just an fyi...

i am the only harry potter fan in chicago who is not going to be seeing the movie tonight. :(

i'm signifigantly put out and disappointed.

piffle and rot. :(

i'm so pouting right now.... did i mention it's playing on the IMAX screen at navy pier? :(

i can't believe it....

IT'S F*CKING SNOWING OUTSIDE!!!!!!!

...i'm slightly hormonal right now, functioning on very little sleep and btw - my midwife mentioned at my appointment on thursday that i'm already dilated a fingertip....

so. any day now, people.... ANY. DAY.

and for those of you who are snowflake deprived you can always "make-a-flake" here.

mmmmm..... i *heart* "make a flake". i hate snow.

HAPPY BIRTHDAY POPZILLA!!!

popzilla shares his birthday with
producer-director-actor Garry Marshall
actor Joe Mantegna
actress Frances Conroy ("Six Feet Under")
actress Whoopi Goldberg
actor Chris Noth
comedian Jimmy Kimmel
basketball player Ron Artest

"IF NOVEMBER 13 IS YOUR BIRTHDAY: Happiness and prosperity are on the upswing for those born on this day. Jovial Jupiter will be in your zodiacal area all year and you may be able to reap a beneficial harvest of good will from others before your next birthday. People in general, however, may be too willing to criticize between now and late January, so hold off on crucial decisions and changes. Keep a low profile until August, when chances to improve your circumstances can arise. Set crucial plans into motion in October to enjoy permanent peace and tranquility."

me and my "rowdy" child... *sigh*

no mama/no kid zone


not too long ago, i walked into the border's cafe with k'zilla in the stroller and the looks i got were so cold that i immediately felt unwelcome and guilty. it's actually a very familiar feeling, we've gotten the same looks boarding the L, waiting to board airplanes, etc...

i was already having a blue day. i needed a place to "be" ouside the home. i needed a warm drink and an unfamiliar set of four walls - just to break up the monotony of our shared day. i needed to remember what it was like to be around people my height.

i made sure that before entering the cafe section, i purchased a few magazines and a jumbo coloring book to support the bookstore and keep us entertained. yes, even i was skeptical but hopeful that k'zilla would use her "inside voice" and behave long enough for the both of us to have a snack and share a little "quiet" time.

to my delight, the little bambina shone like a star. she was very well behaved, used her inside voice, ate her snack and colored away (outside the lines :)). but, i know from ear splitting, gut wrenching, heartbreaking experience that she wouldn't have done so if it weren't for all the other times that she didn't behave properly and we had to teach her how to do so - in real time, in real places, in real life situations.

so, it's stories like the one printed in the NYT that strikes me so hard. i first caught a glimpse of it on chicagoist and again this morning on wgn tv. though many people see this issue as parents vs. non-parents, it's really about the intolerance and immaturity of people who should know better - with or without kids.

again looking back as a mother with a very loud and rowdy child, i remember how often i isolated ourselves from the world for fear of disturbing my fellow human's sensibilities. by virtue of who i am and what i look like, i always tried to blend in with my surroundings. all of a sudden, that anonymity was gone and with it my independence to a certain extent. i was lonelier than i had ever been in my entire life. that was part of the reason why i started blogging, in an effort to keep in "soundless" touch with the world outside.

finally, i got to meet other new moms and felt the courage to attend coffee and brunch dates. sometimes, k'zilla behaved and other times, we would have to leave. but again, k'zilla wouldn't know how to behave if i'd never gotten the chance to teach her.

are there parents out there who don't pay attention to their children? sure there are. but before anyone goes judging them - they should walk a mile in their vomit & snot spattered shoes. i don't know any parent who willingly lets their kid(s) run ape sh*t in a public place - especially if it's a place that they visit daily or weekly.

just because we're parents doesn't mean there aren't those days when you want to leave your child in a park with a "free to good home" sign around his/her neck. but, you don't, you can either stay in your house and cry in a corner or maybe just maybe - go to a cafe/restaurant and calm down, take a breath and maybe catch a break, if not a little perspective.

ultimately, i think the sign at taste of heaven is humiliating - especially to spanking brand new parents.

i was surprised to read that other restaurants/cafes in other neighborhoods already had similar signage posted. and to add insult to injury, was the overwhelming postive response in favor of the restaurants & cafes.can restaurants/cafes post signs? by all means, yes. can they do it with a little more sensitivity? you bet they can. i don't care that the sign at taste of heaven says "...children of ALL ages..." - the sign is posted about 2 ft from the ground with kids handprints on it. if some vapid nimnull is raging on a cell phone, the last thing s/he is going to do is look at a sign posted 2 ft from the ground. that's funny, i haven't seen a sign like that in a restaurant, but it would be totally insensitive and intolerant of me to say anything about it, i suppose....

and does anyone give a sh*t that the owner of the bakery took insulting/lame potshots at the parents that do frequent his establishment. nope. if he insulted homosexuals or a whole race of people, the city would be up in arms, but hey let's sh*t on those parents. they made a "choice". yeah, who's having a toddler tantrum now? why can't the taste of heaven staff be as respectful as they expect others to be, instead of resorting to public humiliation?

after reading the NYT article, i also couldn't believe that women and children first bookstore had actually asked a woman to leave because she wouldn't stop breastfeeding. WTF?! and again, people wondered why parents were boycotting/complaining. HELLO!? the bookstore is f*cking called WOMEN AND CHILDREN FIRST.

i'll never forget stepping off a bus in san francisco years ago and thinking almost immediately how it seemed very un-family friendly to me. it was why among other reasons we decided to move to chicago and now this!?

imho - it's silly of those parents to boycott taste of heaven, toast or john's place. just go and support businesses in the area that do want you. easy peasy. i'm very lucky to have cafe luna near to me which actually has a kids menu and a kids area with kid size tables and toys.

all in all, it's kinda sad coz i used to work in an art gallery in andersonville for years in the 90s and i can remember when it was very residential, unhip and family friendly. years later, when i returned from san francisco, the neighborhood had definitely changed and was inhabited by the young and hip. i was so happy to discover a taste of heaven when it was still on foster. although i never sat in there with my nephews or nieces, we used to buy all of the family special occasion cakes at taste of heaven. i wasn't surprised but somehwat disappointed to see a cake from cafe selmarie at a party my sister hosted this past weekend. don't get me wrong, i love cafe selmarie, but it was just sad to not see a cake from taste of heaven.

anyway, the article follows...

