July 17, 2008

Downtown Los Angeles

How well do you know the city where you live? Each of us, no matter where we may be, gets caught up in our little world. When I was in college, we called it the Santa Clara "bubble"-- life inside the bubble was not the real world. It was a world created for us by our parents, who sent us to SCU, and by the University itself. It was full of frat parties and palm trees and never-ending meal plans; it was an entire universe that catered to our physical, emotional, and intellectual needs.

During my freshman year, I was so homesick that I told my parents that I couldn't stay at SCU. They responded that I could return home to Hawaii only if I spent a quarter involved with SCCAP (the Santa Clara Community Action Program) or enrolled in a similar social justice- oriented class. Desperate to leave the mainland, I did as they asked-- I left the bubble. And a funny thing happened-- once away from the campus's idyllic Spanish architecture, rose gardens and student body that seemingly stumbled out of an Abercrombie catalogue, I realized what an incredible opportunity I had to explore the Bay Area. On the streets of San Francisco, I saw the effects of untreated mental illness for the first time. I met normal families who were, for one reason or another, living without a home. The children would go to school during the day and sleep in donated blankets at a shelter that night. I saw terminally ill AIDS patients who hadn't left their apartments in months. In the alleyways outside those apartments, I witnessed drug use and sex acts performed in broad daylight.

It was difficult to transition between those two worlds-- from extreme comfort to utter desperation and back again. Those experiences have stayed with me and, as you might have guessed, kept me from returning to Hawaii. Still, I often get caught up in my little world. I go to work, go to the gym. I read, I watch "Lost" online (all 4 seasons in hi-def!) But then, there's a part of me that realizes that this isn't all there is to the world. Anywhere you look, there are people with stories to tell.

A picture may be worth a thousand words, but as I'm discovering, a thousand words is far from enough. So for starters, here is a teeny tiny glimpse into the story of downtown LA.













A citrus wholesaler with his fruit:





A sewing shop in the garment district:



From the flower market:

July 15, 2008

Impel at the Derby

Last Thursday I saw my friend Poon's band, Impel play at the Derby in Los Feliz. They're so good! Poon and the guys have come a long way since I last heard them in a big storage space in Fremont, CA over two years ago. Even with the less-than-ideal acoustics at the Derby, they sounded great! I can't wait to hear more from them... and from the looks of it, that'll be happening very, very soon!

Note: Due to really funny lighting and a no-flash rule, I had a hard time capturing Aaron, on drums and Justin on guitar. *Sigh*-- I've got lots and lots to learn.... and probably some very expensive lenses to buy. Anywho, here are Poon and Erik in all of their Impel glory!







July 10, 2008

Hootenanny 2008

Wow!! I had SUCH a great time at the Hootenanny last weekend! This is my third Hootenanny, and this time I was lucky enough to score a media pass which gave me front-stage access (I snuck backstage for all of two minutes before getting the boot! Oops! I'll take what I can get :)

Some of the best bands in SoCal were there, including rockabilly legend Glen Glenn, Big Sandy and the Fly Rite Boys, Tiger Army and of course, the indestructible Mike Ness. It was rockabilly heaven... and with all the cars, tats, slicked-back 'dos and parasols, it made for some fantastic photos. Here are a bunch of my favorites:


Driving to the show:



Everyone's gotta look good!






With music comes mayhem... in the form of burning porta-potties:



The Hootenany wouldn't be complete without gorgeous old cars...





And, of course, the music.

Big Sandy and His Fly Rite Boys:





Royal Crown Revue:








The girls went crazy for Glen Glenn, who is seen here handing out pictures of himself with Elvis:





Tiger Army (click here for youtube link):











And last but not least, Mike Ness of Social Distortion:








Self Portrait (or, Note to Self: Wear sensible shoes next year!)