JERMAINIA

mr. frank? happy memorial day.

2011-05-29T17:00:00.005-04:00

memorial day is one of my favorite holidays for so many reasons.

1.) imprompteques. the technical definition of an imprompteque is an impromptu barbeque. (melissa hammans is the reigning queen of the imprompteque.) trust, you will always receive ample notice, but the relaxed feel of the gathering always gave you the impression of "oh, this ol thing/these people/this beautifully displayed spread including veggie/hummus/cheese tray/spin dip? i just threw this together. (cue: laughter, hair toss, and a wine refill.)" i probably just felt that way because of the casual nature of the gathering and the warmth with which i was always received. (love you, mah.)

1a.) there was one year when the memorial day cookout at 22-19 was wild. everyone was rip-roarin' retarded, and it was amazing. i remember one james jackson, jr. just leaving because there was nothing else he could do. it was at that time i found out i booked hong kong disneyland, and i'm pretty sure all i did was scream and throw my phone. i think the next year was slightly more tame. white wine spritzers were happening (minus the tequila chaser.) there was definitely a late night conversation equating pork rinds and the smell of pullout. i won't say any names because i'd rather walk a mile on mine own lips... i digress. where was i? yes.

2.) daydrinking. please give me a cold drink (or 8) while the sun is out. there's something so exciting/naughty about drinking when you could potentially be at work, an audition, or anything that involves "business hours". i swear the sun only intensifies the intoxication and raises the alcohol content of that bud light.

3.) grilled meats. i. love. a. grilled. meat!! chicken. hamburger. steak! sign me up for a little bit of everything. professionals will marinade their chicken breasts or pre-season their beef patties to make sure their meat is "working" before it hits the grill. since my kitchen is used for storage and recycling plastic bags and take-out boxes, i'm always the guy stopping off at the grocery store en route to the party to pick up a box of burgers, some nice kraft singles, and some soft burger buns (as opposed to the hard ones!) fear not. a few dashes of lawry's, cayenne, and lemon pepper, and that boxed burger patty will taste like delicately seasoned kobe beef after it's come off of the grill. (i assure you the case of bud light i've picked up with burgers have zero effect on the taste.)

4.) weather transition. memorial day marks the beginning of summer, regardless of the temperature. growing up, public pools opened memorial day. school was almost over. now that i'm an adult, it means it's the beginning of summer in nyc. the city will be less-crowded on the weekends because those with the means to do so will be heading anywhere from fire island to the hamptons to jersey shore to provincetown to where'er. the energy changes, i break out my jean cut-offs, and my skinnier comrades in arms bust out their tanks tops and low-cut blouses. win/win, if you ask me.

in closing, i hope you celebrate memorial day in the most festive and relaxing way you can think of. i'll be in rehearsal.

(james, melissa, and me. memorial day 2k8.)

inspiration

2011-05-27T07:03:00.001-04:00

i came across this video of my friend, sam turner, KILLING this combination. laurie ann gibson would be proud.

starbucks fail

2011-05-17T14:20:00.003-04:00

my friend, steph, loves starbucks. before work, after work, mid evening, whatever. she pops into a starbucks, places her order with the cashier, cashier takes her name, barista makes the order, steph gets her drink, she goes on her way. easy enough, right? hell no. her name always gets lost in translation somewhere. steph is not a difficult name. i'd bet a few sheckles that somewhere in the starbucks training manual is a chapter on how to royally eff up a customer's name, and "steph" is the textbook example. she's been called everything under the sun, and thanks to the modern convenience of a mobile upload, she shares her daily starbucks fails with the rest of us via the facebook. she's taken her misfortunes (and our daily entertainment) and turned it into a blog called "what's my name starbucks". i'm featured in this piece of work, and once i return to nyc and my cravings for venti sweetened iced green teas increase, i'm sure i'll have more contributions to her blog. i can't wait!

http://www.whatsmynamestarbucks.blogspot.com

happy mother's day.

2011-05-10T12:27:00.002-04:00

israel is starting to shape up for me, thank God. thanks to an unexpected afternoon off of rehearsal last friday, i went with a few friends to rehovot for lunch. freedom? sunny skies? real food? hell to the yes, bobby. after an amazing lunch pre-fixe at a delicious restaurant followed by some delicious dessert, we went back to our lovely youth village to gear up for our excursion.

saturday morning, we headed to masada. stunning. beautiful. amazing. mountains. desert. sunshine. farmer's tan. all of these things happened while i got to experience something that was so much larger than myself. something that was so stunning that all i could so was take picture after picture after picture and try not get frustrated with my camera. my beautiful, black canon 1400sd powershot takes amazing pictures, but there was no one she would be able to capture all the beauty i saw. check out my photo album here. we left masada, had some average lunch at the israeli equivalent of a rest stop and proceeded on the dead sea. again, no words. lowest point of the earth. salt. stunning. don't drink the water. float. live. be.

back to my pretty little powershot: i love her. so much. taking photos this weekend reminded me how much i love traveling and taking pictures. it brings me such joy to capture these stunning, amazing images for the purpose of making memories, but maybe i can expose someone to an something they might not know exists. i'd love to get a nice big boy camera and work it out. stay tuned.

speaking of a stunning image, get into my (girl)friend nikka's blog: showgirl godzilla. she's beautiful and working it out. hope you enjoy it like it do.

shalom.

who are you foolin'

2011-05-04T13:54:00.001-04:00

ANDRE LEON TALLEY, THE JIG IS UP!

im here.

2011-05-01T15:21:00.001-04:00

i made it to israel in one piece. we have spotty internets, so i cant upload photos the way i would like. pray for my sanity.

peaches.

2011-04-17T10:12:00.001-04:00

this is giving me life today. this is a performance of nina simone's "four women" from BET's black girls rock concert. get into kelly price, marsha ambrosius, jill scott, and ledisi.

little 5 realness

2011-04-15T09:37:00.001-04:00

the little 500 is a legendary bicycle race that takes place on the beautiful campus of best college ever, Indiana University. (my opinion is not only biased, it's correct.) fraternities, sororities, campus groups, and non-university groups (called "cutters") form cycling teams and endure rigorous year-long training to compete in this bicycle race. the races are the backbone for parties, alumni reunions, day drinking, performances from your IU a cappella groups during the national anthem, day drinking, me skipping F250 one day my junior year to day drink before singing the national anthem house parties, barbecues, day drinking, and coincidentally, the performance week of the mainstage theatre's spring production. (imagine going to support your roommate and friends in sweeney todd. 8pm curtain + an 10am drinking calltime dont mix very well. trust me.)

some brilliant mastermind writer for the IDS (indiana daily student) designed this lovely, informative, and fucking hilarious venn diagram (who loves a venn diagram) about little 5 week. take a look. the shit is bananas!

http://larrybuch.com/little5/venndiagrams.html

bloggin' hiatus

2011-04-15T09:13:00.003-04:00

sorry to have left you. i went on a light blogging hiatus, but i'm black in action with new adventures and tales.

i'm heading to israel in a week and a half to begin rehearsing a new show. during my six week stay, i'll be located in the village of ayanot which is very close to tel aviv. tel aviv looks stunning, and i've always wanted to travel to this part of the world! win/win, if you ask me. the best part of this adventure is that after the six week rehearsal period, i'll be returning to nyc to be performing off-broadway!! (work!) until april 26th, i'll be working (gotta make that money), seeing shows, and trying to spend time with my nearest and dearest.

dickhead

2010-10-11T12:10:00.002-04:00

this is for anyone who knows or is a dickhead. all are affected.

http://www.todaysbigthing.com/2010/09/10

twosday

2010-09-23T12:30:00.005-04:00

tuesday, we had a "we're not working so let's sensibly drink at southwest porch in bryant park". i brought my camera along and took a few photos.

marie and liz

kami graves, thanking justin timberlake for all he's done for us.
me and liz.
jim and bradley d. gale
liz, cool in blue.

monday.

