Since I am so into music I’m doing a countdown of my Top 15 songs of 2008. Keep in mind that these songs weren’t necessarily released in 2008, but they were the top songs that remained in my Winamp for much of the year. Also note that I am NOT one of those fans of obscure music so you will only see very mainstream songs in my Top 15. Enjoy!

15. Jake Shimabukuro (My Guitar Gently Weeps) - I never heard of this guy till this year when my cousin mentioned offhand that he was going to see his concert. Did a little research on him and downloaded this remake of the Beatles original. Jake’s ukulele playing skills are amazing!

14. Three Degrees (When Will I See You Again) – Many of the songs that I come across are from movies and tv shows. This 1970’s era song was featured at the end of the classic teenage flick “Can’t Hardly Wait” with a hottie Jennifer Love Hewitt and a dorky Seth Green!

13. Sly Fox (Let’s Go All The Way) – I heard this 1986 jam multiple times on the radio before I downloaded it and was instantly hooked with the infectious 80’s style melody. This song was the ONLY hit for this “one hit wonder” band.

12. The Perishers (Nothing Like You And I) – Heard this song on one of my FAV shows “Greek” on ABC Family. It’s a slow song and it ROCKS. Shouts to Derek Mio who plays Wade on the show.

11. Prince (Controversy) – I heard this early 80’s song for the first time on the radio this year. Man what was I missing? This song is AWESOME. Makes you want to immediately get up and dance. Too bad I was stuck in traffic on the freeway when I first heard it or I woulda been up and pop lockin!

10. Keane (Spiraling) – How f*cking AMAZING is Keane? One of the few live concerts that I’ve been to. I love a lot of their songs! This one was off their new album (which I heard was not that good).

9. Justin Timberlake (My Love) – I STILL love this song. One of those tunes that you immediately love within 5 seconds of hearing it. Has a very cool and dream like bass line.

8. Ne-Yo (Miss Independent) – Ah Ne-Yo. What a friggin PIMP. I often have our DJ (Mike Dangerous) play this song at the end of our GO Pro parties to get the ladies in the mood.

7. Justice (D.A.N.C.E.) – I didn’t really start getting into this kind of music till this year. I think what drove me to listen to other types of music was because of the utter CRAP that’s been coming out of the Hip Hop industry the past couple year. Anyway, this song is on repeat when I’m showering and getting ready to go out to Cabana Club or Ritual!

6. Ne-Yo (Because of You) – I was OBSESSED with this song for much of 2008. I would say during the first half of the year, I listened to this song AT LEAST twice a day. I would safely say that this is one of my top 5 songs of all time. Not only is the beat good but the lyrics are swell too!

5. Cyndi Lauper (Time After Time) – I finally downloaded this song after watching Napoleon Dynamite for the 5^th time. Such a SWEET song. Love it! 80’s innocence at its finest. I love it at the end when she whispers “time after time” till she fades out.

4. Big Bang (Last Farewell) – For all you KOREANS out there this is for you! Yes I know I’m a Jap but damn the hangooks sure know how to make catchy tunes and cool movies! Watching this music video IMMEDIATELY makes me want to get dressed in dark slacks and button up shirt and head out to Le Prive (Cercle). Images from my past life of booking and scantily clad women come to mind when I hear this song.

3. Colby O’Donis (What You Got) – Not only is this song awesome but Colby is hella down to earth and gracious. I hope he never changes and attains the success that he deserves. If this song doesn’t make you want to get up and dance, the I don’t know what will.

2. Journey (Faithfully) – This song…… So many emotions come to the surface whenever I hear it. Sometimes I just sit there and listen to it over and over and over again. What a GEM. Seriously….I LOVE this song. I wish I had the voice to sing it in karaoke bars. Make sure you check out the version that is sung by the new Filipino lead singer. What a great story in itself. He’s awesome!

