Messages

6586

Online Journal / Re: Dear Old Friend

« on: September 18, 2013, 02:51:00 PM »

Took me back to the moments my mom reunited with my father. Great details reporter!

Thanks.

Did you see the moment your parents reunited then?

6587

Online Journal / Re: Dear Old Friend

« on: September 17, 2013, 06:25:13 PM »

We had just finished bathing under the heat on the clean see-through puddles on this side of shore.

The canoe leader took a tiny, long dry brown twig and scratched on the summer sand at dawn.  It was a beach under some shrubs. 

"Once you are on the road, you walk to the right like here," he told my father and the other five adult males in our group as he pointed the tip of the twig to the sand marks.

The road was on the Thai side of the Mekong. They were standing on the Laos side of the river. The rest of us were hiding in the shrubs farther out of the sands. We were under cover, even though there was no need to be.  There had been no other foot-prints around for a whole spring up to the summer time.  No Commie soldier was going to see us. We had even bathed earlier in the day there. No one else around this lonely shore. But it was still a cautious move to hide.

"Walk up to a small town here and then take the first road to your left over here. That leads directly to the camp over here."

The Thai canoe leader had circled and stretched lines on the sands as he pointed out each spot to travel to.

"It's a new refugee camp. They just built it not too long ago and most things are still fresh-looking.

"Carry your farm tools and those chickens in that basket, too," he continued. "If people ask you, just tell them you came from the farm. A lot of people walk from the farm everyday. Just walk like them.

"Once you hit camp, don't take the road to the left here. There's a guarded gate there. The security guards won't let you go in.

"Travel to the right of this branched road and go into the camp from behind."

Ban Vinai it was. Yet we weren't there or in it.

A Thai farmer on the side of that road happened to employ a Hmong couple from that camp.

"I know your relatives," said the man after talking to my elders. "I can go fetch them...let me use my own money. They don't accept yours here."

Two hours later a songtheo arrived with the relatives we had lost the last three years, Old Friend. The elders hugged and cried on one another's shoulders just on the side of the pebbled dirt road. I was just staring at our silver bars on the ground--the ones the Thai officers had just opened up and left there for another errand somewhere.

At that time, the officers asked how we crossed the Mekong. The three canoe guys had left the night before, shortly after canoeing us over.

"Some fishermen came there and we asked them to bring us over," my maternal grandfather said.

Smugglers they would be deemed.

"Can you describe their features?" one asked.

"No, it was late and dark and we couldn't see them clearly," maternal grandpa went on.

He was a former litigator back in our abandoned town near Long Cheng.

"When did you cross the river?" the officer asked.

"When it drizzled," grandpa said after a pause.

"Oh," said another officer. "Then they couldn't possibly see that well. It was already eleven o'clock."

That's why the officers left us there. They said they were coming back after an errand. But they didn't get to because our relatives had arrived and songtheo'ed us to Ban Vinai already.

The elders cried just like Mai, you and I would if we were to see one another again. It felt like they had died and returned to life or something. Like a long time of missing one another, which was it was.  Amidst tears and sobs, the elders were saying, "I didn't think I'd see you ever again. Can this be real? It sounds like a dream, a waking from death." Didn't I just say that?

I didn't cry. I didn't feel their emotions. But now that I'm farther away, I somehow shed tears as I think about it.

6588

Hmong Culture & History / Re: Hmong Shamanism Should be Eliminated

« on: September 09, 2013, 11:12:08 AM »

I understand most of you kids in here are Hmong who still practice shamanism including Reporter, a moderator in here.  I respect your practice.  However, the larger question is this:  WHERE DOES YOUR SOUL OR SPIRIT GO WHEN YOUR PHYSICAL BODY DIES?  I challenged those of you bashing our Christian faith to answer this question for me.  You can kill thousands of chickens, pigs, cows as you want.  I don't care.  What I care is for you to answer the question I proposed.  I will keep quiet and let you smart people speak.

