Watched Annie Hall - perfectly Woody Allen. If only more relationships could be like Woody Allen movies where you quote your analyst, side step into your memories, and blurt out your thoughts and feelings like they were air.

I loved Annie Hall's costume in their introduction scene - it would be great to be Annie Hall for Halloween though its difficult to give up the once a year socially acceptable opportunity to wear as little as possible. What a sexually repressed culture we live in! It should be okay to wear whatever you want and not have it carry social implications.

The movie was great - 1.5 of non-stop talking about relationships and anxiety. The trailer called it "the nervous romance."

Heather and Jesse got hitched this weekend. Got to sign their wedding certificate - eppp! I get nervous with ink. I prepared a speech for the wedding though I was uncertain if I would give one. In hind sight I should have practiced, wrote note cards, then practiced with the note cards. I mostly shook and stuttered out random words from the speech - got the main points across.

The wedding was stylish and elegant in a simple almost 1930's way - very Heather and Jesse. The setting was a Dr. Seuss like sculpture garden, the floral design was mostly green, the cake toppers were Dia de los Muertos skeletons, and the get-away car was 50's vintage.

I am discovering that I love weddings. I used to feel that they were too plastic - a fake representation of love - though now as I get older I realize there are countless types of love and weddings are less about representing that love then it is about throwing yourself the biggest party of your life! If I do not get married in my life - I wonder if I can still throw myself a huge wedding like party?  If only I could have a Bar Mitzvah - except for the whole not being Jewish or twelve.

"To Heather and Jesse,

In sharing a bathroom with Heather, I have learned many things about her. For example seeing her pee as I brushed my teeth, one learns she is extremely humble and modest. Heather is also very stylish and quirky with ambitions to become a crazy cat lady and if you have ever seen her brood of three – you know she is well on her way.

Most importantly, Heather is caring. This is a wonderful quality she also shares with Jesse. Not only are they caring about each other, they are also very caring about their friends and family. Their love for family comes from non other then their own families and I wanted to thank the Sander's and Francisco's for all the work they have done raising Heather and Jesse and welcoming all of us into their families.

Heather and Jesse also have a very intuitive understanding of each other. Heather often says to me "oh don't worry – when Jesse does that, it really means this." When I first met Jesse, he struck me as scary with his tall stature, deep loud voice, heavy metal music, and spike through his lip. Now I see Jesse as a big teddy bear who still listens to heavy metal but without the spike.

As we all grow in our individuality, Heather and Jesse will help each other grow into even more wonderful versions of themselves, with more love, intuition, honesty, and cats, perhaps even getting a dog some day down the road.

To the Heather and Jesse now, to the Heather and Jesse of the future – live long and prosper."

Went to San Francisco to visit a friend before he graduated from Berkeley. Andrew was nice and let us stay at his apartment. Izzy lives down in San Fran now too.

It was a fun short trip and relatively cheap - $175 round trip flight! Walked across the Golden Gate bridge - learned that more people commit suicide on the bridge then anywhere else in the world and shockingly there is a documentary about just that called "The Bridge" (DUNN - Dunn - dunn! ).

Also rode the trolley, bar hopped in the Castro, ate a burrito in the Mission, ate dim sum in Chinatown, and most importantly - ate great food with friends. San Francisco is much more European / larger city feeling then Seattle. Afia and I did not see the similarity that people mention in regard to San Francisco and Seattle - all-in-all it was a great weekend.

Watched Paris, Je t'aime last night. It's 18 short films set in 18 of the 20 arrondissements of Paris. The shorts representing the XIe and XVe arrondissements were not included - which makes me curious to see them.

Each short was approximately 5 min long and I loved the political themes in some of them. It was interesting to see the 21 directors differing styles though it did not feel like one fluid movie like other composite short film films have, for example Coffee and Cigarettes which had one director.

Paris, Je t'aime instead felt like a film school assignment, the lesson being that the students differing styles/stories together gives a more accurate and holistic view of the theme. It was a very interesting film and I loved the majority of the shorts like:"Quais de Seine" - "Tuileries" - "Lion du 16e" - "Bastille" - "Place des fêtes" - "Faubourg Saint-Denis" - "Quartier Latin" - "14e arrondissement"

There was only one I disliked and that was "Porte de Choisy" directed by Christopher Doyle. I disliked how he exoticized asian women in Porte de Choisy (Chinatown) instead of integrating them into French culture. It was especially surprising coming from him since he has worked on some of the best films from Asia (including one of my favorite films - In the Mood for Love). Perhaps it was meant to be ironic though the short did not make much sense either and after the 5 min left me scratching my head wondering what the hell happened.

The Saturday before the Academy Awards, I went and saw Tosca with my mom, aunt, uncle, and cousin. They have season tickets and I join them for the occasional opera.

I love Puccini - the dramatic and romantic sounds, especially in arias like "E lucevan le stelle" and "Vissi d'arte." The set was amazing too, especially for the last act and aria "E lucevan le stelle" where the lead male is about to be executed on top of Castel Sant'Angelo and sings of the stars shining above, his love for Tosca, his bitterness of death, and ending with "E non ho amato mai tanto la vita – And never have I loved life so much" before bursting into tears. (oh! the drama!)

