So on my way to the pool this afternoon I notice a film crew on Mason Street. There's a bunch of equipment and just as I near the intersection I hear "Action!". I look down the street and I see a man holding pink balloons. Earlier last week I saw a commercial shoot for Vodka which also involved a balloon (albeit a clear white one) and thought this might be a continuation. I don't scope the set too closely and head down the pool. On my way back (this time I'm walking up Powell) Green Street is still closed off. I see a police officer guarding the entrance. He says hello so I chat him up to ask what they're filming. It's a movie he says and sounds annoyed as he continues about how the stars are supposedly big but he's never heard of them and how everyone is treating them with kid gloves. I asked him what the name of the movie is and he tells me it's "My Name is Khan" like Genghis Khan. I assumed he meant it was a movie about Genghis Khan so I wonder (to myself) why they would make a movie about Genghis Khan in SF. Maybe it's a time travel movie. Anyways, I get home and look it up on imdb and it has nothing to do with Genghis Khan. It's actually a bollywood flick with one of the biggest stars in Bollywood, Sharukh Khan. I can't tell you any of the names of the movies he's been in but he's been in practically every Bollywood film I've seen. Also, the kid from Slumdog Millionaire is in it too. I couldn't find much about the plot of the movie other than it's based on a true story of a Muslim man with Aspergers who was arrested for acting suspiciously. Oh and in the list of credits there's a Vietnamese woman listed as "Asian Cheerleader" I so need to see this movie.

It's going to be one of those moments where you're asked "where were you when Obama was elected president of the United Motherfucking States". I got up early this morning to vote. I never vote in the morning usually saving it for the end of the day. But today I had class after work so I forced myself to get up early and head to my polling place before heading off to work. The polling precinct was packed, it was the first time I'd seen the place that crowded. I rushed through the votes, with my handy SF Bay Guardian cheat sheet, but double-checked the main points, President and Prop 8.

Once I got to work I kept refreshing the pages of The New York Times and SFGate. No news just reports on how crowded the polling places were. Towards the end of the day Obama had over 100 electoral votes to McCain's 22. I went to class with tears in my eyes thinking what a different world it would be tomorrow. How a black man with the middle name of Hussein would be the next President of the United States. I was able to go through class without thinking too much about it. Then as I was leaving class my phone alerted me to a text. Before I could read it I heard honking on the streets then when I opened the text from Masashi I realized it had happened. I immediately called Leah to confirm the news and she did. There was no doubt that Obama would be the next leader of the free world. I sat at the bart station unable to keep a single thought in my head. But I noticed how quiet the station was. I don't know if people didn't yet realize it or if they too were in a state of shock. Once I got off at Powell Station I braced myself for chaos. But as I exited the station it was eerily quiet. Then as I walked up Powell it began. There was a crowd and TV vans at Union Square and although it wasn't as riotous as I thought they'd be there would be shout of "Obama" and then the crowds would start yelling. I got caught up in it as well and started screaming and clapping my hands as I crossed the street. It went like that all the way home. One honk or one scream would unleash mass frenzy of screams, albeit short-lived.

When I got home I turned on the TV and went straight to CNN, then to Fox News, it was a done deal. I figured if they were going to pull another elections scam Fox would not call it. But they conceded as well and for the first time today I actually breathed a sigh of relief. So what now? Obama is President, will he able to pull the country in a new direction? I don't know, all I know is that I can sleep tonight. Unlike 8 years ago when I went to sleep hoping I'd wake the next day to realize it was all a dream a dream has actually come true.

Thank you America, my faith in this country has been restored at last.

So I'm back safe and sound from the Austin Asian Film Festival. And as corny as it may sound it was one of the most rewarding experiences of my life.

Friday, Day 1:
I got in Friday afternoon and waited for Masashi to pick me up. After he arrived we had an hour to kill before one of the producers, Curtis Chin, of the film "Vincent Who?" arrived so we took advantage of the time to catch up. He was visibly nervous and anxious. The festival actually kicked off the night before but he's been 'on' for a good 6 months in prep. He related how well attended the opening night festival had been. There were only two empty seats for the opening night film "Hollywood Chinese" with the director, Arthur Dong, present. I was bummed I missed it but relieved it went over so well. Once Curtis arrived we headed straight to the theater. Due to the heavy traffic we got there just before the first screening.


Alamo Drafthouse signage

The entire festival was being held at Alamo Drafthouse Village. They're a local theater chain, similar to Landmark Theaters but they serve food and drinks, including beer, during the screenings. They have about four screens and we had our very own theater for the entire weekend. The first screening was a bit slow which was kind of a bummer since we had special guests that flew in especially for the event. Jodi Long, who some may remember as the mom from Margaret Cho's show "All American Girl" and her producer buddy the mom from "Home Improvement" both attended. The director, Christine Choy, was also set to attend but through long complications and miscommunication ended up missing her flight.

