Mozeltoff!!

Sarah texted me 4 times to go out with her because she was in town. I really appreciate it when friends go out of their way to invite me places. I headed to Pasadena for a nice house party after having a homemade steak dinner with the future roommates.

It was a nice college style party.
No more shot glass? I used a rice measuring cup!
I totally click with Sarah:


After prepartying with 6 shots of Jack Daniels, we walked to Old Town to go to Menage, a three floor straight club with stripper poles everywhere.


I'm in LA, trick.

But some folks were in Virgina apparently.

The music was so good. The DJ played ALL the songs I knew. We all sang along at the top of our lungs. I don't understand why gay clubs play such terrible high energy substanceless SHIT music. I'm sorry guys, I really hate that high energy- makes me want to clean my house in turbo speed, makes me want to do aerobics "music." Sometimes it's nice to listen to in the car when you're trying to rush somewhere. BUT- Part of the fun is KNOWING the lyrics... so that you can manipulate your dance moves to match, so that you can look at your friends and point to them and say, "PUSH IT REAL GOOD!" So that you can body roll backwards and shout... "DO the ROCKOWAY! LEAN BACK!"

Mozeltoff!!


The one thing about straight clubs is that straight people are dramatic to the point of violence. Gay people would just snap their fingers and say arrogantly, "bitch ain't worth my tyyyyme." Straight people would beat the shit out of you if you looked at them wrong especially girls. I've seen the hair extensions on the floor... ... crazy heteros.

One of the girls I went with got socked in the face because of shit talking or whatever. Stupid straight people. That killed my buzz.

===

The morning after I headed to a Dumpling place in Arcadia! Din Tai Fung, I think it's pretty popular.



The host called my group and Alysia and Sandy weren't there yet.
SO I said, "they're parking."
The host looked at my with her cute Asian American face and responded, "Are they really parking because some people lie."
I looked at her and smiled, "Yeah, I lied..... they'll be her in 10 minutes."
Not even slightly amused she said, "sure, don't worry, there are lots of tables opening up."

Silly me.


MMmmmMm. Desserts and... Donut Peaches, Strange


Alysia told me about this trashy club that she always sees in Old Town. She says there are dudes trying to get her and her friend to go in and she would quickly refuse. I told her I went to Menage last night and she exclaimed, "THATS THE ONE!"

Well, I guess, I enjoy trashy clubs (with frequent brawls), BUT I also like swimming in a kiddie pool with Alysia:



So freaking hot.


Alysia's backyard in 2000:


Alysia's backyard in 2009:


I hold on tight to my friends. Live like kids, worry about grown up things later.

Something with substance... and parking

I'm couch surfing with friends until I can finalize a place to live in August.
I moved out of Glitzy West Hollywood and into Calmer Echo Park... and I feel like this is more for me.

I prefer to live near poverty than next to a huge mall where parking is 5 dollars even with validation. I prefer to be surrounded by folks of all shapes and colors over feeling inadequate next to rhythmless carbon copies of lean muscle and impatient sharp attitudes... their modelesk faces don't exude life experiences. But of course, I have to get my one month fix of WeHo because a little plastic keeps the heart from becoming too raw.

I learned about gentrification and it makes me sad for the Spanish community because all of its rich culture is being devoured by people who want to transform it into something completely different.

Ernesto gave me a great tour of his neighborhood... showed me a lake, a book store and his favorite ethnic restaurants. I fell in love.

Brazilian Coffee shop around the corner with wi-fi and hipster DJ:


After recovering from his birthday hangover Ernesto showed me how shop for hipster clothing.

Oh! Expensive ugly clothing made to look OLD and handmade! I get it!


This is the place where I will be staying for a week or two: lots of parking, and a patio to sit and people watch... and Cholo neighbors leaning side to side.


Rich Spanish culture vs. commodification of Spanish culture


OO.. look at what they sell at the Time Travel Mart:

In the back of the Mart is a free well known tutoring center- http://www.826la.org/

The parking signs of a city are hilarious, please decipher theses:



I can use that Cheese recipe book JV bought me:


==

While hanging out with Ernesto, I learned about "gay face" which is basically possessing a face that innately looks gay. We were going through my facebook friends and Ernesto and Mike would say, "he has gay face... no, that's straight face... etc." I guess it's like "gay voice."

