Wednesday, April 29, 2009. Today was a sad day. Today was the day that I had to pack my things and go home. So that is what I did. I packed my things, Kuda picked me up, drove me to the airport, I boarded my plane, stopped in Las Vegas for about thirty minutes, then headed onward to Philadelphia.
Boy I do miss LA. It's a wonderful place, full of hopes and dreams, glamour and glitz, show and business, and show business. But looking back, I realized that a city is just a bunch of buildings and land without the people who contribute to it. I think, no, I am sure that the reason my trip was so fulfilling was due to the friends I had and have made on this trip. I think LA just provides an opportunity to exhibit one's collective energy and creativity. It is a city of show, however, full of depth if you care to venture and explore it.
I thank God for the depth I found through the friends I have there and made there and will have there. Until next time, goodbye City of Angels, you've definitely left a mark and motivated this one.
Thursday, April 30, 2009
Wednesday, April 29, 2009
Los Angeles DAY 15: The Last Supper
Tuesday, April 28, 2009. Today was my final full day here in LA. I spent most of the day inside, relaxing until Kuda brought Flitz and Nick home from work.
We were going to attempt to shoot something, but because it was getting late and we were losing light and we were all hungry, we decided to go get food instead.
Just like the day I arrived, we took a trip down to Hollywood Blvd for my last supper. We had trouble agreeing on where we wanted to eat but finally settled for California Pizza Kitchen. We had a fun and entertaining night. Flitz, Kuda, Nick, and I delved into good conversation and flirtation with the CPK wait staff. Family fun for everyone.
Before we left, after having some conversations with the waitress and hostess, Flitz and I put on a quick breakin' demonstration outside of the restaurant. I finally got to dance, haha. I think Nick was more surprised than the girls. Our session lasted about a few runs, until a security guard or cop, couldn't tell, told us to stop and to go dance in the street if we wanted to dance. CPK is in like a outside mall area so I guess dancing is prohibited there.
After dinner and a dance, we left and went back to Flitz's house where everyone passed out. Except for me. I stayed up most of the night watching youtube videos. Damn youtube!
Tomorrow was my flight, and I seem to do very little sleeping before travel days. I don't know if it's anxiety or just coincidence. Ah well. I loved my time out here!
We were going to attempt to shoot something, but because it was getting late and we were losing light and we were all hungry, we decided to go get food instead.
Just like the day I arrived, we took a trip down to Hollywood Blvd for my last supper. We had trouble agreeing on where we wanted to eat but finally settled for California Pizza Kitchen. We had a fun and entertaining night. Flitz, Kuda, Nick, and I delved into good conversation and flirtation with the CPK wait staff. Family fun for everyone.
Before we left, after having some conversations with the waitress and hostess, Flitz and I put on a quick breakin' demonstration outside of the restaurant. I finally got to dance, haha. I think Nick was more surprised than the girls. Our session lasted about a few runs, until a security guard or cop, couldn't tell, told us to stop and to go dance in the street if we wanted to dance. CPK is in like a outside mall area so I guess dancing is prohibited there.
After dinner and a dance, we left and went back to Flitz's house where everyone passed out. Except for me. I stayed up most of the night watching youtube videos. Damn youtube!
Tomorrow was my flight, and I seem to do very little sleeping before travel days. I don't know if it's anxiety or just coincidence. Ah well. I loved my time out here!
Tuesday, April 28, 2009
Los Angeles DAY 14: Strange Venice and Rants
Monday, April 27, 2009. Venice Beach was on the menu today because we never made it down there yesterday. Kuda picked me up, and we drove down.
Venice is one of those places that's probably been in nearly every Hollywood film that used a beach from LA. It's pretty huge. About a a quarter of a mile in form the ocean is a wide walk way kind of like a boardwalk. Except it's not made of wood, rather, it's cement. Here, there are a lot of shops and vendors along with a bunch of artists, street performers, and just straight up strange people.
The first stop I made was in this little offshoot area with various stores. We went into a clothing store which a lot of nice stuff. Anywhere from throwback vintage looking t-shirts to hip trendy jackets. Prices were a little steep though.
We left that store and stopped at sun glass stand that was being ran by some little Asian woman. Because the sun was really bright, I bought a pair for eight bucks!
After sportin' some new shades, I came across a van with a long tent and racks of clothes. I noticed that these racks were stocked with unique vintage band tees. These were the real deal. I saw shirt designs that you cant find in the store. After some searching, I found some Queen shirts and bought them. The best part, they weren't expensive. Thirteen dollars each! And they have that soft t-shirt feel.
Venice Beach is full of very cool and interesting things. There's a lot of art on the walls of the stores. Remakes such as Van Gogh's Starry Night, as well as original works and Graffiti.
The street performers are interesting to say the least. There are artists doing paintings, musicians playing instruments, and people doing I don't know what. We passed a guy playing the diggory doo as well as some dude who was almost naked holding what looked like two albino cobras by the neck. Like I said strange people. And that was only the tip of the ice berg.
We passed by Muscle Beach. This is apparently where their current Governor Arnold Schwarzenegger used to work out as he was becoming a Hollywood action star. It's actually an outdoor gym where people can work out in public. I would feel weird doing that.
After we got to the end of the walkway, we went back to the car and took a drive down Main St. Main St has a lot of shops and boutiques, including Undefeated, another popular underground sneaker store. I stopped in there, saw a few sneakers that I wanted, but didn't buy.
On our way back, we picked up Flitz, got my Jack in the Box fix and then headed to the Burbank Mall so that Flitz could buy jeans. We hung out there for a little bit, then rocked out at Rock Band at the Best Buy and then headed back to Flitz's.
We filmed a VT Rant. If you don't know what that is, check out http://www.youtube.com/ViolentToenailz. Filming was smooth until our set started to fall apart and a wood painting fell on fish bowl, smashing the bowl and spill water every where. My first thought, save the fish! Fortunately for the fish, there was enough bowl left with water that the fish survived. He was in a little shock though. All the stores were closed so the Fish is currently in a glass vase.
We capped the night off with some Little Caesar's Pizza and a film about hecklers called 'Hecklers'. After watching this film, I think I'll be a little more aware of how critical I can be. Watch the movie, you'll understand what I mean.
One more full day left. Time is whizzing by fast, but I've learned to stop and smell the LA roses.
Venice is one of those places that's probably been in nearly every Hollywood film that used a beach from LA. It's pretty huge. About a a quarter of a mile in form the ocean is a wide walk way kind of like a boardwalk. Except it's not made of wood, rather, it's cement. Here, there are a lot of shops and vendors along with a bunch of artists, street performers, and just straight up strange people.
The first stop I made was in this little offshoot area with various stores. We went into a clothing store which a lot of nice stuff. Anywhere from throwback vintage looking t-shirts to hip trendy jackets. Prices were a little steep though.
We left that store and stopped at sun glass stand that was being ran by some little Asian woman. Because the sun was really bright, I bought a pair for eight bucks!
After sportin' some new shades, I came across a van with a long tent and racks of clothes. I noticed that these racks were stocked with unique vintage band tees. These were the real deal. I saw shirt designs that you cant find in the store. After some searching, I found some Queen shirts and bought them. The best part, they weren't expensive. Thirteen dollars each! And they have that soft t-shirt feel.
Venice Beach is full of very cool and interesting things. There's a lot of art on the walls of the stores. Remakes such as Van Gogh's Starry Night, as well as original works and Graffiti.
The street performers are interesting to say the least. There are artists doing paintings, musicians playing instruments, and people doing I don't know what. We passed a guy playing the diggory doo as well as some dude who was almost naked holding what looked like two albino cobras by the neck. Like I said strange people. And that was only the tip of the ice berg.
We passed by Muscle Beach. This is apparently where their current Governor Arnold Schwarzenegger used to work out as he was becoming a Hollywood action star. It's actually an outdoor gym where people can work out in public. I would feel weird doing that.
After we got to the end of the walkway, we went back to the car and took a drive down Main St. Main St has a lot of shops and boutiques, including Undefeated, another popular underground sneaker store. I stopped in there, saw a few sneakers that I wanted, but didn't buy.
