Thursday, July 09, 2009
Asak*sa District
On one of the busier press days, I needed to fill some time, so our friend Clark joined me for a day at Asakusa (aw-SOCK-saw). Above is the Outer Gate (entrance) to Sensoji Temple and Asakusa Shrine. Little did I know it was not only an historical site full of great architecture (bombed, rebuilt I think in the 50's), but also a shopping mecca. The guy in front... no clue, but I thought he was 
No, that's not a Japanese boyband... it's just four kids in their school uniforms. You can also see the gauntlet of retail shops that you walk before getting to the Inner (bigger) Gate of Sensoji Buddhist Temple. What was in the shops? You'll see later!
Closer to the Inner Gate....
View looking left of Inner Gate... the day was so harshly overcast that it really messed with my photos and my barely adequate camera. But it's still pretty.
The Inner Gate.
Close up. Can you imagine the wattage on the lightbulb for that lantern?
From the side, I believe.
The actual shrine inside the temple. Very hard to get a photo, and I wasn't sure if I was supposed to take them... I saw no signs, but was trying to be brief, flashless and respectful.
This adorable art (behind glass) was some sort of sign... perhaps a history, perhaps even an ad or some sort... I have no idea. But I loved all the little archetypal characters on it. Zoom to see details.
What's luckier than one Buddha statue?
Two Buddha statues...
Details of the nearby Asakusa Shrine (I think it's a Shinto Shrine... I might be wrong)
But the colors were stunning. Wish I could have photographed it in sunshine. (Maybe in 2011 if we return with the follically-gifted girl)
Foo Dog/Lion. Not sure which.
Okay! Lion!!
(dog?)
Here I used a very special lens to push the image to white hot with a high contrast of color (yeah right... )
You're still seeing the Inner Gate, by the way. Because the exterior of the actual Temple, a VERY large building, was completely covered in scraffolding in the midst of an extensive restoration.
There were also other side streets with tons of shopping! I did take a few photos of items. Some I bought, some I didn't.
Didn't buy.
Didn't buy.
Bought (for B)
Didn't buy. What are they? Chocolate billiard balls?
Bought!!
(at the cutest shop full of handmade crafts)
Didn't buy.
(but they made me smile)
Love this shot of an adjacent shopping street. See the Rikshaw? :) If you look closely, you can also see the bunny door-hanging that I bought.
There were Rikshaw drivers all around Asakusa, offering rides.
Rikshaw shoes. Oddly appealing.
Looking back toward the Outer Gate down the Shopping Gauntlet. I didn't escape the gauntlet. Found really cute gifts. There was some cheap stuff, but mostly it was fun and worth looking. It must look very carnivalesque at night.
You can see the actual temple behind the Inner Gate in this shot --covered in scaffold and tarps. I bet it's beautiful.
Stay tuned for more Tokyo!!
From the side, I believe.
The actual shrine inside the temple. Very hard to get a photo, and I wasn't sure if I was supposed to take them... I saw no signs, but was trying to be brief, flashless and respectful.
This adorable art (behind glass) was some sort of sign... perhaps a history, perhaps even an ad or some sort... I have no idea. But I loved all the little archetypal characters on it. Zoom to see details.
What's luckier than one Buddha statue?
Two Buddha statues...
Details of the nearby Asakusa Shrine (I think it's a Shinto Shrine... I might be wrong)
But the colors were stunning. Wish I could have photographed it in sunshine. (Maybe in 2011 if we return with the follically-gifted girl)
Foo Dog/Lion. Not sure which.
Okay! Lion!!(dog?)
Here I used a very special lens to push the image to white hot with a high contrast of color (yeah right... )
You're still seeing the Inner Gate, by the way. Because the exterior of the actual Temple, a VERY large building, was completely covered in scraffolding in the midst of an extensive restoration.
There were also other side streets with tons of shopping! I did take a few photos of items. Some I bought, some I didn't.
Didn't buy.
Didn't buy.
Bought (for B)
Didn't buy. What are they? Chocolate billiard balls?
Bought!!(at the cutest shop full of handmade crafts)
Didn't buy.(but they made me smile)
Love this shot of an adjacent shopping street. See the Rikshaw? :) If you look closely, you can also see the bunny door-hanging that I bought.
There were Rikshaw drivers all around Asakusa, offering rides.
Rikshaw shoes. Oddly appealing.
Looking back toward the Outer Gate down the Shopping Gauntlet. I didn't escape the gauntlet. Found really cute gifts. There was some cheap stuff, but mostly it was fun and worth looking. It must look very carnivalesque at night.
You can see the actual temple behind the Inner Gate in this shot --covered in scaffold and tarps. I bet it's beautiful.
Stay tuned for more Tokyo!!
~Shephard :)
Labels: Japan
posted by Shephard @ 
Wednesday, July 08, 2009
Good Enough
I hesitated, but if I don't share the complete picture, then what good does the example of a life hold for real people who are experiencing real highs and real lows, and everything important inbetween. In short, Emerson said: "Be silly. Be honest. Be kind." So Emerson would encourage my honesty. For what it's worth.
I had a very kind, very knowledgeable editor/agent offer to take a look at my writing at the urging of a very dear mutual blog-friend. Two examples of two worth-while people who are willing to do something kind for someone with no payoff for themselves. Incredibly kind of the agent in fact, because she doesn't agent novelists yet reached out to provide insight anyway.
The editor/agent gave me a few great ideas, and basically reminded me that the publishing industry is still in an economic crunch. Publishers are not publishing as many books, and they are not taking many chances. My gay characters and their stories do not fit into the proven profitabillity margin. Romance with a sci-fi or fantasy flavor doesn't scream Tw*light profitability if there are gay characters. And wouldn't you know it, no one in my books has the last name Pott*r.
Publishers need retail marketability, and they need to know where to shelve you. And even though there have been other successful books published (still in print, too) that are exactly my slice of pie, it was ages ago. So all that exhaustive research I did to find other profitable examples doesn't really do any good if the books weren't published in the last five or so years. The publishing world has changed.
So I look at my options.
I suppose I would consider the option to quit writing what I love, what I believe in... if I hadn't already had three professional opinions over the last 5 years (a publisher, an agent and an editor) each tell me that I'm good enough. If I'm a good writer, then there's nothing wrong with me. It's the world that's broken. And as a gay man, it would be naive and wasteful if I spent my energy and time on complaining that the world was broken.
I could wait for the world to catch up to me.
But I'm not good at waiting. Not while there's at least one pin and one haystack still left to be sorted. I will find that agent willing to take a chance. I will find the person who understands that most women and gay men (possibly a few stray straight men) will read a novel if it has engagingly relatable characters driven by the desire to find love and success, and propelled through an intriging, imaginative and solid sense of story-telling. No matter the genre. No matter the economy. No matter how broken the world is.
Write what they want, what's already on the shelves.
