I am what I imagine myself to be.
MIT’s Technology Review has this year’s listing of what is the hottest research and development being done by people under the age 35. A fascinating look into what the future might be….
A one-time registration is now required to read the article - but it’s worth it.
0 CommentsThe Hollywood Repoter has an article on how some “reality” TV shows now contain “staged” scenes. This might be a shock to the rest of the world but is old news here in LA. I have watched plenty of my fellow actors on “reality” shows such as “Blind Date” who are just - acting.
2 CommentsA co-worker showed me this site. It is a photo blog of various signs and products from Japan and China which have “engrish translations”.
UPDATE: Here’s my favorite - “Make You White“
0 CommentsOur scene was cut short today by Tom. I don’t necessarily think it was because it was bad, I think it was more because he had to make sure class ended on time so he could prepare for his next class. The major note that I received today was that I didn’t seem to pick up on Melissa’s strange behaviour as a result of her taking ecstacy. My worry was that I did not want to immediately jump to conclusions and say, “Are you on someting?” Instead, I wanted to take in her behaviour and come to a logical conclusion. Tom just felt that I could have come to that conclusion sooner. Overall, he said that I was doing better.
I’m still worried about next class when I bring back my drunken pain. I’m trying to come up with a scenario right now…
0 CommentsWe’re Going to Spain!
(a two person improvised scene)
Featured Impediment: Ecstasy (MDMA) - performed by Melissa
Synopsis:
Melissa and I have been dating for a year. We met in college and she helped me pass a geology exam that was crucial to my major. We also used to go to raves and she experimented with ecstacy. She has now been clean for the past couple of months and I recently received a job offer in Spain. I will be coming over to give her the good news and she will have to justify why she does not want to come with me.
The other day when Heather and I went to Chinatown we spotted the tents for Cirque du Soleil: Varekai. The tents are set up close to the Staples Center which is right in our ‘hood. I really want to go see the show. A couple years back Heather and I went to see Cirque du Soleil: Dralion in Santa Monica. I was completely blown away. I had never seen anything like it. The beauty of the music, set pieces, costumes - and the incredible skills of the performers who demonstrated what is possible with years of training and practice. Incredible.
0 CommentsI received a little bit of creative inspiration from watching Def Poetry Jam tonight. If you have never seen spoken word poetry, you should check out the website. There is something so beautiful and powerful about spoken word poetry. It’s raw, emotional, truthful and beautiful. It stirs me to set to rhyme, the thoughts and feelings I keep deep inside. 
Tonight one of the poets was Shihan, who I’ve seen here in LA a couple years back before spoken word started getting hot. He was wearing a t-shirt representing Da Poetry Lounge - one of the hottest places in LA to see spoken word (the theater is always packed with hundreds of people, literally). I’ll have to go back. You will too. BTW, admission is FREE!!!!
0 CommentsToday around lunchtime, Heather and I took a trip through downtown Los Angeles into Chinatown. The surprising thing is that for the seven years that we have been here, neither of us have been to Chinatown. But now we know why. On the way to Chinatown we encountered typical LA traffic on the freeways. Jam packed cars squeezed together slowly creeping down miles of asphalt and concrete. Not fun. But while we sat in traffic Heather noticed a small formation of 5 Cessna planes towing the American flag and a sign that read “We Remember”. It was a touching sight as the planes flew across the blue sky.
After a couple of wrong turns, I decided to call the bakery to see if they could give us directions. An older Chinese lady answered the phone and I asked her directions from our current location. “We’re in Chinatown. 969 N Broadway. Everybody knows where Chinatown is”, she answered. “Well then, I guess I don’t need directions” I said to Heather. We eventually found our way driving through a huge red gate protected by two large, golden, Chinese dragons. Chinatown looked pretty interesting. A lot of old shops and restaurants with a lot of people walking around. It’s not that big though, and doesn’t seem to have the same kind of energy and vitality that San Francisco Chinatown has.
The Phoenix Bakery is at the far end of Chinatown. According to their website they have a long history and are pretty famous for Chinese and non-Chinese sweets. When we arrived, I inquired about moon cake and was told they only had “ham and egg yolk” moon cakes left. All the other “varieties” were gone. “Ham and egg yolk”? What kind of moon cake is that? I’m only familiar with lotus seed and lotus seed with duck egg.
Since I was in a hurry to get back to my job I decided to be adventurous and bought a box. The cakes were neatly packaged in a box decorated with Chinese style graphics and writing. As I handed my credit card to the cashier I wondered why there were five boxes of “ham and egg yolk” cakes and no other kinds? Could it be that bad?
I tried one tonight.
YUCK! Well, maybe it wasn’t that bad. At best it was weird. I had no idea what to expect when I bit into the cake. I think I tasted coconut. And almonds. Some of it was sort of sweet. Then I bit into the duck egg which was salty but familiar. But there were strange textures and tastes other than the almonds and coconut. The scary thing is that I didn’t know what they were! I was driving home and it was dark and I was eating this moon cake desperately hoping it would get better, or that I might “acquire” a taste for it. “Maybe my Chinese side will kick in and really like this” I told myself. Then I remembered that there were FIVE boxes left of this “variety” at the bakery.
Hi-ya! (typical Chinese expression)
Well I did make an effort to honor my Chinese heritage by having moon cake during the time of the Mid-Autumn Festival. Till next year.
(I don’t think I’m gonna eat the other three “ham and egg yolk” moon cakes. Any takers?)
0 CommentsI’m really struggling in class. Tonight I really had trouble trying to be both drunk and have deep emotional pain. I felt very self-conscious. I’m having trouble going deep emotionaly for some reason and then to try to be drunk on top of that…
As the scene progressed I played into the drunkeness a little more, but there was no struggle on my part to try to deal with my acting partner. I was surrendering more to my drunkeness, which didn’t work well for this exercise. Tom suggested that I set up a private session with him so that he can help me break through this problem I’m having. I definitely will do that. I will also be consulting him about the setup for the next improv. I’m still not setting up the improvs correctly.
I’m feeling pretty frustrated with myself.
4 Comments
(CNN Photo)
“Oh, say can you see, by the dawn’s early light,
What so proudly we hailed at the twilight’s last gleaming?
Whose broad stripes and bright stars, through the perilous fight,
O’er the ramparts we watched, were so gallantly streaming?
And the rockets’ red glare, the bombs bursting in air,
Gave proof through the night that our flag was still there.
O say, does that star-spangled banner yet wave
O’er the land of the free and the home of the brave?”
–Francis Scott Key
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