The Expendables

Mama Lai's ducklings decided to go to Redbox to rent Mama Lai the movie, "The Expendables".  Though she complained there wasn't much of a story, Mama Lai was glued to the television set from beginning to end and concluded that it was a good rental choice.  My brother the Little Prince was not the least bit surprised that Mama Lai enjoyed the movie:

"Mom is totally the type to shoot first and ask questions later."

The family rolled with laughter.  Mama Lai paused for just a moment to consider her precious son's assessment of her:

"So?  What's wrong with that?  I'm usually right.  That makes sense to me."

Mama Lai says "We Could Never be Friends"

I came home from my first visit to China really excited about Hong Kong and Chinese cinema.  I brought a grip of VCDs and DVDs back, thinking that Mama Lai would enjoy them since we grew up watching Chinese serials.  I popped in Wong Kar-Wai "Chungking's Express" and during the movie Mama Lai begged for me to turn it off.

"He [Tony Leung] is talking to a bar of soap.  This is nonsense."

I pouted and said that this is one of my favorite movies.  And I thought it was sweet and romantic.  Mama Lai gave me a "look" and said:

"God made us love our children so much that we would never see any harm come to them.  But I think if I was not your mother we could never be friends."   

Mama Lai's Celebrity Crush

Mama Lai has a not-so-secret crush on Michael Weatherly of “NCIS” and “Dark Angel”.  One day, as she was browsing through the Redbox at her local supermarket, his face on screen for a movie called the “The Hitmen Diaries”.  Alas, the movie was checked out. 

“He’s so handsome.  Very cute.  Your dad doesn’t like his mischievous look, but I like.”

So since Saturday, Mama Lai has been hitting up the Redbox and other video kiosks all over town.  She’s been to three grocery stores, and the local Walmart and has been making trips to 6 kiosks every day for the last week.  She later found out you can make reservations for the movies on Redbox online.  But they need your credit card.

“I think he is very popular.  But I have to draw the line somewhere.  He’s cute, but not that cute.”

"How about renting from Blockbuster?"

“And pay $5.00?  That’s not worth it.  I can see him for free every week on TV!”

Sexy Smiles, the Lai's and Free Videotape

When I was growing up, our family would always rent movies from the local Hollywood Video.  When I became a teenager, there was a boy who started work there and he would sometimes give me the movies for free.  Mama Lai and Papa Lai decided that I should always be sent to rent movies in hopes that I could get them for free.  As they sent me out the door, Mama Lai would give me some advice:

“It doesn’t hurt to smile.”  

Mama Lai and the Marriage Eligibility of Weirdos

I’m the black sheep in the family when it comes to movies.  Mama Lai had some advice for me when it came to making my taste in movies and other things public:

“You know…I would just think maybe before you tell people what you like.  And sometimes you should think that maybe you like something just because other people don’t like it.  You don’t always have to be different.  Sometimes it’s ok to like what other people like.”

And she paused almost as if to rethink her position on this and lowered her voice:

“Nobody wants to marry a weirdo.”