Hot In Cleveland had a comment where Betty White says something about "if you are going to do it, make sure he's the horse and you are the jockey. Sit straight up. That way your boobs don't slide back and get lost in your back fat." Then she made a face that looked like something you would make. I almost peed myself ...laughing and remembered when we were eating curly fries and cracking up watching it. Every time it's on I know you are watching it with me...
(Posted by Jennifer Curtis on Facebook)
Star is hands down the most generous and loving person I've been blessed to have shared wonderful moments with.
You were always ready to help people out of a jam no matter how untimely. Jam with peanut butter and bananas!! hehe. And you can definitely haul ass when needed. Or, if I need advise (granted, I knew what I was in for when asking you... absolutely ludicrous directions, step by step.) Non the less, you never sugar coated a single thing! That's my monkey.
Today, without thinking, I speed dialed by habit hoping to hear your voice on the other end. Which I DID!! No, I'm not crazy. (I already know what you're going to say.. LOL...I got "crazy" from you!) I got your voice mail. Hearing your voice turned my horrible day completely around.
Thank you, Ashley & familia, for not disconnecting her cell service. There's not a day... scratch that... not a second that goes by that I don't think of you, Star!
My laptop crashed and I was able to salvage some docs. The passage of a journal reminds me of you. We spoke of this, and with this I'm able to be strong....
"I find myself dwelling over *death*
When I died the first time, it wasn't what everybody expects.
It wasn't cold.
There was no bright light to guide me into the spirit world.
I felt warmth and extreme love guiding me.
It was a glow, amber glow. Not the white light people expect.
I wasn't scared or sad. I was happy.
What does that say about the world our physical bodies live in now? Is this a transitional place where we realize pain so that we would be grateful when it stops?"
I know you're at peace... I love you, I love you, I love you! See you soon!~
You have been my friend. That in itself is a tremendous thing. I wove my webs for you because I liked you. After all, what's a life, anyway? We're born, we live a little while, we die. A spider's life can't help being something of a mess, with all this trapping and eating flies. By helping you, perhaps I was trying to ...lift up my life a trifle. Heaven knows anyone's life can stand a little of that. --Charlotte, "Charlotte's Web"--
(Posted by Amanda Mazzei on Facebook)
remembering when you would introduce me to people. "My friend Mandy and I will be there. She's white, but she's cool." I would giggle every time you called me your token round eye friend. You always made me smile, laugh, chuckle, belly ache and snort.
(Posted by Amanda Mazzei on Facebook)
really, some days are so much tougher than others to hold back the tears. A friend of mine was sweet enough to make your star sketch into a little metal piece of art. I'll be bringing it to you soon. i miss you! quiches blbblbl
(Posted by Amanda Mazzei on Facebook)
dear Star up in heaven, want to let u know that I've been thinking of you and wishing u a happy birthday!
(Posted by Sapphira Lee on Facebook)
been driving past your house every day when i drop off the kids with grandma. i want to turn on your street EVERY time and rush into your house (take off my shoes) and give you a big 'ol hug (with my long squid arms). I want you to be there so badly.
(Posted by Amanda Mazzei on Facebook)
FOLLOW UP...
Me too. I go past there ALL THE TIME and I can't stand not stopping and just calling from outside and saying "I'm here mama, open the garage!" :(
(Posted by Jennifer Curtis on Facebook)
I had no idea it was your bday yesterday, but I know you payed me a visit today cause tonight I was looking out my bedroom window and I could see your apartment complex and I said goodnight to you, but something told me to go on your page which i had no visited in a long time. Now, I know that you wanted to wish you happy bday. HAPPY BDAY NEIGHBOR!
(Posted by Gladys Canales on Facebook)
Ugh, day late I know, but I also know you are seeing the horrific drama I went through yesterday and wish you could be here to go all ninja and bust some balls with me. But I will go eat some ice cream in your honor and watch Golden Girls reruns and dvr'd Hot in Cleveland, our fave new show. To you, girlie... Happy B...irthday! I love you and miss you terribly. ♥ ♥ ♥
(Posted by Jennifer Curtis on Facebook)
1. Have you ever thought about getting your lip pierced? Yes, and still considering.
2. Does a kiss make you feel better?
yes, espcially if its from Shaney!!!
