Finally Finished

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

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

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

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

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

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

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. ;)