Yesterday, my friend Shirley got all dressed up for church....thinking it was Sunday.....she got up early and washed her hair and curled it in rollers and put her makeup on and even wore a dress. When it was pointed out by a fellow church member that it was not Sunday....of course she called me to see what I was doing. I laughed and commented...."Why, are you all dressed up with no where to go?" We laughed about it.
We started out at a casino buffet on her side of town....the east side. They have a wonderful brisket that is so mouth watering and tender.....Shirley used her husband's gambling points and with a few dollars more...we had an all you can eat brunch that included sushi, veggies, beef straganoff, pasta, pizza, cookies, fresh fruit and desserts.
Then we decided to go to the movies....we went to another casino a few blocks away and not seeing any movies we were interested in that would be starting anytime soon....we went to another casino....We immediately saw a Tyler Perry movie on the marquis called Good Deeds, and Shirley and I quickly opted to watch that particular one....we both being avid fans of the actor's many well known Madea blockbusters.
Wow...to our surprise....2 senior citizen tickets cost us $15. Little did we know that there was an even bigger surprise awaiting us at the snack bar.....2 small bags of popcorn and 1 bottled water....cost us $17. Can you believe that? OUCH! I can remember when movies were $.10 yes...10 cents when we were younger....and snacks were equally as cheap.
It seems that theatres....especially these multiplex...mega ones....are really hurting....on a Saturday afternoon....you could count the number of moviegoers on one hand....is it any wonder at these prices...who can afford to go to the movies nowadays?
Well....needless to say.....Tyler Perry definitely didn't disappoint.....the movie was wonderful and I kept checking my friend....usually she sleeps through the movies and only gets up because her snoring scares her awake. She was even crying....because the plot was so touching.
That being said....in the future, we opted to go to movies only on Tuesdays....which is senior citizen day and the movies cost $3. The theatre was packed on that day! The seniors were really out that day...especially with the all you can eat buffet for $6.....On Wednesdays....the popcorn is free!
With movies for free on the internet on websites such as YouTube....and of course there is Netflix....where even with their recent price increase debacle...looks like a great deal compared with what we had to pay at the theatre....then there is a deal that my friend Geoff got with his new toy...the Kindle Fire....whereby if you pay $79 per year you can watch thousands of movies at no charge.....but my all time favorite is the ability to watch all the Korean movies for free on the internet. With that kind of competition....do you think it is wise for movie theatres to charge such exhorbitant prices? I say no...."No way Jose,"....pardon my expression.
Perhaps a cheaper ticket price would get more people in the seats. I can remember when date night was a dinner and a movie....and holding hands and kissing in the dark....oops....way too much info....And how can popcorn be so costly? If that be the case.....theatres should allow their patrons to bring in their own snacks! Wake up people....charging more doesn't mean more profit....I'm not an economist or a genius....but even I can see the error of your thinking! If you didn't know, let me tell you....The goal here is to get more people into your establishment!
I rest my case!
Sunday, February 26, 2012
Thursday, February 23, 2012
Back to My Ancestral Roots
My grandmother came to Hawaii around the age of 10. The story that I remember was that she and her mother came from Korea to escape the political environment under their ruler at the time, Syngman Rhee. My great-grandmother made whiskey and kim chee to make ends meet and also had a boarding house for Korean bachelors. My grandmother was a woman before her time....all in all, she had 5 husbands and the person I knew as my grandfather she never even bothered to marry him.
My grandmother had 2 children from her first marriage and my mother was born from her third or fourth marriage. My mother met her real father one day when a man walked up to her while she was walking home from middle school and told her that he was her father.
Running home and crying, my mother then got the facts about her real father. Apparently, my grandmother was already married when she received news that a picture bride from Korea was waiting in Hawaii's immigration lockup for her husband to claim her....however when immigration found out that he was already married they couldn't release the bride otherwise it was grounds for bigamy. The picture bride was ordered by his mother who obviously did not approve of my grandmother. My grandmother agreed to divorce her husband and the price was that he would have to give up my mother. There was to be absolutely no contact with her.
The man my mother knew as her father (but wasn't), was a gambler. He told my mother once that when he was rich he dressed like a bum and when he was poor he dressed to the "nines." I don't know why that story stuck with me over the years.
