I usually blog on my phone on my commute to work.  I haven't been blogging for the past two weeks because I've pretty much been off work the whole time.  I tried doing it at home on my computer but I just couldn't get into it--as if the words were not coming to me.  It's funny how we develop habits that eventually control our lives.

For the past two weeks, I've been pretty much doing nothing but catching up on reading, snowboarding at Killington and just doing a lot of rest and relaxation.  It also gave me a lot of time to reflect on my life this year.

Work:
2010 was a really challenging year in terms of work.  I joined a new group last October, but the real work didn't begin till Feb of this year and it didn't really ease up at all until now.  This caused me to not be able to take all my vacation days and I will be losing some.  Lesson learned--always take your vacation days regardless if you have plans or not.  However, I was able to learn a great deal.  Things were really stagnant in my previous position and this new role gave me a great opportunity to learn more and grow in the field.  I also work with a really great bunch of people who are not only very knowledgeable and intelligent, but also very nice and supportive.

Love:
I got married this year!  When I was 13 or so, I went to this really famous fortune teller that was able to tell me a lot about my past and has been pretty accurate with his predictions for my future.  One thing he advised was for me to not get married until I'm 30 or the marriage won't last.  Although I do believe in destiny and fate, I refuse to let it control my life.  People ask me how did I know.  It sounds really cliche, but you really just do. If you don't know within a year with being with that person, then it just means they're not the one for you.  Luckily for me, I found someone who feels the same way for me and getting married was the obvious step.  We had a small city hall wedding (pics here on Mrs. jigg's site) just to make it official, but we will have a full blown out BBQ wedding sometime next summer.

Family:
For some reason, the relationship I have with my immediate family members have grown quite a bit the past couple of years.  This year was definitely no exception.  I guess when you get to a certain age, you just put the past behind you and you look forward.  My parents were never really supportive of me growing up, but they have been supportive of all my choices in the past couple of years.  It's really great that they love my wife and feel that she's probably the second greatest thing to happen to me in my life (second to them giving birth to me of course).  My sister had a baby last October and he's really grown quite a bit this year.  It's a joy playing with him and watching my parent's eyes light up whenever they see him.

Friends:
I've made quite a few friends this year, but spent most of the time building on existing ones.  Many people take friendship for granted.  Every now and then, we lose friends along the way--maybe because we just take different directions in life or when we have falling outs.  All relationships require two-way commitments and I've learned this year that although you may have drifted apart, a strong friendship will never die.

Personal:
So many things have happened to me this year.

--I got to be the Best Man for one of my bestfriends.  It was an honor and privilege and the experience was fun and eventful.

--I've also read voraciously, to the point where I am finishing books within a day.  Just this week, I've already completed two books and rediscovering the library has been very beneficial.  I've also pushed myself physically with my new hobbies--extreme running events.

--I completed Warrior Dash in the summer, which was a 3+ mile run with about 14 obstacle courses and then Tough Mudder, which was a 12+ mile run through 19 obstacle courses, one week before Thanksgiving.  These experiences made me feel invincible--as if nothing in the world can stop me.

--I think besides getting married, getting my new tattoo would rank up there as one of the best moments of this year.  I can't wait till the spring comes when I go back in for more sessions and have it colored in.

Overall:
2010 was probably one of the best years of my life.  I hope 2011 to be just as great, if not better.  I don't believe in New Year resolutions because I believe that everyone should make changes in their lives whenever they see fit, not just on January 1st.

Anyway, I wish everyone a very warm, safe and happy New Year!

Can't believe that Christmas is around the corner and I still haven't gotten Mrs jigg's gift yet. Normally, I would have gotten it wrapped and everything, at least 3 weeks in advance, but I only know of a few places that I could get it and I have to go in person in case they might mess it up. This month has been really busy and I haven't been able to find the time.

Another issue was where to hide it. I'd have to be able to bring it home without her seeing it and then wrap it. I don't think she would try to sneak a peak if I wrapped it, but I didn't want to take any chances.

Gift exchanges with the Mrs has other difficulties as well. We set limits on how much we can spend on the gifts. For Christmas, we started it at $50 limit last year and we would increase that limit $25 a year, if we agree to that year. Last year, I got her a custom made jigsaw puzzle with a picture of us. It cost $49.95, so I barely made it. This year's limit is $75--slightly more room to work with, but still really hard. I don't even know if the thing I want to get her, meets this criteria.