The New York Times

November 9, 2005

At Center of a Clash, Rowdy Children in Coffee Shops

By JODI WILGOREN

CHICAGO, Nov. 8 - Bridget Dehl shushed her 21-month-old son, Gavin, then clapped a hand over his mouth to squelch his tiny screams amid the Sunday brunch bustle. When Gavin kept yelping "yeah, yeah, yeah," Ms. Dehl whisked him from his highchair and out the door.

Right past the sign warning the cafe's customers that "children of all ages have to behave and use their indoor voices when coming to A Taste of Heaven," and right into a nasty spat roiling the stroller set in Chicago's changing Andersonville neighborhood.

The owner of A Taste of Heaven, Dan McCauley, said he posted the sign - at child level, with playful handprints - in the hope of quieting his tin-ceilinged cafe, where toddlers have been known to sprawl between tables and hurl themselves at display cases for sport.

But many neighborhood mothers took umbrage at the implied criticism of how they handle their children. Soon, whispers of a boycott passed among the playgroups in this North Side neighborhood, once an outpost of avant-garde artists and hip gay couples but now a hot real estate market for young professional families shunning the suburbs.

"I love people who don't have children who tell you how to parent," said Alison Miller, 35, a psychologist, corporate coach and mother of two. "I'd love for him to be responsible for three children for the next year and see if he can control the volume of their voices every minute of the day."

Mr. McCauley, 44, said the protesting parents were "former cheerleaders and beauty queens" who "have a very strong sense of entitlement." In an open letter he handed out at the bakery, he warned of an "epidemic" of antisocial behavior.

"Part of parenting skills is teaching kids they behave differently in a restaurant than they do on the playground," Mr. McCauley said in an interview. "If you send out positive energy, positive energy returns to you. If you send out energy that says I'm the only one that matters, it's going to be a pretty chaotic world."

And so simmers another skirmish between the childless and the child-centered, a culture clash increasingly common in restaurants and other public spaces as a new generation of busy, older, well-off parents ferry little ones with them.

An online petition urging child-free sections in North Carolina restaurants drew hundreds of signers, including Janelle Funk, who wrote, "Whenever a hostess asks me 'smoking or non-smoking?' I respond, 'No kids!' "

At Mendo Bistro in Fort Bragg, Calif., the owners declare "Well-behaved children and parents welcome" to try to stop unmonitored youngsters from tap-dancing on the 100-year-old wood floors.

Menus at Zumbro Cafe in Minneapolis say: "We love children, especially when they're tucked into chairs and behaving," which Barbara Daenzer said she read as an invitation to cease her weekly breakfast visits after her son was born.

Even at the Full Moon in Cambridge, Mass., a cafe created for families, with a train table, a dollhouse and a plastic kitchen in a carpeted play area, there are rules about inside voices and a "No lifeguard on duty" sign to remind parents to take responsibility.

"You run the risk when you start monitoring behavior," said the Full Moon's owner, Sarah Wheaton. "You can say no cellphones to people, but you can't say your father speaks too loudly, he has to keep his voice down. And you can't really say your toddler is too loud when she's eating."

Here in Chicago, parents have denounced Toast, a popular Lincoln Park breakfast spot, as unwelcoming since a note about using inside voices appeared on the menu six months ago. The owner of John's Place, which resembles a kindergarten class at recess in early evening, established a separate "family friendly" room a year ago, only to face parental threats of lawsuits.

Many of the Andersonville mothers who are boycotting Mr. McCauley's bakery also skip story time at Women and Children First, a feminist bookstore, because of the rules: children can be kicked out for standing, talking or sipping drinks. When a retail clerk at the bookstore asked a woman to stop breast-feeding last spring, "the neighborhood set him straight real fast," said Mary Ann Smith, the area's alderwoman.

After a dozen years at one site, Mr. McCauley moved A Taste of Heaven six blocks away in May 2004, to a busy corner on Clark Street. But there, he said, teachers and writers seeking afternoon refuge were drowned out not just by children running amok but also by oblivious cellphone chatterers.

Children were climbing the cafe's poles. A couple were blithely reading the newspaper while their daughter lay on the floor blocking the line for coffee. When the family whose children were running across the room to throw themselves against the display cases left after his admonishment, Mr. McCauley recalled, the restaurant erupted in applause.

So he put up the sign. Then things really got ugly.

"The looks I would get when I went in there made me so nervous that I would try to buy the food as fast as I could and get out," said Laura Brauer, 40, who has stopped visiting A Taste of Heaven with her two children. "I think that the mothers who allow their kids to run around and scream, that's wrong, but kids scream and there is nothing you can do about it. What are we supposed to do, not enjoy ourselves at a cafe?"

Ms. Miller said that one day when her son, then 4 months old, was fussing, a staff member rolled her eyes and announced for all to hear, "We've got a screamer!"

Kim Cavitt recalled having coffee and a cookie one afternoon with her boisterous 2-year-old when "someone came over and said you just need to keep her quiet or you need to leave."

"We left, and we haven't been back since," Ms. Cavitt said. "You go to a coffee shop or a bakery for a rest, to relax, and that you would have to worry the whole time about your child doing something that children do - really what they're saying is they don't welcome children, they want the child to behave like an adult."

Why suffer such scorn, the mothers said, when clerks at the Swedish Bakery, a neighborhood institution, offer children - calm or crying - free cookies? Why confront such criticism when the recently opened Sweet Occasions, a five-minute walk down Clark Street, designed the restroom aisle to accommodate double strollers and offers a child-size ice cream cone for $1.50? (At A Taste of Heaven, the smallest is $3.75.)