On our way back, we picked up Flitz, got my Jack in the Box fix and then headed to the Burbank Mall so that Flitz could buy jeans. We hung out there for a little bit, then rocked out at Rock Band at the Best Buy and then headed back to Flitz's.
We filmed a VT Rant. If you don't know what that is, check out http://www.youtube.com/ViolentToenailz. Filming was smooth until our set started to fall apart and a wood painting fell on fish bowl, smashing the bowl and spill water every where. My first thought, save the fish! Fortunately for the fish, there was enough bowl left with water that the fish survived. He was in a little shock though. All the stores were closed so the Fish is currently in a glass vase.
We capped the night off with some Little Caesar's Pizza and a film about hecklers called 'Hecklers'. After watching this film, I think I'll be a little more aware of how critical I can be. Watch the movie, you'll understand what I mean.
One more full day left. Time is whizzing by fast, but I've learned to stop and smell the LA roses.
Monday, April 27, 2009
Los Angeles DAY 13: In and Out Santa Monica
Sunday, April 26, 2009. Nick decided to play tour guide today, so Kuda drove Nick and I down to Santa Monica. Once we got to the beach area, Nick led the way.
We first made our way towards the Santa Monica Pier. I cant get over how great the weather has been. I see why they film in this city. It's like constant sunshine all day with warm weather and a cool breeze.
We finally got to the pier and could see it was packed. Up ahead were just crowds of people. We went about half way down the pier and then decided to just turn around. I didn't really feel like dealing with the crowds like that.
Nick guided over to the Third Street Promenade which was pretty much like an outdoor shopping mall. If you've ever been to Denver's 16th Street Mall, it's almost exactly like that. Here, 3rd st stops and for about three of four blocks, it becomes a giant shopping center with a pedestrian friendly walkway through the middle, which would normally be a road. Here, many street performers set up to perform. The performers ranged form artists, musicians, to dancers.
After walking around for a bit, we had to head back to Flitz's to meet up with him because he didn't have the key to his apartment. When he came home, we decided to wander about North Hollywood. We went to In and Out Burger, which is apparently all the rage here. Honestly, I thought it was overrated. Not bad, nor expensive, but just doesn't live up to all the hype. After In and Out, we went to Barnes & Nobles where we browsed around and hung out.
Today felt like in and out Santa Monica and in and out burgers. However the pace out seems a little more relaxed and laid back, unless you're trying to catch public transportation.
We first made our way towards the Santa Monica Pier. I cant get over how great the weather has been. I see why they film in this city. It's like constant sunshine all day with warm weather and a cool breeze.
We finally got to the pier and could see it was packed. Up ahead were just crowds of people. We went about half way down the pier and then decided to just turn around. I didn't really feel like dealing with the crowds like that.
Nick guided over to the Third Street Promenade which was pretty much like an outdoor shopping mall. If you've ever been to Denver's 16th Street Mall, it's almost exactly like that. Here, 3rd st stops and for about three of four blocks, it becomes a giant shopping center with a pedestrian friendly walkway through the middle, which would normally be a road. Here, many street performers set up to perform. The performers ranged form artists, musicians, to dancers.
After walking around for a bit, we had to head back to Flitz's to meet up with him because he didn't have the key to his apartment. When he came home, we decided to wander about North Hollywood. We went to In and Out Burger, which is apparently all the rage here. Honestly, I thought it was overrated. Not bad, nor expensive, but just doesn't live up to all the hype. After In and Out, we went to Barnes & Nobles where we browsed around and hung out.
Today felt like in and out Santa Monica and in and out burgers. However the pace out seems a little more relaxed and laid back, unless you're trying to catch public transportation.
Sunday, April 26, 2009
Los Angeles DAY 12: Off Day
Saturday, April 25, 2009. We got up really early, 4:30am early, so that Kuda could give Chelsea a ride to the airport. I went along for the ride and the moral support. It was a sad morning, watching a fellow musketeer depart for the east coast, haha. I know, very cheesy.
After Chelsea got through the security gate, Kuda and I headed back to Flitz's, where I passed out for the rest of the morning. I made sure to set my alarm for 11am though because the Flyers played at 12pm PST and I was going over my friend Jean's house to watch it.
12pm came and I headed over to Jean's. Jean is a friend of mine I've known from high school. We use to practice dance together and about a year and a half ago, she moved out to LA to pursue her acting career. She's been doing pretty well. Her most recent credit is a starring role in a movie called 'The Telling' which was produced by and also stars the playboy playmates from the show 'The Girls Next Door'.
After watching the Flyers blow a 3-0 lead at home to end their series with the Penguins, thus ending their season, I was depressed. Jean and I decided to grab some good food at this Italian restaurant. After our late lunch, I started getting sleepy, so I decided to go back to Flitz's and take a nap. The nap never happened. Instead, I stayed on my computer and just browsed the interweb. Then I put on the movie 'Just One of the Guys'.
After the days I've been having, I needed a day to just relax. Flitz's roommate Nick came home around 7:30pm. After he got some online gaming in, and I finished the movie, we decided to go out for a walk around North Hollywood, looking for a place to eat. We came across this pizza place with a big sign that read 'Large Pizza only $5'. We figured, what the heck, let's try it out.
I felt like I was in a movie. The service was so bizarre. First, we decided we were going to order a large pepperoni pizza and a side of large fries. We sat down and waited. And waited some more. Finally, the guy came out of the kitchen and asked if we wanted anything to drink. Nick ordered a Coke and I ordered a Snapple. Because the fridge was broken, he took our bottled drinks and placed them in the freezer. I think after a total of forty minutes later (at least it felt like that), he came out with our pizza. The fries weren't done yet. Nick got up and asked for some pizza condiments, you know, Parmesan cheese, red pepper, oregano, etc. The guy said OK, and brought out our fries with some ketchup packets and Parmesan cheese packets. That's it.
I decided to take a shot. I got up and stood in front of the counter window. The guy asked me what I was waiting for. First thing I mention were the drinks. So he went to back and instructed someone else to grab our drinks. This guy then went into the freezer and grabbed our drinks. He then stopped to talk to a coworker of his for about two minutes, drinks in hand, while I'm clearly waiting. After his conversation, he walked towards me, stopped at the side table in the kitchen, and placed the drinks on the table and walked away. I started laughing because what else could I do in this situation. The original guy came back up to me and asked if everything was OK. I told him I was still waiting for our drinks. He grabbed for me and before he walked away, I asked if we could have some oregano, red pepper seeds, and garlic powder. He said sure, went to the back and brought out a small cup of garlic powder, and that was it.
We cut our losses, ate our pizza and fries, and went home. It was so bizarre. For a while, I really thought these people had mental disabilities. I'm not even trying to be funny. Ah well.
On the twelfth day, I rested. A much needed rest I guess. I'm still enjoying LA.
After Chelsea got through the security gate, Kuda and I headed back to Flitz's, where I passed out for the rest of the morning. I made sure to set my alarm for 11am though because the Flyers played at 12pm PST and I was going over my friend Jean's house to watch it.
12pm came and I headed over to Jean's. Jean is a friend of mine I've known from high school. We use to practice dance together and about a year and a half ago, she moved out to LA to pursue her acting career. She's been doing pretty well. Her most recent credit is a starring role in a movie called 'The Telling' which was produced by and also stars the playboy playmates from the show 'The Girls Next Door'.
After watching the Flyers blow a 3-0 lead at home to end their series with the Penguins, thus ending their season, I was depressed. Jean and I decided to grab some good food at this Italian restaurant. After our late lunch, I started getting sleepy, so I decided to go back to Flitz's and take a nap. The nap never happened. Instead, I stayed on my computer and just browsed the interweb. Then I put on the movie 'Just One of the Guys'.
After the days I've been having, I needed a day to just relax. Flitz's roommate Nick came home around 7:30pm. After he got some online gaming in, and I finished the movie, we decided to go out for a walk around North Hollywood, looking for a place to eat. We came across this pizza place with a big sign that read 'Large Pizza only $5'. We figured, what the heck, let's try it out.
