A Visual Gallery of Sorts: March 2005 Archives

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March 31, 2005

Pooped Out

Goshdarnit I'm so busy right now I don't even have time to update this blog. This 14hour work schedule is very taxing on the body, and although time flies by so fast because I'm enjoying this vigorous training schedule, my body is slowly suffering as a result. I need to slow down, take a deep breath, and rest for awhile. This beginning portion of the Tour, ironically, is probably going to be the most intensive part of the work schedule - not counting press conferences and scheduling in media interviews - as we're going to be in the RV for most of the time. My brain is fried. I need to go to bed. Sorry for this scattered post, but I felt obligated to the three people who actually read this that I update for I lose their interest. And plus, I think I'm doing a good number on that dummy, don't you think? That's probably going to be the only action I get for the next five weeks...

Posted by Charlie at 12:18 AM | Comments (5)

March 30, 2005

The Other Weblog

I've been chronicling my experiences for the Tour on a seperate weblog here: http://generationmix.blogspot.com. Enjoy!

Posted by Charlie at 07:07 PM | Comments (0)

March 28, 2005

Seattle ROCKS!!!

You learn to have a greater appreciation for your hometown after hearing impressions and reflections of other people who have never been here before. I consider myself very lucky to have been raised in a place like Seattle, and I can't wait to visit the other cities.

Posted by Charlie at 11:39 PM | Comments (0)

March 26, 2005

Doug Aitken: interiors

On this dreary Saturday afternoon I took the bus to the Henry Gallery to catch the video installation piece by artist Doug Aitken. I was blown away. Even though interiors isn't an innovative piece by any means, Aitken's mastery of video editing is something to behold. Four different narrative scenes cycle through three screens, all seemingly unrelated to each other in story, but as interiors progresses, the scenes all converge into a singular kaleidoscope of rhythm, music, and rap. interiors is an aural and visual experience that you will not soon forget. Go catch it!

Posted by Charlie at 05:30 PM | Comments (0)

March 25, 2005

Tired To The Max

Training has been taxing; I'd talk some more about it but I think I'll save it for the official Tour blog. It's Spring Break right now for a lot of colleges around the country, and my good friend Libby is on one right now. She's currently in Seattle on her Spring Break to visit her boyfriend Noah, but I like to think that she came over specifically just for me. I haven't seen her since she left for graduate studies at the University of Colorado, and we had much to catch up on. I can't take advantage of the awesome happy hour at McCormick's & Schmicks, as I have an early photo shoot in the morning, but that place is definitely going to be a constant haunt for me in the foreseeable future.

Posted by Charlie at 12:32 AM | Comments (0)

March 22, 2005

I Don't Do Bowl

I found out last night that I am - by far - the worst bowler on this side of the planet. I scored a 28, and I was aiming for a 30. Ouchness. I think we're going karaoke-ing later this week. Sigh...

Posted by Charlie at 04:35 PM | Comments (1)

March 21, 2005

My Last Night Of Freedom

I can't wait to get out of Seattle; the rain is coming on really strong, and it doesn't look like it's going to let up pretty soon. Everything is (almost) packed and ready to go. The initial interviews are over. My sister, when asked what it is like to have a "Gay Asian Brother" embark on the Tour, answered quite hilariously, "...well, it doesn't matter what he is; I love him." I guess you just have to know her to appreciate the humor in that statement. Training begins tomorrow, and I finally get to meet all of the other participants. This is exciting; I finally get to see the faces behind all of the scattered emails that we've been sending to each other. We are going to have a separate weblog to document happenings on the road, and I think I would be violating workplace ethics if I gave an unofficial record of the Tour, so I am keep anything work-related to a bare minimum on this weblog. I plan on taking at least a hundred pictures a day, so be prepared for an onslaught of visual disproportions!

Posted by Charlie at 01:12 AM | Comments (0)

March 19, 2005

Affiliating...

I've joined some affiliate programs to see if I can start generating additional revenue from this site, seeing as I am spending close to $150 a year to maintain a record of my life. In an effort to keep my site from looking like an over-marketed personals ad, I'm going to keep the links to a bare minimum and rotate my personal music selections around. I don't come cheap, you know.

Posted by Charlie at 09:11 PM

The Color of Sky

Packing is almost done. Given the conservative list of things to bring, I think I fared pretty well. It's a little taxing to only be bringing four days' worth of clothes when you're going on a five-week excursion, but there isn't enough room in the RV to fit five people's wardrobes substantially, and thus we must make with what we have. The next two weeks is going to be intense, studying and training under some of the forefronts of multiracial issues. And although I am not multiracial myself (I'm grouped under the term 'multiethnic'), I'm really excited about the prospect of connecting with strangers and educating them of issues that are of increasing importance in this society. There's nothing more rewarding, to me at least, than witnessing the intellectual growth of a person. I'm soooo ENFJ.

