Here is the inside of our new apartment. We've got some work to get it ready for visitors (and for living).
I saw an NBC11 news van outside our place yesterday. We'll share that story later!
Wednesday, July 01, 2009
Jahvid the Jet: Wallpaper
This is a great wallpaper I found today. This is getting me pumped for football season. You can download it here
Wednesday, June 10, 2009
This blog has not been abandoned
A lot has been made about 95% of blogs have been abandoned and have not been updated in the last 90 days. I've got some fun stuff that will be posted in June. You'll want to stay tuned.
Sunday, May 10, 2009
Post graduation reading list
Graduation is in 7 days!
Once I finish school I'll have lots of free time to read the big pile of books that I've collected in the last 3 years. Here's a short list of books to get me started:
The New Rules of Marketing and PR: How to Use News Releases, Blogs, Podcasting, Viral Marketing and Online Media to Reach Buyers Directly
What Got You Here Won't Get You There: How Successful People Become Even More Successful
The Sushi Economy: Globalization and the Making of a Modern Delicacy
Now I Can Die in Peace: How The Sports Guy Found Salvation Thanks to the World Champion (Twice!) Red Sox
Feeding the Monster: How Money, Smarts, and Nerve Took a Team to the Top
Heavy Hitter Selling: How Successful Salespeople Use Language and Intuition to Persuade Customers to Buy
Got a recommendation? Send it over!
Sunday, March 01, 2009
Stars out at Haas Pavilion
The Cal Basketball season finale versus UCLA was bound to have a huge crowd because of ESPN's national coverage and the assignment of the College Gameday show at Haas Pavilion. Among the folks that we saw...
Gameday Staff:
Rece Davis - the host genuinely enjoyed the Haas crowd and was seen mingling with students after Gameday
Bobby Knight - 'the General' wore red (he loves to play the villian) and was "play-choking" one of his friends at halftime of the game (video to come)
Jay Bilas - the Dukie was very professional and gave high fives to the audience as he walked through the crowd
Digger Phelps - brought the house down during a commercial break when he danced with a pair of blonde Cal Dance team members. It must be nice to be the zany guy on the Gameday crew.
Hubert Davis - I wish he would show some of our players how to play in his smooth, in-control manner.
Erin Andrews - She spent most of the evening far from the student section but looked very cute in a dark suit. She gave the occassional wave to the fans.
Former Bears:
Anwar McQueen - he's been at several games this season and I hope he continues to be a fixture.
Kevin Johnson - the Mayor of Sacramento was courtside in a smart brown blazer. He was definitely into his date, Washington D.C. school superintendent Michelle Rhee. They exchanged a couple of (edited) of kisses and he was definitely sharing his basketball insights with her during the game. I'm glad that he's "dating" someone his own age.
Others:
Tracy Murray - this former UCLA sharpshooter was probably doing color for the UCLA radio broadcast. He looked like he could still drop 50 points on the Warriors. I think he made good investments, his suit and shoe game was still tight.
Jamaal Wilkes - the father of Jordan Wilkes (and UCLA alum) has been a mainstay of Cal Basketball games. Here's hoping we see him at Haas even after Jordan's graduation.
Here is some video from the game.
Thursday, February 26, 2009
Photos from South America
We've finally gone through and prepared our photo collection from our South American trip. You can see them here!
http://www.flickr.com/photos/marisalouie/sets/72157614332164067/
http://www.flickr.com/photos/marisalouie/sets/72157614332164067/
Wednesday, January 14, 2009
Back to "Civilization": Buenos Aires, Argentina
Another guest post by Marisa...
As our taxi pulled onto the autopista from Ezeiza International Airport, Gil turned to me and said, "It's been awhile since I've seen a four lane freeway."
After a few hoops thrown our way by Aerolineas Argentinas, we made it into Buenos Aires on Tuesday night and to the northwestern district of Belgrano, where we're "renting" a sixth floor studio apartment that's three blocks away from the Subte for $50/night. Buenos Aires is a shock after traveling through Patagonia... three million people, 48 districts in the Capital Federal, and a solid forty page section in Lonely Planet. I even experienced a bit of claustrophobia being caught in the noontime crush in MicroCenter this afternoon, trying to window shop while walking down the pedestrian Calle Florida.
