Travelogue 2008: San Francisco Part 2

Eat.


Your.


Heart.


Out.

Haha! For more NSFW Folsom Street Fair 2008 photos, try here. I'm actually impressed that my cell phone cam worked.

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Weekend Meme: Alphabet Meme

This week's Meme should have been the Gentleman's Lists over at Chris' Mangina Monologues but I'm not doing that well on that one and getting around 13/25 from the new list and the old list, barely passing as one and I'm too ashame to publish my results. So after much digging, I found the originator of some memes is Ur-Spo from Spo-Reflections. I think I've secured another Meme bank that could last me for a while.

So here:

A is for age: 33
B is for beer of choice: Shandy. I just tried it a few days ago and it was good. I can definitely tolerate that.
C is for career: IT Manager, well, I'm unemployed now.
D is for favorite drink: Arnold Palmer (Half lemonade, half ice tea), the older I am the more I like lemons.
E is for essential item you use everyday: My laptop, other than that there are 5 things I have to have when I leave my house; My glasses, my wallet, my keys, my watch and my iPod.
F is for favorite song at the moment: "Nobody" from Wonder Girls (This one has subtitiles), The song is eating my brains out. Does it qualify as a favorite?
G is for favorite game: Mahjong, period.
H is for hometown: Hong Kong
I is for instruments you play: Piano (Very elementary)
J is for favorite juice: Orange juice
K is for kids: Maybe someday
L is for last kiss: Last night
M is for marriage: Maybe someday, with the right person under the right circumstances.
N is for name of your best friend: Well, if I say a name, the others would be seriously offended.
O is for overnight hospital stays: A few but the last one is during a company camping trip where I get my back muscles pulled after a whole day of kayaking and helping my colleagues get out of jams. They gave me some strong muscle relaxer and my colleague was laughing because a hunky male nurse was helping me in and out my bed and I had a smirk on my face.
P is for phobias: Snakes. I tremble just at the thought. Also a small phobia of height.
Q is for quote: "Nobody can wish you succeed as much as you do." - Tim Gunn (lol.)
R is for biggest regret: Comfortable being clueless about sex and my homosexuality until I was 23.
S is for Shirts: I have around 30. My favorite is a white shirt with white sewn stripes from Armani Exchange, I've had it for 5 years.
T is for time you wake up: 8:30-9:00ish (lol)
U is for underwear: Trunks
V is for vegetable you love: Pea shoots. (It's a Chinese thing)
W is for worst habit: Procrastination and being too cautious.
X is for x-rays you have had: Chest
Y is for yummy food you make: My favorite is a mushroom barley risotto using truffle oil. I didn't write down the recipe, but maybe next holiday I'll try doing it again.
Z is for zodiac sign: Cancer/Leo Cusp, More of a Cancer I'd say.

Have a great weekend!

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Travelogue 2008: San Francisco, Part 1

It's funny, when I tell my friends that I'm going out to San Francisco for a week, a few of them took it as my last day on earth and insist on seeing me before I leave. Do they know something I don't?

I'm starting to realize how much I don't like flying for a long period of time and I made the wrong decision to choose a window seat. Not incredibly smart on my part. I begin to be aware of my slight claustrophobia and something smells like feet. Good thing I dozed off a bit, but then I don't want to fall asleep because I don't want my snoring to annoy my fellow passengers.

From the recommendations of a friend, I made reservations at a hotel that turns out to be more motel-like. I thought it belongs to the Best Western group but I guess the setting is very different. The queen bed turns out to be more of a double, there's a shower but not a bathtub, there are no electricity outlet other than the ones using for the lamps, there are no Comedy Central or Bravo but that's HBO and my recording from last night's Project Runway didn't work on my laptop plus the walls are thin but I guess I'm not here to sleep, much. It would do for now, I doubt there are empty rooms somewhere else with an event this big in town.

Negativity aside, San Francisco seems to have lifted my spirit. Dare I say it even happy? I've noticed a surge of woofiness in the city. Hot, hairy, macho bear-type guys walking around the city. Seems like the average height of this city is a few inch taller than Philly. Guys somehow seems to be generally better looking and a lot of them seems to be better built, especially around Castro. There seems to have a sea of huge, muscular, hairy chested guys, their chests seem to be an entirely separate creatures struting down the street before their owners.