2010-09-22T09:45:00.008-04:00

monday we said goodbye to one of our greats. my little sister, bestie, and partner-in-crime, semhar, left for arena stage in washington, dc. thanks to arena stage, they're putting blacks on the frontier to tumble, brisse, and say "yee-haw" in their new production of "oklahoma." while we were sitting at lunch, whitney booked a christmas casino tour. woohoo! my showgirl is back in action. i just hope the booking spirit stays in the family for me and jason.

can you see all four of the blackberrys (blackberries?) on the table that were lighting the entire time? gotta love black-tivity. *blacktivity: alerts on your blackberry. i.e: texts, emails, voicemails, missed calls, etc. jason and sem (below) share a dramatic goodbye.

after a rather uneventful night at work, i met up with gerold, rory, and josh for a little monday night drinking. rory took time out of his busy broadway impact schedule to say hi to me, and took make sure gerold behaves himself.
i tried to keep my word to rory, but gerold is his own beast. we went to house of brews where he put on a mariah mega-mix and gave quite the performance. he threatened a tumbling pass in the bar, but he held off. here's a picture of me, gerold, and josh more then a few drinks deep. good times for a monday night.

doin some good in the hood.

2010-09-15T10:52:00.005-04:00

monday night, there was a fund-raiser at bourbon street for the becco marathon team. we had a blast and raised close to $4000. check out some pictures from the event.

i. die.

2010-08-29T08:38:00.002-04:00

i have to come clean: i die for "the rachel zoe project". rz. brad. rodger. chanel. the whole thing is amazing and ridiculous and bananas, and i can't get enough. there was a recent pictorial in harper's bazaar that featured ways to kill rachel zoe. with fashion. (thanks to mm for the hilarious link.)

tony time!!!

2010-05-06T11:10:00.004-04:00

i love the tony awards! it's always fun to gather with friends, eat cleverly themed food, and get shit-faced watching the awards. i always enjoy watching the performances, seeing who won what, inevitably taking my friends' money because i always win the tony pool. congrats to all the tony nominees!! this is me holding my first tony (thanks to my friend, Gregory Jbara.) here's a complete list of the nominations.

britney: what it is right now!

2010-04-14T12:55:00.002-04:00

this picture is why britney spears is the shit. she's still making money. she's still in the spotlight. she's still on your mind.

brit shot an ad for candie's footwear, but she asked to have the original and the re-touched photo published side by side. the retouching is minimal. a source says "britney is proud of her body - imperfections and all."

not bad, miss spears.

waiter realness

2010-03-22T09:05:00.003-04:00

this gem came from my buddy, matt. his blog, The Fierce Life , is always a hit. this article from cnn.com explains the service industry. you'd think this would be common sense, but some people bring their "best manners" to dinner with them. read the article here.

geraldo.

2010-03-05T12:34:00.004-05:00

gerold edward schroeder is one my nearest and dearest. he's hilarious, handsome, talented, and much smarter than you. his hair? fierce. his outfit? fierce. his vocal placement? beyond. who knows mariah better than anyone? him.

gerold loves showchoir more than most. some people like baseball, gerold loves showchoir, deal with it.

i got an email from gerold this morning, and all i could think as i was reading was, "this would make an excellent post on jermainia." see what you think:

ok so tomorrow is the biggest Show Choir competition of the year as well all know and as it turns out, its one of my best friends birthdays tomorrow so I have to go downtown and celebrate.

HOWEVER, I will be watching the showchoir live feed all day starting at 11AM because that is when the first large group goes. I haven't figured out yet to put the live feed from my computer to the apple tv to the actual tv but I think I'm gonna go to the apple store today and see if they can help me. Otherwise I'll just watch on my computer but hopefully the feed is good.

So if you are free and you want, stop by anytime between 11 and 8 and I'll be glued to the computer! Don't feel obligated if you are doing shit during the day, I mean its a saturday and its suppose to be gorgeous outside and people have shit to do.

BUT I have to say, I watched Clinton's opener on-line the other day after hearing rumers of them being "better than ever" and "unbeatable again" and they were literally better than ever. They are cleaner than any performing group currently performing (including broadway) and the choreography is beyond creative. They are working with currently 6 choreographers for their show and they all collaborate. INSANE. THis is high school!

On the OTHER hand, I watched John Burroughs opener on Youtube yesterday and it is of course EVERYTHING and completely different than Clinton's style. They all come out in these like see-through plastic cloaks with hoods and sing Mad World Adam Lambert style and being creepy and crazy into something else with some pop bitch BELTING her face off. Rory's response from across the room was, "Jesus, is that the same bitch!?" And he HATES show choir.

So I honestly can say that I do not know who will win. Burroughs beat them in 2009 and 2008 but the past two years have been Clinton's weakest (still AMAZING) shows ever and Clinton beat them in 2007 when they were on fire so its gonna be a throw down! I've heard this years Clinton show is compared to their 2004 year, which is considered the benchmark in showchoir along with John Burroughs from last year. AHHHHHH

ok I can't talk about it anymore.

and bring whoever you want I don't care and there are four dogs too just so you know. Jermaine you know you've been there. They are all small and cute and harmless. Three chihauaus and one medium size sweetheart. Only one of them is the devil and she's five pounds. I will put that bitch outside if she barks once during Clinton or Burroughs

have dessert at home.

2010-02-23T11:52:00.005-05:00

when i'm waiting tables, i really have to pick and choose which table conversations i become a part of. i was trying to get a table's dessert order last night, and the mother (60+) asks me which is a creamier dessert, and i suggested the appropriate dessert, and the son (40ish) tells me that his mother likes cream. i come back to the table, then he tells me, in full detail, just exactly where she likes it. i make a disgusted face and leave. i come back to check on the table and drop the check, and the mother motions for me to come down closer to her, then pulls me by my tie and says

"i saw earlier. you shouldn't make a face at pussy. i know what you are."

oh really?!?

christmas

2010-01-08T13:01:00.003-05:00

i know it's late, but merry christmas!! i had an excellent christmas dinner at kelly's. it was so delicious that it put is to sleep. sounds like the perfect dessert to me!

2010

2010-01-08T12:57:00.002-05:00

it's 2010. i'm so late on this post, it's ridiculous. it's a brand new year, a brand new decade. i don't have any far-fetched expectations for the year, but 2010 is definitely about big steps forward. i plan on travelling more, performing more, and continuing to enjoy my amazing friends. i'm thankful for what i have, but there's nothing wrong with wanting a little bit more.

keep it to yourself

2009-11-16T11:17:00.002-05:00

i was working a private party last night, and this guy concluded his previous statement with "that's why i got my vasectomy."

there's a time and a place for everything. i have a feeling that a table of mixed company, including 14 year old girls, ain't it.

fuckin' guy.

like silk

2009-09-27T22:24:00.001-04:00

i got mentioned in the ithaca times review of "buddy: the buddy holly story". read on:

RIP Kyle Parker

2009-09-19T04:22:00.004-04:00

i met kathy in 6th grade. we had a few classes together, but our main bond was band. she was an insane french horn player, and i was (by 6th grade standards) a ridiculous tenor sax player. throughout middle school angst, boys, girls, homework, science fairs, parties, band concerts, older siblings, annoying parents, and late night phone calls, we made it to high school in one piece. new characters entered our lives, but we maintained our bond and late night phone calls. "who's cute/fun/ugly in your classes?" again, we still had band in common. again, new characters entered our lives. one character who entered my life was kyle. kyle and i were introduced at some point during my sophomore year. kyle was a senior at another high school. he wasn't in band or choir, but his friends were, and that was enough for him. he was tall, lanky, and hilarious. he smoked marlboro lights, which i abhored/admired. he drove a black nissan stylus, the only one in evansville. he used to listen to master p which was awesome because my mom wouldn't let me. we became great friends. we hung out almost everyday, but i don't remember what we did. he was definitely the first person i watched south park with. i introduced my friend kyle to my best friend kathy in 1998, and the next thing i knew, i was in their wedding in summer 2003. our lives took different paths, but we always stayed in touch. i talked to kyle earlier this summer when i called kathy. i talked to kathy last week on facebook about some bullshit.

i checked my facebook email tuesday night, and i got an email from kathy's aunt that said that kyle had been in a car wreck and was killed by the driver of the other car who was running from the police while under the influence of alcohol and pot. he killed my friend and showed no remorse. he left my friend widowed at 27. he left two young boys fatherless, and one of them will probably have no memory of his father. he'll never remember how funny his father is or how much his father loved them and their mother.

this week has been difficult. i've been internalizing my pain. i'm not looking for a sympathy party, but it's hard to be away from your friends and family when tragedy strikes. it's not my intention to be dramatic, but i can't ignore my pain. i can't avoid my hurt feelings. i just need to vent. that's why jermainia exists.

passive-aggressive mormon notes

2009-09-13T14:47:00.002-04:00

a mormon girl i sang with in college recently left this gem for a facebook status:

ctr ring on the hand...and orders a jack and coke...hey im not judging...

awkward boners

2009-09-09T01:55:00.001-04:00

the name says it all. i'll work on something more clever/culturally enriching, but for the meantime,

www.awkwardboners.com

get into it.

glee.

