Easter Island Rocks

The road up to Rano Raraku, the quarry from which all the moai (stone statues) were carved. Rano Raraku was hands down the coolest thing we saw on the island (or ever, possibly).

Completed and half-buried moai along the outer rim of the quarry. There are moai all around the island-- some close to the quarry, others miles away.

An especially charismatic moai.
There are only a few roads outside of town, some were paved, but most weren't. We saw lots of wild horses and a few cows.

Ahu Tongariki. The largest re-constructed ahu on the island, with 15 moai (ahu is sort of like a shrine and is the flat thing on which the moai stand). It's hard to tell from this picture just how big the moai are, but the tallest one is 46 ft, the shortest is 18 ft, and the average weight per moai is 40 tons. By the time European explorers made it to Easter Island (18th century or so) all of the moai and ahu had been toppled as a result of tribal conflict. So all of the moai on Ahu Tongariki and other ahus on the island are standing today because of archaeological restoration.

All of the moai are different. Some have pukao (topknots or hats), which were carved from red volcanic rock from a different quarry called Puna Pao. It blows my mind to think that the natives transported moai from one quarry miles away and pukao from another quarry miles in the other direction, and erected the moai with pukao on top (somehow it fit!), all without the help of wheels or working animals (the horses are believed to have been brought by the Spanish).

A rainbow after one of the many showers on the island.

Sunset at Ahu Tahai.

Greetingfroms Easter Iisland...

where i´m blogging via dial-up service (or so it seems). It is so slow here that by the time I see this text , I´m too lazy to go back and correct my mistakes. So bear with me.

Easter Island is pretty rad. It is the world´s most remote, inhabitabited island. About 4000 people live here and almost all of them live in the island´s only town, Hanga Roa. The climate is subtropical and the days have been sunny and windy, with very sudden and violent downpours. There are more wild horses on the island than people (about 5000). In town there are lots of stray dogs, all quite friendly. The seafood is fresh and yummy. I think I´ve had enough tuna ceviche to last a lifetime.

I won´t give you a brief history of the island (it would take too long and be inaccurate, I´m sure), but suffice to say that the moai are totaly awesome. How the islanders managed to transport them over miles is beyond me. The coolest thing by far is Rano Raraku, the volcanic crater - quarry- where all the moai were carved. We hiked along the crater yesterday (both outside and inside the rim) and saw hundreds of moai-- some completed, some still attached to the quarry wall, some in the stage of being transported and others toppled, face down in the grass. We took lots of pictures and I will post them once I´m back in the States.

Remote as this place is, it´s not immune to American cultural influences. We heard Lauryn Hill in a resturant yesterday. Saw parts of Shrek the Third on DVD/TV (bootleg no doubt). And caught a glimpse of Paris Hilton on the front page of the newspaper.

¿Where in the World is Chanchow?

Greetings from Santiago, Chile where it´s ¡Chilly! We touched down in Santiago at 7am and it was 28 degrees outside. I couldn't believe that I'd left summer in LA for wintertime somewhere else. But it's OK. Now it's warm. It's been about 65 degrees during the day. Chilean people are nice. They look much whiter than I expected. More Spanish than South American or indigenous looking. At least here in the city.

Mañana we are off to Easter Island. We´ll be flying on a 767 so I wonder how many people will be on the flight. LAN goes to Easter, then continues on to Tahiti (I think), then comes back. There is a small runway on the island that was expanded to accommodate an emergency space shuttle landing. No joke.

¡Hasta luego!

My Smokin' Hot Vegetarian Chili Recipe

My recipe didn't win the chili cookoff at my work, but it'll always be a winner to me.

3 tablespoons olive oil
1 onion, chopped
2 carrots, peeled, thinly sliced
4 celery stalks, chopped
1 green or yellow or orange bell pepper, seeded, chopped
2 jalapeño peppers, seeded, minced
1 habanero pepper, seeded, minced
1 28-ounce can crushed tomatoes
3 cups water
2 15-ounce cans black beans, rinsed, drained
2 15-ounce cans kidney beans, rinsed, drained
1/2 cup bulgur (aka cracked wheat) – available at Whole Foods and health food stores
2 tablespoons white wine vinegar
3 garlic cloves, minced
2 tablespoons chili powder
1 1/2 teaspoons ground cumin
1 1/2 teaspoons ground coriander
1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon
3/4 cup of grated cheddar cheese

Heat the olive oil in a large pot over medium heat. Add onion, carrots, celery, bell pepper and jalapeño and habanero peppers and sauté until onion lightly browns and carrots and celery soften a little (usually 5-10 minutes). Add tomatoes, beans, water, bulgur (this ingredient is key-- it gives this vegetarian recipe a thicker, 'meatier' texture), white wine vinegar, garlic and spices. Bring to a boil. Reduce heat to low and cook, uncovered, until bulgur is tender and chili thickens, stirring often to make sure the bottom doesn't burn (about 30 minutes). If you’re hungry, then ladle into a bowl, sprinkle grated cheddar on top and eat. If you can wait, turn off the heat and let the chili thicken even more, and then ladle and sprinkle cheddar when ready. In my experience, this chili tastes even better the day after, so look forward to leftovers. This recipe makes enough for 6 adults.

