I'm not the biggest fan of nighttime. I hated walking home in the dark as a kid because I was scared of evil monsters popping out, and as an adult nighttime is like the big, bad wolf that creeps up every day to take all the sunny views away, especially in the winter when it gets dark at 4:30PM.
What the dark does do, however, is to give 2 views of the same landmark/ tourist attraction: the day view and the night view.
San Francisco has some great views that I didn't know about. Especially because it's such a hilly city with so many dips, peaks, and valleys, every street can give way to going up a massive hill for a view of the city. The best view MJ and I got this trip, however, was from Twin Peaks overlooking the entire city (can see both the Bay Bridge and the Golden Gate Bridge, and everything in between) and the vista point right off the Golden Gate Bridge. Has anyone marveled before at how awesome the Golden Gate Bridge is night. Sure the orange hue stands out even in the day, but at night it's doubly impressive, almost flashing in the dark as a beacon of San Francisco's skyline. (Unfortunately also a beacon for some poor souls planning to commit suicide).
The Palace of Fine Arts is just another cool-looking thing to pass over on the way over the Golden Gate Bridge most times, and I've literally ran by it before without giving it much thought, but at night it's absolutely dazzling. From inside it looks like a magical palace from the iconic scene in Aladdin where the prince whisks Jasmine away to show her a whole new world (Remember that scene?https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=aeDYx7Tkc7I) From outside it looks even more Disney-esque, with the surrounding pond making it look like a setup for a show of "Fantasmic" at Walt Disneyland.
Not to compare cities and be jealous, but L.A. just doesn't measure up in terms of night attractions, IMO. Lala Land plays up the Hermosa Beach Pier and Griffith Observatory as popular destinations to go for Yakei, but that's about it......the ocean is not nearly as majestic or visible at night. Hollywood Bowl is closed, Getty Center is closed.....no wonder everyone just heads to the bars and the Hollywood scene after dark, there's no natural scenery.
Fantasize on,
Robert Yan
Tuesday, November 28, 2017
Monday, November 27, 2017
Peaceful (長閑 [のどか (nodoka)
I'm a "Hustle" kind of guy: if I was on the latest season of Survivor: Healers v hustlers v heroes, I'd be a hustler. I live a hustle and bustle kind of live by trying to squeeze every minute out of life and not waste any seconds of the day, to the point of upsetting people around me because I expect the same thing from them. One of the weaknesses of my approach is that i never seem satisfied with the current state, have to always be learning, working out, have to always find a different lane than the current one to get somewhere faster.
Which is why sometimes it's nice to see the exact opposite, peaceful people, animals, and things, basically all sorts of living beings being calm and at peace with their lives and showing that off to the world.
Mj and I have a friend who hosts parties and invites a couple with a baby boy, I'm not even sure of the child's name but he is the epitome of "peaceful," the way he sits and stares at his parents and other guests or eats his food docilely, he just seems so content with life and being in this world with us. His presence along allows MJ and I to be more at peace (it's the contagious effect of being at peace)
Walking dogs might seem like the opposite of peacefulness, but some dogs are able to strut around after doing their business and just take a stroll around the neighborhood. Mj and I were allowed the privilege of walking an elderly dog around the neighborhood and she just kept at a leisurely pace, not once requiring us to pull back in the leash, just sniffing and walking like she was meant to do in this world. No barking or violent activities, just slow movements. A very peaceful dog, which was emphasized by her lying down later on to take a nap. Most living things all look peaceful when sleeping, but sometimes a dog's sleeping posture makes me giggle and want to pet them.
Holidays, especially winter holidays where the weather slows things down and prohibits many activities, is a great chance for peaceful times. Sitting at home reading a book, taking a peaceful hike through the woods with spectacular views, these are all elements of a peaceful life, and something to be thankful for.
Happy thanksgiving! May peace be with you!
Which is why sometimes it's nice to see the exact opposite, peaceful people, animals, and things, basically all sorts of living beings being calm and at peace with their lives and showing that off to the world.