I can't write bitchy urban romance with soft-p*rn s*x scenes. I can't write p*rn romance novels. I'm not interested in writing mysteries, gothic gay vampires or gay urban comedies that already fill the shelves. It's just not me. And there are enough books about coming out, dealing with aids and finding self-esteem. I have to write what I feel. My passion, as the very kind editor/agent put it. :)
It would have been easier if I'd had lots of knowledgeable people tell me I'm not good enough and that I should give up. But... if there are three professionals out there who have told me that I'm good enough, then there will be four. Or five. Or ten. How silly it would be for me to give up just because I hear people telling me that there aren't enough gay people or straight women who who read sci-fi romance? There are 304 million people in the United States. If 10% are gay, that's 30 million. And there are at least another 30 million women willing to read books with gay characters. I only need a couple hundred thousand out of 60 million to buy the book for it to be considered profitable. Someone out there actually try to convince me that's not possible! I dare ya (save your breath)!
So my only real option: keep writing, keep searching, keep being happy doing what I'm doing. And above all else, keep being grateful for my life. It's not a race.
(Emerson would approve, I think)
Onward,
~Shephard
Labels: Writing
Monday, July 06, 2009
Two Parks, One Day, PART TWO
T*KYO D*SN*Y SEAS
The story goes like this: what do you get when you have D*sney's imagination and know-how and a funding investor-owner with almost unlimited funds? You get this theme park! (and if that rumor isn't true, it's at least an apt description of this park).
Every land has a secluded feeling to it, giving you a sense of journeying from place to place.
Their T*wer of T*rror has a wildly different and more creative theme to it, including a more fun preshow. The exterior itself... massive, beautiful, amazing!
I was booking at a pretty good clip through most of the day, but managed some great details on this attraction (despite the noon glare) because I refused to ride an elevator that drops that many stories.
Of course we aren't allowed photos of the interior, and I don't quite remember where I got these two pics, but was glad to find them and share them. See the VooDoo statue.. it goes berzerk, and then disappears... spooky-scary-fun. If anyone is dying to know (ha ha), I'll post the theme/story in comments.
Even this stained glass window changes. Apparently no one on the internet has gotten good pics of the change tho. Apparently.
P*rt Discovery was the name of this very Jules Verne themed area.
Am*rican W*terfront had a very eastern coastal feel to it... (see the volcano behind it?). It's home to one of the park's most popular inhabitants... Duffy the bear (below)
But my favorite section by for, because of the architecture and color... Arabian Co*st. Just wow.
I was literally RUNNING through this section, because we didn't really have time to stop before an important business lunch.
I just loved it.
Carousel, I believe.
Zoom to see the details... they're stunning
A favorite photo of mine from the whole trip. If I showed you this, would you guess I was in Tokyo?
On to M*rmaid Lagoon... I literally popped inside this attraction... a sort of cavernous midway below ground...
With of course a theme based on a certain M*rmaid from the D*sney canon... (zoom for details)
I never got farther than the expansive balcony looking down into this hub of hoopla....
But it looked fun. :)
Tilework... exquisite.
Another favorite photo from the trip.
Lost R*ver D*lta...
Which housed this ride (zoom for title)... a sort of It's a Sm*ll W*rld meets Al*ddin.
The queue was full of colorful paintings of things to come... however, getting photos was not easy!
They were moving, I was moving, the boat was moving, and light levels were very low. It's a wonder they don't all have 3 heads! See the Tiger?? Cute!! His name is Chan du (but without the space between syllables... oh the lengths Shephard goes to not be googled).
A giant genie, of course. Our boat stopped, permitting me one unblurred photo!
Arabian Finale. I truly loved this colorful, imaginative attraction.
..and its gift shop. (let's just say a tiger came home with me, and now I'm staring at it saying, what was I thinking? But he's so cute!)
The next land.... Myst*rious Isl*nd!!!
Barren... Foreboding... and imersively fun...
Several attractions, including a journey into the volcano, but sadly it was down for rehab at the time.
Try to imagine the scale of this area. You are completely hemmed in by the craggy desolate rocks and mountain.
A certain famous sub.
And a restaurant....
Onward... lunch was next... at a very unique restaurant....
Magellan's....
From the entry... a sort of spiralling balcony around a mammoth globe.... see the tables?
We ate at a secret wine-cellar behind a hidden doorway in a bookcase... you had to know where the button was that opened the doorway. :) (clever idea for private meeting space in a restaurant).
Ceiling above the globe....
YUMMY pumpkin soup! (I couldn't use my flash, because it was an important business meeting to which I was a guest... you can imagine how distracting that would have been....)
Salad and fresh seafood...
Salmon.. very yummy also
Dessert... fresh, strawberry cakey yummy thingy... no clue what it was, just guessing, but it was delicious!
We were all over both parks during that day, from 8am til 9pm. Finishing the day was an evening at Cirque du Soleil's brand new resident show Z E D. Afterwards, we got a private tour of the amazing theatre, including a visit to "the grid" -- 70 feet above the theatre-- where we actually walked out on steel grids looking straight down (ulp). We saw the costumes and all the workings and maybe a shirtless performer or two (outside voice, Shephard... outside voice).
A flower arrangement I took just for Kenju.
If you're like me, you love a good map. Here's a map, higher res, of the whole park. And since I forget yesterday, below is one of the 1st park.
The day was a crazy back-n-forth trek between both parks to hit certain things at certain times, including sneak peeks at furture attractions.
We were moving so quickly, laughing, talking, eating curried popcorn, and ooing and awing all day... there are photos I don't even remember taking, and so many that blurred because I could barely stop long enough to point the camera. At the end of the day, I don't know how I managed not to fall asleep in that nice dark cool theatre ... maybe it was all the people flying around my head doing dangerous things with each other.
I hope you all enjoyed my very imcomplete but colorful photo-tour of the parks. :)
(PART ONE BELOW FOR THOSE WHO MISSED IT)
More Tokyo, Shopping, Kyoto, Temples, Shrines & Food to come...
~Shephard
Labels: Tokyo
Sunday, July 05, 2009
Two Parks, One Day: PART ONE
After an 11-hour flight, we arrive in at T*kyo's airport (outside the metro area), and are wisked to our 1st stop: The Sheraton T*kyo Bay, next door to T*kyo D*sneyl*nd.
The hotel had it's own chapel, and a view of the Bay, natch.
...and a toy/game arcade... wildly colorful and fun....
...oh the things I didn't buy... so many retail temptations on this trip....
He's very popular in Japan.After checking in we had an hour to rest (we didn't dare nap), then met at 8pm for dinner at hotel Mirac*sta, a very grand mediterrean style D*sney resort that faced T*kyo D*sney Seas th*me park.
Lobby....
(looking up at the rotunda ceiling... I believe each goddess represented a land in the park)
The view from a private dining area of the lagoon at T*kyo D*sney Seas:
Yes. That's a volcano.
And yes, it erupted.
The water show on the lagoon, taken from the restaurant balcony...
