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Model homes

One of the favorite weekend excursions that Viks and I like to do is look at new model homes. Staying abreast of market conditions doesn't hurt but it's also fun and interesting to look at the different layouts/architectural & functional designs, the interior decorating, and for me personally, I always can't help but notice if a family room or separate room is "home theater friendly" or not. I think Viks and I pretty much agree on a larger, central loft on the 2nd floor which we observe to be a pretty common trend in newer homes being built. They work really well in giving a feeling of openness/spaciousness to the 2nd floor and function great as a central area for family time, work area, or recreational area. I even snapped a lot of pictures of the model homes for future decorating references. The prices around here are also pretty compelling. While not exactly "cheap" you do get quite a bit of home for the money.

Kevin and Jeanine's wedding

Congratulations to Kevin & Jeanine! I was an usher for their wedding past Sat. The ceremony was held at Trinity Church as well. It was kind of interesting having the guest perspective this time around. At first I felt a bit awkward offering my right arm to the female guests but a majority of the ones I ushered were the more elderly. The unspoken rule was that if a boyfriend / husband was there, I would do a quick assessment and get a feel if the bf/husband was going to feel raw about it. I ended up not asking too much as couples often didn't hear me anyway as they were preoccupied eyeing good seats.

I'm leeching this picture courtesy of Jenn. Went to hang out with some friends at a Brazilian BBQ place for a little bit. I can't comment on the food as I did not have any. I can, however, comment on the bathrooms. I seriously have never been to an establishment with nicer bathrooms. And don't ask me what I had for dinner.

Eric and Ivy's wedding

Mike & Diana doing their Jenn S impersonation.

Jenn, Groom, Bride, Diana

Jason, your turn to take a picture ;-)

Jim, Jason, Diana, Sabrina enjoying the reception at Blake's.

My friend's Eric and Ivy got married at Boundary Oak Golf Course. It was a beautiful wedding ..smaller and more intimate. I've known them both for years and truly believe they are meant to be.

Battlefield 2

I love this game. I love the polished gameplay, the fast pacing, the survival tactics, the option to play in squads, the ability to pilot (or be a gunner of) tanks, humvees, choppers, planes, boats and the overall balance. While these concepts have been attempted/explored in other PC games, the execution has never been up to this caliber. The visuals are quite impressive that my 9800 Pro video card is just barely cutting it. I hope Santa Clause brings me this. It was not all roses in the beginning however. When I first installed the game my PC repeatedly and consistently froze. I had essentially paid $40 to EA to be a beta tester. Thanks EA! I have since patched the game to ver 1.02 and thankfully the game crashes much less frequently.

I have sometimes wondered what it is about first person shooter type games that appeals to me. I'm not an action junkie in real life. In fact I am actually quite timid of firearms. But then a lot of people enjoy "action" movies for similar reasons. All the thrills without the actual danger. Without getting too Freudian here, I can at least say it takes my mind off of work and is just plain damn fun.

Grandma Hsu's 85th

The In-laws came down to So. Cal this weekend to visit and celebrate Grandma Hsu's 85th. Viks' parents also brought us some plants and made chicken wonton. I am more accustomed to wonton made with pork/shrimp but chicken wonton is actually pretty good and probably more healthier.

Good music for longer workouts

Viks and I are making it a daily habit of working out together at the university gym after work. It's a nice gym and I really like the elliptical machines they have there. It always helps to have good music to keep you going. Lately, my favorite mix set is a July 9th recording of Gabriel & Dresden Live @ Club Spirit in NYC. I wish I could have been there live. This is a fantastic 3 hr set that really showcases their "warm" and "upliftingdubbytechfunktrancetechnohousegothic" style. I especially love their no-nonsense-no-frills bootleg respin of Coldplay's brilliant "White Shadows" as well as their unplugged version of Paul Oakenfold's classic "Southern Sun."


The Set!
01 Depeche Mode - Here is the House (Gabriel & Dresden Bootleg)
02 Beber & Tamra - Travelling On (Gabriel & Dresden Remix)
03 Coldplay - White Shadows (Gabriel & Dresden Bootleg)
04 Gabriel & Dresden - Arcadia
05 Booka Shade - Mandarine Girl
06 Racheal Starr - Till There Was You (Gabriel & Dresden Fluffo Mix)
07 Ozgur Can - Changed (Gabriel & Dresden Remix)
08 Moby - Raining Again (Steve Angello Remix)
09 Gabriel & Dresden - Portabello
10 Markus Schulz Featuring Departure - Without You Near
11 Armin van Buuren Featuring Gabriel & Dresden - ZoCalo
12 Above & Beyond - No One On Earth (Gabriel & Dresden Remix)
13 Eye Wall - Bad Deal (Remy & Roland Klinkenberg Remix)
14 Motorcycle - My Blue Heart (Gabriel & Dresden Chocolate Poptart Dub)
15 Motorcycle - As The Rush Comes (Gabriel & Dresden Sweeping Strings Mix)
16 Deep Dish - Say Hello (Steve Angello & Sebastian Ingrosso Remix)
17 Perasma - Swing 2 Harmony (Gabriel & Dresden Remix)
18 Andy Moor - Halcyon
19 Paul Oakenfold - Southern Sun (Gabriel & Dresden Unplugged Remix)
20 Andain - Beautiful Things (Gabriel & Dresden Remix)
21 ID vs. ID (Gabriel & Dresden Mashup)
22 Bigtop - Sub
23 Josh Gabriel - Alive
24 Kay D Smith & Marc Tall Presents Passive Resistance - Praiseworthy Tunes (Hoipolloi Mix)
25 Dido - Dont Leave Home (Gabriel & Dresden Keep Your Hands Warm Remix)
26 Motorcycle - Around You (Gabriel & Dresden Remix)
27 Nicol Sponberg - Ressurection (Gabriel & Dresden Vocal Remix)

2046 DVD

In the spirit of instant gratification I ended up just buying "2046" on import DVD instead of waiting til the US theater release. The DVD is a 2 disc Mei Ah Entertainment All Region release.

2046 is a stark contrast to it's predecessor "In the Mood for Love" in terms of the visuals, pacing and the behavior of Chow's character (Tony Leung). I think the film could have been shorter while achieving the same results but nonetheless I really enjoyed this film on so many levels. My inital impressions,

- Very stylish. Film is set in the 60's but it's not your typical period piece thanks to the futuristic noir.
- Interesting, multidimensional characters ..I was most intrigued by Jing Wen and Su Li-Zhen played by Faye Wong & Gong Li respectively.
- The music succeeds in so many ways.
- Christopher Doyle's cinematography..including a few "Wow, never seen anything like that" moments.
- Plenty of heartbreak & lonliness in this movie but what is cool is WKW's use of non-linearity as a means of heightening those thematic elements.
- The line that sums it up, "Love is all a matter of timing. It's no good meeting the right person too soon or too late."