Luo San Ji
Jun. 2nd, 2004 10:35 pm![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png){kind=small}
leftyjewWow. I finally made it out to the West Coast, and all I can say is wow.
Actually I can say a lot more and will proceed to. But This will be different than my Montréal trip exposé in that I will give you a brief sketch now so that you have a plot outline and then go into detail as time, energy and such provide. I know that my journal entries on the Canadian trip never actually got back from Canada and this is an attempt to resolve said wenti.
Friday - leave work 1:30p EDT to make a 4:40 flight from Dulles. Leave from Dulles to Phoenix. Land in Phoenix and call my shomer shabbas friend at 6:40p PDT (long before the sun set in PHX, but after it was long gone in DC) to decline her invite to shabbas dinner and say I wasn't breaking shabbas. yet. That happened later. Short Phoenix description: incredible grid, gorgeous mountains, cactus shot glass bought in the airport. They wanted me to switch to a plane flying into BURbank instead of LAX and wouldve given me $100 toward travel but I couldn't contact Steph soon enough because they were in a movie theater w/o reception. Anyway, I go and take the flight to LAX, meet Steph with a HUGE hug (She's got black hair and a nose ring now!) and almost topple her over. Meet her tall friend Ben who reminds me of James (but he's tall and he doesn't speak Japanese). We have dinner at Twains diner - not 1950s style, not owned by Greeks (it's actually run by Mexicans), and their tuna melts include bacon. "I can't eat bacon, could you remake it?" "Sure!" It comes back with two strips of brown grease on top of the tuna - apparently they just removed the bacon. I eat the other half of Steph's 3-Chesse sub sandwich. Felt bad about breaking shabbas. When the sun set in Phoenix as the plane was about to take off, I could feel the day coming... Oh well. I made the decision and that's how it goes. First time I've broken it more than just a little in over a year. I sleep at Ben's, he gives me a vodka tonic and the bed while he takes a sleeping bag for himself.
Saturday - I wake up early and give my parents a 35th anniversary greeting and walk around Ben's neighborhood. Yay Mission Hills. It reminds me of the opening scene to Edward Scissorhands (based in LA) when all the cars pull out of all the houses at the same time. The neighborhood was built in the mid-1950s (as the sidewalks are stamped) and they are all single-story, no basement houses. This, I come to learn, is most of the valley. Go back. Ben's still asleep. I try to take a shower without bothering him to no avail. The shower's a bit funky and before I figure out how to make it work, Ben is awake. Sorry! Anyway, we breakfast and Steph drops by in the am (10? 1030?). We walk to the used bookstore and then head back to meet her mom and her aunt to head out to the beach. Everyone was so excited to make sure I had kosher things to eat. Ben even went out of his way to make sure there was OU milk!
Beach -> We drive down Topanga Canyon Road and see all the beautiful mountains and go under tunnels. And then we get to Zuma Beach. Actually the beach next to Zuma. I call my cousin Lauren to try to arrange a visit on Sunday or Monday but to no avail. It's the one weekend she can't meet me. Boo. We haven't spoken in years, though, so it was good to catch up at least. Anyway, I rudely continued the conversation for an hour or so and Steph was already in and out of the Ocean. And Oh what an ocean. Zuma is incredible! Surrounded by mountains and the sun is on the wrong side (pbefore noon it's above the land and after noon it's above the sea - so weird) and the ocean is blue. And cold. It's really really cold. And the waves are huge. One knocked me into Stephanie and the next threw me agianst the ground and I scraped my knees. That's never happened in NJ. I haven't been swimming in so long and I've gotten weak. I should excersize more... and pray more (unrelated comment, but related thought). The girls there are pretty hot, too. Oh, this pod of dolphins came out to play with us after we got out of the water. It wasn't 60yd from the shore. I was cold and tired, but Steph went back in and went after them. She said they weren't 20 feet away - the closest she's ever been! Meanwhile I've never seen dolphins in the wild, but my teeth were chattering too much to even try to pursue them.
Anyway, it was starting to get late (keep in mind Steph's mom and aunt were with us) and I wanted to see the sun set over the ocean (never seen that before) so I wanted to have dinner somewhere in the area instead of going back to the Valley. On to Santa Monica and the 3rd Street Promenade. They close the whole street for pedestrian traffic and it's kinda like Wang Fu Jing meets Dupont Circle meets good weather. More on this later. Right now, suffice it to say Flamenco and the hora.
That night, Stephanie's parents are convinced that I can spend the night on the couch in their house. This is a big step (remember, I'm staying at her friend's because I can't stay at her parents' place.