Mj and I have a friend who hosts parties and invites a couple with a baby boy, I'm not even sure of the child's name but he is the epitome of "peaceful," the way he sits and stares at his parents and other guests or eats his food docilely, he just seems so content with life and being in this world with us. His presence along allows MJ and I to be more at peace (it's the contagious effect of being at peace)
Walking dogs might seem like the opposite of peacefulness, but some dogs are able to strut around after doing their business and just take a stroll around the neighborhood. Mj and I were allowed the privilege of walking an elderly dog around the neighborhood and she just kept at a leisurely pace, not once requiring us to pull back in the leash, just sniffing and walking like she was meant to do in this world. No barking or violent activities, just slow movements. A very peaceful dog, which was emphasized by her lying down later on to take a nap. Most living things all look peaceful when sleeping, but sometimes a dog's sleeping posture makes me giggle and want to pet them.
Holidays, especially winter holidays where the weather slows things down and prohibits many activities, is a great chance for peaceful times. Sitting at home reading a book, taking a peaceful hike through the woods with spectacular views, these are all elements of a peaceful life, and something to be thankful for.
Happy thanksgiving! May peace be with you!
Wednesday, November 22, 2017
Badgers in the same hole (同じ穴の狢)
One of my favorite Japanese proverbs is "Onaji ana no mujina," or badgers in the same hole. Badgers are a notoriously deceptive animal in Japanese lore, and usually associated with performing bad deeds or even criminal behavior, so it's usually a negative nuance attached to it like "thick as thieves," differentiating it from the pretty neutral "birds of a feather flock together."
I recently got a jaywalking ticket in downtown Los Angeles (of all things, jaywalking!) for starting to walk into a crosswalk while the light was flashing red and not the white "walk" sign. A very arcane and rarely enforced rule, I was so surprised and bewildered when the police officer stopped me and asked for my driver's license. There are so many people in L.A. who begin crossing on the red flashing sign like I did, yet I was unlucky (and oblivious enough) to get caught by what was essentially a jaywalking sting operation (the officer was there to hand out jaywalking tickets and caught 3 more people on the sidewalk in the time I took to even sort out the confusion).
The fine was just under $200 (!) I decided to fight the ticket, which led me to Metropolitan courthouse (conveniently located near my home) and arrived at the scheduled court time........only to find about 70 people waiting for the same courthouse to open, all with varying traffic violations that they wished to fight (or plead guilty to and pay the fine and just get the hell out of there). I felt as close to going into jail that I ever hope to be, ushered like cattle into a small room functioning as a courthouse with other people who had committed traffic violations, forced by the police officer running the proceedings to sit in a row of chairs so tight it was impossible to move without touching one's neighbor. It really felt like we were snuggled up like badgers in the same hole, caught with nowhere to go.
After an hour of sitting waiting for everyone else's cases to be processed, the arraignment judge finally got out of his chambers, like the Man Behind the Curtain in the Wizard of Oz. What followed was a 40 hour blitz of why those of us in the courtroom were inferior species to him and deserved to suffer. Phones were not allowed. Reading material was not allowed, the judge wanted everyone's full attention on him at all times. The judge in a full hour of talking never smiled once, never changed expression really, and never stuttered or used any "um's or ah's...." really pretty impressive, like a drill sargeant barking out orders. (He actually used the words "do an about face" during his speech). The judge made us feel like we had made the worst decisions of our lives, that we couldn't worm our way out of the horrible crimes that we committed, only by changing our behavior on the road would we ever be absolved of our crimes. "You are here to prevent you from ending up in the HOSPITAL OR THE MORGUE!" Fire and Fury! (from Game of Thrones and Donald Trump) was all I could think of in my head. Really, some of these people were guilty of having forgotten their driver's license at home, or not having a taillight fixed, and in my case being 3 seconds late walking into a crosswalk, yet here we were all listening for 40 minutes about how we MUST pay the fine for our miserable deeds because the courts could attach a lien to a judgment against us. (I mean, some people had a $35 fine, I think they'll be able to pay.....?)
