Recently

It's all about the little things:

-Visiting with Cappy's Mom and my parents this month. Good times.

-A week long break from Boot Camp.

-Re-connecting with my long lost friend Michael via Hipster. i first met him at a JET conference at the Portopia hotel Kobe in 1994. We lounged about for 2-3 days in various seminars, enjoying the time away from our small towns. We were on the lookout for other LGBT life forms, laughing at/with quirky Canadians, and chatting up Ingrid from London.

-A new Cafe Del Mar CD

-Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire. Repeat viewing needed, especially for the first 15 minutes. Though, i missed the house elf situation with Hermione and a lot else that wasn't included in the film.

-A bit of Christmas shopping done early.

-A very odd dream where i was salsa rollerblading in my elementary school gym. i was totally smoove and wearing all brown.

-Pistachio gelato from Ciao Bella at the Ferry Building.

-The Tubular One's red rain jacket and the happy way she flaunts it.

-Consuming Gia's biography like potato chips. Perfect bart reading. Now i've got to see the movie which i've totally not seen yet.

-My new happy boots.

And another Tuesday gone...

Pidgin

pidgin n. (pjn) A simplified form of speech that is usually a mixture of two or more languages, has a rudimentary grammar and vocabulary, is used for communication between groups speaking different languages, and is not spoken as a first or native language.

My friends have always told me, "Your parents have an accent." Unless they were from Hawaii, they may have assumed my parents weren't native English speakers. My parents speak pidgin English but they switch to standard English when not around others from Hawaii. After studying linguistics in grad school, i was finally able to tell my dad that he was not just a Kona boy who never lost his accent, but one who is bidialectal and therefore linguistically complex. Ha! That's exactly what he said.

My favorite comedian: Rap Replinger "Poi Dog"
I listen to bit of Poi Dog at work sometimes when i need a good laugh...

Match the numbers and letters:

1. Who wen cockaroach da cookies?
2. Geev um!
3. Try wait!
4. No talk li'dat!
5. I go talk to you bumbye.
6. Shoots!
7. No make A, eh?

A. Hold on!
B. Try not to make a right fool of yourself!
C. Who ate/stole all the cookies?
D. Talk to you later.
E. Don't speak in that manner, it's unbecoming!
F. Bring it! (Give it your all)
G. Sure, I'm game!

Check your answers here! (Thanks Tara!)

i speak pidgin:

-with my parents and extended ohana
-with certain friends from Hawaii
-with Desiree but not Trinity
-when i'm tired and can't be asked to speak properly
-at times with Cappy (who is picking up pidgin slowly but surely)

Aloha and Happy Thanksgiving!

Seattle

Top 10 things i love about Seattle:

1. The crisp chill

2. Ivar's Fish and Chips especially that chowder...

3. Friendly drivers. Though, sometimes friendly to a fault.

4. The Cascade Mountain backdrop behind the city

5. Thai Ginger. The best Thai food outside of Bangkok

6. The energy, the laid back friendliness, diversity, quirkiness--think back of pre-dot.com San Francisco...

7. The Harvard Exit Theater

8. Linda's Tavern

9. Capitol Hill

10. Pike Place Market


Today:

Dim Sum for Dad's birthday and then Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire...individual popcorn bags for me, my mom, and Cappy. Just say no to extra salt and butter i say. Maybe no popcorn. After dim sum at Sea Garden, there's usually no need to eat for 3-5 days.

Boom Boom Chak

Think for a second. Can you name one thing you really love to do and could happily do it everyday--but have not really done much of it in your life? It has to be something exciting yet meditative, challenging, yet easy to learn and totally fulfilling on a psycho-emotional level? It's also something that has ruined lives as well as created them. Now, do you have that thing in mind? Or, possibly more than one thing?

For me, this describes the way i feel about the drums. Those who know me understand my drum thing. When i see a drum set, am near a drum set, or am playing around with my electronic drum set--it's always an exciting thing. Perhaps i was born with the excitement of drums in my blood. Maybe my birth peeps were rhythmically inclined. Or maybe i was a drummer in a past life. Whatever the drum thing is, i have it. It's an extremely meditative and wonderful thing.

