Asian = Feminine?

The topic of Asians in the media came up at dinner last night, after a group of us watched The Incredible Mr. Fox (entertaining film). I asked who in the group was watching "Glee" and one person mentioned he gave up on the show, disgusted with how the Asian characters were always in the background. For a show supposedly written with minority characters in mind (Gay, ethnic and disabled to name a few), the Asian characters are relegated to pretty much wallpaper. So with a few exceptions like John Cho in Fast Forward, Kunal Nayyar in Big Bang Theory and Sandra Oh in Greys Anatomy, Asians are still a tiny blip on the TV landscape.

That is why I took notice when Verizon released their new Droid ad lampooning a certain phone for being "tiara-wearing, digitally-clueless beauty pageant queen". It's a not so subtle stab at Apple's dominant iphone, and one picture stood out for me. There's a shot of three people gazing a the "queen" phone, a likely copy of a famous photo of the iphone, and there happens to be an Asian guy in the mix. Hmmmm, you have a woman, a feminine looking white guy with longish hair, and a nerdy looking Asian guy. What's the message Verizon??? And please don't tell me it was a fluke that they hired an Asian model for this commercial.

Vancouver - Pre-Olympics

My hometown Vancouver is certainly getting Olympics-ready. The city has that freshly-scrubbed feeling as a good host city expecting millions of visitors coming 2/12-2/28. I paid a short visit last week, and tried to sample the various construction projects I had been monitoring over the last few years.

I didn't get to see the Olympic village, but caught sight of it from a distance. A friend tells me it's on track and looking good. The downtown area is still cleaning up from the Skytrain extension of the Canada Line, and Granville St is not fully open yet. But the CL is running to the airport (since August 17th), and I got the chance to try it on my way back to SF. It was extremely easy and fast, and pretty economical at less than $4 from anywhere in Vancouver (2 zones). I worried that the trains were too tight to carry your luggage, and it was rather cramped, but better than the BART trains in SF.

I finally visited the gorgeous new Shangri-La Vancouver. The exterior seems to be "in progress", and I didn't have time to check out the posh interiors. However, it has already changed the skyline of the city with it's handsome profile. The other high profile skyscraper Jameson House, the Norman Foster designed condo, has barely progressed. I wonder if it's back on track?

I was most eager to check out the new Convention Centre, and it's almost ready. The green roof looks complete but gates are still keeping the place closed to the public. I asked a security guard about the opening, and he vaguely stated "after the Olympics".

And once again I admired the Coal Harbor area, thinking "now this is development done right". I hope someone in SF is taking notes.

Downtown changes II

The downtown Union Square retail environment keeps changing. Given the current economy, it's not surprising that some stores remain empty (Virgin, Benetton, Shoe Pavilion, Ritz Camera). But occasionally, you see some new shops opening and thriving. Since it's all in my "backyard", I've taken notes.

A new Japanese Sweets store Minamoto Kitchoan on 648 Market. Delicious but pricey and all imported with expiration dates. Let's hope they don't get caught up in another date change scandal.

What are these alien flowers pods doing in Yerba Buena? A place to recharge your electronics and take advantage of the recent solar heatwave, brought to you by Prius.
Hubert Keller of Fleur de Lys is bringing Vegas style gourmet burgers to SF Macy's 6th floor. Burgar Bar opens soon, with great views of Union Square.
I went to Loehmann's recently to check out their discounted designer clothing, only to find they have a whole new Men's shop across the street in their old shoe store 211 Sutter. Yeah for us!
And so long to my favorite brand of runners: New Balance
Curiously, Gap is opening in the old Ann Taylor space on 240 Post. Perhaps it will be a different concept store, higher end? likely in this location.

J-Pop Center Opening

I checked out the opening of the new J-Pop center (1746 Post St) in Japantown over the weekend, and was surprised to see a relatively large turnout for a niche type retail market. Who knew there was so many people interested in Japanese pop culture? Post street was jammed with Asian hipsters and girls in Little Bo-peep outfits-they must have been sweltering in the 80 degree heat.

I stood in line for a good 30 minutes to check out the modernist glass structure, designed by Japanese architectural firm Torafu. It reminded me a lot of the SPUR building, with its three narrow floors (plus theater basement) and compact use of space. The main floor had a coffee/snack bar serving...you guessed it, Blue Bottle Coffee. Man those guys are everywhere. There's also the New People retail shop, that seemed to specialize in expensively designed Japanese products like a cute ipod speaker ball thingy...that cost almost 40 bucks! They are going to have their work cut out for them in this economy.