DIY Succulent Arrangements

This was a lot of fun. Bought some shallow pots, small succulents, cactus potting soil and colored rocks and arranged them the way I wanted. It's fun to play around with height, color and texture. Pots and plants from California Cactus in Pasadena and Pot-Ted in Atwater.

Decorating... Slowly but Surely

I got a print by Matte Stephens off Etsy a couple weeks ago. He's an Alabama-based artist (paint and gocco) and his stuff has a cartoony, 70s retro look.

I Like Cars

I guess I've always liked cars. Or at least noticed them, recognized logos and models, stuff like that. But living in LA has made me pay even more attention. Now I notice things like rims. The other day I said to my friend "Oh there's another car in the parking lot exactly like mine, except mine has better rims." Laughable, but that's a fact. My car has better rims.

I've Been Watching Lots of Law and Order: SVU

I don't watch the new episodes, just the reruns on USA. Octopus is having a guys night out at the ballpark tonight, so I will occupy myself with reruns of SVU. And some Basa white wine.

Last night I took a spinning class and almost passed out. I pushed myself harder than usual and by the end of class I felt awful. So awful that I had to jump off my bike during cool down and book it to the bathroom. On the way I was afraid I would faint, slip on the bathroom floor and hit my head. Thankfully, none of that happened. I made it to the bathroom stall and must've sat on the john, head in hands, for like five minutes. Maybe more. I think my blood sugar was really low. It was scary. Now I have a good reason for not working out too hard.

Your Friday Afternoon Video #11: "I Think We're Dead"

This can't wait til Friday.

Up Early to Watch the Men's Final. Woof woof woof.

Hey look, he's smiling!

The French Open began at 6am Pacific time. I woke up around 7. It's now in the third set. Nadal serving 3-1, 40-30. I'm not really rooting for anyone in this match, although I suppose I'd like Nadal to win. I like that he has a blog. And how he wears clam diggers.

It's supposed to be warm today, but right now skies are cloudy. I love weekend mornings. So quiet and relaxing. Just the birds chirping and the occasional car driving by.

My office is having a summer potluck/chili cookoff in the next week. I'll be entering my spicy veggie chili. I bought a crock pot at Target for the occasion.

Yesterday Octopus and I went to the optometrist to get new glasses. I can't believe how much glasses cost. Even with vision insurance, our two pairs cost over $200 each.

NYC to LA

Rewinding to September 2005, the month we moved from NYC to LA. We took about two weeks to drive out, the biggest chunk of time being spent in Wyoming to visit Yellowstone and Grand Teton. This was our route, with the circles representing where we spent the night-- Pittsburgh; Madison, WI; Sioux Falls and Rapid City, SD; Buffalo, WY; Yellowstone NP; Grand Teton NP; Tropic, UT; and Vegas.

I'd love to drive cross-country again-- next time taking a more northern route. I want to see Idaho and Montana especially. More nature, fewer cities. Actually, I'd really love to do a National Parks trip. Starting in LA and then hitting Sequoia, Yosemite and Lassen in CA, Crater Lake in Oregon, Craters of the Moon in Idaho, Glacier in Montana, Teddy Roosevelt in North Dakota and Voyageurs in Minnesota. Maybe we could rent a Prius. We met some people in Yellowstone who had driven their Prius from Texas and only filled up their tank once along the way.

Gardening Blogs of Note

Heavy Petal in Canada and the very cool Germinatrix here in Eagle Rock.

Shopping for Nature

"Hot lips" salvia. We got some of these.

We went to the Lincoln Avenue Nursery in NW Pasadena over the weekend and bought a boatload of plants. Hohh, it was fun. And I owe it to Mr. Octopus...

Left to my own devices, I have a very frustrating tendency to go to the nursery and buy one plant, maybe two. I spend lots of time mulling things over, what if this, what if that, such that the plant buying experience, which should be fun and easygoing, sometimes gets overwrought and unpleasant. I become paralyzed by the options and the fear of buying something I won't like later.

This led to my recent gardening breakdown. I was really pissed that I'd spent all this time thinking about plants and visiting nurseries and still my garden didn't look the way I wanted it to. I didn't have enough plants, I didn't like how they were laid out. I just didn't like anything. And that's where Octopus came in.

He's not much of a planner. He's more of a let's just get it and it'll be fine kind of person, which can be a good counterbalance to my overthought and hyperplanning personality. So we went to the nursery and we got lots of stuff. It was like my birthday! Tee hee.

Weekend Movies

I was really looking forward to seeing Knocked Up and I'm glad to say it didn't disappoint. Very pretty and 'together' girl (Katherine Heigl) has drunken one night stand with sweet stoner loser (Seth Rogen). Laugh out loud funny. Better than The 40 Year Old Virgin.


