FEB 29 :: [once every four years] (I had this in my head the other day so I'm backdating it coz I'm a few days late!) It's Leap Day! How fun. Leap years are fun. The Olympics take place on leap years. And so does the US Presidential election. Once every four years we get to right what is wrong or keep the good times rolling. We get to change for the better (or worse), ditch (or keep) the status quo and correct (or maintain) any injustices that have been wrought in the past 4 years.
2000 was the good old days. Way back then, war was still a last resort, war was only started by evil, we only spent what we had and saved for the future, citizens were free from unjust prosecution and had a day in court. Life was much simpler then. How did it all go so wrong? And, really folks, are we better off now than we were 4 years ago?
Tomorrow is March. Progress is unstoppable. Let's Leap forward and March on. Time doesn't stand still for us to ponder over what could've been for the last 4 years. It's time to change and it's time to make it better. VOTE!
FEB 24 :: [right triumphs over wrong] "The president launched a war today against the civil rights of gay citizens and their families. And just as importantly, he launched a war to defile the most sacred document in the land... The document that should be uniting the country will now be used to divide it, to single out a group of people for discrimination itself, and to do so for narrow electoral purposes. Not since the horrifying legacy of Constitutional racial discrimination in this country has such a goal been even thought of, let alone pursued." - Andrew Sullivan.
There can be no more profound attack on a minority in the United States - or on the promise of freedom that America represents - than the Federal Marriage Amendment. The FMA is clear in its intent, shocking in its prejudice, extreme in its implications as a symbol of exclusion, division and intolerance. And they want to enshrine this kind of bigotry into the constitution? How dare we amend a document that gives hope and freedom to the world to deny hope and freedom to a group of our own citizens? How could anyone use the constitution for such disgusting political gain?
I am neither shocked nor awed by the President's decision today to back a constitutional ban on same-sex marriage. Even if I'm not outraged at this very moment (and rage goes far in clouding your judgement), I know I'm determined to fight and defend against this new "war" that our war-mongering president has declared on a group of Americans. My determination to fight is strengthened by all the heartbreak, hope and love I have experienced over my lifetime. My emotions are no less real than yours. My love is given as truly as yours is. And why does that scare you, Mr. President?
This president is a simple man and he divides the world into friends and foes. He has now made a whole group of Americans - and their families and friends - his enemy. We have no alternative but to defend ourselves and our families from this attack. And we will. It is so simple today, on this cold, rainy day in DC, to absolutely and unequivocally hate this president and everything he and his party stand for. But I would instead channel that hatred into a message of faith, hope and belief. I trust and believe in America. And I believe that, over time, right triumphs over wrong in America.
FEB 23 :: [no more sex] *pout* How could this be?! Why did they have to end it?! *sob* Sex and the City ended its 94-episode run last night with a tear-jerking, heart-warming, tied-up-like-a-neat-little-package finale. Carrie got Big (yay!), Charlotte got her baby (yay!), Miranda is REALLY in love for sure (yay!) and Samantha is still a horny bitch but now she's taken! (yay!) All in all, a very fun episode. I'm just so sad it ended :( It was one of my favorite shows on television and it's now gone. I hate finding new shows but nothing good lasts forever, right? Time for a change... What could possibly be better than sex?? *giggle*
Yes, Hong Kong was FABULOUS! We had a grand old time at the Mandarin Oriental. The room was perfect, breakfast was wonderful, we shopped and shopped and shopped. We went up to the Peak for sunset and it was breathtaking. Dinner at Man Wah was sublime. After the chaos of Tokyo, HK was like a breath of fresh air (even though it was hazy the entire time). We could smell the South China Sea from our bedroom balcony. Heaven! I love HK. I can't wait to go back... hopefully as a prelude to a grand tour of China.
