Indian sandwiches or naanwiches! I’ll have to stop by this place next time I’m in the Miracle Mile. I read about this on EatingLA.com. I tried to do a direct link to her post about the Cowboys & Turbans restaurant but I couldn’t figure out how to do it. Cowboys and Turbans serves Indian street food.
The Pacific Asia Museum is hosting a free family day this Saturday, March 14, 2009, from 12 - 4 pm. The exhibit is "The Samurai Re-Imagined: From Ukiyo to Anime" and features samurai, manga comics, armor, and robots. The day includes free admission to the galleries plus crafts, performances, demonstrations, and more fun.
Also part of the exhibit are a series of related events; one about game design.
Saturday, March 21, 2-5pm
Discussion, Games People Play
Join game designer Alexei Othenin-Girard as he discusses the history and development of game design. The event is followed by a workshop on the fundamentals of game design.
Pacific Asia Museum
46 N. Los Robles Avenue
Pasadena, CA 91101
(626) 449-2742
Just take the Gold Line to Memorial Park.
This CNN article says it’s not. Well, we’ll see. Last night’s Academy Awards was pleasantly India-dominated. I enjoyed seeing the Indian song and dance numbers from Slumdog Millionaire, and hearing the speeches of the Indian winners which seemed to be less self-centered than the speeches of others. Jai Ho! Indian Composer A.R. Rahman has made his country very proud after having won two Oscars in one night for best score and song. I wonder if the Academy is more globally focused now due to Obama’s presidency.
Take your date to see "Rab Ne Bana Di Jodi," Shahrukh Khan’s latest Bollywood romantic comedy offering. It’s playing at the Naz 8 in Artesia. The movie is about an older man who has an arranged marriage with a younger woman (who has a tragic back story), and how he tries to woo her by entering a dance contest. The movie has Bollywood heart and soul all the way and gets pretty philosophical about what true love really is. It steered clear of paneer (cheese) somehow and just told a satisfying story with comical yet touching acting by Shahrukh Khan and his forlorn co-star Anushka Sharma. The soundtrack is outstanding as well, very poetic and dance beat-y at the same time. Though I don’t understand the lyrics, I know the songs are about love and finding your true partner. The Hindi word kuch = love something (Thanks Soni). My favorite song is Tujh Mein Rab Dikhta Hai.
I was first introduced to Bollywood fare via Abhishek Bachchan whom I adored, but now I have finally discovered the greatness of SRK. He delivers time and time again, and picks better projects than Abhi does. SRK’s work seems more mature and deep than Abhi’s, yet at the same time very charming and highly entertaining. I drool for SRK.
After you see the movie, I suggest dining in Artesia. Any restaurant would probably offer you a spicy and seductive meal. Happy Valentine’s Day! Here are my former posts on my lovely trips to Little India, Artesia, here, here, here, here, and here. Anyone have any restaurant suggestions for Little India? If you go, you’ll most likely have an uncrowded and pleasant Valentine’s Day!
*** UPDATE *** SRK is in another movie playing at the Naz 8 too. It’s called Billu Barber. I have not seen it yet.
LA’s Chinatown is having its first Art Night on Saturday, January 24, 2009, from 7 - 10 pm. This will be a quarterly shindig featuring contemporary art, clothing, furniture, music, performance and design.
Sounds like fun and it’s free!
Bee Vang and Clint Eastwood in Gran Torino
I’m a little late on this post, but the best movies I saw this year were Milk and Gran Torino. Milk just had so many great themes running throughout it: having passion and truth in your life, making the world better for others, giving people hope and courage, and of course, civil rights and fair treatment of all. Milk, about Harvey Milk, the first openly gay elected official in California., showed a man who changed the world while in his 40s. He figured out his purpose late in life, which kind of goes along with the Barack Obama idealism that is floating around these days: It’s never too late for change, for others and yourself. I really encourage everyone to go out and see Milk. Sean Penn gave a phenomenal performance, really transforming himself for this role and channeling the charismatic Harvey Milk. James Franco, who I admit is the reason I first went to see the movie, also gives a quietly charming performance. At one point while watching the movie, I took a look at the audience while Harvey Milk was giving a speech. They (we) were all riveted. The movie also gives a great history of the gay rights movement in the 70s in San Francisco; I had no idea how tumultuous it was.