Also saw The Illusionist. I have no idea how this got to the top of our netflix queue (or how it go on at all, for that matter), but instead of sending it straight back we thought we'd give it a try. A romantic mystery thriller set in 1900s Vienna. Magician (Ed Norton) is in love with the Prince's fiance (Jessica Biel). The Chief of Police (that dude from Sideways), who is also the Prince's right hand man, investigates. Happy to say that it wasn't as dry and boring as it sounds. It was surprisingly good.

I Don't Feel Bad for Paris Hilton

Does anyone?

Your Friday Afternoon Video #10: I Got My Mind Set on You

Tipping... What's Normal?

I got on the topic of tipping with a few colleagues of mine and I was surprised at the big differences we have on the topic. For example, when it comes to tipping housekeeping at a hotel, how much do you leave per day? This is what each of us had to say:

Girl #1: Doesn't tip housekeeping at hotels. Only tips if she's renting a house and gets housekeeping.

Girl #2: $10 a day, which she leaves in an envelope at the front desk. Since she stays at nice resorts, she thinks $10 is customary.

Me: A buck or two a day (regardless of whether it's the Days Inn or Four Seasons), which I leave on the nightstand.

Guy #1: Doesn't tip unless it's a business trip.

And for valets:

Girl #1: Usually a buck.

Girl #2: Several dollars, depending on how much valet costs. If valet costs $15, she might tip $3.

Me: Usually a buck.

Guy #1: Usually a buck or two.

For the Late Preggers Set

Saw a new magazine called Plum at Barnes & Noble the other day. It's aimed at pregnant women 35 and over.

Moving Out of New York Makes You Fat

By golly I got it! That weight I've put on over the last year is because I haven't been walking as much (ahem, at all) since moving out of NYC. It's not the food or the gym or my age-- it's that sitting on my ass in my car has replaced walking and standing on those hot subway platforms. Duh!

This crystal clear moment came to me as we were walking along Smith St in Brooklyn yesterday. It was a warm and sorta muggy day in the city and the roughly 10 block walk from the Carroll St station to Atlantic Ave had me feeling tired and gross. This was really pathetic because I used to power walk down this stretch without thinking anything of it.

Now that I've figured out the problem, I need a solution. LA isn't so walkable, so maybe I need to hit the treadmill most days after work...

Only 48 Episodes and 7 More Islands to Go

Thanks to my friend the Hoosier Nest for telling me about this hilarious handy dandy recap of season 3 of Lost.

Where It's Green

We are spending Memorial Day weekend with the extended Octopus clan in Connecticut. I can't believe how green it is here. The highways, which are usually only two, maybe three, lanes in each direction, are lined with evergreen, maple and other trees for as far as the eye can see. It's beautiful, but being a city/suburban girl, it's a little unnerving. The Octopus inlaws have a forest behind their house and the smell of the trees and things nature initially hurt my nose.

Octopus has many little cousins and one in particular really likes me. I think she loves me, actually. She's seven and people tell her that she looks like me. I don't see her very often and it warms my heart that someone who hardly knows me loves me so much. Families are the best.

Your Friday Afternoon Video #9: He-Man and the Masters of the Universe

Believe it or not: Warner Bros is working with Mattel to bring He-Man to the silver screen. Live action.

Rates of Depression and Suicide High for Asian-Am Females

HHS reports that Asian-American girls and women between 15 and 24 have the highest suicide rate among all females in the same age group. Suicide is the second leading cause of death for this group, after accidents. Model minority, parental pressure and undiagnosed depression are among the many possible factors.

None of this surprises me. Asian parents often treat their sons differently from their daughters. They expect their daughters to be smart, innocent and obedient, to be everything to everybody, whereas they let the boys do what they want to do. In my own experience, I've noticed that Vietnamese girls do much better in school than Vietnamese boys. At my high school, all the Vietnamese kids in my AP classes were girls-- the Vietnamese boys were often hanging out in the parking lot, wearing their wifebeaters and flipflops, and talking about how they were going to lower their Acura Integras (it's no wonder I never had a Vietnamese boyfriend).

And depression in Asian culture often goes untreated. In fact, I wonder if many Asian parents even believe there's such a thing as mental illness. I have an aunt who has become sick recently. I've asked a bunch of times what exactly she is suffering from, and every time I get some vague answer like "Well, she says crazy things. She's had a really hard life and she thinks too much about the past and that causes her a lot of stress. She really shouldn't think about that stuff."

When I was about to leave for college my parents asked me if I knew what I wanted to study. I had given it a lot of thought and told them I wanted to be a psychiatrist. Immediately, my parents erupted in anger and disbelief. "You won't make any money! Nobody goes to a psychiatrist. We don't know anyone who goes. Do you want to be around insane people all day long?" And the icing on the cake: my dad said, "Why don't I take you to a mental institution and see if you like it."

