Alligator Spotting with the Family Octopus

We hoped that this gator would dive into the water and get all crazy violent, but all he did was open his mouth and move a leg.

Hope you all had a great Thanksgiving! We spent the holiday in Florida with the family Octopus. On Saturday we tried something new and took the cousins for a field trip to the Everglades. The Octopus and I were the oldest in the bunch, so we sorta felt like group leaders. The power was almost intoxicating.


Sunset over the glades.

These Are a Few of My Favorite Things ...

Where I like to go and where I like to take visiting friends and family:

• Huntington. My favorite place in LA. Skip the art exhibits and just walk around the grounds. The Desert Garden (esp the Succulent Greenhouse) is a must see. And the much anticipated Chinese Garden opens in February.


• Griffith Observatory. My second fave place.


• Norton Simon Museum


• Santa Monica Farmers Market


• Broadway in Downtown


• A movie at the Hollywood Forever Cemetery or at one of the historic theaters downtown

Your Friday Afternoon Video #17: It's the Holidays!!!

Cannot believe Thanksgiving and Christmas are just about here. If this doesn't make you smile, then you're a grinch!

Um, Uh, Hi ... I'm Boring

Sometimes I feel really boring. I hang out with friends and acquaintances and I feel like I don't have anything interesting to say. Sometimes I catch myself telling the same story twice to people, and I don't stop myself because I don't have anything else to say and I know they're too polite to tell me they've already heard it.

Strangely, I have the easiest time talking to people at work. Not because they're all my bestest friends, but because we can bitch and moan forever and ever. We understand, we suffer.

Is complaining the easiest way to bond? I suppose I could talk about movies, books and music, which I do, but I can only talk about that so much. I could talk about my family, but that's too personal for most people. Have I already blogged about this?

I Do, I Guess

I wonder what the average age at first marriage is these days. I haven't checked the stats, but I would guess that in the U.S. it's around 25 for women, 28 for men. I would guess a little older than that in Western Europe and younger in Asia and Latin America (significantly younger, in some places). When did your parents start bugging you about getting married (assuming they bugged you at all)? Do you feel there is a double standard with men and women?

Turning Back the Clock is Overrated

Today feels like the longest day ever. I can't believe it's only 9pm. I don't like that it gets dark so early. I need sun. I feel myself getting sad. LA life has made me really dependent on sunshine. I don't remember feeling this way in NY.


On a brighter note, I am really getting into succulents. I just got this great book called Designing with Succulents. Not only are they super cool looking, they require little water and are very good for fire prone areas like LA. Their leaves are filled with water and they don't act as fire ladders since they are usually low to the ground.


Chiricahua: "Wonderland of Rocks"
Last, but not least, I am making arrangements for our next trip: Arizona. The Octopus and I have been nostalgic for our 2005 road trip where we hit a bunch of national parks, so we decided that Arizona is the place for us. We'll be skipping the Grand Canyon and other Northern AZ sites in favor of the lesser traveled Montezuma's Castle, Saguaro and, what looks to be very interesting, Chiricahua. I'm looking forward to getting more national parks brochures.

My How They Grow

Remember this succulent arrangement that I did back in June (my post here)?



Well, I gave it to my mom and today, a little over four months later, it looks like this!

It's Like an Oven

I walked out for lunch just now and I felt like I was in Vegas. The air is bone dry. When you inhale, you feel like your nose is on fire.

Smoke from the Malibu and Inland Empire fires is collecting in the Valley. I wish I had my camera so I could take a picture. The colors are layered. You have the houses and the trees, then a thin strip of light blue sky, then a heavy layer of gray pink smoke.

My Priorities

When I was in sixth grade, my homeroom had a project where every student was given the same 30 things and had to list them in order of importance. I can't remember very many of them now, but I know that health, a long life, money, family and religion were among them. We were each given a big board (about 2' by 3') to write out the list and then the boards were hung from the ceiling.

Wonder where my list is now. It may be packed away in my parents' garage. I remember that at the top of my list was a long life (I was really afraid of death back then) and at the bottom was religion. I should make a new list now, file it away, then take it again every ten years.

Back Online at Home

We returned from a weekend in the Bay Area to a dead modem. No internet access at home. Fortunately, I didn't have to work from home or respond to urgent emails, so this didn't bother me much. I reminded myself that there was life before internet.

I'm back online now, but I realized during those two days just how much time I spend online at home. I usually turn on my computer within an hour of getting home from the office. Why I do this, considering I spend all day in front of a computer, I don't know. I probably spend a good hour+ on the computer at night. Checking email, facebooking, looking things up on wiki.

I really need to cut back. I don't remember what I used to do before I had internet access at home. Did I read more? Talk to friends? Now I just watch Dancing with the Stars on TV and then go online to wiki all the stars and their partners...

Your Friday Afternoon Video #16: Judy Garland and Barbra Streisand

I originally wanted to post Judy Garland singing San Francisco, but I like this duet almost as much. It's a melancholy rendition of Happy Days Are Here Again/Get Happy and I really like it.

Conversation between Me and Mr. Octopus

Does this bamboo make me look fat?

Me: Do I look weird in this picture?

Him: No, you look fine.

Me: Do I look normal?

Him: Yea.

Me: You mean average?

Him: No, you ...

Me: Do I look fat?

Him: Uh, is there a handbook for trick questions that I should get?

Live Strong

Check out this story of Nicolai Calabria, age 13, who climbed Mt. Kilimanjaro despite being born with one leg. His blog here and his NPR interview here.

Your Friday Afternoon Video #15: Cirque du Soleil

I remember hearing that a yoga teacher of mine in NY had joined Cirque du Soleil. I googled her, and sure enough, here she is. This is pretty amazing (and sexy) dancing.

In and Around Santa Barbara

Santa Claus lives in Santa Barbara!

We had a great time in Santa Barbara this weekend. We stayed at the Inn of the Spanish Garden, which I would highly recommend, and had a fantastic Italian dinner at Olio e Limone. We walked around town, shopped a little (I picked up a bottle of Pasolivo olive oil), and watched a bucketload of Entourage on DVD. We also visited Los Olivos, a little town in the Santa Ynez Valley (where Sideways was filmed), and had a yummy lunch at Los Olivos Cafe.


Mission Santa Barbara


The Presidio


The chapel in the Presidio


At the huge and wonderful Saturday Farmers' Market in downtown Santa Barbara


Hierloom tomatoes galore


Driving back to LA

He's My Husband, Not My Kid

Maybe it's an Asian culture thing, but my parents, without fail, always find a reason to say "poor Mr. Octopus" every time I talk to them on the phone. It's usually in the context of my telling them that I didn't cook him dinner, or that he's still at work, or that I went out with my girlfriend and didn't take him. As if I should have dinner waiting for him and take care of everything. I know I shouldn't let it get to me. They're of a different generation and all. But it really rubs me the wrong way. I feel like Asian women of my generation are doing double duty. We were expected to do well in school and get good jobs, only to get married and have our parents expect us to cater to our husbands.

How Do You Shop?

Pick up any fashion magazine and you'll find out what's new for Fall and what's in for Spring. But does anyone really shop seasonally, i.e., have a seasonal wardrobe that they rotate in their closet? Not me. My wardrobe is basically the same year round. Sure, I wear more skirts during the summer and dust off the coats in the winter, but other than that, I wear essentially the same crap all the time.

This is especially true when it comes to work clothes. My work uniform is basically black, gray and brown. Sometimes I'll throw in a little color with my top, but it's usually muted by my dark pants and sweater. Very boring, I know. But it's now time to update my work wardrobe because everything has become either ill fitting or worn thin. So for the first time I'm doing a real wardrobe makeover (for work). I want 3 or 4 pants, 5 shirts, a couple bags and a few pairs of shoes. Given that I want this stuff to hold me over for the next few years, what should be my budget?

"You Look Like a Kid"

I hate it when people say this to me. Especially people at work. I introduced myself to a new woman at work the other day, I told her what my job was, and she said, "Wow, you look like a kid!" Then she saw the cool look on my face and immediately said, "Oh, it's a compliment!" And I said, "Whatever, bitch." Just kidding, I didn't say that.

I suppose telling someone "You look so young" is slightly better, but even that is annoying, especially at work. I mean, I don't mind getting carded when I buy drinks (in fact, part of me kinda likes it), but at work I think those kinds of comments are inappropriate. This is a sore spot for me because I've always looked young and felt like people didn't take me as seriously.

I started taking Spanish a few weeks ago and my teacher looks pretty young. I thought she was in her mid 20s. During our first class she was explaining the difference between senora and senorita. We asked what should be the default when you don't know if a woman is married or single. We assumed senorita because that might be flattering. She said no, not necessarily. She always prefers people to address her as senora (even strangers) because she's in her 30s and married. She also wants people to call her ma'am, not miss. I don't feel strongly about being called me ma'am, miss or mrs., but I guess everyone is different.

Only in LA

Bonnie and Clyde

To celebrate its 40th anniversary, AFI will be screening 11 classic movies simultaneously at the Arclight on October 3, each movie to be introduced by its star or director. There'll be Jack Nicholson for One Flew Over the Cuckoo's Nest, Julie Andrews for The Sound of Music, Clint Eastwood for Unforgiven, George Lucas for Star Wars, Warren Beatty for Bonnie and Clyde, and Sylvester Stallone for Rocky, among others.

Your Friday Afternoon Video #14: Mr. Met Gets His Bhangra On

You too can have Mr. Met dance at your wedding!