If you’d like to see a documentary on Harvey Milk, there’s a free one here on Hulu.com: The Times of Harvey Milk. Yay for Hulu.com!
Now for Gran Torino. I don’t know what it is about Clint Eastwood, but he’s just so cool. He plays a 78-year-old hero who saves his young Hmong neighbors from gang violence. The ending alone is reason to see this film and how the story builds up to it is great filmmaking (though the beginning of the film is bumpy). I also loved watching the cranky Eastwood character interact with his culturally different neighhors and how he takes the boy and girl under his wing. Also in terms of filmmaking, it seems like Eastwood is passing the torch onto a younger generation and by casting real Hmongs in the film, he is making cinema more authentic and inclusive. I’m Asian American and seeing Clint Eastwood, a quintessential American, with a Hmong cast is unexpected and wonderful. Go Clint go! The two young Hmong actors in this film, Bee Vang and Ahney Her, gave fine performances as well.
Ultimately, both movies are about making America better for the next generation.
Delicious lamb kebabs can be found at this hole-in-the-wall in the northern part of Pasadena. Click the menu picture to see the prices. The cook is very nice too.
Shish Kebab Express
2495 E Washington Blvd
Pasadena, CA 91104
(626) 398-9777
From the Pacific Asia Museum:
Sunday September 28, 11:00am-5:00pm
Free Family Day - Himalayan Festival We’re celebrating the people of the world’s highest region with the biggest FREE Family Festival of the year! Enjoy hands-on crafts, music, dance, exhibitions, demonstrations, and food and crafts for sale from Bhutan, India, Nepal, Pakistan and Tibet. The Himalayan Festival is presented in association with the Tibetan Association of Southern California and is made possible in part by the City of Pasadena Arts and Culture Commission and Cultural Affairs Division, Pasadena Art League, Target, Dharma Arts, Tibetan Arts, India Sweets and Spices and Bodhi Tree Bookstore. In-kind support provided by Dolphin Rents, Sierra Club, and Whole Life Times. Special thanks to the volunteers of Pacific Asia Museum’s Himalayan Arts Council and Pakistan Arts Council.
Four days of Korean madness…
The 35th Annual Los Angeles Korean Festival…
September 25 - 28, 2008
with a Korean traditional marketplace, tea ceremony, parade, wrestling demo and
A SENIOR CITIZENS FOLK SONG CONTEST!
As you may already know, the San Gabriel Valley is full of $15-20, one hour foot massage places. There are so many places that it’s hard to figure out where to go. This article covers a few spots. I’ve recently visited, two times, a place with the unfortunate name of Exotic Spa, but I was happy with the service. On my first visit, I got a 30 minute chair massage ($20) and this time I got the one hour foot massage including a 20-minute upper body massage ($20). They also do a $15/hour foot masage and foot soaking (no upper body). And finally there’s the combo of combos: a 20 minute chair massage, 30 minute foot massage, and a 10 minute foot soaking for $30, all of which they somehow fit into a one hour time span.
The place tries hard to be serene and spa-like with a big sign that reads Quiet in both English and Chinese. The huge flat screen TV played nature shows in mute. In other foot spas, the TV shows Chinese movies/TV with some volume. The multicolored Christmas lights are a little distracting but still it’s a nice peaceful environment and I felt comfy, cozy, sleepy there. The first masseuse I had was a man and he had great hands. This time was a woman whose little fingers were precise and strong, but the man was better. Too bad I didn’t get their names. I definitely will go back again. I liked how clean the place was, and I liked how they kept piling warm towels on me. Parking is easy in the back. There are two scales in there to weigh yourself, which I found funny. I ate a tootsie roll on the way out. They give you a tea as well. The crowd was more non-Asian than Asian. Tip - make an appointment and get one of their frequent visitor cards.
