.: culture : mash :.

I’m going to Vancouver tomorrow, so I decided on my drive home I ought to doll it up a little , and get my nails done. Nice french manicure, very understated, will read smart, sexy, and preened when I see some attendees tomorrow night at my work event.

The place I’ve been going to for over 10 years, since before I went to college is Nancy’s Nail Spa on 5th and PCH in Hermosa Beach. I had a bit of hiatus from the place, living up in LA for a number of years, but it’s still my favorite nail salon that I’d visit on the weekends to buffer the family visit. It’s the type of place where when I walk in, Nancy greets me in her Vietnamese accent instantly and asks about my parents. Why is it so cool when people ask about your parents? I’m getting old.

Anyhow, if you’re a girl (or a guy) who frequents nail salons, you’ll understand how bitchy Vietnamese manicurists can be. I’ll never forget going to a place in Hollywood with my friend Becca, where the woman not only charged an unbelievable rate, but yelled at me to stop laughing because she was inept and moving like a sloth giving me the most mediocre manicure ever.

So, today’s visit was particularly funny. After soaking, cutting, buffing and all the other usual repetoire of manicuring, my lady squirted the lotion on my wrists to proceed with the BEST part of the manicure - the massage. God damn I love this part.

Yo skin so soft!

Really?

Is like bebby hands. Oh my gaw, soooo soft!

Ok, well I guess. I’ve heard this from a few people. I prefer to think it’s because of my elitist bourgeoisie lifestyle, but really I’m sure it’s some genetric freak thing. Yes, this is where God decided to give me an advantage , soft hands.

Well, thanks? I guess that’s a good thing. (Smile awkwardly)

Yo bofren mus like. Such soft hands.

Um, if I had one, I guess.

No bofren? Wha?

Um no, not right now.

Is impossible. Your hans so soff!

At this time the three other manicurists are in awe as well. Including Nancy, who says I must be picky.

Ok, well I never thought soft hands were on the top of the list for things that drive men crazy about women, but hey — not bad. I’ll take it!

1 point Leyla

Yes, it’s been a slow past couple of weeks on Culture Mash, as all you 7 readers (hi mom) must have noticed.

It’s not my fault though, I honestly have been busy at work. Between getting back to around 3,000 emails (most of which had to do with male erectile dysfunction and good drug stores in Canada to get its medication) and dealing with an apartment search (that is NOT going well), I’ve had about 2 hours each evening to crawl home and grasp at my sanity slowly. Oh, and I’ve been trying to squeeze the yoga back in because it’s the only exercise I can bare to do past 15 minutes and likely the only way I can get rid of weird gobbiness, like back fat.

So, I give you a brief update of some trips taking place. I can’t promise that my assistant can make time for any fan visits, but you can imagine I’ll take some photographs, some video taping (with my new toy) and hopefully come back to blog the shit out of everything.

On the horizon of travels shall be:

• October 17th : Vancouver, BC for a Houdini 9 Launch.
  • I’ve always wanted to see this place, mostly because I hear its gorgeous, but lately it’s been receiving the high ratings in all the quality of life surveys people have been doing.
  • We get it, it’s clean, it’s northwest and mild, it’s green (unlike LA which is always a fresh shade of brown) and it’s relatively crimeless (though I’ve heard there’s a big heroin community, at least they’re peaceful).
  • It sounds Utopian if you ask me … plus, it is Canadian, which is like the new Christina Aguilera of countries(subtly more talented than her nearest counterpart, but always in her shadow).
  • Should be fun, but I’m there for the quickest turn around attending with a customer from Sony Pictures Imageworks presenting on Spiderman 3’s Sandman visual effects.
• October 27th and 28th: FEAR Festival in New Orleans
  • It sorta bums me out to miss the annual Digital Domain Halloween ball, and Micki’s Martha Stewart housewarming, but hey - it’s horror movies and New Orleans
  • The idea is to heighten an understanding of visual effects in feature films and show how Side Effects and Houdini help contribute to this. Organized by Joe Vance, owner and principal arts of Lucid Software Development, who happens to be a really nice guy.
  • Did I mention that Ron Jeremy is an honorary guest at the event?
• November 2nd - 4th: San Francisco
  • Time to go back up north, this time I’m joined with fellow mute-boy lover, Agent Lover.
  • There will be shopping , there will be dancing, there will be meetings of all sorts.
  • I’m excited!

PS: Happy Birthday to Slackmistress, who just turned Dirty Five