3. Have you ever passed out on the bathroom floor?All the time.4. Do you start the water before you get in the shower or when you get in?
Omg, yes i totally do. why would anyone want to stand, shivering in the shower waiting for the water to heat up?!
5. What did you do today?
Go to work.
6. Have you ever brushed your teeth in the shower? Yeah, especially when i was in a rush and multi-tasking7. Have you had more than 3 boyfriends/girlfriends at the same time? Yes, back in the days when i was hella pimp.
8. Have you ever thought about your death?Yes, and it scares me.10. Would you rather be in a permanent relationship or play the field?Definitely permanent, ideally with my baby daddy *sigh*
11. What is your favorite sport to watch? Super Extreme Challenge or the Ninja thing. But that's not a sport - uh hockey and football (american style)12. What color is your shower curtain?Cruddy plastic door
13. Have you ever had stitches? Yes!
14. How long ago did you hug someone? Shaney this morning - god i miss that booger
19. What are you doing tomorrow?
Um, working and then watching Pokemon w/ Shaney and I will pray for u at the dentist!21. Have you ever given money to a homeless person? Yes, only if they promise to buy crack.
22. Have you ever run over an animal? i think so... once i was backing up and i heard like this really weird sound, so i kept driving.
23. Whats your favorite cereal? Frosted Frakes
24. Have you ever had an Oreo with peanut butter?No, but i will now!25. What are you doing this moment? taking survey for u
26. Would you kiss someone of the same sex for 100 bucks? Shit, i'll do it for free.
27. Where’s your favorite place to be? in bed w/ Shane.
28. What’s your favorite song?Currently the Pokemon song29. Are you more of a coffee or alcohol drinker?alcohol IN the coffee.
30. Have you ever thrown shoes on a telephone wire? No, white ppl are weird. why would u waste a perfectly good pair of shoes?!?!
31. Have you ever been skinny dipping? Yes.
32. Have you ever climbed up a water tower?No, do we even have those in Concord??
33. Do you dream in black and white? Sometimes.35. Do you snore? NO! I'm just a heavy breather. 36. Have you ever thought about being a model? No, waaaaaaaaaaay to short
37. Are you a redneck? Only when i forget the SPF
38. Funniest thing you heard all day? When a customer said," It's really not my pate" - he meant forte...ahaahhhahhah dumbass
39. Have you ever gotten a mosquito bite on your face? on the eyelid, like hella times. i swear i looked like the hunchback of notre dam!
40. What are you afraid of? spiders, ghosts and bills.
41. What does the 10th text message in your inbox say? Spam.
42. What does the 10th message in your outbox say? not sure.
43. Do you like someone? Jesus.
44. Do they know you like them? yes, b/c the bible told me so.
(email answers by Star 2/7/2008)
star..happy birthday honeydew!~ i miss you so much. watched "time travel.. hot machine.." something or another and wanted to call you... miss your laughter.. miss you soo soo much. always alive in my heart!~ wish you were here, or i was there with you.. partners in crime, partners through time... ♥
(Posted by Sara Ng on Facebook)
"The Great Escape"
July of 2009, I was sent to the ER. In the period of two weeks, my heart had stopped three times. The last of the three, I had to be intubated. Star rushed down to San Francisco's UCSF Emergency room to visit me. My daughter, Destini, was also in my private ER room.
Doctors were in and out throughout the day. One doc even told me I would be released to go home that evening. I told my daughter to go home with my sister and I'd see her that night. Star and I plopped up on the roll away bed and yapped away. To make me feel better about being in the hospital gown and makeup-less, Star actually put one on too! We were both cracking up, making fun of each other and causing so much noise that security kept coming in to tell us to "zip it." So we went into this quiet cackling that eventually got loud again.
In any case, hours later, a different doctor told me I couldn't be released until tests were done. I told them I made a PROMISE to my daughter that I'd be home that night...I'd come back the next day if they deemed it necessary. Needless to say, I was held captive. They had even put a personal security guard in front of my room in case I tried to leave.
