Aimless Idling

Belated resolutions for 2011

2011-01-14T20:47:00.000-08:00

(posted here in order to make them real)

1) Travel more.

Last year was a banner year for me in this area (10 trips, 2 of those long-haul international ones), but I'm still not feeling like this is enough. Maybe there is a magic number that creates the perfect equilibrium between being home and being away, but so far, I haven't hit it. And actually, I kind of hope I never do. The day I am not up for a trip is the day I am not alive.

2) Speaking of home, change where that is.

I love L.A., but I think I'm done with it. I've been here for 12 years straight (this is alarming), and I'm bored and need a challenge. One of the things I learned from my Japan trip is how exhilarating (and sometimes, frustrating) it is to be in a place that you don't know so well, figuring it out as you go along and reinventing yourself in the process. In any event, I want that and I want it BAD. I've got some possible solutions in regards to this, and I'll reveal more as they become more concrete.

3) Strengthen my relationships with the people I care about.

The first two resolutions seem to counter this one, especially since most of you know how awful I am at staying in touch on a regular basis. (sorry) But, this is a perennial resolution because it's important. I tend to get caught up in my own head too often and really, it's the other people in my life who keep me balanced and happy. To be more specific, the people who matter to me know me well and somehow still manage to love me for who I am. They are positive forces in my life and will support me completely despite numerous missteps and errors, and I will give all my love to them in return. Full stop.

4) Think less and create more.

There was a time when I spent every waking moment in front of a typewriter (yes, that long ago), writing and editing stories and essays until every word and sentence and paragraph was perfect. A few years later, I dedicated all my energy and resources to learning how to photograph pictures as I saw them in my head. After that, I lost hours and days while my eyes were glued to a computer screen, figuring out how to make words and images come together in a meaningful graphic package. In each of those times, I was in a constant state of creative flow and spent the least amount of time thinking myself into a corner. And I was happy because I had a purpose in those moments. Here's to finding that again.

5) Get enough sleep, drink more water, and continue to eat meals that also qualify as food porn.

I joked that the first half of last year was like the foodie version of having only six months to live. This was in anticipation of the austerity measures that I thought were going to be necessary in the wake of graduate school. But, a funny thing happened--I didn't stop. Sure, I wasn't going to Providence every night, but I was finding ways to make meals memorable. Whether that just entailed a perfect drizzle of honey on a roasted fig at home or a multi-course splurge at an actual restaurant, I made it work and will continue to make it work into 2011.

Inspiration

2009-07-15T00:10:00.000-07:00

This past Saturday, I checked out the Renegade Craft Fair at the California Market Center downtown. In addition to a vintage typewriter key pendant, I picked up a poster by graphic designer, Frank Chimero, which really resonated with me in so many ways:

I love the style and colors (it's pretty much the palette of my bedroom, where it already hangs), and the clever design and message is spot on. Sometimes, I really do have to remind myself that the only thing keeping me from my ideal career/life is actually ME.

Note: Hiking, on hold

2009-06-12T14:28:00.000-07:00

For the past several weekends, I've been in the midst of moving, so I haven't had a chance to embark on any new hiking adventures, but I hope to start up again soon, especially since the June Gloom is keeping the temperatures pretty moderate without too much sun exposure.

The hike that's next on my list is in Griffith Park (the one that starts in lush Ferndell and ends at the Observatory). I saw it (along with The Trails cafe) featured on "Visiting ...With Huell Howser" and have been wanting to hike it ever since. As a teaser, a couple of weeks ago, I stopped at the cafe and had a huge slice of apple pie, which didn't wow me (not sweet enough and a little dry), but I still want to go back and try the other pastries (I hear the scones are great) and food items (lots of veggie options, including an avocado sandwich that sounds amazing). The location is very pretty and peaceful (as long as there aren't too many screaming children), and I like the idea of sitting on the picnic benches enjoying some nouvelle snack bar food under the trees.

Cannoli Watch: Masa

2009-05-19T22:25:00.000-07:00

I had heard so much about the chocolate croissant bread pudding at Masa that I was determined to have it. However, after consuming lots of cuban rolls and a couple slices of the Chicago-style pizza (see Must Try), I couldn't even bear to think about having more bread. But, me being me, I still wanted to have a sweet cap to my meal, especially since the other dessert on the menu was a chocolate chip cannoli (!):

This cannoli was no bijou reimaging; it was 5-6 inches of the real deal. The ricotta filling was very good and not too heavy (for ricotta), and while I wish there were more chocolate chips to add a little texture and more interest to the filling, chocolate was fully represented in the generous glazing. I really liked this and it definitely whets my appetite for Masa's hallowed bread pudding.

Must Try: Chicago-Style Pizza at Masa

2009-05-19T22:22:00.000-07:00

I went to Masa on Friday night, and the Chicago-style pizza has been on my mind as strong undercurrent since then. I have shared my experience with as many people as possible, extolling the tastiness of the cornmeal crust, which only got better after reheating on the second day. I have had daydreams about the garlicky tomato sauce and the layer of cheese peeking out from underneath. And I think that if I decided to ever really let myself go, I couldn't think of a better way to do it than to eat this pizza everyday. (Actually, the best way would probably be a weekly routine of Masa, Pie 'N Burger, Honey's Kettle, Hurry Curry, and Cici's.)

I had the California Vegetable pizza, which had Spinach and Sun-Dried Tomatoes, and next time, I'd like to try the Mushroom and Olive. I suppose it's a good thing that I don't eat beef/pork, since I can only imagine how filling the meat pizzas are. The key is to try not to eat too much before the pizza. This proves to be a bit of a feat, since it takes 40 minutes, during which you have to resist various appetizers, salads and freshly-baked Cuban rolls (which thankfully, don't come automatically.) Good luck with that.

Hike #7: Echo Mountain via the Sam Merrill Trail

2009-05-11T23:59:00.000-07:00

Two weekends ago, I (along with TB) went on the toughest hike yet (at least, for me): Echo Mountain via the Sam Merrill Trail in Altadena. This hike is about 2.5 miles one-way up a sunny and switchback-heavy trail with a total elevation gain of about 1,400 feet:

When you get to the top of Echo Mountain, you can explore the ruins of a turn of the century (1900s) resort:

...and the railway that took guests up to it:

Before descending or continuing the three miles further to the top of Mount Lowe, you can read both the historic and intepretive signs scattered around the site and relax in several shady picnic areas:

My favorite part was this:

It's not everyday that you get to hear your own yodeling echoing throughout the San Gabriel Mountains:

One of the best things about doing a strenuous hike is that you really have carte blanche to eat as much as you want for lunch. We did just that at the plain-looking Pie 'N Burger, a Pasadena institution. I had been meaning to go there for quite a while since I found out that they did turkey burgers (I don't eat regular burgers) and that it was mostly counter seating (I love eating at counters!)

After 3 hours of hiking, my burger definitely hit the spot. TB said the burger reminded him of a Big Mac, but better. (I don't think I can even remember what a Big Mac tastes like, but I'm assuming that they would be similar because of the Thousand Island dressing.) Anyway, the showstopper (and possible heartstopper) was the Dutch Apple Pie: crumbly cinammon topping, warm and not too sweet apple filling, buttery crust and generous scoops of French Vanilla ice cream. (TB got the rhubarb pie.) In any event, they have more than a dozen kinds of pie (depending on what's in season) at Pie 'N Burger, and I can't wait to try every single one.

Hikes #5 & #6: Franklin Canyon Park Hastain Trail and Elysian Park Wildflower Trail

2009-04-19T10:14:00.000-07:00

Two weeks ago, I went to Franklin Canyon Park to try out the Hastain Trail. Unfortunately, I didn't complete this trail. All I'll say regarding this is don't ever try to do a hike when you're hungry, thirsty and hot with no way of fixing any of those conditions. It wasn't a total loss as I still got a good hour of hiking in (most of it spent getting to the actual trailhead since I parked in the upper park as opposed to the lower park.)

In any event, last weekend's hike at Elysian Park was much more successful. The weather was cloudy and mild, plus I was much better prepared. As someone who is supposedly very knowledgeable about L.A., I'm ashamed to say that this was my first time in the actual park (of course, I've been to many, many Dodgers games) and that I had no idea how nice it is, despite being so close to the rest of the city:

I'll definitely come back especially since I want to check out the small arboretum on the grounds.

A note on all the hiking...

2009-04-05T10:06:00.001-07:00

I am not a naturally outdoorsy person. Most people who know me would define me as a city/indoorsy person, which I think is true for the most part. I don't like getting dirty and being outside usually means some sort of elemental assault on my allergy-riddled system. Plus, I spook very easily and tend to feel frightened and vulnerable when in unfamiliar natural settings. In other words, I am seldom fully at ease.

However, despite this, I am very drawn to lush, green, overgrown, wild landscapes. Strangely, being in unspoilt nature makes me feel closer to the past than most historic buildings or sites I've been to. I guess I just love knowing that more or less my eyes are seeing things the way they've been for centuries. No doubt one hundred years ago, people felt the same awe I do when I watch a brook flow through a heavily-wooded ravine or when I see the sunlight filter through a dense canopy of leaves. I feel strongly connected to everything in these rare moments and that far outweighs any fear or discomfort.

Three years ago, I had a very emotional and cathartic session with a psychic healer (my first and so far, only time). While so many things came up for me, one thing she mentioned stands out right now. She said that I needed to dig my feet into the earth, to really be a part of it, in order to combat my natural tendency to be ungrounded and aloof. Too often, I lose myself in obsessive thinking and daydreaming, which really wreaks havoc on my reality. But, when I am on a hiking adventure (or any exploratory adventure, for that matter), I am very much out of my head and into the world.

New York, New York

2009-04-03T00:37:00.000-07:00

Last week, I took a quick (3 days, 2 nights) trip to NYC to visit friends, go to museums and eat good food. Here are my highlights:

POD Hotel - For the most part, NYC hotel rooms are small. So why not embrace that and save money at the same time? I loved my perfectly-designed double room at the POD, but what I loved even more was that I paid as much for two nights than I would have for one night at an equally stylish hotel. It's also a block away from the 6 train which is very convenient if you're going to hit the museums on the Upper East Side, and because it's in Midtown, it's an easy to walk to most of the main tourist attractions. The only thing to note is that some of the rooms use the bathrooms in the hallway, which can lead to interesting smells and dormlike/noisy frolicking in the public areas, but I didn't really have a problem with this because I have a high tolerance for noise and I had my own bathroom.

Frick Museum - Still my favorite museum, probably because I'm such a fan of "America's Castles"-type residences. But the collection is outstanding if you like beautiful paintings by Old Masters (with some exceptions). My only quibble is that I wished Frick had collected some Sargents, but I'll take the Whistlers happily as substitutes. I thought it was ironic that the special exhibition consisted of paintings from the Norton Simon, but since I love that collection, too, I didn't really mind.

Madame X at the Met - Probably one of my favorite paintings of all time. When I was last in NYC, it was on loan to another museum, but this time, I got to fully admire John Singer Sargent's controversial painting at my leisure.

Tea @ Alice's Tea Cup - Amazing scones! I had "The Nibbler" tea service which consisted of one scone (pumpkin for me) with jam and cream, a rather hearty tea sandwich (Lapsang Souchong Chicken on multigrain bread), various cookies, and a pot of tea (Lavender Earl Grey). I was pretty ravenous, but this filled me up very quickly, so it makes me wonder who would consider this just a nibble.

Sofia Wine Bar - I needed a quiet place near my hotel to catch up with an old friend and found this new wine bar a block away. The sommelier was very accommodating and helped me to zero in on the perfect glass of Brunello.

Lemony mini croissants @ Sant Ambroeus - These came in a bread basket I had during Saturday morning brunch at Sant Ambroeus and I'm still thinking about them. Dusted with powdered sugar, they had a faint lemon flavor that brightened the buttery sweetness. This restaurant/pasticceria/gelateria gets extra points for the sweet but sophisticated design of its branding (the waiters even wore pink button-down shirts to match!)

Food @ MOMA - I like eating at museums when I get the chance and usually the food is okay to good, but I have to say that the food service at MOMA was revelatory. For lunch at Cafe 2, the lemon ricotta manicotti with swiss chard I had was sublime and better than many dishes I've had at proper sit-down restaurants. Later in the afternoon, despite already eating a chocolate chunk cookie at lunch, I shared the inventive MOMA sundae with a friend at Terrace 5: raspberry & fromage blanc sorbets, cheesecake, fresh berries, vanilla sauce. Decadent, but light.

MOMA Store - I bought a new watch here in addition to some other cool things, and spent more money than I had planned. If you like museum stores and good design, you'd probably drop a bit of cash here, too.

Pret a Manger - I loved these grab and go food shops in London and was glad to see them stateside. If only they were in L.A...

AirTrain - This is the first time I've had the chance to take the AirTrain to and from JFK and I have to say that it was very convenient (especially since my hotel was a few blocks away from the subway station.) Previously, I used to take the Grayline Bus from JFK to Grand Central, but I liked this much better. Unless I have more than one suitcase to carry by myself, I will definitely be sticking with the Airtrain for my NYC airport transfers.

I really enjoyed myself on this trip because I didn't have to really worry about orienting myself (which can be a drawback when you go to a new location). I just got to re-experience all the stuff I love, while checking out some of the new things I've heard about. To me, NYC is one of the best repeat travel destinations because it does a fantastic job of preserving its history and character while still moving forward at a dizzying pace. It's always easy to find something to satisfy any one of my many moods and I am never bored there. While I love home, it's definitely a nice change of pace from laidback and less-accessible Los Angeles.

Hike #4: Monrovia Canyon Park: Bill Cull Trail

2009-03-22T22:23:00.000-07:00

Since I was going hiking with TB today, I decided to choose a trail that was a little farther into the woods than I would normally go alone. I wanted to see a waterfall, so I chose the Bill Cull Trail at Monrovia Canyon Park, which juts into the Angeles Forest. The trail starts out high above the canyon:

...before meandering around a pretty stream:

...and then ending up at the waterfall:

Along the mostly-shaded way, you are surrounded by a beautiful overgrown woodland with rocky canyon walls and lush greenery:

My favorite shot of the day:

Hike #3: South Coast Botanic Garden

2009-03-22T09:28:00.000-07:00

Yesterday, I was in the South Bay for a christening, so since I was down there anyway, I decided to visit the South Coast Botanic Garden in Palos Verdes for an easy hike:

The photos I took focused on pattern and texture:

Reflected pattern:

The alien landscape-like White Floss Silk Tree:

Snowy cactus with berry-colored buds:

A little ladybug:

I tried not to take too many pictures of flowers since I think I did enough of that at Descanso, but I couldn't resist this one:

A lone calla lily amongst the deep green leaves.

On the way home, I took a detour to visit the Bluebird Cafe in Culver City, trying their chocolate and coconut cupcakes. They weren't bad, but they didn't crack my top 5. Someday, I'll get around to posting my cupcake rankings (along with the macaron ones.)