When my mother met my dad back in the 30's....which is a story in itself that I will relate later.....it was unheard of that a pure Korean would marry outside their race. My grandmother....in order to "save face" bought my mother the biggest diamond engagement ring to wear.
My father was of Hawaiian and Chinese ancestry. His father was from China and his mother was pure Hawaiian. Bot of his parents died early on and my father was raised by his older sister who raised my dad along with 2 other brothers.
Attending family gatherings was quite uncomfortable because of the diversity.....my uncles married Hawaiian women and my mother's half-sister married an Italian man and half-brother married Koreans (he had more than one wife)....I can honestly say that I have blond hair blue eyed and red hair green eyed relatives on one side and on the other I have Alii-like, in build and stature, relatives on the Hawaiian side. We never seemed to fit in.
Well, when I met the man of my dreams, supposedly.....needless to say....he was a man born in Korea that was adopted by his step father who served in the military while stationed there.....and the family dynamic begins again.
When I told my mother that I was marrying a Korean man....she warned me against it.....I was so infatuated about everything Korean. However when the marriage went south.....I hated everything Korean.
I resisted for years about following Korean drama movies which was all the craze in Hawaii.....I resisted anything Korean for 30+ years. My return to Korean roots began when my 9 year old granddaughter began singing chorus at a nearby college that I also attended. For one concert she sang the all popular Korean song, Ariang. Of course the Korean words were not as I remembered so I started checking on the Internet. That's when I heard the Southern and Northern versions, and I remembered my grandmother singing both versions and dancing and playing the Korean changoo (drum). What was also happening was that I was taking a class in world music and for a week or so we focused on Korean music where the instrumental version of Ariang was played in class. I had tears in my eyes as I sang softly in my heart.
Well...the universe was talking to me....and I'm sure it was a sign that it was time to get back to my roots. Well after my Bollywood fever ran its course.....I shifted to Korean dramas and have been hooked since. I reminisce about my childhood with my grandmother whenever I hear the actors speak. While I don't speak the language....I recognize words that my grandmother spoke. I can remember on weekends I could watch the movies 24 hours straight.....I was really crazed. My friend told me that for the number of hours I spend watching I should be able to speak the language fluently.
The film that got me hooked was called Boys Over Flowers, and my favorite actor, Lee Min Ho was the lead. I would be ashamed to tell you how many times I've watched that movie and every other movie he has acted in. Did you know that in the State of Hawaii, March 21, 2009, was designated as Song Il Gook day....another Korean actor hottie! The good news is that there is a website that one can view Korean films, at no charge.....OMG.....how great is that?
Whereas Bollywood is about romance with song and dance.....with Korean dramas it is all about the food along with romance and drama. Needless to say....I have both my Bollywood favorite actor and my Korean favorite actor on my Facebook page! How giddy and silly it must seem for a woman my age.....but I'll tell you.....I was way too serious and shy in my younger days.....now, I am certainly acting silly and the best part is that I love remembering my grandmother.....playing cards with her and the wonderful food she made.....Kalbi, MunDoo, Daikon Kim Chee, Seasoned Seaweed (Chim), Cold Kook Soo, the different kinds of Jhun she made....Meat, Shrimp and Vegetable....Yum!
It is so much fun rediscovering my roots!
My grandmother had 2 children from her first marriage and my mother was born from her third or fourth marriage. My mother met her real father one day when a man walked up to her while she was walking home from middle school and told her that he was her father.
Running home and crying, my mother then got the facts about her real father. Apparently, my grandmother was already married when she received news that a picture bride from Korea was waiting in Hawaii's immigration lockup for her husband to claim her....however when immigration found out that he was already married they couldn't release the bride otherwise it was grounds for bigamy. The picture bride was ordered by his mother who obviously did not approve of my grandmother. My grandmother agreed to divorce her husband and the price was that he would have to give up my mother. There was to be absolutely no contact with her.
The man my mother knew as her father (but wasn't), was a gambler. He told my mother once that when he was rich he dressed like a bum and when he was poor he dressed to the "nines." I don't know why that story stuck with me over the years.
When my mother met my dad back in the 30's....which is a story in itself that I will relate later.....it was unheard of that a pure Korean would marry outside their race. My grandmother....in order to "save face" bought my mother the biggest diamond engagement ring to wear.