I was soooo upset and Star could see it. So... of course, we devised a plan...an evil plan *muahahha* jk'ing. I called my sister back to the hospital to bring an extra set of clothing (ER had mine locked up), my sister wanted no part of "the Great Escape" but she did bring the clothing. Having her there caused distractions to the guard. Star pulled out her makeup bag and said, "put a LOT of eyeliner on.. make yourself look like a hooker." I snuck into the corner of the room where no cameras were, changed and hooker'ed my image. My sister then went home.
I walked out casually to the front and said to the nurses, "I'd like to take home my sister, Sara's, belongings" And easy as pie, they gave me all my valuables. I walked out of the ER (as luck would have it, I was able to find a way out considering I was unconscious when I was brought in) and scrambled down the street to our pre-planned secret meeting place.
A couple minutes later, Star stirred up a commotion in the ER. She had changed back into her regular clothes and was livid saying, "I can't believe you LOST my best friend, what kind of hospital is this? I should sue you guys. How do we know if Sara is dead down some hallway" She was live-on actress mode. And for those of you who know her, she sure can get into character.
By this time, it was midnight. I was crouching in a door well down the street. I see Star coming, with the bounce in her step, she's all smiles and laughter. She told me the everything that happened in the ER while I was hiding out. It was hilarious because they truly did believe her threats.
Star drove me to my place where we found two patrol police cars, awaiting us, flashing their lights parked a house in front of mine. Star parked around the corner and I snuck into my home, "like a ninja."
I was able to keep my promise to my daughter, that I would be home that night, because my best friend knew how important it was to me. I was able to see daughter, just in case I wasn't able to make it through the night.
Both Star and I didn't know what tomorrow would bring, but she honored my requests in case it was a last request. We called it, "the Great Escape." Laughed about it for months after. She did for me, what no else has ever done. Star allowed me to keep my word when I didn't have the means to do it on my own. Forever my best friend, forever my sister, forever my world. <3
(Posted by Sara Ng)
My Star experience
My name is Mirko Buchwald and I met Star one night in the summer of 2001 I think it was. I used to work the door at the second Sunday parties at Kelly’s mission Rock and there was always an after party at Snow drift. I used to head over to Snow Drift to work the door at the after party which started around 10:pm. Anyway I used to get there around 9:30pm to set up. I get there one night and there are these 2 cute girls first in line, it was a while before we opened so we struck up a conversation ( the 2 girls were Star and Sara) . We opened and in they went, I remember seeing Star in the smoking area and saying hi again ( I also remember thinking she was pretty cute and funny) end of the night she came up to me to ask if anyone had handed in a phone she had lost her cell phone in the club somehow. I gave her my number and told her to call me the following day in case it showed up. Well that was the excuse I used to give her my number I didn’t think for a moment her phone would show up. By some strange coincidence 2 minutes after she left someone randomly handed me a phone ( just happened to be Stars) .Next day she called me and I gave her a big long story about how I had searched for ages and finally found it for her. Well of course she felt she owed me one and I was happy see her again. We went out for a drink some time after that to a cheesy Tiki bar (which she loved) I remember we had a really fun night both had the same goofy humor. Guess what she left her bag at the bar of course I once again came to the rescue and went back to get it for her. Women always seem to tell me I never can be serious about anything but Star loved that about me.
After that for some time I tried to date her we went out a few times, she was really fun and attractive . It became apparent that she was very popular and I should probably take a number and get in line. Which I kind of did for a while but after a while I kind of gave up.I hadn’t spoke to her in a few years then out of the blue one day I get a call, “hey is this Mirko, to which I answered yes … “ its Star remember me?” anyway to my surprise she went on to explain her life at the time when we met and to apologize for not being more consistent for which I told her she didn’t need to. To me this phone call said a lot about her character and heart, she seemed to really care even after all these years that had passed that I knew she was sorry.
And so be became friends again, I went up to visit her in Walnut Creek a while back , we spend the evening just hanging out watching the show “ Extras” a British comedy show which a lot of people don’t get “ British Humor” anyway she got it and I remember her slapping me every time really funny part was on. I stayed for a few hours but had to get home I hugged her gave her a kiss and headed into the night. That was the last time I saw her. We talked many time on the phone after that, one thing that Star liked about me apart from our similar sense of humor was the fact that I teach martial arts for a living I would often get calls in regards to Shane’s karate training. She would ask me about belt systems or what he should be learning. I had a conversation with her recently , about a month ago . She was telling me that Shane’s teacher was thinking about kicking her out the school for being in the back of the class room giving commands to Shane while he was in class. I told her the teacher was right and I would of kicked her out too. She was like “ oh really ! So I should shut up then, yeah! “You should I told her , you’re his mom not his teacher”.
