picture perfect 3

There is less than one more week before I leave! While I didn't get a chance to do everything on my Los Angeles bucket list, it was worth while getting to see as much of what the city had to offer.

It's definitely a strange feeling revisiting West Hollywood, not as a resident, but as a guest. Going to the local grocery store or bar or even the neighborhood has a different vibe and it's a little unsettling, but I should get over this perception, as I'll be a guest everywhere I go. Rather than think about how I'm an outsider, I should just enjoy being there.

A new friend of mine told me he thought of me as the type of person who is always thinking ahead, planning the next few steps in life, not really enjoying the moment of being with good company. I agree with this assessment, but I do hope to just take a deep breath every now and then and just smile and be satisfied, taking a pause in life to just exist. Not everything needs to have a specific purpose that we have to understand.

While I have this urge to meticulously plan every day of my trip, I hope I'll just let go and enjoy and appreciate the chaos and spontaneity of it all.

The Museum of Contemporary Art - The Geffen Contemporary (Little Tokyo, Los Angeles, CA) - There is a new exhibit called ART IN THE STREETS that will continue to be shown until August 8, 2011. This is the first major U.S. museum exhibition of street art and graffiti, which traces the roots of the movement in the 70s to the present day. I'm not too familiar with most of the famous street artists, but there was quite an extensive collection for you to acclimate yourself with. They had many works by Banksy (two of which are shown above), Keith Haring, Spike Jonze, Terry Richardson, and there was also a special focus on local movements like the "cholo graffiti" and "low rider" movement in Los Angeles, as well as the Dogtown skateboard culture. Even if you aren't a street art fan, I think anyone can appreciate the visual overload of colors when they visit. Admission is $10 general, $5 with student ID, or free every Thursday from 5p-8p.

The Getty Villa (Pacific Palisades, CA) - I've always gone to the other Getty museum near the 405 freeway but never took the time to check this one out until now. This museum was originally built by John Paul Getty to house his permanent collection of ancient Greek, Roman, and Etruscan art. The museum was built as a replica of the Villa of the Papyri at Herculaneum (located somewhere in southern Italy). Sadly, Getty never was able to see the final product before his death in 1976. The museum is free with advanced reservation, although parking costs $15. It's worth it just to walk around the premises just to sit and relax and appreciate the architecture of the building itself.

Langer's Delicatessen (Westlake, CA) - I tried my first pastrami sandwich at a Jewish deli about three years ago and have been curious to find out where I could find the best pastrami sandwich. Would it be in New York? Los Angeles? I came across this deli on the eaterLA website and there were over 1,000 reviews with a 4.5 star rating! I expected big things with this deli, but for some reason, I was underwhelmed by it all. The sandwich looked small (see first picture) compared to something I got at the 2nd Avenue Deli in New York City (see second picture)... I can't really compare the two, since the sandwich I got in NY was half corned beef and half pastrami, but look how ginormous it is compared to Langer's! It was just so much more fatty and juicy compared to Langer's...

Peace Awareness Labyrinth Gardens (Los Angeles, CA) - Situated in the middle of the busy streets of Los Angeles is this place to retreat, relax, and meditate. Located in the back of a renovated mansion, guests are free to roam around, walk the labyrinth, or sit in the gardens in the back. The property is owned by the MSIA (Movement of Spirtual Inner Awarness) group, although they don't try hard to push their beliefs onto you.

The labyrinth was designed after the labyrinth at Chartres Cathedral in France. It is about a third of a mile in length to walk to the center and back out. People use the labyrinth for different reasons. Some people use it as a kind of walking meditation, seeking to empty their mind of whatever problems they are facings. Some people use it to determine where they are in life, what questions and concerns they have, or what goals they have at that moment. Some people use the labyrinth as a metaphor for how they live their lives. They use it as a self-reflective tool.

toughening up before the trip

I will inevitably be introduced to many different types of foods and I do intend on being adventurous and open-minded about trying the various cuisine that is available to me, yet I wonder if I will be able to stomach it all without hurling chunks onto the pavement of the street markets.

