Letopho

Joseph Vincent in My Bed

noreply@blogger.com (letopho) — Fri, 10 Feb 2012 07:24:00 +0000

Youtube is my entertainment and Joseph Vincent has been one of my favorites ever since his cover of Replay and Rude Boy. He was also featured on Ellen!

He started producing originals - If You Stay is pretty good.

So when his production company contacted us to use our bedroom as the opening scene for his latest original video, I got really excited! They were looking for bachelor pad and I guess the angles in our attic room was perfect.

Hours of filming and they got 30 seconds of my bedroom into the video. That giant light machine made night look like morning.

I was going to suggest dropping down to my underwear as well, but decided not to be so ridiculous. Our friend Ben snuck into the video shoot and posed as our 6th roommate. He was squealing like a tween the entire time and got JV to sign his iPhone case and autograph a picture he had printed.

I'm trying to get Joseph Vincent to go to WeHo one day or at least one of our house parties. Those gaysians would eat him alive.

Check out 321 in JV's latest video:

I'm really amused that the video cuts to him leaving our house into the suburbs. Psh - if you really exited our house, you'd be in the hood.

Removed.

noreply@blogger.com (letopho) — Tue, 24 Jan 2012 07:28:00 +0000

My dad asked me if I wanted to say a couple of words about my grandma during the reception portion of the funeral. I said I had nothing to say. My memories of her were few even though she took care of me when I was first born.

Moments before the reception I stood next to my parents as we watched them roll her cold coffin into the... furnace? to be cremated. I rubbed their shoulders as they cried and cried and cried. Coldly I thought - this is uncomfortably too familiar. The same funeral home, the same group of people, the same suit that I wore for a wedding, an interview and another funeral. No one volunteered to "press the button." The door shut anticlimactically and we eventually walked away from the steal walls awkwardly.. but with a sigh of relief.

My Aunt who passed away from breast cancer was carelessly shoved-in with brute force hitting the back wall... this was followed by a shriek that could be heard miles away from one of my relatives.. people fell to the ground, the earth shook, the sea level increased by three feet. My grandma had a less dramatic exit.

I thought I did my part being a pallbearer and enduring a terrible Vietnamese mass where people thought it was okay to answer their cell phones sitting in the 3rd row.

in the 60s

Logic must have escape them. Ironically the women screaming her hallelujahs also left her porn jingle running for 2 minutes before she could find her phone in her purse to shut it off... wait no.. to ANSWER IT. "Excuse me, this is my grandma's funeral" She put her index finger up to indicate "just one moment" despite the fact that my cousin was doing a reading. The bitch hid behind the pew giving directions in a loud whisper. I was two seconds from grabbing her phone and tossing it across the room. "So rude." I said in Vietnamese 3 times as if I was casting a spell. Sometimes I wonder.

A couple of nights before I helped my dad put together a collage of my grandma. He printed out far too many, but we had to consolidate between two boards: classic and current photos.

The ones in black and white were romantic. The photo on the right was originally a wallet that my dad had blown up.

In between the viewings and prayers I discovered that a random guy that was instant messaging me on downelink years ago was actually related to me... well our great grandparents are siblings or something. It was amusing. Anyway.

At the reception there were some heartbreaking moments.

My uncle sang "what a wonderful world" and broke down.
My cousin talked about how Grandma caught her with a boy in her room, but never told her parents. She said that Grandma's silence was powerful.
My aunt who is now divorced from my family genuinely apologized for her wrongs and thanked my grandma for never treating her less than a person. Her sincerity was astonishing.
My dad talked about how he would prepare for spankings by wearing layers of shorts or cardboard to protect his ass.
My other cousin told a story of when he talked to her for about 5 minutes before she asked another cousin who he was because she didn't recognize him

I really had nothing to say, nothing to contribute aside from repeating that she lived a complete life and passed at 85 with 8 children and many grandchildren. I wrote a quick speech in my head, but didn't present it:

Every year for Tet before receiving the red envelope I would wish grandma "live long to be 100 years old" but what I should have said was "live until you've done everything that makes you happy."

