11 for 2011: Attend a Musical Performance

I attended a couple concerts this year:

The Big Four.  Previously mentioned here.  A very nostalgic concert!

And Sara Bareilles at the Palladium.  Love, love her since my UCLA days!  She's got great stage presence.

I wonder who I'll see in 2012?  Maybe we'll spontaneously go to a concert while on our trip!

9 down, 2 to go!

Looking Forward To, Summer Edition

I guess it's safe to say that I gave up on the photography challenge.  Work got super busy and I just didn't have the time or energy!  Since my last post I've had to work in Chinatown, Claremont, Cerritos, downtown, San Gabriel, and Hermosa Beach, and this week I'm slated to be in Santa Monica, Sierra Madre and Monterey Park.  If you are familiar with LA you'll know that some of these cities take forever to drive to...whew!  I'll be glad when this week is over because it means 9 days off in a row for me!  Here's what else I'm looking forward to this summer:

My in-laws are coming to town this weekend and will be spending 2 weekends with us.  We have an awesome lineup of places to visit and things and eat including the Godmother sammie from Bay Cities Deli, desserts from Churros Calientes and Sweet Rose Creamery, and the most amazing chicken pasta from Hurry Curry, etc, etc.  I even made reservations for afternoon tea at the Bazaar, one of my favorite places in LA!  My SIL J and I will get some peaceful chat time while the guys and kids visit the Petersen Automotive Museum.  :)

In between the LA fun-filled weekends, we'll be going on a short cruise to Catalina and Ensenada via the Carnival Paradise.  I'm super excited as this is my first cruise, and we'll also get to spend quality time playing with our niece and nephews.  I can't wait to just relax and not be bothered by email or phone calls!

This summer I'll finally be able to check out the the Renegade LA craft fair.  I just stocked up on goodies at Unique LA in December, but I can't resist stopping by to browse through more crafty goodness at Renegade.  Plus it's free admission, versus Unique LA which charges 10 bucks pp. 

I'm planning a family camping trip at Crystal Lake, Azusa (part of the San Gabriel River (formerly Mount Baldy) District of The Angeles National Forest).  Many of my relatives have never been camping before...so this will be interesting.  I'm hoping that my cousins will catch the camping bug and go more often with us!  Jerry and I looooove camping and we go several times a year.  I can't wait to have kids and to take them camping. :)

My old college roommate C and I are going to see Much Ado About Nothing this summer as part of the Shakespeare by the Sea series!  Around 4 years ago, we picnicked at the Shakespeare Under the Stars in San Juan Capistrano and watched The Compleat Wrks of Wllm Shkspr (abridged).  I don't remember what it was about, but it was funny!  Can't wait to have another picnic again.  :)

We're also going to Lake Tahoe this summer along with Jerry's family- about 13 of us total- but instead of camping we've rented a cabin for the weekend.  It'll be my first time to Lake Tahoe so I'm excited!  Since our truck is now freed from camping gear, we're gonna bring our bikes. :)  In addition, my SIL L and I are going to this concert at one of the casinos:

Not many people I know are into Chinese pop music anymore so I'm happy to share this experience with her!  My dream is still see Faye Wong live...but not sure if that will ever happen.  I don't know any of the new singers nowadays, so I don't know who's hot or good.  I'm actually so out of touch that I had no idea that these guys formed the Big Four.  All I know is that I LOVED William So's music back in the day and I can't wait to hear him live, and as a bonus I also get to see Andy Hui!!  This is so geeky of me, but it would also be awesome of Sammi (Andy's gf) made a surprise appearance.  :) 

My first time to Chicago!  Our plane tix ended up being around $140 RT for a Thurs-Sun during peak travel season.  Ridiculous huh??  I was one of the lucky folks to nab this Groupon, and Virgin America had introductory rates of $99 each way.  I had been waiting for VA to launch at ORD, so it was just a waiting game.  The groupon deal made it even sweeter!  (A great way to get travel deals is to watch for new launches- when VA launched Toronto I used a coupon code via Twitter to get 50% off introductory fares, so only $250 RT, and right now Jet Blue is launching flights to Alaska, so you can fly for just $300 RT out of Long Beach!)  Anyhoo, I am excited to eat my way through this city, admire the architecture, and explore via boat and bike.  Speaking of eating...

After over 250 phone calls between the two of us (redialing over...and over...and over) Jerry finally managed to get through and made reservations at Alinea!  It's currently the #1 restaurant in North America and #6 in the world.  I am especially looking forward to this trip because I just finished the chef/owner of Alinea- Grant Achatz's book Life, on the Line: A Chef's Story of Chasing Greatness, Facing Death, and Redefining the Way We Eat.  It's one of the most insightful and well-written pieces of non-fiction that I've read in a long time.  I highly, highly recommend it.