I felt like I was in a movie. The service was so bizarre. First, we decided we were going to order a large pepperoni pizza and a side of large fries. We sat down and waited. And waited some more. Finally, the guy came out of the kitchen and asked if we wanted anything to drink. Nick ordered a Coke and I ordered a Snapple. Because the fridge was broken, he took our bottled drinks and placed them in the freezer. I think after a total of forty minutes later (at least it felt like that), he came out with our pizza. The fries weren't done yet. Nick got up and asked for some pizza condiments, you know, Parmesan cheese, red pepper, oregano, etc. The guy said OK, and brought out our fries with some ketchup packets and Parmesan cheese packets. That's it.
I decided to take a shot. I got up and stood in front of the counter window. The guy asked me what I was waiting for. First thing I mention were the drinks. So he went to back and instructed someone else to grab our drinks. This guy then went into the freezer and grabbed our drinks. He then stopped to talk to a coworker of his for about two minutes, drinks in hand, while I'm clearly waiting. After his conversation, he walked towards me, stopped at the side table in the kitchen, and placed the drinks on the table and walked away. I started laughing because what else could I do in this situation. The original guy came back up to me and asked if everything was OK. I told him I was still waiting for our drinks. He grabbed for me and before he walked away, I asked if we could have some oregano, red pepper seeds, and garlic powder. He said sure, went to the back and brought out a small cup of garlic powder, and that was it.
We cut our losses, ate our pizza and fries, and went home. It was so bizarre. For a while, I really thought these people had mental disabilities. I'm not even trying to be funny. Ah well.
On the twelfth day, I rested. A much needed rest I guess. I'm still enjoying LA.
Saturday, April 25, 2009
Los Angeles DAY 11: Places and Hills
Friday, April 24, 2009. This week has gone by fast, and today was Chelsea's last day here.
Kuda came over today and Chelsea, Kuda, and I took a drive over to Hollywood Blvd to grab some lunch at California Pizza Kitchen. AS before, good service and good food. We decided to treat Kuda to this lunch as a thanks to all the driving and tour guiding he's done for us. We had these special envelopes from CPK that the manager opens up to reveal a prize. We hoped for the $50,000. Instead we got the 10% off. Hey, that's 10% more than we had before, so I couldn't complain.
After lunch, we decided to take a trip back down to Melrose Ave to do some shopping. This time the weather was a lot nicer and we actually parked and walked. The first store we went to had some really nice clothes, however, very expensive. So Chelsea and I decided to just play dress up. Chelsea tried on a really sweet dress. Too bad it was $150. The thing I like about Melrose Ave is that it's full of a lot of privately owned boutiques that carry very unique clothing and styles.
After stopping in a few stores, we found another Sportie LA. More sneakers! Here, I found a pretty fresh pair of Nike Court Forces. Apparently, they just came out that day. Since I never get sneaker-buying-remorse, I bought them. The more and more I look at them, the nicer they get.
We took a trip to a store called The Hundreds, as recommended by my friend tU pHAce. It's one of those hip and trendy stores. We browsed around briefly and then took a walk around the corner. And then I saw heaven. Well, heaven for sneaker heads. Flight Club! Flight Club is on the top 25 stores sneaker heads need to visit. It was wall to wall sneakers, with a warehouse in the back. It was like shelves full of Holy Grails. They had styles that I've only seen online. Styles you cant find anywhere. I found a pair of Air Max 90's infrared original colorways going for $350. Fortunate for me, I already own them and got them last year for a lot cheaper.
Then I spotted a pair that has been on my Sneaker Hunt list. This orange and black pair of Air Max 90's that I've only seen in Ubiq (Philly) years ago. They were going for $300 back then. Suprisingly, they were only $175 here. I couldn't do it, not yet. Hopefully I wont regret it. They had so many sneakers though. When I'm rich and famous, I will own like 25% of the sneakers there.
Anyway, moving on. After leaving Melrose Ave, we decided to go to the Beverly Hills Center, which is a shopping mall in Beverly Hills. It's a typical with a little more high end expensive stores than usual. We made some stops in some sneaker stores, of course. We visited a store called Planet Funk, which had some nice clothes that were designed by local artists. In fact, Chelsea found a really good buy on jeans. Originally priced at $169, she paid $12. Good for her.
After Planet Funk, we went to J. Lindeberg. It's a pretty expensive store but I found a zip-up jacket at Loehmann's for like $40 so I was interested to see what they had. As I was browsing the racks, this young Asian male comes out of one of the dressing rooms. My immediate thought was, 'that's the new Sulu.' It was actor John Cho. Some may know him better as Harold from 'Harold and Kumar Go to White Castle' or the Asian guy from 'American Pie' who popularized the term MILF. He was trying on pants.
So as I'm walking out, I decided to call my dad because he's a Star Trek fan. As I'm talking to my dad, I point out to Chelsea these two guys walking ahead of us. One was skinny, black, and very tall, the other skinny, shorter, with silver hair. It was J and Ms. J from 'America's Next Top Model'. Chelsea had a slight moment of star struckness. It was funny.
After we spotted those celebrities, I bought a couple of shirts at Heritage and we headed out to go pick up Flitz from the train station.
The gang was together and Kuda, Flitz, Chelsea, and I headed up to her Auntie Joyce' house for 'Chelsea's last day in LA' dinner. Just like before, we had a lot of fun. Jeff and his daughter Eliza were there. Augie and Charlie were there again also, and Charlie brought his daughter Lotus. She was one of the cutest and most outgoing child I've ever met. She was a great source of entertainment. We all had a good time and I felt that it was fitting that we spent the last night with Chelsea in LA this way, with family. Flitz and I got Joyce's blessing to call her Auntie Joyce.
After funny conversations and community Youtube browsing, the yawning started. We decided to leave before we all fell asleep. We headed back to Flitz's, knowing we had to be up in less than five hours to take Chelsea to the airport.
Shopping, celebrity sightings, hanging out with celebrities and future celebrities, it's all in a days play.
Kuda came over today and Chelsea, Kuda, and I took a drive over to Hollywood Blvd to grab some lunch at California Pizza Kitchen. AS before, good service and good food. We decided to treat Kuda to this lunch as a thanks to all the driving and tour guiding he's done for us. We had these special envelopes from CPK that the manager opens up to reveal a prize. We hoped for the $50,000. Instead we got the 10% off. Hey, that's 10% more than we had before, so I couldn't complain.
After lunch, we decided to take a trip back down to Melrose Ave to do some shopping. This time the weather was a lot nicer and we actually parked and walked. The first store we went to had some really nice clothes, however, very expensive. So Chelsea and I decided to just play dress up. Chelsea tried on a really sweet dress. Too bad it was $150. The thing I like about Melrose Ave is that it's full of a lot of privately owned boutiques that carry very unique clothing and styles.
After stopping in a few stores, we found another Sportie LA. More sneakers! Here, I found a pretty fresh pair of Nike Court Forces. Apparently, they just came out that day. Since I never get sneaker-buying-remorse, I bought them. The more and more I look at them, the nicer they get.
We took a trip to a store called The Hundreds, as recommended by my friend tU pHAce. It's one of those hip and trendy stores. We browsed around briefly and then took a walk around the corner. And then I saw heaven. Well, heaven for sneaker heads. Flight Club! Flight Club is on the top 25 stores sneaker heads need to visit. It was wall to wall sneakers, with a warehouse in the back. It was like shelves full of Holy Grails. They had styles that I've only seen online. Styles you cant find anywhere. I found a pair of Air Max 90's infrared original colorways going for $350. Fortunate for me, I already own them and got them last year for a lot cheaper.
Then I spotted a pair that has been on my Sneaker Hunt list. This orange and black pair of Air Max 90's that I've only seen in Ubiq (Philly) years ago. They were going for $300 back then. Suprisingly, they were only $175 here. I couldn't do it, not yet. Hopefully I wont regret it. They had so many sneakers though. When I'm rich and famous, I will own like 25% of the sneakers there.
Anyway, moving on. After leaving Melrose Ave, we decided to go to the Beverly Hills Center, which is a shopping mall in Beverly Hills. It's a typical with a little more high end expensive stores than usual. We made some stops in some sneaker stores, of course. We visited a store called Planet Funk, which had some nice clothes that were designed by local artists. In fact, Chelsea found a really good buy on jeans. Originally priced at $169, she paid $12. Good for her.
