If you’re ever invited to an Asian engagement / wedding / baby-shower or any celebratory events hosted by Asians, BRING CASH AS GIFTS!!

Let’s face it, Asians love money and we are greedy bitches. Some people will talk think shit about you if you bring gifts instead of cash. Well, I’m exaggerating because we’re not unappreciative assholes but it’s just a custom for some families.

Why do we want cash as gifts?

• You’re helping pay for the event and your seat [at the reception].
• We’re picky. We want to choose our OWN blender… not one that you picked out.
• Do we even want a blender?

It’s a win-win for both parties; you don’t have to go through the headache of gift-shopping and the host gets cash to cover the cost of the event and some more. It may not seem as personal as a gift, but it’s way more practical, and frankly, I don’t give a shit that a gift has more meaning. That friend’s attendance should be enough meaning anyway, right? *failed attempt at trying to cover personal greed*

We usually give $100-$200/person and obviously a lot more if it’s family or good friends. If you don’t have a red envelope (lai-see), a regular envelope with your [family] name on it is fine so they know who it’s from.

I’m not sure about all Asian ethnicities this goes for most Chinese and Vietnamese people. They might understand if you’re not Asian, but if you are, you should know better (unless your family is white-washed). Hyukhyukhyuk. BUT I think if I were to go to a non-Asian wedding, I’d probably go buy a gift instead too.

So you’re invited to my wedding, I don’t want nuttin’ but $$$. Money makes the world go round… not a dozen toasters and tea sets THAT I DIDN’T WANT IN THE FIRST PLACE.

Do you/your family prefer cash or gifts?

[EDIT] We don’t use gift registries because our parents and relatives usually don’t know what the heck that is. And it sounds like you give a lot of money out but when it’s your turn to host a party, you’re going to get lots of it back in return.

• Don’t start a blog solely to make money if it’s your first. Try starting a casual/personal blog first to see how you’ll like it first because it can only be successful if you really enjoy writing and not treat it just as another “job.”
• Write for your readers AND yourself but don’t feel like you have to hold yourself back from what you want to say because it is your blog.
• We all know bloggers are narcissistic to some degree but don’t try to be funny if your not. And please don’t classify yourself as a “humor blogger” because the best humor bloggers are the ones who are natural witty writers and don’t need to tell the world they are funny (eg. Dooce).
• Don’t pretend to be all nice and sweet if your not because that’s boring! We all hate arrogant people but I think it spices up a blog (just don’t overdo it). Some people’s blogs get popular because of their cocky personalities but I shall leave them unnamed (even though I enjoy reading them too). I’m not saying you should be arrogant but don’t be afraid to show your true personality.
• It’s okay to be bi-polar once in a while. It makes things interesting.
• I mentioned this before, but it’s worth another: blog in conversational tone!! It would avoid your entries being skipped through out of hundreds of other blogs we subscribe to because it’s quick and easy to read.
• Reply to your commentators! You don’t have to reply to ALL of them because time is a luxury but if he/she repeatedly comments on your entries, it’s courtesy to say a little thank you.

More blogging related entries?

• “Continue reading” or “read more” links are annoying! I only use it from time to time, for example if an entry contains a lot of images but it annoys the hell out of me when blogs use this link for all their entries. I know it’s a matter of personal preference but I like having all content laid out in front of me so I can just scroll rather than click (I’m lazy). Screw the excerpt… give me the whole thing! If you run a popular blog and loading time is an issue for you since you don’t want new visitors to wait, then that’s understandable… *whiny voice* but I still find it extremely annoying and I find that I don’t visit blogs with that horrible link unless it’s super-omfg-awesomeness like Smashing Magazine.
• Blogs with only one entry on the index page. Same comment as above: give it all to me at once! This works for information blogs but definitely not for personal blogs because their latest entry maybe zZzzz; I’d leave right away without checking out the archives if quality entries do exist. Shame.
• Clutter is overwhelming and intimidating. When I visit blogs with 2-3 sidebars filled with content, links, advertisements and everything you can imagine, I tend to get overwhelmed and end up leaving because I don’t have time to dig through that mess! Note, the culprits are usually design/tech/business/etc. blogs. The key is to use keywords, list main/popular categories, the top blogs in your blogroll and then put everything else on a separate page. I know you want the visitor to see all you have to offer [and all the ads you want them to click] but don’t scare them away by showing them too much! Tease them and they’ll come crawling back for more. That sounded dirty, didn’t it? But whatever, when Big Bird says it’s true, then it’s true.
• Tiny fonts and tight line-spacing… WTF are you thinking?! I know I said this a billion times but this is one of my biggest peeves; you need to make your writing legible for your visitors! If I go blind reading your blog, I might just sue you… but then I don’t think I’d be there in the first place. The culprits are usually blogs who still think it’s 2003. Remember that trend when all personal blogs was doing that 8pt Arial + tight line-spacing thing (this is where I look away and hang my head in shame).
• Billions of pictures? Please use thumbnails! Or resize them. Or organize them in a way so they don’t turn the face of your scrollbar into a microscopic grain of sand. Or reduce the number of entries that appear at once. Or this is a case when you should use the annoying “continue reading” link.

