Tag: recounted

Posted on

when theater attacks

i kind of freaked out this morning while on the muni when i realized i didn’t post anything yesterday while at my temp job. i had the blog open and ready because by 1pm, i finished all the assignments given to me. when i mentioned that i was done, my supervisor then gave me another project that took up the rest of the afternoon. unlike my other temp gig, days go by so much quicker when i have projects to work on!

then i had to run out and meet MGS for dinner before we headed off to ashby to see beardo, a pretty amazing new musical by the shotgun players. shotgun has produced consistently great theater. their branding is really strong — you think shotgun and automatically the words “cool” and “edgy” come to mind, which is how this show was. it was a musical retelling of rasputin’s life. i always get rasputin confused with nostradamus though that’s understandable since they were both kinda freaky deaky mystics. the music was great – really catchy, rock, spoken word, doo wop, everything mixed into one. and the cast was spot on — not a weak moment or member in the group.

the same can be said about songs of the dragon flying to heaven, the new production co-produced by aatc and crowded fire. i really encourage folks to see it, especially my asian american friends. the playwright is no joke: she whips out every stereotype possible and kills it with sharp, piercing words and imagery. i was cringing and laughing throughout the whole play because the material is just so unfiltered, honest, and smart. it’s like she expresses everything that i’ve thought about in terms of race and media and relationships and religion and power dynamics — all rolled into one. there were times when the play bordered on commentary, but it was almost necessary considering the audience that might be watching it. she really got me thinking about who and why and what theater is for and who i am as an asian american actor/writer. i’m still trying to process everything that this play touched upon and really hope you guys catch it so we can talk about it!!!

thank god it’s friday friday friday. oh my god. i woke up close to 7am, had a bowl of cereal, and waited at the bus stop! i am rebecca black. i hate that i think about her EVERY FRIDAY NOW. when will this madness end?

seriously, the companies i’ve been temping for are getting me for a great discounted rate. i’ve been doing layout work for this one and it’s like, uhh, people charge 3x as much for these services. oy!

Posted on

the fruits of your labor

air canada
AL on the flight back to Tokyo
thank you NI for the pic!

it was a long night last night. first, AL and NI found out that the second leg of their trip was cancelled… TWO MONTHS AGO! actually, the whole route was discontinued, but neither their booking agent nor the airline informed them of the change. so then AL had to call both parties to figure out what was going on and what their options were. i think i watched one too many episodes of oprah or read one too many travel reports about how to negotiate with airlines in these situations so i jumped in, pretending to be AL and tried, unsuccessfully, to get air canada to book them on another airline so that they could land in haneda as originally planned. boo hiss. the only thing that came out of the 2+ hour negotiation was a slight “upgrade” to the emergency seats which offers a little more leg room (as seen in the pic above). they are now, sadly, on their way back to japan. the apartment feels so empty aside from the birds who, for whatever reason, are still pecking at the kitchen window. the good news is MGS will be landing soon, too, and i’m excited to see him. it’s been so long!

the other night NI and i discussed our widowed mothers and how they’ve been coping with their losses. it wasn’t until relatively recently that her mother opened up about her grief and mourning process. i explained that my mother has never been shy about talking about dad and how she reminds me each time i speak to her how much she misses him. could it be people hold onto grief because grieving is a way of never forgetting?

though the circumstances are in no way alike, i think about how i feel when MGS is away: even though it’s only usually for relatively brief periods of time, there is a small part in me that fears “forgetting” what it feels like to be with him. if i learned to be independent again – watch movies alone, sleep alone, eat alone – then it’s like i’m abandoning the relationship (err — which might only reveal my own neuroses, but …). i imagine it’s somewhat similar to mourning a spouse, which leads the widower into murky territory. the trick is not to mistaken “happiness” with “abandonment,” which i feel my mom is definitely working towards. not to say there are not good memories, but if i understand grief at all, it’s much harder for a person to think about the “good times we shared” positively when you’re constantly thinking about “the good times we could’ve shared.” and to have to learn how to break the habits you adopt in coupledom!!! i can’t imagine — i don’t want to imagine.