Sunday -> I wake up at the Stephanie residence and we get a bit of a late start. We take the bus into North Hollywood and then the Metro into Hollywood. See the tourist things and a Storm Trooper and meet the Cat in the Hat in the bathroom. Grab somee pizza and quickly leave. It's got too much of a Times square vibe for my tastes, but it was good to see the Chinese theater and Kodak Pavillion. All very famous and "important" but big and showy and meh. So we head to LA Union Station which is a beautiful Spanish style building with a nice window and belfry. We walka bit and get to Olveda Street - the old Latin quarter complete with the beautiful and large mission. This was Sunday so there was much praying going on. There's a constant street fair on this one street there with carts and chachka-sellers and souveneir dealers and cetera and I got this great Mexican rug. It feels like the Silk Market in Beijing or ______________ in Hong Kong. But not as insane. It actually had a very relaxed feeling to the whole area. They also have restaurants and stores and we stopped to get some Mexican food. It was pretty good tilapia, but a bit dry. I appreciated the mariachi band more than anything. Then it was time for sunset (we missed it the last night what with the flamenco and the mood rings and the hora. It was a good sunset, but it's not the kind of thing that should be seen over the freeway and obscured by skyscrapers. Then we headed home bus to Ben's house and then her parents picked her up) but actually we were supposed to wait for about a half hour at the corner of Roscoe and Sepulveda to change buses. This is the "crack capital of the world" according to Ben, so he, being the nice guy and good friend of Stephanie's he is, picked us up on his way to work.
Other things to add to Sunday (remind me if I forget) -> The story of Proper, and a comparison between LA people and DC people.
Monday....My last day. I still hadn't figured out that I was in LA yet. This is significantly different from going to Michigan, but I spent longer in Michigan and I drove some and helped with driving directions then. It's amazing how much driving helps you figure out where things are. Or maybe it's just getting places helps you figure this out. I'm sure camel drivers in ancient Morocco had a really keen sense of direction getting across the Sahara, and mule drivers in Alsace probably have a really good idea of how to get to Lorraine, etc. Directions help you locate yourself as much as they help you locate other things.
Anyway, Monday. Stephanie's uncle had to go to the hospital on Sunday so she had to go visit. Too bad for her uncle. Although I would have liked to spend more time with her, I'm glad she went to see him. Anyway, I finished up The Tempest (although the fifth act confused me), talked to Andrew and took a nap. She came by and we went to Universal CityWalk. This place was crazy! It's on Universal Studios grounds next to the theme park and movie studios. It's basically this outdoor mall with a theme park feel. It's designed as well as a Chinese garden in that every angle reveals a different view and unique angles and it doesn't get old even though it isnt as large as Freehold Raceway or Pentagon City. Also there are somewhat cooler shops there - well, two comic book stores, a Native American crafts store, Hot Topic is the only clothing store, a lot of restaurants, evil Starbucks, of course, two movie theaters, toy shops, et al. It was a lot of fun. It has that theme park feel of induced fun what with a giant Hulk and King Kong climbing a mock skyscraper and a giant Hard Rock Cafe flaming guitar. The metal mesh geodesic dome that makes up the ceiling of the main area lights up at night and everything else does, too. It was cool to be there at dusk as everything was turning on but nothing was too bright. Went down the mountain via tram to meet Steph's dad who wasnt going to be there for another 20 minutes, so we went back up to use the bathrooms. By then, the sun was beginning to set, so we went to the Universal Studios fountain and watched my first true LA sunset. Finally :)
It's strange to think that's where movies are actually made. It's exciting in a way I didn't think it would be.
Then to the airport where I was welcomed as the first person ever to check in for a direct flight to Dulles on America West airlines (they just started a new route and that was the first flight) but apparently 5 people checked in before me. I read some of the bestsellers in the airport bookstore (Eats, Shoots & Leaves is great for grammar geeks) took the flight home, didn't get more than a half hour rest and went into work and then class Tuesday. No sleep til 11. And it's 1 am now. Boy, am I tired.
More to talk about for Monday -> I'm sure I'm missing something....Don't know.
Anyway, my days are fairly hectic, but I must write about Proper and the 3rd Street Promenade at some point for your consumption. Whoever "you" are. Anyway, Happy Memorial Day to all and to all a good night!
Ah... I miss those mountains. The Appalachians look like hills compared to the lowest Rockies. And DC isn't anywhere near even those hills. Oh well. DC has it's ups, too. Like no car, and winter, and cicadas. Yes, I like the cicadas and their 1950s sci-fi movie sounds.
