7, May 2013 · 9:50 pm

Curbside Food Truck – Vietnamese Cuisine on the Fly

Curbside is the latest addition to the food truck craze that is breaking its way into Seattle.

Curbside is a Vietnamese food truck…well, actually it’s a trailer, and it sits stationary at the Shell Gas Station on Nickerson Street and Queen Anne. It’s about a block away from Seattle Pacific University (SPU) and is somewhere between the Fremont and Queen Anne boundaries.

As many in the area know, Curbside sat at the corner of the gas station waiting to open for months. Pending inspections and paperwork, people would constantly go by asking when would it open? Well, after frustrating months of working with inspectors, auditors, crossing all the T’s and dotting all the I’s, Curbside finally had its grand opening on March 19, 2013.

Since its opening, Curbside has had a warm welcoming into the neighborhood with people showing their excitement to the food trailer and coming back for seconds on the same day. The SPU area has been seriously lacking food, so this was a great change of pace for the locals and students, plus, it’s really affordable. According to most customers, the cost of eating out for them has gone dramatically down! So, after overcoming the difficulties of getting the truck up and running, Khang, the owner, and has been elated with the bustling reception and is constantly excited to meet who’s next in line.

Curbside Contact Info:

FB: https://www.facebook.com/Curbsidefoodtruck?ref=hl

3 W Nickerson St
Seattle, WA 98119

#206-915-2581

The menu consist of:

Appetizers: Spring Rolls, Vegetarian rolls, Salad rolls, & Egg Rolls

Sandwiches/Banh Mi: Chicken, BBQ Pork, Viet Deli Meat, Tofu

Entrees: Rice Combo (bbq pork/sprimp paste -bean curd/Fried egg), Vermicelli noodle, Fried Rice w/ Chicken thigh, and Viet Beef Stew

They take both cash and credit. Their usual hours are 10am-4pm, but are extending to 6pm for now to test the waters since so many customers have gone by requesting an extension of hours.

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6, January 2013 · 10:23 am

DIY Asian Fit Goggles – A cheap fix and solution

Your snow gear is really important when it comes to skiiing/snowboarding. You got to make sure everything fits right and is at the right comfort level.

Unfortunately for me though, being Asian, not everything fits me properly :/ With the lack of a bridge, my goggles never fit me properly; they all leave a giant gap at the nose area, that my finger could easy fish through. This basically means there’s a funnel of air that streams up that gap and into my eyes. So on windy-snowy days, or going up the lift, my goggles are basically ineffective.

We were pretty hesitant to buy Asian-Fit goggles though (and not just because most of the good looking ones are ridiculously overpriced)…The main reason for that is because the Asian-Fit goggles use completely different lenses, even if its the same model. For instance, I have Smith-Phenoms, and I have a bunch of spare lenses for it, but if I buy the Smith-Phenoms- Asian-Fits, the lenses for it are COMPLETELY different. This basically means I’d need to buy everything new and all my current goggle-gear becomes useless. Also, there are very few places that carry anything Asian-Fit in the United States, so good luck finding them in store and good luck finding lenses.

Well, instead of succumbing to buying Asian-Fit goggles, which I’ll emphasize again- there are VERY few of (especially in store), we decided on a quick and cheap solution! Here’s what I did! I’m not recommending people do this though, since I know people will end up jacking their gear up and blaming me, but here’s what I did, documented, so that people can see what others have done for a solution. So basically, what I’m saying is…don’t come crying to me if you glued this on your stuff and it didn’t work out. This is purely me showing you, what I did :D

Foam from Fred Meyers

1) So I purchased foam for 10 bucks at Fred Meyers, and started cutting a small square piece out of it. I aligned it to my goggles, to where the nose was, and with a permanent marker, outlined the cut of the nose on the foam.

Cut out nose pieces

2) I then cut out the nose pieces of foam out; these come out triangular. I had to cut out a few extra pieces as trial runs since I goofed up a few times  and wasn’t sure of what kind of cut I was making. Also, had to make sure that the width of the foam was about the right size too. I was originally planning to use an exacto-knife, but a good pair of scissors seems to work better. They didn’t need to be precise, since the foam shapes to you. Plus, everyone’s noses are different. If you look at the picture above, you’ll see that both triangle pieces are slightly different.

Insert foam pieces – then glue

3) Next step is to insert the foam pieces in and try them on!When I tried them on, I made sure that I didn’t see any gaps from the inside. If there were gaps, I just started over and cut out larger pieces. On a different pair of goggles (the neon-green-pair that is cut off on the far left of the photos, which are Smith IOs) I had to make a wider piece that extended out. Once they seemed like they fit properly, I tested them with double sided tape first. When it seemed all hunky-doory, I put a small amount of glue on, and voila (I only put a little in the middle because the glue hardens and if its around the edges, it’ll poke you).  I purchased gorilla glue for this since it says it works for foam and is also waterproof, but other glues could be a better option that I don’t know about.

