Childhood Hero's

Just about everyone growing up looks up to something or someone:

- Spiderman
- Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles
- Michael Jordan
- Muggsey Bouges
- Bruce Lee
- Carmichael Simon
- Gary Carter

Childhood memories: Gung Gung and Paw Paw

For as long as I can remember, my maternal grandparents were a big part of my life. My Gung Gung (Mom's Dad) is no longer on this planet, but was very kind to me. My Paw Paw is still around and always fussy but always concerned with my well being. GG will refer to my grandfather and PP will refer to my grandmother.

• GG's American name was "Fred", but his chinese name was pronounced "Gee".
• GG owned a Chinese Restaurant and also served in the military during WWII.
• GG took me to Toys R' Us way to many times to spoil my sister and I.
• Both used to walk me too and from school.
• PP did everything for me...and I do mean everything. She used to peel my shrimp and grapes :-P
• Until about 6th grade, my sister and I slept in the same room as PP.
• PP is a devout Buddhist and devout Buddhists like incense.
• PP saved me from getting mauled by a neighbor's dog down our street by using her umbrella. I think the dog was just trying to be friendly, but the only reason I remember the story is because she keeps saying it over and over.
• One time my elementary school teacher asked me to bring PP up after school to tell her something. She asked me to translate and when PP came up...I just told her in English what my teacher told me (She didn't realize she understood english).
• My GG brought me to 2 Mets games when I was little. I think for both I never made it past the 5th inning so he brought me home each time.
• GG and I used to watch NBA Basketball and WWF wrestling together ALL THE TIME!

Childhood Memories: Video Games

Video games was/is a huge addiction and stress reliever for me:

• The first thing I remember playing was a friend's old Coleco-vision and my cousin's Vetrex system.
• My next door neighbor had an Apple IIe.
• My first real system was an Atari 2600. I had Star Wars, Combat (classic game), Breakout (another classic), spiderman, pac-man. One time I thought it would have been amusing to wrap the AC adapter with bare copper wire and plug it into the outlet. I'm surprised that the stupidity of my action didn't kill me, the Atari, or the house.
• I had a Commodore 64 and 128. My favorites were Ghostbusters, Burnin Rubber, Spin Dizzy, Super Boulderdash, Leaderboard, and Bruce Lee. The only crappy thing about it was the systems kept breaking down frequently.
• I had the original NES. I must have played every single game on that sucker as possible. I had a list I wrote down on construction paper of every single game I beat (yes...I am a dork). I used to keep every single box of each game I owned.
• Still remember the Konami Code - Up Up Down Down Left Right Left Right B A Select Start :) Shows you what muscle memory can do for you :)
• For the NES, I still remember my favs: 1)SMB 1-3 2)Castlevania 1-3 3)Contra, Super C 4) Mega Man 1 to ... 5)TMNT 6)Bad Dudes 7)Double Dragon 1-3 8)Super Dodge Ball 9)River City Ransom 10)Tecmo Bowl 11)720 12)LifeForce 13)Blaster Master 14)Dragon Ball Z 15)Track and Field II 16)Bases Loaded 17)Batman 18)Battletoads 19) A Boy and His Blob 20)Duck Tails 21)Flying Warriors 22)G.I Joe 23)Double Dribble 24)Wizards and Warriors 25)Legend of Zelda 1-2 26)Little Nemo 27)Metal Storm 28)Mike Tyson's Punch Out 29)Ninja Gaiden 1-3 30)R.C. Pro Am 31)Rush n' Attack
• I even had that really dumb Power Glove for the NES. It looked like the coolest thing, but so hard to use.
• The only reason I went to the mall was for Roy Rogers and of course the arcades. My favorite was of course Street Fighter II. I remember going between Woodbridge Mall and Livingston Mall.

