty seconds of light. I would walk
when others hold back, I would wake when others sleep. I would listen when
others talk, and how I would enjoy a good chocolate ice cream! If God were
to give me a piece of life, I would dress simply, throw myself face first
into the sun, baring not only my body but also my soul. My god, if I had a
heart, I would write my hate on ice, and wait for the sun to show. Over the
stars I would paint with a Van Gogh, dream a Benedetti poem, and a Serrat
song would be the serenade I'd offer the moon. With my tears I would water
the roses, to feel the pain of their thorns, and the red kiss of their
petals. My god, If I had a piece of life, I wouldn't let a single day pass
with out telling the people that I love that I love them. I would convince
each woman and each man that they are my favorites, and I would live in
love with love. I would show men how very wrong they are to think that they
cease to be in love when they grow old, not knowing that they have grown
old when they cease to be in love! To a child I shall give wings, but I
shall let him learn to fly on his own. I would teach the old that death
does not come with old age, but with forgetting. So much I have learned
from you, oh men! I have learned that everyone wants to live on the peak of
the mountain, without knowing that real happiness is in how it is scaled. I
have learned that when a newborn child squeezes for the first time with his
tiny fist his father's finger, he has him trapped forever. I have learned
that a man has the right to look down on another only when he has to help
the other get to his feet. From you I have learned so many things, but in
truth they won't be much use, for when I keep them within this suitcase,
unhappily shall I be dying.

GABRIEL GARCIA MARQUEZ

02/18/01: Driving on I-5, The Best Reward

Hi,

Usually I start my weekly newsletters describing a fun activity I did in
the past week, such as recommending a film that I watched. Today, I'm
going to talk about something I did for the first time. In the past five
years, I enjoyed interviewing high school students who are applying to my
alma mater. This afternoon was the first time that I attended a meeting
with the other alumni interviewers who interview students from the San
Fernando Valley. The purpose of the meeting was to select a group of about
20 students that we want to especially recommend to our alma mater, that
they take a special re-read of these students' applications. The
discussions were heated at times, but all of us really relished being a
strong advocate for one of the students that we interviewed. Every once in
a while, somebody would challenge the ratings that one of the interviewers
assigned for a particular student. All in all, the long meeting was quite
interesting.

If you are here in LA, interested in high tech and like to network with
others into high tech, I would like to invite you to attend an event I'm
organizing for the Anderson Alumni Association. I think it should be a
really good presentation on the future trends in the wireless industry.

Speaker: Professor George Geis
Topic: "The Wireless Marketspace: Overview and Opportunity"

Date: Wednesday, March 14
Time: 7 PM
Location: Anderson School, C301

To RSVP, please go to:

http://www.zoomerang.com/survey.zgi?396E202G4VX5GHEHS53QJDR9

Schedule:
7 - 8 pm: Speaker's presentation
8 - 8:30 pm: Q & A
8:30 - 9 pm: Light refreshments and networking time.

The event is free, but parking at UCLA costs $6. So, please carpool.

This week's thought provoking question is: "If you were to cast the two
romantic leads of a new film with any actors alive, who would you pick?"

Ethel Lai and Cherry Lu forwarded the humor and inspirational pieces,
respectively.

Enjoy!

-Josh.
______________________________________________

TO THOSE WHO HAVE LIVED IN ANY OF THE FOLLOWING CITIES:

How to recognize where someone is from while driving on I-5

1. One hand on wheel, one hand on horn: CHICAGO
2. One hand on wheel, one finger out window: NEW YORK
3. One hand on wheel, one finger out window, cutting across all lanes of
traffic: NEW JERSEY
4. One hand on wheel, one hand on newspaper, foot solidly on accelerator:
BOSTON
5. One hand on wheel, one hand on nonfat double decaf cappuccino, cradling
cell phone, brick on accelerator, gun in lap: LOS ANGELES
6. Both hands on wheel, eyes shut, both feet on brake, quivering in terror:
OHIO, but driving in CALIFORNIA
7. Both hands in air, gesturing, both feet on accelerator, head turned to
talk to someone in back seat: ITALY
8. One hand on 12 oz. Double shot latte, one knee on wheel, cradling cell
phone, foot on brake, mind on radio baseball game, banging head on steering
wheel while stuck in traffic: SEATTLE
9. One hand on wheel, one hand on hunting rifle, alternating between both
feet being on the accelerator and both feet on brake, throwing McDonald's
bag out the window: TEXAS
10. Four-wheel drive pick-up truck, shotgun mounted in rear window, beer
cans on floor, squirrel tails attached to antenna: ALABAMA
11. Two hands gripping wheel, blue hair barely visible above windshield,
driving 35 on the Interstate in the left lane with the left blinker on:
FLORIDA
_________________________________

"The Best Reward"

One stormy night many years ago, an elderly couple entered the lobby of a
small hotel and asked for a room. The clerk explained that because there
were three conventions in town, the hotel was filled.