There are also tons more Asians and gaysians alike in the city. I went back to a Japanese diner on O'Farrell Street that I liked. And the next table came a bunch of late teens, early 20s speaking Cantonese. Nothing can make me feel older. So I guess I'm more ordinary here, and perhaps inferior unless I hit the gym mad for the next 18 months.

Walking around Chinatown comparing what is new and what is old, I found a vegetarian place that one of my friend has brought me to 7 years ago in which I have fail to find when I was back there 4-5 years back. They make some sweet and sour seitans that resemble sweet and sour pork, bbq pork and roast duck. Oh heavenly, too bad I've already ate, but I do have a few more days to go, so in my best Schwazenegger impressions: "I'll be back!"

After walking around for 6 hours, I think I might rest and catch up on True Blood tonight, maybe I can even catch Little Britain on Sunday. Woohoo! (Um... just watched an episode of True Blood, exactly how many muscled naked guys having sex can they fit in 60 minutes? I'm about to cough up my unemployment funds and subscribing to softcore HBO... and one guy was dancing to Jonny McGovern's Soccer Practice, lol.)


The Japanese Diner - Dojima Ann


Got this strange shot in the tunnel on Stockton Street.


The vegetarian restaurant on Washington Street that I vow to go back.


On my way to Castro.

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Asians in the Media (Sept 08 edition)

It's premiere week and I've got treated to a two-hour premiere of Heroes. After last season's writer strike kerfuffle, I'm happy to report that the show has been restored to its former glory. The story is gone from 18 century Japan and returned to the 21st century, where they are out to save the world again. More people with different special abilities, more schemes, secrets and mysteries. I love my superhero soaps!

Of course adorable Hiro (Masi Oka) is back with his sidekick Ando (James Kyson Lee) at his side. Can I also note how hot Mohinder Suresh (Sendhil Ramamurthy) looks? I wasn't expecting that body of muscles under that suit and tie professor outfit and his calm and collected persona.


Sorry, but I couldn't find that a better pic.

Another show that I'm getting into is The Mentalist on CBS, I seem to remember another show on USA networks called Psych with a similar subject matter but this is done with less comedy and with more of a Silence of the Lamb vibe. It is about a person with extraordinary observational and logical skills that allow him to find certain facts about a person or a crime. These people can pass themselves as psychic and that's where the fun kicks in. Patrick Jane ,played by Australian actor Simon Baker, is one such person that used to play a psychic on TV John Edward style until during an interview he disclosed that he was helping the polic to catach a serial killer and caused the detath of his wife and kid. Now he had become a full time detective to go after the killer. (Guessing spoiler: Could he have split personality and was the killer himself all along?)

Amongst the casts is the very handsome Tim Kang, who has been in The Sopranos, Third Watch, Chappelle's Show and even Rambo 4. Hopefully this show will be a success and he will get his big break to stardom.


Hunky, no?

Over at 8Asians, Jun wrote an article about a girl group that caught Perez Hilton's attention called Wonder Girls. They are a mixture of Spice Girls and Wonder Woman who took South Korea by storm. The song is called "Nobody". Not understanding Korean, I don't know what they are singing but the video is really funny and cute.



The song actually starts in the 2:00 mark. It could have been a Dream Girls tribute. They all look really pretty in their 60s get ups. I still can't judge whether they can sing or rap, but it's pop. Ernie tipped his reader about another Korean singer named BoA is entering the American market, and potentially becoming the first mainstream Asian singer in the States but other than a decent song for the girl's toys Bratz, I'm not feeling her that much. I remember another Asian singer named Coco Lee tried to get into the US market without much success before and yet I see so many white/black guys with Asian girlfriends, strange.

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How a Person Whom I've Never Met Before Managed to Break My Heart

A few laptops ago, a person from the San Francisco bay area befriended me on Gay.com. Let's call him Mr. Oakland. Mr. Oakland is a few years older than me, he's a bit shorter, a mix of French, Irish and Native American, handsome with a solid body (My favorite type, solid, built and "stout" which makes his chest looks giant, i think they call it rugby built now). He told me that he likes Asians and find me cute. He has lived in Korea for a while and learned how to speak Korean and even got a Korean name that means something along the line of pure as water. He works as a ESL teacher, I find his mannerism simply adorable. For the past few years, we have communicated a bit and I never got how he could be single, he told me that there aren't as much Asians in his area as I think, and he's adversed to gay bars. One time he called me out of the blue just to chat because he was stuck in traffic on the bay bridge and tells me that he'd like to date me (not sex) if I ever goes to San Francisco. I told him that I'll be going to Folsom in late September and he said he'll like to see me then. He truly seems to be a sweet person with a heart of gold.