For Valentine's Day, the rule is that the gifts must be hand-made and cannot be bought. For birthdays, it's no more than $100.

I guess these "limits" make thinking of gifts so much more harder, but also more interesting. I'm crossing my fingers that the store will make what I want at the price that I can afford it. If not, I'll be totally screwed because I don't have a backup gift idea.

What are you getting for your loved ones?

As any person who knows me well would tell you--I'm a real die-hard New Yorker. I love everything about this city. Living here almost all my life, I've enjoyed the seasons. Sure, I love the weather in Socal, but seeing the seasons transform everything from the parks to the storefronts, really make things a little more interesting.

I brought the Mrs to her first hiking trip in October and I showed her a breathtaking view on top of a mountain that showed miles and miles of trees, all changing colors. The distant lakes provided a beautiful backdrop to the scenery, making the 4.5 mile trip to the top worth every step.

I'm not a huge fan of the cold, but as my co-worker said to me the other day, "there's no such thing as bad weather, only bad clothes." She's right--if you're all bundled up, the weather doesn't really affect you much. Personally, I love winter even more because of the snow it brings and the snowboarding I will be doing.

Tomorrow, I'm going to Vermont with a bunch of friends to hit up the slopes there. Ever since I took up snowboarding last year, it's all I think about. I picked it up pretty quickly and since then, every trip downhill has been a thrill ride.

Although Killington isn't exactly around the corner, there are many nearby mountains around the city that keeps things interesting. Sure, every city has it's charm, but this city is so big and so close to everything that is different, makes it more interesting place to live.

A couple of weeks ago, I got a new tattoo on my right forearm. It's a koi (carp) fish that is swimming up river, struggling against the autumn current so that it will turn into a dragon in the spring--at least that's how the story goes. For me, it's symbolizes my ever continuing struggle to be better than who I was yesterday.

I went to an artist that my a couple of my friends go to and recommended. He was able to get the whole outline done in about an hour and a half. I still have to go back for coloring. It hurt a lot mostly by the wrist and spot near my inner elbow, but other than that, everything as bearable.

So far, only my mom has seen it, but surprisingly, my dad hasn't, even though I walked around the house in short-sleeves for a day and a half. I wanted him to see it before I posted this blog, just so he doesn't have to hear about it from family members who read my blog. However, it's been almost three weeks now and I wonder if he's just not saying anything about it. I mean, I would have imagined my mom to tell him about it.

Davidian recently said that "A tattoo is just like a scar; if you don't have a good story behind it, you're an idiot." Is my story about tattoo a "good story?" Probably not, but I think it's good enough to represent something that's a part of me.

Currently, it doesn't tell a whole story. I only shows the journey and not the destination. However, I hope to complete a second part of it on my upper arm, making it one large tattoo. It will be something of a picture of Zhuge Liang, sitting in a chair in a riverside pavilion, fanning himself with his Taoist fan and admiring the koi. Or those of you who don't know, Zhuge Liang was a great military strategist during the "Three Kingdoms" era. He's played by Takeshi Kenashiro in the movie, "Red Cliff." Being a huge fan of the Three Kingdoms story, Zhuge Liang would symbolize the person I strive to be, intelligent, calculating, creative, compassionate, loyal and righteous.

Mrs jigg hates tattoos and even if she likes the art, she doesn't understand why anyone would get them. On the otherhand, I love tattoos and I cannot comprehend why people don't like them.

Are you for or against tattoos? What if your significant other felt otherwise? Would you still try to go against them--get them even though they hate tattoos or pester them to stop getting them because you hate them?

I love Thanksgiving and my family celebrates it every year. When Mrs jigg and I were dating, I wondered how we were going to make it work since she was from Boston. Selfishly, I was worried that her family also celebrated Thanksgiving and I would have to sacrifice my own celebration to do it in Boston. Even if not that specific Thanksgiving, there would be many chances in the future if we decided to stay together.

Around Halloween, I had to ask her the question that I had been dreading to ask, "Does your family celebrate Thanksgiving?" I sort of expected her to say "no," since I knew that she wasn't in Boston the Thanksgiving before that, but it could have been a fluke.

I was SOOOO relieved when she told me no. Not that it was a dealbreaker or anything, but it would have bothered me quite a bit if we got married, we might be spending some Thanksgivings in Beantown.