My father was of Hawaiian and Chinese ancestry. His father was from China and his mother was pure Hawaiian. Bot of his parents died early on and my father was raised by his older sister who raised my dad along with 2 other brothers.
Attending family gatherings was quite uncomfortable because of the diversity.....my uncles married Hawaiian women and my mother's half-sister married an Italian man and half-brother married Koreans (he had more than one wife)....I can honestly say that I have blond hair blue eyed and red hair green eyed relatives on one side and on the other I have Alii-like, in build and stature, relatives on the Hawaiian side. We never seemed to fit in.
Well, when I met the man of my dreams, supposedly.....needless to say....he was a man born in Korea that was adopted by his step father who served in the military while stationed there.....and the family dynamic begins again.
When I told my mother that I was marrying a Korean man....she warned me against it.....I was so infatuated about everything Korean. However when the marriage went south.....I hated everything Korean.
I resisted for years about following Korean drama movies which was all the craze in Hawaii.....I resisted anything Korean for 30+ years. My return to Korean roots began when my 9 year old granddaughter began singing chorus at a nearby college that I also attended. For one concert she sang the all popular Korean song, Ariang. Of course the Korean words were not as I remembered so I started checking on the Internet. That's when I heard the Southern and Northern versions, and I remembered my grandmother singing both versions and dancing and playing the Korean changoo (drum). What was also happening was that I was taking a class in world music and for a week or so we focused on Korean music where the instrumental version of Ariang was played in class. I had tears in my eyes as I sang softly in my heart.
Well...the universe was talking to me....and I'm sure it was a sign that it was time to get back to my roots. Well after my Bollywood fever ran its course.....I shifted to Korean dramas and have been hooked since. I reminisce about my childhood with my grandmother whenever I hear the actors speak. While I don't speak the language....I recognize words that my grandmother spoke. I can remember on weekends I could watch the movies 24 hours straight.....I was really crazed. My friend told me that for the number of hours I spend watching I should be able to speak the language fluently.
The film that got me hooked was called Boys Over Flowers, and my favorite actor, Lee Min Ho was the lead. I would be ashamed to tell you how many times I've watched that movie and every other movie he has acted in. Did you know that in the State of Hawaii, March 21, 2009, was designated as Song Il Gook day....another Korean actor hottie! The good news is that there is a website that one can view Korean films, at no charge.....OMG.....how great is that?
Whereas Bollywood is about romance with song and dance.....with Korean dramas it is all about the food along with romance and drama. Needless to say....I have both my Bollywood favorite actor and my Korean favorite actor on my Facebook page! How giddy and silly it must seem for a woman my age.....but I'll tell you.....I was way too serious and shy in my younger days.....now, I am certainly acting silly and the best part is that I love remembering my grandmother.....playing cards with her and the wonderful food she made.....Kalbi, MunDoo, Daikon Kim Chee, Seasoned Seaweed (Chim), Cold Kook Soo, the different kinds of Jhun she made....Meat, Shrimp and Vegetable....Yum!
It is so much fun rediscovering my roots!
Saturday, February 18, 2012
Food.....Glorious Food!
One great thing about living in Las Vegas is that you never run out of places to go to eat! The choices are unlimited!
The casinos offer a tremendous array of foods in their buffets and for the most part, are very affordable. If you gamble a lot.....you can accumulate points that will allow you to have free or reduced cost meals. Heck....you even get coupons in the mail for their latest promotions.
We probably have most...if not all of the well known franchised fast food joints and family restaurants. There are also independent (non-casino) buffet restaurants. I met Marilyn, a friend, for lunch at an Asian all you can eat buffet. The cost......$7.50 per person. At that price you can have sushi, 3 different kinds of soups with potstickers, your choice of pad thai or Chinese fried noodles and fried rice. There was spicy chicken with black bean sauce and jalapenos, (my favorite).....BBQ chicken, clams in a half shell, Chinese filled cookies and pastries, beef and seafood stir fried dishes, a salad bar that included Korean kim chee, and a dessert bar....with jello, cakes, and even ice cream cones! I know there were several other entrees that I just had no more room in my stomach to have. Needless to say, the place was packed with people!
