Photo of the Week (April 26, 2009)

Greetings from Costa Mesa, California, USA!
Photo taken on Friday, April 24, 2009.

Working or not, I find that my more interesting activities are on Friday or the weekend. It happens in part because event planners want to maximize attendance and people go out less during the workweek. Case in point, South Coast Plaza holds an annual Garden Show that runs from Thursday to Sunday. Briefly glimpsing it last year, I wanted to see more this time and went on Friday.

At the show vendors sell flowers, cacti and other plants as well as garden accessories. It showcased patios too but the event’s center of attention is more that a super-sized table centerpiece. The weekly photo shows just a small part of the two-story extravaganza. Seen in its entirety, the display could be called “Entrance to the Garden of Eden”. It had a gate, a fountain, hummingbirds and more all made from organic materials – seeds, flowers, leaves, etc. In fact it was created by the same people who do floats for the Tournament of Roses Parade.

On Saturday I ventured into enemy territory and lived to tell the tale. What possible reason could I have to set foot on the campus of UCLA, cross-town rival to USC? The answer is the Festival of Books, held in Bruin Country. For the last several years I thought of going but never went until now. This was my virgin voyage and it went well as I accompanied a friend who not only attended previously but was also a Bruin alumna.

The huge crowds surprised me. People are still interested in the printed page. In addition to perusing book booths, my friendly Bruin and I attended one of the many panel discussions offered throughout the weekend festival. The topic was the future of newspapers, the forum lasted an hour and I was enlightened. News has value but consumers seldom pay its full price. Instead information in newspapers as well as the internet is subsidized by advertising revenue. Here I am at school learning again.

The next day I had two parties and the first one was at home. For a second year one roommate hosted an intentionally belated Easter-Passover combo gathering. I steered clear of the kitchen as he prepared lamb shanks in red wine sauce for 12 or so people. The meal was quite a production and unarguably delectable. I would have gone for seconds (and thirds and…) but still had another party to attend.

A couple in Laguna Niguel hosted the second social. Dinner was more mainstream – burgers, chicken, pasta, salad, etc. – but was just as satisfying as my last meal. Lest you think that I will eat any food placed in front of me, not true. While my tastes range widely from breadfruit to wasabi, I have yet acquired a liking to African, Middle Eastern and Indian delicacies. And no anchovies on pizza either.

Angelo

Photo of the Week (April 19, 2009)

Greetings from Newport Beach, California, USA!
Photo taken on Sunday, April 19, 2009.

On the road for its last two matches against Stanford and the University of the Pacific, UC Irvine men’s volleyball won both with 3-game sweeps and finished the season as the top-ranked team in its conference and the nation with a 24-4 record. In the next three weeks are the conference tournaments and the national championship. Stayed tuned.

[Play applause soundtrack]

Otherwise my week was significantly uneventful. On the verge of going stir crazy, I watched a movie on Friday. Leaving home without checking the listings, I went to a theatre with nothing appealing but ultimately chose 17 Again. The title conveys an oft-used premise – an adult magically becomes his teenage self again.

Not counting the documentary IMAX films in January, this was my first movie of the year. My last one was the 007 flick Quantum of Solace in November. I found 17 Again to be good, not great and rate it 2.5 stars out of 5. That concludes the week’s highlights and I rate those 1 star out of 5. Thrilling, wasn’t it?

[Pause for awkward silence]

This week’s photo offers further proof to my calendar’s recent lackluster state. Yet to take any pictures by Sunday evening, I scoured my home for a photo op. The outcome was this stuffed toy trio in a corner of my bedroom. I frequently mention my alma maters so the UC Irvine Anteater and the USC Trojan Horse are no surprise. In between the two is a costumed Winnie the Pooh bear. Embroidered on his soles are the word and symbol for Gemini, my astrological sign. Together they represent three facets of my life.

Time to put this week to behind me. Hmm… Maybe I can fast forward to the next one.

[Rewind to start]

On the road for its last two matches…

[Stop playback]

I hit the wrong DVR button. I have no need to relive a dull week. Like the malign 2008 movie Get Smart, I would not rewatch something so boring. Now where is the remote?

[Delete]

Angelo

Photo of the Week (April 12, 2009)

Greetings from Costa Mesa, California, USA!
Photo taken on Tuesday, April 7, 2009.

Averaging one stage performance – musicals, plays, concerts, etc. – annually, I hit quota for the year upon seeing Avenue Q this week. A touring version of the Broadway production, this Tony Award-winning musical reminds me of another theatre show, the bohemian Rent. But the blend of human and puppet characters also suggests an adult version of the children television series Sesame Street.

