Oskar and Angelique from Trondheim, Norway

Now the truth comes out as to why I have been so absent in the blog-o-sphere lately… I have been procrastinating this particular post.  I mean, how daunting is it to type up six days worth of activity in one sitting?  Very.

Even though we have hosted a handful of people before them, Oskar and Angelique were actually one of the first requests we received after revamping our couchsurfing.com profile (link is in the sidebar on the right).  They were just the plan way ahead type where as many others… well, many others are not.  Because they contacted so far before their arrival date we had a long time to actually get to know them.  This, combined with the fact that we actually wanted to visit Trondheim one day, made us very excited for their stay.  The purpose of their visit was to attend the Coachella Music Festival so their time was going to be spent between LA, San Diego, and Indio where the festival is held.  Oskar and Angie are chill, go with the flow type so we actually didn’t know how much of their time was going to be spent with us in LA.  It turned out to be six nights, six nights that were so action packed I’m not going to even attempt the day by day play by play like I usually do.  Instead, just the highlights…

Now that I have my new car and we can actually fit more than two people, and because the timing worked out with their arriving flight, these were the first surfers we were able to pickup from the airport.  We arrived with a sign (pictured above) to welcome them, written in red to match the coordinating red Adidas jackets they were wearing.  This was the Tuesday before Easter weekend, so we actually got to spend a full three days off with them.  Here is some of the stuff we did:

Ate at Apple Pan, tour of my work, ate at Randy’s Donuts in Inglewood, tour of my boyfriend’s work, walked along Rodeo Drive in Beverly Hills, Amoeba Music, Out of the Closet thrift store, saw Jon Brion play at the The Largo where surprise special guest Michel Gondry got up on stage to play the drums for a couple songs at the end, drove the scenic route down to Malibu where we ate lunch, laid out in the (sorta) sunshine at Santa Monica Beach, hung out with the crazies walking the strand at Venice Beach, saw some improv comedy at The Groundlings, and went to the HUGE Rose Bowl Flea Market.

But after all these escapades it is going to be the little random stuff we truly remember.  Like Oskar getting into the wrong SUV while we were parked at a scenic spot in Malibu, Angelique claiming how weird Americans are for eating pancakes for breakfast… until she tried it, and both of them freaking out at how fast we drive (when barely going over 60mph on the freeway).  One of the most fun and memorable moments was the photo shoot that took place the night before they left.  We only needed one shot, but it turned into an event and we have a ton of photos we’ll cherish forever from it.

But while that may be the most memorable moment for me, I have a feeling they won’t be forgetting what happened right after the comedy show anytime soon.  As we walked back toward our car we saw a helicopter circling above, and then as we got nearer, a handful of cop cars blocking off the street we were parked on.  I’m still not entirely sure what happened, but apparently a guy had ran up the street before we got there screaming “he’s got a gun” and then the cops appeared.  That’s what one of the guys standing in the (famously long) line for a Pink’s hot dog told us, anyway.  Cops weren’t letting anybody pass anywhere near to our car so we had to stand there and wait.  Wait we did for 45 minutes as even more cop cars appeared, around eight total by that time, one of which parked directly next to our car.  Finally we ran out of patience, darted across the street and then back again into the car.  Thankfully the driver of the van behind us was just sitting in his seat waiting for the mess to pass and was able to back up enough to let us out.  With the cop car still parked next to us, we would have been trapped otherwise.  What makes this whole experience funny is that in one of the first emails Oskar and Angelique wrote to us they jokingly asked if they should bring their bulletproof vests with them because, you know, movies kinda give that impression.  We assured them not to worry and that LA is actually pretty safe for the most part.  Perhaps in the future we should go ahead and let our guests bring whatever protective gear they want.

curry festival

The date on the sign reveals just how far behind I am in blogging.  And I don’t even have an excuse this time.  Pure laziness.  So while it has been twelve days since my last post, this event actually happened the very next day.  Yes, it was a weekend full of culture food… from Turkey to Thailand without ever leaving Southern California.  Sometimes you really gotta like this place.

But since this was three weeks ago already, I have to admit any details that may have made an interesting blog post have left me at this point.  Although, there may not have been many to begin with.  Perhaps because the Anatolian Festival was so large and well organized it overshadowed the Thai Curry Festival and left us feeling a little disappointed.  Or maybe it was because we didn’t get there until it was almost over and a lot of the food was already gone, hardly any curry to be found.  But curry or no curry, we were there to eat and still managed a yummy bite or two.

