Banally Chat

Grups? Nah, up with yupsters!

2006-03-27T11:27:00.000-08:00

SF has almost as many as NYC. They're slowly taking over.

If you live on the west or east coast, you've probably seen them without knowing what to call them (don't think there's a lot in the middle.... yet... but who knows?). Canada will see them in about 10 years.

What are they? They're Grups.

Also known as yupster (yuppie + hipster), yindie (yuppie + indie), and alterna-yuppie. Our preferred term, grup, is taken from an episode of Star Trek (keep reading) in which Captain Kirk et al. land on a planet of children who rule the world, with no adults in sight. The kids call Kirk and the crew “grups,” which they eventually figure out is a contraction of “grown-ups.” It turns out that all the grown-ups had died from a virus that greatly slows the aging process and kills anybody who grows up.

Check out Adam Sternbergh's interesting article on The New York Magazine website.

It was an Oscar Meyer night....

2006-03-22T11:34:00.000-08:00

meaning, it bit the big weinie. I thought Jon Stewart did a decent job... some funny ad-libbing, opening number with the past hosts and Mel Gibson was good (though I think they should do the last coat of embalming on Billy Crystal and put him out of his misery... big fan, but now he's just looking scary!). I no longer think nominated songs shouldn't be performed on the show since Three 6 Mafia were on... about time rap was on the Oscars. But no big upsets, unless you count Crash winning best picture... did it deserve it? Well, considering everyone in Hollywood seemed to be in the damn movie, I guess they all voted for it over the movie they were sick of hearing about (there's a little gay cowboy movie that was the favorite to win, if you didn't know).

All in all, it was just an okay. Even watching the arrivals, my favorite part of award shows, wasn't that thrilling... everyone has gotten so safe with their choices. I wish stylists were not allowed. I wish Cher was still going to award shows. At least she had fun with her fashion. I suppose Charlize Theron meant to have fun but that origami dress with a bow was just ugly.

Or maybe my evening wasn't that good since I had driven out to my parents' house to watch it with them since they wanted to celebrate my dad's birthday dinner the same night (though it had been two nights before). Believe me, I love my family. But I would rather watch award shows alone with my ballot, checking my answers in my pajamas, not driving across the Bay Bridge in gale force winds with showers blocking my view. That's just me.

I suppose it didn't help that every time a new person came on screen, someone would ask "Who is that?", "Where do I know that person from?" "What movie did I just see them in?", etc. and I only knew the answers. It even got to the point where I stopped answering right away, to give my sister or brother a chance to answer instead. No such luck.

**on a side note, if you (for some strange reason) wrote down my Oscar picks and now see that some have changed, it's because upon further review, I rethought some choices prior to the awards. They now match the official ballot D. and I decided to bet upon. And in spite of it all, I think I'm the big winner... though it still has to be confirmed. Woo hoo! Maybe it wasn't a weinie of a night after all.

2005 Oscar Noms Announced!

2006-01-31T14:32:00.000-08:00

I didn't wake up to hear it live (what time do they announce it? Um... no thanks, I'll read about it later), but for your consideration...

Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences
78th Annual Academy Awards Nominations

PERFORMANCE BY AN ACTOR IN A LEADING ROLE
Philip Seymour Hoffman - CAPOTE*
Terrence Howard - HUSTLE & FLOW
Heath Ledger - BROKEBACK MOUNTAIN
Joaquin Phoenix - WALK THE LINE
David Strathairn - GOOD NIGHT, AND GOOD LUCK.