It's going to be a great summer full of firsts.  My entire summer last year was consumed by wedding planning and crafting.  As proud as I was of all my DIY projects, I am REALLY glad to have my weekends back now.  Jerry and I are sooooo over anything wedding related!

Listening To: Natasha Bedingfield- Little Too Much

I stumbled upon the trailer for Something Borrowed and at the end of the clip, a song by Natasha Bedingfield plays.  It's called Little Too Much, and it's a really catchy song.  I've already played it 5 times in a row this morning, let's see how many times I can get away with playing it this weekend.  Jerry isn't a particularly a happy camper when I discover a "new-to-me" song because I tend to play it over and over again and it drives him nuts.     

Side note: I'm excited for this movie to come out.  I've read every single one of Emily Giffin's books.  I read a lot of chick lit, but her writing style isn't very silly and cheesy when compared to other books (lookin' at you, Shopaholic series!). 

Listening To: Vitamin String Quartet

I had a really hard time choosing music for our ceremony at first.  I was torn between modern (but I did not want sung lyrics) versus traditional/instrumental music.  I've just never warmed up to Beethoven, Vivaldi, Wagner, and co.  And while Jim Brickman has composed some nice pieces, they were on the bland side.  I enjoyed the Love Story/Viva La Vida mashup from Jon Schmidt, but that was too short and I didn't want to keep playing it on a loop.  Finally, thanks to the plethora of blogs out there, I discovered the Vitamin String Quartet.  VSQ covers common/popular songs in a string/instrumental format.  Of course I immediately forgot about searching for wedding appropriate tunes but instead youtubed all my favorite artists that were out there and seeing if VSQ had covered them.  Eventually I did buckle down and chose this line up for the prelude:

VSQ- Boys Don't Cry (The Cure)
VSQ- Chasing Cars (Snow Patrol)
VSQ- Hands Down (Dashboard Confessional)
VSQ- Love Story (Taylor Swift)
VSQ- Marching Bands of Manhattan (Death Cab For Cutie)
VSQ- One Sweet Day (Mariah Carey)
VSQ- Shadow of the Day (Linkin Park)
VSQ- Stolen (Dashboard Confessional)
VSQ- Yellow (Coldplay)
VSQ- Viva La Vida (Coldplay)

Their covers are extensive and branch across many genres of music.  While I don't think that all the VSQ covers sound great (I didn't really like any of the Goo Goo Dolls covers as much), they do make great substitutions when you want familiar music that isn't distracting.  VSQ was perfect for my wedding.  I used them in the processional as well, but that's another post!

Right now I have VSQ's cover of DCFC "The Sound of Settling" on repeat.  Thanks to a $3 Amazon mp3 credit I was able to download it!

Found here:

and here:

 All images via Amazon.  Offer expires midnight tonight!

Okay, to piggyback off my last post- is it "settling" or "settleing?"  >_<

Confessions of a Justin Bieber Fan

One of us is a Justin Bieber fan.  I won't say who.

Watching the AMAs:
Willow Smith: "Now put your hands together for Justin Bieber!"
One of us: ::clap clap clap clap::

Googling Justin Bieber:
One of us: "Did you know that there was a online vote to see where Justin Bieber should perform next and everyone chose North Korea??  That would be so funny!!"

Watching Justin Bieber tilt his head as his hair falls into place:
One of us: "You think if I grow my hair out it'll look like Justin Bieber?"

In the shower:
One of us: "Baby baby baby oh! Baby baby baby oh!  I thought you'd always be mine!!"

Out of the shower:
One of us: "Man, I wish I was a pop star."

On youtube watching the trailer for Never Say Never:
One of us: "Ooh can we go see that in the theater???"
(Keep in mind, the last time either one of us went to a movie theater was at least 1.5 years ago)

The other one of us likes Justin Bieber too.  Just not as much...

Listening To: Sara Bareilles- Uncharted

I have been playing Uncharted by Sara B non stop for weeks now.  I've been a fan of hers since my UCLA days- Gravity was on heavy rotation back then too.  I'm really happy that she's found mainstream success since she released Love Song.

In other news, our pro pics are in and now we have the daunting task of narrowing down over a thousand pics down to our favorites, a tall order...yikes!

