"Santa Claus Conquers the Martians"

A few days before Christmas, I finally saw the play "Santa Claus Conquers the Martians." I say "finally" because I had wanted to see this play for five years. The play is based on a 1964 movie of the same name. However, the movie's ratings have been terrible. (For example, a 2.3 out of 10 on IMDB.)

Why did I want to see a play based on a terrible movie? Because my friend Nick was in it! For the past 5 years, Nick McGee has been performing in "Santa Claus Conquers the Martians" at the Maverick Theater in Fullerton. I'm not sure about previous years, but this year Nick was St. Nick himself!

Here's a picture of Nick. When I was looking at pictures and promotional material from the play, I had a hard time recognizing Nick in his Santa suit.


The Maverick is a community theater, and it's got that cozy, hometown feel. This picture was taken during intermission. On the left is the Martians' robot, Torg. People were lining up to have their picture taken with him.


Mark and Torg. Mark remembers watching the movie every Christmas when he was younger.

From Santa Claus Conquers the Martians

Mark, I, and the cast. Instead of trying to figure out who each person is, consider seeing the play in person during Christmas 2011! (Quick tip: Buy tickets early, and arrive early and sit in one of the two front rows.)

By the way, Mark and I both really enjoyed the play. It's good family fun. And, as Nick told me, they've had over 40 years to improve upon the original!

Everyone, I hope that this new year is good for you!

Geoff

A visit to a Montessori school

Have you ever heard of a Montessori school? It's a type of preschool that uses "the Montessori method." I don't know enough about preschools to compare Montessori and traditional schools, but my understanding is that Montessori schools focus on "self-directed learning."

My second-cousin Brandon attends a Montessori school. Recently they had a "Special Friends' Day," so Mark and I went to visit.


Ah, the preschool circle. It's clear who the head teacher is. Brandon's in the bottom-right.





Mark and Brandon. Mark seemed right at home in the classroom. (He's been a special-education teacher for years.)








Brandon can already read very well for his age. *Very* well.






I got only one good picture of Brandon smiling. The rest of the time, he seemed a bit standoffish. Maybe that's because we arrived at school thirty minutes late . . . (It was my fault, or Google Maps'.)






Apparently each child has classroom chores–Brandon is supposed to "check aprons." They do that in Japan, too, except it's all the way through high school. They should totally do that in the U.S.






I just like this picture.










Brandon shows Mark a toy for learning about smells.







They had a lot of interesting toys and tools in the classroom. I kept trying to remember if, or when, I had those in school.

From Brandon's school

Back to the circle! I'm not sure if you can tell, but the head teacher was really good. Totally in control.






It was a privilege to visit the Montessori school and to see Brandon in a peer environment.

Actually, I had always wanted to see what a Montessori school is like. Have you ever heard of a guy named Will Wright? Will is the creator of two very creative computer games: "Sim City" and "The Sims." And, yes, he went to a Montessori school.

Ninety Thanksgivings

In early November, I flew to Seattle to celebrate my grandma's birthday. I normally would not fly just for a birthday, but we were celebrating Grandma's 90th. Even I'll agree that turning 90 is worthy of a celebration!

Grandma has lived so long, we don't know how old she truly is: she was born in China around the end of World War I.

The neck brace Grandma is wearing is just a precaution for when she's in a car.




We celebrated Grandma's birthday at a local Chinese restaurant. The owners were very accommodating. Yum!





This is my cousin Michelle and her son Braden. Isn't it funny how kids can be cute even when they're not happy?




This is my auntie Nancy with her newborn grandson, Aaron.

From Grandma's birthday

Actually, we celebrated not just my grandma's birthday, but also my mom's birthday . . . because they were born on the same day!

It's kind of cool that a mother and daughter can celebrate their birthdays together.

Today is Thanksgiving, so I guess Grandma's been through 90 Thanksgivings! (Oh, but they probably didn't celebrate that in China.)

This year, our family is spread out for Thanksgiving: Mary in Calgary, Mom in Sac/Fresno, and me in Los Angeles. Growing up, one of our Thanksgiving traditions was to go around the dinner table and say one thing that we were thankful for. (For some reason, it was an effort to get me to think of or say even one thing.)

This year, when I reflect on it, I am very thankful. I am thankful for my health. I am thankful that I am not in debt. I am thankful for the generous opportunities that I have been given. I am thankful for the lessons I have been taught.

But thankfulness is different now than in the Pilgrims' day, isn't it? Back then, they were thankful for everything they had, because there was a very real chance that they might die from starvation, disease, or cold.

They were thankful simply to be alive.

It is hard for me to say that for myself and mean it. After all, I'm always complaining about everything beyond that, worrying about everything past that.

Today, I will try to be thankful simply that I am alive.

ElecTRONica at Disneyland!

