Houston Chinatown New Sign and Logo

Just found out that the City of Houston is going to "spend big" to market Chinatown by placing lots of signs in Chinese / English with the words "Chinatown". The letters will be in gold (color) on a red background.. Wow, great concept their. This must of took them years to come up with this color scheme and design.

I expected some type of "Gate / Monument / Statue" but I guess that was just not big enough in both concept and money. If Houston's Chinatown is to make any sort of claim to size, legitimacy as lets say LA or NY, then we sure have a long ways to go.

Thanks again City of Houston for promoting our great city. As if we don't have anything tourism- wise to do, being thrift in the promotion of various ethnic places is definitely not helping.

Retardness Has Hit City of Houston - Houston Credit Program

Either the world is coming to an end or people have lost all sanity, from Obamanomics to Craziness in Houston, the Houston Housing Assistance/Credit Program may pay credit card bills for some homebuyers. Ok, Mayor Bill White has now pulled the bill out, but only after an uproar amongst the rational sense folks here and nationwide. At least there are still people with rational sense out there.

Obama's crazy policies has finally filtered down to cities and our lives. It was only a matter of time but this seemed a bit too soon. The bill: "Houston taxpayers could start footing the bill to help first-time homebuyers pay off debts and improve their credit scores, under a proposal before City Council this week.The “Credit Score Enhancement Program” will give up to $3,000 in grants to individuals who are trying to qualify for mortgages through the city’s homebuyers assistance program. City officials say some applicants fall short of eligibility by only 10 or 20 points on their credit scores, and paying off some debt balances can quickly improve their numbers.The proposal has aroused critics who say the city should not use public funds to help people pay down car loans, credit card balances, or other debts — even if the slight credit bump would help them realize the dream of home- ownership."

Has the government gone mad? Are we even thinking before we act anymore? The downfall of America is a stone's throw away and this is just the beginning.

Tax Filing Guide

Just wanted to let everyone know our new I Hate Tax Season Questions and Answers guide. Go check it out for varioius new tax law changes and benefits.

Chou Ung: Another Senseless Killing in Houston

MY OPINION ON CRIME IN HOUSTON

You got to hand it to our Mayor Bill White. What a job he has done in increasing violent crime in Houston. Since Katrina, and the influx of thugs to Houston, we should have the nickname of the most "Senseless Crimes Committed in the Country".

Chou Ung, a 28 year old female (Asian), was filling up her gas tank at a Chevron station in west Houston (Westheimer and Hayes), when a thug robbed her and shot her point blank in the face. She died. The robber, supposedly an 18-19 year old, got away. He wore all black, and IMHO, probably a black guy. THUG!

You know what, I think its about time for us citizens to protect ourselves. Almost to a point of if you see a thug, gansta dude or group walking up to you, reach for your weapons and start shooting. Ask questions later. I know yeah this is going to extreme but hey, its your life so you decide. Seriously, these senseless, retarded crimes are increasing throughout Houston.

What has happened to this city? Just the other day, another Asian (Vietnamese guy) was shot to death in SE Houston. Again, senseless robbery.

We can't expect the police to protect us anymore. They can't be everywhere. Ordinary citizens can. If you see thugs walking around (you can definitely tell thugs from ordinary people), report them. Nothing wrong in this day and age to do that. We are told by the government to report suspicious peoples or actions right (remember them telling us since the terrorist attacks??). Better be safe then sorry.

My hope and message is to have everyone think what they can do to help that person next to you. Be vigilent for your fellow citizens. We have to protect ourselves now. THUGS can't hide forever if we point them out and make them as visible as possible.

Crime in Houston's Chinatown

Crime in Houston Chinatown has risen dramatically in the last year. When I speak of crime, I am talking about robberies and theft. Murder has increased as well but it has increased everywhere in Houston. People talk daily about hearing someone getting robbed or having their cars broken into.

I want everyone to know that there are a few simple steps in the prevention of robbery and theft in Chinatown. First do not carry cash! When bad guys see Asian/Chinese people, they see dollar signs. Why? well because Asian/Chinese people carry lots of cash. There is no need for this since most stores now accept credit cards/debit cards. Secondly, bad guys see Asian/Chinese people as easy targets, especially the females. They see them as weak and helpless. My suggestion, carry pepper spray, taser guns, knife, or even a gun. This may sound extreme but it may one day save your life.

As for car thefts, please use some common sense. Leave your valuables in the trunk. Do not put anything of value, or just anything period within view inside your vehicle. A minute of inconvienence can save you headaches.