Joot, you've been observant and, so, you are half right about me. I'm Catholic, so I've gone both ways: ancestorworshi ping/animism and Christian. I even respect the Buddhist way of praying with candles and speaking to the spirits.

I don't disrespect Christianity. The only thing I don't like about Christianity is that many of its leaders keep telling people the end of the world was coming when we all know from commonsense that it's not coming within any precise prediction. I suggest  Christians be faithful to their beliefs in God and follow the teachings of at least the 10 Commandments but be reasonable as not to make people rely on the leaders' overprediction s and tell people that Jesus is coming back or that the world is ending.

6589

Online Journal / Re: Dear Old Friend

« on: September 08, 2013, 06:28:00 PM »

More to come, Lilly. Thanks.

6590

Online Journal / Re: Dear Old Friend

« on: September 06, 2013, 10:02:17 AM »

Do you not remember any friends and relatives who can help search for your friends?

My father remembers Mai's father's name. But that's all. He doesn't know where the guy has ended up, either.

No other relatives or friends know any other info about them. I'll have to interview my father again about that guy and see how far I get.

6591

Online Journal / Re: Dear Old Friend

« on: September 06, 2013, 08:47:40 AM »

Thanks for reading, Proudlao.

I'll share more.

6592

Outdoors & Recreational Hobbies / Re: Knives collection?

« on: September 05, 2013, 10:49:24 AM »

Cool. Nice ones.

okay guys..here are my knife collection. some pictures are taken with cell phone camera and some with digital which is 2-3 months ago.

BUCK alpha dorado with rose wood handle along with the buck Batam BLW and it's little brother



ESEE 4 - with The Knife Connection G-10 custom handle scales + molle locks




1st ESEE 6 - with green liners + olive sheath


3

2nd ESEE 6 - with brown sheath and orange liner



BARK RIVER GUNNY A2 - RAMPLESS with red liners



here is close up of the liner



FIDDLEBACK FORGE RECLUSE with white/black liners





I collect

6593

Outdoors & Recreational Hobbies / Re: Knives collection?

« on: September 05, 2013, 10:48:29 AM »

Cool for hunting and just having around the body in the woods. You feel some power with them. I feel that with my knives.

6594

Outdoors & Recreational Hobbies / Re: Knives collection?

« on: September 05, 2013, 10:47:48 AM »

Lights with regular batteries are cool enough for me. But they have to be in the 200+ lumens capacity.

I buy to use and collect as well. usually when i am looking into purchasing a new knife i look into the reviews of people who has used them already. mainly when i look for the type of steel, design and craftsman of the knife. Here is the chart to show the toughness of the steels and it's strenght to hold a sharp edge. The chart is provided by Crucible Steel.



For example - A2 steel which is a carbon steel but is not stainless is a tool steel that has been out for a very long time already. This steel when use to make knives can hold it's sharpness for quite some time without needing to sharpen it. A2 steel will rust if you do not put on a patina or oil it up. 

CPM 3V is the toughest carbon steel out there today. it is semi-stainless. this steel can hold a edge longer then A2 as well as it's toughness. this steel will not roll but will chip unlike the A2 which will roll before chipping but is harder to sharpen because of it's tough steel.

1095 High Carbon Steel which ESEE/ROWEN uses to make their knives are a good steel as well but this steel will rust just like the A2, 01, and 3V if not properly taken care of.  There is too much to explain but hopefully that chart up there will help any of you guys who are interested in knives and plan to make future purchases. my advice is stay away from stainless steel like 440C and CPM S30V. They are weak. CPM S35VN is the upgraded version of these stainless steel.

Anways back to the flashlight thing. here is a picture of the lights i currently own. i had way more but my wife was complaining so i sold 4 of them to some buddies co/worker.

LEFT to RIGHT: EagleTac T20C2, FENIX TK11 R5, FENIX TK11 R5, FENIX TK11 R5, FENIX TK11 R5.



