After having lived in Los Angeles for the past 10 months, I feel strange to be back in Silicon Valley. This time, I am staying at my sister's house while Robby frolics away on an adventurous bachelor party at Lake Tahoe. I am left being the temporary chauffeur for my nieces - dropping them off at school, picking them up, taking them to swim classes & gymnastics. The life of the parent is constantly behind the wheel. It doesn't seem too attractive to me right now...until I sit down with a niece & listen to her say the most insightful & surprising things. A few days ago, the three year old said, "When you get older, you get smaller and smaller. Then you go to the ground & be under the ground." She also called me a "girly girl", but I don't think she knows what it means.
When I heard that my niece's kindergarten teacher is a Menlo Park native, I realized that many of the children who live here are like legacy children. They grow up here, go off to college, explore the world, but eventually return to their hometown. They live in their parents' house or find a place on their own with their parents' help. But they stay. Okay, I'm doing some generalizing, but there are so many privileges to growing up in an upper middle or upper class family. This includes the option of moving home, being supported by generous parents, & being able to continue a life of cushy customs, like going to Cafe Borrone at 10am and paying $12 for breakfast. Many people in our country can't lead this lifestyle, and I am amazed that so many Palo Alto & Menlo Park natives return to this insular lifestyle. They leave the grittiness of city life & the mundane ennui of the suburbs for the placid, academically rigorous, financially thriving neighborhoods of Silicon Valley. I guess this is a great place to raise children. There are gymnastics classes at noon, swim classes after school, after-school Chinese programs, soccer teams, summer camps. What else could a kid want?
Enough mental meandering. Time to pick up the kids.
Friday, May 29, 2009
happy birthday, eddy!
Today my friend Eddy Zheng turns 40 years old.
He is a unique individual who has seen more in life than most of us have, and I admire him for his resilience & generosity.
View his blog at www.eddyzheng.blogspot.com. I maintained his blog for a few years while he was incarcerated, but since he has been out in the world, he has taken over.
Enjoy!
He is a unique individual who has seen more in life than most of us have, and I admire him for his resilience & generosity.
View his blog at www.eddyzheng.blogspot.com. I maintained his blog for a few years while he was incarcerated, but since he has been out in the world, he has taken over.
Enjoy!
Wednesday, May 13, 2009
Comedy Central
I have never subscribed to cable before, so I have never watched Comedy Central except on odd occasions when we've been in hotel rooms with TV. Recently, I've gotten into the habit of watching clips from The Daily Show & The Colbert Nation.
They are insightful, hilarious, intelligent men who mock both sides of the aisle (though mostly the right side).
Here are a few of my recent favorites:
1. Baracknophobia: Stewart teases right-wing commentators who predict the arrival of tyranny with the Obama Administration.
2. Arizona State Snubs Obama: Obama gives his first commencement speech at Arizona State University, which withholds an honorary degree from him because he doesn't have enough body of work. Arizona State, the Harvard of Date Rape.
3. Stephen's Sound Advice: How to Re-brand the GOP: The GOP is doing some soul searching to figure out to present a united front. Stephen Colbert gives his own 2 cents.
Enjoy!
They are insightful, hilarious, intelligent men who mock both sides of the aisle (though mostly the right side).
Here are a few of my recent favorites:
1. Baracknophobia: Stewart teases right-wing commentators who predict the arrival of tyranny with the Obama Administration.
2. Arizona State Snubs Obama: Obama gives his first commencement speech at Arizona State University, which withholds an honorary degree from him because he doesn't have enough body of work. Arizona State, the Harvard of Date Rape.
3. Stephen's Sound Advice: How to Re-brand the GOP: The GOP is doing some soul searching to figure out to present a united front. Stephen Colbert gives his own 2 cents.
Enjoy!
