Halloween Leaves

Halloween has not been a fun holiday for me ever since the year I stopped trick-or-treating. But this one wasn't too bad. The parentals took me out to lunch at our little O-bento Japanese restaurant on 94th between Broadway and Amsterdam. Dad and I love that place. Yum-o! as Rachel Ray would say. After that, we went to Blockbuster because I wanted to get the movie Hocus Pocus to watch later! Hocus Pocus is my (only) Halloween tradition since forever. I was obsessed with that movie as a little kid. Bette Midler, as Winifred, was basically my idol, haha. You see? I've always been gay. Anyways, we lucked out and bought the last copy of Hocus Pocus from Blockbuster.

Then we walked to Central Park because I wanted to see all the pretty colors of the fall leaves and take photos. Dad headed back to the apartment early because he wasn't feeling very well, but Mom and I stuck around for the afternoon and had fun taking pictures of fall scenery and such. All the different colors of leaves were gorgeous. Mom insisted we go to her favorite part of the park, the Conservatory Garden, where recently-planted chrysanthemums were overflowing onto the pathway surrounding the fountain. Beautiful! Mom and I also managed to collect some pretty fall leaves, although they don't look so pretty now that they're all dried up. Sad face. Anyways, once again, it started to rain a little bit after a while so we walked hurriedly back home. Here's the photographic results of my stroll.

Our apartment building held a little Halloween party in the lobby in the evening--festive Halloween decor and all--so Mom and I popped in there and grabbed some free food. We didn't hang around though. Sickly ol' Dad was lonely up in the apartment. We watched the movie The Proposal, which was a pretty funny, entertaining romantic comedy but pretty damn conventional as well. Then we watched Hocus Pocus, of course! Good times. Meanwhile, we got just a handful of trick-or-treaters at our door. It's been so long since we've actually had the whole trick-or-treaters thing, since back in Tucson we got none in our boring neighborhood. So yeah. After Hocus Pocus... well, I guess that was pretty much it! Happy Halloween? Kind of. Yeah.

A Rainy Day in Tarrytown

The title sounds familiar, no? Damn, it rains a lot here. I'm not used to this.

Well, it was still a fine Saturday. Mom and Dad decided to rent a car and we drove north out of the city into a small, very quaint village called Tarrytown, which is adjacent to the legendary Sleepy Hollow! We visited a charming antique shop called Pretty Funny, which mom adores of course. It was actually a fun place though. I found a non-antique book about Wabi-sabi that I wanted, and Dad graciously got it for me. Mom was indecisive about whether to buy a gold vintage coat that she liked, and before we almost drove off and left, she decided to dash back in there and get it! That's my Mama for you. We proceeded to drove around town and looked at all the charming homes and fall leaves. We didn't really have a plan, and I admit I kind of got frustrated because Dad was just randomly driving around according to the direction of Mom. Of course, the ominous rain clouds weren't helping our options of stuff to do.

We stopped by Washington Irving's home among other places until we finally settled on checking out the Lyndhurst mansion. It's a spectacular gothic-revival style historic mansion on a huge lot. We made it to the last tour of the day. I took lots of photos outside, as you'll see below, but we were prohibited from taking photos inside the mansion. Too bad, because it was stunning! I love Gothic architecture. I felt like I was in one of those vampire mangas. Well, after the tour of Lyndhurst it really started raining harder. We drove off again and looked for a place to eat dinner. We settled on a bustling tavern type restaurant called Horsefeathers. Funny name, huh? We ordered off the burger and sandwich menu because everything else was uber expensive. The food turned out to be quite delicious! After dinner, we drove home, which took a while because Dad got us lost in the Bronx, although he probably won't admit it!

Where the Wild Things Are

Tonight, I saw a most fascinating movie, Where the Wild Things Are. I was very excited to see this movie since the time I first saw the exceptionally crafted trailer. Turns out the film itself, directed by Spike Jonze, was even more of an exceptionally crafted work of art. It was a delightfully bizarre, unconventional, and at times unsettling experience. Max's trip into the world of the Wild Things was rich in psychological symbolism and emotional depth. It explored some very dark, troubling feelings and conflicts that everyone experiences, whether child or adult. It also strikes very personal chords within me, making me remember distinct frustrations and impulses I haven't recalled since I was a child. (Dirt clod fight, anyone? Heck yes, let's chuck dirt clods!)

