9/11/11 35 Years Old and 10 Years Young

Hey, ya'll.  Been on a bit of a hiatus with this blog as well as HK cinema.  HK films make up about 95% of my cinematic diet but usually twice a year I step back and try to catch up with the non-HK movies I'd neglected throughout the year.  These past few weeks has been one of those times.  Even if it means forsaking HK cinema in favor of the Drew Barrymore directorial turkey, WHIP IT, and such bastard turds like THE HUMAN CENTIPEDE and the utterly vile and without purpose, A SERBIAN FILM.  With shite like these, why deviate from HK cinema?  I'll get back into the swing of things in a bit.  Anyways, yesterday was the 10 year celebration of our country's resilience against the awful terrorist attacks that occurred on September, 11, 2001.  It was also my birthday!  Another wonderful event!  When people hear that my b-day lands on 9/11 I'm usually greeted with an, "Ohhh!  That stinks.  Sorry."   Comments like this are only slightly less annoying than the, "You look like Vin Diesel," one's I usually get when I'm newly shorn domed and have sunglasses on.  But this is all just nonsense.  So as the media sets everyone up for Kleenex ceremonies, I wholeheartedly go the other route.  For me, 9/11, any way you look at it, is a cause for celebration.  I count myself so very lucky to have my birthday coincide with my the day we celebrate my country's strength, patriotism, and valor. 

That being said, I would never want to take away the remembrance of those we have lost on that fateful day.  But instead of mourning, I choose to walk a little taller.  A bit more proud.  My heart wholly goes out to the friends and families who lost loved ones that day, and continue to do so as the amazing people in our Armed Services eat dirt daily as they fight to secure our everyday freedoms.  We are all much better people because of their mettle.

Sooooo, let's get on with it.  Don't want to be a Debbie Downer here because this is a post about celebration!  Wei took me into Flushing for a little b-day HK movie shopping and dinner.  I took a few pics around town.  A few posters plastered on buildings squawked an upcoming concert by the TWINS in Connecticut this month and the films LOVE IN SPACE and MY KINGDOM, which recently opened in NYC theaters.  Flushing C-town's HK movie shopping has been on the decline.  And while it has never been entirely fruitful, I have found gems on occasion.  Flushing featured 3-4 movie shops, mostly pushing bootlegs, but the number has now dwindled down to 3.  2 shoving bootlegs and one shoving....'questionable' copies of films.  Sometimes its a boot, sometimes not. It's a crap shoot.

Bootlegs...

....and some more...

OVERHEARD 2 and WHAT WOMEN WANT booters

SEX AND ZEN 3D bootleg

Crappy CAT III booter section.  I see Shu Qi in IRON SISTER!

Non bootleg copy of MICRO SEX OFFICE.  Yoink!

After shopping we went for some noodles.  Above is the new look Chao Zhou.  The restaurant had a fire a few months back that forced it's closure.  The new revamped restaurant is a bit nicer, brighter, and serves the same delicious food.

Cambodian Noodle Soup.  Wei and I each had a huge bowl of this.  Our usual.  Phenomenal!

After we unstrapped our Chao Zhou feedbag we headed up the block to a sort-of dai pai dong, that offers extremely cheap sidewalk eats.  Above, Wei is ordering me some fish balls on a stick.  My favorites.  And below, I enjoy those fish balls.  Ain't nothing wrong with havin' some balls in your mouth!  Right!? hee hee heeee

After stuffing my fat face, Wei and I hopped the 7 train for a short hike over to Citi Field to catch my lowly New York Mets face the Chicago Cubs.  It was a special nationally televised game by ESPN that included a touching 9/11 Remembrance Ceremony before first pitch.

Wei.  Check out these great seats!  $60 seats for 17 bucks.  Thank gosh the Mets stink!

An ass holding a beer.

The stadium wasn't full last night for a few reasons.  One, the Mets are a huge bag of stink.  Two, it was a late game and the kiddies had to go to school the following morning.  Three, who wants to really go out on 9/11?  And finally, It was the opening day for the NFL and the majority of Ny'ers where home in their pj's, scratching their butts, while watching the New York Jets battle the Dallas Cowboys on Sunday Night Football.  Poor, poor job by MLB having this game played at night.  All of that aside, the ceremony was quite great as the Mets had former player escort first responders from all of the major NYC departments out onto the field.  All the while bagpipers piped.  What was also quite touching was the inclusion of children who have benefited from a charity set up by a former NY Mets player, Rusty Staub; The New York Police and Fire Widows Fund.  Each child walked out onto the field while clutching a Mets players hand.  Very sweet. The bright lights of the stadium even dimmed for a moment of silence as the crowd illuminated electronic candles that were handed out at the stadium.  Very, very cool.

The celebration was quite somber and the crowd was most affected by it.  So much so, that the entire game was a sullen affair.  It could have just been that the crowd was tired out from the days events and that first pitched clocked in at almost 8:30...or that the Metsies just suck?  But this was the quietest crowd I have ever been a part of.  It was quite eerie.  It also didn't help that the Mets fell behind early and had to fight back.  But, quietness is only relative as Wei and I were blessed enough to sit right next to 4 young chirpy and fashionable (all wearing brightly colored Chuck Taylor All Stars) Taiwanese "fans" whom, while in between talking on their bedazzled cellphones in very loud Mandarin, overly cheered foul balls flying into the crowd and immersed themselves waaaaayyyyy too much in 'The Wave.'  One girl seemed to be enamored with her nostril as more than a few times I glanced over to see her knuckle deep, diggin' for China, as we here in these parts usually quip. Wei chuckled throughout the game at their antics, often translating their Mandarin play by play of the game for me.

9/11 Remembrance Ceremony @ Citi Field

The Metsies, HK movie shopping ( I brought home LEGIT copies of LOVER'S DISCOURSE, EX, KUNG FU HIP HOP 2, and MICRO SEX OFFICE), gorging myself with great food, and watching my favorite baseball team, all stuffed into a few short hours on what has become one of the greatest days our nation celebrates.  I love being able to say that I was born on 9/11.  Though being 35 leaves a lot to be desired.  Anyone else have bad knees, a constant stiff back, huge man boobs, a jiggly ass, and sperm that take water aerobics classes?  Or is it just me?

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For a wonderful read about 9/11, please check out my blog friend YTSL's current post at her blog, WEBS OF SIGNIFICANCE.  Great, great post.