man i’ve definitely fallen off the blog-three-times-a-week wagon (unlike some people who’ve been on a blogging binge).

there’s so much to blather on about. june has flown by filled to the brim with birthday celebrations. i plan on doing an entry dedicated to all the lovely birthday folks of june. it’ll be a smorgasbord.

i feel like being random right now. that said, can you figure out what this is? is it black blow? sand? gritty gravel?

i use it to make this

it’s black sesame powder, pure and unadulterated. i bought it at yogi house in fremont, right next to the salon i go to. it’s this quaint chinese shop specializing in all things healthy, organic, natural, herbal, etc. it’s a bit of an anomaly, cuz well, it’s not very “chinese” in my mind. the great thing is that my mom had a field day there, asking the owner questions about this and that about all the products (“what is this good for?” “flax seeds? what does that do?” “lignans? what’s that?”). oh, and they sell japanese black charcoal (supposedly a natural water filter).

anyway, i bought a tub of black sesame powder. i’m a skeptic about healthy miracle ingredients, but supposedly it’s loaded with calcium and goodness. at work i mix it with hot soy milk and splenda to tide me over. tasty and earthy, it’s like a healthy oreo shake, or at least it looks like it.

the only drawback is that it makes my mouth look like i’ve been making out with black dirt. so whenever anyone comes into my area i have to cover my mouth while i talk to him/her.

onto more randomness, check this out:

hardcore! spotted on hayes. i wasn’t sure what to think, just cuz the car itself is one of my faves (late 80s bmw 318i) and if i had one i certainly wouldn’t turn it into the herge mobile. still, i applaud the tintin dedication.

saw scrabbel at the rickshaw on wednesday night. pretty awesome. they’re a solid band, terrific live, and it brings me great pleasure to see hellen shredding on the cello. it’s pretty sweet. also got to hang with the gang, which is always a good thing. everyone was so fun and bubbly save me. i’m a perpetually tired sack of old bones. sorry.

on the work front, our big summer show opens today. we’ve been hosting a group of delegates from china, and it’s been fun to observe from the sidelines. i walked through the exhibition a couple times, and i have to say it is spectactular. i’m proud to be part of it. the objects are stunning, and there’s so much history. for example, we have one of the world’s oldest gun powder utilizing barreled weapons. pretty nuts. when i am in the galleries, i often try to visualize what it was like back then during the ming dynasty. it plays like a movie in my mind. the eunuchs, the mandate to rule from heaven, the ladies of the court, the power, etc…all that drama.

here’s our signature marketing piece. you know what i love? it looks like he’s wearing chucks with black laces! so emo.

so yeah, i’m not just saying this to shill for the museum, but this is truly a historical exhibition. i imagine history buffs in particular would love it.

oh, and i tried indoor climbing last night for the first time at mission cliffs. it’s something i’ve been curious about for years, and was finally able to check it off my to-do list thanks to steve (who is a patient, good instructor). i was quite nervous and found the whole thing daunting. you walk in and it’s like, bam! hello climbing culture, stimulation overload. plus, there was a belaying test!!! talk about sweating bullets. but i miraculously passed it and got to climb. my first try was frightening and i didn’t get very far, but by my last try i had managed to get to the top and was hooked. of course, the walls i mounted were probably meant for little kids, but still, it was an addictive sensation. can’t wait to go back.

and lastly, here’s something i probably shouldn’t post for many reasons. yes, i know he wasn’t the best PM, yes, i know about the yasukuni controversy, and yes a million things, but i’m such a piggish carnal slimeball that i can’t help but lose all reasoning and ladylike behavior when i see a handsome specimen. there, i’m inhuman. can’t help it. you can blame ryan, it’s his beautiful poster.

ps – i think martin was desperate to fill their top five page in the latest ish of GR, because i can’t think of any other reason why i’d end up in it (i’m not complaining, i think it’s really neat). it features a terrible thumbnail of my sad mug, but in it i say that one of my top five is to have a drink with candy, the coolest bar maiden you’ll ever meet (at the bow bow cocktail lounge, chinatown). she’s taiwanese and a saucy spirit. will someone please do a documentary on her already?

This entry was posted on Friday, June 27th, 2008 at 3:08 pm and is filed under arts, food, friends, random. You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0 feed. You can leave a response, or trackback from your own site.