The biggest draw at the time we were there was the Muay Thai competition which was in its final rounds.  Had we known about it beforehand we probably would have been there all day, but it came as a surprise to us.  It is about time I get back in the martial arts circuit… after all these food festivals I know for a fact my body is in need of some intense physical training!

Anatolian cultures & food festival

An-a-to-li-a (noun)

a vast plateau between the Black and the Mediterranean seas: in ancient usage, synonymous with the peninsula of Asia Minor; in modern usage, applied to Turkey in Asia.

Turkey has been number one on the “countries I want to visit” list since about two years ago when I read a biography on Constantine the Great.  There is so much history in that part of the world, but until recently I have to admit my planning was set narrowly on Istanbul (previously Constantinople and before that, Byzantium).

Istanbul, one of the cities showcased at the Anatolian Festival.

A couple of Saturdays ago we drove down to Orange County where they were having the Anatolian Cultures and Food Festival, a large area built up for the weekend so that people like myself could get a little taste of Turkey as we wait patiently for our chance to visit the real deal.  And literally, taste we did!

Mmmm… doner.

The food was incredibly delicious!  In fact, so delicious that when a native of Turkey who was sharing a table with us (for our second meal there) asked what we thought of the festival I blurted out “The food is awesome!”  And when he asked about the culture part I was embarassed by my inability to answer.  Culture?  Who cares about culture when there is so much food to try!?  Transitioning from one to the other, they did have a chef giving cooking demonstrations.

Never trust a skinny chef… I guess this guy is alright.

The menu/schedule board.

Unfortunately the area was too crowded for me to be able to hear well and pick-up any tips.  Oh well.  Other than that, culturally they had a few random music demonstrations going on every so often.

Is it just me or does the guy in front look a bit like Russell Crowe?

We missed the whirling dervishes performance because we were in line for food.  I kinda wanted to see it because I am curious, but truthfully I find it a bit boring.  Of course I have only seen it on TV and not in person, so maybe my opinion will change when I do.  And since I missed it at this event, guess that is just one more reason to visit Turkey.

A big portion of the fairgrounds was sectioned off into little cities.  Those represented were Istanbul, Konya, Antalya, Mardin, and Van.  Before that day Istanbul was the only one I had heard of, but now I want to go to them all!  They are completely spread throughout the country so they each offer something different.  Originally I was just going to make Istanbul a stop on a larger trip, tack it on with Greece and/or Egypt, something like that.  But now I know Turkey will have to be a trip in itself, one that lasts weeks and hits all the different regions.  I am, however, still looking forward to Istanbul the most.

One day, beautiful Hagia Sophia, one day.

One of the coolest parts of this festival was the entrance which they called “The Path of Anatolia” and was basically a life size timeline, complete with people in costume for each of the time periods.  Hittite, Troy, Urartu, Frig, Lydia, Ionia, Roman Empire, Byzantine Empire, Great Seljuk Empire, Ottoman Empire, and the present Turkish Republic.  Like I said in the beginning… A LOT of history this place has.  That means I have A LOT of reading to do!  One thing I’ve learned is that places are infinitely more interesting when you have knowledge of their history prior to going.  At least for me they are.

april foolishness

I am a little behind on blogging again, but with the next few posts you’ll understand why.  It started on Friday, April 3rd when we attended a stand-up comedy show put on by two LA radio hosts, Kevin and Bean.  Since the show was to raise money for breast cancer they didn’t have to pay any of the comedians and were able to get an amazing line-up.  They were:

Jimmy Kimmel

Ray Romano

Kevin Nealon

Craig Robinson

Jeffrey Ross

Joe Rogan

Sarah Silverman

Patton Oswalt

All under one roof!  Craig Robinson (Darryl from The Office) was actually a last minute addition to replace Jay Mohr who was supposed to be there but wasn’t.  While I was disappointed because I like Mr. Mohr,  Mr. Robinson ended up being one of the best acts of the night.  Ray Romano was also good, surprising since I could never get into the multi-award-winning show Everybody Loves Raymond.  Kevin Nealon had a few good jokes but left a lot to be desired.  Sarah Silverman was by far the crowd favorite, camera flashes lit up the amphitheatre as soon as she walked on stage and the place emptied out after she was done, despite there still being one more comedian.  She had a tough time getting through her sketch because everyone kept shouting out.  Being the only female, she is definitely the crudest of the bunch.  No references to her on-again-off-again boyfriend, Jimmy Kimmel who only did a brief sketch in the very beginning, interviewing Kevin and Bean as if he were on his late night talk show.  I was there mainly to see Joe Rogan, who I am a fan of as a person but had never heard his comedy.  Loud but animated and a very talented comedian as it turns out.  Jeff Ross was terrible and I can’t understand why they had Patton Oswalt as the closer.  I can’t remember any of his jokes, probably because I was so distracted by his voice, all I could think of was Remy the rat from Ratatouille.  Or maybe it is simply because he wasn’t all that funny.

