technology post-mortem

i'm at my favorite Asian restaurant, Phu Khang, for lunch. at my 2 o'clock was a Vietnamese couple, prolly in their late 30's, early 40's (we aged well, sorry i can't tell) sitting across from each other at a table for 4. the wife sat at the end seat towards the aisle while the husband sat diagonally from her towards the window. after their order was taken, they both proceeded to be on their individual phone and ignoring their partner until the food arrives...

if you don't see anything wrong with that then you must have your face glued to the screen as well. ironically i'm on my phone as i'm writing this but i haven't been posting for awhile now. i just feel that this advance technology age that we're living in not only affect the kids growing up but the older generation as well. i mean, you would RARELY see an older couple be engaged in smart phones. they seem to shy away from them due to their fear of the technology. yet, it was perfectly normal for a husband and wife to just sit there ignoring each other.

i know, i know, they may have great conversations at home or what not...but from what i can tell there alone? not really. i went out with my buddy and his girlfriend yesterday. they're both active online and such but he never once whipped out his phone. his girlfriend did so every once in a while but it wasn't obnoxiously noticeable. and it's the small factors like that i appreciate them greatly as friends. and trust me, i will be quick to tell people to put away their phone. we are adults. let's engage like adults; not robotic zombies

my first love...and i will admit it felt like my first love, despite the non mutual feeling...we used to chat online. in fact, it was opposite back then where technology actually made us closer. on top of that, she would get tired and tell me to call her. i would love nothing more than to be able to call her again today. however, i'm not her man...it'd be weird to just call her when we can just text back and forth. until that day comes, i can just remember back then when i could just listen to her annoying self over the phone. even if she gets occupied by her background surrounding, it was worth talking to her. like, verbally. hearing the voice from someone you like does something to you...it makes a difference.

maybe i'm old school like that. maybe i would rather hand deliver someone flowers at their door instead sending a gift. maybe i would like to call you when you're not busy just to hear you breathe...or in her case, yelling at me or telling me how cute her dogs are. ("isn't he kyoooote?!") no, you are. and i'm hoping one day she'll realize that...

Vietnamese 101: banh uot

i have decided to post some authentic Vietnamese cuisines on here because i love it. and you uncultured swines don't know the difference. time to learn some real food, bitches!

banh uot. actual translation is wet cake (banh = cake, any type of bake goods. uot = wet). really it's rice flakes

this particular dish is from my local restaurant called Phu Khang. for a restaurant not in Philly, it's pretty damn good. anywho...this dish consist of thin flakey rice noodles. topped with cilantros, bean sprouts, basils, dried fried onions, and side with the traditional pork rolls, which is like our ham. this place added mini eggrolls on the side. you pour some homemade fish sauce, not traditional, on it. homemade fish sauce is a modified version of the traditional sauce, with more vinegar, sugar, lime, and for those like it spicy, peppers. to add extra flavors to the sauce, you add pickled carrots and daikons to add a crunch.

this version, you can get it with grilled meat instead of pork roll. or just plain rice flakes. but this is pretty much a standardized version. like your cheeseburger with lettuce, tomatoes, onions, mayo, and ketchup. anything else diverted from this is either Americanized or incorrect.

this is a great summer meal. light but fulfilling. refreshing and easy to eat. don't fuck it up!