I just want to take a moment to say how awesome the volunteers were. They were up for any task and seriously they're just good peoples. They showed up and on time and they were cheerleaders throughout.


the volunteers and their fearless leader

After the final show of the night we packed up and headed over to a Chinese/Japanese restaurant called China Grill. It was fairly well attended by filmmakers, volunteers and badge holders. After dinner, although I wouldn't call it dinner since we didn't have much time to eat, Masashi and I headed back to the airport to pick up the last of the filmmakers. He was scheduled to come in earlier in the evening but he too missed his flight and had to rebook. What's with filmmakers and flights? Afterwards, we headed back to the city to pick up Curran and went to the house party.

Now I'm not quite sure what was up with this house party. It was literally in someone's house. The owner is the boyfriend of the woman who organized all the party events of the festival. I heard he directed some of Radiohead's videos but I'm not quite sure. It was a nice house but they set up a dj outside in the backyard. It was only a matter of time till the po-po showed up and they indeed showed up. Though I have to say they were extremely polite and just asked the music be turned down. They were so mellow.


Curran and my back at the house party

Luckily they didn't go inside to see some of the illicit activities going on in the bathrooms and one of our drunken filmmakers staggering about trying to make a "friend" for the evening. So at about 3am we finally left for the evening. The previously mentioned filmmaker stayed at Curran and Masashi's that night and promptly passed out once we arrived. The rest of us finally went to bed around 4:30am. Just enough sleep to get back to the theater for the noon screening.

Saturday, Day Two:

Saturdays screening was much better attended. Before each screening we were worried that the theaters would be empty then about 10 minutes before the show the lobby would be packed. We were lucky enough to have sold a lot of badges which entitled you get into any show or event. And they used those badges. We had some that attended every single screening for the entire weekend.

So as the day's screenings progressed we were falling behind on our schedule. Since the crowds started forming it would take a while to clear out the theaters and clean them then do a screen check for the next film. We also had a Q&A session with almost every screening and that would cause further delay. Not to mention one of the films sent for the short program was an extended 15 minute version. It got to a point where the screening was almost thirty minutes behind at one point. The manager of the theater asked that we keep everyone outside till the screening started since they were so many people and the noise level kept going up interfering with the other screens at the theater. That's when I knew it was going well. We had a line! A real film festival line.

After the screening of the last film of the night, "No Smoking", Jayson, a friend of Masashi's and I headed over to Club de Ville to help set up for the party. There were a total of four bands playing that night and Jayson and I were in charge of setting up the projection. I assumed everything was worked out beforehand but everyone knows what happens when you assume. We get there after lugging the projection equipment six long blocks only to find out the first band of the night had their own projection system set up for their act. By that point they were getting ready to go on and there wasn't much we could do but wait till they were finished so Jayson and I indulged in cocktails and found a quiet corner to bitch.


Ravel, Me, Vinnie, and James (filmmaker)

Once the band finished and cleared their equipment we set up the projection only to find the footage was a bit too dark for the space. It was being held outside and projected onto a white rock wall which wasn't very conducive to an old black and white Japanese horror movie. We had the staff turn down the lights in the back which helped a bit but still a bit hard to see. The bands were great, each band had at least one Asian member in it, you know to keep up with the theme. Once the bands finished their sets the DJ took over and I was on my sixth cocktail... time to dance. Maybe it was the adrenaline rush but I seriously did not feel the effects of the cocktails at all. Normally, I'm walking in circles after two drinks but after six I was dancing... in heels no less. All the festival members got up on the stage and danced till closing. That night there was no babysitting of drunken filmmakers so we were free to just have fun. We even got our act together long enough to take a staff picture.


group photo

Seriously, this was one of the best festivals I'd worked at. I really enjoyed my previous stints at AAIFF and SFIFF and learned a lot there but here I really felt the camaraderie. Maybe it was the fact that we were a bunch of Asians in Texas but I really did feel a connection with all these people.

So another late night that ended up with a 4am trip to Whataburger in my pajamas. It's better than a sleeping pill and I didn't feel groggy the next day.

Sunday, Final Day

So it's our final day and as we were talking to one of the managers of the Alamo, he tells us that we're getting bigger audiences than Leonardo DiCaprio's new movie. Huzzah! Take that DiCaprio.



