pirates

i saw pirates of the caribbean: at world's end over the weekend. not as fun as the second pirates and definitely not as fun as the first. the pacing was a little dragged out. i almost fell asleep twice, although i was pretty exhausted walking into it. even so, it didn't exactly keep me awake.

problems were too easily resolved, but in its simplicity, it was still trying to be complicated. the writers seemed to have had more fun sticking in supposedly witty lines than giving the story a sense of fullness.

i was surprised to see chow yun-fat when he appeared onscreen. i had no idea he was a part of it. to me, it would be like seeing al pacino appear in kung-fu hustle 2. his character, captain sao feng, had very little depth. there was no explanation regarding his history with jack sparrow. the way his character dealt with women was repulsive, but i guess that's just what being a pirate is all about? if he's only supposed to play the character as a disgusting, selfish, piggish pirate, then his performance was great. it's just that out of all the captains in the congregation introduced in the story, his character played the largest role. i wished there was more to him. why bother having this character take on a role as big as it did if there's no depth to him? chow yun-fat's acting skills were so wasted in this movie. but sadly, if he wants to break into hollywood, he has to take these roles in dumb blockbusters for exposure.

also, i'm not sure about the history of singapore, but hong kong, where they're building the newest disney theme park, actually was a haven for pirates before the british gained sovereignty over the island. i wonder why captain sao feng's base was set in singapore as opposed to hong kong. chow yun fat is from hong kong as well. besides, wouldn't it be a plug for the theme park if they set that part of the story in hong kong instead of singapore? that confused me. at least they kept to cantonese as the sole dialect of chinese that surfaces in the movie.

as for the 4th installment, i won't be eager to see it.

creation museum. really.

i just read this article in the new york times about a creation museum that's about to open in petersburg, ky. i'm still in disbelief that it exists. that $27 million was spent on presenting ideas as facts even though there's no evidence to support them, ideas that are based merely on a text that commands blind faith. i don't hold scientific theories as truth. they're still just theories. i do try to keep an open mind that scientists have been wrong. i accept changes to these theories. but i need evidence, not blind faith, as the basis of believe about the past.

in a strange way, though, i am intrigued. they have worked dinosaurs onto noah's ark. you have to admit there's a lot of creative thinking going on to make everything seem to fit. but i don't think it's right to charge $19.95 admission price for an adult; it's an admission price, not a suggested admission price. for a christian-based institution, you'd think they'd be more charitable to the public. even the met is based on a suggested admission. what would jesus think about that?

new orleans

this weekend in new orleans was a great experience. it's such a distinctive and colorful city. i love the french colonial architecture with the intricate wrought iron works and the balconies that mask the fronts of buildings. it was unfortunate that i was only able to spend 24 hours there, minus the 10 hours of sleep and waiting on the rest of the party i was meeting.

we stayed at a hotel in the french quarters, which i would never do again. the french quarters is definitely a great part of town to visit. there are a lot of tourist amenities such as walking tours, horse carriages, and t-shirt stores. in a way, it's definitely set up as a tourist trap. the street artists, performers, and fortune tellers give the area more distinction, however. the part i didn't like about the area was the oversaturation of bars. at night, bourbon street is closed off as a pedestrian-only street. it's a party, which is what the city is known for. i'm not much of a partier, though, so walking around for about 1/2 hour was enough for me. i would rather stay in an area where enough foot traffic still occur but not drunken foot vomit-propelling traffic.

the group i met with were avoiding cajun and creole food for dinner, much to my disappointment. we ended up making reservations at an italian restaurant, ristorante carmelo. when we arrived, we were directed to wait at the bar while our table was being set up. the bartender was a grumpy old man who insisted that a mojito did not include lime. the girl who ordered it wanted to try the drink for the first time. i had to assure her that it tastes much better when it's made properly. already irritated, we were led to our table. we asked for balcony/outdoors seating, which we got. it was just in a dark corner of the balcony where we couldn't read the menu and could barely make out each others' faces around the table. we would've gladly waited for a table where we could see. also, we were so packed into the corner that we had to pass the drinks down the table because the waiter couldn't reach those at the far end. thankfully, the wait staff was much friendlier and more helpful than the bartender. also, the food was decent. it wasn't great italian, but it was fine. the bruschetta was definitely odd though. normally, the tomatoes and basil are chopped to make eating the dish easy. at this restaurant, the cherry tomatoes are cut in half and placed flat-side down on the garlic bread with a sprig of basil on top. yes, a sprig. like a garnish when it's supposed to be integral to the dish. also, one of the girls who ordered pizza had sprigs of rosemary tossed on with the rest of the toppings. when you can easily spend $70 per person, i expect the herbs to have gone through some sort of care and preparation. the rest of the entrees were fine. i just ordered the fettecine bolognese because i didn't want to spend much at a place that didn't seem to want to please our party. is this what restaurants do when you order mixed drinks instead of wine? i'd consider recommending the restaurant for take out but definitely not dine in.