Two nights ago, an uninviting feeling in my stomach emerged after eating crawfish at the Boiling Crab in Garden Grove. I tried to recollect whether this feeling had to do with the hangover I experienced after the drunken night prior (or was it the absinthe flavored vodka?), or if it was indeed from the crawfish. I mean, when you really think about it, anything you eat at that restaurant is excessively unhealthy, despite how yummy it can be.

It was one of the most horrible nights where I would wake up every 30 minutes to vomit and diarrhea just so my stomach would feel minimally better. The next morning, I developed a fever of 103.4, chills, nausea, and the continued diarrhea. At least the vomiting subsided. My mind turned into panic mode once I saw my temperature and I went to see the doctor. After describing my symptoms to the physician and getting my stomach palpated, she explained that it was probably due to the crawfish. Although my parents and friends did not experience any of these symptoms after eating it, toxins, bacteria, and/or parasites can still be in the stomach lining of any individual crawfish. I took home a goodie bag of antibiotics and peptol bismol, and hopefully this will be the cure to my discomfort.

At least some of the benefits from this experience were: 

1) I lost a few pounds 

2) I tightened my abs from all the vomiting 

3) I saved the cash I would have spent on any other Friday night.

And hopefully this has conditioned my stomach to be better for my trip?

Trying silk worms at a street market in Beijing, China - Summer 2006

And no, it did NOT taste good...

EDIT: 5/7/11 10:26PM

All I've had to eat so far are saltine crackers, jello, chicken noodle soup, and bananas. All I'm craving is a Big Mac right now........

Visas coming through

My Indian, Vietnamese, and Cambodian visas have been processed, issued, and obtained! Next up is Brazil and possibly China...

The process of obtaining Visas can be an exercise in patience. Ideally, you'd want to be able to enter and exit any country as you please, but diplomatic relations between two countries affect whether there is a requirement for you to obtain a Visa - permission to enter a country. The process can take many days, and you probably should practice humility when dealing with a country's consulate...since they basically have the ultimate say in whether you will be granted permission to enter their country.

You are able to obtain Visas in various ways - either at the airport, printed off the internet, through a third party agency, directly at the consulate, or through snail mail. Each country has their own requirement.

As of now, I am trying to obtain as many visas as I can while I'm still in the United States, so I don't have to take any travel time applying at a consulate in another country. The Vietnamese and Indian Visas were obtained in San Francisco since their consulates were located there. The Cambodian Visa was obtained on their website and printed out. The Brazilian and Chinese Visas will be obtained in Los Angeles at their respective consulates. I believe most Walk-Up appointments for Visas take anywhere from 2-5 business days.

The quickest way to figure out whether a Visa is required is to go to the DOS Travel Website, click on the country you are interested in, and then scroll down to the "Exit/Entry Requirements". Here are notes I wrote regarding each country I may visit:

Vietnam - May obtain a VOA (visa on arrival) at the airport or at the Vietnamese consulate prior to travel. They have options to obtain 1 month single or multiple entry, or 3 month single or multiple entry.

Thailand - No Visa required if staying fewer than 30 consecutive days, and less than 90 days total in a 6 month period.

Cambodia - E-Visa can be obtained online. 30 days, single entry for $20 + $5 processing fee.

Indonesia - Visa required. VOA may be obtained for private, temporary, pleasure visits. $25 for a 30 days.

Philippines - No Visa required. Maximum stay of 21 days.

Burma - Visa required. $30 + $40 processing fee. Can obtain through snail mail application to the Consulate in Washington DC. I plan on obtaining my Burmese Visa in Thailand, as I hear it is quicker and more convenient. Also, I heard that you must show proof of having at least $300 USD when arriving at the airport.

Laos - Can obtain Visa at airport. Need 2 passport photos. $35 for 30 days.

India - You must go through a third-party outsourcing company, or apply by mail. The fee is $60 (for 6 month multiple entry) + $13 processing if applying through the third-party company. Family members may submit the documents on your behalf. I had my sister bring it in for me and the process took 24 hours. Pretty quick turnaround.

Nepal - Visa can be obtained at the airport upon arrival. $25 for 15 days, $40 for one month, and $100 for three months. Apparently, 2011 is the Year of Tourism in Nepal.