Listening To: Linkin Park- Waiting For The End

Jerry and I don't have the same exact tastes in music, but there are some bands that we both like, one of them being Linkin Park.  LP has a special place in our relationship: on our first? or second? date Jerry picked me up from my apartment.  However, being the practical person I am, I saw that he had scored the prime parking spot in front of my place.  And since it was street cleaning or something or another the next day and I was parked in a crappy space, I decided to take his spot.  I know, utterly romantic.  Anyways, the song playing inside my car while I moved it was "In Between" from Minutes to Midnight (I had been playing that CD non stop for months!).  So I finish parking and I hop into the Tacoma.  And the EXACT same song was playing in his truck!  Was that a match made in heaven or what? :P

Fast forward a few months, I took him to see Linkin Park at Staples for his Christmas present. 

Fast forward a few years, Linkin Park released A Thousand Suns, and I'm really digging track #8- "Waiting For The End." 

 Link to image

 
What are you listening to?

Song Search

Jerry and I have tasked ourselves with creating the master song list for the big day- it includes music for the pre-ceremony, ceremony, cocktail hour, grand entrance, reception, as well as for the dancing afterwards.  We opted to not do song requests because I would feel bad not choosing to play something that someone requested simply because it wasn't my kind of music.  And I'm a believer that if I'm going to ask for opinions/requests, I should follow through with it!  So since I can't hold myself to that promise, I decided that I'd rather do the research (with the help of BM JT) myself. 

Through some preliminary research (i.e. sitting through many, many weddings) we decided we wanted a good mix of oldies but goodies along with a sprinkling of the more recent radio offerings.  Every time we hear a song on the radio or on a TV show that we like, it goes into our shared g-doc file so that we can keep track.  I also have been browsing play lists such as these from DJ NYC.  (Again, seriously how did ppl plan weddings before the days of the internets?!)  And I always gather inspiration from real-wedding playlists.

But I recently found an unlikely source for finding songs that don't get radio love anymore, or that I might have glazed over while looking at list after list- at the good 'ol karaoke!  Karaoke conjures up a variety of memories for me- from the drunk-or-not relative singing some cheesy Chinese song in a living room or at a family wedding, to the fun college memories of burning off Korean BBQ by singing at the top of our lungs. (I'm a really bad "singer" too, not a pretty sight- or sound.)  Last wknd we headed to the now named Max Karaoke (we still refer to it as Yuu Yuu from our college days) to create some more memories.  While leafing through the books, I came across some artists and songs that I hadn't heard in ages!  For example- Savage Garden.  I don't remember the last time I heard any of their songs on the radio.  Same with Ice Ice Baby (yes that's Jerry's song!).  There were some more, but you get the idea.  All in all, great evening of mixing business with pleasure- that's my kind of wedding planning!

How did you come across your potential play list?  Any other unlikely sources of inspiration?

NameThat Song

This is how I operate sometimes:

1. I think of how I want things to start.
2. Then I envision the ending.
3. Then I roll my sleeves up and figure out how to transition the in-betweens.

I find it much easier to do it in that order, I don't know why. Maybe b/c having an end in sight will be more directive for me. I kind of like to know where I'm going.

So the music we choose will really help us set the tone for the wedding. Jerry really likes Tupac. I heart Ingrid Michaelson. We both like Linkin Park. This should be interesting.

But we've agreed on three things so far: what my "walk-down-the-aisle" music will be (it's a secret :P), the first song to start off the dancing will be Black Eyed Peas "I Gotta Feeling", and we will end with "Closing Time" by Semisonic. We love all of those songs!

One of my BMs will help me with music- she has introduced me to so many great indie artists and songs over the years. I want to avoid the KOST 103.5 cheesy stuff and incorporate some indie into the mix, and she is the perfect person to help me! We'll need to choose the ceremony music since it'll be mostly be instrumental, have her help with the cocktail hour/background reception music (Yeah Yeah Yeahs "Hysteric" and some stuff from DCFC will definitely be in rotation), the bridal party will choose their own entrance music, and Jerry will mostly be in charge of the dance music. I think I want the dance music to be more recognizable since ppl dance to what they know, and have the cocktail/reception lull music be more varied. And somewhere in all that will be some 80s fun with The Cure, Journey, Bon Jovi and Modern English hehe. And maybe I can sneak in some fobby chinese songs. We have a ways to go, but it's a start!

What are songs/types of that you like to hear at weddings? And what are no-nos, if any?

Christmas Song and Wishes

My cousin linked me to this really catchy song by Taylor Swift (she's 11 and yes I know, I'm 25.) Enjoy! I really like the lyrics. Even though I'm not religious.