Restaurant interior... I believe it was called Oceana.
Perplexing first food item.. the very first real food we ate in Japan. It was like gelatin with a foamy thing on top. I still have no freakin' idea what it was, and the taste no where near what I thought when I put it in my mouth. This may be the strangest thing we ate (but obviously very haut cuisine and uber shishi).
This was just beautiful. It was kinda doughy when you cut into it. I think it was a yummy rice ball with a flavored coating. Beautiful presentation.
Starter course... fresh, flavorful sea food and sauces. So tasty.
The next morning, after recovering from the time-zone change, we were up bright and early, and shuttled off to The D*sneyl*nd H*tel... gorgeous!
The chandeliers...
Victorian dollhouse with a D*sney theme (not apparent til you go around back and see the inhabitants)
We joined Mr. L. for a whirlwind tour of both parks (he was to see "what's new," our tour led by representatives from development and imagin**ring). Little did we know, it was going to be a golden ticket...
The view from the park entrance... looking back at thousands of park guests waiting for the gates to be opened.....
An improbable camera opportunity... Main Str*et devoid of all bodies. This shot is looking BACK toward the turnstyle entrances. Note that their Main Str*et is smartly sheltered from the elements by a beautiful glass and steel ceiling (cuz it does rain and snow there).
Looking the other direction, toward the castle... wait... what's that thing running towards us?
BEAR ATTACK!!!
What we were about to see I call "The Godzilla Run"
...or as the guide put it... 30,000 people entering the park at once!
Apparently, there is no larking about the parks in T*kyo. They arrive, they have a necessary battle plan for combatting the huge crowds, and they know what they want to see. It seemed that half was heading toward the newest attraction on their list, and half heading toward the Fast P*ss Lines (there were 2.5 hour waits just for the FP's).
I love this shot. I call it:Perplexed Boy Thinks, "Silly American, you're going to have to wait in line if you don't hurry."
You could fork left, fork right, or head straight toward the castle. We did a little of both on our guided tour.... at breakneck speed, I'll add. The day was completely jam-packed with fun stops and activities, which meant I was going to be hustling to get photos!
Another entry arch decoration..
I was like a bee hopping from flower to flower, snapping shots (some blurry with haste) and then running to catch up. Hitting two parks in one day was a tall order. And we enjoyed every moment of it.
It really is a small world. As evidenced by me finding out that our randomly chosen, very sweet guest-r*lations vip-guide had been trained in FL by our "sister-friend," Robin. It was a "You know Robin??" moment. (Admittedly, anyone in GR at WDW does know Robin...she gets around)
Taken later in the day, sunlight slightly stronger (oh yeah... T*kyo is humid... just like FL... gah, so hot and sticky)
The best snack of the day surprised me, tho I have no photo fo it. Curry Flavored Popcorn. I love curry, but on popcorn?? Oy yes. And we loved it. It's their most popular flavor, second to Butter & Soy Sauce!
Loved this building. Zoom to see details of the roof.
Their home for ghosts. :)
We got to go on the newest ride... a fast-paced whirling, spinning forward motion dark ride themed for the P*xar movie "M*nsters I*c" ... it was a game of flash-light tag, where you shined the light to make monsters appear and do things, while following the main characters through the crazy maze of M*nstropolis. We rode it three times so that Mr. L. could have a complete experience (it's slightly different, depending on which car you sat in).
Nearby pastry shop... I wanted to taste these so badly.... I can imagine they were like Crack-Twinkies.
This still makes me laugh. It's my favorite line from the movie. When I saw the poster they'd created, as if the musical was real, I love it ... clever.
We also got a backstage viewing of the new parade ... we were just behind the big gates, no one but performers there, waiting to enter the park in formation ...
I had to shoot all shots so as not to show any of the back-stage area... so most were from the back of the performers just as they were heading out into the park....
The Costumes were fantastic.Closing shot for my T*kyo D*sneyl*nd post (PART ONE), tho this was NOT the end of our day! Life-sized characters hidden in T*morrowland... most of you will recognize:
STAY TUNED FOR PART TWO: The AMAZING T*KYO D*SNEY SEAS !!!
(the post is actually ready to go! As soon as enough people look at/comment on this one, I'll know to post the next set...)
Oh, and do tell me your favorite photo!
~Shephard :)
Labels: Tokyo
Saturday, July 04, 2009
Happy 4th!
I have two HUGE T*kyo D*sneyl*nd posts ready...
I just have to caption them and I'll post them tomorrow (Sunday).
Hope everyone is relaxing like Golly is, and having a wonderful day. Come back to see some fabulous fun photos!
~Shephard :)
Monday, June 29, 2009
Ain't This My Movie?
I've realized lately how responsible my blog and even FB are for wearing down my resistance to taking chances, and making it harder to hide. The more I share of who I am, the better my writing seems to become.Whenever I post something highly personal, I find myself thinking about the people I know reading it, not people I don't know. There's a big difference between being social with people you like and admire... and sharing your deeper feelings with them. I've also learned when to keep my mouth shut. But that's another post.
Just before our trip to Tokyo this month, I had the nicest (and timeliest) dinner with a good friend, and it was a lifeline, a rope of clarity tossed into the confusion-chasm... an epiphany, a wake-up call, a yodel into the cacophony of self-doubt (ok, that was fun). And I realized that I had forgotten that I matter. I actually matter. Amidst all the careful choices, social expectations, and chaos and din of baggage and hoopla, I forgot that I matter. It's a choice. Because I can instead choose to see my own value even when surrounded by those who don't see it.
How did I fall into that bad habit?I realized it's almost second nature for me to assume the role of "the foreigner" in social situations, even with some of our friends. I'm so used to it. I'm going along socially and everything is hunky dory and then I hit a speed-bump, and I remember... oh yeah... I don't quite fit in, not really. I become the observer instead of the participant. You may be thinking, ok, he's talking about "the gay thing" again, and you'd be wrong, because that's just as often not a factor.
I can't be specific obviously. But I can be suscinct. The older I get, the more I learn that people do not want to know what makes you different. They only want to know what makes you the same (yes there are exceptions). But generally, that mysterious quality they might be drawn to is merely the thing they long to cultivate and collect... it's known to them, not foreign. They want to know how you might embody that for them.
So it's all the way I'm seeing it. That's the problem. No one told me I could choose to enjoy my individuality more, rather than seeing it only as a dividing line. Perhaps like everyone else, I'm paying too much attention to the differences. I can enjoy being the raspberries in a salad full of vegetables. . . just another ingredient really.
After that dinner with my good friend, I went away to Japan determined to see my world differently. I made no changes other than trying to remember that I matter. And there were these nice moments where I got this very confirmation; I let myself enjoy being myself. As my friend mused... it's my play and my cast of characters... I don't need to give the lead part to every person with a title or station in life that is more established or accepted than my own.