At the beginning of the aria, the stage had the low blue light of the moon, the stars shining above, and only the tower (that Tosca later jumps to her death off) with the statue of the Archangel Michael sheathing his sword is visible. As the aria builds, the warm orange glow of sunrise overtakes the stage revealing a beyond beautiful backdrop of Rome.

I searched youtube for a version with moonlit background and subtitles and was not able to find one. I do not understand why opera clips do not have subtitles b/c without understanding the lyrics you are then only getting half the beauty. With that said, this was the best version of "E lucevan le stelle" I could find.



And the stars were shining,
and the earth smelled sweet,
the garden gate scraped,
and a step brushed the sand.
She came in, fragrant,
and fell into my arms.

Oh! sweet kisses, oh! languid caresses,
while I, trembling, released her lovely features from their veils!
My dream of love has vanished forever.
The moment is gone, and I die in despair!
And I never have loved life so much!

Was in Chicago and ate a Chicago style hotdog. I have such a weakness of hotdogs - hotdogs with onion and sauerkraut, hotdogs with chili and onions, hotdogs with grilled peppers and onions...

Every trip to NYC has felt so different. The first time was excitement, the second time was balance, the third time was moving, the forth time was alien, and this time was there. It was the never - left - go to the grocery store - walk around the city - cook dinner sort of trip. i think my next trip I will balance it with more exploring.

I am hoping to go the San Francisco in April and Chicago in June for the Blues Festival. I think this will be my first and last trip back to the Midwest. As more and more time passes I feel less and less connected to the midwest. It has been eight years since my family has left.

I have avoided the facade speeches and shifting through the pre-written lies. My plan was to educate myself with the most up-to-date data of what the presidential candidates supposedly stand for hours before mailing in my vote.

Yesterday I received my Voter Pamphlet in which to my shock and disappointment - it clearly states that the WA Democratic party does not take into consideration the general primary vote due FEB 19.

At least the WA Republican party allocated 51% of its national convention delegates using the general primary vote. For Democrats to get their say - you have to attend your registered precinct's caucus on SAT, FEB 9 @ 1:00 pm. Then you vote on delegates to the state caucus who then vote on the delegates to the national convention who then actually vote for either Hilary, Obama, or "un-pledged."

I at least hope we have a binding primary where our delegates are legally bound to vote for the candidate whom they were voted in to represent! I have not been able to confirm if our state is one of those states that has a non-binding primary in which the few delegates we do send to the national convention could switch their vote at the last second.

ugh - what a fucked up voting system! I will not be here SAT, FEB 9 @ 1:00 pm so therefore my vote in regards to Clinton vs. Obama is null and void.



ugh - I was soooo excited to vote in this historical primary and now I feel so defeated. My goal now is to educate those who will be here SAT, FEB 9 @ 1:00 pm to find their registered precinct, go and VOTE!

http://www.wa-democrats.org/

Went to the Robert Crumb exhibit at the Frye. I had forgotten how much of a pervert he was - the aggressive / submissive male sexuality. I do remember Fritz the Cat and the political social changes he depicted of the 70’s.

There were a few old timers there that really knew their underground comics - talking shop to the minute detail. I love that - seeing people in their element.



Went to a lecture last week on the perception of Jewish power in comparison to the historical oppression of Jews. The majority of the people there were Jewish and I loved hearing people "send their love" or spread news of others. I think that is way I love events so much - the bringing together of people to create a community.

I thought the lecture would talk more to the disparity in views though it more confirmed the ideology that Jews were profitable, powerful, yet defenseless which is why others sought to destroy them. It was interesting to hear her, the professor of Yiddish literature at Harvard, talk about the beliefs of Judaism in relation to the political structure.

My will to blog has been leaving me. It’s just so time consuming though I feel like it’s good to write and reflect - so I’m forcing myself to blog.

I met up with a friend from San Francisco who said something that got me thinking and that was how he doesn’t understand people who watch life versus experiencing it. It made me realize how much I have been watching and how little I have been creating.

This year I want to be a better friend to the friends I already have while continuing to seek new friendships through volunteering, joining a social/professional society, and interest groups. Last year I concentrated on developing my conversation repertoire through events, movies, books, music, exhibits, and domestic travel - though I learned that being an "interesting person" and a good friend are not the same.

Like everything ( yes I know that is a broad statement ) it’s a balance and I feel this year I need to concentrate more on just connecting / being there for people and not what we will talk about.

I read Reading Lolita in Tehran which was an amazing book about Iran. I am excited for Persepolis to come to Seattle! It seems to have a similiar theme as the book of how the metamorphosis of Iran has created a society of women who have an increased connection to artistic expression from the repression of it.



I love the marriage of illustrations to political issues and its ability to express the human outcome. I heard Art Spiegelman talk about Maus and the use of comics as that medium earlier this year. I want to read Joe Sacco’s Palestine which I have heard is a great bridge between journalism and illustration.

