SILLY: Cate Blanchett is not Asian. But this post is, mostly.

I think I'm starting to figure out how to plan a weekend:

One cultural event + one good party + one nice dinner = one Happy Girl

ONE CULTURAL EVENT:
My roommate Katherine purchased tickets for us to see a Saturday matinee of the Sydney Repertory's "Hedda Gabler" starring Cate Blanchett and Hugo Weaving (best known for his turn as Liv Tyler's Elf King dad in "Lord of the Rings"), and I enjoyed it very much. Despite some subway snafus, we managed to make it into Brooklyn to the BAM Harvey Theater, a beautiful old brick thing with peeling paint and asbestos hanging from the ceiling. Click here for Ben Brantley's gushy New York Times review of the sold-out play.

And here is Charles Isherwood's Critic's Notebook retort, in which he writes, "...I'm talking about actors who have, by the grace of their gifts and hard work and good fortune, achieved a level of fame that brings with it artistic clout. It seems to me that the public — or at least the critics — have a right to hold them accountable when they betray their talent. Note should be taken when they fail to show respect for the artistry that earned them their place in the sun, when they fail to practice their craft seriously..." yipe.

ONE GOOD PARTY (for my Asian friend):
My friend Anri's gotten engaged, and she's asked me to be her maid of honor. yow! She and her fiance, Dave, had an informal celebration with friends and folks at Alphabet Lounge this weekend. Eighties music, Anri in a green dress and the Williams rugby team all in one room -- ah yes, a good party indeed.

ONE NICE DINNER (at an Asian restaurant):
Katherine's parents are on this side of the pond from London, and took us to Jean-George's Chinese restaurant on Church Street, called, simply, "66". I was allergic to a lot of the menu -- damn sesame allergy -- but the place is quite good. I liked the pumpkin dumplings and all of the desserts. A handsome place, the interior was designed by Richard Meier and the uniforms by Vivienne Tam. very swish.

So, this is my ONE CULTURAL EVENT for this coming weekend (an Asian American Journalist's Association conference):
I've registered for the AAJA 2006 East Coast Journalism Mini-Conference which is being held at NYU all-day Saturday. Some of the panel topics are, "How Blogs are Changing Journalism" (right up my alley!) and "Multicultural Masthead: Why Diversity Matters in Magazines." I am looking forward to it. It's only $45 for the whole day, lunch included. Anyone interested in coming with?

Photo of Cate Blanchett and Hugo Weaving by Sara Krulwich/The New York Times.
Photo of Cate Blanchett, cover image from official BAM "Hedda Gabler" program.
Photo of 66 from arcspace.com.