Hike #2: Lower Arroyo Seco

2009-03-15T16:11:00.001-07:00

For the second hike, I wanted something easy but with lots of visual interest, so yesterday I chose the Lower Arroyo Seco Park Trail. I spent a lot of time taking pictures of bridges:

An abstraction:

A stab at black and white artsy-ness:

With the sun setting:

Golden light touching the arroyo (again, I'm a sucker for this kind of landscape):

And dappled on this quaint path up to the street (yes, it's a little Thomas Kinkade-ish, but it was gorgeous in person):

I was glad that I started this hike in the late afternoon, because the quality of the light was so beautiful. As such, it's my favorite time to take pictures. Instead of trying a new food place afterward, I actually went to Europane beforehand. Unfortunately, I didn't get a chance to try their famous croissants, but I had a wonderful carved turkey sandwich on their olive bread along with a giant pistachio macaron, which had great cream filling, but was a little too chewy for my taste. I'll have to come back for the pain au chocolat.

Hike #1: Debs Park

2009-03-14T23:49:00.000-07:00

Last week, I went to Debs Park in Highland Park for the first of my 60 hikes. After parking at the Audubon Center and deciding on my route, I ascended up the hill on the City View Trail (obviously named for its views of Downtown L.A.):

...which eventually led to a nice little pond at the top:

I wandered around a bit (I can't resist taking pictures of dappled light):

...before finally descending and checking out the LEED Platinum-rated Audubon Center (which my company worked on):

Overall, it was a good hike with several decent climbs to work out your calves. To reward myself afterward, I hung out in South Pasadena, eating a fantastic caprese sandwich at the Heirloom Bakery (see my tweets) and trying out the cupcakes at My Sweet Cupcake. Then, I went to the Pasadena Museum of California Art:

I've been wanting to go here for awhile, and though it is a small museum space, it does have its own charm. My favorite exhibit was of 3D images of Mars, courtesy of JPL and Caltech. After putting on the requisite specs, the Martian topography really popped out with the perspectives changing as I walked along the large prints.

Anyway, from one type of landscape to another, it was quite a full day!

How I'm Going to Spend This Weekend (and at least 60 others)

2009-03-05T22:36:00.000-08:00

60 Hikes within 60 Miles: Los Angeles (on Google)
Eat: Los Angeles (the Web site and blog)

Hiking endlessly beautiful trails (burning calories painlessly) + Eating amazingly good food (gaining calories happily) = Perfect Weekend Equilibrium

Photo Excursion: Descanso Gardens

2009-03-01T09:53:00.000-08:00

Yesterday, I finally made the drive up to La Canada to visit Descanso Gardens. Since I'd never been, I took the tram tour (which I recommend for a good overview), and afterwards, I walked around and took some pictures, mainly of flowers:
Cherry blossoms:Mini Daffodils (I love yellow flowers!):Lilac from the Lilac Garden:

The gardens are known mainly for their camellias, which are everywhere:

Probably my favorite part of the grounds, though, were the green grassy knolls punctuated by the wild, beautiful coast live oaks (very popular for film/photo shoots):

This is the kind of landscape I love. I got a taste of it while I was up in San Luis Obispo this past week, and now I'm planning an extended trip to the central coast for more.

Picture of the Day: Eye to the Telescope

2009-01-28T23:45:00.000-08:00

Griffith Park Observatory (taken with iPhone camera):

Also a good metaphor for what I've been searching for lately.

Perfect late Saturday afternoon lunch

2009-01-17T15:19:00.001-08:00

Chicken gyro, dolmades and a Snapple Lemon Iced Tea at Papa Cristo's... the meal also came with live Greek music!

(Mobile blog post)

How I should always do my homework

2009-01-11T15:14:00.001-08:00

Listening to live jazz on a Sunday afternoon at Larchmont Village. (Of course, I requested Night and Day)

(Mobile blog post)

Resolved, Year Two

2009-01-03T00:46:00.000-08:00

My resolutions for 2009:

Resolved, that I will get enough sleep.
7-8 hours minimum per night, hopefully.

Resolved, that I will get to work on time.
Basically, anytime before 9 a.m.

Resolved, that I will not wait until the last minute to do my work and homework assignments.
While I have a sneaking suspicion that this will be a perennial resolution, I have hope that at the very least, I will get better and not procrastinate so much.

Resolved, that I cultivate a more active social life with an emphasis on my friends and family.
No doubt about it... It makes me happy to go out and do things. And I'm even happier when that includes the people I love. So, definitely more concerts, museums, galleries, restaurants, events, etc. in '09.

Resolved, that I will dance more.
Whether it means I get back into the swing scene a little, reacquaint myself with tango or just take more dance classes, this is a must. Two years away from something I love doing is ridiculous.

Resolved, that I will travel more this year.
I think this is the year of smaller domestic trips (especially now that I have the perfect car for roadtrips.) On my radar: SF (for the Cathedral of Christ the Light and the Academy of Sciences), Utah (for my sister), NYC (for friends and food), Minneapolis (architecture) and Atlanta (to swim with sharks). If I have any money left after paying off my debt and going to school, there is the possibility of Japan, but we'll see.

Resolved, that I will read more books.
In the past couple of years, I've definitely lagged on my book reading due to my crazy schedule. At the very least, I want to shoehorn in all of the books on my shelf that I haven't read yet. And that includes "The House of Leaves" and all of the other books that I think are going to scare the hell out of me.

Resolved, that I will make both my home and work offices more inviting.
For my home workspace, I need better organization and less clutter. For my office, I need color, better lighting and something fun on the walls. It's so drab right now.

Resolved, that I will eliminate my credit card debt.
I'm pretty determined about this one and if all goes according to plan, I should accomplish this within the the first half of the year.

Resolved, that I will contribute to my Roth this year.
This is the first year that I think my Roth is a better bet than the 401K that my work offers.

Resolved, that I will drink more water.
I'm borrowing this one from TB.

2008 in Review: Design Work

2008-12-30T19:40:00.000-08:00

I spent a lot of 2008 kvetching about how busy I was with so many projects, and I thought I should highlight the design work that I am particular proud of:

Logo for my old employer:
This was the last thing I did there as a staff employee that I was really proud of, and it spawned a couple projects, including several direct mail pieces, a binder and four banners.

Art direction for the Green Issue of California Real Estate:
It had been my dream for awhile to art direct a magazine and I got my chance when my old boss asked me to design this special issue. My favorite spreads include:

I really like the colors for this holiday card for my current employer:
I just noticed that I repeated myself in this piece...ha!...I promise this is the last time I juxtapose transparent leaves over a tonal geometric background. Anyway, you can't tell from this image, but the finish is matte with a UV spot gloss coating on the leaves and logo. (I love this coating combo!)

Out of the Past

2008-12-29T17:00:00.000-08:00

I was talking to my best friend E the other day and he brought up something from the past that made me smile.

E and I have known each other for quite some time and went to the same junior high and high school. Though we weren't particularly close back then, usually our last names put him sitting right behind me during homeroom or other classes with alphabetical seating arrangements.

Anyway, E told me that something he's always remembered was that I once showed him this language I had made up and it really impressed him that I had even gone to the trouble of conjugating the verbs. I had totally forgotten about that! Gosh, what a little nerd I was (and still am)!

I'm going to raid my high school files to see if my petit language is still around. If not, I'm sure it will be fun to read all the stories and poems and other random scribblings. I was so in my own little world back then.

Until I report back, here's something that I do remember (it actually got an honorable mention in an LAUSD poetry contest...the theme was "Discovery"):

An Accident and a Discovery

An accident and a discovery
He saw it no other way
A new talent was found
For no-talent Jim Gray

The slip of the hand
The loss of a life
The fresh scent of blood
On his broken-in knife

Morbid thoughts unleashed
From his no-talent mind
A killer he is
What a wonderful find

Meticulously slashing
His newest ambition yet
The unassuming corpse
Someone he never met

No talent should be wasted
Says no-talent Jim Gray
Especially when you're so bored
And haven't any pay.

I wrote this as a sophomore, and I was pretty dark in my thoughts back then. Most of the winning poems had to do with discovering yourself, beauty, knowledge, etc. and there I was with a poem about discovering serial killer tendencies. I'm actually surprised my English teacher didn't send me to counseling.

Dressed

2008-12-23T22:49:00.000-08:00

Much like the rug that "really tied the room together" in The Big Lebowski, I think my newly acquired dresser really makes my studio apartment feel more like a home:
It's not perfect (there are quite a few scuffs and an actual chunk of wood missing), but I love the styling and because of its imperfections, I got it at a bargain price (for a vintage Lane dresser) on Craigslist, delivery included. Here's a close-up:
The carved-wood drawer pulls are so cool! They add a sculptural quality to the piece that is very reminiscent of Art Nouveau.

Photo notes: The phones are part of my collection and are not plugged in (though I wish they all were.) The photo collages are part of a series I did for one of my final assignments. And the Porcupine pendant has been changed into a table lamp to better effect.

My Holiday Card

2008-12-22T23:46:00.001-08:00

This year, I wrote a little holiday poem and designed a card around it:

Click here for the larger version.

Here's the text of the poem:

Hope it's warm where you are
That your loves aren't too far
That you get gift cards galore
And tons of swag you adore
And that you have a more than memorable night.

Hope you have yummy treats aplenty
That you order peppermint mochas in venti
Hope you have sugar with your spice
And remember that being naughty can be nice
And let yourself live with all your might.

Hope the new year brings out the best

That you don't have to face another test
That you can to sleep in peace
That all your worries will cease
And that world again will feel right.

Hope we can see each other more
Hope we can rock it to the core
Hope I can give you what you need
Hope you can give me the same, indeed
And I hope that above all your heart stays light.

Happy Holidays!

2008-12-19T14:48:00.000-08:00

Mini pumpkin bundt cakes, chocolate peppermint cupcake, carrot cake cupcake & mini snowman vanilla chocolate cupcake from Akasha. I'm so going to explode this holiday season!

Resolved, Reckoned

2008-12-17T08:00:00.000-08:00

Here's a recap of my 2008 resolutions:

Resolved, that I will do my best to exude positive energy.
For the most part, I think this is true. I've met a lot of cool people this year, and I don't think I could have done that with a closed, negative attitude. Let me know if you think I haven't been generally positive this year.

Resolved, that I will be in bed before midnight on worknights.
This is definitely one that will have to carry over into next year.

Resolved, that I will be on time to work, leave to take my lunch break and leave on time unless I take overtime.
Ditto.

Resolved, that I will not wait until the last minute to do my work and homework assignments.
Ugh... I'm still recovering from the allnighter I had pull for this quarter's final project. So, here's another one that I can file in the "better luck next year" pile.

Resolved, that I will reach out to friends and family when stressed and not withdraw inwards.
I've definitely done better with this one and have worked to strengthen/reconnect ties to most of the people I love. I will continue to work on this throughout 2009.

Resolved, that I will find a physical way to blow off steam.
In addition to the purchase of my exercise bike (which has gotten somewhat regular use, though not as often as I'd like), I've started to take Pilates Plus classes, which are definitely kicking my ass. I'm also planning to take some more dance classes, since I've definitely come to realize that dancing just makes me happy.

Resolved, that I will actually do the things I put on my calendar.
I've been pretty good with this one, considering I've had a lot of chances to flake with a very busy schedule consisting of numerous work, school and social events.

Resolved, that I will go abroad this year.
As you know, I went to Paris this year, and now, I want to either go back to Barcelona or crack Japan next fall. We'll see...

Resolved, that I will make my home an inviting and comfortable place.
I've been successful in creating a cozy and well-lit space in my main living area and have definitely focused on keeping things somewhat tidy. Over Thanksgiving weekend, I finally bought a mid-century vintage dresser after more than a year of searching Craigslist, and it definitely pulls everything together. Now, I just have to make my workspace more functional.

Resolved, that I will pay down at least 15% of my credit card debt.
As I mentioned in the midyear update, I had already reached this goal and had revised it 60%. Unfortunately, due to unforeseen circumstances, I won't be able to make that number. However, by the end of the year, I will have paid off 40% of my credit card debt, which isn't too bad. Next year, it should all be gone.

Resolved, that I will write in my blog more regularly.
I managed to post at least once a month, with the exception of November. I do want to continue to blog because I find it very therapeutic and fun. I think what I need to do is make my postings more casual, less composed and shorter in order to knock down any mental blogging barriers.

Overall, I think I did pretty well with my 2008 resolutions. It's actually helpful to post the resolutions because I don't want to let anyone (including myself) down at the end of year. For example, in the case of the dresser, I really put my search into overdrive when I realized I had only a month to find one. I'm working on my 2009 ones and now know what makes a good resolution: complete buy-in and measurability. So, you have to really want to make the change and you have to able to quantify any progress.

How did you do on your 2008 resolutions?

Exhibit

2008-10-26T12:37:00.000-07:00

There are three areas within Interior Design that I'm considering specializing in: Lighting Design, Historic Preservation/Adaptive Reuse, and Exhibition Design/Environmental Graphics. I've already had a chance to try a little bit of lighting fixture design (see previous post), but recently I was able to explore a little bit of Exhibit Design with my first assignment in my Design Communication II class:

I chose to design an exhibit on Saul Bass' poster and title sequence designs, since he one of my favorite graphic designers. In addition to the perspective drawing above, I also had to produce a floor plan, sections, elevations and an axonometric drawing for the exhibit. I'm very happy with how it came out, particularly since I think my drafting/drawing skills have improved since I started the program. I guess that is the whole point of school... you're supposed to get to better. (Glad I'm not wasting my money.)

In any event, I'm now starting to work on my final project for the class, which is to design a two-story house, based on a singular concept. I'm excited because I get to try my hand at a reflected ceiling plan, which is the other part of lighting design. Also, this is the first time I've gotten to design a whole residence, which is both challenging and exhilarating. I hope it all works out.

Images from Paris

2008-09-19T04:00:00.000-07:00

I got back from Paris on Tuesday afternoon, and I'm still trying to get normalized (check out the timestamp on this post.) In any event, here are some photo highlights from my trip.

Cite Metro Station (it really did have this greenish cast):

Golden light on the Champs Elysees:

Statue of Charles de Gaulle:

A different view of the Eiffel:

Jeff Koons exhibit at Versailles (Hall of Mirrors):

La Defense from the top of the Arc de Triomphe:

A favorite pit stop - Laduree:

Musee D'Orsay:

Bronze statues on Notre Dame (doesn't the one figure look like he's surfing?):

Centre Pompidou:

Gorgeous stained glass in Sainte Chapelle:

At the Tuileries:
More posts to come...

Hollywood Bowl Nights: John Williams

2008-08-29T21:46:00.001-07:00

Just spent the first part of the John Williams concert getting all misty-eyed and sentimental. For someone who is as fanatic about film scores as I am, seeing John Williams conduct his own amazing music is just ridiculously transcendent. So far, we've heard themes from the Olympics, Hook, Close Encounters and Indiana Jones. Coming up is special guest Stanley Donen, who directed some of my favorite movie musicals. What a wonderful night!

