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| saving you money... again :)If you eat out a lot, you should check out this site: Restaurant.com $10 gift certificates cost $3$25 in dining for $10and $50 in dining for $20 And according to my source, if you use the code CUISINE, you get 50% off your order (didn't say how long the code is good for... post is from today, May 13 though). So a $25 gift certificate will only be $5! Happy eating! You're welcome! | | |
| casting callThis is from Michael Kang's blog... just thought I'd pass it on. CASTING CALL
I just got this from my friend Tze Chun. It looks like a good opportunity for the right kid. I remember how hard it was trying to find kids to audition for "The Motel." If you have any nieces, nephews, etc., encourage them to try out. It's an educational experience that can't be found anywhere else. I also remember how much trouble I had convincing Chinese parents that this was actually a good thing for them to do instead of sending their kids to math camp. I think this could be a major feature film in the Indie world. Support Asian American film!
“THE KIDS ARE ALRIGHT” INDEPENDENT FEATURE FILM SAG ULTRA-LOW BUDGET AGREEMENT SEEING SAG AND NON-UNION RATE: $100/day + deferred Audition Dates: May and June 2008 Shoot: July / August 2008 Location: New York City (and Boston for 3 leads) Writer-Director: Tze Chun Producer: Mynette Louie SYNOPSIS: Two young children are left to fend for themselves when their mother is arrested for unwittingly taking part in an illegal pyramid scheme. Based on Tze Chun’s own award-winning short film, “Windowbreaker,” which premiered at the 2007 Sundance Film Festival, “The Kids Are Alright” is a drama about the influence of an adult world on children, the immigrant mentality, and shortcuts to the American dream. For more info, visit www.tkaa-movie.com. HOW TO SUBMIT: Electronic submissions only. Email headshot and resume to tkaa.casting@gmail.com. CHARACTER BREAKDOWN: ** CHINESE ROLES: ** [RAYMOND CHENG] Boy, 6-12, Chinese American: Thoughtful, imaginative, verbal. Speaks fluent English.
[TINA CHENG] Girl, 5-9, Chinese American: Looks up to her brother. Very talkative around people she knows, shy around people she doesn’t. Speaks fluent English.
[ELAINE CHENG] Female, 30-35, Chinese: A determined single mother. Tenacious. Won’t take no for an answer. Immigrated 12 years ago from Hong Kong. Speaks with a slight Chinese accent. Speaks fluent Cantonese with no accent. Is hard on her kids at times, but does everything for them. A survivor.
[MICHAEL LEE] Male, 40s-50s, Chinese: A sweet businessman. He’s active in the community and always trying to find ways to help people. Probably immigrated from Hong Kong, China, or Taiwan in his twenties. He’s the kind of guy who started with nothing and built his business brick-by-brick.
[CHARLES CHENG] Male, 30s, Chinese: Raymond and Tina’s absentee father. He lives in Hong Kong, and communicates with the kids long-distance. He’s got a temper. Speaks fluent Cantonese with no accent.
[DORIS] Female, 50s, Chinese: Elaine’s mother-in-law. Used to a comfortable life. Is protective of her grandchildren, and doesn’t think Elaine’s a good influence. Speaks fluent Cantonese with no accent.
[GREAT GRANDPA] Male, 70s, Chinese: Raymond and Tina’s great-grandpa. He’s thin, kind, and has Alzheimer’s. He speaks very little English. He spends most of his life in his tiny Chinatown apartment, living in the past. Ability to speak Taishan or Fukian dialect a plus.
[LINDA GAU] Female, 50s, Chinese: Linda is down-to-earth and pragmatic. She wants what’s best for her kids, but sometimes has trouble saying no. She’s seen a lot in her life, and she always approaches personal and business interactions with a healthy bit of distrust.
[SUSAN GAU] Female, mid-late 20s, Chinese American: Susan and her mother live in Castle Square, the Chinatown projects. She went to local college, got married, and has a young child. She has bills to pay and wants to make money very very quickly. She’s a bit more naïve about the way the world works.
[NANCY] Female, late 30s-40s, Chinese: One of Elaine’s co-workers in the pyramid scheme. High-strung. Competitive.
[ROSEMARY] Female, 40s, Chinese: One of Elaine’s co-workers in the pyramid scheme. A smart, savvy, businesswoman. Dresses and acts very Chinese, but able to work with Americans.
[MRS. CHOW] Female, 50s, Chinese: New immigrant to the US. Came over to be with her son, who works in finance. Not happy with the weather and lifestyle in the US. Constantly bickering with her husband. Speaks fluent Mandarin or Cantonese with a Mandarin accent.
[MR. CHOW] Male, 50s, Chinese: New immigrant to the US. More reasonable than his wife. Speaks fluent Mandarin or Cantonese with a Mandarin accent.
[FELICIA] Female, 20s-40s, Chinese: Works as a real estate broker. The kind that is constantly showing houses but never selling or renting anything. We get the feeling she’s just trying to get out of the house. (We are looking for a character actor here, someone compelling and quirky, who we can get to know in just one short scene. We are less concerned with a specific physical ‘type.’)
** NON-ASIAN ROLES: ** [BETTY CARDELLINI] Female, 30s-40s, Caucasian: Betty’s a warm housewife-type who does some pyramid scheme businesses on the side. Her overall demeanor is down-to-earth, confident, and very maternal.
[DAN KRAUSE] Male, 30s, Caucasian: Good-looking, likeable. Always trying to do the right thing, but has an opportunistic side. He’s overworked at his desk job at the Department of Social Services.
[ROB THE SALESMAN] Male, late 30s-40s, Caucasian: Rob is charismatic, quick-thinking. He can pour his heart into a presentation. He’s good one-on-one or in front of an audience. Slight Boston accent.
[STAN TORRES] Male, 20s-30s, Latino: The police officer who plays bad cop to McCarthy’s good cop routine.
[MRS. CUTTER] Female, early 30s, Caucasian: A sweet suburban wife who has two kids, a loving husband.
[LUCY WHITE] Female, late 20s-early 40s, Caucasian: A housewife who’s just starting to get into pyramid schemes. She’s sixth-generation American. Very nice, but somewhat naïve seeming. (We are looking for a character actor here, someone compelling and quirky, who we can get to know in just one short scene. We are less concerned with a specific physical ‘type.’)
[MCCARTHY] Male, 40s-early 50s, Caucasian: A seasoned police officer used to working in plainclothes. He’s street smart. His rough-and-tumble appearance is tempered by a paternal side. He’s the family man who happens to have a tough job that’s made him tough. Boston accent.
[BRUCE WILSON] Male, 40, Caucasian: A tough survivor. He’s participated, promoted, and been burnt by dozens and dozens of business opportunities, but he’s always up for the next one.
[TONYA FIELDING] Female, 30s-50s, any ethnicity: A very intelligent public defender. Not easily intimidated. Wears power-suits. At home she could be a mom, a single woman, we don’t know. At work, she’s all business.
[CORNIGAN] Male, 30s, African American: A social worker. Nice, with a great smile.
[WOMAN] Female, 30s, Caucasian: A pretty brunette with a short haircut. She usually works behind a desk at the federal trade commission.
[POLICE WOMAN] Female, 30s-40s: A tough-looking police officer. She’s got short hair, a square jaw, and broad shoulders.
[GIRL #1 and #2] Girls, 7-11, Caucasian: These two are best friends or sisters.
[BLOND KID] Boy, 6-10, Caucasian: A cute, confident kid.
[STORE MANAGER] Male, 20s, any ethnicity: A not-too-nice store manager who berates Elaine for leaving her kids at a toy store for a couple hours. Ability to do a Boston accent a plus.
[TELLER] Female, 20s-30s, any ethnicity: A bank teller.
[WAITRESS] Female, 20s-50s, Caucasian: A waitress.
** ADDITIONAL SPEAKING ROLES (unpaid): ** NYC:
Male Teacher
Hotel Receptionist
Operator (voice only)
Deli Guy
Teen Stockboy (drugstore)
Checkout Lady (drugstore)
BOSTON:
Conductor
Information Lady
Young Woman Jogging
Hot Dog Guy
** EXTRAS (unpaid): ** NYC:
Desperate Americans
Hotel patrons
Tony, 22, Asian
Black, white, hispanic, Asian kids
Kyle, 6, white
Tania, 7, white
2 electricians
Kyle Cardellini, 50, white
Cardellini partygoers
Boys, ages 8-10, white
Old Chinese couple
Young Chinese man
Indian couple
Young black man in suit
Young hispanic couple
Phil, 40, white
Hotel manager
4 social service employees
BOSTON:
Female sheriff, white
2-3 movers, male, Asian
Sketchy guy
Mother/father + 10-yr-old son, white
2 black kids, 7-11
Commuters
Transit employee
Young couple
Drunk
Pedestrians at Fanueil Hall
Punks, hoodlums, bums in Boston sts
Use bystanders present on shoot day
ABOUT THE FILM: LOGLINE: Two young children are left to fend for themselves when their mother is arrested for unwittingly taking part in an illegal pyramid scheme. SYNOPSIS: After being evicted from their home, the Cheng family finds that times are tighter than ever. Hardworking single mom and recent Boston transplant ELAINE (35) tries desperately to find the means to support her young children, RAYMOND (10) and TINA (6). They move illegally into a model apartment in an unfinished building, but try to maintain a normal life. While Elaine juggles a number of jobs, Raymond and Tina become latch-key kids, taking care of themselves and finding amusement in building childish inventions. When Elaine is arrested for unwittingly taking part in an illegal pyramid scheme, things take a turn for the worse. Nobody knows the kids are home alone, and they are left to fend for themselves. Without any communication from their mother, little Raymond hatches a plan -- to take the long trek from the suburbs to downtown Boston, withdraw his family’s life savings from the bank, start a business selling his inventions, and take care of his sister. Based on Tze Chun’s own award-winning short film, Windowbreaker, which screened at the 2007 Sundance Film Festival, The Kids Are Alright is a drama about the influence of an adult world on children, the immigrant mentality, and shortcuts to the American dream. LOCATIONS: New York, Boston
SHOOT DATES: July /August 2008
FORMAT: HD
RUNTIME: 100 min. Sounds like an interesting movie! | | |
| What is in your fridge?Haha I like this question  Let's see if I can remember everything! Orange juice, skim milk, soy milk, ham, turkey, cheddar cheese, part of an onion, tomato, lettuce, cucumber, celery, bell peppers, leftover ground beef for tacos, grapefruit, yogurt (strawberry/blueberry/peach), pickles, leftover ziti/casserole with sausage, roasted peppers, baby carrots, ginger root, apples, butter, light veggie cream cheese, Italian and ranch dressing, A1, barbeque sauce, hot sauce, um... taco sauce, strawberry jelly, honey mustard, ketchup, mayo, mustard, Worcestershire sauce, an A1 marinade, lemon juice that expires this month, I know I'm missing some things... In the freezer we have chicken, pork, beef, tilapia, broccoli, green beans, butter, bacon from when Manny's mom was visiting, lemongrass, pierogies, spinach and cheese ravioli. I just answered this Featured Question, you can answer it too! | | |
| What is the best age to have children? Why?This is sort of tricky. In my mind, the [short] answer would be after graduating from college, but before the age of 30 in addition to being able to take care of a baby. My explanation for this would be that you don't want to be too old because then... it would be harder to be active/keep up with her/him/them as they grow older. Not to mention that put another way, there would generally be less overlapping time during which you would both be... alive. When I was in high school, a couple classmates had parents who passed away. My mom's uncle will be in his 70s when his children are in college. When Marc is 10, Manny will be in his mid 30s. When Marc is done with college, Manny will only be in his late 40s. Physically, it's harder/more difficult for women over 30 to have children. A man in his 30s would be okay, but as he gets older... well there are things like sperm count being low, erectile dysfunction, etc. Not quite the same as growing and bearing a baby, but you know. One of Manny's co-workers, he's in his late-30s or early 40s I think, well... he and his late 20s/early 30s wife have been trying for years. They even tried in vitro fertilization... twice. I think they are now considering adoption. The second part of my answer says being able to take care of a baby. Of course it would be in the baby's best interest if the couple was financially secure, able to support/take care of themselves, emotionally mature enough, etc. Wanting to have a baby in the first place would be good too. And if an accident happens... well... as long as the couple loves each other, wants to have the baby, and is able to take care of him/her, that's okay too. Most people who consider having children are able to take care of them. For some, the main issue of concern is when to have them. That and the related question of, "Are we ready?" Well, let me tell you something... there's only so much you can do to make yourself ready. You can have all the baby stuff in the world, take parenting classes, read literature on the topic, babysit your baby niece/nephew, etc. and that would all certainly help you to prepare, but in the end, you still probably won't know what being a parent is really like until it happens. Until you're responsible for your own, 24/7. Some people turn this into a waiting game of sorts. After I graduate, after grad school, after I have a few years of job experience under my belt, after some traveling, after we get married, after we get a small place together, after we sell the small place and get a larger house, after my sister's wedding, after my raise, after my spouse's promotion... maybe then I'll/we'll be ready. Occasionally and unfortunately for some it's too late by then. So.......... in a nutshell if you're done with school, with the one you love, settled down and financially able... don't delay! :D Oh and this is all probably a bit biased considering my family is a family of accidents :p
I just answered this Featured Question, you can answer it too! | | |
| another random entryManny and I are growing food!  We've planted two different types of tomatoes, green and yellow/orange/red/surprise bell peppers, sweet banana peppers, green onion, cilantro (supposed to be a picky plant so we'll see), and there are chives and mint growing wild too. We also happen to have a pear tree right next to our house. I'm curious about growing blueberries, blackberries, or raspberries too... Maybe someday (soon?)! There's another little flat plot to the side of our house. Oh and the front yard (sloped part) looks pretty nice with the exception of random unwanted little plants poking out here and there. I wonder if I could get some morning glories growing up the railing to the stairs and/or around the mailbox... or maybe they only climb thinner type things like fancy little fences or trellises. Hmm... In other news, Marc is five months old (as of May 5). His babbling is so cute. He says things like (and I quote), "Oo ger rawr ray ber." He wore shoes for the first time recently. He rolls over easily from back to front now. He's able to stay on his tummy longer during tummy time and has progressed with pushing himself up on his arms and his pseudo-crawling. Today he ate squash (last of the Giant Eagle stage 1 veggies) and next will be bananas. Pitt people (or anyone who has eaten at Einstein's): have you ever had the Tasty Turkey sandwich? Bagel, cream cheese, turkey, cucumber, possibly other veggies/things but I don't remember... Anyhoo, that was my favorite bagelwich there. I had a craving for this particular sandwich and it inspired me to get bagels at Costco, turkey, light veggie cream cheese (from Bruegger's), and a cucumber at Giant Eagle. I added a little garlic powder and freshly ground pepper and mmm. Will be eating a few of these this week! :D Manny likes them too! There's a bunch of these herb-like plants growing wild around our garden plot... Their leaves are slightly fuzzy and sort of spade shaped. Not anything that I recognize so the next time I'm at the library I'll check out a book on herbs and look it up (because Google didn't help that much). Tomorrow will be my first Mother's Day. Happy Mother's Day to all the moms out there. | | |
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