WEEK 18: Improv

I feel like laughing lately. Who's up for improv on Wednesday night? Deane will be performing with his fellow Id Vicious Troupe. I thought this would be a nice alternative to our usual get-togethers.

WHAT: Id Vicious Improv
WHEN: Wednesday, April 30, 2008 at 9:00 PM
WHERE: Next Stage Theatre - 1523 N. La Brea Ave., Los Angeles

For more info:
http://www.idvicious.com/
http://www.myspace.com/idvicious

Please let me know if you want to go because I can get you two-for-ones. Entry fee is $10, but grab a buddy and you can get in for $5! Don't have a buddy? I can pair you up with someone. Price is no excuse!!!

However, if you can't make it this week, you can catch them every Wednesday night at 9:00pm. They are AWESOMELY HILARIOUS!!!!!!!!

REVIEW on WEEK 17: Night Time Tea Time

One of the most mellow and low-key weeks this year. I was fighting a cold and didn't really have the energy nor the stamina to do anything too crazy. Small attendance as I didn't do much advertising on this one as I usually do. Hence, not many photos either. In a way, this event was the most "uneventful," but it was a nice chill night indoors enjoying each other's company over a spot of tea. Cranium soon followed.

----- STATISTICS -----
People attended: 7
Time alloted: 2-3 hours

----- RATING ----- (out of 5 stars)
Overall Experience: 2.5 (because of my awful cough and headache!)

Flavors of the Days

Friday:
Dinner at Terroni: Ate the most boring pizza ever! Bread and marinara sauce. Estodo. Zip. That's it. I'm sure their other pizza and food there were good. But if no cheese exists in my meal, then it's not a superb meal... especially pizza. The Bellini was pretty good though, especially once I hit the bottom of the glass.
Dessert at Grace: We were actually looking for this ice cream place called "Milk," but since we couldn't find that one, we stopped here. It looks all fancy inside, and the desserts were presented all fancy as well. We ordered three flavors of sorbet and a chocolatey mousse type of dessert. Very good. I'd like to try some of their other courses sometime.

Saturday:



Grilled Cheese Invitational in Griffith Park: How could I not attend this event? You know me... wherever cheese goes, I follow. We didn't stay long enough to try any in the competition. Just tried the plain Kraft singles ones... nothing extraordinary, but the idea of this was what won me over. They even had a cake made out of grilled cheese!... I'm a little torn on that one. I only wish I had the time to compete and time to experiment making the best grilled cheese recipe ever! I mean, it sounds simple, but think about all the hundreds of different types of cheeses there are out there... and the varieties of breads! There's more to making this simple American favorite than meets the eye.

Shoshana's Birthday/Drum Party: My good friend and co-worker, Shoshana, celebrated her birthday this weekend with people she's met from all over. We ate yummy healhty food, (I brought the fruit and Tony helped me cut it into a bowl to look all prettiful. Fruit and cheese... always a great combination and supplement to wine) and played instruments of all sorts in her backyard drum circle. So much fun! I want to do it again!

WEEK 17: April 24 - Nighttime Tea Time

I have decided to put the original event for this date on hold, and have substituted this event instead. Open Mic Night is a bigger production which will require more time on everyone's end, I'm sure. So in its place, I've decided to put together a tea time.

WHAT: Nighttime Tea Time
WHEN: Thursday, April 24th at 8:00pm
WHERE: My Apt.

We will be serving tea time snacks and a variety of different teas to sample. So bring your own mug if you remember, and bring an empty bladder 'cause we'll be sipping tea all night and speaking in British or Asian accents.

Postponed to later date! - Open Mic Night and Coffee-Tasting

NOTE (4/18/08): Although this event has been postponed, we will still be having it in another month or so. This should give you the chance to prepare for this night, as it will be a bigger production than most apartment nights.

(ORIGINAL MESSAGE:)
Time to prepare for open mic night! Either tell a joke, read a poem/story, perform a song, or freestyle. But they all have to be original work created by you! Don't have anything? Well, start scribbling down your idea, or you can just go up and improvise. Anything goes!



