I met Lois at an April Fool’s Tea Party fundraising event over a year ago. We hit it off when she said she once was a consulting technical editor for USC. Lois is a senior who wants to do something with her dormant skills. Since that day, I have referred work to her when my clients needed a proof reader. Every once in a while she would contribute jokes for this TGIF email blast. She would share anecdotes, poetry and even songs.

One day, Lois asked if I was interested in illustrating and helping to publish her children’s book. She said when her kids were growing up, she would make up stories to put them to sleep. In fact, they liked her stories better than books she would read. One particular story was about “Tom the Mouse.” She said she thought it up at the spur of the moment. “Tom the Mouse” was by far their favorite bedtime story because it allowed them to participate in making animal sounds. Lois would repeat that story over and over. Lois’ kids have passed on that legacy to their own kids and grandkids.  With a history of 60+  years, there was no doubt that I wanted to do this story. We met once and threshed out the general concepts and I made the illustrations and added a few ideas. We made it an interactive book where kids will learn to read, make sounds, and search for hidden images. At the end of the book, there is a double-page spread full of graffiti names on a wall. We hope parents and kids will enjoy looking for their own names. This project was more difficult than I expected, but it was fun.

Guess what? The book is out!  “Tom the Mouse” has just been made available on Amazon! Just do a search for three words: “Tom Mouse Lois” and you will find it. If you want to do me a huge favor, BUY THE BOOK! It’s a perfect gift to give to parents with young kids. It’s just over ten bucks. If you have Amazon Prime, 2-day shipping is free. Buy two and shipping is free. How’s that for a shameless commercial plug? Oh, and please give us some feedback and please spread the word. Thank you!

When I see Lois all smiles and excited showing off her book, I know I made the right decision. I know I helped make a dream come true. I know I created a legacy for my friend.

CLICK HERE to buy the book!

“A book is a dream you hold in your hands.”

— Neil Gaiman

TGIF people!

Important Question

Shared by Don of Kelowna. B.C.

Best Friends
Sent by Don of Kelowna, B.C.

This is one of the cutest videos ever. More cute than funny. I wish I had a friend like this when I was growing up … these days I have to settle for “The Cat.” (Still resisting her cuteness, though).

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Crazy Success of “Crazy Rich Asians”
Sent by Art of Sierra Madre, CA

That movie is raking it in. This is a good analysis of this unlikely Hollywood success story.

WATCH VIDEO

Don’s Puns

From Don’s collection of puns

Parting Shot

Thanks to Rodney of Manitoba, B.C. who shared this photo

The post Old Friends appeared first on Traveling Archive.

America is seeing the Salem Witchcraft re-enacted in Congress today. There’s a lot of over-reaction and raw emotion; bending of convenient rules and hypocrisy. I feel the need to speak on this today. Move on to the jokes if this bothers you.

In the musical Fiddler on the Roof, Tevye, the Father sings a song about being a rich man and all the perks that come with it. One line that sticks out to me as unfortunately true is when he proclaims “when you’re rich, they think you really know.”

Let me extrapolate that a bit. When you’re rich, powerful, influential, etc., somehow people put a lot of weight on your opinions. Just because the rich have “arrived,” people want to be like them … think like them … so they can BE them.

Once you accept that there are fake authorities, look beyond that egotist with the microphone and start looking at the facts. When a basketball player tells you to buy a car, what makes his taste of cars any better than yours? When a Hollywood starlet shares her favorite recipe, are you compelled to try it out? When a politician who has never run a business makes laws that influence corporate budgets and personnel, do you feel it’s going to help the economy?

Peter’s Principle states that “a person is elevated to his level of incompetence.” When a government sucks, blame it on the clueless yet powerful monkeys who made it up in the food chain.

So now that you see the monkeys in your midst, accept them. No need to be exasperated that they don’t make logical sense. They’re monkeys! Move on.