Luckily, my family doesn't celebrate Christmas, while her family does. I knew right away our relationship would work. We don't make compromises for each other, but here I am, wondering if I had to, in order keep the relationship. Sacrificing Thanksgiving at home was terrifying for me.

With that said, I always wondered how couples agreed on where to celebrate their holidays if their families were so far apart. Luckily, my kids wouldn't be in the same position as me since they won't have a choice--celebrate Thanksgiving with us or be disowned.

For all you folks who have significant others that have family that live far away from yours--how do you decide where to go for the holidays?

I never thought myself to be a paranoid person, but ever since I began reading "The Stand," by Stephen King, his novel about a deadly flu like virus that is extremely contagious, I have been noticing people around me coughing and sneezing much more.

Realizing that it is in fact flu season, doesn't ease my worry much. People always forget to cover their mouths when they cough or sneeze. When they do remember, many still use their hands instead of the inner part of their forearm and will eventually spread their germs wherever they touch.

I think there should be ads on the trains and buses that demonstrate coughing and sneezing etiquette. I heard that in Japan, they have signs all around that tell you that it's rude if people around you hear what song your listening to through your headphones. While these ads shouldn't dictate how you act, they should remind you that what you do, may affect those around you.

I still have not gotten my flu shots yet because I haven't decided if I should trust the swine flu vaccination that's contained in there this year. I actually didn't get it last year either because of fears that it may have side affects that weren't thoroughly tested yet. I guess since the overwhelming majority has not turned into zombies yet or have gotten sick from it, it should be safe.

Although I know I'm not immune to the flu, after reading the book, I wonder if I'm one of those who will be lucky (or unlucky) enough to be immune to the deadly strain in case of a deadly outbreak that kills the world. Scary thought. Maybe I should get the flu shot just in case. I don't want to be the stubborn few who dies when such a thing happens because of not getting a flu shot.

Did you get your flu shot yet? Did you ask for the non-mercury type?

Yesterday, I read an article on CNN about a group of women from Bosnia who have called Angelina Jolie "ignorant" because she refused to speak to them regarding being rape victims by the Serbs. Angelina Jolie is making her directorial debut in an indie film about a Bosnia woman who falls in love with a Serbian man. Last year, rumors surfaced that the movie would have a rape-love scenario and these Bosnian rape victims group quickly began protesting.

Angelina (first name because referring to her by her last name seems more weird) wanted to talk to them about it and make clear that no such scenario happens in the movie, but no one would listen. She had no choice but to move the filming from Bosnia to Hungary. Even now, she said she would talk to this group, but only if they go to Hungary. Because of this, they consider this Angelina's refusal to speak to them.

Why these women were trying to talk to her about an issue that she says does not happen in the movie is beyond my understanding. What bothered me the most is when I read the comments below the article. A good 50% of those who commented did not think Angelina Jolie is a good person. They think she is only doing things for money and popularity, despite her being a known humanitarian who is constantly donating her own money and time to not only raise more money, but also awareness to help others.

Some knew of these, but felt she wasn't doing enough. It really angered me knowing these people have probably not lifted a finger to help anyone because if they did, they would realize the extraordinary effort it requires. They would understand that it takes more than just donating their old clothes to a church or pledging $100 to some telethon. It requires real hard work and most importantly, the passion it requires to help people for nothing in return. But haters are gonna hate.

Which leads me to the question--honestly, what are your thoughts about Angelina Jolie and her humanitarian efforts? Do you think it's all for show?

Thanksgiving is my favorite holiday. Every year, we would go over to my parent's and I would cook up a feast for all the invited guests. Usually, there would be around 15-20 people, but apparently, everyone decided to go to Hong Kong so it's just my wife, my sister, her husband and their son.

Mrs jigg asked me if we could have an "American" Thanksgiving one day. I was surprise by such a question--as if any kind of Thanksgiving celebration in this country can be not-American. She explained that not everything we eat for Thanksgiving dinner are American dishes.

It's true that we don't, simply because not everything traditionally served for Thanksgiving. For example, we don't eat turkey. My parents don't particularly like turkey and both my sister and I prefer chicken. We usually roast chicken instead with potatoes. We'll have seafood Chinese style, usually either streamed fish with ginger and scallions and/or sauteed shrimp with a garlic sauce. We'll have steak, sliced tableside and stir-fried Chinese vegetables with garlic. We never have dessert because no one really eats sweets.

This year, Mrs jigg prepared the chicken and Mac and Cheese. I made the steak, potatoes and vegetables. I also made a beef stew. The four of us were only able to eat about a third and it took us all of the next day to finish off most of it.

