SDAFF 2010: Fin

I’m so exhausted. Let’s take a nap.
Closing night went well. I got there and made my rounds and hung out for a bit before getting ready for the silent auction and reception at All American Grill. We got there around 7:30ish and started setting up the silent auction space, rearranging the tables and what not. “Make it sexy!”And sexy it was. We auctioned off quite a few DVDs, restaurant certificates, wine, PATRON, zoo tickets, Daniel Dae Kim autographed photo and LOST dvd, autographed photo of Harry Shum and a few other hot items. We also picked the winner of the Harrah’s Rincon Audience Award Raffle – Amelita Badua. Woo! Congratulations! Home Grown Blends was spinning the night away and it was a good night.
If you purchased something from either the opening or closing night auctions and have not picked up your item(s), we’ll be in touch with you.
All right friends. We’ll see you around!

SDAFF 2010: Blurring Reality

Tonight was a full house. Every screening in every theater was packed. And it’s Wednesday. What a crazy night. ANIMATION: ILLUSION OF LIFE was awesome. SDAFF is the only festival in San Diego that is screening stuff in 1080p HD. I honestly couldn’t tell you what that means other than it’s 1080 pixels in high definition, but I can tell you that it looks freakin’ AMAZING! Seriously, the program was SO vibrant and crisp, I had to remind myself to blink. And even though the program sort of froze up near the end, I didn’t even care. I was completely blown away by the graphics of the still picture it was frozen on. I really looked at everything and was like, WOW. You really appreciate the animation so much more when you see it as a still.
MEI LING looked so kick ass. I had originally watched it on my laptop, which is 3 years old and NOT HD, so when I saw it on the big screen, there was so much more I noticed and really appreciated. It definitely added a lot more depth for me because I saw a lot of details I missed the first time.
THE WONDER HOSPITAL was such a trip, especially the ending with the mirror. So crazy. I love how there were so many allusions to classical works like THE WIZARD OF OZ (the yellow brick road and the red shoes) and ALICE IN WONDERLAND (the white rabbit). Such a trip. I don’t know much about the technicalities of the film, but for all the layers of symbolisms, allusions, and themes, it’s not hard to see why this took the Jury’s award for Best Animation. Such a trip.
MOM was an absolute delight—the graphics, the sharpness of the picture, so amazing!!! I cannot believe or begin to describe to you the awesomeness of the visual appeal. Best eye candy ever!
AMAZONIA was super pretty, especially with all that color and how bright the whole film was. I’m so glad we screened this program in HD. You have no idea.
I also enjoyed RIVER IN HEAVEN, especially the style of the artwork. And I liked that the boy’s stuffed animal was a rabbit and not a bear. I think it added a little flair to the overall story.
ODE TO A POST-IT NOTE was so cute. Loved it.
Ugh, this program was so freaking AMAZING! Go see it during it’s encore screening tomorrow at 4:30pm. Get your ticket ASAP and get there early! It’s so worth it.
When I got home tonight, I was looking at my name tag and for the first time realized my name was spelled wrong! Someone completely changed my identity! Why would anyone do that? On my SDAFF badge? Geez. No wonder this reality feels so different!

SDAFF 2010: Love Films

OMG, loved, loved, loved THE TAQWACORES. I especially loved the character with the mohawk. I think it’s because he showed the most growth as a character and really got outside of his comfort zone while most of the other characters didn’t grow as much. And while Yusef did learn to be more open minded, I felt that the character with the really tried to open his mind and grappled with his faith. Personally, I think he stole the show.
And then MACHO LIKE ME was so funny. Admittedly, it turned out to be a little more serious than I anticipated. It was sort of a documentary on how guys interact with each other and how guys suppress their feelings and emotions due to societal demands. I liked how it was took on such a serious topic but kept it funny and light and ended on a good note. I’m just bummed that I didn’t get to catch the Saturday screening with Q&A with Helie Lee. Ah well. Still a great film.
Tomorrow is the ANIMATION: ILLUSISON OF LIFE program and I’m pretty stoked about it =)
And Thursday will be closing night. Get ready for it! =D

SDAFF 2010: Sunday Wind Down

Ah. What a weekend. Finally decided to catch the interpretations panel and it was great. Loved the moderator, Phil of YOMYOMF. He was very candid about how he felt and revealed a little bit about what he did the night before. They showed us an exclusive video of CAR TALK WITH SUNG KANG. I gotta say, it’s pretty funny. Then they played a few of the sample shorts that were posted on the interpretations site. It was awesome seeing it on the big screen, not going to lie. Finally, they showed us the top five finalists and dude, they were awesome! I think my favorite one was SHINE.
Then the directors and some of the INTERPRETATIONS people came up for the Q&A which went quite fabulously. My favorite question was about the budget the filmmakers were working with. Danny Pudi’s answer was awesome, but I think the director of BOTTLED UP takes the cake.
Afterwards, stopped by the Toyota booth to chat with the homies April and Pamela. Then headed over to Maria Maria’s for dinner with friends. Good times, good food and since we had an all fest pass, we scored a discount. Woo!
Then we headed back to the theater and while they went in to see IP MAN 2, I hung out for a bit before catching THE PHOTOGRAPH. It was pretty good. I loved the part where Mr. Johan said we choose which truths and lies to display in a photograph. I thought that was particularly touching and very applicable to the things going on in my life.
Tomorrow, I think I will try something new and watch THE TAQWACORES before catching MACHO LIKE ME. I’m super stoked!

SDAFF 2010: Panels vs Films

Working the gala last night was kind of nuts, not going to lie. Lee joked that with all the running around I was doing, I would earn my hiking badge tonight. But it was all good. Ran into Paul Dateh during rehearsal and got to say hi and catch up for a sec before I had to go. It was such a pleasant surprise seeing him again. I’m just kind of bummed I didn’t get to watch him perform. But while I didn’t really get to sit down and actually watch the gala, everything went very smoothly.
At the conclusion of the gala, one of our attendees sat down at the piano and started playing all kinds of jams and it was epic. People were jumping in and singing along. LOVED it.
And while I was planning on going to Blowfish, I didn’t quite make it from the ballroom to the outdoor pavilion. A group of us just spontaneously started talking about how the gala went and how the festival is going and how it compares to previous years. And we even got into tossing ideas around about how to move forward with the foundation, working with new programs and improving current ones. By the time we realized how late it was, Blowfish had already concluded and we were so exhausted from such a long day that we called it quits and went home. Sleep and vitamin C are currently my best friends.
Today, I have to give a very special thank you to Jimmy Lee, our community outreach liaison and overall awesome guy for staying up all hours of the night to work on our back up plans to the technical/equipment difficulties. You rock!
Today will be primarily a panel and film day. I’m so torn between the INTERPRETATIONS screening/panel and seeing FINDING FACE. Gah, decisions, decisions!

SDAFF 2010: Don’t this ish make a ninja wanna jump jump?!

