Response

The daughter of Kazakhstan's President says the world has become "increasingly effeminate" because of men's new interest in fashion and beauty. Here's the article.

On a side note, here's evidence that men need to be more interested in fashion and beauty.

And here's a picture I took at S.F.'s Pier 39 about a year ago.


Does his ass start at the back of his knee? Seriously, how can you walk?

The Classics

Chinese people love cheap things.


That was the chaos that was opening day in Shanghai's Walmart. While in Shanghai, I was surprised to find that Walmart actually provides private buses to shuttle its customers around, much like how IKEA is doing it in Brooklyn.


With free transportation, it's easier than ever for people to get their bargain fixes. Little do people know, cheap goods are destroying the earth. I hate to overkill the subject of "go green", but the more we buy inexpensive, throw away-type products, the more they'll pile up in our landfills. I'm not going to get into the whole "Walmart is the devil" discussion because I still go there myself (they have cheap organic strawberries), but this extends to something beyond that and IKEA furniture.

I've always been a proponent of quality and feel that quality is the best money-saving attribute a product can carry. If something is crafted properly with high-quality ingredients, it does its job time and time again, and the cost per use decreases while utility per use does not diminish over time. So, when it comes to clothing, investing a little more in classic pieces from each season that never go out of style means that they'll stay in your closet longer and out of the landfills.

Ralph Lauren is such a visionary because of his ability to place a modern touch on classic pieces. His menswear line contains pretty much the same staples every year - the navy blue blazer, summer chino pant, and the famous polo shirt. They're simple, quality, trendproof garments that get the job done each and every year.

Lakerism 101

After a frustrating Los Angeles Laker defeat to the Boston Celtics, blame is usually the first response to the great disappointment. There was definitely plenty of blame to go around; refs, coaches, players, VEGAS. But did we, the fans, do our part? Commentators constantly compared the roar of the crowds in LA versus Boston. It was no doubt that the enthusiasm from the Celtics fans had higher noise decibels.

The fans in Boston seemed unified in their Green throughout their stadium. Not one yellow shirt was given out during the finals series to help unite the fans and enhance the home court advantage. Management definitely did not do their part to encourage and support the Lakers.

Where were the true Los Angelenos fans? The crowd was spectacle of whos who to be 'scene'. I don't mind the shining stars but just show your love to the Lakers if your going to attend. Make it heard.

Were prices of tickets a definite issue? It sure was. Who could afford to go to the playoff games? There is no question that all of LA wanted to experience and be apart of the Laker's chance to victory. But, really who was able to go? According to StubHub, the average resale price for Game 3 of the NBA Finals is $844 & $942 for Game 4. That's $330 more from last year's Cav-Spurs Finals. With Gas at $5, not the average Californian fan was able to go root for the purple and gold.

Unable to afford attending games during the playoff series, Laker fans resulted to watching the Laker away games at the Staples Center for a low price of $15 to take in the experience of the Finals.



True Lakerism. Ha just kidding folks.


Well, there's always next year.

Kempt

Last weekend we went out to eat at El Cholo in Pasadena for our friend Sandy's 22nd birthday.



Had an awesome time with these guys the whole weekend. Congratulations to Jennifer for graduating from UCLA!


During dinner, Phi was asking me for some tips on shaving and as I was trying to help him out, Nina started opening her mouth and mocking my shaving ritual. That fool...

I personally never liked the term metrosexual, and am glad that its use is on the decline. It's a misused word that aims to describe a guy who pays a little more attention to his appearance than most others. Is it wrong for a guy to know how to and enjoy taking care of himself? The men's skin care and luxury goods business is booming for a reason - guys are starting to care more about their appearance. I used to pass by this barbershop called α♂ (AlphaMale) in downtown San Diego all the time on the way home from work. Their slogan is "barbershop reinvented". It's a modern barbershop that targets the modern man. I'll probably never be able to receive a hot lather shave because of my inability to grow a beard, or even a mustache for that matter, but it's good to know that if I ever want to relax and enjoy a $40 haircut while receiving complimentary alcoholic beverages and watching a show on my own persoanl HDTV, there's a place for me to do so.

I've been using the Shiseido Men's line for about two and a half years now, and have convinced two roommates and a couple of other friends to do the same. I read this article somewhere that women should take note of a guy's grooming ritual. It's a good chance that if he takes good care of himself, he'll take good care of you, too. I didn't write it, so don't argue with me if you think otherwise.

Live and Learn

After four years of undergraduate studies, I'm graduating from UCSD this Sunday, June 22. It's a bittersweet feeling to finish such a defining chapter in my life. On one hand, I'm excited to just be done with school (most likely). On the other hand, I'm about to leave behind a place that I called home for four years and the atmosphere that came along with it.

Growing up in the San Gabriel Valley, I wasn't exposed to much. Our public schools didn't foster much creative and intelligent thinking, so you were pretty much on your own if you wanted to stray from the norm. A great friend of mine who I highly respect because of all the wise advice he gave, Eric Bautista, said that the the SGV is like a bubble, or a safety net, that people get trapped under because they like the comfort that it provided. He encouraged me to break the bubble and step outside of it. In these past four years, I saw another world.

I was reading the "What I've Learned" section of this month's GQ magazine and Snoop Dogg brought up an interesting point about society. He went to a predominately white high school where the only students of color were there because of their athletic abilities. He said it was during that time that he learned how to communicate with white people. I grew up in Monterey Park - the first city in the U.S. to have a minority group (Asian) be a majority of the population.
My high school was basically half Asian, half Latino. So, when I found out that my freshman year roommate was white, I was ecstatic for change. Living with him for a year, and in the dorms for that matter, enabled me learn more about rest of the world - the people outside of the bubble I was living in.

This four-year learning experience has been amazing.

Origins

Stumbled upon Time's "World of Blue Jeans" photo essay. Some pretty powerful images...






"Made in China" has more implications than you think. If you want to get to the roots of it, "premium denim" is premium because of this shift in labor. As denim giants like Levi's and Wrangler outsource their labor to places in Asia and South America, garment manufacturing companies in the U.S. must find some way to compete and are willing to accept the smaller orders of up-and-coming denim brands. These new labels are then able to produce "Made in U.S.A." quality denim. And since many believe Made in U.S.A. > Made in China, $300 jeans were born.

Foodie Fixings

Summers here & I've been fixated on ICE CREAM. The US ice cream industry alone generates more than $21 billion in annual sales. Ice Cream is a big deal! I'm not usually one for the sweets but this will definitely get my sweet tooth going. Hopefully it'll satisfy your cravings too!

I love GOLDDD! How great is it that Lucas Designs collaborated with Nylon to produce this tasty little treat!

Jeans? GOOD! Ice Cream? GOOD! Jeans&Ice Cream? GOOD! What's there not to like?



Late yesterday night, after having a craving for some sushi, I saw at the local grocery store some TOFUTTI CUTIES, a vegan substitute for ice cream sandwiches and decided to grab a pack. They range from about $5-6 and come in a pack of 8 cute little packs. Hence the Tofutti "CUTIES". After trying them out, they were pretty good. A bit sweet to my liking, probably to disguise any aftertastes. There was a tiny bit of an aftertaste but nothing brutal. As of now, I'll stick to regular ice cream sandwiches. I would still definitely recommend these.

Capitalism -> Consumerism -> Compulsory Corporate Coercion

Adam Smith, the father of modern economics, formulated the foundation for an economic system widely used throughout the world today known as capitalism. Back then, capitalism was about owning property. Today, we associate it with having the ability to freely create a good or service, selling it to an open market through creative marketing tactics, and achieving the American dream as the world feasts on your goods.

In this era of technology, we are constantly surrounded by information. We take this information and are then forced to make often difficult decisions. Capitalism doesn’t make it any easier for us. With the ability to almost instantaneously start up a company and create products, we are surrounded by an overwhelming amount of choices. Branding becomes a technique used by companies to “help” us in our decision-making process. We become attracted to large logos, bright colors, and clever placement. But once the product is purchased, what purpose does the brand/logo serve?

When it comes to fashion, I like to follow the philosophy of former Dior Homme Classic and current Lanvin head designer Lucas Ossendrijver – "Luxury should be something intimate". Your body should not be a place to either advertise for the company that just received $100 from you for an “80’s inspired” colorful t-shirt, or exclaim your socio-economic status. Thankfully, many of today’s avant-garde designers are creating fashion and style through their unique choice of cuts and fabric, not their logos.

After looking at those jeans, I appreciate my clean A.P.C.'s so much more.

Time Travel

First off, The Lakers are going to the NBA Finals! Say what you will about Kobe Bryant, but before you do read this article from SI about the mystery behind Kobe's greatness. While I wasn't old enough to remember watching 80's basketball, I'm sure my dad thoroughly enjoyed the Lakers dominance during that era just as I have enjoyed the Lakers' success (mostly) during the past decade. Magic Johnson is still one of my favorite players because of what he did on the court then and what he does off the court now.


IWC is celebrating its 140th anniversary this year. They made history in the late 1930s by producing the first special pilot's watch with large, easy to read numbers and an anti-magnetic system designed to give greater accuracy while flying - the Mark IX.


I love the modern IWC Big Pilot's watch...


but since I have small Asian wrists (I'll have to borrow a chapter from Nina's successful weight gaining regimen), I'll have to settle for the 39mm-faced IWC Pilot's Mark XVI...

to fly this Hermes Helicopter...




whilst wearing these Oliver Peoples for Nom de Guerre sunnys, inspired by musician Roy Orbison who made a name for himself in the 1950s.


And here's a little nostalgia...