It's Monday, and I've Got More to Say

I just finished watching Dancing with the Stars. I don't understand why Apolo got a perfect score for his freestyle routine. He seemed one step behind his partner the whole time. Also, I wonder why Mr. Jazz Patch, who was born in like 1982 and who presumably grew up in the 90s, would do a whole routine around breakdancing (something I think is quintessentially early 80s). I guess breakdancing is back in style, right? Does that mean that the 80s are coming back generally? Nothing would be more awesome because that means my music tastes are current once again.

Sometimes it shocks me that I live in LA. As if time has passed me by and suddenly I wake up and I'm living in LA. Not that I don't like it here. Actually, I quite like it. I really like Eagle Rock. But it's that weird sense that somehow I live in the day-to-day humdrum and don't realize the overarching big picture. Kinda like, wow, I'm in my 30s. How did that happen?

'Ello Governah

Young Arnold hoping some ballet lessons will help
his bodybuilding poses
Pumping Iron (1976) is so worth watching on Netflix. What could be better than a young Arnold Schwarzenegger vying for his seventh Mr. Olympia? He was 28 at the time and charismatic, attractive and charming. He was cocky and sneaky, too. Of his good friend and fellow bodybuilding competitor, Franco Columbu, the future Governator says: "Franco is pretty smart, but Franco's a child, and when it comes to the day of the contest, I am his father. He comes to me for advices. So it's not that hard for me to give him the wrong advices."

My Favorite Weekend Getaway Place

Morning fog over the driving range. The view from our room.

Just returned from the Ojai Valley-- a quick hour plus drive NW of LA, near Santa Barbara-- and it was awesome. So relaxing, so beautiful. We stayed at the Ojai Valley Inn, which I would definitely recommend. Pretty Spanish mission style buildings. Nice landscaping. Lots of complimentary fitness classes (yoga, water conditioning, spinning). Good (but very pricey) spa. And golf, tennis and horseback riding, too, if you're into that. A very kid-friendly place to boot. What a treat to have a place like this so close to LA.

The same view, a few hours later.

Lots of lavender, salvia, rosemary and succulents.

Getting There

After several months of not going anywhere, the Octopus and I have a slew of trips lined up for the summer. These seemed like good ideas when I booked them, but now that they're fast approaching, I'm almost just as happy to stay home. It seems so exhausting. Flying is dreadful. And vacations always end up costing a lot (especially the short ones). But I shouldn't complain. I'm happy to visit family or be in a new place. It's just the getting there that sucks.

Little Children

I really liked this movie. A well told, well paced, thoughtful story. Kate Winslet plays a young, suburban mom who meets a very attractive dad at the neighborhood playground. She is married to an inattentive, internet porn obsessed consultant. He is married to a beautiful, breadwinning filmmaker (played by Jennifer Connelly). Their unsatisfying, mundane lives take an interesting turn when they start having an affair. Throw a neighborhood pedophile into the mix and you get something even more interesting (the pedophile is the same guy who played the punkass kid Tatum O'Neal fancied in the original Bad News Bears). Definitely worth getting on Netflix.

Tipping the Owner

I got a facial today. At a tiny place, a room on the second floor of a hair salon. One room, one facialist. I've had quite a few people tell me that you don't typically tip the owner of a salon. So, after hemming and hawing, I ended up just paying her sticker price, no tip. Now I feel bad. Mostly because I wonder if other people tip and if she expected one. I always feel weird when I have to hand the tip to the person who did the service. I'd much rather put money in an envelope and leave. I'm planning on going back to her, so next time I'll tip, if not just to avoid this post-facial agonizing...

Your Friday Afternoon Video #8: You'd think that you'd be safe sitting atop an elephant...

This tiger attack was filmed in India. The elephant was blind in its left eye. I remember reading that the elephant (and the man riding atop it) came between the tiger and its cubs. Figures.

I first saw snapshots of this attack in National Geographic magazine in '05.

I'm Still Watching Lost

Despite all my complaining and indignation, I still tune in on Wednesdays. I am a tool. I don't really have much else to say, except that I guess. I don't really think Locke is gonna die. He's too important to the story. And to kill him off right when he's on the cusp of learning more about the Others and the supernatural powers of the island would be mean and stupid and would just delay us getting on with our lives. Then again, those are all reasons for ABC to let him go.

I hate this guy

It's Gonna Be a Long, Hot Summer

The fire burning in Griffith Park.
This afternoon. And into the evening.

Hello Week

Sunday night. Watching E! True Hollywood Story: Kelly Ripa. I'm not home in the mornings to watch Regis & Kelly anymore, but last I watched she really bothered me. I used to like her. At the beginning.

Aaah, the last hours of the weekend.

The one good thing about Mondays is Dancing with the Stars. I can't believe that Billy Ray is still on. Poor John Ratzenberger. I'm guessing Ian Ziering will be next to go. I would say Billy Ray, but I've been saying that for a couple weeks and he just keeps coming back. Like a cockroach. I don't understand what the judges are talking about when they say he dancing with his heart, puts his all into it, blaah blaah.

But let's not talk about Monday yet.