Oh man, another crazy night at SDAFF. NINJA, ARE YOU CRAZY?! was a hit. If you missed it, you can catch it tomorrow (Sun, Oct 24 at 12:30pm). Got to catch up with some friends I haven’t seen in a while after the movie was over. And I got to kick it with some filmmakers for a bit before we headed out to Thin Bar/Onyx. That dj last night was HOTTTTTT. I approve his (or was it a her?) song choices. Definitely a good playlist to shake off the stress, but now I have Busta Rhymes’ Pass the Courvoisier (pt 2) stuck in my head. Ah well. Good times regardless. And Toyota had this flipbook making booth—coolest thing ever! You and your friends would stand in front of this blank screen and I guess they would take this speed-shutter camera and take a bunch of pictures as you do some stuff (like have a mini fight scene) and they would print all the pictures they took and collated it together to make a flip book. IN COLOR! Can I just say, that is freakin’ awesome?
Afterwards, I met one of our board members, Jeet. This guy is OG. Started volunteering for SDAFF back in 01 and after a hiatus, he’s back as a board member. Can I just say, that is some real SDAFF love. Then we kicked it at the hotel for a bit. Hung out with some more filmmakers, John and Phil, and CS Lee and they’re pretty down to earth guys. Really funny too.
Ok, I have to make a few shout outs and announcements.
Much love to our patrons for being so patient with us. We’ve been using some very new and some very old technology/equipment and are experiencing some problems. We hope you understand that this has never happened before in SDAFF history and we’re doing everything we can to make your festival experience better and sincerely apologize for the inconvenience.
Happy Birthday to Edward, one of our facilities coordinators!
Big, big, big thank you to our drivers last night. You are very appreciated!
Phil papi, we love you and we miss you. Please get better soon. SDAFF is not the same without you =(
Tonight, head on over to the Mission Valley Marriott for an evening of sights and sounds at our Blowfish Music Party. It’s a free event, presented by Toyota and Verizon and DJ ICEY ICE will be spinning. Woot.

SDAFF 2010: Opening Night

Oh man. What a crazy night. I got to the theater at 4pm to help set up the silent auction tables and it took a while figuring out how to lay everything out since we didn’t know what the layout was going to be. A lot of arranging and rearranging, but it turned out all right. And had to help our live model put on those America’s Next Top Model wings we’re auctioning off (this item will close on closing night). Oh man, this guy has abs. And EVERYONE noticed. And took pictures with him. And I think some people touched him too. Did I not tell you there’s eye candy everywhere? Then changed (really ghetto style) and took forever trying to apply eyeliner and fixing my hair (omg, mousse does amazing things to my hair). By the time I got back to the theater, the lobby was pretty packed. But it was good seeing so many people excited about films.
Then about halfway through LEGEND OF THE FIST, the film melted! Melted! I didn’t even know that was possible! But our rockstar projectionists got the whole thing fixed in 15 minutes. Do you realize how crazy it must have been to be one of the guys upstairs? Having to fix that madness knowing there are 400 patrons? Oh man, much respect.
After the silent auction was finally closed and done with, headed over to Maria Maria’s for some SDAFF love. And food. Noms. It was a lot of fun. Nothing too crazy this year, but it was nice seeing everyone and meeting new friend. Good times.
Tomorrow (well, I guess technically today), Friday, October 22, 2010 Toyota will be hosting a live film project. If you’ve ever wanted to be in a film, this is the place to do it (they’ll be there from 6pm to 8pm). No experience necessary, and it’s open to everyone.
Afterwards, come downtown with SDAFF to party it up at Thin Bar/Onyx. (852 5th Avenue, 92101).
Woo. Day one complete… I really need to get some sleep.

SDAFF 2010: Why I Love SDAFF

It's a quarter to midnight, I just got home, been up since 7am, haven't showered and I'm blogging for SDAFF. Why?
Because SDAFF is on the countdown and my body is producing more adrenaline and endorphins than I know what to do with. Because SDAFF is a week long festival with nothing but good vibes and good films. Because there's a lot of eye candy everywhere you look. Because I get to dress up and look fancy pants. Because I honestly believe that what SDAFF does is meaningful and purposeful.
But above all, it's because of the people. As customary, we had our last staff meeting pow-wow and most everyone was there. Some people skipped class to be there, some got off work early to be there, some people have been working all day at the theater and were still there. And as I look around the crowded room, I am simply amazed by each and every person. Everyone has been working collectively towards this event, towards this mission, and we are here. And it feels good. I could feel the love and energy and hard work and yes, even the stress, but I wouldn't trade this for the world.
I am blessed to know these people and I proudly call them my family.
Joseph, I miss you dearly and this festival is not the same without you, but know that this one's for you.

SDAFF 2010: Silent Auction

I’ve been working with our Silent Auction team and it’s looking good. We’ve got some really good items that may pique your interest. So stop by our table on opening and closing night and check out the goods (this is not a complete list and is presented in no particular order):

Eat, Play, Stay Package at Barona - A two night stay, golf for two, $100 dining credit, welcome fruit basket, and $25 Free Play.
Harrah's Rincon Luxury Package - One-night stay with $200 spa credit and $150 meal credit
Orchestra Nova Package - 4 VIP tickets to Orchestra Nova, includes an introduction to Mestro Jung-Ho Pak
San Diego Zoo Package - 4 best value admission tickets to SD Zoo or SD Zoo Safari Park
Netflix One-Year Subscription - 12 month subscription to Netflix for 3-DVDs-at-a-time
Boxing Club Package - 1-month membership to The Boxing Club with a set of boxing gloves, a boxing glove keychain, and wraps; also includes TWO free one-hour training sessions
Nickelodeon Animation Studios VIP Tour and Gift Basket
Mo'olelo Yellow Face Tickets
America's Next Top Model Wings & Signed Photograph - Black angel wings with signed photo by Jay from ANTM
Seaworld Package - 4 Tickets to Seaworld
Time Warner Cable Package - $500 certificate for Time Warner cable service plus a mini-duffel full of random goodies including: two sets of cards and envelopes, a mug, lens cleaner, post-it tabs, pens, picnic blanket and more.
SW Airlines Gift Certificate - Two Green Pass Tickets
Croce's restaurant certificate and book

Stop by and check it out!

SDAFF 2010: Adoption Spotlight part two

As part of SDAFF’s adoption spotlight, we’re conducting the SOLES FOR ORPHANS PROJECT. Some kids are lucky enough to get adopted into a loving, caring family. Others are not as lucky and stay in the orphanage, sometimes until they become an adult. With the holidays coming up, SDAFF has teamed up with Buckner International, an organization that distributes shoes for children in 68 countries, and we encourage patron to donate a pair of new shoes, socks and/or shoelaces. Any shoe, any color, any size—we’ll take them as long as they’re new. Make it something fun for the kids and write a letter to go along with your donation. We’ll be collecting items throughout the festival in the UltraStar theater lobby. Think how happy these kids will be when they can put on their new shoes and go play outside =)

SDAFF 2010: Adoption Spotlight part one

This year, SDAFF is focusing on the topic of adoption. With the rise of people adopting children from other ethnicities and countries, you begin to wonder what kind of effect it has on the adoptee, particularly when it comes to identity. Or maybe that’s just me. Personally, I can’t imagine how hard it must be trying to figure out who my birth parents are and why they gave me up on top of figuring out who I am.