Posted by Charlie at 10:49 AM | Comments (0)

March 17, 2005

Just Around The River Bend

Erik and I went canoeing this afternoon. Now I don't consider myself an outdoors-y person, but give me a paddle and I'll be canoeing from here to eternity. Had the weather been warmer I would've stripped down to my trunks and jump in the water, but alas, the air was a bit nippy. We paddled around the lake for probably two hours, and interestingly enough my arms did not get tired once. Even when the torrential downpour came upon us and we were paddling like crazy to get back to the marina, I didn't even break a sweat. I think I caught a cold, though. I can't stop sneezing.

Posted by Charlie at 11:42 PM | Comments (1)

March 16, 2005

Packing and Shacking

Sound and perfume swirl in the evening air. Seattle's early summer weather took a break today, when storm clouds billowed across the downtown cityscape. This is probably a good thing; my allergies have been driving me crazy and the added humidity has definitely calmed things down. Less than a week of free time left. I'm scrambling to get everything in order, picking out a limited wardrobe, getting into shape, cleaning up loose ends, and doing some minor "shopping." I was at Zebraclub yesterday and stocked up on some really tight Gravis gear. I decided on a nice laptop bag since the design was more streamlined with my look than the AcmeMade stuff, although their stuff is nice.

I'm going to take full advantage of Chapel's happy hour before I leave. I tried a pepper martini yesterday, by far the spiciest drink I've ever had. Amazing. I don't think I will have any time to get my drink on, seeing as we're moving from city to city without barely a chance to rest. This is probably a good thing, as I don't want my job performace to slide while I'm on the road. Yes. Must get horribly trashed this weekend so I'll regret ever drinking for the next two months.

Posted by Charlie at 04:52 PM | Comments (0)

Hell Has Finally Frozen Over

According to AppleInsider, Apple is working on putting out a two-button mouse, fuckin' finally. Nevermind the fact that many programs these days work better with a three-button mouse.

Posted by Charlie at 05:53 AM

March 14, 2005

Flickr Letters

For those with lots of time on their hands, such as myself, this site will keep you entertained for the next five minutes: Spell with flickr.

Posted by Charlie at 07:04 PM | Comments (0)

March 13, 2005

Paris Is King, Once Again

The fall 2005 shows are over, and everywhere fashion editors, retailers and socialites are trumpeting the words: "Paris is Back!" This is somewhat an ironic phrase, as names such as Marc Jacobs for Louis Vuitton, Karl Lagerfeld for Chanel, Rei Kawakubo for Comme des Garcons, Stefano Pilati for Yves Saint Laurent, John Galliano, and Stella McCartney are hardly French in origin. Aside from perhaps John Paul Gaultier for Hermes, the underrepresentation of French designers in Paris' Fashion Week is a little baffling.

Posted by Charlie at 11:48 AM | Comments (0)

March 11, 2005

Jassi, NO!

I know I should be happy for Jassi, since her makeover will probably get her more dates and a possible job promotion, but I can't help but feel that she is selling out to a beauty standard that is impossible to acheive for most women, especially if that beauty standard comes from a hegemonic culture/race not your own. I hope this won't change who she is underneath; if anything her new looks should serve as a beacon to reflect the inner beauty that is Jassi. As long as she's happy, I'm happy.

Posted by Charlie at 03:35 AM | Comments (0)

Short Attention Spans

Caught up with David today. His teaching tenure is over next Monday, and since he doesn't want to commute two hours each way he's once again on the job prowl. This is somewhat a daunting task, considering he's living in Shibuya and in a monolingual society. But David has many contacts, the lucky talented bastard, so finding something wouldn't be hard for him.

I, on the other hand, am going to be starting with a fairly clean slate should I ever make it over to Asia. Aside from Ojii-chan, Obaa-chan and David, I don't know anyone in Japan. Most of my family and family friends live in Bangkok, and as tempting it is to be pampered by some of the most powerful people in Thailand, I'd rather stick it out on my own. I keep changing my mind as to where I want to end up. For a long while it was Taiwan; my parents encouraged me to find something in Bangkok (for obvious reasons); and as much as I hate to admit it, AEON is calling my name again.

I'm trying to convince some of my friends to apply to the AEON program with me. Wouldn't it be a fabulous lifestyle, English teachers by day, trash-punk band members by night? The more I think about it, the more plausible this idea is. We'll see. Once I get back to Seattle I'm going to apply to three schools and hope for the best. It's only for a year; that should give me plenty of time to finalize my portfolio and kick ass on the GREs.

