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There waiting.

Oportunidad Thrift Store Sale

Recently a friend of mine died. I knew he had volunteered at a church outreach program for the homeless in MacArthur Park. I went by it to ask where a memorial service would be and wound up becoming a volunteer myself. It’s a unique place and program, giving food and shelter to many people, particularly LGBT folk. I was asked to start a meditation class. So you‘ll see a little zendo in the pictures below. Oportundad is having a Thrift Store Sale at its location, this Saturday Nov. 18 from 10 am-6pm. 2119 West 8th St. Los Angeles. There are some real treasures to be found, I promise you. Check out the photos below.

Gathering in the Park

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A very rich caldo de pollo

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A meal in the parking lot behind the store front

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Here are some of the things you’‘ll meet

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There’s a good chance you’ll walk out of here with something.

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Or you could stay and sit for a while. I was asked if I would teach Buddhist meditation. Yes. And so I set up a tiny zendo. Full Moon Zendo.

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And this is Julia Garcia who founded Oportunidad 25 years ago. She’s helped a lot of people.

#macarthur park #lbgt homeless #zen #homeless meditatiion

Marlen 4 Years Later _________________________

In July of 2012 I posted a photograph of my young friend and neighbor, Marlen with her grandmother.

“Marlen is the granddaughter of my next door neighbors in Koreatown. I met her around six years ago. I gave her an elegant English China Tea Set that I had inherited but knew I would never use. I thought it would be perfect for a young lady to grow up with. The other day I ran into Marlen and her grandmother. When I asked Marlen what was new, she told me she’d just gotten back from China. Wow! “What’s with you and China?” I wanted to know. “I’m studying Chinese and went with my classmates,” she said. She also informed me that day was her 13th birthday. What a life! Just back from China and a 13th birthday. I asked her to share some photos for this blog along with a few of her observations. They follow, preceded by a photograph of Marlen and her grandmother. Pure sunshine.”

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Marlen and I have remained friends through the years and the other day I received an email from her saying she had just been accepted to early admissions at Wellesley. A full scholarship !!! I was so happy and thrilled for her. I found my myself shedding a little tear of pleasure. She has worked so hard, has been so focused; and yet through it all, has been a joyful presence for everyone who knows her. P.S., She’s still studying Chinese.

Marlen and I went out to a Korean restaurant this afternoon to celebrate. Usually the food is great but today the cook threw in too much spice so after the photo we retreated to a Baskin Robbins and cooled off with hot fudge sundaes. That’s how we do it Los Angeles.

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My friend, the Wellesley Girl. Hooray!

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Photography John Fritzlen

#koreatown #wellesley

3rd Street ________________________

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Photography John Fritzlen

#Koreatown

3rd and Normandie _____________________

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Photography John Fritzlen

#Koreatown #Carwash

Wilshire and Kingsley Xing

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Photography John Mujo Fritzlen

#Wilshire and Kingsley

Garden Gate, Mexico ___________________________

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More beautiful stonework from Santo Domingo. I love the scale of the approach to the gate, the gentle curve, the degree of slope, the ferns growing from the wall, the slight un-eveness of stones in the path. And then there is the sense of mystery created. So of course, I want to open that door and see where it leads.

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Photography John Mujo Fritzlen

#Tepoztlan #santo domingo #stone work #mexican gardens

Three Walls ___________________________

A friend’s house in Mexco City. Early Morning. The painting is by Mario Nunez, a painter whose work I admire and whose friendship I value.

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Hazy Moon Zen Center Los Angeles. The morning I took this photo there were huge fires fairly close to Los Angeles. The sun was a red globe. White turned yellow and brown turned red and orange.

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My house. The Vajrayana Buddhist Yidam ,“Vajrayogini.” Passion as Wisdom. Padma family. The family color is red.

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Photography John Fritzlen

#the painter Mario Nunez #vajrayogini #padma family

Stone Doorway ___________________________

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Wall built by stone masons from Santo Domingo, a tiny village.

Artistry and craftsmanship abound in Mexico. As well as the mysterious and the beautiful.

Photography John Mujo Fritzlen

#tepoztlan #black scorpion temple

Santo Domingo, Mexico

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Taken from the roof of a friend’s painting studio. The Mexican artist Cesar Nunez. On the other side of the gate in the foreground is where I have done a number of Zen Retreats at The Black Scorpion Temple. This is in a village, Santo Domingo, just outside of Tepoztlan, Mexico. The mountains were created by cast up volcano lava. Very similar to some landscapes in Viet Nam and China.

Photography John Fritzlen

#Zen #tepoztlan #black scorpion temple

Into The Ocean

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Photography John Fritzlen

#santa monica beach

Western Avenue

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photography John Fritzlen

#street art koreatown

STREET MAGIC __________________________

Wilshire and Normandie

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Photography John Fritzlen

#Koretown #street art #wilshire and normandie

Memorial Day 2016

Veterans for Peace, Santa Monica Beach

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Photography John Fritzlen

#Memorial day Santa Monica #veterans for peace

THE SPHERES AT MACARTHUR PARK

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Three thousand hand painted spheres floating in MacArthur Park lake. Yeah, MacArthur Park - the crack park, the gang park, the gritty park. A project by Portraits of Hope whose purpose is: public art, civic education, community engagement, creative therapy, and teamwork.

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Everything donated, materials to transport. !0,000 volunteers around L.A., mostly school children.

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School children as well kids at the Braille Institute, Children’s Hospital in Long Beach, the Shriners Hospital for Children in Westlake. Many places and people - 10,000, remember?

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