The Chantastic Blog

Oscars 2012: Live Running Diary

2012-02-26T20:18:00.064-05:00

Live from the Chantastic couch, it's time for the Oscars. I decided I needed a break from staring at my fantasy baseball projections all weekend, so what better way than to provide snarky commentary while watching the Oscars. So finally, a live running blog that will appeal to more than just people with a love of trashy reality TV. 8:17: If you've never read one of these before, I update this

Bachelor Episode #8: Live Running Diary

2012-02-20T12:22:00.062-05:00

I'm excited for hometown dates this week, which would be referred to as the "I'm asking for permission to marry your daughter after knowing her for all of two months, but just know there's a 50% chance I'm going to sleep with your daughter and dump her afterwards, a 25% chance that I dump your daughter this week, and a 25% chance that we'll be engaged for a year before we break up and your

Bachelor Episode #7: Live Running Diary

2012-02-13T19:46:00.051-05:00

Live from the Chantastic couch, I'm ready for another week of craziness if my laptop can manage to hang on for another two hours. My laptop screen has been randomly turning off the last few days, so if my posts disappear halfway through the show, blame it on my computer...or Courtney The Model (CTM) for inducing a seizure with her bouncing blurcles after going topless for the third show in a row

The Chantastic shortcut

2012-02-12T14:50:00.000-05:00

I have sent yet another e-mail/text where I use the words "I can't do Monday night because that's Bachelor night". At this point, I think it'd be easier if this phrase was a shortcut on my computer.

Bachelor Episode #6: Live Running Diary

2012-02-06T19:52:00.047-05:00

And we're back for another week of watching women pine and cry over a guy they barely know. As I was watching last week's river of tears being accompanied by fittingly sad music - seriously, the sound editing on The Bachelor is second to none - I started thinking about which song I know would provide the best 20 seconds of background sadness as bachelorettes cry about not receiving a rose. It's

Bachelor Episode #5: Live Running Diary

2012-01-30T18:13:00.056-05:00

We're back for another week of insanity, and who doesn't look forward to blurcles on TV? I know I'm excited about seeing Courtney The Model (CTM) on the beach with Ben and the subsequent freak-out by Needy Kacie (NK) when she finds out. So powered by the show that smart women people watch, let's get ready for women to do things they're going to regret as soon as they're off the show. 6:12:

Bachelor Episode #4: Live Running Diary

2012-01-23T19:07:00.042-05:00

Welcome back to another week of half-crazed women doing fully crazed things. I'd like to give a shout out to all the couples watching the show and reading the blog together - I received feedback from quite a few people last week who do this with their significant others to make it more entertaining. I guess it makes sense that people need sarcastic commentary while watching the show since -

I courageously wrote this blog post

2012-01-22T13:42:00.000-05:00

I was watching the Golden Globes last weekend - the only awards show I try to watch because booze is flowing and it's a lot more casual, plus we don't get stuck with awards that nobody really cares about like "Best Sound Editing" - and I noticed an emerging theme. Actors and directors kept on thanking people for their 'bravery" and "courage". Now, I totally respect what actors do, and I would

Bachelor Episode #3: Live Running Diary

2012-01-16T18:58:00.041-05:00

From the Chantastic couch, it's time for more craziness in Episode #3. I'm excited to see one of the bachelorettes pass out tonight since I've never actually seen someone faint before. Does that make me a bad person? 6:58: During my weekly e-mail exchange with G-Unit, he passed on a really good observation from his wife: Courtney The Model (CTM) might just be on drugs. She acts crazy, says

Bachelor Episode #2: Live Running Diary

2012-01-09T18:28:00.034-05:00

I have very few rules in life, but one of them is this: If one of my friends' dads is requesting to read the Chantastic Blog because of his love of The Bachelor, then I must continue doing what I'm doing (shout out to Mr. Sturies). As a result, I will be doing a weekly live up-to-the-minute running diary of the show as it happens for the rest of the season. If you have Internet access while you

The Official Chantastic Vacation Schedule

2012-01-08T22:50:00.000-05:00

Here's the hard copy of the itinerary that my travelling secretary mom kept for me during my trip. She ran me ragged in Hong Kong. A packed vacation schedule Interestingly, Betty kept two schedules. One on her iPod Touch, and this hard copy. When asked why the hard copy was necessary, she said that it was for my not-so-technologically-advanced dad.

Bachelor Season Premiere: Live Running Diary

2012-01-02T18:52:00.025-05:00

I'm so excited for The Bachelor season premiere that I'm doing a live running diary as I watch the show. This page will be updated as the show unfolds over the premiere's two hours. 6:50: I'm excited to have Chris Harrison back in my life. I'm not so sure I'm as excited to have Winemaker Ben back in my life. He wasn't exactly Mr. Charismatic when he was on The Bachelorette. 6:54: Just went

Hong Kong Day 22: Visiting the presidents

2011-12-30T13:35:00.000-05:00

Since I'm leaving in two days, the day started off with my stuff being packed. And by my stuff being packed, I mean I slept in while my mom packed my stuff. If Betty is going to be a total mom, who am I to say no to being spoiled? After picking up my Hong Kong passport (finally, all of my document craziness has been settled), we went for a quick wonton noodle lunch at a popular restaurant. As

Hong Kong Day 21: I'm on a boat!