After Planet Funk, we went to J. Lindeberg. It's a pretty expensive store but I found a zip-up jacket at Loehmann's for like $40 so I was interested to see what they had. As I was browsing the racks, this young Asian male comes out of one of the dressing rooms. My immediate thought was, 'that's the new Sulu.' It was actor John Cho. Some may know him better as Harold from 'Harold and Kumar Go to White Castle' or the Asian guy from 'American Pie' who popularized the term MILF. He was trying on pants.
So as I'm walking out, I decided to call my dad because he's a Star Trek fan. As I'm talking to my dad, I point out to Chelsea these two guys walking ahead of us. One was skinny, black, and very tall, the other skinny, shorter, with silver hair. It was J and Ms. J from 'America's Next Top Model'. Chelsea had a slight moment of star struckness. It was funny.
After we spotted those celebrities, I bought a couple of shirts at Heritage and we headed out to go pick up Flitz from the train station.
The gang was together and Kuda, Flitz, Chelsea, and I headed up to her Auntie Joyce' house for 'Chelsea's last day in LA' dinner. Just like before, we had a lot of fun. Jeff and his daughter Eliza were there. Augie and Charlie were there again also, and Charlie brought his daughter Lotus. She was one of the cutest and most outgoing child I've ever met. She was a great source of entertainment. We all had a good time and I felt that it was fitting that we spent the last night with Chelsea in LA this way, with family. Flitz and I got Joyce's blessing to call her Auntie Joyce.
After funny conversations and community Youtube browsing, the yawning started. We decided to leave before we all fell asleep. We headed back to Flitz's, knowing we had to be up in less than five hours to take Chelsea to the airport.
Shopping, celebrity sightings, hanging out with celebrities and future celebrities, it's all in a days play.
Friday, April 24, 2009
Los Angeles DAY 10: Fighting LA
Thursday, April 23, 2009. Today I planned to meet up with an old friend of mine from high school. Her name is Melissa and she works for NBC Universal.
Chelsea and I headed to Universal City early to grab some lunch. I figured, since I was meeting up with Melissa later, we may as well head up there early and just walk around. We ate at the Hard Rock Cafe. The service was great and the food was good.
We headed towards the NBC Universal building at around 5pm to meet up with Melissa. After she got off work, we walked to her car and headed back up to the Universal City Walk, where we grabbed a quick bite to eat and caught up on some stories. It had been almost a decade since we last saw each other. I found out that she works as an assistant to the president of the international affairs department for NBC Universal. What that means is that she helps in dealing with any deals that they have foreign countries that are interested in distributed a NBC Universal film or show. Or something to that degree.
After our quick bite to eat, Melissa took us onto the NBC Universal lot to one of the private screening theaters to screen a new film. 'Fighting' was the film we screened and it wasn't that bad actually. I had very low expectations for it, but in the end, yes it lacked a lot of depth, but it was entertaining, and it was free. So I cant complain.
After the screening, Melissa drove us back to Flitz's, where we met up with Kuda. Kuda then took us back up to the look over point of LA. I wanted to grab some shots of the cityscape at night. Technically, the point is closed after sunset, but we found some people there late at night who guided us around the fence to an opening. You got to make sure you hold on to the gate because you have to go down and around a steep part of the hill and if you let go and fall, you're going to be tumbling quite a ways.
We got in and walked to the top. It looked beautiful. The city lights and various spotlights shooting up in the air made more a nice scene. It was a little hazy, but I got some decent pictures.
After surviving getting in and out of the point, Kuda took us for a drive downtown around the tall buildings. This part reminded me of Philly. It really looked like a city. We drove by the Staples Center and the Nokia Center. Both were lit up like a circus. We also drove by the Walt Disney Concert Hall and past Chinatown, right under the Chinatown Archway that they seem to have in every major city. We also saw some real live pimps on the street. They really do dress that way, bright green suits, long coats, and giant hats.
After our tour around downtown LA, we headed back to Flitz's house where we quickly passed out. Los Angeles is big. Square mileage wise, it is huge. And each part of LA seems to have its own kind of vibe, or own kind of flavor.
Chelsea and I headed to Universal City early to grab some lunch. I figured, since I was meeting up with Melissa later, we may as well head up there early and just walk around. We ate at the Hard Rock Cafe. The service was great and the food was good.
We headed towards the NBC Universal building at around 5pm to meet up with Melissa. After she got off work, we walked to her car and headed back up to the Universal City Walk, where we grabbed a quick bite to eat and caught up on some stories. It had been almost a decade since we last saw each other. I found out that she works as an assistant to the president of the international affairs department for NBC Universal. What that means is that she helps in dealing with any deals that they have foreign countries that are interested in distributed a NBC Universal film or show. Or something to that degree.
After our quick bite to eat, Melissa took us onto the NBC Universal lot to one of the private screening theaters to screen a new film. 'Fighting' was the film we screened and it wasn't that bad actually. I had very low expectations for it, but in the end, yes it lacked a lot of depth, but it was entertaining, and it was free. So I cant complain.
After the screening, Melissa drove us back to Flitz's, where we met up with Kuda. Kuda then took us back up to the look over point of LA. I wanted to grab some shots of the cityscape at night. Technically, the point is closed after sunset, but we found some people there late at night who guided us around the fence to an opening. You got to make sure you hold on to the gate because you have to go down and around a steep part of the hill and if you let go and fall, you're going to be tumbling quite a ways.
We got in and walked to the top. It looked beautiful. The city lights and various spotlights shooting up in the air made more a nice scene. It was a little hazy, but I got some decent pictures.
After surviving getting in and out of the point, Kuda took us for a drive downtown around the tall buildings. This part reminded me of Philly. It really looked like a city. We drove by the Staples Center and the Nokia Center. Both were lit up like a circus. We also drove by the Walt Disney Concert Hall and past Chinatown, right under the Chinatown Archway that they seem to have in every major city. We also saw some real live pimps on the street. They really do dress that way, bright green suits, long coats, and giant hats.
After our tour around downtown LA, we headed back to Flitz's house where we quickly passed out. Los Angeles is big. Square mileage wise, it is huge. And each part of LA seems to have its own kind of vibe, or own kind of flavor.
Thursday, April 23, 2009
Los Angeles DAY 9: Show Enhancers
Wednesday, April 22, 2009. "It's hard to stay up, it's been a long, long day, and you've got the sandman at your door. But hang on, leave the TV on, and let's do it anyway. It's okay. Tomorrow's just your future yesterday."
For those that don't know, that is the theme song to 'The Late Late Show with Craig Ferguson' who is, in my opinion, the best thing on late night television. That's right, I said it, even better than Conan O'Brien.
So I've been wanting to see Craig Ferguson live ever since I planned the trip out here. Today was a good a time as any. I think for the first time since being here, nothing was scheduled to happen today. So Chelsea and I planned to go see Craig Ferguson, and it did take planning. Although the obstacles weren't daunting, there were some. First, I had to print the tickets out. Flitz has no printer. So I text Keen and asked if she had one. Her response, "black people don't have printers." She suggested Kinkos, however, there were none near nor on my way to the CBS studio. So instead, Chelsea and I just walked down the street and hoped to find something. Sure enough, we did. It was some small cheap place with computers still running Windows 98 at best. It cost me $1.25! But I wasn't going to complain.
Next thing I needed was a nice shirt. One of the rules to be a studio audience member included dressing appropriately which meant no t-shirts, shorts, hats, etc. Again, I texted Keen to see if she happened to have any men's dress shirts. She didn't but suggested that I check out the dollar store across the street. Sure enough, they had clothes. The only thing I found fitting for the occasion was a reddish maroon silk button down for $2! So I bought it!
So far, we were doing good. Next thing was to figure out the bus system since we were going to have to take public. It was easy enough. Then we set foot.
It didn't take too long to get to the CBS studios. After a little wait in line, we proceeded into the building. The whole experience was a little surreal, seeing the set and everything. It looked more colorful in real life. After we sat in our assigned seats, a comedian comes out and warms up the crowd with direction, jokes (funny and corny), and chocolate. I think his stage name was Chunky. His job was to prep us and keep us entertained before the taping started. One of his jokes went like this:
"What did the saggy left boob say to the saggy right boob? We better get some support or they're gonna start thinkin' we're nuts."
