Day 207 - CCCB and Gaudi's La Pedrera

My last full day in Barcelona, and I just had a couple more places I wanted to check out, so I went in search of them. First, I finished the 2nd volume of the Hunger Games series of books and really needed to get the final book, so I headed to a used English bookstore, but got lost on the way in the Gracia district of Barcelona...big fail, since I clearly saw a map on the internet and also had the address with me...

Afterwards, I headed to the CCCB (Centre de Cultura Contemporania de Barcelona), which held a couple exhibitions, one being the World Press 11 photojournalism exhibition, and the other being some sort of video exhibition where two filmmakers paired up to create video "letters" to each other. The World Press exhibition was fascinating, and sometimes a little hard to view given the explicit nature of some of the stories being told through the photos. I'd seen many of the photos already when I glanced at the book sometime earlier this year, but it was still a shock to see some of them. One of them showed various Kenyan abortion pictures, where it is illegal, yet people go to doctors who perform them for 60-80 Euros in unsafe and unsanitary conditions...Another one showed some of the dead bodies from the Haiti Earthquake, and another showed the murders of Mexicans near Juarez... Not all of them were dark, but I think the more dramatic and emotional, the more likely you will win a prize...sort of like how Drama films usually win Oscars over Comedies... There was one picture that showed Couchsurfers surfing at a NYC host's place! The conditions looked a little undesirable in that picture, but it was nice to see the organization getting some good awareness in the world.

The second exhibition, called the Complete Letters, showcased about 7 different films of correspondence between 2 famous directors each (none of which I had ever heard of) through their own styles of filming. I didn't stay to watch any of them since they were so long and just appeared too random for me to understand. Maybe I would have stayed if I knew a little bit more about each of these filmmakers...

The last place on my Barcelona itinerary was to visit Gaudi's La Pedrera (or more formally called Casa Mila), which was an apartment complex that Gaudi was commissioned to build in 1906. The tour started on the rooftop terrace, where there were plenty of artistic chimney heads, stairwells, and ventilation towers. The floor was sinuous throughout the rooftop, similar to the facade of the building itself. In fact, much of the building itself was curved where we would expect rough edges.

The next part of the tour was in the attic, where there was a lot of explanation of Gaudi's life, his works throughout Barcelona, and the methods he used to create the architecture. It was noted that he graduate from the Barcelona school of architecture when he was 26... Maybe now's a great time to really do something impressionable and lasting like Gaudi. You could walk through the attic and notice the ways he used catenary arches to easily hold up the floor. It almost looked like we were walking through the skeleton of a snake. It's amazing how he used a lot of geometry in his work to figure out how to create space while also supporting the structure itself. He also was influenced a great deal by nature, fusing it into his designs. He was said to be one of the first designers to create ergonomic furniture, something that should feel natural and comfortable for humans to use. It seemed he was so far ahead of his time!

The last stop on the tour was on one of the apartment floors, where we got a sense of the way the residents lived during those times. There was a lot of open space where light could easily come in, and much of the furniture in the homes were designed by Gaudi himself, since he didn't just want to design the structure itself, but even the living space inside. It makes me want to purchase one of his chair designs...except they go for around 1,200 Euro...

An excellent way to end my visit to Barcelona. Next stop...Madrid!

La Pedrera

Couchsurfing!

World Press Photo Exhibit

La Pedrera

Day 30 - Wandering Aimlessly Around Hanoi

Today was a very relaxing DIY tourist day. I got to walk around the city and go wherever I wanted at any time of the day. I only hired a motorbike once, and instead, decided to sweat it out most of the day.

In the morning, I walked around the Old Quarter District of Hanoi, which is a maze of streets full of vendors specializing in different trades, each situated on a specific street based on what they had to sell. One street was full of shoe stores, another full of light bulbs, another full of headstones, etc. I went to see a traditional tube house and tried to visit some of the other sites from my lonely planet book, but being as it was outdated, I got shut out of two different places because it was a Monday. It seems Monday is a rest day where many attractions are closed, including restaurants. I ended up walking to the Hoan Kiem Lake to just sit on the benches and watch the reflection of the city on the lake. The lake is situated in the center of most of the tourist areas in Hanoi, but is also a popular gathering place for locals at night, where people go jogging, sit around the benches, play badminton, or do group aerobics together. I walked across a bridge to the Den Ngoc Temple and then walked around the lake some more, before settling on lunch and some ice cream afterwards.

The city is full of hidden shops and stores as I mentioned in my previous post. Walking around, (finally with the help of a lonely planet book) I found an awesome art house cinema called Hanoi Cinematheque that plays different films every day of the week. Today they were playing True Grit and The Searchers (starring John Wayne). I bought a ticket and ended up watching True Grit in a theatre with only about 6 other people. It was really intimate. The movie theatre staff explained to me that not a lot of people come because they are only allowed to send notification emails to members, due to the non-profit nature of the theatre, and they also can't advertise in any way. It had something to do with governmental restrictions, which I didn't inquire further into. 

After that, I took a motorbike to the Temple of Literature, which served as a place to worship Confucius. It also served as a place for higher learning in the past, and there are stone engravings of scholars who passed certain national examinations in the past. The entire place consisted of numerous temples, courtyards, and pools. Afterwards, I walked to a restaurant and cafe that were suggested by Lonely Planet, but they were also closed on Monday! Hungry and sweaty i settled on KFC for the first time on the trip. I can't say whether I like the chicken better here or not, because I'm so used to the delicious flavors back home, but it definitely tasted different. 

