back with more on the taipei “street food” experience.

ps – speaking of food, and more specifically, vile and disgusting gluttony, this past wknd i consumed mint tuxedos (oreos), pinwheels, lucky charms, candy, brasilian bbq, mexican food, more tonnage of beef in shabu shabu, and potato chips. that’s just the stuff my deep fried corn syrup-doused brain can recall! i’m going to die either of heart failure or shame very soon…

this here is the entrance to a big food court next to taipei’s most popular night market (shilin ye shi). as i approached it, i heard a heavenly choir singing to me. if it wasn’t for peg and her dad (who graciously drove us around), my sis and i would have gone the rest of our trip not knowing about this place. can you imagine the travesty?

inside: dizzying mayhem. lots of strident giddy squeals from yours truly!

freshening up with juices. peg’s dad is sipping honey bittermelon (interesting!), peg has watermelon juice (keeps the fire “qi” down), and i’m reuniting with a drink i used to love the last time i was in taiwan (seven years ago): “jin ju,” literally golden orange. tiny citrus fruits that resemble calamansi.

typical beverage stand. thirsty?

this name literally translates into “big bun wrapping small bun.” cute. looked good and greasy

if taiwan had a street food hall of fame, this would definitely be in it.
we grew up eating aiyu jelly out of the can. i just now found out from the wiki that it’s made from the seeds of an asian fig. makes sense, since aiyu is somewhat sweet, a teeny bit tangy, but mostly light on the senses.

avocados way bigger than your noggin, for making creamy shakes

okay, so, these sausages were mammoth, larger than your mind is willing to comprehend. scary. they gave me the shivers.

i took a photo of this hardworking hottie for my sister

peg pointed out this clever product. it looks like sausage but it’s actually flavorful rice made in a sausage mold, probably.

another taiwan classic: bao bing, or shaved ice. also grew up eating this; even had a store-bought ice shaver to make our own. my favorite toppings are stewed sweet peanuts, tons of mochi/rice balls, and green beans.

there was a daunting, endless line of people waiting to buy these HUGE fried chicken cutlets. they looked delicious and juicy, with a crunchy exterior. the last step before handing it over to the customer is a dash of seasoning

so this is the infamous shilin night market mentioned in the beginning. the largest and most bustling of them all. if you want to get a vague idea of how lively and lovely night life can get in taipei, this might give you an idea. it’s the ultimate destination since it delivers on two of my favorite things: cheap shopping and good (cheap) eating. you’d be amazed at the variety of wares you can purchase here and for dirt cheap. hawkers were peddling attractive, thick hoodies for literally $3 USD.

you’ll see a nice cross-section of people at shilin night market, including youth from all walks of life. these guys were totally up my sister’s alley so we stopped to take a photo. the process was amusing as they were confused but obliging and friendly.

pink guava. they sprinkle some sort of salty/tangy/sweet seasoning on them to enhance and complement the natural flavors.

balls, balls, balls. taiwan knows how to do mochi / rice balls right.

to be continued…and i’ll try to improve upon my tense consistency next time.

been neglecting this stupid thing so it’s time to get back on it with some big ol’ updates. i’d like to take a moment to remind (beg) visitors (hi mom, hi sis) to please please PLEASE leave comments! they bring me more pleasure than any lethal narcotic ever could. it’s all i want for xmases and my bdays for the rest of my life.

and away we go with the backtracking.

*
november kicked off awesomely with APE, that beloved annual tradition of nerding out and seeing old friends. this year i ingratiated myself to the coolest kids in the hall, the bang gang (see happy shiny people below). you’ve all heard me wax poetic on what a nostalgic thing APE is for me. it’s nice seeing the same passionate, geeky folks year after year after year, but again, it reinforces my reputation as a lame groupie. oh well. at least this year i was a barnacle at the bang gang table.

