Was Obama Eating Something Better in China Than My Dumplings?

The Oscar season has definitely started. There are so many high profile films are about to open in theaters. I had screenings every day this week, except on Wednesday. Actually even on Wednesday night, I headed out to Delancey Screening Room for the screening of Pedro Almodóvar‘s Broken Embraces (Los abrazos rotos). I have never been to this theater, so I looked it up on Google Map, but the stupid Google Map points me to this wrong place! I turned around and went home. I think I mentioned this before that Google’s service has been lousy lately. The annoying java scripts on their pages are getting out of hand, they are causing more trouble that good. I completely quit using Google Calendar because of it. Now I know that I need to double check on Google Maps’ answers from now on. On Sunday night, I am positive that I will find this theater for another screening. President Obama picked a gloomy day walking on the Great Wall in China. I definitely had a better weather when I climbed the Great Wall. I also think he picked the wrong section to go as well. That’s not his fault—it’s all arranged by his Chinese host. I am glad that he is able to see the magnificent Great Wall in person, and visit China in person. I want to visit China too. When I was watching Obama having state dinner in Beijing with Chinese President on TV, I don’t understand why no journalists bother to take a picture of the food! I want to see what they are eating. Although I didn’t see the food at the dinner, but I saw a clip of the stunning performance by Cai Yong (蔡勇), an actor from Shanghai Acrobatic Troupe Circus. This 13-year-old-boy is absolutely amazing. How could somebody have so much strength yet so elegant? I found a clip where he won the championship in an international competition last year. No matter how many years I practice yoga, or practice whatever, there is no way I can be remotely near to his ability. Even I have been busy watching films this week, I still need to eat, but something quick and easy. The other night, I bought a (humanly killed – I hope so) young chicken (童子鸡), and let it comfortably rest on a nest of rape. Then I made a bunch teriyaki tofu to hold a vigil for the chicken. It was so good, I mean the food. I am sure the service for the chicken is not bad either. I ran out of flour last week. Finally Sandy helped me to get 50lb of rice and 50lb of flour. Now I am fully armed with ample ammunitions, it’s time to cook. I have been craving for dumplings for a while, therefore, I made dumplings tonight for dinner. I boiled some rape, and used most the stem portions for the dumpling fillings. The rest, I drizzle some oyster sauce as a side dish. Then one by one, roll the wrapper, stuff in the fillings. With some garlic sauce and kimchi, I am completely content with my freshly made and boiled dumplings. I am not sure if Obama is eating something better than I do. However, at least I have pictures to remember my enjoyment. Now, I want to make dumplings for the president. Will he come? Thanksgiving is next week, so I will have a short week at work. I am so looking forward to it, even I have so much on my plate to do, besides to eat. Let’s have some Italian for a change, shall we? Vincere Italian director Marco Bellocchio‘s "Vincere" (Italy/France 2009 | in Italian | 128 min.) is a visually stunning biopic about the little known tragic life of Ida Dalser (1880 – 11 December 1937), the notorious dictator Benito Mussolini‘s first wife. At the turn of the last century, Ida Dalser (Giovanna Mezzogiorno) opens a beauty salon in Milan. After she meets the ambitious and magnetic Benito Mussolini (Filippo Timi), she passionately falls in love with him. She sells everything she has to support him, and gives birth to a boy Benito Albino Mussolini in 1915. After Mussolini returns from World War I, not only he abandons socialism and founds fascism, he also marries to another woman Rachele Guidi and shuns Ida and their son Benito Albino Mussolini. Heartbroken Ida refuses to compromise and stubbornly demands the right as Mussolini’s wife, even when Mussolini becomes the dictator of Italy and she can only see him in movie theaters or in newspapers. Eventually, she is interned in a psychiatric hospital away from her son. Love can bring happiness, it also can crush the heart and mind. Even Ida knows this too well, she continues her courageous fight, to the very end. She never gives up. The film seamlessly blends vast amount of historic footage into its beautiful cinematography, and constructs a fantastic visual rhapsody. Adding the haunting music and the terrific performance from Giovanna Mezzogiorno and Filippo Timi, the film is nothing short from a grand opera. "Vincere" is an excellent representation of Italian cinema. It is a perfect choice to be the closing night film at this year’s New Italian Cinema, co-presented by the San Francisco Film Society, the New Italian Cinema Event, and the Italian Cultural Institute. New Italian Cinema celebrates the rich cinematic tradition of Italy and brings the country’s newest directors and films to audiences in San Francisco. New Italian Cinema presents eleven films (six of them are directed by a director whose first name is Marco) at Landmark‘s Embarcadero Center Cinema in San Francisco, November 15-22, 2009.