I know that in Asian cultures, it is not uncommon to give up an unwanted child (or worse), but I don’t really hear a lot about adopting children. I know from personal experience that open-minded and compassionate families are not against adopting, but I suppose that holds true with any culture. The particular family I’m thinking of never told their son he was adopted. No one in the family ever mentioned it, but I heard that his birth parents tried to make contact with him when he was older. At any rate, when I found out that he was adopted, I never really thought any different of him. He is who he is and I accepted that. How I thought of him didn’t really change and I really hope that how he thinks of his family didn’t change too much either.

When you think about the way Asian cultures have been built, it actually makes a lot of sense that adoption rates are low among Asians. Traditionally, Asian societies have been very family based; parents do not get divorced, families don’t split up, family businesses are passed down from generation to generation, family secrets stay in the family (sometimes only with certain people in the family), and non-family members are looked at as outsiders. With this mentality, there really isn’t a lot of reason to adopt another child, especially if the fear is that the child will return to his or her birth parents or that the birth parents will try to reclaim their child (and thus stealing any family secrets).

Traditional mentality aside, I think I’m ok with adoption as long as the child is raised with love and care. Every child deserves that. But honestly, right now, I am definitely not ready to be a mom, adopted child or not.

SDAFF 2010: Movies You Should Consider part two

Tomorrow is the last day to purchase tickets online. I suggest that if there’s a movie you REALLY REALLY REALLY want to see, go buy it today. Online.

ANIMATION: THE ILLUSION OF LIFE
Let me make one thing clear: Animation is not just for kids. For example, MEI LING is not a kid’s film. As Mei Ling’s boyfriend/lover grows more and more distant, her feelings for him is somewhat transferred to the little octopus she raised. And the feeling is not one way. Screenings Sunday, Oct 24 at 2:25pm and Wednesday, Oct 27 at 7:30pm.

THE HOUSE OF SUH
THE HOUSE OF SUH is one of the best documentaries in the festival this year. Emotionally touching on so many levels, it took me by surprise. It’s not a simple retelling of a homicide from the killer’s point of view, the victim being the killer’s sister’s brother/fiancée. This film goes into meticulous detail of the familial honor and duty behind the killing of Robert O’Dubaine, as well as exploring the fact that killing someone isn’t so cut and dry in real life. You truly feel for Andrew Suh and you have to wonder, what would you have done in his position? Honestly, when you look at every perspective, did he have much choice? Screenings on Saturday, Oct 23 at 4:10pm (filmmakers scheduled to attend) and on Tuesday, Oct 26 at 7:15pm.

YOUNG AND RESTLESS
No, we are not screening episodes of the soap opera. It’s one of our shorts program, one that deals with the growing pains of being a young adult. Upon finishing JUST CURIOUS, one of the guys was impressed that someone of the opposite sex could really get inside a guy’s thoughts when he crushes on someone. Well, maybe the way we fall in love isn’t so different. Screening on Friday, Oct 22 at 5:10pm

IN THE MATTER OF CHA JUNG HEE
What if you grew up thinking you were someone you’re not? What if your identity belonged to someone else? What would you do when you found out? This is the story of a woman who lived most of her life as someone else and decides to find this other person. Find out what happens and ask Deann Borshay Liem on Friday, Oct 22 at 7:30pm.

Online ticket sales ends SUNDAY (Oct 17)!!!!

SDAFF 2010: Movies You Should Consider part one

Here are some movies you should consider watching this year. Keep in mind that online ticket sales ends SUNDAY (Oct 17)!!!!

48 HOUR FILM PROJECT SAN DIEGO
In July, SDAFF participated in the 48 Hour Film Project (48HFP) and we scripted, shot, edited, and produced a film in 48 hours using the line “I’m trying my best,” the character Doctor Rick/Rita Hernandez, and a chair. And we won the Juror’s Best Fight Choreography Award. Can you guess which film belongs to Team SDAFF? (Hey Mark, looks like my psudo-prediction last year did come true!!!) Free screening on Monday, Oct 25 at 5:10pm

SONGS FROM THE SOUTHERN SEAS
SONGS FROM THE SOUTHERN SEAS is a very beautiful film from Kazakhstan that definitely leaves you wanting more. If I’m not mistaken, this is a SDAFF first—I mean, of all places, who would have thought we would get a film from Kazakhstan? And we’d love to share this festival first with you! The film follows two family’s struggle in coming to terms with identity and discovering their family history intertwined with an old legend. Saturday, Oct 23 at 12:20pm and Monday, Oct 25 at 7:25pm.

IP MAN 2
Did anyone see IP MAN on closing night last year? Want to see what happens in the sequel? Here’s your chance. P.S. there’s an EPIC fight scene between Donnie Yen and Sammo Hung, not to mention a MAJOR homage to the old 90s Hong Kong movies (any die-hards out there?). Sunday, Oct 24 at 7pm and Wednesday, Oct 27 at 7pm.

INTERNATIONAL DEPARTURES
BORN SWEET, part of the INTERNATIONAL DEPARTURES program, is one of the most moving documentaries you’ll see this year at the festival. It follows a 15 year old boy struggling with arsenic poisoning who has dreams of becoming a karaoke star and raises the issue of arsenic poisoning in Cambodia. Screenings on Thursday, Oct 21 at 4pm (free!) and Saturday, Oct 23 at 1pm

Online ticket sales ends SUNDAY (Oct 17)!!!!

SDAFF 2010: Movies I’m Excited to See

Every year brings new films, and with new films, come a new list of movies I’m excited to see.

MACHO LIKE ME
I’m really excited to see MACHO LIKE ME. It’s a real-life experiment of a very beautiful woman (Helie Lee) who thinks guys have it easy. So she decides to live her life as a guy for about six months. Sold. Then I watched the trailer and it looks really funny. Double sold. I’m there. And Helie Lee is scheduled to attend the Saturday, Oct 23 screening (2pm) for some Q&A. If you can’t catch that screening, try the one on Tuesday, Oct 26 at 9:30pm.

THE PHOTOGRAPH
This movie looks really intense. It’s about a prostitute who is saved by a terminally ill photographer who is looking for an apprentice. Feeling indebted to his kindness, she looks after the ailing photographer and the two develop a unique relationship. Sunday, Oct 24 (8:35pm).

FINDING FACE
How do people violate women’s rights? Rape, dirty wars, genital mutilations and now acid attacks. Tat Marina was a rising star in Cambodia in 1999, but she was coerced into a relationship with Cambodia’s Undersecretary of State. Consequently, she was doused in nitric acid by the Undersecretary of State’s wife. And nothing was done about it. Until now. Skye Fitzgerald is scheduled to attend on Sunday, Oct 24 (screening at 2:50pm)

NINJA, ARE YOU CRAZY?
This is one of shorts program and it looks packed full of hilarious films. Hil-ar-i-ous. Screenings on Friday, Oct 22 (8:20pm) and Sunday, Oct 24 (12:30pm).

