Halloween treats

It was a fabulous Halloween weekend, and I went clubbing at
Vision Night Club with the members of AsianOne.org, a social network for Chicago-based Asian-Americans.

It was a happy night for me. I haven't been clubbing in a long time, and it was fantastic to get back to the dance floor.
What can I say, I find asians, specially those almond and sharp eyed looking men with angular cheek bones, very attractive. When they wear black and look so polished and slightly aloof, I just find it such a turn-on. I don't know, the ultimate Lust-of-my-life is blond blue-eyed Brad Pitt, but my real life hotties are more sushi than burger and fries. Asians are hot, I don't care if they're stereotyped as either nerds or chinatown gangsters in American movies.

In real life, the hard-working nerds get to sell their software companies for a billion dollars to Google.

Hollywood saves the world....One African Baby at a time

Are you tired of it yet?

Images of Hollywood celebrities floating in the Internet, seen on CNN, splashed on Newsweek-- and none of these events features them promoting any movie. More likely, you’ll see them cuddling an African baby from an obscure village in Sudan, Uganda, Malawi, or some other sun-dried sounding towns, or pontificating infront of Larry King or a Washington D.C. stage about AIDS in Africa.

Yes, Africa is the new black (forgive the pun).

Celebrities think they are saving Africa, but it's probably the other way around. Africa is currently the biggest and most powerful PR machine in Hollywood.

Seen gambaloozing at 2am half drunk with other wasted starlets? Schedule a photo op for UNICEF. Newly divorced with an album that bombed? Volunteer as a spokesperson for a mission in Kenya. Peeved that only Africa doesn't have an idea that you're the biggest popstar of the world? Do some impromptu performance in Malawi with the tribal women and adopt one of their babies. You want to wear a powersuit because you're tired of baring skin for work? Go to Washington and lobby about the refugees in Africa. Has your career paled as much as your skin? Paint some tribal colors on your face for a black and white photo and declare that you're actually not from New York's Upper East Side, but from South West Africa.

Americans must be feeling quite threatened and intensely disliked so they want to show the world that they're actually nice people.

Hey Kumar from Pakistan, look, we really care. We're not just rich, junk food loving people who watch Reality TV all the time and think the entire world should speak English. We actually want to make a difference.

Forgive the cynicism, but I don't need to fly to Africa to save the world. The thousands of street kids and beggars in the city of my birth is enough to satisfy any humanitarian minded celebrity.

American yuppies live in their sweats

Since I arrived here, I've been fascinated with the yuppie American's addiction to wear their gym clothes outside the gym. When I saw tabloid pics of J.Lo, Paris Hilton, Madonna, and all those other Hollywood startlets wearing "couture" (read: overpriced) gym clothes walking around, shopping or dining, I thought it was just another frivolous Hollywood trend. J.Lo is promoting her clothing line, and everyone has jumped into the Juicy Couture bandwagon, so they're all wearing gym clothes. Fine.

Much to my suprise, gym clothes seems to be a part of the young American dressing culture. It seems 3 out of 5 yuppies wear their college sweaters and some ratty gym pants while walking the dog, meeting friends for coffee or grocery shopping. Frankly, it's not attractive. I may have grown up in a 3rd world country with most of the people not having even 1/8 the average American's budget, but men and women back home still have the excitement and energy to dress up when going out and not leave the house wearing whatever's nearest to the door.

I'm sorry, but if I were a guy, my sensibilities would automatically cringe when I see a grandfather sized shirt and pants even if the woman wearing them looks like Angelina Jolie. It's boring, it looks uninspired, it looks sloven, and who likes a man or a woman seemingly too bored to let some creativity loose--even if its only with the clothes they wear?

We don't have this in the 3rd World

posted at the community board

The li'l doggies here are better treated than most kids from the 3rd World. No worries though, I love my shit zu back home as well. Frappie IS better treated than most kids I know.

The new guessing game: How do you know you're no longer in the 3rd world?

How do you know you're in a 1st world country?

1. ) When you don't have to be in a nice hotel to have sanitary and automated toilets. There is minimal contact with the facilities-- which means lesser chance of germ and virus transfer.


Just step on the latch and you can dispose your trash...no hands!
Fully loaded with liquid soap and ready to go!

Warm weather beckons

It's fall season in the U.S., which means bye bye to warm weather and tan exposed skin, and hello to chilly, mostly overcast skies with showers and thunder storms. I am a girl who thinks summer is the sexiest season, and as chic as coats and boots look for the fall season, I still prefer airy, blousy clothes.

I religiously watch the weather updates so that I can anticipate when I can enjoy the sun even though autumn is clearly in the air. Last Tuesday, Oct 3, the weather was on the high 70s and the sun was out. It meant I had to be out to enjoy the sun as well. So I went downtown and walked around to enjoy the beautiful weather.

To further take advantage of the respite from the chill, I visited the city's famous
Millenium Park located at the west of Michigan Avenue, Chicago's version of New York's famous 5th avenue. The park used to be a railroad, and it became a dilemma to the council of the fast developing city what to make of the area so that it could fit to the new face of downtown Chicago.

They came up with the park.

Here are some pictures:

I HEART MAKI

mochi dessert! yummy ice cream inside a dough.



One night of maki fest and I was in heaven. With maki, they can supersize all they want!

Run for their paws!

Being away from my dog makes me miss dogs--dogs that I own. So dogs are everywhere and they all remind me of my nephew, my shitzu Frappie. Last Sunday, there was an event organized by www.pawschicago.com entitled "Run for their Lives." It was an early walkathon/conference for doggies and their parents, and I was there to take part of the event--sans dog.

Here are some pictures: