Month: May 2004

I’ve been waiting for this one for oh, the past 20 years. On SCC 20 years ago, some Jewish twit made a comparison of the Chinese treatment toward Tibetans something like a concentration camp etc, and said that all Chinese students should be expelled. In a brilliant piece of sarcasm (if I humbly say so myself), I copied his piece almost verbatim but substituted Chinese and Tibetans with Jews and Palestinians. Check out this 1992 unofficial FAQ on SCC.

Apparently, some other Jews agree with me, like the Israeli Justice Minister Yosef Lapid. Heh. 🙂

=YC

Will put more detail in this entry tonight, but the Philly trip went well. Learned the difference between Manet and Monet. Awesome Cheese Steaks at Jim’s Steaks on South Street and 4th:

More photos: Philly, International Food Fest

Saw Wong Kar Wai’s In the Mood for Love at BAM — a masterpiece. Michael Moore’s Fahrenheit 911 won the Palm d’Or at Cannes; 2046 went away with nothing. On the bright side, it should be at the SF APA film fest in March 2005.

Film Review: 2046 (The Guardian)

The long-awaited (5 years, 3 different locales, random plot and actor-switching) Wong Kar Wai movie 2046 finally opened on Thursday to acclaim. It had to postpone its press showing Wednesday because Wong was flying with the last 20% of the film with him, and he missed his connection to France from Bangkok. It’s a sequel to In the Mood For Love, which I just watched on Netflix. In the Mood is about unrequited love set in 1960’s Hong Kong (my father was there until 1965), and it is really interesting to see what life was like in that time. From the press photos, the new movie continues its luxurious rich reds and blues, but incorporates sci-fi themes. The movie continues in the late 60’s with Tony Leung’s character dreaming about love and riding a train to the future. “2046” is the main character’s hotel room number, as well as the year Hong Kong’s special administrative status with China will end, both of which are examined in the film. Of course, a movie with Gong Li, Zhang Ziyi, Faye Wong and Maggie Cheung — four of the hottest Chinese actresses today — can’t be missed. I hear that it will open in Asia in October — can’t wait to see it, maybe at the SF Asian Film Festival?

On the train last night, the group conversation was about “What were your worst train experiences?”. I seemed to have the record. For worst train experience not personally impacting me, there was the time the train I was riding ran over someone in the tunnel. They didn’t let us know what was happening until we got lead back to the station through another train that they hooked up to the back of the one we were on. Then there was the time I was randomly punched in the mouth by some dude getting off of the train. I think it was a racial bias thing, but the upshot is that it chipped a tooth. Then the worst one was when I was followed off a train and was stabbed with a machete. That was like almost 15 years ago when the City was still Dodge. That being said, the City and the subway are a lot better than it used to be.

I’m going to Philadelphia with P– on Saturday, and then seeing Shrek 2 in NY on Sunday.

So it’s kind of big news around here. The after shocks of the recent Presidential elections is still being felt. Today was the inauguration of President-elect Chen Shui-bian even though the recount is on-going. He won by 30,000 or so votes and 40,000 votes are in dispute. Meanwhile, China says, that it will invade Taiwan if it decides to “go independent”. See the fun rhetoric here at the NYTimes and CNN where apparently, China is reiterating its intention to use force to keep Taiwan a part of China.

I don’t know… with $100 billion dollars worth of Taiwan investment and $8.5 billion in bi-lateral trade, I hardly think it’s worth all that money to flush down the drain. Even so, the bark is worse than its bite as China simply doesn’t have the military capacity to invade Taiwan successfully (see Normandy and do a comparative analysis). 15 years ago, I was part of the Taiwan Independence debate on SCC (soc.culture.china USENET group) and feel that things are a bit different then than now. Taiwan is a de facto independent nation and Taiwan should call China’s bluff. You can read what Chen Shui-bian feels in his inauguration speech.

AJ and I were musing today on some fun work related events. It’s directly related to the on-going Taiwan development — namely, those who are most capable, have already left Taiwan for other places. Those who are left are well, direct empirical evidence contrary to the stereotype that Chinese people are smart. MIT doesn’t mean what it used to a couple of decades ago.

Anyways, I’m just continuing on my journey here and see where it leads.

=YC

The Iliad: Saw Troy with P- and her sister on Saturday. Wow, talk about Ishtar on the Aegean! OK, it wasn’t that bad, but paraphrasing the review from The Onion — it turned a 10 year war into a really bad spring break fling. Oftentimes, you just look at Orlando Bloom playing Paris and think that you’re in The Lord of the Rings – Frodo on Growth Hormones. Not value for money unless you’re channelling Brad Pitt.

