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Saturday night my friends and I headed out to Pasadena to watch Grease in the park. If you haven't seen Grease, I don't know where you've been all your life. It's basically boy meets girl, boy and girl fall in love but are separated, boy and girl are reunited but boy is determined to uphold his image as a late 1950s teenage bad boy and ruins everything. It all comes together in an ending that is sweet on the surface but kind of terrible if you spend more then 30 seconds thinking about it. Also, there's singing and dancing and extremely questionable lyrics. Funnily enough, while watching I was reminded of the documentary we watched in class and how Thom Andersen said that Los Angeles can be anywhere. Although it was filmed at various places in LA, including a beach in Malibu, a high school in Venice, and the Paramount Pictures backlot, there is never anyway to clearly identify LA in the movie. The one part that is probably the most recognizable to Angelenos is the race at 'Thunder Road,' which shows off a section of the LA River between the First and Seventh street bridges.

The movie screening was a part of Street Food Cinema's annual summer movie series. Every weekend from May 2nd to October 31st, Street Food Cinema will be screening one or two movies at various parks in Los Angeles. General admission tickets cost $12 and can/should be purchased online. For seats at the very front of the crowd it's $17. If you plan on going, I would suggest getting general admission and showing up early. There are a ton of food trucks but the organizers have nothing against people bringing in their own food and snacks. Doors open at 5:30, but because it was our first time going and because it was cold out, we didn't expect a crowd. We were wrong. We got there around 7 and had to park pretty far. We took a sleeping bag to sit on and several blankets and snacks. I'd thought we overpacked until I saw that the people sitting next to us had an entire tea party set up, complete with porcelain plates and a tiered cupcake stand. Others around us brought low beach chairs. We grabbed a little bit more food from the trucks and enjoyed the live band. At our event, two of the actors from the movie came out and did a brief question and answer session. They weren't extremely famous people but it was still fun to listen to them talk about working on the Broadway production and filming the movie. The movie started just after that at 8:30. We ended up near the back of the crowd but we still had a good view of the screen and I was able to lay down and still see everything. It was a ton of fun and I will definitely be attending more screenings over the summer.

To see the complete schedule or purchase tickets click here. Upcoming showings include Forrest Gump, Almost Famous, Stand By Me, and 500 Days of Summer, and more. 

[writing-la-blog-blog]

4/12/15

Today I had sushi with a friend at a place in Lakewood called Mamma’s Sushi. Aside from the recent renovation, obvious disorganization, and terrible service, what stood out to me was the distribution of the workers. Anyone greeting customers, seating customers, or making sushi behind the bar, where they were easily seen and partially there for the enjoyment of the customers, was Asian. Anyone busing tables, taking orders, or bringing you food was Hispanic.

This assignment of tasks based upon race is most likely due to the fact that the restaurant wants to uphold an “Asian” aesthetic. Asian food with asian workers just makes sense, right? It makes those who are not used to Asian culture feel that they are having an “authentic” experience. However, aesthetic aside, it is obvious that the multitude of Hispanic workers doing menial jobs sprouts from the fact that minority labor is cheap.

Oftentimes in class, we have spoken about the Hispanic population as those of the working class population. With the growth of white middle class suburbs came the growth of working class Hispanic neighborhoods. The middle class wanted their work to be done for them, and minorities were willing to be paid for these hands-on jobs. This trend has carried itself to our modern day world, where minorities, especially in Southern California, are often employed in working class jobs.

A friend recently told me a story of how one of his coworkers mentioned that you wouldn’t find as many minorities working in fast food restaurants on the East Coast as you would here. And although this coworker was pretty racist, he’s right. That isn’t due necessarily to the fact that minorities can easier surpass social stratifications on the East Coast than on the West Coast. (Maybe they can, but I really don’t know.) Rather, it’s most likely due to the fact that Southern California has a pretty prominent minority population that has lived here since its beginnings.

Contrary to the East’s Plymouth Rock foundation, Southern California was first inhabited by non-white men. Conquerors have aimed to turn the story of Southern California into a Spanish Fantasy, where, similar to the East Coast, the European man has established and grown this wonderful community. But no matter how much minority labor is looked down upon or ignored by those of higher class, it minority labor is an integral part to Southern California’s economic wealth.

