Caroline & Carmel's wedding is going to be in November. I need to lose weight because she asked me to be a bridesmaid and I don't want to be embarrassed standing up there in front of Lawrence's entire family. O_o
Part of my exercising regimen will be playing DDR. I work up a really good sweat and get super tired playing for 1 hr. It's perfect as cardio because each song is roughly 2-3 minutes long, and you get a short break in between to catch your breath (or you can play nonstop mode and play through 3-8 songs with NO break in between). If you get better at the songs, you can increase your intensity by playing harder songs, or playing the songs on "Heavy" instead of "Standard". If even heavy gets too easy for you, Stepmania lets you choose a setting that will automatically insert additional steps to make it SUPER hard for you.
Playing DDR also involves a lot of different skills. You need to concentrate, for one thing. Every time my mind wanders, I know instantly because I start missing steps. On the hard songs, it is essential that you read ahead so you know what's coming up, even while your feet are pressing arrows for the current steps. You need to be able to strategize and plan which foot to use so that further down your feet will be in the proper position to press a different series of arrows. Some songs require you to focus on a complicated beat. Some songs have a lot of back and forth footwork that really tires your calves. Some songs have a lot of jumping for the double-arrow-presses, and that can really tire your thighs.
I love the dance and trance/techno songs. In fact, looking up some of the artists led me to find more songs to put in my mp3 collection. Here are the trance songs I play as a nonstop course (Trancendence from DDR Max 2 for PS2):
i feel... [Akira Yamaoka]
Tomorrow Perfume [DJ Taka]
The Shining Polaris [L.E.D. feat. Sana]
Drifting Away [Lange feat. Skye]
Will I [Ian Van Dahl]
Heaven [DJ Sammy]
Ghosts (Vincent de Moor Original Mix) [Tenth Planet]
Take Me Away (Into the Night) [4 Strings]
So Deep (Perfect Sphere Remix) [Silvertear]
Lovin' You (Rob Searle Club Mix) [Vinyl Baby]
Thursday, August 28, 2008
Tuesday, August 5, 2008
attencion deficit
I'm beginning to feel disappointed in myself. I've read about others noticing the phenomenon as well. I feel like I've got an inability to pay attention to just one thing for large amounts of time. I try to read articles, and if they're too long I feel like I shouldn't bother. I need to force myself to read to the end. I want to pick up some good science fiction or fantasy books to read, but the thought of spending all that time reading when I could be knitting or on the internet makes me avoid books. I haven't even read the last Harry Potter book yet! I haven't read the 6th of Jacqueline Carey's Kushiel books either! Is this a result of my knitting obsession, or is it the internet? Perhaps it started with World of Warcraft. Maybe I'm just not in a reading mood, and I'll just have to wait until my interests cycle back to reading again.
Tuesday, June 10, 2008
filming
The interesting thing about working in downtown LA is that they're always filming something. On my way back from lunch today, I watched for a few minutes as they filmed a CSI:NY scene outside my building. I don't watch CSI, so to me it would have been way more cool if they were filming something like Law & Order SVU, but it's still neat.
Tuesday, April 8, 2008
Busy weekend
Saturday my aunt came over to Pasadena and although I thought her purpose was for me to teach her how to crochet so we could finally get started on that Hawaiian Motif Purse from Nexstitch, apparently she wanted to get some errands out of the way too. We went to the bank, we had lunch, she took a shower at my apartment, and then we had less than an hour for me to teach her the basics of crochet.
I didn't even get to start her on the purse before we had to leave to get her son a haircut. I was going to teach her more while we waited, but then I had to mention how much I've been wanting that sweet Vietnamese dessert concoction known as che. So we drove to this great Vietnamese bakery that had che. By the time we got back to the hair salon, the haircutting was done and it was time to drive to Covina so she could go to her mah jong game and I could take her son to the movies. After the movie I went to my parents' house. My aunt and uncle were there too, and after we went out for dinner, I spent the night helping my uncle proofread his resume.
Sunday we had to go to the Rose Hills Memorial Park. This weekend was apparently an Asian grave-cleaning holiday. We brought food to my grandparents' grave, then had our own little picnic lunch there (as did SO many other Asian people there that day). Then the Buddhist Hsi-Lai temple held a service at Sky Rose Chapel. It lasted from 1-6pm, but luckily we left after the first third of the session. There's only so much incense and chanting of "na mo ah mi to fo" I can take.