2009-08-27T21:37:00.002-04:00

this show is so amazing. it's going to be a huge hit for fox. (not like they need it.)

not to get off track, but do we really need two seasons of so you think you can dance? i love dance more than almost anyone i know, but i'm not sure if my dvr can handle two back to back seasons of sytycd.

anyhow, glee is amazing. it's giving you a great story line, talent out the ass, and SICK MUSICAL CLIPS.

teaser: download the glee sneak peak of "golddigger" on itunes. it's free and amazing.

so is this gem:

summer hiatus

2009-08-23T08:54:00.003-04:00

to my beloved jermainia readers:

please forgive me. i havent abandoned you. i will return with fresh posts VERY soon. think of this as your favorite tv show going on summer hiatus (minus the fat residual check.)

stuff white people like

2009-07-20T12:13:00.002-04:00

stuff white people like is a hilarious blog that talks about stuff white people like. it's just as funny as it sounds.

i was at dinner with some of my nearest and dearest a few weeks ago, and just like out of a scene from a bravo tv show, the book appears on the table. we laughed about it for the rest of the night (and will probably continue to do so for the rest of our lives.)

some of my personal favorites include:

#9: making you feel bad about not going outside

#14: having black friends

#20: being an expert on YOUR culture

#33: marijuana

#78: multi-lingual children

musical theatre dictionary.

2009-06-25T10:48:00.002-04:00

the musical theatre dictionary is one of the more amazing things i've read in awhile. if you know anything about musical theatre performers, you'll appreciate this blog. if you are a musical theatre performer, you'll LOVE this blog. get into it!!

hair.

2009-06-25T10:36:00.003-04:00

hair on broadway is amazing. get there now. i've seen it twice. i have the soundtrack. these kids are on stage living. don't sleep on the white girls in this cast. they're singing their faces off. the leads are all fantastic, and yes, you can see weiners and boobies.

get to the hirschfeld, kids.

flight attendant realness.

2009-06-17T13:58:00.003-04:00

i've been doing alot of travelling lately, and the only thing worse than departure delays is an ugly flight attendant.

i'm still here.

2009-06-11T13:04:00.000-04:00

i haven't abandoned jermainia!! between working and working, i've been busy. stay tuned...

back in the saddle

2009-05-05T13:13:00.002-04:00

i can breathe a huge sigh of relief. i'm back. back to work, back to auditioning, back to being poor (eeek), but i'm happy. matt and i finally found an apartment. after sifting through shitty uws apartments and watching a sick place in harlem fall through our fingers, we ended up moving to an apartment in matt's current building on east third and avenue c. it's a fantastic apartment with spacious bedrooms, hardwood floors, and tons of exposed brick. we don't have a living room, though. i have a nice terrace off of my bedroom, and we have rooftop access. summer bettah watch out, okaaaay?!

black in action

2009-04-17T16:33:00.002-04:00

it's been hectic, but i'm back. i landed in nyc march 29th, and it's been go go go every second, just the way i like it. i stayed at simone's on the uws for a week while i bopped around seeing people, getting headshots, recovering from jetleg, etc. i flew out of nyc april 8th for a midwest tour that almost went up in smoke. i was supposed to go home to evansville for two days, then go to chicago, then end the week in indianapolis. well, chicago didn't happen, so i spent an extra day in evansville, went to bloomington for a night, then spent easter weekend in indianapolis with pat, joe, josh, and some other amazing hits. i got back to the city april 13th, and it's been apartment hunt 2009. i feel good about it, but i'm just ready to get situated. that's all for now. oh yeah, i start back at becco tomorrow night. work!

wow.

2009-04-13T11:11:00.001-04:00

i've been slacking. i've been all over the place. literally. i'll pull it all in within the next few days to deliver a full report.

twittah.

2009-03-28T06:30:00.005-04:00

i joined twitter. (thanks, gl.)

www.twitter.com/jermainermiles

leaving on a jet plane, part two

2009-03-28T06:18:00.003-04:00

i'm flying out of hong kong tomorrow. sunday. i can't even believe it.

march 29th

1145 HKG

850 SFO

12hrs 5 minutes

1240 SFO

2126 JFK

5hrs 46 minutes

i have no other words.

vacay

2009-03-28T06:09:00.004-04:00

i just returned from three wonderful days on boracay beach in the philippines. blame working on a cruise ship, but i am a sucker for a warm climate, white sand beach, and gorgeous blue water. boracay is a 45 minute flight from manila. i had a very relaxing vacation. i didn't go nuts partying, but i had a few weng weng's, which is a tame version of bamboo 52's volcano punch. all in all, it was good trip. except for that buffet i went to on the first night. NEVER. AGAIN.

wrapping it up

2009-03-17T12:37:00.002-04:00

these next few weeks will be jam-packed. i just had a huge birthday weekend (great success). there's not much to tell, except that it involved lots of fun. i got asked to go back to merry-go-round playhouse to do "buddy: the buddy holly story" in september. i worked there in 2006 and loved every second. my last performance of "festival of the lion king" is tomorrow, my last scheduled day of work is thursday, and i leave for the philippines sunday night. i ended up with a three days weekend somewhere in there, so i'll have plenty of time to do some preliminary packing and cleaning. that's about it. i fly back to nyc march 29th, and i'm hoping i can ease back into the time change. more to come...

wah wah

2009-03-08T04:55:00.002-04:00

i was experiencing sciatic back pain last week, and i figured a quick trip to the accupuncturist would sort me out. i asked around the cast about who was the best accupuncturist, and everyone told me that i needed to get a recommendation from a general practicioner for our insurance to cover the cost of the visit. so i do some investigation, and of course i find the clinic that is closest to me in BFE is coincidentally closed from 2-3:30pm (siesta?), and i'm standing in front of their door at 2:24pm. lucky for me, there's a dentist's office across the way who takes walk-ins, is super affordable/clean, and has no one waiting. i go in to get my teeth cleaned, and as he's working on the back left side of my mouth he says "oh." i knew something was going up, and he tells me that i need a double root canal and a filling. i couldn't hide my excitement. nevermind the fact that disney will be paying for 80% of it. A DOUBLE ROOT CANAL?! ME?! my back immediately started feeling better. . .

i was born too soon and started too late.

