I Present....My Fantasy Football Team!

Last night was the draft for our DaBoyz league, where this year we all lay down a Benjamin for a total pot of 1G. Yeah, baby! Now it's go time! I drew the #8 spot out of 10 people and this is how it went down, round by round.

Round 1 - RB Reggie Bush. I couldn't believe he slipped to me at #8. This guy is a stud in our league cuz we award 2pts per reception! His numbers will only go up from last year. Plus...he'll be on TV a lot!

Round 2 - WR Reggie Wayne. Love this pick. I think this is the year he takes over the #1 spot from Grandpa Marvin Harrison. Even if not, a virtual lock for 80 rec, 1,200 yards, and 8 TDs.

Round 3 - WR Anquan Boldin. He's now in the "Hines Ward" spot in the new OC's offensive scheme. Meaning...Leinart is gonna throw the ball his way a lot!

Round 4 - WR Lee Evans. Can you tell I like players who get a lot of catches? Evans really turned it up late last year and is bound for a Pro Bowl season. My WRs are totally awesome!

Round 5 - RB Brandon Jacobs. The heir apparent to Tiki Barber. Can he handle the full load? Will he catch out of the backfield? 1,200 yards and 12 TDs out of my RB2 and I'll be more than satisfied.

Round 6 - QB Ben Roethlisberger. All the QBs were going and since we start 2 per week, I had to hurry and pick one up. I think Pittsburgh is gonna open up the offense this year and I like his targets in Ward, Holmes, and Miller.

Round 7 - QB JP Losman. Wanted Jay Cutler here but Grover snaked him late in the previous round. But still, Losman was impressive over the 2nd half last year and I hope he continues to grow.

Round 8 - WR Santana Moss. Not really a pick I like and looking back, maybe I should've taken someone else. Oh well....he's shown he can put up big numbers in the past so hopefully he can do it again.

Round 9 - RB Jerious Norwood. Time to start drafting for depth. Norwood should take the starting spot away from the ancient and tiny Warrick Dunn.

Round 10 - RB LenDale White. I've been a fan of his since USC days and am hoping that his reunion with OC Norm Chow will reap dividends because the job is his to lose. Has looked pretty good in the pre-season thus far.

Round 11 - QB Jason Campbell. One of those where you just take the best of what's left. Purely a bye week filler.

Round 12 - WR Donte Stallworth. Looking back...I shoulda taken SAN DIEGO DEF here instead of a WR with a history of disappearing on a team where the QB spreads it around.

Round 13 - RB Leon Washington. If Thomas Jones ever goes down (he's already injured in the preseason), Washington will produce in spades.

Round 14 - WR Jacoby Jones. A total flyer of a sleeper. This is where you draft for upside. He's been looking great in the preseason and getting the kind of buzz that a little known WR named Terrell Owens got in his rookie training camp.

Round 15 - MINNESOTA DEF/ST. All of the "stud" D's were already taken so I'll get by with MINNESOTA.

Round 16 - PK Jason Elam. Go Bows!

Overall, I'm very pleased with my team and don't anticipate any problems getting into the playoffs and dominating the league again. For I am the KOFF!!! LOL

Okinawan Festival This Weekend

Need something to do this Labor Day weekend? How about checking out the 25th Annual Okinawan Festival!

The Okinawan Festival will be from Friday, 8/31, to Sunday, 9/2. On Friday, there will be a parade starting from Niketown on Kalakaua Blvd, followed by a free concert at Kapiolani Park. Festivities will continue over the weekend at Kapiolani Park from 9-6 on Saturday and 9-5 on Sunday. Can't wait to have me another Oki-Dog!

I've been volunteering at this event for the last few years now and it's always been fun. Good people, good food, and good entertainment. I'll be there on Saturday from 7am - 2pm and on Sunday from 9am - 4pm helping out as usual.

Come check it out!

English Trailer For D-War

Check it out!

Opening in the US 9/14/07

Lunch at Macaroni Grill

First of all....sorry, no dica so no pics.

Had lunch at Macaroni Grill today at Ala Moana Center. Had never been there before but wanted to check it out cuz I've heard so much about the crowds plus I've been holding a $25 gift card in my wallet since last Christmas so it was time to spend it.

Got there at around 12 noon and about 1/3 full. Tables are covered with butcher paper and they give you crayons so you can draw on the paper.