I think personally that the whole episode was meant to scare us common folk into pleading guilty and just paying the fine. The judge was clearly pro-law enforcement indicating that we had no excuses and law enforcement must have had a good reason to stop us and pull us over, and honestly if I knew my trial would be in front of this judge I would have pleaded guilty then and there. Luckily this was just the arraignment and I was just scheduling my case to another time, but unluckily it took four hours just to say "plead not guilty." Something about the court system is really screwed up and distorted, really, when a 3 second mishap about an arcane rule can lead to 4 hours of just sitting around listening to a ranting judge literally judging us for our behavior, and that's just the arraignment stage! Anyone would crack and just pay the fine, but the fine is hundreds of dollars! Just totally encouraging a donation to law enforcement and the government. There's something wrong about that for the common person. It's just so hard to be a common person, trying to go about your day and then getting hit with a fine or violation that you need to fight in court that takes hours to go through the processing. we may be badgers from the same hole but even badgers deserve fair treatment.
Fantasize on,
Robert Yan
I recently got a jaywalking ticket in downtown Los Angeles (of all things, jaywalking!) for starting to walk into a crosswalk while the light was flashing red and not the white "walk" sign. A very arcane and rarely enforced rule, I was so surprised and bewildered when the police officer stopped me and asked for my driver's license. There are so many people in L.A. who begin crossing on the red flashing sign like I did, yet I was unlucky (and oblivious enough) to get caught by what was essentially a jaywalking sting operation (the officer was there to hand out jaywalking tickets and caught 3 more people on the sidewalk in the time I took to even sort out the confusion).
The fine was just under $200 (!) I decided to fight the ticket, which led me to Metropolitan courthouse (conveniently located near my home) and arrived at the scheduled court time........only to find about 70 people waiting for the same courthouse to open, all with varying traffic violations that they wished to fight (or plead guilty to and pay the fine and just get the hell out of there). I felt as close to going into jail that I ever hope to be, ushered like cattle into a small room functioning as a courthouse with other people who had committed traffic violations, forced by the police officer running the proceedings to sit in a row of chairs so tight it was impossible to move without touching one's neighbor. It really felt like we were snuggled up like badgers in the same hole, caught with nowhere to go.
After an hour of sitting waiting for everyone else's cases to be processed, the arraignment judge finally got out of his chambers, like the Man Behind the Curtain in the Wizard of Oz. What followed was a 40 hour blitz of why those of us in the courtroom were inferior species to him and deserved to suffer. Phones were not allowed. Reading material was not allowed, the judge wanted everyone's full attention on him at all times. The judge in a full hour of talking never smiled once, never changed expression really, and never stuttered or used any "um's or ah's...." really pretty impressive, like a drill sargeant barking out orders. (He actually used the words "do an about face" during his speech). The judge made us feel like we had made the worst decisions of our lives, that we couldn't worm our way out of the horrible crimes that we committed, only by changing our behavior on the road would we ever be absolved of our crimes. "You are here to prevent you from ending up in the HOSPITAL OR THE MORGUE!" Fire and Fury! (from Game of Thrones and Donald Trump) was all I could think of in my head. Really, some of these people were guilty of having forgotten their driver's license at home, or not having a taillight fixed, and in my case being 3 seconds late walking into a crosswalk, yet here we were all listening for 40 minutes about how we MUST pay the fine for our miserable deeds because the courts could attach a lien to a judgment against us. (I mean, some people had a $35 fine, I think they'll be able to pay.....?)
I think personally that the whole episode was meant to scare us common folk into pleading guilty and just paying the fine. The judge was clearly pro-law enforcement indicating that we had no excuses and law enforcement must have had a good reason to stop us and pull us over, and honestly if I knew my trial would be in front of this judge I would have pleaded guilty then and there. Luckily this was just the arraignment and I was just scheduling my case to another time, but unluckily it took four hours just to say "plead not guilty." Something about the court system is really screwed up and distorted, really, when a 3 second mishap about an arcane rule can lead to 4 hours of just sitting around listening to a ranting judge literally judging us for our behavior, and that's just the arraignment stage! Anyone would crack and just pay the fine, but the fine is hundreds of dollars! Just totally encouraging a donation to law enforcement and the government. There's something wrong about that for the common person. It's just so hard to be a common person, trying to go about your day and then getting hit with a fine or violation that you need to fight in court that takes hours to go through the processing. we may be badgers from the same hole but even badgers deserve fair treatment.