Childhood memories: Union, NJ

• Union is most famous for having the World's Tallest Water Tower. I don't know if that's still true.
• I got my first haircut by a barber at Angelo's Barber Shop on Chestnut Street. I had my haircut just like my cousin Kendy which was a flat top. I don't know if they are still around but it was said that Angelo's partner, Al, had to stop cutting hair becasue of Parkinson's. I also believe Al was a customer of my Grandfather's when he used to run a Chinese restaurant.
• My Grandparent's and sister and I used to walk down to the Bakery (which was also on Chestnut St.) where would buy cookies and pastries. Hometown Mom/Pop bakeries aren't around much anymore, but they made the best stuff.
• There used to be 2 movie Theaters in Union. One was called 5 Star Cinemas (again on Chestnut St.) and I can't remember the other but we used to park in the Public Library Parking lot to get there. 5 Star only had like 2 theaters and the one downtown was pretty small 2. They both went out of business once the mega movie theaters started being built.
• I'm not sure what's around there now, but there was a Rickles instead of Home Depot, 4 Season's bowling alley, Photon (a lazer tag place), Variety Fair (just an odds and ends store near A&P) ... which we called the 5 and 10, Cost Cutters and Bradleys (similar 2 K-Mart), Skate 22, Carvels (Ice Cream), and a butcher's store near the bank. I remember a couple of friends from HS (Erik Hovmiller) used to work there because the shirt would smell like meat.
• Ray Liotta and Robert Wuhl graduated from my High School.
• One of my best friend's growing up was Bill Werkmeister and he lived on Wheaton Rd...maybe 5-6 blocks away from my house. We still talk to each other every now and then and ironically, his parents still live close to mine in Jamesburg now.

Childhood memories: My Sister

• I'm not sure why Cinde and I had a crappy relationship in our younger years. The only thing I remember is that there was a certain point when she was little that she tried to kiss me and it was really greasy and it was "yukky".
• Cinde came home crying from school one day as there were some kids teasing her. It pissed me off enough that I came out of the house and scarred the crap out of those boys. Even though I didn't like my sister at the time...I was still big brother and if she was going to get picked on...it would only be by me :)
• Cinde has really nice hair.
• I was not too fond of my sister's choice in men. I don't remember her first boyfriend's name, but I was about ready to beat the crap out of him for making her upset so many times.
• As much as I hate to admit it, Cinde's fiance is a pretty nice guy. I still don't think anyone is good enough for her...but he's OK.
• When we took our first trip to China to visit family, both Cinde and I got some sort of stomach virus. We both were throwing up and sick for a couple days. I think it was from the trip to that Chinese Sea World.
• For some reason, Cinde and I don't look like we're related besides the fact that we're both Chinese. Maybe our parents adopted us from China (I know...bad joke).
• Cinde was not so great at taking medicine as a kid. I remember Dad trying to get her to take something and she bit his finger.
• When Cinde first started driving, she used Mom's crappy Plymouth Acclaim. I remember the heat shield came loose of it while driving down Route 22 and it scared the crap out of her.

Childhood memories: My Mom

• I always remember Mom knitting all sorts of stuff for us. She still does to this day.
• I remember Mom complaining about how we (my sister and I) had it good with my Grandfather. He would make us real spaghetti and sauce, but when she was a kid....the sauce was ketchup.
• Mom is a better cook than she thinks.
• Mom's favorite shows on TV where Murder She Wrote, Star Trek: TNG, and Jeopardy. If I remember correctly, she tried out for the show when we were in Atlantic City one time.
• Mom worked at the VA medical center in East Orange for the longest time in Hematology (the blood work department). I remember some gruesome stories sometimes since it was a hospital.
• Mom attended one of those Blue & Gold Boy Scout Dinners with me one time. I remember there was this guy who was kissing all the ladies at our table to say hi. When he went to give my Mom a kiss, I covered her mouth. Everyone thought it was histerical.
• Mom's first car I remember her driving was a Nova...at least I'm pretty sure.

Childhood memories: My Dad

• It was tradition for Dad and I to goto the movies together...usually for something violent! I remember the old cinema in Union we went to initially see a James Bond movie...but he was kind enough to switch it over to see the remainder of Ghostbusters.
• One of my most favorite days when I was a kid was Friday. Dad and Grandparents frequently traveled to my best friends house, Al and Dave Wu. We often played video games till the wee hours of the morning. I often not forget the nerf gun battles we had in the stair way at our houses.
• As strict as Dad was when I was younger, he always let me know he loved me in his own way. He still does, to this day, has his desk covered by a glass panel with pictures from when I was a baby all the way up until present day. You could also think of it as black mail photos
• Dad got me hooked on Bruce Lee movies. He was also my first martial arts instructor. I remember after he showed me some moves in the basement and then the next day in school I practiced them on the playground outside.
• As far as I can remember, Dad used to drive a blue Datsun that was stick shift.
• For as stoic as Dad can be sometimes, he's a really funny guy. When driving home through Chinatown, we were stopped in traffic. There was a rather large guy wearing a sign to advertise for a local shop ... picking his nose (not even being descrete). He rolls down the window and yells "HEY...STOP PICKING YOUR NOSE!!!".