Photo of the Week (May 24, 2009)

Greetings from Irvine & Huntington Beach, California, USA!
Photos taken on Wednesday & Sunday, May 20 & 24, 2009.

UC Irvine held a “campus celebration” on Wednesday to honor its men’s volleyball team for its national title and I went. The Anteater band performed until the coaches and players arrived via victory bus. A few brief speeches later, they posed for pictures and my FIRST photo shows the trophy hoisted above the team. Indoor volleyball may be over…

…But beach volleyball has already begun. The Association of Volleyball Professionals (AVP) Tour crisscrosses the USA but Southern California, a beach volleyball hot spot, has 5 host cities – Hermosa Beach, Riverside, Manhattan Beach, San Diego and Huntington Beach (HB). It also has volunteer and paying jobs at each site.

I got a paying job – statistics at the HB event, which has a qualifying round on Thursday. Stats are not done then but it is a good time for paid training. The job is to track the play-by-play, especially who and how points are made. Usually statisticians work in pairs – a “caller” announcing the action and a “recorder” tallying it onto a stats sheet. Example call: Dahlhausser serves. Gibb attacks. Rogers digs, attacks and errors. Rosenthal blocks.

The main competition started the next day and I was kept busy all of Friday and most of Saturday. At women’s courts both days, I had no complaints about watching bikini-clad fit females jump, run and dive. But their rallies last longer than men’s so you do more work on calling and recording. Oh, well.

In the AVP Tour teams play a brackets-style double-loss elimination tournament. Starting in the Winners Bracket, victorious teams advance and defeated ones move to the Contenders Bracket. There too winners advances but losers are eliminated. Also indoor and beach volleyball have differences. Indoors: 6-man teams play a best-of-five series, games won at 30 points. Beach: 2-man teams play a best-of-three, games won at 21.

I did not work on Sunday but came to watch the two finals. The top teams – women’s Nicole Brannagh & Elaine Youngs and men’s Phil Dahlhausser & Todd Rogers – continued their dominance. My second photo shows both Jake Gibb and Sean Rosenthal leap to block as Dahlhausser lunges for an attack. The shot – sand kicked up as players jump towards the ball, palm trees lining the sky (a recent trend in my photos), scoreboard and giant volleyball filling the background – is now my desktop picture.

Despite abundant sunscreen my forehead, nose and ears were all sunburned by Sunday. Hot sand and concrete also scorched the soles of my feet. Nonetheless I went to a barbecue afterwards, played an impromptu Texas Hold’em poker game, and finished 2nd of 6 – losing to the only woman, winning some cash – a near perfect end to a great week.

Angelo

Photo of the Week (May 17, 2009)

Greetings from Claremont & Newport Beach, California, USA!
Photos taken on Saturday & Sunday, May 16 & 17, 2009.

On Tuesday I watched my second movie of the year, X-Men Origins: Wolverine. The title superhero originated in comic books from Marvel, one of the two veteran publishers – DC is the other – in the “graphic novel” industry. I avidly read comics while growing up and preferred DC – home of Superman and Wonder Woman – over Marvel – home of Spider-Man and Iron Man.

I am more familiar with DC’s canon of characters (Quiz me on Batman!) and more critical of those translations from page to screen (Dark Knight was awesome!). Thus my expectations are fewer for Marvel’s menagerie of mutants. In fact my only major point of reference of Wolverine was the X-Men trilogy and, like that film trio, this latest movie thoroughly entertained me.

On Saturday afternoon I attended another crawfish boil. Although my friend stands firm on his retirement from cooking these feasts, others may use his knowledge and equipment. His coworker did just that and in trade my friend was able to invite his own guests. As if the crawfish were not enough, another attendee brought shrimp – actually giant prawns. Between the two crustaceans, I easily ate beyond capacity.

I must have tripled my normal daily calorie intake and was still attending another event that evening. Fortunately it was the Newport Beach edition of the American Cancer Society’s Relay for Life. Participating for a third straight year, I had an ulterior motive this time around. I stayed up all night and, mostly in two shifts between midnight and 8 AM, walked the track for over 3 hours – a great way to burn off the calories from my seafood feeding frenzy.

On Sunday the Relay ended at 10:00 AM and I went home, ate, showered and was sleeping by noon. Circa 8:30 PM I was semi-consciousness when an earthquake literally shook me wide awake. As a veteran “quake-rider” I felt that the shaker, a 4.7 on the richter scale, was mild. One roommate was home and actually excited. From Oklahoma but in California for over 8 years now, he had yet to experience a quake. During the last noteworthy tremblor in July 2008 he was driving his car and felt nothing.

Though centered within the metropolis area, the quake left little damage. So no pictures of shattered windows or collapsed buildings. In consolation this week has two photos, both sequels to shots from last year. In one an eager hand stretches towards just cooked and still-steaming crawfish. In the other a graphitti-like “LOVE” sign is framed by grass below, palm trees above and Relay walkers on both sides. That’s all we need – food and love… And comic books.