Fantasize on,
Robert Yan
Monday, November 20, 2017
Actual Tasting of Food (実食)
The Japanese have a word for a concept that English hasn't caught onto yet: Actually tasting a food that you've heard so much about, and presumably judging the food to see if it matches the hype. Raise your hand if you live in L.A. and have heard about an exotic-sounding food (i.e. shark-fin soup! alligator tacos!), usually with ethnic origins (dim-sum, Mediterranean, Italian sausage) that is ONLY AVAILABLE in a secluded area of the city that's hard to get to, there is always a line that forms, or you have to get there before a certain time of the day to have a chance to get it, or you have to get into an online raffle just to get a chance to purchase tickets (Actually, that's Hamilton, and I'm just bitter I'm 0 for 25 in attempts to win their lottery), so that it's almost difficult to actually taste the food.
MJ and I tried to get into Howlin' Rays (in Chinatown, mentioned before) to actually taste their hot chicken and see what the hype was about, the chicken was right there before our eyes, there were people literally digging their eager hands into the chicken and biting down into the hot spiciness or spicy hotness whatever you want it, it was so close we could touch it ourselves.........but so was a line curling out the door into the local plaza and approximately 2 hours long. No thanks.
Life is all about new experiences, which is what drives the travel industry, the social recreational sports industry (dodgeball, softball, kickball, etc.), the online dating industry, the TV industry, etc., etc., but when it comes to food people go CRAZY to actually sample a food. A lot of times I've heard so much about a food that everyone's been raving about.....the first bite goes in, I'm ready to praise it and enter a whole new world of gourmet ecstasy, to savor something from the ends of the earth, and then........it's not what I expected. Let's take a few more bites. Nope, still tastes pretty common.....is it me? Are my taste buds dulled? And just after you admit the ugly truth to yourself that the taste is not that great, you then have to be considerate to others who came with you on this Actual-tasting ride: "OH great job guys!" Or if they happen to have a confused look or disappointed look on their face, "I agree, not amazing." and out of relief you can commiserate with said friend and say you got bamboozled.
Of course, there are also seldom times I am AMAZED by a food that I've been waiting for for a long time. (Usually it has to do with Italian places, like EATALY in downtown Chicago that is as far away from my parents' cooking as a kid as possible). Those times that the tasting goes awesome, I begrudgingly turn to MJ and go, "you were right, we were justified to wait that long to get this." MJ tends to apprecitae foods much more and be impressed by the actual tasting more than me, which makes me wonder if my taste buds have dulled or I'm spoiled in terms of food.
English should definitely come up with a similar "actual-tasting of a food" term though, like "taste implementing" or "hype bursting" or "taste hopping," something catchy, and it's not exactly like "wine tasting" or "bar hopping" where you're just randomly sampling wines, it has to be tasting food you got hyped about for a while, where the finally knowing about what this food is is half the battle, almost more than getting to taste the (presumably delicious food).
Fantasize on,
Robert Yan
MJ and I tried to get into Howlin' Rays (in Chinatown, mentioned before) to actually taste their hot chicken and see what the hype was about, the chicken was right there before our eyes, there were people literally digging their eager hands into the chicken and biting down into the hot spiciness or spicy hotness whatever you want it, it was so close we could touch it ourselves.........but so was a line curling out the door into the local plaza and approximately 2 hours long. No thanks.
Life is all about new experiences, which is what drives the travel industry, the social recreational sports industry (dodgeball, softball, kickball, etc.), the online dating industry, the TV industry, etc., etc., but when it comes to food people go CRAZY to actually sample a food. A lot of times I've heard so much about a food that everyone's been raving about.....the first bite goes in, I'm ready to praise it and enter a whole new world of gourmet ecstasy, to savor something from the ends of the earth, and then........it's not what I expected. Let's take a few more bites. Nope, still tastes pretty common.....is it me? Are my taste buds dulled? And just after you admit the ugly truth to yourself that the taste is not that great, you then have to be considerate to others who came with you on this Actual-tasting ride: "OH great job guys!" Or if they happen to have a confused look or disappointed look on their face, "I agree, not amazing." and out of relief you can commiserate with said friend and say you got bamboozled.
