P Monte Got Married

After eight years, yes EIGHT years of being boy-friend and girl-friend, my buddy Pablo and his new wife Gladys got married today. I'm sure you're wondering why the subject heading says "P Monte Got Married" right? Well, back when Pablo and I were working together, his computer log in name was "P Monte" cause someone else had his sign in name. It stuck with me, and since then I've called him P-Monte along with other guy-ism nick names, mostly in the Latino homeboy sense.

It was great to see Pablo today, on his big day, a day that has been in the works for a long time now. Through the years, I got to know Gladys as well, and they both make a terrific couple, and will certainly have a great life together. Plus, if anyone ever gets in their way, Gladys is a lawyer, so I think they will be alright!

As I mentioned yesterday, here are a few photos I shot today at the wedding ceremony. Sadly I wasn't able to attend the reception, but I figure the actual nuptials are more important.

Here's a shot of some friends adjusting P Monte's collar before the ceremony. He was actually very relaxed all throughout the day.

The dapper don himself




Greeting guests in the foyer of the church




Pablo and Elene

I really like this shot of the bridesmaids boquets

Gladys after the ceremony thanking her family and friends

P Monte's former co-workers Mary, George and Mary Ann

Group shot of more friends
(L to R)
Elene, Adam, Kay, Mary, George, and Mary Ann

Congrats to the newlyweds, and may their lives be long, happy and prosper :)

A quick two from last night

In my quest to provide for you, my reading audience, a photo or two for you to peruse, I decided to post these photographs from last night. It's from our Cold Tofu workshop. I thought they were kinda neat, with Jully (pictured below) looking pensive, and Kevin, looking rather mischievious. Oh, and for the photo of Kevin, I added a texture layer to it to give it a gritty look, just in case you camera-philes were wondering.

I'm sure to have more from this upcoming weekend, some from a good friend's wedding, and a headshot session on sunday, so be sure to check back for more! Until, enjoy your day :)

A Few More from the Weekend

I couldn't get enough of this past weekend's photos, so decided to post just a few more up. Who the heck ever decided that weekends should only last two days anyway?! No worries, just looking forward towards the next one! Here you go!


Wanru and Steve - I kinda gave it a 70's processing vibe.

What's Tina looking for/at?

Looks like someone wants to hitch a ride!

Mark, Helen and Marcie

This is Golda - she played my "wife" in Imelda: A New Musical a few years back. She still can't get over the fact that the play is done, and we are no longer "married".

A Night Out at the Miyako

Yes, as the subject heading reads, the improv group I belong to (Cold Tofu; did you guys VOTE yet?) had a show tonight at the Maryknoll Catholic Center in Little Tokyo. It's part of our monthly improv shows we do there each year. After a great show by everyone, we all headed over to the Miyako hotel to go to their terrific little karaoke lounge and sing the night away! Literally till it closed! A great time time was had by everyone.

And for those of you reading this that were there,
great times!!! Here are a few photos from the vocal debauchery:




Wanru as Jack Sparrow - it is close to Halloween ;p

Steve and Helen singing some tunes

Rob and his freak spank posse!

Helen and me singing a duet
(Yes, I can SING! Just ask my mom!)

So all in all, it was a great time. It's always fun hanging out with creative and uninhibited people/friends. Too bad I wasn't able to video tape some of the goings-on. Had I done so, this blog would've gone from rated "G" to "R" just like that! Then again, that's what made for a good night.

Till next time (which will be soon), enjoy and be safe, and do leave a comment if you have anything to say, particularly if you are in these photos!

"Drink up me harties yo ho!"
(Come on, who doesn't want to be Jack Sparrow?!)

Some photos I dug up and do please VOTE!

Some photos I found recently while going through my hard drive. I especially like the 18 MMW photo of the three guys up top - cool!

Also, Cold Tofu, the (BEST) improv group I belong to is up for best Improv troupe in LA. So I urge everyone reading this to go and vote for us at My Fox LA's Hot List, and make sure you choose us! Even if you haven't seen our shows, you won't regret voting, plus, it'll MAKE you want to come out to see and reiterate why you chose us as LA's best improv group! So go, NOW, VOTE!!!

Another year older a week and half removed

As the subject heading reads, yes, once again, I have turned another year older. It's been about a week and half since that day, and I've been busy with stuff like house sitting, events, etc. So I finally get a chance to post some photos from the past week.

