7.18.04-- Sophisticated Lady.

Ever since my birthday, the non-stop biking, my new part time job, and my folks coming over on July 4th weekend and helping me clean my apartment so that it is actually clean and livable for once, I feel like I am in a new stage of my womanhood.

I've had friends over all this week. This is huge for me. I am now so domestic. Usually my house is so messy that I can't let anyone come over. I've been drinking wine with dinner (but still passing out like a lightweight after) and cooking Trader Joe's food. I love Trader Joe's. I feel like I am a young urban, yet progressive, "enjoy the finer things in life" kind of woman when I shop there. Plus it makes me feel like I've cooked, when I have just heated stuff up. Trader Joe's is like tv dinners except classy.

So I have also been thinking about my web updates, and I am kinda in this stage where I am like, "Hmmmm.... a woman needs to have some secrets." Not that I actually tell everyone all my secrets on this site. Because I actual keep a ton of my life very private, even from my friends. But, that's partly why I haven't updated my site in a while.

Also, working my desk job part time really sucks me dry half the week.

But I did get a chance to see the Margaret Cho/ Chuck D. discussion at the Hammer Museum last Tuesday. That was awesome-- it helped me get back into the political swing of things. I am so glad that Margaret has really embraced her identity as an activist and participates in these kind of discussions. So many aspiring actors I know can't embrace activism because they are afraid of screwing up a future celebrity career that has yet to happen, if ever. Plus, they don't know who they are or what they stand for anyway.

I hate tossing the word "diversity" around because it's such a buzz word, but this was an amazingly diverse crowd. There was really a little bit of everyone there. It was packed. There might have been 500 people there.

She was saying to Chuck D. "Don't you ever wish you could be white? Just for a week?" Basically, she was pointing out in her comedianne way how much easier it is to be white in America than a person of color. And this white woman blurts out from the audience, "I am so sick of being put down for being white. I train my kids to love all people. You know, Chinese, Latinos, Blacks, Asians..."

And everyone in the audience was groaning. Margaret's response was, "Oh, we aren't putting down white people, we are just saying we want to be white." It was a great comeback and the crowd applauded.

I do have my criticisms of the discussion though. I felt like Margaret was very much the moderator of the discussion which made the discussion oddly balanced, and while Chuck D. had a lot of great things to say, he seemed to put down a lot of what was messed up in the world-- a lot of which this crowd already knew. He would put it all down almost to the point that he was not the oppressor, and only part of the oppressed. And I think that he could he could have owned up to the complicated balance of being an activist like himself, who does own up to a certain amount of privilege and to being a sometimes oppressor. We all can't be perfect activists, but he kind of positioned himself like one. During the Q&A, this black guy asked Chuck D. if he was homophobic because of a supposed homophobic comment he made 15 years ago. And after a lot of awkward stammering in answering this guy's question (which really pointed that Chuck D. did make this comment), he finally said, "No, I am not homophobic." And I think a lot of the audience felt that this response only indicated Chuck D. was homophobic years ago, and was refusing to own up to it and open it up for discussion. When I think he could have made it a great point of discussion. I also thought it was interesting how this audience member was "nitpicking" Chuck D. for not being a "perfect enough" activist.

I took a picture with Margaret. The other girl in the photo is my friend Jin. I tend to have my mouth open in a lot of pics, I realize.

I went to the bookstore later and bought Greg Palast's "The Best Democracy Money Can Buy" and Ben Cohen's "50 Ways to Show George the Door in 2004". There were some great ideas for activists in Ben's book. One of them is giving homeless people shirts that say, "Are you doing better than you were 4 years ago? I'm not"

I also saw the Corporation on Friday. It's long and a lot to absorb. What a great informative documentary. But so depressing because it really proves that the world is going to implode.

Can I tell you how I am still the sexiest bicyclist in West LA? I bought a Hello Kitty CD player from the Target in West Hollywood (it's so hipster!) and put it in the milk crate in the back of my bike. I haved burned music-- Beastie Boys, Tupac, Chariots of Fire, Etta James-- all music that makes me feel like I am in a movie when I bike to it. It's so cute and 80's to have music blasting from my bike. I get looks all over the place, but I don't care. Me and Miles biked down Sawtelle with Cake's "Going the Distance" blasting and we got so many looks. Miles tried to smoke a clove while biking and I was like, "What the hell? Are we in high school?" He was like, "I am in a bike gang and don't give a f#$%" His clove kept getting unlit by the wind. I think we need to invest in those chewing sticks that have the phallic effect of smoking cigarettes with none the nicotine. I am also a badass because I put a sign that says, "Bush Satan 2004" and "Bikes Against Bush" on the back of my bike.

I biked from my place in West LA to El Segundo and back. I have a big farmer tan now. I am so unattractive with these stripes all over my body.

It's crazy. I've lived here for like 8 years and I am just discovering stuff. Like the Venice Canals. Who knew there were actually canals in Venice? And I found this great place to eat off the bike path in El Segundo that faces the beach. And it's not that pricey. I didn't have enough money though, but the Vietnamese guy who owns the place felt an immediate connection to me, his Asian sister, and made me a veggie burger for what money I had. Then he brought me a smoothie. Hook it up!

I can't believe how much there is to be discovered about this city. All by bike. My life is totally changing.

My friend Amos, who is a Taiwanese redneck who lives in Texas says that he does this thing with his friends called "Tour de Lush." Basically, going from bar to bar in Houston by bike. It works best when you have a friend with a truck who can take you home at the end. I would like to do that with Miles but I don't think we could go to more than one bar without falling over into the street.

Anyhow, great news in my career (oh yeah, remember that?)-- I booked the Faces of America tour with Will and Company. Basically it's a one person, 9-character show that tours colleges all over the country. My friend Beverly who also went to my high school (fellow oppressed Catholic school girls--hook it up!) I'll be rehearsing over the next few months and will be going out on and off about the country and getting to talk to students all over. I'll be alternating with the other actor they've cast. It's a great challenge for an actor and a great show. I'm totally excited.

I am also working on writing and directing a short for Cherry Sky Films. We shoot on 24p! More details on that to emerge. I am actually procrastinating on my treatment now. And should get back to that.

And looks like some stuff is lining up in the Fall. I will be doing "Free?" in Chicago in September, after I finish up a one week residency in Urbana, Illinois. Some guest lectures and shows here and there.

Oh yeah, and for those of you who were wondering, after all that badgering of City Hall, my grant from the City of LA Cultural Affairs did come through! Horaay! In the full amount too! So I will be teaching performance workshops in District 6 (Really far away-- Van Nuys, Pacoima, Arleta) in Spring 2005! I was supposed to do it this Fall but don't think I can get it together in time!

And then, trying to raise money for my AIDS lifecycle. And train.

Keep the gigs coming kids!

And so begins the great juggling act. I thought this summer was supposed to be chill.

Kristina