Gil and I had a late croissant-and-dulce de leche breakfast this morning, bought our $90 bus tickets to Santiago for this Sunday, and spent the rest of the day walking through downtown Buenos Aires. We saw the Casa Rosada, the center of executive power in Argentina, famous for Evita Peròn's balcony appearances (as seen in Madonna's "Evita"!), we took photos in front of the Obelisk on Avenida 9 de Julio, and we contemplated buying gloves out of capybara and otter at Casa Lopez (oh yes, they felt nice.) All in all, we're glad that we're rounding out our trip in Buenos Aires, where we can eat and shop and sleep in to our hearts' content for the next four days.
As our taxi pulled onto the autopista from Ezeiza International Airport, Gil turned to me and said, "It's been awhile since I've seen a four lane freeway."
After a few hoops thrown our way by Aerolineas Argentinas, we made it into Buenos Aires on Tuesday night and to the northwestern district of Belgrano, where we're "renting" a sixth floor studio apartment that's three blocks away from the Subte for $50/night. Buenos Aires is a shock after traveling through Patagonia... three million people, 48 districts in the Capital Federal, and a solid forty page section in Lonely Planet. I even experienced a bit of claustrophobia being caught in the noontime crush in MicroCenter this afternoon, trying to window shop while walking down the pedestrian Calle Florida.
Gil and I had a late croissant-and-dulce de leche breakfast this morning, bought our $90 bus tickets to Santiago for this Sunday, and spent the rest of the day walking through downtown Buenos Aires. We saw the Casa Rosada, the center of executive power in Argentina, famous for Evita Peròn's balcony appearances (as seen in Madonna's "Evita"!), we took photos in front of the Obelisk on Avenida 9 de Julio, and we contemplated buying gloves out of capybara and otter at Casa Lopez (oh yes, they felt nice.) All in all, we're glad that we're rounding out our trip in Buenos Aires, where we can eat and shop and sleep in to our hearts' content for the next four days.
Sunday, January 11, 2009
It's the End of the World As We Know It: Ushuaia, Argentina
We crossed from Chilean Patagonia into Argentinian Patagonia yesterday, making it all the way to Ushuaia, the southernmost city in the Americas. The bus trip from Punta Arenas, Chile to Ushuaia, Argentina, is eleven hours long, but of that, only eight hours is on the road, since so much time is spent at the border crossing and on the ferry crossing the Strait of Magellan. (And, to our delight, a pod of Commerson's dolphins crossed with us!) Once our bus crossed the Strait, it drove down the entire length of Tierra del Fuego. What surprised me is the strength of the historic sheep farming industry on Tierra del Fuego -- after hours of sheep, Gil noted that Argentine sheep are much better groomed and shorn than Chilean sheep.
We've spent Sunday relaxing in Ushuaia, enjoying the admittedly better Italian food (yeah, Argentina has its advantages over Chile) and making plans for Monday and Tuesday. We even got an "End of the World" stamp in our passports, and we'll be sending out postcards to those who have requested them. Ushuaia's a surprisingly developed city, with lots of tourist offices, retail stores, and chocolate shops :)
'Til Buenos Aires, chau!
The Slash and a Half Trek: Torres del Paine National Park
Post by Marisa from an internet cafe in Ushuaia, while Gilbert watched Cal basketball clips. ("Honey, they led for fifty seconds in their triple overtime win!")
Torres del Paine National Park, the crown jewel of Patagonia (yeah, I quoted liberally from the guidebook, but it’s an apt description), sits six hours north of Punta Arenas. It’s absolutely stunning: jagged snow-capped mountains, aquamarine lakes, rivers you can drink from, glaciers, and green valleys filled with wild guanacos.
I planned our trip through Torres del Paine National Park with the theme “maximum results, minimal effort” – which isn’t to say that we didn’t put in a good bit of effort. However, since everyone comes to the park to see the mountains, even the most intrepid hiker can be stymied by the weather. Before we arrived, we’d heard that views of the famed Torres (Towers) had been blocked by twelve straight days of clouds. We, however, got off the bus and saw this:
Gil’s reaction was something along the lines of – oh, that was easy! But really, we were blessed to have clear, dry weather up until our last morning in the park. I couldn’t have asked for better weather on our trip, and nearly as our return bus pulled in to pick us up, the clouds were descending on the mountains again.
Due to time constraints (and the need for a little bit of comfort), we decided not to hike the entirety of the popular “W” route and we didn’t camp. Instead, we backpacked with our gear and stayed at two of the in-park refugios: Refugio Grey, at the base of a glacier on the west leg of the “W”, and Refugio Chileno, en route to the Torres viewing area.