Of course, there are also seldom times I am AMAZED by a food that I've been waiting for for a long time. (Usually it has to do with Italian places, like EATALY in downtown Chicago that is as far away from my parents' cooking as a kid as possible). Those times that the tasting goes awesome, I begrudgingly turn to MJ and go, "you were right, we were justified to wait that long to get this." MJ tends to apprecitae foods much more and be impressed by the actual tasting more than me, which makes me wonder if my taste buds have dulled or I'm spoiled in terms of food.
English should definitely come up with a similar "actual-tasting of a food" term though, like "taste implementing" or "hype bursting" or "taste hopping," something catchy, and it's not exactly like "wine tasting" or "bar hopping" where you're just randomly sampling wines, it has to be tasting food you got hyped about for a while, where the finally knowing about what this food is is half the battle, almost more than getting to taste the (presumably delicious food).
Fantasize on,
Robert Yan
Sunday, November 19, 2017
Pro Bono (プロボノ)
After a sustained time off from volunteering my services as an attorney, I was back at it on Wednesday! Attended the Monterrey Park Free Legal Clinic on Wednesday night geared towards low income citizens with legal questions and a limited proficiency in English. So basically, right up my alley: I got to use both my legal knowledge that I paid 3 years of law school tuition for and my inherent Mandarin Chinese language abilities. It is truly one of the more gratifying experiences to help someone who doesn't have the same abilities as me (basic understanding of the American legal system) or dual fluency in Mandarin and English. Really, that is what "work" was supposed to be originally: a trading of services using abilities that certain people possess and others don't, and trading for what you don't have. Then money got in the way and corrupted everything, and people like me have to chase whichever job pays the most money. It's also time: As I grow older I agree more and more with the phrase time= money, where life only has so many precious minutes and opportunities to create moments, and however you can save time at working and trying to earn money can lead to more opportunities to create those great moments.
Anyway, pro bono is so important in the legal industry because not everyone can afford to pay. The dirty secret for attorneys about how we're taught to think about clients and choosing who to sue/ represent: go for the guys with the deepest pockets, aka have a lot of money. It's a business that revolves around money. You have money, you can afford the best attorneys who can offer the best advice and an army of attorneys to mitigate your troubles (see Donald Trump). You don't have money, well, attorneys won't have much incentive to take your case, or do a good job at it. It's not like McDonald's where everyone can afford a $5 burger, or college where it's an investment in yourself so most people take the gamble of spending a lot of money to build a better future, lawsuits can be supremely costly and yet not have the benefits of things like health insurance and education. That's where pro bono comes in: the legal profession encourages lawyers to do pro bono on top of their normal business, in fact the Professional Code of California suggests every lawyer do 50 hours of pro bono every year (roughly an hour a week, which doesn't seem too bad). I unfortunately haven't met that in any of the 6 years I've been an attorney in the state of CA, and probably won't be able to, but if I feel needed and respected at legal clinics, I feel better about going. (At a lot of volunteer events and clinics, it feels like there are too many attorneys and a lot of just talking to each other,a lot of people are there just to be able to say that they volunteered, without much impact). When you do get to help someone in need, though, it makes you feel like a valued member of society, which is sometimes an even better feeling that earning money.
Free legal clinics also make me appreciate my status in life: As much as I worry about money or the future or possible legal problems, there are always people in worse positions, who don't even speak English, or don't know that they have been sued, or are taken advantage of by people with superior knowledge, so it is important not to always lament why I can't have a better life (actors, CEOs, etc.) and appreciate that I have freedoms more than most people. And I realize why pro bono is important: There are people who do get screwed over by big companies with aggressive attorneys, but they don't have money to pay legal fees, which doesn't mean their claim is any less meritorious, or they be afraid of seeking legal help because they're afraid it will cost them so much to even walk in the door and get a consultation. Free legal clinics at least can look at their case and point them in the right direction.