I would then elaborate on my cliche and scan the crowd for nods of approval. But decided to let others speak more genuinely.

My mom told me that we weren't celebrating Vietnamese New Years so I didn't make plans to return, but then I was tagged in the photo above - "last minute" decision to celebrate and an assumption that I wouldn't want to return home because I was just there for my grandma. I was very upset. Look at that food. It's like not being invited to Christmas. Traditionally, we are not supposed to celebrate because of the death. But it would have been nice to partake in one more celebration that is usually at my Grandma's even in her absence.

I was removed from New Years like I how I was removed from my Grandma's death. It has been such a reality for me that when I heard that she passed away I only needed about an hour before I was able to continue with work distraction at my cubicle. I guess I protected myself from grief.

Below is a picture I found of my mom with my Grandma when I was putting together the collage (what a hottie.) It just dawned on me that I also put together photo collages for people at work who leave the company for better opportunities. Every time I put together these displays of memories I always wonder - who's next to leave the company... who's next to be removed, but hopefully only when it's their time.

November 2011 Recap

noreply@blogger.com (letopho) — Wed, 11 Jan 2012 06:26:00 +0000

Nov. 11
P.E.T. Haus (Phil, Ed and Tommy) had a house warming party where I learned a couple of things:
Ern makes an amazing adobo (so amazing that I took shots of it), if there's carpet the chances that it will become a sitting party is more likely and potlucks will always include KFC/Chicken McNuggets. I was impressed when someone brought 5lb worth of roasted duck. Huan and JonJon came down and were pleasantly surprised at how friendly everyone was as well as more fashionable. I guess so.

Nov. 17
With an open door policy we have folks coming in and out.... for the sake of comparing shoes.

Nov. 22
Thai Patio is the best place for big groups who want family style thai food especially for a quick Thanksgiving dinner.

Nov. 23
Played Spoons with penalties.
JLo had to give a strip show with a broom, Jimmy had to push a bottle cap across the room with his nose without his hands and I had to do a chicken dance around the room. Other penalties: scream in the middle of the street that you are a furry hamster, kiss everyone's shoes, and give someone compliments for an entire minute.

Andrew wins with his geisha make up... "who is that girl I see?"

Nov. 24
Our favorite lesbian Cindy had a birthday party at her lovely Silverlake apartment

Lesbians and their fancy party treats.

Cindy is a part of this lesbian community that I obviously have no understanding of... but these girls are hot hot hot. Only the sexiest for Cindy. These LA lipstick lesbians were a lot different from the San Jose lesbians that I'm used to.. you know the ones with greasy braids, switch blades and bad grades.

Top right: Eric and his boyfriend David adopted Ryan. What a special one. And Ern and I are trying to blend in. So much classy going on here.

Nov. 26
BUSTED

Nov. 29
Bought a Christmas tree from Home Depot. Andrew, our new roommate helped us trim this monstrous bush.

November was just yesterday :]

Gonna keep up the decorations until our next party.

Joshua Tree

noreply@blogger.com (letopho) — Wed, 04 Jan 2012 06:31:00 +0000

Back in October, we went camping at Joshua Tree which is about 2.5 hours away from Echo Park. We went on hikes and fell asleep in the silence of nature. It took me a while to post these because I lost about 100 pictures after misplacing my memory card, but I didn't want to procrastinate any further.

Below are from Jimmy's pictures with his edits. More scenic photos here.

I highly recommend the Black Rock Canyon camp ground. The bathrooms were great and the sites were spacious. We didn't need to pay National Park fees to camp there, but did so any way to go hiking. Very entry level camping with drinking water etc and we reserved the spot two months in advance.

The hike to 29 Palms oasis was the most breathtaking. A real oasis with running water sits in the middle of the desert. It was an amazing sight and the perfect lunch break spot. It made the trip worthwhile.

Joshua Tree national park feels like another planet with strange trees and numerous rocks in various shapes. The temperature was different and so were the sounds. I felt like I had escaped human life all together.

