You Gonna Have Another Drink, Or You Just Gon' Babysit, On To the Next One, Somebody Call a Waitress.....

The last day of 2009 and what a tumultuous year to say the least!
Hey, at least it'll be the Year of the Tiger soon! Bahahahaa!


And I couldn't think of any better way to ring in 2010 than with my beautiful daughter, Brooklyn.

Many people ask me about Brooklyn and where the name came from.
It came from Brooklyn, NY of course. But it was not just about the place. It was about what New York symoblizes to me. Brooklyn represents LIMITLESS possibilities. The place where dreams are made of. The place where if you can make it there, you can make it anywhere. As my first born, Baby Brooklyn's options in the world are also going to be LIMITLESS. She will and can be whatever she wants. I want her to have people in her life to tell her she can't do things just so she can prove them wrong! I want her to face obstacles and hurdles just so that she can overcome them all in leaps and bounds! Brooklyn is the epicenter of so many things creative, cool, cultural, and distinct. So too will Baby Brooklyn be! Although she will not be my only child, she as the first is definitely the most special. If anything, I thank 2009 for giving me my baby Daughter. I love you BabyGirl!
(and yes, I'm going to tell her that she owns the Brooklyn Bridge when she's old enough!)

As we go into 2010, my priorities may have shifted, but the focus is still the same: STAY AHEAD.
I have been lucky in my life as I reflect back on the years. I have been lucky to have been supported by a vast network of good karma. I have been lucky to have been guided by great leaders. I have been lucky to have excellence of execution in compatriots and contemporaries. And I will not squander all that these have contributed to my being.

I thank you readers (as I always do) for your support and I do wish for you a prosperous 2010. May you find your way to rise above, and continue to come along with me (and Brooklyn) on our journeys throughout this crazy thing we call LIFE.

Song of the Day: On To The Next One - Jay-Z

Hey, So You're Doin Better Now, Everybody Comes Around, But You Don't Really Need'em Cuz U're Stronger And U're Better And U're Ready For Whatever....

Finally on our way back home! It was another great Christmas season, but for the 7th time we have to leave our hometown of Vancouver and head back to Toronto. This visit was quite weird, there was no snow to be seen whatsoever in the Lower Mainland, where last year we were snowed in for five days! Also, back in Toronto, there was cold, but no snow on the ground!
This visit was definitely more hectic than before though, travelling with a five-month old baby. We did miss so many people: Shout outs to Bboy Boyes and his bigger new Family, Silver Woo, Jr Woo, T-Bone, SSP Pimp Daddy/Lauryn/Laura, J.Dizon, (the former Sonar Squad), Arch and Carlo, Auntie E, T and the Legend, YanMan, JMP/Sue and the clan, Nicolas, Big Jewels, Jules, Lil Jules, Sabrina, Martini, C.P., Bunny, Big Gee, J.Cook, JoJoLim, JoJoT, and all the others that continue to support! (Sorry if I couldn't mention you all here!) We will definitely catch you guys/gals the next trip around!

Places I did NOT get to go eat at this trip around: Mr Ho's, Pho Hoa, Pho Nam, The Banana Leaf, The Cannery, White Spot, The Fish House, Hanwoori, Jang Mo Jib, amongst many many others!

Things I will not miss in Vancouver: Bad Drivers, Slow Drivers, Asian Drivers.

There are times when I look at the flights board on the International side of YVR airport and just think..... YUP, we're going there. Now.

Wouldn't that be nice?

This is Bill Reid's famous Haida Gwaii.

I think I might want one of these in my living room. But just a bit bigger sized.

Congratulations to Air Canada for setting a new record of 57 minutes for me to get my bags back once I've gotten off the plane! Totally awesomeness!

Song of the Day: Wait Til You See My Smile - Alicia Keys

December 29, 2009

Time really does fly! Our last night in Vancity and we did not get a chance to catch up with everyone! It's expected though, with our circles growing bigger and bigger in Vancouver, more people having new kids, and everyone taking flight on their own paths, it's getting crazier and crazier to coordinate schedules!
Baby Brooklyn found a way to solve all the holiday madness and running around:

Just take more naps! Snug as a bug in a rug!

Niece #2, the first time we got to see her all trip!

At least she finally learned how to pronounce "Brooklyn" just in time!

The crazy family. Reservations for 11 people. Wow, we're up to Eleven now!

If you want really great Thai/Indian food in the Steveston Area, the Kari House is insane with it! Great home-cooked Thai food with a bit of a kick for flavor! Very well done!