2009-03-07T11:28:00.004-05:00

i just had a very exciting and exhausting weekend.

thursday night was my buddy, manton's, bday. (anton is called "manton" because he's about 6'4" of russian muscle. i love him to death.) he and his wife, jade, hosted a birthday get together in their room which included cake, music, and russian vodka. i feel like i spent more time taking shots of vodka with the manton than doing anything else. details start getting spotty, but i can tell you that anton insisted i jump on his back (okay), i fell on my ass twice (further aggrevating my sciatica), and the next thing i know, i'm waking up to go my dentist appointment.

friday morning. 10am. i was still drunk but headed out into a cold, rainy hong kong for an 11am dentist appointment. i had to start my double root canal procedure. i had fully prepared myself for the worst, which is a good thing because it wasn't nearly as dramatic as i had pictured. there were no tears, but after my two injections of the local anesthesia, i needed an additional injection in my bottom tooth because i wasn't completely numbed, and that shit was NOT comfortable. at all. (i have at least two more visits to fully complete the procedure.) i was back out the door (with painkillers in hand) in 35 minutes to go home for a quick lunch, then i headed back out to pay my taxes. let's discuss the hong kong and their taxes: they don't take taxes out of your check, so you're expected to have 15-16 percent of each paycheck saved. according to disney lore, no one has ever paid that much, but i wasn't taking any chances. (you don't pay your taxes? you don't get that last paycheck.) i'm no fool nor did i come all the way to hong kong to get punked. i paid my monies (i don't like that word), and i actually came out of the whole thing with a little leftover money.

friday evening: eddie (next door neighbor) and i decided to open our adjoining door a la thanksgiving for a little party. i made a siiiiick playlist days before, did some final cleaning, and bought about 4 cases of beer. i was ready. the party started off a little slow, but it peaked around 1030. it was about that time a super fan showed up at my party. i had stepped out for a moment, but when i got back to my door, there she was. it was scary and weird. i guess because i put the initial invite on facebook and made it a public invite. still, she was a long way from home just to be standing outside of my door. aside from that, the party went strong til about 1230-1. after a few more cocktails and much discussion, it was decided that eddie and i were taking his best friend, darren, for a quick night on the town. i loaded the north face with a few beers, and we hit the town. we all made choices that night.

saturday morning: eddie, darren, and i all reconvened (in sunglasses and appropriate outwear) at mcdonald's, then we met up with amber and otha to head into mainland china for a day of pampering and treatments at our favorite spa, the victorian queen spa. we laughed and relaxed all day long as the helpful staff scrubbed, scraped, and rubbed our sins away. we headed back to h-ong k-ong, and i stopped by a friend's bday fish fry (work!!) before heading to bed for sleepytime.

i know this post is a little more long-winded than normal, but there's so much to do in a very short amount of time. there are 4 birthdays this week (mine included) so there's a lot of celebrating to do. until next time. . .

sucka for love

2009-02-27T22:41:00.004-05:00

aubrey o'day tap dances on my last good nerve when she does shit like this. the graphic on her t-shirt is a picture of herself. asshole.

a friend of mine texted me once saying "i just saw her at ripley-grier. she's a hot mess in a dirty dress."

i'll let you be the judge of that.

macau...

2009-02-25T07:54:00.004-05:00

just a taste of my little macau adventure. enjoy.

leaving on a jet plane. . .

2009-02-25T07:06:00.005-05:00

things around here have been pretty tame. i'm still recovering from a crazy night in macau with mark, meki, and her two friends from california. i have to give myself credit on my rallying tactics. i left work at 630, was on the macau ferry by 730, and at the bar of the mgm grand having a cocktail with mark by 9. the night ended at 6am, and i was back on the ferry heading to hong kong by 830 and back in the lion king break room at 1130. macau makes me itchy for a vegas trip. photos to come...

in related news, i'm getting REALLY excited about heading home. i got my flight itinerary today, and i'm flying out of hong kong march 29th at 1145, putting me at jfk at 926pm sunday night (after a lay-over in san fran). it will be a LONG day of travelling, but i'll be good for it. i'm feeling slightly unsettled because i have nyc contact info to give the disney admin. no cell phone number or address. it's strange, but it's also exciting to be starting fresh.

alright, back to my domestic tasks. instead of going to free vodka with tha kids, i'm cleaning my room, cooking, doing laundry, and drinking a bottle of chardonnay. i'm such an adult. :)

i smell what the rock is cooking

2009-02-19T23:17:00.008-05:00

the rock came to hong kong disneyland thursday to promote his new movie. i've never been more excited to watch the main street parade. he didn't come see lion king, but he did take the time to point in my general direction.

peace out, boy scout.

2009-02-05T14:21:00.003-05:00

i had my contract meeting yesterday where i was politely informed that there wasn't a contract for me. i didn't get extended. it was a slight slap in the face, but it's life. i'm already on the ball trying to line up some work for the summer. i'm getting excited about heading back home to nyc (as long as i can bypass that winter bullshit. i need a low of 50 degrees fahrenheit, a la hong kong.) i've made some fantastic friends here, and i'm very sad about having to leave them. but spring/summer in nyc is calling my name...

kung hei fat choi.

2009-01-29T09:13:00.003-05:00

life is good here in far cathay. we're in the throes of chinese new year, and i've done my fair share of celebrating. monday night was the beginning of cny. while most of the locals stay home to do traditional traditions with their families, the ex-pat contingency of hong kong was out and about. i went with my friends, mark and meki (bottom photo), for a few cocktails then to a "white party" at our favorite watering hole. volume wasn't a raging scene, but we got more than sufficiently wasted (thanks to my favorite bartender, colin, who has no problem filling the largest glass in the bar with as much vodka possible before topping it off with a splash of tonic. bless him.) and watched a friend perform in drag. after that, we headed to drop for fantastic music and more drinking. it was a great night until a friend projectile vomited at a house party. the morning party was no longer an option, so we had to head home. no worries there.

tuesday, i woke up feeling crazed. i ordered some pizza, watched a few episodes of grey's, and took a nap. i woke up, rallied, and we headed out to watch the fireworks...after stopping at the grocery store for liquor and chasers. good times. i love hong kong. i also love that you can drink in public (top photo).

mid-contract blahs.

2009-01-17T06:03:00.003-05:00

i've got a raging case of the mid-contract blahs. it happens to everyone, and it actually happened to me a little later than mid-contract. i think there was just so much excitement in the air. thanksgiving, holiday bullroar, pat's visit, new year, blah blah. now 2009 is in full-swing. there's not too much on the immediate horizon, but there are some exciting bits ahead. contract meetings are at the forefront. who is/not being renewed. my name is certainly in the hat to stay. keep your fingers crossed. our shows uses tons of automation/sensors, and with climate changes/wear and tear, maintenance must be performed. the theatre is dark for 5-7 days, and on these "dark days" you will be able to find lion king cast members on the beaches of boracay in the phillipines. the evening of march 22nd, i'll be heading to manilla and boracay for some fun in the sun. i'm a sucker for a nice beach, cold drink, and cheap trip. work!!

this past tuesday, i made use of my newly acquired mainland china visa. i went with otha, amber, and micah to shenzhen. shenzhen is far less westernized than hong kong, but the main attraction is the queen spa. queen spa is a sprawling, multi-level heaven where you can get complete spa treatment for super cheap. (the free fresh fruit and ice cream ain't too bad, either.) for example, i got a body scrub, foot scrub, foot massage, full body massage, and a plate of thai fried rice all for less than $100 US. it was amazing. you wanna come with me next time?

writer's block...

2009-01-12T10:32:00.001-05:00

my writer's block can only be cured by this video clip.

new year's eve

2008-12-31T01:12:00.005-05:00

next to my birthday and thanksgiving, new year's eve is my favorite holiday. you get dressed in a smart outfit, drink everything in sight, and be super-celebratory all night long. sign me up!! this year will be a new venture in the new year's eve excursions. in my new york years i've gone to open bars (2003 & 2004), hosted an insane party in my tiny hell's kitchen apartment (2005 - maybe my favorite nye to date), gone to the SoHa ballroom (2006), and celebrated at beef and boards (2007). obviously, i've been out of the city for new year's, but i've certainly never celebrated one in china... ever. this year, 30 of us have gotten together to rent a boat to drive us around the harbor for a few hours, then we're heading out. it should be a blast. thank you, mickey mouse.

pat landed safely last night. i picked him up from the airport around 800pm. we headed back to my apartment, ordered pizza, and started drinking. (hide your shock.) next thing i know, we've headed back out for some drinking, dancing, and general cavorting. good times.

i'll definitely miss my new year's day brunch with kel and jack. pat and i will carry on the tradition here in hong kong.

HAPPY 2009.

baklush single ladies

2008-12-27T06:47:00.001-05:00

"single ladies" a la festival of the lion king.

(note the casual use of the penchee arond 1:23).

HOLIDAY SPIRITS IS #1 ON ITUNES

2008-12-26T10:22:00.002-05:00

straight no chaser is #1 on itunes. over kanye, over britney, over sasha fierce. i told you the shit would be sick. they've been all over the country on a promotional tour, and their work has paid off. it's not too late to purchase a copy. i predict that this cd will be an annual classic. (just like "mariah carey christmas".)

holi-dazed.

