When I fell asleep I dreamt that Ngoc and I were in South Africa. We walked down a road surrounded by a just-plowed field of moist dirt and straw. We came to a house and let ourselves inside. We were joined by someone and snooped around. The place was nice- kind of a 70s vibe … Continue reading Korean BBQ and a South African Dream
Author: Eric Brightwell
Happy New Year! Or, Stay Home and Watch a New Year’s Eve-Centric Movie
After the Thin Man (entire film) https://dailymotion.com/video/x1urcgk ะัะพะฝะธั ััะดัะฑั, ะธะปะธ ะก ะปัะณะบะธะผ ะฟะฐัะพะผ! (Part 1 of 2) ย Metropolitan (trailer) New Year's Evil (entire film) Rudolph's Shiny New Year (entire film) Terror Train (trailer) ะะพะฒะพัะบะฐ (trailer) ย ย ย ย ย ย ย ย ย ย ย ย ย ย ***** Eric Brightwellย is an adventurer, … Continue reading Happy New Year! Or, Stay Home and Watch a New Year’s Eve-Centric Movie
Happy Yule – Turns Out Jesus Isn’t the Reason For the Season
Amongst the Sami, midwinter was an occasion for honoring the goddess Beiwe, who was associated with the sun, fertility and sanity. She reportedly traversed the sky in a craft made of reindeer bones accompanied by her daughter, Beiwe-Neia. Beiwe's followers sacrificed white female animals and smeared their doorposts with butter for Beiwe to munch on … Continue reading Happy Yule – Turns Out Jesus Isn’t the Reason For the Season
It’s the Eve of St. Nicholas Day
It's already December 5th again. Everyone knows that I'm obsessed with holidays and St. Nicholas Day is one of my favorites. Most people have heard David Sedaris' story about Santa Claus vs. St. Nicholas and maybe some of us know that he was a Greek bishop in present-day Turkey who became the patron saint of … Continue reading It’s the Eve of St. Nicholas Day
Happy Thanksgiving — The evolution of Thanksgiving
December 4, 1619. 38 Brits got together in Charles Cittie. Captain John Woodleaf spake, "Wee ordaine that the day of our ships arrival at the place assigned for plantacon in the land of Virginia shall be yearly and perpetually keept holy as a day of thanksgiving to Almighty god." Wahunsenacawhk ,ย Matoaka, and John Rolfe They … Continue reading Happy Thanksgiving — The evolution of Thanksgiving
Yellowface — Hollywood Chinese
Famed Asian-American rights activist Ngoc-Thu Thi Nguyen and I watched this documentary about depictions of Chinese in Hollywood film called ... Hollywood Chinese. I love observing how Hollywood deals with all races and ethnicities. Sometimes it's hilarious and sometimes it's pretty appalling and then there's the rare occasion on which it rings true, which usually … Continue reading Yellowface — Hollywood Chinese
California Fool’s Gold — Exploring Alhambra, the Gateway to the San Gabriel Valley
I had to go to Alhambra to see a man about a horse at the bidding of the always radiant Ngoc Nguyen. ALHAMBRA'S LOCATION Alhambra is on the western edge of the San Gabriel Valley between posh San Marino, trendy South Pasadena, historic San Gabriel, blue-collar Rosemead, and the most Chinese city in the US, Monterey … Continue reading California Fool’s Gold — Exploring Alhambra, the Gateway to the San Gabriel Valley
California Fool’s Gold — Exploring Montebello
I went to a baptism the other day for one Mateo Gareza in the city of Montebello, the subject of this neighborhood blog. Pendersleigh & Sons Cartography's map of Montebello, available on a variety of merchandise as well as art prints For the occasion I was accompanied by none other than Miss San Gabriel Valley … Continue reading California Fool’s Gold — Exploring Montebello
California Fool’s Gold — Exploring Granada Hills
Today's Los Angeles neighborhood blog is about Granada Hills. I drove to Granada Hills today to buy a rug for Lush Floral Design head-honcho, Ngoc Nguyen. To get there I used the Ronald Reagan Freeway, named after an actor from Illinois who made some films which are widely regarded as being universally unmemorable. The ex-actor, after retiring from … Continue reading California Fool’s Gold — Exploring Granada Hills
Lars and the Real Girl — Finally an Idiot Man-Child Film I Wasn’t Crazy About
Lars... whoops- David Arquette The real Lars In Lars and the Real Girl, Ryan Gosling plays a shy loner who is henpecked by nagging family and friends determined to … Continue reading Lars and the Real Girl — Finally an Idiot Man-Child Film I Wasn’t Crazy About