The next generation in the family:

And of course, Baby Brooklyn has her Daddy's sense of Having Fun!

That's MY Baby Girl!!

December 28, 2009

And the holidays keep flying along! More running around trying to catch everyone and more racing against the clock to make sure that we actually spend some quality time with everyone also!
Either way, Kitty Cat Baby Brooklyn was ready to go!




Then it was off to All You Can Eat (AYCE) Sushi!!!




Total Carnage. Endless Sashimi, endless chicken wings, endless miso soup, endless sushi rolls, and unlimited other food that could just #GetInMyBelly!

Oh and Look! More Cupcakes!

#GetInMyBellyToo

December 27, 2009

Some more family members: This is Cammie, short for Cameron.

Also short for Cameron Indoor Stadium. If you don't know where that is, Google it.
Yes, my brother and I are Harsh Dukies.
Even though Baby Brooklyn is on vacation, her cuteness never stops.

Neither does her *side eye* training!!

She is totally quite aware of all her surroundings now, and basically NEEDS to know what's going on at all times! Beware the *Side Eye*!

This is where I start wanting to move back to the West Coast:








Absolutely Fabulous! Garry Point Park and the Fisherman's Wharf in Steveston.

Oh, and this little dude is Hudson! He's 22 months and will most likely be Baby Brooklyn's bodyguard on the playgrounds!

Although, when Baby Brooklyn gets to be 22 months old, she'll most likely be other kids' bodyguard on the playgrounds!!

December 26, 2009

Boxing Day has become quite uneventful in our family. With all the Online sales starting Christmas Eve and Christmas Day, there really wasn't much to get us up out of bed early, line up in the cold, and pray that the stores were still in stock of limited items. Retail continues to fail.
I did do my fair share of retail research, but all in all, nothing was really driving me to spend like in years past.

Instead, we decided to take the time to spend on more important things like Friends! And IHOP!

Here we are with the Toh's! I'm not sure that I could forgive the Toh's for switching over to Team iPhone, but they are still lifelong friends for sure!
Yes, my shirt does say BROOKLYN.

The lovely ladies enjoying some post IHOP smiles!
We had some other plans fall through on us, so we also took the niece and the nephew to go see the hit movie of the season Avatar! For me, it would be my fourth time seeing the movie, if it wasn't for the alien language, I might be able to recite the whole thing line for line!

And when we came home from the movie.....

I love how the love of cupcakes runs in my family!!

December 25, 2009

And the Christmas Tour continues on! I haven't had time to catch my breath, adjust to the JetLag-TimeZone changes, and I almost forgot... Look at the Mountains!

I do promise that I'll have LESS Mountain pictures than last year! Then again, I was in YVR for about 2.5 weeks last year! If you want to see, click on the calendar on the right and scan out my last year Christmas Holidays in 2008!

Christmas Day meant that we were off to the in-laws for some MORE dinner, laughter, drinks, and overall fun times!

I really don't mind the Vancouver in-laws. They are really cool peoples! In fact, I treat them just as close as family, close as my own! I just wish that they didn't leave THIS FAR! Lookit the size of those trees!

It's almost like you could see the edge of the earth from up here on the mountain!

On to the important stuff, the food for the evening was just getting finished prepping...



Christmas with these folks is always an interesting exercise! Sushi, Roast Beef, Ham, Samosas, random side dishes, every year is an eclectic mix!

There are some years where you just hope and wish that your belly can handle it all!





It's kind of sad that Baby Brooklyn was too small to run around with all the other kids. But then again, I'm happy that I don't have to deal with a baby that just bumped her head, got pushed down the stairs, or banged her knee/elbow also!

December 24, 2009

Baby Brooklyn's very first New Year's Eve is here! So where do her and Daddy end up going?

TO THE MALL of course!! Surprisingly, it wasn't too crazy in Richmond Centre on Christmas Eve, so we got what we came for and headed off for some rations for the night's festivities.

OH EM GEE! I'm never going to complain about my $46 per bottle in Toronto ever again!

Holy crap, Vancouverites, you're getting Ripped off! Next time I pass through Duty Free, I'm grabbing TWO bottles!! Speaking of Gooses.....

Karma decided to send me a WHOLE FLOCK of GreyGooses for Christmas! Thanks Karma!

Christmas Eve at our Family Gatherings is always a wild, crazy, and LOUD time! We were missing a bunch of people this year, and they were sorely missed! Nonetheless, the pictures speak volumes:













And Baby Brooklyn got to bed just in time for Santa to show up!