Exotic Spa
702 W Las Tunas Drive
San Gabriel, CA 91776
(626) 281-1730 or (626) 905-0611
While there, you might also want to eat at the delcious Luscious Dumplings or Vietnam House (7 courses of beef dinner - very good). I also pick up odds and ends at the bargain store there, which surprisingly often has what I need.
I stumbled upon a $5.40 super treat while in K-town today. At Han Kook market when you enter, the restaurant to the right has delicious mussels in a white creamy sauce sprinkled with orange fish eggs and chives (excuse my non-foodie language, I really don’t know the names for these things). It’s similar to a dish that’s frequently found in Japanese restaurants. I enjoy dislodging the mussel and slurping/chewing it. Anyhow, I was really surprised to find this dish in a Korean grocery store restaurant. It was quite tasty and a great deal. Seven or so mussels (in shells) with a miso soup for just $5.40. I only ate four of the mussles and I was full. I had also ordered a $4.50 tasty smoothie (strawberry, banana, kiwi) at the froyo/pizza shop on the left side of the plaza. And I had a great swedish chair massage at Kim’s Chun Ki, which is a Korean department store of sorts and is further down Olympic Boulevard. The yelpers here rave about Kim’s.
Han Kook Market (LA HK Market)
124 N. Western Avenue, Los Angeles, CA 90004
323-469-8934 or 323-469-0674
Kim’s Home Center
2940 W Olympic Blvd
Los Angeles, CA 90006
(213) 386-4882
I wish I had brought my camera.
From http://www.larrytt.com/celebrities_playing_tt/, a web page dedicated to images of celebrities playing ping pong.
Also, Ping Pong Playa, the movie, is opening on September 5 in NY, SF, and LA. It’ll be at the Atlantic Palace in Alhambra, the Mann Chinese 6 in Hollywood, and in Glendale. How fun! Click the link to see where the movie is playing near you.
I can’t wait to make it over to this! I love Yoko Ono’s art and the hopefulness and whimsicality in it.
From Pasadena Now:
 Yoko Uno sits under a wishing tree. |
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Yoko Invites the Public to Make a Wish One Colorado Courtyard |
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I read somewhere that one way to be environmentally conscious is to buy recycled clothes, as in thrift store shopping. Could me boycotting The Gap really make that much of a difference? For the past week, I have been looking for inexpensive, thin, 100% cotton, long sleeved shirts for traveling to India. I scoured many stores and came up with nothing reasonably priced. Then it dawned on me to try the Goodwill. Score, score, score. Thrift stores are perfect for buying clothes that are out of season, as long sleeve shirts seem to be right now.
I was amazed at the really good selection at this Wesssside Goodwill:
8905 Venice Blvd.
Los Angeles, CA 90034
(310) 845-9327
The fashionable cast-offs here were aplenty. Seriously! The Wessside’s good for something.
Right down the street from here is Govinda’s, a Hare Krishna restaurant, store, museum, and temple. I actually stopped here first to try to find shirts but didn’t find anything I liked (the shop is nice and worth a visit). The LATimes has written about Govinda’s food many times, and I would have given it a try, but I wasn’t hungry. The vegetarian buffet did not look that extensive though. It’s $7 all you can eat or $4.15 a pound. On Sundays at 6 pm, they offer a free six course feast, according to their website. It was very peaceful there.
Govinda’s www.govindsla.com
3764 Watseka Avenue • Los Angeles, California • 90034 • 310-836-1269
>> DIRECTIONS <<
And while you’re over there thrift shopping and eating Indian food, might as well stop by the Musuem of Jurassic Technology which is also nearby. It’s probably L.A.’s most unique, imaginative museum consisting of fictitious displays. It’s a great and freaky. So there you have it, UnHip LA does the Wessside: Govinda’s, The Goodwill, and The Museum of Jurassic Technology. You might even forget where you are.