For each day of the festival there was a 'buzz' with at least one film. The first day was "Wonderful Town", the second day was "No Smoking" and the last day was "Still Life". Now, since "Still Life" was also the closing night film we were anticipating a large crowd. We had sold a number of tickets online and we had to consider the large number of badge holders so we came up with a plan to not sell any tickets until 15 minutes before the start of the show. So for the last show we had two lines. One was for ticket and badge holders and the other was a rush line to buy tickets. It was so entirely awesome to see that many people waiting outside to see the show. The rush line extended to the end of the complex.


rush line

Luckily, we were able to get everyone in to see the show after we set up a few extra chairs. Masashi introduced the film as he had done with every show and invited all the staff members onto the stage. He spoke for a few minutes on the strength of the festival and that there was a market for Asian films in Austin. He also thanked the audience for attending and the staff members for their contributions. After the show started I peeked inside and watched the audience react to the film and it was a moment of unmeasurable pleasure. I got teary eyed thinking that a movie I helped program got this large of a reaction and turn out. Satisfying indeed.



Again, a very fulfilling experience and I can't wait for next year.

Tags: austin asian american film festival aaaf
Current Mood: accomplished

So the Austin Asian Film Festival is coming up. October 9-12. I'll be flying out on the 10 and returning on the 13th. It wasn't easy getting time off from work considering I just started but I made it happen.




So if anyone is going to be in the Austin area around those dates please join me!

Tags: austin asian film festival

Okay, so it's finally over and am heartbroken by that fact. I actually had a great time and was energetic throughout the festival but now that it's over I feel totally worn out. I had a blast even standing outside in the freezing cold wearing heels and I never have fun wearing heels.



This was taken the day before the festival. The entire staff met up at the Kabuki to take a picture before the festival kicked off. The energy was pretty high for a 9am call to discuss the logistics and general dos and don'ts of the festival. Can you see me? I'll give you a hint: hand gestures.

My first assignment was working opening night. What did that entail? Well, we met up at the Castro Theater for the screening of The Last Mistress by Catherine Breillat. The director actually showed up after suffering a stroke earlier. That my friends, is dedication. After everyone was safely inside the warm theater the Publicity staff went down the street to Fuzio's for a quick bite before heading over to the Metreon to set up for the Opening Night Party. Since we were still on duty we took turns working and partying. Two of us stayed at the desk to make sure the press got their tickets and the other two would go inside to see the hoopla. And indeed, there was a lot of hoop and las. The venue was beautiful, the entire top floor of the Metreon was decked out in colored lights with a great view of the downtown buildings.

Day Two:
I had the majority of the day off since I wasn't scheduled til the 8pm show of The Golem with Frank Black (Black Francis) at the Castro. After signing in the press I headed in to see the show. Of course later I heard he did an unscheduled rehearsal at Cafe du Nord the night before.

Day Three:
It was the only day I requested off since Leah's mom came to visit from the Philippines. We had a lovely tea service at Leland Tea Company then a quick jaunt to Chinatown to track down some illegal ant killer. Later that night I headed back to the Castro to see Warlords with Del. I loved it. Yes, it was sentimental and overly acted but to see Jet Li emote was a vision and the first battle sequence was crazy good. I tried searching for it on youtube cause I had to see it again but no luck. So if anyone has a copy send it to me.

Day Four to Six:
My first day at the remote press office. It was situated next to the theater in the Kabuki Kitchen retitled: Vanity Fair Hospital Lounge. In the front was a loungey area with a bar and in the back was guest services and press office. This was my home for the better part of the two week festival. The area we were in was pretty dark and sometimes smelled of garbage. But every now and then the staff of the Kabuki Kitchen was there to cook up bacon which smelled significantly better. I spent the next few days checking out screeners, handing out press tickets and getting a leg up on the press clippings. It was no small feat. The clippings, which are basically cut outs of every mention of the festival was growing at an alarming rate. Every time I finished a batch the incoming box was filled again. There was no end in sight, but a couple of cocktails from the bar made it almost an enjoyable task.

Day Seven:
It was Awards Night. The big gala. We all dressed up in our finest but at least this was an in-door event and on carpet no less so the heels was less of an issue. It seemed all of the big events seemed to coincide with the days that I was working downtown at my regular job. That meant going in to work all 'dolled up'. People at work may think I take fashion a little too seriously. Anyways, I headed over the Westin in time to see the major stars arrive: Mike Leigh, Maria Bello and Robert Towne were the recipients of the awards then their presenters: Warren Beatty, Marianne Jean-Baptiste and Willie Freaking Brown. Man, I'm sure Maria Bello thought it was going to be Gavin and even I would have been happier about that than Brown. My biggest shocker of the night was how tall Warren Beatty was. After the pictures were taken and everyone was in the dining room there were a few seats left so the rest of us got to sit down and eat with San Francisco's elite. 