I hope this helps you guys who struggle with this same problem! Oh…and as a disclaimer again, since I know there are a lot of foolios out there, I AM NOT RESPONSIBLE FOR ANY DAMAGE TO YOUR GOGGLES. If you suck at arts and crafts, and dealing with cutting and gluing, you should probably find another solution or buy proper Asian fit goggles haha. Also, I can’t guarantee that gorilla glue works best for this either, but for me, so far, so good.

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8, June 2012 · 9:24 pm

How we rescued an amazing Pit Bull named Nola

One night after Khang had gone to a friends house, he came back with a white Pit Bull that was all dirtied up. She had also obviously never been inside before because we had to drag her inside and show her how to use the stairs, and what carpet and linoleum felt like. Apparently, this Pit was running around the streets with no collar on at night, and if anyone knows the stigma about Pit Bulls, you know you don’t want one of these running around town freely. Not because they’re dangerous, but because of societies view on them, which can bring them directly to the pound and put down.

So we take the Pit Bull in and wash her up. Admittedly, I was pretty nervous since I was only use to small dogs, and in comparison to my Dachshunds and Jack Russel, this Pit Bull was mammoth and strong. Fortunately for us though, she is THE sweetest dog in the entire world, and with only good intentions. So apparently, this dog was regularly running around the streets, and when Khangs friend would return it, it would be back out in the streets the next day. The house was also rumored to do some shady business, from drugs to dog fighting, and the friend even saw them catching bunnies to feed the dogs for a “fun” chase. At this point, we were at a lost of what to do…return the dog to the potentially abusive owners, or take it into a shelter…

Our first approach was taking it to a shelter. We contacted place after place after place, but it was impossible to find a shelter that would take in a Pit Bull and at the same time, ensure that it was a no-kill shelter. After a week, we ran into issues that we would be labeled as “dog stealers” since we knew where the dog came from…after much debate and talking to friends, we decided to take the problem head on and drove over to the dogs owner, and by this time we had given the Pit Bull a name…Nola :)

Nola’s original tiny cage in the nasty yard with trash. They covered it with cardboard to shield her from rain….She couldn’t even sit up in this cage.

We knocked on the door, and no one answered. After sticking around and being persistent, someone eventually opened the door. Khang told them that we found this dog roaming and how it was all dirtied up, and the owner just didn’t get that they were doing anything wrong. They told us that they kept her in a cage outside with cardboard on top to cover her from the rain (we live in friggin Washington….), and they tried to prevent her from running away, but she just kept leaving on her own…but to get the story straight, you have to realize that Nola kept leaving because even though they had a biggo-wooden fence up, they didn’t have a fence door……….wtf? Anyway, eventually they told us that they wanted to get rid of the dog since they didn’t have time for it! so, we took the opportunity and asked for her and got her signed to us. Without any hesitation, she signed Nola to us, and didn’t even want to see her a last time.

After trying to find her a new home without success, we grew really attached. So now, we have a new addition to our family, and 4th dog. Welcome to our home Nola :) We love you lots. This has definitely opened my eyes about Pit Bulls and I have a new found love of them.

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8, March 2012 · 8:43 pm

Global Awareness: Kony 2012

With the powers of social media, news can spread to millions with a simple click of a mouse.

Many of you may have already seen this, but if not, please watch this video created by Invisible Children titled Kony 2012.

For those of you who don’t really know too much about this, I’ll try to explain what I know this in a simplified way, especially since the situation is well over my head and complex with politics, government systems and who knows what else.

Joseph Kony is the leader of the Lord Resistance Army (LRA), which is a guerrilla group in Uganda, Africa. His rebellion began in 1986 and ever since then, he has estimated to have abducted over 66,000 children to use as child soldier and sex slaves; “Kony’s fighters have been accused of murder, rape, torture and sexual enslavement” and “reports say they have massacred civilians inside churches, forced them off cliffs, burned them alive and even made them eat dead bodies” (ABC Melbourne). To add to this, “Many of them are carried out by brutalised children recruited to serve as sex slaves, cannon fodder and killers”(ABC Melbourne).

On October 6, 2005, the International Criminal Court (ICC) indicted Kony on 21 counts of war crimes, including 12 of crimes against humanity. But…what does this mean? For those of you who don’t know, the ICC is a tribunal (institution with authority to judge/dispute/etc) to prosecute individuals for genocide, crimes against humanity, war crimes, and crimes of aggression.

So if he’s been indicted by the ICC, what’s the problem? Well, for one, the ICC have “no teeth,” basically, all bark, no bite. There are many shortcomings to the ICC, such as a lack of an institution to enforce international criminal law, instead, the effectiveness depends on unstable political will from world capitals. Well, “without the cooperation and support of individual states, international courts are doomed to impotence: for example, they have no power to arrest, to compel the production of evidence, nor to enforce judgments. For these reasons alone, a rigorous system for the rule of law cannot at present be established; justice cannot meaningfully be administered without regard to the volatile and complex world of international politics (Yale Law School).”

However, this is not to say that the ICC isn’t effective, it just needs the support. Raising public awareness is one of the biggest struggles of Kony’s indictment. Think about it, why would other, powerful-booming countries need to take part in Uganda’s issues? Many will ask, why is this America’s problems? What about the children in America getting kidnapped and raped? Why does everyone think America should be the peace keeper? There is no money to be made in Uganda, nor is there a financial lost or economic impact for the US, or in most other cases, any other country. As ICC Prosecutor Luis Moreno-Ocampo said, “Kony is difficult, he is not killing people in Paris or in New York. Kony is killing people in Central African Republic, no one cares about him,” he said. “These young people from California mobilizing this effort is incredible, exactly what we need (CBCnews).”

Next steps? Capture him and put him on trial…some other problems though, is that he is most likely out of Uganda…and two, rumor has it, he might already be dead or already defeated. Plus, even if he were put on trial and caught, would that stop this systemic problem? Has Invisible Children addressed the long term goals? or even the ICC? In the end, Africa NEEDS to become independent from foreign aid. But…that is another long rant to go on about…And finally, is the LRA STILL all that powerful? If you go around and do your research, you’ll find that Uganda is no longer experiencing violence from the LRA and have moved into Congo, and Uganda is in the middle of peace talks. To add to this, Kony has been inactive for the last 6 or so years, yet the LRA is still in motion. So if we assemble troops in Uganda or fund the Uganda military who cannot cross boarders, is this fixing long term problems? There are many questions to be asked…

Whether you choose to support Invisible Children, that is completely up to you, but at least now, you know a little more. If you think supporting Invisible Children is a scam, then that’s fine, do your research and get educated, it’s your money after all, heck, here are some links for you to look at below for more info! For me, it is about global awareness and spreading the knowledge about these atrocities that is the most important. There are several other programs out there, so look into them and find something that fits you! whether its locally or internationally! A good one to start off with is Amnesty International if you want to think internationally.
Skeptic about Invisible Children?
1) Charity Navigator
2) Invisible Children: Critiques
3) Visible problems of Invisible Children
4) Kony 2012 video misleading

Also, keep in mind that these attrocities are NOT just in Uganda, but also in other countries and within our own. Liberia for instance has horrifying numbers of killings and sexual violence. According to the World Health Organization a study found that “over 90% of women in some of the areas most afflicted by the war experienced some form of sexual violence, 75% were raped, many of them by gangs, and 49% were forced into sex work, many of them as “bush wives” to militias. Almost 14% of the victims were under the age of 15 (Guardian)”

So…be aware. There’s a lot going on in the world and a lot of ways to help out, but remember, keep informed, do your research, ask questions, and get educated.

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19, December 2011 · 10:38 pm

2011 Flying By

The older I get, the faster time seems to be flying by. December somehow sneaked by me, and 2012 is right around the corner.

The best word that would describe 2011 for me is “work.” 2011 was a year that gave me a job of opportunities and new friends. When I think back throughout the months, my memories are enshrouded by work life and all of the things that came with it, such as stress, laughter, bills, overtime, projects, change, and so on and so forth.

Overall, it was an amazing year in its own way. I wasn’t able to travel the world as I hoped for, but I found stability for myself and future goals to look forward to.

The year is coming to an end…so take a moment to think back on it and embrace it, whether it was good or bad, because in the end…it’ll always work out :)

Below is a great video to recap the year done by google

Happy Holidays everyone! Have a fun, safe and amazing holiday! I wish you all the best!

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6, December 2011 · 7:31 pm

Awareness and Inspiration

I graduated in the summer of 2009 and in the overall outlook of things, I have it pretty darn good. Even with the economy in the crapper, I’ve been fortunate enough to constantly be employed since I was willing to take a leap on a 3-month contract and always keeping my eyes out for what’s next. In the end, I’ve moved on to a different company and am now full-time working at one of the biggest corporations out there and have a pretty solid desk job…yet, I’m not fulfilled.

Don’t get me wrong, I’m grateful everyday for having a job and a constant paycheck, but I know there is more out there, and in the end, whatever is out there…is where I want to be. Will I get to where I want to be some day? Maybe…I have a lot of responsibilities at home that I must take care of first, so I completely understand why some people can’t. But who knows…Maybe one day I can…or you can?….All I know is there are thousands of people out there like me… So whether you make that leap, or you’re dreaming of that journey…I want to open your eyes to what is out there, so for the next few posts I make, I want to focus them on specific organizations, websites and/or videos.

When I stumbled upon these organizations, I was inspired, so now I want to spread the awareness of what is out there, what you can contribute to and all of the opportunities.

Escape The City

‘Do Something Different’

Start Something You Love: Escape the City…1 year on from Escape the City on Vimeo.

This first organization was introduced to me by my friend Whitney (thanks!). When I saw the video, it struck me straight in the heart. This organization focuses on helping people who are struggling in their careers answer the question “If not this, then what?”

We are on a mission to help talented people escape from unfulfilling corporate jobs. We believe there is more to life than doing work that doesn’t matter to you.

Check out the video and the website. Get inspired. Make a difference. Do something that matters.

Good luck!

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30, October 2011 · 2:09 pm

Craigslist Karma

Hey folks! I’m alive! I definitely didn’t keep my new years resolution…perhaps I’ll have to set up a penalty thing for myself if I fail to blog…

Moving on! So my bf Khang is a Craigslist junky. He’s on craigslist regularly, whether he’s posting things to trade, or looking for sweet deals. He probably goes out and meets people for trades about 1-2x a week at least, depending on what he’s looking for. His recent craze has been RC cars…not those RC cars you see in Toys R Us though..I’m talking $300-$1500 RC cars that could easily drive next to your car on the freeway. Practical? Absolutely not…But before I go on some gf nag about wasting money..let’s carry on with the story!

Besides fast RC cars he’s gotten in to RC cars that are called Rock Crawlers..they basically can climb rocks and steep hills because they have a stronger torque. He posted on Craigslist that he had a RC car for trade and some dude was interested and texted Khang that he was willing to trade for his rock crawler, so long as Khang added something to it since his Rock Crawler was more expensive. Well, Khang threw in $100 bucks and the guy said it was a deal via text.  Unfortunately…the guy lived in Burien..which is about 45 miles from where I live and it was Sunday night at 7:30pm. Since Khang knew he was getting a killer deal though, he took off really quickly before the guy could change his mind.The guy gave his his home address and told us to come after 9pm because that was when he put his 7yr old to sleep (who the hell gives all of these details to strangers!?)

We hopped in Khang’s truck and dropped by the Chase Bank near our house to pull some cash out. Right as we got there, the guy texted back saying that he no longer wanted the deal because he couldn’t stand parting with his RC car because of all the time and money spent on it, and that he’d rather have it collecting dust on the shelf. Well…by this point we got pretty irritated..since HE initiated the trade and WE had to drive there. We texted back and forth saying that he was a d-bag move and that we were already on the freeway (we were really just sitting at the Chase parking lot), but the guy insisted that he couldn’t.

here are some of the text:

Us: Look dude, i’m already on my way. You contacted me first, and you want me to turn around. Thats not how Craigslist works”

Craigslist guy: I’m sorry man, there’s nothing here for you, I can’t sell her

Us: Frigging dbag move dude YOU contacted me and cry about losing your stupid little toy after I drive to you? And you’d rather have it sit and rot? Thanks for wasting my time and gas b**ch. I’ll be posting about you on craigslist

Craigslist guy: Sorry dude, but I spent 4 months costom [he can't even spell custom LOL] building it. it’s worth over 1000 to me. Sides aren’t you the one getting all bent because of a toy? besides your able to type all this and drive, sorry but id call you the dbag. glad i’m not on the road.

Us: I’m getting bent on wasted time and gas. I drive a friggin truck f***er. how about your fata** drive somewhere then come out with nothing because some b-bag got attched. btw. Girlfriend typing, guy driving dumba**

Well..eventually, we just went home..and that was that.. or so we thought. The guy texted Khang the next morning saying that his Truck got broken into and had up to $1200 of damage, and he blamed us. Hahhaha.,.Karma sucks dude. Khang spent the morning laughing his bottoms off. Do we look bored enough to drive 45mi away to trash some dudes car because we couldn’t get a deal on an RC car? psh. playa please. hahahha. He said it HAD to be us because his dumba** gave us his address and even told us that he drove a Tahoe truck. WHO GIVES ALL THAT INFORMATION AWAY?! and tells us that he has a 7yr old kid too!? what if we were indeed crazy people?!

So kiddies..the lesson here is, 1)  follow through with what you say you’re going to do, and 2) don’t give out your home address, family information, times you will be away from home and etc etc on Craigslist.

“Stupid is as stupid does” – Forest Gump

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