Andrea's Jimmy Wong Love Song (response to Ching Chong Asians in the Lib...

If you know anything about the Jimmy Wong Phenomenon (he wrote a song to Alexandra Wallace who ranted on Asians on Youtube, got death threats, and dropped out of UCLA), then watch the Asiansploitation response to Jimmy Wong here.

Midnight Madness at TIFF link (Red Nights has a friend of mine)

If you're interested in thriller, chillers, and weird, scary stuff at the TIFF, then check out this link.  Lots of neat stuff.  Red Nights is one where a friend of mine will be in (check it out if you get the chance). http://www.tiff.net/thefestival/filmsandschedules/programmes/midnightmadness

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Palmerston Library Theatre

Will be going to check out the Palmerston Library Theatre near Bathurst Station @ Bloor  today to see if it would be an appropriate location for an Asiansploitation Spanks the Tiger remount.  We're looking forward to bringing more exciting comedy to the community!

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Should we remount ASTT? Review of Asiansploitation Spanks the Tiger, July 2, 2010, The Toronto Star

Here is a review from the Toronto Star for Asiansploitation's Asiansploitation Spanks the Tiger show which we're thinking we may remount in the Fall 2010 (Oct/Nov. timing).  Give people a chance who didn't see it to check it out, or those who have to see it with a few minor 'refreshments'.  Should we do it? Toronto Fringe Festival»   Bruce DeMara Entertainment Reporter Asiansploitation Spanks the Tiger Highly Recommended Directed by Andrew Currie. At the Annex Theatre, 736 Bathurst St. Next performance Sunday at 4:45 p.m (July 3, 2010) Sketch comedy with a Far Eastern spin? Don’t wok, run to this one. Asiansploitation is a sketch comedy troupe that deserves a far bigger audience than it has found so far since it began putting on shows four years ago. Anchored by original founding member Jeff B. Santos, this seven-member pack of class clowns is exhilaratingly funny and talented. But great sketch starts with fresh thinking and inventive writing and they’re on solid ground. A video game where avatars are selected to “please your grandma”? An office where the public address system announces “All work and no play” — end of sentence? A group of anarchists who refuse to get organized? That’s just a taste of what the players deliver in a 75-minute set. The cast is uniformly solid and versatile with a great comic timing, though Santos and James Cheng may stand just slightly above the others. Not everything hits its mark. But the great thing about this troupe is its ability to make comedy with strong cultural influences that also appeals to a broader audience.

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Mother To Be

Photo Shoot Bump Goes Smooth

I was wrong.  I thought a near-empty condo would be ideal for an Asiansploitation photoshoot.  But background paper on carpet crinkles with weight so we scouted the exterior for options. Bingo!  The P3 parking was ideal with hard floors, high-ish ceilings, lots of space for lights and camera, and virtual privacy.  With the capable photographer Raph Nogal working through our 7 sometimes consistent, often differing viewpoints for poster and PR concepts, we emerged 4 hours later, a few hundred group and individual shots later on schedule and with needed "Asiansploitation Spanks the Tiger" visuals intact.  Whether some of us were semi-clad with appropriate gear to evoke spanking, or we had cool, funky, and thematic poses with a beautiful red chair, I think we have some pretty stellar photographs in the making which I'll be sharing when they become available.   All I can say is I'm looking forward to the finished poster product.

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Asiansploitation & KCAA

Asiansploitation just finished a rousing Improv & Sketch set at the Korean Canadian Athletic Association awards dinner at Shilla Restaurant (Weston & Eglinton) earlier tonight (on about 10:30PM).   Thanks, KCAA!  We had a great time performing for such an enthusiastic crowd and appreciated the delicious kalbi and chap chae!  Great stuff!  Kudos to Franco, Andrea, Jeff, Sandy, and James who kicked some kimchi butt and ate some kimchi.  No butt.  But there was pork hock.

It was nice to see this organization supporting athletes and their endeavours recapped in a fun and memorable video.  A fun time out!

Best of luck KCAA!  And thanks for inviting us to perform at such a great event.

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Don't Stop Believing

Not sure why I keep wanting to listen to this Journey song and all the different versions that it has spawned.  Glee has brought it back to life.  And Steve Perry sounds great singing it.  Here's a version from Jennifer Chung & Legaci I stumbled across that I thought I'd share (I think they're from California).  Hope you like it (I did).

