Alpha Cine Labs
See his work here or listen to his band here.
This is my newest blog feature "A Seattle Q & A." Being born and raised in Seattle, I've come to meet a lot of stylish and unique people, who do a lot of cool things, so I thought I'd ask them some questions.
1. What trait(s) or characteristic(s) do you get from your grandparents?
I definitely picked up smoking from my grandma. She had these unfiltered Filipino cigarettes that were pretty harsh but came in packs of thirty so she never noticed when I took one. I don’t mean to blame grandma- it was more my friends that got me into smoking- plus she smoked in this pretty gnarly way in where she’d flip the ciggy into her mouth when she needed both hands (or maybe just because she could) that would have otherwise deterred me from smoking because it did not look cool. Although now I think it's pretty bad ass for a grandma to do that. Thanks grandma, those ciggies were intense! I don’t smoke anymore, but grandma’s 70+ and still puffing away. YOU GO GIRL!
2. What's the best part about living in Seattle?
Teriyaki!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! It’s our pizza, it’s our cheese steak, it’s our clam chowder in a bread bowl! Be proud Seattle, Teriyaki is your food.
3. What do you always carry with you?
I always have some fortune cookie fortunes in my wallet. If it’s one I really want to come true I slip it behind my license. I never check them again though, so I’m not sure if they’re coming true. I think some have though.
4. If you could have dinner with any deceased author, who and why?
Willard Manus author of Mott the Hoople (the band took the name from the book). It’s a book that had something that seemed to speak directly to me on about every other page. After reading one particular passage I threw the book across the table because it overwhelmingly mirrored my thoughts and feelings at the time. I’ve never done that. Who does that? I figure if I connected so much with his book we might get along at a dinner. Plus he lived a pretty adventurous life and the picture on the back jacket of the book makes him look like Popeye. I think he’s still alive though, is that gonna be a problem? I’d kill him just to have dinner with him in that case.
5. Worst food indulgence? (the more secretive the better).
Regular stuffed Oreos. I used to eat rows and rows until I found out that a serving size was three. By “find out” I mean I bothered to flip the package around and read the back. Whoops!
6. If Obama were coming to your house for dinner, you would prepare your famous __________. (Include your recipe if you want!)
CEVICHE!
Step two: Buy too many limes. If you think you have enough, buy two more.
Step third: Buy everything you need to make a good pico de gallo (tomatoes, onions, Step one: Buy some fresh red snapper, alive is best.
jalapenos, cilantro etc.)
Step 4: Chop the fish into ½ inch cubes
Step 5: Squeeze all the limes into a bowl and throw the fish in. Make sure the lime juice covers the fish completely.
Step 6: Leave in fridge overnight, or for at least twelve hours. Maybe six is okay too, but don’t blame me if you barf your guts out.
Step 7: The next day. Chop all yer veggies, drain the lime juice from the fish and mix everything together.
Step 8: Around step one or two you should have also bought a package of tostadas. You should already have mayonnaise in your fridge. Take some mayonnaise and spread on the tostada then place a heaping pile of ceviche on it.
Step 9: Eat it.
After we were finished with dinner I would show the Prez hilarious Youtube videos. I’d call him the “Prez” all night.
7. If you had to make rules (like Fight Club), what would rule #1 always be?
Rule #1 Sign and date everything, you’ll want to know later.
8. No one knows _______________ about me. (fill in the blank). Make it as serious as you want to.
I take secret naps at work. Chances are if you don’t see me for a while, I’m sleeping somewhere weird, where you’d never think to look for someone sleeping. Because they shouldn’t be sleeping there.
9. Is the Seattle freeze fictitious? How do you know?
I’ve only heard of this term recently and I’ve lived here my whole life. If it is real it doesn’t really matter to me. There’s a song by the Mummies called the “Frisko Freeze”, is that about the same thing but in San Francisco? That song isn’t fictitious at all.
10. Where is the best place to eat dinner?
Buffet at the Bellagio Hotel in Las Vegas. Probably ate some of the fanciest food I’ve ever eaten there. Their carving station has Kobe beef all-you-can-eat!!! Mountains of shrimp, mountains of whole quails, mountains of brick oven pizza, melt-in-your-mouth sea bass!!!! Free refills on cokes!
I've posted two of Carlos' videos on my blog so far, but here is another great video he's made:
Mary-The Dutchess and the Duke (2008) from Carlos LOPEZ on Vimeo.
Thanks Carlos! -naomi
