...I listen to NPR's Pop Culture Happy Hour every week, at least before I go to sleep. It's a podcast hosted by Monkey See editor Linda Holmes, et al, and they talk about (what else?) pop culture. Anyway, at the end of the podcast they all talk about something that's making them happy this week, and it usually ends up being, like, a book, or movie, obscure TV show, or recently revived Broadway show.
So, I figured, I'm gonna try and do the same thing this week. It's so easy to get depressed nowadays (thank you Seasonal Affective Disorder), and I could use an exercise like this to put things in perspective. With that said, here's what's making me 'masaya' this week:
1) The worst of *this* snow storm is over - as people may or may not know -- and probably wouldn't have known until they saw pictures online of the collapsed Metrodome roof -- there was a crazy snow storm that hit the Midwest this past weekend. The storm dumped about 17" of snow onto Minneapolis, and needless to say there were wipeouts, stranded travelers, and frustrated people digging their cars out of the frozen tundra. But, it's all done, and that's the good thing. People pretty much got back into the swing of things on Monday, and it's like everyone woke up from a dream because the downtown Target was bustling on Monday night. I think everyone was stocking up after getting stranded in their homes the entire weekend. Which reminds me, I really should stock up some Spam and corned beef. Yum.
2) Unlimited text messages - who knew there could be so much joy with having this kind of freedom? I try not to text one word answers still, remembering the days of yore (i.e. two weeks ago) when I only had 200 text msgs on my plan (in- and outbound). But, it sure is nice to not say something to the effect of "stop talking to me". Because everybody knows Mariel loves to talk!
3) Sun Chips Harvest Cheddar - 'coz I'm eating them right now.
4) Starbucks Coffee @ work - Man, I didn't have coffee for the first time today, and only then did I truly realize how much I love that strong liquid power to get me through the day.
5) Amazon.com's awesome $25 + free shipping - gotta love this awesome online retailer for having everything in the entire known universe, and then shipping it for free.
6) Christmas Cards - received some lovely festive cards from family and friends, and for the first time ever, I'm attempting sending some out. I'm so holiday the elf ears are starting to grow.
7) My Pandora's "The Christmas Song" Mix - I love holiday music! Especially while walking outside in sub-freezing weather, nothing puts me in a happy (ok, tolerable) mood like listening to "The Christmas Song" or "Oh Holy Night" or (how apropos) "White Christmas."
8) Elf on USA Network - It's seriously my favorite holiday movie. I think it's going to be a classic in the same way "A Christmas Story" or "Christmas Vacation" now are -- two epic comedies which I still haven't seen, to the shock of others.
9) Gingerbread House decorating - So, we have a competition at work for creative gingerbread house decorating. Our team is SO stoked to build our gingerbread house which has, among other things, Slipknot AND the Beatles. Yep, it's gonna be a rockin' one.
10) Groupon's recent deal on French Meadow - I haven't had their dinner before, but since I had an amazing brunch there twice (goat cheese quiche drool), I immediately snapped this one up.
11) Planning for my Christmas and New Years trips - there's no place like home, and no better loving than from the family. And no better state than California (haha, that's not true on so many levels, but that don't matter).
12) McDonald's on Nicollet - fun late-night run, and I haven't eaten in a McDonald's for a while now. Sometimes, there's nothing better than a medium box of greasy Mickey D fries, eh?
13) My heater - Oh. My. God. Can you imagine if I didn't have one? I can't; which really makes me happy AND grateful for this, as I am for all the other things in my list.
I know that the world's imperfect, and that there's a lot of crap going on a macro and micro level. But, if we spend so much time obsessing over how sucky our lives are, then we miss the many little things that do make our lives livable and, if we're really lucky, utterly satisfying. I know where I stand in the grand scale of personal happiness...actually I don't know. What I do know is I am making an effort to stay positive [on most realms of my life], because positivity begets positivity. And I would really rather live my life as happily as I can every day. :-)
Wednesday, December 15, 2010
Monday, November 22, 2010
Kung nasa Manila pa ako (If I was still in Manila)...
Paminsan-minsan, pag nakikita ko yung mga pictures ng mga kaibigan ko sa Philippines sa Facebook, nagiisip ako kung nasaan na kaya ako at this point of my life kung nandun pa 'rin ako nakatira. Lalo na ngayon na may mga websites katulad ng Facebook o Friendster (haha, Friendster, that's so two thousand and late), mas madalas kong napagiisipan..."Kung nasa Manila pa ako, ano na kaya ako ngayon?"
OK, I just realized that while it's so much easier for me to speak in Tagalog, it's exponentially easier for me to write in English. How's about them juxtaposition? It's funny, coz I've always written better in English, even though my native tongue is Tagalog, and always will be. Back in my sophomore year of high school in the Philippines, we had to write a minimum of 10-page (I think?) fiction piece, entirely in Tagalog. Oh my word, I think the only other time I've suffered as much writing anything was when I had to bullshit my way through a term paper for an online physics class (yes, online physics, probably the greatest WTF class in the history of man).
Typical digression aside, all the online-stalking of my friends/family in the Philippines, my visit to the PI last year, and just the starkness of this Minnesota winter (so alien from what I grew up in the last 20-some odd years) is making me wonder what and where I would be at this stage in my life, if I was still living in Manila.
Oddly (or maybe, not oddly) enough, the first and loudest answer to that question is: If I was still living in Manila today, I would probably be scrambling to get out of there. I know it sounds anti-patriotic, selfish, and probably why the Philippines is still struggling today, despite its abundant natural resources and wonderful geographic location (read: World War II; thanks for dragging us through the mud, bitches). But, the reality for millions of intelligent, hardworking Filipinos is that their output would probably be better compensated elsewhere. I am sure there are millions of wonderful opportunities in commerce over there. I do remember seeing Deutschbank, Allianz, Accenture, and other top companies with offices in Makati, and there's a lot of 'great' companies like San Miguel Corp., PLDT, and SM. Anyway, I really don't want to delve too deep into this issue, but I will point out that it's absolutely fascinating that even as I'm trying my hardest to formulate my "what-if" scenario, I still keep coming up against the same, stubborn conclusion: it would most likely involve me emigrating.
Ok, let's say we strike out that aforementioned option completely. I think it would be fun to start my phantasmagorical walk from where I left off (that is, when I left the Philippines):
Part I: High School
So there I was, marching down those next few yards towards my high school diploma. As I take my seat on the school stage, I am overwhelmed by happy memories. I look out to my 70+ fellow seniors and think of all our shared experiences in the last 4 years: overnight year-end parties, English week, Linggo ng Wika, camping trips, CAT trips, the Bivouac in Baguio, the quick therapy sessions where everyone get to pour their hearts out over four years of high school/teenage angst, et al.
-PS: I can't help snickering as I type this, because the latter part actually happened to some BAA alumni I know. It's very healing, I heard.
Part II: College
I go through college much like I went through high school: laser-focused and happily oblivious to my geekiness. I still live with my parents, because dorms are only for promdis (haha, how old is this lingo?). They pay for my college tuition, and I get a weekly allowance (I really cannot fathom this anymore). I commute a total of two hours every day, and I have developed an immunity to sweaty people on the Light Rail. During my four years in college, I find a favorite coffee shop by the mall, where my friends and I hang out to kill time until the rush hour dies down a little bit. On the weekends we go to the Mall (Mall of Asia, Megamall, SM North Edsa, Trinoma, whatever; we got them all). I drink a little bit, go to beerhouses once or twice with some friends, eat some street food, sing karaoke a lot, take the day off to watch Manny Pacquiao fight, all that fun stuff.
Part III: Work
I struggle finding a job for a while. It is not easy to get into those multinationals when they hire mostly B-school graduates and ex-patriates. I work, this time for real, at my family's hospital in the province. I like managing the place, but I'm a true City girl. So, I head back to Manila and keep trying. Eventually, I find a [TBD] job that I'm cool with. I now live in an apartment with a roommate, and I like going out to the mall and trying out different restaurants. Still.
Part IV: Religion
I stayed as the pianist for a children's choir until I left for college. Since I went to a non-religious school (against the strong protests of some relatives), I start to think more outside the churchly box. But, my family still goes to the same church every Saturday, and I still play the piano during 2nd Church service once in a while
Epilogue:
That's really all I can think of right now. Oh, I probably would be smaller there coz restaurants don't serve manhole-sized pancakes and 50-piece chicken nugget Happy Meals, and you can't just buy a side of cardiac arrest for a dollar. I find a guy who's slightly taller than me, and we would hang out at the mall. A lot. I'm telling you guys, the mall is to the Philippines what Costcos are to the United States: plentiful, huge, and air-conditioned.
Even with all this hard imagineering, all I've really come up with are generalities and a few scenarios I remember doing last year. I guess it's harder for me to visualize what could have been simply because I haven't been home in the Philippines in such a long time. I don't even know if it's home anymore; it seems more like a distant birthplace and childhood memory now.
There are days when I think, "Oh, how simpler things would be, if I just lived back in the Philippines." But, I know that's a naive statement, because what I'm referring to as 'simple' is my outdated concept of the Philippines from seven years ago, when I didn't have to worry about paying the bills or buying groceries or things like that. Whether I'm in Minnesota, California, or Manila, in 2010 I would be an ADULT, dealing with adult situations. Maybe my next note would be "If I was still a kid." Or, "If I was a millionaire" (I'll be on the cover of Forbes magazine, smiling next to Oprah and the Queen. You know it).
