QYVO Family Blog

I wish I'm a smoker

2009-08-17T12:54:00.001-07:00

I wish I'm a smoker

Sometimes I do. Every couple of hours they head out the back door for a smoke break. Breathing the fresh air, hanging out with coworkers, sometimes strangers. I am wondering if the benefit of taking frequent breaks and socializing outweighs the harm caused by cigarettes. Anyway they seems to be happy when they are outside. Shall I join them? If I join them, then I might as well smoke myself, cause the second smoke is several times worse than first-hand smoke.

Victor is back after two months in Sh...

2009-08-15T19:57:00.001-07:00

Victor is back

I took yesterday off to pick Victor and my in-laws from the
San Francisco airport. They are
arriving from Shanghai, where they spent last two months. Yang is away in the
breadloaf writer’s conference, so I’m fully responsible for the next week to
get they started.

Before heading to San Francisco, I need to drive my parents
to San Jose. They spent the last
time months living with us, caring for Yang, Oliver and me. It’s difficult to see them
leaving. I don’t know when they
can spend time with us again. The
Friday morning traffic was light but still there are places that were stop and
go. At around 10:15, we arrived at
the San Jose train station. They
took the 86 bus.

I arrived at the airport early and had to park the car in
the garage. By the time I got to
the International arrival place, they were just heading out from the secured
area and I watched them from the monitor above. Perfect timing!

They had three luggage carts. Victor was pushing one of them. He seems to grow taller a bit and more skinny.

It’s a struggle to get all three people’s luggage into my Acura
TL. We had to leave the trunk door open and tight it with rope. My car was packed, solidly.

My Mom cooked the meal before leaving. So by the time we got home, the rice
was still warm and we are ready to have lunch.

Tara Hills Baseball Game 20 (last game of the season)

2009-06-08T21:58:00.001-07:00

Date: June 6, 2009 V.S. Team # 6 Team #4 Crockett Auto Body "Auto Bots"

Score: Advantage Carpet Care Grizzlies 18 – Auto Bots 3

Victor: 2 for 3, 2 singles, 2 RBIs, 1 run scored, 1 strikeout

Season to date: 32 for 67, 32 singles, 20 RBI's, 5 run scored

The Grizzlies are the champions!

Tara Hills Baseball Game 19

2009-06-05T07:09:00.001-07:00

Date: June 4, 2009 V.S. Team # 1 Dr. Gordan's Gators (makeup game)

Score: Advantage Carpet Care Grizzlies 24 – Gators 12

Victor: 2 for 4, 2 singles, 2 RBIs, 1 popup, 1 strikeout

Season to date: 30 for 64, 20 singles, 18 RBI's, 4 run scored

Tara Hills Baseball Game 18

2009-06-02T23:50:00.001-07:00

Date: June 2, 2009 V.S. Team # 1 Dr. Gordan's Gators

Score: Advantage Carpet Care Grizzlies 23 – Gators 23

Victor: 3 for 4, 3 singles, 2 RBIs, 1 run scored, 1 strikeout

Season to date: 28 for 60, 28 singles, 16 RBI's, 4 run scored

There are 2 or 3 games left. Grizzlies will won the championship since they are so far ahead of everybody else.

Tara Hills Baseball Game 17

2009-05-27T22:51:00.000-07:00

Date: May 27, 2009 V.S. Team # 3 Plumbing Express Giants

Score: Advantage Carpet Care Grizzlies 19 – Giants 4

Victor: 2 for 4, 2 singles, 2 RBIs, 1 run scored

Season to date: 25 for 56, 25 singles, 14 RBI's, 3 run scored

Tara Hills Baseball Game 16 (makeup game)

2009-05-19T22:58:00.001-07:00

Date: May 19, 2009 V.S. Team # 5 Nation's Thunders

Score: Advantage Carpet Care Grizzlies 11 – Thunders 3

Victor: 2 for 2, 2 single, 1 RBI.

Season to date: 23 for 52, 23 singles, 12 RBI's, 2 run scored

Tara Hills Baseball Game 15

2009-05-14T22:24:00.001-07:00

Date: May 14, 2009 V.S. Team # 5 Nation's Thunders

Score: Advantage Carpet Care Grizzlies 21 – Thunders 14

Victor: 2 for 4, 2 single, 1 RBIs, 2 strikeouts

Season to date:21 for 50, 21 singles, 11 RBI's, 2 run scored

Tara Hills Baseball Game 14

2009-05-12T22:40:00.000-07:00

Date: May 12, 2009 V.S. Team # 1 Dr. Gordan's Gators

Score: Advantage Carpet Care Grizzlies 21 – Gators 14

Victor: 3 for 4, 3 single, 3 RBIs, 1 forceout

Season to date:19 for 46, 19 singles, 10 RBI's, 2 run scored

Game 13

2009-05-09T20:15:00.000-07:00

Date: May 9, 2009 V.S. Team # Giants
Score: Advantage Carpet Care Grizzlies 16 – Giants 12
Victor: 1 for 3, 1 single, 1 run scored, 1 strikeout
Season to date:16 for 42, 16 singles, 7 RBI's, 2 run scored