(that’s johnny ryan with our ryan)

it was a synergistic year for the bang gang, with hotly anticipated debuts, such as hellen’s jin & jam. it’s awesome, sexy, and sweet. if you like beautiful girls and/or remember what it was like to meet someone who mystified you and with whom you developed an electrifying chemistry, it’ll resonate even more. i remember when hellen started working on it last year during her residency at the museum (for the tezuka exhibition), and the pages were gorgeous. now the finished product is even more gorgeous. it sold like hot cakes. dan clowes told hellen she’s going places. well duh.

anthony peddled gorgeous prints and magnets alongside evan’s trademark photo-illo prints in candy color frames. anthony and derek also reminded ppl of their purdy pieces in the newest popgun. derek debuted deth’s head (the red mini on the table, you can spot it in other pictures), a punchy and hilarious mini about digging for maggot-infested burgers; features a splash page that still cracks me up to this day.

calvin sold out of his prints and ramble on, a lovely mini that i suspect music fiends may especially appreciate. like everyone else in the bang gang, calvin is an incredible soul and talented artist.

another ssssssizzling debut at the bang gang table was ryan’s electric ant zine! it’s a real beaut, aesthetically and content-wise, a reminder of why i got turned onto zines in the first place — passionate people with something interesting to say channeling their earnest energy into a compendium of cool. this one’s got an interview with our hero fred schodt, a gallery of bad guys from our cartoon-infected youthl, NIN mad libs, comics about first kisses, etc.

ALSO, i had the major honor of contributing to the dark lords gallery in EA. being a part of this special project made me feel very, very good. i’m no artist, but to have something i created keep company with artists whom i admire is a throbbing emotional boner for life. drawing it was healthy practice; challenging but fun. i’m surprised i was able to do it. it’s no big deal, just a drawing, but i actually got off my lazy bum and made something. if i’m lucky, i’ll have the pleasure and honor of doing it again.

if you’re curious about my contribution, see if you can find it on EA’s website (tip: preview gallery).

i’m also deliriously giddy, not only cuz Ain’t it Cool News (and others) gave EA a glowing review, but cuz there was direct reference to my piece: “you’ll never look at Shredder the same way again”

and then stuff like this, as silly and non-eventful as it is, makes me high:

so the moral of the story is, surround yourself with the funniest, smartest, most talented friends you can find (artists, writers, strippers, car mechanics, etc) because it’s good for your health, and you can live variously through them! also, it can kick you out of your crippling self-pitying stupor and make you do something that makes you happy.

ALSO, you can support the arts and buy copies of what i’ve mentioned above by clicking on the links.

ps – this is definitely not an exhaustive report of APE.

pps – publisher last gasp held their usual pre-APE shindig (on halloween) where they open up their vaults to the public. i had such a great time. you can see pix here. the warehouse is a wonderland; i could’ve spent hours and hours there!

me & larks!

calvin & hellen as pigsy and monkey king

awwww – what a pleasant surprise! this came in the mail for me today…

woweeeeee. rui remembered that i was obsessed with all-things-MATCHA (japanese green tea) and actually sent me these goodies that she found during her recent trip to japan. the thoughtfulness could kill me.

matcha pocky, kit-kat, and chelsea butterscotches. all quite delightful! the kit-kat are my favorite. sooo good. just wanna plunk myself down with a costco-sized quantity and a huge pot of tea. she even threw in a shoyu kit-kat! can you believe that? i bet it’s tasty cuz of the winning combo of saltiness and sweetness.
sadly, i’ve already decimated most of the stash. i couldn’t help but devour the goods as soon as i ripped opened the envelope.

so rui-chan, if you’re reading this, please know that you made me an extremely happy, touched camper today. it’s nice to know you thought of me in japan, and think of me in hawaii. i feel special.

tan and steve sample a peculiar dish in seoul (tan was visiting, and steve moved there for school). looks like they’re at a street stand. pretty cray cray! i have so many questions for them…

eric is cantankerous, moody, wears scary alan moore jewelry, scowls a lot, and loves to ridicule others if they’re not “metal.” but underneath all that bristly crust is someone who gives big warm hugs, makes funny wisecracks, and always checks in to hang out.

awhile ago, we drew together in a pearl tea shop after dinnerm and it was pleasant. i was surprised i could actually generate anything, having originally resigned myself to being a spectator and not a participant, but i guess i got into it.

i subsequently sketched eric while he was drawing (i later ruined his work), and he said he looked a lot older in my drawing (not shown). commenting on it, i said “hey he’s pretty good looking!” wryly, he responded, “of course you think he’s handsome, he’s like 20 years older.” hardy har har.

