YNOTswim's Xanga

The Very Long GAPA Runway and AIDS Walk

Tue, 22 Jul 2008 02:28:25 GMT

An eventful weekend leaves me exhausted and sleepy, as well as exhilarated.

If you think the Oscar Award Show is long, try GAPA's Runway Show.

On Saturday night, the 20th Annual GAPA Runway lasted over four hours.

However, the witty, hilarious, and fabulous Tita Aida makes these long hours much more enjoyable and fun. In fact, Tita has become the very reason I go back to the show, besides I can see everybody in the beautiful Herbst Theatre.

The show has become repetitive, especially when some contestants come back to compete year after year. Sometimes I can't even tell them apart due to the lack of individual personalities and distinct characters. I am not sure if I am going to go back next year if the show doesn't grow up. Twenty years old should be mature enough, right?

After the show, I didn't go to bed. Like many others, I went to N'touch for the after party. The place is packed, including the newly crowned Mr. Gapa. I surely had a great time, except I didn't go to bed until 2:30am, after the club closed at 2am.

A few hours later, at 8:30am on Sunday, I woke up, washed up, then rushed out of the house to a bus station heading to the Golden Gate Park for the AIDS Walk.

Was I tired? Absolutely. But my spirit was high, and I was hyped after a few cups of coffee before the walk started—I kept talking and giggling, couldn't shutting up.

It was very foggy and chilly in the park as a typical summer morning in the park. To keep myself warm, I signed up with three teams so I can put different color t-shirts on me. Peter signed me with Wachovia team, so we could get some grilled chicken when we finish the walk; Ryan signed me with UCSF team, because I like their black color t-shirt; I signed up with A&PI Wellness Center team, so I could walk in the dark red pride t-shirt.

I dragged Stephen out of his dream so he could join us to finish this year's AIDS Walk.

Over six miles, the walk was actually quite pleasant in the beautiful park, although I wish the volunteers had stopped screaming along the route. They are supposed to cheer the walkers, but they overly act on their duty, like the Spartan Cheerleaders on Saturday Night Live. They were overly excited and ridiculously screamed at the calm, peaceful walkers, all the time. As a result, they are quite annoying, instead of being inspiring.

Due to lack of sleep and the long walk, I no longer had the ambition of rushing to Dolores Park for a concert by San Francisco Symphony. I headed home, cooked something to eat, had a pleasant chat with Alex on the phone for couple hours, and then finished writing movie reviews.

That's plenty for me in one weekend, I think. I am already looking forward to the next weekend.

The Unknown Woman (La sconosciuta)

Giuseppe Tornatore's heartwarming "Cinema Paradiso" (Nuovo cinema Paradiso) won him an Oscar for Best Foreign Language Film in 1990. Since then, few of his work have been widely released except the fascinating "Malèna" in 2000. Luckily, we do not have to wait for another 10 years to see his next major released film. His suspenseful thriller "The Unknown Woman" (La sconosciuta, Italy 2006, 118 min.) brings him back to the spotlight. It won five David di Donatello, the Italian equivalent to the Oscar, for Best Film, Best Director, Best Actress, Best Music, and Best Cinematography.

The "unknown woman" is Irena (Xenia Rappoport), a Ukrainian woman coming to Italy looking for a job as a maid. She does everything she can to become a beloved nanny for an adorable little girl Thea (Clara Dossena) from a wealthy Adacher family. However, that is just the very beginning of this "unknown" woman's unknown mission.

That is all about the plot that I want to reveal because suspense is an essential element about this film. The story is carefully constructed to keep us engaged and intrigued, even though the effort to make the film artificially suspensive is quite evident sometimes. It works, mostly.

The film uses numerous flashbacks to indicate that Irena has an unsettling past. However, the mystery surrounding her present quest is even more captivating. Although a few scenes seem to exist for the thrilling effect instead for the logic of the story, in the end, most jigsaw puzzle pieces fall into places where they belong.

The haunting music in the film is composed by the legendary composer Ennio Morricone, who received an Honorary Academy Award last year for "for his magnificent and multifaceted contributions to the art of film music." It is remarkable that he composed the music for this film before the shooting. Perhaps only a master is able to do so.

With terrific performance by the lead actors and a top notch production, "The Unknown Woman" is a satisfying engrossing thriller. It will open on Friday (July 25) in theaters.

Mamma Mia!

