Day 4 - 6 SoCal

Hanging out in SoCal made me realize how I am SO different from the people who are from here. It reaffirmed my bias against the whole region. It really is nice weather and not much else kinda place. Pretty but not deep. I don't know why I crave this abstract notion of "deep", but upon reflection in SoCal I seem to be obsessed with it.

Anyhow, after leaving San Luis Obispo on Sunday – and it took me a while to leave because I was talking with Jay’s dad till about 12 trying to pick his brains (a very smart and self-made man) - so I didn’t really leave till close to 1 pm. I basically went straight down to LA and got to Ashik’s home in Diamond Bar no problem. We met up w/a friend of his and had ok Mexican food for dinner. Afterwards we all watched Hitched and talked about girls. Got me thinking about Erica again. Pisses me off. I think if that girl ever wants to get on my good graces we would need to talk. And I thought I was immature…

The day after the rain was just coming down mercilessly. The trees and bushes were being bend sideways and the house was whistling. We didn’t get out of the Ashik’s house until about 12:30. We went out the Hollywood – and it was just as run-down and dilapidated as I remember it. We ate Japanese food including Shabu-shabu and just putz around for a around the Kodak theater. Then we went to see Munich at the Arclight Theater - $14 to see a movie in an afternoon! Talk about highway robbery!

Had to do the obligatory tourist shot in front of the Grauman's Chinese Theater as we walk by it:

We then met up with Rana at Toi – a Soho-CBGB style Thai restaurant. Saw someone who looks like a porn star. Had some good Thai food. Talked for a bit. Rana cracked me up. She also got me thinking about, in addition to Erica, also about Laura and how screwed up that whole situation is. Forgive not forget? Certainly doesn’t feel that way.

The next day I went to the Getty Museum. It took me about 2 ½ hours to meander out to it because I decided to get on some local streets and next thing I knew I was a few towns out. Ate at a great Japanese fast food (including sushi) chain. Took their brochure. The east coast has much to learn from the new fast food trends of CA. The emphasis on fresh ingredients and fusion of different flavors is a trend that will permeate through USA. After getting to Getty I have to leave the car at the parking lot that’s about a mile away from the entrance to the roadway up the hill and the line waiting for the shuttle took forever. By the time I FINALLY got up to the museum it was close to 2 pm. It was worth it! I was awed by the architecture and disappointed by the collection at the same time. I am SO spoiled by DC, Boston and New York. I was pretty much done by 5 pm – only 3 hours to pretty much see EVERYTHING. Not knowing what to do with myself I meandered out on some local streets as I went out to Jay’s at Valencia through some local boulevards. Drove past his place and went to a mall. Ate at food court (Korean) and then walked around. The Korean fast food was pretty damn good. Another score for fast food in CA. As I was walking around I notice that the mall, built in the 80s when the emphasize in development has been about indoor "inward looking designs", has been replaced by more of an outdoor, new-urbanist concept or high density, mix use, and de-emphasizing parking or hide parking away. It seem to has spread everywhere in CA – a VERY pleasant and positive development.

When I got to Jay’s I gave him a good long pep talk about life for a while and then we all went to sleep. Felt like that moment at the end of "Stand By Me" when the narrator tells the viewer what happened to the kids. Our lives are now SO different and my reality is so removed from his...in a good way. For me he really signifies what america's psyche right now - insecure about jobs and prospects, financially shaky and a bit lost.