"But I can't send a nice couple like you out in the rain at 1 o'clock in
the morning," he said. "Would you be willing to sleep in my room?" The
couple hesitated, but the clerk insisted.

The next morning when the man paid his bill, he said, "You're the kind of
manager who should be the boss of the best hotel in the United States.
Maybe someday I'll build one for you." The clerk smiled, amused by the
older man's "little joke."

A few years passed. Then one day the clerk received a letter from the
elderly man, recalling that stormy night, and asking him to come to New
York for a visit. A round-trip ticket was enclosed.

When the clerk arrived, his host took him to the corner of 5th Avenue and
34th Street, where stood a magnificent new building. "That," explained the
man, "is the hotel I have just built for you to manage." "You must be
joking," said the clerk. "I most assuredly am not," came the reply.

"Who -- who are you?" stammered the other. "My name is William Waldorf
Astor." That hotel was the original Waldorf-Astoria, and the young clerk
who became its first manager was George C. Boldt.

God's word tells us to always give our best when doing our daily work. The
Bible states that we should give of our best at all times, as though we
were working for the Lord.

We often become concerned that other people are doing more work than we
are, and that we are unjustifiably overworked. The bottom line is that we
should do everything in the manner as though God was watching every move.
We never know who is watching us and evaluating our actions and behaviors.
God will ultimately reward us for our faithfulness to every given task.

May we take a fresh look at our lives and remember to always give of our
best. Who knows, He may have a special place of honor waiting for us in
the future. Being faithful in the little things may make all the
difference in the world.

- Ralph M. Nygard

02/11/01: Three Wishes, Formula for Success

Hi,

How was your weekend? I had a great time this past weekend, especially
with some friends who I have not seen in a while. I also had fun dancing
at a friend's birthday party at a nightclub. It reminded me of my college
days, which were a long time ago.

I'm helping to organize a ski trip for my young adult group at church to
June Mountain, from 3/16-18. June Mtn is about half an hour north of
Mammouth, in northern California. Cost for food and lodging is only $70!
If you are interested in joining us, please let me know and I'll send you
more information.

Last week's thought provoking questions was on what ideal job would you
like to have if money was not an issue. Some of the responses include:

"Well, you know what my answer is: inner city teaching."
"I'd be a pediatrician working part time. :)"
"Wedding Planner"
"I'd like to be a VC."

"I'd split my time between 2 things. The first would be charity type work.
I'd like to figure out ways to get adequate food and healthcare to those
who don't have enough (in the US and abroad) and to help children be better
prepared for life (meaning getting poorer children the opportunity to have
the same kind of learning that others have, like computers, like normal
schools that aren't falling apart, cold and have no toilette paper). Doing
this type of work would give me a sense of accomplishment that I really did
something to help someone or many people. The second thing I'd like to do,
is get involved in astrophysics."

I also spoke to a friend Janice Kishi Chow, who is an occupational
therapist in San Francisco. She and her husband Ed Chow used to go to my
church in Boston. Janice started to do something that she's passionate
about, which is to paint. Please take a look at some of her paintings and
let her know what you think.

http://www.edandjanice.com/

So I guess Janice's ideal job may be to be a painter.

This week's thought provoking question is: "If you had to choose the best
book in history, which book would get the prize?"

Anna Man and Jennifer Deniega forwarded the humor and inspirational pieces,
respectively.

Enjoy!

-Josh.
______________________________________________

Three Wishes

A guy was walking along the beach in Malibu when he came across this salt
encrusted piece of metal. He worked for an hour or so to remove the salt.
Lo and behold, it was a very old oil lamp. The guy started to buff it to
remove the verdigris when "poof" a genie appeared.

This genie, like all genies, was so happy to be freed of the lamp that he
granted the guy three wishes.

"I wish to be a dollar richer than Bill Gates," says the guy.

The genie wasn't sure who Bill Gates was until the guy told him to check
Forbes magazine. When the genie called up Forbes from inside the lamp, he
learned that Bill Gates was indeed, the richest man in the world.

"Guy," the genie said, "You will forever be a dollar richer than Bill
Gates. What's your second wish?"

"Genie, I want the most expensive Porsche made: Fire engine red, on board
GPS and the finest audio system ever installed in an automobile."

"That's easy, Guy," says the genie. He waves his hand and best car anybody
had ever seen pops out of the lamp. The genie then asks the guy for his
third wish.

The guy mulls the problem over and over. A girl--nah, with billions and
billions of dollars he certainly had become a girl magnet. World peace?
Only wackos want that. The guy could not find anything that warranted using
his third and last.

"Genie," the guy said, "I can't think of anything now. May I save the third
wish for later?"