Work tomorrow! But I still need to post about the "trashiest club" (great music, vicious women) in Pasadena and lounging in a kiddie pool during this LA heat wave.

I hope the 7 mile drive west isn't that much different from my 3 mile drive south from WeHo. *Anxious*

I Met a Boy Last Night at West Hollywood...

...and he was so fucking needy and whiney, I wanted to shoot myself.

"You're not going let me wait in line by yourself are you?"
"You're going to walk me out right?"

You're an adult, gawd!

But really he wasn't. I felt like I was surrounded by 19 year olds. (Rage is 18+) Hah hah, yeah just my type right Joe, MoNy, Szeto? NO! I'm done with children!

I feel like a large number of the gay population grow up at a very slow rate. Their concept of a mature relationship doesn't develop until they make a shitload of mistakes and even then they don't learn. Their sense of acting on animal instinct: seeking sex, declaring needs, desiring immediate gratification etc has yet to be filtered by what is and is not appropriate. Their PARTY phase is extensive. And for me, I obviously haven't grasp the idea of what it means to work.

Even with 3 shots and a margarita in my system, I didn't find comfort that I usually do. I didn't know anyone and the people I did know were preoccupied with their own well established cliches... or eating face. So I wandered the streets observing people.

Nameless faces:


Except Jason! And my new... JOKER Face.


Nice folks


==

I'm falling in love with LA, but I'm hating the gay scene as I mention in my passed WeHo blog entry. I think in LA, I am disconnected to the scene, but in actuality it is better because all I have been doing is gay things.

I miss Bay Area gays, my boys and Crema: the coffee shop that we have been recently congregating at for the passed two months before I moved.

The excitement of being in a new place is going to die down next week when I move to somewhere further from the office, when I stop getting invitations from reconnected friends, when I have no one to talk to...and this is why I need to live with a someone. Thanks everyone for calling me, texting me and IMing me. I miss you guys.

The theme of this blog is appropriately: trying to grow up.

I was taken by surprise today.

I am a very public person, which is good and bad, but I feel as though when you care about something, a family member, a position, a career people in general put their best foot forward.

This is not how I operate. I will put my stinkiest big toe with a stained sock forward. I don't mind sharing with you my weaknesses and faults because they are just as a part of who I am as my successes and best camera angle.

This blog isn't an anonymous blog. A good number of my friends read it and I encourage it... but as I am getting into actually doing something for my career, I need to reconsider what's important to me and speaking my mind about work may have to be limited to friends and not the general public to be used against me.

This is difficult. I consider my blog my best friend. But for the sake of separating my professional life from my personal life.. I must be muted. And my stinky toe needs to be wrapped in a nice dress sock for work, but it's difficult when it's very casual there.

==

I have learned today that I can make people uncomfortable. I have learned today that you have to spend a lot of time with a person before you are comfortable pushing limits. And merely knowing someone doesn't mean you have a deep understanding or relationship with them.

I am saddened by the fact that I made someone uncomfortable. I am saddened that my big stinky toe really shocked someone... and I couldn't just laugh it off to save my life.

I am left feeling weird. I appreciate that I was approached, that there was an exchange, communication, because we are all trying to grow up, but I didn't know that I could make people uneasy.... really uneasy.

I dunno. I guess, the take-me-for-what-I am policy doesn't really apply all the time, especially at work. Work is work... And if you love it so much, you want to keep it as far away as possible from your personal life .... ... I guess that's just how it works... We separate and adjust our personalities so that we don't make others uneasy. Introducing: Work Chris & Fun Chris. Compartmentalized.

Living in LA Takes Skill

I don't know if I have become more "LA" during these passed 3 days.
I do wear sunglasses more.

==

Survival.

Being in a new place I don't care what people think, (EVEN MORE). I walked around my neighborhood in a wifebeater with my gut hanging out because I was LAZY!

Bums bums bums everywhere. I found a parallel parking spot, but then. there was bum sleeping on the patch of grass next to it. I dont think he would have liked it if i back up my truck into him.