Mallrat

2008-08-19T00:01:00.000-07:00

This past weekend, I drove all the way to Glendale to visit two places I've been meaning to go to for awhile: the Americana at Brand and the Target in the Glendale Galleria.

Despite having a degree in Urban and Regional Studies and having had the idea that malls are bad for cities (and perhaps bad for the soul) constantly drilled into my brain, I actually like going to malls. Being a Southern California native, it is very comforting for me to walk into one, wherever I may be. I didn't mention it at the time, but when I was in B.Aires, I spent time at two malls in between doing all the cultural stuff: the tony Patio Bullrich and my favorite, Abasto, a nice adaptive reuse of the gorgeous former central produce market. Abasto also has a well-designed modern food court, where I was able to try Argentine fast food and soak up all food branding. (One day, I will write about my love for food courts.)

In any event, regarding the Glendale Galleria, combining a mall with another thing I love, Target, is a stroke of genius. I've never been a big fan of the Galleria's design (both inside and out), and I'm still not a fan, but because it has a three-story Target, it automatically gets more points. (My favorite Target/mall combination is the Westfield Topanga... Target, H&M, puppies, Nordstrom, awesome food court, natural light, free parking, Shoe Pavilion and a steak from the Farm all in one place!)

Regarding the Galleria's next-door neighbor, the Americana at Brand, let me first say that I like its sister, the Grove, much better. For me, the developer, Rick Caruso, took a little of the charm and coziness of the Grove away when he increased the scale and open space at the Americana. For sure, the Americana is much more integrated into the local surroundings than the Grove is, which is good since it's already located in a thriving commercial business district, but perhaps because it is juxtaposed with the more real street retail of Brand, it just feel more sterile and fake. Whereas with the Grove, because it is somewhat contained, you do feel like you're being separated from reality a bit and are able to more easily buy into the illusion.

The only highlight of my Glendale trip was the Beard Papa stand at the Americana, where I was able to try what is now my number 1 filling choice, strawberry, along with the former number 1, chocolate. I might go back, if only to walk around Target with a puff in my hand and mouth, but I doubt it since a Beard Papa is opening up in my neighborhood soon!

Beyond the keys

2008-08-18T19:20:00.000-07:00

Since you're probably sick of looking at those keys (I know for a fact that a few of you are), here's a photo of my actual car (haven't had a chance to take more detailed shots):

When you get a new MINI or any new car for that matter, they tell you not to go too crazy until after the 1,000 mile mark. Since I decided to drive up to a wedding in Santa Clara just a week and a half after taking ownership of one, I didn't have to wait that long to break 1,000. And seriously, now my car seems to ripen with responsiveness every day that passes and I'm loving it more and more. Plus, I'm starting to settle into it more comfortably. I'm freely experimenting with the ergonomic positions and my right arm is starting to remember that the window switch is its responsibility. My left thumb now knows the steering wheel stereo controls by touch and I'm starting to fumble less with the key fob. I am definitely starting to feel more at one with it whilst driving.

And probably more importantly, I care about it's cleanliness. (My old car was always dirty and messy.) I've already been to the car wash several times and even made sure to get a punchcard. I've also bought cleaning supplies for on-the-fly bug removal (ugh, didn't realize that that was a pun until I wrote it, sorry) and am constantly scanning the exterior for dirt and bird crap.

I even care about the gas I put into it. Since I'm supposed to pump premium, I went online to find out which one was the best. While there is a lot of debate, there is general agreement that Chevron and Shell premium are pretty good and at the moment, I'm just doing Chevron, which I can normally find at a pretty good price (relatively speaking, of course.)

The next step for me is to learn how to use the manual shifting option (via paddle or stick shifting) to get the most performance out of my MINI. (I think I've been watching Top Gear on BBC America too much lately!)

Keys to the future

2008-07-31T17:52:00.000-07:00

Great news: I got my MINI last night.
Not-so-great news: I'm home sick today.

After the excitement of picking up and driving home my MINI last night, I woke up this morning feeling awful with a slight sore throat. I've been working hard and have been a bit overscheduled lately so I guess that me getting rundown is no big surprise. However, I wish I could be zipping around town today with my new car, instead of taking photos of the one reminder I have of it in my house (apart from all the paperwork):

I wrote a post when I was in Buenos Aires, titled Keys to the past, and now here's the bookend. The new MINIs have that fancy stop and start push button ignition system, hence the huge electronic key. I'll definitely have to get use to that and all the other bells and whistles that come with my car. I am definitely a long way from having to manually roll up my windows and turn off my A/C for extra power.

In any event, I am starting to feel a bit better and will probably venture out to run some light errands tonight and hopefully take more pictures.

Shark is my co-pilot

2008-07-26T18:49:00.001-07:00

Saw this at IKEA and I had to have it for Shark Week on the Discovery Channel, which kicks off tomorrow. Yay!!!

L.A. Macaron Matchup Part 3: Cafe du Village

2008-07-20T16:29:00.001-07:00

The macarons I bought from Cafe du Village on Larchmont are supposedly from some place called Le Dore de Stephane in France, but I have my doubts since they taste so fresh and amazing and I just can't believe that they survived the shipping. In any event, these 100% natural (note the lack of artificial colors) macarons are very different than the ones I've tried so far. First of all, they need to be refrigerated due to the mousse-like filling. Second, the natural-colored cookie part was light and airy without any hint of chewiness. Third, these are more like miniature pastry than cookie.

They come in boxes of 6 with two of each of the featured flavors for the day. Today, they were strawberry, coffee and lime. At first, I was disappointed by the flavor selection since I really wanted a chocolate one, but when I bit into the strawberry, any disappointment was replaced by delight. The filling was exactly like strawberry cheesecake mousse, and while I love chocolate, you all should probably know that my favorite single ice cream flavor is strawberry. (I actually love neapolitan, but most people consider that a cop-out.) Anyway, the strawberry is amazing, the coffee was good (though I realize now that I don't like coffee-flavored things), and the lime was refreshing and tart.

These for me stand apart from the other two in execution, taste and just overall deliciousness. I only wish that I had a choice in what I get. I don't really want to pay for flavors I don't like (especially since these were the most expensive) and I do want a chocolate one. I was going to do a ranking of all the macarons I've had so far, but I think I'm going to try Boule's before I do that.

L.A. Macaron Matchup Part 2: La Maison Du Pain

2008-07-20T11:36:00.000-07:00

I've read that La Maison Du Pain prides itself on interpreting French baking faithfully, so I thought it would be perfect for my macaron tasting crawl. In terms of presentation, when I walked in, I didn't notice the macarons at first since they were in bowls on top of the counter all mixed together. That makes sense, since they aren't the featured offering there. (I did notice the huge pain au chocolat* in the display case, though, and proceeded to make that my lunch.) Along with the pain au chocolat, I left with chocolate, coffee, pistachio and lemon macarons. (Sorry no pictures... I eat them too fast!)

Compared to the ones at Paulette, these macarons were more subtle in flavor, but more substantial in texture. The cookie part had more of the traditional almond flavor and wasn't as doughy (I'm thinking now that Paulette's might have been slightly underbaked), and the ganache wasn't overly sweet. The chocolate flavor was solid and the lemon flavor was just right, but I really didn't like the coffee flavor because I didn't think it was sweet enough. (Then again, I put tons of sugar in my coffee.) My favorite flavor was the pistachio, which I loved for the same reason I liked the marzipan of Paulette's Sweet Wedding Almond... it just seems to fit perfectly with the idea of an 18th century tea cookie.

So far, I prefer the execution of the La Maison du Pain macarons, but I do like the creativity and presentation of the Paulette ones. I'll give a full ranking after the third stop.

*La Maison du Pain's pain au chocolat is now one of my favorites... not too crunchy, but very flaky and buttery. I ate it in my car and it didn't make too much of a mess. The only thing I wasn't completely on board with is the use of chocolate chips. I normally prefer a piece of dark Callebaut or Valhrona chocolate inside, but the chocolate chips they used were good. I'm sure that it's much easier to get a more even distribution of chocolate throughout the pastry with chocolate chips.

L.A. Macaron Matchup Part 1: Paulette

2008-07-19T01:08:00.000-07:00

While researching patisseries for my Paris trip, I noticed that macarons were mentioned quite often and so I decided to try some in L.A. in order to have a point of comparison when I visit Laduree, which is where they were created. Up until yesterday (Friday), I had never actually had a French macaron*, despite seeing them in Boule many times. I guess they just didn't look appealing to me, mainly because I thought they were like hard Italian cookies. Thank goodness I found out otherwise at the first place I tried: Paulette.

Paulette is probably the only place in the L.A. area that exclusively serves macarons. Located in Beverly Hills, the space is very sleek in glossy architectural white, and it's very obvious that they are trying to be the Sprinkles of macarons, which is not necessarily a bad thing. Regarding my order, since I was a newbie, I decided to get a range of flavors: Chocolate Coconut, Caribbean Chocolate, Strawberry, Sweet Wedding Almond, New Orleans Praline, and Violet Cassis. I normally don't like fruity cookies, but I thought that there was a possibility that fruit might excel in this presentation style.

I tried the Caribbean Chocolate first to be safe since I didn't want a bad flavor to prejudice me against the macaron forever. It was light in texture, slighty chewy and doughy and very rich tasting. I could have eaten ten of these. That first experience spurred me on to practically inhale three more: Chocolate Coconut, New Orleans Praline and Violet Cassis. I really liked the praline but wished the chocolate coconut was more chocolatey and I have to admit it was a bit hard for me to swallow the cassis. It was like trying to eat black currant preserves straight from the jar -- too strong and jammy a flavor for the delicate texture of the macaron. The Strawberry flavor was a much more subdued fruit flavor and I thought worked much better, though still a little too fruity for my taste. The light rose-colored Sweet Wedding Almond, to me, was the best fit. The macaron is such an elegant pastry and almost belongs to another time, and marzipan is very much an Old World flavor.

While I have nothing to compare these with yet, I'd have to say that I definitely love the whole macaron concept. We'll see how Paulette's execution holds up as I sample more versions both in L.A. and in Paris. This weekend, I'm going to try two other places: Cafe du Village, which imports theirs straight from France, and possibly La Maison Du Pain, which doesn't necessarily have them all the time, but I'll take any excuse to visit there for the first time.

*French macarons are not the coconut clusters that they share a name with. Instead, they are like super fancy cookie sandwiches, consisting of two domed meringue-like halves and a sweet ganache filling, with endless flavor possibilities.

Self Esteem

2008-07-18T08:00:00.000-07:00

The creative process can be quite an experience for me, especially on larger projects. Many times, it consists of minutes of pure elation and hours of effortless flow alternating with days and weeks of almost crippling low self esteem and panic. Since I'm constantly juggling different projects, I'm often also dealing with overlapping cycles, which will explain why I can be happy and sad at the same time. For the days when I get a double or triple dose of the bad stuff, I found the "You're Loved Self-Esteemizer" poster from TimeOut NYC:

Though there are some NYC-centric things, it still works fairly well for those neurotic days when I find myself thinking I'm a hack. (And yes, I know this is partly meant to be a tongue-in-cheek Stuart Smalley-esque gag.) Plus, since I'm currently working on a magazine, I'm finding myself even more obsessed than usual with cool graphic publication layouts.

Awaiting Transport

2008-07-02T00:04:00.000-07:00

I wasn't expecting to see much movement when I checked my Mini's status this evening, so I was surprised to see this:
Finding out that it's been actually built sent a little jolt of happiness and excitement through me. Not to sound too much like a PSA against teen sex, but waiting makes it that much more special.

In 12 weeks...

2008-06-17T23:22:00.000-07:00

... I'll be sitting on a flight to Paris!
A couple of weeks ago, my friend, TM, and I were hanging out (confession: we had a Sex and the City brunch and movie outing) and I casually mentioned how I would love to go on a trip to Paris, but that I should probably save my money. To which she replied, "Don't save your money, go on a trip with me!" And seriously, that was all I needed. After booking our hotel (in the Latin Quarter) last week, we went all in and got our plane tickets. Now it's official... we're really going and we are SO going to eat every pastry in sight, including my favorite pain au chocolat.

Anyway, I think we will see the major stuff (Louvre, Eiffel Tower, Sacre Coeur, Champs Elysee, Musee D'Orsay, Notre Dame, Versailles, etc.), but if there is anything off the beaten track or any restaurants that you'd like to recommend, please feel free to post your tips in the comments.

In eight weeks...

2008-06-14T18:21:00.001-07:00

... I'll be the owner of a new Oxygen Blue Mini Cooper!
Even though I should be fully concentrating on finishing my final project for my Color Theory class, I drove down to Long Beach Mini today, put down a deposit and ordered a custom Mini Cooper. This was after I went to Nick Alexander Mini last night and was offered a car which would be available in a week, but with more than what I wanted, plus quite a bit of a mark-up. (This was despite having an inside connection.) Anyway at that point, I decided that I was only going to pay for exactly what I wanted and no more than MSRP. Long Beach Mini only charges MSRP for their Minis and a couple people I know say their service department is the best in the area.

I didn't load the car with a ton of extras, just a few carefully chosen options and finishes... and one perhaps ridiculous splurge: the Cold Weather Package, including heated seats, heated washer jets and heated side mirrors. I know, I know... I live in L.A., where the weather couldn't be any better. But I'm a wimp when it comes to L.A.'s many cold mornings and nights, and the heated side mirrors and washer jets will be a godsend when I'm late for work and don't have time to wipe my windshield and side mirrors for visibility. Plus, since I'm getting what is essentially a base model, I wanted to have some element of fun luxury.

In any event, two months is not a long time to wait for something I've wanted for six years. In fact, I bet it'll be fun counting down the days and tracking my Mini through its various stages of production and shipping. The only thing that might put a damper on things is if my current car falls apart before then. It's in such bad shape, both inside and out, that I'm probably just going to donate it to charity for the tax write-off. But it's definitely served me well for the past 9 years. Here's hoping my new car lasts even longer!

Okay, now I'm really going to have to get to work, but before I go, should I get a vanity plate? And if so, what should it say?

I don't have any cash, but I have cupcakes

2008-06-13T23:34:00.000-07:00

Last Tuesday, I was driving home from a class potluck for which I brought mini cupcakes along with brownies* from Big Sugar Bakeshop (see my initial review). While I was stopped at the exit ramp off the 10 freeway at Western Avenue, despite my protesting gestures, a homeless guy started to wash my windows. (They still do that? I thought I was reliving a bad joke from the 80s and 90s.) Anyway, when he was done, he obviously asked for some cash, and that was where I got a brainwave. I rolled down my windows a little and asked if he would like some of my leftover cupcakes instead. Resigned, he accepted them, and as I drove away, I saw him start to eat them. I wonder if he liked them.