Afterwards, Lawrence picked me up and we went to the Arcadia mall with his cousin Phillip. We walked around a bit and then we watched the movie, 21. It was an interesting movie, not bad. The next day was my RDO, and Lawrence was supposed to have the day off but he had to go in to work because one of his clients was coming in. Luckily he got to leave early. We then went to Arcadia again with Phillip. We had lunch at Genki Living, this interesting little Japanese dessert shop that looks like the sidewalk of a busy street in Japan. Yeah, you gotta see it. They serve Japanese crepes and okonomiyaki! The okonomiyaki was the one reason I HAD to go.
We then went to the Au 79 cafe with cousins Carmel and Caroline for some Big 2 action. They played till 10:30pm, and then it was time for us to go home. Next weekend is going to be busy too. Saturday afternoon is my cousin Audrey's marriage celebration in Malibu. Sunday is Hauson's birthday.
OMGZ I need to get my taxes done.
I didn't even get to start her on the purse before we had to leave to get her son a haircut. I was going to teach her more while we waited, but then I had to mention how much I've been wanting that sweet Vietnamese dessert concoction known as che. So we drove to this great Vietnamese bakery that had che. By the time we got back to the hair salon, the haircutting was done and it was time to drive to Covina so she could go to her mah jong game and I could take her son to the movies. After the movie I went to my parents' house. My aunt and uncle were there too, and after we went out for dinner, I spent the night helping my uncle proofread his resume.
Sunday we had to go to the Rose Hills Memorial Park. This weekend was apparently an Asian grave-cleaning holiday. We brought food to my grandparents' grave, then had our own little picnic lunch there (as did SO many other Asian people there that day). Then the Buddhist Hsi-Lai temple held a service at Sky Rose Chapel. It lasted from 1-6pm, but luckily we left after the first third of the session. There's only so much incense and chanting of "na mo ah mi to fo" I can take.
Afterwards, Lawrence picked me up and we went to the Arcadia mall with his cousin Phillip. We walked around a bit and then we watched the movie, 21. It was an interesting movie, not bad. The next day was my RDO, and Lawrence was supposed to have the day off but he had to go in to work because one of his clients was coming in. Luckily he got to leave early. We then went to Arcadia again with Phillip. We had lunch at Genki Living, this interesting little Japanese dessert shop that looks like the sidewalk of a busy street in Japan. Yeah, you gotta see it. They serve Japanese crepes and okonomiyaki! The okonomiyaki was the one reason I HAD to go.
We then went to the Au 79 cafe with cousins Carmel and Caroline for some Big 2 action. They played till 10:30pm, and then it was time for us to go home. Next weekend is going to be busy too. Saturday afternoon is my cousin Audrey's marriage celebration in Malibu. Sunday is Hauson's birthday.
OMGZ I need to get my taxes done.
Thursday, April 3, 2008
Little Tokyo Farmer's Market
It's not really in Little Tokyo. It's in the grassy area in front of the City Hall, which is almost at the border between the Civic Center and Little Tokyo. Close enough for those who name these things, I guess. I've been wanting to go here for lunch. We always pass through when on Thursdays we go to Little Tokyo for lunch. The aroma of the food as we walked through was always so tantalizingly good!
Last Friday I looked up LA area Farmer's Markets and saw that there was one at 7th & Figueroa on Fridays. My coworker and I go there, and we find that it's only 1-2 stalls selling kettle corn and nuts. I was very disappointed. :x Today, I made sure to not bring my lunch and we went to the Little Tokyo Farmer's Market. Now this was a Farmer's Market! They put out tables and chairs for people to eat at. There was live jazz music, lots of fresh fruit & vegetable stalls, and lots of ready to eat food.
Today we tried the Salvadorean stall, with their fresh-made papusas. I had a cheese & pork papusa, and a cheese, beef, and potato papusa. The combo came with grilled plantain slices and horchata. Yumm! I didn't pay attention to their preparation when giving me the papusa, but I have a feeling it wasn't freshly off the grill. :( The line gets really long so I'm guessing they have them pre-made and just heat them up before they serve them to you, at least at the beginning. Next time, it may be worth going to when the line is really long to get a really fresh papusa!
There's also Hawaiian grilled meat, Meditteranean style grilled kabobs, gourmet sausage/hot dogs, grilled corn and potatoes, kettle corn, cobblers, honey, honeyed nuts, cookies, baked goods.
Last Friday I looked up LA area Farmer's Markets and saw that there was one at 7th & Figueroa on Fridays. My coworker and I go there, and we find that it's only 1-2 stalls selling kettle corn and nuts. I was very disappointed. :x Today, I made sure to not bring my lunch and we went to the Little Tokyo Farmer's Market. Now this was a Farmer's Market! They put out tables and chairs for people to eat at. There was live jazz music, lots of fresh fruit & vegetable stalls, and lots of ready to eat food.