The Museum of Jurassic Technology
www.mjt.org
9341 Venice Boulevard
Culver City, California 90232
four blocks west of Robertson Boulevard in the historic Palms district of Los Angeles across the street from Main Street, Culver City.
See Map
PS The LATimes also recommends eating at Tara’s Himalayan Cuisine for their $4.99 lunch specials. Tara’s is near the other stops mentioned above and is number 16 on the Time’s recent Delciious Deals list. I plan to try it someday.
Tara’s Himalayan Cuisine, 10855 Venice Blvd., Los Angeles, (310) 836-9696.
On July 26, 2008, the first family of Indian Cinema (the Bachchans), Preity Zinta, Madhuri Dixit and more Bollywood superstars come to Los Angeles for a song and dance concert. Wow! Tickets start at $59 and the show starts at 7:30 pm, at the Los Angeles Sports Arena.
Tour website: www.theunforgettabletour.com
Tickets: www.superentertainmentinc.com
This tour will undoubtedly will live up to its name.
I killed a few hours today at the Woodfield Mall in Schaumburg, IL and was so excited to see a shop called "Chill Bubble Tea." I have gone 1.5 weeks without a honey green tea with boba and I thought this was my big chance. No dice. This store’s signature item seems to be smoothies with boba in them. They are obviously not boba tea purists. My request for a honey green tea with boba was met with a blank stare. I left empty-handed. I think mall Midwesterners could handle this drink; it’s healthier for them than a smoothie or a milk tea with boba. Chill Bubble Tea is a franchise that started in Chicago and plans to expand to California. Good luck with that!
The Midwestern town I am staying in is 88% white. I was walking in a beautiful park here, enjoying the moist, cool, fresh air, and had one ear listening to This American Life. Then it happened. A white male, probably in his 30s, smiled at me and said, "Ni Hao!" Welcome to the Midwest, I thought. Another time I visited this area, a black man asked me if I was Jackie Chan’s sister. Hahahaha.
I visited the Chinese Garden at the Huntington Library and Gardens this weekend. OMG, it is so heavenly - a huge lake with bridges, a cafe, ducks, pavillions, outdoor seating, poetry, art…. It really is grand and a great escape. Taking a few walking laps around the Chinese Garden will be my new exercise routine. Forget LAFitness, go to the Huntington!
Membership is $100 for the year and includes lots of specials such as night time strolls around the Huntington (they usually close at 4:30 pm) and invitations to art openings. Also with a membership, I can stroll around the gardens at my leisure instead of feeling rushed to cover the grounds in a few hours because I can just come back the next day.
I will be posting pictures soon. Come back and see the leaf-shaped windows, really purdy! When I get my membership, I can take one person with me for freesies. The Chinese Garden is my new favorite place in the SGV. The Crowell Public Library in San Marino is also really great (it’s a library that looks like a resort spa). Both places have a huge list of Asian donors. My hairdresser told me that the Ritz Cartlon was bought by some Chinese investors, paying $150 million in cash (a good journalist would fact check all this, but right now I am short on time). Anyhow, these three significant Chinese moves really show the large, wealthy Chinese presence in the upper SGV.
UPDATE:
Beautiful pictures from the Gardens press office: http://www.huntington.org/Information/ChineseGardenPressKit.htm
I went back to the Chinese Garden today 4-26-08. The day was murderously hot and miserable. The gardens were beautiful but the weather and crowds just made me very cross. The pond water looked murky. I did have fun winding around the Japanese Garden’s narrow little paths and walking through the bamboo forests. I want to visit the gardens when no one else is there, but that would involve me becoming a higher priced member - they get to enter at 8 am. I cannot wait till the members’ only evening strolls this summer. Yes, unhipla has become an elitist. I want my Members’ Only jacket. I just find the Huntington Library and Gardens so peaceful; it’s like a little retreat. If only it wasn’t the SGV summer of hell heat. I shall try again next weekend. My goal is to know every inch of that place and find the neat nooks and crannies.
