Each holiday comes with it’s own quirks and quarrels. Thanksgiving you eat turkey, but the stress of hanging out with your crazy relatives might just make you throw it all up. Christmas is presents presents presents, but your sister might hate you forever because you skimped on her gift this year because you were broke. New Year’s is fun, but what if you’d rather stay home alone and chill instead of partying it up? And of course, there’s Valentine’s Day..

Not only is there the built-in stress that comes with each holiday, but there is the added pressure to make this day extra romantic and special.. for no particular reason really. It’s what we learned in kindergarten, it’s what we do as adults, and Hallmark, CVS, See’s Candy, Godiva, and Papyrus are all very happy to support our endeavors to make every February 14th special and romantic. Continue Reading »

Every year, I resolve to keep the resolutions I make come January 1, and every year — usually around January 14 — I break every last one. Well, this year, it’s not even February and already I’ve accomplished three! Granted, some of my turnaround has to be attributed to my job; I’m taking credit for the accomplishments nevertheless!

It’s Teetotal Time

Maybe it was the over-partying I did over the holidays. Or maybe it was Assistant Editor Janice Jann‘s eye-opening feature story in our Winter 2011-12 issue about the dangerous effects of binge drinking on Asian women, but my Ketel One martinis have not been very appealing lately. In fact, it’s been almost an entire month and I have had nary a sip. I feel cleansed, I’m less bloated, my skin isn’t so dry anymore, and I have more energy. We’ll see how long this keeps up — there are a number of birthdays looming on the horizon — but for now, I’m feeling mighty good about myself.

For Eyes

It’s been ages since I’ve gotten my vision checked, which probably explains why I haven’t been able to appreciate our new plasma TV — my glasses were so scratched and so outdated, it was like I was living in a Vaseline-smeared world. So when the opportunity arose to interview an optometrist, let’s just say, my eyes were finally opened to the sharp reality of my existence. Yes, I no longer squint, but yes, I can no longer obscure the fact that the face looking back at me in that mirror is a far cry from 32.

The good news is my new vision prescription allowed me to indulge in some new eyewear, which these days is practically as important an accessory as shoes. My favorite? The Derek Cardigan eyeglasses from Coastal.com. It’s perfectly big but not cartoonishly oversized, and the nerd in me adores the multiplication and division signs at the temples. Another plus? It does a better job at hiding my wrinkles than that $200 tub of eye cream.

Entertainment Upgrade

You know you’ve devolved into some form of boob tube Neanderthal when a tabloid headline reads “Will Ashley choose JP or Ben?” and you know exactly what they’re talking about. Determined to claw my way out of pop culture purgatory, I bit the bullet and switched over to DirecTV. (Good riddance wretched cable companies!) Essentially, I had about a half dozen weekends of marathon television, but not just any television. Breaking Bad, Dexter, Game of Thrones — my gawd, does entertainment get any better? But the highlight was by far Season 2 of Downton Abbey. Sure, the clothes weren’t as good as in Season 1 (a dreary war will do that), but the mischief and romantic angst (Lady Mary and Matthew Crawley!) rivaled those of any Korean drama. And then there’s the brilliant Maggie Smith who always seems to steal every scene she’s in.

The Crawley sisters in all their sartorial finery.

You can buy Downton Abbey, Seasons 1 and 2, here.

About six months ago, I made a spontaneous and regretful decision to get my hair chemically permed in the Philippines in hopes that I would wake up everyday looking like a Hollywood hipster with sexy wavy bed hair. However, it was nothing short of devastation when I realized I looked more like Carrot Top (minus the red tint) than Mary-Kate Olsen.

The next morning I stood in front of the mirror with a big ball of frizz that I had to call my hair, and died a little bit on the inside. How was I going to correct this? What on earth was I thinking? I’m going to have to buy more hair ties for all the future buns and pony tails I’ll be rocking for the next few years (I thought to myself). Upon returning to the states, I tried everything that I thought could fix my own personal hair death. I sought out hair salons for deep conditioning treatments, over-the-counter Moroccan oil, and even highlights which I thought could create dimension to my Jesse Spano hair style. Needless to say, it all failed.

Fortunately, it was this past week that I was able to experience an effective and relaxing solution called the Long Lasting Treatment, provided by the upscale and notable Beverly Hills hair salon, Yuko. The hair treatment manages to replenish and revive chemically damaged hair through the usage of natural and beneficial ingredients. Completely sulfate-free and full of nutritious oils , the treatment was therapeutic and incredibly hydrating. My dry and damaged hair simply felt like it was going through a hair orgasm!