As I was checking my MySpace page just now, I stumbled upon a notification about him updated his profile. So while being curious I went looking and he wrote that he's no longer single as of 10 days ago, my heart sunk. Not that I'm expecting to fall desperately in love with Mr. Oakland and move in the next day lesbian style, but I thought we'd have a good time together. I guess it's bad timing and it just reminded me how life doesn't wait, things happen around you in which you have no control over. With a little further digging, I discovered that Mr. Oakland has found himself quite a hunk; a hot, handsome, rugby built mate who's into sports just like himself. He's a good guy and he deserves to be immensely happy and I think he is happy now. Good for him, his boyfriend is a lucky man. I'm sure quite a few of his 200+ friends/buddies would be quite heartbroken as well. I can only blame myself for not living close enough.

This seriously casts a shadow over my SF Folsom trip, but it's too late to change my mind now. I fully intend to have as much fun as I could.

---

On another note, I'm starting to think maybe I only have crushes on people that I can't have - the unattainables. Is it the thrill of the chase or some deeper psychological hang-ups?

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DVD Review: Eat Drink Man Woman (1994)

Sorry for missing a few days, probably since now I don't have to go to work, my activity level has decreased and I've gotten lazy.

Well, I've spent a day with my now very good friend BL on Sunday. We went to have dim sum with another friend, you always need more people for dim sum, that way you can sample a bigger variety of food without getting too full. After dim sum we went for a light grocery shopping and we seperated to do our own shopping. I've had to exchange some undies I bought during Macy's shop for a cause event and I was ecstatic that they let me do the exchange with the same discount I've received without any hassle, especially when they costs twenty-some dollars a pair. At least now I know the kind of undies I like are called Trunks, which also happened to be a Dragonball Z character, I wonder if that's because the creator of the anime loves wearing them as well.

After the exchange and a light nap, I went to his place to print out my itinerary. I don't have a printer at home, I had one but then I don't use it and it was just sitting there collecting dust and I threw it away. While we were listening to Audra McDonald's new CD, reading an article teaching me how to cruise and watching part of a DVD called Broadway's Finest Leading Ladies, our buddy CL called and said he'll drop by and asked if I mind cooking dinner. So my eyes lit up and went for groceries.

It took about an hour of cooking and another half hour to eat. The baked stuffed sage chicken and my own brand of lemon garlic parmesan pasta came out alright. I'm thinking of posting the recipe on here but I need to remember to snap a picture before doing that. With some self made Pepperidge Farm/Haagen-Daaz ice cream sandwiches at hands, we sat down to Ang Lee's Eat Drink Man Woman (1994).

---

I always thought Ang Lee was gay, probably because he directed Wedding Banquet (1993) which is one of my favorite gay films of all time. Not many straight Asian guy will write and direct a gay movie, Brokeback Mountain in 2005 just added to my convictions. But then Ang is married to a woman with two kids, should I assume that just because he's married, it doesn't mean that he don't bat for our team?

The thing about Ang Lee that impresses me so much is that his ability to tackle modern topics with a heavy Chinese sentiments. The movie is about this retiring big time Chinese chef and his relationship with his 3 daughters which all have trouble building relationships. The first 5 minutes or so shows the high art that is Chinese cuisine with the father spending a whole day cooking a dozen of dishes for his 3 daughters and himself. BL owns the movie and he told us when he first watched it with a friend they were eating fast food or instant noodles and can't help but got discouraged by the disparity. "And the daughters are still complaining?" The movie showed how some Chinese dishes are made, I cracked up while the father blew air into a goose before roasting it. Of course, my confidence in cooking has significantly depleted from watching this movie and from eating at A&Y's.

