It's less that 1 hour from October. And my gosh it feels like one of those wonderful Autumn days where you just want to curl up next to your loved one and watch endless hours of must-see television shows. If there's one thing I can say that I really enjoyed in the past 12 months of my life it was the reintroduction of Vegivision Night. Which I typically didn't identify with but now it's a part of my culture.
What is veggivision night? Veggivision night is you a night where you and your girlfriend/boyfriend catch up on as many episodes as possible of television shows you've recorded on your DVR or that are online. In my case it was shows like The office, The Dollhouse, One Tree Hill, Grey's Anatomy, Gossip Girl, Lie to me and more. It was a nice mixture of inter-office comedy mixed with micro-expression sleuthing, medical malpractice, mind-erasing and the ever popular randomness of adult guy-girl drama.
I was just joking with a friend of mine who's relationship recently ended - and we were both like, I hate to admit this but I like to watch those shows (listed above) albeit most of them would be deemed chic oriented, we both laugh cause we knew that we watched it side by side with our girlfriends which gave us the ultimate excuse as to why we both know the plot lines of such female targeted melodramas. Ah love and the things you do for it!
But heck I DO like Romantic and "Bro"mantic comedies and dramas that have been infused into our daily television/ Hollywood release schedule. I'm not afraid to admit that sometimes I do like to be caught up in a film that has crazy romantic ideals that give me ideas about how I would like my relationship to be. I want to be a better man to the woman of my dreams and sometimes those darn writers just know exactly what to say and how to say it! I guess it's a curse and a blessing. Because on one hand - they can steal your thunder, by being so uber sophisticated with their language and romantic lingo you feel like a that guy who just showed up to the girl house with a single white rose and she has 5 dozen roses from him. The stem just went limp. Or worst case scenario the two of you walk out of the theater or into the kitchen for a break and she says - why can you be more like that guy? Thanks mister talented, writer guy. Anyway I'm getting off track here.
My buddy and I actually had a moment of bonding because we both agreed that we first started watching the shows because our female counterparts asked to watch it together (cause that's what loving boyfriends do, right?). We both marveled at what saps we were how being push overs was a common thread when it comes to girlfriends. But with a chuckle, we also both agreed that those days were fond memories that we will miss this year.
But in some cases change is good. I'm adapting and adopting new behaviors and habits like running, going to the gym more often, eating better, staying more organized, and getting back to just staying in and organizing my life while I can. Best of all I've been getting more calls from Ford Models for work opportunities. So I'm shooting to get my model physique by Christmas (so I can't do too many vegivision nights). I just moved from my apartment where I was last year. The one I was in last year was super temporary! But this apartment I'm so excited about cause my children get their own rooms and bathroom - decked out in Sponge bob licensed decor.
Tomorrow My Verizon FIOS is installed! I'm purchasing a nice sectional sofa and matching television stand so that I can open my house to old friends, out of town visitors and future friends and just basic viewers of televised entertainment! And for the first time I've splurged and purchased the RED ZONE NCAA AND NFL football package. Which I experienced for the first time in California while visiting my friend in Tahoe 3 weeks ago. It was awesome. I realized how far I've gotten away from my identity where I used to actually be a sports fan, touting sports memorabilia, and cheering and getting excited about games, upsets and the thrill of a Cinderella story.
Actually it started a long time ago when I moved from Chicago to New York. I didn't make the transition where I identified as a New Yorker so I was still a die hard Chicago Bears, Blackhawks, Bulls, CUBS and SOX fan. (yes internal north side south side fighting). Now that I'm on the east coast I was having yet another split identity, do I identify with the Yanks, Mets, Giants or Jets?
And this is where I get all jealous of people who have THEIR HOME TEAM! I miss Chicago for many reasons- especially family but also sports!
But anyway it's getting close to October than I thought.
On my DVR, I'll still be recording and viewing the episodic dramas and comedies I've grown to love. I actually can't wait to see what happens on the Office and Lie to me!
If any of my long lost buddies wanna come and join me for a weekend marathon of episodes missed! Don't be a stranger come on and have a Veggivision weekend with me!!!
ttyl!
VSTC
Wednesday, September 30, 2009
Friday, September 4, 2009
Blue Man Group
Growing up I was indeed blessed with the gift of music. My mother introduced me to musical theatre when I was 8 and I started playing the drums when I entered 5th grade. I learned the drums really quickly and won first place in a state competition in Chicago when I was in 8th grade for snare then later for Jazz Kit. I continued to play the drums through high school but not for the band but for a garage band where we were heavily influenced by all punk and skate music. Later in life I was into more rap hip-hop and r&b. There was always one music video that I loved it was a motley crew video where Nikki Six had some glow in the dark Drum Sticks. I was on a mission to find me a pair but I never succeeded.