Victor's Tara Hills Baseball Game 12

2009-05-04T21:11:00.000-07:00

Date: May 4, 2009 V.S. Team # Giants
Score: Advantage Carpet Care Grizzlies 13 – Giants 13
Victor: 1 for 3, 1 single, he was called out twice because he threw his bat, 1 RBI from one called out
Season to date:15 for 39, 15 singles, 7 RBI's, 1 run scored

Victor's Little League Game 11

2009-04-29T23:14:00.001-07:00

Date: April 29, 2009 V.S. Team #3 Plumbing Express Giants

Score: Advantage Carpet Care Grizzlies 16 – Giants 21

Victor: 2 for 3, 2 singles, 1 RBI from a single, 1 forced out at the first base

Season to date:14 for 36, 14 singles, 6 RBI's, 1 run scored

Note: The Grizzlies lost their first game of the season

Victor's Little League Game 9 and Game 10

2009-04-27T22:48:00.000-07:00

Date: April 22, 2009
V.S. Team #1 Dr. G0rdan's Gators
Score: Advantage Carpet Care Grizzlies 25 – Gaters 13

Victor:
0 for 3: 3 strike out
Season to date:
10 for 29, 10 singles, 3 RBI's, 1 run

Date: April 22, 2009V.S. Team #4 Crockett Auto Body "Auto Bots"
Score: Advantage Carpet Care Grizzlies 23 – Auto Bots 13

Victor: 2 for 4, 2 singles, 2 RBI's, 1 forced out at the first base (he drove in a run), 1 forced out at the home plate.

Season to date:
12 for 33, 12 singles, 5 RBI's, 1 run

Victor's Little League Game 8

2009-04-15T22:18:00.000-07:00

Date: April 15, 2009

V.S. Team #4 Crockett Auto Body "Auto Bots"

Score: Advantage Carpet Care Grizzlies 10 – Auto Bots 8

Victor:

2 for 3: 2 singles, 1 strike out

Season to date:

10 for 26, 10 singles, 3 RBI's, 1 run

Little League Game 6 and 7

2009-04-05T23:22:00.001-07:00

Date: March 31, 2009

V.S. Team #1 Nation's Thunders

Score: Advantage Carpet Care Grizzlies 15 – Nation's Thunders 9

Victor:

0 for 4: he struck out twice.

Season to date:

6 for 20, 6 singles, 3 RBI's, 1 run

Date: April 2, 2009

V.S. Team #2 Plumbing Express Giants

Score: Advantage Carpet Care Grizzlies 10 – Giants 5

Victor:

2 for 3: 2 singles, 1 forced out

Season to date:

8 for 23, 8 singles, 3 RBI's, 1 run

Note: Grizzlies have 7 wins and no lose to date.

Hiking

2009-03-30T22:38:00.001-07:00

It has been a year now already, but yesterday Victor and I hiked the same mountain. This time we went further than a year ago. He still wined a lot but we managed to finished the most difficult stretch of the hike and actually enjoyed the nice view on the top.

Near the entrance

He was not tired yet...

Tired but happy.

Game Pictures

2009-03-30T22:27:00.001-07:00

Yesterday was the picture day of Victor’s little league. All teams showed up intheir uniforms. There managers and assistant coaches are also there. The Grizzlies, fresh off a win the day before, were there too.

Victor throwing a ball before an early morning game.

Power Hitter

Little League Game 5

2009-03-30T21:33:00.001-07:00

Date: March 28, 2009

V.S. Team #1 Gaters

Score: Advantage Carpet Care Grizzlies 15 – Gaters 3

Victor:

0 for 2: he struck out twice.

Season to date:

6 for 16, 6 singles, 3 RBI's, 1 run

yum

2009-03-25T21:42:00.007-07:00

yum

Game 4

2009-03-25T21:37:00.001-07:00

Date: March 24, 2009

V.S. Team #3 Plumbing Express Giants

Score: Advantage Carpet Care Grizzlies 15 – Giants 5

Victor:

1 for 3: 1 single, 1 run, he struck out twice.

Season to date:

6 for 14, 6 singles, 3 RBI's, 1 run

Victor’s Little League: Game 3

2009-03-17T22:15:00.001-07:00

Date: March 17, 2009

V.S. Team #1 Gaters

Score: Advantage Carpet Care Grizzlies 16 – Gaters 9

Victor:

3 for 4: 3 singles, ? RBI's, he grounded into a force out.

Season to date:

5 for 11, 5 singles, ?RBI's.