On a side note, even though the service was terrible, the sushi was pretty good.

[southoftehachapi-blog]

On Saturday, before dropping me off at Union Station for the class field trip, my sister and I decided to stop for breakfast. We ended up at Homegirl Cafe, two blocks from the train station down Alameda. Homegirl Cafe is one part of Homeboy Industries. I'd heard of it before because my uncle frequents the cafe in LAX and because one of my high school teacher volunteered as a GED tutor for the organization. For those of you who have never heard of Homeboy Industries, it is a nonprofit organization meant to give former gang members and the previously incarcerated a second chance.  It was started in 1988 by Father Greg Boyle as part of the Dolores Mission Parish in Boyle Heights. Fr. Greg wanted to create something as an alternative to the cycle of poverty and jail time gang members and convicts from the area usually go through. It's gone through some ups and downs but today the organization is flourishing and is used as a model across the country. Those that go through the program can receive legal aid, educational services, mental health services, and tattoo removal. They can also get job training and experience at one of the organizations businesses. 

We accidentally walked into the Homeboy headquarters and a man waiting to start tattoo removal redirected us through the merchandise shop and into the actual cafe. Inside, it looked like a trendy brunch place that could be found on second street or in some other upscale beach community. The menu was predominately hispanic dishes but they also had traditional brunch items and baked goods. Art from the homeboys was up on the walls for sale. It wasn't what I was expecting but it was an interesting experience. As we ordered, Rihanna's "Bitch Better Have My Money" played quietly over the speakers. The family of five behind us in line were all blonde with blue eyes and looked like people from the stock photos they put in frames. They fit in well with the rest of the patrons. In a sharp contrast, our cashier was a Mexican man with a huge, blue, LA tattoo standing out from his heavily tattooed neck. He also had tattoos all over his forearms and across his eyebrow. My sister and I ordered scones and a plate of machaca to go.  The machaca was good but definitely not the best i've ever had and the scones were delicious. I plan on heading back to actually eat there soon.

For more information on Homeboy Industries click here.

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I spent last Saturday, April 11th, at El Dorado Regional Park with my sorority sisters. The park is not exactly the city of gold promised by Spanish legend, but it is a nice place to get lost in and relax. The park and adjacent nature center cover about 400 acres of land. In 1774 the land was part of a grant to Don Manuel Nieto. It was later bought and divided into ranchos by Governor Figueroa. Eventually the land went to the Bixby family and then, in the late 60s, to the city of Long Beach to become the gigantic park it is today. To me it feels like a small forrest in between a busy street and a freeway. There's disc golf field, tennis courts, archery ranges, two fully stocked lakes for fishing, paddle boats, areas for model boats and aircrafts, grills, physical fitness stations, a youth campground, and numerous bike and walking paths. It's basically an amusement park.

I went to the park to watch Tri Delta's Ultimate Frisbee tournament. Teams from different fraternities donate funds and form a team to compete. The funds from the tournament go towards our philanthropy, St. Jude Children's Research Hospital. Since 1999, all Tri Delta chapter across the country have raised money for St. Jude. We are one of the hospital’s biggest contributors and have met several goals. Our current national goal is to raise $60 million in 10 years. The tournament is one of many events we host to work towards this goal. I don't know much about Ultimate Frisbee but it looked like a lot of fun. The tournament started around 10 and ended late in the afternoon. I spent most of my day sitting in the sun and playing with all the different puppies the teams brought. Overall, we had 11 teams and raised around $1,500 for St. Jude.

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So this isn’t really an LA Interaction of mine, but it is fairly interesting and relates to some of the stuff we’ve discussed in class. 

My sister sent me this article on gentrification in Los Angeles a few weeks ago. If you don’t know what gentrification is, it’s basically just renovating and modernizing older areas and it is a controversial topic. I am by no means an expert and that definition would probably make one cringe. All I know is that my sister and her best friend like to argue about this all the time. This LA Weekly article does a pretty good job of laying out both sides of the argument. The article linked to the picture up top is more in favor of gentrification. The writer talks about his wife experiencing white flight in Highland Park. Whites moved out, took their tax money, and the neighborhood became the hood. But now things are changing and the ‘hipsters’ are moving in. The article goes into more detail about culture, statistics, and the de facto segregation that has taken place since. If you have a few minutes and want to know more about gentrification, I highly suggest giving it a read. 

