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Day 223: Homeland

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San Miguel Beer

 

It was a warm day today and it made me think of the time I spent in the Philippines. It’s been a five years since I made it back to the land of my ancestors; sometimes it feels like I was just there, other times it feels like I haven’t been there since I was a kid.

One of my favorite memories from five years ago was going to the beach with my cousins. We rode a tricycle there, all of us packed onto every available inch on the vehicle. Once at the beach, we unrolled our blanket and opened up our beers. A few of us jumped into the ocean, while the rest of us hung out sipping San Miguels, listening to music, and snacking on a bag of fish chips and a few freshly sliced mangoes.

My cousins regaled me with stories about our family and shared history. I loved hearing about how well my lolo treated the people in his neighborhood. He always made sure people had a good time, but more importantly, he took care of the servers and other hired hands. Coming from humble beginnings, he never forgot where he came from and didn’t look down at those who worked menial jobs.

I like to think that wherever he is, he’s still taking care of others like that. Or sipping on his beloved Crown Royal whiskey and keeping an eye out on his grandkids and great-grandkids.

Day 222: Card Games

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Our latest game night was with the youngest members of the family. They liked these three card games the best: Sushi Go!, Pit, and Milles Borne. The most popular was Sushi Go! and we played it numerous times. It was the perfect combination of easy-to-learn rules, fast play, and fun player interaction.

I’ve had the Milles Bornes game sitting in storage for years, so it was nice finally playing it. We did one run-through to figure out the basic game play. We’ll figure out scoring and strategy the next time it makes it to the table.

Pit is always a popular choice with any crowd I play it with and especially with the kids since it gives them an excuse to yell while playing.

I’m pretty sure it’s the same reason why adults like it, too.

Day 221: Games Library

Games library growing

Games library growing

The games library in my home is growing slowly but surely. In addition to my latest games-buying binge, I found Carcassonne in storage. It’s a game that I bought years ago during a time when Game Night was called Poker Night and the only game that made it to the table was played with 52 cards, stacks of poker chips, and didn’t stop until long after midnight.

There still aren’t any heavy or hardcore games in my collection. I doubt I’ll ever get back into Dungeons & Dragons (my junior high self can’t believe this), since I prefer the light strategy games that don’t take up hours upon hours to complete.

I also prefer the games that are easy for non-gamers to play. Nowadays, it’s more satisfying for me to introduce people to the wonderful world of board games.

Day 216: Rocky

Adrian and Rocky

Adrian and Rocky

(This is part of my ongoing series on my quest to watch all 100 of AFI’s Greatest American Films of All Time)

57. Rocky

Rocky is back on Netflix, so I watched it before bed last night. The movie holds up well after nearly 40(!) years, mainly because Sylvester Stallone was born to play Rocky. The slurred speech peppered with “yo’s,” the physicality of the training montages, the surprising amount of emotion in his scenes with Adrian: even with a few of the hammier bits, it’s still a terrific performance and Stallone carries the film.

I’ll save the movie’s inherent racism discussion for others. There’s a reason why the film still resonates with movie fans: everybody loves the underdog. Rocky is the classic underdog making his way through the streets of Philadelphia (admit it, you’re hearing the theme song now).

Whether he’s collecting money at the shipyard or running through the open-air market, the film captures the grittiness of the city, much like The French Connection did with New York. I loved the little scene where Rocky and Gazzo meet at Pat’s King of Steaks; I’ve been there and, yes, there is a plaque at the exact spot where the scene was filmed.

One thing that always bugs me, though, is the final showdown with Apollo (kudos to Carl Weathers; he absolutely steals every scene that he’s in). It’s hilarious that both boxers show up in the ring without their gloves on, only to have them magically appear right before they fight. A bonehead mistake, no doubt.

Still, I loved the ending because by then it’s not about who wins or loses, it’s about Rocky’s love for Adrian. Corny? Yes. And the movie also seems slower than I recalled, but Rocky is such a likable galoot that it’s easy to look past the film’s foibles.

My rating: 4 out of 5 stars.

Day 213: Love Letter

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We’re in the midst of game night and Love Letter was a success. For a game with only handful of cards, there’s a surprising amount of strategy involved.

It’s a fun game of deduction that moves quickly. My favorite part? Anytime someone played the Prince card, aka Brad Pitt. We joked that the player obviously had the Angelina Jolie card in hand.

Ah, game night. I love it.

Day 207: Good for the Soul Sunday

Running and Biking

Running and Biking

Here are two links that made my Sunday; both are focused on health and community:

  1. Mirna Valerio is changing the way we think about runners.
  2. The East Side Riders Bike Club helps those in need and does a lot of great work in the community. They’re halfway to their goal of purchasing new tools and equipment for the club at their gofundme page. Even if you don’t donate, be sure to watch the inspiring video about the club.

Day 206: Shakespeare in the Park

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Wherefore art thou, Romeo?

Here’s something that makes for an awesome date night: Shakespeare in the park.

Tonight’s play at Griffith Park was Romeo and Juliet. I liked how they incorporated a rock vibe to the play (with a live band, to boot). The actors were solid and it was an entertaining show.

What I love the most about Shakespeare in the park is that it’s not your typical theater-going crowd. People from all walks of life come to see The Bard’s work come to life. It’s great to see so many non-theater types enjoying a play written centuries ago.

Day 204: CONCACAF Gold Cup

Team USA's Gyasi Zardes

LA Galaxy’s Gyasi Zardes representing the U.S.

Well, that was interesting. Not only did Jamaica upset the U.S. in the CONCACAF Gold Cup semi-finals, but the Panama-Mexico match nearly ended in a riot. As much as I love The Beautiful Game, the ugliness of any sporting event marred by questionable refereeing and unruly fan behavior is something I’ll never appreciate.

Some of that ugliness was on display at the Galaxy-Barcelona game I attended two nights ago. On a beautiful Tuesday night in Pasadena, a sold-out crowd of over 93,000 filled the Rose Bowl to cheer for their teams. It was a remarkably pro-Barcelona audience, since Barca has the longer and more illustrious history.

Now, I’m all about supporting your club and being passionate and vocal. Unfortunately, some “fans” think of the games as an excuse to over-imbibe and act like an idiot. F-bombs filled the air, as did slurred speech and the occasional near-fight. I was embarrassed for them and felt bad for all of the parents who had to explain to their children why it’s not acceptable to act like a drunken buffoon in public.

As I commented to my stepdaughter, it was like being at a Raiders game.

(For the record, I’m a card-carrying member of the Raider Nation. Most of us diehard fans act responsibly, but it’s the unruly types who make the news. And truth be told, I’ve seen some bad behavior at the Raider games, especially when they were in Los Angeles.)

Day 201: New Capital Seafood

New Capital Seafood dim sum.

New Capital Seafood dim sum.

I have yet to find a decent dim sum restaurant in the Inland Empire, so whenever the craving hits, my wife and I go to family favorite New Capital Seafood in Rowland Heights. The basics (shuimai and har gow) are good and we always manage to try something new, whether it’s vegetable dumplings, fish balls, or other dishes that we haven’t learned the Chinese names for.

Like other dim sum joints in the San Gabriel Valley, New Capital gets insanely crowded on the weekends. Thanks to some fortunate scheduling today, my wife and I were in the area and stopped by to munch on all of the deliciousness found in those magical steamer trays. The food was good, the prices were right, and the Monday crowd was a fraction of the weekend masses. Not a bad way to kick off our week.