Today we tried the Salvadorean stall, with their fresh-made papusas. I had a cheese & pork papusa, and a cheese, beef, and potato papusa. The combo came with grilled plantain slices and horchata. Yumm! I didn't pay attention to their preparation when giving me the papusa, but I have a feeling it wasn't freshly off the grill. :( The line gets really long so I'm guessing they have them pre-made and just heat them up before they serve them to you, at least at the beginning. Next time, it may be worth going to when the line is really long to get a really fresh papusa!
There's also Hawaiian grilled meat, Meditteranean style grilled kabobs, gourmet sausage/hot dogs, grilled corn and potatoes, kettle corn, cobblers, honey, honeyed nuts, cookies, baked goods.
Maison Akira
I've been wanting to go to Maison Akira for several weeks now. I read about them on Yelp and various other places, and it sounded like a very unique place. The chef is Japanese and specializes in French food. I think they serve mostly French-style food with a Japanese touch. They've also got a Sunday brunch buffet that's supposed to be very good quality food.
Well, after going to Gyu-Kaku last Saturday night (where upon talking about Maison Akira, our server piped up with his enthusiastic recommendation of the food there), we went to Maison Akira Sunday morning for the brunch buffet.
The restaurant is located off the main street of Colorado. It's not in the middle of the street action, being that it's on Green St., maybe halfway between my apartment and Lake Ave. The area is very nice...brick buildings and shady trees line the street. Entering the restaurant, I was struck by the unique layout. The dining area(s) were split up into little room-like sections. Curtains hung up on the walls, and some walls were mirrors, giving the place the feel a French parlor.
The buffet itself was placed in a long narrow section at the 'front' of the restaurant. The corridor would have been rather uncomfortably small if more than a handful of people went up to the buffet at a time. At one end of the buffet were desserts. At the other end was a carving station where at times the chef himself would carve you meat. They served prime rib and lamb, each with their own sauces. There were creamy potatoes au gratin, a corn potage kind of soup, deviled eggs, a selection of cheeses and crackers...also pieces of nigiri sushi, some rolls, cold soba, salmon, steamed egg with crab meat, and various small bite-sized finger foods that were delish!
When you first see the buffet, you may be rather underwhelmed by the quantities. "I'm paying $36 for this?!" Then you try the food, and you realize it's about quality rather than quantity. "Do I really need to stuff myself to the point of falling over?" You realize that this is Good Food. Fresh ingredients, prepared well, and beautifully presented (okay, maybe not the food in the buffet trays). You try a little of each dish - and luckily they come in small sizes! Perhaps you go back for seconds of the dishes that really stood out to you. You try a slice of both the prime rib and the lamb. Take your time and savor the flavors while conversing with your companions. Before you know it...you feel satisfied and ready for dessert. There. Was that so bad?
Do you really need 500 different food options to feel like a buffet was worth it?
I definitely want to go back during their regular dining.
Well, after going to Gyu-Kaku last Saturday night (where upon talking about Maison Akira, our server piped up with his enthusiastic recommendation of the food there), we went to Maison Akira Sunday morning for the brunch buffet.
The restaurant is located off the main street of Colorado. It's not in the middle of the street action, being that it's on Green St., maybe halfway between my apartment and Lake Ave. The area is very nice...brick buildings and shady trees line the street. Entering the restaurant, I was struck by the unique layout. The dining area(s) were split up into little room-like sections. Curtains hung up on the walls, and some walls were mirrors, giving the place the feel a French parlor.
The buffet itself was placed in a long narrow section at the 'front' of the restaurant. The corridor would have been rather uncomfortably small if more than a handful of people went up to the buffet at a time. At one end of the buffet were desserts. At the other end was a carving station where at times the chef himself would carve you meat. They served prime rib and lamb, each with their own sauces. There were creamy potatoes au gratin, a corn potage kind of soup, deviled eggs, a selection of cheeses and crackers...also pieces of nigiri sushi, some rolls, cold soba, salmon, steamed egg with crab meat, and various small bite-sized finger foods that were delish!
When you first see the buffet, you may be rather underwhelmed by the quantities. "I'm paying $36 for this?!" Then you try the food, and you realize it's about quality rather than quantity. "Do I really need to stuff myself to the point of falling over?" You realize that this is Good Food. Fresh ingredients, prepared well, and beautifully presented (okay, maybe not the food in the buffet trays). You try a little of each dish - and luckily they come in small sizes! Perhaps you go back for seconds of the dishes that really stood out to you. You try a slice of both the prime rib and the lamb. Take your time and savor the flavors while conversing with your companions. Before you know it...you feel satisfied and ready for dessert. There. Was that so bad?