The title "Eat Drink Man Woman" describes the basic needs of human, they are, as the movie described, the source of happiness. The oldest daughter is a stuck up high school teacher who is destined to be an old maid. The second daughter is a successful business woman who can't commit to her boyfriend and ended up breaking up with him while continuing their sexual relationship. The youngest daughter is a high schooler who ironically works at a fried chicken franchise, who looks innocent at first but not so while the movie progresses. The three girls lost their mom a few years back and their relationship with their father has deteriorated since, but things changed while their father unexpectedly falls in love.

It is a great movie with a perfect blend of comedy and drama. It is also culturally interesting even though it's predictable at times. If you don't have anything better to do, I strongly recommend you rent this one out to see it for yourself, it might make you hungry so get some popcorn or Chinese take out while you watch. A-

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Music Invasion: Sherry Vine's "4 Minutes to Make You Cum"

As the title would suggest, this is totally NSFW but pretty hilarious.

I think I've heard Sherry Vine's name at the drag queen challenge in Project Runway, but even after watching her video, I couldn't remember which one was her. So I checked and found this, she was the one in Keith's sad chicken outfit:



Here's the hilarious video:



My question to this is: How does saying "tick-tock-tick-tock" ease performance anxiety? lol.

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Weekend Meme: Google Images Meme

Found this week's Meme over at Erik's blog: Gambrinous With Griffonage. It's another get to know you Meme, but I love pictures and graphics so I hope you like it.

Here are the rules:

a) Answer the questions below;
b) For each answer, do a Google Image search with minimal words of explanation, and take a picture from the 1st page of results and post it with your answer;

1. The age you’ll be on your next birthday: 34



2. Place you want to travel to: Greece


I mean look at it, who wouldn't?

3. Your favorite place: Beach


Or a pool, better yet, a pool by the beach. lol.

4. Your favorite food: Shanghainese Food



5. Your favorite pet: Dogs


They're just too cute.

6. Favorite color combination: Brown and Blue


Soothing colors

7. Favorite piece of clothing: Sandals


I've got the tan lines to prove it.

8. Your all time favorite song: Bewitched, Bothered and Bewildered by Ella Fitzgerald


I've quite a few favorite songs, but this always takes the cake.

9. Favorite TV show: The Daily Show with Jon Stewart


Am I the only one who finds Rob Riggle hot?

10. First name of your significant other: Don't have one right now



11. Which town do you live in: Philly



12. Your screen name/nickname: YvesPaul


All I've gotta say is, be careful where you leave your comments.

13. Your first job: Waiter



14. Your dream job: Music Producer



15. One bad habit that you have: Nose-Picking (Nasal Territorial Marking)



16. Worst fear: Being Thrown Into a Snake Pit


Snakes are my worst fear.

17: Things you’d like to do before you die: Hang Gliding


It would be the closest feeling to flying.

18. The first thing you’ll do if you get $1,000,000: Buy a Condo


I sincerely doubt that a million dollar would get this condo.

19. Your husband/wife: Don't know yet.



20. What present would you like for your next birthday? A Scholarship, maybe? lol.



Have a great weekend!

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Banksy in New Orleans

Banksy hit New Orleans back by the end of August and left some intriguing Katrina related and some Americana images:





You can practically feel the wind.


Gotta love this one.


TV, yes. Boombox, maybe not.


Is this Abe Lincoln?

New Orleans specific:





Americana:


I guess Simpsons are still cool. :)

---

I guess this following series can qualify as the dumbest news of the week. A man destroying a Banksy with red spray paint. I wonder if he owns he building, if not the owner should sue him for damages. Don't thy know how much a Banksy can yield?


Perfect masterpiece worth hundreds of thousands


Stupid idiot with spray paint


Value = $0

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Music Invasion Double Take: Rihanna's "Disturbia" and Ne-Yo's "Closer"

I forgot why, but I've missed the VMA when it first aired 2 weeks ago. I was probably playing Mahjong as I do every weekend and sometimes week days. Just got a glimpse of it this morning when it replayed for the nth time, with "celebrity" commentaries. I guess music had made me feel older, I don't get the Jonas Brothers, they are quite the handsome fellows but they remind me of Donny Osmond, the Hansons and so many others that come before them. What's with all the rappers anyway? Leona Lewis did a wonderful rendition of Don't Let Me Be Misunderstood which got raped by Lil' Wayne and T-Pain. Those Lil' This, Lil' That don't really look that lil' anymore, even Lil' Bow Wow changed his name years ago. And I getting too old to appreciate MTV? I know I haven't been cool for a long while.