We ordered the shrimp and artichoke dip as an appetizer. It came with thin pieces of toasted bread (almost like crackers), covered with some shreds of baked on cheese. The dip was pretty bland and the vegetables were cut way too big. Did not like this dish at all.

My friend ordered the Chicken Cannelloni, which is pasta stuffed with chicken, cheese, and spinach, and then covered with cream sauce and red sauce. The stuffed pasta was way too cheesy if that's possible and the taste of the chicken was totally unidentifiable. Not very tasty.

I had the Chicken Rigatoni, which came in a large, deep bowl. Large pieces of rigatoni pasta, mixed with grilled chicken, caramelized onions, and mushrooms. Way too much pasta, and not enough chicken and mushrooms. Also, the marsala wine sauce was too prominent and thin so it kind of looked like pasta soup.

Overall, the restaurant was very very bleah and I highly doubt I'd go back unless I was forced to.

File Under P for Pathetic

So I went clubbing this past Friday night for the first time in a long time not as a host but as a customer. Must've been at the club for about a little more than 2 hours and spent the heavy majority of that time dancing. Now keep in mind, my version of "dancing" is having my 2 feet anchored to the floor as I try to move my legs and torso somewhat to the beat of the music with an occasional motion of the hands to spice things up a bit.

Anyways....that "dancing" apparently has resulted in a minor injury. About an hour into the dancing I felt a little tweak in my right knee. Of course, I didn't let that stop me from enjoying myself but it did emit just the slightest amount of pain throughout the rest of the night. And then, I played 4 games of basketball yesterday and that's never good for my gimpy knees. So after I went home and showered, my knees were creaking and moaning as they usually do, but now it was both sides instead of just my troubled left knee.

Hoping that a good night's sleep would make the irritation go away, I woke this morning to find my right knee stiff and just the slightest bit swollen. Now tell me...is that pathetic or what? Whoever heard of someone injuring themselves while dancing at a club? Man....I am so sad. ㅠㅠ

New American Gangster Trailer

Man, does this movie look good! Academy Award winners Denzel Washington and Russell Crowe and director Ridley Scott in a gangster film based on a true story? Where do I sign up! Due in theaters November 2nd.

You Must Watch This Trailer!

Michelle Wie....Poop!

You know it's getting bad when I start looking for Michelle Wie's name on the leaderboard from the bottom up. That's what I started doing today and sure enough, there she was, near the bottom!

Wie shot a +7 today at the Safeway Classic, 13 shots behind the leaders. Sheesh. Talk about a fall from glory. Girl needs to go back to Casey Nakama and get that Big Wiesy swing back!

Can't Blame Lack of Exposure!

Colt Brennan is everywhere these days. I just got my latest issue of Sports Illustrated and there he was inside, with a feature interview and photo. Then I find out this morning that he's on the front page of the NY Times website.

Too bad our schedule really sucks the big one this year!

Damn You Korean Air!

I knew it! According to this Yahoo article Korean Airlines and British Airways have both been fined $300 million apiece for conspiracy to fix prices. Anyone's who's been familiar with Korean Air's fares recently knows that their prices have gone outrageously high, averaging over $1000 for a round trip ticket between Honolulu and Seoul. As I plan to travel to Seoul in October, I hope that this decision will help bring the prices down in time for my trip! Damn Koreans! Can't trust em! LOL

My Tutor Friend Lesson 2

Another Korean film that will be playing at HIFF's 3rd annual Korean Movie Festival is My Tutor Friend Lesson 2. Check here for my reviews of other films playing at the K-Fest.

This is a sequel in name only to the very popular 2003 film My Tutor Friend starring Kwon Sang Woo and Kim Ha Neul. I have to admit that I was not much of a fan of the first one but the trailer to Lesson 2 seemed really funny as I liked the idea of a Japanese student learning the Korean language as a concept so I decided to check it out.