I'm probably going to be writing more about this "shoulda, coulda, woulda" the more I think about it. It's a fun exercise for my brain. The scenarios will change, and the details will evolve, but one truth remains the same: I'm proud of where I came from, and I'm prouder of where that has taken me.
OK, I just realized that while it's so much easier for me to speak in Tagalog, it's exponentially easier for me to write in English. How's about them juxtaposition? It's funny, coz I've always written better in English, even though my native tongue is Tagalog, and always will be. Back in my sophomore year of high school in the Philippines, we had to write a minimum of 10-page (I think?) fiction piece, entirely in Tagalog. Oh my word, I think the only other time I've suffered as much writing anything was when I had to bullshit my way through a term paper for an online physics class (yes, online physics, probably the greatest WTF class in the history of man).
Typical digression aside, all the online-stalking of my friends/family in the Philippines, my visit to the PI last year, and just the starkness of this Minnesota winter (so alien from what I grew up in the last 20-some odd years) is making me wonder what and where I would be at this stage in my life, if I was still living in Manila.
Oddly (or maybe, not oddly) enough, the first and loudest answer to that question is: If I was still living in Manila today, I would probably be scrambling to get out of there. I know it sounds anti-patriotic, selfish, and probably why the Philippines is still struggling today, despite its abundant natural resources and wonderful geographic location (read: World War II; thanks for dragging us through the mud, bitches). But, the reality for millions of intelligent, hardworking Filipinos is that their output would probably be better compensated elsewhere. I am sure there are millions of wonderful opportunities in commerce over there. I do remember seeing Deutschbank, Allianz, Accenture, and other top companies with offices in Makati, and there's a lot of 'great' companies like San Miguel Corp., PLDT, and SM. Anyway, I really don't want to delve too deep into this issue, but I will point out that it's absolutely fascinating that even as I'm trying my hardest to formulate my "what-if" scenario, I still keep coming up against the same, stubborn conclusion: it would most likely involve me emigrating.
Ok, let's say we strike out that aforementioned option completely. I think it would be fun to start my phantasmagorical walk from where I left off (that is, when I left the Philippines):
Part I: High School
So there I was, marching down those next few yards towards my high school diploma. As I take my seat on the school stage, I am overwhelmed by happy memories. I look out to my 70+ fellow seniors and think of all our shared experiences in the last 4 years: overnight year-end parties, English week, Linggo ng Wika, camping trips, CAT trips, the Bivouac in Baguio, the quick therapy sessions where everyone get to pour their hearts out over four years of high school/teenage angst, et al.
-PS: I can't help snickering as I type this, because the latter part actually happened to some BAA alumni I know. It's very healing, I heard.
Part II: College
I go through college much like I went through high school: laser-focused and happily oblivious to my geekiness. I still live with my parents, because dorms are only for promdis (haha, how old is this lingo?). They pay for my college tuition, and I get a weekly allowance (I really cannot fathom this anymore). I commute a total of two hours every day, and I have developed an immunity to sweaty people on the Light Rail. During my four years in college, I find a favorite coffee shop by the mall, where my friends and I hang out to kill time until the rush hour dies down a little bit. On the weekends we go to the Mall (Mall of Asia, Megamall, SM North Edsa, Trinoma, whatever; we got them all). I drink a little bit, go to beerhouses once or twice with some friends, eat some street food, sing karaoke a lot, take the day off to watch Manny Pacquiao fight, all that fun stuff.
Part III: Work
I struggle finding a job for a while. It is not easy to get into those multinationals when they hire mostly B-school graduates and ex-patriates. I work, this time for real, at my family's hospital in the province. I like managing the place, but I'm a true City girl. So, I head back to Manila and keep trying. Eventually, I find a [TBD] job that I'm cool with. I now live in an apartment with a roommate, and I like going out to the mall and trying out different restaurants. Still.
Part IV: Religion
I stayed as the pianist for a children's choir until I left for college. Since I went to a non-religious school (against the strong protests of some relatives), I start to think more outside the churchly box. But, my family still goes to the same church every Saturday, and I still play the piano during 2nd Church service once in a while
Epilogue:
That's really all I can think of right now. Oh, I probably would be smaller there coz restaurants don't serve manhole-sized pancakes and 50-piece chicken nugget Happy Meals, and you can't just buy a side of cardiac arrest for a dollar. I find a guy who's slightly taller than me, and we would hang out at the mall. A lot. I'm telling you guys, the mall is to the Philippines what Costcos are to the United States: plentiful, huge, and air-conditioned.
Even with all this hard imagineering, all I've really come up with are generalities and a few scenarios I remember doing last year. I guess it's harder for me to visualize what could have been simply because I haven't been home in the Philippines in such a long time. I don't even know if it's home anymore; it seems more like a distant birthplace and childhood memory now.
There are days when I think, "Oh, how simpler things would be, if I just lived back in the Philippines." But, I know that's a naive statement, because what I'm referring to as 'simple' is my outdated concept of the Philippines from seven years ago, when I didn't have to worry about paying the bills or buying groceries or things like that. Whether I'm in Minnesota, California, or Manila, in 2010 I would be an ADULT, dealing with adult situations. Maybe my next note would be "If I was still a kid." Or, "If I was a millionaire" (I'll be on the cover of Forbes magazine, smiling next to Oprah and the Queen. You know it).
I'm probably going to be writing more about this "shoulda, coulda, woulda" the more I think about it. It's a fun exercise for my brain. The scenarios will change, and the details will evolve, but one truth remains the same: I'm proud of where I came from, and I'm prouder of where that has taken me.
Wednesday, November 17, 2010
"Community" College: I am the Human Being Mascot.
I'm so unabashed about the fact that I went to community college. I really appreciate that decision because it allowed me to:
1) Go to Spain for a month for cheap - a me encanta Espana
2) Work a part-time job at Subway, which allowed me to buy things I didn't need and save up for stuff I didn't even know I wanted, such as my first smartphone and a horrid Compaq laptop.
3) Live on the cheap - nothing beats free boarding and mom doing your laundry every week.
4) Take the time to decide my major, without sucking the money from my wallet hole - not to knock on those that change majors multiple times, but it's definitely better doing it while you're paying $1 a semester versus 10 grand or so.
5) Oh, and pay only $1 a semester - thank you FAFSA.
6) Take the time to vet my top transfer schools carefully - I knew I was only at community to prepare me for the next step, which is four-year. Back in high school, I really wasn't passionate about any particular university. I had only been in the States for about two years at that point, and I've hung out with enough nerds who breathed and sighed "UCLA" or "USC" that I wanted to smash my head in if I heard those acronyms one more time. So, the moment I stepped into Pasadena, I started looking at different schools that fitted the path I was sure I'll take and landed on my dream school (and eventual alma mater): UC Berkeley. Take that Pepperdine, you sickeningly gorgeous, pretentious school (can you sense the animosity of getting rejected, 3 years later? haha).
So, my point of fanning the feathers of community college is because it has an undistinguished rep for a lot of people. But, finally - FINALLY - there is a show that is putting community college in the limelight, albeit not always in the most helpful ways. I think one of my favorite network shows, "Community," is a dichotomous representation of community college: sometimes it's lambasting community college as nothing more than a second high school (like in Episode 1 and Dean Pelton's hilarious welcome speech denigrating his own school), other times it portrays community college as this fantastic (for lack of a better word) community of a diverse student body with secret trampoline gardens, fantastic chicken fingers at the caf, and easy breezy classes like pottery and anthropology taught by Betty White. When I saw the pilot of this show, I wasn't surprised that Community College is portrayed as the former: a joke of an institution where bored old men, single moms, frustrated punks, dumb jocks, and disbarred lawyers go to get a throwaway education (reminded me of this funny SNL sketch). That being said, it still had an amazingly funny plot that got me hooked, and the show only got wildly better from there. And, as the series progressed it was very obvious that Greendale Community College is the eighth (or ninth, if you count Senor/Student Chang as a main) primary character here. Bearing all of community college's high and low stereotypes, the school has served as this fantastic backdrop, world, setting, arc, supporting role, et al. for every stupidly hilarious episode.
To end this on a lazy note, here's a double-whammy list of what is and isn't true about CCs as portrayed in "Community," solely from my experience as a loud and proud CC alumni:
Realistic
1) Chicken fingers are, indeed, the best things offered in the caf. That, and tater tots for breakfast. (S1E21)
2) There are many, many fun blow-off classes, like (and I took this class for real) an online Physics class. Like, seriously. (S1E19)
3) You will definitely meet an old guy trying to stave off dementia by enrolling in community (Every episode; we love our Pierce)
4) You will also definitely meet a neurotic, crazy nerd who is so focused on transferring to a four-year university (all signs point to me) (S1E13)
5) Your 'notable' alumni will run the whole gamut, from super-accomplished people who prove that community colleges aren't just for losers (Pasadena has Jackie Robinson and Eddie Van Halen) to those who you wished just stayed in high school...or their mom's womb (S1E6)
6) Starburns
Not realistic
1) Community Colleges do not have that many dances. In the words of Jeff Winger, "How many dances does this school have?!". They also do not have Transfer Dances and "Tranny" queens (S1E25)
2) There are no fantastic paintball wars that take place and decimate the entire school population in a pool of wet colorant (S1E23)
3) I'm pretty sure you can't get butt-naked playing pool (S1E17)
4) There are NO DORMS in community colleges (S1E23)
5) No professor will survive after shooting his/her student with a multi-weapon contraption. Then again, no professor is as great as Betty effing White (S2E1)
1) Go to Spain for a month for cheap - a me encanta Espana
2) Work a part-time job at Subway, which allowed me to buy things I didn't need and save up for stuff I didn't even know I wanted, such as my first smartphone and a horrid Compaq laptop.