That same day my friend Geoff and I had a coupon to have a meal for two which consisted of panini sandwiches, drinks and chips for just $1.00. We both chose brisket sandwiches with horseradish cole slaw and it included spicy pickles! It was quite tasty! Afterwards we went to a free wine tasting at his favorite liquor store....to round out the evening. How fun!
My personal favorite things to order? Sonic's Vanilla Coke, IHOP pancakes, Red Robin burgers, Island Style saimin with their super tasty daikon kim chee, California Hotel's buffet breakfast of Portuguese sausage, corned beef hash and bacon and of course their pineapple juice. Their misoyaki butterfish entree is excellent too! We have In 'N Out burgers and a DQ in our neighborhood and we especially enjoy the Turtle Pecan Blizzard from DQ.....Yum! Oh.....I have found a great new thing.....garlic stuffed green olives....."yummy yummy yummy I have love in my tummy and I don't know what to do".....a childhood jingle that is so appropriate here!
This is my kind of town!
The casinos offer a tremendous array of foods in their buffets and for the most part, are very affordable. If you gamble a lot.....you can accumulate points that will allow you to have free or reduced cost meals. Heck....you even get coupons in the mail for their latest promotions.
We probably have most...if not all of the well known franchised fast food joints and family restaurants. There are also independent (non-casino) buffet restaurants. I met Marilyn, a friend, for lunch at an Asian all you can eat buffet. The cost......$7.50 per person. At that price you can have sushi, 3 different kinds of soups with potstickers, your choice of pad thai or Chinese fried noodles and fried rice. There was spicy chicken with black bean sauce and jalapenos, (my favorite).....BBQ chicken, clams in a half shell, Chinese filled cookies and pastries, beef and seafood stir fried dishes, a salad bar that included Korean kim chee, and a dessert bar....with jello, cakes, and even ice cream cones! I know there were several other entrees that I just had no more room in my stomach to have. Needless to say, the place was packed with people!
That same day my friend Geoff and I had a coupon to have a meal for two which consisted of panini sandwiches, drinks and chips for just $1.00. We both chose brisket sandwiches with horseradish cole slaw and it included spicy pickles! It was quite tasty! Afterwards we went to a free wine tasting at his favorite liquor store....to round out the evening. How fun!
My personal favorite things to order? Sonic's Vanilla Coke, IHOP pancakes, Red Robin burgers, Island Style saimin with their super tasty daikon kim chee, California Hotel's buffet breakfast of Portuguese sausage, corned beef hash and bacon and of course their pineapple juice. Their misoyaki butterfish entree is excellent too! We have In 'N Out burgers and a DQ in our neighborhood and we especially enjoy the Turtle Pecan Blizzard from DQ.....Yum! Oh.....I have found a great new thing.....garlic stuffed green olives....."yummy yummy yummy I have love in my tummy and I don't know what to do".....a childhood jingle that is so appropriate here!
This is my kind of town!
Thursday, February 16, 2012
My Best Friend Shirley
Today I want to tell you about my best friend Shirley. We have a friendship that has been slow cooking now for over 40 years. It started gradually and in the last few years, the bond between us surpasses all understanding.
Shirley is 75 years old and I swear she has the energy of a woman in her forties. She reminds me of the Energizer bunny who keeps going and going and going. She works as a cashier at a restaurant 5 days a week, helps to raise her year old great grandchild, delivers water to her customers, and helps to shuttle friends without cars to pay bills on the day they receive their Social Security check or whenever they need to run errands. She also attends her church activities about three times a week.
When I first met Shirley, she was the top producer in sales, for a cosmetic company and through her efforts, the company was able to expand into Canada. She received many achievement awards, including a brand new white Cadillac. She was so proud that she actually spent the night sleeping in it. Oh no...wait correction...her husband was so jealous of her achievement that he locked her out of the house....that's the real reason she slept in her car that night.
Can you tell where this is leading? Well, Shirley has always wanted to be a stand up comic, and true to form....like most comedians, her life story would bring any audience to tears from laughing so much. The funny stories she used to tell us became like an addiction for me.
Any time I had a sad story to tell about my life, I would run to Shirley and my tale of woe was like the size of pebble compared to the boulder sized sad story of her life. At first I would feel somewhat consoled....because compared to her problems, mine paled in comparison. Then I would feel ashamed because how could I complain when she had life so much harder than me. Eventually I was in awe and inspired by her strength to overcome life's difficulties....and believe me she had some real doozies to overcome!
