A Chinese-Californian rockin' the Big Apple. Follow me as I find my way through the NYC labyrinth. Embarrassing stories, hilarious moments, and maybe juicy romances with a hot investment banker or two.
I haven't been to a Britney Spears concert for years.
I also missed the Circus Tour when it came to Nassau, NY. It was out of the way so I decided against it. Imagine my surprise at the addition of a second Circus Tour! This time around Britney was going to be at Madison Square Garden. I have never been to MSG so I thought it would be a good opportunity. Plus I was pretty Britney-deprived. Her career was going downhill a couple of years ago and I really didn't know what to expect from her. Her recent hits such as "Womanizer" and "Radar" brought me back to her kingdom. Anyway, I was pretty excited. Pop concerts are fun -- flashy sets, fun songs, energetic choreography. Let's just say that the Circus tour was all of that and much more.
The entire concert was structured around a circus theme. All the merchandise, including popcorn boxes, were designed with the circus in mind. The concert began with circus acts -- acrobatics, clowns, sexy, sculpted men walking around half naked. A teasing foreplay putting us in the mood for the main event.
Three opening acts followed -- Kristinia DeBarge (who sang pretty well), OneCall (who the hell are they...), and Jordin Sparks (I wasn't really interested in her). The opening acts didn't drag on like in other concerts, which I like. However there was still a 20 minute wait until the beginning of Britney's portion. A giant, circular screen displayed a count-down clock.
When the clock reached zero, the lights went off and we were treated to the opening clip (a must have in a pop concert) by none other than... Perez Hilton. Perez was in Marie Antoinette-style drag, which looked surprisingly suitable on him (lol). I didn't pay too much attention to the intro as I am not really into Perez, but I did feel that he did a good job getting into character (or maybe he was just being himself...) The show began with a performance of "Circus", which is my absolute favorite song off of the album with the same name. That really hyped me up! Britney came out ringleader style, looking absolutely gorgeous. She was as fit as in the old days, which made me so proud of her. Britney had a tough couple of years with all of the crazy stuff going on in her world. I can definitely relate to her, so it makes me tremendously happy to see her back in her old self again... it reminds me of what I went through as well, and how I was able to pull through at the end.
In between songs there were either film clips or performances (circus or martial arts) to keep us entertained while Ms. Spears changed into her next costume. My favorite segue was Britney's cover of the Marilyn Manson version of "Sweet Dreams (Everybody's looking for something)". Check out the youtube link at the end for a preview. Britney looked so amazingly sexy in this clip, it drove me crazy! (FYI guys -- Girls love looking at other good-looking girls...).
I want to keep this post short so I am going to wrap up here. Here are some pictures I took during the concert. Yay! This brings me back to my teen years...
Aside from After Life (Wonderful Life is the title of the Japanese release), the other Koreeda film that really grabbed my attention and devoured it was 2004's "Dare mo Shiranai" ("Nobody Knows"). I watched this film on DVD, and I remember my reasons for renting it was: a) This is from the guy who made "After Life", and b) This film features the youngest Cannes Best Actor in the history of the Film Festival.
I think most people learned of Koreeda from this film. Even though his other films were highly regarded in the western world as well ("Maborosi", and "Distance" for example), "Nobody Knows" really put the spotlight on Koreeda.
And it should command that sort of attention. It is a beautiful film inspired by the ugly side of humanity -- "Nobody Knows" was created from a true story of children abandoned by their mother and left to care for themselves with little money or support. (See this link for more information: Nobody Knows on Wikipedia) The film follows four children, no older than 13, as they lived in a hidden world (their mother never registered them at birth, and landlords generally disliked young, rowdy children, they were forced to hide from their... well, non-existence).
The oldest son Akira (played by 2004 Cannes Best Actor Yuuya Yagira, age 14 at the time) took on the responsibility of caring for his three younger siblings (Kyoko, Shigeru, and Yuki) on the little money that their mother left behind. They quickly ran out of money and food. There were many moments when Akira looked helplessly down the street, pondering where and how to get the next meal for his siblings. In frustration, and to hold onto what little link to humanity he owns, Akira hung out with the wrong crowd and lost not only money, friendships, but also dignity and respect. To conclude, the film was dark, sad, and downright depressing.
