Thursday, June 24, 2004

Yahoo! Mail - aiyahhhowie@yahoo.com

So, it's been a year since my grandma passed away. Yesterday was the anniversary. Don't really know how to take it. Last year I was really angry and sad. Now...I just don't know. It's like part of me is missing, like there's a hole in my heart. But I've gotten used to it. My grandma passed away and because the weather was really hot, they had to bury her the next day. I mean WTF right? So there was no way in hell me or my family could've gotten there in time. She's lived in China and we're here in the US. It would've taken a 14 hour plan trip, then another half day on the boat to get into China. So I left work early and went to the beach....it was the closest I was going to get. She was 104. Long time yah? She had 12 kids...my mom was number 7. The first and only time I saw her face to face was for her 99th birthday. There was over 300 people all related to her and through her, to me. That felt really weird. I had people older than me calling ME uncle. Was I supposed to pat their head now and ask their kids/grandkids' grades?

It was cool, when we met, she thought I was my cousin Michael....we both wore glasses and lived in the US. I swear, we DO all look alike LOL. I learned on that trip, privacy was nonexistant. I don't know if it's a cultural thing or what, cuz my friends have told me that they never had it either as they were growing up. Maybe that's why I'm such a private person now. So anyway, I was washing up with cold water (no water heater out in the country). it was either this or jumping into the river. That's how i wash at night :) When I was finished with my cat bath (thank you for Dr. Brommer's soap, that stuff kills anything). I smelled something DAMN good, and I thought, if this is what they eat everyday, i'm moving here! I ran downstairs and asked them what smelled so good. My aunt told me that it was the bread they found......in my bags! WTF! They went into my bags and went through everything, found the focaccia I got for the long trip here (this was I swear, the best focaccia in SF or anywhere elsle) and was toasting it up over an open fire. I thought, this is Asian Fusion cooking at it's best. I told them that this was Italian bread, and they're like, where's that LOL. We had the focaccia with chinese sauces and different meat. Don't ask me what kinda meat, cuz I'm vegetarian and stuck with the focaccia alone.

I got over the lack of privacy thing. I mean, I guess that my family had to. There was too many people and too little space for everyone. Privacy was definitely a luxury.

So I spent yesterday kinda loopy. I was there, but not really there. I went to work, and actually did more work than I expected to. After work, I hanged out with my friend Scottie and went shopping. We hit Costco (I swear, I can never go into that store and leave empty handed). I spent about 60 bucks and will probably go back soon for some other stuff I wanted. Scott ended up buying about $160 worth of stuff. I kinda think it's funny, cuz I asked him if we should get a cart when we got there, and we decided not to. LOL what a joke right? Two fags NOT buying anything.

So, this is Pride weekend. I'm planning on doing some stuff, like marching with Marriage Equality on Sunday. Before that, I'm going to a release party tonight for a new clothing company owned by a Gay Asian Male (GAM). The company is called 2Boys HoldingHands. I hope to check out the designs tonight and wear them under my barong on Sunday. Gotta show my ethnic pride and support my GAM brothers u know :)

On Friday night, I'm going to see The Adventures Of Ironpussy at the SF gay film festival .

Saturday is going to be crazy as well. I'm headed to Made in France for their monthly sale to the public. I have to get my european goodies :) If I have any more energy, I'm headed to a picnic hosted by Pacific Friends, a social group for Asian and non-Asian people. Ok, ok, ok. it's a group for Rice Queens and their admirers. I find that I am liking this group much more than it's counterpart GAPA (Gay Asian Pacific Alliance). The major difference being that the people in pacific friends are much more open about who they are and what they are about. I guess I've been burned too many times by GAPA (I used to be on the board of directors). You know...sometimes too much knowledge can be a bad thing. Now I long for the bliss that ignorance brings. That afternoon, I'm headed to Theatre Rhinoceros to catch the last showing from Liquid Fire a kick ass performance group here in SF. At night, I'll probably end up at the Dyke March not marching, mind you. I just wanna be there supporting my lesbian sisters. I swear, my lesbian friends can get me to do (practically) anything. After that is the Pink Saturday street party in the Castro. Who needs to pay huge fees for those nasty overcrowded clubs. I DON'T!

So, happy pride y'all :)

1 comment:

Robert said...

Sorry to hear about your grandma Howard. Being 104, that's a big number. Over 300 people at the party? Damn, your grandmother must've been really popular! heh! My grandma's only 93, :-), but she lives here in southern Cal and I see her often, which is very nice. Hope you had while you were in China.