Posts by Diary of a Baba

This is a late post but it is never too late to give some birthday shine to our lovely little boy, Collin, who just turned 6!!

Thank you Collin for bringing BIG smiles and joy to our hearts, being a great co-working buddy during SIP, showing us how much you want to grow up. I love how eager you are to learn and be part of this complex world.

The other day, Collin said, “You’re doing it again… I can hear you, you’re talking about them again.” He’s been asking me to stop talking about the white people (white supremacists). After some denial, my heart sank a little bit because it reminded me (again) just how toxic this moment is and how so many of us parents are just doing our best in these unprecedented times. (and it reminded me how im not always a fun co-working buddy.)

Back to Collin, here are his six year old goals, some suggested by me of course, but he added #4 and #5.

1. Eat by myself
2. Stay calm when mad and sad
3. Learn to read a book
4. Talk clearly
5. Get Trump out of office…

Categories: Uncategorized

Full of Love and Clarity – 5 Questions in these times

Diary of a Baba

Posted on September 6, 2020

It’s been hard to write these days, hard to look at my social media feed, hard to manage distance learning for an almost 6 year old, hard to slow down because of all the sadness and f’d up shit that is happening right now.

But last weekend, Mychi and I did just that. We took a step back from all the intensity and celebrated our 10 year wedding and commitment anniversary! We went on our first COVID19 overnight solo staycation in the Bay Area, actually it may be the first time we ever did this. Looking back at a full decade and full decade ahead, we soaked in all the goodness but also sat in the dark moment this country and world is in. I have immense gratitude for the love and community we have had in these times. I also got more clarity and finally finished this blog that has been sitting on my computer for a few weeks.

My last blog was about being 44. The one thing I forget to say is that I feel more free to give unsolicited advice as a yelder. Much of this serves as a reminder for myself too. Needless to say, in the midst of climate fires, state sanctioned police violence and vigilantism, authoritarianism on the ballot, and the aftermath, a new world war with China, just to name a few, we are on the cusp of some very uncertain times. I’m entering this moment EYES. WIDE. OPEN.

As we’re mired in all this, I see many of us (including myself) getting stuck in contradictions and some dangerous trends. These are not “new” per se and I’ve written about some of this before (i.e. the 3 Ps of Pessimism, Perfectionism and Purism) but the context and conditions are different and the stakes are WAAAY higher.

Here are 5 I’ve been thinking about but there are definitely more and many ways of saying this. Here they go! ….

Categories: Uncategorized

Tagged: clarity, human development, leadership, love, offense and defense, organizing, practice, robots, self care

Turning 44, Defunding the Police & the Third Force

Diary of a Baba

Posted on July 3, 2020

Turning 44

I turned 44 last week and I’m letting it all soak in. In the pandemic and the new uprising, I’m not able to be on the streets as much but there is a role for everyone. What is my role in this moment? Am I living with joy and purpose?

Sometimes we get stuck and don’t know what we’re supposed to be doing but at the end of the day we should all be doing something. But, do what and with who? What if it is wrong??

I’ve also been coming back to these themes: trust, wisdom and practice.

TRUST – I’m grateful that I found a team/squad to roll with. A team that I built a baseline of trust with through the years.

WISDOM – I’ve been able to access the wisdom of generations before and the wisdom of young people.

PRACTICE – More importantly, I feel alive in practicing and doing sh*t together (and winning!). All these things bring me joy and purpose in these times.

I’m feeling grounded in this moment and see my role as an (awesome) baba, steward and yelder (young elder). My yelder advice is to find your lane, hone your craft, bring in new people and stay in connection with others.

Categories: Uncategorized

Tagged: Anti-China, China, Chinese people, Defund the Police, Farce of July, parenting, strategy, Third Force

Going bonkers in COVID19 times

Diary of a Baba

Posted on May 24, 2020

This week was one of the better weeks. I got more sleep and had a few less meetings. I know, a low bar but a GREAT week. To be honest, I was going bonkers for a few weeks spending most of my waking and unawake time (literally) with Collin. Having zoom calls at the park or in the bathroom with occasional and embarrassing interruptions is now the new normal….