At night we were able to do some light photography:

Luckily we were with camping experts and had great campfire meals with sausages, potatoes, pancakes. And I made good use of a camel back water storing back pack that I originally bought unused at a garage sale for alcoholic purposes.

This entry closes October 2011. November/December left to go!

What does 2012 Hold?

noreply@blogger.com (letopho) — Wed, 04 Jan 2012 05:48:00 +0000

While my dad rocked out and paid homage to 70's/80's music on his Keytar to middle aged Vietnamese people in Milpitas, I had a more conservative New Years Eve in Southern California.

With everyone scattered and West Hollywood already checked off the list the Friday before, we decided to keep it intimate with Alysia in Pasadena and make a pizza, play board games and dance to Pandora.

Chicken and Pesto on homemade crust.

My stomach acid issues kept me from over drinking, but I did enjoy a Bailey's Hot Cocoa. Sandy is rocking the buzzed sides she got off the street for free after a bike race in Portland.... Portland.

Just a quick photo shoot to show off our New Year's Eve outfits.

I brought streamers to decorate the house. They quickly transformed into dancing ribbon with Pandora basting after the TV countdown. Jimmy found Love in a Hopeless place and then vomited streamers.

What does 2012 hold?

- Year of the Dragon
- Leap Year
- Election year
- London Olympics
- End of the World

What can I do to top this off?? What ever it is, I have a feeling I need flashlights and at least 3 gallons of potable water stored in the house. I'd also like a vacation in another country... and maybe a break from work.

Faces of the Bay

noreply@blogger.com (letopho) — Tue, 03 Jan 2012 04:43:00 +0000

Usually when I go to the bay area I keep it short because soon after arriving I find myself wanting to go back to LA. This trip was different - I enjoyed my extended stay and was able to catch up with a handful of people.

Clockwise: At the mall with Anhimals, getting low in DT San Jose on Christmas, crashing at Mavs in the Castro, tasting Szeto's homemade macarons, brunch with JV at a family owned bakery, watching Sonny model and Joe play video games.

While visiting Huan, Charles and JonJon, JonJon made me a scarf necklace made of multiple strips of fabric. Perfect for LA, because trends in LA is drapy.

Miwa reminded me an old photo album of us that we took in 2005 so we decided to reenact each pic:

MMM Also had amazing "Mexican" Mac and Cheese at Homeroom in Oakland.

Also met up with Madeline who I've been friends with since middle school.

Starting 2012 with Acid

noreply@blogger.com (letopho) — Mon, 02 Jan 2012 19:19:00 +0000

Last night I experienced excruciating abdominal pain that left me calling nurses and driving around to get a prescription from an on call doctor who had a hawaii area code.

Insurance issues prevented me from getting medication so I tossed and turned in bed while a gremlin inside of my stomach was clawing at the walls. Holding on to Jimmy was the only source of relief.

What causes acid reflex? heartburn? Everything I love:

Learn about foods that cause acid reflux

Here's the story on some common acid reflux triggers that may—or may not—affect you. Of course, it's best to avoid the foods that bother you.

High-fat foods tend to relax the lower esophageal sphincter (LES) muscle, which usually stays tight to keep acid in the stomach and out of the esophagus.

Spicy foods can irritate the lining of the esophagus leading to heartburn in some people.

Tomatoes, citrus fruits, and onions are acidic and trigger heartburn in some people.

Mint, long thought to aid in digestion, tends to stimulate reflux in people with acid reflux disease.

Alcoholic drinks can damage the lining of the esophagus and the stomach. And fermented beverages, like wine and beer, can also increase the production of stomach acid.

Caffeinated drinks—including coffees, teas, sodas, and even hot chocolate—are a problem for some people with acid reflux disease. Even decaffeinated coffee, although better than regular coffee, is still acidic and can aggravate heartburn.

Sodas, even if they're caffeine-free, can trigger heartburn because they are carbonated.

Definitely had spicy foods. Inhaled at least a half a slightly cooked onion eating Mediterranean. Tomatoes for New Years. Mint in my Pho yesterday morning. Tangerines because they were on sale. Cheese daily = high-fats. Copious amounts of alcohol during the break. Hot teas with Jimmy and last night I had a can of Canada Dry thinking it would help.

