Oh, the San Fernando Valley. You never get much love. People drive through you most days, never stopping by to say hello. You’re pretty much a foreign land to anyone who has lived on the west side of Los Angeles their whole life. You’re usually hotter than the rest of the city and on those days, which is most days, many avoid you like the plague. But you’re strong, San Fernando Valley. You recovered from a horrendous earthquake in 1994 and survived a proposed annexation from L.A. in 2002. And while I, too admit to speaking ill of you at times, you are nevertheless my home. Of all things, you should be most commended for being the subject of Bill Crosby’s 1944 number one hit, “San Fernando Valley,” written by Gordon Jenkins, and thanks to YouTube, we all can be transported back to 1944 and sing along (with the lyrics after the cut!).

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I already highlighted my trip to Big Sur, but I had so many pictures that I wanted to share a few more this week as another photo essay. The scenery is so beautiful up there that it’s pretty much impossible to take a bad picture. Enjoy!

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Here is a quiet park near Culver City thats a worth a trip. There are some amazing views from the top of the park. I would have included the view of Downtown Los Angeles, but the smog was so bad, you couldn’t even see the buildings. On a clear day, you can see the whole city from up
here.

Entrance to Kenneth Hahn State Park

Kenneth “Kenny” Frederick Hahn (August 19, 1920–1997) was a member of the Los Angeles County Board of Supervisors for forty years from 1952 to 1992. Prior to his election, Hahn served on the Los Angeles City Council. He was an ardent supporter of civil rights throughout the 1960s, and became greatly respected in the African-American community of Los Angeles. The park was a failed water reservoir and Hahn a city councilman at the time, convinced the mayor to use the land as a park. The area was also used as the site of the first Olympic Village during the 1932 Olympics hosted in Los Angeles.

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If you’re ever in the mood for a short escape from LA’s urban sprawl, consider a one night trip up to gorgeous Big Sur. Big Sur refers to a region of the coast roughly 40 miles south of the Monterey peninsula and 300 miles north of LA. It’s defined by a dramatic, rocky coastline, stunning azure waters, towering fragrant pine forests, and an untouchedquality that is very refreshing.

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From the evolution of the caveman’s grunt, communication continues to be an important factor of life. The need to speak and be understood is a given, as is the confidence in knowing you know how to speak your native language. And why wouldn’t you; you have only been talking since babe hood!

Beyond the correctable slang, everyone knows how to speak their native language. Or do they? We all remember those English childhood corrections such as “don’t say ain’t” or use “be” for the word “is.” We were told our level of intelligence was based upon how we spoke, with seemingly “ghetto” tags placed upon those who dared talk otherwise. Just watch an old episode of The Andy Griffith Show or the Beverly Hillbillies, and you will know exactly what I am talking about.

In England there exists such a thing as the “Proper Queen’s English,” dating back to the prim and proper language of the well educated upper class. Depending on the words and twang of your slang, one is judged accordingly by the way one sounds and speaks.

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When we made the three day train trip from New York to L.A. in 1935, I’m sure my parents were worried about making a living. What worried me was the movies. Could I get into the movies. In New York, there had been a movie fire, people were killed, and now kids were no longer admitted without an adult. I remember that we used to hang around outside the theater for adults to arrive and then beg, Please take me in?

I was in luck! My folks settled in to hard times in a new city. I had the Saturday matinee. Every Saturday, dragging my kid brother and lunch sack in hand for the long wonderful afternoon, I arrived at Bards Theater, Adams and La Brea. The price was ten cents. I had my two dimes and I waited in line with my other neighborhood friends for the box office to open.

The matinee started with the excitement as we entered the lobby.

There was the table laden with glittering prizes which your ticket might win: toys, games and even, as I remember because I wanted it, a real camera!

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A legal drug in America can wake us up and cure our delusions.

Venice Beach, CA - This early in the morning only the seagulls keep me company. The air still holds sea mist. This coffee shop opens at daybreak. Though, nobody shows up until the seagulls have eaten up all the crumbs left on the street from the Saturday night pizza and beer parties.

Soon the regulars will arrive. The first of them is a lady who scoots around in a wheelchair, whispering and asking for spare change so she can buy a cup of Starbuck’s strategically revived Pike’s Peek brand. Past her prime, she seems to use the wheelchair to keep her increasing weight off her feet. What she may not realize, though, the more she uses her wheelchair, the heavier she’ll become and eventually bound to it, entrapped by her own convenience. [ Read The Full Story -> ]

Bef0re these heat waves become something permanent (aka summer) and before the sun turns the few, brave bits of LA greenery into brown wisps, take some time to look around and enjoy all the beautiful plants thriving in our sprinkler-fed yards and medians.

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This week’s illustration is inspired by the Irish community out here in LA. I spent some of this weekend with a wonderful stag party of guys originally from Dublin. I used to live in Dublin myself, so it was great. Dublin and my home city are pretty similar- they’re both party cities, stag do’s every night of the week.

Northern English people are quite like the Irish in a lot of ways. We have a reputation for being quite chilled out and are often, haha, heavy drinkers. The guys heard my northern accent and were “You’re a geordie!” Many of them have been to my home city, as it’s so cheap to fly between.

I’ve been missing Dublin this weekend, so being around so many Dublin accents was a godsend and made for a very happy Klara. So in honour of the sheer amount of Dubliners I’ve been around this weekend- here’s a portrait of one of the most famous Dubliners here in LA, Colin Farrell.

Dave Farrell - Drums, keys
Robert Kissinger - Bass
Ted Parker - Guitar, keys
Ann Yu - Vocals, guitar, keys

LoveLikeFire is a group of four San Franciscans who are currently touring in Los Angeles while preparing to create their upcoming full-length debut CD. In 2007, the band self-booked and self-financed a nationwide tour, one that led from out-of-the-way towns to big-city music festivals and back again. They have already released two CD’s, the first was in 2006, entitled Bee of Gold, and the second was released in 2007 titled, An Ocean in the Air.

The band’s motto is that “it’s better to be good than lucky. You can check them out at Spaceland May 19th orat the Detroit Bar (in Costa Mesa) on the 20th.

Check out LA.CityZine’s interview with lead vocalist, guitar and keys players Ann Yu and their music video after the jump.

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Before I moved to LA from the landlocked Midwest, my anticipatory fantasies usually included me carrying a striped parasol and picnic lunch to the beach every weekend. Four and a half years later, I have actually driven the few miles from my apartment to the beach maybe eight times. (It might actually be closer to six.) I just hate battling the crowds, fighting the parking wars, being at the mercy of unforgiving traffic.

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The Songkran festival was the most legitimate cultural fair I have been to since I was a kid.  I treat most events like this with a tired disgustedness, knowing that I will arrive, and instead of seeing anything remotely “cultural”, I will be assailed by people trying to sell me socks and cookware like you see on QVC.

This was not the case at the Songkran Festival.  All goods were Thai, not all food was Thai, but the non-Thai cuisine was occupying only 3 or 4 tents.  There was Muay Thai boxing matches all day, a Thai beauty pageant, tons of Traditional music and theatre, and a great deal of people n traditional dress.  I stayed for 5 hours and took over 600 photos, eventually ending up at The Stone (a bar on Hollywood) with curry stains all down my shirt, drinking Thai Beer until it cooled down enough outside to ride my bike home.

For those of you who missed it this year, or those of you who, like me, expect these events to be nothing more than a swap meet - enjoy my photos and try and get down to Songkran next year.

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