A few days before Halloween, a friend flew into town for the ElecTRONica event at Disneyland. My friend's name is TRONster, so this was a natural fit.

ElecTRONica is a new event at Disney's California Adventures, in anticipation of the upcoming movie, "TRON: Legacy." At ElecTRONica, they convert part of the theme park into a Tron-themed night club.

ElecTRONica is already special, but this was also a special ElecTRONica: the first 200 people in line were able to meet the screenwriters from the new movie! In the middle is Tronster.

Part of the "night club" of ElecTRONica. I liked that it was outside and not in a stuffy building.

They also had a sneak peak of the new movie in 3D, an exhibit with some of the real props from the new movie, and an old-school arcade filled with video games from the 80s. (The last part was one of my favorites, of course. :)

I was wearing a very bright T-shirt, which was accentuated by black lights in the street.










Here is an iconic poster from the original "TRON" movie. The text reads:

"A world inside the computer where man has never been."

"Never before now."






Some fans came in very elaborate costumes. These two took advantage of the black lights to strike a pose.








The next day, Tronster and I explored LA. We visited Saddleback Church, then we tried to find the Hollywood sign. In the evening we met with our friend George. (We all met at a game conference.)

George took us to his favorite restaurant, "The Counter." It's a custom burger joint. As George said, "It's the only place where your burger gets a character sheet you fill out."

The Counter is so fancy that they have 20 different sauces to put on your burger. (I chose either the roasted garlic aioli or the sun-dried tomato vinaigrette . . . I forget.)

From Tronster & George

A close up of my fancy burger. Whatever I ordered, it was very tasty. :)

I had a great couple days hanging out with Tronster and George. It was a fun change of pace, but what I enjoyed most was getting to know my friends a bit better.

Personalities; the dollar theater

From Hom cruise

I'm living with my cousin Mark. The picture is Mark with an iguana; it was taken during a Mexican cruise in 2005. Mark is letting me rent his extra bedroom and bathroom.

On the surface, Mark and I might seem very similar. We're both single and over 30. We both like playing video games and board games. We've both watched a lot of TV. We both go to church. Mark was a special ed teacher (he's currently looking for a position), and I want to make educational apps. And we are cousins, of course.

But living with Mark has helped me see how different we really are. If you're familiar with the Myers-Briggs personality test, I am an ISTJ. Mark is an ESFP. (If you're not familiar with it, just note that only 1 of the 4 letters (S) is the same; so you could say we're 3/4 different. :)

Also, I read a book about motivation, and it tells you how to determine your "motivational DNA." I am a PSI: I have a drive to Produce, a need for Stability, and I prefer Internal rewards. Mark is a CVI: he has a drive to Connect, a need for Variety, and he also prefers Internal rewards. So, both our drives and our needs are polar opposites. Learning to live together and help each other has been a good growth experience for me.

As an aside, I think that after some time of learning how Mark and I are different, I'll start realizing how similar we really are. Our real DNA is 99.99% the same, after all. :)

From Dollar theater

This week, Mark and I went to a movie, along with Mark's friend Marshall. Mark and I both need to watch our spending; fortunately, the closest theater is a dollar theater! I didn't think that true dollar theaters existed anymore, but sure enough, this theater is $2 normally, and $1 on Tuesdays! Those aren't even matinee prices; it's just cheap all day! They even have movies in 3-D, and it's only $2 more!

The dollar theater has less-recent movies, but they're still big movies. We saw "The Expendables." Also running was "Eat Pray Love," "Toy Story 3," and "Salt." Oooh, and now they're running "Inception." I heard that was good.

A simple life in LA

I have been in LA since September 12. Even though I've had a lot of errands related to moving, my life is simpler now than in Seattle, because I've maintained a low profile.

From Cloudy with a Chance of Meatballs

Before I left Seattle, I saw this car and had to snap a picture. It reminds me of the animated movie, "Cloudy with a Chance of Meatballs."





Everything I brought fit into my car's trunk.

From left to right, there's a bag of clothes, a windbreaker, my suitcase with some books and toiletries, a big box of papers, a small green bag with my laptop and iPad, some snacks, a mini-drawer with office supplies, a Jelly Belly jar with some knickknacks, a mesh bag with some dirty clothes, and a bag with a couple pairs of shoes.

I was really happy to fit my belongings, but it's still too much for me. For example, I can digitize my papers. I hope to be able to move and carry everything with me, like a hitchhiker or an old-fashioned journeyman. In spite of this goal, I have no plans to leave LA.

From Moving back to LA

In Seattle, I spent many days working on my laptop at Panera Bread. So, in LA, one of the first things I did was look for the nearest Panera. Thankfully, I live only 1.5 miles from one! Next door is a Starbucks, so I'm sure there's a healthy competition going on.