New Adventures
Starting this week, Robby & I embark on a new adventure. We will not be able to indulge in these luxuries every summer, but we figure that since we're childless & out of school, we might as well make most of our free time. Our exotic destinations include Philadelphia, Chicago, & Japan. We will most definitely blog our way through Japan. I'm excited to evaluate each city, ryokan, experience the way we did in Turkey.
I've temporarily closed shop at etsy so that I don't have to worry about maintaining my site.
I've temporarily closed shop at etsy so that I don't have to worry about maintaining my site.
Friday, May 8, 2009
Last Princess Painting...for now
Introducing Pre-menstrual Princess:
Premenstrual Princess sits on a ratty green sofa in a dilapidated ‘70s apartment. The room reflects her mood: dejected. She grips the T.V. remote in one hand as she prepares for another bite of Ben & Jerry’s Chunky Monkey ice cream. Buried in the burnt orange shag carpet are a box of tampons & some scattered birth control pills (real placebos). There are jewels glued to her headband & on the remote, but still, these luxuries do not please her. Premenstrual Princess is not a good mood today. Hopefully, Gossip Girl & ice cream will placate her crabbiness.
Hi, everyone. Here is my last painting from the princess series. You will find the rest on my esty website.
Premenstrual Princess sits on a ratty green sofa in a dilapidated ‘70s apartment. The room reflects her mood: dejected. She grips the T.V. remote in one hand as she prepares for another bite of Ben & Jerry’s Chunky Monkey ice cream. Buried in the burnt orange shag carpet are a box of tampons & some scattered birth control pills (real placebos). There are jewels glued to her headband & on the remote, but still, these luxuries do not please her. Premenstrual Princess is not a good mood today. Hopefully, Gossip Girl & ice cream will placate her crabbiness.
Hi, everyone. Here is my last painting from the princess series. You will find the rest on my esty website.
Wednesday, May 6, 2009
Movie Recommendation: Sleuth (2007)
Sleuth, starring Michael Caine & Jude Law, is a witty and thrilling movie about jealousy, deception, diplomacy, and breathtaking interior design.
I don't want to tell you too much, but I'll give you the first 5 minutes: Jude Law, a part-time hair dresser, visits the home of his lover's husband in order to convince him to agree to a divorce. A simple, somewhat realistic premise. Michael Caine plays the December husband (of the May-December marriage). He is a writer of thriller novels, & he makes sneaky plans for this naive visitor, which we see unfold in a whirlwind of manipulation and deceit.
I can't tell you anymore than that, except to say that as I watched I could not predict where the movie would be taking us, and what an exciting feeling that is!
Afterward, Robby and I discussed it, as we always do. The movie, directed by Kenneth Branaugh & written by Harold Pinter, is tightly scripted with ceaselessly clever exchanges between Law & Caine's characters. Usually, after I've seen a complex thriller, I run through the film in my head & try to find holes in the story. I did this immediately after Sixth Sense, The Village, Usual Suspects & Gaslight. Sometimes I find discrepancies and suddenly feel at a loss: "I spent two hours to watch that?! That plot was as porous as a colander!" I mean, if one is going to spend millions on making a movie, one should make sure to seal its story airtight, right? On the other hand, if a director offers too many obvious clues, then the film can't be categorized as a thriller anymore because the viewer is able to predict its conflict and resolution.
Sleuth is airtight. Sure, there are moments that seem otherworldly or not humanly possible. But the characters are so convincing that their discussions carry you along. It's like sitting in a raft on a tumultuous river; it's the experience of being swept by something uncontrollable or continuously restless.
Which led us to our next topic: Why are British actors so much better than American ones? & why is it difficult for us to imagine this film made in America?
Our meanderings on question #1: Why are British actors so much better than Americans?
Robby said it all, "They have Shakespeare." They have had centuries of theater, their acting schools are better (we assume), & their actors are disciplined. Jude Law gives his best performance in Sleuth, & you wouldn't know from his performances in American movies because they never require him to dive into the roles the way British movies like Sleuth do.