We arrived in the park from Puerto Natales on Wednesday morning, caught a catamaran across Lake Pehoe, and had lunch at the Mountain Lodge Paine Grande. After stuffing ourselves with mashed potatoes and meat, we set out on our 11 km hike to Glacier Grey, on the far west end of the “W”. The views were spectacular en route to the glacier, as the trail sidled up against Lake Grey, finally arriving at the refugio near the glacier lookout. This hike – and the the following morning’s return – was our “slash” of the “W” hike.
We spent the night at the Refugio in sleeping bags on bunk beds, and set out early the next morning to catch the catamaran back across the lake. Again, gorgeous weather (see the first photo on this blog post, which I took that afternoon) means happy travelers. The weather got a little too hot on the hike up to the next refugio – which had a 500 M change in elevation over an hour - but we took our time getting there and enjoyed the views of the valley below.
Unfortunately, our luck gave out the next morning when the clouds didn’t clear in time for the sunrise hike up to the Torres. Gil was likely secretly happy for this turn in luck, since it meant skipping the nearly vertical hike up to the Torres viewpoint. It also reduced our second “slash” to a “half slash”... so while others may brag about having hiked the entire “W”, we are content with achieving our “slash and a half.” TdP is a park that merits visiting again and again, so hopefully we will be able to come back and complete the “W” someday.
Torres del Paine National Park, the crown jewel of Patagonia (yeah, I quoted liberally from the guidebook, but it’s an apt description), sits six hours north of Punta Arenas. It’s absolutely stunning: jagged snow-capped mountains, aquamarine lakes, rivers you can drink from, glaciers, and green valleys filled with wild guanacos.I planned our trip through Torres del Paine National Park with the theme “maximum results, minimal effort” – which isn’t to say that we didn’t put in a good bit of effort. However, since everyone comes to the park to see the mountains, even the most intrepid hiker can be stymied by the weather. Before we arrived, we’d heard that views of the famed Torres (Towers) had been blocked by twelve straight days of clouds. We, however, got off the bus and saw this:
Gil’s reaction was something along the lines of – oh, that was easy! But really, we were blessed to have clear, dry weather up until our last morning in the park. I couldn’t have asked for better weather on our trip, and nearly as our return bus pulled in to pick us up, the clouds were descending on the mountains again.
Due to time constraints (and the need for a little bit of comfort), we decided not to hike the entirety of the popular “W” route and we didn’t camp. Instead, we backpacked with our gear and stayed at two of the in-park refugios: Refugio Grey, at the base of a glacier on the west leg of the “W”, and Refugio Chileno, en route to the Torres viewing area.
We arrived in the park from Puerto Natales on Wednesday morning, caught a catamaran across Lake Pehoe, and had lunch at the Mountain Lodge Paine Grande. After stuffing ourselves with mashed potatoes and meat, we set out on our 11 km hike to Glacier Grey, on the far west end of the “W”. The views were spectacular en route to the glacier, as the trail sidled up against Lake Grey, finally arriving at the refugio near the glacier lookout. This hike – and the the following morning’s return – was our “slash” of the “W” hike.
We spent the night at the Refugio in sleeping bags on bunk beds, and set out early the next morning to catch the catamaran back across the lake. Again, gorgeous weather (see the first photo on this blog post, which I took that afternoon) means happy travelers. The weather got a little too hot on the hike up to the next refugio – which had a 500 M change in elevation over an hour - but we took our time getting there and enjoyed the views of the valley below.
Unfortunately, our luck gave out the next morning when the clouds didn’t clear in time for the sunrise hike up to the Torres. Gil was likely secretly happy for this turn in luck, since it meant skipping the nearly vertical hike up to the Torres viewpoint. It also reduced our second “slash” to a “half slash”... so while others may brag about having hiked the entire “W”, we are content with achieving our “slash and a half.” TdP is a park that merits visiting again and again, so hopefully we will be able to come back and complete the “W” someday.
The Suits: Punta Arenas, Chile
Post by Marisa from an internet cafe in Ushuaia, while Gilbert consulted his credit card company about foreign transaction fees.
Coyhaique, Chile apparently isn’t on everyone’s destination list, so Sky Airlines cancelled our outbound flight on Tuesday and instead booked us flying into Punta Arenas a day early. This robbed us of one more day with Marìa Inès and Joksan, and meant that we were going to have to pay for a hotel in Punta Arenas.
The fantastic thing about lodging complaints in South America, though, is that the corporate suits do something about it – we ended up spending a night at the posh Hotel Cabo de Hornos in the plaza of Punta Arenas. A free drink apiece in the sushi bar, complimentary bottled water and fruit, and unlimited internet and printing in the business center? We reveled in these creature comforts before our trek to Torres del Paine.