Greece - Based on the Schengen Agreement, which was a treaty that was signed to create Europe's borderless "Schengen" area, operating as one state for international travelling purposes, travel is free for 90 days.

Turkey - You can obtain a 90-day Visa sticker at any port of entry for $20.

Czech Republic - Schengen Agreement (See Greece)

Spain- Schengen Agreement (See Greece)

Germany - Schengen Agreement (See Greece)

Morocco - No Visa required for 90 days.

Brazil - Based on reciprocity, $140 is charged for a 90 day Visa.

Argentina - $140 for a Visa if you enter through the Ezeiza or Jorge Newbery Airport. You can avoid the fee if you enter from a different place, either on land, or in another airport.

Peru - No Visa required.


One issue that will come up for a "round the world" traveler like myself is the requirement upon arrival at customs of proof of your plans to leave the country. I assume this is done to ensure that you don't plan on coming to work in the country and end up staying there. Most people show their return airplane ticket as proof, but I will have a problem, since I won't have a roundtrip ticket anywhere. Some people have suggested that I created a "planned" itinerary from expedia or orbitz.com and present it, even though I haven't really purchased a ticket, but sadly, I think I will just have to plan both my means of entry and exit into a country prior to arrival...

Another issue that will come up is whether I will have enough pages in my Passport. You can purchase additional Visa Pages for your passport for $82 dollars, but the process takes around 5-6 weeks! I'll just cross my fingers for now and hope that I have enough space in my passport. If not, I'll have to go to the US Embassy in whatever country I'm in...

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.

first flight booked!

Just booked my first leg of the trip!

Saturday, May 21 on EVA Air

LAX (Los Angeles)-TPE (Taipei)-SGN (Ho Chi Minh City)

It ended up being cheaper to book directly off of EVA Air's website compared to fly.com.

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.

finding the right backpack

I spent the last three weeks trying to figure out which backpack I should buy for my trip. There are so many different features on each backpack that I felt completely lost. Walking into R.E.I. left me flushed and flustered, so I asked some friends, family, and store workers for advice on what features I should think about.

• Lumbar Support - Each backpack has its own special material that is used to provide lumbar support and airflow.
• Weight - Different backpacks use different fabrics that can really make a difference in how heavy the pack is.
• Carry-on Restrictions - The size of the bag can make a difference over whether you can carry the pack on-board during a flight, which can save you beaucoup bucks.  
• Loading Space - Each bag has a number, which represents how many liters each pack is able to hold.
• Loading Accessibility - Some packs load in the front, some load in the top.

I decided on the Osprey Kestrel 48:

One of the biggest factors for me in choosing a pack was whether I would be able to carry-on at the airport. I wanted to save on baggage fees and also have my stuff with me at all times to avoid getting it stolen or lost. Each airline has it's own carry-on restriction and I'll have to press my luck each time I go through security, but  any way to lower the chances of theft or loss would be ideal. While the pack probably wouldn't fit carry-on requirements if it was filled to capacity, I figure I wouldn't ever really have it completely full. The frame of the pack is also bendy, so I could contort it to fit those carry-on requirement boxes at airports if needed.

The pack is top loading, but also has a zipper at the bottom which provides additional accessibility. My sister recommended that I get a pack with bottom access since it would be a hassle trying to sort through all my belongings from the top in the case that I needed something that settled to the bottom of my pack. 

I found most Osprey products to be very lightweight. The pack is made of nylon and most reviews on R.E.I.'s  website seem favorable for this brand. The entire pack weights 3 lbs 10 oz.

I purchased mine at R.E.I., and they were able to provide assistance on how to put the backpack on correctly. They also provided pillows and sandbags to fill the pack so that I could get a good sense of how it would feel if I had all my stuff inside. They also recommended that I walk around the store for 10 minutes with it on to make sure I'm getting the proper back support.

One less thing to purchase for this trip!

Retail Price ($159)

Less 20% REI Member Discount ($31.80)

2 Carabiners ($4)

Total with Tax ($142.68)

Less REI Member Dividend ($8.90)

Total Paid ($133.78)