While I wouldn’t want some mom distracting all the kids shouting commands “ keep your back straight ! Punch stronger Shaney” were some of the things she would say, I whole heartily know where she was coming from. I have taught martial arts for over 20 years and only very occasionally see parents who care and are this involved with their kids lives it comes from an absolute desire to give there kids the most they possibly can it come’s from an absolute love of wanted the most they can give to their child.
We talked again after this and had planned on going to lunch together she was going to take me to a Vegan restaurant she knew of in Oakland that was about a month ago I think, Our last phone conversation we talked about me being Vegan and she asked me many questions about my diet and various aspects of a vegan lifestyle she was not judgmental as many people are when you tell them your vegan but truly curious about it all. I remember getting a random Star text a few days after that “ hey how do I make veggie burgers without egg” I was rubbing of on her I think.
I will always remember Star being this really attractive/ funny/ goofy warm hearted loving person and mother, I will miss her humor goofy jokes I will miss the way she talking from her heart, she didn’t live in what if’s she said what was on her mind something that we should all try to do, most of us aren’t that brave. She always told me what a great person she thought I was she made me feel great when I talked to her and not a lot of people can make you feel like that. We talked many time about me meeting her son which had yet to do, we had talked about him a lot and I had been looking forward to it at some point. I finally met him last Saturday at her service, he wandered over to me and I introduced myself I told him I was a friend of his mommies he put his arms around me and hugged me, I couldn’t hold back the tears. It was a moment I will carry with me always in both its beauty and tragedy.
Well I finally met him Star he’s just like you described him I see how and why you loved him so much . While all of us that crossed paths with Star have many different memories are she will always live on in those memories and at the end of the day that’s what life is, its memories of the people we met people we cared about and people we loved and Star will always be one of those people.
For her sister , mom and Sara (my good friend)
Mirko Buchwald July 2010
(Posted by Mirko Buchwald)
The one key element Star and I had with our friendship was *Loyalty* We always had each others back. Throughout our younger years (early 20's), we tended to get into MORE then our fair share of fist fights with other girls/guys. In hindsight... I don't condone violence, but we were young and you only really do live once.
It was after hours. A bunch of us were singing karaoke in Japan town. As we were leaving, Star runs into her boyfriends ex-girlfriend that she had funk with. Star was in a mini skirt and heels and headed towards the ex. She kicked off her heels and a fight ignited in the parking lot. It was suppose to be "one on one" but that almost never happens. Some girls we didn't know jumped on Star. The next thing I knew, I was in there grabbing and tossing girls off my homegirl. :> We left laughing. Star was saying, "Shit went down and all I see is a little Asian girl pulling bitches off me, slamming faces into the ground and pounding." She said to me, it was that night she KNEW I would always have her back.
continuing on...(later that year)
We were partying at Cairo (Korean club from back in the day) and some chick made a comment in Korean. I was oblivious to this. I noticed Star's fun, dancing demeanor turned sour. At the end of the night, we headed out to the parking lot and she sees this chick chillin in the front seat of an SUV. Star makes a beeline to the chick who had her window rolled down in the drivers seat and straight grabs her and pulls her out of the window onto the GROUND. Star went to town. I didn't even know what to do... I called out to her, "what's up?" and as Star was slamming her tiny fist into this chicks face, she told me the translation, the girl basically said to her friends, "I can't believe he's (my super hot boyfriend at the time) is dating a girl like her (being me.)" Star said, "no skank ass *bleep bleep bleep* talks about my best friend that way. I was like, "oh hell no!" It went from crazy to insane!
It turned into an all out vicious girl fight. In the end, let's just say, the girl behind the wheel was sent to the ER and her friends were left with broken egos. Star and I cruised home laughing without a single scratch. :> That's when I first knew, Star would always protect me. Homegirl has always had my back since and I had hers. <3 <3 <3
(Posted by Sara Ng)
Funny joke in honor of Star:
Joke: How many kids with ADD does it take to change a light bulb?
Answer: Wanna ride bikes?