Can you believe it’s $20 to go in on the weekend and $15 on the weekdays? That’s nuts!
Mac Photog tipped me off to this delicious sounding (free) festival:
LA Curry Festival
The largest international Curry Festival in California is taking place in Los Angeles!
All things curry from main dishes to desserts, from mild to flaming hot, from savory to sweet, from soupy to crispy…
will absolutely stimulate your senses and wet everyone’s appetite.
FEATURING:
INTERNATIONAL FOOD, CURRY KING CONTEST, RAFFLE DRAWING, and COOKING
DEMONSTRATION.
The Thai New Year Day’s Songkran Festival will also be taking place – with more
opportunities for other exciting activities and diverse cultural experiences!
WHEN?
SUNDAY, APRIL 13, 2008. 10:00 AM-7:00 PM
WHERE?
Hollywood Blvd. from Western Ave. to Vermont Ave. (Thai Town)
Los Angeles, CA 90027
Event Map
HOW?
1) Hollywood/Western Metro Red Line. Miss Traffic. Go Metro!
2) Free parking at Kaiser Permanente (accessible on Vermont Ave. via Barnsdall Drive)
and take free shuttle to our event site. Parking Map
HOW MUCH?
FREE ADMISSION!
Thanks to reader Mac Photog, I learned that the Korean Cultural Center Los Angeles shows a free Korean movie every Thursday in its beautiful Koreatown location. This month’s movie theme is "My Funny Valentine," featuring four modern Korean romantic comedies: "My Scary Girl," "Rules for Dating," "One Fine Spring Day," and "All for Love." The movies are shown either at 3 pm or 7 pm, be sure to check the listing. The Center also has exhibits, free language classes, workshops and more. Once upon a time, I tried to take language classes there.
Free Korean Cinema at the Korean Cultural Center Los Angeles
Screening Dates & Time: February. 7th at 3 pm, 14th at 3 pm, 21th at 7 pm, 28th at 7 pm
Ari Hall on the 3rd Floor, Korean Cultural Center
5505 Wilshire Blvd. (Wilshire + Dunsmuir Ave)
Los Angeles, CA 90036
(323) 936-7141 (ext. 122) cinema@kccla.org
www.kccla.org
The talk will cover the author’s new, monumental biography of his grandfather, “Gandhi: The Man, His People and the Empire.” The book is said to be the first to give a complete and balanced account of Mahatma Gandhi’s life. With unprecedented insight and access to family archives, Rajmohan explores the evolution of his grandfather’s teachings of non-violent resistance, while examining the relations between Muslims and non-Muslims.
“PCC is extremely honored to host Professor Rajmohan Gandhi,” said Susie Ling curator of the event. “His grandfather fought for civil rights and peaceful change in South Africa and India. His ideals inspired many, including Martin Luther King and Caesar Chavez. With today’s chaos in the Middle East and chaos in our neighborhoods, we need to listen again to Gandhi’s words and be reminded of the integrity of ‘nonviolent civil disobedience’ to bring about positive change.”
Rajmohan, a peace activist, once served on the Indian Parliament. He also led the Indian delegation to the U.N. Human Rights Commission in 1990. He is currently in the South Asian Middle Eastern Studies program at the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign.
For more information, contact Susie Ling at shling@pasadena.edu.
Happy Chinese New Year! It’s the Year of the Rat. Reader C told me about the New Year’s Eve celebration happening at the beautiful Thien Hau Temple in Chinatown, L.A., so I went down to check it out last night. The festivities included a lion dance and martial arts demonstration, which were excellent and very fun, and throngs of Buddhists burning incense and offering prayers. Too bad my camera did not capture it well. I did get some great video of a paparazzi-like crush upon the lions as people tried to pet them. I’ll load it once I figure out how to. Petting the lions was a highlight, also was stuffing money into a lion statue’s mouth.
Look in the back to see the lion with bills in its mouth.
Petting the lions who have entered the temple. Come back for my video of the mosh-pit like atmosphere. Very fun!