I love how the story unfolded naturally and spontaneously, unlike most Hollywood films that stick to structure and plot points. I felt it was Miyazaki-esque in that way-- it allowed things to happen and characters to act in ways that are unexpected and unexplained but full of meaning, nuance, and expression. These days I kind of feel jaded by Hollywood movies, so Wild Things was a welcome departure from convention. Spike Jonze, co-writer Dave Eggars, and everyone involved took creative risks, allowing creativity to flow freely like artists before a canvas. For me, this is what filmmaking should be about: art, expression, meaning. It should also be entertaining, of course, and Wild Things is certainly that--but it's because of that artistry. We're not spoon-fed a sugary story here; we, children and adults alike, are moved to feel real things, see beauty in the rough, and think about our lives while simultaneously escaping them.

And how about that Max Records? What an incredible young actor. His natural, heart-warming performance as the wild yet endearing Max is the beating heart of the film. I vote Max Records for Best Actor in a Leading Role! The voice-actors for the Wild Things were also fantastic and charming. The music by "Karen O and the Kids" and Carter Burwell was beautiful. I bought the soundtrack album from iTunes after I got home from the movie, and I also hope to buy the score album sometime. But even more, I hope I can see Wild Things again soon, and revel in the wildness of childhood yearnings that tug at my own heart. I highly recommend Where the Wild Things Are, if you're ready for something unusual and deeply affecting.

Kiril Kulish's Final Performance in Billy Elliot

If seeing Billy Elliot: The Musical was a dream come true, then seeing it the second time was nirvana.

Several weeks ago, it was announced that Kiril Kulish would give his final performance as one of the original Broadway Billys on the evening of Saturday, October 3. I could not miss the chance to see this special performance--not only because Kiril's autograph was the last one I needed to complete my collection, but because I think he was the best Billy. From clips I had seen before, I could tell that he was the superior dancer--a graceful, precise, and expressive performer. Kiril is truly quite a prodigy in many ways. So this was my sure chance to finally see him in the show and to get his autograph. I was only able to get a seat towards the back in the rear mezzanine, but really it wasn't too far from the stage because the theater isn't huge. It was also the cheapest seat I could get, same price as last time.

Thus, after the awesomeness of the Anime Festival the weekend before, I was poised to have yet another incredible and special weekend here in New York City. I was going to see my favorite musical again! I had been anticipating the event for weeks, and yet when Saturday October 3rd came around I had the strangest feeling that it came much too soon. It was very odd, I almost wished it could wait another week. Perhaps it was because I was still buzzing from the weekend before, or maybe I was fearful of the reality that, like all good things, it would quickly pass by in a flash with hardly a chance to take it in. The night came before I knew it, and I was powerless to stop the speed of life.

I grabbed some pizza around the corner from our apartment, and then dashed back home because I forgot, of all things, my ticket. I then rushed to the subway, arrived at Times Square which was as crowded as ever, and walked as briskly as possible to the theater. After waiting to get in with the rest of the mob of people, I found my seat and was pleased enough with the view, as I mentioned before. Then, before the show started, came the first surprise of the night: out of stage right walked none other than Stephen Daldry--the Oscar-nominated, Tony Award-winning director of the movie and musical Billy Elliot! "Oh my gawd," I uttered aloud. But I knew why he was there of course. He said some words of praise and goodwill for Kiril Kulish, "one of our original three Tony-Award winning Billys," announcing that this would be his final performance as Billy. It was a brief but heartfelt speech and it set the tone for the evening. The crowd cheered Stephen off the stage. On with the show!

Where do I even begin to describe this experience? I'm struggling to find the words. I think the best way to express my impressions is in thoughts, rather than a fluent paragraph:

-The show took on a whole new meaning because it was Kiril's last.

-A couple minutes into the show, the audience applauded when Billy first entered stage left, though he didn't yet say a word.

-The effects of puberty were evident in Kiril's raspy voice, try as he might to sound younger. He struggled to sing the higher parts of some songs, like the latter parts of "The Letter" and "Electricity," and sometimes used a slightly uncomfortable falsetto. This didn't distract from his performance. Rather, it was just another nuance that added to the poignancy of his final show and reminded us that Billy was growing up.

-The interactions of the characters felt genuine whether the scene was quiet or loud, calm or angry, joyous or sad. All the actors knew it was Kiril's night.

-Every moment was infused with a new emotional honesty--when Billy kissed his grandmother's hand, when Billy shared the letter from his late mother with Ms. Wilkinson, when Michael kissed him on the cheek, when he finally had to say goodbye to his brother, his dad, the memory of his mum, Ms. Wilkinson, and Michael.

-The sense of finality and nostalgia pierced me to the heart. I know exactly how Kiril felt that night. It was just like my final performance in the Little Theater at CDO High School. I felt so connected with him. My heart was filled with empathy and understanding. It was overwhelming.

-The story and the dialogue gained new emotional nuances as they echoed the very emotions Kiril was experiencing as a chapter in his life was coming to a close.

-You could tell he was giving everything he had for his final go. He was laying it all out on the stage. He danced with relentless passion and vibrancy. We, the audience, burst into uproarious applause with every finish. For his show-stopping (literally) number "Electricity" we gave him a deserved standing ovation. "Electricity sparks inside of me, and I'm free..."

-Kiril's performance moved beyond acting--it was a real and brutally honest farewell. This is what I mean by a "whole new meaning." When Billy said goodbye, he was really saying goodbye.

-Towards the end, when Billy's voice cracked and he started crying as he read his goodbye letter to the memory of his deceased mum, the tears and the pain on his face were absolutely real. I could see it on his face even from where I was sitting. He could hardly sing the words. "Love you forever..." And then...
"Bye, mum. See you soon."

"No, I don't think so. Do you?"

"No. Not really."

-In the final scene, when Billy and Michael have to say goodbye to each other as Billy leaves for Ballet School, instead of using their characters' names, Kiril and Keean changed the dialogue to truly heart-wrenching effect:

"See you, Keean..."

"See you, Kiril..."

I died right then and there. It killed me.

-Those final scenes were so powerful and poignant, I was heartbroken. It was like the entire truth of the universe was contained in that moment, or at least the entire truth of my life. I felt like I was up there with him, dying inside. It brought back to me all the mixed emotions I had when I had to say goodbye to the theater and start a new chapter in my sad little life.

-It's those cathartic and emotionally trascendent experiences that make everything else in life seem so utterly pointless. It made me question whether anything else has meaning or relevance to my own existence. And yet, I still return to the trifles of daily life. Why?

After the finale number and for the final curtain call, we gave one last exuberant standing ovation for Kiril Kulish. Then Greg Jbara took the stage and once again gave a little ode to Kiril and invited his family to the stage. Only Kiril's sister made it up there in time before the curtain closed again, though, because as it happens, his mother and brother were sitting way up in the row right in front of mine (I think it was them but don't quote me on this). Who the hell knew? I wonder why they sat so far away? Anyways, after a little bit, the curtain rose again and you could see the cast gathered on the stage around Kiril, taking turns giving him hugs, congratulations, and condolences. I tried to take pictures of this moment, but guess what about my camera?

Well, I gathered my stuff and exited the theater at the back to find a big mob of people crowded around the stage door, where I waited with everyone else for the chance to get Kiril's autograph. I saw Trent and Tommy again there, just as a random side note. I was sort of stuck far away from the actual door since the crowd was bigger than my previous experiences at the theater (that was to be expected on this particular occasion). After a few minutes, a sudden cheer erupted from the crowd as Kiril came out... of the door. (Haha, oh I crack myself up... ) The cameras started flashing and Kiril started signing autographs, greeting fans, and pausing for photos.

He appeared to be understandably overwhelmed by the mob and all the people vying for his attention. I mean, good lord, the kid just gave the performance of his life and his final one for the show. He'd been crying and he was no doubt emotionally exhausted. I wonder whether he was happy to soak in his Billy Elliot fame for one last time, or whether he just wanted to go home. I wouldn't blame him either way. It took a while for Kiril to make his way through the crowd and please everyone, but finally I got his attention and he signed my program for me. He/I couldn't say anything more than "Thank you so much" before he moved on to the next customer. He gradually made his way towards the street with his family, and the remaining crowd gave a final cheer for him as he got in a car across the street. I didn't even see him leave.