Or as Bette sings: "Ain't this my sun? Ain't this my moon? Ain't this my song? Ain't this my movie?" Yeah. It is. It's easy to get lost in the chaos (the very chaos some seem to envy). Maybe that's why I'm a writer. It's the one place where I don't edit, censor or silence myself. I think I'll post this before I change my mind. And maybe by posting it, someone out there will read it and think to themselves ...I can do that too... for a sustainable moment, I can enjoy being 100% unadulterated me, and the more of these moments I string together, the more self-realized I'll be. The more I do it, the more permission I give the world to value me.
~Shephard
Labels: Of Mice and Mondays
Wednesday, June 24, 2009
A Place of Magic
I am being very careful with this post.Taking photos inside this museum is not normally allowed. I was only allowed to take them with special permission because of who I was with. So I am not posting any images of the actual exhibits out of respect. I have chosen just a few pictures so that those of you who may never go to J*pan will still get to see this amazing place, and maybe discover something that most an*mation-lovers, east and west, revere.
If you don't recognize this character, then you need to put this movie (listed below) on the top of your rental. Charming. The director of these famous anim*ted movies is a national hero of sorts, because he makes beautfiul, ethereal, adventurous, sometimes action-packed and always entertaining films that touch people. They're breath-taking, pastoral, sweet and wildly creative.
And the interior of this child-friendly, hands-on museum is meant to be a wonderland of his studio's creations! What I thought would just be a little one-story showcase of some art....
...turned out to be a 3 or 4 story massive building crammed full of adventure and color, with a cafe, a bookstore, a fantastic giftshop, a movie theatre and so many unique exhibits that used his characters to show (instead of tell) the joy of animation.
(see the tiny people in front?!)
No space is ever wasted in J*pan. This giant metal sculpture of another of his characters is ... on the rooftop garden ... you take an exterior spiral staircase to get to it.
Three interior shots of this stylish, warm and welcoming space evoke a European sensibility while keeping a clean Japanese aesthetic...
It may look empty... and my shots a bit blurry... but this is because I was snapping with haste because there were at least 100 (well-behaved) children laughing and darting about in and out of my shots.
Difficult to get this shot of the elevator shaft with the light pouring in from the beautiful skylight above...
The exterior had so many nooks, crannies, exits and entrances...
I wasn't allowed to take photos in the giftshop. So this photo is from a shop in Asakusa in Tokyo. I found it for B, and he loved it, so it now sits in his office.
If you google "C*tbus"... you will see this character from T*t*r*. But if you're short enough, and you visit the museum, you get to PLAY on the Catb*s!!
* * *
The cafe food was very interesting. The desserts were my favorite!
This concoction was titled "Looking-Up-at-a-Clear-Blue-Sky-in-a-Field Cream Soda." (ice cream floating in a blue cream soda!!). It was yummy, and reminded me of a rootbeer float.
A giant lady-finger-like cake with strawberries!! It was titled "Strawberry Shortcake with Berries of All Sizes."
This amazing creation of ice cream, hot fudge sauce, strawberries, kiwis and surprises (note the funny little rock candy on top) was titled "Today's Ice Cream." Not very creative you say? Doesn't it make you want to return day after day to see what they come up with?!
So this isn't lost on those who don't know the studio and talented Oscar-winning man, here are images/DVD jackets spotlighting my personal favorites of his films. You can Netflix every one of them, and they are dubbed with American actors' voices, so no excuses, People!! You will at the very least be able to say "I had no idea what was going to happen next, and have never seen anything like them."
Charming, easy pace, serene and sweet
This one is kinda romantic, a favorite for me
The left one... won the Oscar. And it is one of the most bizarre, beautiful and fascinating animated movies I've seen, a picture window into a culture and mythology through the eyes of a little girl. The right one... more child-like, easy pace, very sweet coming-of-age story, and I have a softspot for the cat in it.
(taken while in line to enter The Shogun's Palace in Kyoto)
This shirt is not a suggestion. It's a lifestyle.
Stay tuned for more photos!
~Shephard :)
It may look empty... and my shots a bit blurry... but this is because I was snapping with haste because there were at least 100 (well-behaved) children laughing and darting about in and out of my shots.
Difficult to get this shot of the elevator shaft with the light pouring in from the beautiful skylight above...
The exterior had so many nooks, crannies, exits and entrances...
I wasn't allowed to take photos in the giftshop. So this photo is from a shop in Asakusa in Tokyo. I found it for B, and he loved it, so it now sits in his office.
If you google "C*tbus"... you will see this character from T*t*r*. But if you're short enough, and you visit the museum, you get to PLAY on the Catb*s!!* * *
The cafe food was very interesting. The desserts were my favorite!
This concoction was titled "Looking-Up-at-a-Clear-Blue-Sky-in-a-Field Cream Soda." (ice cream floating in a blue cream soda!!). It was yummy, and reminded me of a rootbeer float.
A giant lady-finger-like cake with strawberries!! It was titled "Strawberry Shortcake with Berries of All Sizes."
This amazing creation of ice cream, hot fudge sauce, strawberries, kiwis and surprises (note the funny little rock candy on top) was titled "Today's Ice Cream." Not very creative you say? Doesn't it make you want to return day after day to see what they come up with?!
So this isn't lost on those who don't know the studio and talented Oscar-winning man, here are images/DVD jackets spotlighting my personal favorites of his films. You can Netflix every one of them, and they are dubbed with American actors' voices, so no excuses, People!! You will at the very least be able to say "I had no idea what was going to happen next, and have never seen anything like them."
Charming, easy pace, serene and sweet
This one is kinda romantic, a favorite for me
The left one... won the Oscar. And it is one of the most bizarre, beautiful and fascinating animated movies I've seen, a picture window into a culture and mythology through the eyes of a little girl. The right one... more child-like, easy pace, very sweet coming-of-age story, and I have a softspot for the cat in it.
(taken while in line to enter The Shogun's Palace in Kyoto) This shirt is not a suggestion. It's a lifestyle.
Stay tuned for more photos!
~Shephard :)
Labels: Japan
Sunday, June 21, 2009
Friday, June 19, 2009
Comfy Cozy Nest in the Sky
(Japan post #2)
P*rk Hy*tt Tokyo, home to the film L*st in Tr*nslation. . .
The lobby is on the 41st floor of the above skyscraper, and I believe the hotel occupies floors 41 through 52 (the restaurants). But to be honest, the layout confused me because there were 3 sets of elevators, 2 lobbies, 2 or 3 restaurants and I may have been suffering lasting discombobulation from running into J*sh D*hamel in the elevator.
It's a beautiful building! Okay, the top three photos are not mine, but all photos hereafter are!
After you enter and go up to the 41st floor in a very fast elevator, you empty into the skylighted lobby, then wind your way past a restaurant and you come to this hallway passage (a library, above) that then leads to the business center and also two more sets of elevators.