WAKE UP I LOVE YOU
A shorts program about the complexities of love—I really want to see YOURS TRULY and THE VISITORS. Screenings on Saturday, Oct 23 (4:45pm) and Wednesday, Oct 27 (5:15pm).

AU REVOIR TAIPEI
OMG, this looks so cute. Kai is crushed when his girlfriend takes off for Paris without him and isn’t so eager to return his phone calls. Kai tries to scrape together enough money for a trip to Paris but runs into a colorful cast of characters (literally). Filmmaker Arvin Chen scheduled to attend. Closing night film Thursday, Oct 28 at 7pm.

I can’t wait!!!

Online ticket sales ends SUNDAY (Oct 17)!!!!

SDAFF 2010: Facilities and Operations

If you’ve gone to other film festivals, you’ll notice a definite difference in the way SDAFF works. And that is because we have an awesome team for facilities and operations.
Decorating the theater?
Making sure there isn’t a fire hazard as patrons line up for/get out of a movie?
Sound checks with the projectionists?
Making sure you get seated in time for your movie?
Making sure the movie starts on time?
Making sure Q&A runs smoothly?
Making sure the Q&A doesn’t run late (which makes the next movie start late too)?
Deciding where the vendors go?
Organizing the spotlight cause event (this year it’s the shoe drive for orphans)?
Even finding a band aid for you if you accidentally cut yourself?
Our facilities and operations team does all this and then some.

SDAFF 2010: Projectionists

While it is technologically possible for someone to put their film on a USB drive, plug it into the projector and hit play, not all movies are that technologically advanced. And not all films are digital. Would you know what to do with a 35mm film? I wouldn’t. I still don’t know what to do. And this is after volunteering in the projections booth for separate film festival. It can get kinda complicated in there if you don’t know what you’re doing. Which is why projectionists rock—they make it possible for you to see the films that you enjoy. They adjust the sound you can hear the movie (and vice versa, not have your ear drums ringing after the movie). They make sure the picture is in focus. They make sure the picture isn’t squished or stretched. They make sure the right movie is playing at the right time. Pretty important stuff for a film festival, don’t you think?

SDAFF 2010: Programmers

There’s about 7 film programmers who watch all the films that SDAFF considers for the festival program and it takes all year to go through the countless film submissions as well as cultivating our international films for the festival. Then it takes about 3 months to really decide which films will fit into the festival’s program. It’s a very intense and sometimes emotional process, debating and championing films. People may think that their job is to watch film all day, but it’s not that easy.
All those bad films you don’t see in the festival? Programmers weeded them out.
Those movie descriptions in the festival bible? Programmers wrote them.
The movie one liners in the fold out pamphlet? Programmers.
The actual schedule of the films during the festival? Programmers.
Soliciting the films for the festival? And in time for the festival? Programmers.
Suggesting which filmmakers and celebrities to solicit to come to our festival? Programmers.
Not so easy now, is it? Next time you see one, tell them thank you.

SDAFF 2010: The Festival Bible

I feel so lost without my festival bible. What am I talking about? The SDAFF Festival program book aka the festival bible. The online version has been available for a while now (http://www.scribd.com/doc/38432644/SDAFF10-Program-Booklet), but it’s not quite the same as having a physical book in your hand, the smell of ink, the feel of glossy paper, the eye candy of all the pictures and descriptions of every movie and panel.

And you know what? One person puts the whole darn thing together, all 104 pages of it—Marilyn Jones, festival bible extraordinaire. She totally rocks. And she’s available for other projects too if you’re in the market for a graphic designer ;)

I am soo going to the UltraStar Theater at Hazard Center to pick up my copy tomorrow.

Thanks Marilyn!

Get Ready!!!

Attention party people and film lovers:
It’s that time again! SDAFF is gearing up for it’s 11th annual film festival and you know it’s gonna be a GREAT week.

To kick it all off, we’re inviting members to a very special reception at Viejas on Wednesday, September 29th. There you’ll get a sneak peak at some of the films we’re showing this year. Hors d’oeuvres, drinks and fun people = a good time.

Additionally, the schedule of all films and events has been released http://sdaff.org/festival/2010/index.php. There, you’ll also find all the latest news of all the going ons, pictures and videos along with other goodies. But here’s a quick break down of the events:

Thursday, October 21: Opening night
Bought your ticket to the opening night film LEGEND OF THE FIST already? Good. That means you’re invited to both our opening reception and our after party at Maria Maria, the new Mexican gourmet restaurant in Mission Valley inspired by Carlos Santana. (It’s soo gorgeous and the food is soo good ^_____^ noms)

Friday, October 22: Toyota Live Film Project
Ever wanted to be in a film? Here’s your chance. From 6pm-9pm, Toyota will be sponsoring a live film project outside the theater. No acting experience necessary, open to everyone. More details to come.

Friday, October 22: Club night at Onyx/Thin Bar
After the Toyota Live Film project, head on down to Onyx/Thin Bar at 852 5th Avenue (92101) to party it up and dance the night away.

Saturday, October 23: Gala
I hope you already bought your ticket to this year’s Gala ‘cause word on the streets is that it has already sold out. If you didn’t, you’ll be missing out on a fancy dinner affair with lots of celebrities, awards, and everyone dressed up looking spiffy.

Saturday, October 23: Blowfish
An interesting change to this year’s festival programming is having Blowfish as the Gala’s after party. But even if you can’t go to the gala, or don’t care for fancy dinner affairs, you are still welcomed to join us for this intersection of sights and sounds as we showcase some talented Asian American musicians. Line up to be announced.

Sunday, October 24: Asian Americans in Hollywood Panel (12:15pm)
Ellen Wong (SCOTT PILGRIM VS THE WORLD)
Harry Shum (GLEE)
Aaron Yoo (AMERICAN PASTTIME, FRIDAY THE 13TH)
Jon M. Chu (STEP UP 2 and STEP UP 3D)
CS Lee (THE SOPRANOS, CHUCK, DEXTER)
Do I really need to say more?

Sunday, October 24: INTERPRETATIONS Panel (Free, 2:10pm)
What would you do with a script consisting of:
It’s not something I’d do.
Well?
It’s not what I expected.
You sure?
That’s exactly what filmmaker Justin Lin asked the world. His team received close to 250 entries and SDAFF will be screening some of them, followed by a Q&A panel with Justin Lin and comedian Danny Pudi.

Thursday, October 28: Closing night
For anyone going to see AU REVOIR TAIPEI, I am soo jealous of you because this movie looks so cute and I want to see it. Chances are, it’s going to sell out. But I’ll be setting up for the closing night reception anyway, at All American Grill. After you get out of the movie, head on over and tell me all about the film so I can see the film vicariously through you. Thanks.