PERFORMANCE BY AN ACTOR IN A SUPPORTING ROLE
George Clooney - SYRIANA*
Matt Dillon - CRASH
Paul Giamatti - CINDERELLA MAN
Jake Gyllenhaal - BROKEBACK MOUNTAIN
William Hurt - A HISTORY OF VIOLENCE

PERFORMANCE BY AN ACTRESS IN A LEADING ROLE
Judi Dench - MRS. HENDERSON PRESENTS
Felicity Huffman - TRANSAMERICA
Keira Knightley - PRIDE & PREJUDICE
Charlize Theron - NORTH COUNTRY
Reese Witherspoon - WALK THE LINE*

PERFORMANCE BY AN ACTRESS IN A SUPPORTING ROLE
Amy Adams - JUNEBUG
Catherine Keener - CAPOTE
Frances McDormand - NORTH COUNTRY
Rachel Weisz - THE CONSTANT GARDENER*
Michelle Williams - BROKEBACK MOUNTAIN

BEST ANIMATED FEATURE FILM OF THE YEAR
HOWL'S MOVING CASTLE
TIM BURTON'S CORPSE BRIDE
WALLACE & GROMIT IN THE CURSE OF THE WERE-RABBIT*

ACHIEVEMENT IN ART DIRECTION
GOOD NIGHT, AND GOOD LUCK.
HARRY POTTER AND THE GOBLET OF FIRE
KING KONG
MEMOIRS OF A GEISHA*
PRIDE & PREJUDICE

ACHIEVEMENT IN CINEMATOGRAPHY
BATMAN BEGINS
BROKEBACK MOUNTAIN*
GOOD NIGHT, AND GOOD LUCK.
MEMOIRS OF A GEISHA
THE NEW WORLD

ACHIEVEMENT IN COSTUME DESIGN
CHARLIE AND THE CHOCOLATE FACTORY
MEMOIRS OF A GEISHA*
MRS. HENDERSON PRESENTSPRIDE & PREJUDICE
WALK THE LINE

ACHIEVEMENT IN DIRECTING
BROKEBACK MOUNTAIN*
CAPOTE
CRASH
GOOD NIGHT, AND GOOD LUCK.
MUNICH

BEST DOCUMENTARY FEATURE
DARWIN'S NIGHTMARE
ENRON: THE SMARTEST GUYS IN THE ROOM*
MARCH OF THE PENGUINS
MURDERBALL
STREET FIGHT

BEST DOCUMENTARY SHORT SUBJECT
THE DEATH OF KEVIN CARTER: CASUALTY OF THE BANG BANG CLUB
GOD SLEEPS IN RWANDA*
THE MUSHROOM CLUB
A NOTE OF TRIUMPH: THE GOLDEN AGE OF NORMAN CORWIN

ACHIEVEMENT IN FILM EDITING
CINDERELLA MAN
THE CONSTANT GARDENER
CRASH*
MUNICH
WALK THE LINE

BEST FOREIGN LANGUAGE FILM OF THE YEAR
DON'T TELL
JOYEUX NOèL
PARADISE NOW
SOPHIE SCHOLL - THE FINAL DAYS
TSOTSI*

ACHIEVEMENT IN MAKEUP
THE CHRONICLES OF NARNIA: THE LION, THE WITCH AND THE WARDROBE*
CINDERELLA MAN
STAR WARS: EPISODE III REVENGE OF THE SITH

ACHIEVEMENT IN MUSIC WRITTEN FOR MOTION PICTURES
(ORIGINAL SCORE)
BROKEBACK MOUNTAIN*
THE CONSTANT GARDENER
MEMOIRS OF A GEISHA
MUNICH
PRIDE & PREJUDICE

ACHIEVEMENT IN MUSIC WRITTEN FOR MOTION PICTURES
(ORIGINAL SONG)
"In the Deep" - CRASH*
"It's Hard Out Here for a Pimp" - HUSTLE & FLOW
"Travelin' Thru" - TRANSAMERICA

BEST MOTION PICTURE OF THE YEAR
BROKEBACK MOUNTAIN*
CAPOTE
CRASH
GOOD NIGHT, AND GOOD LUCK.
MUNICH

BEST ANIMATED SHORT FILM
BADGERED*
THE MOON AND THE SON: AN IMAGINED CONVERSATION
THE MYSTERIOUS GEOGRAPHIC EXPLORATIONS OF JASPER MORELLO
9
ONE MAN BAND

