Murun Buchstansangur

Lacenaire sent me this today. The "bleakest kids cartoon ever," but I think he sent it to cheer me up, me and my stuffy nose and all. It did. I quite like the message at the end. Danke. Hug, cuddle, snuggle...

Just a Perfect Day...

It was pretty ultimate today. Farmer's market in the morn, ran into old college friends who I haven't seen in forever, bought enough deliciousness to last me this entire week, then onwards to BWS rehearsal (more below, it's definitely worth it's own entry really), then hiking plans in Solstice Canyon didn't go as planned as it's closed until next week but no matter, detoured to the 'Bu for a nice sunset with lovely friends and finally a tête-à-tête Sunday supper with Ez at the Four Seasons. Oh and the Lakers won. Good day innit?


It warmed my heart (unexpectedly) when I saw those green and blue cases upon my arrival...

I was invited by Brent (turns out without that official familial "title," we can just bro down like we used to, a good heart and a good mind for sure...) to listen in and get a taste of how the BWS rehearsals are coming along before their big reunion Sub Pop anniversary show next month. Chris/Jen were late so Aaron suggested I fill in on the keys. Hmmm, no thanks, not my band. Then, Brent, always the cheekiest, started playing "Blood Brothers." Aaron turned on the amp that was connected to the wurly and all of the sudden, I started playing along. Dude, how ironic is this? First time playing Tyde songs in over a year & a half and without Darren! So funny. So sad. Then we jammed to "All My Bastard" and it came to me as natural as ever. And the most amazing thing happened... it was fun! It felt so natural to play with other people again... And not just any other folks, they are MY peeps, my music friends, my oldest friends who I've been through the best and worst times with, they are sort of family...


Lucky I was there to remind them that they had forgotten to add "New County," "Sing Your Thoughts," and an oldie but a goodie "Windows '65" (which is saved for Phase 2 I was told...)


Farmer Dave might not be there for those shows but the magic is still there. It sounded so good, special, intimate, just like the beginning...


Kate & Sara at the 'Bu


Wiggles & Scott

The hug I needed this week...

My English friends are just the best! When I arrived home from yoga tonight, I found a parcel on my doorstep from dear old Paul (who along with Steven had put out the first ever Tyde record years and years ago)... Inside was the most mind-blowing thing ever! A 5-cd boxset of Dylan Covers (from '65-'69) Paul had compiled, in titulary sequence with full artwork, his own special tribute liner notes, witty album titles (Mashville Skyline, Dyed Blonde on Blonde, Highway 61 Resurfaced, If I Had to Bring It All Back Home Again, I'd Bring It All Back Home Again All Over You and John Wesley? Hardly... ) and there was a personalized photo letter of Paul, in serene namaste pose, standing in front of Rev. Robert S. Zimmerman's First Baptist Church of Philadelphia (wait, how hilarious is this?) AND I got Edition 6/10! Just Brilliant! How special am I feeling right now?

I saw versions I've heard of already like those of Nina Simone, Isaac Hayes and The Walker Brothers covers, you know the obvious ones. But I instantly gravitated towards Scott Walker's cover of "I Threw It All Away." WTF? How did I not know about this all these years? I am a total amateur. Just listen to it now. And the next song I had to listen to was Richie Havens' cover of "Sad Eyed Lady of the Lowlands." Its upbeat version took me for a surprise which I was not ready for. Hmmm, I'm not gonna share that with you right now. And then Marie Laforêt's version of "D'Etre a Vous (I Want You)" is just right up my alley, super '60s ye ye bubblegum candy for my indie ears. And I'm kinda fancying Jewels & Binoculars' instrumental soft jazz cover of "Visions of Johanna." It strangely reminds of Ron Burgandy's flute solo! Dude, this is so good. I wish I could share the entire thing with you, it's major, the total shit. I really need to study all the songs. I mean I recently read about Maria Muldaur in Joe Boyd's White Bicycles and had been curious to hear what her voice sounded like and here she was!

Thanks so much Paul. You really took this shitty week and made it into something special, really special. I'll make sure to give the other box sets to Ben and Darren, they're going to love it too.

*Correction* - Apparently I was wrong when I said I've never heard of that S. Walker cover. I just got an email from my Ex (yes, that one) saying I had once helped him buy that soundtrack on eBay. But hey, Scott Walker has always been his thing, I just went along for the ride (as he always said)...

To baby

It's been a sad week for me with a sudden loss of an old friend. And as always, without fail, music has come to the rescue to help me try to make sense of how insane this world can be. All I've been listening to this past week is the new covers album by Vetiver, "Thing of the Past." Here's my favorite track from the album. I love Andy's voice. Just listen to it by yourself, at home on the couch or in bed, while driving, while walking, uninterrupted. And I've been preoccupying my nights making training mixes for Lacenaire's upcoming marathon run. And I'm still listening to this song every morning as I get ready for the day.