ps – while we’re somewhat on the topic of crom, i can’t believe that brett ratner might direct conan….W T F.

the best in the west nugget rib cook-off in sparks (reno), nevada. we went, we devoured, we conquered.

it was A M A Z I N G.
i was so elated to cross “go to cook off” off my life’s to-do list. as insanely decadent as it was, i find myself craving ribs more than ever before. you’d think i’d never want to touch a half rack again, but since our return home i’ve had ribs twice from my neighborhood corner joint, roadside bbq.

before i launch into a recap of our pilgrimage of decadence, extra big ups to peg for driving and jeff’s family for hosting us in sacto at “chateau d’chew.”

we get in late friday night and settle into our jammies after a satisfying meal of homemade curry, frozen taquitos, mini corn dogs, and almond tofu. i pop my scrabble cherry (yes, it’s my first time) to the most intense battle of vocabulary mastery and wit. like trying to learn the art of war, board game style. here’s everyone when the game commences, eager and alive:

and here’s me like five hours into it. pretty much captures my exhausted, slaughtered spirit

the next morning we find this on the kitchen counter. AWWWWWWWWWWWW

being in the house in which jeff grew up is illuminating and touching. i get to see photos of baby jeff, little jeff, angsty jeff. we all fall in love with jeff’s parents too. they’re so charming!

after some diddle daddling, we board the silver bullet, reno-bound. jeff’s parents walk us out. as this happens, an epiphany strikes: every one should be seen off by warm parents with their arms around each other. it’s a poignant sight. they don’t stop smiling and waving until we drive off. is this on maslov’s hierarchy of needs pyramid? because i think it does cultivate healthy adults

i find the drive over donner summit a little daunting. i offer to give peg — the wknd road warrior — a massage but we nervously joke how it would cause her to swerve off the road and into our tragic deaths (bellies devoid of ribs).

after two and a half hours, we reach wooster high school — a free shuttle stop. here i force peg and hilary to pose next to the sign while starving in the hot sun. by this point, we’re all famished and lusting for ribs, not to mention trying to contain an urgent need to urinate

we get there and it is EXCITING. as luck would have it, brigid finds us as we we enter the fray. brigid, a san ho, is the person who told me about the cook-off in the first place. she went the year she got engaged, during a roadtrip with her husband.

she points us in the right direction, our first booth! arizona, huh? okay…

they hawk tank tops declaring: “grip it and lick it,” and “just bone me.” i like them already!

ahhhh! by the time we actually get our ribs we are DYING WITH ANTICIPATION. seriously. these turn out to be the best ones at the entire event. who knew? no other vendors’ ribs were so perfect. many layers of textures and density, with tender meat falling off the bone. mmmm

ohhhh yeah. fire roasted corn. buttery and sweet, with kernels that burst with every bite. topped off with seasonings and hot sauce. deeeeeeeelish

next up, memphis bbq. i promptly rush to this one because brigid tips me off to its deep fried dill pickles. she says the ribs aren’t all that, which is disappointing because i wanted to find revelation in tennessee Q.

blinded by excitement and a lapse in reasoning, i pay for two orders of fried pickles because i envision whole breaded pickles. i’m wrong. these are good! not great, but tasty enough to munch on. the creamy sauce definitely saves it, otherwise the sodium overload would murder you.

peg double fists guava margaritas. very refreshing

hilary gets a big ol’ lemonade. tastes mostly like mediocre sugar water, with no natural citrus tang.

neva gives a cheer while jeff stares off into the horizon, plotting his next kill

well, well, well…what do we have here? up to that point, i’d been mentioning deep fried goodies every other second. the moment has come….

these are texas style taters, and as much as i covet them, i conclude that it’s best to stay away…

…and defer to these!

as well as these! neva holds the mythical zucchini spears. i have to request ranch sauce. are they crazy? they should know better than to leave the packets of creamy herb magic under the counter

we find respite in front of a caboose. we sit and prepare for consumption of the fried zucchini and onion rings

here, perhaps the most disgusting moment to befall the nugget cook-off. they are HUGE. and yes my arms are unimaginably greasy afterwards

jeff had the brilliant foresight to pack latex gloves. as creepy as it seems, it’s a smart idea. do you know how difficult it is to eat ribs in an outdoor setting as you’re trying to juggle a million other things? there’s only so much sauce and fat you can wipe on your legs.