The second floor seems to be focused on fashions for young Little Bo-peep wannabees. I don't get it, but it looks colorful and fun. There's also a wall of glass looking over Post street, which might be useful for people watching. The third floor is a gallery space for Japanese Pop art (my term) that I could see hanging in some millionaire Google employee's loft. Roy Lichtenstein would be proud. I didn't get to check out the theater, but will definitely make a trip back soon. The new complex finally puts a spark in the dowdy Japantown district. Now if they could only modernize that mall...

Takeshi Kaneshiro

I've always loved these pics of Asian mixed race superstar Takeshi Kaneshiro for Prada back in 1998. I remember feeling proud that an Asian (especially one that is half-Taiwanese) face is being advertised for a major fashion design house.
Of course, TK is now one of the most recognized Asian actors in the west, having been featured in at least 2 Wong Kar Wei films: ChungKing Express and my personal favorite Fallen Angels. He also starred in one of the most popular kung fu films House of Flying Daggers.

I've been impressed that his personal life seems very private. I can certainly hope that he may be "family", one always wonders about attractive single men in their late 30's. But as I heard my young female cousin respond to these rumours, his fans really don't care that much. He's that good.

John Hughes RIP

John Hughes' films helped define my generation. I remember seeing Sixteen Candles, Breakfast Club, Pretty in Pink, Ferris Beuler and Some Kind of Wonderful during my formative high school years, they are forever etched in my mind. Even his later films like Planes, Trains & Automobiles and She's Having a Baby still resonate. It's too bad he became sort of reclusive in his final years. His films aren't considered "high art" but they are exceptionally re-watchable. And isn't that the best compliment of all?

Marvelous Meryl at 60

In honor of the greatest living actress turning 60, I'd like to resubmit my favorite Meryl Streep roles. Who knows, the next one, as Julia Child, in the upcoming Julia and Julia, (opening Aug 7th) might be my new favorite.

1981 in The French Lieutenant’s Woman. Streep was gorgeous in the dual role of Sarah/Anna. and starred opposite an equally gorgeous Jeremy Irons. I still like to picture her in that brown hooded cape walking along the pounding surf. No other film has captured Streep’s physical beauty quite as well in my opinion. This was her 3rd Oscar nomination, and first as best actress.

1982 in Sophie’s Choice. The first time I saw Streep onscreen, and I was mesmerized. I like Roger Ebert’s description of her performance "there is hardly an emotion that she doesn’t touch in this movie, and yet we’re never aware of her straining". She dominated the acting awards that year like Philip Seymour Hoffman did in 2005. Her 4th nomination, first win as best actress.

1985 in Out of Africa as Karen Blixen. One of my all-time favorite films- that music, cinematography and wonderful chemistry between Streep and Redford. I saw it twice in the theater when I was 14! Her last narration dialogue while she is planning to leave her African farm still gets to me every time. It also started the trend towards Safari clothing…hello Ralph Lauren! Her 6th nomination.

2002 in Adaptation as Susan Orlean. The movie lost me in the last quarter, but Streep was having a blast playing novelist Orlean. Who can forget her transformation and hilarious scene when getting high on orchid dust. That’s the power of her involvement in any movie, she makes it even more watchable. Her 13th nomination.

2006 in The Devil Wears Prada. She nails the icy queen of Runway magazine. Never raising her voice, and saying much more with her deadly silences, she can rip you to shreds without a moment’s hesitation. My favorite line? Her last, "…….Go!" Her 14th nomination. She has 15 nominations and 2 wins.

CONDUIT

Conduit, a relatively new modern American style restaurant in the Mission area, caught my eye a while back for it's interior design. It's done by the Stanley Saitowitz/ Natoma group, the architect responsible for the gorgeous Yerba Buena Lofts on Folsom and the controversial Beth Sholom synagogue in the outer Richmond. I'm a big fan

and still wish I had made the move into YBL when I had the chance. The restaurant is definitely striking with it's interlocking pipes, dark woods and clean lines. The bathroom is partially unisex, only the minimalist frosted-glass covered stalls are marked men and women. I know alot of folks aren't fans of this type of sterile modernism, but I find it relaxing and peaceful. Nothing fancy or overly precious.

<--shared sinks and faucets

Oh yeah, they serve food here, really delicious food actually. Chef Justin Deering apparently worked at Boulevard and Fifth Floor, and the food served here is certainly comparable in my opinion. I had the scallop risotto as my first course and black cod for my main. Both were first rate, flavorful and cooked just right. The desert was somewhat disappointing however, a rather dry almond cake. I should have had the pot-de-creme which the waiter recommended first. The wait staff were very friendly and knowledgable, and even gave me tips on which angle to shoot my pictures! The menu is written in sparse terms only, like some haiku poem. Just ask the waiters for further clarification. Sometimes minimalism can be carried too far.