My first drum "lesson" was in Nishi-Aizu, Japan. My teacher was the drummer of the town band, "Paradox." By day Sato-san delivered chocolate milk and peach juice to places like the town offices and the board of education. I went to his studio a few times a week. i learned a basic beat and played that to his keyboard rendition of every Beatles song you can think of.

i had my first proper drum lesson last night. i could go on and on about it. One hour felt like about ten minutes. My teacher has a studio in the building that houses Moulton Studios and Club Seen magazine at Polk and Sutter. This drum lesson was like visiting a remote tropical island. Absolutely heavenly, but impossible to live there. Ahmed convinced me that i could fly into the island pretty regularly and that it didn't have to be a once a year fantasy vacation hour. So now, with regular lessons i might be able to add a few more new beats to my "boom boom chak tiss boom boom chak..."

Pennylane Productions is bracing for some Jupiter in Scorpio action. Apparently, i have from now until November 2006 to be consumed with inspiration.

My Favorite Piscean

Last night as i left work there was a breeze that passed over the parking lot that felt atypically tropical. i heard the nearby seagulls at the shore and felt a wave of nostalgia. Not sure for what precisely. My thoughts wandered to the days i spent in rural Japan. I was in the midst of my 20's and had a lot of time to read, think, and smoke. A lot of smoking, unfortunately. One writer that kept me positively buoyant was my favorite Pisces gal, Anais Nin (1903-1977). This woman really knew how to use a diary.

Here are a few of my favorite quotes of hers. Each of these have been profound at different times in my life--especially the Japan/Korea years and thereafter:

"We don't see things as they are, we see them as we are."

"Throw your dreams into space like a kite, and you do not know what it will bring back, a new life, a new friend, a new love, or a new country."

"And the day came when the risk to remain tight in a bud was more painful than the risk it took to blossom."

"If you do not breathe through writing, if you do not cry out in writing, or sing in writing, then don't write, because our culture has no use for it."

"Life shrinks or expands in proportion to one's courage."

"Living never wore one out so much as the effort not to live."

"People living deeply have no fear of death."

"There are many ways to be free. One of them is to transcend reality by imagination, as I try to do."


Are there any other Nin fans out there? Reply silently, telepathically, or anonymously. i'll take calls off air.

Lucky Penny

i am superstitious and overly conscientious of things like:

-Voices that ring out from nowhere in native american museums
-Attending to salt that falls out of a dispenser
-Black moths that appear on door screens
-Prescient dreams
-Black cats
-Deja vu
-Lucky PENNIES!

Recent Lucky Penny Story:

While walking along the shore of Lake Tahoe this past weekend, i saw a bright shiny penny in the middle of the turtle grass a.k.a. Thalassia testudinum--the blades are large and flat, kind of like golf grass. Knowing that we were heading to Reno later in the evening, i happily picked it up.

Hours later the pennylane crew arrived in the heart of Reno. We walked through the Silver Legacy to the casino of Circus Circus. Agreeing to meet in an hour near the escalators close to the slot machines, i set out on my way to fortune and glory. My first stop was a roulette table. i bet on the day of my birthday, and won. Beginners luck. Cappy cheered me on, "It's the lucky penny!" After the thrill of winning $5, i needed a slight break from gambling. i then watched Cappy slay everyone at the blackjack table. OK, she won a few hands. Well, she won occasionally. Well, let's just say the dealer Arlene from New Jersey had a good night.

i wondered how Sandra and Leti were doing. i stopped by the roulette table where they had parked themselves. They seemed excited with some wins here and there. i took a seat at their table and thought about placing a bet on the two green numbers. With my lucky penny firmly in my grip, i quietly pushed my chips up to the line that straddles green 0 and 00, and took a deep breath...

People all around were putting chips down all over the number grid. The roulette dealer then waved her hand over all the chips on the table, "No more bets please!" She then tossed the little white ball on its way around the roulette wheel. i looked away from the wheel and after a while it started to slow down. i was chanting "green, green, green!" in my head. The little white ball bobbed around from number to number like a freaked out popcorn kernel. It finally slowed down and settled on the green 0!!! Completely stunned, i asked the dealer to cash me out.

i did not think it could happen again, but decided to try again. i was caught in the temporary addictive thrill of winning. i wandered over to a completely empty roulette table, and plunked down chips--again for either the green 0 or 00. Yes, i hit it again. This time, the little white ball landed on the green 00. Again, i cashed out immediately.