Click the picture to read the article. 

[writing-la-blog-blog]

4/3/15

On the last Friday of Spring Break, my friend and I ended up hiking 10 miles over the course of 7 hours in the Hollywood Hills/Griffith trails. Originally, we were just going to do the Hollywood Hike, since neither of us had hiked it before. But when we started on the main trail for the Hollywood Sign, we saw a guy and a girl coming down from a narrow trail that cut through the top of a small mountain.

“Hey, where does that trail go?” I inquired.

“It takes you up to the right to a nice viewpoint. There’s some low brush, but it’s not too bad, if you don’t mind climbing,” the girl replied.

“Thanks!” I said. And my friend and I decided to climb off the beaten path.

The picture above was taken before the above adventure ensued and was pretty low down on the hike. Once we arrived at the scenic point the couple mentioned to us, we noticed that the trail continued. Instead of turning back, we decided to take it, and I’m so glad we did. 

Instead of taking the flat, wide man-made paths, we took a narrow trail that cut through the highest mountains in the area. This path offered the best views and made for a more vigorous hike, which my friend and I greatly enjoyed. At the very first scenic point we stopped at (the one the couple told us about), we could only see south of the Hollywood Hills. We saw Griffith, Santa Monica, and the Hollywood Sign. As we continued and climbed higher, we came to a resting point where we could see the cities neighboring both sides of the mountain. We knew one side was LA, but were usure what was on the other side. Luckily our data still worked up there (haha), so we pulled out Google Maps. 

It turned out that the other city was Burbank (north of the hills), which we found pretty cool. We were so high that we could see LA and Burbank! As we continued, we only climbed higher and higher. Eventually, we reached a point, where we could see LA, Santa Monica, the Hollywood Sign, Burbank, and Pasadena. Continuing closer to Griffith, we could see Burbank, Glendale, Pasadena, Northeast LA, LA, Santa Monica, and the Hollywood Sign.

Whenever I’m at a high point and can see the city or cities below, I feel pretty humbled. It makes me realize how many people and buildings and places there are in this world that have absolutely nothing to do with me. It makes me realize how insignificant I am in. At the same time, it also makes me feel powerful. I am at the highest point in sight and can see everyone and everything below me. Experiencing cities from above is definitely something I recommend everyone do. It’ll give you a new perspective of the city you’ve been wandering. 

I really enjoyed this hike because I had never hiked in LA before. It was crazy to see all of the cities I’d adventured through from above. When you’re up there, you can’t tell where one city begins and one city ends. Everything just blurs together and looks like a huge jumbling of buildings, some giving hints to city’s downtown because they sprout higher. But overall? Southern California just looked like one huge city. And to me, that’s what it is. Sure, driving through cities is, indeed, driving through cities. But I experience them as if they’re all one. My home, school, and restaurants I favorite are all in different cities. And these cities collectively make my Southern California.

[writing-la-blog-blog]

3/27/15

Sunken City is pretty much the coolest place ever, and this day was pretty much the coolest day ever. A friend and I started off in Long Beach around 4p, passed through the Long Beach Port area to get to San Pedro, and then drove back through the port area to get to Hilltop Park in Signal Hill.

Driving through LB Port in the Day and later at Night: I particularly enjoyed this experience because of the contrast of the port during sunlight versus during moonlight. Driving along Ocean Blvd to Seaside Fwy, the tall buildings and city sidewalks soon died out and gave way to a multitude of crates and machinery. The sunlight highlighted the robustness of the area, showcasing the rough edges and dirty corners. Even amidst the industry, SoCal still attempted to maintain its fantasy by throwing palm trees in between the sharp edges. 

Driving back at night, everything seemed so much softer. The moonlight reflected off of the easy ocean water. The machines were still and cold. The stars were a beautiful contrast to the continuous metal boxes stacked high to the sky. Downtown Long Beach appeared and all was quiet. Since my friend and I are unfamiliar with the area, we were both surprised at how dead the area was on a Friday night. Is Long Beach not much for night life?

