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- "the older I get, the less I know..."
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A bag of nuts and TV Interviews
Friday, Sep 14, 2007 1:43AM / Standard Entry
Justin, Julie and I just did a whole day of TV interviews for FINISHING THE GAME in San Diego. And though it was a lot of fun going from TV station to magazine interview to TV station, all Justin and I could really talk about was food. You see, the night before, Julie had sent an email to us to meet at Justin's in LA at 10 AM to drive to San Diego AND, since our interview schedule was so packed, to make sure we ate a big and hearty breakfast to tied us over until dinner. Unfortunately for both Justin and myself, we did not get Julie's memo...and hence, neither one of us had breakfast. Julie, however, had a full 6 course meal prior to our SD departure.
Julie is smiling b/c she had breakfast. Justin is near death. I am contemplating flinging myself off the NBC network balcony to rid myself of my hunger pains
But Julie Asato would not be the wonder-producer that she is without thinking ahead. She brought 3 Balance bars and, a bag of nuts for our trip, and one small bottle of water. In our dire hunger, Justin and I shared the balance bar like two stowaways sharing their only bit of food at the start of a trans-atlantic voyage. It was rather sad and pathetic. And, the bag of nuts had walnuts. I hate walnuts. Walnuts make my skin itchy and they taste like chalk.
Nonetheless, we made it through our day. And though Justin and I did not have breakfast or lunch, we were able to make it through all our interviews. Unfortunately for both of us, we really have no idea what we said because we were both in a famine-induced comatose state.
Justin at stage 9 of hunger delirium and Roger requesting the Dr. Kevorkian "stick arrow through skull" euthanasia proceedure
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I'm Buzzed So I Did A Bad Thing...
Sunday, Sep 9, 2007 4:36PM / Standard Entry
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MEET MY AH GUNG (grandpa) - a good old guy : )
Friday, Sep 7, 2007 3:05AM / Standard Entry
This is a photo of me and my Ah Gung (grandpa)
Just last week, my grandparents came for their annual, obligatory visit to the United States. Ever since I was a baby, my mother's parents would travel from Taiwan to America where they would visit their 5 children. They would spend about 1 week at every child's house, bringing with them suitcases full of Taiwanese delicacies like taro root cake, stinky tofu, seaweed, fresh bamboo shoots, etc. I was always amazed how my grandparents were able to get through customs with all of these strange treats. Perhaps if they tried to transport a live spider monkey or African Horny snails in their luggage, they wound not have been so lucky.
But this visit was different from all of the rest. The look on my grandparents faces when I first greeted them at the door was unlike any I have ever seen over the past many years. Usually it's a big smile, a rapid fire of Chinese banter, and a connection that feels like..."Ohhhh, so good to see you. Have you met a nice Chinese girl so you can give us nice Chinese great-grandchildren?!" But not this time. Instead of an immediate greeting, my grandparents just stared at me silently, as if looking at something for their very last time. Especially my grandpa.
My grandfather was diagnosed with colon cancer exactly 12 months ago. Because he is 88 years old, the family and doctors decided it was too risky to undergo traditional cancer treatment and surgery (I agreed with their decision). So, my grandpa went through several rounds of oral pill chemotherapy. Though it did not kill the cancer, it greatly slowed down it's progression. The doctors gave him 14 months to live.
Old age combined with disease can really take a physical toll. The grandpa I know and keep dear in my memories is one of a strong man, a great community leader. He was the only doctor in a small Taiwanese town called Chu Tung. Post WW2 Taiwan was a very difficult place. And as the town physician, my grandfather provided not only medical help but spiritual resolve to bring healing to a war-torn community. The grandpa I remember is a strong, strapping Taiwanese man with huge biceps that my sister and I would dangle off of as children. We treated him more like a jungle gym. I remember him taking me cruising through the windy chaotic streets of Taiwan on the back of his white Vespa. I remember him laughing, singing and drinking at countless family gatherings and town parties. He was the center of many people's worlds.