SO basically, I had everything on this list triggering what I believe is an ulcer.

WHY MUST I LOVE EVERYTHING LISTED!?!?

Nothing worked - Tums, milk, Mylanta. All of which were supposed to provide immediate relief. I was over loaded with magnesium and calcium, yet I was still aching. Finally, after Jimmy left at 4:30AM for work, things calmed down, but I hope this isn't an indication of the new year: painful, bed ridden, discomfort.

Does this mean I have to become one of those obnoxious people with "Dietary Restrictions?" I have to make sure my spicy food and cheese is cage less, organic and free range before I can eat it. I hate myself already.

9th Annual Ignia Christmas Party

noreply@blogger.com (letopho) — Fri, 30 Dec 2011 19:03:00 +0000

Though it was planned very last minute, it all worked out!

Aaron brought amazing wine and cheese from Italy! Folks brought drinks and sweets. Check out Sandy's mohawk on the left.

Celebrated with some drinks. Tried Orange and Cinnamon instead of Lime and Salt for our tequilla shots.

Took a constitutional around the neighborhood.

Exchanged Secret Santa through Elfster.com.

I gave my elementary piano books to Linda's daughter - if she becomes a prodigy, I get half.

We always have one gift that was have a lot of fun with. This year it was the Statue of David bike shorts and apron.

Mustache
Stockings, Face Masks and Home Made Tshirts
Temporary tattoos

We tried to reenact the photo from our 1st annual christmas party in 2003 by wearing something similar.

Lots of hair differences! My face has rounded out, but I think it looks better than my original twink look that I had originally. Oh yeah and I jumped on that NEON Corona light immediately!

Coming Close to Death

noreply@blogger.com (letopho) — Fri, 30 Dec 2011 17:21:00 +0000

Merry Christmas.

I drove 3 folks up to San Jose from Los Angeles last week in my grown up car. I spent 6 days in the bay area. The mood was off since my 85 year old grandma is on her last couple of days. She has been diagnosed with stomach cancer and can't eat a thing.

The reality of death has made things less painful for my dad and his 6 remaining brothers and sisters who have been running around trying to figure things out. "No games this year Christopher."

So after dinner we had a round table discussion regarding what to do. Luckily one of the cousins was a doctor and filled them in. The decision has been made: if my grandma's heart stopped beating then the doctors and nurses have been ordered NOT to perform CPR and let my grandma's soul escape from her withering body to be reunited with her husband and late daughter who passed away from breast cancer.

I was going to post a picture of her here, but it was pretty evident that death was very close for her. But I'm glad I visited her in the hospital.

"Pho, huh?"
"Yah... I drove up from LA."
"giỏi" which means "you're a good grandson that did the right thing by visiting me"

My dad encouraged me to say more, but words escaped me. My brother had even less to say since he never cared to try to learn Vietnamese.

I think everyone realized that Christmas shouldn't be completely depressing so we started to pass around gifts as usual.

Gifts were cool this year. It was all about the kids and as I'm reaching my later 20's I no longer fit in the category. There were so many kids this year since my cousin, the doctor... specifically the child delivering doctor, brought his 3 kids. It's funny, he had two love interests in life and both of them already have kids... I guess that's what happens when he finds love at his office... bum dum CHIsh!

But I do love how thoughtful my family is:

Cookbook - because I'm trying to cook
Shower Curtains - because when they visited me, what I had was disgusting
Money - which I used immediately that night at a cash only bar
Speakers - for the bathroom

I love my family for really trying and I feel bad that I didn't put as much effort this year. Maybe I should do something for Vietnamese New Year since we probably won't celebrate with the anticipated passing of my grandma.

Here is the annual Bush of Noel. Mmm. needs trimming.

Other family news:
My dad has been looking for a military jacket for his New Years Eve performance. He found something from Crossroads and is asking Mom to add more buttons. He's gonna rock out.

