17
Feb 10

艋舺 / MONGA

So this is the hottest flick in Taiwan right now… MONGA. I’d been hearing about it from my relatives and from watching TV, and then a friend who knows the director wanted to go see it… so we watched it last night! And it was quite good. I have to honestly say I wasn’t really expecting too much based on Taiwanese films I’d seen before (which actually isn’t very much), but this one was was very well made, has a great story, and the actors are pretty hot. Puahaha. Takeshi Kaneshiro, watch out!

Random tidbits: The whole entire time, I kept thinking that one of the main characters, “Monk” (Ethan Ruan) looked so much like Kev Nish from FM! And then “Mosquito” (Mark Chao) kinda looked like Bruce Lee… haha.

I don’t know too much about the back story of this film and right now there’s no IMDB page for it either… hmm. Well, in short, it’s about a place called Monga, which according to my uncle, baaack in the day was a port where many mainlanders entered Taiwan from. Ok, if you don’t like spoilers, well here’s your SPOILER ALERT… In this film, the story takes place in the ’70s and ’80s and is about a group of friends, part of the Temple Front gang. The narrator of the story, Mosquito, is invited to be a part of the gang after a silly fight with members of another gang, the Back Alley. Mosquito has grown up without a father and has never had any real friends, so after Monk and the others take him under their wing, he fully embraces the new lifestyle and there’s no turning back. The story has a number of heart-wrenching twists and while it is a drama, there’s also a lot of humor which I loved. In the end, it all comes down to the characters trying to balance the harsh realities of a violent gangster life with the honor of friendship and brotherhood.

I have no idea when the film will be hitting the U.S., but I hope it will! Here’s the website, but it’s all in Chinese: mongathemovie.com

Film / Review — Leave a comment
15
Feb 10

My 1st Chinese New Year’s in Taiwan

It’s been a blast (still going!). My Mandarin still sucks, but I’m definitely getting to practice it with my relatives. It’s so weird to see my cousins who I remember as babies and they’re all in high school now. It’s also strange that I never really got to know the cousins who are closer in age to me.

The past few nights I slept next to my grandma in her ol’ house in Nantou. It was a bit of a trip to be sleeping in the very same room that my mom and her six siblings shared growing up (it must’ve been quite a squeeze!). I guess what got to me more was the thought of when, if ever, I’ll get such a chance again. I picked up a sketchbook a few days ago (I used to draw a lot, but not in a long time)… so last night, while laying in bed next to my grandma, I had to sketch her real quick. If I had access to a scanner, I’d share. Maybe another time.

Anyway, to sum up my CNY experience so far… on my mom’s side, it’s very lively. All my mom’s siblings and the majority of their families got together all day today. Lotsa good food, lotsa mahjong, lotsa karaoke, and lotsa Skyping with those overseas who couldn’t make it. It was a bit chaotic, cuz’ there were so many people in one space. Oh, and of course… lotsa red envelopes (definitely great to be considered a kid still!). Oh, something else… I guess this was the first time in a very long time that all families were together for CNY (I was the representative for my mom). It’s funny… I think I’m having some “Joy Luck Club” moments. Puahaha.

I am definitely super blessed.

Blog — 2 comments
13
Feb 10

Happy New Year!

(according to the Lunar calendar)

And yes, I’m alive! So much for blogging everyday this new year. Haha. Well, it’s been busy in Taiwan. I also decided to fast from the computer for 10 days… so I wouldn’t have been able to blog everyday anyway! And… my Internet connection isn’t the best… oh well.

So! Taiwan has been great! I’ve been meeting a lot of awesome peeps, eating a lot of delicious food, and most of all, seeing God do some amazing things over here. I’ll eventually blog about some highlights when I get a chance!

