Warning...actual opinion ahead!:

I'm sure most of you Americans got the luxury of watching the Emmys on Sunday. I have, as of yet, not been able to *ahem* acquire said episode. I did acquire the first 15 minutes of the show, which I will watch tonight. From what I read, Conan did a great job and was his usual hillarious self. I was surprised to read this article on MSNBC. Apparently, the opening skit had spoofs from several television shows this season, one of which showed Conan in a plane crash on a desert island...a spoof on Lost. Now, a bunch of people are offended because this aired on the same day as a plane crashed in Kentucky, killing 50 people. This is crazy! How can people be so easily offended? The skit was filmed well in advance of that crash! It was a spoof on Lost for crying out loud!

Now, bear in mind, I am not one of those people who is constantly complaining about America being "too politically correct" I fashion myself to be a pretty sensitive person, what others my term as "politically correct" But, this is just ridiculus. And I'm even skeptical that those who complained were even really offended, so much as just looking for something to complain about. What's worse, the media is referring to this as the "Conan skit"...basically defaming Conan for participating in such an offensive and insesitive act! Hello...it was taped in advance, he had no idea a plane was going to crash! And even if you think it shouldn't have been aired, it's not like Conan would have much control over that...he's just the host! Poor Conan...I guess that's the price you pay for having a sense of humor.

I said 'hey'

As is often a case when there is a major news event the public is obsessed with, all other events get pushed out of the way. One can remember how the death of Mother Teresa was quickly eclipsed by the death of Princess Diana. Or how, when the Rwandan Genocide (which went on to kill a million people in 100 days) broke out, it wasn't was newsworthy as the suicide of Kurt Cobain. News, unfortunately, is the result of what sells easily to the public.

As we all know, the John Michael Karr is the media's latest obsession...this morning Beth and I got to see the very newsorthy coverage of a live video feed of the plane carrying Karr from LA to Colorado...I was on pins and needles...a great use of the media's time...not...

As I checked the news on MSNBC this morning, I did notice a headline, buried down in the front page and replaced the next hour: "Trumpeter Maynard Ferguson, dead at 78" I'm sure most don't recognize that name. He never achived the popular following of say Miles Davis or Dizzy Gillespie, and was mostly dismissed by jazz purists, but among his fans (primarily other trumpet players, I'm sure) he was magical.

What made him so good? He could play very high notes. Well, it's more than that...but it is what he's most known for. For those who haven't played the trumpet or other brass instruments, this is probably hard to appreciate. Playing exceptionally high notes, especially in a controlled manner is quite difficult to do. I still remember listening to him with my fellow trumpet players in high school. We'd pass the tape player back and forth on the bus on our way to different schools to play in the pep band. We were awestruck. Trumpet players, especially, are a cocky bunch, always trying to one-up one another by playing higher notes...but, there is no competing with Maynard...listening to him knocks the wind out of you. I was fortunate enough to see Maynard in concert a few years ago and was again awestruck at his talent.

I've long since given up playing the trumpet...I sold my crappy, old student model for $100 to someone just picking up the instrument. I don't even listen to Maynard that often, I really couldn't say that he's among my favorite musicians. When his songs come up on my iPod, I usually skip past them, on to the rock/pop choices that dominate my playlists...I'm a lyrics guy, what can I say? And honestly, a lot of his songs are fairly cheesy, musically speaking. A lot of them are jazzed up versions of 70's disco music. He is well known for his rendition of the Rocky theme song "Gonna Fly Now" He has also played the theme to the original Star Trek and the theme song to the movie "Shaft" Like I said...cheesy. But, the way he plays those trumpet solos still get me excited.

Like I said, I got the privilige of seeing Maynard perform a couple of years ago. Beth and I went to see him at Jazz Alley in Seattle. We weren't able to get great seats up front, so we sat towards the back, near the bar. While waiting for the show to begin, watching some no name group on stage, I'm sure, I notice a door to the side of the club open and an older, portly man enter and walk towards the back. I realized that this is Maynard himself, from the few pictures I have seen. He passes right by where we are sitting. Casually I say "hey"...he said "hey" back. The performance was great, of course, an answer to a childhood dream tucked away but not forgotten.

I remember talking to my former boss upon learning that he used to play the trumpet in college. I asked him if he had heard of Maynard Ferguson so I could share my story of seeing him in concert. He said that he and his friends liked to listen to him and were amazed at his talent. As I listened to Maynard on my iPod, the first time in a while, I realized that he may never be very well known, there will always be young trumpet players listening, floored my this man's "chops" I know that for a couple of band-geeks in the mid-90's, he was a magician.