3) Live on the cheap - nothing beats free boarding and mom doing your laundry every week.
4) Take the time to decide my major, without sucking the money from my wallet hole - not to knock on those that change majors multiple times, but it's definitely better doing it while you're paying $1 a semester versus 10 grand or so.
5) Oh, and pay only $1 a semester - thank you FAFSA.
6) Take the time to vet my top transfer schools carefully - I knew I was only at community to prepare me for the next step, which is four-year. Back in high school, I really wasn't passionate about any particular university. I had only been in the States for about two years at that point, and I've hung out with enough nerds who breathed and sighed "UCLA" or "USC" that I wanted to smash my head in if I heard those acronyms one more time. So, the moment I stepped into Pasadena, I started looking at different schools that fitted the path I was sure I'll take and landed on my dream school (and eventual alma mater): UC Berkeley. Take that Pepperdine, you sickeningly gorgeous, pretentious school (can you sense the animosity of getting rejected, 3 years later? haha).
So, my point of fanning the feathers of community college is because it has an undistinguished rep for a lot of people. But, finally - FINALLY - there is a show that is putting community college in the limelight, albeit not always in the most helpful ways. I think one of my favorite network shows, "Community," is a dichotomous representation of community college: sometimes it's lambasting community college as nothing more than a second high school (like in Episode 1 and Dean Pelton's hilarious welcome speech denigrating his own school), other times it portrays community college as this fantastic (for lack of a better word) community of a diverse student body with secret trampoline gardens, fantastic chicken fingers at the caf, and easy breezy classes like pottery and anthropology taught by Betty White. When I saw the pilot of this show, I wasn't surprised that Community College is portrayed as the former: a joke of an institution where bored old men, single moms, frustrated punks, dumb jocks, and disbarred lawyers go to get a throwaway education (reminded me of this funny SNL sketch). That being said, it still had an amazingly funny plot that got me hooked, and the show only got wildly better from there. And, as the series progressed it was very obvious that Greendale Community College is the eighth (or ninth, if you count Senor/Student Chang as a main) primary character here. Bearing all of community college's high and low stereotypes, the school has served as this fantastic backdrop, world, setting, arc, supporting role, et al. for every stupidly hilarious episode.
To end this on a lazy note, here's a double-whammy list of what is and isn't true about CCs as portrayed in "Community," solely from my experience as a loud and proud CC alumni:
Realistic
1) Chicken fingers are, indeed, the best things offered in the caf. That, and tater tots for breakfast. (S1E21)
2) There are many, many fun blow-off classes, like (and I took this class for real) an online Physics class. Like, seriously. (S1E19)
3) You will definitely meet an old guy trying to stave off dementia by enrolling in community (Every episode; we love our Pierce)
4) You will also definitely meet a neurotic, crazy nerd who is so focused on transferring to a four-year university (all signs point to me) (S1E13)
5) Your 'notable' alumni will run the whole gamut, from super-accomplished people who prove that community colleges aren't just for losers (Pasadena has Jackie Robinson and Eddie Van Halen) to those who you wished just stayed in high school...or their mom's womb (S1E6)
6) Starburns
Not realistic
1) Community Colleges do not have that many dances. In the words of Jeff Winger, "How many dances does this school have?!". They also do not have Transfer Dances and "Tranny" queens (S1E25)
2) There are no fantastic paintball wars that take place and decimate the entire school population in a pool of wet colorant (S1E23)
3) I'm pretty sure you can't get butt-naked playing pool (S1E17)
4) There are NO DORMS in community colleges (S1E23)
5) No professor will survive after shooting his/her student with a multi-weapon contraption. Then again, no professor is as great as Betty effing White (S2E1)
Thursday, November 11, 2010
It's coming...
...that's what....ah, that's too easy. Anyway, winter is inevitable. God damn it. There I was, less than 72 hours ago, reveling at the freak experience that is a 'warm' November day in Minnesota. Warm, for my Pacific coast amigos, is low 50's, high 40's. But now, upon checking on my trusty weather widget on my Mac, I find that the next few days are going to be an average high of 37. That being said, I'm still trying to stay zen about the whole thing. I just can't believe that it's going to snow again. It's kinda funny how less than 18 months ago I was so looking forward to seeing a snowflake and putting on my kick-ass sherpa-like snow boots to trudge through the white powder. Now, I'm kinda over it, to be honest. It's fun if you have enough space to run around and make snow angels and snowmen and what-not. It's not fun when, four months into winter, you still see the same, stagnant pile of dirty snow piled up next to the Domino's on 11th street.
Ok, that whole 'zen' thing just totally went out the window, didn't it? Haha. Well, I will make a list of things I want to do to get through the cold weather blues that I didn't get to do last winter season. And I'm making a list because, to Linda Holmes's point, lists are a lazy way to write:
1) Make a snowman
2) Engage in a playful snow fight (ok, my pragmatic, adult subconscious tells me this isn't happening)
3) Go to the Winter Carnival in St. Paul
4) Walk on a frozen lake
5) Stay in someone's cabin. PS: I love it when people use the possessive "MY cabin," like they pay the mortgage on the thing as opposed to the reality, which is that their grandparents already paid off the cabin years ago and they just share it with the rest of the clan.
6) Watch the Nutcracker
7) Volunteer to serve warm meals at a soup kitchen
8) Drink eggnog
9) Sled
10) Be happy!
Any more winter ideas, bring it on.
And, to give everyone a little happy, here's an amazing Taiwanese animation titled US-Sino Currency Rap Battle. Enjoy.
Ok, that whole 'zen' thing just totally went out the window, didn't it? Haha. Well, I will make a list of things I want to do to get through the cold weather blues that I didn't get to do last winter season. And I'm making a list because, to Linda Holmes's point, lists are a lazy way to write:
1) Make a snowman
2) Engage in a playful snow fight (ok, my pragmatic, adult subconscious tells me this isn't happening)
3) Go to the Winter Carnival in St. Paul
4) Walk on a frozen lake
5) Stay in someone's cabin. PS: I love it when people use the possessive "MY cabin," like they pay the mortgage on the thing as opposed to the reality, which is that their grandparents already paid off the cabin years ago and they just share it with the rest of the clan.
6) Watch the Nutcracker
7) Volunteer to serve warm meals at a soup kitchen
8) Drink eggnog
9) Sled
10) Be happy!
Any more winter ideas, bring it on.
And, to give everyone a little happy, here's an amazing Taiwanese animation titled US-Sino Currency Rap Battle. Enjoy.
Wednesday, November 3, 2010
Don't think, just do!
I don't know what I'm trying to get at with this posting.
1) I think I will just write a haiku about how much I love Wikipedia.
Searching for answers
I rely on humankind
Enlighten my mind
2) Or a free-verse on cheese:
Brie, I am you and you are me
Your exterior so tough and hard to swallow
But inside you are as soft
As a beautiful Daydream
Why bleu cheese, must you be
Existentially
Be the epitome
Of mold?
You are how cheese is made
But sometime people don't want to be told
About the work; but you're bold
I can taste your hard work in my tongue
3) There's a difference between being lonely and being alone. Whoever wants to be the latter just gets tired of the mad crush of humanity once a while. The one who wants the former is lying to themselves.
4) Lastly, more about cheese
American Cheese
Are you real cheese?
You are humble, simple and unassuming
Mocked and sneered at by many
But, when all I want is comfort and compassion
Between two pieces of warm understanding
There's no one else I'd run to
But you.
1) I think I will just write a haiku about how much I love Wikipedia.
Searching for answers
I rely on humankind
Enlighten my mind
2) Or a free-verse on cheese:
Brie, I am you and you are me
Your exterior so tough and hard to swallow
But inside you are as soft
As a beautiful Daydream
Why bleu cheese, must you be
Existentially
Be the epitome
Of mold?
You are how cheese is made
But sometime people don't want to be told
About the work; but you're bold
I can taste your hard work in my tongue
3) There's a difference between being lonely and being alone. Whoever wants to be the latter just gets tired of the mad crush of humanity once a while. The one who wants the former is lying to themselves.
4) Lastly, more about cheese
American Cheese
Are you real cheese?
You are humble, simple and unassuming
Mocked and sneered at by many
But, when all I want is comfort and compassion
Between two pieces of warm understanding
There's no one else I'd run to
But you.
Thursday, October 28, 2010
Support for this show comes from viewers like you. Thank you.
Ever since I got into watching PBS specials, I've always promised to no one in particular that once I start making good money I will be one of those donors that they thank at the beginning of every PBS special segment. I longed for the day that I would be able to pick up the phone and call one of those folks you see on TV at those telethons, longingly looking at the camera and expecting my call.
Well, that hasn't happened yet. I gotta say, the different membership levels start off pretty high, and I guess I just haven't seen any good freebies worth becoming a PBS member for. I know it's very self-serving and not exactly the point of 'supporting public television,' but what the hell am I going to do with a DVD of Lawrence Welk's best hits? Or Ross's painting shows. Ooh, actually I would so dig watching Ross any time of the day: I can sleep listening to that man talk. Which is probably why nowadays a favorite nighttime habit of mine is falling asleep not to voices from the big black box with magic pictures, but from the big Blackberry beside my bed. Total side note: did you know that more than 50% of Americans sleep with their cellphones next to them? It's the new security blanket. Ok back to front note: As I was saying, podcasts are now a few of my favorite things. It really started with Chicago Public Radio's This American Life, and now I can't get enough of it. So, today I'd like to share and recommend these three podcasts that I have fallen madly in love with:
1) This American Life - I think the first TAL episode I've listened to in passing was last year's ep called "Someone Else's Money" (about the US healthcare system) but the first one I really got into was the ep called "Bait and Switch." Anyway, for those who haven't heard about TAL, it's a show hosted by the adorkable Ira Glass, who sounds a helluva lot like one of TAL's frequent contributors, David Sedaris. In the words of Mr. Glass, on TAL "each week, we choose a theme, pick a variety of stories to tell about that theme." Sounds kind of mundane, but then the TAL staff presents these fascinating stories about your average Americans. For example, in the Bait and Switch episode, you learn of a young couple who called the police about an abandoned car in their neighborhood, then subsequently got accused of stealing the car and spent years fighting their wrongful accusation in court. There's hilarious stories, like David Sedaris's SantaLand Diaries; there's heartbreaking stories, like the man who is inflicted with cataplexy; there's also just - for lack of a better word - amazing stories, like the girl from Michigan who became friends with infamous drug trafficker Manuel Noriega. If you're getting into public radio and public radio podcasts, this is the best, most surefire way to get addicted to it. It's wonderfully produced, intellectually stimulating, and beautifully told by people, not robots or actors. This is the one podcast that I actually give moolah to, 'coz I don't know what I'll do without my stories now. :)
2) Planet Money - I started listening to Planet Money because of TAL. Often TAL and Planet Money cross lines and do segments on each other's shows (as Chicago Public Radio is an affiliate of NPR). Planet Money has a lot of hosts, but I always remember two names: Chana Joffe-Walt and David Kestenbaum. I remember them because of their memorable names and because to me they were the primary owners of Toxie. It was through Planet Money's multi-episode project with Toxie that I finally understood (even in the simplest terms) what the eff went down with that subprime mortgage mess that we're (still) in. And that is the beauty of Planet Money: they make the most complicated, bore-your-pants-off topics and make them not only coherent, but also entertaining. For example, I was just listening to them talk about how to market their first line of PM apparel, and then they went and broke down the economics and logistics of actually developing a line and made it remarkably interesting.
3) Wait, Wait Don't Tell Me - the NPR News Quiz hosted by Peter Sagal and announced by Carl Kassell. This is the best way for me to test my knowledge of the week's top news. It's done in front of a live studio audience, so it's really hard for me to sleep while listening to it. It also doesn't help that it can get very, very funny. Of course, the week's worth of stupid politicians, TV shows, and other pop culture shenanigans only cultivate the humor. The best part of the show is "Not My Job," wherein they quiz celebrities and other public figures on random stuff. Brian Williams is a definite favorite, but also Dick Van Dyke just this past Sunday (I don't even like Mary Poppins and I want him to be my grandpa).
And a couple more I'm kinda listening to right now:
1) How Stuff Works - oh, what I now know about grow houses would make my Berkeley roots proud.
2) The Sound of Young America - fun interviews with celebrities and other pop culture figures like Rob McElhenney from It's Alway Sunny, and Samantha Bee from Daily Show.
3) Culturetopia Pop Culture Happy Hour - it's amazing listening to people who watch more TV than I do!
What's your favorite podcast that you like listening to?
Monday, October 25, 2010
Mumblings of a Mad, Asian Woman with a Full Belly.
I should take a creative writing class, non-fiction. I have to learn more descriptors than "amazing," "fantastic," and "awesome." I know I tend to use "definitely," a whole lot. I can probably make a drinking game out of it (raise your hand if you know the Robin Scherbatsky "But, um" Drinking Game reference).
So, yeah, this is just me thinking aloud before I go to sleep; fair warning, this is the butterscotch budino (so f*cking heavenly) talking. BTDubs, I've been yawning since I got back from an (you guessed it) AMAZING dinner @ 112 Eatery in the North Loop area. I really wish money was no object and neither is weight, so that I can spend the rest of my days just going around the world trying out different restaurants, and reviewing them, and making friends with chefs and people in the food industry, and traveling to all these hole-in-the-walls to these great, 5-star restaurants and trying the best, ethereal food ever, and all that. But, in my real world where the student loans need to get paid, and the clothes are as inelastic as Joan River's face, I gotta do what I gotta do.
But, that said, would it be so criminal to have a pipe dream of being a well-respected/renowned food critic and/or travel expert (I can do a Samantha Brown, I just gotta cut my hair, die it blonde, lose the weight, and act super cheery even on the shittiest days, for the camera!). Or even a podcast opinionator who talks about random stuff that normal people like me listen to, like This American Life, or Planet Money, or Monkey See. I guess the common thread in these Lalaland jobs is that a) it involves me sharing my thoughts and b) you taking it.
Which could either be very selfish and/or annoying, or entertaining and/or bearable. I know I am an excruciatingly talkative gal, insofar as it has become an actual component of "feedforward" for me at work (I don't mind, I'm here to 'develop my opportunities' anyways). But, my theory is, everyone in this world -- you, me, Ashton Kutcher -- would like to think that someone, somewhere in the world cares about what you, me, and Ashton Kutcher are thinking and/or saying. I might as well say something potentially helpful or useful or damaging or enlightening or invoke a reaction other than "WTF?" I don't want to just share 140 characters of what I ate for dinner @ 112 Eatery or a short status update of how I just watched The Script in concert. That's fluff that'll interest your closest, most recent friends. I want to write objective, useful commentary with enough organic, witty comments without sounding like Jimmy Fallon desperately grasping for a laugh. (I wanna be Conan, not Leno, damnit.) Additionally, an important aspect of this lalaland job is listening to other people's opinions and sharing information, debating over superficial subjects like best jucy lucy or dingiest club bathroom in the Twin Cities; I'll leave the heavy debates to the politicians and the people who just really like to argue in circles.
And, of course, the best part of this lalaland job is that it'll be me doing stuff I am obsessed in: TV, food, restaurants, traveling, what-not. How can you call it a job if it's something you enjoy doing for free anyway, right? But, again, since this is lalaland, everything goes my way and I get paid stupid big bucks to do it anyway. :)
So, yeah, my eyelids are starting to close. I hope I have an amazing dream.
God damn, I really need to take that creative writing class so I can be a bit more wordsmith-y without referring to my thesaurus all the freaking time.
So, yeah, this is just me thinking aloud before I go to sleep; fair warning, this is the butterscotch budino (so f*cking heavenly) talking. BTDubs, I've been yawning since I got back from an (you guessed it) AMAZING dinner @ 112 Eatery in the North Loop area. I really wish money was no object and neither is weight, so that I can spend the rest of my days just going around the world trying out different restaurants, and reviewing them, and making friends with chefs and people in the food industry, and traveling to all these hole-in-the-walls to these great, 5-star restaurants and trying the best, ethereal food ever, and all that. But, in my real world where the student loans need to get paid, and the clothes are as inelastic as Joan River's face, I gotta do what I gotta do.
But, that said, would it be so criminal to have a pipe dream of being a well-respected/renowned food critic and/or travel expert (I can do a Samantha Brown, I just gotta cut my hair, die it blonde, lose the weight, and act super cheery even on the shittiest days, for the camera!). Or even a podcast opinionator who talks about random stuff that normal people like me listen to, like This American Life, or Planet Money, or Monkey See. I guess the common thread in these Lalaland jobs is that a) it involves me sharing my thoughts and b) you taking it.
Which could either be very selfish and/or annoying, or entertaining and/or bearable. I know I am an excruciatingly talkative gal, insofar as it has become an actual component of "feedforward" for me at work (I don't mind, I'm here to 'develop my opportunities' anyways). But, my theory is, everyone in this world -- you, me, Ashton Kutcher -- would like to think that someone, somewhere in the world cares about what you, me, and Ashton Kutcher are thinking and/or saying. I might as well say something potentially helpful or useful or damaging or enlightening or invoke a reaction other than "WTF?" I don't want to just share 140 characters of what I ate for dinner @ 112 Eatery or a short status update of how I just watched The Script in concert. That's fluff that'll interest your closest, most recent friends. I want to write objective, useful commentary with enough organic, witty comments without sounding like Jimmy Fallon desperately grasping for a laugh. (I wanna be Conan, not Leno, damnit.) Additionally, an important aspect of this lalaland job is listening to other people's opinions and sharing information, debating over superficial subjects like best jucy lucy or dingiest club bathroom in the Twin Cities; I'll leave the heavy debates to the politicians and the people who just really like to argue in circles.
And, of course, the best part of this lalaland job is that it'll be me doing stuff I am obsessed in: TV, food, restaurants, traveling, what-not. How can you call it a job if it's something you enjoy doing for free anyway, right? But, again, since this is lalaland, everything goes my way and I get paid stupid big bucks to do it anyway. :)
So, yeah, my eyelids are starting to close. I hope I have an amazing dream.
God damn, I really need to take that creative writing class so I can be a bit more wordsmith-y without referring to my thesaurus all the freaking time.
Wednesday, October 20, 2010
Mad Men and the Art of Screwing with my Head
I like to act like I know more than the average Joe Schmoe, that I can spot the causality between A & B, or that I know how things will turn out. However, when I'm watching television, a movie, a play, or reading a book, I live in a state of suspense. I don't want to know how the ending will turn out, I don't even try to guess, and I disdain when people silently whisper to me who they think stabbed the grandma in the heart with a bayonet. So, you can only imagine how much I love Matt Weiner for consistently one-upping himself with his shocking "Mad Men" season finales every time. Every wrap-up not only makes you yearn for the next one, but makes you seriously ponder what the hell just happened in the last 13 or so episodes.
