Interview: Mike Arcega
SFist has a complicated relationship with spell checking programs. Without giving you too many of the gory details, we'll just say that spelling is NOT our strong point, and while we'd be in serious trouble without spell checking, we also hate its soul-less little guts. That being said we've never felt that spell check was out to get us personally. Sadly, the same cannot be said for Mike Arcega, whose name is hated and feared by spell checkers around the world.
We like Mike, even if those stupid spell checkers don't. Mike is a an artist worth taking note of-- something that's impressive in an art scene as saturated with talent as San Francico's is. In fact, you can check out Mike's art tonight at the Monster Drawing Rally at Southern Exposure tonight. For those of you in the East (you know, those 12 miles that seem to be a whole world apart) Mike also has a show up at the Oakland Art Gallery. In the meantime check out Mike's take on San Francisco below, and make sure you don't let your pet fish anywhere near his tank.
Name
Michael Arcega
Introduce yourself in one sentence
Hi, I’m Mike.
Or
Hi I’m Michael Arcega.
Or
Hello, I am Michael Raymon Nemesio Libunao Arcega.
(spell check hates my name)
Age and Occupation
31 yrs, Artist, freelance preparator, sign installer, volunteer.
Home Town
Manila, Philippines and LA area/Pomona.
How long have you lived in the Bay Area and Where
10 yrs. in San Francisco/Hayes Valley. Rent control is nice and it’s
central.
Favorite website
NPR.org/so I can listen to This American Life and Wait Wait Don’t Tell Me.
Stretcher.org is a great local arts and culture site.
Favorite local business
Google/they help me find things.
Plant It Earth/ they sell carnivorous plants and supplies.
What I'm currently Reading
Empire: How spain became a world power 1492-1763, by Henry Kamen or the Ikea catalog 2004
Best Deal in San Francisco
Saigon sandwiches for $2.25 or Superstar breakfasts the size of your head for $2.95 with free tea or coffee or 2 buck Chucks at Trader Joe’s.
Favorite mode of transportation
B.M.W. = Bart Muni Walk
Best Band or Musician to come out of the Bay Area
Devendra Banhart
Favorite local hangout
Momi Tobys, Fritz, or Place Pigalle
SF has the BEST
Cheap and good foods
You've never lived in SF until
You’ve seen a noise-powered trolly go by at least 10 times. (they’re the fake trolly with all the drunken idiots screaming)
Best View in the Area
Is from the Point Bonita light house (just don’t look
down)
Favorite Walk or Hike
Sutro Bath tunnel to land’s end/Fine Arts Museum
Favorite Bay area politician of past or present
Matt Gonzales
You can tell someone is a local here IF
They own several hoodies or carry around an umbrella.
SF would be soooo much better if only
I can afford the clothes or things they sell in my own neighborhood.
Best Burrito
Azteca taqueria (the corner of Washington and 3rd st.)
Best Restaurant
Superstar (filipino breakfast in the outer outer mission near daly city)
Best movie scene filmed in or about SF
The Hulk. I wish I could go from Berkeley to SF in just under 10 jumps. Star Wars/ I like seeing the cranes in the bay that inspired the AD AT walker.
Favorite artist to come out of the bay area Paul Kos or Bruce Nauman who taught in Davis (does that count?)
Favorite author to come out of the bay area
Peter D’Amato (The Savage Garden)
Place you always tell visitors to check out
The Tenderloin or 6th street
Favorite Bridge in the area
Dumbarton bridge, I like the salt or the Golden Gate bridge cause it leads to the Headlands Center For the Arts and at the right time it feels like you’re in the clouds.
You have two hours and $15 bucks to kill in SF, what are you going to do?
Go to 6th Ave. Aquarium to look at the octopus and other new sea life. Then go next door to get some pork buns and soy milk. Then take the $14 bucks to a bar with a friend.
Or
Eat at Cordon Bleu then go next door to the Lumiere and watch an indie
film.
I have found/sold/bought the following on craigslist nothing. (I’m a loser)
I want all the SFists out there to know
That they’re invited to see Visual Alchemy, a group show I’m
participating in with Caleb Duarte, Heike Liss, and Sarah Wagner at the Oakland Art Gallery. The reception is on Feb.17, 2005 from 5-8pm. Oaklandartgallery.org
Tell us a San Francisco Story
I once had a turtle and a severum (a fresh water fish named Muttifer). They lived together since they were very little. One day on a phone interview, I noticed that they were swimming oddly syncronized. As I pretended to be interested with the interview, I scrutinized the weird dance. It turned out that Murtle had Muttifer’s eye in his mouth. I was feaking out, but had to keep pretending that I was interested as I attempted to separate the two with a stick. Muttifer now has a googly-eye for an eye and murtle is hopefully happy in a pond in the bay area.
Question you'd ask if you were doing this interview
How do you say stinky monkey? Please ad to our collection: Mabahong
ungoy, Kokulu maymun, ciao malao, serieze como un macaco, Du stinkender affe.