WHAT: Open Mic Night... and Coffee-Tasting for Coffee Lovers!
WHEN: [Postponed - no longer this date:] Wednesday, April 23rd at 8:00pm
WHERE: My Apt.

This is meant for a night of creative expression, and everyone with this in mind is welcome. Even if you don't have anything to share or are too shy to perform, come be an audience member. You can be the judge because prizes will be given out for this event!

Inspired by (and we should go sometime): http://www.tiachucha.com/
(Image courtesy of DailyClipArt.net)

REVIEW on WEEK 16: Thai Curry Festival

Pretty fun time... just really crowded on an extremely scorcher day! I almost fainted of heat stroke, but that's another story. Got to try free samples of dishes like: yakisoba, Indian curry, veggie salad, and fried banana! The curry was delicious; just wish I could have tried more varieties. But on this day, ice cream or Thai desserts would have been better. I drowned my system with boba thai ice tea. Went into a couple stores to get out of the heat, and would like to return to eat the food (especially all the exotic desserts) sometime. Caught a glimpse of thai kick boxing and some people dressed in traditional Thai costumes.

Before that, we went to the Farmer's Market on Ivar, between Sunset and Hollywood. Bought some fruit, and found out that cherimoya is my new favorite fruit. Must needs to buy more! Perfect for hot days like those. I just love farmer's markets because they have all my favorite foods.

After that, we went to the Grove. Haven't been there for ages so it was nice to hit up those shops... but again, so sweltering hot that I began to sweat off all the energy in me (dehydration is a good word for it.)

I guess a good note for next time: When it's hot, either stay inside an air-conditioned building, or jump in your neighbor's pool.

----- STATISTICS -----
People attended: 2
Time alloted: 2 hours

----- RATING ----- (out of 5 stars)
Overall Experience: 3.5 (because it was hot! but more points for free and generous amounts of curry and fried banana!)

WEEK 16: April 13th - Thai Curry Festival

Mmm... curry. My favorite food. At least the Japanese version.

Well, this Sunday is the LA Curry Festival AND the Thai New Year Day's Songkran Festival. I know very little about Thai culture, so this will be a nice start to learning about it. This is "the largest international Curry Festival in California!
All things curry from main dishes to desserts, from mild to flaming hot, from savory to sweet, from soupy to crispy… It will absolutely stimulate your senses and wet everyone’s appetite." Sounds right up my alley!

WHAT: Thai Curry Festival and New Year
WHEN: SUNDAY, APRIL 13, 2008. 10:00 AM-7:00 PM
I will be going around 12 noon till 4:00.
WHERE: Hollywood Blvd. from Western Ave. to Vermont Ave. (Thai Town), Los Angeles, CA 90027

For more detailed info, visit their site:
http://www.thaicdchome.org/cms/la-curry-festival

BEST OF ALL: IT'S FREE!!!!!

REVIEW on WEEK 15: Wine and Cheese Tasting

I try to hold an annual cheese party, so I wanted to combine wine with it again. We had a variety of cheeses from which to choose, and people brought wines, all of which were reds. Cabernet Sauvignon, Merlot, Shiraz... the latter was my favorite! The cheeses we cut and laid out: 3 types of goat, gouda, fontina, stilton (blue), havarti and dill, and brie. (With all that cheese in me I'm surprised I didn't wake up needing to unload the presents in the morning.) Other appetizers, like hummus and pita bread, grapes, and olives adorned the table and soon after my belly. We paired the wines and the cheeses and tried to figure out which wines went with which cheeses. This time I could actually taste the difference between the wines. My favorites were the shiraz wine and the havarti and goat cheeses.

Once we all had some alcohol flowing in our veins we started the karaoke. It took about 15 minutes to actually get it going because everyone was too shy and no one wanted to go first. So I took the mic and had a couple of my girlfriends sing along with me until everyone joined in. Pretty soon we couldn't get people to shut up. I loved seeing everyone sing together and laugh.

About half the people who showed were newbies, the rest regulars. So it was a nice small group again. 5 people flaked. And I'm keeping track of them as well!

----- STATISTICS -----
People attended: 12
Time alloted: 2-3 hours

----- RATING ----- (out of 5 stars)
Overall Experience: 3.5 (because I turned an embarrassed shade of red)

Flavor of the Day - Asian Lunches

The past couple days I've been eating some really good asian food with co-workers. Yesterday was Saladang, a Thai place in Pasadena. This place probably has the best quality of thai food for the best prices. We started with the Mee Grob - delicious! Vermicelli noodles with chicken... sweet and crispy.
Then I shared the papaya salad (which was very spicy and a little hard to eat because we had to chop the lettuce up ourselves), and the pad kee mau (which is my all-time favorite thai noodle dish.) Very tasty, very decent portions. And for dessert (of course, you can't have a complete meal without dessert) we had the mango sticky rice. So good!








Today we tried a Japanese soul restaurant called Daichan. It's in Studio City off of Ventura (which, btw, this street is home to many great eateries!) The interior just wowed me with the content and the amount of decor: drapes, parasol mobiles, bamboo, fans, Japanese clothing, Japanese art, the cutesy picture version of the menu... I could go on forever. We started with edemame. I ordered the Mix Poki Bowl, which consisted of a variety of raw sushi - ahi, yellowtail, salmon - mixed with a flavorful ginger sauce and lettuce sitting atop a mound of white rice. For dessert, we shared three: the steamed cheesecake, tempura fried green tea ice cream, and the Japanese custard cream puff. So tasty and so filling... yes, had a lapse of food coma after each.

....zzzZZZZzzzzZZzZZzZZ..... what pleasant dreams.

Flavor of the Day - Musicals

Two musicals in the span of 6 days... again! I can't help it! I NEED to watch live performances! I bet staring at the computer screen all day contributes to my reflexive madness that has overwhelmed my dry spirit. It's feelings other than super happiness that make me recall my human existence (as with most musicals), yet the happy endings remind me of all the joys of just simple existing.

So last week Friday I watched James Joyce's "The Dead" in Hollywood. Having never read the short story, I hadn't a clue what to expect. Most of the play surrounded an exuberant Irish family partying at Christmastime. But the end it all came together - about how we view life in different ways at different stages. I recall the narrator mentioning something about walking on smooth ice, but then when you get to a crack, you realize there's much beneath the surface you never knew about. Many metaphors about what lies underneath the surface, raising the dead, and reverence towards and remembrance of our loved ones. I loved the music. I wish I could have purchased a copy, but the option didn't exist. It's since inspired me to read the book, though sometimes Joyce is hard to dissect.

Tonight I watched "My Fair Lady" at the Ahmanson. I'd never seen it before (the play or the movie) but it is one of my mom's favorites, and as I witnessed the scenes for myself and listened to the tunes, I remembered my mom singing and humming those songs when I was a kid. She's the one who motivated me into the arts and inspired me to appreciate culture. I just love going to these things because I feel more intelligent, of a higher class, and of an older generation. Although these delusions should be pardoned, I allow them for one night to elevate my esteem and my confidence. It reminded me of both Cinderella and Pretty Woman. And although it was a comedy, it left a bittersweet aftertaste in my head. It got me thinking... about the motives of men, about placing walls around our hearts, and about how we can change ourselves and others by our mere presence or absence. True, these really have nothing to do with the play. My whole over-analytical mind got in there and delved much further than the surface, digging deeper and deeper until it came around and unearthed my own soul at the moment.

NOTE: Keep in mind I love theatre. I hope more of you build an interest in it. I'm running out of theatre buddies and am always hoping to inspire more people to at least open their minds to it. Also planning on joining a theatre company soon. If interested, inquire within and we'll get something concrete going.

WEEK 15: April 10th - Wine and Cheese Brainstorming/Karaoke Party

The past month we've been going out for fun, but I've found there's a better turnout when I host in-house events. Thus, I think it's time to return to the apartment. Bring over a bottle of your favorite wine and we'll combine cheese (which I'll provide) to come up with a bunch of ideas for future blog events. And it's just an excuse to get a little tipsy and sing on the magic-mic to our heart's content!