Categories: COVID19

Tagged: bonkers, COVID-19, fatherhood, frontline workers, humility, mistakes, parenting

10 Basic Tips on How to talk about China, Chinese people and COVID19

Diary of a Baba

Posted on April 29, 2020

This is a quick read on how to talk about China, Chinese people and COVID19. This is MY perspective and mine alone. Please read my earlier piece on “We are the Majority: Remembering Grace in these times.” This one doesn’t have any nice pictures or graphics but maybe a bit more snark. I’ve also been inspired by W. Kamau Bell’s “Me and Bruce Lee Would Like to have a word with you” and Eddie Wong’s “WTF Stop Anti-Asian Hate.”

1. China is BIG and the people are very diverse. This might be a very obvious point but it needs to be said because… I guess people still lump ALL Chinese people together. There are 1.4 billion people in China, the largest city is Shanghai at 26 million people (fyi San Francisco is only 800K people). It is still the largest working class in the world… So when you talk about China, please do NOT over generalize….

Categories: COVID19, Uncategorized

Tagged: Anti-China, be like water, bruce lee, China, Chinese medicine industry, Chinese people, COVID-19, Global capitalism, Linked Fate, Pro-China, solidarity, US-China, workers, Xenophobia

We are the Majority: Remembering Grace in these times

Diary of a Baba

Posted on April 19, 2020

With COVID19 and the rise of xenophobia, it has been hard to write and focus. I’m definitely angered by all the incidents of hate against Chinese and Asian people but I’m also moved by all the important reporting and response efforts to #AntiAsianRacism. And, like many I’m also very saddened by the Black and Chinese tensions in the US (and the anti-Blackness in China). The actions of both governments and elites have fueled the xenophobia, fear and hate in our communities. We need to keep our eyes on the prize and build ‘people to people’ at the local to global level. The real enemy is global capitalism, nationalism and white supremacy and we need to make these connections stronger and more explicit. Toby Chow from Justice is Global said, “Xenophobic reactions to #Covid19 are widespread. In the US and elsewhere it’s mainly anti-Asian, in China anti-African, in India Islamophobic, etc. To fight this properly we need to understand the parallels between all these instances. This is a global, structural problem.”

With over 300 anti-China pending bills and resolutions and both parties attacking China and Chinese people in the US, it is our time to step up. This is what Grace Lee Boggs taught me in 2012 when she predicted the important role of Chinese and Asian American in the United States in fighting global capitalism, environmental degradation, and xenophobia in the belly of the beast….

Categories: COVID19, Uncategorized

Tagged: Anti-Asian Racism, China, COVID-19, Global capitalism, Grace Lee Boggs, internationalism, Majority, power, Progressive Internationalism, solidarity, Trump, Trumpism, White Nationalism, White Supremacy, Xenophobia

COVID-19 Week 2 — Our new normal. We’re officially Homesch(zoom)ing

Diary of a Baba

Posted on March 29, 2020

The last couple weeks have been a blur and blitz of “homeschooling” and zoom calls. We’re beginning to feel our new normal. For the most part, we have the day to day routine down. We’re homeschzooming with realistic expectations like virtual preschool circle time and book reading (awesome!), some experimental parent teaching and basically more screen time. So maybe we forgot to brush our teeth or change our clothes and maybe missed a meal but hey this is our new normal (!)

Highlight: Social distancing is very different for intergenerational households. It is isolation in a different way because there is actually a lot of human connection within our unit. I thought our 6 month sabbatical in Vietnam was a lot of family time but wow now there is a lot of family time and definitely a LOT of baba time. It has been beautiful and it has been stressful too. These times will be cherished and remembered for sure.

Challenge: Collin is very aware of the impact of COVID-19, maybe a bit too much. On week one, we attempted to do a family walk around Lake Merritt, one of his favorite activities. He really wanted to go to the playground but the minute I hinted that there might be a lot of people, he screamed, “I’m not going outside until the CoronaVirus is gone!!” I worry what these times will do to the mental health of the little ones. This entire generation will change, we will all change from this. 🙁

First world problems: I got kicked off of my zoom call because we were trying to do 3 zoom calls in the house! Mychi was on a zoom call for work and Collin was on zoom for virtual preschool circle time. Go figure.