My grandpa on my mom's side last month was caught on a surveillance camera stealing plants from people's front yards. He responded in Vietnamese, "I'm old.. what are they going to do?" The police followed him to his apartment and chatted with building manager. Hopefully he understands that front yards aren't public property.

Aging is such a scary thought. My grandpa is the same age as my grandma, but they booth seem to be deteriorating differently. My grandma's body is shutting down while my grandpa's mind is drifting off. I guess at this point in our lives we need to make sure that we have completely our life to-do lists so that when it's our time to go there are no regrets. What a scary thought.

==

On my to-do list for the break was to organize my boxes of belongings that have been stacked in the garage. Impossible - too many things I want to keep. But I did discover how organized I am:

A spot for every slip of paper. Does this make me a horder?

Stacks of school work. Papers and papers. Also, my taste in music is evident at a young age when I found a list of songs that I liked from the Now! That's What I Call Music albums.

Am I a type A personality? Cleaning the house fridge, balancing the bills board, ordering people around, making lists...., yet I'm not that detailed oriented, very forgetful and often procrastinate. Gemini?

It was nice to be home - leaving dishes somewhere and miraculously they are washed. Leaving my dirty clothes in the garage and bam they smell like lavender and are folded in a basket. Not paying for meals. I can see how folks can really get comfortable at home... but it was time to go. I'll be returning soon though, my company allows some time off for bereavement.

Frustrated Humor

noreply@blogger.com (letopho) — Sat, 24 Dec 2011 19:37:00 +0000

I have weird childish humor. Like I laughed for 30 minutes at this pictures:

But I stay committed if I think something is funny. For instance, I thought this was hilarious:

So I gave it a shot, but this is what I got.

Case of the Ex - Timeline

noreply@blogger.com (letopho) — Sat, 17 Dec 2011 17:37:00 +0000

Jimmy suggested that with the new Facebook Timeline I stalk people that I've previously dated. Jimmy has weird humor, but I did...

Man... I can see where you've been, old wall posts, your "life events." People seriously don't need to blog anymore because I can just get that snapshop of your life on your Facebook page.

Anyway, I found this on tumblr the other day:

Then I found this this morning:

Ryan, my first boyfriend when I was 17. Seriously case of the ex up on his facebook. I tried to delete these posts, but couldn't really figure out how, but I guess it doesn't hurt to have a reminder that once someone touches your life you tap in once in a while to check up. Like once a year...or when you're weak.... or during the holidays. And the other person can only ignore you because that's the best thing to do to wean you off holding onto hindering memories. Let go, let go, let go.

I can trace these dates to periods of my life
2006 - Facebook friended him
2007 - Broke up with college boyfriend of 3.5 years
2008 - Laid off from first job out of college, DUI other chaos.
2010 - Lonely

And why this guy? Why not my college boyfriend? Because Ryan was my first.

2011 is coming to a close and I didn't contact him once. The reasons are obvious. My life is stable, I wake up next to the man of my dreams every morning... I'm doing just fine. In fact, I haven't even thought of him until Jimmy suggested it.

Thank you facebook for timeline - you make it really easy to see everything.... seriously everything about your life.

Living Room Upgrade

noreply@blogger.com (letopho) — Sat, 26 Nov 2011 00:48:00 +0000

I don't think I'll ever be as into home decor as Old Brand New, but we upgraded our couch!! (Only because Eric was giving it away.)

Before

After

Heh, I guess the flowers, lighting, and boyfriend without lazy eyes helped with the upgrade.

===

Sorry for the load of updates - I'm feeling a lot of relief blogging in bulk when I am allowed the time this weekend! I am almost caught up! It feels good.

Pigging Out in October

noreply@blogger.com (letopho) — Sat, 26 Nov 2011 00:38:00 +0000

Wanted to share some food porn that I had in October. Alysia introduced me to Food Gawker which is a site that aggregates the best (homemade) food porn on the web. They also have an app. It's over!!!

Los Angeles you have the best food ever.