Coyhaique, Chile apparently isn’t on everyone’s destination list, so Sky Airlines cancelled our outbound flight on Tuesday and instead booked us flying into Punta Arenas a day early. This robbed us of one more day with Marìa Inès and Joksan, and meant that we were going to have to pay for a hotel in Punta Arenas.
The fantastic thing about lodging complaints in South America, though, is that the corporate suits do something about it – we ended up spending a night at the posh Hotel Cabo de Hornos in the plaza of Punta Arenas. A free drink apiece in the sushi bar, complimentary bottled water and fruit, and unlimited internet and printing in the business center? We reveled in these creature comforts before our trek to Torres del Paine.
We also took advantage of the free time to visit Seno Otway, a penguin colony an hour north of Punta Arenas. The colony is inhabited by 10,000 Magellanic penguins, who use the beaches and dunes as their breeding grounds in the spring and summer. While we missed seeing the bulk of the colony (they were out to lunch) we couldn’t enough of the penguins that had stuck around to tend to their young. Penguins are every bit as hilariously adorable and personable in the wild as they are on television.
Sunday, January 04, 2009
Update: NYE and Coyhaique
Guest blog entry written by Marisa...
You'd think that one million people, twenty minutes of fireworks, and truckloads of cheap beer and pisco would be a bad combination, but New Year's Eve in Valparaíso was stunning and surprisingly calm. We watched the fireworks from the terrace of Casa Carrasco, a residencial on Cerro Concepción (photos forthcoming!), and then joined the throngs in search of live music at 3 AM. We didn't have much luck, but we were amazed at how many people there were in the plazas - a human sea of revelers, drinking and wishing each other a Feliz Año Nuevo.
You'd think that one million people, twenty minutes of fireworks, and truckloads of cheap beer and pisco would be a bad combination, but New Year's Eve in Valparaíso was stunning and surprisingly calm. We watched the fireworks from the terrace of Casa Carrasco, a residencial on Cerro Concepción (photos forthcoming!), and then joined the throngs in search of live music at 3 AM. We didn't have much luck, but we were amazed at how many people there were in the plazas - a human sea of revelers, drinking and wishing each other a Feliz Año Nuevo.
Just as amazing was the clean up on New Year's Day. We ventured back to Plaza Sotomayor about 7 hours after we left, and it was as if nothing had ever happened, save for some stray confetti in the gutters. Of course, this speaks to the hard work of Valpo's cleaning crew (photos forthcoming!)
New Year's Day was spent doing laundry, packing, and resting in Santiago, so we were ready to head out the door at 7 AM on Friday. We flew Sky, Chile's only national airline, to Balmaceda Airport, which serves northern Patagonia. From there it was about an hour's drive to Coyhaique, where my host sister and her husband have chosen to start their newlywed life. The landscapes are unbelievable here - snowcapped mountains, sheep and cows crossing the road, crystal clear rivers, and lush green valleys. The four of us hiked through Reserva Nacional Coyhaique yesterday and walked around Laguna Verde. We fittingly rewarded ourselves with a Patagonian parilla (dinner of meats!) afterwards.
Cerro Mackay (Mackay "Hill") and Río Simpson (Simpson River) from Coyhaique
Carretera Austral, outside of Coyhaique
I've put more photos on my Coyhaique Flickr set.
There's not much to do in Coyhaique on Sundays, so we'll go with María Inés and Joksan to church and then hang out around the house -- tomorrow is our flight to Punta Arenas!
Monday, December 29, 2008
A Chilean Summer (Won't the sun go down, please?)
The first three days in Santiago, Chile have been a delightful whirlwind. The weather has been nice (mid-80s, low humidity) and the long hours of sunlight (6 am to 9 pm) have expanded our window for sightseeing.
My first days in Santiago have been pretty relaxed. Marisa had the foresight to keep the pace of our trip slow at the start. I appreciate the ability to get over the jet lag and to acclimate myself to S. America.
The people here in Santiago have been very nice. Everyone has been both welcoming and patient (with my poor Spanish skills). Yesterday, we had attended services at Marisa's church and everyone was quite kind and welcomed me as if I was one of their own. Marisa's host mother, Ines, has also been gracious with her hospitality and has taken great care of Marisa over the year.
I'll keep this blog post short because I've already been on the Internet long enough. We'll probably have some photos to share soon. Here's a short list of the highlights:
- Belly Dancing performance and "Arabe" food
My first days in Santiago have been pretty relaxed. Marisa had the foresight to keep the pace of our trip slow at the start. I appreciate the ability to get over the jet lag and to acclimate myself to S. America.