In order to stop the rise of theft and burglaries, please do your part and not become a target. We as Chinese/Asian people need to rise up and let these bad guys know that you mess with us, you will pay for it. Let's make this a reality and let's stop these meaningless crimes.

Houston Rockets Suck

Tracy McGrady leaned over in front of his bench as time ran out, his hands on his knees as he absorbed one more playoff failure.
The young Utah Jazz, meanwhile, embraced one another and quietly celebrated after a 103-99 win over the Tracy McGrady leaned over in front of his bench as time ran out, his hands on his knees as he absorbed one more playoff failure.

The young Utah Jazz, meanwhile, embraced one another and quietly celebrated after a 103-99 win over the Houston Rockets on Saturday night that gave them their first playoff series victory since the days of John Stockton and Karl Malone.

Carlos Boozer had 35 points, 14 rebounds and five assists in Game 7 for the Jazz, who became only the seventh team since 2001 to come back from a 2-0 deficit and win a series. They're also just the 19th visiting team to win in 97 Game 7s in playoff history.

McGrady had 29 points and 13 assists, but the seven-time All-Star fell to 0-6 in the playoffs. The Rockets -- his Rockets -- blew a 2-0 lead for the second time in three seasons. They won twice in Dallas in 2005, then dropped the series in seven games.

The home team had won the previous six games in this series, but all the games at the Toyota Center had gone down to the wire. To read Rockets demise, visit http://www.chinatownconnection.com/houston-rockets-game-7.htm.

Houston Celebrates Chinese New Year, Golden Pig Year

Chinese New Year 4075, the Year of the Pig — or if you prefer the cuter version, the Year of the Boar — officially begins Feb. 18, but events have been happening for the past month and will continue through March. "Lunar New Year in our family is definitely a time of renewal, a welcoming of new possibilities," said Chi Mei, executive director of the Houston Chinese Community Center which is hosting an all-day event Saturday, Feb. 17th featuring Chinese performances, art and food.

This year may be especially fruitful, since rumors have spread that it's the Year of the Golden Pig , which occurs every 60 years.

That makes it a good year to have babies — pigs are supposed to have easy lives and are blessed by luck and wealth.

There have even been rumors floating that the Year of the Golden Pig comes by every 600 years — perhaps a myth started by fortunetellers in China and Korea, a Korea Times article said. If that's true, then the pig(let) will be especially blessed this year.

Others say the hype is suspected to be a marketing ploy for wedding and baby goods industries — just as last year was touted to be a great year to get married, based on the lunar calendar.
Whichever the case — and perhaps no one knows — many public events celebrating the Lunar New Year have cropped up in recent years.

Oliver Chin, who recently released a children's picture book titled "The Year of the Pig," said he has about 30 events lined up this month, ranging from library and school readings to museums. He said, "It's really become a nationwide celebration, and as I continue to do each new book, I'm finding more and more that different groups are celebrating Chinese New Year."

Sometimes known as Chinese New Year, the holiday is also celebrated by many others who follow the lunar calendar, or moon cycles, including Vietnamese and Koreans.

The Chinese zodiac includes 12 signs: Rat, Ox, Tiger, Rabbit, Dragon, Snake, Horse, Sheep, Monkey, Rooster, Dog and Boar (Pig). In the Vietnamese zodiac, there is a slight variation: Rabbit is replaced by Cat. That means that someone born in 2007, 1995, 1983, 1971, 1959 or 1947 and so on is likely a pig, unless born on the cusp. A pig's characteristics include honesty, straighforwardness and patience.

New Year is a family celebration, a time when people reunite with their loved ones, share a good meal — along with "auspicious foods" — and pay respect to elders, Huang said.

While there is no one way to celebrate — traditions are often different even among Chinese, ranging from Taiwanese to Cantonese and Northern Chinese styles — there are similarities.
Greeting elders in the new year with a hearty "Gong hay fat choy" (Cantonese), or "Gong xi fat tsai (Mandarin), is common. In return, elders give children — and sometimes unmarried adults — a lai see/hong bao, or red envelope, with money in it. The new year phrase doesn't mean happy new year, but wishing someone prosperity in the new year.

In Vietnamese, "Chuc mung nam moi" does literally mean "happy new year."
The word "auspicious" is often used. Red is auspicious — hence red envelopes and red firecrackers — as well as certain foods.

"There are a lot of oranges in the new year because the word 'orange' — 'cheng' (in Mandarin) — has the same pronunciation as (the Mandarin word for) 'success' or 'completion,'" said Huang, whose family is from Taiwan.

A lot of wordplay does occur, whether in Chinese or Vietnamese. Sticky rice cake is a popular food, for example. In Chinese, "nian" means "sticky" but is also a homonym of "year." It also symbolizes togetherness (very auspicious), and is another reason why it's popular.

This year's Chinese New Year festivities feature traditional rituals, such as the unicorn dance and popping firecrackers, as well as traditional and pop singers. Admission is free and everyone is invited to attend.

Chinese New Year Festival
At Chinese Community Center
9800 Town Park
Houston, TX 77036

713-271-6100.

ChinatownConnection.com November 2006 Newsletter

Happy November

Quote of the Month: “God gave you a gift of 86,400 seconds today. Have you used one to say "thank you?" --William A. Ward

What's New in this issue:

· Japanese Culture


· Web Design, E-Commerce
Featured Article: Coffee: Chinese Medicine Perspective

Are you a coffee drinker? If so, then you must read on.

>> Coffee: Chinese Medicine Perspective

>> More Chinese Culture Articles

Fortunate Lemon Chicken Recipe
4 whole boneless chicken breasts, skin off ½ cup cornstarch (corn flour) 3 tbls water 4 egg yolks – gently beaten salt, pepper – to taste shallots – chopped
Lemon Sauce ½ cup lemon juice 2 tsp powdered chicken stock 2 tbls cornstarch (corn flour) 2 tbls honey 2½ tbls brown sugar 1 tsp grated ginger 1¾ cups water
For the sauce, combine all the ingredients in a saucepan and stir over a low heat until it boils and then thickens.
Cut the chicken breast fillets into 3-4 pieces. Lay flat and pound slightly with a mallet or other heavy object.
Place cornstarch in a bowl and slowly add the water, and then add the slightly beaten egg yolks. Next add salt and pepper to your liking.
Dip the chicken pieces into this batter and ensure you drain well.
Place a couple pieces of the battered chicken at a time, into deep hot oil and fry until lightly browned.
Drain on absorbent paper.
Slice chicken further if required.
Arrange on plates of freshly cooked white rice. Sprinkle with shallots and spoon over hot lemon sauce.
Enjoy!
More Chinese Recipes
Chinese Paintings Stores

Come and visit our new Chinese Art Painting Store. We will also be adding more and more traditional Chinese artist’s works in then near future. Purchase traditional Chinese paintings online. All paintings are one of a kind and signed by the painter herself.

ChinatownConnection.com September 2006 Newsletter

Quote of the month:

To practice five things under all circumstances constitutes perfect virtue; these five are gravity, generosity of soul, sincerity, earnestness, and kindness.
– Confucius

What's New in this issue:

· Videos

· Chinese Calligraphy

· Forbidden City
Featured Spotlight: Chinese Symbols

There are more than 80,000 Chinese symbols (all called Chinese characters, Chinese alphabets or Chinese signs), but most of the Chinese symbols are seldom used today.

>> Chinese Symbols
Deep Fried Tofu Recipe
Yield: 16 servings 1 lb Firm tofu 1/2 c Sesame seeds 2 tb Cornstarch 3 tb Whole-wheat flour 1/4 c Vegetable oil 1 1/2 lb Red plums, pitted, peeled & chopped 3/4 c Sugar 1 tb Soy sauce 1 tb Teriyaki sauce 2 ea Garlic cloves, chopped Water to cover Cut tofu into 1" squares. Mix together sesame seeds, cornstarch &flour. Roll tofu in sesame mixture till well coated. Heat oil inskillet till hot. Fry squares till well browned. Drain on paper towels & set aside. Place the rest of the ingredients in a pot. Add just enough water to cover by 1/2". Bring to a boil then simmer for 20 minutes. Blend till smooth. Pour into a serving bowl. To serve, place toothpicks in tofu cubes. Arrange on a platter & serve warm with the sauce.
More Chinese Recipes
Chinese Paintings Stores

Come and visit our new Chinese Art Painting Store. We will also be adding more and more traditional Chinese artist’s works in then near future. Purchase traditional Chinese paintings online. All paintings are one of a kind and signed by the painter herself.

Copyright © ChinatownConnection.com

Chinatown's Facelift

I know I haven't been writing for a while now but I have been very busy. Houston Chinatown is about to go through some major changes. To name a few things, security is getting beefed up to fight the increasing crime in Southwest Houston. Also, the beautification project for Chinatown is beginning and should be in full swing by early next year. Chinatown will also get a suprise as most people will find out in the near future.