"It's his business; he has the right to put whatever sign he wants on the door," Ms. Miller said. "And people have the right to respond to that sign however they want."

Mr. McCauley said he had received kudos from several restaurant owners in the area, though none had followed his lead. He has certainly lost customers because of the sign, but some parents say the offense is outweighed by their addiction to the scones, and others embrace the effort at etiquette.

"The litmus test for me is if they have highchairs or not," said Ms. Dehl, the woman who scooped her screaming son from his seat during brunch, as she waited out his restlessness on a sidewalk bench. "The fact that they had one highchair, and the fact that he's the only child in the restaurant is an indication that it's an adult place, and if he's going to do his toddler thing, we should take him out and let him run around."

Mr. McCauley said he would rather go out of business than back down. He likens this one small step toward good manners to his personal effort to decrease pollution by hiring only people who live close enough to walk to work.

"I can't change the situation in Iraq, I can't change the situation in New Orleans," he said. "But I can change this little corner of the world."

Gretchen Ruethling contributed reporting for this article.

http://www.nytimes.com/2005/11/09/national/09bakery.html?ex=1132290000&en=a6a84255f41c4ad6&ei=5070
accessed 11/10/05

will someone explain to me...

"the throne" - world's most expensive loo - made of 380kg of gold & 6,200 pieces of pearls and gemstone.

what IS the deal with men and their fascination with toilets & humor involving toilets?

popzilla and i were at the grocery store yesterday. personally, i rarely use public restrooms. but, hey when ya gotta go...

anyway, we walked by the grocery's restroom door and this guy (soooo south side - btw) walks out and says smiling/sheepishly to the other guy waiting patiently outside, "dude, ya better hold yer nose before ya go in there."

of course, i'm mortified and disgusted. and i tell popzilla what "south-side-internal-plumbing- issue dude" said when he's finally out of sight/ear shot and popzilla totally starts laughing and has trouble stopping... wtf!?

ok, i guess even i can see the humor (somewhat) of the situation but C'MON! THAT'S JUST TOTALLY GROSS AND TRASHY!!!!

i was telling popzilla that i was going to blog about this and i wake up this a.m. to these news stories about toilets...

man glued to toilet seat, sues store

black toilet paper is rolling in

and just when you thought it was safe to potty train, Boy Finds Large 'Flesh-Eating' Lizard In Toilet.

y'know this totally reminds me of that tv show, jackass (insert guitar twangs here). almost every guy i know loves that tv show and the movie. i've never seen/met so many men willing to explore/expose their fascination for poo and porta-potties (poo hug, poo poo platters, poo cocktails, turning porta-potties over, making porta-potties explode). it's amazing to me that the vast majority of men, who are so enamored with fecal material, are chicken sh*ts when it comes to dealing with dirty stinky diapers.

i dunno... this is just one of the many mysteries surrounding the archipelago of men in my life.

oh, and another thing... whatever you do, don't do a googe image search for toilets. *SHIVERS*

Chicago Pinoy Update

i get these update emails about pinoy happennings in chicago and i hate to admit it but they get lost in the melange of emails and spam. so, i figure i should park 'em here. they're really packed full of stuff re: the goings on of chicago pinoys. if you'd like to receive the updates contact edwin directly at edwin@kayumanggi.info

THE CHICAGO FILIPINO AMERICAN FILM FESTIVAL 2005
THE CHOPIN THEATRE
1543 W. DIVISION STREET
CHICAGO, IL 60622
NOVEMBER 3-6, 2005

PROGRAM SCHEDULE

THURSDAY OPENING NIGHT 8:00 p.m.
Slow Jam King (U.S.; 2004; 109 minutes)
Dir: Steven Mallorca
Making its festival return to Chicago, this comic road movie features Jojo,
a self-styled "Filipino Warrior" whose dreams of street credibility find him
on the run from the law with his best friend Devaun and a traveling perfume
salesman named Vance. Award-winning filmmaker Steven Mallorca and his
New York-based musical group, P.I.C., wrote and performed all of the film's
hip hop, country, and slow jam tracks.

Preceded by new videos from Chicago's own Pacifics and an award-winning
video by P.I.C.

FRIDAY CHICAGO PREMIERE 7:30 p.m.

Leave It to Chance (U.S.; 2005; 100 minutes)
Dir: Bernard Badion
Chicago Premiere. Special Appearance by Bernard Badion and other Cast and Crew
College students Charlie and Kailin are taking a little time off. While Charlie's
friends try to get him back in the game during a wild holiday break, Kailin wonders
if time off is what she really wants. Twenty-two year-old filmmaker Bernard Badion
directs this relationship comedy in which the Filipino and Asian American characters
step out from the background and into the spotlight.

10:00 p.m.
Blue Hour (U.S.; 2005; 81 minutes)
Dir: Francisco Aliwalas
Shot for under $1,000 in the streets of New York City, Francisco Aliwalas's Blue
Hour is a neo-noir amnesia thriller reminiscent of The Manchurian Candidate and
Memento. When John volunteers for a medical experiment to pay off his best friend's
gambling debts, he soon discovers he has more to fear than some ruthless loan sharks,
and finds himself in a world of paranoia and conspiracy.

Preceded by:

Bampinay (U.S.; 2003; 21 minutes)
Dir: Matthew Abaya
The festival classic Bampinay follows a Filipina vampire hunter on the trail of an
"Aswang," the traditional vampire of Filipino folklore.

SATURDAY 1:00 p.m. DOCUMENTARY PROGRAM

Bloodlines (U.S.; 2004; 53 minutes)
Dir: James Espinas and Timothy Kiley
In 2003, filmmakers James Espinas and Timothy Kiley followed the Philippine
Medical Society of Northern California on its six-day mission to the central providence
of Ioilo, Philippines, to provide medical services to a community lacking even the
most basic healthcare needs. Note: While the film captures the mission and its many
profoundly inspirational moments, some viewers may find the depictions of serious
medical conditions and surgeries to be difficult to watch.