(Posted by Bao Vo on Facebook)
Hi Sara,
I am a very close friend of Amanda (Mandy) Mazzei, who was a close friend of Star's. Mandy, Star and I had actually worked together about 10 years ago and I eventually fell a bit out of touch with Star, but Star and Mandy stayed very close throughout the years. I would see Star from time to time at birthday parties and baby showers. When Mandy called me to tell me about Star's passing - I was overcome with emotion and sadness. I want to thank Star's family for allowing the services to be open to all who knew her and cared about her, and am grateful to have been able to say goodbye to her.
Mandy told me about the blog you set up in her memory, and I actually wanted to contribute a poem I wrote for Star on the morning of her funeral. If you'd like, you can post it to the blog, but I wanted to make sure I could share the poem with you...she touched a lot of lives, and all who had the privilege of knowing her, couldn't help but love her.
Star
Your light
Always brightened our days
Your joy
Always lifted our spirits
Your warmth
Always melted our hearts
Your love
Always touched our souls
Now, even in your death
Resting in eternal peace
We can all look up
And see you, our Star
Your light
Your joy
Your warmth
Your love
Shining brightly down to us
From celestial heights
Always
Thank you Sara,
Jessica Herron
(Posted by Jessica Herron emailed to Sara N.)
I am standing upon the seashore. A ship at my side spreads her white sails to the morning breeze and starts for the blue ocean. She is an object of beauty and strength. I stand and watch her until at length she hangs like a speck of white cloud just where the sea and the sky come to mingle with each other.Then someone at my side says, "There, she is gone!""Gone where?"Gone from my sight. That is all. She is just as large in mast and hull and spar as she was when she left my side and she is just as able to bear the load of living freight to her destined port.Her diminshed size is in me, not in her. And just as the moment when someone at my side says, "There, she is gone!" There are other eyes watching her coming, and other voices ready to take up the glad shout, "Here she comes!"And that is dying.- Henry van Dyke
(Posted by Kevin Koo on Facebook)everytime i hear tokki, look up into the night sky, or talk about big toilet paper in korea i will think about you... i miss you Star Im
(Posted by Cary Michio Inayoshi on Facebook to Star Im)
One of the last times I saw Star she brought Shane to brunch at a friends house with her, she had him do the Soulja Boy dance for all of us, it was so cute and funny! I just remember thinking what a great fun Mom she was and what a wonderful sense of humor she had. Star always found a way to laugh in any situation, and... I think that is what I'll remember most about her and strive to live my life full of laughter just like she did. Much love, stay strong.
(Posted by Erin Murphy on Facebook to Ashley W.)
Star was always a horrible parallel parker! All the times we made plans to dine, she would ask, "do they have valet?" Otherwise we'd have to pick a place that had an actual parking lot.
The times she came to my house, I'd be cracking up, watching from the window above... a HUGE spot, enough to fit five cars. It would take Star like twenty tries to finally get her car parked properly.
I use to tease her about it all the time.. and she would laughingly say, "shut up, shut up, I'm Asian, what do you expect." But then again, I always teased her about everything.
Which reminds me...Her favorite show! While chatting on the phone and deep in conversation, if Golden Girls came on...she'd quickly say, "Gotta go, Golden Girls is on." hahaha. I would say, "are you serious?" and then again, she would be laughing and embarrassed, say, "shut up, shut up." LOL
I'll miss that.
It helps me to share the stories, it keeps her alive in my heart! I can hear her now in Heaven saying, "I can't believe you told about Golden Girls!"
last year, star masterminded a plan to fly us to colorado (where I'm from) for my birthday, she tried to trick me into thinking she was flying us to cabo, not a bad plan on her part, but the surprise was ruined a bit when she showed up having packed a lot of warm clothes, my whole family was in on it, but they played along, much to star's delight. for her, the real reason to go to Denver wasn't for my birthday, as she led me to believe. it was for her to go on a pilgrimage of sorts to casa Bonita, a famous Mexican restaurant, that features an old west themed show and attractions. she became obsessed with casa Bonita ever since she saw the south park episode where they go there, and i had told her it was a real place, and was exactly like in the show. when we got there she ran all over the place just like cartman, this was only a few months after she broke her femur and she was absolutely hauling ass! i could barely keep up..the whole time she kept repeating the lines from the show in her little cartman voice...
http://www.southparkstudios.com/clips/176600
(Posted by Scott Denison)
So many memories. I remember being at your house and Star told me I had to be the Master of her Iron Chef show. So, we practiced with her chopping things up, me giving her a secret ingredient and counting down until her presentation needed to be complete. This was before Iron Chef was really on t.v. in english. So,... I was cracking up trying to figure out what I was supposed to be doing.