Since ABBA released their trademark tune "Mamma Mia!" in 1975, this popular song has become a culture icon. The hit Broadway musical "Mamma Mia!" makes the song even more popular to the new generations. Based on this musical, an exhilarating film "Mamma Mia!" (USA/UK 2008, 108 min.) surely will get more people out their seats, singing and dancing.

The story is probably already known to most people due to the musical. Twenty years old Sophie (Amanda Seyfried) lives with her hippy mom Donna (Meryl Streep) on a beautiful Greek island, but she does not know who is her father. In order to let her unknown father give her away at her wedding, Sophie secretly invites all three possible men (Pierce Brosnan, Stellan Skarsgård, and Colin Firth) to the island. Their presence turns Donna's emotion, as well as Sophie's wedding, upside down.

Obviously the plot doesn't fly very high, nor convincing. However, I doubt that anybody who comes to this film would care. We will smile widely while listening to the familiar tunes, watching the hilarious choreography, enjoying the beautiful Greek scenery, and giggling at Pierce Brosnan's singing. The immensely joyful energy from this film will carry us away and we will forgive the flaws in the film. There is no need to spoil a good time by poking at this film. Let's face it, this is not meant to be a thought provoking or an emotionally touching film. It's a light hearted comedy, and a musical, with a dancing and singing Meryl Streep.

Meryl Streep and her two hippy pals, Rosie (Julie Walters) and Tanya (Christine Baranski), are the funniest characters throughout the film. When they bounce around, in bed or not, I wonder if they are practicing before competing in next month's summer Olympics.

"Mamma Mia!" entertains us with its undeniable charm and gets us out of the chair to sing and dance with the characters, especially when the song is "Dancing Queen."

"Mamma Mia!" opens last Friday in theaters.

The Lousy U.S. Economy

Fri, 18 Jul 2008 02:10:39 GMT

Before I notice it, this week is almost over. Tomorrow will be Friday again!

I wonder if the summer will be gone like this before I even feel it. Then again, the real San Francisco summer won't come till October.

Even the weather is not as hot as a typical summer, things are sizzling around the city regardless. Last Sunday, Frank and Patrick celebrated summer days at their house with a lot food, drink, and people. This coming Saturday is the 20th Annual Mr. & Miss GAPA Pageant—Gapa Runway, followed by Sunday's AIDS Walk.

It will be a very busy and fun weekend ahead.

I hope that all of these events will take away the anxiety due to the current state of the U.S. economy, which is totally depressing. Inflation is way up, the highest annual rate increase in 27 years; US dollar is as weak as toilet paper; the U.S. has a staggering debt that averages to $455,000 for every household in the nation; banks are failing...

Even though I didn't get a raise at the inflation rate, I cannot say that the sinking economy affects me as much as it affects an average American, because I live a simple life without a car or a mortgage. However, that doesn't mean I am immune from the lousy outlook. Groceries keep going up, and I must eat. I have not looked at my 401(k) account for months—I am sure it will only show depressing numbers if I do. I have to be on the look out to which banks my saving accounts belong.

In order to help out the economy, my 46" TV in the living room decides to act up. Its picture begins to have diverged colors sometimes when it's not happy. It's time for me to shop for a new TV, finally.

But I doubt it will be anytime soon—it looks like that I will be busy most of my weekends before November, if I am not traveling. Hopefully, by the end of the year, my TV, as well as the U.S. economy, will recover from its sickness.

Honestly, I won't hold my breath.

Ryan's Visit

Mon, 14 Jul 2008 01:58:04 GMT

I have come to a point that I have to cut down my film screenings—I simply do not have enough time to commit to everything. I have not written any blog entry for more than a week. It's a sign that I have been swamped with activities other than sitting in front of a computer. I think it's a good thing.

Last week, Ryan came to the City for a quikie—a very short visit lasting only three days, including one day in bed, sleeping. I had such a great time hanging out with him. We giggled and laughed so much that I could not keep silent for more than a few minutes. He dared me one time not to say a word for five minutes and I failed miserably. We burst into louder laughter because of it.

We took a long walk on the beach on a very windy and foggy day. Yet, the fun was not any less than if it were a sunny day. We took off our shoes and got our feet wet, even though the water was cold, as always.

Now, Ryan has left. The apartment becomes quiet and I am writing on a computer again.

I miss him.

I wish his visit were longer so I could add couple more winkles on my face from all the giggling—I am alright with them because winkles are also an indication of happiness.

It's hard to adjust the void in the apartment after Ryan left. So yesterday, Alex and Sean came over and we cooked many 韭菜盒子, which I have no idea how to call it in English. No restaurant in the United States serves it, as far as I know.