The people here in Santiago have been very nice. Everyone has been both welcoming and patient (with my poor Spanish skills). Yesterday, we had attended services at Marisa's church and everyone was quite kind and welcomed me as if I was one of their own. Marisa's host mother, Ines, has also been gracious with her hospitality and has taken great care of Marisa over the year.
I'll keep this blog post short because I've already been on the Internet long enough. We'll probably have some photos to share soon. Here's a short list of the highlights:
- Belly Dancing performance and "Arabe" food
- Tour and tasting at one of Chile's oldest wineries
- Chilean bus drivers who consistent drive like Keanu Reeves in 'Speed'
- Updating Facebook and watching a bowl game far away from home
- The 'completo' that we had for lunch today
Tomorrow, we're off to beautiful Valparaiso where we'll be celebrating the new year. It is 8pm and the sun still fills the sky. Things could be worse. :)
Friday, December 26, 2008
Year in review
This year was definitely one that was filled with great moments and its challenges. Being "alone" for most of the year was tough but has made spending time with Marisa in S. America even more special.
Here's a quick recap on some important events from 2008.
Jan - Celebrated the New Year with champagne, paper cups, at Pier 39 (where are the crowds?)
Feb - Bid Marisa farewell over board games and shots (thanks, Al)
Mar - Went to Shanghai - did my best to play Liar Dice when drunk
Apr - Helped launch a "viral" video (thanks for your contributions) / Hung out with Kaba Modern and other famous Asians @ the Asian Excellence Awards
May - Started my weekly drives to Mountain View for basketball (at the height of gas prices)
Jun - Enjoyed a (perfect day) at the Cal Football Fantasy Camp - (who is up to do it next year?)
Jul - Started to say goodbye to some important elders
Aug - Got back into volunteering and co-emceed another wedding (time to retire)
Sep - Actually won a contest... with a really cool prize - a Crunch gym membership
Oct - Attended an outlandishly posh wedding at Yang Sing
Nov - Went on a cruise with my extended family
Dec - Crossed off another continent from my to-do list, explored Chile with Marisa
Here's a quick recap on some important events from 2008.
Jan - Celebrated the New Year with champagne, paper cups, at Pier 39 (where are the crowds?)
Feb - Bid Marisa farewell over board games and shots (thanks, Al)
Mar - Went to Shanghai - did my best to play Liar Dice when drunk
Apr - Helped launch a "viral" video (thanks for your contributions) / Hung out with Kaba Modern and other famous Asians @ the Asian Excellence Awards
May - Started my weekly drives to Mountain View for basketball (at the height of gas prices)
Jun - Enjoyed a (perfect day) at the Cal Football Fantasy Camp - (who is up to do it next year?)
Jul - Started to say goodbye to some important elders
Aug - Got back into volunteering and co-emceed another wedding (time to retire)
Sep - Actually won a contest... with a really cool prize - a Crunch gym membership
Oct - Attended an outlandishly posh wedding at Yang Sing
Nov - Went on a cruise with my extended family
Dec - Crossed off another continent from my to-do list, explored Chile with Marisa
Thursday, December 25, 2008
off to South America...
So I'm off to South America (Chile and Argentina) tomorrow. I'll be gone for a couple of weeks and will be reuniting with Marisa, who has been in Chile since February. It promises to be the vacation of a lifetime! Feel free to send me an email or leave a comment!
This is the spot to watch for updates from our travels.
I had been counting down the days with limited success. My Twitter stopped updating Facebook and I'm sure a lot of Facebookers were annoyed by the updates. Here's a recap of the countdown list if you missed them...
feels ridiculous when he stands on the scale and lifts up his luggage (#1)
got a travel towel and some dry-fit shirts on sale at REI (#2)
collected some travel around money from the bank (#3)
got some orders for postcards (#4)
cleared out his wallet of non-essentials (#5)
is proud to carry a Liz Claiborne suitcase (#6)
got some toffee to bring to S. America (#7)
checked the forecast for Santiago and Argentina (#8)
got a super heavy dictionary from Amazon.com (#9)
is packing his desk (#11) and working on his endurance (#10)
is reading about Pinochet (#13) and finding people to cover my work when I'm gone (#12)
has a trip shopping list - jello, CDs and bottles? (#14).
is taking orders for Argentine beef (#16) and longing to hold marisa (#15)
needs some guidebooks (#18) and needs to figure out how to watch a slingbox from S. America (#17)
is looking over his itinerary (#19)
needs to pick out his "summer hiking wardrobe" (#20)
thinks he might have access to a HD camcorder (#21)
is breaking in his new hiking shoes (#22)
updated his credit card company on his travel plans (#23)
has time to read his guidebooks (#24)
is starting his 25 days of terrific twitter (facebook) updates
Cities in our journey:
Santiago, Chile
Valparaiso, Chile
Coyhaique, Chile
Torres del Paine National Park, Chile
Ushuaia, Argentina
Buenos Aires, Argentina
Santiago, Chile
This is the spot to watch for updates from our travels.