2008-12-26T09:51:00.003-05:00

shiiit. the holidays have worn me out. the last week has been full of work, shopping, dinners, and parties. it's been a blast, but it's also worked me just a little. let's recap:

saturday 12/20 - he had our lion king holiday party, which is basically a pot-luck/talent show. i made a tasty chicken and vegetable spaghetti dish. it was a hit. i was at a loss for the "talent" part. i hadn't put any extra effort to prepare a number, but after some coaxing, i sang "the christmas song" . the highlight of the evening was single ladies, performed by the "ladies" of festival of the lion king.

monday 12/22 - my little girl, ela, performed her last day of shows before she takes off for disneyland paris. i hosted a little dinner party in her honor. i made spaghetti (again), and we ate and talked til it was time to head upstairs for the WIG PARTY. jane (a princess) hosted a wig party, and lucky for us, otha has a nice collection of wigs. we all featured the party and had a blast. it was hits.

tuesday 12/23 - i decided that i should maybe do some christmas shopping. i'm notorious for christmas procrastination, and this year was no exception. after applying for my mainland china visa, i ventured out, successfully, to buy presents.

wednesday 12/24 - i finished up the gift-getting (never be afraid to give booze at christmas time, ps). i received some excellent gifts (scarves, wallets, engraved chopsticks). we all headed out for a thai dinner, and after dinner, we had drinks and desert in stephanie and david's apartment, but i cut my night short because i had to work the next morning.

thursday 12/25 - after work, the plan was to meet at victoria peak for japanese. after hauling it all the way up there, we find out that they restaurant is only offering a prix-fixe that would be about $60/person, which might not have been the worst thing in the world, but the menu was a little too random for everyone's tastes. our solution: bubba gump's. i had my first bubba gump's experience last night, and it was fucking great. i had a pomegranate margarita with an extra shot (served a la chilli's ultimate margarita style.) my dinner of baby back ribs and fries was only further enhanced by the round of shots purchased by stephanie's dad. (i called "scraps" on the non-drinkers' shots, ps.) all in all, christmas was celebratory and blessed.

friday 12/26 - my black ass is tired. i need to rest my bones because pat schuette will be gracing hong kong as of tuesday. i can't freaking wait. hope you're all recovering and resting up for new year's eve!!

david lockwood brown

2008-12-17T23:54:00.005-05:00

david lockwood brown. i mean, everyone should have a friend like davidbrown. (one word.) funny, talented, mildly offensive. we share similar interests, like good music, social dancing, and vodka cocktails. he cracks my shit up on a regular basis. see for yourself:

"i was dating this boy who was a drifter like nomi malone...and i called him last night to see if he wanted to come over and he was like ...i'm in dallas texas. fucking nomi malone."

david: so that boy i met at the grocery store? turns out he's a high up manager at diesel.

me: wow. looks like you've made it.

david: i went to visit him today to get a scarf, and i got $1100 worth of shit for $260.

me: i love you.

david: i was like "work, david brown." god, i was so glad i met him while i was waiting in line to buy captain crunch.

me: will you come wash my dishes?

david: me?

me: mmhmm. or send lucy over here.

david: you can't borrow my housekeeper.

a new friend.

2008-12-11T12:04:00.005-05:00

we didn't exchange names or pleasantries of the day. i turned around, she was standing at my back to show her friends how short she was compared to me. photos were taken. she went back to mainland china. i had a hot dog.

prop 8, the musical

2008-12-05T11:15:00.001-05:00

this shit is too funny to keep to myself.

See more Jack Black videos at Funny or Die

happy birthday, brit.

2008-12-02T07:51:00.004-05:00

"circus" dropped today. i love it, and i know you will, too. support our girl.

thanksgiving results.

2008-12-01T00:09:00.003-05:00

thanksgiving was hits. i blessed the food around 9 or so, and we immediately dug in. we had ham, turkey, chicken, cornish game hen, dressing, green beans, chili, chicken adobo, african beef, porridge, yams, mac and cheese, wine, jack daniels (wait, that was just me.), and many desserts. everyone was very full and very happy/ the night ended with a very impromptu recital where just about everyone (all 23 of us) sang. it was like a chorus call, only a lot more fun.

in honor of black friday, i bought a new digital camera yesterday. work and whack!

thanksgiving

2008-11-23T10:05:00.002-05:00

thanksgiving is a fat kid's dream. depending on where you have thanksgiving, your day usually goes something like this: television program (football game but probably dvr'ed performances from the macy's parade), drinking (vodka-based cocktails, mimosas) , near intoxication because of lack of food, eating, drinking, food coma/-itis, nap, repeat.

in the last four years, i've had some excellent thanksgivings. noteable gatherings include t-day '05 at kelly will's, t-day '06 at chris klink's as he hobbled around on crutches from a freshly sprained ankle, and most recently t-day '07 in noblesville, indiana at the hammans house. (rum and cokes, wasted in-laws, and bullet shrapnel in the quail were highlights of the day.) this year will be the first day i host a thanksgiving of my own. i won't be gutting any birds, but i'm making my mom's amazing green bean casserole. we're having a big pot-luck here at harbour plaza, and it should be a blast. wish me luck.

early.

2008-11-20T12:28:00.003-05:00

i woke up before my alarm went off. i still can't really open my eyes. i'll get back to you later...

she's baaaack!

2008-11-13T11:51:00.003-05:00

britney's new cd, circus, drops december 2nd. i can't effing wait. britney has dealt with a few things in the past few years, but everyone does, just not in the public eye. i'm not making excuses for her. i'm just saying that her ass is back, and i hope you're ready. she's looks wicked freakin stunning on the cd cover. i cant wait to have that cover art on my ipod touch. we were all about the britney at IU. (i'm sure i can still perform most of the "live from las vegas" dvd.) maria campos used to host birthday parties for britney every december 2nd. it mainly involved us listening to brit's collection of hits, hanging out, and getting really fucked up. i loved it. busch light, blunts, and britney...my hong kong neighbor, eddie, just bought the britney greatest hits cd. maybe i'll have a britney party here in hong kong...i'll keep you posted. i hope you're gathering your favorite thanksgiving recipies. y'all check this link for some ideas.

"Never ever lose your passion to dream. Please. Don't."

-bspears herself.

thirsty

2008-11-10T04:19:00.004-05:00

i was talking to josh the other day, and we were talking about nyc, the good ol' days, etc. i immediately became homesick. then i tried to pinpoint was suddenly causing me to feel that way.

i miss drinking in new york.

i miss blackout or back-out sundays, i miss bamboo 52 happy hour (that always ends up with dinner/mac and cheese at vynl), and i miss prosecco at becco.

i've certainly curbed my binge drinking since i've gotten to china, but just because you don't ride a bike everyday doesn't mean you forget how to ride.

proud of your boy(s)...

2008-11-06T10:04:00.003-05:00

straight no chaser's "holiday spirits" is #76 on billboard's top 200 .

THAT'S MAJOR, KIDS!!!!

change comes fast, change comes slow.

2008-11-06T08:24:00.004-05:00

barack obama is the new president of the united states. i'm thrilled!! i wish i could've been in the states to see some of the news coverage and to get a sense of what americans, in general, are feeling. everyone at work has been super supportive obama's win. even the random chinese security guard at the american consulate told me that he hoped i was voting for obama. "we want him to win." it made me happy to think that this man has inspired people worldwide. it's been cool to help explain political parties to the people who aren't used to the american political jargon. i feel like i'm doing my part as an american citizen. his win is a huge page in the history books, and i pray that he can follow through and clean up the mess that is our country.

side note: listen, i understand that there are people who weren't in favor of having obama in office. i get it. however, when you write "fuck obama" as your facebook status, you look like an asshole for many reasons. trust me.

things are quiet at hkdl. the halloween bull roar has passed, but i've already seen parade dancers rehearsing for the holiday parade. ugh. christmas makes me anxious. nicky is coming tomorrow!! nicky is a chinese herbalist who's coming to hong kong to visit her best friend. we met on the constellation my very first night, and for the next six months we had lots of adventures on the ship, in london, and every port imaginable. we drank, ate, drank, laughed, and ran that ship like it was our job. she's even visited me in nyc, and we, again, partied like crazy rockstars. i'm excited she'll be here. hilarity will ensue, no doubt.

holiday spirits.

