Airy Words

Budapest: Sept. 3 - Sept. 5

2009-09-28T19:54:00.000-07:00

Our train pulled into Keleti Pályaudvar in Budapest around 5 p.m. Then we made our way to the metro and got off at Deák Ferenc tér. There were so many streets converging in this square that it took us some time to find the 4Seasons Apartments. The accommodations were the nicest yet: a tasteful suite containing a living room with foldout couch, small kitchen, balcony, separate bedroom, full bath, and luxuries such as a flat-screen TV, a dishwasher, and a washing machine. There was a bottle of Hungarian red wine sitting on the round glass dining table, our welcome gift to Budapest. J. remarked that the apartment reminded her of something from Sex in the City. After settling in, we headed for Franz Liszt Square for dinner. The nice receptionist who checked us in recommended a place called Menza. The restaurant's atmosphere was hip and lively, and the food was delicious. J. ordered beef stew and frozen lemonade, and I had traditional Hungarian stuffed peppers and a Menza punch. A very good, satisfying meal all around.

The next morning, we took the metro to Heroes' Square. (A side note: I love the look of many of the metro stations here: creamy white subway tiles with forest green and burgundy trim, painted steel beams, and wooden benches. The look had such an old world charm.) We emerged from the station to the sight of the impressive Millennium Monument. After getting a better look at the monument up close, we crossed a bridge into City Park. There, we strolled through Vajdahunyad Castle, an amalgam of architectural styles through the ages: Medieval, Gothic, and Baroque, to name a few. The Baroque palace now houses the Museum of Hungarian Agriculture, which explained the livestock penned outside! The walk through the park also brought us to Széchenyi Bath, one of the city's famous spas. I was intrigued by its grand exterior: one side a baroque mustard yellow reminiscent of Schönbrunn and the other a stately stone, looking every inch like a modern palace or government building.

After this morning visit, we came back to the city center, bought food at a market, and ate lunch in our apartment. It took a few attempts pressing various buttons on the washing machine, but we were finally able to do laundry. With this necessary chore underway, we headed out again and took a tram to Gellért Hill. We visited an interesting Cave Church and hiked up the hill for spectacular views of the city from the Citadel. I was thoroughly winded by the hike, but the view of the Danube curving through Budapest was a great reward. When we got back to the bottom of the hill, J. went to relax in the famous Gellért Bath while I explored the area around Liberty Bridge before plopping down on a bench to write and listen to my ipod. The weather turned while I was thus occupied, the skies filling with gray clouds and the wind picking up. Eventually, a few fat raindrops began falling from the sky. I hurried to the foyer of the Gellért Bath to escape the rain. Luckily, the fleeting raindrops abated when we walked back to the tram stop to return to the apartment.

We rested a bit and finished the laundry before walking to the river for our Danube cruise on the Legende boats. By the time we were settled in the boat, it had started raining again, this time in earnest. The glass-covered boat afforded us protection from the elements during the hour-long cruise. Budapest is lovely at night, with its beautiful buildings all lit up and the shining lights reflected in the river. Even the lightning, thunder, and bursts of heavy rain added a piquant touch to the atmosphere. The video and narration accompanying the cruise was very informative, nicely complementing the nighttime views outside. They served us 2 drinks during the cruise, the first of which was a tall glass of champagne. Though it tasted good, I'm not much of a drinker and was only able to imbibe about a third of it. The rain had thankfully let up by the time we docked and disembarked, so we strolled along the embankment and enjoyed the view of Buda Castle across the river. Then we headed into Pest's town center in search of a late dinner. We finally found a restaurant as the rain started to come down again. We were seated upstairs, and because of the cold air wafting in, the waiter offered us blankets, which I found amusing. The restaurant was cute, and a small band playing lively folk music added to the charming ambiance. J. ordered a Hungarian salsa, and I had goulash and a cucumber salad. As we ate, it showered on and off, with occasional flashes of lightning that threw a startling wash of bright white outside the window. Our luck throughout the day finally ran out, as we were forced to run back to the apartment in the pouring rain. Never a dull moment on this trip!

The following day dawned bright and clear. We walked toward the river with the plan to cross historic Chain Bridge and visit Buda Castle. On the walk, I noticed an unusual number of policemen near Deák Ferenc tér, but the day was so pleasant, the observation soon slipped from my mind. We strolled across the lovely Chain Bridge and got in line to ride the quaint-looking funicular. It was a very touristy thing to do, as the ride was short and pricey for what it was, but since we still had much walking to do the rest of the day, it seemed a better option than hiking up the hill. The view from the top was inspiring. We wandered around the castle complex before walking further downhill and finding the beautiful and romantic white stone structure known as Fisherman's Bastion. Next to this fairytale building was St. Matthias Church, which boasted a roof with very cool tile work.
When we reached the bottom of the hill, we strolled south along the river embankment on the Buda side of the river. During the walk, we passed the sleek white Elizabeth Bridge and got better views of St. Gellért's Memorial as well as the Liberty Monument we hiked up to the previous day. We crossed the river at Liberty Bridge, a structure of green steel that managed to look both traditional and modern. Back on the Pest side of the river, we entered the intriguing building housing the Great Central Market. Walking around, I absorbed the atmosphere of the countless stalls selling vegetables, meat, fish, sweets, crafts, and other goods. It was quite a lively assault on the senses. We ended up having lunch at Fakanál Restaurant, located on the second floor. I got the goose leg with potatoes and a strawberry juice beverage. The goose leg started out tasty but got a bit tough. Still, it was a good hearty meal, accompanied by live folk music. As we meandered through a main pedestrian drag on the way back to the apartment, we stopped to get gelato in sugar cones from a street vendor. My somewhat unusual stracciatella (a sort of Italian chocolate chip flavor) quite hit the spot.

When we found Gerbeaud's Confectionery, where we planned to celebrate the last night of our trip with decadent desserts, we also found more of the cute elephant statues that we'd been seeing around town. (The first, which resembled a lemon, was seen at Heroes' Square. The second, which was just on the other side of the square from Gerbeaud's, looked like a half-built brick house. Funnily enough, there was a cartoon wolf on one side of the elephant, troweling cement to lay on the next row of bricks. The third, in front of Gerbeaud's, was gray with geometric designs. Nearby, two more elephants stood next to a fountain. One was white with marble veins and an intricate design on its back. The other looked like a cake from Gerbeaud's. I affectionately named it "Tiramisu.") It turns out that these elephants are part of an initiative to help the homeless in Budapest. Eighty of these elephants, individually painted by various artists, schools, and students, are displayed throughout Budapest to call attention to the plight of the homeless. Eventually, the elephants will be auctioned off, and the proceeds will fund the renovation of homeless shelters in Budapest.

Throughout the day, I'd also been seeing Swedes everywhere. They stood out because they were all wearing their national colors of blue and yellow. Well, tons of them had gathered in the popular Vörösmarty square, where we found Gerbeaud's and the elephants. The spirited Swedes, decked in their unmistakable jerseys and waving banners, chanted and sang with vigor. Clearly, there was an important sporting event going on that night! It had been a long day, so we decided to go back to the apartment to rest a bit before coming out again. As we walked along the narrow street we took in the morning, we found it blocked by a bunch of policemen, all of whom were wearing protective armor. The sight was a bit unnerving, but we tried not to think too much about what this all meant. We turned and took another small street, finally emerging on Deák Ferenc tér. The square was filled with a huge mass of people. It seemed like some sort of demonstration was going on, which explained the inordinate number of policemen. Most of the people we passed were just standing about, trying to get a look or take video. Many were probably curious tourists. As for us, we just wanted to get back to the safety of our apartment. It got a little scary when we were trying to cross Karoly Krt, and something caused a throng of people to run in our direction. I had the sudden panicked thought that we were going to be run over by the stampede. Luckily, the crowd didn't progress too far before they stopped in the middle of the street and inched back toward the action. J. and I crossed the broad avenue, walked away from the crowds, and took roundabout small streets to get back to the apartment. The narrow lane to our lodgings was actually clogged with police cars! I was relieved to be back in the quiet of the apartment. We relaxed for the next couple of hours before venturing out again. By then, the crowds were gone and everything was back to normal. We bought food at the market for a quick dinner and went into the city again.

Night had fallen. We took a pleasant walk to St. Stephen's Basilica. The building was lit in a warm golden light, and we took in its stately ambiance as its bells rang the hour. We strolled to the embankment again to take in the beautiful nighttime views of Budapest. Unfortunately, we lost track of time a bit (and forgot that stores tend to close earlier in Europe); by the time we got to Gerbeaud's, it was almost 9 p.m., closing time. So, we bought a small assortment of cakes to take back to our apartment. On the way back, we stopped at Anna Café for hot chocolate, to help take away the chill from our walk. A big screen in the café was showing a soccer match between Hungary and Sweden. No wonder Budapest seemed overrun with Swedes all day! ;) Apparently, it was a qualifying game for the 2010 World Cup. When we left, Hungary had just tied the game 1-1, but I later found out that Sweden prevailed 2-1. Back at the apartment, we feasted on the sugary confections from Gerbeaud's and packed for our return home. It had been a whirlwind trip, filled with amazing sights, wonderful cultural experiences, good food, fun, and a touch of adventure. Truly an enriching trip!

Vienna: Aug. 31 - Sept. 3

2009-09-21T22:19:00.000-07:00

In the late morning, we took the Super City Train from Prague to Vienna. After a 4-hour ride, we arrived at Vienna Südbahnhof. From there, we made our way to the U1 metro station and got out at Karlsplatz. As we approached one of the exits, we were amused by the "Toilette mit Musik," what looked to be a plushly-decorated WC blasting The Blue Danube Waltz. Only in Vienna! (People have actually uploaded youtube videos of this bathroom!) We took the escalator out of the subway station and were greeted with the impressive vision of the Vienna State Opera. As we crossed the pedestrian area next to the opera house, a man dressed in 18th century garb approached us with open arms and said, "Free hugs!" He asked where we were from and was about to attempt to sell us music tickets, but we cut the exchange short, fixed as we were on finding our lodgings, Pension Suzanne. (Though this first ticket-pusher was amusing, the throng of them constantly milling around the opera house can be a bit of a nuisance.) After getting settled in our pension, we headed out to Prater Park to ride the giant Ferris wheel. It was cool to experience the historical landmark, and the ride provided very nice views (though Vienna's cityscape isn't as charming as Prague's). Evening fell as we walked through the amusement park in search of dinner. We ate at a beer garden overflowing with lively patrons. Our dinner of pork stew and spinach dumplings in cream sauce was flavorful and filling. All in all, it was a great way to begin our stay in Vienna.

The next day, we took the U4 to Schönbrunn Palace. I remember well the distinctive buttery yellow and mocha façade from my first trip here a decade ago, but I was glad for a second visit to better appreciate its history and opulence. This summer palace, a sort of Austrian Versailles, showcased some amazing rooms and beautiful portraits. It was here that a 6-year-old Mozart performed for Empress Maria Theresa. Kennedy's meeting with Khrushchev also took place at Schönbrunn. The palace reflected many personal touches, as the royal family took a strong hand in its décor. There's no doubting the splendor of the richly appointed rooms we saw, but my favorite part of the visit was touring the grounds. Our Classic Pass included admission to the palace (with audio guide), the Privy Garden and Garden Above the Cellar, the Maze and Labyrinth, the Gloriette Viewing Terrace, and the apple strudel show in the Court Bakery. All were enjoyable, though the maze thoroughly stumped us, and we were only able to get to the center platform with help. Walking to the Gloriette required some effort, as it was uphill and the sun was strong, but the amazing view from the terrace was well worth the trek. We ate lunch (pancake with mincemeat accompanied by a side salad) at the Gloriette Café. Our last stop at Schönbrunn was the strudel show. The small sample of apple strudel was just okay, but the presentation was entertaining and I liked the cute room in which it was held.

We then headed back to the city center and took a tram to Belvedere Palace. After the splendor of Schönbrunn, the palace and gardens of the Belvedere didn't seem quite so impressive. However, our main reason for visiting was the art collection housed in the Upper Belvedere. I very much enjoyed the 19th century paintings, including a couple of Monets and Renoirs. However, the highlight was Gustav Klimt's The Kiss. It was amazing to see this iconic work in person. The richness and details are so striking, and the entire painting is emotive and utterly romantic. Many other works by Klimt were also on display, and it was interesting to see the wide range of styles he produced.
That night, we had dinner at a heurigen located on a small cobblestone lane a few turns off the main pedestrian drag of Kärntner Strasse. The meal was enormous! Appetizers included spinach strudel, onion quiche, and vegetable strudel. Then came a big salad and the main course: several kinds of schnitzels and a heaping plate of meats, potatoes, and cabbage. Needless to say, I was stuffed before we were anywhere near finishing the dishes spread across our table. I felt a bit guilty about wasting so much food. After dinner, we went to the Haus der Musik, an interactive museum about sound and music. My favorite part was probably the dice game that resulted in a waltz composition.

The next morning, we walked to the Kunsthistorisches Museum, which contained many works by the Masters: Titian, Raphael, Correggio, Rembrandt, Rubens, and Bruegel, among others. There were many impressive, beautiful works displayed in the museum's gorgeous, sumptuous settings, but the most awe-inspiring part of the visit was seeing Vermeer's The Art of Painting. All of Vermeer's works are so atmospheric and lovely, and this one was painted on an uncharacteristically large canvas. I lingered over its rich details, particularly the hanging fabric and the beautiful blue of the model's dress. I've come to think of this lovely shade as "Vermeer Blue."
Afterward, we walked to the Hofburg Palace to see the Imperial Treasury, a display of wealth and intricate craftsmanship. We then had a quick lunch of vegetable strudel and traditional beef broth with dumpling at Oberlaa. We bought a couple of pastries to go and hurried to get in line for the 2:30 tour of the State Opera. Lots of people were already waiting, and it got more chaotic when we entered the crowded foyer. Luckily, things got better once our group gathered and we were assigned our guide. The opera house is truly magnificent and our guide knowledgeable and charming. Oddly enough, the stage set for the State Opera's current production of Manon Lescaut contrasted sharply with the plush surroundings. The modern interpretation of the opera apparently includes walls of gray concrete and a Lexus. (Not coincidentally, Lexus is one of the State Opera's sponsors.) During the tour, we saw some elaborate halls and galleries, got a glimpse of the imperial box, sat in orchestra-level seats, and even visited the huge, chaotic backstage area. It is astounding the number of different productions the State Opera presents in a year; the opera rotation is such that the same production is never shown back to back. There were so many cool things about this opera house... from the standing room areas (costing only €3-4 per place) to the personal subtitle screens to the annual opera ball, where the stage, orchestra, and seating area is converted into a ballroom. For any lover of the performing arts, a tour of the State Opera is a must when visiting Vienna!

Since the State Opera was dark that night, we decided to catch a show at the Volksoper. When I saw Die Fledermaus advertised, I knew that was the show I wanted to see. It is the quintessential Viennese operetta, after all. Not to mention, I love the overture. We grabbed a box of open-face finger sandwiches from Buffet Trzesniewski and took the metro to the Volksoper. It was wonderful to see this Strauss operetta in Vienna. The music is absolutely wonderful, but I must admit I couldn't help thinking of the Tom and Jerry Hollywood Bowl episode, where Tom conducts selections from the Die Fledermaus overture! But, I digress. I really enjoyed the night's performance, from the lovely set design to the beautiful costumes to the engaging cast and the talented orchestra. Die Fledermaus is fun and frothy, with wonderful dancing and great arias. I can see why it is tradition to stage the operetta on New Year's Eve in Vienna. Click here to see a great video promo of the Volksoper's Fledermaus.

We started the next morning with a visit to St. Stephen's Cathedral. Then we toured the Imperial Apartments at the Hofburg. The combo ticket also included admission to the imperial silver collection and the Sisi Museum. ("Sisi" is the affectionate nickname for the beautiful Empress Elisabeth, wife of Franz Joseph. She was a sort of Princess Diana of the 19th Century.) After touring Hofburg, we bought some finger sandwiches and pastries from the famous Café Demel and walked to Stadt Park. There, we ate our lunch on a bench near the famous golden statue of Strauss. After lunch, we hurried back to Pension Suzanne to collect our bags and head for the metro. A transfer and several mad dashes later, we got on the 1:50 p.m. train to Budapest with barely a minute to spare! The train literally started moving seconds after we climbed aboard. Thus ended our adventures in Vienna. Onward to Budapest!

