Category: Home and Family

The Stinkiest Flower in the World

There are certain things a 6-year-old child never forgets. Tell them that the stinkiest flower in the world is about to bloom and release its horrible stink at the nearby Huntington Library and Gardens, and they will relentlessly ask you daily: “Can we go see the stinky plant TODAY?” Certain thoughts are indelibly stamped in …

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Memorial For Ruth on December 26

[Edited for 2019] According to Vietnamese (and East Asian) tradition, I hold a memorial for Ruth each year on December 26.  This year (2019) it will be on Thursday.  In Viet-Nam, the tradition is called giổ, which I wrote about here. This will be the 9th one I’ve done.  It will have been almost 10 …

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Has She Had Menopause Yet?

“Has she had menopause yet?”  This tell-tale question would be the main indicator leading the lawyers to not pick up the case of Ruth’s death. In a March 26, 2015 LA Times report, a young plaintiff named Anna Rahm won $28 million compensation against Kaiser Permanente for a medical error doctors committed.  At issue was …

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Giỗ – An Annual Remembrance

In December, my family had our annual giỗ ̣(pronounced yoh) for Ruth .  Giỗ is the Vietnamese word for the annual remembrance of a family member on the event of their death.  In Asian cultures, it is a death anniversary which is observed every year.  Japanese, Korean, Chinese and other Asian cultures honor this tradition (For …

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