So you get the idea. He also, like any good comedian, picked on some of the audience members. Which brings me to another point. Chunky let us know that we weren't audience members, rather, show enhancers. Fair enough.
Finally, the time came. With a thundering applause, Craig Ferguson came running out. We all stood in ovation. Then he proceeded to his monologue. He has the best monologue on late night. The next part threw me off a little. I then realized that we saw the monologue, the cold open, the e-mail section, the segue to a performance, and the closing statements for the upcoming Friday show. Then they switched gears and Craig switched ties and did interviews for the Thursday show. So technically, after the editing and all, we saw parts of two different shows. Oh the magic of TV land.
The e-mail section was totally awesome. Steven Wright came out "unexpectedly" to aid Craig in the e-mail section. If you don't know who Steven Wright is, youtube him. He is a funny comedian with a weird dry sense of humor, I love it!
The guests that were there for the live taping were desperate housewife Teri Hatcher, who looked fine as ever, and author P.W. Singer. The Teri Hatcher interview was very entertaining. Craig seems to have great chemistry with all his guests. The P.W. Singer interview was funny as well as interesting. He authored a book called 'Wired for War' which talks about the modern advancements in robot technology that is now being incorporated in the military.
The whole experience, as I said, was surreal, but very entertaining. Craig Ferguson is such a great performer and I would recommend to anyone, if out here in LA, go see a live taping.
After seeing Ferguson live, Chelsea and took a bus back to Hollywood Blvd and grabbed a bite to eat at California Pizza Kitchen. Jana, our waitress, gave us some of the most friendliest service I've ever had. The food was good too. After dinner, we called it a night.
My two hours as a show enhancer was time well spent. I'm looking forward to enhancing more shows in the future, with an even more integral part perhaps.
P.S. Sorry for no pictures. We weren't allowed to bring any cameras in on set and we took public transportation so we had no car to leave stuff in.
For those that don't know, that is the theme song to 'The Late Late Show with Craig Ferguson' who is, in my opinion, the best thing on late night television. That's right, I said it, even better than Conan O'Brien.
So I've been wanting to see Craig Ferguson live ever since I planned the trip out here. Today was a good a time as any. I think for the first time since being here, nothing was scheduled to happen today. So Chelsea and I planned to go see Craig Ferguson, and it did take planning. Although the obstacles weren't daunting, there were some. First, I had to print the tickets out. Flitz has no printer. So I text Keen and asked if she had one. Her response, "black people don't have printers." She suggested Kinkos, however, there were none near nor on my way to the CBS studio. So instead, Chelsea and I just walked down the street and hoped to find something. Sure enough, we did. It was some small cheap place with computers still running Windows 98 at best. It cost me $1.25! But I wasn't going to complain.
Next thing I needed was a nice shirt. One of the rules to be a studio audience member included dressing appropriately which meant no t-shirts, shorts, hats, etc. Again, I texted Keen to see if she happened to have any men's dress shirts. She didn't but suggested that I check out the dollar store across the street. Sure enough, they had clothes. The only thing I found fitting for the occasion was a reddish maroon silk button down for $2! So I bought it!
So far, we were doing good. Next thing was to figure out the bus system since we were going to have to take public. It was easy enough. Then we set foot.
It didn't take too long to get to the CBS studios. After a little wait in line, we proceeded into the building. The whole experience was a little surreal, seeing the set and everything. It looked more colorful in real life. After we sat in our assigned seats, a comedian comes out and warms up the crowd with direction, jokes (funny and corny), and chocolate. I think his stage name was Chunky. His job was to prep us and keep us entertained before the taping started. One of his jokes went like this:
"What did the saggy left boob say to the saggy right boob? We better get some support or they're gonna start thinkin' we're nuts."
So you get the idea. He also, like any good comedian, picked on some of the audience members. Which brings me to another point. Chunky let us know that we weren't audience members, rather, show enhancers. Fair enough.
Finally, the time came. With a thundering applause, Craig Ferguson came running out. We all stood in ovation. Then he proceeded to his monologue. He has the best monologue on late night. The next part threw me off a little. I then realized that we saw the monologue, the cold open, the e-mail section, the segue to a performance, and the closing statements for the upcoming Friday show. Then they switched gears and Craig switched ties and did interviews for the Thursday show. So technically, after the editing and all, we saw parts of two different shows. Oh the magic of TV land.
The e-mail section was totally awesome. Steven Wright came out "unexpectedly" to aid Craig in the e-mail section. If you don't know who Steven Wright is, youtube him. He is a funny comedian with a weird dry sense of humor, I love it!
The guests that were there for the live taping were desperate housewife Teri Hatcher, who looked fine as ever, and author P.W. Singer. The Teri Hatcher interview was very entertaining. Craig seems to have great chemistry with all his guests. The P.W. Singer interview was funny as well as interesting. He authored a book called 'Wired for War' which talks about the modern advancements in robot technology that is now being incorporated in the military.
The whole experience, as I said, was surreal, but very entertaining. Craig Ferguson is such a great performer and I would recommend to anyone, if out here in LA, go see a live taping.
After seeing Ferguson live, Chelsea and took a bus back to Hollywood Blvd and grabbed a bite to eat at California Pizza Kitchen. Jana, our waitress, gave us some of the most friendliest service I've ever had. The food was good too. After dinner, we called it a night.
My two hours as a show enhancer was time well spent. I'm looking forward to enhancing more shows in the future, with an even more integral part perhaps.
P.S. Sorry for no pictures. We weren't allowed to bring any cameras in on set and we took public transportation so we had no car to leave stuff in.
Wednesday, April 22, 2009
Los Angeles DAY 8: Public Screening
Tuesday, April 21, 2009. Today was hot. Uncomfortably hot. I actually started today with a continuation from last night, so let me rewind. As you know, I was driving back from San Francisco. We got to LA at around 5am. I got to experience my first time driving on the LA freeway. Why the heck was there so much traffic at 5am! People drive so fast out here. And you gotta cross six lanes of traffic to reach your exit. Anyway, we made it home safe, so fun times.
I attempted to do some things on my computer, but passed out in the middle of it. After about five hours of sleep, I woke up. I guess five hours was enough. So today, we made plans to go to Melrose Ave and do a little shopping. Kuda picked up Chelsea and then headed to Flitz's to scoop me up.
As I said, it was hot out. So hot that I didn't want to walk. So instead, we drove down Melrose and pulled over if we saw a store we were interested in.
The first store we went to was Johnny Cupcakes. It is a clothing store with its very own brand. The theme of the store was cupcake making from like the 50's. Therefore, they had industrial windowed refrigerators for show racks, fake ovens, and baking kitchenware. It was really cool looking. The lady behind the counter was really pretty and really cool as she entertained Chelsea's endless amounts of questions. She was just so fascinated with the place.
Across the street I could see the Kid Robot store, but decided not to go in, as well as the Go Ape store. It seems like most of the newer hip/underground clothing brands either get their start in LA or just blow up here.
As we drove down further, I saw a store which looked like it had shelves full of sneakers. I was right! Granted, a lot of the sneakers looked used, this place had so many styles. Many of these styles were either discontinued or very hard to find. I was amazed at the amount they had. They also did sell new sneakers as well. But for any sneaker connoisseur on a sneaker mission, I'd recommend stopping here, Sportie LA on Melrose. unfortunately for me, they didn't have what I was looking for.
Tonight was the night we got to take part in a test screening of a new film starring Johnny Depp. As I predicted, it was Michael Mann's new film, 'Public Enemies'.
It was a pretty decent film. We were prewarned that some of the effects haven't been finished and that the sound hasn't been fully mixed, nor has the picture been color corrected. Aside from that, I did enjoy it. It had a lot of action and the film placed the audience in the middle of it, just like Mann does in his film 'Heat'. I felt, however, that the pacing needed some tweaking. It seemed to drag out a little and some scenes breezed right through leaving me questioning what was the point or what happened. I think they should also spend a little more time in developing some of the characters. I explained all this on the opinion cards they asked us to fill out. Hopefully they take some of the suggestions. I'm looking forward to seeing the final product.