P.S. Some additional random notes. One: J. and I puzzled over why the Vienna metro did not include a U5 line. All the metro maps showed lines U1 through U6, but always sans U5. Turns out that all the plans to build the U5 line never came to fruition due to reasons such as insufficient expected traffic. Two: If there were a Czech-inspired Tom and Jerry episode, I could've dubbed this trip the "Tom and Jerry Trip." In addition to the episode showcasing the overture from Die Fledermaus, there is an episode where the cartoon cat and mouse actually live in the house of Johann Strauss! Tom teaches himself to play piano waltzes to lure Jerry, who can't resist dancing when he hears Strauss's music, out of his hole. Another episode presents Tom as a concert pianist performing Franz Liszt's Hungarian Rhapsody! Anyway, I think it's cool that old cartoons incorporate classical music. ;)

Prague: Aug. 28 - Aug. 31

2009-09-19T23:24:00.000-07:00

It had been a few years since I last took an overseas vacation, so it was with great anticipation that I embarked on my recent trip to Europe. Prague, the golden city of a hundred spires, had long been on my "To Visit" list, and finally seeing it in person certainly did not disappoint. It is a city full of picturesque charm and vibrant energy.
Getting to Prague took some effort: two flights, a tight changeover in London Heathrow, and a traffic-filled shuttle ride from Prague-Ruzyne Airport to our B&B, Lida Guesthouse. We spent the remainder of the afternoon planning (with a lot of invaluable, friendly guidance from our B&B host), resting, and getting our bearings. The next day, we began our sightseeing at Vyšehrad, a castle only one metro stop away from our B&B. The large castle compound included a Romanesque Rotunda, the Basilica of St. Peter and Paul, and a cemetery where reknowned Czechs such as Dvorák and Smetana were laid to rest. Jumping from the old to the new, we next visited Frank Gehry's Dancing House. I enjoyed seeing an example of his work that differed from the signature look exemplified by the Guggenheim and the Walt Disney Concert Hall. Then it was off to the Strahov Monastery. There, we paid admission to view the famous libraries, but one of them (the Library of Philosophy) was undergoing a massive renovation. Scaffolding hid the entire room from view, and we could only get a sense of its opulence from a poster. The Library of Religion, however, was open for viewing. At the end of the spacious room, we glimpsed the glass cabinets where forbidden texts were held. I was a bit puzzled by the sculpture near the door to the library. He was probably a lamenting monk or saint, but he looked as if he could just as likely be suffering from a toothache. The hallway joining the two libraries were filled with curio cabinets and ancient tomes with dusty, peeling spines. The slightest touch probably would've disintegrated the ages-old books. Of the specimen held in the cabinets, I found the preserved baby dodo to be the most interesting.

Afterward, we walked down the hill to Prague Castle. We ate a quick lunch (I had a salad and mini potato croquettes), and we got to the castle gate just as the changing of the guard took place. Once inside the castle, we visited St. Vitus Cathedral first. It is a massive and inspiring piece of Gothic architecture. I thought the interior even more stunning than the exterior. I especially loved how the light filtering through the stained glass windows painted lovely splashes of pinks, oranges, and blues on some of the stone columns. Of the many differently styled stained glass windows adorning the cathedral, my favorite was, of course, the one designed by Alphonse Mucha, the brilliant Art Nouveau artist. We next wandered the castle grounds a bit, making brief stops at the old royal palace and St. George's Basilica, though these were rather anticlimactic after St. Vitus. However, the balconies from the palace did offer gorgeous views of Prague. This city really does seem to have wonderful views wherever you look! The last area we visited in the castle was the Golden Lane, a picturesque row of cute little houses now serving as souvenir shops. Franz Kafka lived in the blue No. 22 for a time.

That evening, we had a good, filling dinner at a restaurant called Josephina. I tried the turkey with ham and peach, an entrée that probably wasn't Czech in any way, but it was tasty, particularly the peaches. We then rushed back to the city center to catch a concert at Smetana Hall in Municipal House, a glorious Art Nouveau building. The small orchestra played favorites from Mozart and Strauss, giving us a sort of musical preview of our next destination. Two opera singers and two ballet dancers accompanied the orchestra. It was an enjoyable show, but it definitely catered to tourists and felt rather brief. My favorite part was the dancing; it was by turns lively and romantic, and the costumes were beautiful.

After taking care of some travel logistics the next morning, we headed for the Mucha Museum. I thoroughly enjoyed seeing the delicate intricacy of Mucha's Art Nouveau posters up close. Having long been a fan of his work, I found it rather wonderful to experience such a variety of his original works in person. Aside from theatre posters and magazine art, the museum displayed studio photographs, paintings, lithographs, books, stamps, money, and a small collection of decorative arts, all designed by Mucha. I learned a lot from the video biography of Mucha playing at the back of the museum.

Next, we strolled through Old Town, the highlight of which was the central square containing the Huss Memorial, St. Nicholas Church (one of two so-named churches in Prague), and the astronomy clock tower. We watched the very brief "show" when the clock struck at the top of the hour. A skeleton (Death) on the elaborate clock rang the bell while 12 saints rotated through 2 open windows. I found it amusing when the large crowd applauded as the mechanism stopped. It was hard to tell if the applause was genuine or sarcastic. The astronomy clock itself, however, is truly a beautiful marvel.
We wandered a bit through the Jewish Quarter and walked up Paris Street, Prague's version of the Champs-Élysées. It's a lovely tree-lined street filled with high-end shops and sporting a view of a kinetic sculpture (a giant metronome) on the other side of the river. Apparently, the metronome replaced a statue of Stalin. The afternoon was wearing late, so we went to a tea house in Wenceslas Square for respite and sustenance. I ordered the flower bud tea, a green tea with a jasmine flower that unfurled as it steeped. J. had a red tea with the intriguing name of hair tea. For food, we had hummus with pita and veggies, a savory couscous bowl, and a sweet couscous bowl.

Later, we strolled a bit along the beautiful Vltava River before reaching the famous Charles Bridge. Despite the fact that parts of the bridge were under renovation, it was still very cool to walk across this landmark, taking in the statues, tourists, vendors, and most of all the magnificent views of the river cutting through the city. We then entered the Little Quarter, where we made a quick stop at St. Nicholas Church (the other one) to snap some photos. Daylight was fading by the time we caught the funicular up Petrin Hill. The funicular exited into a large park at the top of the hill. An observatory stood in the distance, and we walked through a couple of rose gardens to get to Petrin Tower. The 60m structure looked like a mini Eiffel Tower. We climbed the 299 steps up the tower's double staircase to appreciate breathtaking views of this lovely city as the sun sank below the horizon and dusk darkened into evening. Really, it was a perfect way to end our Prague sightseeing.
Next stop: Vienna!

Coraline Out on DVD/Blu-Ray

2009-07-21T22:41:00.001-07:00

Hurray! Coraline was released today on DVD and Blu-ray in exactly the way I'd hoped: with both the 2D and the 3D versions, accompanied by 4 pairs of 3D glasses. When I saw the movie in the theater months ago, I was blown away by its visual artistry. It had such an amazing look and atmosphere.
The stop-motion film was beautiful, sinister, compelling, heartwarming, humorous, and haunting. This is admittedly an odd amalgam, but it really worked. I saw the movie in 2D, and it was gorgeous, but I remained very curious about the 3D version. I hoped the DVD would include both versions, and it does!
When I can manage to find a bit of free time, I'd also like to reread Neil Gaiman's novel for a fresh comparison. The film did a wonderful job of bringing his work to vibrant, animated life, but there were also deviations (e.g., the character of Wybie, who I actually rather liked). So much to do, see, and read... and, as always, so little time!

Seriously?

2009-07-20T23:58:00.000-07:00

This one is for all my editor friends out there. I'm sure you've all experienced frustration with vendors, but I think the following example takes this all-too-common occurrence to a rather ridiculous level. Here is an illustration from a 1st proof I received.
Here is my comment in response to the image: "This boy looks identical to the boy on p. 3. Please change so he looks more like he's doing a kung fu move (or karate chop) and less like he's dancing." Now, keep in mind that the page on which the above illustration appears is page 6; that's only 3 pages away from the first iteration of this boy in the book!

So, guess what I got back in 2nd proof?
I mean, really? When I saw this, my initial reaction was, "If this weren't happening to me, it'd be hilarious." Sigh. Why are good vendors so impossible to find? On the bright side, vendor mishaps and inadequacies can provide an endless supply of laughs (sardonic though they may be) at the office. One of us merely has to say, "hiya!" and ironic hilarity ensues. Gotta look at the silver lining, right? ;P

Probably One of the Strangest Things I've Ever Had to Do for Work

2009-04-10T23:27:00.000-07:00

Yesterday morning, I walked into the office to the news that we needed an emergency recording of someone saying the word "toy" in Mandarin (玩具). The vocabulary word was added at the last minute (after the recording of the English-Mandarin pronunciation guide was already done), so we had to scramble and come up with a creative patch job to add the word. Anyway, I was the only Mandarin-speaking person on site that day, so I gamely undertook the task. Oh, and I was supposed to sound like a 6-year-old Chinese boy.

It may seem like a simple enough task, but our office building is not an ideal environment for audio recording. Drooper found out from Facilities that there was a so-called Privacy Room on the third floor, so we headed there with his microphone and digital recorder. The Privacy Room turned out to be a small, dark closet equipped with a chair, a desk, and a phone. I imagine its main purpose was for personal phone calls (since most of us are in cubes). So, we set up and did a couple of takes, but the ambient noise was actually quite loud. See, the Privacy Room was right next to the elevators and a stairwell. As a result, we frequently heard sounds of gears turning, echoing footsteps ("Damn high heels!" Drooper exclaimed), or voices and laughter. Unfortunately, these background sounds got picked up by the mic.

Drooper came up with a way to combat the ambient noise. He said that if I didn't mind, it would help if I threw a jacket over my head & did the recording under the jacket. This project was just getting odder and odder, but hey, it had to be done. So Drooper ran downstairs to get his jacket, and a short while later, I was huddled under a large leather jacket in the weird Privacy Room, saying "玩具" multiple times into a handheld mic. Truly, this had to be one of the most bizarre things I've ever had to do for a job! But, the task was accomplished, so all's well that ends well!

Eventful Week

2009-03-26T22:27:00.000-07:00

Last Saturday, I used my Silver Pass for the first time to go to Disneyland and California Adventure. (I'd never been to the latter park before.) Cousins J, C, and I got to the parks a bit after 11 and didn't depart till 12 hours later. Suffice it to say, we had a lot of fun but were also exhausted by the time we got home! Here's a run-down of what we accomplished during our sojourn at "the Happiest Place on Earth":

Hit Adventureland first to grab Fast Passes for the Indiana Jones ride.
Visited the Haunted Mansion (only a 5-minute wait!), which was back to its usual campy spookiness.
Went on Pirates of the Caribbean (spotted the one instance of Johnny Depp I missed last time).
Lunched at the Carnation Cafe on Main Street USA.
Went on Big Thunder Mountain Railroad (so much fun!) and then shared a churro.
Returned to Indiana Jones, but the ride was broken, so headed over to Tomorrow Land. Got FPs for Buzz Lightyear Astro Blaster.
Went on Star Tours (surprisingly, only a 15-minute line). Upon exiting, heard a young girl say, "That was tight!"
Still had time to kill before FP window for Buzz Lightyear, so we went to Fantasy Land & got in line for It's a Small World. While waiting, saw the parade of world dolls to mark the quarter hour. Spent the entire ride spotting the newly integrated dolls from Disney films: Peter Pan & Tinker Bell, Aladdin & Jasmine, Cinderella & mice, Alice in Wonderland, Ariel & Flounder, Mulan & Mushu, Simba & Pumba, Lilo & Stitch (only saw the back of these last two, but they were on a surfboard & seemed cute).
Went back to Buzz Lightyear. Doubled my score from last time, but still suck at it! It was J's first time on the ride & she got over 200,000. I earned an embarrassing score in the 8000s!
Checked on Indiana Jones & the ride was operational. FPs are a wonderful invention. Instead of waiting 85 minutes, we got on the ride after only 20 minutes. (I later read the in-depth ride description on wikipedia, and even though I've gone on the ride several times, I think I always miss more than half the details described!)
Went over to California Adventure. While wandering, kept running into the parade path of Toy Story characters!
Tried to get on the Toy Story Mania ride, but it too broke down. Shared a ginormous turkey leg for a snack. It was pretty good, but made me feel rather barbaric.
Went to Soarin' Over California (learned about it on a Samantha Brown special on the Travel Channel). Very long line, so we tried the single riders line. It was like having an FP! Very cool ride (and, as luck would have it, I got to sit in the front row).
Returned to Disneyland for dinner at the French Market. While eating, could hear (and catch little glimpses of) the Fantasmic show on the Rivers of America. Really must catch the show next time. I remember loving it when I saw it years ago. Hearing the sounds made me very nostalgic.
A fireworks show followed shortly after. It was a bit of a trial trying to make our way through the crush to Tomorrow Land. (Should've tried going the other way, into Critter Country!)
Went on Autopia. Very bumpy, and not as fun as I remembered. 'Course, the ride is more fun if you can't drive a real car...
Went back to Fantasy Land, looking for rides with short lines: Mr. Toad's Wild Ride, Snow White's Scary Adventure, and Pinocchio's Daring Journey. It was kind of anticlimactic, but hey, the wait was 5 minutes or less! (Unlike Peter Pan, which still had a 40 minute wait when we left!)

With all the late hours I'd been working, it took me longer to recover from the Disneyland outing than I expected. Then, on Wednesday, I went to see the Pairs Long Program at the World Figure Skating Championships. Luckily, I worked from home that day, but it was still quite a scramble to get all my work done and get to my friend Ebs's house to carpool to Staples Center. We got there toward the end of the first group's skate. Our seats, purchased through Goldstar, were pretty good: Loge, above the Media Tables. I'm sure I've never been to this level at Staples Center!

It's been ages since I'd seen figure skating live. The triple twists, throw jumps, and lifts are definitely more breathtaking when seen live. It's amazing what these athletes are able to accomplish... the truly brilliant skaters seem to defy physics with artistry and elegance. I'm glad I went, but I had hoped for more clean performances. Even the champions, Aliona Savchenko & Robin Szolkowy, had a minor hiccup (a freak fall on a non-element) in an otherwise beautiful skate. Still, they were so good that there was no doubt in anyone's mind that they deserved to win. And the judges concurred; Savchenko & Szolkowy beat the silver medalists (Zhang & Zhang) by almost 17 points! The scariest fall was taken by Yuko Kawaguchi on an attempted throw quad. She hit the ice so hard, she actually bounced. I thought she deserved a medal just for getting up and skating the rest of the program. Kawaguchi and Smirnov ended up with the bronze.

Even though it was after 11, we stayed for the medal ceremony. I mean, how often does one get to go to a World Championship, right? Because of the location of our seats, we were facing the back of the makeshift medal podium. Thank goodness for Jumbotrons! The funniest part of the night was when the medalists were receiving their awards, and the media photographers half crouched, half slinked across the black carpet to take their pictures. It was really a bizarre sight, and I wish I had used my camera to take a video!

Kimonos and Robots

2009-01-22T22:24:00.000-08:00

In the past several weeks, I finally got around to watching a couple of DVDs that I’d been meaning to for quite some time. The first was Kenneth Branagh’s adaptation of As You Like It. Given that this is one of my favorite Shakespearean comedies, I was really excited about the film version. And Branagh has done such wonders with film adaptations of Shakespeare plays, the best being (in my humble opinion) Much Ado About Nothing. Branagh set his interpretation of As You Like It in nineteenth century Japan, which I found very intriguing. And it certainly was visually stunning. The costumes, in particular, were gorgeous—a fusion of Victorian and Japanese garb. Bryce Dallas Howard was a vibrant Rosalind, and Romola Garai nearly outshone her as Celia. (I didn't even recognize her as the same actress who portrayed the 18-year-old Briony Tallis in Atonement!) For all its good points, however, the film never grabbed me the way I expected it to. I can't quite put my finger on it, but something seemed lacking. I came away with the vague feeling that perhaps As You Like It simply works better as a play. When I read it a few years ago, I remember loving the language and thinking, "Wow, I think this may have just become my favorite Shakespearean comedy." Then, I saw Sir Peter Hall's RSC production at the Ahmanson Theatre. With a 1930s, depression-era backdrop, it was both nuanced and memorable. Branagh's version is beautiful to look at, and all the actors were extremely competent. But, the spark that truly brings a film to life and creates a deep connection between the audience and the characters on screen remained elusive.

One last note: Brian Blessed had the difficult task of portraying both Duke Senior and his power-hungry brother Duke Frederick. Blessed was excellent in both roles, but images from his stint as Old Deuteronomy in Cats kept leaping unbidden to my mind! Okay, so this picture here isn't of Brian Blessed, but my searches came up empty. This was the best I could do, but I think it gives a good idea of why the image interfered with my ability to focus on and truly enjoy Blessed's efforts in the film!