I found out our room was $3900 a night. If J*sh D*hamel smiling at me didn't make me need a respirator, knowledge of the room's going rate certainly would have! But it's par for the course with Press Junkets for movies, and I'm certain that the corporate/business rate given (and a discount for multiple rooms) reduced that price considerably. But still. HOLY CRAP, there are people out there who pay that for a night in a beautiful hotel. Above photo: looking to the right after entering our room.
The living/dining room in daylight. :)
(same room, other side, drapes shut)
I fell in love with the bathroom.
(note: another TV!)
Amazing shower configuration.
Rounding the corner (shot taken standing in front of the huge tub), you can then go into the spacious bedroom with 52" flat screen TV!
We also had a massive closet. And a hairdryer and free razors and toothbrushes and a yoga-matt and just about anything we could want.
The panoramic view from the multiple windows took my breath away every morning.
The mini-bar and yet another flat screen TV in the living/dining area.
**Spirits**
Fresh juices!! Tomato, Cranberry, Orange and Grapefruit... and two kinds of water.
And goodies!! I wish I'd eaten more of them.
The restaurant we ate breakfast at every morning... though we actually ate in a private room with floor-to-ceiling windows facing the morning skyline.
The breakfast buffet had cereals, cheeses, nuts, bacon and sausage and eggs (I think) and lot of fruit and yogurt and healthy grains.
An assortment of pastries and bread came with every meal.
Scrambled eggs, bacon and little potatoes. You have to specify in Japan that you want your bacon crisp, or it comes out oinking.
The traditional Japanese breakfast ... I never tried it... I love a food adventure, but after adjusting to the 16 hour time difference and days cram-packed full of activity, that early in the morning I just wanted a simple breakfast that I recognized. But ... it did look good!!
Lunch buffet choices. :) I wish I'd thought to get a photo of the lunch buffet, but we were so pressed for time, and I was often out in the city during lunch, so only ate there once.
My lunch entre that accompanied the above buffet choices. Chicken and tomatoes. :)
And the night we had dinner in the restaurant on the 52nd floor, I was so thrashed I only remembered to take a photo of the appetizer... lobster quesadillas! Fantastic.
Champagne in the room...
You're probably wondering about the famous Japanese bathroom appliances. . .
The flash obscured the interesting icons used, so below is a panel with the same icons but from a restaurant bathroom. ZOOM. If you aren't either laughing or surprised, I give up. lol
I also took photos of the room to remember how warm and cozy it was at night. A different feel.
Below are fantastic photos of the Tokyo skyline out the windows of our room that B took. I love them.
Never in my life have I stayed in such a hotel room. What an amazing way to see Tokyo. We are so grateful to get to experience things like this.
Above... the red spire... that's Tokyo Tower... a striking near-cousin of The Eiffel Tower, for sure.
The P*rk Hy*tt is a phenomenal hotel, I have to say. The staff was so friendly and helpful and kind, the food was fantastic, the view and amenities were neverending, and I commend them on their elevator passenger list.
P*rk Hy*tt Tokyo, home to the film L*st in Tr*nslation. . .
The lobby is on the 41st floor of the above skyscraper, and I believe the hotel occupies floors 41 through 52 (the restaurants). But to be honest, the layout confused me because there were 3 sets of elevators, 2 lobbies, 2 or 3 restaurants and I may have been suffering lasting discombobulation from running into J*sh D*hamel in the elevator. 
It's a beautiful building! Okay, the top three photos are not mine, but all photos hereafter are!
After you enter and go up to the 41st floor in a very fast elevator, you empty into the skylighted lobby, then wind your way past a restaurant and you come to this hallway passage (a library, above) that then leads to the business center and also two more sets of elevators.
I found out our room was $3900 a night. If J*sh D*hamel smiling at me didn't make me need a respirator, knowledge of the room's going rate certainly would have! But it's par for the course with Press Junkets for movies, and I'm certain that the corporate/business rate given (and a discount for multiple rooms) reduced that price considerably. But still. HOLY CRAP, there are people out there who pay that for a night in a beautiful hotel. Above photo: looking to the right after entering our room.
The living/dining room in daylight. :)
(same room, other side, drapes shut)
I fell in love with the bathroom.
(note: another TV!)
Amazing shower configuration.
Rounding the corner (shot taken standing in front of the huge tub), you can then go into the spacious bedroom with 52" flat screen TV! 
We also had a massive closet. And a hairdryer and free razors and toothbrushes and a yoga-matt and just about anything we could want. 
The panoramic view from the multiple windows took my breath away every morning.
The mini-bar and yet another flat screen TV in the living/dining area.
**Spirits**
Fresh juices!! Tomato, Cranberry, Orange and Grapefruit... and two kinds of water.
And goodies!! I wish I'd eaten more of them.
The restaurant we ate breakfast at every morning... though we actually ate in a private room with floor-to-ceiling windows facing the morning skyline.
The breakfast buffet had cereals, cheeses, nuts, bacon and sausage and eggs (I think) and lot of fruit and yogurt and healthy grains.
An assortment of pastries and bread came with every meal.
Scrambled eggs, bacon and little potatoes. You have to specify in Japan that you want your bacon crisp, or it comes out oinking.
The traditional Japanese breakfast ... I never tried it... I love a food adventure, but after adjusting to the 16 hour time difference and days cram-packed full of activity, that early in the morning I just wanted a simple breakfast that I recognized. But ... it did look good!!
Lunch buffet choices. :) I wish I'd thought to get a photo of the lunch buffet, but we were so pressed for time, and I was often out in the city during lunch, so only ate there once.
My lunch entre that accompanied the above buffet choices. Chicken and tomatoes. :)
And the night we had dinner in the restaurant on the 52nd floor, I was so thrashed I only remembered to take a photo of the appetizer... lobster quesadillas! Fantastic.
Champagne in the room...
You're probably wondering about the famous Japanese bathroom appliances. . .
The flash obscured the interesting icons used, so below is a panel with the same icons but from a restaurant bathroom. ZOOM. If you aren't either laughing or surprised, I give up. lol
I also took photos of the room to remember how warm and cozy it was at night. A different feel. 
Below are fantastic photos of the Tokyo skyline out the windows of our room that B took. I love them.
Never in my life have I stayed in such a hotel room. What an amazing way to see Tokyo. We are so grateful to get to experience things like this. 
Above... the red spire... that's Tokyo Tower... a striking near-cousin of The Eiffel Tower, for sure.The P*rk Hy*tt is a phenomenal hotel, I have to say. The staff was so friendly and helpful and kind, the food was fantastic, the view and amenities were neverending, and I commend them on their elevator passenger list.
** Stay tuned for more Tokyo and Kyoto photos!! **
~Shephard :)
Labels: Japan
Monday, June 15, 2009
Japan, Naturally
We shopped for toys and souveniers, saw a Cirque du Soleil show, visited the D*sney parks, watched a Sumo training, visited memorable Museum, temples & shrines, rode subways and bullet-trains, ate wonderful ramen and sushi and met some very warm and generous people. But I feel like I have to start with the natural beauty that we saw everywhere we went. Zoom, enjoy!
