Reach for the Stars

Griffith Observatory

Location: Griffith Observatory

Entertainment Value: Suped up Imax Experience to the 10th power...Dome Style!

Entertainment Cost: $7 for the Valkyrie show at the Samuel Oschin Planetarium
Food Location: Orochon
Food Cost: $8-10 for a huge bowl of Ramen with custom toppings

Imagine being inside the sun, shielded from any harm or discomfort by top notch magical immunity that only a hypothetical like this could afford. Though the temperature is a cool 65 degrees, the room is filled with bright orange and tinged red colors, bombarding your visual senses, convincing you that you are indeed inside the sun, watching each atom colliding into the other. Next, you break free of the sun's inner core, hovering above the horizon of the surface, witnessing the solar arches protrude ballarinas on the tip of their toes.

You are transposed into a wild ride of astrological wonders, visually superior to Disney's Back to the Future ride (and without the sudden jolts). We start under the Los Angeles twilight, then are transposed to the artic Icelands. There we witness the stubborn sun that won't go down during the summers and the perpetual darkness during the winters.  With a familiar summer movie trailer voice, our real time narrator gives detailed and timely explanations about how the star filled universe we see today were once perceived in Norse Mythology as Gods like Lode, Thu, and Breid, who commanded the skies, the earth, and the underworld. Constellations like Hellewagon, Friggerock, and Dain watched  the battles on earth, between Niflheim, the Ice God, and Muspell, the Fire God. The best  part of the show was witnessing the aurora. If you were ever confused as to how an aurora comes about, even the slowest learner can understand the technicalities behind a graphically astounding display of earth's magnetic field. I could go on and on about an aurora birth, but why not see it for yourself? Watch as if you are the God that made it. It is incredible to witness such graphic effects come to a full 180. The Valkyrie show is a must see; if not for the dome sized screens, the high definition scenary, then for the actor that narrates real time throughout the entire show, or the beauty of watching the heavens in an angel's point of view .

If for some reason you are not able to obtain a ticket, (Note: Tickets are not available for pre-sale and must be bought one hour before the show starts, so make sure you arrive on time!)  you can still watch the pendulum, the statue of famous astronomers, the many interactive booths, touch meteorites, peak  through telescopes, and best of all, the watch the astounding panoramic view of Los Angeles. Lastly, if you want to find a place that gives a good hike, Griffith Park has dozens of trails with picnic tables and scenic points. You can see the Hollywood sign so clearly it's almost as if you could touch it. And the best part of it all? Well,  to the tune of the old adage, "The best things are free". 

It's that Ole Town Flavor

Old Town Pasadena
Location: Old Town Parking, Map, and Directions
Entertainment Value: Outdoor Shopping, Architectural Aesthetics, Downtown Stroll for the Bourgeois lifestyle
Entertainment Cost: Window shopping= free; Other shopping= varies

Food Cost: Varies from restaurant to restaurant (see Old Town Pasadena Eats)

Sure, the beauty of the arches, the villas, the earth tone hues plastered on brick buildings tickle our visual senses, and sure, the fancy selections displayed behind windows of vintage shops, boutiques, specialities stores, and namebrand stores encapsulates us, but what really draws both travelers and locals to this rich city is the food. They say a picture is worth a thousand words. But here in Old Town, the food is a worth a thousand miles...of traveling saved that is!  Just imagine a place where all the best cuisines from around the world are readily available in a two mile radius.  There are 113+ restaurants in a 21 block district, where centuries of regional traditions are refined, like wine, to become today's modern dining experience--this is the place where "fusion" cuisine, a relatively modern phenomenon, thrives freely like foxtails in a prairie.

                                                                                                            