The two road-titled shows have common links. Members of the musical’s creative team once worked on the television program. Taking a “cue” from Sesame Street’s faux alphanumeric sponsors, Avenue Q is brought to you by the letter “R (-rated)” and the number “69”. Within minutes of its start, the f-word is used. Later two puppets are shown having sex with full-frontal nudity, although their bodies only go down to the waist.

Attending the theatre is typically a cultured activity but this show truly tested that notion. Nevertheless this attempt in refined entertainment was fun and spur of the moment. I had the musical’s tour dates on my calendar as tentative, being very conscious of my dwindling bank account, and spontaneously decided to go on a Tuesday night as attendance would be lower and the cheaper seats would be more available. The result – money well spent.

On the weekend I went to a baby shower. Traditionally a women-only party, this one was for a cousin – the middle of three brothers – and his wife. Also the guest list was practically family only. It was hosted by the father-to-be’s younger brother and his wife, who had the triplets (2 boys, 1 girl) last year. Meanwhile the older brother has 3 sons. The expectant parents feel no pressure to continue the three-kids pattern but nature has already perpetuated another trend, as they will be having a boy named Jared. Oh, boy!

Just how male-heavy is my mom’s side of the family tree? My maternal grandparents had 6 boys and 2 girls – 8 children in total. While 3 sons died young, the surviving 5 kids had 10 boys and 3 girls – 13 grandchildren in total. Counting Jared, my generation has added 10 boys and 6 girls – 16 great grandchildren including a stillborn daughter but not a miscarried son. Blue still outnumbers pink but the gender gap is narrowing.

I brought my aunt to the shower and, on the 210 freeway en route back to her home, my Jeep reached 200,000 miles. I photographed the odometer while driving, not the safest thing to do, but did not crash. Then again 12 years and many miles later, a new car would be nice. I have photos of the shower too but not the expectant couple. Oops. This week’s photo is at night of Segerstrom Hall, venue of the musical. From Avenue Q to the 210 freeway and beyond, life’s journey takes many roads. Here’s to the next 200,000 miles.

Angelo

Photo of the Week (April 5, 2009)

Greetings from Fountain Valley, California, USA!
Photo taken on Sunday, April 5, 2009.

I spent a day organizing photographs – not the digital images on my computer but physical stacks with literally hundreds of prints. And film too. I keep every set of negatives and a hard copy of every picture. They are now in three-ring binders containing clear plastic sheets with pockets specifically designed to sort and view film and prints. Everything is labeled and mostly in chronological order as I occasionally had overlapping usage between two cameras such as my own and a disposable.

On a spreadsheet I list data such as exposures per roll, missing negatives and even the camera used. You decide if that is obsessive-compulsive or just highly organized. Now fully updated, the file offers info and insight. From 1987 to 2006 (20 years!), I used 166 rolls of film, the first one in black & white and the remaining 165 in color. I went through 132 rolls with my Canon AE1 camera, 17 using disposables, 8 with my dad’s Canon Eos Rebel, 6 using borrowed automatics and a final 3 with a borrowed advanced photo system (APS) camera.

My usage was normally less than 10 rolls each year (I averaged 8 annually) but hit double-digits several times. I used 11 in 1988 as I was an exchange student in Australia for six months; 10 in 1994 with trips to Australia (again), Orlando, Lake Tahoe and Las Vegas; and 15 to 20 annually from 1997-2000, filled with plenty of activities and travel. But nothing compares to the first year of the third millennium, packed with events including several trips (Japan, the Caribbean and Northern California) 3 weddings and my 30th birthday activities. In 2001 I used 32 rolls of film. But a mere 3 years later in 2004 I used just 1.

I have retired my first and only film camera. Its last shot was in 2006. I bought my first and so far only digital camera in April 2007. Two years later I have taken over 2900 photos with it versus 4303 pictures shot in two decades with film cameras. For the last time I have filed away the negatives and prints as well as sorted through hundreds of duplicate pictures, pulling out ones to give away to friends and family or place in photo albums, then disposing the rest. The bulk of work is done although one day I hope to convert all the film to computer files but give me about five years to tackle that.

I am a convert to the overwhelming benefits of digital. In fact these emails include pictures made possible by digital cameras, leading to this week’s photo. A friend’s son turned 4 years old and I went to his birthday party on Sunday. The parents rented a bounce house and, as my 2900th photo shows, it was used by adults as well as kids. And animals too.

Angelo