Stay tuned for more on the festival! =)

Asian Pacific American Heritage Month 2010 (Day 21-31)

So I'm finally posting the rest of my APAHM notes. Sorry for the delay. It's been a roller coaster of a month for me. And ridiculously busy!

Day twenty one:
I like the smell of sandalwood incense; we burn it exclusively for religious purposes at home.

There are two types of of incense, “indirect burning” and “direct burning.” The kind we use at home is direct burning incense sticks (or known as joss sticks), where the incense is directly lit by a flame and the aroma is fanned out as the glowing ember smolders and releases the fragrance. Typically yellow, sometimes red and rarely black, most of them are long and thin. There are also spiral sticks, although those ones are not used as often as the thin straight sticks. And there are thicker sticks with intricate designs on them (like dragons) which are used for special ceremonies.

For thousands of years, the Chinese have used incense in religious ceremonies, ancestor veneration (in both cases, burned as an offering), traditional medicine and everyday life. In everyday life, before clocks were invented, incense were used as timekeeping devices (you can still get incense that will burn for a specific period of time, say to keep track of how long you've been meditating). Incense have been, and continue to be, used as mosquito (or other pesky bugs) repellant (also useful for when you are meditating). And of course, incense can be burned simply for its aroma (sometimes for obscuring other less desirable odors).

Whenever I'm out and about, and I suddenly get a whiff of it, I always smile and look around to see who is burning incense. =)

Day twenty two:
Dim sum with the family at Pearl (11666 Avena Place)!

Dim sum, which literally means “to touch your heart,” is like a brunch/late lunch type of meal consisting of various of dumplings, steamed dishes and other delicious goodies. Similar to hors d'oeuvres, servers push a small cart around and you order whatever you like. The dishes are either steamed or deep-fried, served with three or four pieces in a dish. It's customary to order family style so people can share and try a wide variety of food. Servers mark/stamp what you ordered on a bill to keep a tab going.

Originally a Cantonese custom, dim sum is linked to the tradition of “yum cha,” drinking tea, and was meant only as a snack, not a meal. You typically want to order the lighter, steamed dishes first, then some of the exotic items (ex chicken's feet), followed by deep-fried dishes and finally dessert. Of course, you have to have tea with dim sum. Anything other than tea is just ludicrous. Most commonly served with dim sum are jasmine, green, oolong, or chrysanthemum tea.

There is a multitude of teas produced, cultivated wherever there is a proper climate (humidity, sunshine and soil). Tea is classified in many ways, such as the quality, the method of preparation and even the place of production. There's a whole processing method which includes fermentation, heating, and drying the leaves, as well as adding other ingredients (like flowers, herbs or fruits).

Tea does not judge itself, people judge the tea. – JET LI’S FEARLESS

Day twenty three:
Watched MY SASSY GIRL and was really surprised by how similar it is to THE MELANCHOLY OF HARUHI SUZUMIYA. Maybe MELANCHOLY was inspired by MY SASSY GIRL?

MY SASSY GIRL is supposedly based on a true story, told through a series of love letters, by a man named Kim Ho-sik, who posted them on the internet. The movie is a romantic comedy about a guy whose life changes dramatically after he meets/saves a drunk girl.

THE MELANCHOLY OF HARUHI SUZUMIYA follows Haruhi Suzumiya, a not-so-ordinary high school girl who unconsciously changeS reality. She forms the club The SOS Brigade to investigate mysterious happenings.

Similarities:
People from the future/time travelers
UFOs
A really weird but pretty girl, who is also rather pushy
The push-over kinda-sorta-not-really boyfriend who has to please the girl
Magicalism (how everything the girl wants comes true)

Coincidence???? MY SASSY GIRL inspired MELANCHOLY????

Day twenty four:
Had the most insane craving for pho—unfortunately didn’t get any =(

Pho (pronounced like fuh) is a Vietnamese noodle soup dish, typically served with beef (although you can pick your own choice of meat) and vegetables. Alternatively, it is also amazing goodness.

I’m not a particularly picky eater, nor do I have a favorite place to get pho, but I would recommend Pho Hoa Restaurant (4717 El Cajon Boulevard). It’s a hole in the wall type of place that only serves pho. ONLY PHO. Got it? No rice, no appetizers, no desserts, nothing but pho. So you KNOW it’s going to be a decent pho spot. I don’t ever remember it being completely empty (ex I’m the only patron) and I always see people coming or going. So the meat is usually fresh. They don’t skimp on the portions either. =D And they’re fast.

Day twenty five:
Had our last ACF meeting at Cali Deli, a Vietnamese sandwich and coffee place in Hillcrest (3852 5th Ave). I haven’t had a Vietnamese sandwich in a while, and Cali Deli was ok.

Vietnamese Sandwiches are like subs. But they taste nothing like your typical Subway/Quiznos deli subs. Other than the French bread, they don’t look much like them either.

Day twenty six:
Loving the webisode series K-TOWN COWBOYS. Directed by Daniel "DPD" Park and produced by Liah Kim, Lillian Ng, and Ellen Ho, the series follows a Korean American who recently moved to L.A. from Richmond, VA and is trying to survive a Friday night evening in K-Town with his cousin’s buddies. So far, it’s pretty good, and since each webisode is only 5-6minutes, it definitely leaves you wanting more. Definitely check it out.

http://ktowncowboys.com/

Day twenty seven:
My brother just left for LAX. He’ll be going to Shanghai for a little bit for school and of course, to party it up for his birthday! =D I’m so jealous, but so happy for him that he’s able to go abroad. That’s the one thing I wanted to do in college, but didn’t get to. Ah well, I’ll have my time soon enough. Even the fortune cookie said so. “YOU WILL ENJOY A TRIP TO ASIA”

Hm, I wonder what part of Asia? I definitely want to hit up Hong Kong. But I need to brush up on my Hong Kong movies – it’s so jarring when they jump from Cantonese to Mandarin and back again. My brain isn’t processing fast enough!

Day twenty eight:
Voting begins today for the Asian Heritage Awards. http://www.kintera.org/AutoGen/Contact/ContactUs.asp?ievent=428337&en=jtINKYMHLfKOLXOLJhKLLXOMIoI3JcOKJjLWJ4POKqI0K7NLIeKQJ8NNJgJSLaN2H

The Asian Heritage Awards strive to honor achievement, accomplishment, heritage and legacy by recognizing individuals and organizations that connect with the community. There are 14 categories in which individuals/organizations may be recognized by their peers:

Education
Community Service
Art and Literature
Business Enterprise
Cultural Preservation
Entrepreneurship
Government
Health and Medicine
Humanitarian Outreach
Innovation and Technology
Legal Affairs
Media
Military
Performing Arts

In addition to the 14 categories, we also have a Special Recognition Honoree is Tom Hom, one of San Diego's most influential Asian Americans.

Winners will be announced on July 10, 2010 at the awards ceremony (on the USS Midway).

