That was some naughty and here's the nice

My first real Christmas tree!

Christmas here has been a real treat. It's kind of like visiting the set of a Christmas movie. Something starring an adorable yet feisty child star (before the meth years) who teaches a grumpy, cynical stranger to love again.

Having never lived the northern hemisphere life before, it's weird to be bundling up in scarves and boots and gloves because it's really bloody cold. Not (as in Oz) because it's an awesome fashion opportunity (although it is).

Then there's the tree. The tree! A real fir can be had for a mere $20! (The pumpkin patches set up on corners for Halloween just switch right over to trees after Thanksgiving). So charming to have that Christmas tree smell, and fairy lights glow in the house–not just in shopping centres.

I hate to say it, but it really does feel a lot like Christmas!

Thank you to my readers, all three of you. Hope wherever you are, something charming and magical happens. Hope you get what you wished for. The two things I want aren't sold in shops, but I'll keep wishing them anyway.

Merry Christmas!

Overheard in San Francisco

GREASY PLAITED GUY: ..and there's this other model [pointing to a blow-up doll]..have you seen that?

DECENT-LOOKING ASIAN GUY HOLDING A BLOW-UP DOLL BOX: Oh, yes, I've already got that one.

Overheard in brightly lit adult shop in Little Italy

I felt like buying some insanely expensive things today

That must only mean one thing: It's Miss Clio's birthday!! Happy Birthday Mrs Wieren Dinata!

Everyone's favourite primary school hottie is celebrating another year single-handedly keeping Ebay going. Have a fabulous day, darl.

Ideas to celebrate:

1. Spend a fun morning at school discussing "What would you steal from the zoo?"
2. Ask the kids to do a research project on "Reasonably-priced Balenciaga bags"
3. Commandeer assembly and get the kids to re-enact an episode of Project Runway
   

Turkey Day 07

Hot on the heels of the Halloween shenanigans, came Thanksgiving dinner–another American tradition I shamelesly pulled out of the freezer and reheated for a quick cultural snack. Also, Yen's away and I get the kitchen to myself. w00t! Unfortunately, she also took the camera with her *booo* so I had to rely on a late-coming guest's camera :(

The guests:

I hosted a bunch of Thanksgiving orphans for this–all manner of foreigners, away-from-homers and such.

The menu:
Most of the traditional things–turkey, green beans, mashed potatoes, roast vegetable medley, stuffing, cranberry sauce and gravy, I was fine with. I drew the line though, at the really "traditional" things like green bean casserole, which looks like this:

And can be made with these:

That's canned green beans, canned mushroom soup and packaged fried onions, kids. Sounds delicious, huh?? It's not entirely bizarre because America is one of the few places where the food tradition was still being created during the industrial era. Either that, or the pilgrims have really, really bad taste.

I can be such a food snob because I'm on my moral high ground, from being such an eco-shopper. The turkey was petite and organic, and most of the vegetables and fruits were from the farmer's market. Most everything else I got from Safeways, but organic. How much do I love California??

Due to the sad state of affairs with the camera though, not many pix to choose from. But, here's the view of my two, yes, TWO homemade pies! Sweet potato to the left, was ..*meh*..(though it got the thumbs-up from the locals) and my trusty apple pie already demolished in front.

No one died or even spat into their napkins, so am declaring it a huge success. Hoorah!

MDA Senior Management Rap

"Government rap", like "economy cheese" are two words that should never be put together. Watch for the awesome consequences.

Via Mr Brown, L'infantile terrible of Singapore.

Two Stories of Love

Want to read a story about love?

You could go to the news and see this heart-warming story of boy sees girl on subway, boy makes website seeking girl, boy finds girl, boy and girl's story gets optioned for a movie.

Get your fill of:
-Cute kids in love
-NYC dating 2007
-Fashion tips to get noticed on the subway
-Warm and fuzzy love

Or, you could go to an arty cinema near you, preferably one where the concessions counter is actually smaller than the tickets counter, and see Ang Lee's Lust, Caution.
The gut-wrenching story of girl disguises herself as tai-tai, girl meets boy, boy whips girl.. aagh just go see it!

Get your fill of:
-Asia's Clarke Gable, Tony Leung
-Shanghai in the 1940s
-Awesome vintage cheongsams (!!)
-Love as performance

In case the above ramblingly incoherent alphabet collection didn't do the film justice–

From Ang Lee's essay on Lust, Caution, about Eileen Chang, who wrote the original short story:
She understood playacting and mimicry as something by nature cruel and brutal: animals, like her characters, use camouflage to evade their enemies and lure their prey. But mimicry and performance are also ways we open ourselves as human beings to greater experience, indefinable connections to others, higher meanings, art, and the truth.

FreeRice

The only time I'd hate to be 25 and long to be 41..