Presented with:
Manila BaYou: Filipinos of Louisiana (U.S.; 2004; 57 minutes)

Principal Dir: Harold Kekoa Bayang
While many are familiar with the Filipino communities on the East and West Coast,
and here in the Midwest, Manila BaYou offers a fascinating glipmpse at one of our
nation's oldest Filipino communities, and the descendants of laborers on the
Spanish galleons and other Filipino immigrants who found their way to Louisiana
as early as the late 18th Century, establishing a community that continues to thrive.

3:00 p.m. CHICAGO PREMIERE

La Visa Loca (Philippines; 2005; 105 minutes; English and Tagalog with English subtitles)
Dir: Mark Meilly
Director Mark Meilly's follow-up to the 2004 hit Crying Ladies, La Visa Loca follows
the story of a limo driver struggling to get his U.S. work visa. Robin Padilla turns in
a critically acclaimed performance in the role of Jess as he takes a famous television
host on a guided tour of the idiosyncrasies of Filipino culture. Sharon Cuneta is the
executive producer of this satirical comedy.

Co-presented by Pintig Cultural Group

5:00 p.m. CHICAGO PREMIERE

Panaghoy Sa Suba (Call of the River) (Philippines; 2004; 120 minutes; Visayan
with English subtitles)
Dir: Cesar Montano

Filipino superstar Cesar Montano directed and starred in Call of the River, a wartime
epic set on the island of Bohol during the turbulence of the Japanese Occupation.
Montano, who made a memorable Hollywood debut in The Great Raid, has earned
awards in the Philippines for his acting and his direction in Call of the River which
was screened at the Cannes Film Festival in 2005.

Preceded by:

CHICAGO PREMIERE
Spotlighting (U.S.; 2005; 30 minutes)
Dir: Josh Diamond and Justin Lin

Directors Josh Diamond and Justin Lin (director of Better Luck Tomorrow and
the upcoming Annapolis) document the real-life adventures of The Sunspots, a
Filipino pop group who chased the American Dream, until they ran into the British
Invasion. Spotlighting follows the group from their days playing American bases
throughout Asia, to a whirlwind tour through the U.S. during the 1950s and '60s,
to their recent years as a Vegas lounge act. Funny and inspiring, Spotlighting
tells the story of a legend that almost was.

8:00 p.m. CHICAGO PREMIERE

Cavite (U.S.; 2005; 80 minutes)
Dir: Neil De La Llana and Ian Gamazon

An independent thriller shot on location in the Philippines, Cavite follows the
story of Adam, a young Filipino American Muslim, in a dangerous journey
through the streets of Cavite that challenges his identity, his family loyalty,
and his faith. Winner of the Special Jury Award at the South By Southwest Film
Festival and the San Francisco International Asian American Film Festival.

Co-presented by FAAIM and the Chicago Asian American Showcase

10:00 p.m. CHICAGO PREMIERE
Pinoy/Blonde (Philippines; 2005 100 minutes; Tagalog with English subtitles)
Dir: Peque Gallaga
Boy2 Quizon star in this wildly imaginative film by veteran Filipino filmmaker
Peque Gallaga. Packed with Tarantino-style references to Hollywood and Filipino
cinema, Pinoy/Blonde follows the comedic misadventures of two film school
dropouts sent on a mysterious errand into the criminal underworld. The soundtrack
includes songs by Bamboo, Radioactive Sago, and many other popular bands
from the Filipino rock scene.

Co-presented by Pintig Cultural Group

SUNDAY 1:00 p.m. DOCUMENTARY PROGRAM
3:00 p.m.
SHORTS PROGRAM

5:00 p.m. La Visa Loca (Repeat) Co-presented by Pintig Cultural Group

7:00 p.m. Pinoy/Blonde (Repeat) Co-presented by Pintig Cultural Group

9:00 p.m. Cavite (Repeat) Co-presented by FAAIM and the Chicago Asian

American Showcase

eFYI: For more info, please check out http://www.cfaff.org/
To purchase tickets, go to http://www.cfaff.org/tickets.html

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THURSDAY, NOVEMER 3, 2005 /// 9:00PM
The Seminal presents....
The PACIFICS & Outerlimitz
@ Bill's Blues - 1029 Davis Street [Evanston, IL]
$5 cover / 18 & over
For more info: www.theseminal.com

By now, we hope you've seen the online clips of the videos, but just in case
you haven't, here they are:

STORY OF MY LIFE - http://www.xylophonefilms.net/pacifics_story.html

MAGNIFICENT - http://www.xylophonefilms.net/pacifics_magnificent.html

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Gypsy and 2004-2005 Jeff Award Nominations

Hi everyone,

Sorry for this mass email but I needed to get the word out about Porchlight's
most recent accomplishments and promote our newest hit.

We have received 10 Jeff Award Nominations for our 10th anniversary season,
the fourth most next to Marriott, Chicago Shakespeare, Steppenwolf, and beating
the Goodman, Lookingglass, Northlight, among others. More remarkably, we are up
against Wicked, currently playing at the Oriental in downtown Chicago! For those of
you who don't know what the Jeff Awards are (www.jeffawards.com), they are Chicago's
Tony Awards for professional Equity theatre.

Production, Musical - Sweeney Todd; Ensemble - Closer Than Ever; Direction,
Musical - L. Walter Stearns, Sweeney Todd; Direction, Revue - Nick Bowling,
Closer Than Ever; Principal Actor, Musical - Michael Lindner, Sweeney Todd;
Principal Actress, Musical - Rebecca Finnegan, Sweeney Todd; Supporting Actor,
Musical - Peter Polhammer, Sweeney Todd; Actress, Revue - Rebecca Finnegan,
Closer Than Ever; Musical Direction - Eugene Dizon, Closer Than Ever;
Musical Direction - Eugene, Sweeney Todd

Here is the playbill.com link announcing the awards:
http://www.playbill.com/news/article/95042.html

Also, we are currently running Gypsy, which has received rave reviews.
I hope you can come see our show. We run thru November 6th -
Fridays & Saturdays @ 7:45pm, Sundays @ 3:00pm.

Directed by L. Walter Stearns

Musical Directed by Eugene Dizon

Starring the two-time Jeff Award nominee and two-time
Jeff Citation receipient, Rebecca Finnegan as Momma Rose.

Hope to see you soon.

Eug

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Subject: Philippine Christmas Bazaar

Pasko sa Nayon: A Christmas Bazaar at the Rizal Center

Saturday, November 12th
11am - 4pm
Jose Rizal Heritage Center
1332 W. Irving Park Road, Chicago IL

FREE ADMISSION

In the Philippines, the Christmas season is already underway!

On November 12th, the Rizal Center comes alive with holiday spirit
during Pasko sa Nayon: A Christmas Bazaar at the Rizal Center! And it
all begins with an official ribbon-cutting ceremony at 11am.

Bring your family and friends to our festive bazaar where you'll have
the opportunity to purchase distinctive gifts (parols, jewelry, candles,
toys, handicrafts, etc...) while enjoying good food and entertainment!

There will be a Children's Booth where the kids can kids
make crafts while you shop.

RETAIL VENDORS: Showcase and sell your products!
AUTHORS: Autograph and sell your books!
RECORDING ARTISTS: Autograph and sell your CDs!
ARTISTS: Showcase and sell your work!
CRAFTERS: Showcase and sell your handicrafts!
REAL ESTATE AND INSURANCE VENDORS: Introduce yourself to potential customers!

(Booths only $35 -- limited space, so please reserve early.)

For more information, please e-mail us at: mail@faccrizalcenter.org

All proceeds donated to the Filipino American Council of Greater Chicago
for the upkeep of the Rizal Center (http://www.faccrizalcenter.org)

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From: Lani Montreal

Subject: CALL FOR ARTISTS, PERFORMERS, FIRE-EATERS!!!!

Hey guys,

I was wondering if you'd be interested to perform for a cause and help us
raise funds for our youth theater arts program. Please see attached flier.
If you're interested, please email me and I'll send or email you the pledge
forms and other info.

Maraming, maraming salamat!

Lani T. Montreal-Bermudez

CIRCA’s 2005 FALL

PERFORM-A-THON

For the past four years the Center for Immigrant Resources & Community Arts (CIRCA)
has been providing creative arts workshops for immigrant and at-risk youth in
Chicago through its Youth Theater Arts Program. Held throughout the year,
the program brings together children and young adults, ages four to 18, from
various communities in Chicago to learn more about their culture and those of
others as well as develop leadership skills through drama, music, creative writing,
visual arts and movement. They learn from professional artists in the community --
actors, directors, musicians and writers -- who have a genuine love for and dedication
to working with youth and children. In the past, the program has culminated in
outstanding productions that highlight the participants' honed performance skills
as well as feature the design, directorial and writing talents of awesome immigrant artists.

This year, you'll have the opportunity to participate in this amazing community
endeavor by supporting CIRCA’s 2005 Fall Fundraising Perform-A-Thon!

Here’s how you can help…

1. Volunteer as a performer (or performers if you're a group or a band). Sing, dance,
read a monologue or poetry, do stand-up comedy, or contribute art for auction.
Artists pledge to raise money by performing during CIRCA’s Arts for Youth
Perform-a-thon event on December 10, Human Rights Day.
(We're hoping $250 per performer or at least $100.)

2. Support a performer with a pledge of any amount. All donations are
tax-deductible as fully allowable by law.

3. Jam at CIRCA’s Arts for Youth Perform-a-thon on December 10, Human Rights Day.

4. Enjoy an evening of thought-provoking entertainment by fabulous Chicago artists.
Donation is $25 per person at the Montclare United Church of Christ,
6935 W. Medill (hors d’oeuvres and complimentary drink provided).

5. Sponsor a community youth with a donation of $250. All sponsors will be invited
to all CIRCA events including main fall production.

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Subject: Chicago Community Forum: Saturday, Nov. 5, 2005

Great opportunity to gain skills and network.

Presented in collaboration with the Asian American Institute

Chicago Community Forum:

Saturday, November 5, 2005

Sponsored by Leadership Education for Asian Pacifics, Inc. (LEAP), the event
Will discuss leadership development in the Asian Pacific American (APA)
community from several different perspectives.

Date: November 5, 2005
Time: 8:30am - 5:30pm
Location: DePaul University, DePaul Center
Download Forum Flyer
Download Registration Form
Download Forum Agenda


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Workshop Descriptions

Morning Sessions

Understanding Yourself & Others:Explore the differences in communication
styles, and how they affect our personal and professional relationships.

Managing Across Generations: A panel of former and current non-profit staff

talk about the transitions in community work between older and younger generations.

Involvement in Non-Profit Boards: Non-profit boards are always on the look
out for board members- particularly those with skills, knowledge and resources
from the corporate sector. Learn how to get involved!

Afternoon Sessions

Understanding Your Cultural Values: Explore how your cultural values affect
how we interact with others, and how it shapes others’ perceptions of us.

Balanced Scorecard: For non-profits, the Balanced Scorecard is a proven
method of evaluation that also serves as a tool for fundraising purposes.

Adding Value: Making the Most of Your Corporate Affinity Groups: Corporate
affinity groups are a great way to network with APA professionals. Learn how
these affinity groups are also a good connection to the community.

CONTACT: Jade Agua, jagua@leap.org, (213) 485-1422 ext 4107

like music to his ears...

i was just reminded of a conversation i had with popzilla not too long ago:

PZ: y'know, how you think i don't listen to what your saying?
MZ: you mean how you never remember anything i tell you?
PZ: yeah. well i just heard that womens voices are like music to mens ears. so, it's not that i'm not listening to you, it's that i'm processing your voice like music. maybe it goes in one ear and out the other?
MZ: really. and where did you hear this little tidbit of news?
PZ: the *mumble mumble* show
MZ: the what show?
PZ: i heard about it on howard stern.
MZ: *rolls eyes*

well, i was curious and so i googled and the news story/research did actually come up...
yeah, good effort, guyville, but no cigar...

on a related note, did you know that charlie brown's teacher's (mrs. donovan) "waw-waw-waw" voice was actually made with a trombone?

HAPPY HALLOWEEN!

i actually freehanded this baby....

SOUTH SIIIIIIIIIIIDE!!!

WHITE SOX WIN!!!!
WHITE SOX WIN!!!!
WHITE SOX WIN!!!!
WHITE SOX WIN!!!!

... fyi - the south side has taken to the streets screaming, car horns are blaring, illegal fireworks (ok, i hope that those *pops* are illegal fireworks) are shooting...

hopefully, k'zilla will sleep through it all.

id·i·o·syn·cra·sy

i've been tagged by my dear friend and fellow blogger, bertville, to list my idiosyncrasies.

yeah, i didn't know what the heck that really meant so i looked it up...

id·i·o·syn·cra·sy n. pl. id·i·o·syn·cra·sies
1. A structural or behavioral characteristic peculiar to an individual or group.
2. A physiological or temperamental peculiarity.
3. An unusual individual reaction to food or a drug.

hmm, that seems easy enough...

1) i look like i have a jellyfish (ok, a small, detentacled jellyfish) attached to my head due to my cystic hygroma (brace yourself for the images).

2) i perspire under my chin when salivating or eating due to frey's syndrome (which probably occurred because of the many surgeries i underwent as a child to "shrink" my cystic hygroma.

3) i don't drive because a) my right eye has a hypoplastic optic nerve. so, i have very bad eyesight/depth perception. b) i'm really uncomfortable with controlling heavy vehicles with lots of power. c) when i did drive, i didn't drive well.

4) i can't see 3D (again, i really only have one good eye.) movies with those ridiculous red and blue cellophaned cardboard glasses.

5) i start numerous creative projects and find myself struggling to complete them.

6) i always wash a sink full of dishes the same way - first plates & bowls, then glasses, then pots and pans, then silverware/utensils get done last.

7) i go out of my way to wear matching underwear - my bras have to match my undies (currently, i'm so lost right now re: undergarments and will be until i lose the pregger poundage).

8) i really don't like to wear white socks or flip flops in public.

9) i am a slave to superstitions.

10) i always have kleenex. my nose has a tendency to sneeze and run when i least expect it. the brownie in me takes over - i must always be prepared.

11) i can't stand long fingernails - if my fingernails are 1/16" long, i have to cut them (and only during the light of day.)

12) i prefer not to attend large events. i find that if i'm unable to converse with a person in depth, i end up just sitting somewhere, shutting down and waiting until the event is over or when i've attended the event for a socially acceptable time.

13) i can't read printed words in a car, but i can read a map and very well i might add.

14) i am the most gullible person you will ever know. seriously, dude.

ok, i think that's it.
so i tag , monkeysteez, veloworks and dallas island to name their idiosyncrasies.

...you really didn't know how freaky i was, did ya?! :) mwahahahahahaha!

like i don't carry enough guilt already....

Nanowrimo is back.

huzzah. the ticking is getting louder and louder and louder......

on a happier note, p'zilla, k'zilla, b'zilla and i bought ourselves a tivo as an anniversary present and we all (ALL) enjoyed a lovely dinner (yup. dinner, not lunch. and i did in fact say, enjoyed) at frontera grill. :)

and before i catch h*ll for not mentioning it, i also received the wicked soundtrack cd, a lovely card, a big brick o' ghiradelli chocolate and a gorgeous bouquet of flowers.

let's see, that means a gazillion brownie points for popzilla and (surprise!) zip, zilch nada good wife points for mamzilla.... yeah, feeling slightly sheepish about it...

the zilla's celebrate #5!

photo of m'zilla & p'zilla by rufus diamant

so, 5 years ago, around this time, i was a blushing bridezilla walking slowly down the aisle at st. agnes catholic church in san francisco. the soloists, karen feder and scott grinthal were singing the prayer and i couldn't stop crying - my tough girl facade dissolving like my eye makeup, in front of God, my friends and family.

all the madness that occurred the evening before was finally moving out of focus and popzilla was moving into it.

the wedding rehearsal didn't go very well. alot of our attendants were late and everyone was so excited about the wedding and being in san francisco that hardly anyone was paying attention to what we were there to do. i was specifically worried that the kasalan portion of the ceremony wouldn't happen as seamlessly as i was hoping.

finally, the rehearsal was over and we were all looking forward to the rehearsal dinner. weeks before i had reserved tables at one of our favorite restaurants, e & o trading co. by the time, popzilla and i had gotten there, most of the wedding party was already there and they all looked really scared. apparently, e&o trading co had LOST our reservation. it was about then that i LOST my marbles and started to have a nervous crying fit on the staircase. after some calming and reassuring words from the wedding party and family, the manager on call actually did find the reservation which was "hidden under a bunch of stuff on the general manager's desk". they seated us pretty promptly after that but we didn't catch any breaks on drinks or anything. the dinner was delicious and we all had a really great time. it was the first time in a long time that my mom got wasted and silly on one frou frou drink. THAT was priceless....

since three of our wedding party were celebrating birthdays that same weekend, we'd decided a while back that we would go to bimbo's and dance the night away with the cheeseballs, the bestest 80's music cover band. i don't know how anyone got home that night and even weirder, we actually had tickets left over but i'm not sure who didn't show because it looked like we were all there.... i dunno. blame the al-key-hal...

i returned to our suite at the marines memorial club and didn't sleep a wink that night. thankfully, i also didn't have a hangover, unlike popzilla, who i called early that a.m. to remind him of some wedding day duties. no rest and no sympathy was to be found for poor popzilla on his wedding day...

i think MOH and i got to the wak shack early to get our vintage updos done by the lovely and talented kim long (who used to be the mermaid at bimbo's long ago, btw...) but we still managed to run late, after returning to the marines memorial club and changing because i remember getting out of the rolls royce and getting rushed into church with some hushed admonitions by the wedding coordinator.

and there i was, crying my eyes out. the wedding and reception were just this short of "perfect" but totally unforgettable.

and here i am five years later, truly living a life i really used to dream about. and i owe a (big, ginormous, hunking) lot of this happiness to popzilla - who loves me unconditionally and encourages me to "dream BIG".

popzilla, we might not be "doing much" to celebrate our anniversary this year (how can you when the traditional 5th anniversary present is wood - "dearest, i offer you this toothpick/tree branch/pencil/baseball bat as a symbol of our 5th wedding anniversary." ???!!!)

but, really we've done so much in five years... i really don't mind that we're "resting on our humble laurels" and just kickin' it at home w/ k'zilla and bellyzilla and dreaming BIG about our futures. :) i love you, babe. happy anniversary!

it's been two years!?

i just checked - i started this blog 10/20/03...

go figure.

huh.

who woulda thunk i had this much nonsense in my head...

yar!