Tonight at 8pm. After a full day of attractions with the kids at Universal Theme Park in Orlando I treated the kids and my self to great seats to the Blue Man group. And let me tell you it was amazing! To see the kids energy pumping and the way they were inspired by the performance was just magical.
In 2006 I did an Intel Photo shoot print campaign with the Blue Man Group. I got the inside scoop about the troop from some of the founding members. What was interesting is that there are so many members of the Blue Man Group. And all of the members are very talented in their own right. But signing on to become one of the bald blue men is kind of like doing a work for hire as a designer, or ghost writing. You're no longer john smith - performer trying to make a name for his-herself. You're now a part of an idea. You follow a formula, you have no lines, only pantomime, you don't change the script or add your creative flair you just do the show format.
On your resume you have a new title - Blue Man of the Blue Man Group. But my question is, will having that on your resume help you land more gigs? Like If you have no identity and nobody can say to you - Hey I'm Joe-blow casting director and I saw you in that blue man group show and you really were a stand out performer. I'd like to cast you, john smith in my next major motion picture. The other question I have is at what point does a gig like that become a job?
Okay so the parallel to this blog?
Becoming a blue man performer is like adoption! No matter what you were before you became a blue man doesn't matter anymore. You're a blue man, so you eat, sleep and breath - the blue man identity! I don't know if you have to deal with BLUISM - or BLUJUDICE. But I'm sure loosing your identity is a bit daunting for a while. I mean I'm sure that most of the performers get tired of the same old BLUIST REMARKS - are you having a bad day? Breathe much? Go back to your mushroom! And the ever popular what do you get when you have 3 blue men at the bottom of the ocean - a good start! Oh those witty comical remarks about being blue.
I think the main difference between Blue man adoption and foreign adoption is, as a blue man performer you engage in the act of volunteering to loose your identity as a professional choice for 1 hour and 45 minutes every night at 8pm. In regular adoption you're brought up thinking that you're white when you're actually a different color on the outside but none of those emotions or confusing qualities were ever voluntary. They just were and there was no start and stop time.
I could go to a deeper layer of honesty about this topic but I'm on vacation. So I'll leave it for another entry just wanted to expose the conversation.
What was inspiring about tonight is that not only did my children walk out of that place cheering. More importantly I walked into the lobby - to see what momentous I could get for the kids to remember this experience by and Low-and-Behold I found my Glow Drum Sticks! CAN YOU BELIEVE IT? After 25 years of searching for them. My holy grail of percussion frivolous must-haves appeared out of nowhere! So, I splurged and I bought 3 pairs one for my two little ones and myself. We ended up walking out of Universal banging on every surface we could not only to hear the sound but to watch the sticks glow over and over!
So tonight in many ways identified with the idea that as a parent you always want to give your children things you didn't have. So I'm giving them a solid relationship with their birth father, exposure to Korean culture from an early age, and well tonight was topped off with glow in the dark drum sticks for all!
God Bless!
VSTC
Tonight at 8pm. After a full day of attractions with the kids at Universal Theme Park in Orlando I treated the kids and my self to great seats to the Blue Man group. And let me tell you it was amazing! To see the kids energy pumping and the way they were inspired by the performance was just magical.
In 2006 I did an Intel Photo shoot print campaign with the Blue Man Group. I got the inside scoop about the troop from some of the founding members. What was interesting is that there are so many members of the Blue Man Group. And all of the members are very talented in their own right. But signing on to become one of the bald blue men is kind of like doing a work for hire as a designer, or ghost writing. You're no longer john smith - performer trying to make a name for his-herself. You're now a part of an idea. You follow a formula, you have no lines, only pantomime, you don't change the script or add your creative flair you just do the show format.
On your resume you have a new title - Blue Man of the Blue Man Group. But my question is, will having that on your resume help you land more gigs? Like If you have no identity and nobody can say to you - Hey I'm Joe-blow casting director and I saw you in that blue man group show and you really were a stand out performer. I'd like to cast you, john smith in my next major motion picture. The other question I have is at what point does a gig like that become a job?
Okay so the parallel to this blog?
Becoming a blue man performer is like adoption! No matter what you were before you became a blue man doesn't matter anymore. You're a blue man, so you eat, sleep and breath - the blue man identity! I don't know if you have to deal with BLUISM - or BLUJUDICE. But I'm sure loosing your identity is a bit daunting for a while. I mean I'm sure that most of the performers get tired of the same old BLUIST REMARKS - are you having a bad day? Breathe much? Go back to your mushroom! And the ever popular what do you get when you have 3 blue men at the bottom of the ocean - a good start! Oh those witty comical remarks about being blue.
