Summer is beckoning!
If you don’t know what sweeps is, there are four sweeps months: February, May, July, and November. During those months, Nielsen measures how many people are watching our shows, so we know how much to charge advertisers. The last day of May sweeps this year is this coming Wednesday, so I’ll breathe a sigh of relief after tonight’s News 13 This Weekend at 10:00 is over!
There’s always more pressure during sweeps to deliver a better product, to be even more on top of your game during those months. Needless to say, it’s always nice when you can relax a little, like we’re doing in this picture!
It’s been a pretty good month for me so far. I finally got out to the beach to enjoy some of the sun, and my fiancé and I finally set a wedding date! We’ve been engaged for almost a year and a half now, but it’s certainly about time! We’re getting married June 27, 2009, at Piedmont Park in Atlanta. Afterward, we’re going to have a ten-course Chinese banquet. I can’t wait! I also get to shop for not just one wedding dress, but THREE. That’s because Chinese/Vietnamese brides usually change dresses during the reception. The more dress changes you have, the wealthier your family. I get to look for a traditional American wedding dress, a traditional Chinese wedding dress, and a traditional Vietnamese wedding dress. Talk about shop ‘til you drop!
I’m also excited that we have a News 13 MySpace section! Visit my page at http://www.myspace.com/tuquyenmach.
Also, don’t forget that we’re streaming every newscast, including my shows! Catch News 13 This Weekend on Saturdays at 6:00 and 10:00 and Sundays at 5:00 and 10:00. Click here to watch: http://www.wmbb.com/gulfcoastwest/mbb/news/streaming_video.
That’s it for now. I’ve got to go get ready for the show! Have a great week, everyone!
Comments (2)
Life in the sunshine
This time, though, I want to make sure all of you know about Sunshine Week. It’s not just journalists who are affected by how open or secretive government behaves; as citizens, everyone has a right to know what your government officials or agencies are up to.
Governor Charlie Crist is a pretty big supporter of open government, but many times journalists don’t get much support on issues of government in the sunshine.
For instance, any emails or phone calls that government officials make, related to official business, is public record, even if that correspondence or contact is made via personal email or phone.
The Bay County Commission office actually prints out every email the commissioners receive and put it in a public file that you can go and ask to look at or make copies.
Citizens can sometimes run into some roadblocks when requesting public records, so it’s important to arm yourself by knowing the law and what the agency must do to accommodate your request.
Visit http://www.sunshineweek.org/sunshineweek/orgs for some great links to Open Government websites.
Happy Sunshine Week!
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Happy 4706!
*Gung Hay Fat Choy*! *Chuc Mung Nam Moi*! or Happy New Year for your English-speakers!
Above are the Chinese and Vietnamese ways of saying Happy New Year. No, our calendars aren’t off. We just traditionally follow a different one than the Western calendar.
Our new year is a huge celebration, traditionally lasting two weeks, that’s based around the lunar calendar. On the Gregorian calendar, that means Lunar New Year can fall anywhere between January 21 and February 20. This past Thursday marked the beginning of the Year of the Rat, which is the year 4706 or 4705 or 4645, depending on whose calculations you go by. Needless to say, the Chinese have been commemorating lunar new year for many generations.
I have fond memories of celebrating the new year at home as a child. The colors red and gold are considered lucky, so those were used in all decorations and garmets as much as possible. I also remember attending community celebrations in Atlanta, full of colorful dragon dances and wonderful food.
Elders always give children red envelopes of money, called *lai see* or *hong bao*, as a token of good luck through the coming year. People also set off fireworks to scare away any evil spirits. It’s also good luck to have the house clean from top to bottom before the new year. You’re to avoid any cleaning or sweeping ON the lunar new year, though, because that’s seen as sweeping away good luck and fortune for the rest of the year.
To find out what the Year of the Rat might hold for you, visit http://www.chiff.com/a/chinese-horoscopes.htm to find your fortune based on the year of your birth in the Chinese zodiac.
Happy Chinese New Year!
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About Me
I was born and raised in the hills of northeast Georgia, in a little town called Gainesville near the sparkling waters of Lake Lanier. My parents are Vietnamese immigrants who came to the U.S. more than 20 years ago. The sacrifices they've made for me to have a better life have made them my inspiration. I feel extremely honored that you've chosen to put your trust in me. I'm happy to be here in Panama City, and I look forward to getting to know you.
Recent Entries:
- Summer is beckoning!
- Life in the sunshine
- Happy 4706!
- It’s the busiest time of the year!
- Giving Thanks
- Busy, busy
- Running a marathon
- We’re live with the latest…
- Justice is blind
- Life’s little pleasures (and annoyances)
- Life isn’t all glitz and glamour…
- A Georgia girl’s favorite season…
- Red-hot Tropics
- Gooood morning, Panama City
- Rock Star presence
Other News13 Blogs:
- The Casual Historian - Larche Hardy
- Behind The Scenes - Heather Kretzer
- The Resident Gator - Megan Albright
- The Newby - Jessi Chapin
- Bloggin' From The Beach - Bree Sison
- Gainesville, Georgia's All American Girl - Tuquyen Mach
- ... and yes, my hair is naturally curly - Jessica Foster
- Derby Girl - Enocha Van Lierop
- Cracker Cat - Jeannie Weller