Now to the part about surpassing all understanding....we have both come to the conclusion lately that we are like 2 twisted sisters with the same menstrual cycle. We have even nicknamed ourselves as Thelma and Louise....although we have yet to determine who's who. Anyway....when something happens to her....about a week later something very similar happens to me and vice versa.....of course still with the varying degree "spread" between us.
There have been times when we've cried over lunch about our similar woes.....then there have also been times when we've laughed ourselves into a stupor. Just last month we became stupefied over the discussion of our choice of toilet paper. The conversation went along the lines of the fact that she had 7 kids and I had 2....so therefore her private parts were worn out and thus insensitive to the scratchy cheaper brand, while my private parts required the more expensive and softer type. Well, you get the picture how silly we can become in a matter of seconds.
Besides all of the fun I have with my friend, the best part of this friendship is that we share a common respect for one another. We don't use what we know and shared to hurt the other person. We give each other support. The other day, my friend called me up and apologized to me for not thinking about me.....how a simple situation with me caused her to feel guilty because she didn't offer a helping hand....it caught me by surprise because I hadn't even given it a second thought. It was just so touching.....her concern and love for me!
What I also find endearing about my friend are her sayings.....the latest one is "live long and get even," after my latest lament. While that is just not my style.....I do find a degree of courage for my often timid heart. My retort to you my friend is......."live long and stay healthy"........here's hoping we have many more years together! I feel so blessed knowing you!
May all who read this stop and call their special friend to share the love and happy memories!
Shirley is 75 years old and I swear she has the energy of a woman in her forties. She reminds me of the Energizer bunny who keeps going and going and going. She works as a cashier at a restaurant 5 days a week, helps to raise her year old great grandchild, delivers water to her customers, and helps to shuttle friends without cars to pay bills on the day they receive their Social Security check or whenever they need to run errands. She also attends her church activities about three times a week.
When I first met Shirley, she was the top producer in sales, for a cosmetic company and through her efforts, the company was able to expand into Canada. She received many achievement awards, including a brand new white Cadillac. She was so proud that she actually spent the night sleeping in it. Oh no...wait correction...her husband was so jealous of her achievement that he locked her out of the house....that's the real reason she slept in her car that night.
Can you tell where this is leading? Well, Shirley has always wanted to be a stand up comic, and true to form....like most comedians, her life story would bring any audience to tears from laughing so much. The funny stories she used to tell us became like an addiction for me.
Any time I had a sad story to tell about my life, I would run to Shirley and my tale of woe was like the size of pebble compared to the boulder sized sad story of her life. At first I would feel somewhat consoled....because compared to her problems, mine paled in comparison. Then I would feel ashamed because how could I complain when she had life so much harder than me. Eventually I was in awe and inspired by her strength to overcome life's difficulties....and believe me she had some real doozies to overcome!
Now to the part about surpassing all understanding....we have both come to the conclusion lately that we are like 2 twisted sisters with the same menstrual cycle. We have even nicknamed ourselves as Thelma and Louise....although we have yet to determine who's who. Anyway....when something happens to her....about a week later something very similar happens to me and vice versa.....of course still with the varying degree "spread" between us.
There have been times when we've cried over lunch about our similar woes.....then there have also been times when we've laughed ourselves into a stupor. Just last month we became stupefied over the discussion of our choice of toilet paper. The conversation went along the lines of the fact that she had 7 kids and I had 2....so therefore her private parts were worn out and thus insensitive to the scratchy cheaper brand, while my private parts required the more expensive and softer type. Well, you get the picture how silly we can become in a matter of seconds.
Besides all of the fun I have with my friend, the best part of this friendship is that we share a common respect for one another. We don't use what we know and shared to hurt the other person. We give each other support. The other day, my friend called me up and apologized to me for not thinking about me.....how a simple situation with me caused her to feel guilty because she didn't offer a helping hand....it caught me by surprise because I hadn't even given it a second thought. It was just so touching.....her concern and love for me!
What I also find endearing about my friend are her sayings.....the latest one is "live long and get even," after my latest lament. While that is just not my style.....I do find a degree of courage for my often timid heart. My retort to you my friend is......."live long and stay healthy"........here's hoping we have many more years together! I feel so blessed knowing you!
