04.30.09
Random NYC moment: the HDG edition
Going along with the mishmash nature of this blog, this is just something I need to get down for posterity, because it amused the dickens out of me.
First, the set-up: When I lived in Manhattan, I pretty much had a standard route to work. Roll out of bed, cross Third Avenue, walk up 39th. So, I used to pass the W hotel (both the Court and the Tuscany!) every single day. And almost every single day, I passed this really hot door guy, whom I decided was a cross between Ricky Martin and Alec Musser, who briefly played Del on All My Children. For the sake of brevity, he just became Hottie Door Guy. (Who wants to walk past a guy and think “Hey, that’s the Ricky Martin-Alec Musser bastard love child guy,” right?) Mind you, I never talked to Hottie Door Guy. He was just part of my daily routine. Glance over, admire, grin, keep moving…nothing too overt. Being that I’m not, like, a stalker or anything.
Since moving back to Queens, I’ve obviously given up that standard walk to work. (Or at least swapped it for another and included a train ride.) But I was in the city last weekend and actually saw Hottie Door Guy on Saturday, by the hotels, which cracked me up. Because I haven’t seen him in months, right? But wait, it gets better! Today, I’m walking home, in Queens, literally a block from my apartment…and there is Hottie Door Guy. Walking his dog! Yes. He apparently lives here. In my new neighborhood.
Hi. Larious.
In a city this size, with this many people, it never fails to amuse me that you can still find familiar faces.
04.28.09
Soap Opera Weekly: Blogging With Mala
Devin Owens, SOD’s west coast feature writer, has been e-mailing me off and on about the Luke/Noah/Zac/Zoe story on ATWT, and I think the funniest thing of all was last week when he e-mailed me, “I can’t wait. How do Luke and Noah escape?” Today’s episode answers that question but I went ahead and e-mailed Devin back, spoiling him rotten. “Whew!” he wrote back, relieved. But whatever shall we e-mail about now that the Zs crazy story is over?
Lily running around in a cloak, pseudo-incestuous psychos holding people hostage…it was a hoot! Especially since Melinda Sullivan (Zoe/Gia) and Nicholas Galbraith (Zac) are really good. They are two definite finds, so kudos to the casting department!
Of course, what majorly bummed me out is that thanks to an ill-timed press conference about the swine flu outbreak, I didn’t get to see Melinda and Nick’s last scenes! (What IS it about press conferences always cutting into key moments of my favorite soaps? I’m beginning to develop a persecution complex here, people!) What was great about their characters is that they gave Luke, Noah, and even Alison, Jade and Casey a shot in the arm. Don’t get me wrong, they’re all likable, and I’m not saying a crazy, incestuous tramp trying to impregnate a tied up gay guy is a good thing, but when is the last time there was a longterm troublemaker in the Oakdale teen set? Jessica Dunphy’s version of Ali comes to mind. After her, everyone’s pretty much been on the up and up and the spoilers — Jade, crazy Cleo, the Pisces twins — have all been pretty temporary. Luke and Casey are occasional hotheads who get into trouble, but they always end up contrite and spending a few months behaving themselves. I mean, even Jade is walking the straight and narrow path now. Zzzzzzzzzz. How long before all five of the “teens” end up settling down and having babies like Will and Gwen?
Putting it in simpler terms: Zac and Zoe’s story wrapped up too fast! This could’ve been dragged out longer, heightening the tension between Holden, Lily, and Damian, creating more trouble for Luke and Noah, etc. I mean, this is the most fun Noah’s been in a while, and that kickass rescue move with his legs today could make Chuck Norris weep. Watching him react to Zac alone has been worth the price of admission!
Ah, well. At least Damian’s sticking around! I even got a little sniffly and choked up when Luke asked him to stay. Of course, that could also just be the beginnings of swine flu…
originally posted on soapoperaweekly.com
04.25.09
Gaata rahe mera dil…aur mera wallet.
I had a major Bollywood music geek out last night, squeeing my way through the iTunes store. Ultimately, I only bought seven songs, but the joy was so heady I felt like I was cleaning out the whole collection. It’s truly wonderful, how affected I am by this music. I have a connection to it that’s not quite the same as my connection to Western music, because Hindi movies and their songs are really how I first connected with my heritage. (Sure, there’s Bengali music, too, but that’s not quite as fun.) Music transcends language, so I loved this part of where I came from even before I really understood any of the words.