I’m not here to endorse any political party. I trust you’re mature enough to figure this out. And your conclusion my be different than mine. And that’s fine. I may be a monkey too. But I would suggest that you take the Four-Way Test recited in every Rotary meeting (my addition is in blue):

• Is it the truth? Are the facts backed up by reliable witnesses and unbiased reporting?
• Is it fair for all concerned? If the tables were turned, would you accept the rules if it were imposed on you? Don’t be a hypocrite. Would you prosecute any of your political allies if they broke those same rules?
• Will it bring goodwill and better friendship? Is there any room for grace?
• Will it be beneficial to all concerned? Is this a win-win situation?

If your position misses any of these marks, think of the possibility that you’re listening to someone who has more opinion than actual wisdom and the possibility that you’re on the wrong side of the fence.

(Very sleepy now. No more energy to think straight. Be good. See you next week).

“But the wisdom that comes from heaven is first of all pure, then peace-loving, considerate, submissive, full of mercy and good fruit, impartial and sincere.”

— James 3:17

TGIF people!

Danger: Millenials Traveling Unsupervised

Shared by Don of Kelowna. B.C.
Watch out! This is really long.

(Of course I couldn’t find any proof that this is a true compilation … unless you consider Huffington Post as legit so my apologies to all you Millennials for this stereotype.)

Abbot and Costello Math Trick
Sent by Art of Sierra Madre

These guys talk a mile a minute. Smoothless performance. At one point, it seemed like Costello actually made sense. Clean, intelligent, classy humor — the best kind!

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Reality Check in “Crazy Rich Asians”
Sent by Art of Sierra Madre, CA

Some interesting trivia about the movie.

WATCH VIDEO

Don’s Puns

From Don’s collection of puns

Parting Shot

Thanks to Naomi of North Hollywood who shared this photo

The post Traveling Millennials appeared first on Traveling Archive.

For answers to these, blame the media for fostering the stereotype for Asians and not changing with the times. This new movie “Crazy Rich Asians” portrays the really-rich-until-now quiet yet growing minority. In this movie both old rich and new rich are displayed for us to see.

Indeed, it is a cultural shock and a reality check for the America people. To be precise, is America cash-rich? If we ponder carefully we are not in reality rich as a majority of us are in debt. Unless you own the title to your real property and can put up a few million dollars in cash, you are not truly rich. People magazine has commented that there are rich, filthy rich, and crazy rich (super rich). These individuals are rich in assets including liquid assets.

Temporary putting aside the Asian context of this movie, this is a romcom (romantic comedy) well acted and filmed on location overseas according to the best seller with the same title. This is also an international cast of Asians in a big Hollywood film after 25 years. It showcases the lives of rich Asians whose lives are hidden in plain sight.

The movie is about a man and a woman in love, who though coming from an Asian ethnic background, still have to work through class differences, cultural differences (one Asian American versus Singaporean-rich ethnic Chinese). If you have the opportunity to read the book, there is a genealogical map of Nicolas Young’s family. In fact, the Young name is English and thus to say the Eurasian main character is “not Asian enough” is silly.

Enjoy the love story, the jealousy, the initial rejection by the elders… in the backdrop of the Chinese culture within the context of Malaysia/Singapore today. Yes, we speak English. The Chinese born in the Straits of Malacca which includes Malaysia, Singapore, and Indonesia are highlighted in this movie. They are the wealthy who send their children to good schools and colleges overseas. This explains why they converse in American, British and Australian accents.

This movie is based on the real world today. Hollywood has finally recognized that there is a complex mix of Asian Chinese who speak English and are wealthy beyond our limited Hollywood exposure.

Enjoy the many tiered good acting… a romantic comedy to boot. A word of advise: Eat first before watching the movie because you will salivate over the food. The range of emotions you may experience include laughter and tears.

HJ Lim, born in Singapore, is an IT professional who enjoys history, music, international food, and observing human nature.

The post Crazy Rich Asians – From the Viewpoint of a Singaporean American appeared first on Traveling Archive.