I always regret that I didn't learn how to make them from mom. However, I think I have figured it all out and I have mastered the skill of making it. Sean even joked that he would divorce Alex and marry me because of these 韭菜盒子. Someday, one lucky guy will have that honor, because as Sean puts it, one needs to put in love into those 韭菜盒子 to make them so good.

I agree completely.

Even though I wanted to cut down the film screenings, I still have five films scheduled next week, including the highly anticipated "Mamma Mia!"

Before I get into "Mamma Mia!," here is a French film that opened on Friday.

Tell No One (Ne le dis à personne)

Based on a best selling thriller novel, French director Guillaume Canet recreates a murder mystery in "Tell No One" ("Ne le dis à personne," France 2006, 125 min.). Suspenseful? Definitely. Thrilling? Not really.

Set in Paris, pediatrician Alex Beck (François Cluzet) still moans his wife after she was murdered eight years ago. After Alex receives a strange email that directs him to a video footage on the internet, he finds himself becoming a target of the police investigation while he tries to find out the truth about the crime eight year ago.

The film never stop adding more jigsaw puzzle pieces into the picture before one can make any sense from few clues that are already given. After a good half of the film, it does not slow down its pace, and continues to provoke more questions than provide any answers. That comes with a heavy price—its characters. Because the film is deliberately focused on manipulative plots to make it as complex and suspenseful as possible, it has little time left to explore its characters in depth. It takes me a while to figure out their identities and their relationships with Alex. Somehow, I do not think I am entirely responsible to feel these women all look alike in the film, except the woman who tortures using pressure point technique (点穴) —originally this is an Asian male in the novel.

Amazingly looked like Dustin Hoffman, François Cluzet terrifically plays Alex Beck, even though he is limited by his character. He can run faster than his internet connection that uploads his Yahoo Email; he is lucky that when he clicks on a strange Web address from a stranger, he does not get any computer virus. I keep asking myself, what if he does not run? To me, he does many more things that he should not do.

It would have been alright if the plot comes together at the end after the endless buildups. However, the film surprisingly provides a tell-you-everything-about-what-happened ending, like detective Poirot would do, but without the dramatic and convincing effect that Poriot orchestrates.

What a tease.

"Tell No One" opens on Friday, July 11 in Bay Area theaters.

The Fog Likes Fireworks Too

Sun, 06 Jul 2008 02:42:02 GMT

I wish every weekend were a long July 4th weekend. I thoroughly enjoy the warm weather and not that sunny sky. Actually, the low hanging fog has made the bay quite pretty during the day, like this picture I took a few days ago in my apartment. It creates layers of lights on the water.

At night, the soothing sound from ships bellowing their horns reminds me the fog is still with me, even I can't see it. I feel like I am sitting on the fog and gliding into my dreams.

Yesterday was the July 4th holiday, I took MUNI's 76 Line back to Marin Headlands with Ryan and Peter for a long hike, even it was extremely foggy.

When we were on the top of the mountain, I could not see the City at all. Actually Peter and Ryan seemed to vanish in front of me, like in a murder mystery movie.

But that's only better for us! Because this means there are even fewer cars on the road than a normal sunny day! The air is cleaner, the mystery in the fog is more intriguing, and our laugh is louder. We had such a fantastic time, but we had to come back to cook dinner and to get ready for the fireworks.

After dinner, we took a short walk from my apartment to the bay that was packed by the fireworks watchers already. We picked up a spot on the beach, and sat. Then we realized that there were a few cuties sitting next to us.

However, the fog came to see the fireworks as well. What's worse is that the fog took the front seat.

By 9:30pm, we started to see fireworks were shot into the sky from the water, and then, exploded behind the fog.

Watching the fireworks is like watching somebody showering behind a foggy glass wall—I know exactly what's happening there, but I just have to use a little bit of my imagination to complete the whole picture. It's like taking out of focus pictures.

Then again, it doesn't matter! We never stopped laughing and making fun of the whole thing. Our cute neighbors sitting on the beach joined our laugh and we had such a wonderful time "listening" the fireworks.

If we have stayed at my apartment, we would have seen and heard exactly the same thing. But then, I wouldn't be able to find out that Billy, the guy sitting next to us, is actually from Raleigh, NC.

I love the fog. It always provides me with entertainment, and makes this city incredibly beautiful.

Pride Parade Was A Blast

Wed, 02 Jul 2008 02:15:13 GMT

The party is over. Now I am exhausted and feeling withdraw.