I bought “Yeh Dosti,” by Kishore Kumar & Manna Dey and “Mehbooba Mehbooba,” by Rahul Dev Burman from Sholay, “Aaj Phir Jeene Ki,” by Lata Mangeshkar from Guide, “Aaja Re Pardesi,” also by Lata, from Madhumati, and Hemant Kumar’s “Hain Apna Dil” (Solva Saal) and “Zara Nazron Se Kehdo” (Bees Saal Baad). And oh…! “Ab Ke Saajan Sawan Mein” from Chupke Chupke. Just gorgeous, old school, classics.
Still tempted to go back and purchase SO many things. Like “Tere Mere Milan Ki,” “Pyar Diwana Hota Hai,” “Yeh Kya Hua,” “Khaike Paan Banaraswala,” “Mere Samnewali Khidki Mein.”
Okay, the list could go on infinitely. And that’s just from primarily the ’50s, ’60s and ’70s.
Oh, God. I really shouldn’t have gone back to iTunes for references. I just bought “Dafli Wale,” by Lata and Mohd. Rafi.
::face-palm::
04.24.09
Soap Opera Weekly: Blogging With Mala
Last week, I had the worst case of writer’s block. I could not, for the life of me, think of what to write for my Soapbox column. And for anyone who knows me, me being out of things to say about soaps is downright freakish. I always have an opinion about something. My colleague Joe even went, “Wait, you don’t even want to talk about babies? You always want to talk about babies!” “No! Not even babies!” I whined, thumping my head against the doorframe.
Fortunately, inspiration eventually struck and the words poured forth. No, I did not talk about adorable soap kids. So, that’s what I’m going to do right now!
WARNING: If you don’t want saccharine, goopy, baby-induced squee all over your computer screen, stop reading now.
I tuned into GL this morning mostly to watch Dinah’s scenes with the wonderful Zuzanna Szadkowski (aka Dorota from GOSSIP GIRL) and Bill and Lizzie’s Orlando adventure, but guess who ended up catching my attention? The bright-eyed sweethearts who play Henry. I couldn’t stop watching them! Especially during the custody trial scenes in the courtroom, where Henry was chewing on a pen. Then, with two sets of shots for reverse angles, the scenes changed so his little blue hat kept appearing and disappearing. I was mesmerized! He even makes Mallet and Marina interesting! Yay for Henry and His Amazing Toque! There is nothing like a cute soap baby to lift one’s spirits.
ATWT’s Eliza is another one who always gets me smiling, and the babies seem to adore Roger Howarth. She’s always so talkative and responsive. I guess if they’re not going to put Paul in therapy, putting a cute kid in his arms is the next best thing. I also think GH’s Emma 2.0 is just as sweet as the previous portrayers, the Romero twins, and when Robin and Patrick are hashing out their endless postpartum issues I just watch Emma chew on things and admire how she’s got great posture for such a little tyke. A few weeks ago I tuned into DAYS, and a pink-clad baby Grace was so freaking cute with Rafe and Will that it made my day!
I think it’s safe to say babies are my soap kryptonite. It doesn’t matter what’s going on, put one in a scene and I go weak. I mean, hey, a scene with Emma made me like Sonny for the first time in years! And my biggest complaint about Y&R’s Billy storyline right now is not that he’s out sleeping with everything that moves, but that I’d probably tolerate it more if they stopped using a blanket to play Delia.
The funny thing is, despite my love for babies, I actually don’t like baby stories. I find them incredibly tedious. But that’s a blog entry for another day…
originally posted on soapoperaweekly.com
04.17.09
Soap Opera Weekly: Blogging With Mala
Since I watch over 40 hours of TV a week, it’s really hard for me to pick up new shows. Even when my friends are all watching them. Let’s face it, after a while you just get burnout. I start shuffling around like a zombie, with bags under my eyes, blearily reaching for caffeine. So I haven’t been able to check out THE UNUSUALS, the new show starring Amber Tamblyn (ex-Emily, GH).
