Queenkv’s Brainpickings

It’s interesting to hear about what other folks dream about when they think about the land of opportunity.

from miss saigon….

MUSIC BY
CLAUDE-MICHEL SCHÖNBERG
LYRICS BY
ALAIN BOUBLIL

ADDITIONAL LYRICS BY
RICHARD MALTBY JR.

THE AMERICAN DREAM

ENGINEER
my father was a tattoo artist in Haiphong
but his designs on mother didn’t last too long

my mother sold her body, high on Betel nuts
my job was bringing red-faced monsieurs to our huts
selling your mom is a wrench
perfume can cover a stench
that’s what I learned from the French
then it all changed with Dien Bien Phu
the frogs went home. Who came? Guess who?
are you surprised we went insane
with dollars pouring down like rain?

businessmen never rob banks
you can sell shit and get thanks
that’s what I learned from the Yanks
I’m fed up with small-time hustles
I’m too good to waste my talent for greed
I need room to flex my muscles
in an ocean where the big sharks feed
make me Yankee, they’re my fam’ly
they’re selling what people need

what’s that I smell in the air
the American dream
sweet as a new millionaire
the American dream
pre-packed, ready-to-wear
the American dream
fat, like a chocolate eclair
as you suck out the cream
luck by the tail

how can you fail?
and best of all, it’s for sale
the American dream
greasy chinks make life so sleazy
in the States I’ll have a club that’s four-starred
men like me there have things easy
they have a lawyer and a body-guard
to the Johns there I’ll sell blondes there
that they can charge on a card

what’s that I smell in the air?
the American dream
sweet as a suite in Bel-air
the American dream
girls can buy tits by the pair
the American dream
bald people think they’ll grow hair
the American dream
call girls are lining time square

the American dream
bums there have money to spare
the American dream
cars that have bars take you there
the American dream
on stage each night: Fred Astaire
the American dream
shlitz down the drain!
pop the Champagne!

it’s time we all entertain
my American dream!
ENGINEER and CROWD
come ev’ryone, come and share
the American dream
name what you want and it’s there
the American dream
spend and have money to spare
the American dream

live like you haven’t a care
the American dream
what other place can compare
the American dream
come and get more than your share
the American dream
ENGINEER
there I will crown
Miss Chinatown

all yours for ten percent down
ALL
the American dream!

it relaxes me….i tried making a mint julep with diet lemon lime soda (yeah, some knock off on sprite, I’m sure). didn’t like it too much.

so….for my mint julep…..i did:

jim bean’s
water
fresh mint
lot’s of sugar

and muddled it all up….

it got me nice and relaxed - so i can tell you about the next part of my life.

in addition to mixing drinks, I adore cooking….lately, most of my recipes come from ediets - because I’m still trying to loose weight. I guess all the empty calores I’m getting from drinking, isn’t helping. c’est la vie. i know my goals, but i also enjoy doing what i do. i enjoy pleasure. i also enjoy movies. adore them. i don’t own a dvd (gasp - in this day and age! i know) but i do have a vcr and i have a mess load of vhs tapes. i’m a sucker for classical films. Casablanca is my favorite movie of all time. Why? Because Rick Blaine and Ilsa prove that love can bring miracles - even in the darkest hour of war. Action, romance, thrilling highs and heart wrenching lows….that’s why I adore this movie. I’ll probably put more on it at Bon Vivant…in a bit. My current favorite is Kissing Jessica Stein.

i am also a pretty die-hard star trek fan. my buddy from Rosary - she got me hooked on Next Generation.

She use to write fan fiction that would hook up Crusher with Picard. They totally want each other. She also tried to get me hooked on Country Music. That effort failed miserably.

Mark and I ended up at a Star Trek Convention in San Jose, a year ago. It was cool! I got to see Dr. Beverly Crusher….and some of the chicks from the Old Generation. Plus I added a few more action figures to my collection. I have Crusher and Troi in holodeck costume, now. Is that geeky?

Let’s see….what else am I into? I do Hankido at Cal. I’m up to brown belt now. I took some time off because of some serious trauma at the gym. Still haven’t gotten over it.

At Cal, I majored in American Studies. I chose it, partly because it had a nice “choose-your-own-classes” nature of it. I also welcomed the opperutnity to do a thesis on my family. My focus was on the the Philippino Experience during World War II - and the reflections made by American scholars and filmmakers. I interviewed my Aunt and Uncle, who were in elementary school when the Japanese took over the islands.

um….not sure what else to say….maybe another time.