Oh, and guess who else popped out of the stage door after the crowds began to disperse? Stephen Daldry. Stephen freaking Daldry. I basically freaked out and then asked for his autograph. Stephen Daldry--Tony-winning, three-time Oscar-nominated director--signed my program. Yeah, bitches. He then walked away towards Times Square, strolling as if he were just any other guy walking down the streets of New York.

I took a series of photos outside the stage door, most of which look like crappy paparazzi shots or something, but I'll share a few with you. My circumstances were not conducive to getting in a picture with Kiril, about which I was exceedingly disappointed.

This gives you an idea of the mob that awaited Kiril outside the stage door:

Yeah, this is him:

Signing autographs for fans:

Voila, my souvenir program with my completed collection of autographs:

I also got some crappy videos to capture a few moments. I felt like a paparazzi:

To see some great photos (by Peter James Zielinski) of the final curtain call that very night, I encourage you to click here! They're awesome photos. You can even see the tears in Kiril's eyes. Breaks my heart.

Walking away from the theater that night, and riding alone in the subway, felt like walking away from a dream while half asleep. I spent the next two days in quietude, accomplishing nothing in particular, just wondering whether all of this other shit in my life is going to turn out to be worth it. Paying a hundred bucks to see a prodigy bare his soul on a stage one last time while I experience a soul-bending catharsis within my very being just by witnessing this transcendent act-- now that is worth it. That is the stuff of dreams. Hahaha! I laugh at everything else. I laugh because what the hell does anything mean compared to this? Incredible.

Well, folks, I might not be able to update my blog for a few weeks since I've got midterms coming up and I need to hit the books. You wouldn't really want to hear about that anyway, would you? Peace.

New York Anime Festival 2009

Wow! It doesn't get much better than this, my friends. This was another freakishly awesome weekend and I'm now very depressed that it's over. I went to my very first anime convention, the New York Anime Festival--a three-day extravaganza celebrating otaku culture with merchandise, panels, screenings, gaming, art, performances, and more! Needless to say, my bank account has been all but vanquished.

The fun began on Friday after school. I sort of decided to skip Math class (ssshhh, don't tell anyone!) so that I could go straight to the convention center with my friend Shirley after our Japanese Culture class was over. We spent most of our time on Friday exploring the exhibitors/dealers room (whatever you want to call it). There was everything and anything an otaku could ever ask for--manga, DVDs, toys, costumes, games, swords, and more. I had my eye out for DragonBall merchandise, of course, but as expected there was relatively little. However, there was a hell of a lot of yaoi--and yaoi fans! I saw tons of people carrying around those infamous yaoi paddles or otherwise carrying some form of expression of their love for yaoi.

I didn't actually end up buying anything on Friday, because I just wanted to scope everything out first, if you know what I mean. Anyways, that evening we also went to a great panel called "Know Your Creators" featuring two guys named Rym and Scott who spoke about important creators/directors in the anime world. It was quite educational and I've got some new anime creators and films to look into! How am I ever going to see all I need to see? Rym and Scott were a couple of very smart and very fun guys to listen to. Apparently they're regulars at anime conventions across the east coast and they host their own podcast--check out their website.

Saturday was the convention's biggest day. The place was absolutely packed to the brim. And how about all those cosplayers! There were many really great costumes, and some not so great. But good or bad, it's so fun to see otakus express their creativity with their home-made costumes of their favorite characters. I should tell you that I took relatively few photos at the con because as usual, my camera wouldn't cooperate. I could hardly get a clear picture. Plus, I was frankly having more fun just looking at all the cosplayers than taking pictures of them. Furthermore, I seriously had no idea who most of the characters were. I know very little about the more popular anime series like Naruto or Bleach. There were just a few DragonBall cosplayers that I saw, including two Gokus, two Trunks, and Android #17. I also saw just a handful of Avatar: The Last Airbender cosplayers, and that made me happy whenever I saw them.