If you’re interested in getting a seat/table/sponsoring/volunteering/etc, let me know, as the website is rather chaotic.

Day twenty nine:
Saw THE GRUDGE for sale at the store. For $3 in the discount bin. I never saw the film (really over active imagination), but was always under the impression that it was ok, but not as scary/good as the original Japanese film. I don’t understand why there is a need for American filmmakers to “remake” good Asian films. I mean really, they’re just copying the entire story and just replacing the Asian cast with an American cast and changing the language to English.

Day thirty:
This is from a couple weeks ago, but I thought I’d share.
http://www.thedailybeast.com/blogs-and-stories/2010-05-17/fishermen-left-behind/

Day thirty one:
In accordance to Memorial Day, I’d like to recognize the 442nd infantry regiment. During the Second World War, Japanese Americans were forced into internment camps. Some of the young men, refusing to let that stop them from being Americans, and to prove to the rest of the country their loyalty, lobbied for and volunteered as soldiers in a segregated Asian American unit. The unit was comprised almost entirely of Japanese-Americans and today, is still one of the most highly decorated regiments in US history.

Asian Pacific American Heritage Month 2010 (Day 12-20)

Oye, so I've fallen behind on posting everyday. Just means I've been living life ;)

Day twelve:
I found out that my last name was misspelled on the Asian Cultural Festival's website, which in turned effected some important documents. Already in ultra sensitive mode from earlier events, I flipped out. Majorly.

It's funny how something so deceivingly simple as misspelling a name can trigger such a huge reaction. But really, as Juliet so eloquently puts it, “What's in a name?” Names are powerful things, and the power to name someone or something is even more so (think, a kid finds a stray, but the parents won't let him/her keep it and the kid says, “but I already named it!” or the parents bring home a crab to cook for dinner and the kid names it, and then cries because the parents end up eating it). Names are not just identifiers, but in Chinese tradition, names contain the invisible fate and visible meaning of the characters. So it is not uncommon for people to change their name, and in turn their fate and luck. It was also not unheard of for artists/writers to change their name at the peak of their careers. If I remember correctly, it was because they didn't want to be stuck in that genre they started out in or to keep things fresh. As you can see, a lot of consideration goes into choosing a name (for newborns, for places, for buildings, everything!).

So don't spell my name wrong!

Day thirteen:
I had Panda Express for lunch, and wondered what the deal was with Chinese fast food. It's all more or less the same thing and I've become desensitized. Or maybe just disenchanted. I think it's time to introduce something new.

Chinese restaurants in America began popping up post 1849 California gold rush and completion of the transcontinental railroad. Most of the workers, poor working-class men, became cooks and opened up restaurants, cooking and serving food they remembered eating before leaving China to other Chinese patrons. Unfortunately, they cooked with unfamiliar ingredients (and lacked refined knowledge of the cuisine), and as they accumulated non-Chinese customers, they cooked with more meats and less vegetables than commonly served in China. (No wonder!)

After 150 plus years and the green-eating-healthier movement on the rise, it is definitely time for something new.

Day fourteen:
I went to the San Diego opening of THE GOOD THE BAD AND THE WEIRD and it was AAAWESOOOOMME! Directed and co-written by Kim Jee-woon, the movie follows three guys, a bounty hunter (Jung Woo-sung), a pretty bad-ass (and really hot) bandit (Lee Byung-hun), and a “petty thief” who just won't die (Song Kang-ho), hunting for a treasure/treasure map. It's pretty action-packed and definitely violent. Kids cover your eyes! Lol.

After wards, a bunch of us were hanging around discussing the merits of this movie and how it compares to IRON MAN 2. I haven't seen IRON MAN 2 yet, but THE GOOD THE BAD AND THE WEIRD definitely has my vote for hotties. Mmmm.

I recently found out that the American cut was different (and therefore had a less satisfying ending) from the Asian version. My friend was explaining the differences and I'm like, the Asian version sounds so much better!!! Why did they cut it so differently?! Geez.

Also, if you want to compare movies, THE GOOD THE BAD AND THE WEIRD will be playing at the Reading Gaslamp Theater downtown. Go see it! =D

Day fifteen:
I had a Raspberry Milk Tea with no boba (I don't like boba) at Tea N More. It was ok, a lot more sour than I anticipated, but it's all good. I'm not too picky, especially if I'm trying out something new. And the last time I was at Tea N More, I had ordered two drinks, and neither tasted like what I had ordered. So...low expectations for this round.

I remember seeing boba milk tea at a Chinese supermarket when I was visiting my cousins in LA when I was a kid. I thought it was coffee, so I didn't pay much attention to what it really was (and no doubt some of it probably was coffee with boba balls). So it always bothered me when boba milk tea got popular in middle school (circa 2000) and people claimed it was “a new Filipino drink.”

Boba milk tea actually originated in the 1980s in Taiwan, where tea stands were set up near elementary schools. One particular concession started adding fruit flavoring to their teas and popularity shot up. Of course the other concession stands followed suit. For an all around good taste, the fruit flavored teas needed to be shaken, which created bubbles or bobas, hence the name boba tea. Clear/white tapioca pearls were added later to give the look of bubbles at the top of the drink and at the bottom of the cup.

Today, there is a huge variety of flavored teas, shakes, drinks, types of jellies, and cafes/shops to choose from. Additionally, some of these cafes/shops will also serve tea snacks or meals. Yum.

Day sixteen:
The ACF committee had a picnic at La Jolla shores, and it really wasn't the best day to be at the beach. It was cold, overcast, and sprinkled on and off. One of the guys who came later with some of his friends brought their surfboards and wetsuits even though the waves were small – just to get their blood going. I've been wanting to learn how to surf and he offered to teach me, but I was too chicken of the cold (not to mention hungry and getting ready to fire up the grill!).

I plan on learning how to surf this summer and I'm super excited!

Surfing originated over 3000 years ago in Western Polynesia from fisherman who found that riding waves was the best way to get their catch to shore. Eventually, surfing developed into a pastime activity and people began stand-up surfing. Then the Polynesians settled in Hawaii and they developed a scared ritual for constructing surfboards, and surfing was done with respect.

However, surfing almost died out because the number of native Hawaiians dropped drastically (that whole imperialism thing that comes with a religious takeover). This resulted in surfing going back to basic techniques, an unskilled activity and practiced by few. At the turn of the century, “Father of Modern Surfing” Duke Kahanamoku (Olympic swimmer who started a surf club) drew a lot of attention to the sport. Hawaiians began picking up the sport and soon surfing was making a comeback as ambitions to be better became more intense. Boards were developed, contests were held, and people were hooked.

Ah, I can hardly contain myself!

Day seventeen:
My friend scored some really awesome Padres tickets, compliments of Cox, right behind home plate, row 8. It was sick. Padres vs Giants and Padres won. And there were a couple of crazy fans that made their way onto the field. It was cool. But I'm kinda bummed that I didn't get to see Ichiro Suzuki. I don't follow baseball and even I know that this guy is crazy good. And hot.

I came across an older article that questioned whether baseball will be the turning point of the Asian male image. For those who are unfamiliar with the current Asian male image, Asian guys have been portrayed as super geeks, martial artists with no love/sex interest, or sketchy businessmen. Granted, Asian Americans have been struggling to change this image and I like to think we’ve made some progress, but let’s be real. How often in mainstream media do you see an Asian guy as the leading man who gets the girl?

Anyway, in the past decade or so, there have been quite a number of outstanding Asian baseball players, mostly Japanese and Korean “imports.” The article asks, “Is baseball really a sport that can do much for the Asian male image or will we have to wait for a few quarterbacks and tight ends or maybe centers and power forwards? Or is sports just not up on a par with TV and the movies as a stud maker?”

Personally, Asian guys are already hot. But for everyone else, I think it's a collective effort that's going to take a lot of work.

Day eighteen:
A significant day in the San Diego Asian Film Foundation's history: After an intensive email and phone call campaign, about 100 people showed up at the city council hearing where city officials would be voting on whether or not to delay the Hazard Center Redevelopment Project. Below is the official statement for Executive Director Lee Ann Kim regarding the outcome of the hearing.

FROM LEE ANN:

On behalf of the San Diego Asian Film Foundation, we want to THANK YOU for taking the time to make a huge difference and impact on our future. The city council and mayor received 600 emails from you regarding the Hazard Center Redevelopment Project, and we had nearly 100 people show up at the council hearing. I am personally humbled and grateful from this show of force. (And believe me, I've heard from various city staff that this kind of response is not only impressive but truly made them take notice of us!)

After a long hearing, the Council voted unanimously to pass the Hazard Center Redevelopment Project, which means it is a done deal. The UltraStar Theater, which has been our home for 10 years will be turned into a parking lot.

But here's all the positive things that came out of this experience:

1) We are promised 2 more annual festivals at Hazard, and possibly 3. So we have time, but need to start our transition planning soon.

2) Councilmembers went out of their way before the vote to say - they are not only committed in finding us a new, affordable home for film festivals, but also guaranteed additional financial support from the city. Council members Kevin Faulconer, Carl DeMaio, Todd Gloria, Tony Young, and Ben Hueso put their comments on public record. Councilmember Donna Frye who was sick and not in attendance, has also committed her support through the end of her term.

3) Under pressure by the council and the community, developer Oliver McMillan has reached out to us and Latino Film Festivals to offer $25,000 seed money for our "transition". The company's principal, Dene Oliver, commented publicly at the hearing he will personally get involved to leverage his contacts to ensure more resources.

I have also been told that this kind of reaction from a developer for a community group is UNPRECEDENTED. For now, we don't know where we will be moving to, but we want to assure you, our members and supporters, that we will not compromise the quality of our festival or our mission during this process. I believe we have already begun to turn a crisis into something much bigger and better.

The arts prevailed today, and the future of the San Diego Asian Film Festival is BRIGHT!

If you are so inclined, please send an email to thank those Council Members and the Mayor who have promised their support to keep SDAFF alive! Here are their emails: donnafrye@sandiego.gov, JerrySanders@sandiego.gov,

kevinfaulconer@sandiego.gov, toddgloria@sandiego.gov, tonyyoung@sandiego.gov, carldemaio@sandiego.gov

FINALLY, to cap off an inspiring day, we also received word from County Supervisor Ron Roberts' Office that they will fund our request for outdoor film screening equipment. So we will be able to go MOBILE!

We are feeling so grateful and blessed for this experience... and for YOUR SUPPORT!

Hugs,
Lee Ann Kim

600 emails!!!! Six hundred emails! Man. SDAFF rocks.

Day nineteen:
I got to know one of my friends better today. I learned that she lived a double life, being the perfect honor roll student while trying to follow her dreams. Eventually following the footsteps of her older siblings and not able to continue living a lie, she was disowned by her family for following her dreams. While being disowned is not an uncommon thing, her story touched me in such a profound way. I could never understand how someone's pride could completely shadow one's love for their own child.

I'm not sure how often this happens in Asian American communities, but there are several ways to get disowned by your parents. For example, dating/marrying someone of a different ethnicity or religion, getting pregnant while unmarried, or even not following a specific career path.

Someone explained to me that this still happens because 1) there's still a huge generation/cultural difference between parents who immigrated here and the kids who grew up here 2) the older generation are stubborn and will hold onto the values they brought with them and 3) we'd rather pretend there isn't a giant elephant in the room.

*sigh*

Day twenty:
I spent a good chunk of my day writing, researching and proofing. I’m pretty exhausted, but totally loving the fact that I was able to write. I’m not sure how full time writers do it, spending eight hours working on their stories. I get tired of staring at the screen, and my hand gets tired from writing so much, and frankly, I can hardly stand to sit for so long. I’m constantly getting up and stretching and moving about.

Anyway, I can totally appreciate someone spending so much time and effort on their project. And today I’d like to spotlight Gene Yang’s latest work PRIME BABY, colored by Derek Kirk Kim. I haven’t picked it up yet (still saving up for it) but I can hardly wait. Gene Yang’s previous works (AMERICAN BORN CHINESE and THE ETERNAL SMILE) were kick ass and I look forward to reading PRIME BABY. Plus he’s a really cool guy. I met him a couple of times last year, once at SDSU where he was a guest lecturer and at Comic Con. Really laid back and humble guy. And I got to meet Derek Kirk Kim at Comic Con last year too. He’s so cute! And his work is awesome. He was the artist for THE ETERNAL SMILE and man, that guy is so versatile. Comic book nerd love.

All right, I’ve been writing all day, I’m going to bed now. And since I’m all caught up now, hopefully I can post daily again. Take care and thanks for reading!

Asian Pacific American Heritage Month 2010 (Day ten and eleven)

Oh the madness of posting on a daily basis...or at least attempting to anyway...

Day Ten: Monday:
Found out that someone added more content to my original letter to the dissatisfied ACF attendee, making the letter sound a lot more angrier than I intended, which led to a response something to the effect of sorry for making you angry, and that it makes that person sad to know that American culture is influencing Asian cultures (in a negative way).

Ugh, that's just what you get when you have a global village! Everything just starts coming together and blending and you get something totally different!

Some people just won't get it. =/ Oh well.

