Mystery Solved

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

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

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

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!