I had been counting down the days with limited success. My Twitter stopped updating Facebook and I'm sure a lot of Facebookers were annoyed by the updates. Here's a recap of the countdown list if you missed them...
feels ridiculous when he stands on the scale and lifts up his luggage (#1)
got a travel towel and some dry-fit shirts on sale at REI (#2)
collected some travel around money from the bank (#3)
got some orders for postcards (#4)
cleared out his wallet of non-essentials (#5)
is proud to carry a Liz Claiborne suitcase (#6)
got some toffee to bring to S. America (#7)
checked the forecast for Santiago and Argentina (#8)
got a super heavy dictionary from Amazon.com (#9)
is packing his desk (#11) and working on his endurance (#10)
is reading about Pinochet (#13) and finding people to cover my work when I'm gone (#12)
has a trip shopping list - jello, CDs and bottles? (#14).
is taking orders for Argentine beef (#16) and longing to hold marisa (#15)
needs some guidebooks (#18) and needs to figure out how to watch a slingbox from S. America (#17)
is looking over his itinerary (#19)
needs to pick out his "summer hiking wardrobe" (#20)
thinks he might have access to a HD camcorder (#21)
is breaking in his new hiking shoes (#22)
updated his credit card company on his travel plans (#23)
has time to read his guidebooks (#24)
is starting his 25 days of terrific twitter (facebook) updates
Cities in our journey:
Santiago, Chile
Valparaiso, Chile
Coyhaique, Chile
Torres del Paine National Park, Chile
Ushuaia, Argentina
Buenos Aires, Argentina
Santiago, Chile
Friday, December 12, 2008
Gran Torino (are the Hmong ready for the spotlight?)
This week I had a chance to see the new Clint Eastwood film, Gran Torino. Despite his place as an American film icon-- Eastwood has received criticism from the Asian American community-- most prominently for the use of term "Chinaman" in Absolute Power
.
When I saw the trailer for GT, I was curious to see how Eastwood (who also directed the picture) would portray the Hmong community central to the film. I came away from the screening moderately disappointed. Eastwood is strong as in his role as a Korean War vet tormented by his past and unimpressed by his present. Recently widowed with a spoiled batch of kids and grandchildren, Walt lives in a Detroit neighborhood that has seen better days.
Detroit's automotive jobs are gone and the neighborhood is now a ghetto -- with a growing Hmong population. The movie follows Walt’s relationship with his new neighbors after the a local gang begins to pick on his new neighbor, Thao. The two lead Hmong characters, played by newcomers Bee Vang and Ahney Her do a fine job but Eastwood doesn't really spend any time on the plight of his Hmong neighbors.
The portrait of the Hmong is instead done with short, broad strokes -- they eat exotic foods, hardly speak English, and in the case of Thao (who Walt begins to call Toad) they can't find a job or get a life. I really hoped for a depiction that would help shed light on a community that has been underrepresented in Asian American and American media.
Critics will laud Eastwood for his performance and for his storytelling. I only wish he had given more depth to the Hmong Americans.
.When I saw the trailer for GT, I was curious to see how Eastwood (who also directed the picture) would portray the Hmong community central to the film. I came away from the screening moderately disappointed. Eastwood is strong as in his role as a Korean War vet tormented by his past and unimpressed by his present. Recently widowed with a spoiled batch of kids and grandchildren, Walt lives in a Detroit neighborhood that has seen better days.
Detroit's automotive jobs are gone and the neighborhood is now a ghetto -- with a growing Hmong population. The movie follows Walt’s relationship with his new neighbors after the a local gang begins to pick on his new neighbor, Thao. The two lead Hmong characters, played by newcomers Bee Vang and Ahney Her do a fine job but Eastwood doesn't really spend any time on the plight of his Hmong neighbors.
The portrait of the Hmong is instead done with short, broad strokes -- they eat exotic foods, hardly speak English, and in the case of Thao (who Walt begins to call Toad) they can't find a job or get a life. I really hoped for a depiction that would help shed light on a community that has been underrepresented in Asian American and American media.