These lights uses these type of batteries which are 18650 3100mAh rechargeable. these batteries cost a arm and leg for it. 23 bucks for one and i have 14 of them 

6595

Outdoors & Recreational Hobbies / Re: Knives collection?

« on: September 05, 2013, 10:46:39 AM »

Lol Mfree you a dude. OMG... I thought it was fishy about why a chick would have a hobby of a guy.... and then you said "my wife" Aaaaggghhh.... I thought you was chick... stop posing a chick on ur Avatar...Makin g people confuse. lol



Surely you have a few Samurai blades? Cuz if you like blades then you should admire the Samurai soul.?

Elsewhere, I've known mFree as a male for a long time.  He has a hot chick though.

6596

Online Journal / Re: Dear Old Friend

« on: September 04, 2013, 08:37:07 PM »

Tokyo, Japan--An Asian man looking Hmong but didn't speak a word of anything to us, took us from the baggage claim area. We got inside a room. It shook for a bit and then the doors opened into the side walls. We were in a different room now.

Magic? I was so surprised with this airport. Not just because of those magical doors but also because the TV's showed Macoto--a movie of a cartoon booklet I used to read in Thailand. I later learned that a guy named Jackie Chan starred in it. But the movie followed the comic book I used to read in Ban Vinai.

6597

Online Journal / Re: Dear Old Friend

« on: September 03, 2013, 11:46:08 AM »

Japan would be the next day. But before that, they served us breakfasts in Hong Kong. I remember using two chopsticks on a huge bun with some red fillings on this glossy table over a red carpet. We were sitting with some guys in suits and ties. They were smiling at us. Of course, I couldn't pick things up with the chopsticks yet, so I picked into the bun with one of them and tore it apart.

I remember only a few things about Hong Kong, Old Friend. Remember that mountain you took me up and over and we went catching some walking catfish on the stream yonder? There was a mountain just like that over some tall buildings in Hong Kong that morning. I was outside on the sidewalk of a street, still waiting in line to get into the bus that was taking us to breakfast. I stared up the mountain. There were some morning clouds on its peak and it looked quite dark in the distance. But it looked very much like our old mountain back home.

I had two feelings going on at the same time: thinking about you and Mai and also envying Hong Kong's wealth--something you and Mai and I lacked completely. As I was standing in line there, also near a train track, trains went by back and forth; I also saw parents in their four-door sedans taking their kids to school. We never had such luxuries. We walked to school on muddy grounds. I had wished so much that we would have such wealth. But then now I have it in America and I don't envy them anymore, partly because I view such cars as necessities rather than wealth. Too much car insurance and our gas price isn't lowering but just keeps climbing like the peak of our old mountain. Now the world has reasons to envy you and Mai.

6598

Hmong Culture & History / Re: Hmong Shamanism Should be Eliminated

« on: September 02, 2013, 10:18:44 PM »

unless the religion u convert to makes you immortal .. makes no difference what shit u do or dont belee in. yall fckn die in the end and thats it ......... worhsip a damn rock n call it a 'new faith' if u want. invent yo own damn funeral n weeding rites if you want. just dont expect others to start shitting on their own traditions n convert to yours 

You know, you are kind of right. The U.S. Supreme Court often sustains claims of religious belief of all kinds. You can think of anything that may sound weird. But if you say that's your group's religion, the Supreme Court will most likely protect it.

6599

Hmong Culture & History / Re: Hmong Shamanism Should be Eliminated

« on: September 02, 2013, 10:17:03 PM »

If you base your facts from wiki, then it's obvious you're not very smart.   

 

6600

Outdoors & Recreational Hobbies / Re: Knives collection?

« on: September 02, 2013, 10:12:20 PM »

I love knives, too. I've bought them left and right. Little ones to those that are larger for the belt.

I'll get some pictures soon, too.