Lions dancing in the dark.
The San Gabriel Valley has a huge Lunar New Year Parade and Festival on Saturday, February 16, 2008, from 10 am to 5:30 pm on Valley between Almansor and Garfield, with the parade starting at 11 am. Don’t miss this! www.lunarnewyearparade.com/city_parade.htm
From the site:
The Festival will be held in the heart of one of the largest Chinese / American commercial districts in the southland. The one-day festivities attract about 50,000 people and consist of more than 250 booths. There are many theme-oriented venues giving attendees a taste of the Chinese culture. The food court is an ideal place to sample dishes from different regions. Admission is free.
This filled up asap before, so hurry….
As seen in San Gabriel, CA at Takashima’s just off Valley Boulevard. The store is filled with Sanrio, Morning Glory, and Asian beauty products. The second floor loft has a pretty impressive Totoro collection with towels, stuffed toys, tea sets, school supplies, and figurines.
Takashima
220 W. Valley Blvd. #108
San Gabriel, CA 91779
My friend Shmoo says she has this psycho-killer ability to be able to judge a restaurant by its facade. She’s keen like that. So when we went to Pa Pa Walk on Valley in the SGV, I anxiously awaited her judgement. She gave it a once-over and deemed it worthy. We sat in the bright orange-colored room and were not disappointed. Two smoked duck plates (we both agreed there is no better way to eat duck, it’s gotta be smoked; the dish is succulent), a wonton soup, and spinach dish later, we ambled out of the pleasant shop. The wait stuff was quite kind and friendly too. I didn’t feel ignored and hurried like I usually do when dining in Asian places. The staff seemed to have kind eyes. Shmoo who can be endearingly East-coast abrasive in restaurants was melted to an Oliver Twist-like child when asking for things. “Excuse me, would you have any chili sauce for us,” instead of “Get me some hot sauce and some bowls. Pronto! Growl!”
Shmoo, who is far more Foodie than I, declared this to be the best Chinese meal she’s had in L.A. We wanted to get hungry again, so we could go back for dessert - shaved ice mountains. We would have walked off of our food but it was raining, so we waited in my car in the parking garage, our feet hanging out the windows. Yes, it was totally juvenile and we even waxed about our high school days - Shmoo "artfully dodged the maximum allowable classes" while I tried to, but didn’t have too many places to hide (boarding school). We just needed some cheap alcohol and other aides, and it would have been like ditching class. We stared out the sunroof at the garage ceiling. It was a great moment. There is something about sitting and talking in a parked car that seems to bring out the philosophical and angst in people. It’s like taxi-cab confessions. It’s like talking in the intimate space of a bed together, but not really. At 11 pm, we rolled out of the car, and got up to Pa Pa Walk just in time to see the kind-eyed staff leave. They closed at 10 pm. So no shaved ice for us, but still a great night.
Pa Pa Walk is a Taiwanese street food restaurant in the Hilton Hotel shopping plaza. On this cold rainy night, it was the only packed restaurant in the plaza. Hands-down, the place has the simplest decor, but probably is the happiest place there. The plain walls seem to say: “this place is just about the food.” You eat without distractions, but the orange-ness gives it all a good glow.
I went back the next day (without Shmoo because she lives too far away) and had the shrimp omelette, sausage fried rice, and fishball and meatball soup, all delicious. The place has a missing ingredient I don’t see in a lot of Asian restaurants - an unhurried harmony.
Pa Pa Walk
227 W. Valley Blvd., Ste. 148-B
San Gabriel, CA 91776
626-281-3889
11 a.m. to 10 p.m.
Closed Tuesdays
#16, Smoked Duck with rice, eggs, and veggies $5.50
(the waiter said it was a salty dish, but it’s not)
#48, Taiwanese sausage and egg fried rice, $5.95
#70, Shrimp Omelette, $4.75
#80? Spinach, $3.50 (Sorry, forgot to take pic, but this was good.)