However, "Nobody Knows" is possibly my favorite Koreeda film because not very many movies make me cry, but this is one of them. I can relate on so many levels. My parents were hardly there during my childhood and that really forces a kid to grow up quickly, especially when you have younger siblings to watch out for. When I watched this film my heart broke for the kids, and I was also reminded of the times when there was nobody to help me out and I had to just suck it up and make life work.
On Saturday 8/22/09, Koreeda attended the 6pm screening of "Nobody Knows" and spoke with us a bit afterwards. Here are some of the facts I have gathered during the session:
> Koreeda said that he dislikes commenting on the true story. He stated that the film was inspired by the actual events but a lot of it was fictional. Koreeda does not want people to think, and therefore never uses, the words "based on a true story". "Nobody Knows" should be viewed as a work of fiction.
> From the little he did say about the actual incident, the neighbors of the children were blamed at the time the event happened (late 1980s) for not doing anything about the kids. Koreeda said that this is a tough situation because when he lived by himself in an apartment he didn't know his neighbors. Therefore even if he himself had lived right next door to the kids he wouldn't have known until it was too late. (I completely agree with this)
> This film took 15 years to make because Koreeda couldn't raise any funding for it.
> Koreeda said that he knew he had to make a film on the subject when he saw reports of the actual event on the news.
> Koreeda stated that child neglect was not as big a problem during the late 1980s as it is now. He said that therefore Japanese today can relate to/understand the film better.
> Regarding how he envisioned the film, he said that he didn't really have anything solid planned. He stated that he could see certain elements, such as the suitcases that the children arrived in. He said that he always knew that there would be suitcases, and that he knew that Yuki would come in and leave in a suitcase. He then worked from these ideas to flesh out the movie sequences.
> Koreeda said that he felt like the film needed a certain type of music, so he went and hunt down 5 ukelele players to compose music for the film. He said it couldn't be guitar music, had to be ukelele. (note: The group Gontiti usually composes for Koreeda films)
> The film was shot chronologically (as opposed to spliced shots that most modern films are created from). The story was written as the film was shot. For example, Koreeda wrote the screenplay for Spring, which they shot during Spring. During the shooting he would write Summer's scenes, and so forth. He said this is because it's better to base the next scenes on what he had just shot. (it's easier for him to work with this way).
> The apartment was built specifically for the film. As the story progresses the apartment became dirtier and messier. Koreeda said that the set designers were... the children. He told the kids that their job is to mess up the room. The child actors happily complied because "they couldn't do this in their own houses". The apartment was occupied by the film's assistant producer prior to filming.
> All the child actors in the film were not professional actors. They were local children who auditioned and were selected. Koreeda said that he cast the children based on instinct and whether he felt like he could/wanted to work with them. He had them placed into several playgroups and observed how they played, behaved, ate, and generally interacted with each other.
> Koreeda said that the casting of Shigeru was controversial among his staff. The actor for Shigeru (Hiei Kimura) was like a "fireball that exploded" during audition. Staff were betting that he won't last through the entire shoot. Koreeda took a risk in casting Hiei in the role of Shigeru. (but it seemed to have worked out well!)
> The children had no scripted dialogues. Koreeda whispered their lines to them in their ears. "such as: 'Today we're going to eat soba noodles'" and he let the children run with that. (Which really showcases Yuuya Yagira's acting talent since he was improvising his scenes).
> The actress who played the Mother, YOU (pronounced yuu), was not a professional actress prior to this film. Koreeda seemed to want a cast of non-professionals. (FYI, YOU was a singer prior to this. She also appears in "Still Walking"). Koreeda said that he heard that YOU doesn't like to memorize lines, so he cast her and proceeded to whisper her lines in her ear like he did with the children.
[SPOILER ALERT!!!] Don't say I didn't warn you...