Victims of the 1989 Tiananmen Massacre

2009-03-15T23:45:00.001-07:00

2009年1月10日，这一天是星期六。北京的天气突然变得温和起来，万里无云，没有刮风，甚至马路上的行人还可以感觉到丝丝的暖意。这一天是老天赐于我们这批年纪越来越大的"六四"难属的。

时近中午时分，在京的天安门母亲从京城的四面八方相聚在一起。这是一个特殊的大家庭啊？大家见了面，不是握手，就是拥抱，彼此互道短长，气氛热烈异常，那份亲热劲儿远远胜似家人。今年的来人中，有几位是来自远郊的，为了赶上时间，大清早就出发了。今年的新春聚会，参加的人数是历年来最多的一次，共有42位，而且有6位是第一次参加。与这么多位难友首次会面，激动之情，溢于言表。

大家一年一度聚在一起，少不了缅怀曾经冒着当局高压的风险，和难友们一起抗争，然而现在已永远离开人世的难友们。这里边有大家都熟悉的吴学汉、苏冰娴、邝滌清。吴学汉于1995年就去世了，在当时那种壁垒森严的局势下，他为"六四"难属群体的早期创建付出了巨大的贡献。苏冰娴于2001年逝世，她为筹备"六四"十周年纪念、为接待埃德加•斯诺夫人的来访，与国安当局奋力抗争，如今也已8年过去了。至于邝滌清，每次天安门母亲聚会，身体瘦弱的他，总是静静的坐在一边倾听着大家的谈论，直到他临终前不久还为我们留下了一份珍贵的摄像资料。此时此刻，大家怎能不思念他们呢！二十年的艰难抗争，二十年的伤痕累累，在我们身后，留下了十八位冤死者。他们是：吴学汉、苏冰娴、张俊生、寇玉生、林景培、姚瑞生、杨世珏、袁长录、李贞英、王国先、周淑珍、周志刚、包玉田、孟金秀、吴守琴、孙秀芝、邝滌清、严光汉。尽管他们已不在人世了，但大家的心与他们相连着，活着的人会努力去做，去实现他们的遗愿。

春节聚会，现已成为天安门母亲群体的一个传统。最早是在１９９１年，那是丁子霖、张先玲、尤维洁三家在一起过的春节。那时的相见，大家只是相对而泣。后来每年春节参加的人越来越多，参加者一般都带上自己烩制的菜肴，只是互诉衷肠。在以后几年里，家里实在挤不下了，于是在１９９９年"六四"十周年的春节，开始在单位食堂聚餐。就是在那一天，餐厅前后被"便衣"警察盯上了，但难属们并没有惧怕，餐会照常进行。

今年，餐厅里放着三大桌，坐的满满的，座位加了又加，大家挤在一起，情绪十分饱满，相互激励的话语已经替代了泪水和抽泣。大家心里都十分明白，今年是亲人们罹难的二十周年。对这些白发苍苍的老人来说，岁月确实无情，因此他们必须抢时间齐心合力积极做准备，用心来纪念这个令人刻骨铭心的日子。

难属们表示：大家必须坚强地活着，因为活着本身就是一种坚持。这二十年来，对每个失去亲人的难属来说都是一段苦难史，活得都不容易。坚持就能胜利——哪怕现在抗争的人看不到这一天。

也有的难属自豪地表示：天安门母亲这个群体的存在本身就是一座丰碑，她无愧于我们逝去的亲人，也无愧于我们自己的良心。

天安门母亲
2009.1.11。

Victor’s Little League: Game 2

2009-03-15T23:10:00.001-07:00

Date: March 14, 2009

V.S. # Giants

Score: Advantage Carpet Care Grizzlies 18 – Giants 9

Victor:

0 for 3: He stuck out twice and was thrown out once.

Victor’s Little League Statistic

2009-03-08T23:44:00.001-07:00

Victor's Little League Statistic

Date: Feb 28, 2009

V.S. #5 Nation's Thunders (Exhibition game)

Victor:

1 for 3: 1 single and 1 RBI. He was thrown out and strike out/

Date: March 7, 2009

Time: 1PM

V.S. #5 Nation's Thunders (away game)

Score: Advantage Carpet Care Grizzlies 23 -- Nation's Thunders 12

Victor:

2 for 4: 2 singles and 1 RBI.
He was thrown out twice. Both times he put the ball in play but nobody was in the scoring position.
He was the catcher.

Pledge of Allegiance

2009-03-08T23:29:00.001-07:00

I became a US citizen on March 4. After moving to the US in 1991, studying and working for so many years, I finally joined the rest of my family and become a new immigrate with full right. The ceremony was held in the Paramount Theater in Oakland. It was a warm rainy day. There are more than twelve hundred immigrates who fill the first floor of the theater. The friends and family were seated in the second floor. Outside street vendors are selling some portfolios for holding the citizenship certificates.

The ceremony had several parts. The host was very funny. He told us to turn off the cell phones but said he would keep his on in case the President called him. That got him some applaud. We watched some video about the Ellis Island in New York, some election officials gave an introduction on registering to vote, and we singed the national anthem together.

Finally we were ready to swear the allegiance. The lady read aloud all the nations and asked the people to stand up when their formal country of citizenship was called. No surprise when China was called, several hundred people stood up. We rose our right hand, swore our allegiance to the USA, then we became a citizen. I signed a voter registration card outside the theater; no surprise, I registered as a Democrat.