BEST LIVE ACTION SHORT FILM
AUSREISSER (THE RUNAWAY)
CASHBACK
THE LAST FARM
OUR TIME IS UP
SIX SHOOTER*

ACHIEVEMENT IN SOUND EDITING
KING KONG
MEMOIRS OF A GEISHA
WAR OF THE WORLDS*

ACHIEVEMENT IN SOUND MIXING
THE CHRONICLES OF NARNIA: THE LION, THE WITCH AND THE WARDROBE
KING KONG
MEMOIRS OF A GEISHA
WALK THE LINE
WAR OF THE WORLDS*

ACHIEVEMENT IN VISUAL EFFECTS
THE CHRONICLES OF NARNIA: THE LION, THE WITCH AND THE WARDROBE*
KING KONG
WAR OF THE WORLDS

ADAPTED SCREENPLAY
BROKEBACK MOUNTAIN*
CAPOTE
THE CONSTANT GARDENER
A HISTORY OF VIOLENCE
MUNICH

ORIGINAL SCREENPLAY
CRASH*
GOOD NIGHT, AND GOOD LUCK.
MATCH POINT
THE SQUID AND THE WHALE
SYRIANA

Tune in on March 6th to see if my picks were spot-on! I should mention that I have never done well in Oscar pools, nor have I ever won any contests or quizzes that were based on Oscar predictions. But... there's always a first time.

Wow... long time!

2006-01-31T10:23:00.000-08:00

That last post has been sitting as a draft all this time. Almost a year. You'd think that I would have had some time to update this blog in the past year. Sheesh! Apologies, especially since I now have a comment! V. exciting.

So... rather than try to fill you in on what's been happening for 11 months, let's just move forward, shall we?

I've been really into food blogs, especially in foreign countries or right here in the Bay Area. On one of them, I found a quick and decided to take it (I'm usually horrible at quizzes):

You Are Chinese Food

Exotic yet ordinary.
People think they've had enough of you, but they're back for more in an hour.

What Kind of Food Are You?

Off to Reno for St Paddy's Day!

2005-03-17T07:51:00.000-08:00

I have to admit, I love gambling. It's not an obsession (for me, that would be my handbag collection); I always have fun doing it but know my limits. Believe me, I haven't gotten so bad that I spent all my rent money, but some of my financial aid during college went to a fair share of cards.

My very first time in a casino was with my parents. It was Vegas, but since I was too little to remember, I'll count Reno as my first time. We stayed at the Circus Circus. However, being only 8, I was only interested in the circus acts and arcade games in their "big top". Many hours and quarters wasted, only to win stuffed animals that cost pennies to make. By evening, my parents would be sick of us, cotton candy and skeeball, ready to go hit the slots. My sister and I would have the luxury of ordering room service (something that I still love to do) and watching tv till late. Those were the heady days of innocence, before the lure of striking it rich snagged me in.

So off I go, looking forward to green beer at the Fitz; an Awful Awful and fries at the best diner in Reno; and a cush room at the Silver Legacy.

You know you’re a Marina Chick when…

2005-03-10T14:45:00.000-08:00

You know you’re a Marina Chick when…

Found the following printout, minus a few things that are outdated, in a drawer recently. It was originally posted on craigslist.org back in ’02. Even if you don’t live in SF, I’m sure you can imagine women like this. Also, I have to admit, I’ve fallen victim to some of these (not saying which ones, though):

1. you’re afraid to go to Balboa Café because you have gotten together with too many of the male patrons

2. you have a toasted Noah’s bagel with lite schmear and a Jamba Juice for breakfast every morning and you can’t figure out why your Bebe boot cut black Lycra pants are getting snug

3. you’ve dated 18 men in the last four months and you’re still single

4. you have a crush on a bartender

5. you have dated someone who used to date your roommate’s best friend’s sister’s cousin, or your roommate

6. the only consideration when buying your cell phone was the weekend minute plan

7. your haircut costs more than a small car

8. you need to blend two lip-pencils, plus a lipstick and gloss, just to get your shade

9. you have a contraband tube of Retin-A from Mexico somewhere in your home

10. about married friends… on the weekend you ask, “What the hell were they thinking?”… on weeknights you think,
“I bet she’s getting a foot massage right now.”