If you haven't yet guessed, the second DVD I watched was Wall-E. Yes, I know, I work at Disney. How could I have waited till now to watch this film? What can I say? 2008 was an insanely busy year! Anyway, Pixar did its usual amazing job with this film. I appreciated its lofty goals and its artistic achievement. How it gave essentially non-speaking robots such personality and soul really was brilliant. And, of course, its environmental message certainly is timely and relevant. But, just like Branagh's film, Wall-E left me not entirely satisfied. The obese humans' return to a still-toxic Earth seemed unrealistic, and I didn't understand why some live acting was injected into an otherwise all-CGI film. Because I couldn't see the purpose for doing this, it actually distracted me during the movie. Also, the messages, while extremely important, seemed a bit overhanded. Overall, I liked the film, respected what it set out to do, and marveled at what it accomplished artistically and technically. But, I didn't love the film. Perhaps I can best convey my feelings with a comparison to its Pixar predecessor: Wall-E is a more important film than Ratatouille, but I liked Ratatouille more.

Sniffles

2008-12-31T12:42:00.000-08:00

Another holiday season, another cold. Alas, toward the end of my visit with Sis, I caught a cold (probably from my dad). Now I am blowing my nose every few minutes and plying myself with hot water and throat lozenges. (No, I will not be venturing out for matzo ball soup.) Thank goodness I get to work from home this week. Though there are deadlines to meet, at least I get to stay in my pajamas and work in the relative comfort of my home. Telecommuting is a wonderful invention.

2008 probably wasn't a great year for most people, but I really can't complain. After all, I finally escaped Ye Olde Textbooke Factorie, and though the road has been a bit on the bumpy side, I truly enjoy my new job. My team is awesome, and the work is engaging and creative. Here's hoping everyone's 2009 is filled with health, happiness, and fulfillment. Happy New Year!

Holiday Travels

2008-12-26T09:42:00.000-08:00

I spent most of Christmas day in a car, going from LA to the Bay Area. The varied weather conditions that met us on this trip made it a somewhat surreal experience. The beginning of the drive was marked by heavy rain that significantly reduced visibility. It was a bit like driving through white mist, except the pelting rain persistently reminded you of its physicality. Then we hit the higher elevations, where patches of snow decorated the mountain peaks and valleys. After we got through the Tejon Pass, the weather cleared up, and blue skies greeted us. High winds, however, made this stretch of the drive challenging in more ways than one. Not only did the wind affect steering, but it hurtled tumbleweeds across our path! I'm not exaggerating when I say that some of these tumbleweeds were as big as hay bales. And they were often not easy to dodge. I saw a car going in the opposite direction whose entire front bumper was obscured behind a fat, thorny tumbleweed. We emerged from the bombarding tumbleweed episode relatively unscathed, having only been hit by a few smaller and mid-sized ones.

As we entered another gray sky area, we saw a very pretty rainbow brightening the clouds. Unfortunately, I did not get my camera out quickly enough to take a picture. A little past the halfway point, we stopped for lunch at a Carl's Jr. I don't think I've ever seen a fast-food restaurant so crowded and chaotic before! Who knew so many people would be traveling along the I-5 on Christmas day. The rest of the road trip was relatively uneventful. It was lovely to finally arrive at our destination (my sister's new home), and enjoy the rest of the day with conversation, food, presents, TV, video games, and general merriment. Happy holidays, everyone! :)

Immersion

2008-12-16T21:43:00.001-08:00

After nearly 10 months of freelancing for the Mouse, I was finally brought on as permanent staff last week. Becoming "official" meant I had to participate in a day and a half of orientation (or, as some have dubbed it, "indoctrination"). I actually found the experience very interesting, and it was quite a nice morale booster. The highlight of the orientation was a tour of the studio lot, during which we got to walk into the sound stage for Eli Stone. Though I don't follow the show (and it is yet another ABC show slated for cancellation), it was still pretty cool. And I loved that the statue of Dopey (part of the facade of the executives' building) was adorned with a large Santa's hat in celebration of the holiday season.

We also visited the Archive Library, where we marveled over historical Disney artifacts. Did you know that decades ago, Donald Duck lime cola and Donald Duck frozen flounder fillets could be found in stores? Of course, the Archive Library also displayed props from recent films; these included Prince Edward's sword from Enchanted, the cursed medallion from Pirates of the Caribbean, and Julie Andrews' Genovian driver's license from The Princess Diaries. The best part was when the librarian brought out an Academy Award, and we actually got to hold it. The Oscar felt very heavy and substantial. No wonder so many winners remark on its heftiness!

To cap off the day of immersion, we were given tickets to attend the company holiday party at Disneyland that night. (We were brought on just in time for it!) The park was open only to employees and family members from 8 to midnight. It's been years since I've been to Disneyland, so I had a blast (despite the long day). We hit the Indiana Jones ride, Pirates of the Caribbean (the repeated references to the film trilogy felt a bit forced), the Haunted Mansion (brilliantly redone in a Nightmare Before Christmas theme, just for the holidays), Star Tours (probably my favorite ride), Buzz Lightyear Astro Blasters (no line, but I apparently suck at it!), and Space Mountain. It felt very much like grad night. ;) Even though I didn't get home till around 2 AM (and I still had another half day of orientation the next morning), I am so glad I went. To top it off, the holiday decorations were absolutely beautiful.
It certainly puts one in a festive mood. Only 9 more days till Christmas! Yay!

Sniff, Sniff

2008-12-10T23:07:00.000-08:00

It figures that a few days after my last entry, the announcement came that ABC is canceling Pushing Daisies. The show will air through episode 13; that means there are only 4 episodes left! Of course, episode 13 will be a cliffhanger, so there will be no closure. I hate unresolved, or at least unintended, cliffhangers! The only glimmer of hope is that Executive Producer Brian Fuller is exploring avenues for bringing some kind of conclusion to PD fans: "We are talking to DC Comics about doing comic books that will wrap up our story lines, and I already have a pitch for a [big-screen] movie ready to go." I guess all we can do is keep our fingers crossed that Fuller's efforts come to fruition. That, and savor the few remaining episodes. How sad that such an imaginative and visually stunning show is getting the ax. Granted, this season hasn't quite captured my attention in the same way the premier season did, but Pushing Daisies is still the most refreshing show on television. The fantasy it wraps us in is such a lovely antidote to the slew of self-multiplying reality shows dominating the airwaves. Sigh.

Missing Daisies

2008-11-17T13:12:00.000-08:00

I’m bummed that I haven’t been able to get my Pushing Daisies fix these past couple of weeks. Two Wednesdays ago, I turned on the TV at 8 only to find that Dancing with the Stars was airing. Last Wednesday, I was disappointed again because ABC was broadcasting the Country Music Awards. Being Daisy-less these past weeks made me impatient, so I checked the ABC website and was assured that a new episode will grace the airwaves this coming Wednesday. Now if only I can get some of Ned’s pies to consume while I watch the show… A cup pie would be perfect…

Computer Frustrations

2008-11-16T21:17:00.000-08:00

So, a little over 3 weeks ago, the web browsers on my desktop computer suddenly lost the ability to connect to the internet. Other programs, such as Windows Updates and Norton Anti-Virus, apparently still worked just fine, but the browsers could now only display “Unable to load page” error messages. Thinking it an internet issue, I called AT&T DSL tech support. After spending an hour on the phone with two tech reps, I was told that there was nothing wrong with the modem or the connection. If I start the computer in safe mode, the web browsers work. If I start in normal mode, something prevents the browsers from accessing the net. The level 2 tech rep (who sounded a bit condescending and put-upon) suggested that I find a friend who knows computers or take my disabled system to the Geek Squad.

The apparent culprit behind this connectivity issue is one of those automatic updates that run in the background, often without our knowledge. Something in a recent (buggy) Windows or Firefox update clearly does not get along with Norton Anti-Virus or Windows firewall. I researched the problem, and it is apparently not an uncommon one. However, none of the recommended solutions I read about have worked thus far. The only way I’ve been able to get online is with my laptop, which I bought in February to be my work computer.

It’s been over 3 weeks since I’ve been able to get online with my desktop, and I’m facing a rather drastic solution: back up all the data on the system and reimage the hard drive. This means wiping the computer clean and reinstalling all the software. Though a colleague has told me that some (techie) people routinely do this to make their computers run efficiently, I’m feeling a bit of trepidation about this step. But, I don’t really see a way around this. Everything is so web-based these days that my desktop will surely become defunct should its inability to connect to the internet become permanent. And the system is only a little over 3 years old!

This problem has doubtless been a frustrating and annoying one, but it also started me thinking about how dependent on technology (especially the information superhighway) modern life is. And that makes me a tad uneasy. I can’t imagine life without a functioning computer, broadband, and email. What does that say about me and our civilization as a whole? And so much is automated these days… things we don’t even see (for example, the automatic updates that caused the subject of this rant). How easily might things slip from our control? I suppose it is just a fact of modern life that we must accept, discomfiting as it is.

Saints Alive!

2008-11-07T16:13:00.000-08:00

I haven’t been able to blog as often as I’d liked in the past several weeks. This is in part due to my having computer issues. But, I think I’ll save my rant for the next entry since I’d like to write about something fun before delving into a negative spiral. ;P Anyway, this past Saturday, I attended my first All Saints Day party. Guests were invited to come dressed as their favorite saints. We were informed that past favorites included The St. Petersburg Times and Mt. St. Helens.

Being a literature geek, I wrote in my evite response: Not that he's my favorite saint, but does St. John Rivers count, even though it's pronounced "sinjin"? ;P (For non-literary-types, St. John Rivers is a character in Charlotte Brontë’s Jane Eyre.) When the day came, however, I was uninspired and didn’t have enough time. So, I showed up in a black sweater and blue jeans. Little did I know that my simple attire would soon become 2 costumes in one!

St. Bernard greeted me at the door. He was dressed both as the monk and the dog! He was sporting a monk’s robe, a crucifix, and a mini keg. (Yes, the mini keg was fastened around his neck.) The host, my friend Sergimus, was dressed as the US Virgin Islands (St. Thomas, St. Croix, and St. John). I immediately asked, “Ooh, can I be a British Virgin Island?” Turns out the BVIs are not named after saints, but we came up with another Caribbean island for me to be. A few minutes later, I had cut a rudimentary shape out of printer paper, labeled it “St. Kitts,” and taped it to my sweater. (I was later told that my St. Kitts island looked like a cross between a fish and a drumstick.) The Caribbean certainly had a strong showing at the party. Another girl was dressed as St. Barth!

Shortly thereafter, KPGirl and Proof Daddy arrived. They were both wearing black turtlenecks and blue jeans. Proof Daddy said he was Val Kilmer from The Saint, and KPGirl was his understudy. I remarked that I could be the understudy’s understudy. (Not quite as inspired or funny as St. Bernard, but at least I was somewhat saintly.) Other saints at the party included Joan of Arc (who sported an awesome sword), the St. Pauli Girl, a New Orleans Saint, and (my personal favorites) the Monopoly properties of St. Charles Place and St. James Place.

It was a fun and relaxing party, with good company and good food. (The hosts made an amazing array of Chicago Deep Dish pizza.) Amidst the chatting and eating, we played a game of Wii bowling, and I inexplicably got an all-time high score of 216. I must’ve gotten something like 7 strikes and even started the game with a turkey! It was rather baffling. Then came karaoke, the highlight of which was the men’s rousing rendition of “Bohemian Rhapsody.” We even screened a 10-minute film written, directed, and produced by several party attendees. All in all, it was a rollicking good time. :)

So This Is What It Feels Like...

2008-11-04T23:48:00.000-08:00

. . . to vote for the winning candidate in a presidential election. How thrilling, humbling, and moving to be a part of this historic day.

South Park Office

2008-10-17T22:46:00.000-07:00

Some weeks ago, I thought it would be fun to send the South Park Studios link to some colleagues. Before I knew it, a viral campaign was underway to get everyone on the team to create South Park avatars! The results were pretty hilarious, so I decided to create a collage showing the avatars of the participants. (This image shows about half of our team.)
Some people took a metaphorical approach, with a few swerving deep into outlandish territory. (The avatar with the horns and blood, for example, was created by a very sweet, calm, quiet girl!) Others took a more literal approach. In fact, it's a little frightening how much some of these avatars resemble their human counterparts! Regardless, it was quite an amusing team-building project.

Baseball Blues and Other Random Thoughts

2008-10-13T21:35:00.000-07:00

I had intended to write a rah-rah blog about the Dodgers coming back from down 2 games to even up the NLCS, but a pitching melt-down in the 8th inning precluded that from happening. What a bummer. Now they are down 3-1 in the series, and we're going to need a miracle for our men in blue to pull off an upset. Sigh. Less than 2 hours ago, I was marveling at how wonderful it was to see the NLCS back at Dodger Stadium after 20 years, and how the excitement and elation of the Dodger faithfuls, decked in blue and waving spirit towels, transcended the television set. We need some serious magic from the rally monkey... oh, wait, we don't have a rally monkey. Besides, he probably wouldn't be much help right now, considering how easily the Angels were dispatched by the Red Sox. (Being an underdog fan, I am of course rooting for Tampa Bay in the ALCS.) Anyway, even though he's not their official mascot, maybe the "rally koala" can help the Dodgers turn the series around. Sure, history is against them, but teams have come back from a 3-1 deficit before.

In more cheerful news, it is apparently the 50th anniversary of the first Paddington Bear book! Google doodles are a wonderful thing. Not only do I appreciate the artistry and occasional humor, but they are also very informative! Happy 50th to our favorite bear from darkest Peru!
And one last unrelated comment: I hate fire season.

Speaking of Kawaii Things...

2008-09-30T01:00:00.001-07:00

On Saturday, I went to visit my friend Rockhopper. In addition to having lots of fun playing Wii Fit and watching Seinfeld episodes on DVD, we looked through some of her souvenirs from a trip to Japan earlier this year. Among the items was a mini origami notepad from the Osaka Aquarium. You can write notes on one side and then fold the paper into a penguin or sea otter. It really was too adorable for words.
And now let's segue to something that presents a somewhat twisted but very hilarious take on "kawaii-ness." I first learned about Meghan Murphy's Kawaii Not comics months ago at a happy hour gathering after work. One of the senior producers whipped out a very cute, animé-looking book and passed it around. We were each told to tear out one page and share it with everyone. We flipped through the pages amid much laughter, and it was immediately obvious that we all appreciated the "cute gone bad" humor of the 4-panel comic strips. I thought it was so funny that I had to buy a copy for myself (and one for my sister, too). If you like cute stuff with an edge, check out Murphy's Kawaii Not website. A new webcomic is posted every few days.

Musings on Marketing Trends

2008-09-21T14:55:00.001-07:00

When the 100-calorie snack packs first came out a few years ago, I had no idea just how far this trend would go. My sister was the one who informed me that the trend had a name: forced portion control. (Sounds a bit serious, doesn't it?) It makes perfect marketing sense, of course, given America's obesity epidemic. At the time, however, I simply thought the packaging convenient, and on occasion, the light snacks surprisingly rivaled their original, full-caloried counterparts in tastiness. More recent walks through the grocery store, or indeed any store that peddles packaged foods, reveal just how widespread this trend has gone. It seems you can find anything in the 100-calorie form. My favorite is the mini soft drink can. I find it appealing, not because it's only 100 calories, but because of what I call the "kawaii factor." Kawaii is the Japanese word for "cute," and these little cans just look so darn cute!
It's not just food that takes advantage of the kawaii factor. Take a look at these movie images. Is not Wall-E a kawaii version of the Short Circuit robot?
And take a look at the evolution of the iPod nano between the 2nd and 3rd generations. The 3G nano definitely has the kawaii factor going on.
Of course, the 4G nano is back to a tall and slim design, so I guess the pendulum is swinging back to the other side. Regardless, Apple certainly leads the market in product design, packaging, and marketing.

Words and Whimsy

2008-09-10T22:52:00.000-07:00

I don't relish the frequency with which I leave work after 7 these days, but it has allowed me to catch the radio show Says You on the commute home Tuesday nights. Described as "a game of words and whimsy, bluff and bluster," Says You features wordplay and language trivia that are as hilarious as they are fascinating.

Consider, if you will, the words presented in this week's Balderdash segment: stoush and nick-fidge. What definitions would you come up with for these terms? Can you imagine saying to someone, "They got into a big stoush today," or "Don't be a nick-fidge"? It turns out that stoush is Australian slang for a fight or argument. And a nick-fidge is someone who frequently gets into trouble. The vagaries of the English language never cease to amaze me.