What did you have for Thanksgiving?

This past Saturday, my friend and I ran the Tough Mudder challenge at Raceway park in Englishtown, NJ. For those who are too lazy to click on the link, it's a 12 mile run through 19 obstacle courses that include swimming in ice cold water, running/crawling through miles and miles of muddy roads and hills, climbing ropes, jumping over a bunch of 10ft walls, carrying a tire for a lap around racetrack, swinging on slippery monkey bars over water and running through electric wires that jolt you.

It was one of the hardest physical things I have ever done in life. When I had to jump off a plank that was 15ft over the water, my body felt the shock of ice cold temperature. My game plan was to remain calm, surface and then try to not to die. Total length was probably 50-60 yards, but it was no easy feat when your body is numb. At the end of the swim, there were barrels that you had to swim under and my head literally hurt from being under the water for 2-3 seconds, four times.

I strained my calf muscle on one of the cargo net obstacles around the 4th mile mark and it began cramping not too long after. I had to hobble a little and jog with more weight on my left leg, causing it to begin cramping after a mile. I was determined to keep on going so I stretched again and began jogging on my heels. It's not the way you're supposed to run because your ankles and knees absorb all the shock.

At the beginning, we agreed that out goal was the 3 hr mark and that we're going to complete it together. Because of my injury, my friend had to slow down his pace so I could keep up. Nonetheless I just sucked up the pain and kept jogging. At the 10 mile mark, we were at 2 hrs and 52 mins, with three obstacles to go. We finished in 3 hrs and 38 mins with me walking all of the last mile.

At the end, I was starving, but worse of all, I was freezing. My body had lost it's ability to produce heat and despite getting out of my wet clothes and sitting in a heated car, I wouldn't stop shaking. It wasn't until I was halfway through my meal that I stopped and my body felt warm again.

The whole experience was definitely an eye opener. It made all other problems and struggles feel nothing. We agreed we were going to sign up again next year. I learned I would need to train more for a better time. I learned I would need to bring some food or energy gel packs for energy towards the end of the race. But most importantly, I learned that doing it with a friend makes all the difference.

Surprisingly, I felt just a little pain in my right ankle and left knee when I woke up the next day. Besides some scrapes and some muscle soreness on my calf and feet, I felt pretty good.

Anyway, anybody also do this challenge? Anyone interested to do it next year?

As I was engrossed in "The Girl Who Played with Fire" on my commute home, I heard guitar strumming on the other side of the train car--another "street" performer. He began to sing and I was quickly taken by the sound of his voice. It was a really rugged and brash baritone that sounded like jazz from New Orleans. Not a voice that would win on American Idol, but very unique--imagine Louis Armstrong but smoother.

I tried to see who this person was, but the train was busy and crowded. After the song, I knew he would make his way over to my side of the car, so I reached in my pocket and hoped that I had at least a single. I probably would not have donated if my smallest bill was a five. He began another song and it was something I recognized, which meant he wasn't singing original music. It was really good nonetheless and I was anticipating to see him face to face and tell him he was good.

I was shocked when he came by and he was Asian! He was probably in his early 20's. Just the other day, I was telling Mrs jigg how the vast majority of the time, I can easily tell if someone's is Asian. This kid sounded straight up like a soulful 50 year old, black singer from the south!

The lady sitting across from me was just as impressed with his voice and we both gave him money. I thanked him for his performance. He thanked me for my donation and then exited the train.

I sat there for another couple of minutes thinking about what just happened, before getting back to my book. Asians have a very unique pitch and unless they were adopted in non-Asian families, they have a very slight accent that's almost impossible to pick up unless you pay attention. But I guess it's different when it comes to singing. I mean, does anyone ever wonder why British singers sound American when they sing? Like the Beatles who are from Liverpool--the Merseyside accent is vert distinct, but as soon as they begin singing, you'd think they were on this side of the pond.

I wished I could have struck up a conversation with him, just to see how he sounds like when speaking. Accents interest me a lot; I love trying to figure out where people are from by them, whether it's specifically somewhere in the US or where in the UK. It excites me when I could point it out, like whether you're from the Bronx, Brooklyn or even Long Island. It's like a game I play.

Anyway, I went on a big tangent, but I'm curious as to whether there are other people who also pay very close attention to accents and pitch--if they can usually tell where or what race someone is by their voice.