sunday morning involved waiting for the girls to pack and check out. the plan was to stuff all their luggages in my car, park it somewhere, and drop them off at another hotel where they had booked reservations for a conference. after finally checking out and reparking the car, we search for breakfast. when we saw the line at cafe du monde, we crossed the street and grabbed real breakfast instead. afterwards, we looked for the trolley cars that run into the garden district. the cars, however, were not running their full course post-katrina. we headed back into the french quarters and grabbed some beignets, something my sister made me promise to have during this visit. it's basically a funnel cake shaped like a square donut. funnel cakes are something i always look forward to so the beignet was still satisfying.

after dropping off the party at their second hotel, i headed for the garden district. i didn't see much however. i don't think i went far enough into it. i stumbled upon the contemporary art center though and spent a very quiet 40 minutes there, admiring the black and white prints and other pieces on display by local high schoolers. there was also an exhibit by carlos estevez and another cuba artist whose name i can't recall. i loved estevez's drawings of these mechanical puppets that have dots where their joints would be, and the dots are connected in an intricate manner that eventually lead up to the unknown puppeteer off the canvas. each puppet has a red dot on their heads with a line that leads directly up to the puppeteer. he's also working on a project of casting bottles with a rolled up piece of drawing and writing into the ocean. i hope the next time i go to the beach, i'd find one of them.

overall, it was a good trip. i wish i had more time in the city and definitely more time with the one friend i drove 5 hours each way to see. she accompanied me on saturday afternoon to walk around the french quarters while the rest of the group took naps at the hotel. we were both determined to enjoy the city, not the hotel, while we were there. the best part of the walk was sneaking into the omni hotel, up to the 7th floor where they have a rooftop pool, a small bar, and a tiny observation deck. not that we cared for the pool or the bar but we loved the view. it was breathtaking to see the rooftops of all the buildings, new and old, in the quarters. i took the most pictures on this trip that afternoon. probably because i was happiest.

mother's day

i love my mom's philosophy that every day is your birthday, every day is mother's day. it's her way of letting herself and us off the hook in looking for a present in time, but it's also to say that being kind and thoughtful on one specific day is meaningless if you're unkind and unthoughtful the rest of the year.

so i phoned her today, just like on any other weekend. i wished her a happy mother's day, but we didn't dwell on it. the conversation steered right into the usual territories of what's happening with her job, house, things that she's read, basically her life. that's my mom. she keeps it real.

i've still got it

while still living in california, i used to go to "keeping time", a clock and watch store at the glendale galleria. the gentleman who fixes clocks and watches took a liking to me because i speak cantonese. he always gave me a discount for the service. it's like a reward for keeping my first language. mom was right for making us speak cantonese at home with her.

now that i've moved, i have to find a new place to change the battery. i figured a nice jewelry store at the mall should suffice. it's a nice watch so places like wal-mart and target won't touch it, probably because of liability. i expected to spend about $12-$15, which is pretty normal at fancy jewelry stores.

upon entering the mall, i walked up to the first one i saw. all the sales attendants were helping other people. after waiting about 3 minutes, i looked around the mall and spotted another jewelry store. i walked over and asked if they change watch batteries. the guy who helped me kindly took my watch and set to work. i waited patiently, looking at their stock. they carried nice pieces, but thankfully, nothing appealed to me. after about 10 minutes, the guy came back with my watch and said, "normally, i'm supposed to charge you for this, but don't worry about it." i gave him a confused look to which he responded, "get outta here," with a grin. i thanked him and left the mall. i love my watch.

abortions in china

there's an article in the new york times regarding the high abortion rate in china. the trend is fevered by the chinese one-child policy, a drift away from traditions as china has opened itself to the rest of the world, economically and culturally, and a general lack of sex education.

what's frightening is that while i believe a lot of american pro-choice advocates do not see abortion as a form of contraception (more of an issue of rights), in china, abortions are seen as just that. it's apparently not uncommon for women to have had more than one abortion; some have had as many as six. i wonder if these women realize that every time you go through an abortion, you decrease your chances of being able to conceive and maintain a pregnancy. it is not a naturally occurring procedure; therefore, it can prove detrimental to your health. obviously, if you don't want to have children ever, then knowing this will not deter you from future abortions. it could prove devastating, however, if you do want to bear children some where down the line.

i guess i've been taking it for granted that choosing abortion is a heavy decision for a woman. the idea of destroying what has potential to be your child is frightening. but i still believe that with the proper education, women should have the right to choose. and i think this is what is needed in china to stop these women from harming their bodies any further.

also, it's not just education for the women. men need to be educated just as much. some of these women claim that it's their lovers who do not want to use other forms of contraceptive. this attitude also contributes to the rise of AIDS infections and very likely other forms of STDs in china. if the chinese government has the power to impose such restrictions as a one-child policy, in addition to multiple forms of brutality upon its people, it certainly has the power to educate them. what are you going to reign over if your people destroy each other?