> The girl who played Yuki in the film (Momoko Shimizu, who is soooo cute by the way!), she was 5 years old at the time. Koreeda said that he spoke with Momoko's mother before filming and asked for her permission to allow Momoko to act in a scene where Yuki died. Her mother said it's okay because Momoko had recently attended her grandparent's funeral and knows a little about what death is. Koreeda told Momoko to just don't move and don't breathe for that scene. Momoko seemed to have made it through the scene fine.
Koreeda stated that he had to avert his eyes during Yuki's death scene [at Saturday's screening]. He said that he has since became a father and if he was a father when he shot the film, he would've shot Yuki's death scene in a different way. [Becoming a father really changed his perspective]
Koreeda said that he's not quite sure if Momoko really grasped the concept of death, as later, after the filming wrapped, Momoko came up to him and said "Let's make 'Nobody Knows 2' !!!" [The audience laughed hysterically at this comment]
[END SPOILER WARNING]
"Nobody Knows" is a very touching film, and I really liked the way Koreeda explores humanity and clears away some of the rose-colored lenses obscuring social reality. If you have a chance to watch this film, I would urge you to do so. Please feel free to share your thoughts on this blog.
Here are a few pictures of Koreeda at the event. The woman next to him is the awesome Linda Hoaglund, who was born in Kyoto, Japan and speaks fluent Japanese and English. Linda translated for Koreeda during both nights. For more information on Linda and her amazing list of accomplishments, see this link: Linda Hoaglund.
Koreeda answering a question from the audience.
End of Q&A session. Koreeda made his final comments about "Nobody Knows" and thanked the audience for coming.
Koreeda stayed behind for a little bit to sign autographs and answer more questions one-on-one... even though he had a 5:30am flight to catch the next morning back to Tokyo!
I apologize for not writing an entry last week. To make it up, I am going to push out two huuuuge entries this week!!! (or possbly three, depending on time)
NYC is known for many things, one of which is performing arts. Great shows are playing on Broadway every day, and there are always opportunities to catch off-Broadway plays and theater troupe performances. Sometimes you may bump into a celebrity or two, or have the chance to walk in as an extra on a film set.
Years ago when I was in college, my Japanese teacher screened a couple of Japanese language films in order to show us her country's culture. One of my favorites is a movie titled "After Life". It is a profound film dealing with life and death. People who have died are held temporarily at this dormitory-like place before heading to their afterlives. There they were given a week to choose one memory that they would carry with them. After the person selects his/her memory, the staff at this "rest stop" create props and film it, with the person as the star of his/her own memory. At the end of the week, everyone in the group gathers to watch a screening of all of these memories before disappearing to whatever's waiting for them beyond.
This film moved me in ways I cannot describe. It transformed a very delicate subject (death) into something ... tangible, easily grasped. It soothes the human fear of death by asking a "What if" -- What if you can take one memory with you, which would you choose? In other words, how would you want to be remembered? How do you want to remember yourself?
It was a very creative and original idea, and it all came from one of the best contemporary Japanese film directors -- Hirokazu Koreeda. (For a Quick Biography, see here: Hirokazu Koreeda on Wikipedia)
When watching a Koreeda film, one will always expect a story that has to do with death or anticipate some sort of social commentary. His cinematography is also unique in that he likes to take many still shots of beautiful scenery and use these shots to convey certain emotions or thoughts. Koreeda is also prone to use unknown actors/non-actors and allow them to improvise their dialogues. This gives the films a very raw but very realistic feel, making it easy to emotionally attach to the characters and the stories.
I am lucky enough to be in the presence of Koreeda this past weekend (I have been blessed with Greatness many times this year! Awesome!) The Brooklyn Academy of Music's Rose Cinemas is hosting a Koreeda Film Retrospective this week, showcasing all of his works (including the documentaries made BEFORE he became a film director) in reverse chronological order. (For more information, see this link: BAMcinematek | The Films of Hirokazu Kore-eda) Koreeda was present during two of the film screenings for Q&A sessions. I attended both sessions and I am so glad I did. I will now give a summary of each.
