Uncategorized

Day 51: 20 Feet From Stardom

20 Feet From Stardom: Claudia Lennear

20 Feet From Stardom: Claudia Lennear

My wife and I finally saw 20 Feet From Stardom, the Oscar-winning documentary about the back-up singers for some of popular music’s most famous acts. It was a wonderful film filled with amazing music and it’s easy to see why it is so highly regarded; it’s a real crowdpleaser.

Tonight we went to a Q&A with one of the singers, Claudia Lennear, as part of the Black History Month Celebration in Rancho Cucamonga. She was interviewed by a local DJ and talked about her life in and out of the music business. I got a kick out of hearing her talk about how Keith Richards scared her and how David Bowie was at her daughter’s birthday party.

After the Q&A, we got to meet her and take photos with her. She was a delight to chat with, even for just a moment, and it made me feel good that she’s finally getting the recognition that she deserves.

Day 50: The Quest Continues

$1.25 Scoops at Handel's

$1.25 Scoops at Handel’s

I wrote “yesterday” that I had ended my streak of blogging every day in 2015. Thankfully, in addition to the WordPress re-do, I’ve decided that I get a fresh start for the Lunar New Year. And what better way to celebrate than with ice cream, especially when it’s $1.25 Scoop Night? Tonight’s flavors of choice at Handel’s in Rancho Cucamonga: Coconut Caramel Delight with Girl Scout Samoas and Thin Mint.

Gong Xi Fat Cai!

Day 49: Time Travel

Back to the Future

Back to the Future

The Streak is over. After blogging for the first 48 days of 2015, I spaced out yesterday and forgot to post something. I usually blog around dinner time, but plans changed last night and by the time I was ready for bed I was wiped out, my quest completely forgotten.

Fortunately, thanks to the magic of WordPress I can change the date of this post to yesterday. Like Superman turning back the clock to save Lois Lane from death-by-earthquake*, I can travel back in time to post my 49th blog of the year. The Quest continues!

My earliest recollection of time travel, aside from childhood games, was the Twilight Zone episode “The Rip Van Winkle Caper.” Four criminals steal $1 million and hide in a cave, where their leader has them enter suspended animation chambers. Their plan is to lay low for 100 years and wake up when their crime is forgotten: outrunning the law through the use of science. Of course, this being the Twilight Zone, nothing goes according to plan and the bad guys get their comeuppance. I’ll never forget the criminal mastermind (played by the fantastic Oscar Beregi) at the end of episode, desperate and dying, trying to barter for his life.

Another time-travel favorite of my youth was Back to the Future. I won’t rehash the well-known plot here, but two things I remember from that movie are 1) vest that Marty McFly wears throughout was similar to one I wore throughout middle school, as my wife likes to tease/remind me and 2) the mall parking lot scenes that bookend the film were filmed at the still-standing Puente Hills Mall. Whenever I visit the mall, I’m tempted to tear through the parking lot at 88 MPH.

Finally, during my senior year at UCSB, I read Captain Blackman for my senior thesis. It’s a novel that moves back and forth in time, exploring the role of African-Americans in the U.S. military in different wars, as told by its African-American protagonist. Captain Blackman was one of a handful of books I kept from college and I’ve been meaning to re-read it for years. If only I could travel back in time to read it instead of wasting my time rooting for a bad football team.

*I always get a kick out of Superman geeks that get fired up about that ending, talking about the impossibility of Superman reversing time like that. People, we are talking about an alien that has x-ray vision, superhuman strength, and FLIES. 

Day 48: Two on Tuesday

Statement of Accomplishment from coursera.com

Statement of Accomplishment from coursera.com

Two things that made my Tuesday:

1. I received my Statement of Accomplishment (with Distinction) for completing the U.S Department of State and the University of Oregon’s online course Shaping the Way We Teach English 1: The Landscape of English Language Teaching. I enjoyed this class on coursera.com so much that I immediately enrolled in second part of the course that started last week.

2. I got another shout-out from two of my favorite social media personalities Phil Yu and Jenny Wang during their Fresh Off the Boat post-show chat. I could get used to these weekly 15 seconds of Internet fame. I’ll wait until at least next week before hiring an agent.

Day 47: Links

Links at Terranea. Pacific Ocean in the background.

 

Spent the morning at the Links at Terranea, a 9-hole par-3 golf course in beautiful Ranchos Palos Verdes. My quest to break 100 on a golf course is on hold right now as I shake off my latest injury, this time to my elbow. But I couldn’t resist the chance to play with a good friend of mine, especially after he scored a deal on Groupon: $25 for the round, including a push cart, which was half off the regular rate.

When I drove there today, I passed the nearby Trump National golf course, which is out of my price range ($300+ for a round). Terranea offers an affordable alternative and even though the views weren’t as spectacular as Trump’s, it was still a gorgeous place to play golf (despite today’s marine layer that refused to burn off until after we had played). I wouldn’t recommend paying more than the $25 discounted rate we scored, though; the greens weren’t as good as some of the $10-and-under courses I’ve played (Los Feliz and Glen Oaks, to name just two).