after the grease feast, we head here

jeff eats sausage with a gloved hand. great! the skin crispily snaps in your mouth, yielding juicy soft bitefuls of flavorful meat.

i’m going to fast forward here and bypass photos of all the different booths. you can see them here if you want. the showmanship is impressive and boastful, but after awhile they all look the same.

smoked turkey legs! admittedly, i’m not really feeling it, but neva is

so she stands in line and procures one. we pick off little fleshy bits and damn, that is one fine turkey leg! i am pleasantly surprised

refusing to give in and call it a day, i randomly allocate one last booth to be an accomplice in my swan song. i settle on a company from florida

it ends up being too syrupy sweet. sigh…

damn straight!

NOT COOL, dudes. i believe they’re from arkansas or kentucky. too bad, cuz we were jonesin for Q from way south

mr. melted eyeball

a few of these throughout the fair. says it all…

brushing red, red sauce all over the succulent racks

“it’s a love thing. you can’t bottle passion, but you can taste it!!” amen to that

by the time we get to the car, we’re all squashed

you’d think we won’t want to eat for the rest of the day, but soon after we return to chateau d’chew, we tap into the reserves (that jeff stealthily stowed away in latex gloves and ziplock bags) and gnaw away some more. we anxiously urge jeff’s parents to try the ribs — the best ones, from the arizona booth — that we bought before we left the cook-off

welp, that’s about it. rest assured, that won’t be my last rib cook-off. next up, a chili cook-off?

pretty pathetic when you post about your weekend when it’s already the next one. oh well. regardless, it was more or less perfect. got errands done, walked a lot, spent time with friends, ate well, danced (thanks dj nako!), AND got plenty of solo moments in.

thursday night. peg and i went to the opening of the contemporary chinese art exhibition at the moma. we made the rounds at least five times to stalk all the art luminaries, as well as observe the wealthy, tall gallery folks. afterwards we went to anchor & hope and got high off clam juice

friday night. ambled over to j-town after work and took my sweet lil’ time soaking it all in. it really is one of my favorite recuperation activities. you climb that slight hill on geary, right on gough, left on post, and you come down on nihomachi. it sorta takes my breath away every time. at super 7, i caved and bought a new skinner design tee (yay!), which i’m sure you’ll be seeing a lot of. in the mall, there were wish trees everywhere. this particular “i wish” note made me sad

and this one perked me up…right on brotha!

i ended up at halu, where coincidentally dan lee (scrabbel), goh, and gary were dining in the corner. they kindly incorporated me into their group. serendipitous and congenial. then, sleepover time with my buddy!

the ultimate therapy, no? it’s like sleeping with a warm sandbag. dude loves to crawl under the covers, but then he gets really hot and pants like crazy, which stirs me from my slumber. i lift the covers to offer him some relief, but he still seeks refuge under the blankets. repeat throughout the night

saturday. went back to halu (right in the neighborhood) to photograph it for eater sf. cozy mom n pop spot run by the sweetest couple you can imagine. he’s associated with the mermen, and his band (also surf guitar-esque) is the shitones. wonderful folks. their daughters work there. and guess what? the food’s good! yakitori, ramen, donburi, that kind of fare. they play great music too.

then i meandered on over to park life. took my time looking around. whenever i’m there i am reminded of how friggin awesome david shrigley is. say what you will, but i think we’re humor soulmates. he’s wickedly spot on, so droll and strange. matt palladino show was up, that was okay. nicole had seen his work earlier in oregon. i like this piece, cuz i’m a sucker for anything anatomical/physiological and creepy

later that night, after starting summer palace (a devastating piece of ambivalence and meditation on futility of relationships, with a gorgeous male protagonist) and gorging on four bowls of cereal (i’m a pig), we went to the hyphen issue release party (they used space ghost on the flyer, i was sold)

i love it when everyone’s just flailing about and having a crazy fun time, like dr. lam here

forcing friends to do your bidding (thx alex, peg, and hyphen!)

singing along

being scary and weird (what?! she played the smiths and james for godssake, so naturally i went nuts)