(Posted by Amanda Mazzei on Facebook to Ashley W.)
One thing I loved about our friendship was no matter how much time had passed everytime we would reconnect it was like no to time had passed and we were just where we left off..I remember I used to see her eveytime I had to pick up my sister from school, her sister and my mine went to the same grade school...we would laugh everytime we see each other...then call eachother later and say whats up for the weekend..we goin out???!!! There are so many memories that I have of her....
Star you will be missed...and I know that one day I will see you again...
(Posted by Mimi Ly on Facebook to Ashley W.)
Star and I met over 20 years ago. We have so many stories and memories or better yet, moments. "Life is not measured by the number of breaths we take, but by the moments that take our breath away." I'll continually be posting. I hope you can too.
From the beginning:
I distinctly remember when the show "SouthPark" first came out. We were in LOVE with it. When it was close to airtime, we'd call other and watch it together (Star being in Concord and me being in Pacifica). It felt as if we were really sitting next to each other watching the screen and cackling.
We would snicker, make comments, laugh of our heads off, etc.. but when Cartman, Kyle, Stan, Kenny or any of the crew started talking again, she would *SHUSH* me. Literally *SHUSH* me!! Star made on a comment on the episode below based on a picture we took last year.
Star commented on Facebook under this posted picture, "omg!!! haha no comment, but if i had to - we look like the asian version of Timmy & Jimmy on S.Park when they joined the crips"
So for those of you who haven't seen that episode (the link is below) it's perfect to Star's humor! "I'm cool like a fool in a swimming pool." If you've never heard her "TIMMYYY" imitation, it's priceless.
http://www.livevideo.com/video/444E0B8A521145E8889939084D7877E0/timmy-and-jimmy-join-the-crips.aspx
for my birthday last year, star went with me to denver to see my family, and conspired with my mom to throw an old fashoned kid-style party, complete with streamers, cone shaped hats, a motorcycle cake, and those little paper horns that when you blow on them, the paper part unrolls and it makes a sound, (i dont know wh......at they're called) after attempting to blind me with one, repeatedly.... star proceded to put a cone hat over each eye, and then insert one of those paper horns into each side of her nose, as well as two in her mouth, and try to blow hard enough to get all 4 of them to unroll at once... i've never laughed so hard in my whole life....i've got my parents looking for them right now but i'm pretty sure there are pictures from that night.....
(Posted by Scott Denison on Facebook to Ashley W.)
thank you again for your words, stay strong through tomorrow and beyond, i know how hard it is, luckily i have so many memories of funny moments with her to chase away the sadness, as i'm sure you also do.... the first time i ever told her "i love you" i tried to learn how to say it in korean, after my (pitiful) attempt, she looked deep into my eyes and said: "say that to me again in your eric cartman voice"....
(Emailed by Scott Denison to Sara N.)
One of the last things Star and I did, but seemed to be ALWAYS the way it was: we could go through the drive though at Jack in the Box, and there would only be the 2 of us, and the total would be $32... and only $8 of it would be mine. LOL She'd be ordering for like ten minutes.
(Posted by Jennifer Curtis on Facebook to Ashley W.)
here's what i wrote on star's page:
i guess anyone who's not korean might not
understand this but i'll explain it at the end......on
one of my trips back from korea, star was asking me if i noticed that
the toilet paper there was larger... i was like "huh" she said
... "do you know why the toilet paper in korea is so big???" i shook my
head no... she said "because it's HUE-JI!!! AHAHAHA...!!! 휴지???
anyway...so for the non-koreans... hue-ji is the korean word
for toilet paper...anyway, this is the corniest korean joke i've heard
and i started telling it to my korean american friends and i tell them
my good friend star told me this joke... >_<
(Posted by Cary Michio Inayoshi on Facebook to Ashley W.)