The first film in the Koreeda Retrospective is 2008's "Aruitemo Aruitemo", titled "Still Walking" for the western markets. This film actually runs on quite a different rhythm than other Koreeda works. For one, this movie is hilarious. The story centers around a family who gathered together in memoriam of the eldest son during his death anniversary. The main character, second son Ryota, travels back home with his new wife and step-son. Ryota is constantly a subject of criticism as his parents always compare him with his deceased brother Junpei. Ryota therefore hates family reunions, but he attends for courtesy's sake (and to purposely spite his parents, in my opinion...) The film moves to portray Ryota's inner conflicts and his struggles to separate himself from (the memories of) his brother. It is difficult to say if Ryota's parents ever acknowledged Ryota as an individual (and not as a lesser version of Junpei) but at the very least, Ryota came to terms with the fact that he can't really change how his parents think, but he himself can deal with how he reacts to his parents' feelings (or flaws).
At the Q&A session, Koreeda told us that this film is mainly about a traditional Japanese family. He explained that his mother passed away about four years prior from an illness. Before that, he and his siblings had logs and journals of their interactions with their sick mother. Koreeda was inspired by these journals (his mother's words) and created "Still Walking". He said that he took a lot of the dialogues straight from the journals. He incorporated what his mother did (down to her recipes!) into this film and it really shows.
I could definitely relate to the film as most mothers behave in similar ways (as Koreeda said himself that many people, including Westerners, came up to him after watching the film and said that the film reminded them of their own mothers... that mothers tend to behave in similar ways, such as: "Do you have enough money in the bank?" even though you are a grown adult.)
It is also why the film is funny -- it constantly reminds us of what our mothers would say in the same situation. I think Koreeda portrayed this very well and it is great that he hit on something that people the world over has in common (mom's nagging).
I don't want to talk too much about the film here (okay... I know I already said too much), but I do want to plug the flim for Koreeda. "Still Walking" opens this Friday, August 28th in selected theaters. Since Koreeda films are usually classified as indie/arthouse, I am guessing it will be screened at some obscure theater... but anyway, check it out if you can. I highly recommend this film. = )
Interesting facts:
> Koreeda said that more French people watch his film than Japanese people. Regarding this, he says: "I guess I should try working harder on this [getting Japanese people to watch his films]...".
> Koreeda said that he didn't intend on adding death to this film. He had an idea of a family gathering. Since the film was shot in the summer, he couldn't really say that the family gathering took place during New Year (a Japanese tradition). He then decided they came together to remember a dead family member. Then he worked from there to develop who died, and shaped other family members' personalities around this.
> Koreeda stated that this is the most "scripted" film in his filmography. Everything was pretty much scripted (a rarity of a Koreeda film). The only improvised portions would be the children who were playing in the background, which sometimes ruined the more serious adult scenes.
Next post -- Koreeda's "Nobody Knows" (Dare mo Shiranai) + Pictures
Since I am up at 4am due to the excessive humid-heat here in NYC, I figured I should write a new post.
The difference between East Coast-heat and West Coast heat is the humidity. An 80-degrees day in NYC is about as hot, or hotter, than a 102 degrees day in California simply because you sweat, and it stays on you even after multiple showers.
I've always wondered if I've lost a few pounds from being a constant, walking, living, breathing sauna.
Tonight it is 85 degrees indoors and too warm for me to sleep. It really sucks to not have air conditioning... or access to air conditioning. I am now realizing what a privilege it has been to have A/C in California. It's true what people say, that you always appreciate what you took for granted.
I am living in a house share with no air conditioning and I am too poor to move to a place with it. Anyone has any suggestions on how to get through the sticky NYC summer? I have 2 fans blasting 24/7 in my room and ice cold water in the fridge.
Or would anyone would like to donate to my Portable A/C fund?
So... why am I writing about the Distant Worlds concert on my NYC blog? Because it's awesome beyond statelines! It was a once-in-a-lifetime chance that I have looked forward to for almost a decade (Couldn't make the Dear Friends concert in LA way back when...) so the experience was all the more precious.
Let me make my little fangirl disclaimer here: Nobuo Uematsu is my musical God, and I am entirely in awe of his music, his person, his being. In other words, expect a lot of "omg Nobuo Uematsu is the best thing since Diet Coke" kind of comments...
I accidentally stumbled upon the Distant Worlds 2009 concert tour on Facebook, of all places. One day in April, I was humming songs from Final Fantasy (Kiss Me Goodbye and Suteki Da Ne are always favorites during my impromptu karaoke sessions). I suddenly had an urge to check the web and see if there are any FF concerts happening near NYC. Afterall, EVERYTHING happens in NYC right?? haha.
Because of that random thought, I landed on the Distant Worlds homepage and found out that they are currently on tour! OMG! was the first thing that went through my mind. Then I blanked out for about a minute before looking at the tour dates and discovered that they were playing at San Francisco.
Now I've been planning to visit family in California for awhile, and I never knew when I should take my vacation. Seeing the July 18th, 2009 date plastered on the Distant Worlds site, I KNEW I had to be there. It was also going to be performed by the San Francisco Symphony Orchestra at the Davies Symphony Hall. I was at Davies last year with a friend for a Brahms concert, and it was one of the best concerts I've ever been to (I am a classical music nerd).
So I nervously waited for 2 weeks and on the day that the tickets went on sale, I picked up my phone at 10am sharp (Pacific Standard Time) and dialed the number for the SF Symphony's box office (they did not enable online ordering at the time). I waited, and waited, and waited, and finally got through. I purchased 2 tickets, for myself and for my sister, at the Premier Orchestra section (Row H, dead center). It was about $110 per ticket but ... ANYTHING for Nobuo Uematsu!!!
The only thing I was disappointed about was that the website had no mention of the great Uematsu-san being in attendance. I thought to myself "Oh well, at least I can enjoy his music live with musicians he personally worked with".
Then a few weeks before the show, they announced that he will be there!!! AND there was going to be an after-party meet and greet thing at Crimson Lounge. I was literally hyperventilating when I saw the news. I have been very lucky in that I somehow always checked the website the day these big news broke! Another $110+ a ticket for the after-party, but we are guaranteed an autographed copy of the Distant Worlds CD and we get to meet Nobuo Uematsu!!!
*phew* I am tired already with all that typing... but the good parts...
On July 18th, 2009 (Saturday), I took the Amtrak down to the Bay and met up with my sister. We had originally planned to have dinner at Benihana (SF Japantown) but then me being the nervous pig, decided to eat somewhere close so I can get into Davies Hall without too much trouble. We ate at a sushi restaurant by my sister's work place. (Cali sushi are so much better than the crap NYC has). We then drove over to Davies.
When we arrived, there were many people hanging out outside Davies and in the lobby. As expected, there were many Asian guys and Asian girls who were dragged there by their non-Asian gamer boyfriends... To my surprise there were actually a few older couples at the show! I am so glad that Uematsu-san's music has transcended not only nationality, but also generations!
Getting inside was much easier and faster than I thought (no bag checks!). The ushers handed us the program (which didn't really have anything to do with the concert...) and we were seated.
We waited while the musicians came in (in groups of two or three) and made themselves comfortable. On the screen was an animated Distant Worlds logo, drifting in and out like a wave.
After about thirty minutes, the lights dimmed and everyone started to cheer. Conductor Arnie Roth came out to thundering applause. He did a quick introduction and welcomed the audience. Then the cheers became louder because THE Nobuo Uematsu was escorted into the hall! We all stood up and gave him a standing ovation. He waved at everyone and then was led to be seated in a couple of rows behind mine. OMG Nobuo Uematsu was sitting IN the audience!!!!!!!!!!!!! *told ya I would freak out...*
With him were a few officers from Square-Enix Japan. Arnie told us that they wanted to visit San Francisco and watch the concert with the world- famous San Francisco Symphony Orchestra. Once they were seated, Arnie led us to the wonderful opening theme of FFVIII: "Liberi Fatali".
