Happy Halloween

Trick or treat!

The picture above was taken at the 7th Annual ETM (Engineering and Technology Management department at Portland State University) Potluck (where everyone brings a dish to share for the dinner) on Saturday, October 27, 2007 – 4 days before Halloween. I was dressed up like a wizard. Being in the United States, I wish I had a chance to enjoy the Halloween night with all the candy giving and dress-up party. Unfortunately, today I had a late night class that finished around 10.00 PM and by the time I got home, I felt exhausted. So, I just updated my blog here for the record that my first Halloween in the United States was not an enjoyable experience, not because of the tradition itself, but because of the situation and the mood I was.

I am looking forward to more enjoyable Halloween next year.

Macy’s Downtown Portland Grand Re-Opening

 

Last Friday, I had a chance to join the grand re-opening of Macy’s department store in downtown Portland. Macy’s is a big fashion and home apparel department store chain which claimed the historic spot at Meier & Frank Square in Portland, replacing the original Portland-based Meier & Frank department store in 2006. Shortly after the name’s change, Macy’s announced a temporary closing of the store at the end of the year for renovation and it has just re-opened on October 26, 2007 after almost ten months of absence. The store is fully renovated with cozy feeling and modern look, while keeping all beloved historical ornaments intact.

The highlight of the grand re-opening ceremony is a giveaway of 3,000 Macy’s commemorative ceramic bags filled with delicious Franco® Hazelnut chocolates and Macy’s Gift Card that could be worth $5, $10, $25, $50, $100 or even $500. I waited in line along with other eager Americans who seemed to be excited about the gift card more than anything else. Well, when the time came, it was somehow chaotic but eventually I survived and, guess what, I was lucky enough to receive a $50 Macy’s Gift Card. Hooray! The celebration continued inside the store with free palatable cakes and apple-cider drink and I enjoyed shopping with my free $50 gift card. It’s my lucky day!

 

Related Links

• Macy’s Official Website

Dumbledore is Gay

I have just read the news from BBC website stated that J. K. Rowling, the author of the acclaimed Harry Potter series, revealed that Albus Dumbledore, one of the most important characters in the series, is actually homosexual. The truth came out during the Q&A session at New York’s Carnegie Hall, which is a part of her Open Book Tour in the U.S. This is the confirmation of internet rumor after the last book of the series, Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows, was on sale and readers from around the world had a chance to know more about the past of Dumbledore, one of the most beloved characters from the series. Now, as J. K. Rowling suggested herself, it opens the room for fan fiction to create more spin-off stories.

Now, I guess Sir Ian McKellen, who perfectly portrays the wizard Gandalf in the Lord of the Rings trilogy, would be an excellent cast as Dambledore in Harry Potter series. Don’t you think so?

 

Related Links

• BBC News – JK Rowling outs Dumbledore as gay
• Yahoo News – J.K. Rowling outs Hogwarts character

Thai Snack Party at PSU – October 13, 2007

 

Last Saturday, Thai Student Association of Portland State University held a small party gathering all Thai students and alumni together. Never have I known that there are so many Thai students here at PSU. In fact, the association has been inactive for quite some times until our lovely newly elected president (by unanimous vote) came in. Thus, from next year, we will see some exciting and enjoyable events such as the famous “Thai Night” and some field trips. I am looking forward to all the events.

Check out more pictures and captions in Thai at Jao-Yung Ying’s blog. I took the above picture from there. Thanks for the picture.

HUGO – XY or XX?

 

Check out the new fragrances from HUGO – HUGO XY and HUGO XX, with the unique concept focusing on human nature using the difference between men and women’s chromosomes. The official print ad and TV advertising shows male actor/model Jonathan Rhys Meyers fighting in the boxing ring with female model Bette Franke, so passionately and intimately that you could easily imagine what will happen next. The official website of the fragrances has the couple’s fighting scene as a background with suitable music. It’s enjoyable to watch. You could also request a free sample of the fragrance if you reside in the country listed in “Free Sample” link. As the web site is rich in content, you should connect via high-speed internet to ensure smooth and enjoyable experience of the web site.