Another portion of this week's show featured seemingly unconnected word pairs that share an etymological origin. For example: January/janitor, bugle/buffalo, porpoise/pork, Canary Island/canine, and musketeer/mosquito. I'll give you the first one. January and janitor both derive from the name of the Roman god Janus. Janus is the god of beginnings, and January is the first month of the year. Janus is also the god of doors, and the word janitor originally meant doorman! Cool, huh? Okay, maybe this only interests word geeks like me, but if you are reading this blog, chances are that you're a word geek, too. ;P Anyway, give the rest a try!

P.S. Says You airs on KCRW Tuesday evenings from 7:30 to 8:00.

Mystery Solved

2008-09-02T23:30:00.000-07:00

I don't know about you, but during the Olympic Games, I kept seeing people dressed in white pants and blue-and-white polo shirts at the various venues. What made these people stand out to me was the word "BOB" emblazoned on their backs. Of course, I knew it had to be an acronym, but seeing all those BOBs, well, bobbing around tickled my funny bone. Especially since "Bob" is the codename I use at work when marketing, political, or other corporate reasons cause me to produce content that I don't believe in. Such a codename can come in quite handy. During frustrating times, I can tell a few select people, "I'm having a Bob moment." Having a codename and being able to make cryptic remarks are hallmarks of membership in an underground society. ;P Anyway, back to the uniformed BOBs. So, I finally did some sleuthing (i.e., ran a Google search), and it turns out that the acronym stands for Beijing Olympic Broadcasting. I should've known that it was something terribly mundane.

Fortnight in Review

2008-08-24T23:30:00.000-07:00

Okay, so it's really closer to 3 weeks than a fortnight, but I don't know of any nifty sounding word that encapsulates a 3-week period. Besides, this is what my blogging habits have dwindled to...

Roadside Assistance. Almost 3 weeks ago, I left work one evening to find that one of my rear tires had gone completely flat. (I later learned that the culprit was a long, shiny silver nail embedded in the tire. I hadn't even noticed when the puncture occurred.) Thank goodness the flat tire was on the driver side; otherwise, I would've attempted the long commute home, blithely unaware of why my car was trundling along. Thank goodness, also, for the AAA. It makes one feel a little safer braving the streets and freeways of the LA jungle, knowing that inability to change a tire wouldn't leave one indefinitely stranded.

Well Fed. A couple days later, we had a 2-day writers conference at work. This meant lots of presentations and meetings, but also lots of free food: 2 catered lunches and a big dinner at PF Chang's. I'd been to PF Chang's many times before, but this was the first time I'd seen their mini-dessert sampler: a tray of 8 different desserts presented in shot glasses. Some were too sweet, but I still thought the concept was pretty cool. (Here's a photo I found on a review site.) We had about 26 people at dinner, sitting at 2 long tables. Three of these samplers were ordered for our table alone! Needless to say, I was in a bit of a sugar coma as I drove home.

OD-ing on Olympics. The Opening Ceremony was amazing, but the glamour of the event waned a bit when I found out that parts of it were pre-recorded and digitally enhanced. Oh, and the fact that the little girl was lip-syncing. Makes one wonder what else was not real. Phelps and the US swim team rock; every superlative has already been used to describe the amazing feat of 8 golds in one Olympics, so I will simply remain in silent awe. Nastia Liukin embodied breathtaking elegance and artistic gymnastics at its best, while Shawn Johnson was an adorable dynamo of power and precision. Too bad the competition was somewhat marred by underage controversies, questionable scoring, and wonky rules. But, then again, what else is new in the world of gymnastics? At least most of the medals went to people who deserved them. It certainly was an exciting 2 weeks of sports, and it was cool to see competitions that are never televised in non-Olympic years. Of course, my sleeping habits became even more messed up than usual during the 17-day span, but I think it was worth it. Oh, and I just love the Google Doodles that accompanied these Games!

Night at the Bowl. It's been 3 years since I last attended a concert at the Hollywood Bowl, so when free tickets were being offered as a bonus at work, I jumped at the opportunity, even though it meant missing part of the Women's Gymnastics competition. It was a wonderful concert, and I thoroughly enjoyed it despite not being familiar with the music (Philip Glass: Two Interludes from the CIVIL warS, Violin Concerto; Edward Elgar: Enigma Variations). And the seats were amazing too: garden boxes. So this is how the other half lives...

More Good Food. Two Thursdays ago, some co-workers and I went out for a vegetarian dinner at Fatty's Café. The word vegetarian turned a lot of people off from attending the dinner, but I'm glad I went because the food really was delicious. Our little group shared a "monster four" appetizer sampler, 4 entrées, and a chocolate fondue dessert. Yum. I definitely plan on going back again.

Parking Lot Technology. Last weekend, I met up with a friend at the Century City mall. (Not surprisingly, it has become yet another Westfield property.) I can't even remember when was the last time I set foot in that shopping center. Probably ten years ago. So, I was quite taken aback by how much it had evolved. The aspect that impressed me the most was actually its parking garage. The massive lot has a sensor above each parking space that remains green when empty and becomes red when a car parks in it. Along the major lanes, arrowed lights tell you how many vacant spaces are available in each direction. How awesome is that?

Things I Saw This Weekend

2008-07-23T23:54:00.000-07:00

Terra Cotta Warriors: On Sunday, I trekked all the way down to Santa Ana to visit the Bowers Museum. Some weeks back, I had caught a PBS special about how the museum was exhibiting a collection of the famed terra cotta warriors from China. Since I have no idea when I will actually make it to China, I figured I should take this opportunity to experience at least a small sampling of the so-called "Eighth Wonder of the Ancient World." Though the tickets were a bit pricey (with the good ol' AAA discount, it was $24 per adult), I'm still glad I made the effort to catch the exhibition. The workmanship and uniqueness of the life-size figures are impressive, and the audio guide informative, if a little hokey at times. The sheer magnitude of Emperor Qin's tomb, not to mention the quantity and craftsmanship of all the figures buried within, is astounding. Walking through the exhibit, I found myself marveling at not just the skill and labor that went into 2000-year-old artifacts. I mean, think about the level of megalomania that one must possess in order to build such a mausoleum (complete with booby-traps, rivers and lakes of mercury, and thousands of soldiers, servants, musicians, acrobats, and animals).

Lots of Colorful, Pretty Gemstones: Another exhibit I caught at the Bowers featured a myriad of gems from around the world. Some were sculpted into artworks, others set as jewelry. All the bright, sparkling colors were a feast for the eyes. And it's quite an interesting experience to gaze upon a hunk of semi-precious stone weighing several thousand carats. In addition to seeing lots of pretty jewels, I learned that the name amethyst derives from Greek for "not intoxicated." According to mythology, a beautiful maiden named Amethysta was fleeing from Bacchus, the god of wine. The goddess Diana heard the poor maiden's prayers and turned her into a beautiful quartz statue. Bacchus wept tears of remorse over the stone. His tears turned into wine, transforming the quartz into a lovely purple. (Yes, it is Daphne and Apollo revisited. These gods never seem to learn.) Still, I like the story . . . and the gemstone to which it gave its name. Besides, the heroine of one of my favorite childhood stories, The Ordinary Princess by M. M. Kaye, is named Amethyst (Amy for short). Anyway, the Greeks and Romans apparently believed that the amethyst stone would prevent drunkenness. They would wear amethyst or fashion drinking vessels with it to avoid becoming intoxicated.

Cool Children's Book Illustrations and Historic Photos of the LA Dodgers: On the way back from Santa Ana, I stopped at the Central Library downtown. I love that library. It is so full of history and architectural beauty, and there always seems to be cool exhibits on display. The collection of books, CDs, and DVDs is also quite impressive. Anyway, the Getty Gallery presented an exhibition titled Children Should Be Seen: The Image of the Child in American Picture-Book Art. By turns whimsical, moving, photo-realistic, bold, and stylized, the diverse illustrations were fun and wonderful to behold. Downstairs in the First Floor Galleries, a series of black-and-white photos comprised the Play Ball! Images of Dodger Blue, 1958-1988 exhibit. Being a long-time Dodger fan, I appreciated the historic glimpse of our men in blue. One of my favorite photos was one of a young Vin Scully, the golden voice of the Dodgers. I have never heard a better baseball announcer; we LA fans are so lucky to have him.

Cat Preying Bird: Okay, if this were the SAT, this last item would be the one that didn't belong. (Then again, I have no idea how much the standardized test has changed since I took it, so my reference would probably fly over the heads of young'uns out there.) But, since this happened in my backyard after I came home from my long day at the museum and library, I figured it sort of fit. Anyway, on Sunday evening, I saw a neighbor's cat lounging in the backyard. At first, I didn't take much notice since neighborhood cats occasionally pass through our yard. A little while later, I realized that the black feline was actually prowling a small injured bird. The cat seemed to be toying with the bird before finishing it off. The tableau was just like watching a nature film, except there was a domestic cat instead of a panther and a small bird instead of a gazelle. I felt the same sense of fascination, pity, and discomfort. We ended up scaring the cat away, and the bird managed to struggle into the bushes, but it was impossible to tell if the injuries were too severe for the bird to survive.

It certainly has been an interesting weekend...

Finally Finished

2008-07-14T21:27:00.001-07:00

A couple of weekends ago, I finally finished the last book in the Harry Potter saga. My quest in reading all 7 books in sequence got a little off-track in the middle of rereading book 5 (my least favorite title in the series). After a 3+ month hiatus, I got through the remaining 300 pages of Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix and zipped through books 6 and 7. I must admit, after book 5, I was starting to lose interest and told myself I was going to finish the series just for the sake of doing so. However, Rowling's masterful plotting and lively pacing of the last 2 books recaptured my heart and mind. I was riveted by all the twist and turns as well as the interplay with the previous books in the series. After Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince, I felt baffled at how all the loose ends could possibly be tied up effectively and convincingly in one final volume. And yet, that is exactly what Rowling did: provide a deeply satisfying conclusion in an elegant, believable, and human way. Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows is perhaps my new favorite in the series (prior to this, I was particularly partial to Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban). What Rowling achieved with her Harry Potter books is a remarkable feat of imagination skillfully executed with warmth, heart, and whimsy tempered with darkness. Like millions of readers, I have enjoyed going along for the ride on this magical journey. For me, the series couldn't have ended in a better way. I actually can't wait to see books 6 and 7 brought to life in film.
P.S. I don't know about you, but I loved what Rowling did with the Snape story. ;)

Lunchtime Adventures

2008-06-26T23:20:00.000-07:00

On Monday, three work friends and I decided to go out for lunch rather than get food from the commissary (a fancy, entertainment term for cafeteria). We went to Zankou Chicken and had a nice, relaxing meal in a patio area. On our way back, however, a most unusual thing happened. We were in the right lane, nearing a traffic light, when a large yellow firetruck traveling on the intersecting street made a right turn directly into our lane. Face to face with the imposing fire engine, we pulled to the curb to allow the truck to keep going. (I suppose there is no "wrong way" for emergency vehicles.) To our chagrin, the fire engine moved forward a couple of feet and stopped, effectively trapping our car! Now, how often does that happen?!
The EMT/firefighters got off the truck, pulled on latex gloves, and entered the 99¢ store we were parked next to. (We hypothesized that perhaps someone had passed out in there due to the heat.) This turn of events left us with no recourse but to walk across the street to the 7-Eleven and get some ice cream for dessert. Though no one asked about our long lunch, I think we had a damn good excuse for coming back late (and photographic proof, too!).

The following day, six of us piled into a rental mini-van and went to Katsuya, a Japanese restaurant at the Americana shopping center, for lunch. The presentation was lovely, but the food was just okay and a bit on the pricey side. Unfortunately, the wait was very long (particularly for my order, a simple teriyaki salmon lunch). My Sr. Producer actually had to call our writers and move our one o'clock meeting back an hour because there was no way we'd make it, given the slow service. (Even with the extra hour, we were still a few minutes late.) The most vocal of our troupe, who happens to have experience running restaurants, complained to the waitress about the excessive wait, and the restaurant ended up comping my entrée. (Later, I skimmed the postings on yelp and found this to be common practice at Katsuya, at least the one in Glendale.)

Anyway, the most memorable (i.e., strangest) part of this dining experience was seeing the bathroom design. It is super dark, with very limited glows of light. The stalls were almost darker than the common area in the bathroom. It felt eerie and claustrophobic. The mirrored walls added to the bizarre effect. By far the oddest feature of the bathroom was the main mirror above the sinks, where two creepy geisha faces in stark, ghostly white would fade in and fade out. I mean, this is a restaurant, not a haunted house. What is the purpose of scaring the heck out of your customers? Does fear increase people's appetite? This just seemed like an extraordinarily strange gimmick. Here are some online quotes I found about the infamous bathroom mirror (courtesy of postings on yelp and Chowhound):

beware if u go to katsuya- i ran out from the bathrooms screaming (scary-as-hell-mirrors).
DO NOT LOOK STRAIGHT INTO THE BATHROOM MIRROR AT KATSUYA!!!!! I didn't think the food was that bad, but I would never go into the bathroom by myself again.
I went in to wash my hands and suddenly a face appeared in the mirror (that wasn't mine) and scared the HELL out of me. I guess whenever someone flushes a lighted face shows up? It was definitely memorable.

To help you visualize, here's an amateur video I found of the mirror (though it doesn't quite capture the creepiness of the live experience):

Katsuya Restroom

The sinks, I will allow, were very cool...

Waxing Nostalgic

2008-06-15T22:12:00.001-07:00

I've been on a nostalgia kick in recent months. Naturally, several of these trips down memory lane involve my salad days at Berkeley. One aspect of my college years that I recall particularly fondly is an all-male a cappella group called the UC Men's Octet. They are an entertaining, funny, and talented group of singers that many of us Bears hold very near and dear. As I was reminiscing about the Octet concerts I attended and missing their humorous but always well-executed songs, it occurred to me to do a youtube search. Lo and behold, I found some real gems. Even though all the videos were of rather recent classes, they still carry the Octet flair and heart that I remember so well. Of the clips I found, this is one of my favorites. Enjoy!

P.S. I would so have a crush on this guy if he were in the Octet during my tenure at Cal! ;P

A House Divided

2008-06-08T23:30:00.000-07:00

I live in a rather sports-oriented household. Most of the time, my parents and I root for the same teams. Angels, Dodgers, you know, LA teams. Except when it comes to basketball. My mom is a huge Lakers fan. Dad and I... well, not so much. Mainly because we can't stand Kobe. There's no arguing that he's a brilliant athlete, but we just don't like him... his arrogance, his selfishness, the fact that he is not a good role model for youngsters... So, it has been an interesting, sometimes uncomfortable, experience watching the NBA Playoffs this season. On one side, you have Mom cheering heartily for her men in yellow and purple (like tonight, when she squealed with delight at that miraculous near-comeback in the 4th quarter). On the other, me quietly rooting for the other team and feeling dejected when the Lakers win. Then, of course, there's Dad making disparaging comments about Kobe that put Mom into a bad temper. Interesting times, these playoffs are. (Forgive the lapse into Yoda-speak.)

In other sporting news, poor Fed... steamrolled by Nadal in the French Open finals. Even (gasp!) bageled in the third set. Perhaps it's odd to feel sorry for someone who's achieved so much success, but he truly is a likable champion. I mean, how many athletes have the vocabulary and grace to credit their opponent's play as "sublime"? Well, onward to Wimbledon!

Soaring Gas Prices with No End in Sight

2008-06-03T23:34:00.000-07:00

Last week, for the first time in my life, I was obliged to pay over $4.00 a gallon for gasoline. Not a happy milestone, to be sure, but since so much has been made about that $4.00 mark, I thought I'd been fairly fortunate to hold off paying that much for so long. (It helped that I drive a reasonably sized car that doesn't require the highest grade gasoline.) I grudgingly forked over $50 to fill up my tank and naively thought, "Well, it can't get much worse than this." I mean, all we've been hearing about with regards to gas is this dreaded $4.00 per gallon average. Perhaps I've been out of it (I admittedly don't follow the news very closely), but I haven't heard anything about hitting the $5.00 mark.

To my consternation, the price of gas has ballooned over 30 cents a gallon in the past week. Hitting the $5.00 mark looms quite near for people whose cars require premium gasoline (not to mention those who live in the Bay Area). Why oh why aren't alternate-fuel vehicles already an everyday reality? I wonder when electric and hydrogen-cell cars will become viable in terms of economics and practicality... A more extended and efficient public transportation system would be nice too... I mean, LA must be one of the few major metropolises without an extensive metro/subway system. Sigh.

Chalk Festival

2008-05-23T18:20:00.000-07:00

One of the perks of freelancing for a creative giant is the exposure to amazing artistic talent. A week or so ago, there was a chalk festival held at the offices. Despite the scorching heat, employees and their children happily created ephemeral art on the concrete ground. It helped that the company provided Baskin Robbins ice cream to participants and browsers alike. (The only downside was that I got pulled into an impromptu meeting as I was finishing the last of my Mint Chip ice cream, and sat there blissfully unaware of the melted chocolate at the corner of my mouth until a team member kindly gave me a napkin. Rather embarrassing, but I digress.)