It was "Iris Season." Purple irises (and other flowers) everywhere!
For Wendy :)
The western Hydrangea is actually a hybrid version of the original Japanese Hydrangea (which you'll see below).
Ravens were easy to spot.. er, hear... they never shut up! I love them and was happy to watch them. They're so shy here in CA, but not in Tokyo or Kyoto. :)
We visited a Shinto shrine called Fushimi Inari ... a park-like shrine spread over a mountain in Kyoto, decorated with 20,000 orange torii gates and statues of the fox god everywhere! But this wild kitty captured my attention. She's very sweet... and very preganant.
My raven friend.
What the original Hydrangea looks like. :)
And below... my favorite nature photo... our guide, Toshi, said that he often stops at this place to photograph for the screensaver on his computer. Who am I to argue with that? It's on my computer as we speak. :)
Japan is truely an amazing country.
Stay tuned for my next batch of photos (ready to go)!
Stay tuned for my next batch of photos (ready to go)!
~Shephard :)
Monday, June 08, 2009
Smiles from the Sushi Side of the World
Tokyo is not at all what I had envisioned. It's much more welcoming, inviting and more engaging than I could have guessed it to be. I've never seen so many sincere and warm smiles. It has the strange effect of making me feel guilty for being American. 
I'm typing this to you from The Future at 11am the following day -- it's currently 7pm Pacific time & 10pm Eastern.. the previous day. B is at the press event, and I'm to join him for lunch soon, so I have to make this brief. It's the first moment since landing in Japan that hasn't been crammed full of amazing sites and events that kept us hopping. Above... a random photo from T*kyo D*sn*y Seas.... the theme park that knew no budget (not kidding).
This theme park has a way of sneaking up on you... just when you think it can't get more opulent... it does, and then it does again! (above, T*wer of T*rror). 
We got to visit the Gh*bli Museum... This studio and its founder are a famous animation production studio who have made some of the most emotionally satisfying, charming and artistically perfect animated films I've ever seen. Don't know them? If asterisks were o's, you might try googling My Neighb*r T*t*ro and see what you find. Within the world of animation, they are the bee's knees. In fact, my B was beside himself with boyish excitement. Visiting this museum is not always easy --they usually sell out so early you can't get in, so we felt very lucky. It was amazing inside, and I only got to take photos because I was with The Big Cheese (L)... imaging someone following us around holding up a sign letting the other guests know we were "Press." So... I'm not sure how kosher it is for me to be posting photos. I have to find out before I dare post any. (above...an exterior photo from the rooftop garden vantage).
The food has been artistically amazing, tasty, sometimes confusing, and always memorable. I tried Sea Urchin for the first time (or did it try me?). Most surprisingly... the desserts are out of this world!We also visited a Sumo Stable to watch sparring and talk to its trainer and Yokozuna (the highest rank in Sumo). He was friendly, funny, warm and it was an honor to meet him (they are huge celebrities over here).
After a visit to this place, we are going to have to ship our purchases home. We went to the above, a 5 story cute-attack.... and left with large bags filled with gifts for friends and ourselves.
View from a 52nd story restaurant.
Our hotel is the nicest place I've ever stayed or seen... not stuffy or pretentious or snooty... refined and understated, with the emphasis on roominess and comforting amenities. You might even say....we're Lost in Translation. :)
Our hotel is the nicest place I've ever stayed or seen... not stuffy or pretentious or snooty... refined and understated, with the emphasis on roominess and comforting amenities. You might even say....we're Lost in Translation. :)
Not sure how many more of these posts I will do, because when we bullet train to Kyoto, who knows how cyber-friendly the next hotel will be. After the press event today, we visit some temples! Hopefully tomorrow I can post again before we leave!Sayonara for now, from the land of smiles and sushi,
~Shephard-san :)
Friday, June 05, 2009
Land of the Rising Sun
Our Japan Adventure begins!!
I will be able to blog from Japan (hotels there believe in technology-friendly rooms)! I hope to even post photos! :)
It wil be a culture explosion. I can't wait to take photos (I have a 4 gig card and a 2 gig card, and plan to fill them both!). We will be going to a Sumo exhibition, a famous animation studio and museum, taking the bullet train to Kyoto to see the gardens and temples, and of course -- shopping in Tokyo and visiting Tokyo D*sneyl*nd and Tokyo D*sney Seas theme parks!
It's the rainy season... but I'm ready!! I have my apple-green raincoast from Eddie Bauer!! Stay tuned for my next post.. from The Future!! (Japan is 16 hours ahead of LA and 13 hours ahead of NY)
Sayonara until then!
~Shephard :)
It's the rainy season... but I'm ready!! I have my apple-green raincoast from Eddie Bauer!! Stay tuned for my next post.. from The Future!! (Japan is 16 hours ahead of LA and 13 hours ahead of NY)
Sayonara until then!
~Shephard :)
Tuesday, June 02, 2009
Shephard in Wonderland
It's an amazing store, and a must-visit for us when we are in The Big Apple. This time, I was brave and took a lot more photos! Apparently, they don't really mind. But ... I'm never sure. I'm glad I can share this visit!
Stripes, checkers, polka-dots, bold colors, whimsical designs...these are the elements that make up MacKenzie-Childs. Seriously, the only way to catch all the details in these photos... you guessed it... zoom in!
(a close up of the place settings.. hand-painted!)
Famous for their furniture, dinnerware, textiles and ceramic tiles... all of it, charming. Who wouldn't want a fishback chair?
See the rabbits and birds?
Tiles and sinks and knobs, oh my!
I took my friend Heather to see the shop (her first time). She loved it.
Zoom in and check out the painted details, fringe and tassels.
Knobs anyone? Knobs everyone!!
Peacock bead trim and glass doorknob feet. I dig it.
A little blurry, but I had to include it.
My quickly snapped photos do not do it justice... it's two floors of fun. Even the elevator is decorated!
Wanna page through their easy-viewing online catalog and see the full scope of their creativity? Of course you do!
~Shephard :)
Labels: MacKenzie-Childs
Wednesday, May 27, 2009
My Bags are Packed....
I discovered this today while shopping for travel supplies and luggage. Omigod, I love this! I want one!
Unfortunately, it's by an Etsy seller, and I don't think they have the yellow ones anymore. Damn. It would have been purrfect. :) Then again... wonder if I can scavenge and make one (cuz I have SO much time on my hands)?
P.S. Today is my Blogiversary.
I'm amazed I've have been blogging regularly for four years. Four years that have given me a voice and a resource to share and exchange. I'm grateful for the people I've met, and the opportunity to continue to grow as a writer, but much more importantly, as a person. Thank you, Readers, Visitors and Friends, seen and unseen.
(NYC PHOTOS a couple posts below!)