May all who read this stop and call their special friend to share the love and happy memories!
Tuesday, February 14, 2012
Happy Valentines Day to You
As a kid, I remember these candies.....the taste wasn't all that great, but it was fun getting them and seeing what message would turn up next. I remember the fun of preparing the Valentine cards to give to friends and that special someone....you know who I mean....the person you had that crush on!
Being a very shy person when I was younger, I just wanted to play it cool. Gosh, just reflecting on how many secret crushes I had on the cute boys in my classes....how fun! By cute, I don't mean that they were the stud muffins, or beef cake type or the most popular boy ....oh no....I fell in love with silly things like the way their hair was combed, their smile, the way they flirted with me and the twinkle in their eyes...but most importantly, how I felt being with them. I loved the playful outgoing type....not the shy ones.
I remember my first kiss. His name was Bruce....he was such a clown and was popular not because he was a looker....no, he was chubby and dark skinned, but he had a heart of gold. He was the oldest son in the family and had much younger brothers that he took care of. He was the man of the house whenever his father was off working as a fireman. As I look back, after that kiss our lives went in such different directions. We bumped into one another on occasion. He was 2 years older than me. Unfortunately he died at a young age, but every once in a while I remember that moment we had that was so special to me and the twinkle in his eyes that I loved.
To me, Valentines Day is not about how much money you spend or the lavish gifts you give. It is about making your loved one feel special and oh so loved. It is about the way you caress them with your eyes and hold their hands or open the car door for them or cook a special meal for them. That is so sexy! It is about how you make that person feel as though they are the most important person in your life. But here is the most important rule to remember.....when you love someone, Valentines Day happens every day!
So go forth in love and have a very wonderful life!
Sunday, February 12, 2012
A Bollywood Experience
My Bollywood Experience can be attributed to Netflix streaming videos. Having been a movie lover my whole life, I found Netflix somewhat limited in selections for instant streaming. Watching foreign films with English subtitles was not my idea of entertainment, but I had come to the point of having seen so many American made movies that I was literally desperate. The trend of American cinema was leading towards sequels which are rarely as good as the original screenplay. I started choosing movies according to star ratings, with 5 stars being the best and most popular.
The first Bollywood movie I ever saw is lovingly nicknamed "DDLJ" which stands for Dilwale Dulhania Le Jayenge, which means Brave Heart Will Take the Bride. This film is a romantic musical starring Shahrukh Khan and Kajol. I have always loved song and dance romantic films, featuring stars like Doris Day, Gordon MacRae, Donald O'Connor, Debbie Reynolds, Gene Kelley and Frank Sinatra...to name a few.
Anyway, back to DDLJ....this film catapulted the male lead actor, Shahrukh Khan to stardom back in 1995, to the point where today he has well over a billion fans worldwide. A billion fans....I'm not certain, but I'm sure that number exceeds Brad Pitt, Tom Cruise or whatever American film star you can name.
What is unique to Bollywood, is that kissing is frowned upon, especially for married actors. So it is probably safe to say that nude or lewd scenes probably don't exist. Some things when left to the imaginiation can be so much more powerful!
Since its debut in 1995, DDLJ is still being shown in movie theatres across India every day.....and,.....the theatres are still packed! I must warn you though, Hindi movies are about 4 hours long. Would you believe that I probably watched this film at least 4 times from start to finish.
Needless to say, I was hooked and hooked bad. I don't remember ever having kept pictures of movie stars on my wall when I was a teenager....but at this time in my life I confess I actually put a picture of him on my wall. He is definitely my favorite Indian film actor. Shahrukh lives up to his nickname....the "King of Bollywood." In 2008, Newsweek named him one of the 50 most powerful people in the world. What is even greater is the story of his life. After seeing this film, I had to know everything about this man. I've watched almost all of the movies he has acted in that is available here in America, with English subtitles. I was on YouTube daily looking for anything I could find on him...performances, interviews, movies. My Kindle even has the book....King of Bollywood: Shah Rukh Khan and the Seductive World of Indian Cinema by Anupama Chopra. The man is even a friend on my Facebook account...I am like a crazy woman!