I had a blast at this year's Pride Celebration. The festival pretty much bring everybody out, because I have been seeing everybody during the pride, many of them I have not seen for a long time.

The climax is definitely the Pride Parade on Sunday. Even it was a little overcastted in the morning, huge crowd already started to gather in downtown waiting for the parade to begin. I started to get excited even before I reached to the staging area.

Stephen and I have been on Tita Aida's "San Francisco LGBT Pride Theme Float" for the past few years. This year is no exception.

Because this year's theme is "United by Pride, Bound for Equality," our float is a giant wedding cake (at around 1:08 mark in this video clip) with a big heart on top. It turns out to be a broken heart—half of the heart fell of the cake during the parade. It's kinda funny, I hope nobody noticed it.

While we were preparing to leave, Stephen and I took a picture with the one and only fabulous Margaret Cho.

Since our float is the #7 in the parade, almost there was no backup at all. That means our float moving really fast from start to finish, perhaps even faster than a MUNI bus. We were dancing, laughing, singing, and cheering. What a great time!

After we finished the parade, I got myself a giant yellow balloon jelly fish. It can be seen from far away, and becomes a perfect symbol when I was trying to meet up with other friends on the phone: "Do you see the big yellow jelly fish? I am under the jelly fish!" Worked every time like a charm! There is a sea of people over there, so we have to be creative!

This year's pride seems quite timid compared to the past. I even see fewer naked people than Bay to Breakers. Perhaps I didn't stay at Civic Center for too long enough.

Do I really have to wait for another year for this to happen all over again?

Pride Weekend Ahead

Sat, 28 Jun 2008 16:02:26 GMT

The California Wildfires continue to burn, which causes nasty smoky hazy air. The clear blue sky has not been seen for a few days. I can even smell the smoke inside my office.

When I was sitting in my office, the sky outside the window looked scary. I saw a big chunk of dark colored clouds in the sky. I have no idea whether they are actually fog or smoke. Probably they are fog, because that's the direction from the Pacific Ocean. I hope so at least.

I hope all this haze will go away soon. Especially, I hope the blue sky will return during Sunday's Pride Parade.

On my birthday, I cooked some noodles for breakfast. It's a tradition that I can not break.

I had a great time at Todai with Peter, Sean, Chris, and Ryan for my birthday dinner. Thank you guys!

After I came back, I went to N'touch for A&PI Wellness Center's pride kick off party. The place was packed and I had not seen so many people over there for a long time.

Finally Pride weekend is here. It seems there are more events, parties, and films to go to. I have to pick and choose.

Today:

Tomorrow:

Pride Parade
After Parade VIP Party
Frameline closing night film: "Breakfast with Scot
Frameline Closing Night Gala

Next week: Oh, never mind. I can't think that far ahead now. "Wanted" finally opened yesterday. I posted my review.

Wanted

If you are ever curious about fraternities and their initiation process (a.k.a. hazing), an exciting action thriller "Wanted" (USA 2008, 113 min.) definitely provides some insights, even the fraternity is not an ordinary beer drinking one on a college campus—it is a fraternity of assassins.

A broke office clerk Wesley Gibson (James McAvoy) has special physical ability that he is not aware himself. Reluctantly, he gets selected into this fraternity of assassins, headed by Sloan (Morgan Freeman).

To transform Wesley from a Dilbert into a professional assassin, Cox (Angelina Jolie) and other old fraternity members brutally train Wesley during the hazing process—they basically torture him into pieces. Soon enough, Wesley goes on his assassination assignments, and discovers the shocking truth about the fraternity.

These characters seem all have an incredible ability to endure physical trauma and to recover from any injury in no time. All of them seem less complex than those weapons they use, and their minds can be easily manipulated.

However, these characters are not what this exhilarating film is about.

This film is about hair raising actions, the shock-and-awe fighting choreography, incredible creative imaginations, and the beautiful race car driving, machine gun shooting, tattoo covering, ass kicking Angelina Jolie. No matter what character she plays in a movie, people will see Angelina Jolie, period. So the film does not bother to spend much effort on her character. Instead, it focuses on her actions, and how she kills her targets.

Nobody can deny that the action sequences are crafted together brilliantly in this film.

After the film, you will know how to get on a missed train—fasten your seat belt in Angelina Jolie's car. She can get you there, and it will be a fantastic amazing ride!

Get Back My Bridge

Thu, 26 Jun 2008 04:31:25 GMT

It's my birthday already. Not only because the clock just passed the midnight mark—it has been the 26th of June in China for a while by now.