Chicago Deep Dish at Masa in Echo Park
Ernesto's good bye dinner *sad face*

Korean Boo Dae Jji Gae (Military Stew) at Johnson House
Better when you're drunk

Lobster Pad Thai at some place in Beverly Hills that I would never eat at unless work took me there.

Must have Thai dishes at Ruen Pair in Thaitown
Morning Glory? Ongchoy? What is that dish on the bottom right that I love so much?

Vietnamese Goi Hen (Clam Salad) at Via Cafe in Chinatown
Little Saigon has better (of course.)

Thanksgiving with a Friend of 12 Years

noreply@blogger.com (letopho) — Sat, 26 Nov 2011 00:14:00 +0000

It was the first year I missed Thanksgiving with my family, but luckily Alysia was also an orphan. We made Thanksgiving lunch together with our friend Anand in west LA (yuck). I told others about going to an "orphan dinner" this year and they thought I was volunteering. No no... I don't volunteer silly.

Alysia is a chef we made the following from scratch:

Mashed Potatoes
Gravy
Apple Pie
Sweet Potato Casserole with brown sugar and oats
Dinner Rolls

We only bought a Turkey breast and Leg because it was only the three of us. Cranberry sauced was canned and stuffing was boxed.

I've known Alysia for at least 12 years. For 12 years I've gone to her house to eat her food. Nothing will break tradition. She was also the one that always urged me to move to LA. My stomach is very thankful for that.

Each of these dishes required a stick of butter... mmmm American feast.

I'm thankful for the friends I've made, the family I have and the boyfriend that I live with.

Happy Thanksgiving!

Halloween Fizzle

noreply@blogger.com (letopho) — Fri, 25 Nov 2011 23:59:00 +0000

A little month late, but Halloween was a bit of a bust. I think I knew it was gonna be meh when I had to recycle a costume. Though I liked my outfit, some guy came up to me and asked if I was supposed to be a dude from the 70s. NO IDIOT, I'm FUCKING GIRAFFE. God. I didn't expect it to be as epic as last year's Halloween, but I must say this year was pretty bad.

NO ONE seemed to have plans. So we ended up just going to an org event that turned out to be a bit awkward even though all of our buddies were there. Lots of older folks and there was cover to hang at someone's house. I guess I couldn't complain with the open bar, but still... someone's house.

Ended up in West Hollywood somehow only to pay for parking and then go home 5 minutes in because my sergeant boyfriend was drunk and samurai guy was tired. Fiizzzzllleeeee.

My 2nd annual pumpkin carving event was a success. Complete with pumpkin pie, pumpkin beer and korean chicken wings.

Some interesting ones: Salormoon cat, iPhone Fail Whale and on the far right is Jimmy's first successful jack-o-lantern. I'm amused that no one wanted to take their pumpkin home, but whateves.

Next year I want to paint my face for Día de los Muertos in the style of Michelle Phan. Let's do something different! And possibly go on a haunted hay ride. Why not? Plan early so that I'm not just wandering around last minute.

It's So Hot.

noreply@blogger.com (letopho) — Thu, 24 Nov 2011 02:01:00 +0000

Back in October when it was still Summer time in LA, I texted Dab that it was SOOOOO hot. He took the bait and invited me and Jimmy over to swim in his pool that sits in a glorious downtown loft near LA Live.

I enjoy inviting myself over.

Boo to Dab - he's moving more West.

Straight Guys in the Desert

noreply@blogger.com (letopho) — Tue, 22 Nov 2011 05:32:00 +0000

Random trip to the desert for J.Lo's birthday.
He bought a Groupon that granted him access to a condo for the weekend in Indio.

SO how do straight guys party?

Straight guys pour you drinks and challenge your manhood if you dont drink it.

...they keep pouring you drinks... and toasting...and yelling...

yup... that's about all they do... pour ...drink...

...no matter what it tastes or looks like you have to drink it....

and then you die....

you die outside... and you die inside

That's what you get for drinking with straight guys....

oh they draw on you too. Straight guys love sharpies.

Amazingly - they woke up early, cleaned up and left the house while the gays slept in. Oh. The gays also took all the beds and sofas so the straight guys just slept on the grass outside... ain't a thing.

