that's hot.

I must say, my very dear readers, that I do hope wherever you were this weekend, it was as amazing as it was in San Francisco.  The effect of the warm weather on San Franciscans was almost immediately apparent, visible in the smiling faces and uncharacteristically relaxed attitude of everyone strolling the SF streets.

This weekend, I was lucky enough to enjoy two incredible events:  the San Francisco stop of In the Heights at the Curran Theater and the Birth of Impressionism: Masterpieces from the Musée d'Orsay exhibit at the de Young Museum.  I would highly recommend both events to anyone that is even slightly interested in attending.

First off, a mini review of the musical.  I would only embarrass myself if I pretended to be well-versed in theater criticism, but I do go to enough shows to know what I like (Wicked, amongst many others) and what I don't (Lestat...how do you mess up a musical about a VAMPIRE ROCK STAR?!).  Also, I can share with you things from a layperson's perspective, like the fact that my sister, who I attended the show with, was absolutely exhausted the night we went, but the show kept her awake and engaged the entire time.

In the Heights is a musical about a New York City neighborhood, and it won the 2008 Tony award for Best Musical.  Please pardon the absolutely awful quality of the video below, which doesn't even come close to doing the production justice (and is by a totally different cast, I think), but I really wanted to at least give you a taste of the rich, lively music that made up the entire program, from start to finish.

Better audio samples (sans video) are available on the show's official website here.

The plot of the show was simple -- residents from an economically impoverish, but culturally rich, neighborhood share with us their goals and dreams.  It's pretty predictable overall, but seriously, if you want a twist, watch an M. Night Shyamalan movie, not a Broadway musical.  The story takes place during one of NYC's notoriously hot summers, and while the weather seems pretty unbearable for the characters, it's a perfect accompaniment to the hot, sexy, downright smoldering music and choreography.  The heavily Latin-inspired production draws from salsa, jazz, and hip-hop and is a refreshing departure from the usually homogeneous offerings of Broadway.  How often do you get to see break dancing and salsa on a theater stage?

Unfortunately, the show's run in SF ended this weekend (at least for now), but according to the tour's calendar (can you tell I just learned how to create links?), it's making a stop in Tempe, Arizona before coming back to a few SoCal stops and then leaving for Japan, so I hope some of you will be able to catch it.  Oh, and please look for deals on tickets!  We got our tickets for 50% off through Goldstar.

Well, it's bed time for me now, so I will follow up with a review on the museum exhibit, hopefully tomorrow.  I would love to hear what you all did on your weekends, so please do share :)

Goodnight, lovelies.
V

get inked.

Is it me, or is blogging just a little bit easier after a glass or two of wine?  I always get so nervous about people reading my writing.  Maybe it's just beginner's stage fright, or maybe it's leftover from my days as an aspiring journalist when editors were constantly ripping me a new one.  Experienced bloggers, how do YOU get comfy before a post?

Well anyways, I have a full glass in hand now, so on to post #2!

I have to say, I was really touched by all the wonderful compliments on Sophia's blog (www.kechi-kechi.blogspot.com) about my tattoo!  I LOVE everything about tattoos, when they are done well, and it's so refreshing to see how much more accepting society has become towards girls with ink.   

You can see most of my tats in this pic.  I got my first tattoo, the Chinese character ("beauty") and the lotus, when I was 16, and although it's much less prominent than the other work on my back, it will always be incredibly special to me because 1) it was my first and 2) my best friend in the whole wide world also has a lotus on her back <3.  My back is actually three different tattoos that took a total of about nine sessions (probably about 25 hours total).

The tattoo at right is my most recent one.  It is a wire mannequin on the side of my rib cage, about 2.5" tall.  I love it because it's everything my other tattoos aren't -- it's small, simple, black & white, and not organic (with the blossoms, wind, and peacock, I was beginning to feel like a botanical garden).  The picture is right after my session, so I'm still holding the bandage (which I think is actually a doggie pee pad).  Eventually I plan to add a phrase in French, but I am still wrestling with the idea of having words on my body forever.  For some reason, it seems like much more commitment.


I wish I had a picture of my best friend's tattoo.  She has some sparrows and orchids in a huge piece on her back, and it's one of the most gorgeous tattoos I've ever seen.  Sadly, she is quite camera shy.

But don't despair, I have a few other amazing tattoos I can share with you:

My little sister's leg

My little's sister's arm (and face...isn't she gorgeous?)

P.S. My sister and I are so close to our artist that last year for his birthday, we baked dozens of mini cupcakes (with rainbow sprinkles!) and dropped them off at the San Jose tattoo convention for him...how often do you suppose that happens?

My friend's side...without face, but trust, she's also gorgeous.

The best part about both these girls?  You would never think they have the massive amount of inkwork that they do.  I <3 undercover bad ass bitches (that is a post in its own).

Well, I'm sure you guys are getting tired of reading this by now, so I'll just say good night and hopefully some of you will still be around next time I login :)

xoxo,

V

tiptoeing into the blogosphere

I'm not sure what I'm trying to get out of this yet -- or what I hope readers will get out of it -- so bear with me for what I'm sure will be a shaky start.

I can tell you that I'm a born-and-bred California girl from San Francisco who is two months away from relocating to Boston for law school.  This move will mean three years of real seasonal weather and a return to student life after years of enjoying a decent amount of disposable income.  I don't anticipate that the move will be easy -- I just hope that it will at least be interesting.

Seriously, I love to shop, eat, and go out, and I have no intention on giving any of it up completely.  Instead, I'm determined to learn how to do all of it smarter and more effectively, and I'd love to share (and swap!) ideas and experiences with all of you.  Plus, if you stick around, I promise there will be plenty of wardrobe malfunctions, moving mishaps, and various other general misadventures that will make you glad you stayed put in whichever city you lived in last year.

So, basically, I'm inviting you to come move with me.  To get lost with me, learn with me, buy with me, dine with me, and play with me.

All you have to do is follow me. 

Hope to see you around.  Ciao.