~Shephard :)
Labels: Blogiversary
Tuesday, May 26, 2009
Win Some, Lose Some
"When I despair, I remember that all through history the way of truth and love has always won. There have been tyrants and murderers, and for a time they seem invincible, but in the end, they always fall --think of it-- always." ~ Gandhi
I just can't despair when I see so much progress in the last 5 years. Baby steps. It takes TIME for people to evolve, time to grow beyond their superstitions, prejudices and dysfunctional addictions to their biases. Truth floats. And so does hope.
"It's still a beautiful world. Strive to be happy!"
(grafitti found on the ruins of a medieval church)
FUN NYC POST BELOW, WITH NEW PHOTOS! :)
~Shephard
Monday, May 25, 2009
Recording The Adventure
Never in my wildest dreams did I think I would ever sit there in a small room as singer after singer ... actor after actor ... paraded into the recording room to audition for The Girl Who Has a Pathological Hair Fetish. But I'm getting ahead of myself. 
After a "rudder repair incident" cost us 2 hours on the runway, we arrived in The Big Apple at farking 3am. Oy. But even as thrashed as we were, I figured out very quickly that this is not a hotel that bothered with such trifles as amenities. Why bother when you have a history of Literary residents and a prestigious cabaret? (their claim to fame)
Still. . . in the dim light levels, it had its charm. Unfussy and stately, if a bit worn around the edges. The friendly restaurant staff were great. But the front desk staff... singularly unfriendly and a bit too busy to be helpful.If it ever rains in there, they'll all drown.
A painting of the Legacy of Literati graces the premisis prominently.
But the real charmer is Matilda, the only full-time resident at present. The hotel has a long history of Kitterati. :) She was very sweet.
The recording studio wasn't too far from Grand Central Station (above). There have been a bazillion photos taken of the iconic blue ceiling, but I offer my two anyway.
We walked to Grand Central on our lunch hour to a restaurant called OYSTER (below). And no, I didn't eat slimey raw things, but others did and said they were wonderful. I can vouch for amazing New England Clam Chowder, however.
Of course I couldn't take photos in the recording studio, or rather, those I took are for more professional use. But below is the entry hallway. :)
Put on your Asterisk Decoding Hats for this next paragraph.
Some of the 60 who auditioned included two cast members from Ugly B*tty, 2 from the new series about kids who sing in high school (name withheld on purpose), 3 cast members from SNL (past and present), 4 different Elph*ba's from W*cked, several original cast members from The L*ttle M*rmaid, Bl*the Sp*rit, Spring Aw*kening, Chicago, Nine, Cabaret, South P*cific, Next to Norm*l, Int* The Wo*ds, Hair, and several from both the movie and Bway musical versions of M*mma Mia and Ha*rspray! I'm not even listing half the musicals represented by this amazing bunch of actors and singers. The auditions were funny, entertaining and the singing just beyond amazing.
I was geeked out for 4 days straight.
We didn't really have much free time, but one day there were two cancellations, so we bopped down to ABC Carpet & Home ~ megafun decor store! (thanks for the correction, Carli!) I wanted both the blue and green chandeliers. Sigh. :) No clue what I'd do with them, since I don't have a house they'd work in. Would need to be a special funky fun room. I can imagine it...
After 10am to 7pm auditions, we usually had just enough time to walk or taxi to the theatre. We saw Next to N*rmal, Hair, Blithe Sp*rit and In The Heights. After the shows, we'd search for food, which sometimes involved a massive authentic slice of NY pizza (CARVE or RAY'S). Annd sometimes involved meeting our friend Jane (above) for fun. Jane's a dresser (someone who makes sure costumes are repaired, cleaned, and makes sure the actors get in and out of their clothes on cue... ) for several Bway shows. She gave us a backstage tour at one of the theatres... it's kind of our ritual/tradition when we visit her, for whatever show she's currently working. :) And yes, she's as fun and adorable as she looks.
(my favorite shot from this trip... Times Square at dusk) It was a whirlwind trip, and one I'll never forget.
At one point, a couple people dropped out, and I got to record a song, which was fun.
So many celebrities. Admittedly, I was a big chicken. I couldn't talk to a certain handsome and talented Broadway star. What a voice. (sorry Marty!) But I did talk to a couple people I loved (women), and was able to tell them how much I enjoyed all the things I'd seen them in.
And you know what... of the 60 auditioners, they were all very nice, very engaging, very friendly. Theatre People are the best.
Best of all, we go back in a week for Call-backs! Oy. Then Japan. Double-Oy. But I'm still basking in the afterglow of all that singing and I feel no pressure from the future.... just happy thoughts in the now.
~Shephard
Labels: NYC
Saturday, May 16, 2009
Hoopla Holiday
Try as I might, I think I have to embrace the fact that I can't get my life back til after New York, and possibly not til after Japan in June. Though, I am at least trying to post, visit and comment as much as I can in spite of the pace and the distractions.
The powers that be have been so nice the last week to let me sit quiet-as-a-mouse in the corner of the control booth and watch the parade of auditioners to come through the studio, all vying for one of 3 parts in The Girl With The Unrealistically Long Hair. I think there have been at least 30 to date. In NYC, there will be closer to 150. Oy. The Casting Director is really good at her job.
This week, I most enjoyed hearing all the Broadway people. Most of the people in the control booth, and possibly the studio... had no clue who any of them were. I felt sorta bad for them that more people don't know them yet because they're phenomenally talented. I get so excited; I keep forgetting that theatre is uncool.
The auditions are fun to watch. There's nothing to brag about in this regard... simple hellos, no real personal contact, but just to say to someone that you enjoy their work sort of completes a circle. Meg*n made me laugh so hard. Purely selfish on my part perhaps to tell them how much I enjoy them, because they hear it constantly. But I'm glad I got to let someone know I enjoy their work.
Biggest surprise... hearing an unexpected popstar sing Joni Mitchell's "Help Me." It blew me away. She is not only under-appreciated and underrated as an artist, but I think her record label needs to get her some fantastic song-writers to work with. Just wow.
And while we're in NYC for the cavalcade of auditioners, Broadway and TV's best, with a healthy does of England's top men... we'll be paying a visit or two to this blog's name-sake.
And seeing a few shows that we are excited about. . .
And seeing a few shows that we are excited about. . . 
This break is as good as a "Pause Button." A chance to
* * * b r e a t h e * * *
A chance to let the sun shine in, to enjoy being away from the craziness, and to sit back and be sung to by 150 auditioners and escape to 4 Broadway shows. And hopefully.... Frozen Hot Chocolate at Serendipity, A stroll through Shubert Alley or two, A visit to Mackenzie-Childs, Seeing the leaves on the trees in the Central Park. Everyone going seems to have their own plans, which means B and I will be on our own for the evenings (happy face). I have been looking forward to it all more than I dare verbalize (without annoying everyone around me). If I could, I'd stand on top of my house and shout it. That's how happy I am.