It's almost over, tonight is the closing night film and party hosted by Vanity Fair. It's been a crazy ride and I'll get to the details after tonight.

I've reached a milestone. My 'sea creatures' video has reached over 10,000 hits. In the context of youtube videos it's no I'm Fucking Ben Affleck' but considering my other videos that I put so much work into has only 200 hits, it's a major accomplishment. There was even a long debate about vegetarianism and what not, but mostly comments about the little critters looking like a penis. I keep forgetting the internet is abound with teenagers. 

Anyone who reads this sometime journal knows Leah. Well, technically anyone who has ever lived in San Francisco may know Leah. She's the closest thing to a celebrity that I know. She's my partner-in-crime, my travel buddy, therapist and overall good friend. And last month we celebrated her birthday Rice-style at Fleur de Lys. And here are the pics that prove it.



The meal was delicious. The restaurant itself was beautiful, even if they placed us in the annex near the door. It was supposed to be a wine room but not as opulent as the main dining room. There was one table across from us who started singing just as I got up to check out the bathrooms. When I returned I heard one of the hosts came by and asked them to stop singing.

Yumm. Dessert


While Leah was out of earshot we made sure to remind the server that it was Leah's birthday. We'd figure they'd put a candle on one of the desserts we ordered. But when the desserts came there was nothing on there to indicate the special occasion. Valerie and I exchanged glances thinking they'd forgotten. Then a few minutes later they bring this out. Another dessert! We were stuffed as it was with our 3-course meals plus three different desserts now they add this in. It didn't taste as good as it looked but it's still pretty to look at.

End of the evening


After our meal we took a couple of group pics. One in the main dining room and this one in the reception area. It was freezing cold that night and began the walk home. We were to part on the corner of Bush and Leavenworth where Neal and Valerie head east and Leah and I head west. We were saying our goodbyes when the goodbyes turned into a full on conversation that lasted nearly half an hour in the freezing cold. We always have a hard time saying goodbye.


Just One of the Boys

So Bobby calls me out of the blue and asks if I want to go to a party with him. I hadn't seen Bobby since that time I fell on all fours at the food court of Bloomingdales (long story). I agree to the date and end up being the only girl at the party. Don't get too jealous, I was the only girl with gay guys... all of them! Except for maybe one who mentioned his wife. I was the hot topic of the evening. First, starting off with my name and trying to guess my ethnicity. First is always Chinese, but in this city it's a logical choice. Then Japanese, and the obligatory dirty knees (just kidding). The guys kept it up with Vietnamese and Thai. Not once did anyone say Korean which I found odd. When I finally gave the answer the married guy says I don't look Korean. That I'm too pale to be Korean. But Vietnamese and Thai are appropriate? Anyways, later we called Del and Otto and headed over to Badlands. Great. more gay guys!

As most of you are aware December is a hectic month what with the faux Jesus birthday and anticipation of New Years. It's a doubly hectic month for me as well since I've got two Rice Girls birthdays (mine and Valerie) to celebrate. So to illustrate lets go over my calendar for the month of December:

December 1st: Valerie's Cocktail Party
It's an annual event hosted by Valerie and Neal in one of those quintessential San Francisco apartments that gives you a gorgeous view of downtown and Coit Tower. I've been attending for as long as I've known Valerie, which is about 10 years now. The cast of characters is pretty much the same with some new additions over the years. But it's nice to see people even if it's once a year (sometimes it's all you need).

December 2nd: Valerie's Birthday Dinner
This year Valerie was in the mood for steak so we took her to Harris' Restaurant. It's supposedly one of the best places for steak in the country and it was delicious. Valerie and Leah both got the filet mignon with foie gras while I opted for the Porterhouse. When it comes to meat I too am a size queen.

December 4th: Persepolis Screening
It's an amazing movie about a young Iranian girl growing up in Teheran during the Islamic revolution. The animation is simple and stark but complements the highly emotional film. It was also an eyeopener to how the fate of women in this country was drastically changed almost overnight.

December 5th: Double Bill-Comcast is the Devil and Sweeney Todd
This morning I had scheduled to transfer all my phone, cable and Internet to Comcast for their special rate. I thought I could save a few bucks but ended up with a headache. When I ordered the service I was told that wireless was included but once the installation guy came he told me I'd have to fork over an additional $100 for the router. I called customer service and they apologized for the error but basically said there was nothing they could do. So now I have no Internet service for my mac only my pc. I figure it's another lesson learned. Stay away from Comcast! I'm just waiting for AT&T to get their act together and offer their U-verse in my neighborhood. Once that's complete I can say goodbye to Comcast FOREVER.