Posted by Charlie at 02:04 AM | Comments (0)

March 09, 2005

Eleven Days And Counting

With less than two weeks to go before I head off around the country for five weeks, I've begun making a what-to-bring list. Five weeks on the road is an awfully long time, and while the prospect of taking pictures at Millennium Park in Chicago is exciting, it wouldn't do to leave the battery charger at home. I've pretty much compiled all of the necessities - umbrella, socks, dental floss, etc. - but now I have to think about items to bring in dire situations, for instance, if someone gets a massive case of the runs. Diarrhea medicine aside, I think by the time we finally embark I'll be looking like a bag lady.

Posted by Charlie at 09:06 PM | Comments (0)

March 08, 2005

Adagio

I can't write legibly when I'm overemotional. I start to produce run-on sentences with poor concentration on spelling and grammar. Not that I have anything specific to get worked up about, but today I was listening to Secret Garden's 'Adagio' and something inside me snapped. A foreign emotion that I can't pinpoint. Now normally I would muster up something semi-witty and funny to mask this feeling I feel, but today I can't for some reason.

Posted by Charlie at 02:45 AM | Comments (1)

March 06, 2005

Acme Made

Ahhh yes... mission accomplished. I think I may have finally found the perfect companion to my PowerBook. Acme Made's products are a wonderful combination of form and functionality, and will definitely make a great visual impact when I house my baby in one of these cool bags. I'm leaning towards getting a Slim Brief - even though there isn't as great a color selection as other styles, I want to be able to hold my accessories along with my laptop. I'm definitely going to go with the red color.

Posted by Charlie at 01:37 AM | Comments (0)

March 05, 2005

PLAy=CreaTiViTy

A long week rightfully deserves a trip to a fundraiser where one can get five jello shots for only three dollars. I like jello shots, especially those that come in those large plastic containers usually reserved for tartar sauce packets. Lots of fun, with what getting groped left and right and grinding with lesbians and their boy toys. For some reason last night there was an entirely fresh crop of eye candy... is it Spring Break or something already?

Posted by Charlie at 01:37 PM | Comments (0)

March 04, 2005

Love For The 21st Century

Engadget has this amusing piece of two people flirting via their iTunes playlists. It's a cute story to make all Mac-haters roll their eyes and Mac-lovers to sigh in contentment.

Posted by Charlie at 04:01 PM | Comments (0)

March 03, 2005

That Guy From Project Runway

I was browsing articles on Advocate.com today, and they had this interview with the winner from Project Runway, a show that, thankfully, I had not yet seen. Anyway, they asked him a question about the current state of gay culture, and he gave this answer which I thought was fucking fabulous:

God, I hate gays. [laughs] Can I just talk about that for a minute? For a community that celebrates diversity, I have never been accepted until I'm on Project Runway. And I have tried. I'm just a bizarre person, I guess. I'm not fucking Brad Pitt. Maybe if I had time to work out. I don't know, I just look at those people, I'm like, "Where do you find time to do that?" That's the time where I'm watching Gastineau Girls or, like, ordering Chinese. I don't understand how the gay community and culture has become such a clonefest. It's horrible for me to watch. When I was young, there was that guy from Are You Being Served? and Boy George, just flamboyant, kind of interesting gay men. Then you grow up and you're 30 and you walk into a bar and everyone looks the same. Oh, I hate it. Not that I want to date a freak. When guys look at me, I'm like "Notice the inside," but then maybe I just notice the outside. So I'm a hypocrite, but, oh well.

I just don't understand gay culture. I'm not an activist. I auditioned for Queer Eye for the Straight Guy back in the day. After seeing the show come out I'm like, Thank God I did not get on this, because if I had to go down to Gay Street next to Straight Street and have to be a part of the Fab Five and say "Cheers Queers," I'd kill myself. People don't often consider the [Runway competitor] Austin Scarletts of the world or the Jays of the world. I think that's been really liberating for me, that response now from the gay community of "Maybe we should accept people like him even though he's a freak and shaped like Buddha." That German model on the show cracked me up. She called me Buddha. Anyway, I hope I can somehow affect something and break a stereotype, because it's hard for people like me out there.

I have start watching more television. More power to Buddha-shaped gay men.

Posted by Charlie at 03:20 PM | Comments (2)

March 01, 2005

Tree of Hearts

I'm teaching myself Macromedia's Director MX software today, so I had to connect a second monitor to the PowerBook today to fulfill the growing demands of larger screen real estate. It's a huge 20-incher of a clunker, taking up a lot of my desk space. In a more perfect world of duty-free shopping and lactose tolerance, I would have one of these babies mounted against the wall:

3034

Posted by Charlie at 11:30 PM | Comments (0)

Bamboo Flooring

Isn't this nice? It's vertical grain bamboo flooring from the folks at Gammapar, and I just got off the phone to order some samples. I'm thinking about replacing the current floor in the bathroom with this one. I've also been eyeing African Cherry; I want dark wooden tones to contrast with the light fixtures and the glass counter I plan on implementing in the design. Goddamn I need a life.

Posted by Charlie at 12:04 PM | Comments (0)