Our life has changed yet again. From a family of just two, it has increased by one more with the addition of our son, Atticus. He was born on December 6, 2012, far earlier than expected. He wasn't premature or anything like that, he just wasn't in our plans for 2012.
Sunday, February 17, 2013
Sunday, June 3, 2012
The Only Exception (Lyrics)
Sung by Tim Murphy
Piano Yong Kim
When I was younger I saw my daddy cry
and curse at the wind.
He broke his own heart and I watched
as he tried to reassemble it.
And my momma swore
that she would never let herself forget.
And that was the day that I promised
I'd never sing of love if it does not exist.
But darling,
You are the only exception.
You are the only exception.
You are the only exception.
You are the only exception.
Maybe I know somewhere
deep in my soul
that love never lasts.
And we've got to find other ways
to make it alone.
Or keep a straight face.
And I've always lived like this
keeping a comfortable distance.
And up until now I've sworn to myself
that I'm content with loneliness.
Because none of it was ever worth the risk.
Well you are the only exception.
You are the only exception.
You are the only exception.
You are the only exception.
You are the only exception.
I've got a tight grip on reality,
but I can't let go of what's in front of me here.
I know you're leaving in the morning
when you wake up.
Leave me with some kind of proof it's not a dream.
You are the only exception.
You are the only exception.
You are the only exception.
You are the only exception.
You are the only exception.
You are the only exception.
You are the only exception.
You are the only exception.
And I'm on my way to believing.
Oh, and I'm on my way to believing.
Piano Yong Kim
When I was younger I saw my daddy cry
and curse at the wind.
He broke his own heart and I watched
as he tried to reassemble it.
And my momma swore
that she would never let herself forget.
And that was the day that I promised
I'd never sing of love if it does not exist.
But darling,
You are the only exception.
You are the only exception.
You are the only exception.
You are the only exception.
Maybe I know somewhere
deep in my soul
that love never lasts.
And we've got to find other ways
to make it alone.
Or keep a straight face.
And I've always lived like this
keeping a comfortable distance.
And up until now I've sworn to myself
that I'm content with loneliness.
Because none of it was ever worth the risk.
Well you are the only exception.
You are the only exception.
You are the only exception.
You are the only exception.
You are the only exception.
I've got a tight grip on reality,
but I can't let go of what's in front of me here.
I know you're leaving in the morning
when you wake up.
Leave me with some kind of proof it's not a dream.
You are the only exception.
You are the only exception.
You are the only exception.
You are the only exception.
You are the only exception.
You are the only exception.
You are the only exception.
You are the only exception.
And I'm on my way to believing.
Oh, and I'm on my way to believing.
Wild Geese
Read by Johanna Chang, M.D.
You do not have to be good.
You do not have to walk on your knees
for a hundred miles through the desert repenting.
You only have to let the soft animal of your body
love what it loves.
Tell me about despair, yours, and I will tell you mine.
Meanwhile the world goes on.
Meanwhile the sun and the clear pebbles of the rain
are moving across the landscapes,
over the prairies and the deep trees,
the mountains and the rivers.
Meanwhile the wild geese, high in the clean blue air,
are heading home again.
Whoever you are, no matter how lonely,
the world offers itself to your imagination,
calls to you like the wild geese, harsh and exciting
over and over announcing your place
in the family of things.
from Dream Work by Mary Oliver
You do not have to be good.
You do not have to walk on your knees
for a hundred miles through the desert repenting.
You only have to let the soft animal of your body
love what it loves.
Tell me about despair, yours, and I will tell you mine.
Meanwhile the world goes on.
Meanwhile the sun and the clear pebbles of the rain
are moving across the landscapes,
over the prairies and the deep trees,
the mountains and the rivers.
Meanwhile the wild geese, high in the clean blue air,
are heading home again.
Whoever you are, no matter how lonely,
the world offers itself to your imagination,
calls to you like the wild geese, harsh and exciting
over and over announcing your place
in the family of things.
from Dream Work by Mary Oliver
Reading From Calvin & Hobbes
As read by Stephanie Chow and Grant Chang
Calvin: What's it like to fall in love?
Hobbes: Well... say the object of your affection walks by...
Calvin: Yeah?