In what other two mile block could you find so many ethnic foods in one place: Tibetian, French-Belgian, Mezzbaan Indian, Italian, British, Spanish, Japanese, Mexican, Chinese, Equadorian, American, Thai, Peruvian, Vietnamese, Argentinian, Afgani, all waiting for your patronage? From regional tastes like Barc elona, New York Deli, Philly's Best, Seattle's Cafe, Sonoma's Dish Bistro and Bar, to Fusion restaurants like Chinese-Japanese's Wokano, French-Belgian's Quadrupel Brasserie, California-European's Greenstreet Tavern, French-Italian's Dish Bistro and Bar, and Chinese-American's 54 Holly Restaurant to specialty eateries like Green Earth Vegan Cuisine, Cafe Alibi, and Le Pain Quotidien. Thirsty? How about tea from Tea Rose Garden, Scarlet Tea Room, Bird Pick Tea and Herb, Chado Tea Room, or boba drinks? Or what about beer from 72 North, Lucky Baldwin's Pub, or perhaps wine from Vertical Wine Bistro, Red White and Bluezz, POP Champagne and Dessert Bar. And speaking of desserts, how about Violet's Cakes? Tutti Gelati's italian icecream? Rocket Fizz Soda pop? Fondue from Melting Pot? Creme de la Crepe? Dot's Cupcakes?  You get my drift? With so many selections, it's like picking candy from Willy Wonka and the Chocolate Factory. It's a food savant's library of exploration.

We headed to Mi Piace to celebrate our friends,  iana and Joseph's, engagement. The Italian place was packed with people waiting. Luckily we had made reservations and was seated almost immediately (make sure all your party is present. They will not seat you otherwise). We ordered pastas and antipastas, we ordered champagne to celebrate, but what makes this swinger's lounge a titillating pursuit is the delectable desserts. The tiramisu, soaked in Brandy, and baked in the finest technologies available, just melts into the palate after a fine Italian entree. We also tried the creme brulee. Magnifico! With the caramelized flame torched outer layering covering the lightly battered creme like frozen ice over a lake, it is a mouth watering delight to polish off a meal fit for The Council of Ministers. Now that's powerful!

Take Me Out to the Ball Game

Los Angeles Dodgers
Location: Dodger Stadium
Entertainment Value: Fan-mania, Blue Pride, and Andre Either Action Figures
Entertainment Cost: $10 for nosebleed seats
Food Cost: $8 for the best Dodgers Garlic Fries + $10 Large Domestic Beer

When you're from out of town, the quickest way to ostracize yourself from LA natives is to talk smack about two teams: the LA Lakers and the LA Dodgers. Now personally I'm not a sports expert here, but one thing I do know growing up in So Cal is that you go with the crowd--according to the laws of six degrees of separation, you will sooner or later come across a LA FANatic the minute your plane wheels hit the LA tarmac. Talking big about a rival team in front of a Los Angelian is like flaunting your peacock feathers in front of a tribe of howler monkeys--it's just going draw unnecessary attention and give us a good reason to be loud and obnoxious.

So the best thing to do is humbly accept your bobble head (if you go on bobble head nights) or action figure (in my case it was Andre Either action figure night), and go with the flow. Let's face it, you are definitely outnumbered and out-cheered when it comes to supporting your team. As a fan would say, "You're in my town!"  Seriously, they will boo you down to shame if you wear any rival team's jersey. My friend was booshamed for sitting next to his Yankee fan fiance (at least women aren't treated as harshly as men, but it sucks for the men who have to battle it out on behalf of their women). If you don't believe me, just listen to the speakers that would periodically remind the fifth level fans not to throw anything while politely making threats to "eject" us for going too far (See Fan Code of Conduct vs.Fan Fights).

When you think of $10 nosebleed tickets, you'd imagine watching the game as if you're in a 3D movie without the glasses. On the contrary, being in the highest section is visually stunning--the experience is like being suspended on the highest point of a theme park ride with a Roman Emperor's view of a gladiator worthy stadium. At five stories high, the upper level is where you can watch the game in a The Sims 3 or WarCraft Archive point of view. For the agoraphobic or acrophobic person, this is either your opportunity to face your fears or your worse nightmare. For all others, it is a riveting vantage point--the "Think Blue" stands out like the Hollywood sign on a clear canvas sky after the rain.

You'll hear the pounding cadence of, "Let's go Dodger's let's go" Clap Clap! With beer holders readily handy for this very purpose and fans flashing their LA Dodger's logo in a ritualistic gesture to defend territory. Catfights, dodgerfights, and hoobanging fights are known to break out occasionally; but with tight security peppered throughout the crowds and a push for a family safe environment, these infamous breakouts are fewer and farther in between. The family atmosphere is even more telling when comedy breaks out after an anonymous fan did a one man Jack Black-esque lip singing act to Journey's Don't Stop Believin', or the audience sings along to Randy Newman's I Love L.A. (LP Version), and every time you hear the sharp crack of a home run ball, the crowd roars in concordant frenzy.

