An Oscar for causes

"...money is not important but the really important things are love, and faith, and family", said the producer of Slumdog at an interview in the Today Show this morning of why he thinks the film is successful because it captured the audiences by resonating what is really important around the world during the current economic times.

I am delighted to see a movie from India that is so heartwarming and endearing won so many awards and the most recognized of all movie awards - the Oscars. I am even more thrilled to have watched an Oscar that reflects the current times - one that is reflects our economy and the fight for equity. The winners from Milk - screenwriter Dustin Lance Black and actor, Sean Penn (calling out on TV "you commie, homo-loving sons-of-guns") gave a couple of moving speeches for gay rights, particularly pointing to the rights of same sex marriage in California.



Perhaps the best about last night's Oscar has nothing to do with the things that are really important in our lives and in this world, but for the simple reason why this business exists in the first place. It was show biz and Huge Jackson did a helluva job showing us what the show is about. His singing, dancing, and even the jokes certainly made the 2009 Academy Awards a good excuse to stay home and glue to the tubes.

Grace in Small Things - Food Edition

Ni 二 (Food Edition)

1. Arigato Sushi
2. Pho
3. Food Porn (homage to Anthony Bourdain)
4. Duck in a Can from Au Pied de Cochon
5. Top Chef Finale! Go Carla!

Slums are real but I think the people are happy

The movie Slumdog Millionaire has a special place in my heart because I know slums and extreme poverty are real from first hand experience. During my one month visit to India last year, I had one of the most humbling experiences of my life from visiting a school in a slum of Bareilly - a mostly industrial city. Entering the slum was probably comparable to a first time visit to Disneyland (minus the expectations) except it was on the other end of the spectrum. I was in awe and utterly fascinated by the nooks and crannies in every corner, every house, every little activity in action. On the way to the school, I saw a woman embroidering a bright blue sari with jewels (a specialty in Bareilly) by her hands, children stacking up bricks to be laid, an old woman lying in a dark room, a man bathing on the street with a small bucket of water. If you forget the concept of poverty, not just money but things that we often take for granted like electricity, running water, trash service etc., everything seemed to be normal but we know it is not because they lack the things we have and that is unfortunate. Or is it?

I guess I don't have an answer here to my question but I will offer from what I gathered - people in the slums are generally happy...or at least what they seemed to be from their smiles. Many of the photos I took in the slum showed proud and happy faces of the people. They welcomed (some even begged) me to photographed them and took curiosity in me as much as I have in them. Yes, some have asked me for money but if I didn't comply, it didn't stop them from following me around, asking me questions etc.. And the best part, it never stopped them from smiling at me. My impression from the movie and from my experience is that Indian people are resilient, especially in accepting their fate.

The movie Slumdog Millionaire has brought the slums of India to a new international awareness - that poverty and class difference still hold a strong existence in a country where modernization has caught up in lightening speed in the past 10 year. Will that change soon? Many of my Indian friends argued no, all with different reasons to explain their answers and I can't help but agree. The bottom line is that the Indian social system is deeply rooted on class system and as long as majority of the poor are happy and content in the slums, this kind of poverty will exist.

Grace in Small Things

So, inspired from Grace in Small Things that was featured on my friend, Chris' blog - That Girl Runs. In addition to my laziness of writing today. I have decided to put out my own version as an easy and quick way to count and remember the blessings in my everyday life.

Ichi 一
(btw, I am naming the versions of my GST with Japanese numbers)

1. Wild mushrooms
2. Bedford Thompson's unfiltered wine
3. The beautiful Santa Ynez Valley
4. My Volvo that has been a reliable road companion
5. My job - thank goodness I still have one

The Douglas Family Preserve

The Douglas Family Preserve is one the most beautiful and romantic places in Santa Barbara. It is an untamed park, grown with cliff-hugging trees and a spectacular coastal view stretches all the way to Goleta where you can spot the UCSB Storke tower. It is also one of the few parks in the US where dogs are allows to run around unleashed. Due to its proximity to my home, I love going there to relax and ease my mind, especially after a long, stressful day at work.

In addition to all the magnificent things the park offers, it also has an interesting history which makes this place even more special. In 1949, Roy Wilcox moved his large nursery from LA to Santa Barbara. Azaleas, palms and a wide variety of decorative indoor plants were grown on the fertile land, as well as in greenhouses, and shipped to market around the country. The business closed in 1972 and the property became a hot item in the market. Of course, developers wanted to build luxurious hotels and homes, but many SB residents wanted a park. The property sat in limbo for a long time until 1996 when SB residents raised $2 millions in 2 months to help the Trust for Public Land to purchase the Wilcox property for $3.6 million. Still short on fund, actor Michael Douglas, a graduate of UCSB and whose family are long time residents of Santa Barbara/Montecito, made a sizable contribution in honor of his father Kirk Douglas at the very last moment to help make the purchase. Hence the park was named the Douglas Family Preserve.