Trying to dissect Season 4 Ep. 13 "Tomorrowland" -- or any Mad Men episode for that matter -- is harder than writing an essay explaining the difference between Stalinism and Leninism (trust me, I had to try). So, I'll just give my rudimentary, unsophisticated, I-never-took-a-creative-writing-class, I-constantly-refer-to-the-thesaurus-to-sound-smarter opinion of what Season 4 meant to me as an engrossed lover of Mad Men.
Overarching Theme of the Season: Ch-ch-ch-ch-changes (Plenty of spoiler alerts, btw.)
You get a big wallop of changes at the end of Season 3, with Don and Betty divorcing, Betty getting with Henry Francis (who really seems like a nice guy, really), Joan marrying Dr. Harris and consequently shutting things down with Sterling, the unfortunate dismissal of the lovely Sal Romano, and of course, the demise of Sterling Cooper and birth of Sterling Cooper Draper Pryce. If you think that's a lot to swallow, then you had to hold your head together with all the tumultuous changes, both good and bad, that could make your head explode.
One of the most interesting people to change was Peggy Olson, who I thought became more liberated throughout this last season. She's made great strides becoming the first female copywriter at Sterling Cooper, but she's really grabbed the balls of the company and her life in Season 4. She's much more aggressive with her male co-workers (including a laugh-inducing naked scene with the douchey copywriter Stan), has an ambiguous but fun relationship with the hippyish Joyce, and does not get pushed around as much (except for a pivotal, epic scene in my favorite episode all season "The Suitcase"). The thing is, even at her most abrasive and condescending, I still liked her.
Also, the relationship with Sally and her mother, Betty Draper - how I loathe her - has reached new lows. Obviously, having had pushed away her father and still living in the same house, I can understand how Sally could greatly hate her mom. I guess the biggest change with Sally was just how much more she acted on her impulses, i.e. running away from home, cutting her hair off, et al. I fear that, the more she does this, the more she devolves into being, well, like her crazy-mom. But, it'll be really interesting to see what Sally's bigger role really is in the lives of Betty and Don. Is she just the glue that makes it possible for Matt Weiner to keep Betty's character around? It's not that I don't like that aspect of Don's life, I'm just trying to understand it better.
Even the lives of "other" characters like Lane Pryce & Pete Campbell deserve a second of analysis. Pryce, who I deemed as the "British crony sent to clean up/out Sterling Cooper," has really grown on me. I love his internal conflict of high-brow Victorian sensibility (oh, and getting hit in the face with your father's cane was CLASSIC; I guess that's how they roll in England) and a lust for youthful recklessness. Sleeping with a hooker for $50 a night. Check. Falling in love with a black Playboy bunny in the 1960's. Check. You're the right Pryce (pun fail!). Pete Campbell, another grating, necessary thorn on my backside, has also become more likable (which I don't think is what Vincent Kartheiser would want). He is still the same greedy slimeball of yore, but with a more valid reason to be so -- he is one/fifth of the firm now. Plus, he's a baby daddy twice over, although publicly this time. His changes are more abrupt and obvious, but I love the lingering tension he still has with baby momma number 1, Peggy Olson. And there's not too many sideway, long glances between the two that it's annoying, but just random scenes throughout the season that keep the faint possibility of Pete/Peggy in the back of viewers' minds.
If there's a character as big as any of the partners, it's the firm itself. The show, after all, is about an ad agency. First of all, the real-life events of the '60s serve as an ep's backdrop and even play a big role in the characters' lives; Greg Harris's deployment to Vietnam is the most obvious example. But, the ads and the clients themselves are this show's best vehicles for brilliant narrating that glorious, hazy, and socially-evolving era. From the Samsonite ad that took after the memorable Liston-Clay bout in New York, to the earth-shattering departure of Lucky Strike that led to the brilliant new strategy by Don, every ad in every episode tells a story beyond the storyboard. Especially notable was how Don responded to Lucky Strike firing the agency, because it just gives you a more fascinating view of the present-day reality of smoke-free environments and the severe restrictions on advertising cigarettes.
And, of course, in Season 4, change is spelled D-o-n. I can't possibly go through all my thoughts/opinions when I think of what Don has gone through this season. The whole separation thing, that's child's play and inevitable. The ascent from Creative Director to partner, whatever. It's really what happens with his relationships with different women that gripped me so much this season. I think his personal life kind of forms like a supply-and-demand curve with his business life; I can't explain it another way. He started off the season really at his personal lowest just as his new agency gets off to a fresh, albeit rocky, start. He was sleeping with hookers, for god's sake. He's Don.Freaking.Draper. By the end of the season, just as SCDP is laying off employees to keep the firm afloat, we find Don at a high emotional level, in love and engaged to his secretary. Again, I'm holding all strong cynicism until next season, given this shocker of an ending. He most definitely didn't get to that apex without three strong women this season:
1) Dr. Miller - a sex buddy turned girlfriend?! Who knew Don was capable of such things? But this is the first time I've really ever seen Don be honest about his past with anyone. I don't know if it's because he was trying to sort out through some pent-up issues with a psychiatrist, or if he was really just tired of hiding.
2) Peggy - Just as Dr. Miller is the one woman besides Anna who knows Don's past, Peggy is the only person beside Anna who knows Don's present. You can never remove the possibility of Don and Peggy in a "get to know you, in the biblical sense," but you would never want such a thing to happen. Because what they have is different, and its special. Again, if there's anything that perfectly captures what I'm talking about, it's "The Suitcase" Episode 7.
3) Anna - the one woman who really knew who Dick Whitman was/is. I really, really love the episode wherein we got to see the strong, comfortable, honest relationship between Dick + Anna '64. I like the cool facade that Don always puts on the other 99% of his life, but it is relieving to see him be vulnerable once in a while. It also makes me think that the reason why Don proposed to Megan at the end of Season 4 is, besides the fact that he is in love/lust with her, is that he spent the most meaningful time with her in California where Anna lived. On some level, Megan must've reminded Don of Anna, and he even gave her Anna's engagement ring from Don Draper 1.0. I want to say that means Don Draper (2.0) is ready to address who he really is (Dick Whitman) in the next season.
Or maybe he's just like Sterling, running off with his secretaries. Who's to say? With a mind as good as Matthew Weiner, we can only wait in agony for Season 5 and the exciting odyssey that is the late 1960s.
Trying to dissect Season 4 Ep. 13 "Tomorrowland" -- or any Mad Men episode for that matter -- is harder than writing an essay explaining the difference between Stalinism and Leninism (trust me, I had to try). So, I'll just give my rudimentary, unsophisticated, I-never-took-a-creative-writing-class, I-constantly-refer-to-the-thesaurus-to-sound-smarter opinion of what Season 4 meant to me as an engrossed lover of Mad Men.
Overarching Theme of the Season: Ch-ch-ch-ch-changes (Plenty of spoiler alerts, btw.)
You get a big wallop of changes at the end of Season 3, with Don and Betty divorcing, Betty getting with Henry Francis (who really seems like a nice guy, really), Joan marrying Dr. Harris and consequently shutting things down with Sterling, the unfortunate dismissal of the lovely Sal Romano, and of course, the demise of Sterling Cooper and birth of Sterling Cooper Draper Pryce. If you think that's a lot to swallow, then you had to hold your head together with all the tumultuous changes, both good and bad, that could make your head explode.
One of the most interesting people to change was Peggy Olson, who I thought became more liberated throughout this last season. She's made great strides becoming the first female copywriter at Sterling Cooper, but she's really grabbed the balls of the company and her life in Season 4. She's much more aggressive with her male co-workers (including a laugh-inducing naked scene with the douchey copywriter Stan), has an ambiguous but fun relationship with the hippyish Joyce, and does not get pushed around as much (except for a pivotal, epic scene in my favorite episode all season "The Suitcase"). The thing is, even at her most abrasive and condescending, I still liked her.
Also, the relationship with Sally and her mother, Betty Draper - how I loathe her - has reached new lows. Obviously, having had pushed away her father and still living in the same house, I can understand how Sally could greatly hate her mom. I guess the biggest change with Sally was just how much more she acted on her impulses, i.e. running away from home, cutting her hair off, et al. I fear that, the more she does this, the more she devolves into being, well, like her crazy-mom. But, it'll be really interesting to see what Sally's bigger role really is in the lives of Betty and Don. Is she just the glue that makes it possible for Matt Weiner to keep Betty's character around? It's not that I don't like that aspect of Don's life, I'm just trying to understand it better.
Even the lives of "other" characters like Lane Pryce & Pete Campbell deserve a second of analysis. Pryce, who I deemed as the "British crony sent to clean up/out Sterling Cooper," has really grown on me. I love his internal conflict of high-brow Victorian sensibility (oh, and getting hit in the face with your father's cane was CLASSIC; I guess that's how they roll in England) and a lust for youthful recklessness. Sleeping with a hooker for $50 a night. Check. Falling in love with a black Playboy bunny in the 1960's. Check. You're the right Pryce (pun fail!). Pete Campbell, another grating, necessary thorn on my backside, has also become more likable (which I don't think is what Vincent Kartheiser would want). He is still the same greedy slimeball of yore, but with a more valid reason to be so -- he is one/fifth of the firm now. Plus, he's a baby daddy twice over, although publicly this time. His changes are more abrupt and obvious, but I love the lingering tension he still has with baby momma number 1, Peggy Olson. And there's not too many sideway, long glances between the two that it's annoying, but just random scenes throughout the season that keep the faint possibility of Pete/Peggy in the back of viewers' minds.