Watching the film in this state of production made me feel better about the films I make. It made me really realize how much post production a film goes through. Without the color correcting and necessary tweaking, some of the scenes looked like student film quality. This is no diss to the film-makers, it just reassured me and the potential quality of any film I make.
We finished the night by driving around randomly, stopping at a clothing boutique called Pop Killer , where I bought a shirt, and then grabbing some late night eats at Mel's diner right off of Hollywood Blvd.
Shopping on Melrose and test screening a film, is this all in a day's work for the local LA resident? Of course not, because I didn't get paid to any of it. But I did enjoy it.
I attempted to do some things on my computer, but passed out in the middle of it. After about five hours of sleep, I woke up. I guess five hours was enough. So today, we made plans to go to Melrose Ave and do a little shopping. Kuda picked up Chelsea and then headed to Flitz's to scoop me up.
As I said, it was hot out. So hot that I didn't want to walk. So instead, we drove down Melrose and pulled over if we saw a store we were interested in.
The first store we went to was Johnny Cupcakes. It is a clothing store with its very own brand. The theme of the store was cupcake making from like the 50's. Therefore, they had industrial windowed refrigerators for show racks, fake ovens, and baking kitchenware. It was really cool looking. The lady behind the counter was really pretty and really cool as she entertained Chelsea's endless amounts of questions. She was just so fascinated with the place.
Across the street I could see the Kid Robot store, but decided not to go in, as well as the Go Ape store. It seems like most of the newer hip/underground clothing brands either get their start in LA or just blow up here.
As we drove down further, I saw a store which looked like it had shelves full of sneakers. I was right! Granted, a lot of the sneakers looked used, this place had so many styles. Many of these styles were either discontinued or very hard to find. I was amazed at the amount they had. They also did sell new sneakers as well. But for any sneaker connoisseur on a sneaker mission, I'd recommend stopping here, Sportie LA on Melrose. unfortunately for me, they didn't have what I was looking for.
Tonight was the night we got to take part in a test screening of a new film starring Johnny Depp. As I predicted, it was Michael Mann's new film, 'Public Enemies'.
It was a pretty decent film. We were prewarned that some of the effects haven't been finished and that the sound hasn't been fully mixed, nor has the picture been color corrected. Aside from that, I did enjoy it. It had a lot of action and the film placed the audience in the middle of it, just like Mann does in his film 'Heat'. I felt, however, that the pacing needed some tweaking. It seemed to drag out a little and some scenes breezed right through leaving me questioning what was the point or what happened. I think they should also spend a little more time in developing some of the characters. I explained all this on the opinion cards they asked us to fill out. Hopefully they take some of the suggestions. I'm looking forward to seeing the final product.
Watching the film in this state of production made me feel better about the films I make. It made me really realize how much post production a film goes through. Without the color correcting and necessary tweaking, some of the scenes looked like student film quality. This is no diss to the film-makers, it just reassured me and the potential quality of any film I make.
We finished the night by driving around randomly, stopping at a clothing boutique called Pop Killer , where I bought a shirt, and then grabbing some late night eats at Mel's diner right off of Hollywood Blvd.
Shopping on Melrose and test screening a film, is this all in a day's work for the local LA resident? Of course not, because I didn't get paid to any of it. But I did enjoy it.
Tuesday, April 21, 2009
Los Angeles DAY 7: San Fran Four Twenty
Monday April 20, 2009. Early to rise, Flitz and I had to meet up with Keen to make our long journey up to San Francisco. Today was officially 420, a smoker's holiday, and boy do they celebrate it.
Cypress Hill had their third annual 420 concert. Flitz and I had the job of recording it, while, with the assistance of Keen, broadcasting it live across the Internet. Cypress Hill, along with opening act Psycho Realm had two scheduled shows. The first show kicked off at 3:00pm, with Cypress Hill kickin' off their set at 4:20pm, which is very fitting. The second show started at 8:00pm.
So, the five of us (Flitz, Keen, Keen's friend, Luca, and I) crammed our self into a car and set out for a five to six hour drive north. It was hard to get comfortable, and the majority of the drive was long straight roads that stretched out for miles and miles. We shared driving duties.
We finally arrived to San Francisco at around 1:00pm. I had forgot how San Francisco looked. It's got a lot of tall buildings. In some parts, it actually looked a lot like New York. On our way to the Fillmore (the venue), we actually drove past the house that is used as the establishing shot for Full House. This prompted Keen to start singing the theme song.
The Fillmore is a really nice venue. It's got a big open space with a side bar and a second level. The decor was very nice and classy. On the middle of the floor was a pretty big dance floor. We walked in and I introduced myself to the staff and the reamaining members of Cypress Hill. After that, we went right to work, setting up the live stream. We streamed the the show live at http://www.ustream.tv/.
The show started and Psycho Realm played a pretty killer set. Props to their DJ for his amazing showmanship. Then Cypress came out for their first set. With our All Access Pass, we were able to get footage from anywhere we pleased. I spent must of the time up front between the stage and the barriers, catching up close and personal shots of B-Real and Sen Dog.
As amazing as the first show was, the second show was even better. I think the night shows have a tendency of making performers step up their game. Cypress Hill knows how to perform in front of big crowds. B-Real and Sen Dog brought it as Eric Bobo killed the percussions, and Julio ripped the turntables. I didn't realize that I knew as many Cypress Hill songs as I did.
Part of their show consist of little skits and gags. For example, after B-Real lights up a joint and Sen Dog takes it away from him and smokes it, Sen Dog starts coughing. B-Real asks him if he needs a doctor and if there is a doctor in the house. That was the cue for this guy on stilts, dressed in a doctor's outfit, to come out and start dancing on stage to Cypress Hill's 'Doctor Greenthumb'. The bonus for the crowd was when Dr. Greenthumb pulled out handfuls of joints and threw them in the crowd.
They played a long set of like twenty songs, including all their hits. Hits like: 'Insane in the Membrane' and 'Rock Superstar'. Eric Bobo and Breal also had a super ill tandem percussion solo; or should I say duo. It was ridiculous. After this show, I had a whole new found respect for Cypress Hill. They are performers and they are very good at their craft. By the way, Sen Dog is so entertaining to watch on stage.
We finished the night with some live broadcasting interview of BReal. He sat down and answered questions online with his fans. For most of the night, we had a bout 350 consistent live viewers. In fact, ustream, at one point, had the live broadcast on their main page. That was pretty exciting. We later found out that we had over 20,000 unique viewers throughout the night.
After BReal was finished talking to the fans online, we packed up and set sail for LA. About five and a half hours later, we were back in LA. What a day. poor Flitz had to go straight to work.
So what did you do on 420. I celebrated with Cypress Hill at a Cypress Hill show. But you don't even smoke. I know, ironic isn't it.
Cypress Hill had their third annual 420 concert. Flitz and I had the job of recording it, while, with the assistance of Keen, broadcasting it live across the Internet. Cypress Hill, along with opening act Psycho Realm had two scheduled shows. The first show kicked off at 3:00pm, with Cypress Hill kickin' off their set at 4:20pm, which is very fitting. The second show started at 8:00pm.
So, the five of us (Flitz, Keen, Keen's friend, Luca, and I) crammed our self into a car and set out for a five to six hour drive north. It was hard to get comfortable, and the majority of the drive was long straight roads that stretched out for miles and miles. We shared driving duties.
We finally arrived to San Francisco at around 1:00pm. I had forgot how San Francisco looked. It's got a lot of tall buildings. In some parts, it actually looked a lot like New York. On our way to the Fillmore (the venue), we actually drove past the house that is used as the establishing shot for Full House. This prompted Keen to start singing the theme song.
The Fillmore is a really nice venue. It's got a big open space with a side bar and a second level. The decor was very nice and classy. On the middle of the floor was a pretty big dance floor. We walked in and I introduced myself to the staff and the reamaining members of Cypress Hill. After that, we went right to work, setting up the live stream. We streamed the the show live at http://www.ustream.tv/.