Critics will laud Eastwood for his performance and for his storytelling. I only wish he had given more depth to the Hmong Americans.
Thursday, November 27, 2008
Farewell to 'The Shield'
I said goodbye to an old friend on Tuesday night as I watched the finale of The Shield
">. Although there are other shows that I have also loved (The Wire, The West Wing), no show consistently kicked me in the throat quite like the Shield.
To be honest -- I was late to the party on both The Wire (watched it in its entirety this summer) and The West Wing (thank you, Bravo reruns). I was able to watch The Shield from the very beginning and have done my best to keep up with the show on a consistent basis over the years.
It was with mixed feelings that I said goodbye to the show. I think that some parts of year 4 and 5 got a little stale with the "strike force" seemingly always one step ahead of the consequences of their actions. On the other hand, the performances from the ensemble cast were always terrific. If you haven't had an opportunity to watch this series -- I strongly encourage buying or borrowing the DVD sets.
Writer Shawn Ryan did a great job tying the show together -- with every character facing being forced to consider their fate after six years on the job. Immediately after the show I found myself checking the Internet for audience feedback on the end of the show. There are some particularly good articles from Salon.com and the New York Times (watch for spoilers!)
FX also did a great job creating both one on one and cast conversations from the cast and crew. There's a lot of great stories in this collection (I spent the better part of Wednesday listening to this clips). Sometimes the brilliance of a show can be seen by the respect that a cast has for one another. I loved when the West Wing cast talked about the family atmosphere on the set. Here is a great one on one between two castmates and friends, Ken Johnson and Walton Goggins. Thanks for the memories and for paving the way basic cable dramas.
">. Although there are other shows that I have also loved (The Wire, The West Wing), no show consistently kicked me in the throat quite like the Shield.To be honest -- I was late to the party on both The Wire
(watched it in its entirety this summer) and The West Wing (thank you, Bravo reruns). I was able to watch The Shield from the very beginning and have done my best to keep up with the show on a consistent basis over the years.It was with mixed feelings that I said goodbye to the show. I think that some parts of year 4 and 5 got a little stale with the "strike force" seemingly always one step ahead of the consequences of their actions. On the other hand, the performances from the ensemble cast were always terrific. If you haven't had an opportunity to watch this series -- I strongly encourage buying or borrowing the DVD sets.
Writer Shawn Ryan did a great job tying the show together -- with every character facing being forced to consider their fate after six years on the job. Immediately after the show I found myself checking the Internet for audience feedback on the end of the show. There are some particularly good articles from Salon.com and the New York Times (watch for spoilers!)
FX also did a great job creating both one on one and cast conversations from the cast and crew. There's a lot of great stories in this collection (I spent the better part of Wednesday listening to this clips). Sometimes the brilliance of a show can be seen by the respect that a cast has for one another. I loved when the West Wing cast talked about the family atmosphere on the set. Here is a great one on one between two castmates and friends, Ken Johnson and Walton Goggins. Thanks for the memories and for paving the way basic cable dramas.
Saturday, November 22, 2008
The Max Zhang post (the future of Cal Basketball?)
If you've been following Cal Basketball over the past decade you are probably familiar with former Coach Ben Braun. His tenure was marked with relative mediocrity (although he did win Cal a "National Championship") and a knack for signing players international players. Some would be good contributors (Richard Midgley, Amit Tamir) while others (Saulius Kuzminskas, Shahar Gordon) were total busts.
One region that Braun never tapped was Asia. Although Ma Jian had a standout career at the University of Utah -- there had not few if any Chinese nationals to play NCAA basketball. After the first Chinese players entered the NBA (Wang, Bateer and Yao) I thought that Cal would be uniquely positioned to recruit collegiate Chinese basketball players.
Consider:
It seemed clear to me that if China was going to allow its players to play collegiate basketball that Cal would be the perfect place to go. There have been many stories written about how China has hundreds of top basketball players within its sports academies. Market research has shown that basketball's popularity has grown rapidly over the past decade and some think that China is the next basketball powerhouse.
Enter Max Zhang. The 7-3 center was the last member of Braun's recruiting class and many saw the move as another desperate "project" recruit. Zhang, who would be the tallest player in Cal history was admittedly very raw. He had only played the game for 5 years and did not have the strength to play right away. Braun's critics were very focal with their discontent.
I think this was a brilliant move by Braun. If Zhang could develop into a serviceable NCAA basketball player -- Cal could have a pipeline to the burgeoning Chinese talent pool. St. Mary's University has become a top 25 team by recruiting Australians. If Cal can recreate this model -- the future for Chinese basketball players in the US could be very bright.