My weekend was great. And not because Mr. Octopus was away (ha ha, sorry Octopus). A friend who lives in DC spent the night on Friday. We made grilled cheese sandwiches, had a bottle of Riesling and caught up. Then today I hiked the 'JPL Trail' in Pasadena with another friend. I couldn't have imagined a better Sunday morning. I think this hike is one of my favorite things ever. It's cool and shady and easy.

Then this afternoon I went hog wild with the gardening. I went to not one, but two Armstrong nurseries. Glendale and Pasadena (the Pasadena one is way better). I bought a bunch of plants (including some yellow and red 'kangaroo paws' like the ones here) and then came home and dug some holes. I'm pretty happy with what I bought and I hope that the plants take to their new environment.

New Baby Rhino

A whopping 86 pounds at birth, this not so little, newborn Sumatran rhino is making waves at the Cincinnati Zoo. Only 300 of these rhinos remain in the wild, so every new baby counts. Coochi coochi coo.

Your Friday Afternoon Video #7: Big Yellow Taxi

Happy Arbor Day and have a great weekend

Stealing Buddha's Dinner

This is not a picture of me, but I have pictures from my years in Minnesota that look a lot like this.

I just finished reading Stealing Buddha's Dinner, a memoir by Bich Minh Nguyen (that's the author on the left, with her sister). Her story is a lot like mine: born in Vietnam, left on a ship out of Saigon on April 29, 1975, stopped in the Phillipines and Guam before arriving at Fort Chaffee in Arkansas. From there her family was sponsored to Grand Rapids, mine to Minneapolis. She writes about being one of the few Asian kids in her school, having white, Christian friends who thought Buddha and Asian food were weird, soaking in 80s pop culture and trying to assimilate.

If I were to write a memoir, it might turn out something like this. It was comforting to read a book that seemed familiar and real. I was tempted to send her an email saying "Hey, me too. Be my best friend?" I'll admit that I drafted an email, but didn't press send.

Sorry Mr. Fig Tree

A couple weekends ago Mr. Octopus and I decided to weed a certain part of our back yard that had been overtaken by a weedy vine-like thing that had sprouted out of nowhere. It was growing very fast and vigorously and we felt that the sooner we conquered it, the better. It had broad coarse leaves and weird bulb things (right). We had no idea what it was. Mr. Octopus tried his best to dig it all out, until he realized that it was growing from underneath the patio.

Fast forward to today. My parents came to visit and as usual, my mom, an avid gardener, looked closely at all the plantings in our yard. Turns out there is another similar weedy, bulby thing growing in the far back of the yard (no man's land) and just like the other one, it had appeared out of nowhere. My mom said it is a fig tree. Poor Mr. Figgie. No we feel sorta bad. I guess that's what eating fig newtons, as opposed to real figs, will do to you. Of course, we're going to leave the new fig tree to grow happily into a big bush, maybe something like this one (below).

Pasadena Houses

I love old houses. So what a treat it was to walk around the Orange Grove Blvd area in NW Pasadena this afternoon. Back in the early days of LA, Pasadena was where the rich and famous built their homes. Movie stars, business moguls, robber barons. Most of LA's wealthy have since moved westward to the beach, but fortunately a lot of beautiful old houses still remain.

I love the tree lined streets and how all the houses are different. I love how the neighborhood is historic without being stuffy or too showy. I didn't see many kids (or any, actually), so I assume most of the residents are old money old people. I can understand that because if I ever moved here I would never leave.

One of the more 'modest' homes that I saw. I like the English storybookness of this house, especially the round window. These days I can't help notice landscaping (or lack thereof) and I think this house could use a few bushes and trees to soften it.

I noticed that this house hardly has any front lawn. Instead you see drought resistant, low water plants. Cacti, succulents, salvias, palms. Very eco-friendly.

Restoring this Victorian must've cost a fortune. The paint job alone must've been at least $20,000. I'm not a huge fan of this style, but this is a beautiful house. The scalloping is very cool.

Wow, four chimneys. Must be warm inside. Looks like you can walk on the rootop. Wonder what you can see from there. The door was slightly open and I was tempted to sneak in.

I really like the playful blue trim on this house. This Spanish style looks pretty modern compared to the other styles in the area.

The grand dame of the neighborhood: the Gamble House. Designed in 1908 by Greene & Greene as the winter residence of some of the Gambles (of Proctor & Gamble). The house is considered an arts & crafts masterpiece and was deeded by the family to the City of Pasadena in 1966. Lucky for us, they offer public tours of the house.

Your Friday Afternoon Video #6: Hello Kitty Transformathon

Friends of ours did this. Sanrio characters galore!