I wouldn't say I disliked Tokyo. I guess I was just tired. But Tokyo seemed too chaotic for me. The tidal wave of humanity at every corner didn't help. And the stratospheric prices definitely didn't help! But we had a great time. Food was wonderful - kobe beef, tempura, shabu-shabu, sushi, yum! Roppongi Hills was definitely a highlight. As was the Tsukiji fish market. The Imperial Palace was the only other piece of serenity in this crazy city besides our hotel (which was quite the oasis). All in all, we had fun. Kyoto next time, for sure. Tokyo can wait another 12 years... :)
FEB 17 :: [flippin' expensive] I'm in Tokyo! Left New York on the 16th, lost a day and it's now the 17th at 6pm. How'd that happen? Long ass flight (14 hours). Two words about Japan - flippin' expensive! We spent close to $70 getting here from Narita airport (by train!!). Room service: $10 for orange juice, $14 for soup, $40 for pasta (!!!), etc. I'm having a coronary just seeing all these prices! Off to find food that doesn't cost an arm and a leg :)
FEB 15 :: [fuckin' freezin'] New York is fabulous! And cold as balls, baby. The temperature gauge in our room at the Peninsula (I know, how cool is that... it even tells you the humidity level) says it's 25 F outside. But the winds whipping down Fifth Avenue makes it feel like it's much colder!
Dinner last night at Oceana was great. Nothing spectacular about it though (except for the price). But we were also pretty tired from the long day of traveling and getting over a hangover. Long story but basically I got massively sick from vodka and champagne the night before @ Rob/Mikko's. Worst hangover of my life, threw up like you would not believe, and then got on a plane and basically felt like crap for much of the day. I recovered just enough for The Producers. It was fantastic! Nathan Lane is a genius. You MUST see it. He will have you laughing so hard you'll cry.
Anyways, off to Tokyo tomorrow. How exciting! Off to go warm up. Hope y'all had a good Valentine's Day!
FEB 13 :: [love is in the air] Valentine's Day is just around the corner. Tony and I are gonna celebrate with a 9-day whirlwind vacation beginning with a stay at the Peninsula in New York followed by Tokyo and then Hong Kong. I'm so excited I can barely wait. After much frantic last-minute Valentine's dinner shenanigans, we settled on Oceana a few blocks from our hotel. We're meeting Tom/G the next day at Annisa and then we jump onboard our non-stop JFK-NRT flight to the land of the rising sun! It's all so romantic. We end up at the Mandarin Oriental in Hong Kong before our flight back to DC on the 22nd. Just thinking of how much flying we're gonna do in the next 10 days is making me tired.
Afzal came to visit on Tuesday. He's a blast from the past! We had a fun afternoon together and it's unfortunate his trip was cut short and he had to leave on Wed. Tony made an amazing Thai curry dinner with yummy tom ka gai soup (I knew the cooking classes would pay off) and he's been making curry ever since. I love curry. Oh and Kyoshi (another blast from the past) may meet me in Tokyo! How fun. Asia is definitely calling and I'm answering with enthusiasm. I'm already planning a trip back to Thailand for New Year's Eve. Anywho, nothing exciting is happening here besides same-sex marriage, Kerry v Bush, Microsoft's source code and Comcast buying Disney. We have a blini party tonight at Rob/Mikko's in honor of Pascal. I can't wait! I loooooooove caviar. Love is definitely in the air.
FEB 9 :: [mass murder] Before I launch into yet another tirade (I seem to have more of those lately... must be that time of the month), dinner at Makoto was fabulous as usual. Shelley and us had way too much sake and ended up drunk on the floor of the Ritz in Georgetown in front of the fireplace (exaggeration). But yea, we were pretty toasted. Dim sum the following day capped off a fun first-half to our weekend. The second-half involved getting drunk (again! no surprise there) at Melting Pot with Tom/G, Rob/Mikko. I have no idea how we racked up a $570 bill but I think the 6 martinis and 4 bottles of wine did it. Giggle. It helped that we started the evening off with a bottle of Dom to christen Tom/G's "new" and ultra-fabulous apartment!
So, we're jetting off to NYC, Tokyo and Hong Kong for Valentine's week. Just a short 9-day trip. Nothing special :) More on that later. And don't let me forget to tell you about my visa to Japan story.
"I have shown the American people I can sit here in the Oval Office when times are tough and be steady and make good decisions" - Mr. Bush on Meet the Press 2/8/04.
Wars are so evil that anyone who is guilty of starting one - not in an act of self-defense or as a last resort - is inherently evil. Wars are the true weapons of mass destruction. Ending someone else's life without justification does not make you tough, Mr. President. It makes you a murderer. Unprovoked wars are mass murder.
FEB 6 :: [shelley!] Shelley's here! She's my ho from Atlanta. We had a fab Thai dinner last night at "rice" (although the fact that they - or anyone else for that matter - don't take Amex is really annoying). We gave her a headless statue of Lakshmi from Angkor for her birthday. And we're going to Makoto tonight for dinner! The kaiseki meal there is awesome. If you haven't been, call right now and make a reservation. It's a meal you won't soon forget.