*Big Sugar Bakeshop's brownies are amazing and I think they are definitely better than my former top brownie spot, The Farm of Beverly Hills. In contrast to The Farm's brownies, they are lighter but just as chocolately and have yummy flavors. I got four different kinds, each split into four: Girl Scout Thin Mint, Peanut Butter, Oreo, and Chocolate Chip. All hit the spot in a really good way. So, while Big Sugar isn't my number one cupcake spot (though their Mexican Chocolate cupcake is one of my favorites), I'd have to say that it is definitely my top brownie spot.

Resolved Revisited

2008-06-12T08:00:00.000-07:00

A friend of mine recently asked how I was doing on the resolutions I posted here in January. I started to write him an e-mail on my progress, but then I thought that this would make a good blog post update. So here goes:

Resolved, I will do my best to exude positive energy
In general, I do feel positively about my life, even in spite of the crazy hours, tremendously stressful changes and upsetting personal setbacks. Everyday, I read some news feature about regular middle-class people who are struggling to get by, working overtime to pay for gas, torching their soon to be foreclosed homes, resorting to food stamps and taking "staycations." I am not rich, but I'm fairly comfortable, with any financial hiccups resulting from actions that are my own fault (i.e. Target, multi-course fancy dinners, general budget busting, etc.) Indeed, most of the stress I experience comes from choices that I have made and will continue to make (i.e. going to school, doing freelance work, and aggressively paying off my debt.) Regarding the energy I actually exude, K recently got an 8-week Doberman puppy, Django, and it has definitely made me more conscious of that. If I'm unsure or skittish, Django senses it right away and reacts appropriately. (More on Django later) Anyway, at my best, I am outwardly friendly and happy, but at my worst (late nights and negative procrastination), I am definitely a little bit more closed and don't have the energy to really put myself out there. I'm still working on getting enough sleep and not procrastinating. (see below)

Resolved, I will be in bed before midnight on work nights
Ha! I was good for a month or so on this one, but then I fell off the wagon sometime in March, in the midst of time-intensive drafting homework. Plus, I'm still getting used to the flow of the intersection of school, new job and freelance work, so I'm lucky if I get to bed before 1:30 a.m. (My dirty secret is that I'm usually just vegging out at that time, too burnt out to do anything except mindless life planning and organization.) I am getting better, plus I am taking the summer quarter of school off, so after next Tuesday, I'll only have two things to worry about.

Resolved, I will be on time to work, leave to take my lunch and leave on time unless I take overtime
This one has changed a bit since I'm now at a different company and as an exempt employee, don't get overtime. Still, despite the implied fluidity of my working hours, I always feel better when I come in when everyone else does and unfortunately, I struggle with getting to work at that time, most of which has to do with going to bed late and not being a morning person.

Resolved, I will not wait until the last minute to do my work and homework assignments.
Actually, for homework and work, I'm doing fairly well on this one. The freelance work does tend to get the shaft sometimes, but that will only improve after next week.

Resolved, I will reach out to friends and family when stressed and not withdraw inwards.
So far, I've definitely had more contact with friends and family than I have during other times, which is definitely a good thing. I still feel like I need to be more proactive in that respect, so I am very glad that I'll have more time to talk and hang out this summer.

Resolved, I will find a physical way to blow off steam.
UGH... Still nothing here. And I'm sure that is the reason for a lot of my time management ineffectiveness. I just don't have the energy and unfortunately, it's a cycle. I know I just have to do something and that it will improve everything.

Resolved, I will do the things I put on my calendar.
I'm not 100% successful on this, and there have definitely been a couple of things that I've skipped, but those are mainly impersonal events and not time scheduled with family and friends (which is miles more important.) What I have found is that I'm definitely more discriminating about what will actually make it onto the calendar.

Resolved, I will go abroad this year.
Forget Mexico and Canada... I'm going to Paris in September! YAY!!!!! (More on my trip later)

Resolved, I will make my home an inviting and comfortable place.
The good news here is that I have created a functional workspace out of my dining nook and I've done a lot organization and purging. I still have a lot to do and I hope I will be able to concentrate more on this one during the summer when I have more time and the dust has settled on all the changes in my life. I have already been planning it all in my head and know what projects I would like to take on. It's definitely going to be fun and great practice for my future career. By the way, I'm still looking for the mid-century modern long dresser and have added a white leather Eames (or Eames-like) lounge chair and ottoman to the wishlist (though, it may just be too prohibitively expensive, real or fake). It's funny because now I remember that my parents actually had a fake one when I was growing up and I never thought that our tastes would ever intersect.

Resolved, I will pay down at least 15% of my credit card debt.
I've actually hit this goal already, and I'm definitely going to exceed it. (My revised goal is to pay off 60% of my credit card debt.) In regards to my general finances, the one major thing that I've got planned in the next month or so is the purchase of a car. (Again more on this later)

Resolved, that I will write in my blog more regularly.
Well, it's definitely better than last year. And I do have faith that I will post more once I have more things to write about besides being busy or eating food that's bad for me.

More songs

2008-05-25T08:47:00.000-07:00

As I promised, this is a quick note to let you know that the complete set of K's songs with Alanna Vicente are up on MySpace. Of the three new additions, I'd have to say that "Goodbye" is my favorite. I love K's guitar solo on it and also how the whole song has a bit of a throwback feel to it. Anyway, give all of the songs a listen and of course, if you like them, please let us know!

Food on the brain: Fried Chicken

2008-05-21T00:10:00.000-07:00

I write about food so much that sometimes I think I should change this to a food blog, but then that would spur me to eat more which could end up disastrously. Anyway, I've been so busy of late and part of what keeps me mentally and emotionally afloat is indulging in comfort food. Of course, fried chicken is high on that list and I really feel that it's been singing its siren song to me this week.

First, I am bombarded with advertisements for the new McDonald's Southern Style Chicken Biscuit breakfast sandwich. Fried chicken and a biscuit in the morning sounds like something that would go down really smooth, but then I have to remind myself that it is McDonald's and I can't eat there and not have a stomachache afterwards. But still, I was talking to a friend about it on Saturday and later when I got home, there were three free coupons for them in the mail, so it's definitely taunting me.

And then tonight, I was reading some of my blogs and came across this post on Franklin Avenue, talking about the tastiness of Korean fried chicken. Both of the places mentioned in the post and also in the L.A. Times article referenced are a few blocks away from where I live! My only hope is that I try it and hate it for being double-fried and soy-gingery. Somehow, I don't think I'm going to hate it, though.

Blogging about Asian and McDonald's food in the same post leads me to a particular page on the McDonald's Asian site. I don't really know what to make of the page or the site, which is titled "i am asian" (in lowercase, because Asians are cool like that?) Anyway, I find it interesting that on the homepage and Asian phrase challenge page, the mouse representing Filipinos has a fun jeepney illustration on it, the Chinese one has a cool neon green dragon and the Indian one has a nice henna-tattooed hand drawing, but then the Korean one literally has an unstylized photo of a bowl of kimchee. If I was Korean-American, I'd be pissed (not enough to call up Al Sharpton, but maybe enough to whine about it on my blog.)

Cannoli Watch: Little Dom's

2008-05-20T23:41:00.000-07:00

A few nights ago, my best friend Eric and I had a lovely dinner at Little Dom's in Los Feliz. We both ordered well: I started off with the wonderful Roasted Beets with Burrata, Citrus and Fennel and Eric had a simple Arugula and Parmesan salad. For entrees, I had the Whole Wheat Fettuccine with black pepper, Meyer lemon, asparagus and parmesan and he had the very moist and flavorful Roasted Chicken Leg with Fregole pasta.

However, the star course of the night had to be dessert. Once we got the dessert menus, it took me less than a second to decide what I was going to have. Here we were sitting in a restaurant that kinda sorta had that New York neighborhood Italian vibe, so how could I not get the cannolis?

I suppose it doesn't hurt that I love cannolis (see previous post) and am always on the lookout for the perfect combination of rich filling and crunchy pastry. Well, Little Dom's Cannoli Trio dessert certainly fits that description. You get three small cannolis, one stuffed with rich chocolate filling, one with coffee filling and the last with perfectly creamy ricotta cheese, chocolate chips and pistachios. I had the chocolate and ricotta ones and Eric had the coffee one. Unprompted, he said that it was probably one of the best desserts he had ever had. I loved them, too, though I'll have to reserve judgment on its "best" status until I sample more cannolis in L.A. so definitely let me know if you've got a place for me to try.

DAM!

2008-05-02T14:20:00.000-07:00

As mentioned in a previous post, I had the chance to visit the Denver Art Museum (DAM) a couple of weeks ago and I loved it. The museum is divided between the original North Building designed by Gio Ponti in 1971 and the newer Frederic C. Hamilton Building designed by Daniel Libeskind. The Hamilton Building is an architectural photographer's dream:

And the interior:

While in the Hamilton Building, I went to the special exhibition, Inspiring Impressionism, which shows Impressionist paintings alongside the Masters paintings that inspired them. The audiotour was impressive and I liked that they also had a children's version. After checking out that exhibition, I trotted over the skybridge to see the permanent exhibition in the North Building.

The permanent exhibition isn't huge but it's very well-edited and I absolutely loved the way the galleries were organized and designed. Most of the galleries had beautiful seating arrangements with art books to read and activities for kids, and there was a library/reading room where you could just relax and flip through more art books. My favorite gallery design had to be the Davis W. and Ellen N. Moore Gallery's, which showcased Design Before 1900:

I love these yellow benches!

Overall, the Denver Art Museum is definitely one of the best art museum experiences I've had. I love how American cities outside of New York, Los Angeles and Chicago are really making a name for themselves by incorporating some amazing cultural spaces. One unlikely design destination that I'd love to visit is Minneapolis, which has buildings by Jean Nouvel, Frank Gehry, Herzog & de Meuron and Michael Graves. (It also has the Mall of America and Target HQ, both of which would be guilty pleasures for me.) While in that part of the Midwest, I would also have to make the 5-hour drive to Milwaukee to see the brise soleil of the Milwaukee Art Museum by my favorite architect, Santiago Calatrava. In any event, these cities are showing that the Midwest and culture are not mutually exclusive:

Even cows like architecture!

For the full Flickr set of my DAM photos, click here.

Unhappy Streak

2008-05-02T12:20:00.000-07:00

It seems I am unable to start a new job without having to take a sick day during the first week. My last two jobs began in this way and unfortunately, my streak continues as I was forced to take a sick day today. Actually, I was determined not to let this happen, so even as my throat started to hurt this past Wednesday, I pushed through it until last night when I had to admit defeat.

The good news is that 1) this is the first time I've had a cold in a long while despite my crazy tiring schedule and 2) despite the slight fever and chills, it seems to moving through my system fairly smoothly. I think this has to do with the fact that I drink/eat kefir or yogurt regularly and snack on almonds (with chocolate chips) like there's no tomorrow. Both of these foods are supposed to be immune system boosters, and it makes me glad to know that I'm doing something good for my body especially since I have yet to find the time for exercise or adequate rest.

White Fence Farm

2008-04-24T13:45:00.000-07:00

White Fence Farm is a restaurant and mini theme park that celebrates the American farm experience. I ate at the suburban Denver location with my cousin and her family last Friday, and I loved it!

First of all, what's not to love about corn fritters tossed in powdered sugar:

Or a plate stacked high with crispy-on-the-outside/juicy-on-the-inside fried chicken (extra points for the American flag):

In addition to the food, there was a petting zoo with goats, an indoor and outdoor play area, a live music area (yes, the band was playing country), an Americana barn, a Clydesdale-drawn carriage, peacocks, and country life exhibits, like this one:

What I loved most about this place, though, has to be this:

Yay! A chicken car!

For the full set of photos on Flickr, click here.

Mile High

2008-04-20T12:17:00.000-07:00

I've been in Denver for several days, and will have some cool blog posts (with tons of pics) when I return to L.A. I haven't blogged in awhile due to some major life changes, including a transition in my career.

My last day at my old job was this past Wednesday. I found a new position as the business development manager for a mechanical, electrical and plumbing (MEP) firm. I'll be doing a lot of marketing in addition to some design, with a major increase in responsibility. I'm really excited to be back in the architecture/engineering/construction (A/E/C) industry, especially since the firm is involved in some really awesome projects, including several high profile museums.

Speaking of museums, the picture is of a model of the Denver Art Museum (DAM), designed by Daniel Libeskind. More DAM pictures to follow. (Sorry, I couldn't resist the pun.)

Things That Aren't Here Anymore

2008-03-31T00:53:00.000-07:00

I spent all of today (Sunday) at home and in my pajamas, alternating between eating, zoning out online, solving sudoku puzzles, trying to finish my final portfolio and watching TV. (A nice half-lazy day) While watching KCET, I caught this special from 1998 called "Things That Aren't Here Anymore." Hosted by the now-deceased L.A. radio and television personality Ralph Story, the documentary basically goes through all the cool places that used to be in L.A., such as the Coconut Grove, the original Brown Derby, Gilmore Field, Pan Pacific Park, and more.

I have mixed feelings about shows like this. On the one hand, I love learning about how people lived in L.A. back in 20s through the 50s. On the other hand, I find it all a little depressing. Thinking about the past in this way does remind me that one day I and all the things that make up my world will be things that aren't here anymore.

When I do my tour, there is one point where I stop to talk about the Richfield Building. When it was built in 1928, it was a gorgeous Art Deco office building clad in black and gold terracotta with a huge metal tower crowning it. Unfortunately, it was demolished in the 70s (a less historically-sensitive time in L.A.) and replaced by the current Arco towers (which I actually don't mind too much.) I show my tourgoers pictures of the old building and most of them agree that it's a pity that it's gone. And then we move on. Such is life, I suppose.

I'm not a die-hard preservationist, mainly because I understand that cities need to grow and change to be relevant. Not every building can be like the Pantheon and last for more than 2,000 years, nor should they. But each city should have a good mix of both the old and new to add depth, character and a sense of place to it. I do think that as L.A. grows older and more mature as a city, its people will become even more defensive of its historical identity and cultural legacy. More beautiful older buildings will be repurposed and those that can't will be replaced with beautiful modern buildings. My dream would be for L.A. to be a intersection of historical preservation and forward-thinking design with no room for mediocrity (particularly in the form of unimaginative stucco mini-malls or McMansions.)

The Wind

2008-03-26T21:15:00.000-07:00

This past weekend, my super-talented K finished producing a song he cowrote with Alanna Vicente, who also provided the very relaxed and soothing vocals. It's called "The Wind" and it's a great track! You can listen to it on K's MySpace page or Alanna's.

K worked very hard on it, and any positive feedback would be wonderful. Also, this is just the first song in what's looking to be a really cool series of four, so I'll keep you posted as to when the rest are released.

