cotton candy

It's our Cotton wedding anniversary. We have been very blessed and on our 2nd year, we are celebrating for two consecutive weekends. SWEET!

Yesterday was so much fun! Our first meal was at Just Breakfast here in San Jose. We both love this place not just for their YUMMY and generous servings but for its vibe. It's a very local haunt...very diverse and mostly family oriented.
Next stops were Office Depot and Office Max to look for my anniversary gift to Dino. We had chosen a specific computer chair and I'll be picking it up from Office Max later today.
Then we did a little more shopping. All I can say is, with the anniversary gift that I got,the next 20 years are pretty much covered. I will not ask for anything more.

We went home, rested for a couple of hours and got dressed for church. After hearing mass, we went to downtown SJ for our dinner at Morton's Steakhouse.
A little early, we walked around the area outside the restaurant and took some tourist pictures.

Dinner was superb. The steaks were so good, there was no need for sauces or any condiments at all. Perfect rib eyes! I didn't take any food photos cos it was so dark at Morton's. The lack in lighting was appropriate though. Considering I had the meat cooked medium, it was still a bit bloody and would be scary in photos.

At the end of the night, we were much happier and both very, very full.

Next weekend: dinner and Toad the Wet Sprocket concert at the Mountain Winery in Saratoga :)

a spoonful of sugah

Been feeling under the weather since Thursday night. I've been driving to SF a lot, coming home late and always super tired.
My current project is moving stuff from our storage space in the city to our garage here in San Jose. Got no one to help me, though I'd rather keep it that way. I do need a bit of exercise.

I hung out at Off Market theater for 2 consecutive nights. It's great to be around bindlestiff folks again. Got this tiny feeling of wanting to be involved in a production...but gas prices and my old bones are holding me back.
Actually, I want to try writing stories...

Judith mentioned she wants to produce a show next year. Something dark, she said. I'm all for it. I can't stress it enough, but we need to do some thought provoking shit. Get them theater guns and knives out...
As much as I enjoyed Stories High this year, we got to step it up big time. I don't want to settle with only a few laughs, some tried and tested schtick and then just call it a night.

okay...

Just do it.

We must!

how to ruin your career?

I usually get very excited when my favorite UK artists cross the pond to cheesy America and make films that would widen their audience. It's kinda like sharing something that I've enjoyed for some time and have always wondered "how come the rest of the world doesn't know about this guy?" Stories like Ricky Gervais, James McAvoy or Graham Norton.

The results are not always great. For every Ewan McGregor or Clive Owen, there are others not as lucky. Graham Norton's tv show didn't translate well in the US version. Or Ricky Gervais in Night at the Museum I thought was boring. He seemed like he wasn't himself.
I saw the trailer for Ricky's new movie called Ghost Town and I'm all the more concerned. I don't know, I might not be ready to see him in a somewhat serious hollywood launching role---something outside of his famed David Brent character.
Wait, Gervais as Andy Millman in Extras was a departure from his Office role...but I guess he's still technically in a very British environment even if he had hollywood guest stars.

Now there's Simon Pegg (Shaun of the Dead, Hot Fuzz.) I just finished the complete series of his past UK show called Spaced and I totally love this guy. Apart from Star Trek, apparently he has another hollywood movie coming out. The problem for me are his co-stars: Kirsten Dunst and Megan Fox.
These two girls are probably okay on their own... but for Simon Pegg to be associated with them, I can't tolerate it yet.

I will still be watching this movie, of course.

p.s. I saw Mama Mia last night. The reason I did was Dominic Cooper, who I've seen in The History Boys. Anyway, the movie was crazy.

homer + jamie

We attended Homer's civil wedding yesterday. He asked Dino some weeks ago if I could take pictures but I was working at the time and didn't make the commitment. Anyway, I still brought my camera yesterday and did what I could to document the event.
It was the first of two wedding ceremonies for the couple. It was a very intimate group and it felt special to be there. The bigger one will be in Canada next year.

After they were pronounced husband and wife, the couple walked towards the water to send off a bouquet of flowers. It was to symbolize their journey to Canada for the next wedding celebration.




Dino and I are very excited. We made Homer and Jamie's wedding album tonight and we're having it printed by Photoworks.com. The album is scheduled to be delivered to Homer's residence on the 19th. Can't wait for them to get it!

Wackness

Dino and I enjoyed this film last Sunday. To read more, click on the title of this post.

all that glitter hurt my eyes

I was texting with a friend earlier and we got to sharing the same sentiment about an obnoxious figure in our midst.
The subject of this vent loves the limelight. True, there were apparent capabilities and potential on its part. In the past year though, it seems that the hunger to be applauded is stronger than the need to perfect the skill.
Such annoying person has a profound need to be noticed. In this age of networking sites, trying to get attention thru notes, posts and status updates is just normal. What's different about the ways of this fame seeker is that the intentions are transparently fake.
I say this because nothing of depth and value is being offered. No matter how much conviction was used in announcing its latest "creation," it was all a cloud of smoke to cover a stinking fact.
I have seen the performance, the sketch, the act---it's all vapid pantomime. What irritates me most is the attitude and the arrogance that comes with the lame and uninspired product. What is being sold as revolutionary is thoughtless and mediocre. It's not even funny.