The Long Lasting Treatment via yuko-usa.com

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I’ve honestly never been one to believe in horoscopes or astrology of any kind. I used to only look it up for kicks.  However, when life throws you curve balls, or places you in unforeseen situations, you find yourself looking for a little guidance or insight from a higher power or a cultural entity. Here, some fun predictions for 2012, the Year of the Dragon.

This year, the DRAGON is set to double their efforts in whatever they do — work, education, or other projects. 2012 predicts that Dragons will be very lucky this year.  This could mean the start of a happy marriage, the beginning of a successful business, or a lucky lottery win.  In addition, their natural talent and abilities should stand out with great results.  However, watch that fire breath!  Dragons are known for their tempers, so keep it in check as to not spoil your good work.

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Just in time for Lunar New Year, we caught up with Parind Vora, executive chef and owner of Austin-based French and New American restaurant, Braise. Chef Parind, who was born in India and whose menu features big flavors and bold presentations, is inspired by the local food of his extensive domestic and international travels, including the Carribbean, Belize, and Austria. Influenced by his mastery of Indian spices through growing up in an Indian household, Chef Parind offers Vietnamese spring rolls at Braise with a modern twist of veal sweetbreads, pistachios, scallop mousse, and roasted red pepper coulis. Read on for a Q&A with the chef and his classic spring rolls recipe with pairing suggestions.

Photo courtesy of Bread & Butter Public Relations

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Watching TV With The Red Chinese via HitFix.com

Watching TV With the Red Chinese is an independent film produced by Nataya Anbar and Shimon Dotan that illustrates the difficult and complex process of assimilation into American culture. The movie specifically follows three Chinese students who visit New York to study system science and observe western society, but somehow end up as guinea pigs for a film documentary on foreign perception of American society. In the midst of trying to fit in, the Chinese students find themselves challenged by three elements of western urban culture: street violence, race discrimination, and casual dating.

The film discusses the negative outcomes of social injustice through one of the three Chinese students, Chen, played by Korean Australian actor Leonardo Nam (known for The Sisterhood of the Traveling Pants). When Chen encounters a bloody beating from street criminals that causes him to live in paranoia and purchase a gun, his friends are forced into reflection. This movie is basically a crazy mix of foreign frenzy where friends become enemies, lovers become killers, and violence become answers.

The film hits theaters today. Watch the trailer here:

Narrated by a quiet and gentle college student, Tran Anh Hung‘s Norweigian Wood is a tumultuous coming-of-age story about dealing with death and finding love. Toru Watanabe (played by Kenichi Matsuyama) is a college student who loves to read, working jobs on the side to make ends meet. He falls in love with Naoko (Rinko Kukuchi), a troubled girl who is suffering severe depression after Kizuki, his best friend and her boyfriend, commits suicide. While Toru is able to move on from this loss, Naoko, due to her delicate mental state, must go to a sanitarium in the woods in order to heal. Though he occasionally messes around with other women, Toru discovers that he deeply loves her and dedicates himself to taking care of her, even though she still cannot get over her first love.

When the movie began, I instantly felt like I stepped into the 1960s, because the costumes and setting are spot-on. The score definitely made the time jump even more convincing. The cast is phenomenal, especially Matsuyama and Kikuchi. Even though the story did not win me over entirely, it was the actors who did with their solid performances. Overall, I felt mixed about this film. The movie was based on Haruki Murakami’s best-selling novel of the same name. Like most movie adaptations, the film doesn’t really do justice for the original, but I suppose that cannot be helped. Toru’s journey is definitely riveting, but there are places where I demanded more from the film that the book explained in more detail, like the student revolution movement that was only hinted at and not throughly explained with the haphazardly-placed rallies in the background. It would have been more helpful to know why the movie was named after the Beatle’s song—it was Naoko’s favorite—because that too was a mystery I didn’t quite understand from the movie.

Toru’s love life was also a bit confusing for me. I couldn’t see how the romance between Naoko and him really developed, since their “dating” days are all quick cut scenes without dialogue save a few coy glances between them hinting at some romantic attraction. The dating is a little rushed. The same goes for his relationship with Midori, another woman, because it is hard to understand how Toru and Midori can have feelings for each other while they have their respective partners. The movie is slow-paced and feels a lot longer than it actually is, but I can’t really blame the film because it requires much time to tell the story properly.