Hope . . . for Horses!

During my last 4 months in Seattle, I volunteered at a horse rescue. It's called, "Hope for Horses." Hope for Horses takes in abused horses, rehabilitates them, and finds new homes for them.

Hope for Horses is in a secret location in the countryside; the secrecy is for security and safety. That surprised me at first, but then I remembered that homes for battered women also hide their locations.

This is Zigi. Zigi came to Hope for Horses as a result of a bestiality case.






This is Kelly. Whenever I hear the name "Kelly," the first thing that pops into my head is Kelly from "Beverly Hills 90210" (the original show, not the new one).

Before I came to Hope for Horses, I had never seen a horse lying down.

A view of part of the barn. I think the horse in the picture is Somebody's Baby (named after the song). The other animal in the picture is a pot-bellied pig! Her name is Mona.


This is Jenny and John Edwards. They're the 1-2 punch that runs Hope for Horses. Jenny and John would say that the many volunteers keep Hope for Horses running, which is true. However, for Jenny and John, rescuing horses is more than an activity or a job; it's life!

This is Pete. Pete has a tumor in his nose; sometimes he'll have terrible nose bleeds, with blood and mucus going everywhere.




It's a cat! This is Sister Mary Agnes. I've always liked cats, and Sister is no exception. It's so cool to see her walking across the fields like she owns the place. If you try to pet Sister, she does something really funny: before you can bend down all the way, she'll arch her back and jump up to reach your hand! I guess she can't wait to be petted!

A view from inside the barn. I had no experience with horses or life on a farm, so it was cool to me just to let the horses outside and bring them back in.








This is a better view of Mona, the pot-bellied pig. Mona is really old--like 19 years old. Mona can't see too well, and she has arthritis in her knees. But she still likes to eat!



This is Windy, short for, um, I forgot. Windy recently had an accident that messed up his back; we had to stay up all night to make sure that he didn't fall over and hurt himself more. Windy's doing better now, but he still can't go outside yet.

Windy, hang in there!


This horse is Cantour, and he's being groomed by a fellow volunteer. When Cantour first arrived at Hope for Horses, he was quite a handful. But he's already made great progress!

From Hope for Horses

On the left is Pete; on the right is Somebody's Baby. Doesn't it look peaceful?


To care for each horse takes a lot of time and money. Hope for Horses is always open to more volunteers and to donations. (Check their website.)

I learned a lot at Hope for Horses. The people taught me a great deal, but the horses, the pig, and the cat taught me even more. (Actually, there's more horses, another cat, a dog, and some geese. And probably some other animals I forgot. :)

Everyone needs help sometimes. Everyone needs love and compassion. Everyone needs hope.

Even horses.

REACH Ministries and Tony Campolo

In early August, I finally got to see Tony Campolo preach in person.

Tony Campolo is my favorite evangelist. He tells the most wonderful, real stories, and I really appreciate his insights and challenges into how I live. I have listened to Tony's sermons again and again in my car, but I wondered if I would ever see him preach in person. (He's over 75 now.)

Fortunately, Tony came to Seattle to speak at a fundraiser for REACH Ministries. REACH is a Christian-centered charity that reaches out to children with HIV/AIDS and their families. REACH seems like a wonderful group, but honestly I was motivated to go to the fundraiser because of Tony.

The fundraiser was held at Overlake Christian Church and was a "dessert auction." Local vendors donated desserts, like the cupcakes on the left. We sat in tables, and each table pooled their money to bid on a dessert.

My Auntie Nancy and my roommate Peter also came to the fundraiser. Auntie Nancy really wanted the cake shown on the left. It had marzipan in it. The rest of our table was split on some other cakes, but the marzipan cake came up early in the auction. I think our table leader saw how excited Nancy was about this cake, so she bid on it.

When giving to charities, I sometimes wonder why we need an excuse to give money. By excuse, I mean, for example: running for charity, Girl Scout Cookies for charity, bowling for charity, raffles for charity, dessert auctions for charity. Why can't we just give directly to the charity and save them some time and energy? Are we really so selfish? Or are we really so easily fooled?

Well, at least in this case, I suppose the answers are "Yes" and "Yes." I didn't know how much money we'd need to win our cake, but since it was the cake Auntie Nancy wanted, and since it was for a good cause, and, yes, since I like winning, it definitely made it easier to pledge a larger amount to REACH. (I was writing a check, and I thought we had to write them out before the auction. It was a little confusing.)

Our table leader kept outbidding the other tables for the cake, and, in the end, we won with a bid of over $300! (Suggested retail price: $35-$50.)

At that price, I think the cake deserves a second picture.

From REACH event

Actually, the cake was quite delicious.

And of course, it was for a good cause.

On the left is Auntie Nancy. On the right is one of our partners in bidding!