11. you’ve won bingo at Ace Wasabi

12. the only time you ever cook a full meal is to impress a guy

13. you feel that $25 is a bit “pricey” for a mani/pedi combo

14. if the MAC store were to close, you’d picket

15. you regard email as a flirting device with editing capabilities

16. you have worn body glitter for no other reason than it’s Saturday night

17. you have 18 pairs of black shoes, not including the ones in your strappy sandal collection

18. you know the difference between midnight black, jet black, off black, gray black, and black black

19. you have no full fat items in your fridge except wine (because they don’t make Cakebread Lite)

20. you have attended the Polk St Fair, the North Beach Fair, and the Union St Fair, but have never bought a craft (There were crafts there?)

21. you own a Jetta, Saab 900, Audi or Rav-4. It’s about a year old but it only has 12 miles on it (because you take MUNI to work and cab it on the weekends)

22. the 12 miles on your car are from going to Trader Joe’s that one time for Tuna Jerky, Toblerone, and wine

23. you only feel like going to the gym on “thin days”

24. you have driven taxi drivers crazy by telling them, “No, we don’t wanna go there, let’s go to another bar across town” – all because there are no cute guys in line

25. you have given your phone number to a guy, he’s called, you made a date, and you have absolutely no recollection of what he looks like

26. you’ve bought new undergarments because you haven’t done laundry in so long

27. you’ve used the “It’s not you, it’s me” line at least once in the last year

28. you’ve pulled an item from the laundry, sprayed a little perfume on it, waved it around, and declared, “It’s not so
bad.”

29. you’ve gone to a restaurant with a friend, ate the complimentary bread, split a salad, each had a bottle of wine and called it dinner

30. on a given Saturday night, you have made a pre-dinner drink plan, a dinner plan with drinks, and post dinner drink plan

31. you have not taken the bus because they don’t take ATM cards

32. you go to sports bars to “play the game” vs. watch it

33. an average workout at Gorilla Sports is 1 hr: 5 min makeup application/workout prep, 35 min chatting with pals, 15 min on the treadmill, 5 min scoping the scene

Funny thing I just saw...

2005-03-01T15:39:00.000-08:00

In my Netflix queue:

Movie Title
Clockwatchers

MPAA
PG-13

Genre
Comedy

Availability
Very Long Wait

Made me giggle.

Good

2005-03-01T10:44:00.000-08:00

One of the perks of working for a magazine publishing company is getting free cds. People send in cds for reviews; cds then get dumped for others to take. Huge plastic bins are filled with discarded cds, mainly with band names unfamiliar to me. I just took a look at the cds there and here's a random sampling:

Butterfat Mastermind
The Duhks
bambix

I'm sure these bands are great... or at least, good enough to get a cd made or had the money or whatever. I haven't heard them so I can't say for sure, but I've never heard of them.

All the good cds get claimed before even reaching the bins. Once in a while, I'll find something I like enough to listen to at work, but not enough to take in my car and play.

So yesterday, as I was discussing a schedule change with an editor, I saw he had a copy of Better Than Ezra's Greatest Hits on his desk. When I commented about it, he gave it to me. Now, I couldn't recall any of their songs by name, but knew I had liked them in the mid 90's... or was it their name I liked? Anyways, I've been playing it this morning and now remember the song for which they were known:

"Good"
Album: Deluxe

Looking around the house.
Hidden behind the window and the door.
Searching for signs of life but there's nobody home.

Well, maybe I'm just too sure.
Maybe I'm just too frightened
by the sound of it.
Pieces of note fall down, but the letter said,

CHORUS:
Aha, it was good living with you.
Aha, it was good.
Aha, it was good living with you.
Aha, it was good.