I can list a billion more but I’m going to “tease” you guys so you come crawling back for more next time. Kidding. I use to be guilty of some of these but I’m still learning.

What do you guys like in the design of a blog and what annoys you?

STROKE: Remember The 1st Three Letters…. S.T.R.

If everyone can remember something this simple, we could save some folks.

Please read:

STROKE IDENTIFICATION:

During a BBQ, a friend stumbled and took a little fall— she assured everyone that she was fine (they offered to call paramedics), she said she had just tripped over a brick because of her new shoes.

They got her cleaned up and got her a new plate of food. While she appeared a bit shaken up, Ingrid went about enjoying herself the rest of the evening Ingrid’s husband called later telling everyone that his wife had been taken to the hospital (at 6:00 pm Ingrid passed away). She had suffered a stroke at the BBQ. Had they known how to identify the signs of a stroke, perhaps Ingrid would be with us today. Some don’t die— they end up in a helpless, hopeless condition instead.

It only takes a minute to read this…

A neurologist says that if he can get to a stroke victim within 3 hours he can totally reverse the effects of a stroke. He said the trick was getting a stroke recognized, diagnosed, and then getting the patient medically cared for within 3 hours, which is tough.

RECOGNIZING A STROKE

Thank God for the sense to remember the ’3′ steps, STR. Read and Learn!

Sometimes symptoms of a stroke are difficult to identify. Unfortunately, the lack of awareness spells disaster. The stroke victim may suffer severe brain damage when people nearby fail to recognize the symptoms of a stroke. Now doctors say a bystander can recognize a stroke by asking three simple questions:

S • Ask the individual to SMILE.

R • Ask him or her to RAISE BOTH ARMS.

If he or she has trouble with ANY ONE of these tasks, call 999/911 immediately and describe the symptoms to the dispatcher.

New Sign of a Stroke ——– Stick out Your Tongue

NOTE: Another ‘sign’ of a stroke is this: Ask the person to ‘stick’ out his tongue. If the tongue is ‘crooked’, if it goes to one side or the other, that is also an indication of a stroke.

• Take her to the spa. Get a simple facial, a nice full-body swedish massage or hell, even a brazilian together (well maybe not in the same room to save from awkwardness), but I’m sure mother will love it anyway. Being in a spa always feels good even if you are getting hair ripped from your body. If you live in Richmond, BC, Raintree Day Spa at the end of No.2 and Steveston is my favorite place to be (plus they serve you delicious tea while waiting… if you’re a tea freak like me.

• Buy her a puppy! Well this is from my personal experience because my mom loves my Mochi and won’t stop spoiling her. Just don’t do what I did and tell her we are babysitting it for a couple months when in reality, I spent $800 on her. Oh, and make sure that you don’t have grandparents that eat pets; my grandma, as much as I love her, ate my grandpa’s goldfish so I’m keeping my six eyes on Mochi 24/7. Hehe, just kidding.

• Take her out for dinner. Or in my case, I think we’re just going to go out for dim sum because we are Chinese and can’t live without dim sum (well I can’t anyway). My mom usually goes out to dinner with her Chinese lady friends which I would rather stay out of just because I always feel awkward and bored in those situations despite the delicious food. I don’t think they like me much either because I’m rude and I use to talk about how much I despise Hongers in their presence.

^{Honestly, how can anyone not LOVE dim sum? If you don’t, I’m not your friend and I don’t like you anymore. Seriously. Photocredit: jenzcorner.com}

• Increase her collection of Korean dramas. If your mother is like mine and likes to watch sappy dramas and look at hot young Korean guys (which is kinda wrong).

• Give her a makeover. My mom hates it when I wear make up but I know she’ll secretly have fun if I give her one. Your will too (because I say so).

• Buy her shizz (other than flowers)! The easiest piece of advice I can give ya.

• Or don’t buy her shizz (especially flowers)! Some of them (like mine) don’t like their kids wasting money on materialistic things even if it is for them (umm.. not me though, you guys can buy me as many materialistic things as you want ).