1. Chris Brown (With You) – Chris Freaking Brown. This dude MAJORLY came up this year. Props to him! I listened to this song a lot in ’08 and think of one special person every time I hear it! She knows who she is. J

If y’all didn’t already know, the Fantastic Four (GO Productions, Whisper Ent, Opium Pro, and Kiramas) are throwing a real classy and intimate event at El Rey for NYE this Wednesday.  This historic venue on the Miracle Mile is close enough to Hollywood, Downtown, Ktown, and the Westside to accomodate everybody!  We understand that times are tough this year and that’s why we’re offering OPEN BAR starting at 11pm.  No this isn’t a “champagne toast” or a “beer and wine” open bar….this is a FULL Alcohol Open Bar…the GOOD stuff!  A classy venue and open bar for a GREAT price!  I still have awesome Group Discounts (4 or more) so contact me: Justin@GOProductionsLA.com or you can text 310-210-9196 for more info.  800 capacity so this event will sell out!  In the meantime check out the website at www.believe2009.com The site is NICE.  Click on it…you won’t regret it.

Wow our Grand Opening of Ritual Saturdays was a great success with GO Productions, Opium Hollywood, Kiramas, and Whisper Entertainment!  Colby O’Donis came to perform and not only did he sing a lot of his hits but he was gracious enough to stay after for photos with everybody.  I gotta say that Colby breaks the stereotype of the spoiled and “full of himself” star.  This guy is REALLY down to earth and humble!  The crowd loved him!  Hearing his hits “What You Got” and “Don’t Turn Back” was a treat.  What a great way to start off our WEEKLY Saturdays at Ritual!  Check out all the photos in our “Gallery” section!

So the Fall 2008 Undie Run was this past Wednesday December 11 at UCLA.  A quarterly event celebrating Finals Week.  It used to be the Midnight Yell but somehow it morphed into this pseudo sexual event where students run around in their underwear.

Photos can be found here:  http://www.pixnation.com/la/pictures/2008-12-10_UCLA_Undie_Run_Fall_2008/

Courtesy of our friends at Pixnation.com

Let me first start off by saying that it was FRIGGIN COLD.  I dunno how anybody ran around in their underwear in that kind of weather.  The turnout wasn’t as great as in quarters past (probably because of the weather).  I would say the number of people running was around 1,000.

I did notice that there were A LOT of media outlets at the run (ESPN, NBC, FOX News, and the LA Times).  Nothing greater than a bunch of 50 year old pervs taking pics of people in their undies eh?  =)

My friend Emily subsequently received a “D” on her final the next morning so maybe the Undie Run should be taking place AFTER finals?

Anyhoot, here are some samples from the night:

Is your mom a fob? Wouldn’t it be great if there were a collection of all the fobby mom-isms that your mom has ever said to you? Your wish is Teresa and Serena Wu’s (no, they aren’t sisters- just two friends with the same sense of humor) command. They proudly present, mymomisafob.com! MyMomisaFob.com is a user generated website showcasing the emails, IMs, conversations, mispronunciations, pictures etc of our mothers.

Check it:

Is that awesome or is that awesome?

Teresa and Serena are juniors at UCSD and UCBerkeley, respectively. MyMomisaFob.com started as a brainstorm between the two of them and rapidly took off from there. Not surprisingly, some of the inspiration comes from Teresa’s own Taiwanese mother. In fact, her mom used to rock one of those huge plastic visors. You know what I’m talking about, your mom wears one too. In Teresa’s words,

“A cute fob mom is painfully out of touch with American culture yet tries every day to connect to her kid’s lifestyle, whether that’s suggesting a night out at the club together or learning to text message for the first time. She gives a combination of the best, worst, and most unintentionally hilarious advice.”

Moms. Gotta love ‘em.

To add icing to the cake, MyDadIsAFob.com recently launched. Same concept, different parent.

Check out their sites and submit your fobby moms and dads to Teresa and Serena!