Much of the art was so beautifully crafted and awe-inspiring that I was moved to share some images with you. Hopefully, none of the artists will take offense at my posting their work on my humble blog. (Click on images to see them larger.)

Two different but equally lovely takes on the dreamy Alice (of Wonderland fame)...

Two wonderfully rendered Disney villains...

This Narnia homage was created by professional chalk artists hired for the event. You can get a sense of the 3-D effect in the first image. And check out the detail of the lion. Quite amazing.

I just loved this classic illustration of the white rabbit from Alice in Wonderland.

Cuteness, close up...

With the movie opening in June, several people portrayed Wall-E. I found this one particularly adorable.

I just found this image hilarious. Hey Kool-Aid!

Okay, I never really liked the Popeye cartoons, but this image is so brilliantly subversive that I had to include it. Disney folk will understand why it's subversive. ;)

With blasting winds and a couple days of unexpected showers, the chalk art has become mere smudges of color on concrete. I am so glad I took pictures before they faded into memory.

Very Busy... But Happy

2008-04-27T22:31:00.000-07:00

I have neglected this blog shamefully. Work has been taking up most of my time, as many of you know. But, despite the long hours, I can't remember when I've ever felt so fulfilled by my career life. I still marvel at this feeling. I mean, I am glad to be driving to the client's office (on the sometimes nightmarish 101, no less), and I am still in good spirits when I drive home at night. I enjoy the creative editorial work, and I like and respect the people I work with/for. It feels rather odd to be one of those rare breeds of people who actually like their jobs, but I am certainly not complaining!

The only grey cloud in the past few weeks actually came in the form of a Factorie ghost. Last week, I came home to a message from the local Factorie HR rep requesting that I call and answer some additional questions. Considering that I'd been happily free from that former place of drudgery, er, employment for 2 months, I wasn't sure I'd wanted to return the call. Still, my curiosity was piqued. None of my other Factorie alumni friends had received such a call. A tiny, tiny part of me wondered if the organization was actually investigating improper business practices, given the massive turnover numbers... It was a silly and vain hope, but I suppose I ought to be glad that this ability to hope hadn't been quashed by my many years at the Factorie.

To make a long story short, I made the call, and it was a terrible waste of time. The rep basically read me a survey to answer over the phone. After the 20-minute conversation, I actually felt rather upset and angry. Many of the negative feelings and memories that I'd started to put behind me came rushing back. It was particularly aggravating that the phone survey was intended to influence my answers and that the rep actually defended the inequities and poor managerial decisions rampant at the Factorie. I felt like I had to detox all over again! It certainly reaffirmed how glad I am to be out of there and to be working at a much, much healthier place!

Anyway, I am going to ride out my current gig for as long as I can and see where it takes me. Hopefully, it will lead to a more permanent position, and even if it doesn't, it is a great experience and stepping stone. And perhaps it won't always be this busy, so I will have more time for personal writing, including my humble blog posts. ;)

Garfield Minus Garfield

2008-03-30T18:16:00.000-07:00

Rockhopper sent me this link, and I found it hilarious, so I thought I'd share. Who knew that the Garfield comic strip could still stand on its own even when its orange tabby star is digitally removed? Enjoy!

http://garfieldminusgarfield.tumblr.com/

Look What I Won!

2008-03-24T16:06:00.000-07:00

During an interactive presentation/training session last week, I somehow emerged as the winner! The prize was this adorable Mickey plush toy. When you press his palm, his pointing finger lights up (à la ET). Oh yes, and the presentation was very informative, inspiring, and loads of fun. Even as a freelance editor, I feel very much a part of the team. I know it's early and perhaps a bit premature to make this declaration, but I'm going to do it anyway: I love my new career! I feel engaged and challenged and happy; I don't even mind the inevitable bumps and growing pains along the way. Here's to new chapters and brighter days. =)

My Infamous Quote Board

2008-03-12T00:11:00.000-07:00

I've been meaning to post this photo of my Factorie office quote board in its final state prior to erasure. Caught up in the busy whirl of my new career as a freelancer, I kept forgetting to upload the image. So, here, at long last, it is. (Click on the photo to see it larger.) Ah, fun times! ;P

Return to the World of Harry Potter

2008-02-26T17:03:00.001-08:00

Last Spring, KPGirl told me she was rereading the first 6 books in the Harry Potter series in anticipation of the release of book 7. I thought that was a fabulous idea, so I decided to do the same before reading the finale. I am, however, a bit of a dawdler, and there were too many things going on and too many other books I was reading, so I conceded that I probably wouldn't make it to book 7 until summer of 2008. But, I didn't mind. I wasn't in a hurry to find out what happened; I just needed to turn a deaf ear and blind eye to whatever spoilers were floating out there.
The first two books were quick reads that I finished in late summer. I enjoyed them, but not as much as the first time, when J.K. Rowling's magical world was brand new to me. Then, a bit of a lull happened, which was perhaps a bit odd since book 3 had always been my favorite. Two months ago, however, I got into a Harry Potter fix: I watched Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix on DVD and reread books 3 and 4 in a fairly short span of time. Now, I'm in a bit of a lull again. This time, it's not surprising at all considering book 5 is my least favorite. (In a rare occurrence, I actually found I liked the movie better than the book!) I am 558 pages into it and still have 300+ pages to go.

Despite the slow-going of book 5, I have enjoyed revisiting the Harry Potter books. Knowing subsequent events and connections made me notice many details and set-ups that I missed the first time. Since I'm rereading all these books in paperback format, I also found that a sequential error in the original hardback of book 4 had been fixed! (Harry's parents now emerge from Voldemort's wand in the correct order.) As an editor, I find this interesting and amusing. See? Things do get fixed in reprints!

Since I am in the midst of book 5, I must include the following images for my Factorie friends who are not Harry Potter readers. These are the talented Mary GrandPré's illustrations of the detested Professor Umbridge (aka Umbrage). She is described as resembling a large, pale toad. Is this not apt?

Jury Duty

2008-02-13T20:58:00.000-08:00

I must offer my heartfelt thanks to the benevolent gods who made my jury duty so painless today: out of 7 scheduled trials, 6 settled and 1 waived the right to a jury! The 164 summoned jurors who showed up today were able to leave the courthouse by 12:30. Given all the appointments that I have scheduled in the next couple of weeks, I was greatly relieved that I would not be placed on a trial! And I didn't even have to resort to any of the tips I gleaned from googling "how to get out of jury duty." Huzzah!

Detox

2008-02-12T20:42:00.000-08:00

One would think that I'd be luxuriating in my newfound freedom by now. It is true that there have been moments when an unexpected smile would sneak up on me, taking me by surprise and causing me to marvel at this new stage in my life. I would close my eyes, take a deep breath, and let the smile spread through my being. Those are certainly nice moments, but I apparently still have some anger to work out during this detox period, and what better way to get it out of my system than through this blog?

There have been many times in the past year and a half that I wish I had the courage and audacity to carry this bag around Madame, my former boss. (Former ~ how lovely that sounds!) The bag features characters designed by Lela Lee, founder of Angry Little Girls. True, I was not actually born here, but I might as well have been. English, though not my first language, is my best language. When EvilRedhead first showed me the ALG site, I connected with Kim (the angry little Asian girl) for obvious reasons. She's the cartoon embodiment of my rarely-seen dark side. Of course, I also liked Xyla, the gloomy girl who seems to be a human, female version of Eeyore (one of my favorite Disney characters). Although I never got around to purchasing this bag and parading it in front of certain insidiously prejudiced individuals, it's nice to see someone find such a creative, funny, and financially rewarding way of dealing with unpleasant experiences and the darker emotions.

It is interesting how products can often crystallize our experiences, thoughts, and emotions, sometimes in uncanny ways. Take this beautiful perpetual calendar I purchased last month. The gorgeous book features a work of art and a related quote for each day of the year. After tearing off the shrink wrap, I spent a good amount of time perusing and admiring the glossy artworks. I also looked up various birthdays of family and friends. Quite by accident, I came across Madame's birthday. Much to my amusement and sense of the apropos, the artwork for that day was Henry Fuseli's The Nightmare, a piece I was quite familiar with from my grad school days. The painting has been frequently used on covers of Gothic fiction, and critics have noted connections between it and Mary Shelley's Frankenstein. Given Madame's nightmarish reign, Fuseli's artwork was eerily fitting...

Graduation Day (and One Last Assigment)

2008-02-08T20:24:00.000-08:00

I am overwhelmed by all the heartfelt well wishes, support, and happy sentiments expressed by my fellow Factorie friends. Lest I get overly maudlin here, I will try to keep this short and sweet: Thank you all for your warmth, kindness, humor, and understanding throughout my tenure at Ye Olde Textbooke Factorie. Your friendships have enriched my life in immeasurable ways, and though I know these bonds will continue, I shall miss those daily office interactions! You are such a fun, talented, awesome, and genuinely good group of people. I feel blessed to have met and known you. =)

It is worth a mention (because I know some of you are curious) that during this last week, Madame and the Principal said nary a word to me about my impending graduation. Perhaps it is fitting that I leave in the same invisible manner that I existed in their world. The school counselor, however, did invite me into her office to have a little chat at the end of the day. I will admit that I'd been having an existential debate about what, if anything, I should say. Some statements, gently and diplomatically couched, did emerge from my lips during our conversation. I'm not sure what good or harm those words might do, but I can't call them back now. Ah well!

Before I sign off as a Factorie member and fully embrace my sabbatical, I offer you my final chapter in the Billy Goat Chronicles: Azazel's Adventures, Part III. Only's Only & KPGirl, I leave you to continue the photo-biography of this remarkable goat's life!

Azazel founds, chairs, and implements the Welcome Baaack Committee just in time to greet KPGirl on her return from a well-deserved vacation.

Foraging through the office labyrinth yields some tasty greens.

On one of his expeditions, Azazel ventures into the Office of Darkness and is maliciously attacked by a chupacabra.

During his convalescence, the billy goat picks up some new talents. Watch for Azazel on the World Poker Tour.

Azazel's Vindication

2008-02-07T20:33:00.000-08:00

They snubbed him at the Office Holiday Film Festival, but he would not be silenced. Using all the resources at his command, Azazel has found a way to bring his performance to the people. This is for all you Factorie workers who were disappointed at the party. (And if you happen to be a non-Factorie reader of this blog, please indulge--or ignore--this little piece of mad frivolity!)

P.S. Many thanks to Prillis for humoring me and reprising her rousing rendition of the Dreidel Song. This parting gift is much appreciated! ;P

Feelin' Twirly

2008-02-05T15:54:00.000-08:00

As the countdown continues toward my last day at the Factorie, I've been scrambling to get in some annual check-ups. Yesterday morning was the eye appointment. Every year, I come out of this appointment thinking about the South Park episode where Cartman has to wear these weird looking glasses, and his doctor doesn't trust him to keep them on, so he staples them to Cartman's head. Now, nothing nearly so drastic has ever happened to me at the ophthalmologist's office, but I always feel a bit twirly after having my eyes dilated. (I think the picture here captures quite well how I felt yesterday!)

I am certainly glad that I exhibit no signs of glaucoma or cataracts, but surely there must be a better way to check for these diseases. Think about it: they dilate your eyes, shine bright beams of lights at you, and then send you to pick out new glasses when your vision is completely wonky. I shudder to think of what my new glasses will actually look like when they're ready. (Okay, I'm exaggerating. I picked out a pair with a thin wire frame in a metallic pinkish purple. They seemed very cute... at least they did to my badly focused eyes.) Afterward, I drove to work (thankfully a short drive) and spent the rest of the morning squinting and seeing white glows around everyone. It's quite a trippy experience. Though my normal vision returned by the afternoon, it came with an attendant headache. Well, at least I got it over with. I'm certainly glad that this particular brand of twirliness comes only once a year!

P.S. If you wish to create your own South Park avatar, go to http://www.sp-studio.de/

The Dice Are Cast

2008-01-31T23:58:00.000-08:00

After 6 years 8 months and 1 day of toiling at Ye Olde Textbooke Factorie, I finally found the strength and courage to tender my resignation on Wednesday. It was a bit of a surreal experience that left me dazed and emotionally drained. For much of Tuesday, I walked around with a leaden feeling in my chest and butterflies in my stomach. Communicating this decision to my boss, Madame Googly Eyes (name courtesy of Arby), was not going to be pleasant. She is not known to be a rational individual and has had a history of unleashing a rather nasty vindictive streak. However, I'd reached a point of no return. 2007, a year of indignities at the Factorie, made me realize that I could no longer tolerate the pervasive poor management, inequities, prejudice, mistreatment, and unhealthy corporate culture. My career had become stagnant, and it was time to make a change. So, after a sleepless night, I went into the office early and gave notice. It was probably the googliest I'd ever seen Madame, but I survived. The conversation, though not the most comfortable, was actually not as bad as I thought.

After my resignation was finally accepted, I proceeded to tell my teammates and friends. This was both easier and more difficult. I genuinely regret leaving my team in a lurch, and it saddens me that I'll no longer share in the daily jokes, conversations, and camaraderie that have brightened many a difficult day. I am profoundly grateful for the friendships that I've found at the Factorie; these are friendships that I know will continue outside of work, but I shall sorely miss having an office family.

Perhaps it is unwise to leave a secure albeit unsatisfactory job in these times of economic uncertainty. However, it is a gamble I'm willing to make. To quote a lovely Sondheim lyric that Rockhopper recently shared with me: "The choice may be mistaken/ The choosing was not." And so I take this leap, with a heart full of optimism, excitement, trepidation, and most of all hope.

Aussie Open: Final Impressions

2008-01-28T16:26:00.000-08:00

I can't say I'm terribly thrilled with the final results of the Australian Open, but there were some brilliant matches during this past fortnight. Alas, my favorite champions faltered, and while I admit the eventual winners played extremely well and deserved their titles, they're just not my cup of tea. Sharapova is too flashy and shrieky, and Djokovic's preening and excessive ball-bouncing are rather irritating. However, I did find an exciting new player to root for: Jo-Wilfried Tsonga. What he accomplished in his match against Nadal was utterly amazing. I was awestruck as I watched shot after unbelievable shot. As an avid supporter of underdogs, I was hoping that he'd emerge the Aussie Open Champion. Still, his remarkable run was quite an achievement. All in all, it was an exciting tournament, with many unexpected results. We tennis fans certainly have much to look forward to this season!

Aussie Open Madness

2008-01-21T16:00:00.000-08:00

My long weekend seems to have passed in a blur of Australian Open tennis. Though I haven't played in years, I am an avid fan and I do try to catch some of the action of each Grand Slam (despite the time differences). I must say, I can't recall ever seeing anything that compared to the likes of what happened on "Super Saturday."

Since LA is 19 hours behind Melbourne, the action started here on Friday night. When I turned on the TV, James Blake was down 2 sets to love in his 3rd round match against Sebastian Grosjean. I've always liked Blake, so it was tough to see him struggle like that. Andy Roddick had lost the night before in a 5-setter, so Blake was America's only realistic hope left in the tournament. For him to overcome the 2-set deficit, however, seemed a stretch. History was against him: he'd only won one 5-set match before, and he had never come back from a 2-0 hole. He'd also never beaten Grosjean before. Showing what a fighter he was, however, he turned things around in the 3rd set, bageling his opponent 6-0. The tides turned again in the 4th, when Grosjean mounted a 4-1 lead. The see-sawing continued when Blake broke back twice to force a tie-breaker. Again, Grosjean took a lead, and again Blake persevered, winning the tie-break 7-5 and forcing a 5th set. Phew! Despite all the exciting tennis, fatigue born of a week of irregular sleep caught up with me, and I dozed off. When I awoke, it was to the news that Blake had won! Final score: 4-6, 2-6, 6-0, 7-6 (7-5), 6-2.

The match now in progress was between Roger Federer and Janko Tipsarevic. Who? you say? Well, I hadn't heard of him either, but he sure gave the world's #1 a run for his money. I'm rather fond of Federer because his playing style embodies pure tennis to me. He truly has a complete game, and his one-handed backhand is a thing of beauty. And he doesn't grunt! I find the proliferation of grunting throughout tennis (particularly the ladies' side) decidedly off-putting. But, I digress. The match certainly was a nail-biter! As a fan who'd like to see Federer break Sampras's Slam record, I did not want to see him ousted in the 3rd round here. Down 2 sets to 1, Federer showed his mettle by taking the 4th set in dominant fashion. Before I could breathe a sigh of relief and say, "Ah, he's playing like his old self again," Tipsarevic held strong, and the 5th set plowed ahead with no breaks of serve. Finally, Federer took the set 10-8 (no tie-breaks in the final set at the Australian Open). What drama! A note on Tipsarevic: I think it's cool that he has a line from Dostoevsky tattooed on his arm--"Beauty will save the world." Very poetic. Final score: 6-7 (7-5), 7-6 (7-1), 5-7, 6-1, 10-8.

