iamasiam

I'm Dreaming of a White Christmas

Just like the Christmases of my early childhood years. I dreamt of snow.  Of course, growing up in a tropical island, we didn’t have any of that powdery magic.  Styrofoam, cotton balls and aerosol snow spray made up for the lack of material to complete the final touches of every Christmas trimming.  That includes an “authentic” Christmas tree of freshly cut pine from the island’s widely deforested highlands.  In latter years, my parents took to the practicality of decking our potted baby bamboo tree instead--sans, of course, the artificial snow.  And now, yes, I may still yearn for wintry precipitation to give this very special day that glorious glow as, funny enough, people might think it did back then one time in Bethlehem.  But, right now, I’d rather be sipping Cuba Libres on the powdery white beaches of Vieques, Boracay, or Phuket. Warm holiday wishes to all!

He's Got a Thing

He’s Hanni El Khatib, a young musician whose song was featured recently in a Nike commercial.  His thing of course is his music, but not only that. He has a background that helps bond his talent and musical persona. An NPR article about him offers this description of him: ^[1]

A first-generation American of Palestinian and Filipino descent, El Khatib was raised in San Francisco during the emergence of skateboard culture. Despite his international background, he says he grew up listening to classic Americana music, '60s soul, surf, doo-wop and British Invasion rock.

Jon Caramanica of the New York Times writes of his talent: ^[2]

But while this music sounds as if it were pasted together with spit and glue, really it’s far more contained and considered.

That’s American spit and glue, Mr. Caramanica, and that’s what ought to bind anyone else with such a multi-cultural background and unbridled talent.

^[1] npr.com
^[2] Jon Caramanica, “Songs of Abandon, Love and Everday”, The New York Times, Oct. 14, 2011

Inside, Looking Out

On the way back from Zuccoti Park^[1] this weekend, care to check out two plays currently in preview?  I know art is a luxury for us 99’ers nowadays.  But if you do manage to see either of these, I’m curious about what the odds are that each would enlighten views from the other side?  One percent?

“Asuncion”^[2] is about a couple of friends whose liberal views are challenged when a Filipino woman moves in with them.  Jesse Eisenberg, famous for his role in “The Social Network”, is the playwright and one of the actors.

“Chinglish”^[3] by David Henry Hwang, Tony award-winning playwright (M. Butterfly), traces similar cross-cultural challenges, this time from the perspective of a businessman traveling to China.

 

 

^[1] scribd.com
^[2] rattlestick.org
^[3] cherrylanetheater.org

Shed Tears Yet?

“I’ve had enough of the Japanese earthquake news.  Can we switch to another channel now?”  The thought just left me aghast.  Can I be as stoic?  When was the last time I shed tears over similar devastating news?  Memories of 9/11 gushed in very quickly.  Then there’s Hurricane Katrina, then Haiti.

Hurricane Katrina and Haiti’s earthquake hit much closer to home, and The World Trade Center tragedy happened right in my work neighborhood.  Does the disaster in Japan seem more remote because it’s halfway across the world?  Maybe the early videos taken from the air or at a distance, described to be of “Steven Spielberg proportions” by one reporter, brings it away further from us.

The news will then start focusing on the people, the faces of the survivors and the bodies of the dead retrieved from the rubble.  Here’s where Hurricane Katrina, the Haiti earthquake and 9/11 really hit hard for me:  the mourning of the dead, the anguished pleas for help and relief, and the over-long search in desperate hope to find the missing.

Have you shed some tears yet?  There’s no need for tears, really, but here’s HOW YOU CAN HELP.

***

Viewers of “train wreck” TV programming can’t get their eyes off all the car chases, vacation accidents, people getting run over or falling, and more people getting hurt.  Most of the violence shown appears to be self-inflicted and often brought about by sheer stupidity.  Still, my blood curdles thinking how tragedy can be commercialized to such extent.  I’m wondering which advertisers invest on such shows?  How much do each shell out for, say, a 30-second spot? 

 

The Most Typical Vs. Desired Face in the World

Twenty-eight years old, Male, and Chinese.  That’s the profile of the most typical person in the world according to research from the National Geographic Magazine.  Of course, it’s also nice of them to render a composite image of that person’s face based on thousands of photographs. ^[1]

As Arte Johnson would exclaim, “Very interesting!”  Even more interesting perhaps would be a composite of what the most aspired face in this planet might be.  Of course, the cop-out would be, “It depends.”  But, let’s stretch our imagination here for a second.  And, feel free leaping to the similarly sensational conclusions as the publication has done.  If you can change your face, what will that face look like? 