Sweet & Sour Chicken Recipe

If you've read either Beth or I's blog or talked to us about things we miss from back home, you no doubt know that we have been unable to find good Chinese food here in Hong Kong. So...we have taken upon ourselves to recreate those longed-for dishes in our own, tiney kitchen.

Our first dish to tackle was Sweet & Sour Chicken. We scoured the internet for a sauce recipe that looked good. The recipe below is a modification to what we found. We reduced the vinegar, reduced the cornstarch and increased the water. Enjoy!:

1/8 cup white vinegar
2 tsp. soy sauce
1 1/2 tbl. cornstarch
1/2 cup white sugar
1/4 cup pineapple juice
3/8 cup water

combine and boil. simmer gently for 5 minutes.

what's that? you need a recipe for the chicken? Oh, come on...it's chicken, you can figure it out!

Next dish to tackle? General Tsao's Chicken...mmm!

It's easy breezy...stream of consciousness style

The weather seems to be improving, slightly. The temperature is the same, but there is a slight breeze in the air lately, which helps considerably. Beth recently bought me new headphones for my iPod. I had lost my original earbuds in the move and the only other headphones I had were the big, chunky, over the ear ones...which, I love, but aren't really best for taking to the gym or walking around the street in, unless you want to be stared at a lot, and i have... So, the new headpones are the kind that you stick into your ear canal like an earplug, I was hesitant about trying these because I thought they would be uncomfortable...but, they're not, they're great! And they do a great job cancelling the external noise, you can have the volume much lower than normal and still hear the music great! So...i'm now taking my iPod to the gym in the morning, which is great, because they have a pretty bad music selection. Some of it isn't so bad, typical American pop music. There are a couple of pretty lame choices, though. One is this song that includes the line "You're Easy Breezy and I'm Japaneesy" you can read the rest of the lyrics here, if you're intrigued. There's another one that's bizzare. It's techo and features a voice that I think is supposed to sound like George W. Bush, Beth disagrees. Anyways, all the voice says is "Destroy..." and then the names of all these musicians...like "Destroy: Madonna, Destroy: Prince, Destroy Houie Louis" very bizzare indeed! And then there's this Eminem song they play...now, I admit, I do enjoy an Eminem song from time to time...this is coming from a guy with a very eclectic musical taste. My iPod contains: U2, Miles Davis, Nirvana, Green Day, Eminem, Gustav Holst (orchestral music), & Celine Dion (only 1 song!)...I really don't think many of those musicians would appreciate being in each other's company! so, anyways, even though I can appreciate Eminem..this song is so vulgar it's not even funny! However, every time it's played, someone stops the song midway through...I guess either someone complained or some staff person with enough English skills to pick out the vulgarities Marshall Mathers is laying out while he's bustin' his rhymes. Oh, and whoever is in control of the music often will skip past songs for no reason! They treat it like it's their own personal iPod that we all get to listen to!

that is all...and yes, I did start writing this before Beth posted on a similar topic...little blog stealer!

I usually don't do this...

but...these were too funny not to shrare:

Very funny Star Wars video...thanks, Cam!:

Funny t.v. pilot created by Ben Stiller...thanks, Dan!:

Engagement Anniversary

Some may find it odd, but Beth and I like to still celebrate our engagement anniversary and our dating anniversary. Our engagement anniversary was this Friday (yesterday). Here is Beth, holding the boquet that I had delivered to her office. I'm told there was much oohing and ahhing...that's right, I'm the man...Beth, who always has a way with words, wrote me this wonderful letter. She said I could share it with you:

Dear Nick,

Please let me begin this note by first apologizing for the fact that the contents of the last card I gave you was drafted ‘last minute’; in fact so ‘last minute’ that allegedly you observed me drafting my sentiments. I’ve often been advised ‘the fresher the better’, but I’ve learned this pertains more to Japanese seafood than greeting cards. In this case fresh (inked) simply meant unprepared-ness and perhaps perceived insincerity.

While I did not intend to communicate lackadaisical-ness; I do admit I was at fault and deserved to be scolded (as you tactfully did). However, all that said, I would like to point out how much more difficult it is to obtain a proper card in Hong Kong than in say, Washington state where stores actually sell the things people want.

You may wonder why it is this time you’re receiving a typed note. You may judge me, or this note, as being less personal because it is typed rather than hand-scripted. But let me explain. I’ve chosen to draft my thoughts now via Word a good 60* hours before our anniversary dinner because I’ve not yet landed what I think is a great card. In fact, in light of the last shopping trip where I purchased a card for you, I don’t expect to land a ‘great’ card at all, but rather an acceptable one. Please, upon receipt of the mediocre card I will soon acquire, do not assess our relationship or my thoughts on our relationship based upon the text, appearance or otherwise of the said card.