That night I went to see a screening of Sweeney Todd. I liked it much better than I thought I would. The singing, while not terrific, wasn't too bad and the scenes were so incredibly shot that I was mesmerized throughout. And a film under 2 hours.

December 8th: Photo Shoot and Gus Van Zant
Early that day I headed over with Valerie and Leah to Erica's place for a photo shoot. She's starting up her own portrait business (Erica Foto) and wanted to get some feedback. We were more than willing to play guinea pigs. Leah and I needed pictures for headshots and Valerie was looking to get a picture for her faculty website. We all piled into the car and went to Golden Gate Park for some outdoor shots. It was freezing cold but we managed to take direction and not show it on our faces (are you proud Tyra?). These are my favorites for the day



This would be the Rice Girls debut album cover


And our Ralph Lauren ad


Later that evening I went to a screening of Gus Van Zant's Paranoid Park with Del. Very Van Zant but I have to say there was one scene that was so beautifully done that it took my breath away. Of course I learned later at the Q&A (Gus was in attendance) that scene was directed by Christopher Doyle. It seems there were two cinematographers for the film but it seems like he was more of a co-director. If you see the movie I'm sure you'll know which scene I'm talking about.

December 14th: Offal Dinner
You've read about it before.

December 15th: Holiday Party
Again refer to this post

December 16th: Jardiniere Dinner
Same thing. The binge eating post.

December 18th: School's Out
I had my final that day for Digital Editing. Of course it conflicted with my work schedule. Luckily, they had no problem rescheduling me for that week, but can I ask why you would schedule a final exam on a day that you normally do not have class? I understand maybe scheduling it for a different time but why a different day? Or why is it different at all? I just don't get it.

December 21st: Bang Bang
I got a long overdue haircut. It's all bangs and then some. I went to my usual hair salon Eclipse. Gary has been doing my hair for over 3 years now. He gets me even though he tends to rush through cause he schedules so many clients at one time. I normally don't get my hair cut more than 2-3 times a year so his price at $35 seems like a steal, especially since I'm so fond of the cuts. But his rates has been steadily climbing and now it's up to $50. So reluctantly I think I got my final cut at Eclipse. I'll be joining Leah and Valerie at Supercuts on Fillmore where I'm told there is a lady who is amazing for only $15.

December 22nd: Holy Ricemas
Our annual Rice Holiday Gathering at Neal and Valerie's. This year we even got a tree. It was a lovely evening where we had a delicious meal prepared by Neal and got to open some presents. I got a lovely calendar from Leah, truffle butter and salt from Neal, and a picnicking blanket from Valerie. All of which will come in handy in the new year.

December 24-30th: Arizona
Once again I headed down to AZ to spend time with the family. It was a memorable to say the least. Danielle's, my sister-in-law, father passed away the night before Christmas. We ended up not telling the kids til after Christmas. They were pretty somber but seemed to take it well. When not playing Monopoly with the kids I went and saw some friends. First I had dinner with Country and Sergio. They're leaving Roy's (I'm kinda bummed) to work at a new restaurant. And Country is planning on becoming a pastry chef. Ooh can't wait. Then I met up with Kyong. We went out for dinner then went back to her house where her husband was entertaining friends with the Ultimate Fighting Championship. I could barely watch with all the blood pouring out one guy's eye. I really don't understand how this is a sport. Then finally lunch with Heather and Erica. Erica flew down a few days after I did and I managed to see her right before her flight back to SF. Heather got engaged. Jeff finally popped the question right before the holidays. She already had wedding magazines stacked up in her apartment. Supposedly the wedding will take place this summer in Wisconsin. Jeff's family is from there and his dad is too sick to travel. So I guess my first trip to Wisconsin isn't too far off.

I only managed to take one picture the entire time I was there.



December 31st: Curran and Masashi
I got back to SF New Years Eve. Luckily Curran and Masashi were in town and asked if I needed a ride to the airport. I was more than excited to see them but having someone pick me up at the airport is a miracle indeed. After grabbing my bags we headed to Bernal Heights to meet some other friends at a lesbian bar called Wild Side West. We had been there before and it was perfect for New Years since it was relatively low-key. I rarely go out for New Years since it's such a freaking mess so if I can sit at a nice quiet bar with friends I'm all set. After the countdown and balloons (they had BALLOONS!) we headed over to Denny's in Japantown. Talk about a mess. The place was pretty packed and and filled with the oddest characters. One drunken party after another walked in and we had an abysmal waitress who was having one brain fart after another. But on the other hand it was entertaining. I ate my spam fried rice and we left for the evening.