Day Eleven: Tuesday:
Had a lovely evening earlier tonight; dinner at Todo Sushi and Almond Milk Tea at Tea Station. So random fact about me and one of my eating habits: I very rarely dip my sushi in soy sauce (I also use very little wasabi and NO ginger). As I'm eating my sushi almost without soy sauce, a particular lecture from my marketing 370 class came to mind. It's something along the lines of how the Japanese did not try selling their food to the Americans. They realized that food was a very emotion/sentimental part of culture and was concerned that it would be rejected (and thus the people themselves). So they sold electronics--totally safe and did not have any emotional attachment (although I would beg to differ these days). It was the Americans who learned about sushi and fell in love with it and had it brought to the states. And I wondered, how much has this tradition been changed since being brought to the states and is this how it's supposed to be eaten? (And man, this sushi is REALLY yummy! Soy sauce is TOTALLY unnecessary)

According to what I could find, sushi started as the process of fermenting fish packed in rice. When the fish was ready, you only ate the fermented fish and tossed the rice, but with the introduction of vinegar, the fermentation process was shortened and eventually abandoned. Then Hanaya Yohei "decided" to make sushi a fast food item (to eat on the roadside or at the theater) and to prevent spoilage, he marinated the fish in soy sauce/vinegar served on rice balls.

Sushi was supposedly first introduced to the states shortly after WW2, but did not gain wide spread attention/love until the introduction of the California Roll in the 1970s. By the late 1980s, sushi's popularity blew up and the number of sushi bars quintupled (that's FIVE TIMES!!!) by the late 90s.

Crazy.

As to how to eat sushi, you're supposed to pick it up (either with chopsticks or hands), flip it over, dip the fish/topping in the soy sauce (because the rice will soak up too much soy sauce and damage the original flavoring), and then eat. Some say you're supposed to put the sushi in your mouth sideways so that the fish is on the left side of your mouth and the rice on the right side.

Huh. Now I know. But I still think soy sauce is unnecessary....hah.

Asian Pacific American Heritage Month 2010 (Day eight and nine)

Asian Cultural Festival OWNED! omg, I'm so tired and sore (but not sun burnt! yay!).

Run down of the festival:
4:00am Breakfast fail. Nothing was opened that early (except CVS 24 hour, but they didn't have bagels)
4:30am Breakfast saved. Cynthia came prepared--bought everything beforehand. Yay! Canopies unloading and opening up. Sprinklers going off at this time.
????am Bathroom break. Canopies, tables and chairs being moved onto the grass. More sprinklers going off at this time after some lag. Things (and people) got wet.
6:00am Signs/A frames assembled and go out on the street and parking lots. Note: first injury incurred at this time.
????am Insert contacts, sunglasses, and first application of sunscreen. Canopy signage goes up, main stage still being worked on, putting together the info booth. First ice run with Chris and Minh.
10:30am ish Putting drinks into coolers, completing the info booth, a lot of "Where are the performers/elected officials?!?!?!??!?!?!?!?!

?!?!?!?!?!?!?!?!?!?!?!?!?!?!?!?!?!?!" 4C THE POWER crew arrival. Second application of sun screen. Gone on an adventure for the 4C THE POWER workshop space.
11:00am Opening ceremony. First soda run with Duy (thanks for driving!) and Richard. Put soda into cooler and getting late arrivals settled in.
11:30am Second ice run with Jimmy, cleaned up a bit, cleared out hotel room (found a toothbrush btw if anyone's missing one) checked out of hotel on Dennis-Michael's behalf, travel to second ice machine to complete filling up tub. Second soda run. Drop off half the soda at info booth. Drop off other half of soda at 2nd info booth. Ice spillage. Clean up. Trash bag replacement. Vince ordering food for me and Jimmy. Return to first info booth, helping get rest of drinks situated/cool.
1:45pm ish Called brother so family could finally meet up with me. Eating the Tabe tacos that Vince had ordered (delivered by Eileen--thanks girl!!). Food run for Dennis-Michael, Mark, and more for me/sharing with Richard and Ivan.
3:00pm ish Third application of sunscreen. Found kaned89, winner of ACF promo video contest and proud new owner of a Sony Bloggie, congratulated him, ran over to volunteer booth to helped Mt Carmel HS Key Clubbers check in, ran back to kaned89 to continue answering his questions about claiming his Bloggie, ran back to volunteer booth to inquire about the Bloggie, ran back to kaned89 to exchange numbers so I could call him after tracking down who had the Bloggie, watched Terry Matsuoka beatbox with Jimmy where at the end of his song, I screamed I LOVE YOU! and Jimmy screamed HAVE MY BAaby..., took picture with Jimmy and the lady in white/statue lady, relieved Paula from the crafts booth so she could finally eat, made paper lanterns with little kids, was informed who had the Bloggie, called kaned89 and walked him to the volunteer booth, returned to crafts booth, helped make a mask for the kids, picked up trash around crafts booths, watched the Qigong class bump it to afterschoolspecial, wandered past the vendors to the other information booth, helped sell soda/water. Another Tabe run, helped with the vendor tent that got blown over, cleaned up a bit, looked for trash bags, met backstage for “roll call,” shared a coconut with everyone, decided against “roll call,” started tear down.
6:00pm ish Dumped out water and ice from coolers, closing canopies, folding chairs and tables. Transport all canopies, tables and chairs to volunteer booth area for the trucks to pick up.
7:45pm ish Trash pickup. Group picture. Contact attack, eyes burning (that sucked so much, I couldn’t rub my eyes because I was just picking up trash), Vince applied eye drops for me, more pictures, eyes burned even more, washed hands (omg, I have no idea who this super nice volunteer was who helped me wash my hands and calm me down, but I want to thank him!!!). Removed contacts, put on glasses, more trash pickup.
8:30pm ish Load extra sodas into car
8:45pm ish Return trip for sodas
9:00pm ish Meet at Sports Bar and Grill for food (salad and Cajun fries…probably should have just had salad)
11:30pm ish Home. Long, hot shower. Dry hair. Brush teeth.
12:30am Bed.

Today, I got to respond to a very interesting email. The email was in regards to the Asian Cultural Festival, and how a particular attendee was disappointed that instead of “fine examples of Asian culture,” the attendee saw “Asian people imitating American culture” (in reference to the “loud rap music” on the main stage). The attendee also suggested that we “try to have more traditional Asian music and food…”

Here’s my response:
Dear XXX,

Thank you for contacting the Asian Cultural Festival committee. We thank you for attending the festival and appreciate your enthusiasm. However, we’re sorry to hear that you were disappointed. Although we did not explicitly state this in our goals, the festival strives to not only celebrate and preserve the heritage of Asian peoples but also the culture of Asian Americans. It is difficult enough to define what it means to be an Asian person or an American person, but to be an Asian American is to consistently define and redefine how “Asian” and how “American” you are at any given time. Only the individual can decide how “Asian” and how “American” they want to be. And one of the best things about living in the United States of America is that everyone has the right to express themselves in any way they want. So in your specific example of the loud rap music, rap just happens to be the medium that the artist chooses to express him/herself. It is not “Asian people imitating American culture,” it is Asian Americans simply being Asian Americans.

While we can continue this discourse for hours on end, we must point out to you that if you do not like rap music, we did have another stage exclusively for fine examples of Asian culture and martial art exhibitions, as well as a separate area for cooking demonstrations.

XXX, thank you again for attending the Asian Cultural Festival, and for contacting us. We hope you learned a little bit about what it means to be Asian American today.

Sincerely,
The Asian Cultural Festival Committee