Fantasize on,
Robert Yan
Anyway, pro bono is so important in the legal industry because not everyone can afford to pay. The dirty secret for attorneys about how we're taught to think about clients and choosing who to sue/ represent: go for the guys with the deepest pockets, aka have a lot of money. It's a business that revolves around money. You have money, you can afford the best attorneys who can offer the best advice and an army of attorneys to mitigate your troubles (see Donald Trump). You don't have money, well, attorneys won't have much incentive to take your case, or do a good job at it. It's not like McDonald's where everyone can afford a $5 burger, or college where it's an investment in yourself so most people take the gamble of spending a lot of money to build a better future, lawsuits can be supremely costly and yet not have the benefits of things like health insurance and education. That's where pro bono comes in: the legal profession encourages lawyers to do pro bono on top of their normal business, in fact the Professional Code of California suggests every lawyer do 50 hours of pro bono every year (roughly an hour a week, which doesn't seem too bad). I unfortunately haven't met that in any of the 6 years I've been an attorney in the state of CA, and probably won't be able to, but if I feel needed and respected at legal clinics, I feel better about going. (At a lot of volunteer events and clinics, it feels like there are too many attorneys and a lot of just talking to each other,a lot of people are there just to be able to say that they volunteered, without much impact). When you do get to help someone in need, though, it makes you feel like a valued member of society, which is sometimes an even better feeling that earning money.
Free legal clinics also make me appreciate my status in life: As much as I worry about money or the future or possible legal problems, there are always people in worse positions, who don't even speak English, or don't know that they have been sued, or are taken advantage of by people with superior knowledge, so it is important not to always lament why I can't have a better life (actors, CEOs, etc.) and appreciate that I have freedoms more than most people. And I realize why pro bono is important: There are people who do get screwed over by big companies with aggressive attorneys, but they don't have money to pay legal fees, which doesn't mean their claim is any less meritorious, or they be afraid of seeking legal help because they're afraid it will cost them so much to even walk in the door and get a consultation. Free legal clinics at least can look at their case and point them in the right direction.
Fantasize on,
Robert Yan
Monday, November 13, 2017
Idol (アイドル)
I'm not talking about immunity idols (of which there are still plenty floating around on Survivor islands, I would still love to join!), I'm talking about entertainment idols, people who become stars due to their singing, rapping, dancing, etc. and attract a tight, passionate group of followers. There's a lot of things I like about Japanese and Korean culture, I've learned tons of unique ones as I've studied both languages the last several years, from samurai to temples to games to how they address elders to popular holidays that give the culture a flair I really appreciate, but one of the things I just can't appreciate or sympathize with is the obsession with idols.
Maybe it's because I recently went to a Japanese idol concert in West Hollywood at The Troubadour (a small room with a small stage with bar service trying to get as many people as they could to buy alcohol), an artist by the name of "Sky High," a stage name derived from his last name which roughly translated is "sky high." It was what could be expected, there was an opening act by another band that was equally as contrived and aroused my suspicions of lip-syncing, although I'm not an expert in that department by any means. Then when "Sky High came out with strobe lights shooting out, his female fans screamed and welcomed him with shrill shouts of ecstasy, like I imagine how Justin Bieber or Gavin DeGraw or any other famous male singer is introduced, except instead of thousands of fans at the Staples Center or Greek Theatre it was in front of a small circle of 20 diehards in West Hollywood (kind of sad really, but probably sadder that I paid to get into this show). He did a rap, had his backup dancers dance with him, played the piano, spoke to the audience in broken English during the breaks to catch his breath (he was dripping sweat towards the end from moving so much which I can empathize with but I imagine might DEMYSTIFY him for some of his female fans) and played an encore. Not bad really for a $32 show, but what I don't get is the attraction to become mega fans of this kind of show. I arrived an hour before the show time due to misunderstanding the start time (doors open means there's like an hour before they even begin, and that's just the opening act) where VIP guests were already waiting to get in to shake hands, take photos, and just be with SKY HI. They were so worried about getting to do this that they were rude to me in line for allegedly cutting them one space in line. Really? Aren't these idols all very similar? There wasn't anything particular special about SKY HI, maybe something about the lyrics that went too fast in Japanese for me to understand? (I can't even follow the lyrics for English songs most times)? He's really attractive? I feel like everything about Mr. SKY HI could be replaced by someone else pretty easily, from his very Asian hairstyle, his all-black outfit, his choreographed dance moves. Isn't there just another idol right around the corner? I guess we can all be replaced, sadly, who am I to say?