After our obsession with the HBO series The Wire, Robby & I were shocked to find that at least 3 major characters were played by British actors, British actors who took on Baltimorean accents! We were floored. So British actors have had Shakespeare and theater much longer than Americans have. Plus, who do we consider actors? Marilyn Monroe (who was more a Playboy Bunny than a thespian) & The Hills's bombshells? What about Harrison Ford? Sure, he's a decent actor - legendary in American cinema - but he always plays such similar characters. Even Leonardo DiCaprio, who has chosen various bizarre roles, always seems to be the same guy. Robby thinks Kevin Spacey is a counterexample. So American actors don't have the range that British actors do.
Meanderings on questions #2: & why is it difficult for us to imagine this film made in America?
Smart movies don't sell here. People say they like to be entertained, which is synonymous with not thinking, I guess. For every surprise like Usual Suspects, The Spanish Prisoner, or The Player, we get 10 movies like Van Wilder, Superbad, and Air Force One. I must give credit to American filmmakers in one aspect, though: We are very talented in displaying crude humor.
Our American movies always follow the typical Hollywood framework:
1. There's always one protagonist & one antagonist.
2. There's always a sidekick. Usually comedic. Nowadays, more likely to be a person of color, so that movie company can claim it achieved diversity.
3. Usually, there's one person who serves as comic relief, the kind of comedy where we laugh at the expense of that person's clumsiness or ignorance. Americans are especially skilled in this type of humor. You'll find these kinds of humorists-in-training on the yard of any middle or high school.
4. The protagonist has zero to few flaws. If he has flaws, they were probably developed from a past traumatic experience. Therefore, he is not expected to fix them himself but with the help of an angelic friend (In Leaving Las Vegas or The Wrestler, both the angels were prostitutes or former prostitutes). They are not great flaws, and we forgive him for them.
5. Oh yeah, most importantly, protagonist is always MALE. If he is not, we Americans call that a "chick flick". This category supersedes any genre that the film may fall into otherwise, unless it is a thriller/horror or action movie, which are dominated by male audiences anyway. Especially if the heroine in the action movie is hot. See? Not a "chick flick" there.
6. There is always a female love interest who says very little and is not important enough to be a complex character. I guess she can be smart, but she always has to fall in love with the protagonist, or else why would he be the hero?
7. Most of the time, the film involves sacrifice and the emotions that come along with sacrifice: guilt, drug abuse, vengeance, catharsis, rage, redemption, you name it.
8. The stories always follow the hero's journey. I won't go into it now, but it's old, Greek, & the skeletal structure of every modern American film out there.
Writing this blog entry is tiring, and I did not think it would bring me here.
I better bring it to a close:
In conclusion, when I watched Sleuth I lost faith in our (Americans') ability to make movies well. Especially Vicky Cristina Barcelona, what a disappointment. But I won't get into that now. Watch Sleuth and you'll know what I mean.
P.S. Don't look for any info on this film. It's best if you watch it without having peeked at the scenes.
I don't want to tell you too much, but I'll give you the first 5 minutes: Jude Law, a part-time hair dresser, visits the home of his lover's husband in order to convince him to agree to a divorce. A simple, somewhat realistic premise. Michael Caine plays the December husband (of the May-December marriage). He is a writer of thriller novels, & he makes sneaky plans for this naive visitor, which we see unfold in a whirlwind of manipulation and deceit.
I can't tell you anymore than that, except to say that as I watched I could not predict where the movie would be taking us, and what an exciting feeling that is!
Afterward, Robby and I discussed it, as we always do. The movie, directed by Kenneth Branaugh & written by Harold Pinter, is tightly scripted with ceaselessly clever exchanges between Law & Caine's characters. Usually, after I've seen a complex thriller, I run through the film in my head & try to find holes in the story. I did this immediately after Sixth Sense, The Village, Usual Suspects & Gaslight. Sometimes I find discrepancies and suddenly feel at a loss: "I spent two hours to watch that?! That plot was as porous as a colander!" I mean, if one is going to spend millions on making a movie, one should make sure to seal its story airtight, right? On the other hand, if a director offers too many obvious clues, then the film can't be categorized as a thriller anymore because the viewer is able to predict its conflict and resolution.
Sleuth is airtight. Sure, there are moments that seem otherworldly or not humanly possible. But the characters are so convincing that their discussions carry you along. It's like sitting in a raft on a tumultuous river; it's the experience of being swept by something uncontrollable or continuously restless.
Which led us to our next topic: Why are British actors so much better than American ones? & why is it difficult for us to imagine this film made in America?
Our meanderings on question #1: Why are British actors so much better than Americans?
Robby said it all, "They have Shakespeare." They have had centuries of theater, their acting schools are better (we assume), & their actors are disciplined. Jude Law gives his best performance in Sleuth, & you wouldn't know from his performances in American movies because they never require him to dive into the roles the way British movies like Sleuth do.
After our obsession with the HBO series The Wire, Robby & I were shocked to find that at least 3 major characters were played by British actors, British actors who took on Baltimorean accents! We were floored. So British actors have had Shakespeare and theater much longer than Americans have. Plus, who do we consider actors? Marilyn Monroe (who was more a Playboy Bunny than a thespian) & The Hills's bombshells? What about Harrison Ford? Sure, he's a decent actor - legendary in American cinema - but he always plays such similar characters. Even Leonardo DiCaprio, who has chosen various bizarre roles, always seems to be the same guy. Robby thinks Kevin Spacey is a counterexample. So American actors don't have the range that British actors do.
Meanderings on questions #2: & why is it difficult for us to imagine this film made in America?
Smart movies don't sell here. People say they like to be entertained, which is synonymous with not thinking, I guess. For every surprise like Usual Suspects, The Spanish Prisoner, or The Player, we get 10 movies like Van Wilder, Superbad, and Air Force One. I must give credit to American filmmakers in one aspect, though: We are very talented in displaying crude humor.
Our American movies always follow the typical Hollywood framework:
1. There's always one protagonist & one antagonist.
2. There's always a sidekick. Usually comedic. Nowadays, more likely to be a person of color, so that movie company can claim it achieved diversity.
3. Usually, there's one person who serves as comic relief, the kind of comedy where we laugh at the expense of that person's clumsiness or ignorance. Americans are especially skilled in this type of humor. You'll find these kinds of humorists-in-training on the yard of any middle or high school.
4. The protagonist has zero to few flaws. If he has flaws, they were probably developed from a past traumatic experience. Therefore, he is not expected to fix them himself but with the help of an angelic friend (In Leaving Las Vegas or The Wrestler, both the angels were prostitutes or former prostitutes). They are not great flaws, and we forgive him for them.
5. Oh yeah, most importantly, protagonist is always MALE. If he is not, we Americans call that a "chick flick". This category supersedes any genre that the film may fall into otherwise, unless it is a thriller/horror or action movie, which are dominated by male audiences anyway. Especially if the heroine in the action movie is hot. See? Not a "chick flick" there.
6. There is always a female love interest who says very little and is not important enough to be a complex character. I guess she can be smart, but she always has to fall in love with the protagonist, or else why would he be the hero?
7. Most of the time, the film involves sacrifice and the emotions that come along with sacrifice: guilt, drug abuse, vengeance, catharsis, rage, redemption, you name it.
8. The stories always follow the hero's journey. I won't go into it now, but it's old, Greek, & the skeletal structure of every modern American film out there.
Writing this blog entry is tiring, and I did not think it would bring me here.
I better bring it to a close:
In conclusion, when I watched Sleuth I lost faith in our (Americans') ability to make movies well. Especially Vicky Cristina Barcelona, what a disappointment. But I won't get into that now. Watch Sleuth and you'll know what I mean.