2007 was finally over but the fun continues...

January 1st: Spices II
I met up with Curran, Masashi, Del and Otto and we headed over to Spices II in the Richmond for dinner. It's one of our favorite haunts and we go there anytime Masashi and Curran come to visit. If anything be sure to order the spicy deep fried tofu. Delicious. And don't worry about it being too spicy, you can order a large glass of fruity drinks to keep the spices in check.



After dinner we went back to Del and Otto's for a game of Apples to Apples. I actually enjoyed the game. It helps when you play with the right people.



January 2nd: Saying Farewell
I met up with Curran and Masashi for their final day in SF. We went to Tokyo Express for sushi then caught The Diving Bell and Butterfly at the Embarcadero. It was a beautiful film and we were mesmerized by the ending credits, it was the first time I'd been to a movie with Curran and Masashi where they sat for the entire credits. Afterwards we got some coffee at Royal Ground on Polk before they headed off to San Jose. I miss those guys so much. Can't wait til they move back to the city.

So that pretty much ends my countdown to the new year. Hopefully I'll be back sooner than expected for another post.

So my last entry was a bit of a downer and I actually had more to the story but I'm just going to forget about it. It's depressing and I'd rather just put the whole thing behind me and focus more on the positive... it is the holiday season afterall.

So I'll just start off by saying I got an internship with the San Francisco Film Society. I'm working in the publicity department. So far, most of my work has consisted of posting upcoming events at various websites and clipping articles about the SFFS into a large binder. Exciting I know but I actually love it. First off, it's located in the Presidio so the commute is different and it's just a nice calming place to be. Secondly, I get to see movies for free. Well, I normally see movies for free, but those are few and far between. One of my first duties was to attend the Animation Festival this year. I worked the publicity desk which means I stand at a table and wait for press to show up. I hand them their ticket(s) and check them off my list. Normally, only one or two show up. So after that I'm free and clear and can go inside the theater to watch. Of course if the theater is full I have to just stand at the back which my official badge allows me to do. If it's a particularly long movie or series of shorts then it gets a little uncomfortable but I'm more than satisfied.

America's Not Top Model:

I was at a Marc Jacobs fashion event at Bloomingdale's. It wasn't as high fashion as it sounds. I was invited by Otto who got the tickets through his work. We arrive at Bloomingdale's and go up to the men's floor and basically there's a ton of people just standing around the men's department of Bloomingdale's. Well, there's a DJ and a long line for free drinks. Otto was already in line for the drinks by the time I arrived. We grabbed our free martinis and walked over to a less crowded section of the department. I have to admit when I first heard about the event I thought it would be a showcase of the new season, complete with a runway. Basically, they had two male models (yes, they were gorgeous) standing on a two inch podium. Well before heading out we decided a picture was in order.



Okay if you look closely I'm wearing full makeup. The funny part is that I wasn't wearing any makeup that. Otto who's a whiz in Photoshop (as you'll see later) decided to put eyeshadow and lipstick on me. I remember doing a double take and wondering if I had put that much makeup on that night.

So that night Otto asked if I would be his model for his website. He has a school project where he needs to create a website illustrating his skills. He wanted a hair campaign and I just figured he'd do my hair for the project cause I can comb my hair and that's about it. When he came over he had a full on back drop that he bought earlier. I asked him what I should wear and he wanted something with cleavage. I was more than willing to oblige and got out brown lace dress with a deep v-neck. He started on my hair and basically he curled the front ends. We did sampling of shots. Then Leah, who also agreed to play model went next. By the time I went again my hair was a mess then he decides to clip the sides to the back. I had no idea what I looked liked and started posing.  Fast-forward a couple weeks later and I get an email from Otto with the finished product. For your amusement, and in spite of my self-esteem, I'm attaching the before and after:



If that's not mad skillz, I don't know what is. He gave me a haircut! I'm thinking of printing this out for my next haircut. But not just the hair but he perfected my makeup. I don't think my brows have looked any better. He also thinned out my arms. It's me only better. Tyra would be proud.

Merry Christmas Y'all!

I got another gig as an extra. This time it was for the movie Four Christmases starring Vince Vaughn and Reese Witherspoon. I didn't get any pictures as cameras were forbidden, as was talking to the 'talent'. I had the dubious pleasure of playing a Korean holiday traveler. I'm not sure why we had to be Korean but they specifically requested Korean. There's a lot of waiting around as they set up lights and I can't imagine making a film in that kind of environment. I guess it helps that you have a large crew who know what they're doing so that you can concentrate on the tasks at hand. Fun facts: Reese Witherspoon is tiny I think she's about half the height of Vince Vaughn (who is really tall). For one scene they gave her an apple crate to stand on and she still only came up to his armpits. And guess who else was on the shoot? Ralphie from A Christmas Story. He looks older but he's still got those huge eyes.