Throughout the evening there were some very good testimonies from REACH. After the auction, Tony spoke. I pledged a little more again after that. :)

On Tony's website, there are some sermons you can listen to. But if you like reading, here is a transcript of one of Tony's sermons. Actually, I read that transcript before hearing any of Tony's sermons, and it had a profound impact on me.

The REACH website is here.

All good things . . .

I have decided to move to Los Angeles. Why? To attend the church I went to when I was at Caltech. This church is Evergreen Baptist Church of LA, and the senior pastor is Ken Fong.

I first heard of Evergreen more than eleven years ago, when I was choosing whether to attend Caltech. One of the first things my mom said was, "Oh, Caltech! If you go there, you can go to Ken Fong's church." I didn't know who Ken Fong was at the time, but it turned out that his mom was my old Sunday school teacher. Also, I thought it strange to think about church when making a major decision like where to go to grad school. Aren't churches the same everywhere?

Even when I got to Caltech, I didn't think much of Evergreen. I went sometimes because my mom would want me to, but it was a little far--a whole 20 minutes away--so I also checked out churches close by. It took a couple of years before I started going to Evergreen regularly. Even then, after I finished at Caltech after six years, I hadn't met a single person at Evergreen! I had been content to attend the service and tithe regularly, and that was it.

It has been five years since I left LA. My faith is a much higher priority now. I have attended many other churches, but I always missed the sermons from Pastor Ken and others at Evergreen. (I still listen online.) At the same time, I have also learned the value of a church "small group," which is a few people who meet regularly to study the Bible and to share life together. Many times, talking and praying with 1-2 others has had a bigger impact on me than sitting in church.
So, I plan to go back to Evergreen and also join a small group there.

Have you ever wished you could go back in time, bring along some of your current experience, and do something over again? I do. I wish I had been less self-absorbed in high school. I wish I had worked a little before I went to college. And, yes, I wish I had joined a small group at Evergreen while in grad school.

I know sometimes we can't go back, and sometimes we shouldn't go back. But sometimes, I think it's a risk worth taking.

I leave Seattle on September 7. I will drive to Sacramento, stay a few days, and then drive to LA.

Returning to Kingston, again!

Grandma has a funny memory. She called me up one day: "I want to go to Kingston."

"Grandma, you know we were at Kingston just this spring."

"Really? I forgot. . . . What did we eat?"

"Crepes. Remember the crepe place?"

"Oh, yeah."

In the end, we decided to go back to Kingston, again. But this time, it was me and Grandma and two of her elderly friends, whom I call Ms. Green and Auntie Tina. I think Grandma wanted to give her friends a day out, but she also had her own desires.

We drove downtown to pick up Ms. Green, then to Bellevue to pick up Auntie Tina, then to Edmonds to take the ferry to Kingston. Whew! Already an adventure. We even brought along some pots in the hopes of picking blackberries.

At Kingston, we had a great lunch at the crepe place from before; it's called, "J'aime les Crepes Creperie." I think I had a crepe with smoked salmon, cream cheese, and green onions. We also had a blueberry crepe with ice cream. Yum!

After lunch, I thought we would go to the same place we went last time: our old summer home with only a chimney left. But Grandma had a surprise: she wanted us to find something called "Twin Spits." Grandma used to own property there, although apparently it's just an empty lot. (It has since been handed down to a relative.)

Grandma has never been able to drive, but she remembered clues as to find this legendary property. "It's in Hansville," she said. None of us had ever heard of Hansville, and there were no signs to it, but sure enough we found it on the map and made our way there.

"It's at the end of the road, right when you hit the water." Sure enough, at the end of the road, there was "Twin Spits," a very long street. However, nothing else looked familiar.

Rather than give up, Grandma and Ms. Green went to the local grocery store and asked around. They got the number for a local real estate agent and asked her for help with finding the exact address of Grandma's old property. The real estate agent tried but didn't find anything. Then we called my mom, Grandma's eldest daughter. Mom had the address, which was not Twin Spits but a side road. Thankfully, I had just driven past that same road.

It turns out the Twin Spits property was at the other end of Twin Spits Road, which also was right on the water, so that must have been what Grandma remembered. And it was indeed an empty lot. (Actually, it was overgrown with plants.) Nevertheless, Grandma's secret mission to see her old property was successful.

On the way back, we stopped at the remnants of our old summer home. In the picture it's: (left-to-right) Grandma, Auntie Tina, and Ms. Green.



Grandma was clever enough to have me bring some folding chairs, so we sat enjoying the sun and the view. Ms. Green went hunting for blackberries. Most were still green, but we found some tasty ones!

From Kingston

It would end up being a long day, but I think everyone had a good time.




And before we got back on the ferry, I made sure to get another crepe. :)

It had apples, cinnamon, and caramel. Yum!