P.S. Don't look for any info on this film. It's best if you watch it without having peeked at the scenes.
Princess Series #1 (continued)
Introducing...President Princess. I finished her a while back, but finally mustered enough energy to glaze & capture her on camera:
Here is the back story (from my etsy page):
Painted with acrylic paint on a 12x16 canvas, President Princess rolls up her sleeves for another day in the Oval Office. Today, she is signing the Lily Ledbetter Fair Pay Restoration Act (actually, Obama signed it on January 29, 2009). Two flags hang solemnly behind her as she sits at the gigantically intricate presidential desk. On the left is a photo of Prince Charming. He is in the East Wing hosting a NOW luncheon.
____________________________________
For this princess series, I was both inspired & horrified by my nieces’ fascination with the Disney princesses.
I’ll explain:
One niece owned a small projector that showed snapshot frames of the Cinderella movie, and as she flipped from scene to scene, I read from a recapitulation of the classic fairytale. I was struck by the archaic storyline. Cinderella is a graceful, destitute orphan with abnormally small feet, & the dashing prince chases after her down the castle steps, as all men should…Hmph. I was especially appalled by the epilogue that followed the Cinderella story. It told of Cinderella’s wedding planning fiasco; she couldn’t find the right dress, pick the right cake, or send out the invitations on time. Then…Bibbidibobbideeboo! Her fairy godmother appears & fixes everything in time. Here I was planning my own wedding day – simultaneously, my 5-year-old niece was reading about this glorified legal communion as if it were the happiest day of every girl’s life.
When their princes are off play Fantasy Football, independent princesses have to face the world on their own. They have to snake their own toilets, wash their own cars, & wipe sleepy gunk from their eyes.
So I decided to paint a series of princesses performing un-princessly activities. I started with Pooping Princess but accidentally dropped lint all over it when I folded laundry. I tried again with Porcelain Princess, pictured below. Punky Princess, President Princess, and Premenstrual Princess are also or will be listed in my shop.
All these paintings are one-of-a-kind originals.
We princesses do more than sit on thrones like pretty dolls. We poop too.
Here is the back story (from my etsy page):
Painted with acrylic paint on a 12x16 canvas, President Princess rolls up her sleeves for another day in the Oval Office. Today, she is signing the Lily Ledbetter Fair Pay Restoration Act (actually, Obama signed it on January 29, 2009). Two flags hang solemnly behind her as she sits at the gigantically intricate presidential desk. On the left is a photo of Prince Charming. He is in the East Wing hosting a NOW luncheon.
____________________________________
For this princess series, I was both inspired & horrified by my nieces’ fascination with the Disney princesses.
I’ll explain:
One niece owned a small projector that showed snapshot frames of the Cinderella movie, and as she flipped from scene to scene, I read from a recapitulation of the classic fairytale. I was struck by the archaic storyline. Cinderella is a graceful, destitute orphan with abnormally small feet, & the dashing prince chases after her down the castle steps, as all men should…Hmph. I was especially appalled by the epilogue that followed the Cinderella story. It told of Cinderella’s wedding planning fiasco; she couldn’t find the right dress, pick the right cake, or send out the invitations on time. Then…Bibbidibobbideeboo! Her fairy godmother appears & fixes everything in time. Here I was planning my own wedding day – simultaneously, my 5-year-old niece was reading about this glorified legal communion as if it were the happiest day of every girl’s life.
When their princes are off play Fantasy Football, independent princesses have to face the world on their own. They have to snake their own toilets, wash their own cars, & wipe sleepy gunk from their eyes.
So I decided to paint a series of princesses performing un-princessly activities. I started with Pooping Princess but accidentally dropped lint all over it when I folded laundry. I tried again with Porcelain Princess, pictured below. Punky Princess, President Princess, and Premenstrual Princess are also or will be listed in my shop.
All these paintings are one-of-a-kind originals.
We princesses do more than sit on thrones like pretty dolls. We poop too.
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