Luxuries of Life

“Give me the luxuries of life and I will willingly do without the necessities.”-- Frank Lloyd Wright

Not that a new refrigerator was not tempting. Having lived on this good earth for a good while, a milestone birthday was an auspicious event calling for a big present. 

Ballinskeilligs Light hit me on May 9th exactly at 7:21 pm. Warm, aplomb, and moody like one Irish lad I knew. I stopped and stared at the oil painting, bewildered by a sudden surge of desire to keep it so I can stare some more. 

So there it is, the luxuries of life captured on canvas by the affable Richard Hearns, a Hibernian marvel with boyish good looks. 

The old fridge doesn’t make ice, but we will have champagne because cocktails are for old people.

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Once Upon a Rub

Every ambitious Dim Sum girl has her day. Last Friday, I was at the premiere of “Rub”, a short film directed by Raymond Yeung (Cut Sleeve Boys) screening at Columbia University Film Festival. 

Working with Ray was delicious. He gently squeezed, enticed and extracted just the right juices from the actors, then blended into a masterful cinematic smoothie. 

The result was a stunning and moving story that the audience gulped down. We were proud. 

Afterwards one man inquired, “Are you a real actor?” He thought I was plucked off the streets of Chinatown and played myself in the movie.

I mean OMG didn’t he see my entourage? Thank you.

What's your inner animal?

Having been studying with Sifu Koh at Bo Law Kung Fu for almost 10 years, I was very fortunate to learn Five Animal Form. This is an old-school form passed down from generations of Kung Fu masters.

Gazing from the Temple in the high mountains of China, our Great-great-great-great-grand Master observed these predators in their natural habitat and adapted their powerful moves to the human body. Hands became claws, beaks and paws; feet turned into tails and nippers, and spirits transformed into human-animal hybrid, Iron-Man style.

What are these five animals? See if you could tell. 

Hint: Kung Fu Panda is not one of them, but Hello Kitty is a close relative.