There are moments in the film that arrested my attention. Kizuki’s haunting suicide sent chills down my spine because of his nonchalance and ease with which he carried it out. Those few seconds felt so much longer than it really was. It made me think heavily about how delicate life is and what things could possibly push someone to do such a dreadful thing. There are also a few lovely moments in the film that make you smile, like the moment when Toru receives the letter from Naoko asking him to see her after so many months with no word. The scene is absolutely heart-warming, and I could tell how pure his feelings towards her was as I watched him excitedly run up the spiraling staircase. I give props to the filmmakers for being able to visually portray such perfect joy. Even if I didn’t feel the heat between Toru and Naoko at the start, I had some “awww” moments later when they spend time together at the sanatorium. The song “Norwegian Wood” serves as a thoughtful backdrop to the whole film: “I once had a girl, or should I say, she once had me…”

The film is full of troubled characters: Nagasawa, the playboy who can’t commit, Hatsumi, his devoted girlfriend who can never win his complete love, and Midori, the playful flirt who has feelings for Toru even though she has a boyfriend. All have problems and conflicts because of their relationships, and some are still unresolved by the end. But the most difficult character to read is Toru. The ending feels a bit hollow and it left me wondering if his love for Naoko was completely true. Despite this half-satisfying ending, it was the strength of his character that inspired me and really gave a take-away message. He is forced to suffer a number of losses and hardships, more than any of the other people in his life. But he always gets back on his feet and pushes on, understanding that life is going to bring him sorrow. For the first half of the film, I classified this in my mind as a romantic drama, But there is a point at the film that makes me feel it is more a bildungsroman. Toru mentally speaks to the deceased Kizuki, saying that he won’t abandon Naoko the way his friend did and that he is “going to grow up.” Toru slowly matures as the film progresses. The characters constantly talk about growing up; on Naoko’s birthday, she confesses her fears of becoming 20. I realized then that all of the characters are suffering some type of crisis nearing adulthood and are faced with making some vital, life-changing choices. I can see a few of my own questions and struggles reflected in the characters’ experiences.

One thing is for sure: in this film, everyone is searching for happiness despite how much they have suffered. I found myself rooting for all of them to come at some resolution. Though it is set in 1960’s Japan, the movie is just as impacting on a modern audience in the US. Its universal themes of hope and courage resonate to all 20-somethings who have insecurities about taking the next step in their lives.

Norwegian Wood’s release dates are as follows:

Friday, Jan 6
IFC Center, NYC, NY
West End Cinema, Washington, DC
AMC Loews Shirlington 7, Arlington VA

Friday, Jan 20
Music Box, Chicago, IL
Sundance Kabuki Cinemas, San Francisco, CA

Friday Jan 27
Laemmle’s Music Hall, Los Angeles, CA
SIFF Cinema at the Uptown, Seattle, WA
St. Anthony Main Theatre, Minneapolis, MN
Theatre N, Wilmington, DE

Friday, March 2
Regal Fox Tower, Portland, OR (following PIFF screening)

A few months ago, I got to sit down and chat with Booboo Stewart – Boy Wonder of our Winter ’11-12 issue – to find out more about him and his experiences. He was super nice and humble; the whole time we were just smiling and laughing while he enjoyed his plate of nachos and I sipped on my Earl Grey tea. We started with a quick round of questions about his preferences before we got to the more serious questions.

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IceLink, a Swiss-based luxury timepiece and jewelry brand, opened its two-story flagship boutique next to Fred Segal Melrose with a private VIP launch on January 11, 2012. Celebrity appearances included singer Lance Bass, model Josie Maran, Indian Canadian Vik Sahay of Chuck, and Filipino American rapper and the evening’s talented DJ apl.de.ap of The Black Eyed Peas.

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DANakaDAN of Rap/Pop/Alternative/Rock band afterschoolspecial, in collaboration with Scott Yoshimoto and Daniel Seo of The Dreamlapse Project, released a new music video, Dreamers, on January 10. The first person perspective video features cameos by over 20 well-known media personalities, including Cathy Nguyen, AJ Rafael, David Choi, Jason Chen, Jennifer Chung, Joseph Vincent, Toestah, Arika Sato, Kevin Lien, Dawen, Paul Dateh, Geo and Chuck of Instant Noodles Crew, Wong Fu, and Ryan Higa.

Photo via isatv.com

The Dreamers single, off afterschoolspecial’s full length It’s All in Your Head album, is available for purchase on iTunes.

Check out afterschoolspecial on Facebook, YouTube, and Twitter.