#94, Mixed Ball Soup (Fish & Meat), $3.95
Here’s what Wandering Chopsticks and Henry Chan thought of the place. Be sure to click on Henry’s video to see the orange-ness of the place.
And might I suggest afterwards go and get a foot massage at either the Tibetan place or Vivid Spa upstairs.
*** UPDATE ***
I’ve had the duck plate several times now since my original post. Sadly, it’s never been as good as the first time that rainy night. Maybe because Shmoo and I had to work so hard to get there, braving the rain and all. Also Shmoo came from pretty far away. I actually just had the duck again today and got a stomach ache from it. Life is cruel this way.
But other dishes I have eaten there such as the spinach noodles and coffin bread soup were delicious, especially the soup. The strawberry shaved ice dish was okay, overly sweet, but still fun to eat for two.
Great soup in a tasty, crunchy bread box. I’m sure this is high in carbs and calories.
I caught Ang Lee’s new masterpiece "Lust, Caution" last night. I left thinking, "Man, Ang Lee is really disturbed and has a wacked-out take on love." In all his movies I have seen, most notably, "The Ice Storm," "Brokeback Mountain," "The Wedding Banquet." and now LC, I don’t recall any tender romances. Sex seems to mean take people by surprise, wrestle them, inflict pain, and then afterwards pretend like it didn’t happen, but then end up liking the brutality of it all and declaring you’re in love. Ang Lee is the Ingmar Bergman of Asian directors. Ah, I would hate to be Ang Lee’s wife! I give him major props though, the film is beautifullly shot, the costuming exquisite, and the acting cruel but powerful. Tony Leung and newcomer Wei Tang gave disturbing and daring performances (I suggest they both do a comedy next.). A matronly Joan Chen gave a fine performance. I hope they all win awards!
Seeing Hong Kong and Shang Hai during World War II under Japanese rule was quite interesting, especially since I just visited Hong Kong. It’s an international city now and then. I doubt I could ever watch this movie again though. It left me feeling ill, perhaps this is a metaphor for what the Japanese did to Hong Kong and Shang Hai.
In other tragedy news, I saw "Laaga Chunari Mein Dag" ("I have stained my veil") by Pradeep Sarkar at the good ol’ Naz 8. It’s been a week or two since I saw the movie and I don’t really think about it, so that puts it at about average fare for Bollywood movies. I do recall it being entertaining but cheesy at many points, but what Bollywood film isn’t cheesy? My friend hated it and declared it anti-woman (and he’s a guy). He actually got mad at me in the car for saying I liked it. All the acting of the main characters was excellent; they could make this preposterous storyline of a village girl who becomes a high-class escort to support her crumbling, son-less, family pretty believable. Rani Mukherjee gave a great performance but perhaps even more memorable (or just had the better part) was Kokona Sen Sharma playing her younger sister reaping the advantages of her sister’s sacrifices. Kokona’s character gets an MBA and a great job at an ad agency while her sister meets clients as "Miss Natasha." Abhishek Bachchan makes a guest cameo which, you know, I loved as I am president of his Meetup fan club (okay, no such club exists but I do love the mischievous yet compassionate Abhi who marries divorcees, prostitutes, and single mothers in his movies. Abhi is the knight in shining armor.)
So there you have it - two movies I saw recently. I don’t recommend either, but I bet both will rack up some awards. Both did have excellent acting.
Lately after eating bird spit, I have developed an interest in Traditional Chinese Medicine, also known as TCM. I found out that there is an exhibit on TCM going till Feb. 8 at the Center for Healthy Communities in downtown L.A. How exciting! Here are some shots of a great herbal tea brew I drank on a street corner in Hong Kong. I am not sure what all the herbs were but the pictures show the ingredients. Do you know what these things are? The tea was warm and sweet and medicinal but in a good way. I really felt good after drinking it. My next stop will be to take these pics to a herbal medicine store in Monterey Park and say, please recreate this brew for me.
I like how this looks like abstract art.