So i won twice. Unbelievable. How much did i win? All total about $300, but considering i only spent about $50, i was very happy.

It was steak and lobster for all of us, courtesy of me, and my lucky penny. i'm going to write something cheesier than Fondue and French brie here, but i don't care....

Mid-sized rental car for the weekend: $95
Travel size shampoo/conditioner: $6.50
Roadtrip dinner at In and Out Burger: $12
4 Mexican hot chocolates by the lake: $9

Being able to treat my friends with unexpected winnings: Priceless

A Night with the Larry Mullen Band

Yeah, i wish i took this photo... i was lucky to have worshipped in the church of Bono for a few hours on Tuesday night. It was a true rock and roll show with amazing pixel light curtains, and a wonderful playlist. Bono and Edge were en fuego. And, there was an amazing stroke of luck that i'll get to in a minute...

Firstly, i have to say that neither MLK, Bad, nor The Unforgettable Fire was played. All was forgiven (by me) when i heard the first few chords of a song i adore. It was way underplayed in its day: One Tree Hill. Although Bono seemed to have forgotten the words to most of it, it was a brilliant three minutes.

Back to our gorgeous stroke of luck....

Cappy and i were happily settled in our unreasonably pricey nosebleed seats in section 202. The unforgiving roof even curled over our heads, blocking our view to those directly across from us. In order to see the stage, try doing this: look down and to the right on the floor three feet away from you. Let's just say i could "crush" the whole stage with my thumb and forefinger. All that notwithstanding, we were giddy and loved the set by Damian Marley.

So it was about 15 minutes until U2 was to come on. The buzz and excitement in the arena was palpable. Suddenly some guy runs up the stairs and shouts out to the section to the right of us. Immediately, people jumped out of their seats, grabbed a ticket from this man, and tore down the stairs. Worried that they might be tickets to the floor (not inside the now full ellipsis) i didn't really worry about it. After a few minutes of watching people in the right section flying down the stairs, my fabulous Cappy stood up and hiked up a few stairs to see what was going on...

The next thing i know, she's shouting, "give me your ticket, give me your ticket..." i hand her my ticket and in exchange we were given two seats to section 107. For a clear idea of where we were and where we ended up, look here. Look where it says section 202. Now find section 107. We were about 4 rows up from the floor. Perfect. Front and center. An already amazing night became magical. Two minutes later, the lights dimmed. And Bono appeared about 100 feet in front of us.

i've said before that i admire my girl's intuition and quick action...well, tonight i became an even bigger fan of U2, and Cappy too!

Note: We found out later that U2 generally buys out many tickets in the best sections, and then releases those seats shortly before the show--to obviously prevent severe scalping and ticket profiteering. Then, the venue staff picks a severe nosebleed section, and lets those folks exchange their tickets for the best seats in the house.

So thank you Larry Mullen and your bandmates, for the amazing seats and thrilling show.

Dig Dug and Turkey

Does anyone else but me enjoy playing Dig Dug on a Game Boy? i'm totally addicted. It's a great game to play on the bart. It wakes me up better than coffee and i see tunnel patterns during the day whenever i look up from my cpu screen. Another favorite game: Galaga. Totally reminds me of Waikakea Plaza's Fun Factory (Hilo, Hawai'i) circa 1982. Other than Tetris, i can't be asked to play any other video games that are out now. They confuse me and bring out a side of me that is distinctly Korean in nature.

A friend just got back from a month long trip all over Turkey. Over the years, i've been lucky to meet many Turkish students who have been the warmest and most generous people i have met. i've not yet been to Turkey but i'd like to. Did you know that a typical Turkish breakfast is fresh tomatoes, white cheese, black olives, bread with honey and preserves, and sometimes an egg omelettes? This sounds wonderful to me.

97% of Turkey lies in Asia, but it is grouped as a European country for the World Cup...and for their bid to join the EU. Many Turkish people tell me that they see Turkey as a Middle Eastern country. i had my Turkish coffee grounds read in Paris a few days before 9/11. Thankfully, it was a nice reading that has since proved to be unbelievably accurate. Also, in Turkish, "C" is pronounced like a "J."