In this life, it's rare that you get to meet, let alone have a good friend who shares the same exact birthday with you. I am fortunate to have that in my buddy Johann pictured above. He and I are born on the exact month, day and year! We always joke around that we were seperated at birth. He's a great guy BTW for all you single ladies out there! Oh, the other single gal in the middle of Johann and I pictured above is my good friend Blythe. She's single too BTW. For our birthday, Johann and I decided to celebrate it with our friends at Saladang Thai in Pasadena. Great food, and great athmosphere. You should check it out. Birthdays and other events like it are terrific cause you get to spend it with those you love. Thanks to everyone that was there, and to those who wished a happy born day!

On the actual day of my birthday, I was honored to attend an awards dinner for a really good friend of ours, Rodney Kageyama.

He was being honored by the Asian Pacific Rehabilitation Center for all his volunteer work with their organization. They are an organization that helps physically and mentally challenged people with services and needs. Rodney donates a lot of his time to worthy causes like this, and he's one of the few people who, when he asks for a favor, I will definitely jump on board to help. Plus, he's a great all around guy nonetheless!!! And who else would be fitting to MC that night for Rodney, but our friend Tamlyn Tomita, who as you can see here, is dressed as "Sandy" from "Grease" cause the theme of the evening was "The 50's", so everyone had to come dressed up as such. I didn't have that kind of shirt, but I did wear something reminiscent. Here's a photo of Helen and I with the lovely Ms. T.

The next day was a holiday for me, Columbus day, and I was able to spend it with my family for a "real" birthday outing. So we decided to go to Bob's Big Boy in Toluca Lake. Great times!

I was house sitting for a friend of mine the whole week, and had access to his car:

His is the most expensive car I've ever driven, and to be honest, it drives like a dream! Then again, at $110,000 it had better! The down side of it all was the $63.00 full tank gas bill I got when I filled it up the day before he got back from his trip. Ah well, the price of performance. But hey, I sure did look good in it! ha ha ha!!!

Lastly, this past weekend we went to the Pacific Asia Museum in Pasadena for an exhibit they had there, and had lunch at a place called Pie and burger. But the building next to it had this sign up:

Am I the only one slightly offended by this?!!! I know, it's a salon and all, but still! OK, I'm off my soap box now. I did think it was funny, hence the photo.

Alrightee then. Thanks for reading, and sharing this moment with me. More to come soon!

Chekhov-Mania

As I mentioned in my last post, I attended a play my buddy Mike was in last night called "Chekhov-Mania" at the Attic Theater in LA,which basically partnered few of Anton Chekhov's plays in a Vaudeville format. Good work Mike! Here are two photos (the one above and the one below) from the production:

This one is of my friend Jully. She really needs to wake up.

True chops!

Having been an actor now for about a decade, I've had the sincerest honors of working with some great thespians/peers. I once did a commercial with Nicholas Cage, a cheesy comedy action film with Pat Morita, met an old teen-aged movie star crush of mine (who oddly enough is a friend of mine now), and of course met or worked with some really, super talented people who sadly aren't as famous as those just mentioned (although they should be!)

I bring this up cause last night I was honored to have been asked to shoot some production stills for "Innocent When You Dream" a new play written by Ken Narasaki (which he also stars in) along with some of the Asian acting community's most talented veteran actors - Sab Shimono, Emily Kuroda, Sharon Omi, Mike Hagiwara, and John Miyasaki. Now, I say veteran cause they've been in the business for quite some time now and have had some great successes. And here they are, away from the Hollywood limelight continually working on their craft, and showing their chops. An amazing group of actors - trust me! Be sure to click on the link to get more info on their shows.

Nonetheless, here are a few photos from last night's shoot:

And keeping with my "Picture a day", here's a shot I took on Wednesday of my humble steed!


That's it for now, I'm headed off to watch a friend of mine in a play tonight - should be good.

Till next time!

Another eventful weekend

Yes, that is a pinata my newly turned 3 nephew is trying to whack.

A great birthday dinner for Deanna (in the middle in red) at Pizaccato in Brentwood. Great times!

My beautiful Grandmother and I at my newphew's birthday.


My cousin Jennifer and her son Gregory - what a cutie!


My buddy Aaron and I shot a short film for another friend of ours yesterday, playing cops. Interesting...