There's a very "otaku" culture in Japan and the same idea in other Asian cultures of being obsessive about certain things, and it can be very good for loyalty and devotion but dangerous in rejecting everything else and being so emotionally invested. That's why people get so upset about SMAP (Japanese equivalent of the Beatles) breaking up or some AKB48 (Akihabara 48, a Japanese girl idol group) member leaving. Really? What do these idols do for you, the fan? Sure they're saying, "I love you, LA!" but I'm sure they're saying "I love you New York, I love you Tokyo!" too, why the undying loyalty for mere entertainment? It's the same thing I guess with avid sports fans who live and die by their favorite sports team, they go to every game and feel like they're part of the team, even if the team loses all the time and doesn't care about its fans. At some point, don't you need some sort of reciprocation for all the love and energy you put into it? Music groups move on and break up all the time (sports teams lose and suck for years and years at a time or never win the championship) without blinking an eye, but fans have to stay with them forever? Seems like an unfair deal to me, I admire the devotion of those super fans and wish I am jealous of the idols who get all that loyal attention I'm out. ( I really only need one superfan, anyway! MJ!)
Fantasize on,
Robert Yan
Maybe it's because I recently went to a Japanese idol concert in West Hollywood at The Troubadour (a small room with a small stage with bar service trying to get as many people as they could to buy alcohol), an artist by the name of "Sky High," a stage name derived from his last name which roughly translated is "sky high." It was what could be expected, there was an opening act by another band that was equally as contrived and aroused my suspicions of lip-syncing, although I'm not an expert in that department by any means. Then when "Sky High came out with strobe lights shooting out, his female fans screamed and welcomed him with shrill shouts of ecstasy, like I imagine how Justin Bieber or Gavin DeGraw or any other famous male singer is introduced, except instead of thousands of fans at the Staples Center or Greek Theatre it was in front of a small circle of 20 diehards in West Hollywood (kind of sad really, but probably sadder that I paid to get into this show). He did a rap, had his backup dancers dance with him, played the piano, spoke to the audience in broken English during the breaks to catch his breath (he was dripping sweat towards the end from moving so much which I can empathize with but I imagine might DEMYSTIFY him for some of his female fans) and played an encore. Not bad really for a $32 show, but what I don't get is the attraction to become mega fans of this kind of show. I arrived an hour before the show time due to misunderstanding the start time (doors open means there's like an hour before they even begin, and that's just the opening act) where VIP guests were already waiting to get in to shake hands, take photos, and just be with SKY HI. They were so worried about getting to do this that they were rude to me in line for allegedly cutting them one space in line. Really? Aren't these idols all very similar? There wasn't anything particular special about SKY HI, maybe something about the lyrics that went too fast in Japanese for me to understand? (I can't even follow the lyrics for English songs most times)? He's really attractive? I feel like everything about Mr. SKY HI could be replaced by someone else pretty easily, from his very Asian hairstyle, his all-black outfit, his choreographed dance moves. Isn't there just another idol right around the corner? I guess we can all be replaced, sadly, who am I to say?
There's a very "otaku" culture in Japan and the same idea in other Asian cultures of being obsessive about certain things, and it can be very good for loyalty and devotion but dangerous in rejecting everything else and being so emotionally invested. That's why people get so upset about SMAP (Japanese equivalent of the Beatles) breaking up or some AKB48 (Akihabara 48, a Japanese girl idol group) member leaving. Really? What do these idols do for you, the fan? Sure they're saying, "I love you, LA!" but I'm sure they're saying "I love you New York, I love you Tokyo!" too, why the undying loyalty for mere entertainment? It's the same thing I guess with avid sports fans who live and die by their favorite sports team, they go to every game and feel like they're part of the team, even if the team loses all the time and doesn't care about its fans. At some point, don't you need some sort of reciprocation for all the love and energy you put into it? Music groups move on and break up all the time (sports teams lose and suck for years and years at a time or never win the championship) without blinking an eye, but fans have to stay with them forever? Seems like an unfair deal to me, I admire the devotion of those super fans and wish I am jealous of the idols who get all that loyal attention I'm out. ( I really only need one superfan, anyway! MJ!)