"Gee, this is most unusual. But you hold the hammer, and I can't escape
from this lamp until you make a third wish. Call me when you're ready," and
whoosh the genie disappears into the lamp.

The guy carefully picks up the now-ever-so-valuable lamp and places it in
the trunk of the fire engine red Porsche. He turns on the radio to balance
the sounds and makes all the other adjustments needed to get his great
audio system customized to his ears.

After that, he pulls off the beach and heads south along the Pacific Coast
Highway. Soon he's up to 60, then 70, then 80. The Porsche handled
perfectly. The guy is so happy that he begins to sing along with the
familiar commercial on the radio.

"Oh, I wish I was an Oscar-Mayer Wiener..."
_________________________________

Formula for Success

The road to success is not straight.
There is a curve called failure,
A loop called confusion,
Speed bumps called friends,
Red lights called enemies,
Caution lights called family.
You will have flats called jobs, but
If you have a spare called determination,
An engine called perseverance,
Insurance called faith,
A driver called Jesus,
You will make it to a place called success!

Be blessed today and remember that everyday with God is a good day.

Philippians 4:13
I can do all things through Christ which strengtheneth me.

02/04/01: Cold Winter, Time

Hi,

I'm usually not a big sports fan, but my roommate Patrick is. He was
watching the UCLA vs. Stanford basketball game and I watched it with him.
I must admit that it was one of the most exciting college basketball games
I have ever seen. Congrats to all you UCLA alums and fans!

If you are interested in entrepreneurship and networking with others who
are, I would like to invite you to attend a monthly entrepreneurial dinner
that I'm organizing for the Anderson Alumni Association. I got the go
ahead to open it up to a few of my friends.

The February entrepreneurial group dinner will be on Tuesday, Feb 13th.
Our guest speaker will be Bruce Rognlien, founder and former CEO of
Associated Travel, the 15th largest corporate travel company. Bruce was my
TEC mentor and a great guy. I'm sure that you will really enjoy his talk.

Place: Daily Grill
Address: 100 N La Cienega Blvd # 120 (Beverly Blvd.)
Los Angeles, CA 90048
Phone: (310) 659-3100
Time: 7 PM
Cost: $25 - $30

Map: http://www.smartpages.com/home/dailygrill3

If you want to come, please RSVP at:

http://www.zoomerang.com/survey.zgi?66HAMMBMHAK3JQVD6MESMEM7

This week's website recommendation: I found this very useful website where
you can find links to all kinds of information. The URL is:

http://www.online-pr.com/directory.htm

This week's thought provoking question comes from a friend's request. He
wrote:

"Anyway, I'm contemplating changing jobs. I'm looking for something more
stimulating, exciting, challenging, enriching, or fun.

Can you please do me a favor? I'd like to get a sense of all the jobs
people wish they could accept, if lack of training or low salary were not
barriers. In your weekly thought provoking question, could you please pose
the following question:

"What job or jobs would you take for the intrinsic rewards of the job (ex.
educational, stimulating, challenging, exciting, enriching, or fun) if you
had the necessary training and if the financial compensation was not a
consideration?"

Reiko Muto and Ravi Bhasin forwarded the humor and inspirational pieces,
respectively.

Enjoy!

-Josh.
______________________________________________

Cold Winter

In October, the Indians asked their Chief if the coming winter was going to
be cold or not.

Not really knowing the answer, the chief replied that the winter will be
cold and that the members of the village should collect wood to be prepared.

Being a good leader, he then went to a phone booth, called the National
Weather Service and asked, "Is this winter to be cold?"

The man on the phone responded, "This winter is indeed going to be very
cold."

So the Chief went back to encourage his people to collect even more wood to
be prepared. A week later he called the National Weather Service again,
and asked again, "Is it going to be a very cold winter?"

"Yes," the man replied, "it's going to be a very cold winter."

The Chief went back to his people and ordered them to go out and bring back
every scrap of wood they could find. November came and went, but still the
weather had not turned cold. The Chief was afraid his prediction might be
wrong and he might be disgraced among his people, so two weeks later he
called the National Weather Service again. "Are you absolutely sure that
this winter is going to be very cold?"

"Absolutely" the man replies, "the Indians are collecting wood like crazy!"
_________________________________

Time

To realize the value of one year:
Ask a student who has failed a final exam.

To realize the value of one month:
Ask a mother who has given birth to a premature baby

To realize the value of one week:
Ask an editor of a weekly newspaper.

To realize the value of one hour:
Ask the lovers who are waiting to meet.

To realize the value of one minute:
Ask someone who has missed the train, bus or plane.

To realize the value of one second:
Ask a person who has survived an accident.

To realize the value of one millisecond:
Ask the person who has won a silver medal in the Olympics.

Time waits for no one. Treasure every moment you have.
You will treasure it even more when you can share it with someone special.