The weekend...

Fri nite. I fit into my favorite jeans for the first time in months. That made my night. We had dinner at a Mediterranean restaurant in PA. I can't remember the name of the entree I ordered, but it tasted quite good (6.5 out of 10). It seemed like very Americanized Mediterranean food, which was completely fine with me. I don't need the authentic stuff if the Americanized version tastes better.

After dinner, I saw Better Luck Tomorrow. Before I saw the movie, I thought it was going to be an "Asian movie"... you know, one of those that uses stereotypical and uniquely Asian characters and Asian situations to expose and/or say something "deep" about Asians, or to amuse an Asian audience through a witty understanding of those Asian stereotypical characters and situations. Many Asian people I know had already seen it or wanted to see it, so it seemed to be a movie made for Asian people, for Asian people to go see in support of fellow Asians...

But it came across to me as more of a regular movie with Asian actors playing the parts that actors of other races would normally play. It seemed intended for a wider audience, though it would benefit and have more esoteric appeal to an Asian audience. As a regular movie, I thought it was just alright (5.5 out of 10). No big deal. Not a novel plot. No twists or real suprises. One of these days, I'll read some other reviews, or try to find out more about the makers and what exactly they were trying to accomplish... though those facts probably wouldn't change my opinion of the movie.

The movie is disturbing the way a lot of other movies with similar plots are disturbing. It's probably a bit more disturbing for Asians than for non-Asians, to see Asian kids in such deep shit. Though it happens all the time, seeing it happen on-screen doesn't happen often. I figure that's part of what the makers meant to convey to the wider audience... that Asian kids are just like every other kids, and can even play the same parts in movies sucessfully.

The makers could've substituted any of the Asian guys in the movie with guys of any other race, and it would've been pretty much the same movie, with pretty much the same impact... to non-Asians. I imagine it's just another (teen) movie to non-Asians. I was talking to a friend about how the makers of the movie didn't have to spend a significant amount of time developing the characters, if they assumed or even aimed for a mainly Asian audience, because the characters are practically self-developing through our (us Asian's) understanding of our own stereotypes. I felt I almost already knew the characters the moment I saw them on-screen.

Right after the movie ended, I thought of a few Asian people I know, who may have gone through similar fucked-up, life-changing moments. I also thought of a time in college when I felt as if I was in a situation in which things had gone way too far, and there could be no good ending (just like in the movie).

So, the movie was at least thought-provoking and got to me because I'm Asian. But if I wasn't Asian, I don't think I would've been more than slightly amused. Ah... I guess that might make an "Asian movie" after all.

Saturday. We BARTed up to the Oakland Coliseum for the A's vs. Indians game. We got there before 10:30am to be one of the first 15k people entering the ballpark to get a Miguel Tejada bobblehead. There were already a ton of people in line (my rough, out-of-the-ass estimate is about 8k) when we arrived, but all six of us got one. By the end of the day, my bobblehead's pointing finger had broken off, and his cap got chipped. He looks like he got into a small skirmish, and is about to punch someone out with his up-raised fist.

Since we were early for the game, we were able to watch the players warming up for awhile. As I watched them, I thought... I wouldn't want to be a star athlete. Too much pressure. Too much exposure. Too many critics. Even your devoted fans curse at you when you make mistakes. That's fame for you... A lot of people see you, a lot of people know about you and the things you do. You don't see most of them, and you don't know anything about them. They think they really know you, when they really don't. But they treat you as if they know your kind. They've typecast you. They think they can extrapolate who you really are from what is publically circulated about you. That's wrong, and it sucks. The famous are martyrs... on display for our entertainment and pleasure, while we turn them into icons for both worship and contempt.

Eight of us tailgated before the game began. The guy with the car and the grill hooked us up with a variety of Top Dog dogs. Yummy. I forgot my sunglasses, so my eyes got sunburned a bit during the game. But the A's won, and I got my cotton candy, so I was happy.

After the game, we headed over to one of the guy's place for hamburgers. One of the other guys there is married, and his wife didn't know what MILF is. She guessed, "Ewww... is it jizz?" ... and I felt sorry for her hubby. We played poker after dinner. I've lost interest in most games aside from Texas Hold 'Em. We played tournament-style for a change. I got to go "all in" a couple of times.

Sunday. Got my hair highlighted. I'd been putting it off for months, waiting for sunny days and more-money days. Raymond didn't do my highlights exactly the way I originally wanted, but they don't look bad. It's really these little things that make a huge difference, sometimes. I feel more like me now, with highlights, than I did without them.

I shopped for some shoes at Valley Fair Mall. Didn't find anything to buy, and I believe the problem is more now knowing exactly what I'm looking for than not seeing anything I want. That's usually the problem for me when it comes to such things as shoes. When it comes to men, it's much more often the other way around.

After dinner, we watched Friends and Survivor on TiVo. We also watched The Transporter on DVD. The woman in the movie was probably wearing hair extensions, and that butt in wet underwear was definitely not hers.

Before I went to sleep, I got some great sex. Wore him all out.

All weekend, I thought about how stuff that happened a year ago Saturday nite set the stage for how where I am now and how happy I am now.