For the longest time I would commemorate my birthday by counting not my own chronological age but the number of years we’ve been in America and, by the same token, the number of years we’ve been away from Vietnam. It’s one of many quirky symptoms of being an immigrant; a by-product of the refugee mentality you might say. So this would mark the 34th year that we left Vietnam for a new life in the US. When the Việt Kiềus (or overseas Vietnamese) talk about Ngày 30 Tháng 4 there’s a collective feeling of loss. For others around the world, April 30, 1975 was just the day Saigon fell. Perhaps one day I will blog about my impressions of this bittersweet experience, when I’ve found the courage to do it justice.
Today, I’d rather reflect on the beauty I found in Vietnam on my recent trips back there. As with most things in life, it’s just better to find happiness in the present than to linger over sadness in nostalgia. Vietnam is certainly no longer my home, but–as I suspect this to be true with many first-generation immigrants–something always feels amiss until I am there. And that’s the quirkiest symptom of all.
Tags: April 30 1975, Saigon, Viet Kieu, Vietnam
It’s been almost five weeks since I started the bootcamp program to tone up my body. I’m here to report that I’ve put on two pounds, my jeans feel tighter and looser in different parts, and the 6-pack abs are still nowhere to be found. This is where I’m reminded of an YouTube video on how to fake abs. If I assessed my body’s jiggliness quotient (JQ) as cottage cheese level those five weeks ago, I’d say I’ve successfully upgraded to jello. Sigh. So the mochi I ate probably didn’t help my cause any either. Who knows, maybe in 4 more weeks my JQ will be at mochi level. For now, I’ll keep telling myself that I’m slowly building muscle mass and see what happens at the end of my bootcamp in mid-June.
I’ll admit I do feel stronger, more energized, and that’s enough to keep me vested in the program. The body image issue, however…well, instead of moping over my own theory of relativity (freefall from aging + inertia also from aging = long sleeves + lower hemlines) (is it any wonder I’m blogging about travel and fashion and not physics?), I exact my revenge on gravity with some retail therapy on the westside. Beverly Hills to be exact. How about we test out the gravitational pull between the boutiques and my checkbook?
I’ve probably driven down Wilshire Blvd a thousand times, and this is how it looks and sounds on a very windy day:
No, I don’t bury my sorrows in hard drinks doled out by seedy bartenders in dark bars (that’s only appropriate for birthdays). I prefer to escape in boxes upon boxes of Manolos and Louboutins showered upon me by my favorite shoe guy at Saks–doesn’t the store look all sunny and innocent on the outside…
when all kinds of sins of gluttony are committed inside?
I won’t confess to my own sins (what happens at Saks stays at Saks…er, in my closet) but how about I take you on a drive instead:
Lest you think it’s all rosy posy in this part of town, even the F word (foreclosure) has been whispered here–look closely at that yellow sign below:
And like any other American town, there are typical schools
and boring storefronts
just blocks down the tony bubble of my sweet escape.
Tags: Beverly Hills, Chanel, Louboutin, Manolo, Rodeo Drive, Saks
OK so that was a bit misleading yesterday; you might even accuse me of false advertising or bait-and-switch. But I am taking you to Chinatown and Little Tokyo in today’s blog, and frankly, the food found in these neighborhoods in the middle of LA is just as satisfying as what I found in Hong Kong or Tokyo. Except here, your waiter or waittress might be able to respond in English, and the language barrier can sometimes make or break your culinary experience while traveling.
There are a million places to eat in Chinatown. You can even see the sign for phở in the picture above, but I’ve tried a few of these Chinese-Vietnamese joints and I’d say stick with Chinese food when in Chinatown. The best dim sum in the world is found at the Empress Pavilion (www.empresspavilion.com ); be prepared to get in line if you go there for Sunday brunch and arrive after 11:30am. I try to get seated by 11 because that’s the small window when the sweet tofu custard (đậu hủ đường or Tàu hủ) makes its appearance. My mouth is watering as I write this, but I digress.
If you are visiting LA, you should also wander over to the “newer” Chinatown in Alhambra in the San Gabriel Valley. Though this is somewhat of a misnomer to me; Alhambra is more a modern Chinese town than a traditional Chinatown. Tons of large shopping centers, restaurants, and supermarkets there. You won’t have to worry about things getting lost in the translation there either.
From Chinatown you can drive a few blocks across “international borders” to Little Tokyo:
I’m here to try out the much talked about Orochon Ramen shop (www.orochonramen.com ) which has a Wall of Bravery made up of photos of diners who survive the Orochon #2 challenge. To get your mug on the wall, you have to finish the bowl of ramen, down to the last drop, in 30 minutes. They don’t care if your head is on fire at that point.