Many have taken this interest to greater—and more serious—lengths, altering their own face via cosmetic surgery.  According to the New York Times, having the extreme makeover is highly in demand especially among the immigrant communities here.  The motive varies but assimilation seems to be the pervading theme, the need to look “more American”. ^[2]

Very interesting, indeed!

^[1] Liz Goodman, “The Most Typical Face in the Planet”, The Lookout, Yahoo! News, Mar. 3, 2011
^[2] Sam Dolnick, “Ethnic Differences Emerge in Plastic Surgery”, The New York Times, Feb. 18, 2011

 

American Adobo. Which One?

“Really, that’s it”, Sam Sifton exclaims how simple it is to make chicken adobo.  One caveat:  it’s just one version of the national dish of the Philippines.  “This is adobo,” he writes, “Every man an island.” ^[1]

I myself have never tried the variation offered in Mr. Sifton’s article, which is courtesy of Purple Yam ^[2], so off to the kitchen I went to give it a shot.  At my first attempt, I wasn’t really sure that the ingredient measurements were correct.  Tasting the brew while it simmered, I thought it was too vinegary.  Still, I decided to stick strictly to the recipe, to such surprising results.  Ang sarap!

Every man an island?  True.  A friend’s mom added Chivas Regal—no other whisky brand will do.  I for one once served a version that called for shrimp fry, to the dismay of my non-Filipino guests at the table. “Aw, the poor little baby shrimps.”  When my mom cooked adobo, it seemed like she was winging it each time.  None of those cook book standard measurements, oh no!  Still, each dish came out of her kitchen as a precise success.

Now, why did this magazine article prompt me to watch a film entitled “American Adobo”? ^[3] The story was about five Filipino-American friends searching for new meaning in life.  Silly at times, the movie evoked unintended laugh-out-loud moments, especially courtesy of one overacting actor.  The intended adobo metaphor seemed lost to me at first.  In the end, I admit, the movie still resonated with me, the same way Mr. Sifton’s featured recipe resonated with my palate and stomach.  Ah, the meaning of life!

^[1] Sam Sifton, “The Cheat: The Adobo Experiment”, The New York Times, Jan. 5, 2011
^[2] Purple Yam
^[3] RottenTomatoes.com 

Arisen!

Enjoying a glass of Cabernet Sauvignon at a Pan-Asian Chelsea joint, I couldn’t help but notice a boisterous group enjoying their pre-dinner cocktails at a table nearby.  The 30-something male trio relishes their time together with jubilant chatter and unhinged laughter.  From their conversation, Gladys Kravitz could intermittently decipher a word or two in English.  For the most part they’re speaking Bahasa.  They’re Indonesian. They’re gay.  They’re out.  And they’re now emphatically (flamboyantly) having a “Sex in the City” moment, with ne’er a care in the world.

Now, I can’t help but recall this Indonesian flick I’ve seen recently, “Arisan”. ^[1] Its main character is also in his thirties, but he is a closeted gay man just in the process of being pried out of his comfortable but lonely closet.  Dorothy is not in Chelsea anymore.  While Jakarta happens to be the capital of the biggest Muslim country in the world, luckily you’re not in Uganda either. ^[2]  Still, Indonesia is enough of a setting to have your heels clicking 24/7 if you were the main character in this movie. 

“Arisan” is said to have broken barriers, the first Indonesian film to breach the taboo topic of homosexuality.  While touted as a “feel-good” movie, it still feels like it is decades old compared to my restaurant scene in Chelsea.  It’s heartbreaking to witness the portrayal of reality.  Personal struggles for social acceptance of one’s identity are still such a big deal on the other side of the world.  Nevertheless, it is comforting to know that the story is not one of tragedy, as would be the case if it were a film based on David Kato’s own struggles. ^[2]

^[1] The New York Times Movie Review, Feb. 8, 2011
^[2] Bishop Pierre Whalon, “Christian Morality and the Murder of David Kato”, The Huffington Post, Feb. 7, 2011