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Yeah, I came back for this...Labels: hnt
... in last night I decided to go out for a stroll. I needed to get out and stretch... plus I love looking at the lights in the fog. It was around 11 PM. As I walked I was once again struck by the beauty of the neighborhood in the surreal diffusion of the fog. I managed to capture some pics and have posted one here.
... I'll work backwards ala "memento" & "betrayal".


EDIT: 8:15 PM ThursdayLabels: da count
... the 2007 Rogue is titled "Suicide Lounge". Yes, it's sick and wrong... but will be so much fun to do. How? For instance... (not that this is on our set list) but, not only is that beloved standard "Night and Day" a song that celebrates what we would term as STALKING today... but I've heard it told (not saying this is true but... ) that this ditty was originally written by Cole Porter who was pining for a 13 year old Moroccan boy at the time. Just the thought of that colors the song differently, doesn't it?







You can read all about how ME and YOU made the cover this year HERE! (Psst... you can also click the pic of the cover.) BTW... Congratulations to all of us!
I was doing a little surfing today and ran across a movie that I originally featured on this post. Someone had actually uploaded it onto google videos. So, I watched it. Even doubling the screen size the quality wasn't bad (that is after I downloaded it to the computer... which you can do on google). So, if you want to watch it... CLICK HERE to start! Shout-out to Kien especially!
It is da season - the one that serves to remind us what really counts. For each of us it may seem to be different. But it really is the same... perhaps variations on a common theme.
Labels: da count
I have to credit my mother for initiating the Christmas decorations at our home. We were one of 2 Catholic families living on our street. So when the Christmas season came along she would setup the Christmas Tree project among the neighborhood kids. This meant that we were all decorating the tree together. It didn't matter what faith you were.
In my memory there was only 1 traditional tree that ever graced our home. Mum was quite the crafty person so ideas for the Christmas tree was always a little outside of the norm.
When I was 8 or 9 she totally scrapped the idea that the Christmas tree should have anything to do with Winter. She had a point because we did live in the tropics. That year, bamboo was sprayed silver and served up as the central ornament representing Christmas. I have to say that Mum's idea of going "local" had quite the stunning effect. So much so, we repeated the same idea the following year (this time in gold) and the results were breathtaking.
By the time I was 12 I had taken over "creative control" of the tree decorating duties. One year I decided that 3 "payongs" (paper umbrellas), opened in 3 different stages would make up the tree. Here are a couple of pictures of said tree... one without lights and the other one lit.
When I grew older, my "crew" (now about 15-20) came by on the evening of Christmas Eve. By 10 PM we would walk about 5 blocks the local church for Midnight Mass. I went out of religious obligation... my non-Christian friends went to check out the girls. (O.K. I did too but don't tell my Mum.) We would be back home by 1 AM for the Christmas feast prepared by her. The menu always included Eurasian Chicken Pie, Devil Curry, Curry Puffs, Sebak (a sort of Eurasian salad), Pineapple Tarts and Sugee Cake . Then games would be set up at various areas of the house. Once we were tired from playing carrom, monopoly or blackjack we would all stretch out on the floor and fall asleep... usually by 4 or 5 AM.
By 9 or 10 the next morning everybody would get up and straighten out the house. Usually 3 of my crew would stay. The reason for this was simple... Christmas Day was when my parents had their friends and workmates over, so my friends and me became the "waiters" for their do. This practice continued even after my Dad passed away when I was 12.
I posted the picture of the "horn" or "saipan" hat above only because I couldn't find a picture of the Christmas tree I made by stringing 4 of them together one year. That was one of my all time favorites.
I'll end with this picture of the very last (and most controvertial) Christmas Tree I designed and created in Malaysia before I moved here in 1980. Yes, it is constructed out of panties! This particular tree over the years has become legend and is now part of the lore among friends and family back home.Labels: hnt
... I made the decision that this blog will move come early January to my new site. I plan to unveil it on my birthday. I don't really celebrate my birthday but I thought it would be at least a good day for an unveiling. I will try to keep at least a post up here to notify those who come by that I have moved to my new digs.
... my favorite curries. Depending on where you are from it is called parripu or dhal - basically a lentil curry with vegetables. Almost every family has a version of the recipe and mine is adapted from the Tamil version. Made sure Mum got her serving and I just finished my helping in about 5 minutes. I made it extra spicy which is perfect for the cool overcast whether we are having.


Labels: da count
... so, I've nothing to show yet... at least nothing I want to show yet. Perhaps I'll have something tomorrow or on Friday.
... I started this blog. At first, commenters were almost exclusively from a small pod of friends. As time went on, they were joined by others who I may not have known personally in my real life but were welcome to the party. Now, the original pod hardly ever comments. For a while after this drop-off I valiantly continued commenting on their blogs. But the laws of returns were paying low dividends and now I too have become an infrequent commenter. I still visit and they do too... but comments remain few. Not a complaint... just another observation on change.
We had the first reading of the script today. You can read all about it HERE.
Labels: da count