I’m currently in Nantou at my grandma’s ol’ house. It’s a trip to memory lane, cuz’ the last time I was here was when I was in 3rd grade. We’re about to have Chinese New Year’s Eve dinner. I was helping her prep some things earlier… and oh man, I have never in my life had to pluck hairs out of meat that I’d be eating… WHOA. Flashbacks to Manivore. Lol. Anyway, this is my first Chinese New Year’s in Taiwan. I’ll let you know how it goes!

Btw, I would totally be photo blogging or uploading vids… but unfortunately, the external HD I bought for this trip is USELESS. Boo. Here’s a pic I jacked from Howie (proof that I AM taking pics… mostly of food, yah yah~ lol… but I’ll have pics to show eventually!)

Blog / Photos — 1 comment
28
Jan 10

Peace out, LA!

I’ll see you when I see you! Taiwan, here I come! 很高興!

Blog / Photos — 3 comments
26
Jan 10

This Thursday… 3-in-1!

That is, three events in one night! If you’re in LA, these are the events to be at:

Ktown Cowboys Fundraiser at Cafe Bleu

http://www.facebook.com/event.php?eid=423538320626
This is a fundraiser for a fun webisodic/film project I had a small role in. If you guys go, you’ll get a sneak peek at the first episode. Should be good! Lots of talented people involved and they can definitely use the support to finish the project!

Open Mic hosted by Aiko Tanaka at Tribal Cafe

http://www.facebook.com/event.php?eid=259642238567
I just saw Aiko kill it at the Comedy Store last week. She’ll be hosting these open mics once a month… so if you’re a stage performer of any sort, get your butt over there! Or if you just enjoy live performance, be sure to check this out.

Eliot Chang’s FREE Show at the Laugh Factory

http://www.facebook.com/event.php?eid=291621911423
Comedy shows are usually pretty expensive when you add everything together: parking/valet, admission, 2 drink minimum, etc… but you can get into this one for FREE and Eliot is freakin’ hilarious. Have you seen him throw imaginary babies across the room? Oh man…

If I weren’t on a plane to Taiwan, I’d totally hit up every single event!

Comedy / Event / Film / Music — Leave a comment
25
Jan 10

Taiwan in 3 days!

So yup, I’m going to Taiwan again quite shortly after my last trip (in November). This time I’ll be out there for a month. I’m looking forward to spending time with God, family, and friends over there. I’m also looking forward to stuff like this:

Photo taken from the opening of LUXY as a mega club turned church on 1/4/10 in Taipei. I was told that 500+ people showed up and were encountered by the Holy Spirit! Freakin’ awesome. (Photo courtesy of Peter Wan).

Now that I have a new camera… I’ll be sure to take pics and try to photo blog and maybe vlog while I’m out there!

Blog / Love — 2 comments
23
Jan 10

Live Chat with the fabulous Jeannie Mai

Tonight at 9PM PST! After her new episode of “How Do I Look?” airs (8PM PST), Jeannie will be video chatting live from here: ustream.tv/channel/jeanniemai.

Visit her blog: iheartjeanniemai.com | Tweet her: @jeanniemai

Event / Fashion / Random — Leave a comment
23
Jan 10

Projekt NewSpeak!

Alright, this is a repost for Projekt Newspeak. Check ‘em out. They are cool.
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Projekt NewSpeak is taking leaps and bounds in 2010!

1) We’d like to announce to you our NEW BOARD of DIRECTORS who have taken the helm of Projekt NewSpeak!

Dante Basco – Actor/Producer (Hook, Entourage, and Take the Lead)
Karin Anna Cheung – Actress (The People I’ve Slept With, Better Luck Tomorrow)
Annie Kim – Producer/Marketing (Gochu, D-War)
Geena Oh – Former President of Project by Project
Joe Park – CEO of Blended Events
Ryan Suda – CEO of Blacklava Clothing
Phil Yu – Creator of AngryAsianMan.com
Eddie Kim – Creator of Projekt NewSpeak

2) Projekt NewSpeak is looking for a 2nd generation staff to take charge of the organization!

Do you want to work in production, filmmaking, event planning? Do you want to work with positive people that want to change the image and stereotypes of Asian Americans in Hollywood? Then join us! These are the positions that are available. We are looking to fill all positions by the beginning of February. To apply, please contact us at: info@projektnewspeak.com

Requirements for all positions: MUST be at least 18 w/ car

3) Projekt NewSpeak has opened a film department. We want to produce YOUR FILM!

We are opening a submission contest. We want to produce YOUR FILM! If you have a compelling story / screenplay (drama, comedy, action, any genre), enter by submitting to us your finished screenplay by February 15, 2010. Submit your script to: info@projektnewspeak.com

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Watch funny videos here: http://www.newspeaktv.com

Comedy / Film / Opportunities — Leave a comment
23
Jan 10

And the results are in…

It’s a bummer that CPAF didn’t make it into Chase Community Giving’s Top 6, but hey, it doesn’t end here. We can all still make a difference with the issue of domestic violence and sexual assault. It’s all about LOVE.

Major props to the team who worked their asses off to get the word out!

I think the greatest thing to come out of this whole campaign is that a serious problem is now in the light (an issue that is usually kept quiet within the API community) and that more people are aware of an organization like CPAF, including myself! I had never heard of CPAF prior to being asked to participate in the PSAs, but now I do! And there’s a lot more work to be done! Lotsa loving to do!

So don’t be discouraged. We keep moving forward! Tomorrow’s a new day.

Learn more about CPAF or get involved: NurturingChange.org

911 / Blog — Leave a comment
22
Jan 10

Too Blessed to be Stressed

It’s been almost 3 weeks since the New Year began. I’m sure many of you are wondering how my 30 chapters a day resolution is going. Well, I was reading 30 chapters a day up until January 15th. I gotta give it to myself for getting through 1/3 of the Bible in just two weeks… it was pretty hardcore!!! I’d be done in a month if I kept going! Haha, crazy! Anyway, spending approx. 2 hours a day reading started to become draining on top of everything else. By the 15th, I was so sleep-deprived that I decided to take a break (and so instead, I watched FURIOUS LOVE, a very inspiring documentary about Love in the midst of some major spiritual warfare). So yup, I have revised my resolution. I’ll read 5 chapters a day at the very least. They say if you read 5 chapters a day, you can finish the Bible in a year!

So what else has been going on? Well, I’ve been finishing up some work for a documentary that I’ve been working on in the past year. I’ll def be plugging it in the near future. I’ve also been spending as much quality time as possible with friends before my trip to Taiwan. I take off in a week and I am very, very excited! Taiwan has family, friends, good food, lots to do, and I don’t have to drive! I may even go to HK or Beijing for a week. Life is def good right now.

And although there are moments or days when I feel down or lonely, God knows and He always reminds me that He’s right there. Like today, God put it on a friend’s heart to give me a call and grab lunch. It was super random, cuz’ this friend and I never hang out and actually, I had been feeling kinda funky the past two days. So after hanging out for two hours and having revelations about God… it was def a Godsend. Dating God (my other New Year’s resolution) has been sweet. I’m just learning about Love really. Seeing people how God sees them. Loving and expecting nothing in return. And I’m trying not to be in my head so much, rather trying to enjoy God’s presence all the time.

Btw, I’ve been receiving a lot of encouraging emails from strangers. THANK YOU to those who have written me! I’m sorry I haven’t written back yet, but I do want y’all to know that I have read your emails and am very encouraged by them! :]

Finally, here’s a cute VoteCPAF.org PSA with one of our fave dance crews:

You dig it? Kaba Modern rocks for sure. And so does CPAF. Last night, I actually got to meet some CPAF counselors and they were all super awesome people. I def want to see CPAF stay open for all the domestic violence and sexual assault victims out there… so please vote! There’s less than a day left!

Blog / Love / Video — 1 comment
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