I hate it when a singer reissue their album with extra songs in it. Like Rihanna's Good Girl Gone Bad. I feel gypped for buying her album early, why can't they release a new album for her additional material? It is virtually encouraging people to abandon the CD format and just go right for the MP3s. I find it unethical. I've to admit that I don't care for Rihanna that much, but she must have an incredible production team on her back and she can sing. I do like a few of her songs.



Disturbia

Bum bum be-dum bum bum be-dum bum
What's wrong with me?
Bum bum be-dum bum bum be-dum bum
Why do I feel like this?
Bum bum be-dum bum bum be-dum bum
I'm going crazy now
Bum bum be-dum bum bum be-dum bum

No more gas in the rig (Can't even get it started)
Nothing heard, nothing said (Can't even speak about it)
On my life on my head (Don't want to think about it)
Feels like I'm going insane, yeah

[Bridge]:
It's a thief in the night
To come and grab you
It can creep up inside you
And consume you
A disease of the mind
It can control you
It's too close for comfort (Oh)

[Chorus]:
Throw on your break lights
You're in the city of wonder
Ain't gonna play nice
Watch out, you might just go under
Better think twice
Your train of thought will be altered
So if you must falter be wise
Your mind's in disturbia
It's like the darkness is the light
Disturbia
Am I scaring you tonight?
Disturbia
Ain't used to what your like
Disturbia
Disturbia

Bum bum be-dum bum bum be-dum bum
Bum bum be-dum bum bum be-dum bum
Bum bum be-dum bum bum be-dum bum
Bum bum be-dum bum bum be-dum bum

Faded pictures on the wall (It's like they talkin' to me)
Disconnectin' all your calls (The phone don't even ring)
I gotta get out
Or figure this shit out
It's too close for comfort (Ooh ooh)

[Bridge]

[Chorus]

Bum bum be-dum bum bum be-dum bum
Bum bum be-dum bum bum be-dum bum
Bum bum be-dum bum bum be-dum bum (Disturbia)
Bum bum be-dum bum bum be-dum bum

Release me from this curse I'm in
Trying to remain tame
But I'm struggling
You can't go, go, go
I think I'm going to oh, oh, oh

[Chorus]

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Another song that get cuaght in my head and I find myself singing it even though I don't know the words is Ne-Yo's Closer. He's still singing songs about girls even though I thought he was gay. I'm sure he's just doing it because that sells, but it just seemed fake.




Closer

[Intro]
Closer [x4]

[Verse 1]
Turn the lights off in this place
And she shines just like a star
And I swear I know her face
I just don't know who you are
Turn the music up in here
I still hear her loud and clear
Like she's right there in my ear
Telling me that she wants to own me
To control me
Come closer [x3]

[Chorus]
And I just can't pull my self away
Under her spell I can't break
I just can't stop [x4]
And i just can't bring myself away
But I don't want to escape
I just can't stop [x4]

[Verse 2]
I can feel her on my skin
I can taste her on my tounge
She's the sweetest taste of sin
The more I get the more I want
She wants to own me
Come closer
She says come closer

[Chorus]

Come Closer [x7]
I just can't stop no [x4]

[Chorus]

And I just can't pull myself away
Under her spell I can't break
I just can't stop [x5]

Come Closer

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Fantastic Contraptions

While browsing online yesterday I found this free game site online called Fantastic Contraption. It lets you use some wheels and bars to create some gizmos or contraptions to achieve some goal. It's like playing with legos, it requires your knowledge of physics and a large amount of creativity. It's tons of fun.

I have never been good with physics, in fact it's my worst subject right next to history. It is the only subject during high school which I failed, well maybe not the only one, but it is the one that I failed spectacularly. Still, I'm real proud of some of the contraptions I've made.

After you've completed a mission, you can go back and check other solutions. It's amazing on how creative other people can be. I somehow find the last 5 missions out of the 21 quite difficult. If anyone can figure it out and post the solutions here, I'd be grateful.

Hope you have fun.

Oh, I also downloaded a Japanese gay hentai strip mahjong game, even though I can't read Japanese and I don't know what they are saying, I'm eternally grateful that someone would combine my two great love: gay porn and mahjong. Haha!

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