Posted on

a day of good news

there is nothing like waking up to the smell of commitment! woke up and learned some really happy news about a certain couple whom i adore. i cannot divulge anymore than that, but goodness if every morning started off that excitingly (is that a word?), i’d never need coffee again!

i had to then rush off to KT rehearsal, which coincided with my audition, both at the same location. i was running in-between the two for the whole day. my adrenalin is running pretty high right now. apparently i did a decent enough job to be asked back for a callback. when i got home, i emailed the artistic director of both theater companies who are producing this piece to thank them. one sent an immediate response saying i was in contention for one of the roles. i’m not too sure though — seems like the who’s who of asian american actors were out there today reading and who am i but a fleck of sand in the performance universe. but isn’t that the worse — thinking that you might have a chance? i counted my eggs before they hatched with the tides job and now this! i’ve learned … don’t expect anything good and always expect the worse. that way when something good happens, you’ll be pleasantly surprised.

i learned that it takes me reallllly long to digest a script. to really work a scene to death and find all the little nuances. it’s definitely a drawback that’s hurt me in the past. gah – i just wish folks would give me more of a chance!

during the KT rehearsal, we really worked through a lot of the logistical issues that have been bothering me for awhile. i finally suggested we set up a time for writers to meet BEFORE rehearsals so that we could be more ready to tackle rehearsing scripts on our feet. problem is that we might now be combining KT writing with my personal writing time with MJ. agh. which means i have to be more on top of my own writing, too. let’s see how this all pans out.

tonight’s the last evening NI and AL will be in town. boo! let’s hope for cancellations for all flights to japan!

Posted on

i’m going crazy, i’m losing my mind

this girl is SICK:

her runs and range are out of this world. what’s in the water over in england that’s producing all these neo-soul british women?

i’ve got an audition on sunday. as always, i feel totally out of practice. i should make it a habit to practice a monologue weekly just to keep it fresh in my head. oy vey. i’m really starting to worry about my memory, though.

for instance, this morning, i was making a cup of coffee using our espresso machine. my usual routine:
– dump out old grounds from the portafilter
– use portafilter to measure fresh beans
– pour beans into grinder and grind
– transport grounds back into the portafilter and brew
… not as difficult or confusing as it sounds.

EXCEPT i totally forgot to grind the coffee beans at all. i just stuck the portafilter with the whole beans in it back onto the machine and started brewing. i was brewing beans. whole beans!

when i saw that the coffee was coming out clear, i realized my mistake and had to grind the steamed beans. it still tasted really good, but oh my god — what is going on with me?

i wonder how much of this has to do with the fact that i’m totally inactive and the temp jobs i’ve been getting have not been challenging AT ALL. i think that’s why i’ve been like a lion pounding on any opportunity to take on a leadership role through KT (like producing this next big show of ours). my brain cells are dying. i need to do some daily sudoku or something!!!

tonight is the big NI and AL lovefest dinner. we have a delicious menu planned. it’s a beautiful day and i’m sure it’ll be a fun evening. had a chance to catch up with JL last night while NI and AL snuck out for drinks and dessert with AL’s friends. we were talking about some pretty deep things – forming new friendships, recognizing in yourself the attributes you kinda despise in other people, relationships. it’s unavoidable, but still can’t believe that she’ll be heading away for school in just a few months. the bay will definitely suck without her.

bagh — let’s not think about it. just means we got to have more QT!

Posted on

the royalty have arrived

reunited and it feels so goood…

NI and AL are here (whoah — i was about to type NL and AI .. THAT would be interesting)! they met me at my temp office to pick up the keys and to grab a bite at boudins. damn their bread is good, but $8 for a whole sandwich that’s about the size of 1/2 a normal sandwich? really, fisherman’s wharf? anyway, we caught up over lunch, albeit hurriedly since i had to be back in the office. it was as if we were never apart! they informed me that some folks in nyc are refusing to move to the bay area because – and i quote, “that would mean Will wins.”

🙂

anyway, after lunch, we separated. wrapped up my last few hours of beautiful views and hottie architects and hopped on the muni to head home. on the way out of the office, i ended up talking to one of the employees who apparently worked for the interior design firm that’s renting office space from SB (who knew?). he was super chill and we talked from pier 39 to powell. i guess he’s from manila and is pretty new to the firm. his hope is not to stay in the states or in luxury projects, but to make enough to move back to manila to open his own firm. no idea what his name is, but i will remember his face, i’m sure. i asked him about manila – actually, my tactless-self said, “people have very mixed feelings about manila.” he knew what i meant, and concurred that it’s not the best place to visit, but if you’re from there and know the culture, people, and places to go, that it’s actually a great place to be.

back home, we ordered pizza from zantes, which took TWO HOURS to be delivered to the apartment. it’s indian pizza so imagine a pizza, but with lamb, shrimp, and a bunch of indian spices. it is freaking delicious. AL went to meet his friend while NI and i just passed out. it is so refreshing to get 9 hours of sleep again finally. i’m not sure i can ever work a normal 9-5 anymore.