Proud to Be a Golden Bear

2005 UC Berkeley freshman class facts:

93% from California
87% from public high schools
68% have at least one parent born outside the U.S.
28% are the first in their family to go to college
74% receive some form of financial aid (all undergrads)

2005-2006 academic year in-state tuition: $7,434

Adrian Tomine

Long-awaited Optic Nerve 11 has arrived. It's been so long since I read the last issue that I've forgotten the story, but #11 is the last in a three part series, so be sure to revisit #9 and 10. Apparently, in the new issue the main character goes from the Bay Area to Brooklyn, just like Adrian Tomine.

p.s. Finished reading #11. Spoiler warning. Basic gist of the story is this: Asian guy finds out that his ex-girlfriend (also Asian) is now dating a white guy. Spurned Asian guy feels threatened, indignant, livid... Sigh. I've heard this story before, as has just about everyone else. It may be an honest telling of the experience, but I found the story lame and tiresome.

Your Friday Afternoon Video #5: Facts Of Life Theme

Dancing with the Stars, Revisited

Okay, so I might have been too effusive about Dancing with the Stars a few weeks back. It's definitely not the best thing ever (not that I said that). There are way too many commercials. The results show is totally lame (I don't watch the results show, actually, I just check online to see who got booted).

So far three "stars" have been voted off and they've all been women (Paulina, a former Miss USA and Leeza Gibbons). Is that just a coincidence? It's not like the men are that great. Clyde is painful to watch, so is the guy from Cheers. Why not them?

Is it that the audience is mostly women and they don't want to vote for other women? Is it because the male dancers aren't as attractive as the female dancers? If I were to vote (and I haven't), I'd probably vote for Heather Mills.

My Neighbor Totoro

I love this movie. It is a kids movie, but works for adults. I wish Totoro lived next to me.

The Next Big Trip

We'll be heading to South America for the first time this June. So many interesting countries to choose from, but we decided on Chile, and boy am I excited. I really wanted to visit Patagonia, but June is winter down there, so we are instead hitting Santiago and Easter Island. Santiago looks a lot like LA, a city wedged between the ocean and the mountains. Easter Island is seriously in the middle of nowhere. A triangular-shaped island only 45 square miles big (about the size of Staten Island) and 2,000+ miles west of continental Chile (a five hour flight from Santiago).

Flag of Easter Island

Your Friday Afternoon Video #4: Kermit, Cookie Monster and the Mystery Box

Blades of Glory

Believe me when I say this movie totally rocked. It helps that I had low expectations (as you should, too). That aside, this movie is as good as a stupid movie can be. Way better than Anchorman and Talladega Nights. Even better than Elf!

R2D2 Comes to a Postbox Near You

What's cuter than this? If only he could deliver mail to you...

Your Friday Afternoon Video #3: Bel Biv Devoe

Dental Bullshit

I finally got around to going to the dentist, for the first time in almost two years. I got a recommendation for a guy whose office is in Burbank, within walking distance from my work. I crossed my fingers that I wouldn't have to have a root canal or anything gross and painful.

It turns out that this dentist is a one-man shop. And by one man, I mean he's the dentist, hygienist and x-ray dude rolled into one. Other than the receptionist (who happens to be his wife), it's all him. This seemed sorta charming, Mayberry-esque at first, but I've learned that this basically means that what typically gets done in one visit gets spread over several visits.

I've been to him twice now. The first time he took some x-rays and asked me to come back so that he could show me the results and do a cleaning. Okay, fine. Today was my second visit and lo and behold we hardly got anything done. He went over my x-rays and said I needed to have an oral surgeon tell me if I needed my wisdom teeth out. He also told me that a couple old fillings needed to be replaced. Okay, fine. But did he start cleaning my teeth, uh, NO.

Then he went about going between my teeth and assigning numbers to them (anywhere between 2 and 6), which, as he later explained, indicated how far down he had to push before he hit the bone. WTF? Has anyone had this done? Apparently, my gums might be receding (6 is not good) and he might have to do a deep cleaning, which would require novacaine. He asked me if anyone had ever done this numbers thing with me before (I said no) and he said, well, it's very important because you really got to clean that out otherwise you start losing your teeth. Huh? This is news to me. Have all my other dentists been crap or is this new guy crap? I'm thinking the latter.

So I'm pissed. First and foremost I'm pissed because I have better things to do than visit this guy every week for the next four weeks. Apparently, the two filings he wants to replace are on both sides of my face and he said he would need two visits since he can't novacaine up both sides in one visit (huh?). Then another visit for the regular cleaning. And God knows, perhaps even another if a deep cleaning with novacaine is necessary.

Tell me this is bullshit. I mean, is he trying to make money through repeated visits? I really don't like this guy. I don't even know if he's good or bad because he hasn't actually done anything, but I still don't like him. I'm taking a stand and now in the market (again) for a dentist.

I'll Admit It, I Like Dancing with the Stars

I'm totally into it. I started watching midway through last season, and have been going strong ever since. Last night Mr. Octopus and I (yes, he likes it too) spent a good half hour putting together our dream Dancing with the Stars cast. We knew we had to hit the right demographics-- old and young; black, white, brown and yellow; sports, TV, movie and music celebs-- and choose people whose careers are stalled or on the downhill. This is what we came up with:

Charles Barkley
Pedro Martinez
Anna Kournikova
Michelle Kwan
Macauley Culkin
Bon Jovi
Ice Cube Jean-Claude Van Damme
Sherilyn Fenn
Maggie Grace (Shannon from Lost)
Michelle Rodriguez
Gayle King
Tom Selleck

Corn is Everywhere

I'm about 1/3 of the way through Michael Pollan's The Ominivore's Dilemma. Pollan is a journalism professor at Cal and writes on food and the food industry.