The Odyssey: walked the length of the Ninth Avenue International Food Festival from 39th to 57th Street– wow, what great food! We had lobsters at Central Fish Market for $7 each. Jerk Chicken: $5 ea. Soft shell crab sandwiches. Tamales. Polish pierogi. Cupcakes from the Cupcake Cafe. Passed up on paella, BB Sandwich Bar’s cheesesteak sandwiches, corn cakes and mozzerella, Greek desserts, and much more because we just didn’t have room to eat them. Definately recommended next year.

I found this little experiment of social interaction to be really funny. I know that I wouldn’t like it very much. Women not talking, now that indeed would be a strange one.

This year’s weather has been awfully strange. Since being here, there’s been at least 3 “earthquakes”. One I felt but the other two, only known due to subway announcement but the trains still ran. Typhoon season is coming up so it’ll be interesting to see how it goes in the upcoming few weeks.

=YC

Saw the movie “Van Helsing” yesterday. I know that the reviews in the media have been mixed about it, but I thought it was all right. Don’t go see it expecting an Oscar award type of movie – it’s most certainly not. But, it’s a good popcorn movie (and I was certainly munching a bunch of that – spare the butter flavoring, save some calories) and even better to see it at matinee pricing (avoid paying the full price – it’s not that good a movie).

Hugh Jackman as Gabriel van Helsing, hunter of demons on the side of Good (well, apparently having allied himself with the Catholic Church which allied itself with Buddhists, Muslims, and others to stop monsters). Demonstrating some gravitas and moral virtues and sadness in his character, Jackman saved the movie from becoming a silly computer graphic animation (the movie, made by the guys who gave us “The Mummy” franchise – do they realize that they can only so much rely on the graphics?). Plus, it’s funny saying the name, “Van Helsing” with a fake Eastern European accent (say it three fast, and you’ll see what I mean). Richard Roxburgh, playing Dracula, had his over-acting moments (if you had seen his playing Sherlock Holmes in the latest version of “The Hound of the Baskervilles,” on Masterpiece Theatre as I have, you’ll know what I mean), but it’s all about Jackman. Plus I think there was the most accurate portrayal of the Frankenstein monster (as in, true to the original book version by Mary Shelley). David Wenham, the guy who played Faramir in two parts of the “Lord of the Rings,” was almost unrecognizable in this movie – a very skilled actor, I’ll say, to do a totally different character well. Oh, and Kate Beckinsale co-stars. Curious ending – almost daring. I won’t give it away, really – you’ll all have to see it for yourselves. But, it’s all about Jackman. Do I really have to say it again?

Last year, the horse Funny Cide tried real hard to get the Triple Crown of horse racing, but was stopped by the Belmont stakes. That odd horse of 2004 – Smarty Jones – (again) came from behind yesterday to beat out the not-so-great pool for the Preakness – and, like Funny Cide last year, will try for the Triple Crown at Belmont. Hmm. Funny how this time of year makes me think that I like the horsies.

“The Practice” series finale tonight – salute to the firm of Donnell, Young, Frut, and Berluti for having tried real hard for the past several years to give us decent tv/non-reality stuff to watch.

Enjoy the nice weather in NYC today. I could have sworn we were in the middle of spring.

Music: GiTS:SAC Theme (MP3)
Rachael Yamagata (Artist Direct.com).

APA Half Hour: between 12:30 and 1 am, Conan O’Brian had Pun Yin, Donald Trump’s feng shui expert, and ballard singer Rachael Yamagata. Afterwards, cartoon King of the Hill featured Connie, Bobby’s Laoian girlfriend in “Aisle 8A“.

Saw a preview of Ghost in the Shell: Stand Alone Complex. Fantastic CGI, great music by Yama Kano. The plot didn’t translate so well in English — I wish that they had played the Japanese soundtrack with subtitles.

Going to the 9th Avenue Food Fair — it’s today and tomorrow from 57th Steet down to the 30’s.

Wednesday’s “Angel” – crazy stuff indeed. I swear, Angel’s whole free will thing is amazingly impressive. That’s always been his theme, and he’ll stick to it, thank you very much.

“Frasier” – umm… okay. It was all right. I’m not a big “Frasier” fan, and haven’t watched it at all this season (any storylines I have followed have been entirely due to NBC’s commercials or from TV Guide), but the series finale was all right.

More APA stuff: check out NY1’s series of articles/news stories about APA’s in the five boroughs; it ain’t just your grandpa’s Chinatown anymore (well, certainly not my grandfather’s, to be more precise).

More series and season finales tomorrow, and the weekend. So it goes.

Since when is the best interest of the child not served by being separated from her natural parents? I’m curious to know what the Tennessee burden is in this case

Anyone point a law link to this to explain the judge’s reasoning? Couldn’t quite tell from the news article blurb.

=YC