Exhibit - "From the Abundant Pharmacy: Traditional Chinese Medicine in Los Angeles’ Chinatown”
The California Endowment’s Center for Healthy Communities
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1000 N. Alameda Street, Los Angeles, 90012 310-402-9107 Free and open to the public from October 4, 2007 through February 8, 2008; Gallery is open from 8:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m., Monday through Friday. |
Cefiore has a coupon for a free small Organic Acai froyo, good till December 15 at their J-town location. I think if you get on their mailing list you can get it.
If not, email me at unhipla AT gmail dot com and I will forward it to you. 
Press Release:
Bus Tours of Historic Filipinotown
by the Filipino American Library
Saturday, November 17
4 One-Hour Tours Leaving at 11:00am, 12:30pm, 2:30pm, and 4:00pm
Begins & Ends at the Filipino American Library
135 N. Park View St.
Historic Filipinotown
Los Angeles, CA 90026-5215
— Free Admission —
— Food and Drinks Provided —
— Please RSVP by WED, NOV 14 to filamlibrary@sbcglobal.net or 213-382-0488 —
What is Filipino about Historic Filipinotown? In FAL’s Bus Tours of Historic Filipinotown, guides narrate the significance of particular sites, events, and individuals in and around Historic Filipinotown to present an historical overview of Filipinos in Los Angeles.
For more information, please contact Jonathan Lorenzo at 213-382-0488 or filamlibrary@sbcglobal.net. Also visit www.filipinoamericanlibrary.org and www.myspace.com/filamlibrary.
Filipino American Library
Our mission is to actively promote the history, culture, and professional achievements of Filipinos and Filipino Americans through the book collection, leadership development, and cultural programming, thereby contributing to the achievement of a culturally dynamic, multiethnic America.
___________
I’ve done stuff here before and it’s always a good time. Free food! Hurry and sign up! I wish I could go but I have a conflict on that day.
*** UPDATE *** All the bus tours are full now, but they are taking a waitlist.
Lan Fong Yuen is famous for its milk tea which is made by straining many different varieties of black tea through a pantyhose-like filter. The full story is here. It’s kind of like boba milk tea but is richer and more complex. If boba milk tea were a carefree kid, HK-style milk tea is a hardworking adult. According to the Wiki, milk tea in HK has the same popularity as coffee to Westerners. Ah no wonder I liked it so much - any culture that favors tea over coffee is where I belong. The Wiki also says some tour books neglected to put in HK-style milk tea in favor of British tea or said milk tea was not as good as other teas; shame on them! Lan Fong Yuen also has a popular drink called bistro which is a mix of tea and coffee but I did not have this.
The macaroni noodle soup in these bowls looks like good comfort food. Hong Kong has funny food because of British colonization.
See the pantyhose? It’s funny what becomes a tourist attraction in Hong Kong.
It was very crowded inside, yet still harmonious. I noticed this throughout Hong Kong, crazy tight spaces with people moving everywhere like ants, yet there was overall harmony. I guess that’s how people adapt to the population density. The last shot of dishes being washed outside Lan Fong Yuen reminded me of Baja, Mexico where I saw the same thing. Our guide told us that Lan Fong Yuen was one of the last street stall restaurants of its kind, something about the government not wanting to permit more outdoor operations like this. Well, I guess outdoor dishwashing is not the most sanitary, but still the place was great, the tea good, and the toast tasty. I was only in HK for 2.5 days so not really a chance to get too far off the beaten path. Next time, I’ll go for much longer! I put more pics of this place on biggestmenu.com
but sick, started getting cold on the plane, then colder on the bus, and then by the time I reached L.A. and all the fire/bad air, I was done for. Coupled with the jet lag, I have been somewhat miserable. I shall resurface soon with photos of UnHip Hong Kong. In the meantime, I did post some food on biggestmenu.com. Blah. Hong Kong was fabulous btw. I’m definitely going back. I’d like to work there for a month or two. Know of any jobs? I can write, teach, eat, and shop. Hong Kong, I will see you again.
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