GPS says: "Stay right, then bare left. Stay left, then bare left. Slight Right, Stay Right. Exit on Left, you missed your exit dipshit. Exit right in 200 yards. You missed it again, just hail a cab you numbskull." I was sweating bullets.

I've gotten confused a couple of times especially in the downtown highway network. But driving hasn't been too painful. I might be innately an "LA driver!"

==

Networking
I am using Facebook to expand my network. It took me a couple of minutes to figure it out.

Friends -> Browse -> Region -> Los Angeles

I have 35 "friends" in the area... lets see if we can become friends rather than "friends."

Expanding to the O.C, I know 4 interesting folks.

Let's explore!

==

Work

My coworkers are fun and young, but it's gonna take some time to develop the new relationships. The office is very diverse, I think most ethnicities are covered!

I've attended multiple meetings with our partners. Meetings that include food. Compared to our partner representatives, my team looks like a group of children pretending to be adults. But the dialogue is fluid, mature, comprehensive. At times, we sounds more eloquent than our middle aged representatives. Ad vertising is a very young industry.



I'm going to buy this 5ft inflatable giraffe for my cube.

==

Goals

With this job I have goals: iPhone in December when my phone runs out and new car for my 25th birthday. Some thing sleek and sexy and gas efficient.

==

Housing

The houses that I've checked out are gorgeous but the rent is substantially lower because of the neighborhood. I will be investing in a bat and a case of pepper spray. In my past entry I expressed that WeHo is a bit too over the top for me. I think I prefer the slums, they seem a bit more real. All I need a cute Crema-like coffee shop to call my own and a couple of friends that will meet me there.

-edit-
Great, one of the guys bailed. 3 bedroom?

==

After work
I've decided to fill my week nights with activities. LA is gorgeous at night!

Monday: Shopping at Beverly Center. Parking is NOT free. Lame. I guess that keeps the high school kids from coming and just cruising.

Tuesday: Sandy invited me to have home made shrimp pasta and watch Harry Potter at the Grove. I love snogging! And Hermione is HOT!


Wednesday: Sam invited me to the Asian Pacific AIDS Intervention Team Social where I met some nonprofit gay asians. Oo, the guy below can really sing! and I ran into Julie!

The guy I found most attractive there was straight. And look at Sam make that Fuck-me Face. Little Tokyo was more posh than I remembered it! It's a great downtown neighborhood!

This woman by the restroom asked me for an odd favor. "I'm on a terrible blind date and I'm incredibly sober, could you buy me a shot?" Her story was a legit or maybe it was a dare, either way I offered her advice instead. "Just be straight forward, you can do it!" That encouragement seemed convincing enough and she went her way.

Thursday: Some NSU folks from my generation (Brady and Cheri) randomly contacted me to have dinner with them in San Gabriel Valley! 40 Minutes away? That's nothing in LA.

Friday: Gonna drink the night away in West Hollywood.

I never turn down an invitation to do something!! That's the dumbest thing you can do if you're so bored with yourself.

==

Adult Issues
I got pulled over for talking on my phone while driving. I left my headset at home. The officer was very nice and we even made small talk. That didn't stop him from giving me a situation. I hope I don't have to deal with increased insurance (that I pay for) and added fees because of my poor driving record.

So it does happen: GO HANDS FREE. ARG!

==

To do (after finding a permanent place to live)
- get a gym routine in & p90x. OMG Check out Doug's results. SHIT!
- establish consistent hang out friends
- find a coffee shop.
- reconnect with Cyrus, Steve, Jon and Virginia, others who all live down here and have contacted me! :]
- concentrate on work... there is so much jargon, functions and tedious algorithms to learn.
✓ appreciate this sensation of growth and happiness.
(Or rather this is an on going thing.)

Oh HAI LA!

Within 2 days, LA has grown on me. Though it took 20 minutes to drive up the coastal highway, it was well worth it! Will Rogers beach just north of Santa Monica is empty and relaxing and full of people with abs. God.



I stole a boogie board outside the studio I was staying at and used it drag Alysia along the waves like a kite... until she got sea sick.


We had a good time being goofy. Jon was incredibly ticklish with the spray on sunblock!



