I like this!!

A map of where we have been for our annual reunion and where our families are scattered around.  Enjoy!!


View Tsang's Reunion Locations in a larger map

The Intimidator

Sent Julian to a summer police academy camp last week.  He had fun and in the end came home with lots of pictures.  Saw a couple that I really like.  Thanks to Joyce, doctored up a couple of them and here they are.

Don't nobody mess with me...

Freeze.......

You don't scare me none, freeze, I say....

PD runs on DD

Now this is a map taken from Google Map and the bubbles, red arrow and yellow circle was added afterward so you won't see my car there but I think you can follow me with some imagination.  Thursday morning after my dentist appointment, I head off to work.  I was sitting at the light waiting for the light to turn green so I can make a left turn.  Looking straight at the cop car across from me, I thought to myself, 'better not do anything stupid'.
Light turns green, the cop took off and came straight at me to my right on to the side walk.  I remember thinking, 'what's he doing, if he's going straight, he should be going to my left.'  Turns out, he parked on the sidewalk to patronize the shop right there in the corner (note that the shop is a Duncan Donut).
I guess he really needed that cup of DD coffee and nobody better get in his way.

Motorola Xoom

For those of you don't know what it is - Apple has iPad, Samsung has Galaxy and Motorola has the Xoom.  The pad is the latest tech toy..... I mean tool.  Don't get me wrong, this is no iPad, at least there's no line of people waiting to buy it or 'grey market' for it.  Why did I get this you say?  Well, personally, I have nothing against Apple.  No one can denied that they have superior products.  But I just don't want something that EVERYBODY wants, you know, I take the less traveled road.  Here's my thinking, Android is powered by Google, we know how Google is doing.  The Xoom is running on Honeycomb, the latest OS by Android, which is built for a pad.  We know Google is going to get there.  It's a matter of time and I'm willing to wait.  I like Google's product a lot.  Here's a gallery of my Xoom.

The Xoom in its
portfolio cover

Standing in its case

Standing in its case with
a straighter angle

The Xoom on its dock

The Xoom on its dock
from another angle

The home page of my Xoom

The locked screen of my Xoom

I cut this opening to expose
the ports on the bottom
of the Xoom

The new Ryan

It was a big internal debate within myself - car or no car!  I finally went with a car.  It really just happened because a deal came along and helped me made my decision.  So...here it is, the new Ryan:

Nice and shinny!!

Checking it out with grandpa, see the clean engine?

Feels Gooooooood!!

I want to go take it for a spin

Grandpa wants to go along too

A good game after all

Indeed it was a good game.  Everyone play hard and well.  Even though we didn't win the championship game but everyone was a winner in that they tried their best.  Although some of us could be better but they are not there yet.  The final score was 32-22.  Julian had 7 points which is not too shabby for a big boy playing down low.

I tried filming the game but I just couldn't do it.  I can't film and watch at the same time so I chose watching and Anna has to do the filming.  I took some snapshots from the film and share it with you guys here.  Not the best quality but it is what it is, enjoy!!

I have put some making in to help identify Julian.  His number was 8 and he's one of the bigger boy there.  He's usually right around the basket down low because of his size and skills.

If you are interested, I have more pictures here.

Rebounding

You think Julian is a big boy, look at the boy he's defending

Taking it up strong underneath the basket

And 1

Good 'D' Julian

Hustling hard down low

Looking to pass to the center

Way to close the baseline

Ryan got his driver license today

Congratulations to Ryan. He got his REAL driver license today. Like it or not, he's stuck with this picture for the next 5 years.

I was so glad to find out the DMV is open today. I'm off work today so we got up early and went to the DMV. We waited for a few minutes outside for them to open but this is the way to do it though if you can. We were in and out in about 10 minutes rather than an hour.

So, does this mean we can and should ask him to go get milk and bread when they run out? Should he be paying for any of his own car expenses, such as gas, tickets, repairs, insurance... What kind of curfew should we put on him or any at all? Why do I have so much to think about when Ryan is the one who just got his new license?

What responbility comes with a driver licenses? Let's me see.... taking his brother to games and his friends, picking up someone, spare driver in a long trip, taking himself to places.....yea, I'm beginning to like this.

Man, I wonder how much is his insurance. I just hope it's not so much that I have to get a second job to pay for it. Anyways, it's exciting. I think this is acutally a mile stone for Ryan and a turning point in his muturity.