Hobbes: First, your heart falls into your stomach and splashes
your innards. All the moisture makes you sweat profusely. This
condensation shorts the circuits to your brain and you get all woozy.
When your brain burns out altogether, your mouth disengages and you
babble like a cretin until she leaves.
Calvin: THAT'S LOVE?!?
Hobbes: Medically speaking.
Calvin: Heck, that happened to me once, but I figured it was cooties!
Calvin: What's it like to fall in love?
Hobbes: Well... say the object of your affection walks by...
Calvin: Yeah?
Hobbes: First, your heart falls into your stomach and splashes
your innards. All the moisture makes you sweat profusely. This
condensation shorts the circuits to your brain and you get all woozy.
When your brain burns out altogether, your mouth disengages and you
babble like a cretin until she leaves.
Calvin: THAT'S LOVE?!?
Hobbes: Medically speaking.
Calvin: Heck, that happened to me once, but I figured it was cooties!
Ruth McKee Wedding Speech
My name is Ruth McKee and I’ve had the distinct pleasure of
being counted among Jennifer’s closest friends for several years now. I met Jen
in graduate school in San Diego, though through a strange coincidence it turned
out we had also gone NYU together, but somehow never met. In any case, our
friendship was fated, but I have to credit her with making it happen. Our first year at UCSD we ran in
slightly different circles, but at one point during our second year she just
decided, out of the blue, that we would be friends. She asked me out to lunch,
and then and I had moved to Los Angeles and started a theatre company with her.
I tell you this story because I know that those of you who
already find yourselves in the sway of Jennifer’s friendship probably have
similar stories. She may appear harmless, but secretly Jen is pulling all of
the strings, and somehow getting us all to do exactly what she wants while
making us think it was our own idea. And if you’re only just getting to know
Jennifer now, you probably will have a story like mine soon. Because Jen is a
collector. Of clothes, of animals, but mostly of people. And she is a woman of
impeccable taste – it’s no surprise that she made her living in New York
shopping for a costume designer. She has an incredibly keen eye for the things
that are unique and precious in life, and when she finds people who are unique
and precious, she holds them tight.
But this loyalty that Jen has for her friends comes with a
dark side, and that’s her generosity. Now you may be thinking, “generosity is a
wonderful thing!” and it is, but for Jen, it can sometimes be a problem. She
can be so generous with the people that she loves that she often leaves herself
with nothing. I like to call it Jenerosity with a “J”, and I define it as “the
act of giving away your shirt before anyone has asked for it.” And this quality, as you might imagine,
often leaves Jen stretched thin, and burnt out. She is an exceedingly capable
woman, people often say she could run a small country, and after seeing her in
action as a producer I have no doubt she could. But at the end of the day she
is often so busy taking care of everyone around her that she forgets to take
care of herself.
So that’s where Dan comes in. When she starting talking
about this handsome stranger she had met in her Korean class, I knew she had
really found someone special. Someone who at the end of the day, when she was
finished taking care of everyone else, would be there to take care of her. And
as their relationship progressed the most remarkable thing I noticed was the
complete absence of drama. He was just there for her, in all the ways that
count. He makes sure that she eats and sleeps, and within weeks of starting to
date him, he was doing her yard work. He puts up with, and even encourages her
acquisition of new people and animals to populate their commune, welcoming them
all into the fold. As you may know, Jen is currently performing in The Language
Archive at East West Players, and when she told him she had been cast in this
production, and would be performing both the night before and the night after
their wedding, he said to her, “Jennifer, I don’t even care if you have to miss
the banquet. I just need you to be at the wedding.” So I could see right away that he was a man who would always
be there to support my friend, and never hold her back.
We have a saying in our
theatre company, which is that we want tkeep the drama on stage. Drama is what
plays are for. Real life shouldn’t be like that. Real life should be warm, safe,
and happy. And that’s what her life is like with Daniel Yin. So I could not be more thrilled to see Jennifer finally meet
her match, and get right to the business of building her life with him. Thanks
for coming into her life, Dan. You are more than another unique and precious
person for Jen’s collection. You are the man that she needed to find.
Jimmy Kim Wedding Speech
I’ve known Dan for 20 years and there are two things I know he likes: movies and pretty
woman… not the movie pretty woman, but beautiful woman, you know what I mean. So
when he told me he was dating an actress, it couldn’t have been more perfect.