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Olympic Gold Around My Neck

What a GREAT time tonight!   A couple highlights: 1)  I wasn't singing opera, but I traded stories and chit chat in a dressing room at the Four Seasons Centre for the Performing Arts (Queen & University) in English, French, Spanish & Japanese with a Parisian model.  Funky times.  Marinne (sp?).  She had lived in Tokyo for a year.  Very unexpected when she started speaking Japanese to me (after I told her I could).  Another model was knitting a dress for her 2-year old.  Quite the beauties.  I even had my make-up done by a professional:  concealer, some blush and other colours to keep me looking natural.   2)  I also met 11-year old Tony Yang.  Toronto-based pianist extra-ordinaire.  He practices 3-4 hours a day (vs. 1 hour/day max during the apex of my piano career).  He played a few songs and was quite the talent.  Here's a video of stuff he's done before -- not what he played today when he wore a sprightly white tuxedo with sport socks.  I learned from his excited dad that he came from Chongqing (10 million+ person city in central China) 5 years ago as I explained my work and the functioning of the products I work on in Mandarin (a first for me in Chinese).  I don't think I've spoken this many languages (with models) in an hour since I was in Taipei at the Mongolian All-U-Can-Eat on Hsin Yi Road!  Memories! Also -- I offered to hold his Starbucks coffee cup while he got a picture with some other cool folks.  And when I gave his coffee cup back, someone remarked while looking at and acknowledging me 'his parents must be so proud'.  A huge group of people looked at me like I was his dad:  "so you're his father!  Congratulations.".  Um.  No.  Awkward.   3)  My highlight?  Meeting Gold Medal Canadian Athlete for skeleton Jon Montgomery.  What a GREAT guy.  Friendly.  Quick.  Funny.  Easy-going.  He shared his gold medal freely.  His line was "want to touch it"? as he pulled it out of his pocket and explained its unique design.  Everyone was giddy.  I got a picture with the medal; with him; with him and the medal, me wearing the medal, and almost any other combination you could think of.  I can't prove any of this, though.  One of the cameras that took the photo was the Fuji 3D camera (very cool, by the way, I felt like I was reliving a still-shot Avatar-like experience).  On the screen you could see the 3D effect.  Since these pictures are only developable in Japan, and are expensive, it'll take a while or maybe never.  Maybe I can get 2D pics.   Jon also shared an auctioneering tip (he's a professional auctioneer):  say "Big Brown Bug bit a Big Brown Bear" quickly and repeatedly clicking against the roof of your mouth as many times as possible.  Actually, this might be good for speaking and performing in general:  (note to self, articulate bugs and bears before June 30 - July 10 Fringe show "Asiansploitation Spanks the Tiger".  Don't miss it!).   Here is a clip of Jon highlighting his win and what he does which I found interesting, but which doesn't do justice to his in-person charm.   COOL EVENING.   And what brought this all on?  How do multilingual beauties mix with musical genius, a TV personality (David Clemmer from Style by Jury graced us with his presence) and a Gold Olympian?  A four-letter word.   Work.  We're launching a new set of products that are going to blow your socks off (well, maybe not your socks but it will be AWESOME and GREAT).  Tonight was one milestone that put a huge SMILE on my face.   WHAT A GREAT TIME!

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Best Buns in Town

Nope.  Not mine.  Or were you thinking yours?  536 Dundas West.  On a chilly Sunday evening, as I was walking by, a basement Chinese resto west of Spadina caught my eye.  It was just west of Noble House -- the Cantonese restaurant I was excited to take my folks (despite needlessly fearing for my safety twice at this place at ~3:30AM).   I peered in curious at the possibiity of switching restaurants.  There were a few customers inside and some workers just inside the front door busy making noodles and steamed dumplings and other goodies.  Fresh.  Perhaps. You would think a restaurant called "Chinese Traditional Buns" woud have good buns.  I've passed by this place many times, so with my folks in tow who rarely venture such downtown eats, here was an opportunity to try something different.  They're such adventurers in life that trying this restaurant was less risky than parking at Pacific Mall.  We went in.   The ordering required we make many decisions.  Simple or complex?  Big or small?  Rice or noodles?  In the end, a large meal of fried salt/pepper pork chop and green beans with minced pork (the largest plate of green beans I've ever had) won out along with a delicious soup noodle with full shrimp.  I insisted we order one of the buns.  We were at a bun restaurant after all.  My dad was excited by #3 on the list of buns.  ZhenJiang buns (I think).  He doesn't perk up too often so this was remarkable.  I've never had this bun before at Asian Legend (they don't serve it).  Nor in any dumpling restaurant.  Possibly in China or Taiwan, but nothing I remember.   The food came pretty quickly.  And was goo.  We even ordered extra noodles which were fresh.   But the ZhenJiang steamed pork buns came.  5 for $3.99 (I think).  They're similar to xiao long bao (soup-filled pork dumplings) but with a skin more akin to a risen bun than skin wrap.  i.e. more bun than dumpling.  The inside was a little different.  Flavourful, soup-filled and extra juicy.  100% delicious.   And I dare say, these are the best buns I've had in Toronto.  I'll have to go back.   Has anyone else been here before?

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