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Violet is a guest blogger for GOProductionsLA.  She’s a twenty something, Asian American chick  livin’ up the party life in Los Angeles. Find her at Cabana club on Fridays  and the newest restaurants and bars every other day of the week. If you’d like a fresh perspective, have a topic you’d like to see discussed or just want to say hello, email Violet : Violet@GoProductionsLA.com

The East West Players theater in Little Tokyo proudly presents The Joy Luck Club. The Joy Luck Club is written by Amy Tan and a best selling novel, turned movie. The performance is written by Susan Kim and adapted from Tan’s novel.

From November 6th to the 9th, seats are $20, and $12 with a student I.D. These seats are significantly discounted as they are “preview performances”.

Opening night is November 12th, 2008, seats are $65.
The performance officially runs from November 13th to December 7th, 2008. $45 for orchestra seats, $40 for balcony seats.

November 28th is “Pay-What-You-Can” night… $1 minimum. $1!

If you don’t already know, The Joy Luck Club highlights the complex relationships and connections between Chinese American women and their Chinese mothers. The Joy Luck Club intertwines themes of pride, family history, love and culture.
It has been a while since I’ve read or seen the Joy Luck Club but I remember two things:

1. Some of the relationships and characters depicted were (unfortunately) stereotypical- especially the portrayals of Asian men.
2. There were some touching parts in the movie that I could relate to.

However, overall, I remember enjoying both the book and movie. I will be checking out this performance.

Although this movie is about Chinese mothers and Chinese American daughters, any Asian American would be able to appreciate the cultural misunderstandings and generational problems that the movie highlights. How many times has your mother told you something, which you ignored, only to realize she was right?

Check out the East West Players for more info on The Joy Luck Club performance. Support the theater and the actors. You’ll laugh, you’ll cry, and hopefully call your mother and tell her how much you appreciate her.

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Violet is a guest blogger for GOProductionsLA.  She’s a twenty something, Asian American chick livin’ up the party life in Los Angeles. Find her at Cabana club on Fridays  and the newest restaurants and bars every other day of the week. If you’d like a fresh perspective, have a topic you’d like to see discussed or just want to say hello, email Violet : Violet@GoProductionsLA.com

October is Domestic Violence Awareness Month and Verizon is attempting to create awareness. Verizon gave 60k to five organizations in the Bay Area that focus on fighting Domestic Violence in the Asian American Community. These agencies (Asian Americans for Community Involvement, Asian Women’s Shelter, Chinese Community Health Resource Center , Korean Community Center of the East Bay and Maitri)  say they will use the money (each got from 5k to 15k) to “support new and existing domestic violence prevention programs” such as emergency shelters, youth peer counseling and in-language staffing support.

Although we know that domestic violence isn’t only limited to Asian Americans and could happen to anyone, Verizon says they chose the Asian American community because:

1. Verizon is based in San Fran where there is a large Asian American community.
2. Verizon believes the Asian American community faces unique challenges and risks because of “language and cultural” barriers.

I don’t think the language barriers have anything to do with Asian American domestic violence victims not asking for help. Cultural barriers? Maybe. I’d say cultural differences instead of barriers but it some would argue a case of semantics. Ultimately, those who are victims of domestic violence have their own reasons for not asking for help or getting out of the relationship. They could be embarrassed, scared or hopeful for change. It’s hard to say unless you’ve been in an abusive relationship yourself.

Either way, Verizon is doing a good thing here. Now if they could just get rid of that annoying “Can-You-Hear-Me-Now” guy with the emo glasses.

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Violet is a guest blogger for GOProductionsLA.  She’s a twenty something, Asian American chick  livin’ up the party life in Los Angeles. Find her at Cabana club on Fridays  and the newest restaurants and bars every other day of the week. If you’d like a fresh perspective, have a topic you’d like to see discussed or just want to say hello, email Violet : Violet@GoProductionsLA.com

Twenty year old Xueting Zhao, is one of 123 Chinese exchange students in Beijing who are studying abroad at Northern State University. Her major is in business, but she also teaches informal Chinese dance classes at NSU. Most importantly, she is learning about the American Culture. She’s discovered a new love for pancakes but is puzzled by the abundant amounts of cheese Americans use. She’s also been pleasantly surprised by the cultural differences in friendliness and hospitality.