(pix by peggy)

sunday. ahhhh yes, the big day for…

loved it! saw it at the four star. wasn’t perfect per se, but mostly what a movie experience should be. i’ve always said that i’d be perfectly content with just watching hellboy and BPRD doing day to day domestic stuff.

then, walked to penny’s going away at the park chalet. came out on sutro heights park, greeted by a pretty view of ocean beach. the scene was quite lively. families, bicyclists, couples, dogs, the whole shebang.

penny’s going away to alabama for grad school, so susie threw her a very nice going away. park chalet gets a LOT of action. i can see why it’s a popular place. it opens up to gg park, serves rib-sticking food (didn’t actually eat much there, but the buffalo wings and homemade chips were fine), and is quite atmospheric.

after that i just walked through the park, exploring this and that. there was a lot of sweat buildup in my jeans; that was a bit unpleasant. cool, gnarly (get it?!) trees.

frothy water babbling around stepping stones near a small waterfall

kismet! peg and i were both in the park at the same time. we met up in front of the de young, then proceeded to park chow for dinner. an appropriate close to a robust weekend

perfect fries sitting in a shallow pool of flavorful steak juice. AMAZING

celebrated lady liberty with a super-spontaneous but fruitful gathering. to sum up the evening with a few words: tater tots, lucky charms, taboo, and fireworks called “the rebel.” laying low with good folks and lethal food? that’s the way to do it. SF’s too foggy for firework surveying anyway.

pictobrowser is good in theory but in practice a bit stilted. so here’s the slideshow if you’re so inclined.

i’ve made a nasty habit of injecting sporadic shots of me stuffing my big fat face, so might as well keep the tradition alive. call me chubby cheekers

dear diary,

yesterday was kind of a bummer. i was feeling insecure, gross, anxious about an imminent departure, trying to keep my ballistic hormones in check, and coping with the soul-sucking monday blues. being out and about in the castro after work helped. i enjoyed the balmy weather, being amongst all the happy couples walking their exuberant dogs, savoring their bi-rite ice cream cones. it was nice. still, my soul was amiss, UNTIL…i got home last night, sifted through the mail, and found the ultimate spirit-lifter amidst the latest comcast and credit card solicitations.

i couldn’t believe it…
i received a lovely missive from one of my favorite artists of all time, TOM OF FINLAND!

he included a flattering photo of himself (one i’d never seen before) looking dapper and cocky (bearing an uncanny resemblance to middle age vince price). i may not be his flavor, but i’m still a huge, throbbing fan. talk about impeccable timing, arriving at my home the very evening i was in the castro. what a total sweetheart. must’ve been a hassle for him to do this, especially from the grave.

<3 <3 <3 <3 <3

THANK YOU, TOM! you’re the coolest finn of all time. thank you for being $ex-positive. you weren’t just a damn good fine arts craftsman, you were also the pinnacle of hawt get-your-rocks-off “erotic art.” sigh.

does anyone know what song i’m referencing? now it’s stuck in my noggin.

few things rival an irrepressible longing for a cheese steak sammie, specifically one from the cheese steak shop on divisadero (not the $hitty one in NoPA, but the one closer to pac heights). like the words proclaim on its bright yellow awning, it is indeed habit forming. so tasty, and you’re missing out if you don’t get the hot peps to adorn your cheese steak (as for the sweet peps, i could care less for them). peg and i had worked up a hunger in union square and knew we wanted something decadent and hearty…and this definitely hit the spot.

actually, earlier in the day, we brunched together as well (an act derek claims that only girls go ga-ga over) at la boulange in cole valley. it may not be the most perfect but it always suits us just fine.

and, last night, we made the trek to red lobster all the way in san bruno. it’s certainly not a terrific restaurant (afterall, it’s a chain, and not a redemptive one like claim jumper), but when you’re hard up for greasy goods like fried clams, those addictive warm biscuits that pair wonderfully with caesar salad, and FRIED SHRIMP, there’s not much you can do. peg was very kind and patient to indulge our (eric’s and mine) strange nostalgia for red lobster. if there was an AA group for the helpless souls addicted to fried shrimp, i’d probably be its founder.

(imagine the sloppy sounds of cookie monster)