Korean Festival

noreply@blogger.com (letopho) — Sun, 20 Nov 2011 21:46:00 +0000

I found it very interesting that none of my Korean friends knew about the annual Korean Festival in LA. Nor did they have any interest in checking it out. I guess because we live next to the giant that is Ktown - everyday we drive through it's like a Korean Festival.

But I was glad to check that off the list. (Still need to celebrate Holi - Indian Festival of Colors and the Brazilian Festival that I missed earlier in the year.

Never seen Kim Chi in bulk like this before. There were so many Kim Chi samples! Lots of other foods too, but I couldn't read the signs... those circles and lines... is it the food item or price? It's like hieroglyphic binary code.

Old man planning beer pong, free clay pot (the line was too long), floral crafts and a B-BOI competition.

Check out this giant white person. "ME WANT EXOTIC FOOD."

We continued our explore heading toward Northern Ktown where we found Zion Market nested in the middle of korean shopping mall. I concluded that as you get more north, Ktown becomes nicer and expensive. South of Wilshire Ktown is more hood - where Koreans and Mexicans fight for parking space.

We sampled this duk bok gi, loved it, and made it that night by adding ramen. YUM!

Oh... Koreatown Pho is always suspicious. Pho 24 also offers authentic Vietnamese gyoja and chow fun. STFU.

Elements of a Successful Karaoke Nights

noreply@blogger.com (letopho) — Sun, 20 Nov 2011 21:05:00 +0000

There's always something about karaoke that some people hate. The songs were boring, they are self conscious, people are mic hogs, but we managed to overcome all of that during our Diva Karaoke night by making sure that we achieved the essential elements.

1. Alcohol
Can't do karaoke without being loosened up? Max Studios in Little Tokyo was so lenient. We "snuck" 6 bottles of soju and a 12 pack of beer in reusable bags. We made sure we cleaned up and weren't too rowdy so that we weren't blacklisted.

2. Current Songs - Max Studios also prides itself in keeping up to date. They had Rebecca Black's Friday. Our group was really diverse. Folks put in rock, dance, musicals, 90's R&B, pop all good energy.

3. Performing Divas - Dab won the diva award that night with his reenactment of the Little Mermaid while singing "Part of Your World." Situated on a rock in the ocean, see Dab lift his tail yearning to have legs.

Tommy got runner up feeling the music. First call out.

Andrew and Jlo's rendition of "Marry You" by Bruno Mars was pretty epic as well. Channeling Glee. Really committed to this song! Awwww worthy.

4. All Sing - You have to pass the mic and put in songs that everyone will sing to. We even got some shy ones to shine. If you're gonna chip in for the room, you best sing a song! Journey, Seasons of Love, Disney songs are all winners. And because we went with a big group - 1.5 hours = $12 a person.

5. Share the Mic - If everyone looks bored while you're singing - cut it short! We managed to be considerate of everyone's time.

At one point, there was a spill and I brought in a mop and danced with it while people sung songs from Wicked.

After party

No Rice Crunch Spicy

noreply@blogger.com (letopho) — Mon, 14 Nov 2011 08:17:00 +0000

Think spicy, crunchy, crabby, eel sauce and no carbs. This thing melts in your mouth.

Thank you Sushi Enya, I've been looking for a monster sushi roll place for a while. MMmMMmm.

Fashion Night Out

noreply@blogger.com (letopho) — Mon, 14 Nov 2011 08:06:00 +0000

Really didn't know what Fashion Night out was... because I'm not much about fashion. Ended up at the Beverly center grabbing free champagne and desserts from the stores. Watched really tall people walk up and down a stage with bored facial expressions wearing clothing that looked uncomfortable.... i think they call it a runway show??? whatever, it was boring.

Why?

High five you get this reference! Click HERE if you don't.

Bien stole the shot

what a stud

blurry, but I like it

Labor Day!

noreply@blogger.com (letopho) — Mon, 14 Nov 2011 07:48:00 +0000

I'm like the reverse of retail - two holidays behind.