Reading about Zhao reminded me of an experience I had when I was in high school. I had a friend whose family often participated in foreign exchange student programs and there was one girl whom I will never forget. She was a Chinese student and was terrified by Americans. She thought Americans to be loud, boisterous and obnoxious. She couldn’t understand why my friend and I always had an opinion about everything and why we were so outspoken. After many awkward experiences, she finally got used to us and “Americans” in general.  She said she learned to be more outgoing, direct and assertive. She and my friend kept in touch over a couple years and she thanked us for helping her “understand” Americans.  To this day, I’m still not quite sure what my friend and I did other than be a friend to her.

Aside from associating America with cheese, pancakes and Wal-Mart, I hope Zhao’s experience in America will be as informative and helpful as the exchange student I once knew. Being Asian American, older and wiser(?), I wonder what I would tell Zhao or any other foreign exchange student. Perhaps I’d start with a socio-cultural analysis of StuffWhitePeopleLike.com…
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Violet is a guest blogger for GOProductionsLA.  She’s a twenty something, Asian American chick  livin’ up the party life in Los Angeles. Find her at Cabana club on Fridays  and the newest restaurants and bars every other day of the week. If you’d like a fresh perspective, have a topic you’d like to see discussed or just want to say “Lei Ho”, email Violet : Violet@GoProductionsLA.com

You can’t ignore it, nor should you. The elections are coming up and your vote as an Asian American matters! Asian Americans could be the deciding vote in some swing states. According to the National Asian American Survey, “the study found 41 percent of Asian Americans are likely to vote for Barack Obama, 24 percent support John McCain and 34 percent are undecided.”

If you don’t know who to vote for, or have a friend or relative in a swing state who is undecided or unaware of the candidate’s views, send them this quiz: Glassbooth.org. Glassbooth claims to be nonpartisan, nonprofit organization that is unaffiliated with any political ideologies, political party or organization. The quiz is quick and just as easy as the quizzes on Facebook, Cosmopolitan or Maxim you’re always taking at work anyway.

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Violet is a guest blogger for GOProductionsLA.  She’s a twenty something, Asian American chick  livin’ up the party scene in Los Angeles. Find her at Cabana club on Fridays  and the newest restaurants and bars every other day of the week. If you’d like a fresh perspective, have a topic you’d like to see discussed or would like to buy her a drink (she’s a fan of White Russians)… email Violet : Violet[at]GoProductionsLA.com

According to this article, the buying power of us Asian Americans is close to $600billion. Additionally, Asian American households are more affluent than any other population group in the country. We are digitally savvy and are more likely to use new media (ie: online mediums of communication).

This article also states that hunting for bargains is a key aspect of the Asian-American consumer profile yet we “possess an above average penchant for shopping”. Thus, we aren’t shy about making high-end purchases. As a side note, who doesn’t like a good bargain?

So what does all of this mean? Are we an untapped, lucrative market for marketing and advertising? Will we be seeing more ads and marketing campaigns specifically geared towards Asian Americans? What would an ad geared towards Asian Americans look like anyhow? Let me guess… an Asian girl and a White guy shopping at Tiffany & Co. for an engagement ring?

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Violet is a guest blogger for GOProductionsLA.  She’s a twenty something, Asian American chick livin’ up the party life in Los Angeles. Find her at Cabana club on Fridays  and the newest restaurants and bars every other day of the week. If you’d like a fresh perspective, have a topic you’d like to see discussed or if you’d like to buy her a drink, email Violet :  Violet [at] GoProductionsLA.com