If you plan early and arrive before the game, the best bang for you buck would be to get the one of a kind Dodger Dog or the stink yo momma's car up Garlic fries, and, of course, the domestic Budweiser Beer (Buy Home or Bye Bye). Even if you don't have Dodger Fever, the nice summer afternoon breeze, the radiant glow of the stadium lights, the sea of blue sporadically making human waves, and the excitement emanating from the stands inspires the onlooker to feel like part of a movement.

If not for a good game, if not for the hills overlooking downtown Los Angeles, if not for the mouthwatering food, if not for the overzealous fans, if not for the bobbleheads, than just do it for the LA experience. It'll be one hell of a catch.

  

Mummy Mia!

California Science Center

Location: 700 State Dr, Los Angeles California Science Center (next to USC and LA Sports Coliseum)

Entertainment: IMAX 3D Ramsy and other Ancient Mummies + Exhibit Ticket + Access to all other exhibits (Fade, Air and Space Gallery, and Ecosystems)
Entertainment Cost: $25 (Includes Movie ticket + Exhibit)
Food: Little Tokyo's Shihue Cafe = Gyoza, Katsudon, Nabeyaki Udon, Koika, and Miso Soup + Asahi
Food Cost: $41 thanks to an awesome hubby named T-Bone

It seemed like a scene straight out of Aliens 3, where Ellen Ripley discovers the genetic lab that has bred failed clones and where she finds a degenerate version of herself laying half lucid on the lab table, begging her to end her suffering. It was morbid, macabre, and yet you can't help but stare (while subconsciously holding your breath in between reading the information on the plaque and staring at what  looks like a severely burnt victim). And when you are looking at a fetus mummy frozen in the passage of time, the mind plays tricks on the present moment--for you are telling yourself that this alien looking specimen only 4 feet away separated by glass is another Hollywood prop, but that other, more insane part of your brain, is making you realize that this specimen is all organic, who had a soul once upon a millennium(s) ago.

But for some of you who don't like your mummies well done, there are other types of mummies that are relatively of a more tender age and fashion--Some were naturally preserved from ice freezes, bogs, closed spaces that lacked oxygen, and the result was a shriveled beef jerky version of a dog, weasel, cat, jackal, and other critters that were preserved by nature's divine calculation.

Witnessing the many mummies on display is like taking a glimpse into a time portal, just a peak into the specimen's life story. We can only surmise what kind of adventure, what quality of life, what dreams or ambitions, this once human ancestor eons ago experienced. Yet it's this very necessity for the human brain to make up, imagine, and wonder the unknown, for the schema to fit, that we become fascinated with the story behind the relic--with the many hands exchanged, places it went, many feats to overcome: extreme weather, ancient methods of transportion, tomb raiders, plane rides, trains, science labs, and many other infinite decisions upon decisions until it is here before us now, encapsulated by an argon secured plexus glass for curious modern man to witness. 

This entity that was once alive thousands of years ago is now a spectacle. The idea that one day our flesh can be immortalized in the hands of future science is even more macabre. A contemporary version of Edgar Allan Poe's The Cask of Amontillado--an ending befitting to any one or more of these once human bodies, the exhibition masks the sheer horror of it all through the guise of scientific exploration. Right when we walked in, as if to prep us through this dark journey, the exhibit's introduction outlined the purpose of restoring and poking into these ancient flesh and bones by entertaining the possibility of finding cures to modern diseases, for if we compare the mummies genetic code with that of modern humans, we just might crack the code to curing cancer, reversed aging, vaccine to malaria, and that today's scientific breakthroughs can procure for human kind.

True terror is witnessing to what depths mankind, through time and across space, will go through to preserve the soul. The ancient Egyptians believed that through the embalming of the flesh, the soul is able to keep its original shape in the next lifetime, and that your immortalization equals that of how many people on this earth will remember you. There was even a piece of papyrus paper with hieroglyphic directions on how to deal with the many monsters in passage we today identify as purgatory. Called the Book of the Dead, this road map to the afterlife was believed to be essential for all souls trying to cross through. The ancient priests who performed the ritualization of mummification would probably turn over their tombs if they knew where their Gods are now. But then again, the exhibitionists justify this as what the Ramsay and other Pharaohs would have wanted--to be remembered in the flesh.

You will walk out of the exhibition either feeling numb from the shock of such alien relics or a lingering sense of fallibility for being so delicately human. Either way, you'd probably come to a conclusion of being cremated instead of buried. Whether you find it fun or morbidly fascinating, it was definitely an eye opening experience.




Afterwards, we went to Little Tokyo about 15 minutes drive away to eat Lunner (Lunch + Dinner = Lunner). We wanted to go to the best Shabu Shabu place in Downtown, but it was unfortunately closed this whole week (Guess the owners deserve to take a few vacations after its long term success). The good news is that there is no such thing as a bad restaurant in Little Tokyo. Littered with many possibilities, we decided to tryout a new restaurant, Suehiro Cafe , sandwiched between two locally famous Ramen shops, Daikokuya and Mr. Ramen.

The flavor of the miso is probably one of the best in town, the concoction between salt, miso paste, sesame, in amiable harmony. Gyoza crispy and not too oily, complimented by a garlic, chili oil, and ponzu sauce that satiates the watering mouth of a hungry beast. The best dish was the koika (Japanese style calimari), it was breaded with a fluffy batter, since the lightness of the skin fully accentuated the chewiness of the baby squid. It was perfectly salted with the tang of lemon spritz, best served alongside a cool refreshing prefrosted glass of Asahi. 

 

The Katsudon was plentiful and fulfilling, but nothing out of the extraordinary. The Nabeyaki was a little disappointing, for it lacked the flavor that a vegetable filled bowl of hot udon should give. The tempura was already sogging up by the time it was served and the portions of vegetable assortments was not worth the 2 dollar price difference if you were just to order a regular vegetable udon.

T-Bone also bought me a beautiful Yukata, getting ready for the upcoming summer festival, going on in August! TBA!!

Star Light, Star Bright, The Star Spangled Banner I See Tonight

Hollywood Bowl
Location:
2301 N Highland Ave
Hollywood, CA 90068
Entertainment Value: Vince Gill, Los Angeles Philharmonics conducted by John Morris Russell, and the U.S. Air Force Band of the Golden West.
Entertainment Cost: $12.50
Food Cost: Concession Stand prices OR BYOBAF= Bring your own beer and food!!

As they would say in Chinese, "Wah Sai", or Japanese "Bon Zai", or in English, "Whoa", in the spirit of Freedom, Liberty, and the Pursuit of Happiness, what better way to celebrate the 234th birthday of America than to be under the cool summer night air among thousands of multi ethnic Americans, celebrating the common pride we have of a nation that allows differences to be celebrated for.

As an Chinese American living in Southern California, now is the best time to give thanks to all the predecessors that has paved the way for this very moment, where I can sit next to my half Japanese, half European husband to my right, and to my left, an Irish woman who greets me with a genuine smile, in front of me an Indian woman sitting next to her Caucasian best friend,  and behind me I overhear a Korean family.  Maybe the term, "Only in America", seem old fashioned when we hear the word "melting pot", since nowadays there are many other nations whose cities rival that of Los Angeles' melting pot--Toronto, Capetown, London, just to name a few, but Los Angeles is the founding father of open arms. Whether it's taking refugees, students abroad, businessmen, or blue collar workmen, Los Angeles has morphed into the mecca of miniature nations--Little Italy, Little Tokyo, Chinatown, Thai town, Little Ethiopia, etc, and it is under the American flag, the fundamental freedoms protected under the United States Constitution that has made tonight all the more possible for a generation that accepts Chinese American as American, who if but fifty years ago, would be considered as only an American guest.

Under the iridescent lights and behind the sounds of exothermic release, thunder booming into our ears from the boundless night sky, glowing smiles widened with awe and swelling hearts danced to the tune of the Philharmonic orchestra and the Golden West band. Oohs and Ahhs in sync with the resplendent display of peonies, dahlia, crystheantheums, opening up like flowers to the sun, vibrated with the excitement of the evening.

And speaking of flowers, the highlight of the evening was when Vince Gill poured out his soul when he sang, "Face of an Angel". Even for a country music sourpuss like me, I could appreciate the sincerity of a song dedicated to a wife's smile and the simplicity of a country boy love story. The song made me feel like walking down a field of daisies hand in hand with your best friend, laying on top of a lush green hill watching the white clouds swim through the infinite blue sky.

And speaking of infinite blue sky, what better symbol of freedom than to experience music and fireworks with the alcohol of your choice. After all, it's what you want to bring--match your fireworks extravaganza with champagne, Cognac, beer, or apple cider. Whatever your style is, Hollywood bowl is like a good companion for that joyride you'd been wanting to have. The Designated Driver that let's you part it up the way parties ought to be partied. The sweet release of open air, live music, pyrotechnic stars, and your favorite celebration drink makes this experience all the more special.

Ahh, like Tupac Shakur once said, "To live in die in LA...It's the place to be."

LACMA and Oro? Art?

Los Angeles Contemporary Museum of Art

Location: 5905 Wilshire Blvd., Los Angeles, 90036

Entertainment Cost: You choose donation after 5:00p or $12 for general admission

Entertainment Highlights: Lamps on Wilshire Blvd., Scary "Stomp on your foot" Elevator ride, and the oddities of contemporary art.

Food Highlights: Ethiopian food in Little Ethiopia

Food Cost: Free if you have an awesome friend by the name of David!

(Really, I wasn't exaggerating)

Oro? is the first word that comes to mind when you are confronted with a exhibit that is in essence a blank Canvas or a huge brown wall. At the Los Angeles Contemporary Museum of Art, we are given the luxury of space and architectural redefinition, or say, reevaluation of what art traditionally is. You know, like coloring inside the lines, shading in hues, a coherent picture. Instead, we would see a photographic picture of a man with a blue, green, or pink dot covering it like a punch hole, some faces were even scribbled out like you would see in a high school yearbook.

Calling all contemporary artists!!--Please explain why a cartoon scribble would constitute as art if it could be found in many variations at any middle or high school classroom, such as the ones made by Joseph Beuys. Some photographic portraits were quite morbid--especially of the Electric Chair by Andy Warhol--it was a like somebody took a picture of a decade old electric chair without using flash, and it was somehow improperly developed in the red room, with smudges of blue tint smeared on the bottom half portion of the picture. I guess it really takes a highly developed aesthetic sensory instrument to appreciate Hoover vacuums stacked on fluorescent light bulbs. Or maybe an inflatable Caterpillar swim toy penetrated through a ladder.

Well enough art bashing for AGNANT laymen folks like me. I did appreciate the view and the architectural precision at the museum. I was fascinated by the how the engineers of this building (or for any building taller than my 5'1'' stature) can mathematically blue print and build such wonders for humanity. The steel cables that run perfectly parallel to the reinforced red beams, the height and awe of it all. The many five story tall palm trees on these five by five feet "pots" get rotated every couple of months. Fascinating.

We also got lucky when we went to an exhibition that won't be officially presented until October. From afar it looked like a bunch of parking space brick dividers that got stacked neatly together to be ready to be inventoried. The giant auditorium was dedicated to this exhibition alone. The ceilings complimented the subject tastefully, giving it an almost tunnel vision illusion. Or at a bird eye's view, it looked like tire treads. Those 2,000 pieces of perfectly aligned and metrically calculated brick thingys (Another SoCo favorite word to describe objects that are unfamiliar to us) were a sight to see.

It didn't take much for us to absorb the awe and confusion at what we were looking at for the most part. We also got to see some of Pablo Picasso's original, uh, weird (yet another SoCo favorite word for the aesthetically unrefined) table. Or one of the originals from my personal favorite artists, Salvador Dali. Many more big names that I'm just too la(y)me(n) to identify. When you leave the museum after seeing all the exhibits only one word could describe the experience: Discombobulated. It felt like everything that I have labeled-- an apple, a woman, a school desk, and have categorized--a bananna is a fruit, or the like, in life, has been questioned. Like my innards have been exposed on my skin, or like living in purgatory, just waiting, and waiting, for something to make some damn sense. It was overall a great experience, in its three hour interval (I think that's as much art as I can stomach in one sitting, or in our case, standing).  

 

 The highlight was when we were leaving the museum and we saw the luminescent lights of the many lampposts majestically guarding the front entrance to the museum (as we were rushing to get out before security locked us in...too creepy if even spending one night..shudder). 

 

We later went to Little Ethiopia and had some yummy finger food plates. On one big dish, we were given a three course meal, filled with curry based beef and tomatic onion chicken, complimented by a thin cotton like texture bread, like Indian Pandori, but more sour, to use as sandwich utensils to wrap the main dish. Overall, a good evening!