Another fun part of the convention was the "Artists Alley," where anime fan artists were selling prints and such of their original artwork. I'm telling you, there were some truly spectacular artists there, and I could not resist buying a few pieces. I bought a cool Naruto poster by an artist named Kevin Yan--and I barely know anything about Naruto at all! But this piece is just so incredible. When I saw it, I was so struck by it that I just had to get it. I also bought a print of a painting of the twins from Ouran High School Host Club, and a small print of an Avatar piece. Back on the exhibitors floor, I got three prints from a poster vendor: a beautiful Japanese Castle in the Sky poster (which I was really excited about because I saw a pic of it on the internet and thought it was so beautiful), a Japanese Princess Mononoke poster, and a poster with a picture of the Avatar gang. While we're on the topic of the shopping I did at the con, on Saturday I got a couple of awesome DBGT figures (SS4 Goku and Vegeta by Banpresto). On Sunday I got a couple nifty mini DBZ figures at the Funimation booth... oh, and another little art print.

Okay, I'm not keeping my thoughts organized here, but I figure it's not worth it to treat every blog entry like an essay. Let's move on to other activities I did besides shopping for awesome anime stuffage. So, back to Saturday. After shopping, I went to see if I could join Shirley and Shovana at a Q & A Panel with none other than the creator of the anime phenomenon Gundam Yoshiyuki Tomino! Alas, I got there too late and the room was packed so they wouldn't let me in. Well, at least it's not like I'm really into Gundam, so it wasn't an enormous letdown. Later, I peeked in a screening of Galaxy Express 999 but left after a little bit to join my friends at a nearby McDonald's for a meal break. I swore I would never set foot in a McDonald's ever again, but that's where they were going and I didn't want to be left out. I got some unappetizing chicken nuggets. Remind me not to cave in again.

Anyways, after that we checked out an event called "Iron Cosplay" where the audience watched as two teams were given random raw materials to make a character costume within a 30-minute time limit. It was a slightly dissappointing show, but fun enough. Later, we got in line for the Cosplay Masquerade thingy, but I didn't want to just sit there in line, so I went off browsing/shopping again. However, I didn't make it back in line with the others in time so I got split up from them. I was shuffled into the overflow section where people could watch the show on a screen. I wasn't sure what the show was supposed to be, even after it actually began. I guess it was supposed to be cosplayers doing little skits and stuff, but I have to be honest it was just painful and embarrassing to watch and I don't get what the big deal was. I left shortly to go see a panel, featuring the same guys from the night before--Rym and Scott--this time presenting "Anime Every Fan Should See." It was another very enjoyable discussion on anime essentials.

On Sunday, upon returning to the convention center around noon, I struggled within myself as to whether I should buy more stuff. As I mentioned before, I did indeed buy more stuff. Oops. Later, my friends and I went to a panel featuring Japanese singer/voice actress Yui Makino (who was one of the guests of honor at the con) and a few American voice actors, all talking about their experience in the anime voice acting business and a few other related topics. So that was pretty neat. After that was over, we tried to get into "Funimation Sneak Peaks" (I'm a big supporter of Funimation and a fan of the wonderful anime properties they bring to America), but it was too full to get in. Damn it. Well, we pretty much just went over to the Artists Alley again to gawk at all the gorgeous anime art, so it's all good. There was always more to look at. I also went around to take a few more photos as the convention was sadly winding down. And in a flash, the fun was over.

As I mentioned, I took relatively few photos (I did, however, take a bunch of short videos which turned out to be a better way to capture my experience in snippets), but here I present to you the best of my photos in a slideshow. Click on "View All Images" below to see descriptions for each photo so you know what it's all about!

Starting School; Circle Line Boat Tour (Sept. 5)

This weekend has been phenomenal, but first thing's first. I'm going back almost a month here: I started going to school at Hunter College of CUNY on August 28. I was kind of nervous and unhappy as I usually am at the beginning of a new school year. It was especially intimidating since I wasn't just starting at a new school, I'm starting at a new school in a new city! Well, my classes turned out not to be as scary as I feared. I do have a rather weird schedule though. Here's what it looks like:

Monday

7:00 PM-8:15 PM > Introduction to Cinema (Lecture)

Tuesday

12:45 PM-2:00 PM > (History of) East Asia to 1600

2:10 PM-3:25 PM > Japanese Culture I

3:45 PM-5:00 PM > Basic Structures of Math

8:25 PM-9:40 PM > Media in the Digital Age (Lecture)

Wednesday

5:50 PM-6:40 PM > Introduction to Cinema (Discussion)

7:00 PM-8:15 PM > Introduction to Cinema (Lecture)

8:25 PM-9:40 PM > Media in the Digital Age (Lab)

Thursday

Off!