Do you really need 500 different food options to feel like a buffet was worth it?
I definitely want to go back during their regular dining.
Friday, March 21, 2008
Apotheosis
I was going to respond to a thread on Ravelry, but then I did some research and got too caught up in my findings.
When I was a kid I read a lot of fantasy. I also listened to a lot of classical music and I had an overactive imagination. For some reason, I had this image of how I wanted my wedding to be. Think: large beautiful cathedral with sunlight streaming in from high windows. Fresh flowers and vines in baskets lining the aisles and the sides of the room. Screw traditional white gowns, I'd be wearing a jewel-toned medieval (think Renaissance Fair) style dress with wildflowers in my fine fluffy blonde- er I mean straght flat black hair. Han Solo would be standing there waiting for me, a la the final throne room scene in the first Star Wars movie. I knew THE song to be played for the procession too. It would be the Apotheosis from Tchaikovsky's Sleeping Beauty ballet. While listening to it, I would play out the procession in my head, timing the steps of the flower girl and the bridesmaids, through the procession of the bride myself.
It has the feeling of a regal court procession, and according to various dictionaries, "apotheosis" means "elevation to the status of a god". Wikipedia says the Apotheosis was when the characters would take their final bows, so I suppose when the actor-dancers were transformed to the status of gods of ballet. From this thread on a ballet forum, I learned that the melody used by Tchaikovsky is not actually unique! It was used by Rossini 15 years before Tchaikovsky wrote his ballet. Even more interesting is that this tune is actually an unofficial anthem of France, "Vive Henry IV". Liszt produced a piano arrangement of this tune, and you can listen to a sample of it here on Amazon. No doubt about it, this is the tune. It was used as the national anthem of France after the monarchy was reintroduced in the early 1800s. Apparently Russia has been greatly influenced by France, so it's natural that Tchaikovsky would probably have known of Vive Henry IV.
One of the posters on the previously linked thread hints at political motivations in using the melody: "Given the rather tepid history of the Bourbon Restoration, I wonder if using this music to represent the restoration of the monarchy after 100 years sleep at the end of Sleeping Beauty was as reassuring to the ruling classes at the premiere as it was allegedly meant to be."
SO, while a mere online streaming sample can not do justice to this piece, you can listen to one here (#11).
When I was a kid I read a lot of fantasy. I also listened to a lot of classical music and I had an overactive imagination. For some reason, I had this image of how I wanted my wedding to be. Think: large beautiful cathedral with sunlight streaming in from high windows. Fresh flowers and vines in baskets lining the aisles and the sides of the room. Screw traditional white gowns, I'd be wearing a jewel-toned medieval (think Renaissance Fair) style dress with wildflowers in my fine fluffy blonde- er I mean straght flat black hair. Han Solo would be standing there waiting for me, a la the final throne room scene in the first Star Wars movie. I knew THE song to be played for the procession too. It would be the Apotheosis from Tchaikovsky's Sleeping Beauty ballet. While listening to it, I would play out the procession in my head, timing the steps of the flower girl and the bridesmaids, through the procession of the bride myself.
It has the feeling of a regal court procession, and according to various dictionaries, "apotheosis" means "elevation to the status of a god". Wikipedia says the Apotheosis was when the characters would take their final bows, so I suppose when the actor-dancers were transformed to the status of gods of ballet. From this thread on a ballet forum, I learned that the melody used by Tchaikovsky is not actually unique! It was used by Rossini 15 years before Tchaikovsky wrote his ballet. Even more interesting is that this tune is actually an unofficial anthem of France, "Vive Henry IV". Liszt produced a piano arrangement of this tune, and you can listen to a sample of it here on Amazon. No doubt about it, this is the tune. It was used as the national anthem of France after the monarchy was reintroduced in the early 1800s. Apparently Russia has been greatly influenced by France, so it's natural that Tchaikovsky would probably have known of Vive Henry IV.
One of the posters on the previously linked thread hints at political motivations in using the melody: "Given the rather tepid history of the Bourbon Restoration, I wonder if using this music to represent the restoration of the monarchy after 100 years sleep at the end of Sleeping Beauty was as reassuring to the ruling classes at the premiere as it was allegedly meant to be."
SO, while a mere online streaming sample can not do justice to this piece, you can listen to one here (#11).
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