The URL of the web site is as follow: http://hugo-xyxx.com/

An Enjoyable Dinner at Huber’s Restaurant

I have just been back from a very enjoyable and entertaining dinner at Huber’s restaurant in Portland city center. The restaurant is famous for its reputation of being the oldest restaurant in Portland, founded in 1879 with a long and interesting history to tell. It’s situated inside the Historic Oregon Pioneer Building at S.W. 3rd avenue. The restaurant has a warm and cozy feeling with old-style American bar. The famous dish of the house is its Turkey cuisine which possibly makes every meal here as the “Thanksgiving” specialties. The restaurant’s signature drink, which I fell in love at the first sip, is called “Spanish Coffee.” It’s the combination of Kahlua, Bacardi 151, Bols triple sec and coffee, flaming (literally with matches) and topped with fresh whipped cram and nutmeg. This alcoholic smell-good coffee could keep you warm during the cold winter night.

If you have a chance to visit Portland, don’t forget to stop by at Huber’s restaurant. It’s highly recommended. Check out the restaurant’s web site at http://www.hubers.com/.

Art Thomya – Incomplete [Music Video]

Check out the new music video, which has just been released, from Art Thomya, my talented senior friend whose aspiration to be a singer is what I admire. The song is beautifully written and his voice is as touching as always. This music video was filmed manually in South Korea with an incredibly professional in-house editing. I really love the sequences of the video that goes along well with the song itself.

Your comments are very welcome and I am sure it would be much appreciated by Art Thomya himself.

 

Related Links

• Original video page at MySpaceTV
• Learn more about Art Thomya at his Official Website

Moonstruck Chocolate Café

Moonstruck Chocolate Company is a Portland based hand-crafted chocolate maker. It was found in 1993 and, over a short period of time, gained a national, or perhaps international, reputation of its finest and most elegant chocolate novelties. Moonstruck has been selected to prepare and present the official Annual Academy Awards® Chocolate Gift Baskets for 2 years in a row (2005-2006.)

On the other day, I had a chance to visit one of the company owned café around my neighborhood. There are arrays of beautifully crafted truffles, palatable looking chocolate cakes and choices of hot and cold chocolate drinks. It’s literally my chocolate widest dream comes true. I just couldn’t try all of chocolates it has to offer in one time so I think I have to visit the café again and again. I had better watch my weight now.

 

Related Link

• Moonstruck Chocolate Official Website

Farewell, Brownie

 

Just a moment ago, I called home to check if everything is fine and, unexpectedly, I had just been informed that my dog “Brownie” at home was dead this morning. He was a cute little Poodle that our family got from a friend 3 years ago since he was a puppy. He went along well with everyone in the family, including a cat “Tiger” we had a long time ago. It’s always enjoyable to play with him and see him sleep relaxingly with Tiger, quite an unusual sight seeing a dog and a cat at peace together.

I am deeply sadden to hear this news that I just had to write about him in this blog. At least, it would be his little space of obituary. Rest in peace, Brownie. May you find your way to dog’s heaven. We will always miss you.

A Fine Taste of Jazz at Jimmy Mak’s

Last weekend on Saturday night, I had a chance to dine at Jimmy Mak’s jazz club, one of the best place to listen to Jazz music in Portland. Situated in “Pearl District” the prime area in downtown Portland, the club has been quoted as “nationally known” by USA Today. In fact, Jimmy Mak’s was founded as a small Greek and Mediterranean restaurant in 1996, with great music and cozy atmosphere. Later, the place has become famous for its food and, especially, Jazz music. The great shows and performances keep coming up in its event calendar.

On Saturday night, it is a debut show at the club for the Jazz band called The Anomalous Quintet as known as The AQ. The band is led by the finger picking guitarist Jason Newsom and features a tenor sax by Michael York, an alto and baritone saxophone by Daniel Covrett, a bass by Arcellus Sykes and a drumset by Ronnie Lagrone. Their first album Quintessence was released in 1999, while the second and latest album Life on an Oblate Spheroid was released in 2005. They are planning to release their third studio album within the end of this year. The music of the band is original, mixing the leading guitar and bass with two saxophones perfectly with a great beat from the drum, resulting in unique funky tone and grooving rhythm. It was truly an enjoyable experience to dine and listen to a wonderful live Jazz musical performance. Even though there was a $8 entry ticket (apart from the dinner you ordered), the club was still full and if you didn’t have a prior reservation, you would have to stand by the bar to listen to the music.

That’s my latest cultural explorer in Portland. This time, as a music lover, I found myself happy with a fine taste of Jazz music. I am sure there are a lot more to explore in this cultural diversified city of Portland. Stay tune!

 

Related Links

• Jimmy Mak’s Official Website
• The Anomalous Quintet’s Official Website – You can listen to the sample of their Jazz music here.