Sitting around the house,
watching the sun trace shadows on the floor.
Searching for signs of life, but there's nobody home.

Well, maybe I'll call
or write you a letter.
Now, maybe we'll see on the Fourth of July.
But I'm not too sure, and I'm not too proud.
Well, I'm not too sure and I'm not too proud to say.

CHORUS:
Aha, it was good living with you.
Aha, it was good.
Aha, it was good living with you.
Aha, it was good.

spoken: Yeah, you were so good.yeah you were so good, yeah that's right...

Does anyone else remember it?

Interesting quote by the lead singer, Kevin Griffin, in the notes: "Never underestimate the power of the G, D, E min., C chord progression".

How true.

Reading blogs...

2005-02-22T12:39:00.000-08:00

Don't you hate it when you type a nice long post, only to hit the wrong button and everything disappears? Yes, it just happened with me. Maybe I should type this all out on Word and then copy? Hmmm.

Now, the difficulty lies in writing my heartfelt entry for the second time without giving up... here I go.

So rather than updating my new blog, I've been preoccupied with life, work, fun, etc. I suppose I just need to get into the habit of updating on a regular basis.

Actually, what I've been doing instead of writing my own is reading other blogs, food and Korean themed ones. Specifically, Korea Life Blog by Shawn Matthews. He is an American teaching ESL, or English as a Second Language, in South Korea. In fact, I've now read all of his archived files and am anxiously waiting to read what happens next.... sort of like a soap opera, without all the sensationalized bits, but just as entertaining.

Reading it has made me rethink something I decided long ago.

I am a Korean American, born in Los Angeles, but lived in Seoul for the first 5 years of my life with my parents and nanny. Then my dad's work brought us back to California and it's where I've been living since (minus a cross-country trip, but that's for another time). Korean was the first language I learned. To suddenly be thrust into an American school with no one who spoke Korean was frightening. My memories of those times are filled with teasing, tears, and hating the fact that I didn't fit in. But I adjusted, with repeating kindergarten and extra speech classes while my classmates had reading time. All the while, my parents insisted I spoke English at home, concerned for my future here in the US. So now, while I speak English perfectly with no trace of an accent, my Korean speaking ability is poor: stumbling, incorrect tenses, with an English accent I can hear myself, with my relatives laughing at every attempt. But I can still understand everything in Korean and always figured I could pick it up again in the future.

I didn't go back to Korea till 1987 on a summer school program with Canadian/Californian high school kids. I had so much fun with newly made friends, I didn't really pay attention to the fact that we got scowls from the native Koreans wherever we went. I figured it was because we didn't have that weird eyelid operation, or the fact we wore different kinds of clothes, or didn't walk around giggling and holding hands with other girls. Or maybe it was because of the braces a few of us had... I heard it was a rarity there. Bottom line, I figured they were irritated with any loud kids.

But when I went to Korea the next time, I figured it out. In 1994, I went to Seoul with my mom, to visit my grandparents. No more braces, but I didn't feel welcome. No politeness to me that would have been extended (feign or otherwise) to any Caucasian traveler.

I felt like I was between countries: in Korea, I was seen as an American and in the US, people saw me as an Asian. I suppose a lot of first generation Asian Americans feel this way but at the time, I felt like it was only me. That's when I decided not to go back to Korea. At least in America I could get around and didn't feel uncomfortable. Though I looked Korean, I would never be fully accepted there.

So after reading Shawn's blog, I think I've done myself a huge disservice by saying I'll never go to Korea again. It seems Korea has grown exponentially, culturally and socially. Some little things he has mentioned, which may seem bizarre or inconsequential or silly, has made me remember a Korea I had forgotten in my early 20's huff, when I now think *I* may have been the one wrong, not a country.

First Posting

2005-01-24T16:54:00.000-08:00

Looking forward to sharing my wry, sharp, sometimes-humorous views on all sorts of things. However, with my bad cold running me down, I'm not at my best today. So I'll keep this short and sweet.