Weekend Reading Material // No. 2

No. 2 // April 5-6, 2014

+ Saw this awesome wooden block set for toddlers on OhJoy's blog and was instantly smitten. But I'm not one to ask for sources when a little internet research is all that's needed. So I went to work. And found it. And HOLY MOLEY, DUDE. TWO HUNDRED DOLLARS FOR A TODDLER TOY. ARE YOU INSANE.

I need to study those product pictures more closely or go play with one in-store, because I'm pretty sure we can figure out how to make our own. Someone with wood skills or access to lots of different shades of pretty paint, help me out here.

+ Speaking of being good with creating things from wood, this table is on my list of "maybe someday if I can find someone who knows what they're doing and is willing to take cookies in exchange for a full day's worth of work." Well, and if I have somewhere to put the thing after we've finished making it. At the moment, all this is just wishful thinking. But pretty wishful thinking, no?

+ For all you Disney fanatics out there, this list of movie facts is pretty cool. I think I like #30 the best. It's just so "Whaaaat?"-inspiring.

+ If you're a sucker for food and travel and excellent photography, you'll love Alice. Her site is basically a more mature, less wordy version of my adventuring posts. I was excited when I came across her on Instagram.

+ Your longreads article of the weekend is this Vanity Fair piece on Asians, specifically Asian women, in the entertainment industry. I don't normally read VF because I tend to find their articles longwinded, uninteresting, and lacking in related pictures {yes, it's unsophisticated to admit that, and as a bookworm, I cringe a little inside, but hey, it's true}, but this is a good one.

A little backstory, I considered going into acting {stage, not Hollywood} for like a itsy-bitsy millisecond. And then I quickly realized, even as a kid, that one, the chances of making it were slim to none, because two, I am an Asian female and there are basically no good roles for Asian females {that aren't along the lines of Joy Luck Club}, so three, I would eternally end up playing some minor character or background extra. And no one goes into theatre to be "Townfolk #4" or "Baker's Wife."

So basically, the zenith of my acting career was playing the lead in our amateur production of "Up the Down Staircase" my senior year of high school... where the population was 97% Asian, so it wasn't like I got the part due to my acting chops, but more because I fit the character description best out of the three senior girls who participated in theatre. {Perspective: the rest of the cast, except for one senior boy and three juniors, was entirely freshmen}. *sigh*

Must admit, sometimes I get a little envious of the people I know who've been in a ridiculous number of community stage productions {with speaking or lead parts!} and have gone on to NYU to pursue their Broadway dreams. And are actually doing really well for freshmen and sophomores. Like they've been cast in semi-major parts for things off-Broadway already and everything. Of course, these kids are all Caucasian and uber-pretty, so. C'est la vie. And I told you so.

+ Currently reading Mindy Kaling's autobiography, Is Everyone Hanging Out Without Me? (And Other Concerns), and I can see why there was such a big to-do about it when it first came out. I tried to check out a physical copy of the book from our local library, but apparently everyone's still reading it. So one of the ten ebook copies finally became available and I was like, YES.

It's cute. And you can definitely hear her voice when reading it. She's unconventional and crazy smart, brutally honest and kind of wacky. I think what I admire most about Mindy is her willingness to take risks and say what she thinks. Hey, man, you'd be surprised how rare those qualities are amongst Asians of all types {when not fortified by alcohol. just thought that should be clarified because i know lots of Asian college kids who turn into absolute asses when they're drunk, taking risks and saying things they shouldn't. Mindy is assertive, not an ass. just thought i'd clarify}.

If you can find a copy, it's an easy read that'll make you chuckle a lot. Which is always good for the soul.

+ Make this baked s'more concoction and feed me some and I'll be your friend forevahhh. It looks amazing. Nom.

+ I'm the curious sort who likes getting peeks behind-the-scenes of everything and anything, and if you're anything like me, this series about tech company workspaces on Youtube is perfection. I mean, getting inside the offices of Pinterest, Dropbox, and Airbnb? Count me in.

Have a happy weekend, friends!