Just some pictures I wanted to share:

Cindy eating bulot for the first time

Bulot in taglog, Hot vit lon in Vietnamese is duck fetus that has formed in the egg... there are feathers... it is disgusting.

Typical

love these ppl

Didn't want kisses that night

I have three cowlicks... this is the result... it's an ugly chunk of hair that just hangs there disrupting the flow of my hair style. No hairdresser knows how to properly manage it.

Wasps!

noreply@blogger.com (letopho) — Mon, 14 Nov 2011 07:16:00 +0000

Back in September we discovered a little group of wasps forming by the door. The internet said to wait at night before exterminating so that the bees are sleeping.

We put on our safety gear and prepared for attack.

I used a lucha libre mask, swim googles and scarf. Sam used a net and put it on his head. Here we go...

To our amazement, the poison shot 20 feet. We were prepared for attack, but the bees just fell to the ground. Sort of anticlimactic. But just in case, we had all escape routes ready. The hall smelled like raid for a week.

I guess we were being a little dramatic... it looks scarier in person:

Adobo Shots

noreply@blogger.com (letopho) — Sun, 13 Nov 2011 23:01:00 +0000

Last night we went to a potluck. Ern made amazing chicken adobo. It was so good, I took shots of it.

Sassy Chiropractor

noreply@blogger.com (letopho) — Tue, 01 Nov 2011 05:21:00 +0000

I woke up with a stiff neck last Wednesday. I couldn't turn my head, but I went into work anyway. It was such a sharp pain that I found it difficult to back out while driving or fully look at my blind spot.

Even with Jimmy's Icy Hot massages and Korean Spa visit, I was still aching on Monday morning so I decided to see my first chiropractor. My insurance covers most of it, so why not?

The doctor was a beef cake - wearing a grey muscle shirt and loose linen pants. His hours - 10:30 AM to 1PM. He seems to roll out of bed and leave his practice at his leisure. I felt weird when I saw him. He stood 6'4 above me and brought his dog that was named Journey. He also had this weird laugh that was like an office laugh, but permanent.

Without introducing himself to me, he reviewed my paperwork and asked me:
"Christopher, do you take any suppliments?"
"Uh...."
"Vitamins."
"Yes... Trader Joe's Multivitmans."
"Garbage, you need this - Omega for your nerves and Vitamin D for Cancer, this IS VITAL." He pulled out $30 jars that looked like they were a part of some pyramid scheme." I passed.

"Is this your first time?"
"Yes."
"I LOVE IT."

He was working three patients at once. An over weight guy was on the floor was stretching. The doctor commanded, "superman pose, now. hold it. 30 seconds." He looked back at me, "get on this water bed. It's like a jacuzzi, but dry. You'll love it. You won't get wet of course."

I obeyed and lied on top of this amazing machine that massaged the kinks out of my back. He put me on top of spinal decompression table and pulls my head with his magic hands that were the size of my face. He tugged so hard, I thought he was going to decapitate me. He dug his thumbs into my neck and massaged out knots. He place my face in his palm and asked me to put all of my weight in his hand... essentially to trust him. I was so drugged by the experience that I didn't feel the need to protest. He told me to breath in, then out and like that he twisted my head like Xena warrior princess making a HUGE cracking sound that would have alarmed anyone who passed by.

Amazing. He repeated this in the other direction. He then put me in some pretzel formation and with the hands of God he cracked every joint in my spin using all of his weight. FACKKKKK.

He then put me on this machine that sent electric waves through my back set on strong. It felt my palms open and close without my control.

He demanded to see me twice a week and said, "I care about you, you're attractive, let's make sure your back is good." He touched me weird and let me off. I left the office standing taller... and strangely my vision was better.

I just found his Myspace and picture. Only in LA. While trying to reschedule my second appointment, I told him that I stood taller and already mentioned him in the office. "You're cute. You're a Doll," he responded. Seriously weirded out since he mentioned a girlfriend who was "also Vietnamese."

Why didn't I go to a medical doctor? Because he would have over drugged me like he did last time. This is definitely better.