Please note that I’ve yet to see greeting cards sold elsewhere than in a 3rd level store in the IFC mall (which I want to point out is VERY inconvenient) and furthermore, the selection in said store is limited to about 20 choices. Personally I’d rather make my own card than give you one that goes on to explain how I wish you all the best ‘the year of the dog’ has to offer; but I do know machine-folded pieces of very thick paper for which you paid $4US dollars have their place in the world of romance.

And so, I will continue my search for a card. And my search may take me right up and until Friday when before our dinner (conveniently scheduled at the IFC) I may ask to be excused for a minute in order to obtain a very thick piece of paper which I could not procure anywhere near my office during my work-week lunch breaks. And then, you may observe me returning with a bag and observe me pull out a card and you’ll initially judge me, thinking ‘How could she be so unprepared, AGAIN?!’

But, I will then pull out this note, my pre-typed thoughts and beg you to accept it as proof that I did indeed think of you and our engagement anniversary prior to 15 minutes before our celebratory dinner. Yes, truthfully I’ve thought about you all week. Wishing we could wisk ourselves away for a quick weekend in WA state, eat at a favorite place, walk around the pier in Seattle, drive up north to Canada and eat at the restaurant where you first proposed, all of that.

We know that is all not easily done, and so we’re celebrating in Hong Kong for the first time and that is OK with me. In some ways I’d argue HK is more like Canada than WA, so perhaps we’re more on the mark in terms of recreating the atmosphere present when you asked me to marry you.

I remember the first time we’d gone to that restaurant. It was a month or two after we’d started dating. I remember after we’d finished eating, while walking to the car you’d asked me what to do when you feel like sharing something with someone though your not sure how they’ll respond. After asking a few qualifier questions which you couldn’t answer easily I replied with “well, you might as well say it--get it out.”

And so then and there you told me you loved me. Looking back I’m curious on what exactly illuminated those feelings for you that night. Was it seeing me rapidly consume a massive plate of pasta? I don’t think so.

I remember feeling a bit afraid when you first began the conversation. I guess I had a lil’ ego cuz I thought you were heading toward asking THE question. I felt the train that was our relationship moving very fast from the time we met and was nervous it’d keep speeding along. But alas your words were a simple, but important, ‘I Love You’ which I accepted without much fear.

Back to the marriage proposal. And so, based on the Canadian “I love you incident” you drove me back to share a much bigger declaration of love.

And here we are six years later still chugging along. As our wedding invitation said, “Love is a choice and a commitment” one which has been tested a time or two in our six years. But we’re still having fun despite the challenges. I love the fact that most often when vacationing we’re asked whether we’re honeymooning. How neat it is that though we are most definitely not newlyweds we appear to others as very much ‘into” each other.

You and I have had the luxury, especially in the past few months, of spending many nights and weekends together, just the two of us, casually cuddling while watching movies, hanging out, or whatever else we please, when we please. Those are my favorite times. You know from referencing the manual on maintaining me (J/k, bet you wish you had one) that I need my alone time here and there. But when I am not needing alone time there is no single individual I’d want to be with more. I love hangin’ out with you; we are very compatible when in that mode.

This year especially it’s astounded me how much alike our thoughts are. Many times we’ll be watching a movie, reading an article, choosing a restaurant, etc. and one of us will make a comment and the other says; “That’s JUST what I was thinking--exactly!

Well Nicke, thanks for another year of loving me. Thanks for all the times you’ve rubbed my back or washed my feet or given me what I wanted perhaps without anything in return. Thanks for truly liking me and wanting to be around me. Thanks for the spontaneous excitement you show over us and our relationship from time to time. Your comments to me do not go unnoticed and are always appreciated. Thanks for enjoying making me happy and all that you do to do so.

I enjoy you as well and as far as any other sentiments I feel toward you, well if you need this card and it’s contents to know what I think and feel then I haven’t done my job. I’ll quiz you over dinner on the top 10 things I like about you just to make sure you’re getting enough positive feedback from me!


With Love,




Beth Nordberg
Wife of Nicholas Nordberg
Former Fiancé of Nicholas Nordberg
Former Girlfriend of Nicholas Nordberg
Daytime Proposal Writer
Chief Cuddler, Nights and Weekends


*Approximate estimate, give or take a few dozen hours; just kidding. But seriously estimate is not guaranteed.

 

Krispy Kreme is here!...almost

Krispy Kreme opens tomorrow! For a fun and inspirational video click here

Thank goodness the donuts look 'normal' I was afraid they were going to confuse the donuts with those Chinese buns used in dim sum and stuff them with pork or something worse. And it doesn't look like there are any 'Bird's Nest surprise' donuts or glazed sharks fin donuts.

oh boy, now i'm never going to lose weight....good thing it's in causeway bay and somewhat out of the way!