There is a music video that shows his 6 pack abs...and even an interview where he was asked by a woman in the audience if he still has his 6 pack and he lifts up his shirt and bears them! I've watched these more than once! Wow....I've never been this silly! What's come over me! HELP!!!
Phew....be still my heart.....check it out for yourself! How can one man stir billions of fans?...and mind you...not just women fans....men have even kissed his feet! Good luck...and may the force be with you....let me know if you need a lifeline back to reality!
The first Bollywood movie I ever saw is lovingly nicknamed "DDLJ" which stands for Dilwale Dulhania Le Jayenge, which means Brave Heart Will Take the Bride. This film is a romantic musical starring Shahrukh Khan and Kajol. I have always loved song and dance romantic films, featuring stars like Doris Day, Gordon MacRae, Donald O'Connor, Debbie Reynolds, Gene Kelley and Frank Sinatra...to name a few.
Anyway, back to DDLJ....this film catapulted the male lead actor, Shahrukh Khan to stardom back in 1995, to the point where today he has well over a billion fans worldwide. A billion fans....I'm not certain, but I'm sure that number exceeds Brad Pitt, Tom Cruise or whatever American film star you can name.
What is unique to Bollywood, is that kissing is frowned upon, especially for married actors. So it is probably safe to say that nude or lewd scenes probably don't exist. Some things when left to the imaginiation can be so much more powerful!
Since its debut in 1995, DDLJ is still being shown in movie theatres across India every day.....and,.....the theatres are still packed! I must warn you though, Hindi movies are about 4 hours long. Would you believe that I probably watched this film at least 4 times from start to finish.
Needless to say, I was hooked and hooked bad. I don't remember ever having kept pictures of movie stars on my wall when I was a teenager....but at this time in my life I confess I actually put a picture of him on my wall. He is definitely my favorite Indian film actor. Shahrukh lives up to his nickname....the "King of Bollywood." In 2008, Newsweek named him one of the 50 most powerful people in the world. What is even greater is the story of his life. After seeing this film, I had to know everything about this man. I've watched almost all of the movies he has acted in that is available here in America, with English subtitles. I was on YouTube daily looking for anything I could find on him...performances, interviews, movies. My Kindle even has the book....King of Bollywood: Shah Rukh Khan and the Seductive World of Indian Cinema by Anupama Chopra. The man is even a friend on my Facebook account...I am like a crazy woman!
There is a music video that shows his 6 pack abs...and even an interview where he was asked by a woman in the audience if he still has his 6 pack and he lifts up his shirt and bears them! I've watched these more than once! Wow....I've never been this silly! What's come over me! HELP!!!
Phew....be still my heart.....check it out for yourself! How can one man stir billions of fans?...and mind you...not just women fans....men have even kissed his feet! Good luck...and may the force be with you....let me know if you need a lifeline back to reality!
Saturday, February 11, 2012
Gender Sociology
In going through the course descriptions of classes that sounded interesting....Gender Sociology was at the forefront. What I thought was going to be a class on how men and women think and act in any given situation....turned out to be a study on how we learn about the gender we were born into. Our course text book was written by a man who had a sex change then later regretted the process because he wanted to be gender free...meaning not considered a man or a woman, just a person.
After the second week in this class, I came to realize why my friend Denise smiled at me with a curious smirk when I told of my course selections. Well I can tell you that my Puritan-like demeanor was in for a shock. The class was filled with young men and women practicing gender bending. At first the shock was overwhelming, because my classmates felt so free with their intimate sharing in class discussions.
Witnessing same sex couples kissing in class became the norm. I remember back in the day when we were in school, we were worried about our slip showing....with this class their sexuality was out there for everyone to see, as evidenced not only by the way they dressed, but by their actions and beingness.
There was one exercise I remember fondly. We were randomly paired with another person and the assignment was pre-wedding discussions about the important stuff....children, lifestyle, breadwinner for the family, duties....you get the drift.
Well I was paired with a woman in her early twenties. First topic....who would bear the child. Well, at my age that was physically impossible. Second topic....who would be the breadwinner of the family, because she wanted to finish college. I shared that I was on a fixed income of Social Security benefits and was living a retired lifestyle. Well, needless to say the marriage was off. But it was such great fun to share with the class the jist of our conversation. Even the instructor laughed....I guess they don't get very many retired people signing up for this class.....Silly me!