The show started and Psycho Realm played a pretty killer set. Props to their DJ for his amazing showmanship. Then Cypress came out for their first set. With our All Access Pass, we were able to get footage from anywhere we pleased. I spent must of the time up front between the stage and the barriers, catching up close and personal shots of B-Real and Sen Dog.
As amazing as the first show was, the second show was even better. I think the night shows have a tendency of making performers step up their game. Cypress Hill knows how to perform in front of big crowds. B-Real and Sen Dog brought it as Eric Bobo killed the percussions, and Julio ripped the turntables. I didn't realize that I knew as many Cypress Hill songs as I did.
Part of their show consist of little skits and gags. For example, after B-Real lights up a joint and Sen Dog takes it away from him and smokes it, Sen Dog starts coughing. B-Real asks him if he needs a doctor and if there is a doctor in the house. That was the cue for this guy on stilts, dressed in a doctor's outfit, to come out and start dancing on stage to Cypress Hill's 'Doctor Greenthumb'. The bonus for the crowd was when Dr. Greenthumb pulled out handfuls of joints and threw them in the crowd.
They played a long set of like twenty songs, including all their hits. Hits like: 'Insane in the Membrane' and 'Rock Superstar'. Eric Bobo and Breal also had a super ill tandem percussion solo; or should I say duo. It was ridiculous. After this show, I had a whole new found respect for Cypress Hill. They are performers and they are very good at their craft. By the way, Sen Dog is so entertaining to watch on stage.
We finished the night with some live broadcasting interview of BReal. He sat down and answered questions online with his fans. For most of the night, we had a bout 350 consistent live viewers. In fact, ustream, at one point, had the live broadcast on their main page. That was pretty exciting. We later found out that we had over 20,000 unique viewers throughout the night.
After BReal was finished talking to the fans online, we packed up and set sail for LA. About five and a half hours later, we were back in LA. What a day. poor Flitz had to go straight to work.
So what did you do on 420. I celebrated with Cypress Hill at a Cypress Hill show. But you don't even smoke. I know, ironic isn't it.
Monday, April 20, 2009
Los Angeles DAY 6: 90210
Sunday, April 19, 2009. I woke up with a slight headache, feeling a little drained, trying to shake off the alcohol in my system. I was meeting up with an old friend for lunch, so the time I had to go from the slight hangover to feeling better was slim. I have a check list for feeling better the day after: Shit, shower, eat, and then sleep that night. If I do all this, I can be at 100 per cent the next day.
After accomplishing numbers one and two, I set out to meet my friend for number three. It was the hottest day since I’ve been here, which didn’t help my current condition. I detoured to the nearest store for a nice cold bottle of water.
I got on the train heading to Hollywood Blvd. Here, my friend scooped me up and we drove to a pretty cool sports bar and grill. The menus looked like a newspaper and they had the Flyers game on some of the TVs, so that made me happy. I got to watch some of the game as the Flyers beat the Penguins 6 to 3. The food here was also really good. I ordered a Cajun chicken melt and mashed potatoes, which really helped me feel better. On top of that, my friend treated.
After some good conversation and catching up with my friend, he drove me back to Hollywood Blvd, where I took the train back to Flitz’s house. It literally took no more than two minutes in the hot sun to start sweating.
After arriving at Flitz’s and getting half naked to cool off, we decided to get ready to go to Chelsea’s aunt’s house. Now for those that don’t know, Chelsea’s aunt is Joyce Hyser. She is an actress with a decent body of work, works such as: 'This is Spinal Tap,' "L.A. Law,' and 'The Flash' TV series. But her most notable role was in the film ‘Just One of the Guys’ where she played the leading role of Terry Griffith, a girl who seems to have it all who battles the concept of sexism by going undercover as a boy.
Originally, Kuda was going to come with us and drive; however, I think we tired him out. He didn’t feel well but also had to pick up his mother from the airport. So Flitz and I decided to take the bus. The bus was scheduled to come at 4:21. It was 4:19 and we walked as we watched our bus ahead come and go. We missed the bus. Because it was Sunday and buses ran less frequently, we decided to walk on the hottest day of the year. On our walk, we passed what the locals ironically call the LA River. It's that channel of water that flows between a concrete structure. You can see it in any car chase scene that happens in LA. I'm pretty sure that the water was used to transfer waste. After about a mile, Chelsea called and said that Joyce had offered to come pick us up. We accepted her generous offer.
Joyce lives in Beverly Hills, pretty much at the top of one of the hills. As we rode up, they were pointing out houses that were owned by celebrities. We passed Mark Wahlberg’s house, Pet Wentz and Ashlee Simpson’s, and Demi Moore and Ashton Kutcher’s. The houses were very nice looking.
Joyce had a nice house too, with a nice backyard with a pool. That was the first thing we took advantage of. We got into our bathing suits and jumped in. At the very top, the water was warm, but about three feet in, it was cold like ice water. We quickly decided that we were going to sit and hang out in the connecting Jacuzzi. Here, the water was nice and warm.
Flitz, Chelsea, and I sat and played around for a while. Joyce, in TV mom fashion, brought out a tray of drinks for us. It was actually very cute. The drinks were some sort of concoction that included pineapple, cranberry, and Grey Goose. It was pretty good. On a side, I'm not going to reveal Joyce's age, but she looks really good. I would have placed her in her late thirties.
We got to meet her husband and stepdaughter when they came home. We learned that he runs a camp for underprivileged kids which was an instant connection between us because Flitz, Chelsea, and I are all part of a non-profit group called Indigenous Pitch that aims to reach out to under-served youth through dance camps. Just a few minutes of talking with Jeff, I could tell he was a pretty genuine and remarkable human.
As the evening went on, Joyce's friends came over. She has some really fun and cool friends. Her friend Freddie was a riot. She seemed to lack a filter from her brain to her mouth which meant you'll never know what may come out of it. It was all harmless though and entertaining. She really made the dinner conversation interesting. Apparently, Freddie's father was a riot as well and was someone who was acquainted with the likes of Frank Sinatra and Sammy Davis Jr.
Freddie's daughter, Augie, also came over, with her boyfriend Charlie. Augie is much like her mother. She was fun, entertaining and loved to socialize. Charlie looked like he came right out of a GQ magazine. He was very cool and although many may judge him based on the way he looked or dressed, one should learn you cant judge a book by its cover.
Dinner was really good. We had Middle Eastern food. After a quick tutorial on how to prepare our plates by Joyce, we all delved into good food and awesome conversation. It felt very warm and comfortable being around all of them.
After dinner, Jeff and Joyce broke out the wedding DVD and we all sat around the giant TV and watched the highlight clip. It was one of the most amazing wedding videos I've ever seen. The production and the direction was amazing. It was like a mini-film. It was especially great for me because I have to film a wedding in June, so it gave me some ideas.
Freddie, Augie, and Charlie left soon after the wedding video. Joyce, Jeff, Chelsea, Flitz, and I sat down for a nice conversation. Joyce shared stories of her life in the industry and offered some very good advice. I took a lot out of her stories and I am very thankful to her for her willingness to talk openly with us.
After a night in the zip code that was made popular by a television show from the 90's, I feel very inspired and motivated. Thank you.
After accomplishing numbers one and two, I set out to meet my friend for number three. It was the hottest day since I’ve been here, which didn’t help my current condition. I detoured to the nearest store for a nice cold bottle of water.
I got on the train heading to Hollywood Blvd. Here, my friend scooped me up and we drove to a pretty cool sports bar and grill. The menus looked like a newspaper and they had the Flyers game on some of the TVs, so that made me happy. I got to watch some of the game as the Flyers beat the Penguins 6 to 3. The food here was also really good. I ordered a Cajun chicken melt and mashed potatoes, which really helped me feel better. On top of that, my friend treated.
After some good conversation and catching up with my friend, he drove me back to Hollywood Blvd, where I took the train back to Flitz’s house. It literally took no more than two minutes in the hot sun to start sweating.
After arriving at Flitz’s and getting half naked to cool off, we decided to get ready to go to Chelsea’s aunt’s house. Now for those that don’t know, Chelsea’s aunt is Joyce Hyser. She is an actress with a decent body of work, works such as: 'This is Spinal Tap,' "L.A. Law,' and 'The Flash' TV series. But her most notable role was in the film ‘Just One of the Guys’ where she played the leading role of Terry Griffith, a girl who seems to have it all who battles the concept of sexism by going undercover as a boy.