If there's a character as big as any of the partners, it's the firm itself. The show, after all, is about an ad agency. First of all, the real-life events of the '60s serve as an ep's backdrop and even play a big role in the characters' lives; Greg Harris's deployment to Vietnam is the most obvious example. But, the ads and the clients themselves are this show's best vehicles for brilliant narrating that glorious, hazy, and socially-evolving era. From the Samsonite ad that took after the memorable Liston-Clay bout in New York, to the earth-shattering departure of Lucky Strike that led to the brilliant new strategy by Don, every ad in every episode tells a story beyond the storyboard. Especially notable was how Don responded to Lucky Strike firing the agency, because it just gives you a more fascinating view of the present-day reality of smoke-free environments and the severe restrictions on advertising cigarettes.
And, of course, in Season 4, change is spelled D-o-n. I can't possibly go through all my thoughts/opinions when I think of what Don has gone through this season. The whole separation thing, that's child's play and inevitable. The ascent from Creative Director to partner, whatever. It's really what happens with his relationships with different women that gripped me so much this season. I think his personal life kind of forms like a supply-and-demand curve with his business life; I can't explain it another way. He started off the season really at his personal lowest just as his new agency gets off to a fresh, albeit rocky, start. He was sleeping with hookers, for god's sake. He's Don.Freaking.Draper. By the end of the season, just as SCDP is laying off employees to keep the firm afloat, we find Don at a high emotional level, in love and engaged to his secretary. Again, I'm holding all strong cynicism until next season, given this shocker of an ending. He most definitely didn't get to that apex without three strong women this season:
1) Dr. Miller - a sex buddy turned girlfriend?! Who knew Don was capable of such things? But this is the first time I've really ever seen Don be honest about his past with anyone. I don't know if it's because he was trying to sort out through some pent-up issues with a psychiatrist, or if he was really just tired of hiding.
2) Peggy - Just as Dr. Miller is the one woman besides Anna who knows Don's past, Peggy is the only person beside Anna who knows Don's present. You can never remove the possibility of Don and Peggy in a "get to know you, in the biblical sense," but you would never want such a thing to happen. Because what they have is different, and its special. Again, if there's anything that perfectly captures what I'm talking about, it's "The Suitcase" Episode 7.
3) Anna - the one woman who really knew who Dick Whitman was/is. I really, really love the episode wherein we got to see the strong, comfortable, honest relationship between Dick + Anna '64. I like the cool facade that Don always puts on the other 99% of his life, but it is relieving to see him be vulnerable once in a while. It also makes me think that the reason why Don proposed to Megan at the end of Season 4 is, besides the fact that he is in love/lust with her, is that he spent the most meaningful time with her in California where Anna lived. On some level, Megan must've reminded Don of Anna, and he even gave her Anna's engagement ring from Don Draper 1.0. I want to say that means Don Draper (2.0) is ready to address who he really is (Dick Whitman) in the next season.
Or maybe he's just like Sterling, running off with his secretaries. Who's to say? With a mind as good as Matthew Weiner, we can only wait in agony for Season 5 and the exciting odyssey that is the late 1960s.
Sunday, October 17, 2010
A trick is something a whore does for money.
The unknowing passerby to this entry should know that a) I'm not a pimp and b) I'm not putting all the blame on hookers; they wouldn't have to do the job if men can get the loving they need from legal sources.
To the devoted legions of the criminally-cancelled show Arrested Development, the title refers to one of the awesomest lines uttered by GOB, only slightly one-upped by the line that preceded it: "Illusion, Michael."
OK, if you haven't seen a single episode of Arrested Development, let me just stop you right there and advise -- nay, COMMAND -- you to watch this series. It's seriously worth the free trial week on Netflix, since all three seasons are on their Watch Instantly roster. And I swear you will end up watching all 56 episodes in less time than it takes to corn corned beef. Arrested Development is the funniest comedy in all of TV history. I know, that's a pretty bold statement. But, I'm just one person. Ask any one of the millions of followers of this awesome cult. Ask my sister who I turned on to this show and watched every single episode in record time. That's saying something, since my sister is not exactly pop culture savvy; hell, she doesn't even know who The Situation is. So epic is this show that I have literally seen every episode at least 4 times.
I've spent the last few paragraphs and the last neurons of my brain hyping up this show and you, the non-believer (for shame!) say, "But the show got cancelled!" I have one theory about why the show was canned, and that it was too brilliant for its own good. You have to be super ninja fast at catching all the jokes or watch the show more than once to get even 75% of the hilarity. And (I'm totally being blasphemous here), but it was probably good that its life was so short, because it will always maintain a reputation of being an effing hilarious show that never lost its edge for one second. From Tobias's stint as a member of the Blue Man Group ("I just blue myself") to GOB's love for his magic...and his Segway, to Lindsay's self-absorbed quips, and so much more, including all the stupid -- and wrong -- chicken imitations, this show is full of wondrous family dysfunction that will make you feel better about your family.
One of my fave TV websites, www.televisionwithoutpity.com, has a great article on things they'll miss about AD. I decided to make my own list of 10 AD Things I miss most, in no particular order:
10) Who? I'm sorry, I mean...Her? - The forgettable Ann Veal, played by Parenthood's Mae Whitman, is one of the funniest characters outside the Bluth family, because no one really gets Ann. Her holier-than-thou Christian attitude is only tempered with a hidden desire to learn "the ways of the secular flesh".
9) Annyong - Lucille and George's adopted son from North Korea, this kid not only tortures Buster with his ability to drink more than one juice box, but he also delivers one of the funniest and most sinister blows to bring down the troublesome Bluth family. You have to watch the series to the end though (it's pleasurable to do so, trust me).
8) Girls with Low Self Esteem - AD's version of "Girls Gone Wild," this video series was a central part of several AD episodes, including an episode wherein Lindsay angrily protests the creator of the show (played by the adorkable Zach Braff); and its title cannot be more accurate, don't you think?
7) Bluth Banana Stand - It's a frozen banana stand on Balboa Island. It's a Big Yellow Joint. There's always money in the banana stand. Need I say more? No.
6) "I've made a huge mistake" - Ah, who hasn't made one in his/her life? Except when the Bluth family members make them, it just seems funnier.
5) Work meetings - If every work meeting involves a magician with pennies bursting from his sleeves, or your mom swinging in drunk, the workday would be soooo much more interesting.
4) Lucille 2 - Played by the real-life mannequin doll Liza Minelli, Lucille 2 is Gangy's frenemy, has vertigo, was in a love triangle between GOB and Buster, and has more than her own share of funny moments.
3) Les Cousins Dangereux - The forbidden and awkward affection that George Michael has for his cousin Maeby has produced some epic scenes between the relatives, including a mock wedding that turned into the cousins getting married..for real.
2) George Oscar "GOB" Bluth - What's not to love about the self-absorbed, womanizing, naive, and crybaby ("Taste the happy, Michael!") oldest Bluth? Answer: nothing. I think GOB has the purest of intentions, but achieves them in the most demented ways. He poisons his father to get him out of a house, blows up his family's yacht to fulfill a disappearing act for his magic show, and marries an unknown woman after a night full of escalating dares.
1) Tobias - Unquestionably the funniest character in the show, Tobias is just too hilarious beyond words. Everything he says is so ridiculous that one can only quote it over and over again, and prepare for laughs and applause. Bangers in the mouth... I just blue myself...Tobias, you blow hard... Excuse me, do these effectively hide my thunder? 'Nuff said.
To the devoted legions of the criminally-cancelled show Arrested Development, the title refers to one of the awesomest lines uttered by GOB, only slightly one-upped by the line that preceded it: "Illusion, Michael."
OK, if you haven't seen a single episode of Arrested Development, let me just stop you right there and advise -- nay, COMMAND -- you to watch this series. It's seriously worth the free trial week on Netflix, since all three seasons are on their Watch Instantly roster. And I swear you will end up watching all 56 episodes in less time than it takes to corn corned beef. Arrested Development is the funniest comedy in all of TV history. I know, that's a pretty bold statement. But, I'm just one person. Ask any one of the millions of followers of this awesome cult. Ask my sister who I turned on to this show and watched every single episode in record time. That's saying something, since my sister is not exactly pop culture savvy; hell, she doesn't even know who The Situation is. So epic is this show that I have literally seen every episode at least 4 times.
I've spent the last few paragraphs and the last neurons of my brain hyping up this show and you, the non-believer (for shame!) say, "But the show got cancelled!" I have one theory about why the show was canned, and that it was too brilliant for its own good. You have to be super ninja fast at catching all the jokes or watch the show more than once to get even 75% of the hilarity. And (I'm totally being blasphemous here), but it was probably good that its life was so short, because it will always maintain a reputation of being an effing hilarious show that never lost its edge for one second. From Tobias's stint as a member of the Blue Man Group ("I just blue myself") to GOB's love for his magic...and his Segway, to Lindsay's self-absorbed quips, and so much more, including all the stupid -- and wrong -- chicken imitations, this show is full of wondrous family dysfunction that will make you feel better about your family.
One of my fave TV websites, www.televisionwithoutpity.com, has a great article on things they'll miss about AD. I decided to make my own list of 10 AD Things I miss most, in no particular order:
10) Who? I'm sorry, I mean...Her? - The forgettable Ann Veal, played by Parenthood's Mae Whitman, is one of the funniest characters outside the Bluth family, because no one really gets Ann. Her holier-than-thou Christian attitude is only tempered with a hidden desire to learn "the ways of the secular flesh".
9) Annyong - Lucille and George's adopted son from North Korea, this kid not only tortures Buster with his ability to drink more than one juice box, but he also delivers one of the funniest and most sinister blows to bring down the troublesome Bluth family. You have to watch the series to the end though (it's pleasurable to do so, trust me).