Tomorrow is "Bring Your Toaster To Work Day"... seriously!

i just saw this on WGN this morning... appparently, the toaster oven/toasters come in blue, green and stainless.

BRING YOUR TOASTER TO WORK DAY

This observance will benefit the Salvation Army's Chicago Metropolitan Division. Each of the first 100 people to drop off an old toaster, or other small kitchen appliance, between noon and 2 p.m. Oct. 12 at the State of Illinois Building plaza, 100 W. Randolph St., will receive a free Ginny's brand toaster/toaster oven valued at $69.95. Donated appliances should be in working condition.

FYI: (312) 329-6120 or www.ginnystoaster.com

WCLX 2005 (Windy City Lindy Exchange)

i was one of the dancers at federal plaza sunday afternoon and the willowbrook ballroom later that evening... still recovering...


more info at the official website...

henson beckwith

so, i had the WEIRDEST dream last night... one of those dreams that i'm not even going to bother interpreting...

i dreamt that i was trapped in an elevator during some kind of apocalyptic event. i don't know what the apocalypse involved really - a continental divide or a flood or both - feel free to fill in the blanks... i vaguely remember stepping into an elevator (like i would ever do that if i knew the world was about the implode) the elevator dropping (duh) and the lights going out.

i wake up in a bed in a badly damaged (part of my room is ripped open to the elements) and barely functional hospital (the flashing fluorescent light fixture is hanging by two remaining hooks instead of four) . here's where it got especially weird, on the nightstand, next to the bed is a hand carved wooden overmantle that has a personalized shelf for each of us 'zillas - top left, i see my name, then top right, i see popzilla's name, bottom left, i see kidzilla's name and then, bottom right, i see "Henson Beckwith"

at this point, i see that my small family has indeed survived the apocalypse somehow and are cradling the new baby. some random family member walks over to me and says, "all along, we thought he was going to be named after popzilla - where did you come up with henson beckwith?"

henson beckwith?! wtf!? end of weird dream...

this dream could have been brought on by anything really - my first instinct is to suspect the turkish delight that i have been feasting on (and will continue to feast on, thank you very much, to my generous globetrotting maid of honor and the fantastic candymakers in turkey who made such a marvelously edible thing possible) ... the recent catastophic hurricanes... our impending trip to new york to celebrate our 5th wedding anniversary... the fact that we haven't picked out a middle name for the new baby yet (popzilla wants a monosyllabic name whereas i would prefer a polysyllabic name)... the fact that i love all things related to jim henson...

anyway, popzilla and moh (my maid of honor) got a laugh out of it this a.m. so, i thought i should document it.

i googled the name and came up with nothing. spell check actually suggested "Hanson Becket" i checked the baby names websites and also came up with zero...

that reminded me of a fellow aca resident (i mean you, monkeysteez) who tipped me off to baby name websites as good resources for names of characters in writing. which made me think, "hmmm, maybe 'henson beckwith' is actually a name for a future character in that book that's hopefully just stuck in my head. and maybe like my firstborn, will need to be extracted from me with one mighty push and the help of forceps..."

i read today that nicholas cage and his wife named their firstborn, "Kal-el". yes, aka clark kent, aka superman... don't you just want to slap people upside the head sometimes? i shouldn't be surprised really since, nicholas cage named himself after a comic book character as well...

anyway, here i am 30 wks along and feeling big as a house. this pregnancy has been really tough. i feel like i have this scowling little ruffneck sauntering around inside me - kicking and breaking anything in his path, tagging my insides with amateur graffiti, littering his testosterone about willy nilly, streaking in public.... this boy is not honoring my temple the way kidzilla did...

and if i were a vengeful bitter mommy, i might actually name him henson beckwith.... but, lucky for the wee lad, i'm not. but, he better not piss me of any more than he already is coz' that whole circumcision thing is lookin' mighty tempting.

ECHO!

ECHO! ECHo! ECho! Echo! echo!

(really, i'm still alive. no excuses for blogging hiatus, well, besides being 7 mos preggers...)

sneak peek at baby boy bellyzilla!

the arrow is pointing out the obvious...


a wider angle in 2D...




and slightly freakier... a picture taken in 4D... :)

bowl of cherries or FOR THOSE OF YOU SEARCHING FOR IT - THERE IS NO F*CKING PORN HERE! SO F*CK OFF.

I really miss writing.

I haven’t resumed writing the book much because I’m totally intimidated by it.

I haven’t been blogging because I feel like if I dedicate myself to writing anything it should be writing and finishing the book.

It’s been tough lately. K'zilla is growing and developing (no, i'm not talking about her boobies.) faster than the ivy outside, that’s once again threatening to engulf the house. which is another reminder (not that i needed one) that the house is in need of attention. It’s true what they say about repairing one thing and something else of equal or more priority simultaneously breaking and needing repair.

Everytime I think I’m able to sit down and write either K'zilla or Popzilla or the house remind me that I have other responsibilities. For example, K'zilla was making the “Psst. Psst.” noise and knocking on the back of my laptop earlier.

We’re inside the house and not outside at the park because the cable has been on the fritz and the cable guy is expected to show up between 8 am and 12 noon. Hopefully, we’ll be able to stroll on over to the local Panera and use their WiFi so I can actually upload this to blogger.