What if ribbons and bows didn't mean a thing
Would the song still survive without five golden rings
Would you still wanna kiss without misletoe
What would happen if God never let it snow
What would happen if Christmas carols told a lie
Tell me what would you find

You'd see that today holds something special
Something holy, not superficial
So here's to the birthday boy who saved our lives
It's something we all try to ignore
And put a wreath up on your door
So here's something you should know that is for sure
Christmas must be something more

What if angels did not pay attention to
All the things that we wished they would always do
What if happiness came in a cardboard box
Then I think there is something we all forgot
What would happen if presents all went away
Tell me what would you find

You'd see that today holds something special
Something holy, not superficial
So here's to the birthday boy who saved our lives
It's something we all try to ignore
And put a wreath up on your door
So here's something you should know that is for sure
Christmas must be something more

We get so caught up in all of it
Business and relationships
Hundred mile an hour lives
And it's this time of year
And everybody's here
It seems the last thing on your mind

Is that the day holds something special
Something holy, not superficial
So here's to Jesus Christ who saved our lives
It's something we all try to ignore
And put a wreath up on your door
But here's something you should know that is for sure
Christmas must be something
Christmas must be something
Christmas must be something more

There's gotta be more
There's gotta be more

Have a very merry Christmas and the happiest of new years!

Taylor Swift concert?

Who wants to go to a Taylor Swift concert with me when she comes out to LA? No, I'm not a country fan but I do enjoy crossover pop more so than pop itself. Someone volunteer so Jer doesn't end up having to go with me! Just kidding, I wouldn't force him to go. I think her concerts are more of a girly teeny bopper thing! Heck I wouldn't even mind going by myself, I like her that much.

Anyways, my favorites from her are White Horse, Love Story, and A Place in This World. Gotta love real talent, and not formulated/generic pop!

*edit*

Her album comes out Nov 11! I can't wait! :)

Currently Listening To:

Even though I'm in a perfectly wonderful relationship, lately I've been drawn to songs that are kinda...depressing? Maybe I like them because the music is upbeat? I usually like songs b/c I can identify with them, but not in these cases, haha.

Anyhoo, I'm currently listening to:

"You Don't Know Me" by Ben Folds ft. Regina Spektor
If I'm the person that you think I am (Ah ah ahh)//Clueless chump you seem to think I am (Ah ah ahhh)//So easily led astray, //An errant dog who occasionally escapes and needs a shorter leash, then //Why the fuck would you want me back?!
Was a recommendation that popped up in my google reader. I love it! Even though it's not the happiest song. Hehe. I love their collaboration.

"Fell In Love Without You" by Motion City Soundtrack
Last night I fell in love without you//The stars at night aren't as big and bright//As you make them out to be//Every aching wound will cauterize and bruise//In memory of what we used to call in love
Was watching Gossip Girl when this song came on. Spent forever googling it to figure out what it was. The acoustic version is better.

"Love Story" by Taylor Swift
So I sneak out to the garden to see you //We keep quiet cause we're dead if they knew//So close your eyes//Escape this town for a little while//Cause you were Romeo I was a scarlet letter//and my daddy said stay away from Juliet
This was also in my google reader. Okay it's not super depressing but this part of the lyrics is! I can imagine this song being part of a soundtrack for a movie though.

But these songs make me happy b/c they're catchy! I don't listen to the lyrics half the time anyway, haha. Love songs tend to be super sappy and fake though. If I had a choice, Bleed It Out would be on our wedding soundtrack but even Jer vetoed it, haha. I guess I'll have to continue keeping an ear out for songs with "appropriate" lyrics. I have some songs in mind but they're kinda hard to dance to. Linkin Park needs to come out with a semi lovey dovey song that we can jump up and down to! Then I wouldn't have to settle for something cheesy and typical like "Eternal Flame" or "At Last." Hahahaha. But I think Chester's gonna be angry forever. Hehe.

劉亦菲 -放飛美麗

Crystal Liu- Set Beauty Free


我張開翅膀
放飛美麗到整個世界
陽光才綻放
我撫著頭髮
用著健康的微笑擁抱
閃亮的時刻

The Weepies- "All That I Want"

Out in the harbor
The ships come in, it's Christmastime
The kids all holler carols 'cross the water
Stars that shine

All that I want, all that I want

Above the rooftops
The full moon dips its golden spoon
I wait on clip-clops, deer might fly
Why not? I met you

All that I want, all that I want

And when the night is falling
Down the sky at midnight
Another year is stalling
Far away a good bye, good night

All that I want., all that I want, all that I want

So small a turning
The world grows older every day
An ache, a yearning
Soften when I hear you say

All that I want, all that I want

And when the cold wind's blowing
Snow drifts through the pine trees
In houses lights are glowing
Likewise in your eyes that find me here

With all that I want.