You may have seen his cover article Unhappy Meals in the NYT magazine a couple months ago in which he argued that America's obsession with nutrition and convenience foods has made us fatter and more unhealthy, and that we should return to eating traditional food-- fruits, veggies, meats. No more vitamin water, power bars or other highly processed foods that are fortified with vitamins and nutrients. In short, he advocates for eating stuff our great, great grandparents would recognize.

I liked the article, so Mr. Octopus picked up The Ominivore's Dilemma for me. I've been reading it most nights before I go to bed. The first part of the book focuses on corn. Apparently corn is in everything. This I did not know. Here's what I learned (and can remember offhand).

Prior to WWII, farmers used to grow corn the way they grew everything else-- they would rotate it with other crops so as not to deplete the soil. So we had corn, but not tons of it. After WWII, we had a surplus of ammonium nitrate from munitions and had to find something to do with it. Scientists found a way to use ammonium nitrate/nitrogen to make chemical fertilizer and the industrialization of corn was born. As a result, farmers were able to grow corn year after year without ruining the soil. Suddenly we had more corn than we knew what to do with.

Today corn is in coke, ketchup, mustard, cereal and a gazillion other things-- thanks to high fructose corn syrup. It's in those strange ingredients on food labels-- fructose, dextrose, sucrose, xanthan gum. It's even used in the beef we eat. Cows have evolved to eat grass, but because corn is more plentiful we've started forcing it on cows, which in turn means we have to give cows antibiotics to process the corn. It just ain't natural.

According to Pollan, this surplus of corn has led to an overall increase in the amount of food available. And because corn is so cheap, consumers are able to get much more food for not much more money (this is why the supersize at McD's isn't much more expensive than regular). So we're taking in more calories without getting much more nutritional value. The result: a lot of overweight and obese people.

So that's corn, according to Michael Pollan. The second part of the book is about organic food, which (as far as I've read) is also a huge industry not without its faults. Supposedly he rips on Whole Foods. I'm curious about that.

Sidenote: Recently the CEO of Whole Foods came to Cal to speak with Pollan and defend his company's practices. I'm sure it was a lively discussion. It must be on the web somewhere. For a short article by Pollan, click here.

Eagle Rock in the NYT

I wasn't expecting to come across an article about Eagle Rock in the Real Estate section of the Sunday NYT, but there it was. The article profiled three communities in Northeast LA-- Eagle Rock, Highland Park and Mt. Washington-- and how, with their relatively affordable homes, proximity to downtown, large lots and (for some lucky ducks) sweeping views to the ocean, they have become popular with home buyers. No surprise to us here.

Your Second Friday Afternoon Video #2: Chris Rock on SNL

In case you missed his opening monologue last weekend.

Your Friday Afternoon Video #2: Knut the Baby Polar Bear

Nevermind that it's not Friday, I couldn't wait. Here's Knut, the polar bear at the Berlin Zoo. Knut's mother rejected him (sniff) and he has been hand raised by zoo staff ever since. Click here for more on baby Knut and the controversy surrounding him.

My Orchids Are Blooming

March Movie Madness

Well, maybe not madness. The only movie I've seen in the theater this month is Zodiac. It was good-- not great-- but good. The best thing about it was Mark Ruffalo, of course-- he's the bestest! Is there any girl who doesn't love Mark Ruffalo? So sweet and cute and sensitive and vulnerable. Let me count the ways.

Then I saw Stranger Than Fiction on DVD. Thumbs up. Will Ferrell wasn't as dopey as he usually is, but in a good way. I saw him in Hollywood a couple months ago. Sporting a big ass fro and a lime green track suit. Very Kermit the Frog.

Last, but definitely not least, is The Bourne Identity. Never a big fan of Matt Damon, I passed when it was in the theater. Good friends of ours heartily recommended it, so we thought to give it a try. Perhaps in part because of low expectations, I thought it was really good. Totally engrossing. Matt Damon was even, kinda, attractive. In that guy next door, regular joe schmo way (supposedly he and Ben Affleck wrote Good Will Hunting while living in Eagle Rock, so maybe the guy-next-door thing isn't so far off). Netflix sent me The Bourne Supremacy, so I might watch that tonight.

Tomorrow's Monday, unfortunately. Maybe the movie can help me forget that.

Azalea Heaven

Went to Nuccio's Nursery in Altadena today. Six beautiful acres of camellias and azaleas, set at the foot of the San Gabriel mountains. The nursery is tucked away in a residential area and most of their business is mail order. Prices are reasonable and staff is knowledgable and helpful. We picked up pink, white and pink/white azaleas.