As this crisis and pandemic continues to unravel in the coming weeks and months, the deaths and spread will only get worse….

Categories: Uncategorized

Tagged: COVID-19, homeschooling, homeschzooming, love, mutuality, new normal, offense and defense, White Supremacy, zoom

Love, Grace and Optimism in These Times — Diary of a Baba

Diary of a Baba

Posted on March 14, 2020

As we enter the first full weekend of the CoronaVirus/COVID-19 in the US, in the midst of paranoia, xenophobia, and confusion, I see love, grace and optimism in big and small ways.

Most immediate to me is caring for Collin and our little one. These times are unprecedented and I’m constantly unsure how to be a parent.

As part of our morning routine, Collin and I watch short clips of Democracy Now, which maybe is a bit intense but lately he’s been asking, “Baba, when are we going to defeat Donald Trump?” He saw a clip of white supremacist unfurl the Nazi flag at the Bernie rally this week and told me about a VERY bad white man (Hitler) from the olden times… Last night over dinner, he and his buddy shared how the preschool talked about the CoronaVirus. He’s only five….

Categories: Uncategorized

Tagged: babahood, community care, Corona virus, grace, Hitler, love, Nazi, organizing, power, purpose, self care

Going Slow to Go Fast — Diary of a Baba

Diary of a Baba

Posted on February 11, 2020

As simple as it sounds, “going slow to go fast,” about sums up the feeling of coming back. This is also what I’m bringing back from Vietnam and the struggles of the Vietnamese people.

It has been over a month since we’ve returned. Besides the jet lag, logistics of moving back into the home, and the household being sick, I’m feeling deep gratitude and I’m hella proud of what we did. Yah!!!

I took about 2 weeks to ease back into the transition. Honestly, I didn’t know what to expect. I just knew we needed to take things slow, it is just like physics… once you set the things in motion, the momentum builds and things just move faster and faster. But here are some of the things I didn’t expect…

Categories: Family Sabbatical Vietnam 2019, Uncategorized

Tagged: American occupation, anthem for 2020, art paper, China, Chinese domination, Corona virus, Family Sabbatical Vietnam, French occupation, going slow to go fast, muscle memory, non-sabbatical, preschool, sabbatical, San Diego, SARS, Vietnam

From Vietnam with love: Vietnam’s Lively Food Scene — Mychi’s Travel Blog

Diary of a Baba

Posted on December 26, 2019

The Vietnamese love food. Can’t get enough of it. Day or night there’s a local spot sure to satisfy your cravings. From traditional street stalls, rolling carts, to high end modern Vietnamese restaurants, it’s a food and fruit lover’s paradise.

Street food here in Saigon is on another level. Get it fast, cheap, and delicious. Fast food chains like McDonalds or Burger King may dominate in other parts of the world, but they have a hard time competing here. Vietnamese “fast food” will be faster, cheaper, and healthier than its western counterpart. Food will even come to you. Relax in your pajamas and scroll through the various app platforms like Grab, Now, Vietnammm, Foody to have your pick of delicious street foods, meals from local family restaurants or larger domestic and international chains delivered to you.

If you are out and about meandering in traffic and feel thirsty or have a hankering for something sweet, salty, or crunchy, swing by on your motorbike, sometimes you don’t even have to hop off. The vendors will serve up your drink or snack in a neatly packaged takeaway container. Prefer to watch the world go by? You can sit street side on a low plastic stool tucked away in an alleyway gem, a bustling sidewalk with the noise of motorbikes passing by or find a quiet spot by the river. The urban sounds mixed with an array of aromas of charcoal grills means there’s something delicious ready for consumption. For a special treat, chill on one of the many rooftop decks and see the amazing skyline. The sounds, smells, and sights will bring all the urban ambience to complement your meal and cold beverage….

Categories: Family Sabbatical Vietnam 2019, Uncategorized

Tagged: Anthony Bourdain, banh mi, Durian, Family Sabbatical Vietnam, Food, Fruit, Fusion, Mychi's Travel Blog, nhau, Smoothies, Street Food

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