On to more important stuff. Yes, I do have a habit of quoting the New York Times but mainly because I think they have the courage to speak out on topics that no one else does (and shame on you, Washington Post, for glossing over the truth - where's the apology over your incessant backing of the Iraq war?). So without further ado, I give you Bob Herbert, Op-Ed Columnist in "Tuning out the G.O.P.'s Siren Song".
"...A[nother] broad issue that increasing numbers of voters are coalescing around is President Bush's credibility problems. There were no weapons of mass destruction. So why have we sacrificed the lives of more than 500 American troops and thousands of innocent Iraqi civilians? What was the noble cause for which they died?"
"On the home front, Mr. Bush has come up with a budget that is so irresponsible and deceitful it has rattled public officials and ordinary voters on the right and the left. (The Times, in an editorial headline, called it "The Pinocchio Budget.") As presented, the budget would jack up military spending by 7 percent, to $26.5 billion. But that figure does not include the money needed to cover the military operations in Iraq and Afghanistan. We'll get those numbers later. After the election."
"What the budget does include are additional tax breaks for the wealthy, along with proposals that would deal potentially crippling blows to government support for education, environmental protection, veterans programs, low-income housing, child care and the like."
"What seems to be unsettling to large numbers of voters (not just hard-core anti-Bush Democrats) is the notion that events are slipping or have slipped out of control, that there is no endgame in Iraq, no plan to rein in runaway deficits, no strategy to put Americans back to work, and no limit to the Bush administration's willingness to shower its friends with favors and public dollars."
FEB 5 :: [unassailable truths] Please read Blair's Mass Deception - "IN THE wake of the Hutton fiasco, one truth remains unassailed: Tony Blair ordered an unprovoked invasion of another country on a totally false pretext, and that lies and deceptions manufactured in London and Washington caused the deaths of up to 55,000 Iraqis, including 9,600 civilians..."
"Neither Britain nor America counts its Iraqi victims, and the fact, let alone the extent of the human carnage and material devastation is not even acknowledged by a government that says it is "vindicated" by Lord Hutton..."
There is only only one unassailable truth about the WMDs in Iraq and it is that there are none. The justification for the Iraq war has never been weaker and the US image as a defender of human rights and democracy has never been more vulnerable. Both the Prime Minister and the President stand criminally liable for the death of thousands of defenseless Iraqi civilians killed in US and British bombing raids.
"If we are wrong, we will have destroyed a threat that at its least is responsible for inhuman carnage and suffering. That is something I am confident history will forgive." - PM Blair 5/30/03
Au contraire, monsieur Blair. History will NEVER forgive you for starting this unnecessary, unprovoked and deceptive war. It is abhorrent enough to start a war based on the assumption of the presence of WMDs, but to now defend a murderous war even without the evidence of such weapons? Mr. Blair/Mr. Bush, I ask you - How do you sleep at night?
FEB 3 :: [sleepy kiat] Yea, I'm officially lazy. It was raining ice this morning and although I could have made it to work, I didn't. Instead, I finished my picture page on Angkor Thom and Angkor Wat. You HAVE to see it! (No, not my picture page, Angkor!) The faces of Bayon are truly mesmerizing. Angkor Wat itself will shake you to the core. It's everything you've heard and seen about it and more. Pack your bags right now and go before they rope off the temples to keep the irritating and ignorant Asian tourists away (just coz you are allowed to touch the carvings and climb the towers doesn't mean you should!!).
A sleepy Kiat is a grumpy Kiat. I have been jet-lagged for over a week now. I got up at 7 this morning which is MUCH better than the 5am I have been doing for the past week. I hope to get over this just in time to fly back to Asia in 2 weeks. Grin. And what's this about Janet's boobs? Good grief. It's not like we've never seen a breast before. What's the big deal? The SuperBowl was pretty interesting though. Last 5 minutes were killer. Chris is getting a new HDTV tonight. Off to go check it out! Toodles.
29 :: once every four years
24 :: right triumphs over wrong
23 :: no more sex
17 :: flippin' expensive
15 :: fuckin' freezin'
13 :: love is in the air
09 :: mass murder
06 :: shelley!
05 :: unassailable truths
03 :: sleepy kiat