8) Girls with Low Self Esteem - AD's version of "Girls Gone Wild," this video series was a central part of several AD episodes, including an episode wherein Lindsay angrily protests the creator of the show (played by the adorkable Zach Braff); and its title cannot be more accurate, don't you think?
7) Bluth Banana Stand - It's a frozen banana stand on Balboa Island. It's a Big Yellow Joint. There's always money in the banana stand. Need I say more? No.
6) "I've made a huge mistake" - Ah, who hasn't made one in his/her life? Except when the Bluth family members make them, it just seems funnier.
5) Work meetings - If every work meeting involves a magician with pennies bursting from his sleeves, or your mom swinging in drunk, the workday would be soooo much more interesting.
4) Lucille 2 - Played by the real-life mannequin doll Liza Minelli, Lucille 2 is Gangy's frenemy, has vertigo, was in a love triangle between GOB and Buster, and has more than her own share of funny moments.
3) Les Cousins Dangereux - The forbidden and awkward affection that George Michael has for his cousin Maeby has produced some epic scenes between the relatives, including a mock wedding that turned into the cousins getting married..for real.
2) George Oscar "GOB" Bluth - What's not to love about the self-absorbed, womanizing, naive, and crybaby ("Taste the happy, Michael!") oldest Bluth? Answer: nothing. I think GOB has the purest of intentions, but achieves them in the most demented ways. He poisons his father to get him out of a house, blows up his family's yacht to fulfill a disappearing act for his magic show, and marries an unknown woman after a night full of escalating dares.
1) Tobias - Unquestionably the funniest character in the show, Tobias is just too hilarious beyond words. Everything he says is so ridiculous that one can only quote it over and over again, and prepare for laughs and applause. Bangers in the mouth... I just blue myself...Tobias, you blow hard... Excuse me, do these effectively hide my thunder? 'Nuff said.
Wednesday, October 13, 2010
On this Week's Episode...
Hmm, I wonder what would happen if I start reviewing TV shows. After all, it is my second favorite thing to do, after shredding weights at the gym.
Psych.
I'm obvs (new term I learned from my friend Canada and urbandictionary.com) not a gym rat. I am Ms. Promiscuous TV watcher. And yes, that means I "display an undiscriminating or unselective approach" to my choice of TV shows. And yes, that means I'm a TV whore. Case in point, my most favorite widget in the whole world of Mac widgets is the TV guide widget. I just like saying "widget"; it sounds like the name of a little girl with strawberry blonde curly hair and no idea what hell adulthood's going to bring her.
Ok, I'm obvs (again with this word!) off to a fun little tangent. Back to TV Land. Writing's always been a passion of mine anyway, and I rock the dictionary & thesaurus when I compose 100+ e-mails at work everyday. Now, if only I have something to write about other than shipping delays and testing protocols. I think like the character Joel Graham in last week's episode of NBC's "Parenthood" said, "I don't have a hobby."
I'm sure he was just feeling down in the dumps; after all, his life is all about his daughter, Sydney. I guess after a while, being a stay-at-home dad can take its toll on a parent. In fact, the last two episodes of "Parenthood" tackled Joel's issues and insecurities quite extensively. I like that the show's writers finally took the time to explore this character who was really overshadowed during the 1st season by the other members of the Braverman clan.
Ok, for those who haven't seen this television series, here are a few reasons why you should consider watching Parenthood:
1) It's set in Berkeley, California. 'nuff said.
2) It has a gorgeous cast. Sam Jaeger is cute, and who wouldn't want to cuddle with Coach/Mr. Incredible? C'mon!
3) The script flows naturally. The characters tend to talk over each other, interrupt each other, tease each other, and scream at each other. In other words, it sounds like any other big family with a healthy dose of crazies and normalcy.
4) Even if you're dealing with multiple story lines (i.e. four families versus two CSI cases), each thread is easy to understand, and thoroughly engaging.
5) You will identify with one or more of the characters, whether you're the pot-smoking rebel child, the hyper, distressed, fast-talking mom (Lauren Graham AKA Lorelai Gilmore, who else?), or the hippy, stubborn dad (Coach!).
I identify not with any one character, but with the dynamic of the Braverman family. I love that the extended family frequently has family dinners, and that they're all within driving range of each other. That's something our extended family frequently do in California, where the food is plentiful and the Saturdays are lazy. (They also remind me of another new favorite show, about a slightly cooky, very Modern Family; more on that in another post.) And, despite the show's name, it doesn't just tell stories of what it's like being a parent (which I'm not), but also what it's like being a daughter, sister, cousin, aunt (which I am) to a whole host of people who love you and hate you, but really, they love you.
And just like that, I wrote a TV review. Hope you enjoyed it as much as I enjoyed writing it. :)
Psych.
I'm obvs (new term I learned from my friend Canada and urbandictionary.com) not a gym rat. I am Ms. Promiscuous TV watcher. And yes, that means I "display an undiscriminating or unselective approach" to my choice of TV shows. And yes, that means I'm a TV whore. Case in point, my most favorite widget in the whole world of Mac widgets is the TV guide widget. I just like saying "widget"; it sounds like the name of a little girl with strawberry blonde curly hair and no idea what hell adulthood's going to bring her.
Ok, I'm obvs (again with this word!) off to a fun little tangent. Back to TV Land. Writing's always been a passion of mine anyway, and I rock the dictionary & thesaurus when I compose 100+ e-mails at work everyday. Now, if only I have something to write about other than shipping delays and testing protocols. I think like the character Joel Graham in last week's episode of NBC's "Parenthood" said, "I don't have a hobby."
I'm sure he was just feeling down in the dumps; after all, his life is all about his daughter, Sydney. I guess after a while, being a stay-at-home dad can take its toll on a parent. In fact, the last two episodes of "Parenthood" tackled Joel's issues and insecurities quite extensively. I like that the show's writers finally took the time to explore this character who was really overshadowed during the 1st season by the other members of the Braverman clan.
Ok, for those who haven't seen this television series, here are a few reasons why you should consider watching Parenthood:
1) It's set in Berkeley, California. 'nuff said.
2) It has a gorgeous cast. Sam Jaeger is cute, and who wouldn't want to cuddle with Coach/Mr. Incredible? C'mon!
3) The script flows naturally. The characters tend to talk over each other, interrupt each other, tease each other, and scream at each other. In other words, it sounds like any other big family with a healthy dose of crazies and normalcy.
4) Even if you're dealing with multiple story lines (i.e. four families versus two CSI cases), each thread is easy to understand, and thoroughly engaging.
5) You will identify with one or more of the characters, whether you're the pot-smoking rebel child, the hyper, distressed, fast-talking mom (Lauren Graham AKA Lorelai Gilmore, who else?), or the hippy, stubborn dad (Coach!).
I identify not with any one character, but with the dynamic of the Braverman family. I love that the extended family frequently has family dinners, and that they're all within driving range of each other. That's something our extended family frequently do in California, where the food is plentiful and the Saturdays are lazy. (They also remind me of another new favorite show, about a slightly cooky, very Modern Family; more on that in another post.) And, despite the show's name, it doesn't just tell stories of what it's like being a parent (which I'm not), but also what it's like being a daughter, sister, cousin, aunt (which I am) to a whole host of people who love you and hate you, but really, they love you.
And just like that, I wrote a TV review. Hope you enjoyed it as much as I enjoyed writing it. :)
Tuesday, September 7, 2010
My Best Friend's Wedding
This weekend was the definition of time flying by. I went home to California again this past Wednesday to help prepare for and celebrate the Wedding of the Year, i.e. my sister Claudine and Yi Shen's wedding. It was such a fantastic week that I feel compelled to write an entire saga. However, I will try to be as concise and colorful as possible (there's never been a greater challenge).
Day 1: Wednesday
Flight was at 6:50 AM. Woke up at 7:15 AM and let out a long expletive. Not to worry; took a cab that flew down to MSP and fortunately got on the 9:25 AM flight. Got in to LAX at 2:30 PM and was picked up by sis and J.
At this point, Claudine wasn't freaking as much as just listing out all the things she still needed to get done. Thankfully, we had reinforcements from our two friends Sam and Gem. Diligently, we made pom poms out of tissue paper. Well, I folded and Gem poofed them. (Is that the right term?)
Lunch at the fave Vietnam Restaurant on Las Tunas, dinner at Noodle World with my grandma and cousin who flew in from Texas. Man, I miss awesome Asian food.
Day 2: Thursday
More tasks for the wedding, including getting pampered at a mani/pedi salon. It was funny (and slightly insulting) how the salon owner kept pointing out how different and older (wait, did she say I looked older?) I looked compared to Claudine. After getting my eyebrows waxed and beautifully shaped, an apprehensive Claudine decided to get one, too.
My aunt and cousin from West Virginia flies in for the wedding, and for lunch we had some tasty vegetarian dishes. Since I can't have a day without meat, I decided to buy two double-doubles and Animal Style fries from In-N-Out. Damn, I sure miss that place. And, best of all, my sister finally has her first In-N-Out burger EVER! A watershed in history.
Day 3: Friday
Krystle, another bridesmaid, and my sister-in-law Rea work together to create the floral centerpieces at home...for the entire day. I am so amazed at Krystle's work, and she definitely slaved over those thing forever.