Go Rockets - to the championship

Good job Rockets!!  We won today's game so we are advancing to the championship game.  When we got to the gym this morning, we were told that we have two players sick and not sure if they will play.  I thought to myself please don't be Zach.  The coach disappointed me and said Zach is not feeling well.  He'll be here but not sure if he can play. While warming up, I saw Zach walking in and I thought, 'what a trooper, come to support the team when you are sick too.'  Turns out, he was ready to play and we're glad that he was, the result may be different if he wasn't.  See, Zach is a very small kid (may be just under 5' and skinny) and he's only in 6th grade but he's a big part of the team.  He's actually a very good all around player.  Had he been a regular size kid, he would have dominated the league.

Anyway, we ended the first half with 23-6 us leading.  Thinking we had this in our pocket.  So we sit Zach for the third quarter and boy it was a scary quarter.  We ended the third quarter with 28-26, only a 2 point lead.  The other team had like 16 unanswered point.  The game just came out of our pocket and jumped up in the air.  My heart was pounding.

Last quarter, Zach was back in and quickly we pulled away finishing up the game with 50-26.  I think the 3rd quarter woke everybody up.  The last quarter was a very well played quarter.

Thursday opponent is a much better team.  It's going to be a good game.  We need to be awake for the whole game.  Let's go Rockets.

Basketball season is ending

I think I might be a little withdrawn with Julian's basketball season coming to an end.  But before that time, I'm happy to announce that Julian's team is the number one seat.  Play off starts this Thursday and the championship game is next Thursday, 02/24.  We will playing the number 2 or 3 seat team.  Both team are tough opponent.  Some last minute coaching to do.  Got to work on his offensive skill underneath the basket and around the paint. I will be back with the result.  For those of you what are interested, you can see the whole season's record and standings here.  Remember, Julian's team is Rockets.

Something interesting that I can't seems to understand.  The top three teams are Rockets, Spurs and Heats.  Up until the end of regular season, Spurs always beat the Rocket, the Rockets always beat the Heats but the Heats always beat the Spurs.  How does that work.  However, one Saturday, Julian and I stayed after his game to watch the Spurs plays the Heats and we discovered that non one from the Spurs can shoot and only one boy can drive.  So we told the coach that we must play zone on defense and shut them out to force them to shoot outside the paint.  That did it, we shut them down effectively and we beat the Spurs the next time we play them.  A little preparation always help.

Time to retire?

The boys volunteered to cook us dinner tonight.  They worked hard together slaving away for a meal.

Ryan made the shrimps.  All from scratch except for the shrimps.

Julian cut the chicken, yes, he cut the purchased rotisserie chicken but quite a presentation.

And the result.  Very good dinner.  Oh, Julian made the mashed potato too.

Last but not least, Ryan's coconut custard pie with his initial.  Yummy.

It's a physical game

Julian's team won big today, 56 - 16.  Julian had 6 pts and 2 assists.  But my blog today is not about their victory.  I have a question for everyone, are you allow to cry in a basketball game?  Julian took someone out of the game today at beginning of the second half.  They were on offense and Julian was down low, got the ball just under the basket.  This boy who is a bit taller than Julian came up behind him to stick him.  So Julian, remember what Ryan and I taught him thinking to himself that this guy is as big as I am so I better bump him a little harder, dribble the ball once, use his shoulder to bump this guy to make room for himself and lay up, the ball went it.  Perfect play in the paint, that's how it's done.  While he's was going up for the lay up, he heard the boy fell behind him, ug oh, I'm going to fall on him.  I don't want to step on him so I'm going to lift my leg but I'm going to fall on him.  Their big bodies tangled and Julian got up and the other boy remain on the ground, hurt and crying.  It took him like 10 minutes to get up and the crowd clapped but he was out the rest of the game.  The coach gave him a bandage.  Personally, an injury that a bandage can fix should not keep you out of the game.  On the way out after the game, one of the dad from the other team was behind Julian and me.  I heard him saying things like 'he's probably 6'2", 200 lbs' and I thought he was talking about how rough Julian was so I said to Julian 'he's a sore loser'.  Came to find out he was talking about the boy who was crying.  I didn't hear the last part of his sentence which was 'on the floor crying'.  He was saying, 'he's probably 6'2", 200 lbs, on the floor crying like a baby'  and he said it like 5 times.  Now it make sense, thinking back in the game, after the incident, his daughter fell and immediately, he yelled to his daughter 'GET UP'.  Funny, but really, can you cry in a basketball game?

