(this is written on the go so you’ll have to excuse its choppiness!)
I’m in LA right now. Thought i’d finally make my way down here. Good thing the flight was flippin’ cheap, the $89 kind of cheap. I haven’t been back in 8 years so I’m glad to be here. I’ve been taking a bunch of pictures but can’t upload any of them yet so you’ll have to make do with boring words.
Spent the first day on my own strolling down memory lane. I went back to my hometown and saw my old house. That’s as surreal as it gets, folks. The family that lives in it now still have the basketball hoop that belongs to my brother and I. Even looking at our old mailbox was weird. I was tempted to jump the wall into the backyard to take a gander . I decided against it, how creepy would that be?
I went back to Palmview Park and saw the baseball diamond where I played Little League for so many years. Everything looks mostly the same. Everything smells the same– I love nostalgic smells. Very specific and very good memories.
I went back to my old elementary school.. it used to be red. Now, it’s blue. I saw my 6th grade teacher. She didn’t recognize me but then again, i didn’t expect her to either. She was like, “Are you a Senior now??!” And i said, “Not quite. I finished high school already… and, college.” Hahahaa, she felt so bad but who can blame her? It was nice catching up.
I met up for dinner with some old friends from elementary school. That was especially nice.. i guess there’s a bit to catch up on after 12 years. It was kind of like being in a movie though. “Everyone since then is either dead, pregnant or married with kids,” they said. Sounds harsh and cliche but that was the update in a nutshell! Sobering to think about it. A guy i played with in Little League died in high school during a street racing accident. Some got into drugs, a few more serious than others. Some have kids already, either living with girlfriends or already divorced. One girl has since posed for Playboy. Life. Brings people places. But at the same time, some friends are doing great. A handful are happily married. Actually, two i know of are in seminary. Some went into the army or Marines. One’s a cop. Accountants, marketing, teaching, grad school. Life. Brings people places.
Sam flew in the next day and we went to Santa Monica beach (but not before pit-stopping for burgers at In ‘N Out!). I miss SoCal beaches. Nice, soft, warm sand. We walked the beach, the waterfront shops, and the pier is nice (a fun ferris wheel, rides, carnival games). Afterwards, we went to check out the hostel that we’re staying in in Hollywood. It’s a cheap but fun place with an easy community feel. People are from all over, lots from down under (NZ and Australia). London and the rest of Europe, Japan as well. We’re a few blocks away from Ron Hubbard Blvd (the founder of Scientology). There’s a huge Scientology Center and right next to it is a very nice looking “Church of Scientology Celebrity Center.” Is that whack or what? A church for celebrities…
In the evening, we went to one of the best places around LA: the Griffith Observatory. I love this place. I wish i had gone more as a kid. It’s incredible. Mountains and oceans and nature are glorious, it’s true. But city lights… they can be breathtaking as well. LA is MASSIVE. Literally, as far as the eye can see are city lights. Relative to the rest of greater Los Angeles, downtown LA looks tiny even though it’s pretty darn huge. 4 million population is a good chunk of people.
The next day, we went to Six Flags Magic Mountain. I miss that place! It was goooood times. Especially the fact that we scored $26 admission tickets even though it usually costs $60 at the door. Thrilling roller coasters in amazing sunny weather, it was grand. Okay, here’s the deal people. There’s lots you can do in terms of theme parks around LA but Magic Mountain is IT, hands down. Disneyland is for novelty’s sake. Universal Studios only draws in tourists cos they don’t know any better (that it sucks). Knotts Berry Farm is for the family. But for coasters, Six Flags Six Flags Six Flags. I don’t even have time to describe how crazy it is. Praise the living Lord for physics and engineering!
After 7 hours of coasters and fun in the sun, we headed back and Sam joined a bunch of people from our hostel to see a Comedy Night at some place around town while I passed cos i felt pretty wiped and sunstroked. So instead I opted for a low key evening sitting in a Starbucks doing some reading. Good thing i registered my Starbucks card cos i got a free Tall to Grande upgrade. Btw, i’m sad that Starbucks made the Original Pike Place Blend accessible everywhere. It’s supposed to be available at Pike Place in Seattle only! It’s called “original” for a reason! Well, i’m sure Starbucks will enjoy the profits of it this quarter.
This morning, we went to see the UCLA campus. Oh dear, it is a bee-u-tee-full campus indeed! The buildings are amazing- great architecture. It actually makes me want to be a student again. Okay, only slightly. Well, not really. Though Sam noted that it’d be great to do campus ministry down here. I’m sure it would. We went around to look for the Campus Crusade chapter down there but couldn’t find them. It would have been nice to say Hi. But even visiting the campus for a few hours totally felt like what a university campus is like.. students going to class, hanging out in between, lounging and sitting on the grass. There’s a massive event happening called “Festival of Books” and there are rows and rows of tents and chairs set up for it. Next to the student center was a demonstration to remember the Armenian Genocide of 1915.. a big crowd of people with placards and megaphones and speeches. And next to them? A booth set up with a petition for you to sign for energy conservation. Oh, university. It’s great!
After UCLA, we decided to beach it up again and headed to Venice this time. I rented a cruiser bike for $6 and rode along the beach. Very nice. Even though Venice Beach is so close to Santa Monica, they feel pretty different from each other. Venice Beach is full of hippies and Santa Monica is full of yuppies. It’s an experience either way.
After beaching, we hopped onto the Freeway, into the traffic and slowly made our way just past downtown towards Dodger Stadium. How can i come down to LA and not go for a Dodger game??! It beckons me! We scored SWEEEEET tickets (season pass holder seats on the field) for a SWEEEET deal (22bux). Dodgers beat the Diamondbacks 8-3. I wore my jersey proudly. It was enjoyable but I found that games in Seattle are much more interactive.. they get the crowd going a lot better.
Tomorrow, we meet up with Kevin x2 and leave LA back to Vancouver for a 3-day cruise. Sam found re-positioning fares so they’re a great deal: $140! The ship is returning from the Caribbean and dropping loads of people off in LA and we’re just grabbing their beds for a few days while it sails into Vancouver. Nice.
Some other thoughts before I jet. I like being here in LA. Sun. Palm trees. Mexican food and Mexican candy left right and center. People practically speak more Spanish than English, it’s great! El Pollo Loco, yum (churros are 2 for a stinkin’ dollar!) LA is huge but freeways help with that. I thought i was an aggresive driver, but relative to LA, it’s nothin’. Okay, this post is really choppy and on the go. I hope i’m getting a tan out of this trip. There’s so much to see, you can’t really exhaust it. Pictures will have to wait!
12 trucks have been unloaded at the local Christian church. There was much joy and a spark of happiness amongst the people. On the phone last night, the GAiN Thailand Coordinator said “They were so happy…. And I was so happy too!!”
Relief camp and things are looking good. The government official really likes us.