I think the main difference between Blue man adoption and foreign adoption is, as a blue man performer you engage in the act of volunteering to loose your identity as a professional choice for 1 hour and 45 minutes every night at 8pm. In regular adoption you're brought up thinking that you're white when you're actually a different color on the outside but none of those emotions or confusing qualities were ever voluntary. They just were and there was no start and stop time.
I could go to a deeper layer of honesty about this topic but I'm on vacation. So I'll leave it for another entry just wanted to expose the conversation.
What was inspiring about tonight is that not only did my children walk out of that place cheering. More importantly I walked into the lobby - to see what momentous I could get for the kids to remember this experience by and Low-and-Behold I found my Glow Drum Sticks! CAN YOU BELIEVE IT? After 25 years of searching for them. My holy grail of percussion frivolous must-haves appeared out of nowhere! So, I splurged and I bought 3 pairs one for my two little ones and myself. We ended up walking out of Universal banging on every surface we could not only to hear the sound but to watch the sticks glow over and over!
So tonight in many ways identified with the idea that as a parent you always want to give your children things you didn't have. So I'm giving them a solid relationship with their birth father, exposure to Korean culture from an early age, and well tonight was topped off with glow in the dark drum sticks for all!
God Bless!
VSTC
Wednesday, September 2, 2009
You are the country in ME!
Ah the CMT music awards were on tonight and I must say. I do find myself falling for that little blond Taylor Swift. She's pretty fun! She's the it girl of the moment.
I find myself more and more identifying with country singers, well because I know my heart is in Texas. But the more and more I take a look at the country scene I realize that there's a huge void! And as the opportunist that I am. I'm thinking about becoming the first Asian American Country Pop idol! Yeee Haw!
How about that! I mean Darius Rucker (the old Hootie) is the Token Black guy! So where's the token Asian guy? So that's it! I'm picking up my geeetar! Strummin up a storm and look out Tim Mgraw! Here comes something spicier, pickled, and barbecued!
Now I have to figure out what my stage name would be for the country diet? Hmmm. I mean I was born in Pusan, Korea which is from the way down South in Korea. So I guess that would make me a Southerner, or Korean Konfederate, right? Maybe I'll redesign the Korean Flag with a ying yang in the center juxtaposed on top of the x star bands of the confederacy! I mean come on, the US South was led by a general with the last name of LEE! So there's definitely some Korean blood lines somewhere in that band of shotgun-wielding cowboys!
So the official name could be Chee Kim. Hmm. Maybe that's too obvious! How about Bi Bim POP. Well that would be a new style of music! I can see it now!
Ladies and Gentlemen, the winner of the top new artist in the Bi Bim POP music category is! Chee Kim! Of course if I was in Korea everyone would be chanting , Kim Chee, Kim Chee! Since you always say the last name first! So I guess I were really bad I'd be covered in pickled cabbage - er maybe I should scratch Chee Kim.
But SERIOUSLY! There's a major opportunity! So I'm going to go for it! Look for my first double platinum album to come out in 2011. soaring to the top of the charts! I hope that I can get my friend to drop some tracks with me. The only Korean American I know who is a hard core country fan. (You know who you are - thank you for being the (country) music in me).
VSTC
I find myself more and more identifying with country singers, well because I know my heart is in Texas. But the more and more I take a look at the country scene I realize that there's a huge void! And as the opportunist that I am. I'm thinking about becoming the first Asian American Country Pop idol! Yeee Haw!
How about that! I mean Darius Rucker (the old Hootie) is the Token Black guy! So where's the token Asian guy? So that's it! I'm picking up my geeetar! Strummin up a storm and look out Tim Mgraw! Here comes something spicier, pickled, and barbecued!
Now I have to figure out what my stage name would be for the country diet? Hmmm. I mean I was born in Pusan, Korea which is from the way down South in Korea. So I guess that would make me a Southerner, or Korean Konfederate, right? Maybe I'll redesign the Korean Flag with a ying yang in the center juxtaposed on top of the x star bands of the confederacy! I mean come on, the US South was led by a general with the last name of LEE! So there's definitely some Korean blood lines somewhere in that band of shotgun-wielding cowboys!
So the official name could be Chee Kim. Hmm. Maybe that's too obvious! How about Bi Bim POP. Well that would be a new style of music! I can see it now!
Ladies and Gentlemen, the winner of the top new artist in the Bi Bim POP music category is! Chee Kim! Of course if I was in Korea everyone would be chanting , Kim Chee, Kim Chee! Since you always say the last name first! So I guess I were really bad I'd be covered in pickled cabbage - er maybe I should scratch Chee Kim.
But SERIOUSLY! There's a major opportunity! So I'm going to go for it! Look for my first double platinum album to come out in 2011. soaring to the top of the charts! I hope that I can get my friend to drop some tracks with me. The only Korean American I know who is a hard core country fan. (You know who you are - thank you for being the (country) music in me).
VSTC
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