Miss Pettigrew Lives For a Day

2008-03-23T22:37:00.000-07:00

It's no big secret that I'm an art deco fanatic. This obsession started in junior high when I became addicted to black and white 1930s musicals (Fred Astaire and Ginger Rogers, Busby Berkeley, etc.), gained momentum during architectural history classes in college, and fully matured during my swing dancing/flea market days (and close association with a full-blown art deco fiend.)

Last week, I treated myself and saw Miss Pettigrew Lives For a Day, knowing full well that it would be the kind of fantasy that I always wished was my life. Calling cards. Catty women with elaborate hats and cigarette holders. Cage elevators. Shopping trips that play out like personal fashion shows with the chicest clothes. Social secretaries. British accents. Singing in a supper club. Falling for your earnest but penniless piano player. (Sigh.)

In addition to all that, the art direction was sublime. I want Delysia Lafosse's flat! For me, watching the movie was like going to the Queen Mary... I was practically salivating over every piece of moderne decor I saw. In fact, I think it probably took away from my involvement in the story... I was that much in awe of the scenery.

In any event, I do recommend the movie even if you don't know your streamline from your zigzag. It has a nice sweetness to it. Amy Adams does well as the effervescent Delysia in a perfectly mannered performance and Frances McDormand shows the right amount of mature weariness as Miss Pettigrew.

Also, I love the well-framed still that was chosen as the focal point of the movie poster:
To me, it says a lot about the movie without actually giving it away.

Bathroom Inspiration + A Blog I Read

2008-03-10T18:11:00.000-07:00

My other final project (for my Design Communication I class) is to render a plan, elevations and a perspective drawing for a bathroom. Ideally, we are supposed to use our own bathroom for the dimensions and general layout with perhaps some dream design embellishments. I'm not sure if I'm going to use my bathroom or K's or a combination, but if I use mine, I probably won't change the surface materials too much since I've got a lot of the original Art Deco tile and fixtures. If that weren't the case, I'd probably do floor-to-ceiling tile like the jade bathroom featured today in Apartment Therapy, a blog I read.

I'm a big fan of intricate and mosaic-like tilework on walls, on floors, on benches, on everything. Honeycomb, penny round, subway, mini, bowtie or glass, I love it all.

Another thing I love is reading Apartment Therapy, a multi-city interior design and lifestyle blog. Its mission statement sums up why it's so awesome, in particular:

Simplicity and luxury are not mutually exclusive.

So true! I'm a firm believer that luxury does not necessarily equal excess, which is probably one of the reasons why I enjoy this blog so much.

Porcupine

2008-03-10T18:10:00.000-07:00

This weekend, contrary to my usual procastinating ways, I finished the final project in my Elements of Design II class more than 2 weeks EARLY! The project consisted of taking an abstract paper sculpture we had created for another assignment and reimagining it into a building/place model or a functional object. I took this sculpture:

and turned it into this pendant lamp:

I used the side shape of the initial paper sculpture as a repeating element, layering two different kinds of handmade Bhutanese paper (from Hiromi, an awesome fine paper store) over a three-ply bristol board structure. The wire frame and light hardware are from IKEA.

I call it the Porpcupine pendant lamp.

Medialunas & Alfahores

2008-03-08T00:24:00.000-08:00

Recently, I got an e-mail from someone who wanted more information about the Spanish and Tango program I completed in Buenos Aires. (I had totally forgotten that I had left a review on my school's Web site with my contact information.) Anyway, corresponding with this person brought back a lot of memories from my trip. And since I've had sweet things on the brain for awhile (didn't ya notice?), I particularly remember all the yummy stuff I ate, specifically the medialunas I ate every morning and the alfahores I snacked on whenever I could.

Medialunas (or half moons) are basically little croissants that are either glazed with butter or with sugar. Before Spanish class every day, I went to this little bakery across the street from the school and bought several medialunas and other pastries and then ate them while sipping some yerba mate or tea in class. This little routine is one of the things I am most nostalgic for. However, if I ate like that all the time, it wouldn't be pretty, especially since I certainly wouldn't be walking all over L.A. I guess that is the beauty of walking city vacations: you're basically in a constant cycle of eating and expending calories in equal amounts. I can't wait to have a pasta and gelato orgy the next time I'm in Italy and as mentioned before, pain au chocolat and la creme the first time I'm in Paris.

Alfahores are soft-baked cookie sandwiches that have dulce de leche in the center and are dipped in chocolate or meringue. Very rich and decadent and definitely not going to win you points with your cardiologist. In my opinion, the best brand of alfahores is Havanna. I tried some others both in L.A. and BsAs, and Havannas are still the yummiest. When I was leaving BsAs, I packed my extra suitcase with several boxes of them to give away and almost bought more at the airport. (It's their equivalent of Hawaii's chocolate-covered macadamias.) Anyway, I had trouble finding them in L.A. until a month ago, when I met a native portena at a cupcake meetup who told me about an Argentinian market in Van Nuys that stocks them. I still haven't gone (I'm waiting for Girl Scout cookie season to subside), but I will definitely find my way there.

Automation

2008-03-07T23:03:00.000-08:00

Since the advent of my chronic neck, shoulder and arm pain, I've been on the lookout for ways to limit the strain on my right arm. I've switched my mousing hand from right to left, which was a big deal, especially at work, and I try to do as many tasks as possible with my left hand. In addition, I've incorporated a lot of gadgets in my daily life. K got me an electric toothbrush for Christmas, and for school work, I use a high powered electric eraser and sharpener. The next thing on the list is this:

Because washing/exfoliating my face hurts during an arm flare-up, I think the Clarisonic skincare brush would be a good fit for me. Most of the reviews on its exfoliation effectiveness are positive and I'll take any excuse I can to purchase an otherwise superfluous gadget. (Plus, I've worked out a way to get 1000 frequent flyer miles when I eventually purchase it.)

When I was younger (and more "hardcore"), I had very old-fashioned ideas about automation and thought that people who used gadgets like electric can openers were lazy. Little did I know that just a year into my thirties I'd be one of those people. Not lazy, of course, but in need of a little help to ease the pain. It makes me wonder what other things I will embrace when I get more rickety. One of these, perhaps?:

Oh, geez... I'm only 31 and am thinking of such things! I really do know how to work myself up. Anyway, hopefully, I will get my act together soon and start to live the balanced life that I currently fantasize about. Then, the arm pain will go away and I won't have any more thoughts about senior scooters.

Pain au chocolat

2008-03-03T19:23:00.000-08:00

I spend a lot of time talking about cupcakes (and eating them!) So, it's pretty obvious how much I love them. However, last Friday, I picked up 18 cupcakes at Joan's on Third for my boss' birthday celebration, but I didn't eat any. You see, I also went to Boule to pick up chocolates and noticed that they had my all-time favorite pastry: the chocolate croissant. Anytime I am eating a perfectly executed one (meaning buttery flakiness paired with Callebaut or Valhrona dark chocolate) while sipping a lovely tea or espresso, I am perfectly happy. When I eventually get to Paris, I will have nothing else for breakfast.

In any event, Boule's version was good, though slightly crispy for my taste, but the tea (Le Palais de Thes' Rooibos with Camomile) was amazing. I'm always on the lookout for good non-caffeinated tea and I'll have to make a special trip to Beverly Hills for this one.

Unwound

2008-03-02T21:47:00.000-08:00

I was pretty wound up since suffering a mini-meltdown on Thursday and so yesterday, I treated myself to a really nice 90-minute Thai massage at my favorite place: Thai Sabai. It's relatively cheap ($45 for an hour), clean and very refreshing. If you've never had a Thai massage, it's very different from Swedish/Western massages in that 1) you're clothed (in provided shorts and top); 2) you get stretched and pulled in all sorts of directions; and 3) the therapists do what it takes to get rid of the knots, including walking and kneeling directly on you. Often called "the lazy man's yoga," it's perfect for getting your blood flowing and stretching out your body. I always feel better afterwards and yesterday was no exception.

A couple of notes: I usually go to the Thai Town branch of Thai Sabai, which does have a drawback: the parking situation. There is a parking lot since it's located in a mini-mall, but it does get busy and you have to pay for parking during those times. So, I would suggest not going during the weekends or popular weekday nights. Also, even though the Web site says that it doesn't accept credit cards, I know that the Thai Town branch does, albeit with a $1 fee.

My little cannoli

2008-02-26T13:30:00.000-08:00

I've been craving a cannoli for several months, and so when I went to sample this little Italian deli in Silver Lake and saw that they had cannolis, I had to try one:

The verdict: Pretty good and not overly sweet. Most of all, I love that I can order a little itty bitty one (about 3"), since I can't take too much of the filling (or too much of the calories.) I also find it mildly amusing that the menu says that the freshly made cream is "stuffed by experts." I wonder if I can take a class in cannoli cream stuffing.

Update: Cardone's Deli (where I got this cannoli) has shut its doors. I guess the cannoli-stuffing experts will have to find a new place to practice their craft.

Be Careful What You Wish For

2008-02-21T09:42:00.001-08:00

Last night, I blogged a little about wanting to have more time to blog, and today, I'm home sick again with stomach problems. I guess I'll have plenty of time to post now. I just have to keep all my hypochondriacal thoughts in check.

Rudolph, the red bass guitar

2008-02-21T00:02:00.000-08:00

I'm taking a break from homework and thought I'd catch up on my blogging. It's been difficult these last couple of weeks to stay on top of everything, and I'm trying not to put undue pressure on myself to post as regularly as I had originally planned. I'm so overbooked as it is and this is meant to be a fun hobby, after all.

Speaking of fun hobbies and overbooking myself, I've started up on bass again. I had put that on hold for awhile due to my chronic arm pain, but I'm getting better at managing that, and so far, I haven't experienced any problems when playing. This is very good news... I've missed practicing my favorite songs and being able to jam with K.

I watched "Juno" last weekend and I thought it was an interesting coincidence that Juno mentioned her ideal set of adoptive parents to be "a thirty-something graphic designer with a cool Asian girlfriend who kicks ass on the bass guitar" and that she had named her guitar, "Roosevelt." Sometimes I wonder whether those kinds of coincidences are the universe's way of directing you or if those references are all around you all the time and that you only notice them when you are thinking about them to begin with. Hmmm... before I start to talk about the law of attraction and get all Oprah on you, I'd better get back to my homework.

A shot of my bass, "Rudolph"... yes, I know... I can be a little too hipster-precious sometimes.

Poetic Love

2008-02-14T12:45:00.000-08:00

For Valentine's Day, one of my favorite love poems (not to mention the source of my name):

Annabel Lee
by Edgar Allan Poe

It was many and many a year ago,
In a kingdom by the sea,
That a maiden there lived whom you may know
By the name of ANNABEL LEE;
And this maiden she lived with no other thought
Than to love and be loved by me.

I was a child and she was a child,
In this kingdom by the sea;
But we loved with a love that was more than love-
I and my Annabel Lee;
With a love that the winged seraphs of heaven
Coveted her and me.

And this was the reason that, long ago,
In this kingdom by the sea,
A wind blew out of a cloud, chilling
My beautiful Annabel Lee;
So that her highborn kinsman came
And bore her away from me,
To shut her up in a sepulchre
In this kingdom by the sea.

The angels, not half so happy in heaven,
Went envying her and me-
Yes!- that was the reason (as all men know,
In this kingdom by the sea)
That the wind came out of the cloud by night,
Chilling and killing my Annabel Lee.

But our love it was stronger by far than the love
Of those who were older than we-
Of many far wiser than we-
And neither the angels in heaven above,
Nor the demons down under the sea,
Can ever dissever my soul from the soul
Of the beautiful Annabel Lee.

For the moon never beams without bringing me dreams
Of the beautiful Annabel Lee;
And the stars never rise but I feel the bright eyes
Of the beautiful Annabel Lee;
And so, all the night-tide, I lie down by the side
Of my darling- my darling- my life and my bride,
In the sepulchre there by the sea,
In her tomb by the sounding sea.

The fifth stanza always gets me: "...neither the angels in heaven above, nor the demons down under the sea, can ever dissever my soul from the soul..." There's nothing better than romanticizing tragic love (and nothing worse than actually experiencing it.)

In any event, hope everyone is having a lovely (non-tragic) day!

Back

2008-02-11T18:30:00.000-08:00

No, I didn't go anywhere (unless you count going on a mental vacation.) I just had a crazy week and was so exhausted it hurt to think about anything, even about what to eat (and I love to think about food!) Anyway, I'm back on track (read: functionally sane) and speaking of food, last week, I saw this little item on Eater LA:

"Crumbs Bake Shop, the New York cupcakery with sugar bombs like caramel apple, Oreo, and Fluffernutter flavors will open at 216 N. Larchmont in April. The good thing about Crumbs is that it's not a monolithic chain (there are only seven locations so far), whose owners still actively oversee daily operations. The first west coast Crumbs opened in Beverly Hills in September---and they gave away free cupcakes on day one. Yes, they're willing to buy your love."

I reviewed Crumbs on Yelp after visiting with the Cupcake Meetup Group and so far, they are my favorite over-the-top cupcakery in Los Angeles. That they are opening a location within 10 minutes of my home means I have to hurry up on sorting out my fitness plan. Still, despite the possibility of rear expansion, I'm happy that they are opening a location in my area. If you take a look at the L.A. Times' cupcake map, we are currently underserved.

SUPER SUPER

2008-02-04T22:54:00.000-08:00

Sometimes I forget how exhilarating sports can be. Maybe it's because I usually cheat (myself) and find out the score of most games (which we usually record) ahead of time in order to save myself from the stress and possible disappointment of defeat. It's the equivalent of keeping your eyes shut during a rollercoaster ride and really, what's the point of that?

Well, I'm glad I kept my eyes open during yesterday's amazing game. It was definitely a bit tense in moments, but ultimately, it proved to be a very rewarding and transcendent experience. (That was putting it mildly: During most of the second half, I screamed and jumped my way to happy exhaustion.) In any event, good for the Giants, who weren't intimidated by the Patriot hype and didn't give up. Their defense was spectacular and it was great to see Eli fulfill his potential (and Brady get sacked so many times.)

I did feel a little bad for the Patriots at the end (especially Junior Seau), but that was shortlived, especially when a sour Belichick walked off the field early, a particularly classless move.

As a sidebar, the subs were awesome and well worth the extra 45 minutes I had to wait for them (and I ordered online early!)

Super

2008-02-03T11:22:00.000-08:00

Super Bowl Sunday is definitely one day of the year where you can count on most people being wrapped up in pre-game, game and post-game activities. I never used to be one of those people. In the past, I've taken full advantage of that by going to amusement parks and other places that are usually overcrowded. However, since I've been dating K, I've actually been following NFL football and getting into it. (Not that this is without precedent: In high school, I was on the football stats team.)

In any event, I, along with everyone else, will be watching the game today. I'm rooting for the Giants because a) I was impressed with their previous showing against the Pats; b) I like an underdog; and c) I hate Tom Brady. (Sorry to all the Pats fans!) Unfortunately, deep down, I'm worried that Eli Manning will have a meltdown of Rex Grossman proportions. Hopefully, the Giants will be able to maintain the momentum that has gotten them this far. If not, oh well... at least, I'll have a Bay Cities sub to munch on. (Sometimes it's nice to be a relatively apathetic L.A. sports fan.)

Heart of Fire

2008-01-31T15:07:00.000-08:00

What I would love for Valentine's Day:

The Red Fire Flaming Chocolate Heart from Vosges. The Vosges Red Fire chocolate bar is my favorite spicy chocolate bar and what would be better than a solid heart-shaped version?

Speaking of fire, my arm's inflamed again...Pain! Agony! Ugh. I am home sick today for another reason (queasy stomach), but it is very nice not to have to work my arm out today, hence the short post. Bring on the TiVO!

Blogs I Read: Oh Happy Day

2008-01-29T23:17:00.000-08:00

Is it wrong to love a blog because of its perfectly charming header?
There is just something about the yellow stripes, the silhouetted figure and the typography of Oh Happy Day's header graphic that make me...HAPPY. Of course, the daily posts of items that strike blogger Jordan Ferney's fancy usually bring a smile to my face, too.

Big Sugar Bakeshop

2008-01-27T23:45:00.000-08:00

Yesterday, I went to the Big Sugar Bakeshop in Studio City to eat cupcakes with other members of the L.A. Cupcake Meetup group. The organizer of the group, Tara, also has her own blog and posted the details.

I agree with Tara... the best was the Icebox cupcake. These weren't my favorite cupcakes, but they were still good and the store is absolutely adorable. I had to fight myself not to buy some of the cool merchandise they have in the front. Plus, they had complimentary samples, coffee and water and were very accommodating for our large group. They also have cookies and other baked goods and I'll have to try those the next time I'm on Ventura Blvd.

Overall, I enjoyed myself. I am seldom in situations where I get to talk to new people, and there were many interesting people whom I would have never met otherwise. If you want to meet people, I definitely suggest finding a group on Meetup.com.

More painting

2008-01-27T23:19:00.000-08:00

Here's what I've been doing for the last eight hours:

Painting #2: "The Pink Tunic," also by Tamara de Lempicka.

Doing homework

2008-01-25T21:28:00.001-08:00

This week's homework involves copying a painting in gouache and drawing a room elevation in pencil. The painting is part of a larger project for which I copied another painting last week:

Translating Tamara de Lempicka's oil painting, "La Bella Rafaela," into gouache (opaque watercolor) was a stressful but ultimately gratifying experience. I almost gave up to try an easier painting, but I'm glad I didn't.

In the last couple of years, I've purposefully put myself in situations that are outside of my comfort zone. Going back to school is a big example of this. With every week of class, I realize more and more how taking risks and working hard lead to growth and an overall better life experience.

Blogs I Read: Knife Tricks

2008-01-22T08:00:00.000-08:00

A couple of years ago, Paul Lukacs, a friend of mine, took a sabbatical from entertainment law to embark on a roving journey through Asia:

"I am taking at least a year off from work and have decided to use a blog to diary my travels and keep people informed of my general whereabouts. I am the 87-millionth person to have this idea. To further the cliche, I have purchased a backpack and filled it with Heart of Darkness, Burmese Days and several Graham Greene novels. Still working on the Tilley hat."

What originally set his blog, Knife Tricks, apart from those other 87 million travel blogs was Paul's intelligent writing, his often droll insight on local and global culture and politics and his refusal to lapse into the banal. He also offered up his take on the numerous books that accompanied him. Now back in L.A., he has continued to comment on politics, travel, literature and law in his usual erudite fashion.

I am recommending this blog mainly because it inspires me to be a better blog writer. I often feel smarter after reading one of Paul's articles because a) the writing is so good and b) he expands my consciousness of what is going on in the world, macro and micro, important and irrelevant.

I suggest starting from the beginning of his blog just to make sure that you've read all of the posts from his trip. However, many of his travel posts stand alone, serving as mini but complete peeks into the world of a wanderer.

Flea Market

2008-01-19T10:00:00.000-08:00

Several years ago, I used to wake up early on most Sundays and with a regular crew, go to one of the various flea markets around Southern California. The first Sunday of the month was the Pasadena City College or PCC Flea Market. The second Sunday was the massive Rose Bowl Flea Market. The third Sunday was the Long Beach Outdoor Antique and Collectible Market and the fourth was at the small but high-end Santa Monica Outdoor Antique and Collectible Market. If I bought anything, it was usually cool Art Deco/ Mid Century Modern stuff, vintage phones, 78 records, furniture and kitchen appliances. However, despite all the cool stuff I scored, what I loved most about going to the flea market was the whole experience of it: getting up early, people watching and hanging out with my friends.

When I heard about the new South Park Flea Market starting this Sunday, I started to feel a little nostalgic for the flea market era in my life. This flea market is put on by the same guy who puts on the Melrose Trading Post, which I never really attended because parking was always such a challenge and because in the past, I was more focused on antiques. However, I am excited about the South Park one because a) it's close by and not too big; b) it's a great event for the Downtown community; and c) I can take the subway there. I don't think I'll be able to attend tomorrow, but I would like to check it out sooner than later, preferably with cappuccino and chocolate croissant in hand and a good friend at my side.

Blogs I Read: Curbed LA

2008-01-15T23:47:00.000-08:00

I chose to be an Urban Studies major in college because a) it was the one program at Cornell that I thought I had a chance of being accepted into as a transfer and b) I genuinely am fascinated by urban development. Despite the fact that I spend a good deal of time supporting historic preservation, I love the excitement of change in a city. And when I want to get my fun fix of real estate and development news in L.A., I check out Curbed LA.

Curbed LA features posts on real estate, architecture, design and neighborhood news, usually with a playful spin. For example, every year, it holds a Broker Boys and Babes contest to pick the hottest brokers in the city. Usually, my favorite posts are the ones that discuss anything having to do with new restaurants (its sister site, Eater LA, covers this exclusively), new lofts/apartment buildings and new retail developments. (Another blog I like, Angelenic, covers the same topics, but focuses mainly on the Downtown area.)

Curbed LA's own description:
"From the studio lots to the downtown lofts. From the beachfront bungalows to the canyon views. From the south bay to the valley, from the westside to the eastside—Curbed LA covers our sense of place, and the neighborhoods we call home."

I spent a lot of time in school studying what gives a city a sense of place and a major factor is a sense of community. Curbed LA and other L.A.-centric blogs help to create that by fostering interest in everything that shapes the city, whether it concerns the built environment or the diverse group of people that live in it.

New header graphic

2008-01-13T10:35:00.000-08:00

I posted the new header graphic for the blog quietly this past Wednesday, and am still trying to decide if I want to keep the subtitle. Since I started this blog a couple of years ago, the angle has changed a little, mainly because I'm not traveling as much as I expected to and because I've added quite a bit more focus to my life with school and other pursuits. So, instead of being a travel blog, Aimless Idling is more a blog about my life in general, with the travel and lifestyle reviews mixed in.

As a side note, I had to stay off the computer for the past couple days because my right arm was in pretty bad shape. Every month or so, I go through several days where the right side of my neck and shoulder get so tense that the pain radiates all the way through my right arm and hand. My doctor says it's a pinched nerve and it's usually the result of stress and lack of rest and proper exercise. It's just another reason to try harder to achieve a good work-life-school balance and not be so needlessly neurotic all the time. K calls me the "worriest worry wart" and I can definitely worry with the best of them. I'm constantly thinking about everything and I think the trick is to channel that towards more positive avenues...like this blog!

At A Glance

2008-01-09T20:22:00.000-08:00

One of the biggest sources of stress for me in the last month and a half was the redesign I had to complete of my company's main brochure. Mainly, it was stressful because I not only had to design and produce it, but also because I had to coordinate and edit the newly expanded content. Thank goodness I had several editors and writers to help me flesh it out and copy edit. Otherwise, I probably would weigh 200 lbs. from the resulting stress-induced eating. In any event, after several late nights, I got it done and I really like the way it turned out, especially the cover:
On the left is the old version (which I didn't design.) The direction I was given was to make it more colorful, modern and slightly playful, while maintaining its professional look. My original concept had to do with evoking a door, but it doesn't necessarily have to read that way.

Blogs I Read: Cute Overload

2008-01-08T07:23:00.000-08:00

I read at least 30 blogs everyday and that's on days when I'm busy. On lazy weekend days, if I'm not reading a magazine or doing a sudoku puzzle, I can read more than a hundred. Not that that's terribly difficult but that's the beauty of blogs. They offer easily-digestible bits of information or insight usually every day. Mostly I read topical blogs, though there are several personal blogs that are very interesting. Every Tuesday, I'll share a blog that I think is worth a peek. Feel free to share a blog with me that you think is cool or that I would enjoy.

Cute Overload is one of the blogs that I turn to when I need an immediate pick-me-up. Dedicated to sharing cute pictures of animals with the world, it consists mainly of photos that readers send in, with the appropriately precious comments from the editor, Meg. This blog is definitely not a secret, having won several awards and scored mentions in the national mainstream press. However, I'm featuring it today, because yesterday, I checked it out (click here for the post) and saw this little guy:

I adore baby Boston Terriers! If I wasn't so allergic to dander, I would have gotten one already. I love their eyes, their batty ears and their black and white markings (yup, I like graphic statements.) In any event, you can bet I will be accessing the site several times today just to see those huge doleful eyes.

Decisions, decisions

2008-01-07T18:15:00.000-08:00

One of the gifts that I got from K this year was a year's subscription to any magazine of my choice. Seems pretty straightforward, but when you take into account how many magazines I read and love, it definitely gets hard.

Should I go with something that I would not otherwise be able to afford? K said that he was aware that I might choose an expensive magazine, but I don't think he took into account how spendy art and import magazine subscriptions can be. My top choice in this category would be the Australian foodie mag, Delicious, at $143.48 a year. The only thing I like more than eating yummy food is reading about it, and this magazine is the ultimate in food porn.

Should I add to the piles of magazines I have to keep forever by choosing a design magazine? Architectural Record, Communication Arts, Print, Interior Design, Contract, Hospitality Design, I.D.... I could go on and on, and I'm not sure that I'm even going to able to whittle down this category. The one thing to note here is that I could always buy these subscriptions myself and deduct them since they have to do with my work.

Perhaps I should go with something that I'm a little embarrassed to buy in public and would certainly never buy in view of my peers. The top choice here would be O, The Oprah Magazine. I'm a sucker for her brand of self-empowerment and self-improvement, and while I do think her personality is a little bit much at times, I do think she has helped many people in many different ways, me included. The magazine itself is useful, well-edited and pretty, and has all the girly stuff that I need to know about without making me feel like I'm being sold to constantly (though I am fully aware that everything is a sell in some way or another.)

I could go for volume and choose a weekly. Going to my mailbox after work and finding a magazine waiting for me brings me no end of joy. Having one there every week would increase my happiness and so this might be the best choice. Because I don't think I could deal with a potentially depressing news magazine every week, if I go for a weekly, it would have to be Entertainment Weekly.

A choice that would help me kill two birds with one stone would be a travel magazine. That way I could figure out where in the world I am going to escape to this year. I currently receive Travel & Leisure, but sometime in the last couple of years, the articles became less interesting and the layout more cluttered. Plus they use really cheap paper, making the photo spreads less enticing. I already get National Geographic Traveler and Budget Travel, but those magazines are more about the practical stuff...I want to open a travel magazine and salivate. The two magazines that fit the bill are Conde Nast Traveler, which I think is a much better magazine than Travel & Leisure, and Travesias. Travesias is a Mexican magazine that is gorgeously put together with thick glossy paper and beautiful photography. Plus, because it's written in Spanish, it seems even more exotic and worldly and I can rationalize that choosing it will help improve my Spanish. Though if I choose Travesias, I will most certainly go to Mexico or some other Latin American country.

The one magazine that combines a lot of the above is Wallpaper*. I have a strange relationship with this magazine in that I both love and hate what it represents. I love the art, architecture, travel, design, and gadgetry that it endorses, but sometimes, I feel it represents an impossible standard of life that most people, including me, don't have and will never have, and is a little bit too shallow and materialistic. I'm a designer, but even I recognize that the singular pursuit of glossy beauty without inner meaning or purpose can leave you pretty empty. So, if I chose Wallpaper*, it would be BYOS...bring your own soul.

So what will I choose? I'm going on a fact-finding mission later this week (Barnes & Noble and Hennessy + Ingalls on Sunday after my cupcake meetup), so I'll let you know. If you have any suggestions, feel free to chime in.

Art Deco Tour in the Rain

2008-01-03T23:47:00.000-08:00

During what looks to be the wettest weekend so far this season, I am scheduled to give a tour. I hate the rain, but if anyone is brave enough to show up, they deserve a tour and I'm going to make sure they get one. If you're interested, check out the Conservancy Web site for more information and bring an umbrella.

UPDATE! This tour has been canceled due to the rain. I get to sleep in! YAY!

Resolved

2008-01-03T23:37:00.000-08:00

According to Franklin Covey, one of the things you have to do to help make your New Year's resolutions stick is to go public with them. So here goes:

Resolved, that I will do my best to exude positive energy.
K & I like to watch the Dog Whisperer. (Actually, for several years, K has been preparing himself for getting a dog by studiously reading every dog training and psychology book under the sun) After watching several shows, it's easy to get the gist of what Caesar Millan preaches. One of the basic tenets of his philosophy is that dogs read the energy you put out there and adjust their energy accordingly. For example, a neurotic owner often can lead to a neurotic pet, whereas a calm owner instills calmness in her pet. I thought about this principle and realized that many of my social problems stem from either my negativity or lack of action. I automatically assume people don't want to talk to me and hence don't talk to them and it all becomes a self-fulfilling prophecy. The people I get along with are those that are sunny and very secure with themselves, making me open up and be just as sunny and secure. My goal is to be one of those people, so that my smile gets matched with another smile instead of my indifference being matched with equal indifference.

Resolved, that I will be in bed before midnight on worknights.
This gives me around 8 hours of sleep a night, which will help me to function normally during the day.

Resolved, that I will be on time to work, leave to take my lunch break and leave on time unless I take overtime.
I've struggled with this in the past and I do believe that not doing these three things adds more stress than necessary to my day. I am hoping that getting enough sleep will help me to get to work on time and that stepping out for a breather in the middle of the day will help me to keep my perspective. Leaving on time seems like it would be easy, but I can get caught up in work, especially design work, around quitting time, which usually coincides with my peak performance time. Also, if I get to work late, I usually try to make up for it in spades by working much later.

Resolved, that I will not wait until the last minute to do my work and homework assignments.
I always underestimate the time it will take to complete a project. The final project for my Elements of Design I class last quarter took at least 2-3 days of work and I naively thought I could knock it out in less than a day. The point is that I have to be realistic with my goals and recognize that a little time padding helps when the expected unexpected occurs.

Resolved, that I will reach out to friends and family when stressed and not withdraw inwards.
If you take a look at my cell phone records, you'll notice that K accounts for 95% of all my calls. Since we're on the same network (Verizon), that means that I'm not using the actual anytime minutes that I'm paying lots of money for. So, there is no reason I shouldn't be calling and chatting up the people I care for, right?

Resolved, that I will find a physical way to blow off steam.
Since I stopped dancing (for various personal reasons), it's been difficult to find something physical that I like to do with regularity. Lately, I've been really missing dancing and have been considering starting up again with tango and perhaps learning ballet. Other physical activities I've been thinking about involve forcing myself to go to the gym or walking to work in the morning.

Resolved, that I will actually do the things I put on my calendar.
Unless I'm sick, I am not going to flake out on the events that I thought were cool and important enough to actually put on my calendar.

Resolved, that I will go abroad this year.
Even if it's just to Canada or Mexico, I am itching to leave the country for a week at least.

Resolved, that I will make my home an inviting and comfortable place.
This involves redecorating my apartment to create a good work/project space, improving the lighting and purchasing a vintage (art deco or mid-century modern) hardwood dresser. On the maintenance side, this also means that I need to clear out the clutter and keep everything clean and tidy.

Resolved, that I will pay down at least 15% of my credit card debt.
I've already created my plan for doing this, which absolutely takes into account the fact that I am paying for school out of my own unlined pocket and that I want to go on a trip this year.

Resolved, that I will write in my blog more regularly.
So far, so good.

These are my resolutions... what about yours?

Museums

2008-01-02T23:07:00.000-08:00

Over the holiday break (which lasted approximately 11 days for me, not counting a few hours here and there of proof checks), I had the chance to check out three museum exhibitions that I've been wanting to see for a while.

The first I took care of while visiting family and friends in the South Bay and OC. "The Birth of Cool: California Art, Design, and Culture at Midcentury" at the Orange County Museum of Art was a nicely composed exhibition of midcentury modern furniture, paintings, objects and music. As I entered, the first room had Charles and Ray Eames' film, "Tops," projected onto the entire wall. The music was very hep. The next part of the exhibition gave some historical context. I really liked the signage and organization of this portion, which consisted of items and flat screens showing film clips, mounted on the wall with a cool blue band of paint behind them. The rest of the exhibit was heavy on the Eames' (rightfully so) and Julius Shulman's photography. (Note to self: Must see his exhibition at the Central Library before that closes on January 20)

The next two exhibitions I saw on New Year's Eve day: "© MURAKAMI" at MOCA's Geffen Contemporary and "Dali: Painting and Film" at LACMA. I really enjoyed both and it was interesting to see how Dali really made it possible for artists such as Takashi Murakami to create the kind of art that they do.

Initially, K & I didn't intend to see the Murakami exhibition, but we had some spare time before our 3pm Dali tickets and a little extra zip from our Intelligentsia buzz, so we went for it. I had seen some of Murakami's work in the "Ecstasy" exhibition a couple of years back, but this was definitely more an in-depth exploration of all aspects of his art. My favorite part was watching the Kaikai and Kiki movie preview. It was so adorable and weird that it made me feel very happy and young inside.

While we were able to take in the MOCA exhibition at a leisurely pace, we had no such luck at the Dali one, which is unfortunate because there was such a wealth of beautiful painting sand films that I could have stayed much longer. After waiting in line for about 20 minutes to get in, we were greeted with a slow-moving line that snaked along the wall of the first room. After waiting in that line for 10 minutes and moving only 10 feet, we decided to walk along the back of it, forsaking an up-close look at the first dozen paintings. After the bottleneck in the first room, it was smoother sailing and we were able to appreciate the rest of the exhibition up close. While I enjoyed the screenings of various Dali collaborations (in particular, Luis Bunuel's "Un Chien Andalou"), the highlight for me was seeing the actual paintings. The colors that he used were so vivid, especially when he paired warm and cool colors, and that definitely gets lost when you just see a poster of one of his works. Actually, with many paintings, a book or poster print usually does not do it justice. For example, when I saw Tamara Lempicka's "Jeune fille en vert" at the 2004 Art Deco exhibition at the San Francisco Legion of Honor, I felt the same way.

In any event, I would recommend seeing all three of these exhibitions. Unfortunately, the OCMA and LACMA ones close this Sunday(!) Luckily, you still have until February for the MOCA one. If you go, be sure to add to this piece of impromptu public art:

Ooey Gooey

2007-11-16T09:01:00.001-08:00

In addition to my little cupcake obsession, I've been sampling all sorts of yumminess at various bakeries. Today, I stopped at Milk for the first time and I'm almost sorry I did. Not that it was bad... it's just that I have to go the Art Store fairly often and Milk is located just off the same intersection (Beverly & Poinsettia.) Unfortunately, I can absolutely see myself picking up one of their "ooey gooey double chocolate" cookies every time I need to pick up some mat board or pencils. Those cookies are the most chocolatey and rich double chocolate cookies I have ever tasted. I was happily buzzing for hours. And at $1 a cookie, I can't wait to have another one.

In addition to those cookies, I also bought a slice of blue velvet cake for one of my coworkers and a square of chocolate croissant bread pudding for K. The reviews were very positive.

Milk is probably best known for its milk-derived goodies, like shakes, pudding and ice cream. Perhaps next time, I'll try something from their food menu (I hear their cobb and media noches are good) and wash it down with a chocolate malt...and, of course, grab some of those cookies.

Yelping

2007-10-30T10:36:00.000-07:00

A quick note that I've started to Yelp. Click here for a link to my page and my first review.

I'm not sure how much I'll write (see how many postings I've written here), but people often come to me for advice on where to eat and hang out, so I thought that I would at least give it the old college try.

Speaking of college, now that I've told certain people key people at work, I can be more open about the fact that since September, I've been busting my butt in the Interior Design program at UCLA Extension. It's a lot of work, especially because of the intro design class I'm currently enrolled in. Even though I make my living doing graphic design, I never had formal design training (outside of a few courses here and there), so creating art without a computer is pretty intimidating to me (and time consuming!) However despite that, I love the program. I love my teachers, who are all so interesting and encouraging. I love my fellow classmates, who are more or less in the same boat as me (working and tired but very inspired.) And I love that I am becoming a better designer overall.

I like graphic design, but to me, the best kind of design envelops you. I've been obsessed with built environments since my undergrad days (hence the Urban Studies degree,) and my various work experiences in the architecture industry helped to enforce that. A couple of months ago, I decided to go beyond a mere appreciation of architecture and interior design and actually take the steps to be able to create the kind of spaces that inspire me and (hopefully) others.

I've got about three years of going to school plus working full-time ahead of me, but that really doesn't bother me. Three years of intense focus is nothing compared to thirty years of searching for a purpose.

Cupcakes, cupcakes, cupcakes...

2007-09-20T11:50:00.000-07:00

Click here to check out
The Los Angeles Cupcake Meetup Group!

I just signed up for this and I can't wait for the next meetup. I've been a cupcake devotee since Sprinkles first opened their doors several years ago and try to try all the latest cupcakeries around. (I even read the cupcake blog, Cupcakes Take the Cake, at least every other day.)

I love cupcakes for their precious smallness, their yumminess & endless possibilities for cute design. I have this beautiful cake plate at home and the thought of placing perfect cupcakes on it makes me perfectly happy.

As for what cupcakes are my favorite, I'll save that for another time (hopefully accompanied with a pic of them on my cake plate.)

Cherry's Jubilee

2007-09-11T22:28:00.000-07:00

While in Monterey this past weekend, K & I happened upon the annual Cherry's Jubilee classic car event. This was definitely a treat, probably more so for K, who couldn't stop snapping pics of his favorite cars. I was able to wrest the camera away from him to snap a couple of shots of my favorite car there:

The lines on this car are so gorgeous. I love the creamy color and the burnt orange. They just don't make 'em like this anymore. (Truth be told, on the safety side, I'm glad cars have all sorts of airbags, etc., nowadays. I just want them to be designed a little bit more elegantly)

I tried to do a search on this car, but came up with nothing on the name below:

Anyway, this reminded me of L.A.'s own treasure trove of classic cars: The Nethercutt Collection. If you love classic cars, especially pre-war ones, this is the place for you. K & I went there several months ago and he certainly got a kick at seeing all of the Packards (especially since he's a descendant.) To see the best cars and hear some unusual automated instruments, reserve a spot in the San Sylmar tour.

Art Deco

2007-09-11T21:45:00.000-07:00

If you haven't visited my blog lately (as I haven't written much lately), you'll notice that it looks a little different. I got bored of the standard Blogger template I was using, so I put together this Art Deco-inspired background.

Art Deco is one of my favorite architectural styles and I spend a lot of time scoping out Art Deco buildings and objects. In fact, in addition to living in an Art Deco building, I lead an Art Deco walking tour of downtown L.A. for the L.A. Conservancy. My next tour is scheduled for Saturday, September 22 at 10 a.m. If you are interested in walking through downtown with me, visit the Conservancy's Web site and reserve a spot.

Art Deco exterior molding from my building.

Shark Obsession

2007-09-01T10:38:00.000-07:00

Hello, my name is Annabel and I'm a shark-aholic...

Most people who know me know that I'm pretty obsessed with sharks. You know those little boys who go around spouting random facts about dinosaurs, insects or cars? I'm like that with sharks, except I'm a 30-year-old adult woman. I can identify most species of sharks, tell you what the Ampullae of Lorenzini are, locate primary feeding and spawning grounds, etc.

I go to aquariums with one primary objective... to see the shark tank. I've seen zebra and other carpet sharks in the petting tank, ragged tooth/sand tiger sharks (the scariest-looking shark, but fairly benign), a bull shark, numerous types of reef sharks, and some hammerheads. But next week, I get to see a (knock on wood) great white!!!!!

The Monterey Bay Aquarium has had several great whites in the past, but eventually they would have to return them to the ocean because the sharks get too big. They are usually housed in the Outer Bay exhibit, which is one of my favorite tanks in the world. I could spend hours in front of the glass there, watching the sharks, tuna and other large fish whizz around.

Last Monday, they introduced a young great white into the tank and will keep him there as long as things go smoothly (in other words, as long as he doesn't eat the other fish or get really depressed). Hopefully, he'll still be there when K & I go to visit. If so, I promise to post pictures.

I do have a feeling that this little viewing will have me wanting more. Perhaps, one day, I'll get to go on a tour of Seal Island in False Bay, South Africa and see this:

Testing out Mobile Blogging

2007-06-15T12:55:00.001-07:00

Most of the time when I'm out and about, I see things that I think warrant a blog post, but then I get home or back to work and I forget or I just don't have the time. So in order to possibly (hopefully) increase my blogging productivity, here's my first attempt at mobile blogging. After this post, a flood of new posts should follow (crossing my fingers)

National Parks Passport

2006-11-28T08:36:00.000-08:00

After our Thanksgiving break in Palm Springs, K and I visited Joshua Tree National Park. I am generally not a huge fan of the desert, but certain desert landscapes have managed to enchant me over the years: the plentiful saguaro cacti at Saguaro National Park in Arizona, the red rocks outside of Santa Fe, and now the joshua trees and massive rockpiles at Joshua Tree.

We didn't spend too much time at the park since we got there as the day was fast losing light. (Did I mention I hate daylight savings time?) We did have the chance to hike the Hidden Valley trail loop and check out Keys View:

After that, we headed back to Highway 10 to return to L.A. However, earlier in the day, we stopped by the Joshua Tree Visitors Center, where I was able to complete my part of a chain that has been going on for awhile.
I have a National Parks Passport, which lists all of the National Parks and has designated pages for you to get a stamp at each visitor center. It's pretty fun, and while I doubt I'll ever collect every stamp, it's cool to see the stamps from each park you've visited. Anyway, I don't know where this started, but if you have one already and you visit a park with someone who doesn't, then you have to buy one for them. I got mine from my ex, who in turn got his from my friend, and this trip, I was able to buy one for Kip. Obviously, you can always just buy one, but it's much more fun this way.

Stoned

2006-11-19T17:39:00.000-08:00

While I love going to cemetaries during the day for the serenity, you'd be hard-pressed to get me to go to one alone after nightfall for obvious reasons...decomposing bodies just six feet below, too many screenings of Night of the Living Dead, etc. At Recoleta Cemetary, I would think that it would be even more creepy, because it resembles a housing tract for the dead, where a zombie could just open the door of its fabulous crypt, without having to dig its way through compacted dirt. Add to that the multitude of gorgeous-during-the-day, but eerie-at-night statues that decorate many of the masoleums:

I can just imagine any one of these statues coming to life with a turn of the head in a not so charming Pygmalion kind of way. To be honest, though, while I was actually walking through the grounds (with the full strength of the sun), all I could do was take in the beauty around me.

Amidst the dead stone, there were wonderful little signs of life moving on:

And there were unexpected things, like a faucet that became much more:

Recoleta Cemetary was one of the highs of my trip. I was anticipating an overhyped tourist trap, and I'm glad I decided to visit anyway, because it truly is a special place. And to cap off my postings on it, I'd like to share my favorite tomb embellishment:

Her lips are sealed, indeed. Though, to me, it looks as if she's concealing an oh-so-sweet secret. Perhaps a different kind of death...

For the full set of my Recoleta Cemetary photos, click here.

Stained

2006-11-16T07:07:00.000-08:00

The exteriors at Recoleta Cemetary can be quite grand, and if you take a closer look, you can find some exquisite detailing. Stained glass, for example:

The luminosity of stained glass makes it one of my favorite architectural details and is probably one of the reasons why I love religious architecture. The stained glass in this skylight cast an ethereal blue glow over the sculpture below that you could see from a far distance:

I wish I could have been able to see the inside of this more modern one:

The downside to using glass:

Still, it's gorgeous in a Miss Havisham riches in ruin kind of way.

And, perhaps, my favorite shot:

Perfect symmetry in all things is what I strive for.

Cemetario de Recoleta: Death of Humility

2006-11-15T21:09:00.000-08:00

(This is a family crypt...not a church!!!)

Recoleta is Buenos Aires' ritziest barrio for both the living and the dead, as evidenced by its cemetary, which displays the most extreme version of keeping up with the Joneses (or Los Garcia, if you will) ever. As the city's top tourist attraction, the Cemetario de Recoleta is packed with gorgeously overwrought crypts and mausoleums and is a photographer's (and necrophile's) dream location. I spent about an hour and a half there, taking more than 50 photos and wishing I had more time and room on my memory card. It is definitely one of those places where you could take snapshots blindfolded and come up with something interesting and possibly beautiful.