Overall, though, I’d suggest playing here at least once for the views and links-style golf. It was my first experience with this type of golf, which requires lower-trajectory shots that won’t be affected as dramatically by the ocean winds. There were a few slight breezes today, but on the final hole, my playing partners and I all looked on as each of our tee shots was hung up in the winds and dropped short of the green. Lesson learned for my next visit here: club up, practice those stingers, and make sure Groupon has a deal.

Day 46: SNL40

3726__eddie_murphy_buckwheat_hd_background_

Eddie Murphy as Buckwheat

 

The Saturday Night Live 40th anniversary show is going on right now. Or is it? I recall hearing the start time as 7pm CST, but I’m in PST, so does that mean it started at 5pm?

During one of my first sleepovers in elementary school the highlight of the night was staying up late to watch SNL. I remember seeing Chevy Chase and Gilda Radner, but I don’t remember it being very funny. All of that grown-up humor was lost on me and my third-grade buddies.

A few years later, I absolutely loved Eddie Murphy. I had a VHS tape of my favorite sketches that my brothers, friends, and I would laugh at hysterically. My favorite sketch by far was “Buckwheat Has Been Shot,” with the Stevie Wonder-Frank Sinatra duet a close second (Joe Piscopo at his best). Even after repeated viewings, Eddie still cracked me up.

SNL has never been must-watch TV for me, though. During my 20s and 30s, Saturday night meant going out, not sitting in front of a television. I never set my VCR to record episodes. Yet somehow, through some sort of pop culture osmosis, I knew about the latest skits and catch-phrases, from “Isn’t that special?” to “More cowbell.” It’s comforting in a way, knowing that while I might not see it live, the skits will find a way into my life.

Day 44: Faux Meat Friday

Inside a Faux Carnitas Burrito

Inside a Faux Carnitas Burrito

While I doubt I’ll ever become a strict vegan or vegetarian, as the years pass I’ve become less of a carnivore. Sometimes it’s a conscious, health-based decision at mealtime, but mostly I crave less meat these days. Have my taste buds evolved? Am I paying more attention to my diet? Or am I feeling guilty about all of the delicious animals I’ve consumed in my lifetime? Whatever the case may be, the fact remains that I’m consuming less meat and not missing it at all.

The excellent vegan grocery Viva La Vegan (locations in Rancho Cucamonga and Santa Monica) has done a lot to change my perception of non-animal food. From the meat alternatives to the vegan versions of long-standing favorites, Viva La Vegan offers something for all tastes. I can’t get enough of their hot-food counter, where they serve a faux carnitas made from jackfruit. Yes, jackfruit! Every time I order it (either in a Chipotle-style burrito or bowl, with vegan beans, rice, veggies, and salsa), I’m amazed at how close the taste is to real carnitas. With food like this, I’m able to enjoy Meatless Monday any day of the week.

(Read my Yelp review of the Rancho Cucamonga location here)

Day 43: Better Call Saul

Better Call Saul on AMC

Better Call Saul on AMC

The much-anticipated premiere of Better Call Saul was this weekend and based on the reviews and social media reaction, it’s lived up to the hype. I thought the two-episode debut was solid and there were some nice tie-ins with Breaking Bad. It’s great seeing Saul in his pre-Goodman days as Jimmy McGill, a down-on-his-luck ambulance chaser. Like Walter White, we’re going to see one man’s transformation; unlike Walter White, we know exactly what Jimmy/Saul is going to become.

I have mixed feelings, though: not about the show itself, but of my viewing habits. Just like The Walking Dead (which also debuted the second half of season five this weekend), I like to get my television fix in two- or three-episode chunks instead of one-episode bites. Should I risk seeing spoilers on social media, just so I can stockpile a few episodes to watch in a few weeks?

It’s too bad that all shows can’t be released in a binge-friendly format like House of Cards.

Day 42: Ghost Month

Din Tai Fung's famous xiaolongbao

Din Tai Fung’s famous xiaolongbao

I finished my third book of 2015 tonight, the entertaining Ghost Month by Ed Lin. I’ll have my Goodreads review posted later tonight or tomorrow and re-post the link here. It’s a fun read, a murder mystery set in a night market in Taipei. While the book falters a bit, the characters in Ghost Month are likable enough that I’d recommend reading it. Lin certainly knows his food, with fantastic passages on the various foods in the market and I immediately took a liking to Ghost Month when chapter 2 featured a visit to Din Tai Fung, home of my favorite xiaolongbao. 

Pictured above: the xiaolongbao (“XLBs”) from Din Tai Fung in Arcadia, CA. Locations are being added throughout Southern California, so it’ll save you a trip to Taiwan.