wrist watch

i think the battery in my watch is dying. the second hand ticks a little slow. it's actually a little past eleven o'clock, but the hands on the watch shows eighteen minutes till eleven. i know that all it needs is a new battery, but the idea of this watch dying is upsetting. i bought this watch over a decade ago with the money i saved from working at my uncle's restaurant. the sun and moon style was popular at the time, and i wanted one. i was in the eight grade at the time so it was a sensitive time in one's life, especially the need to feel normal and accepted. but i would look at this watch every day and knew i had to really like it for itself as well.

i looked at the watches at roses and wal-mart and didn't like any of them. then, i moved my way up to sears and jcpenny, but still, none of them appealed to me. there was just something about those sun and moon watches that didn't hit me right. maybe the way the sun and moon looked. the way the whole face of the watch looked. the font of the numbers. the hands being too plain or too decorative. it was my hard earned money, not money my mommy or daddy gave me. sure, it was just a watch, but this was going to be a gift to myself, my first nice gift to myself. i think i would've waited forever until i found one that felt right.

then, at belk, i saw it. i loved that it has a little hole that showed the date. the cutout for the sun and the moon was just the right size. the needles were simple but not flimsy looking. the numbers were in roman numerals, something i didn't even consider i would like. there is a slight sense of depth to it, with a large cutout just inside of the ring of numbers to reveal a different textured material that, then, had a cutout for the sun and the moon to pass through. i've always prefered analog watches over digital watches. analog watches translate time into space. the hands have that much more space to pass before a certain time. and the sun and moon remind me that the day is passing, not just the hours, minutes, seconds. there was just something so pleasant and right about it. it cost $55 plus tax at the time. back then, especially for an eighth grader, that's quite a bit of money. but i was fortunate enough to have the money at the time. everything about it, the watch itself, the circumstance, was just right. so i bought it.

i look at watches every now and then when i shop, but i can't imagine not wearing this watch while it still works. i've changed the straps a handful of times. the glass is scratched. the frame has lost much of its color. yet i wear it every day, for every occasion. it might not match anything else i'm wearing, but it matches me and reminds me of who i am.

roomba

i bought a roomba recently, the robotic vacuum cleaner. i've been thinking about getting one for my mom because she's getting old. the apartment i'm staying in shreveport is carpeted, to my dismay, although i had little room for options since i was confined to finding a place that offered a 3-month lease. i was going back and forth about buying a vacuum cleaner. it's just so wasteful since i only need it for a short period. i could ask around the office to see if i could borrow from someone, but it's a difficult task if you're kind of antisocial. (while waiting for people to see a comedy show, i saw a couple of coworkers. instead of saying hi, i immediately pulled my cell phone up to my face and thanked my friend for picking up the phone. my dear, dear friend stayed on the phone with me until the people i was meeting showed up.)

i began a small hunt for a cheap, small vacuum cleaner, and while wandering around best buy, i saw a roomba. a friend of mine, who's into the latest gadgets, raved about her roomba. it had already occurred to me that it's a perfect for my mom, if it's not difficult to use. so i checked out the irobot website and ordered the simplest version with only one button that says "clean". i figured my mom can handle that. if its performance is satisfactory during my stay in this carpeted place, then my mom can have it when i leave.

i've used it twice, and i now understand why my friend was so crazy about it. it's so cute, like some little creature who does a chore for you instead of tearing into your food supply and shitting all over the place. when you start it up, it does a little tune, "do do do do". it then proceeds to roam around the room, bumping into walls and furniture as it sucks up dirt and whatever else carpet hides. (i hate carpet because i feel like it hides the dirt and whatever gross stuff settles on the floor.) i became engrossed, watching it as it moves around seemingly randomly. it's like watching a baby stumble about, learning its way in the world. but its bumping around is how it learns the shape of the room and will know to go over the entire space at least once, doing a thorough cleaning. amazing what good technology can do. i still hate carpet though. (the roomba apparently also works on hard floors too...)

kung fu hustle

i rewatched kung fu hustle recently and was reminded of how great it is. it doesn't try to be sentimental. it manages to make physical comedy smart, something that has been lacking in hollywood comedies. all the characters are to some degrees caricatures. it's intriguing that the two female characters have opposite traits that has to do with their voices: the landlady's superpower is the volume of her voice; the lollipop girl is mute. i'm no longer smart enough to pinpoint the significance of this juxtaposition, but i know it adds to the story. somehow. if i were still in college, i could totally whip out a 20-page analysis of this movie.

besides the immense subtext that you can draw from this movie, what allows me to enjoy it so much is the element of surprise. with most movies nowadays, i can see the joke before it happens. but kung fu hustle is so unpredictable. who would've thought sing would use the knives in his shoulders as side rear view mirrors until he actually used them as such? the movie managed to be all over the place (a dance sequence, a live-action road runner sequence, martial arts, physical comedy, play on words, sexuality but not sex) but never lost its center, which very much adheres to the idea of kung fu and chi.

i've watched stephen chow since i was a kid, when he hosted a hong kong children's program, "430 space shuttle" (along with tony leung, another favorite actor; stephen and tony were in a sketch of good guy vs. bad guy - tony played the good guy and stephen played the bad guy). stephen went through a phase of crass comedy which had turned me off from his work for a while. now with kung fu hustle, he's definitely redefined himself as a comic genius.