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| Like a lot of corporate offices in the country, my office has a common eating area on one of the floors. Various meetings are held throughout the day which are catered with food and drinks. The food is provided for breakfast in the morning and for lunch at mid-day. Once the food is served, there are usually leftovers from the meetings. The leftovers are placed in the common eating area and is free to whomever. I try to take advantage of this great benefit whenever I can. I've been working at my office more lately and I have caught on that leftover lunch food from meetings is placed in the common eating area around 2:20-2:30 pm (around 10:30-10:45 am for breakfast). Therefore, I conveniently take a break during this time to see what's on the menu. It's been pretty consistent lately, so it's a bit odd when there is no leftover catered food. My coworkers and I try to IM each other as soon as we know there's food because it goes pretty quickly. Breakfast items usually include bagels, pastries, croissants, fruit and sometimes quiche and breakfast sandwiches. For lunch, it's usually sandwiches, salads, pasta, chips, fruit and cookies/brownies. 
Everything tastes better when it's free! I've realized that people will eat just about anything if it's free. I should bring in some leftovers from home that I don't plan on eating, and I'm sure somebody will eat it. I guess it's human nature. The food goes so fast! Who says there's no such thing as a free lunch?  | | |
| I'm usually the token Vietnamese guy at work and amongst friends (although I'm technically half Chinese). I enjoy playing this role and I find some of the questions that people ask me quite amusing and funny. Whether it's someone new or someone that I know, the questions usually involve my name or pho, the delicious Vietnamese beef noodle soup. 
Mmmmm... Here are some samples: 1) I knew this guy named, Danny Nguyen, in LA. Are you related to him?
2) I had pho last week. Do you eat pho a lot?
3) I usually order a large #4. Which one do you get?
4) Do you know how to make pho?
5) What's your favorite pho place? I'll admit...I play the pho card a lot because I think it's funny. I'll tell people that my sweat is actually pho broth. It's only because I'm quite proud of my heritage. 
Yeah that's right Answers: 1) No, 93% of Vietnamese are Nguyens 2) Actually, I haven't had pho in a couple months...shameful! But I love it! 3) Large #1 or the one with all kinds of stuff in it 4) Never made it myself...defer to Mom 5) Pho Sate off Rte 50 | | |
| The NFL season kicked off last week and there is plenty of excitement in the air. People are following their favorite teams and talking smack in their fantasy football leagues. I always love it, but this year my enthusiasm is a bit tempered. You see, my boy, Dat Nguyen, the first Vietnamese-American player in the NFL, is no longer playing after 7 years in the league. He played one of the toughest positions at middle linebacker and was noted for his hard-hitting style and instincts. Dat retired from the Dallas Cowboys after suffering knee and neck injuries last year which prevented him from playing up to his high standards. As a Washington Redskins fan, it's blasphemy to root for a Cowboy, so when the Skins played the Cowboys, I always wanted Dat to have a huge game but the Redskins to come out on top. 
Who needs a neck anyways? "He's done a great job," Cowboys Head Coach, Bill Parcells said. "He has been a very dependable guy. Obviously one of our team captains. I haven't been here for all of his career, but if the first part was anything like the first couple of years with me, then he's to be commended for what he's accomplished." 
I've followed Dat's career since his college days at Texas A&M, where he was an All-American and won the Lombardi Award as the nation's top linebacker and the Bednarik Award as the top collegiate defensive player his senior year. Always considered undersized to play football (although 5'11" 238 lbs is not tiny), Dat proved his critics wrong and had a solid NFL career. His 172 tackles in 2001 was the second highest single-season total in Cowboys history, and he led the team in tackles in 3 of his final seasons where he played all 16 games. Not bad for a guy who was born in a refugee camp when his parents fled Vietnam after the fall of Saigon in 1975. I've started reading his autobiography and it's great to know that he is a strong Christian as well. So here is a Vietnamese guy with my last name and a had similar upbringing who overcame the odds to be a successful NFL player and great Christian witness. How can I not be inspired?
I wish Dat could have played longer in the NFL but I'm glad he was able to have the career that he did and was a solid role model for kids. Some lil boy is sitting in a rice paddy in Vietnam dreaming of being the next Dat Nguyen. Or perhaps that boy is really sitting in a cubicle in Virginia. That would be awesome to meet him one day to discuss our lives and his football experiences. His bowl(s) of pho will definitely be on me! | | |
| I was looking for some quick eats last week and came upon one of those Kentucky Fried Chicken and Taco Bell combination places. What a great idea! You can enjoy some greasy fried chicken along with a banged up burrito. As an added bonus, you can pile on some Taco Bell Fire sauce onto your Popcorn Chicken.
So what other combinations should be considered? Here are some that come to mind:
1) Popeye's and Pizza Hut - I'll have some spicy fried chicken with my Meat Lover's pizza.
2) Chick-fil-A and Arby's - It only makes sense that these niche market restaurants combine. Roast beef and chicken sandwiches...curly fries and waffle fries...yes, please!
3) Wendy's and Nathan's - This sounds like a really hot couple, esp. after you smother your Nathan's hot dog with Wendy's chili.
4) Krispy Kreme and Ben & Jerry's - I give this a slight nod over the Dunkin' Donuts and Baskin-Robbins combo.
5) Pho 75 and Lighthouse - Two great soups at one place! Give me some extra tripe in my soon dubu jigae, please.
Speaking of Combos, those are the most underrated snacks in the history of the snacking world, esp. the Pizza flavored cheese filled pretzels. I mean, who hasn't eaten the outside pretzel and then saved the cheese part until the end? Sooo good.
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