So it was very strange for me to see him this time around. I last hung out with my grandfather about a year ago. At that time, he was aging and slowing down. But since that time, he has become old. Now he has a cane and needs the assistance of my uncle just to get around. He needs help getting dressed for the day, undressing for the night, bathing, and going to the bathroom. It's effortful for him to talk so he doesn't speak much and he sleeps 19 hours a day. But though his physical exterior is failing him, his mind and spirit is still strong and present. He radiates a love and warmth that is stronger than ever. It's nice just so sit next to him even if it is silent. The unfortunate truth is that my grandfather is quickly coming to the end of his time and he knows it...he can see it. I can only wonder what is really going through his head. But one thing I know for sure, the choice that he has made at this point in his life is to journey half way around the world to America to surround himself with what matters to him most...his children and grandchildren. His family. And that was against doctor's orders.
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Doing Dallas with BBQ Sauce... Delicious
Monday, Sep 3, 2007 2:40AM / Standard Entry
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I Am Now A Major League Baseball Player ...sort of
Thursday, Aug 30, 2007 3:45AM / Standard Entry
Like any grown man, I have many boyhood dreams that I keep secretly tucked away in the back of my head, hoping that someday I can fulfill them. A few of my "secret dreams" are as follows... 1) drive a Porsche on the German Autobahn at +200 mph, 2) swim with a whale shark, 3) become the third Pet Shop Boys, 4) arm wrestle Natalie Portman, 5) etc, etc, etc. Last night, I got to fulfill one of my boyhood dreams and turn it into a reality...I got to throw out the opening pitch at a Major League Baseball game!
The whole experience was rather surreal. I got a call from my friend, Michael Gin (who owns Chop Suey Cafe in Little Tokyo). He asked me if I would like to take part in Chinese American night at Dodger Stadium and if I would like to throw out the first pitch of the game. My answer..."Hell Yeah, Dog!" To be honest, throwing out the opening pitch at a major league ball game was never really on the top of my "boyhood fantasies that must be fulfilled" list. However, like my mama used to say..."never look a gift horse in the mouth!" So I borrowed a glove from my good buddy, neighbor, and fine optometrist, Dr. Geoff Yeo, put on my yellow jumpsuit from FINISHING THE GAME, and headed to Dodger Stadium!
Once I got to Dodger Stadium, I started to get a bit nervous. Not because I was wearing a skin-tight, yellow jumpsuit that highlighted every nook and cranny on my body. No...I was a bit uneasy because I realized I had to actually throw a baseball 62 feet into an area the size of chessboard in front of 60,000 people. No pressure, right? But all that anxiety went out the window when my cameraman, Josh, vomited into a bush right next to me as a result of a night of hard partying. For some reason, seeing Josh heave his lunch all over the Dodger landscaping made me feel better. Strange, huh? Through vomit, I was able to steel my mental and spiritual resolve.
It's amazing how big a major league baseball park really is. As a spectator, I have always watched a game from the outside looking in. But as my first time ever on a major league field, I truly got a sense of what a Roman gladiator must have felt when he took to battle in the Collesium. TONIGHT, I THROW THIS BALL FOR SPARTA! (not that Romans and Greeks have anything in common) So after getting a few pitching pointers from Dodger manager and baseball legend, Manny Mota, and a brief stint discussing global politics with a few Miss Chinatowns, the announcer called my name. It was time. So to the mound I bounded, ready to fulfill one of my life squares. As I topped the pitchers mound, I looked up on the Dodger Jumbotron only to see that I had a smile a mile long on my face. I then wound up and let the ball fly. It was good I was smiling so much, because my pitch missed the strike zone by about 2 feet. Not pretty, but it did the job.
Stats
- Roger Fan is one of the industry’s most interesting and exciting young personalities, redefining the leading man aesthetic through a wide variety of projects as an actor, host, and motivational spea...
- Occupation: Actor , Film/TV Producer
- Gender: Male
- Total visits: 123,186