I need WiFi. I keep hearing that in the back of my head. That and Jessica saying, “I love WiFi because I can write anywhere.” freakin know it alls...

Tuesday night, Popzilla sprained his ankle – badly. He went to the emergency room yesterday morning. Fortunately, it wasn’t a fracture but it’s pretty swollen and he’s wearing a splint. He skipped work yesterday to the delight of K'zilla. She was also happy to find that BILzilla (brother in law) was also off of work. To top it all off a plumber was here to (expensively) fix a leak and leave an expansive water trail. So, K'zilla didn’t nap until she was vibrating from excitement and exhaustion. Popzilla’s foot was elevated most of the day and night which prevented him from doing much of anything. He hates that.

I need to write more because I think it might be related to losing my sense of humor. I don’t think it’s totally gone because I actually considered writing and posting a craigslist ad in the lost and found section. I know people do it all the time, but I just figured it was (celestially) my turn. Last night, I didn’t find much of anything was very funny. I’ve been having a REALLY hard time finding “The Daily Show” funny.

Have I mentioned that I’m not sleeping as well at night? I’m supposed to be sleeping on my side but I prefer to sleep on my back. It’s better and healthier for the baby, but it’s really annoying and uncomfortable to me. (as a side note, the baby is going absolutely bonkers. I mean, right now, while I type away. So, it’s true. I am a walking, talking human habitrail.)

I think I must be internalizing any stress that I’m feeling because my eczema is growing worse and worse. I really have to call my dermatologist… I am constantly waking up for no reason at night and having trouble getting back to sleep.

I refuse to believe I’m the wreck that looks back at me in the mirror. I think things (like me) will look much better after this weekend after a visit to my chiropractor and the salon (and maybe even the drugstore after I talk to my dermatologist).

Now, K'zilla is requesting (demanding) a bowl of cherries. Hmmm, aren’t we all requesting (demanding) a bowl of cherries from someone or something? The cherries are the new novelty thing for K'zilla and she’s got a one track snack mind.

It’s all my fault. I saw my first cherries of this summer in New Smyrna Beach and they were so shiny, taut and bloody red that I had to have some. I was on vacation, so I wasn’t as concerned about witnesses and me spitting pits or looking remotely vampiric.

So, of course when I got home I had to have more. I swear this baby is going to come out with a little birthmark shaped like two cherries connected by a wishbone vine.

It’s been fun teaching K'zilla how to eat cherries. It’s also tedious and messy. We both come out of a cherry eating seminar with cherry juice all over us and staining our fingers. I had to buy a new bottle of spray & wash for the occasion. She still hasn’t quite mastered the whole spitting thing. I’m just glad we’re finally beyond the “violently tear the pit out of the juicy tender meat of the cherry with your stained gawky hands” part.

It reminds me of going cherry picking with my mom. I think we may have gone about it slightly too “urban”. I vaguely remember my mom driving the car between the wide lanes of the cherry trees but close enough to the branches that they brushed up roughly against the car. I was picking cherries with difficulty, while standing on the passenger side seat and leaning out and against the passenger side window which was rolled partly up so that I wouldn’t fall out completely. We didn’t cherry pick for very long.

Off to sacrifice one bowl of cherries to appease the cranky non napping beast…

SSsssoooofffFFFFFTTTTtttteeeee goodness....

i can't stop thinking about ice cream. i don't think it's related to my pregnancy either.

the other day, i was somewhere, possibly the zoo or the museum with kidzilla and i heard it. the familiar music box melody of an ice cream truck. i imagined it's white square shape ambling up the street, just about to round a corner where it would be patiently waiting for me and my dollar clenched in my veiny, outstretched and vibrating fist. the song "how much is that doggie in the window" would waft toward me and envelop me in its summery embrace.

but alas, it was a f*cking ringtone on someone's stupid cell phone.

for some reason, weeks into the official summer of '05 (you know it's official when someone visits an ER with a serious burn or loss of digits/limbs due to an illegal firework purchased in indiana before the 4th) here in this south side chicago neighborhood, the ice cream trucks are noticeably absent. i say/know this because elsewhere in the country ice cream trucks are so obvious, they're driving people to litigate - ice cream vendor's music sparks outcry.

i mean what DOES an ice cream fanatic have to do to get a cheap vanilla softee delivered to her by a surly man in a beatup white truck!? do i really have to buy said white truck and do this myself?! i can't even get a paleta guy here with the bells and the whistles and the coconut paletas with the sticky papers...

as a kid, my old northside neighborhood was frequented by parades of paleta guys and ice cream trucks. in the event that we missed a parade, the baskin robbins down the street that had the cool bubble gum ice cream that my mother would never let me have. in fact, i think i was only allowed the green orange and white sherbet. there i was halfheartedly licking my sherbet plain cone next to my friends and their triple scooped sensations drip, drip, dripping seductively down their monstrous waffle cones and soiling the tops of their roller skates.

if we were really good, we'd get to go to zephyrs or to margie's candies. both establishments offered a vast array of ice cream treats and a large party bowl of ice creams - usually a thirty plus scoop fantasy that you could share with a handful of candied friends.

despite the lack of mobile ice cream vendors, i do have some choices nearby. there's the original rainbow cone shop which has been a fixture in the community for almost 80 years. they feature their own rainbow ice cream - a rainbow ribboned mixture of chocolate, strawberry, palmer house and pistachio ice cream and orange sherbet. a small cone will set you back $2.50 and they're open until 11 p.m.

a new coldstone creamery just opened down the street. i like all their creative little mixes, but the singing is a little too loud and kinda annoying. i know in this neighborhood something like two hundred teens auditioned for the thirty or so positions. it was like our own mini american idol but who wants that really? a small "like it" will set you back $3 and some change but they're also open until 11 p.m. and you smell SO GOOD when you leave.... my two faves "paradise found" and "birthday remix"

hopefully, the oberweis that's being built will be open before summer ends.
oberweis ice cream ROCKS. oberweis politics SUCKS.

ok, must go inhale some ice cream now...