2011-12-29T12:19:00.001-05:00

The day started with a trip to Aberdeen for lunch on one of their boat restaurants. Jumbo Floating Restaurant Since these restaurants are literally on the water, they have a variety of seafood dishes. Noodles in crab meat soup Afterwards, we went to Stanley, a tourist attraction near a beach on the other side of Hong Kong Island. At this point, I turned amateur photographer. I'm

Hong Kong Day 19-20: A dinner unlike no other

2011-12-28T12:08:00.003-05:00

Day 19 began with a return trip to the Sha Tin Racecourse. But to continue the theme of this entire trip, we were put up in the members only restaurant for the entire day so we wouldn't have to mix with the commoners. Afterwards, my dad and I went straight to the wedding reception of the daughter of one of my mom's friends. This would turn out to be quite the evening. First, we were seated at

Hong Kong Day 16-18: The argument heard around the block

2011-12-26T12:42:00.000-05:00

Day 16 began with my cousin's wedding, but since my days are filled with following the agenda put forth by my traveling secretaries parents, I wasn't sure of the exact location of the wedding and reception. It was being held at the Sha Tin Racecourse. Back to the race track I go. Breaking news: The people in the building beside mine are having a full scale argument with someone else. Their

Hong Kong Day 15: Betty is as Betty does

2011-12-23T12:41:00.000-05:00

Today began with collecting my Hong Kong ID card and ended with a dinner with my mom's old boss. In between, I opened a bank account so that I could collect HK$6000 (my favourite part of the website is that the official English name of the program is "Scheme $6,000"). We had visited a couple of weeks prior but were turned away because they would not accept my temporary Hong Kong ID card. The

Hong Kong Day 13-14: Bling bling

2011-12-22T07:52:00.000-05:00

Here's how you know Hong Kong loves horse racing: the literal translation for the Chinese name of one of their two racecourses is "Horse Racing Land", but the English name they actual give it is "Happy Valley". In other words, they translate horse racing to "happy". I visited Happy Valley for the first time last night, and it was a pretty spectacular view from where we sat. The view to the

Hong Kong Day 9-11: From peak to trough

2011-12-20T10:54:00.002-05:00

I was supposed to go on a three day, two night trip to Macau with my parents, my buddy Lam, my aunt and uncle, and a couple of business partners they were bringing along. All I knew was that my uncle was taking care of everything, and that he had scheduled us to stay at a 5-star hotel. My first inkling that this was not going to be a regular trip was when we set foot on the ferry for the hour

Hong Kong Day 8: Potential girlfriends, future wives, and fake gay partners

2011-12-16T10:59:00.001-05:00

Noodles for lunch at noon, followed by dessert, then dim sum at 3, with a dinner at 7:30 to cap things off. That's how to eat like you want diabetes a champion. I've spent an enormous amount of time on the Hong Kong public transit system, and there's two things I've noticed. The first is how much more efficient everything is here. The second is how I feel like a giant on every form of public

Hong Kong Day 7: Icancomehomeandgowithyou, Icancomehomeandgowithyou, Icancomehomeandgowithyou, Icancomehomeandgowithyou

2011-12-15T11:35:00.000-05:00

Who had Day 7 in "The Chantastic Allergies Finally Succumbs to Poor Air Quality" Pool? The first order of business for the day was taking care of more government applications (I'm finally done), followed by a fitting of a partially made suit from my measurements of Day 2 (the suit is being rushed because I have a wedding to go to on Christmas Eve). After a quick lunch, I went home to take a

Hong Kong Day 5 & 6: If we're Chinese and we were confused in China...

2011-12-14T12:50:00.001-05:00

Quick update: Day 3 now has a photo of the private room. My overnight stay in China began with a two hour trek via the subway and railway station to the China border, followed by us navigating through immigration and customs. Contrary to what most non-Asian North Americans believe, there is a difference between Hong Kong and China even though they both belong to the same country now. Even The

Hong Kong Day 4: The Cleaning Ritual

2011-12-12T10:34:00.000-05:00

Day 4 began with more passport applications followed by a trip to a tailor for material selection and measurement-taking for a couple of suits. Since the suits were especially cheap at this place, there was a lot of hustle and bustle, and to put it mildly, I do not fare well in this type of environment. After it was all over, I wanted to go home, take a Silkwood shower, and lie down on my bed.

Hong Kong Day 3: Ballers? Ballers.

2011-12-11T12:11:00.003-05:00

The day began with a trip to the Sha Tin Racecourse, a spectacular overindulgence for the purpose of gambling that would make Las Vegas jealous. Little did I know that it was the Hong Kong International Races Day. Since my uncle had acquired a Hong Kong Jockey Club members only pass (that's just how the Chans roll), that meant I got an upfront view for the three things that I associate most

Hong Kong Day 2: Chinese Superpowers

2011-12-10T09:44:00.000-05:00

Besides kung fu, all Chinese people are known to have one superpower: our superior ability to do math. However, all superpowers have a kryptonite, and Chinese math is no different. One word: jetlag. The exchange rate is approximately 7.8:1, but I was having a hell of a time dividing prices by 8 in my head after waking up at 5 AM. My day started with applying for various ID cards, visas,