Forced Q to watch The Battle of Algiers over Christmas break. It is unnerving how realistic and relevant this 1960’s movie is today though Q pointed out the biasness of the movie against the pied-noir.

I still have a runny nose, slight fever, and low energy. I hate having low energy - the low energy part of me wants to just relax in bed and the other part of me wants to go out and socialize.

I feel as if I'm becoming more shy and so I dislike when I quietly melt into my bed though I don't want to be frantically social either. I want to enjoy being sick and know that I will regain my energy soon.

I went to NYC last week, had the holiday party this weekend, and just finished a 300 piece mailing project so I should be more forgiving of my low energy then I am.

Afia was not impressed by NYC though I still love it. I love the crowds, walking around in Central Park, finding a random cheap spot to eat at, or the endless selection of boutiques and styles. I may move back to NYC though I really hope to live abroad one day.

Flew into Boston for the 4th of July. Boston has A LOT of brick buildings and even has bricks in the streets. It also has a lot of history – the Boston Massacre, Boston tea party, midnight ride of Paul Revere…

Q, who only knows basic US history just as we only know basic French history, asked me "who is this "Rev-er" guy I keep hearing about?" It took me a while to realize he was asking about Paul Revere!

We missed the parade (people in wigs marching while playing the flute and drums) though we did see the fireworks. Some coworkers of Q invited us to eat dinner with them. We took the subway, which is a very funny system. The traditional lines in Boston are literally streetcars placed underground – unlike modern subways where the train is set lower so you just walk on.

Ate dinner together on Mulberry street, a very upscale neighborhood where you can imagine Victorian elite walking their dogs and nodding their heads at each other. I love the variety of history in Boston and how you can see it in the architecture. It makes me realize how new and fresh the west coast is.

Worked from home – hand addressing hundreds of envelopes – since I had a doctors appointment in the middle of the day. I have not had a routine check-up since early high school due to the lack of insurance and it was strange yet good to restart 8 years latter.

Health is an odd thing. How do you know you are healthy? Perhaps you have a disease that has just gone undetected…

I had my blood drawn to be tested for anemia, hyperthyroidism, and various STDS ( I get tested every two years for that ). I even got my annual done which was extremely unexpected.

The doctor asked the usual battery of questions, two being when was your last cycle and when was your last annual. It was like the feminine stars were aligned and the doctor asked "would you like to get your annual done today?" So it was a full check up.

When the doctor asked if I exercise, I asked if jumping around to music counted, and the doctor said only if I break a sweat. So basically I have not exercised in 6 months and really need to start up again.

I have been taking my health more seriously – especially since my work place really emphasizes it. Just like Earth – I only have one body and I need to take care of it. Its great having insurance though I still do not understand how the billing process works. Next is the dentist – dun, Dun, DUN!

Went to Vegas for the weekend with the girls (Afia, Kristen, and Heather). Flew out Thursday night and flew back Monday afternoon.

Las Vegas was so hot. During the day we could only walk 15 min before we had to walk into an air conditioned building. Las Vegas was also very expensive - not the oasis of cheap all-you-can-eat as I had imagined. Each meal regardless of all-you-can-eat or not was about $20 - $25.

Every dollar spent in Vegas was worth it though - ate like queens, swan in our hotel’s island sized tropical swimming pool, walked around the streets with drinks in our hands, attempted to see male strippers and ended up watching transitivities pole dancers karaoke to Dianna Ross (thanks Karlo!), and more.

The casinos were amazing! The exterior architecture, glittering slot machines, and themed interior design! There are so many casino’s on the strip and each with their own theme: the New York, New York with fake trees and lamp lights in the middle of the casino to feel like central park, the Venetian with gondolas, Paris with an interior that felt like you were walking through a French village, the Luxor with gold painted sphinxes, and more.

I liked the older casinos too. Though they did not feel as clean they had an old luxury to them. I could just imagine the Rat Pack and starlets from that time smoking and drinking in those casinos.

We went to the Star Trek exhibit at the Hilton, rode a corkscrew, whip you around, through you upside down roller coaster, watched the Bellagio fountain perform to "Con te Partiro," went clubbing, and gambled a grand total of $100 between the four of us.

The trip to Las Vegas was great and going with the girls made it even bettr. Being together again made me realize how much I miss having house mates. We have so many memories together and now we have more. Viva Las Vegas!

Went to Central Cinema and watched Thunderball while drinking beer and eating pizza. I grew up watching Bond movies with my dad and even though I dislike Bond's aggressive sexual behavior – I love Bond movies.

Thunderball is classic Sean Connery Bond and what Austen Power's mostly parodies. It has man in a wig, arch nemesis with cat, board of underground bosses reporting the progress on their evil plans, pool of killer marine life, and of course amazingly beautiful women.

The two best parts were the underwater army fight and the conveniently placed roof jet pack ( I wonder if that part was special effects or if the jet pack was real…).

I thought the movie theater would allow quite talking during the movie since they were serving food / drinks – except it was completely dark like any other theater. Worth a try and will probably do it again.