For those of you who go there every weekend, you guys might have noticed the facelift alot of the shopping centers are getting. Those include:

Diho Square
Metropole Center
Sin Chao Center
Dynasty Plaza

Some people might have already noticed the number of new stores in Dun Huang Plaza . Yes lot of good, new, Chinese restaurants . If yall haven't been there, go check it out. Go check out Cafe 101, the newest and the most hippest Chinese restaurant in Houston.

Well, my time is up for this week. Peace out!

Glad to be back in Houston Chinatown

Well hello again dear audiences of Asian Waldo's Houston Chinatown Journal. I'be been on vacation for the past month up in Seattle, Washington. Boy, what a trip it was. Seattle is a beautiful place for those who have never been there. I was up there for one month and it probably rained 2 days out of the whole time, and it was light rain. I guess I brought up the hot, dry Houston weather up there.

Anyways, I am back and I kind of missed Houston Chinatown. The first thing I noticed after I came back were the new Chinese Restaurants that opened up in Dun Huang Plaza. The new and trendy looking Cafe 101; the supposedly kick-ass Juice Box, and some restaurant without an English name (not sure how their mail and stuff would be delivered).

In the Sterling Plaza center, a couple of new places are set to open:

Mingli Hair Design is going to open up a new shop, and I believe an insurance company has the other place occupied. Houston Chinatown is really growing up now, and I feel it is one of the most organized and densely occupied Chinatowns in the U.S..

The only thing concerning me still is the lack of a sign (decoration) signaling people that hey, welcome to Chinatown. Also, the lack of a true attraction or Chinese garden of some sort so people can come and enjoy the cultural aspects of Chinatown as well. Seriously, I don't know why these issues have not been addressed or resolved. Do they not know the amount of publicity, tourism, and business this can generate?

This will be my next posting topic so stay tuned!

Houston's Asian Waldo travels to Multnomah Falls

Multnomah Falls was my next destination on my trip to the Northwest. Multnomah Falls is the second tallest waterfall in the United States. I have no idea what the number one tallest waterfall is.

Multnomah Falls is located 30 miles east of Portland, Oregon. When I went there, traffic was backed inside the parking lot (apparently, some genious decided to build the parking lot dead center off of the highway which caused a backup on the off ramp. It was a hot, sunny day so that was another reason many people came out to the fall to relax and enjoy the cool mist.

One neat thing besides the falls is that a small,refreshing creek runs through the park and many people and pets were stepping in this creek.

The scenery was magnificent! Go to http://www.chinatownconnection.com/multnomah-falls.htm and you will be able to see photos and videos of the fall. It is a sight to be seen.

Stay tuned for my next exciting trip review.

Portland, Oregon

Portland, Oregon is a very nice city to visit. Located 200 miles south of Seattle, Portland is known for the Columiba river, roses, and the Gorge. Visit http://www.chinatownconnection.com/portland-oregon.htm for photos, videos, and review.

My Awesome Trip to Mount Rainier National Park

My journey continues in Seattle Chinatown International District. We headed up to Mount Rainier National Park, the most majestic mountain in all of United States in my opinion. I wanted to go climb up Mount Rainier, which of course a novice climber like me can't do, but wanted to try to make as far up as possible. So I took the Skyline Trail up the to base of the summit and that was as far up as I could go. Any further would require ice picks, ropes, and a whole lot of guts since I have no idea how to climb a glacier.

When I was at the base of the summit, it was a beautiful sight. I was surrounded by snow and more snow. The snow was so bright that without sunglasses, I would probably have ended up blind.

The air was pretty thin as well as I had trouble breathing but that may be because I was out of shape as well. The entire hike up Mount Rainier took about 2 hours and that was only to the base of the summit which was 6800 feet. Mount Rainer's summit is about 14,111 feet.

Anyhow, it was close enough to see the glaciers, and the tip. Well worth the trip! Go see the photos and the videos I took at www.chinatownconnection.com/mount-rainier.htm.

Journey to Butchart Gardens, B.C.

This past weekend, I traveled to Butchart Gardens which is located on the beautiful island off of British Columbia. Just up road north of Victoria, B.C., Butchart Gardens has the most beautiful and amazing flowers and plants I have ever seen. Different plant species from Europe, Asia, and elsewhere around the world are all grown in this garden.

We had lunch inside the gardens as well and it was a neat experience.

Stay tuned for my adverturous trip up Mt. Rainer!

Seattle Journey Part II: Ballard Locks

Ballard Locks is located at the meeting point of Freshwater Lake Union and Saltwater Pugeot Sound. This point is like a miniture Panama Canal where ships and boats go into these "locks" where water level is filled or drained. To view the photos and videos of Ballard Locks, please visit www.chinatownconnection.com/seattle-ballard-locks.htm. It is an amazing sight!