First game this Saturday

Can't wait but Julian is a bit broken.  He's hurting here and there.  Hopefully he can perform well.  Their team is tie with another team for number one.  That's who they are playing Saturday so it's a tie breaker game.  They just had a scrimmage tonight.  Julian's team can definitely beat the other team if they play well.  It's going to be a good game.  Go Rockets.......

Only Julian

What is this, you ask?  It's a sandwich bag.  And what is that in the sandwich bag, you ask?  It's a spider.  Julian found a little spider and decided to catch it and put it in a sandwich bag.  Didn't want to let it go but didn't want to kill it too because that's inhumane.  So let's keep it alive in a clear bag so it thinks it can get away but how hard it tries, it now lives in a flat world that has limited oxygen supply.  Only when someone decided to either open the bag and let in more oxygen or kill it, it's going to be living in a stage of torture for the rest of its life.  It's not like Julian wants it as a pet or something.  He's watching TV now probably forgot all about this spider.  What are the chances of this little spider get to go free?  Hmmm.......poor thing!!

Innovation

No, I have not taken a new job as Home Depot spokesperson.  I went to Home Depot today to by a new faucet for my basement sink.  I didn't buy anything else.  I was walking toward the cashiers and a female Home Depot personnel asked me if I was ready to pay.  I said I was and ready to walk with her to her cashier station.  Instead of turn and walk, she whipped out her scanner right there and scan my product and my gift certificate.  Next she whipped another device on her waste around to the front and there it was, my receipt, printed out ready for me.  I was so very impressed.  Imagine when you go to a supermarket to buy a gallon of milk and have to wait in line and someone comes up and offer to check you out immediately.  Very cool.  One thing she was missing though - bags.  She didn't have any bag with her so we had to walk to a cashier station to get a back.  If she had bags with her, it would have been a completely mobile cashier.  I was still very impressed.  Nice...........

Don Tot Recipe

Upon popular demand, below is the recipe for the Don Tot that Ryan made.

Ingredients :
NO E Yield: 2 doz.
TART PASTRY
1/4	cup	Butter
1/4	cup	Lard
1	x	Egg
6	tbl	Sugar
2	cup	All purpose flour, sifted
FILLING
2	x	Extra large eggs, whole
3	x	Extra large egg yolks
1	cup	Whole milk
1/2	cup	Half and half
1	cup	Sugar

How to cook :

TO MAKE PASTRY: Cream butter with lard.
Add egg and sugar. Beat well. Add flour, 1 cup at a time.
The dough will be mealy.
Work quickly with your hands to gather dough into a ball.
Knead lightly so the mixture adheres.
You may chill it at this point while making the filling.
TOMAKE FILLING: Be sure all ingredients are at room temperature.
Beat whole eggs with egg yolks well.
Beat at low speed. (Do not over beat.) Add sugar, the milk, half and half.
Let mixture rest for 10-15 minutes Skim off all the foam from mixture.
ASSEMBLING: Separate dough into 24 balls.
Press each into a 2 1/2 inch (measured across top) tart shell to an even layer across the bottom and all the way up the side.
Fill tart shell with filling almost to the top.
BAKING: Preheat oven at 300 degrees.
Place tarts on cookie sheet and bake for 45 minutes.
Cool for 10-15 minutes.
Loosen slightly by inserting a toothpick along the sides.
The tart shell will unmold easily.
DO AHEAD NOTES: Custards can be made no more than 1/2 day ahead.
COMMENTS: It is important that theingredients for the filling be at room temperature and beaten over a warm bowl ofwater.
Cold ingredients will cause filling to separate during baking.
By skimming off the foam from the custard filling after beating, the custard will have a golden, creamy appearance with a velvety smooth texture, a most unique and delightful gastronomic treat! Do not bake on high heat; this would cause the custard to bubble up like a balloon and later collapse.
Each oven is different, so you'll have to try a batch to find out what works for you.
The crust should be a light beige to golden on the side and slightly more tan on the bottom side.
There should be no browning at all of the custard.

Couple of modifications though:

• Use between 1/4 to 3/4 cup of butter but no lard
• 4 to 5 large eggs but no extra yolks

According to Ryan and his partners in crime, they will attempt to add some apple sauce in the recipe to make the crust softer.  We will report back of the result.