My friend Ozlem in Istanbul says:

-Girls like to play basketball in Turkey, but not soccer
-All kids in Turkey love hamburgers, hot dogs, and French fries.
-Hockey is not a popular sport in Turkey
-People do not eat turkey sandwiches in Turkey
-You pronounce the city "Izmir" like this: Iz-Meersh
-The hero of Turkey is Mustafa Kemal Ataturk. He established the Republic of Turkey and saved the country from attacks by other countries.

All of this information is related to a work project i'm currently involved with.

Speaking of work:

It's recording time again. I'm looking to cast voice talent (read: my friends and acquaintances) for interesting bit characters. Specifically, i need people who have accented English, or not. i'm currently seeking: Thai speakers of English, a man and woman w/a British accent and/or a Scottish accent, and/or an Irish accent...and anyone else with a velvety smooth kid friendly voice. If you've ever wanted to do some fun voice over work, or have in the past--talk to me.

MLK

A funny and true story:

My co-worker Peter was attending a service at Glide Memorial Methodist in San Francisco earlier this year. He brought his parents, who were visiting from New York. In the middle of the sermon, a woman came to the front to pass a note to the Reverand Cecil Williams who muttered, "Yeah, OK, at the end..." When he was done, he called out to the crowd, "OK you can let that young man step forward now..." A short man wearing all black and dark glasses made his way to the front of the church. Realising it was Bono, a small wave of cheer and gleeful shouts also made its way to the front of the room. He stood at the front and declared Reverand Williams "The Pope of San Francisco." Bono then proceeded to sing "It's a Wonderful World" acapella.

By this time people were on their feet, cheering and singing along in wide-eyed amazement. Peter's parents were totally caught up in the excitement too. Imagine an older Jewish couple bobbing up and down, singing along "....I see skies of blue..." clapping and cheering. It wasn't until the end that Peter asked his mom and dad, "Wasn't it amazing to see Bono here?" "Who's Bono?" asked his mother and father in unison. Cute.

The crew at pennylane productions have finally put away the codeine and tylenol. i've finally stepped out of my flu fog. For the past 8 days, my life has been all about: cough syrup, soup, tons of water and juice, no patience for reading, a few mind-numbing and awful MTV shows (Real World, TRL, Laguna Beach...i know, pretty disgusting indeed) and little or no appetite whatsoever.

It's odd how your body weakens. You nearly forget what it's like to be healthy and going about your daily routines. i was dying going up and down the stairs--hello, there are like 5 of them. i was a bit over zealous this morning by attending Boot Camp. It was windy and arctic, but i'm feeling more amongst the living more now than i have in a while.

And i'm happy to say i'll be seeing U2 tonight for the third time since the early 90's. This will be Cappy's first time, and i know she'll love it. If you've seen them in concert, you know firsthand how they can make an arena feel like a small venue. You experience that "band + audience = one" feeling. Cheesy, i know, but i really don't care....

Possible playlist tonight:

Main Set: City of Blinding Lights, Vertigo, Elevation, The Electric Co., The Ocean, I Still Haven't Found, Beautiful Day - Many Rivers to Cross, Miracle Drug, Sometimes You Can't Make it On Your Own, Love and Peace or Else, Sunday Bloody Sunday, Bullet the Blue Sky, Miss Sarajevo, Pride, Where the Streets Have No Name, One - MLK

Encore(s): The First Time, Who's Gonna Ride Your Wild Horses, With or Without You, All Because of You, Yahweh, 40

If they play "MLK" tonight, it will be worth the whole arena experience and the fact that i don't know much of their stuff since the Joshua Tree. Hearing "Bad" will be unbelievable and very much appreciated. But hearing "The Unforgettable Fire" will certainly be a religious experience for sure.

Damian Marley, son of Bob, is the opening act. In this tour, loads of musical guests have been known to appear. In Las Vegas, Mary J. Blige and Brandon Flowers from the Killers shared the stage.

i wonder who will appear tonight...

At Home

New site discovered: Generation Kikaida

New favorite song: "The only one" Readymade FC

New movies out that i want to see: None

New cereal at home: Maple Brown Sugar Mini Wheats

Newly added Friendster friend: Kochun

Exciting new Trader Joe's discovery: French Truffles (thanks Lorrie!)

Recent itunes puchase: 4 Strings

Days taking spoonfuls of Codeine cough syrup: 3

Number of extremely odd dreams since the above: 4

Number of days until i return to work: 1 or 2

Days until Hawai'i holiday: 54