A Strange Week (2.19.16)

A LOT has happened this week! 

First of all, I had a sudden fight with a friend to start off the week. Nothing made sense but attributed to the emotional post about friendship below. I am still a bit miffed, but what can you do, right?

Second of all, I lost my debit card! ... But I cancelled it and a new one has been sent... to my parents' home! Great... another week without my card. But it's ok! Paying for stuff is so efficient. Lucky me!!

Third, the cake friend bailed but I'm still going to make what I planned on making! I have two friends willing to help and then, well, hopefully we'll be done!! Videos up soon about our mis-adventures! PWAHAHAHA!!

Fourth, not sure when the team will gather up but reaction video shooting will happen soon. That means lots of food, friends, and feelings... hehe! Se La Vi, but excited for the slew of Chinese videos... I wonder if I'll understand them... 

Last of all, I decided to attempt the famous CITRONs from 'Plants Vs. Zombies: Garden Warfare 2'!! Tell me what you think!! (Yes, I had time so I went for it!) Thanks to Photoshop... it looks like I know what I'm doing, right?? 

Microphone Mayhem!! (02.18.16)

I had the honor and horror of starting a podcasting channel for RainBridge with some friends that grew and now is expanding. I say honor because we’re covering topics we want covered and offering opinions that others may be too afraid to voice. We talk about the failing education system and the comparisons of pop-culture and entertainment all on one channel. And, of course, we have the sports side, so we do have it all. But I say horror because it demands and requires a lot of time and energy and money!! From feeding our panelists, podcasters, and special guests to making sure I have the right hardware, software, and equipment, the checklist only grows, even as my funds shrink. But we hope to be sponsored soon, maybe. Who knows how that works?

So, for RainBridge Studios, CoTangent was the first successfully launched podcast. It featured Ed and myself talking about sports, general trending topics, and then cover the weekend box office. This has gone on for a year and we will continue it because people actually, which is fun! And then Umbrella Thoughts was started because there are topics not covered by talk shows that ought to be at the top of the list for conversations. So, instead of listening to those older hens and gossipers talk about the less important stuff, we’re taking on the tough subjects, conversations, and hoping to bright to the table a different perspective on what is truly ailing our country, community, and society today. As Ed says, it’s the more intellectual conversation part of RB Studios.

So, because I have a film background, I predominantly used a Zoom H4N and although it records high quality sounds, it is more of a film-based microphone. In film shoots, I use an XLR splitter to add left and right, connect it to a boom pole, add a shock mount with a Rode mic at the end and you have a film sound recorder of pretty high quality. However, to ensure clean and crisp sound, you have to turn the microphone to whoever is speaking and try not to record the sound of the xlr cable moving against the pole, or the like. You have to watch for cars, helicopters, airplanes, and other noises. It all affects the sound on your shoot, and the H4N is simply the device that holds the sound. That’s all it is really meant to do. To ask more of it… is just silly. Simply put, it’s meant to just record.

Not to mention, the microphones up top are pointed in 2 directions, with some additional sound-recording abilities on the sides, but when 4 people talk around a table, it’s hard to capture everyone cleanly without squishing everyone together at one end of the table. Not to mention all the other sounds you end up catching. Most of the time, I’d point the mic at the person across from me, ask those on my right and left to speak louder, and I would talk the loudest because the mic is facing away from me. This was strange and their voices would start strong and then die off. I’d strain to hear them at times. … This is NOT FUN.

So, I was in the market for buying another microphone. I wanted to capture tone and dynamic sounds for these podcasts. I needed something that accentuated the cleanest of voices while capturing everyone evenly at all times. I didn’t want someone to purposefully strain just because my microphone couldn’t capture them, too. I mean, how strange does that sound? So, into the market I went!!

Here is how my train of thought traveled…

Dynamic vs. Condenser Mics 

From what I have found, dynamic and condenser mics are much more worth the musical realm of recording as opposed to the voice broadcasting systems. Where tone quality and sound can be tweaked and adjusted so to better fit the music, or amps, or whatever, these microphones aren’t great for more of a chatty, monotonous, and non-dynamics needed purposes. I grew up singing, so I know what these mics can do, and speaking was always a whole different adjustment.

Rode Procaster & Podcaster 

Wow! To go from listening to normal sound to how well these two isolate the voice, it’s simply amazing. I was so wooed by it, the price is what turned me off to it. If I have to buy up to 5 microphones, that’s over 1K, and RB Studios isn’t at a place to do that just yet. But one day, if we make enough to support ourselves, we will put the budget into making this happen. And I would buy the Procaster because, oh my, it’s as smooth as honey and sounds even better! Indeed,a fine microphone, and I expected no less from Rode.

Blue Yeti

Something you have to understand about the podcasts from RainBridge Studios is that it’s rarely ever just 1 person podcasting. There is usually at least two people, if not more, but around four for Umbrella Thoughts. Because we are still relatively small, we can’t just shell out hundreds of dollars for multiple microphones with individual arms, pop screens, cables, a mixer, and the like. So, for the price and sound, to cover everyone equally, the Yeti simply was better for everyone sitting around the table and talking. 

So... In conclusion, as if it weren't obvious enough... I bought a Yeti for the time being. Until the day RB Studios can have their own office and sound studio... the Yeti will have to do. Yay! 

Fickle Friendship (02.17.16)

Friendship, I have found, is a very fickle thing. I’ve met strangers I could rely on more than friends of friends, which makes me wonder just how they think and operate. I’ve been burned so many times in friendship, I feel it is my job and duty to make others aware of just how aloof some can be when faced with the opportunity to help or ignore someone that is connected to them in some way. And for privacy purposes, I’ll not name names, but if they read this, I’m more than sure they’ll know who they are. And, again, this is a discovery post for me, about how I think completely differently than they do.

For those of you who don’t know me, just know this; I’ve never been in an intimate relationship, so all I’ve ever had were friends. So, I treasure these friends very much. I treat them like kings and queens because… they are all I have. And I believe in treating others the way you want to be treated. It doesn’t mean they have EVERY come close to how I treat them, but I still have hope that… maybe one day, SOMEONE will. However, having friends is special. Having none is lonely. Less painful, but also more quiet. So I choose to have friends. Maybe that’s where my thinking become so warped?

I recently learned that I treat strangers and non-direct friends better than I ought to. One example came from a recent hope of an adventure I had. I wanted to create a difficult custom designed cake that required baking knowledge and so, I asked a friend of my sibling’s for help. The person could do great things! I’ve witnessed it and eaten it before! This person agreed and then, after a few emails, this person just ignored me. I felt a bit hurt, brushed off by someone I thought I could trust, but then, I guess, this person was a relative stranger to me. If it weren’t for my sibling, then I wouldn’t know this person. Regardless of how close this person is to my sibling, that person obviously felt no connection to me.

So, it was my fault for putting so much hope in this person. I’d forgotten about how different of an person I am. For me, if a friend of my sibling asked for a favor, I would be gung-ho until the very end. I would offer up my services in every way, shape, and form, because they are friends with my sibling.

Another example comes from a wedding I once pulled out all the stops for. With a three camera set up during the service and two traveling cameras during all other times of the day, throughout the different events, I could have easily charged $1k for the whole shebang, even it being my first full wedding package. Instead, because the bride was one of my sibling’s best friends, I busted my butt from 6 Am until midnight, and was given a red envelope of $20 at the end. I was so speechless, I was so hurt, I was so humiliated, I didn’t know how to handle it except to swallow it.

Final example? A friend of mine moved recently and though I tried to help, I simply didn’t have the time. There was a miscommunication and that left a staleness in our friendship. I was confused because, when I see someone moving down the street, or what not, I usually offered to help if they needed it. Even in the Church I grew up in, we were taught to help others without complaint nor resentment. I’ve helped more people I didn’t know move than I care to remember. It was just the fact that I was fulfilling a need. That’s all.

I asked friends if my way of thinking was an American way of thinking and most of my Asian friends said yes, whereas my American friends simply told me I was just too nice. But… isn’t that how the Church raises the children to be? Have unconditional love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, and self-control?

So, this weekend,  I will venture into the cake making adventure on my own with a friend who is as ignorant as I am, and hope for the best. I can’t blame others for not helping me because they have no reason to. We think differently, therefore, the only hurt is me.

Is that right? Am I missing something?

So, please, for everyone who reads this… please be aware that some of your friends are as “too nice” as I am. If you don’t want to help them, TELL THEM DIRECTLY. Like me, I won’t know even if you ignore me because I will always give you the benefit of the doubt and think that you’ll get back to me as soon as you can. People like me… we get hurt much more often than you think, by people just like you. And yes, it’s our fault for being “too  nice”, but that’s the way we were raised. As much as I want to say no, if I CAN help… I always will. And when I get underappreciated or brushed off, I will believe that it’s my fault. And I will forgive you.

Because to me, everyone is a friend. Everyone who needs help should receive it. … Right? 

Valentine's Day Weekend + Single's Awareness Day (02.16.16)

I wanted to write sooner about this weekend, but something felt strange about it because Monday was a holiday and so, that technically meant that the weekend wasn’t over, right? Well, I had to work Monday, so, for me, the weekend was over. But for those of you who had it off, good job. I’m happy for you! You lucky duckies!

Friday found me working hard on a manuscript and putting together materials for my voice actor. I’m working hard on ‘Motivational Marley’ because… well, once you see it, you’ll see why. I mean, HE’S ADORABLE!! I’ve never felt so much motivation when it came to editing before I edited his materials together! He’s wonderful, amazing, and very comforting. I can’t wait to share him with the world, with ALL OF YOU!! (^v^)

Anyhoo, a new friend from Japan via Montana arrived Friday night to hang out with her friend of near 15 years… Lots of drama ensued, which made me re-evaluate my friendship with said person because… I’m the type of person who can be mistreated by friends for years and never say anything about it for fear of troubling the friend. Having friends, at all, to me, is a blessing. Partially because most of the friends I grew up with are no longer in contact with me, and also because I’ve NEVER had a boyfriend, so all I’ve ever had were friends. So, in the past years, I’ve worked hard to leave a BIG community of friends for the smaller more intimate group of besties that I always see. The friend who kinda messed up this weekend was on her way to being one for me, but because of her own selfishness, she removed herself from that position, minimizing our relationship to a more professional and distant one. So, all I can do is accept it, you know? … So much drama. Glad it’s over.

I WATCHED “DEADPOOL” SATURDAY MORNING!! I love watching movies in movie theaters!! In those soft chairs filled with body odors and farts, drinking water or a fattening beverage, eating butter-drenched popcorn because I couldn’t tell how much I was squeezing in… NOTHING beats such an intimate act!! And I LOVE watching previews!! They give me something to look forward to. Something to yearn for. Something to pre-laugh at, so that my during-movie sounds are appropriate. The main friends I watch movies with are in my group of besties. To date, I’ve watched the most movies with Moon. She’s the reason I have a Stubs card at all! Second comes Ed, of course! Third is Chris, and Sarah is between first and second. Hehe! If that makes any sense… JJ and I haven’t seem movies together, but we talk about them a lot! We’ve also collaborated on ideas for some… soon to have more info on that!

Personally, it was more blood than I cared for. The character Wade Wilson was funny and some of the shots on him were truly extravagant. Like when they found out he had terminal cancer, the way he watched Vanessa handle as he zoned out was a BEAUTIFUL shot Chris and I loved. The sense of humor wasn’t EXACTLY what I enjoyed most, but I did enjoy it, nonetheless. There was a lot more killing than I expected, a bit more graphic than I thought it would be, but I liked the action, enjoyed the shots, LOVED the opening credits, and found the film quite downright clean for a Rated R feature. I can’t wait to see if the next film stays true to who Vanessa is from the comics! A definite B+ rating from me! Yum! I didn’t need popcorn or a drink during it! And though I watched it in the morning, my friends and I were surprised that the theater was more than half full! The entire upper area was filled. Our group of seven (Moon +2, Ed, Chris +1, and me) sat together in the front section back row. Still quite enjoyable! And I’d see it again. Yes!

After the movie came KBBQ at Moon #3! They actually serve milk teas and boba now, which was strange but yummy! And they have just started serving sushi!! I know!! They’re really branching out. For reals!! After the late lunch, everyone split, and Moon took her two friends away. Ed, Chris, and I also split up and let the evening pass rather uneventfully. Wait, no, that’s not true. Sarah joined us for lunch but she had things to do. Ed also went home and later hung with another friend. Chris and I bought 5 boxes of baking mix and headed over to visit the friend from Montana. We baked 1 batch of large chocolate chip cookies, 1 batch of lemon cookies, 1 loaf of blueberry bread, 1 loaf of mixed confetti bread, and 1 loaf of devil’s sinful chocolate cake. YUMMM!! We chatted, baked, and chatted a LOT. For those of you who don’t know, Chris is featured on Umbrella Thoughts! We always talk about more intellectual topics and can’t really help ranting and raving about our opinions and their relevancy in the society we live in. Close to midnight, we headed out and to bed! Yay!

Valentine’s Day came and I woke up late. In the morning, the friend from Montana was hurt and sad so she came to spend the day with me. Yay! And then she took a nap until close to 3 pm, so I simply contacted my lonely birds and we planned an early dinner at Black Angus! It was Sarah, Ed, Chris, my Montana friend and me. The talked, laughed, and ate together. And at the end of the meal, there were long lines, so we were all thankful we’d gone early! We had dessert at Menchies in Burbank. Moon +2 were busy, but se la vi! We hung at my place after but Sarah had to leave! And then my roommate returned, hailing the end of our hang out. But I had to wait for Marley’s mom to pick up the Montana friend. And when everyone was gone… it got quiet.

Quite the weekend if you ask me. I watched and then re-watched Sophina Dejesus’s floor routine a few times, skimmed through youtube videos, and, aside from the drama, it was fun and not as lonely. I could only imagine what Chris Pine did. I did unfold him a few times this weekend, the human life-sized cardboard cutout of him, that is. LOL. It’s getting closer to MARCH!! I love that month because I will be heading to Taiwan to do all this… blog and record videos… and, hopefully, blog!! So… LOOK FOR ME!

Final Comments… I really hope “Dragon Lady” gets picked up even if the networks end up changing the title. I’m pretty okay with it!! It’s the story I want to tell. When the title comes, it’ll stick! Yay! WE NEED DIVERSITY!!

Hope your weekends were greater than mine!!