Lee Cheong Ah stars as Junko, a Japanese national who falls in love with a male Korean boarding student in Japan. When he returns to Korea, Junko is determined to follow him and confess her love for him so she applies and gets accepted to a University in Korea. When she reaches her boarding house, however, she is very unpleased with the conditions and threatens to leave until the owner offers to let her stay in her son's nice room and also volunteers his son Jong Man as a tutor to teach her Korean so that she may communicate with her crush. Since her crush has apparently entered the military for his mandatory service, she will have time to learn Korean in order to properly confess her love for him. Of course, Jong Man is unwilling to tutor Junko as he is busy with his own life but under his dad's coersion he teaches her Korean but not properly, leading to many awkward and uncomfortable moments for Junko as she tries to apply her wrongfully learned Korean.

I must say that I was really entertained by this film. It was very funny throughout and never slowed down. Lots of funny moments were due to Junko's inability to grasp the slang and pronunciation of the Korean language (some humor may be lost in translation) and others were just plain hilarious slapstick and physical comedy moments. The 2 relative newcomers in the lead roles were also very good. Lee Cheong Ah was very cute as Junko and her Japanese style of Korean pronunciation seemed to be pretty accurate. And Park Ki Woong as Jong Man was very funny as well.

Sure, the plot seemed a bit scatterbrained at times with a storyline seemingly coming out of left field in the last third of the movie but I'm so used to that with Korean films already that it didn't really bother me. Overall, I found the film to be very entertaining and worth a look.

8/10

Honey Lee Is The New Tommy Girl

Former Miss Korea and Miss Universe 3rd Runner Up Honey Lee will be featured in Korea's September edition of InStyle magazine as a model for Hilfiger Denim, Tommy Hilfiger's premium jeans brand, according to an article in The Chosun Ilbo. A spokesperson for the brand said they selected Honey Lee for her healthy and cheerful look as well as a positive, self confident and intelligent image. I agree!

HD DVD Still Has A Chance!

Good news from Paramount and Dreamworks. They will be releasing their films solely on HD DVD format, joining Universal in this decision. Meanwhile, Fox and Sony are going Blu-Ray only. Dammit! I took a gamble with HD DVD because of its cheaper player. I hope it's the winning format in the end!

Fantasy Football Is Here!!!

Had my first fantasy football draft yesterday morning. I belong in 2 leagues and yesterday's draft was in a co-worker's league. Here's how my picks went (I had the #5 pick out of 10 people):

Rd 1 - Willis McGahee (that's right! Willis McGahee, baby!)
Rd 2 - Larry Johnson (what a steal! Middle of Rd 2? Are you kidding me?)
Rd 3 - Terrell Owens (TD machine)
Rd 4 - Anquan Boldin (always a valuable asset to a fantasy team)
Rd 5 - Andre Johnson (damn...my WRs are stacked!)
Rd 6 - Todd Heap (gotta start a TE and of course Gates was gone)
Rd 7 - Carnell Williams (gotta start adding RB depth)
Rd 8 - Dominic Rhodes (will probably start after his suspension)
Rd 9 - SAN DIEGO DEF (my #1 rated DEF)
Rd 10 - Ben Roethlisberger (my 1st QB, will provide good enough stats in a comeback year)
Rd 11 - Jerricho Cotchery (I am loving my WRs)
Rd 12 - Jake Delhomme (will also bounce back this year)
Rd 13 - Jason Elam (my #1 rated kicker...I'm loving my team!)
Rd 14 - Lendale White (a flyer pick...always go for sleepers with upside in the late rounds)
Rd 15 - Arnaz Battle (Alex Smith improving in SF)

Overall, very pleased with my draft. But my big money league's draft is next week Thursday. That's when I have to start defending my title...for I am the KOFF!

Harold and Kumar 2 Teaser

Can't wait to see this!
"North Korea and Al-Qaeda working together...this is bigger than I thought!"

LOL!

HIFF K-Fest Movie Lineup

A few days ago, HIFF announced the lineup for their annual Korean movie festival, scheduled for August 24 - 26. Looking at their lineup, I have to say they've picked some pretty good films! Here are some mini reviews of the ones I've seen so far:

For Horowitz:Uhm Jung Hwa (Singles, My Lovely Week) plays a woman whose dreams of becoming a famous piano player never panned out. Now, all she can do is teach piano to young children in a small town. She does her work half heartedly until she discovers one young boy who displays a genius in playing the piano. She takes him under her wing and grooms him to be the famous player that she never became.

I liked this film a lot and thought the story was very well told. Great performances all around from Uhm, the little boy, as well as from Park Yong Woo who plays the everyday man who tries to get Uhm's character to like him. I'd recommend this film.

7/10

A Miracle On First Street:This film was directed by Yoon Jae Kyoon, who's directed 2 of my favorite Korean films of all time in Sex is Zero and My Boss, My Hero so of course I was looking forward to seeing this one, especially since it reteamed the 2 stars of Sex is Zero, Ha Ji Won and Lim Chang Jung.

Lim plays Pil Jae, a gangster who is directed to go into a small slum town and force all of the residents to sign over their properties so that the gangsters can build a new apartment complex. He is a tough guy and bosses his way around the 1st street area like he owns the town. Some of the residents are awed by his abilities to make things happen while others simply despise him for trying to take away their land. Ha Ji Won plays a young female boxer in the 1st street town who takes after her famous father, a former boxing champion who's been crippled due to a beating he took in a fight when his daughter was a little girl. Ha is now dedicated to becoming Asia's female boxing champion.

This film has lots of very nice moments and the chemistry between Lim and Ha, both excellent actors, is undeniable. There are some laugh out loud moments and some sweet moments with the town's kids. Then the movie takes a very dramatic turn in the latter part as Korean films are wont to do but it still works out well. The only trouble I had with the film was the ending, which kind of makes you go "Hah?". But still, a fun and light film and I'd recommend it.

7/10

My Son:Cha Seung Won plays Gang Sik, a convicted murderer serving a life sentence. But one day, he is granted permission by the prison to be released for just one day so that he can spend some time with his son and mother, who he has not seen for 15 years since being incarcerated. His son is now 18 years old and Gang Sik has no idea what to expect out of his meeting with his boy. He is nervous about meeting his son and even tries to learn some modern slang so that he can communicate with him. But who knows what will come out of this awkward meeting between two men tied by blood but who don't know each other at all?

I just saw this film last night and I absolutely loved it. Written and directed by genius Jang Jin, I had high hopes for the film and it certainly delivered. Jang wrote and directed some of my favorite Korean films in Guns and Talks, Someone Special, and The Big Scene, and he also wrote the screenplay for the very popular Welcome to Dongmakgol. So if you're familiar with his style, you know to expect something special each time and My Son is the same. It may seem like a typical melodramatic storyline but Jang inserts his unique style into it and makes it a Jang Jin film.

Also, I'm not sure how to explain it, but the film has a very "Korean" feel to it. Things that are very significant to Korean culture are on display in this film and I'd highly recommend this movie if you want to see a "Korean" type of film. Not to mention that the two actors who play father and son are both very good.

Please check this film out.

9/10

The above 3 are the only films I've seen thus far from the HIFF K-Fest lineup. I'll try to post up some more reviews if I catch the movies by then.

Went to Costco Today....

Just wanted to buy a case of water (ran out at our house), a thing of milk, and some bananas at Costco today (Iwilei) after work, at around 5pm. Driving around the parking lot, I was thinking, damn! Full house today! Even the stalls at the very end (King St side) of the parking lot (where the non-lazy park) were full!

Then as I enter the warehouse, I started to notice that EVERYONE was buying 1-2 cases of bottled water, sometimes 4-5. I was thinking...what's going on? And then I remembered that Hurrican Flossie was headed towards the islands. I give Hawaii people one thing...if ever a disaster really does hit us, we'll have more water and toilet paper than anyone can handle! I've noticed that locals always rush to the store to buy these two staples at any hint of a disaster, whether it be tsunami or hurricane. Last I heard, the hurricane wasn't even going to hit Oahu, but better to be safe than sorry I guess!

Sorry...just thought that it was kind of funny.

I Read Too Many Blogs

After starting my own blog a little over a year ago...I've found blogs covering all kinds of topics that interest me and the problem is now that once I find a good one, I always have to check it almost on a daily basis to see if there are any updates. Now, the # of blogs that I check out regularly has really grown and I'm still finding more! I've turned into a blog addict!

What is it about blogs that we find so interesting? Are we so voyeuristic that we want to know what's going on with the lives of others? Are we living vicariously through them? What about people like me who blog? Are we such exhibitionists that we feel that every minutae of our lives require sharing? Who do we think we are that we think someone would care? (Jeez...all of a sudden I'm feeling like Sarah Jessica Parker in Sex and the City!)

Anyways...here's a list of blogs that I check out quite regularly:

Friends and Friends of Friends:
Wayne's World - A look at Wayne's messed up life
Pulpconnection - Covers anything from pop culture to technology to strip clubs!
Tabasco Man - Darts sandbagger Tabasco Man's look at sports and everyday life. Also...my Pac-10 alumni rival!
Baby Dog Days - Just started reading it recently...but a lot about being a parent in Hawaii...good knowledge for the (far) future!

Local Food Blogs:
Ono Kind Grindz - Has really good in depth reviews and pics, but I think it's reached the end of its run
A Passion For Food - I really enjoy this blog a lot. Daily updates and lots of pics, with good write ups. Food porn recently from Honolulu, Thailand, and Japan!
The Tasty Island - Great pics! I wish it were updated more frequently
Loco Kind Grindz - A brand new blog that reviews local restaurants. Even gives star ratings!
Da Weekend Foodie - Geez...can tell I like food, or what? ^__^;;;;;

Sports Blogs:
The Warrior Beat - UH Sports blog by Honolulu Advertiser writer Stephen Tsai
UH Sports Extra - UH Sports blog by Star Bulletin writer Dave Reardon
Both of these blogs provide great inside info on our favorite team

Life in Korea Blogs:
Lost Nomad and The Marmot's Hole - Covering politics, current events, and general life in Korea
Feetman Seoul - Just found this one a few days ago. Tons of posts and pics about the fashion trends in Korea. Actually, I just look at it for all the pics of cute girls in miniskirts!
Stranger in Suwon - A blog by a cute 23 year old Canadian girl living and teaching English in Korea. Lots of great pics and anecdotes about her perspective on Korean culture. When I found this blog, I spent about an hour reading all of the old posts since I found them so fascinating.

Did I miss any? Oh yeah...Catherine Toth's blog - The Daily Dish. This one's just okay, but she updates almost daily so I give it a quick look.

Man, with all of these blogs I read...how do I find time for anything else? And I didn't even mention the various message boards I read! I'm an internet addict!

Any blogs you guys out there read regularly and recommend?

Random Pic....

View from my bedroom at night...
Sorry for the bluriness....but you gotta hold the camera still for a long time! Maybe I'll try again for a better shot later....

Bleah....

What a dull and uneventful week....talk about doldrums...hence the lack of new posts....feeling uninspired...maybe something interesting will happen tonight...

New UH Sports Blog

The Star Bulletin's Dave Reardon just started a new blog about UH sports this past weekend. I've met Dave once before and he's a really cool guy. Very laid back, but a real fan of UH sports. As the UH football season gets ready to start, I'll be sure to check out his blog on a regular basis, along with Stephen Tsai's blog from the Honolulu Advertiser. If you haven't before, please check them out.

UH Sports Extra - by Dave Reardon
The Warrior Beat - by Stephen Tsai

The Living Tarot

After having dinner at Mediterraneo, I went to check out "The Living Tarot", another production by the IONA Dance Company. This was my 2nd Iona event, after last year's fundraising dinner. And since I had so much fun at that one, I couldn't wait to see what this night had in store.

The event was held at this old house on Pali Hwy. Apparently, the house will be demolished after the completion of this event.
The concept of the night was that there are 10 rooms to visit, each representing a different tarot card.

Before the event began, everyone had to get their tarots read, by shuffling a deck of tarot cards which determined the order in which you would visit the rooms. This way, everyone had a different and unique "journey" to follow. This pic was taken before the big rush of people arrived.
The tarot cards
This was my agenda for the night.
The show in each room lasted approximately 5 minutes and there were anywhere from 15-25 people in the room for each show, which I guess means about 200-250 people attended the event that night. I have to give credit to the Iona company because each room was very elaborately decorated and you could tell that a lot of work was put into it, from the lighting to the flooring. Wonderful!

Note: Sorry for the blurriness of the photos but I was told not to take photos with flash. Also, I did not take any photos during the performances because 1) I didn't want to distract the performers and 2) I don't want to give anything away to anyone who may want to check this show out next weekend. So most of these pics were taken right before the performances began. Prepare to be tripped out!

My night started with what was probably the weirdest room - "Wheel of Fortune"
The "Star" room
The "Strength" room. Several of us had to wear a mask and "participate" in the performance. I thought I was in a scene from Eyes Wide Shut!
"The Devil"
"The Empress" - She was hot! I remember her as the "lion" from the fundraising dinner. Evil Bunny! Set me up! LOL
"Lovers"
"Lovers" again
"The Magician" - She was cute too!
"The High Priestess"
"The World"
"Sun"
Again, I had lots of fun at this event. It was very interesting, bizarre, and enjoyable, all at the same time. It's kind of a trip to go and do things you wouldn't normally do and this is one of those types of things for me. Thanks to Evil Bunny for keeping my mind open and being able to enjoy events like this one. I'm there for the next one as well!

For those of you whose interest is piqued by these photos, I believe they've extended the show to next weekend as well. Tickets are $30 and are available at honoluluboxoffice.com. I highly recommend checking it out!

Dinner at Mediterraneo Restaurant

Had dinner with some friends Friday night at Mediterraneo restaurant on South King Street. It was my first time going there so I was really looking forward to it as I had heard good things about the restaurant.

We got there at about 6:15pm and just avoided the dinner rush. Right after we got seated, a line started forming outside. Advice...street parking isn't allowed until after 6:30pm and there are only 2-3 spaces in the back parking lot so parking may be an issue if you're looking for an early bite.

We were so hungry that we just dove into the bread and I forgot to take a pic before I had already scarfed down a slice. Dipped in olive oil....yummy!
Evil Bunny ordered something called "Volognese"? I tasted it and it was very good! She chose the skinny pasta of which I forget the name too...
I can't for the life of me remember what Orbs ordered but I do remember him saying that the name of the dish translated into "food prepared by a whore". No joke. Hmm....I wonder if he was pulling my leg...but nonetheless...his dish was super ono! Pieces of fish, olives, capers, and a little spiciness! So good!
I was curious of how their homemade sausage tasted so I ordered the cabonara over fettucine. I enjoyed this dish very much and nearly finished the entire thing! Creamy sauce mixed with bits of bacon and sausage...ooh! It makes my mouth water!
We also had a glass of wine each with dinner and I had a really good meal. And although there are tons of good Italian places around town, I will definitely try to go back to Mediterraneo someday.

What The Hell? Who Came Up With This Picture?

According to the Chosun Ilbo, a brochure for a new taekwondo park in Jeolla-do is using the above picture for its promotion. What the hell? The uniform is totally wrong (looks like karate uniforms) and the belts are so wacked, don't even get me started on them! Who the hell approved this picture? It looks like they took no measures of accuracy whatsoever! No sense of respect for the discipline of the art in this wannabe Benneton ad.

As a former student of taekwondo (both as a kid and an adult) and as a general fan of the art, I'm totally disgusted by this photo. It makes me wanna throw up.

Warriors Preseason #24!

The UH Warriors have been ranked #24 by USA Today's Coaches Poll. According to Honolulu Advertiser sports writer Stephen Tsai, this is Hawaii's first ever pre-season ranking. Woohoo! Congrats to the Warriors!

Cal is ranked #12 in the same poll. Aw, yeah!

Whew!

Just got home a little while ago after having dinner with a friend. On the way home...guess what happens! I get pulled over for speeding! I was coming home on Nimitz Hwy and there was a lot of construction going on, causing some backup and of course I was getting really frustrated from the traffic. So as soon as the lanes open up a little after Sand Island Access Road, I speed up to get around the slow ass car in front of me, and I see out of the corner of my eye, a police car parked on the right side of the road, lights off. As soon as I see him...I press the brakes to slow down, but too late! He's turned on his lights, both the headlights and the blue flashers, and he's following me down Nimitz. So I take a right on Puuloa Road and pull off to the side. Here was the conversation:

Policeman: Where are you headed?

Me: Home.

Policeman: You know why I pulled you over?

Me: Yeah, I was speeding, yeah?

Policeman: Psh! (in a sarcastic tone) Yeah! You know how fast you were going?

Me: I think 50?

Policeman: Shows me the radar gun...it says 55

Me: But I have a good reason though! I'm sure everyone you pull over has a story but this is for real! I was driving behind this car and he was swerving side to side so I though he might be drunk or something so I sped up to get around him cuz I didn't feel safe driving behind that guy! You must've caught me just as I passed him!

Policeman: I don't know, the car in front of you looked to be going pretty straight to me.

Me: Yeah, probably after he saw you! Before that, I swear he was swerving so I wanted to pass him and that's why I was speeding.

Policeman: You have a valid insurance and license?

Me: Yes. (shows the papers to him)

Policeman: Okay, you can go. Watch the speed limit from now on, yeah?

Me: Okay, thanks!

Chee Hee! Aw-right! Thank goodness he didn't smell the 2 beers that I had with dinner on me or I might've really been in trouble! (Don't worry...I was totally sober and not driving under the influence at all!) I think what sold the whole BS story was that I was pretty calm throughout and didn't seem intimdated or nervous as he was questioning me, which maybe helped to sell the false validity of my story. Either that, or he was just a nice guy and let me go, even though he knew I was lying through my teeth.

In fact, the reason for my calmness was probably because I've been through this before. This was the 4th time I've been pulled over by a policeman but I have yet to receive a ticket! Yes, I've been really lucky. But this was the first time for speeding. The other times, of course I had stories for the officers then too!

Pullover #1: No seatbelt

My first pull over.

I had my sister and my cousin and his wife from Korea in the car with me. I had just picked them up from their hotel to take to my house for dinner. I didn't have my seatbelt on so I got pulled over in front of the Waikiki Zoo.

When the policewoman pulled me over, I said, "Oh, I forgot to put on my seatbelt, didn't I? I'm so sorry! It's just that I just picked up my cousins from their hotel and I haven't seen them for over 10 years so I was so excited to see them and talk to them that I must've forgot to put my seatbelt on!" Partially true, but mostly BS. That was the first time I had ever met my cousin and his wife (they were here for their honeymoon) and I was barely talking to them cuz my Korean wasn't too good at the time. But whatever! It got me out of a ticket! But my cousin and his wife were kind of freaked out cuz it was their first day in Hawaii and here they are, being pulled over by police!

Pullover #2: Turning left onto Ala Wai Blvd on a red light

I was driving out of Waikiki onto Ala Wai Blvd when I took a left turn onto Ala Wai on the red. Well, I guess there was a sign somewhere that said I wasn't allowed to do that so the police car that was directly behind me of course pulled me immediately over after I did the violation.

This time, I really had no story to tell. I just told the officer that I just didn't see the sign and if I had, of course I wouldn't have turned on red. I apologized profusely and said it was my first time being pulled over (not true) so could they please give me a chance. Apparently it worked and I just got off with a warning. Yippee!

Pullover #3: Running a red light in Kalihi

I ran a red light in Kalihi cuz I was late for a morning meeting at around 8:30am. As soon as I ran the red (didn't mean to, but the yellow was really fast!), I see a police car do a 180 from the opposite side of the street and tag me down. My story then? I told the policeman I had to run the red because I was on my way to a meeting at a local school but I didn't know where it was so I had to follow my co-worker there in the car in front of me. But when he ran the yellow, I had to follow or else I'd get lost so that's why I ran the red! Of course, all BS! There was no co-worker in a car in front of me! All made up! But yet, got off scott free!

So yeah, I've had my share of times being pulled over and a different story for each time to get out of them. I've been really lucky! (knock on wood) Not that I'm an expert on getting out of tickets by any means, but if it happens to you, I guess my piece of advice is this...admit guilt for what you did. They saw you do it and that's why they pulled you over. No getting around that. But after they pull you over, you have to be able to think fast and give them a legitimate reason (excuse), true or made up for why you did what you did. And stay calm when you talk to the officer. Being confrontational, defensive, whatever, will not work. Stay cool.

Like I said, I've been really lucky so far. Have any of you ever been pulled over and if so, how did you get out of it? Or did you get out of it? For next time, please feel free to use any of the stories above! But don't blame me if the officer says they've heard that story before! ^__^

D-War!

There's this really cool looking monster flick coming out in Korea in August and in the US in September called D-War. It's film made by a Korean director (comedian Shim Hyung Rae) and has a total budget of $70 million, making it the most expensive Korean movie ever. It features, however, American actors and dialogue in English. I've always been a fan of cool monster flicks and I can't wait to check this one out!

Here's the trailer. Looks sweet! I love the cheesiness of it all!

And here are some cool looking posters for the film...