Because of the dinner plan with friends, I have to skip the "Annual City Hall Pride Flag Raising Reception" later today, hosted by the mayor. There were plenty delicious food at last year's reception, so I am not sure what I will be missing this year. Regardless, I will be eat well for my birthday.

Although it's nice to have the unusual hot weather to disappear, I didn't expect that cold last couple days. It was literally freezing. Plus, it has been hazy due to the wild fires around, so it has been gloomy for a few days.

This is a picture I took last week from the apartment when it was super hot, and the sky was crystal clear.

Now, with heavy fog, or smog from the fire, the mountains and the bridge are all gone.

But I bet by the time I wake up today, the bridge will reappear and it will be a wonderful day. It has to be. It must be, because it's my birthday.

I have been attending some other screenings, such as "Wanted," besides the Frameline 32. However, I cannot post the review for "Wanted" yet, because it won't open until Friday. But "Tru Loved" is not under "hold review," so here it is.

Tru Loved

It has come a long way since the release of a teenager coming out film "Beautiful Things" in 1996—Gay marriage has become legal in some countries, and even some states in the US, including California; The Gay-Straight Alliance Network (GSAs) has grown from 40 clubs to 650 clubs in California State's high schools. However, coming out and fighting homophobic in high school continues to be a challenge for many teenagers and adult to face today. "Tru Loved" (USA 2007, 99 Min.), one of the showcase films at Frameline 32, impressively tells a story about how a group of high school teenagers deal with sexuality and homophobia in their daily lives by forming a GSA club at their high school.

Sixteen years old Tru (Najarra Townsend) moves to suburban Southern California with her two lesbian moms, away from her two gay dads living in San Francisco. She becomes an instant outcast in her new high school, where she meets a closeted gay football player Lo (Matthew Thompson). Fed up by the homophobia at school and the drama for being the cover for Lo at school, Tru decides to form a Gay-Straight Alliance club at her high school. The GSA clubs not only causes a big stir at school, including the mid of her closeted teacher (Alec Mapa), it also connects Tru with a handsome charming Trevor (Jake Abel), who is raised by his gay uncle (Bruce Vilanch).

It's amazing how Tru's life is surrounded by gay people, even she no longer lives in San Francisco; and everyone seems gay friendly except the homophobic football coach at school. Luckily, the strong performance and the engaging story line leave the audiences little time to wonder if this setting exists in real life.

With an extraordinary ensemble casts, the film delivers positive messages without preaching. Thanks to the terrific writing, the film creates a few memorable and convincing characters, and they speak witty, hilarious words without sounding cliché. It seems that the film can go wrong at so many places while the story is unfolding. Yet, the film miraculously dances its way out of a landmine field, not only without many scratches, it also holds its head up high. It stands out to become an excellent coming out film for teenager and adult film goers, gay or straight, to enjoy.

"Tru Loved" will be screened at Frameline 32.

Hot hot hot

Mon, 23 Jun 2008 03:58:25 GMT

Finally, the amazingly hot wave is gone. Things are back to normal. Things must have been back to normal, because now I am writing a blog again after a week long absence.

Everything was so hot in the city. I felt like I was traveling in other parts of the world during a hot summer season. It's surreal to feel this hot in San Francisco.

Not only the air is hot, the city is boiling because of the spirit of the Pride month. The merchants are quickly cashing in as well on recent gay marriage ruling. One morning on my way to work, I passed a clothing store with two display windows. One window has two men in formal wear standing on a wedding cake. The other window has two women standing on a wedding cake.

Only in San Francisco!

The unusual warm weather brings out record number of people to the AT&T Ballpark on Friday for San Francisco Opera's fantastic Lucia di Lammermoor. The night just can't be any more perfect.

On the empty field, there were two little kids kept running around. When they didn't, they sat quietly in the middle of the field, although just for a very brief moment. Then the little one got up running away again. The bigger one chased after. It was so cute.

In the middle of the performance, the moon started to rise from the bay water. At first I thought it was some hot balloon rising from one of the boats in the bay enjoying the opera, because the bright object was unusually big. Indeed, it's the moon. It rose gradually and set in the background of the ballpark.

What's even better that night is this. Next to the section we were sitting, Kevin was sitting there at the opera too! He didn't dance though...

I think the good things are still happening more than the bad things.

Last Sunday evening, I was in a hurry to rush out to catch the bus. When I was locking the door, I dropped my wallet at my door step. Normally there was nobody in the hallway. But on that day, somehow, a Chinese guy passed my door right at that moment. After I realized that I dropped my wallet and returned back to my door in less than one minute, my wallet was gone. He saw me coming back to find the wallet at my door, and he disappeared quickly.