Your Friday Afternoon Video #1: Milli Vanilli

Girl you know it's true
(grr grr, grr girrrrl)
Ooh ooh ooh, I love you-oo.

The dancing, the shoulder pads. Bet you can't keep a straight face.

Trying My Hand at Gardening

Man, was it hot today. We hit 90+ degrees here in Eagle Rock. I didn't mind it so much since it's dry heat (this is the desert, after all), but sheesh, was it hot.

This weekend was a hugemongo milestone for me. Yesterday I went to the Armstrong nursery in Glendale and bought two camellias (one red, one pink) and one vertical growing Japanese shrub. I also bought some special camellia soil. Why camellias? We have one in the back yard that's thriving without any help from us, so I thought the safest thing would be to plant a couple more out front. My gardening confidence is fairly low, so I need to start with something easy, with a decent probability of success.

Shopping for plants is fun. So today I dragged Mr. Octopus to Burkard's, which is a family-owned nursery in Pasadena. Burkard's has a lot of stuff that Armstrong doesn't (fruit trees, in particular), but it's also more expensive. We stocked up on shrubs: a rosemary bush, two blue salvias and two lavender bushes. All drought-resistant and easy to grow.

We got home at 4pm and it was still friggin hot. I waited an hour or two before I started doing anything. First order of business: weeding. Awww man, weeding is no joke. It's so much more than just pulling and yanking. It's squatting, digging, pulling, yanking, shaking, more yanking and more shaking. And, of course, you gotta be careful not to get dirt in your eyes. Weeding is work. Anyone who tells you differently is a liar.

After a full hour of weeding-- and mind you, I was only weeding a 10' by 2' area-- I drafted Mr. Octopus to help me dig some holes. He was a willing party, so I was happy about that. So we laid out where we would put the stuff and he dug the holes. Then we filled the holes up with soil and mulch (secret: you can buy mulch-- it's like nutritious dirt or something, no biggie), dropped in our little plants and drenched it in water. Voila! We gardened!

A few thoughts about the experience:

1. I kinda like it. It's gratifying -- in the way that only manual labor can be.

2. It's a good way to see the neighbors, without having conversations with them. A quick 'Hi, How ya doing?' and you feel like part of the community.

3. I can see how this can get all-consuming. The mere act of weeding can ignite the O.C.D. in you. I can totally see myself looking at my 10' by 2' gardening experiment every day, zooming in on whether those damn weeds are coming back and plucking them before they take over.

4. There's all sorts of stuff you need to buy in order to garden. There's the plants, of course. But there's stuff besides that. I have a shovel (well, shovels actually) and gloves, but I quickly realized that I also need shoes/clogs/crocs, a mat for all that kneeling and gardening clothes (crappy old stuff that you would throw out if you weren't planning on gardening).

5. Lastly, but most importantly, I really hope these things grow. I picked no-brainer plants, so I will be really discouraged if they die.

Landscaping, the Great Unknown

Sitting on the couch, listening to Hall & Oates, looking out onto my front yard. It's beautiful and sunny outside. Must be 85 degrees or something.

We've done a lot of work on the house in the 10 months we've lived here. The floors, the paint, the A/C. The next big thing to tackle is the yard. I'm almost too afraid to think about it.

The backyard needs a complete overhaul. It's huge and flat, which is good, but it needs some real landscaping, maybe even professional landscaping. Planting a few trees here and there won't do; we need to redesign the whole thing.

The front yard is more managable and I'm thinking of taking a crack at it myself. Maybe some camellias and peach blossoms. Nothing requiring much water or maintenance. There's an Armstrong nursery in Glendale. I should just go there. I need to stop thinking about mulching and pruning and other things I don't understand, and just buy a plant, stick it in the ground and hope for the best. It's springtime. Time for new things.

The Overlooked Organ

Don't forget about your kidneys. It's World Kidney Day.

Hey, That's My Face You're Talking About

I went for a facial today. My first since moving to LA. It was long overdue. I'd been asking friends for recommendations and every place they mentioned was on the west side. So I finally hauled my butt to West Hollywood for an hour and a half of non-relaxation.

I was prepared for stinging masks and painful extractions, but I wasn't expecting my facialist to say that I had ... acne. Say what? Now, I don't know what the clinical, official definition of acne is, but I think it means really seriously bad skin. Hormones are raging and I just got braces, bad skin. You can imagine the outrage I felt while she was studying my pores under that blindingly bright magnifying glass.

Then I thought that English must be her second or third language and she really didn't mean it. She really meant blemished. I could live with that, so I forgave her. Then she said she thought I was 25. So then I almost started to like her. This really isn't so bad. I'll probably be back.

Who Are These People?

Just read that Hollywood is doing an English-language remake of The Lives of Others. Why? Why? Anyone who has seen this movie must be aghast (except for the Weinsteins, apparently). They really know how to ruin a good thing.

Also as infuriating is that ABC has signed on for three more years of Lost. I can't hold out until 2010. Kill me now.