The YOMYOMF Archives of Lauren Lola
Being of Filipino, Puerto Rican, and Jewish descent and growing up in Hawaii, a lot of people often mistook him for being black and white. Living life in the “gray zone” was especially difficult when he was attempting to break out into the music industry, for music executives more often than not were unsure of how to label him.
“I had originally conceived a music video with both generations where it starts off in 1936, then it slowly becomes 2006, to showcase how Filipinos in America still know how to party after a full day of work.” -Patricio Ginelsa
The story of WHALE RIDER does a beautiful job of highlighting how we can exceed any doubts and restrictions placed upon us. Despite the story deriving from the Maori legend of Paikea the whale rider, and features a young brown girl from a remote community in the North Island of New Zealand, both the novel and the film have appealed to readers and viewers alike all over the world.
Despite my original intention of writing AN ABSOLUTE MIND as an interesting story where the past is reflected in a variety of ways, the book is now also my protest against the pride and egos of the demagogues.
The co-founder of the famed Studio Ghibli, Hayao Miyazaki is the mastermind behind a number of beloved animated films; such as MY NEIGHBOR TOTORO, KIKI’S DELIVERY SERVICE, CASTLE IN THE SKY, PRINCESS MONONOKE, SPIRITED AWAY, HOWL’S MOVING CASTLE, and more.
“I’ve always been interested in LA and Filipino history, and so I think at some point, I’ll do something more specific to that. Overtime, I started to realize that there’s a need to tell really thoughtful stories about the Filipino American community, specifically in the audio space, because those don’t really exist.” -Paola Mardo
Despite the two being friends, personality-wise, they are polar opposites of each other. Chirrut is a spiritual warrior who, despite not being a Jedi, is a strong believer in the Force. Baze, on the other hand, is more of a “shoot now, think later” kind of guy, and thinks the Force is – as Han Solo put it best once – “a bunch of mumbo jumbo.”
As a fan of the show and as a fan of Oka, this is bittersweet news to take in. Max is a very likeable character who makes it clear that he’s very passionate for his work. I also like how geeky he is for TV shows and movies with cult followings, for Oka never makes that side of Max feel forced, but rather, a natural asset of his being.
In all the hype for new doo-wops from the hooligan, it has me thinking back to something that has been bugging me for quite some time; and that is that I can’t seem to find any footage from when he performed at the ISA LA concert in 2009.
Drifting Back Around 