The Possum Bistro

Then two more arrived. Initially, it seemed that these two might prove a much-needed counterweight to the first two, but when one of them was caught dolling herself up while on her bed, these expectations just crumbled.

Then one more arrived just this afternoon. At least she doesn't seem to be the sort to lay her undergarments around, though this can only be affirmed in the days to come.

Being the only guy in a 6-person mixed dorm room at the hostel is no joke. I'd like to apologise beforehand about airing the dirty laundry of these fellow roommates, but their habits are getting on my nerves. They leave their dropped hair (the result of obsessive-compulsive combing and primping) all over the basin and charge their electrical appliances in the bathroom (have they heard that water is an extremely good conductor of electricity? I believe that fact was established decades ago). However, I think I can endure this till this Sunday, when I move into my campus apartment at UCLA.

Which reminds me of my dad's hastiness at requesting for an all-male dorm room while we were staying in Berlin - I had thought it was because he was uncomfortable with the presence of scantily-clad girls prancing around in boy shorts. After witnessing one guy in bed with one of the girls (fully-clothed), I can see that sloppiness is further promoted by the presence of the other sex. This morning, I found another guy in the same bed with the girl. Different guy, butt-naked, same girl. No comment.


All hostel-related laundry aside, I decided to visit Downtown LA today, making my way to El Pueblo, the historic site of Mexican culture in Los Angeles. The facade of most of the preserved buildings was really attractive and authentic, reminding me of the buildings that I had been gawking at in Europe, especially in the stone villages near the Swiss town of Locarno. While it was extremely tourist-oriented (which blocked the view of the buildings), I still managed to get a sense of the natural friendliness and activity of the Latino community in LA.


The burrito for lunch was simply too huge to fully consume! I must learn to order less next time. Passing by authentic Mexican restaurants and spotting a glass whose rim was salted in the corner of my eye, I couldn't help but scan the prices of the margaritas being sold - the costs were enough to deter me for now. Plus the fact that it's always better to enjoy drinks with the right company!


Some serious walking was done today as I managed to see almost all the prominent buildings in Downtown, including the famous Walt Disney Theatre (which provided the backdrop for the latest Volkswagen Touran commercial by Seal and Heidi), home of the LA Philharmonic Orchestra. How much I wish she were here with me to enjoy a concert by the orchestra together - that I can see her listen to one of the world's greatest Philharmonic bands is reward in itself.


The cathedral here looks extremely polished and modern, drawing controversy the way Singaporeans get stirred up and bothered by mega-rich churches such as City Harvest, which tend to spend a lot of money to construct ever-grander megaplexes to house their followers during mass. However, this particular cathedral actually also doubles as a memorial for the victims of the Rwandan genocide, promoting peace and reconciliation between the victimised and the perpetrators, the Hutus and the Tutsis, their history and the present - because the future of Rwanda and its citizens depends on how successful rehabilitation and reconcilation on a national and regional scale are.


I just don't get contemporary art - visiting the Museum of Contemporary Art (MOCA) was such a bewilderingly frustrating experience because I couldn't get any idea as to why the artist even made their pieces to be put on display. I fully support the proliferation of ideas, that they should not be forced to conform to distinct prerequisites before they are considered for galleries (like SAM does), but I just can't help but think that there is a very fine line between self-obsession and true talent, and only one warrants admiration and praise and even justifies pride or arrogance by the artist. The other one just deserves to be canned.

Yet there were a select few that indeed seemed intriguing by themselves without delving into too convoluted a message.

This picture I found it just hilarious - the birth of the O.K.


Hence, in my personal opinion, classical art renders that line clearer to see, while contemporary art strives to blur that line and leave it all to subjectivity.

I mean, this could be art.

The L.A. Times building that stands impressively in marble.

This building might seem rather random and perhaps a pretentious attempt at architecture, but those open windows of this office building are actually slanted at different angles depending on the outside temperature! The panels will constantly reorientate themselves in order to save energy.

Ronald Reagan - the actor who became one of America's greatest presidents in modern history. After reading d' Souza's book, how could I not pay homage to the Great Communicator? Funnily enough, I'm thinking about the Great Orator Obama himself as I type this, and I wonder whether the latter has the substance to stand head-to-head with Reagan, especially when Obama is so concerned about managing his public image instead of talking about his policy plans.

Best band ever. Period.

Igor Stravinsky - his Rite of Spring that she introduced me to certainly struck a raw nerve within me, unsettling and disturbing, even for a moment.