The synopsis of the scene we were doing was that there was a big mess at the airport and no one was able to get on a flight. So everyone had to look miserable. I was about two counters away from Vince and Reese along with the other Koreans. I guess it was a group trip. We had to leave fairly early in the scene so I don't know if it will make it to the final cut, but that was my big Hollywood movie. I'm up for another movie, this time it's Gus Van Sant's new movie about Harvey Milk. He'll be filming in San Francisco for about three months. I doubt I'll be able to take that much sick time so we'll just have to see. Anyways, the movie stars Sean Penn!


Binge Eating

I haven't formed an eating disorder but the way this past week was going it wouldn't be hard to form one. So this year as a present to each other Leah and I went to Incanto in Noe Valley for their Fifth Quarter tasting menu. Basically, it's a five course meal made from normally discarded parts. Sounds delicious no? I live for stuff like this. I may not be a vegetarian and I wear leather shoes but you know what? I eat the whole animal. There's no waste. One of my favorite parts of the meat are innards. I shed a tear when I see people throwing away the bag of goodies stuffed inside a turkey on Thanksgiving. You mean you're not even going to use it for gravy?
I had originally wanted to go there for my birthday dinner with the Rice Girls, but Neal and Valerie were not up for it and they wouldn't do it unless the entire table participated. Since the chef personally cooks this meal it's hard to time the courses with others who are not partaking. (sidenote: the chef is none other than Chris Cosentino, who recently tried out to be the next Iron Chef). Anyways, I figured the meal would be along the lines of gizzards, hearts and what nots and fairly small portions. When we arrive we sit down at the table next to the floor length windows. We see the menu already placed at the table and we have our server go through the items we're not familiar with. Here's the breakdown of the meal:

Fried rabbit and carrots with aioli
Grilled beef heart with mushrooms and Sangiovese
Pasticcio of pig's trotter, kidney, chestnut and nettle
Yellowfin tuna collar with balsamic and fennel
Citrus-candied cockscombs salad

Okay so that's straight off the menu (which we kept as souvenirs) and it doesn't sound all that weird right? I mean I've never had rabbit but I figure it's meat whatever, I'll eat it. Beef heart, no biggie, we had to ask what a pig trotter was and turns out it's pig's feet, and I can eat pig's feet for breakfast. Tuna collar? I understand it's normally discarded but I was looking for something completely bizarre and strange. Then we asked our server what a cockscomb was and she told us it's the flappy thing on top of a rooster's head, okay the menu just got bizarre.

The first course arrives and it's fried rabbit EARS! I did not expect that. I guess no one wants the ears. I have to say it was delicious. It tasted like fresh pork rinds (the real kind). I did have to pass on a few of them cause they still had hair on it. The basket of fried ears and carrots were huge. We did end up finishing them but found them to be a bit salty. So next up, grilled beef hearts. They were larger than I thought. I'm used to chicken hearts which is about the size of a thumb but these were the size of filets. We each got two slices, seared on the outside and rare in the center. It was served with mashed potatoes (Leah swears it was more of a yam), pea sprouts and mushrooms. Once again the mushrooms were a bit salty but everything else was fine. The heart has a bit of bloody taste to it but I've eaten blood sausage so no biggie.

We were actually quite full after the second course so it wasn't as exciting seeing our server coming by what looked like a rustic pot pie. We waited a few minutes before digging in, it was too hot to eat anyway. I raise my spoon and begin. I crack the pastry on top and go inside. I'm a little let down cause I don't see any pig's feet, since they're chopped up so small. I lazily start going through the dish. It's watery and I was expecting a more stewey texture. It is still really hot and we take our time with this course. Our server recognizes that we're not chowing down like the previous three courses so when we finish she gives us ample time to rest. After about 10 minutes I'm feeling better. Still stuffed but feel I can continue. Besides, did you read the description it said Yellowfin tuna collar with balsamic and fennel. I'm thinking it'll be some nice slices of tuna with some fennel on the side and balsamic drizzle. I see our server heading over and whatever she's carrying with her is piled up high on a bowl. It looks huge. My stomach closes down. Then from the corner of my eye I see a guy coming over with a large plate overhead and he's telling one of the servers to bring the other table. What have we gotten ourselves into? Is he trying to kill us. It's my dream and worst nightmare. Our server sets down the large bowls and I figure that's the collar and just as I try to wrap my mind around this another table is adjoined to ours and I hear the chef say, "that's not the collar". I look over at him and he places down this monstrous plate with glistening tuna collar. I almost feel like throwing up. The thing is as large as my arm. Everyone in the restaurant turned their eye towards our table. We kept hearing "what's the fuck is that?". Just in case you think I tell tall tales here's photographic evidence, and no, Otto did not photoshop this:



And here's the spine:



Leah actually had to stand up and step back to get it all in the shot. I ate half the spine and took a small bite of the collar and called it a day. Sadly, that collar was the best tasting thing that night but I just couldn't do it knowing there was still another course. And even though it said 'salad' I just couldn't trust them anymore. We asked them to pack up the remaining spine and collar. I actually couldn't see straight for a while with all the food consumed and I was so worried about what was to come next that I couldn't even hear what Leah was saying.

Finally, the last course. The cockscomb. I didn't even know that part of the rooster was even edible. But not only was it edible it had a jelly bean texture to it. It was a tough first bite and I had to put out of my mind what we were actually eating. It was okay, not wow fantastic. I only wish I could have enjoyed it more. It just got so ridiculous after each course how full we were and how we had to continue eating. I mean Leah and I of all people are not picky eaters. And we always finish our plates but this was our Everest. We came but we did not conquer. One interesting bit of note: our server told us about this other menu they have called The Whole Beast. Where basically they cook the entire animal (pig, goat or lamb). It's done in the back room I guess away from sensitive eyes. I definitely want to do that but it'll have to wait til next year.

After dinner we planned on sitting at the table for while to digest but the J-Church was on it's way in three minutes so we rushed out. We board the train still full, slightly queasy and I notice a foul odor from the man walking past. He then proceeds to sit behind us. We immediately get up and move to the back. The train sits there a moment as it waits for a bunch of teenage boys to board. We start moving again and I notice another smell and Leah says they're spray painting. Are you kidding me? Do you want me to throw up on you. I just had a very expensive meal and I'm not about to waste it on the floor of a muni bus. The driver instructs the kids to stop and get off the bus or he'll call the cops. They respond by spraying even faster. And my womb is happy I didn't house one of these idiots. They finally deboard the bus but one of the slower kids misses the door and forces it open which then causes the train to stop functioning. I'm seriously about to cry. It's already a long commute ahead I just want to lie down and I'm wearing a belt which had become uncomfortable around the third course. The driver comes to the back of the bus to fix the problem and we finally head home. The next day I'm actually feeling fine, I was worried I'd be full for days. Oh and I tried the collar and it was delicious.

So the next night was Leah's office holiday party at Paragon. I'd never been there and I figured it's a free meal. So we get dolled up. She borrowed my brown lace dress from the photoshop picture and I put on one of my old BCG holiday dress. We got to the party a bit late, everyone had already shown up and Leah was the organizer and had to do the place cards before anyone could sit down. As she's looking at her list and setting the name cards down she's plagued by her coworkers asking her where they're sitting. Then someone just grabs the list away from her to take a look. She remained calm as usual and finished her task. We sat for the meal and it was pretty good. I started with the mushroom bruschetta and then the steak. I opted out of the dessert and just had the coffee. Unfortunately Leah was feeling under the weather from earlier in the week doing extra work and was unable to enjoy herself fully even though she planned the whole thing. Here she is before the drugs wore off.



The next night was my Rice Girls birthday dinner at Jardiniere. Valerie and Neal decided to drive so I felt comfortable enough to wear my heels for the night. We first stopped off at Brian and Jeff's for their annual white elephant holiday party. We didn't have enough time to engage in the present swapping but enough to drink some mulled wine and sample Jeff's delicious fried wontons. We headed over the restaurant. I've been there a couple of times and normally we go someplace new but every restaurant I decided on was closed on Sundays. I had originally wanted Fleur de Lys and Leah wanted Jardiniere. So we decided to swap restaurants to get what we wanted. The meal was lovely as usual and fortunately we missed the big Nutcracker crowd. We shared a couple appetizers, the scallops, which were absolutely wonderful and the duck with seared foie gras. Anytime a menu has anything with seared foie gras it's a sure bet.



For the main course I got the ribeye with butternut squash and bone marrow gremlata which was basically some kind of buttery breadcrumbs. Leah and Valerie got the same thing and Neal was outsider with his risotto. We got some tart thing for dessert as well as an assortment of cookies and cakes but it was just okay, nothing to blog about.





Oh and we remembered to take a picture of the dessert after it was half eaten.



So that was the end of the eating weekend.

If I don't talk to you before hand, Happy Holidays. Hope I see you soon.