I convinced Dan two years ago to take Korean language classes. I needed to improve my
Korean skills. And Dan needed to find a woman. Little did we know that he would end
up meeting his future wife.
For those of you who know Dan, you know he is not the most aggressive when it comes
to relationships. Thank God Jennifer is more assertive though. Otherwise they would
still be in Korean class talking about movies and food…rather than standing here at the
altar today. It is peculiar though, how both Dan and Jen stop going to Korean class once
they started dating. I guess they got what they wanted out of the class.
I knew since I had brunch with them for the first time that they were great for each other.
I was shocked by their chemistry, it was effortless… and, I never told them this, because
I didn’t want to jinx anything, but I caught them stealing glances at each other while the
other wasn’t looking. I knew there was something special.
I am confident that those initial feelings of infatuation have only grown deeper and
stronger, and there is no doubt in my mind that they will continue to be patient,
thoughtful and having the greatest desire to make the other happy – just as they have
always been, and just as it should be for a perfect Hollywood ending.
woman… not the movie pretty woman, but beautiful woman, you know what I mean. So
when he told me he was dating an actress, it couldn’t have been more perfect.
I convinced Dan two years ago to take Korean language classes. I needed to improve my
Korean skills. And Dan needed to find a woman. Little did we know that he would end
up meeting his future wife.
For those of you who know Dan, you know he is not the most aggressive when it comes
to relationships. Thank God Jennifer is more assertive though. Otherwise they would
still be in Korean class talking about movies and food…rather than standing here at the
altar today. It is peculiar though, how both Dan and Jen stop going to Korean class once
they started dating. I guess they got what they wanted out of the class.
I knew since I had brunch with them for the first time that they were great for each other.
I was shocked by their chemistry, it was effortless… and, I never told them this, because
I didn’t want to jinx anything, but I caught them stealing glances at each other while the
other wasn’t looking. I knew there was something special.
I am confident that those initial feelings of infatuation have only grown deeper and
stronger, and there is no doubt in my mind that they will continue to be patient,
thoughtful and having the greatest desire to make the other happy – just as they have
always been, and just as it should be for a perfect Hollywood ending.
About Us
Daniel Yin
I was born at the Sloane Hospital for Women on a dark and stormy
night, on what is considered the unluckiest day of the year, Friday the
13th. Contrary to popular belief, the "Friday the 13th" movies were not
inspired by the Yun run summer camps. The name change is coincidental
and should, in no way, be rationalized as the need to hide from
authorities. For those of you who do not know, I am the only "Yin" in
the family. The rest of family is made up of Yun, Yuan, and Yan.
My childhood was typical: summers in Rangoon ... luge lessons ... In the spring, we'd make meat helmets ... When I was insolent I was placed in a burlap bag and beaten with reeds — pretty standard, really. At the age of 12, I received my first scribe.
When I was 18 I went to evil medical school. At age 25 I took up tap dancing. I wanted to be a quadruple threat: an actor, dancer.... (If this part seems familiar, it was the inspiration for Dr. Evil's bio.)
The evil medical school was really just UCSD. I did take Acting 101 while there though, for fun.
After undergrad, I went into exile to the Bay Area for 6 years. I met some great friends during my time away from So. Cal, but the warm waters beckoned to me. In 2002, I returned triumphantly by enrolling at the Marshall School of Business at the University of Southern California (how more fitting to return to So. Cal by enrolling at the Univ. of So. Cal?).
Armed with an MBA, I decided to go the non-traditional route of bouncing around rather than taking an executive position or a consulting position. I wanted to make sure I was well rounded by experiencing as many different positions and industries as possible. (I'm still doing that.)
And now, a new adventure begins as I try to unravel the mystery known as Jen Chang.
Rough Timeline:
Born in NYC 1973
Moved to LA 1977
Moved to San Diego 1981
Graduated from UCSD (aka Evil Medical School) 1996
Life in Exile 1996 - 2002
Name change from Yuan to Yin 1998
Triumphant Return to So. Cal 2002
1st Date with Jen Chang 2010
The Dannifer Experiment begins Fall of 2011
My childhood was typical: summers in Rangoon ... luge lessons ... In the spring, we'd make meat helmets ... When I was insolent I was placed in a burlap bag and beaten with reeds — pretty standard, really. At the age of 12, I received my first scribe.