Have I mentioned that Liberi Fatali is one of my favorite FF tracks??? FFVIII is also my FAVORITE Final Fantasy (which I am re-playing!). It didn't really help with the opening FMV sequence showing on the big screen. I was just in super-hyper mode!
Arnie teased us a bit with the Victory theme! I want it as my cellphone ringtone (anyone get the FF7:Advent Children reference!?) We were then treated with a beautiful rendition of "To Zanarkand" which totally melted my heart.
The entire concert was AMAZING! It was great to hear the music live, see the games on a huge screen, and scream with fellow FF fans! It was a rock concert in a symphony hall, and Nobuo Uematsu was our Rock God. My favorite performances include Man with the Machine Gun (ahh... Laguna...), Vamo alla Flamenco (Who wants to be my canary!?), the "Big Band" arrangement of the Chocobo theme (created per Uematsu-san's request, according to Arnie), and oh my goodness, the Maria and Draco opera from FFVI... LIVE!!! It was soooo amazing!!! The vocalists did a superb job performing the opera, and really acted their parts! They were rewarded with a standing ovation at the end. I absolutely fell in love with Maria and Draco after this performance ( I loved it already, but now I love it even more!).
Of course the concert ended with an encore performance of "One Winged Angel" which Nobuo Uematsu came on stage to personally introduce. What MORE can you say about "One Winged Angel"? Everyone loves this piece, and it was a wonderful way to end the perfect evening.
If I really had to be picky, the only disappointing parts about the concert is the omission of the FF11 opening theme "Memoro de la Stono ~ Distant Worlds". It is strange to me that they didn't perform this even though the whole tour was named after this song! They played "Ronfaure" from FF11 instead, which was still a great piece, but not as great as "Memoro" in my opinion.
Also I wished they had someone perform "Kiss Me Goodbye" live as in the Detroit concerts. I really loved Angela Aki's voice in the song and I hope she will come to the U.S. one day to perform this song live!
After the concert, my sister and I walked a few blocks over to Crimson Lounge. We were each given a copy of a pre-signed Distant Worlds CD. I didn't realize it was already signed until my sister pointed it out. I thought they were unwrapped so we can bring it to Nobuo Uematsu to be signed. I was slightly disappointed. We were shuffled into the basement of the Lounge. The lights were dimmed and there was some appetizers on the table and an open bar. Most people didn't really eat though, we were all just too excited to be meeting Nobuo Uematsu.
I was actually in the restroom when Nobuo and Arnie came in. Hmmphff! I knew the moment I heard the loud screams and cheering. I hurriedly rushed back to the room. Arnie and Nobuo's assistant explained what the night was going to consist of, and opened up the floor for photo-op. I wanted to get closer for a photo-op but the people in front of me wouldn't move! By the time I squished close enough, they decided it was time to begin the autograph session.
The line was looooooong and went up the stairs and out the door. I was glad that I purchased the Distant Worlds concert program so I would have something for him to sign. (Heck I would've just turned into a groupie and have him sign my chest! ... j/k :D) We were each given a photo-op and autographs by both Nobuo and Arnie. Nobuo drank beer the whole time ("He only drinks beer!" ~ Arnie said of Nobuo). Uematsu-san was so cute and very friendly. I think all of us were just immersed in his positive personality. My sister went first. She had her program signed and also talked to Arnie and Nobuo a bit. I helped take her picture with the two and then it was my turn!!!
I tried pretty hard to suppress my fangirl excitement (seeing how some girl before us was hyperventilating a bit and blabbered in exaggerated Japanese -- she was Caucasian). I handed my program to Uematsu-san with two hands, as a sign of respect per Japanese traditions. Arnie asked me if I was from San Francisco, I told them no I came all the way from New York to see them at this concert! Both Arnie and Nobuo were surprised ("Wow, New York!" ~ Nobuo). I then had Arnie sign my program and took a photo with them. They then thanked me and I of course thanked them over and over!!!
As it was getting close to midnight, my sister and I decided to leave the event early. If anyone knows of what was said/done after the autograph session please leave me a comment! (I really want to know!) Stepping out into the cool San Francisco night air, my sister and I were sooooooo grateful to have had the opportunity to experience Uematsu-san's masterpieces live, and to be able to meet the legend himself!!
