Back when I visited Hoboken, New Jersey (probably the rare few times you’ll hear me say “visit” and “New Jersey” in the same line), I had also sent my saliva sample to get my DNA tested for the sake of discovery and curiosity. I received an email from 23andme.com (if you buy the package on DNA day, you’ll get a substantial discount) that my results were in and I perused the result and thought, I already knew most of the findings because A. I visit and consult my doctor almost religiously and B. I talk to my mother all the time. The part that excited me about the results were the blood group and ancestry, the latter to which I must wait.
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My Mother’s Life: The States
In the dead of winter, dressed in a sleeveless top and sarong, my mother arrived, husband and 2 children in tow, to America, with not one lick of understanding of the language.
It was January 31, 1986, New York, a winter storm brewing outside customs office. We passed through and made it to Boston, my mother reunited with her best friend.
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My Mother’s Life: Southeast Asia
My mother at the refugee camp
My mother’s given name is Samnang, it means lucky. She thought herself unlucky so when she came to America, she shortened it to Nang, which has no meaning.
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Friends and Lovers
An old couple visiting Venice
My mother once said, “you are the one living with the person you love. So why worry if someone else loves him?”
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Digging For Diamonds
Salt rock chandelier at the Wieliczka Salt Mine, my boyfriend sent me this photo many moons ago from his travels
Diamonds don’t fall from the sky, my mother used to say. If you want something, you’ve got to get dirty and dig for them.
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What’s in the Past, Stays in the Past
It’s a real time machine!
If I knew what I know now, would I go back and do things differently? Would the path I’ve taken change or would it be the same path? Would I always end up in a complete circle of my own life?
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Traveling
Curiosity seems like a natural thing when you see babies giggling and following mobiles and playing with simple block toys. They crawl to reach for things, for places they don’t know. It seems so natural to want to learn, we want to know and we want to grow. So when I hear that someone dislikes traveling, I start to question their childhood because traveling is a form of curiosity.
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A Challenge: 30 Before 30
At 18 years old, staring at the ocean, never imaging I could get this far
I’ve been challenged! No, not to a duel. If it were so, then a duel of the mind and the pen. In this case, a keyboard. I’ve been challenged to write one blog post a day leading up to my 30th birthday. 30 posts in 30 days.
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2013 New Year’s Resolution
It’s that time of the year again where we can say “let’s start a new slate!”
Last year, I made a very short list and I made through with a few hiccups.
This year, continuing with last year’s resolution (health, money management, vacation), I tack on a few to help move me in my career.
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Summer Movies are Back in the City!
Ah! It’s summer again and it’s going to be a hot, hot summer in the city! Possibly rainy since there was barely any snow this past winter.
What I love most about the city is the summer movies in the park! Outside, having a picnic and watching some movie on the big screen with the stars and the skyscraper around you. It’s a relic from drive-in without the whole car thing.
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