This time last year:

I did not know one Hebrew character from another;

Our company was under a temporary pay cut for everyone, from the CEO on down;

I am thankful for 2010 because:

I now can generally recognize and pronounce Hebrew words;

Our company restored salary for all employees below executive level;

God provided and a good friend agreed to take on being the Republican precinct chair for my precinct because with a full time job and 11 credit hours of law school, I could not do justice as a precinct chair

Still have both my mom and dad who are 65 and 72 respectively;

I am able to ring in the new year 2011 with my family in the Eastern timezone of the United States for the first time since I came to this country 17 years ago.

For 2011, I hope:

Continue to do well in law school and hopefully summer 2011 will be exciting (translating: in some miraculous way that God will provide so that I will be able to serve as a legal fellow for conservative causes in Israel somewhere);

Increase my understanding of Hebrew, especially Biblical Hebrew;

Review and expand my Spanish vocabulary;

Both of my parents continue to be healthy

Finally getting my private pilot license.

Lovely article in the Dallas Morning News on Texas First Lady Anita Perry, a no-nonsense nurse, overcomes shyness in signing on to win votes for her husband.

Shared Technologies, a 350-million dollars annual sales company that I have been with since April of 2007, was officially acquired by Arrow Electronics, a 14-billion dollars annual sales company on Wednesday of this week. I have never worked for a wholly owned subsidiary before. So far the experience has been positive.

Interesting case Microsoft Corporation v. Lucent Technologies, Inc.. Don't see why patent infringement cases shouldn't be subject to the same judgment-as-a-matter-of-law standard like every other type of cases.

I agreed with Miguel Estrada's letter endorsing Elena Kagan.

The biggest accomplishment in 2009 was that I did not miss a single daily portion of scripture reading using my One-Year NIV English Bible. If some days were just too hectic, the next day I would make it up by reading one daily portion in the morning and another daily portion in the evening. I read it on vacation in Hawaii, I read it while traveling to Young Republican National Convention, everywhere I go. Being in the Word every day really helped to keep me grounded. That and knowing that God is sovereign helped me live a pretty much stress-free life. Just like the lyrics of my favorite hymns Because He Lives: Because He lives, I can face tomorrow, ... Because I know, He holds the future .... Plus, they said all those charged with detecting counterfeit, they trained all the time by repeatedly going over the real thing so they know instinctively when they come across the fake ones. So if we are to recognize the false prophets, we have to constantly be in touch with the real One.

The second accomplishment has to be finishing first year of law school. It took me three semesters before I get to be 2L since I work full time and going to school part time in the evening, but by the grace of God I did it. I did pretty well second semester, Spring of 2009, earning the Dean's List recognition. Still waiting for my third semester's grade.

I think ever since 1999, our family has made it a family tradition to go on summer vacation every year, except for one year my dad was sick and we had to cancel all the reservation. We went to Honolulu, Hawaii for 2009. Had a great time kicking back, relaxing, enjoying ourselves. I and Quan took surfing lessons. I put sunscreen on everywhere but forgot the back of both legs and it was a painful lesson I will never forget.

Thank God all of us are working at steady jobs through this recession. Had some difficulties with my Tacoma which I have had since I bought it new in April 2002. Traded it in at 143,657 miles the last day of 2009 for a new 2010 glorified Toyota otherwise known as the Lexus RX350. Pray that the vehicle will be reliable transportation for at least another 7 1/2 or 8 years.

I have improved and have been able to get into the office earlier, especially toward the end of 2009. Hope to continue that good habits this year.