At first glance, the commercials remind me of the British series TORCHWOOD, which is a beautifully tawdry spinoff of DOCTOR WHO and airs on BBC America. “Normal” cop gets sucked into joining a wacky team that investigates the goings-on in the city’s underbelly. Of course, on TORCHWOOD, it’s about aliens as opposed to weird human New Yorkers. (Please, no jokes about how that’s practically the same thing. LOL.) And, really, many procedural shows have that newbie-joins-the-team format. I’m sure it’s not exclusive to TORCHWOOD and THE UNUSUALS. My other bit of apprehension comes from the fact that Amber Tamblyn still looks so young. How do you go from Sisterhood of the Traveling Pants 2 to a cop show? You don’t! Unless it’s 21 JUMP STREET — which, for the uninitiated, was a Fox show about fresh-faced cops doing undercover work at high schools and colleges. Notable stars? Johnny Depp, Steven Williams and Holly Robinson Peete. Plus a SLEW of soap actor guest stars. And there’s been buzz the last few years of a reboot of the show in movie form. Remembering what happened to DUKES OF HAZZARD on the big screen, I’m kinda terrified. ::shudder::
However, they could avoid casting Owen Wilson or Johnny Knoxville and consider some of our brightest —and most baby-faced— soap stars, right? As such, here’s some 21 JUMP STREET remake wishful casting:
Amber Tamblyn (ex-Emily, GH)
Van Hansis (Luke, ATWT)
Jonathan Jackson (ex-Lucky, GH)
Jason Tam (Markko, OLTL)
Christel Khalil (Lily, Y&R)
Meredith Hagner (Liberty, ATWT)
And despite the fact that Billy Warlock (ex-Frankie, DAYS; ex-AJ, GH) has the Dorian Gray Portrait in the Attic award, I think we can all agree he’s too old to make the cut off. 
.
Naturally, Peter Deluise (ex-Penhall, 21JS) could write and direct and veteran actor Steven Williams (ex-Fuller) would have to sign on to reprise his role from the show and shepherd this new crowd of undercover whippersnappers.
Yes, I have given this way too much thought.
Now I have to go find some coffee…and braaaaaaaains.
originally posted on soapoperaweekly.com
04.14.09
Soap Opera Weekly: Blogging With Mala
I’m starting to feel like a broken record about GL being completely awesome lately, but, seriously, it’s true. I am not spoiling anything since most of the country gets the show at 3 p.m., but the last five minutes of the episode are an absolute MUST-SEE for Otalia fans, and for fans of good soap in general. Afterwards, I got up, walked down the hall and told my colleague Joe, “Oh, my heart.” Complete with a theatrical hand on my chest.
And then Joe and I commenced to sighing about how we start off each day so WELL, with the consistently good and uplifting GUIDING LIGHT and then end it with … GENERAL HOSPITAL. Way to bring a person down, you know? It’s just … not fun. And you’d think, with another Johnny/Maxie kiss starting off the week I’d be a happy camper, right? No! Not so much!
In fact, the writing for JoMax, Lulu, Ethan and Spinelli has me scratching my head. I really don’t know who the show wants viewers to root for. On the one hand, Lulu finally has her spine back and Julie Marie Berman and Brandon Barash killed the JoLu breakup scenes. On the other, I had no idea what Johnny and Maxie’s subsequent scene on the docks was supposed to mean. Was that Johnny just accepting that he’s a screwup and kissing Maxie to seal his fate? Was it supposed to be romantic? Because it sure didn’t play that way … not with Spinelli walking up like the cuckholded swain. Despite the fact that they’ve slept together twice, they’ve made it clear that Maxie’s love for him is platonic. So why the outrage over her having sparkly feelings for John-John? Spinelli and Maxie claim to “know” each other better than anyone … then why doesn’t he know that she’s going to screw up with other guys and just get over it? I also don’t get why Maxie is actively seeking Spin’s forgiveness. Lulu’s the only one that she needs to bow and scrape to! (And I know Spixie fans wish I would root for them, but I just can’t. Some day, I will share my Spinelli issues. Today is not that day.) Then, on top of all of that, we have Ethan … who, I will be honest, I empathize with even less than Spinelli. I just don’t know what we’re supposed to get from the character and why we’re supposed to care about his big secret and personal angst. And his scenes with Lulu in his motel room were such a retread of every single “good girl meets bad boy” scene on daytime that there was nothing new.