However, despite the wealth of photo opps, most visitors come to the cemetary to shoot one thing...

the grave of the most famous portena, Eva Peron:

Evita's remains rest inside the Duarte (her maiden name) family crypt,

which is very modest when compared with these amazing shrines:

I suppose that if you're going to spend eternity in one place, you should probably pour all the money you can into it. Still, I don't know about you, but I think I'd like a little bit more space around me. The last thing I want to do is end up in a McCrypt development...

A patch of green grass might be nice...

or a shady spot under a tree...

(Note: These were the only graves I could find that were somewhat low-key)

More to come...

Los Angeles Blues

2006-11-13T18:02:00.000-08:00

I returned from lovely Buenos Aires on Sunday morning and have since tried not to be too down about having to leave. Initially, because I didn't stay in the touristy areas, the city was just another big jumble of hustle and bustle to me, not unlike New York or Madrid. But as I got to know it better and really get underneath the gritty surface, it started to grow on me and its rhythms suddenly became my own. And I fell in love with it, hard.

As my airport taxi pulled away from my apartment building and was driving through fadedly elegant Buenos Aires, I couldn't help it as the tears rolled down my face. Buenos Aires is an incredibly nostalgic and sentimental place, and I'm very much the same. Endings are always sweetly sad for me and I felt as if this wasn't just then end of a trip for me. I started this trip by turning 30, so in a way, this signified the end of so many things. I am trying not to think about it that way, though. This trip was the first major adventure of my 30s and the rest of my life. And that's the positive way to look at it... it was such a deliciously stimulating journey and in many ways, I learned so much about what is truly important to me.

I learned that true richness and depth of experience were absolutely more valuable than a fancy stay at a posh hotel. That being on foot was much more satisfying that sitting in a taxi. That green leafy trees and a blue sky produced more serene happiness than shopping for trendy clothes. That sleeping in and missing some sights was not a major catastrophe. That eating at home resulted in the best meals. In short, I learned that so many things that I thought were so important really aren't.

Since I've been back, I was pretty bummed to be back in Los Angeles. Kip calls this the Los Angeles Blues. After experiencing so many wonderful things, returning home to the mundane can be so depressing. For me, it has always been this way. I remember returning home from the Philippines fifteen years ago and just being so disappointed at the blandness of L.A.'s suburbian streets. I've lived in Los Angeles for most of my life and love so many aspects of it, but I must admit that it's just not stimulating for me anymore. And to go from Buenos Aires to Los Angeles is such a major let down.

Last night, I slept well and it definitely felt good to be in my own bed. I woke up feeling so much better, but then as I was flipping through the latest issue of Lucky magazine, there was a feature on Buenos Aires shopping with descriptions of the major barrios...and now, I'm really heartsick for my Buenos Aires. I miss speaking and thinking in my broken Castellano. I miss crossing the street without waiting for the "Walk" light. I miss walking through my barrio, Villa Crespo, to get to school and then filling up my self-service basket at my panaderia with loads of facturas. I miss taking the Subte, then the Collectivo and then walking through sleepy Colegiales to get to my morning tango lessons. I miss losing myself in the tango. I miss getting into taxis and giving them directions (usually "Estadio de Israel, entre Loyola y Castillo" or "Amenabar en la esquina de Cespedes") I miss concentrating hard in my Spanish class. I miss meeting so many well-traveled and anecdote-rich people from other parts of the world. I miss so much.

I know I'll return someday, but until then, it's a beautiful memory.

Immersion

2006-11-08T05:59:00.000-08:00

Four years ago when I wanted to learn how to swing dance, I took as many classes as I possibly could and went out dancing 3 to 4 times a week (that was when there were that many good venues). It took awhile, but eventually, I became so comfortable with the dance that I didn´t even have to think about what my feet were doing. (Recently, I tried to demonstrate a Lindy Whip to Kip and I actually had to think about how to break it down.) Anyway, the point is that I completely immersed myself in the swing dance scene to learn well and fast. In general, I believe that is the best way to gain fluency in anything, especially a language.

I´ve only been in Buenos Aires for less than 2 weeks, but because I´ve completely immersed myself in the culture and city, my Spanish has rapidly improved. I must admit that the first couple of days it was a bit difficult to understand everyone, mainly because of the Argentine accent: in Mexico and Spain, you would pronounce pollo as poyo, but here it´s pozho. After the first week, though, it definitely became much easier to understand what was being said to me. It´s still a struggle to speak, but it´s much easier than 2 weeks ago.

It also helps that I´ve been taking Spanish classes in Spanish for 4 hours everyday. My Spanish school here in Buenos Aires is considered one of the best (and expensive) in the city. I´m studying at the Daniela Wasser Spanish School in Palermo and I really like it. All of my teachers have been excellent (Pablo totally rocks!) and are very good at teaching Spanish with almost no English translation at all. I have to admit, I originally picked the school because I liked the Web site (I´m such a design nut) and it seemed like the most organized school I found. And from what I hear from the other students, I chose well. I guess I was very lucky.

The students here come from all over the world...there are students of all ages from the US, France, Germany, Switzerland, the Netherlands, etc. And each one of them has an interesting story. I´ve been out to dinner with a few of them, and I always enjoy listening to their travelling anecdotes. Most of them are here for a few months, which makes me a little jealous because their Spanish is totally going to rock by the end of their stay.

When I get home, I´m actually going to continue my studies as much as I possibly can, because I don´t want to lose my momentum. Same thing with tango...it´s been so nice to be able to study and practice everyday and I want to find the right teacher in Los Angeles that won´t ruin everything I´ve learned here. I suppose Spanish and tango are just more passions to add to my ever growing pile.

Computer Down

2006-11-06T08:17:00.000-08:00

Unfortunately, a couple of days ago, my computer crashed and I do not think I will be able to do anything about it until I return. What that means is that my posts will be fewer and I will have to add the photos later since I have to use the computers at my school.

Doing the touristy thing

2006-11-04T13:22:00.000-08:00

I reserved this weekend to do the unabashedly touristy things. So today, I hit Recoleta Cemetary (final resting place of Evita), the Museo de Bellas Artes, the Museo de Arte Decorativo (not to be confused with Art Deco), and the Museo de Arte Latinoamericano de Buenos Aires (or MALBA). I'm going to write about the Recoleta Cemetary in another post, since I took more than 50 photos there and could have stayed longer than the one and a half hours I gave myself. Needless to say, I did visit Evita's grave, but no, I did not sing "Don't Cry for Me Argentina."

The three museums I went to today were nice, but I must admit that after going to some of the best museums in the world, I was a little underwhelmed. My friend, Dani, and I talked about this once...we were at the Met in NY and she said that after being in Paris and going to Louvre, D'Orsay and Versailles, every museum she has visited since has been a disappointment. I haven't been to Paris yet, but I'm starting to agree with her. My favorite museum in the world is still the Frick in New York, though I really liked the Thyssen-Bornemisza in Madrid and have a couple of favorites in Los Angeles (Getty, of course, Norton Simon, Jurassic Technology) Of the three museums, I liked MALBA most, because the museum was well-organized and art was all done by Latin American artists. Being from L.A., I do get a healthy dose of Latin American art, but this museum really showcased it well. There was actually one painting, in particular, that I really liked: "George, Gershwin, An American In Paris" by Miguel Covarrubias Maybe it's because I'm a big Gershwin fan, but I wished that they had a postcard or print that I could have bought. Unfortunately, they had none.

When I go to museums, I love buying museum-branded merchandise, whether it be mugs, T-shirts, notebooks or pens. Today was no exception: I bought a mug from Bellas Artes, a yerba mate mug from Arte Decorativo, and from MALBA, I bought 2 t-shirts (one MALBA-branded for me and a futbol one for Kip), 2 MALBA-branded teas (as recommended by my Wallpaper* City Guide) and a MALBA notebook. Because I'm a graphic designer, I just eat up well-branded merchandise. And MALBA is a well-branded museum. They also have a film series there that I might go to tomorrow night. They're showing Tropical Malady, which won the Jury Prize at Cannes. It's a Thai film about 2 men in a passionate gay relationship. It might be strange and hard to follow a film in Thai with Spanish subtitles, but perhaps it will be really good practice for me. Anyway, here's a photo of MALBA's exterior:
I also liked the Museo de Arte Decorativo, which is pretty much a grand old mansion, with a temple-front, filled with museum-quality furniture. I really liked the ballroom, which had an amazing parquet floor and an intricate carved-wood spiral staircase leading up to a mezzanine. Unfortunately, beyond that, there wasn't much else to see. I kept thinking I was missing a section, but alas, no. I would have taken pictures inside, but I was not allowed. I managed to sneak in a picture of this marble staircase, though:
And here's the temple-front:
Now, I could take photos inside the Museo de Bellas Artes, but only a few things caught my attention there:
I really liked this impressionist portrait and the kicker was that the museum guard looked exactly like the subject!

And to file under Weird:It's a bit hard to see, but this is a KISS concert diorama. It was out in the lobby with a sign asking for donations so that this exhibit could become part of the permanent collection. I kept looking around to see if there was a little plaque that said, "Just Kidding!"

To end this post, here's one that is just so exquisite:I just love her expression! I wouldn't mind happening upon that scene in the forest!

Tango

2006-11-04T13:13:00.000-08:00

Today I wrapped up my first week of tango lessons, which included a private 1 hour lesson everyday and a group lesson on Mondays and Wednesdays. My teachers, Humberto and Carolina of Estudio Callas, are really good teachers, and I've had many dance instructors, so I know what I'm talking about. During my private lessons, I usually get one or the other: Humberto teaches me following skills and new moves, while Carolina cleans up my technique. I didn't tell them that I'm a swing dancer until yesterday, when I told Carolina. She said that explains why I'm a very fast learner and a good follower with good frame. But she said it also explains why my pivots are too fast and why I swing my hips. Tango is a very controlled and deliberate dance. For the woman, it requires complete submission to the man and perfect technique and balance. Swing dancing is a whole lot more forgiving, though I must admit that my balance has always been a problem. In any event, after two weeks of tango training, I'll definitely have a strong foundation to build upon and I think my swing dancing will also improve.

One of the things that made a huge difference in my tango was actually buying tango shoes. On Tuesday, I went to Artesenal in the Abasto barrio and bought these awesome shoes:
Carolina advised me to go with a shorter heel, but Humberto prefers a higher heel. I decided to get a shorter heel to start with and I had them chromed for more control. (For the non-swing geeks, that means that I had them put suede on the bottom) There was red and black pair that I almost bought with a higher heel, but I didn't want to hang out there and deliberate too much since they had 4 or 5 Persian cats hanging around the shop. (I'm allergic) I didn't even take my backpack off to try the shoes on because I didn't want it to collect cat hair. In any event, I'll probably go back to buy the other shoes as well (it's only about U$30-45 a pair for handcrafted leather shoes).

One of the coolest things about buying tango shoes is that you can either take them away in a box or a red(!) carrying sack:
For non-dancers: the nice thing about the sack is that you can carry your dance shoes around town without having to wear them and ruin the sole. That is, of course, unless you're going to the Derby in LA, where they have a policy against bagged shoes.

Chivalry is not dead!

2006-11-02T20:45:00.000-08:00

Buenos Aires has a reputation for being a very macho town. I haven't experienced any male aggression walking the streets alone or going about my general business, but what I have experienced is a forgotten by-product of machismo: chivalry. The men here are very protective of and courteous to women, and it feels pretty nice. Riding the subte or the collectivo (bus), I've seen numerous men give up their seats for pregnant women, women with babies or elderly women. One elderly man almost woke up a sleeping man to persuade him to give up his seat for a woman and her baby, but another seat opened in the nick of time. And all of my encounters with Argentine men have been very warm and never overbearing. (knocking on wood) Of course, I'm not trying to build a career here...I'm just visiting, but it is refreshing to see men show their gender's best traits.

Keys to the past

2006-11-01T20:17:00.000-08:00

I didn't post yesterday, because I was in the worst part of my cold and needed some rest. Last night, I popped two Tylenol PMs (Vanilla-flavored) and slept for about 11 hours. I think that was exactly what I needed to fight whatever virus had taken hold in me.

I've also been very busy...between Spanish and tango classes and running errands, I haven't had a chance to do much else in the last two days. The good thing is that I've really been able to experience what it's like to live in this city and not just be a tourist. The bad thing is that there are times when I feel like I want to be a dumb tourist with no responsibilities, living in luxury. However, not being a tourist does have its advantages:

Instead of those plastic hotel keycards, I get these:When my host gave me these keys, they reminded me of the kind of keys that we don't use anymore, except maybe as props in Pirates of the Caribbean (with the exception of the power tool key) They seem a bit antiquated and it's not as if I'm staying in an old building...my apartment building in Koreatown is easily 30 years older than my building in B. Aires. And everywhere I go in this city I see these keys dangling from people's fingers. I don't know how secure they are, but I wish I had keys like this. I just really like what they say about this city...for all of it's modernity, B. Aires is firmly rooted in it's past and traditions. Why change things that work just fine? And why erase the past when it was so elegant and grand?

Suspension

2006-10-30T20:11:00.000-08:00

I woke up early this morning to catch one of the last English tours of the Teatro Colon for the next 3 years, but unfortunately, when I got there, I found it to be completely sold out for today and tomorrow. Oh well...I quickly changed my morning plan and decided to visit the Puerto Madero area of B. Aires.

Puerto Madero is a new and modern area with waterfront lofts in old red brick factory buildings... and fine dining establishments such as TGI Fridays and Hooters (ha!). Anyway, the main reason I ventured to this area was to see a bridge designed by my favorite architect, Santiago Calatrava:

The bridge is called La Puente de la Mujer or the Bridge of the Woman. Not sure if it refers to this particular woman, but it's probably a good guess:

End of Day One

2006-10-29T18:33:00.000-08:00

Towards the end of the day, I hopped on el subte (subway) and went to El Centro (downtown). I checked out the Obelisk and the crazy 16+ lane road, Avenida 9 de Julio:I also checked out the Teatro Colon, but will probably post those pictures tomorrow since I'm going to try to catch my last chance at an interior tour for three years (it's closing on Wednesday for an extensive renovation). I got there just as the last performance before the closing was letting out. There probably will not be a lot of photos of me on this blog, but I got some American high school students to take a picture of me in front of the theatre and I'm very tiny.
Goodnight for now!

Garbage on a pedestal

2006-10-29T17:51:00.000-08:00

I arrived in Buenos Aires this morning and after taking a much-needed nap and chatting a bit with my host, I took advantage of the breaking sunlight and went for a stroll. I'm staying just a couple of blocks south of the uber-trendy Palermo neighborhood and my Spanish school, and I decided to walk towards that area since the area immediately surrounding me was pretty quiet. During the walk, I noticed something that I had never really seen before: truly elevated garbage bins.

These aren't really common...most of the time, you'll see orange bins, also elevated, but not quite so high or as pretty:

In any event, I'm sure there was a reason for the elegant metal trash receptacles, perhaps fear of flooding or dogs. Whatever the reason, I really like them, despite their limited storage capacity.