WHAT: Wine and Cheese Brainstorming/Karaoke Party
WHEN: Thursday April 10th at 8:30 pm
WHERE: My apt.
Please bring a bottle of wine to crack open and share.

Let me know if you have any questions. Don't drink wine OR eat cheese? Come over anyway for some good old-fashioned fun!

REVIEW on WEEK 14: Brewery Art Walk

The Brewery is a colony of artists located off the interstate 5 in Los Angeles. Every so often these residents display their work to the public in what's known as an "Artwalk": Paintings, sculptures, lithographs, books, photography, and even candles, jeans, and baby zombies. I found Foundphoto to be one of the most interesting/unique galleries. They framed tons of old photos and even had some freebies for people to take. I bet the people in those photos didn't know they would be on display or sold in a gallery. Kind of a scam, but still pretty cool and hilarious.













Aside from that, what really impressed us was the studio spaces themselves, and how each had a unique vibe, look, and atmosphere.

Since this had only taken place this weekend, we ran into a lot of friends who gravitate to the arts as well. We must've ran into 4 groups of fellow art geeks that we knew there. Great photo ops, and fun times crossing from one building to the other. I bought a book about learning from bad relationships, and then this guy in the next art gallery started talking to us, and I was done with the conversation one minute into it. Yes, some creepy people as well. But most were there, like us, for the love of art. Some of the art was mediocre, others were cool. Nothing totally phenomenal.

----- STATISTICS -----
People attended: 3
Time alloted: 3-4 hours

----- RATING ----- (out of 5 stars)
Overall Experience: 4 (hooray for free shows!!!!)

And just to recap the entire day, before and after the Brewery:




BEFORE:
Went to brunch at Tart. I love having lazy Saturday mornings and just waking up at around 11am, going to breakfast/brunch, and then taking another nap. Though I didn't get to nap afterwards, I did enjoy a lovely brunch with a friend of mine. Tart is located on Fairfax, across the street from the Farmer's Market, to which I haven't been in a while. I perused their selection of fresh fruits and veggies and, with my spontaneous nature, decided to buy a star fruit, since I had never tried fresh star fruit before. We let it ripen in the car while we were at the Brewery, and it was so tasty, like a cross between an apple and a pear, sort of like those Korean pear-apples but in the shape of a star. We also bought a couple Truffles to try. The ivory raspberry one was the best!

----- RATING ----- (out of 5 stars)
Tart: 4
- Service: 3 (the waitress' first day, so I don't blame her for asking so many questions.)
- Atmosphere: 4 (nice sunny day. I love eating outside on these days!)
- Food: 4 (Good AND filling!)

AFTER:
Went to a French restaurant in Burbank called Bistro Provence, recommended by a friend of mine from work, who was recommended by another co-worker of ours. Their tasting menu was decently-priced for the amount of food and the quality. I ordered: 1) seared ahi appetizer with a nicoise salad, 2) Duck, and 3) Profiteroles. So good and so filling! Another episode of food coma soon followed.


----- RATING ----- (out of 5 stars)
Bistro Provence: 4
- Service: 3.5 (miscommunication with our reservation, but when the waiter stopped stressing, the service was fine.)
- Atmosphere: 3.5 (small place but nice, quiet, and intimate interior.)
- Food: 4 (not fancy shmancy like some other French restaurants but the food was good nonetheless. Reminiscent of "Ratatouille", with the combination of different flavors creating a fireworks effect in my mouth.)

Overall a fun (and exhausting!) Saturday.

The Transformation of Flavor of the Day

As you can tell, what I had originally planned out to be "Flavor of the Day" on the menu has evolved into something different but more palatable for this site and its selective taste buds. Since I now have a writing page, I can vent all I want there. If not, I'll vent in my personal journal. Instead, I utilize "Flavor of the Day" as a way to describe an experience that I didn't plan to be a "blog event." Sweeney Todd should have been one of them. Many times they are to shows where I have a limited number of tickets. Other times they are just random moments I happen to experience, moments that launch themselves at me without my control. Yes, these are, how shall I say it, "uncontrolled yet controlled events." Whatever. You catch my drift.