Max was more of a curiosity than a basketball player in his first year. He sat out the season to develop physically and adjust academically. Although Braun was fired after season's end, new coach Mike Montgomery has been very complimentary of Max during his tenure. Next time we'll discuss Max's on-court progress.
One region that Braun never tapped was Asia. Although Ma Jian had a standout career at the University of Utah -- there had not few if any Chinese nationals to play NCAA basketball. After the first Chinese players entered the NBA (Wang, Bateer and Yao) I thought that Cal would be uniquely positioned to recruit collegiate Chinese basketball players.
Consider:
- Cal's large Chinese American student population
- The Bay Area's strong Chinese American community
- Top basketball competition in the Pac 10 conference
- Cal's worldwide academic reputation
It seemed clear to me that if China was going to allow its players to play collegiate basketball that Cal would be the perfect place to go. There have been many stories written about how China has hundreds of top basketball players within its sports academies. Market research has shown that basketball's popularity has grown rapidly over the past decade and some think that China is the next basketball powerhouse.
Enter Max Zhang. The 7-3 center was the last member of Braun's recruiting class and many saw the move as another desperate "project" recruit. Zhang, who would be the tallest player in Cal history was admittedly very raw. He had only played the game for 5 years and did not have the strength to play right away. Braun's critics were very focal with their discontent.
I think this was a brilliant move by Braun. If Zhang could develop into a serviceable NCAA basketball player -- Cal could have a pipeline to the burgeoning Chinese talent pool. St. Mary's University has become a top 25 team by recruiting Australians. If Cal can recreate this model -- the future for Chinese basketball players in the US could be very bright.
Max was more of a curiosity than a basketball player in his first year. He sat out the season to develop physically and adjust academically. Although Braun was fired after season's end, new coach Mike Montgomery has been very complimentary of Max during his tenure. Next time we'll discuss Max's on-court progress.
Friday, October 24, 2008
Crunch update #3
Here's another update:
10-17: Elliptical machine (30), StairMaster (20)
10-20: Chest/arms/legs (45)
10-23: Chest/arms (30)
10-17: Elliptical machine (30), StairMaster (20)
10-20: Chest/arms/legs (45)
10-23: Chest/arms (30)
Thursday, October 16, 2008
Crunch update #2
I've gotten some good feedback so here is the second installment of this feature:
10-7: Elliptical machine (30), StairMaster (10), stationary bike (30), treadmill (20)
10-9: Elliptical (30), treadmill (20), bike (30)
10-13: Chest, arms (40)
10-14: Elliptical (30), Spinning class (60)
My chest is starting to feel better now after Monday's butterfly exercises. Spinning was something new. I'll need to bring more water with me next time so I can avoid passing out. ;)
10-7: Elliptical machine (30), StairMaster (10), stationary bike (30), treadmill (20)
10-9: Elliptical (30), treadmill (20), bike (30)
10-13: Chest, arms (40)
10-14: Elliptical (30), Spinning class (60)
My chest is starting to feel better now after Monday's butterfly exercises. Spinning was something new. I'll need to bring more water with me next time so I can avoid passing out. ;)
Tuesday, October 07, 2008
Crunch update #1
Thanks to the Coen Brothers (and their new picture Burn After Reading) I am one of the newest members of Crunch Gym.
I have to admit that the facility (New Montgomery in SF) is much nicer than the 24 Hour Fitness gym that I've frequented in the past. Towel service, clean facilities and available machines make for a better experience.
Here's a recap on my activity for the last week (starting Monday and ending Sunday)
9-29: Elliptical machine (30), running (15), stationary bike (30) plus chest and arms
9-30: Bike (25)
10-3: Elliptical (30), bike (30), stairs (10), chest, arms
10-4: Elliptical (30), walking (30) - Van Ness location
I've still got a big bruise on my shin so I'm not going to do any lifting with the legs yet. So far, so good.
I have to admit that the facility (New Montgomery in SF) is much nicer than the 24 Hour Fitness gym that I've frequented in the past. Towel service, clean facilities and available machines make for a better experience.
Here's a recap on my activity for the last week (starting Monday and ending Sunday)
9-29: Elliptical machine (30), running (15), stationary bike (30) plus chest and arms
9-30: Bike (25)
10-3: Elliptical (30), bike (30), stairs (10), chest, arms
10-4: Elliptical (30), walking (30) - Van Ness location
I've still got a big bruise on my shin so I'm not going to do any lifting with the legs yet. So far, so good.
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