I hope Distant Worlds, and any future Final Fantasy concerts will continue to consider San Francisco as a venue (and NYC too!!!). I will definitely go again and again! I have been a Final Fantasy fan ever since FFVII. In fact it was Final Fantasy that pulled me into the gaming world. I spent a lot of my teenage years and college years with the FF games and they have always helped kept me sane when reality gets a bit crazy. Nobuo Uematsu has always delivered classic after classic, and I am so utterly impressed by his talent and passion. I even got my mom into FF music! haha!
Thank you all so much for reading this long post, and thank you so very much Nobuo Uematsu and Arnie Roth for sharing your talent with us. Thank you Square Enix and AWR music for giving us the opportunity to personally let Nobuo Uematsu know how much he is loved and appreciated here in the U.S!!! Please come back again soon!
<3,
Kat
P.S.: To wrap up this post, here's a piece from FF11 "Memoro de la Stono ~ Distant Worlds". Enjoy!
So my buddy Leoncio made a pact with me to do one blog entry a week. I took him up on the challenge because frankly, I haven't updated this thing since ... I've started it.
It'll almost be a year since I've left town and came to The Big Apple AKA The Money Town. I will say with a bit of shame that I haven't really explored much here in NYC. Everything just costs money!
I did try to do something fun whenever I can, so here's a brief summary of what I've been up to since I've disappeared from Blogger:
1. Moved to Queens. Landed a job as an I.T. consultant for a small startup company. 2. Got lost plenty of times. 3. Discovered Chinatown... or Chinese community over in Flushing. You know you're playing the song from The Nanny in your head right about... now. 4. Spent an uneventful Christmas. Saw the tree at Rockefeller Center. 5. Slipped on ice walking downhill. Snow is only good when it's soft and fluffy. 6. Watched many a Simpsons-marathon in the comfort of my room. 7. Hosted friends from CA when they were here for the New Year. 8. Celebrated Chinese New Year on my own. Pan-fried a whole New Year fish on my own! 9. Celebrated my birthday by booking a room for 1 at a karaoke bar. Great times! 10. Went to Kate Voegele's concert at the Highline Ballroom. Second row! I could almost look up her dress! (but I didn't I swear!) 11. Hosted my sister's trip to NYC. Went to Cirque du Soleil's Kooza show with VIP package (Tapis Rouge). Best customer service I've experienced... so far. It was worth the $250 per ticket price! Gotta do Tapis Rouge again next time! 12. Went to Bobby Flay's Mesa Grill restaurant in Union Square (14th st by east village). BEST customer service! When you leave your napkin on the table to use the restroom, they pick it up and fold it back into the original setup. They also have a little metal scoop for scraping the table cloth of bread crumbs and any mess you make. Sexy sous chefs. Not sure about the uniform but the food was great! Try their pork loin if you ever go there.
That's pretty much it for now. I will blog about my Distant Worlds: Music from Final Fantasy concert experience in the next post.
If you have any ideas or suggestions about what I should blog on, leave a comment!
I haven't been to a Britney Spears concert for years.
Anyway, I was pretty excited. Pop concerts are fun -- flashy sets, fun songs, energetic choreography. Let's just say that the Circus tour was all of that and much more.
Three opening acts followed -- Kristinia DeBarge (who sang pretty well), OneCall (who the hell are they...), and Jordin Sparks (I wasn't really interested in her). The opening acts didn't drag on like in other concerts, which I like. However there was still a 20 minute wait until the beginning of Britney's portion. A giant, circular screen displayed a count-down clock.
In between songs there were either film clips or performances (circus or martial arts) to keep us entertained while Ms. Spears changed into her next costume. My favorite segue was Britney's cover of the Marilyn Manson version of "Sweet Dreams (Everybody's looking for something)". Check out the youtube link at the end for a preview. Britney looked so amazingly sexy in this clip, it drove me crazy! (FYI guys -- Girls love looking at other good-looking girls...).