Cooled off and stomach fed, I walked around some more and bought two lonely planet books for my next destinations (Philippines and Laos) for only 140,000 Dong. Then stumbled across the opening night of a photography exhibit depicting heroin addicts in Vietnam and the stories they wanted to tell. I didn't really see the effects of drugs on the population through my travels, so it was good to be exposed to some of these stories. Countless stories were told of people attempting to quit, only to relapse numerous times. Many of the stories told of men who ended up being motorbike drivers to make cash, sometimes to fuel their addiction. I wonder if I've assisted any of them...

More stumbling around at night in Hanoi led me to a cafe that had an open mic night where Vietnamese youth were performing "Chris Isaaks' Wicked Game" with violin, piano, and guitar.  There is just so much more art here than Saigon, at least from all that I have witnessed. I think it is regarded much more highly here. Then after that I walked to a Jazz club that performed jazz every night with no cover. It was again, intimate, with a small audience, and I ended up staying, enjoying the music after everyone else left. It was a moment I wish I could have shared with someone else. I won't lie, it gets lonely traveling alone, and it'd be nice to have a friend here to share in these moments.

Walked home from the bar down empty streets, a stark contrast to the daytime action. It was a perfect end to the night, with the lake on my right side, french architecture to my left, and the headlights of all the motorbikes in front of me. 

Old Quarter, Hanoi

Hoan Kiem Lake

Temple of Literature

Music Performance at the Temple of Literature

I Spy the Smallest IKEA I've ever Seen

Afternoon Break in the Hidden Alleys of Hanoi

NOT Vietnamese Street Food

Face-To-Face with Drugs Photo Exhibition

Entrance to Hanoi Cinematheque

Hanoi Cinematheque

Front Row Seats at the Jazz Show

picture perfect 2

Been trying to get in as much LA before the trip. It's difficult being efficient with time when you have so much of it to use, as ironic as it seems.

Been having a couple random BBQs at my West Hollywood residence, taking advantage of the socal weather, my front porch, and my neighbor's BBQ. Was able to rekindle a friendship with my 1st grade best friend before she left California for Illinois! It had been almost 20 years since I last saw her, but thanks to the powers of Facebook, we were able to find each other.

Hangar 18 (Hawthorne, CA) - Been trying to get in some additional physical activity on my free time. I was first introduced to bouldering when I bought a Groupon to take an introductory class at the ARC in Arcadia, CA. Bouldering is similar to rock climbing, but without the harnesses. The bouldering "problems" are usually short distances and crash pads are used to prevent serious injury in the case that you do fall off. The "problems" range in difficulty from a V0 to around a V16. I've only been able to complete V0s and maybe one V1 problem. The video above is a V0.

Los Angeles County Museum of Art (LACMA) (Miracle Mile, Los Angeles, CA) - Free every 2nd Tuesday of the month. There is a pretty extensive and varied collection here. I usually get too tired to really see everything in one visit. I spent most of the time checking out the Bauhaus, cubism, and abstract expressionism collection. There is a Tim Burton exhibition showcasing his artistic works starting May 29, 2011. 

La Descarga (Hollywood, CA) - A small Cuban rum bar complete with a cigar lounge, live music, and hourly burlesque shows. I'm not much of a rum drinker, but heard great things about this bar. When you go upstairs, you are led to a room that looks like a small office or apartment. The host welcomes you and opens what appears to be a closet, which actually is the entrance to the bar downstairs. Think The Lion the Witch and the Wardrobe. The bar is open 8-2 from Tuesday through Saturday. Reservations are difficult to get on Saturdays, but I was able to get one after 2 weeks. There is also a strict dress code, so be sure to look dapper. The video above was a snippet of what I captured on April 16, 2011.

picture perfect

I purchased a Canon t2i DSLR camera as a Christmas gift to myself in 2010, and I plan to use it during my travels. The thing is, I have no clue how to take good photographs and have had zero training on how to use the different functions. Until now, I've resorted to using the "auto" and the "non flash" functions to take all my pictures. Some of my friends with experience using these cameras just suggested that I play around with it whenever I have a chance and figure it out on my own. I planned on taking a class at Santa Monica College, but never got around to doing it during busy season in February.

I've sort of created an ever-changing LA Bucket List, as evidenced on the right side of this blog. They are just a bunch of things that I have wanted to do in Los Angeles, but never really got around to doing, and I wanted to hit as many of them before I left. Hopefully I can use my camera and learn some more tips and tricks while crossing off my bucket list in the process.

Here are some pictures I've taken (any constructive criticism would be appreciated):


Sturtevant Falls - Sierra Madre, CA - A great hiking place just a little past Pasadena with an impressive, yet easily reachable waterfall. I went on a sunny Saturday afternoon, and it was packed, so parking ($5) was a little bit of a hassle. Well worth it though.

Long Beach Aquarium of the Pacific - Long Beach, CA - I came here to watch a friend perform with his dance team. Apparently, the aquarium hosts different cultural events every now and then where they leave the premises open after hours and people can come listen to music, watch cultural dances, eat food, and also look at all the aquarium galleries. Aquarium of the Pacific - Taste of Asia Event

MOCA (Pacific Design Center) - West Hollywood, CA - The museum space at this location was rather minimal, but there is currently an exhibition called "Rodarte: States of Matter" (pronounced "Roh-dar-tay", as corrected by one of my fashion friends) where some of the Black Swan tutus are on display. Photography was not allowed inside the museum, but it was fascinating to see some of the materials desigers Kate and Laura Mulleavy used to make these costumes, as well as their own collection. We're talking cheesecloth, Swarovski crystals, vinyl, leather, wool, cobwebs, etc. There were both the white and black collection, culminating with a view of the final tutu Natalie Portman wore on the last scene of the movie, special effects and all.

Bigfoot Lodge - Los Angeles, CA - Located near Culver City, the inside of this bar resembled a log cabin, as seen in the picture above. Great $5 happy hour list. I believe it is from 5-9 everyday. The drinks are high quality and the bartenders know how to mix them.