Salmon also migrate to this area because of the fresh-saltwater median. There, Salmon swim upstream through a series of "fish ladders" created by the Army Corps of Engineers, and lay their eggs in Lake Union.

You can literally see them swim up these "fish ladders" which is an astonishing sight. Go to the link above to see this in action.

Well, my next stop will be Vancouver and Victoria, B.C. . Till next time!

Seattle Trip

Well today I went to Snoqualmie Falls. It is located 25 miles east of Seattle. I must say what a spetacular sight it was! The weather was cool, even in June, and it was a bit cloudy with a hint of sunshine. The scenery was jaw-dropping. Snoqualmie Falls is about 250 feet tall. There are 2 scenic places at the top of the fall but it is below at the base of the fall where it is just beautiful.

Venturing down the steep terrain is easy since the wildlife and park services created a trail down to the bottom. Once at the final scenic marker, the trail ends and the "off-road" trail begins. After crawling down the rocks to the river, we finally reach the bottom of the fall. It is definitely worth the hassle and challenge. (View Snoqualmie Falls photos and videos)

The trip took about 3 hours and it was definitely worth it. Stay tuned for more reviews in the coming days!

Hello from Seattle, Washington

For the next three weeks, I will write to my blog from the Seattle Chinatown-International District . Please check back frequently as I post photos, reviews, and other information from the great Northwest.

Houston Chinatown: Golden Foods Supermarket

Golden Foods Supermarket finally opened its doors. Actually, the grand opening was last Friday, May 27th, but a lot of people were not aware of the opening. "I had to ask around and finally someone said yeah, they opened last Friday," says Pham Nguyen. "I guess they wanted a subdued grand opening." I get that feeling of dejavu. Everytime a store opens in Chinatown, not many people know about it.

The reason is that Chinese people are very tightlipped and spendthrift in my opinion. More spendthrift than anything else. The problem with that is why and how will people come to your store if you do not market or advertise it. And another problem is that even if they do advertise, they do it through the Chinese newspapers. Nothing wrong with that, but 95% of the population in Houston do not read Chinese. So they are in reality, advertising to the 5% of the people in Houston. And of those 5%, probably 2-3% are there targeted demographic group.

I'm not a marketing major or scientist, but I understand numbers. That is just not going to cut it. If you look at those truly successful Chinese stores, they advertise and market to the 95% population as well. That is how you get publicity and lots of it.

One of these days, when I have more time, I will write a comprehensive article noting the difference between Chinese stores who advertise only in Chinese newspapers and those who diversify there advertisement strategy. You will see a definite corrolation between sales and success between these two groups.

Anyways, just wanted to throw that out since not many people know Golden Foods Supermarket is open becuase of the reason I stated before. If Golden Foods decide to rely on heresy as their marketing tool, or those people who can read Chinese, then they are going to be in for a long ride to failure.

Houston Asian Town Hall Meeting

Well I was asked to attend the 1st Houston Asian Town Hall Meeting this past Friday. The issue on hand was the crime problems going on in Houston Chinatown area. Now you might ask what crime problems or there is crime problems all over Houston, which is very true. I mean, you can get robbed by stepping out of your house nowadays.

But leaders in the Houston Chinese community wants to promote Chinatown as the next hot tourist spot in Houston and this is one of the main issues that needs to be addressed. I applaud their stance on crime and wanting to make Houston Chinatown even safer.

On hand at the town hall meeting were representatives from Houston Police Department, Harris County Constables, and Asian community leaders and residents. I was one of the community "promotionists" on hand to listen to what the HPD Capt. had to say. He pretty much addressed the issue of crime in the Southwest area and alot had to do with the recent Katrina evacuees from Louisiana.

His plan was to ask for community participation in reducing crime by reporting suspicious activities, and reporting a crime when it happens, not 2 days after. And yes, he did mention a case where an Asian father was beat up and robbed but did not report the crime until 2 days afterwards. You would assume most people have common sense but here is an example of a lack of. To collect these vital information means to better fight crime. Good statistics can help officers pinpoint hotspots and timelines. With a shortage of Houston police officers, they need all the statistics they can get to better utilize their resources.

At the end of the town hall meeting at the Chinese Community Center, residents and business owners had a chance to address their problems and suggestions to the panel. Most voiced out their frustrations and a few had good suggestions like placing cameras everywhere in Chinatown (including storefronts, streets, alleys, etc.)

I enjoyed this town hall meeting because it if the first time I have seen Chinese people unite und a common cause. I'd say it is about time!