280 Valencia St. SF CA 94103 415.552.5200

SPUR and urban living

SPUR without signage yet

Loungy interiors - not a loungy crowd...

Opening day

I attended the opening party for the San Francisco Planning and Urban Research Association (SPUR) at their brand spanking new building on 654 Mission St. (thanks Steven for the invite!) The space seemed smaller than I expected, though that may be due to the packed masses of urban planning enthusiasts and city developers jammed into the modest square footage.

I support alot of their program goals, especially making SF a more livable and transit friendly city. Having lived in one of the most livable cities in the world (Vancouver, BC) and now living in one of the most expensive cities in the US, I have high expectations about spending so much of my income just to stay here. I continually weigh the pros and cons of urban life in SF. Could I find a comparable lifestyle in Seattle or Toronto, which are somewhat more reasonable financially? I know I still want to stay near a vital downtown, and SF has one of the most populated and popular downtowns of any city in the States. It also has great cultural venues, museums, restaurants, gay culture galore, mild climate and scenic vistas everywhere you look. BUT...it's also very expensive, dirty, druggy, politically retarded, has inconsistent public transit at best (a real hell hole at worst), precious little green space (despite wearing environmentalism like a boy scout medal) and just plain full of itself.

The SPUR center has a board with cards indicating "what's the first thing you would like to do if you were mayor of SF?". Where to start?

SFMOMA Rooftop Sculpture Garden

I went to the opening preview of SFMOMA's new rooftop sculpture garden last Saturday and enjoyed the beautiful day in this lovely new space (15,000 square foot expansion) designed by Jensen Architects and landscape designers Conger Moss Guillard. It's connected to the cavernous 5th floor gallery (my favorite floor) and gives an eye popping view of the art deco PacBell Building. Cost? A cool 24 million.

Also, for you coffee snobs, Blue Bottle coffee is opening a retail stand here!




Of course, I suffered a tongue lashing from the Filipino security guard for taking this video "No video, pictoors OK"...I didn't mind so much as she reminded me of the kindly Filipino nurses at San Mateo County Hospital where I did my residency.

Still Walking or Aruitemo Aruitemo *****

I think I'm partial to certain Asian films about family life (the masters are Ang Lee and Yasujiro Ozu) because I see so much that is familiar in my own family dynamics. The passive aggressive tactics and the importance of what is NOT said over what is actually verbalized. So watching the new film Still Walking from Japanese director Hirokazu Koreeda at the 2009 SFIFF felt like "going home" in a way.

The story is quite simple. There is a small family reunion of two siblings with their respective families, visiting their elderly parents. We don't know there has been a death in the family until the early mid part of the film, and it takes some time and attention to fully realize all the different family connections. It feels really natural and unforced. The father is a retired clinic doctor who is still overly invested in his past career. The mother "who has never worked a day in her life" but is more than the dutiful caretaker that she projects. The son is reluctantly returning home with a new wife that was widowed with a young son. The daughter is happily married and a mother of two rather spoiled brats. The film basically follows the family gathering over the course of 32 hours. Nothing earth shattering happens, but at the end of the day, you get the sense that each character had a major shift in their life.

The style of direction and story seems most similar to Ozu, especially the static shots and family structure of the storyline. However, I was also reminded of Demme's Rachel Getting Married, in which you immerse yourself in another family reunion. However, in that film the communication is far more direct and confrontational, befitting an American family. They would make interesting companion pieces in a study of cultural differences. The actors are all very believable, especially the handsome Hiroshi Abe who plays the son Ryota and the fabulously named Kirin Kiki who plays the mother. I look forward to checking out the films of Mr. Koreeda, I've only seen Nobody Knows.

Art? Exploitation? Bad taste?

I saw these images for Italian tile company Bisazza in this month's Metopolitan Home and shook my head. I didn't immediately recognize them as the work of controversial photographer Nobuyoshi Araki. The name is only familiar from browsing the former Virgin's bookstore, and remembering the tackiness of his photos in a Phaidon collection. I don't remember finding them particularly offensive, but this ad campaign changed my mind. Why?

We have a Japanese woman tied up like a turkey, posing in sexually provocative positions and looking frightened (OK that may be subjective, but I don't think tears usually signify a sense of feeling powerful). I read in this blog that she is "tied in the ancient art of Japanese bondage or kinbaku". Well, just because something is "an ancient art" doesn't make it acceptable.

Is this just another version of S&M? Perhaps. I really don't care what two consenting adults do in their own bedroom. I guess the images really bother me because of the overt posing of this woman as, not only a minority, but a possible victim of violence. The whole sexualization of violence is disturbing to me. Especially any images even hinting at rape and torture as an "alternative lifestyle"...it just doesn't belong in a mainstream magazine, let alone an ad advertising overpriced tiles!!