Fantasize on,
Robert Yan
Genius ( 지니어스)
Is there a scientific definition for who qualifies as a genius? Apparently there is a designated IQ score for someone to be a genius, but there could be so many different variations of who qualifies as a genius. For instance, I think I am a dodgeball "genius" due to my vast knowledge of the sport and the way the game works and have constantly studied strategies and techniques. Others may say genius is being able to adapt to different situations and be able to react accordingly in any situation appropriately, or a genius can be someone who has a broad array of knowledge in a wide array of disciplines.
Recently I became addicted to a Korean show called "The Genius," what I like to describe as a cross between a Korean game show and survivor. 13 contestants try to win games every week that challenge one's social abilities as well as thinking abilities, putting contestants through new games each week that require unique ways to solve the puzzle. The games are not that "hard," per se, and the host gives a great detailed explanation of the rules, it's just applying it is hard given so many different variables. I love it. It's a lot like party games I used to relish in college like "Mafia" or "Catchphrase," mind-bending activities that I got as much of a high from as others who chose to use recreational drugs like alcohol or marijuana. It's really sad, in my opinion, that the golden college years is wasted by so many (in the U.S. at least) on drinking, fraternities, drunken parties, and other debaucherous behavior that doesn't use up much brain cells. Indeed, 18, the time when young people are at the absolute apex of their mental abilities and the absolute apex of their free time/ lack of responsibilities and work obligations and ability to make their own decisions, is spent pursuing the party life. Sure there's studying for school, but then what better way to use your non-studying time to engage in intellectually challenging activities that are also really fun?
Sorry for the nerdy rant. Do check out "The Genius," though, there are 4 full seasons of the show, unfortunately all in Korean (there are subtitles though!) but a nice peek into Korean culture and different social interactions and balances, such as the Yutnori game that is apparently ubiquitous in Korea, or the amount of respect "hobae" (disciple) have for their senior (songbae), or in Japanese, senpai. It's just a really smart show for smart people. like humans on a chessboard or watching a really skillful game of "Mafia" being played. Or just go watch the new Marvel comics movie (the most recent one Thor:Ragnorak is apparently very good and let your mind go to waste. I feel like one of my passion projects if I ever make gobs of money (like $10 million +) would be to create an American version of The Genius (either that or The Mole), that's 2nd only to my No. 1 passion project of creating my own dodgeball association. All I need now is to get those millions of dollars first!
Fantasize on,
Robert Yan
Recently I became addicted to a Korean show called "The Genius," what I like to describe as a cross between a Korean game show and survivor. 13 contestants try to win games every week that challenge one's social abilities as well as thinking abilities, putting contestants through new games each week that require unique ways to solve the puzzle. The games are not that "hard," per se, and the host gives a great detailed explanation of the rules, it's just applying it is hard given so many different variables. I love it. It's a lot like party games I used to relish in college like "Mafia" or "Catchphrase," mind-bending activities that I got as much of a high from as others who chose to use recreational drugs like alcohol or marijuana. It's really sad, in my opinion, that the golden college years is wasted by so many (in the U.S. at least) on drinking, fraternities, drunken parties, and other debaucherous behavior that doesn't use up much brain cells. Indeed, 18, the time when young people are at the absolute apex of their mental abilities and the absolute apex of their free time/ lack of responsibilities and work obligations and ability to make their own decisions, is spent pursuing the party life. Sure there's studying for school, but then what better way to use your non-studying time to engage in intellectually challenging activities that are also really fun?
Sorry for the nerdy rant. Do check out "The Genius," though, there are 4 full seasons of the show, unfortunately all in Korean (there are subtitles though!) but a nice peek into Korean culture and different social interactions and balances, such as the Yutnori game that is apparently ubiquitous in Korea, or the amount of respect "hobae" (disciple) have for their senior (songbae), or in Japanese, senpai. It's just a really smart show for smart people. like humans on a chessboard or watching a really skillful game of "Mafia" being played. Or just go watch the new Marvel comics movie (the most recent one Thor:Ragnorak is apparently very good and let your mind go to waste. I feel like one of my passion projects if I ever make gobs of money (like $10 million +) would be to create an American version of The Genius (either that or The Mole), that's 2nd only to my No. 1 passion project of creating my own dodgeball association. All I need now is to get those millions of dollars first!
Fantasize on,
Robert Yan
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