Their soup intoxicates you with 13 secret ingredients, though I’m only able to identify 3, maybe 4…
but the twist is in the level of spiciness, ranging from 1 (“Extreme”) to 7 (“Non-spicy”). After some advice from the waiter who has a killer cherry blossoms tattoo on his arm, I opt for the Miso-based soup, number 5. But the 10-year-old kid sitting at the table next to mine says his is #4 so that’s what I end up ordering. I can’t be one-upped by a kid! But looking at the sweat pouring down his father’s face and neck I get a little nervous. False pride is going to be the death of my poor tastebuds. Luckily level 4 is just the perfect amount of kick I can handle. The dad meanwhile is struggling through the #2 challenge and fails; the second mug of cold beer can’t help him today.
I’m walking off my dinner with a quick jaunt around Little Tokyo:
Anyway, down the street from the visitor center…
I spy a bakery that I’m sure has mochi ( 餅), which is a soft glutinous rice cake with various sweet fillings:
It’s late in the day so there’s not much left:
But how spectacular is this?
My eyes think I should buy one of each but my very full belly settles on three…mochi, get into my belly!
This particular one is seasonal and has a decidedly different taste from the other two, mostly from the flavor of the leaf in which it’s wrapped, even though the filling is also a red bean paste:
This is what it looks like on the inside of the mochi:
And this is what it looks like after it’s inside my happy tummy (does anyone know what kind of leaf this is?):
Tags: Chinatown, Empress Pavilion, LA, Little Tokyo, mochi, Orochon Ramen
A few years ago toward the height of the real estate boom in Southern California I went to look at lofts in downtown LA. I love the idea of an open, industrial looking floor plan in a highrise defiant of earthquakes. For as long as I can remember, there has always been talk of revitalizing the area around the Staples Center…
(BTW this is what happens inside the Staples Center:)
But it’s not until recently, just as the market begins to nosedive, that the lofts, condos, and retail outlets start to fill out what used to be vacant or parking lots in downtown LA:
So what was once before a ghost town after business hours is now a vibrant…ghost town. There’s still loud construction here and there in a very silent economy, and I can’t wait for LA to rise like a phoenix out of this popped real estate bubble’s ashes and reclaim its place in the sun. All this fabulous real estate shouldn’t sit unclaimed.
We can’t really compete against the Chicago or Manhattan downtown skyline, but here are a few scenes from the streets of downtown LA–we’ll start the tour from one of the bridges marking the intersection of several freeways:
Are you thinking what I’m thinking? Life can’t be too bad when you see those gorgeous palm trees, right? Look at them long enough and you’ll be lulled into a (false) sense of security that all of the tomorrows will arrive with blue skies. For me, the trees represent a calmness as well as a badge of survival, standing tall while providing shade in the middle of a challenging landscape. Very much like us tough Angelenos during these hard times.
One of the best things that ever happened to downtown LA is the Walt Disney Concert Hall designed by Frank Gehry. This is a must see for everyone who comes here in my opinion, whether it’s to enjoy the architecture or a performance by the LA Philharmonic, or both.
This is where I leave you today. I’ll take you to China and Japan tomorrow!
Tags: downtown LA, Frank Gehry, highrise, loft, palm trees, Walt Disney Concert Hall
So where do I pick you up today? Ah yes, we’re still at Exposition Park, in front of the IMAX theater at the California Science Center. There are funny signs on the ground asking you to think about your shadow, your sense of smell, and things like that:
I’m still shocked that I’m having a great time in SC territory so the sign above is appropriate. I can tell the kids are excited to be here, but it’s even more amusing to see adults turn into kids when they’re at the Science Center. I’m giddy that the IMAX is showing a movie in 3D (!)…here comes the gratuitous fashion pic:
It’s a short albeit wonderful movie about underwater life in the Coral Triangle and Coral Reef. In my next life I’d like to return as a phosphorescent jelly fish. Or better yet, make me a leafy sea dragon!
After the movie I walk over to the Coliseum, site of the 1984 Olympics and home to the Trojan football team:
And I’m getting hungry thinking about the ramen waiting for me in Little Tokyo (more on that in a future blog)…
In all my years in LA I’ve only been here twice, including today. The first time was to pick up a friend of mine after he finished the LA marathon. And it’s actually an amazing place, one of several spectacular amphitheaters in Southern California where you can truly enjoy the weather and geography.
By the way, I forgot to post this picture from the Rose Garden yesterday–one of two weddings I spotted:
On my way back to the parking lot, I try my hand at lifting a pickup truck!
And wouldn’t you know it, as I slink off the campus with my eyes covered in shame, what do I get as a farewell but a bunch of kids from the famous Trojan marching band on their way to the Coliseum…hey, is that kid giving me the finger in this picture below?
No, he was actually just making the peace sign. Whew, I thought he could smell my Bruin blood all the way from my car!
Can they taunt me any harder?
I make a quick detour through downtown LA on the way home–more sights and sounds in the next blog.
Tags: California Science Center, Exposition Park, IMAX theater, LA Coliseum, Trojan marching band