Luckily there was only less than $25 cash in the wallet. However, I need to replace everything, including buying a new monthly bus pass. By now, that guy is probably already run over by a truck, because the bad karma he's got for himself.

It seems my wallet has been as hot as the weather lately! After I got a brand new wallet, a black guy was trying to steal it from me on a bus yesterday! He used his jacket to cover his hands, and then open my bag's zipper, but he only got my business card holder instead of my wallet!

WTF?! Nobody is gonna get my wallet ever again! Damnit!

Of course, this is just a minor annoyance during the whole week. I was too busy to get upset about it. The hottest LGBT film festival in the world Frameline 32 opened on Thursday, and I have been attending a few films, including a delightful high school coming out film "Tru Loved" (a full review is on the way).

At the opening night gala, there were so many people and I couldn't get any drink due to the long lines. And it was super hot! I had some food and grabbed a Macy's gift bag, then headed home.

I feel funny that the gift bag only contains man's underwear, but not woman's. Don't get me wrong, I don't have a fetish to wear woman's underwear. Considering so many female party goers, what are they gonna do with the man's underwear? I know some lesbians are butch, but do they actually wear man's underwear?

However, I am not complaining. I've got one that I can wear, so I am happy.

I need to get ready for the upcoming exciting new week full of parties and events. And yes, I will be on the #7 "San Francisco LGBT Pride Theme Float." Before I write another blog entry, let couple of my film reviews take up some space here.

Tongzhi in Love (彼岸浮生)

Director Ruby Yang's (杨紫烨) heartbreaking documentary about devastating HIV/AIDS victims in China, "The Blood of Yingzhou District (颖州的孩子)" won the 2007 Academy Award for Documentary Short Subject. Build on this film's success, Ruby Yang moved to China and worked on many public health related projects including anti-smoking and AIDS awareness campaign in China. Recently, Ruby Yang and Thomas Lennon created public service announcements (PSAs) called "Life Is Too Good" to promote safe sex.

Continuing on her worthy contributions, Ruby Yang's new documentary "Tongzhi in Love" (彼岸浮生, China 2008, 30 min.), perhaps the first documentary about gays in China, examines gay men's double lives in modern China—the freer city gay life versus the closet life being the only child who is responsible for producing an heir for the family.

"Tongzi" (同志) originally means "comrade" in Chinese. However, since the early 90s, "Tongzhi" has become the term for "gay" in Chinese in the LGBT community, and it is a widely accepted term by the general public in Chinese speaking regions nowadays.

Riding the waves of the rapid social and economical progress in China, many gays begin to enjoy a much more tolerate atmosphere in China and to taste their newly found gay freedom in big cities such as Beijing. However, most of them cannot come out to their parents and live a double life; because besides the conservative views toward gays, they also face the immense pressure uniquely to the Chinese culture based on confucian (儒家) teaching.

One of the most prominent confucian scholar Mencius once said:

"Among the three major offenses against filial piety, not producing an heir is the worst." (不孝有三无后为大.)

More than two thousands years later, a billion Chinese people still take Mencius's words close to the heart. Obviously, it creates bigger challenge to gay men, many of them are the only child in a family due the one child policy in modern China.

"Tongzhi in Love" examines this complex scenario through three young gay men's personal stories. Via candid testimonies and lively interviews, these three characters share their opinions, their struggle, their sacrifices, their sorrow, and most importantly, their love for their parents. The film captures the heavy burden in these Tongzhi's mind and shows how they walk the thin line between pursing happiness and pleasing their parents, especially when the two cannot go hand in hand.

These Tongzhi are in love, but not without pain.

"Tongzhi in Love (彼岸浮生)" will be shown with "The Blood of Yingzhou District (颖州的孩子)" at next week's Frameline 32.

Fairytale of Kathmandu

"Fairytale of Kathmandu" (Northern Ireland/Nepal 2007, 60 min.) is an interesting documentary about a gay Irish poet Cathal Ó Searcaigh's annual trip to Nepal.

Perhaps everybody have heard "There are something can't buy, for everything else, ..." However, try tell that to a gay Irish poet Cathal Ó Searcaigh. With money in his pocket, and probably a MasterCard as well, Searcaigh travels to Nepal every year, and he can get boys as young as 16 years old to have sex with him. For him, there is nothing money can't buy.

Director Neasa Ní Chianáin was invited to join celebrated Cathal Ó Searcaigh traveling to Nepal to make a documentary about Searcaigh's spiritual journey and his generous support to the poor people living there.

However, after she observes that young boys are in and out Searcaigh's bedroom, after they were given gifts and "scholarships" for college, Chianáin begins to make a film that tells a complete different story from what it was originally planned.

Is Cathal Ó Searcaigh a generous person who gives financial support to those poor boys so they can attend school? Or is he a sex tourist and take advantage of his economical status upon those young boys?

The answer is quite obvious to everybody, except Searcaigh himself, who denies that he gives those boy gifts because he wants to have sex with them. He does not think he is buying these boys; he believes that he is helping them out and doing them a favor.

That makes him even worse than those Western sex tourists floating around in Asian countries. At least those sex predators are straightforward with their intention.

But Searcaigh wants to present himself as a savor, if not a saint, to those boys and to the poor people in Nepal, and he regards his relationships with these young boys to be his inspiration of his work.

"Fairytale of Kathmandu" is a very sad and disturbing documentary to watch, but it tells a story that must be told. This film will be screened at Frameline 32.

Organic, does a body good

Sat, 14 Jun 2008 15:17:10 GMT

I have not been to the Ferry Building for a long time. I almost forgot how pleasant to stroll along the water front behind the stores, overlooking the Bay Bridge.

Yesterday evening, when I was checking out those stores, I saw a guy at an organic meat store called "Prather Ranch Meat Company" selling organic meat.

He is fine.

I understand that organic food is good for the body, but I didn't expect it does a body this good. He has the perfect facial feature, great body, beautiful skin, even with a delightful voice.

I was going to ask him how he could be so perfect. Then I noticed this sign at the store, I figure that he probably gets asked that question a lot.

After I came home, I practiced "Eye Exercise" (眼保健操), because my eyes needs a long workout after the eye candy I have got.

And, I am going organic.

Apparently, much wacky stuff is happening besides my going organic. Some of them are very entertaining and make me laugh out loud. A few samples:

Dirt bikes kill four
"The California Highway Patrol says four people riding on two dirt bikes between 1:30 a.m. and 3:30 a.m. were riding toward each other when they collided."
With all due respect toward Dykes on Bikes, I hate motorcycles. They are extremely loud in order to get some dirty look (attention), and they stink. However, these four dead souls are definitely not the ordinary motorcycle riders on streets. They rode in the dark, and toward each other. I begin to regard rednecks differently. The comments are even funnier than the news report.
Judge's Web site featuring sex photos
"Judge Alex Kozinski was on the hot seat after the Los Angeles Times disclosed that a Web site of his contained numerous sexual photos and videos - showing nudity and bestiality - while he was preparing to preside over an obscenity trial in Los Angeles."
I still cannot see what Alex Kozinski did wrong. His personal life is not to be judged. Period. In fact, if he can separate that from his work, he is probably the best judge we can find. So chill out, and mind your own business! I don't even want to see those photos, because Alex Kozinski is no Edison Chen.
Star-gazing teens fall asleep in street, are run over by car
"Two teenage boys who fell asleep while stargazing in the middle of a street in Danville were run over early this morning by a woman delivering newspapers from her car."
They must have been seeing a lot stars. They should have been awarded medal for not wasting times on watching TV or playing computer games. They slept so well that they didn't even hear the car coming. That makes me wonder if they have lean bodies, because the concrete roads are not the most comfortable surface to sleep unless you have a lot build in cushion. And, to me, these two boys just sound so romantic.
Man gets ticket for going topless in public
"Sean Cephus, 18, was cited June 4 when police say he was spotted without a shirt on South Street near Hanson Street (in Easton, MD)."
I agree with one of the comments made to this news article—This 18 years old dude should have a bikini on if he wants to live in that part of America. Come on, move here to San Francisco, where nudity is common. Wonder why the Europeans look down on Americans, besides Bush?
Sudoku-playing jurors make judge stop drug trial
"A judge aborted a drug conspiracy trial Tuesday after some jurors were found to have been playing the puzzle game Sudoku while evidence was being given. The judge was alerted after it was observed the jurors were writing vertically, rather than horizontally. It had been assumed they were taking notes."
You cannot blame on the jurors, the trial was boring, and Sudoku is so addictive. I wonder what I would do if I were sitting in that box. I have to say that judge is so observant. Now, a random thought comes to mind: does he have a Web site with a lot porn on it?

I am heading out the swimming pool now. For many others, they might be watching Hulk, who must have had a lot organic food.

The Incredible Hulk

If the memory of King Kong starts to fade in one's mind, a new action packed, fast paced, superhero themed blockbuster "The Incredible Hulk" (USA 2008, 114 min.) brings all the excitement back, featuring a giant green angry man, the Hulk, who is probably more powerful than his distant cousin King Kong.

Comic character Hulk is Dr. Bruce Banner, who becomes a green monster with powerful strength after an experiment went bad, or well, depending on who you ask. In 2003, director Ang Lee's film "Hulk" brought this character to the big screen, but was poorly received by Hulk's fans. This new promising "The Incredible Hulk" will change that, and it will very likely start a new wave of Hulk frenzy.

In "The Incredible Hulk", Edward Norton plays Bruce Banner, a.k.a. Hulk. His blood has been altered so that when he becomes angry, he explodes into bullet proof Hulk, who has extremely powerful strength. He tries to find a cure to return back to normal, but he is sought by a US military general who wants to turn him into a weapon. However, during the process of catching Hulk, the general creates another monster that perhaps only Hulk has the ability to control. A battle is guaranteed to happen, in New York City. Where else?

Edward Norton is the perfect guy to play Hulk, because he is always sad, if not angry. Besides his smirk in "Primal Fear," can anybody recall a smile from any roles he ever played? In order to transfer Bruce Banner into the green giant Hulk, all he needs to do is to get his heart beat faster. Getting angry does the trick perfectly.

Like most superhero flick, the plot is somewhat formulaic. However, the energy and the dazzling special effects in this film will keep the audiences engaged and entertained. They will beg for a sequel, or sequels.

Even at the end of the film, another superhero walks into a bar, thinking about teaming up with Hulk. Let the speculation about the sequel begin when one walks out "The Incredible Hulk."

Incredible, indeed.

Outing in A Warm City

Thu, 12 Jun 2008 01:59:52 GMT

I have been enjoying the warm tread during the past few days. It's so nice that I start to feel that there might have a warm summer in San Francisco after all.

On Sunday, it's the grand opening of Contemporary Jewish Museum in downtown. I have been looking forward to its opening, because from outside, the building looks very interesting.

However, the museum is such a disappointment. Not only there is little to see inside, the entire museum is boring and confusing. It easily becomes a front runner as one of the worst museum on my list.

I quickly left the place and headed to my favorite beach in Marin Headlands with Peter.

The wave was strong, the hide was high, and the weather was beautiful. After taking many pictures, I decided to make a short video of the wave on the beach. However, I wasn't able to turn around the camera because there are many naked people on the beach.

Pride Celebration is just around the corner. Yesterday, the Golden Gate Business Association held a pride business expo. George and I were enjoying ourselves from table to table sipping wine, tasting hors d'oeuvre, picking up goodies, and flirting with the waiters.

However, I was puzzled why we were repeatedly asked if we are getting married. It turns out that we were getting food and drink in a wedding reception expo room. Although the food is not bad, no, we are not getting married.

Finally, this movie I wrote about is still in theater right now...

Stuck

After screened at the San Francisco IndieFest earlier this year, "Stuck" (USA 2007, 94 min.) brings blood, thrill, and twisted humor back to Bay area theaters.

Mena Suvari plays Brandi, a nurse at a retirement home who is about to get promoted. But on the way home after an outing with her drug dealer boyfriend, she hits homeless man Tom, played by Stephen Rea. However, she does not stop or call 911. She continues to drive, back into her garage. Hit and run? Not really, because Tom is still with her—he is "stuck" on her windshield. Whether Tom will survive is anybody's guess, but one thing is certain: there will be blood.

Nobody would really expect these characters to be realistic no matter how the story claims to be based on a true event. However, these actors put in their best effort trying to make them convincing, thus make the film really funny.

How could a caring nurse be so cold blooded and continues her driving when somebody stuck in her windshield? Somehow, she thinks that as long as nobody sees the man on her windshield, her problem will all go away and her promotion will not be affected.

Evidently, that plot is just an vehicle for the film to deliver the real gig—testing how strong audiences' stomach can be. The film deliberately shows the glory bloody scene to make one moan. It knows that one might have been covering eyes. No problem! It takes its time on a scene so that by the time the eyes are open again, they won't miss anything.

That makes the film bloody funny.

Although this film is not a cup of tea (or blood) for everybody, it will definitely find its followers who are delighted by its twisted humor.

No one can understand what Brandi is thinking when she is doing everything to cover up the accident in order to be able to go back cleaning the feces soiled sheets. However, if she didn't do what she does, the film would not have existed.