In the end, I came away with a huge understanding of gender biased thoughts and the harm that accompanies that way of thinking. I congratulate the new version of what we used to refer to as "flower power.". A lot of us balked at their long hair, their lifestyle and clothing back then....now comes a new generation, a new cause, a new way of thinking and hallelujah, a new kind of freedom!
After the second week in this class, I came to realize why my friend Denise smiled at me with a curious smirk when I told of my course selections. Well I can tell you that my Puritan-like demeanor was in for a shock. The class was filled with young men and women practicing gender bending. At first the shock was overwhelming, because my classmates felt so free with their intimate sharing in class discussions.
Witnessing same sex couples kissing in class became the norm. I remember back in the day when we were in school, we were worried about our slip showing....with this class their sexuality was out there for everyone to see, as evidenced not only by the way they dressed, but by their actions and beingness.
There was one exercise I remember fondly. We were randomly paired with another person and the assignment was pre-wedding discussions about the important stuff....children, lifestyle, breadwinner for the family, duties....you get the drift.
Well I was paired with a woman in her early twenties. First topic....who would bear the child. Well, at my age that was physically impossible. Second topic....who would be the breadwinner of the family, because she wanted to finish college. I shared that I was on a fixed income of Social Security benefits and was living a retired lifestyle. Well, needless to say the marriage was off. But it was such great fun to share with the class the jist of our conversation. Even the instructor laughed....I guess they don't get very many retired people signing up for this class.....Silly me!
In the end, I came away with a huge understanding of gender biased thoughts and the harm that accompanies that way of thinking. I congratulate the new version of what we used to refer to as "flower power.". A lot of us balked at their long hair, their lifestyle and clothing back then....now comes a new generation, a new cause, a new way of thinking and hallelujah, a new kind of freedom!
Friday, February 10, 2012
Starting Life Over Again
Hello Everyone.....
I'm done with caring for elderly parents, raising kids and grandkids and now at age 63 I've decided to take back my life and my new mission is to just have fun. In this day and age with most of the world in an economic downturn, how is that even possible or conceivable?
Well, I started by going back to college on a Pell Grant two years ago. Qualifying was easier than I thought it would be. Just simply pick the college, go to their website and fill out an application for financial aid called FAFSA. Follow the directions and you will be notified if you qualify or not. Don't fall for all those nuisance ads on the internet. Just go directly to the college of your choice! The Pell Grant gives you a small living allowance and pays for your tuition. Because of the timing you may have to front the cost of books, but this type of financial aid is not a loan and therefore doesn't need to be paid back.
A whole new world opened up for me once I went back to school. I studied Asian, Medieval and Renaissance Art History, Philosophy, Gender Sociology, Psychology, World Music, Health, and Comparative Religion. I got to interface with kids just out of high school and kids in their 20's. I found that most rewarding.
I want to share the fun with these blog postings and keep my focus and philosophy on Bottom Line Fun for the rest of my life. I welcome all of you on the internet to share your fun ideas, jokes, places to visit, and good movies or television favorites.
I look forward to hearing from you!
Audrey
I'm done with caring for elderly parents, raising kids and grandkids and now at age 63 I've decided to take back my life and my new mission is to just have fun. In this day and age with most of the world in an economic downturn, how is that even possible or conceivable?
Well, I started by going back to college on a Pell Grant two years ago. Qualifying was easier than I thought it would be. Just simply pick the college, go to their website and fill out an application for financial aid called FAFSA. Follow the directions and you will be notified if you qualify or not. Don't fall for all those nuisance ads on the internet. Just go directly to the college of your choice! The Pell Grant gives you a small living allowance and pays for your tuition. Because of the timing you may have to front the cost of books, but this type of financial aid is not a loan and therefore doesn't need to be paid back.
A whole new world opened up for me once I went back to school. I studied Asian, Medieval and Renaissance Art History, Philosophy, Gender Sociology, Psychology, World Music, Health, and Comparative Religion. I got to interface with kids just out of high school and kids in their 20's. I found that most rewarding.
I want to share the fun with these blog postings and keep my focus and philosophy on Bottom Line Fun for the rest of my life. I welcome all of you on the internet to share your fun ideas, jokes, places to visit, and good movies or television favorites.
I look forward to hearing from you!
Audrey
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