So Bold

For all my geeky lovable friends who are trying to persuade me to get the new iPhone when it comes out next month, dude, I'm not going to. There's no "copy and paste"! and BBM! Not everyone is impressed nor prefers a touchscreen... No thank you. xo

Wedding of the Year

My cousin got married this past weekend. We're the same age, his wife is a decade younger. This has been a long time coming. Finally, the "rare" male in our family was going to get married and (hopefully) continue the "Do" name and legacy.

Vietnamese weddings are major in my culture. I'm just gonna skip to the photo's and if you want, you can read all about it on Wikipedia. This is my interpretation of events as it has always been before, things that really have happened to me though I've always disclosed to my friends that my blog is an exaggeration of my life (sometimes it just flows better you know?) I try to make it more exciting than it is so I may believe that my life is truly how I imagine it to be. As Mr. Sedaris succinctly said in today's Sunday Times, "Memoir is the last place you’d expect to find the truth." If anything, this blog is fun to do? Has my self-importance gone to extreme delusions of grandeur? Why must I blog?


Friday traffic sucks (as always) so I barely made it to my fitting in Little Saigon for my two áo dàis I got made especially for the wedding. Then I was told that we would be going to Hong An bò 7 món for dinner with the rest of our 40 or so close family members in town for the wedding. Great. Another 7 courses of beef. That would be my 6th time this year! That's once a month, 42 courses of beef! And we're definitely not taking in account the infinite number of other red meat meals I've already devoured this year. I mean 7 courses of beef is for truly special occasions, reserved for like maybe once or twice a year, not 6 in less than the first half of the year! I feel insanely bloated. Wii Fit is not gonna be happy with me tonight. Thank God I'm going on this vegan lunch meal plan I have starting this Monday where veginout.com is going to deliver "yummy" meals weekly. See, my life is not all about preaching the deliciousness of carnivores. Gluten and seitan can be tasty too you know... I really hope I don't have to eat my words about this...


My cousin and his bride, a total sweetheart.


My sis and Co Lien carrying the roses in the procession.


The bride and her mom, who traveled all the way from Vietnam to take part in the ceremony. She was a must!





Besides the procession, part of the ancestor ceremony includes all the familial introductions, jewelry exchanges by both moms and many many envelopes...




Doesn't my cousin, the groom, look like the Vietnamese Peter Sellers?


Of course there was a pig! And of course, I requested the best part, the cheeks! It was beyond tasty. Yum yum piggy's bum...


Not only was I roped into seating the arrived guests to their tables, I was also the "filler" for those who arrived solo... It's very very bad luck to have 3 in a photo so I was the lucky fourth in these photo ops. A lot of them were older, usually my kind of thing but I've given that up now... Only my generation from now on...

My Uncle Bob toasting the bride and groom. Lots of speeches that night. All of them good too, especially the groom's! Who knew he could be so profound. Yes! Family is "BIG."


The night was filled with amazing singers with amazing dresses belting it all out all night long! Carole Kim was a highlight for me though the guitarist's tone was a bit too screechingly loud for my taste but otherwise, top rate entertainment!

***
And if you hadn't already guessed, I purposefully had my dresses made in the colors yellow and purple. Yes, Laker colors. I'm a fan, always have been even through Kobe's questionable years... I'm wearing my Kobe Sunday jersey best today. I just gotta believe!

be no spring chicken

End of May, beginning of June. My first full weekend in LA in a long time. Sunset hikes, bbqs, brunches, farmer's market, cooking, yoga, gardening, wii fit(!), and straight up relaxing... sadly no sand and sea this time around but next weekend for sure?


Weekend started by meeting up with Wiggles at the book expo. Rather stuffy inkhorn affair but that Kuma Sutra booth kinda made it exciting for us.


Benne Anna & Colbs treated me to a late bday brunch at yummy Cliff's Edge. Got a bit tips on the moscato. Thanks for the owl guys...


Took them to the Keep sample sale afterwards where Colbs got 3 pairs of awesomeness...


...while Barr dj'ed really messed up tunes upstairs where no one could see him.


Made it to Anna's bbq before she headed back for her last summer at Bard...


Sargent Court view of downtown...


California sunset


OM underneath the golden trumpet allamandas at the Getty. Caught the last weekend of the California Video Show. I loved Suzanne Lacy's "Where Meat Comes From" (saw it 3x!) and the Target vids were as awesome. Sadly, I have to miss this amazing screening this Saturday for my cousin's wedding... Choices.. Choices... Choices!