Since the Federer-Tipsarevic match ran nearly 4.5 hours, the evening session was delayed. The match between Venus Williams and Sania Mirza was supposed to have begun at 7:30 PM Melbourne time. Instead, it didn't start till around 10 PM! I watched the first set, which went to a tie-break. It seemed that this was not destined to become another dramatic match, however, as Venus dispatched her opponent 7-0 in the tie-break. As the second set began, I fell asleep again, and when I awoke, it was morning. Surprisingly, live tennis was still being broadcast! Lleyton Hewitt and Marcos Baghdatis were battling it out in the 4th set of their match. They had apparently taken the court after the Williams-Mirza match (final score: 7-6 (7-0), 6-4) and begun play near midnight local time! More than three hours later, they were still pounding it out. Baghdatis, the lovable Cypriot, overcame an ankle injury in the 3rd set and a 5-1 deficit in the 4th to force a decisive 5th set. This was the most dramatic and thrilling match yet, with amazing shots from both sides and a loyal audience still cheering wildly despite the fact that it was the wee hours of the morning. In the end, after 4.75 hours of play, Hewitt emerged the victor at 4:33 AM. It was amazing to have witnessed part of this strange and epic match. Final score: 4-6, 7-5, 7-5, 6-7 (7-4), 6-3.

After a marathon like that, I didn't quite know what to do with myself. Go back to sleep? The morning light was too strong, and I still had adrenaline coursing through my veins. My sleeping habits seemed more irregular than ever, and I rather felt like it was going to skew my whole weekend. Yet, I was glad that I'd been part of this Aussie Open madness. I think I finally understand why my sister and brother-in-law go out in the middle of the cold, dark night after Thanksgiving to stand in line for Black Friday shopping. "For the experience," she'd say. And, I realize, also because we all need a little bit of madness in our lives from time to time.

Matzo, Matzo Ball

2008-01-10T23:18:00.000-08:00

As you know, I was waging a war last weekend against a relapse of my cold. My main tactics involved staying in, not doing much, and sleeping a lot. I did venture out on Saturday evening to acquire additional artillery: homemade chicken soup with matzo ball from Weiler's Deli. The item had been on my mind since my friend Rockhopper suggested it. I'd only had matzo ball soup once before, when Rockhopper and I visited New York in 2006. I was expecting more of the same, but I was quite surprised when I got home. Opening my to-go bag, I found one tub of chicken noodle soup and one tub of matzo balls. Make that one tub containing two matzo balls. Two ginormous matzo balls.
The above photo shows part of my leftovers. (To give you an idea of the proportion, the tureen used here is approximately 8 inches in diameter.) As you can imagine, it took quite a while (3 or 4 meals) to finish the daunting matzo balls; the chicken soup, however, disappeared at a much faster rate. Much as the canon-ball-sized matzo amused me, it didn't seem well thought out on a gustatory level.

P.S. The title of this blog should be sung to the tune of the Village People's "Macho Man." This connection was inspired by a video that my friend the self-proclaimed EvilRedhead forwarded me.

"What Is That? A Super Goat?"

2008-01-06T20:32:00.000-08:00

So quoth my brother-in-law upon seeing this image of our office scapegoat on my digital camera. Well, I'm sure Azazel would be flattered to be considered a Super Goat, but 'tis only his humble self bedecked in holiday finery (and my scarf) as he assumed the role of a yule goat over the Christmas and New Year breaks. What is a yule goat, you say? Here is wikipedia's explanation: "The Yule Goat is one of the oldest Scandinavian and Northern European Yule and Christmas symbols and traditions. Yule Goat originally denoted the goat that was slaughtered around Yule, but it may also indicate a goat figure made out of straw. It is also used about the custom of going door-to-door singing carols and getting food and drinks in return, often fruit, cakes and sweets. 'Going Yule Goat' is similar to the British custom wassailing, both with heathen roots." See? I didn't make it up! I love the photos included on wikipedia's yule goat page, so I shall link to them here for your enjoyment.

I realize that it is well past the yule, but a miserable cold laid me out flat for almost a week. I spent the last several days of my vacation in a kind of illness-fogged stupor. Although writing produced during that kind of mental haze may have proved interesting (or downright bizarre), I was too enervated to attempt it. I'm still not sure how I dragged myself back to work this Thursday last. Thankfully, the weekend (though wet) was just around the corner, and I finally feel more or less myself again. So, that is my excuse for this belated entry on yule goats and my belated wish to everyone for a 2008 filled with health, happiness, and good fortune.

Azazel's Adventures, Part II

2007-12-27T12:09:00.000-08:00

Many apologies to Azazel's devote followers for the delay in this posting. I hope you'll find the latest installment in our billy goat's adventures to be worth the wait.

Distraught after being cut from the Holiday Video, Azazel succumbs to a weekend of irresponsible drinking.

Tragedy comes in pairs. Missing his owner while she travels to Ohio for a surprise family visit, Azazel indulges in a spate of tears and self-pity.

Feeling much more himself, Azazel gives it a go as a beatnik poet. Hey daddy-o...

I actually have another photo of our beloved scapegoat, but I think it merits an entry all on its own, so I'm afraid you'll have to wait until I return from San Diego for it. ;P I remain, your faithful chronicler, Aire.

Christmas Musings

2007-12-25T22:42:00.000-08:00

Just a few random thoughts as I sit here tapping away at my keyboard after a day full of laughter, much food, DVD and TV movies, some snippets of sports, and overall good cheer. The house is quiet, as several family members have turned in early (some in preparation for a long drive back home in the wee hours of the morning). However, fragments of Christmas tunes are still floating in and out of my head. I recently learned (from wikipedia, of course) that the singing of Christmas carols derives from the Old English tradition of wassailing, the practice of singing door to door "until paid to go away and leave the occupants in peace." How funny; I never realized annoyance was a factor in caroling!

This time of year, Christmas-related commercials clog the airways. Some are cute, some cloyingly sentimental, some irritating, and some just plain lame. Perhaps this exposes me for the sap I am, but I do have a favorite. Disney has used this Dumbo ad a couple years in a row now, but I chuckle over its adorable cleverness every time I see it. It's been years since I've visited Disneyland, but this ad makes me want to go again, just to become a kid again for a day. In many ways, that's what the holiday season allows us to do: recapture some of our childhood joys and innocence (and without the hefty entrance fee!). Merry Christmas, dear readers! Hope and peace to all...

Happy Winter Solstice

2007-12-22T17:30:00.000-08:00

Today is the winter solstice, the shortest day of the year in the Northern Hemisphere. It also marks the first day of the winter season. Perhaps it's because of my love of astronomy and history, but I've always found the winter solstice to be rather romantic and atmospheric. The mere term conjures images of quiet, snow-laden trees without and logs burning in a crackling fire within... of shadow and dark surrounding a golden hearth. A vague air of mystery and mysticism pervades the dormant world on such a day, as we await and celebrate the coming rebirth.

It is currently 56 degrees, a bit chilly for us thin-blooded Angelinos, but even we are not self-indulgent enough to build a roaring fire tonight. Still, in the spirit of the solstice and all its attendant festivities, I did purchase a bottle of Chaucer's Mead from Trader Joe's (surely one of the best food stores in existence). The bottle came with two packets of spices for making mulled wine. The label certainly prods me to revisit The Canterbury Tales one of these days, but I digress. I am feeling particularly sentimental as we prepare ourselves to settle into a cozy winter. As I sip from my mug of mulled wine tonight, I will be thinking, "Happy Solstice Day to all, and to all a glorious winter season."

Livestock Free for 23 Days...

2007-12-20T23:00:00.000-08:00

Alas, the streak stops here. I've been so proud of the fact that in recent weeks, I managed to write about topics besides livestock and animal husbandry. (See previous animal-themed entries.) However, those stealthy alpacas have resurfaced again! Last Sunday evening, I was channel surfing when images of alpacas suddenly appeared on the screen. I did a double-take because it was not a nature show, but a contemporary comedy. I could not figure out what the show was about from the bits I saw... only that the episode dealt with pranks and family-owned alpacas. I've since learned that what I witnessed was the last few minutes of a CW sitcom called Aliens in America. The following day, KPGirl brought in her alpaca finger puppet! It really is quite adorable, and I can see why it made an effective focal point during labor. Doesn't this woolly little camelid just make you want to smile?

A Piece of Ancient Italy in SoCal

2007-12-18T22:30:00.000-08:00

Over the weekend, I finally had the opportunity to visit the Getty Villa in Malibu. While I've been to the Getty Center numerous times and love that museum, I'd never been to the Malibu location, not even prior to the renovation. So, as you can imagine, I was very excited about this visit. And the Villa certainly did not disappoint. Set in a spectacular hillside location overlooking the sparkling Pacific, this replica of a first-century Roman country house offered an intimate, unique experience. In some ways, it was like stepping into a different time and place. The architecture and landscaping followed the Roman ideals of symmetry and axial design. Even all the plants in the various gardens were species that existed in first-century Rome. The setting provided the perfect backdrop for the exhibits dedicated to the arts and cultures of ancient Greece, Rome, and Etruria.

At the same time, there persisted the feeling of hushed reverence and immaculately clean quality associated with modern high-tech museums. The harmonious combination of past and present created a sense of peace and wonder that permeated my tour of the grounds and galleries. For its pure beauty and deceptive simplicity, the Getty Villa is truly a museum not to be missed.

The museum's main entrance.

View from one corner of the inner peristyle.

View of the pool in the outer peristyle.
I love how the pool seems to extend to the ocean beyond.

View from the western end of the outer peristyle.

Glass cameo art depicting Andromache.
(In Greek mythology, she was the wife of the Trojan hero Hector.)

A review of Classical columns:
Doric (left), Ionic (center), and Corinthian (right).
I think I like the Ionic columns best.

Fountain sculpture of a satyr riding a wineskin.
This was the funniest sculpture I saw. Doesn't it look like the satyr is riding a turkey as if it were a Harley?

North colonnade of the outer peristyle.

When An Old English Epic Goes Hollywood

2007-12-11T22:59:00.000-08:00

At first glance, Robert Zemeckis's Beowulf does not seem like my kind of film. At second glance, well, it's still not my kind of film, but there are definitely elements that both intrigue and appall me. The "performance capture" technology and the look of the film appeal to me on an aesthetic level. And, since I am not always a purist when it comes to the literary canon, it does interest me to see modern interpretations of the classics. When done well, it can be intellectually and emotionally stimulating. Now, I must say that I remember very little of Beowulf from my college reading: hero kills monster Grendel, saves kingdom, fights dragon, receives mortal wound, dies. Since it made so little impression on me, I am not one of those people who can exclaim with righteous indignation, "What have you done to England's national epic?!" Nevertheless, just from seeing the commercials, visiting the website, and doing some surfing, I found several things troubling about this film.

I realize that when one watches a film, there is a silent compact to suspend disbelief. Given that this is a fantasy epic, that would go double. I also realize that the majority of Hollywood films must meet a required dosage of violence and sex. But, really, stiletto heels on Grendel's mom?
Played by Angelina Jolie, Ma Grendel is re-imagined as a beautiful siren appareled in liquid gold. I guess she needed to top Beowulf's leather loincloth. I also cannot get past that we are supposed to easily accept the sultry seductress as the mother of the deformed lump of flesh that is Grendel. It seems a bit ridiculous.

--begets?!-->

The funniest article I came across about Hollywood's latest plastic (make that CGI) surgery on a literary classic was titled "Angelina Jolie, Boobs, Star in Beowulf." It actually made me think of the medicine woman from The Simpsons Movie.
In the immortal words of Homer Simpson, "Thank you Boob Lady" for providing fodder for my blog.

Amazing Alcott

2007-12-09T19:52:00.000-08:00

Last week, at our office book club meeting, we discussed two sensationalist tales by Louisa May Alcott. Of course, Alcott is best known as the author of the beloved novel Little Women. Not many people, however, are aware that she also penned numerous "blood-and-thunder tales," stories of passion and intrigue rife with feminist subtexts, gender politics, psychoanalytical depth, and subversive social commentary. I first learned of Alcott's double literary life in college, when I took a Women Writers course one summer. That the author of Little Women, arguably the pinnacle of domestic fiction, also wrote gothic narratives involving violence, drugs, madness, stormy affairs, and battles of the sexes fascinated me. (Still does, in fact.) That same summer, I happened to come across a volume of the stories that Alcott wrote anonymously and pseudonymously. I purchased the tome and devoured the 780 pages of the fast-paced, highly readable potboilers. Because she handled vastly different genres and formats with such a masterful hand, Alcott remains one of my favorite writers. In fact, her seeming dual identity and psychologically-rich body of work were part of the reason why I pursued a graduate degree in literature.

So, it was with great pleasure and anticipation that I revisited "A Whisper in the Dark" and "Behind a Mask: A Woman's Power." The last time I read these narratives, I was in grad school, and I found that even after a decade's separation, these tales still had the power to captivate me. The stories truly illuminate each other well. The two heroines are polar opposites in many ways, but they both seek to exert power through artful means. Sybil, the youthful and headstrong heiress of "A Whisper in the Dark," is unaware of the precarious position she occupies in the male-dominated world she enters and, worse, overconfident in her feminine charms. She pays a heavy price for her deficient vision and failure as an artist: her uncle disinherits her by sending her to a madhouse. Through her ordeal, however, she comes in contact with a lifesaving maternal influence, the "madwoman in the attic" who sacrifices herself so that the daughter can escape and be reborn with a feminist consciousness.

In contrast, Jean Muir, the anti-heroine of "Behind a Mask," possesses a preternaturally keen vision and wields the feminine arts with such consummate skill that she entrances the beleaguered members of the aristocratic Coventry family. A divorced actress of at least 30, Jean is jaded, deceitful, manipulative, and avaricious. Yet, she manages to convince the family who has hired her as a governess that she is 19-year-old orphan of noble birth. By understanding the male gaze and projecting the appropriate illusions of Victorian femininity back at the viewer, she causes both sons and their patriarchal uncle to fall in love with her. Interestingly, this transgressor of social norms is not punished for her actions; after a series of suspenseful incidents, she succeeds in marrying the uncle, securing both title and wealth. I love that Alcott forces the reader to grapple with the uncomfortable ending by purposely leaving the narrative morally ambiguous. Jean's traumatic past is hinted at but unexplained, so she never really becomes a sympathetic figure. However, even though the Coventrys can be seen as victims, most of them are not exactly likable or blameless. As accomplices in the crimes of patriarchy, they are an expected target for Jean's revenge against the society that has reduced her to the impoverished and embittered person she has become. Regardless of where the reader's sympathies lie, the novella is a powerful one, and it has one of the best last lines I've ever read.

Like Jo in Little Women, Alcott wrote these sensationalist thrillers to support her family financially. However, she actually preferred this genre to "providing moral pap for the young." In her letters, she claimed, "I think my natural ambition is for the lurid style. I indulge in gorgeous fancies and wish that I dared inscribe them upon my pages and set them before the public." Like most women writers of her time, she struggled between her creative, feminist impulses and the constraints of Victorian propriety, which she described as "the proper grayness of old Concord." Thus, she pursued her "natural ambition" from "behind a mask."

With such rich material, it's not surprising that we had an invigorating discussion at our book club meeting. It was like being back in grad school, which I do miss sometimes in my more nostalgic moments. It is not likely that I would ever go back for a PhD, though I must admit (somewhat sheepishly) that the doctorate does appeal to my vanity. So, it is lovely to have a forum where I can dig up and air out my scholarly tendencies among like-minded peers. Three cheers for English majors! And three cheers for the amazingly versatile and talented Louisa May Alcott!

Fairy Tales Come to Life

2007-12-03T20:38:00.001-08:00

While we are on the topic of Disney, I recently came across a series of portraits that Annie Leibovitz shot for "The Year of a Million Dreams" campaign. This Disney Dream Portrait Series includes six beautiful photographs that are by turns romantic, dramatic, and whimsical. They feature entertainment and sports celebrities in the roles of beloved characters from classic Disney animated films. Here are a few of the portraits for your enjoyment.

Actress Scarlett Johansson as a lovely and ethereal Cinderella

Tennis ace Roger Federer as heroic King Arthur

Actress Rachel Weisz as a serene, picture-perfect Snow White

Soccer star David Beckham as valiant Prince Phillip from Sleeping Beauty

To view and learn more about all the portraits, visit the Disney Parks website, "where dreams come true."