2008-11-04T07:47:00.003-05:00

51 days until christmas. (i'm silencing my pre-holiday anxiety as we speak, i promise.) this cd is the perfect companion for your yuletide journey. straight no chaser's "holiday sprits" was released last tuesday, and it's a hit!! it's giving you christmas variety, a cappella style. it features classics ("white christmas"), humor ("12 days after christmas"), and new spins on old hits ("carol of the bells"). take support my/our friends. buy the cd from itunes (i got the bonus track version for $11.99), amazon.com, or borders.

we love you, jhud. #2

2008-10-27T12:15:00.004-04:00

this horrible story has gotten even worse. according to yahoo news, jhud's nephew was still reported missing. authorities, however, have found the body of a 7 year old african american boy in the suv used in the manhunt for william balfour, the main suspect in the "double homicide investigation". the article also states that jhud identified the bodies of her mother and brother. talk about devastating. i can't even begin to imagine what she's going through right now. keep her in your thoughts and prayers.

we love you, jhud.

2008-10-24T22:06:00.005-04:00

please keep jhud and her family in your thoughts and prayers today. her mother and brother were found dead in chicago friday morning.

i'm sure you going out and buying her cd on itunes would help her healing process.

straight no chaser

2008-10-24T13:01:00.004-04:00

while i was at IU, i was a member of straight no chaser, a men's a cappella group. (follow the hyperlink for the backstory.) a video of the original members of the group (recorded at a holiday show about 10 years ago) was posted on youtube, and between november and december 2007, the video got7 million hits. atlantic records caught wind of the video, and the guys got signed to a recording contract!! they're releasing a holiday cd called "holiday spirits" that drops this tuesday, october 10/28. the cd is available on itunes and through their website: www.sncmusic.com. i know this cd will be sick. just do yourself a favor.

sasha fierce.

2008-10-24T12:58:00.002-04:00

work, b!

a quick little something.

2008-10-20T02:54:00.004-04:00

for those who don't know her, leslie kritzer is an up and coming broadway star. (as evidenced in this video.) she was most recently seen in legally blonde and a catered affair. i tend to keep my nose clean when it comes to the political madness, but this shit is too funny to keep to myself.

watch this now!

i just want to be normal, part 2.

2008-10-19T05:20:00.003-04:00

i sent this email to a friend this morning:

hong kong's nightlife doesn't stop. i was standing in line (!) at 615 this morning (!) to get into a club called homebase. i was wasted (!!), hungry (!), and i felt really weird about standing in line (see: above exclamation points) we get in, and it was definitely worth the wait. great atmosphere, great crowd, great music. before i can even get to the bar, this random comes up to me and says, "you're famous, aren't you?" i just looked at him, raised an eyebrow, and said, "what do you think?" he was like, "i thought so!!" i died on the inside. i was thinking, "yes, someone gets it!" it was a crowning moment.

so was the turkey sandwich i had when i got home at 8:30.

customer service, hong kong style.

2008-10-14T08:29:00.004-04:00

when i found out i'd be coming to hong kong, i started preparing myself for the differences in chinese and american/western customs. i didn't want to come here shell-shocked and acting brand new. one important universal custom (in my mind) is good customer service. i don't need my ass kissed. i just need the correct food/drink or a standard greeting when i enter the store. anything outside of that is a bonus.

asians, in general, quite enjoy sharing entrees at dinner. 6 people will order 5 entrees and a salad and go to town. i don't like that shit. i like my own salad. my own chicken. my own vodka. i'll gladly share an app or give you a few bites off of my plate, but keep your fucking fork off of my plate, schuette! :)

so, one of our first times going to dinner as a rehearsal cast was quite an adventure. we went to pizza hut. (pizza hut is really nice around here.) there were 6 of us in our party, but we only got 3 menus. we didn't get it. they were used to having one or two people order for the entire table. we ordered individually. they didn't get it. my side caesar was across the table. someone else's stuffed crust pepperoni pizza was in the middle of the table. it was all wrong. i guess they don't believe in position numbers or asking who got what dish. on top of that, we couldn't find anyone to get us refills, and please don't use that one napkin too quickly. it's like pulling teeth for extra napkins. however, when it's time for that check, that waiter is glued to the table like stink on shit on white rice on a paper plate in a snow storm!! the entire bill will be in mandarin except for the bottom where it says "10% service charge", and they stand there and watch you count every last cent. it makes me so uncomfortable/angry.

so do child harnesses.

purging my sins

2008-10-13T20:48:00.003-04:00

ugh.

i accidentally restored my ipod to factory settings last night. i feel like an asshole. i mean, i really want in ipod touch, and i fully plan on buying one very soon. however, i didn't want to get rid of all of the music on my current ipod. luckily, i have a LOT of music with me. however, some jewels (like the first three audra cd's, the magic show, patti labelle and the bluebelles, mi reflejo, sweet honey in the rock, all bootlegs shoshana, bday, dreamgirls movie, dreamgirls in concert, in the heights and solange -both stuck on my now defunct dell, and almost all of my nina simone.) i got from others/itunes on another computer. purging is never a bad thing, it's just uncomfortable at first. afterwards, you adjust, reassess, and ask your friends to import their cd's onto your computer.

gregory littley (cue: google alert) i will have pictures for you this week. scout's honor.

t minus 24 days.

2008-10-07T10:31:00.004-04:00

thanks, matt martin.

"people" seem to think it's time to start thinking of a halloween costume. i know it's going to be a big deal around these parts. everyone's told me "halloween is a big deal around these parts". i can only gather that halloween is, indeed, a big deal around these parts. ugh. my halloween track record is inconsistent. my freshman year of college, i went to my first singing hoosier halloween party dressed as my dear friend, chris klink. it was hilarious. i wore all black, put a sock in my crotch, and did my best fosse moves. i thought it was a hit. oh yeah, i also got real wasted. (topher's flaming dr. peppers, anyone?) however, on the actual day, i did laundry, wrote a paper, and ordered pizza express, i'm sure. since i've lived in new york, the most memorable halloween is meeting up with kel, jack, and angela at posh. i didn't have a costume, but i wore sunglasses (?!). i don't "do the parade" or anything below 14th street. i usually work on halloween. even if i'm not scheduled, i pick that shit up.

i digress.

in any case, i'm catching heat from some people in my cast about dressing up. i'm not motivated. i'll go out. i'll go to a halloween party, sure. i'll wear an orange polo, no problem. a costume makes me anxious. i feel like a great costume will cause me to sweat, just like everything else.

only time will tell if i actually cave in.

the end of an era

2008-10-05T23:05:00.003-04:00

after 5 bedbug outbreaks over less than a year, 1890 7th avenue #5c is done. no mas. we're all moving out. it's really sad actually. i'm going to miss that place so much. it was my first squat/sublet when i moved to the city, and it has become my permanent home over the past year. it has also housed about 20+ all-star subletters. unfortunately, i'll be really homeless when i get back to the states. what can you do?

in unrelated news, things in far cathay are going well. i completed my first week of shows, and everything went smoothly. i'm all settled in, but my apartment looks a little sparse. i need to do a little rearranging, but i think it will be fine. i still don't have internet in my room. i don't mind sitting in the lobby to use the free wi-fi, but my favorite spot on the couch is directly downwind of the seafood hotpot restaurant, and you can catch the vapors of some "interesting" smells. today is my second day off, so i'm thinking about doing some exploring and picture taking. happy monday to all.

i just want to be normal.

2008-09-28T12:53:00.004-04:00

disney university (yes, disney university) teaches us to watch ourselves when we go out. it's teachings insist that we make sure we're portraying a "positive public image" because there are hong kong-ians who are anti-disney. (how could you be anti-disney?!) apparently, when the park first opened in 2005, media would go to the lai kwai fong area (where there are lots of bars and clubs frequented by disney employees) to try to capture these "negative images" (read: singers, dancers, and face characters getting shit-rocked retarded until the sun comes up) and use them against disney.

me: you mean, like paparazzi?

can you just imagine my black ass on the page six of hong kong?!