Also, while I'm here I wanted to inform you that whatever the old "Flavor" was can pretty much be categorized and sorted into my other web blogs (links to the left under the menu.)

My other blogs:
ART/PROFESSIONAL ANIMATION PORTFOLIO PAGE - http://pigmentofyourimagination.blogspot.com/
WRITING EXPLANATIONS/WHAT I'M LEARNING IN MY WORKSHOP - http://writersworkout.blogspot.com/
A SILLY EXPLAIN-WHAT'S-HAPPENING-IN-THE-PICTURE SITE - http://gummysituations.blogspot.com/

So keep checking these for updates as well!

Sincerely,
~ Ro ~

"Taste the flavor of the world and then drown it with the healing energies of life."

Flavor of the Day: Chiba

I had a mad craving for Japanese food this past week. I feel like I can eat Japanese food all the time. It's so clean and so healthy. I can eat it and not feel the urge to release gas, and I never feel overly stuffed or bloated, only maybe a little sleepy because of all the rice in sushi. Yes, sushi is my fave. I took my mom to this little spot in North Hollywood called Chiba. A friend from Nick introduced me to this place several years ago, when I was an intern still in college. Trust me, there's no good sushi places out here, so this one's pretty close. But they also offer other yums besides sushi. My mom ordered sukiyaki which came with tempera and a cucumber salad, miso soup perhaps. I ordered my usual: spicy tuna roll and an eel roll. Other recs are crunchy roll and a starter of the albacore tuna. So delicious! And the best part is, it's like Indian food to me in that I can eat it every day and never get tired of it. Only maybe tired of the prices after a while. Other than that... golden.

REVIEW on WEEK 14: Drumming

What an energetic evening! We walked into REMO and saw a crowd of people sitting in a circle, banging on their drums with either their hands or little sticks. They seemed to strike the drum at the same time, and it sounded not only noisy and chaotic, but like the creation of one unique and distinct voice. Shoshana was already there. She goes there weekly and was the one who suggested this event in the first place. She showed us all the different drums we could chose from. I selected a medium-sized drum (I can't remember the name of the exact drum it was) and I grabbed a shaker in case my hands tired. And, yes, after a few minutes of smacking the drum, I had to switch to either sticks or the rattler because my hands were getting puffy and red. Shoshana taught me how to hit the drum in 3 basic forms - (1) striking the center with the entire palm, (2) striking half in the middle & half on the side of the drum, and (3) striking the side of the drum with the heel of the palm. A drum leader guided us. All we had to do was keep up with the beats. So much energy! Some even got up and danced in the center of the circle. I felt almost like I was in a tribe; just erase the walls surrounding us and add a bonfire. At the end of the night the energy changed from highly-charged conversational drums to a more spiritually calm energy. I want to go back and buy myself a drum. I was surprised at how much sound the little drums emitted compared to the larger drums. And since I bought a guitar, I can create a band that makes jungle rock music!!!! So excited....!

----- STATISTICS -----
People attended: 6
Time alloted: 2 hours

----- RATING ----- (out of 5 stars)
Overall Experience: 4.5 (even better since it was FREE!!!!)

At the end of the night we grabbed some authentic tacos from a taco stand. We had the usual carnitas and azada, but also tried the pastor and lengua (tongue). Fun times...

Flavor of the Day - Baseball

Went to a Dodgers vs. Red Sox game with some friends on Sunday. Haven't been to a Dodger game since I was about 8 years old. I mostly went for the Dodger Dogs, Cracker Jacks, and Nachos. Didn't drink any beer 'cause I didn't want it to F me up for my writing workshop later that night. Ran into a friend whom I met at taekwondo camp in 2000. Been such a long time since I saw him. That's always nice. And as far as the actual game... lots of cheering and excitement as the Dodgers won 8-0. Overall a great time enjoying an American tradition with great friends.

Most of us who went are blog regulars, but there were 3 newbies: