I can’t believe it took me so long to watch ‘This is Spinal Tap’. Watching it with a bunch of late-twentiers who have seen in 5 times on average pointing out cameo references or li’ll notes that only people who have seen it 5 times would notice makes the experience all the more interesting.

I’m lost for words at their comedic brilliance. The blink-and-you’ll-miss-it subtlety of the dry humor. The comedic timing! The timing! Like the "fine line between stupid and (instantaneously) clever" or pause "it goes to 11". The wondering why they didn’t have crackers that fit the salami pieces. Being stuck in the pod on stage. The interview about the random deaths of previous band members. Not being able to find the stage from backstage. And my ultimate favorite: the dancing dwarfs around the 18 inch stonehedge.

All of the above would have made no sense whatsoever if you haven’t watched the movie. All of the above would be terribly unfunny if you had no clue about the contextual reference of 80s rock band pop culture. But I am laughing my ass off even as I recollect the scenes. I think I’ll watch it again.

So there were a few blog worthy stuff that I’d have written about if I hadn’t been so darn lazy to blog. Like doing the Landmark Forum (which I was apprehensive spending an entire weekend about, which I hated doing for the 2 1/2 days that I was there, which I ended up realizing their philosophy and came out of it feeling quite zen really); like going up to Tomalas Bay for succulent oysters, driving back along the Pacific Coast, falling asleep with my baby parked on the cliff at sunset for Valentine’s Day (awww…); like being shocked by James Baldwin’s ‘The Fire Next Time’ or moved by Chinua Achebe’s ‘Things Fall Apart’ (reminding me of my favorite darling secondary school literature text ‘The River Between’ by Ngugi) or being inspired by Kerouac’s "On the Road" to take another American road trip; like putting in my 2c worth in the gay/lesbian marriage mania here in SF (I say, bravo for them. And why all the hoo-hah about who other people are marrying? Take care of your own life and let people marry whoever the hell they want! Geez.)

But it was an email from an American friend about Singapore’s oral sex ban that brought me here. And this magnificent quote from the article that he drew out:

""There are countries where you can go and suck away for all you are worth," the judge said. "People in high places do it for all they’re worth. I’m not an expert, but you read about it in the papers. But this is Asia."

This after someone else sent me an article from Al Jazeera about a new sex guru in Singapore.

As I replied to the former’s email: I sigh, I groan, I roll my eyes. Still, with all her contradictions, being away from that li’ll island for more than 2 years is making me miss her like hell.

Funny that I entered a bunch of random stuff about Americans and I later spend the entire weekend with a bunch of Brits.

About 15 Brits, a couple of Aussies, a few Americans and a Singaporean (me) spent 4 glorious nights in Tahoe in a friggin’ breathtaking 5700 square feet mansion. ‘Twas such a great weekend, not only because we had a hot-tub, professional kitchen, fire places, movie theatre, pool table, piano and turntables (*drooool*…) to play around with. 3 days of dry British humor, cracking me up ceaselessly made me (almost) wish I had gone to England to study instead (just almost). It was appropriate that Eddie Izzard’s excellent ‘Dressed to Kill’ special came on one night. Was funny to listen to Izzards comparisons of Americans and Brits ("It’s h-erbs not ‘erbs; cos it has a fuckin’ ‘H’ in it") in a room full of Americans and Brits.

By Sunday, partying/eating/living/conversationing with the non-Americans threw my accent into a confusing 3rd dimension (adding to the already schizophrenic switches I make when speaking to Americans and Singaporeans, part of which is to make myself respectively comprehensible; part of which is an unconscious tendency of mine to take on oral characteristics of my surroundings. I have yet to achieve my own ‘neutral/international’ tone), mixing in my Singaporean tendency to join words together, my annoying habit of using the American/Floridian term "Awesome" with "Alright, mate", "’Tis wicked, really", "right on", "’allo, luv", etc…

The international gathering came together for Chris Perrins’ birthday on Friday and his annual Keep Tahoe Deep party. Music was outstanding. A new branch of house music has opened up to me. Have always thought I liked the driving melodies of progressive house; Simon and Chris’ deep/techy/minimal house was a pleasant surprise to my dancing feet.

Great people, great place, great party…this is how wicked weekends should be spent.