Angelo

Photo of the Week (May 3 & 10, 2009) Part 2 of 2

Greetings from West Covina, California, USA!
Photo taken on Sunday, May 10, 2009.

I have enjoyed many British television series. Whenever dog-sitting for one friend at his house, I watch the BBC America cable channel, which I do not get at my own home. Fortunately some British shows appear on other networks like Doctor Who and Torchwood on SciFi. Yet other series have their premises adapted for American audiences and the results are a mixed bag. Footballer/Football Wives did not pass the development stage while Coupling was short-lived but Queer as Folk had a solid run.

Currently The Office has a small, faithful fan base while Dancing with the Stars (Come Strictly Dancing in Britain) is a big hit. I have watched the occasional episode of the latter and appreciate its charms. In fact I look at it as part reality competition and part variety show, a much-missed television genre. I even signed up online for audience tickets of its live broadcast. Because of its huge popularity, I did not expect to get in anytime soon but got an email regarding a special taping of a performance.

On Sunday in Los Angeles at CBS Studios, a friend and I went to the Dancing special. I have gone to a few TV tapings previously and typically the wait to get in and seated is longer than the actual performance. This was no exception. There for three hours overall, We were on set less than an hour to watch two takes of the special performance.

Told ahead of time that it would not include any of the show’s celebrities, professional dancers or hosts, I enjoyed the experience nonetheless. Afterwards my friend and I went next door to lunch at Farmer’s Market and shop at The Grove before I left to meet some high school classmates to plan our 20-year reunion.

The following week was uneventful until Saturday. That evening another friend hosted a birthday wine tasting. I arrived late, choosing to watch the volleyball championship at home undistracted beforehand. I still had fun. In fact I finished six bottles of wine but I am not a lush. They were already open and close to empty. I just finished them. Honest!

The following Sunday was Mother’s Day. For the occasion my weekly photo is an orchid, one of many growing in my parents’ backyard. My folks had friends from the Philippines visiting for the past week but left on Sunday morning. Otherwise it was a mellow day capped by takeout dinner from my mom’s very short list of preferred restaurants. Then I headed home just in time to watch Strictly Come Dancing with Doctor Who on BBC. Oops. Sorry, that was the wine talking.

Angelo

Photo of the Week (May 3 & 10, 2009) Part 1 of 2

Greetings from Irvine, California, USA!
Photo taken on Saturday, May 2, 2009.

Over the past three weeks, college men’s volleyball had both the regional conference tournaments and the national championship. In the conference quarterfinals, the 1st-ranked UC Irvine Anteaters beat the 8th-ranked UCLA Bruins (3-1) while my other alma mater 5th-ranked USC Trojans defeated the 4th-ranked Stanford Cardinals (3-2). This meant that my two schools would face one another in a semifinal match.

As the top team in their conference, UC Irvine earned home court advantage throughout tournament play and would host the last two rounds of matches. At the campus’ Bren Event Center I watched the 2nd-ranked Pepperdine Waves defeated the 3rd-ranked Cal State Northridge Gauchos (3-1) in the first semifinal. Next was Anteaters vs. Trojans. The match was a 3-game sweep, the victor was USC and I was shocked.

Two nights later I watched the regional finals: Pepperdine vs. USC. The match lasted the maximum five games and the last one went pass the 15 points needed to win because of the 2-point lead rule. Final score was 21-19 and the Trojans beat the Waves.

The national championship was held in Smith Fieldhouse at Utah’s Brigham Young University. Despite hosting, BYU was not competing, its team eliminated in the regional quarterfinals. The three conference winners were the 4th-seeded Ohio State Buckeyes, the 3rd-seeded USC Trojans and the 2nd-seeded Penn State Nittany Lions. Also the top-ranked team nationally, the 1st-seeded UC Irvine Anteaters received the wildcard spot.

In the semifinal matches, Trojans defeated Lions (3-1) while Anteaters defeated Buckeyes (3-0). USC and UC Irvine would be having a rematch but it was not a repeat of the Trojan sweep. The finals lasted a full five games with USC taking games 1 & 3 and Irvine taking games 2 & 4. Game 5? Cable network ESPN broadcasted the matches and, watching at home alone, I yelled “YES!” as the winning point was made. Anteaters won, earning its second national championship in three years!

Soon after I was on the phone talking with a friend. Because I had gone to both UC Irvine and USC, he asked whom I really wanted to win. With the Trojans dominant in football and the Anteaters not even competing in that sport, USC has me as a pigskin fan but UC Irvine has me for volleyball. Also I preferred the ‘Eaters to win both the regional and national titles, but if forced to split the two, this year’s results – conference champs Trojans, national champs Anteaters – reflect my own choices.

Slightly blurry this week’s photo shows the Trojans with their conference trophy. Mostly glass and hard to see, it’s in the lower middle of the shot. FIGHT ON, USC!

Angelo

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