"i wish they'd leave me alone. i just want to be normal."

peaches yancey.

2008-09-27T10:05:00.003-04:00

"here she is boys. here she is world." here's peaches.

peaches yancey is the name of my brand new macbook. i bought it today, and i'm so excited to rejoin the living world. i know that i'd originially mentioned that i wanted the black macbook, but it's far more expensive. you get a lot of bells and whistles, but i just couldn't afford it right now.

in any case, i'm black in action. i'm importing cd's (danity kane - welcome to the dollhouse), listening to music (amy winehouse - october song), and dreading the packing i need to do tonight. let me bring you up to speed:

we finished our rehearsal process, and we got approved to start doing shows. i did the final show friday night, and i begin a regular grid (disney for "schedule") tomorrow. we also move to our permanent housing tomorrow. we'll be living in a sweet place called harbor plaza. they're basically extended-stay suites. they're attached to a mall-like building that has a grocery store, drug store, bowling alley, and cinema. the only draw-back is that they're 30 minutes away from the park, which is even further away from the city. it's all good, though.

there hasn't been too much excitement to report. wes lackey is getting married today, a wedding i'd love to be able to attend. i've got some visitors slated for 2009. pat will be here sometime in january, and jim and david will be here in feb. hilarity will ensue, no doubt.

be on the lookout for more frequent posts, more photos, and even more jermainia.

computer-less.

2008-09-19T06:58:00.003-04:00

the dell is out of commission. the computer itself is fine, but my actual charger is the busted part. i ran around all week long looking for a universal charger, but the one i found wasn't compatible with my old-ass laptop. (shakes a raised fist.) hmm. payday can't get here quick enough.

anyhow, all is well in hk. we've been running the show all week long, and now we've approached a weekend off. rehearsals went pretty well this past week. next week we add costumes, make up, etc. basically dress rehearsals for a few days, then i'm sure we'll start doing shows by this time next week. i'm excited for the weekend, though. i plan on chilling poolside, exploring hong kong, and going out. (i also need to do laundry...ugh.)

last night, we went to a restaurant called 'zaks'. it's on sunnyside bay, overlooking the water. i learned that a ton of westerners live there. there's a huge plaza and great restaurants. zaks is american/western fare, but last night was a hawaiian buffet. (what?!) yes. beef curry, pork ribs, greek salad, and some other delicious goodies all for $125 HK (about 30 bucks, roughly.) i ate my money's worth, trust. you know, i love an all-you-can-eat situation...especially when ribs and watermelon are involved.

*sigh* i need to give eddie his computer back. have a great weekend.

a day off

2008-09-12T23:58:00.003-04:00

this week has gone by quickly. it's crazy to think that this time last week, i was (hungover) on a plane to china. today i'm here, chillin on a day off. it's been a very productive week. we started off the week with paperwork, id cards, and measurements. tuesday, we started staging the show and learning vocals. when we weren't in rehearsal, we were watching the show. the rest of the week followed that same pattern. we're about halfway blocked at this point. we're off until monday, so i'm taking the weekend to do a little homework so i can be my personal fiercest for monday morning. i feel good about the progress i made this last week. i've also been rifling through photos today, and i'd like to post a few photo albums this weekend. my computer won't read my camera for some reason, so i have to put the photos on someone else's computer, then copy them onto my own computer. annoying? slightly. however, this will all be resolved once i get my new computer.

the asians take very fondly to the american performers in the shows in this part of the world. josh has amazing fans at universal studios japan, and there are many regular fans here at hkdl. HOWEVER, there's one girl who is crazed/obsessed with many of the cast members here at FOLK. (festival of the lion king). like, she'll appear out of nowhere and hand you a picture cd of shots she's taken throughout different performances. she always sits in the same seat, knows every word, etc. we got our first dose of her the other night. after rehearsal, we decided to head into the city for dinner and to get cell phones. literally, all of the chorus dancers from my show and "golden mickeys" (they're not housed by HKDL, fyi.) take the train from the park into various parts of hong kong. she was waiting there at the train stop, which isn't so bad, but i was told that she's been known to follow cast members...where'er. like, she followed us 25 minutes and 3 train transfers but tried to hide. she's not slick. two of my castmates are grown-ass women who are not having it...at all. i laugh at it all.

however, i don't laugh at ashy skin. (i do, just not my own.) turns out, i packed everything EXCEPT my f'ing lotion!! day 2, i was talking to some of the vocalists (read: blacks) about "skin care options". one of my castmates lent me some lotion, but it just wasn't doing the trick like my vasoline intensive rescue moisture locking lotion in white bottle with the blue top. yesterday, someone hands me a plastic bag and said "it's from brittany" (one of the current nalas who's injured.) i open the bag, and it was a big bottle of vasoline intensive rescue moisture locking lotion in a white bottle with the blue top. i was happy. can't wait to shower today after the gym and maybe a dip in the integrated pool here at the hotel. i love a day off.

i made it.

2008-09-08T09:19:00.000-04:00

I’m in hong kong. The flight, surprisingly, wasn’t too bad. After nursing my hangover with bad airport food, I boarded the plane, had more bad food, took painkillers purely for sport, and passed out for a little nap. I woke up seeking entertainment. I used the restroom then took a lap around the plane to see what the others were doing. Many were sleeping. The ones who weren’t were watching their little televisions. News (blah), celine from vegas (eh), sex and the city movie (wha?!) the name of the program escapes me, but you can choose your in-flight entertainment from tv shows (grey’s, curb your enthusiasm, satc) e! entertainment (top 10 mama dramas, true Hollywood story, KIMORA), and new/old movies (goonies, satc, sarah marshall). I opted for a very pg-13 version of the satc movie, then made a playlist of musical selections for my pre-nap pleasure. Next thing you know, it was time for a last in-flight snack before we had to prepare for landing at HKG!!! I said goodbye to my seat mates, two late 20-something girls who’d just come from a wedding in Indianapolis (!). they’re nightlife promoters here in HK. Check their website: www.dimsumandthensome.com.hk.

After going through immigration, I got my luggage, exchanged some monies, and went to meet my HKDL contact, who’s name we learn is “Gigi”. Gigi is an adorable Chinese girl who went from dancing in various shows in the park to working for the entertainment office. She took me and another dancer (named “fish”?!) to the hotel. Apparently, there’s a housing overflow, and the new cast members of “Festival…” are all staying at the Hollywood Hotel. We get to the hotel, go through a few admin things, run into a few of my castmates*, then I head to my room. My room is very nice. Two full sized beds, flat screen tv, etc etc. I’m pleased that I’m forced to live here until September 28th.

*My castmates:
Eddie – CCM grad, has worked for Disney in CA, cast as Simba
Angela - from California. I believe she’s worked for USJ in years past, cast as Nala
Otha – originally from NYC, lives in LA. Cast as Storyteller
Phillip – lives in LA, did ships for Landau, just finished a contract as an a cappella singer with a few of my dancer friends from the Constellation. Cast as Scar
Stephanie – from Florida. Got here late due to ridiculous plane delays. Seems very no-nonsense. Cast as Storyteller.

(the roles are at least double cast. I thought we’d be doing all four shows daily. No sir, 2 shows a day. WORK!)

Today, we did a lot of running around. We got official Disney ID’s, HK id’s, opened bank accounts, got cell phones, got remeasured for costumes, and saw the show! It’s a great show, and I’m very excited to start working on it tomorrow. My track looks fun, and I get to siiiing! Should be a blast. Stay tuned…

matt martin vs. shannen doherty

2008-09-05T08:13:00.003-04:00

matt martin is the worst.

i've got my eggs

2008-09-01T04:48:00.006-04:00

saturday night was a riot. i worked a blood pasta saturday at becco, had a few drinks, then met up with a wasted mario to share a cab to harlem. we met in front of renaissance diner, and ran into mitzi michaels, nick adams, and anthony adams. they'd just come from a runway show, and nick was generous enough to donate his baby phat stationary to my cause. (one step closer to meeting kimora.) we'd been joking about how renaissance diner is a super exclusive place and you can only gain entry by showing your "egg" to the guy at the front door.