Out in the harbor
The ships come in, it's Christmastime
It's Christmastime
It's Christmastime.



Merry Christmas :)

Tegan and Sara- Speak Slow

Tegan and Sara- Speak Slow
you wait up for me I don't wake up for you
would you like the company or are you sick of me
when your love lets you go you only want love more
even when love, was not what you were looking for
speak slow, tell me love where do we go... ah ah
where do we go...ah ah, where do we gooooo

you break down an plead your case I don't know what to say
I leave my heart all this pain and now I'm at it all again
on these streets that I leave for weeks on end who's to blame
when you want love doesn't matter what you're looking for
speak slow, tell me love where do we go... ah ah
where do we go... ah ah, where do we go... ah ah
speak slow, tell me love where do we go... ah ah
where do we go... ah ah, where do we goooooo

speak slow!

i'm so far away and I just can't see you I'm
so far along and I just don't need you
I am so ah-alone, so ah-ah-alone so ah-alone, so ah-ah-alone
i'm so far away and I just can't see you I'm
so far along and I just don't need you
I am so ah-alone, so ah-ah-alone so ah-alone, so ah-ah-alone

when your love lets you go you only want love more
even when love was not what you were looking for
when your love lets you go you only want love more
even when love was not what you were looking for

speak slow, tell me love where do we go... ah ah
where do we go... ah ah, where do we go... ah ah
speak slow, tell me love where do we go... ah ah
where do we go... ah ah, where do we goooooo

speak slow!
speak slow!

I am totally digging this song! Click on the right side to listen. Enjoy!

John Mayer- Say

Take all of your wasted honor
Every little past frustration
Take all of your so-called problems
Better put them in quotations

Say what you need to say

Walking like a one-man army
Fighting with the shadows in your head
Living out the same old moment
Knowing you'd be better off instead if you could only

Say what you need to say

Have no fear for giving in
Have no fear for giving over
You better know that in the end it's better to say too much
Then never to say what you need to say again...

Even if your hands are shaking
And your faith is broken
Even as the eyes are closing
Do it with a heart wide open

Say what you need to say...

I am totally digging this song! When I get the link, I will post it on the right hand side. :)

Iron & Wine- The Trapeze Swinger

Perfect song for a rainy night as you're falling asleep. It's on the soundtrack of In Good Company.

Please, remember me
Happily
By the rosebush laughing
With bruises on my chin
The time when
We counted every black car passing
Your house beneath the hill
And up until
Someone caught us in the kitchen
With maps, a mountain range
A piggy bank
A vision too removed to mention
But

Please, remember me
Fondly
I heard from someone you're still pretty
And then
They went on to say
That the pearly gates
Had some eloquent graffiti
Like "We'll meet again"
And "Fuck the man"
And "Tell my mother not to worry"
And angels with their great
Handshakes
Were always done in such a hurry
And

Please, remember me
At Halloween
Making fools of all the neighbors
Our faces painted white
By midnight
We'd forgotten one another
And when the morning came
I was ashamed
Only now it seems so silly
That season left the world
And then returned
And now you're lit up by the city
So

Please, remember me
Mistakenly
In the window of the tallest tower
Calling passers-by
But much too high
To see the empty road at happy hour
Gleam and resonate
Just like the gates
Around the holy kingdom
With words like "Lost and found"
And "Don't look down"
And "Someone save Temptation"
And

Please, remember me
As in the dream
We had as rug-burn babies
Among the fallen trees
And fast asleep
Aside the lions and the ladies
That called you what you like
And even might
Give a gift for your behavior
A fleeting chance to see
A trapeze
Swing as high as any savior
But

Please, remember me
My misery
And how it lost me all I wanted
Those dogs that love the rain
And chasing trains
The colored birds above their running
In circles around the well
And where it spells
On the wall behind St. Peter
So bright with cinder gray
And spray paint
"Who the hell can see forever?"
And

Please, remember me
Seldomly
In the car behind the carnival
My hand between your knees
You turned from me
And said, "The trapeze act was wonderful
But never meant to last"
The clown that passed
Saw me just come up with anger
When it filled with circus dogs
The parking lot
Had an element of danger
So

Please, remember me
Finally
And all my uphill clawing
My dear
But if I make
The pearly gates
Do my best to make a drawing
Of God and Lucifer
A boy and girl
An angel kissing on a sinner
A monkey and a man
A marching band
All around the frightened trapeze swingers

Na-na
Na-na-na
Na-na
Na-na . . .