Tina Huang - Bless the Broken Road

I entered the Rascal Flatts singing contest and sang "Bless the Broken Road".  I need your help to help me win this contest by voting every day.  Here is what you do:

1. Click on the "check it out" link
2. On the right hand side, click to vote as a guest.
3. Be sure to click on the "vote for this entry" button, then scroll to the bottom and submit a rating & review.

Thanks so much for your help and support!  If I win, I'll have the opportunity to sing onstage with Rascal Flatts in concert!  Please ask your friends and family to vote too!  Thanks for your vote and support!

Cheers,
Tina

i haven't visited my xanga site in so long that when i tried to sign into xanga the other day, i forgot my password.  i had to reset it...  i think everyone else has forgotten about my xanga too, but it's ok, xanga is outdated anyway.  so i'm sharing this story with myself to remember for the future.

this morning on the way to work, it was so crowded on the bus that i stood sandwiched between two tall men in the aisle of the bus.  usually, when i've had to stand in the aisle, people sitting in the seats would jostle for leg room and stick their feet into the aisle, making the aisle space even more crowded for those already packed like sardines.  however, today was different.  maybe one of the guys sitting in the seats felt sorry for me, seeing as how i was really straining to reach the railings above my head, because the gentleman offered up his seat for me.  i felt really bad and was about to decline when i decided it might be rude to do so, so i took up his offer.  his random act of kindness really stuck on my mind all day, and i felt compelled to help others all day as well...similar to the movie pay it forward (which i've never seen, btw).

my mind is still boggled by what happened today on the bus, perhaps because i've adjusted to how everyone lives in their own little bubble with minimal interaction from others.  maybe that's why i was so taken with surprise when this man was considerate enough to give me his seat.  it got me thinking about why God gave up his Son to die on the cross for us, selfish, little creatures.  while i can't say with confidence that love propelled the man to offer me his seat, i can say that God's overflowing love for his children was the reason that Christ died for us.  and this is what completely blows my mind.

i'm trying each day to love wholly and unselfishly.

this weekend i went back home to celebrate chinese new year with my parents and indulge in some good food...because life wouldn't be complete without RED BEAN NIAN GAO!  mmm i'd been looking forward to that red bean sticky rice goodness wrapped in fried egg batter for a while, and i more than satiated my craving for it on saturday.  my mom and i made the egg batter and fried the nian gao, except our old stove kept turning on and off so the process took a while, and we had to be extra careful not to burn the cakes.  it was well worth the effort though.  these three little ones are all that's left of what used to be an overflowing pile of nian gao.  i made good progress.

i love to eat nian gao.  i was born to love glutinous rice but not regular rice.  it's heaven in my mouth. :)  every chinese new year, i look forward to eating red bean nian gao.  however, it's very different from the modified red bean nian gao that i bake.  i've never taken any pictures of my signature dessert, so this is the closest thing i could find on the internet (i usually top mine with pecans):

i also dropped by juicebox saturday afternoon for some mango-condensed milk-shaved ice-mango ice cream heaven after i was painfully forced to run about a mile in the park by a certain someone.  :p
in the evening, i ate hot pot with my parents.  i don't know what it is that makes green leafy vegetables taste even better coming out of the hot pot, but i ate so many vegetables that night i'm surprised my skin hasn't turned a light shade of green.  just kidding.  i love eating those little egg dumplings too.  sorry i don't have a picture from hot pot - i was too busy eating.  my mom was also toasting almonds drenched in honey and some chocolate concoction when i came home friday night.  the aroma pervaded the entire house, and i happily went to bed smelling of toasted nuts covered in sesame seeds.  i told my mom that she should open up her own nuts store now.

in conclusion, i ate enough this weekend (and also last weekend because i had juan in a million and heaping spoonfuls of rudy's creamed corn) to gain back all the weight i lost since i can't remember when.  now i'm back at my freshman fifteen weight.  i'm tempted to lose it just as quickly as i gained it, but after watching some special about renee zellweger's crazy weight oscillation and how it speeds up her aging process, i've decided that i prefer these extra pounds over the wrinkles.  besides, all this amazing food was well worth the weight gain. :)

next stop - dim sum.

please read this entry in its entirety:

Mrhocke: i like your hair today
Mrhocke: i think its getting longer
Sentrosi2: i was actually thinking about cutting it bc it's getting too long
Sentrosi2: and browning...several people have told me that my highlights are fading, and i have to tell them i've never highlighted/dyed my hair.  it just keeps turning brown
Sentrosi2: were you productive tonight?
Mrhocke: ugh
Mrhocke: kinda
Mrhocke: but don't cut your hair
Mrhocke: girls are pretty with long hair
Sentrosi2: girls are prettier when they dont listen to boys opinions about hair
Sentrosi2: haha
Sentrosi2: short hair is easy to maintian
Sentrosi2: shaved head is even easier
Sentrosi2: but i'm not taht brave
Mrhocke: whata re you talking about
Mrhocke: no
Mrhocke: please don't cut your hair
Mrhocke: please
Mrhocke: please don't
Sentrosi2: give me a better reason other than girls look pretty with long hair
Sentrosi2: i beg to differ
Mrhocke: dude
Mrhocke: if you grow your hair out
Mrhocke: i will marry you
Mrhocke: tomorrow
Mrhocke: see

mark austin says he will marry me.  i don't know how i feel about this.  continuing on...

Sentrosi2: but what if i odnt want to marry you?
Mrhocke: hmm
Mrhocke: i never really thought that far ahead
Sentrosi2: and are you also saying that you'll marry any girl with long hair?
Sentrosi2: makes the length of hair seem less special you see?
Sentrosi2: so then, a girl with shorter hair
Sentrosi2: is more unique
Mrhocke: wtc
Mrhocke: stop it
Mrhocke: just grow it out
Sentrosi2:
Sentrosi2: i'll think about it
Sentrosi2: OH
Sentrosi2: how about this
Sentrosi2: i'll grow my hair out
Sentrosi2: if you grow yours out
Sentrosi2: i think it's a fair deal
Mrhocke: I JUST CUT MY HAIR
Mrhocke: cause about 10 girls said they ahted it
Mrhocke: yvonne chang dindt like it
Sentrosi2: yvonne chang is the real girl you want to marry
Sentrosi2: it's ok, i know the truth already
Mrhocke: what are you talking about
Mrhocke: emily yen and bea hated it
Mrhocke: lina hated it
Mrhocke: the list goes on
Mrhocke: i got it cut TODAY
Mrhocke: cause it had been growing out since july 1st
Sentrosi2: haha
Sentrosi2: i would have liked to see it
Sentrosi2: so i could offer my personal opinion
Sentrosi2: since that's the only opinon that matters anyway
Sentrosi2: esp if we're supposed to marry
Mrhocke: true

<portions of content edited out for public viewing>

Mrhocke: look
Mrhocke: lets just get something straight here
Mrhocke: tina
Mrhocke: don't cut your hair
Mrhocke: thats all
Mrhocke: no cutting
Mrhocke: no cutting

conclusion:  i'm cutting my hair so i don't have to marry mark.  i think it's a good deal because shorter hair means less shampoo/conditioner usage, less water usage, faster shower time, easier combing, faster drying time, and most of all, not having to marry mark.

mark, i was just kidding.  you're a cool guy.  i like you a lot. as a friend.  and i'll take some serious consideration in allowing my hair to grow out.  maybe one more centimeter.

ok that is all.