Other tasks included picking up photos for the set-up and the Rehearsal Dinner. Loved the food at Pizza Place California, where my sister used to work. It was fun finally meeting J's family, and the rest of the entourage. After a hearty meal of Italian food, we headed across the street (literally) for the rehearsal. Met the wedding coordinator and I swear I was like the 2nd bride in the picture. It's really hard not to sound bossy when you have the crazy control gene that runs in the family. :)
Rehearsal went well, and my nephew could not have been crazier.
Day 4: the BIG DAY!
OMG, even if I wasn't the one getting married, I was still so stoked for that day. It started off pretty early, as the entourage headed off to the Grapevine to start setting up the Cocktail, Reception, and Ceremony areas. The coordinator was just ok, but fortunately Claudine has an amazing entourage who knew how to execute Claudine's vision. It's also fun to note that we did not let Claudine set foot on the venue until the photo shoot. I could only imagine her tearing out her hair as she wondered what the eff was going on during the set-up. That's what you get when you're slightly OCD/ADD. :D (luv you sis!)
Man, why does it take women sooooo long to get prettied up? The bride and bridesmaids started dolling up around 11 AM. THIS IS WHY you never let the bride and groom prepare in the same house. Picture this: my sister's stuck in the makeup chair, and she made me check on the guys if they're getting ready probably three times. I'm sure she was getting annoyed at some point but, to Johnson's point "It's going to take us 5 minutes to prepare." And he was right. Damn, guys are so lucky.
Finally, the entourage heads over to the Grapevine for the photoshoot. Gotta say, Iris & Light was the best decision the couple ever made for this wedding (even more than marrying each other. J.k). The preview pix here are so beautiful, I'm only prepared to be blown away by the rest of the shots. Of course, mad props to my brother and cousin for taking more photos on my bro's camera, too.
At 5 PM, the ceremony began. It was hard not to tear up at the sight of my beautiful sister marching with my dad to the song "The Book of Love." Thank goodness I brought along a hanky. The message was beautiful (who knew you can spin "stalking" into "desire"?) and Johnson's rendition of "Two Words" made me teary again. I'll leave it to my sister to describe this moment in her awesome blog, but for my POV, I thought it was a wonderful ceremony.
The cocktail hour was awesome because we took more photos/videos of the entourage while passersby walked around the Mission District. Bobbing our heads to "I Like to Move it (Move it)," trying to look gangster or, as Sheena put it, "sassy," laughing carefree and holding hands, the bridal party had an absolute blast.
The reception went off without a hitch. Nearly everything went according to plan, and even the ones that didn't go to plan were actually perfect because our ridiculously funny friend and yours truly ended up stalling with songs (I sung, quite horribly, "California Gurls" and "Single Ladies". I'm mortified it was caught on video). The best part of the reception, undoubtedly, was the "Love Story" Skit. Who knew you could have that much fun with sing-alongs? I liked my speech, too, if I say so myself. :)
Then, after all is said and done, we had an hour of carefree, wild dancing courtesy of DJ Mind. It was sooooo fun hanging out with my great friends, and it was so amazing seeing them all in one place, to celebrate my sister and brother-in-law's marriage. And I was seriously impressed by Johnson's ability to break dance.
If I was to sum up this whole event in one word, it would be: Ultrafantasticallyamazinglyawesome. Yes, that sums it up pretty nicely. I love that my sister and brother-in-law enjoyed every bit of their wedding. I love that my sister was not stressed at the day of her wedding. I love that their vision was realized and that they were able to connect with each of their guests. I love that I was able to help out. I love that amidst all the hoopla, all the flash, all the funny speeches, songs, and dances, what you get at the core was a celebration of love between two amazing people.
I love you Sis! Congratulations on a beautiful marriage.
Sunday, July 18, 2010
There are days when I just want to bury myself under a mountain of food.
And eat my way out of it. Haha, that's not exactly in line with my supposedly steadfast resolve of losing weight. But, welcome to the emotional painkiller of every woman -- food! :) Haha, I make things sound so much worse than they actually are. To be truthful, life is bearable, and food is good.
To be even truthier than the truth, there have been crap days and great days. Crap days include those days when I can't figure out what the hell I am doing or what I want, when I can't seem to get my head out of work, and when I eat an entire pint of Ben and Jerry's Berry Voluntary ice cream in one day. Silver lining, though, crap days only make great days sound much more better. Now if I only had more of those.
I guess what'll help me get out of this funk is having a game plan that is achievable. Let's see....
Billionaire by 24 (cue song by Travie McCoy).
Eats everything in sight and not gain a single pound/loses a pound permanently for every minute of BodyStep @ the Y.
Clothes collection that stretch from NYC to LA.
Ditto for shoes.
All-expenses paid trip to the Philippines every year. And Spain, and London, and Hawaii, and Indonesia, and Germany, and...
A tall, handsome boy toy by Christmas (or for Christmas, I'm not choosy).
A souped-up 2011 Honda CR-V
A season ticket holder of the Hennepin Theater District shows
Food critic by day (with Yelp! I'm halfway there), music producer by night.
An MBA degree before I turn 30 from a great school, and the six-figure salary to show for it.
A job that I would happily do the occasional overtime for
Skills that could take me anywhere in life, including the ability to fight and defeat a ninja.
A life in California.
A life with friends and family.
A life that has exponentially more great days than "other" days.
Wednesday, June 2, 2010
From the lakes of Minnesota, to the hills of Tennessee. Across the plains of Texas, From sea to shining sea.
That's one of the lines from the Lee Greenwood song "Proud to be an American," which they played at today's Naturalization ceremony in Arden Hills. It felt cheesy and heartwarming all at once watching that video and hearing that song, as I sat there, a newly minted US citizen. But before I get further into today's amazing event, I recently had my first fishing trip on a similarly patriotic day, that being Memorial Day. :)
So my new friend Liz has a friend with a boat, and kindly invited me to try the very Minnesotan pastime of fishing for sunfish, or "sunnies" as they were affectionately called by her friend (and now my friend, too...with a boat). Anyway, you apparently have to get a $10 day fishing license, or you can get an annual one for $18. I wasn't exactly keen on getting any savings, coz at that point I was sure it was gonna be a one-time deal. We drove to Lake Minnetonka, and got on the 3-seater boat and rode to a shallow point of the lake. First off, I know now that I want to come back here to rent jet skis, because the waves can swell pretty well (as experienced by me and some unfortunate leech/baits that fell out of their container, gasping for air). Anywho, Roger did pretty much all the hard, icky work (i.e. putting on the bait, touching the fish, etc.) and I just did the casting and pulling of the fishing rod. I've never felt more girly and outdoorsy at the same time. :) I realize now that I'm really bad at sensing when something is tugging the rod (that's what he said). I'm pretty darn good at casting though. Thankfully, the fish were actually congregated near our boat, so it was really simple to pick up some sunnies.
Yes, I really went fishing
This wasn't my biggest catch, but I was pretty darn proud of it!
Some of our catch, before letting them go
During this outing, we also stopped by Maynard's in Excelsior. It was pretty awesome riding up to the dock and straight to the restaurant, very...not urban. It was interesting/funny too, because though Minneapolis is pretty heterogenous, I've never stood out more and/or felt more brown in my entire time in MN. Fun times!
After 5 hours in the boat and out in the sun, we were exhausted, & I absolutely enjoyed every last second of it. I get why it's a very Minnesota thing to do (that and going to the cabins for winter); might as well enjoy the natural resources you have, and sunbathe while you're at it, right?
Fast forward to today, and it's been one of those surreal/satisfying/happy half days going to Bethel U for my "swearing in" as a United States citizen. First off, I love the new CR-V; got to drive it to Arden Hills thru Zipcar (ooh, and I love Zipcar). Minnesota freeways, not as scary as I thought it to be; Minnesota drivers, crazy-ass passive aggressive like I thought they would be. But, I wasn't gonna let anything dampen my mood, not even the incredibly loooooooong line to get into the auditorium. At least I got to talk to other attendees, particularly a girl from Germany with a really interesting fact: it's hard to get dual citizenship for U.S. and Germany. There you go, you're welcome nonsense fact lovers.
It felt kind of wrong having this USCIS officer take my green card and throw it away in a recycling bin, after I spent years protecting it and referring to it to prove my legal residence. But, such is the process. Afterwards, we get shuffled into an auditorium with 524 other immigrants about to be sworn in, representing 80+ countries.
Whole thing kicked off with a really curt welcome from the (district?) judge, then on to singing the National Anthem. I seriously got goosebumps; for the first time, when I'm singing it, I guess I'm really feeling it. :)
It was great having people stand as their countries were mentioned. It started with countries with only 1 rep, like Azerbaijan, or Armenia. Then you have China, then you have Philippines, then Mexico, each group getting more and more people. Finally, the Somalian group was called, with 105 would-be citizens and their strong cheering squad in the balcony. It seriously felt like high school graduation all over again.
Then after the whole group is standing, you all raise your right hand and do that oath-taking bit. Interestingly, the majority of the oath is promising to fight for the US if you need to. Then again, I figure we already get most of the privileges as US citizens everyday, this was just making sure we understand there's an expectation that comes with the privilege, too.
After that, we're declared citizens of the United States of America! Hooray, hooray! Flashbulbs popping, people clapping, tiny tears welling, genuine big-toothed smiling.
They give you a flag in your "Welcome" packet. Y'know, in case you wanna wave it or stick it in your lawn.
The judge gave a pretty nice speech about civic duty and never forgetting the countries we left, because this land is a land of immigrants anyway. It was actually very thoughtful. Then, after Pres. O gives a video speech, Lee Grenwood's "Proud to be an American" starts playing on the big screen. I really thought I wasn't gonna get swept up in all of this, but at that moment, my heart was happy, and I was truly proud.
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