So there you have it, my opinion on some of the best stand-up comedians of today.

project angel food

You all know by now about this volunteer kick I’ve been on, so here is the latest.  Back during our first volunteer event (fountain community garden) which we did through LAworks we were invited by one of the organizers to attend their next volunteer project leader training course, and so that is what we did.  Basically the course is a couple hours of going through the handbook, learning what a project leader is and what their responsibilities are.  Then at the end we are all qualified to “adopt” projects that have openings.  Well, at that particular time there were two available adoptions and I was drawn to one of them.  LAworks volunteers with Project Angel Food two days each month and one of those days was in need of a leader. 

For those of you who have known me for awhile know that I am kind of an “all in” type of person so if I am going to attend a project leader training course then I get excited and want to be a project leader right away.  Usually they like their leaders to have actually volunteered for that project before, so I went to the next volunteer day there which happened to be that weekend.  One thing I was definitely not expecting was to have so much fun!  The staff is a hoot and full of energy, and majority of the volunteers are college kids so the same can be said about them.  All I did was chop for four hours… onions, potatoes, chicken… but it was a blast.  So I asked if I could be appointed project leader for the one day a month that was up for adoption and was told yes.  Hooray, I am a project leader!

Honestly, being the project leader isn’t that big of a deal, I just like that it forces me to be there on a consistent basis.  One day each month for who knows how long I will be in the kitchen of Project Angel Food.

Project Angel Food mission:

To nourish the body and spirit of men, women and children affected by HIV/AIDS, cancer, and other life-threatening illnesses. Volunteers and staff cook and deliver free and nutritious meals prepared with love throughout Los Angeles County, acting out of a sense of urgency because hunger and illness do not wait.

my new ride

classic first new car picture

Some of you may remember that time way back when (less than two months ago) that I claimed I was going to hold out as long as I could without a car.  Well, “as long as I could” turned out to be about 3.5 months because a week ago, on March 28th, I leased a brand new 2009 Toyota RAV4… and I couldn’t be happier!  I’ve never really liked driving that much but I have come to realize that is because I have never driven a new car.  Now, halfway through the workday as I sit in my office I seriously miss being behind the wheel and pine for my RAV that sits lonely in the parking lot.

So now a little background story as to how this happened.  One night we were working late and knew that public transportation would be shut down by the time we finished.  Earlier in the evening my boss had offered to take me home, but as the night rolled on and we all got more and more tired he said he didn’t want to take me and that I could just take his car (he lives around the corner from work.)  Like I mentioned before, I never liked driving.  What I disliked even more was driving other people’s cars.  That combined with the fact that I had not driven in about six months and his car is an SUV and I had never driven anything that big… I was terrified and would have preferred to pay for a taxi.  But I knew my boss would have not accepted that and instead would drive me home if I really through a fit about it and I knew he didn’t want to so I sucked it up and drove home.  About ten minutes onto the freeway I started to relax and enjoy myself.  It was kinda fun being above everyone else on the road.  And the best part was the next morning when I had the time and the means to get things done before work!

Shortly after this first drive my boyfriend and I parked next to a new beautiful RAV4 when we stopped for lunch.  “That isn’t so big, I could drive that” I said aloud.  This excited my boyfriend who has been wanting me to get an SUV because he drives a little sporty 2-seater and there are times we could really use the space.  Not to mention his car does not handle the outdoors adventure stuff we do too well.  And so that is how I wound up with a new Sport V6 4WD RAV4.  If I’m gonna do it, I’m gonna do it right!  A lot of the dealers I talked to thought I was dumb for wanting a 4WD in LA, and they are actually pretty hard to find, but I say why have an SUV if it isn’t 4WD?

I was scared the morning of March 28th, suddenly realizing I had never even set foot in a car dealership before.  But to my surprise the day was quite pleasant and easy.  I had been doing my research for weeks and one dealership actually let us walk away because they could not match another price we had been quoted for the exact same car.  And so we drove a little out of our way to the other dealership, but we did so knowing I was getting a great deal.

So bring it on LA traffic!  The worse you are the more time I get to spend in my RAV.