Friday

12:45 PM-2:00 PM > (History of) East Asia to 1600

2:10 PM-3:25 PM > Japanese Culture I

3:45 PM-5:00 PM > Basic Structures of Math

The benefit is that I never have to wake up earlier than 9:45 AM. How awesome is that? As for the classes themselves, I'm learning some cool stuff and most of my teachers are pretty great. I'm especially loving my Film class, of course. It's so much fun learning about movies. If you're wondering about the freakishly easy math class, I'm taking that because I have to--Hunter doesn't count College Algebra (which I took at Pima) for the general education requirement. Overall, my classes are quite interesting though. I'm actually not going to say anything else about my classes, because this is technically a public blog, and if I publish anything even remotely negative and it gets out, I could be hunted down by the Hunter mafia (no pun intended) or something. I don't know. Just e-mail me if you want to know any more about my classes.

I will say this about my college experience so far: I started out on top of my school work, but now I feel like I can't keep up because of my time management and motivation issues. I'm still fighting the same demons after all these years of dealing with homework overload. And... I'm going to stop there because I don't want this to become another self-loathing emo blog like my LiveJournal was.

Okay, now for non-school stuff. On Saturday of Labor Day weekend my parents gave me a rude awakening (literally) only to drag me downtown so we could go on one of those Circle Line boat tours around Manhattan island. On a different day, I might have been happy to go, but for some reason this was a bad day for me. I was grumpy most of the time. However, I still managed to get some great photos, as you'll see below. The first few are actually the New Jersey skyline, but you'll also get to see a few icons of New York City. I would actually highly recommend the boat tour if you're a tourist (duh). It's pretty cool. Well, enjoy the photos!

Next up on "New York State of Mind," you'll hear all about the fun I had this weekend at the New York Anime Festival 2009--my very first nerd convention! Stay tuned.

Broadway in Bryant Park (August 13)

I totally forgot to tell you about "Broadway in Bryant Park." It was a free concert series featuring snippets from Broadway shows performed by their actual casts at the outdoor theater space in Bryant Park. This is apparently an annual thing, and this year it went every Thursday from July 9 to August 13. On August 13, Mom and I headed to Bryant Park because I wanted to catch the cast of Billy Elliot! The rain clouds were looming that day, and I was nervous about the possibility of getting rained out. Well, we got there early enough to catch the Billy Elliot cast rehearsing for a little bit before the actual performance. This turned out to be a lucky thing, because toward the end of the concert, it began to rain for a little bit, but I'm getting ahead of myself. The other shows featured that day besides Billy Elliot were South Pacific, Mamma Mia, and Altar Boyz. But all I cared about was Billy of course. Anyways, like I said, it started to rain during the show--I think it was in the middle of the South Pacific song, and later the Billy cast ended up doing only one of their numbers--"Once We Were Kings" (click for video)--because the stage got wet and they couldn't dance. I know, right? Well, at least we got to see them rehearse their other song ("Shine") a little before the show. So it was a slightly dissappointing day, but I mean, I still got to see the cast perform that day for free! Here's a few photos:

"Shine" Rehearsal:

Performing "Once We Were Kings":

Tommy Batchelor and the understudy for Ms. Wilkinson (I can't find her name):

Cast photo time:

Interestingly enough, the ever-charming John Stamos made an appearance to publicize his involvement in an upcoming production of Bye Bye Birdie:

Matthew Morrison from the TV show "Glee" also showed up and performed the song "Leaving on a Jet Plane" (click for video). Cool huh? I didn't get any pictures though.

Okay, so maybe on my next post I'll finally talk about school and the Circle Line boat tour we went on a couple weeks ago.