I can see myself going here weekly.

==

Joe's GPS is my NEW best friend!! I was able to explore and familiarize myself. I was getting a sensory overload with everything there is to see.

==

My first day at work was amazing, despite being electrocuted by my laptop adapter twice the night before. Took 20 minutes to get to work. The staff is young and lively and well put together. And the industry is fun and rewarding.

==

I feel like the people of LA are trying to get rid of the stigma. Some cars let me into their lane, folks were polite. Everyone is trying to make it a better place.

In fact, Trinh spontaneously sent me a list of recommendations:

Okay Chris!

You have to check these places out while you're there! I spent 4 years in LA for college, so I know a thing or two about where to eat. =) I'm sure you'll find many more while you're there, and then you'll have to tell me about them! Enjoy LA.. I miss it! And I miss YOU!

Top 5:
Din Tai Fung (Chinese) @ Arcadia
BCD tofuhouse (Korean) @ Ktown
Suehiro (Japanese) @ Little Tokyo
Don Antonio's (Mexican) @ West LA
Versailles (Cuban) @ Palms

Honorable Mentions:
Pink's Hot Dogs (American) @ Melrose / La Brea
Curry House (Sawtelle) @ Sawtelle
C & O's (Italian) @ Marina del Rey
King's Hawaiian @ Torrance
Sunnin (Lebanese) @ Westwood
Native Foods (Vegetarian) @ Westwood
Cafe 50's (breakfast/diner/50s theme) @ Santa Monica
Manna (Korean.. all you can eat BBQ) @ Ktown
there's really good Pilipino food in Ptown too.. I forget the name of the placebut it's buffet!

Cheap (but good!) Eats: (all conveniently located in Westwood haha)
Noodle Planet
Gushi
Sak's
In N' Out
"Buck Fifty's" (I actually don't know it's real name =P)
**these are all the college places I'd hit up when I went to UCLA

Favorite Chains:
Bubba Gump's @ Santa Monica
Benihana's @ Santa Monica
Cheesecake Factory @ Brentwood
BJ's @ Westwood
California Pizza Kitchen @ Westwood / Santa Monica

Desserts:
the Donut Man @ Glendora (kinda far)
Angelato Cafe @ Santa Monica
Crepes To Go (aka the Crepe Nazi) @ Sawtelle
Beard Papa's Cream Puffs @ Sawtelle
Diddy Riese @ Westwood
Cafe Elysee @ Westwood
**Pinkberry and all the yogurt places are new, so I never got to enjoy them while I was there

LA takes awhile to grow on you, but you'll learn to love it! =)

♥ Trinh

==

I already have a list of things to check out! Goodness!

And with the free food at the office, I am gonna be a fattie

Giving LA a Chance

After thinking about it, I realized that I may be approaching LA with a closed mind.
I've only been here to visit on road trips and family ventures about 6 times previously and each time I hated it.

I've heard from a couple of folks that LA has it's own charm and substance hidden in various neighborhoods. They say that I'm going to "LOVE LA" despite how different it is from the bay.

I guess, I just need to adjust and find a subculture that matches me. West Hollywood isn't that... West Hollywood is just a place to visit once a month. I need to take deep breaths and move at my own pace and slowly adjust my lifestyle.

According to Alex, "Its true beauty is the hole-in-the-wall pastrami place, the dive bars with the strongest drinks and the countless taco trucks and dirty dogs out at 2am." My mission is to make LA my temporary home and find these pleasantries that aren't consumed with illuminated decor or unspeakable poverty.

Yesterday, I was overstimulated. Cars EVERYWHERE. People in a hurry. Lights. I was disoriented, lost. Driving was like playing a video game. I was shocked at how skillful I was driving down Santa Monica- avoiding buses AND left turning cars! I felt like a country boy who just stepped into a strange commuter City....

I really want to say, I love LA.
But I feel like left my heart in San Jose.

==

My friend asked me if I cried because he usually cries when he moves to a new place. Hah. Haven't done that!

==

First day of work Monday. And I am homeless again on Saturday. Blah. I need to study these maps.

==

I wonder if they teach this at Santa Monica Beach