One thing that was new? Ric being the one to root for in his scenes with Sonny, Jason, and Claudia. I mean, they’re all pretty tough to side with — what with them ALL being mobular — but Panic Room Ric being in the right is just a crime against nature. And this is just another example of the inconsistent writing. Why would Sonny and Jason not acknowledge they’ve seen Claudia searching the house and acting fishy? Just because it would mean validating Ric for once? Oh, come on. The guy should’ve been dead years ago for what he did to Carly; if you’re going to keep him around, admit he’s at least more apt to be telling the truth than some woman you both met last year!
originally posted on soapoperaweekly.com
04.10.09
You gotta have goals.
We’re already well into April, and I feel like I’ve done nearly nothing. As such, I think I need to make a list of Things To Do In 2009:
-Visit my cousins in Houston
-Go to Disney World again
-Take in a Mets game
-Go to Belmont for the races
-Hit Water Taxi Beach in LIC
-Visit the Bronx Zoo (and go the Central Park Zoo again)
-Go to a few concerts
-See In The Heights, 9 to 5, Exit The King and West Side Story on Broadway
-Go back to Atlantic City or Las Vegas
-Go to D.C. or Boston
-Go to the Guggenheim and the Cloisters
-Try more ethnic foods
04.09.09
Soap Opera Weekly: Blogging With Mala
Wow, today’s GL was a seriously great hour of soap…thus making me even MORE depressed about its cancellation than I already was. And here’s the shocker: wildly popular duo Olivia and Natalia weren’t even on! Yes, Virginia, there IS more to GL than the awesome bisexual women.
It’s no secret that I’m a total Bizzie fan, but today’s Bill and Lizzie scenes really took the cake. No, they took the cake, ran off with it and proceeded to do wicked things with the icing. It takes a really talented writer, director, and actress to make sexiness seem so effortless. And, boy, did all three do a fantastic job when Lizzie tried to seduce Bill with the ruse of a broken zipper on her beautiful red dress. The way Marcy Rylan held the dress to her chest, and flirted with Bill through the mirror was breathtaking. All viewers really saw were her shoulders and a small portion of her bare back but it was sexier than if she’d been wearing lingerie or a towel. That is good soap. And Bill turning Lizzie down…? Wow, that either takes a strong man or a stupid one! I thought it was questionable when ATWT’s Dusty resisted Lucy in her smokin’ Little Black Dress last week, but Bill actually beats Dusty in the Biggest Idiot on Daytime Olympics for insisting he and Lizzie stick to their “dating” thing. One point in Bill’s favor…? He looked like he was thisclose to caving. Hee!
Then there was Remy and Christina’s divorce leading to them making a real connection. I loved it! We got to see Mel give her brother a serious wakeup call, Christina have a heart-to-heart with Lillian, and then Mr. and Mrs. Boudreau realize just how much fun they have together. Their ensuing romp and decision to just start over being Remy and Christina and not be husband and wife, was so sweet! And, again, an effortless sexiness came into play with Lawrence Saint-Victor and Karla Mosley. They looked so comfortable together in the afterglow and really brought a smile to my face.
Now, mind you, I do have to put forth the caveat that Daisy and James’ setup is completely idiotic. HOW does she not know what her former stepbrother (nearly half-brother!) looks like? You’re telling me that in a town Springfield’s size, with their families’ close association, they’re not going to recognize each other? Even if he’s been away at school since before he hit puberty, she has to have seen a photo on a mantel at some point! With that grousing out of the way, however, I have to admit I’m already on board with nuJames. His scenes with Daisy were fun, sexy, and the kind of soapy flirtiness that this go-round of the character hasn’t been allowed to indulge in. Daisy is either a Debby Downer or a brat most of the time, so it’s nice to see Bonnie Dennison get to be playful. And even though the “reveal” was ruined by already knowing Daisy’s new pal was James, I loved him walking up on Alan harassing Beth and intoning, “Granddad, get your hands off my mother!”
originally posted on soapoperaweekly.com
I get a little warm in my heart…
When I was in college and in wallow mode, there was nothing quite like a four pack of wine coolers, some candlelight, and Tori Amos. Inching up the squeaky dorm room window and drawing on a sugary sweet clove until my head ached, I was utterly convinced that no one understood me/my life sucked/I would never be as sad as I was in that moment.