Originally, Kuda was going to come with us and drive; however, I think we tired him out. He didn’t feel well but also had to pick up his mother from the airport. So Flitz and I decided to take the bus. The bus was scheduled to come at 4:21. It was 4:19 and we walked as we watched our bus ahead come and go. We missed the bus. Because it was Sunday and buses ran less frequently, we decided to walk on the hottest day of the year. On our walk, we passed what the locals ironically call the LA River. It's that channel of water that flows between a concrete structure. You can see it in any car chase scene that happens in LA. I'm pretty sure that the water was used to transfer waste. After about a mile, Chelsea called and said that Joyce had offered to come pick us up. We accepted her generous offer.
Joyce lives in Beverly Hills, pretty much at the top of one of the hills. As we rode up, they were pointing out houses that were owned by celebrities. We passed Mark Wahlberg’s house, Pet Wentz and Ashlee Simpson’s, and Demi Moore and Ashton Kutcher’s. The houses were very nice looking.
Joyce had a nice house too, with a nice backyard with a pool. That was the first thing we took advantage of. We got into our bathing suits and jumped in. At the very top, the water was warm, but about three feet in, it was cold like ice water. We quickly decided that we were going to sit and hang out in the connecting Jacuzzi. Here, the water was nice and warm.
Flitz, Chelsea, and I sat and played around for a while. Joyce, in TV mom fashion, brought out a tray of drinks for us. It was actually very cute. The drinks were some sort of concoction that included pineapple, cranberry, and Grey Goose. It was pretty good. On a side, I'm not going to reveal Joyce's age, but she looks really good. I would have placed her in her late thirties.
We got to meet her husband and stepdaughter when they came home. We learned that he runs a camp for underprivileged kids which was an instant connection between us because Flitz, Chelsea, and I are all part of a non-profit group called Indigenous Pitch that aims to reach out to under-served youth through dance camps. Just a few minutes of talking with Jeff, I could tell he was a pretty genuine and remarkable human.
As the evening went on, Joyce's friends came over. She has some really fun and cool friends. Her friend Freddie was a riot. She seemed to lack a filter from her brain to her mouth which meant you'll never know what may come out of it. It was all harmless though and entertaining. She really made the dinner conversation interesting. Apparently, Freddie's father was a riot as well and was someone who was acquainted with the likes of Frank Sinatra and Sammy Davis Jr.
Freddie's daughter, Augie, also came over, with her boyfriend Charlie. Augie is much like her mother. She was fun, entertaining and loved to socialize. Charlie looked like he came right out of a GQ magazine. He was very cool and although many may judge him based on the way he looked or dressed, one should learn you cant judge a book by its cover.
Dinner was really good. We had Middle Eastern food. After a quick tutorial on how to prepare our plates by Joyce, we all delved into good food and awesome conversation. It felt very warm and comfortable being around all of them.
After dinner, Jeff and Joyce broke out the wedding DVD and we all sat around the giant TV and watched the highlight clip. It was one of the most amazing wedding videos I've ever seen. The production and the direction was amazing. It was like a mini-film. It was especially great for me because I have to film a wedding in June, so it gave me some ideas.
Freddie, Augie, and Charlie left soon after the wedding video. Joyce, Jeff, Chelsea, Flitz, and I sat down for a nice conversation. Joyce shared stories of her life in the industry and offered some very good advice. I took a lot out of her stories and I am very thankful to her for her willingness to talk openly with us.
After a night in the zip code that was made popular by a television show from the 90's, I feel very inspired and motivated. Thank you.
Sunday, April 19, 2009
Los Angeles DAY 5: Surface to Depth
Friday, April 18, 2009. Woke up, took a shower and got ready to head out. Today, we decided that we were going to do some Hollywood sight seeing. As usual, Kuda was our tour guide. He is a great tour guide by the way.
We initially decided to just stay in the car and pass through, knowing that we really cant afford anything here, but as we turned off of Rodeo onto Wilshire, we saw a Niketown. Immediately, both Chelsea and I said, 'we gotta pull over.' Surprisingly enough, we found a free parking garage right off of Rodeo Dr. It makes sense though, the quicker one can find parking, the quicker one can shop. It's good for business.
So Kuda, Chelsea, and I headed to Burbank first. Here we walked around, window shopping. A man stopped us and offered us free movie passes to a movie screening. I, being from Philly, was and always am skeptical about strangers trying to give you something for free. What's the catch? To my surprise, there was no catch. All I had to do was call the number on the paper, answer a few questions, and then reserve my space at this free movie screening. He couldn't disclose what film it was but what he could tell us was that it starred Johnny Depp and it was about John Dillinger. Not too hard to figure it out.
After getting the free passes, we decided to get some lunch. We ate at this nice restaurant called Granville. It was a very nice place with a patio section that was outside, yet still well covered so we could get out of the sun. We ordered a pitcher of Berry Lemonade. They were very generous with the amount. We then ordered some really good salmon. It came on top of mashed potatoes, sweet corn, and some really good sauce. We also ordered a chicken sandwich with fries that were also really tasty. After stuffing our faces with really good food, we decided to shop around.
We found a local mall, called the Burbank Town Center I think, with a lady's footlocker clearance store. I was able to find the first pair of court forces that I have ever bought for $36! I still have them, but I've beat them up so I bought a new pair. Chelsea also made a steal when she found a pair of court forces she wanted to buy the other day at another store, but didn't have her size. Here, she only paid $32!
After shopping, we headed towards the Hollywood Hills. We got to see the famous Hollywood sign. Here, we took pictures of each other doing silly things. The area was beautiful. For those that don't know, the Hollywood sign was erected in 1923, built by an LA Times publisher, Harry Chandler, as a giant billboard for his real estate development. However, back then, it read 'Hollywoodland.'
After the Hollywood sign, we stopped at a high point over looking downtown LA. I love cityscapes, and I loved the view we had. It was so awesome. LA is a pretty big city and stretched out fro miles. I'm going to have to come back to this spot and see it at night.
After some sight seeing, we took a drive through the Hills, passing many nice houses. We went down Mulholland Dr, headed for Rodeo Dr. We wanted to go people watching on Rodeo Dr, with hopes of seeing celebrities. Instead, we saw a bunch of rich families with personal shoppers and whole families dressed tacky. For example, don't get me wrong, I give props to the designer of the 'Ed Hardy' line so nothing against him, but I saw a family of four sporting his gear like they were walking billboards. It was as if they were trying to make some sort of 'I am rich' statement. To each his own, enough hating.
We initially decided to just stay in the car and pass through, knowing that we really cant afford anything here, but as we turned off of Rodeo onto Wilshire, we saw a Niketown. Immediately, both Chelsea and I said, 'we gotta pull over.' Surprisingly enough, we found a free parking garage right off of Rodeo Dr. It makes sense though, the quicker one can find parking, the quicker one can shop. It's good for business.
The sneakers in Niketown were priced pretty fair. I was expecting jacked up prices, given the area. We ended up not buying anything. We walked around, doing more window shopping and people observing. Eventually, we decided it was time to go. Chelsea got picked up by her aunt and Kuda and I headed back to Flitz's.
Later that night, Flitz , his roommate Nick, Kuda, and I went over to Flitz's friend's house. Here I met some really cool and nerdy (like us) people: Beau and Leo. We bonded over some drinks and video games. Before the night was over, we were all laughing and having a good time. We entertained each other and talked as if we've been friends for a long time. I guess one can give credit to the alcohol. However, I like to believe that it was just genuine people meeting genuine people. The alcohol just added a little push, I guess. I hope to hang out with these fellas again before I leave.
After leaving, we made a stop at Jack in the Box, which I now call Crack in the Box. I don't know if it was because I was a tipsy, but their food was ridiculously good. I've seen the commercials but they don't have them around Philly. We eventually made it home where I stuffed my face with the food I had just ordered, and then laid down and passed out.
Seeing people in public today in these high-class areas was proof that some people still feel surface is most important. However, after meeting the friends like Beau and Leo, they prove that depths still exist in this City of Appearances.
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