Actually I can say a lot more and will proceed to. But This will be different than my Montréal trip exposé in that I will give you a brief sketch now so that you have a plot outline and then go into detail as time, energy and such provide. I know that my journal entries on the Canadian trip never actually got back from Canada and this is an attempt to resolve said wenti.
Friday - leave work 1:30p EDT to make a 4:40 flight from Dulles. Leave from Dulles to Phoenix. Land in Phoenix and call my shomer shabbas friend at 6:40p PDT (long before the sun set in PHX, but after it was long gone in DC) to decline her invite to shabbas dinner and say I wasn't breaking shabbas. yet. That happened later. Short Phoenix description: incredible grid, gorgeous mountains, cactus shot glass bought in the airport. They wanted me to switch to a plane flying into BURbank instead of LAX and wouldve given me $100 toward travel but I couldn't contact Steph soon enough because they were in a movie theater w/o reception. Anyway, I go and take the flight to LAX, meet Steph with a HUGE hug (She's got black hair and a nose ring now!) and almost topple her over. Meet her tall friend Ben who reminds me of James (but he's tall and he doesn't speak Japanese). We have dinner at Twains diner - not 1950s style, not owned by Greeks (it's actually run by Mexicans), and their tuna melts include bacon. "I can't eat bacon, could you remake it?" "Sure!" It comes back with two strips of brown grease on top of the tuna - apparently they just removed the bacon. I eat the other half of Steph's 3-Chesse sub sandwich. Felt bad about breaking shabbas. When the sun set in Phoenix as the plane was about to take off, I could feel the day coming... Oh well. I made the decision and that's how it goes. First time I've broken it more than just a little in over a year. I sleep at Ben's, he gives me a vodka tonic and the bed while he takes a sleeping bag for himself.
Saturday - I wake up early and give my parents a 35th anniversary greeting and walk around Ben's neighborhood. Yay Mission Hills. It reminds me of the opening scene to Edward Scissorhands (based in LA) when all the cars pull out of all the houses at the same time. The neighborhood was built in the mid-1950s (as the sidewalks are stamped) and they are all single-story, no basement houses. This, I come to learn, is most of the valley. Go back. Ben's still asleep. I try to take a shower without bothering him to no avail. The shower's a bit funky and before I figure out how to make it work, Ben is awake. Sorry! Anyway, we breakfast and Steph drops by in the am (10? 1030?). We walk to the used bookstore and then head back to meet her mom and her aunt to head out to the beach. Everyone was so excited to make sure I had kosher things to eat. Ben even went out of his way to make sure there was OU milk!
Beach -> We drive down Topanga Canyon Road and see all the beautiful mountains and go under tunnels. And then we get to Zuma Beach. Actually the beach next to Zuma. I call my cousin Lauren to try to arrange a visit on Sunday or Monday but to no avail. It's the one weekend she can't meet me. Boo. We haven't spoken in years, though, so it was good to catch up at least. Anyway, I rudely continued the conversation for an hour or so and Steph was already in and out of the Ocean. And Oh what an ocean. Zuma is incredible! Surrounded by mountains and the sun is on the wrong side (pbefore noon it's above the land and after noon it's above the sea - so weird) and the ocean is blue. And cold. It's really really cold. And the waves are huge. One knocked me into Stephanie and the next threw me agianst the ground and I scraped my knees. That's never happened in NJ. I haven't been swimming in so long and I've gotten weak. I should excersize more... and pray more (unrelated comment, but related thought). The girls there are pretty hot, too. Oh, this pod of dolphins came out to play with us after we got out of the water. It wasn't 60yd from the shore. I was cold and tired, but Steph went back in and went after them. She said they weren't 20 feet away - the closest she's ever been! Meanwhile I've never seen dolphins in the wild, but my teeth were chattering too much to even try to pursue them.
Anyway, it was starting to get late (keep in mind Steph's mom and aunt were with us) and I wanted to see the sun set over the ocean (never seen that before) so I wanted to have dinner somewhere in the area instead of going back to the Valley. On to Santa Monica and the 3rd Street Promenade. They close the whole street for pedestrian traffic and it's kinda like Wang Fu Jing meets Dupont Circle meets good weather. More on this later. Right now, suffice it to say Flamenco and the hora.
That night, Stephanie's parents are convinced that I can spend the night on the couch in their house. This is a big step (remember, I'm staying at her friend's because I can't stay at her parents' place.
