Sprawled Out
The second day beckons as I stroll down Sunset Boulevard - the sprawling metropolis with its buildings spaced generously far apart certainly infuses a laid-back feeling to the entire place. Perhaps this is more European-esque urban planning than anything else, though the main difference is that European cities have curved streets, while LA is obsessively grid-like.
Taking someone's advice, I visited the Amoeba Music store and was taken aback by the amount of vintage material they have over there - from vinyl records to cassette tapes, used CDs sold at low prices to memorabilia of bands old and new, this is literally the treasure trove for music lovers of any genre, though they have a giant section for rock (their classification of certain artistes under rock is suspect). Next to the store is the CNN building.
One of LA's mega-malls on Hollywood Boulevard, replete with Bugis-like fountains, restaurants, eateries, boutique shops (Coach, Polo Ralph Lauren, Victoria's Secret) and pretentious architecture...
...as evinced by this elephant perched on a pedestal etched with what seems like hieroglyphics - deliberate fusion of Hindu and Egyptian influences, or a hijacking of exotic cultures for pure attention-grabbing purposes? You decide.
Took a guided tour of Sid Grauman's Chinese Theatre (which was occupied the day before by the premiere of Eagle Eye) and was shown the interior: the largest wide-screen theatre in the United States today. Apparently, Sid Grauman imported Shanghainese lanterns, marble (for the octagonal pillars), wax figures dating back decades ago among other eclectic items. I was just irked by the need to play cheesy Oriental instrumental pieces outside the temple, with the toilet signs in English but in Oriental font - while attempting to be respectful (perhaps?) of Chinese culture, is rather corny and phony.
Robin Williams' slab right outside the Chinese theatre, with his famous "Carpe Diem" quote from Dead Poets' Society inscribed there. Among other luminaries that grace the slabs outside the theatre: from Marilyn Monroe to Samuel L. Jackson, James Dean to Brad Pitt. I managed to spot Michael Caine's (he was the butler in the recent Batman movies, among other films) and Christopher Walken's slabs!
Of course, how could I miss Harrison Ford's piece?
Even the three young starlets of Harry Potter fame grace Grauman's theatre front, displaying the contemporary aspect of this exhibition. Some selected members of the cast of Ocean's Thirteen also managed to get their palms in the concrete: Brad Pitt and George Clooney.
Sandra Bullock - my very first favourite female actress, capturing my attention in Speed and While You Were Sleeping, then in the hilarious Miss Congeniality with all that snorting and gangliness. And of course, The Lake House with Keanu Reeves. She hasn't lost her touch at all, and she still has that quirky yet graceful disposition about her all these years that we find so comfortingly familiar. Timeless, she is.
This technique is known as shadow-posturing (as I have termed it), something I've found to be rather useful as it is difficult to take pictures of myself with the Nikon D60.
Visited one of LA's contemporary art exhibitions located just around the corner from the hostel, and came across this exhibit, which reminded me so much of the sculptures I saw in Oslo, Norway!
Until it turned rather grotesque with the little men spearing the big man with toothpicks. Another even featured two adults (a couple) holding the baby between them with just their teeth - looks a lot like cannibalism. Disturbing!
Robin Williams' slab right outside the Chinese theatre, with his famous "Carpe Diem" quote from Dead Poets' Society inscribed there. Among other luminaries that grace the slabs outside the theatre: from Marilyn Monroe to Samuel L. Jackson, James Dean to Brad Pitt. I managed to spot Michael Caine's (he was the butler in the recent Batman movies, among other films) and Christopher Walken's slabs!
Of course, how could I miss Harrison Ford's piece?
Even the three young starlets of Harry Potter fame grace Grauman's theatre front, displaying the contemporary aspect of this exhibition. Some selected members of the cast of Ocean's Thirteen also managed to get their palms in the concrete: Brad Pitt and George Clooney.
Sandra Bullock - my very first favourite female actress, capturing my attention in Speed and While You Were Sleeping, then in the hilarious Miss Congeniality with all that snorting and gangliness. And of course, The Lake House with Keanu Reeves. She hasn't lost her touch at all, and she still has that quirky yet graceful disposition about her all these years that we find so comfortingly familiar. Timeless, she is.
This technique is known as shadow-posturing (as I have termed it), something I've found to be rather useful as it is difficult to take pictures of myself with the Nikon D60.
Visited one of LA's contemporary art exhibitions located just around the corner from the hostel, and came across this exhibit, which reminded me so much of the sculptures I saw in Oslo, Norway!
Until it turned rather grotesque with the little men spearing the big man with toothpicks. Another even featured two adults (a couple) holding the baby between them with just their teeth - looks a lot like cannibalism. Disturbing!
The view from Runyon Canyon: huge houses of the mega-wealthy perched at the outskirts of the metropolitan centre of LA, in clear demarcation of their elite status from the rest of California.
This reminds me so much of Wall.E - the abandoned, lost city that is the result of mankind's destructive actions and wilful ignorance. The "fog" is actually pollution, not the nice, misty kind that decorates European landscapes.
Dog-lovers and their pets frequent the Canyon as a perfect place to do some serious exercise as they brisk-walk, jog or run up and down the paths on the slopes...
...or just some quiet, me-time.
This couple stopped me on the streets as I was walking down Hollywood Boulevard with my D60 in hand - they sportingly posed for a candid shot, which made me smile at their enthusiasm and cheeriness. There are friendly LA people after all!
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Los Angeles
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