This reminds me of the recent trend of "torture porn" films like Saw and Hostel. I know some of my friends really enjoy these films, but I just can't imagine viewing someone getting tortured as entertainment.

I did a quick survey of friends about what they thought of this ad, and most seemed marginally negative about it. Nobody seemed as disturbed as I am. I was a little surpised given the backlash those Abercrombie "wong brothers" t-shirts got a few years back.

Wickedly Good

I thoroughly enjoyed seeing Wicked for the first time at the beautiful Orpheum theater last night. I went in with mixed expectations given Clement's rave reviews and a more modulated response from several other friends. The show began in SF, but went through re-writes and recastings before it became a huge hit in NYC. And, as one friend keeps harping, lost the big Tony award to another favorite Avenue Q. The leads were fantastic. Kristin Chenoweth originated Glinda, but Kendra Kassebaum rocked the role last night. Her rendition of "Popular" was the funniest thing I've seen in a long time. Teal Wicks was scheduled to play Alphaba, but her understudy stepped in last night and impressed the crowd with her vocal range. I didn't even realize it wasn't Ms. Wicks until the intermission.

Oscar winner Patty Duke was having fun playing Madame Morrible, and former Married with Children cast member David Garrison played the Wizard. The standout songs for me were Popular, What is this Feeling? (how can you not like a song with "unadultered loathing" as a catch phrase), Defying Gravity and I'm not that Girl.

The mixing of the "Wizard of Oz" story from Gregory Macquire's novel was fairly inventive, though the third act felt a bit rushed. I heard the original script was tediously overlong so I can understand the cuts that must have been made. The allegory to minority rights was certainly topical given our recent Prop 8 debacle.

Now how can I get "Pop-u-lar" out of my head??

Sugar *****

One of the things I love about films is it's inherent ability to transport you to another world. Sometimes it can be a fantasy world like Lord of the Rings or The Fall, but sometimes it's only a few hundred miles away in Iowa or NYC. Anna Boden and Ryan Fleck's new film Sugar did just that: it transported me to 3 places, seeing through the eyes of a young optimistic baseball player Miguel Santos aka "Sugar" (played by soulful newcomer Algenis Pérez Soto ). Not being much of a sports fan, I wasn't as excited about seeing the follow-up to one of my favorite films "Half Nelson" as I should be. Well, I won't underestimate the talents of Boden and Fleck again. They prove again that simple but humane story telling can illuminate any background, whether it be minor league baseball or inner city schools.

Like Half Nelson, which veered off the typical inspiring teacher in an inner city school plot, this is not just another young sports star biography. We get to see the world of young baseball hopefuls in the Dominican Republic, being "groomed" for the US Major Leagues as young horses are raised for the Kentucky Derby. Sugar is one of the better players, but it's not until he learns to master the hook-curve ball, that he gets picked to join the elite few at Spring training in AZ. The directors capture the quiet moments so well here, like when the players get drunk saying goodbye to a fellow peer, who may have been kicked out due to steroids?(foreshadowing). Or the empathic waitress in the AZ diner that gives Sugar a plate of eggs because he doesn't know what "scrambled" or "over easy" means. Or the last phone call to mom, where the banter rings so true to so many of my own calls home. I was never sure where this film was going with Sugar, but I found each step surprisingly logical. The supporting actors are all strong and convincing, but none stand out especially. It's a true ensemble piece.

In the end, Sugar isn't so much about a baseball player's rise and fall. It's about the new immigrant's experience: the departure from home and family, the adjustment to a new world and culture, and the modulation of one's expectations and dreams to reality. It's not as pretty as you would imagine, but there's enough generosity and kindness that it gives you hope.

More good eats in SF

Mel is in SF for a few days, so that means more eating out in delicious SF! I took him to that other great Ramen House Katana-ya and enjoyed the over-abundant special Katana-ya ramen, filled with dumplings, fried chicken, bamboo shoots and more. I love the miso broth as well. The tiny restaurant is always packed, but we got to enjoy the spectacle of two European Don Juans hitting on the waifish waitress/hostess.

We also enjoyed brunch at Grand Cafe in the Hotel Monaco last weekend. I think it's my new favorite. Great food, minimal-to-no wait on Sundays and moderate prices. I had been there for first time last year with Gaby, when we skipped the never moving line of Dottie's, and was surprised by how reasonable it was for a nice hotel. The food is definitely fresh, and you won't see Duck Confit at Sear's. I really enjoyed my omelette with a huge dose of bay shrimps. Yum. Of course, you can't beat the ambience of that huge art deco dining room.