When I was 18 I went to evil medical school. At age 25 I took up tap dancing. I wanted to be a quadruple threat: an actor, dancer.... (If this part seems familiar, it was the inspiration for Dr. Evil's bio.)
The evil medical school was really just UCSD. I did take Acting 101 while there though, for fun.
After undergrad, I went into exile to the Bay Area for 6 years. I met some great friends during my time away from So. Cal, but the warm waters beckoned to me. In 2002, I returned triumphantly by enrolling at the Marshall School of Business at the University of Southern California (how more fitting to return to So. Cal by enrolling at the Univ. of So. Cal?).
Armed with an MBA, I decided to go the non-traditional route of bouncing around rather than taking an executive position or a consulting position. I wanted to make sure I was well rounded by experiencing as many different positions and industries as possible. (I'm still doing that.)
And now, a new adventure begins as I try to unravel the mystery known as Jen Chang.
Rough Timeline:
Born in NYC 1973
Moved to LA 1977
Moved to San Diego 1981
Graduated from UCSD (aka Evil Medical School) 1996
Life in Exile 1996 - 2002
Name change from Yuan to Yin 1998
Triumphant Return to So. Cal 2002
1st Date with Jen Chang 2010
The Dannifer Experiment begins Fall of 2011
Jennifer Moscardon Chang
Jen Chang, as she is called by her friends, was born in San
Francisco, and grew up in foggy Daly City (with her extended Filipino -
Chinese family). She was a major nerd at Highlands Christian Academy in
San Bruno and Saint Ignatius College Prep in San Francisco. At the age
of 17, she left the Bay Area to enroll in New York University's College
of Arts and Science (premed for a day) and Tisch School of the Arts,
double majoring in Psychology and Drama (she thought she might become a
psychologist/ family therapist/ educational therapist/ drama therapist,
etc.) While in New York, she was a Resident's Assistant, babysitter/
nanny, Abercrombie and Fitch brand rep (sigh, it's true), teacher's
assistant, then post school: restaurant hostess/ coat check girl/
waitress-for-a-day, costume design assistant, dancer in a modern dance
company, temp (I was a badass on Power Point), events coordinator for
NYU/ TSOA, stage manager, and occasionally actor (sometimes the jobs
would overlap 3 or 4 at a time). She totally loved New York City
(living in Manhattan and Brooklyn: Windsor Terrace and Park Slope) and
thought she would never leave.
She eventually decided to embrace the acting habit that she was trying to kick and train further. She chose to attend UCSD/ La Jolla Playhouse (because of the beach) and received her MFA in Acting (and never really hung out at the beach).
After graduation, she gradually moved to Los Angeles (hating it) to be a professional actor and founded a theatre company (Chalk Rep). Currently, you can see her in a few commercials, sometimes you can see her in a play, and occasionally you can see her in TV shows. Sometimes she tutors math and sciences. But mostly she loves to be at home in Atwater Village. She now loves LA.
She has two cats (Panther Bo Jangles Robinson and Benjamin Kitten) and two dogs (Luna and Harper) plus one (Bella, who belongs to her sister, Dr. Chang).
She is currently studying the cello (adding to the other instruments she loves and plays poorly) and hopes to learn Mandarin Chinese someday so that Dan Yin doesn't have to keep translating.
She eventually decided to embrace the acting habit that she was trying to kick and train further. She chose to attend UCSD/ La Jolla Playhouse (because of the beach) and received her MFA in Acting (and never really hung out at the beach).
After graduation, she gradually moved to Los Angeles (hating it) to be a professional actor and founded a theatre company (Chalk Rep). Currently, you can see her in a few commercials, sometimes you can see her in a play, and occasionally you can see her in TV shows. Sometimes she tutors math and sciences. But mostly she loves to be at home in Atwater Village. She now loves LA.
She has two cats (Panther Bo Jangles Robinson and Benjamin Kitten) and two dogs (Luna and Harper) plus one (Bella, who belongs to her sister, Dr. Chang).
She is currently studying the cello (adding to the other instruments she loves and plays poorly) and hopes to learn Mandarin Chinese someday so that Dan Yin doesn't have to keep translating.
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