-so, let me preface this by saying that there are some really prizeful people roaming the streets of new york at any given time. however, the freaks really do come out at night. -

this young lady in a (big) little black dress comes pouring out of the cab with her two busted friends. i'm sure they'd taken a train into the city at 7pm and started drinking at 630. she looked like she'd lived a little that night and it was time to eat. fair enough, i get it. mitzi asks the girl if she had her egg (we all snicker). the girl rubs her midsection, and is like, "yeah, i got eggs."

we. fall. out.

she walks over the anthony, and she's like, "you're italian enough."

i think she would've taken a ride on the adams train over a western omelette. (it'd sure beat that 2:15 LIRR back to levittstown or schenactedy or wherever these folks come from.)

i digress.

i've been knowing about the hong kong gig all summer long. now it's labor day, the last day of summer/5 days until i fly around the world. c-razy! i feel like i have a lot to do, but it mainly involves me buying luggage and being social. i think i can handle it.

today's agenda:

sweep room (check)
shower
shave (?)
charge camera (check)
get money from work
go to marcus' bbq
get drunk at aforementioned bbq
go to splash to watch the musicals.

i've got my work cut out for me.

i think being passive-aggressive is the worst. i'm not telling you what to do, but you if i were you, i'd check out the website.

i speak six languages.

2008-08-27T13:53:00.003-04:00

i've been in constant email contact with hong kong disneyland all summer long. most of the emails have been gramatically correct. the most recent email was a little bit on the cryptic side. once i recieved my work visa, i emailed my contact at hkdl to see if anyone else was coming from nyc. here was her response:

Dear Jermaine,

There’s no performer fly out from New York as you do.
I am arranging the flight ticket for you at this moment and your departure date is 6 Sep 2008 probably. The itinerary will send to you soon.

Regards

not so horrible but still really funny. i leave next saturday at 255pm.

"no lazy smurfs in my camp!!"

2008-08-23T12:08:00.005-04:00

one of my favorite choregraphers/reality stars/crazies is black in action!!

LAURIE ANN GIBSON IS BACK, KIDS!!

she's been the bad boy resident choreographer for the last few seasons of "making the band", and during making the band 4, diddy and laurie ann got into a notorious argument, ending the laurie ann/diddy/bad boy relationship.

...so we thought.

this past week's episode was completely centered around laurie ann returning to choreograph the guys group, day 26, for their upcoming tour, but the boys were afraid that she'd leave and not finish the job.

it was so obvious that she was coming back. first of all, i saw her at ripley-grier this past winter before a rehearsal with day 26, with an entourage and camera crew. second of all, she's the star. she's so ridiculous. she's ratings in a blue leotard and a sensible hair weave.

i love her.

well, i got it!!

2008-08-18T09:58:00.003-04:00

jane?! jane?!! it's official. i'm going to china!!! i just recieved confirmation that my visa has been approved. i'm leaving on a jet plane in three weeks!!

now i just need to:

-lock in a subletter

-buy some luggage (i don't think my puma bag will hold 6.5 months of clothing/toiletries/various sundries, let alone the small asian i'm bring back to the states with me.)

-clean my room

-have a sick going away party

i have two weeks left at work, which is both exciting and strange. i'm going to miss my becco family, but those clowns will have to put up with me for at least another 85-90 hours, so no tears yet.

HOW YOU DOIN?!

you can take them girls out tha ghetto...

2008-08-12T13:25:00.007-04:00

so, it's been reported by numerous sources that nikki blonsky (hairspray: the movie, choreographed by my favorite d-bag, adam schenkman) and bianca golden (antm cycle: salesha) and their families went heads up over seats in the airport lounge in the turks-cairos airport.

okay, let's break this down.

first of all, what are the odds that they're all on this flight?

second of all, nikki's douchebag father is out on a reduced bail. i guess inflicting "grievous bodily harm" is more socially accepted in the caribbean islands, which would explain his bail going from 50k to 3k. bitchassness.

third of all, i wouldn't want to fuck with either one of these girls, let alone their (obviously) crazy families. i mean, let's call a spade a spade. they're all normal girls who got a break. you can take a girl out of her after-school job at coldstone, throw her in a high-budget movie musical starring queen latifah and zefron (work and work), unglue her weave, give her a fresh fade, then help her realize her ridiculous high-fashion appeal, but you absolutely can NOT take away her innate survival tactics. (read: you fuck with me, i'll fuck you up. so will my family. down.)

apparently, if you do fuck with me, you'll walk away in handcuffs, a neck brace, and/or airlifted back to the united states.

a case of the mondays.

2008-08-09T12:18:00.002-04:00

ugh. my weekend is officially over. saturday is my monday, which i think is really weird.

bernie mac was died this morning, due to complications from pnuemonia. he was one of my favorite comedians. i love, love, love "the bernie mac show". i think he's so brilliant, and his clean comedy is just as funny as the adult stuff. (ocean's eleven, anyone?) he'll be sorely missed.

the "so you think you can dance" finale was soooo good. there were so many hits from start to finish.

dvr alert:

wednesday, 8/13 - making the band 4, season 3. the bands go on tour. (i'm still waiting on a laurie ann sighting. the bad boy machine can't go on without her.)

please download "wake up call" by hayden panettiere. just do it.

brooke hogan's dad

2008-08-06T13:51:00.002-04:00

i've always been a hulk hogan fan. even back in the wwf days, i thought he was so badass.

...until brooke got this fucking reality show. as sure as i'm sitting here, he's rolling over to their apartment with his ridiculous friend (who's wearing a tshirt that reads "nasty knobs".) why is hulk showering at brooke's? why is he walking into glen's room wearing a hand towel with red tighty-whities underneath?

i need an adult.

i love new york.

2008-08-03T09:51:00.000-04:00

she's baaaack! one of my favorite reality tv starlets is black in action. tiffany pollard, aka, NEW YORK is back, you guys. her new show, New York Goes To Hollywood, premieres tomorrow, august 4th at 10pm. (don't worry, the dvr is already set.) i will put down my haterade because i have to give credit where credit is due. tiffany has parlayed her search for love into a permanent fixture in VH-1's lineup. i mean, she's celebreality gold!! let's count the ways:

-flavor of love season 1 finalist. (read: loser)
-flavor of love season 2 consultant/finalist. (read: loser...again. she came back looking so snatched and made no bones about telling the truth. she let those girls have it at that photo shoot. my girl, boots, was NOT living for her.)

then here's the gotcha- gotcha:

SPINOFFS!!! i love new york season 1 was such a hit that they brought the shit back for a second season, and it was vh-1's highest rated show. why? because this whore brings the drama. because she's crazed. because she drinks goose and cran (sans ice) DOWN. because SISTER PATTERSON smoke kools like a ridiculous texas black. because tiffany has some of the best soundbites ever. ("there's something really GUTTERBUTT about nibblez.")

didn't she own a few family dollar stores in upstate ny before this all started? hmm...

it's so good.

work, bitch.

like celie, i'm here.

2008-08-01T11:14:00.000-04:00

i took the plunge. i started a blog.

wednesday night, after an unsuccessful rainbow tour of the east village, mario and i found ourselves wasted at the new venus diner on 23rd and 8th. as we were inhaling our swiss bacon burgers, a girl at the table behind us was being questioned by her homegirl, james. he was asking her if he really wanted to have her baby, especially without a baby daddy. she said she was keeping it, then proceeded to being telling her friends' business, saying how 'tamika' has had two abs already (abs = abortions.), and bonqueesha had this many, and this antandra had already had this many and is still having a baby. i was thinking two things: why is she telling everything to everyone? and two: are abortions still this common place? im not trying to get on a political platform (at all), but that issue is just so far removed from my friends. having to take someone to "the clinic" is never an issue nor is it an appropriate topic for late night patter at the diner. (ESPECIALLY over swiss bacon burgers...the nerve of some folks.)

thinking back, i'm sure people who've sat within earshot of me and my friends at basically any meal (chilis in bloomington or at dallas bbq in times square) have heard some really fucked up/funny things.

whatever, i'm getting cheese fries.

lady gaga's performance on sytycd was pretty fierce.