Sunken City in San Pedro: Alright, this is definitely the greatest place ever. I’d been itching to go for a while, and I’m glad I finally got the chance to! Sunken City is an area in San Pedro that experienced a landslide, causing houses on the cliffs to fall into the ocean and deformation of the land. I’ve included a few pictures of the place above for visual reference. Since I’m studying geology, I found the rock formations to be pretty awesome, but I won’t get into that. You can climb the rocks and get some pretty insane views. You can also manage your way down to the rocky shore. It’s pretty great, and I definitely recommend a visit.

Do make note, though, that entering Sunken City is trespassing and there are posted signs. The rocks can be slippery, so definitely be careful when wandering around. It’s also best to go during the day and leave before it gets dark partially because the sunlight greatly helps when climbing around and partially because the area is known for hooligans doing illegal activities. My friend and I actually left after it got dark and ran into a couple of police man, but luckily they just warned us! Sunken City is definitely a place to mark for a visit, though.

Hilltop Park in Signal Hill: Definitely another great place to visit. The view allows you to see from Long Beach to Lakewood, including PV and LA. When the skies are clear (haha) you can see the skyline of DTLA. This view is pretty breathtaking because it allows you to see so much of LA County. I also highly recommend going during the day and staying till night. The transition from daylight to sunset to nighttime is truly wonderful.

My visit here was a great way to wrap up the whole day. We started in Long Beach in the daytime, spent the evening in San Pedro, and wrapped up the night in Long Beach. Standing on top of this hill made me realize, yet again, how close but how far everything in LA County is. We have the luxury of eating lunch in one city and having an afternoon adventure in another. Freeways connect the multiple cities of LA County, so eating lunch a half hour away isn’t even a question.

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Over spring break, my best friend forced me convinced me to have a hike/beach day. We decided on Solstice Canyon, hoping to see some cool ruins my sister had told me about. We started our hike on the Rising Sun Trail, which basically a bunch of switchbacks to the top of a mountain with absolutely no shade. Eventually this trail leads to a steep path into the canyon. As it was around 9 in the morning, I thought we would be okay. I was wrong. Despite seeing a handful of happy people on the trail, I swore we were on a path to hell. Meanwhile, my friend was running back and forth acting like she was John Muir out to discover something. Eventually, the sun got to be a little too much and she took mercy upon me and we turned around (we later found out that we were almost near the top). We headed for the infinitely kinder Solstice Canyon Trail. Most of this trail is flat and it goes through the canyon so not only is there tons of shade, but there is also a small creek. We didn’t know exactly what the ruins we were looking for were so when we eventually saw a tub off the side of the path we thought we had made it. It was a little disappointing but it’s not everyday you see a huge stone tub in the middle of the woods so it was cool enough. Out of curiosity we kept following the path and ended up finding the actual ruins.

About half way down the trail, the former home of Don Mateo Keller is gated off. It was destroyed in a canyon fire in 2007 but it was thought to be the oldest house in Malibu. Keller was an Irish immigrant (his real name is Matthew) who came to California in the mid-1800s. He was a prominent winegrower and agriculturist. He bought most of the land around the canyon for less than $1/acre. This house was constructed in 1857.

We kept going and eventually got to the end of the trail. In the heart of the canyon rest the remains of the Robert’s Ranch House. In 1952, renowned architect Paul Williams designed this house for the Roberts family. He created an elaborate pump system to protect the house from fires but lack of upkeep lead to the destruction of the house in a 1982 canyon fire. A lot of the foundations remain and are open for exploration. Additionally, near the back of the house a small trail leads to a tiny pool and waterfall. There wasn’t much water but it was still cool and refreshing.

Across a small bridge, the hiking path leads to the Rising Sun Trail. My friend was tempted to make the full round trip, but, through hard work and promises of CPK, I convinced her to take the flat path back. We raced each other to the car, skipped the beach, headed to CPK, and then lost all feeling in our legs.  

 For more information on or directions to Solstice Canyon click here.