Sunday -> I wake up at the Stephanie residence and we get a bit of a late start. We take the bus into North Hollywood and then the Metro into Hollywood. See the tourist things and a Storm Trooper and meet the Cat in the Hat in the bathroom. Grab somee pizza and quickly leave. It's got too much of a Times square vibe for my tastes, but it was good to see the Chinese theater and Kodak Pavillion. All very famous and "important" but big and showy and meh. So we head to LA Union Station which is a beautiful Spanish style building with a nice window and belfry. We walka bit and get to Olveda Street - the old Latin quarter complete with the beautiful and large mission. This was Sunday so there was much praying going on. There's a constant street fair on this one street there with carts and chachka-sellers and souveneir dealers and cetera and I got this great Mexican rug. It feels like the Silk Market in Beijing or ______________ in Hong Kong. But not as insane. It actually had a very relaxed feeling to the whole area. They also have restaurants and stores and we stopped to get some Mexican food. It was pretty good tilapia, but a bit dry. I appreciated the mariachi band more than anything. Then it was time for sunset (we missed it the last night what with the flamenco and the mood rings and the hora. It was a good sunset, but it's not the kind of thing that should be seen over the freeway and obscured by skyscrapers. Then we headed home bus to Ben's house and then her parents picked her up) but actually we were supposed to wait for about a half hour at the corner of Roscoe and Sepulveda to change buses. This is the "crack capital of the world" according to Ben, so he, being the nice guy and good friend of Stephanie's he is, picked us up on his way to work.
Other things to add to Sunday (remind me if I forget) -> The story of Proper, and a comparison between LA people and DC people.
Monday....My last day. I still hadn't figured out that I was in LA yet. This is significantly different from going to Michigan, but I spent longer in Michigan and I drove some and helped with driving directions then. It's amazing how much driving helps you figure out where things are. Or maybe it's just getting places helps you figure this out. I'm sure camel drivers in ancient Morocco had a really keen sense of direction getting across the Sahara, and mule drivers in Alsace probably have a really good idea of how to get to Lorraine, etc. Directions help you locate yourself as much as they help you locate other things.
Anyway, Monday. Stephanie's uncle had to go to the hospital on Sunday so she had to go visit. Too bad for her uncle. Although I would have liked to spend more time with her, I'm glad she went to see him. Anyway, I finished up The Tempest (although the fifth act confused me), talked to Andrew and took a nap. She came by and we went to Universal CityWalk. This place was crazy! It's on Universal Studios grounds next to the theme park and movie studios. It's basically this outdoor mall with a theme park feel. It's designed as well as a Chinese garden in that every angle reveals a different view and unique angles and it doesn't get old even though it isnt as large as Freehold Raceway or Pentagon City. Also there are somewhat cooler shops there - well, two comic book stores, a Native American crafts store, Hot Topic is the only clothing store, a lot of restaurants, evil Starbucks, of course, two movie theaters, toy shops, et al. It was a lot of fun. It has that theme park feel of induced fun what with a giant Hulk and King Kong climbing a mock skyscraper and a giant Hard Rock Cafe flaming guitar. The metal mesh geodesic dome that makes up the ceiling of the main area lights up at night and everything else does, too. It was cool to be there at dusk as everything was turning on but nothing was too bright. Went down the mountain via tram to meet Steph's dad who wasnt going to be there for another 20 minutes, so we went back up to use the bathrooms. By then, the sun was beginning to set, so we went to the Universal Studios fountain and watched my first true LA sunset. Finally :)
It's strange to think that's where movies are actually made. It's exciting in a way I didn't think it would be.
Then to the airport where I was welcomed as the first person ever to check in for a direct flight to Dulles on America West airlines (they just started a new route and that was the first flight) but apparently 5 people checked in before me. I read some of the bestsellers in the airport bookstore (Eats, Shoots & Leaves is great for grammar geeks) took the flight home, didn't get more than a half hour rest and went into work and then class Tuesday. No sleep til 11. And it's 1 am now. Boy, am I tired.
More to talk about for Monday -> I'm sure I'm missing something....Don't know.
Anyway, my days are fairly hectic, but I must write about Proper and the 3rd Street Promenade at some point for your consumption. Whoever "you" are. Anyway, Happy Memorial Day to all and to all a good night!
Ah... I miss those mountains. The Appalachians look like hills compared to the lowest Rockies. And DC isn't anywhere near even those hills. Oh well. DC has it's ups, too. Like no car, and winter, and cicadas. Yes, I like the cicadas and their 1950s sci-fi movie sounds.
![[identity profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/openid.png){kind=small}
wow
Date: 2004-06-04 07:45 pm (UTC)shi er tian jian! (see you in 14 days! that toneless pinyin was very ambiguous. it could also have been "its two Tianjians!" or "yes, see you in two days." or "the twelve day sword." oookay. time to stop smoking crack!
-lace
cicadas
Date: 2004-06-05 08:32 am (UTC)write more. i want to hear!
-andrew