Another Week... Fly By Faster!! (SPOILERS!!)

I called it, didn't I?? Team Captain America I called it and... oooooooooh!! Even without watching it, I was right!! That's right, Chris Evans, I'm on your team! HAHAHA!!

Another episode of the CoTangent is up!! Please check it out if you have the time!!



So... I'm going to put something out there that you might not care much about and you might not want to read about, but I'm still going to put it out there! Ok... deep breath!!

I am a K-Pop fan and I've always been a fan of BigBang, 2PM, 2ne1, Girl's Day, BTS, BAP, and Block B and so on. Recently, of course, iKon! Yes!! But, as much as I like these bands... their fans are quite horrible. And for me, I think of fans to be a reflection of the bands... and yet, it's BigBang fans that are the meanest people out there. I'm not sure why.

So, to share my love of kPop, I gathered some of my non-kPop fan friends to do reaction videos with me. And the first few were alright, and they started to like them. But we started doing requests and since then, everything has changed. I can't control their reactions so, when they react naturally, the RainBridge Youtube channel got a HUGE backlash. And, well, it has just kept getting worse.

So, I've spoke with various people about how to get less of the negative responses, and maybe toning down some of our natural reactions, but no one is willing to tone their reactions down. I know that the RainBridge family is busy right now, so it's okay if we don't do Reaction vids, but I wanted to do them because I wanted to share something I loved with people I loved. ... In the end, my friends are just too ignorant of the Korean culture (... it's not like they have a chance to learn about it here, anyway) and the Korean people that give us negative comments are just too ignorant of the American culture (... not sure if they have a way of learning about it more over there...). So, in the end, it's a lose/lose situation for me.

I recently sat down to chat with the head producers of the channel and they said it was fine just letting go of the project altogether for a while. I mean, it never made money... it was just to gather up, eat together, and then shoot some videos together because we all had time.

Oh, and another thing, I got SERIOUS backlash because I commented about the "Loser" by BigBang video being too plain. ... I mean... COME ON... Given the high production value of their past videos, I felt this one fell short by a long shot of the extravagance and brilliance of BigBang music videos. Where was the symbolism?! Where was that in-depth meanings and metaphors?! Anyhoo, that's not where I take issue. I'm calling BigBang out for their portrayal of what makes a loser. Okay, shooting LA... I'll ignore that implication, but to shoot TaeYang in a RV... that's implying [FOR THOSE OF US WHO DON'T UNDERSTAND KOREAN] that anyone that lives in a RV is a loser... and I'm not down with that. Also, having "American kids" beat up Daesung in a parking lot... WTF? Shoot that crap in Korea, where your fans won't make the connection of LA being such a terrible place. Not to mention... what's with all the White girls breaking their hearts?! ... I feel like Korean boybands have a serious White Girl fantasy fetish that always ends in heartbreak. Snd since they project that, their fans take it in and are affected by it. BLEH!!

Also... When was the last time BigBang did charity work? ... Know what I mean by the cause and effect now?? For example... BEYONCE. Check out the stats on the Queen Bey HERE!! She's at the top of the world because she's an amazing performer and she does SO MUCH charity work!! And MOST of her fans are very nice people who don't bark worse than their bite. I mean, given what she promotes and how she is a good example to young people everywhere, through her music, actions, and decisions in life... SHE is a good example of a GOOD artist to be a fan of. ... Maybe it's a lack of communication or information available in English... but what good things has BigBang done??

So... I'm slowly becoming NOT a fan of BigBang... It's tough and painful because they were such a big part of my life growing up in kPop music... and I helped a friend write some parts of a fanfiction called "It Was All A Dream"... Even though I went to both their LA + OC concerts (Staples Center & Honda Center)... And I bought those little crown wands... I think... I want to be a fan of someone I can look up to and not feel ashamed of due to their discrepancies and the behavior of their fans...

Know what I mean?

***

Dear BigBang... 

Your fans are getting scarier... so are your misbehaviors and style... I hope you guys grow up soon. Until then... take care and I hope you guys learn to do something good for the world!! I've been a fan for over a decade and... I guess, I'm ready to move on. 

Sincerely ~ Tea Chai

The Good Dino Vs. The Good Human (12.21.15) [SPOILERS!!]

What an interesting story. Of all the movies about dinosaurs and humans... Ok, to be honest, I've wanted to write earlier, I did. I tried and I sat down, brewed my tea and warmed my feet in cute fuzzy socks, and yet, the words never came to me. So I put something up first and waited for my words to return. A week passed and still, my comments about the 'Good Dino' seemed... very dry.

Obviously, it's a film truly about human nature and mother nature, but what else was there? And then I watched 'Star Wars: The Force Awakens,' and now, I feel a renewed desire to write. This... yes, THIS was my element... More so than the dinosaurs, but it will all wrap together, I promise you!

First of all, Google gives you the choice of the Light side or the Dark side. And because of who I am and what I do... Nope, I chose the dark side because the character development on that side was just so much better. Hahaha! Anyhoo, so I'm on that side now... And though I didn't much like Kylo Ren's weakness nor the lack of action from Captain Phasma, I still remain on the dark side because I feel I can improve them. :D

Heh, well, the 'Good Dinosaur' was just that to me. A good dinosaur doing good and dinosaur-ing in the world. It was cute, classy, and a bit on the boring side for a Pixar film. The short just before it held more action and content, but was very well done and I was sad it was over when it was. The story is centered around Arlo and his family before he gets lost and goes on an adventure getting home. I've heard it compared to 'The Lion King' and 'Wicked', but I think it's just a big mixture of Pixar's uncreativeness and it shows that the company is a bit more lost than we had originally though they were. Especially after reading about the history, about how they held it back from the original release date so that they could go over it again... COME ONNNNN!!! You can do better than that, Pixar!! Where is the amazing creativity that goes into bringing to life countless stories the way you did before?! What happened to making us dream and soar within the confines of walls, and cry within the confines of minutes?! ... You could do better than this half-assed piece of a film. I don't like cussing, but this time, it was necessary. Please pardon my language. I had to rate it a C. That's how sad it makes me. 

And now, as for 'Star Wars: The Force Awakens,' ... how could they?!?!?! Oh, well, first, as a fan, I enjoyed it immensely. To be brought back into the world of the warring stars and the light and dark force, it was a CG feast for my eyes, ears, and heart. The aching was real, there were no tears nor were there surprises. And in the end, I couldn't wait to see the next one! Yay!

Now... onto the review the filmmaker side of me had. OOOOOOOOH MAAAAAAAAN!!! JJ Abrams was supposed to unleash his awesomeness on the franchise to open the world back up to the wonders of what 'Star Wars' was, originally, meant to be. And somehow... the film had so many holes, the characters were so under-developed, the CG was a bit over the top, and the dialogue and cheesiness oozed from every minute that passed!! WHAT HAPPENED?!?! I get that bringing back the old characters helps anchor emotional value and connections to the new characters, but that is NOT the best way to go about doing so!! Why would you waste Han Solo and let him die so weakly and predictably?! Leia is stronger but also does nothing, AGAIN. And finding Luke at the end, well, as great as that is, he's in no state to train anyone! 

My favorite character was BB-8. I mean, the little guy can travel anywhere, suspend itself in mid-air, and had an attitude like a puppy or a Black-person, as @moonlitewolf and my friend Chris, also Black, pointed out. Hahaha. Well, I see it, too, but I liked him a lot and I wish I had a friend like him to travel everywhere I went with! I rate the whole thing an overall B for solid effort and creative concept. I have SO MUCH MORE to say about this but will refrain!! 

As for those who have yet to see the film... (why are you reading this?!) here is my recommendation. For watching Star Wars, if you want to appreciate the film aesthetics and see how filmmakers have ruined it throughout time by being too liberal with the applying of CG and the over use of green screens, you would have to watch numbers four through six and then one through three before watching seven. However, if you just want to appreciate the story of the entire series then go ahead and watch one through six and then watch seven.

And first, as Tea, I'm a bit surprised by the sudden outburst of hate Rain Bridge received due to our reaction video to 'Daddy' by PSY. RIGHT?! According to Moon, RB had to stop defending us because there was too much to respond to, so I jumped in and then had to stop, too!! What a crazy world we live in!! Geez, opinions and reactions are simply just that... OPINIONS. 

And as for a recap on the rest of the world... 'Quantico' whaaaaaat?! 'Once Upon A Time' is where?!?! And... SHELDON AND AMY HAD SEX?!?! But, oh, wait, there is a new trailer out for 'Star Trek'!! If only Chris Pine could navigate his ship to me! I'd hop aboard quite happily!!


HAPPY HOLIDAYS AND MERRY CHRISTMAS!!! Eat a lot and get ready for the consequences!!

Want to meet new people online from around the world and maybe in your city or area? Check out the WireClub! I did and I've made new friends already! Stay away from the creepers, be nice, and always kind! It's up to you how it goes, so I hope it goes well. 

Honesty Sunday

To be perfectly honest, I watched 'Quantico' and 'Once Upon a Time' last week but I didn't find much point in writing a long post about it until I knew more about what was coming up. And though I could give you ENDLESS spoilers, I've decided to simply bore you with my weekend and then my predictions, coupled with my opinions about the futures for these men and women of valor and evil.

Many of the buddies were busy this week so Ed and Sarah met with Tea for some music video reactions on a lovely Saturday afternoon. The lighting was nice, the seating was comfortable, and the music was puzzling. I think the team did a couple that day and discussed the re-workings of the CoTangent podcast! Wanna take a listen? Check Ed and me out here!

As of this week, the switch to SoundCloud is real and happening! Tonight is QUANTICO and ONCE!! I can't wait!! On the watch out now!!

Another Weekend, Another Catfish, Another Reaction (11.08,15)

First, let's start things off friendly with a reaction video from my lovely friends that Rain Bridge Studios gathered to entertain us with... LOL. Some of their reactions... or lack there of, really crack me up!! These are home-grown, fully-fresh, Americans and they are reacting to K-Pop music videos. ... Can anything be more odd?

Alright, so onto sadder and weirder news, along with good food, friends, and the like! 

Friday set me in a writer's meeting with JJ, who I'm writing something for. As usual, we got off topic and started chatting about our normal lives. I mean, we're two girls with the gift for gab, we can't help it. Anyhoo, as usual, she was concerned about my dating life... or the lack of existence of one... and was extremely suspicious when I told her about M-Guy. (Protecting the name for privacy reasons.) I mean, I've tried Tinder, OkCupid, Coffee Meets Bagel, Match, Chemisty, Christian Mingle, eHarmony, Thirty Flirty, and... I think Plenty Of Fish will be my last one. I'm tired of trusting and being lied to, catfished, and judged. It's painful for me, someone who is a clean slate, and I'm so annoyed with all this stuff. Anyhoo, she looked over his profile, all of our conversations, and concluded that the guy wasn't to be trusted. 

And then I told her that I had agreed to a date with the guy on Saturday, the next day, in the evening. She was livid and demanded that I not go, or go with back up. We talked back and forth, she commented on my improvement as a female flirty texter... I was HORRIBLE before... and she complimented me here and there. But, in the end, we decided it may be a good idea to share such knowledge with girls and guys out there that need it. And so, look forward to a video about that. Better made, of course, better quality of picture and sound, both shot on Canon 7Ds and sound recorded on a boom mic into an H4N Zoom recorder. Hey, hey, hey! And then, at midnight, she wanted to go shoe shopping and the Ross next to The Grove is open until 1 am, so we went. And as she shopped for shoes, I couldn't help but feel worse and worse about the supposed date. And it came to the point, I realized it wasn't going to happen. And... I WAS CRUSHED. (Oh... so innocent am I, right?)

JJ told me not to worry but I did. She told me not to over-think, and I did. And the next morning, I woke to a text message asking to reschedule the date. And... I was so sad. And yet, I still hadn't picked up on the clues that I was (possibly) being catfished! 

I know you'd probably kick me when you met me, but I was just so hopeful about it!! And I wanted that first date... You might wonder if I'm really this gullible and trusting and the truth is, YES, I AM. And I spent the day doing nothing, having cancelled my plans so that I could get ready to meet this guy, and ended up having a girl's night out with JJ, Sno, and Moon at the YellowHouse Cafe, in K-Town. It was fun, sweet, and comforting to have my girls around me... until the other two were briefed on my cancelled date that night and... they were NOT happy. Well, they were happy at first that I managed to get a date (I'm a REALLY busy bee!) but when JJ exposed everything in our conversation, passing my phone around to compare profile pictures and conversation texts, both disapproved immediately. ... For shame, Tea, for shame...

But I got home and went to sleep well. Moon said being Catfished is very widely popular and that, since I excelled at meeting people in person, I should go with that and find someone special. Sno had mentioned her deep concerns in my trustingness and said that going to a bar, with the girls, on a girl's night, to hunt for me was a better option. (She didn't use "hunt", I did.) And JJ just wanted me to find someone real... which is, surprisingly enough, the tagline for my POF profile. "Looking for someone real." Seriously... And that morning, I had spent the morning looking through male profiles, suggesting things that can get them more noticed by women, and the like, and even helping a man who had friend-zoned me improve his profile. So, I basically was stabbed near my heart and then I helped the person twist the knife and break the hilt, so that I couldn't get that damned blade out. 

Oh, woe is me. ... But I'm getting over it.

Sunday morning brought me to upload the video above and then the early afternoon led me to DimSum with JJ, Sno, and Tall-V (I know too many females with such a name and she's the tallest of them all) in Temple City, where my family loves it and, well, I've come to enjoy it, too! JJ and Tall-V both know good DimSum when they eat it. And they've had terrible ones out here. Along with Sno, who had horrible stuff in Chinatown... so I've decided to take them out of the fakeness and into the real good stuff, the yumminess of the yummiest!! We went to the Full House Seafood Restaurant in TC/Arcadia. That's right, peoples, we had food and it was good, authentic, Chinese food! 

Unfortunately, most of the Dim Sum was gone by the time we got there and we ate as much as we could, got drinks, and then we headed home. The good part was, I had enough time to finish and upload another video shot on Halloween! Enjoy!!



And here was episode 25, for those of you who missed CoTangent!!

An Emo Weekend ... of sorts!

For CoTangent's 35th Episode, Ed and I thought of doing something a bit more fun, so I think?

This weekend, on SATURDAY was Halloween, so Ed, Moon, Sarah, J.J., and I met up for some good old-fashioned Music Video reacting, a great meal, and then two parties and then chatting at home with the friends! It was awesome, fun, and lots of good times with friends! And got a BEAUTIFUL sight of LA from a new friend's rooftop!

After that, on SUNDAY, Sarah, a friend, and I went to Comikaze! There were so many great costumes, people, passionate enthusiasts, and... I am all set for some Christmas presents this year!! WOOHOO!!

And now, I'm back to Monday. Oh, and I quit OkCupid (not booty-call material) and joined Plenty-Of-Fish!! Here's hoping for the best, eh? Since Coffee Meets Bagel, Happn, eHarmony, ChristianMingle, and Match.com failed for me... this is my last shot at online dating! ... Will I nab the one?!

Here is the most recent recording!! Enjoy and COMMENT!!! Thanks!!

TV and Dating and Love and Advice and... Reactions!

Sorry for not pressing "Publish" on this last post until today! What's wrong with me?! Haha, well, please enjoy!! 

“Quantico” was painful this week. Have they hit their peak already and are declining in story, power, and drama? I wanted to think of something better to write about but, alas, I am at a loss for words. Alex is… getting predictable, Booth and Natalie in a relationship?! Asher and Booth’s loyalties are questionable, and are we going to slowly figure out who before seeing how they were eliminated? If so, this is a TERRIBLE way to go about it!! I thought it was just a coincidence, and maybe they would change it up and keep us on our toes… and yet… I’m getting bored and I don’t want to get bored!!

S01 E03 scored a low (3 of 10 Stars) with me. Come on… bring it back up!!

“Once Upon A Time” was also somewhat of a drag. Sure, Snow and David are at it again, putting Emma first, while Henry has a date?! Whaaat?! Regina and Robin hang for most of the episode and while Hook and Emma are supposed to be all romantic, there were so many holes in the usual nice way life is wrapped up for everyone!! I feel like the answer is SO OBVIOUS and yet, life is made difficult by oblivious people. Where are the clever twists and turns that UOAT was known for?! Mr. Gold alive and awake, woohoo, but his conversations with Emma are just so awkward! I wondered how he would be and, this weird version of him is a bit unsettling. Also… boring.

S05 E04 scored just (5 of 10 Stars) with me. So sad… but still quite addicting…

"Brooklyn Nine-Nine" was AWESOME!! Peralta brings back Holt, Amy and Diaz are an awesome team. The Vulture is OUT!! And Boyle is adorable, as usual. Gina is funny... Terry is hilarious, and the other two are... somewhere there. OMG! After a boring week of TV, I LOVED this episode quite a lot! I just wish there was more story with Amy and Jake!

S03 E04 scored a whomping (8 of 10 Stars) with me! Keep going!!

***

Well, with all the deals and fun times of the Summer leaving us, the holidays and American activities are coming up. October rings in Comikaze at the Staple Center in LA. November hollers a Design event in Pasadena, not to mention the grandest slaughter of Turkeys! A time of thanks, indeed. And December hails the most traveling, where many cities in SoCal are emptied out as people travel home or to meet with other loved ones. Truly, a time to love and gather. January seeds the New Year events, along with the Lunar New Year! Lots to eat and many old faces will, surely grace your lives… Good luck with that!

I’ve always encountered a question as to whether or not one should move on with a new love or return to an old love that… wasn’t so good to them. This video says it all for me, I think.

Personally, I believe moving on helps you move on with life, grows your experience, and matures your perspectives as a person. But so many of my female friends return to their ex-boyfriends, swearing things will be different this time around. Somehow, that their ex changed so it’s fine, now. And I just wonder if these women realize that they are being manipulated? Can I say something about it or just stay silent? What is  the “good friend” thing to do?

Oh... and I'm trying this whole online dating thing and it's POOPING frustrating!! I'm currently on eHarmony, Match.com, OkCupid, and Christian Mingle. I got rid of Coffee Meets Bagel, How About We, and Chemistry.com because they were... not getting me anywhere. However, these sites are also not getting me anywhere. I wonder if I'm destined to being a spinster? ... Chris Pine!! Come save me!! (~.O)

And as a reward, Ed, Me, and Moon did another reaction video for fun... Comment please!! Thank you and much love!! Until next time!!

My Appetite and First Reaction Video

I went to China. It was lovely. I saw many things, ate lots of food, and clashed a lot with the culture. Enjoy my video!

And then I rallied Ed, Moon, and Chris to do a series of reaction videos to Korean music videos. Tell me what you think and what music videos you recommend!!

I wonder what weird thing I'll venture forth and do next... Got any suggestions?? By the way, a little backstory, Ed is a journalist, Moon is a sound mixer, Chris is an animator, and I'm a filmmaker. So... lots of opinions flying around. We drank some Samuel Adams beers, pumpkin flavored Shock Tops and had some Blue Moon... All rather light and fluffy for this fun friends time!!

New episode of CoTangent coming soon! Yay!