Good Asian Drivers Tour

11,213 miles after leaving Boston for the first time in April, we have come full circle. As I saw the steady glow of the red light atop the Prudential Tower approaching as I drove towards my beloved hometown, I felt an undeniable blend of contradicting emotions - excitement and sadness. Like a well-scripted, perfectly choreographed, and thoroughly satisfying series finale of a great television show, I felt the comfort of closure coupled with a deep craving for more. 

As we sat at Kaze for our first meal, Kit and I found ourselves overcome with restlessness as we grapple with the realization that we don’t have to be driving on the interstate tomorrow…or the day after. Or the day after that. 

Wistfully, we reflected upon some of our best meals in some of the greatest cities we’ve had the honor to visit. 

For my birthday, my brother bought me a 500 piece, circular puzzle of a gazillion M&Ms. Being the obsessive nerdy kid, I decided to do it all in one sitting.

Being the bored fat kid, Kit decided to “help” just so he could lay his chubby fingers on those cardboard sweets.

Here’s Kit posing with the camera pretending to be focused on solving the puzzle. 

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If Kit eats this child, is he still vegan?

We were sitting at the Galaxy Diner in Richmond, snapping pictures as always, when I noticed a brightly-lit baby in the background, dangerously close to Kit’s face. So I told him to open his mouth and I snapped this pic.

We’re in Richmond, Virginia. Only a couple of hours away from Jacksonville, but already a world of difference. Continue Reading »

Here is Kit and one of his best friends Renee, who lives with her husband Jon and their cat Pumpkin, Jacksonville, North Carolina. 

Let’s face it, there is nothing in Jacksonville, except a military base and a sea of army wives shopping at the local WalMart. We have located one lonely Starbucks, which is really the size of half a normal Starbucks with a drive-thru in the back. We have also located - rather miraculously - one Japanese food store just down the road from where we were staying. 

All in all, we had a great time despite the fact that the town itself was painfully boring.

Jon and I bonded over watching the Cubs game on their gigantic television, while Kit and Renee went to see the Sex and the City movie. With the tasty things we bought from the Japanese store, we made dinner. Oh, and I got to catch up on Arrested Development. It was almost like an extension of our vacation!

And although it may be a stretch to say that we love Jacksonville, we definitely love Renee, Jon, and Pumpkin! :)

Tour Quote:
“Just because you are trans does not mean you can keep changing your name.” Melissa to Kit on Kit changing his name from Princess Kaylie to Ginger. 

Welcome to Savannah, where the droopy trees shelter us from the outside world, where the cobblestone-lined blocks are packed with tiny stores selling delicate trinkets, and where the Good Asian Drivers turn off their cellphones…and leave them off. 

It’s true, finally, after eight months of working non-stop, performing, emailing, booking, and being full-time artists, we are taking a vacation. We holed up for about 5 days in an air conditioned hotel (yes, we even had double beds!), spent our days picking out movies at Blockbuster, going on an endless search for a Wendy’s strawberry milkshake, and not giving a shit about checkout times.

Here’s a happily drunk Kit Yan after tasting many beers at the local microbrewery.

Here’s a mellowed out Melissa Li at the Mellow Mushroom, soaking in the quiet humid Savannah air.

It’s a pretty sweet time to be a Good Asian Driver.

Tour Quote:
Kit: “The scale said 145 pounds.” 
Melissa: “Was it being nice?” 

Howdy from the Lone Star State.

This is a picture of me sporting a cowboy hat in a shop near Austin. If you are suddenly overcome with the urge to call me “Sir”, do not worry. You are not alone.

Apparently, here in Texas having short hair and wearing cargo pants mean that I am a man.
Doesn’t boobs and pregnancy mean anything to these people?

Case #1:
I stumble into a Super 8 in Austin and man at the front desk said “How can I help you sir?” After I gave him my ID to book the hotel, he said, “I’m so sorry, ma’am.” He was forgiven. 

Case #2:
I stroll into a Baymont Inn the very next day in Houston. The bouncy blonde behind the counter not only called me “Sir”, she didn’t correct herself after I had showed her my ID. How upsetting. She was not forgiven.

Case #3:
Even Kit tagged me as himself on Facebook. Do I look like a Kit Yan to you?!

 
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We are roasting in the heat here on the desert in Tucson. Yes, this is where I saw my first cactus and Kit ate his first prickly pear at La Indita and fell in love hard. 

We performed at Wingspan for their queer youth program, Eon Youth. Their audience was fabulous and even came out to the show in the 90+ degree heat to see us. Or maybe they just came for the lemonade and cookies, who knows?

Folks in Tucson were extremely nice despite the killer heat. Geovanna from Wingspan was super wonderful to us before and during our show. And our fabulous host, Becca, was the BEST ever. For reals.

Here’s Becca and two Good Asian Drivers.

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Is this the face of a man going through a quarter-life crisis?

You may not think this is anything more than a crazed and slightly drunk Kit Yan, but I urge you to take a closer look. I have cold, hard evidence that the Kit Yan we know and love is suffering deeply inside. 

Evidence #1 - The Bright Pink Cowboy Shirt

Kit walked into a store in Tucson because he thought the sign said “Dessert Village”. To his dismay, it said “Desert Vintage”. To my dismay, he walked out with an incredibly pink cowboy shirt. When asked to what function he will wear this blinding garment, he replied, “That is not the point.”

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If you’ve heard us perform it for you live, then you’ll love the movie version. 

“On the Road with You” - written by Melissa Li, performed by Kit Yan and Melissa Li