Monday, May 24, 2010

kombucha plum

so i'm a frequent patron at this wonderful gem of a nook in fullerton called tranquil tea lounge. it's the best place to find truly lovely tea and delicious food for normal people prices in orange county.

many an interesting conversation have been had over their tea and i've decided to comment on them as i have them... so here goes:

the first of many tea experiences.

i thought this green tea would taste heavily of fruity tanginess, but it did not. it was delightfully fragrant and subtly plum-y. and the color of it made me feel like i was drinking a melted jewel concocted for angels or mythical deities.

we giggled and chatted about weddings and my absolute detest of korean buffet catering. it was like one of those scenes in movies that make cackling hen of women. i didn't care. someone i dearly care about is getting married and i'm going to be a girl.

she's giving me an entire party to plan... with a generous budget! i must say my mind is reeling.

Thursday, May 20, 2010

parachute pants

so commitment and consistency might not be one of my strongest suits (this is commenting on the fact that it's been over a month since my past post). however, determination, i'm hoping, will overcome that weakness...

anyway, i watched "the september issue" yesterday and was deeply moved. is it terribly cliche of me? i can't help it. despite my madness over films like "citizen kane" (yes, i am publicly admitting that i genuinely enjoy it), "eternal sunshine of the spotless mind," "giant," and "la jette," i am, at heart, a girlie girl who also loves "clueless," "breakfast at tiffany's," "music and lyrics," and "the devil wears prada."

"september" was quite literally the real life version of "prada," complete with that moment--a mere instant--of human sorrow and vulnerability. but it was enough to touch me. as an artist, i understand the significance of creating and partaking in culture. however there was definite pain in the eyes of the woman who had given all of her life for something that is such a thin sliver of that of others.

and don't get me wrong. i absolutely adore fashion. i've been a dailycandy subscriber since they first started and despite the mocking glances of my best friends 3 years ago, i purchased a fabulous little pair of purple parachute pants at h&m for only $10 and now they're everywhere for much more. however the sober truth is that the importance of that aspect of life has increased dramatically from its true meaning by the business itself. if all the aspects of life were charted out, the clothes one wears would not be allotted the same amount of units as... say... health. or education. and what about the different subdivisions of those? mental health, emotional health, philosophy, world view... the categories are too numerous to count. surely, the value of CLOTHES would not want to compete with the value of those things, though most of us live as if it does... and has won.

nevertheless, i believe the human soul, though undetected, must sense... or even measure all the ways in which it is being fulfilled--investing and gaining. and if that is the case, i would think that pouring all of my other categories into this one tiny one, leaving the rest blank, might, at one time or another, give me a sense of emptiness.

therefore, that fleeting glimpse of sincerity on the face of anna wintour during the last few seconds of the film struck me with compassion and reality.