I'm not trying to be holier than thou...I got to experience being on stage a long time ago and I understand it's not easy. Although if you've been given a dozen chances to have people absorb your work, don't you think it's just ethical to give nothing but your always improving best?
In the case of being behind the scenes, I'd expect a lot more. There's no stage fright to deal with and one should feel liberated and more creative in giving directions. Use your brain and whatever glorious credentials you've proudly displayed on your belt, chest and forehead.
That's what truly ticks me off--it's all bragging without any decent work to back it up. I feel cheated by such. To think that I'm just a spectator. I feel worse for the more talented people in the group, those unfortunate enough to be in the company of this shameless poser.

fawning over flora

Some wonderful news from our porch...

My hydrangea's first bloom!

It was almost half its current size when I bought this plant.











The geraniums are not to be outdone.








There are three others that are flowering right now. I didnt get good shots of them because my camera's macro wasn't working. One is the lavender with its cute white flowers. The other I forgot the name but has tiny pink ones. Last is a succulent kind of crawling plant that has little red blooms.

I'm feeling proud. I sort of have a green thumb as it turns out. I cant wait for my plants to bloom some more, that way I wont have to spend so much on flowers for the house.

This bouquet cost me $8.99 at Costco...but it's the kind of cliche I willingly buy cos honestly, they do brighten up the room, the mood and everything.

beautiful disaster

Control is the biopic of Ian Curtis, frontman for the 80's post-punk band Joy Division.
The film was beautifully shot by photographer and video director Anton Corbijn, whose previous music video credits include Depeche Mode, Joy Division, Echo and the Bunnymen, The Killers, U2 and even the 2nd version of Coldlpay's latest Viva La Vida.
As you can imagine, having had an extensive experience in music video making, Corbijn employed the same sensibilities in Control. Of course, this had both pros and cons for the film product.
Every shot seemed faithful to a storyboard. Shot probably in color but turned completely black and white for the final copy, the picture gives off a surreal rock and roll edge.
My issue with the aesthetics of the movie was, they didn't quite translate the turmoil that Ian Curtis was going through. The film was almost too quiet and serene except for the interspersed music performances. Ian as played by Sam Riley was too beautiful in each frame, almost to the point that emotions were blocked. The acting was good, but still I had to reach to feel his pain or what they were trying to show as his downward spiral.

The scenes took time. It made me think that the whole story could have been told in half an hour. The lingering silent shots of Ian Curtis seemed to be just skimming the surface in investigating a deeper justification for his eventual suicide.
The film posed 2 reasons for his early passing: Ian's depression over his epilepsy, which affected his show performance, and his relationship/s issue of having a wife and an affair. Both drove him to ending his life. Although I think both reasons were not presented in complicated and conflicting ways enough.

After the film, I felt intrigued as ever about Ian's life...given that he's only 23 at the time of his death, the film might have been as faithful to whatever information was available. I just wish that Corbijn went beyond his music video formula of sophisticated and fashionable shots. A jangling camera movement here or maybe a picked up pace in the editing there.
I was also looking for some sort of transformation from the main actor's physical appearance. He seemed immaculate and young all the way and I was hoping to see a bit of stress and wear in someone being plagued by increasing epileptic attacks. Who knows, it could be an artistic choice in an attempt to preserve Ian as this delicate persona with an almost saint-like aura.

In the end, the music stays brilliant and provided the much needed depth.

stylists say the darndest things

Got myself a haircut. I liked it at the salon. Dino thought it's cute when he saw me for lunch. Then before going to bed last night, Dino said he's not feeling the back part of my head. He said it's too short and that he's disappointed cos he had requested for a specific hair style 2 months ago.
Yeah, he showed me this video of a girl with thick bangs, some wavy wisps of hair on the side by her ear and the rest in a short pony tail. He even saw someone with the same hair on the train in Boston.
Anyway, he wonders why I don't do what he asks.

I wanted the same style that he's wanting me to have. I actually brought my favorite japanese magazine to the salon to have it copied. What happened was, I showed it to the stylist but she immediately said "I know just the thing for you." She pointed to a haircut in my magazine, which wasn't that different from what I requested, gave me such name like "sophisticated bob" and said it's perfect for me. An hour later and inches of hair cut, sheared, snipped from what wasn't really much to work with...I came out with a super short hair.
At that point, I looked at the mirror and thought there's no going back...I have to live with the result. It's not that bad...just not what I asked.

I don't want to feel miserable for the decision I made--I let the "stylist" impose what I'm now guessing was her limited abilities. She was a good talker and she had her way.

It sucks when you have everything envisioned and then you end up with something totally different.
I feel helpless cos I can't grow my hair longer overnight.

boom, jazz and what's your musical name?

Our dear friend Boom is here in the states and it's cool that we're spending time with him. He came with his girlfriend Jasmin, who I've met back in Manila about 2 years ago.

Boom and Jasmin at Blooomingdales SF


Visiting Dino at work, Electronic Arts in Redwood CA


Life imitating art, at the SF Museum of Modern Art

I wish I had photos from the Frida Kahlo, Lee Miller or the Chinese Contemporary art exhibits but taking pictures was forbidden. Except for the museum's regular collection on the 2nd floor...Matisse, Picasso, Duchamp, Diego Rivera were all fair game. Just don't use flash.