Oh wait, I just thought of THE BEST TIP EVER: DON’T PISS OFF MOM ON MOTHER’S DAY or I can guarantee you that she’s gonna be pissing you off for the rest of the year.

If you’re a girl who goes through 50 billion guys a year and can’t seem to find a long-term boyfriend and if you are emotionally unstable, read this because you may have a crapload of problems.

• Don’t be a clingy bitch. It’s good to be together but both of you need your own space from time to time. Don’t cling on to him 24/7 like you have nothing else better to do with your life. You know how much shopping you can get done in that free time and how much money you can waste? Well, unless you’re boyfriend is a shopaholic too, which mine isn’t… sadly.

• Stop acting jealous and inconsiderate. Why are you together if you don’t trust your boyfriend? Just because he’s talking to another girl on MSN doesn’t mean he’s cheating on you; it just means that YOU’RE insecure and have serious issues.

• Don’t tell him he’s not allowed to do something if you’re going to keep on doing it. I made this mistake when I met my boyfriend. I was 16 and he was 19, he was legal and I wasn’t. I didn’t like him going clubbing and even though I could’ve went with my fake ID but I didn’t (…only for the first couple months though until I finally gave in) and was mad at him when he went. So when I finally turned 19, he was totally sick of clubbing and didn’t like it when I go too much (although he never stopped me) so I know it’s my fault because I did it to him first. Yeah, so now I have to try really hard to drag him to the clubs but at least we always end up having fun.

• Stop being an annoying girlfriend. Calling him 24/7 to “check up” on him or getting your girlfriends to spy on him isn’t going to make him love you move.

• Don’t be so dependent on him. This is so straightforward. I really CANNOT stand dependent and clingy people. Gross.

• Stop being so EMO. This is a HUGE one. I learned this during some class in high school and it was one of the best relationship advice I’ve ever heard. If you’re always sad, crying, suicidal, depressed, critical of yourself, etc., how the hell do you expect your him to put up with you all the time? If I was your significant other and I had to put up with your emotional distress all the time, I WOULD wish that you’d kill yourself. Just kidding, that’s a bit harsh but then stop being such a little cry baby.

• PLS DO NOT BLOG ABOUT YOUR BREAK UPS. If I was your ex and you were writing about how sad you are that I broke your heart and how bad you want me back (LOL), I’d probably move to some village in China and pursue a career in box-making just to get as far away from your pathetic bum as possible. And no, posting depressing lyrics up doesn’t help your situation much either (and as much as you like to think so, no one else really cares anyway).

^{(but think of it as the other way around)}

To sum it up, you’re getting dumped and it maybe all YOUR fault. He broke your heart because you MADE him do it. Solve your own problems and find your path before jumping into another relationship or else nothing is ever going to change. Or maybe you just weren’t meant to ever be in a relationship. Who knows.

And especially, shopping in an unknown area.

1. Girls are a bad influence to each other.
Girl #1: Omg this is sooooo cute, should I buy it??!!!
Girl #2: Omg hell yeah!
Girl #1: But I spent $92305459 already…
Girl #3: Shut up bitch. Just buy it.
Girl #1: Okay.

2. Girls get lost and panick and get lost even more.
*Trying to get back to the mall in Seattle…
Girl #1: Blah blah blah.
Girl #2: Yeah I know, blah blah!
Girl #3: Blah blah crabs blah blah blah!
Girl #2: Omg we just missed our left turn!!
Girl #1: No we didn’t, we’re suppose to go over the overpass.
*Goes over like 5 overpasses.
Girl #2: Okay…
Girl #3: This doesn’t look right, let’s just turn here and go back.
Girl #2: Uh, how the hell did we end up on the freeway again!
*2 hours later…
Girl #3: …why are we back at the border?

Day 48358482: Oh noz… Asshole broke up with me today. I can’t believe it’s the end of 15645376 years of our bittersweet relationship. We’ve been together for so long that I don’t even know how to say how many years we’ve been together.
Day 48358483: I’m so depressed. I was up all night reminiscing about our years together and waiting for his phone call to tell me it was all just a dream…
Day 48358484: My broken heart is dripping out of my ribs…
Day 48358485: Somebody kill me please…
Day 48358486: Why is it always me who can never stay in a relationship?! Am I that ugly?!
Day 48358487: *Inserts some lyrics to a song about suicide.
Day 48358490: …
Day 48358495: I got a missed call from him!!
Day 48358496: Nevermind, he just wanted his Armani cologne back. I’m gonna kill myself.