Simply Enchanted

2007-12-01T17:24:00.000-08:00

On Thursday, I went to see Disney's Enchanted, a very charming twist on the traditional princess fairy tale. The film interweaves the animated world of Andalasia with the gritty world of New York City. Somehow, it manages to offer an homage to all the classic Disney fairy tales and at the same time parody those films. The parody, of course, is affectionate in nature, but it is still effective. Amy Adams played the ingenuous Giselle to perfection. When she first arrives in New York, she exhibits all the mannerisms of her animated self until, subtly and slowly, she becomes more and more "real" as a result of her interactions with Robert (Patrick Demspey) and his adorable daughter Morgan (Rachel Covey). Throughout it all, however, Giselle never loses her winning innocence and optimism. The male leads were also very well cast. I mean, which girl wouldn't want McDreamy and Cyclops vying for her affections? Seriously, though, Patrick Dempsey provided a nice foil to all the fairy tale shenanigans, but I thought James Marsden was hilarious as the dashing but slightly ridiculous Prince Edward. He's a great singer, too, but I already knew this from his performance in Hairspray . In addition, Susan Sarandon made a menacing Queen Narissa, garbed in the traditional dark purple of Disney villains, though surprisingly complemented with a pair of daunting go-go boots! Robert's almost-fiancée Nancy and the henchman Nathaniel were strong supporting characters. I thought both of them looked familiar, and it turns out that Nancy is played by Tony-award-winning Idina Menzel, who starred in Wicked (too bad they didn't write her a song to sing!), and Nathaniel is played by Timothy Spall, who appeared in the Harry Potter movies as Peter Pettigrew, a.k.a. Wormtail. However, I think my favorite part of the film was Pip the chipmunk. In the animated world, he is a wise-cracking creature with a New York accent. When he becomes a real chipmunk in New York, he loses the ability to talk and must resort to pantomimes to communicate with the clueless Edward. The charades scene between the two is sidesplittingly funny. All in all, this was a delightful modern-day fairy tale. Bravo Disney!

Great Expectations

2007-11-28T23:54:00.000-08:00

At the LA Tofu Festival last August, I was introduced to the traditional Japanese food item known as okonomiyaki. Alternatively called "Japanese pizza" or "Japanese pancake," it is a pan-fried batter cake filled with various vegetables, meats, seafood, and other ingredients. I heartily enjoyed my portion of the palm-sized disc of savory goodness, and since then, I've been looking for a local restaurant with this item on the menu. Its rarity made my search just a bit obsessive, which in turn ratcheted up my expectations for the moment when I could experience this dish again. That moment came tonight, when I went to a Japanese tapas restaurant called Izakaya Haru Ulala in Little Tokyo.

Although okonomiyaki did not appear on the menu, I knew from my research that the restaurant served this item. I asked the waitress for it, and she smiled, yes, indeed they do have this dish. After sampling tofu, sushi rolls, sake-steamed clams, grilled yellowtail, grilled squid, and chawanmushi (a childhood favorite that is also rare in American Japanese restaurants), the pièce de résistance arrived. But, after so much anticipation, can any food really live up to such heightened expectations? Unfortunately for me, the answer is no. While good, the okonomiyaki seemed over-sauced and consequently too salty. I know I was being unfair, but I still felt a bit disappointed. I suppose it is simply human nature; the more our desires and efforts are frustrated, the more we obsess about it, until our skewed perceptions aggrandize the object into something that no reality can live up to. It is amazing how powerful expectations can be and how they can build exponentially. More often than not, great expectations lead to disappointment. Yet, that disappointment is what corrects our vision and brings us back down to earth.

My long-awaited okonomiyaki. I probably would've liked it better without so much sauce. It was amusing (and a bit eerie) to see the dried toppings undulating from the heat of the dish. The swirling movements made the harmless "pancake" look alive!

The chawanmushi, however, did not disappoint. This simple dish is a staple in most Japanese restaurants in Taiwan, but it isn't very common in America. It is a steamed egg custard that typically includes meat, seafood, and vegetables. I love how it's served in a cute ceramic cup with a lid.

Azazel's Adventures

2007-11-27T15:16:00.000-08:00

Allow me to introduce the latest addition to our office coterie, Azazel the Scapegoat. The creation of Only's Only and her artist husband TJ, Azazel joined our staff two weeks ago. There really could not be a more appropriate mascot for our department. Brilliantly wrought of papier–mâché, paint, and yarn, this scapegoat captured our hearts and tickled our funny bones the second he arrived. An overachiever, Azazel has already accomplished much in his very young life--approximately 16 days. To read about his birth, visit Only's Only's blog. Here, I offer a photo journal of Azazel's adventures thus far.

Azazel's papier–mâché body drying upside down during the birthing process.
Photo courtesy of Only's Only.

Settling in to his perch at the office, a mere 2 days after he was born.

Hosting his first office book club.
As you can see, he is already popular with some of the office regulars,
PJ (Pooh Junior) and Tux.

Directing his first film, Kidman.
He bears a striking resemblance to his predecessor, Cecil B., does he not?

Stepping in to fill my shoes while I take some much-needed vacation days to de-stress.

P.S. If you wish to know the origin of his name, hie yourself to Wikipedia's explanation of scapegoat.

Llama Count

2007-11-26T21:13:00.000-08:00

Okay, this is getting slightly ridiculous, and I'm sure people are starting to think that I have a camelid obsession. After all, since this blog's inception, there have been (counting this entry) four posts featuring llamas. That means llamas have appeared in nearly 24% of my posts thus far. It is, admittedly, rather absurd. But really, I think the llamas are hounding me, not the other way around! Cases in point:

Last night, I was watching the Laker game on TV with my parents. Now, my parents are avid NBA fans, and they naturally have nicknames for some of the players. These, however, are not your average sports nicknames like T-Mac, KG, or AI. These nicknames are phonetically inspired, and they may be English or Taiwanese in nature. For example, Vlade Divac's last name sounds fairly similar to the Taiwanese phrase for pork meat, so that's what we used to call him. And Gary Payton's last name resembles the Taiwanese phrase for mailbox (not the private kind like the ones in front of homes, but the big public kind outside of post offices and on busy streets). It was, then, a humorous and fortuitous "convergence of events" when both Payton and Karl Malone were signed by the Lakers for the 2003-2004 season. (For non-NBA fans, Malone's actual nickname was "the Mailman." Mailman delivers to the Mailbox, get it? It's funnier in Taiwanese.) Anyway, my dad's nickname for Lamar Odom is much simpler and more obvious: llama (of course). So, we're watching the game and cheering on Odom with calls of "llama!" when Dad segues to a discussion of real llamas, those of the animal variety. He starts telling me how he began liking llamas after seeing a llama show on TV. No, not an Animal Planet or National Geographic or PBS special about llamas. I'm talking about a llama version of the Westminster Kennel Club dog show. Dad goes on to describe how beautifully groomed the llamas were, having no idea just how prominently llamas have figured in my peer conversations (and in my blog) in recent weeks. Today, I googled "llama show," and sure enough, the first hit was for the ALSA: the Alpaca Llama Show Association. Not only do people raise llamas and alpacas for their fibers, they apparently compete with them in the animal equivalent of beauty pageants. Who knew?
Today, KPGirl sent me a link to a book cover she saw over the weekend. It is just too crazy for words, so I'll let the images speak for themselves. (In case your eyes are drawn to the other amazing gadgets, I included another picture in which the llamacycle takes center stage.)

As fun and surreal as all the llama sightings have been, I rather hope this is the last we'll see of these camelids for a while. When I began this blog, I had no idea it would go down this road!

The Most Important Gift Catalog in the World!

2007-11-22T17:44:00.001-08:00

Yesterday, my friend KPGirl (she of the alpaca finger puppet) told me that she was looking through her Sunday paper when (surprise!) she came across the following advertisement:
Given all the recent animal-inspired conversations, we both took one look at this cover and burst into laughter. Opening the leaflet, we found a veritable zoo of animals being offered for purchase, including (drum roll please) llamas! Upon closer inspection, we learned that Heifer International is a non-profit organization dedicated to fighting poverty and hunger. The catalog lists opportunities to purchase animals, plants, and insects that can help support or feed families in need throughout the world. $20 can buy a flock of geese in China, a trio of ducks in Ghana, or a starter flock of chicks from Cameroon to the Caribbean. A llama in Bolivia will cost you $150:
Oh yes, and you can buy shares of animals, too. We are pondering if we can round up enough people from work to jointly purchase a llama. For those whose pockets are plumper, you can purchase a heifer for $500, a milk menagerie (heifer, 2 goats, water buffalo) for $1000, or a Gift Ark (breeding pairs of selected animals) for $5000. The Heifer Ark actually travels around the world, continuing the organization's humanitarian efforts. Pretty cool.

So, what started out as something funny to laugh about ended up having an important message, particularly on this holiday. Though not everyone may wish or be able to purchase farm animals to help others, we can still take some time to help fight hunger with a few mouse clicks. In that spirit, I am including the same link that my friend Trivia Duchess posted on her blog:
By playing this vocabulary game, you can donate rice to help feed the hungry. Each word you correctly match with its synonym results in a donation of 10 grains of rice. Most of the words are fairly difficult, but it is still fun to try. Besides, it's for a good cause. So far, in three separate games, I have been able to donate 8 bowls of rice (or 800 grains). All my wordsmith friends out there, please give it a go!

Happy Thanksgiving everyone! :)

Lessons in Animal Husbandry (and Other Random Things I've Recently Learned)

2007-11-21T17:44:00.000-08:00

llama (m.) + alpaca (f.) = huarizo
llama (f.) + alpaca (m.) = misti
horse (m.) + donkey (f.) = hinny
horse (f.) + donkey (m.) = mule
A male donkey is called a jack.
A female donkey is called a jenny.
Though ass is often used as a synonym for donkey, it technically refers to "any of several hardy gregarious African or Asian perissodactyl mammals (genus Equus) smaller than the horse and having long ears; especially : an African mammal (East asinus) that is the ancestor of the donkey" (per Merriam-Webster).
The ass is an endangered species. In fact, the African wild ass is listed as "Critically Endangered" by the World Conservation Union. According to a 2003 "ass headcount," there are apparently no asses in the United States. (I'm sure many would dispute this statement.)
Peppermint Patty's real name is Patricia Reichardt. I have no idea why Marcie called her "Priscilla" in A Charlie Brown Thanksgiving.

Lunchtime conversations at work and the ensuing research they inspire certainly yield fascinating results.

The Psychology of Darkness

2007-11-20T17:14:00.000-08:00

Since the time change, my afternoons at work have become progressively hampered by moodiness. Okay, maybe I am exaggerating a bit, but it's undeniable that the sun's earlier setting schedule has affected my state of mind and, consequently, my productivity.

It starts around three o'clock, when slanting rays of late-afternoon sunlight begin to hit the highly reflective windows of a neighboring building, sending concentrated beams unerringly into my window and blinding me as I attempt to work at my computer. (I know, I know, at least I have a window. But, I never realized that damaged retinas were part of the deal when I was given this boon of a window office.) Around 4:00, an orange glow sets in around the horizon, and it would actually be pretty if the golden beams weren't now hitting a different building, creating a big bright glare that, though not quite so blinding, is still distracting and bothersome. By 5:00, everything becomes a dark purple-tinged blur, and I can see the white, fluorescent-bathed reflection of my office better than I can the outside view. When I leave the building at 5:30, I walk out into a shadowy night.

There is just something depressing about leaving work when it's dark. Even though I have the same amount of evening hours as I did before the time change, it just feels so late. I honestly do not know how people living closer to the poles deal with their much more drastic daylight changes. Sometimes, I wish I could succumb to the hibernation impulse called forth by increased darkness and colder temperatures... or at least its human equivalent of burrowing beneath a thick, warm comforter with either a good book or a TV remote in hand... and maybe a mug of warm milk or hot cocoa on the nightstand... Hmm, does the advent of winter cause one to regress?

Long Live Goat-Sucking Vampires!

2007-11-18T17:28:00.000-08:00

Opening: Sometimes, I can't help but marvel at and be amused by the string of coincidences life throws our way. As an educated and (I like to think) fairly logical person, I know that coincidences are just random convergences of events. However, when they involve rather odd things, well, it does give one pause.

Exhibit A: Some weeks ago, a friend at work mentioned during lunch that her brother got married at a llama farm in Ohio. Since the bride's family also owned a llama farm, my friend chanced to visit two llama farms in one day. Most of us at the table hadn't even known there were llama farms in the US, so this information struck us as unusual and entertaining. In fact, it spurred a laugh-inducing conversation about llamas, alpacas, and the Amish. (Don't see the connection? Well, llamas and alpacas are both camelids, and llama farms and Amish communities apparently both exist in Ohio.)

"But the Amish can't use the llamas."
"Why not? They're not electric."

People who overheard our conversation probably thought we were crazy, but we enjoyed laughing ourselves silly. The merriment served as much-needed stress relief. Lunchtime and the bizarre conversation over, we returned to our respective desks. But, suddenly, llamas and alpacas seemed to pop up everywhere. We found out that another friend, who just moved to California this year, got married at the same llama farm in Ohio. (It is apparently a popular wedding location due to its picturesque setting.) A llama appeared in a cartoon video that yet another friend was watching at her cubicle (probably at the very same moment that we were having our llama-themed conversation). A few days later, at a girls-night-out dinner, a third friend insisted she had seen some "I love alpacas" commercials on TV. Before she sent us the link to prove she wasn't joking, I did some online searching of my own and came across I [heart] llamas buttons, T-shirts, and other paraphernalia. I had no idea camelids were so fashionable.

Exhibit B: I listen to NPR on my short commute to and from work. I tend to eschew TV news, I don't subscribe to any papers, and I don't actively visit news websites, so my weekday news diet pretty much consists of whatever I hear while I'm in the car. One night, while driving home, I heard a sound bite from Bush's visit to Cuba. He concluded his speech with "Viva Cuba libre!" Given his history of malapropisms, my immediate thought was, it would've been really funny if he had said, "Viva Chupacabra!" Now, I'd never even heard of a chupacabra until a couple of years ago, when a coworker wrote something about it as a joke on the lunchroom bulletin board. Why that thought popped into my head was a mystery, but I had a good internal chuckle over it. (For those of you unfamiliar with the chupacabra, it is a mythical creature known for drinking the blood of livestock, vampire style. Its name literally means "goat sucker.") Well, guess what came up as a lunchtime conversation topic on Friday? Chupacabras! A friend relayed the news about a Texas woman who claimed she captured the beast (or at least its corpse). Skeptics say it's some kind of fox, wolf, or dog, and samples from the creature were sent out for DNA testing.

Closing: As coincidences go, I realize that these are not the most eerie or outrageous. Still, llamas and chupacabras are not your everyday conversation topics, so I found their recurrences uncanny and amusing. Maybe next week, I'll hear that alleged chupacabras have turned their bloodthirsty attention to llamas in Ohio.

Do You Remember...?

2007-11-14T19:52:00.000-08:00

The year is 1996. The Clintons are in the White House, and Taiwan finally has its first direct presidential election. The "Magnificent Seven" are the darlings of the Atlanta Summer Olympics, which featured the unfortunate mascot Izzy (short for "Whatizit?"). The Bulls win the NBA Championships. Again. The Yankees win the World Series. Again. OJ Simpson is on trial. Again. Carried along in life's rhythms and repetitions, I am navigating through my junior year at Berkeley. And saturating the airwaves, popping up in dance clubs and a host of unlikely places is the strange phenomenon called the Macarena. Everywhere you go, you can hear the catchy but monotonous beat of this one-hit wonder. Everywhere you look, you can see people doing this sexified version of the hokey pokey. The fad spreads and spreads, becoming fixtures at sporting events and even reaching senior aerobic classes. And this mania isn't localized. When I visit Taiwan in the winter, my cousins show me a goofy video of them doing the dance. I even participate in a subsequent homemade Macarena video. God, I hope that tape's been erased since then...

As I look back, I wonder what magic ingredients went into the synthesis of that obsession. Is it because even the most uncoordinated people could do that dance? Is it because people like songs to which they know only one phrase (Ehhh Macarena! Hai!)? Or, is it because every era (whether it be year or decade or century) needs something that will cause us to look back and ask, "What were we thinking?!"

Not surprisingly, the Macarena craze spawned a slew of parodies. Recently, I came across this hilarious video on YouTube. It is a brilliant Animaniacs parody titled "Macadamia Nut." Pure comic genius. (And it's even funnier if you compare it to the original video by Los Del Rio.)

Ah, nostalgia. They just don't make cartoons like this anymore. And maybe that is the real secret behind silly fads. They make us laugh, in all their incarnations. More importantly, they make us remember with a smile those days of yore and with them, our past selves. So, no matter how stupid and incomprehensible the fad, we still feel fondness for it because of all the associated memories and feelings it brings back.

Lions and Tigers and Bears, Oh My!

2007-11-12T21:03:00.001-08:00

Yesterday, a friend and I went to see the Noah's Ark exhibit at the Skirball Cultural Center. Apparently, the exhibit had received prominent coverage in the LA Times and the NY Times, but I was blissfully unaware of this. When my friend briefly told me about the exhibit, I assumed the display would include an intricate ark in miniature, with myriad animals on or boarding the vessel. Imagine my delighted surprise when I walked into the exhibit space and found myself immersed in a hands-on, interactive experience populated with animals of all shapes and sizes made from found objects! The creativity that went into this project was awe-inspiring. I marveled at the amazing artistry of the puppet-sculptures even as my inner child gleefully emerged to create mini-cyclones, generate rainstorms, and animate various creatures by pulling levers, pumping hydraulic systems, and spinning wheels. The place truly is designed for kids of all ages.

Here are some pictures I took while wandering (and playing) through the exhibit.

Notice how the elephant's trunk is fashioned out of bamboo baskets, the kind commonly used to steam dim sum! His feet are made from steel drums, and although you can't see it in this picture, he has a "gong-able" heart. The deer's ears are shoe horns, the zebras' bodies are rotating turbines, and their manes are made from organ keys. Talk about clever usage of materials!

This picture shows part of the ark. You can load the ramp with foam animal pairs and send them up to "board" the vessel. How can one not feel like a kid again surrounded by all these cool contraptions and toys?!

More animals on the ark...

Check out the crocodile made from a viola case! And the flamingos below it have purses for bodies, fly swatters for legs, and combs for feathers on their wings.

More cool animals...

At first, we had trouble figuring out what these brown critters were. We just thought it was cool that they had boxing gloves as bodies. Finally, I realized that these were kiwis! How cute! For more great images, check out the Skirball's website. (The penguin and hedgehog are amazing, not to mention adorable!)

Design Changes

2007-11-11T22:23:00.000-08:00

Barely three weeks into this blog and already I'm making design changes. Much as the Scribe template spoke to the "classic" side of my personality, it just didn't seem to fit with the spirit of this blog. Parchment, quills, and ink bottles don't exactly convey "airy words." If anything, they announce "weighty words." So, I thought I'd switch to this Harbor template for a while and see how it feels. At the very least, the clouds and the sky suggest airiness. And I do like the cleanness of the design. I haven't decided whether I like the lighthouse or not, and the title font may need some work, but for now, this will have to do. Maybe one of these days, I'll actually learn CSS and design my own blog template.

P.S. If you are new to this blog, this is what it used to look like:
I have to admit, the flower bullet points were fortuitously apropos for the Pushing Daisies quotes. (Click on image to see enlarged version; flower bullet point will be clear.) Still, I didn't feel that the cute dingbat bullets justified keeping the whole template.

A Bouquet of Daisies

2007-11-07T23:52:00.000-08:00

Due to the Country Music Awards, I wasn't able to get my weekly fix of Pushing Daisies tonight. So, I thought I'd relive the show's finest verbal moments by listing some of my favorite quotes thus far. A bouquet of Daisies quotes, if you will. (No, I do not have a photographic memory. Yes, I am enough of a geek that I re-watched the episodes online to jot down quotes. But, to be fair, I also re-watched the episodes simply to enjoy them.) Anyway, here goes.

Emerson: Words that sound alike get mixed up in my head.
Olive: Me too. I used to think masturbation meant chewing your food. (pause) I don’t think that anymore.
Chuck: I'd kiss you if it wouldn't kill me.
Narrator: In fact, Emerson Cod had finished knitting a sweater vest and two handgun cozies in the week since Chuck's return.
Olive: This isn't Pies 'R Us, Pie City, or Thousands of Pies in One Place. This is a bells-on-the-door, pies-baking, mom-and-pop place. We chit-chat here. Chit!
Ned: What's so great about knowing? When you lift up a rock, do you find whipped cream? No, you find worms. I say no to knowing.
Chuck: You love secrets. You want to marry secrets and have little half-secret half-human babies.
Mark Chase: The Dandy Lion car is the culmination of my life's work. It's a flower-powered phenomenon born of a thousand sleepless nights, intense Ritalin abuse, and a long sublimated interest in botany. So what if in the unlikely but not impossible event that the car gets up to a speed of 70 miles an hour, with the headlights on, and the seat warmer on low, a short circuit in the radio causes a cataclysmic chain reaction that blows the car and its precious human cargo to smithereens?
Narrator: Emerson Cod did not like to knit in public, but he often left the house with the needles in his pocket should an opportunity to rib-stitch a ski cap present itself.
Chuck: Remember, mind over matter makes Pooh un-fatter.
Emerson: I may be stuck, but I can still reach my gun.
Chuck: Kick, Pooh, kick!
Wilford Woodruff: I think you should know that I was thrice named alternate sword master at the southern area regional volunteer infantry reenactment regiment.
Ned: I wanted to be a Jedi.
Ned: I'm gonna see if I've got some plastic wrap.
Emerson: Is that a dead bird? Why are you holding a dead bird? Throw that away. It's swimming with disease, and you serve food!
Emerson: What is the rate of exchange on the life of a bird? Because if it's equal to or greater than mine, I need to get back to my car.
Ned: It's raining dead birds!
Emerson: Because Big Daddy needs some new yarn.
Ned: He's not Conrad; he's the hijacker. And he's going to the bathroom in my kitchen!
Chuck: Boy, you miss one trip to the morgue.
Ned: Good news is you're not blind. Bad news is you're dead.
Ned: Why did they send it to Nam? Do the Vietnamese need windmills?
Chuck: NARM--National Area of Retired Mills.
Elsita: Oh no, you didn't use bows to tie me up, did you? You take a hostage like you tie your sneakers!
Olive: Ned hates Halloween, you know. Makes him moodier than a pumpkin full of PMS.
Ned: They put a bomb in your daybed?
Emerson: His goat killed you?
Olive: Sweet Secretariat.
Emerson: That don't look like John Joseph.
Olive: A horse with no name.
Emerson: Or legs.
(shudder)
Chuck (to Digby): You know what we are? We're the walking dead on Halloween.
Chuck: First of all, huh? And secondly, Olive thinks that I faked my death, which is completely different to knowing that I'm dead.
Emerson: Yeah, different like purple and mauve.
Mama Jacobs: Well, you wouldn't need all that bait if your belly were full of fish, dear.
Vivian (about weekly pies): I don't know how we survived without it. It's like a sex addiction. I would imagine.
Chuck: What if he changes when his blood sugar level drops?
Olive: Like a hypoglycemic werewolf!
Olive: Tell Ned I love . . . his pies.
Emerson: I love you, shovel!
(doorbell)
Vivian: Is that clock right? It's two o'clock in the a.m.!
Lily: I'll get my gun.
Vivian: And I'll get the candy bowl.

Mmmm.... Ratatouille...

2007-11-06T19:19:00.000-08:00

Since the Ratatouille DVD was released today, I will take this opportunity to extol this little gem of a film. Only Pixar can take an animal so traditionally reviled and make it not only cute and sympathetic, but get away with placing said critter in a restaurant kitchen!
The movie has heart, humor, and the usual Pixar standard of amazing visuals. The scenes of Paris are breathtakingly gorgeous; they made me ache for a return to the magical City of Light. And the food, which rivaled the culinary masterpieces one might see on the Food Network, actually made me hungry. (Never mind that the dishes were being prepared by a rat.) As for the characters, they are rendered with such detail that I swear you can see every hair on Remy's furry little body.
This feel-good movie brimming with artistry and laugh-out-loud moments will have you cheering for its unlikely but lovable hero. I think I'm going to go to amazon and order it right now...

It's an Existentialist World, Charlie Brown

2007-11-01T19:30:00.000-07:00

As part of the office festivities for Halloween yesterday, we participated in a trivia quiz while consuming pizza and various spooky potluck concoctions. The first question on the quiz was:

Every Halloween, Charlie Brown helps his friend Linus wait for what character to appear?
a. The Grinch | b. The Great Pumpkin | c. Godot |
d. Pigpen

I found the concept of Peanuts characters waiting for Godot hilarious. Considering that the content of Charles Schulz's comics was often quite deep, ironic, and satiric, perhaps the connection is not such a stretch. Tickled by this idea, I was moved to Photoshop a couple of images to illustrate a Peanuts take on existentialism.

As part of my research for this mini-project, I went to trusty ol' wikipedia to refresh my memory of Beckett and "Waiting for Godot." (I don't know what I ever did without wikipedia before!) There, I found out that one of two possible paintings by Caspar David Friedrich inspired Beckett to write the play: Man and Woman Contemplating the Moon or Two Men Contemplating the Moon. This composite of Friedrich's painting and Linus and Sally in the pumpkin patch is my tongue-in-cheek homage to both Beckett and Schulz. (By the way, Caspar David Friedrich's oeuvre includes some wonderfully atmospheric and sublime paintings.)

Thus, another Halloween has come and gone, and we find ourselves suddenly in the month of November. And even though neither the Great Pumpkin nor Godot has shown up, we find laughter and friendship and thought and creative expression as we continue to mark our time on this earth, and it is enough.

On Stephen Crane

2007-10-30T18:57:00.000-07:00

This month, my office book club read three short stories by Stephen Crane: "The Open Boat," "The Monster," and "The Blue Hotel." Now, I was not an "Americanist" in college or grad school, so I'm pretty sure the last time I read anything by Crane was high school. Although naturalist fiction will never be my favorite genre, I do think I appreciated his work much more this time around. His narratives force readers to grapple with complex moral issues; the questionable concept of free will in an indifferent, often hostile environment; and the senselessness of many life events.

Reading these three stories, I never felt sure where the author was taking me. And, after finishing and reflecting upon the tales, I found myself struggling to shape my myriad observations into a coherent interpretation. Surely there must be some elusive core buried beneath the layers of details and literary conventions. It is startling to realize that perhaps there is no such core, that naturalistic fiction would not have a hidden message or truth. This may even be part of Crane's genius: engaging readers in a futile search for meaning that parallels the actions unfolding in the narrative. I'm not really sure though... for some reason, I don't feel altogether confident as a reader when dealing with his work.

Crane's narratives were selected as a loose connection with Halloween ("creepy naturalist stories"), so I read them with that association in mind. And, in terms of moral ambiguities and a kind of dull psychological horror, these stories were creepy! They create a sense of unease that is slow to leave, and they really make you think... in many ways, it's like probing a dilemma that has no solution. Crane seems to like casting his characters as a kind of "everyman," and he is very deft at implicating the reader in the questionable decisions and actions taking place in the story. In the case of "The Monster" and "The Blue Hotel," we ponder the hard question of whether we would truly act differently if faced with the same situations entangling the characters. This pondering engenders doubt, which then implies a degree of guilt, as if we too participated in (or allowed to happen) the terrible events in the story. Certainly food for thought.

After I finished the stories, I read a little of Crane's biography online. Considering that he died of tuberculosis at the age of 28, he certainly produced a large body of work. (The anthology I checked out from the library was almost 800 pages!) Crane married Cora Stewart-Taylor, a well-born New Yorker who had been thrice married and was the proprietress of a brothel in Jacksonville, Florida. Also a writer, she worked alongside Crane as a war correspondent during the Greco-Turkish War. Pretty fascinating stuff. I'd be interested in reading the biography of the formidable Cora!

Hum-Dinger

2007-10-29T18:18:00.001-07:00

Yesterday was a rather anticlimactic end to the baseball season. As a champion of underdogs, I was really hoping the Colorado Rockies would fare better. Alas, the 8-day layoff between the NLCS and the World Series seemed to have robbed them of their magical spark. Since my own teams had very little impact in this year's playoffs (the Angels were trounced in the first round, and the Dodgers did not even make the playoffs), I was rooting for the Rockies to continue their miraculous winning streak. Or at least give us a long, interesting battle in the World Series. Oh well. Running into a brick wall in the shape of the formidable Red Sox certainly doesn't take away from the Rockies' amazing accomplishment of winning 21 out of 22 games this fall, forcing and winning a one-game playoff with San Diego, and winning 7 straight in the NLDS and NLCS.

And now, to the main reason for this post. Because of the increased media coverage of the Rockies in the past month, I started to notice their unique mascot during a lot of broadcast games. Thinking that the purple triceratops was cute and funny, I did some online research and found that the Rockies chose a dinosaur for their mascot because fossils were uncovered when they dug the foundation to build Coors Field. Now, that's a pretty cool connection. I also found, to much amusement, that the mascot's name is Dinger (for non-baseball fans, that's slang for home run) and that there are fans who passionately call for the demise of the hapless dino as well as fans who stoutly champion their beloved Dinger. I must admit, I was a bit surprised by the vehemence of the Dinger-haters. Personally, I think a triceratops is a way better mascot than many of the other bizarre creatures gracing the MLB universe. Case in point: take a look at the Philly Phanatic. I mean, really, which would you prefer as your team's mascot?

I guess I simply like mascots that actually resemble a recognizable animal. Cuteness, of course, and comic quality are factors too. Here are a couple of other MLB mascots that I like: San Francisco's Lou Seal (please note that liking a team's mascot does not mean I like the team!) and Florida's Billy the Marlin.

One last thing: I kind of understand why the Seattle Mariners' mascot is a moose, given the Northwest connection. However, as an English major, I've always thought it'd be hilarious if the Mariners' mascot were an albatross. Yes, I realize that not many people would get the reference to Coleridge's "Rime of the Ancient Mariner," but wouldn't you like to see this intimidating figure staring down the opponents?

iGoogle Themes

2007-10-27T15:42:00.001-07:00

Perhaps I am just easily amused, but I was quite tickled when I recently discovered that Google has added a theme function to the customizable iGoogle interface. I selected the "Tea House" theme since it was cute, and imagine my pleasant surprise when the pictures updated themselves periodically to match the approximate time of day in my area. These are the different images I've managed to capture so far...

Cute, huh? ;) The little fox is quite industrious and leads a very full life!

Everything's Coming Up Daisies

2007-10-25T21:44:00.000-07:00

I cannot say enough about this season's quirky, enchanting new show, Pushing Daisies. Not only is it a visual delight--full of vibrant colors and breathtaking imagery--but it also delights the soul with its whimsy, humor, romance, and tincture of darkness. There truly is nothing quite like it on television. The show is a modern fairy tale peopled with very human, albeit unusual characters inhabiting a world that is both familiar and otherwordly. There is a touching (pun somewhat intended) tenderness underlying the sometimes witty, sometimes sardonic, and sometimes laugh-out-loud funny moments.
This lavish storybook-come-to-life has captured my heart. It engages my senses, my emotions, and my intellect. The creators of the show cleverly include so many visual and verbal details that you notice something new every time you watch it. And the chemistry among the cast members, particularly between Lee Pace and Anna Friel, is sparkling. I have to admit, I am rather enamored of Lee Pace in the role of Ned the Pie Maker. He is absolutely adorable and such a sweetheart. ;P
Since the series finale of Frasier, I have not faithfully followed a show until now. I've managed to catch every episode of Pushing Daisies so far and have even re-watched some episodes online. It is such a wonderful breath of fresh air in this age of reality TV; I am utterly charmed and hope it stays on the air for many seasons to come.

A Gentle, Quiet Power

2007-10-23T21:12:00.000-07:00

I recently finished Susan Vreeland's novel Girl in Hyacinth Blue, and I must say that it is one of the best books I've read all year. Much like a Vermeer painting, the novel is rich and evocative, with layers of complexity below a gentle, quiet surface. The prose is clean, poetic, and (not surprisingly) almost painterly in some places. The structure of the book is unique and works wonderfully well: a series of short stories presented in reverse chronology. A "lost" Vermeer painting links these narratives together.

Now, Vermeer is one of my favorite artists. He is rightfully hailed as the master of light, but I also love how his paintings are so meticulous, atmospheric, and intimate, capturing quiet moments that suggest rich, complicated narratives of interior lives. Vreeland's deeply moving novel certainly does justice to Vermeer's genius. Each beautifully crafted vignette reflects how art can affect our hearts, minds, souls, and lives in profound ways. I will definitely read more of Vreeland's work in the future.

Overture

2007-10-22T22:11:00.000-07:00

And so begins my first foray into the blogging world. Though I love to write (or so I've been proclaiming since high school), I've done precious little writing in recent memory... my bound journal lies fallow for months at a time, and I've even become delinquent in keeping my reading journal up to date. As for creative writing... well, let's not even go there. So, when I learned that a good friend started blogging this month, I was inspired to try it too in an attempt to write more regularly. We'll see how this experiment goes. At the very least, it should prove cathartic. ;P