Though teenage angst is more well known, the angst of a twenty-year-old is no less powerful. It’s a strange place to be in… not quite young, not quite adult, even though you think you should be. Your life is card swipes at the dining hall, 4-6 page term papers, double-spaced, and getting into a dive bar before they start checking IDs so you can see your favorite cover band play. And you never think you’re going to reach 30. It’s. So. Far. Away.
All I have to do is listen to Little Earthquakes and I’m right back there. It’s funny how sharply and strongly I associate Tori with that era. She was my muse, my voice, my Greek chorus… only I didn’t really have the life experience for that to be true.
These days, my wallowing weapons of choice are more of the beer, chocolate, and Johnny Cash variety. And I definitely don’t think I have enough life experience for that…
04.06.09
Hungry like something that’s not a wolf.
It’s amazing how a rainy — okay, thunderstorm-y — day can so thoroughly impact one’s mood. All I want to do is be home with comfort foods like mac & cheese, watching Bollywood movies all day while the rain pounds against the windows. Sadly, that is not an option. So, instead, I’m going to drink dishwater-flavored coffee from the office’s Flavia machine and keep the TV on low volume while the rain pounds against the windows.
I haven’t done a recap of my recent trip to L.A., but one of the significant things from that trip was that I finally got on the sushi train. We went to The Geisha House, an uber-trendy sushi place in Hollywood, that made me surmise that the more trendy and upscale you are, the less lights you have on in your establishment. We had to ask for another candle to help us read menus, and I wound up twisting around to the little artsy twinkle lights behind my banquette. And oy, did the waiter have attitude about our lack of ability to see in the pitch darkness. At any rate, I got their “Cherokee” roll, with salmon, avocado, cream cheese, and asparagus with a tempura coating. I did actually enjoy it quite a bit. So much so that I’ve returned to the city with a yen for sushi and I had a salmon avocado roll from Washoku Cafe on 37th between 5th and 6th for lunch on Friday. I’m not exactly an expert on sushi yet, obviously, but Washoku’s prices are remarkably reasonable for the lower edge of Midtown and the salmon tasted fresh. I’m also hopelessly addicted to wasabi and candied ginger.
Another recent experience was a relatively new Australian-themed bar in Kips Bay, Van Diemen’s, which earns automatic points from me for having my “diet beer” Amstel Light on draft. Their drink specials are pretty good as well. Their menu is pretty standard American bar & grill fare with a few Aussie-themed dishes thrown in as well. The day I was there, I wasn’t particularly hungry, so I really want to go back and fully appreciate the Moroccan Chicken Salad Wrap I had and try some other things. T. had their Aussie Sliders, which she really seemed to like.
Then there’s Claret, a wine bar that opened in Sunnyside a few months back. As one might expect, it has a really, really decent wine list with a good range of both whites and reds from California, Chile, Italy, France, South Africa, and Australia. They had a Pinotage so, naturally, I had to have that. My only complaint, and I guess it IS a major one, is that their cheese and meat plates are a rip-off. For $12, you can choose three items…and they bring them out on a long rectangular platter. The presentation is lovely, but once you look at the plate you realize how skimpy the offerings are. There’s crackers, a few pieces of French bread, and really barely enough cheese and meat to warrant the price tag. In comparison, Riposo 46, a wine bar in Hell’s Kitchen I also visited recently, has more expensive wines but they do NOT skimp on the food.
And since I’m over in the area, I must mention a surprise find: The Hourglass Tavern. It’s literally a hidden gem on the bustling, busy Restaurant Row, because I can’t even tell you HOW many times I’ve walked past it without even really registering its presence. It’s under new management and currently in “soft open” mode, as they continue to refurbish the place and make it their own. Like all of the places on that stretch of 46th, it has a prix fixe menu. You get salad or soup, an appetizer, a main dish, and then coffee and dessert. Their range of dishes is really quite diverse and my three friends and I all got very different things and were each happy with our orders. The place itself is a charming, three-story restaurant. Each floor seats about 20 people and has a really intimate feel.
God, now I really want to eat something!