Been to NYC so many times... but... this time, I really need it. Will it be enough? Japan is so close on its heels (that one stresses me a bit). But after that... I am going to enjoy a horizon without major events and obligations. And I really need to focus on my writing now. It's time to focus now that the hoopla is over. I need a holiday from the Hoopla.
~Shephard :)
Monday, May 11, 2009
Truth in Advertising
I had a very interesting conversion with a friend the other day about these two ideas:If we listen, people will tell us who they are.
and...
Don't judge a book by its cover.
The two seem at surface to contradict each other. In truth, they are both about advertising. I know I should be careful not to believe everything that is intentionally advertised. And that's the key difference between the two. Intention.
A book jacket is intentionally making the book sound appealing. It can make an average book sound like a beloved favorite. We are reading what the publishers want us to.
When we're talking to someone... whether we are seeing who they want us to believe they are or who they really are ... they will tell us about their values. And values shape character. Values shape trust. Values shape intention.
Sometimes we get blinded by who we hope they are or what we expect someone to be. Maya Angelou put it this way (paraphrasing slightly): "People will tell you who they are. Believe them the first time."
When listening for what they value, I think about two things:
1. How will they judge me for being the same or different?
2. Will we be able to relate beyond these values?
I have very diverse friends. When it comes right down it, only kindness matters. We all step on toes, say things we shouldn't, say the wrong thing at the wrong time, enjoy pointed humor sometimes, make mistakes, have misunderstandings etc. But values are about longevity. And people will tell you their values. There is truth in this unintentional advertising. "A person's actions shout so loud I can't hear what they're saying." (Emerson) So I do believe a person when they tell me what they value. And that's the heart of the book, not its jacket description.
~Shephard
Labels: values
Saturday, May 09, 2009
Monday, May 04, 2009
Life is Full and So Is My Hard Drive
iPod Today: Bare: a tragically beautiful pop operaLA Weather: warm and gorgeous
Last Night: Japanese revenge
Our Cats are currently: camped out at the fawcet, waiting for water to magically happen
A friend forwarded me a story where a 92-year-old blind man informs the staff at his new nursing home that he has already decided he loves his new room even before he sees it, because happiness is something you decide on ahead of time. Or more simply: we can't always control others or life, but the one thing we do have absolute control over is how we respond to the world.
I just peeked in at the kitties, waiting for the kitchen water to be turned on. They seem pretty patient. They know, based on everything they've experienced, that the big monkey will come turn the water on for them eventually. All they have to do is wait. They trust their personal history.
I think about the masses looking for jobs and the toll it takes emotionally. But I also think... they're going to be okay. I'm going to be okay. We're always okay. If we look back at our lives, we've pretty much always been okay eventually. Until we die. But up until that point, we're okay. Every time. We make it through. We triumph because we transcend whatever experience has been tossed into our paths. I wish I had the intestinal mettle to live in a state where I know the water will be turned back on... because it always has been in the past.
That's a lovely metaphor. To assuage the compulsory devil's advocate, I'm not talking about sitting on your butt and doing nothing and hoping life saves you. Living life fully ...demands participation. Life demands response. I'm just saying... wouldn't it be nice if we could not obsess about the one time where things won't end up okay (death), and just be in the moment to appreciate that the other million times things eventually turn out just fine?
Hard to do that when we face the negativity from the TV/Media, and even our own relatives. It's all perspective. My mom looks at photos of me 4 months ago, and says, "You've gained a little weight back, I can see it in your face." Wouldn't it have been nice if she could have seen something more than my slightly rounder face? How about seeing: 4 months of living fully, surrounded by wonderful European food and experiences I might not get to taste for a long time, and awards show parties and press junkets and an exhausting schedule that made it doubly difficult to eat well and find enough time and motivation to continue exercising because life was happening so fast and furious?
Like the metaphorical 92-year-old man, I'm going to look in the mirror today and say, "Look at the amazing last 4-6 months you've had! It's part of you! It was all part of living life fully!"
To be honest... I wish the Japanese food I had last night wasn't part of me. It didn't sit so well. But today is a new day! I've done my 10,000 steps, and I have my water bottle next to me. And now it's time to unburden my groaning hard drive of the thousands of photos that are clogging my computer. It's a good day to remember that I will continue to be just fine, with or without all the croissants I ate in Paris.
~Shephard :)
Thursday, April 23, 2009
Energy-Saving Tip of the Day
Don't leave your cat running.
Remember to turn him off when you leave the room.
Remember to turn him off when you leave the room.
Labels: Cats: Golly
Monday, April 20, 2009
...Until She Sings....
I am a truly happy person.
So it's hard to mourn the evolution of things lost when I'm so content. Or is it complacency?
Nope, I checked, it's contentment.
Before this whole giant life-eating snowball (aka B*lt) plowed through my life, I felt like I was on track as a writer, on my way to creating something, getting great feedback and making some actual progress.
Over the course of keeping our lives together in the craziness, I lost my own balance. And then they asked B to set sail immediately directing R*punz*l without a real break to speak of (from experience, I can tell you categorically that any vacation taken during Christmas will not feel much like time off).
So it's almost May now.
I'm still tired. Do I really have the drive and ambition it takes to get my writing in print? The unrelenting self-promotion in addition to the dedication to writing? I'm so tired from the last 6 months. People ask me if I've done any serious writing, and I laugh to myself. Between planning a wedding and keeping our lives together... I just had nothing left over. Even though R*punz*l looms on the horizon, I can see my pilot light is still burning, the desire to write is there. But at the moment, there's no wood to toss into the stove.
I've had agents tell me I need to write about mainstream straight issues and characters if I really want to get my novels published. I need to write for the genres that are acceptible. It's the real world, and that's how gay writers often survive.
The problem: I write for me, so it's hard to play their game. How do I know I write for me?
When I go see a wonderful movie, or when I read a fascinating or entertaining book, or watch a TV show I love.... there is an ever-present side-effect of invisibility that nags at me. I think how much I enjoyed it... why can't there be a story like this that has gay characters in it? And I think about how that would feel, just to enjoy feeling less invisible, to see myself in the pages of a novel or up on the silver screen. It's a rare thing. So I write to fill the void of this invisibility. That's why I write. Most of the gay people I know don't really feel this way. They just read the books and see the movies and take the invisibility for granted. We are used to it, really.
But I still have that ache to tell my stories, to write about the beautiful worlds, the riches lives of characters and cultures that populate my imagination. They're all locked behind the door of my mind. And I can't seem to figure out which key is best to unlock it all. A hundred keys too many.
I've noticed that sometimes my favorite songwriters suffer from the slings and arrows of happiness. Once they find their happy, their songs do not have the same pathos. I hope that is not what I truly suffer from... the contentment of a lovely life. But it makes it very hard for me to want to bust my butt to get the attention of a lot of myopic agents who are so busy searching for the next H*rry P*tter they don't see the value of diversity.
This blog keeps me writing. I still have the desire, if not always the ambition. That's enough to keep the pilot light lit. She hasn't sung yet, folks.
~Shephard
Labels: Writing